Twilight yawned as she sat in the waiting room, as she sat there trying to not fall asleep she heard the clanking of armor and turned to see Eris walk into the room dressed in her armor and with her weapons on her back and at her hip. As Eris entered the room she went to reception and spoke with the nurse there before turning and waving as she walking away. "Hey Wait!" Twilight yelled causing the armored woman to stop and turn to Twilight seemingly confused.
"Ms. Sparkle, I was not expecting to see you here." Eris said in a kind tone causing the lavender mare to blush.
"Well-I thought that maybe you would like me to show you around Ponyville?" She asked as she shuffled her feet.
Eris seemed to consider her question before sighing and nodding. "I suppose, I will be staying here at least for a few day while I decide what to do." She said earning a smile from the mare.
"Alright, the Princesses wanted me to make sure you feel comfortable at least." She said happily as she followed the armored woman out of the hospital.
As Eris exited the hospital she took a deep breath and sighed. "So where to first?" She asked the mare beside her who seemed to pause and thing. "You don't know do you?" She asked in a deadpanned voice causing Twilights ears to lower.
"Well... I kinda moved here recently so I'm still getting use to it." She said sheepishly.
"Oh, sounds like there's a story behind that." Eris said with a smirk. "How long ago did you come here?"
Twilight crossed her arms and stroked her chin in thought. "I'd say about a week?" She answered in thought.
"Tell me about your friends Twilight." Eris said earning a smile from the mare.
"Oh Well there's Rainbow Dash, she's a Pegasus and really fast. She claims to be the fastest pony in Equestria but I haven’t done any test on that yet." Twilight said excitedly. "Then there's Rarity, she runs a boutique and makes amazing clothes. Then there's Applejack, She's hard working but a bit too stubborn. We actually had some problems with that recently." She continued with a frown. "Then there's Pinkie who loves parties and is really weird. And lastly is Fluttershy, who is Ponyvilles animal caretaker."
Eris nodded. "And what adventures have you gotten up to?" She asked earning a bigger smile form Twilight who began to regale Eris with the adventures she and her friends had gotten up to while pausing to explain and show her certain places in Ponyville like the Town hall and other important buildings.
Eris Prov
As Twilight told of her adventures I just kept smiling and listening, originally I had been hoping to get Twilight to tell me more so I could find out when exactly in the show I am but it seems Twilight is easily prompted with the right subject. I may have to talk to Celestia about having Twilight be quieter about her adventures but that will be later. From what she could tell they were still in the very early season one right after the Griffon the Brush-Off Episode. I actually frowned at that thought. 'It's for the best I didn't appear sooner, if I met Gilda after what she did to Fluttershy I might have thrown off future events since Gilda is an important friend to Rainbow Dash.' I thought as I continued to listen to Twilight. However as I was listening I saw more and more ponies heading in a certain directing.
"Is there a festival or something going on Twilight?" I asked snapping the mare out of her story and causing her to look around in confusion.
"Hey what's going on?" She asked a mare with a pink coat.
"There’s some big traveling magician set up in the town square!" They said excitedly.
"So what?" I asked earning a raised eye from both Twilight and the mare. "Miss, you are a Unicorn, Ms. Sparkle here is a Unicorn and the personal student of the Princesses. I don't see how you can be excited for another Unicorn."
"Well... they say she is the most powerful Unicorn in Equestria." The Mare countered with a smirk.
I sighed and rubbed my eyes. "Okay, let's say for a moment that she is the most powerful mare in Equestria, why would she be here instead of working for Celestia? Furthermore why would she even visit your town?" I asked in a very calm voice, the voice I use when I talk to particularly slow or stupid cadets who just got out of basic training and were about to have their head shot off by a sniper.
Fortunately for me the mare finally seemed to start thinking and when she opened her mouth she closed it again and seemed to stand there in thought. "So... she's lying?"
I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose. 'How in the seven circles of Hell can ponies be so stupid? Oh, wait, it's Ponyville; they are as intelligent as the plot requires of them.' After a moment I look at the mare in front of me however it seemed our debate had drawn attention. "She is a Showman, or as you call them Show mare, it's their job to pretend and make grand claims so that they can draw in crowds. They make great spectacles and boast great feats so that they can make the crowd excited and pay for their shows."
"Come one, come all! Come and witness the amazing magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie!" A Voice yells from the center of town and I sigh before turning to Twilight.
"Well, let's go see this mess to be." I say earning a frown from Twilight.
"You could be a bit nicer." She said causing me to roll my eyes.
"Twilight, this is a world built on magic." I say exasperatedly. "It's so magical that your sun and moon are moved by magic so excuse me for looking down on a boastful show pony who is only trying to feed their ego."
I say as we reach the town square just in time to see an explosion of smoke and a mare dressed in a wizard hat and cape step out of it. Causing the Audience to ooh and aah with excitement. "Welcome peasants; now watch in awe as the Great and Powerful Trixie performs the most spectacular feats of magic ever witnessed by pony eyes!" She yells as fireworks go off.
"My, what boasting!" I hear a mare say and I turn to see a rather stylish mare.
"Indeed she is quite the braggart." I say as I approach the mare and the group that is with her who I recognize and the other Elements. "And you must be Twilights friends, I've heard a bit about you from her." I say kindly as I point at Twilight.
"Indeed we are, and I imagine you are Miss. Eris Helsing, Twilight has also told us a bit about you though some of the claims she made sound too ludicrous to be honest but given your appearance I suppose they may be true." Rarity said as she bowed to me the others nodding or waving except for Pinkie who is looking at me closely before smiling and running off.
As we walked I saw Twilight shifting nervously and I looked to her in concern. "Is something wrong?" I asked.
Twilight looked up at the show mare on the stage and back to me uneasily. "There's nothing wrong with being talented, is there?"
"Nothin' at all, except when somepony goes around showing it off like a school filly with fancy new ribbons." Applejack said with a frown as she watched the mare on the stage.
Rarity nodded. "Indeed, just because one has the ability to perform lots of magic does not make one better than the rest of us."
"Especially when ya got me around being better than the rest of us." Rainbow Dash said before laughing nervously as Applejack glared at her. "I mean- uh, magic shmagic. Boo!"
"Well, well, it seems we have some naysayers in the audience." The show mare said arrogantly as she turned to the elements. "Who is so ignorant as to challenge the magical ability of the Great and Powerful Trixie? Do they not know that they're in the presence of the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria?
I sighed and shook my head as Rarity blew a raspberry at the mare. "Just who does she think she is?" She asked causing Twilight to cringe and flinch away for the group.
As I watched the mare I felt like I recognized her and then it hit me. 'Oh this is when Trixie first appeared, this will not end well.' I thought as I frowned at Rainbow who had shot in to the air and flew into the face of the show mare.
"So 'Great and Powerful Trixie' what makes you think you're so awesome, anyway?" Rainbow growled.
Trixie smirked under her wizard. "Why, only the Great and Powerful Trixie has magic strong enough to vanquish the dreaded Ursa Major!" She yelled as she used her magic to shoot off more fireworks wowing the audience and slowly Trixie used some illusions to weave a picture with her magic. "When all hope was lost, the ponies of Hoofington had no one to turn to, but the Great and Powerful Trixie stepped in, and with her awesome magic, vanquished the Ursa Major and sent it back to its cave deep within the Everfree Forest!"
"That settles it." One of the children yelled happily.
"Trixie truly is the most talented, the most magical, and the most awesome unicorn in Ponyville." Another yelled.
"No, in all of Equestria!" The first countered as he looked at the second
'Oh hello stooge one and two, how I forgot about you.' I thought with a sigh as I saw the fat and skinny ponies of stupidity.
Trixie stood on the stage laughing. "Yes it's true, my enthusiastic little admirers. Trixie is most certainly the best in Ponyville!"
As she boated I swear I heard crickets chirping as the ponies in the audience began to realize how full of herself Trixie was.
"Don't believe the Great and Powerful Trixie?" The show mare asked with a giggle. "Well then, I hereby challenge you, Ponyvillians. Anything you can do, I can do better. Any takers, Anyone Hmm? Or is Trixie destined to be the greatest equine who has ever lived!? She declared arrogantly as fireworks exploded and I grit my teeth.
I didn't really want to intervene in the cannon story telling but with how this was going so far I'm honestly getting angry now. It’s one thing to see it in a cartoon but actually living this crap is just pissing me off.
"Hmm, how about you?" Trixie asked as she points to Twilight who gulps and looks around scared. "Well, how about it, hmm? Is there anything you can do that the Great and Powerful Trixie can't?" Trixie asked with a smirked as she glared at Twilight who began to stutter and back away in fear. "Well, little hayseed?"
"That's it; I can't stand for no more of this!" Applejack yelled as she stomped forward earning surprised looks from the ponies around her. "Can your magical powers do this? She asked as she pulled out a lasso and performed several high level tricks that required coronation and skill as she finished the tricks the crowd cheers and Applejack grinned as she turned to the mare. "Top that, missy." She said proudly
"Oh ye of little talent." Trixie said as he brushed off the obvious skill. "Watch and be amazed at the magic of Trixie!" She said as she lit her horn and the rope came to life and quickly wrapping around the surprised mare causing the audience to laugh. "Once again, the Great and Powerful Trixie prevails."
"There's no need to go strutting around and showing off like that." Rainbow Dash said arrogantly.
"Oh?" Trixie asked as she raised and eyebrow causing me chuckle. 'Ah old memes.' I thought as I looked at the eyebrow.
"That's my job!" Rainbow Dash yelled proudly. "They don't call me "Rainbow" and "Dash" for nothing!" She yelled as the audience cheered and she shot into the air doing several incredible tricks before landing with a rainbow covering her.
"When Trixie is through, the only thing they'll call you is loser." Trixie sheered causing some in the crowd to look rather shocked as the mare took the rainbow around Rainbow and grabbing the mare before spinning her around and shocking her with lightning. "Seems like anypony with a dash of good sense would think twice before tussling with the Great Trixie!"
"What we need is another unicorn to challenge her." I said as I looked at Twilight. "Someone with some magic of her own."
"Yeah, a unicorn to show this unicorn who's boss!" Rainbow said as he too looked at Twilight.
"A real unicorn to unicorn tussle." Applejack said with a nod as she too looked at Twilight who was shrinking in on herself.
"Enough, enough, all of you!" Rarity said with a dramatic flare. "I take your hint, but Rarity is above such nonsense. Rainbow Dash and Applejack may behave like ruffians, but Rarity conducts herself with beauty and grace." She said calmly
"Oh, what's the matter?" Trixie asked arrogantly. "Afraid you'll get a hair out of place in that rat's nest you call a mane?"
Rarities eyes seemed to catch fire for a moment as she glared at Trixie. "Oh, it. Is. On!" She yelled as he stomped forward and began to circle the mare. "You may think you're tough with all of your so-called powers, but there's more to magic than your brutish ways. A unicorn needs to be more than just muscle. A unicorn needs to have style!" She said as she took the curtains off the stage and wrapped it around herself before with a flash she appeared in a gorgeous dress. "A unicorn is not a unicorn without grace and beauty." Trixie seemed to actually growl at Rarity as her horn lit however before she could do anything I decided to step in.
Beside me a small golden portal opens as I activate the Gate of Babylon and drew a dagger that looks heavily bent. As Trixie shot her beam of magic at Rarity I leap forward and block it with the dagger. "I've had enough of this farce!" I say in a cold voice as I glare at the mare.
3ed Person Prov.
Trixie looks shocked for moment before her face contorts and she growls. "How dare you block Trixie’s magic!" She yells as she fires another beam at me however the blast was again deflected by the blade Eris held.
"I've stood by and watched this farce go on for too long." Eris said again in a cold voice. "In this enter crowd there is probably only one pony that could stand up to you however she has enough modesty to not need an ego boost by picking on weaklings like you. That and she's afraid that by doing so she would be showing off and the ponies here would hate her." Eris said coldly. "Like they hate you." I said with a smirk.
"If that's true then why do you face the Great and Powerful Trixie?" Trixie asked arrogantly. "If you can't win then why challenge The Great and Powerful Trixie?"
Eris smiled. "I said that there was only one Pony who could beat you but I'm not a pony. I'm A HOMUNCULUS!" She declared proudly as she stepped forward and pointed at herself with a grin, a small golden gate opening beside her and she placed the blade inside it. "That dagger is known as Rule Breaker: All Spells Must Be Broken; it is a C+ Devine Ranked Anti-Magic weapon." She said calmly as she walked away from the terrified show mare. "If you want a true challenge then I'll give you one." She said calmly as she reached the edge of the stage.
"I challenge you Trixie to use your magic to create what I create." She said as she clapped her hands together making it look as if she were praying. As she clapped her hands together a ringing sound echoed through the surrounding area and as it dissipated she calmly knelt down and placed them on the ground. As she set her hands on the ground red lightning arced around her and slowly the ground began to rise forming a beautifully decorated pillar that was inscribed with indicate writing.
ᚤᛟᚢ ᚲᚨᚾ'ᛏ ᛞᛟ ᛏᚺᛁᛋ ᚠᛟᛟᛚᛁᛋᚺ ᛋᚺᛟᚹᛗᚨᚱᛖ.
Trixie watched in shock as Eris finished the pillar and then jumped down. "Well foolish mare, do as I did." She said calmly.
"Fine, so Trixie can't do that!" She said in a huff. "But then again I don't need to rely on cheap tricks to do something." She said boldly.
Eris smiled. "Cheap tricks you say?" She asked with a smile. "This cheap trick as you call it is Alchemy, true Alchemy. With this power I can do anything; I could build entire cities, make clothes for the poor, forge the greatest weapons and armor for armies this nation over. I could transmute lead to gold, craft Mythril into artifacts of power or even fashion Oricalcum itself." Eris smiled proudly. "You on the other hand can't use Alchemy; you can't even out class Applejack or Rainbow Dash. Instead you resort to cheap tricks that proven you have the equivalent magical prowess of perhaps a seven year old.”
Trixie quickly regained her arrogant look as she glared at Eris. “Humph! Trixie doesn’t have to answer to such an-”
“You said anything we can do, you can do better,” Eris interrupted as she took a step forward and leapt back on the stage glaring at Trixie. “Applejack’s roping skills were purely physical, and she jumped through her own lasso several times without tripping up, a feat that even with my skills and coordination would be extremely difficult and I wouldn’t have done it as flawlessly as she did. You however, couldn’t even emulate her act properly and instead hog tied her and shoved an apple in her mouth. Furthermore I’d really like to see you try and craft weather that’s even half as cool as Rainbow Dash’s.”
Rainbow Dash looked stunned. "She thought it was cool!" She half whispered in excitement.
Trixie just stood there fuming as she glared at rainbow Dash. “Oh please, as if the Great and Powerful Trixie would stoop so low as to use her talents for such a useless thing as weather work. It would be an insult to all unicorn-kind.”
“Is that so?” Eris asked coldly as she glared at the mare. "You think the job the Pegasus do is useless?" She asked as she shook her head in disappointment. "As an Alchemist I respect the flow of life and the nature of the world. Seed to soil, Flower to seed, One is all and all is One." Eris said angrily as she glared at Trixie. "Your thinking is so flawed and egocentric that it's disgusting." She said in anger as many of the ponies seemed confused by what she had said.
“You know I never really understood people like you Trixie.” Eris said as she appeared to slowly calm down. After taking a deep breath she turned and looked at the ponies before the stage. “There are two types of entertainers in the world, the ones like you, and the ones like AJ or Rainbow Dash over there.”
Trixie laugh as she glared at Eris. “Indeed there are; the one like Trixie the Talented and the hacks who think that entertainment is flying or twirling some stupid rope.”
Eris shook her head and looked back at Trixie. “There’s the kind that build up a person’s hope and the kind that tear it down,” Eris corrected the unicorn. “When children see Applejack doing her tricks or some feat of heroism, or Rainbow Dash performing her stunts they may say how amazing those ponies are but it also gives them hope that one day they can grow up to be just as incredible. That is because they see someone who rose to success through hard work and merit, sure they brag and go on about their accomplishments but if what they say is actually true and backed up by their actions then it can give hope for the future. They don't need to trod upon some’s dreams to prove they're better because they can prove their merits through action and let others see that.”
As Eris talked she smiled however as she finished speaking her eyes hardened and she turned to glare at Trixie. “Then there are people like you.” Eris said coldly as a scowl formed on her face. “What really makes me despise people like you Trixie is that you could take your magic act and spread joy just like Rainbow and Applejack, you could make people believe they can be amazing as well but all you seem interested in doing is tearing other ponies down in order to build yourself up. You’re a parasite that feeds off the pain she creates, that relishes in belittling and mocking other creatures as you use cheap tricks and illusions to tear down everything they are proud of and built through work and skill. But in doing this you set a precedent.” Eris said as he turned and looked at Twilight with a sad glare. "Some People are naturally gifted and those gifts should be shared and explored but you make others not want to do that because it could make them look like they are arrogant or showing off like you."
As Eris finished her speech Trixie was grinding her teeth in anger. “You would dare to compare the Great and Powerful Trixie to some kind of parasite!? Trixie refuses to even address such a creature, if anything you are the parasite wasting flaunt yourself.”
"If that's all you got out of my little lecture then you truly are lost in your own Pride." Eris growled and for a moment every pony stood shocked as the armor Eris wore groan and creak as if it were alive and Eris quickly placed a hand behind her neck stopping something from rising up and covering her head. "Leave this place Trixie; you are neither welcome nor desired." She said darkly. "If you don't I'll do something that I'll regret."
Trixie glared at Eris for a moment before smirking. "Do your worst, Trixie will overcome any magic!"
Eris grit her teeth before she suddenly seemed to relax, her posture changing form one of anger to calm, poised and relaxed as she begins to smile darkly. "Very well, if you want to be so prideful..." She said calmly only for Trixie to smirk at her arrogantly and every pony saw that Eris's right hand was now glowing brightly with a strange symbol. "Trixie Lulamoon, thou are condemned for the Sin of Pride." Eris said in a cold voice almost devoid of emotion; as soon as the words left her lips the entire world seemed to freeze around them as if the universe itself was focused solely on her worlds. "For your Arrogance and Hubris I sentence you to forever feel the suffering your actions cause to others. This curse shall be branded upon you, and may be undone." She said and as soon as she finished Trixie screamed causing every pony to watch in shock as she quickly grabbed her right arm as if it were in pain. After a second Trixie quickly pulled off her right glove to find on her forearm a branded circle of two snakes with an eye like design at the center.
"That Brand is forever a part of you Trixie, as long as you are filled with Hubertus and Arrogance, as long as you hurt ponies you will be forced to feel their pain and suffering." Eris said coldly.
"Trixie thinks you're a monster!" Trixie shouted as she held her arm in tears.
Eris looked at Trixie with what seemed to be contempt. "A Monster you say?" Eris asked in a sickly sweet tone. "I'm not just a monster Trixie, I'm a Human; and Humans are the monsters that make other monsters cower in terror. We are the beings that bring fear to the Dragon Mother Tiamat herself." Eris said so coldly that Trixie was shaking as she looked up at the demon before her. "But then again, I'm not the one destroying the lives of ponies for a simple ego boost so who is the bigger monster?" Eris asked darkly as she turned and began to walk away only to stop. "Just so you know there is a way to remove the mark upon you but I've never seen anyone do it."
"Then how does Trixie do it?" Trixie spat in anger.
"To remove a Brand of Sin you must give up that which you were branded for." Eris said calmly. "Those marked with the brand of Pride must give up their pride and humble themselves, only then can their mark begin to heal." As Eris finished speaking she continued to walk away.
As she left Twilight looked at the show mare with concern before quickly running after Eris. As she ran after the woman many of the ponies walked away from the show mare glaring at Trixie or muttering under her breath that she got what she deserved. "That was mean Eris, you should apologize to her." Twilight said as she reached the woman.
"Until she learns humility that mare will never accept an apology Twilight, People like her are cruel, not because they have to be but because they can and so they will." Eris said coldly.
"What was it that you did to her anyway; I've never seen magic like that?" Twilight asked in concern.
Eris stopped and looked at Twilight for a moment before looking away and continued walking. "My birth parents were sick fucks who believed in a lot of cult shit." Eris said calmly. "Everything from my name to how I was raised was so that they could use me as they wanted. When I was seven they carved twelve runes into my body. Each Rune has a unique ability that I can use."
Twilight seemed to freeze as Eris spoke but quickly covered up her shock. "So what did you do?"
"I rendered Judgement, it's something I've done only a few times before and normally I can control it but that mare set me off." Eris said coldly. "There are seven sins of mortals; Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, wrath, and finally Pride." Eris explained as she turned away and continued to walk. "One of my runes is the Rune of Revenge and when it activates I... well you saw what happens." She said solemnly.
"You curse the person with one of the seven sins?" Twilight asked receiving a nod form the woman.
"Yes, the punishment shall always fit the crime." Eris said before chuckling. "Of course I'm not immune to my own power either." She said as she absentmindedly rubbed her eyepatch. "Wrath is a terrible curse to endure." She said darkly as they reached a park where she sat down tiredly on a bench. "Just so you know, I normally don't do that." She said a she trialed off.
Twilight was silent before looking at the human beside her. "Are all humans like this?" She asked.
Eris shrugged. "Nope, I'm unique... well my brother is the same but other than him I've never seen anyone else with my kinda power." She said. "And even then his power is different than mine. I'm Karma, the great equalizer of life. To me every one no matter their status or importance is the same, one life is just as valuable as another but that also means that one life is worth only one life to me."
Twilight frowned. "So what’s your brother?"
"Causality, he is the manifestation of Causality itself." Eris replied with a sigh as she leaned back and looked up at the sky. "You see the entire world is bound in an endless chain of events, each event is caused by the effect of another event and as such each event lead to more causes and thus, more effects. This repeats in an endless cycle until the concept of 'Evil' fulfills its original intent." Eris explained. "But nothing is written in stone and Fate can be defied however this only triggers unpredictable effects that more often than not barely effect the inevitability of the predestined timeline's general design."
Twilight sat thinking about what Eris had said before looking to the human turned Homunculus. "So your brother controls the concept of Cause and Effect?" She asked somewhat confused.
Eris yawned. "No he changes the likelihood of events, I guess the best way to describe him in a simple term is Murphy’s Law on a bigger scale, if something can happen it not only will but the results of what happened will have an effect in the long term."
Twilight sat quietly as she thought about what Eris was saying. In a way it made sense, Eris was there to balance everything out with impartial judgement while her brother was could affect the probability of events and the outcomes of said events. Twilight turned to ask Eris another question however a quiet snore caused her to pause and see that the woman had fallen asleep. "I wonder if she'd let me run a test on her power, if it judges a ponies sins then maybe she can judge them for their virtues too." She muttered as she sat there waiting for Eris to wake up.