//------------------------------// // Plus Eight // Story: Chaos On: The (Lightly-edited For FIMfiction) Original Edition // by PactOfSkyranger //------------------------------// So here we are, walking along a path while Spike throws out bad apples. Of course, the motive was a hilarious wager between Applejack and her brother, Big Macintosh. Of course, our discussion of apples and a stallion in a girdle were interrupted by Spike belching up a letter from the princess. "Oh sweet buck this is going to get real fixed fast with only one extra ticket," I deadpanned, asking Applejack that she at least consult Twilight about the repairs of the barn and the plow before warping over to Sugarcube Corner. "Hey, Falak!," Pinkie chirped. "What are you in the mood for?” "Well, I wanted to give you a gift." Pinkie got excited at that, especially when I explained further. "In one world, you accidentally found yourself in my father's domain, and your creativity and innate ability allowed you to quickly seize control of my father's powers before you were, for your own good, thwarted. That was when I knew it was a good idea to give you this." I pulled out the World Crystal. "Took my aunt a bit of fortitude to get this away from Death Baker at the Hearth in Arcania. Smash it at your hooves." Pinkie did, and she found herself in a blank space. The only thing there was a letter that said, Go wild with the place. Once it's bonded to you, you can use the powers of Chaos in Equestria proper. My dad had a ritual to put a piece of his power into somepony, but I think this will compliment you. -Falak Disc P.S: Twilight has a ticket free for the Gala. It is not a party. It is a formal gathering and the Princess says it's always terrible. I don't think you can change that. Maybe you can plan the Hearth's Warming party, that'll be something your vision suits. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Next I went to Fluttershy, tousling her hair while secretly implanting something dormant into her mind and body, something that would fully awaken given the right... spark. I decided to walk to a spot in the Everfree, digging out an eight-pointed star-shaped pink gem and locking it in an indestructible chest only I could open, sending that and a letter to a place no one knew where it was, to an adventurer with few equals. Fluttershy was none the wiser, and I left her a letter that read, Fluttershy, I have been sleeping, but at the night of the Gala, the night has called me. In the royal garden, I ask you, when or if you are frustrated the animals do not wish to be your friend, close your eyes and call me out of your soul with the phrase, I have been sleeping, and the night calls for me. At least then we can have some form of entertainment. I will call you out when the Gala has ended. Falak has provided the phrase for me to call upon you as well; Now I wake, and the day bids me pack. -Chylene P.S: I always had a spot for apples, how I could just suck them dry of their juice. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A.K Yearling was surprised enough to receive a chest and a letter at her home out of thin air. What surprised her more was that it was her real name on the letter. Dear Daring Do, The item in this chest is a danger to all Equus. Only I can open it, and it is made to be indestructible. When you aren't busy writing down your adventures, I want you to, under your disguise, meet me in Somnambula, in the desert, and ring the bell at the statue's hooves. I don't have time to talk with you today, as my friends are bickering over a silly ticket for the Gala. The BUCKING Grand Galloping Gala. Daring wasn't very surprised, but she was still surprised that they would fight over that stuffy formal banquet. She read on, The power of this item is but one-sixth of my mother. I cannot have this fall into any hooves, for fear of her. She is why my father is regarded as a menace. Guard it from Caballeron, Ahuizotl, and any other foe that you face. -Falak Daring Do was an intrepid adventurer, but she was impressed at how the sender of this letter knew where she was from where their friends were. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ When I was back at the farm, Spike had just received the tickets (oddly, there were three,) and I cut in to say, "The princess must really want Twilight there to comfort her if she asked for Twi by name. I pity you and the recipient of that extra ticket." Spike then read out that I was to attend as well, to which I was surprised, but quickly recovered. "Well, not that I wasn't already planning to, taking a front seat to the action, and my controlled chaos will certainly spice things up!" I turned away and smirked. "Especially with my two surprises..." Of course, Applejack still wanted to sell apples, to which I said, "Spike, take a letter;" Dear Princess Celestia, Applejack, the mare in charge of the food for the Summer Sun Celebration, is interested in attending as a food cart seller. Since there is already fancy buffet food, I want you to relay this fact to the royal chefs.Hopefully, this message will be able to secure her some orders. As for the cart, I plan to patronize it for four people; me, my sister, and two friends from across the reflection. On another note, I think we're all going to have some disappointment with the Gala, especially Twilight. Still sticking to the rules we set, Falak Disc. P.S: Say hi to Luna for me. P.P.S: I may have set up a couple surprises for the Gala with two of Twilight's other friends. P.P.P.S: Could you also talk to the Wonderbolts? Rainbow Dash wants to attend as well because they'll be there. Oh yes: Fluttershy's reason is she wants to see the critters in the garden. Could you organize her a tour? And also: Rarity's reason is she thinks your nephew is actually charming. Please send a letter to her if you can or give her a way to not be just a Ponyville mare in a high-class snobfest like the Gala. Lastly: I cleared up misconceptions Pinkie may have had about the nature of the Gala. Can you get her in to plan the Hearth's Warming party? "Okay, I'm done." Spike then sent off the letter, and I started to deconstruct the misconceptions. "Land sakes," Applejack started, "if I had an apple stand set up, ponies would be chowin' our tasty vittles 'til the cows came home. Do you have any idea how much business I could drum up for Sweet Apple Acres? Why, with all that money, we could do a heap of fixin' up 'round here. We could replace that saggy old roof, and Big Macintosh could replace that saggy old plow, and Granny Smith could replace that saggy old hip. Why, I'd give my left hind leg to go to that gala." "Well," I started, Freezing Rainbow Dash in the air with a stasis spell, "Not counting the fact that these fancy folk never bought off a cart, the Gala is actually CATERED by the royal kitchens. I had a good word put in with the chefs, and if you go as a businessmare, you should get some good contracts for the farm. Don't worry though; you make a special apple cupcake with Pinkie, and I'll buy it from you, add a special finishing touch, and give it to Prince Blueblood. Not only that, I'll buy as many apple things as you need for Smith's hip, since I have three friends who won't really be attending, per se. And remember, before you want a replacement for something, you ask Twilight if she can fix it up. Okay, Dash can fall now." As soon as I said that, Dash fell into the conversation and set out her reason. "This is so awesome," she started. "The Wonderbolts perform at the Grand Galloping Gala every year. I can see it now. Everyone would be watching the sky. Their eyes riveted on the Wonderbolts, but then in would fly Rainbow Dash!" I decided to humor Rainbow's daydream with some faux audience. [audience gasps] "I would draw their attention with my Super Speed Strut." [audience cheers] "Then, I would mesmerize 'em with my Fantastic Filly Flash. And for my grand finale, the Buccaneer Blaze! The ponies would go wild!" [ponies go wild] "The Wonderbolts would insist that my signature moves be incorporated into their routine, and then welcome me as their newest member." "A-HEM!" I began to start my dismantling. "Yes, it's a very important and spectacular performance..." "Yup!" "Requiring very precise split-second choreography and teamwork..." "You betcha!" "That would be utterly ruined if one nondescript hot-shot fangirl pony got in the way and threw them off." At that, Dash realized she had a very big problem with her plan. "I thought so. Besides, EVERYPONY is gonna want to name-drop or take a picture with the Wonderbolts, and that's why I asked Celestia in that letter to put in a good word for you with them! Besides, Twilight's brother is the Adjutant to the Guard Captain, he's most likely going to marry Twilight's old foalsitter, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, or Cadence, and he's set to become the captain himself, not to mention Twilight is Celestia's personal student, which should give her some court status. Any way anypony slices it, I'm not trying to protect the Gala from ordinary townie ponies. I. Am trying. To defend YOU SIX. From IT!" I swished a cape, turned around, and left for a nondescript place. ----------------------------------------------------- Of course, Chaos has a weird way. I should have noticed I left into a door in thin air, and I found myself in front of a red-skinned centaur with a bag, as well as a blonde girl with an amulet. "Okay, buck this," I said before I employed Chaos Trigger, socked Tirac in the jaw, and sucked all the darkness out of the Rainbow of Dark. "Pleased to meet you, Megan, Firefly, other First Equestrian ponies. I'm not supposed to be in this moment, so don't expect me to bail you out of Catrina, Grogar, Somnambula, the Smooze, or ANYTHING ELSE you are going to face." I tossed the orb of darkness into a portal to the Shadow Wastes, snapped my fingers, and vanished. Megan was confused. "What in the world just happened?" ----------------------------------------------------- When I reappeared in my shop (someone rubbed the lamp,) I found myself facing Lyra, who asked for a simple predictable matter; to become a human. The method was less than typical; a song. You know the one. I smiled and snapped my fingers, Human Lyra's clothes appearing as hooves turned to extremities. "I gave you the look of the you behind the reflection." Lyra, as I imagine Celestia was, was confused by the term, "behind the reflection," but I pointed out that in she could see the human world for a day if she paid me ten thousand bits. "It's a VERY special service, a day in the other world. You understand, I can't have all these doppelgangers popping up. That's why it's much more expensive than the temporary magic service I offer in the human world." Lyra nodded in understanding, most likely resolving to start up a saving bank, and I headed to where Twilight was. She was surprised Pinkie hadn't jumped her, and I explained that I had explained the nature of the Gala wasn't conducive to her style of party. I also added that she was currently soaking up chaon to attain chaos powers of her own. "It's one of the surprises. Besides, she can handle it. Have you seen that mare?" At that moment, Pinkie somehow pierced time and space to speak to Twilight about it. Through the portal, I could see an assortment of pure Pinkie-style chaos. "See? She can handle it." She explained that she had two better parties to look forward to; her party for becoming a chaos being, which I luckily knew that since she was made into one and not born one that she wouldn't fade away if denying her chaos, and possibly the Hearth's Warming Party. At that point, Rarity began her tirade. "The gala? I design ensembles for the gala every year, but I've never had the opportunity to attend. Oh, the society, the culture, the glamour! It's where I truly belong, and where I'm destined to meet... him." "Him!...," Pinkie cut in. "Who?" "Him," she clarified, before launching into her fairy tale daydream. "I would stroll through the gala, and everyone would wonder, ‘Who is that mysterious mare?’ They would never guess that I was just a simple pony from little old Ponyville. Why, I would cause such a sensation that I would be invited for an audience with Princess Celestia herself, and the princess would be so taken with the style and elegance that she would introduce me to him, her nephew: the most handsome, eligible unicorn stallion in Canterlot. Our eyes would meet, our hearts would melt. Our courtship would be magnificent. He would ask for my hoof in marriage, and of course I would say, "Yes!" We would have a royal wedding, befitting a princess, which is [giggles] what I would become upon marrying him, the stallion of my dreams. Twilight, I simply cannot believe you would invite Pinkie Pie so she can... party, and prevent me from meeting my true love. How could you? Hmph." "Okay," I cut forward as it was my chance, "first off, Pinkie is fully briefed on the uptightness of the Gala..." "Yep!" "...and second, you expect to find ‘the one’ at a snobfest like the Gala? I've put in a word to get you in a castle suite so that you can test the waters and not be an unknown nopony at the Gala, though I don't know if Celly will act on it. And also? If you think Prince Blueblood, the snob of snobs, is the One, you best get your head checked. He's the biggest jerk in Canterlot, for Faust's sake! Anyways, at least I put in a word for EVERYPONY that Twilight is friends with, including-" At that moment, Fluttershy and Angel Bunny were set forth, and I listened to Fluttershy talk about why she wanted the ticket. "You see, it's not so much the Grand Galloping Gala as it is the wondrous private gated garden that surrounds the dance. The flowers are said to be the most beautiful and fragrant in all of Equestria. For the night of the gala, and that night alone, would they all be in bloom... and that's just the flora! Don't get me started on the fauna. There's loons and toucans and bitterns, oh my! Hummingbirds that can really hum, and buzzards that can really buzz. White-blue jays, and red jays, and green jays, pink jays and pink flamingos! But then there's the matter of the letter I received..." I chose to shunt discussion of the letter to the side for the moment to say, "The critters in the gardens are so sheltered, an unknown like you would really startle them. I put in a word with Celly to try and get you a tour of the gardens with a less unknown pony, the gardener, so you have more of a chance at befriending them at the Gala. But anyways, this letter, it contained a pair of key phrases, right?" Fluttershy nodded, closing her eyes before saying the words. "I have been sleeping, and the night calls for me." As soon as she said it, her wings turned chiropteran, her ears changing as she opened her eyes to reveal they were red. When she spoke, it seemed to be gruffer, a little annoyed, and a lot more assertive, as well as a little scarier because of the two very prominent fangs. "So you are her friends. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Chylene, but now is not my time." She closed her eyes and said, "Now I wake, and the day bids me pack," turning back to normal. Everypony turned to me accusingly. "Yes, it was me. However, Chylene's not fully realized yet. She will be in around four years though. Plus, only Fluttershy can release Chylene." Of course, they knew I was sincere, and went back to the aggravating discussion of who would be left behind. "Okay, if you can't agree on who or shut the buck up about it in the next five, we might get a little... dangerous with the selection. I'm talking a horde of Blight, newly fed with a First Equestrian Rainbow of Darkness." Of course, that shut them up. Then Twilight spoke up, telling Spike to return the tickets, saying, "I couldn't possibly enjoy myself without my best friends there with me, so I would rather not go at all." "Well, that saves us some time," I said. "Why?" "Because now Celestia is sending a ticket for all eight of us." Sure enough, Spike belched up all seven tickets for me and the girls, then one for himself. "Well, this is a shorter chapter. Perhaps too short. Yo, Stratus! Pull up the next episode!" We were interrupted by Spike belching up another ticket, but nonetheless... ----you got it, Applebuck Season it is---- "Look, all Mac and I are saying is that it may be a matter of pride, but you shouldn't be afraid to ask for help. The persons you need but don't want is we!" I had informed Applejack's friends of her stubborn nature, how she was going to be planning to do the whole orchard herself after Big Mac hurt himself. "Besides, you promised you would help them too, and a friend in need is a friend in deed." Just then, the stampede hit. "Oh right. The orchard can wait, we got cattle to wrangle." Applejack adjusted her Stetson and ran out with Winona to save Ponyville. "Yee-haw!" I sighed. "She may be dependable, but she is just too stubborn sometimes." Luckily, me and Pinkie considered the subsequent "Applejack-is-too-tired-to-be-coherently-useful" debacle a "weapons free" situation, so we were able to salvage the Baked Bads, cushion Rainbow Dash's fall, and curb the bunny stampede before Applejack finally let us help. Oh, enough about me, let's talk about others. ---------------------------------------------- Adagio and her sisters were happy. Each of them had received six pills made of pure magic, and they had never been better fed. Their power was back in full swing too, but only for an hour per pill. They were hungry, though, and they really got to stir up with the competitive atmosphere of Crystal Preparatory. Something that Twilight Sparkle was very aware of, and very annoyed at. She listened to the audio she had accumulated from her message hunting's rewards, keeping her earbuds in constantly. Finally, though, the Dazzlings were out of steam, and they left for a meager earning. ----------------------------------------------- When I saw Rainbow Dash go flying, I snapped my fingers and manifested a cushion of cotton candy. While she would be sticky, she thanked me for catching her. Pinkie trying to stop the Baked Bads led her to use enunciation to make them not be made, and she berated Applejack for the use of worms in cupcakes. Finally, to stop the stampede, I couldn't see any way other than to turn Winona into stone for an hour. Fluttershy didn't like me, but I just shrugged it off. We draconequui are immune to any sort of mental magic, you know. Finally, Applejack relented, asked for our help, and to make Celly happy, we didn't use any chaos powers. To put it into more detail... ------------------------------------------------ The echoing strains of Rainbow Dash's "APPLEJAAAAAAaaaa...." were accentuated by Applejack's "You're welcome!" ------------------------------------------------ "Okay, trajectory, speed, a hint of wind, and Rainbow Dash lands right..." I mumbled as I summoned a cloud of cotton candy at the edge of the balcony. "AAAAAAA-buh! Thanks, Falak." "You're welcome." ------------------------------------------------ "Tater chips... a little salty and dry... okey dokey!," Applejack said, at which Pinkie slapped her across the head. "No, CHO-CO-LATE chips! And could you get me a cup of flour?" "Sour?" Smack. "FLO-UR! Jeez, you're tiring yourself out on that harvest. I see why Falak was organizing us to help you." Applejack complied to the enunciated letter, and when Pinkie said to get wheat germ and Applejack was about to get worms, it fell to Pinkie to whack a mare before she did anything stupid. "WHEAT. GERM. NOT WORMS. GERM." Applejack was definitely awake a lot longer that time. This time, the cupcakes were perfect. ------------------------------------------------ "Falak," Fluttershy started, "why did you turn Winona into stone?" "Fluttershy," I explained, "she would have startled them into a stampede, especially with Applejack's state." Nevertheless, Applejack insisted she was fine until the very end. ... Still so short! Let's get Gilda in on this! ----Griffon the Brush Off---- "...so you want me to turn you into a griffon, Rainbow Dash, and you want a gift Pegasus transformation for Gilda?" She nodded, and I snapped my fingers after she gave me the bits. Not long after, Gilda flew into my shop. "What did you do to Rainbow Dash?" I explained my services, and Gilda seemed interested when I said I could do it to any creature with the bits. "...or a gift service lined up, which Rainbow Dash did. Luckily, I didn't have to go find you. Sign here, please." "Uh, okay?" I snapped my fingers as soon as she had signed, and Gilda turned into a white pegasus with a golden brown mane. "Enjoy your day on the other side of the friendship." Gilda was gruff and surprised, but she consented, flying off to join Rainbow Dash. I flipped open the Codex Equus Infinitum to collection 15 and started to read. "This is going to be an interesting day," I said as a background pony filed in to try the service. Pinkie was busy with her pranking preparations, but I got her to understand that it was hard to reconcile old and new friends. Speaking of friends... ----------------------------------------------- Wallflower had really flourished, even after her transformation had faded. She still wasn't a center of attention, but she was receiving a lot of it, especially from Sunset Shimmer, who was surprised at the sight of Wallflower as a pony. Amnes warned her that she would be a very good friend to all eventually, that it would take time for her to get upgraded from oppressive villain to a hero that was judged for her past deeds, and Wallflower agreed it would take a bit to redeem Sunset in her eyes, much less the school's. ----------------------------------------------- In short, Gilda resolved to keep in touch, the party went much better, and I even managed to catch her just before she left. "And Gilda, I don't expect you to change, but if you see a pink gem shaped like an eight pointed star anywhere in the hovels formerly known as Griffonstone, you throw it into the Abysmal Abyss and don't show it to anygriff, got it?" She nodded, as the threat of Cosmos was definitely something she respected my father and the princesses for facing, despite his... eccentricity and past deeds, not to mention she was ashamed at how far the magpie shiny-hoarders once known as the glorious Griffon Kingdom had fallen too. With a mighty screech, she was off. Of course, I planned a relief effort, entirely put forth by me in an effort to reestablish Griffonstone. The effort for Camp Everfree was going just as well, too. ----incoming message---- "Is this chapter going to include Trixie? It still seems kind of short." ----sure, Boast Busters will get in here too---- Spike with a mustache was dapper and a little funny, but it was finally time for the spectacle of the episode to unfold. Snips and Snails heard that Trixie was coming into town, and I told them simply, "If she boasts about an Ursa, don't, do not, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF FAUST AND TARTARUS, DON'T TRY TO PROVE HER RIGHT!" Twilight wondered if I was okay, to which I said, "Oh, yeah, I'm fine but THESE TWO. THESE. TWO. COLTS. How I saw it, they tried to prove Trixie's claim of fighting off an Ursa Major off by actually LURING ONE TO PONYVILLE! They were LUCKY it was a Minor instead." "Uh, okay-" "AND THE OTHER SNIPS AND SNAILS, OH, WHERE DO I BUCKING START WITH THE HUMAN ONES? Those two took such a drastic action in ruining the Fall Formal decor, it was being shunted to outside the convergence window! Not only were they delaying you by thirty moons, they were delaying the one who wanted them to create a drastic action. To them, to these two, I. SAY. THAT THERE IS ABSO-BUCKING-LUTELY SUCH A THING AS TOO DRASTIC! Argh! If you guys need me, I'll be beating up the Ahmanet in the Shadow Wastes." I snapped my fingers, and a pitch-black portal appeared behind me. "PEACE!" I stormed into the barren landscape, summoning my scythe and ring. "CHAOS TRIGGER!" I grew to my full form, lunging at the black serpentine figure as it reared up. "Oh, you got feisty after eating the Rainbow Of Dark! It taste like Skittles?" I threw a punch at it. "I ASKED YOU, DID IT TASTE LIKE BUCKING SKITTLES?!" Hissss! "ARRRGH!" We fought into the wastes as the eclipse lay overhead. "NOT ENOUGH DAKKA?! HERE COMES MORE! PRISM MEGIDO! YAAA-!" -----30 Shadow Wastes minutes later----- I flopped into the library, tuckered from the fight. "Okay, I'm ready to face Trixie now." Snips and Snails just gaped in awe that I fought that creature. "What is it, you dummies? Ugh, my head... someone get me a cupcake and a glass of sparkling cider." They appeared, and I partook. "Alright, let's see the stage unicorn do her stage magics..." "Snails?" "Yeah, Snips?" "That guy is scary." "How so?" "Well, he knew who we were and things we may have done, for one, for two, he just fought that thing on his own." "You're right, Snips." ---------------------------------------------- "To be boastful is simply to boast, perhaps to overestimate. I do love the stage magic, though. Here, enter my box." Trixie did, and I set to work sawing Trixie in half. "Ta da!" "Who is the assistant here, draconequus?" "Well, if you want a trick, then execute me." A gasp from the crowd as I magicked up a guillotine and a bodyshell prison garb. Trixie helped the bodyshell up, while I slipped under the stage and waited for my cue. "A-any last words?" "My mom's really going to be mad, you weaver of illu-" Shnk. Trixie was mortified about killing me, but I slipped to the front of the crowd and said, "And that, my friends, is how a righteous mare dies." The crowd and even Trixie were in stunned silence. "Well? Let's hear it for the Mistress of Illusions, the Unicorn of the Stage, the one you all came to see, The Great and Powerful Trixie!" Trixie was stunned at the trick, not having it in her own repertoire, so I took a moment to whisper it in her ear, as well as the fact that Twilight was being cordial in an effort not to undermine her. "In fact, when she was admitted as Celestia's personal student, she had a magic surge so powerful it grew Spike out of the room and turned her parents into plants." Trixie lit up at this, proving her skill at manipulating a rope like a snake into curling up an apple and hogtying Applejack, wrapping Rainbow Dash up with her own rainbow, but the last straw was when she messed with Rarity's hair. "Okay, Twilight may be holding herself back, but I'm sure these two colts," I gestured to Snips and Snails, "will attest to my most powerful spell, correct?" The two of them spilt the beans about how I faced the Ahmanet, and Trixie was stunned. "I guess it comes from being the son of two of the most powerful Draconequui in millenia." I just walked off, calling back, "Boasting may make you look good, but boasts are only boasts until you can back them up!" Snips and Snails then got a glint in their eyes. "I know what you're thinking and you better not-" ----literally 3 minutes later---- "WHAT. DID I SAY. ABOUT LURING AN URSA MINOR. TO THE TOWN?!" Sure enough, the Ursa Minor was rampaging through Ponyville. I explained to Twilight. "They did it?" "Eeyup." "Okay." Twilight was able to subdue the situation, and just before Trixie left, I said to everyone, "It was the fault of fanatics that this happened. I welcome Trixie and hope that should she come this way again, she doesn't go stir-crazy and use a powerful evil magic artifact to amplify her magic. In fact..." I turned to Trixie and gave her my most prized possession: a rare Platinum Coupon. "Feel free to take a 24-hour visit to your doppelganger anytime, courtesy of Chaos-Seed Temporary Species-Swap Service." Trixie thanked me, packing up her wagon and leaving a little more cordially. I couldn't help but sing something. ...But we have to move on and learn from it We can't hold onto hate in our hearts Cause forgiveness will set us free if we let it And I know that soon, it's your time...... Trixie left a little happier than she originally did. I knew we would meet again, too. That's how the plot goes. ----Dragonshy, there's not much to say---- "Remind me to never make Fluttershy angry," I asked Twilight. "Yup. Hey, wait, don't you Draconequui have an immunity to mental assault?" "Not like that's everything, though. You should see her in four years when Chylene is fully powered." ------------------------------------------------ Sci-Twi was taking a break from her typical scavenger hunting to have a cordial talk with Shining Armor about what role she would play in the future, and afterwards she reviewed a message. Apparently, the creator of the Spectrodecryptor had only one fear; a reality-warping entity that turned out to be his mother. She put in her earbuds and her effort was focused by Party Planner Pinkie. Meanwhile, Wallflower had cultivated a flower of memories with her brand. Anytime you smelled it, you would be reminded of a memory you had lost to the Stone's magic. The best part is that it didn't have the same three-day limit of the Stone! It did, however, create a mean headache if it wasn't within the limit. With the Dazzlings, they had been saving eighteen pills they had received from a letter, telling them that all three of them would receive six pills each "season" from the sender. The flavors of the pills varied, but the three of them rationed out for the season. ----Look Before You Sleep---- Sci-Twi had been invited for a sleepover with the Shadowbolts, to her surprise, and elected to wear her crown, which was enchanted to be unbreakable and that only she could wear it. She also bought a gift of temporary magic powers for a prize in a sleepover game, and had also taken it as an enchanted waiver that, when signed, would activate the service. Sugarcoat was skeptical, but Sour seemed both enthusiastic for the game... and of course, very bitter about it. Sunny admired the crown, and Indigo, the host, was happy to play the game. ------------------------------------------------- Fluttershy actually confronted me about becoming a tree. I was happy to oblige, but when it didn't exactly turn out how she expected, I was happy to give her a special Gold Ticket. "After all," I explained, "my uncle offered each of you the first service free in his world. When you meet a friend of mine, I'll give you all another free day service. And you know, you don't have to just get a day. You can pay for extended services too." ------------------------------------------------- Said friend was planning the town that she would make her stand in with Sunburst. She had already learned of the cavern, but she consulted Pinkie's sister Maud just to be sure. Instead of a communist equalist society, she planned to make ponies better-suited to a situation where their innate ability was removed from them through plain work by separating them from their magic and talent. In a way, her villainy was toned down by the fact that this was the way of fate. She had already received a letter that Falak wasn't too sure how much he could change the course of the story, so she had a resolve that she would live up to fate's expectations, but on her own terms. Sunburst had set up a special hypnosis spell that made it look like the same equalism, but under the surface, once her cutie mark was revealed, they would have permission to recover their marks, and the chase would be more of a test that they could use those talents to the same efficiency after being separated so long from them. "If fate wants me to play the villain, then I'll be the best villain Starlight Glimmer this world has seen!," she resolved. -------------------------------------------------- "Either way," Falak said, "just because I turn somepony into a zebra or a lamia, or just because I'm a draconequus, that doesn't mean I'm any less capable of friendship!" "Uh," Twilight asked, "what does that have to do with this episode?" "Well," Pinkie said, "we're doing this in episodic order, so that means we learn the truth about Zecora next." The reaction was unanimous. "ZECORA?!" The discussion was cut off by a distinct yell of, "HowdoIsteerthiscrashingohBUUUUCK!," followed by a crash on the balcony. "Welp, that sounds like a plot device. Probably why we had that extra ticket." I walked out, and saw a gray unicorn colt. That was really where the normalcy ended, for I could spot a slight gradient of purplish-red on his horn. "Hey, little guy," I said to him. "How did you get here? And, on an unrelated note, who were your parents?" "Lumensis, son of the tyrannical King Sombra," I ruminated. "The name's Falak, and I'm the son of the draconequus Discord!" I extended my claw, and he shakily took it. The two of us went in, Lumensis curling up while I just stood there. ... One thing about Draconequui; we can't stand peace, quiet, pure order, and/or NOT DOING ANYTHING! I just poofed over to a shack in the Everfree Forest, where a very special zebra was waiting for me. "So my role will soon begin/Soon I shall be known within," Zecora said. I passed her a small vial of flash-bee honey, labelled, "key ingredient for cure to swamp fever," as well as a cut of the bits. "Your snake-oil potions certainly are a hit." ------------------------------------------------- "So, lemme get it straight here," I said. "You want four days as a lamia?" The pink pony in front of me, which turned out to be Diamond Tiara, nodded, handing over the bits and signing the waiver. I got out four vials of potion and mixed them into a jumbo chocolate milkshake. "Drink up quick, kid. The potion works quicker than you'd think, and trust me, you'll know when it starts." She drank as quickly as she could, and was fortunately able to drink it all before the potion began to churn inside her. When it stopped, she felt a little mad at me, but I just said, "That was just the potion mixing with your magic. Now the change really begins." Diamond opened her mouth to comment, but couldn't get it out before the green smoke started to pour out of her body, her back hooves turning into a tail and her cutie mark repeating over it. "It's what you paid for, after all. A whole four days as a lamia. Don't worry, your role in the canon doesn't occur for a while." Diamond slithered off to do whatever she wanted to do with it, and I just sighed. "Another client, another few bits, another controlled kingdom-endorsed chaos." ----Bridle Gossip---- It was a typical Emergence for Zecora; barren streets, locked buildings, and shut blinds. Except for one building, one that sported a very special sign. Chaos-seed Temporary Species-swap Service Proud to carry Snake-oil lamia potions, courtesy of Zecora! Yep. Mine. Even so, I had moved next to Sugarcube Corner because of one thing. “She's an-“ SMACK! "Pinkie, you have chaos powers now," I cut in, "you know that isn't true!" I went back to my shop when Zecora rubbed the lamp and asked me for a gift lamia transformation for "the first pony who will try/Despite their peers, to meet my eye." I obliged, handing her the waiver and vial, and she left. Sure enough, Applebloom slipped out, and I closed up to follow her. Not like anypony else was going to visit, and Lumensis was still sleeping off his crash into Twilight's home. ---------------------------------------- "Remember, Bloom," I warned, "don't step into the blue flowers." She nodded, and left to follow Zecora. Soon after, Applejack asked me where Applebloom had gone, to which I said, "To receive saganoma training, as well as a gift package somepony had me whip up." I kept her at bay for a bit, but when Fluttershy got involved, I just up and said, "If you want to get after her, look out for fields of bright blue flowers. They may be poison joke, a flower that plays a mean magical trick on you if you walk through them. Also, if you see a giant mushroom or a loose patch of dirt anywhere, you TELL ME." They nodded, Applejack noting the blue flowers this time when Zecora said her ominous rhyme, and although it was too late to stop them walking through the flowers, the sleepover discussion was noted, and they followed Applebloom and Zecora to the hut, where she pointed out the cure in Supernaturals. "Again we learn not to judge books by their cover," I snarked as Applebloom signed the waiver and drank the vial. ---------------------------------------- "What in tarnation just happened?," Applejack exclaimed from her new position. "I consulted Zecora about making lamia potions. To honor where I got the idea, I dubbed them 'snake oil.' The vials are precisely measured to 24-hour doses, and the labels contain all the relevant knowledge, as an insurance for the fact it isn't directly induced." Seeing Applebloom with a snake tail was one thing. The fact that the vial was wrapped in what was basically an instruction manual for a lamia's innate hypnotic abilities was another thing. The fact that Applejack was hanging in her little sister's coils and about to be going under hypnosis? "Well, at least it isn't one of those kinds with a hunger to eat you and turn you into another lamia! I specifically conceded that those kinds of lamias were FOR-BID-DEN to provide." Applejack expressed her gratitude that nopony would be ravenously devoured and there wouldn't be an outbreak of lamia ponies (especially when I showed her the Moonlight Scales series and the Honeyclaw Series, and when Fluttershy saw them, she went pomf,) but she was cut off by Applebloom testing out her powers. "Well, these next 24 hours are going to be interesting... Just the way I like it." ---------------------------------------- To everyone's surprise, it was Sour Sweet who nailed the dance and karaoke contest, while it was Sugarcoat who beat out truth-or-dare. Twilight wasn't shocked at how well the girl could sing This Day Aria, considering the song itself had a certain bipolarity, but she was definitely not expecting the beautifully improvised choreography. Sour definitely loved making illusions with her magic for the 24 hours. ----Swarm Of the Century---- "So, Pinkie," I asked her, "you got your instruments?" "Yep!" "Music sheets?" "Uh-huh!" "General Pinkie-ness to hold it all together?" "Don'tcha know it!" "I'm just glad Infinitan Rarity was willing to overhaul everything in my cart with tectonium." Needless to say, it was still something of a mess when Celestia came to town, but it was much better. "Note to Twilight," I mumbled to myself, "imagine yourself as a siren who can control anypony with a song and see if you have a fetish for controlling others." Lumensis didn't know what I was talking about, but Twilight definitely did. Although she had her opinions on the manipulation of mind, I'm not willing, tempted, or otherwise authorized by the Author to explore any sort of fetish in this story. Besides, the setup of this story isn't conducive to mimic THAT story. Rainbow Dash finally realized what we were talking about, and landed before her wings flared with a small pomf. Okay, now can we move away from this concept? Please? I think the chapter's finally long enough. Plus the title has two meanings now!