//------------------------------// // Anarchy Rises // Story: Family // by FleetlordAvatar //------------------------------// It's time to go. "Yes, it is." xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Princess Luna strode rapidly through the corridors of Ponyville General, the alicorn's expression set in grim determination, crowds parting before her like wheat before a scythe. Twilight Sparkle and Nurse Redheart struggled to keep pace alongside the Princess of the Night, the latter giving them a rapid explanation. "He's been erratic for the last few hours," stated Redheart. "Muttering to himself about cartoons, Reiver, and I think his wife as well. As soon as I got your letter I had his room secured and put under guard, but we had to tie him to the bed after he tried to break down the door." "A prudent move," observed Luna. "But it may not be enough. You are certain he could be what we described?" She nodded. "He arrived not long after Reiver, recovered rapidly from near starvation and lifted a chunk of ceiling off me that even Big Macintosh would struggle with. Further investigation revealed the dead Waystone was near his location in the ward before the collapse. Given that he has been talking to himself for the last hour, I’d say he is your pony." “In that case, we need to be quick," advised Twilight. "If his draconequis took the Waystones power, then is could have also absorbed some Wild Magic when the Hospital was hit." "What?!" exclaimed the nurse, in disbelief. "Is that even possible?" "I'm afraid so," she replied, carefully. "We have recently learned that such power accelerates a draconequis’s development, having already dealt with one, but once Discord got him off his power trip, he was actually quite friendly." "Thanks very much Twilight." The group screeched to a sudden halt at the new voice, turning their gaze to the adjacent wall. There was a poster reminding ponies to wash their hooves, only now the graphic was replaced by Bedlam, scrubbing his claws in the two dimensional sink. "Your power has developed, and I see you have taken up Discord's flair for the dramatic," observed Luna. "He's a good teacher," shrugged the stylised spirit. "Plus, it's fun to freak ponies out, you should have heard the shriek I got from Doctor Stable." In a blink of light, the young draconequis was floating in front of them. "Putting aside my traumatising of a medical professional, you all should know that Discord and I both felt a wave of cold through all Chaos magic, we think it's-" "Another draconequis, we know," interrupted Twilight. "Oh…well, thanks for stealing my thunder," pouted Bedlam, crossing his arms. "I’m afraid there is no time for tomfoolery," stated Luna. "We are here to ensure this new spirit does not become a source of trouble." Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by the crunching, cracking sound of splintering wood, followed by the sounds of a brief scuffle and cries of frightened ponies. Sharing a look of panic and horror, the group galloped quickly towards the chaos, rounding a corner to a scene of ruin. At least half of the door had been shattered into large splinters that were embedded in the opposite wall, floor and one of the Orderlies, what was left hung limp on its remaining hinge, squeaking and flailing before breaking off completely, clattering to the floor by a second, unconscious stallion.. "We are too late," growled Luna. It was a mess, the carpet was ripped up, the ceiling tiles had been broken, and the bed's metal frame was now bent completely out of shape, while the leather restraints had been shredded to ribbons. As Redheart tended to the injured stallions, Twilight and Luna ran their magic over the room, hoping to find signs of the new draconequis. Bedlam floated overhead, his eyes morphing into searchlights to help scan for anything. "It’s definitely the same magic from the Waystone," observed Twilight. "But there's something wrong with it." “I’m getting something as well,” confirmed Bedlam, the beams from his searchlight eyes turning red. "I can feel it too," supported Luna. "It reminds me of my time as Nightmare Moon. I had become so consumed by feelings of rage and jealousy that it tainted my power, twisting me into that monster. If something similar has happened here…" The dreadful thought was interrupted by a shriek from Nurse Redheart as she thudded against the wall outside. Scrambling back into the corridor, they caught sight of a fleeing stallion shoving his way past staff and patients. Redheart was lying dazed on the tiled floor, a rapidly forming bruise on her side. "Are you alright?" worried Twilight, helping her up. "H-he, caught me off guard," she stammered. "I looked up and saw him charging, didn't have time to move, urgh," she groaned and wobbled on her hooves. "That was him," she continued. "That was Reiver's father, Scott. Twilight, his eyes, th-they were-" "Yellow and red?" interrupted the unicorn, who received a nod from the shaken nurse mare. "Like Discord," finished Luna. "He is gaining strength quickly. See to her Twilight, I shall deal with this." The alicorn promptly vanished in a burst of starlight. "H-he shouldn't know where Reiver is," stuttered Redheart. "But if he got into my office or the patient records then it's possible..." "I'll go warn Sweet Apple Acres," interrupted Bedlam, floating into view. "Good idea," replied Twilight. "Applejack needs to be ready. I’ll get the girls when I’m finished here." With a nod, the spirit disappeared with a pop and a cloud of confetti. With hospital staff rapidly responding to the commotion, Twilight was able to hand Redheart to her colleagues before galloping off to gather her remaining friends. In the chaos, none of them noticed a dark shape slide out from behind the ceiling light. Quick as a shadow, it darted across the roof, right over everypony and down to rejoin Scott as he fled the scene. I’ll take you to your son. "Halt Villain!" Scott looked up as Luna appeared before him in a flash. Flaring wings, she set her hooves and braced to intercept him, only for the stallion to abruptly disappear in a burst of suffocating black smoke. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Reiver trotted down the road with Apple Bloom, heading in the direction of the Crusaders Clubhouse, the filly having decided some time with the whole group would be good for him, especially after his emotional moment.  "Hey there guys!" cried Scootaloo, waving from the treehouse platform. "Ready to get those cutie marks?" "I know I am," said Sweetie Belle, emerging from the clubhouse, a lavender hard hat on her head. "I brought the rest of the tools as well." Reiver and Apple Bloom watched as the filly brought a selection of spades, picks, shovels and a pneumatic drill out with her, depositing them on the ground with her magic. They were planning to try for their Tunnelling Cutie Marks today. "Awesome, we could get all the way to Neighpon with this!" cheerfully exclaimed Apple Bloom, who immediately went to grab a Macintosh Red hard hat. "Uh, Sweetie Belle, where did you get all this?" asked Revier, eyeing the drill with caution. "Rarity has a load of mining tools for gem hunting," she replied, floating a yellow hard hat onto his head. "She hasn't used them since Spike started helping, so I figured we could borrow them for a while." "Does she know you're ‘borrowing’ them?" he enquired. "Uh, not really, but we should have them back before she notices." Unconvinced, but unwilling to let them go without someone who could at least try to be responsible, Reiver trotted over to help. As they excitedly discussed where to dig and what to use, he couldn't help but smile. Even if this would end in tree sap, somehow, it was nice to be part of one of their 'crusades'. The colt was in the middle of sorting the tools, when they were engulfed in a cloud of thick, black smoke. "Gah! What's going on?" coughed Scootaloo. "Did you start the drill Sweetie Belle?" "N-nope," spluttered the unicorn filly. "I hadn't even touched it." "You didn't bring any dynamite did you?" spat Reiver, waving a hoof to clear away the cloud. "I told her to forget it after we tried being demolition experts," replied Apple Bloom, rubbing her eyes.  As the smoke cleared, they realised they had an unwelcome visitor. Standing across from them, back turned, was a stallion. His body was tense, legs straight and back arched, like he had suddenly stopped. Flickers of smoke hung around his form, as did sparks at his hooves.  He was also talking to himself. "Is this the right place? You said you knew where he was. Pardon?" The stallion snapped his head all the way around with a sickening crack, revealing a pair of chillingly familiar yellow and red eyes. Twisting the rest of him around to match, his eyes moved between each of the foals before landing on Reiver, then a sinister smile twisted his lips. "There you are, hello Arthur." Reiver dropped the shovel he was holding in astonishment and fear. "...dad?" It was more of a question than anything, after his experience with Bedlam, the colt couldn't be sure what he was looking at. "Took me a while to get away from those idiots at the hospital," continued the stallion. "But, now I'm finally here, I can see you in person." He started to approach and Reiver fearfully scrambled backward out of the pile of tools, Apple Bloom moving between them. "Out of the way," ordered Scott. "I want to see my son." "Not a chance," growled the filly. "He told me all about you," "Oh," replied the stallion, cocking his head. "And what did he say?" "Nothing good," she answered. He laughed dismissively. "I'm sure it was just exaggerating, he was always too emotional. I've always done what's best for our family." "Is that what you tell yourself at night?" The answer was accompanied by a flash of light and confetti, as Bedlam appeared beside Apple Bloom. "Hey there kids,” he cheered, waving to the other fillies. “Told ya I'd be back!" Introduction made, the spirit turned his attention to Scott, watching the stallion as he passed a critical eye over him. "And what are you?" he scoffed. "Another child's fantasy come to life?" "Something like that," replied the draconequis. "I don't have time for this,” he stated in frustration. “Out of my way, so I can retrieve my wayward son." Bedlam refused, folding his arms resolutely. Reiver watched fearfully as his ponified father engaged in a very vocal standoff with the pair, mind racing. This was impossible, he shouldn't be here, he should be in hospital, he shouldn't be changing into another draconequis before their eyes. He should have thought it through, should have realised that if they both got here the same way, then Scott would also have been incubating a new Spirit of Chaos. He should have known, he should have told Twilight! "Hey! Reiver snap out of it!" Reality lurched back into focus as Sweetie Belle magically slapped him, Scootaloo standing just behind her looking concerned. "What's going on?" she asked. "You said that stallion was your dad?" "Y-yeah," he stuttered, rubbing his cheek. "I'm sorry I only learned about him recently. It's a long story but the short version is he came here the same time I did, and he's-" "Like you were with Bedlam," finished Scootaloo. He nodded. "Except," the colt glanced over to the stallion, who was now starting to ooze black tar from his smouldering hooves. "I think somethings wrong with him." "Okay, got it," confirmed Scootaloo, as her and Sweetie Belle took position with Bedlam and Apple Bloom, with Reiver looking on, just a little awed at his friend's courage. "Guys..."  Scott, observing the other fillies as they took position with their friends, paused in his argument with Bedlam.  "Come now Reiver," he darkly chuckled. "Setting your posse on me, although you weren't above hitting me so I shouldn't be surprised." He massaged his jaw with a hoof, blinking a few times and shaking his head, like he was disorientated, before turning back to the group. "Now, this is fun and all, but I really must take my son." "He ain't going anywhere with you!" declared Apple Bloom, defiantly. "Yeah!" supported Scootaloo. "Really?" questioned Scott unconvinced. "Are these the type of friends you have now Arthur?" "They are a damn sight better than you," replied Bedlam, firmly. “All the moving kept him from even having friends, until now.” "Is this about your mother?" said Scott, ignoring the draconequis. He took a deep breath and sighed, sitting down. "Reiver, you have to see, I worked hard to put food on the table and a roof over your heads. I was absent because I did what had to be done to provide for you both, though I see I should have had more of a hand in raising you." Reiver cautiously trotted to his friends, remaining firmly behind them as his father continued speaking. "Maybe if I had, then you wouldn't have turned out as such a softie. You're my son, I should have taught you to be tough, shown you how a man is meant to behave. Your mother did her best, but realistically, I was better suited to raising you. She just fed those silly dreams of yours, whereas I could have shown you they didn’t matter in the first place. The real world needs men to be tough and practical, not silly little sissies like she made you in the end. I failed you by putting my career first, I'm sorry." He finished, head down in what looked like remorse, liquid shadow falling from his eyes like tears in the heavy silence. "...how dare you." The whisper was barely audible, but everypony heard it as Reiver slowly stepped out from behind Apple Bloom, fear rapidly burned away by something else. Scott's attempt at empathising with his son had instead lit a match to years of pent up rage. "How DARE you!" he cried angrily. “You think that non-apology of yours means anything to me, you self-serving mule!" The stallion's head snapped up, eyes locking onto the colt in something that looked like shock. "You didn't just neglect me, you neglected us both," continued Reiver. "You never tried to understand the person I was whenever you came home, mum supported my interests and hobbies, encouraged me when I decided to try streaming and cosplay, while you just dismissed them as ‘childish’. Even when you retired, you still had that bucking military mindset, you couldn't take people talking back to you and questioning your decisions! You argued with us both, nevermind me, you dismissed mum outright, kept things from her and always discouraged her from spending money on herself and her interests! Then you left! Fighting with mum at every turn and destroying her when you didn't get what you wanted." "Arthur, I did what I had to." "Pony feathers!" "Arthur-" "My name is Reiver” he firmly interrupted. "Fine, Revier," spat Scott. "Take your own advice and try to understand, I wasn’t going anywhere in retirement, your’re mother refused to behave and you werent doing much better with those stupid video games of yours. I had a chance for a new job and I took it, it got me real money and your ungrateful mother decided she deserved some for failing to raise you properly. Now, if you were in my position would you have done anything different?" "She tried, you know," replied the colt. "Tried to be nice, tried to make it all happen amicably. Of course you never went to couples counselling." "I am not a headcase," animalistically growled Scott. "Could have fooled me," scoffed Reiver. "Of course, you fooled everyone else." The stallion glared at his son, then took a deep breath before exhaling slowly, the sparks at his hooves, which had begun to smoulder, dying back. "I'm sorry if that's what you think, but she shouldn't have tried to take what was mine. I never thought it would go as far as it did, but that's in the past. Now, I don't know how all this," he gestured to their new bodies, "happened, but it's given us an opportunity for a fresh start, you can be my son again. I can raise you the right way." "Only you would consider a 'right way' to raise a child," countered the colt. "You never got to know me, you never tried to know me. You never tried to make your marriage work, you left with your head held high and acted like you did nothing wrong after you destroyed mum. You called me weak, called her weak, yet you never once thought that you might be the weak one, because you ran away!" "Watch your mouth son, I am your father!" "You haven't been my father in years! You're nothing more than a stranger who ruined my life and then left me to pick up the pieces!  I will never go with you, I will never listen to you, and I never, EVER, want to see you again!" Reiver stood firm, panting a little after yelling at his father. He’d finally stood up to the man, now he waited for the consequences, as Scotts expression shifted from astonishment to an unsettling neutral, perplexing the colt. From experience with previous attempts, he knew Scott would get angry, really angry. Now though, he just stood there, the colt maintaining his glare even though his anger had begun to cool. "You ungrateful brat!" suddenly snarled Scott, lunging for him. Reiver and the Crusaders backpedalled quickly in fright, thankfully, Bedlam grabbed Scott in a headlock, the stallion furiously struggling and snarling as he tried to break free. "I put food on the table and a roof over your head!" he screamed. "And yet you were never home for dinner!" shouted Reiver. Something snapped Scott's eyes widened, his yellow pupils darkening to an inky black, tar rapidly oozing from his sockets, Bedlam dropping him in surprise. They watched as the stallion's body fell limp in the rapidly forming puddle, smoke rising from his spasming form as the tar rose and smothered him, growing and shaping itself into something that resembled a bloated pony body. Sprouting six pairs of skeletal hooves and a whip-like tail, the surface bubbled before Scott's face surfaced, strings of ooze clinging to him like a spider's web. His eyes snapped open and he threw his head back, fanged maw opened wide in a monstrous roar, as smoke and fire erupted in a facsimile of a mane and tail. The smell of ash and decay filled the air as he looked down at them with his new, towering form. You weak, ungrateful, little piece of filth! The voice was an amalgamation of Scott's and something else, something much, much darker. "Bedlam?" questioned Reiver. "It's the draconequis he's been incubating," replied the adolescent spirit, taking position between him and the Fillies. "But somethings wrong, it never separated, it's like they've become one creature."  Out of my way you cartoon reject! Scott snorted, fire erupting from his nostrils. "Not a chance mate," stated Bedlam, standing his ground. He looked back at the Crusaders. "I think you shouldn't be here for this." Snapping his fingers, Bedlam had the four ponies vanish with a pop, before turning to face the growling creature that had been Scott. Where are they? "Like I'd tell you, whatever you are." We are Anarchy, and we will have our son! "Anarchy huh...good name, terrible design, seriously, were you just watching Centaurworld or something? Of course not, you never took the time to see why Reivers interests meant so much to him." Anarchy growled and took a smouldering step forward, the ground igniting beneath him. "Done talking? Fine with me,” grinned Bedlam, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see which of the new guys is stronger."