Janurary 12----11:30 am
Sitting at a lunch table together were Rarity, Dash, Twilight, and Even Shining Armor, who was surprised to be asked to hang out that day was eating a sandwich and talking military with Dash. "My father flew over the battlefield in the last war. He showed me his jet when I was little. Ever since then, I knew I wanted to be the fastest flying around."
"Funny, aren't you now faster than a jet?" Shining asked.
"Yeah, but it's not really the same. I still want to get into the academy, but the qualifications say I need at least three years of engineering to attend, Lucky for me, I got in here on my scholarships. I'm not exactly the most brainy person around. "
"Well, at least you got a goal. I say you'll make a fine piolet." Rarity added to the conversation.
"Umm thanks, Rare," Dash said a bit apprehensive. She still didn't like Rarity very much But was trying her best to make friends with her.
"Well, my daddy does have access to some of the military's best. I could put in a good word for you dear."
And there it is. Dash thought to herself, she smiled as best she could, but it was clear how irritated she was. Rarity never missed an opportunity to boast about her high-class family, even tho they weren't very high-class at all. "Thanks, Rare but I rather get in based on skills alone. I don't need you to put in a good word for me."
Rarity smiled and shrugged. "If you ever need a bit of help, just let me know."
"That's very generous of you Mrs Shine," Shining said before he took another bite of his sandwich.
"Oh, come now shiny, we're all friends here. Dash and I even began to bond over our interest in darring do. not my favorite book, but it is a fantastic read, I can't wait for the next one to come out in a few months."
"Yeah me neither, and daring dos author A.K.Yearling, is also gonna be in town for all the events going on, Dash nearly squealed at the idea."
"Didn't you already get an autograph?"
"No, I missed it due to school, she rolled her eyes."
Twilight was looking at her laptop as she ate a carrot listening to the conversation beside her. "By the way shiny," she spoke in a happy tone but never took her eye off her work. "Is there any word from you know who?" Just the mention of that shifted the entire mood of the conversation.
"No. He completely disappeared from what I can tell. He left me a few stacks of bills and took off. It's enough to pay for my apartment for the next few months, till I get a job I guess. But he left no trace of existence in any way leaving no leads. I've tried all week ever since that night to pick up a trail, but nothing's come up it's like he never existed at all."
With this news, Twilight stared at her computer. On it were several websites opened up all about several different people by the look of it. Several new files and dark web, websites depict something or someone.
She remembered the next day after Christmas. Christmas night she took Fluttershy home enjoyed the party then told her friends. Christmas day was uneventful, but after that, she and her friends went back to meet up with her brother.
"What do you know about him," AJ asked
"Nothing." He shook his head. "He goes by many names. Kaas, Konton, and many more In so many languages. The only thing all the names have in common is one thing. "
"Chaos," Twilight answered him.
"Yep, some even call him king or Lord or ruler or god. He's a devil that's for sure, a mutant. A chimera."
"You said we face a worst threat if you didn't mutate us," asked Rarity who was the most skeptical of Shining due to her experience with him.
"He's doing these odd experiments. Once a month he gets a shipment in of," he grimaces at the thought. "Blood and painkillers."
"Blood and painkillers," Rarity repeated a bit sickly.
"He's the one who creates the mutation gel. How I don't know but I'm more than certain he's doing terrible experiments. I mean for anyone to have that many painkillers delivered."
"Why would he need those, I mean it's not like hell be nice to his victims," asked Dash.
AJ shrugged as she crossed her arms. "Well if you need them to stay quiet but not be under Anistiah then yeah pain killers would work, wouldn't they?"
"Whatever he's doing with them, this is the guy who turned me and all of you into chimera," Twilight sighed.
"So why did he send you after me?" Asked Rarity.
"I was only supposed to kidnap you. I didn't want him to work on you so mutating you, ruining his chances to get to his work, I thought, I could capture, mutate you, then send you to him heving you destroy his entire operation, but that night I never got close enough to grab you. As for what he wanted with you, he said he was gonna use you to get to your dad. He wants some type of government files, I don't know what, but he was certain your dad would be able to get them."
"Unfortunately, my delay went nowhere apparently, he always has a backup plan and he never trusted me. I'm sure he got those files somehow." Shining shrugged.
To their surprise, it was the quiet one in the back of the room that asked the most important question. In a calm small voice, Fluttershy asked. "If you worked for him, how did you survive, you're not a mutant so did he not experiments on you?" She asked Shinny.
The room all turned their eyes on him for his answer, making him feel a little uncomfortable being put on the spot like that. He gulped before speaking again. "After that night when Twilight was well..." He trailed off for a moment.
"Not long after that, I was taken by a random car from apartment to school. mostly his assistant was the only one to ever meet me, some tall cat I never learned the name of. but I tried finding out about him and came up with as little as his boss. all I know is that it was a cat. but there are tons of cats. I was told I had a very busy godfather and he took me in after all that happened. He definitely has money I know that. Even if it was the south side of town, I was kept well, got to make friends and I, even had a girlfriend at one point. Tried to make something with my life. Then one night. On my eight-teeth birthday, I met him for the 2ed time."
A storm covered the sky, and lightning flashed as the rain splattered across the window hard.
Shinny was celebrating his birthday with a cake he bought himself in the little apartment all alone. The lights were on and he looked at the candles, surrounding him were photos of his family. The only ones he had from his phone.
"Well here I am guys, he smirked. I miss you." He then blew out the candles as he did most of the lights went out except the spotlight over him. He looked around confused and then a little scared when he heard a clap and someone walking towards the table.
"Well, well, well, look at what we have hear. The birthday boy. Said an unusual voice. A lighter was lit, and afterward, the smell of cigarette smoke filled the air making the young adult cough as it filled his lungs."
Shining could see the outline of the pony, or was it a pony? No. It was the outline of some terrifying monster. The same monster that he remembered seeing all those years ago. It stayed just among the shadows, the only visible light from it at first was the light of the cigarette. Then it opened its eyes. Glowing yellow eyes with a red slit for a pupil stared back at him from the darkness.
"Who are you?" Shining jumped up ready to fight.
"Sit down boy, I mean you no harm, after all, Is that any way to treat your Godfather?"
Shining froze in fear as a pit in his stomach began to form.
"Yes, yes, I know boy, I know. I've been far too busy to come and see you, Apologies." He said as a strange claw came into the light. Picked up the knife and sliced the birthday cake. As he cut a piece using only one arm the other holding his cigarette still in the shadows, he continued his speech. "I know what you are thinking. Why am I here right? Simply put I saved you from your sister, I could have left you for dead since you mean nothing to me so why did I?" Shining stayed quiet. "Well sparky it was a favor nothing more. A favor I hope you will repay. Now that your 18, a full-grown colt, you'll have to work for me. You still have a few more months of school, after that, you will work for me to make up for your expenses the last few years."
"Why would I ever work for you!?" He yelled.
"Oh, I was hoping you were gonna say that. Simply put if you don't want your life to be a living hell you'll work for me. I mean, I hate to see what would happen to your little girlfriend.
His eyes widen at that.
"Or your college buddies, or, "
"Don't you dare touch them?"
"Wouldn't dream of it. I have use for you boy, that is all, and when I don't you can go free."
"What do you want?"
"Simple really. I have many employees working for me. They go and run simple errands I need done. You will be one of my Arron boys, he said passing over a piece of cake. Then he sliced another for himself.
"What kind of errands?"
"Oh, different things. From fetching me lunch, to running files to other associates, to fetching me things for my research. I'll pay you well. You may even move to another apartment if you wish, buy a car, and whatever you want."
Shining could hear a fork tap the plate as a sign he was eating the cake in the shadows.
"And that's it then, I mean what are you doing? What is your name?"
"Oh, wouldn't you like to know? You can call me Chaos. As for what I do, I am a researcher. But one not supported by the government. Due to it, I have to use other means to get what I need. That is all you need to know."
"What do you research?"
He didn't answer just finished his cake and continued his cigarette.
Shining asked again but the creature seemed to ignore him done talking.
Shining Armor didn't know what to do and just decided to eat his piece of cake.
When the creature placed down the plate he, then handed him a black box and a pink birthday card.
Shining didn't know what to do, he just stared at the box. He listened for the sound of the creature but as soon as the box was laid on the table and the odd yellow claw retread back from the light no sign of the creature existed after that.
Shining opened the box revealing a cybernetic eye.
Twilight remembered her brother's story as she looked over her research. As she remembered the last of what he told them that night.
"A doctor who is working for him put it in. He's apparently part of some cult called Chaos vill. I have to go once every few months to have it checked on and make sure none of the cybernetic aren't interfering with my biological components."
Twilight was looking at the Website about the cult following, The website said under the rule of the Chaos King we the citizens of Chaos Vill are here to fight back against the tyranny this world faces, If you wish to join the club let us know by meeting us here, there was an address on the website. But it seemed too simple. The website was only found on the dark web but it gives an address that easily. Something just didn't seem right. She taped the next page to see the owner of the website. A photo of a familiar pony showed up. To her surprise, she actually met him before. She only raised an eyebrow at the photo as she recalled him. He was her last dance partner at the gala. There was no name but it was her brother who knew him as well.
Dr. Cornelius Sunburst was the one who implanted the robotic eye in his head. Shining also confirmed the address was the same place where he got his operation.
Twilight clicked the next window she had opened on her computer, the same address where Armour got his eye transplant, and the area of the cult apparently was none other than a bar called Dragon Ponies.
Located as always on the south side of town, almost on the outskirts of the city.
By the looks of it, a lot of bikers hung around the bar, and from the online photos, it didn't look like a nice place to hang about.
She looked up who the owner of the bar was and found no lead.
"Well that's troubling, isn't it?" Dash commented back to their conversation earlier with Shining.
"Well, I've been trying to trace any records of bills like that being drawn but I've come up empty too," Twilight said as she ate another carrot.
"We'll find that bad guy one way or another." Rarity chimed in
"Well for now we'll just keep this between us," Twilight said and they all nodded.
Just then Apple Jack walked up with her cousin. "Hay guys. This here is my cousin Pinky, I was telling you all about."
Pinky smiled a friendly smile. "Hello there. I'm Pinkamina Pie. But you can call me Pinky, AJ told me lots about you all, Sorry I didn't get to meet you at the Galla, I had to work that night but my brother actually went, he said it was boring till the music started playing. Anyway, I'm so excited to meet you all." She spoke so fast that it was hard to make out what she was saying. "Hello, Mr. Pirate," she said to Shining who chuckled.
"Pinky, you remember Dash don't ya."
"Oh yes of course AJ"
"What up?" Dash said leaning back and playing it cool as always.
"And you must be Rarity I love your fashion shows."
"Thank you pinky was it?" Asked Rarity. Pinky nodded as she shook hooves with rarity.
"And you, you must be Twilight, AJ said she made a new friend called Twilight, who was my age," she grinned.
Twilight for the first time in that entire conversation finally looked up from her computer. She saw Pinky. She wore a white shirt that said sugar cube corner on it blue jeans and wore an orange cap. Her work uniform. She was a pink mare with very curly pink hair a shade darker than her fur. Blue eyes and a friendly smile. Despite her energetic nature Twilight was happy to finally meet someone her own age. Everyone else including her brother was two years older than her. Other than Fluttershy who was the oldest in the group by three, almost four years.
Twilight returned the gesture and shook her hoof replying with, "I'm Twilight Sparkle, and the pirate," she winked' "is my brother shining sparkle. I'm glad to meet you."
"Pinky here wants to become a top chef, she's really good at baking. "
"Ha took me a while to get into Canterlot, but I live on the east side of Ponyvill, been hear all my life. Hay where is your other buddy something shy?" Asked Pinky.
Just then a voice called out. "I'm coming, I'm coming." She said as she rushed over to the lunch table with a pile of books and a little lunch box.
She gave a tired breath as she sat down. "Sorry, I'm late guys. Due to our um..." she stopped noticing pinky there, "other activities, I barely have time to study for my next exam."
"Exam, darling school just started..". Rarity told her.
"Yeah for you, I've been hearing a year longer than you guys remember, vet work is a bit more intense than what you guys are studying." She complained while hiding behind her hair as always. "Becoming a vet takes a lot of medical science, you have to know all sorts of things about the biology of different types of animals. I have an exam about biogenetics on animals and I'm so behind on work. Twilight do you think you can tutor me?" She asked with a shy squeak to her voice.
"I would but I have umm," She stopped before she could say anything in front of Pinky. "A lot of other things I have to do."
"Oh if you need help you should ask my brother. He could tutor you. He's a bio geneticist, he knows all about that stuff."
"Oh, that could be great," Shy said a little more cheerfully. "Oh and hi Pinky Long time no see huh?"
"No problem flutters, you know I'm supposed to deliver this," she pulled a box of muffins and tea packs out of nowhere, "Box to my brother but then I ended up on my lunch break. I was going to deliver this but I could just give you the address and you can take him there and ask him while you're there."
"Oh, uh, ok."
"Umm, hay yeah uh Fluttershy can I talk to you for a sec? Overhear." AJ said as she pulled Fluttershy over out of ear range from pinky.
"What is it, Apple Jack?" Asked Fluttershy.
"Flutters I hate to tell you this but Pinky, well my cousin is a little crazy," she said as she moved her hoof around in a circle over her head. "She lost her real brother many years ago and persists that she has a new one. She has an imaginary friend Fluttershy and it helps her cope. believing he went in the army and never returned."
"Oh, how do you know?"
"She used to send notes to someone in the army and never got one back. It's so sad but in the end, it's just an imaginary friend, that address Shel gives you will send you who knows where just take it but don't go ok.
"Oh, but Jacky what if those muffins are ordered by someone? I have to at least take a look don't you think."
AJ's face palmed. "Ok but if you see it's dangerous just leave. Who knows what pinky will send you on?"
Fluttershy gave a short nod and the two returned to their lunch with the others.
Later on, after lunch Twilight and her brother decided to give that bar a visit.
"Well sis here we are, Are you sure you want to do this." Twilight nodded and the two headed in. There seemed to be quite a few people even tho it was the middle of the day. It was less of a bar and more of a club actually, tho there were plenty of bikers who hung out there, and there were several groups. If anything it seemed more like you would see in a high school setting if you didn't include the drinks and the music. well, actually it made it seem more like a high school, setting. twilight thought to herself. The bikers sat in the back, but there was a group of nerdy-looking people, popular-looking people the ugly nobody, and every single one whether they be a cat dog pony, or lizard looked up to see the two walk in.
The two headed straight to the bartender who was a green pony dressed like a hippie.
"What's up dudes can I get you something?" She asked slowly. She was definitely on something.
"Uh no we're looking for someone."
"Looking oh hay are you the 2:00...hay smolder the 2:00 is here." She called back.
An orange lizard with hot pink spikes dressed in a biker uniform walked up.
"You're my 2:00." Asked a tough-looking orange lizard in a biker jacket.
"Uh," Shiny said not knowing what to do.
"We're looking for someone who apparently goes to this bar."
"Oh so your not with the kid's health fund."
"The what..."
"This bar is part of a non-profit organization made to help the community of the city. We always donate to one of the funds." She said in a dull bored tone. "If you're not here for that, what are you doing here?"
"Uh, we're here looking for someone who goes to the bar."
"This bar has a lot of people coming in and out. And we don't have cameras."
"Have you seen this guy?" Twilight asked showing her computer.
"Oh, the doc. Yeah, he's one of us. So your on our website huh?"
"Yours?"
"Chaos vill. That's the name of our organization, like I said we're a non-profit organization helping the community out. The doc is right now at work doing free checkups for kids right out back, that's why everyone is here. And we're hoping to donate our bills. You're not our 2:00 then huh?"
The two shook their head, both flabbergasted at the strange situation they found themselves in.
The lizard shrugged. "Well if you're going to bug the doc wait till after the checkups are done please, I'll tell him your here. Can I get you a drink?
"Uh, she's 18 and I'm 20."
"Oh no we don't sell any alcohol till five. I'm the manager of this place Hay bro!" She yelled. "What." A red muscle lizard answers her from the back. He wore a biker outfit matching hers. "Get these 2 some rainbow water." The lizard nodded and headed back to the kitchen."Carefully it can be spicy but it's a regular nonalcoholic drink we have here. If you need anything else just ask for smoldering." She smiled. She left and the two sat down at a table still flabbergasted.
"Uh, do you really think this is the right place," asked Twilight.
"I recognize it. I come here to get my eye checked but I, uh, didn't know about any of this."
Twilight looked up more information on Chaos Vill. "Yeah, strange," she said. "The manager is right. The website says the exact same thing."
"Then why is it on the dark web..." he said trying to keep his voice down.
"Oh that's easy," said a yellow pony in a cowboy hat. He smiled wide. He had brown hair green eyes and was a bit jumpy. He also wore a Hawaii shirt and nice suit pants. Saying he didn't match was an understatement.
"That's because we don't want the recognition, none at all. We're all about helping the creatures, not our image." He laughed.
"Uh, who are you?" Asked her brother.
"Cheese, from Cheese Sandwich Inc." he pulled out a rubber chicken and showed his logo to them. "I'm not good at running cash, that's what my partner is for, but I do donate whenever I can. Anonymously, of course, no one here is to gain any recognition at all."
Just then the doc came in. "Sonburst." Shouted Mr. Cheese.
Sunburst waved hi and walked over. Hay Mr. Sandwich. "Nice to see you."
while those to chated Twilight turned to her brother, "Mr. Cheese is a high-class business pony, I saw him at the Galla a while back."
"Weird."
"Um, hay are you the two looking for..." He paused when he saw shining.
"Oh hay'" he friendly shook hooves with shining. "How's your eye doing?"
"Uh fine, actually we were just going to um ask you about someone."
"Oh yeah, who..?"
"Uh, the chaos king," said Twilight losing confidence as she looked at the doctor.
He wore a doctor's uniform glasses and a blue shirt with stars on it. Nothing about him seemed like what she expected. "Huh oh, the chaos king. Hahaha." The chaos king! Everyone shouted and spread cheers all over picking up their glasses and clinking glasses. Making Twilight and Shining more confusing than before.
"Haha. The chaos king is a metaphor, we're all the chaos kings. It means we all have a choice to either suffer or take control of the chaos in our lives and do what's right. be the chaos king. That's the slogan of the group."
"Yeah." Cheese cheered.
"Uh, okay." Said Twilight slowly while she tried to process all of this. "Umm, thank you for your time." She said as the red dragon brought out two rainbow-colored drinks and placed them on the table.
"No problem, and if any problem comes up with your eye let me know," he said handing Shinning his card.
"Uh sure," he said as he took the card and picked up the glass.
"Umm can I ask you, do you know the guy who hired you? You know to do my eye."
"No one hired me. You were brought by a member of the chaos vill. We're here to help all."
"Well if that's all, then I have to get home. Good buy and nice seeing you Mr. Sparkle."
" Yes thank you," he said and took a drink. The time they spit it out. "Oh my god, that's spicy."
"How is a drink spicy?" Twilight said taking a tiny sip. But to her surprise, tho it made no sense, she definitely tasted spice. She didn't have the same reaction as her brother but she did decide she wasn't going to have any more. "Uh never mind, Let's just get out of here," she stumbled as she got up and left. Her brother got up and followed as he waved his hoof still trying to cool down his tongue. As the two left they didn't notice how they were being watched by the manager.
She then pulled out her phone and immediately texted someone named Capper.
"Tell the boss we got someone looking into him."
"I'll deal with it". Capper texted back.
With his response, she placed down the phone and carefully watched the two head out the doorway.
Capper cat, set the phone back in his pocket just as someone knocked on the door, he looked through the eye hole to see a mare holding a box.
After lunch, Fluttershy took the box and headed to wherever the address was leading her to that she got from Pinky. It was a tall black shady-looking building. But nothing about it looked out of place. It was on the south side of town and that didn't make her feel comfortable. The last time she was on this side of town she ended up being robbed only to be saved by a tall shadow. Her thoughts went to that night and then aging to the night at the gala when she met him once again, finding out he was a lord of all things. A lord. Ha, what could a lord ever be interested in her she thought. But he was a nice guy it seemed. Tho definitely not one to mess with. It didn't help either that the muffins she was delivering were the exact same chocolate ones he liked so much that night.
She knocked on a door and didn't have to wait long for it to open. capper took one look at the box and instantly knew what it was. "Hay boss your delivery is here." He called out. stepping aside, "Right this way, he smiled.
"Oh, thank you," she said a bit hesitant to walk inside. the cat seemed friendly but seemed sketchy at best.
"Finally, pinky!" Shouted an angry voice from inside.
The cat helped Fluttershy inside as the colt came from a back room.
"PINKY, YOU KNOW HOW I GET WHEN I DON'T HAVE MY MORNING MUFFINS! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE THREE HOURS AGO!"
Fluttershy nervously smiled when she heard the colt yelling. It never occurred to her how familiar the voice was, as it spoke in a rather odd accent she couldn't quite place, but then he came around the corner. Dressed in a white lab coat, a pair of reading glasses, and black gloves was none other than Mr. Ghost.
"WHY I HAVE HALF A MIND TO..." he continued only to stop mid-sentence when he noticed it wasn't Pinky he was yelling at. His eyes widen only for a moment before his accent slips back to the one he used at the Galla. A high-class businessman-type accent. He narrowed his eyes and softened his anger a bit, but only a bit.
"Oh Mrs. Breeze," he said with a bit of chill to his voice. "What are you now working for Sugar Cube Corner too?" Fluttershy didn't register a word he said. She was still in shock to find him hear of all places.
"Mrs. Breeze." He repeated.
"What oh, uh no I'm uh, what?"
"I asked if you were working for Sugar Cube Corner since you have my order it seems." He said with a hint of a snarl as he crossed his arms.
"Oh, uh, no, no, I just um." She giggled a bit. Pinky is a cousin of my friend, She came to lunch since she just got into the canterlot college."
"Oh and why hasn't she brought my muffins then?" He said through grit teeth. He was very cross but Fluttershy could tell it wasn't with her, so she felt no fear. At least not with him, which was strange, she normally hated to be near anyone so mad. But he seemed different. Something about his posture, something about the look on his face, tho he was tall and intimidating, with a skull-like appearance he also seemed like a child, a grumpy moody child. She often babysits foals in the past and would see the same type of behavior from them. It would quickly diminish after being dealt with in a proper manner.
"Oh, I brought them because Pinky said her brother could help tutor me. I have a big test and I need some help."
Mr. Ghost rolled his eyes." I am not her brother. She often depicts me as her adopted Brother, but I have no such relation with her, although she insists. Persistent that one. Either way, I am far too busy to help you." He said as he walked over grabbed the box from her hands and quickly stormed off into the other room.
"Oh wait wait, please," Fluttershy said as she followed him. "I really need a tutor, I can pay you."
"I don't need the money." He said as he pulled out the tray of muffins and set them on the counter. They were in a little white lab.
"Oh, but there must be something please I."
Mr. Ghost pulled out a muffin and took a bight as she continued it. Almost immediately the second the muffin touched his tongue his expression and deminer melted away with a smile of a child getting their favorite dessert. Fluttershy watched him as he took in the first bite. He lost himself in the pleasure of the chocolate. She didn't know what to say as she watched him take another bite moaning in delight.
He then turned to her realizing she was still there. He cleaned the crumbs off his face with a napkin he pulled out of his pocket before he continued the conversation.
"I'm sorry Mrs Breeze," he said a lot more cheerfully. "I simply have far too much work to do."
Fluttershy hid herself behind her hair as she often did, and gave a slight sad nod. "Thanks anyway." She said as he started heading out the door. "Well, I hope you like your muffins then. I mean I could have bought you more or something."
"At that, the colt spun around. Deal."
"What?" She asked.
"I said deal. Buy me muffins and tea and I'll tutor you. Friday nights 7 till 9. Oh, but you'll regret making this deal with me Mrs Breeze," he said a bit slyly. "I can eat a lot of muffins."
Fluttershy was a bit in shock. But the cat explained. "The boss is muffin crazy. If you waited till he finished one he would have said yes. He's always in a bad mood when he doesn't have one, in the morning."
"Shut up Capper and get to work. Mr. Ghost brushed him off. Capper shrugged and did as his boss instructed.
"Well, Mrs. Breeze I'm glad it seemed this all worked out then, didn't it?" He gave a slight bow to her before he took his half-eaten muffin and got back to whatever it was that he was working on. Something with a microscope.
Fluttershy left more complexed than she had arrived. Not only did she meet Pinky's non-existent brother. But the colt was not only the one she went on a date with, he was the infamous Mr. Ghost. And now it seemed she had a second date with him practically out of nowhere. What are the odds of her running into him not just a second time, but a third? time, but a third.