The Element of Chaos

by JakeDrake

Mother Knows Best

Home, for most in Equestria it was a place where those who loved you, cared for you, and even joked with you stayed under the same roof. Most of the young ponies stayed with parents, uncles and aunts, sometimes even a grandparent. But home was mostly synonymous with love in the quiet land of Equestria.

Of course, as with everything, there are exceptions. For one there would be a young pegasus who lived with a foster mother who seemed to just keep her around to complain and have her do chores. Poor little Dusk, she had the privilege of living with the old Griffon who looked twenty years younger than she should have looked.

Miss Hook, now that was a name known well in Canterlot. She was the daughter of a rich ambassador who had a disagreement with his daughter who he left in Canterlot. She become an even meaner spirit, Only keeping the necklace that was passed down through her family.

Many talked about her, she looked as if she was in her prime. Fine prim feathers, clean shining coat, and eyes the color of leaves in autumn. Though, no one ever knew why she was
blessed with this great gift of youth, except for her.

She wasn’t a stupid griffon, mean and full of venom but not stupid. She knew when she met the only orphan in Canterlot, that she was her ticket to the easy life. At least, she was along as she had the necklace.

This necklace was said to be over a thousand years old by her family, some dragons that visited had lived longer and comments that it looked like something they saw in their youth. Because of this, she did her research. The royal library and learned about the ‘Elements of Harmony’ and the hints of the final trinket in the set. Her own little necklace.

She never told anyone she knew that it was a powerful magical artifact, they would have taken it and her chance at the good life if she ever found a way to use it. But then she found the key wasn’t a chant, or a certain time of year. It was the little filly she was assigned to take care of.

Dusk had always been a quiet filly, only watching the stars, doing her chores, and all the things a good child would do for someone who had gratefully taken care of her for so long. That is...unless Miss Hook was wearing her little trinket. Then she was a joking, bouncing, and normal little filly who grated on her caretaker’s nerves.
Miss Hook took quick notice to this, and her feathers that had stopped falling out when she let the filly do these things. She let the filly wear the necklace, to see how she looked in it for her fifth birthday. The results were less than what Miss Hook expected, thinking it would cause lightning, storms, maybe even a small fire in her home. But the necklace just glowed. When she took it back she felt different, as if she were rested and had just been pampered at a spa.

She soon realized the necklace was prolonging her own life by having the filly around. So...she stopped every adoption attempt, Bribes, slander, anything to keep the filly around her own home. Making her rely on her ‘mother’ more and more every year.

Dusk had stayed out late a few nights ago and was being punished by making her stay in her room practicing her sewing while Miss Hook watched her. She smiled as she knitted a very bad white sweater for the pegasus. Dusk sighed loudly finishing sewing another seem in a dress she had ‘accidently’ threw in front of a crowd running to a sale.

"I don't know why you don't let me play with everypony else..." The fully said after nicking her hoof with the needle, for the fourth time that night.

“I just want to make sure my little filly stays safe.” Miss Hook said with a sickly sweet tone. “Besides, if you play with other children you’ll get all dirty and that is nothing you need if you wish to become a high caliber part of Canterlot’s population.” It was the answer she gave for most things that Dusk asked.

“But it’s not fair.” She said putting down her needle and thread. “I never get to do anything that might get me my cutie mark...”

“What would you want a cutie mark for?” Miss Hook asked her eyes looking at the filly while she half focused on her own knitting. “It only causes trouble for those who find out what they are.”

“It’s a sign of me growing up...I don’t know anyone my age who doesn’t have one...”

“It’s almost like you want to leave...” Miss Hook said coldly putting down her own needles her eyes studying Dusk’s face.

“Well...I can’t stay here forever...” The filly said quietly adding, “Who knows...maybe next month’s family will adopt me...” She had a bit of false hope. As she said to herself every month, even after all the times of her hopes falling short for some unknown reason to her.

Miss Hook sighed somewhat dramatically and said “Oh you want to go away, oh, little Duskie.” She got up and sat next to the filly smiling and patting her head,

“Look at you, as fragile as a flower.” She said smiling with a little tap on her nose., “Still a little sapling, just a sprout. You know why we strive for social power.”

Dusk pipped up trying to interrupt her saying, “I know but...”

She was stopped with a talon to her lips, “That’s right, to keep you safe and sound,dear. I guess I knew this day was coming.” She gave a convincing little sniffle, “Knew that soon you’d want to leave the nest. Soon but not yet.”

“But-”

“Shh! Trust me pet. Mother knows best.” She moved back pulling out a few books and tossing them onto the bed with her tail and wings, “Mother knows best, Listen to your mother, It's a scary world out there.”

She flipped open a few books and pointed a few things out as she sang the little tune, “Mother knows best. One way or another, Something will go wrong, I swear!”

She pulled Dusk closer and pointed pictures out as she sang, “Ruffians, thugs. Poison ivy, quicksand. Cannibals and snakes. “ She gave a little gasp and said, “The plague!”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“But-”

“Also large bugs. Beasts with pointy teeth, and.” She shook her head fake sobbing, “Stop, no more, you'll just upset me.” She nuzzled the filly in a rather fake manner. “Mother's right here .Mother will protect you. Darling, here's what I suggest, Skip the drama, Stay with mama. Mother knows best.”

“Go ahead, get trampled by a Rhino.” She said faking sniffing and looking away. “Go ahead get mugged and left for dead! Me I’m just your mother, what do I know?” She looked at her with one her eyes and said, “I only bathed, and changed, and fed you.”

“Go ahead and leave me...I deserve it.” She sounded depressed as she could, “Let me
me die here, be my guest. When it’s too late you’ll see, Mother knows best.” She hopped up and got back up in her face pinching her cheek with a small laugh.

“Mother knows best, take it from your Mumsy on your own you won’t survive.” She started to poke around Dusk’s side making her wiggle trying to get away while she kept moving faster around her. “Sloppy,” She used her tail to open a near bare closet, “Underdressed, immature, clumsy.” She gave a small laugh, “Please, they’ll eat you up alive!”

Miss Hook lifted a few old things and keep singing, “Gullible, naÎve,” She pointed out a small pile of dirty clothes, “Positively grubby, Ditzy and a bit, well, hmm vague” She had her left talon making a circle in the air as she said the last line.

She started to poke at her belly a little smiling, “Plus, I believe, Gettin' kinda chubby.” she waved it off smiling and added, “I'm just saying 'cause I wuv you,Mother understands, Mother's here to help you,All I have is one request...”

She stopped singing and looked Dusk in the eyes, “Duskie?”

“Y-yes?” She asked still sitting on the bed feeling a little guilty.

“Don’t ever ask to leave home, again.” She said with a firm tone and patted her head with her tail.

“Yes Mother.”

She gave a little sigh and said “I love you very much dear.”

“I love you more.” Dusk said with a small smile as Miss hook walked away.

“I love you most,” She said back not letting Dusk see her tapping the necklace she wore around her neck, “Don’t forget it...you’ll regret it...Mother Knows Best.”

Miss Hook left the room as Dusk sighed letting her leave and closing her door behind her ‘mother’ and put all the books back on her own and cleaned her room a little. She didn’t know that all that was just to get her to stay just a bit longer...no matter what had happened.