//------------------------------// // A New Normal // Story: Children of Chaos // by Mike the Red //------------------------------// I was sleeping in today, which was nothing out of the ordinary as I had gotten used to doing that. Honestly, though, there really wasn't much else to do. My "beach-front" house near San Diego (or what was left of it after The Final War) sat atop a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. A wall of windows gave an expansive view of the ocean and the sound of waves crashing against the shore had a very calming and soothing effect on me. My bed was situated in the main room to allow me this magnificent view. Sleep never has come very easily to me, but the waves helped soothe my discomfort. The sun's light streaming in through the windows woke me and caressed me with its warmth, as the weather was pretty much still nice in San Diego despite what had happened. I groggily rose to my hooves and decided to take a trot along the shoreline, though this had become a part of my morning ritual. I trotted lazily, occasionally letting the waves wash gently over my hooves and fetlocks, looking out at the ocean and noticing a few surfers riding the waves. This was the first time in quite a long time since I had actually seen humans near my home. I was somewhat concerned by their appearance and grew worried when they spotted me and started shouting. I teleported back to my home, and double-checked my security set-up. Looks like I'm going to have to beef up my security system -- where did they come from? I ventured out onto my balcony overlooking the shore, a good hundred feet or so below the bluff. I could see the surfers off in the distance, putting their boards atop their Jeep. I watched them pull away and drive north towards Los Angeles. Those fools! Radiation levels in L.A. will kill them before they make it there. The Final War had lasted only a single day as reaction and over-reaction trumped common sense -- the damage was extremely severe. Los Angeles was one of the hot spots Discord had not been able to sufficiently clean as part of his payment for allowing me to give birth to his son. My thoughts sometimes strayed to our son, and how well Discord was raising him. I still couldn't get over the idea that he would be named "Equanimity." The thought made me chuckle, and then a little angry. "Should have named him Jeffrey," I thought, perhaps a little too loudly. I heard what sounded like a leather jacket being zipped or unzipped, and then a gravelly voice. Instinctively I knew that sound and his voice, though his arrival surprised me nonetheless. "Well, well, well. Twilight Sparkle! What a surprise! How long has it been?" he asked, flashing a smile and trying to make himself look as friendly as possible. I thought he looked ridiculous like that, but held my tongue about that for fear of angering him. "About three years or so, Discord. What brings you here? Is Equanimity with you? I would like to see our son," I said, perhaps a little too eagerly. I was hoping he'd have brought our son, having not seen him since he was born. It still rankled me that the dragonequus would take him away from me so soon after he had been born. "Actually, I call him EJ for short," he replied, chuckling. "So you took my suggestion and gave him both names, then decided it was easier to call him by his initials. Very nice!" I smiled. "How's he doing?" "Why not ask him yourself?" Discord asked, brightening his smile. Those yellow eyes of his still creeped me out, though. At first glimpse, I was slightly taken aback by his appearance, though there was something about him that put a smile on my face. "Hey, EJ, how's things going with you these days?" I asked optimistically. "Are you my mommy?" he asked, his voice sounding thin and reedy and very high pitched, but I chalked that up to his very young age. In a way, he reminded me of myself when I was that young. "Yes, EJ, I am," I said, smiling very broadly. This was the first time I had laid eyes on him, as Discord had been extremely over-protective of him. All I had been given in the past were just photos of him. "Why do you look so different from me?" he asked innocently. "What we look like on the outside doesn't matter as much as how we feel about ourselves on the inside," I offered. "We should not judge each other based on what we look like -- that's what makes people or ponies dislike each other." "Twilight, I'm sorry he asked that," Discord said. "He's usually a bit better behaved than that." "It's quite all right, Discord. If I had discovered my mother looked different from me or my father, I probably would have asked the same question, or some variant of it." "There is another reason I have come to visit you, Twilight," he started, then turned his gaze away from me, almost afraid to continue with his train of thought. "Yes, Discord? What is it?" I asked. I could only guess, though I had an inkling of what it might be. The thought caused me some distress but I did my best to maintain a smile. "Well...there was something I wanted to ask you," he said. "Go ahead, ask away," I offered, still smiling. EJ was checking out my main room, looking at various things, picking them up and examining them closely. He found the remote to the TV and turned it on. "EJ, please stop touching stuff. Has your father told you not to touch stuff that doesn't belong to you?" "EJ! EJ! Come over here, NOW!" Discord shouted at him. EJ cowered at this outburst and came running over to him. "Twilight, I'm terribly sorry he acted this way. He will be punished when we get home. As for my other question ... ehm, well, uh ..." "Don't punish him too harshly, please. He was just curious about things," I said softly. Discord looked down at the floor, and fidgeted his right foot a couple of times. There was something he wanted to ask, but didn't know how. "Well, Twilight, EJ has been telling me he's lonely and wants somepony to play with," Discord said, still avoiding eye contact with me. He appeared to be staring at the floor as he said these words. "Where is he being schooled?" I asked. "At home, where else? I can't exactly send him to a public school, now can I?" he chuckled. "Well, you've got a point there," I said, smiling softly. "So ... " he began as he tried to decide on how to ask me without making it sound too objectionable. "So ..." I echoed, trying to decipher his mood. I hope he doesn't want another foal from me... "So?" EJ asked innocently. "Ummm ..." "Yes? Discord?" "Well ..." "What is it? You want me to have another child for you?" "Uh, well, uh ... yes?" he asked dumbly. "No. Now please take EJ with you and go home. I'm not ready to have another child by you." "Um, okay. But please let me know when you might be willing to .. you know ..." he said as he and EJ disappeared with the same zipping sound they had entered with. Well, that was really weird. What kind of fool does he take me for? I thought as I pondered his request. I wondered why he had waited so long to return and why he had chosen this particular time to do so.