Chapter 2
Beholding Chaos
“Ah!” Chaos exclaimed after inhaling deeply, “Sweet Apple Acres, such a simple place, yet filled with such refined and quality taste.” As he thought aloud he plucked an apple from a tree and took a bite out of it. “Both literally and figuratively,” he thought to himself. He heard a rustle from one of the trees and looked in its direction. He eyed it curiously for a moment before rolling his eyes. His horn flashed brightly and a rainbow maned pegasus appeared below its branches.
“Hey?! What the?!” she looked around before figuring out she had been teleported from her hiding place by the stallion before her, “Thief!” She pointed an accusative hoof at him.
Chaos rolled his eyes again, this time in annoyance. “I promise you I am nothing so vulgar,” he almost spat the word, “I fully intend to pay for this food once I find the appropriate owner, although if you don’t trust me you could follow me. Better yet, you’re Applejack’s friend, why don’t you lead me to her?” Rainbow looked at him dumbfounded, then shook her head furiously to make sure this was real.
“Oh great, another Rarity,” she groaned under her breath, “Whatever. AJ is probably just getting up. I’ll take you to her.” Chaos followed her faithfully, knowing full well she wouldn’t trust him as far as she could throw him in a few minutes.
“By the way Rainbow, why were you asleep in that tree so early in the morning rather than in your own cloud bed?” Chaos inquired curiously, “As I recall clouds are far more comfortable than trees.” Rainbow glanced back at him briefly.
“Well, AJ asked me to help her with some apple bucking yesterday, after that I was too tired to fly all the way home,” she explained, “So how do you know Applejack anyways? I mean, I know I’m too awesome not to, but AJ hasn’t made quite as big a name for herself.”
Chaos chuckled lightly. “You’re as arrogant as I thought you’d be, but all six of you are quite famous,” Chaos explained, “You won the young fliers competition with the Sonic Rainboom and have been shown to use it on cue. Pinkie Pie is slightly infamous for the fiasco she caused at the Gala a couple years ago, which I suppose is another type of fame in and of itself. Rarity has become a famous designer throughout Canterlot. Fluttershy was a famous model for some time, not to mention her part in the fiasco at the Gala as well. Applejack is a great athlete as all Canterlot remembers. Finally Twilight is the little sister of the captain of the royal guard, and personal student as well as niece-in-law to princess Celestia. Not to mention you’re all famed to have your own part in the royal wedding of Cadence and Shining Armor. In addition you’ve all saved the kingdom and world on two separate occasions, not to mention the Crystal Empire. I think the better question is: why wouldn’t some one know you?” Rainbow stopped and stared at him like he was insane. He raised an eyebrow.
“What are you stalking us?” she asked. Chaos couldn’t help but laugh, for once losing his normal composure. Rainbow stopped to glare at him, but he dismissed it as he regained his head.
“All will be explained soon enough, but you really shouldn’t be surprised that you’re all so well known,” Chaos chided playfully her before returning to his normal smile, “After all, you’re all very famous and good looking mares.” Rainbow stopped and Chaos trotted past her.
“Wait, what was that last part?” she asked with a small blush. He stopped to smiled at her, although this time it was obvious that he was trying to embarrass her.
“What?” he quipped quickly before trotting along again. Rainbow ran quickly for a moment to catch up.
“Well don’t get your hopes up,” she warned him in annoyance, “You’re just not my type I can already tell.” Chaos got a mischievous smile for a moment before his horn flashed. Rainbow stopped to check what she did and her jaw dropped when she saw none other than herself.
“What about now?” the duplicate said with her voice and cocky sneer.
“What the—but the—how did?” Rainbow sputtered. Her duplicate merely laughed—her laugh. A flash occurred again and Chaos was left still snickering.
“Just—as you say—yanking your chain,” Chaos teased as he cantered past her, “My name is Chaos by the way.”
“Hey wait a minute!” Rainbow said as she flew in front of him to cut him off, “Are you Discord?” She glared at him, and Chaos almost scowled back.
“I assure you that I am not that disgusting abomination of a chimera,” he said sternly. He continued to trot by going around her as she stared at him.
“How do I know your telling the truth?” Rainbow demanded as she gave chase.
“Because if I was I would have kissed you,” Chaos chided teasingly, “Isn’t that something that child would do in the spur of the moment?” Rainbow gagged at the thought, loudly. Chaos couldn’t blame her, “Sorry. Truly not the kind of face you think of in that lighting.”
“Yeah. I almost puked on that one,” Rainbow blurted out when she finished gagging.
They had arrived at Applejacks farm, only to find said mare trying to make sense of whatever it was a bouncing pink flash was saying.
“Hold on a minute,” Rainbow said before taking off to ground the pink blur, which was of course a pink mare with bright blue eyes and a mouth that almost never shut. “PINKIE PIE!” She finally stood still and stopped talking, but only for half a second.
“Ohmygosh Dashie Twilight got a letter about something that got her super duper ultra mega scared and now she’s going around getting super crazy and panicky and at first I thought it had something to do with her friendship report again so I tried to hide her smarty pants doll but instead she just teleported it to her when she couldn’t find it so that didn’t work but instead of putting a charm on it she started talking to it while she cuddled it and ranting on about something impossible about Discord which is weird cause I thought there was nothing impossible with Discord cause y’know he’s the Lord of Chaos and he turned us all gray which is still funny but what wasn’t funny is he had us all mad at each other and I think Fluttershy put it best when she called him a big meanie and—”
“PINKIE PIE!” all three of them yelled.
Chaos had already caught up to them some time during the incoherent rant. “Good grief,” Chaos said in exasperation, “Is she always like this?”
“Ah’ve been dealing with this fer seven minutes and Ah still ain’t gotten a lick of sense outta her,” Applejack explained, “All Ah managed to get so for is Twilight is going nuts over something about Discord and a letter, which has me worried.” Rainbow was about to say something, but Chaos cut her off.
“I should introduce myself to the two of you,” he cut in politely, “My name is Chaos, and the letter Twilight got was from Celestia and Luna. It was about me specifically and Pinkie was most likely sent to gather up the other four of you, which leaves Rarity and Fluttershy uninformed as of yet.”
“Thank you!” Applejack blurted out, “Pinkie, yer too random.”
“What do you mean it’s about you?” Rainbow demanded as she glared at Chaos suspiciously, “Are you connected to Discord?”
Chaos sighed. “This is getting ridiculous, and it would be far easier to explain to everypony at once,” Chaos chided her, “A warning: I’m teleporting us to Fluttershy’s cottage in three seconds, so you might be a little disoriented.” After three seconds—filled with a couple of panicked reactions and then steeled nerves—they teleported to Fluttershy’s cottage.
***
Fluttershy squeaked very loudly when she heard an abnormal, yet familiar magically created sound outside her door. A knock came and she very carefully opened the door to find Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie, accompanied by somepony she didn’t recognize.
“Do you want the long version or the short version?” Rainbow asked immediately.
“Short version,” she answered quietly.
“My name is Chaos,” the stallion answered, “There is a matter of which you and your five friends must attend to directly involving myself, and as such you are to gather at Twilight’s house so she can read to you the letter sent by the princesses regarding the subject. Understand?” Fluttershy nodded.
“So that just leaves Rarity,” Pinkie finished, “See you there!” She took off before anypony could say anything.
“Let her go,” Chaos said before they could give chase, “We are off to get Rarity next, and again I will teleport us there in three seconds. Prepare yourself Fluttershy.”
***
Rarity awoke from her pleasant dream with a start when a sudden noise filled the room from downstairs. She awoke to see Rainbow barging into her room.
“GET OUT!” she screamed as she threw her alarm clock at the pegasus.
“But Rarity I—“
“OUT!” she shrieked again. A vine flew in from outside the door, grabbing the intruding pegasus and dragging her out the door. Rarity heard voices from downstairs yelling at one another.
“Fer Pete’s sake Rainbow ya should know better than to wake Rarity up, and especially when she doesn’t have her make-up on,” Applejack scolded.
“Fine, but did you have to lasso me? And where did you get that vine, and where’d it go?” Rainbow asked.
An unfamiliar voice came this time, and it sounded as if it were traveling up the stairs. “That was I. Now just wait there for a moment,” the stallion responded. Rarity’s door shut on its own accord and there was a knock on it.
“Who is it?” Rarity asked oddly.
“My name is Chaos,” he responded politely, “I don’t mean to intrude, but there is a matter that you and your five friends need to attend to. It is an order from the princesses themselves and it directly involves me. Twilight has the letter, so when you’re ready I’ll teleport us all to her library. Now you’ll just be going with your normal look correct?”
Rarity trotted over to apply her make-up as he spoke. “Of course, unless of course the princesses themselves are at the library, in which case I’ll need some extra time to prepare myself accordingly,” she told him kindly, “And I thank you for your help with Rainbow Dash. Sometimes she’s just too brash and forgets how to show proper respect.”
Chaos sighed outside the door. “I’ve noticed that myself,” Chaos agreed empathically, “She’s quite loud as well. On a side note: I am very adept at magic, so if you’d like I could have you prepared on a moments notice.” Rarity thought about it for a moment. She had a horrid case of bed-head, her tail was not much better, it took forever to apply her make-up some days, and she had regrettably been tossing about a lot in bed and was in desperate need of a shower. All things considered she didn’t want to keep her friends waiting, but it sounded as if this could be a difficult spell to perform.
“I wouldn’t want to be a burden, but thank you,” she replied thoughtfully.
Chaos chuckled. “I assure you milady it is no trouble at all,” he told her with a substantial amount of respect in his voice, “It would be an honor to assist such a wonderful mare.” Rarity couldn’t help but smile.
What a charmer,” she thought. “Well if you insist,” Rarity said modestly.
After a brief warning a bright flash filled the room, and when it subsided Rarity felt rejuvenated. She looked in the mirror and found herself looking like her normal day to day self, in under a minute no less; nay, in under a second. She opened the door to greet the kind stallion, and was briefly mesmerized by his crystal-like eyes. They soon changed to be a normal pony’s eyes, a calming blue no less.
“Thank you kind sir,” Rarity smiled, “Now, you said we were off to Twilight’s house?”
“Yes of course.” The two trotted down the stairs to find that the rest of the group.
“What took you so long?” Pinkie asked.
“I’m surprised it didn’t take longer,” Rainbow grumbled.
“I still can’t figure out how Pinkie got here before us,” Chaos pointed out, “Nonetheless. Same drill: in three seconds I’ll teleport us there—Pinkie sit.” Chaos narrowed his eyes and stamped his hoof down as he ended. Pinkie stopped in mid take-off and obediently sat, oddly enough. After a brief moment of preparation they were off to Twilight’s house.
***
“Spike what am I going to do?” Twilight asked the poor confused baby dragon as she squeezed him to the point just short of crushing him, something Spike didn’t think she had the strength to do.
“Twilight normally I’d ask if you’re overreacting but I really do think you’re right to freak out this time,” Spike said after he took a lungful of precious oxygen, “I mean, why don’t we just use the Elements of Harmony on him and be done with it?”
Twilight flipped him around and held him in the air by his cheeks, smooshing his face. “That’s just what I wanted to do Spike, but one: the Elements aren’t here, two: the princesses—both of them—said not to use them unless he A: leaves Ponyville without us, or B: gives us reason to believe he’s evil.” The violet mare stated hyperventilating after she let Spike go.
“You need to calm down Twilight,” Spike put a hand on her shoulder, “I mean, we should be able to keep him in line by making him think we have the Elements here. At least long enough for them to actually get here. I mean, after that if he even looks at somepony funny we can blast him and be done with it.” Twilight perked up.
“You’re right Spike,” Twilight exclaimed happily, “All I have to do is stall until he messes up and WHAM!” Twilight smashed one hoof into another to emphasize her point. The scatter-brained unicorn then proceeded to jump several feet in the air with a yelp when she heard a knock at the door.
“Twilight dear, we’re all here,” Rarity said in singsong.
“Come on in everypony.” They all piled in and gathered in front of her. When the final pony entered the room her eyes shrank to pinpricks.
“What’s wrong sugarcube?” Applejack asked in concern for her friends ever so often fleeting sanity, “Ya look like yer buggin out.” The stallion sat down with her friends and gave a small smile, not unlike the one Celestia normally gave. His blue eyes stared at her with unreadable intentions.
“A pleasure to meet the famed Twilight Sparkle,” he said softly, “My name is Chaos.”
Twilight shrieked and zipped upstairs at a speed that made Rainbow’s jaw drop. Rarity raised an eyebrow at Chaos while Fluttershy and Applejack exchanged confused glances. At the same time Pinkie Pie bounced up the stairs after Twilight along with Spike.
“Well that was just plain rude,” Chaos muttered; feeling personally insulted. Rarity nodded in agreement.
“NO WAY! I AM NOT GOING DOWN THERE WITH THAT MONSTER IN THERE!” they heard Twilight shriek at Pinkie and Spike.
“Aw come on Twilight,” Pinkie in reassurance, “He’s really kind of nice, not to mention he gathered us all up for the news you sent me to gather everypony for. I tell ya: I was trying to tell Applejack forever, but she just wasn’t getting any of it.”
“That’s because you make no sense when telling us about normal things,” Spike reminded her, “This is insane. You have any idea what it’s like to listen to you describing something insane?”
“Also rude,” Rarity and Chaos said at the same time.
“Sweet Celestia, now there’s two of ‘em,” Applejack groaned. Rarity shot Applejack a look.
“Just let it go,” Chaos chided softly, without a trace of anything in his voice to indicate he felt insulted, “When you’ve been around as long as I have you learn to deal with such remarks.” Rarity sighed and conceded.
Chaos got up and trotted up the stairs after Twilight, only for her to shriek again upon seeing him, which was oddly cut off halfway through. Not like somepony shoved a hoof in her mouth, but rather the sound ceased as if somepony had paused the music with no reason.
“My apologies, but I like my eardrums intact,” Chaos shot at her, which resulted in an undignified groan and probably a scowl from Twilight, as well as a snicker from Rainbow Dash, “Just come downstairs and read the letter the princesses sent you. That way we can all be on our merry ways and you can go back to plotting ways to make me look like the monster you think I am so you have a viable excuse to imprison me. And yes: I did hear you.”
“I do not trust you!” Twilight yelled at him.
Chaos though about it for the briefest moment, and the answer of exactly how to get her to comply was simple enough: play on her hate for him as well as her loyalty to her friends. “I don’t expect you to,” Chaos replied simply, “After all: you read the letter, you know who I am. Why not share that with your friends, or don’t they deserve to know?”
“Of course they deserve to know! And I’m going to tell them right now!” Twilight marched back down the stairs with Celestia and Luna’s letter in tow, along with Spike, Chaos, and Pinkie. Pinkie sat back down between Applejack and Rainbow—who was on the far right—while Chaos took his place on the far left next to Rarity.
“This is a letter from not just Celestia, but Luna as well,” Twilight explained, “In it is a description of a certain—quote unquote—pony who is not a pony at all, but rather a terrible monster! I speak of course of this creature!” She pointed an accusative hoof at Chaos.
“Stick to the script Twilight,” he deadpanned in annoyance and loss of patients, “In other words: read the letter.”
“For goodness sake Twilight I’d like to hear what the princesses actually had to say, not another delusional rant about a pony who’s evil,” Rarity chided, “Granted the last time you were right, but still.”
“Yeah, yeah we all know she was half-right about Cadence bein’ evil, can we get on with it?” Applejack badgered.
“Ahem!” Twilight coughed to get their attention as she scowled at Chaos, “Dear Twilight and friends, we have come across a very peculiar stallion this night, and he has revealed to us that he is not a normal stallion. He has shown dignified stature, a calm demeanor, and a great respect for the both of us. We cannot however trust him due to the information he has revealed to us, which would not have been believable had he not turned one of our armored guards into an armored baby duck.” Rainbow burst out laughing along with Pinkie Pie.
“I didn’t think it was that funny,” Chaos muttered to himself. Twilight coughed again.
“This stallion revealed that his power was in fact inherited by his son: Discord,” Twilight continued, causing all of them to pay very close attention, “He has agreed to be banished to Ponyville under the watch of you six. The Elements of Harmony will be delivered to you. If he shows any signs of being evil, or leaves Ponyville without the company of one of you, than you are to find him and use the Elements on him as you would with Discord, but not a moment sooner.
“We do not have reason to trust him, but at the same time we do not have enough reason to distrust him either. He will likely have arrived on his own accord by the time this letter arrives. He is a moderately sized unicorn stallion, small build, light tan coat, jet-black mane tied back in a small ponytail, and blue eyes. He has identified himself as a being named: Chaos.
“PS tell him the gift was in fact appreciated.” Twilight threw the letter on the ground and glared at him. The five other mares looked at him in shock.
“Oh come now, is it really that shocking?” he asked in a disappointed tone of voice, “Then again that…” he did something between a shudder and a disgusted groan, “thing, that paraded around in my absence truly would leave a bad taste regarding my bloodline.”
“That ‘thing’ is a monster!” Rainbow yelled at him, “Do you have any idea how much misery he’s caused?” Chaos stared daggers at the rainbow maned pegasus.
“None know better than I what a disgusting worm that abomination of reality is,” Chaos seethed in suppressed rage, “That motherless freak is the most disrespectful, vile, manipulative, evil wretch I have ever had the extreme displeasure of having known!” It was expected that he start throwing his head around to the point were his hair-tie came loose and his mane fell all over his face while he roared in anger, making him somewhat reminiscent of the monster he apparently spawned. Rather he remained dignified and merely stamped his front hoof down at the end of his rant, closing his eyes and turning his head with his nose in the air. Each of them were taken aback by the sheer anger they felt rolling off him at the mention of his son.
“My, what…language,” Rarity said carefully.
Chaos opened his eyes and looked down at his hooves, somewhat ashamed of what he’d done. “I’m sorry you had to hear that,” he muttered barely loud enough for them to hear, “It’s my problem, I’ll deal with it.”
“Okey dokie loki,” Pinkie said slowly and nervously. He gave a small, undignified frown to each of them. If he was trying to play the sympathy card he was doing a good job.
“Oh deary it’s okay,” Rarity smiled softly in reassurance, “I’m sure we can help you through it.” He wasn’t convinced.
“If any one of you was a changeling you would have choked to death. No ifs ands or buts, I’ve actually done that,” he didn’t as much say the words as he did breathe them like winter’s night air. Each of them flinched as they thought of the sight. He sighed, “Like I said it’s my problem I’ll deal with it.”
“How do we trust you?” Spike asked, “Y’know, outside of the whole ‘wretch’ thing about Discord.”
Chaos tsked. “My boy the fact that we have a common displeasure is no reason to trust me in the least,” Chaos chided the baby dragon, “As for the question I’ll tell you again: you don’t. That’s why the princesses want me here after all.”
“We’re gonna need something to go off of if ya don’t want us to blast ya when the Elements get here,” Applejack warned.
Chaos scoffed at her in feigned shock. “You would go against the direct order of the two most beloved and respected mares in Equestria?” he gasped, all in order to openly mock her, “I am simply appalled by your blatant lack of respect for those two wonderful mares. Good day madam!” He stamped his hoof on the ground and threw his nose in the air again.
“Ah didn’t mean—“
“I said good day!” Chaos said again. Rarity shot Applejack a look.
“While even more overdramatic than I’d have liked he has a solid point, Applejack,” Rarity reminded her, “The princesses directly stated not to use the Elements unless he leaves town without us or does something intentionally evil. We are now soldiers and we have our orders.” Applejack groaned, but eventually conceded.
“Thank you Rarity,” Chaos said warmly, dropping his feigned shock, “It is of course of great importance to remember your loyalties above all else. Right Rainbow Dash?” He narrowed his eyes at the pegasus before she could say anything. She grunted and sat back down.
“By the way what did you give the princesses?” Pinkie finally asked; it had been the only thing on her mind since the argument began, “I mean, I’ve been thinking really really hard to figure it out, but I can’t figure out what somepony like you would give somepony like them. I mean at first I thought you might have left a prank cause of the whole you know thing that I’m not gonna say cause I don’t wanna get you upset, but then I thought why would they thank you for a prank, so it had to be something at least kinda nice, unless they were being sarcastic, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard princess Luna and princess Celestia say something sarcastic, although—“
“PINKIE PIE!” all six ponies and dragon shouted.
“To answer your earlier question: yes, she is always like this,” Rainbow told Chaos snidely.
“Anyways,” Chaos said ignoring his growing headache, “I left them both a different set of flowers and a bottle of fine wine both aged for one hundred years. Good to know they appreciated it.”
“Why?” Twilight asked.
“I wouldn’t want to leave on a bad note,” he said as if it were obvious, “That’s just rude. Wine is after all a proper pony’s drink of choice for any special occasion. The flowers were of course a gentlecolt’s gift for a fine lady.”
“Of course,” Rarity agreed, getting annoyed looks from all her friends, “What?”
“Regardless,” Chaos stood up and started for the door, “You’ve all been told the situation, so I’ll be on my way.” Rainbow cut him off to his annoyance.
“Oh no you don’t. You’re not going anywhere!” His horn flashed again and Rainbow found herself next to Applejack again with her wings unwilling to respond.
“That will wear off in thirty seconds,” Chaos informed her as he just trotted out the door, “Almost forgot: for the apple.” His horn lit up again and five bits appeared before Applejack. Chaos himself had disappeared.
“Now what do we do?” Fluttershy asked.
“We find him, and keep an eye on him, just like we were told to do,” Twilight answered obviously, “Go on everypony!” They dispersed, but they were more concerned with breakfast rather than finding Chaos.
Rarity in particular was looking forward to it, having been woken so early and so rudely by Rainbow Dash. Going from her to the surprisingly refined father of Discord was a pleasant change, although she’d rather not admit it.
As she trotted through the dining room on the way to the kitchen she found something on the table: a bouquet of red roses and a bottle of cherry wine with a note. She picked it up, already sure of where it came from, and it read: To a mare who also appreciates the finer things in life, fair Rarity, From Chaos.