//------------------------------// // Scootacord // Story: Chaos Mark Crusaders: RotE Episode 8 // by Dream Volt //------------------------------// Applebloom was totally being difficult. I mean if she'd just stop squirming we would be done by now. I mean this was a really awkward position for me and Sweetie too. Then I saw something on the bottom of one hoof. "Wait, I think I see it." "Let mah go." "It's on the bottom of her hoof. Let me just…" I then wiped away a bit of dirt and could see it clearly. It was a little gold apple with some lettering on it. I think. Or maybe it was just a bunch of random scratches. Applebloom then pulled out of my grip and knocked over Sweetie too. "Hay now you two. That weren't right." "But it was there. Your front left hoof. It's a golden apple." "Ooo, really?" She stood up, and tired to keep her balance and look at her hoof, but failed. She fell over, and frowned, then pulled her hoof up so she could get a good look at it. "Well ah'll be, it is there, and looking mighty fine. But what kinda cutie mark is that?" "Duh, it isn't one." I said "The book says the same thing." Added Sweetie "Maybe we should ask Twilight?" "But miss Twilight won't be back fer a few more days, right Sweetie?" Sweetie nodded. "Yea, they're almost done, but Twilight is still there to make sure Pinkie doesn't do anything weird to mess stuff up." "Ah still don't get what all this is about and…" "Who cares. Lets just go find some other pony to ask. I vote for rainbow Dash." "You always vote for Rainbow Dash, even when it makes no sense." Said Sweetie "Ah say we ask Fluttershy. Plus we know where she is, and unlike mah sister and Rarity we won't get in no trouble." "And why are you so sure of that?" We all turned and glared at Discord. There was a weird tingling sensation whenever he was nearby, but if I wasn't paying attention I would miss it. But he didn't look like normal. He was smaller sometimes, but still looked like he always did. Now he was a little foal standing on the window sill. His coloring was the same, and his fur looked just as mismatched but he looked almost like a pony other than the horns and mismatched wings. Then he flew in and landed right next me, flapping his wings way more than he had to so he could land properly. "Stop that." "Stop what exactly. I'm not doing anything." Said Discord "You know what I mean." I glared at him He looked at his back. "Oh the wings, is somepony a little jealous perhaps?" "You don't count and all baby pegasi can fly. Their magic starts off strong enough to lift their body mass, but it isn't again until way later." He laughed. "Yes, it's a nice little excuse isn't it, but shouldn’t way later be rather soon, in fact more than likely months ago." I looked away. "It doesn't always, I'm just a late bloomer. Fluttershy still had problems way older than me an…" I paused, nearly ready to cry "Stop it you big meanie." Said Sweetie Belle "Yea, leave her alone." Discord blinked. "Oh yes, I nearly forgot why I'm here in the first place. This certainly isn't the best of starts. You see I want to join your little club." I stepped forward glaring at him. He took a step back, but only after a small smile crossed his face. He wasn't so tough as a little foal. Looked gangly sort of like Snips, but not as tall. "You can't get a cutie mark." Said Sweetie Belle "We don't want ya here." Added Applebloom "Yes, but we all know why unlike most of the other ponies in town you can't just go crying to your sisters about every little thing I do." We all looked down. "Oh, yea." I said "Though I don't have a sister." "Wait, the fast one isn't…" He paused. "Well that makes the stalking more creepy, but the extreme admiration slightly less." "Huh?" I said "So now that I've reminded you of my wonderful little bit of blackmail I'll continue. See I never really tried to get a cutie mark, and I myself doubt it will work but I am terribly bored and you three are an excellent combination of reckless and thoughtless" "Hay." I said "I'm not sure what the first one means, but I know the second is an insult." "Ah think you should just go." "Are you sure?" Discord smiled "Because I do plan to help you." "Like that time you sent us into the Everfree?" asked Sweetie He laughed. "Just because it was dangerous and you didn't follow the map properly doesn't mean I lied. The crystal ball I sent you to could have helped you, even if Sparkle was right and I did mainly want it for myself. She never told you she retrieved it for herself, did she? She never even considered it really could help you as well." "Yer lying." "Maybe, maybe not. The best way to cause chaos is to mix the truth with the lies until it is impossible to tell which is which. But how about I be really honest with you adorable little tykes." "Uh, ah guess." "But we still don't know if he's really telling the truth." Added Sweetie "Maybe, but I know the speech you three were given. In the end you were told to use your own judgement and do the right thing because if you just didn't do whatever I told you I could trick you." "That's true enough." Said Applebloom "So just listen. I want chaos. You three seem to be my best option right now for causing some, and the best way is helping you earn your silly little marks." "But you're just gonna give us bad ideas, ain't ya?" "Oh that’s far too obvious, and wouldn't work, you're all far too bright to fall for that. I will be hoping for some chaos with each idea, but really you three do that well enough on your own. Also a little chaos isn't a bad thing. Just look at Pinkie Pie." "She sure ain't a bad pony." "She is really nice though." Said Sweetie "And you so aren't." I added. "You are going to try to trick us, won't you?" "Maybe a little, but simply put I have to be on my best behavior because if I overdue things Luna and Celestia can make my life even more miserable than it already is." "So how you planning to help us anyway?" I asked "Just ideas. We'll start with my area of expertise. Comedy. More specifically, pranks." "You can get a pranking cutie mark?" Asked Sweetie "I think so, honestly I never cared that much so I can't be sure, but I think so." "That sounds kinda cool." I added "Ah guess no harm can come of that." "It does sound fairly safe but…" "Wonderful." Discord then smiled broadly. Not only did he have that one big fang but a bunch of his other teeth were way too sharp too. It didn't look so bad form a distance, almost normal, but none of his teeth were really the right shape, they just fit together to make it look like they did. This might be a bad idea.