//------------------------------// // A Long Expected Welcome Party // Story: The Element of Chaos // by JakeDrake //------------------------------// The Element of Chaos Chapter 19 A Long Expected Welcome Party By JakeDrake As Jake walked down his stairwell and down the hallway, he had gotten an entertaining thought in his head. Could he pull a different song off with the snap of his fingers, did it even matter that he organized something like that. He figured that song would be appropriate. At least in some respect with his new abilities, as he pondered the possibilities. He was blind to the slow moving creature flitting around the support beams and alcoves above him. If he were inclined to look up, he would have seen a small azure scaled reptile smiling down at him with deep purple eyes. Watching him as he walked down one of the many hallways of the castle, not knowing where he was going until he reached a branching hallway where he could see a few dragons. Jake assumed they were going to the party so he followed them down the hall that soon opened up to a very large ballroom. He adjusted his rather nice fitting dress coat, walking in as the soft music was being played by a quartet of musicians. As he moved through the door he was stopped by the raised hoof of a pony in a plain black suit. The pony was wearing an earpiece and rather large sunglasses that looked like they belonged on a secret service agent. Though the only thing that truly stood out was his rather dull green coat and horn sticking out of his head. “I need your name and title before you may go inside Sir.” He said not lowering his hoof or looking up from a book he was floating in front of his face with what Jake thought was magic. “Jake, Spirit of Chaos.” He said trying to sound confident, but as he said it he felt it sounded somewhat like a question. The pony looked up with a contained expression of surprised as he flipped through the book in front of him quickly. With a bit of a cough and shaking his head the well dressed pony looked at him with a clearly forced smile and said, “You’ll be sitting at the Head table with Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, and Captain Shining Armor.” He gestured toward the rather short but well decorated table near the large stained glass windows with the blue haired pony he had met before but nopony else. “Uh...Thanks.” He said as he walked that way, he saw there were others already sitting in the room. Some were ponies of all types, but others were the strange creatures he saw before. A Minotaur in a plaid kilt was talking to a griffon with a pencil mustache with a rather odd hat on his head that looked like a deflated bagel. Walking up to the table the Pink Princess and her Husband to be in fine captain’s attire were sitting to the left of the largest chair with the symbol of the sun on it that was the same as on the throne in the Throne room, next to that was a slightly smaller chair with dark symbols and a moon emblem on the top of it to the right. The final chair on the right was smaller than the other two and roughly the same size as Princess Cadance and Shining Armor’s it’s backing was what looked like a mismatch of different materials with cushions in a design that would make any interior designer cringe. “Good evening again.” Cadence said with a smile as he passed by her seat to the front as Shining Armor was eating a salad and had no way to swallow everything in his mouth at once. The table was large enough he would have plenty of room but close enough he could speak to the others. “Good Evening.” He pulled his own chair out and started to scoot himself closer to the table making a slight squeaking sound that made him flinch a bit. He smiled sheepishly as Shining Armor snickered earning him a light tap from his fiancee. He looked around as the ballroom slowly filled, not knowing what to say to the ponies at the same table as him. Across the castle, there was another figure walking down one of the many halls, the halls she knew well from her study long ago before being locked away in crystal. Her body was quickly changing to different things as she hid in plain sight, her horns shifting slightly on her head and her wings bouncing with every step. She finally came to her place, the planned location where her work would be most valuable. The Royal Bedchambers of Princess Celestia. The Changeling Queen smiled her dark needle filled smile as she moved again to turn into a simple maid pony, one that was black and white to be even more unremarkable. Slipping into the room with a small box on her back balancing it as if it were not even there, she opened the door looking in to see if the Princess was there. Not seeing the Solar Monarch she grinned depositing the box with her sickly green aura onto the bedspread. Shifting her focus she opened the box with careful concentration, reaching inside to get the contents that was a seemingly simple necklace. The then small cover from the box was placed upon it’s smooth surface to make it look as it were a model of Celestia’s Cutie Mark. The Changeling Queen had to hold back her evil laugh, the plan to her was so well thought out she would have thought Starswirl would have thought it through for Millenias on end. She moved out again, leaving the necklace on the bed and scooping the box up again to hurry to do the same for the Princess of the Night. The walk was shorter now, her other form had garnered too much attention from the royal guard who gawked at the female version of the new tenant of the old tower. She had quickly grown weary of the disguise and had told herself she would not be resuming it until she had to for any reason. Walking on two hooves was difficult in a body you replicated often, but in a new body type and weight distribution? She had nearly fallen down the stairs. She had quickly reached the Princess of the Night’s quarters, her obsidian studded doors were a throwback to an age that Chrysalis has missed. One where rulers were truly rulers of their mortal nations, where one could wage war over a simple bit of land. That is the world that Changelings had thrived, feeding on all the emotions generated from a war. Every battle, and the days passing in the nearby areas were feasts of the most delicious of emotions. The Queen was sure that the coming days would quickly state her hive’s hunger for a long time, Such a very long time. Depositing the second pendant and adding the moon attachment went faster in the dark room, the two key pieces now being in place. Their dark purpose to soon come to pass to instill the hatred for the newest resident of the castle. The thought was enough to have made the ancient insect’s toes curl, if she had toes that is. She transformed again as she stepped out of the room, one of the Night Watch guards pony so she would not be bothered as she left the castle once more. Her form was hard to maintain, she had been layering the disguises she was wearing three fold in case of wayward spells that would possibly rip the enchantment and expose her as the Queen of her kind. Jake sat back in his ‘throne’ and watched everyone move around, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to as the two sitting next to him were talking in what sounded like what only could be thought of as Anglo-Saxon English. He shook his head a bit trying to listen and then heard someone tap on the table in front of him. When he turned he saw three griffons standing in front of him, two were clearly adults and the other was a younger child. If he had to wager on it, the child was about the age of the three fillies he had met before in their tree house. The other two were dressed rather regally, the male having a fancy crown perched ontop of his head that had two side parts that would protect the sides of his head from different things, he also was wearing what he would guess would be a ‘royal suit’ of a prince or king. The female was in a fine dress, but that was about as much as he knew about dresses of this world, her crown was a fair bit smaller and had three gemstones set into three points in the front of it. “A pleasure to meet you...I thought I would be the first at your gala to welcome you as one of the Royalty from the Griffon Nation.” The male said, he had a somewhat snide voice and stressed different sounds and words making it sound like it wasn’t his native language. “The pleasure is all mine.” He said smiling a bit, it was a bit forced and he was trying to sound honest, but was having a little bit of trouble. “Well I’m sure we'll hear plenty of you as the night goes on. Be known that you are always welcome to visit us in our grand spires.” Said the female Griffon with a small nod. She looked to the child and nodded. “Come on dear, let’s go find our seats to wait for dinner to be served.” “Okay Mom,” He said smiling with a more chirpy voice. “Good day Sir.” The little one seemed to almost hop around following his parents. “Huh...seems like a nice set of folks...reminds of something though...” He thought before he heard a harsh sound of metal against stone from behind him making him cringe. As he turned he saw two ponies pulling away the windows inward to allow ponies to fly in from somewhere. As if on cue, the two royal sisters flew in slowly and everyone in the room stopped to watch them fly in. They were both dressed in regal dresses and trailed by four ponies each, Princess Luna by four bat winged ponies and Princess Celestia by four stark white pegasi in gold armor. He smiled a bit as they walked forward and sat in their own seats. They wore the two necklaces smiling a bit as they glittered in the lights from the ceiling in an odd white glow few seemed to notice. “Enjoying yourself I hope.” Celestia said as she had a hoof servant bring her a goblet of something and taking a sip. “It’s...different. I’m not used to fancy parties...” Jake said rubbing the back of his neck quietly as another hoof servant brought him his own drink, he looked inside and sniffed it before pulling away with a bit of a snort to clear the odd smell from his nose. “What is this stuff?” “Zap Apple Wine, a rare type only brought up from the wine cellars in the rarest of occasions.” Celestia said with a smile, “I thought welcoming another spirit was enough to bring it out.” “Uh...thanks.” Jake said and swirled the wine in his own glass, he had never drank anything like this before. Or heard of Zap Apples for that matter, but he decided that if he were immortal, he could try stuff a bit earlier than intended. He took a deep drink of it nearly shooting it down before his pupils shrunk back and his mouth puckered. “The flavor will change in a moment.” Luna said leaning to look at Jake with a bit of a laugh. “Tis the flavor of Zap Apple Wine.” To her word it did, it then changed from sour, to spicy and then to sweet very quickly. The flavors of all kinds danced in Jake’s mouth making him pucker his lips or his eyes water. He put the goblet down rather quickly and quickly decided he wouldn’t take such big drinks of something he had never tried before. Celestia waited for a moment and then tapped her large crystal goblet with a silver spoon making it ring out in clear bell like tones making all fall silent and look to the head table. All eyes were either on Princess Celestia or the newest Spirit making him want to sink under the table. It wasn’t that he was shy, it was the judging glances and rueful stares. “We gather in this hall of our’s tonight to welcome another of the world into Canterlot’s Elite and into the Royal Family as a charge.” Celestia said loudly, not forced or yelling but a simple even loud tone. “As well as the former we are pleased to inform all of the Kingdoms that the forces of Chaos ruled by Discord are no longer a threat to the peace and serenity of any lands as he has been stripped of his Spirit status.” This made the room erupt in whispers as the young prince who had come in just a day before gripped his goblet with his magic aura nearly turning it to dust in his anger. He had to change again, the outfit now had a mask to hide most of his neck. None had seen it yet, not even the Queen of Changelings and for good reason. He nearly forced a smile as he saw the glowing light come from the moon and sun pendant around bother princess’s necks. Another few quick taps to the goblet brought the conversations to a halt and silence filled the room again as Princess Luna rose to speak, “As such, We had to find a replacement for Discord’s status and title as Spirit of Chaos to another as no Spirit can not have a form lest the world be without balance. As such Jake, our newest charge and surrogate member of the Royal Family has taken upon the Mantle on our Request. He is staying with us until he learns to contain and control his ability to use his inherent powers. We hope that you will see him as not a being like Discord as he appears, but as a new start to a new time when Chaos will be something to not fear.” Luna then moved to sit down carefully in her seat with a neutral expression. “Thank you Dear sister.” Celestia said with a warm smile turning to her sister then back to the hall. “I hope you will find that we all will find peace now with our chaos along with our harmony within these realms. I believe now that we have spoken about him so much, that Jake would like to speak and introduce himself.” She then looked at him, it wasn’t a look of pure kindness and innocence. It was ‘The Look’, the look that told him if he didn’t get up and speak he would find himself forced up and forced to stand till he did. As Jake quickly sighed and adjusted his collar he got up to say, “Thank you all for your Kind words, Both of you and I’m glad that I get the chance to meet you all this night.” A few of the royals did small toasts and other began to smile, lifting a bit of pressure from the small speech he had to do, “I hope that we all get to meet, if not tonight than another. I have been here in these...lands so little that I know so very little about you all. I would love to get first hand accounts of how you all are really. As the new Spirit of Chaos, I hope I do not bring any fear today. Now let us all...we’ll have a bit of a drink from the glasses and toast to new beginnings. Not only for me but for the rest of Equestria and all other countries.” With a glance to Celestia she grinned at his speech and rose her own crystal glass, as did Luna and all others at the head table. He smiled a bit reaching for his own goblet and raised it high with his bird like talons as other rose the glasses in the room, whether it be with magic, hooves, hands of some sort, or wings. All seemed pleased with the toast. “To Peace, New Starts, and budding Friendships.” Jake said smiling and all in the room agreed except for those in the back corners who muttered a curse under his breath making a small glow come from a box under his chair with carvings of the sun and moon on them. They all drank down the wine, each in small sips smiling slowly until they all drained their glasses and put them back onto the table with a small and a light bit of chatter before a flash of light came all over the room blinding all with it’s radiance as all at the royal table sat down once again, a loud explosion came from above as the guards sprang into action to try to wipe the blindness from their eyes. But they were too late, all that was left from the head table was an extra clean spot on the floor. Above it a large hole gaping into the star lit sky with rubble strew around the main hall’s exterior. All gasped when they finally saw the scene, except for one who started to laugh getting all in the halls attention. “I don’t think you can get rid of Me that easy did you all?” A cruel familiar voice asked as the alicorn stood up with familiar eyes to all who had seen the former ruler of the times of chaos. The room seemed to grow twenty degrees colder and all the light was sucked away by an unknown force with the only light coming from a pair of cruel yellow eyes. “I think I have some changes to make...” He said before starting to laugh darkly as more eyes glowing yellow appeared and swarmed everyone in the hall in the darkness. The swarm and the laugh was all planned by Discord. The laugh could have been cut but he decided to keep it in the plans. What is a good victory without being able to enjoy it after all?