//------------------------------// // Chapter 16 // Story: Giving Chaos // by Dirty Bit //------------------------------// Chapter 16 Big Bad Wolf The train ride to Appleloosa, much to everypony's expectancy, was a bumpy flight that prompted the group to sit tightly in an effort to avoid any tumbling. Thankfully, there were no airborne obstacles seen at the moment, and the sun was seen in the sky as if there were no chaos happening in the expanding desert below them. As they held on, the group talked amongst themselves over the dangers that were soon to come. "Ah can't believe we're gonna meet th' next homunculus in Appleloosa of all places. Th' thought o' my relatives dealin' with whoever Discord left with 'em jus' sets me off." Applejack said in frustration. A hoof was felt on her right shoulder, and she noticed Rainbow Dash sitting next to her. "Don't worry, AJ. We're here for you. And if anything, your family's tough as nails! I'm sure they'll pull through while we get there." Rainbow Dash said encouragingly, with a smile to match. "Does anypony else find it odd that Discord hasn't made our flight more uncomfortable than last time?" Shining Armor asked the others as he looked out one of the windows warily. "I dunno. Maybe he was exhausted and needed a break?" Pinkie replied innocently. Her response earned a laugh from Greed. "If that's the case, then I'd say we got him on the ropes when the game's only begun." Greed said with a cocky smirk. Twilight shook her head at the avaricious pony's words before looking his way. "It's good that you're optimistic, but we can't just assume that Discord's going easy on us. There could be a more tedious challenge up ahead that would require a good strategy." Twilight said in a matter-of-fact tone. "You think he might've put quicksand in the town so we could get sucked in easily?" Pinkie asked with a grin, despite her question. "Q-Q-Quicksand?" Blueblood and Fluttershy squeaked in unison. "Yeah! Or maybe they could've turned all of the buffalo into fighting ballerinas! Or he could make the apples explosive, or maybe he'll make us all sing the Pony Pokey and dance for our lives! Or maybe-" "Pinkie, perhaps you're over-thinking the possibilities too much?" Rarity said with a forced smile. There was a brief moment before Pinkie got the message and smiled sheepishly at the group, namely Applejack. "Sorry. I'm just a little excited is all. Besides, it's not like we're gonna be surprised when we get there, right?" Pinkie asked. "Be that as it may, it all boils down to the next element and which homunculus is next to be seen. It's the only notable pattern in each of the trials presented to us thus far." Wrath said calmly. "If I were to venture a guess..." Lust voiced herself with a pensive glance out the window "We could be met with Envy in this town..." "Envy?" Rainbow Dash said as she perked up and looked towards Lust "You're saying Envy could be in Appleloosa?" "It's only a guess, nothing more than that." Lust said pointedly, albeit politely "We cannot be certain if Discord is designating each of our remaining family members in order of their power. For all we know, he could very well be mixing things up with whom we meet next or possibly bring up Envy, Sloth, and Gluttony in Appleloosa all at once. He is the spirit of chaos, after all." "That's good, right? We all wanna see the rest of the homunculi, don't we?" Pinkie piped up cheerfully. "I wouldn't want that kind of scenario in our current condition, myself." Rarity said with a reluctant frown "Speaking of condition..." She looked over at Blueblood, resting a hoof softly on his patched area "Are you going to be fine, Blueblood?" She asked in concern. Blueblood only smiled at the touch even though he still felt sore. "Worry not, Miss Rarity. I only wish that you remain in good health yourself. This may seem like a deep wound, but it is far from labeling myself as deadweight." He said politely, entirely different from his former attitude. Meanwhile, Spike watched the two with crossed arms and an angry stare. "Are you sure? I hope this injury won't prove to be a burden..." Rarity said before she stole a glance at Lust, who looked at the prince herself. "Considering your stature and your injury, it would be wise for you to stay behind while the rest of us take on this challenge." Lust proposed neutrally "Something tells me we're going to be running around for this next challenge." She noticed how Blueblood seemed frightened when the two locked eyes. "As much as I hate her, Lust has a point." Greed said as he held up a hoof "I don't think Blueblood here is gonna be cut out for this next challenge. We're gonna have to go on without him." "But that can't be fair to Blueblood." Twilight protested "We're all in this together, aren't we?" "Twi, we might not have seen it, but I'm pretty sure Lust got Blueblood good back there. It's a miracle he can even walk." Greed said with a hardened gaze "He'll need more rest if he's gonna do more challenges with us." "I agree." Rarity said as she looked at her friends "I cannot allow Blueblood to come with us on this next challenge in his injured state..." She paused before she took a deep breath "Which is why I volunteer to stay behind and supervise his recovery." Rarity expected the looks of surprise amongst her friends, namely Spike, who held a look of determination. "Well, if Rarity's gonna stay behind, then so am I! Somepony's gotta look out for her after all." Spike said valiantly as he puffed his chest out, only to be rocked by the train's flight pattern. "I, too, wish to stay behind myself." Lust said as she looked at Rarity and Blueblood "I owe you both for what I've put you through. Allow me to guarantee your safety for any possible threats once we reach our destination." She noticed how Rarity shifted closer to Blueblood. "You don't need to worry about us, Lust. It's best that you aid the others with what's to come." Rarity said in a neutral tone. "I insist. Wrath and Greed can fare much better than myself, and if there are any rampant threats in and out of the next challenge, it would leave the two of you-" She caught herself before she smiled at Spike "The three of you...open for attack." "You make it sound as if we're defenseless..." Rarity said with her eyebrows slightly narrowed. Twilight and her friends felt uncomfortable at Rarity's change of behavior and intervened. "Rarity, you know Lust didn't mean anything like that. She means that if you're serious about watching over and taking care of Blueblood, she'll protect you while you're doing so." Twilight pointed out. "I could stay with them, too." Fluttershy said, grabbing the attention of her friends "Umm...All I need is some medical supplies and maybe I can help out in making sure Blueblood is okay." "That sounds good." Rainbow Dash said "Rarity and Fluttershy can be on medical duty while Lust can provide cover." "Hey! I can help, too, you know." Spike said, offended that he was left out, much to Rainbow Dash's embarrassment. "Then it's settled." Greed said with a smirk "The five of them stay behind while the rest of us take on this challenge." There was a harsh rock that shook everypony on board before they felt the train descend. Greed looked outside to see a shoddy train station coming into view "And we're right on schedule! Look sharp, everypony!" He called to the others. While Rarity held Blueblood close, Lust gave the former a calculating stare as the train descended towards the station. _____ Greed was the first to step out of the train as he stretched his limbs, rewarded with several pops and cracks as he let out a content sigh. Afterwards, he took in his surroundings and took a deep whiff of the air. "Not a bad scent. Rather homely if you asked me." Greed said nonchalantly. "Well, that's Appleloosa fer ya." Applejack said as she approached Greed with a thin smile "It's a fine town much like Ponyville. My cousin Braeburn lives here." She looked around, her eyes becoming wary "If Equestria weren't flipped upside-down, he'd be here right now givin' us a hearty welcome." The others stepped out and looked at the town themselves, seeing that nothing was amiss at the moment save for the empty streets and the giant counter atop a large building a few feet away from them, currently at three zeros. After confirmation that a single soul wasn't in sight, Appleloosa currently resembled that of a ghost town. "Where is everypony?" Twilight asked, unnerved by the scenery. "The better question is why hasn't this place been redecorated yet." Greed said as he scratched his head as he looked up at the counter "I know that thing's up there, but wouldn't he, I dunno, turn this place into something different?" "I'm sure you're aware of the saying 'More than meets the eye,' aren't you, Greed?" "And there it is." Greed said coolly "Why not show us what you have planned here in this cozy little town, Discord?" "Oh, you'll get your's eventually. In fact, wait for it..." The group stood in silence, looking around on high alert for any sudden disturbances. "Wait for it~..." There was more silence, until the sound of several hoofbeats and screaming was heard. The group looked ahead and tensed up when they noticed the many residents of Appleloosa, pony and buffalo alike, galloping and screaming in terror. "A group stampede?" Pinkie asked quizzically "But why are they all screaming?" "You see, my little ponies, the game right now is called 'Herd the Sheep to Safety'. The game is simple, herd the sheep - that's those peons over yonder - away from the big bad wolves that are hunting them down." "Wolves!?" Applejack exclaimed before she leered up at the sky "Oh, if you actually have my kin runnin' from timberwolves..." She said in a low tone. "Oh, don't be like that, Applejack, that's not my style. But I do have something better..." A low and tired moan echoed in the town before a blur was seen, to which some ponies and buffalo were lucky to avoid as it crashed into a building. When the dust and debris cleared, a certain indolent stallion lifted his head up and stared at the running citizens with one blank eye; worn on his neck was a chain that contained one of the elements. The apple-shaped topaz gem that was seen in it shined in the sunlight. "Sloth?" Twilight said before she gasped "And he's got Applejack's necklace!" "Now I wouldn't say that..." The group was confused before another collision was heard. They looked to their right and noticed that from another wrecked building emerged another Sloth wearing the same necklace as the first one. He took a step forward to reveal one of his forelegs having a steel brace with a chain attached to it, leading to the conclusion that both Sloths had their own sets. "TWO Sloths!? That's just dirty!" Rainbow Dash snapped as she felt nervous at the sight of two overly muscular earth ponies. "Is it? Or could I be raising the bar for our little game? The past challenges have been rather easy, don't you agree?" "Judging by their appearance, only one of them has the real Element of Honesty while the other is a fake, correct? Then we might have to split up for this one." Twilight looked at the two Sloths as they slowly got into a ramming position. "Always on the ball, Twilight Sparkle; very admirable indeed! Now to explain the rules. The sheep you see must be herded into different buildings, otherwise known as their safety pens, to not only guarantee their safety, but to score points while doing so. Considering Appleloosa's population, it'll take 100 points to win." "So it'll take half th' town t' win this thing?" Applejack asked as she squinted her eyes at the sky "Then we got this!" "Did I forget to mention what happens when either 'wolf' manages to harm one or more of the 'sheeps'?" The group felt a rush of wind as both Sloths rammed into some of the townsfolk, sending them flying as they did so, and each of them fell before they began to glow purple as they writhed in pain while the two Sloths crashed into another building. Applejack was aghast at the sight. "Don't worry, they might've gotten hurt, but they're still fine. However, they're now tagged, and thus excluded from the challenge, rendering your chances of scoring points stymied." "I get it now." Greed said as he activated his Ultimate Shield "We gotta hurry or else we fail this thing!" He said as he galloped into town, towards the right Sloth "Whoever's going with me, come on! The rest will stay behind and take on the other Sloth!" Twilight instinctively followed Greed, activating her own Ultimate Shield while Applejack hummed to herself. She then turned to the remaining ponies with narrowed eyes. "Y'all can handle Sloth while Ah follow Twi and Greed. Sound good?" She asked, to which Rainbow Dash snapped a mock salute. "Got it. Be careful out there, AJ." She said as she looked down at Pinkie, Shining Armor, and Wrath "C'mon, everypony! Time's a wastin’!" The two stallions shared a nod while Pinkie let off a whooping cheer before they galloped towards another part of Appleloosa together. Applejack darted after Twilight and Greed, her eyes narrowed as she easily caught up to them. "Listen, y'all! Ah got a plan, but ya gotta keep that there Sloth at bay!" Applejack said as the three galloped. "Sure, Applejack, let's hear it." Twilight replied as she kept her eyes on Sloth, who bolted into another building and knocked away more townsfolk, causing them to be tagged and injured. She suppressed a wince as she focused on Sloth appearing out of the wreckage. "Ah'm gonna get us a head start on our challenge an' head deeper int' town t' find more o' my family so we can make this a whole lot easier on ourselves! Chief Thunderhooves an' his buffalo tribe might be willin' t' help out, too!" "So you're on herding duty while we take down Sloth, right?" Greed asked as he skidded to a stop near the latest wrecked building "I guess you got the advantage here, what with your farm work and all. Alright, AJ, you do your thing! Twi and I can take it from here!" Applejack flashed Greed a confident smile. "Thank ya kindly!" She said as she galloped away from the others and followed after the panicking ponies and buffalo. "I have to admit..." Twilight said as she watched Sloth slowly trudge out of the wreckage and rubbing his head "Even though we have our respective shields, I'm anxious as to how strong Sloth is." "Don't worry. If Father couldn't touch us, then what hope does Sloth have? Let's go!" He said as he rushed in and lunged at Sloth, throwing a punch square in his face. Sadly, he only succeeded in giving the indolent pony pause. "Urgh...What was that?" Sloth asked as he scratched his head "What a pain..." Greed grunted before he leapt back towards Twilight, his eyes narrowed to slits. "Damn. Maybe I got ahead of myself there. I guess we should try something else if it means actually landing a hit..." He looked over at Twilight "Twi, you can lift large objects with your magic, right?" "Yes, I can manage a few things, but what's your plan for harming Sloth? He's got the fortitude of a full-grown dragon." She said as she watched the indolent pony slowly rearing onto his hind legs, the chains attached to his foreleg braces jingling as they were lifted. "I'm gonna keep him busy while you find some effective items to toss his way. The thing is to focus on one spot with all of your ammo. Our only option is trying to find one area and hitting him hard there." Greed said as he darted his head to Twilight "Just get going. I already took the first swing, so he'll be focused on me for the time being." "Got it." She said as she moved away and scanned her surroundings for any suitable objects. Greed noticed Sloth reel back his right foreleg and quickly jumped up when he swung it across, lashing his chain across a building behind the avaricious pony. Twilight heard the noise and noticed the chain, to which she yelped and shielded her face with a hoof as the chain connected with her and knocked her a couple of feet away. Greed wanted to shake his head when he landed, but chose to jump again when Sloth swung his left foreleg at him. Sloth continued to try and harm Greed with his chains, and was getting frustrated despite his sluggish pace, moaning in contempt with every failed swing. "You move too much...Moving is a pain..." The indolent pony rumbled. "I'd say you could use a little exercise, but then this would be even harder!" Greed quipped as he lunged at Sloth again and struck him in the face once more, this time making a noticeable dent and causing the indolent pony to stagger and fall onto his back. Sadly, Sloth's face was coated in red static before the wound healed instantaneously. Greed jumped back and took a defensive stance while Sloth was recovering "Anything, Twi? I think you're gonna have to hit him in the face with whatever you have!" "If only it were that easy..." Twilight said as she made an inventory check over her items. The only things in her arsenal included a wheelbarrow, a small boulder, and some salt barrels "We don't have much to work with around here!" "We'll just have to make due then!" He said as he used his horn to grab the boulder and bring it to his side "All we can do is improvise once we've used up our ammo!" He said as he watched Sloth face him as he got on all fours. Greed let out a yell as he launched the boulder, and while it connected, it split in two after it had collided with Sloth's face. Twilight was next to attack as she launched the wheelbarrow in her possession and hit Sloth in the face as well, causing the behemoth to groan in pain as it staggered while the wheelbarrow shattered. Greed and Twilight then levitated two salt barrels respectively and took turns launching their own at Sloth. When they were finished, Greed lunged forward. "Now we improvise!" He said as he eyed Sloth's face carefully before spotting a vulnerable area around his uncovered eye. Greed then leaned his head down so that his sharp horn was aimed at Sloth, and easily stabbed him in the eye, eliciting a roar of pain from the indolent pony as blood splattered from his wound. Twilight wasn't happy about the sight, looking away as Greed jammed his horn further into Sloth's eye until he pulled it out and jumped away, stopping at Twilight's side while Sloth covered his face with his forelegs. "Aaaaaugh...It hurts..." Sloth rumbled as his head was coated with red static "What a pain..." He moaned until the static subsided. He then slowly brought down his forelegs revealed that his eye was glowing a threatening red "Going all out...is a bigger pain..." Sloth said as he slowly got on all fours. "Looks like we got his full attention..." Greed said coolly as he and Twilight planted their hooves in the ground, taking a defensive stance "I hope Applejack's got the other part of the challenge covered." "Trust me when I say that Applejack can handle herself in a dangerous situation." Twilight said confidently "In the meantime, we'll have to hold out for her sake." Despite her confidence, Twilight was inwardly nervous about confronting Sloth at his strongest, let alone a possible fake. She only hoped that the others were doing well on their own. _____ Back at the train, Rarity, Fluttershy, Spike, and Blueblood sat comfortably in the train. Spike stood next to Rarity while Fluttershy was busy tending to Blueblood's wound with a convenient medikit she found in one of the cabins. The injured prince whimpered when Fluttershy was dabbing a cotton ball drenched in peroxide over his wound before carefully applying some ointment and patching it up with medical tape. "Don't worry, Blueblood. It'll be a while until you recover completely, but this will stop the pain you’re in for the time being." Fluttershy said reassuringly. "If only you were correct..." Blueblood said morosely "If what Greed said was true, then it may be long before I can even be of assistance to you all." "Don't say that." Rarity interjected as she sat beside Blueblood "Granted, you haven't been exposed to such extreme circumstances in the past, but you're stronger than you think. I'm certain you'll pull through soon enough. What you've been through was just..." She paused, a frown clear on her face before she slammed her eyes shut. Blueblood, Fluttershy, and Spike stared at Rarity in concern before she opened her eyes, which seemed more calm and collected "I shan't bring up any unpleasant memories, even if they're recent." "You're talking about Lust, right?" Spike said in a serious tone, albeit anxious "Is that why you're like this?" "Like what, Spike?" Rarity asked inquisitively. "Ever since we left Manehattan, you've been acting...different." Spike said with a frown "I mean, I know you're caring for Blueblood and all, but..." The purple dragon had trouble finishing his sentence as he hung his head and fidgeted his claws. A gentle hoof on his head made him look up at a smiling Rarity. "Now, Spike, I don't need you to worry about me. How can you protect me, let alone the rest of us while you're doing so?" She asked playfully. Spike scratched his head with a bashful smile. Fluttershy smiled warmly at the sentiment, though shared Spike's curiosity over Rarity's behavior. The sound of a sliding door grabbed her attention as she noticed the cart's door open to reveal Lust trotting in. "Oh, Lust. Is everything alright outside?" Fluttershy asked as she had finished up bandaging Blueblood's chest. "Indeed. We're safe for now." Lust answered evenly "And yourselves?" "We're doing just fine." Spike said with a chipper smile, though it vanished when a lingering thought plagued his mind "Umm...Lust? Is it okay if I ask you a question?" He could feel Rarity staring at him while he looked up at Lust "I-In private, please?" "Of course. Lead the way." Lust gestured a hoof to Spike, allowing him to waddle towards the door leading to the leftmost cart, Lust following behind. When the door closed, Rarity sighed. "I suppose there's no end to curiosity, is there?" Rarity asked herself aloud. Blueblood looked away with a lidded gaze of melancholy. "For what it's worth, he's only concerned about you." Fluttershy voiced herself "I mean...I'm just as worried myself. Won't you tell us what's on your mind, Rarity? About Lust?" She asked softly. "I'm sorry, darling. I just don't feel right to say anything at the moment. Please understand." Rarity said in a leveled tone. She looked out the window at the endless desert and the distant chaotic images shown under the sun; she could've sworn she had seen a mouse wearing a hat and a blue bird, both running as fast as Rainbow Dash pass by in her vision "It's just awful that everypony in Equestria has to go through all of this. Discord has taken this a step too far, and we've only imprisoned him months ago." "He has been more extreme in his chaos since last time." Fluttershy said before she curled up into a ball "I just wanna go home myself..." As the two mares talked amongst themselves, Blueblood remained silent as he looked down at his wound. _____ Spike and Lust were at a bench in the second cart, sitting opposite from one another as they looked each other in the eye. The former gulped before he decided to press on with his question. "What happened back there?" Spike asked briefly. To his fortune, Lust was quick to understand his question. "I was merely unaware of my actions, which had led to Blueblood's injury, and undoubtedly Rarity's distrust towards me. I would not put it past her that she had to go through her trial with such a frightening image." Lust said with her eyes closed. "But you're gonna do something about it...right?" Spike said as he inched his head forward as he sat down "You can make things good between the two of you, right?" "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it." Lust said nonchalantly, watching Spike's jaw drop "There isn't much I can do right now in my current situation other than keeping an eye out for any dangers that may come our way. Not to mention we'll have to take care of Discord before we can accomplish anything less than what he has thrown us into." "How are you so calm about this!?" Spike snapped, much to Lust's surprise "Don't you know that Rarity thinks you're some kind of monster!? Aren't you gonna try anything at all to make things right!? I'm not happy she's feeling this way and I don't wanna see her act like this the whole step of the way! How is it you can even act this way when so much is happening!?" Spike hyperventilated after his tirade, his eyes boring into Lust's for an answer. The lascivious mare took a deep breath. "I'm aware. As for how I'm acting, I'm lucky to even be doing so..." Spike gradually calmed himself while Lust continued, a serious expression on her face "I can't go back and expect Rarity to just look at me the same way before I was under Discord's control, not after what I've done to her and Blueblood. Of course, I owe him my regards for his selfless act in protecting Rarity from myself. Even I didn't expect that from the likes of him. "As for your first question, I wouldn't put it past her. You've seen me and the rest of my family during our skirmish with the changelings. I wouldn't be surprised if Rarity would label me as a monster, let alone treat me like one. I was unaware of the trauma I've put into her head, and it's up to her on how to view myself after acquiescing her previous tribulation. If she chooses to shun me for my unruly actions, then so be it." Lust hung her head as she closed her eyes. "It's not in my best interest to control how she thinks. Back then, I would've had fun toying with her, but after the time I've spent in Equestria, it's as if my previous sins had never happened..." She looked at Spike "I'll even admit that I'm still trying to adjust to living in this world, though it doesn't appear as such." "But how? You've seemed like an entirely different homunculus while you and the other homunculi lived with us." Spike said "How could you be having a hard time? Why would you have a hard time being our friend?" Lust stared at Spike, before hanging her head, an uncharacteristically lamentful gaze covered by her bangs. "...Because Discord reminded us of what we are..." End of Chapter 16