//------------------------------// // Questions // Story: The Elements of Chaos // by Mossbender //------------------------------// As the group made their way towards their destination, Eldon began to feel a small pain form in his head, but he dismissed it as nothing. His stomach began to angrily growl as well. He remembered that he didn't take the time to eat breakfast earlier that morning. "Excuse me Twilight, but is there a place where we could get a bite to eat? I'm pretty famished," Eldon said. "Don't worry Cosmic, there will be plenty to eat once we reach my home, just hold out a little bit longer okay?" Twilight replied. "Alright, I'll hold out as long as I—" Eldon's stomach growled again, much louder this time. "But... that might not be for much longer." Spike gently nudged Eldon's side with his elbow, getting his attention. "I know that feeling Cosmic, it sucks doesn't it? In fact, I could go for some nice, crunchy, gems..." Spike trailed off as he began to imagine himself eating all the gems he could. "Hey! Everypony! Wait for me!" a voice shouted from behind them. They turned around to see Pinkie galloping towards them, now pushing her party cannon in front of her. "There you are Pinkie! We were beginin to wonder what was takin ya so long," Applejack said. "Sorry everypony! I bumped into some other friends of mine and I just had to say hi to them! But now I'm here, and whhhooo do we have here?" Pinkie asked and pointed at Eldon. "Oh! You were busy getting your party cannon when I introduced Cosmic to the others. Cosmic, this is Pinkie Pie. Pinkie, this is Cosmic," Twilight explained. Eldon slowly extended a hoof towards Pinkie and watched as a big smile grew on her face. "It's, uh, nice to meet you Pinki—" Pinkie Pie grabbed his hoof with both of hers and shook his foreleg until it turned numb. "A new pony in Ponyville! And a Unicorn no less! Do you know what this means?" Pinkie asked him. "Uh, what does it mean?" Eldon asked curiously. He gently tried to pull his hoof away from Pinkie, but her grip was as strong as iron. "It means that I can throw a welcome party and a welcome back party! At the SAME TIME!" Pinkie shouted excitedly and took a deep breath before she began to sing. "Oh welcome to Ponyville, it's great to have you! We hope you stay here awhile and make some friends too! Starting with me! The one everypony knows as the party pony Pinkie!" She then released Eldon's forehoof and bounced back to her cannon. "Come on everypony! We don't want to keep those parties waiting!" Eldon and the others continued onwards through town and were greeted by many of the townsfolk that waved at them as they walked by. Pinkie made sure she waved back at each pony on their behalf. It wasn't until the ponies laid eyes on the strange pony tagging along behind them that they began to stare. Eldon noticed this and became very uncomfortable, lowering his head to hide his face from the onlookers. It's because of the blackened cutie mark, isn't it? Eldon thought. I'm drawing too much attention to myself already, I hope we arrive there soon. They passed by a number of construction workers that surrounded what looked to be the remains of a rather large tree. Everypony remained silent as they passed with their heads lowered, paying homage to the charred remains. Eldon did the same, remembering that it was the remains of Twilight's old home. Many cherished and recorded memories of Twilight and her friends used to reside there, including every single letter Twilight had ever sent and received, but they were destroyed in the colossal battle between Twilight and Tirek that occurred a couple of days before the recent troubles began to arise. His ears pricked up when they walked past two of the workers and he listened in on their conversation. "I'm tellin ya Hammer Head, it's true! Nopony can enter this tree, let alone touch it! Some say the place was cursed by Tirek's foul magic," the worker on the left said. "Ahhh that's a bunch of hooey Tough Nail, watch me go in there," the one called Hammer Head replied. Hammer Head galloped towards one of the large holes in the tree's trunk, only to crash into an invisible wall. Eldon watched as Hammer Head slowly slid down to the ground. Tough Nail burst out laughing at the sight. "Ya see? I told ya! Nopony can go in there!" Tough Nail said. Eldon managed to stifle a laugh just as the group stopped. "And here we are!" Twilight announced. Eldon looked in awe at what stood before him. Twilight's home was a palace. Smaller than the palace in Canterlot, but still pretty big considering the size of the tree that held it. The tree itself reminded Eldon of Twilight's old home, just instead of being made of wood, it was made of beautiful crystals that sparkled in the daylight. "Here, let me get the door for you guys," Spike said. He ran past them and held open one of the doors, letting them pass through. "Hey Eld— I mean, Cosmic! Are you coming or what?" Eldon suddenly snapped back to attention and nodded at Spike. He quickly entered the palace and Spike followed him inside afterwards, closing the door and locking them as he did so. Inside was a large and circular chamber with thrones surrounding a circle in the middle. Each throne represented a symbol. The cutie mark that matched with it belonged to that particular pony. There was a smaller throne as well next to one of the big ones which Eldon assumed was Spike's. "Oh my, I don't believe I'll ever tire of entering this beautiful place," Rarity said and sighed in content. "It could still probably be like, maybe twenty percent cooler if I had designed it." Rainbow Dash said. Everypony stared at her in disbelief. Spike actually cringed at the phrase, having heard it be uttered far too many times. It was as if somepony behind a typewriter was writing Rainbow Dash's lines for her and could only think of the worst possible things for her to say. "Really Rainbow Dash? You just had to say that? Don't you think you overuse that phrase just a tiny bit?" Rarity asked. "What? Oh come on now Rarity, you know I'm just kidding around!" Rainbow teased and landed perfectly on her throne. She folded her wings and watched as everypony else except Eldon found and sat on their respective thrones. Spike jumped up onto his and slowly laid back, letting his muscles relax. "Ahhhh, that's better." Eldon was unsure about where to go until Twilight spoke up. "Cosmic, if you don't mind, I would like it if you stood in the center of the circle for now." "As you wish Twilight," Eldon replied and slowly walked over to the center of the circle. "Can I get something to eat now?" Twilight sighed and looked over at Spike. "Spike, could you please get Cosmic something to eat? I feel that he won't stop pestering me until he gets it." Spike yawned and slid out of his throne, although he didn't really want to get up. "Sure thing Twilight, I'll be back before you know it." He walked over to a set of stairs that spiralled upwards and began to climb them until he was no longer in sight. Twilight cleared her throat, making sure the room was quiet before she spoke. "Welcome Cosmic to my home.This room we are in is where my friends and I gather. Sometimes it's for fun, and sometimes it's figuring out solutions to problems of other ponies. This time however, it'll be to learn more about you." Twilight looked around the room at her friends before she returned to Eldon. "And my friends can help me if they want to. Is that alright with you Cosmic?" Eldon nodded his head in approval. "Of course Twilight. I just hope my answers are okay." "Very well then, let's begin," Twilight said. "Applejack, I believe you had a question already?" Applejack nodded and adjusted her hat ever so slightly. "That ah did Twi, ah-" She was interrupted by a low rumbling sound that came from within Pinkie's party cannon. "You wanted a party Twilight? Well get ready, because double the parties means double the fun! Get ready to parrrtay!" Pinkie shouted and her party cannon went off, blasting all sorts of party related items. The cannon brought the whole package. Confetti, streamers, balloons, cake, fruity punch, and even a record player. Eldon was standing within the cannon's line of fire and he braced himself for impact. He closed his eyes, but it never came. Eldon slowly opened his eyes, only to find that everything had landed perfectly around him, much to his surprise. "Pretty neat huh everypony? Introducing the new Party Cannon Two Thousand! Now with more confetti! We can play games, eat cake, dance, drink punch, everything that's fun fun fun! And afterwards, we can also—" "PINKIE!" the rest of them shouted in unison, interrupting her. "What is it my best amazing friends?" Pinkie asked. "I know you mean well Pinkie, but right now we need to talk to Cosmic. We can party afterwards, I promise," Twilight said. "Do you Pinkie promise?" Pinkie asked. Twilight smiled at Pinkie and she began to perform the special Pinkie Pie promise. "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Twilight brought her hoof to her eye as she finished the promise. Pinkie Pie wiggled on the spot and gave her a big smile. "Okie dokie then! I'll just start the parties later!" She hopped off her throne and rushed around Eldon, picking up the items and shoving them back into the Party Cannon Two Thousand. The process only took her a minute before she was back in her throne as if nothing had even happened. "Okay, I'm ready!" "Alright then. Now Applejack, what were you saying?" Twilight asked. "Ah was just about to ask where he met ya Twilight," Applejack replied as she turned to look at Eldon. "So tell me Cosmic, where did ya meet her?" Eldon put his hoof to his chin as he recollected the moments that he encountered Twilight. "Well... I guess you could say that I first met her in the Everfree Forest, but I didn't know who she was at the time because she was just a voice in my thoughts." Pinkie let out an excited gasp. "Woah Twilight! I didn't know you could talk to ponies with your mind! How can I learn—" One look from Twilight made her stop mid-sentence. "Oh sorry! Sorry! Continue Cosmic!" Eldon took a deep breath and continued speaking. "Anyways, I first met Twilight face to face in Canterlot, in fact, it was her that brought me here in the first place." "Oh! Now that's interestin to hear," Applejack replied with a surprised look on her face. "What business did ya two have? Did it involve magic spells and whatnot?" Eldon and Twilight both looked at each other and Twilight nodded at him, allowing him to proceed. "In a way, yes, it did involve magic. It was mostly about teleportation however." Eldon hoped that he had successfully avoided telling her where he was really from and why he was there. For one, they would probably think him to be crazy, and two, even if he did tell the truth, he didn't exactly have the means to prove he was a human. Thankfully, Applejack accepted his response. "Well, ah ain't gonna pry too deep, thank you for answerin ma question," Applejack said and tipped her hat towards him in thanks. "Who has another question for Cosmic?" Twilight asked and Fluttershy slowly raised her hoof. "If it's okay Twilight, I would like to go next, unless somepony else would like to go," Fluttershy said softly and looked around the room. When none of them spoke against her, Eldon turned to face Fluttershy and she gulped. "O-okay then. Um, Cosmic? Do you own any pets?" Eldon didn't hesitate to respond. "Currently? No. Although I do wish to be able to adopt a pet sometime in the future." Eldon's response caused Fluttershy to begin to tremble on her throne in excitement. "Y- you want a pet? Why didn't you say so earlier! I can help you find the perfect pet that is best for you! When do you want to adopt?" she asked. Fluttershy's sudden burst of excitement caused Eldon to reel back in surprise and he chuckled. "Not right now Fluttershy, but I'll make sure to go to you when I'm ready." Fluttershy's excitement slowly faded away. "Oh, of course! Whenever you are ready." "This is going very smoothly everypony! Applejack and Fluttershy have gone already, so who wants to ask next? Rarity? Rainbow? Pinkie?" Twilight asked. "I'll go next Twilight, for I have a question for him," Rarity said and turned to face Eldon. "Now Cosmic, I know that you said that you specialize in studying magic, but what are your thoughts on fashion? Since you are from out of town, I would like to know. Maybe it'll help me create an original style or line of clothing that I could sell." Eldon rubbed his head, except this time it was because the pain in his head from before had returned, much greater this time. The orb had also begun to slowly glow brighter. "Uh... fashion? I'm not sure that I can help you too much there," Eldon said. "However, I do enjoy dressing up on special occasions, and I do have a soft spot for cloaks, especially ones with hoods. Where I'm from though, wearing a cloak in public would get you strange looks from others." Rarity placed her hoof underneath her chin as she pondered over Eldon's words. "Cloaks? Although I don't usually carry those... perhaps I could probably..." She trailed off, lost deep in thought. Only a minute had passed when her face suddenly lit up. "Aha! Thank you for your opinion Cosmic, it has given me some inspiration on what could possibly be the next big thing!" "Uh... you're welcome I guess. I hope that whatever you do will turn out successful Rarity," Eldon said. Rainbow Dash suddenly hopped off of her throne and landed in front of Eldon, startling him and looking straight into his eyes. "Now it's my turn to ask a question Cosmic," Rainbow said and pointed at his blackened cutie mark with her hoof. "Starting with what the hay is wrong with your cutie mark? That's definitely not normal. I was surprised that nopony else had noticed or mentioned it earlier, until I did just now that is." Oh no... this is exactly what I had wanted to avoid. They would think I'm insane if I said I wasn't actually a Unicorn, or even worse... just be calm... just be calm... Eldon thought. "I, uh, had a magical mishap some time ago, and uh, I kind of forgot what my unique skill was because of it." Sweat had begun to run down the side of his face. Please buy it. please buy it, please buy it... Rainbow Dash took a step backwards in surprise. "Ohhh. That actually explains a lot. Something like that happened to us a while ago too, but instead our cutie marks were switched. Now, what can we do to help get yours back?" "I don't... I don't really know... agh!" The pain in Eldon's head was beginning to become too much to bear and he couldn't finish his sentence. He began to sway back and forth where he was standing, groaning in agony. "Woah! Cosmic, pal, are you all right there? It wasn't something I said was it?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Uh, are you alright Cosmic?" Applejack asked. Eldon stumbled about until he tripped and fell onto the floor. He brought his hooves over onto his head and held them there, trying to ease the pain but it accomplished nothing. He looked at Applejack, and then at Twilight. He stared right into her eyes and saw his own reflection. "Ughh... Twilight..." Eldon mumbled. He closed his eyes and blacked out. Everypony jumped out of their seats and rushed over to Eldon except for Rainbow Dash who was already out of her seat. "Oh no, this is really bad!" Twilight looked Eldon over and shook her head. "I don't know what's wrong, but we have to help him!" "But what can we do Twilight?" Rarity asked. "I'll bring him to one of the guest chambers, I'll... I'll see what I can do. Everypony else, stay here unless I call for you." They heard the urgency in Twilight's voice and they understood. Thumping noises began coming from the stairs and they turned their heads to see Spike coming down with a bowl of fruit slowly and carefully. "Spike! I'm glad you're back! We need your help!" Spike reached the floor and saw that Eldon was on the ground, causing him to drop the bowl of fruit and rush over. "Wh- what happened you guys?" Twilight just shook her head. "We don't know Spike, but he might need medical attention. I want you to go with Rainbow Dash to the hospital to bring some help back, okay?" Spike and Rainbow both nodded their heads in agreement and he hopped onto Rainbow's back. "You heard her Rainbow! Let's go get some help!" Spike shouted and puffed out his chest "I'm with ya on that one Spike," Rainbow Dash replied and they began to make their way towards the palace doors. Droplets of blood started to drip slowly from Eldon's nostrils and they splattered onto the crystal floor. The orb around his neck was now glowing a brilliant white. "So does this mean I can't ask him my question?" Pinkie asked. Eldon's eyes flickered open. All he saw was a cloudy greyness that surrounded him, extending as far as the eye could see. He wasn't in the circular chamber anymore, but rather in a vast space that seemed to be infinite. Where am I? Did I... did I die? Eldon thought. He looked down and noticed that he was standing on some kind of cloudy floor, but what surprised him the most that instead of hooves, there were feet. Human feet. No way... my... my feet! They're back! I never thought I would see them again! And if I have my feet, then surely I must have... He looked himself over to find that his other limbs had come back as well. He was human again. Eldon shouted with joy and began to run, the floor forming beneath him as he did so with each step that was taken. Eldon didn't care where he was going. All that mattered to him right now was that he was no longer a four-legged equine. "I'm myself again!" he whooped. "And I swear on my life that I'll never return to being a pony again!" He suddenly heard a deep booming laugh reverberate around the room and Eldon ran into a solid wall made of clouds, causing him to bounce back and fall onto his rear. He quickly whipped his head around, looking for the source of the noise. "Who's there? Show yourself!" The cloud wall slowly parted in front of Eldon to reveal an old and bearded pony walking towards him. The pony was wearing a cloak and a hat that were both sprinkled with moons and stars. His beard was long and white and his eyes seemed to twinkle, as if years of wisdom were hidden within them. A gnarled staff moved on its own next to him, moving only when the pony did until he at last came to a stop in front of Eldon. Eldon studied him closely and slowly recognized the pony's features. "Wait... I know you," Eldon said and the pony nodded at him. "As you should Cosmic, or should I say Eldon?" the pony replied. Eldon's heart began to beat faster at the mention of his real name. "How— no, I'm not Eldon, that's someone else. I don't know any— ow!" Eldon was interrupted as the wooden staff bashed him on the head. "Don't think that I can be fooled so easily Eldon, you can't hide anything from me. I know all about you, and I know all about the prophecy." Eldon clutched his head in pain as he looked into the old pony's eyes. "Who are you?" The old pony sighed. "I'm known as many things Eldon, but you may call me Star Swirl the Bearded." Eldon's jaw dropped in shock and in awe as he stood up again. "Star Swirl? But, but you should be dead! What are you doing here? What am I doing here? Did you knock me out? Why was I a—" An invisible force sealed Eldon's mouth shut, preventing him from finishing his sentence. "Ah, that's better, but trust me Eldon, your questions shall be answered in due time. Just please, I need you to shut up just for a couple of minutes alright? I don't have much time here. Do you understand?" Star Swirl said. Eldon nodded and Star Swirl unsealed his mouth, allowing Eldon to breathe through there again. "To begin, let's get some clothes on you." With a stamp of his hoof, a robe appeared around Eldon, covering him up. "Now, I want to let you know that I did not knock you out, but rather this place is something of your own making, a place where I could finally make contact with you." Eldon's face fell when he quickly realized what that meant. "Oh... so I'm not really human again?" Eldon asked. Star Swirl nodded his head. "That is correct Eldon, you are still a fine Unicorn in the real world, but you'll soon find a way. As for why I'm here, I have come with a warning, as well as an apology. Tell me Eldon, are you familiar with the legend of King Arthur?" This time, Eldon nodded his head. "Of course! But how would you know about that when you aren't even from Earth...?" "Because like you Eldon, I am not what I appear to be to the ponies," Star Swirl said and laughed. He grabbed his staff and slammed the butt of it into the ground, causing a dark blue smoke to swirl around him which concealed him from Eldon's view. When the smoke dispersed, all that stood before Eldon was a tall and wrinkled old man. He wore the same hat as Star Swirl, and instead of a cloak, a robe that was also covered in moons and stars. Eldon took two steps back, dumbfounded. "Merlin... is Star Swirl? This... this can't be possible, it can't be!" Star Swirl laughed at him once more. "Oh believe me Eldon, it is entirely possible. Now Merlin... that is a name I haven't heard in a long time." "Wait, how did you— but I— oh nevermind..." Eldon said, giving up on his thought he had. Merlin chuckled and lit up a pipe he had brought out. He inhaled deeply before puffing out smoke rings which turned into birds and flew away. "Merlin... it seems so long ago now that I used to be called that," Merlin repeated with a distant look in his eyes. "So let me get this straight Star Swirl— er, Merlin," Eldon said. "Like me, you were teleported to this world?" Merlin nodded as he inhaled deeply on his pipe and exhaled. "Yes Eldon. Years and years ago, I was busy trying to perfect a teleportation spell capable of moving an army of thousands, but it failed miserably. I had accidentally ripped a hole in the very fabric of space and time itself, and it brought me here. You however, you were more than likely summoned, correct?" "Yeah," Eldon replied. "Twilight Sparkle brought me here using a spell that was performed on this." He pointed to the orb in his necklace. "I wanted to return back to Earth," Merlin continued. "But I accidentally stumbled upon this curious race of equines. They were strangely powerful and also possessed the skill of magic, and I thought to myself at the time that perhaps they would know how I could get home, and I could help with their skill in magic in return. So I disguised myself as one of them and became the esteemed wizard Star Swirl the Bearded, although I had no idea what I had just gotten myself into." Merlin inhaled deeply on his pipe and sighed. "Absolutely no idea..." This is so strange. Damn... I need to stop thinking of this place like the show, no matter how similar everything is! Eldon thought. "So... that means that you have taught many ponies about the importance of magic and how to use it! You revolutionized all magic that is used to this very day!" "Indeed I had young one, I even had multiple encounters with the Elements of Harmony," Merlin replied. "The first time I saw them though was during a time of great darkness, a darkness that I believe you have heard about that even I had thought had been vanquished two thousand years ago. A time that I was most unfortunate to show up in. Please, walk with me Eldon." Merlin slowly began to walk in a random direction and Eldon walked alongside him. The two walked in silence through the swirling clouds for what seemed like an eternity, until at last they stopped. Merlin remained silent as he suddenly began to move his staff around, controlling the clouds around them. "I appeared in the time just after the Pegasi, the Unicorns, and the Earth ponies had united, forming Equestria." The clouds swirled and transformed into visual representations of the three races, along with Merlin in his pony form. "Despite my best efforts, teachings, and reading their books, I was still unable to find a way home to Camelot, to our Earth. My magic, being from Earth, somehow helped to prolong my life here. The land itself had greatly enhanced it, but by the time the two sisters came to power and turned Discord to stone, I knew that I would soon pass." Eldon watched in awe as Merlin's staff caused the clouds to twist and dance as they changed. It was as if he was watching a theatrical performance play out in front of him. It was quite the historical display. "The princesses noticed this and decided to announce that I had moved on, but secretly, I went into hiding," Merlin continued. "The sisters enchanted me with a powerful preservation spell so that I may recover and add some years to my life while I slept. For the last thirteen to fourteen hundred years I have rested in time, waiting for the One to show up. That One is indeed you, Eldon." Eldon was too stunned to say anything yet. The only thing he could do was just listen to Merlin's words. "I know that you are the One Eldon. You have a powerful magic in you, perhaps even far greater than mine that has lied dormant your whole life. It rests right here." Merlin outstretched his arm and placed his palm over where Eldon's heart was. When Merlin removed his hand, Eldon saw that the area he touched had begun to glow a faint white. "Somewhere around there anyway, but this is where my warning comes in. As the One, you are free to do as you please, but corruption can take over with ease. Light or dark, your path awaits, and only you, can change Equestria's fate. I'm sorry that you got caught up in all of this Eldon, but I have run out of time that we can use to chat. I wish to tell you more, but the strength needed to communicate with you is very draining. We shall meet again, and by then you should have a better understanding about your role." Merlin stepped back and he slowly faded away, leaving Eldon standing there on his own. He had questions still, too many questions that needed to be answered. Light or dark... What did Merlin mean by that? Gah! This whole place speaks in riddles! Eldon thought. The orb in his necklace glowed brightly as the scenery began to change, turning from a cloudy grey to a pitch black. Hey! What's happening now? Where did the light go? Eldon couldn't see anything at first, but he then began to make out a landscape. It looked like Canterlot, but something was wrong. Shadows had engulfed the city, wreaking chaos and leaving destruction in its wake. He then saw an explosion come from within the castle and the very mountain itself, causing the city to crumble and slide down the mountain. "No... NO! This can't be true, it can't! I won't let this HAPPEN!" "Cosmic... Cosmic... Cosmic!" a voice whispered. "Wake up!" Eldon woke with a start. He could feel his body covered in sweat and was also very abnormally tense. He saw the concerned faces of the mane six, Spike, and a doctor who had just brought out his stethoscope gathered around him, all looking relieved that he finally opened his eyes. He finally relaxed and sighed. "Twi-Twilight..." Eldon said hoarsely. "I just had the weirdest thing happen to me..." "Eldon, your whole body was glowing white... you even said something about the One either being a force of good or evil... those words are from the very prophecy itself, and you haven't even seen it yet! ...Could you continue please?" Twilight asked. "I saw Star Swirl, and Canterlot was under attack! Something about powerful magic within me... that my choices will change the future of Equestria forever." "What are you trying to tell us sugarcube?" Applejack asked. Twilight looked at Eldon and then at Applejack. "He's trying to say that it's time for him to know more." Twilight turned to face the doctor. "Thank you for coming doctor, but I think our friend is going to be fine, just a scare was all." "Are you sure about that? the doctor asked. "He isn't looking too good." "I'm positive, thank you again for coming on such short notice," Twilight replied. The doctor bowed and he left the room, making his way down the stairs. "Now, I will notify Celestia of this immediately. For now you should get some rest Cosmic." Eldon nodded in agreement, and he felt his stomach rumble again. "Spike, start writing a letter as follows please." Spike quickly went over to a nearby cupboard and brought out some parchment, ink, and a quill. "Dear Princess Celestia..." "Hey, before you begin telling Spike what to write Twilight, is it possible that I could have something to eat?" Eldon asked. Twilight just rolled her eyes while the others burst out laughing, and Eldon joined in too. It quickly died down though. "No, I actually mean it though, I'm starving!"