//------------------------------//
// The Gala/Chaos Returns 
// Story: Sun's Fire 
// by Discordia5 
//------------------------------//

The Gala/Chaos Returns

The next day passed so quickly that barely anyone knew what to do with themselves. Artemis and Solaris ran in different directions trying to get the finishing touches ready and trying to get themselves presentable enough for the nobles attending the Gala. Meanwhile, Eris was also getting ready. She scrubbed herself down, combed out her hair, tried on a few dresses that she conjured up, freshened her breath several times, and even tried on some jewelry. She decided that she looked better without the trimmings and tried to pass the rest of the time by practicing her magic, she conjured up items from nowhere and either decided that they fit in the cave or, with a snap of her fingers, made them disappear back to wherever they came from - often ponies house’s.


Solaris growled as he tried to fit into his armor. He pulled and jerked at it until it was perfect. Artemis walked into his brother’s room and they both looked in the mirror. “Well, at least we look good,” he said and chuckled.
Solaris did his best to follow his brother’s light-heartedness, but it didn’t work. Artemis nudged Solaris and smirked. “Relax, brother, everything will be fine,” Artemis said.
Solaris sighed and looked back at their reflections in the mirror. He never really noticed how different they were. Besides his brother being a head shorter than him they also had opposite coat colors and his armor was different from his as well. His golden armor shined like the sun and Artemis’ silver armor gleamed like the moon. He looked over at his brother’s face for only a second, but Solaris could’ve sworn he saw a look of envy cross Artemis’ face. “Well, you better go get her,” Artemis said as he turned away from the mirror and started for the door.
Solaris nodded and decided to shake it off. Eris would be waiting and he didn’t want to keep her that way.


Eris sat at the entrance of her cave and looked out at the slowly receding sun as it disappeared over the horizon, it’s beautiful last rays showered the whole land in a spectacular array of colours. Solaris had yet to show himself and she was nervous when it was noon, now she was terrified. Her first entrance into the world, Eris could hardly believe it. She was going to be introduced in front of an entire crowd of ponies that would probably point and laugh or worse scream and run. Had she chewed through her talons already? She saw a speck start to approach and knew that it was Solaris on the horizon. Her stomach flipped and her heart beat backwards. She felt a pit in her stomach, she was going to be sick, she knew she was. Solaris landed and looked at Eris expectantly. “Ready to go?” he asked.
Eris held her stomach and looked at the ground. “Uuugghh, no, no,” she said. “I think I’m going to be sick!”
Solaris looked down at her and quirked an eyebrow at her. “Oh well, we’ll just have to do this some other time, when I’m not deathly ill!” Eris said and started to walk back into her cave.
Solaris’ horn glowed softly and a bright aura encased Eris before it dragged her back to the entrance and plopped her back down. “Come on, Eris, what are you afraid of?” Solaris asked.
Eris looked up at him incredulously and waved her arms theatrically. Solaris did his best to not roll his eyes, but it was a challenge. “Eris, you can’t keep hiding behind your looks forever,” he said.
“Who’s hiding?” Eris asked and pouted to the ground.
Solaris tapped his hoof impatiently. Eris rolled her eyes. Solaris nudged Eris to her feet and opened his own wings. “Come on, I think it is time that you join the world outside,” he said confidently.
Eris sighed and opened her own wings. They both stared at each other until their gazes softened and they took off both not giving away how truly terrified they were on the inside.


Once they got to the Castle of the Two Brothers. Eris looked at it and felt her heart do flips once again. It was all she thought and more: a vast, grand and majestic estate - much more aesthetically pleasing than the buildings she was used to seeing in Canterlot. No doubt there would be much more ponies than what she was expecting. She gulped as they landed on a balcony and Solaris turned to her.  “Alright, so the plan is that you stay behind the curtain until I announce you,” he said.
Eris nodded nervously. She hadn’t said anything the entire way there and she had only put up a fuss at her cave. She must’ve been more nervous than Solaris thought. He sighed and smiled reassuringly at her. He put a leg around her neck and pecked her cheek. “Everything is going to be ok,” he said.
Eris nodded again. “You’ll see, everything will turn out perfectly,” Solaris said and walked through the curtain and into the fray.
Eris waited behind the curtain. It felt more like she was waiting for the world to end.


The Gala was going off without a hitch. Granted it was fairly dull, but otherwise it was going very well.  Artemis was doing his best of keeping the guests entertained and happy. He mingled as best as he could as well, but he wasn’t really used to small talk. Artemis didn’t really like events like this where he was forced to participate. The entire event was being held in the ballroom and out in the courtyard, it was a lot of ponies to mingle with, but everything looked great. The decorations were all in the colors of gold and silver, tables were piled high with wonderful foods and desserts, and the band was amazing as well.  All in all Artemis and his brother had planned out the Gala very well. He wondered what was taking Solaris until he saw him trot down the stairs toward him. “How did it go?” Artemis asked him quietly.  “Quite well, I think,” Solaris replied. “She’s waiting behind the curtain.”
Artemis nodded. “Well, we probably shouldn’t keep her waiting long, Faust only knows how long it’ll take until she makes a run for it,” Artemis said.
He meant it as a joke, but the look on Solaris’ face told him that he wasn’t that far from the truth.  Solaris nodded and started for the balcony. Artemis followed, but seeing as it was his brother’s job to address the public he decided to just stay at the very front of the crowd. Solaris looked out at the crowd and hoped that Eris was ready, because it was now or never.  He cleared his throat and inhaled deeply.  “Welcome honored guests!” he said as his voice carried out over the entirety of the ballroom, deeper than usual with it seeming as though he were shouting but without the horrible tone that accompanies the yelling.
The guests stopped what they were doing and looked up at their regal prince. “To the Grand Galloping Gala,” Solaris continued. “I do hope the event has been enjoyable to all of you.”
The crowd cheered enthusiastically and Solaris gave a princely smile and continued. “Thank you and to further celebrate this wonderful occasion of Canterlot’s founding, we have a surprise for you all. She’s a very special guest who you might have never seen before, but she’s here now. Please give a warm welcome to my friend and your neighbor, Eris!”
Solaris waved his hoof to the curtain, but Eris didn’t appear. After a few seconds of silence and then some gathered curious whispers, Solaris tried again. “My friend, Eris!” he cried.
Still Eris didn’t appear. Solaris looked down at Artemis who shook his head and then started for the curtain to check and see if she was still there. “Eris?!” he tried again.
Suddenly all the lights went out and the crowd gasped and some let out screams before everyone fell silent. “Why thank you Solaris,” Eris’ voice echoed around the room. “For that marvelous introduction, but I think I’ll do my own from now on.”
Artemis and Solaris looked at each other before joining everyone else in looking around for the source.  The lights whooshed back to life and fireworks went off as Eris revealed herself floating above everyone else. “Hello Equestria!” she called. “I am Eris, Lady of Discord, and I am here to bring some excitement to this shindig!”
The ponies looked up and stared at her without saying or doing a thing. Solaris and Artemis were also too shocked to do anything either. “So let’s pump up this party!” she continued and snapped her fingers making the band play something more lively.
Solaris blinked as the music started and before anyone else could do anything he brought his hooves together and started to clap. Artemis did the same until everyone else started to clap in turn. Solaris sighed with relief and wondered what sense of bravery had taken over Eris at the last second. She snapped her fingers again and poofed down to Solaris. “What did you think about my entrance?” she asked and preened in front of him.
Solaris smirked and nudged her playfully. “It was quite a show, you did have me going there for a second,” he said.
Eris smiled and looked out at the crowd who only gave her fearful or curious glances. She would have to show them that she wasn’t something to be feared. “Hmph, well, time to break the ice,” she said and poofed away only to poof in the middle of the room while she was standing on top of a ball.  “Well, now I couldn’t help but notice how this party is lacking some entertainment, how about we fix that.”
With that she started her own balancing act and while she took plates of food, torches, and even ponies and started to juggle them around. At first the ponies were very reluctant to join in on her fun, but soon enough after a few tricks and gags they all started to laugh and cheer with her as well. Soon enough she was really getting into her role of the entertainer. Hey, maybe this is what I could do now? she thought excitedly. Solaris and Artemis watched from afar and were very pleased that she had went over so well. However, they were a little worried that ponies were looking at her more as an attraction, a freak show, rather than someone like them. They decided to think nothing of it, but they both exchanged concerned looks before they parted to watch over opposite sides of the room. They’re eyes never strayed from Eris any longer than a few seconds. Soon enough the ponies around her started to yell out requests and she tried her hardest to fulfill them and to keep everyone happy, but then the requests started to get a little overwhelming. “Hey juggle more torches!” one called.
“No, more knives!” shouted another.
“Alright, alright!” Solaris called over all of them. “Thank you, Eris, for that wonderful show, but I think you need a bit of rest from that.”
Eris nodded and climbed off the ball before she made it disappear. “Come on, more dancing!” Solaris called and waved for the musicians to start up again.
He pushed at Eris to move forward and she obeyed readily. A deep frown was plastered on her face after what she had just witnessed. “Was I just a clown, a freak to be gawked at?” she asked more to herself than anyone else.
“No, of course not, you were just so good,” Solaris said quickly. “How about a dance?”
Solaris offered his hoof and smiled. Eris tried to smile back, but it was too half-hearted to go unnoticed.  She did take his hoof and started to follow him in a waltz. This kind of dance was very different from the dances they did at the field. It was so calculated and slow, everything was so coordinated and orderly.  Eris didn’t know if she liked it or not. However, she was very close to Solaris and that made the dance just a little bit more likable. The waltz ended and Solaris bowed to her while Eris did a bow of her own.  “Prince Solaris,” Artemis said as he approached the two. “I do hate to break this up, but you do have to mingle with the other guests.”
Solaris looked out and saw the many mares lined up to take the next dance. He sighed and shook his head. He looked over at Eris with worry before he turned back to his brother. “Don’t worry, I’ll look after your special guest,” Artemis said and took hold of Eris’ elbow with his own.
Solaris smiled as a young mare grabbed him and started to drag him back to the dance floor. Artemis sat down next to Eris who kept her eyes on Solaris. “Why does he have to dance with the other fillies?” she asked.
Artemis shrugged. “It’s kind of a courtship ritual, to find his consort and or his princess,” he explained.
Eris was a bit confused by this explanation. “But he doesn’t need to do that anymore, right?” she asked. “He’s got me now.”
Artemis felt like he had just said the wrong thing and he cleared his throat. “Yes, well,” he started. “It’s also out of politeness and courtesy. I mean even if he had a princess he’d still have to do it to show that he loves his subjects equally.”
Eris grimaced and watched as he danced and laughed and smiled at every mare he danced with. Over the course of his dancing her heart slowly started to fill with poisonous jealousy. Her frown deepened and would’ve turned into a snarl if Artemis hadn’t snapped her out of it. “Maybe we should share a dance as well,” he said and smirked. “I know you would prefer my brother, but perhaps you would settle for a friend.”
Eris wanted to say yes anything to keep her mind off of Solaris, but she could see him moving away and off with a group of other stallions. “I think I’m going to... make a visit to the ladies’ room,” she said and poofed away.
She reappeared a little bit behind the group of stallions and she slowly and silently followed behind them. They went out into a private part of the courtyard where they all handed out strange drinks to each other. “Solaris, you’ve outdone yourself with this Gala,” a stallion said before taking a sip.  “Especially with that little, erm, ‘guest’ of yours.”
Solaris blushed and smiled sheepishly. “Where did you even find a thing like that?” another asked.
A thing?! she thought. Eris held back her anger and tried to keep blending into the bushes. She had cloaked herself in invisibility so as to go unnoticed by the group in their current environment, but it was hard to maintain with her emotional state. “That ‘thing’ is called Eris and she sort of found me,” Solaris said.
The stallions laughed heartily at that. “Now that I wish I had seen,” another one spoke. “ ‘She’ is quite the entertainment though.”
The stallions nodded in agreement. “Perhaps we could hire her out to foal parties and other events,” he continued. “She is quite an oddity and a rare act to find indeed.” 
Solaris frowned, but before he could get a word in the other stallions started to put in their own opinions on what to do with the female draconequus. “We could study her as well,” another said. “She must be the only one of her kind, we could see how her species developed the way it did.”
“Or analyze her magic it seems far more raw than any unicorn or alicorn could tap into!” said another.
So that’s it, they all wanted to study her or use her as a sideshow. Eris started to growl angrily and she was even angrier when Solaris didn’t say anything. He seemed to be completely snubbed from the conversation. She zipped out of the bushes and slithered back into the castle. “Please, gentlecolts, if I may!” Solaris spoke up. “Eris isn’t a creature to be studied and to be prodded at, she’s a living, breathing, feeling thing just like you and I. I will admit that she is interesting and it would be an advantage to study her, but I will put the welfare of my subjects first and as of today she is one of them.”


Eris growled and fumed as she marched down the halls of the castle and back to the ballroom. She entered and was greeted by no one. There was no sight of Artemis and she wanted a drink. She worked her way to the punch bowl and served herself a glass. She turned around to look for Artemis again, but she bumped into a mare and her drink spilled all over her. The mare screamed and scowled at Eris. “You clumsy fool!” the mare cried. “How dare you disrupt me!”
Eris just stared at the mare and saw the look in her eyes, one of complete disgust and that she believed herself above Eris, far above. “Apologize to your betters, you freakish creature!” the mare commanded.
Eris’ eyes glowed dangerously and her grip shattered her glass. “Apologize to my betters?” she asked, her voice now a venomous snarl. “Very well, I apologize.”
The mare didn’t know whether to smile or to cower so she started to back away. “I apologize, I apologize that you don’t know who YOUR betters are!” Eris snarled. “Shall I show you?”
She snapped her fingers and the mare was suddenly covered in feathers. She screamed or more like squawked and started to run around the ballroom. Eris chuckled menacingly and she snapped her fingers again. This time everyone’s punch was turned into popsicles. A stallion had his tongue stuck inside it as he tasted it. Eris’ chuckle grew louder and she snapped her fingers again. Every mare’s hair was made three times bigger than it normally would be. Eris laughed uproariously. Artemis galloped up to her and looked at her sternly. “Eris, I know you like to have fun, but doesn’t this seem to be going too far?” he asked.
“Why no, Arty,” Eris growled. “In fact I think I could go even further.”
She snapped her fingers and lightning flashed indoors before it started to rain chocolate milk. Eris continued to laugh. “Come on, little ponies!” she called. “It’s a party isn’t it, we’re supposed to be having fun! So smile!”
Things were getting out of hoof. Artemis galloped away and set out to find Solaris. Eris continued her onslaught on the ponies, turning their coats different colors, making the food sprout wings, and making dishes fly as well. With every trick her laughter grew louder and more manic filled. Artemis soon galloped back in with Solaris on his heels. Solaris looked around at the catastrophe around him and at the heart of the storm was Eris laughing away. “Eris?!” he called.
Eris ceased her laughter and looked over at him. “Well, hello, Solaris,” she said and floated down to him. “Don’t you like what I’ve done with the place, I think there are too many ponies, but I think I can change that.”
Solaris backed away from her. “Eris, what have you done?” he asked.
Eris frowned slightly and looked at her handy work. “Why, I livened things up a bit is all,” she said. “It is all for you Solaris.”
The ponies looked over at Solaris and he frowned at her words. “Don’t you see, I showed you all I can do,” she explained softly. “This... all of this beauty, this disharmony, this chaos, it’s all for you.”
Solaris gasped and felt his heart start to plummet. Something had happened in his absence, something that made her do this, he had to correct it. “Please, Eris, change it back,” he pleaded.
Eris’ expression turned blank. “Change it back?” she asked.
“Please, Eris,” Solaris said and started to approach her. “This isn’t right, it’s not natural, they don’t understand.”
He was floundering and he knew it, but he had to try. Eris looked around once more and sneered. 
“You’re right they don’t understand, I’m not natural,” she snarled. “And I have yet to show you what beauty I can really create when I get creative!”
With that smoke enveloped her and she vanished with a maniacal laugh.The ponies screamed and started running in different directions trying to get away to find somewhere safe to hide from the oncoming storm. Solaris and Artemis looked at each other and exchanged frightened looks. Whatever had happened to Eris it had made her snap and they had to fix this soon.