//------------------------------// // C4 - Origin // Story: Discord Meets Ruby Rose // by Maxes Altho //------------------------------// “We come from a world we called ‘Origin’.” I smirk as I notice my student, though her jaw still touching the floor, has summoned up a quill and parchment, hanging on my every word. “It was a world of great power and magic. We had cities that stretched to the horizon, and buildings taller than the clouds. It was as close to paradise as one could get.” “Wh-what happened to it?” The quiet one, Fluttershy, asks. “Chaos came.” “Chaos? Don’t you mean Discord?” Rainbow Dash speaks up. She never could think more than one step ahead. “No, my little Pegasus. Discord is just the name he took when he came to Equis. From what our parents told us, Chaos came not with a roaring army or force of arms, but wormed his way to the top of our government. As soon as he did, he turned our fair land into one of dictatorship, turning people against each other, causing wars out of petty arguments. “It was about one hundred years into his rule that Luna and I came into the world, as average as all children on Origin.” My student has finally recovered enough to ask a question. “Wait, if Discord takes a different name when he goes to another world, does that mean you two do it too? What were you called back on Origin?” “What he did by changing names and forms was to hide amongst the populace, sow mistrust and deceit, and eventually take control of the world. My sister and I were born Celestia and Luna, and so those are the names we stuck with.” “But Discord doesn’t look like anything else on Equis! And…you said you two were average? Does that mean everything there was a trans-dimensional being?” “To answer your first question, there were sometimes… exceptions. By the time we reached Equis, Chaos was desperate. He took a form that he found the denizens would fear, and tried the blunt-force tactic instead of coercion. As you all know, he almost succeeded. Also, he was a lot sloppier fifteen hundred years ago. “To answer the others, Twilight, we must go back, more than ten thousand years, to the day Luna and I discovered our destinies…” ---------- “Come on, Cel! Try to keep up!” Luna laughed as she jumped to the roof of the next building. We are running across the rooftops of the city, doing ‘parkour’ as some other kids have taken to calling it, as wayward fifteen- and twelve-year-olds are wont to do in a dystopian world. It’s an exhilarating feeling, but there is the constant pit of worry in my stomach. “Lu, wait! We shouldn’t be out this late! What if the Agents find us?” The Agents being Lord Chaos’ Agents of Chaos. They look just like any other person on the street, but if one suspects you of anything, he will stop at nothing to apprehend you. They go by other names, The Hunters, Dark Magicians, The Touched. Any way you name them, there is no denying Chaos formed them to be the perfect tools. No one has been able to compile a full report on what exactly they can do, because every time someone thinks they have it, the Agents show up with new powers. I’m chasing after my sister, trying to stop her before she gets herself into trouble again. Thankfully, she hasn’t ever managed to draw the attention of the Agents. Yet. And what kind of sister would I be if I didn’t try everything in my power to make sure that never happened? “Luna! Stop! We need to get back home!” “And who’s gonna stop me? You? Our parents? Up here, I’m free! Not even Lord Chaos’ Agents could-” she slips on a wet spot and comes crashing down. Thank the Creator for small miracles. I launch myself across the last alley and skid to a stop next to her. I smirk. Time for a bit of fun. “Halt, miscreant!” I put on my deepest, scariest voice. “I, Agent of Chaos Celestia, place you under arrest for disregard of the law and reckless endangerment!” Luna puts on her best scared victim face. “Oh no! Woe is me! Whatever is to be my punishment, officer?” “I think I will start with this,” I say as I begin the deadliest of tortures: the tickle attack. Within moments, I have Luna squirming on the rooftop, begging for mercy. I let up for just a second, and that is enough time for her to wrestle me, reverse our positions, and turn the torture on me. A minute later, we’re both laughing uncontrollably, lying next to each other on the roof, out of breath. Luna is the first to recover. "Ha ha ha, oh. A good run, sister.” I grin. “Very good. Now, we really should get home. Mom and Dad will be worried sick.” I stand up, pick her up, and begin looking for a way off the roof. However, we are stopped by a commotion in the street below. We sidle up to the edge, and look down on the scene. Three hooded figures are making their way out of a side alley on the other side of the street, heading towards a store. The smash down the display window, and begin hauling everything they touch into bags. Luna looks enraged. “We have to stop them! They’re destroying a store!” “I don’t think we’ll have to do anything; look.” A dark and imposing figure stands at the other end of the street. By the power literally coming off of him in waves, I know it’s an Agent. He speaks with mechanical precision. “Halt! Cease your actions, and prepare to face punishment for your crimes!” One of the hooded figures cackles. “Oh, yeah? What are you gonna do about it?” He pulls out a knife. In an instant, he is knocked back by a blast of pure darkness. The other two recoil in shock as a fist of solid black returns to the coat of its master. One of the looters summons twin balls of fire in his fingertips. “Look, Cel! A pyromancer!” This is news. Magic users are usually kept under close watch by Chaos’ forces. Not only are they unpredictable, but they could, with the right training, stand against the Agents. This one… obviously doesn’t have the training. The Agent suddenly appears right in front of him, and his flames sputter out. The Agent attacks with another shadow, and the pyromancer falls. The third looter, by this time, is scrambling for the alley they appeared out of. He doesn’t make it far before a wall shoots up, blocking him off. He whips around, and we can see the fear in his eyes from here. “Y-you won’t hold your power forever!” He declares as the Agent stalks up to him. “The Children of Order will throw down your false lord and bring peace to our – Grk!” The Agent has him by the throat, and he slumps into unconsciousness. The Agent picks all three up in his shadows, and stalks away. We remain silent for a solid minute. Finally, Luna works up the courage to speak. “S-sis? I think I want to go home now.” I return her look. “Me too, Lulu. Me too.” ---------- “So, what happened then?” By this time, Luna has returned from Twilight’s kitchen, bearing nine cups of steaming tea. She is the one to speak. “We returned home. Neither of us spoke to our parents about what transpired; we believed that if we told, we would be severely punished. I was deeply shaken.” “She would not come out of her room for days. I was worried. One day, I worked up the courage to enter her room…” ---------- “Lulu, please, come out and eat. Mom made your favorite meal. Lulu?” I open her door, and am met with a cold blast. Her bed is made, the room is in its usual state of disarray, the window is open, and there is no Luna. There’s nowhere she could hide. I fall to the ground. “Why, Luna? Why would you run? There’s no reason…” my eye catches on a piece of paper on her bed. I pick it up. Sis, Don’t be mad, I didn’t tell you because I know you wouldn’t let me go. I went to go find the Children of Order. I realized a day ago that something isn’t right, Cel. This has become a world molded from chaos, without the balancing force. Chaos must be balanced with Order. What that guy said the night we saw that attack, it hit me hard. I’ve always wanted to make a positive difference in the world, and I know you do to, but you’ve gotten lost along the way. With the Children, I can make a difference. Please, Cel, don’t come looking for me. I’ve left my old life behind. We may meet again, but if we do, I won’t be the same Lulu you remember. However, I will always see you as my sister. Luna P.S. I ate the last of the cake in the pantry, you fatty. ---------- “Wait, wait, wait. Whoa. You’re telling me you went and actually joined this terrorist group?” This is Rainbow Dash speaking to Luna. “Unfortunately, yes. I didn’t realize until later that they were just as corrupt as Chaos. They were Order without order, so to speak. They so badly wanted to topple Chaos, they left all their moral boundaries behind. I was young, and very impressionable.” Now Twilight speaks up. “I’m surprised Dis-I mean, Chaos, left a resistance force standing. Wouldn’t he have tried his hardest to stop the Children?” “He did, but some groups are like a hydra. You cut off one head, and another takes its place somewhere else. And you forget your history, my student. I have had forces arrayed against Luna and me since the first day we imprisoned Discord.” “What?!” “When Discord fell, his Agents were still at work, tormenting the outlying cities. When we fought Sombra, groups like the Crystal Coalition rose, threatening full-out civil war because of something we had no control over. Finally, when I was forced to banish my sister to the moon, several groups came up, such as the Children of the Night, wanting my head and Luna replacing me as the ruler. Every time, I was able to talk them down, but for some, hate runs as deep as the bonds of friendship. Now, the ones who want my head are the nobles, who bicker and squawk over every decision I rule, wanting to turn it for their own gain.” Now it is Rarity’s turn to say something. “So, what did you do, Princess Celestia? When Luna ran off to join this group?” I give a sad smile. “I went after her, of course. Nobody eats the last of my cake and gets away with it.” ---------- Okay, Celly. If I were my sister, and I ran off to find a dangerous terrorist organization, where would I look? I’m standing outside my house; I can’t bear to be in there right now. Against my conscience, I showed my parents the letter, and had to tell them what we had seen half a week earlier. Mom broke down, Dad yelled at me, but when I took his anger, he softened. As he went to console Mom, he looked me dead in the eyes and said six words. “Find your sister, keep her safe.” Great advice, Dad. If only she had left a hint as to where she was going. She wouldn’t be looking someplace too public, or maybe hiding in plain sight is part of their M.O.? I know she wouldn’t dare crossing the bridges to another part of town. But what if that’s where she would find the closest base? Argh, too many unknowns! I decide to start in the district market. Maybe some of the shop owners have seen Luna. Five minutes later, I’m standing on the thoroughfare, trying to decide which owner I could trust today. They were always a little sleazy, and never fair in their prices, but they were kind enough, given the right day. I could rule out any of the specialty shops; we never went in those. My best bet would be to try the toymakers and the candy shop, and maybe the machinist. All the owners of those stores knew us, and liked us. It was worth a shot. ---------- Useless. Every one of them, useless! They acted nice enough, but when I asked after Luna, they either hadn’t seen her in a few days, wanted an exorbitant amount of money for the information, or just plain ignored me. I’m stomping around, trying to think of another place to look, when I hear a greasy voice from an alleyway. “Hey, I hear yer looking for ya sister.” I turn, and a guy is leaning against a wall, hat pulled over his head and wearing a trench coat. Now, usually I would be running away from these kind of people as fast as my legs could carry me, but something in his voice betrays his disinterest. “Yeah. What do you know about it?” I put on my best ‘Ms. Meanie Give-me-what-I-want-NOW’ face. “Sheesh, lighten up girl! Name’s Squirm. I’m what youds call a… infomation dealer, see?” “Okay, what’s your price on the location of a twelve-year-old girl with hair as black as night?” “Oh, I dunno… how’s about anything yous got on a hit went down a few days back. Heard three of those Childrens of Order got whacked. Know anythin’ about that?” Surprisingly, I do. I recall what I and Luna had seen, and Squirm laughs. “Yous sure yous weren’t seen by that Agent? I’ve heard they can be particularly… thorough when cleaning up a scene.” “I’m sure. Okay, Squirm, that’s my part of the deal. Where have you seen my sister?” “One of my boys saw her in the central park not three hours ago. Coulds be, she’s still there.” I’m off like a bullet. Luna, please don’t do anything stupid. --------- Within an hour, I’m rushing through the park. I’m calling out for Luna, but only receiving silence. This park used to be frequented by all sorts of people, but then the Agents came and ousted some protestors against Lord Chaos. Things got violent, and people died. Ever since, the park has been equivalent to a ghost town, known to many, but ignored by all. “Luna! Luna! Where are you?! Come on, its big sister Celly!” Nothing. I’m passing by a copse of trees when I hear something. “Stupid trees! Stupid rocks! Stupid guy with his stupid ‘infomation’ crap. Never should have trusted him, stupid!” “Luna!” I burst through the trees. She’s wandering around a small clearing, obviously looking lost. “Cel? You-you’re not supposed to be here! Didn’t you read my letter?” I pull her into the biggest hug ever. “Yeah,” I slap the back of her head. “That’s for finishing the cake. Mom and Dad are worried sick. Did you think about them at all when you ran off?” “N-no,” she admits, tears coming down her face. “I wasn’t thinking at all! I don’t know what I was doing, I listened to one of those guys you always say to stay away from, I don’t know how to get back home, and I’m scared!” “It’s alright, Lulu, sister’s here,” I say as I pull her even closer. Then, what she said hits me. I pull her away and lock eyes. “You said you took advice from one of the shady people? Who? Did he speak with a slur?” “Y-yeah. He told me where I could meet some people from the Children of Order, and I told him about how the shop keeps are nice, if you catch them on the right day. I should never have trusted him!” “Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” came a voice from the bushes. We whip our heads around, and a hooded figure steps from the shadows. “I’d say he was right on the money.” “Cel? I’ve changed my mind. I just wanna go home!” The figure laughs. “Home? I’m afraid that isn’t a possibility anymore.” He motions, and more figures step out of the tree line. We’re surrounded. “You know where we meet. Who knows what else the rat told you? There is no going home for you two.” “No! Stay away!” No matter what, I won’t let them hurt Luna. As they approach, I feel a strange, unfamiliar feeling growing in my chest. As the leader gets within reaching distance, I thrust my hands out at him. “I said, STAY AWAY!” Suddenly, the entire clearing is bathed in a shimmering golden light. Light shouldn’t have mass, but it seems to be doing a good job of knocking the people back. As the light fades, I find myself on the ground, unable to move. I want to move, to protect Luna at all costs, but my body has given up. They pick themselves back up, and come closer, this time more cautiously. As my vision fades, I have time for one last sentence. “No…body…hurts…sister…” ---------- “We had found the Children of Order, and found I had great magical potential.” Twilight looks skeptical, so I clarify. “My family didn’t have any magical power, or if we did, my parents kept it a secret. Remember, if anyone had potential, they were kept under wraps by Lord Chaos’ forces.” “So, what happened next?” Luna speaks up. “Nothing important really. We were taken in by the Children, and trained in combat, magic, and infiltration. They saw us as even more valuable because, who would suspect actual children? We could be playing not five feet from a ‘secret’ meeting, and the parties would never realize we were listening closely. We also found I had as much potential as Celestia for magical power. “This went on for a few months. The Children were the very definition of an underground movement; they lived in the sewer and subway tunnels underneath the city.” “We were exploring some tunnels near the main base when we found something utterly amazing…” ---------- “Luna! Wait up! We aren’t supposed to be here!” It’s about five months after we were accepted into the Children of Order. We’ve been trained, infiltrated places too disgusting to mention, and provided information to the higher-ups that allowed them to plan out the operations of the actual warriors. We had no current missions, and most of the adults were off on their own. So, of course, Luna took this as an opportunity to sneak off. She got past the guards just fine; they all knew who we are, and get along with us. There was the one guard who always gets suspicious of any and all movements, and he told me about my sister’s escape act. Which brings us to now, me chasing Luna through abandoned sewer tunnels underneath the city. “Come on, sis! We haven’t been outside the compound except to go to the surface! I wanna know what’s down here!” She keeps running, right towards a giant gaping hole. “LUNA! LOOK OUT!” She registers too late, and plunges downwards. I stop, and focus. A faint golden glow emanates from the hole, and a moment later, Luna appears, encased in an orb of shimmering light. I set her down on safe ground. “Thanks, Cel. I don’t know what I was thinking.” “That’s the problem with you, Lulu: You weren’t. Please, never change.” “’Kay,” she responds, giving me that lopsided grin I love so much. “So… how do we get back?” ----------- We wander the tunnels for what seems like hours. I’m sure we’re just getting more lost with every turn we take. Eventually we reach a dead end in the form of a chasm. There’s large pipe entrances along the walls, but way too far to jump to them. “Great, now what?” “Cel, look.” Luna points down into the darkness. I look, and there is a strange, unearthly glow somewhere down there. “I wanna get a closer look.” “Lulu, no. It’s much too far, and we really need to get back.” “It’s not far. I’ve been practicing my magic; watch.” She summons twin balls of night. Her magic, at first, looks like the chaos energy the Agents use, but upon closer look, it’s more of a dark blue, with tiny pinpricks of light, like the night sky. She lobs one at the closest wall, and drops the other into the hole. This is a trick Luna picked up recently with a bit of experimentation. A shimmering portal appears on the wall, showing what’s down there via a connection to the other portal. “Looks clear; let’s go!” And she jumps in. I sigh, face palming for all I’m worth, thinking why do I let her drag me into these things?, and follow her through. ---------- “Whoa, you can make portals? That’s more advanced magic than I can even begin to believe!” Twilight remarks. "Why haven’t you used it here?” “Because over the years, I have refined that art. I could never get teleportation down as smoothly as my sister, so I adapted.” She walks into the darkened kitchen. “I created what I call the ‘shadow walk’.” Suddenly, she is walking out of a closet near the front door. The bearers can do nothing but stare. “I found it helps in walking our subject’s dreams as well.” I smirk. “Yes, and the last time you tried it, you filled the room we were in with raw sewage.” She shoots me a look. "You said you would never speak of that again!" “So, what did you find down there? Ooh, details details details!” Rarity fawns. “Hold on, my fashion-minded citizen, I was getting to that part.” ---------- Dark. That’s the only word to describe it. Dark as far as I could see, which was about nothing. I summoned a ball of golden light to reveal a canal of sorts, completely dry. The strange light is coming from an offshoot drain, one which Luna is already making her way down. I scramble after her. We eventually come upon a large pool. The light is coming from something deep in the center; I don’t dare going in to find out. I also notice something coming off of the water, something that seems alive. “Luna, I’m getting a very bad feeling about this. We really should head back.” “How? You know my portals don’t last very long, and this place is sooooo pretty!” Oh yeah, I forgot. Making portals takes a lot out of her, and they usually only last long enough for her to enter, then they collapse. It must have been extra hard for her to keep it open long enough for me to go through. We’re trapped down here. Of course, unthinking that she is, Luna dives right into the pool. She comes up for air, then goes still. “Luna? Luna, what’s wrong?” She doesn’t answer; it’s like she’s gone into a trance. Suddenly, Luna pitches forward and lands face-first in the water. “Luna!” I jump in to save her. Are you pure? What? I try to move, but my feet have turned to lead. I whimper; I’m frightened out of my mind, and I have to save Luna! Are you pure of heart? What is that? “I guess so.” I hear myself saying. We shall see. Suddenly, my legs give out of their own accord. I am plunged into the water. ---------- I can’t breathe, still can’t move, I can only float through the water. My eyes dart around, trying to find Luna, but I can only see the green light. I find myself being pulled through the water towards the center. Why are you here? I was trying to get my sister to come back to the base, I think. Obviously, this thing is telepathic, so if I think it, it should hear. And your sister is the other, correct? Also, yes, I am telepathic. Crap, better not think about any ‘urges’ I have sometimes. The processes of your body are of no importance to me. Double crap. Tell me, what is it you desire most? What do I desire? My sister safe, my family away from harm. And you would do anything to make this so, correct? Yes. I feel a rumble emanate through the water. Whatever this is, it’s sighing. I have not walked the world above in generations, ever since Chaos ruled. At the name of the Dark Lord, the water turns red. He forced me down, broke me, reduced me to this! Really? What were you before? I am the collective remains of those who ruled before. Ones who embodied the aspects of what was right and what was wrong in equal amounts. Order, Anger, Cunning, Deceit, Tact, Balance. We ruled until the being Chaos sought to take all for himself. When he rose, our power dwindled. We fought back, but he had sowed his namesake amongst the people heavily, causing our powers to fall. What does this have to do with me? You and your sister claim to be pure of heart. Are you? We are human. We have made our share of mistakes in the past. And have you allowed those mistakes to rule you? No! Never! Well, maybe… Why are you so unsure? And so, at the prodding of this being, I tell him of how exactly we came here, the night we saw the looters, me searching for Luna, finding the Children of Order, which the being scoffed at, to how we found this cave. I just wanted to keep her safe. I joined this group not because I wanted to take down Chaos, but to keep my promise to Dad. I made the mistake of not telling our parents what we saw the moment we saw it, and that led to Luna running off! You are sure you were the sole reason she ran? Yes, and I would do anything to take it back. We have been speaking with her as well. She is saying she was scared for you. What? She ran from what she loves most in order to save what she loves most. She joined an organization doomed to fail in order to give you a chance at peace. So tell me, how are you to blame for the actions of another? I…uh… I don’t know. And that is why we consider you pure. You take care of those you love, do not let evil into your hearts, and are willing to sacrifice everything to save them. You are worthy. Worthy of what? Worthy of taking our power and using it to destroy our brother who we once loved. What? Kill Lord Chaos? Yes, my child. We were siblings in everything but blood. When he struck us down, he also severed his bonds with us. In our diminished state, we are powerless. You, however, are a well of potential. A potential to use our power for good, to counteract Chaos’ evil. And Luna? How would she fit into this? How would you wish for her to be? Safe, above all else. But, if she is here, does that mean you are giving her the same offer? Yes. She seems drawn to the promise of power, when wielded to protect those she deems worthy. However, her power would make her unstable. She needs a yang to her yin. Balance must be maintained. Then give me the power. I won’t ever risk harm to Luna. Ah, but if you do, you would eventually wipe all life from existence. What? Why would I do that? Because you see the good in people, and despise the bad. Everyone has bad inside them; given the power and no control, you would destroy everything. Your sister must be the yin to your yang. So, because we can support each other, and balance the other’s urges, we are the perfect vessels? It would appear so. Then I will accept the responsibility of destroying Chaos and keeping my sister in check. I try to project my thoughts outwards. Luna? Can you hear me? Yes, Cel, I can hear you. You know what he is asking, correct? Yes. I swear to the destruction of Chaos, and to make sure my sister does not go crazy. Alright, what do we do to receive this power? Simply take the gems in front of you, and let their power flow. I look and, sure enough, we’ve come to the center of the pool. Luna floats on the other side of two large gems shaped like part of a circle. One is bright as the clearest day, the other dark as the blackest night, but each has one spot of the opposite color near one end. I take the light, Luna takes the dark. Combine the gems, and open the pathways of your magic. We do so, and they are put together to make a perfect circle. Instantly, we are hit with a wave of energy. Keep them together! The voice then speaks in a voice full of hope, as me and Luna struggle to keep the gems together. It’s like they want to stay separate. One is the light. It represents peace, mercy, decisiveness, and compassion. The other is the dark. It stands for anger, passion, drive, violence. Both must be maintained for our power to succeed. On its own, neither can stand. But together… together they become the greatest driving force in the cosmos: Balance. Only together can Balance and Order defeat Chaos and Disarray. We, those who came before, place our power within you, Celestia and Luna, the Sisters of Balance! We are being hit by wave upon wave of energy. It is passing over us, passing through us, changing us down to our core. I’m trembling, but I lock eyes with Luna. She looks determined; she can see this through, so can I. Suddenly, it stops. The voice comes again, but is very faint. It is done… take our power…destroy Chaos… and he is gone. As he goes, I realize I still can’t breathe underwater. Creator knows how we did it this whole time. We break the surface, and swim for shore. As we lay there, gasping, on our backs, I look to Luna. “Did…did that really just happen?” “Y-you mean a spirit spoke to us, found us worthy, and infused us with its power? Uhh, yeah.” She sits up, and I gasp again. “Luna! Your back!” “What? Is there something on my back? Get it off!” She jumps up and starts running around. She stops when she sees her reflection in the pool. I work up the strength to stand up, and stand beside her. Sure enough, I have the same thing. Wings. Beautiful, gorgeous wings. Mine are large and soft, like a dove’s. Luna’s are smaller, and black as night, like a raven. And that isn’t the only change. Our hair has changed. Luna’s hair, instead of black, is now a midnight blue, shimmering with a star field and the mysteries of the night sky. Mine has changed from its soft blonde to stripes of pastel blue, green, and pink. Both are flowing of their own accord, without wind. “Wow. Do you think these things work?” Luna’s face scrunches in concentration, and the wings flap. “Hang on, wasn’t there something about power, too?” I summon a ball of light, and gasp. Instead of my simple orb of shimmering golden light, it is now a ball of fire as large as my head. I toss it against a wall, and it explodes into a five-pointed star of pure heat that keeps burning. I concentrate, and the flames die down. “Cool. Come on, Lulu. Let’s get out of here.” I flap my wings experimentally, then flap really hard, and take off up the offshoot, Luna, for once, following me. ---------- I pause my tale to look at my student and her friends. They are looking at me like zombies, jaws slack, eyes half-closed, ears drooped. Luna comes up to me. “I think you broke them, dear sister.” Well, I at least know how to snap my student back into action. “Twilight! Friendship report, now!” Twilight jerks up, belting out, “DearPrincessCelestiatodayIlearnedthat… Oh, Princess Celestia, when did you get here?” Then, the tale I spun catches up to her. “OHMIYOU! You and… then you… spirit and… wings… hair… Luna…wha…wha…” “What happened next was disappointing, to say the least. We returned to the Children; actually met with the leader, whom we told the story to. I could see that he wanted to believe the whole thing a lie, but it was kind of hard to argue when the two who told it left the compound with flat hair, and came back with wings and flowing scalps. We then went into hiding. Partially by our insistence, of course. We couldn’t walk around outside; the wings would have given us away immediately. We continued our training, sparring with the highest-level magicians the Children had squirreled away. “Eventually, Luna and I knew it was time to go after Chaos. The leader tried to stop us every step of the way, and it was then that we learned they were just as corrupt as Chaos.” “How so?” “They tried to lock us up, make us into tools not only to remove Chaos, but to be used against every enemy that they come against. In response, we tried to run, but would always be caught and brought back. We didn’t try to hurt any of them; the majority of the Children wanted nothing more than to remove Chaos to bring a return of peace. It was after one such attempt we finally took Fate into our own hands…” ---------- Luna is pacing the cell. They seem to think that simple bars could keep us contained, and we are content to let them think that. Truthfully, I can list at least thirty ways out of this cell, only ten of which cause harm to the guards outside. “Leader thinks he wants to turn us into tools. We’re stronger than him, right Cel? He doesn’t stand a chance against us.” I’ve come to recognize this. Luna is starting to lose stability, the dark beginning to overtake her. If it happens, it will take everything I can do to subdue her. “Lulu…” I reach out and take her arm. I reach out with my energy, and take some of her dark, replacing it with a bit of my light. This technique is the best way to balance out the energies inside us, without overloading the other. She takes a deep breath, then exhales and looks at me. “Thanks, Cel. Now, what do we do?” “I’m tired of waiting for Leader to think we’re ready. I know we are ready now! We can’t learn anything more from his mages; it is time to take the fight to Lord Chaos.” “So, what’s the plan?” “I’m thinking, Plan 19.” She grins. “I like Plan 19.” ---------- “Guard! Guard!” “Ugh. Shut up, Celestia. You aren’t allowed out until Leader comes to speak with you.” “Luna’s gone!” “Wh-what?” The guard scrambles over, and sure enough, no Luna in the cell. “Where did she go? How did she get out?” A finger reaches over and caresses his shoulder. “I’m right here.” Before he can react, a fist shoots out and knocks him unconscious. Luna steps over his body, retrieving the keys. “As to the how, I just used my portal magic to escape.” “Good job, sis. Phase Two.” Which basically involves us running through the compound, stopping to grab a few things, and getting out. The first two parts go as planned, but we’re stopped at the entrance by none other than the Leader and his mages. “And were, may I ask, do you two think you are going?” “We’re going to do what you haven’t had the balls to do! We’re going after Chaos, and you can’t stop us!” Thankfully, we were ready for this possibility. This is what Plan 19 is for. I launch a fireball at him. One of his mages knocks it away. Then, before any of them can react, the Leader is on the ground, out cold. I smile. See, in the instant he knocked my fireball away, Luna opened two portals; one above the Leader, and the other where my fireball was going. As it entered the portal, I focused, and dropped the fire’s temperature to absolute zero, turning it into a ball of ice. Instant KO to the Leader’s thick skull, just as planned. What wasn’t as planned was the mages immediately opening fire on us. We duck behind a pillar. “What now, sis? This wasn’t part of the plan.” “I don’t know. Improvise!” She smiles. “Improvise, I can do.” She lobs a portal… somewhere, and another at her feet. She jumps through, and I hear a yelp somewhere behind me. I try and see where she is, but am forced back behind the pillar as a flurry of fire, ice, and electricity flashes past. Thankfully, I’ve also learned some tricks. Specifically, tricks with light. “Lights out!” I shout as a warning to Luna, then focus and plunge the tunnel into darkness. I hear several muffled thumps. “All good!” I bring the light back, and Luna is standing, surrounded by the unconscious forms of the mages and guards. “Aww, didn’t leave any for your big sis?” I mock. “Bite me, Celly. You’ve never taken hand-to-hand seriously.” “True, true. Now let’s get going. Your punches have never kept someone down long.” As if to prove my point, an alarm tears thought the base. “Alert! Alert! Angels 1 and 2 have escaped! Alert! Alert! Angels 1 and 2 have escaped!” Oh yeah, the Leader had taken to calling us his little Angels, due to our wings and mystical-level powers. Figures he’d turn it into our codenames for stuff. We make a beeline for the surface. ---------- Meanwhile, two people are playing cards near a seemingly innocuous sewer hole. “Hey man.” “What?” “You ever wonder why we’re here?” “As a matter of fact, no. Now put up or shut up.” Suddenly, the sewer cover starts rumbling. Then, two beings, one looking like an angel from the heavens, the other a demon from the darkest reaches of hell, burst out of the hole and streak into the sky. After a moment’s collaboration, they turn and head towards Lord Chaos’ Citadel. The two men are shocked. “Hey.” “What?” “I think I just figured out why we’re here.” “And what’s that?” “To bring the news about the end times, because brother, they sure as hell are here.” ---------- Oh man, flying through the air without restriction feels soooooooo good! Now I know why birds do it all the time! However, certain events bring me out of my elation. Sis? We’re getting close to the Citadel.” “How close?” I ask, laying on my back and letting my wings do the work. I bolt to attention, though, when a pillar of shadow rushes between us. “That close.” “Wowza. Okay, Plan 24.” “Ooh, can we do Plan 42 instead?” “What in the world is Plan 42?” “It’s exactly the same as Plan 24, but with the promise of a deeper meaning that we may never know.” “Okay, okay, whatever, just do it!” More shadow bolts are coming at us. I concentrate, and several plates of light appear around us. Luna concentrates harder, and as the bolts contact the plates, portals appear, taking the bolts and launching them right back at the Agents on the Citadel walls. They scatter as the walls are blown apart. We make for the lower main hall, near the top of the castle. See, The Citadel of Chaos is upside-down. People enter through the tallest spire, and make their way down to the audience chambers. We go for what is supposed to be the main gate at what is supposed to be the foot of the castle. “Hey Cel, how thick do you think that door is?” “I don’t know, two, two and a half feet? What are you planning?” “Just follow me and don’t stop!” She makes a beeline for the doors, picking up speed. I follow, as always trusting in my kid sister. As we fly, I see her summoning her power. Just as she is about to impact the door, a shimmering portal opens up, and we fly through into the Citadel. We soar up into the rafters, where I take a moment and catch my breath. “What the hell, Lulu?” “Sorry, Cel, didn’t want to say unless it worked. I made a portal through the door, without knowing what’s on the other side.” She flashes that lopsided smile. “I told you I’ve gotten good at the whole portal business.” I look at her, eyes wide. “Well, I sure as hell hope you hadn’t been here before! What if you had been an inch short? We would’ve gone into the door!” She grins wider. “But we didn’t. We actually passed through with about half a foot to spare.” I stop. “Wait. You made a portal… on nothing?” I swoop over and sweep her into a hug. “That’s amazing, Lulu!” “Hey, it’s what I’m good at.” She pulls herself from my embrace. “So, where could Chaos be in this dump?” “Right behind you,” A deep voice sounds, and a dark figure steps from the shadows. The strange part is not that he is utterly handsome, nor that his clothes seem to be made from shadows themselves, but that he is walking on the side of the rafter, parallel to the floor below. We ready ourselves; our advantage of surprise is, obviously, blown. “Oh, come now girls. Can I interest you in a friendly conversation? It’s the least I could do for you blowing up my Agents and infiltrating my palace.” He gives us a disarming smile, and with a snap of his fingers, we’re in a sitting room, teacups in hand, with Chaos walking on the ceiling, bustling about a small kitchen. “One lump or two in your tea, girls?” Two sugar cubes drop on our heads, hard as stone, and bounce into our cups. “Firstly, may I trouble you two for your names?” We look at each other uneasily, but he’s playing nice for now. “I am Celestia, and my sister, Luna.” “So, why would two street urchins have any business coming into my palace? Oh, hang on, coming up.” A ladder shoots into the table, and Chaos climbs/descends it, teapot in hand. He jumps off about halfway down/up, and lands on the table. He fills our cups, then turns and drops the pot up into the sink. As his back is turned, I make a don’t drink motion at Luna; one that, thankfully, she gets. We set our cups down; by unspoken agreement, I speak. “Well, Chaos, to be completely honest, we’ve come intending to destroy you.” He laughs; it’s a happy laugh, and one that screams ‘and what makes you think that has the slightest chance in hell of working?’ “And who sent you? The Children of Order? I knew they had recruited a couple of children, but I had no idea they trained young ones in such a level of sabotage.” He smiles a wolfish smile. “But, then again, you aren’t truly children, are you? Don’t lie; I can sense energy as well as you can.” I look to Luna, and we both flash our wings at him. “Ah, you have been Touched.” “Touched, sir? I thought that was a street name for your Agents.” “Yes, and I’ve always hated that name. My Agents have not been touched by my power, they have been molded by it.” He gets up, and starts pacing a wall. “Technically, everyone in the world has been touched by my power, but only those I deem worthy are allowed to unlock their true potential. A few months ago, two of my subjects suddenly rejected my touch, and instead accepted another’s. Whose power did you take?” He motions and suddenly, we’re held against the far wall, held by tendrils of dark energy. Luna works up the power to say, “All of theirs.” A flash of worry passes Chaos’ face. “Who?” Now Luna is smiling. “We were given the powers of all the beings who maintained the Balance. They said something about you once being a brother to them, but then you schemed and plotted, and killed all your siblings, stripping their individual powers away until almost nothing was left.” Now he does look worried. “What? That’s impossible!” His legs keep moving, stalking back and forth, but his torso, head, and arms still hold that pose of thoughtfulness. “I utterly destroyed them, consigned their souls to the Void. How—” a sense of realization comes over him. “It was the Seal, wasn’t it? They bound their souls to the Gem Seal.” I sense it is my time to speak. “Yes, and we have come to right your wrongs.” “No.” “We are the retribution of those who came before.” “No!” “We are their vengeance.” “NO!” He thrusts his hands out, and we are flung through the wall back into the main hall. We barely recover, staying in the air, as Chaos destroys the remains of the wall in a blast of magic. His façade has faded; he is no longer clean-shaven, and parts of his body are actually pure shadow. He looks at us with red, rage-filled eyes. “You want balance? Well, I can provide some balance for you!” He launches a wall of darkness at us, and we are too slow to react. We are engulfed, but it passes by us unharmed. When we can see again, Chaos is reclining on his throne, flanked by two new beings. These new foes are us, but different; the wings are pure shadow, our eyes are as red as the setting sun, and looking at us (the real us) with malice. Chaos eyes the four of us appreciatively. “I’ve heard that the greatest problem facing my people is how to overcome themselves. This is different, though. These two have all the meager powers you have, but infused with my own. This will be less about you overcoming yourselves, and more yourselves grinding you two into dust. Oh my Moon and Stars, please make these two disappear.” With a grin, the doppelgangers launch themselves at us. I don’t have time to assist Luna; I’m too busy avoiding a flurry of shadow and fire directed my way by the Doppel-Celestia. I duck behind a pillar, and summon fire of my own. Before I can launch, however, a portal opens above me, and Luna crashes down. “Damn it! Cel, she’s screwing with my portals and throwing everything I have back with twice the strength! What do we do?” I peek out, and launch my fire at the other Celestia. Sure enough, she catches it, infuses it with shadow, and throws it back. “Damn. Okay, Chaos said something about overcoming ourselves, right? What if we try to change up the playing field? What if we don’t face ourselves?” A light comes on in Luna’s head. Ten seconds later, we walk out on opposite sides of the pillar, orbs in each hand. Chaos chuckles. “You really think the powers of the Balance can defeat me? They were weak, while I thrive on the chaos of the world. Girls, I don’t like asking twice, but please make the other girls go away.” They charge with arms changed to shadow blades. As they approach, Luna springs into action. She summons two large portals under our feet, and we swap places. I come up to meet D-Luna’s blades, while Luna blocks D-Cel’s. The look on D-Luna’s, and Chaos’ faces, is priceless. Confusion, mixed with eyes that scream ‘Oh, crap’. I answer the look with twin fireballs in the face. She shrieks, and flies into the rafters. “No, you fools! Attack your own twin!” Yeah, right. We aren’t going to let them get the chance. I fly after D-Luna, only to hear a portal zap behind me, and feet get planted into my back. I focus, and teleport about three feet back, and take D-Luna in a chokehold. We slam into the floor, fake Luna first. I fly up, and focus my energy into a beam. I turn the beam on the faker, and my light burns away its very essence. Nothing remains except the crater. I look to Luna, and the fake me is on the ground, crushed windpipe, broken arms, and one leg pointing the wrong way. I grimace. “Pretty gruesome, sis.” “You’re calling me gruesome, Cel? You burned me down to nothing!” “Point taken.” We turn our attention to Chaos. If he’s worried, he’s showing all of it. “How? How could you, children of all people, possibly defeat my shadows? They’re the perfect weapons!” “Of chaos, maybe, but Balance isn’t about overcoming by force. It’s about knowing how to balance the forces of both good and evil. Since we couldn’t overcome our own flaws, we fought against the others.” “Children should not have that level of knowledge! Children need to be punished for their impudence!” “Children also usually do not sport wings and the rage of a hundred other beings, with the power to boot. Face it, Chaos, you are lost.” “NO!” He attacks us with a huge surge of chaos energy. We stand side by side, and answer with our own energy. “YOU WILL NOT TAKE MY RULE FROM ME!” His energy output increases; we are slowly being pushed back. At this moment, I come to the realization: we are still working separately. We need to work as one. “Combine the power!” “What?” “Balance! The only way to defeat Chaos is to use both halves of the Balance as one! We must combine the power!” “That’s crazy!” she quickly shoots me a look; sure enough, she has that same lopsided smile. “I love it when you’re crazy.” We focus, and our beams become intertwined. With the combined might of both the Light and the Dark, we push back. We push back, all the way to Chaos. We separate, but keep the power together. We stand to either side of the throne, and force Chaos to his knees. The chaos beam weakens, then sputters out completely. When he speaks, he speaks with the age of a hundred lifetimes. “…how? How can two children possibly defeat me?” Then, a voice comes. It is coming from both Luna and I, and speaks in the voice we heard in the pool. “Chaos, our brother. You have decimated the Balance.” “No, that’s not true! I tried to save the Balance!” “Liar! You stand guilty of slaying your brethren, and plunging our world into darkness. Your punishment is death.” Then power, raw, unimaginable power, shoots from both of us, consuming Chaos in a blazing inferno. When the light fades, nothing remains of Lord Chaos, or his throne. “Is…is it over?” Luna pants. I nod. “I think so, sis.” ---------- A few weeks later, and the world is still in a state of upheaval. The Agents are still trying to keep order, but failing badly. The Children of Order, as well as other resistance movements, have taken to the streets. Chaos might be gone, but his effects will last several lifetimes. We’ve tried to keep the Balance, but it is a losing battle. The truth is, we don’t know what else we can do. There are riots, looting, entire buildings being reduced to ash. Our first task upon killing Chaos was to demolish his Citadel, which we did with extreme prejudice. Not a single stone remains. The next was making sure the populace stayed calm. That was a big fat failure. Another task is making sure no single force takes the leadership for malicious intent. That is proving our hardest trial. We stand on the roof of the tallest standing building in the city, looking down at the chaos. “What are we doing, Cel?” Luna looks awful. We’ve seen the absolute worst of humanity, and its hit her hard. Her hair is a mess, she has bags under her eyes, which are red and puffy, and her strength is giving out. I haven’t seen a mirror lately, but I’m sure I’m not much better. “We’re trying to return the Balance.” “Why? It’s obvious the Balance doesn’t want to come back.” That is not true, my child. We both stand a bit straighter. “What? How? You were gone!” Due to your actions, we have regained some of our strength. Not enough to return to this world, but enough to cast our gaze to the cosmos. Chaos still lives. “No, you’re mistaken. We destroyed him.” You destroyed the physical incarnation of Chaos. His spirit endured, and has fled. “Fled where?” We have a direction, but you may not like what we have found. Chaos has fled this dimension. “How? That shouldn’t be possible!” We know. However, you must follow. Origin is lost to us; Chaos’ reign has left deep scars that may never heal. Although, this new world he goes to may yet be saved, if we move quickly enough. “How could we follow him? He is equivalent to a god if he can travel dimensions.” You forget, you possess the power of many gods. Combine our knowledge with your teleportation and portal powers, and you can go anywhere. Luna focuses, and a portal appears in front of us, looking into the cosmos. I concentrate, and, along with the ancient’s knowledge, pinpoint the dimension Chaos has gone to. It should be fair to mention, Chaos will not hesitate to take any form needed to feed upon the chaos of the world. You may search for years until he is has enough power for you to take notice. “Okay. But, if he has no rules, we don’t need all of yours. We will help those who need it, wherever we go. We will not accept your help, unless Chaos does appear. I’m sure we’ll think of some others along the way. Do you accept our terms?” We are conflicted, but accept. We feel part of our downfall was caused by too many rules and restrictions on our power. If we had not restricted ourselves so, maybe Chaos would never have risen. “Sounds good. Shall we, sister?” Luna bows grandly, gesturing at the portal. “Indeed we shall, sister.” And so, the two angels embark on their crusade to stop Chaos, and return the Balance to the multiverse.