//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: The Princesses of Chaos // Story: Twin Chaos // by Moon Glow //------------------------------// Chapter 3 The Princesses of Chaos It was bright and early the following morning after the mysterious screams were heard and Twilight Sparkle was waiting at the map room for her friends. She awoke at 5:30 am and pestered Spike enough to wake him an hour later. The reason: she wanted him to fetch the other former Elements of Harmony while she made calculations and preparations. One by one, her friends entered the map room. The first was Applejack, who was wide awake due to morning chores. She was soon followed by Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. Rarity followed suit, muttering at how rude it was to wake a pony so early in the morning. The last was Rainbow Dash, who was half-asleep when Twilight spoke as Spike returned to his room for some more shut-eye. "I'm glad you are all here. I suppose you've heard the screams last night a little before midnight?" Rainbow, Rarity, and Applejack groaned. "I'll say. I had to repair my roof after those screams caught me by surprise." "And I had to re-establish my beauty sleep after having a cup of chamomile tea. Can't exactly rest when my heartbeat is faster than the hour." Applejack rolled her eyes at Rarity's analogy as she spoke up. "And I thought it was just a dream. Any idea what it was?" As the ponies took their seats on their respective thrones, Twilight spoke. "For all we know, somepony needed help. Or it could be a trick." "Or maybe it was the sound of a surprise party getting started." Pinkie replied. The others gave her a quick stare before the bubblegum mare shrugged her shoulders. "What? It happens." Ignoring Pinkie, Twilight was about to speak as Fluttershy was about to sit on her throne. However, the princess' words were cut when the Cutie Marks over their thrones began to glow and the familiar image of a marker of the same images appeared on the map. Like with the events with Starlight Glimmer, the marker placed itself at a specific location on the map. This time, it was in the Everfree Forest. At the site of the Castle of the Two Sisters. "This can't be a coincidence." Twilight spoke. Her fellow ponies looked to her with confusion. "What do ya mean, Twilight?" Applejack asked. The Princess of Friendship answered her, her gaze cast to the spot on the map. "I've located the trajectory of the screams last night. Not only did I found that they came from the Everfree Forest, but from the direction of Celestia and Luna's old castle." "You don't suppose something's there…*gulp*…do you?" Fluttershy meekly asked. "There's only one way to find out." Twilight replied as she collected her saddlebags. Seeing their friend gathering gear, the other ponies took interest. Applejack was the first to speak. "Well, if we're gonna spend the day at the ol' castle, I better make something for lunch." Rarity then spoke up. "And I simply must go over what clothes to wear. For all we know, it could be a visiting dignitary. Maybe even a prince!" The other Elements rolled their eyes as a new voice echoed in the castle, chuckling. "*chuckle* Oh sure. Like a certain prince you have met in the past, Rarity?" The ponies turned their attention to the ceiling, where a certain multi-species creature relaxed on the ceiling. Rarity narrowed her eyes at the creature. "I can assure you, Discord, that not all princes are like Blueblood." The venom in Rarity's voice reminded the present ponies about the rude prince the unicorn met at the Grand Galloping Gala a year ago. Wanting to prevent a fight, Twilight spoke up. "I doubt the scream came from a prince, Rarity. From what it sounded like, it seemed feminine." She then looked up to Discord, who was still on the ceiling. "And why exactly are you here, Discord?" The Master of Chaos floated down to the ground as he stretched himself. "You weren't the only one who is interested with what's appeared in the Everfree Forest. Just a little bit before those screams, I felt a magical imbalance. What I'm curious most is that, for the brief second I was able to sense it, it is a magic similar to mine." Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow as she spoke. "Are you saying you've got some relatives coming over?" Discord stopped stretching and shrugged his shoulders. "Not that I know of, Rainbow Dash. As far as I know, I'm the only one of my kind in existence." This was quite puzzling to the ponies. The owners of the screams possessed the same kind of magic as Discord? What exactly was lurking in the Everfree Forest? "Well, the only way we're all going to get answers is by checking out the old castle." Twilight spoke up. The ponies and Draconequus both agreed with the Princess of Friendship, though there were some who wanted to stay behind and avoid the danger. Or in Rarity's case, the dirt and grime. So from there, the seven headed into the Everfree Forest. It was some time later before they reached the old castle, but it was still early enough for the castle's current residents to remain asleep. Upon entering the castle, Twilight laid out her plan. "Ok. We'll divide into teams of two. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, you two take the north wing." "You got it!" Rainbow declared. Applejack nodded. "Ya can count on us, Twi." With the first team picked out, Twilight continued as they entered the throne room. "Pinkie Pie, you'll maintain the rendezvous here after you do a quick sweep of the South Wing." The bubblegum mare responded by saluting before speeding off to set up camp. Once Pinkie got to work, Twilight looked to Fluttershy and Discord. "Why don't you two check out the West wing while Rarity and I check out the East wing?" The timid Pegasus nodded as Discord felt familiar shivers down his spine. "The sources of the magic are in those same wings. What's more, I can sense that they are deluded versions of my magic." This caught the ponies' attention. "Your recommendation, Discord?" Twilight asked. Discord answered as he looked to the entrance to the western part of the castle. "Approach with caution. Not even I know what we'll encounter." The ponies took his words to heart as they walked in their predestined destinations. Pinkie, with her Fourth-Wall-Breaking speed, looked through all of the rooms in the southern part of the castle but found nothing that could be the source of the screams. With that, she returned to the throne room where she finished setting up camp. Applejack and Rainbow Dash checked every room at their end until they reached Celestia's private study in the old library. There, they noticed something shimmering. "What's that?" Rainbow asked. Applejack entered the alcove and found the source of the shimmering. "It's a mirror." Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief just as a sound was coming forth from the mirror. "Eb… Iv… Girl…" The two ponies remained in shock as something began to appear in the mirror. Twilight and Rarity were reaching the top of one of the castle's intact towers when the unicorn spoke. "So. Any idea where we are going?" Twilight, after reaching into her memory, answered the fashionista. "From what I remember of the castle's blueprints, we're nearing Princess Celestia's old room." Hearing this, Rarity gave a squeal. "The princess' old room?! Oh, I can't wait to see what it looks like. I wonder if I can come up with some dress designs there." Twilight resisted the urge to roll her eyes. This was similar to what she had heard about when she and her friends entered the castle in nearly over a year since the battle against Nightmare Moon. Hopefully, Rarity would not forget what they were there for or of the friends that would be waiting upon their return. The pair stopped when there was no more stairs and were facing a door with a golden sun on it. "That must be it." Twilight spoke as she approached the door. Rarity used her magic to begin opening the door. "Well, let's go in." Twilight was about to speak to Rarity about being cautious when the unicorn opened the door. The sun shining, they found that there was something sleeping in a gold and white canopy bed. And that something was Ivory Wolfe. At the opposite wing… As Rarity and Twilight were discovering the current resident of Celestia's old room, Fluttershy and Discord were making their way towards Luna's. Being in the castle in the daylight made the place less scary to the timid Pegasus, but she was still nervous of who was the owners of the screams were. Discord, on the other hand, was very curious. For centuries, he knew nopony else who held chaos-based magic like him. And now there were two other sources! His mind was boggled as he went over in his mind on what could possess said magic. There was one thing that kept echoing in his mind: Rainbow Dash's question concerning if he had relatives. Was it possible that he wasn't the only Draconequus in existence? What if there were more of his kind? He would soon get his answer once he and Fluttershy found themselves in front of a door with a crescent moon on it. Sensing the magic, Discord spoke up. "It's coming from in there." Hearing this, Fluttershy gulped. "W-what do you suppose is in there?" Discord answered as he reached for the door handle. "Hopefully, my dear, the answer to a lot of questions." Without another word, he opened the door and the pair entered the room. Fluttershy lingered behind, examining the room while Discord walked on ahead. He was so focused on finding the source of the magic that he failed to notice the bed in front of him. He stopped walking when his head hit the canopy. He growled quietly as he rubbed his head. "Ow! Who put that there?" As he was about to exact revenge on the canopy, his eagle claw halted as he noticed that the bed had an occupant. "Fluttershy." He whispered. The Pegasus turned her attention to Discord and noticed the covered lump on the bed. Gulping, Fluttershy fluttered toward one of the windows and opened a set of curtains, allowing some light to hit the center of the sleeping figure yet away from its face. With a nod from Fluttershy, Discord carefully pulled away the blanket a bit, revealing the face of the sleeper. What they saw surprised them greatly. "Discord! It's…" But Fluttershy's whispers fell silent as she was in awe. Discord understood, for that was exactly what he was thinking. Discord managed to whisper as he stared at the occupant. "It's a Draconequus! Looks like an adolescent female. A teenage Draconequus filly!" Forgetting her nerves, Fluttershy hovered next to Discord as she stared at awe at the female. Upon further inspection, Fluttershy noticed something odd. "Discord. This filly. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she looks just like you." As much as Discord wanted to laugh it off, Fluttershy's observation was sound. Aside from a few obvious differences, she did possess a slight resemblance. But now he had new questions. But just as he struggled to find an answer, the younger Draconequus started to stir. Seeing this, Discord grabbed Fluttershy and dashed into a closet, covering her mouth with his lion's paw. "Shh." Ebony opened her eyes as she sat up. She rubbed the side of her head, careful not to scratch herself with her claws. "Well, at least now I know last night wasn't a dream." She then looked towards the windows and got out of bed. As she walked to open the curtains, the two friends in the closet took notice of her full figure. She was symmetrical as opposed do Discord, but she still had multiple animal parts like him. Once she opened the last of the curtains, Ebony let out a yawn as she spoke. "I wonder if Ivory's up yet? Then again, knowing my sister, she's sleeping like a rock." As she walked out, the hidden pair left their hiding place. "Well, that answers the question 'what's the source of the other magic.'" Discord spoke. Fluttershy then recalled something the female spoke. "She said she has a sister named 'Ivory.' She must be in the East Wing where Twilight and Rarity are." Discord got an idea and voiced it. "I'll send you to the East Wing while I keep an eye on our young friend." But before Fluttershy could say anything, Discord snapped his eagle claw and the Pegasus disappeared from the room. He then proceeded to follow the younger Draconequus, growing more and more curious by the second. Back at the East Wing… Twilight and Rarity hid in Celestia's old closet as the new Draconequus headed out of the room, groggy. "Better get downstairs before Ebony decides to get a bucket of ice water. Knowing her, she might just do that." As she left, the two ponies stepped out of their closet and watched as the Draconequus walked down the stairs. "I just can't believe it! There are other Draconequui beside Discord!" Twilight exclaimed. "I must say for a mismatched creature, she's got lovely hair." Rarity pointed out, causing Twilight to roll her eyes. Just then, a flash of light came from the bedroom, causing the ponies to return inside. In the room, they found Fluttershy. "Fluttershy? What are you doing here?" Twilight asked curiously. After blinking a couple of times, the butter-colored Pegasus answered the alicorn princess. "Discord sent me here. We've found an adolescent Draconequus in the West Wing. We've hid when she woke up. She's on her way to wake her sister up." This alerted the pair. "Sister? You mean we have not one, but two Draconequui in this castle?!" Rarity exclaimed. Twilight looked like she was ready to burst from the shock. "Where's Discord?" Fluttershy answered them. "He's following the Draconequus from the West Wing." "Then we better follow the other one, too." Twilight whispered. Suddenly, a voice caught their attention. "You know. If you wanna ask questions, it's polite to actually ask them in front of their face." The three ponies turned towards the door to find the white maned Draconequus leaning on the wall across from them. She had her lion's forepaws folded and had a thin eyebrow slightly arched. The three mares froze, uncertain of what to do next. Before them was a creature with the ability to warp reality to whatever she wished. If she got angry, who knows what she would do to them. But Fluttershy remembered when she started the trying task of reforming Discord, who had caused much damage in the past. But what stopped him from totally conquering all of Equestria for a third time was the simple fact that he never had a friend before. At least, according to him. So, Fluttershy decided she needed to be brave and approached the younger Draconequus. "W-we're sorry to disturb you, Miss. But my friends and I heard screaming last night coming from this area. I don't suppose that was you, was it?" There was a silent pause that sent nearly everypony's heart rate through the roof. Twilight and Rarity looked to their timid friend and thought while it was a risky thing to do, it was also very brave of her. The silence was broken, however, as the Draconequus stroked her chin in curious thought. "Screams? From here?" Her eyes then widened as she realized the situation. She turned her attention to the mares and spoke, a light blush on her cheeks appearing. "Oh! Sorry about that. That was me and my sister." The magically gifted ponies blinked in surprise at the Draconequus' statement, and more importantly, the manner in which it was spoken. She wasn't at all hostile. At least, from what she appeared to be. Breathing a slight sigh of relief, Twilight spoke. "Well. If those screams were from you and your sister, what were you screaming about?" The Draconequus' eyes widened for a bit before she rubbed the back of her head. Uncertainty filled her eyes. "Um…It's kinda a long story. Maybe it'd be best if my sister was with me to explain." She then placed a paw on her chest as she continued. "My name's Ivory, by the way." The ponies blinked at each other for a moment before giving slight smiles. Perhaps this Draconequus wasn't like Discord after all. As the first to speak, Fluttershy spoke up. "Well, it's very nice to meet you, Ivory. My name's Fluttershy." The unicorn mare took a step forward and gave her introductions. "My name is Rarity, dear. And I must say you have quite the unique hairstyle." Twirling her black lock, Ivory spoke. "You should see my sister's. And she's the one without any fashion sense." Deciding to cut off Rarity before she could go into a full-fledged fashion lecture, Twilight approached Ivory and spoke. "And I am Twilight Sparkle. I must say it's a pleasure to meet an actual Draconequus that's polite." Ivory then raised an eyebrow again. This time in greater confusion. "A dracon-what's-it?" This caused all three mares to blink in surprise. Twilight spoke up again. "A Draconequus. You know. The creature you are?" Ivory blinked and looked to her paws. "Is that what we are?" she asked. "Darling. Are you saying you don't know what you are?" Rarity asked, very confused. Scratching the back of her head again, Ivory spoke. "Again, this is something I want to discuss alongside my sister." She then turned to the stairs and started to head down. "If you come with me, there's no doubt we'll meet her in the main hall." Seeing the logic in this, yet kept on guard, the three mares agreed to follow Ivory. Questions ran rampant in their minds. One of them Twilight was able to voice out. "Excuse me. Ivory, was it? How come you're not upset at our presence here?" Ivory casted a glance at the alicorn before she spoke. "Well, first off, I'm still a bit groggy. I'm a little slow when I wake up. And second, I like meeting new people. Even if they are talking ponies." She then placed a finger on her chin as she thought of something. As she did, the ponies could swear that the Draconequus' coat became pale. "Although my sister might throw a bit of a fit." Back at the West Wing… Ebony yawned as she walked down the spiral staircase, making her way to the throne room. Discord kept his distance, keeping an eye on the younger Draconequus as his own curiosity grew. But as they were close to the bottom of the stairs, Ebony's senses finally woke up. And her intuition was telling her she was not alone. Seeing the filly about to turn around, Discord snapped his claw and became a tattered banner. When Ebony turned, she saw nothing behind her. Not seeing anything odd, Ebony shrugged her shoulders and continued down the steps. Discord waited a few moments before he reverted back to his original self and continued to follow. Yet, once again, Ebony sensed him and turned around, only to find no one there. At this, Ebony shook her head as she muttered to herself. "You're getting paranoid, Ebony. It's just paranoia." Discord found himself struggling to keep quiet as Ebony continued the trek downstairs. This filly was an amusing youth. She was acting like Twilight Sparkle when he would pester her. It was then an idea formed in his mind and he gave a soft, mischievous chuckle as he snapped his eagle claw and disappeared. Ebony soon found herself relaxing shortly after. Perhaps it was her emotions over what was happening with her and Ivory that was making her lose her marbles. She allowed her mind to wander to more important matters, such as finding food. She began to wonder from there exactly what kind of food creatures like her need to eat. Where she and her sister full-fledged carnivores? Herbivores? Or were they still omnivores? Ebony felt a dryness in her throat and rubbed it. "What I'd give for a glass of chocolate milk." After she acknowledge her thirst, she found herself in the main hall. But what caught her eye was a single side table with a glass of fresh chocolate milk. A quarter of her mind was asking where the milk came from. But her throat and the rest of her mind told to shut up and drink the milk. As she picked up the glass, the feeling she felt earlier came back. She froze from trying to quench her thirst and, in her frustration, turned on her scaly heels and shouted out in anger. "ALRIGHT! THAT'S IT! WHOEVER'S SPYING ON ME, SHOW YOURSELF!" She then snarled further as she muttered to herself.' "Better be Ivory." She then took a sip, but her eyes budged as she found the taste different from the chocolate. She pulled the drink away and eyed it. "Its chocolate milk, but it tastes like cotton candy?" "Did I hear someone say 'cotton candy'?" A familiar voice spoke out. Ebony looked to the stairs that lead to the east wing and spotted her sister coming down. Ebony's confusion was added with shock as three ponies about a third of their height following behind her. What's more, one of them had wings, one had a horn, and the third had both. Ebony's right eye began to twitch as she spoke. "Ivory. What did you do?" Ivory raised an eyebrow at her wound-up sister. "What are you talking about? We just came down." "We?" Ebony asked. Ivory gestured to the ponies behind her and introduced them. "Sis? I'm guessing these are three of this world's local residents. These three are Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle." She walked over to Ebony and placed a lion's paw around her sister's shoulders as she spoke to the ponies. "Everyone. This is my twin sister, Ebony." Upon introduction, each pony eyed the elder twin carefully. Just because Ivory was good didn't mean that there wasn't a chance that this "Ebony" was the evil twin. But they shook their heads at the thought. "That's completely illogical." Twilight thought. Ebony's eye kept twitching as she looked at her milk. "Nothing's making sense today." It was then a male's voice echoed in the hall, alerting the five mares in the hall. "Now what fun is there in making sense?" The twins gave questionable looks as the three mares glared at the hall. "Discord! Quit playing around. It's clear these two aren't amused." Twilight demanded. Just then, a sudden shadow appeared over the twins. The twins turned around and a look of sheer fear came upon their faces. Towering before them was another creature like them, only this one was not only taller than them, their heads coming up to its shoulders, but the creature also appeared to be an older male and his body, though similar, had one of each of their new limbs. He also had a goat horn and a deer antler and his eyes were yellow with red. Discord stood over the two with an amused look on his face. The two Draconequui held the funniest looks of shock and fear that he couldn't help but snicker. He also took notice of the second Draconequus. Aside from her ram's horns, pink scales, and lighter coat, the filly looked exactly like her sister. She also had the same symmetry as her sister, as she had two lion's paws and a pair of cloven hooves. The twins gulped as they stepped backwards. "Whoa….tall…" Ivory muttered. Ebony was speechless. Practically all cognitive control was locked up and Ebony couldn't think of some form of defense. Then, the older Draconequus jumped in the air and laughed while levitating. "You two should see the looks on your faces! It's like the two of you have never seen a Draconequus before!" With the laughter of the older creature, Ebony's thinking gears got back to work as she narrowed her eyes at him. "We can assure you we've never seen…whatever you are before in our lives!" Hearing this only made Discord laugh harder as Ebony and the three present ponies narrowed their eyes at him. Ivory was lost in confusion as she tried to back up her sister. "Hey! It's not our fault! We were human before we-!" "IVORY!" Ebony interrupted her sister in panic. However, it was too late. The word 'human' caught everypony's attention. Seeing this, Ebony glared at her sister. "Ivory! What is the matter with you?! You're taking this WAY too casually!" Ivory's eyes narrowed as she began to argue with her sister. "Hey! At least I'm trying to get us somewhere! You're the one too afraid to ask questions!" "I am not too afraid!" "You are so!" "Are not!" "Are too!" "Are not!" "Are too!" "THAT'S ENOUGH YOU TWO!" The twins froze in surprise as they stared at the one who stopped their fight: Fluttershy. The Pegasus glared at the two as she hovered between them. "That's enough fighting, you two. You should be ashamed of yourselves for acting in such away. Especially in front of other ponies." Realizing where they were, the twins blushed in embarrassment as Rarity approached them. "Really, darlings. It is very unladylike to bicker like foals in public." Ignoring Rarity's comment, Twilight approached the twins with a different question in mind. "Getting off topic, what's this about you being 'human'?" The twins were about to answer when they felt something tap their sides. "Hey. Are you two Ebony and Ivory Wolfe?" The pair looked down and saw a bubblegum mare. Her sudden appearance surprised the ponies present. "Pinkie Pie? When did you get here?" Twilight asked in surprise. Pinkie just smiled as she answered. "Just now, silly." She then looked to the twins for an answer. "So? Are you?" The twins looked at each other in confusion before answering simultaneously. "We are. Why?" Once again, Pinkie answered. "Your mother wants to talk to you." That caused the twins' eyes to widen as they looked at each other. "Uh-oh. We're in trouble." They replied. As they headed to the library with Pinkie, the other followed suit. Discord was the last, but he was slower because he was in deep thought. "Wolfe…Wolfe…why is that name so familiar?" Little did he knew that he would soon get his answer. The twins entered the library, where Rainbow Dash and Applejack were waiting. Upon seeing the twins, Rainbow smirked at Applejack and held out a hoof. "What'd I tell ya? Pay up." Applejack muttered angrily as she handed five bits to the Pegasus. Ignoring the pair, the sisters entered the alcove where the mirror was. But unlike last night, the glass was glowing. And in the mirror was a very angry Olivine Wolfe. Seeing her daughters in their current state, Olivine began the impending lecture. "Ebony April and Ivory May Wolfe! What have I told you about coming into my study without my permission?" The twins cringed at their mother's use of their middle names. That was a sign that they were neck-deep in trouble. Olivine folded her arms as she waited for her daughters to speak. "Well? What have you got to say for yourselves?" The twins cringed as they found themselves facing their mother's notorious stink-eye. "We're sorry, Mom." They apologized. Olivine remained furious at the pair. "You're lucky you're over in Equestria and I'm here. Perhaps a month on your own will be a suitable punishment for your stunt." "You know?" Ebony asked nervously. Olivine narrowed her eyes further at her eldest daughter. "Have you forgotten about the recording spell I've placed on my study in case of intruders? Or in this case, disobedient daughters?" Ebony gulped hard. She did forget about those spells. But before she could open her mouth, Ivory noticed how their mother was reacting and spoke. "Uh, Mom?" Ivory cringed when Olivine turned her gaze to her. But she asked her question regardless. "How come you're not freaking out at what we look like?" Their mother was about to answer when a male voice spoke in surprise. "Olivine?" The twins turned around as they looked to the older Draconequus in confusion, the ponies watching from the library giving equal looks. The only one who wasn't confused was Olivine. Seeing the Draconequus, her face softened greatly. The Draonequus' face was equally softened as he kept his gaze on the woman. "Discord? Is that you?" The Lord of Chaos nodded as he stood to the right of Ivory, who was standing next to Ebony. Placing a paw on the mirror, Discord nodded, keeping his gaze on the woman inside. "Y…yes, my dear. But…is it really you?" Olivine placed a hand on her side of the mirror, as if she was trying to touch Discord's paw. She nodded, tears starting to fall from her eyes. The twins were greatly confused at their mother's reaction. One minute, she was as angry as a grizzly bear, ready to ground them into the next life. Now, she was in tears. As if she was seeing someone she thought had died and just came back. It was then that Ebony took the plunge and spoke. "Uh…Mom? Do you know him?" Discord looked to the elder twin with slight surprise in his eyes. "Mom?" Olivine wiped away her tears as she saw the three before her. She knew this was coming eventually. She just never expected it to be so soon. "Actually, Ebony. I do." She then looked to Discord, keeping her hand on the mirror. "Discord? There's something I've been wanting to tell you for a long time. I'm not going to beat around the bush, so I'll be blunt." She then motioned to the twins, choosing her words. "Discord, these two are Ebony and Ivory Wolfe." Everyone listened intently as Olivine concluded her confession, looking at both Discord and the twins. "Discord…they are your daughters. And girls? Discord here…is your father." This caused everypony to gasp in shock. Discord, Ebony, and Ivory's eyes widened to the brink. Discord's jaw literally dropped to the ground. Ivory remained frozen as her mother's words echoed in her mind. And what did Ebony do after hearing that the older Draconequus was her father? She did what any sensible person would do in her position. She fainted.