//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: The Nightmare 
// Story: Double The Chaos 
// by The Lutece twins 
//------------------------------//

Sarah awoke to a stressed voice from just above her. She opened her sleepy eyes to a figure of a tall and thin posture who seemed to be arguing with himself in the mirror. She immediately recognized the creature being made up of several different animal parts, but not in the way she would have thought. And as the creature let fell, she found herself scrambling against her will towards the creature.

"Daddy!" She shrieked. Evil Discord looks at Sarah and sneers. 

"What do you want?" He asked. Sarah recoiled at the menacing voice.

"What happened to my daddy!?" She yelled. Sarah tried to shake her conscious father awake, when suddenly his body began to slowly disappear. "Daddy!" She yelled. Evil Discord laughs maniacally.

"He was a waste of my time, and power. So I did what's right, I got rid of him." He said. Sarah searched frantically through the room to see if it was some prank and her father was just hiding.

"Daddy!?" She yelled again. Evil Discord walks closer to Sarah with a insane smirk.

"Now, what should I do with you, Screwball?" He said menacingly. Sarah backs away.

"Why are you doing this...?" She asked. Evil Discord continues to walk towards Sarah.

"It's simple, Screwball, I'm going to get rid of you, and your father. I don't want any slip ups of you and your father trying to stop me while I'm going to take this world." He said.

"You can't do this! just leave us alone!" Sarah yelled. Evil Discord laughs maniacally as he gets closer to Sarah.

"No! Please!" She screamed as a light beeping sound began to play over and over in her head.

"Five score! Divided by four!" Evil Discord began to chant. Sarah soon became weak and her head throbbed with each heart beat.

"Stop it!" She wailed as the beeping only got louder. Beep beep! Beep beep!

"Your memories removed, your body confused!" Evil Discord continues. Sarah was now weak, faint, disoriented.

"Please..." She pleaded weakly as the beeping kept going, louder and louder, as well as every beat of her heart.

"For your insolence you must pay, cast off to lands far far away!" Evil D continued. Sarah's vision had gone blurry  and the creature before her only looked to be that of a smear of painted colors across the paper.

"Stop..." She muttered weakly. She slowly collapsed to the ground unconscious, and only then then the beeping cease. Evil Discord continues to chant, but it sounds slurred as Sarah falls into unconsciousness. Shortly after slipping into the darkness she was once again welcomed to the brightness of an eerie morning light which spilled in through the window above the bed. Startled, she sat up in an instant, tears streaming down her face. Until she felt an odd something around her waist. She looked down to see something red and scaly with a fluffy white end. Being one to not be able to move or make a sound when frightened, she found the red appendage thing to be wrapped around her, and the followed it until she came to find it came from her father's backside. Almost instantly she was calmed, but the pain she felt from the nightmare still lingered in her soured soul, and all she could do was snuggle into the tail that wrapped itself around her in a loving, warm embrace. Michael slightly snores with his mouth open, drooling slightly. Sarah looked over to her father to see one of his teeth had grown far longer than the others and just appeared below his upper lip. His eyebrows were more grey than black, and his hair began thinning.

"Why is this happening...?" She asked. She looked herself over to see if anything else had changed. She could now slightly see her mouth and nose better as they started pushing out of her face into a muzzle. Michael sneezes and a purple mist sprays out of his mouth and turns into a cotton candy cloud. He resumes sleeping.

"Eww!!" Sarah yelled, batting it away. Michael snorts and opens his eyes.

"Huh... wha?" He asked in a voice that sounds exactly like Discord's voice. Sarah points at the cotton candy cloud which had begun raining little cones of cotton candy.

"That." She said. Michael sees the floating cotton candy cloud.

"What the hell!" He yells. He then grabs his neck. "My voice... what has happened to my voice!" He said. 

"You sound like Discord...and I'm growing a muzzle..." Sarah said. Michael looks at Sarah and sees a tail around her and his eyes widen.

"What the hell is that!" He yells. 

"That's um...your tail..." Sarah said. Michael blinks and tries to move his tail, causing his tail to unravel around Sarah. Michael is speechless.

"I...I...I....I. ..when did this happen?" He asked. 

"I dunno..." Sarah said. Sarah took Michael's tail and re-wrapped it around herself. Michael takes a deep breath.

"Sarah, are you hungry?" He asked. 

"I'm good." Sarah said. Michael smiles. 

"Well, what do you want to do?" He asked. Sarah shrugged. 

"Hey dad, what happened in your dream?" She asked. Michael thinks.

"Well, I don't remember much, but I remember being with the mane 6, having a good time. What about you?"  He asked. 

"I saw discord arguing with himself in a mirror and he fainted, then the discord in the mirror came after me." Sarah said. Michael eyes widen. 

"What!" He yelled. Sarah flinches.

"I'm sorry! I..." She said. Michael holds Sarah. 

"Hey, I'm not mad. I'm just worried." He said. 

"The way you yelled..." Sarah said. Michael hugs Sarah and lightly wraps his tail around him and Sarah.

"I just don't want to lose you, Sarah." Michael said. 

"I dont wanna lose you either daddy..." Sarah said, hugging Michael back. Michael hears his phone go off.

"Hmmm?" He said. He looks at it and sees that his boss is calling. He answers it. "Yes, boss?" He asked. 

"Yeah, hi, Will Barnes. I need you to come into work today so if you could do that, that would be greeaaat, so yeah, bye." Barnes said.

"Uuuuh...." Michael said, before shaking his head.

"Who was it daddy?" Sarah asked. Michael unfurl his tail around them and sets Sarah on the bed.

"It was my boss, I have to go to work." Michael said. 

"You can't go like that!" Sarah yelled. Michael sighs. 

"I know, I can probably hide the tail in my pants, hide my eyes behind sunglasses, but I need a tall hat to hide my horns, which I don't have. I can say that I am cosplaying." He said. 

"Bruh...you made a cotton candy cloud just by sneezing! Just try to make them seem invisible. plus that tail being so big would be impossible to hide." Sarah said. Michael looks at his tail and flicks it a little bit.

"Yea... your right. But I need to go to work so that everybody will know that I'm alright, since I ran out of there quite quick yesterday." He said. 

"Just go then. I can go another day...alone..." Sarah said, curling up on the bed. "Everyday..." She said. 

"Why don't you come with me, Sarah. It would be better then staying here alone all day." Michael said. 

"But its not bring your daughter to work day..." Sarah said. 

"I don't mind. Besides, it would be better then staying here." Michael said. 

"Oh-okay..." Sarah said. 

"Come on, it'll be okay. I will be there for you, Sarah." Michael stated. 

"Okay..." Sarah said. Sarah got up and held onto his tail. Michael chuckles and gets off the bed.

"Come, let's grab some breakfast." He said. 

"Can I hold onto your tail?" Sarah asked. Michael chuckles again. 

"I don't see why not. Besides, your already holding on to it." He said. They both made their way to the kitchen. Sarah sits down at the table.

"What are we gonna do when we finish transforming, daddy?" She asked. Michael grabs a box of cereal of from the shelf.

"I don't know, Sarah. But we can't just stay here and do nothing when that happens." He said.

"What will the world think of us...freaks?...test subjects? Hostile aliens?" Sarah asked,looking down. "life will never be the same..." She sniffed. Michael sets a bowl and the cereal box on the table and looks at Sarah.

"Hey, hey, hey," He said, placing a hand on Sarah. "I'm sure that everyone has heard about people turning into ponies." He said. Sarah's ears drooped.

"Life is just a tease..." Sarah said. Michael sighs while he pours himself a bowl of cereal.

"I know. But, we have to be strong." He said.

"Okay." Sarah said. Michael smiles.

"Now, I will be right back, I have to change my clothes for work." He said.

"Okay, daddy." Sarah said. Michael leaves the kitchen and enters his bed room to change. Sarah pushed the bowl away and went to her room. Michael grabs a pair of work clothes and enters the bathroom. Sarah curls up on her bed, holding her rainbow dash doll close to her. Michael goes about his business in the bathroom and puts on his work clothes, nearly tearing the shirt with his horns. He exits the bathroom and grabs a pair of scissors of the desk. He cuts a large enough hole in his pants and pulls his tail through. He exits his room. Sarah cries softly into her hands which had begun slowly turning into hooves. Michael walks by Sarah's room and hears crying coming from it.

"Hmmm?" He said. He opens the door slightly and pokes his head through. "Sarah?" He asked. Sarah was shaking with fear as she lay in her bed.

"I miss mommy..." She sniffed. Michael sits on her bed next to her and hugs her.

"Shhh, I miss her too." He said.  Michael looks away in the distance with a sad look. "I miss her alot." He said.

"That happy place you told me about...is she happy there? Will she ever come back?" Sarah asked. Michael nods and sniffs.

"Yes, she is happy. And I dont know." He said. 

"Why hasn't she come back?" She asked. Michael sighs and sets her on the bed.

"I need to tell you what happened to her. She...died of a car crash." He said, looking down. 

"Wh-what?" Sarah stuttered, tears starting to appear on her face. "No...she couldn't have!" She yelled. A tear falls down Michael's face.

"It's... true. You wouldn't remember much, cause you were just three years old. But a drunk driver ran a red light and crashed right into her car. She didn't make it. When I arrived on the scene she was just barely alive. She told me before she died, is to make sure that you didn't know and to keep you happy. I'm... I'm sorry." He said as he looked away and more tears fall down his face. 

"I'll never be happy again..." Sarah said, looking away as well. Michael puts his face in his hands and starts to cry.

"it's.... it's my fault. If I would have been with her and not at work, she would have probably survived and be fine by now. I'm useless." He said. 

"Daddy...you're not useless..." Sarah said, hugging Michael's tail. Michael wipes his eyes and slightly smiles.

"Thank you, Sarah. Your the only person that has kept me going since her death." He said, bringing Sarah close and hugging her. Sarah cuddled into him still hugging his tail and sniffed.

"I love you, daddy" She said. 

"I love you too, Sarah. Now, let me grab my suitcase and we shall go, ok?" Michael asked. 

"Okay, daddy." Sarah said. She followed him out of the room holding onto his tail still. Michael walks out of Sarah's room and walks into his room. He grabs his suitcase on the desk and looks at Sarah.

"Ready?" He asked. 

"I guess. Can you carry me with your tail?" Sarah asked. Michael nods and smiles. 

"I guess I could." He said. He walks out of his room and by Sarah's room and stops. " Do you want to grab anything from your room to bring?" He asked. Sarah nods then runs in to grab her Rainbow Dash doll.

"Okay daddy im ready." She said. Michael nods and smiles. 

"Let's go" He said, walking towards the door. Sarah climbed up onto his tail. Michael chuckles and walks out the door, heading towards the car. Sarah curls the tail around her. Michael gets his keys from his pocket and opens the car door. Sarah gets in the front passenger seat. Michael gets in, moving his tail around so he doesn't sit on it and sits in the drivers seat. Sarah pulls Michael's tail into her lap.

"I really like your tail daddy." She said. Michael chuckles.

"Thank you, Sarah. It will be some time getting used to it." He said. 

"I guess." Sarah said. Michael starts the car and drives out of the driveway and to work. 

"I dunno...I can't for my tail to come through, though." Sarah said. 

"Yea? And I have to say, I can see the changes on you already." Michael said. 

"Yeah, I know..." Sarah said. 

"I just want to let you know, no matter what, I will still love you." Michael said as they made it to Michael's work. Sarah smiles. 

"Thanks daddy." She said, getting out of the car. Michael turns the car off, grabs his suitcase, and exits the car, ignoring the stares from people on the sidewalk and outside the office. Sarah on the other hand unlike her father was cowering, trying to hide herself from the others. Michael puts a hand on Sarah and looks at her.

"It's going to be ok, Sarah, I will make sure that nothing hurts you. If you'd like, you can grab my tail." He said. Sarah nods and pulls his tail close to her.

"I'm scared daddy..." She said.

"I know, I am too. But we have to be strong and not let this get to us." Michael said.

"I hope mommy is happy." Sarah said. Michael nods.

"I'm sure that she is." He said. He walks towards the office building.

"MICHEAL!" Yelled an almost feminine voice, followed by the sound of clopping hooves running towards him. "So you came too huh?" Jonathan asked. Michael could see that she is almost a full anthro Lyra. His eyes widen. 

"Jonathan, is that you?" He asked. Jonathan rubs back of her neck with her hand.

"Yeah it's me. Am I pretty?" She asked, since up to the neck was a female anatomy. Sarah giggles.

"I'm really liking this new body, but soon I'll be a pony since everybody affected by this I've heard on the news turned completely into that character...means i wont have these for long..." Jonathan said, looking down at her mint green furred breasts. "Not sure how these came in in the first place." She said. Michael frowns slightly.

"Please Jonathan, not in front of my daughter." He said.

"She's funny!" Sarah said.

"Um...my name is LYRA, silly." Jonathan said. Michael facepalms and groans.

"What? Is it wrong to be called by my real name?" Jonathan/Lyra asked. Sarah giggles again.

"Sorry, I'm just trying to get used to it." Michael said.

"OMFG IM SMART! You're discord! maybe you can like do some dope magic shit that will keep me an anthro Lyra!" Jonathan/Lyra said.

"Um, I would not recommend it, cause I don't even know how to use discords powers as all." Michael said.

"Then you gotta figure it out! I really like this!" She said. Michael Sighs and shakes his head. He sees his left arm and hand has turned into a eagle's talon.

"Well, there goes my left arm and hand." He said.

"Please?" Jonathan/Lyra asked, making a pouty face. 

"At least try dad. Wh-when you learn how to use your powers." Sarah said. Michael sighs again.

"Fine. But if I mess up or anything, don't blame it on me." He said.

"It's cool, bud. but we gotta do it when my head finally changes." Jonathan/Lyra said.

"Ok, but I will most likely do it when I have these powers under control." Michael said.

"Thanks man!" Jonathan/Lyra said, hugging Michael.

"Now, then, aren't we supposed to be at work?" Michael asked.

"Yeah, we should get going! " She said, walking towards the office building. Michael walks towards the office building as well with Sarah still hugging his tail.

"I'm wearing a bra and panties!" Lyra whispered in Michael's ear. Michael stops a bit too fast and trips. 

"Careful there you silly filly!" Lyra said, catching Michael. Sarah giggles. 

"Thanks." Michael said. brushes himself off and sees his body is thinner and different colors in some places of his boy. "Man, I probably almost look like a anthro Discord or something." He said. Lyra giggled.

"No problem." She said, hugging him afterwards. "Confound these cuddly pony thoughts!" She yelled. Michael chuckles.

"Now, let's get back to work." He said.

"Alright!" Lyra said and she skipped happily off to her cubicle.

"I dunno if I should be here, daddy..." Sarah said cautiously. Michael looks at her.

"It'll be okay, Sarah. I will be here for you."  He said.

"Okay, daddy. " she said, hugging Michael's tail tighter. Michael smiles as they reach his cubicle. He sees a orange and yellow beanie with a green propeller on his desk. He raises a eyebrow and picks it up.

"Hey Lyra, did anyone leave this on my desk?" He asked. Lyra's ears perk up.

"um...no I-I don't know if that belongs to anypony." She said. She went to typing on her computer, slightly wagging her tail. Michael looks at the propeller beanie. 

"It looks like a perfect replica of Screwball's propeller beanie." He said.

"But why is my...HER beanie here then?" Sarah asked. 

"Keep it!" Lyra yelled.

"So it happened to you too huh?" He heard Barnes say as he got close. "Johnathan too-" he began. 

"Ahem!" Lyra said, turning to him in her swivel chair with a straight face. "It's LYRA!" She yelled. 

"Whatever." Barnes said, rolling his eyes. "I hope you both know that unless you are sick, this is no reason to take a day off of work. And might I ask why you brought your daughter with?" He asked. Michael looks at Barnes.

"I bought her with me because I didn't want to leaver her alone while this," He said, gesturing a claw along himself and Sarah. "Is happening." He said. Barnes rolls his eyes again.

"Guess you've never heard of a baby sitter then." He said. His face changed to that of a serious one. "Does that mean you've been leaving your daughter home alone?" He asked. 

"Daddy, I'm scared." Sarah said. Michael looks at Sarah. 

"It's going to be alright." He said. He looks back at barnes with the same serious face. "I have and she has been fine ever since." He said. 

"I'm calling child services..." Barnes said, turning and leaving. 

"HOLD UP!" Lyra yells. She caught him by the back of his shirt. "Tell me I did not just hear what I think I just heard." She said. Barnes pulls away from her grip.

"You heard me! I'm calling child services!" He yells, quickly turning and leaving. Michael frowns.

"Sarah, stay here. I am going to have a little talked with Mr.Barnes." He said. 

"Okay." Sarah said, letting go of Michael's tail. 

"Come here." Lyra said, holding Sarah in her mint green fur colored arms as Michael left for Barnes's office. Barnes went into his office and closed the door behind him, and locked it. He then went to his phone to make the call. Michael makes it to Barnes's office and knocks on the door.

"Sir, open up the door." He said. Barnes pulls down the blinds to his door and keeps talking. Michael gets angrier and bangs harder. 

"Sir, open this door, right now!" He yells. Barnes presses a button under his desk and soon two men come and try to drag Micheal away. Something in Michael's head snaps and he turns towards the two men.

"You. Will. Not. Take. My. Daughter!" He yells. He charges and breaks down Barnes's office door.

"Is he aggressive, you ask?" Barnes asked through the phone. "Very. He just bust down my door." He said. He talks for a few seconds more as the men put Micheal in cuffs. "I am only doing what's best for your daughter, Micheal. You obviously don't know how to be a parent. Child Services will be here soon to evaluate the situation. Until then I just need you to sit until they get here." He said. Michael's right eye twitches and head shakes slightly as he sneers at Barnes.

"I will tell you one last time. Do. Not. Take. My. Daughter." He stated. Barnes sighs.

"I dont want to, but it has to be done, since you dont know what it means to be a father. Your wife wouldn't have been so careless." He said. Michael's irises shrink down to the size on pin pricks as he snaps fully.

"I warned you...." He said.

"Threatening will only make the cause likelier that they take your daughter so I suggest you ease your temper." Barnes said. He got up and left, coming back shortly with Sarah in tow. "Try to enjoy what might be your last moments with a daughter you don't deserve." He said. 

"Wh-what does he mean daddy? What are these men doing here?" Sarah asked, tears appearing on her face. "Why are you in cuffs?" She asked as a tear streamed down her face. Michael looks at Sarah. 

"Sarah, look away, please." He said emotionless before looking at Barnes. "If you take her away I will not go easy on you. This is your last warning." He warned. A few men came into the room before he even did anything, wearing suits.

"Michael smith?" They asked looking at him.

"D-Daddy?" Sarah asked. Michael looks at the men.

"What..." He said, his voice is dark and evil sounding. 

"My name is Mr. Baker, and this is Mr. Steve. We're here on account of a phone call from your boss here who told us you admitted to leaving your daughter home alone for the past year you've worked here." The man on the left said.

"These kinds of things we take seriously, and we have no choice but to take your daughter, and place her in an orphanage. So, you'll have to come with us, little girl." Steve said, grabbing Sarah's arm.

"The broken down door only feeds as evidence to the fact you are unable to raise your daughter." Barnes said. 

"Wait.... before you take her, hear me out. Sarah, tell them how I'm a great father. How I took care of you when you were just three years old when... when my wife died." Michael said, looking down. 

"He said he lost his previous job because he never wanted to leave me alone..." Sarah said. 

"We can't prove that's what he really said, if it's the truth at all." Baker said.

"He starved to keep me fed with what little money we had...and he even home schooled me himself so I was still learning things." Sarah continued. 

"That was then, this is now." Steve said. He tries to leave the room, but Lyra was there.

"Heyyyy hot stuff!" She said. She tries to make herself attractive now she was a full anthro now working on becoming a full pony. "Maybe I can work out a deal!" She said. 

"What are you talking about?" Baker asked. 

"The both of you get all of this luxury for the low low low price of leaving that little girl here." Lyra said, gesturing to herself. 

"Deal!" Steve said. Michael looks at Lyra and mouths 'thank you' before his head flops to the side, breathing heavily. Lyra nods.

"Now how about the tree of us just go out and have some fun?" She asked, leaning against Baker. 

"S-so...hot..." Baker said.  Lyra wrapped her arms around him and kissed his neck then looked to Micheal and mouthed "You owe me BIG time!" Michael stands up, feeling a little weak. Lyra walks out of the room with the two men at both her sides, and smacks Steve's rear with her tail.

"Lets go boys!" She said. 

"You got lucky this time, Micheal!" Barnes yelled. 

"Daddy, I wanna go home..." Sarah said. 

"Go ahead since you're fired, Micheal!" Barnes yelled. Michael slowly walks out of Barnes's office. 

"Oh, and hey Barnes," Michael said. He looks at Barnes and glares at him."Ever touch my daughter again and I won't go easy on you." He said. He flips Barnes off and walks off. Sarah she followed close behind.

"Why did they want to take me away daddy?" Sarah asked. 

"Because I was leaving you at home alone while I am at work." Michael said. 

"I hate being alone...it's scary..." Sarah said, hugging Michael's tail tightly. Michael looks down as they make it outside. A tear falls from his face as he stops.

"Something wrong, Discord, er, I mean Dis-Daddy?" Sarah asked. 

"It's... It's all my fault." Michael said. 

"What do you mean daddy?" Sarah asked. 

"It's.... my fault that I got fired." Michael said. 

"No its not..." Sarah said. 

"Let's... let's just go home..." Michael said. 

"Okay, Discord..daddy! Sorry!" She said. Michael sighs and walks towards his car. His ears perked up at the sound of hoofs.

"NOOOOOOO WAY IM GONNA DO that with men!" Lyra yelled. "I may enjoy being...me," She said, gesturing to herself. "But im not into men!" She yelled. Michael looks up at Lyra, then looks back down and sighs.

"Hey, Lyra..." He said. 

"Hey, what's wrong, man?" Lyra asked. 

"Daddy got fired..." Sarah said. 

"Yeah he fired me too...he texted me..." Lyra said. Michael looks at Lyra again.

"Need a lift, Lyra....." Michael said. 

"Yeah, that would be nice and since im an anthro version of myself, mind trying to um...use some magic to keep me like this?" Lyra asked as Sarah gets I to the car.

"Not right now, I'm not in the mood, sorry." Michael apologized, and got into his car.

"At least try before any other changes take place. Not right now though." Lyra said. Michael starts the car. 

"I will try. And you coming?" He asked. 

"Yeah." Lyra said, getting in the car and buckles up in the back. Michael dives out of the office parking lot and drives home.

"Im sorry about all of this man...that must be rough they tried to take Sarah. And those guys pretty much went striaght for s-e-x so I knocked their blocks off! They wont remember a thing when they wake up!" Lyra said.

"That's quite funny. And you know what I did to Barnes before I left, I flipped him off." Michael said.

"He deserves it! We should totes go on strike on his ass!" She yelled. After minutes of driving Michael turns the steering wheel and drives up in the driveway.

"Maybe." He said. 

"That would be so funny." Lyra said. Michael turns off the car and grabs his things that he grabbed before they left, even the Screwball's propeller beanie, and gets out of the car. Sarah follows Michael. Lyra exits the car and picks up Sarah.

"Up we go!" She said. Michael opens the front door and holds it for Lyra and Sarah. Lyra smiles and walks in. Michael closes the door.

"I am going to take a nap, I'm not feeling well." He said. 

"Before you do, who knows what might happen to me, so please try to do something for me, I wanna stay anthro..." Lyra said. Sarah goes into her room.

"I will try. If I mess up, I'm sorry." Michael said. 

"It's cool man." Lyra said. Michael closes eyes and concentrates. Lyra smiles as her body tingles.

"I think its working!" She said. Michael continues to concentrate, but his body starts to change. Suddenly the tingling stopped. "think you did it! I mean I think my hands started turning into hooves, but they're just hands again! except with fur." Lyra giggled happily. Michael staggers a bit. 

"So, tired." He said. 

"Dude...I think that like made you transform faster! The horns are completely in, your right leg is a pony leg, your eyebrows are white and long and your neck is taller." Lyra said. Michael stagers towards his room.

"I... will worry about... it later. Too... tired." He said. 

"Alright. I'll just hang here for a while." Lyra said as Michael closed his bedroom door behind him. "Alone..." She said. Michael flops on his bed belly first and falls asleep as soon as he lands.

TO BE CONTINUED