//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Chaos Falls // by Black Hailstorm //------------------------------// The Nutcase “Wait, wait, wait. You’re telling me those tattoos are called cutie marks?” I asked as Canterlot’s train directed us back to Ponyville. Twilight nodded slightly perplexed that an earth pony with a cutie mark of his own had no idea what a ‘cutie mark’ actually was. “I’m sorry darling but where did you say you were from again?” Rarity asked. “It’s a far off place you’ve probably never heard of,” I stated. “Which would be where now?” Applejack asked. I cleared my throat. “So about these cutie marks. You say that when you find your special talent, or I suppose as Fluttershy so kindly explained, when you find what you’re truly interested in and are passionate about, then you get a tattoo- sorry, a mark on your flanks?” I asked pointing to Rarity’s cutie mark. The group of mares nodded as did the dragon. “You’ve really never heard of a cutie mark before?” Spike asked. I nodded. Of course I haven’t. In my world we don’t have cutie marks we have tattoos! And well, if people could get a tattoo on their asses like you guys are saying you’re able to, by simply discovering your true passion then hell every human on earth that thinks tattoos are cool wouldn’t mind having whatever chemical within your brains or whatever thing within your bodies creates these marks for you. Without, having to go through all the pain it takes to get one. “That is very strange, considering you have your own cutie mark” the fashionista stated upon pointing to my rump. Somehow I managed to move the tail I still didn’t have control of over to my side to cover said cutie mark. “How did you get yours anyway?” Pinkie Pie asked, moving my tail aside so she could get a better look. “I know I’ve never seen anything like it before.” “Neither have I” I muttered. “I’m sorry?” the pink mare said, I shook my head to dismiss her question then turned my attention back to the rest of the group. “In all honesty I’m not even sure what my cutie mark symbolises. I mean I haven’t really gotten a good look at it till you mentioned it-” A mirror was shoved in my face. Glancing past it I looked over at Rarity whose horn was glowing. “You carry a mirror with you everywhere you go?” “Beauty needs care darling. Now, though I find your statement quite hard to believe I’d rather you take a look at your cutie mark now. At least that might be able to jog your memory on how you got it” she said with a smile. I hesitated, noticing how all eyes were on me. I didn’t really like the idea of me showing my bare naked bottom even if I was a pony to the opposite gender. Plus it felt kinda weird seeing how all their eyes were so fixed on me as I got out of the seat and turned to the side so the mirror could easily show on my flank. “Hmm” I heard Twilight say. My eyes were on my rather amazing rump’s reflection at the moment, so I didn’t notice a snapping sound before glancing over to Pinkie and see her pop a camera back into her mane I ignored it turning back to stare at the mirror and the image on my flank.. “Strange” I said staring at the cutie mark. The mark that had now by some mystical element that defied any logic my mind could conjure, consisted of four swords. All four touching at the hilts, creating a diamond like shape around a shield behind it. Two letters seemed to be engraved in the white shield, both letters consisting of a light blue: B and A. My eyes now moving over to the four different swords that created this large diamond like shape I could clearly see two of the swords on the left side had black blades. Dark black blades. It sent a small shiver up my spine because that very same dark color reminded me of the abyss I had, had the unpleasant chance of staying in the night before Luna awakened me. The other two swords were regular, their blades being silver and holding white handles. Each blade touching at the very tip, just like the hilts to complete the diamond form around the shield. “Very strange indeed” I said, lost in thought. If this was another one of Bill’s tricks to mess with me he was doing a good job in keeping my curiosity focused on this new mark that I had failed to recognize upon my arrival in Equestria. But I suppose that could be argued on since I nearly died when I arrived. Suddenly feeling something touch my butt, I looked away from the mirror to see that mares and dragon were all staring at the mark on my right side alone. “Um...Hailstorm” Applejack said grabbing my attention. “Is there a reason you have two different cutie marks?” It took a second for me to catch on to what she was saying, the hamster running the wheel in my brain as I began to catch up with what she was stating. Cutie marks are meant to be identical. Mine wasn’t. I had everything on my left side, but on my right I was missing the shield that had accompanied it. The swords were present on my right, but at the same time the shield was gone. Replacing the shield was something completely different than what I had thought would just be a different mark that depicted a talent. Instead I found a multicolored bullseye, with B and A being it’s target. Eyes narrowed I stared at the mark with great curiosity taking over once again. Just what are you planning Bill? A sudden stop, and slight shake of the train caused me to tilt forward and promptly fall into Rarity’s lap. I smiled apologetically and quickly rose away from her only to catch Spike glaring darkly at me. “LAST STOP PONYVILLE!” the conductor yelled from outside. Making our way out of the train station I began my slow and steady journey following the group back to Ponyville, all the while listening to Pinkie Pie babble about how great it was that I would be coming to stay in Ponyville with them. I couldn’t help but smile at the mare’s energetic attitude, honestly if anything I could use it given the fact I didn’t get much sleep last night. It only took a few minutes for us to reach Ponyville and everywhere I looked I was met with smiles, and waves. It was different I’ll say for sure in comparison to back home where most people just pass by each other like neither one even existed. Refreshing I should say. And then that’s when it happened. The strangest encounter I ever had the privilege and possibly the misfortune of meeting. The very accident that happened in countless cliche movies, tv shows, and almost every single anime I’d seen back on Earth. A girl bumping right into me; albeit in my case it was more of this mare running into me, sort of like a football player tackling the runner with the ball if anything else. Bump would be an understatement with the way I found myself on the ground in mere moments afterwards. “Hailstorm!” I heard Applejack’s voice call with concern. “Are you alright what happened bac-” she paused. Why did she pause? I should mention that at the very moment I could not see, because whoever had bumped into me, had placed a foreleg over my eyes in the process. Slowly I felt the pony’s body that had rammed into me, rise off my body along with the foreleg that had been covering my eyes. Blinking once then twice as reality slowly eased its way back into my vision I stared straight ahead at the mare looking down at me with a scrunched up muzzle. She wore a hat, the first thing I noticed when she came into view. That being she had a violet coat, and her mane being amethyst with white highlights. And then the strangest thing of all, were her eyes. Granted I am not one to judge on appearances but this mare, her eyes were...bizarre. She had no pupils from what I saw or if she did they blended well with her purple hypnotic looking eyes. These very same eyes I could now see were scanning me with great curiosity. A voice interrupted our little staring match. “Ahem” Rarity said, out of my line of vision. “Pray tell miss, but who are you miss and why did you run into our friend like that?” “Do you know this mare Hailstorm?” Pinkie asked her head popping into my sight just above the mare’s head whose face was inches away from my own. I didn’t reply. I know this is cliche but I must admit I was, lost in this mare’s eyes. There was something about that hypnotic look about them, the swirling they had that...transfixed- enamored me to no end. “Hailstorm?” Rainbow Dash said, snapping me out of the trance. Clearing my throat, still being pinned down by this mare to the ground I tilted my head back to look at the group of seven a few inches away from me now. Then I looked back at the mare with a raised brow and confused look. “In all honesty. No, no I don’t know her, but as Rarity said, woman who are you?” The strange mare that had been staring at me so silently backed her head away from me after a few seconds my question seeming to make a connection in her head. She smiled, then got off of me, helping me up in the process. Once on my hooves again I noticed her eyes went in two different directions much like the mailmare I saw earlier as we gallivanted through the small town. “So what’s your name?” I asked her. Slowly yet steadily the mare held her smile as she got uncomfortably close to my face, the mane six and Spike watching on to see what she would do. It wasn’t until we bumped noses that the weird mare stopped her antics before saying with a rather large smile. “My name’s Screwball, and it’s a pleasure to finally meet you Hailstorm.” Screwball, was her name. And though I’d quickly come to learn that most of the inhabitants of this world had names that blended well with their talents or their personalities in general, I couldn’t help but find it stranger beyond my imagination why parents would give their daughter such a bizarre name. “So Screwball” Twilight said as we sat in her common room. “Was there a reason you rammed into Hailstorm like that?” The mare however had been bouncing around the entire room aimlessly, not listening to a word Twilight was saying, with that cooky grin on her face. If I didn’t know any better I could assure you for a fact that her and Pinkie Pie were related with the energy she seemed to display. “Um Screwball” Fluttershy said trying to grab the hopping mare’s attention. And she did. For only a fraction of a second though. Screwball stopped, looked at Fluttershy with a smile waiting to hear what she had to say, but before the pegasus could get a word out the violet earth pony had shot off to the center of the common room. Tapping her hoof on the ground as she gave the floor a curious stare she hit the center of the star hard. “Hey!” Twilight said. “What do you think you’re-” A whirring sound from underneath occurred and quickly jumping back to my side was the bizarre mare as she watched with glee as the cutie mark map emerged from underneath the ground. Everyone in the room gave her a surprised and confused look, that asked: How did she know?! Moving towards the rather large map that sat in the common room. Her eyes carefully taking in every feature with joy, the mare’s strabismus eyes soon turned away from our surprised reactions and looked on to the map. “Oooooooh” she said smiling, her eyes focusing together and staring at the map that displayed their world. “Hey what’s this?” she asked with a wave of her hoof, her eyes never leaving the map. “That’s the Cutie Map” Twilight said. I tried not to cringe at the name. Too disgustingly adorable of a name for a map that displays your entire countryside and more. “What does this map do?” I asked restoring my facial expression. Twilight brightened up a bit moving over to Screwball’s side, seeming to forget that the mare had discovered something she very well couldn’t have known about since she had never been to the castle before. “Well this map shows us where we need to go in case of a friendship problem, in that specific area.” “Ah yes! You mentioned that you were the princess of friendship, correct?” She nodded her assent. “I see” rubbing my chin with a hoof, I moved closer to get a better view of the map, ignoring the strange mare who was poking the holographic images on the map as if they were real. “So, with this it will direct you anywhere there’s a problem then? Like a GPS?” Twilight nodded once more. Interesting. “I get that the map is cool and all but are we going to ignore the fact that this chick who we’ve never met before just happened to know we had a extremely rare, never before seen artifact in here aside from us who knew about it? And somehow managed to know how to open it as well!?!” Well when you put like that Dash it’s hard to. “She does have a point though” turning our attention to the mare, with the hypno eyes who was still trying to grab the hologram, I poked her side with a hoof. She twitched, then slowly turned her head in our direction, her eyes appearing lopsided again no longer focused. She smiled, we all smiled back though it was more forced than the natural way she had presented hers. “So” Twilight said with some awkwardness as she rubbed her foreleg. “How exactly did you um...know how there was a map here? We haven’t exactly met before have we...” the young alicorn froze then glanced at Spike, sitting beside her. “Have we?!?!?!” she whispered to him with increased worry. Spike shook his head to relax her, and Twilight sighed a breath of relief. “Since we haven’t met before we were just wondering how did you know how to activate and summon the Cutie Map.” I cringed again, but this time it was internal cringing. I wanted to hear this. That mare had known my name despite me never giving it to her. At the same time she stated she had been expecting me I don’t know what it means, but I was getting that feeling in my gut that told me that this was going to eventually end badly. The mare’s chipper expression seemed to fade into a frown, her hair doing slightly the same. Something I’d only seen Pinkie’s mane do. “You...You guy’s don’t remember me?” Screwball asked with a very sad note in her voice. Twilight looked at the others who were all starting to look away as if they’d brought up a rather fragile topic that no one wished to discuss. Feeling bad herself Twilight got off her seat and slowly approached the dispirited mare. “No, I’m sorry” she said gently. “We don’t...where have we met before?” Screwball sighed, her expression switching from that sad look to a more chipper frown before she hopped forward and hugged Twilight. “It’s ok!” she said in a forgiving tone. “It doesn’t matter” Screwball said with her casual smile. “I-It doesn’t?” both Fluttershy and Twilight asked. “Nope!” Screwball said firmly, but kindly. “It doesn’t.” I gave the mares and dragon a confused look not sure how to take this reaction, till I heard clicking hooves coming towards me and saw the eccentric mare pop up in front of me. “Hailstorm!” she said beaming me a smile. “...Yes?...” “We’ll talk more later okay?” she said patting my shoulder gently with a hoof as she reached into her mane digging through the hat that sat on her head. I nodded my approval. Once that was done, before anyone else could get another word out of the strange mare she took something out of her hat, dropped it on the ground allowing it to explode and create a smokescreen before her and us, she disappeared without a sound. Everyone coughed in the room, as Rarity and Twilight used their magic to open every window in the room so the smoke would disappear. “W-Who was that mare Hailstorm? You sure you don’t know her from anywhere?” Rainbow Dash asked in between small coughs. I raised a hoof for her to wait while I released an onslaught of coughs and a sneeze before regaining regular stature and being able to speak. “I already told you girls, I have no idea who she is.” “And judging from what she said she said she’s met us before” Pinkie said with worry. “Has she Pinkie?” Spike asked opening the last window the two unicorn’s magic wasn’t able to reach. The mare bit her lip searching her memories for this Screwball mare that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. After a few seconds, and once the air had cleared Pinkie spoke up with a dour look on her face. “No, I don’t know a Screwball. I can’t recall ever seeing a mare like her around Ponyville” she said sadly. “Is she new in town?” Rarity asked. “She might be” Pinkie said. “But then why did she say she’s met us before?” Applejack asked. The entire group shrugged, each wondering who this mare was and why she claimed on knowing all of us despite none of us having any recollection of meeting her. I could tell it gave the group a bizarre feeling like they were missing something important here. Clicking my hoof on the ground to get everyone’s attention I nodded once everyone looked at me. “Right then, we’ll worry about her later. For now” a grumble escaped my stomach. “Let’s go get something to eat.” Hours had passed and it’s been roughly four hours since the girls, Spike and I all went out to grab a bite to eat. With the sun now setting we all split up to our own destinations, me heading over to Twilight’s since apparently the three princesses had decided it would be best if I stay with her. Once shown my room I followed the alicorn down to the library. At the very least I could get some reading down on the ways of this world. So once Twilight and I had gotten to the extremely, unnecessarily large library I had her show me books on Equestria’s history, along with any other countries nearby. I learned quite a lot. Not only had Luna been a former tyrant and posed a threat, but she had apparently planned to create eternal darkness so that her subjects would admire her night, and the work she put on it. Have to say I did feel bad for her. But to me it was obvious that during this sudden increase of magical power to the younger regal sister she hadn’t noticed that creating eternal darkness would ultimately kill off her entire species. That and I’m a hundred percent sure even if they came up with a method for their vegetables and other vegetation to grow in the night, the equines of this world I’m pretty sure wouldn’t like it if they could no longer have light. Especially the Griffins, Deers, Diamond Dogs, and other sentient life forms on this planet. The Griffon Kingdom’s fall was indeed sad, but ultimately sort of pathetic in my opinion. However I had learned from Twilight that Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie’s trip there had helped improve the situation so that was good to hear. Minutes later passed and I eventually grew tired, glancing back at the clock I saw it read 2:30 a.m. Hm didn’t think I had been reading that long. Glancing over to Twilight I saw that she was staring at me in silence while I had been absorbed with my reading. I knew that look, she was curious. “Something you want to know?” I asked making her jump a bit, releasing the book she had suspended in her magic. I chuckled. “Well since you mention it, yes there is” she said. I waved my hoof in a gesture for her to continue. She did. Gladly. “You still haven’t told me where you’re from” Twilight said pointing an accussing hoof at me. I shrugged. “Must I be obligated in telling you everything about myself before your suspicions or interests are quelled?” I asked. She hesitated. Perfect. “Look Twilight” I said before she could get another word in. “I understand you’re confused, wondering who I am, where I’m from and why I don’t know these things despite being an equine. But I can only tell you, with the given amount of time. Because I’m still trying to figure stuff out just as much as you and your friends are about me.” Silence passed for a few seconds, I continued to stare at her in silence, as she took in the what I had just said. Finally her expression relaxed, and she nodded with a small smile. “Alright” she said. “I’ll wait, when you’re ready. But I do have one question that I need you to answer before you head upstairs.” “What’s that?” “Why do you have two different cutie marks?” I froze. She was right, the cutie mark thing. Despite looking like a pony on the outside I had something that was extremely erratic to the pony kind. Owning two different cutie marks. Granted the only real reason I may have two different cutie marks is because of Bill, since I originally was a human before he turned me into a equine, but then again that may not be entirely true, since as they said cutie marks are derived based off a special talent, interest or other form related to you. Relaxing after a few seconds I told her I couldn’t answer that. She seemed to be content with that, for now at least. Moving towards the door, I was about to step out of the library till Twilight’s voice called me back in. “Yeah?” My glasses floated up to me. “You forgot these” she said with a warm smile. Having her put it on my back I carefully made my way up to the room that was just a few feet away from Spike and Twilight’s. Once inside I closed the door and sighed. “What a day.” “I’ll say!” a soft high voice stated where my bed was. Turning the lights on I saw Screwball sitting on the small table meant for the lap she now held that illuminated the room and gave her face a slightly menacing look. Hopping off, the mare jumped down and put the lamp on its table while doing so. “Hey there Hailstorm!” the mare said with glee. I simply stared in awe. “Hey are you alright?” she asked trotting up to me and feeling my forehead. I shook her hoof off and looked at her quizzically. “Screwball” exasperation leaking with her name. She smiled at me, but there was no way I’d let that cute smile distract me from the undeniable question that plagued my mind at this very moment. “How the hell did you get in here?!” Her smile widened and she pointed towards the open window. “I used your window.” Bewildered by what she just told me I moved towards the window slowly, keeping my attention on the still smiling mare till I got to the window and glanced down. The only thing she could have used for leverage was the window sill. Nothing more, nothing less. There were no branches on this crystal-like tree castle. No roots for her to grab onto even hoist herself up past the door. “...Did you say you came from the window?” my eyes still staring at the impossible thing I was being told. “Yup!” she said with a smile. Slowly I turned to the violet mare, and stared at her. “Screwball?” “Mm-hm?” “I’m on the second floor of this castle, forty feet off the ground...how did you, another earth pony climb up a castle with no holes or openings in its structure make it all the way up to this floor with no other appendages, wings, or magic, but those hooves that aren’t even capable of holding a cup, without even breaking a sweat or without any other materials?” Silence ensued between the two of us. Then the erratic mare did something I never expected. She pulled a cup out of her mane and held it to me. “You mean like this?” she asked sweetly. “...” I give up. *** ***** *** “So what did you come here to tell me?” “Hm?” the mare asked sitting on my bed while I stood across from her. Agitation would sooner or later work it’s way into my system if I kept up with this stupid game. “You said we’d talk more later before you left so suddenly, what did you want to talk about?” “OOOOOOOOH!” Screwball said with a sheepish smile, her eyes focusing on me now. “I didn’t come here for that” she said frankly. My eyes narrowed. “What did you sneak in here for then?” “Originally it was to come and watch you sleep but since you’re awake that kinda ruined my plans” she said sticking her tongue out in a derp like fashion. “...You’re ser-” “Yup” she nodded. An awkward silence passed while I stared at the smiling mare. She's quite the strange one... Her smile widened and I strangely enough found myself smiling back. That is till she gasped rather suddenly scaring me, and then pointing to my right flank. “You’re butt is glowing!!” she screeched. “What are you-” “HAILSTORM!!!” Twilight yelled from downstairs making me jump a few inches into the air. “WHAT?!” I yelled back. “Come down here!” she called back calmer. I felt a tapping on my shoulder and looked to see Screwball pointing at my glowing flank. I looked. The bullseye cutie mark that resided on my right flank was the only one glowing. Well that can’t be good. A glint caught my eye as well. Screwball’s mark had started to glow as well. “What the heck is happening?” “Hailstorm!” Twilight called once again. I sighed heading down to see what the ruckus was about. “Tonight’s going to be a long night.” Once downstairs I saw Twilight’s flank was glowing just like the cutie mark on my right, and Screwball’s cutie mark as well. Twilight was standing in front of the glowing map a look of worry crossing her face. My flank was still glowing till strangely enough I felt a small tingling sensation and watched the bullseye mark float off along with Screwball’s cutie mark towards the map. There the marks stayed hidden by Twilight’s body. “Twilight?” I asked nearing her. “What’s going on?” Twilight moved aside silently, allowing me to see the map. Hovering over an island separated from Equestria was Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, my own, and Screwball’s cutie marks floating on top of a certain land. Kangaroo Isle. Without turning my vision from the map I studied it for a few seconds before asking. “Has anything like this happened before?” Twilight shook her head. “No” With a heavy sigh I placed my glasses on my head, as my mane kept it in place, all while ignoring Screwball as she hopped around me with glee that she would be going on a adventure. “Looks like we’ve got a mystery to solve.”