//------------------------------// // Chapter 30 - A Most Chaotic Day // Story: Second Chances, Many Changes // by ASGeek2012 //------------------------------// I sat before my open closet, staring at the only dress I owned. Rarity had offered to make me another, saying that no filly my age should be without a "varied ensemble" suitable for "turning ponies' heads." I strongly suspected she anticipated me becoming interested in boys ... that is, colts. I really didn't need another dress. Maybe Rarity thought it looked odd hanging there by itself, but it made it all the more special. I secretly hoped that the next dress I owned would be created by me. "It really is pretty, Candy." I jerked my head around. "Oh, hi, Sweetie. I didn't hear you come in." Sweetie Belle trotted up to me. "I really am sorry you're not going to the Gala." "I'm just glad you are." Sweetie smiled as she hopped up on my bed. "Thanks to you." I didn't deserve all the credit. All I had done was say my piece before heading out on my errands that day. I had tried to broach the topic with Rarity after that, but to little avail. Sweetie stretched out on her belly, propping her head up with her fore-hooves. "I'm still grounded, though." "But only for two weeks." "And there's the wedding coming up after that. I'm looking forward to it. The last wedding I went to, um, kinda got more exciting than I expected." "Oh?" "Shining Armor and Princess Cadance." "Oh, um, that one." "I heard a rumor that somepony wants to invite a changeling to the wedding," said Sweetie. "Is that true?" Twilight had given me no indication how quiet to keep the matter. She had little time to spare the day before when she renewed my protection spells before heading off to Canterlot. All I got out of her was that Princess Luna had volunteered to assist in protecting me while Twilight and her friends were at the Gala. I still thought that donkey was crazy, or likely under a changeling's thrall. Maybe other ponies should know about it. If enough ponies complained, maybe Twilight would be forced to tell Matilda to forget the whole idea. Yet wasn't I trying to use the same tactic that Spoiled Rich had used against me? "Candy?" I hated decisions like this. "Um ... I kinda heard something like that, too. I wouldn't worry about it right now, Sweetie. It'll probably turn out to be just that, a rumor." "I hope so," said Sweetie Belle. "Especially since Rarity is in a good mood now." "So long as you don't go chasing after it if the rumor does turn out to be true, you'll be fine." Sweetie rolled her eyes, but a faint smile crossed her muzzle. "I told you, the Crusaders are officially out of the changeling-hunting business. Anyway, it'll give us more time together." "It will?" She nodded. "Rarity suggested that we stick together more after the Gala." My ears rose. "She did?" Sweetie sat up. "Personally, I think she just wants you to keep an eye on me, but, really, I'm looking forward to it." She smiled. "Maybe I haven't said this, but ... I love having you as a sister." I had no words. I simply drew her into a tight hug and blinked until my vision cleared. Perhaps that's how she got her name; she really was a little sweetie. Rarity appeared at the door, spectacles perched on her muzzle and a tape measure draped across her barrel. I broke off the embrace with Sweetie and gently closed the closet door with a magical nudge as she spoke. "Sweetie, please come along, I need to do the final fitting for your dress, and your Crusader friends are here." Sweetie Belle hopped off my bed. "Coming!" "They're all going?" I asked. "Yep!" said Sweetie. "Applejack's taking Apple Bloom and Scootaloo's going with Rainbow Dash." Rarity smiled at me. "Do you want to see me do the fitting for your friends, Candy? I can explain how it works." She paused. "If you want to, that is." Rarity was getting as good as Fluttershy at reading my emotions. While it did bother me to be around all this pomp and circumstance over an event that I could not attend, avoiding it felt petty. "Sure, I'll come along." Sweetie bounded ahead as we traversed the stairs. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were already in the fitting room. "I almost can't believe this is gonna happen!" Apple Bloom cried. "You can't imagine what I felt when Rainbow Dash said she was going to take me to the Gala!" Scootaloo said. "I thought you weren't into that sort of thing, Scootaloo," I said. "But I'm going with Rainbow Dash!" "Ah, right," I murmured. "I'm going to be with the coolest pony in Equestria for a whole evening!" "I get the point, thanks." "Isn't this amazing?" Sweetie cried. "I never thought I'd ever get to go!" "Me, neither!" said Apple Bloom. "But it's really happenin'! We're goin' to the Gala!" "We're going to the Gala!" Scootaloo cried. "We're going to the Gala!" Sweetie Belle sang. Which prompted all three to take up the chorus. "We're going to the Gala! We're going to the Gala!" My ears flattened. "Girls ..." "We're going to the Gala! We're going to the Gala!" "Girls! Stop!" I shouted. The Crusaders fell silent. "Sorry," Apple Bloom said in a contrite voice. "Sweetie told us that you're not goin'." "We're really sorry you won't be there," said Scootaloo. "It's fine." I turned toward Rarity. "I think I'll go take a walk." Rarity placed a hoof on my shoulder. "I understand, dear." "You sure you don't want to stay to see our dresses?" asked Sweetie. I smiled faintly. "I'll get a chance to see them later before you leave." "I really will miss you at the Gala." I gave Sweetie a hug. The other Crusaders smiled at me. "We'll do somethin' together real soon, I promise!" Apple Bloom said. "Thanks," I said in a low voice before heading out. Fine, so maybe I was being petty after all. I kept telling myself that my emotions wouldn't be this chaotic if it hadn't been for Matilda's little surprise, but I wasn't sure how much I believed that. I wished Twilight had made a decision about it before the damn Gala. I wandered about town, but my thoughts ran in upsetting circles. I stopped in Sugarcube Corner hoping Pinkie's company might pick up my spirits, only to nearly collide with the pink mare while she balanced a tower of cake boxes in her hooves. She dropped them and whirled around, frowning. "What?!" My ears flattened, and I backed up a step. "Oh, um, hi, Candy," Pinkie said in a more contrite voice. "Sorry. What can I do for you? You don't happen to want to buy a cake or two ... or a hundred ... do you?" "Or a ...?" My eyes widened. Cake boxes lay everywhere, in stacks on the floor, on the counter, and on shelves. "Um, no, not really." Her hair deflated slightly, and she plopped down on her haunches. "I didn't think so. Oh, well." "Um ... what happened?" "Discord happened!" My tail twitched. "First he says he wants all the cakes, and then he wants none of the cakes!" Pinkie swept her foreleg before her. "Now what am I supposed to do with all these cakes? I already had breakfast! I mean, Discord does some crazy stuff sometimes, and he means well, and he doesn't always mean to be mean, but this was just plain ... mean! You know what I mean?" I didn't, and I really didn't want to. "Maybe I should go." Pinkie sprang back up on her hooves. "If you find anypony who wants lots of cakes, send them my way! Please? Pretty please??" "Uh, yeah," I said as I slowly backed away. "I'll do that." I made a hasty exit, frowning. I wished I had not been confined to Ponyville, as some time away from this place sounded like a good idea. "Candy Swirl?" Great. Now what? I sighed before turning towards the unfamiliar voice. A smiling purple earth mare with a two-tone pink mane trotted towards me. "Um, yeah, that's me." Just how many ponies knew me on sight? "My name is Cheerilee," she said cheerfully. "I'm Sweetie Belle's teacher." "Oh, yes," I said in a more relaxed voice. "Sweetie mentioned you." "I was hoping you could tell me how she and her friends are doing." "Doing?" "I spoke with Miss Rarity the other day," said Cheerilee. "She mentioned that Sweetie and her friends got into a bit of trouble in Appleloosa." "Yeah, they did," I said. "It seems like Rarity worked it out with Sweetie Belle, though." Cheerilee smiled. "Then she took my advice?" I tilted my head. "Advice?" "I suggested she let Sweetie Belle go the Gala." I smiled. "Thank you! She would've been really disappointed if she couldn't go." "Happy to help!" Cheerilee said. "I also spoke with Scootaloo's mother. Seems she was considering keeping her daughter from the Gala as well. I think I managed to convince her otherwise." "Sweetie will be happy to hear that. She and her friends seem to be inseparable." I refused to dwell on the fact that I would be separated from them. I just wanted to be happy for them and not wallow in my own petty laments. "Did you talk to Applejack, too?" "I asked Miss Rarity to talk to her," said Cheerilee. "I'm sure she'll be fair and let little Apple Bloom go." "I really hope so." I paused. "So what made you want to talk to me?" "Miss Rarity told me a lot about you, so when I saw you, I just had to introduce myself." "Um, really?" I said in a dubious voice. "I'm not all that special." "According to Sweetie Belle you are, from what Miss Rarity said. She thinks you're a good influence on little Sweetie, and I agree with her. And you're just so sweet to be concerned for her friends as well." My cheeks felt warm. Was I actually blushing?. "Well, thank you. I really do like her. I've been spending a lot of time with her lately. She's ... she's like a little sister to me." "Oh, that's simply wonderful to hear." Cheerilee's eyes flicked slightly to the side. "Anyway, I've taken enough of your time. Have a great day!" "I'll certainly try." She turned and started trotting away. "Candy?" came Fluttershy's voice approaching from behind me. I turned around. My initial relief at hearing a familiar voice faded when I saw Tree Hugger trotting along beside her. "Uh, hi." Fluttershy looked troubled as she glanced past me. "Was that Miss Cheerilee you were talking to?" "Yeah, she said she was Sweetie Belle's teacher," I said. "That is true, right?" "Of course. Why do you ask?" "You look upset." "I'm a little concerned about Discord," said Fluttershy. "That seems to be going around." I glanced at Tree Hugger. She was looking past me, her usual serene smile fading as she stared. "Really? Did he finally talk to you?" "Not me. Something about not buying cakes at Sugarcube Corner. You'd have to talk to Pinkie for the details." "Oh, goodness. Maybe he really is upset after all." "Over what?" Not that I really cared for the creature's emotional state. "He thought I was going to invite him to the Gala," Fluttershy said. "I had assumed he would have his own ticket." "His own ...?" I trailed off. Why Princess Celestia would invite somepony like him to such an event was beyond me. The idea of Discord and Fluttershy was even more ... no, definitely not going there. "And then he met Tree Hugger. I thought they had hit it off okay, but after we got to talking about it, she thought he seemed kind of tense. I'm worried that he doesn't really like her after all." "So, like, totally unauthentic," said Tree Hugger. Fluttershy gasped. "Really? But you seemed to be okay with him earlier." Tree Hugger continued to stare past me. "Not him, Fluttershy. Her." "Huh?" I glanced behind me. "You mean Miss Cheerilee?" "Her vibe was really bumming me out," said Tree Hugger. "It was draining my chakras until I grounded my energy flow." "But she's the teacher at the Ponyville grade school," Fluttershy said. "You hardly even really met her." Tree Hugger closed her eyes and placed a hoof to her chest. "I know what her aura tells me, Fluttershy. Maybe her groove is off. Everypony has a bummer of a day sometimes." Yeah, like mine, and getting worse. I really needed some time to myself where ponies didn't walk up to me left and right. Sometimes I missed the more impersonal atmosphere of New York. "Well, I better get going." "Um, Candy, wait," said Fluttershy. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" What now? "Yeah, sure," I said in a resigned voice. Fluttershy turned to Tree Hugger. "Can I meet up with you later? I thought we might go to lunch together." "Radical idea, Fluttershy," said Tree Hugger. She turned to me and smiled. "Peace." "Uh, yeah, peace," I murmured. Fluttershy waited until Tree Hugger was out of earshot before turning to me. "Um, Twilight told me about what happened in the castle concerning Matilda and her friend Kevin." Great. "If you're worried that I'm mad at Twilight--" "I'm more worried about you." "I'm fine," I snapped. "You don't sound like it." I forced myself to take a deep breath. Fluttershy was the one pony I never wanted to yell at. "Maybe I just don't like the idea of Twilight inviting the enemy into town." Fluttershy's gaze flicked to the side. "I don't like the idea of a changeling in town either." "Then you can understand how I feel." "I do," said Fluttershy. "But ... but I ..." "What 'but' is there?" I cried. "A changeling killed Cherry! Yeah, her spirit is still with me, but what happens if that changeling gets a hold of my pendant?" Fluttershy brought her eyes to mine, and they glistened as her mouth opened and closed several times as if she were struggling to find the right words. "Twilight believes a-as we all do in giving second chances." I clenched my teeth. "You are not going to tell me that Sevfivtoo deserves--" "No, not her," Fluttershy said quickly. She sighed and lowered her gaze. "I don't think any of us could ever give her a second chance." "Fluttershy, please, what's your point?" "Kevin is not like Sevfivtoo," Fluttershy said in a flat voice. I frowned. "You don't believe that." Fluttershy hesitated. "I ... I have to believe that." "Why? You have no idea if Matilda's story is true!" "I know, but what if it is? What if he could give us important information? What if he could help protect you?" "Then let Twilight handle it!" I snapped. "I don't need to be involved. I don't need to go near that thing." Fluttershy sighed. "What is it?" I demanded. "Do you really want me to go meet that changeling?" "I didn't say that." "Would you feel safe in a room with him?" Fluttershy swallowed, her eyes glistening. "I ... n-no, I don't think I could go near him." "So what do you want from me?" Fluttershy averted her eyes. "I just ... I just don't want you to hate him." I wanted to scream at her. Why shouldn't I hate him? Why shouldn't I hate all changelings? Didn't I have a right to feel that way? Instead, I took a deep breath, and when I spoke again, my voice was a little more calm. "Fluttershy, I think I understand where you're coming from. You don't hate anypony, but not everypony can be the Element of Kindness." "I don't mean that." Fluttershy slowly brought her eyes to mine. "And ... I do know what it means to hate. I'm s-starting to feel that way towards Sevfivtoo." My eyes widened. Was I hearing this right? "I don't like this feeling," said Fluttershy in a sad voice. "And I don't think Twilight liked it either when she felt it." Even as stunned as I was to hear her admit this, it didn't change my own attitude. "But even Princess Celestia said Twilight wasn't expected to stop having feelings like that. Can't that apply to you, too?" "I know, but I'm ... I ..." Fluttershy shook her head. "This isn't what I wanted to say. This wasn't supposed to be about me." This reminded me far too much of the one blow-up I had with Michelle when she had told me she wanted to help the drug addicts in her old neighborhood. Michelle had her misgivings about it, and I was no help at all in resolving them. If Fluttershy were looking for that sort of insight from me, she would be disappointed. She brought her gaze to mine. "I've seen how much pain Twilight felt from her hate, and I don't want that happening to you. I don't want to see you in any more pain." I looked away for a moment. I wanted to take her concern at face value, but did she really understand my feelings at all? Was my experience so alien to her? I wished I had the strength to see it from her perspective. Instead, all I could do was say, "If you don't want to see me in pain, then convince Twilight to keep that changeling out." "Twilight won't do anything that would endanger you, Candy." "Then that should make her decision easy, shouldn't it?" Fluttershy sighed. "I ... I guess." An awkward silence settled over us. I still didn't understand what she wanted from me, or what she expected me to do. The conversation felt as muddied as my thoughts. "Um ... anyway ... I'm sorry I got upset." I really wasn't sorry, but I didn't want to go away with bad feelings between us. Fluttershy averted her eyes for a moment. "No, it's fine. Um ... do you want to go to lunch with us?" "I think I need some time alone right now." "I understand. I'll see you later." I galloped away before I could change my mind. So had things become more complicated yet again, or was I simply making them more complicated than they needed to be? I had not wanted to recall Chrysalis' words, but one particular part of her bombast crystallized in my head: I know a little of the history of your world. Groups of beings persecuted for their beliefs, their culture, or simply for what they looked like. Wasn't I doing the same thing? I trotted through a quiet park and picked a bench sitting in the shade of a large tree, hoping it would obscure me from the gaze of ponies who happened past. I settled on my haunches with a sigh. My stomach rumbled. I wished I had thought to ask Rainbow Dash where that hayburger place was. I could have gone for the Equestrian equivalent of comfort food. I frowned and shook my head. I had no business finding any sort of truth in Chrysalis' words. She had crafted them specifically to garner the response she had wanted. Didn't the changelings' very nature make them evil? Why make it more complicated than that? I placed a hoof over my pendant and sighed. All this time spent in seeking solitude, and now I needed somepony to talk to after all. A flash of light to my side, and I suddenly got my wish. For a moment, I assumed Twilight had teleported next to me, until I felt an arm ending in a large paw draped across my shoulders. My uninvited companion spoke, and I froze. "Why, hel-lo there my dear, dear friend Candy Swirl! How is the life of a pony treating you these days?" I bolted from the bench and whirled around. My heart thumped, and my stomach twisted as my gaze rested upon a vision I had hoped never to see in anything other than books. Discord. He was dressed in an orange suit with a red bow-tie and matching top hat. He smiled and reached into his suit, pulling out a gold ticket. "Guess what the postpony finally delivered, my dear," he said in a low, conspiratorial voice. "One ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala. And there's simply nopony in this universe I would rather take than you. So what do you say? Shall we dance in the moonlight together?" My rationality collided with his absurdity, and common sense flew out my ears. I did exactly what I had originally envisioned if I had ever met him again: I grabbed the nearest large rock with my magic and hurtled it as hard as I could at his stupid head. Discord's head and top hat vanished, and for a heart-stopping moment I thought I had managed to decapitate him. Instead, he reached his paw into his neck and pulled out head and hat with a comical pop. He sighed and folded his arms. "I'll take that as a 'no' then." "You ... I ... how ...!" I sputtered. "I'm sure I gave you better diction than that when I made you into a pony. Perhaps you should consider some remedial lessons with your new pal Miss Cheerilee." All the frustration of the past week boiled up and over. "You rip me out of my world. You turn me into a pastel-colored pony. You tell me nothing about what's really going on with my pendant. You completely ignore my struggle with Chrysalis! You actively avoid me even after all that's over! And now when you actually do come to talk to me, it's only to ASK ME OUT ON A DATE?!" Discord tapped his chin with his claw as he listened, his brow furrowed as if in serious thought. "Well, since you put it that way ..." He smiled and clasped claw and paw together. "Yes!" My mouth dropped open. Words finally had ceased to be an adequate vent. I lowered myself to the ground, covered my head with my fore-hooves, and let out a scream. "Could I consider that a 'maybe?'" said Discord. I rose to my hooves. "If I live to be a hundred, I'll never be so desperate to attend an event that I'd go with the likes of you!" I bellowed. "Well, that's a bit harsh, now, isn't it?" "Haven't you heard a word I said?!" Discord rolled his eyes. "Yes, of course, terrible old Discord, sending you to a world where you're subjected to all this horrible friendship." "Yes, I ... but ... you ..." I stomped a hoof. "Stop changing the subject!" "Oh, but that is the subject, my dear, and it has been very much on my mind as of late." I clenched my teeth. "Fine. Yeah, I've made friends here, okay? That's not the point, not with what's been--" Discord narrowed his eyes. "Some particular friends have been on my mind, like those who don't invite their supposed friends to the Gala." "Don't go there. Rarity explained this to me. She already had promised Sweetie Belle, and I didn't--" Discord frowned. "And then they replace you with somepony who spews nonsense about 'vibes' and 'grooves.'" I tilted my head. "Wait, are we talking about the same thing?" Discord threw up his arms, which detached and flew into the air above his head. "Oh, never mind all that!" He snapped the talons of one of his disembodied arms. His suit became black, and he sported a matching, long, thin mustache. His arms dropped back into place, and he twirled the mustache in his paw as he leaned towards me. "I have my own reasons for being at the Gala now. All you need to do is say what a wonderful time you're having, make a certain somepony insanely jealous, and then you can trot off and do whatever you like." I stared. "What?? You think I want any part of your stupid scheme? Don't think I haven't read up on you!" "But that was the old me!" Light flashed, and a duplicate Discord sat next to him, cackling malevolently ... and wearing the same black suit and mustache, twirling the latter in the same manner. I raised an eyebrow. Discord stopped twirling his mustache and looked at his duplicate. He frowned and shoved it to the side, where it vanished. He snapped his talons, and his suit returned to its original orange and red, the mustache gone. "This is the new me! And the new me can be anything you want." I sighed. "Look, will you please just--" "Are you the romantic type?" I recoiled. "What?!" He suddenly held a bouquet of flowers in one arm and dropped to his knees before me. "Oh, but there is no blossom as pretty as you." A heart-shaped box of chocolates appeared in his other arm. "Nor are there any candies as sweet as your very name." I backed up a step. "O-kay, this is seriously weirding me out." "Oh, ponyfeathers!" Discord stood and threw the flowers and chocolates to either side. "Tell me what you want! Throw me a bone, and not at my head this time!" I knew I shouldn't take the bait, but I did anyway. "Fine! You want to know what I want? I want answers!" "Very well." "And I won't take 'no' for ... er ... huh?" Discord smiled and lifted an arm. "I'll give you answers." A covered silver tray appeared balanced on his claw. "In fact, I'll give you the answer." I tilted my head. "The answer?" Discord's smile turned sly as he lowered the tray towards me. "The answer to everything lies here. Are you sure you're ready? Are you sure you can handle it? Because once you know ... there's no going back." I hesitated, my heart thumping as I reached out with my magic and slowly lifted the cover ... ... and on the tray was the number "42." I threw the cover to the side. "Stop it!" "What? You have the answer to everything right there, with life and the universe thrown in for good measure. What more do you want?" I knocked the tray away with my hoof. "Stop playing games with me!" Discord sighed. "And here I thought you would appreciate some humor from your world. You really do play hard to get." "I'm not playing hard to get!" I roared. "I mean ... that is ... arrgh, never mind! Just leave me alone!" I turned and started to canter away from him, only to stop short when he suddenly appeared right in my path. I stumbled back a step as he spoke. "Really, Candy, I thought you were somepony who could figure things out for herself. Don't you want to feel the joy of discovery?" "Are you serious?!" I yelled. "I have a changeling after me!" "Oh, and you're so important that this changeling would go out of her way to kill poor little pony you." "Of course it would! It's killed before, and I have the pendant it wants!" Discord conjured a large thermometer. "Try again." I tilted my head. "Are you saying it's not trying to kill me?" The red fluid inside the thermometer crept upwards, and Discord smiled. "You're getting warmer." "But it still wants the pendant?" The fluid shot up. "Even warmer!" "But ... if it still wants the pendant ... and it won't come to me ... is it seriously expecting me to go to it?" The fluid almost pegged the top of the thermometer. "You're red-hot now, dear Candy!" "But Chrysalis already tried that!" I cried. "Why would she think that I'd be stupid enough to hand it to one of her drones when ..." I trailed off as the fluid dropped precipitously, turned blue, and icicles formed at the bottom of the thermometer. "And you were doing so well." Discord tossed the thermometer over his shoulder. "This is ridiculous," I growled. "Why can't you give me a straight answer?" "I do have a reputation to live down to, you know," said Discord. "Spirit of Chaos and all that. And here you said you were so well-read on me." It took all my willpower not to perpetuate a verbal volley that would continue to go nowhere. Perhaps he had indeed given me a clue, and I was too wound up to realize it. I sighed and muttered, "And I thought Tree Hugger was bad." Discord snorted. "Don't get me started on that pony. But I will say one good thing about her. She's just like a broken clock." I looked askance at him. "Huh?" "She can be right twice a day." "What in Tartarus are you talking about?" "But back to more important matters," said Discord. "What time shall I pick you up?" My eyes widened. "Time ... I ... what??" "You do tend to say that word a lot. I'm sure I gave you a greater vocabulary than that." "I'm not going to the Gala with you!" I bellowed. Discord's eyes widened. "What?? Ugh, see, now you've got me doing it!" "What made you think I would ever go with you?" I demanded. "Because I gave you the answers you wanted!" Discord declared. "Do you always toy with the affections of others this way?" "I'm not toying -- I never said I would go with you regardless of what you did." Discord clenched his teeth and growled. He leaned down until we were snout-to-muzzle. "Fine. You know what? I don't want to take you after all." I narrowed my eyes. "Best news I've heard all day!" "In fact, I'd rather take a gelatinous pile of green ooze to the Gala than you!" He drew himself up. "Well, ta-ta, Candy Swirl. You had your chance for a wonderfully chaotic evening." And in a flash of light, he was gone. "Like I need your help for my life to be chaotic," I muttered. I let out a startled cry as a miniature Discord suddenly appeared perched on my muzzle. "Be careful, my dear Candy. I could give you chaos on a level you cannot even imagine. But then again, you're well on your way to finding it yourself." He winked and vanished.