• Published 7th Jan 2014
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The Betrayed - Thadius0



Chrysalis has dealt with beligerent changelings the same way time and again: exile. Funny how all her little problems come back to bite her now.

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Chapter the Fifth - Best pet ever

All of a sudden, there was a sharp yip sound from just outside the compartment, followed by a bit of scratching. Abel turned to the door, a confused expression on his face as he re-donned his illusion. Sliding open the door revealed what looked to be an ordinary russet-red fox with white 'socks' on his legs that ended in black paws. Said fox immediately jumped at Abel and started licking his face.
“Ferrix!” Abel exclaimed. “Oh man, are you a sight for sore eyes!”
The fox replied by continuing the oral assault for a few minutes, before backing off and letting off a sharp yip at his friend.
“Oh c'mere you little troublemaker.”
Abel swept the fox up in a hug, and the fox replied by whining sharply. Abel broke the hug and looked the fox in the eyes.
“How'd you get here, anyways?”
The fox let off a yip, followed by a few circular motions with one of his paws.
“Oh really? I didn't know you knew that! But...going all that way...that's dangerous, even for you, isn't it? Why would you do it?”
The fox replied by keeping a level stare. If foxes could have 'no, duh' expressions, this one was making it to the best of his ability.
“For me? Aw, c'mon, you know I have backup plans within backup plans. I woulda been fine!”
The fox kept staring.
“Okay, there WAS a chance of terrible things happening. But it was Chryssy herself! That is by definition the worst possible thing! None of my supplies, all of the advantage to her. I don't know why you're complaining, I did quite well, under the circumstances.”
The fox tilted his head, and let off another yip.
“Oh yeah, you can see through this pretty easy, can't you? Yeah, I haven't had any painkiller for the past...week? So yeah, temporary illusion so that I can get back home without the ponies mobbing me.”
The fox let off a short, rasping bark that could almost be confused with a laugh.
“Hey! Just because you'll be able to do better one day is no cause to mock my efforts at illusion! I'll have you know nopony and noling can do what I do with the two styles of magic!”
The fox, somehow, shrugged, and looked behind Abel to the six confused mares behind the albino changeling. Abel caught his gaze and turned to look at the mares, and that's when it happened.
The fox was suddenly consumed in a blaze of blue-white fire, before it dissipated, leaving behind the same fox, except with three additional tails.
Abel looked at the multi-tailed fox, back at the mares, back at the fox, then back at the mares, before sighing and facehooving. “Why couldn't I explain later?”
Abel removed the hoof from his face and said in a deadpan voice, “Mares, might I introduce you to Ferrix, my kitsune companion. Ferrix, you've met the six before, I really would rather not introduce them to you again.”
The other seven beings in the compartment stared at each other before Dash spoke up. “Kitsune? What's a kitsune?”
Twilight answered automatically. “A kitsune is also known as a fox spirit, one that lives for an incredibly long time. As they age and learn more truths about the world, they grow in power, represented by them gaining additional tails. However, the danger is that not all kitsunes use their power for the good of Equestria, and some turn to more dangerous pastimes than mere mischief to keep themselves amused over their incredibly long lives.”
Abel nodded at Twilight before picking up the tale. “I met Ferrix not long after I settled into Ponyville. I actually met him...wasn't it near your place, Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy nodded. “I always thought he was a very nice and unusual fox...and when you came by asking to adopt an animal, I always wondered where you went off to...”
Abel laughed. “Well, you all remember that I eat magic, right?” The others, besides Twilight and Pinkie, shook their heads. Abel frowned. “Oh, well, I eat magic. I can eat any magic at all, but thanks to a promise to the Pinkster here,” Pinkie waved, “I don't suck any magic out of ponies. I never would anyways, but that's besides the point. Because I eat magic, I've also grown sensitive to magic. So imagine my surprise when I go to Fluttershy's looking for a pet, and there's this small beacon of magic just beckoning me to investigate...”
-----
Okay, according to the directions from the Pink Wonder, the home of the animal caretaker of Ponyville is at the end of this...path...?
Abel looked at the small home in front of him, trying to phrase an adequate response in his mind. It looks like a cross between a Dwarf Fortress Elf-home and the homes the Hobbits had in Lord of the Rings...
Abel then shook his head, chuckling. Living in Ponyville is causing me to use far more of my old memories than the Everfree ever did, I'll give it that much...
Abel walked up to the door and knocked twice, sharply. The door was answered, but nopony was there. Looking around carefully, Abel finally directed his gaze downwards to see a small, fluffy, and very angry bunny. Careful, mate, Monty Python taught you about rabbits...
Summoning his best polite voice, Abel decided to act as though the rabbit were intelligent. After all, it wasn't as though he had anything to disprove that theory. “Okay, I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing you're not the caretaker. After all, I was told she was a pony.”
The bunny nodded once, sharply. Intelligent theory gains credence, proceed with politeness. “Well then, is she currently home?”
The bunny nodded again, letting up on the harsh gaze by an iota. It wasn't much, but Abel took it as a good sign. “Would she be available to talk with me? I wish to discuss the possibility of me adopting an animal as a pet, it is rather lonely in my home all by myself.”
The bunny looked at Abel as though he were expecting a trick of some sort, before finally nodding, and then motioning to the ground. The message couldn't be clearer. Yeah, fine, I'll get her, but you stay right there. And then the bunny made the classic 'I'm watching you' gesture.
The door was shut, and the tones of quiet conversation, muffled by the sounds of the house, filtered out. But Abel was more curious about the sudden sharp sensation of magic unlike any he'd encountered before. Interesting...I wonder if the caretaker is a unicorn? Would explain the magic...
The door opened again, and this time, a yellow, pink-maned pegasus pony was at the door. Abel briefly noticed her marking of three pink butterflies before he turned back to her face. “Hello there, my name is Balanced Books. I was told by one Pinkie Pie that this was the home of the animal caretaker of Ponyville, was she right?”
The pegasus nodded, letting out a soft eep. Abel smiled. “Fantastic! You see, I have a small home in Ponyville, and while I have finally gotten everything just so, living alone is rather dull. I don't suppose you would happen to have an animal looking for a good home that I could adopt as a pet to fill the void my home has?”
The pegasus brightened considerably. “Oh my, yes! I have so many animal friends that would love to be adopted by good ponies!” Suddenly taking note of her 'outburst,' she let out another eep, and blushed, trying to hide in the mane that fell over her face.
Abel merely smiled. “Why, then, this works out perfectly, miss...”
Abel barely caught the soft 'Fluttershy' that the pony squeaked out. Abel continued. “Miss Fluttershy. Might I say, the name, while apt, doesn't mean you should be shy of me. I can understand that meeting new ponies is an experience not everypony is up for. Though if you wish, after we conclude our business here, I will be back in Ponyville, living as the local accountant and, well, general organizer, and you won't have to deal with me again.”
Fluttershy shook her head. “N-no, that's fine. I...I don't mind meeting nice ponies, it's just...”
Abel knew what was coming. “It's just that, let me guess, after some sort of traumatic experience, you can't work up the courage to introduce yourself, and don't meet many ponies, or get to know them as a result. Ergo, everypony is a mystery to you, and you deal with it in the simplest manner: by not dealing with it at all.”
Fluttershy's eyes widened. “How did you-”
Abel chuckled. “Know? My dear, my mark isn't just in accounting. When I see things that are out of place, broken, or wrong, I'm compelled to fix them, because I see how to put them right, sort of like a second sight overlaying my original one, with all the steps that should be taken. It's just, numbers are easier to work with. Ponies are a different matter, but I think I've got the diagnosing down. Except for Pinkie Pie. That mare is another story.”
Fluttershy nodded. “S-She tried to throw a party for me once...I don't think it ended well. Oh, but you came here for a pet. I'll go get everyone that wants a home organized, and then I'll bring you around...”
Fluttershy, well, fluttered off to one portion of her home, trying to gather up all the animals that wanted to live with another pony. Abel, meanwhile, had finally pinned down the mysterious magic that he'd been sensing, and it seemed to be coming from just within the Everfree. Looking around and noticing the lack of attention on him, Abel decided to follow the mysterious signal he'd been picking up.
Not two minutes later, Abel found himself looking at a fox. This is the source of the-
And then Abel blinked, which caused him to briefly see what his normal eyes could not: that the fox was magically hiding an additional tail. One word popped into his mind instantly as he looked over the fox with new eyes. Kitsune.
“Well then. I believe you are something I'm interested in.”
The fox growled at the pony before it, and let out a sharp yip. Instantly, Abel's disguise was torn from him, revealing his true form, painlessly. Abel blinked. “Yeah, definitely interested in you. You just painlessly removed my disguise. It normally twinges when I do it. Plus, unless I miss my guess, you're a very young kitsune, and Fluttershy'd start asking questions as to why you don't age like a normal fox sooner or later.”
The fox stopped growling, but didn't get out of its battle-ready pose. Abel continued. “I'm not a normal pony, or as you've picked up, I'm not a pony at all. However, believe me when I say this, please. I swear on my life and magic that I mean no harm to the ponies of this town.”
Since Abel did not channel any magic as he said the phrase, there was no flash of light to signify that the Vow had been made, because it hadn't. However, the sentiment was there. The fox got out of his battle-ready stance, instead tilting his head.
And then Abel heard the voice in his head. It sounded rough, as though whoever were using it didn't quite speak Equestrian, but the intent was unmistakable.
You would so readily make an Unbreakable Vow...I begin to think you are not a changeling at heart.
Abel merely chuckled. “Oh buddy, you have no idea. That is such a long story...even if I weren't an Albino and had to feed on the emotions of the ponies, I'd make the same promise, just as readily.”
The fox nodded. Somehow, I know. Very well. Why did you seek me out?
“I'm an Albino, I feed off of magic, and this leaves me sensitive to it. When I came looking for a pet from Fluttershy, I sensed you nearby. So here we are.”
Indeed. Feeding off of magic?
“Such as the magic in all living things...like the monsters in the Everfree, which is my preferred food source. Keeps the ponies safe, keeps me fed, teaches the monsters a bit of respect regarding Ponyville, everyone wins.”
The fox let out a short bark. Except the monsters, but who cares?
Abel laughed as well. “Exactly! So...”
The fox tilted his head. So you came seeking a pet?
Abel smiled. “But I'd rather leave with a new foxy friend. Assuming he'd have me and tell me his name.”
The fox almost grinned. Perhaps...I am Ferrix. Let us be off to your house, and I will judge then.
Abel smiled and began walking down the path back to Ponyville. “So, Ferrix, tell me, what'd you do to get your second tail?”
That is also a long story...
-----
“Well,” Abel continued, “Long story short, I think he's attuned to Loyalty and Self-Sacrifice. He got his second tail when he scared off some timberwolves from Fluttershy's home one night, at great risk to himself. And you all saw him get his fourth tail right now, that was him earning it from teleporting as much as he could, as quick as he could, once he overheard the Ponyville changelings talking about how I'd been captured. He can only do it in short, quick bursts, and went through the forest and wore himself out several times...just to make sure I was alright.”
Abel rubbed a hoof on Ferrix's head, and the fox let out a low growl, his variation of a purr. The other ponies were looking at the fox with a mix of curiosity and wonder. Though Dash was looking at him with more than a bit of scrutiny.
“Hey, Twi, how powerful are these fox spirits supposed to be, anyways? And what all can they do?”
Before Twilight could speak up, Abel took over. “I heard of a story, once, about a land, long ago, in another place and time. Evil creatures had taken over, and were making the lives of those who lived there miserable. The land itself cried out in pain from the tyranny, and thus, a champion was called forth. She was known as Amateratsu, or Ammy for short, the solar wolf.”
The ponies looked at Abel with curiosity, and Abel smiled, knowing that none had heard this story. “She was a bit like Celestia, I'll admit. Kind and loving to all who lived. Except for the evil masterminds behind it all and their minions. Those that she caught, she dealt with. Harshly. It is said that she was as beautiful and white as the driven snow, as graceful and nimble as the breeze itself...and as harsh as the sun when evil entered her sight.”
Abel sighed, recalling the story he was telling, and wishing he could, just once, play that game again, if only to refresh his memory about the tale. “Halfway through her journey, she had to deal with a nine-tailed kitsune, the most powerful sort. This kitsune had an artifact that amplified her power even further, granting her enough strength to do things that were barely accepted, much less understood. She made an island hideout that, at night, vanished from its spot in the ocean to another, randomly chosen, spot. When Ammy overcame that hurdle, she had to deal with a maze of traps, and win several races, and deal with monsters who had weak spots no bigger than one of your hooves. All to reach the top of the hideout, and the kitsune thereon.”
Abel grinned, knowing this next part would resonate with the girls. “And when she did, all she saw was the moon...painted red. With the image of a kitsune painted in an even deeper shade on it.”
Six gasps echoed in the compartment, and Twilight spoke up first. “She hid herself in the moon?!”
Abel shook his head. “No, it was even more ingenious. Ammy looked to the stars for guidance, and saw a constellation that was not whole. So she moved a few stars into position, only then realizing that the constellation was the kitsune herself. She had hidden herself in the stars.”
Dropped jaws greeted this revelation, and Abel couldn't help but smirk. “Once the kistune was revealed, she went and talked about her plan. How every night, after this one, she would gain power because of her mark upon the moon. How once Ammy was dealt with, none would be able to find, much less stop, her now. And how she would take great pleasure in sloooooowly killing Ammy to find out the secret to her power, in order to add it to her own. That way, she would gain power during the day as well, and none could ever oppose her.”
Applejack gulped. “What did Ammy do then, partner?”
Abel remembered the fight in the game, and improvised in his tale. “Luckily, Ammy had gained power over lightning, and there was a storm at sea. Every so often, she would use her strength to cause lightning to shock the kitsune, thus disrupting her hold over the artifact. Though...once the hold was disrupted, and the artifact destroyed, it took the kitsune's extra tails with it.”
Ferrix whined, he knew how this story ended, and he never liked it. “And thus, with most of her power stripped from her, Ammy cast old One-Eye, the Evil Kitsune, down from her position of power, sending her to Tarturus. And with its leader gone, the hideout dissolved into nothing more than sweet-smelling cherry blossoms, and the ocean they fought on to this day still carries a hint of cherry on the spray, if you stop and look for it.”
Abel looked at Dash and finished his rendition of the tale with an explanation. “I didn't cover all of the things One-Eye did to trick and try and trap Ammy in that tale, but believe me when I say that One-Eye could shapeshift, cast illusions, and even stand toe-to-toe with Ammy until Ammy realized what she had to do. Kitsunes are naturally talented at shapeshifting, illusion, and deceiving others. They're like the ultimate pranksters. You will never find a more tricky foe or a more worthy friend than a kitsune. I won't say when raised right, but when they have the proper social interaction with others, they are just nice fox spirits that live their lives only occasionally pranking others. And at worst...”
“You get One-Eye from that tale of yours,” Twilight finished. “I was going to say something along the lines of Discord is how bad they can be, but you sort of took the words out of my mouth.”
Abel laughed. “Funny you should mention the old coot. The day he turned Ponyville upside down is the day when Ferrix here earned his third tail.”
-----
“Okay, Ferrix, I'm pretty sure that while we're good, we're not this good.”
Indeed, this landscape seems to be more chaos than control.
Abel smiled. “Are you picking up on some terms from my memories?”
Ferrix let out a small snort. I can hardly help myself, you made them sound so enticing, and you gave me permission to look.
Around them, Ponyville, well, it didn't burn, but that probably would have been better. It was as though Sense and Reason had taken holidays, leaving behind only Madness and Chaos.
The few bastions of sanity were those places that had been magically reinforced, but Abel could already feel the magic waning.
Fortunately, Abel was super-paranoid and had his home warded up to the shingles, and then had the wards warded to keep the hum of power the wards gave off hidden from anypony's senses.
Point being, Abel's home was probably not going anywhere. Even in this madness.
As Abel and Ferrix walked up to the front door, there was a sudden sense of wrongness in the air behind him. And then there was a voice. A voice that Abel only heard in the darkest corners of his nightmares. The voice of those that did not suffer from insanity, but enjoyed every second of it.
“My word, someone is quite well-guarded! You know, warding your house to prevent everything from an ant infestation to the end of the world either speaks of paranoia or someone who believes that everything will go wrong.”
Abel slowly turned around to see, well, a creature is the only way to describe it. A goat head, a dragon body, mismatched limbs and horns...
But the eyes. It was the eyes that drew his attention. Gold and scarlet, and every so often, the colors spiraled around one another.
Managing to keep his fear under control was something he didn't have much practice in, but Abel was proud to say his voice did not falter that day. “Ferrix, get inside. Reinforce the wards. Do not invite anyone in.”
Ferrix didn't need telling twice, and after the kitsune had bolted, the creature in front of Abel raised an eyebrow. As in, raised it right off his forehead. “Oh, a kitsune. You know, it's been a while since I went on a pranking spree with one of them...Maybe once I'm done, I can see about finding one.”
And then the creature looked at Abel through a pair of sunglasses it had conjured from nowhere. “Oh, wait, you're a white one. Bleh, they were always so noble. 'Oh, please hide us, so our legacy can live on! Chrysalis has gone mad and blamed us for every small thing that went wrong! She's executing us!' And then I go and hide their coloration, and not a word of thanks. Then again, I maaaay have accidentally given Chryssy the idea to look for the spells that she wanted where they actually were, sooooo...”
Abel shook off the confusion and decided to roll with the information at another time. “Well, then I suppose you'd understand why I chose to be called Abel after all.”
At this, the creature's eyes widened. “Oh my! And suddenly, Equestria got iiiiiiinteresting! My dear boy, you'll have to tell me all about it!”
The creature looked at the modicum of lawn that had managed to not be part of the ever-shifting madness around Abel and frowned. “Well, that is, once you take down those dreadful wards. They're interfering with my chaos, and we can't have that if we're going to be civil with one another.”
Abel raised an eyebrow. “Your chaos? You're the one responsible for all of that?”
The creature grinned madly, and Abel noticed it was missing a fang on one side. “ But of course! Discord, spirit of chaos and disharmony! At your service!”
And suddenly, Abel's blood ran cold.
Spirit of chaos and disharmony?
Six of the girls he'd met and befriended were the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony.
No prizes being awarded as for how he was to be combated.
And while he seemed mad, he also seemed to know how to make a semblance of a plan.
Which means he'd deal with the Elements. And their Bearers, so they could never be brought to bear against him.
And there was really only one surefire way to make sure that nobody could rise up against you.
Which means...
Which means...
And then Abel's blood ignited in a fiery rage.
“At my service, you say?”
Abel's voice had lost all emotion. Sane beings would have run, had they seen the hodgepodge of emotions that his face displayed a moment before. Discord, however, was not sane, or had not paid attention, or both, and waggled a talon at Abel before replying. “More or less. If you have any requests, I'm willing to listen.”
Abel smiled. It wasn't a kind smile. It wasn't a smile of the mad. It was the smile of a pony who thinks he has nothing left to lose and has cornered the one responsible.
“Oh goody. Then I have a request.”
Discord raised his other eyebrow. “Really? I'm running out of ideas, so I'd welcome some input. All the ponies do is scream about wanting it to stop.”
Abel's face lost all expression. “Die.”
Discord looked baffled for a second. “I'm sorry, care to re-”
He was cut off by a blast of crimson-colored magic catching him square in the chest, flinging him down the street, and into another building, which crumpled like a house of cards.
Abel walked down the street, the very picture of rage. Those ponies that had time to spare noticed that he almost seemed to be glowing crimson. Abel was, in fact, pulling all the ambient magic he could out of the air and into himself. He wanted to be powerful. He was angry. No, furious. No, even that word wasn't enough anymore. He was so mad, he was focused beyond focused and had wrapped around to calm again, and then back into angry. And he didn't care who knew anymore, though he wasn't stupid, as his disguise was still functional.
For all he knew, six of his friends were dead, and the one in front of him had done the deed.
Discord poked his head above the wreckage and took note of the glowing pony approaching him. And immediately, Discord realized that something was wrong. It took him a moment to actually pin down what the one in front of him could be mad about, but he picked up on it pretty quickly.
“Hold on! You think I killed those mares? Killing isn't my style! I have not and will not physically harm anypony!”
The words spit out in response almost were said with enough venom that Abel could have been mistaken for a cobra.
“Swear, on your life and magic then. If you wish to keep your head.”
Discord gulped and raised his lion's paw. If that was what it took, so be it. He didn't want to end his fun prematurely, and while the Elements were the only things that could beat him, there were ways to make him feel pain that he would rather never experience. So long as he didn't put any magic behind the words... “I swear on my life and magic that I did not and will not harm the Bearers or any other pony physically.”
The words reached Abel, and the glow lessened, though his stare remained as intense as it ever was. “Doesn't take a genius to figure out that you did something, though, Discord. And I have a creed regarding my friends.”
Discord grinned slightly. “Somehow I doubt this is going to involve jumping off of buildings and long flowing white outfits.”
Abel chuckled for a moment, before returning to his stare. “You know, if not for what you are, I could actually get along with you. No, my creed is this. If you harm the ones I hold dear, then the gates of Tartarus would not be enough to stop my wrath. I will find you and end you. And you delivered yourself to me. Says something about this situation we find ourselves in, doesn't it?”
Discord got up and cracked his spine, realigning all of the vertebra that had been knocked out of place. “Indeed. Well, you got a cheap shot in on me. I think its only fair that I return the favor.”
Abel's eyes widened, and he reactivated his ambient magic draining. It wasn't in time for him to put up a shield, but he needn't have worried.
While Discord let off a magical blast, the key word there was that it involved magic. Oh, magic of the spirit of chaos and disharmony, but it was still magic.
And Abel sucked the power behind the blast right out of the attack, and into himself.
Instantly, he felt wrong. As though he'd just eaten something that was so off, it should have been alive. As though Pinkie had just said she thought an occasion didn't require a party. It felt as though all the wrongness in the world had just coalesced in his gut, where the magic behind the attack Discord had loosed at him now resided.
Abel realized two things in that instant.
First, he could absorb the magic of Discord. This means he had an effective defense against the spirit.
And the second was that absorbing the magic really freakin' hurt.
Discord's eyes widened as he too realized what happened, and then Abel looked at Discord in a new light.
Discord was the spirit of chaos and disharmony.
Magic fueled his very being.
Discord was not technically a pony.
And while the magic just felt wrong, it was better than him having it.
Abel's creepy smile was back, as he realized his defense was also a weapon.
“My word, Discord. I had no idea essence of chaos tasted so...invigorating.”
Abel took a step, and Discord unconsciously stepped back.
“In fact, I may have to get some more.”
The two kept their distance equal, but not for a lack of trying on Abel's part.
“And just look at this. A being literally made and powered by chaotic magic, right in front of me. One I have no qualms about...harming. At all.”
Step, step.
“Now now, Abel, let's not do anything hasty!”
Abel grinned.
“Oh, who said anything about being hasty? I plan to take my time about this. Really draw it out. Make sure you get to experience every last second, just like I will. I'm sure you'll find it as...enjoyable as I hope it will be.”
And with that, Discord, the millennial-old spirit of chaos and disharmony, one who had recently ensured that he would never again be encased in stone, made a tactical decision.
A decision to scream in terror and flee like a little girl.
This white changeling had found a way to feed off of his magic, and that was the first legitimate threat he'd felt to his being in eons.
But then again, and here Discord smiled at the thought, he wasn't all changeling, now was he?
-----
“And how did Ferrix gain a tail from that?”
Abel smiled. “Simple, he nearly poured his all into those wards, keeping the house safe. And then, even when he was as tired as that, he helped me find a way to safely store the magic I'd absorbed from Discord on that day. Once he'd taken a break for himself and I thanked him for going above and beyond what I'd expected, fwoosh, three tails.”
Twilight looked at Abel in a new light. “While we were on our way back from Canterlot, you stood up to Discord? And made him run?”
Abel waved a hoof around. “Eh, I put it more around when you were getting back together from the effects of Discord's spellwork.”
“And what was that about storing the magic you'd sucked out of Discord's attack?”
Abel frowned. “I had to get that stuff out of me. It was nine shades of wrong for me to be ingesting. Problem was, my usual methods weren't working on that stuff. And then Ferrix here comes up with the idea that expecting the same rules that applied to me storing all my other sources of magic would apply to storing the magic of chaos was a silly notion. So I took what I knew, flipped it on its head, and eventually found how to store chaos magic. I...might show you. Maybe.”
Twilight's face lit up in comprehension. “So the stories of a pony who just went mad the day Discord attacked...”
Abel laughed. “Probably sprung up because I actually struck back at him, and was so mad everypony else didn't intervene. It's also why you couldn't find that pony, once Discord fled, I couldn't find him for all the chaos already being caused. And when the harmony wave hit me, it restored my senses. I realized you girls were alright, so I went in my home, calmed down, and worked on a way to store everything I'd taken in that day. The stuff from the harmony wave was compliant, the ambient energy was...interesting. I had to filter out the tiny bits of chaos in it, and take it in, along with the stuff from Discord, and store it specially. And then, it was business as usual.”

Author's Note:

So hey, if you think Abel might not be a liar, boy do I have news for you.
Yeah, he lies. Constantly. He filters out his more 'human' memories from his retellings. And he has no second sight or what have you regarding systems or order.
Granted, give him enough time with a system, and he'll figure out how to work it to his advantage.
And here we have weakness number one: Chaos magic! Literally cannot use it. Oh, he can detect it. He can absorb it. He can 'store' it. But he can't use it to keep himself alive, nor can he use it for his spells. Even absorbing it is like eating glass coated in flaming napalm for him.
Another one of his weaknesses is that if you actually, truly manage to piss him off, he stops really thinking. He just goes all 'hulk SMASH' on the object of his hatred.
After this, it's just one more chapter of backstory. This time, it'll be regarding Changeling history! More specifically, Albino Changeling history!

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