Aspects of Chaos

by LordLycaon

No Catch

Applejack was more than a little perturbed by this. She knew that she wasn't the only one in Canterlot, but the emptiness of the streets was still quite frightening. She walked down the road nervously, keeping an eye out for whatever may be a danger. After having to deal with monsters the size of her family's barn over the past year and facing godlike super-villains in the same span of time, she was certain that she was ready for whatever might come her way.

As she trotted down the street, she had the unsettling feeling that she was being watched by somepony. The orange Earth Pony looked around at her surroundings, slowly beginning to feel nervous about the darkness. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She couldn't let this get to her. She had to find the others, and before the Aspects do any serious damage.

As she continued down the path, however, a sudden voice nearly made her jump out of her skin. "How ya doin'?" Applejack had to put a hoof over her chest to try and get her heart to stop thumping like a madman's drum. She faced the speaker, only to see… herself? No, no, the other "Applejack" had a jet black mane and tail rather than blond.

When she was finally calm again, she asked, "You're one of the Aspects of Chaos, aren't ya?"

"Nope," the other Applejack said with a smug grin on her face. "Mah name's not Sour Apple. Ah'm not here to stop ya. Ya'll can go on and get yer friends if ya like."

Applejack raised an eyebrow at the other mare. "Everythin' you say is lie, isn't it?"

"Nope. Nothin' but the truth here." Sour's expression made it plainly evident that she was in fact lying. Applejack frowned at this, but rolled her eyes and made to keep on moving. Sour immediately stepped in front of the blond pony, blocking her path.

Applejack backed up a step at this, but sighed in annoyance and went to go around her clone. Sour simply stepped in her way again. "All right, this gettin' a might annoyin'. Would you kindly step outta mah way please?"

"Sure thing, sugar cube," Sour said. She immediately got in Applejack's way again when the orange Earth Pony tried to walk around her again, earning her a groan of irritation. "I was told not to keep ya here, and I intend to go against those orders."

"Wait, what?" Applejack said in confusion at her double's words. She rubbed her head with her hoof, trying to ease away what she believed to be a migraine. She groaned again and glared angrily at Sour. "Is there any way we could settle this without me having to kick yer sorry flank?"

Sour looked as though she was actually considering this. After a few brief moments, she said, "Nope. If you come up with some kinda challenge and win, I won't let you go."

"Ah'm guessin' that's a yes," Applejack assumed. She then got to thinking about how she should approach this. Maybe she should just buck her double into unconsciousness and go to find her friends. No, that wouldn't work. Despite their obviously vastly different personalities, Sour Maple would likely have all of her strengths. She had to really think about this right now. Soon enough, an idea came to mind. An old riddle that Granny Smith had shared with her when she was just a little filly. It could be just the ticket to getting past Sour. "Ah got it. I'll ask you a riddle. Ya get it right, and Ah'll stay here. Ya get it wrong, and Ah get to leave. Deal?"

Sour smirked cockily. "Ah completely disagree with that idea. Tell me yer riddle."

"All right. It's really simple. Just about everypony in Equestria should know it."

"Tell me."

"Okay. What's black and white and read all over?"

As soon as the question left Applejack's mouth, Sour's eyes went wide. She then started laughing like she had just heard the funniest joke in the world. "That's it? That's yer big riddle? Ha! The answer's…" She was silent for a moment. She soon looked as though she had just had some kind of grave realization.

"What's wrong?" Applejack asked with smirk. "I thought it was simple. Even real little fillies know this one. You sayin' that you don't?"

"No! Ah mean, yes! Ah mean..." Sour struggled to say it. She knew the answer! It was so simple, so stupid, but she couldn't say it. Not because it was a difficult word to pronounce, or that it took actual thought to say, but solely because… she would be telling the truth, something that completely goes against her entire existence.

"Well, if ya don't know, then Ah guess we're done here." The blond mare began heading off, but Sour stood in her way, looking rather desperate now.

"Ya can't go!" she shouted.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Did you just tell the truth?"

"Yes! Ah mean, no! Ah mean…!" Sour released a cry of confusion and frustration. She was even on the verge of crying.

Applejack sighed. "Ya wanna know why yer so frustrated right now?" Sour looked up at her counterpart with confused eyes. "It's because yer so used to bein' a liar. And nopony likes a liar, not even the liar themselves. When you start tellin' the truth, that's when things become easier for ya to understand." With that said, she trotted off, leaving Sour behind.

The dark-haired mare watched as Applejack hurried away. Maybe she should really consider telling the truth more. Maybe she'll feel better then.

-o-

Rarity walked through the streets with her usual poise and elegance, despite the solitude that she felt in the near-empty city. She knew that she had to find the others quickly, but that might not happen if she just ran around like a crazy pony. She did have a certain personal standard to live up to.

As she carefully studied the now-shadowy Canterlot to see if she could find her friends, she noticed a brief streak of white in an alley. Normally, she would try her best to avoid such a dank place, but this was likely the only pony she would meet between Nightmare Moon's return and regrouping with the others. She had to risk the filth and dirt.

Reluctantly, she walked into the alley, nearly gagging just at the smell. She covered her nose as she searched the alley, and soon enough, she saw a white form… rooting through a garbage can. It tossed trash out carelessly, as though it was looking for something.

"Nothing good," the pony said in a voice that was remarkably similar to Rarity's own voice. The pony pulled herself out of the trash can and groaned. "Why does nopony throw out good things? Do I really have to resort to stealing?" She put a hoof to her chin for a brief moment. "Not that I mind stealing of course. Oh, such a rush."

"Excuse me," Rarity called to the other pony, who turned to face her. Rarity gasped at what she saw. The other pony looked just like her, but her mane and tail were a complete mess, and he cutie mark was a trio of black gems rather than diamonds. "Okay, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that you're my opposite. Would that be the correct assumption?"

The other "Rarity" grinned almost fiendishly. "That's right. I am Onyxa, the pony who represents the Aspect of Chaos known as Greed. I only desire the finest things that life has to offer. Only I deserve everything in the world. Nopony else is quite perfect enough for everything, unlike your truly."

Rarity gave a deadpan expression. "Clearly modesty isn't your strong point." Reluctantly, she let her eyes return to Onyxa's ridiculously sloppy mane. "Have you no pride in your appearance? You look you've been in a wind tunnel for the past month!"

"What good are looks?" Onyxa stated indignantly. "Looking good doesn't get you anything. Why worry about one's own appearance?"

"We're definitely opposites if that's what you think," Rarity said with obvious disapproval. She quickly grabbed Onyxa by the mane and began dragging her out of the alley.

"OW!" the alter-Rarity complained. "Where are you taking me!?" She was answered when they entered what appeared to be a salon, where a few ponies were all huddled in fear of the darkness outside.

"Excuse me," Rarity said to a stallion who looked like he was the owner of the salon. "Would you mind terribly if I used some of your things to fix somepony's mane and tail?" The stallion nodded, not wanting to argue about anything. "Thank you, sir." Rarity pushed Onyxa into the nearest chair, where the neater unicorn strapped the sloppier one in. "Now hold still, please. This is likely going to be a very challenging process, considering the shape that your hair is in."

"My hair is fine!" Onyxa argued, but she went ignored as Rarity began working, quickly getting in the zone. Scissors clipped hair while curlers clacked onto the hair. Soon enough, it was done. Rarity had completed her work in virtually record time. Now, Onyxa's hair was an exact duplicate of her own. The alternate pony stared in disbelief at her reflection in the mirror before her. Almost immediately, however, Onyxa asked, "What's the catch for this?"

"No catch," Rarity replied honestly. "I'm just doing a simple good deed. What's wrong with that?"

"Everypony has an angle, pretty girl. What's yours?"

"No angle. I just can't stand watching as a potentially beautiful pony lets her natural beauty slowly die away. Besides, I'm the Element of Generosity! I'm perfectly willing to help others, free of charge."

Onyxa was actually speechless to that. This didn't make any sense! Why would somepony just spontaneously give somepony else a free haircut? Was her counterpart really just doing this out of the kindness of her heart? "Just leave already. I couldn't care less about all of this anyway. Go save your friends or whatever."

"No catch?" Rarity said teasingly. Onyxa rolled her eyes as the unicorn left. She looked at herself once again in the mirror. Rarity was generous enough to give an amazing haircut completely free of charge, and it seemed like the result had been its own reward for her. Maybe she should try being a little more generous sometime.