The Chaos Comes

by fatewing1

Chapter 7

The three immortal beings rematerialized in Celestia's bedchambers. Fatewing, showing the first signs of fatigue from the energy he had wielded today, fell into one of the chairs.

"Like I said before," the ancient alicorn began, "I have a task for each of you. Luna as well."

"What is it?" Celestia said. "What could be so important that you would tear me from my ponies in what could be their darkest times?"

"Actually, Celestia, I would have you and your sister staying here," the stallion said. "I need you to moniter the barriors of Equestria, looking for areas where life is, but where your mind won't travel."

"What do you mean?" she replied.

"In those areas, Chaos has already struck," Fatewing explained. "The occupants are alive, but are no longer your subjects. Your mind will not be able to pierce these areas, having lost their foothold. I will also need Luna to moniter the dreamscape very carefully. The Nightmares will have gained in power significantly, and she will need to be wary of them." He turned to Discord. "I need you, godson, to travel to the final location of where the girls are going. Your trial is located there, and unlike theirs, I can tell you what to expect."

"What is there?" Discord asked, tea appearing in his hand. "And where is it?"

"Your trial is located about three days south of my castle," Fatewing told him. "And it is the 'grave site' of your parents." Discord spit his tea all over the place.

"What do you mean, grave site?" Discord said. "My race evaporates into pure chaotic energy when we die. There would be no grave."

"You're right," Fatewing said. "Yet the girls kept a gravesite for you when they killed you, didn't they?"

"But they didn't..." Discord's eyes went wide. "You didn't."

"But I did," the dark alicorn replied. "They are currently locked in stone, much as you were all those years. The major difference, is that a little bit of disharmony in front of them would not have released them. I set their prisons to release only if a being of pure chaos were to strike each with energy."

"So let me get this straight," Discord said, twisting himself into knots. " You want me to find my parents' statues," one part came free, "channel pure chaotic energy," another popped loose, "and free them by blasting them?" He was entirely unknotted. "Have you lost it?"

"Nope," Fatewing said. "They are some of our best chances to beat Him. If you convince them to help, we might actually live, instead of each of us being either dead or turned."

That sobered everyone up. The thought of any in the room going truely evil was frightening. They sat like that for a while, before Fatewing finally rose to his hooves.

"I'm going to prepare the sites of the girls' trials. If you'll excuse me," he said turning to walk out.

"Wait, Fatewing," Celestia called. "When you told the girls that their trials could kill them, were you being serious?"

"As a heart attack," the ancient alicorn replied. He left Celestia's chambers, his head held low. He heard the pop of Discord leaving for his quest, not realizing the Fatewing was still holding some information back. Fatewing went to the library, found a dark, quiet corner, cast an illusion to mask his pressence, and started to weep. There so much that he wanted to tell them. He wanted to scream the specifics of each trial from the hills, so that the girls wouldn't face the chance of death. He wanted to tell his godson of the guardians set by Chaos over his parents' statues, he wanted to tell Celestia the reason why she must not try too hard to pierce those dark areas of her control. So much that he wanted to say, but he could not. Not without upseting the balance of power that kept Chaos from assaulting them directly. One word. That was all Fatewing had to say in order to allow his evil counterpart to really flex his power. Fatewing's involvment in the earlier battles, and his explanations had already allowed Chaos to gain truely terrifying allies. Nightmare Moon and the thunderbirds were only a beginning. Fatewing wiped his tears and dispelled the illusion. It was time to move out.

The girls had each gone their sepperate ways, packing gear they thought might be useful for the upcoming trials. Twilight had scoured various libraries, hoping to find more combat based spells than telekinesis and a magic blast. She bought a few, intent on studying them during her journey. Applejack, ever resourceful, had decided to stock up their food supplies, as well as get herself some armor. Pinkie Pie, in classic Pinkie Pie fashion, had decided to break various laws of physics and brought her party cannon and other party goods. Rainbow Dash packed lightly, mostly things that would help her scout out their path if she needed to. Fluttershy had packed various herbs and other first aid supplies. Rarity had packed cold weather clothes for her and her friends, that were both functional and of course, fashionable. Twilight and Spike were arguing over whether or not he could go.

"Twi, I can handle myself," the young drake was saying. "And what if you need to send Celestia a letter, or if she needs to send you one? What if-?"

"Enough, Spike," the lavander alicorn said. "I said you're not going. From what I can gather and infer, it's the furthest thing from safe. I also figured out the spell that Celestia uses with her letters to send them to you and to recieve them. I will send them whenever I can."

"But," Spike began.

"No buts" Twilight said.

"Which will be rarely," Fatewing said behind her, appearing from nowhere. The girls and Spike all jumped out of their skins, exclaiming loudly at the surprise. "It's time I told you where you will start your journey. Tonight, find the Great Bear constillation. Follow its northmost claw until you hit the borders of Equestria. There you should find a cottage. Its inhabitant will tell you the rest." He turned to leave.

"Who is it?" Twilight asked.

"Someone that none of you have met, but a few could identify on sight." He finished and took off. His speed was intense. The mach cone started to form almost instantly, and then burst in less than a second. A explosion of black and gold trailed behind him as he rocketed off.

"Remind me to challenge him to a race next time," Rainbow Dash said.

"Fifty bits says he'll leave you so far in the dust, that he'll beat the sound of the startcall to the finish," Applejack said, goading in good nature.

"I'll take that bet," the cyan pegaseus replied. "Though, I'm almost tempted to say you're right. I've never seen such speed before."

"He is an alicorn," Twilight stated. "An ancient one too."

The girls all parted ways, finishing their preparations, and catching some sleep. Little did they know that there was more than five alicorns in Cantorlot at the time. A dark mist lingered a little longer, unseen and unsensed, than streamed away.

"They leave their little city this night," Nightmare Moon said to Chaos. "The Elder One told them to follow the Great Bear's claw tonight, until the borders."

"And thus the Fourth Great War begins," the evil alicorn said. He turned to a dark crystal mirror, hanging behind him in his throne room. He started chanting, the words so old and evil that Nightmare Moon started to worry for her sanity.

"I don't understand, my King," she said, her voice acting as a barrior against the dark magic. "Why don't you attack now, while their defenses are weak and unprepared?"

"Because of the Laws of Balance," Chaos explained. "It is for a similar reason that you could not usurp the moon entirely from Luna. Unless Their forces gain an ally to equal yourself, perfectly, you cannot release your full power. Unless Fatewing interveres, I cannot directly intervere."

"What about when you came for me?" Nightmare Moon asked, sultry tones easily heard. "Was that not directly intervering?"

"Yes it was," the tar black alicorn said. "And I could only do that because he directly assisted on the field of battle against the Thunder Lords."

"How did he defeat them so easily?" the dark mare pondered. "They were of such power that even I would loath to face them alone, one on one. He defeated the three most powerful with almost cotemptous ease."

"Because it was easy," Chaos explained. "He was the sole survivor amongst the creators of the Aspects of Greatness, items of such power, that they defy the Laws of Balance. They do this by being in Balance. They are beholden to neither good nor evil, law nor chaos. They are each an embodiment of traits that define a great warrior. Until this century, he was their only wielder. Against such Power, even my armies of old were but dust in the wind, except for their numbers."

"Could YOU wield them?" Nightmare Moon asked, excitment barely contained.

"No," Chaos replied. "He saw to that. I could only wield them if there are no better qualified wielders alive."

"And thus the plans," Nightmare Moon said.

"Not until they reach the old mage's cottage," Chaos said. "Then I may add my own element to each trial." He suddenly grinned wide. "And I know which trial will occur and in which order. The Balance works against him." He started to laugh, a sound so cold and evil, that Nightmare Moon took a step back, before joining him. Beneath them, an army of darkness added their own laughter. If they had been listning, they might have heard answering laughter from the dark mirror. Chaos heard, and his laughter only grew. He quieted long enough to add, "And then shall we see what they are made of," before resuming his maniacal laughter.