Chaos Born

by Fluttercordia

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"Oh my..." Fluttershy was lost, she didn't realise at the time she had no idea where the library was and how easy it was to get lost in this chaotic place of enchanted stairs, fireplaces, and flying objects. She swore she even defied gravity at one stage by walking down stairs that were upside down and on the ceiling.

Coming to a door she got excited, she opened it wide thinking it MUST be the library. After all how big could this place be anyway? Fluttershy let out a shrill scream louder than her normal volume as her hair was pushed back by a force of wind that came from an erupting roar. Just as quickly she slammed the door and stepped back.

She was NOT opening that door again.

Coming to another door on a different landing, she rationally decided to be more cautious when opening this one. A wise decision as when she was about to lightly put her hoof on the floor on the other side she found it wasn't there. With another yelp she retracted, and then ever so slowly peered over the side. It was an endless swirl of an abyss.
Gulping she looked up to the ceiling trying not to lose her hoofing. There floating around the room were polka dotted cats, not seeming to care for their anti-gravity situation, some licking themselves clean. Some even had the same mannerisms Tree Hugger had, after eating some baked goods she had made for herself during the harvest festival not so many years ago.

Once she was sure they were actually okay and seemed to be having an enjoyable time, she shut the door, a cringed look on her face. 'maybe he was right, maybe I have gone mad.' More determined than ever she flew down the flight of stairs again, not caring if she repeated the same mistake from last time. She just wanted to find him, she just wanted to find the library.

Another door. Fluttershy swore to give up if this wasn't her destination. She didn't open it without caution, nor did she be careful, It was more a defeated push with a dead expression. It wasn't the library, It was a potions room. Viles filled the shelves in a variety of shapes, colours and sizes. The whole room smelt like nothing she could explain either.

At least it was nothing overly odd and terrifying like the other rooms she'd been to. After looking around the room through the slightly opened door, she was about to draw back and shut it when a voice spoke out from an area of the room she hadn't opened the door wide enough to see.

"Hi there, can I help you?"

Fluttershy pushed the door fully open now, surprised to have heard any voice other than hers and the Lords. There at the desk, with viles bubbling and a few spilt over, was an alicorn. The alicorn had a lavender coat, her mane was cut into bangs, a deep sapphire blue with a tinge of purple and bright pink streaks throughout. She was very pretty, and Fluttershy was taken aback. 'Another mare in the castle? An alicorn no less?' The only alicorns Fluttershy knew of was the royal sisters and the lost princess Cadence.

The alicorn smiled at the little pegasus. "Whats your name?"

"Im.. _Fluttershy"

"Sorry I didn't catch that?" The alicorn said, still smiling and making her way over to her.

"Um..I'm Fluttershy."

"Well, nice to meet you Fluttershy. My names Twilight!" Twilight extended her hoof for Fluttershy to shake.

Fluttershy slowly took it and gave a weak shake. "I have lost my mind," Fluttershy confirmed to herself aloud. Twilight laughed and shook her head, only slowing when she saw the little mare was very serious.

"I can assure you, I'm very much here. I assume you've had some trouble with the doors here though haven't you?" Twilight had giggled at the last part. Fluttershy only nodded her head dully.

"Its okay, I understand. I had the same problem when I first got here too."

"Really?"

"Oh yes, ended up in a snowy land next to a lamppost. Had some Turkish delight and conveyed with a talking lion." Twilight admitted, starting to trail off in thought at the end of it. She shook her head. "I thought I had gone bonkers too, it takes some getting used to." Twilight noticed the tray balancing on Fluttershy's wing.
"Say, do you need help getting somewhere?"

Fluttershy perked up immediately. "Oh yes! The library please! if, of course, its no trouble.. that is." She rubbed her hoof behind her leg nervously, her knotted pink hair falling in front of her face like an extra layer of protection. She had been through a lot today.
Twilight could see that and draped her wing over her in comfort. After a moment Twilight started to lead her out of the room, to what would be her final door.

---

Finally, they arrived at what Twilight insisted was the library. She had found it with such ease Fluttershy had guessed she had often made trips to it herself.

"Well, this is where I leave you."

"You're leaving?!" Fluttershy said, panic-stricken.

Twilight could tell her eyes were pleading her not to go, but she didn't know what the Draconequus would do if he found out they had met so soon. "I'm afraid so, but don't worry, I won't be far. This is something you have to learn to do on your own. But I believe in you." The alicorn offered a reassuring smile. "He really isn't that bad when you get to know him."

This made Fluttershy feel a little better, but she still wasn't so sure. He hadn't proved himself to be anything but a monster so far. Twilight turned to leave and was making her way up the stairs before Fluttershy could think. 'Damn it!' She thought. She had so much she had forgotten to ask her. 'How did she get here? How long had she been here?' and 'Did she writes the letter in the kitchen?'

The door opened on a room full of books, shelves up high from the floor reaching right to the ceiling. Piles on the floor and some with wings flapping around in no obvious direction. There were a few windows throwing light in and a smell of sandalwood wood was present.

He was sitting there; on a throne of black and red, antlers adorning the top. He had a book laid out in front of him, surrounded by a purple haze, magic holding it up and was at least the size of two ponies in length.
She froze, feeling a bit betrayed by twilight and the note. Hanging in the doorway she found the words to speak.

"I've-I've brought you dinner."

She didn't really want to go in unless he told her to.

"Is that so." The Lord said, harshly. "Didn't fall into another dimension on the way? I'm shocked." He then looked up at the pegasus and frowned. "Or did you fall into another dimension?"

Fluttershy looked down at herself. Her dress had a huge stain from where she had cleaned up her own mess, a few flowers missing and hanging from the seams most likely thanks to angel and scurrying about the castle. The hem was still muddy from that morning, and to her further dismay it appeared to have gotten caught on something and torn it without even noticing. Her mane which her mother spent hours on was now a big knot.

"I was- I cooked, and there was a door and- and- I cleaned -" She tried to explain.

"The dirtiest thing in this castle is you." He cut her off. It was somewhat true, but unkind.

She flushed and let her frayed hair fall in front of her face again, clearly embarrassed. Going to the table she laid out the tray and looked it over, and then realised sadly that with all the time she had spent looking for the library it had all gone cold. The stew, the lovely baked apple was now hard as well. 'should I take it back? maybe he won't mind?'
Feeling a hot breath on the back of her neck she whirled around and almost gave out a yelp. He was right behind her sneaking a look at the food.

"Maybe I should have roasted you." He chuckled. "You would have made a better meal than this."

She gasped. 'Maybe he Does eat mares?' She wasn't a bad cook, she just didn't know her way around yet. She opened her mouth to tell him but quickly shut it as he snorted.

"I's there anything you can do?" he asked mockingly.

If Fluttershy had ever thought she would be taken she would have trained for this. Taken lessons with Starlight and Tree Hugger. If only she hadn't been tired, if only she hadn't felt a little proud of herself in the kitchen. If only she hadn't listened to Twilight and flung herself at her hoofs begging her to take his meal to him instead and.... if only she hadn't lost rainbow. Fluttershy flung her tray down in anger, yet sighing a little at the sudden weight of her wing and cried, "WHY DID YOU TAKE ME THEN? WHY DIDNT YOU TAKE STARLIGHT OR EVEN TREE HUGGER?"

Fluttershy regretted what she said instantly. Horrified at herself. How could she have said that about her friends? She had also just spoken back to her Lord. She was about to apologise profusely, saying she'd make him another tray, that she hadn't meant it.

"Who?" He said impatiently.

Fluttershy couldn't believe it. "Starlight! Tree Hugger!" she said. He looked at her as though she was making a fool of herself and for a moment she had forgotten her noble intentions. "Especially Starlight! You were going to take her, I know it! she is the most clever, the most gifted in magic the-"

"Yes, yes I know the mare, I imagine she would not be a mess right now and arguing with MOI, The Lord of Chaos. Enough! You village mares are all boring and annoying in the beginning but you sure take the cake." He said conjuring up a slice of chocolate cake for emphasis and flinging it behind him, making a small explosion.

'Well If he can just conjure up food why does he need someone to fetch him dinner?! He doesn't need me at all it would seem!' Fluttershy thought. Crying out in anguish she retorted "Then you needn't keep me here if I'm that much of a burden!"

"That's where you're wrong, my dear." He seized her hoof and whipped her around; standing so close she felt a rush of heat draw up her body. He stretched her hoof out over the tray of food and said "Mutatiolimen." A strange word that dripped of his lips like honey. "Say it with me."

"What?" Fluttershy said She'd never heard that word before.

He pushed closer against her back, and she shifted her wings uncomfortably. He put his mouth against her ear and whispered harshly, "Say it!"
She trembled and wanted nothing more than to put some distance between them so she relented and said the words.

"Mutatiolimen."

The air rippled over the food, her chest began to glow. When everything went calmly the food had changed, where the bread was there were cucumber sandwiches, the crusts cut off. Where the baked apple had been, an apple pie with whipped cream and honey glazed over. Where the stew had been, a bowl of... Paper?

He let go and she staggered a bit. He then grabbed a spoonful heap of paper and ate it. "Well my dear, you certainly know how to make me..... eat my words." He smirked at his own joke. But she wasn't laughing.

She gasped for a breath, it felt like she hadn't been able to breathe through the whole thing, whether it was because he was so close against her or, well, whatever he just did she wasn't sure. He seemed to have a small amount of surprise written on his face, as well as annoyance. "What did you do to me?" She whispered breathlessly.

"Stop whining, it was merely a cantrip, heck it could even pass as a parlour trick."

Whatever surprise he might had felt vanished. He seated himself on the throne again and made his tray follow behind him. "It's palatable, now go away, you've wasted enough of my time for today." And he waved a paw at her dismissively.

More than happy to obey that, she crept slowly out of the library, she held her hoof close to her chest. It took her almost half an hour to drag herself back up the stairs and to her bedroom. She hadn't seen Twilight on the way up. Shutting the door behind her she fell onto her bed and let her exhaustion take her.

Author's Note:

‘Mutatio’ means ‘change’ in Latin, and ailments is food in French. I just combined the two.