The Chaos Factor

by Mr Jelly

The (Awkward) morning after

Ocarina awoke to find she was sweating. Her sleep was filled with the same gruesome image. The alleyway she was caught in three days before. The mangled parts of the three stallions. She’d need to talk to somepony about it, and she knew exactly who. She got out of the bed and walked to the door. She had a first floor guest room. She walked into the kitchen to find Applejack and Cyburst making a large amount of pancakes.

“How did you sleep?” Cyburst asked.

“Ah’ slept fine.” Applejack said.

“I was asking her.” The stallion replied.

Applejack looked back to see Quiet Ocarina standing in the doorway.

“I, also, slept fine.” Ocarina lied.

Cyburst turned around and squinted at Ocarina, who shuffled back

“You keep doing that.” Ocarina said, “Why?”

“No reason.” Cyburst said, turning back around.

“Well, Ah reckon that Apple Seed would be waken’ up soon.” Applejack said.

“I don’t.” Cyburst mumbled.

“Well why not?” Applejack asked in an annoyed tone.

“Let’s just say it was intuition.” He said.

“Okay...” Applejack replied, “Oca, can you be a dear and set the table?”

“Sure!” Ocarina replied.

Ocarina place some of the plates on the table. Enough for all of the ponies in the house. What’d you expect from the Apple Family?

---

“Fuck...” Rain Whisper said, coming from Apple Seed’s room with her head in her hoof.

“Look who’s finally up.” Ocarina said, “Wait, was that the room you were in last night?”

“Uh, yeah, I was talking to Apple Seed last night...” Rain Whisper looked up at Cyburst, who was giving her an amused look. “And I fell asleep in there.” She said, scratching her head and noticing that the band that held up her ponytail was gone and her hair was in an absolute mess.

“Likely story.” Cyburst said, levitating a plate of hot pancakes to the table.

“That’s what happened!” Rain Whisper said defensively.

“Whatever. Look, pancakes!” Ocarina said, pointing with her hoof, “Aren’t you hungry?”

“A little.” Rain said, sitting down beside Applejack, who scrunched up her nose.

“Um... that smells like... uh...” Applejack said, looking over at Rain Whisper, but not speaking anymore.

“I guess she ate more than a little last night.” Cyburst said, levitating more pancakes.

“Very funny...” Rain mumbled, poking at her pancakes.

“What?” Cyburst said, “I wasn’t making any type of joke. I saw you taking some of that apple cider.”

“That’s not what it sounded like.” Rain said with an angry tone.

“Didn’t it?” Cyburst said, grinning as he sat down next to her.

“I thought it did.” Ocarina said, sitting to Cyburst’s other side.

“Okay then, so. Who likes syrup on their pancakes?” Cyburst said, picking up the maple syrup.

Rain Whisper got up, stomping off into her room and slamming the door behind her.

“Now, did I somehow make her mad?” Cyburst said.

“What’d you see last night exactly?” Applejack asked.

“Nothing too important.” Cyburst said, “Just Rain Whisper eating some Apple.”

“Excuse me?!” Rain shouted from her room.

“Sorry, plural. Apples.” Cyburst said, putting a hoof over his mouth.

Just as Cyburst ended his sentence Apple Seed wobbled out of her room, her red mane sprawled out everywhere. “Morning.” She said simply.

“Why, good morning Apple Seed.” Cyburst said, levitating a fork with a piece of pancake, “Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah, how about you guys?” Apple Seed said, smiling at Cyburst awkwardly.

“Oh, my night was just delightful.” Cyburst said, biting the pancake bite.

“Ah’ slept fine.” Applejack said, “But ah’ thought ah’ heard somethin’ down at the barn.”

“I slept nicely.” Ocarina said, looking at Cyburst.

“Yeah, did you hear anything, Apple Seed?” Cyburst said, biting more pancakes.

“Uh, I figured it was just some animal.” Apple Seed said, looking around nervously, “It made some pretty weird noises, though.”

“So. do you want some pancakes?” Cyburst said, “They're all nice and wet from the syrup.”

“Uh, sure.” Apple Seed said, sitting across from the others.

“Well, take your fill.” Cyburst said, finishing off a pancake.

“Yeah.” Ocarina said, “fill.”

---

“Well, I think since they got up last,” Cyburst said after the last pancake was eaten, “Apple Seed and Rain Whisper should clean up.”

“That IS the rule of the house.” Applejack said, “Ocarina, can you go get Rain Whisper?”

“Yeah.” Ocarina said. “Can cyburst come with me?”

“What?!” Cyburst said, “I’m pretty sure she doesn’t want to see me, of all ponies, at the moment.”

“Aw, okay then.” Ocarina said, walking towards Rain Whisper’s room.

“Rain?” She said, knocking on the door.

“Yeah?” Rain called from behind the door.

“You have to clean up the dishes.” Ocarina said, “Along with Apple Seed.”

A flash of light appeared next to Ocarina, Rain Whisper appeared next to her.

“Okay.” She growled, walking back into the kitchen.

“Apple Seed.” Ocarina went to her room, “You too.”

“I’ll be out in a sec!” She called in a cheery voice, almost polar opposite of Rain Whisper’s attitude.

“Okay!” Ocarina said giddily. “Now, where did Cyburst go?”

Cyburst was nowhere to be seen.

“Oh, I really need to talk to him.” Ocarina said.

Apple Seed walked out of her room and happily bounced up beside Rain Whisper, giving her a swift kiss on the cheek, then helping her out with what she was doing.

Rain looked back at Ocarina and blushed, seeing that she was there.

“Whatever.” Ocarina said, “Did you see where Cyburst went?”

“I... I think he followed Applejack outside.” Rain Whisper said, trying to hide her face.

“Really, interesting...” Ocarina said, she trotted to the door.

Ocarina walked out the door to find Cyburst walking with Applejack.

“Those two ‘ave a lot of energy, don’t they?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah, they certainly do.” Cyburst chuckled, “I hope they can put it to good use.”

“Why do ya’ say that?” Applejack said.

“Because...” Cyburst trailed off, “Because things will be changing.”

“What?” Applejack asked.

“Oh nevermind." Cyburst replied.

“Cyburst!” Ocarina yelled, “Can I talk to you?”

“Sure...” Cyburst said, walking over to the Ocarina, but then looked back to Applejack, “I’ll buck all the trees on the south hill after I’m done with this one.”

“Are ya’ sure?” Applejack asked, “That’s a lot of trees.”

“Yes, I can do it if I try.” Cyburst replied, slightly irritated, “Now, why did you want to talk to me?”

“Can we talk somewhere a little more...” Ocarina shuffled, “Private.”

“Ummmmmm...” Cyburst’s face turned a little deeper shade of red, “Okay.”

The two ponies walked into the barn. Ocarina locked the door on the way in. A bead of sweat dripped down Cyburst’s brow. They sat down on hay bales opposite of each other.

“It’s about why we came all the way to Canterlot.” Ocarina said, shuffling a little more.

“Okay.” Cyburst edged her on.

“I came here to see...” Ocarina looked into Cyburst’s eyes, “You.”

“Look, I’m sorry but-”

“Something happened to me four days ago.” Ocarina continued.

Cyburst felt a weight fall of his shoulders.

“Four days ago, it was my birthday.” Ocarina explained.

“Happy belated birthday.” Cyburst interrupted.

“Thanks, but that’s not important.” She said, annoyed, “What’s important is what happened that night.”

Ocarina explained everything, how the she punched the stallion, how Octavia told her she wasn’t hers, how she was caught in the alleyway, and how she awoke in her bed after that.

“So you remember nothing after that?” Cyburst clarified, “Zip, zero, nada?”

“No, but there’s something else to.” Ocarina said.

“Hmm?” Cyburst raised an eyebrow.

“After I woke up, my bathroom was coated in blood.” Ocarina said, “And there were claw marks of something went into my window.”

“Well, that sounds like something was in your room with you.” Cyburst lied.

“Oh, that’s a relief.” Ocarina said, slipping off the hay bale, “I thought you’d say that I did it.”

“I highly doubt you’d be able to rip three stallions apart.” Cyburst said, ”I think that you just need a little more rest. The shock of the moment may have caused temporary amnesia.”

“Ok, thank you so much.” Ocarina said, walking to the door.

“No, thank you.” Cyburst thought, “You’ve told me quite the story.”

“Phoenix, what does this sound like to you?” Cyburst asked.

“...I think you know, already...” Phoenix replied.

“Yeah, I think I know.” Cyburst grinned.

“Quiet Ocarina can BeastOut, but instead of Falzar, she’s got Gregar.”