> Twin Chaos
>  by Moon Glow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: The Spell
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 1
The Spell



It was a rainy afternoon in the quiet town of Eventide Hollow and two girls were making their way out of the local school towards the street.

“Come on, Ivy! The sooner we get home, the sooner we will get dry!”

“I’m coming, Ebbie! I just had to free my broom for a minute!” 

The first girl sighed as she waited for the other. Her name was Ebony, but she was often called “Ebbie” by her sister and mother. The girl trying to free her broomstick was named Ivory, but her family would call her “Ivy” for short.

The two girls were twin sisters at the age of fifteen. They were identical save for their hair and personalities. The both had medium-long hair with a single lock tide in crossing brown bands over the sides of their faces. Ebony’s hair was jet-black and the lock that was tied separate was snow-white. Ivory’s hair was opposite in coloring and while Ebony had a blue bead at the end of her lock, she had a pink bead instead on her black lock. They both, however, had red eyes.

Ivory was dressed in a fuchsia cap-sleeved dress that went to her knees and had a brown belt around her waist. She wore white flats and pink diamond studded earrings. White and pink were among Ivory’s favorite colors because they were the colors that blended with the white of her hair and her cheerful personality. It took a lot to do anything with her natural black strand of hair, so she left it in the style she shared with her sister.

Ebony was dressed in a black hoodie with a crimson shirt underneath, black jeans, and black boots. It was a day Ebony felt the need to wear black that day. She wasn’t Goth or emo, but she liked the styles along with punk and steampunk. Unlike Ivory, who blended with light colors easily, Ebony preferred dark colors.

There was one more attribute the girls possessed: they were witches.

Ebony and Ivory were the daughters of the local witch, Olivine Wolfe. Olivine was a White Witch and was a healer. It took some time before Eventide Hollow became accustomed to having an actual witch in the neighborhood, but it was enough for Wolfe family to travel anywhere on a broom, though there were restrictions when it came to spell casting in public.

Ivory made it out of the building once her broom was free of the door and joined her sister.

“Ready!” 

Without another word, the twins rode off on their respected broomsticks, flying over the town but keeping themselves from becoming living lightning rods. It took several minutes at a pretty high speed before they reached the outskirts of town and found themselves towards a forest. At the edge of the forest was a small one-story brown house nestled among the trees.

The pair landed in front of the door and dismounted their brooms before entering.

“Mom! We’re home!” Ivory called out as the two began to discard their damp outerwear before placing their brooms on the broom rack next to the door. 

The inside of their home was a bit larger than it looked on the outside. There was a single room with five doors at the other end. To their left was the kitchen and dining area. The entire room was a tannish-brown color with dark brown boarders running along the bottom as the wooden floor was a lighter shade. The cabinets were brown and a small table seated for three set in front. 

The rest of the room was considered the living area. Bookshelves, a sofa, and a small TV made up a good portion of the room with some knick-knacks and paintings here and there. The doors, in clockwise formation, led to the bathroom, their mother’s room, their room, and a greenhouse, which was their latest addition. 

The door to their mother’s room opened and a woman stepped out. She was dressed in a simple dark green dress with a brown belt around her waist. Her brunette hair was cut short and her green eyes glistened with motherly warmth. She made her presence known to the twins.

“Welcome home, girls. Dinner should be ready in an hour. In the meantime, work on your homework.” 

She then looked to Ebony.

“I’ve watered your plants, Ebbie, so you don’t have to worry about them.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Ebony replied as she and her sister retreated to their room while Olivine began work on supper.

The twins’ room was pale blue with a black bottom boarder and grey carpet below their feet. Ebony’s side of the room was at the far end, closest to the windowed wall. Both sisters had twin-sized beds, Ebony’s being darker in coloring than Ivory’s. Across from their beds were two antique roll-top desks with different material in their various shelving. 

The two proceeded to work on their homework when Ivory heard something. Looking to her right, she found the sound being Ebony humming as she began work on the first of her schoolwork. Ivory kept silent as she began on her work. It wasn’t the first time she heard her sister hum and she didn’t mind so long as she kept quiet. Unlike Ivory, Ebony was modest when it came to things like that. And every time Ebony was interrupted by someone who heard her, she fell silent again. So, Ivory decided to hold all comments until the end.

Ivory was on her second subject when Ebony began adding words.

 “Oh, simple spawns of mine. Without you, I would be so lost. You have stuck by my side.”

She hummed the rest before Ivory could hear anymore. The pale-haired girl was curious as to what her sister was singing about. Upon reaching the third subject, her curiosity couldn’t take it anymore. 

“Hey, Ebbie?”

The humming ceased as the dark-haired twin looked to her.

“Yes, Ivy?” 

Setting her pencil down, Ivory spoke. 

“What was that song you were singing? It’s pretty, but the lyrics are kinda…odd.”

Ebony blinked a couple of times before she decided to indulge her curious sister. 

“It’s something I’ve been hearing in my dreams lately. It’s pretty, yes, but I don’t exactly understand the lyrics myself.”

“Can you sing it all?” Ivory asked curiously. 

Ebony was taken aback by Ivory’s request. Normally, she’d refuse. But for some reason, she wanted to share the song with her sister. So, Ebony decided to do something out of character for her.

She complied.

“So there you are, our dad. 

A statue oh so cold, so dead. 

You tore their world apart. 

And everypony lost their head. 

Now we must carry on. 

Making chaos for you instead.

‘Cause you~ are our Daddy ______.

And we~ are pieces of you~.”

Ebony paused for a moment to explain to her sister.

“For some reason, the name is blank in my dreams. But that’s the first stanza of the song.”

Ivory remained silent as she took it all in. After a while, she spoke. 

“You think…do you think you’re dreaming of our dad, Ebony?” 

Ebony shrugged her shoulders as she returned to her work.

“I’m not sure, Ivory. I do wish Mom would tell us about him.” 

They both remained silent as they returned to their work. 

Among the topics Olivine never spoke with her daughters, it was their father. The only clues the twins were able to come up with were their eyes and mismatched hair. Otherwise, the man was a mystery to the two. Olivine kept the secret locked away and by far, there was no way the two would find out from her.

As they continued their work, Ivory noticed something else from what her sister sang. Looking to Ebony, Ivory voiced her mind once again.

“Ebony. You sang ‘everypony’ in the song. What exactly does that mean?”

Ebony paused in her studies and looked to Ivory again with realization in her eyes.

“You know…I’m not sure.”

The two fell silent, struggling to understand until a knock broke their train of thought.

“Girls? Everything ok?”

Giving knowing looks, Ivory called out while she and Ebony returned to their work. 

“Everything’s fine, Mom. We’ll be done soon.” 





Outside the room, Olivine spoke, her gaze cast downward. 

“Oh. Alright then. Dinner will be ready soon. Then we’ll start your potion lessons again.” 

“Ok, Mom. We’ll change before dinner.” Ivory called out.

Olivine left it at that and returned to the kitchen area where she added herbs to a chicken before taking a baster and began to cover the chicken with the broth it was in. Once the chicken was in the oven, Olivine looked to her daughters’ door as she worked on the potatoes. 

She had heard Ebony’s song when she was gathering the herbs. It was beautiful, but Olivine knew the real meaning behind the lyrics her daughters were so confused and suspicious about. It was about the one with whom she conceived her two greatest treasures. There wasn’t a single day that Olivine hadn’t thought of the girls’ father. It was cruel fate that forced them to separate before she found out about her pregnancy. 

Often, she wondered about what he would think if he ever found out that she had given birth to his twin daughters. Two individuals that shared both her blood and his. The two lives they had created. A feat that no amount of magic in any world could duplicate. How she wished day and night that she could find him and tell him. 

Looking out the window, Olivine cast her gaze to the forest. The rain was beginning to halt as she saw evidence of the sky clearing as the sun was getting lower to the earth. She could not help but smile at the clearing sky. 

“Full Moon tonight. If all goes well…” 

She couldn’t find it in herself to speak of the plan she had. For fifteen years, she worked hard and planned carefully. Soon, her latest magnum opus will be complete and no longer will she wait. 

She will return to him.

Olivine’s thoughts were broken when she heard her daughters’ bedroom door open. Turning around, she found her beloved daughters dressed in the black dresses and black flats that most witches wore. Of course, the twins had their own little additions to the black gowns.

Ivory’s dress was perfect to the “T” while adding the same brown belt Olivine wore. The buckle, however, was gold with a Rose Quartz in the center and around her neck was a matching gold pendent with the same stone in the center. 

Ebony’s dress, however, had her own touches. The hems of the bottom of the dress as well as the bell-sleeves were tattered to match her style. Like her mother and sister, Ebony had a long brown belt. Her buckle, however, was made of silver and had a sapphire in the center. She also wore a silver necklace with a sapphire in the center.

Olivine took great pride at how her daughters looked in front of her. Not only were they beautiful, but they looked like real witches as well. With a smile, she motioned the girls to the dinner table.

“Chicken should be done soon. Just let me get changed.” 

She then proceeded to retreat to her bedroom to change.

The girls didn’t have to wait long for their mother to return. Like her children, Olivine was dressed in a black dress, only hers reached the floor while her daughters’ reached their ankles. She wore her normal belt and had no pendent around her neck. Her hair, however, was kept back by two small emerald barrettes. She also carried a black cloak and a witch’s hat with her before setting them on the couch. 

Olivine proceeded to join Ebony and Ivory once the oven timer went off. As dinner was being served, Ivory groaned in impatience.

“Oh! I can’t wait to get my hat and cloak!” 

Ebony smiled at her sister as she began to grant herself some mashed potatoes and gravy.

“You are not the only one, Ivy. I bet it won’t be long before I can get my cloak and hat, too.”

Ivory began to pout as she received some chicken from her mother, much to the latter’s amusement.

It was a tradition amongst witches to receive their hats and cloaks when they pass a special exam. They were symbols that they were full-fledge witches and no longer apprentices. Both of Olivine’s daughters were eager to earn these items and become fully trained witches. They already passed the midway exam and earned their brooms. Now all they need are the hats, cloaks, and maybe a couple of cats.

Olivine proceeded to smile as her daughters conversed between bites. 

Typical teenagers. 




It was 10 o’clock by the time Olivine and the twins went to bed. However, only one of them was asleep. Neither twin could sleep that night. Both of them were still up and dressed in black. They were going over their latest lesson notes when Ivory spoke up.

“So when making the Tea of Tranquility, what is the prime ingredient again?”

Ebony sighed as she answered her sister like she had been asked a kindergarten question. 

“It’s chamomile. I can’t believe you can’t remember it. You’re the ‘Flower and Tea Child,’ Ivory!” 

Ivory folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at her sister. 

“Ebony! You know I hate that name! Just as much as you hate to be called the ‘Ghost of the Library.’”

Ebony narrowed her eyes at her sister. 

“There’s nothing wrong with hanging out in a library!”

Ivory was about to retort before she stopped herself. 

“You know what? That tea we were talking about? Sounds really good right now.”

It was then Ebony’s turn to fold her arms.

“And where are you going to get chamomile? I don’t have any and there’s no chamomile tea in the kitchen.” 

It was then a mischievous smirk came to Ivory’s face.

“True. But perhaps Mom has some to spare.”

Ebony’s eyes widened as she realized what her sister had meant.

“Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no! We are NOT going there! You know well we aren't allowed in Mom’s study!” 

Ivory gave a grin as she countered her sister’s argument.

“She said we weren't allowed to practice magic in there. Nothing about borrowing a pinch of chamomile.” “And what makes you so sure she has chamomile?” 

Ebony protested.

“Don’t know. But it won’t hurt to find out.”

With that, Ivory hopped off of her bed, grabbed her wand, and walked out the door. Sighing, Ebony grabbed her own wand and followed her sister, praying that their mother would not wake.

Upon exiting their room, Ebony opened the door that led to the basement. The only reason why their mother didn't lock the basement door entirely was because the washing machine and dryer were down there. In front of said washer and dryer would be the door that led to their mother’s private study.
At the bottom of the steps, Ebony caught sight of Ivory picking the lock to the one room in the house they were restricted to. However, lockpicking could only get them so far. As Ivory worked on the lock, she whispered to her older twin. 

“While I take care of the lock, can you take care of the wards?” 

Ebony sighed, knowing her sister would persist in this venture, waved her wand in a spiral way while quietly invoking a spell. 

The sound of the door unlocking brought the sisters to attention. Ivory grinned while Ebony continued to frown.

“Sweet!” 

With that, Ivory proceeded through the door while Ebony followed, closing the door behind them. Upon turning on a light, the twins saw the inside of the mystery room for the first time.

The study practically took the title of “private dungeon” with the dark room being made of stone. With a wave of her wand, Ebony lit every candle to provide some light other than the moonlight that came from a circular sunroof at the end of the chamber. There was an alchemist’s station, several shelves that held insects or dried plants, bookshelves, and even a podium that overlooked the magic circle in the center of the room. 

Ebony made her way to the cabinets while Ivory began to explore the room in awe. Using her wand, the elder twin searched through the plants until she found plants that looked like tiny daisies tied in a bundle.

“Here it is.”

However, just as she was about to take some, the sound of Ivory’s voice stopped her. 

“Ebony! Take a look at this!”

Annoyed, Ebony turned to her sister and immediately understood why Ivory called her.

Within the cone of moonlight was a potted plant neither sister were familiar with. It looked like a lily plant, but the flowers looked like they were made of silver and starlight. They were amazed at the sight. 

“It’s beautiful.” Ivory whispered as she stared in awe at the flower. “Wish one of us knew what this is.”

Her own curiosity peaked, Ebony looked around until she spotted an open book. Upon further inspection, she saw it was in their mother’s handwriting. Curious, she read its contents.

“It’s almost time. In a week, the first flower of the Star Lily will bloom. After fifteen years, I will return to him. But this time, I will bring our daughters with me. Even now, I have yet to tell them that their father is from another world or who he was in general.

“When the lily blooms, I will sit Ebony and Ivory down and tell them. Then, we shall move to Equestria. I don’t know if their father is free yet, but perhaps I could convince the princess to pardon him. I would have to work hard in persuading her. 

“If all goes as planned, not only will I be with my beloved again, but the girls will finally have their father.”

Ebony’s eyes widened in this. Their father? The lily was going to be used to reunite their mother with their father? And their mother planned on having them all move to this “Equestria” where he was? Upon looking at the date, Ebony discovered that the entry was written a week prior. Noticing her sister’s shocked looked, Ivory took a look at the journal herself. After she finished reading it, she was in equal shock.

“Our…father? The lily…is to bring us to our father?” 

Ebony remained silent. 

Without any answer, Ivory flipped through the journal until she found what she was looking for. 

“Here it is!” 

Snapping out of her stupor, Ebony looked down and found that her sister had found the traveling spell that required the Star Lily. As Ivory began to gather the ingredients, Ebony realized what her sister was doing.

“Oh no, Ivory! This is Mom’s work. Just leave it alone and let it go.” 

Ivory gave her sister and intense look.

“Let it go? How can I let this go? This spell is going to help us find our dad! I am not letting this opportunity pass by while we wait for Mom to finish it herself. Besides, we’re helping her with this. Might as well do it while the lily’s freshly bloomed.”

Ebony gawked at her sister as the latter madly prepared the ingredients. While she wanted to meet their father as well, Ebony didn’t want to disobey their mother. But before she could make a choice, Ivory placed all but one ingredient in the study’s cauldron and plucked one of the lilies. Seeing her sister’s quick action, Ebony chased after her.

“Ivory, wait a minute!”  

But it was too late. Ivory dropped the lily into the boiling cauldron and waited for it to boil before taking a large paintbrush and dipped it into the concoction. Once the “paint” coated the brush, Ivory ran toward a nearby full-length mirror and began to chant as she “painted” the glass. 

“Under the full moon, between worlds we will walk. With the Paint of Stars, a gate will unlock. With these words I cast. Take us to Equestria, this I ask!”

Ebony became pale as the mirror began to glow. While she was an accomplished student, her sister was her equal when it came to potions and incantations. Had she not been stunned with her dilemma on agreeing or disagreeing, she could have stopped her sister. 

Suddenly, a flash of light enveloped the room. When it dimmed, both Ebony and Ivory Wolfe vanished without a trace.




Meanwhile, in the land of Equestria...

Hidden within the walls of the castle in the city of Canterlot, a being composed of a mixture of creatures was sleeping peacefully in a bed that hovered on the ceiling. He was muttering in his sleep as dreamed vaguely. Suddenly, he felt a sudden chill run down his spine and awoke, his body waving like a snake's slither. 

"What was that?" he asked.

Actually, didn't know what the source of the cause of the feeling. But he knew what it meant when his spine shivered.

There was a surge of imbalanced magic. 

He waited for a few moments until he could no longer sense the imbalance. Exhaustion overtaking him, he curled up into bed and began to sleep again. But not before muttering a tune he had been hearing in his dreams as of late.

Please do not cry, my dears~ 

Your daddy is still very here~ 

And when I do bust out,~

We can respread the random fear.

Our joy will be their pain,

As their world drowns in choc'late rain,

'Cause I~~~~ am your Daddy Discord~

And you~~~~ are pieces of me~~~~
> Chapter 2: Stranded
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 2
Stranded




Ebony groaned as she began to regain consciousness, her head throbbing from pain.

“Ow… What hit me?” 

Nearby, she heard Ivory groan as well.

“Can someone get the number of the truck that hit me?” 

Ebony let out another groan, only this one was meant for her sister’s choice of words. 

“That joke is older than the Stone Age, Ivy.”

She then opened her eyes and waited for her vision to clear. 

“Where are you anyway, Ivy?”

“From the sound of your voice, I’m right in front of you.” Ivory replied sarcastically. 

Eventually, Ebony’s vision cleared. And she was not expecting the sight in front of her.

It was a creature mixed of multiple animals. It was definitely longer than her own body. It possessed a head of a pale grey horse with a pair of slender ram’s horns on its head. Its torso was covered in chocolate brown fur with front legs that look like lion’s paws and cloven hooves for the back legs. On its back was a set of turquoise bird wings. Its tail was a scaly snake’s tail with pink scales with a tuft of white fur at the end. Its mane was long and white with a single black lock tied at one side. 

It opened its eyes to reveal two white orbs with red irises and black pupils looking at her. After a few moments of silence, the creature spoke.

“E-Ebony?”

Ebony blinked in shock. 

“I-Ivory?! Is that you?!” 

The creature blinked before giving a nod.

“Yeah… Why wouldn’t I be me?” 

Ebony answered her transformed sister. 

“You should take a look in the mirror.”

The creature formerly known as Ivory Wolfe turned her head. Her elongated ears drooped slightly as she noticed something. “Uh…I don’t think we’re in Mom’s study anymore.” Ebony followed her sister’s gaze and indeed noticed that they weren’t in their mother’s study anymore. Instead, they were in what appeared to be a library in a ruined building made of stone. Within the bookcases was the entrance to what appeared to be an alcove. Inside was a large mirror similar to the one that the sisters used. 

As Ivory approached the mirror, she paused to turn to her sister. 

“You should see yourself too, Ebbie. But…you may not like what you see.”

Ebony raised an eyebrow as she followed her sister. Upon looking into the mirror, Ebony could see what Ivory was talking about.

Instead of a human, she was the same kind of mixed-up creature like her sister. However, her head was a darker shade of grey with a mane of black with a white lock tied separate. Looking down, she found she had the same chocolate fur, but she had black raven claws for forelegs and dark green lizard feet for back legs. Her wings were dark violet bat wings and she had long dragon horns on her head. Her tail was serpent-like like her sister’s, only the scales were blue and there was a tuft of black fur at the end.

As the two sisters gazed at themselves in the mirror, the used the same reaction. 

They screamed.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!”



At the edge of a nearby town…

In the dark of night, the sound of screams echoed in a crystalline tree-castle, startling its only residents awake. One was a small purple-and-green dragon sleeping in a golden bed, while the other was a lavender pony with an indigo mane and tail that had two pink stripes in them sleeping in another room. She also had the horn of a unicorn and the wings of a Pegasus. 

“What was that?” the pony gasped as she sat up from her bed and looked out a glass window. 

At another part of the town on an apple farm, an orange mare with blond hair and freckles jolted awake at the sound. Turning her groggy eyes to the window, she muttered before going back to sleep.

“What in tarnation?”

Over the town, a cyan Pegasus with a rainbow-colored mane and tail jolted from her bed and created a roof Greco-style home made of cloud, screaming. Below, a building that looked like it came from the story of Hansel and Gretel remained unstartled. Mostly because of the infant unicorn and Pegasus crying, waking the three adults that ran the shop, including a bubblegum-pink mare with a curly, frizzy mane. However, the scream could be faintly heard by said mare as she looked towards the nearby window.

Nearby, in a boutique filled with glamorous dresses and dapper suits, a white unicorn mare sat up from her bed and glared angrily at the window. “Honestly! Can’t a pony get her beauty sleep these days?”

Lastly, at the border of a forest and the town, a grassy cottage stirred abruptly due to the screams coming from said forest. Inside, animals from mice to a bear ran around the cottage in a panic. Up the stairs, a butter-colored Pegasus hid under her covers, cowering in fright. She peeked out of her covers just as the others turned their gazes towards the same location. 

The screams came from the Everfree Forest.




Back with the twins…

Both sisters covered their mouths to stop them from screaming their lungs out. Ebony gawked at her refection while Ivory began to pace back and forth, alternating between biped and quadruped. 

“This is bad! This is VERY bad! I thought the spell would take us to Dad! Not…this!!!”

Hearing her sister’s rant, Ebony pulled herself from the mirror and gave an angry glare at her sister.

“None of this would have happened if you hadn’t been so insistent that we’d go into Mom’s study without her permission!”

It was then Ivory’s turn to glare at her sister. 

“Hey! You could’ve stopped me. Why didn’t you?”

“I agreed to go as far as to borrowing some chamomile for that Tea of Tranquility! I did not sign up for this! You should’ve let that spell alone and wait like the rest of us.”

“The rest of us? You mean you?” Ivory spat back angrily.  “You were just as curious as me!”

“But I know when to follow the rules, Ivory May Wolfe!” Ebony retorted, using her sister’s middle name to empathize her anger. 

Ivory stuttered to counter her sister’s argument, but decided to change the subject.

“Look, Ebony April Wolfe. This is getting us nowhere. We’re just arguing. We need to get home.” 

Realizing her sister was right, Ebony withheld her previous argument and eyed the mirror again. 

“Let’s try the mirror again.”

Without another word, the twins placed their hands, well paws and claws, on the mirror’s glass.
Nothing happened. 

The sisters groaned as Ivory began to abuse the mirror while Ebony gave their situation some thought.

“Aw, come on! Take us back! We wanna go home! You hear me?!” 

Ebony then spoke up, halting her sister’s rant. 

“Try that chant again. Maybe it can get us home.” 

Realizing her sister may be on to something, Ivory cleared her throat and began the chant.

 “Under the full moon, between worlds we will walk. With the Paint of Stars, a gate will unlock. With these words I cast. Take us to Eventide Hollow, this I ask!”

Unfortunately, nothing happened. No flash, no blacking-out, nothing.

“You gotta be kidding me!” Ebony griped.

“We’re stranded?!” Ivory protested. 

The twins groaned simultaneously, the sound echoing in the empty building. Looking out of the alcove, Ebony looked up to find a window and saw what time it was. Looking to her sister, Ebony spoke. 

“Looks like until we get that spell going again or Mom comes to get us, we’ll have to make due. Hopefully, there are some rooms where we can sleep.”

“What about the people that live here?” Ivory asked, looking around cautiously.

Ebony motioned her sister to follow her out of the library as they began to look around. Seeing the vast rubble and encroaching wildlife, Ebony drew up a conclusion. 

“Looks like this place has been abandoned for years. Centuries, maybe. But that’s great.” 

Ivory raised an eyebrow at Ebony.

“How so?”

Ebony answered as they exited out the front door to get a good look at where they were.

“Well, we don’t know what the people here are like or if they’re even human. If they don’t look like we do now, probably be best not to scare them. And with no one here, we won’t need to drag a large mirror from place to place in hopes it may be our way home.”

They then turned around and got a good look at the building thanks to the full moon. They found that they ended up in a ruined stone castle of unknown make. The area around the castle was clear and down a short path was an old rope bridge that had seen better days. It was still too dark for the twins to notice the set of stairs that led down into the ravine and there was a fog that kept a shiny glow hidden from their sight.

Keeping their gaze on the castle, the twins spoke to each other. 

“Well, this is interesting.” Ebony spoke.

Ivory began to grin.

“Sweet! I’ve always wanted to be a princess. And now we have our own castle.”

Ebony raised an eyebrow at her twin. 

“This is no time to play pretend, Ivy. But still, I guess it could be our home for the time being.”

Ivory grinned wider at her sister’s answer.

“I’m gonna go and pick out my room. See you in the throne room in the morning, Princess Ebony.” 

Ebony folded her arms as she rolled her eyes.

“Good-night, Ivory.” 

As Ivory left to find a room, Ebony followed a stairway opposite of the one her sister took. She walked a few flights of stairs until she came across a room with the image of a crescent moon on it. 

“This looks promising.” She muttered to herself as she opened the door. 

Inside, she found a room that looked fit for royalty. There was dust all around, but the thing she was focused on at that moment was the still-usable bed at the end of the room. Without another word, Ebony trudged into the room and opened the windows. She then proceeded to take the sheets of the bed and beat the dust out of them until she found it was enough, the dust exiting the window. 

Once the bed was made again, Ebony used her tail to do a bit of light dusting so she would not sneeze throughout the night. Once the large chuck of the dust was out the window, Ebony closed it before climbing into bed. It was difficult for her at first, what with her elongated body and horns. But eventually, she found herself in a comfortable position to sleep. As she drifted off, Ebony had a thought emerge from her mind.

 “I hope we get back to Mom soon.”




Meanwhile, back at the crystal castle....

The formerly sleeping baby dragon curled up in the lavender pony's bed, still shaking from the scream that was heard earlier. 

"Wh...what do you suppose that was, Twilight?" he asked nervously.

The pony, Twilight, held the dragon close as she kept her eye at the window that faced the Everfree Forest. 

"I don't know Spike. However, it sounded like it came from the Everfree Forest." 

Seeing a certain look in her eye, Spike asked the pony nervously.

"You're not gonna do what I think you're gonna do, are you?"

Twilight frowned as she started to lay down, still keeping an eye on the forest. 

"Tomorrow, we'll get the girls and find out exactly what that scream was."
> Chapter 3: The Princesses of Chaos
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 3

The Princesses of Chaos





It was bright and early the following morning after the mysterious screams were heard and Twilight Sparkle was waiting at the map room for her friends. She awoke at 5:30 am and pestered Spike enough to wake him an hour later. The reason: she wanted him to fetch the other former Elements of Harmony while she made calculations and preparations.

One by one, her friends entered the map room. The first was Applejack, who was wide awake due to morning chores. She was soon followed by Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. Rarity followed suit, muttering at how rude it was to wake a pony so early in the morning. The last was Rainbow Dash, who was half-asleep when Twilight spoke as Spike returned to his room for some more shut-eye.

"I'm glad you are all here. I suppose you've heard the screams last night a little before midnight?"

Rainbow, Rarity, and Applejack groaned.

"I'll say. I had to repair my roof after those screams caught me by surprise."

"And I had to re-establish my beauty sleep after having a cup of chamomile tea. Can't exactly rest when my heartbeat is faster than the hour."

Applejack rolled her eyes at Rarity's analogy as she spoke up.

"And I thought it was just a dream. Any idea what it was?"

As the ponies took their seats on their respective thrones, Twilight spoke.

"For all we know, somepony needed help. Or it could be a trick."

"Or maybe it was the sound of a surprise party getting started." Pinkie replied.

The others gave her a quick stare before the bubblegum mare shrugged her shoulders.

"What? It happens."

Ignoring Pinkie, Twilight was about to speak as Fluttershy was about to sit on her throne. However, the princess' words were cut when the Cutie Marks over their thrones began to glow and the familiar image of a marker of the same images appeared on the map. Like with the events with Starlight Glimmer, the marker placed itself at a specific location on the map. This time, it was in the Everfree Forest.

At the site of the Castle of the Two Sisters.

"This can't be a coincidence." Twilight spoke.

Her fellow ponies looked to her with confusion.

"What do ya mean, Twilight?" Applejack asked.

The Princess of Friendship answered her, her gaze cast to the spot on the map.

"I've located the trajectory of the screams last night. Not only did I found that they came from the Everfree Forest, but from the direction of Celestia and Luna's old castle."

"You don't suppose something's there…*gulp*…do you?" Fluttershy meekly asked.

"There's only one way to find out." Twilight replied as she collected her saddlebags.

Seeing their friend gathering gear, the other ponies took interest. Applejack was the first to speak.

"Well, if we're gonna spend the day at the ol' castle, I better make something for lunch."

Rarity then spoke up.

"And I simply must go over what clothes to wear. For all we know, it could be a visiting dignitary. Maybe even a prince!"

The other Elements rolled their eyes as a new voice echoed in the castle, chuckling.

"*chuckle* Oh sure. Like a certain prince you have met in the past, Rarity?"

The ponies turned their attention to the ceiling, where a certain multi-species creature relaxed on the ceiling. Rarity narrowed her eyes at the creature.

"I can assure you, Discord, that not all princes are like Blueblood."

The venom in Rarity's voice reminded the present ponies about the rude prince the unicorn met at the Grand Galloping Gala a year ago.

Wanting to prevent a fight, Twilight spoke up.

"I doubt the scream came from a prince, Rarity. From what it sounded like, it seemed feminine."

She then looked up to Discord, who was still on the ceiling.

"And why exactly are you here, Discord?"

The Master of Chaos floated down to the ground as he stretched himself.

"You weren't the only one who is interested with what's appeared in the Everfree Forest. Just a little bit before those screams, I felt a magical imbalance. What I'm curious most is that, for the brief second I was able to sense it, it is a magic similar to mine."

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow as she spoke.

"Are you saying you've got some relatives coming over?"

Discord stopped stretching and shrugged his shoulders.

"Not that I know of, Rainbow Dash. As far as I know, I'm the only one of my kind in existence."

This was quite puzzling to the ponies. The owners of the screams possessed the same kind of magic as Discord? What exactly was lurking in the Everfree Forest?

"Well, the only way we're all going to get answers is by checking out the old castle." Twilight spoke up.

The ponies and Draconequus both agreed with the Princess of Friendship, though there were some who wanted to stay behind and avoid the danger. Or in Rarity's case, the dirt and grime.

So from there, the seven headed into the Everfree Forest.




It was some time later before they reached the old castle, but it was still early enough for the castle's current residents to remain asleep. Upon entering the castle, Twilight laid out her plan.

"Ok. We'll divide into teams of two. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, you two take the north wing."

"You got it!" Rainbow declared.

Applejack nodded.

"Ya can count on us, Twi."

With the first team picked out, Twilight continued as they entered the throne room.

"Pinkie Pie, you'll maintain the rendezvous here after you do a quick sweep of the South Wing."

The bubblegum mare responded by saluting before speeding off to set up camp. Once Pinkie got to work, Twilight looked to Fluttershy and Discord.

"Why don't you two check out the West wing while Rarity and I check out the East wing?"

The timid Pegasus nodded as Discord felt familiar shivers down his spine.

"The sources of the magic are in those same wings. What's more, I can sense that they are deluded versions of my magic."

This caught the ponies' attention.

"Your recommendation, Discord?" Twilight asked.

Discord answered as he looked to the entrance to the western part of the castle.

"Approach with caution. Not even I know what we'll encounter."

The ponies took his words to heart as they walked in their predestined destinations. Pinkie, with her Fourth-Wall-Breaking speed, looked through all of the rooms in the southern part of the castle but found nothing that could be the source of the screams. With that, she returned to the throne room where she finished setting up camp.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash checked every room at their end until they reached Celestia's private study in the old library. There, they noticed something shimmering.

"What's that?" Rainbow asked.

Applejack entered the alcove and found the source of the shimmering.

"It's a mirror."

Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief just as a sound was coming forth from the mirror.

"Eb… Iv… Girl…"

The two ponies remained in shock as something began to appear in the mirror.




Twilight and Rarity were reaching the top of one of the castle's intact towers when the unicorn spoke.

"So. Any idea where we are going?"

Twilight, after reaching into her memory, answered the fashionista.

"From what I remember of the castle's blueprints, we're nearing Princess Celestia's old room."

Hearing this, Rarity gave a squeal.

"The princess' old room?! Oh, I can't wait to see what it looks like. I wonder if I can come up with some dress designs there."

Twilight resisted the urge to roll her eyes. This was similar to what she had heard about when she and her friends entered the castle in nearly over a year since the battle against Nightmare Moon. Hopefully, Rarity would not forget what they were there for or of the friends that would be waiting upon their return.

The pair stopped when there was no more stairs and were facing a door with a golden sun on it.

"That must be it." Twilight spoke as she approached the door.

Rarity used her magic to begin opening the door.

"Well, let's go in."

Twilight was about to speak to Rarity about being cautious when the unicorn opened the door. The sun shining, they found that there was something sleeping in a gold and white canopy bed.

And that something was Ivory Wolfe.




At the opposite wing…

As Rarity and Twilight were discovering the current resident of Celestia's old room, Fluttershy and Discord were making their way towards Luna's. Being in the castle in the daylight made the place less scary to the timid Pegasus, but she was still nervous of who was the owners of the screams were.

Discord, on the other hand, was very curious. For centuries, he knew nopony else who held chaos-based magic like him. And now there were two other sources! His mind was boggled as he went over in his mind on what could possess said magic. 

There was one thing that kept echoing in his mind: Rainbow Dash's question concerning if he had relatives. Was it possible that he wasn't the only Draconequus in existence? What if there were more of his kind?

He would soon get his answer once he and Fluttershy found themselves in front of a door with a crescent moon on it. Sensing the magic, Discord spoke up.

"It's coming from in there."

Hearing this, Fluttershy gulped.

"W-what do you suppose is in there?"

Discord answered as he reached for the door handle.

"Hopefully, my dear, the answer to a lot of questions."

Without another word, he opened the door and the pair entered the room. Fluttershy lingered behind, examining the room while Discord walked on ahead.

He was so focused on finding the source of the magic that he failed to notice the bed in front of him. He stopped walking when his head hit the canopy. He growled quietly as he rubbed his head.

"Ow! Who put that there?"

As he was about to exact revenge on the canopy, his eagle claw halted as he noticed that the bed had an occupant.

"Fluttershy." He whispered.

The Pegasus turned her attention to Discord and noticed the covered lump on the bed. Gulping, Fluttershy fluttered toward one of the windows and opened a set of curtains, allowing some light to hit the center of the sleeping figure yet away from its face. With a nod from Fluttershy, Discord carefully pulled away the blanket a bit, revealing the face of the sleeper. What they saw surprised them greatly.

"Discord! It's…"

But Fluttershy's whispers fell silent as she was in awe. Discord understood, for that was exactly what he was thinking. Discord managed to whisper as he stared at the occupant.

"It's a Draconequus! Looks like an adolescent female. A teenage Draconequus filly!"

Forgetting her nerves, Fluttershy hovered next to Discord as she stared at awe at the female. Upon further inspection, Fluttershy noticed something odd.

"Discord. This filly. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she looks just like you."

As much as Discord wanted to laugh it off, Fluttershy's observation was sound. Aside from a few obvious differences, she did possess a slight resemblance. But now he had new questions. But just as he struggled to find an answer, the younger Draconequus started to stir. Seeing this, Discord grabbed Fluttershy and dashed into a closet, covering her mouth with his lion's paw.

"Shh."

Ebony opened her eyes as she sat up. She rubbed the side of her head, careful not to scratch herself with her claws.

"Well, at least now I know last night wasn't a dream."

She then looked towards the windows and got out of bed. As she walked to open the curtains, the two friends in the closet took notice of her full figure. She was symmetrical as opposed do Discord, but she still had multiple animal parts like him. Once she opened the last of the curtains, Ebony let out a yawn as she spoke.

"I wonder if Ivory's up yet? Then again, knowing my sister, she's sleeping like a rock."

As she walked out, the hidden pair left their hiding place.

"Well, that answers the question 'what's the source of the other magic.'" Discord spoke.

Fluttershy then recalled something the female spoke.

"She said she has a sister named 'Ivory.' She must be in the East Wing where Twilight and Rarity are."

Discord got an idea and voiced it.

"I'll send you to the East Wing while I keep an eye on our young friend."

But before Fluttershy could say anything, Discord snapped his eagle claw and the Pegasus disappeared from the room. He then proceeded to follow the younger Draconequus, growing more and more curious by the second.




Back at the East Wing…

Twilight and Rarity hid in Celestia's old closet as the new Draconequus headed out of the room, groggy.

"Better get downstairs before Ebony decides to get a bucket of ice water. Knowing her, she might just do that."

As she left, the two ponies stepped out of their closet and watched as the Draconequus walked down the stairs.

"I just can't believe it! There are other Draconequui beside Discord!" Twilight exclaimed.

"I must say for a mismatched creature, she's got lovely hair." Rarity pointed out, causing Twilight to roll her eyes.

Just then, a flash of light came from the bedroom, causing the ponies to return inside. In the room, they found Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy? What are you doing here?" Twilight asked curiously.

After blinking a couple of times, the butter-colored Pegasus answered the alicorn princess.

"Discord sent me here. We've found an adolescent Draconequus in the West Wing. We've hid when she woke up. She's on her way to wake her sister up."

This alerted the pair.

"Sister? You mean we have not one, but two Draconequui in this castle?!" Rarity exclaimed.

Twilight looked like she was ready to burst from the shock.

"Where's Discord?"

Fluttershy answered them.

"He's following the Draconequus from the West Wing."

"Then we better follow the other one, too." Twilight whispered.

Suddenly, a voice caught their attention.

"You know. If you wanna ask questions, it's polite to actually ask them in front of their face."

The three ponies turned towards the door to find the white maned Draconequus leaning on the wall across from them. She had her lion's forepaws folded and had a thin eyebrow slightly arched.

The three mares froze, uncertain of what to do next. Before them was a creature with the ability to warp reality to whatever she wished. If she got angry, who knows what she would do to them. But Fluttershy remembered when she started the trying task of reforming Discord, who had caused much damage in the past. But what stopped him from totally conquering all of Equestria for a third time was the simple fact that he never had a friend before. At least, according to him.

So, Fluttershy decided she needed to be brave and approached the younger Draconequus.

"W-we're sorry to disturb you, Miss. But my friends and I heard screaming last night coming from this area. I don't suppose that was you, was it?"

There was a silent pause that sent nearly everypony's heart rate through the roof. Twilight and Rarity looked to their timid friend and thought while it was a risky thing to do, it was also very brave of her.

The silence was broken, however, as the Draconequus stroked her chin in curious thought.

"Screams? From here?"

Her eyes then widened as she realized the situation. She turned her attention to the mares and spoke, a light blush on her cheeks appearing.

"Oh! Sorry about that. That was me and my sister."

The magically gifted ponies blinked in surprise at the Draconequus' statement, and more importantly, the manner in which it was spoken. She wasn't at all hostile. At least, from what she appeared to be.

Breathing a slight sigh of relief, Twilight spoke.

"Well. If those screams were from you and your sister, what were you screaming about?"

The Draconequus' eyes widened for a bit before she rubbed the back of her head. Uncertainty filled her eyes.

"Um…It's kinda a long story. Maybe it'd be best if my sister was with me to explain."

She then placed a paw on her chest as she continued.

"My name's Ivory, by the way."

The ponies blinked at each other for a moment before giving slight smiles. Perhaps this Draconequus wasn't like Discord after all. As the first to speak, Fluttershy spoke up.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Ivory. My name's Fluttershy."

The unicorn mare took a step forward and gave her introductions.

"My name is Rarity, dear. And I must say you have quite the unique hairstyle."

Twirling her black lock, Ivory spoke.

"You should see my sister's. And she's the one without any fashion sense."

Deciding to cut off Rarity before she could go into a full-fledged fashion lecture, Twilight approached Ivory and spoke.

"And I am Twilight Sparkle. I must say it's a pleasure to meet an actual Draconequus that's polite."

Ivory then raised an eyebrow again. This time in greater confusion.

"A dracon-what's-it?"

This caused all three mares to blink in surprise. Twilight spoke up again.

"A Draconequus. You know. The creature you are?"

Ivory blinked and looked to her paws.

"Is that what we are?" she asked.

"Darling. Are you saying you don't know what you are?" Rarity asked, very confused.

Scratching the back of her head again, Ivory spoke.

"Again, this is something I want to discuss alongside my sister."

She then turned to the stairs and started to head down.

"If you come with me, there's no doubt we'll meet her in the main hall."

Seeing the logic in this, yet kept on guard, the three mares agreed to follow Ivory. Questions ran rampant in their minds. One of them Twilight was able to voice out.

"Excuse me. Ivory, was it? How come you're not upset at our presence here?"

Ivory casted a glance at the alicorn before she spoke.

"Well, first off, I'm still a bit groggy. I'm a little slow when I wake up. And second, I like meeting new people. Even if they are talking ponies."

She then placed a finger on her chin as she thought of something. As she did, the ponies could swear that the Draconequus' coat became pale.

"Although my sister might throw a bit of a fit."




Back at the West Wing…

Ebony yawned as she walked down the spiral staircase, making her way to the throne room. Discord kept his distance, keeping an eye on the younger Draconequus as his own curiosity grew. But as they were close to the bottom of the stairs, Ebony's senses finally woke up. And her intuition was telling her she was not alone.

Seeing the filly about to turn around, Discord snapped his claw and became a tattered banner. When Ebony turned, she saw nothing behind her. Not seeing anything odd, Ebony shrugged her shoulders and continued down the steps. Discord waited a few moments before he reverted back to his original self and continued to follow. Yet, once again, Ebony sensed him and turned around, only to find no one there.

At this, Ebony shook her head as she muttered to herself.

"You're getting paranoid, Ebony. It's just paranoia."

Discord found himself struggling to keep quiet as Ebony continued the trek downstairs. This filly was an amusing youth. She was acting like Twilight Sparkle when he would pester her. It was then an idea formed in his mind and he gave a soft, mischievous chuckle as he snapped his eagle claw and disappeared.

Ebony soon found herself relaxing shortly after. Perhaps it was her emotions over what was happening with her and Ivory that was making her lose her marbles. She allowed her mind to wander to more important matters, such as finding food. She began to wonder from there exactly what kind of food creatures like her need to eat. Where she and her sister full-fledged carnivores? Herbivores? Or were they still omnivores?

Ebony felt a dryness in her throat and rubbed it.

"What I'd give for a glass of chocolate milk."

After she acknowledge her thirst, she found herself in the main hall. But what caught her eye was a single side table with a glass of fresh chocolate milk. A quarter of her mind was asking where the milk came from. But her throat and the rest of her mind told to shut up and drink the milk.

As she picked up the glass, the feeling she felt earlier came back. She froze from trying to quench her thirst and, in her frustration, turned on her scaly heels and shouted out in anger.

"ALRIGHT! THAT'S IT! WHOEVER'S SPYING ON ME, SHOW YOURSELF!"

She then snarled further as she muttered to herself.'

"Better be Ivory."

She then took a sip, but her eyes budged as she found the taste different from the chocolate. She pulled the drink away and eyed it.

"Its chocolate milk, but it tastes like cotton candy?"

"Did I hear someone say 'cotton candy'?" A familiar voice spoke out.

Ebony looked to the stairs that lead to the east wing and spotted her sister coming down. Ebony's confusion was added with shock as three ponies about a third of their height following behind her. What's more, one of them had wings, one had a horn, and the third had both. Ebony's right eye began to twitch as she spoke.

"Ivory. What did you do?"

Ivory raised an eyebrow at her wound-up sister.

"What are you talking about? We just came down."

"We?" Ebony asked.

Ivory gestured to the ponies behind her and introduced them.

"Sis? I'm guessing these are three of this world's local residents. These three are Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle."

She walked over to Ebony and placed a lion's paw around her sister's shoulders as she spoke to the ponies.

"Everyone. This is my twin sister, Ebony."

Upon introduction, each pony eyed the elder twin carefully. Just because Ivory was good didn't mean that there wasn't a chance that this "Ebony" was the evil twin. But they shook their heads at the thought.

"That's completely illogical." Twilight thought.

Ebony's eye kept twitching as she looked at her milk.

"Nothing's making sense today."

It was then a male's voice echoed in the hall, alerting the five mares in the hall.

"Now what fun is there in making sense?"

The twins gave questionable looks as the three mares glared at the hall.

"Discord! Quit playing around. It's clear these two aren't amused." Twilight demanded.

Just then, a sudden shadow appeared over the twins. The twins turned around and a look of sheer fear came upon their faces. Towering before them was another creature like them, only this one was not only taller than them, their heads coming up to its shoulders, but the creature also appeared to be an older male and his body, though similar, had one of each of their new limbs. He also had a goat horn and a deer antler and his eyes were yellow with red.

Discord stood over the two with an amused look on his face. The two Draconequui held the funniest looks of shock and fear that he couldn't help but snicker. He also took notice of the second Draconequus. Aside from her ram's horns, pink scales, and lighter coat, the filly looked exactly like her sister. She also had the same symmetry as her sister, as she had two lion's paws and a pair of cloven hooves.

The twins gulped as they stepped backwards.

"Whoa….tall…" Ivory muttered.

Ebony was speechless. Practically all cognitive control was locked up and Ebony couldn't think of some form of defense. Then, the older Draconequus jumped in the air and laughed while levitating.

"You two should see the looks on your faces! It's like the two of you have never seen a Draconequus before!"

With the laughter of the older creature, Ebony's thinking gears got back to work as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"We can assure you we've never seen…whatever you are before in our lives!"

Hearing this only made Discord laugh harder as Ebony and the three present ponies narrowed their eyes at him. Ivory was lost in confusion as she tried to back up her sister.

"Hey! It's not our fault! We were human before we-!"

"IVORY!" Ebony interrupted her sister in panic.

However, it was too late. The word 'human' caught everypony's attention. Seeing this, Ebony glared at her sister.

"Ivory! What is the matter with you?! You're taking this WAY too casually!"

Ivory's eyes narrowed as she began to argue with her sister.

"Hey! At least I'm trying to get us somewhere! You're the one too afraid to ask questions!"

"I am not too afraid!"

"You are so!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH YOU TWO!"

The twins froze in surprise as they stared at the one who stopped their fight: Fluttershy. The Pegasus glared at the two as she hovered between them.

"That's enough fighting, you two. You should be ashamed of yourselves for acting in such away. Especially in front of other ponies."

Realizing where they were, the twins blushed in embarrassment as Rarity approached them.

"Really, darlings. It is very unladylike to bicker like foals in public."

Ignoring Rarity's comment, Twilight approached the twins with a different question in mind.

"Getting off topic, what's this about you being 'human'?"

The twins were about to answer when they felt something tap their sides.

"Hey. Are you two Ebony and Ivory Wolfe?"

The pair looked down and saw a bubblegum mare. Her sudden appearance surprised the ponies present.

"Pinkie Pie? When did you get here?" Twilight asked in surprise.

Pinkie just smiled as she answered.

"Just now, silly."

She then looked to the twins for an answer.

"So? Are you?"

The twins looked at each other in confusion before answering simultaneously.

"We are. Why?"

Once again, Pinkie answered.

"Your mother wants to talk to you."

That caused the twins' eyes to widen as they looked at each other.

"Uh-oh. We're in trouble." They replied.

As they headed to the library with Pinkie, the other followed suit. Discord was the last, but he was slower because he was in deep thought.

"Wolfe…Wolfe…why is that name so familiar?"

Little did he knew that he would soon get his answer.

The twins entered the library, where Rainbow Dash and Applejack were waiting. Upon seeing the twins, Rainbow smirked at Applejack and held out a hoof.

"What'd I tell ya? Pay up."

Applejack muttered angrily as she handed five bits to the Pegasus. Ignoring the pair, the sisters entered the alcove where the mirror was. But unlike last night, the glass was glowing.

And in the mirror was a very angry Olivine Wolfe.

Seeing her daughters in their current state, Olivine began the impending lecture.

"Ebony April and Ivory May Wolfe! What have I told you about coming into my study without my permission?"

The twins cringed at their mother's use of their middle names. That was a sign that they were neck-deep in trouble. Olivine folded her arms as she waited for her daughters to speak.

"Well? What have you got to say for yourselves?"

The twins cringed as they found themselves facing their mother's notorious stink-eye.

"We're sorry, Mom." They apologized.

Olivine remained furious at the pair.

"You're lucky you're over in Equestria and I'm here. Perhaps a month on your own will be a suitable punishment for your stunt."

"You know?" Ebony asked nervously.

Olivine narrowed her eyes further at her eldest daughter.

"Have you forgotten about the recording spell I've placed on my study in case of intruders? Or in this case, disobedient daughters?"

Ebony gulped hard. She did forget about those spells. But before she could open her mouth, Ivory noticed how their mother was reacting and spoke.

"Uh, Mom?"

Ivory cringed when Olivine turned her gaze to her. But she asked her question regardless.

"How come you're not freaking out at what we look like?"

Their mother was about to answer when a male voice spoke in surprise.

"Olivine?"

The twins turned around as they looked to the older Draconequus in confusion, the ponies watching from the library giving equal looks. The only one who wasn't confused was Olivine. Seeing the Draconequus, her face softened greatly. The Draonequus' face was equally softened as he kept his gaze on the woman.

"Discord? Is that you?"

The Lord of Chaos nodded as he stood to the right of Ivory, who was standing next to Ebony. Placing a paw on the mirror, Discord nodded, keeping his gaze on the woman inside.

"Y…yes, my dear. But…is it really you?"

Olivine placed a hand on her side of the mirror, as if she was trying to touch Discord's paw. She nodded, tears starting to fall from her eyes.

The twins were greatly confused at their mother's reaction. One minute, she was as angry as a grizzly bear, ready to ground them into the next life. Now, she was in tears. As if she was seeing someone she thought had died and just came back.

It was then that Ebony took the plunge and spoke.

"Uh…Mom? Do you know him?"

Discord looked to the elder twin with slight surprise in his eyes.

"Mom?"

Olivine wiped away her tears as she saw the three before her. She knew this was coming eventually. She just never expected it to be so soon.

"Actually, Ebony. I do."

She then looked to Discord, keeping her hand on the mirror.

"Discord? There's something I've been wanting to tell you for a long time. I'm not going to beat around the bush, so I'll be blunt."

She then motioned to the twins, choosing her words.

"Discord, these two are Ebony and Ivory Wolfe."

Everyone listened intently as Olivine concluded her confession, looking at both Discord and the twins.

"Discord…they are your daughters. And girls? Discord here…is your father."

This caused everypony to gasp in shock. Discord, Ebony, and Ivory's eyes widened to the brink. Discord's jaw literally dropped to the ground. Ivory remained frozen as her mother's words echoed in her mind.

And what did Ebony do after hearing that the older Draconequus was her father? She did what any sensible person would do in her position.

She fainted.


> Chapter 4: The Witch and the Draconequus
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 4

The Witch and the Draconequus





Ebony groaned as she started to stir for the second time. Rubbing her head, she started to sit up.

"Please let what Mom said be nothing more than a dream. Please let me be home, in my bed, with Ivory snoring in hers."

But as she opened her eyes, she found to her dismay that she was still in the castle where she and her sister spent the night. She looked down and found that she was on a magenta fainting couch outside the library. As her vision cleared, she found the white unicorn from earlier approached her with a cup of what appeared to be tea.

"Thank goodness you're awake. Not that I blame you for fainting in the first place."

She then, with her magic, handed Ebony the cup.

"Chamomile with honey and lemon. This should help you with your already frayed nerves, darling."

Without hesitation, Ebony took the cup in her raven claws and carefully sipped the tea. After a few sips, she noticed how empty the room was.

"Where is everyone?"

The unicorn answered her as she prepared another cup of tea.

"Well, everypony's still in the library. Your sister's still frozen in shock, so I'll bring her a cup."

Shaking her mind back into the real world, Ebony held up one of her claws before the unicorn could leave the room.

"Wait a minute!"

Turning her attention to Ebony, the unicorn raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Yes?"

Among the things the young Draconequus could say, she ended up speaking the first thing that came from her mind.

"Don't give Ivory the tea. She's allergic to bees and honey is made by bees. Give her that tea and she'll break out in a rash. Not to mention her throat will swell like a balloon."

The unicorn's eyes widen in surprise. She didn't know Draconequui were capable of developing allergies. After hearing Ebony's warning, the unicorn set the cup she had aside and spoke as she prepared a new cup.

"Goodness! I'm terribly sorry. Thank you for telling me that."

As she neared finishing the new cup of tea, the unicorn's mind conceived a question.

"If I may ask, do you have any allergies, Miss…"

Realizing they still hadn't properly to introduce each other, Ebony spoke after she sipped her tea.

"My name's Ebony. And as for allergies, I'm allergic only to wool."

The unicorn gave an approving look as she spoke.

"I completely understand, darling. Thankfully, I can make non-wool clothing should the need arise. As for my name, it's Rarity."

Ebony nodded simply as she finished her tea.

Once she set the teacup on a nearby rock, the Draconequus stood up. Looking back down to the couch, she returned her attention to Rarity.

"Where did this couch come from? I don't remember it being here before."

A faint blush of embarrassment appeared on Rarity's cheeks as she waved a hoof at the teenager.

"Oh, well, I brought it. Just in case."

Shaking her own head, Rarity levitated the new cup of tea and headed to the library, with Ebony behind her.

When they reached the library, they were greeted by Fluttershy. She took notice of the Draconequus teen and fluttered up to her eye level.

"Oh! Thank goodness you're awake. We were worried about you. Your mother said she would speak more when you've woken up."

Ebony raised a dark eyebrow. What else did her mother want to talk about? With a nod, Ebony returned to the alcove were her sister and their…father were. Ivory was still frozen in place but was showing signs of awareness again.

Discord, while his mouth was back in its original location, was still recovering from the shock that he was a father. Of twin daughters, no less.

Ebony returned to her sister's side, grabbing her by the lion's arm and gently shook her.

"Ivory. Wake up."

The shaking was enough to bring Ivory back around as Rarity handed her the honey-less tea she prepared. Once Ivory began to drink, Ebony shifted her attention to their mother, whose visage was still in the mirror.

"Sorry about that, Mom. But are you serious?"

She then gestured to the older Draconequus as he was being brought back by his daughter's voice.

"Is he really our father?"

Olivine nodded, calmer than what the twins could expect.

"He is, Ebony. There's no doubt whatsoever."

It was then that Twilight, who was more curious than ever, spoke up as she entered the alcove.

"How did this happen, Miss Olivine?"

She then looked to the twins.

"How old are you two?"

Knowing that it was still going to be a bit before Ivory was back up and running, Ebony answered for them.

"We're fifteen."

Twilight gave a grateful nod to the elder sister.

"Thank you."

The alicorn then returned her gaze to the mother of the twins.

"How is their creation even possible? Discord was trapped in stone until a few months ago."

This caught the twins' ears as they both turned to the alicorn in shock.

"Stone?! What do you mean 'stone?!'"

They exclaimed simultaneously, struggling to figure out what was up. Hearing his daughters' exclamations, Discord's brain went back to work as he turned to the witch.

"Now that I think about it, how did this happen?"

Olivine answered him as the rest of the ponies as well as her daughters turned their gazes to her.

"It was through your magic, Discord, that the twins were born."

Seeing that everypony in the room was confused, Olivine sighed.

"To best explain this, I think it would be best to speak of our meeting and courtship."

Hearing this, Ivory spoke for the first time, a grimace forming on her face.

"Do Ebony and I have to go to another room, Mom?"

A stifled laugh escaped from Olivine's lips as she addressed her youngest daughter.

"That won't be necessary, dear. It's not like that."

As the group gathered, Olivine began to tell the tale.

"It all started fifteen years ago, when I was in college…"




15 years ago...

Olivine's POV

I was at my grandparents' place for my summer holiday from college. My parents were out of town, so I went to my grandparents for any new spells I could study. This was before I found my calling as a healer and I was broadening my horizons.

One day, I came across a rare plant while walking in the forest nearby. It was looked like a lily, but it was silver in color. Having seen the lily before, I dug it up and took it home. Upon reading one of the more..."forbidden" spell books, I found that this lily, when mixed in the right ingredients at the right time, would create a gel-like substance that, when applied to a smooth surface, like a mirror, could create a portal to another world.

Without thinking, I gathered the rest of the ingredients and created the potion. But I had to wait a whole day, when the moon was full, before I could use it. When the night came, I secretly applied the gel onto the full-length mirror in my mother's room. I recited the incantation, choosing a random world from the book, and before I knew it, I had created a portal to another world.

Equestria.

When I went through the mirror, I found myself at the back of a cliff-side palace. Looking at it, I felt as if I was in some sort of fairy tale. Not wanting to cause trouble, I made sure no one saw me. Though it wasn't long before I discovered that the residents of this world were ponies with human-like abilities, such as speech and cognition. I weaved my way around the castle until I reached the palace's garden.

Wishing to rest from evading the guards, I looked for a place to rest. I soon found myself drawn to an unusual-looking statue at one end of the garden. I settled beneath the stature and fell asleep. Or so I thought.

The next thing I knew, I was dreaming of floating amongst pink clouds that tasted like cotton candy that rained chocolate milk. It seemed so real that I couldn't help trying it, only to be caught by surprise that it was indeed real. It was when I heard a laugh that I started to understand what happened. But I was given an explanation when an unusual creature, which I learned later was called a Draconequus, that by touching the statue in the garden, my consciousness was taken prisoner by this being's chaotic magic.

For a time, I sought escape. Days passed and I was still a prisoner, suffering as the creature kept pulling prank after prank on me. Eventually, I had enough and confronted him angrily. He was threatening, yes. But as our discussion went on, I realized that my captor was very childish and I found him even more irritating.

We clashed swords every now and again, each argument ending in frustration. But as time passed, we noticed small signs that there was something more to the other than petty arguments. So after weeks of arguing, we called a truce in the form of a game. We would ask each other one question and if the other failed to answer, we would play a penalty game. For me, it was to be at the mercy of his chaotic magic. For him, it was to be at my magic's mercy.

Each game, we got to learn more about each other and found each other's likes, dislikes, and hobbies. Shortly, we've grown to enjoy the other's company if not tolerate it. That's how our friendship started. In our mental prison, we found ways to keep ourselves entertained. Magic tricks and such to summarize.

It took some more time, but we've agreed to divulge into each other's pasts. To make a long story short, once he was finished with his story, I was more sympathetic to him than I had ever been to anyone in the past when it came to loneliness.

This sympathy would give way to a new emotion neither of us had experienced before: admiration. And in time, that admiration blossomed into something more powerful: Love. I had fallen in love with a Draconequus, and he a human. We did not care about others opinions, mostly because there was no one else in our prison, and we freely expressed our love for each other. We went as far as discussing a future together once we've escaped.

But that came crashing down one day when I felt a strong force pull me out of the prison. We've tried to remain together, but the force was too strong. In a desperate act, he used his chaotic magic to try and get me to stay. But it snapped as the force pulled me out for good.

When I came to, I found that it hadn't even been a day in the real world. I tried to get back to my beloved, but he was sealed away from me. In fear of what the ruler would do if she found out I was to free him. So I was forced to return to my world, making sure I kept the spell with me. But my life had permanently turned upside-down.

The first obstacle was finding a way to free him. I had decided that if I were to free him, I had to reside in Equestria and learn what magic had imprisoned him in the first place.

The second obstacle was the Star Lily. Upon discovering what it was, I learned that the lily rarely blooms and there were special conditions for it to do so. Such as blooming on the night of a full moon.

The third obstacle, however, I never saw coming. It was two months when I started to experience strange symptoms. Nausea, sore ankles, fatigue, and strange cravings were the norm. Still, I sought out a doctor and he found out what was wrong with me.

I was pregnant.

During the pregnancy, I sought out a reason as to why I was pregnant in the first place. It wasn't until I gave birth to my twin daughters that I found my answer. They were born with white and black hair as well as red eyes. The same red as that of my beloved Draconequus.

I came up with a hypothesis. When he tried to keep me from leaving, perhaps his magic had a side effect that not even he knew of. Given my history, it was odd that I was pregnant until it was pointed out that I was carrying twins for two months.

The same month I had met and left my beloved.




Present, Third POV…

"For fifteen years, I've worked on my original plan to return while raising my daughters. Things would've gone to plan, had my daughters not broke into my study and used that same spell I used fifteen years ago."

The room and the adjoining library remained silent in surprise as the audience wrapped their minds around what Olivine had spoken. After a few moments of silence, Ivory broke the silence by speaking to her sister.

"Well. That was officially the weirdest version of 'The Talk' I had ever heard."

Ebony nodded at her sister's statement.

"I completely agree."

Shortly, life returned to the group as Twilight spoke in surprise and somewhat delight.

"So…your theory for your daughters' existence is a 'snapping rubber band' effect caused by Discord's magic. That they were conceived thanks to chaos-based magic."

Olivine nodded as she spoke.

"Yes. His magic was indeed involved with my daughters' origins and seeing their Draconequui appearance confirms my hypothesis."

Hearing the two discuss their conception was enough for Ebony to remove herself from her spot and intervene.

"As much as I'd love to continue to hear such an awkward topic, what are Ivory and I to do? We can't get back home no matter how many times Ivory recites the incantation."

Hearing this, Olivine sighed and spoke to her daughter.

"That's because you need the Star Lily paint. Without it, the incantation is nothing but a simple poem. Fortunately, the lily we have at home has more buds on the way."

"But…?" Ebony asked, feeling that there was more.

She was right.

"But it'll take at least a month or three for the buds to bloom. So the two of you are on your own there."

The twins groaned as they looked to each other. They were stranded with no place to go.

Well…not "no place."

"Guess we'll be staying here for a while. At least we'll have plenty of space." Ivory replied, trying to find a silver lining.

Hearing this, Fluttershy walked over to Discord, who was reeling from shock at the revelation of the twins' conception, and poked his side with her hoof.

"How about they stay in Ponyville? The Everfree Forest is a dangerous place for two young fillies to stay in, even if they are Draconequui and living in Celestia and Luna's old castle."

Applejack, after piecing everything together, also spoke up.

"And it'd probably be best if they'd stay with one of us. You've just found out yer a father, Discord. These are new waters that ya must tread carefully. Not to mention they themselves need to come to terms with what they've learned, too."

Discord turned his head from the two ponies to his daughters. Indeed, they were still struggling with this information. Even he had to agree that the three of them needed space to figure this all out. Still, he was curious about the twins and how much of 'him' were they?

One part of his mind was grinning at the idea of having heirs to his chaotic throne and of the chaos they could get into. But on the other hand, he knew nothing about being a father.

Sure, he could create things with a snap of his claw such as flying pigs. But these two Draconequui were his children. His spawn. His progenies. His offspring. True, his chaotic magic was involved. But they still carried his blood in their veins.

The newest question was…what now?

"Who…who would take care of them?" he asked.

That was another can of worms the ponies had to debate on. Hearing the conversation, Twilight turned to Olivine and the twins.

"Could you give us a moment? It won't take long?"

The family of three looked to each other for a second before nodding at the princess. With their consent, everypony left the alcove and moved to the throne room.

"So? Where are those two going to stay?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rainbow Dash folded her forelegs and spoke.

"Well, not me. I don't think those two can stay on clouds."

"And I don't have enough room in my boutique for either of them. And the only guest room I have is used by Sweetie Bell when she stays over." Rarity replied.

"Well, we've been using our guest rooms for storage space since the Apple Family Reunion. And I'm pretty sure there are better places for them than a barn." Applejack pointed out, her mind focused on her farm.

"And we don't have any more room at Sugarcube Corner for them, either. Not to mention I don't know what the Cakes would think in having another set of twins living under the same roof." Pinkie added, looking quite disappointed in not having the Wolfe Twins join the household.

Twilight then took the floor as Discord sat on one of the no longer-used golden throne.

"So that just leaves Fluttershy and Me."

She then placed a hoof on her chin as she pondered.

"I supposed they could stay with me. With the castle, I have more than enough room."

She then look to Fluttershy.

"What about your home?"

Fluttershy thought for a moment, going over the layout of her home.

"I do have one empty room that I have been meaning to clean out for a while. It's large enough for two beds their size."

She then turned her attention to Discord.

"What do you think, Discord?"

Discord blinked in surprise as he looked to his friend.

"Why are you asking me?"

Fluttershy responded by giving a firm, but pleading look as she answered his question.

"Because they are your daughters! I know you may not know a thing about raising foals, but perhaps meeting them has awakened your paternal instincts. The question is 'who do you trust with the care and welfare of your own daughters?' Twilight, or me?"

Discord was taken aback by Fluttershy's reasoning. As immature and at times irresponsible as he may be, he was now in charge of two lives that he created. Discord thought and thought. On one hand, Twilight had enough space for the twins to have their own rooms. On the other hand, Fluttershy's kindness could be beneficial for his daughters' emotional states. Not to mention he'd rather visit them with Fluttershy than with Twilight.

"I'd rather have them stay with Fluttershy. I'll even help with the cleaning and providing the beds."

With Discord's approval, the ponies now had a plan. Fluttershy quickly returned to the Wolfe Family and explained the twins' living conditions for the next month.

"I'll make sure your daughters are comfortable during their stay, Miss Olivine." Fluttershy reassured the mother.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Olivine spoke as her daughters watched nearby.

"Thank you. You are truly kind, Fluttershy. I think Discord made the right choice in this."

Fluttershy gave a faint blush as Olivine motioned her daughters to leave the alcove to speak with the Pegasus alone.

"I must ask one more favor of you. If you can, could you help my daughters and Discord bond? The girls have longed to meet their father ever since they could speak. But I am certain that Discord won't know what to do with his children. Therefore, I want them to bond until I get there at least. Will you help?"

Fluttershy smiled as she straightened her posture. She wanted Discord to bond with his daughters as well.

"You can count on us."
> Chapter 5: A New Home
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 5
A New Home





"We should be at my cottage shortly from here." Fluttershy spoke as she lead Ebony and Ivory out of the Everfree Forest.

After discussing the living arrangements with Olivine, everypony made their way back to Ponyville. Rainbow Dash, being the fastest, flew out of the forest and returned to work with the Weather Team.

Twilight was quick as well, returning to her castle to tell Spike about the twins and to no doubt look through every book on the subject. Not to mention write to Princess Celestia about the group's latest discovery.

Applejack returned to Sweet Apple Acres to tend to the day's farm-work before breaking the news of Ponyville's newest residents to her family.

Rarity made her way back to Carousel Boutique to not only continue working on her lines, but to ponder on how to dress the twins. It made things a bit easier for the unicorn after Ebony informed her that she was allergic to wool and both twins gave her their color preferences.

Pinkie Pie, being her usual self, sped into Ponyville to spread the news about the twins. However, she had to make a Pinkie Promise to not tell where exactly the twins were staying in order for the pair of Draconequus children to retain some privacy.

And Discord teleported away from the ruins so as to begin work on developing the twins' room.

"We again thank you for letting us stay with you, Fluttershy." Ivory spoke up.

Ebony nodded in agreement with her sister.

"You and the others have been so kind to us. I, for one, don't know how we can repay you."

Fluttershy blushed at the compliment and thanks from the two Draconequus fillies.

"Oh! Don't worry about that."

Yet, Fluttershy's mind was saying something else.

"Just bond with Discord. He is your father, after all."

The revelation was still echoing in Fluttershy's mind. She was very surprised not at the fact that Discord never knew he had children, but mostly on the fact that he had made a friend and fallen in love years before he met Fluttershy and the other ponies. It almost made her a bit envious of Olivine. But circumstances were different at the time.

She had thought the story of Discord and Olivine's meeting and courtship rather romantic. Granted, it was sad that they were forced apart for fifteen years. But at the same time, there may be hope for the romance yet. Fluttershy could see how much Discord felt for Olivine when they met her for the first time that day. There was love in his voice when he spoke to the witch.

But it would be sometime before there would be a need to go into that. For now, all Fluttershy had to think about was housing the twins and how to get them and Discord to bond. While there was a chance he may resume his courtship with Olivine upon her arrival, there was still the matter of his two daughters. She also had to figure out on how to help Discord with his parental duties. It would've been easier if the twins were ten years younger. But Discord got a pair of teenagers instead. And from what Fluttershy had experienced in handling young animals, it's that teenagers were very difficult to raise.

The butter-colored mare broke out of her thoughts when her cottage came into view. She wondered what Discord had planned for his daughters' room and was both curious and afraid to find out. Turning to the twins, Fluttershy spoke.

"There it is. Home, sweet home."

The twins took in the amazement that was Fluttershy's cottage. It looked like something from a fairy tale like Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, which was further proven by the abundance of animals that went about their day around the cottage.

Fluttershy opened the door and allowed the twins inside. Due to their increased height, the sisters had to bend over a bit in order to get inside. Especially Ebony with her horns. Fluttershy then pointed to the staircase.

"Your room is up the stairs and down the hall on your right. I'm going to see about making a proper breakfast."

The sound of the twins' stomachs growling was evidence against any protests Ebony and Ivory could speak of.

As Fluttershy left to work on breakfast, the twins walked up the stairs and followed her directions to their room. As they made their way to the door, Ivory looked to her sister with a smile.

"I still can't believe it. We've finally found our dad, Ebbie!"

Ebony nodded, though she was not as thrilled as her sister.

"This is definitely not how I pictured us meeting our father, Ivy. I mean, I for one never expected to learn that we are half-human among the other things we've just learned."

"Or that Dad is a dracon…dracone…?"

"Draconequus. Our father's a Draconequus." Ebony concluded Ivory's sentence.

Ivory noticed something in her sister's speech and voiced her concern.

"You're not calling him 'Dad.' Why is that?"

Realizing her sister noticed her apprehension, Ebony proceeded to explain to Ivory.

"I'm not ready to call him 'Dad' just yet, Ivy. I'm not even sure he wants us to call him 'Dad.' Just…let's take some time for the three of us to get used to each other. Then maybe, just maybe, I'll call him that."

Ivory didn't say anything after that. Her twin was right. While the younger twin was happy to have finally found her father, she hadn't considered the possibility that Discord didn't want to be their father. And while Ivory was ready to jump at the very idea that he was their father, Ebony was more cautious than her. She didn't want to be disappointed.

All thoughts broke from the twins' minds when they opened the door that led to their room. Expecting either an empty room or a storage closet, neither twin expected the warped reality before them. It looked like an abstract painting mixed with themes from "Alice in Wonderland." Instead of a wooden ceiling, there was endless twilit sky. There were no walls, but seemingly endless land. There were trees that, instead of fruits and nuts, bore treats instead. It was an orchard of gumdrop trees, chocolate bonbon and truffle trees, lollipop trees, and trees that had chocolate coins. There were cotton candy shrubs and a chocolate milk river with gummi fish splashing about while several gummi worms made minor appearances from the multi-colored grass floor. The two pieces of furniture they could identify were beds, though one was carved in a large mushroom cap while the other was made entirely of cloud.

Ivory was impressed. Ebony, however, was shocked with disbelief.

They noticed that in the center of the room was Discord as he pondered the room. He snapped his claws and the pink color of the sky-ceiling changed to a rich violet.

"No, no, no! This is all wrong."

He once again snapped his claws, causing the chromatic floor to develop a black and white checked pattern, which warped into little hills. Having seen Discord's chaos magic for the first time, the twins were bewildered.

Soon, the twins started to have different looks on their faces. Ivory's held giddiness and amazement at what her father was capable of. Ebony, on the other hand, was trying to find words to what she was feeling other than total disbelief. She stood at the doorway, trying to resume all functions in her brain, while Ivory ran into the room and approached their father.

"This is amazing! Did you do all of this?" she asked.

Hearing the voice of his youngest daughter, Discord turned around to face Ivory. His surprised expression turned into a mischievous smile as he tapped the tip of Ivory's snout with this lion finger.

"Why, indeed I did. Though I was planning on this to being a surprise."

Ivory beamed as she took in the fantastical scenery.

"We are surprised! Aren't we, Ebony?"

Ebony didn't say anything other than a giving off a slight nod. This "room" was more to Ivory's taste then Ebony's.

The only thing she could say was, "Has Fluttershy seen this room?"

On que, a gasp came from behind Ebony. The dark-maned Draconequus turned around as she moved to the side, allowing shocked Fluttershy to view the room.

"What…what happened in here?"

Clearly not taking Fluttershy's shock as a bad thing, Discord proudly puffed up his chest as he spoke.

"Why, I'm in the middle of decorating my daughters' room. At first, I thought about space. But when I made the room larger, it just seemed…boring. So, I added a touch of chaos here and there. Still needs a little work, though."

But Fluttershy wasn't happy.

"Discord! I wouldn't have minded if you had asked me to make such changes. But did you ever considered what Ebony and Ivory want for their room? I mean, they may have different tastes."

That was true. Despite having been born as identical twins, Ebony and Ivory were as different as black and white. It was even in their names and hair colors.

"She's right…" Ebony managed to mutter.

Ivory, however, grew an impish grin as she decided to change the subject by asking her father a question.

"Can Ebony and I do that kind of magic, too?"

The trio gawked at Ivory for a minute before displaying different reactions. Fluttershy's was one of disapproval. Ebony's was one of curiosity. Discord, however, was thrilled as he gave off a mischievous smirk.

"Why not? You are my daughters, after all. And since I am the Lord of Chaos, I guess that makes you two the 'Princesses of Chaos.' So, why not?"

He then got an idea as snapped his eagle talons. There was a quick flash of light and all of the chaos in the room vanished. The room was as it had originally been: a simple tan room with two beds long enough to hold a single Draconequus each. The change was a relief to Ebony, but a disappointment to Ivory. That was…until Discord spoke.

"How about I leave your room as it is. That way, you two can practice at the end of the day."

He then laughed at his own words.

"Oh! What am I saying? Of course you won't need practice. You're my children, for Celestia's sake. You'll be masters of chaos-based magic in no time."

Once again, the twins were interested, though Ivory's was showing more vibrantly than Ebony's. The latter, along with the hostess mare, were just relieved that the room was back to normal, minus the change in height to accommodate the twins. Discord teleported behind his daughters and placed a paw on Ebony's right shoulder and a claw on Ivory's left.

"Think of your temporary room as a blank canvas, my little chaotic artists."

Another flash of light and Discord's head transformed into a talking oyster.

"All of Equestria is your oyster. All we need to do is to help you two find your pearls."

Fluttershy narrowed her eyes at the Lord of Chaos as she tapped the mollusk shell to gain his attention.

"Now, Discord. Don't lead the girls down the path you 'left' long ago. You don't want them to become statues in the Canterlot Gardens like you were, right?"

Oyster Discord reverted to his original form, frowning at Fluttershy's words. While he wanted his children to discover the joys of causing chaos, the Element of Kindness did have a point. He just met his daughters and he didn't want them to become garden statues. Not to mention he would have to face the wrath of their mother if she found out afterwards. Raising his hand-like appendages, Discord spoke to the butter-colored mare.

"Don't worry about that, Fluttershy. I won't teach them to go that far. Just enough to get their magical abilities off the ground. Afterwards is entirely up to them."

Though in the back of his mind, Discord was looking forward to causing mass chaos with his heirs by his side.

After eying Discord suspiciously, Fluttershy sighed as she started to move away from the door.

"Well, as long as you are careful and set some guidelines. I'm going to finish making breakfast."

"And I've got to ask Olivine a few questions." Discord announced before turning to the twins. "I'll check on you two this evening. In the meantime, have fun, my Princesses of Chaos."

With that, Discord disappeared as Fluttershy left, looking tired after the conversation. With the pair gone, Ebony and Ivory retreated to the opposite sides of the room and sat on their chosen beds. Ebony chose the bed by the northern nook, while Ivory chose the bed with the vast amount of space.

"Well. That was…something." Ebony spoke as she tested the bed's softness.

Ivory was grinning as she sat on her own bed.

"Something? That was so…amazing! I can't believe that was Dad's magic. I can't wait to try it! It looks like a lot of fun."

Ebony remained silent as Fluttershy called them down for breakfast. With a grin, Ivory stood up and made her way to the door.

"Come on, 'Princess Ebony.' I'm starving."

Ebony shook her head at her sister's mischievousness.

"I am not going to call her 'Princess Ivory' to satisfy her game. One of us needs to keep their head on their shoulders."

And that was exactly what Ebony intended to do.
> Identical Yet Diverse
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 6



Identical, yet Diverse 




After the twins and Fluttershy had a decent breakfast (and the sisters’ first official meal in Equestria), Fluttershy decided to ask the pair a question. 

“So? What do you two want to do?” 

Ivory, being the every social girl, was the quickest to speak. 

“I want to check out the town.” 

Ebony raised an eyebrow at her sister’s eagerness, but let it slide as she spoke. 

“I don’t suppose there’s a library here? I’d like to read up on some things.” 

Hearing the twins’ request, Fluttershy spoke to each twin concerning their requests. 

“Well, I think Pinkie Pie might be the pony to give you a tour of Ponyville, Ivory. And Ebony? The town recently lost its library to a power-hungry centaur attack, so the only library might be in Twilight’s castle. I’m sure she’ll be more than happy to let you read some of her books.” 

The sisters raised their eyebrows at the butter-colored Pegasus in sheer confusion and bewilderment. 

“Power-hungry centaur?” Ivory asked aloud. 

“And yet, you say it so casually…” Ebony muttered. 

After leaving the cottage, the twins made their way to the little hamlet ahead. Ebony could clearly see her destination even at a distance. The crystal tree-castle stood out like a sore thumb in the wood-and-thatched-roof houses. Seeing the castle, Ivory frowned.

“It’s a…pretty…castle. But it’s totally out of place in this town.” 

Ebony nodded as they walked on. 

“I agree with you there, sister. Surely something gothic or, more appropriately, something along the lines of Neuschwanstein Castle, would have been more appropriate and appealing in contrast to the rest of the town.” 

Ivory raised an eyebrow at her sister, but just shook her head. She’d question her sister’s use of large, unfamiliar words later. For now, there was a new place for the snowy-haired Draconequus to explore and darn it, she was going to explore it! Looking at her sister, Ivory spoke. 

“I’ll go find this ‘Sugarcube Corner.’ Fluttershy said I’d know it when I see it.” E

bony nodded, but stopped her sister before she took off.

“Be careful, ok?” 

Ivory rolled her eyes. 

“I know. ‘Stranger Danger’ and all that. Seriously, Ebbie. You need to chill.” 

Ebony frowned. 

“Well excuse me for making sure my little sister is ok.”

Ivory turned to say something only to find her sister had stormed off. Ivory sighed as she headed into the town. Once again, she botched another attempt to help her sister become more social. If it wasn’t her stubbornness or her anxiety that prevented her from seeking friends, it was her overprotectiveness and her temper. Ivory wished that Ebony hadn’t come across that internet channel that held the countdowns of scary incidents or that said sister had developed a love of classic horror movies and books. Coupled with how there was more bad news than good news on T.V. and you’ve got yourself a girl filled to the brim with paranoia. 

At this point, all Ivory could do was sigh. 

“*sigh* Twin sisters.” 

“I know, right?” a random familiar voice spoke, surprising the white-maned Draconequus. 

“Gah!” Ivory screeched, practically jumping ten feet in the air in surprise before falling on her rump in front of the source of the voice: Pinkie Pie. Ivory blinked as she tried to regain her bearings. “M…Miss Pie?” 

Pinkie giggled as she helped Ivory up. 

“*giggle* I’m not ‘Miss Pie,’ silly filly. That’s my second cousin three times removed. Just call me ‘Pinkie,’ Ivory. Well, not ‘Pinkie Ivory.’ That’d be silly. Although that would make a pretty candy cane color.”

By the time Pinkie had finished that sentence, Ivory’s heart settled down and she was able to recognize the pink mare from the ruined castle more clearly. Shaking her head, Ivory brushed the dirt off herself. 

“Uh…I don’t know about that. I think that would just be a light pink. But anyway, is there something I can help you with?” 

Pinkie nodded as she pulled out a scroll from her mane. Unfurling it, the scroll appeared to be four feet, much to Ivory’s surprise. 

“Well, I was wondering what flavors of cake do you and Ebony want for your ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party, but it looks like I won’t be able to ask Ebony until I catch up with her.” 

At the sound of the word “party,” Ivory became delighted. Even as a human, Ivory was never one to turn down a party invitation. (Well, save for a few that were very sketchy according to her instincts or her mother would say “no” to.) 

“I can help with that!” she announced quickly before answering Pinkie’s initial question. “I’m more of a Red Velvet while Ebony is a Chocoholic. For secondary flavors, she likes hazelnut while I love lemon.” 

The thought of either a Red Velvet cake or a lemon cake made Ivory’s mouth water as Pinkie wrote down the flavors under the twins’ names on a notepad she also held in her mane.

“Ooo! Sound’s yummy! Now what about cookies?” 

“Chocolate Chip for Ebony, Snickerdoodle for me.” 

“Muffins?”

“Aside from chocolate chip for Ebony, she loves Lemon Poppy Seed. Blueberry for me.” 

“Food allergies?”

“Just me. I’m allergic to bees. Which means I can't have honey.” 

The sound of a stomach growling paused the questioning, enabling them to hear that the sound came from Ivory’s stomach. Realizing this, Ivory’s blushed as she rubbed the back of her head. 

“Heh. Sorry. All this talk about sweets is making me hungry. And I just had breakfast.”

Pinkie smiled as a second growl joined the first. This time, it was the mare’s stomach. Giggling, Pinkie rolled up the scroll and motioned Ivory to a building that looked delectable, but it was clearly a building. 

“Come one. We can continue over a snack at Sugarcube Corner.” 

Just about drooling, Ivory nodded.

“Sure thing, Pinkie.”

As she entered Sugarcube Corner, Ivory marveled at how cute and delicious-looking the bakery was. It was like she was stepping into the story of “Hansel and Gretel,” only with friendly pastel-colored ponies and not an ugly child-eating witch. 

“Just have a seat at one of our tables and I’ll be right back.” Pinkie told her as she headed behind the counter to find the right treats. 

It didn’t take long for Pinkie to return with a platter of Red Velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and red sprinkles as well as a couple of glasses of milk before rejoining Ivory at a nearby table. 

“Actually, it’ll be difficult to get Ebony to come to the party.” 

Hearing this, Pinkie tilted her head as she placed the cupcakes and milk on the table. 

“Difficult? Why?”

Ivory sighed as she thought about her sister and social situations. 

“Well, my sister…she’s not exactly a social butterfly. She always has difficulty in making friends, like to be alone with nothing but her books, and hobbies include studying and gardening. She does sing, but she doesn’t like to sing in public. And she tends to avoid parties like the plague.” 

Pinkie was astonished at this revelation. Ebony didn’t like parties? Then how was she going to welcome the Draconequus filly?

“Hmm. Ebony’s going to be one tough cookie to make happy.” Pinkie pondered for a moment before smirking. 

Ivory raised an eyebrow as Pinkie spoke again.

 “But then again, I’ve never backed down from a challenge and I don’t intend to start!”

While Ivory let out a smile, her mind was letting out a sad frown as she thought of her sister. As she and Pinkie continued to plan the party, Ivory stole a glance outside the bakery’s window. 

“I wonder how Ebony’s doing right now.”

--------------------------------

With Ebony…

As Ivory helped Pinkie Pie set up the welcoming party and spoke about her and her sister’s likes and dislikes, Ebony made her way to the crystal castle, as it was where Twilight said the town’s new library would be until one could be built. She kept close to the shadows, trying to avoid the gazes of the ponies. Unlike her sister, Ebony knew she looked more like a freak even to ponies. Not to mention there was the fact that her father had caused the town trouble in the past. No doubt the ponies wondered if she and her sister were capable of chaos magic and how they would use them. And not in a positive light at that.

“Sins of the father, I guess.” Ebony muttered to herself. 

While she wouldn’t use magic for evil, Ebony was interested in the concept of chaos magic. Of the twins, it was Ebony who excelled at magic. She could remember from the most complex spell two the simplest incantation. Even though her social life was near non-existent, her academic prowess in both mundane and magical made her top of the class. 

A question popped into Ebony’s mind right then. Could she do magic other than her father’s magic in this body? And if she couldn’t do her father’s magic, could she still perform her mother’s witchcraft like before? As much as she wanted to test the theory, the fact that she dropped her wand back at her mother’s study nixed any attempt. And how would her magic effect this world? Would it be a positive or a negative reaction? Or would it be the usual reaction of “It is the Skill of a Witch or Wizard that reveals the potency of the spell?” Ebony could only hope that it would be the latter or a positive reaction. 

Before she knew it, Ebony was at the front gates of the castle. Even close up, she found the castle unaesthetically unpleasing. She also noticed that for a castle, there were no guards guarding the entrance from intruders. Another check on her list. Uncertain, Ebony knocked with her raven claw and waiting for someone to open it. It took a few minutes for the door to open, but it wasn’t Princess Twilight Sparkle who answered but rather a small dragon with purple and green scales. 

The dragon’s emerald eyes stared at Ebony’s feet, trailing up until he saw her face. The Draconequus became concerned as she lifted a hand and waved her fingers cautiously. 

“Uh…hello? Is the princess home?” 

The dragon slowly closed the door, keeping his stunned eyes on Ebony until the door closed. While she stood there, confused, the dragon made a mad dash to the castle’s library, where the Princess of Friendship was enjoying a good book on aquaculture. Seeing the princess, the dragon yelped. 

“Twilight! Twilight!” 

The sound of panic in her assistant’s voice was enough for Twilight to lower her book and turn her attention to the dragon. 

“What is it, Spike? What’s wrong?” 

“What’s wrong? WHAT’S WRONG?! There is a Draconequus outside the castle!” 

Twilight’s eyes widened for just a second before she remembered Ponyville’s newest residents. 

“Which one is it?” 

This confused Spike. Sure, he was used to Discord, but how could Twilight be so calm when there is a second chaos creature outside their door. Then again, Twilight may know something about this. 

“Uh…the one with the black mane with the one white lock. Has two raven claws, two dragon legs, and a pair of dragon horns?” 

Upon hearing the description, Twilight sighed in relief. 

“Don’t worry, Spike. That is one of the Draconequui twins I told you about this. Ebony, I think.” 

She then gave her assistant a raised eyebrow. 

“I told you what the twins looked like, didn’t I?” 

Spike thought for a moment, trying to recall when she told him as Twilight got up and made her way to the door. She opened it to reveal the confused Draconequus twin standing at the door. 

“Good morning, Ebony. Sorry about Spike. I think he forgot I told him about you and Ivory.” 

It was then that Spike remembered that Twilight DID tell him about the twins. Problem was she was blathering about it while he was still 90% asleep. He did a mental eye-roll as he approached Ebony.

“Err…sorry about that. Twilight told me while I was still sleeping. So I haven’t exactly processed what she said.” He then held up his claws, gesturing a handshake. “I’m Spike, Twilight’s #1 assistant.” 

While Ebony’s mind marveled at the sight of a real-live dragon and her inner child doing backflips out of joy due to the fact that she was a fan of dragons, she remembered her manners and gently shook Spike’s hand. 

“Nice to meet you, Spike. I guess I don’t have to introduce myself as Ebony Wolfe.” 

Spike raised an eye-ridge at the name. 

“Wolf? Why would you be called a wolf?” 

Confused, Ebony answered him as best as she could. 

“Uh...It’s the name of my family in general. Just call me Ebony.” 

Before Spike could speak, Twilight spoke up quickly with great interest. 

“Your family name? Is that a human practice? How did you get the family name? And why ‘Wolfe’?” 

Ebony found herself stunned at the rapid questioning as Spike quickly covered Twilight’s mouth. 

“Sorry about Twilight. She loves to study, especially when it is something new and unknown to her.” 

Instead of recoiling, Ebony held eyes of understanding with a small smile to match.

“Huh. Actually, I don’t blame her.” 

Hearing this, the pair tilted their heads. 

“Huh?” 

Ebony answered, placing a claw on her chest as she spoke. 

“I like to study myself and I am actually curious about the ponies here and how they live.” 

Twilight’s eyes twinkled at the prospect of another scholar like her. And with a half-Draconequus from another world, the knowledge that Twilight could learn was very pleasing. Twilight gestured Ebony inside. 

“Why don’t we head to my library and trade questions and answers? Spike can make us a snack to tide use over.” 

Ebony didn’t reject Twilight’s invitation. In fact, she found it both surprising and interesting. No one ever wanted to go into a Q&A session with her back at Eventide Hollow, but a princess was interested in what she had to say. 

“I guess this might not be too bad. And Ivory does nag about my ‘social-anxiety.’ I can get answers and get Ivory off my back.” 

“Sure thing. Probably bring in a lot of water and tea, considering we’re going to be talking a lot.” Ebony answered aloud, letting Spike get an idea on what to bring. 

As soon as he left, Twilight led Ebony through the corridors of the castle. 

The castle was definitely bigger than what Ebony was expecting, considering how small the outside looked. The interior was not lacking in the crystal décor and every door was identical to the point where Ebony was surprised that Twilight knew where she was going. 

“She could make a killing out of selling maps of this place.”

She also took notice of the lack of pony life in the castle. No staff, no guards, nobody. How did Twilight keep the place clean? And what about intruders? What’s to stop an invader from walking through the front door and take over?

She continued to ponder this as the Princess of Friendship led her into what may be the largest library the young witch had ever seen. Stacks upon stacks of bookshelves lined the walls, filled to the brim with books. There were several pieces of furniture were set up as reading nooks and she could swear that the room took two floors. 

“Whoa…” Ebony whispered as she entered the library with the princess. 

“Sorry about the mess. I’m planning a Book-Sort-Cation this weekend and I really wasn’t expecting any company who was interested in my library.”

Ebony raised her eyebrow again as she looked at the library. It was clean and organized. Not to mention she had no idea what a “Book-Sort-Cation” was. Twilight took notice of Ebony’s confusion and realized that she needed to better explain it. 

“Oh! A Book-Sort-Cation is what I call a vacation that focuses on organizing my books. It also gives me the chance to clean the shelves of dust.”

With that, Twilight approached a particular shelf and began choosing books. 

“Since you said you want to know about Equestria and this world in general, I think these books will give you information whenever we’re not talking.” 

As Twilight set the books on a nearby table, Ebony decided to take a peek at one of them. When she opened the first page, she frowned. 

“Uh...actually…I think I need to do something else, first.” 

Twilight, still using her magic to select books, turned her head to Ebony in confusion. 

“What’s that?”

Ebony held up the book wide open, showing the contents inside. 

“I’m going to need to learn how to read this. I don’t recognize any of these letters.” 

Twilight’s eyes widened at this in surprise. How could she not anticipate the possibility of Ebony’s world not having the same language as her world? Twilight rubbed her temple, mentally scolding herself before smiling warmly at Ebony. 

“Oh. Sorry about that. I can teach you how to read Equish if you can provide an alphabet chart.” 

Ebony nodded, giving Twilight the signal to provide a piece of paper and a pencil. At least she was glad that she could still write like a human with her talons. It didn’t take long for Ebony to write up the alphabet after a few minutes of discussion, Ebony Wolfe had her very own Equish-English Cheat-Sheet. 

Once the cheat-sheet was finished, Spike, who had arrived with beverages, when the sheet was being made, asked a question that floated in his mind for a bit. 

“How come you didn’t ask the others about Equestria? I’m sure we would’ve been able to tell you easily. Especially Discord since, well, he’s your dad.” 

Ebony cringed, the reaction going not unnoticed by both dragon and alicorn. Twilight frowned as she cast a concern glance at Ebony. 

“Ebony?”

Realizing the pair noticed her cringe, Ebony bit her lip as she cast her gaze to the side. What could she say? That she has difficulty talking to anyone outside her family? That it practically takes her mother and sister shoving her into social situations to get her to talk to other people sometimes? Thoughts such as these stormed her mind as Twilight analyzed the situation. 

“Could she…could she have some form of social anxiety? No. That can’t be it. She talks to me and Spike ok. Same with the others. Though she never said a word to Discord. At least not to my knowledge.”

Seeing that she fix the situation, Twilight spoke. 

“Don’t worry about it, Ebony. If you need some more time, go ahead. In the meantime, let’s see about getting you to learn Equish.” 

Ebony sighed in relief. 

"Thank you."

Relived, Ebony spent the rest of the day studying the Equestrian language and took the books Twilight loaned her back to Fluttershy’s cottage. As the twins returned to their temporary residence, the Mane Six gathered at Twilight's castle, with Twilight and Pinkie giving their "reports" on the twins.

"Ivory's really helpful and she's super-thrilled at the idea of a party, but she told me Ebony doesn't like parties! I mean, who doesn't like parties?" said Pinkie. 

Twilight was quick to speak regarding Ebony. 

"I think she may have social anxiety. She's not unfriendly, but she was skittish when I asked her why she hadn't spoken to any of you or Discord."

Rainbow Dash was confused upon hearing this.

"So... You're saying she's broken?"

Every pony glared at Rainbow for her response.

"She's not 'broken,' Rainbow! She's just...programmed different." Twilight tried to explain in an effort to get the prismatic pegasus to understand. 

She barely got it, but didn't say anything. Satisfied for now, the meeting continued as Twilight spoke.

"Anyway, we agreed that we should make the twins feel comfortable during their stay here. Ivory, according to Pinkie, would be the easiest. Ebony will be the difficult one. But if we start slow, show her that it's ok to make friends with the ponies here, she can adjust better."

Applejack decided then to add in her two bits as she thought of a certain individual who should've been at the meeting as well.

"It'd be easier if Discord would actually take being a father seriously."

Fluttershy was quick to defend her unusual friend.

"He seems to be trying. Yesterday, he did offer to redecorate the twins' room with his chaos magic. While I told him to normal but make it big enough for the girls, they seemed interested in his magic. He's even planning to teach them."

"And their reactions?" Twilight asked, both worried and interested.

"Ivory was really taken to the idea. Ebony's uncertain. Might be something regarding home?" Fluttershy replied.

"It needs to be more than about magic, everypony. Discord needs to understand that there is more about being a father than teaching his daughters how to use chaos magic." Rarity spoke up.

As they debated and argued well into the night, the Mane Six agreed on a couple of things.

Ebony needed help adapting.

And Discord needed to learn about being a father.