Thread 67: Stories 16-30

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 >AJ
"Twilight"
'Pinkie'
[Dash]
{FS}
(Rarity)
^Spike^
~~~~~

>Why is this so hard!? Apple fritters! Ah' wanted APPLEFRITTERS FER BREAKFAST!

"Dash! We have to follow the schedule, or else everything could be thrown into chaos!"

{...}

"Er... not that chaos is bad, just in general it's undesirable."

{...}

"Not that I'm saying YOU are undesirable..."

{...}

"Wow, that sounds like... I mean, I'm not attracted to you or anything-"

{...}

"NOT THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH YOU THAT I WOULD... uh..."

^Twi? This is the point where you stop.^

"No! I can salvage this!"

'Awww, ya' gotta give her props for trying!... Even if I'm pretty sure even I couldn't get this ship out of the water...'

"Look, chaos, as in the randomness of certain schedules, can lead to very undesirable things happening by unexpected events transpiring that domino effect into other things. You, just because you have powers attuned to this ability, do not necessarily have these traits, as you are not your powers. You are a mare, Fluttershy! A mare with hopes and dreams that, while I PERSONALLY am not physically attracted to them, have other also desirable traits that others would enjoy on a level more than friends, which you and I are and will continue to be."

{...}

"...B-better?"

{...}

"...WHAT DID I DO WRONG!?"

(Darling, this is getting embarrassing-)

{GAH!}

>"'[(^GAH!? WHY GAH!?^)]'"

{... I just traveled through time, IN MY BRAIN!}

>"'[(^....^)]'"

{...it was really weird!}

>"'[(^....^)]'"

{...Did I miss anything?}

>"'[(^....^)]'"

>...So, how bout them fritters-



>BREAKIN' MAH HEART, DASH! BREAKIN' MAH HEART!

{I enjoy our breakfasts.}

"...I don't think I do."

>BREAKIN! MAH! HEART!

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>Citrine
"88"
'77'
~Changelings~
~~~~

>And over here you'll see the wonderful, sparkling spire!

~Oooooo!~

"..."

>...A-ahem... And over here is the shimmering tower! Isn't it just an amazing glow?

~Ahhhhhh.~

"..."

>...And... and over here...

"..."

>...I'm sorry, does she want to go somewhere else?

"No no, please. Continue telling me how SHINY and SPARKLY and PRETTY these things are! I'm sure they have an amazing, hue, a stunning glimmer, and absolutely breathtaking SIGHT to them!

'Now, sister, that's not fair-'

"WHY DID YOU BRING ME HERE!?"

'I need to get accustomed to my new home. I've been here twice, total!'

"I AM SO SICK OF LISTENING TO HER TELL ME HOW PRETTY EVERYTHING IS!"

>It really is pretty.

"SHUT UP!"

'...Can we at least wait till after the-'

"NO!"

'Fine... fine... we'll rejoin the group later.'

"THANK YOU!"

'SISTER WATCH OUT-'

*SMACK!*

'...'

"Not a word."

>...That looked like it hurt-

"NO SHIT!"

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 >32
"Rekulk"
'Sebjek'

Through the halls of Canterlot castle stalked the changeling known as 32...wait, no, stalked is not the right word, skulked- no, that sounds worse. Walked. He walked. Normally. Nothing sinister. Just...walking.

>Right, now I believe I'll have to act fast, once news of the mass-exodus gets out I'm certain a fair few of Canterlot's expatriates will be returning home, I need to get my hands on a place to live before such a thing occurs and that means-

He turned a corner.

>Rekulk my friend...

There was no one there.

>...why did I think that would work?

"We do not know, Zhetri Tuuhl."

>Gah!

The changeling jumped, turning to face the Morlock in question...and Sebjek.

'Why do you scream, Zhetri Tuulh?'

>Oh...oh no reason, but you're just the two I wanted to see, you may have noticed that the lion's share of my siblings went and abandoned Canterlot.

"Abandon the City of White!? Whyfor?"

>It's a long story, it may involve Princess Applejack breaking the Queen's shoulder.

'Is war occurring?'

>NO! NEVER NOT EVER!

"'...'"

>...what would make you think that.

'Shoulder breaking.'

>N-nonsense, hey look a change of subject, I'd like to make a trade.

"A...trade?"

>Yes, a trade.

"With...Zhetri Tuulh?"

>...is there a problem with this?

"How can Rekulk trade equally with one who has given his people so much?"

>Well I mean, I don't want to take too much, trading with ponies may very well be your lifeline and I'd never carelessly take away your few chances at prosperi-

'We literally have fifteen diamonds in our bag.'

>WHAT!?

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 >Chrysalis
"???"
~~~~

So many plans, so many thoughts, so many ideas all rushing in her head and flowing through it like water. There was so much to do, so many variables that needed accounting for, so many facets that needed looked at. Idly, she began to muse over the fact she felt a thrill when she did this. When she looked over the many ways each plan could go wrong and be left a failure. She didn't know why, since it was accepting every time that her plans might fail, but she enjoyed it. She loved seeing just how many paths every move could take...

"How are you getting settled in?"

The voice snapped her from these thoughts, from this thinking, and pulled her away from them. She laid them aside as she turned to the voice, and gave her full attention.

>Everything is going strangely smoothly, Celestia.

The white princess smiled, a warm and caring, almost matronly one.

"I'm glad to hear that."

>I should hope so, would be pretty suspicious if you were bothered by this.

"Oh no, never."

>...

"..."

>...I'm noticing you brought the skis.

"I'm noticing you cutting your eyes over to that mountain in the distance."

>They're unrelated, I'm sure.

"..."

>...We have to kidnap Caddy too.

"Really? Thought, you know..."

>Meh, I owe her for this one.

"My my my! Accepting tokens of help and showing gratitude, you have learned so much! "

>I learned that I don't need lasers to smack you in the head.

"Oh? Your shoulder feels up to it?"

>Old smacky is back and ready for smacking.

"Now that just sounds like you want something other than my head."

>Why would I? That's where the horn is.

"Ha!"

>HAH!

"...So, saddle is back on?"

>Never left! Come on, grab Shiny and Caddy and lets see who screams louder!

"From experience, Shiny."

>Funny, I was about to say the same thing.

"...Good to have you back, Chrysalis."

>Oh please, you'll make me blush.

...What was she thinking about again? Chrysalis honestly couldn't remember...

Oh, right, skiing!

>HAH!

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>Chrysalis
"SA"
'Celestia'
[Cadence]
{???}
~~~~

>Alright, so are we all set on the rules?

"...Don't die?"

'Now we have to make it more challenging than that, otherwise we're cheating!'

[This is doing nothing for my sense of safety and stability.]

>Oh p'shaw, like we would actually let you all be horribly crippled! Maimed, maybe, but not crippled!

'We have standards.'

[...All the time like this?]

"All the time. You sure you want to do this, honey?"

[Am I sure I wish to bobsled down a mountain? No. No I am not.]

>It would've been skiis if SOMEONE hadn't fucked up!

'I'm sorry! This snow gear rides up in weird places, I got excited!'

>Ugh... now! First one down the mountain gets to make out with Shiny. Bonus fun stuff if you beat him by three seconds.

[WHAT!?]

>Hey, that means you can if you win.

"She's my wife. She does not need a reason."

'Hey, no fair!'

"...Really, Celly?"

'Not saying I AGREE to it, just that it isn't fair!'

>Well, since we're all agreed-

"We're not. And I do not see how I am supposed to collect if I win."

>We'll figure something out. Now! ONETWOTHREEG-... HEY!

{WHEEEE!}

>NO FAIR!

"You invited her."

>SHE ASKED!... Friggen... COME BACK HERE YOU LITTLE PINK ASSHOLE!

[What did I do?]

>PINKIE PINK ASSHOLE, NOT- FUCK YOU CELLY!

'Snooze you lose!'

>COME BACK HERE!

{WHEEEEE!}

[...]

"...So, how'd she get you to-"

[...She put me in a potato bag.]

"Ah... on three?"

[...I'M WINNING THAT MAKEOUT SESSION!]

"Wife. You're my wife. You don't have to- and she's gone... sigh."

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>Twilight
"Watchdog"
'Vekir'

>And just turn your head a bit hear so I can get a look aaaat...hmmm...

"What hmm?"

>Ok, I've conducted a full examination aaand...oh boy, uh, how do I put this gently?

"I knew it! I have cancer. I have every single kind of cancer there is."

>Huh? Oh no, believe me, that'd be an easy fix.

"Why are you stroking your hoof?"

>No reason, but look, it appears your problem is that...you weren't really...built to last.

"...huh?"

>Well I mean, let's look at it from the perspective of Blueblood.

"The perspective of six feet under the ground?"

'The perspective of wonderful metal head maker?'

>No.

"'Awww...'"

>His revolution was meant to happen quickly, kill AJ, take down the Crystal Empire, exterminate the changelings...and somehow get back in Celestia's favor.

"The hell kind of logic is that?"

>I don't think actual logic factored into it. But he takes you, a diamond dog to-...how'd you get recruited anyway.

"Uh, well you see..."

====SEVERAL MONTHS AGO====

"Well hello, free beer just sitting on the ground, don't mind if I do!"

Glug glug glug...

"Mmm...delicious-"

FWUMP!

=====

"I didn't go quietly, I'll tell ya that, lasers and robots and finally they had to bring in a giant golem to take me in, yeah...that totally happened."

'Such a warrior!'

>Right, well he wouldn't have needed you for much longer than that so I guess he had the Flim Flam Brothers just sort of cobble you together so you'd fall apart immediately after the war ended.

"...that guy's a dickhead."

>This is going to take a lot of work, and you might not like how look afterwards.

"Lady, I'm a sewn together monstrosity with porcelain hands and an industrial nightmare for a body. NOTHING could be worse looking than this."

>Point well then...I'm sorry to have to do this but, will you step into this tube?

"Sure."

>...really just like that?

"Yeah, sure, I don't see anything wrong with this tube...it's...tubular."

>Huh, usually there's a lot of shrieking in terror.

"Should I be shrieking in terror?"

>...no comment.

"Y'know I'm unsure if this is really the best idea-"

>TRANQ DART!

"Hngh! ..."

Fwump!

"Zzz..."

'Is this very ethical?'

>Well considering the alternative is a slow death by mechanical degeneration and contamination of the fluid keeping his few remaining organs going, yes.

'I trust your judgements, Twience Princess.'

>That word is extremely fitting for what I'm about to do. Vekir!

'Yes Twience Princess! Vekir is ready to do whatever she can to assist in guarding the body of her bodyguard!'

>Good because what I'm about to ask of you is extremely important!

'Ask it! Vekir shall do any-mmph!'

>Eat this candy bar over in the corner there and for the love of Faust don't touch ANYTHING.

'Mmph mmph mph!'

>Good girl.

Twilight directs her eyes to the prone figure of Watchdog, lighting up her horn and floating him into the tube. Afterwards, she dons her labcoat and a pair of safety goggles.

>...time for some Twience.

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>Chitania
"Prostimare"
'Librarian'
~~~~

>....

"..."

'...Leave... leave... leave... leave...'

"She ain't gonna, hun."

'If I will her strong enough, she will. It worked for Canterlot, it can work for me! You know what this taught me? This event right here inspired me. If I just really, really hope she leaves, make it very obvious I want her to leave and never stop focusing my energy on making her leave, SHE WILL LEAVE.'

"Ain't ya' also gotta get a punch in there?"

'Look at her. Eventually, SOMEONE is going to throw a punch!'

"But is it gonna do anythin'? Seen a lotta buff ponies in mah day, believe you me, ain't none of 'em as hard as this."

*pokepoke*

"Like a dang rock."

'I don't know, but I have to believe!'

"Why don't ya' like her anyway? 'Cept for when someone makes her mad she mostly keeps to herself."

'...Because she's a giant bug monster who stomped my city?'

"Yeah, sides that."

'...Why do I need a 'sides that'?'

"Just curious."

'Shut up, that's why.'

"Fair enough."

'...'

"..."

'...So what is she reading-'

>None of your damn business.

'ACK!'

"Shhh! This is a library!"

'...Fuck you.'

"Honey, you couldn't afford me on this salary."

'...leave...leave...leave...'

"Ain't gonna work on me either."

'I BELIEVE!'

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>SA
"Chrysalis"
'Cadence'
[18]
{42}
~Celestia~
^2^
(Spitfire)
~~~~

>...What in the what now?

"You can make a movie... out of drawings?"

(Yeah! What, you've never seen a draw-movie before?)

'It looks... weird.'

(It's really simple! They just do a whole bunch of pictures, and then put them all in a row and magically animated them!)

^...THIS IS AMAZIN'!^

[So it's just... pictures?]

{Isn't that what regular movies are? Just a whole bunch of pictures rapidly taken and then put together?}

[...Mind... blown.]

(Yeahhh. Whole lot of ponies are trying to use 'magically augmented animation' now because it looks more 'real' and 'pops out' at you, but traditionally made stuff just can't be beat, and anyone who prefers that stuff to real hard work can just go suck it!)

>Huh... I think I like it.

"Really?"

'Yeah! I think I like it too!'

~I'm certainly a fan, it's delightful!~

^THIS! IS! AMAZIN!^

>Is there more than just this?

(Are you kidding!? There's HUNDREDS of magically animated movies!)

>Huh... might have to binge watch them.

(Yeah!... Just, uh... be careful about the ones from Japony.)

>Why?

(...J-just... just double check some before you show Two... they get weird...)

"...Go on..."

(I really don't think I should with her in the room.)

^AH'M FEELIN' HAPPY!^

(...Just trust me.)

>Ohhh... kay?

{Is there blood?}

(...)

{Sold.}

(...So you guys just all get together and-)

"Yes."

(And they all just snuggle him all the time-)

'YES.'

(...This place is cool.)

^HA HA! HE PUNCHED "EM TA' THE MOON!... Can I have spinach?^

>Doesn't work like that, Two.

'Let her dream, Shiny... let her dream.'

^HAH!^

>'[{~(..........)~}]'

"What? Why are you all looking at me?"

>'[{~(..........)~}]'

"WHAT!?"

^HAH!^

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lzv5XVx3Wc

One fine day with a screech and a purr
A baby was born and it caused a little stir
No blue buzzard, no three-eyed frog
Just a feline fowl little CatBird.

CatBird, CatBird, alone in the world is a little CatBird!

Out on the road or back in town
All kinda critters putting CatBird down
Gotta rise above it gotta try to get along
Gotta walk together gotta sing this song.

CatBird, CatBird, alone in the world is a little CatBird!

CatBird (CatBird) CatBird (CatBird)
Alone in the world is a little CatBird!

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>Gwen
"Idris"
~~~

"...Explain it again."

>UGH! It's a ROBOT!

"Not real."

>No! Not real! It is not a real thing!

"And it move on it's own?"

>YES!

"And even talks like it's on it's alive."

>YES!

"But it's not."

>FOR FUCKS SAKE! How are you THIS behind on the times!?

"This thing didn't even exist six months ago."

>...I... okay, fair enough, but-

"So what's it for?"

>Fighting evil monsters so OUR SOLDIERS do not have to! You know, they survive and everything!

"...Can it make coffee?"

>WHY THE FUCK WOULD IT MATTER IF THEY-

*Ding*

>...

"Ha ha! It DOES make coffee! This is amazing!"

>...I ju- ugh...

"Can it play music?"

>Are you ser-

~If you like pina coladas, and getting caught in the rain!~

"HA HA! I love this song! ~If you're not into yoga..."

~And you have half a brain!~

>...J-just take the win, Gwen... take the win...

"~IF YOU LIKE MAKING LOVE AT MIDNIGHT!~"

>...T-taaake it...

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>Chrysalis
"42"
~~~~

>Is everyone set up?

"Yes, my Queen."

>The rooms are in place, all of their items are accounted for?

"Yes, Majesty. They are enjoying their new privacy... some to troubling degrees."

>And no hostility from the local populace?

"None, your highness. There is no suspicion and there have been no confrontations."

>Eeeexcellent. Excellent.

"..."

>...I mean that's good. That... oh wow that sounded creepy.

"I uh... yeah, it did."

>Especially with us doing this 'walk side by side down the halls' thing.

"And your fangs are showing with your smile."

>Are they? Oh wow, that's bad. That makes it look like...

"...Yeah..."

>...We're not, you get that right? We're not doing that. Just in case there was some kind of worry this is all a big plan or something, it's not. This was not intended and I'm not planning on taking the place over.

"Oh, thank goodness. It looks suspicious."

>How is that my fault? We got harassed over there for a YEAR, and even then I only left when someone broke my arm in public and made me slink off to prevent a full scale war.

"No no, I agree! Just... how it looks."

>But again, it's not.

"Understood. Not."

>Not.

"Not."

>...So! Uh. Everything is going good?

"Indeed, Majesty."

>Good. Because there is a certain someone I need to... visit.

"..."

>...It's Twilight. I'm talking about Twilight, specifically. I need to visit her and tell her I'm not mad at her.

"Oh! Oh, yes, that makes sense."

>Obviously.

"..."

>...So where do you keep going anyway-

"Training."

>Oh, yeah. Weird that you do it alone.

"I uh... like to be alone?"

>Yeah, that makes sense.

"...You're not going to question that?"

>It's you. I'm not exactly worried.

"...Thanks..."

>...

"....You ever think they're going to not be sus-"

>No.

"I know..."

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 >AJ
"???"
~~~~

Form after form after form after form. Scribbled away and sent off with frightening speed.

Without worrying about having to double check this and that, she found she could finally just focus in on what she was doing, and was managing to be ten times as productive as she had in the past.

It likely would've been twenty times, if there wasn't something still bothering her...

>Did ya' find anythin'?

She hadn't needed to look up. After all this time with the changelings, she was just becoming attuned to having someone appear in her room like a ghost.

>Ah' said, did ya' find anythin'?

"Surprisingly... no."

She looked up, honestly shocked.

>..Are ya' serious?

He appeared before her, her 'secret agent' who had been cleared for duty in under three hours after his admittance into the hospital. There had been very little wrong with him, physically, and a bit of magic had repaired the drain he had suffered. Eager to get back to work, Applejack decided to put him on something less strenuous.

Or so she thought.

"It's odd... I cannot find him. No matter how I search, it seems he is staying ahead of me.. somehow. The lack of ability to see through a changelings disguise is not helping matters."

>Huh... really? Didn't figure him fer' a hider.

"Well, he is."

>...Well, keep lookin', last thing Ah' need is her gettin' ahold of him while we ain't lookin' fer' a show o' power.

"Very well."

He shimmered, and was gone.

>...Dang it, Twenty Nine, where'd ya' go?

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Non-Canon
>Pinkie
"AJ"
~~~~
>Welcome to Not Late Night /pa/ with your host Pinkie Pie! It's during this time that content does matter, but my show wasn't cancelled yet! Now for our main guest...APPLEJACK!!!

"Howdy"

>Time for a member of our audience to ask a question!

"That's a little diff-"
She blinks and there's suddenly an audience member shows up next to her.
"-erent!"

>Ask away anonymous cardboard audience member!
The cardboard raises up a sign that says 'Are you a background princess now?' They both blink and it's gone.

"What the hay is that suppose to mean?"

>Ahahaha that's a little sensitive topic around these parts, so let's just wrap it up here and-

"Pinkie, did you remember to fill out the paperwork for the Summer Harvest Parade?"

>Funny you should mention that!
AJ wakes up.
"...*sigh*"

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Meanwhile, in the future OnO session

"Luna"
>AJ

>Uhhh...can any of y'all hear that...?

"Applejack....thine time has come"

>Ah do not like the tone of that voice, Luna is that you?

"Applejack, thou are the one chosen to save this realm from the vile...something or another."

>Gee, that sounds familiar

"There is great potential within you..."

>Mhhm, yep, figured that out

"Thou have strange and wonderful magic within you, yearning to be unleashed"

>Now yer losin' me

"Mine tutelage shall guide you into this-"

>NOPE! No thank y'all, I can handle this myself the old Apple family way, goodbye

"Bu-bu-bu-but the armour! WE BESTOWED THINE FINEST AND MOST COVETED ARMOUR AND ARMAMENTS OF THE OCTANE UPON THEE! T'IS USELESS UNLESS YOU LEARN YOUR MAGIC!"

>La la la, sounds pricey, Ah'm off to a trader, Ah need a big hammer or sumthin', can't hear ya!

"COME BACK!....Bugger"

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>Sweetie Belle
“???”
‘???’
[???]

Pandemonium.

That seemed to be only word fitting enough to describe the current state of the castle.

Oddly enough, there were no ponies running around to attribute this pandemonium; there were no fires, no screams, no desks being flipped…

Because unfortunately, the pandemonium raged only within the mind of a certain vanilla-coated filly.

>This… is getting completely out of hoof.

Sweetie Belle stood alone in the hallway, a perfectly normal hallway to everyone else, one quite empty and drab… but to her, chaotic creatures from every stretch of a twisted mind lurked, bounced, rocketed and sprinted about like Pinkie Pie on speed.

Some of them carried torches, some drills, some clawfuls of silly putty, she would even swear she saw a three-headed cow streak by wielding a pie with a stick of dynamite baked into it.

The resulting explosion that occurred out of sight nearly knocked the filly off her hooves.

Ever since coming back, thankfully having missed that viral outbreak, Sweetie had noticed an upheaval in disorderly conduct, so much so that the night prior, she was dragged out of her bed by two bears, each of which possessed roach legs for arms.

Oh sure, she screamed to a level only dogs could hear and fought her hardest, but even that didn’t alleviate the troubled stares her friends gave her when she’d eventually escaped and made it back to the room, fur out of whack and tail kinked up.

They couldn’t see.

Of course they couldn’t.

Because they weren’t infected.

>This, though. This right here? It was cute at first, a real ‘well isn’t that something?’ But now it’s just aggravating, and it’s got to stop.

She thought she could tough it out, that these… chaotic symptoms would cease to be on their own and she’d be able to return to the lower, albeit freeing, IQ of her friends. But the wait was long and patience was thin.

When was the last time they had crusaded for cutie marks? Not since she herself began to see the folly in every single one of their schemes to the point where the whole ordeal just became pointless, boring.

>I want… excitement again.

Many would have thought the sight of a pony-sized fish with deer antlers would have been excitement enough, especially when said antlers fired off beams of piercing light, but Sweetie had seen that dozens of times in dozens of different ways.

>Boring.

That single word brought everything to a grinding halt, made somewhat comical by the literal sound of rusted gears grinding together.

Slowly, very slowly and cautiously, every head in the vicinity-whether that be one head or two or three on a single neck-turned in her direction.

The beeping stopped. The fires died off. The lasers bled away. The hisses, snarls, clangs, bangs and thumps all just ended.

At first, as she inched one hoof behind her, Sweetie had to wonder how she’d done that, managed to gain all of their attention…

>Ah. Of course. Chaos succeeds at being just that, doesn’t it? Chaotic. Which is the opposite of boring in every way imaginable… so for a being birthed from such bedlam to be called boring, it must be like the cruelest of insults, right?

The floor itself nearly exploded as an armada of deranged beasts dove in unison at the vanilla-coated filly.

Right.

Tentacles split the air with a sadistic crack, ropes lashed at that ground and the combined sounds of a hundred angered creatures of chaos would have been enough to send an adult manticore running back to the forest.

Yet, even as Sweetie sprinted like her life were at stake, which it very much was, she still couldn’t find a modicum of care to give outside of annoyance towards that unholy wailing.

Something gooey suddenly slid underneath her stampeding hooves and she lost balance, the split-second wobble all that was needed for a rather thick log of a limb to send her flying with thudding force.

Next thing she knew, she was on a crash course for the wall, corkscrewing helplessly out of control.

Without even so much as a second to blink, she collided like a wrecking ball… only to gasp when the wall instantly morphed into a solid layer of cheddar cheese, one that she effortlessly blew through.

Momentum helped soften the harsh landing and she scrambled to her hooves, hurriedly ducking underneath a nearby table and sucking in her breath.

Seconds later, a collection of smaller oddities managed to squeeze through the hole she’d made, a scouting party to be sure. They sniffed with their noses and snouts and gills and feelers and sonar screeches. Until they could apparently find nothing and scurried back through whence they came.

It was only then that Sweetie closed her eyes, counted to ten… then slowly exhaled. When she reopened her eyes, she saw that the previously edible wall was no longer made of cheese, but of stone and mortar as before. And the hole? Vanished.

That was just another unknown variable of chaos, and quite frankly the main one that caused the filly to question her sanity, to wonder whether all of this was happening on the battlefield of her mind. Chaos could undo what it’d done as easily as…

As…

>As snapping ones fingers.

When her back legs no longer shook from nerves, Sweetie climbed out from her shelter and glanced about, unsurprised to find herself in an abandoned music room, one filled with dust-spattered instruments that hadn’t seen a hoofs touch for untold eons.

She decided it best to wait another couple of minutes before leaving, just to make sure the coast was clear, and afterwards, she slowly trotted down the hall, trying to seem calm and collected to the numerous other ponies wandering this particular section of the castle.

>Oh… oh, wait. I know where I am.

She took the next left.

Down a much shorter hallway.

Past three more doors.

Stop.

The fourth door was left ajar, and with good reason because if it closed, only the two royal sisters could open it. There was no great secret hidden within, just that many of the rooms were so decrepit that it required a princess’s magic to gain entrance.

Almost robotically, she approached, already knowing what she’d see before she even leaned forward, glancing through the crack left behind.

Yup. What she saw this time was no different from the hundreds of other times, and it was still no easier to witness.

Orange wings beat furiously against fate… against some sort of glaring internal flaw… only to sputter out before the tips of her hooves could even leave the floor. And then Scootaloo collapsed onto her front, chest heaving and with a layer of sweat clearly visible across her face.

But the water tracks on her cheeks. That wasn’t sweat.

No, that was something else, and it didn’t take a chaotically enhanced filly to figure out what.

Frustration. Anger. Torment. Confusion. Rage and loss.

It was only a short while ago that Sweetie Belle wouldn’t have known the true meaning of those words, and certainly not be able to catch them in a flash, but now, as she watched drop after drop escape her friends eyes… she could identify every emotion racing through the handicapped filly.

And handicap was the right word, because she was. She had to be. Most filly’s their age were already flying, or at least hovering, tasting the sweet freedom flight for the first time. In contrast, Scootaloo needed a scooter to feel those sensations.

The scooter was her crutch, and those sensations? Hollow.

‘Shoot…’

A small orange hoof thudded the ground.

‘Shoot.’

Another thud.

‘Shootshootshootshoot-‘

Thudthudthudthud.

‘Shit!’

It wasn’t just Sweetie Belle that gasped when that swear hit the air. Scootaloo also looked quite surprised, her red-rimmed eyes flying wide, her gasp thankfully overtaking Sweetie Belle’s own sharp intake of breath.

The surprise slowly, very slowly, morphed into a grimace, a twisted scowl of pain that saw the orange filly bring both hooves to her eyes.

There was no holding back now. She openly cried, her sobs coming out as chocked wails.

And Sweetie Belle listened. Just outside the door she sat in silence with her head leaning against the doorframe and listened. She listened and made a promise.

>I’ll fix this. No… I’ll fix you. I swear it, Scootaloo. I will… but first I have to fix myself.

XXXX

Class attendance had been rather shoddy today, even shoddier than yesterday.

Only seven Junior Fliers had shown up. Only four stayed past two hours. And only one remained long enough to hear the ringing bells to signify the end of class.

That one still remained, glancing idly up at the chalkboard. It was filled with Bulky’s crude drawings on aerial maneuvers and flight patterns.

A grin overtook 56. It was a somber grin in light of recent events concerning both his classmates and his hive, but still, a grin nonetheless. He appreciated Bulky’s enthusiasm to the fullest but not even the big white stallion’s everyday chant of ‘YEEEEEEEAAAH!’ could bring back the atmosphere of old.

There was some joy and new morale to be found with the Wonder Bolts, royal guard, and Canterlot community at large for coming together to stand against his not-mom for reasons he neither knew nor particularly cared for. His not-mom was a really strong, big-rumped mare, she could handle her own. Just like she would be able to handle the rest of her hive in their new lodgings.

Sooner or later, she would come for him, probably once she got things settled over there so for now… while time was on his side… he would have to make strides. Great strides, develop something to show her that would bring them back.

The voice that let loose a vociferous ‘HAH!’ within his skull sounded oddly like not-mom. And maybe that was accurate. There was almost no chance of them coming back… so he’d have to come up with something that would convince her to let him stay at least.

Strangely, as he continued to sit there on his haunches, wings folded up and quite useless, 56 found himself pondering things his racing mind usually either dismissed, did not have time for, or else didn’t understand completely.

Things like,

“I wonder… where do I get most of my love from? From not-mom an’ Moons?”

And,

“If the both of them suddenly started to hate me, would that cut off my flow?”

And,

“Does Flamebutt get paid the same amount over there as she did here? I hope so, she deserves it….”

And,

“What happens when ya get love from someone, an’ then that love turns to hate? Does it siphon the love ya got? Does it boil ya blood? Does it weaken ya…?”

And,

“If me an’ Two butted heads as hard as we could, what would even happen? Shiny would come runnin’ for her, I bet- prob’ly not-mom, too… but who would come for me?”

And finally,

“I think I’ll write an apology letter….”

[No, I don’t think you’ll be doing that, lad.]

Were it not for 56 being so lost in thought, he probably would have jumped at the sudden thundercloud that formed just before him, a bolt of lightning striking the ground to reveal an odd being comprised of many other beings.

It took a few seconds but when 56 fully registered the Draconequus, his eyes lit up with wonder and he leapt to his hooves, pointing frantically.

“You!”

Discord nodded.

[Yes, me. I. Chaos incarnate. God of Kook. Lord Mayhem.]

“Yeah, yeah, you’re that snake thing that makes not-mom shake!”

If the loose term ‘snake thing’ insulted the hovering hybrid, there was no sign of it. His eyes, those scarlet pupils drilled into the oblivious Changeling with an almost scanning quality.

“Tell me about it! She doesn’t think booty is integral to the advancement of our kind! Can ya believe that?”

It was a testament to Discord’s professionalism when he smoothly continued as though hearing nothing.

[She sincerely thinks the universe revolves around her, but she is quite mistaken.]

A clawed hand was held aloft, and in the palm there appeared a perfect nebula, a miniature system of stars and suns and swirling galaxies.

[It revolves around chaos.]

A gasp of awe escaped the little changeling when Discord clenched his hand into a fist, scattering the nebula into shards of glass that fizzled into smoke.

[Ta-da.]

56 was clapping his hooves before the ‘show’ even ended. Discord took a bow, that one elongated fang glinting through his grin.

[Thank you, thank you, you’re far too kind. Now, seeing as I’ve entertained you… perhaps, youngling, you can entertain me.]

“…Really? You just crushed the universe, Dizzers. I don’t think there’s a darn thing I can do to top that.”

[Oh, but there is.]

An all powerful snap cut through the air and 56 suddenly found himself strapped to a sterling silver operating table. A plethora of empty syringes hovered just over his chitin. And, for reasons unknown, Discord was now decked out like a scientist, complete with lab coat, clipboard and glasses.

“…Are… are we playin’ house?”

[A special kind of house, sure, let’s roll with that. Now then, patient number Five-Six. Earlier you mentioned writing an apology note. To whom and what for?]

Seemingly unperturbed by his current position, 56 pouted, refusing to meet Discord’s gaze as the hybrid peeked over his non-prescription glasses… that were also missing their lens.

“Why d’ya wanna know?”

[Because there are a great many mysteries of this world, many of which I’ve caused in some way or another, but your proclamation makes me wonder… to what extent have you, a creature of such plucky nature, offended one to make you want to apologize?]

“…Why d’ya care?”

A moment of silence presided, before another cracking snap and 56 flopped to the ground. The operating table had vanished yet the armada of needles remained, still pointed ever precisely at the changeling.

Discord pulled off his glasses and carelessly flung them into the air where they transformed into a flock of crimson-winged fish that soared out the window.

[Care? This has nothing to do with care, lad. You could combust into a sea of flames and you’d find no care in me. I’m merely interested. Interested in the abnormal amount of chaos you seem to have building within you, swirling and churning and growing. So you’ll have to pardon me for this.]

“Huh? Pardon you for wh-OW!”

Pain was still very much a new experience for 56 so for a moment he didn’t understand the sensation of lightning racing up and down his foreleg when one of the syringes suddenly dove in, piercing his chitin quite easily.

Magically, the plunger began to pull itself back, drawing out a cotton candy-pink substance.

Shock pervaded over 56’s face as his pain was forgotten, focused instead on whatever had been extracted from him. It didn’t move as a liquid nor a gas….

“What… what is that? Did that come outta me?!”

At a snap, a heart-shaped bandage appeared over 56’s chitin where the needle had entered and Discord floated the syringe up to eye-level.

[Of course it came from you. This is a sample of your love.]

“Woooow! That’s my love? It’s pink!”

[…yes, yes it is.]

“I didn’t know you could measure love, Dizzer! I thought only diamondbutt could do that!”

To this, the slyest of smiles overcame Discord as he hefted the needle higher, over his mouth.

[What kind of maestro of mayhem would I be if I couldn’t measure the most chaotic of feelings ever to grace this world to some degree?]

And he squirted the substance down his throat.

He worked his jaw for a second or two, eyes roaming the space between them as he searched for… a taste? Maybe? Did it even have a flavor, love?

[Well now, this is interesting….]

Predictably, 56 leapt to his hooves, bouncing like a super ball.

“What? Whatwhatwhatwhat? What is it?!”

The Draconequus spat off to the side, but instead of the pink substance that he took in, only a black sludge came out.

56 took a step back, revolted.

“Okay, that was disgustin’, Dizzers….”

[So’s your love but you don’t hear me complaining.]

“Is that… is that a good thing?”

[It’s a nothing thing. I extracted the chaos during my taste-test and that left only pure, unfiltered love, which is quite nauseating to me. It lacked the chaos, the tantalizing bedlam, yeegh… But at least now I know you wanted to apologize to Sunset Shimmer.]

A pair of Changeling ears drooped and 56 sank back onto his haunches again.

“…Yeah.”

Even while busy pulling his tongue out to comical lengths so as to scrub it with a thick steel grater, Discord kept his gaze on 56.

Tongue shavings littered both the floor and 56 but he didn’t seem to mind, or care.

“‘Cause I snuggled her butt an’ she didn’t like it….”

One snap later, the grater and tongue flakes were banished.

[You know, not to knock your hobby, but I sincerely doubt she was the first to say she didn’t find your version of sexual assault to her satisfaction.]

“Well… no, but… hers just really… it made hit me, y’know? Made me feel bad, an’ I dunno why. Like, I felt really, really… bad. I still feel it, in my heart.…”

[You should feel bad regardless but that aside, there’s no need to apologize to Applejack’s fiery little apprentice.]

“Why not? She got pretty upset, Dizzers….”

[Because you aren’t in your right mind.]

There was no time for 56 to ask any sort of follow-up question when Discord suddenly snapped his tail around the changelings waist. A split-second later, 56 was slammed up against the wall with enough force to produce a spiderweb of splintering cracks all along the foundation.

For the most part, 56 just blinked at the tail keeping him restrained, then up at Discord.

“Um… yer’ tail is mighty comfy, Dizzers, really soft, too, but uh, could ya put me down? I don’t really like playin’ toss-a-buddy, played that enough with flatflank.”

[That’s what I thought.]

As that prehensile appendage carefully lowered 56 back down, Discord licked his finger and began flipping through the pages of a book that was dropped into his claws by one of those crimson-winged fish from earlier.

56 tugged on his tail.

“Hey. C’mon, answer me. What’s goin’ on?”

[What’s going on, lad, is that you are lacking love. A great deal of it.]

“I… am? Seriously? I- no, that can’t be right… I don’t feel it or anything!”

[Allow me to clarify.]

After making a few notes within, the book was closed and subsequently vanished in a puff of sparkling smoke.

[You are by no means low on the love that keeps you and the rest of your ilk alive and well. That part of your love is going as strong as ever, hence your near invulnerability. No, the love you are lacking in is the kind that keeps you… you.]

It was almost audible, the sound of 56’s brain beginning to short circuit. He stared up at Discord like a confused little puppy trying to understand why his master wouldn’t toss the blasted stick.

Sorrow sank into the changelings face.

“I… yeah. She won’t even tell who my real mom is….”

[For all intents and purposes, she might as well be your real mom, lad. Regardless of her misgivings and denial of the fact, she is the one currently watching over you, is she not?]

“Well, yeah, that’s what I said! B-but she-”

[Is as stubborn as she is soft on the inside, which is why I take delight in making her tremble. But I digress. Everyone has specific… feel… to their love, something that allows a love-peeker, like Cadence, to pick out whose strand is whose. With you, there seems to be a lock of love tied around your mind.]

The obliviousness was all too apparent in 56’s eyes despite his nods.

[Apparently, whoever put it there held a great deal of love for you, enough to ensure that even if they weren’t near you, that the lock would remain in place. It’s quite the powerful bit of work, I’ll admit. But now it’s beginning to weaken, and with those little chinks come the slips of the memory hidden away. An adverse affect would be the rudimentary one for recovering ones lost awareness: namely, they start to revert back to how they once were.]

“I see….”

[No, you don’t. You don’t see even a tenth of it, lad. But if this keeps up, you’ll see more than what you bargained for, I can guarantee that much.]

“That’s good! I want to remember!”

[Trust me, you do not. If one of your kind cared about you deeply enough to virtually seal your mind with a very strong twine of love, then there’s a very good reason for it. My advice? Do all within your power never to remember.]

Anger.

It wasn’t rare for a changeling to experience anger, not by a long shot. But when it came from 56, there was a certain… rawness to it, like he was as new to it as he was pain. It happened so rarely that he didn’t know what to do because bare his little fangs at the chaotic creature.

“I… am I doing this right? Is this… yeah? This is right, ain’t it?”

“I’m bein’ angry! …I think!”

[Whyever so?]

“‘Cause ya won’t help me! You know what to do but ya won’t help! You want me to give up!”

Discords tail blurred out of sight and 56 winced, expecting to be struck. What he didn’t expect was for the tip to prod him teasingly in the forehead.

[No… means no, Fifty-Six. What you need to do is seek out your not-mother and tell her you want to apologize for assaulting a rear-end. That should be enough of a red flag for her to take some preemptive measures.]

There was no shortage in the disappointment that oozed off the slowly deflating changeling.

“…No.”

Disappointment that was tinged with defiance.

[Excuse me?]

“I said no. It’s my past, right? Then I have a right to it… an’ I’ll learn it one day, while still stayin’ myself! If… ‘cause if I changed then Moons, applebutt, NTL, sunbutt, my bro, my fancy talkin’ cuz’… they might all turn away from me. So I have to stay me!”

Another tail prod and Discord was smirking.

[Very well. I’ve said all I care to say on the subject. Continue down that road of chaos, lad. It’ll be a show for me however it plays out.]

The less-than-amicable intentions of that flew right over 56’s head, evidenced by his agreeing nod.

“Thanks, Dizzers. I knew you were a good guy! Not-mom just needs to give ya a chance!”

[Yes, I am quite the good guy indeed.]

Before he could finish speaking, a clap of thunder drowned him out, followed by the haunting sound of an organ being stroked.

“…”

[…Ignore that.]

“Can do. But, um… there was somethin’ one of my cousins said awhile ago, one that writes these crazy stories….”

[Oh? And what might that be?]

“He said that maybe I was… older, I think? Yeah, that I was older back in the day an’… an’ then somethin’ happened and fwoosh, I’m younger again with no memory, like a reset. …Is that it? Is that what not-mom don’t want me findin’ out?”

It took the better half of a minute for Discord to answer.

[…I fear the laughter that this theory deserves, that I want to give, would crumble mountains and erupt volcanoes. Which all sounds delightfully chaotic, but no. That’s stupid. That’s actually a ways beyond stupid. It’s the stuff that causes cancer. Never repeat that unless you want to give everyone cancer, do you understand?]

“I-I understand. It was mostly jus’ the plot for one of his stories….”

[Good. And now that you’ve gone and caused my brain to vomit in my skull, I think I’ll be off now. Remember to go back to your not-bugmother and get a refill before any more love is lost.]

As before when refusing the orders to relocate with his Queen, 56 merely shook his head.

But it was his childish smile that greatly reminded Discord of Chrysalis herself. It was a smile, yes, but one filled with a hidden agenda, of differing plans and objectives. True, it lacked the sinister undertones that usually accompanied his not-mother’s, but there was still some mischievous tints there.

And what did mischievousness often bring?

Why, chaos, of course.

[Hm. Then do what you feel is best, lad. Just know that I’ll be keeping an eye on you…]

Something rolled up onto 56’s shoulder and he glanced to see a single sinewy eyeball staring right back at him.

A snap later, the orb was back in its owners head.

[So do keep it interesting, won’t you?]

“I’ll keep it my way.”

[…Because that made sense. But I’ll leave you to it. Toodaloo for n-]

>Wait.

It was but a single word, yet all movement ceased.

Only the hollow sound of hooves clip-clopping off the tiled floor prevailed and both 56 and Discord glanced back to see another figure approaching them.

[Ah yes, I was beginning to wonder when you’d come calling.]

“Belles! You-what’re ya doin’ here? An’… why’re your hooves doin’ that?”

He meant, of course, the sparks of light that ignited with each of the filly’s steps, bursts of a chaotic energy that was no doubt beginning to grow restless.

For the most part, Sweetie seemed not to care. She barely batted an eyelash as a pair of curved horns began to grow on either end of the horn she already had.

[See, this rapid growth right here? This is what comes from trying to control chaos.]

>I’m not trying to control it, I don’t even want it.

“Want what?”

She pressed a hoof into 56’s face, silencing him, her gaze never leaving that wily Draconequus.

>Get. Rid. Of it.

If Sweetie were capable of the ancient Apple family tradition, both her eyes would have burst.

>Why not? This-all of this-is yours! This is YOUR magic! This is YOUR chaos! I never asked for this so take it back!

As her voice rose in octaves, 56 felt the grip she had over his face begin to increase like a pair of steel clamps tightening.

>I’m… I’m tired of this. I can’t even enjoy myself with my friends anymore. Every day it’s the same stupid nonsense day in and day out… stupid nonsense that I used to have fun doing! I want that fun again! I want to help the girls come up with off-the-wall plans that could possibly get us put in the hospital or blow up Ponyville! I want Rarity to get headaches again! She hasn’t had to scold me in so long I actually miss the sound of her nagging! But that’s… I don’t like it. It’s not me, how I am now….

[To be fair, it’s probably what you’d all be if you actually got off the sugar and paid attention in school. Take a lesson from your rich filly friend and dedicate yourselves, sans the ego-trip.]

The look Sweetie pierced Discord with could have burned Celestia herself it was so hot.

[Okay, bad time for the truth? Applejack would be disappointed in you, little one. But seriously, there’s nothing I can do to extract the chaos you have. As with my dear Flutterbutter, it’s yours n-]

“LOOKOUT!”

[GUH!]

Turns out, changelings made pretty good medicine balls, a fact that Sweetie solidified when she suddenly whipped 56 at the distracted God of Kook, tagging him square in the chest and sending them both to the floor.

[Nghh… that was really uncalled for, you know.]

“Whoooooo!

>This curse is not mine. And you will take it back.

[Rather hardheaded, aren’t we? What’s the real reason here? The chaos within you is damp with sorrow and haste. What’re you in dire need of?]

It should have been yelled out, her reasoning. That’s what she had intended, to scream it out and make the chaotic creature see her urgency.

But she didn’t. She only whispered.

>…I need to help my friend.

[Shorten the list. You have a plethora of-]

>Scootaloo. I need to help Scootaloo.

[…The chicken. You came asking me to help the chicken. Ha.]

“Chickenbutt? Wait, is there somethin’ wrong with her? She okay?”

The honest answer was no. Her friend was hurting, terribly.

So she ignored the question.


>She hasn’t smiled sincerely in a long while, Discord. This whole thing with joining the Junior Fliers has put even more pressure and limelight on the fact that she can’t fly. I think… I think that somewhere in the back of her mind she believed that with proper training she could overcome whatever was wrong, like forcing a cog into place. But after so long, she’s starting to see that it’s nothing to do with skill… and more to do with herself. She can’t fly because she can’t fly… there’s something wrong with her.

“BULL! She can fly, what’re ya talkin’ about? She just needs a little more-”

>She’s never going to fly, Fifty-Six. You’re dense, but you’re not stupid. Just… stop ignoring it. Please.

Even if he wanted to snap back at her for those damning words, all the little changeling could do was bite into his bottom lip, his face sinking from fury to desperation.

“That’s all she’s ever w-wanted to do, tho’… is fly. Get up in those clouds with D-Dash an’ just… fly.”

What Discord spoke of earlier, of awareness returning as the lock of love weakened, seemed to hold some merit when 56 did not fold in on himself or try to bury his muzzle under his hooves. He continued to stand, adamantly staring to Sweetie as if expecting a game plan.

“Well…? What’re we supposed to do ‘bout that?”

>Exactly what I plan to do once I get this infernal chaos removed. We make her happy. We keep her smiling. We keep her up. When there’s nothing to distract her and she’s allowed to focus on only what brings her defect under the light, she gets depressed. We won’t let that happen. We’ll be there to give her relief….

Discord was suddenly upon both of them, placing his spiked hand over 56’s head while his furry paw managed to rub the space between Sweetie’s ears without being gored on her two extra horns.

>What’re you-

[I’ve noticed a distinct lack of cheer over the past couple weeks I’ve been observing you all, and quite frankly? I’m sick of it. Chaos best amuses me when the pieces aren’t so bogged down with sorrow that they miss it. So I’m going to skip the steps we normally seem to follow, namely beating around the bush, being vague, and giving out snippets of information and just tell you what you need to know.]

>Need to know for what? I just want you to take back your powers!

[Magic is a power. Chaos is an inevitability. Remember that. Now follow this: go to your friend, and punch her as hard as you can in the chest.]

56 choked on nothing.

Sweetie’s eyes flew back.

>“What? Punch… her?”

[You want to help her and rid yourself of this ‘curse’, right? If struck right, you can expel all of that built up chaos right into fixing her.]

>You say fix like… like she’s broken….

[She is in a way. What ails your chicken friend is a birth defect. Pegasi come equipped with a carina, or keel. It’s part of their sternum and acts like a balancing anchor for their wings, allowing them to get leverage for flight. The chicken can only rise a few inches off the ground, yes? That’s because her carina just happens to be off-center, hindering her ability to fly.]

“Get the buck outta here.”

>I… D-Discord, you had better not be lying to me or… or I’ll get my sister on you.

Her bluff was so obvious and forced that a bit of blush seeped into the filly's cheeks when Discord snorted. If not even Chrysalis could lay a hoof on him then it was laughable to think Rarity could.

>This is too serious to mess around w-

[Lying in this instance would bring no chaos so I haven’t a need to.]

“Get. The buck. Outta here.”

>But this makes no sense. None. She’s been trying for so long… why has no one ever looked into her condition before if that’s the problem?

[Oh, I don’t know… possibly because she’s young and still growing so none saw a need to take her in for a scan? Remember, not every pegasus learns flight at the same time, or easily. Naturally, this would have been found out later in her life, once she passed the normal age for a pegasus to learn flight. But now, thanks to you, she won’t have to suffer those years of loss and confusion.]

“Get! The buck! Outta here!”

For the first time in Faust knows how long, Sweetie’s face cracked with a close-guarded smile of hope. A twinkling hope that things could be fixed. But….

Her jaw firmed.

>You knew this, Discord. You knew she couldn’t fly and you said nothing for the longest time….

[Correction. I knew she was having trouble flying, which, understandably, I considered normal as far as foal pegasi go. Once I started keeping tabs on you and your growing chaos, Sweetie Belle, watching as you watched your chicken friend, I decided to take an interest in the little gimp. So, in a sense, it’s because of me that your friend even has a chance at getting fixed where fate had her utterly grounded for life. You’re welcome.]

“GET! THE BUCK! OUTTA H-MMPH!”

56 found his jaw clamped shut when the Draconequus mashed down on his head.

[Thats enough out of you there.]

>…So that still leads me back to what I previously said. You knew and said nothing.

[As I told the one here, there is no care within me for most things not concerning chaos. Your friend had a fairly normal defect. Okay, that's life. And sometimes life can be unfair. Sometimes…]

An ominous looking deck of onyx cards appeared in Discords hands at a snap, and he started shuffling them with otherworldly dexterity.

[You just have to learn to play with the cards you're dealt. You, little filly, should be grateful that I even bothered telling you her condition and how to fix it.]

There was no emotion in Sweetie’s eyes. No lingering hint of loath, no residue of hate, not even a single ounce of anger or spite. She only stared as Discord pulled out a single card, one that showed Scootaloo on the front.

A Scootaloo that seemed to be aloft in the clouds with her wings fanned.

[If you want this picture to become reality, go. Just make sure you aim correctly. With that much chaos crashing into her body, the slightest miscalculation could very well do more harm than good. But therein lies the joy of chaos! You just never know how it’s going to play out!]

He cackled.

Sweetie Belle and 56 stared.

[And to you, plot-meister… I’ll be watching.]

The deck of cards suddenly ignited in a sea of spitting flames, engulfing the Draconequus quickly and easily.

And when it fizzled, he was gone, nothing but the haunting sound of his laughter left behind.

Moments passed in silence… until,

>You haven’t tried to kiss my butt yet, Fifty-Six.

“I know. An’ I’m not all too sure why I haven’t, to be honest….”

>Is it the horns? It’s the horns, right? Are they off-putting? Or… does it have to do with what Discord said he’ll be watching for?

Only a nod.

>Now I’m slightly worried. What could he have said to make you not do what you love to do?

“Dunno. He said a lotta stuff, most of it didn’t make sense. I jus’ don’t wanna touch your butt right now.”

>Not sure if I should feel insulted.

“Instead’uh wonderin’ that, shouldn’t you be off fixin’ Chickenbutt? There’s no need to be frightened, ya know. You’ll do fine, Belles. An’ so will she.”

If she wasn’t so sure of her company, Sweetie would never have believed the rambunctious changeling next to her capable of not only seeing through her fear but calming her nerves as well, and so easily at that.

When he made to nudge her on, she automatically expected to feel his cold little snout against her rear. So she was summarily stunned when the nudge came from a point on her withers.

“Din’cha hear Dizzers? Get goin’, go make her happy already!”

>I will, but… what are you going to do?

“Me?”

There was something untraceable in his smile.

“I got no clue. I’m jus’ listenin’ to the voice in my head.”

XXXX

>Do you trust me?

‘This is the thirtieth time you’re asking me that, Belles, so I’m gonna give you the same answer. Even if I didn’t, even if I thought this entire thing was insane, which it is, I’m just that side of ‘don’t give a buck’. So c’mon, hit me with your best shot. You said the chances were fifty-fifty, right?’

The orange filly was bound to the wall of her secret training room, limbs and wings splayed. She’d proposed the idea herself, and while Sweetie was initially against it, she also knew the less chances Scootaloo had of moving, the better their odds.

She nodded.

>Fifty-fifty.

Never before had Sweetie been able to hear her throbbing heart in such detail, feel every hectic pound against her ribcage.

>I just have to not miss.

And to aid in that, Scootaloo had painted a giant red ‘X’ over her chest, right over where her keel was supposed to be.

‘R-right. Right, that’s all, Belles. You just… you just have to keep your eye on the prize, okay? You got it, girl, I know you got it.’

The pep-talk was doing more harm than good, truth be told. The sincere belief that she could do it was more daunting than actually attempting it.

Perhaps, on panicked hindsight, she should have asked what would happen once all of her chaos was expended.

Would she explode from the force?

Would she meld with Scootaloo?

Could Scootaloo even handle it?

How exactly was the chaos supposed to know when-

‘Sweetie Belle! You GOT this! So let’s get it over with before I lose my nerve’

Her legs began subconsciously walking her backwards, a fair running distance away from the panting orange target.

‘C’mon…. C’mon, c’mon, c’mon!’

And now she was running, galloping with far more speed than she thought her quivering legs could muster.

At the very last possible second, Scootaloo squeezed her eyes shut and thrust out her chest.

‘COME OOOOOON!’

XXXX

>56
“AJ”
‘Dash’

What might have been a bomb detonating sent the smallest of shudders rippling throughout the entire castle, enough to cause the overhead lamps and chandeliers to sway.

While other ponies in the hallways glanced up, some with confusion, others with alarm, 56 kept on his way.

He already knew what had happened, and also knew it would be a success.

So he smiled at the thought of Scootaloo being able to taste flight for the first time.

>Good for you, chickenbutt.

Fortunately, there was no line outside of the princess’s room, nothing but space that he quickly traversed. He didn’t bother knocking and pushed open the door, not at all surprised to see a number of mares within, namely the elements of harmony and Spike.

They were in the middle of conversing what the earlier explosion might have been when the door creaked open, drawing everyone’s eyes.

“Fifty… Six? Fifty-Six, is that you? Landsakes, sugar! What’re y’all doin’ h-”

>Hey, Apple Prime, can ya do me a favor?

From behind his ear, 56 plucked one of two envelopes and set it on the table.

>When Sunny gets back, give her this letter, please?

“Uh, sure, Ah guess. S’there somethin’ ya need to tell ‘er right away? Ah’m sure we can get ‘er here in two shakes of an apple, sugar.”

Spike grinned. As usual, Applejack’s words were rife with exploitable innuendo, and knowing 56, he was sure to-

>Not that important, but thanks!

Failing to notice the look of bafflement that fell over Spike’s face, 56 turned, oddly enough, towards Rainbow Dash who regarded the changeling with a cocked brow.

The last envelope he placed before her.

>Here ya go.

‘Aw, you came all the way from the Empire to give little ol’ me a letter?’

>Never left in the first place, Dash. This’s my home. Ha, least ’til not-mom comes an’ snatches me up by the back of my neck.

When it looked like a few of them were going to speak out against that, 56 nodded at the letter Dash was idly turning over in her hooves.

‘What’s this supposed to be anyway, squirt? Whoa, wait! It’s not… this ain’t some sorta love letter, is it? I mean, I know students can sometimes fall for their totally awesome teachers but-’

>It’s my separation notice. I’m leavin’ the Junior Fliers.

The letter seemed to fall from Dash’s hooves in slow motion. She looked as though slapped.

‘You… what?’

Unfazed by her stricken gaze, 56 dug into his ear with the tip of his hoof.

>I’m quittin’. I got all the official documents already in there so that’s less filin’ for you. Oh, an’ tell the others, ‘kay? I would do it myself but I don’t wanna dampen Chickenbutt’s second comin’.

A chair scrapped back and Applejack was approaching him.

“Fifty-Six, what y’all goin’ on about? Where did this nonsense here come from? Is the beetle makin’ ya do this…?”

56 shook his head.


>Nope! This is alllll me! ‘Cuz I realized… havin’ a home means doin’ what ya can to see it do good, right? Well, I can’t do good with the other Fliers. I… I can’t explain it but I know what I gotta do, what I feel I can be good at. An’ it ain’t learnin’ to fly, it ain’t snugglin’ plot, an’ it ain’t jus’ watchin’ while stuff goes bad.

There were no words Applejack could find when 56 suddenly reared up on his hindlegs, his hooves winding their way around her neck in a warm embrace.

He brought his cheek to hers, squeezing tighter.

>It’s protectin’ you guys. Thanks for givin’ me an’ my family a second chance, High Apple. Things might not’ve turned out so great but I met a lotta awesome ponies an’ gryphons an’ dragons here. An’ I wanna do what I can to keep ‘em safe. So don’t feel bad, okay? No matter what happens, we all jus’ gotta keep tryin’. I learned that watchin’ you.

A heavy hoof fell over 56’s back, gently stroking.

The voice that spoke was clearly Applejack’s, but it sounded choked, almost strained.

“Well… glad tuh’ now Ah helped at least one’a y’all….”

A few moments later, 56 was gone, leaving behind a trail of confusion and a very watery-eyed Princess Applejack.

Still gobsmacked, Dash slowly peeled open the envelope and pulled out a single folded slip of paper that she straightened out and set to reading.

‘…PFFFFHAHAHAHAHA! OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS MY BLUE ASS!’

She flipped the paper around for the others to see a single sentence comprised of two words: I’m Done!

‘This can’t be real, I refuse to believe it, not coming from that goofball! …And what did he mean by Scootaloo’s second coming?’

XXXX

>Sweetie Belle
“Scootaloo”

“I’M FLYING! OH SWEET FAUST ABOVE I’M ACTUALLY FLYING!”

That’s what Scootaloo screamed at the top of her lungs. But truly, she wasn’t. She was merely hovering about three or four feet off the ground, dipping and swerving at that.

But to her? That was the highest she’d ever gained on her own.

>YAAAAAAAY! GO SCOOTALOO GO!

And go she did, right down to the ground chin-first.

>I, uh… I meant ‘go’ as in, ya know, whoosh! Not crash. Whooshing is not crashing.

“I did whoosh! I whooshed super hard! I… ahahahaha! I flew! I really, really flew, oh my gosh, I did it! I can do this!”

>I always knew you could do it, Scootal-UNGH! TOO TIGHT! HUGGING TOO TIGHT!

“Thank you! Thankyouthankyouthankyou! If you hadn’t-I woulda never-but you did and-that was the longest and highest I-holy moly I’m getting lightheaded….”

>Take it easy, girl, take it easy! And lay off my neck before I get lightheaded, too! …Thanks. Now then, yeah, you gotta take it slow, alright? I know that’s like telling Spike not to eat diamonds but really, you have to. We dunno how long healing might take and you wouldn’t wanna break what we just fixed, right?

Scootaloo was positively buzzing with excitement, her fur beyond tussled as she struggled to adhere to the wisdom of her friend. She was right, of course, but darn darn darn…

“I wanna fly some more!”

>Nuh! There’ll be time for that in your flying class!

“NRRRGH! …Fine! Fine, fine, alright. So… are you feeling any better? Still chaotic?”

Sweetie tossed her head left to right experimentally, then smiled wide.

>All better! Can’t feel a thing. Heck, I can barely remember a thing. It’s coming back as one big blur with little popping lights and dancing cupcakes.

“…”

>Yeah, beats me. But so long as you’re all better now, I couldn’t give a flying fig!

“…So that means we can…? F-finally…?”

Sweetie Belle nodded, and the two fillies joined hooves.

>“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS: APPLEBLOOM HUNTERS GO!”

As the two of them raced off, the ancient door to Scootaloo’s secret training room closed behind them with an odd finalizing click. And neither of them bothered looking back.

Let the room lock itself. With her Faust-given flight returned, there would never be a need for it again.

XXXX

>56
“????”

>Hey, Moons?

“Hmmn?”

>Are ya done yet? If not I can wait, it’s jus’… ya been doin’ that for the past four minutes now.

“We know this.”

>…Any plans to stop in the near future?

“We shall let thee know when such a time arrives.”

>’Kay.

Still and silent, 56 watched with wide, ever-amazed eyes as Luna continued to nuzzle one side of his face, and then the other, and back again.

Glancing over her inclined head, he saw a plate of half-eaten cake on her table.

>How’s the diet goin’?

“As great as the yellow ones attempts at controlling her chaotic element.”

>Thought so.

“We feel that we must express just how genuinely pleased we are to see thee right now, little one. When thine’s Queen sought to leave, we figured….”

She trailed off, replacing her words with another nuzzle.

56 returned this one.

>Get ‘em in while ya can, Moons. Not-mom could show up at any moment an’ take me back. That’s actually why I came to see ya....

Slowly reclaiming her stance, Luna stood tall before the little changeling, glancing down at him with eyes narrowed into slits.

“Doth thou perhaps seek protection…?”

Once upon a time, those words and their meaning would have been lost on 56. But, for some reason he couldn’t explain, probably something to do with what Discord had told him, he understood what she was suggesting perfectly and shook his head.

>Nah! I jus’ need to ask ya somethin’ is all.

Intrigue and curiosity marked Luna’s face. Intrigue for whatever he may ask and curiosity due to 56 never being one to ask for anything.

She already knew ahead of time that it was going to revolve around the ribbon she was currently entwined in, or her plump royal-

>Can ya take off that ribbon for me?

“Wuh?”

Well. She’d been half right.

“Thou… wishes for us to take off the ribbon? The ribbon thou bequeathed to us?”

>Yeah. That’s not what I really wanted to ask but it’s distractin’, an’ confusin’. I really wanna see ya keep wearin’ it but then I also feel it’s makin’ ya look kinda silly. An’ Moons is too awesome to look silly.

Still perplexed, Luna’s horn ignited with an iris blue aura, one that lifted the ribbon from her body and brought it before her little companion.

>…It’s super weird. Like, right now I just wanna sniff that ribbon, ya know? ‘Cause it’s been on you an’ has your wonderful scent….

Despite best efforts, twin patches of dark purple manifested on either of Luna’s cheeks.

>But at the same time I’m disgusted with myself for wantin’ that. I hear two voices ragin’ in my head, jus’ goin’ back an’ forth, back an’ forth. It ain’t annoyin’ but they’re so different… So I’ll just….

A few seconds later, 56 had fastened the ribbon to his right hoof in a bow.

>There. Now, no matter what happens, you’ll always be with me.

He was nearly thrown off balance when Luna brought her nose to his in a nuzzling fashion.

“…We are truly touched, Fifty-Six.”

>Moons, I wanna join your guard.


Her breath caught, eyes flying wide. What did he just…? No. No... Surely she couldn’t have heard that right.

“Thou wishes to do what again?”

>Join your guard. So far as I know, you an’ your sis each has their own squad, right? I wanna join yours.

So. Many. Questions. There were so many questions that his simple request brought forth that Luna briefly forgot simple speech and was left sputtering.

>It’s okay, ya don’t gotta answer now. I know that’s prob’ly a violation of a bunch’a things… but still. I wanna try. That other voice is screamin’ to protect. I dunno why but it is.

Words were, at last, found.

“P-protect? Protect what?”

>You. Them. Everyone. Whoever I can.

He lifted the hoof with Luna’s ribbon and after a moment or two of consideration, took a rather long inhale.

As he exhaled, the blush over Luna’s face only intensified until it was almost a glowing hue.

>…Always good to get a reminder for what you’re fightin’ for, right?

A laugh followed his words.

>Ahhhhh, hm… I gotta go talk to not-mom, an’ that’s scarin’ me stupid. I dunno what I can say that’d convince her to let me stay. Ya know, sometimes… jus' sometimes I wish she were a normal not-mom an’ not a queen not-mom. Then she could hug me an' not be made fun of....

Yet, far from getting discouraged, 56 gave his little body a firming shake.

>Welp, nothin’ ventured, nothin’ gained. I’ll be back, Moons. Hopefully.

He didn’t give enough time for a response, immediately starting for the chamber door.

“Fifty-Six.”

The only indicator that he'd heard her was the fact that his trot slowed to a snails crawl.

“...Thou didn’t come across this information from us, but if it helps, if thou art serious about seeking employment within our guard… well, we hear the captain of such a contingent is quite the elusive one. They recruit under the moon and initiate in darkness, so application forms are superfluous. When the captain sees one they like, that soul will know. Likewise, when one spends an unusual amount of time next to the Lunar Princess herself, the captain takes note of that as well…."

So, in other words, the scouting had begun a long time ago. That's what 56 pulled away from her cryptic message.

And he still hadn't been approached. Possibly for the obvious reasons, but deep down he knew. He knew far more was required for this 'captain' to make an appearance.

"Of course that's all just hearsay and rumors.”

>...Course it is.

Gait quickening, 56 left the room without another word.

“..."

As if his presence were the only thing keeping her upright, Luna almost instantly fell back on her haunches, staring forlornly after the determined youngling.

“What have we done…?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________