Castlevania: Portrait of Chaos

Chapter Six, Part Two: More Disasters, Lovely

Vincent was busy trying to remove the wedding dress, much to his embarrassment and Jonathan’s (uncouth) amusement.

Charlotte retorted, “Jonathan, if you really enjoy it that much, I can imagine you in a blue frilly dress.”

Jonathan’s eyes went wide. He stopped laughing and his wings snapped open.

Stella had a wicked smile on her face as a candle lit above her head. Loretta stifled a snicker with her hoof at the remark.

All of a sudden, a large amount of chaotic magic started spreading, making cotton candy clouds appear from flat-out nowhere.

Fluttershy sighed, “Discord, this is you, isn’t it?”

Twilight studied the clouds and responded with “No, it doesn’t match his magic signature, in fact it’s very similar, but this one is about one and a half times stronger than his is.”

A strange, serpentine chimera who had mismatched wings, horns, and legs suddenly appeared behind Fluttershy shaking and said “Hide me, don’t let her find me!” over and over again.

Charlotte turned to the strange creature and raised a brow. “Hadn’t expected this,” she mumbled to herself.

Stella turned to the serpentine thing as well. She raised a brow and asked, “Who is this ‘her’ you speak of?”

Another burst of chaotic magic surrounded Vincent….and turned him into a mare, to be blunt. And then back into a stallion.

Discord sighed and answered, “My older sister who somehow got back to Equestria after our parents banished her. She looks like me but her scales are as black as night. Her wings are also like this, as are her horns.”

Charlotte’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. So did those of Jonathan.

“You have a sister?” They asked, jaws agape. Discord nodded but once. “Her eyes are also as blank as a canvas. She’s been like that since birth, or so I heard.” He added, his voice grave.

Both ponies blinked. “We found a creature like her, and she dragged us here.” Jonathan said, looking Discord straight in the eye.

“And by dragged, he means lured us here using an enchanted painting.” Charlotte translated, crossing her forelegs.

“...Which would explain all the insane rumors that were haunting where we came from recently.” Stella commented, raising a brow and rubbing her chin with a hoof.

“...That does sound like my sister, she has always had a strange fancy for causing rumors.” Discord said, nodding.

“...What explains the painting, then?” Loretta asked, rubbing a hoof on the back of her head.

“Before I answer, did you have another incident revolving around these ‘enchanted paintings’ this blue mare speaks of?” Discord asked, pointing a gryphon’s talon at Charlotte.

All five foreign ponies nodded at once.

“She must’ve kept to the shadows and watched the chaos she caused unfurl.” Discord sighed, scratching the back of his head with a talon.

“Either that or, she could have secretly followed Jonathan and I as we entered the paintings that Brauner created.” Charlotte said. Suddenly, her eyes went wide as a lightbulb clicked above her head. “WAIT A FREAKING SECOND!” She cried, jaw dropping.

“What? What is it?!” Loretta asked, quickly glancing at her fellow unicorn.

“I was told by your father that Brauner believed you and your sister to be the reincarnations of his daughters who died in World War One. If Discord’s sister has something to do with it, I think she helped him unlock his hidden power so he could become a vampire and erase humanity!” Charlotte declared, stomping a hoof in the process.

Discord raised a brow. Now he was really confused.

“You aren’t where we’re from, so ignore her and her flapping mouth.” Jonathan said, pointing one hoof at the draconequus and the other at his alleged “girlfriend.”

Discord retorted by saying, “Well, actually that sounds just like my sister. She did unlock a few ponies’ hidden powers by increasing the negative energy inside their bodies.”

“Translation?” Jonathan asked, raising a brow and putting his hooves down simply for balancing reasons.

“Remember Eric saying that Brauner became a vampire through use of a hidden power? Ten bucks says he struck a deal with….whatever his sister is and BAM! Half of his wish was fulfilled! Now if--” Charlotte began ranting, only for Discord to interrupt her mid-sentence by saying “My sister’s name is Havocia.”

“ANYWAY, BEFORE I WAS SO RUDELY INTERRUPTED,” Charlotte growled, shooting Discord a glare full of daggers in the process, “Now, if that’s the case, I am also going to bet it explain Dracula’s behavior towards humans!”

The three ponies who were outside suddenly burst into the room. Everypony else turned to them quicker than lightning could hit a filly in the face.

Twilight was shocked, her eyes wide. She asked, “Is everything alright?”

“Why would I be throwing a hissyfit?” Charlotte retorted, getting up and walking to the alicorn. “I found out something that could explain damn well everything.”

“That being?” Rainbow Dash asked, a cocky grin on her muzzle.

Charlotte simply encased the loudmouth pegasus in ribbons of white light and promptly tossed her out of the bakery.

“With Rainbow around, I ain’t speaking.” Charlotte said, crossing her forelegs.

“She certainly sounds like the type that just will not shut up.” Stella agreed, her wings shifting a bit.

“Here, here.” Loretta also agreed, raising a hoof in the process.

“Charlotte, I think you need a spell that’ll duct-tape that mare’s mouth closed whenever you feel like it.” Jonathan commented, crossing his forelegs.

Twilight sighed, “I can take care of that, no need to over-exert your magic.”

Rainbow burst back into the room, more furious than ever. “TELL. ME. EVERYTHING!” She bellowed, getting so close to Charlotte she was in danger of having her eyes poked out with that deadly horn.

“Everything, huh?” Charlotte taunted, a demonic smile on her face. “You want me to tell you everything that I know?”

“Yeah!” Rainbow responded, putting her hoof on the unicorn’s chest. Charlotte turned around and kicked the pegasus square in the face, knocking her onto her rump in the process. Her hooves were on her jaw, and she found another hoof pointing at the spot right between the eyes.

“Listen here.” Charlotte started, once more snarling. “You cannot coax information out of me. Your petty words will not move me. And if you EVER get into my personal bubble again, I am dissecting your wings, turning you into a frog, and I will teach you how to swim! You understand?!” She finished, her horn crackling to life once more.

Rainbow gulped hard and nodded weakly. It was all she could do at this point.

“Thank you.” Charlotte sighed, her voice still reeking of pure anger. She trotted away from the rainbow-maned mare and sat in front of Twilight. The alicorn stood there slack-jawed at the scene that just unfolded before her and ended in around three seconds. It was as if her brain failed to register what she saw and heard.

Jonathan leaned close to Discord’s ear, utilizing his wings for once in the process. “Give her some goddamned chocolate or she will kill us all. She’s extra-grouchy today.” He whispered.

“I’ll do that before everypony gets into bed tonight. I’m not risking a hoof-beating from her at this time.” Discord responded in a whisper.

Fluttershy asked “Who is Dracula, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Again, Charlotte decided to fling Rainbow out of the house. “Demonic Lord of all monsters from where we’re from. Most powerful vampire in existence if you ask me. He hates humans and wants them all dead.” She answered with a sigh.

“O-oh my….” Fluttershy said, morbidly amazed at what she just heard. “Was he really that bad?”

“Every single book I read about him said so. And I do mean every single one.” Charlotte answered swiftly.

“And get this: his right hand...err hoof servant is Death given form. No, I wish I was making this up.” Jonathan added, landing on the ground.

“Oh dear…” Fluttershy whispered, eyes widening a bit.

“And my sister and I were turned into vampires!” Stella said, standing up on all four hooves.

“Say what?” Twilight asked, jaw dropping once more.

“And we were cured of it. By Charlotte.” Loretta stated with a nod.

“So was I!” Vincent hollered, finally able to walk around without being in a damn dress for once.

Twilight wasn’t able to say anything. She couldn’t say anything. She stood there in a trance, entirely unable to believe the words she heard.