Dancing With the Devil by Alchemical Nightby MoonlitMelodyChaptersDraconequusAlicornGriffonDraconequusIt was a cold night in the Everfree Forest. The first winds of Autumn were beginning to roll across the landscape, creating a haunting melody of rustling leaves. In stark contrast to the world around it, the Castle of the Two Sisters shone like a beacon. Windows were lit up, guards were patrolling, and a few poor sleep-deprived souls toiled away on their work within. But not all parts of the castle were alive. The Royal Gardens, for example. As dark as the shade outside its walls, as quiet as a fresh snowfall, and not a part of the guards’ patrol route. Why would it be? There were no external entrances to the garden. A lone soul stood among the flowers and bushes, staring up at the lone statue among the flora. A less observant pony might even mistake the soul for another statue. It was certainly grotesque enough to match the real one. Oh, apologies. I didn’t realize you could hear me. It won’t happen again. The mismatched creature’s eyes wandered, across the statue and the foliage alike – as if searching for something. Wings covered in glossy black feathers shifted slightly against its back. An idle claw clicked its nails together. Its eyes observed the world before it, yet it did not realize that it was also being observed. “It’s rude to stare, you know.” Or perhaps it did. The creature turned, giving the tall white mare a clear view of the animals that had been stitched together to create it. Legs of tiger and deer. Arms of dragon and minotaur. A feline body that reminded the mare of drawings of the distant Abyssinians. The most frightening feature by far, however, was the perfectly normal pony head that rested on its shoulders. The creature did not so much as flinch as the mare moved from her spot, stepping out from behind a hedge and marching forward. The hum of magic filled the air as she charged her horn. Stopping a few paces from it, her magic’s glow lit up the face enough for her to clearly see its eyes. Sickly yellow orbs, with crescent pupils. “What art thou doing here, draconequus?” It smiled, causing the mare to grow even more wary. “I have a name, thank you very much.” “Then let it be known.” “No. You haven’t earned it. Speaking of names – it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Princess Celestia.” The creature turned its back on the princess, looking again to the statue it stood by. “I heard you gave Discord a thrashing. Wanted to check it out myself. I must say, you did a pretty good job.” Questions shot to the forefront of Celestia’s mind as the creature moved from its position, circling around the statue. Its slow, calculated steps unsettled the princess in ways that she did not think possible. “And now thou art come to take thy revenge on us for thy brethren’s defeat? If thou thinkest that to be a simple task, thou art sorely mistaken.” Celestia lowered herself slightly and fanned her wings. The creature locked eyes with her. “No. I told you what I was here for. I’m admiring your handiwork.” “Thou have had ample time to observe thy brethren’s prison. Now be gone!” Celestia was careful not to break into her royal voice. The last thing she wanted was to wake up the castle’s dreamers. “Stop calling him my brother. And don’t tell me what to do.” It exhaled deeply. “It’s not every day you hear about a draconequus being defeated. I think I’ll savor this moment a bit longer.” “So there are more of you.” The creature looked back to the princess, confusion easily readable on its pony face. “Yeah? You didn’t know that?” Its shoulders sagged when Celestia responded with a grin. “Don’t act like you just got some vital information out of me. The fact that we exist isn’t some kind of secret. Technically we aren’t supposed to go around talking about it but… well, I don’t keep it a secret.” “And why would that be, Ser…? “Nah, still haven’t earned my name. And it’s because no one tells me what to do. Like I said before.” “Thou dost not take kindly to commands, even from thine own? And here thou art, celebrating the defeat of Discord. Is it safe to say thou have been wronged by other draconequuses in the past?” “Draconequui.” Other than its correction, there was nothing. The creature had stopped moving, motionlessly staring at Discord. Celestia opened her mouth to ask another question, but it chose that moment to finally break the silence. “I’m done here. Don’t really feel like getting interrogated either. I’ll be going now.” It turned on its paw and took a few steps toward the shrubbery to the west. “Wait!” Celestia thanked the stars that the creature actually complied with her request. She released the spell she had been holding, allowing a true quiet to settle. “Thou art obviously not against us. Pray, accept my apology for threatening thee. Perhaps we can come to an agreement.” She saw the creature’s head turn, a single eye watching her. She stepped to the side and raised a hoof in a welcoming gesture. “Wouldst thou be interested in a more civil conversation over tea?” Celestia regretted making the offer almost immediately. The creature grinned, its lips pulling back to reveal sharp canine-like teeth filling its mouth. Its alien eyes stared into her soul and Celestia knew that somehow, it could feel what she was thinking. It didn’t make sense, but… she knew. “I don’t think I am.” – Relief surged through Celestia – “At least… not tonight. Although I commend you on the effort to extend an olive branch.” Celestia was unsure how long she remained like that – frozen by the horrific creature in front of her, trying not to show any weakness. Maybe it had been minutes, maybe it had been hours. The entire time, the draconequus watched her like a hawk , its unnatural teeth on display. Thoughts moved through her mind at a breakneck pace. All Celestia knew for sure was that this thing had to make the first move. It had to. She didn’t know why. She wasn’t willing to question the instinct that bubbled up from within her. And then… it did. Turning its back to her for the final time and slowly walking away. It spoke again, but there was something else in its words this time. Something… of weight. “Anarchy, by the way.” Celestia struggled to find her voice, but when she did – “Thy name?” “You earned it.” It snapped its claws and it was gone. Just like that. Celestia never told her sister about her encounter in the garden. Why would she? The creature wouldn’t be back. AlicornIt was a cold night In Canterlot. The nights were always cold, courtesy of the city’s elevated location. Trees were sparse up here, and animals sparser. The silent chill of the starless night permeated the walls of Canterlot Castle, ensuring none inside would find sleep easily. And for one sobbing mare, it ensured that she would not find sleep at all. Celestia lay atop the fabrics of her bed, not even feeling the small amount of warmth the contact granted her. Her mind was consumed with guilt, repeating her greatest mistake ad nauseum. What little rest she had in the past week was plagued with nightmares; a torture she knew her subjects were experiencing as well. She had resigned herself to the fact that exhaustion would accompany her the next day. There was nothing she could do. Nothing she wanted to do. As far as Celestia was concerned, this was penance for ripping the princess of dreams from the world. And she would bear this burden for the rest of her days. And… her nights. “Celestia.” Celestia reacted on instinct. She wasn’t sure exactly what happened next, but the pained face of Anarchy and the patch of scorched fur on its chest painted a very clear picture. Her heart dropped. She had attacked a draconequus. Again. And this time, she didn’t have her sister. Equestia was doomed. “Nice to see you, too. That hurt, by the way.” With a snap of its fingers, new fur grew out to replace the blackened crisps of burned hair. “If you’re done attacking me…” When Celestia realized that she had not started a new war, she took the time to calm her heart. Anarchy watched on, motionless, as was its tendency. With her emotions under control for the moment, Celestia began. “What art thou doing here, Anarchy?” “You invited me to tea. I’ve decided to take you up on that offer.” She… had done that, hadn’t she? Over the decades since Celestia had last seen Anarchy, she forgot her fumbling attempt at civility with it. But for the draconequus to show up now? So soon after… it was cruel. Some sick joke. “Thou knowest.” “I know what?” “Don’t. Play. Stupid. Dost thou know?” Celestia growled. A pause from Anarchy, but not for long. “Your sister.” “Thou –” Celestia rose from her bed with violence in her eyes “– wouldst dare come into our home and request tea of all things, knowing what we have just gone through? Thy lack of tact would be appalling if it were not entirely insulting!” She approached it, coming much closer than she ever dared to during their previous encounter. Perhaps she wasn’t thinking clearly. Perhaps she failed to care about the possible consequences. Whatever her reasoning, the now-sole Princess of Equestria leaned forward until she was nearly nose-to-nose with the draconequus stood in her room. “Thou art a monster. Dost thou not see the pain we are in? Dost thou not care? Has thy chaotic magic corrupted thy head? Answer me!” “Don’t tell me what to do.” The two remained like that for some time. Celestia searched Anarachy’s eyes searching for some flash of emotion, some betrayal of his emotions. But she found nothing. She wondered if there was anything in there to find, if all draconequui were as uncaring as the two she knew. Celestia was growing tired of the silences. This time, she would act first. “If thou hast nothing to say to us, then thou art not welcome. Take all traces of thine existence, leave our sight, and never dare to show thyself here again.” Nothing. “NOW –!” Celestia had barely finished the word when she felt a bone-crushing grip on her lower jaw. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Anarchy’s draconic arm bent at the elbow. When she tried to shut her mouth, she realized that she was not even able to do that – a single claw was resting between her upper and lower teeth on the left side. It spoke with measured coldness that Celestia was still able to feel through her burning anger. “I said don’t. Tell me. What. To do. If you do that again, I will rip your darling little kingdom apart at the seams. I promise you, I am not as inept as Discord.” And with that, Celestia was released. Anarchy strode past her and snapped its talons, the tea set that lived on Celestia’s small tea table coming to life and operating itself. As if nothing had happened, Anarchy spoke again. “I’ll be having tea. Join me if you wish.” As if she had a choice. Celestia watched the creature make itself comfortable with hatred burning in her eyes. Yet if she did anything… who knows what would happen? Reluctantly, she sat opposite of Anarchy. She had just magically gripped the piping hot teapot when it held its claw up. “The tea’s in the creamer. The soda’s in the pot.” “What is soda?” It stared at her blankly before sighing and snapping again. “Hot water’s in the pot. Go ahead.” As Celestia fixed herself a cup of tea, she thought back to her encounter with Discord. He had activated his chaos magic by snapping as well, though only for grand changes like transforming a pony into a tree. That had been a truly horrific sight. Anarchy, however, seemed to be snapping for every minute spell. Even the simple telekinesis required to move her teaware had needed one. “Tell me something,” – Celestia’s line of thinking was interrupted by Anarchy’s voice – “were you born?” What? “We… yes?” “That’s good.” Anarchy slowly nodded its head, eyes closed. Where there was fury previously, confusion now reigned in Celestia’s mind. Thankfully, she did not have to wait long for an answer to her unspoken question. “I was not.” “Thou were not… born?” “Correct. No draconequus is.” It took a sip of tea. “We are created.” “By what means?” It shrugged. “Chaos, I suppose. We aren’t, and then we are. Simple as that.” Despite her lingering anger towards this creature sat in front of her, Celestia couldn’t help but be intrigued by this concept of draconequus creation. “When was thy creation? If it is not rude of us to ask.” “How long ago was our first meeting?” Celestia struggled for a moment to remember how long after Discord’s defeat Anarchy had shown up in the garden. Only a few months if she was not misremembering. “Just over forty years, if we are correct.” “That old, then.” “That was the day of thy bir– creation?” It snapped and dropped two cubes of bright green sugar into its cup before continuing. “Correct. Draconequui do not grow older. Physically, at least. Our minds mature. Although I would consider it less ‘maturing’ and more ‘learning to process everything’.” Something clicked to Celestia. “Thou have not been pausing as often as thou didst before.” “We see things differently than you ponies. There is an indescribable amount of information flowing into our brains at any one time. It can be hard to discern what is important at the moment and what is background noise.” It took a noisy sip of tea. “I wanted to make sure I had a grasp on the basics before coming back.” “Thou… practiced talking just to have tea with us?” “Not talking. Filtering. Being able to hold a conversation without getting distracted. Honestly, it is still sooner than I would have liked, but I heard about your sister.” The sudden mental whiplash sent Celestia’s mind reeling. “I can see you are shocked,” Anarchy continued while Celestia cursed her momentary loss of calm. “I think… Perhaps Discord did not leave the best first impression. Nor I, for that matter. Draconequui are not evil, Princess. We simply live by a different set of rules than other creatures. I have no reason to be your enemy, so I will not pretend to be.” Celestia felt the phantom touch of Anarchy’s claw wrapped around her jaw. “With respect, we do not trust thy words. But that is not to say we dismiss them as false. Pray, do not take offense when we say thou must earn that trust.” Even as she spoke, Celestia’s mind was objecting to her words. A draconequus had attacked her nation, made the lives of its citizens a living hell until the sisters had found a way to imprison him. And now another shows up and she speaks of peace? The uproar were the public to find out would be overpowering. “Understandable.” The creature in question leaned back and took a bite out of its teacup. Celestia could see that the cup – and the tea inside – were now cake. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but it sounds as if you just offered more meetings between us? After all, how else would I possibly ‘earn’ that trust of yours?” “It would seem that I –” Celestia froze for a moment as Anarchy’s lips pulled back into a grin “– did.” “You are a very surprising pony, Princess Celestia. And very interesting. I almost feel I should thank Discord for being so overconfident.” “Discord’s overconfidence is the reason thou find us interesting?” “Discord’s overconfidence is the reason I’m here to find you interesting.” “We don’t understand.” Anarchy slowly munched on the remainder of its teacupcake, eyes closed and minotaur fingers tapping a rhythm against the arm of the chair. After a few minutes, Celestia realized that her tea had cooled down considerably. Sipping on her drink, she watched Anarchy closely. She watched, and she pondered. Why? That was her most pressing question. Why care about her after the loss of her sister? Why continue talking to somepony who fears and hates you? Why openly discuss a secret of draconequui that likely no other creature on the planet knew? Was this creature trying to trick her, to get Celestia drop her guard so it could strike when she least expected it? And yet, Celestia found herself grasping for reasons to distrust Anarchy’s claims. Yes, it was a draconequus, but that would be like branding all griffons as irredeemable criminals simply because she had a bad experience with one. As a ruler of Equestria, it was her responsibility to set an example for her ponies. And speciesism was not an example she wanted to set. After all, she had made friends with a manticore once. Surely a draconequus wouldn’t be that different. Celestia resisted the urge to facehoof as she realized what she was thinking. Ignoring the blatant comparison of a draconequus to a manticore, she couldn’t really be considering trying to be friends with Anarchy, could she? It hadn’t actually done anything to her – or her ponies as far as Celestia could tell – yet. But something deep down inside Celestia told her that she was being foolish. With a sigh, Anarchy took the final bite of its tea. “Why do you think I was created? Go ahead, take a guess.” Celestia racked her brain, but couldn’t find an answer. Anarchy opened its eyes, staring down Celestia. “Fine, I suppose a guess isn’t required.” It sat forward again, hunching its back. “I was created because I was needed. I could wax poetic about the ‘beauty’ of only being brought into the world when you have a purpose instead of being forced into it because of somecreature else’s lovemaking but… It really don’t care to. Discord was taken out of the world – if only for a time – and I was smashed together to take his spot.” Every muscle in Celestia’s body tensed. A number of spells much stronger than the one that singed Anarchy’s fur ran through her mind. “Harmony and chaos are two sides of – Harmony as in like, Elements of Harmony.” Anarchy waved its claw in a somewhat circular motion. “Because harmony is like, your whole deal. Controlling the weather, organizing energy into spells, working with the land. Even other creatures like dragons and stuff. You all are harmonic. I’m going to assume you already understand this. “Harmony and chaos are two sides of the same coin. They both must exist. You can’t have a coin with only one side after all. The world has ways of spreading harmony – the elements of harmony are an obvious example – and the world has ways of spreading chaos. When one of those methods gets nixed,” – Anarchy dragged a claw across its throat – “then the world whips up another to take over. You went ahead and cockatrice’d Discord. You can connect the dots from there.” Celestia and her sister had created another draconequus by defeating Discord? The idea seemed absurd, yet it wasn’t like Celestia had any evidence to dispute it. “If thy purpose is to replace Discord, then certainly thou art putting thyself at a disadvantage telling us this?” “Not really.” Anarchy shrugged as it rose from its seat. “It was Discord’s job to mess with you. I’ve got my hands busy stirring the pot in other places.” “Thou wilt not spread chaos in Equestria?” “Won’t need to.” It snapped, and the doors to the balcony flew open, letting the mountain wind dance through the room. “You ponies will take care of that on your own.” “What dost thou mean? What is going to happen?” Celestia rose opposite of Anarchy in a panic. In response, it just shook its head and began to make its way over to the night sky. “It’s time for me to go. Next time I want to talk, I’ll leave you a note. I’d rather avoid getting blasted again.” It stopped in its path and Celestia saw Anarchy sway slightly back and forth, as if it could not decide which way to move. Suddenly, it turned back to Celestia. “Close your eyes.” She was immediately on guard. “We shall not.” “Relax, I’m not going to do anything bad. Just a little… trust exercise. I’ve got to start somewhere, after all.” There did not seem to be any malicious intent behind its words. Curiosity overtaking common sense, Celestia warily granted Anarchy’s request. Her ears swiveled, listening for the slightest sound of movement. A loud snap echoed out. Eyes flying open, she locked her gaze onto the place where Anarchy had been standing. Nothing. Spinning wildly, she tried to locate the creature. It was gone. Now that she was starting to calm down, Celestia noticed details that she had missed in her frantic search. Her tea set was clean, as if it had never been touched. The doors to the balcony were still open, allowing the soft chirping of crickets to float inside. If there had been any signs of creatures other than Celestia being here, they had disappeared. It was not sadness that kept Celestia from sleep that night. It was worry. GriffonPaperwork was the bane of Celestia’s existence. A truly disgusting amount of documents required her signature and Celestia had already considered creating a new position in the castle for the sole purpose of signing papers in her stead. Thrice. The budget request for the Cloudsdale guards lazily floated over to the completed pile and the next paper to be signed rose from the stack. Placing the document in front of her, Celestia began to read the… absolute gibberish somepony had vomited onto the paper? “I humbly declare that the ponies of Clout– Clod– Cloudsdale? Are stinky and their wings are dumb. Also unicorns costing the spells and… welding the magic is cheating.” Celestia was able to read an entire paragraph before she had to stop. The whole thing was riddled with spelling errors, bad grammar, and a general lack of any marks that would make this assault on literacy readable. “Whoever wrote this should be fired. Quickly.” She skipped past the three pages of nonsense and looked for the name of the moron who oversaw some poor town out in greater Equestria. A breath caught in her throat as she saw a name that she had nearly forgotten about. Celestia telekinetically grabbed a small journal from her desk drawer and skimmed through it until she found the page she wanted. After a few minutes of reading, she returned it to its place and sorted the rest of the paperwork safely away. She wouldn’t be getting any more done today. “Any messages for me are to be held until I awake. If I am awoken for any reason… something will happen.” The guards stationed to each side of the door saluted as Celestia gently closed the door to her personal chambers behind her. “Well, you look absolutely haggard.” Taking a deep breath in an attempt to bolster her mood, Celestia stalked over to her washroom. “Well, you could have allowed me to some time to relax before showing up.” She magically wet a washcloth under the tap and began to rub at her face. Through the open door, she watched a feline leg stretch from its place in her reading chair. Light glinted off the sharp claws, as if they were made of some unnatural metal. “Yeah. I could have.” With another deep breath and blast of heat to dry her fur, Celestia returned to the main room of her quarters. Curled tightly in her reading nook with the one limb extended, Anarchy looked remarkably unthreatening. Although Celestia knew from experience that Anarchy stood just barely taller than herself; the way it sat now made it almost appear… small. “It’s been a busy hundred years. Sorry I couldn’t swing by sooner. Need any refreshers on what we’ve already talked about?” Anarchy’s blasted smiled sat comfortably on its face. “I do not,” Celestia responded more tensely than she felt. “I took it upon myself to record the information you had told me.” “Perfect, ‘cause I don’t remember a damn.” It stood from its position, the unfurling limbs reminding Celestia of a spider. At least, until the much-too-small wings on Anarchy’s back joined the spectacle. Celestia didn’t particularly want to think about winged spiders. “Let’s go for a walk,” it said suddenly. “Absolutely not,” she responded. “I will not risk one of my ponies seeing you and raising a panic. We stay here.” “Oh relax, would you?” With a scoff, Anarchy snapped its fingers. “As if anypony seeing us is a problem.” Before Celestia’s very eyes, the edges of its form blurred. She instinctively blinked, trying to clear tears from her eyes, but the smudging remained. “Ta-daaa. Now come on.” Anarchy moved to the entrance of her chamber. Just as Celestia was about to order it not to go through that door, it… went through that door. She had just watched a creature phase directly through solid mass. Her gaze flicked to the hoof she had subconsciously held out, the edges of the appendage blurred in a manner similar to Anarchy. In fact, it appeared her entire body was experiencing the same effect. Had it cast the same spell on the both of them? If so, then… Celestia flinched, fully expecting to run face first into the same door Anarchy had passed through. To her surprise, there was no collision. She was now standing outside her room – right next to Anarchy making faces at one of the stationed guards. The guard did not react in the slightest to the presence of the draconequus or the alicorn. “What is this?” Celestia continued to blink, her eyes hurting slightly from looking at Anarchy’s blurred shape. “Displacement spell,” it spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Anarchy stood quickly, turning and marching down the hall. “Come on, I want to get there before sunset.” Multiple questions died on Celestia’s tongue. The only sound that accompanied their journey from the castle was Anarchy’s discordant humming. When Anarchy led her to the Canterlot City Park, Celestia was genuinely surprised. They had made a brisk pace there, phasing through ponies and buildings alike due to the displacement spell. Despite this, they hadn’t quite made it before sunset; the moon could already be seen creeping into the sky. For a moment, Celestia wondered if it was foalish of her to raise the moon early. What’s done is done, however. The grassy area was devoid of ponies, the citizens hurrying home now that the sun was set. The sound of nearby crickets mixed with the distant sounds of city activity. The moon shined brightly in the sky, its… mark staring down at Celestia, judging. “I must admit, I like being here. Surprisingly few ponies come through here once the dark comes out to play.” Anarchy leaned back, balancing at a seemingly impossible angle. “You come to Canterlot often, then?” “Occasionally, when I have time to spare.” It wiped its hand against its brow. “Not much free time in the busy life of an antagonist.” She decided to say nothing, choosing instead to take in the scenery. The park itself reveled in the shade, but surrounding streets provided a barrier of light that peeked through the trees. Small flashes announced the presence of fireflies in the air. “Ouch. No response, huh?” She turned her gaze carefully back to Anarchy. “I figure it is not my place to speak on your view of yourself.” “It wasn’t –” Anarchy pouted “– It was a joke. Because you think I’m evil but I’m actually just doing my own thing and… well, whatever. Didn’t land. I’m used to it.” Celestia was fascinated to find that she felt bad for the creature. It didn’t last. “So how is it, running a nation? Pretty hard, hmm?” “Yes.” Celestia couldn’t find much else to say on the subject. “There are many ponies that need my attention and only one me.” “Mmm, yeah. Rulers always have it super hard.” Anarchy’s deadpan delivery made it hard to know if that was sarcasm. “I mean, just look at Guto. He’s really getting put through the ringer.” Celestia racked her brain for anypony named ‘Guto.’ “Who?” “Guto.” It waved a claw dismissively. “You’ll meet him at some point, I’m sure. Or maybe not. After all, he won’t be a king for much longer.” “What did he do?” “The best he could,” Anarchy replied with a smirk that spoke of horrible things. “Say, if you had to recommend one restaurant in Canterlot, which would you choose?” It took a minute to process the implications of Anarchy’s comment, and at least twice that to formulate an answer to its completely unrelated question. “Flour’s Flapjacks is a favorite of mine. Why?” “And what’s it got? Prench? Somnambulan? What should I be expecting?” “… Pancakes. It’s in the name. Family-owned business. Why?” It fell backwards into a floating lounge that reminded Celestia of Discord. “Relax, Princess. Just wondering where to stop in to get the true Canterlot experience. Recommending things to each other is something friends do, right?” She stayed silent yet again. “Geez, you’ve really got something against me, huh? Are you still worried about someone seeing us? Here.” It snapped its claws. Celestia watched in horror as the field around them extended, stretching in all directions. The wall of trees that marked the border of Canterlot Park shot off into the distance and over the horizon. Before her eyes, the grass beneath the pair grew nearly a foot in height and all recognizable landmarks fell out of sight. “Wh-What?” she gasped. “What did you do?” “Pocket dimension. Cool, yeah? Just kidding, only a teleport. I wish I could make pocket dimensions.” “Tele–” There had been no signs of teleportation that Celetia was used to. No sound, no flash of light, no thud of displaced air. “Th-that’s incredible,” she whispered under her breath. Anarchy’s ear twitched and it seemed like it might have heard her. Celestia certainly didn’t mean for it to. She would rather err on the side of not feeding a demigod’s ego. “So… where are we?” she asked. “Minos.” “And where wou–” “Far, far, to the west of Ponyland. Minotaurs haven’t all bunched up and formed a proper empire yet, so it’s easy to find these spot where you can –” Anarachy spun in circles with a claw to its brow “– look and look and look and not see a single soul.” It slowed to a stop, facing Celestia. “Just you and me out here, Princess.” After spending so long in Canterlot, constantly surrounded by other ponies, that concept of being alone felt almost alien. “Fantastic,” she breathed. That didn’t come out right. “Sorry! That sounded sarcastic, I didn’t mean for it to be.” She quickly clarified. “This is just a… powerful place. Quiet. I’m not used to that.” “You’re very welcome, Princess.” Neither one said anything for a long time after that. Two of the world’s rarest creatures, alone in a field. Silent as a breeze flowed over them, causing the tips of the grass to dance among their fur. Celestia let her eyes drift closed. Inhaling deeply, she felt – for the first time, she realized – somewhat at ease around this draconequus. She wasn’t sure why. Perhaps its honeyed words finally ate away at her resolve. Well that’s a terrifying thought. Just like that, Celestia felt uneasy again. “I do want to be your friend.” Her unease instantly transformed into an undecipherable whirlwind of emotions reacting to Anarchy’s quiet comment. “That’s the consequence of creating a creature who’s defining trait is its disregard for rules. The rules of its existence become as distasteful as the rest.” “Do you regret… being here?” she ventured to ask. It took some time for Anarchy to answer. “No, I suppose I don’t. After all, breaking rules is fun. Having more just means more chances to have a blast.” Something about that statement made sense to Celestia. Like it answered a question she hadn’t yet thought of. “What you told me on your previous visit. I’m not supposed to know any of that, am I?” “Bingo.” “So if I asked you to tell me more about draconequui – about yourself? You would?” Its head slowly tilted, revealing to Celestia a beaming smile of sharp teeth. “Now you’re starting to get me, Princess.” “That all is… hard to accept.” Celestia didn’t quite know what she was expecting Anarchy to tell her. Whatever she had imagined, it wouldn’t in another thousand years come close to measuring up to reality. “I suppose that’s understandable. Take your time, Princess. I’ll be painting.” She watched as Anarchy snapped and began to twirl its finger. The stars above them began to move, flowing like liquid through invisible trenches. “Stop that.” “Don't tell me what to do.” “I won’t have you ruining the only piece of my sister I still have.” Just saying that hurt Celestia more deeply than she expected. “Luna can just fix it when she comes back.” “You’re… and you promise that she does? She will?” “Pinkie promise.” It frowned. “Pie promise. No, definitely not that. Pink– hold on.” Anarchy froze for a time, the grass shifting around its immobile form. “Yeah, I got it the first time.” “I don’t get it,” Celestia muttered. “You will,” It responded. Celestia felt a chill go up her spine as Anarchy said that. Celestia had always believed in destiny, but when Anarchy confirmed the existence of such a thing… it scared her. And the casual nature with which it spoke of the future did nothing but make her feel insignificant. “If you know what will happen, then surely there ceases to be a purpose for you. By fulfilling a destiny, even at this very moment, you are following the laws of what must happen. That sounds at odds with your brand of chaos.” It was hard to wrap her head around her own reasoning. Anarchy sucked on its lip in thought. “That’s not quiiiiite how it works. I know how things are supposed to play out, but they don’t have to. And when something changes, so does what I know. I know the possibility of what will happen, not the certainty.” “And you are allowed to change it as you see fit?” “Nope.” It let out a raspy, gravel-filled laugh. “But as long as I hit the key events, the only consequence is a little rap on the knuckles.” “And what does that mean to a draconequus?” “That’s the exciting thing, Princess. I’m treading new territory.” Its eyes glimmered. “We’re treading new territory.” That’s what I was afraid of, Celestia thought to herself. “Hey, chin up. You don’t mess things up. Trust me, I know.” That was… oddly reassuring. Celestia was surprised to find herself smiling at the temporally-backed statement. Perhaps she had been wrong. “Anarchy, I’m sorry.” It gave her a sly look. “What for?” “You already know what I’m going to say, don’t you?” “Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t say it.” “I’m sorry for expecting the worst of you. I think with some time, we could become friends.” Celestia’s couldn’t keep herself from recoiling slightly when Anarchy gave a wide, toothy grin. What she didn’t expect was for one of its jet black wings to extend, perfectly covering the unnatural teeth while leaving the upper half of its face visible. “I’m glad to hear that, Celestia.”
DraconequusIt was a cold night in the Everfree Forest. The first winds of Autumn were beginning to roll across the landscape, creating a haunting melody of rustling leaves. In stark contrast to the world around it, the Castle of the Two Sisters shone like a beacon. Windows were lit up, guards were patrolling, and a few poor sleep-deprived souls toiled away on their work within. But not all parts of the castle were alive. The Royal Gardens, for example. As dark as the shade outside its walls, as quiet as a fresh snowfall, and not a part of the guards’ patrol route. Why would it be? There were no external entrances to the garden. A lone soul stood among the flowers and bushes, staring up at the lone statue among the flora. A less observant pony might even mistake the soul for another statue. It was certainly grotesque enough to match the real one. Oh, apologies. I didn’t realize you could hear me. It won’t happen again. The mismatched creature’s eyes wandered, across the statue and the foliage alike – as if searching for something. Wings covered in glossy black feathers shifted slightly against its back. An idle claw clicked its nails together. Its eyes observed the world before it, yet it did not realize that it was also being observed. “It’s rude to stare, you know.” Or perhaps it did. The creature turned, giving the tall white mare a clear view of the animals that had been stitched together to create it. Legs of tiger and deer. Arms of dragon and minotaur. A feline body that reminded the mare of drawings of the distant Abyssinians. The most frightening feature by far, however, was the perfectly normal pony head that rested on its shoulders. The creature did not so much as flinch as the mare moved from her spot, stepping out from behind a hedge and marching forward. The hum of magic filled the air as she charged her horn. Stopping a few paces from it, her magic’s glow lit up the face enough for her to clearly see its eyes. Sickly yellow orbs, with crescent pupils. “What art thou doing here, draconequus?” It smiled, causing the mare to grow even more wary. “I have a name, thank you very much.” “Then let it be known.” “No. You haven’t earned it. Speaking of names – it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Princess Celestia.” The creature turned its back on the princess, looking again to the statue it stood by. “I heard you gave Discord a thrashing. Wanted to check it out myself. I must say, you did a pretty good job.” Questions shot to the forefront of Celestia’s mind as the creature moved from its position, circling around the statue. Its slow, calculated steps unsettled the princess in ways that she did not think possible. “And now thou art come to take thy revenge on us for thy brethren’s defeat? If thou thinkest that to be a simple task, thou art sorely mistaken.” Celestia lowered herself slightly and fanned her wings. The creature locked eyes with her. “No. I told you what I was here for. I’m admiring your handiwork.” “Thou have had ample time to observe thy brethren’s prison. Now be gone!” Celestia was careful not to break into her royal voice. The last thing she wanted was to wake up the castle’s dreamers. “Stop calling him my brother. And don’t tell me what to do.” It exhaled deeply. “It’s not every day you hear about a draconequus being defeated. I think I’ll savor this moment a bit longer.” “So there are more of you.” The creature looked back to the princess, confusion easily readable on its pony face. “Yeah? You didn’t know that?” Its shoulders sagged when Celestia responded with a grin. “Don’t act like you just got some vital information out of me. The fact that we exist isn’t some kind of secret. Technically we aren’t supposed to go around talking about it but… well, I don’t keep it a secret.” “And why would that be, Ser…? “Nah, still haven’t earned my name. And it’s because no one tells me what to do. Like I said before.” “Thou dost not take kindly to commands, even from thine own? And here thou art, celebrating the defeat of Discord. Is it safe to say thou have been wronged by other draconequuses in the past?” “Draconequui.” Other than its correction, there was nothing. The creature had stopped moving, motionlessly staring at Discord. Celestia opened her mouth to ask another question, but it chose that moment to finally break the silence. “I’m done here. Don’t really feel like getting interrogated either. I’ll be going now.” It turned on its paw and took a few steps toward the shrubbery to the west. “Wait!” Celestia thanked the stars that the creature actually complied with her request. She released the spell she had been holding, allowing a true quiet to settle. “Thou art obviously not against us. Pray, accept my apology for threatening thee. Perhaps we can come to an agreement.” She saw the creature’s head turn, a single eye watching her. She stepped to the side and raised a hoof in a welcoming gesture. “Wouldst thou be interested in a more civil conversation over tea?” Celestia regretted making the offer almost immediately. The creature grinned, its lips pulling back to reveal sharp canine-like teeth filling its mouth. Its alien eyes stared into her soul and Celestia knew that somehow, it could feel what she was thinking. It didn’t make sense, but… she knew. “I don’t think I am.” – Relief surged through Celestia – “At least… not tonight. Although I commend you on the effort to extend an olive branch.” Celestia was unsure how long she remained like that – frozen by the horrific creature in front of her, trying not to show any weakness. Maybe it had been minutes, maybe it had been hours. The entire time, the draconequus watched her like a hawk , its unnatural teeth on display. Thoughts moved through her mind at a breakneck pace. All Celestia knew for sure was that this thing had to make the first move. It had to. She didn’t know why. She wasn’t willing to question the instinct that bubbled up from within her. And then… it did. Turning its back to her for the final time and slowly walking away. It spoke again, but there was something else in its words this time. Something… of weight. “Anarchy, by the way.” Celestia struggled to find her voice, but when she did – “Thy name?” “You earned it.” It snapped its claws and it was gone. Just like that. Celestia never told her sister about her encounter in the garden. Why would she? The creature wouldn’t be back.
AlicornIt was a cold night In Canterlot. The nights were always cold, courtesy of the city’s elevated location. Trees were sparse up here, and animals sparser. The silent chill of the starless night permeated the walls of Canterlot Castle, ensuring none inside would find sleep easily. And for one sobbing mare, it ensured that she would not find sleep at all. Celestia lay atop the fabrics of her bed, not even feeling the small amount of warmth the contact granted her. Her mind was consumed with guilt, repeating her greatest mistake ad nauseum. What little rest she had in the past week was plagued with nightmares; a torture she knew her subjects were experiencing as well. She had resigned herself to the fact that exhaustion would accompany her the next day. There was nothing she could do. Nothing she wanted to do. As far as Celestia was concerned, this was penance for ripping the princess of dreams from the world. And she would bear this burden for the rest of her days. And… her nights. “Celestia.” Celestia reacted on instinct. She wasn’t sure exactly what happened next, but the pained face of Anarchy and the patch of scorched fur on its chest painted a very clear picture. Her heart dropped. She had attacked a draconequus. Again. And this time, she didn’t have her sister. Equestia was doomed. “Nice to see you, too. That hurt, by the way.” With a snap of its fingers, new fur grew out to replace the blackened crisps of burned hair. “If you’re done attacking me…” When Celestia realized that she had not started a new war, she took the time to calm her heart. Anarchy watched on, motionless, as was its tendency. With her emotions under control for the moment, Celestia began. “What art thou doing here, Anarchy?” “You invited me to tea. I’ve decided to take you up on that offer.” She… had done that, hadn’t she? Over the decades since Celestia had last seen Anarchy, she forgot her fumbling attempt at civility with it. But for the draconequus to show up now? So soon after… it was cruel. Some sick joke. “Thou knowest.” “I know what?” “Don’t. Play. Stupid. Dost thou know?” Celestia growled. A pause from Anarchy, but not for long. “Your sister.” “Thou –” Celestia rose from her bed with violence in her eyes “– wouldst dare come into our home and request tea of all things, knowing what we have just gone through? Thy lack of tact would be appalling if it were not entirely insulting!” She approached it, coming much closer than she ever dared to during their previous encounter. Perhaps she wasn’t thinking clearly. Perhaps she failed to care about the possible consequences. Whatever her reasoning, the now-sole Princess of Equestria leaned forward until she was nearly nose-to-nose with the draconequus stood in her room. “Thou art a monster. Dost thou not see the pain we are in? Dost thou not care? Has thy chaotic magic corrupted thy head? Answer me!” “Don’t tell me what to do.” The two remained like that for some time. Celestia searched Anarachy’s eyes searching for some flash of emotion, some betrayal of his emotions. But she found nothing. She wondered if there was anything in there to find, if all draconequui were as uncaring as the two she knew. Celestia was growing tired of the silences. This time, she would act first. “If thou hast nothing to say to us, then thou art not welcome. Take all traces of thine existence, leave our sight, and never dare to show thyself here again.” Nothing. “NOW –!” Celestia had barely finished the word when she felt a bone-crushing grip on her lower jaw. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Anarchy’s draconic arm bent at the elbow. When she tried to shut her mouth, she realized that she was not even able to do that – a single claw was resting between her upper and lower teeth on the left side. It spoke with measured coldness that Celestia was still able to feel through her burning anger. “I said don’t. Tell me. What. To do. If you do that again, I will rip your darling little kingdom apart at the seams. I promise you, I am not as inept as Discord.” And with that, Celestia was released. Anarchy strode past her and snapped its talons, the tea set that lived on Celestia’s small tea table coming to life and operating itself. As if nothing had happened, Anarchy spoke again. “I’ll be having tea. Join me if you wish.” As if she had a choice. Celestia watched the creature make itself comfortable with hatred burning in her eyes. Yet if she did anything… who knows what would happen? Reluctantly, she sat opposite of Anarchy. She had just magically gripped the piping hot teapot when it held its claw up. “The tea’s in the creamer. The soda’s in the pot.” “What is soda?” It stared at her blankly before sighing and snapping again. “Hot water’s in the pot. Go ahead.” As Celestia fixed herself a cup of tea, she thought back to her encounter with Discord. He had activated his chaos magic by snapping as well, though only for grand changes like transforming a pony into a tree. That had been a truly horrific sight. Anarchy, however, seemed to be snapping for every minute spell. Even the simple telekinesis required to move her teaware had needed one. “Tell me something,” – Celestia’s line of thinking was interrupted by Anarchy’s voice – “were you born?” What? “We… yes?” “That’s good.” Anarchy slowly nodded its head, eyes closed. Where there was fury previously, confusion now reigned in Celestia’s mind. Thankfully, she did not have to wait long for an answer to her unspoken question. “I was not.” “Thou were not… born?” “Correct. No draconequus is.” It took a sip of tea. “We are created.” “By what means?” It shrugged. “Chaos, I suppose. We aren’t, and then we are. Simple as that.” Despite her lingering anger towards this creature sat in front of her, Celestia couldn’t help but be intrigued by this concept of draconequus creation. “When was thy creation? If it is not rude of us to ask.” “How long ago was our first meeting?” Celestia struggled for a moment to remember how long after Discord’s defeat Anarchy had shown up in the garden. Only a few months if she was not misremembering. “Just over forty years, if we are correct.” “That old, then.” “That was the day of thy bir– creation?” It snapped and dropped two cubes of bright green sugar into its cup before continuing. “Correct. Draconequui do not grow older. Physically, at least. Our minds mature. Although I would consider it less ‘maturing’ and more ‘learning to process everything’.” Something clicked to Celestia. “Thou have not been pausing as often as thou didst before.” “We see things differently than you ponies. There is an indescribable amount of information flowing into our brains at any one time. It can be hard to discern what is important at the moment and what is background noise.” It took a noisy sip of tea. “I wanted to make sure I had a grasp on the basics before coming back.” “Thou… practiced talking just to have tea with us?” “Not talking. Filtering. Being able to hold a conversation without getting distracted. Honestly, it is still sooner than I would have liked, but I heard about your sister.” The sudden mental whiplash sent Celestia’s mind reeling. “I can see you are shocked,” Anarchy continued while Celestia cursed her momentary loss of calm. “I think… Perhaps Discord did not leave the best first impression. Nor I, for that matter. Draconequui are not evil, Princess. We simply live by a different set of rules than other creatures. I have no reason to be your enemy, so I will not pretend to be.” Celestia felt the phantom touch of Anarchy’s claw wrapped around her jaw. “With respect, we do not trust thy words. But that is not to say we dismiss them as false. Pray, do not take offense when we say thou must earn that trust.” Even as she spoke, Celestia’s mind was objecting to her words. A draconequus had attacked her nation, made the lives of its citizens a living hell until the sisters had found a way to imprison him. And now another shows up and she speaks of peace? The uproar were the public to find out would be overpowering. “Understandable.” The creature in question leaned back and took a bite out of its teacup. Celestia could see that the cup – and the tea inside – were now cake. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but it sounds as if you just offered more meetings between us? After all, how else would I possibly ‘earn’ that trust of yours?” “It would seem that I –” Celestia froze for a moment as Anarchy’s lips pulled back into a grin “– did.” “You are a very surprising pony, Princess Celestia. And very interesting. I almost feel I should thank Discord for being so overconfident.” “Discord’s overconfidence is the reason thou find us interesting?” “Discord’s overconfidence is the reason I’m here to find you interesting.” “We don’t understand.” Anarchy slowly munched on the remainder of its teacupcake, eyes closed and minotaur fingers tapping a rhythm against the arm of the chair. After a few minutes, Celestia realized that her tea had cooled down considerably. Sipping on her drink, she watched Anarchy closely. She watched, and she pondered. Why? That was her most pressing question. Why care about her after the loss of her sister? Why continue talking to somepony who fears and hates you? Why openly discuss a secret of draconequui that likely no other creature on the planet knew? Was this creature trying to trick her, to get Celestia drop her guard so it could strike when she least expected it? And yet, Celestia found herself grasping for reasons to distrust Anarchy’s claims. Yes, it was a draconequus, but that would be like branding all griffons as irredeemable criminals simply because she had a bad experience with one. As a ruler of Equestria, it was her responsibility to set an example for her ponies. And speciesism was not an example she wanted to set. After all, she had made friends with a manticore once. Surely a draconequus wouldn’t be that different. Celestia resisted the urge to facehoof as she realized what she was thinking. Ignoring the blatant comparison of a draconequus to a manticore, she couldn’t really be considering trying to be friends with Anarchy, could she? It hadn’t actually done anything to her – or her ponies as far as Celestia could tell – yet. But something deep down inside Celestia told her that she was being foolish. With a sigh, Anarchy took the final bite of its tea. “Why do you think I was created? Go ahead, take a guess.” Celestia racked her brain, but couldn’t find an answer. Anarchy opened its eyes, staring down Celestia. “Fine, I suppose a guess isn’t required.” It sat forward again, hunching its back. “I was created because I was needed. I could wax poetic about the ‘beauty’ of only being brought into the world when you have a purpose instead of being forced into it because of somecreature else’s lovemaking but… It really don’t care to. Discord was taken out of the world – if only for a time – and I was smashed together to take his spot.” Every muscle in Celestia’s body tensed. A number of spells much stronger than the one that singed Anarchy’s fur ran through her mind. “Harmony and chaos are two sides of – Harmony as in like, Elements of Harmony.” Anarchy waved its claw in a somewhat circular motion. “Because harmony is like, your whole deal. Controlling the weather, organizing energy into spells, working with the land. Even other creatures like dragons and stuff. You all are harmonic. I’m going to assume you already understand this. “Harmony and chaos are two sides of the same coin. They both must exist. You can’t have a coin with only one side after all. The world has ways of spreading harmony – the elements of harmony are an obvious example – and the world has ways of spreading chaos. When one of those methods gets nixed,” – Anarchy dragged a claw across its throat – “then the world whips up another to take over. You went ahead and cockatrice’d Discord. You can connect the dots from there.” Celestia and her sister had created another draconequus by defeating Discord? The idea seemed absurd, yet it wasn’t like Celestia had any evidence to dispute it. “If thy purpose is to replace Discord, then certainly thou art putting thyself at a disadvantage telling us this?” “Not really.” Anarchy shrugged as it rose from its seat. “It was Discord’s job to mess with you. I’ve got my hands busy stirring the pot in other places.” “Thou wilt not spread chaos in Equestria?” “Won’t need to.” It snapped, and the doors to the balcony flew open, letting the mountain wind dance through the room. “You ponies will take care of that on your own.” “What dost thou mean? What is going to happen?” Celestia rose opposite of Anarchy in a panic. In response, it just shook its head and began to make its way over to the night sky. “It’s time for me to go. Next time I want to talk, I’ll leave you a note. I’d rather avoid getting blasted again.” It stopped in its path and Celestia saw Anarchy sway slightly back and forth, as if it could not decide which way to move. Suddenly, it turned back to Celestia. “Close your eyes.” She was immediately on guard. “We shall not.” “Relax, I’m not going to do anything bad. Just a little… trust exercise. I’ve got to start somewhere, after all.” There did not seem to be any malicious intent behind its words. Curiosity overtaking common sense, Celestia warily granted Anarchy’s request. Her ears swiveled, listening for the slightest sound of movement. A loud snap echoed out. Eyes flying open, she locked her gaze onto the place where Anarchy had been standing. Nothing. Spinning wildly, she tried to locate the creature. It was gone. Now that she was starting to calm down, Celestia noticed details that she had missed in her frantic search. Her tea set was clean, as if it had never been touched. The doors to the balcony were still open, allowing the soft chirping of crickets to float inside. If there had been any signs of creatures other than Celestia being here, they had disappeared. It was not sadness that kept Celestia from sleep that night. It was worry.
GriffonPaperwork was the bane of Celestia’s existence. A truly disgusting amount of documents required her signature and Celestia had already considered creating a new position in the castle for the sole purpose of signing papers in her stead. Thrice. The budget request for the Cloudsdale guards lazily floated over to the completed pile and the next paper to be signed rose from the stack. Placing the document in front of her, Celestia began to read the… absolute gibberish somepony had vomited onto the paper? “I humbly declare that the ponies of Clout– Clod– Cloudsdale? Are stinky and their wings are dumb. Also unicorns costing the spells and… welding the magic is cheating.” Celestia was able to read an entire paragraph before she had to stop. The whole thing was riddled with spelling errors, bad grammar, and a general lack of any marks that would make this assault on literacy readable. “Whoever wrote this should be fired. Quickly.” She skipped past the three pages of nonsense and looked for the name of the moron who oversaw some poor town out in greater Equestria. A breath caught in her throat as she saw a name that she had nearly forgotten about. Celestia telekinetically grabbed a small journal from her desk drawer and skimmed through it until she found the page she wanted. After a few minutes of reading, she returned it to its place and sorted the rest of the paperwork safely away. She wouldn’t be getting any more done today. “Any messages for me are to be held until I awake. If I am awoken for any reason… something will happen.” The guards stationed to each side of the door saluted as Celestia gently closed the door to her personal chambers behind her. “Well, you look absolutely haggard.” Taking a deep breath in an attempt to bolster her mood, Celestia stalked over to her washroom. “Well, you could have allowed me to some time to relax before showing up.” She magically wet a washcloth under the tap and began to rub at her face. Through the open door, she watched a feline leg stretch from its place in her reading chair. Light glinted off the sharp claws, as if they were made of some unnatural metal. “Yeah. I could have.” With another deep breath and blast of heat to dry her fur, Celestia returned to the main room of her quarters. Curled tightly in her reading nook with the one limb extended, Anarchy looked remarkably unthreatening. Although Celestia knew from experience that Anarchy stood just barely taller than herself; the way it sat now made it almost appear… small. “It’s been a busy hundred years. Sorry I couldn’t swing by sooner. Need any refreshers on what we’ve already talked about?” Anarchy’s blasted smiled sat comfortably on its face. “I do not,” Celestia responded more tensely than she felt. “I took it upon myself to record the information you had told me.” “Perfect, ‘cause I don’t remember a damn.” It stood from its position, the unfurling limbs reminding Celestia of a spider. At least, until the much-too-small wings on Anarchy’s back joined the spectacle. Celestia didn’t particularly want to think about winged spiders. “Let’s go for a walk,” it said suddenly. “Absolutely not,” she responded. “I will not risk one of my ponies seeing you and raising a panic. We stay here.” “Oh relax, would you?” With a scoff, Anarchy snapped its fingers. “As if anypony seeing us is a problem.” Before Celestia’s very eyes, the edges of its form blurred. She instinctively blinked, trying to clear tears from her eyes, but the smudging remained. “Ta-daaa. Now come on.” Anarchy moved to the entrance of her chamber. Just as Celestia was about to order it not to go through that door, it… went through that door. She had just watched a creature phase directly through solid mass. Her gaze flicked to the hoof she had subconsciously held out, the edges of the appendage blurred in a manner similar to Anarchy. In fact, it appeared her entire body was experiencing the same effect. Had it cast the same spell on the both of them? If so, then… Celestia flinched, fully expecting to run face first into the same door Anarchy had passed through. To her surprise, there was no collision. She was now standing outside her room – right next to Anarchy making faces at one of the stationed guards. The guard did not react in the slightest to the presence of the draconequus or the alicorn. “What is this?” Celestia continued to blink, her eyes hurting slightly from looking at Anarchy’s blurred shape. “Displacement spell,” it spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Anarchy stood quickly, turning and marching down the hall. “Come on, I want to get there before sunset.” Multiple questions died on Celestia’s tongue. The only sound that accompanied their journey from the castle was Anarchy’s discordant humming. When Anarchy led her to the Canterlot City Park, Celestia was genuinely surprised. They had made a brisk pace there, phasing through ponies and buildings alike due to the displacement spell. Despite this, they hadn’t quite made it before sunset; the moon could already be seen creeping into the sky. For a moment, Celestia wondered if it was foalish of her to raise the moon early. What’s done is done, however. The grassy area was devoid of ponies, the citizens hurrying home now that the sun was set. The sound of nearby crickets mixed with the distant sounds of city activity. The moon shined brightly in the sky, its… mark staring down at Celestia, judging. “I must admit, I like being here. Surprisingly few ponies come through here once the dark comes out to play.” Anarchy leaned back, balancing at a seemingly impossible angle. “You come to Canterlot often, then?” “Occasionally, when I have time to spare.” It wiped its hand against its brow. “Not much free time in the busy life of an antagonist.” She decided to say nothing, choosing instead to take in the scenery. The park itself reveled in the shade, but surrounding streets provided a barrier of light that peeked through the trees. Small flashes announced the presence of fireflies in the air. “Ouch. No response, huh?” She turned her gaze carefully back to Anarchy. “I figure it is not my place to speak on your view of yourself.” “It wasn’t –” Anarchy pouted “– It was a joke. Because you think I’m evil but I’m actually just doing my own thing and… well, whatever. Didn’t land. I’m used to it.” Celestia was fascinated to find that she felt bad for the creature. It didn’t last. “So how is it, running a nation? Pretty hard, hmm?” “Yes.” Celestia couldn’t find much else to say on the subject. “There are many ponies that need my attention and only one me.” “Mmm, yeah. Rulers always have it super hard.” Anarchy’s deadpan delivery made it hard to know if that was sarcasm. “I mean, just look at Guto. He’s really getting put through the ringer.” Celestia racked her brain for anypony named ‘Guto.’ “Who?” “Guto.” It waved a claw dismissively. “You’ll meet him at some point, I’m sure. Or maybe not. After all, he won’t be a king for much longer.” “What did he do?” “The best he could,” Anarchy replied with a smirk that spoke of horrible things. “Say, if you had to recommend one restaurant in Canterlot, which would you choose?” It took a minute to process the implications of Anarchy’s comment, and at least twice that to formulate an answer to its completely unrelated question. “Flour’s Flapjacks is a favorite of mine. Why?” “And what’s it got? Prench? Somnambulan? What should I be expecting?” “… Pancakes. It’s in the name. Family-owned business. Why?” It fell backwards into a floating lounge that reminded Celestia of Discord. “Relax, Princess. Just wondering where to stop in to get the true Canterlot experience. Recommending things to each other is something friends do, right?” She stayed silent yet again. “Geez, you’ve really got something against me, huh? Are you still worried about someone seeing us? Here.” It snapped its claws. Celestia watched in horror as the field around them extended, stretching in all directions. The wall of trees that marked the border of Canterlot Park shot off into the distance and over the horizon. Before her eyes, the grass beneath the pair grew nearly a foot in height and all recognizable landmarks fell out of sight. “Wh-What?” she gasped. “What did you do?” “Pocket dimension. Cool, yeah? Just kidding, only a teleport. I wish I could make pocket dimensions.” “Tele–” There had been no signs of teleportation that Celetia was used to. No sound, no flash of light, no thud of displaced air. “Th-that’s incredible,” she whispered under her breath. Anarchy’s ear twitched and it seemed like it might have heard her. Celestia certainly didn’t mean for it to. She would rather err on the side of not feeding a demigod’s ego. “So… where are we?” she asked. “Minos.” “And where wou–” “Far, far, to the west of Ponyland. Minotaurs haven’t all bunched up and formed a proper empire yet, so it’s easy to find these spot where you can –” Anarachy spun in circles with a claw to its brow “– look and look and look and not see a single soul.” It slowed to a stop, facing Celestia. “Just you and me out here, Princess.” After spending so long in Canterlot, constantly surrounded by other ponies, that concept of being alone felt almost alien. “Fantastic,” she breathed. That didn’t come out right. “Sorry! That sounded sarcastic, I didn’t mean for it to be.” She quickly clarified. “This is just a… powerful place. Quiet. I’m not used to that.” “You’re very welcome, Princess.” Neither one said anything for a long time after that. Two of the world’s rarest creatures, alone in a field. Silent as a breeze flowed over them, causing the tips of the grass to dance among their fur. Celestia let her eyes drift closed. Inhaling deeply, she felt – for the first time, she realized – somewhat at ease around this draconequus. She wasn’t sure why. Perhaps its honeyed words finally ate away at her resolve. Well that’s a terrifying thought. Just like that, Celestia felt uneasy again. “I do want to be your friend.” Her unease instantly transformed into an undecipherable whirlwind of emotions reacting to Anarchy’s quiet comment. “That’s the consequence of creating a creature who’s defining trait is its disregard for rules. The rules of its existence become as distasteful as the rest.” “Do you regret… being here?” she ventured to ask. It took some time for Anarchy to answer. “No, I suppose I don’t. After all, breaking rules is fun. Having more just means more chances to have a blast.” Something about that statement made sense to Celestia. Like it answered a question she hadn’t yet thought of. “What you told me on your previous visit. I’m not supposed to know any of that, am I?” “Bingo.” “So if I asked you to tell me more about draconequui – about yourself? You would?” Its head slowly tilted, revealing to Celestia a beaming smile of sharp teeth. “Now you’re starting to get me, Princess.” “That all is… hard to accept.” Celestia didn’t quite know what she was expecting Anarchy to tell her. Whatever she had imagined, it wouldn’t in another thousand years come close to measuring up to reality. “I suppose that’s understandable. Take your time, Princess. I’ll be painting.” She watched as Anarchy snapped and began to twirl its finger. The stars above them began to move, flowing like liquid through invisible trenches. “Stop that.” “Don't tell me what to do.” “I won’t have you ruining the only piece of my sister I still have.” Just saying that hurt Celestia more deeply than she expected. “Luna can just fix it when she comes back.” “You’re… and you promise that she does? She will?” “Pinkie promise.” It frowned. “Pie promise. No, definitely not that. Pink– hold on.” Anarchy froze for a time, the grass shifting around its immobile form. “Yeah, I got it the first time.” “I don’t get it,” Celestia muttered. “You will,” It responded. Celestia felt a chill go up her spine as Anarchy said that. Celestia had always believed in destiny, but when Anarchy confirmed the existence of such a thing… it scared her. And the casual nature with which it spoke of the future did nothing but make her feel insignificant. “If you know what will happen, then surely there ceases to be a purpose for you. By fulfilling a destiny, even at this very moment, you are following the laws of what must happen. That sounds at odds with your brand of chaos.” It was hard to wrap her head around her own reasoning. Anarchy sucked on its lip in thought. “That’s not quiiiiite how it works. I know how things are supposed to play out, but they don’t have to. And when something changes, so does what I know. I know the possibility of what will happen, not the certainty.” “And you are allowed to change it as you see fit?” “Nope.” It let out a raspy, gravel-filled laugh. “But as long as I hit the key events, the only consequence is a little rap on the knuckles.” “And what does that mean to a draconequus?” “That’s the exciting thing, Princess. I’m treading new territory.” Its eyes glimmered. “We’re treading new territory.” That’s what I was afraid of, Celestia thought to herself. “Hey, chin up. You don’t mess things up. Trust me, I know.” That was… oddly reassuring. Celestia was surprised to find herself smiling at the temporally-backed statement. Perhaps she had been wrong. “Anarchy, I’m sorry.” It gave her a sly look. “What for?” “You already know what I’m going to say, don’t you?” “Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t say it.” “I’m sorry for expecting the worst of you. I think with some time, we could become friends.” Celestia’s couldn’t keep herself from recoiling slightly when Anarchy gave a wide, toothy grin. What she didn’t expect was for one of its jet black wings to extend, perfectly covering the unnatural teeth while leaving the upper half of its face visible. “I’m glad to hear that, Celestia.”
