Dancing With the Devil by Alchemical Night

Paperwork 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.”