Ethereal Chaos

Leafwind, having left the building, flew off, feeling the cool relaxing tranquility of the wind in her mane when she saw Infernalo high on a hill. She flew down and landed next to him.

“Have fun at your first party, kid?” he asked. She nodded.

“Everypony here seems so nice,” she said. “I just needed some time to myself. Is that why you're here?” he nodded.

“When I was your age, I always used to just go up to a hill like this and look up at all the stars,” he said.

“I didn't know they had stars back then,” Leafwind said giggling. Infernalo playfully pushed her aside. “What are you thinking about?”

“Leafwind,” he said. “You aren't really old enough, but once you are and you've seen just how much the world around you has changed, you start to wonder about everything that you could've done but now you can't.”

“Growing up sounds hard, huh?” Leafwind asked and Infernalo nodded.

“You don't even know the half of it yet. You're young, you got a lot to learn, a lot to see, a lot to experience. It's times like this where we just have to stop trying to keep up with the world and just watch things run their course before we wake up one day from our casket and realize that we never did anything worth being remembered for.” he laid back against the cool grass, Leafwind doing the same, deep in thought about what he'd said. The two just gazed up at all the beautiful stars in the sky, as Infernalo was able to identify all the constellations. He looked down at noticed Leafwind snuggling up next to him, hugging him close to her.

“Frostburn was right,” she said. “She is lucky to have a big brother like you.” Infernalo put his hoof around her.

“I'd be lucky to have a baby sister like you, kiddo.” she smiled. Infernalo was reminded of the nights he’d spend with his mother, who he’d kept a close relationship with throughout his foalhood. He was never very close to his father, unlike his sisters, but he never outwardly resented him; his mother at least had a connection to him through her own Darkness abilities, passing her training on to him. Leafwind saw him deep in thought, wondering about what her friends were up to back at the party.

“Infernalo,” she said. “I think I should be getting back. They’ll probably be wondering where I am right now.” He nodded absently, shaking his head clear.

“That’s fine, unless you’d like to stay a bit longer.” Leafwind stopped and sat back down. She knew that she really shouldn’t in the back of her mind, but convinced herself that she could always make it up to them.

***

“Girls, what happened to Leafwind,” Sweetie asked finally as the party was winding down.

“Ah though she just went out to get some fresh air,” Apple Bloom said.

“Hey, but that was, like, an hour ago,” Scootaloo said. The girls wondered what could’ve happened to their new friend, before finally Apple Bloom stood up. “Apple Bloom, where are you going?”

“Girls, if she’s lost, we should go and try t’ find her. She’d probably do the same fer us.” Scootaloo followed, Sweetie Belle not yet convinced.

“Now wait, what if she does come back and we’re not here?”

“If she would’ve come back, then she would’ve shown up again by now.” Sweetie Belle tried to make a counter point, but nothing came to mind. She sighed and followed them. After another hour, the guests slowly started leaving, most saying how surprised they were by how familiar the Trossels had seemed. Rarity looked around the empty room with Applejack, neither one finding their sisters.

“Rarity, have ya seen Apple Bloom anywhere,” Applejack asked. The white unicorn shook her head

“I can't find Sweetie Belle anywhere either,” Rarity said frantically. “What if something terrible happened to her? I just wouldn't be able to live with myself.”

“Rarity, relax,” Steelmind assured her. “I'm sure that she probably just went home or is with her friends.”

“Ya think she'd be with Apple Bloom,” Applejack asked. Applejack was no less worried than Rarity about her little sister, but was much better under pressure. Steelmind nodded, more to console the two than out of genuine fact.

“C'mon,” Stonebolt said to Applejack. “I'll take you home.” Applejack nodded while Twilight and Steelmind accompanied Rarity, Zephyroak following. She’d seen her cousin leave the party a few hours ago, but knew that she’d eventually turn up at some point, by far the most optimistic of them. Stonebolt turned to her sister, Frostburn having passed out after one too many glasses of punch. “Pinkie, could you take AJ back home?” Pinkie Pie nodded, skipping next to the farm filly while Stonebolt nudged Frostburn awake. “Frosty, you okay?” The Ice Trossel groaned, the fatigue of her sugar crash hitting hard. She looked around and saw the party ended. “It’s time to go home.”

“What about Leafwind,” she asked.

“Leafwind’s probably with Infernalo. If I know him, those two are probably just watching the moon.”

***

“Leafwind,” Scootaloo called. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had been searching for their friend for a while now. Scanning their surroundings, they realized they had started to enter the Everfree Forest.

“Maybe we should turn back,” Sweetie said, seeing a pair of threatening eyes peeking out from some nearby bushes. She turned, but they had already vanished. The filly broke into a brisk trot to keep up with her friends.

“Not till we find Leafwind,” Scootaloo said. They heard a distant noise that sounded like a timberwolf. “We can't turn back now.” As the group reluctantly continued to advance, Apple Bloom stepped on a twig. They all looked around and heard something swoop past them, as they screamed. Leafwind’s ears perked up at the distant sound.

“Did you hear something,” Infernalo asked. “It sounded like it came from the forest on the outskirts of town.”

“We’ve got to go check it out,” Leafwind said urgently. She climbed onto his back and they vanished into a dark void. The three fillies were huddled together in a cluster, shaking with fear as an awoken manticore emerged from the thicket and slowly advanced on them. A dark void opened up from the ground and Infernalo rose up, hurling a dark wave of energy at the beast, knocking it away into the distance. He turned to the three, who still cowered over him, before Leafwind stepped off his back.

“Leafwind, you're okay,” they said relieved, they all crowded around her hugging their friend at the realization that she was safe. They looked up at the imposing dark pony in front of them and hid behind her.

“It's okay, girls,” she assured them. “This is the pony I was telling you about, Frostburn's big brother Infernalo.” They crept out from behind her and looked up at him in amazement, especially Scootaloo, who clung to his leg gratefully. “Infernalo, these are my new friends Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo.”

“Thank you so much for saving us,” the pegasus filly said.

“You weren't scared, were ya,” Apple Bloom asked curiously. Scootaloo opened her eyes and released her grip on Infernalo's leg.

“You were scared too,” she shot back.

“Yes,” Infernalo said unamused. “Well, I’m sure that I should take you all back to your homes. Hopefully, this little incident won’t be brought up again.” The four followed him eagerly, Sweetie Belle skipping up to him.

“Is that manticore still okay,” she asked naively. He didn’t meet her glance, but answered anyway.

“It’s likely that a full grown manticore would survive a blunt trauma, though given its trajectory, speed, and the likelihood of just how many branches will most likely break its fall on the way down, it won’t get off with anything less than a few scrapes or a flesh wound or two.” He met her confused expression before turning back. “Yes, he’ll be fine.”

***

Rarity was pacing back and forth nervously, before Twilight stepped in front of her.

“Rarity, calm down,” Twilight ordered. “I'm sure that Sweetie Belle will be back sooner than you think.”

“I know, Twilight,” Rarity said, rationalizing with herself. “It's just, I just wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything were to happen to her.” There was a knock at the door, and Rarity opened it to find Infernalo standing in the doorway with Sweetie Belle.

“I assume this is yours,” he inquired. Rarity lit up, tears of joy welling up in her eyes.

“Sweetie Belle, you're okay!” the two embraced tightly, Rarity relieved to see her sister was unharmed.

“I’m fine, sis,” the filly assured her. “Infernalo saved me from a manticore in the Everfree Forest.” Rarity raised an eyebrow quizzically at the filly’s remark, turning to the Darkness Trossel.

“It’s complicated,” Infernalo said. “Well, I suppose that it has been a long night. I’ll be seeing you in the morning, Rarity. It was nice meeting you, Sweetie Belle, regardless of circumstances. Twilight?” Twilight left and was followed by Infernalo, Steelmind entering with Zephyroak.

“I see Sweetie Belle's okay,” he said.

“It was a very, very nice gesture of yours to try looking for her, Steelmind,” Rarity said. He nodded and went up to his room.

“I should probably follow him,” Zephyroak said. “I'm so exhausted that I don't think I'll wake up until next August, or noon; whichever comes first.” the Sky Trossel trotted after him up the stairs.

Infernalo entered the house via another of his portals and silently tried to creep up the stairs, careful not to disturb Leafwind, who was sleeping soundlessly on his back. When he got back up to his bed, he dropped Leafwind in her small makeshift bed beside Frostburn’s, the Fire Trossel sound asleep, and tucked her in, creating a dark sheet and draping it over her. Just as he got in bed, Stonebolt hugged him.

“That was really sweet what you did,” she said. “I told you it'd be nice to give this place a chance.” Infernalo smirked a bit.

“Anypony would've done it,” he said modestly.

“Anypony brave or stupid enough to stand up to a manticore maybe,” she said. “By the way, what do you think of Twilight's friends?” Infernalo thought for a minute then answered.

“Rarity seems very nice, Fluttershy's pretty cute, Rainbow Dash is very fascinating to me, as is Applejack, and Twilight...” he trailed off, not knowing what words he could use to describe her. “Twilight is…certainly one pony I’d enjoy picking her brain.”

“What about Pinkie,” Stonebolt inquired. Infernalo scoffed in disbelief.

“I already have somepony bouncy, childish, and annoying in my life,” he explained. “I call her Frostburn.” he chuckled a bit at his own joke. Stonebolt rolled her eyes and said, “Why do you think they get along so well?” before falling to sleep. Infernalo shut off the light and saw Frostburn tossing and muttering because of a nightmare. He used his magic to tuck her in tighter, and she relaxed.

“You're the best big brother in the world,” she said sleepily, falling back asleep. Infernalo drifted off himself, smiling at how the day had transpired.