Ethereal Chaos

Twilight woke up the next morning, seeing her bed empty and looked around the room. She saw Spike wasn't in his usual bed either and walked downstairs, following a very pleasant scent coming from the kitchen and found Infernalo setting out a stack of pancakes when he looked up to see her.

“Good morning, Twilight, how did you sleep?” he asked. Twilight looked at him confused.

“How long have you been up?” she asked.

“About an hour or two; why? Would you like some pancakes? They're fresh.” Twilight sat down and had one.

“These are so good,” Twilight said between bites, remembering the breakfast Frostburn had laid out for her the day she'd allowed them to stay in her house. “Baking must run in your family.”

“My father was a very good cook,” Infernalo said. “We weren’t really very close, or at least not as close as he was to my sisters, but I learned a lot by watching him.” Twilight looked down at his hooves. She'd noticed the spikes on his hooves before, and it said in his books that it was as common a physical trait on Trossels as unicorns' horns or pegasi's wings, though the book never went into much more depth that she could see. Twilight did feel the need to ask, but wanted to word it properly and not seem too rude.

“Infernalo,” Twilight started.

“You want to know about these,” he inquired, looking down at the spikes, “I don't need to be a Thought Trossel to put something like that together. These spikes are used to draw up magic from the planet, a result of our evolution due to our ancestors safeguarding the Magical Elements, which I'm sure you went over in my books. Our powers are derived from the roots that our parents and their ancestors have, meaning that a Trossel can discover any number of powers upon their cutie mark's reveal.” Twilight raised an eyebrow at his last statement.

“What do you mean ‘discover’ your cutie mark?” she asked. Infernalo tilted his head to one side, as his sister had done many times.

“Our cutie marks reveal themselves when our powers come,” he explained, “I remember the day I found out about my cutie mark. The sun was supposed to rise when I woke up, but instead it was completely pitch black. When the light did come back on, I had my halo and cutie mark. As for the magic and flight, that's mostly derived from years and years of natural selection, adaptation, and a variety of other factors including breeding.” Before Twilight could ask any more questions Infernalo's sisters and Leafwind rushed downstairs in a hurry, and they wasted almost no time with eating the rest of the pancakes.

“Your pancakes are always the best, big brother,” Frostburn said, just as giddy as ever.

“I'm heading off to help Applejack with the rest of the harvest,” Infernalo said. Stonebolt zipped after him.

“Can I come too,” she asked. Infernalo shrugged and nodded, going off on his way.

“Rarity asked Steelmind to watch the boutique while she's away,” Frostburn said. “So he asked me to help.” Infernalo walked over to Twilight.

“Twi,” he whispered. “Trust me when I say you'll probably need some popcorn and a camera for that.”

“I think you should have a little more faith in her than that,” Stonebolt interjected.

“It's Frostburn,” he said. “Now where's Spike? I figured he'd be up by now. Leafwind, have you seen him?” she shook her head.

“Not since last night,” she said. “I'm sure he'll turn up, though.” Twilight nodded, as the Trossels left. Infernalo finally stopped halfway to the farm, as Stonebolt pulled back a bit.

“You aren't coming along with me to Applejack's so you can try to talk to her brother, are you?” he asked. Stonebolt looked off distantly, pretending she didn't hear him but knew that he could see right through her.

“Maybe,” she said sheepishly. “He just seems so quiet, and I want to know more about him. You can't tell Frostburn at all.”

“Why?” he asked. “She has a boyfriend, one that you told her about.”

“It's complicated,” she said dismissively, trotting a bit faster as Infernalo tried to catch up with her. When they finally got there, Applejack and Big Mac were halfway through what was left of the harvest.

“Howdy Infernalo, Stonebolt,” Applejack said. “'bout time y'all got here. Take a break, Big Macintosh. Infernalo here can handle the rest.” The red earth pony nodded and trotted off, while Stonebolt following him.

“So, Infernalo, should we get started?” Applejack asked. Infernalo nodded, and flew up above the trees to scan the area.

***

Leafwind was sitting around in Apple Bloom's clubhouse, waiting for the others. She heard the familiar sound of Scootaloo's scooter coming closer and went outside to greet the three.

“Hi guys,” she said. “I was wondering when you'd get here.”

“Leafwind, you're smart enough, right,” Sweetie Belle asked. Leafwind thought about the question for a moment. She'd never actually considered herself all too smart; she associated with a lot of ponies she considered smart, but not actually herself.

“I guess so,” she said after some thought. “Why?”

“I had this weird dream last night,” the unicorn admitted.

“About Steelmind,” Scootaloo asked. Sweetie glared at her furiously and continued.

“Leafwind, how did you get your cutie mark?” Sweetie asked. The Trossel looked down at her flank, wondering about it.

“I don't exactly think that getting my cutie mark is the same thing as other kinds of ponies getting theirs,” Leafwind explained. “I was just watching Frostburn do this new trick she learned, then there was this swirling wind that circled around me, and then when it stopped, I had my cutie mark.”

“That’s pretty weird,” Scootaloo said.

“And so unfair!” Apple Bloom said, “Yer cutie mark just up an’ appeared! I’ve been trying to get mah special talent to show up fer years!”

“Special talent?” Leafwind said quizzically.

“Your cutie mark just appeared when you got your powers I guess,” Sweetie Belle explained, “For other kinds of ponies we have to find the one thing that we’re best at; a special talent.”

“What are you, a dictionary?” Scootaloo asked.

“Well, seeing as how my cutie mark appeared when I got my powers, my cutie mark could be my powers themselves,” Leafwind suggested.

“Um…okay?” Scootaloo answered.

“What was your dream about, Sweetie Belle,” Leafwind asked. Sweetie Belle focused, not coming up with anything.

“I can’t remember,” she said. “I remember something about a tall black pony in a robe, and then…”

“Black pony,” Leafwind asked. She remembered when the Cursed Trossels arrived in her home. The bright orange eyes of Frarae seemed to pierce through the thick mist. “I don’t think it means anything; Infernalo says dreams only mean something when they happen a lot.”

***

Infernalo used his Darkness power to blast at several trees in a line, knocking down the apples as they fell into the baskets below them, Applejack watching him before he lifted the baskets onto the wagon using his magic.

“I think that's the last of them,” he said, wiping some of the sweat from his face.

“Infernalo,” Applejack said. “Ah know this sounds stranger than a two-headed chicken, but what are ya interested in?”

“I'm not sure I understand,” he said, following alongside her as she pulled the wagon.

“Well, I'm sayin' what do ya want in a mare,” she asked. Infernalo nodded thoughtfully.

“I'm certainly interested in somepony who's very loyal and honest, somepony smart and assertive, but still very approachable. Why?”

“Oh, no reason,” Applejack assured him. “Just makin' small talk is all. Heard from my cousin somepony was stirring up all kinds a trouble 'bout two days ago.”

“I see,” he said, simply dismissing it as, more likely, some other Trossel.

***

Aquashine looked on at one of the unicorns in the audience and winked at him. She stepped down from the stage as he watched her approach.

“Hey handsome,” she said, “I couldn't help but notice you watching me.” he started sweating a bit, and she took notice. “I never said I didn't like it.”

“Y-you did-didn't,” he asked, trying not to choke on his words. Aquashine knew she had him right where she wanted him.

“What do you say we get to know each other a little more,” she said. “I'm going to be in town all week, and I need somepony to show me around a bit.” He nodded eagerly, Aquashine giving a soft smile. “Pick me up at my trailer around six. I'll be waiting.” She left, Trixie watching the entire thing from behind the curtains.

“Trixie is very impressed,” the unicorn said. “You certainly seem to have quite a way with stallions.” Aquashine scoffed.

“Please, Trix,” she said lazily. “It's just too easy to tease boys. You just bat your eyes, swing your hips, and they'll jump off a bridge for you. Besides, it's all just so boring; there's no challenge, no hunt, just prey. Where's the sport in that?”

“Trixie does see your conundrum,” she said, taking off her cape and hat. This was the first time Aquashine recalled ever noticing Trixie’s horn before. “She—I remember a stallion of my own from long ago. We had fun together, but then we had to…go our separate ways. Was there ever…somepony for you?” Aquashine thought back, remembering a lot of her old flings but then stopped at Infernalo. She hadn’t really thought of him as anything else but an accessory, but he really did seem to want her for himself more than anypony she’d flirted with. The Light Trossel cleared her throat.

“Well, not really. I’ve never had anypony drag me down for more than a week or two; I’m just not the kind of girl who’s easily tied down to one stallion y’know.” Trixie nodded, hanging both on a nearby coat rack.

“Trixie supposes that you and that stallion will be, how you say, hanging out?” Aquashine scoffed.

“I wasn’t serious; he doesn’t know that, though. I’ll let him show me around, act like I’m so into him, and then move on to the next one. That’s just the kind of mare I am.”