Heirs of Chaos

'As you are aware, the three tribes of ponykind each have a special connection: the Earth ponies to the ground they till; the pegasi to the skies they fly across; and the unicorns to the great, arcane auras which line matter. There is, however, a fourth tribe, long forgotten, with a connection of their own.'

'Thestrals. I know about thestrals, pops. You married a thestral, I'm a thestral. Or have you forgotten Petunia already?'

Eventide Carol- a bat pony stallion with deep red-violet fur and eyes and a forest green mane in an impossibly vertical coiffure- sat in the dimness of his cellar, listening unsurely to his formerly estranged father's bizarre ramblings.

'Except that is the fifth tribe, created by Nightmare Moon,' replied Eventide's father, Monsoon. He was an Earth pony, his fur raven black, save for a grey, 'q'-shaped discolor on his shoulder. Monsoon's white, medium cut hair fell to either side of his face with a light curl and streaks of tan. His sullen green eyes locked with Eventide's. 'Before the thestrals, there was a tribe born of Discord.'

'Discord, the Draconequus? But that's impossible!'

'It is my lineage-' Monsoon placed his hoof on his 'q'-mark, then on a similar, barely noticeable mark which has barely formed on Eventide. '-it is your lineage.'

Eventide pulled away from his father. 'How? If it's another kind of pony, how can we be both?'

'Same principle as an Alicorn, is it not?'

'Tch, sounds more like a trait than a tribe, but, say I'm playing along. Why tell me this now?'

'For the past forty years of my life, I thought myself long detached from the powers of chaos, but something has changed.' Monsoon closed his eyes, and his mark shone. Its luminosity nears irritation to Eventide's eyes, then spikes before dropping to a dull glistening.

Eventide showed only confusion, until he saw a dull figure pass through a shelf. Even in monochrome, the mare that appeared was instantly recognizable, dragging tears from Eventide's eyes.

'Mom! Then you can…' Eventide trailed off, but Monsoon responded,

'Yes, I can call forth the spirits of the dead.' The ghost dissipated as Monsoon shook his head, his mark no longer luminescent. 'But when I discovered this power,' continued Monsoon, 'it was with the ghost of the legendary Daring Do.'

'I thought she was fiction!' exclaimed Eventide.

'She made her bits by parading her exploits as stories. Not any more, however. She was killed by a Discordian.''

'Please tell me that's a working title.'

'Well, what do you want? Chaos pony?'

That sounds good, actually, thought Eventide. 'So, is it something to do with your cutie mark talent?' he said, nodding at the skull on his father's flank- a representation of his knack for archaeology.

'That was just an off chance, it's chaos magic we're talking about.'

'So do you want me to find mine? That doesn't sound too simple.'

'I am hoping you have a combat ability, which I intend to force out. Why do you think I chose to talk in your cellar?'

'I think you recall I forced you out last time we fought.'

'He's not the one doing the fighting,' spoke a new voice, a deep red hippogriff with an ice blue mullet, and sure enough, his shoulder was also marked. 'You'll find my ability to be much more… complementary to battle.'

'And who do I have the pleasure of beating up?' spat Eventide.

'Feisty one eh? I, East-Northeast Wind, will humble you.' With a harsh squawk, and a shine of Wind's mark, a quake tossed about the cellar

Eventide's hooves spread out across the floor, his wings shooting out to balance. He lifted himself off the ground, nearly clipping his wings against a shelf. 'All you've done for me is force this to be an air battle.'

'And that's what I excel at,' replied East-Northeast Wind as he calmly fluttered into the air himself.

'I would hope so.'

'Let me clean that smirk off your face. Hey Monsoon, permission to go all out on your foal?'

Monsoon answers without hesitation, 'Just try not to kill him.'

Eventide shot forward, his muzzle tearing open to bare his fangs. Just a meter away, he banked right, the same heading Wind dodged to. Eventide sank his fangs into Wind's neck, but Wind contorted himself to slam the both of them into the floor, which, with help from Wind's ability, split open, dropping Eventide against the sharp, shattered foundation and releasing Wind.

East-Northeast Wind rubbed the side of a talon against the bite marks Eventide left, gloating, 'One move and you're already helpless, left in my mercy!' He prepared his talons to strike the immobile Eventide. Wind swung down, drawing blood across his opponent's face. His talons came up again, flinging blood across the cellar. Eventide only looked at Wind, who prepared another strike. Eventide's face was scored again, blood leaking onto one of his eyes. 'Do you think you're a tough kid or something,' asked Wind, 'Why don't you strike back already? This is starting to tire me!'

Wind vigorously shook Eventide's blood off his talons, then lunged, beak wide open. He never reached Eventide; the air between them shone with a trembling thunder, the air pulsing. Every cider bottle in the cellar shattered, and the ground gave way to free Eventide. The blast flung Wind into a shelf, but the shelf did not halt him, covering him in splinters and glass shards as he hit a second shelf, which toppled as Wind rolled off onto the ground. Eventide pulled himself from the tear in the ground, his face drenched in his own blood.

'I have played your game, Monsoon,' called Eventide, 'You're covering the expenses.'

'Ouch, you ask me to hoof the bill,' says Monsoon, 'but you won't even call me dad.'

'Earn it. No, it is far too late for that, just get out of my house.'

'It was the same pony.'

'What are you talking about now?'

'The pony that killed Daring Do, and the pony that killed Petunia.'

'You were off rutting Celestia knows who when mom died, now, after years, you want to avenge her!'

'That killer is a threat. I do not know the full extent of their power, they could be a greater foe than even the Elements of Harmony have faced, and I believe it our destiny to bring them to justice!'

Eventide hesitated, but finally answered, 'Fine, I'll do it. Not to dirty mom's name with vengeance, not for your glory, but to make sure no innocent pony gets hurt.'

'Then get yourself to the hospital before your endorphins fade.'