Heirs of Chaos

An unscheduled thunderstorm looms over central Lunavale. Eventide Carol, East-Northeast Wind, and Doctor Calluna trek through the backstreets, picking off sticks and garbage and dirt that have collected on their long journey from the hospital. Though usually a three hour trot, two full days passed, all under the cover of the cloud and storm. The trio has been forced to take a roundabout path to the home of Eventide's father, making sure their adversaries were not trailing them, and the wounds they haven't gotten a chance to heal from slowed their journey even further. Despite their best efforts, the group arrives drenched in sweat, smoke, and mud.

Even now, they have to travel up six levels to Monsoon. Each step makes Eventide sway, the other two faring little better. A distinct rot filled their snouts as the group approached Monsoon's flat. Warily, Wind slams a hoof against the door, shouting, 'Yo, Monsoon! It's us!' His shout is left with silence, so he shouts again, 'Old man, hurry up already if you value your door!' Nothing. 'Tch, well you better at least stay away from the door!'

Wind spins back, and bucks the door. The hinges fly off, and the trio step into the empty room. More than devoid of life, the studio flat is, at best, sparsely decorated. On the far end, the most prominent furnishing is a redwood table, holding two teacups- one untouched and the other left in a sorry state- and a large box which bends the table from its weight. The trio is drawn to the package, and Wind reads a note placed at its side,

'We stopped by to recover some property, but decided, since we aren't really in need of it, to leave this for your family.'

'The hell is that supposed to mean?' asks Eventide.

'I think it has to do with that stench,' says Calluna, 'Eventide, go check outside if anyone looks suspicious.'

'You're trying to get rid of me?'

'I'm trying to get you to check outside.'

'Not until you open the box.' Eventide and Calluna stare each other down. Accusation burns in Eventide's eyes, and concern drips from Calluna's. Eventide takes a step forward, which Calluna matches.

'Eventide Carol, as your doctor, I insist you drop this right now,' Calluna orders. Eventide takes a step back, and Calluna sighs. He leaps over and tears open the box from its side.

A blue leg peeks through the opening, covered in a tuft of white and tan hair. Eventide steps back in disbelief.

How could they have gotten here already? Eventide thinks, Damn it Eventide, pull yourself together! Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in breathe out breatheinbreatheoutbreathe-

A hoof forcibly turns Eventide away from the body of his father, and he recoils, before looking back to Calluna glaring at him in a flurry of emotions. 'Trust your doctor,' says Calluna. She places her hooves on Eventide's back, hugging him.

'It doesn't make sense,' mutters Wind, 'They need him!' Calluna releases her embrace to turn towards Wind, asking,

'Something you need to share?' Wind doesn't meet her gaze, instead scanning the room. After a moment, he sighs, answering,

'There's a magic artifact so dangerous, Pʀɪɴᴄᴇꜱꜱ Cᴇʟᴇꜱᴛɪᴀ herself couldn't risk holding the knowledge of how to find and use it.'

'So what,' scoffs Eventide, 'Monsoon can- could…'

'Damnit! He's gone but he's right here,' Wind remarks, 'But no, he knew how to restore Her Majesty's memory.'

'Why Monsoon?' asks Calluna.

'I cannot explain it all,' Wind continues, 'There is much information that he never shared with me, but one thing I do know of.'

'Hurry up and tell us then!'

'He knew somepony from the Crystal Frontier, a master of the combat arts, nephew of Pʀɪɴᴄᴇꜱꜱ Mɪ Aᴍᴏʀᴇ Cᴀᴅᴇɴᴢᴀ.'

'She has one of those? So we have to find him.' Calluna scans the twisting city streets outside the window. 'It looks like we're close to the railway station.'

'They found Monsoon,' Eventide says, 'How can we be sure they won't catch us on the train, we'd be sitting ducks locked in there.'

'Well, are we gonna trot northward for a month?'

'Trotting? No,' Wind says, flexing a wing.

'Ah, we have those, don't we? Then get some rest,' Calluna offers, 'I can keep watch for the night.'

'What about Monsoon's body?'

Calluna sighs, and trots towards the box. 'I don't know if it's safe to report, we could be stuck here for weeks, maybe months for an official investigation.' She decides to examine the body, collapsing open the box.

A piece of Monsoon's foreleg falls out, cleaved, decomposed, but the cut is clean, surgically so. Most of the leg, including the shoulder, is missing, but the rest of Monsoon is perfect, no scar, no blood. Warily, Calluna presses a hoof against his back. She quickly retracts her hoof as it burns with cold. 'I don't- I cannot tell if he's really dead!'

Eventide looks at the body of his father. 'What monster could do this?' he exclaims. 'I-if this is somepony's factor, or a curse, then- then maybe he's still alive!'

Calluna shakes her head. 'There didn't seem to be a heartbeat, but it's like he's frozen in time.'

'We have to move him, but how can we avoid suspicion?'

'Well, if you didn't tear the box open.'

'I cannot believe you even considered carrying Monsoon in a giant gift box!'

Wind steps between Eventide and Calluna, separating the two by unfurling his wings. 'Enough,' he utters, 'We can't stay here anyhow, busted doors are pretty damn noticeable. You two just go on, maybe hire one of those airplanes. I'll watch over Monsoon, get stuck down here with investigators while you find Cadenza.'

'An airplane?' Calluna questions, 'Yes, that could do. And you, just watch out for that damn deer.'

Eventide sighs, then brings hoof to forehead in a salute. 'Then Celestia be with you,' he says. He trots to the back window, opening it, and leaping out. 'Make haste, I can't stand flying in the rain.'

'Yes, you wouldn't be flying then,' states Calluna, hopping out behind him. The two thestrals soar northwest, crossing block after block. For a moment, Eventide falters as rainfall licks the many scratches on his body, but he presses forth.

Minutes pass to a half hour, and the buildings start to space themselves, fields supplant alleys, and towering complexes turn to simple stores. The duo swoop down as they come up on a small shack connected to a great, fenced-in dirt field.

Through the window, a clerk glances up from his book at Calluna and Eventide. He's a light brown unicorn with a smooth, maroon mane and purple eyes. He slides the window open calling, 'You two look a sorry lot. You ain't running from the law, are you?'

'N-no,' Eventide says. Calluna pushes him away, giving a smooth, calculated response,

'Our home got fucked up in a fire, only place to go is our family out in Crystal City.'

'Crystal Empire, huh? Awfully far, you'd need a trimotor,' states the clerk, 'Three hundred bits.'

'H-hundred? Three?' wonders Eventide.

Calluna pushes him back again, and looks back to the clerk, nodding. 'I will need to withdraw the funds, will it be ready by then?' she asks.

'I ain't gonna wake the pilots before you even have proof you can pay,' the clerk notes.

Eventide rhythmically trots back to the window. What the fuck are you about to try, Eventide Carol? thinks Calluna.

'Mister-' Eventide pauses to look at the clerk's name tag, before continuing, '- Flywheel, perhaps we could give you a little something extra to convince you then?' Then, to Calluna's horror, he flutters his eyes seductively at Flywheel.

'I- well, if you mean- I wouldn't want to take advantage-'

'Shh, shh.' Eventide places a wingtip on Flywheel's muzzle, but Calluna forcibly drags him away.

'What in Celestia's name are you doing?' asks Calluna.

'I thought I'd honor Monsoon's memory by being a whore like him.'

Calluna states at Eventide, mouth agape. Eventide brings up a hoof to carefully close her jaw, but she steps away, saying, 'Good luck then. Don't snog him so long you forget to start the plane.'

Thankfully, once Calluna leaves and returns, a plane lies just inside the fence, a 15 meter long trimotor with a 25 meter wingspan and an enclosed cabin. Eventide and Flywheel stand outside, in front of a simple step stool to the passenger cabin. She flies over the fence, tossing Flywheel the sack of payment. He counts it as Calluna and Eventide enter the plane. With half a dozen seats, they end up sitting opposite each other.

'You're cleared!' shouts Flywheel, having finished counting up the bits. The copilot closes the cabin door shut, and the plane's engine grows louder as it picks up speed.