I Am Not a Monsterby LeechadorChaptersA Chaotic Evening (Edited)FamiliaritiesFruits of His LaborIntermission: Hearts and HoovesSecrets, Lies, Dangers, and SpiesMeet Me In My Dreams TonightA Chaotic Evening (Edited)"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." --Abraham Lincoln I Am Not a Monster! Princess Celestia walked through the hallways of Canterlot Palace, looking dreary and depressed. She kept her head looking at the floor, watching her reflection dance across the marble, swaying with each step. She was fine, except for one thing. The day was the anniversary of Discord's first defeat, and original imprisonment in the statue garden. Normally, somepony would be elated to know this, but it dreaded Celestia more than even Luna knew, or rather remembered. None of the history books mentioned it. Luna barely even remembered what Discord did with the last of his magic. Celestia approached the doorway of her bedroom, relieved that there was no paperwork to be done for the night. Yet. She opened the door, nodding slightly to the single guard stationed outside, and entered the chamber. It was a very simplistic room. An enchanted cloud bed, a bookshelf, a fireplace, and a balcony to raise or lower the sun. After locking the door, the princess mindlessly walked to her bed, almost like a zombie, and fell down onto it. For the first time since Luna returned, she cried. She poured her soul into the fluffy white pillows, regretting the events that occurred over a thousand years before. "Why him and not me?" She mustered, in between sobs. "Discord should have turned me to stone, instead!" She cried for several minutes, remembering the last moments before Discord was sealed in his stone prison. She wiped the tears from her eyes, and stood back up. She focused on a small purple sphere on the top shelf of the nearby bookshelf, and hit it with a beam of magic. Unlike the normal golden aura that she normally used, this beam was a dark purple-and-green in color. Dark magic. The orb floated to the middle of the room, and fell onto the floor, flattening out and causing a stairway to form. Sighing heavily, the solar princess started her descend down the long stairway. She noticed the gradual change from the white marble of the palace, into the dull crystals of the abandoned mines below the city. Since Cadence's wedding, she had personally helped "explore" the caves, despite already knowing about them. she also helped in the effort to try to drive out the several changelings who managed to infiltrate the city once more. As she reached the bottom of the mine, she looked ahead at the statue in the center of the cavern. Similar to Discord, it held somepony inside, but there was more. It wasn’t just anypony. He was very important to Celestia. “Chaotic, I- I’m so, so very sorry. For everything. None of this should have ever happened to you. You were accepted as the heir to my throne. Everypony loved you. Luna loved you. I loved you! But Discord took that away from us both. And I can't reverse it. I'm sorry. I'll find a way to get you out of there. And we'll be reunited once more. Just like the family we are." She took a final glance at the statue of a small colt, and turned around, heading up the staircase. She failed to notice a small crack on the bottom of the statue, slowly growing. Several hours after lowering the sun, Celestia fell down onto her bed, exhausted. Aside from the emotional turmoil she suffered earlier, there was a report from Twilight about some unicorn who got her hooves on the legendary Alicorn Amulet. How she got it was a mystery, but it was a dangerous artifact, nonetheless. The princess had to personally travel to Ponyville to confiscate the amulet, and bring it to the Canterlot Archives, where it would be kept safe. The moment her head fell onto the pillow, Celestia's body instantly relaxed, welcoming the soft cloud. The princess tried to fall asleep, happy that the day was over. "Ughurrugh" Celestia shot up. What was the strange noise? It seemed to come from... below the floor. Nopony knew the chamber under her bedroom was tere. Could somepony- or something have gotten down there? Drowsy and paranoid, the princess used her dark magic trick, and opened up the staircase. "Ughurrugh" There it was again. It sounded louder this time. Illuminating her horn, Celestia began her descend, curious about the strange noise. It almost sounded like somepony was... groaning. She traveled down the seemingly-endless staircase, until she saw the ground below. She cast a small ball of light down, and followed quickly behind. Placing a hoof on the cold stone floor, she quickly illuminated three small lanterns she placed in the cavern placed earlier. They all turned on simultaneously, and Celestia saw the source of the groaning. "No. It can’t be. I have to be dreaming.” This couldn't be a dream. It was too real. Celestia rubbed her eyes with a hoof, but realized something. I never went to sleep. She took a few steps forward, hoping that what she was seeing wasn't a dream. In the center of the room, struggling with the shards of stone on him, was Chaotic. "By the stars... Cha- Chaotic? Is that really y- you? You're free?" The small figure stopped, and looked at the stuttering princess. Even with the lanterns, it was still fairly dark. Celestia continued walking forward, tears filling her eyes, and saw the one thing she had been wanting to see for the past one thousand years. Her son. She fell to her haunches, but still towered over the colt. Using her magic, she accelerated the process of freeing her son. Despite being no more than a simple petrifaction spell, Discord had poured almost every last ounce of his magic into it, as it was originally intended for the princess herself. Unfortunately, the spell was too powerful for Celestia to reverse, even with Luna's help. She had originally placed her petrified son on a pedestal near Discord's statue, purely for sedimentary gain, but had moved it underground three-hundred years prior, as she felt it was a disgrace to put her son on display. She would rather hide him than have ponies laugh at the "silly-looking colt." She was quite honestly surprised that Twilight and Cadence never discovered him when they were imprisoned in the caves. As the last of the stone fell from Chaotic's body, he fell onto his mother's forehooves, barely conscious. Between shallow breaths, he cried his heart out, finally reunited with his mother. His father, however, wouldn't be able to see him. Chaotic lightly wiped his own eyes, but continued to cry. Celestia could barely contain her own tears. Her forehooves were soaked with the colt's tears, but she didn't mind in the slightest. "Ssh, everything's alright. I'm here now, you're not alone... My son." Celestia said, barely above a whisper. "I promise you that I'll never leave you again." "W- why did d-daddy do it?" Chaotic asked. "I thought he l-loved m-me." "Chaotic, your father wasn't feeling right. He was... Sick, alright? I'll explain everything to you tomorrow. I want you to rest. You need to regain your energy." With that said, she scooped him up with her magic, and lightly placed him on her back. Balancing Chaotic with her wings, Celestia began the ascent up the staircase. After re-entering the bed chamber, she plucked Chaotic from her back, noticing the quiet (and adorable) snoring coming from the colt. She placed him on her bed, tucking him in. Celestia kissed him lightly on the forehead, and walked several paces back. Collapsing on the floor, she rubbed her temples, stressed on what to do. "Luna is going to freak out. She probably doesn't even remember." Celestia said to herself, quietly. "Oh well, that's tomorrow's problem." She laid herself down by the extinguished fireplace, and began to fall asleep, exhausted. "Goodnight, my son..." Familiarities"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." --Abraham Lincoln I Am Not a Monster! Celestia awoke just before she was to raise the sun. One of the perks to being an immortal solar goddess was that she's had a lot of time to adjust her internal clock. Wake up right before she had to raise the sun. Easy. Except now, mornings were going to be a little tougher. Especially since they would involve rolling a certain colt out of bed. Celestia gazed over at Chaotic, who was tangled up in the bed sheets. Surpassing a laugh, she walked to the balcony door, and unlocked it, ready to perform her ritual. The solar princess walked onto a special rune on the ground, and began her spell. Soon, the sun began to rise over the horizon, signaling the start of a new day. Celestia walked back indoors, putting on her regalia, and quietly left her bedroom, letting Chaotic sleep. She quietly closed the door behind her, and walked towards Luna's tower. Still exhausted from the previous night, Celestia made a quick stop in the palace kitchen for a mug of coffee. Once she reached the tower, she went to knock, but Luna immediately opened the door, carrying several papers. Instead, Celestia accidentally punched her younger sister. "Ow! Tia!" Luna whined. "What was that for?!" "Sorry, sister." Celestia replied, sheepishly. "There's... something I'd like to talk to you about. Privately." "Well, there's only one place I know where nopony else is." Luna placed the stack of papers inside, and led Celestia down the hallway. "The broom closet? Really?!" "Do you see anypony around?" "Good point. Now, I want to ask you something. Do you remember Chaotic?" "You mean chaos, right? As in Discord?" Celestia sighed. Luna didn't remember. This was going to be a lot more difficult. "No, Chaotic. As in a name. You don't remember, do you?" "No... Are you okay, sister?" "Luna, I'm serious. He's my son. He was born six years before... before Nightmare Moon." "Tia, I want to believe you, but when Nightmare was destroyed, she took every memory from that time with her. I don't remember anything around then. Not even defeating Discord." "Fine. I'll prove it." Celestia grabbed Luna by the horn with her magic, and stormed out of the closet. She ignored the strange glances from nearby guards, and went towards her bed chambers. "Tia, there's no reason you need to drag me. I can walk, you know." "Sorry, Luna. Here, he's sleeping inside." "Your so-called 'son'?" Without saying anything, the elder sister opened the door, and motioned for Luna to remain put. Celestia walked over to the bed, where Chaotic was still sleeping. She lit her horn, and lightly pressed it against the colt's forehead. He awoke with a startle, and somehow managed to unravel the blankets around him. "Chaotic, sweetie, there's somepony who wants to meet you. You remember Aunt Luna?" "Yeah..." He said, groggily. "Luna doesn't really remember you. How about you go remind her." "Okay." He complied. He stood up, stretching his back, and followed his mother. Luna was still waiting outside, albeit with a bored expression on her face. She gazed at her sister, but soon noticed the small colt below. She felt herself die a little on the inside. He looked like Discord, for Faust's sake! "Auntie Luna!" He said, rushing forward. He jumped up and hugged her neck, not letting go. When Luna heard his voice, she started to remember. Celestia's cries of pain in the castle infirmary. Looking into the foal's mismatched eyes. Discord having a breakdown. Chaotic's first words. "Lulu." She muttered under her breath, remembering everything. Even Discord. Despite the pounding headache that had formed in her head, she hugged him back. A single tear had formed under her eye, as she pulled her lost nephew closer. "I see somepony remembers." Celestia said, watching the heart-melting scene in front of her. Less than five minutes, and Luna already remembered Chaotic. Somehow. "And quicker than I expected." "What can I say, your little one is quite adorable." "I'm not denying anything. Now, Chaotic, would you like to come get breakfast?" "I'm not-" His stomach growled. "Fine." He let go of Luna, and fell to the floor. He was tiny compared to the two Alicorns, barely shorter than his mother's knees. He followed the two to the dining hall, where a single maid was cleaning. She was startled by the sudden entrance of the princess... and a third. She bowed slightly, and continued cleaning, never taking her eyes off Chaotic. This single detail troubled him. Was she judging him? What did he do? Farther down the table were two more ponies. One was a white unicorn, and the other was a pink alicorn. They were both eating breakfast together. "Oh, good. They're already here." Celestia walked over to the couple, and said something to them, while Chaotic stayed with Luna. Celestia led the two over to him, where they both stared right at him, with the same condescending eyes as the maid. "Chaotic, I want you to meet your cousin, Cadence." Celestia said to him, "And this is her husband, Shining Armor." "H-hello." Chaotic told them. In all honesty, as comfortable as he was meeting Luna, he was still terrified of meeting strangers. He made eye contact for a second, but immediately shrank away. The alicorn softened her gaze, and kneeled down, until she was at eye level with the colt. He was pressed against his mother's hooves, afraid of Cadence's judgement of him. "Chaotic, you're hurting Cadence's feelings acting like this." Celestia told him, pushing him forward with a single hoof. To his surprise, Cadence didn't say anything about the clear Draconequus in him. Instead, she extended her hoof in friendship. "Hey, we're not going to hurt you." She said, in a soft voice. "You don't need to be afraid of either me or Shining, okay?" Chaotic nodded, his fears lessened by the caring alicorn. Cadence was glad that he was quick to warm up to her. He still looked a little skeptical of Shining, but that could be fixed later. Her husband flashed the colt a smile, to which he relaxed significantly. Celestia glanced at Luna, in a sort of "told you so" manner, and looked back at Chaotic, who seemed to have accepted Cadence and Shining Armor. "Great! Now we can eat." Celestia said, in a very hurried manner. ---- Breakfast was short and uneventful. Chaotic was surprisingly talkative, until that question came up. Shining Armor had asked about his Draconequus features. He started to break down, but Shining had noticed that it was a touchy subject, and quickly dropped the conversation. Afterwards, Celestia had one task in mind, after noticing Chaotic's. 'table manners,' if they could be called that: learning to use his magic. But first, she needed to show him something. "Chaotic, I want you to know something." Celestia began, once they were out of earshot of everypony else. "It's about what happened to your father. I know you don't like to talk about it, but you need to know." "I don't want to see him! He was mean to me!" Chaotic yelled, his sudden outburst alarming to Celestia. "He turned me to-" "Chaotic, that's enough." She raised her voice at him, something she never wanted to do. "Look, I'll show you what happened to him. After... that happened, he was weakened. We- we turned him to stone after. It was the only thing I could think of. I was really angry at what he did to you. He sits in the statue garden." "O-okay..." He said, barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry for yelling, mommy." "It's okay, sweetie. Now, come, I'll show you what became of your father." Fruits of His Labor"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." --Abraham Lincoln I Am Not a Monster! Chaotic stared at the statue in front of him, a strange look on his face. There was his father, encased in stone. Discord had a fearful look on his face, like he was trying to avoid some unseen force. Celestia stood back to allow her son some room. Chaotic didn't appear sad about his father, nor happy. He appeared to be glaring at Discord angrily. That's interesting. I knew he was saddened by Discord's actions, but I never expected him to be angry. I'll have to deal with that later. Celestia thought to herself. She let him be for several moments, until she heard something new. Stepping forward, Celestia had noticed that Chaotic was... crying. Tears welled in the colt's eyes, which he attempted to wipe away with his paw. Celestia laid down next to her son, and draped her wing over him. Her wing covered the colt like a blanket, and he just shrunk away under it. "Chaotic, if you don't want to stay here, I won't force you." Celestia told him. "I told some of the palace maids to fix you up one of the nearby bedrooms. We could go see it, if you'd like." "Okay..." He replied between sobs. They laid there for several moments, until Celestia stood up. Chaotic soon followed, and she led him back inside, past several guards (who were recently informed of Chaotic), and reached the room that the maids set up. Celestia opened the door, and let Chaotic enter first. A maid was just leaving as the two entered the bedroom. Despite being angry just minutes ago, Chaotic seemed to have lightened up. He also seemed to be happy to have his own bedroom. It was a simple-looking room, not unlike the princess' own. Chaotic already appeared to have been getting used to the room. "So, do you like it?" Celestia inquired. "I love it!" Chaotic said, excited to have his own room. Celestia had let Chaotic play by himself for a little bit, while she got a small test ready for him in the dining hall. She was walking down the hallway to get him, when there was an audible crash. Confused, she entered Chaotic's new bedroom, and saw what the commotion was about. Chaotic was fine... hanging from a light on the ceiling. Celestia was beyond confused. "Chaotic, how did you even get up there?" "Mommy, get me down!" He yelled, clearly terrified. Concerned for her son's safety, she grabbed hold of him with her magic, and gently placed him on the floor. "Now, tell me. How did you get up there?" "I was happy, and I was jumping around, and started moving my wings. But when I opened my eyes, I saw the ceiling. Please don't be mad at me!" "Why would I be mad at you, Chaotic? That's wonderful! Your first flight is always important. I think somepony deserves a reward, but first, why don't we get lunch?" "Okay!" He said, excitedly. Chaotic stared at the golden platter placed in front of him. He watched as the lid was engulfed in a golden aura. Licking his lips, he watched as it was lifted off the tray, and gazed at what was underneath. A single grape. "Is this some kind of joke?" He asked, confused. "No, sweetie. It's a test for your magic. Now, I want you to focus on the grape. Try to grab out to it with your horn." Chaotic, as confused as he was, complied. He shut his eyes, and felt like he had a third eye on his forehead. He focused on the grape in front of him, as his horn was engulfed in a faint red glow. Soon, the grape was as well. "You're doing good, Chaotic. Just try to lift it, now." Celestia told him. Chaotic attempted to lift the grape, as it began to shift slightly. As he tried to lift it, he heard a small popping sound, and no longer felt the grape. Opening a single eye, he noticed that most of the grape ended up on his mother's face. "Uh, sorry?" He asked, sheepishly. Celestia wiped the grape juice off her muzzle, and let out a small chuckle. "It's okay. There's plenty more fruit to try to lift. Silver Platter," She called, "Bring in a tray of fruit, please." "Of course, your highness." Chaotic groaned as the orange in front of him split, spraying juice across the table, much to the disappointment of a nearby maid. In the thirty minutes Chaotic had been trying to control his magic, several chefs and maids had come to watch. Nopony (of that generation) had ever seen an alicorn foal try to control his magic before. Even Luna had stopped in to watch her nephew. "Mommy, can I stop now?" Chaotic asked, frustrated. "I can't do it!" "Okay, but only if we try one more." She levitated an apple in front of him. "Now, I want you to imagine picking it up with your hoof, okay? You don't want to drop it, do you?" "No..." "Okay, now just gently try to lift up the apple. Not too high, just enough that it's off the table." The apple was consumed in a red glow, as it began to gently lift up. It floated several inches above the table, and made Celestia smile. The apple exploded. Chaotic dropped it, and jumped back. Celestia recoiled a little bit, shocked that such a small colt could put so much force on an apple. Luna fell back laughing, finding the situation to be hilarious. "Are you okay, Chaotic?" Celestia asked. Chaotic was on the verge of tears, as he thought he was in trouble. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" "Oh, Tia, you made him think that making an apple explode was a serious crime!" Luna said, struggling to catch her breath. "Luna, shush. You're not helping." She looked back at Chaotic, who was still a little shaken from the flaming apple. "You did good, Chaotic. Now, we can eat." She waved to two of the chefs, who brought in a small salad for the each of them. Chaotic followed his mother aimlessly, into the throne room. He hadn't been allowed in the room at all, even before the... incident. He gazed at the large room, taking in the extreme details in the pillars and other small furnishings. Celestia wanted to reward him, and had asked Luna to prepare it. She wanted it to be a surprise. Luna was talking to the chefs at the moment. "Mommy, you never let me come in here before." "I know, Chaotic. I know. I don't have any meetings with any big ponies right now, so I thought I'd show you the throne room. After all, you're going to help rule Equestria one day." "Really?" He asked, suddenly more interested. "What am I gonna do? "Yes, you will. We should probably wait until you get your cutie mark before we make any long term plans now, should we?" "I guess so." "Now, about that reward I promised you before..." Intermission: Hearts and Hooves(AKA the big DisLestia chapter) (Also AKA that "D'aaw" chapter) (Also Also AKA the cheesiest chapter ever) "Where there is love there is life." -Mahatma Gandhi Intermission: Hearts and Hooves 1,007 Years Ago... Celestia waltzed through the hallways of Canterlot Palace, joyfully watching her reflection bounce along the marble tiles that made up the floor. Her pink-turning-rainbow mane swept through the air in an invisible wind, lively as ever. She was very happy, because of what day it was. Many ponies knew of her and Lord Discord's relationship. After all, she was kind of a big deal in the kingdom, being the ruler and all. It was Hearts and Hooves day. Several years ago, she and Discord had fallen in love. During the entire week, both 'Dissy' and Luna had been avoiding her, almost like they were hiding something. Entering her bed chambers, she jumped onto her bed, and began to giggle. "I wonder what Dissy has planned today." She said, giggling. "It has to be special if he's keeping secrets about it." Celestia stood up, and looked around, making sure nopony was watching. She walked over to her bookshelf, and pulled a single book down. In the wall next to it, several hidden gears whirled, and the panel was lifted, revealing a single cake behind it. Licking her lips, she took the knife next to it and cut a small piece from it, and levitated it in front of her mouth. When she began to take a bite, a knock came from her door, followed by a familiar voice. "Oh Celly!" Discord yelled inside. "Are you in there?" "Give me a second, Dissy. I'll be out in a moment." Mentally groaning, she placed the slice of cake with the rest, and closed the hidden panel. She walked over to the door and opened it. In a split second, she was scooped up by Discord, and pulled into a loving embrace. "How's my beautiful princess doing today?" He asked, using the same cheesy pickup line he always said to her. "Whatever you say my lord" She replied, mocking his title. Celestia nuzzled her lover, as he put her back on her hooves. With a small kiss, the two walked down the halls, towards the palace gardens. Discord had always found the gardens to be one of his favorite spots in the castle. It's was simply peaceful. There were never more than three or four other ponies in the garden at once. The two lovebirds sat down in a spot soon reserved for a new statue. Discord had wrapped his tail around Celestia's, essentially trapping her. She giggled, and nuzzled Discord lovingly, before returning her gaze out towards the palace labyrinth. The two stayed there for two hours, before Discord shifted, and produced a small box. Celestia gasped, and realized what it was. "Celestia, simply put, I love you. I have loved you, and I will always love you forever. Will you give me the honor of being as close to you as husband and wife, so we can share the rest of eternity together?" Celestia kept smiling, and hugged Discord tightly, a few tears coming to her eyes. "Yes, Discord. I- I love you so much." Five Months Later... The Solar Princess walked down the wedding aisle, with a smile on her face. She had wed many ponies together, but the concept of actually walking down the aisle as the bride herself was completely alien to her. She followed her three bridesmaids, Sing Along, Tell Tale, and Twilight Wish, down the aisle, past the many ponies gathered to watch her wedding. Discord was standing by the alter, looking severely out of place. When Celestia reached Discord's side, they both turned to face Luna, who (quite comically, due to her being shorter than the both of them) was going to wed them. "Fillies and Gentlecolts," She began, "We are gathered to witness the union of Solar Princess Celestia, and Lord Discord of Concordia. Under Faust's name shall they be wed, and let her watch over them throughout their everlasting marriage." A young unicorn stallion walked up besides the three, wearing a ceremonial robe and levitating a small cup with two rings in it. "Discord, do you take Celestia to be your loving wife? If so, respond 'I do'." "I do." He responded. "Will you care for her for all of eternity, through health and sickness? If so, respond 'I do'." "I do." "Then may Faust watch over and bless you during this marriage." Discord took one of the rings, and slid it down to the base of Celestia's horn. Luna watched with a small smile as he did so, realizing that he would be her brother-in-law. "Celestia, do you take Discord to be your loving husband? If so, respond 'I do'." "I do." "Will you care for him for all of eternity, through health and sickness? If so, respond 'I do'." "I do." "Then may Faust watch over an bless you during this marriage." Celestia levitated the remaining ring onto Discord's eagle talon, signifying the near ending of their marriage. "As we have watched this loving couple wed, may we pray for Faust's eternal guidance over them, as they spend the rest of their days in happiness. Lord Discord, you may kiss your bride." As the two kissed, a roar of cheers erupted, along with the stomping of hooves. The three bridesmaids led the newly-married couple to the front entrance of the chapel, where the wedding was officially called to a happy close. One month, five days, six hours, forty-three minutes, and twenty seven seconds later... Celestia walked through the hallways, looking for her recently-wed husband. She had exciting news for him. After several more minutes, she found him and Luna playing chess in the dining hall. "Hello, dear. You're here just in time to see me destroy your sister. Figuratively, of course." Discord said, referring to the chess game. "You're on, lizard." Luna chirped, cockily. "Discord, it's important." Celestia said, her voice unsure. "Hmm? What is it?" "I- I'm pregnant." Discord's expression fell. Was he ready to be a father? So many questions plagued his mind, until Celestia noticed his insecurity. "Hey, it's going to be fine. Even if a big dolt like you isn't a good father, you'll at least be trying, right? "I know you'll be a wonderful mother." He said, flatly hiding a near-nervous breakdown. Luna jumped up, excitedly. "Does this mean I'll be an aunt? I'll be the best aunt your foal has ever seen!" "Well, you can tell them that nine months from now." Celestia teased. "Fine..." Luna pouted, realizing how long nine months actually was. One pregnancy later... Several howls of pain echoed throughout the palace's medical wing. One crazy pregnancy later, and Celestia had finally broken down. She had gone through a lot in her life, but this topped the cake. The doctors had put a magic inhibitor ring on her horn, just to be safe. Unicorn mares were known for random bursts of magic overload during childbirth. There was no telling what an Alicorn could do. While his wife was going through the trials of a birthing mother, Discord had been reduced to a nervous wreck outside. He had conjured up several glasses of chocolate milk to try to calm himself down, but nothing worked. Even Luna couldn't comfort him, and she was known as the "gentler" of the High Princesses. Several more yelps exited the room, followed by several murmers of "Push!" or "It's okay, princess." After over an hour of waiting, the wailing had stopped. A doctor poked his head out at the draconequus on the floor, laughing quietly. "You can come see your wife, Lord Discord. Congratulations, you are a father to a healthy colt." Discord walked in, to see a disheveled Celestia in the bed. Her normally majestic mane looked almost dead, having stopped flowing. Resting in her hooves was a small, sleeping foal wrapped in towels. Celestia looked at her husband, who was studying the foal with great interest. "Beautiful, isn't he?" She asked him, softly. The colt yawned, and shifted slightly in his mother's grasp. Discord got a better look at him. The colt was like a normal pony, with some... variations. He had a small horn poking up from his forehead, was white-and-grey in color, and had a single miscolored arm. He had a lion's paw, a bat wing, a serpent's tail, and a single fang from his father. "What should we name him?" Discord asked, with a smile. "I have an idea." Celestia replied, looking back down at the newborn. "Chaotic." Secrets, Lies, Dangers, and Spies"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." --Abraham Lincoln I Am Not a Monster! Now, we return to where we left Chaotic... Chaotic jumped in glee when he saw his 'reward' in front of him. Luna had worked with the palace chefs to try to recreate one of Discord's infamous cotton candy clouds. It even rained chocolate milk like Discord's own. Chaotic had sat down under the floating confectionary, drinking the milk raining from it. Celestia and Luna stood next to each other, watching the colt play with the cloud. As he played around, the doors to the throne room were thrown open, and two guards, a unicorn and an earth pony, came inside. "Your majesty- er, majesties." The earth pony said, as they both bowed, seemingly ignoring the trail of chocolate milk... and the colt jumping around under a pink cloud. "We have reports of..." The unicorn began, but stopped when he noticed Chaotic. "With all due respect, your highness, could we speak somewhere more... private, and away from 'young ears'?" "I'll take him, 'Tia." Luna said, "Come, nephew, I have something fun to do." Celestia and the guards watched as the two left the room, before the unicorn spoke up once more. "It's the Cult, your highness. They were caught in an attempted assassination of the mayor of Baltimare, Written Scroll. Among them was Rune Spell, a prominent member of the cult. Upon interrogation, he revealed that they know of your son. They're planning something, princess. And it involves Discord, as well." Celestia became troubled by this. She hadn't revealed him to the general public yet. She was planning on it, but in several days. Somepony in the palace was a spy. A traitor, even. "Thank you, guards. You are dismissed." She told them. The two bowed, and left Celestia alone in the throne room. Who told the Cult of Chaos? She was going to get to the bottom of it, no matter how long it took. Several days had passed, and there was no sign of the Cult anywhere. Chaotic was getting better at using his magic, but hadn't tried flying at all since the first time. Celestia was preparing to reveal him to the rest of Equestria. The guards and maids might not have minded him, but considering how Discord reacted to being set free, and what troubles he caused, that burden might be placed on Chaotic's shoulders as well. But she would help him. He was just a little colt, after all. Even so, he had her, he had Luna, and he had Cadance and Shining Armor to help him. If- when Discord would be released once more, Chaotic would have to confront him, no matter what. The thought troubled Celestia. With how he reacted to the statue, how would he react to his father actually being there? Discord wasn't the most subtle father ever. Chaotic loved him, of course, until the Chaos took over. "Discord" had poured every ounce of his power into a petrifaction spell that even the princesses couldn't break. Once he unleashed it, he proclaimed his victory to the skies, not knowing that he had in fact missed the princesses. He had struck his terrified son. That spell hadn't worn off until over one thousand years, when Celestia's grief was great enough to break it. The princess paced around the throne room, until a guard quietly reminded her that the Day Court was to start soon, after being out off for almost a week. After dismissing said guard, Celestia walked through the castle, until she found Chaotic playing with Cadence and Shining Armor. Cadence noticed her, and lightly poked Chaotic on his side. "Chaotic," Celestia said, alerting him of her presence. "Could you come with me for a little bit? I promise that you can come back, okay?" "Okay, mommy." He said, jumping onto her back. Cadence smiled as he left, happy to foalsit the colt for her aunt. Chaotic sat quietly on his mother's back, wondering what she had in mind. She walked towards the throne room, prepared to announce Chaotic to at least that group of petitioners. With the Cult knowing about Chaotic, she would have to be on her guard. A cult member could very well be one of the petitioners. Of course, these were just the thoughts of not only the great ruler, but also of a concerned mother. She entered the throne room just before the Day Court was to start. As she got Chaotic situated next to her on the throne, Celestia nodded to the guard by the door. As the line of petitioners came before the throne, most of them had a quizzical look as they noticed Chaotic. The colt tried to hide behind his mother's legs, but she prevented him, knowing what to do. "Before I begin the Day Court, I have an important announcement to make." She said, her smile never faltering. She lightly pushed Chaotic forward, so he was in front of her. "This is my son, Prince Chaotic. He has recently returned to me, hopefully for good. He is going to take my place one day. Now, first petitioner." Chaotic followed a royal guard back to Cadence and Shining Armor. Thirty two. Thirty two questions about why Chaotic looked like Discord. Thirty two answers about Chaotic's father. Thirty two surprised- and borderline angry- petitioners. And the Court had only opened an hour ago. Celestia had ordered the guard to escort her son back to Cadence and Shining Armor, in case a cultist was a part of the petitioners. Well, her exact words were "Take him back to his bedroom. If Cadence as Shining Armor aren't there, please keep him entertained." He guessed that meant playing with the colt. It wasn't a problem, really. Valor Point and his wife had a little filly back home. He was familiar with over-active foals. Celestia might have been a little too protective, but it was just a mother worried about her son. Valor led Chaotic back to his bedroom, where Shining and Cadence had recently left. The colt jumped onto his bed, and turned around, facing Valor. "So..." He began, unfamiliar with Chaotic. "What do you want to do, Chaotic?" Chaotic struggled to keep the heavy helmet balanced atop his head. Valor had allowed him to try it on, despite it being larger than the colt's head. "If it's too heavy for you, I can take it off." Valor said. "No, I can- hold it." Chaotic grunted, stubbornly. As if on cue, he fell, bringing the armor with him. Luckily, Valor caught the helmet before it could crush him. Chuckling, he placed the helmet back on his head, covering his shaggy brown mane. Right as he did so, the door opened, and in came another royal guard. "Valor Point, I am here to take the princess' to his mother. She requested that I do so immediately." Valor looked at him, confused. The princess said to watch over him until the day court was over. "State your name and rank, soldier." He said to the other. "Lieutenant Cloud Cover, sir." Valor looked at the armor, and frowned. He had the crest of a corporal, not a lieutenant, on his breastplate. Interesting. "I don't know who you are, but you're not a royal guard. Everything checked out. The voice, the name, the order. Except the armor. That one little detail gave yourself away." Without warning, the earth pony raised his hoof, and punched Valor as hard as he could across his cheekbone. There was a small cracking sound as he did so. As Valor fell to the floor, unconscious, the imposter turned to Chaotic. "Come on, you little runt. We don't want any trouble, now do we? Come with me, or I'll have to take it into my own hooves." Chaotic blinked away tears from his eyes. He had to get to his mother. Stay away from the evil guard. The guard backed Chaotic into the corner of the room, trapping him. As he went to grab the colt, Chaotic ran under his hooves, towards the door. "Come back here, you little brat!" Chaotic left the room, and ran down the hallway, nearly knocking over a plant, towards his aunt's tower. All while being chased by a crazy pony who wanted to hurt him. "Auntie Luna!" Chaotic cried, hoping she would hear him. "Help!" Instead of his aunt, two members of the demonic night guard stepped forward, facing the two running towards them. They noticed the guard chasing him, but before they acted, he punched one of them down with his hoof. Chaotic simply ran to the door, hoping the remaining guard could stop the evil imposter guard. As the night guard activated the shocker claws on his horseshoes, he grabbed the other stallion's back, and sent jolts of electricity down his spine, stunning him. Meanwhile, Chaotic opened the large doors to his aunt's study, where she was writing something. "Who dares interrupt the- oh, nephew. What brings you here?" She asked. "Me and Valor were playing when this guard came in and hurt Valor and chased me here and was hurt by a night guard protecting me and it was scary and I was scared." At this point, there were tears running down his muzzle. Luna laid down next to him, and scooped him into a hug. "There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm here to protect you. You're safe now." She stroked his back as he cried into her chest. "Just let it out, nephew. It's going to be alright." Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." --Abraham Lincoln I Am Not a Monster! "Commander Nightshade." Luna said to the remaining night guard in front of her. "Have the imposter interrogated and sent to a dungeon cell. Do not disturb me, unless it is of the utmost importance." "Yes, princess." He said, turning to the other three guards. "You heard the lady, take him to the basement." "And have a medical team dispatched to Chaotic's chambers to retrieve Noble Cause." "Yes, princess." Luna returned to her chambers, where Chaotic was sitting, still frightened from the events that occurred not fifteen minutes ago. She laid down, and comforted him. After several minutes, the doors were unexpectedly thrown open, and in came Celestia, looking worried. "What happened?!" She half-yelled, "I was told that a stallion dressed like a guard tried to foalnap Chaotic." "Relax, Tia, he is fine." Luna said, as Chaotic bounced up. "As for the imposter, he is being interrogated as we speak." Celestia (albeit roughly) picked Chaotic up with her magic, and pulled him to her chest, into a bone-crushing hug. She held him there, glad he wasn't hurt. After a short while, Celestia placed the colt on the floor, and rubbed her temples. "I just don't understand. How did some random stallion get past the palace security, and get his hooves on a full set of armor? It just doesn't make sense." Celestia said, thinking about what happened. "I hope the palace security is actually stopping anypony from entering parts of the castle." Chaotic said nothing, and watched his mother and aunt converse. He knew not to get involved with "big pony" problems. After several minutes, Celestia finally stopped, and turned to her threatened son. She motioned him to follow, and he quickly got to his hooves (and paw), and rushed over. "Don't worry, Chaotic, you're safe. I won't let anypony harm you." After lowering the sun and putting Chaotic to bed (leaving two trusted honor guards outside the door), Celestia silently left the castle, and flew towards the statue garden, specifically to a certain draconequus. She landed next to the statue, and stared at it. An uneasy feeling washed over her, and she took a step closer to Discord. "Hey." She said, casually. "We haven't spoken like this in a long time. Except, well... you know." Celestia fell to her haunches, and leaned against the statue's base. "Chaotic used his magic for the first time. He's getting quite good with it." She sighed. "Do you remember the first time we met? We were so young. And stupid. I remember when mother first saw you. She would say that 'a princess does not belong around his kind.' She was very protective of me. The first time we kissed, she ran over, and teleported me away from you. Oh, did she yell at me that night. She forbid me from seeing you. That didn't stop me. When she, well, left, there was nopony to stop us from being together." Tears began to flow out of her eyes, as she was broken from her trance by the sound of hoofsteps. Celestia looked up, and noticed Luna approaching. "Having a little talk with your special somepony, sister?" She asked, jokingly. "Maybe one day he will abandon his ways. If not for you, but for Chaotic. The colt needs his father there, with how young he is." "I'll figure something out, Luna. I'm just worried that if we do calm him down, he'll just be a bad influence to Chaotic. Namely the pranks." "You must admit, sister, that some of them were quite funny." "Yeah, because its real funny when your makeup stains your coat because of a chocolate milk tsunami." "Perhaps we could request assistance from Twilight Sparkle and her friends. They could certainly have him choose harmony over chaos. Especially little Fluttershy." "Perhaps, Luna. Perhaps. The only thing giving me hope was how much Chaotic loved his father. He seemed angry when he saw the statue for the first time, but he misses Discord. I could see it. He wants his father back." "When Discord returns, we will help correct his ways. He was overwhelmed by the chaos magic. He didn't invite it." "Luna, I-" "It's alright, Sister. We shall find out what we will do tomorrow. As for the imposter, I will interrogate him tonight. It will be interesting to see what he says." "I'm coming with you, Luna." "Of course, Tia. Would there be any other way?" ---- "Right this way, princesses." A guard said, motioning to the cells. He led them down the thin corridor, past several (empty) prison cells. When they stopped, they were in front of the imposter's cell. The brown stallion was facing the wall, away from the princesses. Luna cleared her throat, and the stallion was alerted to their presence. Celestia felt her anger boil within her, knowing that the stallion in front of her tried to foalnap her son. He tried to foalnap the son of one of the most important ponies in the country. "Why?" Celestia asked. Well, loudly demanded. "Why did you try to take my son?!" The stallion remained silent, and smirked, trying to make the princess angrier. "Answer me!" She demanded once again. The stallion continued to remain silent. "Tia, maybe you should-" "No. I want an answer." "We want change." He finally said.* "Minnotaurian, hmm? Grypho-Minnotauria has no ground against Equestria." Celestia said, "Nor did they support Discord's... Time... In charge. What made you want to bring him back?" "You think that you know everything. You might be the goddess of the Sun, but you are nothing but the Chaos Lord's shadow." "Tia, he's toying with you." Luna said, noticing her sister's scowl. "Luna," Celestia whispered, "Try putting him to sleep using a spell, then me. I know you can link dreams together." "Tia, it's dangerous. Are you sure?" "I..." Celestia paused. "Yes. Do it." "Oh, alright." Luna's horn flared, which she pointed towards the prisoner. His head was surrounded by a blue-tinted aura, in which he quickly fell asleep. "Are you sure about this, Tia? If he wakes up when you're in his dream, your mind will be stuck inside until he dreams again." "Luna, do it. I'm willing to take the risk." Celestia started to feel dizzy and lightheaded, before finally passing out. ==== Celestia shook herself awake. Instead of the cold, stone tiles, she was on a grassy hill. She quickly recognised it as the one outside the castle. It was bright, but something was off. The sun was missing. She stretched her hooves, and noticed several ponies galloping towards the balcony where she announced important events and the like. The solar goddess began to follow, and noticed the large crowd below it. She flew to the top of a large tree, and hid in it like a bird. In several minutes, a white figure emerged from the castle above, but Celestia didn't recognise them. They resembled her, but without the flowing mane or tail. But they did have a serpent's... "Oh my-" "These are... unfortunate times. Do not doubt me when I say this." Prince Chaotic's voice boomed, likely due to an amplification spell. "We are losing this war. After the Gryphonian military took hold of Los Pegasus, they have been increasing their blockade's strength. In due time, I have no doubt that they will move inland, possibly towards-" He was cut off by a thundering noise, similar to the muskets used by the Equestrian Army. Only louder. Celestia noticed that a single gryphon was hiding in the crowds, smirking. Without hesitation, she flew towards them at extreme speeds, tackling the gryphon. "Halt!" A guard yelled behind them. The gryphon pressed a button on his wrist gauntlet, and slowly faded away. Invisible. "Turn around. Slowly." Celestia did so, and noticed two oblong objects in her face, probably advanced muskets. She saw the look on Chaotic's face when he apparently noticed her. He walked up to her, a quizzical look on his face. Lifting his paw up, he quickly grabbed Celestia by her neck, just below her head. "Imposter." He whispered, his voice suddenly becoming very childish. Right as he walked away, Celestia felt nauseous, and noticed Luna standing nearby, next to a glowing white door. "This is an interesting dream, sister." She said, looking around. "Through here is the dreams of Wandering Spirit. I must remain here, to keep the link between your dreams. The... occupants here are unable to see me, so the link is safe. Once you enter through this gate, I cannot aid you." "Thank you, Luna. I'll make sure I don't take too long. Hopefully I can find out where the cult resides." "Good luck, Tia." ==== Celestia emerged from the doorway, feeling a sense of vertigo wash over her. She was in the mind of this 'Wandering Spirit'. She was in a dark forest, with twisted branches covering every tree. A cheer was heard nearby, to which Celestia turned to investigate. As she got closer to the source, she heard a familiar voice over it all. "I have returned, children!" 'Oh no. He's dreaming of Discord.' She crept forwards, until a group of ponies came into view. They were circled around a campfire, not unlike coltscouts on a camping trip. Numerous tents were scattered around, with ponies happily chatting. She saw Discord sitting by the fire, explaining something to one of the cultists. He raised his head up, and his eyes connected with Celestia. Without saying anything, she walked forward, almost hypnotised, ignoring the cultists surrounding her. They yelled at her, in what she identified as a Fillydelphian accent. That solved the location issue. They were most likely in the Everfree Forest. Celestia continued walking forward, until she was right in front of Discord. Wandering Spirit was the stallion sitting next to him, and looked pretty surprised. Without saying anything, Celestia thrust her head forward, and kissed Discord. When she did this, she noticed that the dream-Wandering Spirit had fallen over. The dream around her began to crumble, as he evidently began to wake up. Not wanting to be trapped in his head, Celestia ran towards the doorway to her own mind, which also began to crumble. Using her wings to fly forward, she made it through just as the dream was destroyed, and Spirit awoke. ==== (This scene is what the warning is for. It's slightly disturbing, so be warned. I kept it as small as I could, without getting rid of it.) Celestia awoke with a shutter, disturbed by the dream jumping. As Luna helped her up, she noticed Wandering Spirits was tapping the very top of his horn, strangely. The hoofcuffs were hindering him, but not preventing it. 'What is he doing...?' Without warning, he broke the sharpened tip of his horn off. It appeared to be a fake piece, as if it was meant to break off... "No!" Celestia yelled, but it was too late. He ate the piece he broke off, and began to foam at the mouth. It was a suicide pill. The princesses weren't quick enough. By the time they opened the cell door, he was dead. The cult was more prepared than they thought, and they weren't afraid to take their own lives for Discord's return. ==== "Mommy, are you okay?" Chaotic asked, worried about his mother. She looked sick, after what happened the night before. "I'm fine, sweetie. Just a little tired." Celestia couldn't help but smile from how innocent Chaotic was. After she dreamt of him as an adult, she knew to treasure the little foal of hers. "The bad ponies won't be trying to take you anymore, at least." This made Chaotic giggle, but he soon stopped. Maybe he was going to ask about the cult, or Wandering Spirit, or something. "Mommy, can I see daddy again in the garden?" That wasn't what she expected him to say. At all. "What made you want to, Chaotic? I thought you were mad at daddy?" "I just want to see him. I don't know why. So can I?" "Well..." She paused. "Oh, fine. We can go see daddy again."
A Chaotic Evening (Edited)"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." --Abraham Lincoln I Am Not a Monster! Princess Celestia walked through the hallways of Canterlot Palace, looking dreary and depressed. She kept her head looking at the floor, watching her reflection dance across the marble, swaying with each step. She was fine, except for one thing. The day was the anniversary of Discord's first defeat, and original imprisonment in the statue garden. Normally, somepony would be elated to know this, but it dreaded Celestia more than even Luna knew, or rather remembered. None of the history books mentioned it. Luna barely even remembered what Discord did with the last of his magic. Celestia approached the doorway of her bedroom, relieved that there was no paperwork to be done for the night. Yet. She opened the door, nodding slightly to the single guard stationed outside, and entered the chamber. It was a very simplistic room. An enchanted cloud bed, a bookshelf, a fireplace, and a balcony to raise or lower the sun. After locking the door, the princess mindlessly walked to her bed, almost like a zombie, and fell down onto it. For the first time since Luna returned, she cried. She poured her soul into the fluffy white pillows, regretting the events that occurred over a thousand years before. "Why him and not me?" She mustered, in between sobs. "Discord should have turned me to stone, instead!" She cried for several minutes, remembering the last moments before Discord was sealed in his stone prison. She wiped the tears from her eyes, and stood back up. She focused on a small purple sphere on the top shelf of the nearby bookshelf, and hit it with a beam of magic. Unlike the normal golden aura that she normally used, this beam was a dark purple-and-green in color. Dark magic. The orb floated to the middle of the room, and fell onto the floor, flattening out and causing a stairway to form. Sighing heavily, the solar princess started her descend down the long stairway. She noticed the gradual change from the white marble of the palace, into the dull crystals of the abandoned mines below the city. Since Cadence's wedding, she had personally helped "explore" the caves, despite already knowing about them. she also helped in the effort to try to drive out the several changelings who managed to infiltrate the city once more. As she reached the bottom of the mine, she looked ahead at the statue in the center of the cavern. Similar to Discord, it held somepony inside, but there was more. It wasn’t just anypony. He was very important to Celestia. “Chaotic, I- I’m so, so very sorry. For everything. None of this should have ever happened to you. You were accepted as the heir to my throne. Everypony loved you. Luna loved you. I loved you! But Discord took that away from us both. And I can't reverse it. I'm sorry. I'll find a way to get you out of there. And we'll be reunited once more. Just like the family we are." She took a final glance at the statue of a small colt, and turned around, heading up the staircase. She failed to notice a small crack on the bottom of the statue, slowly growing. Several hours after lowering the sun, Celestia fell down onto her bed, exhausted. Aside from the emotional turmoil she suffered earlier, there was a report from Twilight about some unicorn who got her hooves on the legendary Alicorn Amulet. How she got it was a mystery, but it was a dangerous artifact, nonetheless. The princess had to personally travel to Ponyville to confiscate the amulet, and bring it to the Canterlot Archives, where it would be kept safe. The moment her head fell onto the pillow, Celestia's body instantly relaxed, welcoming the soft cloud. The princess tried to fall asleep, happy that the day was over. "Ughurrugh" Celestia shot up. What was the strange noise? It seemed to come from... below the floor. Nopony knew the chamber under her bedroom was tere. Could somepony- or something have gotten down there? Drowsy and paranoid, the princess used her dark magic trick, and opened up the staircase. "Ughurrugh" There it was again. It sounded louder this time. Illuminating her horn, Celestia began her descend, curious about the strange noise. It almost sounded like somepony was... groaning. She traveled down the seemingly-endless staircase, until she saw the ground below. She cast a small ball of light down, and followed quickly behind. Placing a hoof on the cold stone floor, she quickly illuminated three small lanterns she placed in the cavern placed earlier. They all turned on simultaneously, and Celestia saw the source of the groaning. "No. It can’t be. I have to be dreaming.” This couldn't be a dream. It was too real. Celestia rubbed her eyes with a hoof, but realized something. I never went to sleep. She took a few steps forward, hoping that what she was seeing wasn't a dream. In the center of the room, struggling with the shards of stone on him, was Chaotic. "By the stars... Cha- Chaotic? Is that really y- you? You're free?" The small figure stopped, and looked at the stuttering princess. Even with the lanterns, it was still fairly dark. Celestia continued walking forward, tears filling her eyes, and saw the one thing she had been wanting to see for the past one thousand years. Her son. She fell to her haunches, but still towered over the colt. Using her magic, she accelerated the process of freeing her son. Despite being no more than a simple petrifaction spell, Discord had poured almost every last ounce of his magic into it, as it was originally intended for the princess herself. Unfortunately, the spell was too powerful for Celestia to reverse, even with Luna's help. She had originally placed her petrified son on a pedestal near Discord's statue, purely for sedimentary gain, but had moved it underground three-hundred years prior, as she felt it was a disgrace to put her son on display. She would rather hide him than have ponies laugh at the "silly-looking colt." She was quite honestly surprised that Twilight and Cadence never discovered him when they were imprisoned in the caves. As the last of the stone fell from Chaotic's body, he fell onto his mother's forehooves, barely conscious. Between shallow breaths, he cried his heart out, finally reunited with his mother. His father, however, wouldn't be able to see him. Chaotic lightly wiped his own eyes, but continued to cry. Celestia could barely contain her own tears. Her forehooves were soaked with the colt's tears, but she didn't mind in the slightest. "Ssh, everything's alright. I'm here now, you're not alone... My son." Celestia said, barely above a whisper. "I promise you that I'll never leave you again." "W- why did d-daddy do it?" Chaotic asked. "I thought he l-loved m-me." "Chaotic, your father wasn't feeling right. He was... Sick, alright? I'll explain everything to you tomorrow. I want you to rest. You need to regain your energy." With that said, she scooped him up with her magic, and lightly placed him on her back. Balancing Chaotic with her wings, Celestia began the ascent up the staircase. After re-entering the bed chamber, she plucked Chaotic from her back, noticing the quiet (and adorable) snoring coming from the colt. She placed him on her bed, tucking him in. Celestia kissed him lightly on the forehead, and walked several paces back. Collapsing on the floor, she rubbed her temples, stressed on what to do. "Luna is going to freak out. She probably doesn't even remember." Celestia said to herself, quietly. "Oh well, that's tomorrow's problem." She laid herself down by the extinguished fireplace, and began to fall asleep, exhausted. "Goodnight, my son..."
Familiarities"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." --Abraham Lincoln I Am Not a Monster! Celestia awoke just before she was to raise the sun. One of the perks to being an immortal solar goddess was that she's had a lot of time to adjust her internal clock. Wake up right before she had to raise the sun. Easy. Except now, mornings were going to be a little tougher. Especially since they would involve rolling a certain colt out of bed. Celestia gazed over at Chaotic, who was tangled up in the bed sheets. Surpassing a laugh, she walked to the balcony door, and unlocked it, ready to perform her ritual. The solar princess walked onto a special rune on the ground, and began her spell. Soon, the sun began to rise over the horizon, signaling the start of a new day. Celestia walked back indoors, putting on her regalia, and quietly left her bedroom, letting Chaotic sleep. She quietly closed the door behind her, and walked towards Luna's tower. Still exhausted from the previous night, Celestia made a quick stop in the palace kitchen for a mug of coffee. Once she reached the tower, she went to knock, but Luna immediately opened the door, carrying several papers. Instead, Celestia accidentally punched her younger sister. "Ow! Tia!" Luna whined. "What was that for?!" "Sorry, sister." Celestia replied, sheepishly. "There's... something I'd like to talk to you about. Privately." "Well, there's only one place I know where nopony else is." Luna placed the stack of papers inside, and led Celestia down the hallway. "The broom closet? Really?!" "Do you see anypony around?" "Good point. Now, I want to ask you something. Do you remember Chaotic?" "You mean chaos, right? As in Discord?" Celestia sighed. Luna didn't remember. This was going to be a lot more difficult. "No, Chaotic. As in a name. You don't remember, do you?" "No... Are you okay, sister?" "Luna, I'm serious. He's my son. He was born six years before... before Nightmare Moon." "Tia, I want to believe you, but when Nightmare was destroyed, she took every memory from that time with her. I don't remember anything around then. Not even defeating Discord." "Fine. I'll prove it." Celestia grabbed Luna by the horn with her magic, and stormed out of the closet. She ignored the strange glances from nearby guards, and went towards her bed chambers. "Tia, there's no reason you need to drag me. I can walk, you know." "Sorry, Luna. Here, he's sleeping inside." "Your so-called 'son'?" Without saying anything, the elder sister opened the door, and motioned for Luna to remain put. Celestia walked over to the bed, where Chaotic was still sleeping. She lit her horn, and lightly pressed it against the colt's forehead. He awoke with a startle, and somehow managed to unravel the blankets around him. "Chaotic, sweetie, there's somepony who wants to meet you. You remember Aunt Luna?" "Yeah..." He said, groggily. "Luna doesn't really remember you. How about you go remind her." "Okay." He complied. He stood up, stretching his back, and followed his mother. Luna was still waiting outside, albeit with a bored expression on her face. She gazed at her sister, but soon noticed the small colt below. She felt herself die a little on the inside. He looked like Discord, for Faust's sake! "Auntie Luna!" He said, rushing forward. He jumped up and hugged her neck, not letting go. When Luna heard his voice, she started to remember. Celestia's cries of pain in the castle infirmary. Looking into the foal's mismatched eyes. Discord having a breakdown. Chaotic's first words. "Lulu." She muttered under her breath, remembering everything. Even Discord. Despite the pounding headache that had formed in her head, she hugged him back. A single tear had formed under her eye, as she pulled her lost nephew closer. "I see somepony remembers." Celestia said, watching the heart-melting scene in front of her. Less than five minutes, and Luna already remembered Chaotic. Somehow. "And quicker than I expected." "What can I say, your little one is quite adorable." "I'm not denying anything. Now, Chaotic, would you like to come get breakfast?" "I'm not-" His stomach growled. "Fine." He let go of Luna, and fell to the floor. He was tiny compared to the two Alicorns, barely shorter than his mother's knees. He followed the two to the dining hall, where a single maid was cleaning. She was startled by the sudden entrance of the princess... and a third. She bowed slightly, and continued cleaning, never taking her eyes off Chaotic. This single detail troubled him. Was she judging him? What did he do? Farther down the table were two more ponies. One was a white unicorn, and the other was a pink alicorn. They were both eating breakfast together. "Oh, good. They're already here." Celestia walked over to the couple, and said something to them, while Chaotic stayed with Luna. Celestia led the two over to him, where they both stared right at him, with the same condescending eyes as the maid. "Chaotic, I want you to meet your cousin, Cadence." Celestia said to him, "And this is her husband, Shining Armor." "H-hello." Chaotic told them. In all honesty, as comfortable as he was meeting Luna, he was still terrified of meeting strangers. He made eye contact for a second, but immediately shrank away. The alicorn softened her gaze, and kneeled down, until she was at eye level with the colt. He was pressed against his mother's hooves, afraid of Cadence's judgement of him. "Chaotic, you're hurting Cadence's feelings acting like this." Celestia told him, pushing him forward with a single hoof. To his surprise, Cadence didn't say anything about the clear Draconequus in him. Instead, she extended her hoof in friendship. "Hey, we're not going to hurt you." She said, in a soft voice. "You don't need to be afraid of either me or Shining, okay?" Chaotic nodded, his fears lessened by the caring alicorn. Cadence was glad that he was quick to warm up to her. He still looked a little skeptical of Shining, but that could be fixed later. Her husband flashed the colt a smile, to which he relaxed significantly. Celestia glanced at Luna, in a sort of "told you so" manner, and looked back at Chaotic, who seemed to have accepted Cadence and Shining Armor. "Great! Now we can eat." Celestia said, in a very hurried manner. ---- Breakfast was short and uneventful. Chaotic was surprisingly talkative, until that question came up. Shining Armor had asked about his Draconequus features. He started to break down, but Shining had noticed that it was a touchy subject, and quickly dropped the conversation. Afterwards, Celestia had one task in mind, after noticing Chaotic's. 'table manners,' if they could be called that: learning to use his magic. But first, she needed to show him something. "Chaotic, I want you to know something." Celestia began, once they were out of earshot of everypony else. "It's about what happened to your father. I know you don't like to talk about it, but you need to know." "I don't want to see him! He was mean to me!" Chaotic yelled, his sudden outburst alarming to Celestia. "He turned me to-" "Chaotic, that's enough." She raised her voice at him, something she never wanted to do. "Look, I'll show you what happened to him. After... that happened, he was weakened. We- we turned him to stone after. It was the only thing I could think of. I was really angry at what he did to you. He sits in the statue garden." "O-okay..." He said, barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry for yelling, mommy." "It's okay, sweetie. Now, come, I'll show you what became of your father."
Fruits of His Labor"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." --Abraham Lincoln I Am Not a Monster! Chaotic stared at the statue in front of him, a strange look on his face. There was his father, encased in stone. Discord had a fearful look on his face, like he was trying to avoid some unseen force. Celestia stood back to allow her son some room. Chaotic didn't appear sad about his father, nor happy. He appeared to be glaring at Discord angrily. That's interesting. I knew he was saddened by Discord's actions, but I never expected him to be angry. I'll have to deal with that later. Celestia thought to herself. She let him be for several moments, until she heard something new. Stepping forward, Celestia had noticed that Chaotic was... crying. Tears welled in the colt's eyes, which he attempted to wipe away with his paw. Celestia laid down next to her son, and draped her wing over him. Her wing covered the colt like a blanket, and he just shrunk away under it. "Chaotic, if you don't want to stay here, I won't force you." Celestia told him. "I told some of the palace maids to fix you up one of the nearby bedrooms. We could go see it, if you'd like." "Okay..." He replied between sobs. They laid there for several moments, until Celestia stood up. Chaotic soon followed, and she led him back inside, past several guards (who were recently informed of Chaotic), and reached the room that the maids set up. Celestia opened the door, and let Chaotic enter first. A maid was just leaving as the two entered the bedroom. Despite being angry just minutes ago, Chaotic seemed to have lightened up. He also seemed to be happy to have his own bedroom. It was a simple-looking room, not unlike the princess' own. Chaotic already appeared to have been getting used to the room. "So, do you like it?" Celestia inquired. "I love it!" Chaotic said, excited to have his own room. Celestia had let Chaotic play by himself for a little bit, while she got a small test ready for him in the dining hall. She was walking down the hallway to get him, when there was an audible crash. Confused, she entered Chaotic's new bedroom, and saw what the commotion was about. Chaotic was fine... hanging from a light on the ceiling. Celestia was beyond confused. "Chaotic, how did you even get up there?" "Mommy, get me down!" He yelled, clearly terrified. Concerned for her son's safety, she grabbed hold of him with her magic, and gently placed him on the floor. "Now, tell me. How did you get up there?" "I was happy, and I was jumping around, and started moving my wings. But when I opened my eyes, I saw the ceiling. Please don't be mad at me!" "Why would I be mad at you, Chaotic? That's wonderful! Your first flight is always important. I think somepony deserves a reward, but first, why don't we get lunch?" "Okay!" He said, excitedly. Chaotic stared at the golden platter placed in front of him. He watched as the lid was engulfed in a golden aura. Licking his lips, he watched as it was lifted off the tray, and gazed at what was underneath. A single grape. "Is this some kind of joke?" He asked, confused. "No, sweetie. It's a test for your magic. Now, I want you to focus on the grape. Try to grab out to it with your horn." Chaotic, as confused as he was, complied. He shut his eyes, and felt like he had a third eye on his forehead. He focused on the grape in front of him, as his horn was engulfed in a faint red glow. Soon, the grape was as well. "You're doing good, Chaotic. Just try to lift it, now." Celestia told him. Chaotic attempted to lift the grape, as it began to shift slightly. As he tried to lift it, he heard a small popping sound, and no longer felt the grape. Opening a single eye, he noticed that most of the grape ended up on his mother's face. "Uh, sorry?" He asked, sheepishly. Celestia wiped the grape juice off her muzzle, and let out a small chuckle. "It's okay. There's plenty more fruit to try to lift. Silver Platter," She called, "Bring in a tray of fruit, please." "Of course, your highness." Chaotic groaned as the orange in front of him split, spraying juice across the table, much to the disappointment of a nearby maid. In the thirty minutes Chaotic had been trying to control his magic, several chefs and maids had come to watch. Nopony (of that generation) had ever seen an alicorn foal try to control his magic before. Even Luna had stopped in to watch her nephew. "Mommy, can I stop now?" Chaotic asked, frustrated. "I can't do it!" "Okay, but only if we try one more." She levitated an apple in front of him. "Now, I want you to imagine picking it up with your hoof, okay? You don't want to drop it, do you?" "No..." "Okay, now just gently try to lift up the apple. Not too high, just enough that it's off the table." The apple was consumed in a red glow, as it began to gently lift up. It floated several inches above the table, and made Celestia smile. The apple exploded. Chaotic dropped it, and jumped back. Celestia recoiled a little bit, shocked that such a small colt could put so much force on an apple. Luna fell back laughing, finding the situation to be hilarious. "Are you okay, Chaotic?" Celestia asked. Chaotic was on the verge of tears, as he thought he was in trouble. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" "Oh, Tia, you made him think that making an apple explode was a serious crime!" Luna said, struggling to catch her breath. "Luna, shush. You're not helping." She looked back at Chaotic, who was still a little shaken from the flaming apple. "You did good, Chaotic. Now, we can eat." She waved to two of the chefs, who brought in a small salad for the each of them. Chaotic followed his mother aimlessly, into the throne room. He hadn't been allowed in the room at all, even before the... incident. He gazed at the large room, taking in the extreme details in the pillars and other small furnishings. Celestia wanted to reward him, and had asked Luna to prepare it. She wanted it to be a surprise. Luna was talking to the chefs at the moment. "Mommy, you never let me come in here before." "I know, Chaotic. I know. I don't have any meetings with any big ponies right now, so I thought I'd show you the throne room. After all, you're going to help rule Equestria one day." "Really?" He asked, suddenly more interested. "What am I gonna do? "Yes, you will. We should probably wait until you get your cutie mark before we make any long term plans now, should we?" "I guess so." "Now, about that reward I promised you before..."
Intermission: Hearts and Hooves(AKA the big DisLestia chapter) (Also AKA that "D'aaw" chapter) (Also Also AKA the cheesiest chapter ever) "Where there is love there is life." -Mahatma Gandhi Intermission: Hearts and Hooves 1,007 Years Ago... Celestia waltzed through the hallways of Canterlot Palace, joyfully watching her reflection bounce along the marble tiles that made up the floor. Her pink-turning-rainbow mane swept through the air in an invisible wind, lively as ever. She was very happy, because of what day it was. Many ponies knew of her and Lord Discord's relationship. After all, she was kind of a big deal in the kingdom, being the ruler and all. It was Hearts and Hooves day. Several years ago, she and Discord had fallen in love. During the entire week, both 'Dissy' and Luna had been avoiding her, almost like they were hiding something. Entering her bed chambers, she jumped onto her bed, and began to giggle. "I wonder what Dissy has planned today." She said, giggling. "It has to be special if he's keeping secrets about it." Celestia stood up, and looked around, making sure nopony was watching. She walked over to her bookshelf, and pulled a single book down. In the wall next to it, several hidden gears whirled, and the panel was lifted, revealing a single cake behind it. Licking her lips, she took the knife next to it and cut a small piece from it, and levitated it in front of her mouth. When she began to take a bite, a knock came from her door, followed by a familiar voice. "Oh Celly!" Discord yelled inside. "Are you in there?" "Give me a second, Dissy. I'll be out in a moment." Mentally groaning, she placed the slice of cake with the rest, and closed the hidden panel. She walked over to the door and opened it. In a split second, she was scooped up by Discord, and pulled into a loving embrace. "How's my beautiful princess doing today?" He asked, using the same cheesy pickup line he always said to her. "Whatever you say my lord" She replied, mocking his title. Celestia nuzzled her lover, as he put her back on her hooves. With a small kiss, the two walked down the halls, towards the palace gardens. Discord had always found the gardens to be one of his favorite spots in the castle. It's was simply peaceful. There were never more than three or four other ponies in the garden at once. The two lovebirds sat down in a spot soon reserved for a new statue. Discord had wrapped his tail around Celestia's, essentially trapping her. She giggled, and nuzzled Discord lovingly, before returning her gaze out towards the palace labyrinth. The two stayed there for two hours, before Discord shifted, and produced a small box. Celestia gasped, and realized what it was. "Celestia, simply put, I love you. I have loved you, and I will always love you forever. Will you give me the honor of being as close to you as husband and wife, so we can share the rest of eternity together?" Celestia kept smiling, and hugged Discord tightly, a few tears coming to her eyes. "Yes, Discord. I- I love you so much." Five Months Later... The Solar Princess walked down the wedding aisle, with a smile on her face. She had wed many ponies together, but the concept of actually walking down the aisle as the bride herself was completely alien to her. She followed her three bridesmaids, Sing Along, Tell Tale, and Twilight Wish, down the aisle, past the many ponies gathered to watch her wedding. Discord was standing by the alter, looking severely out of place. When Celestia reached Discord's side, they both turned to face Luna, who (quite comically, due to her being shorter than the both of them) was going to wed them. "Fillies and Gentlecolts," She began, "We are gathered to witness the union of Solar Princess Celestia, and Lord Discord of Concordia. Under Faust's name shall they be wed, and let her watch over them throughout their everlasting marriage." A young unicorn stallion walked up besides the three, wearing a ceremonial robe and levitating a small cup with two rings in it. "Discord, do you take Celestia to be your loving wife? If so, respond 'I do'." "I do." He responded. "Will you care for her for all of eternity, through health and sickness? If so, respond 'I do'." "I do." "Then may Faust watch over and bless you during this marriage." Discord took one of the rings, and slid it down to the base of Celestia's horn. Luna watched with a small smile as he did so, realizing that he would be her brother-in-law. "Celestia, do you take Discord to be your loving husband? If so, respond 'I do'." "I do." "Will you care for him for all of eternity, through health and sickness? If so, respond 'I do'." "I do." "Then may Faust watch over an bless you during this marriage." Celestia levitated the remaining ring onto Discord's eagle talon, signifying the near ending of their marriage. "As we have watched this loving couple wed, may we pray for Faust's eternal guidance over them, as they spend the rest of their days in happiness. Lord Discord, you may kiss your bride." As the two kissed, a roar of cheers erupted, along with the stomping of hooves. The three bridesmaids led the newly-married couple to the front entrance of the chapel, where the wedding was officially called to a happy close. One month, five days, six hours, forty-three minutes, and twenty seven seconds later... Celestia walked through the hallways, looking for her recently-wed husband. She had exciting news for him. After several more minutes, she found him and Luna playing chess in the dining hall. "Hello, dear. You're here just in time to see me destroy your sister. Figuratively, of course." Discord said, referring to the chess game. "You're on, lizard." Luna chirped, cockily. "Discord, it's important." Celestia said, her voice unsure. "Hmm? What is it?" "I- I'm pregnant." Discord's expression fell. Was he ready to be a father? So many questions plagued his mind, until Celestia noticed his insecurity. "Hey, it's going to be fine. Even if a big dolt like you isn't a good father, you'll at least be trying, right? "I know you'll be a wonderful mother." He said, flatly hiding a near-nervous breakdown. Luna jumped up, excitedly. "Does this mean I'll be an aunt? I'll be the best aunt your foal has ever seen!" "Well, you can tell them that nine months from now." Celestia teased. "Fine..." Luna pouted, realizing how long nine months actually was. One pregnancy later... Several howls of pain echoed throughout the palace's medical wing. One crazy pregnancy later, and Celestia had finally broken down. She had gone through a lot in her life, but this topped the cake. The doctors had put a magic inhibitor ring on her horn, just to be safe. Unicorn mares were known for random bursts of magic overload during childbirth. There was no telling what an Alicorn could do. While his wife was going through the trials of a birthing mother, Discord had been reduced to a nervous wreck outside. He had conjured up several glasses of chocolate milk to try to calm himself down, but nothing worked. Even Luna couldn't comfort him, and she was known as the "gentler" of the High Princesses. Several more yelps exited the room, followed by several murmers of "Push!" or "It's okay, princess." After over an hour of waiting, the wailing had stopped. A doctor poked his head out at the draconequus on the floor, laughing quietly. "You can come see your wife, Lord Discord. Congratulations, you are a father to a healthy colt." Discord walked in, to see a disheveled Celestia in the bed. Her normally majestic mane looked almost dead, having stopped flowing. Resting in her hooves was a small, sleeping foal wrapped in towels. Celestia looked at her husband, who was studying the foal with great interest. "Beautiful, isn't he?" She asked him, softly. The colt yawned, and shifted slightly in his mother's grasp. Discord got a better look at him. The colt was like a normal pony, with some... variations. He had a small horn poking up from his forehead, was white-and-grey in color, and had a single miscolored arm. He had a lion's paw, a bat wing, a serpent's tail, and a single fang from his father. "What should we name him?" Discord asked, with a smile. "I have an idea." Celestia replied, looking back down at the newborn. "Chaotic."
Secrets, Lies, Dangers, and Spies"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." --Abraham Lincoln I Am Not a Monster! Now, we return to where we left Chaotic... Chaotic jumped in glee when he saw his 'reward' in front of him. Luna had worked with the palace chefs to try to recreate one of Discord's infamous cotton candy clouds. It even rained chocolate milk like Discord's own. Chaotic had sat down under the floating confectionary, drinking the milk raining from it. Celestia and Luna stood next to each other, watching the colt play with the cloud. As he played around, the doors to the throne room were thrown open, and two guards, a unicorn and an earth pony, came inside. "Your majesty- er, majesties." The earth pony said, as they both bowed, seemingly ignoring the trail of chocolate milk... and the colt jumping around under a pink cloud. "We have reports of..." The unicorn began, but stopped when he noticed Chaotic. "With all due respect, your highness, could we speak somewhere more... private, and away from 'young ears'?" "I'll take him, 'Tia." Luna said, "Come, nephew, I have something fun to do." Celestia and the guards watched as the two left the room, before the unicorn spoke up once more. "It's the Cult, your highness. They were caught in an attempted assassination of the mayor of Baltimare, Written Scroll. Among them was Rune Spell, a prominent member of the cult. Upon interrogation, he revealed that they know of your son. They're planning something, princess. And it involves Discord, as well." Celestia became troubled by this. She hadn't revealed him to the general public yet. She was planning on it, but in several days. Somepony in the palace was a spy. A traitor, even. "Thank you, guards. You are dismissed." She told them. The two bowed, and left Celestia alone in the throne room. Who told the Cult of Chaos? She was going to get to the bottom of it, no matter how long it took. Several days had passed, and there was no sign of the Cult anywhere. Chaotic was getting better at using his magic, but hadn't tried flying at all since the first time. Celestia was preparing to reveal him to the rest of Equestria. The guards and maids might not have minded him, but considering how Discord reacted to being set free, and what troubles he caused, that burden might be placed on Chaotic's shoulders as well. But she would help him. He was just a little colt, after all. Even so, he had her, he had Luna, and he had Cadance and Shining Armor to help him. If- when Discord would be released once more, Chaotic would have to confront him, no matter what. The thought troubled Celestia. With how he reacted to the statue, how would he react to his father actually being there? Discord wasn't the most subtle father ever. Chaotic loved him, of course, until the Chaos took over. "Discord" had poured every ounce of his power into a petrifaction spell that even the princesses couldn't break. Once he unleashed it, he proclaimed his victory to the skies, not knowing that he had in fact missed the princesses. He had struck his terrified son. That spell hadn't worn off until over one thousand years, when Celestia's grief was great enough to break it. The princess paced around the throne room, until a guard quietly reminded her that the Day Court was to start soon, after being out off for almost a week. After dismissing said guard, Celestia walked through the castle, until she found Chaotic playing with Cadence and Shining Armor. Cadence noticed her, and lightly poked Chaotic on his side. "Chaotic," Celestia said, alerting him of her presence. "Could you come with me for a little bit? I promise that you can come back, okay?" "Okay, mommy." He said, jumping onto her back. Cadence smiled as he left, happy to foalsit the colt for her aunt. Chaotic sat quietly on his mother's back, wondering what she had in mind. She walked towards the throne room, prepared to announce Chaotic to at least that group of petitioners. With the Cult knowing about Chaotic, she would have to be on her guard. A cult member could very well be one of the petitioners. Of course, these were just the thoughts of not only the great ruler, but also of a concerned mother. She entered the throne room just before the Day Court was to start. As she got Chaotic situated next to her on the throne, Celestia nodded to the guard by the door. As the line of petitioners came before the throne, most of them had a quizzical look as they noticed Chaotic. The colt tried to hide behind his mother's legs, but she prevented him, knowing what to do. "Before I begin the Day Court, I have an important announcement to make." She said, her smile never faltering. She lightly pushed Chaotic forward, so he was in front of her. "This is my son, Prince Chaotic. He has recently returned to me, hopefully for good. He is going to take my place one day. Now, first petitioner." Chaotic followed a royal guard back to Cadence and Shining Armor. Thirty two. Thirty two questions about why Chaotic looked like Discord. Thirty two answers about Chaotic's father. Thirty two surprised- and borderline angry- petitioners. And the Court had only opened an hour ago. Celestia had ordered the guard to escort her son back to Cadence and Shining Armor, in case a cultist was a part of the petitioners. Well, her exact words were "Take him back to his bedroom. If Cadence as Shining Armor aren't there, please keep him entertained." He guessed that meant playing with the colt. It wasn't a problem, really. Valor Point and his wife had a little filly back home. He was familiar with over-active foals. Celestia might have been a little too protective, but it was just a mother worried about her son. Valor led Chaotic back to his bedroom, where Shining and Cadence had recently left. The colt jumped onto his bed, and turned around, facing Valor. "So..." He began, unfamiliar with Chaotic. "What do you want to do, Chaotic?" Chaotic struggled to keep the heavy helmet balanced atop his head. Valor had allowed him to try it on, despite it being larger than the colt's head. "If it's too heavy for you, I can take it off." Valor said. "No, I can- hold it." Chaotic grunted, stubbornly. As if on cue, he fell, bringing the armor with him. Luckily, Valor caught the helmet before it could crush him. Chuckling, he placed the helmet back on his head, covering his shaggy brown mane. Right as he did so, the door opened, and in came another royal guard. "Valor Point, I am here to take the princess' to his mother. She requested that I do so immediately." Valor looked at him, confused. The princess said to watch over him until the day court was over. "State your name and rank, soldier." He said to the other. "Lieutenant Cloud Cover, sir." Valor looked at the armor, and frowned. He had the crest of a corporal, not a lieutenant, on his breastplate. Interesting. "I don't know who you are, but you're not a royal guard. Everything checked out. The voice, the name, the order. Except the armor. That one little detail gave yourself away." Without warning, the earth pony raised his hoof, and punched Valor as hard as he could across his cheekbone. There was a small cracking sound as he did so. As Valor fell to the floor, unconscious, the imposter turned to Chaotic. "Come on, you little runt. We don't want any trouble, now do we? Come with me, or I'll have to take it into my own hooves." Chaotic blinked away tears from his eyes. He had to get to his mother. Stay away from the evil guard. The guard backed Chaotic into the corner of the room, trapping him. As he went to grab the colt, Chaotic ran under his hooves, towards the door. "Come back here, you little brat!" Chaotic left the room, and ran down the hallway, nearly knocking over a plant, towards his aunt's tower. All while being chased by a crazy pony who wanted to hurt him. "Auntie Luna!" Chaotic cried, hoping she would hear him. "Help!" Instead of his aunt, two members of the demonic night guard stepped forward, facing the two running towards them. They noticed the guard chasing him, but before they acted, he punched one of them down with his hoof. Chaotic simply ran to the door, hoping the remaining guard could stop the evil imposter guard. As the night guard activated the shocker claws on his horseshoes, he grabbed the other stallion's back, and sent jolts of electricity down his spine, stunning him. Meanwhile, Chaotic opened the large doors to his aunt's study, where she was writing something. "Who dares interrupt the- oh, nephew. What brings you here?" She asked. "Me and Valor were playing when this guard came in and hurt Valor and chased me here and was hurt by a night guard protecting me and it was scary and I was scared." At this point, there were tears running down his muzzle. Luna laid down next to him, and scooped him into a hug. "There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm here to protect you. You're safe now." She stroked his back as he cried into her chest. "Just let it out, nephew. It's going to be alright."
Meet Me In My Dreams Tonight"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." --Abraham Lincoln I Am Not a Monster! "Commander Nightshade." Luna said to the remaining night guard in front of her. "Have the imposter interrogated and sent to a dungeon cell. Do not disturb me, unless it is of the utmost importance." "Yes, princess." He said, turning to the other three guards. "You heard the lady, take him to the basement." "And have a medical team dispatched to Chaotic's chambers to retrieve Noble Cause." "Yes, princess." Luna returned to her chambers, where Chaotic was sitting, still frightened from the events that occurred not fifteen minutes ago. She laid down, and comforted him. After several minutes, the doors were unexpectedly thrown open, and in came Celestia, looking worried. "What happened?!" She half-yelled, "I was told that a stallion dressed like a guard tried to foalnap Chaotic." "Relax, Tia, he is fine." Luna said, as Chaotic bounced up. "As for the imposter, he is being interrogated as we speak." Celestia (albeit roughly) picked Chaotic up with her magic, and pulled him to her chest, into a bone-crushing hug. She held him there, glad he wasn't hurt. After a short while, Celestia placed the colt on the floor, and rubbed her temples. "I just don't understand. How did some random stallion get past the palace security, and get his hooves on a full set of armor? It just doesn't make sense." Celestia said, thinking about what happened. "I hope the palace security is actually stopping anypony from entering parts of the castle." Chaotic said nothing, and watched his mother and aunt converse. He knew not to get involved with "big pony" problems. After several minutes, Celestia finally stopped, and turned to her threatened son. She motioned him to follow, and he quickly got to his hooves (and paw), and rushed over. "Don't worry, Chaotic, you're safe. I won't let anypony harm you." After lowering the sun and putting Chaotic to bed (leaving two trusted honor guards outside the door), Celestia silently left the castle, and flew towards the statue garden, specifically to a certain draconequus. She landed next to the statue, and stared at it. An uneasy feeling washed over her, and she took a step closer to Discord. "Hey." She said, casually. "We haven't spoken like this in a long time. Except, well... you know." Celestia fell to her haunches, and leaned against the statue's base. "Chaotic used his magic for the first time. He's getting quite good with it." She sighed. "Do you remember the first time we met? We were so young. And stupid. I remember when mother first saw you. She would say that 'a princess does not belong around his kind.' She was very protective of me. The first time we kissed, she ran over, and teleported me away from you. Oh, did she yell at me that night. She forbid me from seeing you. That didn't stop me. When she, well, left, there was nopony to stop us from being together." Tears began to flow out of her eyes, as she was broken from her trance by the sound of hoofsteps. Celestia looked up, and noticed Luna approaching. "Having a little talk with your special somepony, sister?" She asked, jokingly. "Maybe one day he will abandon his ways. If not for you, but for Chaotic. The colt needs his father there, with how young he is." "I'll figure something out, Luna. I'm just worried that if we do calm him down, he'll just be a bad influence to Chaotic. Namely the pranks." "You must admit, sister, that some of them were quite funny." "Yeah, because its real funny when your makeup stains your coat because of a chocolate milk tsunami." "Perhaps we could request assistance from Twilight Sparkle and her friends. They could certainly have him choose harmony over chaos. Especially little Fluttershy." "Perhaps, Luna. Perhaps. The only thing giving me hope was how much Chaotic loved his father. He seemed angry when he saw the statue for the first time, but he misses Discord. I could see it. He wants his father back." "When Discord returns, we will help correct his ways. He was overwhelmed by the chaos magic. He didn't invite it." "Luna, I-" "It's alright, Sister. We shall find out what we will do tomorrow. As for the imposter, I will interrogate him tonight. It will be interesting to see what he says." "I'm coming with you, Luna." "Of course, Tia. Would there be any other way?" ---- "Right this way, princesses." A guard said, motioning to the cells. He led them down the thin corridor, past several (empty) prison cells. When they stopped, they were in front of the imposter's cell. The brown stallion was facing the wall, away from the princesses. Luna cleared her throat, and the stallion was alerted to their presence. Celestia felt her anger boil within her, knowing that the stallion in front of her tried to foalnap her son. He tried to foalnap the son of one of the most important ponies in the country. "Why?" Celestia asked. Well, loudly demanded. "Why did you try to take my son?!" The stallion remained silent, and smirked, trying to make the princess angrier. "Answer me!" She demanded once again. The stallion continued to remain silent. "Tia, maybe you should-" "No. I want an answer." "We want change." He finally said.* "Minnotaurian, hmm? Grypho-Minnotauria has no ground against Equestria." Celestia said, "Nor did they support Discord's... Time... In charge. What made you want to bring him back?" "You think that you know everything. You might be the goddess of the Sun, but you are nothing but the Chaos Lord's shadow." "Tia, he's toying with you." Luna said, noticing her sister's scowl. "Luna," Celestia whispered, "Try putting him to sleep using a spell, then me. I know you can link dreams together." "Tia, it's dangerous. Are you sure?" "I..." Celestia paused. "Yes. Do it." "Oh, alright." Luna's horn flared, which she pointed towards the prisoner. His head was surrounded by a blue-tinted aura, in which he quickly fell asleep. "Are you sure about this, Tia? If he wakes up when you're in his dream, your mind will be stuck inside until he dreams again." "Luna, do it. I'm willing to take the risk." Celestia started to feel dizzy and lightheaded, before finally passing out. ==== Celestia shook herself awake. Instead of the cold, stone tiles, she was on a grassy hill. She quickly recognised it as the one outside the castle. It was bright, but something was off. The sun was missing. She stretched her hooves, and noticed several ponies galloping towards the balcony where she announced important events and the like. The solar goddess began to follow, and noticed the large crowd below it. She flew to the top of a large tree, and hid in it like a bird. In several minutes, a white figure emerged from the castle above, but Celestia didn't recognise them. They resembled her, but without the flowing mane or tail. But they did have a serpent's... "Oh my-" "These are... unfortunate times. Do not doubt me when I say this." Prince Chaotic's voice boomed, likely due to an amplification spell. "We are losing this war. After the Gryphonian military took hold of Los Pegasus, they have been increasing their blockade's strength. In due time, I have no doubt that they will move inland, possibly towards-" He was cut off by a thundering noise, similar to the muskets used by the Equestrian Army. Only louder. Celestia noticed that a single gryphon was hiding in the crowds, smirking. Without hesitation, she flew towards them at extreme speeds, tackling the gryphon. "Halt!" A guard yelled behind them. The gryphon pressed a button on his wrist gauntlet, and slowly faded away. Invisible. "Turn around. Slowly." Celestia did so, and noticed two oblong objects in her face, probably advanced muskets. She saw the look on Chaotic's face when he apparently noticed her. He walked up to her, a quizzical look on his face. Lifting his paw up, he quickly grabbed Celestia by her neck, just below her head. "Imposter." He whispered, his voice suddenly becoming very childish. Right as he walked away, Celestia felt nauseous, and noticed Luna standing nearby, next to a glowing white door. "This is an interesting dream, sister." She said, looking around. "Through here is the dreams of Wandering Spirit. I must remain here, to keep the link between your dreams. The... occupants here are unable to see me, so the link is safe. Once you enter through this gate, I cannot aid you." "Thank you, Luna. I'll make sure I don't take too long. Hopefully I can find out where the cult resides." "Good luck, Tia." ==== Celestia emerged from the doorway, feeling a sense of vertigo wash over her. She was in the mind of this 'Wandering Spirit'. She was in a dark forest, with twisted branches covering every tree. A cheer was heard nearby, to which Celestia turned to investigate. As she got closer to the source, she heard a familiar voice over it all. "I have returned, children!" 'Oh no. He's dreaming of Discord.' She crept forwards, until a group of ponies came into view. They were circled around a campfire, not unlike coltscouts on a camping trip. Numerous tents were scattered around, with ponies happily chatting. She saw Discord sitting by the fire, explaining something to one of the cultists. He raised his head up, and his eyes connected with Celestia. Without saying anything, she walked forward, almost hypnotised, ignoring the cultists surrounding her. They yelled at her, in what she identified as a Fillydelphian accent. That solved the location issue. They were most likely in the Everfree Forest. Celestia continued walking forward, until she was right in front of Discord. Wandering Spirit was the stallion sitting next to him, and looked pretty surprised. Without saying anything, Celestia thrust her head forward, and kissed Discord. When she did this, she noticed that the dream-Wandering Spirit had fallen over. The dream around her began to crumble, as he evidently began to wake up. Not wanting to be trapped in his head, Celestia ran towards the doorway to her own mind, which also began to crumble. Using her wings to fly forward, she made it through just as the dream was destroyed, and Spirit awoke. ==== (This scene is what the warning is for. It's slightly disturbing, so be warned. I kept it as small as I could, without getting rid of it.) Celestia awoke with a shutter, disturbed by the dream jumping. As Luna helped her up, she noticed Wandering Spirits was tapping the very top of his horn, strangely. The hoofcuffs were hindering him, but not preventing it. 'What is he doing...?' Without warning, he broke the sharpened tip of his horn off. It appeared to be a fake piece, as if it was meant to break off... "No!" Celestia yelled, but it was too late. He ate the piece he broke off, and began to foam at the mouth. It was a suicide pill. The princesses weren't quick enough. By the time they opened the cell door, he was dead. The cult was more prepared than they thought, and they weren't afraid to take their own lives for Discord's return. ==== "Mommy, are you okay?" Chaotic asked, worried about his mother. She looked sick, after what happened the night before. "I'm fine, sweetie. Just a little tired." Celestia couldn't help but smile from how innocent Chaotic was. After she dreamt of him as an adult, she knew to treasure the little foal of hers. "The bad ponies won't be trying to take you anymore, at least." This made Chaotic giggle, but he soon stopped. Maybe he was going to ask about the cult, or Wandering Spirit, or something. "Mommy, can I see daddy again in the garden?" That wasn't what she expected him to say. At all. "What made you want to, Chaotic? I thought you were mad at daddy?" "I just want to see him. I don't know why. So can I?" "Well..." She paused. "Oh, fine. We can go see daddy again."
