Family of Chaos (3) (Patreon)

Hurricane galloped through the castle courtyard. There was no time to stop at its many fine sculptures or wander through the meandering hedge maze. Besides—there were heavy barricades blocking access to that part of the castle grounds, with a few stern guards keeping watch over passing tourists. What other terrors of Equestria's past might escape their stone prisons next?

A few guards gave her concerned looks, and passing servants dodged out of her way as she hurried into the wide castle doors. She wasn't with a tour group or traveling any of the typical routes.

This was exactly the kind of behavior that attracted pony attention, the kind she spent a lifetime trying to avoid. The best way to avoid it was to act exactly like everypony around her.

Her memory of the castle served her far better than it had in the city above. After all this time, royal court still met on the bottom floor, in the vast throne room of stained glass and fountains.

Twilight Sparkle was right about the lines outside, growing increasingly agitated as their odds of making that day’s session dropped lower. She caught more than one angry glance as she walked past the queue, along with harsh mutters behind her back.

Just this once, she wasn't going to the back to wait. If wild chaos magic was really loose across Equestria, the princess needed to know—even if it made life a little more dangerous for Hurricane in the process.

A guard stepped casually to the side to block her path. None had weapons raised—these stallions had the look of bored recruits, forced into the least desirable duties. Maybe they'd rather be out in Equestria searching for wild magic.

"Requests to the princess go to the back. I suggest you head home until tomorrow night if you want to see Luna. Petitions to Celestia are suspended until next week."

She reached into her satchel, lifting the note towards him. "I don't mean to interrupt..." A lie, that was exactly what she meant to do. "I think I'm supposed to go straight in."

The other guard stood up straight, crossing slowly in front of the door. "Let me take a look at that, Lieutenant..." He froze, staring at the page's contents.

He levitated it back a second later. "The Element of Magic sent her. She goes right to the front."

A collective groan passed through the ponies behind her, their words about as unflattering as frustrated ponies could be. "No fair!" said somepony near the front, an older stallion with a huge case over his shoulder. "I've been here all night!"

"Apologies, sir. This could be a matter of national security." One guard tapped lightly on the door, then pulled it open. Just wide enough for Hurricane to see down the aisle.

Princess Luna sat alone on the lower throne, with a few minor functionaries scattered off to the side. Some signed forms, others typed away on those fancy new mechanical typewriters.

The princess herself reclined in her seat, looking about as drained as anypony could be. Even at a distance her mane seemed somewhat faded, lacking the usual luster artists captured in their portraits.

"Princess! There's been a development. This pony..."

"Send them!" she replied. Her voice too came faltering and raspy—had she been shouting all night?

Hurricane had little time to think on it—the guard nudged her flank, and she was through the doors, making her slow way up the aisle. At least he gave her the note back before slamming the doors shut behind her. She kept it in her mouth, hurrying past the luminous glass displays on either side.

Here Equestria captured the proudest moments of its history. Whenever a new window found its way here, the papers always printed it in full color, so classrooms all over the country could pin it to their walls.

A crew worked quietly near a fresh window in the back, raising a complex network of wires into place. Most of the glass was still missing, leaving only a sketchy outline of the subject. Even so, the central figure was clear.

Discord floated in the center, poised in grim defiance of much smaller pony figures all around him.

The other windows were less interesting to her. Many of the historical events they captured still felt like contemporary news. There was no past for Hurricane, just a shifting, melting “now” she had long since learned never to mention.

"I too am captivated by the displays," said the princess, annoyance obvious in her tone. "But please, hurry little pony. I fear I near collapse."

She obeyed, trotting up to the throne. Magic lifted the note from her mouth before she could offer it, floating it all the way to the princess. Hurricane bowed before the throne, as she imagined other ponies probably did.

Nopony would travel all this way for help from the princess without respecting their ability, and their authority. She said nothing, holding perfectly still in that pose. It wasn't like the note was very long.

"Rise, please," Luna said. Not yelling anymore, or even sounding tired. When Hurricane looked up, Luna now sat perfectly straight in her seat. Her mane regained a little of its glow, as though by deliberate effort.

"The petitioner will state her name for the record," said a pony just in front of her, speaking from an oversized wooden podium. "Clearly."

"Hurricane Force," she answered. "Of Wingapore."

"Turn so we can see your cutie mark, please."

She did, tail flicking in growing annoyance the longer she had to keep jumping through hoops. If it wasn't for one of the diarchs of Equestria located only feet from her, she would have already reacted harshly by then.

"Reason for your petition," said the little pony. She was even smaller than most unicorns, with a slight build matched only by the enormous size of her wig. "As simple as possible, please."

This was it, the reason she'd turned over the factory and crossed half of Equestria. Why did she hesitate now?

"I think it would be better if I spoke to the princess directly," she said, as bravely as she could. "If it's okay with her."

The unicorn rolled her eyes, puffing out her chest. She could practically see the denial forming in her mind before she even got her mouth open.

Princess Luna interrupted her. "Yes, Inkwell. All of you, in fact. Celestia's apprentice sent this mare to us. It may concern dangerous matters of state. Send the last few petitioners away while you're at it—court is concluded for the night."

She yawned as she said it, stretching both wings wide. They snapped back into place just as quickly, seeming to realize Hurricane was still there.

Ponies bowed to her, gathering their things and hurrying from their seats. The stenographer typed a few more lines, then his typewriter joined the others. They retreated from the room, vanishing out a smaller door hidden behind the throne.

Finally, it was just the two of them, Princess Luna looming tall on her throne. Granted, she didn’t tower over Hurricane like her older sister. The Elements of Harmony had robbed her of power when they defeated Nightmare Moon.

"This is over the recent Discord affair, correct?"

Maybe she wasn't giving the princess enough credit. "I didn't think so at first. But the more I hear about it, the more certain I am. Twilight Sparkle—Celestia's apprentice—she thought maybe I'd been exposed to chaos magic. I'm not sure, maybe you can help me."

The princess raised an eyebrow. Otherwise, her face was as unreadable as the hardest marble. "It is the duty of Equestria's diarchs to care for all citizens within their domain," she said. Not tired so much as talking to a brick. "Explain what you are experiencing, please."

"Well, uh..." How could she concentrate with that mare staring down at her? She'd already seen that anger once before—in her nightmare. "Two things. Not sure if they're related, but Miss Twilight seemed to think so."

She waited, but the mare only gestured once. So, she continued, however awkwardly.

"It started with these... coincidences. Little things falling over when I'm not around, or landing organized when I didn't expect. My factory produced exactly the correct number of cumulus clouds for the last three weeks, down to the deciliter."

The princess nodded almost imperceptibly. "A few weeks, you say. Since Discord's escape."

She took a few nervous steps closer to the throne, until she was right up against the functionary tables. "As far as I know. I'm not the best at dates and figures. But it feels about right."

"Yet you run a... weather factory..."

Was that hostility she detected? Even if the princess somehow remembered her, Hurricane hadn't ever done anything to upset the rulers of Equestria. Avoiding their attention required living an unremarkable life, never rising too high or causing trouble.

She shrugged. "I have ponies to assist with those aspects of the..." She trailed off. "That's not why I came. I wouldn't waste the crown's time with a few coincidences, even with this timing. But it came with a nightmare. One that repeats every night, almost identical. I would say I've been cursed, if I... believed in curses."

The princess stood up, walking slowly down the sloped throne until she stood opposite Hurricane. At least she didn't look angry anymore—maybe she'd just imagined that reaction. "Rarely do nightmares replay themselves. It can suggest some tension in us, struggling for release when our conscious defenses are weakest. What is yours? Perhaps it will give us some clue."

Hurricane's wings opened nervously, then closed again. But even if she wanted to leave without sharing the specifics, she didn't think Princess Luna would allow it. Alicorns sure had strange priorities. "Well, uh... I don't know exactly. A long time ago. I'm running from something. Other ponies..." She could lie to an ordinary mare, but not an Alicorn.

At least she had the train ride over to decide what to say. "They wanted to hurt me. I'm terrified, if they find me, I'll die. I've been hiding a long time, but it wasn't good enough. They get me and attack me with more magic than I've ever seen. Then I wake up."

The princess waited in silence for a few moments, as though expecting more to the story. But there was nothing else—nothing else she wanted to share, anyway.

The princess didn't need to know about the eyes, or that terrible laughter. The first part was bad enough.

"Oh. That's all it is. That's a relief." Her horn flashed, and a basket appeared between them. Several large bottles rested inside, each one filled with dark liquid. "Drink an ounce before bed every night. By the time you've run out, the nightmares should be gone."

Hurricane accepted the basket by reflex, holding it with one wing. Yet inside she was stupefied, utterly bewildered. "Are you sure, princess? You don't have any spells to cast, or tests to run?"

"No need." The mare backed away from her, turning away for the back door. "Feel free to write to me if things don't improve when the potion is exhausted. But I don't think you'll need to. This isn't chaos magic."

Hurricane wanted to believe her. But if she were telling the truth, why was she so eager to leave? Why not even look at her?

"Thank you for visiting Canterlot," the princess continued. "Have a safe flight home!"

Just like that, she was gone. Magical blinds drew closed over the stained-glass windows, and a door slammed shut behind the princess.

Hurricane stared at it for a few frustrated seconds, nearly dropping the basket in her grip.

Then the ordinary entrance opened, and a few confused guards stepped out. One gestured for her, pushing the door wide enough to light the way.

She didn't bother talking to them—or anypony else, for that matter.

Hurricane hurried from the castle grounds. She didn't stop until she reached a dumpster, tucked behind a fine pastry shop. She hurled the basket inside, then slammed the metal lid closed. If she cried, it was only from the smell.