Jay was snapped out of his thoughts by a large packet of paper being thrown on the table in front of him. He looked up from the schedule he had been working on and glanced questioningly at Chrysalis. “What’s this?”

“Page seventeen on the left column.” She replied in lieu of an answer, glancing at the locked door to their room. The virus opened his mouth to question her further, then paused as she looked back to him, worry shining in her slitted eyes. That look alone made him furrow his brows and he grabbed the newspaper, flipping to the page she said.

“Trotsdale burned?” Jay asked slowly as he lowered the paper to the table.

Chrysalis nodded sadly. “No survivors. I’ve asked several Changelings to search the surrounding lands and they’ve come up with nothing. Either nopony made it out or we can’t sense them.”

“As much as I hate to admit it, the first is more likely.” The virus said with a slow sigh. “So no one has any clue as to what happened?”

The Queen slowly shook her head. “None, but this was discovered only three days ago on Tejas.”

Jay grunted lightly. “Gonna take some time to get used to the new names for the days and months.”

She rolled her eyes, though she had a small smile on her chitinous muzzle. “Myous, Tejas, Wevsne, Tzetch, Frigahs, Sunnes, and Moonnes.

“Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.” Jay replied with a small smile in return. “The months are even harder.”

“You’ll remember them in due time.”

“I already remember them, I just find myself almost saying my world’s version.” He replied.

Chrysalis nodded and fell silent, meandering across the room and staring out the two-way mirror that made up the windows. Her eyes drifted aimlessly across the blackened sky, stars twinkling in the far distance above them. Jay stood silently and walked over to her side, placing a hand on her withers and beginning to gently rub her back. “What’s wrong, Chryssi?”

“I’m worried, Jay.” She said in a soft voice, though it sounded like she wanted to say more. Jay tightened his grip on her as an act of reassurance as he patiently waited for her to tell him why.

After a few minutes of waiting, his patience paid off. “All of Equestria will know about Trotsdale in the next couple days. Snow’s from Trotsdale. All it takes is one pony from Trotsdale to completely reveal me to the town. What will I do? I can’t just change to a new disguise and come back; ponies will be suspicious of a random new pony hanging around you.”

“What will I do?” She asked again, her ears drooping slightly as her voice dropped to a whisper.

“I don’t know.” Jay said honestly, making her flinch. Then he continued. “But I know I won’t let you figure it out alone.”

Jay paused as he saw a indistinct pink mist appear around Chrysalis. She turned to face him, letting him see her small smile and misty eyes, and kissed him. Nothing but affection was in her kiss, something he returned readily. It wasn’t passionate or lust-filled but rather full of simple yet powerful affection. Chrysalis pulled back slowly, a gentle smile planted on her muzzle. The virus couldn’t stop himself as warmth spread over him.

He leaned forward and kissed her, once again amazed at the soft lips that met his. From the beginning, he had expected hard, cold chitin, only to find the opposite. The warmth in him spread in time with the pink mist around Chrysalis before the two parted again, a green blush coloring a portion of her muzzle.

“I love you.” Jay said suddenly, though that made it no less honest. The mist around her flared to a brighter level and he realized just what it was; her love for him. There was no romantic revelation, no powerful event that made him realize how he felt, just a gentle awareness of the depth of his feelings.

“I love you too.” She replied, her smile growing ever-brighter. A pony may have found her bared fangs and flashing eyes intimidating; he only loved them as he did her. Her head came down to rest on his shoulder. Then she yelped as, in one smooth motion, Jay lifted her up and carried her to the bed, mild protests sounding out as he walked.

“J-Jay, I’m n-not rea-” He cut her off with a quick peck, silencing her as she smiled again.

“Don’t worry.” He said with a reassuring smile. She relaxed slightly and rested her head against his chest again, making him smile as well. He set her down on the bed gently, then climbed in beside her, dissolving his shirt as he had started to do the last few days. As soon as he had gotten settled into their large bed, she was lying on his chest again, her head resting in the crook of his neck.

Jay jerked lightly as jolts of energy shot through his system, her slow nuzzling of his neck sparking every nerve center in his neck. Then he groaned as she bit down, beginning to feed off of him. The now-familiar warmth spread through him, simultaneously relaxing and exciting him. Before he realized it, she was done and pulled away. Chrysalis leaned up and looked at him with a loving smile on her face, a smile that he couldn’t help but return.

“You always look so adorable with those pink fangs sticking out of your muzzle.” Jay said with a chuckle.

She blushed green, returning the chuckle as she did so. Jay leaned up and kissed her once again, the tinge of strawberries remaining on his lips afterward. “You look even more adorable when you’re blushing.”

Chrysalis buried her head in his shoulder to hide her burning muzzle and embarrassed smile and mumbled into his neck, the vibrations sparking another jolt of energy. “Good night, Jay.”

Jay just chuckled and kissed the top of her head. “Good night, Chryssi.”

Jay came to awareness in a familiar place, though that didn’t mean he liked it. Gray skies surrounded him, black clouds drifting freely through the tainted area. A concrete roof stretched out thirty meters in each direction, a short ledge the only obstacle stopping people from falling off the edge of the skyscraper. Walking over to the edge and gazing down, he saw Ponyville sprawled out on the ground far below. In the distance, he could make out both Canterlot and the entrance to Sapphire Hive.

Feeling heat on his back, he turned around to see easily a dozen cities and thrice as many towns and villages burning in an unnatural green fire. Wood incinerated, metal immolated, and ponies blackened under the heat of the blaze, though Jay knew this was nothing more than a dream. Though, he couldn’t lie to himself; the sight of ponies dying by the thousand upset him far more than it had for humanity.

“A change from the Elements, dear Daedalus.” Supplied a familiar voice from the rooftop beside him. Turning his head to face him, the sight of a familiar man greeted him. “They altered your morality slightly to no longer be immune to the sight of suffering.”

“Disarray.” Jay greeted curtly. “My name is Jay.”

The being, for Jay knew now he was far more than human, laughed. “You aren’t Jay. You aren’t Gene. You aren’t really Daedalus, either. So just who are you?”

Jay felt a spark of irritation before he forced it away. “What are you getting at?”

“Stop with the identities.” Disarray said simply, the mirth in his voice absent.

“I’m a shapeshifter; it’s my nature.” Jay replied instantly.

Disarray finally turned to face him, his golden and scarlett eyes flashing from the light of the fire. “I don’t mean the disguises. I’ll admit those are necessary...for now. I mean the separate identities. How will your friends ever accept you in they find out that you didn’t even act truthful around them, much less use your real body?”

“Those of my friends that don’t know the truth already likely won’t accept me.” He retorted.

“Really?” The man asked. “Why not try anyway? You don’t have anything to lose. The only ones you know can hurt you are on your side.”

“How? And why?” Jay asked him, idly wondering why he felt so calm about the being that clearly had his own agenda.

“I’ve already stressed this twice; stop with the separate identities. Jay loves physics, can’t stand hurting others, is mildly socially awkward, and generally kind to all. Daedalus loves physics, often enjoys fighting others, blends in well in any situation, and doesn’t care about anyone outside of his circle. And Gene? Well, he’s a pony. That’s enough of an explanation. Keep the fake names and forms; I don’t care. Do your friends a favor and at least act the same around everyone.” Disarray explained in a matter-of-fact voice.

“I don’t see why I need to. It’s not hurting anyone.” Jay replied in kind.

“Chrysalis.” Disarray said, making Jay’s full attention snap to him. “She’s going to worry. Worry that you aren’t truthful with her and that your real personality is entirely different than how you act around her.”

“How do you know that?” The virus’ voice was stern and unforgiving as he spoke.

“Helloooooo, omniscient being here? I know this kind of stuff.” Disarray said sarcastically, then his voice returned to an even tone. “It hasn’t happened yet and you can stop it, but you have to be honest about who you are. How far you want to take that honestly is up to you, though. Risk and reward all around.”

“Why are you trying to help me?” Jay asked suddenly, irritated that he was entirely unable to guess Disarray’s motives. “Why tell me these things?”

“I already told you that I have plans for you. I kind of need you to succeed, and you being happy doesn’t hurt my plans. If anything, your happiness makes you more likely to succeed.” He answered simply.

“What are your plans?” The Evolved asked, feeling his frustration bubble up.

“Soon.” The being replied. “Things are coming together nicely, though not as fast as I expected. I didn’t foresee the Curse, either. You have an unfortunate habit of muddling my sight sometimes.”

“What curse?” Jay asked sharply. “Who’s in danger?”

“The Wolf’s Curse and everypony in Ponyville.” Disarray replied. “Head to the library tomorrow and look it up. You might have a bit of trouble finding it normally, so check A Menagerie of Mythical Monsters and Myths.”

Jay grunted. “Equestria definitely loves alliteration.”

“How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” Disarray said quickly, then continued. “In any case, you have a few days before the Curse takes effect. Primal distractions and all that. Depending on how you play your cards the next few days will determine the result. My opinion? Be honest, be open, and tell others what you are. You still have that fallback plan, you know? Chrysalis won’t leave you alone, either.”

“Who are you?” Jay said, slightly disturbed at how much the being knew.

Disarray just smiled. “You’ve already heard of me.”

“Discord?” Jay asked, thinking back to what the ponies had called out when he first arrived in Equestria.

Disarray just shrugged and started walking toward the stairwell. “I don’t know. Maybe, maybe not. You’ll figure it out. Probably. If you don’t, I’ll tell you when you complete my tasks.”

“Oh!” Disarray said, turning around. “Before I forget, I approve of your personal goal! I’ll help you with that after you finish my tasks.”

“W-what!?” Jay shouted. “How the fuck do you know that!”

Disarray was gone, his laughter carrying on the wind as his presence faded. The dream quickly shifted slightly around him, the fire disappearing and leaving Equestria unharmed. The massive skyscraper and polluted sky remained and the virus wasn’t quite sure what it meant, if it meant anything at all. Jay wasn’t left alone for long as wing beats drew his attention to the air where he saw Luna flying down toward him.

“Jay, are you okay? Something was blocking me from coming into your dream until recently.” Luna said as soon as she had landed, concern for him lacing her voice.

“I’m fine, just reminiscing.” He replied.

Honesty! A voice hissed in his head, making him wince in a burst of pain. The voice was clearly Disarray’s.

“Actually, there was something.” Jay started before Luna could say anything about his flinch. “There’s was another being here. He called himself Disarray.”

“Do you mean Discord?” Luna asked in concern. “I don’t see why he would be interested in you, other than the mild chaos you’ve spread.”

“I don’t think it was Discord. He knows too much, and he was the one who brought me here.” Jay replied.

“To this dream?”

“To this world.” The virus corrected with a amused smile. “I first saw him on Earth. He’s planning...something and I don’t know what. He seems to be helping me but that doesn’t mean he’s truly on our side.”

Luna nodded in agreement. “A wise precaution. Be careful around this ‘Disarray’ and I’ll check the Archive records in the morning. If I find anything, I’ll tell you.”

“Thank you.” Jay said simply. The pair fell silent for a moment, both drawn into their own thoughts. Jay was sure there was no doubt; Disarray knew far more than he should and he was dangerous. Jay didn’t trust him, though he seemingly gave out sound advice.

Snapping back to the present, Jay spoke up with a grin surfacing. “So what brings you here tonight, Luna? Anyone one of your not-so-nightly visits?”

Luna’s muzzle purpled lightly as she replied. “I may have overestimated my ability to speak with you every night. In any case, I’m afraid that I’m not here for the company.”

“What do you need?” Jay asked, sitting down on the ledge of the skyscraper and facing her.

“Have you yet heard of Trotsdale?” Luna asked with a saddened look.

“I have. Chrysalis showed me a newspaper about half an hour before we went to sleep. Why?”

“Equestrian Rangers and Royal Guards have been entirely unable to find any evidence of who, or what, started the fire. My sister is going there in two days to personally check for any magical signatures. We have a request of you.” Luna said, staring off into the distance in Trotsdale’s direction.

“Ask away.” Jay replied. Maybe the fire represented my worry that what happened to Trotsdale can happen elsewhere?

“Would you be willing to head to Trotsdale tomorrow and use your abilities to search for anything the Guards and Rangers may have missed or been unable to noticed?” The night mare asked hopefully. “We want to find whoever burned the town and bring them to justice and you just might be able to do so.”

Jay thought for a moment, then nodded. “I’ll do it. How long do you think I’ll be gone?”

“You’ll leave tomorrow and come back the day after with Celestia.” Luna replied. “Will Chrysalis accompany you?”

“I’d rather not.” Jay replied. “We don’t know what did it and I don’t want to risk her getting hurt. I’m not going to stop her if she’s adamant about it, though.”

Luna nodded in understanding. Then she grinned. “Celestia’s been looking forward to meeting you again.”

“Oh?” Jay asked curiously.

Luna nodded as she hummed an affirmative. “Yes, she’s quite interested in getting to know you better.”

“That could be taken two ways, Luna.”

She just grinned. “Take it both ways.”

Then she was gone, her magic pulling her out of the dream without any discernible effect. Around him, the dream began to crumble as the skyscraper collapsed like an earthquake shook it. The sky fell to the ground and the sun went supernova.

“Destructive ass way to end a dream.” Jay mumbled as he awoke.

“What?” He heard Chrysalis say in a distracted tone. By the sounds of it, she was at her desk and likely reading a paper from the Hive.

“Nighttime visit from Luna. When she left, the dream ended by the world ending.” Jay replied as he rolled out of bed and stood, seeing that she actually was at her desk reading a paper.

“Another report?” Jay asked as he reformed his shirt.

“Yes. Another Hive, Ruby, is asking to meet with me in a neutral location.” Chrysalis answered.

“Who rules Ruby?”

“Two sisters, Ambrosia and Naventia, both of whom are actually quite kind.” She explained, then looked up to him, a tinge of disappointment in her eyes. Jay noticed that, once again, he couldn’t see how she felt beyond normal means. “I’m going to have to leave for a time, Jay. I’m sorry.”

The virus crossed the room to her and Chrysalis covered the papers on her desk. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a simple hug. She sighed and relaxed in the warmth his viral friction created, leaning into him. “It’s okay, Chryssi. You’re a Queen and you have duties. I’m happy you were able to be here this long.”

Then he pulled back a little. “Besides, I likely won’t be here either. Luna’s asking me to check out Trotsdale today and Celestia will be there tomorrow.”

“Luna still visits you in your dreams every so often?” Chrysalis asked as looked up at him.

“Yeah, why?” Jay asked.

“I trust you to be careful who you add to the herd and to not take more mares than you can handle.” Chrysalis said simply before leaning in to him again. She paused as she felt his chest jump slightly as he chuckled.

“Chryssi, I’m not even sure I want more than you. My world is monogamous and I’m a little nervous about the polygamy that this world embraces. I’m perfectly happy with just you.” Jay replied.

He felt her muzzle move as she smiled and spoke. “As much as that warms my heart, I’m afraid I can’t be so selfish as to keep you to myself, even if a part of me wants to. Maybe you’ll never care for them like you do me but they deserve the chance at experiencing the same love you give me. Don’t be afraid to let them into your heart. This isn’t Earth and you won’t be betraying me.”

Jay frowned a little as he listened to her speak. “I promise nothing.”

Chrysalis knew he wasn’t going to give in just yet; he would need time to adjust to the idea and bond more with the two Alicorns. Like she told him, a part of her hoped he never would adjust to the idea. Another, larger, part hoped he would. The Changeling wouldn’t mind having a large family. “All I ask is that you try.”

He grunted. “I can do that. I doubt anything will come of it anyway; Luna and Celestia aren’t as close to me as you and I are.”

Chrysalis just smiled. “We got together two weeks after we met and we started as potential enemies. There’s every chance that, two weeks from now, they may be well on their way to joining the herd. And I wouldn’t mind that at all.”

Then she nuzzled him gently. “Enough of this, though. I can see that you’re a little uncomfortable and nervous. What do they expect you to do in Trotsdale?”

“Chances are good that I’m just going to use my powers to look for tracks and other things they wouldn’t or couldn’t notice. Celestia will be joining me to do the same on the magic side of things.” Jay explained. “After that, We’ll head home.”

“Be careful, Jay.” Chrysalis said. “Things will be uninteresting on my end of things, though. The Ruby sisters are kind and rather understanding compared to other Hives. I’ll likely be gone for a week or so. Find a way to contact me if anything happens, okay?”

Clear concern laced her voice and he smiled to her, gently kissing her for a short moment. “Of course, Chryssi. Even if something happens, I have backups.”

A curious look flashed in her eyes for a moment as she followed the distraction, knowing full well he was trying to keep her from worrying. “What have you been doing down in your cave?”

“Not much, yet. So far, I’m only experimenting with creating some of the creations Mercer used on Earth, like the Warpers. I can do it easily enough if I have a corpse at hand- that’s how it was designed, after all- but I’m having trouble making one from scratch.” Jay explained.

“What do you plan to do with them?”

“I don’t know.” He replied honestly. “Keep them around to help protect Sapphire Hive and Equestria, I guess. I’ve no need for an army any time soon and I don’t plan on conquering anything. Really, I’m just keeping my options open.”

Then he frowned. “I guess we need to get started. I have a book to check out before I head to Trotsdale.”

“I guess so.” The Queen sighed, though neither of them moved from their comfortable spot together.

“Of course the book is checked out.” Gene grumbled to himself as he exited the library. “Why in the world would it be there just when I needed it?”

Glancing at the sky, he saw that it was still rather early in the day, around ten if he was correct. Twilight had been busy with her work on some spell or another and had pretty much ignored him when he told her he was leaving for a time. The ponies stationed at the Expedition Point already knew he was leaving and he had dropped by to tell Fire and Coal. Figuring that everypony who would want to know already knew he was leaving, he used to sun to check the directions and set out toward the northern edge of Ponyville where he would follow road signs until he reached Trotsdale.

Gene kept a sedate pace as he walked through Ponyville, keeping up the guise that he was in no hurry. Once outside of the town, he sped up slightly from a walk to a canter. When he was fully out of sight of the town and out of sight of any ponies, he quickly shifted into the form of a wolf and dashed toward Trotsdale as fast as he could run without the world blurring from speed.

Three and a half hours later, his powerful nose picked up the scent of burned wood, melted metal, sweat, and ponies. Rightfully assuming he was near the ruined town, he shifted back into Gene and continued walking along the trail and a good pace. Up ahead and on the border of a small forest, he could see the ruins of the town of Trotsdale. Guards and Rangers alike milled around a small encampment to the side of the path, even more ponies exploring the ruins and the surrounding hillside. Before the virus could walk past the encampment, a voice called out to him and stopped him from going any farther.

Gene turned and saw a Ranger approaching him, his gray armor glinting in the afternoon sun. When the Pegasus came to a stop in front of him, he spoke. “You’re Gene Splice, right?”

“I am. May I ask who I’m talking to?” Gene asked politely.

“Corporal Dancer.” He said. “Princess Celestia said to expect you some time today and that you might be able to succeed where we couldn’t. I didn’t expect you to be here so quick.”

“I move fast.” Gene replied. “You’re the one who found this town, aren’t you?”

The Corporal nodded sadly. “Unfortunately. When me and my squad arrived, the town was already gone. The fires had gone out on their own from a lack of good fuel and we didn’t find anypony in town.”

“Any bodies?”

Dancer winced. “Plenty, all skeletons. From the looks of things, most ponies didn’t even know there was a fire. We f-found skeletons around tables, in bed, and e-even in t-the s-school.”

Gene looked at the Ranger in understanding. “So it couldn’t have been a normal fire; ponies would have known about it and escaped.”

“Except for the ring.” Dancer said after recovering slightly. “But they could have crowded into the parks and such and a normal fire wouldn’t have spread there. There’s a couple ponds and pools ponies had hopped into as well, all evaporated.”

“So a wave.” The virus supplied. “Sometime that spread out over the entire town. Pretty much guarantees foul play.”

“Right.” Dancer said with a nod.

“Surrounding area?”

“Outside the ring, the ground’s completely untouched. The fire started and stopped in the town, not burning a blade of grass outside of it. Couple of Rangers found a few sets of tracks into the forest but all of them turned around after a while. The only other way anypony could have came in or out is on the road, but we wouldn’t be able to tell; A century of wagons and hooves have scarred that path.” Dancer started explaining.

“We found a set of Town Guard armor outside the town on a small rise. Only thing that was in it was a pile of dust, a few feathers around it, and a single wing at the base of the hill. We think it was Lieutenant Snow Flight, the head of the Town Guard here.”

Gene hummed for a moment as he thought, then nodded. “I’m going to get a good look at the town, then head into the forest and keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Keep up the investigation, any moment can reveal something important.”

Corporal Dancer nodded and returned to the encampment while Gene turned to the town and started walking in. As he approached, the ‘ring’ became apparently rather early on. It was a three foot thick blackened line- even darker than the rest of the town, that extended to each side before slowly looping around the town. The grass was entirely gone and the dirt had been baked into a very hard layer. Past the ring, the ground lightened as the grass had been burned and the ground singed, but not completely baked and fried like the ring had. The buildings, or what was left of them, were surprisingly standing still. Not much remained, most of the timber having been turned to ash, but some of the frame remained. Any bits of iron or steel that were part of the foundation may have warped but it was still there, showing the extent of the damage.

On the streets of the town, surrounded by rubble and burned debris, Gene found several skeletons that had been blackened and cracked. Not even the manes remained, though he couldn’t smell the horrific scent of burnt hair. The skeletons ranged in size from full-grown adults to young foals, a tragic fact. Several piles of molten slag surrounded some skeletons as the remains of armor and weapons. For a moment, Gene wondered why some metal had been liquified while others only warped. Then he realized that there hadn’t been just a single fire that wiped out the town; the caster had walked through the town and burned ponies and buildings with magic. The buildings remained standing because the caster had paid little attention to them while focusing on the Guards.

There was likely a wave of fire at the end that wiped out any possible survivors. Gene thought to himself sadly. Whoever it was, the caster was thorough. He knew what he was doing, or at least could cover his tracks.

Gene grunted and turned to head into the forest, the sun at his back high above. He exited the town with a decision to do a full search later on and entered the forest. Moving quickly, he saw a couple sets of tracks that went into the forest, passed ponds or glades, and swung around to head back into town. The odd assortment of pawprints, slither trails, and hoofprints from the animals of the forest stood out from the few paths that cut through the woods. Nothing seemed large but that didn’t mean they weren’t magical; Gene hadn’t yet ruled out a magical creature or dragon.

Direction his attention to the canopy, he searched the first hundred meters for any breaks in the branches where a large creature might have taken flight and broken through. His irritation grew slightly when nothing came up and he stopped to think.

Teleportation?

The virus went another four hundred meters into the forest and searched again, blazing a straight line across the forest parallel to the town. He kept his eyes on the ground, looking for any paths where a pony might have walked down. Twice, he had a false lead as he came across the tracks that he and the Rangers had both found. A third set later on made him pause. It was a set of tracks, clearly hoofprints, that led straight toward the town. Quickly continuing his search, he didn’t find any return tracks. Somepony had walked into town from the forest and left a different way. It wasn’t much, it may have been entirely unrelated, but it was something.

Following the tracks toward the town, he had to stop when they vanished, likely where the pony had decided to teleport the rest of the way in. A quick glance up confirmed that it was a Unicorn, not a Pegasus. It seemed to Gene that he may have found the way the caster had gotten into the town.

Well enough for a start. Gene thought to himself.

Author's Notes:

Yet another chapter with no Betareader, unfortunately. Don't hesitate to tell me of any errors you find.

Disarray makes a bit of a return, simultaneously parting knowledge and confusion. A few things begin to build up, questions arise, and the story continues.