My daughter fades into a twist of insanity spinning in her eyes. She lies on my forehooves. Has been for a minute. It’s too much wretched chaos magic. I kept telling her to never venture too far through the Bedlam Badlands. It just takes one push too many to…. [i]Agh![/i] She’s good and noble, risking her sanity to give ponies safe passage around the insanity, but she’s my daughter! My child, compassion and sacrifice are good, but to see you wither away into disarray… if only I could kill chaos with my own bare hooves! She looks at me. Her spiraling eyes stare, bore, into my soul. Two spiraling and shattered pink windows of a poor twisted soul. Time to put on a brave smile for her. She must recognize me. That’ll be a relief: they all lose their minds, I hear. May this be an exception. May you spare me, you devil! I keep her close as she inspects all of me: my legs, my face, my mane, my eyes. I’m your mother. Please, my precious Screwball! Do you remember me? “Ooh! You’re the new candidate for the checkered floorboard!” She chucks me a mop and a bucket. I’m in a janitor’s uniform. Don’t know how other than chaos magic— Speak of the devil. There he is, standing by a stall of mop-flavored noodles. I’ve only heard the descriptions and seen the stained-glass windows, but, in the flesh… [i]Discord[/i]. This abomination upon the land, the great corrupter, my daughter’s murderer! I must strangle him. Let me have at him! “Oh, that wouldn’t be necessary, Miss Vine Eye.” While he speaks, my poor Screwball floats around, hugging him. He is [i]not[/i] your father! “Besides, I hear that you have a grievance with this newly-born chaos pony. Ma’am, let me direct you to customer support—“ “Bring my daughter back!” I wrench her into my grip, safe in my embrace. “Why… why do you have to do this to her? To me? To [i]us[/i]?!” This new death stares at me like we are mere flies. “It’d be boring if[i] I[/i] was the only one doing the chaos, so, naturally I outsource! Also, you’re just not careful enough to travel through Bedlam, are you?“ “Screwball is skilled enough! She’s helped many ponies through this place!” “Then you should thank me, eh? I made her [i]competent[/i].” Despite the laughter telling me to give up, I do not. Yes, I’ve just thought of a weapon to stave off this anathema: a logic bomb! “Is that all you do? Break up relationships?” I raise my voice, confidence empowering me. “That’s... just the same, isn’t it? It’s [i]always[/i] about making chaos and breaking stuff! It’s not chaotic if I can predict that you’ll just break things, is it?! “So, wanna be chaotic? Bring me and my daughter back together!” He’s drooping his shoulders... defeated? I… I couldn’t believe it. It actually worked! He even snaps his talons! I turn to my saved foal! Her eyes still swirl. My daughter, still a fading spiral. “You didn’t change her back!” His smirk sinks my heart, drags dread across my spine. “You want to be back together, right? You cannot complain if I [i]did[/i] deliver on my promise, Missy.” “What. Did. You. Do?” That’s when I see everything. The number, the probabilities, the variables of this world, this reality. The connections between everything and everything else, how they can be modified. He shoves something into my mouth. It’s green. The color green. How did I know it was green? How do I even [i]taste[/i] green?! Why did he just do that?… no, is he becoming [i]sensible[/i]?! I’m asking questions about [i]him[/i]?! They say there’s a method, a twisted logic, behind the madness but— Everything. He’s opening my eyes, and the world is anew. It is so, yes, [i]beautiful[/i]. New dimensions, realities, playthings, obstacles…. [i]Get a grip on yourself! This is me speaking, me! He’s turning you into—[/i] [hr] I got a new co-worker today! Wow! Thanks so much, Discord! Anyway, she’s Vine Eye, and we’re already mopping the checkerboard noodle aisle! Gotta say, she keeps hugging me even though we’ve only known each other for an hour. But, I hug her back! She’s such a nice enlightened pony like me! Maybe hugging is her signature move! She doesn’t know why she’s hugging me, though. According to her, she just knows she has a special connection to me somehow. Aww! I just know we'll be the bestest friends!