Stormcloud S Deal
IC date: Spring 24
OOC date: April 14
Location: Chaos Manor
PCs: Sunshine Rising-Chaos
NPCs: N/A
GM: N/A

There's a house, near thge outskirts of town. It's a pretty big house, meant for a bunch of students to live together. It's also not so far away as to be considered remote, but a nice quiet place. Exactly what Ruby blossom had described.

Rising Chaos currently lays on her couch, reading. What a shocker, she never does that! She's also got a small flower pot on the table in front of her, with the book being titled 'Floramancy: the Study of Green Magic' this shouldn't come as a surprise.

Suddenly there comes a knock on the door. Tap tap tap! And a voice behind the door! Which the mare on the couch may very well recognize from an earlier outing.

"Hello! Hello? Anybody in there? Your local Fire Brigade has come to ask questions! Do us a public service and answer the door!"

She totally doesn't, but that's alright. Rising Chaos gets up, reluctantly. Not believing for a second that it's the 'local fire brigade', since she knows the captain, and probably only memeber, she opens the door. "Hello, how may I help you." She carefully hides her weapons beneath her cape, just in case. "Also, if you're going to lie, I suggest doing something believable."

The pony on the other side of the door is a dark grey mare, with an inky black mane and equally black eyes. Dressed, oddly enough, in a leather vest with many pockets just brimming with fun things like firecrackers and matches and whatnot. There may even be a stick of dynamite or two tucked away!

"Is that any way to greet a public servant?" the grey mare chides, lifting her head. "I'm from the /other/ Fire Brigade, and I'm afraid we haven't met our quota on setting fires this month. Your house was randomly selected out of a pool of one to be burned! Congratulations!" The mare grins her most fake genuine grin, bringing a noisemaker to her mouth and blowing. Tweet!

"Of course, if you happen to have information on the whereabouts of a little lost filly we've been trying to find, I might be able to overlook the whole 'blazing house of fire' act and focus more on that. An unreliable source said she might be lurking within these very walls. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Ah, that's more like it, now Rising chaos recognizes the mare. She looks her up and down, obviously notimpressed by the threats. "Ah, it's you. Considering that if you were a real public servant, I would outrank you anyways, yes that is my greeting. But if you're looking for Sunshine, do come in. We can discuss the information in a more civilized environment." She cannot help but chuckle at the threat, but moves aside to let the mare in. "by the way, my name is Rising chaos, may I know yours?" She doesnt have a good track record for getting names recently.

"Pshaw, civilized. I can't say I'm exactly well-known for my manners. Really more of a 'buck first and make excuses later' sort of gal, you know?" This doesn't stop her from taking the invitation and crossing the threshold into the big house, her movements a slow and easy saunter. "Being naught but a simple little earth pony, one has to get creative with threats lest they not be taken seriously. Now I know that doesn't seem the case, what with this vest and all, I mean what stops you from lighting everything up and making me explode where I stand?" The mare offers a sweet smile.

"Anyway, my name's Stormcloud. I /prefer/ to be called Maddie. Short for Mad Mare, my old Syndicolt handle. It's such a /pleasure/ to meet you, Ms. Chaos." the mare states, adopting a polite dip in her legs to bow.
Stormcloud enters the house to find three options. The stairs up, currently blocked by rising chaos, to the left, a kitchen, and the right a living room. There's more door leading off of the two rooms, but she comes in just in time to see them glow, and lock solid.

Rising Chaos maintains her neutral expression, and moions for Maddie to have a seat in the living room. "Very well Maddie, a pleasure to meet you as well, make yourself comfortable." She's not gonna leave her spot in fornt of the stairs until Stormcloud is sitting down. "Making you explode where you stand would be a waste of energy, but nothing is stopping me from doing so. Except for, of course, that I have no reason to." She really seem completely calm about this. "As for your threat of burning, you wouldn't get far, or accomplish much other than getting yourself hurt. There's no reason we have to resort to threats, though. I'm willing to co-operate."

Stormcloud thusly sprawls out upon the very same couch Rising had occupied not moments ago! Like it were her own couch, she tucks her forelegs up behind her head, watching the actual owner of the house through those coal-black eyes of hers. "See, already there's a big difference in how we deal with things. I don't resort to threats. I revel in them." The grey mare stretches out luxuriously, an audible pop coming from somewhere along her mid-back. "Ahh… But if you're willing to cooperate, I suppose I can lay off the games and get to the point. So where is she?"

Rising-Chaos, satisfied stormcloud is lying down, moves to take a seat on her favourite chair. She curls up and watches the strange mare. "So do I, it's just a game that I am not willing to play. I'd rather we have a nice little chat right now." Rising makes no move to do, well, anything, really. "She's no here, never was. I may know where she is staying, but I want you to answer one question first. Is she a part of you, in a literal sense? Or in a more emotional one? If literal, which is the part with the essence of the original, or is it split evenly?"

The mare's black eyes squint. "Not here… That figures. I should've known that mare's soft spot for foals would make this difficult." She doesn't seem too surprised though. Did she expect it? Maybe she's just here to have fun…

"Fine, fine. We won't play /my/ game, so we'll have to play /yours/." The mare clears her throat, "Well, Doc, the answer to that is simple enough. She's just a part of me. This is my body. Minus the glowing white color, naturally. She's my…mmm…innocent side. Brought to life by gypsy magic and curses, of all things. The living embodiment of all things good in my heart, yadda yadda, blah blah. She's not /real/…but without her, I'm free of every bad feeling I've ever felt. Surely you see how that could be useful, hmm?"

"Useful? Hardly the word I would use." rising chaos notes down the news, though, that cna be useful. "However, I have very different uses for a soul, so perhaps you see differently. We are going to play my game though, because not only is it easy for you to play along, and you may gain an ally from it. If you try and leave, I will be forced to stop you." Now Rising stops looking neutral, and just looks calm and unimpressed, a calculated display of power and confidence.

"I have some experience in fragments of me running wild. I know how to break them down and use them as energy. I'm also not known for being a kind pony. Sunshine would be interesting to study. Why do you want her gone so badly? Is it because you two cannot exist apart for long?" That was the case with her, after all. the talk of breaking her down and using her is almost entirely bluffing, but factually accurate.

"Oh dear! The hunter has become the hunted!" Stormcloud drapes an arm over her eyes dramatically. "It seems I have no choice! Oh woe is me!" Then she lifts her arm to peek at Rising, perhaps to see if the 'act' is having any impact. Whether or not this actually has any sort of impact, the Mad Mare pushes herself to sit up, propping her hooves on her knees. "Alright. I'll bite, but only because I've been cooped up in a small space for long enough that I'm /dying/ for some intelligent conversation." Those black eyes squint again. "Unfortunately I don't have a lot of answers for you. /Why/ this happened is just as confusing to me as it is to her. All I know is getting rid of her means freedom for me. What else matters?"

The little theatrical performance doesn't get a response. Rising Chaos just stays there, neutral as ever. "Curious, it's a field of study I am interested in. Of course, the more I know, the more confident I can be in saying that I can make you stronger, while simultaneously removing her as a problem. Freedom is a noble goal, after all, I wouldn't deny a pony her freedom." She shrugs, as if nothing she said matters.

"Of course, I could always do the opposite, and break you down. Give all your power, and your body, to Sunshine. Or I could do neither, I'd like to establish where I stand on this. Such a confusing experience has many opportunities for a mare of my talents. You're simply the first one I am giving the opportunity to sell me on your cause."

"Fascinating." Sunshine states, her chin propped up on one hoof. "I'm not sure whether to laugh, scoff, or say 'how much do you charge'." The dark grey mare leans back again. "I wasn't aware we had such /powerful/ ponies lurking about the outskirts of this fair Harbor. Truly things have changed during my absence. Ah well."

"What's the deal then, mm? Am I supposed to plead my case? Do you prefer begging? I'm afraid getting on my knees is right out, all things considered." to which the mare taps her metal legs with a hoof.

"Oh please, I'm hardly demanding you make your case. If you aren't interested in my help you can feel free to leave. I have what I want now." Rising Chaos finally reacts, rolling her eyes as if Stormcloud is nothing but a child. "If you want my help, you only have to ask. We can work out details, but I want to study Sunshine if we do become allies. If you leave, I will of course, see about lending my skills to Ruby's aid. I can protect Sunshine just as well, and I have my first move planned already."

Finally a reaction! Stormcloud breaks into a grin. "Ahh so you /do/ have some emotions in there somewhere. That's nice." Then the mare makes an effort to stand, twisting metal legs to ease herself onto all fours. A gesture is made to her own chest, "In that case… I'd /love/ to have a little, mm, help on the matter. I don't care what you do to her. Study, dissect, stick a vaccum to her soul, whatever. Just keep her…gone, and I'll be perfectly, hehe, happy." The Mad Mare sticks a hoof out. "Deal?"

Rising-Chaos lisetens to this, and makes no move to accept the hoof for a moemnt. "I have plenty of emotion, I think you'll find." Already the gears in her head are ticking away, plans are being made. Rising is a pretty good pony now, how could she ever acce-

Rising Chaos fades out of existence.

Normally, this would be alarming, except Stormcloud's hoof is taken from beside her. Rising Chaos, the real one, was behind her the whole time. "You have a deal, Maddie. the side of you that's dragging you down will be taken care of, you have my help in the matter. My only request is you keep collateral damage to a minimum, I just rebuilt this town, don't want to see it burned down yet. I don't have the funds to build a better house." If Stormcloud looks, she'd see a short sword floating beside Rising get sheathed and then disappear beneath her cape again. "I look forward to working with you."

Something about that is certainly unnerving. And yet! The sight of the sword sheathing only makes Stormcloud grin. "Aw, were you ready to kill me this whole time? I'm flattered! Really." A firm hoofshake later, and the grey mare begins to amble towards the door to make her exit. "The side that's dragging me down. That's leaving it open to interpretation, isn't it?" the shrewd mare notes, amid the clank-clank of her hoofsteps towards the door.

Rising-Chaos escorts Stormcloud to the door. "Kill you? Hardly. Incapacitate you and then chain you up in my lab for the reward? Yes, without a doubt I was prepared. I don't kill ponies unless I can't help it. Besides, my way would have been so much easier." She actually allows herself a chuckle at the doubt. "Sunshine will be dealt with. Whatever my opinions of you, you are not dragging anypony down. Consider me a useful ally to the cause, Maddie."

"Ah. Torture! Even better. To the cause then, and do have a pleasant night. Tomorrow may earn you a new toy for your…whatever you do." With that Stormcloud exits the door, back into the crisp spring night air!