Chapter 7:

The Outlands

Meanwhile, in the Outlands, the Outsiders were digging for something to eat, fighting against each other, and even scratching themselves free from biting bugs.

A teenage Alicorn mare with a pale, light grayish fuchsia coat, a moderate purple mane with light brilliant aquamarine streaks, and a cutie mark of a two-toned purple star with a forte symbol was walking up a nearby hill approaching a little Alicorn colt, who is tugging on a tree root. The teenager was complaining about the foal all the outsiders respected because that one was 'The Chosen One.'

"Ocellus, Ocellus, Ocellus. Chrysalis wasn't even her mother she just took her in," The teenage Alicorn mare complained as she came upon the colt still tugging on the root.

The colt was dark cyan with a moderate amaranth chest, his mane was a deep crimson color, and his wings were a dark blue-violet.

"Oh, hey, Pharynx. Where's the little bug, Ocellus…'The Chosen One'?" The teenage mare said in a patronizing tone as she cut the root with her horn, which caused the colt to sprawl in the dirt while the mare was laughing like a hyena.

Pharynx, the colt, recovered as he looked at the mare angrily and approaches her as he replied, "Aria, where's Ocellus? Did you leave her out there on her own again?".

"Hey, it's every Alicorn for themselves out here in the Outlands! That little bug has gotta learn to be on her own," Aria stated as she started scratching herself from the biting bugs.

"Father's gonna be mad. He told you to watch her!" Pharynx said, reminding her that their father left her in charge to look after Ocellus.

"Oh, who cares? I should've been the Chosen One. I'm the Oldest, the Strongest, I'm Smartest…OH! These Pesky Flies!" Aria shouted, trying to get rid of the flies biting her as she tried everything such scratching up against a tree, biting herself, and even rolling in the dirt.

Pharynx just watched with an amused smirk, seeing Aria act like an Alicorn version of a Diamond Dog.

"I could be a leader if he just give me a chance!" Aria said, dragging her rear along the ground to relief herself.

"Yeah right, Aria. why don't you tell that to father?" Pharynx scoffed.

"Oh, yeah? Don't think I won't!" Aria said with indignation.

"Oh, yeah. Well, here's your chance," Pharynx chuckled a bit knowingly.

Aria opened her eyes and looked behind herself to see someone familiar coming as her sarcastic demeanor is now replaced with over-excitement.

"Wha-? Oh, father. Father, hi!" Aria greeted with an over-excited chuckle as she sees Stone Heart approaching them with Ocellus in his mouth. If looks could kill Aria would be dead by now.

"Father, I found some tasty fruit for dinner I left them by the…by the…um…okay," Aria said as she stopped at a small hill and tried to tell Stone Heart about her accomplishments. But she stopped when she saw the stallion walk past her and ignored her.

Aria headed on over as Stone Heart sets Ocellus down on the ground not so gently.

"Hey, Ocellus. Want to fight?" Pharynx challenged as he and Ocellus began growling at each other and lighting up their little horns.

"You were supposed to be Watching HER!" Stone Heart angrily scolded Aria, causing her to back up in fear of him.

"But it's not her fault. I ran off on my own," Ocellus said to Stone Heart, sticking up for Aria.

Stone Heart then turned to face Ocellus and asked angrily, "What were you doing?".

"Uh…Nothing," Ocellus replied, backing up away from Stone Heart's anger.

"Who made us Outsiders?!" Stone Heart asked, reminding her the pony who exiled them to the outlands in the first place.

"Twilight…" Ocellus replied, knowing Twilight was the pony who exiled them.

"Who killed Chrysalis?" Stone Heart asked next, causing Ocellus to fall back on her back.

"Twilight…" Ocellus replied, getting scared now by Stone Heart's anger and hate. She was too young to remember the details of what happened, but all Outsiders knew that Twilight was Chrysalis's killer.

"And what have I told you about…THEM?!" Stone Heart snarled angrily, charging his horn intensely, looking like he was going to hurt her as he reminded her of one of his rules.

"I'm sorry, father. But he didn't seem so bad. Why, I think we could be…" Ocellus said with a nervous smile, sounding a little bit weak.

"FRIENDS?! You thought you could get to the son and Twilight would welcome you with open wings?! What an idea!" Stone Heart in a sarcastic tone, knowing that will never work…

But then Stone Heart stopped and thought about it. Maybe it might work.

"What an idea!" Stone Heart said, turning to Ocellus with a smile.

Ocellus felt a little confused about Stone Hearts' change of tone and smile. It was actually a little unnerving.

"You are a brilliant child, Ocellus. I'm so proud of you. You have the same conniving mind that made Chrysalis so…Powerful," Stone Heart said, bringing Ocellus close to him for he has always known that Ocellus would inherit Chrysalis's conniving intellect.

"Eeeewww…Yuuuuck…" Aria muttered under her breath in disgust.

Stone Heart heard that and turned to her with a snarl and his horn glowing intensely again, causing Aria to chuckle nervously with a nervous smile. She most definitely did not want to get on Stone Heart's bad side.

Stone Heart picked Ocellus up again and took her to their home which appears to be a huge termite mound, which could easily be mistaken as a castle.

"Ugh…Chosen One," Aria whispered to herself, feeling greatly jealous that Ocellus is the chosen heir of Chrysalis and not her. After all, though she never called Chrysalis mother, that is what she's been. So to be looked over for someone else, who wasn't even blood, rubbed her the wrong way.