Being stumped is something that nopony ever likes. Your mind is centered on one thing and one thing only, and it absolutely refuses to leave your brain long enough to give you any sense of peace, and slowly starts to eat your brain inside out until your head is left to nothing but an empty shell of what it used to be.
For Screwball, this was especially bad.
For all the times of the year her imagination could’ve chosen to go completely dead, it just HAD to be now didn’t it?
Normally, she would more than likely be pulling pranks on everyone in Ponyville. Probably turning Rainbow Dash’s sleeping cloud into cotton candy while she was still on it, turning Rarity’s mane into paper, or maybe spray painting “Bad Wolf” onto Mr. Turner’s weird box thingy.
But instead, she just sat on Fluttershy’s couch, thinking to herself, specifically about her daddy Discord. More specifically, his birthday. And even MORE specifically what to get him. Her daddy was very, very special to her after all, and not just anything would do.
The main problem wasn’t that though. The issue was how incredibly powerful he was.
Under the usual circumstances, Screwball considered her dad having such awesome magic a blessing, seeing as how much fun the draconequess brought with them. This was the only case though, were it gave her a never-ending headache. Her dad could pretty much warp into reality whatever he felt like with a snap of his fingers as if it were nothing.
And there lied the problem right there.
Being Chaos incarnate required a great deal of imagination, and unfortunately for Screwball she was at a mental wall…made of steel…with electrified barbed wire…coated in poison…it was getting on her nerves alright?
The purple filly grumbled to herself in frustration over her situation, the propeller on her beanie increasing in speed the more aggravated she got.
“Mmmph…No…No…Rgggh.” Screwball groaned as she levitated a paddle ball in the air, slamming the ball harder as the seconds went by.
“Umm…Screwball? Are you feeling alright?” A gentle voice asked from across the room. Screwball shifted her swirly, purple eyes to the source of the voice, which turned out to be Fluttershy. Ever since her daddy had come to enjoy the company of ponies, he had taken up residence in Fluttershy’s home, with Screwball moving in later on after learning of her dad’s whereabouts. Screwball didn’t quite understand why most ponies didn’t enjoy the improvements he had made to their world before, but as long as it kept him from being turned into a lifeless rock, she was fine with it, and she had to admit, Fluttershy was a pretty nice mare. She could definitely see that (sun butt) celestia definitely got the right pony for the job, and could definitely see why Discord likes her so much.
Although, she didn’t like hanging around the cottage itself too much, considering her and the animals dislike each other from screwball ‘playtime’.
“Flutters, not that I don’t like the company, but can you just give me a minute to myself please? I kinda got a lot on my mind right now.” Screwball said, not taking her eyes off the paddle-ball she had levitated in the air.
“Oh. Alright…Um, Screwball?” Fluttershy asked in a whisper.
“What?”
“Have you…seen Angel? I can’t seem to find him anywhere.” Fluttershy said.
The paddle-ball held in the purple filly’s magical grasp started to squeak and squirm at Fluttershy’s voice. Fluttershy then realized what was going on, and gave Screwball a stern glare.
“Screwball, put him down.” She said firmly.
Screwball looked between the paddle-ball and Fluttershy and sighed in annoyance.
“You’re relieved of your duties Angel. I’ve been busted.” Screwball groaned as she lit up her purple eyes with her magic, and in a flash of white light, the paddle-ball was replaced with a very dazed and nauseous Angel Bunny, his face starting to turn green. Screwball absent-mindedly dropped the rabbit back on the ground, where he held on to his head. Angel shook some sense back into his head, and glared at the purple filly with his paws on his hips.
“Oh he doesn’t like me? I’m very hurt! However will I live knowing that I don’t get the approval of a rodent?!” Screwball cried, feigning interest. Angel shook his fist at her and loudly squeaked in anger. Whatever he said made both Fluttershy and Screwball tense up.
“Angel! I realize what she did was wrong, but watch that language!” Fluttershy said sternly.
“Yeesh. Someone owes bits to the swear jar.” Screwball said with a frown and widened eyes.
Angel blew a raspberry at Screwball before angrily stomping out of the room. Screwball stuck her tongue out at the rabbit as well…
On the end of hers though, was a duplicate Screwball doing the same thing…
And another one…
And another one…
And another one…
The last tiny duplicate Screwball turned to face the others, crossing her forehooves.
“Okay girls, I think they get the joke.” The tiny Screwball said.
“Agreed.” The rest of them said before the original Screwball’s tongue retreated back into her mouth, making the tiny duplicates disappear.
Fluttershy sighed.
“Screwball, is something bothering you?” Fluttershy asked.
Screwball held a hoof to her forehead and groaned.
“It’s a Chaos deity thing Fluttershy. You probably wouldn’t get it.”
“Oh come on now. Whatever your problem is, I’m sure I can help you. Now just tell me what’s wrong.” Fluttershy said, flying her way onto the couch next to the Chaos-fueled filly.
Screwball put a hoof under her chin with a questionable look on her face.
“Hmmm…Maybe you can be of some sort of help…Alright here’s the deal. You know daddy’s birthday is tomorrow don’t you?” Screwball asked.
“Oh of course. Princess Celestia is letting Pinkie hold his party in the Canterlot Gardens.”
“Wait, the Canterlot Gardens? I’d think by now that dad’d be pretty sick of that place after staying there for so long. Yeesh, celestia must be rubbing off on her a litt…, that’s not the point. The point is, I haven’t the slightest idea what to get him.” Screwball said
Fluttershy frowned as she raised up and looked to the side.
“Oh dear. That really is a problem…well, why don’t you just get him something he likes?” Fluttershy asked.
“Pfft. Yeah. Why haven’t I thought of that?”as she rolled her swirling eyes “It ain’t that simple Flutters. Whatever my dad wants, he can just raise an eyebrow and BAM! There it is! I should know. I can do the exact same thing.”
Screwball looked back to the ground with an annoyed look on her face.
“Not only that, but it has to be extra-super-special. Only the best for my Daddy you know.” Screwball said.
Fluttershy patted Screwball on the back, trying to console her.
“Oh you poor thing. You must have such a headache. I really wish I could be of more help…”
Screwball looked back to Fluttershy, looking at her top to bottom then it hit her having a brilliant idea, with an unreadable expression on her face. That expression soon grew into a huge, ear-to-ear smile when she came upon a realization.
“…Perhaps you can Fluttershy…Perhaps you can…” Screwball said with a slight giggle.
“…hm?” Fluttershy had a curious look on her face.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY DISCORD! YIPPIE!” Pinkie Pie cheered as she fired off her party cannon in the Canterlot Gardens, sending confetti and streamers of various colors flying everywhere.
Everypony was in attendance in the Canterlot Gardens on the day of the spirit of disharmony’s birthday party. Rainbow dash, pinkie pie, rarity, applejack and along with princess Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and Princess Twilight were all present to celebrate the day of Discord, a day that a majority of other ponies in Equestria grew to call “Black Friday.”
“Ohohoho! Thank you Pinkie Pie. It is so very nice to be in the company of good friends on the day of my birth.” Discord chuckled in the presence of the colorfulness of Canterlot Gardens, a quite sharp contrast of the way he had been used to seeing it.
“And we’re glad that you see it that way Discord.” Celestia said, eating a piece of cake.
“Wow Pinkie! This party’s preeeety awesome. Some of your best work by far.” Rainbow said, reclining on a cloud, drinking out of a punch glass.
Pinkie would have said “Thanks a super-mega-ton Dashie!” if her face wasn’t dunked into the chocolate fountain.
Princess Twilight looked around the gardens, as if she was looking for somepony that didn’t seem to be there.
“Umm…has anypony seen Fluttershy?” she asked.
Everypony in the gardens shook their heads.
“Not since yesterday, sugarcube.” Applejack answered.
“I’m afraid not darling. She hasn’t come out of her cottage at all today.” Rarity said.
Cadence was going to say something as well, but another thought immediately entered her mind when she noticed the absence of yet, another pony.
“Ummm, Discord? Didn’t you have a daughter as well? Why isn’t she here?” Cadence asked.
Discord looked quizzically at the pink alicorn and then proceeded to shift his eyes around the gardens in search of his daughter. After catching no sight of her, he began to stroke his beard.
“Hmmm. Screwball DOES like to be fashionably late, but Fluttershy? Where could those two be?” Discord mumbled.
“We wouldn’t worry too much about the matter Discord. We are sure that your companions will arrive at any moment.” Luna said, taking a sip of her punch.
“And you’d be right Lulu! ~” a squeaky voice resonating from seemingly nowhere giggled. Luna’s eyes widened in shock as she looked down at her glass of purple punch, which now had a pair of demented, swirled eyes staring back at her, as well as a giant smile.
“Hewwo.” It said.
Luna flinched back in disgust, causing her to spill it on the ground.
“Our taste buds!” Luna yelled.
The glass of spilled punch began to contort and morph together and rise up off the ground. It began to take on Screwball’s pony form and the texture of her coat started to come into existence from the liquefied shape.
Screwball teleported in front of her daddy and wrapped her hooves around his snake-like body with a big smile on her face. Discord happily petted the mane of his child and returned the hug. Everypony awe (except for Luna, who was trying to recover from Screwball’s cheap jumpscare and punch sabatoge combo.)
“Happy birthday daddy! Sorry I took so long. Fluttershy was giving me a little trouble, so it took longer than I thought.” Screwball said after breaking the hug.
Discord raised a bushy eyebrow.
“Fluttershy is with you?” Discord asked. Screwball’s grin all the wider as she took off her propeller hat…
Which had an oversized, yellow present wrapped up with a pink bow under it, definitely something that wouldn’t fit under any normal filly’s hat. She set the giant box on the ground, shutting her eyes with a smug look on her face.
“Just open your present, and all will be revealed.” Screwball said with a hoof to her chest.
Discord half-expected some sort of prank to come out of this. She was the embodiment of all things Chaos after all. But, he really did want to see where Screwball was going with this. He snapped his talons, which unwrapped the bow of the oversized box…
Causing it to explode in a flash of confetti and purple smoke.
Once it cleared out, Discord’s jaw dropped and a slight tinge of red came onto his face when he witnessed what came out.
In the box’s place was a very, very red in the face and flustered Fluttershy wearing bunny ears, a bowtie, and fishnet stockings?
Just about everypony else’s reaction matched Discord’s almost perfectly. Rainbow Dash’s shades even dropped off of her eyes and onto the top of her nose.
“S-Screwball, t-this isn’t w-what I meant when I said I wished I could be of more h-help.” Fluttershy stuttered. She had never felt more embarrassed in all of her life than she was right now.
Screwball was trying to summon every ounce of willpower she had to try not to laugh, putting a hoof to her mouth.
Screwball teleported back next to her flustered dad.
“Soooo dad? How do ya like your present, hmmmmm?” Screwball asked with a smile much too sweet considering the circumstances.
“Uhhhhh…” Discord was at a complete loss for words, making Screwball giggle.
“Hehehe. I knew you’d like it.” She said.