Chapter 39: Sweet Child O’ Mine
Twilight flies with Zecora on her back to Canterlot where she lands among a group of guards. One of the guards walks up to her. "Lieutenant Greaves and the Canterlot 3rd platoon reporting for duty Princess. We’ve been instructed to help you then return with you to Ponyville."
"What's the situation Lieutenant?" Twilight asks as Zecora climbs off her back.
"We have the suspect under observation." Greaves answers. "We've been deterring the public from entering, so the crowd is minimal."
"Good." Twilight says. "Let's go."
Greaves leads the way flanked by a pair of guards, Twilight and Zecora behind them. The rest of the company follow. As they march into the marketplace citizens quickly move out of their way.
"Ambassador Possum!" Twilight calls out as they approach the stallion and filly.
Possum and the filly stop. "Princess?" Possum says then he sees Zecora and his eyes widen.
"Ambassador Possum, by my order you're under arrest." Twilight says.
"You'll never catch me." Possum says with a sneer before he vanishes in a flash leaving the filly behind.
"I thought that you would have put an anti-teleportation ward up!" Twilight yells.
Greaves looks at an unicorn guard. "You assured me the wards were up!"
"They are sir." The guard responds. "He would have had to be as strong as one of the Princesses to teleport through our wards."
Twilight sighs. "Search the area he can't have gone too far."
"Yes Princess!" Greaves says and the platoon quickly splits up to search the area. "What about the foal?"
"I'll take care of her." Twilight says. Greaves steps aside and Twilight approaches the filly. "I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle, and we're here to help you."
"Is Master gone?" She asks.
"He fled, even if we don't catch him he won't be able to show his face in Equestria again." Twilight answers and the filly looks at her blankly. "What's your name?"
"My name?"
"Yes, what do other ponies call you?"
She reaches up to the collar nopony had realized she was wearing with her forehoof and flips a metal tag embossed 'SZ-1'. "That's the only thing I've ever been called.”
Twilight gasps. "You poor filly." Her horn glows. "May I take this off you?"
The filly nods then stands still as Twilight removes the collar with her magic and places it carefully in her saddlebags. "Feels weird without it." She says.
Twilight nods. "It's possible you've grown so accustomed to wearing it that we may need to put it back on. I'd like to try and not do so though." The filly nods. "Now, I am not going to refer to you by what was on that tag. Any suggestions?" Twilight asks looking at Zecora.
"If I were in your pony shoes. Nymeria is the name I would choose."
"Nymeria." The filly says trying out the name. "I like it."
"Well, Nymeria would you like to come home with me?"
"Do you do magical experiments like Master?"
"I do magical experiments all the time." Twilight answers. "Did you help... Master with his experiments?"
Nymeria nods. "All the time, he said once I was old enough I would be part of them. I'm not sure I liked that idea some of the fillies weren't much older than I am."
Twilight looks disgusted. "You'll have to tell me all about it, take as much time as you need "
Nymeria nods. "Do you live in a castle?"
"Yes." Twilight grins. "A beautiful crystal castle."
Nymeria gasps. "Let's go!"
Twilight nods. "Lieutenant Greaves, I leave you as head of the search party. I trust you can take care of that without further incident?"
"If Ambassador Possum is still in Canterlot we'll find him."
"You'd better hope he is." Twilight says. "Or the only thing you'll find yourself in charge of is cleaning latrines!"
"Of course, Princess." Greaves salutes before turning back to his platoon. "Double time the search!"
"If the Ambassador really has vanished. Will you really have the Lieutenant punished?" Zecora asks.
Twilight grins. "Maybe." With that they all head towards the train.
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Fluttershy comes into Scootaloo's room only to find Silver Spoon asleep in the chair next to her bed, a book lying open on her belly. Fluttershy carefully flies over to her and takes the book, places it on the nearby table then covers her up with a blanket. She flies back downstairs. "Discord, are you near?"
"Hello my beautiful Fluttershy." The Spirit of Chaos says as he appears and scoops her up in his mismatched arms and kisses her. "I've missed you."
Fluttershy smiles. "I've missed you as well."
"Who's the new pony upstairs?"
"That is Silver Spoon, Scootaloo's fillyfriend."
Discord nods. "Was there something you needed dear?"
Fluttershy rubs against Discord. "I really need to go to the hospital and check on Silver's parents. Any chance you could keep an eye on the two fillies?"
"I'd be delighted." Discord says. "Be good practice for if we have foals of our own one day."
Fluttershy blushes and nods. "Yes, it would."
"I'm sure I can manage then."
Fluttershy nods. "I'll be back as soon as possible." She kisses him and he puts her down. She then turns and leaves.
==========
Fluttershy arrives at the hospital and is greeted by Nurse Redheart. "Hello there, Miss Fluttershy. How can I help you?"
"I wanted to check on Silver Script and Filigree." Fluttershy says.
"Of course." Redheart says. "Right this way." She leads her to a room where Silver Script lays on a bed. "Miss Script, you have a visitor."
Silver Script wakes up and sees Fluttershy. "I heard you are taking care of my little Spoon."
Fluttershy steps into the room. "Yes, she was asleep when I left her and Scootaloo."
"Who's watching them then?"
"I left Discord watching them."
"Discord!" Script exclaims. "You left my daughter with that monster?"
"He's really changed." Fluttershy says. "He's trying to be better. He just needed somepony to help teach him."
Script nods. "Sounds like you care for him greatly."
"I do." Fluttershy says. "And I know he won't let a thing happen to Scootaloo, so I have every confidence he will do the same with Silver Spoon."
Script nods. "Is Scootaloo okay? I remember they said she was hurt."
"She had dislocated her shoulder, but she's fine." Fluttershy answers. "The pain potion they gave her made her sleepy."
"I know the feeling."
"You'll be out soon enough, I'm sure."
"Actually," Nurse Redheart says. "If somepony was willing to keep an eye on her she could go home."
"She can come with me." Fluttershy says. "My cottage is a little crowded but we can make do for the night."
"Couldn't Discord just make your cottage bigger?" Script asks.
Fluttershy blinks a few times. "I'd never thought of that."
"Not a bad idea huh?"
Fluttershy shakes her head. "I'll have to ask him."
"I need to get Doctor Staff to release Silver Script." Nurse Redheart says. "You had said you wanted to check on Filigree too?"
Fluttershy nods. "What's his condition?"
"He's unconscious." Redheart answers. "Doctor Staff fixed his rib, and he's on a potion drip to help it heal. As soon as he's ready Constable Flathoof is going to move him to the jail until his trial."
"Thank you." Fluttershy says.
"Do you want to wait here while I get the doctor?"
"Sure." Fluttershy says and Redheart walks off.
"So are you and Discord knocking ponyshoes?" Script asks.
Fluttershy blushes. "I don't believe that's any of your business!"
"Just trying to figure out what the attraction is." Script says. "Figured he isn't much to look at. So he much be good in bed."
Fluttershy sighs. "Me and Discord are taking things slowly. Neither of us have been with anypony in that way and we're not exactly ready to jump into anything."
"I guess that makes sense."
"Doctor Staff says she's good to go." Nurse Redheart says as she re-enters the room.
"Good." Script says. "I can't wait to see my little Spoon."
"Well, let's get you out of here then." Redheart says and goes about discharging her.
==========
Fluttershy and Silver Script arrive at Fluttershy's cottage some time later. "Here we are." They enter the cottage and find Scootaloo and Silver Spoon flying after each other.
"I'm going to get you!" Spoon says as she flaps her wings and chases Scootaloo.
"I don't think so!" Scootaloo says as she dives out of the way and right in front of Fluttershy and Silver Script and stops. "Hi mom."
"What exactly is going on here?" Fluttershy asks.
Discord appears. "The fillies are playing tag."
"And the wings?" Fluttershy asks calmly.
"Darling, Scootaloo has always had wings."
"I'm aware of that. Silver Spoon however was an earth pony when I left here."
"What makes you think I had anything to do with those?" Discord asks then sees the hurt look on Fluttershy's face. "Alright, fine it was me. It started by trying to cheer Scootaloo up, so I made it where she could fly. Then Silver Spoon wanted to play, I didn't think it would be that big of a deal."
"I think it's kind of sweet." Script says. "How about you Spoon?"
Silver Spoon flies down to them. "This is great. Can I keep them?"