//------------------------------// // The dream // Story: Daddy Dearest // by AlextheBordercollie //------------------------------// Archie lay awake in bed for some time contemplating ScrewBall's uncouth behavior. He hadn't learned all that much about her. But she was a magical construct, Discord would have had to have built her before he was born. He thought back to the stories he had heard of his father. The days when Discord was feared by all Equestria... He had always known his father to be a bit mischievous but never evil. ScrewBall was likely a product of those days. He wondered what all ScrewBall was capable of, what her intentions were and why she had waited so long to come back into his father's life. The thought kept him awake, that and his uncle's snoring. The more he thought about it the more it worried him. He looked over to the gold pocket watch resting on his nightstand. He struggled against the urge he had to open it. Eventually, his curiosity won out as he reached over to hold the watch in his hooves. For a moment he merely held it and traced his hooves along the engravings on its case. With a deep breath, he opened the watch. "Anarchy what troubles you," Came a soft familiar voice. A faint purple, luminescent mist lit up the face of the watch. Archie had spoken to the watch many times now since it had come into his possession. Nopony else knew of the watches sentience, it was his greatest secret. Archie himself still did not know the watches origins, however, the small device had shared secrets with him before. It knew things, many things. Perhaps it could ease his worry. "It's ScrewBall, my sister," Archie replied at last. "Ah...." the watch mused, "She worries you does she? I'm not surprised." The watch continued, " She is a relic of your father's tainted past." "That's what I'm afraid of," Archie admitted. "I can show you what she really is if it would comfort you to know," The watch replied. Before Archie could reply he began to feel light-headed and dizzy. This faintness was familiar. He didn't fight it, instead, he merely allowed himself to slip into a deep sleep-like trance. When awareness returned to him he found himself sitting in a void full of stars with many doors. He looked about a bit before his eyes rested on a familiar sight. Sitting in an armchair across from him was the watch. Or at least the form the watch usually took in his dreams. The Watch looked like him though slightly uncanny, his eyes always looked shadowed and exhausted though he seemed pleasant enough when he spoke. "So you want to learn more about your sister then?" The watch said calmly as he sipped from a teacup he summed from the ether. Archie suddenly found himself sitting in an identical armchair with his own cup. He wasn't sure if he had been sitting there before but he was accustomed enough to the space within the watch that he had learned not to question such things. "I just can't shake this feeling she's bad news. I was just hoping, maybe knowing more about her would put my mind at ease." Archie replied, shuffling in his chair a bit. The watch remained perfectly calm and cool as he spoke. "I'll show you where she comes from, though I cannot guarantee peace of mind." With that the watch set his tea down on an end table, Archie could have sworn wasn't there before, then got up and walked over to one of the surrounding doors. He opened the door and gestured through it. Archie stood up and walked over to the door. The watch motioned silently and Archie obeyed without much hesitation. A flash of bright light blinded for a moment, when it faded he found himself outside with the watch wrapped around his neck by the chain. He was naked, normal enough for most ponies but Archie had always been extremely self-conscious and he longed for the comfort of his velvet red suit. After a few minutes, his eyes adjusted to the light and he finally took in his surroundings. The grass was checkered in blue and pink. The air was thick and faintly green. Buildings floated about as if released by gravity on a backdrop of cotton candy clouds. "W-where am I," His voice shook slightly as he tried to process the utter chaos that surrounded him. He quickly opened his watch as he forgot it was closed. Upon opening the watch he asked again. "Where am I?" "In Ponyville of course." The watch replied. "Thirty years ago. While we're here I might remind you, it would probably be best not to let your father see you and do be carefull not to loose me." "Yes, of course," Archie replied nervously before closing the watch. He was nervous about being in the past this wasn't the first time he gone back to see history unfold. But before he had only done it to study for exams or satisfy otherwise trivial curiosities. He had never been somewhere, some when, so chaotic and so personal. He knew ScrewBall had to be around somewhere so with shaky hooves he bagan making his way trhough town. He was carefull to avoid strange traps along the way. His fathers humor it seems hadn't ever really changed as he recognized his handiwork in some places. However the panic of ponies trapped in his games was something he hadn't experienced. As he passed by distressed ponies all he could do is cringe and utter a soft "I'm sorry" He couldn't help them. He knew that. Anything he did could impact the future he was meerly here to observe. Being a colt of structure and reason the constantly shifting landscape made him beyond uneasy. But being a draconequis child he could navigate without to much difficulty. Despite all teh changes however he doubted he would have recognized him home town regardless. The houses and buildings he passed by all looked like the old downtown area, much of the Ponyville he grew up in was far more modern, more like Twilights castle in it's design. For a mometn he found himself destracted by the old town hall wich flaoted upside down with a tan mare inside panicing, trapped inside what looking like living molasses. The old mayor he geussed, but as he though of this he failed to notice the stampeed of monstrus creatures headed his way. Before he had a moment to react he found himself lifted up by some force other than his own. He could hear the rumbling stampeed below him. He opened his eyes again to see the creaures more clearly, they looked like rabbits, but with legs unlike anything he'd seen. "What's-a-matter chicken forgot how to fly?" Sneered an all to familair voice before the pony holding hims realesed her grip. As he fell a giant whoopie cusion sudnly apeared beneath him. Taking in a glup of air and reacting quickly he teleported himself saly to the ground next to the cusion and looked up to see the pony who saved him. "Aw you're no fun!" ScrewBall whined.