Chapter 5
Spoiled Rich frowned as she examined the folders she’d tracked down in order to go over some information from her reporters. Working on the newspaper was often delegated to underlings, but when it came to stories involving potential revelations of a mystic nature, as per Mayor Tirek’s orders, Spoiled would go over them personally.
Sighing, she stretched and felt a few bones crack and muscles lose tension. She’d been working far too late, but she wasn’t really in the mood to see Filthy anyway. She preferred not to impose herself on Diamond’s problems, unless, of course, it was something to do with CHS.
Ever since magic was proven to exist in Canterlot, Mayor Tirek and his personal cabinet insisted on keeping tabs on everything. Spoiled still hadn’t discovered the reasons behind this strange surveillance. She didn’t feel it was terribly important at the moment. Perhaps at some future time, the secrets of the Mayor and his Office would benefit her, but for the time being they were more of a personal hobby.
“Burning the midnight oil, Milky?”
Spoiled jumped in her seat and glanced up to the entrance to her office. Mr. Discord was standing there with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “I do wish you’d warn someone before popping up like that, Mister Discord.”
“Now where’s the fun in that?” Discord strode into the office and took a seat across the desk from Spoiled.
“Is there a particular reason for your visit?” Spoiled pushed the reading glasses she wore up onto her head and leaned back into her seat.
Discord waved his hand briefly. “I just wanted to see how your meeting with Tia went concerning Diamond Tiara.”
Spoiled reached up and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I came here to forget about that.”
Discord grinned and leaned over the desk, seeming to lose some of the age lines on his face as he grew closer. “Oh, do tell~ It sounds fascinating!”
Spoiled sighed briefly and offered a rare smile to grace her lips. For some reason Discord always seemed to lift her mood no matter how horrible her day had gone. “Well…”
Spoiled strode down the halls of Canterlot High garbed in chique business attire. Her skirt was the perfect length and the suit top exuded power. In her left hand was her briefcase and draped over one shoulder was her purse.
Glancing left and right she noted the attitudes of the students with a practiced eye. The atmosphere of Canterlot High was much different from Crystal Prep, and the students of the current generation seemed to be far more open to interacting outside of their standard cliques and social circles.
Spoiled noted her daughter briefly as she left her locker. Diamond appeared consumed with some thought or other. No doubt following in her mother’s footsteps and worrying about the stories for her little school paper. Smiling in approval, she arrived at the Principal’s office and strode in straight through the office and past Secretary Raven.
“Oh, Miss Rich! I wasn’t ex—”
“I do not need to be announced,” Spoiled interrupted before opening the door.
Principal Celestia had a file on her desk and was frowning at it when Spoiled entered. Glancing up briefly, she offered a tight smile. “Mrs. Rich, what an unexpected pleasure.”
“Quite.” Spoiled sat down immediately and placed her briefcase and purse on the floor near her feet.
“To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?” Celestia asked.
“My daughter.” Spoiled folded her hands in her lap and smoothed down her skirt. “I do not believe she has been receiving the attention she so richly deserves as a student here. Her grades have been slipping drastically as of late. And she seems to have developed some attitude issues as well. I am understandably concerned.”
Celestia leaned back into her seat and folded her hands on top of the desk. “Yes, I understand. Luna just gave me her file and I have been perusing it myself before you arrived.”
Spoiled did her best not to show her surprise at Celestia’s foreknowledge of her coming. Someone had tipped her off. For what purpose, she did not know, but it was irrelevant. “Indeed. It is very good of you to share my concerns, Celestia, dear.”
Celestia’s expression changed imperceptibly; her eyes shone with some hidden thought. “Do you trust my judgement and my word that Diamond is receiving all of the care and attention she deserves?”
Spoiled briefly shook her head. “Unfortunately, no. The evidence I have seen tells me that something is not being done for Diamond.”
Spoiled smiled slightly in smug assurance. “Furthermore, from what I have seen simply walking through these halls: many of the students are pleasant, and they interact with one another in a friendly manner. My own daughter, however, seems quite isolated and neurotic.”
“Perhaps it is something to do with her home life?” Celestia suggested.
“Preposterous!” Spoiled stopped herself at the last second from slamming Celestia’s desk with her hand. “Filthy and I treat Diamond like the princess she is. We provide everything she needs to live up to any and all expectations.”
Celestia pursed her lips. “Perhaps she is feeling too much pressure because of these expectations.”
“Your suggestion is duly noted, but I fear you are gravely mistaken.” Spoiled curled her lip in obvious disdain.
Celestia briefly shook her head. “From what my sister and I have seen, Diamond has not been falling behind in any of her classes. Her teachers all speak very highly of her; she is quite intelligent.
“Unfortunately, it would seem that something has been bothering her. And since it didn’t seem to originate from the school proper, then logically, we can only conclude that something at home is affecting her. If not from you or Filthy, perhaps another relation has caused Diamond to grow more troubled of late?”
Spoiled blinked in surprise. She’d been carefully outmaneuvered. And yet, Celestia’s words rung with the potential of truth. “Something to think about. I would still like to see your file on my daughter and these findings the both of you have made.”
Celestia smiled brightly. “Of course, Spoiled.”
Discord frowned as the story came to a conclusion. “Sounds rather disappointing.”
Spoiled nodded. “It was. Their file was quite thorough. Diamond Tiara’s issues may have originated from something outside of the school.”
Discord smirked. “Or something Tia and Lulu wouldn’t know to place in any file.”
“Social reasons then.” Spoiled nodded. “I thought of that as well. Unfortunately, there is no way to prove it or catalogue it, without getting Diamond to open up to somebody.”
“Perhaps someone she’s close to someone that isn’t you or Filthy,” Discord suggested with a bemused smile.
Spoiled sighed. “I shall have to call my mother.” Spoiled shook her head at that thought, but decided it would be better to handle it like ripping off a Band-Aid. “I’ll call her later and schedule a weekend visit. Diamond may be more willing to open up to her.”
“Wonderful idea. And so much more entertaining than what could have happened.” Discord winked and moved to stand. “I shouldn’t have to remind you that the Board will not take any formal action regarding this issue.”
Spoiled waved a hand dismissively at Discord. “Yes, I know. Although, if that were the case, it amuses me to see you take so much interest in this.”
Discord stuck his nose up into the air. “We are friends, Spoiled my dear. Both of us hold positions of great power.”
“And yet there is an age discrimination between us.” Spoiled smirked playfully.
Discord laughed. “True, true. Ah well, things to see to. There’ll be another meeting of the Board of Regents this Sunday. Mayor Tirek is becoming a bit paranoid with all the magical incidents that have taken place of late. I keep telling him that this heat wave is not linked to magic, but he’s as stubborn as an old goat sometimes.” Discord made his way back to the door to Spoiled’s office. “Toodles for now, Milky dear.”
“And those tantalizing tidbits you dangle in front of me about your true level of knowledge concerning all of this magic nonsense continues to rouse my reporter’s intuition.” Spoiled quirked her brow in bemusement.
Discord chuckled and left without another word.
Spoiled sighed. Reaching over to her office phone, she flipped open the old rolodex attached to it and rapidly thumbed through the list of contacts. Landing on a particular card, she pursed her lips. Steeling her resolve, she picked up the receiver and quickly dialled the number.
Tapping one of the folders while she waited for the party to answer, she noted that an image of a strange tear in the sky was clearly visible as part of the story she’d been looking over. That would have to be erased. Tears in the fabric of reality were not things one wanted to report on. It was scientifically impossible.
“Milk Enterprises. Dairy Milk speaking.”
“Ah, mother, how wonderful it is to hear your voice once more!” Spoiled knew she was laying it on a bit thick. However, it was necessary if she wanted to organize a visit for the weekend.
Dairy cackled on the other end of the line. “I highly doubt that, Spoiled, dear.”
Spoiled grimaced. “Mother, I have need of your—ah—unique talents.”
“Do you need me to interrogate Filthy again?” Dairy questioned. “I told you not to get involved with that two-timing philanderer.”
“No!” Spoiled sighed. “Diamond is having issues at school and I need your help to suss out why her grades have been slipping.”
“My granddaughter is not living up to her abilities?!” A loud crashing sound could be heard from Dairy’s end of the line. “I will reorganize my schedule at once. Come by this weekend and we’ll figure out her issues together. Chances are it’s some stupid boy she’s gotten involved with, but nobody messes with my little Dazzle!”
Spoiled nodded. “Of course, mother. See you Friday evening.” Hanging up Spoiled rubbed the bridge of her nose once again and pulled her reading glasses back down. It was time for her to finish up with these stories before she informed Filthy of the sudden change in plans. He would not be happy.
Scarlet Scribe sat quietly at his desk in the school paper office. He was currently alone and it was getting late, his mother would be home from classes and busily preparing their meal. Studying a picture in his hand, he closed his eyes and felt an old familiar ache in his heart.
Guilt. Guilt was a powerful motivator. The image in question showed him standing next to Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara. He was younger back then and was dressed in one of the most god-awful outfits he’d ever owned.
A pair of atrocious shorts with a duck pattern on them from some stupid cartoon or another he used to watch, a baggy-looking dark grey shirt, and one of those stupid crown-like hats his dad had made for him out of an old fedora.
That had been a depressing birthday; it was the year of the divorce and his dad couldn’t have been bothered to get him anything worthwhile. Scribe had kept the stupid hat for years afterwards thinking it somehow meant his dad might show up again someday. He had been really dumb when he was younger.
The girl standing on his left was smiling and very pretty looking. Prettier than even Diamond Tiara, her features were classically beautiful. The type of beauty one would expect from an old movie set in the nineteen thirties. Diamond hated to even admit this, but she had had a bit of a pudge in her younger days; her stomach had been slightly rounder and her baby fat had hung around her cheeks far longer than she had ever cared for.
So then she had told him to do what he had done to poor Lily Breeze. Then he had run after her to stop her only to bear witness to the horrible accident that had left him feeling weak and nauseous at any sight of blood or gore.
Lily had gotten off lightly; the driver of the car hadn’t been so lucky. An older teen at the time, who hadn’t been wearing his seatbelt, had swerved too late to avoid striking Lily down resulting in her injury. Then he had plowed right into the back of a delivery truck that had been on the corner at the time dropping off supplies to somewhere or other.
There had been blood and brain matter everywhere. Scribe’s skin paled just at the thought of the memory of it. Shaking his head he gripped the picture tighter and silently glanced up towards the clock. Lily had been out and might not be back until late next week for the big push with all the other exams. She didn’t have English Lit class, she hadn’t felt like pursuing an art major anymore these days. He hadn’t been by to see Lily for the past eight days.
First he had been busy getting some last minute study time in for one of the earlier exams that was scheduled for next Tuesday, and then the business with the party and having to sneak in and all that. Maybe stopping by her house for a visit would be a good idea - it might take his mind off the growing unease he felt every time he had to talk to Diamond Tiara about things.
Unfortunately, it meant he would have to go to the one place he was still a bit leery of in Canterlot. He still had difficulty adapting to the sudden mood changes and odd comments that seemed to pop out of her guardian’s head every time they were together.
Putting the picture down he sighed. He needed to do this; he should have gone before the week was half over.
Squaring his shoulders as if he were about to march off to war - which admittedly he might have been - Scribe made up his mind. It was time to pay a visit to Lily Breeze, even if it was brief because of the lateness of his arrival and even if it meant he had to interact with yet again her guardian, Mr. Discord.
The largest homes in Canterlot belonged to the most influential. There was the Rich Estate of course. Followed by Tirek and Scorpan’s Mayoral Palace - though it really wasn’t a palace, Tirek just liked calling it that - and a few other large homes. Celestia and Luna actually lived in a very elegant home with marbled columns and large stained glass windows depicting their parents.
But by far the strangest home in the entirety of Canterlot was the home of Discord. The elderly-seeming gentleman’s car pulled up to the four story monstrosity of an eye sore and he stepped out with a smile.
The house towered above the trees in the neighbourhood. It also looked like it shouldn’t even be able to do that much. One side leaned out to the left, the third floor. And the second leaned far out to the right. The architect, whoever he or she was, had to have been mad. The fourth floor rested on top of both of them in the direct centre making it appear as if it could topple down at a moment’s notice.
And leading up to all four floors was an external elevator enclosed in glass. There were no doors in the traditional sense, and a few windows of various odd shapes and sizes. Everything was asymmetrical in design and function. Discord liked it this way. It was a fond reminder of a time long ago.
Approaching the elevator he stepped inside and shed his age disguise with a wave of his hand. With no prying eyes to concern himself with he didn’t have to resemble a seventy-seven year old wrinkled mess anymore.
“Nobody pays any attention to Tirek or Scorpan. I on the other hand have to interact with the mere mortals every generation. Yet they never seem to catch on.” Winking off to his left he nodded. “And yes that little bit of exposition was for your benefit my dears.”
“Daddy!”
Discord grunted as he caught the leaping woman with very little effort. “Screwy, honey, how’s my little architect doing?”
“Oh just fine, daddy. Nobody wants any of my ‘atrocious’ designs, but I’ve sold a lot of the ‘inferior’ pieces.” Screwball sighed and shook her head. “I can’t understand it. Our house has stood up for centuries. Shouldn’t that prove I know what I’m doing?”
Discord chuckled. “I’m afraid the masses just aren’t ready for your genius, my dear.” Patting her on the head he placed his briefcase down in the second floor foyer - every floor had one as every floor had elevator access - and made his way towards his current office. He enjoyed changing it up every decade or so. Made things more interesting that way.
Moving directly over to the bookcase he kept there he traced his finger across volume upon volume of spines until he reached the brown-coloured jacket of the latest volume.
“Talking to your pen pal again, daddy?” Screwball smiled with a twinkle in her eyes.
“Of course, my dear.” Discord smiled in return and moved to sit behind his desk. “Go see Lily while I work, she probably could use some cheering up.”
“Roger wilco!” Screwball saluted and spun around three times before marching back outside.
Smiling wistfully, Discord opened the tome very delicately. Nothing popped out immediately to attack or otherwise mock his current life choices. He reached over to the large feathered quill he kept; a birthday present from his pen pal, the white feather shone with the radiance of the sun when the light caught it just right. He stuck his tongue to the tip and then began to write.
“My dearest, me. How are things in your neck of the woods these days? I understand your attempt to make nice with Tirek resulted in unexpected developments and fun had by all. I could have told you it wouldn’t work out. Villains are notoriously predictable and will often betray you. Then again that’s something you should know quite well, you were one once upon a time after all.”
“REFORMED!”
Discord shook his head. “Yes. And that’s why you chose to send me these lovely volumes all those many years ago so I could update you on the happenings on this side of the mirror.”
“Well, if Princess Twilight can have a ‘pen pal’ from that world I don’t see why I can’t? And we make such excellent conversation anyway.”
Discord rolled his eyes. “I’ll never get this report finished if you keep interrupting.”
“And here I thought it was just another excuse to entertain those plebs with healthy dose of exposition. Oh, very well. I reserve the right to butt in again if you start rambling on and on though. For a version of myself you can be far too orderly for your own good!”
Discord nodded. “Granted, but we can’t all be the Masters of Chaos, now can we?”
Dabbing at his tongue yet again and marveling at the quirky nature of the quill he resumed the report. “The experiment you engineered personally for the Sirens is going along swimmingly; I never would have believed it possible there was anyone on this planet full of enough negative energy to restore the pendants, but you were correct in your assessment of young Diamond Tiara’s state of mind.”
Discord smirked and stroked his beard. “Gaia is close to her escape. With a little push from City Hall, Filthy Rich will make little Miss Gloriosa feel she doesn’t have much of a choice. And with that oh-so-convenient interference from your Tree of Harmony I suspect this summer will be full of impressive mystical fun.
"I do so enjoy manipulating the scenes from the shadows to set the stage. And that silly former pupil of your old nemesis hasn’t suspected, not once. You’d think she’d be smarter than that, but what can you expect from a lowly Unicorn. She hasn’t even ascended yet.”
“I’ll have to stop you right there, me, I hardly think Miss Shimmer is ever going to achieve Alicornhood. You know how it is, corporate mandates and all that.”
Discord shuddered after reading that line and reached over to take a sip of tea, once again marveling at the abilities one could possess with the right bit of magic. This world was said to be without magic, and that Sunset Shimmer brought it here when she brought the Element of Magic through the mirror. And yet not one of those ‘so called’ ponies had ever stopped to wonder why the magic could stay once the Element was gone.
Utterly hopeless. Then again, Canterlot High’s History curriculum tended to omit key details on certain timeframes. Such as the time, roughly a thousand or so years ago, when a bumbling oaf of an ancient soothsayer had stumbled into this world on two legs without a stitch of clothing and had encountered the ruling body of the land.
Speaking of ruling bodies, he’d have to meet with the Queen before Sunday’s board meeting. Being the head of the Board of Regents had its problems.
“I do wish Equestria had learned not to imprison their threats in other dimensions. It messes up everything in the end and winds up coming back to bite them in the hindquarters no matter how much of a good idea it might seem to have been at the time.” Discord’s complaint was well founded.
“I was trapped in stone at the time, remember, otherwise I would have intervened when that old bearded menace decided to try his hand at being judge, jury and jailer for some of Equestria’s nastier tenants. No idea the old goat would fall so far as to practice such magic.”
“If we’re through spoiling potential story hooks for future unrelated titles, I have a daughter and adopted granddaughter to see to.”
“Oh, quite right. Chances are this scene like all the rest will wind up on the cutting room floor anyway. Has no real purpose to the overarching plot. Just another flight of fancy.”
Discord frowned as he sensed a slight tearing at the fabric of reality. “Careful. I think that fourth wall is in danger of breaking on my end. Seeing myself once was enough for any lifetime. Do say hello to Fluttershy for me, and apologise again for what happened. You should know better than to tamper with dimensional barriers when somebody is in the shower.”
“Yes, let’s bring that pointless bit of harmless fun up again why don’t we. Anyway, ta for now, other me. And do wish your reigning monarch a pleasant day.”
Smiling briefly, Discord returned the quill to its resting place and shut the book revealing the winking face of a Draconequus on the cover. Shaking his head he climbed to his feet and returned it to the shelf. He frowned briefly as he glanced at his watch.
“I do believe a certain main protagonist is a bit late. Oh well, guess we’ll just shift over to Lily and let him show up when he’s ready.” Snapping his fingers, he remained standing in the office, looking like a complete fool.
“Ooops! I forgot this silly talisman is running a bit low these days. I do miss being able to teleport everywhere.” Discord plucked a shimmering pin from his collar and studied it briefly with a slight frown. Giving it a shake he reattached it and exited the room the boring way.
Lily Breeze put the history text she’d been reading down with a quiet sigh and glanced at the mirror in her room. She was someone who enjoyed spending time in the outside world as much as she could. Unfortunately, being the adopted granddaughter of Discord resulted in certain limitations to her personal time.
Her skin was dark blue with a healthy complexion. Her eyes were a rich green in colour and her hair was honey blonde with cream streaks. She had lived with her parents as long as she could remember, unfortunately they had been cruelly taken from her by the designs of fate.
Her mother and father both had loved her, but they had kept a powerful secret from her - one she was still struggling to understand herself.
She hated cars. It was a car that had taken away her ability to walk. One day, Scarlet Scribe had approached her and had done something she almost couldn’t forgive him for. But… it wasn’t really his fault; he had only been doing what Diamond Tiara wanted him to. It was her own fault for running off blindly and charging into the middle of the road without realizing the danger.
Then, later, her parents had been involved in a terrible car crash on the way from Mount Canter, and Lily had rushed to the hospital after school that day as fast as she could. The doctors had tried everything, but the internal damage was too severe.
That was when her mother had given her the pendant - a delicate snowflake, one that her mother had worn for as long as she could remember. She had told her to trust Discord. And she had smiled one last time before dying.
Shaking her head clear of those thoughts, she turned back to her history text with another sigh. “King Bullion ruled the Kingdom of Corneigha for several decades until he passed the Monarchy on to his daughter Princess Platinum.
Several years into her reign the visitor came. The man with an exceptionally long beard appeared in a brilliant flash of rainbow lights in the village of Canter in the Province of Everfree dressed naught but in a long robe of midnight blue and a strange bell-laden hat.” Lily stopped reading aloud and reached over for a glass of water.
Screwball stepped off the escalator leading up to the room with a broad smile. “Hey, Lily. Still feeling down?” she asked.
Lily nodded in response. “I’ve read this passage nineteen times and it still confuses me. Also I haven’t seen Scribe or anyone for eight days. He’s usually always over.” Tapping the controls at her side Lily set her wheelchair moving.
“Awwww.” Screwball knelt down and gave her a snug – what she called her special hugs – and patted her knee. “Cheer up. I’ll bet Scribe will have loads to report when he shows up next visit, which I’ll guarantee will be before the end of the week.”
Lily smiled faintly at the gesture of assurance. “Do you think Grandpa Discord has time to help me understand this?” She indicated her text book with a free hand. “I’m still not sure what’s so important with this Starswirl character. Or why my new pendant is so important.”
Screwball stuck out her tongue at the question deep in thought. “From everything I remember, Starswirl studied magic and how it affected things differently here, but he couldn’t stay very long. He visited everyone once every thirty moons, and gave them all a pendant after first banishing the sirens here.”
Lily shook her head. “That still doesn’t tell me much! Why did he come here? What’s so special about us?”
Screwball shrugged. “Just lucky I guess.”
Lily felt on the verge of bursting into tears. The wheelchair-bound girl wanted to scream.
“Sorry, sorry!” Screwball quickly wrapped her in another embrace. “Daddy really needs to start your lessons proper on inheriting Snowfall’s legacy.”
“I never wanted this knowledge about our world or its secrets.” Lily’s tone was bitter. “Why couldn’t I just stay normal like everybody else?”
“Normal is overrated.” Discord stepped into the room with a dismissive wave of his hand.
“Yep,” Screwball agreed. She nodded her head and grinned, her eyes spinning briefly into swirls as she glanced out the closest window. “Someone’s coming up to the elevator.”
“And you thought Scarlet Scribe had forgotten about you.” Discord smiled and rubbed his hands together. “Feel like spending some time away from your lessons, Lily?”
“Definitely!” Lily rolled further away from the desk. “This history is convoluted and completely illogical. We were ruled by a line of kings and queens, but then we weren’t, but we still are. And Starswirl came here while studying alternate dimensions, but nobody is supposed to know about it. I think I just want to go out and pretend I’m a normal human again for the rest of the day.”
Discord rolled his eyes. “Lily, my dear, I told you-“
“Normal is overrated. I know!” Lily sighed. “Can’t I just pretend, grandfather?” Lily felt about ready to scream, and her eyes shone with a silent plea.
Discord chuckled and patted her knee. “Alright. We were supposed to be done with all the expositional nonsense anyway.”
Clapping her hands together in glee Screwball dashed back to the escalator. “I’ll get Lily’s special chair!”
Lily grinned. Her special chair was designed - by Screwball, naturally - to hover around on a special gyroscopic disc. It was an experimental model Screwball had designed for some of her wackier home designs; the thing had unfortunately been too impractical to operate as intended. And who wanted to live in a house that perpetually moved in tune with the orbital rotation of the planet anyway? How would it even work?
It did make for a much more practical ‘wheelchair’ design when taking Screwball’s odd architectural design into consideration. Lily used it mostly to get up and down the escalators since her motorized chair had no hope in Tartarus of doing that.
Discord chuckled for – what to him – felt was the seventeenth time and helped pluck Lily out of the ordinary motorized chair.
Screwball returned with the quirky-looking chair; it featured two small spherical nodes on either side with a flat footrest below the seat for her non-responsive legs. Being paralyzed sucked. The armrests were touch screens and the backrest was made to conform to her spine.
The injury, which had left her paralyzed, had taken its toll. Now resting comfortably in the special chair, she willed it to move with her mind. And once again, nothing happened.
“I told you, Lily, I haven’t mastered neural interfaces yet,” Screwball reminded.
Pouting, Lily crossed her arms and glared at the touch screen controls. “This house is full of state-of-the art technology of your own design, but you can’t perfect neural interfaces?”
Screwball shrugged haplessly. “I’m a crazy architect who tinkers with stuff. Not a miracle worker.”
“Yes.” Discord grinned playfully and headed off to the escalator. “Besides which, you’re not a telepath, and this isn’t Westchester New York.” He winked at Lily.
“A girl can dream, can’t she?” Lily pressed the movement controls and maneuvered her chair towards the escalator.
Screwball giggled and followed closely behind to make sure she didn’t get thrown down the motorized stairway like the last eight times.
“Can I take it outside this time when I go out with Scribe?” Lily glanced hopefully at Discord.
“My dear granddaughter, I am Discord. Head of the Board of Regents, liaison to his honor Mayor Tirek, capable of communicating with an all-powerful nigh omniscient being of the cosmos by writing with the wing feather of a solar deity.” Discord stood tall and proud with his finger raised to the heavens as though he were giving a speech. “So who am I to deny you such a simple request?” He shot Lily a wink
Lily rolled her eyes. “I thought you were keeping a low profile?”
“That was a perfectly legitimate set up for a grandiose speech of importance! Besides, I hardly ever get to flaunt my full title around.” Discord straightened his tweed jacket with a haughty expression on his face.
“You just enjoy bragging!” Screwball burst into a fit of giggles as she mocked her father.
Discord quirked one eyebrow at the outburst. “Well grand theatrical gestures are a family trait. You have a tendency to brag yourself, Screwy,” he chastised.
Screwball winked and reached out to stabilize the floating chair. “Careful, you were listing too far to one side.”
“It’s hard to think fourth dimensionally sometimes. I’m not as gifted as the two of you,” Lily noted with a sigh as she corrected the chair’s flight.
“So. What do you want to do with your little friend?” Discord rubbed his hands together eagerly with glee. “Destabilize a small world power? Wreak untold vengeance upon the girl that robbed you of the ability to walk? Make cotton candy clouds? I finally convinced my other dimensional counterpart to give me the recipe”
“I want to visit my parents.” Lily knew her words would upset them both, but she hadn’t been out of the house in days and it was almost the anniversary of the day everything changed for her.
Discord smiled softly and patted Lily on the head. “I suppose it isn’t too much to ask.”
Screwball shook her head. “Daddy, you said we were supposed to cheer her up.”
“I know. And what better way to cheer her up than to give her precisely what she wants most in the world.” Discord turned and headed for the back of the house. “Come along.”
Canterlot Cemetery was surprisingly vast for such a seemingly small city. While no metropolis the likes of Manehattan or Baltimare, it was heavily populated and had a large suburban area with a healthy populace. It had also been around for a thousand years, and a lot of people had lived there in that time.
The ancient stone effigies which stood in the deepest part of the cemetery were hidden by a grove of primeval Redwood trees. Several plots remained empty, awaiting the day their designated occupants would at last join those who had fallen and been entombed here.
Discord didn’t care much for the somber mood, but chose not to interrupt it. He paused briefly in following Lily when he came across half destroyed headstones. Brushing away some moss he smiled fondly. While age and time had caused much decay, the words carved here were still legible. Lore N. Frost Beloved Mother and Wife. Crag M. Kraken Beloved Father and Husband.
Lily hovered next to a different stone effigy depicting the image of an ethereal beauty. Quite literally, as the craftsman had managed to capture the very essence of the one which rested there.
Snowfall Frost, sister of Lore Frost, both former members of the Board of Regents gifted with special talismans crafted by the powerful Starswirl. Talismans such as the one now currently in the possession of the young Miss Breeze.
Lily smiled briefly and reached out to caress the stone face of her mother. “Hi, mom. Sorry I haven’t been by a lot lately.” Sighing, Lily slouched. The second – and lesser – grave marker caught her attention and she eyed it wistfully. “Dad…I hope you’re both happier now.”
Screwball smiled sadly and patted Lily’s head. “I’m sure they are.”
“Of course they are!” Discord snapped his fingers and appeared suddenly next to his family. “Your parents were always happy. And they loved you quite a bit. You were their very special miracle child after all.” Grinning, he brushed away some of the moss at the base of Snowfall’s marker.
“I guess.” Lily smiled wistfully and did her best to hug the statue.
Scribe felt extremely out of place as he stood with the others; he hadn’t said much since coming by to see Lily. His mind was still on the troublesome task at hand. Plus, he was always nervous around Mister Discord. “Are you sure you wanted me here, Lily?”
Lily turned briefly and shot her friend a warm smile. “Yes.” A simple response for a simple question; there was no need to complicate matters unnecessarily.
“How come I’ve never seen this chair before?” Scribe glanced at the floating hover chair curiously.
“It’s new, experimental model,” Discord grinned and clapped his hand down on the young man’s shoulder. “How is Diamond Tiara doing these days?”
Scribe fidgeted nervously. “Uh, fine I guess. Why so interested?”
Discord’s eyes shone with a merry twinkle. “Spoiled and I go way back. Knew her growing up; I enjoy hearing about her daughter’s antics sometimes.”
Scribe couldn’t help himself. “Probably so he can report on her.”
“True, true. A bad habit of mine at times. Tell me, Scribe, anything interesting going on at CHS these days? Something I might need to take an interest in?”
“Not a thing, s-sir,” Scribe informed with a slightly nervous stutter.
Lily leaned over to break up the interrogation. “I wish I didn’t have to stay away for so long. I miss working on the paper.”
Scribe sighed. “You and me both.”
“Huh?”
“Er, nothing. Why exactly have you been gone the past two weeks?” Scribe thought to change the subject.
“Oh, no reason.” Lily laughed nervously.
Keeping secrets from one of her best friends was a real pain at times. Ever since the Friendship Games and her exposure to Equestrian Magic, her adopted Grandfather insisted on teaching her the true history of the world. It was especially important, he had said, because she was going to be surrounded by Equestrian magic on a daily basis while attending school.
Scribe sighed.
“So.” Screwball grinned and clapped her hands together. “Who wants to get a treat at the Sweet Shoppe?”
“Yes!” Discord snapped his fingers and he grinned exposing his lone canine once more. “Let’s end this on a happy note. Nothing to concern the readers with here. Besides which, everyone’s only been complaining about unnecessary padding anyway.”
Lily shook her head. “I never understand what you’re talking about when you do that.”
Scribe nodded in agreement. “He frightens me,” he admitted.
Screwball giggled. “Daddy has the gift of the S.U.E.”
Discord waved his hands nervously; his expression became filled with sudden fear. “Now, Screwy, dear, I’ve told you before not to bring that up. It’s experience lad, nothing more.” Chuckling, he turned around and led the group out of the cemetery.
Screwball frowned.
Lily laughed at them both and maneuvered her chair away from the grave site. “I could do with a good milkshake. How about you, Scribe?”
Scribe nodded and broke into a genuine smile for once. “You bet, Lily!”
Discord continued to lead the way from the grave site, a brief glance passing between him and Screwball.
Screwball nodded happily and plucked the car keys out of her pocket.
Discord grinned impishly and glanced off to the side seemingly studying the trees. “Was this too much? Perhaps far too much to keep track of everything?” Plucking a thick rolled up parchment from his back pocket, he removed a pair of false reading glasses and placed them on his face. “Now then let me see-“
“Daddy! Stop talking to the audience and hurry up and get in the car!” Screwball waved from the driver’s seat.
“Coming my dear!” Discord shot nobody a wink and quickened his pace; his parchment and glasses vanishing as suddenly as they appeared. “Perhaps I should stop poking fun at them also. Whoever they may be. It is rather rude.”
“Lily, your adopted family is weird.” Scribe turned to his friend as he spoke, trying his best to ignore the madness that was Discord.
Lily smiled and patted her friend on the leg. “You have no idea.”
The car started up suddenly and sped off to the Sweet Shoppe. Behind them, a graveyard remained empty save for the usual wildlife that congregates in such areas.