//------------------------------// // Session 45 // Story: Ponies and Dragons (Just Have Fun) // by Alex Warlorn //------------------------------// Session 45.0 Ardashir Filthy Rich awoke to a pounding headache. He winced at the sight of Celestia's sunlight coming in through the windows. He tried to focus his thoughts. Last night he'd played the usual pre-Hearth's Warming poker game with Big Mac and a few of the other stallions in Ponyville. This time to everyone's surprise they'd had a guest sit in, Princess Twilight's older brother Prince Shining Armor. His presence lead to Big Macintosh breaking out a bottle of twelve-year-old hard cider, everypony got to toasting each other's good luck, and... Another jolt of agony lanced Filthy's brain. 'Ugh. Never again!' He got up, looked around the bedroom blearily, and froze. Everything was precisely where it should be. The bed had been made, the sheets folded up over him, and most heart-stopping of all, a note lay on the table. Filthy picked it up, his heart in his throat, and read it in disbelief. 'Dearest Darling, I'll be going out for a few hours. I need to get a SPECIAL Hearth's Warming Gift for my dearest husband. I helped Randolph and Shiny Star make a lovely breakfast for your downstairs. Until later, your delighted wife, Spoiled Rich.' "Oh, Celestia and Luna," Filthy moaned. "What did I do now?" He barely remembered last night. They'd done all the things drunken stallions did --- sang together, commiserated about their wives and female relatives (well, that was mostly Filthy) and... He swallowed to remember something about a mare pulling at his clothes while he yelled something at her. 'Oh, no! Was it Lipstick Vanity? Sweetcream Scoops? Or somepony else?' If, no, make that WHEN his wife found out -- Filthy would never, in a thousand years, have cheated on his wife when sober. But when drunk? He shivered to remember Spoiled telling him on their wedding night: "You're my husband now, and you have certain rights over me. But if you ever hit me or DARE to cheat on me, I'll wait until you fall asleep, tie you down, and beat you with a horsewhip until you can't even crawl." Filthy carefully made his way downstairs. He saw that there was a nasty spot on the carpet that'd been cleaned up. He froze and wondered how much of a mess he'd made; he only got blasted once a year, but Spoiled never missed a chance to tell him how "common" it was to "go and get whinnying drunk with a bunch of farmers!" He heard noises from the kitchen. It sounded like his little princess was already up, and by the smell all his favorite foods were there. He gulped and wondered if Spoiled was waiting behind the door with a rolling pin or maybe just a horsewhip. Swallowing, Filthy opened the door and saw Diamond at the table, eating her oats, mixed with honey and raisins. Fresh fruit was on the table, a large glass of orange juice sat before his chair, and he could smell the pleasantly strong smell of fresh coffee. Spoiled had never done anything like this before. Filthy felt his blood run cold. 'Poison in the oats? No, she'd never do anything to Diamond. Not like that, anyway.' "Daddy!" Filthy scooped up his little princess as she galloped into his embrace with a whinny. He hugged her tight as she said, "You should have seen Mom this morning, she was so happy. She walked out singing." Diamond wrinkled up her nose. "You smell funny." "She did?" Filthy couldn't contain himself any more. "Uh, dear, did Mommy say WHY she was so happy?" "Well," Diamond scratched her forehead with one hoof. "I heard her talking to the maid Shiny Star about last night. Se said you came home singing something about a pony called Eskimo Nell, that you collapsed in the hallway, you threw up on the floor..." "And?" Filthy asked dreading the answer. "And then you made her the happiest mare in Equestria." "I did?" Filthy bent down to look his daughter in the eyes. "How?" "Beats me," Diamond shrugged. "She said she was taking your dirty old clothes off, when you shoved her back and yelled, 'Get lost, you floozy -- I love my wife and I'm a happily married stallion!'" Session 45.1 Kendell2 (Idea I came up with I think Alex and everyone will probably have a lot of fun with: ) "Alright, class, it's time for social studies," Cheerilee called to her class as they returned from recess. The class settled down in their seats...then cringed as Cheerilee produced another Enchanted Comic. "Are we gonna fight a pony trying to change all the history books this time?" Diamond Tiara quiped, remembering LAST time. Cheerilee smiled. "No, my little ponies, I think you'll enjoy this one a bit better." One comic book magical vortex later, the group found themselves in a white void lined with statues of various species. "Uh...Miss Cheerilee, I think the comic is broken..." Snails pointed out. "No, this is just the...class select screen so to speak," Cheerilee explained, giving a smile. "Imagine this is an 'educational RPG' I worked with Princess Twilight to make. The plot of this comic is a group of evil doers are going back in time to try and mess up history and we have to go back and stop them or set things back to how they should be. Learning about history and the cultures of the various species along the way. We'll be doing this as a project for several classes." "...Do we get to fight bad guys?" Scootaloo asked. "Yes, you do," Cheerilee pointed out. "Though there's no actual danger." "And we can be ANY of these things?" Silver asked. Cheerilee nodded. Diamond gave a suspicious look. "What's the catch? This is too fun." Cheerilee chuckled. "Simple: we're learning about other counties and their people, so each class, courtesy of psychologists from each species, comes with the natural instincts and mentality of that species. So you get to 'walk in their shoes' so to speak." "That doesn't sound so bad..." Diamond Tiara replied, but still looked suspicious. "Speaking of which..." Cheerilee said, trotting over to the dragon statue and pressing a crystal in the center of it's pedestal. The teacher glowed and suddenly emerged as a fully grown dragoness. "Alright, your turn, my little ponies, " she said, being careful. She mainly chose this so that no matter WHAT the foals chose, she still had that sense of authority that kids would listen to a teacher needed. After all, even if all of them selected a dragon, SHE was an adult dragoness. Of course, being she was the one who HAD to keep her head, she'd gone in with Dragon Lord Ember, Miss Mina, and Princess Twilight to get a hold on the instincts. Mostly...she still found herself desiring Big Macintosh for herself and to buy the area around her house to increase her garden. Ember had recommended disciplining any of them that became unruly dragons by sitting on them to show dominance. Cheerilee wasn't certain she'd do that. Mina suggested some dragon breath would be good for disciplining the others who weren't. Not the fire breath, her actual breath. Was that idea embarrassing? It might have just been the fact she was a dragon, but she didn't feel so. After all, if other species didn't enjoy the smell of concentrated Sulfur and other things, that wasn't her problem. "...I call Minotaur!" Snips called, instantly running over and touching the minotaur statue, turning into small (comparably, which still meant about as tall as an adult stallion). "Oh yeah! Look at Snips now!" he exclaimed, flexing in the most manly way possible. "...Alright, who's next?" Cheerilee asked, giving an amused chuckle. OOC: Basically, the entire idea is some world building plus Cheerilee's class having to 'walk a mile in' the shoes of whatever species they choose. IE, having to deal with griffon's tempers and dragon's greed, ect. That's the educational aspect along with the history and stuff. I imagine Minotaurs have Large Ham written into their DNA. The villains are meant to be more comical than 'I'm a big bad super villain', but some might be more serious than others. I imagine one being a Carman Sandigo expy. That said, Cheerilee DOES still have the dragon instincts, she's just got control of them. Session 45.2 Ardashir (OOC:I like the idea of Cheery as a dragon.) "Ooh! I call griffon!" Silver Spoon raced over to the griffon statue. A moment later, a griffon with silvery-gray feathers and fur stood before her classmates. "Hah! This is great!" She flapped up into the air, looped, and dropped down before Diamond Tiara. "Since when did you want to be a griffon?" Diamond asked, looking confused. "You get sick when you look down from a second-story window!" Diamond gave a yell as Silver pinched her nose. "Watch it, ya dweeb pony -- eep! Sorry!" Silver shook herself as Diamond gave her a glare, rubbing her nose. Silver laughed. "Ha! I'm NOT sorry! I have wings and I can finally say all the stuff that Little Miss Proper Pony couldn't! Well, most things," she hurriedly said as a shadow loomed over her. "Watch your manners, young lady," Cheerilee rumbled out, allowing a hint of sulfurous breath to escape. Silver Griffon looked a trifle green and nodded. She wheeled to look at Diamond Tiara and snapped her talons with delight. "Well, what are ya waiting for, Diamond! Come on! Choose something!" Behind her, Snips the Minotaur flexed his newfound muscles and roared, "Yeah! The Snips does not want to spend all day waiting for everypony to make their choice, when the Snips has bad guys to stop!" Session 45.3 Kendell2 Diamond Tiara looked around the statues, trying to find something that caught her fancy. Sadly, there was no Alicorn. The Changelings looked pretty in their new forms, but she wasn't a fan of bugs. She came to a majestic looking fox with nine beautiful tails. "Oooh...I want to be this thing!" she said with a smile and touched it. In a flash, a pink kitsune stood in her place and she smirked, then looked back at her majestic...tail?! "Hey! Where are the other ones!" "That's a Kitsune, Diamond," Cheerilee explained. "They're a race from Neighpon. They grow tails as they grow up, little ones only have one tail." "Aww..." Silver Spoon laughed at her. "Sorry! Looks like you're stuck with one tiny tail!" Diamond got a mischievous look. "Yeah, but at least it's not the most disgusting shade of green I can think of..." she said, her tail lifting and a pink flame flickering at the end. "Huh?" she asked, looking back to find her lion tail was now indeed a disgusting shade of green. "HEY!" Diamond Tiara fell on her back laughing and holding her stomach. Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. "...This is weird." "...Kitsunes have a mischievous streak and mile long..." Cheerilee replied, giving a sigh and assuming this would eventually give her a headache. She gave the two a small growl to get them in line. "Alright, who's next?" Rumble trotted over to a Bat Pony statue and touched it turning into one...and yawned a bit, looking a little sleepy. Session 45.4 Kendell2 Snails trotted over to a statue of a llama and pressed it, turning into an orange...what did you call a young llama? He looked...not all that different except for wanting to meditate. Which he did while waiting for the others. Sweetie Belle tapped her chin and looked around at the statues...and ultimately chose a purified Changeling. She turned into a pretty white Changeling with pink wing casings and a pink tail. "...I can taste all of you..." Scootaloo blinked. "What do we taste like?" "...Love..." "What's love taste like?" "...Kinda sweet! Like cotton candy!...Though Diamond kinda tastes like narcissism...just a little bit...Narcissism tastes sour..." Applebloom made her choice and picked a Zebra. Emerging from the light, she was a zebra filly with traditional attire. Her Cutie Mark was now rendered in the style of Zebra Cutie Marks. "Ah don't think this will be like riding a bike, but Ah wanted tah see what bein' like Zecora felt like," she said. The rhyming did seem EASIER, but it wasn't instinct. She just thought that was what she should talk like from Zecora. "Alright, who's next?" Cheerilee asked, smiling. "Miss Cheerilee?" asked Rumble, giving a small yawn. "Yes, Rumble?" "...Snails is floating..." the bat pony colt said, pointing to Snails, who was still in a meditating post, but now floating about a foot off the ground. "...Llamas are known for using magic by meditating but...Snails, how are you doing that?" Snails blinked, only now noticing he was floating. "...I don't know..." Session 45.5 QuartzScale "15-Love!" Chrysalis, vice president of Crystalsoft, had been dominating the court with one of the few friends she had actually given a damn to keep. Though it was satisfying to keep being so dominant in court. Her back swing was the deadliest it had ever been in ages. Radiant though was no slouch. She had countered her every single time keeping victory from her everytime. "I must admit you have been getting better Hope. Guess our matches have been teaching you a lot more than I thought!" Chrysalis smirked as the ball bounced against the floor. "What can I say? Viciousness is needed whenever we get on the court!" Radiant called out while her stance got low. The ball stopped it's bounce gripped firmly in her hand. A light toss up and the ball was released. At it's apex Chrysalis readied her racket. The swing sent the ball into a curve forcing Radiant to dive in the attempt to hit it. The dive wasn't enough and the ball still hit within the line. With a resigned sigh she picked herself up off the ground and dusted off her skirt. This wasn't her day and the loss didn't help. Walking over she quickly sat on the bench while Chrysalis sauntered over with the same confident sway she usually had. "Good game. You're getting better but you're still a long way from beating me." The smirk stayed but the time they had hung out had gotten them better acquainted with all the quirks that usually messed with their fun. "Yeah... I guess it's been awhile since I've been able to give a good game huh?" Hope looked off towards the sky a bit more down than usual. "Let me guess another lousy date?" She was blunt about it but when Hope had winced she knew that she was right. "Y-yeah... he was kind of a jerk. Luckily I found that out on the first date. Still he wasn't someone I should have given the time of day. How about you how was the date?" Hope knew who she was dating... the guy was her childhood friend but... she had kept them apart...the horrible witch. Chrysalis was the only one who had been... accepted by her. That burned her heart and boiled her blood but they were still friends. "Well... it was fine I guess. I just don't feel anything for him. He's got some power behind him in that company but Rabia... she's... something different altogether. We're probably not going to stick with it at this point. Still I think he's got an idea now and we're going to be working with this other guy to make something that would restore the company's name. I still don't know what it is yet, but Sombra has said it would change us for the better." Chrysalis sighed she was still thinking back to that last game... Everfree Massacre. To say that the parents were appalled was just the tip of the iceberg. "I see. How did he take it?" Hope looked up slightly more interested than usual. "Fine actually. I think he is tired of following her orders. What did you want to set up another meeting or something? I thought you said that he didn't remember you?" Chrysalis chuckled slightly. Once again another quirk that Hope had gotten used to. "I'm sure he would remember me the moment that he sees me. I'm sure of it... " Her voice turned convincing herself more than Chrysalis. "Fine fine... whatever you say. I'll tell him something later about dinner at this place but you better show up. I don't want you to do another ‘I gotta wash my hair' bullshit. That guy was hard to even meet with even if he turned out to be such a waste of time." Chrysalis rubbed her head remembering the migraine she had that day. "I know. But he was Trenderhoof. He was so damn arrogant and that was not the best idea for a date. Seriously a photo shoot to promote himself." Hope scoffed at the idea of ever meeting him ever again. "I noticed. Remember he handed me a head shot of that smug mug of his. I couldn't shred it any faster if I tried. Anyways it's this chinese place near the school you know the one right? Canterlot High School. Be there tomorrow. I'm not going to be sticking my neck out for you anymore if you mess this one up." Chrysalis got up off the bench and started to walk away. "Chrysi? Why are you doing this?" Hope just looked on utterly confused by what was going on. "Because I'm looking out for the company and if the boss is happy then it makes my job easier in the long run." It was a succinct and blunt answer. It was one that didn't fade away her suspicions but she couldn't call her out on it without proof. Chrysalis was one of the better employees of CrystalSoft and had plenty of experience with twisting her words to fit her needs. "Is that it?" Hope stared her down trying desperately to find any tell but her poker face was better than ever. It was one of the reasons that they never gambled anymore. Any game where it was down to the two of them ended with her losing way too much money. "Yup," Chrysalis walked away looking down at her cell phone. While she didn't really want to even attempt this farce Hope had earned at least one favor... only one. Sombra had been quite the catch and if she managed to talk him into staying it would be easy street. Rabia changed that the moment they met. The twisted way she used her to get Sombra to follow her beck and call actually managed to get her to feel something she thought she had lost so long ago. Guilt. A quick text went out with their mutual break up discussion. While they had done so a while back they still needed to speak to each other. The sad truth of working in the same office. With the plan in motion and the time set another text reached Hope who had gone to get her bag with the time being a bit earlier. The next evening... Sombra had gotten dressed up managing to get away from the overbearing nature of his mother. Chrysalis and Discord had actually made a meeting with Rabia for that evening giving him the chance to actually leave early for once. ‘Damn Chrysalis why the hell did I need to meet with a new backer tonight. Hopefully I don't mess this one up. I'd rather not lose another contract. Mother already has been pushing for those coin guzzlers.' A growl emanated from him startling the hostess. After a quick apology he was shown to the table. The other occupant was busy in the bathroom and would return shortly. ‘Okay Sombra remember you tell them what they want to hear and nothing more. You don't want to have to tell another client the sticky details like last time. Fancy Pants had hated that his contributions had gone towards Everfree Massacre.' The infamy the game had garnered had thrown a lot controversy at the company. A lot of legal fees as well. It would take a miracle to even get his game off the ground. ‘Just one more week. You have enough evidence Sombra. Just one more week and we could put this nightmare behind you. Maybe then you'll find someo-' His thought was crossed out when someone had appeared to be walking towards his table. Her hair was done just like when she had been young but the long flowing purple dress she wore confirmed that she was the picture of a perfect woman in his eyes. She was beautiful. She was amazing. She was the the one woman he had hoped to find for so long before mother had gone off the deep end and turned into the sadistic monster on the outside as she was on the inside. "Hello Sombra..." The demure smile on her face lifted his spirits immediately. He stood up and without warning embraced her. To say the hug was unexpected was the least of her worries. To be remembered instantly had soared beyond all expectations. She embraced back tears of joy streaming down her face. "I'm glad you remember me." "I would never forget you." The following week... Rabia had been convicted thanks to the testimony given by Sombra. Being the only one to know a thing or two about the company Rabia had already left him as the successor when she retired though with her now in jail she couldn't change that directive anymore. She enjoyed how vicious her own son had been and called him her little monster while she was taken away but her tone was one of sheer joy and elation. Both Discord and Chrysalis had been present at the trial but even that act had driven their blood cold. Hope had also been there. And while the glare she had gotten from Rabia terrified her she still found enough spine to stand near Sombra and kiss him in full defiance of Rabia. Needless to say she didn't go quietly after that and the officer who had been knocked out pressed charges against Rabia extending her sentence even further. "Well you two... I guess I'm in charge now. Feel like following me to a better future now that she's gone." For the first time in ages Sombra gave a genuine smile while holding onto Hope. "You kidding me. The trolling done today has really inspired me. So long as you give me a bit of leeway for some fun I'll stay on for a good long while." Discord was laughing vigorously. The freedom he yearned for was well within his grasp. "So long as you don't go too far we'll talk out the terms later." Discord, of course, took the deal before he knew what was going to be in the works.It was random enough and make a killer story for later on. Chrysalis smirked before speaking up. "I'm going to be the VP right?" The tone she took was anything other than humble. "Yeah yeah so long as you remember to show me some respect from now on." Sombra quietly rolled his eyes though his jovial mood was still in full swing. "Fine. Maybe you deserve a little." Chrysalis snarked back while the four walked out of the courthouse. "So what's the idea then mon capitan." Discord mock saluted when they reached their cars. "Well we need to regain public opinion and I think Hope had a good idea for that. Go ahead dear." Sombra motioned for her to speak. "It's nothing big just a simple idea. Sombra wanted to make an MMO but there were a lot on the market right now. So something needs to be used to make it stand out. When I was younger I used to have these imaginary adventures where I fought alongside ponies. There were pegasus ponies, unicorns, and earth ponies. They worked together in this magical land called Equestria. It was something I came up when I was a little girl but I always made it cooler than it should be since they fought against the very forces of nature and beings made of darkness and magic." Hope looked down a little bashful at sharing something so silly. "Really?" Chrysalis arched her eye a little uncertain of the idea. "Now there's an idea... This could work out great for us but we need to give it some sign of being different. I think I could work out some really quick ideas out so long as I get a team together for the concepts behind this. I also have a good idea how to make it more appealing even to the guys... heh heh heh this will be oh so delicious." Discord rubbed his hands together startling Chrysalis a bit. "Save that for the design room buddy. If you three think it would work I'll get the PR to start getting more things together. It'll take a year for all the preliminary assets though. Remember the courts aren't cheap." The accounting department was still reeling from just how badly Rabia had driven the boat for all of them. Even then there were still pockets of loyalty for Rabia within the company making it even harder to keep her influence out of the rest of the departments. "I know but I think Hope is onto something and this will make our name grow back into a positive light and we all know that we need that... almost desperately. Still this will be our make or break and we'll bank everything on this. Besides at this point we have nothing to lose." Sombra pointed out as he and Hope got into the front seats of the company car. "Yeah we got it bossman. Let's just go get some food and hash out the details. I'm pretty sure we could get all this done quicker if we get a few more details. Ms Hope would you be so kind as to regail us with the tales of whimsy." Discord bowed quite elegantly as he and Chrysalis entered the back seat. They drove off to the same chinese restaurant where Sombra had his reunion with Hope and soon hashed out the details. World of Hoofcraft would soon be the most sought after game in the entire world. After the release of Wrath of the Crystal king... Radiant Hope, now the loving wife of Sombra, stood next to her husband watching the same video he had just shown her. Without word she quietly sat on her husband's lap and pulled out a small photo of the four of them at that same restaurant. Discord hung off Sombra's shoulder while Chrysalis held onto Hope's arm while they made a toast to their new flagship. "You know I think back a lot to that day." Hope whispered into Sombra's ear. "What do you think of when you remember back then?" Sombra craned his eyes to look into hers. "Just how lucky I am that I managed to meet with you again. And while I'm reluctant to admit it I guess we should say thank you to Rabia at some point." Hope had nearly scoffed at her own ideas. "Really? In what way? She kept us apart for so long just because she wanted to see you suffer... That hardly seems worth a thank you." Sombra, truthfully, wanted nothing to do with her at this point. Still, she was his mother, for better or for worse. "Think of it like this. Since she kept us apart for so long that just made our hearts yearn stronger. She could try so hard but in the end she failed at keeping us apart. No destiny or hatred would ever stop me and nothing ever will again." Hope nodded quite confidently as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You got that right. I'm thinking we make this a short evening tonight and head out for dinner. Our special place just the two of us." Sombra wrapped his arms around her and held her tight against his chest. With a kiss they sealed the date letting their hands intertwine. The rings they had matched each other perfectly. One made of pure obsidian with a white diamond in the center on his ring finger. The other made of white diamond with obsidian in it's center on hers. Finally their story could continue. Session 45.6 Alex Warlorn "Hi Sombra!" "... Hello Ira," Sombra groaned. "That any way to greet your sister?" She smiled. "I've... been stressed." He said, which was technically true. "Remember to relax Sombra... the job was stressful for mom... she worked so hard to give the market what they wanted, and we got wailed on instead." Ira said like she was lamenting the death of an innocent puppy. "And those stuck-up, arrogant, loud mouthes like that Maternity Love-Tap driving mom to violence! And then turning around acting like they were the victims. Mom understands why you did what you did Sombra, you had to pander to those air headed soccer moms with too much time on their hands, for the good of company." Sombra kept his mouth shut. Once his sister got going, it was better to just smile and nod. "So... how goes the legal battle?" "The lawyers are still trying to prove that guard PROVOKED mom. But people are being pig-headed and stubborn, you know how it is." It was literally like she couldn't hear him whenever Sombra said it was him and Radiant Hope kissing that had 'provoked' their mother. She had a parasol with her constantly: his sister and mother were sensitive to direct sunlight (the vampire jokes had been done to death). He could fire Kabuto, but not his sister: not out of family, but because she still held a small percentage of the company. Nominally, she was in charge of the company's original 'niche market' projects their mother had pandered to, though she had no funding, virtually no staff, and no advertisement. Yet she was still a busy little bee. She'd gotten a kiosk sized booth for her own projects in a corner far away from him. His sister LOOKED graceful and jovial, but there was talk among the staff that butterflies burst into flames in her presence (not true, it was a perfect metaphor in Company President Sombra's opinion). She was her mother's child. Ira wasn't insane, her point of view was simply not shared by many. Ira's game designs were much like her mother's. Sadly, one of her projects was looking ghoulishly popular online, called 'Crazy Teacher's Garden Simulator' where an insane teacher sought to raise the GPA of the school by helping the students get better grades, and if at the player's leisure, brutally murdering poor grades students in various creative and gruesome ways, and not get caught. You got a higher score and more experience points by it being an ironic and 'poetic' form of death related to the subject the victim failed in. "And you have to dump the bloody uniform not to be noticed." "Won't they notice if you're going around in your underwear?" "It's still in beta." That she'd used Canterlot High as the game world map ... Sombra couldn't really call her out on that one, given his own (and Chrysalis, and Discord's and pretty much the entire company employees) lax attitude in that regard. If she got enough crowd funding, she planned to add a romantic subplot where you knocked off teachers who had the hots for a teacher you secretly liked. Sombra shuddered. He considered giving Ira her own private shell company just so it wouldn't destroy the image he and the others had carefully built up. Session 45.7 QuartzScale It was late that night and the moon was finally rising in the sky. Derpy was sitting in her kitchen with Lyra and Bon Bon. It had been a while since the three of them could talk and with Doctor Hooves out of town for some reason which he didn’t talk about while Vinyl and Octavia were busy performing in Canterlot. There on the table was one muffin left. Blueberry in flavor and oh so tantalizing but the horror soon dawned upon Derpy. She was full! A catastrophe of epic proportions to be sure but such was the siren call of those delectable delicacies known as muffins. "Who would like the last muffin?" Derpy sung out. "ME!" screamed out two mares who instantly scowled at the other. It was at this moment something changed within the household. What had been a simple kitchen turned into a large courtroom with Derpy sitting up at the judge’s table holding a large gavel with a muffin shaped head. Lyra stood on her right wearing a fancy red suit and looked overly smug in her step. On the other side was Bon Bon wearing a blue suit and red tie with a determined look on her face as she gazed eagle eyed on her opponent. "Opening statements if you please?" Derpy pointed the hammer towards Lyra first. "Ladies and Gentlecolts of the courtroom it is my pleasure to tell you that as a unicorn there are times where magical energy is expended and requires me to eat a bit more than usual and while I don’t expect all present to fully agree with my viewpoint that muffin requires a new home… within my belly." Lyra tapped her hoof against her head. "Defendant?" "Unlike my opponent over there I do require sustenance of large portions especially due to cooking up a lot of the hearth warming eve treats that will be selling in conjunction with Sugarcube Corners delicacies. Now I may be a simple mare with a simple goal but food is necessary to back and if fed I can back more for the festivities that are nigh upon us." Bon Bon finished her statement while Derpy started to form her opinions. "OBJECTION!" "This mare needs no more sweets. Exhibit A." Lyra lifted a picture of Bon Bon stuffing her face with several muffins. All were blueberry which caught Derpy’s attention in full. "This mare has already eaten plenty for the entire party we are having. She ill needs more ill gotten sweets down her gluttonous maw!"
 "OBJECTION!" "Said picture is a falsity. This is the real photo," Bon Bon lifted another photo in her hoof which was of Lyra shoveling down chocolate bon bons while Bon Bon was face hoofing in the background. "TAKE THAT!" The picture was give to Judge Derpy who looked in shock. The picture was too much. There was no way any pony could finish that much chocolate. "OBJECTION!" "That picture is ill advised in court and was not given to the court record. I demand justice!" Lyra screamed out while a magical fist impacted on the table she was at. "TAKE THAT!" Lyra lifted another picture of Bon Bon stuffing her face with bon bons as well. It seemed to have been taken right after Lyra’s had been taken. Derpy was so confused now and couldn’t possibly decide who deserved the muffin. The two ponies battled against each other with heavily censored words not suitable for mixed company. All the meanwhile Discord stood next to Derpy eating the muffin silently getting a small hoof bump from Derpy. "Thanks for this Discord. I thought I would never be able to see a really active court in session like this." Derpy beamed a smile at him seeing as the last time she had court duties was the most boring day of her life bar none. "Think nothing of it. This is what I live for!" The chaotic being quickly dawned a bailiff costume and broke up the arguments to the dismay of the two mares. "Wait where’s the muffin!?" The both shouted out when they saw a wrapper left on the table. "Worry not ladies for I shall be your chaotic light in the night!" Discord quipped to the dismay of the now lucid Lyra and Bon Bon. With a snap of his fingers four muffins appeared on the table. He reached for one first and ate while Derpy reached for one as well and ate hers. Seemingly content the other two carefully reached for theirs. Nothing happened. "Now ladies I’m appalled. It’s near Hearth Warming’s Eve. Even I am keeping my chaos in control for right now." He finished his muffin and teleported out of the house. Derpy finished her muffin and sighed in relief. The maker had truly blessed her with a satisfying muffin. "I guess we should try ours right Bon Bon?" Lyra looked at her treat while Bon Bon looked at hers. "Yeah. Same time?" "Sure." With a slow bite the two tasted their muffin. The smile disappeared as the two swallowed their piece and held back the yuck. "BRAN!" Session 45.8 Ardashir (OOC: Getting back to Cheerilee's now multi-species class.) "Guess I might as well make my choice," Scootaloo walked over to a pair of statues set oddly close together. One was of a mighty and majestic dragon, while the other was of a tiny Breezie. "Choosing Dragon, huh?" Sweetie Belle asked her. Scootaloo nodded. "Yeah; I want to know what it feels like to fly." Unfortunately, while she was talking, Scootlooo reached out blindly. Apple Bloom started to open her mouth. Diamond Tiara's tail glowed pink and a gag appeared on her mouth as Scootaloo said, "This will be awesome! I'm gonna be a great big..." A poof of smoke followed, and cleared to reveal a purple and orange Breezie. "Hah!" It said in a shrill, high-pitched voice like Scootaloo's. "Look at me, guys! I'm the biggest -- VHAT!" She looked down at herself and cried in an oddly accented voice, like Scandineighvian. "Oh, no no no! Not some silly Breezie!" "Yip-yip-yip!" Diamond Tiara began to laugh, the yipping amusement of a fox. Or a Kitsune. She pointed one claw as Scootaloo flew over to hover before her. "Hah! Let that teach you to be careful, Breezealoo! OW!" She rubbed her nose where it'd been pinched. "And let t'at teach you not to amuse yoorself at my expense!" Breezealoo looked as defiant as she could at six inches tall. She shook her tiny hoof. "If I had a stinger, I vould give you such a sting!" "Ahem!" Everyone fell silent as Cheerilee's voice rumbled through the space they were in. "If everypony has made their choice?" She looked around. Minotaur and Griffon, Kitsune and Changeling, Zebra and Breezie, Llama and Bat-pony, all nodded. "Then time for the story to begin," Cheerilee said. Session 45.9 Kendell2 (I've noticed despite being only five or six days until Christmas, we've done very little Christmas, so how about some Christmas? Also, based off the World of Warcraft Feast of Winter Veil Christmas thing.) "So we don't need to worry about the Changelings during the Hearth's Warming event?" Sunset asked.  "Well, only if we don't go after their missions during this time," Sci Twi replied, looking at the description. "Something about them all being so drunk off love they take a break from their attacks...also, since he runs off Hate, Sombra and his forces are repelled for the moment." "So in other words, temporary peace treaty?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Less that and more they're all drunk or love and joy causes them physical pain," Sunset replied from what she'd just been told. "Look! I got a Gaudy Hearth's Warming Sweater!" Pinkie announced, having her ingame character put said sweater on. "It let's you sing carols!" she said, pressing the button to do so.  "There's a special air rifle you can get too," Rainbow Dash replied, looking at the achievement list.  "Well either way, I'm not complaining," Sunset replied. "It's an improvement over Crystalsoft's older Christmas games..." "Yeah, I remember..." Rainbow Dash said with a shudder. "...Let's go find that missing Reindeer already." "Wonder if the Equestria Chrysalis is taking the holiday off..." Sunset muttered. Imago looked over as her mother fell down the chimney with an oof, wrapped in tinsel and Hearth's Warming decorations. "...Santa Hooves nonlethally kick your flank again?" "...No...I tripped..." Chrysalis said in a tone that wouldn't convince anyone, trying to free herself. "...Help me out here!" "This is the fourth time this month..." Imago muttered, letting the guards help her mother. "If I can't take over Equestria then I'll ruin the holiday!" the disgraced Changeling monarch yelled, giving a scream as she was cut loose and fell down. "Mom, Santa Hooves LITERALLY can't be hurt by anything but good will. You're so malevolent that you LITERALLY can't hurt him!" Imago said, in a rare case of being the voice of reason. Mainly because she hadn't done enough morally wrong stuff to actually get coal (mainly because the target of all her usurping attempts was evil). "That won't stop me from trying!...So, how were things while I was gone?" "Brother tried to eat one of the skunks from the desert. Keyword, tried." Chrysalis gave an annoyed facehoof. "Again?!" "I think the only reason he doesn't try to eat me and Pupa is because we smell too much like you." "...I don't know if that was an insult or not..." Imago shrugged. "...Also, your tail's on fire." Chrysalis looked back and saw her tail had indeed caught fire from the fireplace. "Bah humbug..." Imago was tempted to remind her mother of what happened LAST TIME she'd said those words at Hearth's Warming time. That and her mother was too busy being on fire. Session 45.10 QuartzScale The group of ponies sitting around the map were ready to play yet another tabletop game when Spike walked in holding a suitcase. He didn’t look sad either but happy. Alongside him was Discord also holding a suitcase. The eight ponies sitting around the table were shocked at the sight. Gilda was still back at Griffonstone until the day before Hearth Warming while Trixie was staying at the castle. Trixie and Starlight were whispering to themselves. Fluttershy looked about to cry while Applejack and Rainbow Dash put on their tough girl exterior to not show any emotions. Pinkie just stared utterly confused by the scene in front of them. "Uh… Spike where are you and Discord going?" Twilight spoke up with a small quaver in her voice. "Canterlot. Princess Celestia needs me and Discord for a couple days then I’ll be back before Hearth Warming begins." Spike answered almost mechanically while Discord whistled with his arms behind his head. Seven mares all relaxed when they heard the explanation and visibly sighed in relief. One purple alicorn unfortunately did not. "But what about our traditions!" Twilight blurted out and caught herself with her hooves. "Don’t worry Twi. I’ll be back before then and I want you to be a tough little filly. I won’t be missing the full traditions. I got something for everypony here." Discord physically walked to every pony at the table and handed them a simple gift box wrapped with a ribbon that matched their colors. Twilight’s had a lilac ribbon. Fluttershy’s was yellow. Pinkie’s was pink. Rainbow Dash had a multicolored bow like her mane. Applejack had an orange bow. Rarity’s was a vibrant rich purple. Starlight’s was violet. Trixie’s was light blue. "Now everypony you can open them now if you insist but only after I leave. So I’ll be back soon take care." See you later everypony." Discord quickly released a flash bomb and with a snap of his talons the two disappeared for Canterlot. Everypony looked over their gift. Uncertainty was upon all their faces. Pinkie was more excited than uncertain. "This is quite the surprise darlings. What do you suppose Spikey Wikey has gotten us?" "Ooh Ooh. Maybe it’s one of his favorite gems. Or maybe its a scale that looks like it had someponies face on it. Maybe he carved something for us? What if it’s a prank! Nah… too close to Hearth’s Warming and Discord didn’t say anything or have any tells on him. Should we open them? Let’s open them!" "I don’t know. Ah reckon that he did give us permission and all but it’s still not time to be openin up presents yet." "Oh c’mon AJ. It’s probably not that bad if we sneak a peek. It is the season of the holidays and everything should be great if we open them now." "I don’t know. I mean it’s ok if everypony is ok with it but that’s just my opinion on it. I’m sorry" "Trixie is sure that the gift is not going to be a game changer for what you are getting Spike. Trixie believes it is fine to open the gift right Starlight?" "Maybe. It is my second Hearth’s Warming here in the castle. Hopefully this time skips the lessons about what it means." "Heh heh. I see what you mean. Well girls if you really think it should be fine maybe we should open them. This is one of our traditions to open one gift early. So it shouldn’t hurt." The eight mares decided on an order. Trixie had managed to win the first game and was allowed to open her gift first. She was followed by Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Starlight, Applejack, and finally Twilight. "For the record girls, I let you win." Twilight huffed about losing the game. Laughs erupted through the halls. As Trixie manipulated the box in her magic. The bow released and the box was open. The entire box was full of packing peanuts which confused the showmare to no end. Then she brushed the peanuts away revealing something that shocked every mare at the table. Standing proudly on the table was a small figurine made of azurite shaped just like Trixie. The mane was made of two different shades of sapphires. The eyes were both rubellite tourmalines. What was once laughter turned to utter silence and when Trixie looked back in the box a little purple cape with swirls and purple wizard’s hat also fell out. Trixie felt her jaw literally hit the table alongside everypony else. Pinkie was next and was super excited. The same setup was revealed and out popped her figurine. The body was made of rhodolite garnet with the mane being made of a lighter ruby. The eyes were two turquoise gems. A small felt figure of a present was also inside the box which went along with her motif. Pinkie’s squeeing could be heard throughout the entire town and beyond. Rarity opened her’s next. Inside was the same setup. The figurine was lifted in her magic. It was made entirely of white diamond while the mane was made of amethyst gems. The eyes were made of Azurite. The small felt item to come out was a Fire Ruby on a felt chain. Rarity was lost to the sparkling sight and soon fainted on her chair. Fluttershy quietly opened her gift and pulled out the figurine. It was made entirely of chrysoberyl a really hard gem to find. The mane was made of kunzite and the eyes were made of sapphires. Fluttershy also had a small felt bunny as well which came out of the box. Fluttershy had tears of joy and couldn’t say anything. Rainbow Dash instantly opened her gift and saw a figurine just like the others. Her figurine was also made of azurite but what really caught her eye was the mane and tail. Ruby for the red, Citrine for the orange, Topaz for the yellow, Jade for the green, Sapphire for the blue, Sugilite for the Indigo, and Kunzite for the Violet. The eyes were made of pink diamonds. All she could say was ‘So awesome!’ The felt present was a small decal for the wonderbolts. Starlight’s figurine was made of Jadeite while the mane was a mix of Amethysts and turquoises. The mane was the thing which surprised her the most. It was shaped like her new mane style rather than her old like the other figurines which showed that a lot more care was taken. The eyes were made of darkened sapphires. The small felt present was a book with the words ‘Friends Forever’ embroidered on it. Starlight took a page out of Fluttershy’s book and cried tears of joy as well. Applejack opened hers next finding her figurine just as majestic as the rest. It was made of Fire Opal and the mane was made of topaz. On the tail was a small ruby band which mimicked the tie she usually wore on her own tail. The eyes were made of jade. The small felt present was her hat which she promptly put on the figurine’s head. She threw her hat up in celebration catching it just as it came in reach. Twilight finally got to open her present giggling like a filly when she was able to. Inside the box her figurine was floated out. The figurine was different from the others. While the wings were tucked in for Dash’s and Fluttershy’s, the wings on hers were out and flared. It was made of amethysts while the mane was made of tanzanites and pink diamond. The eyes were made of sugilite. The present inside was a felt element of harmony in the shape of her tiara. That wasn’t the only thing in the box though. A small letter also popped out. Twilight picked up the letter to the anticipation of the others and with a quick spark of her magic she began to read the letter aloud: "Dear Twi if you’re reading this then you opened the gifts early… which means I probably owe Discord ten bits later. Anyways these little figurines are something I’ve been working on for a while since we started running these game nights. I’m still working on one for every pony in town but those will come out periodically whenever I can find the materials. The reason you girls got yours now was because Discord helped me find the right gems for the job. Remember to enjoy the time from now to Hearth’s Warming and I’ll be back in time to spend the holidays with my family. Love, Spike. P.S Discord here. I made the felt presents. I didn’t use magic either to make them so tell Fluttershy thank you for the lessons. Also chaos present will come later right now we’ve got a job to do." "I’m not reading the rest cause it’s maniacal laughter. And no I mean he actually wrote out all the letters for two lines of maniacal laughter." The ponies looked at their gifts and only one thought was on their collective minds. ‘What am I getting them this year?’ Session 45.11 Alex Warlorn "A new age of enlightenment has begun Alicorn! The ponies of Equestria will rejoice and prosper under my guidance!" Boomed he bright red face with glowing yellow eyes. Sticking his head out of the book rather than in the comic itself as part of the immersion. "I will become your provider, your teacher, your ... Protector... and your MASTER! BWAHAHAH!" "Excuse me," Twilight interrupted. "But why do you call yourself the Protector? The average pony who joins your cult, The Herd, never even hear of you and work towards making Equestria a better place with friendship and hard-work and are all generally good ponies. The leaders of your cult who DO know about you ALREADY know you're evil! And you don't even pretend to be nice to the worlds you HAVE conquered! So why do you even give lip service to the idea you're a Protector?" "I... Well... that is... excuse me!" And the face retreated back into the comic, which quickly closed back up and teleported back to the comic shop. "Will you stop ruining our deposit!" Spike snapped, dressed up and with 'equipment' (like a wooden handle with two metal pipes at the end) borrowed from Earth to make sure he was actually able to defend himself for once. "This is like the time you crashed Swordetta!" "Sorry! But it didn't make sense! WHY would the Alicorns make themselves appear beautiful with marble and gold shells, when they're hideous underneath, when the normal pony can't even see them anyway, the Witches will kill them no matter what they look like due to their contract with the Draconequi, and the Sages ALREADY know what they look like underneath their shells? It's so obvious a plot hole!" "That's why you said about Lord of the Horseshoes." "I... had to try and see if there was an easier solution for destroying the One Horseshoe. " "You and everypony else who's ever used the enchanted comic version." "I really thought you carrying the ring on the chain, with the Great Griffin blind folded, and me riding to direct him where to go, while the other heroes made faces at the Dark Tower to distract it would work." "Until you found out that the Cracks of Gloom didn't refer to the top of the volcano but the tunnel where the One Horseshoe was made. And before that the Great Griffin got greedy and grabbed the ring. And before that the Dark Tower spotted us miles away and we got maimed by Horseshoe Wraiths, and before that-" "Okay! Find! The original author put a lot more thought into it than ponies give him credit for!" Session 45.12 Alex Warlorn Engaging in a 'friendly' game of Paint Ball War with the Shadowbolts didn't seem THAT bad an idea. Dean Cadence and the Principle Sisters thought it might be a good way to build bridges between the schools. It was nothing official, just the Humane Six verses the Shadow Bolt 5 on the weekend. As it turned out, the Shadow Bolt 5 had brought an extra. "It's... nice to see you again Suri," Rarity said politely. The other girl said nothing. But she kept her distance from Rarity, hugging herself. "Wait, you two know each other?" Sunset asked. "We went to the same grade school... she got into Crystal Prep... I didn't." Diamond Tiara's mother also wanted her daughter to attend, but Filthy Rich had overruled her. "Don't mind Suri, I guess she's just nervous without her sidekick." Lemon Zest shrugged. Friendship was still an unholy word at Crystal Prep, (which make the Shadowbolt 5 both the school's best students with Twilight gone, and now weirdos). Nopony knew what Cinch had said to Suri after being so completely outdone by Pinkie Pie's cake Mona Lisa, but the girl had been a nervous wreck sense. It had been Indigo Zap's idea to 'help her.' But it all turned out not to be needed. Fluttershy couldn't bring herself to pull the trigger on another person even in a harmless game of paintball. And as for Human Twilight. "It... doesn't feel right competition with my old classmates, again." For Crystal Prep, competing against your classmates was the norm, working with them was a temporary thing at best. "Don't wanna tell them about Gun Gals online eh?" Sour whispered. Rumor had it that the memo the game designers got was supposed to be 'Gun Gale' ... but due to the misunderstanding, had made an MMO-FPS in a full open world of people in swim suits shooting science fiction and real life fire arms at monsters (as of the latest patch) and each other. The science nerd Twilight had secretly helped beta test it with the Shadow Bolts. Human Twilight blushed. "Uh, no!" "You're so cute that way." Sweet giggled. Indigo Zap would have once joked that they still had six girls on their team, with Sour Sweet, but had actually evolved past making such jokes about her... condition. And so the battle began, with Suri, Fluttershy, and Twilight all on the sidelines. So Fluttershy found herself between two indoctrinated study-holics. The Rainbooms as it turned out knew had to be a better team. And coordinated their movements. and Celestia's lessons with Sunset, had included some basic guerrilla tactics (Sunset now had an idea why). While the Shadowbolts knew how to be ruthless, and where not programmed to accept defeat nor failure. As Rainbow Dash crashed into their home base ready for the final kill- And Indigo Zap... did a diving leg charge at Rainbow Dash, her foot slamming into Rainbow Dash's lower leg, causing her to topple over, and get hammered by paint balls. "What was that for?!" "What? It's not against the rules." "I'm pretty sure it is!" "And I'm pretty sure it's not!" Sunset said, opening her mouth and hearing herself say, "It's fine Rainbow Dash, they can't help being so brainwashed." She covered her mouth. "What did you say?" Sour Sweet hissed. "N-nothing!" "No. You said we'd been conditioned to the point of not being in full control of it." Sugarcoat said flatly. "... " Sunset sighed. "You girls treat everything as a competition, and you treat every competition as if it was a war! You girls don't know the meaning of the word 'friendly competition' and you treat everyone around you like they're the enemy! Crystal Prep's brainwashed you into thinking that how EVERYTHING is!" "Maybe it's just the way we are!" Sunny Flare remarked. "... I know for a fact Suri wasn't like that BEFORE Crystal Prep." Rarity said simply. Making the minor Shadow Bolt startle. "Hey, the defector over there doesn't fit your bill." Indigo Zap said pointing at human Twilight. Then INDIGO seemed to realize what she just said. "I... that is..." "I think we should call it a day." Human Twilight said. "I think that might be best." Applejack admitted honestly. Session 45.13 Ardashir (bit by me at the end) "So..." Trixie suspiciously examined the three brightly-wrapped boxes sitting before her. She looked up. Twilight grinned at her. Trixie's frown deepened. "Just what is this supposed to be, Twilight Sparkle?" "It's your gift for Hearth's Warming, Trixie," Twilight pointed at the plush version of herself. Her horn glowed and it said, "Twilight saved Trixie, but Trixie saved Equestria!" Twilight's smile went slightly manic. Trixie gulped. "Well, one of them is your gift," Twilight said. She began walking around the boxes and Trixie. "The other two are, let's just say a surprise." Trixie started to sweat Twilight added, "I'm making a game of this. You pick out the right one, you get what you have coming, right now." Twilight smiled at Trixie began backing away. "It's my way of thanking you for your thoughtful gifts to me and my friends." "Trixie thinks she would like to be leaving," the blue showmare said as she began backing away. A sickly smile crossed her face as she said, "She wishes to assure Twilight Sparkle that no thanks are necessary." "Really? That's a shame," Twilight said, obviously saddened. "I thought the Great and Powerful Trixie could handle any trick." Trixie hesitated. She looked at the three boxes, all the same size, with blue paper and silver bows on them. With a sigh Trixie returned to make her choice. Trixie spent several moments carefully examining all three before she finally made her choice. She failed to notice Twilight's horn glow briefly, as did the present. "You're sure you want that one," Twilight said in a defeated monotone. "Hah!" Trixie pounced on the present. "Trixie knew this was the one you wanted her to miss! Now she will..." Trixie's voice trailed off. Her eyes went wide. Twilight smiled as Trixie used her magic and removed a small plush of herself from the box, complete with her hat and cape. She turned to Twilight, confusion on her face. "That's your doll, Trixie," Twilight laughed at her sudden shock. "What, did you think it was going to blow up or something? The girls told me how upset you were, so I met the toymaker and asked them if they could make ones of you and Starlight!" Before she could say more Trixie was hugging her tightly. For a moment, that is, before she backed away. "Ahem! Trixie is grateful that her efforts have received their proper due! But what does Trixie say?" She squeezed the doll. "I am the Great and Powerful Trixie! Let's do a show together!" Trixie's smile faded as the doll went on to say, "Just don't outdo me, or I'll use a dark magic amulet to conquer your hometown!" "Trixie is a total blowhard!" Trixie glared at Twilight, who looked utterly stunned. "Is this supposed to be a joke, Twilight Sparkle?!?" "I, I don't know! I just bought the speaking-gems they had in stock at the store, and..." Her eyes lit up and she brought over the day's copy of the Canterlot Sun. Both mares examined it. "'Malicious Pranksters make false speaking-gems for toy line'," Trixie read aloud. "Among others, national heroine Starlight Glimmer's plush says, 'I'll get mine one day!' 'I'm a meddling incompetent tyrant.' 'I mind control ponies just like Twilight Sparkle.' Twilight and Trixie frowned at each other. "Do we even need to ask who was this petty, vindictive, and willing to spend insane amounts of bits on this?" ### "BWA-AHAHAHA!" Chrysalis rolled on the floor of the rundown ruin, er, castle, her swarm currently lived in. Her shivering Changelings obediently gathered around as she said, "I ruined the image of those meddling mares AND Hearth's Warming for thousands of fillies and colts! I'm still Equestria's greatest enemy!" "How many bits did this cost?" One Changeling whispered to another. "Let me put it this way," the other muttered. "Better get used to eating grass soup." + Twilight teleported him in. "DISCORD! This prank of yours is too much!" "What prank?" Discord asked in his bathrobe and bunny slippers eating ice cream on the couch watching re-runs of Wagon Train. Session 45.14 Ardashir "Hmmph! You suspect poor innocent me of everything," Discord sniffed. He snapped his fingers and one of the plushes appeared in his hand. He looked utterly disgusted. "Ugh! Dolls for Hearth's Warming?" He turned it into an armored Shining Armor figure riding a full-grown Spike toy. "Bah! The kids want action figures these days." He snapped one claw and Twilight suddenly found herself dressed like a ninja, while Trixie wore combat fatigues. She put her hoof on Twilight's withers in shock, and Twilight yelled in pain. "Trixie! Don't grip so tightly!" She fought to escape. "Trixie cannot make her hoof let go!" Trixie tried to yank her hoof free. "What, not a fan of the toy with the Kung Fu grip?" Discord laughed, snapped his fingers again, and both ponies were back to normal and giving him dirty looks. "Now, don't be like that. I'm getting into the spirit of things this year. More, I'm giving gifts that are educational this year." He dropped a box down before the two. It promptly unfolded into a bizarre-looking chemistry set. "Ta-da! Discord's Educational Home Science Set, for foals aged four to four hundred!" Twilight took a closer look. "What!" She held up several bottles. All of them bore skulls and crossbones, bore the legend DANGER!, or read clearly, 'Use Only Under Adult Supervision'. "Discord! You mean to give this to foals?" "It was either that or the Junior Home Atomic Lab, but I couldn't find enough uranium and plutonium samples for everypony. And what do you mean, 'mean' to give it to foals?" He smiled and snapped his fingers again. "I already have, just now! Oh, don't worry," he gave a horrified Twilight an affectionate head pat. "Nothing in it is really dangerous. I'm not the OLD me any more." Twilight sighed and slumped in relief. "The dangerous containers only have Poison Joke in them; perfectly safe! Well, mostly." "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND! Never mind," Twilight groaned as Discord smiled and opened his skull, showing her a plastic toy brain inside it. "Discord, how is this an educational toy?" "Because anyone foolish enough to play with things clearly marked 'dangerous' will get an education in why they should pay attention to the signs?" Session 45.15 Kendell2 Trixie got a look and picked up one of the bottles that wasn't marked dangerous. "And how do we know ANY of these are safe to drink, exactly?" Discord gave an annoyed looked. "I'm DISCORD, Spirit of CHAOS! Since when would I do something so predictable!" "Maybe since you brainwashed Twilight and her friends in the EXACT same way?" the azure unicorn asked, in a goading voice. Discord admitted, other than Fluttershy, Trixie had consistently proven to be one of the only ponies who only recently met him but was able to not show fear or intimidation in front of him...show, perhaps. But still...part of him respected that, another part was absolutely livid. "Hey! I didn't reuse the same trick twice!" "Made all of them do the exact opposite of their Element if Trixie recalls, same end result," Trixie continued, looking at the vile. "So, how do we know you didn't just fill ALL of these with something nasty and are going to say the lesson is 'don't take gifts from strangers? It'd be perfectly in character." Discord growled. "Fine! Give me that vile!" The Draconequus grabbed the vile and downed it. "See? Just apple juice!...Wait..." Trixie smirked and dispelled an illusion, revealing the vile was actually one of the 'danger' ones. "...Oh horseapples...." Discord muttered, before suddenly he was covered by blue spots. His limbs suddenly decided to detach until he was only a head, each growing into a complete animal and running off. "Hey! Come back here!" The lion that was previously his arm raised a sign saying 'On Strike' and ran off. Twilight looked to Discord. "...You just got Trixied..." "...Twilight, will you please face hoof my head for me? I'd do it myself but I don't have limbs."