It's A Screwed Up Life

by Autum Breeze


Season 4... well, it’s not a bore

Season 4... well, it’s not a bore

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I stretched out while lazily floating above Sweet Apple Acres, just relaxing. Season 4 seems to be winding towards its end.

When the Breezies came, Fluttershy had to learn that being kind meant kicking them out. Though, frankly, I was with Sea Breeze. He had a legit reason for being so frustrated with the other Breezies wanting to just chill at Fluttershy’s and have her doing things for them, when he has a wife and child back in his world he was really anxious to get back to.

I decided to pay the chimera a little visit after Applejack and Apple Bloom were done with their pie delivery. I had a few choice words for it. Let’s just say it won’t be willing to harm ponies that trek into that swamp ever again.

I met up with Maud at one point during her visit to Ponyville. I decided to play around a little, turning myself into a double of her, but using Raven’s voice. Dash couldn’t figure out why, but she thought was hilarious.

I decided to stay out of things during the events of For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils, as I wasn’t really sure how I felt about interfering with that, to be honest.

As I pass over the swimming hole, I notice Applejack, Big Mac and Apple Bloom swimming in the water, with Granny Smith sitting in a deck chair. From what I can tell, she’s telling the story of how she used to be an Aqua Pony Allstar.

My relaxed expression turns a little sour. Oh, great. So today’s the start of Leap of Faith. I suppose I shouldn’t be too displeased by that, seeing as that is the special lesson about Honesty Applejack needs to learn in order to get her key, but I still don’t like that Flim and Flam will get away with it for a while.

Once AJ’s learned her lesson though, I’m gonna give those two unicorns a piece of my mind.

Man, I need to lighten my mood before I start unintentionally cuasing a chocolate rain cloud to form.

Glancing around the area, I notice Big Mac is swimming a bit further away from the others.

I blink, before remembering a part of that episode and grin.

I quickly teleport down to hover in front of Big Mac’s face. “Hey, Big Mac.”

He turns to look at me, not saying a word.

I grin, putting a leg around his shoulder and pull him close to whisper, “You wanna pull a funny little prank on Apple Bloom? I promise, it’s harmless, just really funny.”

He glances back towards the females in his family, before looking back to me and giving a small smirk of his own. “Eeyup.”

My grin widens a little and a realistic plastic shark fin appears on his head. He glances up at it, before looking to me.

“I’ll give you a small bubble of air to breathe while you’re underwater,” I explain, a bubble appearing in my hooves that I put over his mouth. “I think you can figure out the rest?”

He grins, nodding with a “Eeyup,” and dives down.

I decide to watch it play out and hold my hooves over my mouth so Apple Bloom doesn’t notice my snickering. I can be kind of loud if I’m not careful, and on a calm day like today, I’m pretty sure she’d notice it.

Though, now that I’m looking over there again... why is Apple Bloom wearing her bow in her hair while swimming? Did that happen in the episode, or is this one of those small differences the real Equestria has over the show?

I shrug. Eh, whatever. Not my problem and I’ve more entertaining things to focus on.

 

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I walk around the area of the swim meet. I know what’s going to happen, but at the same time, I can’t help but be anxious. I mean, one false move and Granny could, at best, end up in a wheelchair and at worst... I’d really rather not think about it.

“Get your Applejack Aproved tonic!” Flim’s voice causes me to grind my teeth. “Granny Smith drinks it, why shouldn’t you?”

This really bugged me a lot and still does. Applejack never actually approved of that stupid fake tonic. Flim and Flam just put words into her mouth in a way that she couldn’t outright back out of it without hurting Granny Smith’s feelings.

Man, I hate these two.

I will admit my mood improves as I watch Granny and Apple Bloom do their routine and win a big trophy... at least until they both start talking about how they were only able to do it because of the tonic. GAH! I wanna smash something right now so hard!

“What in blazes does she think she’s doin’?” Applejack asks several minutes later as Granny starts climbing the high dive to perform her final act.

Glancing down at the saucer Apple Bloom sets down, I feel panic rise up in me. That thing’s way too small. It’s more the size for a high diving chipmunk, not a pony!

Applejack hurries to stop Granny, but I can see there’s no way she’ll reach her in time, so I stop her and shake my head. I’ll handle this.

When Granny dives, I turned that tiny little saucer of water into a jumping castle, because I’m honestly not willing to trust Applejack wouldn’t accidently snap Granny’s bones yanking her with a lasso due to the momentum she’d been gathering on the way down. May not have happened in the show, but since ponies can bleed in this world, I’m not taking any chances.

When Granny stops bouncing and gets back down, she and everypony else turn to me. can’t blame them, everypony in town knows about my Chaos Magic, so it makes sense they’d all quickly deduce that I was the culprit here.

Granny gives me a displeased look. “Now what in tarnation did ya do that for?”

Applejack steps forward. “That was the most fool-pony thing Ah’ve ever seen anypony do in all mah life!”

Actually, I’m pretty sure you’ve seen stuff ponies have done that are far more foolish than that, several instances with Rainbow Dash certainly come to mind, but I’ll not interrupt.

Applejack shakes her head. “You can’t do a dive like that.”

“Oh, quit yer fussin’,” Granny scolds back. “Ah had enough tonic to do a dive ten times as high.”

No. No, you did not.

“Twenty times, by my count,” Flim says.

Don’t turn him into cheese.

“Thirty, with a favourable breeze,” Flam interjects, levitating over another bottle to Granny.

Applejack, fucking hurry up and learnt that damn lesson already, before I alter events by blasting these two to the moon!

Just as I’m certain I’m about to risk the timeline, Applejack finally comes clean and explains how the tonic is fake.

However, when the ponies talk about how she gave it her approval, ask if she lied and she admits she did, I stop her.

“Okay, no. I’m going to correct you all there,” I say, floating up in front of Applejack. “Technically, Applejack didn’t lie about the tonic, only not said why it didn’t work in general and had merely stated it seemed to work for Granny simply because Granny had it in her all along and her belief in the tonic just helped her be brave enough. As for her giving it her approval, it was Flim and Flam who said Applejack approved of the tonic and how she never once said anything of the sort to confirm their claims is because the way they pushed her into a corner meant she couldn’t come clean without breaking Granny Smith’s new confidence in herself.”

Applejack smiles at me, before turning with a glare at the brothers and starts walking towards them. “But tellin’ ponies yer tonic can do stuff it can’t is wrong.”

But you just said it boasts confidence,” Flim says and I scowl. Oh, I hated this part so much. Shows just how much of a pair of weasels they are.

Hmm. Weasels. Now there’s an amusing idea.

Thankfully, Silver Shill calls them out before they continue to dig themselves into a deeper hole or I do something unpleasant to them.

As Shill gives Applejack the bit that becomes her key, I notice those two con artists trying to get away.

Well, time to teach these weasels a thing or two. Then maybe I’ll take them to...

I pause, frowning. I was planning on taking them straight to Celestia (if only to get them punished for trying to evict the Apples from the whom she herself had given them when they’d had no rights to, not to mention this time round almost causing the death of one of the oldest Apples left from before Ponyville’s founding) after turning them into something more fitting of them, but something’s stopping me.

Despite every urge I have to punish them for what they did all the way back when the events of their introduction episode happened and this time around, I keep getting this feeling I need to let them go, as if, despite them being rotten con artists, something good would come of letting them go this one time.

I suppose it’s possible they’ll realize how bad things could’ve gone had Applejack and I not stepped in and saved Granny and they’ll learn from it. Do I fully believe that? No. Do I completely feel there’s no chance of any kind of redemption for them? Again, no. After all, Discord becomes fully reformed after the incident with Tirek, so I should be willing to give those two unicorns at least one more chance.

 

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I yawn, stretching out on the roof of Sugar Cube Corner.

Dash is now in the Wonderbolts Reserves and the Equestria Games have been and gone. It was a lot more fun than the show led on, what with so much not being shown. It was fun seeing all those events, especially thanks to my keeping Spike from losing his nerve when meant to light the flame. How? Popped up behind him suddenly and kicked him up the ass. Meant all that cringe never happened, plus he gets a big confidence (and, regarding his position in as a hero in the eyes of the Crystal Empire's citizens, ego) boost after using his dragon fire to stop the ice cloud.

As for Inspiration Manifestation? Urgh! Seriously, if Spike ever finds a mysterious, clearly evil-looking book locked away in such a manor it’s clear it was never meant to be found, let alone used and lets whatever is within it be unleased again, I swear, he’ll regret it.

Twilight, Luna and Cadance weren’t the only ones having to go all around Ponyville fixing the Dark Magic Rarity used while under the spell’s influence. I even had to track down that puppeteer and remove all the Dark Magic from the portable stage Rarity gave him, while poofing up a replacement on the house.

I’m not joking. This was that dragon’s one and only warning.

So, what did I do today? Twilight and the others weren’t around when I woke up and I couldn’t be bothered looking for them, so I spent some time in the Everfree, messing with some of the more dangerous monsters in there.

It’s night-time right now. Everypony save Twilight came back not long before dinner, though they all had their own stuff to do, so I didn’t bother them.

I know Spoiled is likely blowing a gasket right now with how I’m staying SO late out past my curfew. Dad’s away on business in Manehatten. If he were here, I’d be obeying the rule no problem. Spoiled? Ha! Not even in her dreams.

After watching the stars for a few moments, I decide I may as well turn in. However, just as I get up and am about to teleport back to my room, I feel a shiver go down my spine.

I blink for a moment, before my eyes widen. That was a magical imbalance. Oh... crap. Now I know why Twilight and the others aren’t around earlier today.

The next night, I sense Discord helping Tirek steal more and more magic. Pretty soon he’ll be heading towards Canterlot.

I glare, teleporting over to Discord shortly after he convinced Tirek that Discord sensing all the Alicorn Magic being moved to Twilight wasn’t anything.

As Tirek starts walking off towards the castle, I stomp a hoof on Discord’s reptile foot.

“OW!” he yelps, before looking down and noticing me. “Oh, Screwball, how nice to see you.”

I just glare up at him. “So, being evil is more important to you than friendship? Than Fluttershy?” I snarl. “Than me?!”

He looks a bit shocked by that last part. “What do you mean, darling? I still care about you, you know that.”

Before I can retort, I feel an aura take hold of my body and yank me back, before I’m staring into the eyes of Tirek himself.

Oh... crap. I’m at once panicking, so much I somehow forget how I can use my magic. If Tirek drains my magic too, I don’t even want to think about what that could do to me!

Will I end up locked within my own mind like I was before Discord put Chaos Magic into me?! Will I cease to exist?! Will my mind be shattered?!

As Tirek opens his mouth and I sense his spell starting, I suddenly feel myself grabbed in a teleport and find myself held in Discord’s arms.

“Oh, thank you!” I cry, tears literally pouring as I try and fail to calm my breathing as he holds me close, stroking my mane. I bury my face into his chest. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, Daddy! I was so scared!”

“Daddy?” I barely manage to bring myself to glance back at the centaur, who’s voice was filled with a mixture of anger, shock and bemusement.

Discord glare at him. “Yes, Tirek. This filly is my daughter, Screwball. How and when she became my daughter is not important. However, know that if there is anypony I will not let you harm, it’s her. Understand?”

Tirek looks angry for a moment, before he seems to think it over and smile. “Very well, Discord. I see no reason to cause your offspring harm. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” he turns towards the castle. “Now, we have a meeting with royalty to attend.”

Discord gives me a few more reassuring rubs on the back, before setting me down and tells me to wait for them to come back.

... Yeah, no way is that happening. I’m staying the hell away from Equestria during this time. I teleport back to Ponyville, grabbed Diamond and took as all to spend the remaining time hanging with the other Diamond and Silver Spoon in the EQG world. True I pop in briefly to watch as Twilight lowered the moon and raised the sun (it’s seriously even funnier seeing it happen in person, I can assure you), but throughout the rest stayed in the human world.

Why? Easy. Once Tirek took Discord’s Chaos Magic, he would’ve been able to sense anything I did that involved my own magic. He’d have gotten to me and drained my magic too and as I’ve already stated, I do not want to think about what that could result in for me.

So, I waited with a small pocket mirror showing what was going on in Equestria and the moment I saw he’d taken all the Alicorn Magic, I brought us all back (putting Diamond and Silver in my room for safety) and distracted him so he wouldn’t notice the others going to the Tree of Harmony to unlock the chest.

Though I decide to enter in style. The roar of a motorcycle engine causes Tirek to look down as I pull a sharp turn upon entering the dimension, stopping the bike in place.

“What?” he gives me a confused glare as I get off the bike and stand before him.

Thankfully, with all the Alicorn Magic now within him, he seemed to fail to realize he could’ve beaten me in a second with the Chaos Magic he stole. Though this is likely due to my taking on Kamen Rider Decade’s appearance right before re-entering Equestria. Despite having used Chaos Magic to get here, my appearance alone makes no sense to him.

“Tirek,” I say firmly, “you will not win.”

That causes him to smirk. “Oh, little oddly dressed pony? And why is that?”

I hold up a card, before lowering the hoof holding it to the belt around my waist (I should point out I’m standing upright like a human, probably another thing that threw him off), and put it in. “This.”

Kamen Ride, the deep voice, with a Japaneighs accent says from nowhere. Kabuto.

At once my appearance appears to shimmer, before I’m wearing armour with a more beetle style. The armour of Kamen Rider Kabuto.

Attack ride, the deep voice says as I take out another card and put it into the belt. Clock Up.

At once, time drastically slows down, Tirek along with it. I grin. Wow. The doofus can’t even remember he can be outside of time now that he has DD’s magic. Oh well. Sucks for him.

I run around, leaping and kicking him as high as I can reach without using my Chaos Magic. While he is huge now and has the magic of a LOT of ponies, along with all the currently known Alicorns and the rest of the Mane 6 and Discord, I am still an Earth Pony. Chaos isn’t the only type of magic I have.

Once the timer on my belt warns me Clock Up is about to run out several minutes later, I move a fair distance away as my form returns to that of Decade.

Soon as time returns to normal, Tirek yells in pain... though he sounds only mildly annoyed. Damn. Guess his body’s tougher with all that magic than I’d thought.

“Why you little—” he begins, before he’s cut off by the voice from my belt.

Kamen Ride: FAIZ. My appearance quickly changes to more of a firefly style. The style of Kamen Rider FAIZ. Attack ride: Auto Vajin. At once, the motorcycle I rode in on transforms into a robot and flying up at Tirek.

He roars, trying to blast it several times, but it dodging around his attacks... until his seems to remember he has Chaos Magic. a snap of his fingers and the robot turns to dust, scattering in the winds.

Just as quickly I feel his Chaos Magic grab me as I return to Decade’s appearance again, yanking me through the air until and floating in front on him, the magic holding me in place and preventing anything I can do.

“I’ll make you pay for that, you little worm,” he snarls.

Before I can even start to feel fear, however, I notice a surge of energy coming from the direction of the Tree of Harmony. It’s enough to distract Tirek, who seemed to sense it too and I struggle against his magical hold, pulling out another card and slipping it into the belt’s slot.

Kamen Rider: Hibiki. I’m covered in blue flames, which when they fade, reveal my new form looks more like traditional style Oni (Japanese demons).

“Huh?” he turns back to me, looking confused, but I’ve already slipped another card into the slot.

Attack Ride: Ongekibou Rekka. A pair of sticks form in my hands, the ends lighting with fire that I throw at his face.

He cries out in anger, his grip failing and I drop to the ground, landing safely as I revert back to Decade again.

Thankfully, that seems to have bought me enough time as the Mane 6 fly into the air from the direction of where the Tree of Harmony is, all now in their Rainbow Powered forms.

Knowing it’s safe, I make Decade’s costume vanish, pull up a lounge chair and a box of popcorn and watch the show.

Whelp, Season 4’s about wrapped up. In a few days we should finally be getting to Rainbow Rocks. Man, I can’t wait for that.