It was after-school... Time where she can relax and study all she wants without having to do any social interactions. Time when she is alone in her thoughts and nobody can disturb her. Time when she can do anything she wants without anyone judging her. Time when she can walk through the hallways of the Crystal Prep Academy with peace and quiet.
After walking through the hallways all on her own, she finally made it in front of her room. The girl gently opened the door, revealing a cold and lifeless room filled with unfinished task and projects. She carelessly threw her bag to the corner and walked towards her computer.
“Finally...” She sat on to her chair and looked around the place. “Home sweet home...” She muttered to herself.
‘This is not a home...’ That little voice in her head said. ‘This is a prison...’
“Shut up.” Twilight muttered to herself. “This is what I wanted. I don’t need anyone.” She turned towards her computer and booted it up. “I can do anything I wanted... I have everything I need... I have...”
A small tired sigh escaped her throat as she looked at the screen in front of her. A little purple puppy with green tuft of hair sat in her computer screen. ‘I have nobody...’ She looked at the picture of the puppy in front of her. A shadow of her own past, the day when she made the worst possible mistake she can ever make.
Just two years ago, Principal Cinch retired from her job. Another woman replaced her, Mistress Principal they always call her. The woman gave Twilight a chance, a chance to make her dream come true. She promised to give her everything she has ever wanted. To do science, to research, to experiment all she wants without worry.
But there’s a catch, she has to sacrifice all of her personal attachment. She has to sacrifice everything that makes her Twilight Sparkle, from her personal stuff to her beloved dog Spike. Worst of all, she didn’t even hesitate. It was so easy for her to let go of them all, to abandon everything dearest to her.
'Knock' 'Knock'
A knocking sound interrupted Twilight from her musings. She stood from her seat and cleared her throat. "Ahem... I'm coming!" The girl put a hand on the door knob and paused for a second. "Who is this?" She asked warily.
There was no response. The girl waited for a moment before repeating her question. "Uh, who is this? This better not be a prank." She opened the door, revealing an empty hallway of Crystal Prep Academy. "Of course..." She was about to close the door when she realized that there's something lying down in front of her doorstep.
It is four gift box stacked on top of one another with a rainbow letter lying on top of them. The smallest one on top is wrapped in a white paper with star and musical notes pattern all over it. The second one is wrapped in a green paper with red apple pattern all over it. The third one is wrapped in a dark orange paper with lightning bolts pattern all over it. The last one is wrapped in bright purple paper with swirling patterns all over it.
Twilight crouched down and picked up the note. "For Twilight Sparkle, love C.M.C." She whispered in disbelief. Nobody has ever sent her gifts before, especially from somebody she never heard of. She put the gifts into her room and closed the door behind her. Then she walked towards her study table and opened up the letter.
The first thing she saw was a cute little handwriting that looked like it was made by young children. Not only that, but the letter is also filled with glitters and botches of paint that makes it much more lively than usual. There are also some misspelled words and a lot of grammar mistakes. The fact that this innocent little piece of letter was written by children gives off a new sense of feeling, a nice little detour from the cold and suffocating formalities of her school.
'Dear Twillight Twilight Sparkle'
'My name is Apple Bloom, sitting beside me is Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo and floating on a coton cotton candy cloud behind me is The Cute and Powerful Screwball. Together we are... THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!!!'
Twilight rolled her eyes at the sight of the words Cutie Mark Crusaders written using paintbrush and glitters, making it almost impossible to be read.
'We are bringing you this letter and four five seven FOUR SEVEN ---]\\!@&$^%*#'
The girl could almost hear them all arguing at each other about the number of gifts they gave to her.
Four gift box to cheer you up.
Twilight narrowed her eyes in confusion when she read that. Why would anyone who she probably never met before in her life wanted to cheer her up?
Why? Because as the Crusaders, it is our duty to help other ponies people in need.
Did this writing just reply to her?
The handwriting changed just a bit, not anymore tidier, just different.
How do we know you need help? Just a hunch! Don't think about it or you might hurt your head.
For some reason, Twilight felt that those words held more truth than she'll ever know.
Yeah, hold on to that reason! It's important, do not try to think this logically. Unless your name is Twilight Sparkle.
No! That came out wrong, I mean not you Twilight, I mean our pony Twilight! Just don't think about it okay? It's for your own good.
Telling her not to think about it just makes her even more curious.
'Moving on, like Apple Bloom just wrote, we're gonna cheer you up! Starting by opening Sweetie Belle's gift gifts gift GIFTS GIFT BOX.'
For one reason after another, Twilight really, really wanted to be there when they're making this letter, bickering and arguing about how many gift they sent to her.
Her present gift box is the white one. Go ahead, open it. Close this letter and open it.
It was then that Twilight realized that it is the end of the letter. She was a bit disappointed that the letter is so brief, but she really is curious about what they gave to her.
The girl picked up the smallest box on top of the others and gently ripped off the wrapping. She took out a small pocket knife from her pocket and slice open the box, revealing a beautiful dress folded in such way that it somehow fits into the box. "Oh my gosh..." She picked up the dress and found herself staring at a glorious blue dress worthy of a princess.
“It’s beautiful...” Then she looked back at the box and saw a small letter sitting on the bottom. She gently put the dress on her lap before picking up the message. “To Twilight Sparkle, love Sweetie Belle.” She opened the letter and saw a cute little letter decorated with ribbons and laces.
Dear Twilight
‘Hi! Do you like the dress? I hope so, because my sister Rarity worked so hard on that.’
Twilight took another look at the dress and nodded to herself. She still couldn’t understand why someone would send her a dress. It’s too elaborate to be a prank, that’s for sure.
‘By the way, I also brought you another gift! I imbued this letter with my healing magic, so if you’re hurt just put this letter over your wound and you’ll feel even better!!!’
Twilight just rolled her eyes when she read that. She can see why they argued about how many gifts the sent to her.
‘By the way, does that dress matches your size? We based the size on Pinkie Pie.’
The girl looked at the dress again and realized that whoever this Pinkie Pie person is, she has the same size as her.
‘Oh and open Apple Bloom’s present next! She has something very special for you!’
It’s not hard for Twilight to figure out that Apple Bloom sent the Apple-Patterned present. She folded the dress back into the box, knowing for a fact that she won’t ever use it. “Sorry Sweetie Belle, but the day I went into party is the day I get myself expelled from this place...” She muttered to herself.
She opened the next gift and saw a cute little handbag lying down at the bottom of it. She picked up the bag and realized that there’s something in it. The girl took out a box of pie out of the bag. “It’s still warm...” She opened the box and the sweet scent of apple pie filled her senses.
Twilight put down the box and quickly walked over towards her study table. She took out the cleanest knife she could find and used it to slice open the Apple Pie. “Wow...” Instead of the usual yellow apple jam, rainbow colored goodness filled the pastry. She picked up a slice and took a closer look at it.
“Why do I have a feeling that this pie is drugged...” She took a small bite and her face started to melt in pleasure. The magical taste of the Zap Apple filled her mouth the second she took a bite from the pie. “Nevermind...” She whispered in bliss before taking another bite. “Drugged or not, this is delicious!”
A few seconds later, Twilight finished the slice of apple pie in her hand. She was about to take another slice when she saw another note lying down near the bag. She picked it up and opened it, revealing another letter written with pen and a generous amount of paint.
‘Hi Twilight! Do you like Zap Apple Pie? Granny Smith helped me cook it a few weeks ago.’
Twilight narrowed her eyes in confusion. If she made it weeks ago then how come it’s still warm?
‘Oh that’s easy Twilight!’
And how come these letters keep responding to her thoughts?
‘The Zap Apple Harvest day was weeks ago, so I asked the Doctor to take me back in time to make some apple pie with Granny Smith. Then I asked Screwball to put it inside a Quantum Lock to make sure it stays warm until you open the box!’
That story was so absurd, she couldn’t even argue against it. “Okay then... Magical paper, magical pies, and...” She took a closer look at the handbag and picked it up. It is a green handbag with a symbol of rainbow colored apple at the back of it. “This is pretty cool...”
‘Oh and Twilight!!! The bag’s bigger on the inside and you should definitely open Scootaloo’s presents for you!’
The girl took a closer at the backpack and gasped in disbelief. “No way...” She looked at the pie box she took out from the bag and realized that it is about twice as big. Not only that, but the handbag didn’t even have a single bulge in it whenever she put things in it. “But this is impossible...” She tried putting the box of pie back into the backpack and blinked owlishly at how easy for it to get in.
Twilight decided not to think about the backpack for now and looked at the third gift. She opened it, revealing a huge poster rolled up inside of it. “What in the...” The poster has an image of a blue winged pony with rainbow mane floating proudly in midair with clouds surrounding her from all sides. The craziest thing however, is the fact that the painting is bigger on the inside. Like an actual window, Twilight could lean to the right and see more of the picture from another angle.
“That pie is definitely spiked with LSD.”
The girl looked back at the gift box and saw a pair of roller skates sitting inside it. Twilight sighed a little as she picked it up; sport has never been her forte. She doesn’t even know the first thing about wearing roller skates. “Sorry Scootaloo, but I might not be able to use all of your presents.”
Then she picked up the next letter and quickly shielded her eyes from the lights coming from the letter. “Looks like somebody love glitters...” She squint her eyes as she read the letter in her hands.
‘Hi Twilight!! I don’t know what to give you, but Apple Bloom told me to give you something to cheer you up. So I give you something that always cheers me up.’
‘I gave you my Rainbow Dash Bigger in the Inside Poster that Screwball made for me a few months ago.’
Twilight started detecting a pattern here. Bigger in the inside, almost all gifts except for the one Sweetie Belle sent to her are bigger in the inside.
‘Oh and try the roller skates! I was going to send you two pairs, but Screwball convinced me that a pair is enough. I really, really hope our present will cheer you up. If not, then it is up to Screwball’s mysterious present.’
Twilight Sparkle didn’t know how to feel. It’s been a long time since anyone other than Cadance tries to cheer her up. Even then, a fake smile and an okay always keep her away from disturbing her works.
“I don’t know crusaders... I really don’t know how to feel...”
Finally, she opened the last gift box, revealing an odd antenna-like device sitting at the bottom, a few dozen DVD’s, and bottle of chocolate milk. Twilight picked up the letter strapped on to one of the DVD and opened it.
‘Hi Twilight! Do you like our little plan to cheer you up? I know that this seems weird, but trust me when I told you that we just want you to be happy.’
Twilight just sighed tiredly. She really felt guilty for not appreciating these gifts but it’s just hard for her to believe that there’s someone out there who really care for her. Especially with all the torments she went through every day, it’s hard for her to feel loved.
‘Don’t worry Twilight, it’s never your fault. Oh! And are you thirsty? I gave you a bottle of chocolate milk, try some. My dad’s original recipe.’
Twilight picked up the bottle of chocolate milk and took a sip. She smiled at the sweet taste of the cocoa running down her throat. Then she start gulping down the chocolate milk, eager to finish it in one go. “Huh?” Only to find out that the bottle is still full no matter how much she drank.
The girl looked around before carefully pouring down the bottle, but the milk in it seemed to have suspended by some invisible force. She put the bottle on to the floor and looked back at the letter.
‘I bet you just tried to flood your room with an unlimited amount of chocolate milk. Don’t worry I get it, you’re scientist right? That’s what you do; you do stupid things and make it look smart.’
Twilight couldn’t help but chuckle a little after reading that. She felt like there’s an amount of truth hidden behind those words. Scientist does perform the most stupid thing and make it looked smart.
‘That’s my first gift, unlimited chocolate milk! Or at least as long as I’m still alive.’
Twilight shivered a little when she heard that. She really hoped the day won’t come when she ran out of chocolate milk.
‘My second gift for you are the DVDs I made for you. Some of it I found from my friend’s Pet Falcon Spy Cam, others I made by myself with the Crusaders, others I recorded using my Highly Adaptable Surveillance Buddy Real-time Observer... or HASBRO for short. Now play the top most DVD!’
That’s the end of the letter and Twilight concluded that the rest of the letter must be inside the DVD. She picked up the disk and walked towards her laptop. For once in a very long time, she doesn’t pause to look at the picture of her dog. Instead, she went straight to media player to watch the mysterious message.
The first thing she saw when she played the video was a young teenage girl with light pink skin and purple hair with white linings. The odd thing about her is her eyes, they don't have pupils, just white swirling pattern all over. She sat on top of red sofa while waving at the camera. "Behold! The Cute and Powerful Screwball!!!" The girl floated a few inches up and pressed her thumb against her chest.
Then she floated back on to the sofa and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Sorry! Force of habit..." She muttered. "By the way, do you think I look cute?"
Twilight took a closer look at the girl in front of her. From the odd yellow cap she wore to her purple swirly eyes and finally to the purple dress she wore. "Why do I have a feeling that you can hear me?" She said suspiciously towards the screen. "But I think you looked cute."
Just as she thought, Screwball grinned after she said that. "Am I? I thought Bruce was just trying to flatter me..." A bright flash of light engulfed her, when it fades away a little pony replaced her. "How about now? Do you think I'm cute?" The pony asked with a huge grin on her face. "Well?"
Twilight took one look at the filly and her eyelids dropped a little. From her huge swirly eyes and her puppy-like figure. She couldn’t help but feel reminded of Spike in some way. "D'awww... You look adorable, how did you do that?" The pony just giggled before turning back into a teenage girl.
"Well they don't call me the Cute and Powerful Screwball for nothing." The chaotic girl replied easily. Then her eyes widened and she quickly walked closer towards the camera in panic. "Oh no! Someone's coming!!!" Twilight just blinked owlishly while looking at Screwball who hasn't move from her spot. "I mean you!!! Twilight! Door! Hallway! Anomalous Gifts!"
"OH!!!" Twilight exclaimed in realization. She quickly pause the video and stood from her seat. "Okay Twilight think!" She looked at the boxes and the presents in front of her, trying to find the best place to hide them. Then her eyes lingered on the green handbag Apple Bloom sent to her. "All right... Let's see just how big this bag is in the inside..."
Twilight quickly put everything including the gift wrap into their respective boxes and put all the gift boxes into the backpack. It was then that she realized that all items she store in there shrunk significantly. "So it's not actually bigger in the inside..." She muttered to herself before closing the bag and put it on her study desk.
Knocking sound came from the door mere moments later. "Twilight? Are you in there?" A kind female voice came from behind the door. Twilight let out a breath of relief before opening the door, revealing a pink haired woman looking at her worriedly. "Twilight, are you all right?"
Twilight just smiled at her. "Yes, yes I'm all right." She replied. "What is it Mrs. Cadance?"
Cadance smiled back at her. "I'm glad you're all right. Mistress Principal wanted to speak with you in an hour. You better get yourself ready." She replied with a hint of relief after knowing that Twilight seemed happy and all right at the moment. "You looked rather happy today, find something interesting?"
The purple girl chuckled a little when she heard that. "Something like that, but I better get ready." Cadance nodded before leaving the room to let Twilight prepare. "Now that she's out of the way..." She walked back towards her laptop and starts the video.
She watched as Screwball sighed and sat back on to the sofa. "Phew, that was close. Was she one of your friends?" She asked her.
Twilight nodded with no hesitation. "Yeah, she's Dean Cadance. She's the nicest if not the only nice person here in the Academy." She replied.
The pony turned human thought about it for a second. "What about Mistress Principal? Is she nice?" Then Screwball's face turned into horror in a matter of seconds. "Dear Dad... She's the Mistress..." She quickly grabbed the camera in front of her with her hands. "Twilight!" She shouted. "For the love of Discord, please stay away from the Mistress!!!"
Twilight narrowed her eyes in confusion when she heard that. "What are you talking about?" She asked her. "And how do you keep responding to me anyway? I thought you're just a video." She asked in confusion.
Screwball sighed in frustration before leaning back to the sofa. "On second thought, it's safe for you to meet her. She still hasn't gained all of her memories, just her personality..." The pony looked back at camera with a serious expression on her face.
"As for your last question..." She took a deep breath to prepare herself. "Well I can actually look into the future and determine your answer based on the biggest possibility.” She explained. “Plus! Since I’m not from your world I don’t have to worry about those Wibbly-Wobbly Timey-Wimey Paradoxical Stuffs.”
Twilight cocked her head to the side for a moment. “Are you an ancient deity?” She asked her.
“Deity? Yes. Ancient? Nope! I’m just a few months old to be honest.” Twilight looked at her in disbelief. “Yeah, I’m supposed to be a little foal. But I decided that being a foal is boring so I made myself older.”
Twilight sighed and took a deep breath. “Look. Would you please tell me why you’re doing this?” She asked her. “I don’t understand! I’m happy the way I am, I don’t need anyone to cheer me up!” She looked up and rubbed her face in frustration. “Now I’m having the biggest existential crisis of my life!!!”
Screwball sighed and looked at straight into her eyes. “Twilight, answer me this honestly...” Her eyes glow in an ethereal purple light. “Are you happy?”
The video ended and Twilight slammed her hands on to desk in frustration. She stood off from her seat and quickly grabbed a couple more discs. “I am not done with you Screwball...” The video started and Twilight could see teenage girl sitting on a park bench. The girl wore a pair of sunglasses, concealing her purple swirly eyes.
"Hi Twilight!" Screwball greeted her. "So you just watched my first video huh? Try not to finish them in one go, make this a weekly thing. You know, so I don't have to keep sending you these videos."
Twilight narrowed her eyes when she heard that. She took a deep breath and glared at the girl. “STOP IT!!!” She slammed her hand on to her desk. “I don’t even who you are, what you are! And you just suddenly popped into my life telling me what to do? Why are you doing this?”
Screwball said nothing, she just fiddled around with an upside down yo-yo in her hand. “Oh I don’t know... Oops!” Her hand slipped and the yo-yo fell up into the sky. “Where was I? Oh right!” She looked at Twilight with a knowing smirk on her face. “Why am I doing this? The big question, am I right?”
Twilight just gritted her teeth at the way she’s looking at her. She knew that the person inside her computer isn’t someone to mess with, but right now she wants nothing more but to strangle her to death. “Hey now, don’t be like that! Whatever did I do to you to deserve such thoughts?”
Then the omnipotent teen shrugged and walked closer towards the camera. She put both of her hands behind her back and leaned her face closer towards the screen. “Pop Quiz: When you’re omnipotent, when you can have anything you want, when you can reshape the world with a single thought.” She gave Twilight a sweet, sweet smile. “How do you fight boredom?”
Twilight felt her heart skipped a beat when she heard that. The gravity of the situation struck her like a thunder. She realized now just what this being in front of her wanted. She knew that there is nothing she can do about this. “You meddle and interfere... That’s what you do when you’re bored... You play god.”
Sounds of applause suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Screwball stood from her seat and a microphone suddenly appeared in her hand. “Congratulations!!! You’ve answered my first question!” She exclaimed with a smirk on her face. “Now for the next question! And trust me, this is a good one... Drumroll please!!!” There’s a drumroll for dramatic effect before Screwball flipped the microphone and held it close to her mouth.
“What are my plans for you?”
Twilight sighed and looked down. “How should I know...” She muttered. “You’re probably planning on turning me into your personal plaything or something...” Siren sounds appeared from her computer, followed by jeering voices from an invisible audience.
“Oh so very wrong my dear Twilight!” Screwball exclaimed. “I have a lot of personal plaything. And yes that includes you HASBRO.” She added towards her floating robot ball camera. “Try again!”
The human narrowed her eyes when she heard that. “You wanted to...” She looked at the gifts and the letters Screwball sent to her. “Just cheer me up?”
“CORRECT!!!” Fireworks exploded all around her, followed by confetti raining down from the sky. “Screwball just wanted to cheer you up!” She exclaimed with a huge grin on her face.
Twilight pressed her hand over her face and groaned in confusion. “But I don’t need cheering up!” She looked at Screwball with a very tired look on her face. “All you’re doing is confusing me!”
Screwball just smiled patiently before taking a few steps back from the camera. She floated a few feet in the air and the camera followed her movement. “Come on Twilight! Let me give you a tour through Ponyville!!!” She exclaimed with a huge grin on her face.
For the next few minutes Twilight found herself watching a montage of a beautiful and colorful city. Ponies populated the land instead of humans and they all live in a much more primitive lifestyle. There are no cars, phones, or anything that resembles electronic devices. It’s like looking at some sort of fairytale land.
Screwball soared down towards the marketplace. HASBRO the camera bot followed her movement and Twilight can see the town from a much closer look. She can see many types of Ponies around the town. Some has wings, some has horn, and some has neither. The one with horn can use some sort of a power to levitate objects while others use their mouth to pick things up.
Then, Screwball walked towards a yellow coated Pegasus walking through the market with a saddlebag full of groceries. “Hello Fluttershy!” the girl exclaimed cheerfully. “What are you doing?”
Fluttershy smiled back at Screwball. “Oh... Hello Screwball, I’m just buying some groceries.” She replied in a soft and kind tone. “What are you doing?” She looked straight at the camera in confusion. “And what is that?”
The swirly eyed teen grinned and pushed Fluttershy closer towards the camera. “I’m making a video to cheer my friend up! Why don’t you say something to her Fluttershy?” The Pegasus just looked down nervously when she heard that. “Aww come on, don’t be shy Fluttershy!”
Twilight watched in curiosity as the Pegasus walked closer towards her. “Umm... Hi, my name’s Fluttershy...” She said in an almost inaudible whisper. “Screwball said you need to cheer up. Are you sad? I hope you’re not sad.” Fluttershy smiled encouragingly at Twilight.
“Whenever I feel sad I always talk to my friends. They are always there for me whenever I need them. They encourage me whenever I’m sad. They never leave me behind no matter how much I deserve it.” Fluttershy sighed and looked up to the sky. “I can’t think of a reason to be sad when there’s a friend by my side.” Then she looked back at the camera. “What about you? Why don’t you talk to your friends?”
Twilight took a deep breath and looked away from the screen. “Why am I not talking to my friends?” She closed her eyes and put a hand over her forehead. “Cause I don’t need friends...” ‘Because I don’t have friends.’ she looked back at the screen. “I’m doing fine on my own, I don’t someone to talk to.”
“Okay...” Screwball muttered to herself. “Maybe we should talk to Pinkie Pie. Bye Flutters!!!” Fluttershy bid her farewell as HASBRO and Screwball flew up into the sky. “Next stop! Sugar Cube corner.” She said
A few minutes later, Twilight found herself staring at very-very pink pony.
“Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie!!! Screwball said you need some cheering up, so I’m going to cheer you up! Do you like cakes? Puddings? Pies? Sweet things always cheer me up! Oh and my friends! They always cheer me up! Especially when I’m the one cheering them up, I always love making my friends smile! What about you? What’s your favorite thing to do? Play Games? Reading? Bungee Jumping?”
Twilight blinked owlishly, unsure how to react. The pony’s face is covering every inch of her screen and she has no idea what’s about to happen next. “I KNOW!!!” Pinkie Pie yelled without warning. “I’ll just sing you a song to cheer you up!!!”
A flash of pink filled the whole screen. When it dies down, Twilight saw a human girl standing on top of a stage that just appeared out of nowhere. Then, the girl started to sing.
“When you’re rife the devastation, there’s a simple explanation.” Pinkie Pie grabbed HASBRO and held it close to her face. “You’re a toymaker’s creation, trapped inside a crystal ball.”
Twilight watched dizzily as Pinkie Pie starts tilting around HASBRO. “And whichever he tilts it, know that we must be resilient.” Pinkie Pie threw the camera ball up to the sky and start balancing it on top of her head. “We won’t let them break our spirits, as we sing our silly song!!!”
Pinkie let go of HASBRO and Twilight could see her sitting on top of a stool with a reminiscing look on her face. “When I was a little filly, a Sonic Rainboom overtook my home. So I moved myself off to Ponyville. Said, ditch those rots if you wanna fit in”
The Pink girl jumped off the stage and start hopping around the place. “So I start one thousand parties for a million orphan foals! Now memories are blurred and their faces are obscured, but I still remember the words of this song!” A few other Pinkie Pies appeared out of nowhere and became the backup dancers.
“When you’ve bungled all your bangles and your loved ones have been mangled”. Twilight found herself smiling and nodding with the beat amidst all the crazyness behind the screen. “Listen to the Jingle Jangle of my Gypsy Tambourine.”
“Cause these chords are hypnotizing and our worlds are harmonizing.” Pinkie Pie walked towards the camera and start spinning around with it. “So please Twilight stop your skulking and just sing along with me!”
Twilight smiled at Pinkie Pie and she too started singing. “When you’ve bungled all your bangles and your loved ones have been mangled, listen to the jingle jangle of our gypsy tambourine.” Pinkie Pie grinned and joined in. “Cause these chords are hypnotizing and our worlds are harmonizing, so please Twilight stop your crying and just sing along with me!”
The song ended and Twilight can’t help but grin cheerfully. “Okay Screwball, mission accomplished! You just cheered me up.” She said while silently giggling to herself. “Say thank you for Pinkie Pie for me will you?”
“Oh no problem!” Pinkie Pie said suddenly. “Feel free to visit me someday, I always love to cheer everypony up!” Then Pinkie Pie turned back into a pony. “You should always try to befriend my counterpart! She would love to meet new friends!”
Twilight Sparkle could only blink owlishly as Screwball took HASBRO away from the sugar cube corner. “Did she say counterpart?” She asked her. “Is this another universe or a Paralel Universe?”
Screwball smirked and pointed at a huge city at the side of a mountain. “That, right there is Canterlot. Home to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, sounds familiar?” Twilight has heard about that place before. She even considered researching the anomalies in that place.
“The Canterlot High School... Does that mean?”
Screwball nodded. “Yup! There’s a Crystal Empire about a few thousand miles north from here.” She replied. “Filled with Crystal Ponies and ruled by Princess Cadance.”
Twilight gasped in disbelief when she heard that. “Princess Cadance? You mean she’s a princess?” Then she looked at Screwball in curiosity. “What about me? What am I in your world?” She asked.
The Omnipotent Teen just laughed and flew straight towards a giant tree. “For starters, you work in a library.” Screwball opened the library door, revealing hundreds of books stacked together all around the trunk of the tree. She walked towards a very familiar unicorn rearranging some books in one of the shelves.
Twilight Sparkle looked at her Pony Counterpart in wonder. They are so similar in so much ways, from their hair, their coat/skin color, to their eyes. “She’s just like me... A bookworm.” She muttered to herself. “I should’ve known...”
Screwball just shook her head and walked towards Pony Twilight. “Hi Twilight!” She exclaimed. “Can you help me?” She asked her. “I’m making a video for a friend of mine and she is a huge fan of you. Can you tell something to her about yourself?”
The Unicorn levitated some book down before looking at Screwball. “Why don’t you ask her to come here? It’s not like I’m that busy right?” She said with a kind smile on her face. “Who is this friend of yours anyway? And why are you a human?”
Screwball dragged Pony Twilight right in front of HASBRO. “Come on Twilight please! Tell everyone how awesome you are! Tell them about the elements! Tell them about your adventure as the hero of Ponyville! Tell everyone how you almost killed your best friend!” She cringed a little at the look Twilight gave him. “Uh... I mean, tell them about your adventures through Time and Space with the Doctor!”
The Unicorn just rolled her eyes before smiling at the camera. “Hi! It’s me Twilight Sparkle.” She waved kindly at the camera. “I know you might’ve heard some stories. About me, the bearer of the Element of Magic, Princess Celestia’s Prized Student, the Powerful Mare Do Well, the Savior of the Crystal Empire.” She chuckled a little before looking around. “But look where I am! I’m arranging some books inside a library.”
Pony Twilight sighed and looked back at the camera. “Let me tell you this... I can’t even dream to do a quarter of the things I did if it’s not for my friends. You think I defeated Nightmare Moon all by myself? Of course not! I won because I was not alone, I have my friends standing together to help me.”
The Unicorn looked up with a soft smile on her face. “Without her friends, Twilight Sparkle is nothing more but a very smart Unicorn who loves to read books. With her friends, Twilight Sparkle is a remarkable unicorn who saved Ponyville and the whole world for about...” She looked at Screwball for a moment.
“Four times this week.” Screwball said.
The Unicorn just chuckled. “Right, four times this week...” Then she looked back at the camera. “Remember, I did not do any of that alone. I always have my friends helping in every step of the way.”
“Actually, that one with Corrupted Acid Rain was 100% you.” Screwball piped in.
The pony just looked at Screwball with a flat look on her face. “Screwball, you are not helping. Go stand in the corner.” She deadpanned. Then she looked back at the camera and smiled kindly. “As for you my mysterious fan, perhaps you can be just as amazing as me with the help of your friends.”
Screwball grinned and clapped her hands. “Now that I think about it, I think your huge fan right here can become as amazing as you with the help of her friends.” Then she walked closer towards HASBRO with a knowing look on her face. “Still think you don’t need friends? Twilight Sparkle?” She whispered to her.
Twilight the human just sighed when the video end just like that. She quickly took another disc and inserted it into the slot. “Come on...” She muttered impatiently as her laptop booted up the video.
The first thing she saw when the video started was Screwball lying down on top of a giant marshmallow in the middle of a chocolate pool. She waved at Twilight Sparkle before sitting up from her position. “Third video? Really? I thought I told you not to finish them in one go?” Screwball asked with a mysterious smirk on her face. “Oh and we can’t speak for long. Mistress Principal’s calling remember?”
Twilight the human shook her head. “No, forget the Mistress. You were right... I understand now why you’re doing this.” She took a deep breath and looked away from the screen. “You made me realize just how lonely I am, just how much I need someone by my side.” She looked down and sighed in regret. “And yes! You were right, I need friend, I need companion, I need someone to talk to.”
Screwball just shrugged when she heard that. “Well, good for you then.” She snapped her fingers and a mirror suddenly appeared right behind her. “I’m a bit busy now. So see you later Sparkles!!!”
Twilight could only watch helplessly as Screwball disappeared into the mirror. She jolted off of her seat and grabbed her handbag. “Where is it...” She muttered in frustration as she scrambled through the contents of the bigger in the inside bag. She flipped the bag and start pouring down the contents to the floor below.
Fifteen minutes passed and Twilight started to lose hope. The Anomalous Gifts are scattered all across the room in her desperate attempt to find those discs. The dress Sweetie Belle sent to her was lying down carelessly on the floor with the poster Scootaloo sent to her. The skates and all the letters were hastily put together inside a single gift box.
Right now, Twilight is eating the Zap Apple Pie with a very tired look on her face. In a few minutes, the Principal will be looking for her. She couldn’t care less however, all she wanted right now is just wallow in sorrow while eating some delicious magical pie.
‘Knock’ ‘Knock’
There it is, Mrs. Cadance or perhaps the Mistress herself looking for her. “Yes... I’m coming...” She looked around and realized that magical anomalous gifts are scattered around the floor. “What’s the point...” She ignored the items and walked towards the door.
Twilight opened the door and her eyes widened as she observed the person standing on her doorframe. “Screwball?” The swirly eyed girl just smiled sheepishly at her. She entered the room and closed the door behind her. “What are you doing here?”
Screwball snapped her fingers and a sofa suddenly appeared in the middle of the room. “Sorry! I was going to teleport straight here the second I entered that mirror, but then I saw Sunset, Starlight, and you’re not gonna believe this but I also met Lily Gunderson!!!” She laughed in mirth, not noticing the pissed off look on Twilight’s face. “Seriously!!! The same Lily from a paralel Universe! The last human!!! Oh just imagine what would happen if Bruce knew about this... CHAOS!!! That’s what, A Big Delicious Chunk of Chaos just waiting to happen! Oh I can’t wait to...”
‘SLAP’
A hand slapped her cheek, cutting Screwball’s excited monologue. She put a hand over her face in extreme disbelief as she looked at her attacker. “Okay... okay... wow...” She muttered, still trying to process what just happen. “Did you just slap the Heir of Chaos and the Embodiment of Harmony herself?”
Twilight gritted her teeth and stomped her foot in frustration. “YES!!! Yes I did! That’s what you get for leaving me alone just like that!” She walked closer towards the sofa and jabbed her finger on Screwball’s chest. “I thought you just left me forever! And now you just strolled in like you own the place and...”
The girl gasped when a pair of arms suddenly embraced her. “Stop it... You can’t get away with just a hug.” Twilight whispered. ‘Please... Don’t let go...’ Screwball could hear her screaming on the inside. “All right... Just this once, you can get away with just a hug.” Twilight hugged her back and exhaled a breath in relief. ‘Please don’t leave me again...’
A few seconds later, Screwball let go of Twilight and smiled at her. “See? Hugs, fun!” Twilight just rolled her eyes in response and sat right next to her. “Pop Quiz, who drugged the teacher’s Water Fountain with some sedative?” She asked suddenly.
Twilight just chuckled after hearing that. “Does that mean I don’t have to meet the principal?” She asked her. “Or perhaps, you have other plans for Mistress?”
Screwball grinned at Twilight after hearing that. “When I met you, I thought you’re just Twilight’s Counterpart.” She took out a magnifying glass out of nowhere. “Same hair, same eyes, same magic resonation...” Then the magnifying glass disappeared from her hand and she put a hand over her cheek. “But then you slapped me, and I know for a fact that I just found my partner in crime.”
This time Twilight held up her hands defensively. “Whoa! What do you mean by partner in crime?” She asked her. “I’m not doing any crimes!!! I’m a law abiding citizen.”
The Omnipotent Girl wiggled her fingers chidingly. “Well of course we’re not doing any crimes against the government.” She snapped her other fingers and a clipboard appeared right in front of her. “We’re doing crimes against Fate, Destiny, Nature, Time, and Space. So, are you in or are you in!?”
Twilight looked at the clipboard in front of her before looking back at Screwball. “I’m going to leave everything behind aren’t I?” She asked her. “All my works, projects, grades...” She looked around her room in deep thought. “I don’t think I can do that...”
Screwball rubbed her chin in deep thought. “Well... How about this, for our first crime against the Cosmic Laws of Everything we are going to...” Sounds of drumroll appeared out of nowhere for dramatic effects. “Steal your dog!!!”
The human girl cringed and jerked back in shock. “Excuse me?!” She exclaimed in disbelief. “I beg your pardon!?”
The Embodiment of Chaos shrugged. “Well, a couple of years ago after you abandoned and threw out your dog like a heartless monster...” She just smirked back at the murderous glare Twilight gave her. “Mistress Principal decided to turn Spike into her test subject and experimented on him. Safe to say he survived for three weeks in pain, agony, and insanity beyond everything you’ve ever known before.”
Twilight growled under her breath and balled his hands in to fists. “She promised me she’ll take a good care of him...” She muttered with a barely restrained anger. She looked at Screwball with determination flashing behind her eyes. “Where do we start?”
“THAT’S THE SPIRIT!!!” Screwball snapped her fingers and everything goes white.
Twilight blearily opened her eyes. She looked around and found herself standing in front of the Crystal Prep Academy. She looked to her left and saw Screwball standing around with a pair of binoculars in her hands. “So... Are we actually back in time?” She asked her.
Screwball nodded and walked closer towards Twilight. “Okay, close your eyes. I’m going to give you some of Fluttershy’s magic.” She said.
“What for?” Twilight asked warily.
“So you can speak and understand animals. You know, to make this easier!” Screwball jabbed her middle and pointer finger at Twilight’s forehead. “By the way, there’s a fifty percent chance this will become permanent.”
A bright flash of light filled Twilight’s vision and she blinked rapidly. “Ugh... My head!!!” Pounding headache starts drumming inside her head and she could hear ringing sounds from everywhere. “Was that really necessary?”
Screwball just looked at Twilight incredulously. “You just got blessed with the power to communicate with animals by an actual deity and that’s your response? ‘Was that really necessary?’” She deadpanned.
Twilight just shrugged before looking at her school in the distance. “So... How are we going to get in there unnoticed?” She moved her attention towards Screwball. “And what would happen if I met my past-self?”
The pony turned girl just shrugged. “Well, reality would shatter and my parents will probably ground me for months while they try to figure out how to fix everything.” Then she took out a couple of necklaces out of her pocket. “That’s why I’m bringing this!!! Perception Filterer Necklaces.” She gave the silver necklace with purple pendant to Twilight. “Put one of these beauties over your neck and you can stroll into the white house unnoticed!”
Twilight wore the necklace and looked at her hands. “I don’t feel invisible...” She looked around and realized that Screwball just disappeared. “Screwball! Where are you?”
“Right in front of you!”
The girl narrowed her eyes and concentrate real hard. Soon, she can see Screwball grinning at her while twirling the necklace around her neck. “So that’s how it works...” Twilight said in fascination. “We didn’t turn invisible, we just turn unnoticeable.”
Screwball nodded and pointed at the school in front of her. “Correct! Now if my timing is correct, we should be able to stop Mistress Principal in front of her chamber.”
The two of them ran towards the school. Not one student or staff members noticed them. They just walk past them like they don’t exist. It’s like being invisible, but much more effective.
“So do we have to whisper?” Twilight whispered to Screwball while slipping through the crowds of students.
“Not much, just don’t shout.” Screwball replied simply as she floated leisurely above everyone else. “By the way, there is a good chance that I missed the timeline and we are actually too late or too early. So...” She grinned at Twilight sheepishly. “Promise me you won’t try to kill me if that happen.”
Twilight gave Screwball a very dangerous look. “As long as we’re not too late then it’s okay.” Then she looked at the entrance to her room in the distance. “You think it’s safe for us to go in there?” She asked her.
Screwball shook her head and pointed at The Mistress walking towards the door. “We are just in time, come on!” She flew gracefully through the air, leaving Twilight to navigate through the crowds.
After a few minutes of slipping and weaving through the crowds, Twilight Sparkle finally made it in front of her room. She watched her past-self walking out of her room with a huge box behind her. “Mistress Principal!” Past Twilight exclaimed. “I’ve packed everything and I am ready for my independent study program.”
The Mistress smiled and nodded approvingly. “Very good Twilight Sparkle. It’s about time you take your studies seriously.” She took a step forward and noticed a blur of purple hiding behind Twilight. “Hmm... I suppose you are going to get rid of that thing too...”
Past Twilight looked behind her and saw Spike curling up around her feet. “Do I really have to mistress? What about my study on human and animal relationship behavior?” She asked the Mistress. “Do I really have to let him go?”
“Twilight Sparkle...” The Mistress said in a calm yet threatening look on her face. “I promised you to fund all of your experiments and research with just one price.” She gazed at the purple dog below her. “You have to let go of all these annoying distraction, especially your little mutt.”
“You take that back right now miss!!!” Spike growled in anger even though no one can actually understand him. “I am not leaving Twilight alone and she will never let go of me no matter what!!!” He barked at the Mistress angrily, making her took a step back in disgust.
Twilight Sparkle sighed and gently picked up Spike from the floor. She held him in front of her with an apologetic look on her face. “I’m sorry Spike, but I have to do this...” She ignored the look of utter betrayal from his companion and hand him over to the Mistress.
“NO!!!” Spike barked in fear. “Please! Don’t let her take me away! Twilight I’m begging you, don’t...” A pair of cold harsh hands grabbed his torso and Spike growled in anger. He looked at the Principal and start barking at her furiously. “Get your hands off me!!!”
The dog struggled and growled against The Mistress’s grip. The sheer thought of leaving Twilight alone terrifies him to no end. ‘Snap’ He bit the woman’s finger in panic and jumped way from her grasp. Then he took cover behind Twilight before pausing to catch his breath.
The Mistress hissed in pain while checking on her fingers. “Twilight, take control of your mutt before I expel you from my school!” She exclaimed with a threatening look on her face. “And get me some disinfectant before I contracted a disease.”
Twilight nodded and quickly ran back to her room in panic. She took out a bottle of disinfectant from desk and hand it over to the mistress. “Mistress... I am so, so sorry. I swear; Spike usually isn’t like this.” She said guiltily. “Please don’t expel me...”
Then the girl moved her attention towards the dog. She crouched down right in front of him and gazed at him with a cold look on her face. “Spike...” She glared at her dog, ignoring the miserable expression on his face. “Behave!”
Spike whimpered under her stare. He looked down and took a couple of steps back. “No, no, no. Twilight please!!! I’m so, so, sorry!!!” He cried in fear and regret. “Please, please, please Twilight don’t do this!!! I’m begging you, I can’t live without you! Ple... Gah!!!” The girl harshly picked him up and threw him into a cage like some sort of rabid animal.
‘Clang’ Twilight kicked away the cage straight towards the door before sighing to herself. “Sorry about all that Mistress...” She muttered. “Do I still have that independent study program?” She asked her with a hopeful look on her face.
The Mistress took one look at the dog crying and whimpering inside the cage before smiling at Twilight. “Of course you have my dear...” She gently put a hand over Twilight’s head. “Now, return to your room and impress me with your brilliant ideas.”
Meanwhile, just a couple of meters away from the room...
“Twilight, I can’t believe I’m saying this but... Get a hold of yourself.” Screwball said while maintaining an invisible force field to stop Twilight from performing a reality breaking Paradox so early in their endeavor.
Twilight didn’t hear her. She just kept punching and kicking the barrier in fury and regret. “AAAH!!!” She howled furiously. “Let Me Out Of Here Screwball! I’m Going To Kill Her!!!” Her voice drowned out significantly by the barrier.
Screwball cringed a little when she heard that. “I’m not an expert, but I don’t think fatally injuring your past self is a good idea.” She snapped her fingers and the force field doubled in power. “And I think it’s a bit early on our adventure to shatter reality itself...”
Soon, Twilight stopped her desperate struggle and dropped down inside the barrier. She closed her eyes and starts sobbing quietly. “I never realized...” She whispered to herself. “He was begging me not to let him go, he was scared, he was panicked, and I...” ‘Crack’ she punched the floor in frustration before curling up in regret. “You were right. I am a heartless monster...”
The force field fell and Screwball stepped into it with a comforting smile on her face. “Hey now, stop beating yourself up! You can still make it up for him, that’s why we’re here for, remember?” She crouched down and gently embraced her into a hug. “Now come on Sparkles, let’s see just how much we’ll screw up.” Then she chuckled a little. “Get it? Screw up?”
The girl just sighed and giggled a little. She wiped the tears off her face and stood up from her position. “Okay so... What’s the plan?” The only response she got is a sheepish smile and a nervous look from her associate. “And why don’t you have a plan after we’ve gone this far?”
Screwball held up her finger and opened her mouth. Then she closed her mouth and lowered her finger. Then she raised her finger and opened her mouth again. “That’s because you’re the strategist! You’re the brain and I’m the muscle! So...” She grinned at Twilight. “What now boss?”
Twilight rolled her eyes and watched as Mistress Principal took away Spike. “Hmm... Just how good are you at making false money? I want this to be as quick and easy as possible.”
The omnipotent teen just sighed after hearing that. “So boring... But here, I’ll give you half of my pocket money.” She snapped her fingers and a bag of bits appeared out of thin air. “My parents are a very, very wealthy traveling magician.”
With that, they followed the Mistress through the Crystal Prep Academy. They were half expecting her to go to her chamber, but the mistress went to the parking lot instead. She entered her car and start driving away from the Crystal Prep Academy.
“Okay, we have two choices here...” Twilight muttered. “We can follow her and see where she took him, or we can skip all the troubles and just save Spike.” She looked at Screwball. “What do you think?”
Screwball snapped her fingers and an Automatic Off-Road Motorcycle appeared right next to her. “Right...” Twilight muttered to herself. “I’m driving aren’t I?” She asked her warily.
The swirly eyed girl nodded. “Well of course you are!” She exclaimed. “I’m just a few months old; you can’t expect me to drive a motorcycle, let alone an Anti-Gravity one!” Twilight walked towards the motorcycle and put a hand over the handle. “That’s the spirit!”
They both sat on top the motorcycle and get themselves ready for a chase. “Oh, by the way, since you’re wearing that Perception Filterer, no one on the street will notice you.” Screwball said, making Twilight even more nervous than before. “You can take it off, but we shouldn’t really risk anyone noticing us or Butterfly Effect.”
‘Vroom’ Twilight started the engine. She watched carefully as the Principal’s car left the parking lot. “How hard do you think it is to drive an invisible motorcycle?” She asked Screwball suddenly. “Answer: Not that much...”
With a yank, Twilight drove the motorcycle through the roads. She expertly turned and manouver her way through the street with determination flashing in her eyes. “Woohoo!” Screwball shouted as the motorcycle weaved its way through the traffic.
Suddenly, red traffic light blocked their way. Twilight gritted her teeth when she saw the principal’s car leaving them behind, only missing the red light by an inch. She pulled the handle and start breaking through the red light.
Dozens of cars and motorcycle came right around them. Not one people driving those vehicles can notice them since they wore the Perception Filterer Necklace. Twilight didn’t even flinch however, she just moved faster through the cross-section and leaned to the right to dodge an incoming car.
A huge truck came lumbering towards them and an ambulance came rushing in from behind. The girl just smirked and starts heading straight towards the truck. “Uh... What are you doing?” Screwball asked warily as they went closer and closer towards the truck.
Twilight took a deep breath and leaned all of her weight to the left. The motorcycle tilted and starts drifting in a ninety degrees angle. “Hang on!!!” The Motorcycle stopped drifting and missed the ambulance by just an inch. She quickly regained control of the motorcycle before going straight through the roads like nothing just happen.
“Twilight, have I ever told you how much I love you?” Screwball asked in awe and amazement.
The human girl just chuckled in response. “Nope, but it’s a start.” She drove the car further and further through the road and realized that they couldn’t see any sign of the principal’s car. “Screwball, where did she go?”
Screwball thought about it for a second before sighing. “She went to the highway. If we want to catch up, we need to go...” She looked around for a moment. “That way!!!” Twilight looked at that direction and saw a massive traffic jam on the right lane.
Disregarding all traffic signs, lights, and common sense, Twilight Sparkle went straight to the opposing lane. Dozens of car starts approaching right in front of her and the girl just pulled the gas all the way down.
‘Whoosh’ The Motorcycle went straight past a speeding car before turning to dodge an incoming motorcycle. ‘Thump’ Twilight expertly dodge a fire truck and made the motorcycle moving through the sidewalk. ‘swish’ ‘swish’ ‘swish’ The motor moved back and forth from left to right to dodge dozens of incoming traffic signs and innocent bystander.
Soon, they encountered a heavy traffic jam on both lane and no principal’s car on sight. Hundreds of cars and motorcycles lined up in front of them and some cars are approaching from behind. "You said something about anti-gravity right?" Twilight asked. Screwball pressed a button and the motorcycle starts hovering a few inches up. "Nice!"
Twilight grinned and pulled the handle. ‘Vroom’ The Motorcycle hovered above one of the cars before it start soaring above the traffic. Like soaring through a bumpy landscape, the motorcycle kept bouncing through the cars the faster they gets.
A truck moved unexpectedly while the motor is hovering above it. Twilight loses control of the Anti-Gravity Motorcycle and start veering off the road. “Hang on!” She yanked the handle to the left and the vehicle soared wildly through the road.
After a few minutes of trying to control their vehicle, Twilight found the brakes and stopped at the side of the road. She looked around her and realized that she has no idea where she is. “Okay... Where is the principal?”
Screwball thought about it for a second. “I got a plan and it’s a crazy one!” She exclaimed.
“Screwball, I am driving an Anti-Gravity Motorcycle chasing after my own Principal who took my dog for experimenting.” Twilight exclaimed before continuing her way through the road. “Oh and did I mention that we also traveled back in time?”
The chaotic girl shrugged and pointed at an empty trailer truck in the distance. “Okay, let me make this easy for you...” She snapped her fingers and a slope appeared behind the trailer truck. “Go do your stunt and leave the rest to me.”
Twilight looked at the slope with a determined look on her face. She smirked and pulled the handlebar all the way down. “Geronimo...” She whispered to herself.
‘VROOOM’ The Motorcycle is a blur as it soared above the cars towards the slope. When it gets near the slope, loud beeping sound came from the back of the motorcycle and it started to move faster. ‘Whoosh’ the slope launched the motorcycle high up above the sky. It went higher and higher until they can’t even see the road below her.
Soon, the motorcycle breached through the clouds and the passengers felt like driving a motorcycle through a cloud highway. They could see columns of clouds all shifting and turning around them. It was a very magical moment that makes no sense at all.
“I love this so much!!!” Twilight exclaimed as she steered the motorcycle away from a column of storm clouds. “Is this what you’re feeling every day? No wonder you’re so gosh darn happy!” She leaned to the right and the motorcycle starts drilling through the air like a missile.
Screwball just grinned and snapped her fingers. A selfie stick appeared in her hands and held it up in front of Twilight. “Say cheese Twilight!” They both smiled and a flash of light came from the camera. “How viral do you think these photos will become?”
Twilight just laughed in response. “Oh I don’t know! How about we take a selfie in front of the Lost City of Atlantis?” She replied mirthfully. “Then, we should do a moonwalk tutorial video! On the moon!”
Screwball laughed out loud when she heard that. Just the thought of making some video blogs and doing selfie through time and space makes her feel more alive than ever. “Twilight, have I ever told you how much I love you!?” Screwball exclaimed as she imagined all the things she could do with her.
After almost half an hour of flying through the clouds, groaning sounds came from the engine. Twilight and Screwball cringed when the motorcycle start soaring down back to earth. “Screwball, this is the part where you tell me what I’m supposed to do!”
Screwball closed her eyes before smirking to herself. “Okay, we are going to hitch a ride. Just hold on to the brakes and don’t let go.” She said with a barely contained hint of excitement in her face. “Seriously, don’t let go.”
It took Twilight a couple of seconds to realize what’s about to happen. When she did, she let out a laugh in a mixture of mirth and disbelief. “Oh you are insane Screwball!!!” Loud humming sounds came from behind them. “And so am I!!!”
The girl leaned to the right and start falling right towards a black shape on the clouds below them. When they get nearer, they can finally see a Military Jet floating just below them. ‘Clunk’ The not-so-Anti-Gravity Motorcycle landed on top of the jet’s body.
“This jet is flying straight towards the White House! Fortunately, my internal radar is telling me that the Principal lives near that place so we can hitch a ride!” Screwball exclaimed. “Just don’t let go of the brakes, it makes the motorcycle stick to any surfaces.”
A second after she said that, the jet took a strong left turn. “Change of plans! This is not the right plane. Let go of the brakes!!!” Screwball exclaimed suddenly.
Twilight let go of the brakes and they all start soaring down towards the ground. “Now what?” she asked Screwball. “And are we anywhere close to the principal?”
Screwball took out a pair of binoculars and used it to observe the city below them. “There! The Principal’s car! Just a few miles away from here.” She snapped her finger and the motorcycle suddenly hit an invisible slope. “Okay, we are about to do something freakishly dangerous! Take this! To make it less dangerous.” She gave Twilight a pair of shades.
Twilight wore the shades and instinctively face-palmed in disbelief. “Screwball, you are an idiot!!!”
Using the shades, Twilight could see that Screwball just erected an invisible force field all over the city. But that’s not the idiotic part, the idiotic part would be the fact that the invisible force field formed an overly convoluted tracks. Like some sort of a twisted roller coaster filled with loops and drops and other stomach-explosion inducing stuff, the invisible track in front of her are supposed to keep her alive.
‘VROOM’ The Motorcycle soared through the sky on top of an invisible sky tracks. Twilight leaned to the right and the motorcycle start soaring down to the ground in a corkscrew motion with the help of the track. “I have to admit, this is not such a bad idea!” Twilight exclaimed in excitement as the track took the motorcycle zipping and turning through the whole city.
A few minutes later, Twilight could see the principal’s car in a distance away from them. “Screwball, I’m getting off the rails!” The motorcycle veered to the left and start falling down to the road a few feet below them. ‘Bang’ small cracks formed on the asphalt upon their impact only to be fixed by a simple magic by Screwball.
The principal car turned towards a small neighborhood and Twilight sighed in relief. “Finally...” They all followed the principal car towards a house in the middle of the real estate before stopping right near it. “Come on Screwball, let’s get this over with...”
Twilight Sparkle and Screwball slipped right through the entrance of the house. They observed their surroundings and found themselves standing in the middle of a huge mansion. The floors below them and the walls around them are made out of solid marble covered with priceless tapestry. The furniture around them are made out of gold plated marmer and other precious stone.
They followed the principal towards a steel door that led downstairs to the basement. “Okay, most definitely an evil lair...” Twilight muttered to herself. Then she looked at Screwball warily. “So, what’s going on in there?”
The Omnipotent Girl flinched and looked at Twilight with a look of panic in her face. “Twilight, I need to get rid of Fluttershy’s magic from you. You really do not want to understand any animal language in the vicinity.”
It took a few seconds for Twilight to process what’s going on and she shuddered a little. “Yes, please, I really do not want to hear them...” She muttered to herself. “But I thought there’s a fifty percent chance that it’s permanent?”
Screwball sighed and nodded before pressing her fingers against Twilight’s forehead. “Yeah, let’s just hope it’s not or I might have to turn down your hearing for a moment.” A bright flash of light engulfed Twilight for a few seconds before it fades away.
“Can you understand me?” Screwball asked.
Twilight nodded. “You’re speaking English right?” The look on Screwball’s face told her otherwise. “Okay, so it’s permanent then. What language did you speak?”
“I’m speaking cat language...” Screwball replied. “In Indonesian...”
The human just sighed before looking at the set of stairs beyond the steel door. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go find Spike and figure out what the hell is going on here.” She walked down the stairs with Screwball following her closely from behind.
Cold stone walls surround them as they walked down deeper and deeper down to the basement. Dimly lit light bulbs illuminated the whole area, bright enough to help anyone navigate through the stairs but not bright enough to make them notice any necessary details.
After a few minutes of walking, Screwball and Twilight could hear voices coming from a distance. “Screwball, are those voices...” She let the question hang, not wanting to continue with the line of thought.
“Yup”, Screwball replied simply.
Twilight sighed and took a deep breath to prepare herself. “Can’t you just fix everything with your powerful Reality Warper ability?” She asked the embodiment of chaos. “I mean, you did make us travel back in time with just a snap of your fingers. Can’t you snap your fingers and do the same thing?”
Screwball just shrugged in response. “Well if you say so. What do you want me to do boss?”
The girl thought about it for a second before looking down at the endless staircase. “Take us to the bottom of this stairs.” Screwball snapped her fingers and they all found themselves standing in front dark dungeon filled with hundreds upon hundreds of caged animal at the side of it.
Most of the animals are pet animal. Like dogs, cats, rabbits, and turtles. But there are so a couple of tiger and a wolf trapped inside a heavy duty cage in the bottom. One thing they have in common though is the fact that they are screaming, begging, crying out to be freed from their prison.
“Help us!” “Please don’t let her hurt us!” “I want to go home!” “I have to return to my family!” “I don’t want to die!” “Somebody please save us!!!”
The animals howled, growled, and hissed in fear and panic. Each one of them was begging to be freed while some just wept in despair. They struggled against their cages while cursing the woman standing in front of a testing table in the middle of the room.
Twilight’s breath hitched as she listened to the screaming coming from the animals around her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to regain her composure. “You okay Twilight?” Screwball asked, sensing her distress. “Look, you don’t have to do this. I can save Spike and get us out of here faster than you can spell lollipop.”
The human shook her head and looked forward with a steely look on her face. “No, there’s still one thing I need to do...” She walked closer towards the Principal standing in front of a testing table. “Screwball, I’m about to do something very insane.”
Screwball watched in a mixture of disbelief and amazement as her friend yanked the Perception Filterer Necklace out of her neck. “Forget ponies, this Twilight is a bad ass...” She purred in cat language. “I want her so bad...”
Twilight Sparkle walked towards the Principal, her footsteps drowned out by the wailings of the animals around her. She cracked her knuckles before stopping a few feet away from the woman “Mistress Principal!!!” She exclaimed.
The Mistress jolted and looked back in shock. “Twilight?” She asked in confusion and disbelief. “What do you think you’re doing?” She walked closer towards the girl. “And how did you get here unnoticed?”
‘SMACK’ A haymaker to the face, ‘BOOF’ and a kick to the solar plexus answered her question. ‘Thump’ the principal dropped just like that. “That felt good...” Twilight muttered while rubbing her knuckles. “Who knew martial arts lesson from Wiki-How actually worked.”
Screwball suddenly appeared behind her and attacked her with a surprise hug. “Forget Rainbow Dash, you are the awesomest thing ever!” She exclaimed. “I’ve never seen any good guys do that!” She let go of Twilight and looked at her in amusement. “I mean seriously! Usually the good guys will chit-chat, giving the bad guys a plan of escape. But you? You didn’t even give her a chance!!!”
Twilight just smiled sheepishly. “It’s nothing, now come on. Let’s go find Spike.” She walked closer towards the testing table and sighed in relief when she realized that the table is empty. “Spike! Spike!” She exclaimed. “Where are you boy?”
She tried to hear amidst all the roaring, growling, and howling of the creatures around her. “Twilight!” A voice called out to her from a distance. She wasted no time following the voice. “Twilight over here!!!”
The girl paused and looked to her left. A huge relieved smile stretched upon her face when she saw Spike sitting inside a cage safe and sound. “SPIKE!!!” She crouched down and unlocked the cage. The dog lunged at her in excitement. “Oh Spike, I’m so, so, so, sorry!!” She hugged her dog in joy and relief. “I’m so glad you’re okay...”
Spike smiled and starts barking around in excitement. “See? I knew you’ll come and rescue me!!! It was all a plan right? You were just tricking the principal to save all of these animals!” He exclaimed in relief. “It was me who should apologize; I should’ve known that you will never leave me...”
Twilight just smiled and pressed her forehead to his. “No, I won’t... Not today, not ever...”
A few days later...
Fluttershy walked through the bustling City of Canterlot. She watched the streets and the crowds all around her with a tired look on her face. All those smoke coming from the cars, the trash thrown out carelessly on the streets, and those electromagnetic signals crowding the sky... They harm nature and those beautiful animals she loves.
What’s more, the Canterlot Animal Shelter is having an economic crisis. The little building couldn’t hope to keep shelter of all animals in Canterlot. The fact that more and more horrible owners start abandoning their pets doesn’t help at all.
Above all this however, one thing troubles her most. Her own Principal the Mistress wanted to buy the animal shelter and turn it into a convenient store. She couldn’t bear the thought of what would happen to the animals if that happens.
After a few minutes of walking, Fluttershy stopped in her tracks. “No...” She gasped in horror. “Oh no, please...” There, in the distance she could see a construction site where she knew the Animal Shelter is. She almost broke down right there on the sidewalk, but she couldn’t stay still until she knew what happened to the animals.
The girl ran as fast as she can towards the construction site. Her hope diminished as she gets closer and closer. She leapt over a patch of cement and slid down to dodge a huge metal beam coming her way. She observed her surroundings and realized that they still haven’t demolished the Canterlot Animal Shelter.
Fluttershy ran straight towards the shelter entrance, ignoring the cries of warning from the workers. A bunch of workers stood in her way and the girl narrowed her eyes. She lunged at one of the workers and used his shoulder as a boost to do a graceful front flip above them. ‘Tap’ She landed in front of the door on one foot before she ran straight into the shelter.
Inside, Fluttershy realized that everything stays intact. She looked around and saw a dark purple haired girl crouching down while playing and talking with a bunch of little hamsters. She walked towards the girl hesitantly and cleared her throat. “Ahem... Excuse me... I’m sorry, what are you doing here?” Her voice still wavers through the emotional turmoil she had.
The girl looked at Fluttershy and smiled at her. “Hi! You must be Fluttershy, my name’s Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight said with a kind smile on her face. “I’m here here to keep watch on the construction.” She pointed at the ceiling. “Mostly on the second and third floor.”
Fluttershy sat down right next to Twilight. “A-are you the one responsible behind all this?” She asked in disbelief. “Are you the one who bought the shelter?”
Twilight nodded then shook her head. “Yes and no, yes I bought the shelter, and no I didn’t pay for it. My friend Screwball used her few months’ worth of pocket money to buy the Shelter.” She leaned closer to Fluttershy. “She’s rich...” She whispered to her.
The pink haired girl said nothing. She just sighed and looked down in defeat. “Can you at least... Let us keep the first floor as a shelter?” She looked at the hamsters and kittens all around her. “I can’t bear the thought of them losing their only home.”
A sudden look of realization appeared on Twilight’s face. She put a hand over her forehead and sighed. “I told her to start advertising...” She muttered to herself. “Fluttershy, we are not destroying the shelter, we are renovating the shelter.”
“Wh-what?” Fluttershy asked in disbelief. “Y-you’re not destroying the shelter?” She asked.
Twilight shook her head. “No! We’re giving it some new floors to shelter more animals.” She pointed at a brown hamster standing in front of her. “And according to Mr. Curtis here, the overcrowding will drive them insane so we’ll make a couple more hamster habitat.”
The girl looked at Fluttershy and saw a trickle of tear running down her face. “No don’t cry! We’re not destroying the shelter, I swear! We just-oh!” Her words were cut short when Fluttershy embraced her and start crying tears of joy.
“Thank you... Thank you so much Twilight... How will I ever repay your kindness?” She whispered to her.
Twilight smiled and hugged her back. “Be kind, that’s how you can repay my kindness. Be kind to anyone and anything.” She whispered to her. “But don’t forget that you also have to be strong. There are times where you have to be brave to protect those you love. Be kind and be strong Fluttershy...”
Fluttershy smiled and hugged her tighter. “I will... I promise you, I will.” They let go of each other and smiled. “So... You’re my new manager then?” She asked her.
The purple girl sighed and shook her head. “No, I’m staying here until Screwball and I sort out the paradox.” Fluttershy was about to ask something but Twilight held up her hand to stop her. “Something that you shouldn’t really know.” Twilight added quickly.
Suddenly, a little pink filly with swirly eyes appeared right beside Twilight. She grinned at the sight of Fluttershy and waved at her. “Hi!!!” Then she closed her eyes and braced herself.
Fluttershy squealed in glee before gently grabbing the filly with her hands. “Oh my gosh! You’re adorable!!!” She hugged the filly tightly for a moment before taking a closer look at her. “I’ve never seen a pony like you before and...” She gasped and squished the filly’s cheek together. “I hear you talk earlier! Was it my imagination?” She held up the filly higher and took a closer look at her.
“Nope!” Screwball replied, making Fluttershy squeal again at how adorable she sounds. The girl gently caressed the filly’s cheek and scratched the back of her ears. “This is worth it...” she muttered in bliss as Fluttershy scratched her ears and rubbed her chin like a professional petter.
A few minutes later Twilight sighed and took Screwball away from Fluttershy’s grasp. “Mind telling me why you did that?” she asked Screwball sternly. “I thought your existence is supposed to be a secret!?”
Screwball rubbed the back of her head with her hooves before floating a distance away from them. In a flash of light she turned into a teenage girl. “And miss the greatest pet in my entire life?” She asked. “By the way, your hands are magic Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy smiled and nodded at her. “Thank you, I learnt from the internet that cosmic pony deity loves to be petted.” She replied.
Twilight just blinked owlishly after hearing that. “Okay then...” She looked at Screwball. “Did you fix the time rip?” She asked her.
A piece of paper suddenly appeared in her hands. She hand it over to Fluttershy and gave her a pen. “Sign this and the shelter is yours.” Fluttershy just blinked owlishly in response. “Sign this and the shelter is yours and I’ll give you the power to understand animals.”
The girl’s hand is a blur as she signed the contract the second she heard that. “When can I speak with animals?” Fluttershy asked impatiently. “Oh and how am I supposed to take care of this place all day? I still have to go to school.” She added as an afterthought.
Screwball just shook her head. “Don’t worry Flutters, just because you own this place doesn’t mean you have to manage it.” She said easily. “The staffs and workers are still the same. I gave you this place just to make sure no idiot would try to turn it into a convenient store.”
With that, the three of them sat together inside the shelter. Each one of them smiling and laughing as they talked to the hamsters and other animals in the shelters.
“And that’s the reason why I wanted to go to the Canterlot High School.” Filly Screwball ended her story in front of her parents. “So... Can I please go mom? Dad?” She added with a cosmic puppy dog eyes and general adorability.
Trixie and Discord looked at each other before smirking. “Of course my Cute and Powerful Screwball can go to the high school! Especially at such a young age!” Trixie said proudly. “Oh, Trixie knows that my proud little Screwball will become the most talented, most amazing, and smartest student in her school!”
Discord stepped forward and gave Screwball a small notepad. “This is the list of all the things I will do if I ever made it to the human world.” Then he scowled a little. “But Swirly Beard decided to ban me from the human world. So do me a favor and...” He smiled at his daughter. “Make your old man proud and turn their world upside down!!!”