//------------------------------// // The Train // Story: A Tangled Web We Weave // by BellChime //------------------------------// “What do you mean, ‘unique’ isn’t a personality trait?” The four fillies were seated on the train thanks to none other than "the power of my generous allowance and undertipped ticketponies", as Diamond Tiara would put it.  “But what would someone with a ‘unique’ personality trait even be like?” Sweetie Belle, sitting next to Diamond Tiara, responded. “Diamond, you gotta think carefully about this, because you’re going to roleplay Flower Blossom, and this is going to be her guideline.” “Or just don’t bother, like me,” said Scootaloo, seated on the other side. “I just play to kick flank.” “Hey, Diamond, are ya sure you can manage learnin’ O&O and how to be a lawyer?” Apple Bloom managed to speak for the first time since they’d boarded. “Ah mean, this train ride is only an hour long.” “I’ll get started on that in a second.” Diamond Tiara dismissed. “When we actually start heading to Canterlot to save Daddy.” Apple Bloom sighed, and went back to staring out the window. “Now, what’s her superpower going to be?” Sweetie Bell asked Diamond, jabbing her hoof at Diamond’s notepad, on which was Sweetie and Scootaloo’s best attempt at recreating an O&O character sheet. “Oh, I know!” Scootaloo chirped. “Diamond’s character can have her superpower be being rich! That’s a superpower, right?” “SCOOTS!” Apple Bloom yelped, embarrassed. “Hey, it got us on the train!” Scootaloo protested. “Sssh!” Sweetie hissed. “Not so loud!” “Wait…” Diamond turned incredulously towards the orange pegasus. “You think being rich is a superpower?” Scootaloo shrugged. “I mean, not really. At least, not before now. Just seemed dumb and boring. But getting to go on the train was cool. Getting away with getting train tickets was cool. Umm, are we still getting paid for helping you?” “No.” Apple Bloom said, a bit more sharply than she intended. “We ain’t.” Scootaloo grumbled. “Well, I mean, she did offer-” *** Now despite all of Discord’s immense love with winning and his delight at the chaos he’d discovered, he  really hated not having his magic.  So Trixie found it to be very fishy when, as the two betters moseyed around Ponyville keeping each other under strict surveillance, he suddenly began to squirm sporadically. “What, pray tell, is that?” Trixie asked. “Hush. I signed a contract, for heaven’s sake! Can’t I just do a bit of random squirming?” When Trixie still looked skeptical, Discord sighed exaggeratedly, pausing in his strange dance. “I have an ITCH!” Discord explained. “It happens when I don’t use magic! I have to use my claws to scratch it! See, if I can’t move and be properly chaotic whenever I need, I get itchy! Are you happy that you had to claw that tidbit out of me?! But no! I’ll show you!”  And with no further ado, Discord walked towards a wall, bumped into it, and flopped melodramatically to the ground.  “See, Trixie?! See?! I just walked into a wall!” “Trixie will admit that is amusing.” Discord snarled up at her from where he was still sprawled out on his back. “No! I! Walked! Into! A! Wall!”  “And?” “I don’t walk into walls!” Trixie snickered. “Then what did you just do?” “What I just did was...walking...into...a...WALL!” Trixie never thought she’d see the day when she would fear for Discord’s sanity. Discord must really LOVE winning. “I slam into walls! I destroy walls! I make walls vanish! Sometimes, when I’m feeling really dangerous, I make more walls! But never, ever, would I, the Master of Chaos, WALK INTO A WALL! Just blam! Like a fool! I am thousands of years old!” Discord sighed dramatically, before glaring up at Trixie again. “You did this to me!” “Sheesh. It was just a contract.” “But do you realize how serious I am? To have walked into a wall? And fell over? In FRONT of everyone?! I’M NOT EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE SERIOUS! ONE RULE! I HAD ONE RULE TO FOLLOW AND I BROKE IT!” Indeed, several ponies were staring at this point.  Trixie was tempted to be upset-but she had to admit-Discord without chaos...well… She smirked.  “Whatever.”