//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: Head Full of Cotton Candy // by TheManWithTwoNames //------------------------------// Head Full of Cotton Candy A “My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic” fanfiction By TheManWithTwoNames I do not own any of the characters contained in the following work. “My Little Pony” and all subsequent properties belong to Hasbro and Lauren Faust. But I do own a pretty rad T-Shirt. “Oh, my stomach! Twilight! You’ve got to see what I just did! It’s priceless!” Discord guffawed. The unicorn didn’t even bother to lift up her head. It was probably because of all the chocolate rain soaking in her mane weighing it down. Either that, or she was still moping about how all her friends abandoned her. Whatever it was, a little personal attention from her king couldn’t hurt. “Come now, Twilight Sparkle, you’ve got to get into the spirit of things!” he proffered, clearing away the cotton candy cloud over her head with a single lick. “After all, this is your new home.” Twilight briefly turned her downcast eyes on Ponyville, then hung her head low again. “Not anymore.” Discord only watched as she walked away in a slow gait, indifferent to the magnificent world around her. Twilight Sparkle, faithful student of Celestia, Element of Magic, and the final remaining soldier and protector of harmony, had failed. She had no friends, no home, and no hope in her cause. She was entirely defeated. “Yes!” Oh, victory felt so good! Heck, just feeling anything felt amazing after centuries in stone! Credit where it was due, Celestia and Luna had gotten the better of him with their Elements of Platitudes. But now he was free, and Equestria was once again under the command of its rightful king. And with Celestia’s secret weapons taken out of the picture so effortlessly, it would stay that way. He barely had to think of ways to split them apart, it was like he had a voice in his head giving him expert advice for the entire labyrinth business. And now the little ponies were wearing a nice and toasty shade of gray, which was, in his humble opinion, a vast improvement. Aside from Sparkle, that is. He much preferred the original pleasant shade of her coat. But sacrifices had to be made. And besides, he had painted more than enough of the ground purple already. Well, maybe a little more wouldn’t hurt. It was nearly unbelievable how much work he had ahead of him to restore Equestria. How many more towns had been built in his absence? How many awful names had been assigned? For goodness sake, ‘Ponyville’? He would have never allowed something so banal to exist! As soon as he was done renovating the town, he would have got come up with a new name. Something with a little bounce in it, like Illowara or Gongwollong. He shuddered to think what other chilling terrors awaited him. Responsibility could certainly be a burden. After nearly a week, he was close to finishing his time in Ponyville. It would have been faster, but Silly Celestia and Little Luna kept trying to take control of the sun and moon. He had left a little trick on the heavenly bodies that made them immediately rise and set if any magic tried to touch them. It was just a small something to let the girls entertain themselves while he focused on more important things. Namely, his subjects. The town rummy blew houses down with a sneeze. One unicorn’s eyes would change color every time she blinked. He had given a geriatric old mare the energy to dance again, and she was certainly a sight. In fact, he liked the idea so much he turned three little fillies into buffalo and set them free to pursue their dreams of being ballet stars. He found a zebra and determined once and for all if they were black with white stripes or white with black stripes, another item checked off the list. While he was re-tuning her banjo or whatever it was, some green unicorn looked so fascinated with his hands that he gave her a pair of her own. The look on her face was a memory he’d cherish forever. He couldn’t even remember all the others. But he had a hunch he was close to the end by now. Probably. Close enough. He could always just come back later if he forgot someone. Discord rose in the air and surveyed his work with pride. It was like everything was back to normal. He lifted his claw in front of him and tented his fingers. “So long, Ponyville! Next stop: anywhere!” He took one last look and his fingers slipped. (A peculiar thought, considering the physics of finger snapping, but still the most accurate description.) His mismatched eyes grew larger than his head and he flew for the ground so quickly that he had to move the entire planet back a hundred feet to avoid crashing. With outstretched arms and an overjoyed smile, Discord cheered at the top of his lungs. “Screwball! Where in the world have you been?” “Bmmlp.” Screwball. Good old Screwball waited for him. She hadn’t changed a bit! Same old mane, same old coat, same old eyes, same old cap, same old Screwball. If it was anyone else, he would have been offended. But with her, there was something truly wonderful to be found in sameness. “You can’t believe how amazing it is to see you! I could just kiss you!” He did. “Let me tell you Screwy, the last few centuries haven’t been the most exciting for me. There was more birdwatching than I was comfortable with. But this week has been a laugh and a half! It was almost like old times. Would you believe me if I told you that old Sunbuns has a hit squad with those Elements of Harmony of hers?” “Narp?” “That’s precisely what I said. They already tried putting me in stone. And they would have gotten away with it, too, if it wasn’t for me meddling with the kids.” Discord stopped jabbering to take a deep breath and savor the moment. After all, it couldn’t be long before something came to ruin it and there was something more than chaos in the air. There was no doubt his world still had its affinity for dramatic timing. He folded his arms behind his back and turned to greet the two unwelcome intruders with a wry smile. “Brother, Sister,” he said, giving both a nod, “I can’t wait to hear the reason why you went against my very merciful warning. But before you do that, I want you to leave and never come back.” “Sister Harmony was never given your warning,” Love countered. He was trying to speak calmly, but his tone had a softness to it. “And then why are you here?” “Because,” Love sighed and folded his wings, revealing a sullen phoenix perched on his back, “she didn’t have the heart to do this alone. And to be honest, I didn’t either.” “You must be joking. If you’re actually here to convince me to go with you again, allow me to end this conversation here.” Discord pressed his fingers together. “N-no, we aren’t,” Harmony stammered. She never raised her eyes to meet her brother’s. “Wonderful!” Discord snapped his fingers and the four were suddenly lounging on pool chairs placed in a row. Harmony and Screwball sat on the far ends, and Love and Discord took the middle. “So what have you been up to? Ruling the world while I was out of commission? Thanks for that, by the way.” “I’m afraid not. We have been living undercover, you could say. Sister is the personal pet of Princess Celestia, and I am a leader—” “You mean a princess?” “Yes, I am a princess of a small kingdom outside of Equestria,” Love corrected himself without a trace of shame. “So I was right about you ruling the world. You were just more manipulative about it,” Discord said pointedly. “Fummh wiiimdew.” “Yes, and she had the nerve to paint a window of me like some sort of puppeteer,” Discord agreed, elbowing Screwball in the ribs. “It’s all slander.” “Bop bop.” “I don’t know, let me ask them.” Discord turned away from the pony beside him and toward the other two spirits. “I forgot to ask for the real reason you came.” Love and Harmony did not say a word. But it was as clear as the looks on their faces that the reason was not a happy one. Discord frowned as he waited for an answer that did not seem to be coming. They weren’t even looking at him. Instead, they just kept their sad eyes on something past him. Discord rose in his seat to block their view of Screwball, forcing them to look up at him. “I want you to tell me. And you should hope that I like the answer.” “There is no easy way for us to say this... We’re here to... to...” Love could not finish his sentence. “We want to save Screwball,” Harmony spoke. “From what?” “From you!” Harmony jettisoned out and bashed her head against Discord’s. The wall of tears pouring from her onto his cheeks did nothing to extinguish the fire in her eyes. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done to her? How much pain she’s put herself through for you? Look at you, of course you don’t!” “Sister! Control yourself,” Love scolded. Harmony held her stare for a moment longer before returning to her older brother and turning her back on the three of them. “I’m... sorry. But I’ve watched this happening for so long... I’ve made myself feel every ounce of pain. I had to say it.” “Can someone explain why our dear sister has suddenly sprouted a spine?” Discord asked, too taken aback to muster any genuine indignation. “When you were in stone, Celestia and Luna kept Screwball in the palace with them. She never needed much attention. She couldn’t communicate with anypony. They just let her spend her time kept in a small room away from the rest of the servants.” Discord felt a gentle weight on his arm. Screwball had moved from her chair to lean on him, rubbing her mane against his fur. He let the curly mane tickle him slightly for a short time before scooping her up and cradling her like an infant. “And just why wasn’t she allowed to speak with anypony?” Discord asked. “Because she can’t understand anything around her,” Love answered sullenly. Harmony deflated, her renewed anger robbed of its chance to escape. She gave one passing glance at Discord from the corner of her eye before she locked her head in the opposite direction. “She has not known a moment of lucidity for fifteen hundred years. Because of you.” Discord didn’t know what to say. So he had to laugh. “This should be a wonderful story. I’ll humor you. Let us pretend you are telling the truth. How would any of that be my fault?” “Because you were too important to her.” Day turned to night and back in a few seconds. Up above, a flying pig was hit in the stomach by a floating pie. A colony of rabbits stampeded over a pony spewing poetry just in the distance. And for some reason, Discord did not care. He kept his eyes on the purple pony nestled in his arms, watching her every slightest motion. A hind leg began to pump forward and backward as if trying to run independently of the rest of her. Her head lolled and swayed side to side limply, her purple eyes spinning too quickly to ever see anything. She licked her lips and burbled and drooled on herself. Without even hesitating, Discord wiped his thumb against her chin to wipe the spittle away. He was surprised when she lifted a hoof against his arm and held it still. “But she’s always been this way. How could I have done something to make her like this?” Discord asked, never taking his eyes off Screwball’s. “Think, Brother,” Love pleaded. “You must remember her. The real her.” “I... can’t.” Discord took his thumb off of her chin and returned Screwball’s touch. “Allow me.” Discord allowed Love to tap his horn against his own antlers. If he had not still been holding Screwball, he would have fallen back from the shock. It felt like a rain cloud had flooded his mind and washed away all the grime. He could remember everything as if he was reliving it all over again. Every laugh, every smile. Her scoldings and her consoling hugs. The little shrill in her voice she would get when he wound her up. Walking from town to town, playing games every step of the way. Abandoning her without a word. Finding her again. Feeling like the world was right again. Her stories, her fears, her bravery. And then it began to change. Day by day, in such small degrees he could never be certain when it ever started, Screwball became different. She didn’t stay the same. But she still always looked so afraid. Discord didn’t realize how hard he was breathing until he felt Screwball’s head pressing against his heaving chest. He forced himself calm and realized that she was looking at him. Really looking at him for the first time in centuries. “Dihcuh?” Discord and Screwball twirled in the air, bounding higher and higher with each bounce. His tail swung back and forth like a dog’s, cracking a pegasus in the face and launching her away. He didn’t even care to see where he went. Why should he? He had his own pony! She had him! She was still in there! Whatever had happened, she was still Screwball. She was still his. And now he knew how to help her. “Thank you for your help,” Discord said to his siblings as he returned to earth. “But if it’s all the same to you, I’ll be the one who helps Screwball.” “Discord, No!” Discord felt the rain flow from his fingertip into Screwball’s forehead and into her mind, flooding the walls of the labyrinth and carrying her up and into the light. She blinked away from it, as if looking at the world for the first time. She twisted her head side to side, her mouth scrunching up in anticipation of her first expression of clarity. Discord beamed with pride and gave Love and Harmony an accomplished wink as he waited for his true reunion. The noise started out softly. Soft enough for Discord to mistake for a sound of joy. But as it grew louder, his smile slowly faded to confusion. Even when she buried her face into his stomach, the sound was barely muffled. But it became even worse. It felt like she was screaming right into him. His fur was wet with hot tears. There was no love in her embrace. A tremendous chaotic heat poured from her, but he refused to accept it. He didn’t want to take anything more from her. He just wanted her to stop crying. “I-It’s alright, Screwball,” Discord whispered, beginning to feel afraid himself. “If you’re with me, then everything’s alright.” It tasted like a lie. “This can’t be happening. Can’t be real. Bad dream. All a bad dream.” “What is wrong with her?” Discord asked. He had never asked anything from anyone. If he ever needed something, he could have done it himself or with help Screwball. But this was his fault, and he did not even know why. He wished Love and Harmony would come closer. He wished he could have someone, anyone there with him. At that moment he would settle for Death or even the Elements of Harmony. At least if they were there, the screaming would stop. “She’s frightened, Discord,” Harmony answered, her plaintive voice quieting the pony’s whimpering. “Do I want to know what she’s afraid of?” “I think you already know.” “The giant jabberwocky grabbing onto her. Am I right?” “No, Discord. She’s afraid that she’s failed you. She’s afraid that she wasn’t able to stop the colt she loved like her own son from becoming a monster.” “But I’m not!” “That’s not what we see.” Discord inflated to defend himself, but a violent shiver along his stomach robbed him of his bluster. “It’s not like I ever wanted to be the villain. I just... never turned into the good guy.” “...Making the right mistakes...” Screwball murmured. Love’s head hung low under the weight of the guilt placed on himself. “We did not want to use the memory spell on her. If it was any other mare, the pain would have killed her. But she can’t help but suffer through it.” “It isn’t as if seeing her this way is any easy on me,” Discord said darkly. Running a paw through the curls in her mane, he moved his fingers toward her beanie and flicked the propeller. It still rattled and wobbled slightly on its axis from the night he broke it, but the noise still casted its faithful spell and soothed the pony in an instant. Screwball kept her grip on his waist, but her hold was gentler. Her body had stopped shivering. He would have thought she was asleep if it wasn’t for the occasional whimper vibrating against his stomach. “To be honest, I’m not surprised to hear it’s my fault she’s like this. I always had a habit of ruining her life,” he said with a sad laugh. “It is true your magic kept her alive. But she chose this herself.” “What?” “She was aware of what had happened to her body, and what would happen to her mind.” His face did not show it, but Love’s tone bordered on sentimental. “She saw it happening to her, and all it would have taken to end her pain was to tell you.” “So why didn’t she?” “...Never let you take him...” “There are so many things I could say. Perhaps she wanted to protect the kingdom by keeping you in control for as long as she could. Maybe she thought that after a few centuries she would finally be able to make you retain something she taught you, and you could turn yourself into the king you always wanted to be. She could have just been afraid of dying. “But I believe the truth is something much more simple. I think she just couldn’t bear to let you go.” Discord lifted his pony and held her tight so she could wrap her hooves around his shoulders. “Screwball... I never thought you could be so selfish.” He felt something in his eye, so he tried to wipe it out by rubbing against Screwball’s mane. All he managed to do was get something in his other eye. Now it was going to look like he was crying. “Generosity... positivity, truth... benevolence... magic...” “And loyalty,” Discord finished. “Screwball, those Virtues of yours are what wound up keeping us apart.” Screwball nuzzled against his neck and Discord’s world became quiet. Chaos raged around them, untamed and destructive, but in the eye of the storm, all was calm, if only on the surface. He had failed her. Just by looking around him, he could see the thousand-and-one little disappointments he had brought her. A myriad of chaotic madness stretched as far as the eye could see. It was more than he ever needed to survive. Why couldn’t he have just controlled himself? Why couldn’t he have just proven himself to her? Now she needed him more than ever. He had his chance to help someone, but he couldn’t bring himself to it. He would do anything for Screwball, but he wouldn’t do this. “I know what you have to do.” Discord’s voice was hoarse as he spoke to his siblings. “All I ask is that you make it painless.” “There is no such thing as a painless death,” Harmony said pathetically. “But I am sorry, Discord. I am so, so very sorry. We cannot do this.” “Do you think this is easy for me?!” Discord raged. “Just do it.” “Brother,” Love spoke, “we truly cannot help her. It was your power that kept Time at bay for all these long years. You are the only one who can do anything for her.” “You’re expecting me to ki—” “We’re begging you to prove her right. Be her hero... Set her free.” “...Never met anypony who cared as much about me...” Screwball whispered into Discord’s fur. “...And then what would I do?” Discord asked defeatedly. “It isn’t like I’m good for anything but causing chaos and hurting ponies. I imagine you want me to go back to being a statue.” “You could be a monster,” Love began. Harmony finished, “Or you could be a king.” “...King has to make sacrifices for his subjects...” “It’s so lonely in stone.” After everything he had done, perhaps he was better off being alone. It was the best he deserved. “You wouldn’t have to stay.” Harmony dropped from her perch on Love’s back and approached her unmoving brother. “You can join with your brothers and sisters where you belong. You could create chaos and still be a fair ruler.” His attention passed from the phoenix to everything in the world around him. The gray still burned around him in a warming glow, but he was too afraid to lose himself in it ever again. He wasn’t meant to live in Equestria. There was no way for him to ever get along. Maybe in another life he could have been able to control himself. He could live free with all his ponies, they would appreciate him, and no one would ever have to get hurt. But the weight of the bundle in his arms reminded him that it was the one wild thought that even he couldn’t bring to life. “Can we have a moment?” “Please.” Discord bowed his head in thanks, fixed his hold on Screwball, and began to walk through his kingdom for the last time. A low-flying cloud drifted by and he took a bite out of it. Cotton candy had always been his favorite food. He only ever used it for the most special occasions. And the rise and fall of a king was as special as it came. Floating cottages, heh. Dancing buffalo, hah. Giant house of cards, hee. A hot air balloon chasing after a rainbow cloud, oh what fun. “The world just won’t be the same without us, Screwy.” Her legs squeezed against his neck and he knew she understood. Discord’s legs moved on their own, gliding over any terrain with ease, leaving his mind to focus completely on the pony in his arms. “I can remember the first day we met. I was so impressed with everything about you, do you know that? I wound up getting pretty good at carrying things with my tail. I was so, so impressed with you. I still am. I never knew why, but the moment I saw you, I knew we were always going to be together. Like two of a kind. We went through a lot of craziness, didn’t we? I don’t think anyone else would have stuck by me. And never in a million years did I ever think I would have to say...” Discord couldn’t keep his claw steady as he raised it behind her head. “Goodbye... Screwball.” Screwball buried her face in his neck, spreading tears along his gray fur, crying, “Don’t forget me... Don’t forget me... after I’m gone... Remember the... laughter... Don’t forget about me...” “Never. I could never forget you.” Screwball slowly lifted her face to meet Discord’s teary eyes with her own. “I’m so proud of you... Discord, my son... I love you.” “I love you, too.” ---------- The Spirit of Chaos spent less than an hour in stone after a rainbow light cleansed the world. He ascended invisibly into the sky, watching as Equestria faded away beneath him. ‘Farewell, my little ponies. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.’ Somewhere on the breeze, there was a sound like the clatter of a propeller, and the sweet smell of cotton candy. The silliness continues... Author’s Notes Well, here it is. The planning for this story started back in November 2011. And after just under a year, “Head Full of Cotton Candy” is finished. This is the longest I’ve ever worked on a single story, and it’s hard to believe that come this time next week, I won’t be opening up Word and brainstorming more adventures for Discord and Screwball. And I don’t mind saying that I’m going to miss them. I suppose it’s like a parent watching their children leave the nest, it’s hard to say goodbye, but it has to happen. Though after all the emotional and physical agony I’ve put them through, it is safe to say that they’d be less torn up about getting away from me. So I guess I’m like an abusive, neglectful parent. I think we’re headed the wrong direction in these notes, can we start over? I would like to take the opportunity to address some people who have been a big part of this writing adventure. First and foremost, I would like to thank my wonderful, brilliant, infinitely-talented, and unspeakably helpful editor, TheGreyPotter. Well, no, that’s a lie. I’d like to sing her praises from the tallest mountains, but climbing gear is expensive and I’m a terrible singer. So a few sentences here will have to do the trick. I can’t count all the times her comments and notes have stopped the story from jamming the proverbial fork into the metaphorical electrical socket, or the hours of sleep I lost just so I could continue whatever crazy conversational jousting match we were enjoying. Second, I’d like to thank all my readers and commenters on FiMfiction and Equestria Daily. FiMfiction gets top billing because you guys were way more vocal and talkative. EqD, you guys gotta step up your game. But in all seriousness, I would never have had the motivation to keep going with the story if I didn’t have the support and helpful feedback from you wonderful folks. So cheers! Third, I’d like to thank the angry, nagging voice in my head that constantly berated me for wasting my time writing stories instead of focusing on schoolwork or social life for the inspiration behind the character of Savoir Faire. Now please leave me alone. Finally, I’d like to thank everyone who read “Heavenly Turmoil” and were outraged and mortified that a Tragedy story had a tragic ending, and who demanded I changed the ending to something happy. I dedicate these last two chapters to you, ya jerks. I hope they brightened up your day. So, this is the end of Discord and Screwball’s story. I’m packing them away and letting them take their well-earned rest. Thanks again to all of you for staying with us all this time. Stay screwy, everybody! XOXO, TheManWithTwoNames