There she was, rising from the body which was sacrificed for her; the real daughter of Discord. I couldn’t hold back my urge to vomit, and I did so very profusely. I stared straight at Discord after I had gained my composure and wiped my mouth, gave him the most serious stare I could manage, and told him off. “You are a demon, Discord! I used to think you just liked chaos. I was actually accepting your plans as something you would be known for doing, but sacrificing Scootaloo, an innocent pony who you mutated into an alicorn, and a quite big one for a filly at that, just so that some random pony can be here? What is your deal man?” I didn’t know at the time that the pony that had appeared was Discord’s daughter, but right after I said what I said, I found out.
Discord himself looked astonished at what had occurred. He seemed stunned at the fact that Scootaloo had just been sacrificed to bring forth this new pony. After a few minutes, I got tired of waiting for a reply and said, “Discord, you barbaric freak of nature. Who is that?”
He didn’t move a muscle or twitch an instant while saying, “That’s my daughter, Screwball.” I then had a little episode of disbelief. Discord had a real daughter and he had to sacrifice an alicorn to get her back. Now if Rainbow Dash died, I would see where I would go to some extremes, and I did, but I would never kill anypony to get her back; especially not a pony I loved. Discord may not have loved Scootaloo, but I know he had the smallest hint of compassion for her. Why was it that he would just let this new pony or Screwball as he had called her, come from the body of a pony which he had put in a lot of love and care, not to mention spectra, just to see it die and go away?
Screwball then spoke up by saying, “Oh, here we all are. The daughter of Discord with her father and her new partner.” I understood what she meant, but couldn’t believe it. “New partner? I just met you and you just met me. How are you so certain of me and how are you so certain I’ll even accept? I’m dating one of the best ponies, now people, ever to live by the name of Rainbow Dash,”
She didn’t allow me to finish. “Oh her. She’s nothing compared to me. You should date me Dash. I’m so much better.” That pissed me off a little bit because she was talking down about my girlfriend.
“Look here, you spawn of Satan, I don’t know how or why you are here, but I know for a fact that Discord wouldn’t preform a sacrifice that involved a living organism of any size. I also know that if he were ok with you being here, he would probably be hugging you into unconsciousness. All this brings up one question: Was it all you?
She really was the daughter of Discord, because their laughs were the same. She laughed for a good minute or two, then, after gaining her composure, said, “Oh yes Dash. Yes, all of my father’s plans were mine. Even though he cannot actually hug me, he would definitely try. You and I both know he cannot hold a physical form after what you did to him. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate you because of it. You had your own ideals at the time, and you acted upon them. I ask you now though to release those ideals. My plan to use the spectra to mutate every human and pony will affect every single one of them, even Rainbow Dash. She will be caught in this storm. So will your parents, your friends, the ponies they represent, the ponies in Equestria; everyone. Everything else will be ok, but everybody and everypony will become pony/human hybrids. I do this because I love you, and I know that I will be a better choice. I can make the world as I like it, and through me, how you like it. Wouldn’t you like that, Dash? You could get anything you wanted whenever you wanted it. All you have to do is love me back. What do you say?”
It wasn’t hard to think of an answer for that one. “Screwball, I understand that you want someone to love. I understand that it is kinda lonely being the daughter of Discord. I understand the loneliness that comes with that. Believe me, being a brony has taught me that, but I must decline. I could rule the world and all that, but all I would ever want is to be with my friends and family in Equestria with the ponies of Equestria. If I could have that and have you as a very good friend, then I would be absolutely willing to take your offer. I couldn’t accept that life if Rainbow Dash wasn’t in it; if it had to be looking like this,” and I pointed to the dreary scene.
The world around me began to fade, and I, along with Discord and Screwball, returned to reality. I look at my arms and they are completely grey. I look at my whole body and it’s grey. I felt so depressed. No, not depressed; empty. I felt void of any feeling, any emotion. I am pulled off the table by Discord, and when I look at him, he looks almost depressed. This questions me greatly. “Discord, what’s wrong? Your daughter’s back. You should be happy.”
He shed a single tear of strawberry milk. “You would think I should be, wouldn’t you? She’s not her, Dash. Something has changed about her. I was originally just going to accept being dead and being a spirit, but then I found her in the spirit realm. She had died a few years back when some of my chaotic schemes got out of hand, and she accidently fell into one of the Factory’s grinders. It killed me inside that my daughter, who had sacrificed so much for me to be my daughter, had been ground into spectra. I couldn’t look at myself for a long time. Now she’s back, but she’s not her. She’s more…evil. You were right in saying I would never sacrifice a living thing for the pursuit of chaos. That’s purely her belief. Somehow, she was able to channel herself through me into Scootaloo with my magic, and use her body to recreate her own. Now she walks among us.”
“That’s some serious stuff man. I now have some deep respect for you. It would seem you have repented of your old ways.”
“I have, but now my old ways have come to haunt me.”
As he finished the last word, Screwball came to us. She looked right at me and said, “Well Dash; since you just want to be friends and not and not partners, I think I’ll have a little fun with yours.”
“No! Don’t hurt her! I will never forgive you if you do.”
“Don’t worry Dash. I won’t turn her into a hybrid, just back into a pegasus so that I can be the only pure human you will know.” That in itself pulled up a lot of questions.
“Wait, hold on a second. Your telling me that you have a way to turn everyone else into hybrids, as well as turning Rainbow Dash into just a pony and turning you into a human. That would mean you would need at least four different batches of spectra; one of pegasi, one of unicorns and pegasi, one of my spectra, and one of a mix of pegasi, unicorn, earth and my spectra.”
She looked impressed. “Wow Dash. Your smarter than you look. That’s exactly what I have, and that’s exactly what I’ll use. I’ll use the one of your spectra on me to turn my human, I’ll use the one of pegasus spectra to turn Rainbow Dash back into a pegasus, and I’ll use the mixed batch on everypony and everybody else. You see? Great minds think alike.”
“Not in this case. Your mind is demented. Mine is just clever.”
She shrugged off the insult. “Oh well, it doesn’t matter. Ooo and here comes Rainbow Dash now.”
I see Rainbow Dash all wrapped up on a vertical table 10 feet above me. “Dash what’s going on? Why am I tied up?”
Before I could answer, Screwball said, “Well Rainbow Dash, you’re just going to be turned back into a pegasus. Oh and your friends are being turned into freaks of nature. Nothing big.”
After she finished telling Rainbow Dash the whole thing, she forces her to drink what I can only guess was the pegasus batch of spectra. Rainbow Dash flinches hard at the liquid going down her throat. “Blaugh! What was that horrible stuff? Tasted like really rotten milk and…wait. What’s happening?” I looked closely at her, and sure enough she was changing. Her hands were turning into hooves, her body was beginning to shrink back into its old form and the whole while she was asking me, “What’s happening to me, Dash? Why am I changing? Dash, please answer me; what’s happening?” To be honest, I myself didn’t know what was going on. It seemed so weird that it took all the unicorns in Ponyville, as well as Princess Celestia, to turn Rainbow Dash into a human and yet it only took a glass of Pegasus spectra to turn her back into a pegasus. As she finished transforming, her restraints couldn’t hold her anymore and she started to fall. I ran to catch her and as I caught her, it shocked me how she was now back to how she was before; light and easy to carry. She looked right at me and said, “Dash, what’s happened to me? Why am I back to being a pegasus? What was the liquid that one pony made me drink? Speaking of which, who was that pony and how and why is she turning our friends into freaks of nature?” I was still trying to think of all the answers to all her questions.
“Well, Rainbow Dash, that liquid was actually Pegasus spectra, which is what was used to transform you back to a pegasus. That other pony is Screwball, the daughter of Discord and she wants to be my only human friend, by which she will make a reality by making the spectra that is a mix of pegasus, unicorn, and earth pony, as well as my own, spectra, which will use to turn our friends, family, and every human and pony into a pony/human hybrid.”
She looked confused and only seemed to be able to say, “What?”
“I know it’s a lot to sink in, but I’m going to give her the slip that I need to get ready for this new world, at which time she will go to prepare herself by turning human, which should give me some time.”
“Time to do what?”
“Time to snag some of the pegasus spectra or should I get the alicorn mix?”
“Alicorn because we might need some magic, but you would change for me?”
I looked right into her eyes and said, “Yes I would. Plus I am completely drained of energy and the spectra would bring me back up to normal, and I kinda want to know how it feels to be a pony.”
She smirked at that and said, “Oh you and your brony thoughts.”
Screwball came back and as she did, I said, “Screwball, I’ve accepted that I will have to live in the new world, but I just ask some time to talk to my other friends before they are changed.” She thought about it for a second, or so I could guess from her visage, and she concluded that I would have ten minutes with them and that she then would prepare herself. Just according to plan.
I went over to where my friends were being kept and instead of individual cages; they were in one giant cage. I ran into that cage, and after being showered with hugs and love, I shared with them the plan that Screwball had come up with, as well as the explanation as to why Rainbow Dash was a pegasus again. After my explanation, my human friends started talking amongst themselves and told me at the same time, “Take the Mane 6 with you.”
Taking them with me wouldn’t be a problem; it would just take a few more doses of spectra, but that would mean that they would be here alone to be transformed into freaks of nature. “Are you guys sure about this? I won’t be able to rescue you for a while and I don’t know what will happen to you guys.” They all nodded. I couldn’t hold back the tear that fell for them and the sacrifice they were making. “You guys will never be forgotten.” I flew over to the tubs of spectra, got seven vials of the alicorn mix, brought them to each pony, and after saying our goodbyes to my friends, we drank up. I could feel my body transforming and changing; hands turning into hooves, legs curving and whatnot. I started to feel faint and I passed out.
I was on Earth. I knew I was dreaming, but it was still so real to me. I can’t explain how it felt. It felt like one of those things where you are in limbo between being awake and asleep, but never one or the other. I pinched myself and it didn’t hurt, but I still felt it. This was starting to weird me out, but something calmed me down and settled my nerves; a certain aura that was very familiar and…ancient. Like light itself was resting on my back. I looked behind me and I saw the source of my calm; Princess Celestia herself. I looked at her and she looked at me and to break the silence, I asked, “So what happens now?” She looked troubled, but finally put herself in her royal stature and gave her final words to me, at least for a while. She said, “Dash, I know you have done much for Equestria, as it has done many things for you, but now your world and ours is in trouble, we have already received a declaration of control of Earth as well as Horth. I cannot do a thing but accept this as it was given from within the Factory, where I know at least someone is still in danger. I know not of where you are or who you are with, but I leave you with this last piece of advice before I must surrender. Whoever you are and whoever you are with is not important. It is what you have with them that matters. It is better to travel with friends than with enemies, so make sure you care for whoever you are with, because a lack of friendship can turn a friend into an enemy. I have just received word that the Factory will be releasing a chemical that will turn every pony and human into a hybrid between humans and ponies. This will the last contact I will have with you…unless you save us. You and whoever you are with are our only hope. Now go Dash. It’s now time for you to be…
Awoken