As the years went by, Fluttershy and Discord noticed that their daughter possessed talents other than chaos. Like her mother, she had the ability to communicate with the animals and had a decent singing voice. They discovered another gift of hers one evening.
"Mom? Dad?"
"Yes, dear?" Fluttershy replied.
"Where do babies come from?"
Her parents both dropped their forks. Discord nearly choked on his cotton candy.
"W-w-why do you ask, dear?" he stammered.
"Since Aunt Rarity had her baby, I want to know."
The couple looked at each other nervously.
"Well, sweetie," Discord said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Babies come from...um..."
"The stork!" Fluttershy intervened.
"Yea—what?"
"The stork left you on our doorstep!"
"Yeah! The stork!"
Screwball blinked at them. "No, he didn't."
"Of course, he did!" Discord insisted.
She narrowed her eyes. "You're lying to me."
"No, I'm not!"
"Stop it, Daddy!"
"Hold on a second!" Fluttershy interrupted. "How do you know we're lying, sweetie?"
She shrugged. "I just feel it."
From then on, they knew not to lie in front of Screwball, though her question was not answered until many years later.
Gold Digger and his friend Silver Tray continued to pick on her and Dinky, but she kept herself composed, most of the time. There were a couple incidents involving wedgies (she gave them underpants first) and whoopee cushions, but she had not gone as far as the piano accident in a while.
The laugh was on them when she was the first in her class to get her cutie mark. The Ponyville Zappers and the Baltimare Orioles were playing at Funway Park and Screwball begged her father to take her. Fluttershy could not join them because she was at the spa with her friends.
Discord yawned during the first few innings, because they were filled with walks and strike outs and ponies barely even ran. Screwball, however, was enticed in the entire spectacle and bounced in her seat, cheering and waving a foam finger. It got boring for her by the sixth inning, as the ball had only been hit twice. Both pitchers were equally horrible.
She glanced at her father, who was on the verge of falling asleep. Her mother was not here and she knew she would get angry if she found out, but this game needed more excitement.
The Orioles were up to bat now. Their team was leading fifteen to thirteen. The pitcher was looking very tired and nervous. There's no harm in helping him a little.
As soon as the ball left the pitcher's hoof, the audience gasped as it moved in a corkscrew motion. When it hit the catcher's mitt, the umpire cried out: "Strike One!"
"What?!" the batter protested. "No fair! It was a foul!"
"It hit the mitt!" the catcher argued.
Discord woke from his near slumber, his attention finally caught.
"There was no way I could have hit that!"
Shut up, Screwball thought. With that, the batter's mouth was zipped closed. Screwball gasped at her mistake and instantly made the zipper vanish, but her dad and most of the ponies had already seen it.
Discord stared at his daughter in surprise. She slumped guiltily into her seat.
"I...I...I..."
"Why, Screwball Fluttershy Draconequus!" he exclaimed, dramatically putting his paw over his heart. "I never thought my own daughter would stoop so low as to cheat!"
"I'm sorry, I..."
"Amateurs cheat." He whispered in her ear. "The professionals sabotage."
She looked at her father in disbelief, seeing the mischievous grin on his face. Screwball's lips curled to match his grin.
As the pitcher wound up again, she put a silent curse on the ball. Before he could throw it, the ball leapt out of his hoof and circled in the air.
"What the heck?!" he cried out.
"See?" the batter pointed. "They've got a remote control ball!"
Suddenly, the ball rocketed toward him and knocked him on the head. He landed on the ground with a thud.
"Ooh," Screwball cringed.
"He's fine," Discord said, waving it off. He turned her head in the direction of the centerfield. "That mare over there has done nothing but file her hooves this whole game! I say we bring her attention to the field."
The filly nodded and picked up the ball with her magic, sending it hurdling towards the centerfielder.
"Mittens, watch out!"
The mare looked up and squealed. She stuck out her glove, but the ball was going so fast that it burnt a hole through the fingers.
"Some pony get that ball!" the umpire commanded.
The players scrambled for the stubborn object as it zigzagged across the field. Screwball and Discord snickered in delight.
"Now this is entertainment!" the draconequus applauded.
Screwball then had another idea. The umpire jumped as arms and legs sprouted from the bat and it began to run the bases. Discord laughed hysterically.
"Genius, my dear!" he shouted, high-fiving her. "Absolute genius!"
The filly watched in amusement as the players scattered from the field, screaming for the bat not to attack them. She had not realized how much fun it was to mess with ponies' minds! Deep down, she knew it was wrong, but she was enjoying every second of this!
"Well, would you look at that?" her father mused.
"What?" Screwball asked.
He pointed to her rear and she glanced down to see that a picture of a screw and a baseball had appeared on her flank! Discord squeezed the filly tight.
"Well done, my dear! Daddy's so proud of you!"
Their excitement over her cutie mark died the next morning when Fluttershy angrily showed them the headlines of the newspaper: 'Fiasco at Funway Park!'
"Care to explain this?" she demanded, folding her hooves.
"Uh..." Discord stammered. "Did I mention Screwball got her cutie mark?"
At this moment, Screwball was ten years old. Most of her friends had received their cutie marks by now, except for Apple Blossom, who was as obsessed over it as her aunt Apple Bloom had been. Thunder had three storm clouds while Lightning had a lightning bolt. They had received them after busting some nasty storm clouds that were difficult for the pegasi to get rid of. Dinky had three muffins and Cinnamon Stick had a cinnamon stick, making their talents quite obvious.
They were in the schoolyard, making teams for a game of basketball. Unfortunately, Gold Digger and Silver Tray were the captains. Their cutie marks were three gold nuggets and a silver tray, respectively. The twins were picked first, since they were the best athletes. Then it came down to Apple Blossom, Screwball and Dinky.
"Let's see..." Silver Tray thought, rubbing his chin. "Okay, I'll take the blank flank."
Apple Blossom groaned as she went to join his team.
"Alright, let's play!" Gold Digger announced, bouncing the basketball.
"Hey!" Dinky cried. "What about us?"
The colt turned to the remaining pair. "Which do you want, Silver Tray? Discord Junior or Derpy Junior?"
"You kidding me?" Silver Tray grunted. "Derpy Junior can't keep her eye on the ball and Discord Junior keeps turning the ball into an orange!"
Screwball gritted her teeth. "My name is Screwball."
"Exactly the point!" Gold Digger taunted. "We're not letting a nut play with us!"
"Knock it off, guys!" Lightning shouted.
"You're not being fair!" Thunder agreed.
"Why don't you let them play?" Cinnamon Stick demanded.
Gold Digger tilted his head towards Screwball. "Why doesn't she go back where she belongs? In the Canterlot Gardens with her dad!"
Screwball had to bite her cheek to hold back her anger. Dinky put a hoof on her shoulder.
"It's okay, Screwy," she said. "I didn't want to play basketball, anyway."
"Hey, Derpy Junior!" Gold Digger called. "Catch!"
Dinky did not see the ball in time to catch it. It hit her square in the forehead, causing her to fall backward into a mud puddle.
"Dinky!" Screwball cried, kneeling down to her.
"Gosh, sorry!" Gold Digger said sarcastically. "Hope that didn't cause any brain damage. If there was any brain left to damage!"
Screwball narrowed her eyes at the colt, fire blazing within them. "You jerk! Dinky may be uncoordinated, but she's not stupid!"
"Speaking of stupid, how come you always wear that stupid hat?! You freaks deserve each other!"
A few other kids started laughing with him. Screwball looked down at her best friend covered in dirt, tears coming out of her disproportional eyes.
"That's it!"
She stood on her hind legs and clapped her front hooves together with a great boom, causing the ponies to fall silent as they looked up at her in alarm.
"You want to play basketball? Fine! Let's play some basketball!"
Gold Digger let out a shriek as gold light enveloped around him, pressing him into a sphere. The others backed away as he bounced on the asphalt.
"Screwball, what are you doing?!" Cinnamon Stick exclaimed in horror.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Screwball replied, sounding like a mad mare. "I'm scoring three points!"
The colt screamed as he was thrown across the basketball court and into the net. The insane filly then darted her eyes at Silver Tray. Before he had a chance to escape, he was pressed into a ball as well and tossed into the other basket.
"Woo hoo!" Screwball cried, throwing her hooves into the air. "That's six points for me, zip for you!"
A score board appeared matching what she had just announced. Apple Blossom raced inside the schoolhouse.
"Screwball, are you nuts?!" Dinky cried out.
"Nuts?!"
The crazy look in her eyes made the unicorn jump back.
"I'm not nuts! I'm screwy! Cuz I'm Screwball, the Princess of Chaos! And you all made fun of me and hurt my friend! I shall have my revenge! Revenge!"
As she let out a frightening laugh, the sky turned red and a bolt of lightning struck. Screwball paused as she felt a hoof on her shoulder. She turned to see Cheerilee's furious face staring back at her.
Screwball sat hunched on the school steps. Even though the door was closed, she could hear the conversation clear as day.
"That half-pony nearly killed my boy!" Filthy Rich bellowed.
"She didn't mean to harm any pony," Fluttershy insisted.
"She's a menace! You should expel her at once!"
"No!" Silver Tray's mother screeched. "A child like that should be in an asylum!"
"After all, what else can you do with the Devil's child?!"
Fluttershy gasped and Screwball heard a slap. "How dare you insult my child and my husband?!"
"Every pony, calm down!" Cheerilee shouted.
"Calm down?!" Silver Tray's mother shrieked. "Look at my son! Look at his son! That half-thing must be punished!"
"And what about your kids?" Derpy demanded. "They hurt my Dinky! Screwball was defending her!"
Screwball winced as she tried to block their words out.
"Freak!"
"Devil child!"
"Mad pony!"
"Halfling!"
"Monster!"
"She doesn't belong!"
A tear fell down her cheek.
The sound of the door slamming open broke her out of her trance. She looked up to see Gold Digger, Silver Tray and their parents send her death glares as they passed by. The boys held ice packs to their heads. Next came Derpy and Dinky, but they were silent. Then her mother appeared. She was not happy.
"You're lucky she didn't expel you," she said calmly.
Screwball hung her head.
"Honey, this is the third complaint I've received this month! I've let the other mishaps slide, but this…this is worse than the piano incident!"
"I'm sorry," the filly sobbed. "I...I don't know what came over me, I...I didn't mean…"
Fluttershy sighed and sat beside her daughter. "Look. It's noble that you were standing up for your friend, but you hurt those ponies just as they had hurt you and Dinky."
"I wish I had done worse."
"Screwball!"
"At least then it would have all stopped!" She sniffed. "They're right, Mommy. Maybe I am evil like they say. I…I don't wanna be evil!"
She cried into her mother's chest. Fluttershy stroked her mane tenderly.
"You're not evil, sweetie. You just made a bad decision."
"What if I can't control myself next time? What if I...?"
"You'll learn, honey. Maybe…you shouldn't use your powers anymore, at least not in school. Okay?"
Her daughter glanced up and nodded.
Dinky slowly approached them. "I still think you were pretty crazy back there, but...thanks for sticking up for me."
Screwball looked at her friend and then stood to embrace her.
"I have an idea!" Derpy exclaimed. "Why don't we forget this whole mess and go down to Sugar Cube Corner? A good muffin always makes me feel better!"
"Yay!" Dinky cheered in agreement.
"Can we, Mommy?" Screwball begged. "I'll clean the bathroom tonight!"
Fluttershy rolled her eyes, knowing that chore would only take a few seconds. "Alright."
The four were greeted by an exasperated Pinkie Pie.
"Hello…" she wheezed, "Derpy...Flutter...Screwy...Dinky...table...for...four?"
"Sure," Fluttershy uttered. "You alright, Pinkie?"
"Fine!" she gasped. "Running...store...myself...triplets...busy!"
A few years ago, Pinkie had met a clown who not only measured up to her level of silliness, but could do magic tricks. They were married and recently blessed with female triplets: Blueberry Pie, Raspberry Pie and Cherry Pie. Unfortunately, her husband was on tour with a circus right now.
Pinkie groaned as she heard a chorus of babies crying.
"Seat yourselves! Be right with you!"
She bolted upstairs to calm her children. As they entered the shop, Screwball gasped, seeing the twins, Cinnamon Stick and Apple Blossom occupying a table.
"On second thought," she whispered to her mother, "let's go."
Fluttershy stopped her daughter and pushed her back in the other direction. "You can't avoid your friends forever."
"They think I'm a freak!"
"You don't know that. And if they do, I suggest you prove them wrong."
Screwball turned in the direction of the two colts and two fillies that were looking at her now. She took a deep breath and approached them.
"Hey," she uttered. "I know you probably don't want to speak to me again after what I did…"
"Are you kidding?" Lightning exclaimed.
"That was...awesome!" Thunder declared, giving his sister a hoof bump.
Screwball's ears perked up. "You mean you're not mad?"
"Mad?" Apple Blossom repeated. "Sure, we were a little freaked, but it's about time some pony taught those bullies a lesson!"
"Just don't go so loony on us again, okay?" Cinnamon Stick asked with a shiver. "That scared the hay out of me!"
"What are you standing down there for?" Thunder inquired.
"We're friends, aren't we?" Lightning questioned.
"Pull up a seat!"
Screwball smiled as she and Dinky joined their friends. No matter what happened, she always knew she could count on them.
Nobody said anything at the dinner table for the first fifteen minutes. The only sound was Discord's crunching on rocks. Fluttershy kept glancing at Screwball and tilting her head towards Discord. The filly shook her head in response. Finally, the draconequus slammed his fork.
"Okay, what's with the awkward silence?"
"Screwball," Fluttershy said slowly. "Isn't there something you want to tell Daddy?"
"About what?" Screwball asked innocently.
"About what happened at school today?"
"Alright, story time!" Discord grinned and leaned back on his chair. "What'd you do this time?"
"I..." Screwball stammered. "I...played basketball with Gold Digger and Silver Tray."
He raised an eyebrow. "That's...nice?"
She took a deep breath. "They were the basketballs."
Discord stifled a laugh, but he could not contain it. He pounded his fist on the table, clutching his stomach with his claw.
"You...played basketball...and they...were the basketballs! Oh, if I had been there to see that! Wait! I can!"
He vanished from his seat and then reappeared a few seconds later, rolling on the floor with laughter.
"Oh, that was priceless! You know you have your mother's evil laugh? Pure genius!" He wiped away a tear and spun his daughter around. "Brilliant, my dear! You've made your father proud!"
Screwball could not help but smile a bit.
"Discord, this is serious!" Fluttershy shouted. "Don't you see what's happening here?"
"That my little girl finally taught those brats not to mess with the House of Discord?"
She glared at him. "May I speak with you alone?"
Discord misread her question and set the filly down excitedly. "But of course, my dear!"
He followed his wife to the bedroom. Once she had shut the door, he twirled her around to face him.
"Usually, we wait until after dinner, but now's good."
She put a hoof to his puckered lips. "We need to talk about our daughter."
"Come now, she won't catch us."
He leaned toward her again, only to be harshly pushed away.
"No! I mean about what happened today!"
He groaned. "So she got a little carried away. Big deal!"
"It is a big deal! Doesn't it concern you...how much alike you two are?"
"Why should it? She is my daughter."
"That's exactly why we should be worried!"
He crossed his arms. "Are you saying you regret having my child?!"
"No! I love her as much as you do, but her powers...they're getting out of hand!"
"She's young! Let her have her fun!"
"Discord…the things they called her today..."
"Names are nothing."
"They called her a monster."
That caught his attention. "What?"
"Also freak, devil child, halfling..."
"Okay, okay! I get the picture!"
"Don't you see? She might wind up an outcast...like you were. What if something happens to make her lose control? What if...what if we have to turn her to...?"
He held up his claw. "Don't say it!"
"...stone."
He covered her mouth. "Now, now. Let's not exaggerate!"
She sighed as he slowly removed his paw. "I know it's a horrible thing to suggest, but it could happen."
"No, it won't."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because she's your daughter as well." He gently lifted her chin. "She may have my demented mind, but she also has your good heart. That's how I know that no matter how many times she loses control, she will not go down the path I left long ago." He chuckled. "Besides, you've gone insane a couple times yourself."
She gasped and slapped his paw away.
"What?" he shrugged. "I love it when you go nuts! It's so...attractive."
She put her hooves on her hips. "That's it! You're sleeping on the couch tonight!"
Discord paused as she exited the room.
"W-what?!" He pursued her. "You can't kick me out of bed! I'm the master of this house! I'm the one with magic powers!"
Fluttershy flew down to her daughter. "Screwball, honey, your daddy needs a time-out tonight."
"Okay, Mommy," Screwball snickered.
"Huh?" Discord uttered. "What do you mean a time-out? Fluttershy!"
The pegasus slammed the bedroom door behind her. Discord tried the knob, but it was locked. Then he tried teleporting inside only to realize that a magical barrier had been put up. He pointed accusingly at his daughter.
"She put you up to this, didn't she?"
Instead of getting an answer, a pillow and blanket appeared in his hands. He laughed nervously.
"Screwy," he purred. "Sweetheart, you know that baseball bat you've always wanted?"
A metal bat appeared in her hooves. "Already got it."
"Whatever she's paying you, I'll pay you more!"
She pretended to think about it. "No. I'm just going to bed early."
He gawked as she headed to her room. "Don't you walk away from me, young lady! I'm not finished with you! I make the rules around here! I..."
He stopped as she shut the door in his face. He groaned and pulled at his hair.
"I've been outsmarted by a ten-year-old. No, a ten-year-old and her mother! Her bossy, annoying, devious…irresistible mother!" He gazed at the gold band on his finger. "Oh Discord, what have you gotten yourself into?"