//------------------------------// // chapter 4 // Story: Im your Daddy Discord // by fluttercord45 //------------------------------// Deep in the heart of the Everfree Forest princess Celestia and princess Luna were getting searching for the Tree of Harmony. Sometime ago they had reached where the beaten trail had ended and were forced to traverse the mysterious woods without any real direction. Countless others have searched and gave up but too much was at stake for the royal sisters. It almost felt like the trees uprooted and moved when unobserved; as if nature itself wanted to bar their path. The dense branches overhead choked the sun’s rays and left them to rely on their horns for a guiding light. Abruptly there was a bright light ahead of them and their eyes beheld an ancient looking tree. The tree had three marks on its mighty trunk; down on the bottom was the ancient symbol of the moon, then above that was a glyph representing the sun. In alignment in between the two was a star like mark. Within reach of the princesses were five distinctive branches that each held a colored gem. "The tree of Harmony." Luna said as she regarded the strange tree. Princess Celestia flew up to the unique marvel of nature and charged her horn. "Are you sure?" Luna asked as she flew up to her older sister. "We have managed to discover the only means in which to defeat Discord and free the citizens of Equestia…we cannot turn back now." Celestia used her magic to carefully take the gems one by one off of the ancient tree. "Even without the Elements the Tree of Harmony will possess powerful magic." Once the last of the gems were removed the star shape opened up and revealed a sixth gem that mirrored the symbol. "As long as that magic remains it will continue to control and contain all that grows here." "Let us go find him and take back what is ours!" said Luna with venom in her royal tone. Celestia nodded her head in silence. The two Alicorn sisters carefully placed the gems into a pouch and began the long march back out of the forest and steeled themselves for their inevitable confrontation with the Master of Chaos. Some Pegasi Ponies were flying away from a cotton candy cloud that was pouring golf balls; some Earth Ponies were being stalked by trees walking on their roots with the intent on tripping them for no apparent reason at all. Both groups found themselves divided and scattered and only found each other when pushed to the center of the chaos where they found themselves trapped in large fly traps. The Unicorns unfortunate enough to be in the fray tried to use their magic to fend off the trees and clouds but in the end were as helpless as the rest. Discord and Screwball started to laugh from the chaos unfolding in front of them. All three kinds of ponies all trying and failing to evade their design in their own ways was quite the sight. Discord sat at his throne watching the amazing view that he had made with his daughter. "Hey dad I want to show you something" Screwball suddenly said with a smile before taking off her propeller hat. With a pink puff of smoke a rabbit appeared inside her hat. The rabbit didn’t quite like the way she grinned as she peered down at it. With a sudden and desperate jump the creature darted away from her before giving her the chance to do anything else. "Hey wait, come back!” She called after it as she put her hat back on. “Dad I’ll be right back." Screwball said as she started to chase the rabbit. Discords watched his daughter disappear into the distance and his body started to shake. "Well...that happened." He said with a shrug. As the chaotic filly vanished from his sight he leaned back in his throne and heard the distinct sound of his two favorite Alicorns approaching. He paused when he noted the steady confident pace. It was different this time; it was as if they were steeled for a fight. He grinned and summoned a pouch to his hand. He waited a little before turning his seat to face them. "Oh this is so much fun, how about we play pin the tail on the pony?" He said as he pulled what suspiciously looked like Celestia’s tail from behind his back. Luna gave him a confident stare and Celestia briefly turned to see that it was indeed hers that he was holding. "Play time is over for you, Discord." The elder sister said as she took a single step forward. "Oh I doubt that.” Discord said replied as he reached into the bag and fished out a handful of black seeds. "Hungry?" Celestia and Luna didn’t responded with silent stares and narrowing eyes. "Suit yourselves. “ He said as he began messily eating the seeds. More fell to the ground than went into his mouth and some of them flew as far enough to lightly hit them in their faces. Celestia’s horn glowed and the Elements in her bag came forth. They neatly hovered in a row in front of the two. "Oh what have you got there?" Discord asked as he touched his goat beard. A slight grin came over his face and looked inquisitively at the strange gems in front of the princesses. "The Elements of Harmony!" Celestia answered as the gems began to rapidly orbit around them. "With them we will defeat you! ”Luna shouted with equal enthusiasm. Discord began to laugh and tossed the bag of seeds aside. "You should see yourselves right now! The expressions on your faces are so intense, so sure of yourselves!" He said as he continued to laugh. Celestia and Luna put their horns together and unleashed a powerful rainbow that shot into the air before hammering down towards him. Discord continued laughing unaware of what was coming. “Hilarious!” Was all he said; he wanted to say more but nothing came out. He couldn’t even move. Screwball chased after the rabbit all the way to the edge of the Everfree Forest. The critter darted into the trees and she halted at the threshold. The trees towered over her as if they wanted to block her entry; it was as if nature itself was trying to say that she wasn’t welcome in the woods. She stopped looking at the dark scary forest and sighed to herself. "Oh well… guess I could show him some other trick that I thought of." Screwball began her trip back to her daddy, but paused when she saw a big rainbow shoot into the sky. It crashed down abruptly and a large wave of magic expanded as it rocketed in all directions. The wave shot through her and to her surprise it just harmlessly passed on as if she wasn’t there. Screwball started looking around and saw that everything was different. That town in the distance had a different air about it. The cotton candy clouds overhead were no longer pink but white. The ground was no longer in a checkerboard pattern, she saw a dense floor of thin strange green plants that reached to the sky and the beaten path was an odd dark brown. All of her father’s Chaos was gone. "Daddy?" Screwball yelled in fear and worry as she started running to find her family. As screwball ran towards he father’s throne she saw a large group of ponies gathered around something she couldn’t quite see. She slowly navigated under and around sets of legs until she got to the heart of the crowd and saw the two Alicorn sisters and a strange and familiar statue. "Excuse me sir." She said as she poked a nearby gray stallion who then turned and looked down at her. "What’s going on?" Screwball asked once their eyes met. “The two princesses saved all of Equestria… the Lord of Chaos was turned into stone….we’re free...finally free." The gray stallion said with a mix of relief and joy. "Turned to stone…" Screwball softly repeated in a low frightful voice. Screwball ran to the statue. It had to be a lie. It had to be a trick he was playing. Any second now he would show his true self again and surprise them all. She reached the statue’s feet and smiled confidently as she waited. Slowly her smile faded and her eyes went wide and her body just froze. She couldn’t believe it but it was true. Her dad was turned to stone. Some members of the Royal Guard tired heavy ropes to her father’s waist and pulled him onto a carriage. "Come sister we must go back to our now normal home."Celestia said with a mix of relief and joy in her voice. "Sister what are we going to do with Discord?" Inquired Luna in a curious tone. Celestia looked at the draconequus trapped in stone and the answer hit her. "I think I have the perfect spot to put him." Celestia replied as she slightly smiled. The two Alicorns seated themselves at the front of the carriage and it began to move. Screwball silently followed them while still in a state of shock. She didn’t know what to think or what to do…she didn’t even know how to feel except for suddenly alone and afraid for the first time in her life. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna arrived at the Canterlot Royal and watched in silence as their guards carefully placed the statue down as if he was any other plant or piece of artwork. Celestia’s horn glowed as she lowered the sun and Luna brought up the moon in its place. They both walked away from the garden feeling tired from their ordeal but very eager to get on with their lives. The confidently marched knowing that they had won and that Discord’s reign was finally over. Once they were gone along with the last of the guards Screwball quietly pulled herself out of a large hedge. She took one look at her father and abandoned all thoughts of stealth and raced forward to his feet. "Daddy? Daddy can you hear me?" She asked the statue. She silently begged for an answer; anything to at least let her know if he was even still alive in there. No answer came. Screwball eyes began to water and she softly began to sing. "So there you are my Dad, a statue oh so cold so dead You tore there world apart and everypony lost their head Now I must carry on making Chaos for you instead 'Cause you are my Daddy Discord and I am a piece of you." Screwball sighed sadly as tears began to distort her vision. "I miss you daddy." She whispered to the statue. She began to cry and her heart skipped a beat upon hearing a low chuckle. She slowly turned around and swore that she saw a faint purple circular glow coming from his now grey and cracked chest. "Daddy?" Screwball softly said her father’s voice filled her head. "Please do not cry my dear your daddy is still very here And when I do bust out we can re-spread the random fear Our joy will be their pain as their world drowns in chocolate rain 'Cause I am your Daddy Discord and you are a piece of me!" Discord began to laugh from within his stone prison. Screwball wiped her tears away and shared his laughter. [Screwball] "Remember that one time you took me to that baseball game? I got my Cutie mark..." [Discord] "...and things were never quite the same." [Together] "My wild pitches flew driving the ponies all insane 'Cause You are My Daddy Discord and I am a piece of You!" Screwball laugh a little more as life swelled back into her chest. [Discord] Oh simple spawn of mine without you I would be so lost You have stuck by my side... [Screwball] ...No matter what the tragic cost. [Together] Your crazed imagined have given me a new found strength. 'Cause You are my Daughter Screwball and....one day I’ll be breaking out of here!" Screwball sighed and lied down on the grass next to her petrified father as the glowing orb faded into nothing. "I miss you daddy." She whispered as closed her eyes as a single tear escaped.