Cheerilee stared at the small colt before her, the color having drained almost entirely from her face. The little story he'd told her about where he had been didn't make sense. It was impossible, for one. No... family could ever treat a child of theirs like that. Not to mention the other things he mentioned on the side. But the fact the colt had even thought up such stories spoke of a much deeper underlying problem. This pony had obviously been through quite a lot of emotional abuse and was struggling to come to grips with reality.
She had wished it could be explained away by perhaps something he'd eaten from the Everfree Forest, but there was nothing. On the up side, he had begun to calm down finally. Was even letting her feed him. He was only giving death threats every few minutes now as well, instead of constantly. However, he was still far from being better.
“What are you staring at, pony?” he snapped as he glowered at her, his little hooves crossed awkwardly over his chest. He was getting a little better at moving, too.
“Val, there's going to be a social worker here in a little bit to talk with you. I need you to try to calm down and remember where you're actually from. Who your mother and father is.” She paused. “If... your parents are hurting you, they can protect you.” She smiled softly. “But they need to know who your parents actually are.”
“I TOLD YOU ALREADY!” he screamed. “You're the ones not listening! I told you who I am and who my family is! You're just too stupid to understand me! It's because you're a horse, a little tiny horse with a little tiny brain! Where are your owners? They'll surrender and then I'll free myself from your foul clutches!” He tried to get to his hooves again, but the blanket was too fierce a contender for him to get out of and all he managed to do was kind of roll around a bit.
She sighed. “Oh you poor dear. Please, listen. You've been through a lot, I understand.” She gently put a hoof on his head to pat it, but he tried to bite it. She yanked it back quickly. “But you need help now and we want to give it. You can trust me. I just want what's best for you.”
“Then let me go,” he growled.
“You're just a child, you need help. You're half starved and can't even feed yourself.” She glanced towards the door as it opened. “Yes?”
“The social worker is here,” Redheart said. “She'd like to speak with Val, alone.”
Cheerilee nodded and got to her hooves before smiling back to him. “It's going to be fine, Val. We're all here to take care of and help you.”
He grunted and glared back at her, not saying a word. She trotted out of the room and smiled nervously to Redheart. “Have you ever seen a patient like him?”
“No. Have you ever met a child like him?”
Cheerilee shook her head. “No. I've met a few trouble makers and spoiled foals in my time, but never anypony who so quickly just... turned to lies and attacks like that. It's a little scary, I think he actually believes some of them. Could you imagine...” She shook her head. “So there's nothing found on him yet?”
“I'm afraid not,” Redheart said. “Not all of our tests have come back yet, but as far as we can tell, he's a healthy young colt with... a striking imagination.”
“There has to be something,” Cheerilee muttered.
“If there is, the social worker will find out. She's quite good, you know. Fresh from Canterlot, I hear.”
Cheerilee nodded, her eyes still focused on the room. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she could imagine the child was giving the poor mare no end of trouble. “I think I'm going to go get something to eat,” she finally said. “I don't think I've had anything since I've arrived here and frankly I just... I really need something.” She smiled to Redheart. “Can you call for me if there's any changes?”
“Of course. Are you sure you wish to stay around? He's not your responsibility, he's--”
“He's another child, just like any of my students,” Cheerilee said with a smile. “Besides, I'd never feel right leaving a child like that alone, without knowing where he's going.” She turned and trotted towards the cafeteria, her eyes downcast. She just wished the child would give some inclination that he knew what ponies actually were. Some way he'd show that he wasn't completely crazy or brain damaged.
Besides, the way he was talking didn't make any sense. Why would something live underground like that, not to mention the whole walking on two legs. The only creatures she knew like that were diamond dogs and the rest of his stories didn't make any sense if he was one of those. It was all so crazy and weird, just...
She face hoofed. It was so chaotic. Of course. She veered off from the cafeteria and made her way towards the exit. Now he had gone too far. It was one thing to be... incredibly annoying. But whatever he'd done to that poor child's mind was just... just evil! What kind of unrepentant monster could harm a child in such a way?
Fortunately, she knew exactly where to find Discord, there was only one place he'd be. Fluttershy's cottage.
------
Rarity tried to keep a smile on her face as the small... pony thing followed behind her. It was really quite affectionate and almost cute. Were it not for its great fangs and claws, it would have made quite the adorable little filly. Or colt. She really wasn't sure. The face was quite filly like, but the back was more like a colt. It also had a dragon's tail and she had no idea how to identify the gender of that. Worst of all, it kept nipping and nibbling at her dress, trying to pop out the few jewels she had buried within. “Knock it off,” she said for the umpteenth time.
“But mommmmmmmy!” he whined in a high pitched squeal, staring at it. “Aquamarines are my favorite...”
Rarity turned even redder as ponies turned to stare at the child and her. “Discord's doing,” she said quickly as she gave a sheepish smile, before glowering back at him. “Now come along. Once we get you fixed, we'll... see about getting you some aquamarines.”
“R-really?” His eyes lit up like gems, making her smile.
“Of course.”
He gave her another happy nuzzle. She looked down and smiled at him. She was going to kill the abominable spirit. Thrash him to death even if it chipped her hooves in a dozen different places. She didn't know who this little colt was, but he did not deserve to be turned into... whatever this was. She shuddered at another thought. What if he was a baby pony AND a baby dragon? She wouldn't put it past Discord to meld two unsuspecting creatures for his amusement. She ground her hoof into the dirt a little bit as she walked. He would payyyyy.
All of a sudden there was another pony, looking nearly as mad as her, joining her on the way. “Well, hello there miss Cheerilee. What brings you out this way?”
“Discord,” the mare grumbled, before looking back and smiling. “What are-- ahhhh!” All of a sudden the little dragon pony creature lunged on the mare, knocking her over.
“Teacher!” the creature said, hugging her tightly.
“W-what? I... what?” Cheerilee asked, looking down at it. “Err... hello there. What's, errr, your name?”
“Claw! I can spell it now and everything!” it said happily, before it began sniffing her, its tail wagging the whole time. It then looked disappointed. “No rubies...”
“Err... of course no rubies,” the teacher said before looking up at Rarity, confusion on her face. “Is... this yours?”
“I do believe it is the result of Discord's... games,” Rarity muttered darkly. “Claw, please get off her.” Well, at least she had a name for the creature now. She couldn't help feeling silly for not having asked earlier. “Come along.”
Cheerilee got to her hooves a few moments later after the creature got off. “Is... that a... dragon... pony... err... what...”
“I'm not quite sure.” She sighed as it scampered off ahead, chasing a poor cat that bolted up into a tree. “To be honest, I'm not even sure if it's supposed to be a colt or a filly. It doesn't seem to have a very long attention span, though. And it keeps calling me...” She shuddered. “Mommy.”
“Mommy?” Cheerilee had to smile then. “Well, I have heard stories of Spike's infa--”
“Not another word,” the designer said quickly as she started walking faster. “Discord's little games will be ended forth with. I can't imagine what would make that creature do something like this!”
------
The two comrades in vengeance stopped as they came to the small cottage housing Fluttershy. Normally the place was filled with the sounds of birds chirping and animals frolicking, but now it looked borderline abandoned. Every single animal pen was empty, there wasn't a single bunny to be found. Rarity shook her head and trotted to the door, knocking on it.
It took a few seconds before a soft voice answered. “Y-yes?”
“Fluttershy? It's Rarity,” the unicorn said quickly. “Along with miss Cheerilee.”
The teacher couldn't help but start to feel old. Did Rarity really have to say miss EVERY time? She wasn't that much older than the designer. They'd gone to school together, in fact.
“Is Discord there?”
“Oh, yes,” Fluttershy said before opening the door, revealing the yellow pegasus with a pink mane. “Whatever can we do for--” Her eyes landed on Claw and she let out a little frightened eek, backing away. She then blinked and looked confused.
Claw's eyes were focused on the back of the house, where the creature known as Discord was laying, sipping a cup from his tea. He was a strange creature comprised of a plethora of different species and, in Rarity's opinion, looked absolutely dreadful. But the worst part about him wasn't his appearance, it was his personality and power. He was one of the single most powerful beings in all of Equestria and had abused the power on more than a few occasions, though she and the others had always put it right. He was still a--
“Uncle Discord!” Claw shrieked before galloping forward. The spirit of chaos looked up in confusion, a moment before the pony landed on his stomach.
“And what, pray tell, are you?”
Claw didn't answer, instead he circled on the spirit's stomach for a few seconds before lunging down, biting on the spirit's tail. Discord looked unamused as he lifted his tail into the air, the little pony still dangling from it. He lifted a hand, before his eyes were drawn to Fluttershy and he sighed, pulling the hand back.
“That's what I want to know, Discord,” Rarity said angrily. “It's one thing to turn our streets into candy, but to transform a defenseless foal? Have you no shame?”
“That's not the only one, either,” Cheerilee snapped angrily. “The little colt in the Everfree Forest, Val, what did you do to him to make him like... that?”
“L-ladies, please,” Fluttershy said softly. “I-I'm sure Discord has a perfectly l-logical explanation for anything he's done. Really! He's good now!”
“Quite so, quite so,” he said before his tail disappeared into bubbles, making Claw fall to the ground with a little yelp. “As for... this thing, I have nothing to do with it. Or any colt in the Everfree Forest.” He smiled. “Please, I am good now, remember? I... will admit I've had a few momentary lapses in my... decisions, but those days are behind me. I haven't changed or altered any pony in months, scouts honor.” He held up his left paw with a smile that not even his mother would have believed, if he had one.
“That's the wrong paw,” Cheerilee said bitterly. He quickly switched his paws. Not the arms, just the paws.
“Fine then, Discord,” Rarity said bitterly as she motioned to Claw. “If you're not responsible for this, then what is it? It likes you, that alone tells us something is wrong with it.”
“Rarity!” Fluttershy said with a startled gasp.
“No, no, it's quite alright,” Discord said before scooping up Claw in one hand. “My horrible deeds are not easily forgotten. It's only natural that she would blame me. However, I assure you with the utmost honesty, I am not responsible for this...” He paused and looked down. “Colt's form.” A sudden grin formed on his lips. “Perhaps you should take him to see Twilight? I imagine a challenge like this would simply make her day.”
Rarity kept glaring, but slowly relented. “Very well,” she said bitterly. “But Discord, if I find out you're responsible for this, you're... hmph.” She turned and started trotting away. “Come along, Claw.”
The little pony gave Discord a lick on the face before wiggling about in his grasp, finally getting free and running after the unicorn.
“That still doesn't explain Val,” Cheerilee said as she glared at him. “He happens to show up the exact same day you arrive in Ponyville? I find that a bit hard to swallow.”
“Oh?” Discord asked, before looking to her. “Why are you so certain he's my fault?”
“The things he says just... don't seem possible. His mind is all messed up and chaotic, he--”
“Well, I fail to see how that's my fault,” Discord said with a flourish of his paws. “Why, I've long since given up my mind altering days. I'm afraid you have the wrong pony.”
“If you're not responsible, then who--”
“Why don't you ask him, that?” Discord said before snapping his fingers. Cheerilee let out a yelp as she found herself, once again, inside the hospital. How had she gotten here? What was... why was there screaming?
“Lock the doors! Keep that... that child penned up for now! We'll need a professional!”
Oh dear.