//------------------------------//
// Sick Day 
// Story: What Lies Within 
// by KidatHeart5 
//------------------------------//

	“WAAA-CHOOO!!!”
The Everfree Castle rocked at the sound of the sneeze. When the shaking died down, Fluttershy emerged from the bedroom. 
Screwball, her daughter, asked, “How’s Dad doing?” 
Her mother sighed, “He’ll be fine. He just caught a bad bug.”  
A voice shouted from the bedroom, “Well, how was I supposed to know the darn Tatzlwurm was sick?!”
There was another sneeze and a large suction dart came flying through the doorway. Fluttershy and Screwy ducked when the projectile hit and stuck to the wall. 
Screwy asked her, “Does that mean Dad will have to miss the Crystal Faire?” 
Fluttershy nodded sadly, “I’m afraid so, honey.” 
“Can I see him?”
Twilight came up to them and told Screwy, “Hang on a minute.”
Twilight Sparkle was the youngest of Celestia and Sombra’s daughters before Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo were adopted. Twilight had just recently become queen, but she made time to visit her older sisters at the Everfree Castle before heading off to the Crystal Faire with them.
She cast a quarantine spell over the doorway so that anypony who visited Discord would be protected until the draconequus got better.
Discord crossed his arms and grumbled, “Oh, great. I can’t even touch my own daughter now? That makes me really comfortable, Sparkle.”
Twilight retorted, “That’s Queen Twilight Sparkle to you!”
“Oh? So you’re Miss High-and-Mighty now, are you? Almost a year ago, you hated the idea of becoming queen! Achoo!”
A lemon meringue pie flew through the doorway and landed cream-first into Twilight’s face.
Discord smiled, “Hee-hee. There’s a bit of payback for you.”
Screwy giggled, “I think the spell keeps you from getting sick, but not Daddy’s magic.”
Just then, Rarity came along and gasped, “Twilight! Whatever happened to you, dearest?”
Twilight grumbled, “Don’t ask.”
Rarity was the second-born of the daughters while Fluttershy was the eldest. Their sisters, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie, followed them suit in birth order. 
The unicorn used a handkerchief to wipe the cream from her sister’s face. She then asked, “Tell me, how did Discord catch this illness?
Fluttershy explained, “Remember the research trip Discord and I took out on the Badlands? He got too close to a sick Tatzlwurm and it sneezed on him. I had to take him home right away.”
“If you ask me, you should’ve brought back the Tatzlwurm instead.”
Discord shouted from his bed, “I resent that remark!” He coughed and then sneezed again. This time, silverware flew through the doorway and hit the wall beside the suction dart. 
Rarity gasped, “This is expensive cutlery! You can’t tarnish them by throwing them around!
“Well, how would you like being sick and having your magic go awry on you?!”
Screwy sighed, “It’s sad Daddy can’t go to the Crystal Faire with us.” She then beamed, “I know how to cheer him up!”
With a flick of her purple and white tail, a cotton candy cloud appeared. It followed Screwball into the bedroom. Her father lied sick in bed all green and covered with darker green spots. 
Screwball said, “Here, Daddy. Hope this makes you feel better.”
She closed her eyes and concentrated as the propeller on her red and yellow hat began to spin. A plastic cup with a crazy straw appeared and floated in midair. The lid was telekinetically taken off and the cloud began to rain chocolate milk into the cup. When the cloud stopped pouring, the lid was put back on the cup.
Discord grabbed the cup and smiled, “Thank you, sweetheart. It’s just what I needed. Great job using your magic, too. You’re getting better and better every day. Maybe one day, you can be as powerful as your old pop, huh?”
“Well, you and Aunt Twilight have been teaching me.”
Discord smirked at his daughter, “I think I’m the better teacher. Don’t you?”
He snorted before he sneezed again. Screwball had a magic health bubble to protect her from her father’s germs. When she looked up, however, she saw that her hat had been replaced by fake bunny ears. 
Discord smiled sheepishly, “Oops!  Sorry.”
Screwball chuckled, “That’s okay, Daddy.”
She put a hoof to her muzzle and blew her nose. While she did so, the bunny ears reverted back into her beanie. 
“I’ll bring you back something from the Faire, okay?”
“I’ve got a better idea. What if we had our own fair? We will have tons of fun when you get back. How about that?”
Screwball began to excitedly chatter, “Yeah! Then we can have merry-go-rounds, Ferris wheels, flugelhorns!”
“Uh…Trust me, your Aunt Pinkie would get crazy with the flugelhorns.”
He sneezed once more and suddenly, a dozen flugelhorns popped out of thin air. 
Discord face-palmed, “Oh, great.” 
A pink blur then rushed into the room and said, “Hey! Look at all these flugelhorns!” Pinkie grabbed one and said, “Thanks, Discord!”
When her aunt zipped out of the room, Screwball turned to her dad and smiled sheepishly, “See you soon, Daddy.” She then raced out of the room while calling out, “Aunt Pinkie! Dad says you’re not supposed to have one! It’ll make you crazy!” 
Just then, Fluttershy came in the room as she said, “Um, Discord? I hope you don’t mind, but…” She stopped short when she saw the pile of flugelhorns. She pointed to them as she asked, “Did you accidentally sneeze these up?”
Discord sarcastically retorted, “No. I had them ordered by snail mail. Of course I sneezed them up!” 
“Oh, I know how cranky you get when you’re sick. That’s why I called in a special friend to take care of you while we’re gone.”
The spirit asked in a distasteful tone, “Oh, really? Do tell.” 
While Discord sipped his chocolate milk, Fluttershy said, “Well, we’ve been thinking, and we would like Zecora to watch over you.”
Discord stopped mid-sip and spit out his drink in surprise. He cried, “Zecora?! Why her?!”
“Well, think about it. She specializes in herbal remedies and could probably find a cure for you.”
“But you’ve drunk her tea. It’s…” When Fluttershy gave him a glare, he smiled nervously and said, “…one of the most delectable things I’ve ever tasted. I would love to try it again.”
The yellow Pegasus smiled, “Oh, good. I’ll have Zecora make it for you while she’s here.”
After she left the room, Discord fell back onto his pillow and let out a groan that was near the point of tears. 





The royal family, save for Discord, waved off to Zecora as they departed for the Crystal Empire.
“Good-bye!”
“Bye, Zecora!”
“Take care of Discord!”
The zebra chuckled, “Fear not, dear Fluttershy. On Discord, I will keep my eye.” 
When she went back into the castle, a hand bell sounded throughout the castle. She said, “I believe that is Discord. Of chaos, he is lord.” 
She rushed upstairs just as Discord called out, “Zecora!” 
She entered the bedroom and asked, “Discord, is something troubling you? How can I ease your bothersome flu?” 
Discord put on his most innocent face, but he couldn’t hide the mischievous tone in his voice as he said, “Oh, nothing, except for a little, small request.”
“Yes, I guess?”
Discord started singing, “A little glass of water, please…A fresh-pressed hanky if I sneeze…Some tea with honey from the bees…whenever you can brew it…”
“In no time flat.”
“And while I get a little rest, a teeny, tiny, small request…some codfish oil for my chest…poured from a crystal cruet…”
“You require that?”
Discord sang faster this time, “My goodness, I’m a nincompoop…because I fear I’ve got the croup…I need a vat of pumpkin soup…And scarves made out of zinnias…Did I say ‘zinnias’? I meant ‘silk’…or something shiny of that ilk…And then I’ll need some nice, warm milk and pastries from Abyssinia…And since my stomach’s feeling crummy, why not give my aching tummy something soothing, something yummy piled up with noodles…Add a slice of homemade rye with stacks of Swiss way up high…Served with sides of sweet mince pie…More basil; I need oodles!”
Zecora asked in an annoyed tone, “More things you might…?”
Before she could finish her sentence, Discord continued singing, “I’ll be grateful for your charity until the bitter end…because I’ve heard that tenderness is what you’d lend an ailing friend…”
He then asked her in a merry tone, “Tenderness, isn’t that right, friend?” 
Zecora answered uneasily, “Right.” 
“So, who’s ready for my big reprise?”
He resumed singing, “I’d like that glass of water, please…some magic spell to cure disease…A firm ‘gesundhoof’ when I sneeze…A fresh bouquet of roses…Some lozenges will soon appease my wheezing when I start to sneeze…A wig to keep me from the breeze…and blankets for my toes-es..Take tweezers out of my valise…and then massage my knobby knees…A bowl of peas, some extra cheese…A cuddle with a Pekingese…A singing harp whose named Louise…A goat on skis, a new trapeze…and more and more and more and more of theeeese…And just because I oughta…make sure I’m drinking in the right amount of fluids day and night…I wish I may, I wish I might…have just one little thing…Oh, would you please finally bring me that tiny glass of wateeeeeeerrrrrrrrr!”
Discord lied back in his bed again and let out a cough. Zecora, on the other hoof, was sprawled across the floor and wet along with the rest of the room.
She sighed, “If nursing Discord is as it seems to be, then this has become more difficult for me.” 





Dawn was breaking in Canterlot. Though she was retired from royal duties, Celestia continued raising and lowering the sun. It made her feel useful after she and her husband, Sombra, had passed down their crowns to Twilight and her husband, Flash Sentry. Celestia and Luna still lowered and raised the sun and the moon even after the coronation of the elder sister’s youngest biological daughter.
Celestia smiled as the sun’s warm embrace touched her white coat. She had a minute or two of silence before she heard the sound of hooves clopping up the hallway. She smiled as she turned to her husband, “Good morning, my dear…”
She trailed off when she saw her dear Sombra. He looked like a shadow of his usual self. He had weary eyes and he looked like he was about to collapse. 
“…est? Whatever happened to you?” 
Sombra rubbed his eyes and explained through his exhaustion, “I should have come to you earlier, my love. I’ve been having difficulty sleeping for the past few nights and I fear that something is amiss.”
“Why do you say that? There hasn’t been a hint of crisis since Twilight took our place.”
Sombra nodded wearily, “I know, but I sense darkness just over the horizon.” He then sighed, “I only hope the girls and their families will be safe.”
“If you are having troublesome dreams, then perhaps I can help.”
The royal couple turned towards the voice and found that it belonged to a dark blue alicorn who just landed on the balcony.
Luna said, “The next time you sleep, I shall be with you.”
Celestia asked, “You are not going to the Faire, then?”
Her sister shook her head, “Not if this is important. You see, I, too, have a strange feeling that something wicked is coming this way. I have peered into the dreams of clairvoyants and seen a darkness blanketing all of Equestria.”
Sombra’s tired eyes widened and he exclaimed, “Yes, that is exactly what I dreamed about! But there is something else: a shadow of somepony who was banished years ago. What is strange, though, is that there was a glow within her. I felt like I somehow knew her, but then I didn’t. It is very confusing. Luna, I do not wish for you to miss the Faire…”
Luna held a hoof up and said, “This is of critical importance. You are my brother-in-law and my granddaughter’s great-uncle. If I do not help you remedy this, the family will be worried about you.”
He then turned to his wife, who nodded, “She is right, Sombra. We do not want to alarm the others if this is, indeed, fixable.” 
Sombra sighed, and then smiled, “You are right as always, my dear sweet Celestia.” Luna raised her eyebrow in a disgruntled way and he corrected, “You too, Luna. Both of you are very wise and I shall listen to your advice.”
Celestia kissed him on the cheek, “Thank you, my love.”