If You Dream A Thing More Than Once
"And once I find you again, you’ll love me once more..."
The music box played its gentle melody, with the added addition of Fluttershy's singing. She'd been so kind as to lend her voice to a special gift for Discord's daughter, Screwball. Discord never cared for the song, it was from some lovey-dovey musical or the other that he hadn't bothered listening to, but it made his daughter happy. Seeing a smile on his little Screwball's face was all the draconequs could've hoped for, really. He had gone so long without her, spending nearly every second of the day wondering if she was alright. His little girl, all alone, the mere thought of it upset him. Discord sighed and gently shut the music box. No point in worrying now. She was safe, sitting on her side of the living room, one of the only places in the house with gravity. Probably a preference she'd inherited from her... other father. After all, it was both of their magical power combined that gave life to Screwball. It made sense that she'd share some of the stallion's behaviors. Though, that didn't mean Discord had to like it.
Discord snapped into the living room, split unevenly down the middle. One side covered in chaotic, floating decor with colors bright and clashing enough to give any normal pony a migraine. Discord absolutely adored it. The other half was more subdued. There were still floating objects, of course, this was the home of the lord of chaos after all. But the majority of the furniture remained firmly on the ground. The walls were painted over with a light green Fluttershy had helped select. The only real irregularities were the few small trinkets and flower vases made of dark crystal, which Discord willingly ignored. In the midst of it all, sitting on a magenta loveseat, was his daughter, Screwball, a pink earth pony with swirly, two-toned hair, and lollipop eyes. "Hey dad," the filly spoke, looking up from the book she was reading. The draconequus teleported once again, and was now lounging on the lone floating table. Smiling, Screwball pushed the book away.
“Whatcha’ reading, sport?” Discord glanced at the book, which the filly quickly shut.
“Nothing!” She pulled the book close to her chest, her eyes widening. Discord darted over to her and tried to grab the book.
“Come on, lemme see!” Discord laughed as the filly used her magic to pull the book away.
“It’s just some mushy love story that Aunt Fluttershy let me borrow.” Screwball smiled, albeit nervously. “Nothing you’d wanna see, dad. Honest.”
“Oh, fine.” Discord teleported himself back onto the table. “How boring,” he yawned. Screwball hopped off the couch and began walking towards her room, the book held in her magic. Being so focused on watching her father for any of his tricks, she failed to notice the floating ottoman and crashed into it, the book falling out of her magical grasp and opening up to a random page on the floor. Screwball got up easily and remained unharmed, though not before Discord got a chance to see the contents of the book. Detailed illustrations of crystal ponies, dressed as princes and princesses, complete with dragons and knights. For a moment, he didn’t realize why his daughter seemed tartarus-bent on hiding a book of fairy tales from him. Upon closer inspection, however, the story was instantly recognizable. A picture of a sleeping mare and a princely stallion complete with a “dragon” covered the page. Sleeping Beauty. The story he used to tell Screwball every night. Sure enough, the dragon in the picture was none other than Discord himself.
“Dad, I can expla-” Discord shut the book and held it up.
“Where did you get this?” The filly looked down at her hooves.
“I, um...” Screwball’s voice quieted to little above a whisper. “Father gave it to me, before...” She glanced away. Sighing, Discord set the black, leather-bound tome down on an armchair that was passing by.
“He’s... gone, you know. Good riddance.” The bitterness in his voice made Screwball flinch a bit.
“I-I know he was bad, but... doesn’t everypony deserve a second chance?”
“Not him.” Screwball stomped her hoof on the ground.
“Well, you hurt ponies too! And Aunt Fluttershy gave you, like, six chances!” The draconequus gasped quietly and cleared his throat.
“He was different. Nothing good ever came from that monster.” Discord glared at an obsidian flower vase that sat upon a bright yellow platform.
“What about me?”
“Screwy, come on, you know that’s not what I meant.” Screwball glared up at him.
“Whatever, dad.” The filly teleported into her bedroom, and Discord heard the loud slam of the door.
“Wait, Screwball-” He groaned softly and turned around to put the book away. But suddenly, a scroll popped out of nowhere and hit him on the nose. He unfurled it and a pair of reading glasses appeared on his face. Barely skimming the letter, he more or less read it aloud. “You are hereby requested by... something, something, Princess Lovebutt... Royal Summons... Wha-” In a bright flash of light, Discord was no longer in his living room. All that remained of him there was a collection of sorrows and unspoken words in the shape of a leather-bound storybook, resting upon an armchair.
“Discord, we need your help to reform Sombra.”
Discord froze. Slowly, he turned his head to face Twilight and Cadence. "You want me to what?"
"Reform Sombra," Twilight repeated, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It's part of my new reformation initiative. You and Starlight go second chances, why shouldn’t everyone else?"
"I had my doubts at first too, but if anyone can make Sombra a good pony, it's Twilight." Cadence looked up at Discord. "Provided she has the assistance required." Discord stood in silence, before exhaling and closing his eyes.
"Sombra is nothing more than a monster," he said with an icy tone, a far cry from his usually casual demeanor. "There is nothing but pure evil and malice in that stallion, and I'll be in the cold hard ground before I ever think of wasting so much of a second on trying to fix him." The princesses' eyes widened. They'd never seen Discord like this before.
"Discord, we know it's a big risk, but we took it with you. And it's not like you didn't have your own hiccups." Twilight paused and deadpanned him. "Multiple times, actually. Everypony deserves a chance."
"Not Sombra."
"Discord!"
Discord scoffed. "What, are you telling me I'm wrong? I caused a little bit of chaos, Sombra's a demented, sadistic, heartbreaking slave-driver, for Celestia's sake!"
"Not anymore, and- wait, heartbreaking?" Twilight tilted her head. "What do you mean heartbreaki-"
“That’s none of your business,” Discord said, pouting.
"He's the father," Cadence interrupted, her eyes widening in a moment of realization. "Isn't he?"
"Pfft, whose father? As if anyone would want to have the child of that no-good, hyena faced monster in the shape of a stallion." Cadence resisted the urge to roll her eyes and stepped towards Discord.
"Screwball's."
"You did mention that Screwball was made up of the magic of two ponies." Discord groaned.
"This is ridiculous. I don't know what you're talking about." Cadence raised a brow.
"Fine, then who's your best friend?" she asked.
"My best friend? Why, Fluttershy, of course."
"Ex best friend?"
"Dear ol' CayCay, not that it matters."
"And your ex-coltfriend?"
"Sombra," he responded with confidence. He paused before stomping his cloven hoof on the ground. "Not fair! You tricked me!" Discord crossed his arms. "Fine. We had... relations. And a daughter. Big deal." He glanced at the mares. "I don't want anything to do with him. And I bet Screwball doesn't either. Really, it's irresponsible of you to ask such a thing of me and my daughter, maybe even a little selfish. Anywho, I must be going, though really, this has been fun. Not!" With a fedora on his head and several bursting suitcases in his claw and paw, Discord began to step through a glowing portal he had summoned, only to be stopped by a pull on his tail. He turned around to see Twilight's magic enveloping it's white, fluffy end. "What is it now?"
"Discord, as a parent-" the pink alicorn began.
"Cadence, no offense, really, but my dear little Screwy is far more... shall we say, superior to your snot-nosed alicorn offspring. But uh, continue, I suppose." He waved his claw.
"As I was saying, as a parent, you have the responsibility to be a good example for Screwball. And that means... being a good friend."
"I am a good friend! She knows it, you guys know it. Twilight, I'm a good friend, right? Tell her I'm a good friend!" Twilight nodded hesitantly, receiving a glare from her sister in law. She cleared her throat.
"And good friends help each other out, even when they don't want to, because...?" Twilight trailed off and held out he hoof, motioning for the draconequus to answer. He sighed.
"Because it's the right thing to do, and friendship is magic, and rainbow beams of death are only okay for sending beings of destruction to the fiery pits of timeout," he answered begrudgingly. "But why must it be me?" Discord bemoaned. "Why not Starlight, or that Stygian fellow? They certainly have a lot in common. Certainly, more than he EVER had with me. You know, our relationship truly was a dumpster fire of pain and mise-" After remembering there were two ponies in the room with him, one of whom was an unlicensed marriage counselor with a crown, he paused and cleared his throat. "Whatever. Answer my question." Discord snapped, and a detective outfit complete with a bubble pipe appeared on his body. He held up a comically large magnifying glass to Twilight. "Why, oh why is it that you want my help in reforming my foul beast of a former beloved?" Twilight stared at him.
"With all the damage you've caused recently, I'd say you've got something to prove to us." Discord's eyes widened.
"That's preposterous! Why, I've been as good as ever!" Angel wings and a golden halo appeared on the draconequus. Twilight and Cadence deadpanned him. "Okay, not saying much, but I made up for it in the end, didn't I?"
"Discord, true as that may be, you've got to do more than just make it up to us." Cadence lightly tapped him on the chest with her hoof. “You’ve got something to prove, not just to Equestria, but to yourself.
"What, it's not like I OWE you anything!"
"Yes you do!" the alicorns shouted in unison. "Look, Discord, let me make this simpler for you. Cadence, a moment?" The pink mare nodded and exited the room. Discord looked at Twilight in mock worry.
"Oh dear, a private meeting? Whatever could you be threatening me with?" He batted his eyelashes. The princess, though, was dead serious.
"Discord, you're not a bad creature. I know that, but... if you can't put your own personal grudge aside for something as important as this, I don't know if you can be trusted to take care of Screwball." Discord's gasped quietly.
"Are you threatening to take my daughter away from me?" He growled and turned to face Twilight. "I won't let you. I don't care about your title, or your wings, or that single bit-store crown up on top of your head, mark my words, Twilight Sparkle, you will NEVER separate my little girl from me, ever." Twilight flinched at his outburst, though she wasn’t stunned for long.
“Then help us, Discord. Please.”
“I don’t want to,” he huffed, not unlike a stubborn child.
“At least consider it.” Twilight looked him dead in the eye. “For Screwball. And I promise, if things don’t work out, we’ll encase him in stone forever, and you’ll never have to see him again.” The alicorn sighed. “And... I’ll tell you that you were right, and that I was wrong, and that you are the superior immortal.” After a long pause, Discord spoke.
“I’ll think about it.”
Fluttershy looked at the wall clock, then to the kitchen, then to the draconequus laying on her couch, then back to the clock. She gently nudged Discord, who was in the middle of a very heated and profane staring contest with a knot in the floorboards. "Discord?" The creature in question jumped slightly. "Discord, you seemed pretty upset when you came in. Is there... something you need to talk about?"
"Oh, Fluttershy, it's absolutely horrible!"
"Well, whatever it is, I'm here to listen." The pink pegasus smiled warmly at her friend.
"Perfect, because I've got hours worth of comments, concerns, questions, and complaints." Fluttershy glanced at the clock once more.
"I have, uhm, thirty minutes?"
"That'll do."
Fluttershy ended up sitting by her friend for two hours, listening to his thoughts- mainly complaints, on the matter of Sombra's reformation. Just as Discord was about to begin another tirade, Fluttershy hastily stood up.
“Um, Discord, I hate to cut this short, really, but I have some things I really need to get done.” Fluttershy looked towards her back door. Discord mock-fainted.
“Oh, farewell, my fair maiden!” Flower petals fell from nowhere. “Parting is such swe-” Fluttershy cleared her throat. Discord sighed and teleported himself away. “Boring.” He ended up back in his living room, fortunately. Judging by the numerous candy wrappers strewn about, Screwball had been out of her room a few times during the hours he’d spent. Against his better judgment, the draconequus levitated the much-antagonized book over to himself and brushed a claw across the cover. Discord couldn’t bear to open it, nor to destroy it. So instead, it rested in his palms for hours upon hours. As day turned to night, he thought, and thought, before making the thoroughly planned decision to shout an expletive and throw the book onto a couch on Screwball’s half of the living room. Breathing heavily, Discord snapped his talons and appeared in the Canterlot throne room.
“I’ll do it.”
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There are a lot grammar mistakes
10248134
Would you mind showing me some examples so I know what to avoid?
10248744
There should be said