The Matter Of Friendship

by HeartShieldFiM

Chapter 4 ~ Screw Loose

‘Daddy, who is that?’ Screwball asked, pointing at a light blue pony in a white “dress”, who was walking with two doctors. ‘She looks… familiar to me.’
Discord shook his head. ‘That? Uhm, I have no idea,’ he said. He didn’t want to tell Screwball that her mum was a crazy, barking pony. Well, Screw Loose wasn’t exactly her mum, more Discord’s inspiration. He took some of her nutty characteristics, and mixed them up with his chaos. The result was nopony less than Screwball. But after the other ponies had called her names and chased her, he didn’t want them to bully her because her mum was even crazier than she was.
Screwball shrugged. ‘Okay.’
‘Daughter of mine,’ Discord said. ‘I have a very special task for you. Could you bring these weightless-appleseeds to the Apple family? Daddy has a reputation to save.’
Discord snapped his fingers and a little red bag appeared. He gave it to Screwball. ‘You know where they live, eh?’
Screwball nodded. ‘Hm,’ she said, but Discord didn’t understand it.
‘What?’ he asked.
Screwball dropped the bag of seeds. ‘What is a reputation, exactly?’
Discord smiled. ‘It’s the way other ponies think of you, honey. And Daddy’s reputation isn’t really good, to be honest. After all the chaos I’ve caused.’
‘Why?’ Screwball asked. ‘There’s nothing wrong with a little chaos, right?’
Discord bit on his lip to stop the trembling. ‘I… I am so proud of you.’
Screwball didn’t pay much attention to his remark and put the little red bag back in her mouth.
‘Tell them that the trees grow fast… and big. Within a week, the trees will be twice as big as normal apple trees. The apples themselves are weightless, but they taste delicious.’
Screwball nodded one more time, then walked away.
Discord sighed. ‘She begins to learn it,’ he mumbled.

‘Oh, so sweet o’ your good ol’ father to give us some o’ his apple seeds!’ AJ said. ‘Tell him we are very grateful, will you do that?’
Screwball nodded. ‘And there was something I had to tell you about the seeds…’ she said. ‘But I think I forgot…’
‘It’s okay, sugar cube. We’ll find out as soon as they start growin’! Say thanks to your father, will you?’
Screwball smiled. ‘I will, Applejack!’ She hopped away.
‘She begins to act like Pinkie, eh?’ AJ asked Big Mac.
‘Eeyup.’ he replied.
‘Ah wonder how this whole thing’ll end. You too?’
Big Mac stared at the little pony, hopping away. ‘Eeyup,’ he said again.
‘Let’s go plant the apple seeds,’ AJ said. ‘Apple Bloom! We got something to do for you!’
Apple Bloom came down the stairs. ‘Cool. I’ve been bored all day. What is it?’
Applejack gave her the bag of seeds. ‘C’mon, little sis, we got some apple seeds to plant.’

‘Did they like the present?’ Discord asked Screwball as soon as she’d returned.
Screwball nodded. ‘They are very gra… what was the word again? Grateful.’
Discord smiled. ‘Good. And did you tell them about the apple trees growing quite fast and quite big?’
‘Oh, I think I forgot that, Daddy. I’m sorry.’
‘Nah, they’ll find out in a week, I guess.’ Discord put his lion-claw on the back of his daughter. ‘Want to visit Auntie Pinkie?’
Screwball stared at her hooves.
‘What’s wrong?’ Discord asked. ‘Don’t you like visiting Auntie Pinkie?’
Screwball sighed. ‘I do like her, but she… she’s been mean to you, Daddy.’
‘And that’s exactly why we’re gonna visit her, okay? To talk about things.’
‘Did Applejack tell you that?’ Screwball asked. ‘Because that really is a thing she’d say.’
Discord shrugged. His daughter was right, but he didn’t want to admit that AJ sometimes gave great advices. ‘Come, daughter of mine. Let’s go to your aunt.’
‘Daddy, you call her Auntie Pinkie and I do too, but what exactly is an aunt?’ Screwball asked.
Sometimes, Discord was surprised by the things she said. She knew quite a lot of things for such a young and nutty creature, but easily forgot them as well. ‘An aunt is a sister of your father or mother, daughter. Pinkie isn’t exactly your aunt, but you can call her your aunt if you want.’
Screwball didn’t listen, she stopped focusing as she heard the word “mother”. ‘Who is my mother, Daddy?’
Discord rolled his eyes. ‘We’ll talk about that later, okay? First, we’ll visit your aunt.’
‘Okay, Daddy.’ Screwball started walking in the direction of Pinkie’s house, but suddenly she got hit by something. She screamed.
Discord’s eyes got big. ‘Screwball? You’re okay?’ He kneeled down next to her and Derpy, who apparently made a crash-landing on the wrong place.
Derpy crawled up. ‘Uh… I just don’t know what went wrong…’ she mumbled.
‘We know!’ Discord said, using an angrier voice than he wanted to.
‘Uh… I’m sorry…’
‘Are you okay, Screwball?’ Discord asked. ‘Does it hurt?’
She crawled up. ‘My back hurts a bit… but I’m fine…’
‘You’re sure?’ He picked Screwball up. ‘We could visit a doctor…’
Screwball shook her head. ‘Who is that?’ she asked.
Derpy smiled. ‘Hi. I am Derpy… Hooves, I guess. I’m the mailman.’
‘You’re no man,’ Discord muttered.
‘I am Screwball, and this is my father Discord!’ Screwball said. ‘Daddy, I’m fine I said. Could I please walk myself?’
Discord wanted to refuse, but Screwball looked at him with her renown puppy-eyes and Discord gave up. ‘Fine, fine. You can walk.’
He put his daughter back on the ground, and she immediately ran to Derpy. ‘Where do you live?’
‘Uh, I live up there… somewhere…’ Derpy said.
Screwball looked up. ‘I can’t come there. I have no wings.’
‘Where do YOU live?’ Derpy asked.
‘Close to Sugar Cube Corner,’ Screwball replied. ‘When you are in front of Sugar Cube Corner, you go left and then right, and then at the end of the street left again. Then you are at my house.’
‘Yeah… that’s close to Sugar Cube Corner… indeed,’ Derpy replied. She yawned. ‘Well, I think I’ll see you again soon. Bye, eh…’
‘Screwball,’ said Screwball.
‘Bye Screwball,’ Derpy said, and flew away.

Comments

[Evil-Lovieness]

Awww.... Screwball's making friends with Derpy!! How cute!!!

[Hankelln]

Yay for Derpy