Screwball tries to find her missing dad, Discord, only to find two children, one of Sombra and the other of Tirek. Will they eventually discover the shocking truth of their births?
One thousand years ago, Discord bore a child…until it was taken from him. The Royal Sisters rescued the infant from its kidnappers and raised it from afar. A millennium later, the child now known as Screwball tries to piece together her past and find her future. On the way, she encounters Dark Frost, son of King Sombra, and Leah, daughter of Lord Tirek. What they’ve yet to realize is that Leah and Dark Frost’s dads were responsible for Screwball’s abduction!
Once upon a time, long ago, Equestria thrived under the rule of two alicorn sisters. The elder sister raised the sun and the younger raised the moon. These two rulers were chosen as guardians of all Equestria. They also represented the unity among all three pony races: Earth, unicorn, and Pegasus. However, their reign would soon be challenged by a powerful opponent.
Discord, the devious master of chaos, had traveled from place to place, bringing trouble and misery wherever he went. He simply did it for his own amusement…a reason the sisters did not tolerate. They tried to stop him, but whenever they attempted to seize him, he was always too quick for them, always humiliating them in the process. But soon, he realized he could not keep up this game of cat and mouse forever. He knew he had to do something to forever leave his mark should the sisters eventually defeat him. Then, he came across something…
Discord found a book out of sheer boredom, but its content soon revealed something worthy. In this book, he read about a magical flower that could enable any being, male or female, to bear a child of one’s own. This intrigued Discord, and he knew just he wanted to leave his legacy: an heir. There was, however, a catch. Many ponies and non-ponies had picked every flower of its unique kind almost to extinction. To Discord’s relief, there seemed to be one left in existence. Unbeknownst to him, two more known enemies of Equestria also wanted this flower…
King Sombra had ruled the Crystal Empire with an iron hoof. He knew that Celestia and Luna would come for him, so he fled, but not before he made the empire vanish into thin air. Sombra knew that he could not run forever, so he sought to have a child to consolidate his rule for future generations. Before he gained his dark powers, he learned that he was an Umbrum materialized in pony form. He wanted his child to be born the natural way so it could be less vulnerable to magical items such as the Crystal Heart. However, he was not the only one searching for the flower.
Lord Tirek had come from a land far from Equestria. Bent on stealing magic, he wanted to take over Equestria just as he had his father’s kingdom. He knew, however, that such an endeavor would be tricky. Surely, he needed something to secure his grip on this peaceful nation. After learning about the flower, he knew what it was he needed: a child to be the next king after him. Why, he could have two to control both nations distant from each other! This soon was to be tested on his search for the flower…
*****
Across a distant badland, there was only silence and the occasional bird call. The silence was broken by a low thudding at a distance.
THUD!THUD!THUD!!THUD!!!
The various birds were soon alarmed by the sight of Lord Tirek coming into view. Resolute in his quest, Tirek kept marching on.
Some miles away, an unearthly shadow swept across the near-barren landscape. This was no ordinary shadow, but one that growled and snarled as it trekked on its journey. It was none other than King Sombra, determined to get to the last flower so he could bear an heir. Neither he nor Tirek were aware of each other…or another being.
The flower sat on a mound all alone, save for some grass surrounding it. It was indeed a splendid flower; its thulian pink petals were bunched together into a bell shape and some golden stamens surrounded the bottom of the bell. Both Tirek and Sombra arrived simultaneously to take in this gorgeous sight. Then, they looked at each other and were shocked to see one another. When they both knew what the other was after, they scowled and dashed for the plant. Just when they were a couple yards from the flower…
“I’ll take that!”
Tirek and Sombra skidded when they heard the voice. Sombra turned back into his pony form as he slowed to a stop. Both he and Tirek were shocked to see that Discord had snatched the flower from the mound. Tirek cried, “You cannot take that! I laid eyes on it first!” Sombra scoffed, “You saw it first? I believe I did.”
Discord said, “So you both saw it first…” He held out the flower smugly and continued, “…but I grabbed it before either of you. So, I win!” Tirek wasn’t willing to let a simple mismatched creature make off with the plant, so he blasted at him. Discord, however, dodged it and said, “I think this is my cue to leave. Ta-ta!” In a white flash, Discord disappeared.
The centaur growled and shot a ray of magic at a rock formation. Sombra remarked, “You know, instead of just standing here fuming, I propose we make an alliance.” Tirek snorted, “And why would I join forces with you? You have nothing I could want.” The king said, “It’s not just what you want. It’s what we both want.
“It’s obvious we want that plant so we could produce heirs to carry on our legacies, to conquer other nations besides Equestria. We both want to make sure our lines are powerful enough so they could never be defeated.” Tirek put a hand on his chin and said, “Hmmm…You provide excellent points, but there is only one plant in existence. Which one of us will use the flower once we find it?”
Sombra explained, “Oh, neither of us will use the flower, but we will both use the child born from the flower. If the infant will be anything like its father, we could use its powers to enable ourselves to each have a child.” Tirek asked him suspiciously, “How is it you know about the thief who took the flower?” The king answered, “I’ve only heard of him. He is called Discord. He is the mischievous spirit of chaos and disharmony. Nopony knows where he came from or how he came to be.
“He just appeared one day and started wreaking havoc all across Equestria. From what I’ve heard, he is virtually unstoppable and unpredictable. Not even the Royal Sisters can defeat him. One can never tell where he’ll strike next.” Tirek asked, “Well, then how does this help us find him?” Sombra said, “Mark my words: we will find him and possibly the flower or the child.”
Tirek nodded his head and said, “Very well. I shall agree to be your ally.” While he and Sombra shook hand and hoof, they thought repulsively, Even though I already hate you.
Meanwhile, in his own dimension of chaos, Discord was at home prepping tea. He hummed merrily and took constant glances at the rare plant now sitting in a flower pot. When the tea kettle whistled, he chuckled to the flower, “Yes, sir. You are the key to my future.” While he was pouring the water and steeping the tea bag, he looked at the flower as he said, “You are going to help me leave my mark on that…” He sneered in disgust, “…dreary world of theirs.”
He took the flower by the stem and pushed up from where the golden stamens were. The pressure forced a yellow ball to pop out and Discord caught it with his paw. “Hello, my pretty,” he said to it. “You will be the one to create a new generation of chaos to bring upon Equestria!” He chuckled menacingly as he plopped the ball into the tea. He held the cup in his hands and said, “Well…cheers.”
Despite being pregnant, Discord still caused trouble all over Equestria. Sure, he had to take off a few months due to morning sickness and fatigue, but that didn’t stop him from getting new ideas of how to wreak havoc. When his energy was revitalized, he went back to spreading chaos anew. Though he was desperate to share his news, he knew it was best to keep his unborn baby a secret. One way he looked at it was that he could surprise the ponies with a new generation of chaos.
Discord continued to cause trouble until he started to show. He noticed that his energy was starting diminish now that he had a baby bump. He knew then that he had to take precautions when creating mischief. However, one confrontation between him and the Royal Sisters almost led to his defeat. That close call made Discord realize that he couldn’t endanger his unborn child. For the first time since he became pregnant, he truly cared about his baby and didn’t think of it as just an heir anymore. This was his own flesh and blood, so he vowed to do everything in his power to keep it safe and well-loved.
The close battle with the sisters made Discord hide in his home until he almost went mad from boredom. Then, he thought of a solution that satisfied both his need for chaos and his child’s safety. He distorted random deserted places into his personal playgrounds. Tirek and Sombra, of course, caught signs of this. They had been searching for Discord for almost a year, so they knew the time to catch him was drawing near.
After being pregnant for nearly a year, Discord felt that his patience was running out. He hated waiting for his child to be born, so he treated himself to a get-away on a deserted island not far off from Equestria. However, he did not get a chance to relax. When he started getting abdominal pains, he thought it was practice contractions. Later, however, he went into labor. His labor pains were so great that his cries of agony were heard for miles. Unfortunately, this attracted the attention of Sombra and Tirek, who grinned maliciously.
Eventually, Discord gave birth to a healthy filly. He was surprised he even produced a pony, considering that he was a draconequus. But as soon as he looked into her swirly eyes, he knew that she was his. He soon loved everything about her: her pink coat, her purple mane and tail with white stripes, and her eyes most of all. He remarked to her, “I went through so much pain for you, but you’re worth it.” He gave her a name befitting of chaos and (more likely) how she came into the world: Screwball.
The first few days spent with Screwball proved to be exhausting yet strangely enjoyable. Discord had never been a parent before Screwball’s birth, but regardless of the responsibility now on his shoulders, he wanted to spend every single moment with his newborn daughter. Never before had he loved anyone as much as Screwball, and to show his newfound fatherly love for her, he gave her a beanie, which was red on one side, yellow on the other, and had a green propeller on top. His dreams of throwing Equestria in chaos were soon replaced by dreams of spending time with his little girl. He didn’t care about ruling that little nation anymore, because now, more than anything, he wanted to become a full-time father to Screwball. This hope, however, would soon be dashed.
One night, not too long after Screwball was born, Tirek and Sombra found the island, which was altered in Discord’s signature. They swam up quietly to the shore and once there, Tirek spotted the new father and child in a distant cave. He whispered, “I see Discord. He’s in the highest cave.” He turned to Sombra and grinned maliciously, “And with his child, no less.” Sombra also grinned, “Good. Then we shall have the child within our grasp.”
Discord was sleeping in a rocking chair and beside him was a crib with Screwball in it. Suddenly, Screwball was being lifted into the air by black sparks of energy. The crackles created by the sparks soon woke Discord and he was in shock at the sight before him. “Are you looking for this, Discord?” asked a shadowy voice whose horn glowed purple and green. Discord saw that Sombra levitated Screwy towards himself and the spirit readied to lunge at him, but was soon overtaken by another magical force. The aura surrounding him was vivid vermillion and instantly, he recognized whose signature it was.
He was telekinetically pulled out of the cave and soon faced a towering centaur. Tirek grinned evilly as he asked, “Remember me?” Just before Discord could respond, Tirek widened his mouth and sucked all of Discord’s magic into himself. Immediately after Discord had been fully drained, Tirek threw him back into the cave. The draconequus barely regained his senses when he heard Sombra say, “I suppose you can call this revenge for taking the flower from us, but the way we see it, this is an opportunity to gain two children for the price of one!” Discord weakly protested, “No…” Sombra smiled maliciously, “Take one more look at your child, Discord…for this will be the last you will ever see of it.”
Discord managed to steal a glance of Screwball before Sombra began sealing the entrance with dark crystals. Summoning up what strength he had left, he scampered to the entrance shouting, “No! Don’t take her! Not my Screwball!” Alas, his pleas fell on deaf ears, and as soon as the opening was covered, semi-darkness befell the cave.
Discord’s breath left his body and he once more felt drained. This time, he felt drained of his strength…and devoid of any hope. At that moment, he felt a mix of emotions: anger, loss, rage, helplessness, fragility, distraught…and hopelessness. He had a sick feeling in his gut when he thought about Screwball and how he would never see his own daughter again. He knew that he didn’t have his powers or any friends to call upon to save her, so he was left to wallow in his despair. In tears, he sobbed, “My baby…My precious baby…”
When Tirek and Sombra reached the mainland, Tirek smiled, “We’ve got it! We’ve got the child!” Sombra said pensively, “Hmmm…Yes…but there’s one more matter that needs to be taken care of.” He turned back to face the island and aimed his magic at it. Within mere seconds, the island completely vanished into thin air.
Tirek stood silent for a few moments until he said, “Just like the Crystal Empire.” He grinned maliciously and turned to Sombra, saying, “Now that nuisance will never find his child ever again.” The king nodded, “Indeed.” Both then chuckled evilly at the thought that their nemesis was now gone forever. However, they had still two more arch-enemies to face.
Hours later, Screwball lied flat on her back still sleeping while Sombra and Tirek were making preparations. Tirek asked, “Have you perfected your spell yet?” Sombra nodded, “Yes…I actually perfected it just a few nights ago.” “Do you think this spell will work?” Tirek asked. Sombra answered, “This child was the product of the flower, so whatever remains of the plant must reside in her. We will use the spell to transfer that power into us so we could be able to have children.”
Tirek wanted to drain King Sombra now that they had the child in their grip. However, an incident a few months ago proved that it would be futile. While they were still searching for Discord, Tirek was becoming weary of the fruitless journey. When they stopped to rest, the centaur thought it was a good opportunity to drain Sombra of his magic. However, Sombra caught on and turned Tirek’s horns into dark crystal. “We didn’t make this alliance so we could end up destroying each other,” Sombra snarled. After he reverted Tirek’s horns back to normal, Sombra warned, “Next time you forget our alliance, don’t try anything stupid.”
Tirek sneered at the memory, but he since learned that Sombra was a powerful force to be reckoned with. He then considered if they could both co-rule Equestria. He shook his head, for he knew that it would be a pointless power struggle. Besides, they were already going to fight for whose child would have the right to reign supreme…that is, after they had their children. Tirek hated to wait longer before he attempted to take over Equestria, but he wanted to give birth to his child safely before anything happened.
Sombra laid out everything and said to Tirek, “I believe we are ready now.” Tirek grunted in acknowledgment and he and Sombra sat on either side of the baby. Both used their magic to lift Screwball and recited:
“Oh, flower that resides in thee Let your power increase doubly For we two desire children So let us become fathers then”
Just then, a yellow aura glowed on Screwball before elongating to become two rays of magic. Each ray snaked towards either of the allies before touching them, filling them with the flower’s precious magic. When the spell was done, Sombra smiled, “We’ve done it.” Tirek pointed out, “But it’s too early to tell. How can we know that the spell was successful?” Sombra said agitatedly, “Remember what I said, Lord Tirek. We must have patience and not rush into anything.” Tirek crossed his arms and scoffed, “That’s what you told me numerous times.”
Suddenly, there was a bright light in the night sky. A voice shouted, “RELEASE THY INFANT AT ONCE!!!” A second voice then shouted, “OR THOU SHALT HAVE TO ANSWER TO THEE!!!” When the light dimmed a bit, the villains looked up to see the Royal Sisters descending from the sky. The alicorns flew towards them in righteous fury. When they stopped to hover in mid-air, Celestia said in her Royal Canterlot Voice, “TIS UNLIKE THOU TO TROUBLE THYSELVES WITH A SMALL CHILD!” Luna demanded, also in the Royal Canterlot Voice, “WHAT IMPORTANCE DOST THY BABE HOLD?!”
In that moment, Screwball began to cry. The sisters knew they were scaring the baby, so Luna teleported the child into her arms. Tirek waved in dismissal, “Take the child if you like. We have no more use for it.” Celestia, now using her regular voice, sternly demanded, “Where are the parents?” Sombra explained, “It only had one parent: Discord.” The sisters gave surprised looks before Luna asked, “This was the child of Discord?”
Tirek nodded, “Yes, but he will no longer annoy us. A long time ago, he took a plant from us to create a child of his own.” Sombra added, “That is the child you have in your arms now, Your Highness. You see, we both wanted children of our own, so we assumed that the child would have the flower’s energy remain in her.” The centaur continued, “We searched for almost a year until we found Discord with his child on a distant island. We snatched the child from him and made the island vanish into thin air…and Discord with it.”
The sisters expressed shock until Celestia scowled, “Your deed of vengeance has robbed this child of her father! Discord was a mighty and elusive foe, but even he did not deserve to have his young taken from him!” Luna nodded, “You shall pay for your crimes by being banished to Tartarus for eternity!” But the two villains just chuckled evilly, after which Sombra explained, “I think that’s far beneath you, considering that there are now some lives that have yet to exist.” Luna asked, “What are you talking about?” Tirek grinned, “We used a spell to transfer the plant’s power into us so we can bear our own children.” Sombra said, “You wouldn’t want to send two pregnant beings somewhere where you could easily destroy the growing lives within them, would you?”
Celestia and Luna exchanged looks of uncertainty before the elder sister said, “If what you say is true, you will still be banished, but not to Tartarus. Both of you will be sent far away and be sealed off from time and space. Whether or not you will have children, we intend to keep you incarcerated for eternity. That is your punishment…and sanctuary.” The villains agreed to such terms. Luna did as well, though more hesitantly.
When the guards came to escort the villains away, Luna asked them, “We would like to ask you one more thing: does Discord’s child have a name?” Tirek rolled his eyes and scoffed, “He gave her the worst name in the world. It really shouldn’t be surprising from the master of chaos himself.” Sombra said, “He named her…Screwball.” As they were led away, the two villains snickered nastily at Screwball’s name.
Luna turned to Celestia and asked, “Sister, what should we do with the child? She was Discord’s daughter, so she might not fit in anywhere.” Celestia assured her, “Is, Luna. Discord, like the Crystal Empire, might not have disappeared forever. If the empire could return one day, then perhaps Discord may as well.” “If he does return, we must be ready for him,” Luna said.
“I agree, my sister,” Celestia nodded, “but first, our priority is taking care of his daughter. I do not know whether or not she will age like her father, but we must not abandon her.” Luna suggested, “Then we must find somepony to nurture her. But what pony will ever take her in?” Celestia said, “I don’t know, but we must make sure that Screwball will be well-provided for. However, we will have to monitor her every so often to prevent her from causing trouble like Discord.” Luna sighed, “Like father, like daughter, I suppose.”
*****
And so it was that Sombra and Tirek were each sent far away from the eyes of the Equestrians. Sombra was sent to a snowy mountain far from where the Crystal Empire had once stood and Tirek was sent to a wasteland close to the Netherlands. Once each of the villains had reached his destination, both sisters cast a powerful spell that would seal him off from time and space. Each was contained within a force field that also made him invisible to the naked eye. Time would slow for the prisoners so that a century would feel like only a year. As far as the citizens of Equestria were concerned, Tirek and Sombra would never be heard from again.
Meanwhile, a short time had passed before Luna turned against her sister and became Nightmare Moon. Celestia then used the Elements of Harmony to banish her sister to the moon. Thankfully, she had already found a safe place for Screwball to be raised. Centuries passed and Celestia had to continue finding a new home for the filly. As the princess found out, Screwball aged a year per century. Sometimes, finding a new foster parent wasn’t easy, but Celestia kept track of Screwball’s progress. Then, after a thousand years, something changed…