> The Singing Heart
>  by Toonsgirl
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: A new book for Twilight Sparkle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Princess Celestia rose the sun up and set it all over Equestria. A purple castle stood majestically in the center of the village. A purple alicorn with purple mane and pink highlights stepped outside. She seemed to be in a hurry.

"Spike, hurry!" The alicorn shouted. "We need to be at the train station in fifteen minutes!"

"Coming Twilight!" Spike called from inside. He was a small baby dragon with purple skin and green spikes. Spike carried a book and a quill that he always use for taking dictation notes from Twilight Sparkle. He knows he does not need it. But it is still best to keep the book with the baby dragon in case, the princess needed him to write down something important. When Spike came outside, he closed the door and hopped on Twilight's back. Twilight spread her wings and flew off to the train station.

"Sorry, I took so long, I just almost forgot to bring our note taking book," Spike replied.

"That is okay, Spike!" Twilight assured him. She panted a little as she flapped her wings, faster. "I am just so excited that Shining Armor and Cadance are coming today! I cannot wait to see them!"

Three days ago, Princess Cadence and Shining Armor had written to her that they plan to visit her for Siblings Day. Siblings Day was a day you get to exchange gifts with your siblings and spend time with them. When Twilight read the letter, she lit up like a lamp. She and Spike had immediately cleaned the whole castle thus it would look presentable and welcoming. Poor Spike became exhausted from all the cleaning! He had wondered how Twilight managed to still have energy-and he thought Pinkie Pie was the energetic one! Princess Twilight had brought two gifts for Shining Armor and Cadance. She could hardly contain her excitement once they see her gifts!

Eleven minutes later, Twilight Sparle and Spike arrived at the train station. It was very busy because other families were either traveling from or to Ponyville for Siblings Day. Twilight Sparkle and Spike struggled to fight through the crowd to get to the train.

"Ugh, I did not expect the train station to be this crowded!" Twilight Sparkle grumbled.

"Please don't let me fall! Please don't let me fall!" Spike prayed. He knew that he fell, he would be seperated from Twilight Sparkle!

"Relax Spike, just hang on tight!" Twilight yelled over the noisy crowd. They walked through the crowd making sure they do not bump into any pony. Finally, the alicorn and the baby dragon made it to the front of the spot where Princess Cadence and Shining Armor would be arriving.

"Are you sure this is the spot?" Spike asked.

"Do not worry, this is the spot," Twilight answered, confidently. Just then, the train arrived. The doors opened and two guards came out. They gave their salute to Twilight Sparkle and Spike. A stallion with white coat and blue mane, with a shield for a cutie mark appeared. Following behind him was a mare with pink coat. Her mane had was purple with pink and white highlights and she had a crystal heart for a cutie mark. Twilight smiled happily when she saw them.

"Brother! Cadence!" Twilight gasped happily. She ran over to them so fast, that Spike fell off her back.

"Twily!" Shining Armor greeted, happily. He hugged Twilgiht and gave her a noogie, making her giggle. He let her go before he squeezed her too tight.

"Twilight!" Cadence chirped. The two princesses also hugged. After letting go, they performed thier secret handshake.

"Sunshine, sunshine! Ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" They chanted.

"It is so good to see you, two!" Twilight exclaimed.

"It's good to see you too!" Cadence replied, happily.

"I told you we'd come did we not?" Shining Armor winked. Spike groaned as he stood himself up.

"What, no hello for me?" He asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice. Twilight had almost forgotten about Spike.

"Sorry, Spike I did it know you fell off my back!" Twilight apologized, nervously.

"Hello Spike!" the Crystal Empire rulers greeted.

"It is also honorable to see you, too Spike," Cadence giggled.

"How could we forget the one that saved our kingdom?" Shinging Armor added, smiling.

"That's more like it!" Spike piped proudly as his chest puffed up. Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes at him.

"Careful Spike, your ego is showing!" She smirked.

"What, where? Aaahhhh!" Spike yelped, frantically looking over himself. The royals just laughed.

Twilgiht and Spike helped the couple carry their luggage to Twilight's castle. When everyone arrived at Twilight's castle, Cadence and Shining Armor were mesmerized at the palace. It only was it beautiful but also unique in style. Twilight gave her brother and sister-in-law a tour around the castle. Spike struggled carrying the luggage because they were so heavy. He placed them inside Twilight's bedroom. While Twilight was showing the couple the bathroom, Spike laid his head to rest. Before he could slip into dreamland, Owlicious, the owl, cooed at Spike. Spike jumped because Owlicious scared him out of his wits.

"Oh what do you want, now?" Spike grumbled, tiredly. Owlicious made a sound as if to say he was hungry.

"All right,all right, just let me get you some bird seed," Spike replied. He gave Owlicious some bird seed.

Later, The captain, the two princesses, and the baby dragon gathered around in the living room. This was the moment that they all had been waiting for. The time to exchange gifts for Siblings Day!

Shining Armor opened his present from Twilight.

"Wow, Twiliy!" He laughed, holding a brand new book set. "How did you know that I would like Lord of the Rings series?"

"Sister Intuition?" Twilight smirked.

"Thanks, Twily!" Shining Armor hugged Twilight. Next, Cadence opened her gift from Twilight.

"Oh Shining Armor, look!" Cadence gasped, as she unwrapped her gift. It was a pink and white beaded necklace and a pair of matching earrings.

"Thank you Twilight!" Cadance squealed, hugging Twilight. "I'll wear these to our next gala!"

"Which reminds me of something!" said Shining Armor as he handed his gift to Twilight. Twilight got the same exact jewelry set only except the colors were purple and blue.

"Thank you Shining Armor!" Twilight exclaimed, hugging her brother.

"No problem!" He said.

"Hey, we'll wear our new jewelry to the next gala," Cadence said, excitedly.

"Yeah, that'd be awesome!" Twilight squealed.

"Um, I have a present for you three!" Spike announced, abruptly. He had to say something before they become carried away with the talk of jewelry and dances. "I know we are not siblings, but I have known you guys for so long at I felt as if you were my brother and sisters. Which is why I am dedicating a poem to you!"

"Wow, I like poetry!" Twilight whispered excitedly. Spike cleared his throat.

"The name of the poem is Brother and Sister.

They are such a special pair

They laugh and play, they have fun all day

With energy to spare

Oftentimes they disagree

But before the daylight ends

They are sitting side by side

the very best of friends

So we will hang all these pictures

on the wall for all to see

A cool brother, a sweet sister

Who are as special as can be!

The royal horses clapped, enthusiastically.

"Oh Spike!" Twilight gushed. She was touched that Spike's poem.

"That was so sweet!" Cadence cheered.

"Well said, bro!" Shining commented, giving Spike a playful hit on he back. Spike almost fell over but regained his balance.

"Thanks," he said, putting his claw at he back of his neck.

"Last but not least, my turn to give a gift to Twilight Sparkle!" Cadence announced. She handed Twilight Sparkle a present with pink paper and a purple bow. Twilight Sparkle untied the ribbon and ripped the wrapper. It was a red thick book with a fancy cursive writing. The title read "The Singing Heart."

"A brand new book!?" Twilight squealed. "This is terrific!"

"A brand new book!?" Spike said exasperatedly. "I hope we can find room in the library for this book because our bookshelves are stacked!"

The royal couple laughed, thinking Spike was joking. Twilight gave him a glare before opening the book. "I wonder what the story's about!"

"Looks like a romance novel, if you ask me," Spike observed. "Is it a romance novel?"

"Oh yes!" Cadence sighed, happily. Before she could tell the synopsis, she noticed Twilight's smile fading away. Shining Armor noticed it, too.

"Twilight, what's wrong?" They both asked, worriedly.

"Nothing!" Twilight said, quickly. "I love the book! Really! It's just that...,"

The royal couple encouraged her to continue. Twilight Sparkle sighed.

"Last time, I read a romance novel it was a disaster!" She finished."Yeah!" Spike exclaimed. "The book made her so crazy, that I had to call Fluttershy to calm her down!"

"Oh my, what book was it?" Cadence gasped. Spike was about to speak, when the captain lifted his hoof to silence him.

"Wait, let me guess!" Shining Armor stated. "The one where some moody mare, Belly, falls for some boring vampire, Dumbward, and some annoying werewolf, Loony?"

"No, it's the one where some college mare, Banana, has a very creepy relationship with her boss, Mr. Greyhooves!" Twilight shuddered.

"How did you get access to that book?" Shining Armor wondered, shuddering.

"Trixie gave it to me as a gift. Boy was I fool to read it! I had to burn that book after I read it!" Twilight explained. Cadence gave her a sympathetic hug.

"You poor thing!" She murmured.

"Seems to me Trixie has bad taste in books!" Shining analyzed.

"Aye, I think so too!" Spike agreed.

"You two do not have to worry," Cadence smiled assuredly at Twilight and Spike. "The Singing Heart is nothing like those two books. I had read the book and it has a positive portrayal of romance."

"What is the story about?" Twilight inquired, hesitantly.

"It is about a young Pegasus who is hired by the King of Draconia to become a governess to his five naughty daughters." Cadence explained.

"No sex and violence?" Twilight raised an eyebrow.

"No sex and violence!" Cadence smiled, confidently.

Twilight's fears were washed away as she looked at Cadence. Although she was still skeptical at the book, Twilight did not want to hurt her sister-in-law's feelings by not reading it.

"Well, I suppose it won't hurt to read it," Twilight said hesitantly. Then an idea hit her. "Hey, why don't I read it to you all out loud?"

"Sure!" Cadence chirped.

"Great idea, sis!" Shining Armor added.

"Why not?" Spike shrugged. After fetching blankets and pillows, everyone gathered around in a circle. The three ponies and the baby dragon each had a cup of tea in their hoofs/claws. Twilight Sparkle opened the book to the first chapter and began to read.

"Chapter one. Once upon a time...,"
> Chapter 1: The Mare Who Loved to Sing
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter one

Once upon a time, when Equestria was still very young, there was a young pegasus, Fluttershy, who loved to sing. She had light yellow coat, long flowing pink mane, and teal eyes. Fluttershy's cutie mark was three pink and cyan butterflies. Every morning, Fluttershy would sneak out from a small boutique shop, where she lived and worked as a dress maker. When she reached for the hills, Fluttershy would fly with her hind legs spread out, and sing her heart out.
Fluttershy flew over to where a tree was located.

"Good morning squirrels!" Fluttershy said, cheerfully. The squirrels greeted her back. They enjoyed seeing thier dear friend. The mare hoofed some acorns to squirrels who took them to nibble. A blue jay and a Robin flew by and tweeted as if to say good morning. Fluttershy greeted them back, still full of cheer.

Fluttershy levitated over to a lake where the frogs and the fish were living. They popped thier heads out of the water, just to see thier good friend.

"Good morning little frogs and fish," Fluttershy smiled. The water creatures ribbitted in response.

Fluttershy flapped her wings as she skipped over another hill. She twirled around in the air, as the sunlight reflected off her mane.

When Fluttershy finished singing, she let out a happy sigh. She sat down on the ground and allowed herself to enjoy the sunlight. She waved to another flock of birds that flew by her. Fluttershy picked some clovers from the ground. She weaved them into a crown and laid it on her head. Suddenly, Fluttershy heard a loud gong. She looked to her right and over three hills was the big clock on the castle in Canterlot!

"Oh my goodness, I'm going to be late for work!" Fluttershy gasped. She quickly rose up and tried to fly as fast she could. Fluttershy prayed that she would be on time for work or else her mistress, Madmoseille De Ranged would fire her!



Twilight Sparkle paused and looked up from her book.

"Hey, the heroine's exactly like our friend, Fluttershy! Same name, same appearance, same personality!" She analyzed.

"Yeah!" Spike agreed. "Only except, this Fluttershy works for Madmoseille De Ranged!"

"And she lived in the past-three-hundred years ago, specifically," Shining pointed out.

"Yes, that is one of the reasons I like this book!" Cadence smiled.

"What are the other reasons?" Twilight asked, eagerly. "Are my friends in this story, too? What about you and Shining? And Princess Luna? Is Princess Celestia-"

"Keep reading, Twilight!" Shining Armor laughed. "And you'll see!" Twilight toke a deep breath. She directed her eyes to which page she left off, and resumed reading.
> Chapter 2: Daily life of Fluttershy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fluttershy struggled hurrying to work. No matter how fast she flapped her wings, Fluttershy could not reach the boutique shop. She mentally kicked herself for losing track of time. What was she thinking? She should have brought her pocket watch with her! Otherwise, she would not be late! When she became tired of flying, Fluttershy decided to stick to galloping. She galloped as fast as a cheetah. Finally, the yellow Pegasus reached at the boutique shop and opened the door. Before Fluttershy could tip hoof to her desk, a large pony came and blocked her view.

"You're late!" Her mistress, Madame De Range barked. "What excuse do you have this time, you little brat?" Madame De Range was a tall and big cyan earth pony with green eyes. Her dark pink curly hair was tied up in a bun. She displayed pearl earrings and a pearl necklace.

"I'm sorry, Madame," Fluttershy stuytered, shifting her hoofs. "I-I lost track of time,"

"'I-I lost track of time!'" Madame mocked. "This is the third time, you were late to the shop all because you went to see the stupid mountains and those measly rodents!"

"But Madame!" Fluttershy pleaded.

"Silence!" Madame yelled, causing Fluttershy to whimper. "If this happens again, I will double the load, now go to your work station and sew!"

Fluttershy whimpered and hurried over to her desk. Her pet bunny, Angel, had been sleeping in her basket. When he woke up, Angel's head was messy. It was clear that he had a rough night. Angel pulled a carrot from underneath his pillow,and took a bite out of it.

"Hello Angel!" Fluttershy said softly to her bunny.

"Meep, meep!" Angel squeaked. He was annoyed that Fluttershy did not take him to see the mountains.

"I am sorry, Angel," Fluttershy said, while grabbing her needles, scissors, thimbles, and thread. "I thought you needed more sleep after drinking so much juice last night." Angel winced, remembering last night. He had gone out to a tavern for critters just to spend time with some critters. Fluttershy had gone out to find him when the animals reported that he became gassed from drinking. Thankfully, Fluttershy made sure Angel was safe and sound in her basket. That will be the last time he ever mix carrot juice with radish juice! The Pegasus began sewing a dress that she had been working on since yesterday. Her day at the boutique shop was always the same routine. Make new dresses for customers, be yelled at Madame to sew faster, fix dresses, be yelled at Madame that the dresses were not perfect. Whenever Fluttershy disagreed with Madame that she tried her best, Madame would always punish her by giving her more dresses to sew. Sometimes, Madame would not even pay Fluttershy one single bit! Fluttershy tried her best to make her dress perfect but it just won't come together. For some reason, the Pegasus could not figure out how to make the sewing look neat. Fluttershy sighed, wondering if she'd ever fix the dress.

"Oh I am grateful to be working here but I cannot help but think if I am better off elsewhere. Will things get better?" The Pegasus sighed, sadly. "What do you think, Angel?"

Angel just shrugged. He grumpily tried to go sleep again but seemed too tired to sleep. Just then, the door opened, which disturbed Angel's sleep. Seeing that it was a customer, Madame DeRange sprang to her hoofs, to the other room. Bits signs were in her eyes.

"Bonjour Fleur DeLis!" Madame greeted. She and Fleur gave each other air kisses.

"Bonjour Madame!" Fleur responded. "Is my dress ready yet?"

"Oui, it is!" Madame lied. The owner was really eager to have Fleur's money, even if the dress was not ready. She trotted to Fluttershy's desk, to retrieve the dress. Fluttershy did not noticed Madame until she felt her dress being slipped away from her hoofs by her mistress.

"Madame, the dress is not ready yet!" Fluttershy protested.

"Fleur needs her dress now!" Madame barked.

"Maybe you could give me just a few more minutes?" Fluttershy asked, meekly.
The dress was green V-cut dress with long poofy sleeves. It has a pink bow in the middle. The dress was long enough to reach the floor. It was almost finished. The sleeves just needed a few more stitches.
But Madame did not care whether It was finished or not. Time is her high priority and she wanted money badly. So, Madame snatched the dress from Fluttershy before the poor young mare could stop her. Madame galloped the dress toward Fleur.

"Ah, It's perfect!" Fleur sighed, as she checked herself out in a mirror. The dress fitted her but the color did not go well with her complexion. Fleur paid Madame lot of bits and headed out. 

"Oh Madame, why did you sell the dress?" Fluttershy asked sadly. "I wasn't finished!"

"Rubbish!" Puffed Madame. "You had plenty of time!"

Time did not pass very long before Fleur opened the door and stomped into the shop, seething. In her hooves, was her green dress. She thrust it into Madame's face.

"Look at this dress!" She shrieked. "Just look at it!" Fluttershy and Madame looked at the dress. The sleeves had fallen off and the skirt had a rip. 

"You did it on purpose!" Fleur screeched, pointing her shaky hoof at Fluttershy. The pegasus cowered at Fleur's angry tone of voice.

"That's not true!" Fluttershy stuttered. "I was not given enough time to make adjustments because of Madame-"

"Don't lie you little Brat!" Madame yelled at a shaking Fluttershy. "You made me lose a sale! Pack your bags and leave because you are fired!"



"No!" Fluttershy screamed as she was thrown out of the shop. Angel was tossed out and landed next to Fluttershy. A suitcase flew and landed on top of Angel, squishing him. Fluttershy picked up her suitcase off Angel. He was flat as a pancake but Angel quickly, sucked in air to return back to his normal size. "I am not a brat!" Fluttershy grumbled. She picked up Angel and put him on her back. "Come on, Angel. Let's go find a new job." She said in a sad voice.



The Pegasus and her bunny left the street and continued walking through the rest of Canterlot. Looking for a job turned out to be much harder than Fluttershy expected. Whenver she asked a pony if they were hiring, they'd always say the same answer: "Yes, but we only hire stallions." Other times, they would just sneer and laugh at her for wanting a job! No pony would hire her because she was a mare. In Equestria, although mares and stallions were treated equally, mares were not given as much jobs as stallions. They were limited to be either a housewife, a teacher, a seamstress, a maid, or a nanny. At the end of the day, a disappointed Fluttershy stayed at an Inn for the night. Angel had to hide in her suitcase while she checked in because animals were not allowed at Inns. Thankfully, the innkeeper did not suspect anything. Later, while Angel was sleeping peacefully, Fluttershy stared out at the moon. She could not believe what just had happened. Losing her job and her place was all too much for Fluttershy to take in! She disliked working at the boutique shop, but it was better than nothing! Now that Madame fired her, and no pony would hire hire her, Fluttershy is left on her own.

Now what do I do? Fluttershy thought miserably. How would I live? How would I support Angel and myself? How would I survive so we won't starve to death? Who will hire me?
> Chapter 3: Royally Dysfunctional
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Fluttershy could not get a new job anywhere just because she's a mare?" Twilight asked, disgusted.

"Sorry Twi, this book was written in the 1920s!" Shining Armor answered, sheepishly.

Twilight, Spike, and Cadance laughed.

"All right, let's proceed," said Twilight, as she turned the page...


Elsewhere, far away from Canterlot, lived another kingdom, Draconia. The Kingdom of Draconia, was full of ponies, which are earth ponies, unicorns, and a few pegasuses. There were also some mythical creatures such as griffons, minotaurs, and dragons. Draconia was ruled by  a good draconeques named Discord. He had a head of a pony with gray fur, black mane, Crimson eyes and a goatee. He also had the body of a dragon with brown fur. He displayed an antelope horn, a goat horn,, a lion's paw, an eagle's claw, a deer's leg, and a lizard's leg. His tail resembled a snake's tail, only with a white tuff at the end. He wore a golden crown  with sharp points and jewels, on top of his head.
Discord was sitting in his chair, attending a council meeting. The King, his wise mare, Sunset Shimmer, and his captain, Flash Sentry were listening to some royals about thier political problems. 
"My land is struck by a dust bowl and my subjects have lost thier food supply!" said Prince Ayaan of Saddle Arabia, sadly. "We would receive rain but it is hard when you do not have enough weather ponies to make it happen."
"Why not just hire some more weather ponies?" King Discord, grumbled. Seriously, that is what the Arabian Prince was worried about?
"It is not that easy, King Discord!" Prince Ayaan explained. 
"Why not, Prince Ayaan?" asked Flash Sentry.
"None of my subjects are either a pegasus or cutie marks for flying and making weather-"
"You mean to tell me that not one of those ponies has a gift of flight or creating weather?" Discord incredously. Sunset Shimmer scribbled down every word on her parchment. Her duty was to record what happens in meetings thus Discord can refer to them when thinking of solutions.
Prince Ayaan sighed, "I know this sounds skeptical, King Disocrd but it is true."
"Well, what solution do you suppose will help your problem?" King Discord inquired. "What do you want me to do?" He turned to Sunset Shimmer. "Prepare to write down his answer."
"Yes, your highness," Sunset Shimmer answered, holding her feather with her horn.
Prince Ayaan was about to answer when the door swiftly opened by a frantic orange earth pony with blonde hair and green eyes.
"Ya majesty!" She yelled.
"Confound it, Applejack!" Discord yelled, irritably. "You know I do not like to be disturbed when I am in a meeting!"
"But ya majesty, the nanny is leaving!" Applejack cried. 
"WHAT?" 
Discord ran out of the council meeting followed by Sunset Shimmer and Flash. 



They found an orange pony trotting angrily, toward the front door. She was about to open the door with her hoof, when the King stopped her.
"Mrs. Harshwinny, why are you leaving?" He panted. Applejack, Sunset, and Flash caught up to him, panting as well. The mare swiftly turned around, facing Disocord.
"Well, your majesty!" Mrs. Harshwinny snarled. She stretched her foreleg and her hind leg. "What do you see?"
The King and his staff shared each other a look before observing Mrs. Harshwinny.
"Um, messy hair and tattered clothes," Discord answered, hesitantly. He did not see where this was going. Neither do Flash, Sunset, and Applejack.
"Yes, and..what else?" Mrs. Harshwinny growled, showing her flank to the King.
"Ooo, scratches and blood on your flank," Disocrd shuddered.
"Exactly!" Mrs. Harshwinny grumbled. "And can you guess how I became hurt?"
"Because you had a bad fall?" Discord joked. Sunset giggled.
"NO, YOU IDIOT!" Mrs. Harshwinny screamed. "YOUR DAUGHTERS SENT A CROCIDILE, A DOG, A CAT, AND A TURTLE UPON MY FLANK!"
"Hey, you cannot talk to the King like that!" Flash barked, annoyed that some pony would act disrespectful toward Discord.  Mrs. Harshwinny ignored him.
"THOSE GIRLS OF YOURS ARE ANYTHING BUT ROYALTY! THEY NEVER LISTEN, THEY PLAY PRANKS ALL THE TIME, AND I NEVER GET REST! SO I QUIT!" Mrs. Harshwinny screamed before, reaching for the door.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, Mrs. Harshwinny!" Discord pleaded. "You cannot leave!"
"Oh yes I can!" Mrs. Harshwinny snapped. "Give me one good reason why I should not go!"
"Because I pay you a very handsome salary!" Discord grinned, proudly. Flash, Applejack, and Sunset face hoofed. "Sixteen bits, right?"
"Twelve bits!"
"I knew that!"
Mrs. Harshwinny dashed to the door and opened it. Discord quickly tried to stop her but Mrs. Harshwinny left, slamming the door on Discord's face. Discord was thrown back on the floor. His face was flattened from the door. Sunset and Applejack helped him up.
"Are you hurt, your majesty?" Flash asked.
"I'm fine," Discord mumbled, using his magic to fix his face. When his face was back in its normal shape, Discord turned his head toward upstairs. Which is where the nursey was located. "CHILDREN, YOU HAVE SOME EXPLAINING TO DO!" 
"How did this happen, Applejack?" Sunset asked.
"Ah don't know," Applejack sighed. "I was in the kitchen cooking, when I heard Mrs. Harshwinny scream. When I found her, she said she quit!"
"Children come downstairs now!" Discord called. "Do not make me come up there!" Still no answer. Discord pulled out a whistle and blew on it. The sound was so loud that Flash, Sunset, and Applejack had to cover thier ears. The nursery door opened and five fillies descended downstairs, in a marching order. Three of them were earth ponies, one was a pegasus, and the last one was a unicorn. When they reached downstairs, they stared fearfully at thier angry father. Applejack frowned at the fillies. Sunset and Flas just raised eyebrows at them.
"Hello, father," they stammered.
"Screwball, Babs Seed, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle!" Discord growled. "What's the big idea of letting our pets out to bite your nanny's flank?"
"It was funny!" Sweetie Belle giggled. The other fillies joined in her giggling. Flash, Sunset, and Applejack started to giggle only to be silenced by Discord's glare. 
"Yes, funny but wrong," He said, sternly. "Now who was the mastermind behind this scheme?" The children began to blame each other. Each did not want to get into trouble with thier father.
"Apple Bloom's idea!" Scootaloo shouted.
"Scootaloo's idea!" Apple Bloom glared at her sister.
"Screwball did it!" Babs Seed claimed.
"No I didn't!" Screwball argued.
"Um....I did?" Sweetie Belle said, confused. She did not have another sister to point hoofs. Discord stared down at them. He could tell that they were lying. The King may not be able to tell who did it but he had a way! Discord snapped his fingers and a lie detector appeared in his talon. He waved the object over each of his child's head. The lie detector beeped only once on each filly but when it reached Screwball, it beeped three times. He lowered his head to Screwball's eye level.
"Wow, Screwball, you have a dark mind!" Discord whispered. He looked at the rest of his children. "This is the tenth time I have lost a nanny! The tenth time! Every nanny I hired has fled from me! Why? All because of you, children!" He ranted, making the princesses shiver. "Why do you do these things? Why do you pull pranks on them?"
"I-" Sweetie Belle began.
"Silence!" Discord barked. "I do not want to hear any of your excuses! You will not get dinner tonight!"
The princesses started to protest or whine.
"But ya majesty, I just finished a nice meal for them!" Applejack pleaded. Discord sighed, frustrated.
"Fine, you can have dinner, since our head maid worked so hard to put it together for you, but no dessert!"
Out from nowhere, a pink earth pony with cotton candy-colored hair, the assistant cook, dashed into room.
"Did some pony say 'No dessert!?'" The pony gasped, dramatically. 
"I'm afraid so, Pinkie Pie," Applejack said, nonchalantly.
"Nooooooooooooooooooooo!" Pinkie Pie yelled. 



Thus, the rest of the day went as Discord declared. His children ate thier dinner but no dessert. Pinkie Pie was disappointed the most, about not having dessert.  The little princesses were taken up to thier nursery room and put to bed by Applejack and Rarity, the Royal seamstress. Rainbow Dash, lieutenant of Flash, began reading a story to them, only to fall asleep after reading the first five pages. Sunset had to take over as a storyteller. When the fillies were finally asleep, the mares went downstairs to clean up and do other evening tasks.



Inside the study room, Discord was reading a book, but was not paying attention. He was thinking about the fiasco that happened today. His children drove away another nanny. The King really did not like Mrs. Harshwinny because she was well, harsh. But he kept her, hoping that she'd teach his daughters how to be like princesses. Alas, his children had to scare her off! 


"Now what?" Discord sighed, to himself.

"Hire a new nanny, your majesty!" Pinkie Pie chirped, who popped out from nowhere. "Duh!"
"I know that, Pinkie!" Discord barked, rolling his eyes. "But I cannot just hire any nanny! Where can I find a nanny?  Who can I hire that will handle the children?"[i/]
> Chapter 4: Fluttershy finds a new job
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Singing Heart: Chapter 5-Fluttershy finds a new job

"Discord as a king?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow. 
"Yeah we know!" Shining Armor replied. Candance and Spike snorted with laughter.
"If Discord were a king, he'd bring chaos to Equestria like last time!" Twilight said, looking not amused.
"Relax sis, Discord would create his own chaos only in his own kingdom-if he were a king," Shining politely disagreed. 
"If you say so, bro," Twilight grumbled.
"What happens next? What happens to Fluttershy?" Spike inquired, eagerly.
"Okay, Spike," Twilight giggled, rolling her eyes playfully. She turned the page. 

Back in Canterlot, Fluttershy rose from her slumber. She yawned and stretched her hind legs. Fluttershy felt refreshed from having a good sleep. She still hoped that a visit to Queen Celestia would fix things. If there is any mare that Fluttershy (and any pony) could go to for advice, it is the Queen. Now, she has to prepare for the day. Fluttershy woke Angel up, who also seemed to be refreshed. Thankfully, his hangover went away. In fact, the bunny looked as if he never had a hangover! 
After getting ready for the day, Fluttershy and Angel checked out of the hotel. (Fluttershy still hid Angel in her suitcase). They trotted up to a beautiful and majestic castle. The little Pegasus flew up toward the gates. Fluttershy shivered slightly when she saw two guards in front of the gate. 
"Halt!" One of the guards spoke. "Who goes there?"
"I-I like to s-speak with the Queen," Fluttershy stuttered. She knew they were strict, but the guards' emotionless faces still unnerved her. 
"Do you have an appointment with the Queen?"  The other guard challenged.
"N-No," Fluttershy mumbled. Her voice was quiet but still loud enough for the guard to hear her. The guards narrowed thier eyebrows.
"Then, you cannot see the Queen!"
"Oh please it's important!" Fluttershy begged. "I need to speak with the Queen immediately!" Angel could barely hear what was going on but he figured that some guard was being unfair to Fluttershy.  If Angel was not still in his owner's suitcase, he would have kicked the guards' faces with his feet. The guards sighed. They told Fluttershy that if she still wants to see the Queen, she'll have to wait in the waiting lounge until the Queen was finished. Fluttershy walked inside the grand castle. Fluttershy saw a line of ponies in the throne room. Each pony had come to see Queen Celestia to tell her about their problems, in hopes that she could fix them. Fluttershy sighed, wondering if maybe she should come back some other day. No! She thought. I did not come all this way just to leave without seeing Queen Celestia!  She trotted to the waiting lounge room and sat on one of the soft purple leather chairs. The room had pink walls, and two white lamps, hanging on each side of the room. There was a coffee table, that displayed a bowl full of mint chocolates. Fluttershy took a mint chocolate and ate it in a delicate manner. Her pet bunny, hopped out of the suitcase. Angel took the perfect opportunity to stretch his hind legs and fluff his tail. Fluttershy still sat in her chair, contemplating about something. She knew that Queen Celestia has Royal tasks to do, but Fluttershy hoped that Queen Celestia could help her. Hopefully, she can see the Queen before midnight.

Inside the throne room, Queen Celestia recently bid goodbye to the last pony of the day. A farm stallion had voiced his concerns about his family not receiving his amount of fair bits from two earth yellow stallions who worked as salestallions. The Queen had advised him to talk things through with his partners. If they still refused to split money, then the farm stallion should stop doing business with them. Satisfied, the farm stallion thanked the Queen and headed home. A guard appeared and notified the Queen that a young yellow pegasus wanted to see her.

"Send the young pegasus in," Queen Celestia commanded. The guard left the throne room. Two minutes later, the guard brought Fluttershy before the Queen. Fluttershy bowed down gracefully. 
"Arise Fluttershy," Queen Celestia, smiled kindly. Fluttershy lifted her eyes up and faced the Queen. "What brings you here, my child?"
"I lost my job, your majesty," Fluttershy mumbled, shamefully. She hid her face behind her side of her mane. Celestia's face filled with worry and sadness for the young mare,
"Would you like to tell me how it happened, Fluttershy?" She inquired, softly. Fluttershy blushed, still feeling ashamed. She took a deep breath and with tears, told Celestia everything! From her tardiness, to the dress, to Angel's sickness, to Madame losing her sale, to her termination. The Queen listened attentively and patiently. Queen Celestia bestowed Fluttershy a hanker chief. Fluttershy took it and dabbed tears from her eyes. She felt a bit embarassed for shedding tears, in front of the Queen but Celestia did not mind.
"And when I tried to find work, I was turned away just because I'm a mare!" Fluttershy finished, feeling very annoyed. "Oh your majesty, what should I do?" Queen Celestia flew down from her throne and put her hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder. 

"Well, the only thing I can tell you to do is to keep on trying. It just takes time and patience to find a job that is truly the right fit for you," Queen Celestia commented. Thinking back to Fluttershy's story, she asked the young pegasus one question. "Tell me, what do you do in your spare of time?" 
"Singing in the hills," Fluttershy replied. "Every morning, I go to the hills from Canterlot and spend time singing and caring for the animals." She beamed, remembering the time when she had helped a lost baby bird find its mama and papa. The baby bird was so happy when it found its parents and had been friends with Fluttershy since then! 
"And these adventures to the hills are why you were always late to Madame DeRange's shop?" Queen Celestia quizzed. Fluttershy's smile was replaced with an frown. 
"Oh I did not mean to be late!" Fluttershy cried, a bit too quickly. "I know I was not allowed to be out of my dorm and go far off, but I could not resist going to the hills! It is where I had lived since I was little filly! When I see the hills, I feel like I wanted to be there, running and singing! It is so much better than being trapped in the dusty dorm room all day long! Besides, the hills were the only place where I do not have to worry about ponies staring at me, while singing! And I would not have to worry about Madame shouting at me to stop!" She looked at the Queen who reached for a pile of job advertisements and letters. "Why do you ask, your majesty?"
"I believed that I can find you a job based on your interests and passions," Celestia countered. "That way, you would not have to worry about being so bored that you would sneak out of the hills!" She added, with a twinkle in her eye. "You are not the type that likes to stay in one place, you are the one who likes to be active and move around," Celestia commented. She went through her pile of job offers and applications. 
"Did you have a job for me that is about caring for animals or singing?" Fluttershy requested, excitedly.
"I am afraid I do not have jobs that require singing or working with animals." Celestia responded. Fluttershy's ears drooped a little but was still not disappointed. 
"It's all right, are there any other job openings I can do?" She asked, hopefully. 
"I am afraid not," Queen Celestia shook her head, still looking. "There are not many jobs open for anypony, especially for a mare." Fluttershy's smile turned upside down. It seemed like her chances of finding a new job were were very slim. 
"However," the Queen continued, "I believe I have a job that is suitable for you." She pulled out a letter from a pile, which was given to her this morning. "The Kingdom of Draconia is looking for somepony to be a nanny to its five young princesses." Fluttershy's eyes widened. 
"Five fillies!?" The pegasus gasped. 
"Do you like children, Fluttershy?" The Queen chuckled. 
"Yes, but five!?" Fluttershy remarked, still surprised. It was rare for families to have children that are more than 2 or 3. "All due with respect, your majesty, but maybe this job is not for me," She murmured, sadly. Caring for children is something that Fluttershy had not much experience. True, she had done some foal sitting but that was five years ago when she was still a filly. Besides, she had never foal sat that many amount of children before! The Queen could see that Fluttershy was hesitant to accept the job.
"It is up to you if you want to take this offer," Celestia explained. "But I still highly recommend that you accept it because this job is the only honorable job that is available for a mare. Other options would be servitude, but even that is not available. So what do you choose?" 
Fluttershy's thoughts ran throughout her head. Should she take the job? Could she handle the princesses? Could she handle that many children? The pegasus understood what the Queen meant about the only honorable job left available. Lately, she had heard about mares who could not find good jobs, either turn to servitude or worse, prostitution! Fluttershy shuddered, not wanting to do the latter job. If she does not accept the job, where would Fluttershy go, then? Fluttershy sighed as she made her decision. 
"All right, your majesty, I'll take the job offer," She reported. Queen Celestia smiled. 
"Splendid, child!" She nodded, pulling out a parchment and a feather pen. "I'll send a message to Discord, right away!" She started to write down on her parchment. 
"Um, Discord?" Fluttershy blinked. The name sounded weird on her tongue. "Who is he?"
"He is the King of Draconia and the father to the five princesses. He is a strange but a fine and bright creature." Queen Celesetia explained, as she finished writing a letter to the King. Her horn glowed and her magic caused the letter to poor away. Soon the letter would reach King Discord. "I understand he has trouble keeping a nanny since his wife passed away."
"Why?" Fluttershy asked.
"Who knows," Celestia shrugged. "Well, what do you know? It looks like some mare has found a job!"
Fluttershy beamed brighter than a Christmas tree on Hearth's Warming Eve. 
"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, so much your grace!" She chirped. The Pegasus bowed to the Queen. "I promise to be the best nanny ever!"
"I know you will!" Queen Celestia laughed. 


> Chapter 5: The First Meeting EDITED
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Singing Heart: Chapter 5-The First meeting

The next day, Fluttershy carried her suitcase and cantered to the train station. Angel was sitting on her back, enjoying the breeze from the wind. Fluttershy bought a ticket from the ticket booth. She cantered to a bench and waited for her train to come. She waited patiently and looked around the train station. Some ponies were buying tickets for thier train rides. Others were waiting for thier train rides, just like Fluttershy. The Pegasus swung her hind legs back forth, anxiously, looking sideways for the train. "Is the train here yet? It should be here by now!" Fluttershy thought to herself. Thankfully , the train arrived and Fluttershy trotted on. She took a seat that was by the window. She looked outside, to enjoy the view. She waved goodbye to Canterlot as the town disappeared. Then she passed the hills, and the Everfree Forest. While passing the Crystal Empire, Fluttershy turned to her pet. Unlike Fluttershy, Angel was dying from boredom. 
"Isn't this wonderful Angel?" Fluttershy asked, excitedly. "We are going to see the Kingdom of Draconia! It's not every day that you visit it! We'll live in the palace! And we get to see the K-King! " her eyes started to widen.  "And-and f-five children!" Her excitement was overtaken by her nerves, again. "A castle with five princesses! Oh what is the matter with me?" She whimpered. Angel hopped on top of her head, and patted it with his paw. Angel made a bunny noise as of to assure Fluttershy that she'd be all right. "I know Queen Celestia trusts me to take the job, but I am still nervous-what if I mess up? What if the King becomes angry at me because I offended him?" Fluttershy worried. Angel made an another noise, telling his owner that she will not mess up and if the king has a problem with her, the bunny will give him a good kick! He swung his foot up in the air to show how strong he is, only to fall on his back. Fluttershy giggled, touched by her bunny's loyalty. "You are right, Angel," she smiled. "I worry too much!" She turned to look out of the window, thinking that nothing will go wrong now.



King Discord blew his whistle very loudly for his staff.
"Coming your highness!" Flash Sentry called, galloping toward from the other room. Discord smirked as his trusted captain saluted him. Rainbow Dash arrived a few seconds later, grumbling about 'stupid whistles'. 
"Where is everybody else?" Discord demanded. He blew his whistle again for them twice, making Flash and Rainbow cringe and cover thier ears. Finally, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and a few other ponies appeared, covering thier ears. 
"Ow, stop, stop that awful whistling!" Rarity and Pinkie whined. "It hurts our ears!" 
"Well, maybe if you idiots, came when I first called you, then maybe I would not blow it again!" Discord barked at them. Everybody winced at Discord's tone of voice. "Where is Sunset Shimmer?" On cue, Sunset Shimmer gallopped into the room with a telegram. 
"Sorry, I am late-" Sunset panted.
"You should be, Sunset!" Discord barked. "You know how much I hate tardiness!"
"But you have a telegram from-" Sunset began only to be silenced again, by Discord. The king cleared his throat, trying to sound casual. "Now I called you guys here to remind you that our new nanny is going to be arriving here today this afternoon. Flash Sentry and Rainbow Dash! I want you to pick her up from the Draconian station at 4:30pm and escort her to the castle. Applejack, I want you to prepare a bedroom for her. The res too you will tidy up the kitchen, the living room, and the dining hall. Rarity, make sure to design some uniforms for the new nanny. Is that clear?"
"Yes , your majesty!" Everybody replied. 
"One question, my liege, what is her name?" Flash inquired. 
"Oh forgive me, her name is Fluttershy," Discord answered. "She will be coming from Canterlot." He turned to Sunset. "Now who is the telegram from?"
"The telegram is from Lady Chrysalis, your higness. She wants to know if you are having lunch at her palace today," The wise mare reported. Discord rolled his eyes in annoyance. 
"Did I not tell that changeling yesterday that today's not a good day?" He grumbled. "Not to mention that I have an appointment with Prince Ayaan since my last meeting with him was cut short!"
"Should I write to Lady Chrysalis that you cannot make it?" Sunset Shimmer asked, getting out get her parchment.
"Yes, what do you think?" Discord barked, loudly. Sunset cringed at his tone. She tried her best to not be so intimidated as she wrote a telegram to Lady Chrysalis. "But ask Lady Chrysalis if we can spend the whole day at her palace!" Or see her for a week! The sooner, I am away from the children, the better! Discord thought. He felt a sharp pain in his heart when he thought the last sentence. He quickly shook the feeling away before he let it linger. After everypony left the meeting to do thier assignments, the King left for a meeting with Ayaan. Flash and Rainbow trotted outside and began a private conversation.
"Ugh, I wish he'd stop using his whistles on us!" Rainbow Dash whispered to Flash. "I know he used to be on the navy, but this is ridiculous!"
"Forget the whistles!" Flash hissed. "I'd wish he'd spend time with his children, instead of with other royals, especially Lady Chrysalis!"



At last, the train arrived in Draconia at 4:30pm. Fluttershy stepped outside of the train, carrying her suitcase. Angel still sat on top of her head. Fluttershy looked around the train station. She was amazed to see other species around other than ponies such as the griffons and the mintoaurs. Fluttershy recalled from her letter from Discord, that she would be picked up by Captain Flash Sentry and Lieutenenat Rainbow Dash. The question is where are they? And what do they look like? Fluttershy scanned around the train station. She hoped she arrived at the right time! When Fluttershy tried to hover a bit so she can see clearly, the crowd began to press on her. One big pony bumped into Fluttershy and sent her flying across the station. Fluttershy freaked out and struggled to flap her wings. Angel held onto her hair. They were heading toward a pole!



"Why do I have to hold this stupid sign?" Rainbow Dash hissed. She and Flash were standing by a pole, far from the busy crowd.
"So she can easily find us!" Flash whispered back to her. Just then, somepony accidentally crashed into Flash from behind, which made him bump into Rainbow Dash and dropped a few things. It was Fluttershy! Her flying had sailed her right into two other pegasuses!
"Hey watch it, will ya!" Rainbow Dash snapped, standing up.
"Rainbow, be nice!" Flash chided. He helped up Fluttershy.
"Oh, I am so sorry, sir, I did not mean to bump into you!" Fluttershy whimpered. "The crowd bumped into me and I-"
"Oh, it is all right, miss!" Flash answered, gently. "What is your name?" 
"Um, I'm Fluttershy," the Pegasus shyly, said. 
"Sorry, what is your name again?" Flash repeated.
"Fluttershy!" She whispered, still shy. 
"Can you please speak up, miss?" Rainbow Dash pressed on. She was beginning to feel impatient.  
"Fluttershy!" The scared pegasus squeaked. Angel popped out of Fluttershy's hair locks and waved Discord's letter in front of Flash's face. Flash read the paper carefully. 
"Ah, you must be Fluttershy, the new nanny!" Flash beamed brightly. "Am I correct?" Fluttershy nodded.
"Woah, woah, woth! This klutz is the new nanny!?" Rainbow asked incredously. 
"Rainbow, where are your manners?" Flash hissed. He turned back to Fluttershy. "I am Captain Flash and this is my lieutenant, Rainbow a Dash. Welcome to the Kingdom of Draconia!"
"Pleased to meet you!" Fluttershy smiled, brightly. "And thank you!" They picked up her suitcase and guided her toward the kingdom. 



When the three pegasuses reached the castle, Fluttershy was amazed at how interesting it looked. The castle was made out polished marble but had white and purple stripes around its towers. Flash and Rainbow led Fluttershy inside of the castle. 
"Wow!" Fluttershy marveled. The inside castle was interesting. There were black and white stripes on one side of the hall and purple polka dots on the other side. The throne room had gold walls and maroon rugs. The chair was also made out of gold. 
Fluttershy had never seen anything quite like it before! 
"So, where is the King?" Fluttershy, asked noticing that the throne was empty. Suddenly, a magical light appeared over the throne and then came a big POOF sound! Fluttershy squeaked and hid behind Flash and Rainbow. The cyan pegasus snickered at Fluttershy only to be elbowed by a stern Flash.  When the smoke left, Fluttershy peeked. There on the chair was a strange creature with mismatched limps.
He does not look like a king, Fluttershy thought, surprised. The Pegasus thought that she'd be seeing a male alicorn or a stallion. She had never seen a draconeques before! To Fluttershy, the draconeques looked very interesting.
"Hello Flash and Rainbow!" King Discord greeted, loudly. "Well, have you picked our new nanny?  Where is she?"
"She is right here, my liege!" Flash saluted as he and Rainbow stepped away to reveal the shy pegasus. She quickly bowed down in his presence. Discord's eyes widened, the moment Fluttershy came into his view. 
She does not look like a nanny, the King said inside his head. His new nanny was not an old mare, he had visioned, but rather a young and pretty mare. King Discord quickly snapped out of his train of thought and stood up from his throne.
"I trust that your train ride was pleasant, Miss Fluttershy?" He asked.
"Oh yes!" Fluttershy smiled. "The train ride was very pleasant!"
"It was not so not pleasant when she bumped into us!" Rainbow Dash muttered. Flash shot her another glare. Discord ordered them to stand on each side of the throne room, so he could talk to Fluttershy only.
"So um, what will I be doing as a nanny, Your highness?" Fluttershy asked, shyly. The silence in the throne room was making her a bit nervous.  
"I am glad you asked Miss Fluttershy!" The King said. "You will be doing a variety of tasks with the children! Make sure they do thier school work ever day from 8am to 3pm. I do not want them to waste thier summer away, doing nothing! When they go outside, they will spend time marching. Marching, will help them learn how to be graceful..," 
As Discord continued to list his of long and boring rules, Fluttershy could not help but wonder if the King sounded a bit too strict. 
"Um, excuse me?" She said timidly and softly. "When do the children play?" Either Fluttershy's question fell on deaf ears or Discord pretended not to hear her.
"One more thing," King Discord added. "You must be on time for every meal and activity because punctuality is a value that we emphasized in this castle. Do you understand?" 
"Yes, sir!" Fluttershy saluted, smiling. Discord gave her an odd look. Rainbow and Flash silently snickered.  
"I hope you will last long, Miss Fluttershy," Discord mentioned, sternly. "Our last nanny, walked out on us after working here for two days!" Discord took out his whistle  from his crown (How does one keep a whistle in thier crown? Fluttershy silently asked herself) and gave it a very loud blow. The pitch was so high that it made Fluttershy squeak and jump. 
She heard the galloping of little hoofs, from her right. She watched four young fillies marching into the throne room. They all stood in line in front of thier father. Discord counted Screwball, Babs Seed, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle. He frowned, noticing that one filly was missing! Just then, Apple Bloom cantered in, munching on an apple, not realizing the situation. Blushed and embarresed of not hearing her father's whistle, the yellow filly quickly, stepped into line. Discord snatched her apple away and tossed it into a nearby garbage can. 
"These are the princesses that you will be watching," Discord announced. The children looked at Fluttershy with blank expressions. "I will show you what signal to use for each princess, anytime you need to call them," Discord demonstrated. He blew his whistle at three high notes. 
"Princess Screwball!" The eldest pony shouted. Next, Discord blew three low notes.
"Princess Babs Seed!" The second pony announced. Discord whistled two high notes and low note.
"Princess Apple Bloom!" The yellow filly said, loudly. Two low notes and one high note.
"Princess Scootaloo!"
One high note. Last filly was daydreaming until, Scootaloo nudged her. Discord repeated one high note.
"Oh, um, Princess Sweetie Belle!" 
Fluttershy thought she saw Discord smile a bit before he quickly composed himself. He tenderly put his whistle in Fluttershy's hoof.  They both felt a warm feeling the moment thier hoof/paw touched. But neither of them understood the warm touch they had very briefly shared. 
"Now Miss Fluttershy when I whistle for you, this what you will hear," he demonstrated, using his other whistle. He began playing high notes that were so high that it made Fluttershy's ears bleed. 
"Stop, stop!" She shouted. " I will not answer to a whistle! The whistle is for the dogs, but not for the children! And it is definitely not for me! It'd be too humiliating!"
The children and the guards were astonished. No pony had ever spoken to the King like that before!
"Were you this much trouble at Canterlot?" Discord inquired, slowly.
"Oh much worse!" Fluttershy responded, without hesitation. 
"I see," Discord responded, frowning. The children snickered at the display. "I will leave you to get acquainted with the children."
He was about to leave, when Fluttershy blew her whistle loudly for him. It was loud enough to make Discord cringe. 
"Oh sorry, your highness," Fluttershy blushed. "But what name do I really call you?" She was not sure if the title, your higness, was respectable enough. And she could not remember his real name.
"Your higness, is fine. But if you want to call me by real name, King Discord will work, too," He grumbled, still irritated by the whistle. "Now if you excuse me, I have some work to doin my library!" He poofed away, not leaving dust behind.
"Well, now that we are alone, I like each of you tell me your name and a little bit something about yourself," Fluttershy explained, kindly. "Princess Screwball, why don't you go first?" The eldest princess stood up roundly, like her father.
"I am Princess Screwball and I do not need a nanny!" She stated, harshly. 
"Well, that is all right, Screwball," Fluttershy chirped. "We can be just good friends." Babs Seed was next.
"I am Princess Babs Seed and I am impossible!" She said, loudly.
"Now Babs Seed, who told you that?" Fluttershy giggled. She find it hard to believe that some adult would say something so mean. 
"Miss Bon Bon, four nannies ago!" Babs Seed replied.
"I am Princess Apple Bloom!" Scootaloo joked. 
"You did not tell me something about yourself, Scootaloo," Fluttershy smiled, wryly.
"I am Princess Apple Bloom!" The real Apple Bloom stated, annoyed. Scootaloo only chuckled.. "She is Princess Scootaloo! I like apples and Scootaloo likes scooters! I also think you are smart!"
"I am Princess Sweetie Belle!" The youngest one sounded very cheerful. "Are you single?" 
Fluttershy was surprised at Sweetie Belle's odd question. The other princesses, except Apple Bloom, giggled.
"Sweetie Belle, you were supposed to tell her something about yourself, not ask her a questuon!" Apple Bloom reprimanded.
"I was just curious!" Sweetie Belle said, innocently. 

Just then, Applejack appeared.
"Come on, sugar cubes," she called. "Time to for you to go back to your lessons and do marching afterwards!" The children groaned.
"Do we have to, Applejack?" Screwball whined.
"Yes, Father's orders," Applejack gravely said. She spoke  a friendly tone with Fluttershy. "Well howdy, Miss Fluttershy! You must be the new nanny, right?" 
"Right," Fluttershy smiled, shyly. This orange mare seemd nice.
While Fluttershy and Applejack were talking, Babs Seed and Screwball slipped something in Fluttershy's dress. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle tried to protest but Scootaloo shushed them. Applejack offered to take Fluttershy's luggage to her new bedroom. As the princesses descended upstairs, Fluttershy screamed when she felts something slimey moved inside her dress. The Pegasus shook and shook around until a slimey thing fell out of her dress. Fluttershy calmed down when she saw it was just a frog. She tenderly picked the frog up and caressed it.  She set the frog on a windowsill and watchd dif hop out of the window. Applejack and the children were amazed.
"You're lucky," Applejack said. "With Miss Lyra, it was a snake!" Screwball, Babs Seed, and Scootaloo gnashed thier teeth at Fluttershy. She did not shriek and run away like they predicted. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle gave her an apologetic look.
Fluttershy wondered how she would handle all the Royal family? 
> Chapter 6: First evening at the Castle EDITED
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Applejack guided Fluttershy to her new bedroom which was located on the second floor. The bedroom was next to the nursery room thus that Fluttershy can be near the children should they need her. Fluttershy took a first glance in her room. There were pink walls pink with light green butterflies and baby blue swirls. There was a bathroom on the left, a bed in the middle, and a big closet on the right. The bed, by the way, had green sheets and blankets with pink pillows. Between her bed, were two windows, each with Pranch Tudor style. 
"I hope you like it, Miss Fluttershy," Applejack said, warmly. Fluttershy was in awe of the room's cleanliness and neatness.  When the orange earth pony left the room, Fluttershy cantered to her bed. Tired from her journey and today's events, she collapsed on it. Fluttershy closed her eyes and slipped into dreamland.



Later in the evening, the dinner bell rang thought the castle.  Fluttershy's eyes fluttered opened. She felt very relaxed from her nice nap! When she heard the dinner bell ring again, Fluttershy jumped. 
"Oh no!" She squeaked. "I am going to be late for dinner!" She darted her eyes at her suitcase, still unpacked. She groaned, because she did not get a chance to unpack her belongings. She flung open her suitcase. She did not have much wardrobe to wear. What she had was a toothbrush, her comb, her shampoo and conditioner, her nightgown, and two lime green casual dresses. Fluttershy quickly tossed one of ther dresses over her head. She brushed her hair, and galloped out of her bedroom door. But then, the buttercream pegasus stopped and put her hoof to her chin.

"Now, where was the Dining hall, again?"

Fluttershy recalled Applejack informing her how to get there. Go left, next right, go straight, descend the staircase, pass the throne room, and walk straight to the dining hallway. 
"Okay, this should not be too hard!" Fluttershy smiled to herself, taking another step. But finding the dining hallway was harder than Fluttershy thought! She went left and right but the yellow pegasus could not find the staircase! The hallways were so confusing because no matter which turn she took, Fluttershy was not reaching the staircase or the dining hall at all. It felt like she was walking around in circles! Or a maze! Fluttershy had turned into another direction in the hallway. She did not find the staircase but on the right, was a big painting. Curious, Fluttershy cantered to it. On the paining, stood King Discord with a smile that held a hidden mischief. Below him, were the four princesses, looking miffed. Probably because they do not like to sit for long hours, having their painting taken. Next to Discord was his late wife, the Queen. She had long red hair with purple highlights, violet eyes, and yellow fur. The Queen wore a golden tiara on her head, which held three sapphires. Fluttershy reached out to touch the painting, when suddenly, her hoof was slapped away by a orange hoof.
"Where were you, Miss Fluttershy!?" Sunset Shimmer yelled. "You were supposed to be at dinner, 15 minutes ago!" Standing next Sunset was Rarity, who also narrowed her eyes at the newcomer.
Fluttershy winced at Sunset's tone and hid her face behind her mane.
"S-S-sorry, I was lost and  could not find the dining hall," Fluttershy stuttered.
"Didn't AJ give you instructions?" Sunset asked with a soft tone. 
"And don't touch the paintings, Darling," Rarity added, sternly. "An oil painting such as this is of high value, a historical document, a-"
"We have no time, let's get Fluttershy to dinner before the King throws a fit!" Sunset said, hastily.



Discord sat at one end of the long table. Screwball and Babs Seed were seated on the right side of the table. Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom relaxed on the left side. Pinkie Pie hopped in, juggling seven plates of food. 
"Dinner is served!" She sang in a high  sing-song voice. She placed each plate in front of each Royal. She came to an abrupt stop when a certain seventh person was not present. "Hey, where is the new nanny? Is she coming? I have her dinner, ready!"
"Good question, Pinkie," Discord growled, annoyed. "I had told her that dinner is at seven! Now it is past thirty-five minutes!" His ears perked up, when he heard galloping in the hallway. In the doorway, Fluttershy dashed and panted a little from galloping, followed by Sunset Shimmer and Rarity.
"Good evening, Your highness, and princesses!" Fluttershy bowed. Sunset and Rarity also bowed.
"Good evening, Miss Fluttershy," the children replied, in perfect harmony. 
"Yes, Good evening Miss Fluttershy," Discord uttered, still annoyed.  "Care to explain why you were late?" Fluttershy cringed at his harsh tone.
Pinkie took the opportunity to shook Fluttershy's hoof.
"Hi-Miss-Fluttershy!" She greeted. "I'm-Pinkie-Pie-the-assistant-cook-of-the-castle! I-am-sure-you-have-met-Lieutenant-Rainbow-Dash-Captain-Flash-Sentry-and-Head-Cook-Applejack-right?"
"Yes," Fluttershy said, surprised at the pink pony's rapid speech pattern. Pinkie Pie took in a deep breath.
"Let-me-introduce-you-to-more-members-of-the-castle! This-is-Sunset-Shimmer-the-wise-mare-Rarity- the-Royal-seamstress-King Discord-Princess-Screwball-Princess-Babs-Seed-King-Discord-Princess-Apple-Bloom-Sunset-Shimmer-Princess-Apple-Bloom-Princess-Screwball-Sunset-Shimmer-King-Discord-Rarity-Princess-Scootaloo-King-Discord-Gummy- (who is on top of my head)-King Discord-Princess Sweetie Belle-Princess-Screwball-Gummy-Princess-Sweetie-Belle-Rarity-Sunset-Shimmer-Princess-Screwball-King-Discord-Gummy-King-Discord-Gummy-Princess-Screwball-Gummy-"
"PINKIE!" Discord bellowed. The pink pony shut her mouth immediately. Everybody else just shivered in fear. Discord massaged his temples. "Would you kindly please hop into the kitchen and prepare dessert?" He grumbled. He wondered why he hired that pink earth pony.
"With pleasure, your majesty!" Pinkie shouted, joyfully. She was not infected by her majesty's annoyance. After placing Fluttershy's dish down, Pinkie bounced into the kitchen. The children smiled gleefully, that they were getting dessert. Discord glared at Sunset and Rarity.
"What are you standing here for?" He hollered. "Back to work!" 
Sunset and Rarity scattered off. Fluttershy took a seat but when she sat down, she yelped. Fluttershy stood up, abruptly and looked at her seat. It was only a pinecone. Fluttershy caught a glimpse of Screwball snickering. She had a feeling  who placed the pinecone there. 
"Oh how charming!" Discord teased. "Is this some kind of ritual you do back in Canterlot?" 
"No, um, just-just a sore-sore tailbone," Fluttershy fibbed. She did not feel the need to make a fuss over a silly pinecone. She sat down after removing it.  Dinner was a salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, carrots, and onions. While, eating her salad, Fluttershy gasped when she saw something moving in her salad! She saw a spider, a centipede, and a grasshopper, crawling around in her lettuce! The princesses held their breathes waiting to see her face. Discord held his breath, waiting for her to yell at him and leave.
But instead of shrieking, Fluttershy  tenderly took the bugs out of her plate and placed them next to her plate. She even fed them some of her spinach! The princesses' jaws dropped! They have never seen anybody so calm and tender before! Why did she not scream like the former nannies? While Discord was relieved not to have any more commotion, he stared at Fluttershy. Why didn't she squeal on the children? 
"I like to thank you children for the gift you gave me earlier" Fluttershy smiled, in a joking manner. The King snapped out of his trance.
"Uh, what gift?" Discord asked, suspiciously. What animal did the children slipped into a mare's dress this time?
"Oh I cannot tell you, your majesty," Fluttershy said in a sing-song voice. "It is meant to be a secret!"
"Then I suggest you keep it quiet, Miss Fluttershy, so I can eat in peace!" Discord barked. King Discord knew that Fluttershy was lying to protect his kids from his wrath. Why would she do that, he did not know. 
Guilt was written on each princess' face. Nopony else talked for the rest of the evening.


> Chapter 7: After dinner 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset trotted to the dining hall where Fluttershy and the family were eating thier dessert. Each pony had a slice of apple pie with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. 
"Excuse me, your majesty," Sunset Shimmer spoke. "A telegram was delivered to you." Discord read the telegram. When The King finished reading his telegram, he looked at his daughters.
"Children, I am going to leave for the Changeling Kingdom tomorrow," The King announced, without emotion. 
"Father, not again!" The princesses shouted. Discord growled at them to be silent. The girls shrank in thier seats. Why must their father leave them all the time? Doesn't he love them anymore?
"How long will you be gone, this time, Father?" Sweetie Belle murmured, sadly.
"A week," Discord replied, still emotionless.
"What for?" Babs Seed pressed on.
"To see Lady Chrysalis?" Screwball frowned.
"Will she ever see us?" Apple Bloom innocently inquired.
"Why would Lady Chrysalis want to see you, Apple Bloom?" Scootaloo frowned. Apple Bloom narrowed her eyebrows and sticked her tongue out at her pegasus sister. 
"For your information, Scootaloo," King Discord began. "I will be bringing Lady Chrysalis home to meet all of you."
"Oh good!" The princesses chimed. This will give them plenty of time to come up with pranks for Lady Chrysalis. The children have never met Chrysalis, but already they resented her for being some mare who was always trying to steal thier father away from them. 
"And I will bring back Uncles Flim and Flam," Discord added. 
"Uncle Flim and Uncle Flam!" The children squealed. Flim and Flam, were two stallions who had been good friends with King Discord for many years.
Fluttershy's face was full of concern and sympathy. The King and the children seemed to not spend much time together. She knew that the princesses looked a bit upset at their father's departure. But what about the King? He acted so calm and collected that Fluttershy could not tell whether he was disappointed or happy about his trip.



"Thank you for escorting me to my bedroom, Miss Applejack," Fluttershy thanked the orange pony as they along with Pinkie Pie and the princesses cantered through the hallway. After the meal was over, Discord had asked Applejack to escort Fluttershy back to her bedroom. 
"No, problem Miss Fluttershy," Applejack smiled. "Don't want you to get lost and get in trouble with the master, again!"
"Yeah," Fluttershy chuckled, nervously. "Don't want that to happen, again!" Even though, Fluttershy held respect for the King, at the same time, he still intimidated her.
"Don't worry, silly!" Pinkie said in a cheerful voice. "I remembered my first day working here. I got lost in every single room here!"
"Pinkie, you're always lost in every room!" Applejack frowned, rolling her eyes. The princesses giggled.
"Is that why Daddy always has Rainbow Dash or Flash escort Pinkie around?" Apple Bloom whispered to Babs Seed who chuckled.
Fluttershy giggled along with them. Perhaps, working at the castle wouldn't be so bad. She just wish she knew why the King acts so cold and rude all the time. 
Maybe Fluttershy can ask Applejack about him, but only after the children are tucked into bed.


> Chapter 8: Bedtimes, Secrets, and Favorite Things Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I do not feel sleepy yet," Babs Seed said, while trotting up the staircase.
"Yeah, can't we go outside?" Scootaloo pleaded. 
"No girls," Applejack responded, firmly. "Your father said it is time for bed. Besides, Rainbow Dash will be outside, creating a rainstorm with other weather ponies."
When the girls reached the third floor, they entered into the nursery room. The nursery room had pink walls with lavender swirls, a teal green carpet, five pink beds, a huge walk-in closet, a bathroom, and two white windows.  There was also a white table with five white chairs and some toys, which were lying around the floor. Fluttershy noticed how the room looked innocent and childlike compared to the previous chaotic but magnificent rooms. There were also a lot of toys lying around the floor. Fluttershy could see almost every toy such as some stuffed horses, a few teddy bears, a ball, an apple plush, and a baseball bat. She had to hover over them because there was no room to walk on. The fillies trotted over their toys toward their dresser, not bothering to pick them up. 
"Sorry, the nursery is a mess," Applejack chuckled nervously to Fluttershy. The pegasus nodded sympathetically to the earth pony. She noticed Pinkie Pie, being distracted by a paddle ball. The pink pony was more focused on hitting the ball than helping the fillies to bed. Fluttershy wondered when was the last time the children cleaned up their toys. 
"Um excuse me children but don't you think you should put your toys away?" The Pegasus suggested, meekly with a sheepish smile. "I know it is night, but-"
"Miss Fluttershy don't!!" Applejack hissed in a panicked voice. But the fillies had already heard the shy nanny. 
"We don't clean up!" Screwball barked, her eyes blazing with fire. "Daddy says we don't have to clean up because we're royalty!"
"Yeah!" Her sisters added, acting snobby. Applejack hoped the conversation would end right there but Fluttershy took another risk with another question.
"Well, if you do not clean up your toys, then who will?" She asked, calmly.
"The servants, silly head!" Screwball sassed. "Applejack can do it!" Fluttershy frowned at Screwball's rude attitude. Before she could say something, Applejack quickly intervened.
"All right, that's enough!" She scolded. "Get to bed now!"
"AJ, do we still  have to go to bed?" Apple Bloom groused, putting her pajamas on. Applejack rolled her eyes.
"Yes, you heard what your father said," She sighed. "And what is this 'AJ'? Call me 'Applejack' or 'Miss Applejack!'" She turned to Pinkie, who still could not hit the ball with the paddle. "Pinkie, put that paddleball down!" 
"Aw, do I have to?" Pinkie moaned. It was comical for Fluttershy to see a grown mare who acted just as fussy as the princesses. 
"Yes, Pinkie!" AJ grumbled. "I need you to brush the fillies' teeth, pronto!"
"Um, Applejack? I can brush their teeth," Fluttershy volunteered, shyly. She felt bad that Appejack was doing most of the work and wanted to help her out. Applejack frowned and shook her head.
"Oh thanks Miss Fluttershy but I think it will be best if Pinkie does it since she is experienced," Applejack remarked, a little too quickly. "Besides, our job is to show you how to help the children to bed thus you will be able to do it on your own, in the future. Understand?"
Fluttershy still wanted to help Applejack out but realized that the head maid had a point. It is her first day here and if she is going to take care of the children, then she must observe Applejack and Pinkie Pie. One must learn how to do the way things are done with children or else there will be consequences. 
"I understand," She nodded, obediently.



After the princesses put thier nightgowns on, they went into the bathroom along with Pinkie and Fluttershy. Pinkie showed Fluttershy how to brush each filly's teeth. The fillies were fussy and squeamish. They did not enjoy brushing their teeth. When Pinkie warned them that she's tell thier father on them, the children immediately brushed thier teeth clean. Next, Fluttershy studied Pinkie tucking thr children into bed.
Like with the bathroom before, Pinkie Pie struggled a lot because some of the fillies were being  restless. Even though, Applejack helped, it was still a huge job for Pinkie. Screwball and Babs Seed were difficult to work with because one preferred to tuck herself in and the second one did not want to go to sleep. Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle were easy to handle. They hopped in thier beds, as they were told. Applejack read a short storybook to the fillies until they closed their eyes and slipped into slumberland. The two earth ponies and one pegasus quietly sneaked out of the nursery. Pinkie and Applejack looked very weary and exhausted from all the commotion the fillies caused. Pinkie decided to go downstairs to her room. Applejack was about to depart before Fluttershy spoke up.
"Miss Applejack, may I ask you a question?" She asked, shyly. 
"Anything, Miss Fluttershy!" Applejack responded, cheerfully. "What is it? Is it about the children?" She had been so tired that she almost forgot to ask Fluttershy if she had any questions about caring for the children. 
"Well, yes but...not just the children...," Fluttershy meekly muttered. She was also thinking about thier father. How he acted toward his children just surprised her. The King was anything but loving! Fluttershy becoming a bit more shy by a second.
"You can tell me," Applejack encouraged her.
Fluttershy took a deep breath, hoping her question will not offend her new friend. 
"Why does the King-"
"Miss Fluttershy, I have something for you!" A voice called. Fluttershy gave a small sigh. Sure, she was nervous, but the innocent equine was dissapointed to not voice her question. Rarity just came upstairs unexpectedly, carrying a few outfits with her magic aura. 
"Here are your new outfits!" The white unicorn beamed in a sing-song voice. "I designed them myself!" Intrigued by a pile of new clothes, Fluttershy thanked Rarity and accepted them. Each outfit was a dress with white outlines, short puffy sleeves, and ribbons tied in the back. They came in many colors such as turquoise, sky blue, light green, red, lavender, and honey.
"Wow, so beautiful!" The buttercream pony gasped, marveling at each dress. 
"I could not agree more!" Rarity chirped, flipping her hair in a nearby mirror on the wall. Applejack frowned and rolled her eyes. Fluttershy opened her bedroom door walked into her room.
"Oh I almost forgot, tomorrow we will be replacing your curtains with brand new ones," Rarity added. 
"Oh but why?" Fluttershy frowned. "I love the curtains!"
"Nonsense, Darling!" Rarity disagreed, flicking her hoof off. "If you are going to be living here for a long time, then we must make sure your room is in good condition!"
Fluttershy could not win the argument since Rarity seemed insistent on replacing the curtains.
"Will the curtains have the same pink color?" She asked, out of curiosity. Rarity looked pleasantly pleased that some pony took interest in her fashion talent! Unlike Applejack.
"Oh no, they will be sky blue with lavender flowers-which are designed by moi!" Rarity smiled and winked at the last part of the sentence. Applejack knew that Rarity was going to boast about her fashion to poor Fluttershy. She quickly shoved the pegasus into her bedroom and locked the door before Rarity could say anything more!
"Hey, I was about to ask her if she wants s ball gown!" Rarity pouted.
"You can ask her later!" Applejack grumbled. "Now let's get to bed before the Master throws a fit!"



Screwball was sleeping soundly, when all of the sudden, she heard a tapping sound. The princess turned over to one side of her bed. She covered her ears, thinking it was the raindrops, splashing on her window.  The tapping sound was coming from her bedroom window, but it was not the raindrops. It was a small hoof, hidden in the shadows. A green aura appeared on the window locks and unlocked them. Next, the window flew open. The creature quietly snuck inside over it. It was hard to see the small creature in the dark room. 
He sighed in relief. The creature felt safe from the rain. He also felt safe from-
The dark figure tripped over one of the toys and let out an "Ow!"
The eldest princess owned her eyes and sat up. Her eyes laid on the dark figure, who also noticed her. He tried to run but Screwball clapped her hoofs and made him freeze. Screwball flashed a flashlight and pointed it at the intruder, making him shut his eyes due to the light. It was male changeling who was the same age as Screwball. He had a black carpace-like coat, teal messy mane and tail, green big eyes, green insect-like wings, a small fang, jagged ears, and holes in his legs. The young changeling had fear in his eyes.
"Please,let go of me!" He whispered, hastily.
"Boy, what are you doing here?" Screwball stipulated. "Are you trying to steal something?"
"Well I-" The young changeling began. Screwball narrowed her eyes, wondering if he was lying.
"If you are, I shall call for the guards!" She said in a not friendly tone.
"No, please!" Thr changeling begged. "I do not come here to steal! I mean no harm!"
Screwball approached closer to the changeling's face and looked deeply into his eyes. She stared at him for what felt like for an eternity. At least, to the young changeling. Then, Screwball pulled away, her face softening. It seemed that the strange colt really is not dangerous. 
"Who are you and why did you come here?" She asked again, softly. Her tone seemed friendlier this time.
"My name is Mothball," the young changeling replied. "I was looking for someplace to hide for the night and I just happened to come upon this castle."
"Who were you running from?" Screwball questioned. 
"Some ponies who think they are big and important!" Mothball spat. "They are out to get me!" 
"But why?" 
"Becaue I am...different!" Mothball sighed exasperated. Before Screwball could pry him, Mothball clung onto her as if she was his only safe base.
"Please do not say that I am here! I need a place to hide! Promise you won't tell anyone?" Mothball begged. He shivered at the thought of getting caught. He did not want to tell Screwball any more information because he did not want to put her in danger. "Promise?"
Screwball was still trying to process what Mothball had told her. She still felt scared but so did this young colt. Ponies were out to hurt him just because he is a changeling? Screwball sympathized with Mothball since she knew what it is like to be different. Ponies everywhere, even in Draconia, shunned her for chaotic powers and swirly eyes. Her father, late mother, and sisters were the only sources of comfort. Her father even protected her from ponies that tried to take advantage of her. This boy had nopony to go to for help! Or somepony to protect him!
"All right," Screwball whispered. "I will keep you hidden and not tell any pony." Mothball breathed out a sigh of relief and hugged a shocked princess.
"Bless you, princess!" 
"You can sleep in my wardrobe," Screwball decided. "It is big enough for you to sleep in!" She led Mothball into her wardrobe. She closed the door but not before handing him an extra pillow and blanket. Screwball did not know why, but she felt really happy that she met a colt. She blushed as she glanced back at Mothball. 

Mothball was ever so grateful Screwball. He laid his head on his pillow and sighed.

"What a nice filly! I wonder if she is single? No, snap out of it, Mothball! Why would a princess go for someone like you?" He thought to himself. 


> Chapter 9: Bedtimes, Secrets, and Favorite Things part 2 EDITED
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Flash Sentry was stationed in the hallway. As he walked past the nursery door, he stopped when he heard a small crash. Flash pressed his ear against the nursery door. The captain could not make it out but it seemed to him that Screwball was talking to somepony. And that somepony had a male voice!? Or was it Babs Seed? He did not know but in a panic, Flash quickly left to find the King. He only hoped it was Babs Seed, not an intruder!



Fluttershy walked out of her personal bedroom, brushing her hair. Angel laid comfortably inside his basket, already dozing off. Dreaming about carrots. The buttercream pegasus smiled that her pet bunny had adapted well to the castle. She did not think Angel would because he was always an outside bunny or preferred to be in the countryside. 
"I hope I can adapt well to the castle and its owners," Fluttershy sighed, sadly. She got off on the wrong foot with the Royal Family and the servants except Captain Flash, Miss Applejack, Miss Pinkie Pie, and Miss Rarity. Everything she said, seemed offensive to them.  "What can I do to make it up to them?" 



"Okay ponies, are you ready to make rain?" Rainbow Dash shouted. She and other three pegasi were standing on top of four big and dark gray clouds.
"Yes Ma'm, Rainbow Dash!" Derpy Hooves and Soarin' saluted.
"YEAH!" Bulk Biceps yelled, flexing his muscles. Rainbow Dash smirked, knowing that the others are just as prepared as she was.
"Then let's get started!" She commanded. The pegasi wasted no time, hopping on each gray cloud, letting raindrops fall down. Soarin was jumping on a cloud that created lightning. Bulk Biceps was using a cloud that made thunder. Rainbow Dash was certain their storm would be a success.



Fluttershy's train of thought was interrupted when a flash of lightning broke out. She squeaked and hid underneath her covers. Fluttershy shivered and stayed underneath her covers. Why must thunderstorms be so loud?
Just then,  Fluttershy heard rapid knocking on her door. She got out of her bed and flew over to unlock it. 
"Princess Sweetie Belle!" Fluttershy said, surprised. "What's wrong?" There was another flash of lightning, that was so loud, it made Sweetie Belle squeak. The youngest princess ran into Fluttershy's front legs and whimpered. Fluttershy held Sweetie Belle, as she levitated and hovered over to her bed. It is clear to Fluttershy that the storms scared Sweetie Belle because she whimpered every time they heard lightning. 
"I hate storms!" Sweetie Belle cried. "They're scary! I want blue skies back!"
"There, there, it's all right," Fluttershy soothed the youngest princess.
"Can I stay with you, Miss Fluttershy?" Sweetie whimpered.
"Of course, you may," Fluttershy said in a gentle voice. 
"I wish I wasn't so scared!" Sweetie grumbled. 
"It is okay to be afraid," Fluttershy soothed. "Everypony has something that makes them afraid."
"Even my sisters?" Sweetie Belle asked skeptically. Thunder boomed in the sky and three more fillies gallopped into Fluttershy's bedroom.
"Miss Fluttershy, can we stay in your room?" Apple abloom asked, meekly. "The other mares are asleep, Rainbow is out, a Flash is gone, so we have to come to you-"
"Not that we're scared or anything!" Babs Seed, denied, interrupting Apple Bloom. She was about to talk again, when they heard another ear-splitting sound of thunder! Babs Seed, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom screamed and hastily jumped onto Fluttershy's bed. They scrambled underneath the blankets and shivered. 
"Yes, you may," Fluttershy answered, sympathetically. She rubbed her hoof on Apple Bloom's head. "Will Screwball come here, too?"
"Nah, she never gets scared!" Scootaloo replied, her face scrunched in annoyance. "She's too brave!"



Screwball was somewhat a heavy sleeper. She did not notice that her sisters were gone until thunder woke her up. Sitting straight up, she scanned around the nursery.

"Where did they go?" 

She started to panic because it wasn't like her sisters to disappear. Screwball jumped out the bed, trying to find them. Before she left, the princess turned to the wardrobe. 

"Mothball, I'm going to be out of my room for a while so whatever you do, don't come out until I'm back, okay?"

Mothball pressed his nuzzle to the door to hear. 
"Okay, but how sill I know you're back?" Mothball asked, worriedly. "You won't tell any pony I'm here, right?"
"I'll ring my bell, as a signal," Screwball answered, summoning a bell from thin air. "Don't worry, I won't! But I want to know more why you came here tonight tomorrow, Pinkie Promise?"
Mothball blinked in confusion. 

"Pinkie Promise?"

"It's something my servant always says whenever she asked us to promise something!" Screwball explained, embarrassed. She was glad Mothball did not see her blushing. "Now Pinkie Promise?"

"Pinkie Promise!" Mothball saluted, chuckling. He found this filly more interesting than ever!



Sweetie Belle looked up at the ceiling, hearing the pitter and patter of rain.

"What are the weather ponies doing up there?" 

"Well, they're playing with thunder and lightning," Fluttershy kindly, answered. "One is jumping on a thunder cloud. The other one is playing with lightning!" Sweetie Belle felt tension leave her little body a bit. Hearing how weather works, does not make her feel so scared so much.
"I wish they did not have to be so loud!" Apple Bloom whimpered, shivering. Babs Seed patted her on the back for support. 
"Of course they're loud, Apple Bloom!" Scootaloo back talked, ignoring Apple Bloom's glare. "What do you expect?" 
"I just wish I wasn't so scared, okay!?" Apple Bloom ranted. Just then, there was a small bright flash. Fluttershy and the children tensed up, thinking it was the king. But it turned out to be Screwball.

"Ah, thank goodness I found you here! Thanks Fluttershy for keeping them safe. Scootaloo, stop picking on Apple Bloom!"

Before the little flightless pegasus could think of another comeback, Babs Seed covered her mouth. Screwball landed on the bed, slowly, sitting between Scootaloo and Apple Bloom.
"Do you know what I do whenever I feel afraid?" She asked, softly.  Apple Bloom was piqued with interest. 
"No, what do you do?"
"When I get scared, I try to think of things that make me feel happy," Fluttershy answered. 
"What kinds of things?" The children chorused.
"Well...," Fluttershy thought out loud. "Monarch Butterflies, bunnies, blue jays, oak trees....."
Children gave small smiles before ducking down due to another sound of thunder. 

"Does it really work?" Sweetie Belle asked, excitedly.
"Oh yes!" Fluttershy responded with the same excitement. "Now let's see if you can name your favorite things!"
Sweetie Belle thought for a moment.
"Pink dresses!"
"Apple Pies!" Apple Bloom chirped.
"Scooters!" Scootaloo cried, jumping.
"Hiking!" Babs Seed added.
"Colts!" Screwball cried, happily, remembering Mothball. 
"Tulips!" Sweetie Belle shouted.
"Painting!" Apple Bloom yelled, happily. 
"No school!" Screwball smirked, magically producing a math textbook and breaking it in half, with ease.
"Jumping on he bed!" Scootaloo cried, jumping higher. Her sisters followed suit. Fluttershy giggled that at the children's giddiness and enthusiasm.
"See, that's how many  favorite things you have named!" She beamed once more and resumed to signing. 

As she sang, Fluttershy twirled with Screwball, Apple Bloom twirled with Babs Seed, and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo continued bouncing. 

Scootaloo bounced forward and started falling off the bed! The girls gasped. Fluttershy's eyes widened and quickly caught Scootaloo before the child could reach the floor. The others sighed in relief. Scootaloo thanked Fluttershy as she was safely, put down on the floor.
Her eyes were half-closed as she spun around. 
"OH!" Suddenly, Fluttershy found herself facing King Discord! Where did he come from? The excitement died down, as the children hastily formed a military line.  Blushing at being so close to the King, Fluttershy took a few steps back from him. She hid half of her face behind her mane, not daring to look at the King's angry face. 

"Miss Fluttershy, did I not tell you that bedtime is to be observed in this household?"
Discord's voice sent shivers in Fluttershy's spine. 
"Y-yes, but the children were frightened of the thunderstorm so they-" Fluttershy realized that she was not making the situation better. Discord's eyes were still as hardened as they were when he entered the room. Fluttershy took a deep breath.

"You did, your highness," she sighed, casting her eyes downward. Discord felt bad for making her a bit sad but he had to show her who is in charge. He retained his stern before he could go soft.

"And do you or do you not have trouble following such simple instructions?" He barked. Fluttershy frowned. She narrowed her eyes and lifted her head a bit, trying to be brave. 
"Only during the thunderstorms, your highness."

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom snickered, amused by their nanny's comeback to their father. Discord glared daggers at them. 

"Screwball, Flash Sentry told me that he heard you talking to somepony!" He accused. Fluttershy and the other fillies had no idea what Discord was talking about. Screwball grimaced. Oh no, he did not Mothball, did he? She desperately tried to think of a question.

"Um, what do you mean, father?" She asked, feigning innocence. "I was talking to my sisters! One of them!" 

"Oh no," King Discord drawled. "According to Flash, he heard a male voice. So who is it?" He did not buy his daughter's lie. She could not fool him, he can tell when somepony was lying. Screwball quickly turned her head to one of her sisters. 

"Babs Seed, father," she calmly fibbed. "I was talking to Babs Seed, her voice is just deep for a girl, you know!"
("Hey!" Babs Seed snapped.)
"And what were yo two talking about?" Discord grilled on, his arms crossed. Screwball started to sweat. Thankfully, Fluttershy changed the subject. 
"Your highness, it is late!" She said. "The children need to be put into bed. You two can discuss this later!"
"Like he discusses anything with us!" Scootaloo angrily whispered to Apple Bloom. Discord heard that and hid the hurt feelings before he girls could see it. He was not getting anywhere despite, knowing that his firstborn was lying. Then again, hi second child did have a deep voice.

"All right, Screwball," he sighed, calmly. "Perhaps Flash misheard the situation. Back to bed all of you!" He commanded the last part. The children bid good night to Fluttershy and King Discord, as they scampered back to the nursery. Before Discord could take his leave, he directed his eyes at Fluttershy. Her face was still partially hid behind her mane. Discord silently blamed himself for startling her again. He kept his face cool and stern.

"I want to remind you that I will be gone for a week so if you have any questions, Sunset Shimmer and Flash Sentry will aid you," he explained. 
"Y-yes, King Discord," Fluttershy stammered, softly. Before Discord could leave, Fluttershy suddenly remembers something. 

"Your highness, wait!" She yelped. Discord stopped in his tracks.

"What is it?" He asked.

Fluttershy took another deep breath. "Um, I hope you do not mind but can we order some fabric? I like to make play clothes for the children." 
"What would they need the play clothes for?" Discord asked, again.
"For playing!" Fluttershy said, kindly. 
"My children do not play, they march!" He said, rudely.  Fluttershy's smile started to waver. 

"Oh but surely the can take a break from marching and play!" She meekly suggested.
"My answer is clear: No!" Discord growled. He stepped outside, ready to close the door behind him. 
"But your highness!" Fluttershy pleaded. "They're your children!" 
"Yes...," Discord slowly, said, not understanding her. "And I am thier father. Good night." He left and closed the door. Fluttershy made a very small angry sound. "Oh that stallion is impossible!" She cried to herself, kicking the floor. She sat down on her bed, feeling frustrated. Angel leapt from his basket and and landed on Fluttershy's head, patting it. Then he squeaked to Flutteshy, pointing at the curtains. 

"What is it, Angel?" 

Fluttershy followed Angel's paw to the curtains. She remembers that Applejack will replace them with brand new curtains. Then, an idea hit Fluttershy.
"Of course!" She whispered, as she stared hard at the curtains. Taking some of the curtains down, Fluttershy felt happy again. Why did she not think of it before?
Now she has material to make play-clothes!



Twilight Sparkle yawned as well as Spike, Cadance, and Shining Armor. 
"Well, I don't know about you but I'm feeling bushed!" Shining Armor said, tiredly. Cadance nodded, her eyes looking droopy. 
"But what about the...story?" Twilight yawned, again. 
"We're not...that sleepy!" Spike denied, failing to stifle his yawn. 
"Come on, you two," Cadance giggled, using her magic to put her sister-in-law and dragon in thier respective beds. "We'll read the next chapter tomorrow."
After Cadance and Shining admire also got into bed, they used thier Magic to turn thr lights off. Twilight closed her eyes, slipping into dreamland.
> Chapter 10: First morning with the children
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight, Spike, Shining Armor, and Cadance had all slept peacefully in thier beds. When Twilight woke up the next morning, usually she would have a list of tasks or activities planned out for the day. But today, the only thing that Twilight wanted to was read a book-and not just any book but the one that Cadance bestowed to her yesterday! After a full breakfast of oat pancakes with strawberries and maple syrup, and Apple cider, Shining Armor asked everybody what they would like to do for today. 
"Let's finish 'The Singing Heart!'" Twilight said, a little bit too excited. Cadance and Spike giggled, since it was rare to see Twilight feeling excited. Especially a romantic historical book. 

"No, Twilight," Shining Armor shook his head. "We have been in your castle all day long yesterday. Don't you think it's time we should get out?" 

"Yeah but I want to finish my new book very badly!" Twilight argued, while trying not to whine. Spike shifted uneasily in his seat, praying that a fight won't break out. He still shivered, remembering the time when the two siblings had a big fight the day before the Royal wedding. 

"Twilight, we need exercise!" Shining Armor contended. "Cadance and I haven't been out since we got here from the train station!"

"Understood brother but, can I at least, bring the book with me?"

"Twilight, you know better than to being books with you outside in public!"

Cadence could see that Twilight was anxious to get back to her book, as much as possible. She tried to think of a situation that would please both her husband and her sister-in-law.

"What do you have in mind, dear?" She turned to Shining Armor. "Maybe we could go to a place that is social and where Twilight can read to us."

"How about the park?" Spike suggested. "It is outside and Twilight can read to us!" The royals nodded, also liking the idea. They all cleaned up their table and left the castle for the park. Twilight found a tree that was tall, big, and round for her and her family to sit underneath. Sitting down and leaning against the tree bark, she opened the book and began to read out loud while Cadance and the boys listen with open ears.

The sun shine its Rays through the window of the nursery. The fillies groaned and put their little heads underneath their pillows. With eyes tight shut, they wished nighttime lasted longer. Just then, they heard the sound of their nursery door opening.

"Children, it is time to wake up," A sweet, soft voice rang out. 

"Five more minutes, Miss Fluttershy?" Sweetie Belle groaned, groggily. Her eyes shut tight, not wanting to open. Fluttershy giggled quietly, for the youngest princess always says adorable things. She seemed to be carrying something in her hoofs..
"Oh but are you sure, you want to sleep longer?" She asked, smiling sweetly. "I have a surprise for you all." The word 'surprise' caused the fillies to abruptly, sit up straight and open their eyes. 
"A SURPRISE!?" They exclaimed, so loud that it startled Fluttershy. They all sprang out of their beds toward Fluttershy. "What is it? What is it? What is it?" They shouted, bouncing. In Fluttershy's hoofs was a pile of brand new clothes for them! Fluttershy was able to transform lifeless pink curtains into adorable play clothes! Each outfit was basically a pink jumper that each filly can wear over their white blouse. Each jumper also had an aquamarine gemstone brooch. When the princesses observed their play clothes, they were speechless! 
"Where did you get these?" Sweetie Belle gasped. 
"I didn't buy them-I made them!" Fluttershy giggled.
"Did you make these by yourself?" Apple Bloom asked, still studying her jumper.
"Almost, I had some help from Rarity," Fluttershy answered.
"Yes, I can see her signature," Screwball nodded, referring to her aquamarine gemstone. Adding gemstones to clothing was something Rarity always does whenever she designs fashion for royalty. The children wasted no time getting dressed. Each filly put a white blouse on and threw their jumper over it. When they were finished, they all looked themselves in their mirror, twirling and or smiling. They could not get over at how adorable they looked! No more boring blue uniforms that Father always made them wear!

A pink blue zoomed through in the nursery door, did a flip, and threw five plates on the nursery table as if they were freebes. She also put down five cups. How did the food stayed still on the plates, Fluttershy did not know.

"BREAKFAST TIME!" Pinkie Pie yelled, making Fluttershy and the princesses jump in fright. "You got eggs, Prench toast, applesauce, oat pancakes with chocolate chips and Apple cider!" 

The children sat down at the nursery table and began to feast. Applejack trotted inside and sighed in relief that Pinkie hadn't spill anything on the floor. 
"Morning  your highnesses and Miss Fluttershy!" 
"Morning Applejack!" 
"Miss Applejack, Miss Pinkie Pie?" Fluttershy meekly asked. "Shouldn't the children eat breakfast in the dining hall?" Fluttershy did not know how customs work in Draconia but she found it odd that the girls would eat their breakfast by themselves in their room, instead of with their father.
"The children always eat meals in their nursery," Applejack replied. 
"But what about last night?" Fluttershy pressed on.
"Oh, that's because their father was at home," The southern cook responded.
"Yeah whenever King Discord is at home, the children get to eat with him!" Pinkie added. She leaned over to whisper in Fluttershy. "Which is the only time the children ever get to see him!" Fluttershy's eyes widened at that secret information. Nobody noticed Screwball, sneaking half of her portion under her table and teleporting them to Mothball who was still sleeping in the wardrobe. The smell of her breakfast woke him up and he eagerly ate them. 

"AJ, can we see Father before he leaves for Lady Chrysalis?" Apple Bloom asked. Applejack casted her eyes down and gave the fillies a sorrowful look.

"I'm sorry sugar cubes, but your father had already left this morning." 

"WHAT!? Oh come on, that's not fair!" Screwball shouted. "Why does he always do this to us!?" This was not the first time that Discord had left early without saying goodbye to the children. True, he always rose in the morning, before they do, but the children were still hurt. The little princesses pushed their plates away, their appetites lost. 
"Who's Lady Chrysalis?" Fluttershy inquired. She recalled from last night that King Discord had to meet her, but she never got a chance to ask about Lady Chrysalis.
"She's a mare that King Discord is always seeing," Pinkie Pie chirped. 
"A mare of high class," Applejack said. 
"Rumor has it that King Discord might marry Lady Chrysalis and she'll become our new queen!" Pinkie added, spontaneously.
"Oh wonderful!" Fluttershy cheered. "He will have a wife again and you, children will have a mother again!"  But the children did not share Fluttershy's enthusiasm and neither did Applejack. 
"Yes, well...," the southern cook sighed. "Why don't we hurry up so you can begin classes with children, Miss Fluttershy?" Pinkie cleared the table and carried the dirty plates and cups out of the nursery. 
Is something wrong? Fluttershy thought, worriedly. Why would Lady Chrysalis not be good for the King?




Later Sunset Shimmer led Fluttershy and the children into the study room, believing that it would be a suitable room for Fluttershy to hold school lessons for the children. Fluttershy agreed, liking the bookshelves, the desk, and the tables with chairs. She was amazed at how many books there were! Sunset also handed Fluttershy a daily schedule of school lessons. Fluttershy took it and trotted to the front of the children, who took their seats.
"Good luck, Miss Fluttershy!" She called, over her shoulder, before leaving the room.
"All right, welcome to first day of school!" Fluttershy said, clasping her hoofs together. "I will be your teacher for the day and show you everything you need to know!"
The children scowled and crossed their legs. Although they had warmed up to Fluttershy a bit, they still could not stand the fact that they have to learn schoolwork-even it was from a teacher like Fluttershy.
"Didn't father hired you to be our nanny?" Apple Bloom asked, confused. 
"Father also hired Miss Fluttershy to teach us school," Screwball reminded her sister, gently. 
"Why it's summer!" Scootaloo scowled, crossing her forelegs. "We shouldn't be in this study hall at all!" 
"I know, I know," Fluttershy said gently. "But your father believed that school work is something that one must do over the summer thus they would be prepared for regular school year." 
The scowling faces were still present on the children. Summer school is still the last activity they wanted to do for the summer. It's bad enough they could not do anything else, except march!  
Fluttershy looked at the daily schedule which says:

Daily lessons 
8:00---------------History of Draconia 
Teach about the geography of Draconia
9:00---------------March	
10:00-------------Reading
Read books
11:00-------------Writing
Write essays
12:00-------------Lunch
1:00---------------March
2:00---------------March
3:00---------------Dismiss

Fluttershy narrowed her eyes and firmly pressed her lips at the activities, especially the ones that took place after lunch. The curriculum seemed water-down or messed up compared to the kind of education that she received when she was a filly. 

When do the children play? Marching does not count!



> Chapter 11: Going outside
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Fluttershy looked up from the schedule and saw that the children were giving her odd looks. They had been waiting for her to speak and she hadn't said a word, yet. 

"What's wrong, Miss Fluttershy?" Screwball asked. "Are you going to teach or what?" The heir had her forehooves crossed and swirling eyes narrowed. Even though she had warmed up to Fluttershy a bit, she still wished that she was spending time with her secret friend, Mothball, instead of sitting in the stuffy and old study room! Fluttershy put the schedule down, her face seemed to be in thought.

"Actually...., She pondered for a moment. "Why don't we go outside?" 

The little princesses blinked. Was their nanny serious? They are not going to do lessons!?

"Huh, outside!?" Sweetie Belle squeaked. Either she was dreaming or Fluttershy was crazy!

"Yes, look outside!" Fluttershy chirped, referring to the sun rays shining down from the window. "It's a beautiful day don't you think? We can't waste this day away by sitting in this room all day!" 

"Ugh, don't tell me we're going to do marching!" Scootaloo grumbled, crossing her forehhooves. She beleived that Fluttershy was trying to pull some kind of trick on them. She and her other sisters better keep an eye on her!

"Oh no, we're not going to do any marching," Fluttershy smiled with her eyes closed. "We are going to do something called 'Recess.'" Looks of surprises appeared on each princess' face. They really must be dreaming!

"'Recess', what's that!?" 

Fluttershy's face fell a little. The children don't know what recess is? 
"Well...," She thought out loud, trying to figure out how to explain the term. "Recess is when you can frolic around and play any game you like such as hopscotch, hide-and-seek, tag...It's like playtime!"

"Ah!" The children understood. 

"So do you children have a place where we can play like a courtyard or garden?" The buttercream pegasus inquired.

"We do have a big garden," Screwball answered.  




"Welcome to our garden!" Screwball shouted, jumping into the air, as confetti and streamers poofed out from her hooves. Fluttershy's eyes widened. The garden was...not quite what she had expected. The lawn had yellow and brittle grass. It looked as if it hadn't been cared for in years! The plants also looked dead. Some have lost their leaves, others' leaves had gone all brown. When Fluttershy hovered over to make see if the plants still have life in them, she was shocked that their stems and roots were all either brittle or mushy. There were also flowers that have withered away due to neglect. There were prickly weeds growing all over the garden! A couple of trees have fungi on their trunks. Other trees were also barren. Fluttershy felt as if she had stepped into Tartarus! How could these princesses play in something that looks like a dump!? 

"Apple Bloom, do any of the trees grow apples?" Fluttershy asked, observing one barren tree.

"No, Miss Fluttershy," Apple Bloom answered, looking at the same tree. Not that she was aware of how lowly the garden looked, but she was embarrassed that their Apple tree no longer bear any fruit.

"Then where does Miss Applejack get her apples from?" 

"AJ buys apples from the marketplace," Apple Bloom said. "Sometimes, she receives apples from her farm family during harvest season." Her eyes looked a bit sad as she faced Fluttershy. "You don't like our garden, right?"

"No, I do!" Fluttershy assured her, quickly. "It's just that..., She sighed and took a deep breath. "I can't help but notice how different it looks compared to the fields and other gardens." Apple Bloom perked up a bit with interest.

"What do they look like, Miss Fluttershy?" 

"Well, they have wide open spaces, lots of trees, lots of grass, cool green grass! They also have lots of flowers, open skies, and some animals and critters!" Fluttershy explained, her eyes sparkling brighter than Queen Luna's stars. 

"What kind of animals love in the forests?" Sweetie Belle asked, happily.

"All kinds of animals!" Fluttershy said, clasping her hooves. "From birds to bees to rabbits!" Her excitement talk of forests became contagious to the children.

"Can we go to the fields?" The children shouted, bouncing up and down. "Can we, can we, can we?" 

"Of course!" Fluttershy giggled. "I don't see why not!" 

"Yaaaay!" The children cheered.




In the servant' quarters, Sunset and Flash were sitting by a window, reading scrolls and documents. They were reviewing Draconian's laws and bills so they can remind Discord what political moves he can and cannot design. Pinkie Pie waltzed in with a small plate of three cupcakes. 

"Snack time!" She rang. Sunset and Flash out down their scrolls and helped themselves to a cupcake. 

"Thanks Pinkie!" Sunset smiled. 

"Who's the third cupcake for?" Flash asked, scratching his mane. 

"Myth elf!" Pinkie Pie muffled, her mouth full of the third cupcake. Sunset playfully rolled her eyes. 

"Ooo, lookie here!" Pinkie Pie said, her eyes facing the window. "Miss Fluttershy and the princesses are outside in the garden!"  

"We know," Flash nodded. "We saw them while studying. I'm surprised they weren't doing marching at all!" 

"Me too!" Sunset remarked. She took another bite of her cupcake, chewed, and swallowed. "I wondered what they came outside to do instead?" This was the first time that somepony had defied King Discord's rules. Pinkie had told her and Flash how Fluttershy and Rarity broke the first rule: letting the children wear anything but navy uniforms. Now they're not marching? Sunset wondered what Fluttershy was up to.

""Ooo lookie here!" Pinkie Pie gasped dramatically. She bumped Sunset and Flash out of the way and  pressed her nuzzle onto the window. "Miss Fluttershy and the children are going outside of the place gates!" 

"WHAT!?" Flash and Sunset screamed, getting up and pressing their nuzzles to the window. 

"She can't do that!" Flash yelped. 

"Is she crazy?!" Sunset cried.

They watched in horror as Fluttershy and the children walked toward the village, having already passed the Diamond Dog soldiers.

"Wasn't Rainbow Dash supposed to cover for you?" Pinkie Pie asked, still smiling. Usually whenever Flash had to do some indoor tasks, Rainbow Dash substitutes for him at the castle gates.

"Yes, but she must have have been at her bathroom break!" Flash said, nervously. He could not believe that Fluttershy broke one of the most important rules of Draconia: Never take the Royal children outside of the palace walls.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no..," Sunset hyperventilated, putting her hooves over her mane. "What are we going to do? The King will be angry if he finds out about this! We are so getting to get fired!" 

"'We', I thought only Fluttershy will get fired!" Flash yelled, exasperated, throwing his hooves up. Pinkie looked a teeny bit worried too. If Discord knew about this, he would fire Fluttershy for breaking the rules, and would fire her and the staff for not making sure Fluttershy followed the rules! Just then, an idea hit the assistant cook.

"You mean if he finds out!" Pinkie Pie smirked. Sunset abruptly stopped panicking, a weak smile spreading across her face. 

""'If' is good!" She giggled, nervously. 

"I can go with that, too!" Flash remarked, wincing. 

"As long as the King doesn't know, we'll be Oki-Doki-Loki!" Pinkie Pie said in a sing-song voice. Sunset and Flash only hoped that Pinkie was right. 

> Chapter 12: Do-Re-Me
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The nanny and the princesses merrily skipped trotted into the town of Dracoville. The girls were mesmerized at everything they saw from townhouses to toy shops to bakeries! Although none of the local Draconians spotted the princesses, a few were curious about them.

"Are those the princesses?" A magenta earth pony, named Daisy asked to herself. 

"Look, Cranky," said a female mule. "I think those girls are the princesses, don't you?" 

"Ridiculous, Matilda!" Her husband barked. "The King  would never let them out of the palace! And he would not let them wear those ridiculous clothes, either!" 

The fillies giggled silently to each other, hearing those comments from the bystanders. It was interesting how brand new clothes could easily fool somepony! 

Fluttershy took the children to a shop and each mare bought something. Fluttershy bought a guitar, Screwball got a baseball bat and ball, Babs Seed received a toy sword, Scootaloo found a scooter, Apple Bloom got a baseball mitten, and Sweetie Belle-pink necklace. Afterwards, Fluttershy and the children stepped into a bakery, Gilda's Griffon scones. The children have never tried griffon scones before thus, Gilda was more than happy to show the scones off to them. The scones were so delicious that Apple Bloom could not stop eating them! 

"May I have another scone, Miss Fluttershy, pretty please??" Apple Bloom whined. 

"Apple Bloom you just had three scones," Fluttershy said, kindly but firmly. She worried that Apple Bloom might get a stomachache if she ate another scone. 

"Oh let the squirt have another one!" Gilda said, handing Apple Bloom a new fresh scone. "My Grandpa would be tickled that a filly loved his scones so much!"  After Apple Bloom gobbled up another scone, Fluttershy and the fillies bid goodbye to Gilda and promised her to visit her shop again.





Fluttershy's eyes sparkled at seeing the grass and flowers on big wide hills. The fillies were mesmerized too and did not hesitate to gallop around, letting the wind blew their manes. While galloping, Scootaloo tripped over a rock and bumped into Apple Bloom. 
Apple's face was flat on the ground.
"Ow, get off me!" Apple Bloom muffled. 
"Sorry, sis!" Scootaloo yelped, smiling sheepishly. She quickly sat up and helped her grumpy and messy sister up. They caught up with Fluttershy and thier other sisters. After much running and twirling around, everypony sat down on the grass. 
"You girls are so sweet!" Fluttershy gushed, ruffling Scootaloo's mane.
"Of course, we are Miss Fluttershy!" Screwball boasted, pointing to her chest with her hoof. "Why wouldn't we be?"
"I haven't had this much fun since we put centipedes in Miss Happyglow's bed!" Babs Seed reminiscences. 
"Oh yeah, that was priceless!" Screwball laughed, throwing her head back. "After that, she called us brats and slapped father when he fired her!" The other girls fell on their backs, squealing with laughter. It took the princesses ten minutes to calm down and sit up.
Fluttershy shook her head, sadly, not finding their past pranks very funny.
"Oh dear, " she sighed. "I don't understand, how can such sweet girls play such mean tricks on the former nannies?" The fillies shared looks of guilt with each other. Were they really that mean to Fluttershy and the previous nannies? At least Fluttershy did not yell and walk out on them like Mrs. Harshwinny, Miss Heartstrings, or Miss Bon Bon.
"Well, how else are we supposed to get father's attention?" Screwball answered, smartly.
"Yeah," Apple Bloom added. Now their reason behind the pranks made sense to Fluttershy. The fillies didn't want a nanny, they wanted their father! They don't get to see him because he's always away! Pulling off pranks was an instrumental tool to get King Discord out of his meetings and outings, just to see them! Perhaps, Fluttershy could help the children find another way to capture the King's attention without being punished by him. 
"Hmm, we'll have to think on that one," she mused.  Her train of thought was interrupted by Sweetie Belle who tugged on her sleeve. 

"What subject do we do next?"  The other fillies faced her as if they were asking the same question. Fluttershy tried to think of a subject to do that is educational and fun. 

"Um...Music lessons!" She solved, her eyes on her brand new guitar. 

"Music lessons?" The children repeated. 

"Yes, we can sing some songs as I play on my guitar!" 

"But we don't know any songs!" Babs Seed, spoke sorrowfully. 

"You don't!?" Fluttershy exclaimed. The children shook their heads with their eyes downcast.

"We don't even know how to sing!" Sweetie Belle lamented. 

Fluttershy began to feel sorry for the children, she had never met any pony that did not know how to sing! Surely, these princesses must have received singing lessons from their former nannies, right? Or maybe their father forbade music as it never appeared on the schedule that Sunset had given her. Still, no filly and colt should ever miss out on something as remarkable as singing!

"You don't need to worry, I will teach you how to sing!" She grinned, positioning her guitar in her hooves. "And once you learned how to sing, you will be great enough to sing for Lady Chrysalis and your Uncles Flim and Flam!" The children still looked a bit uneasy. 

"But Miss Fluttershy, Father hates music!" Apple Bloom explained. "What if he-"

"Never mind, what your father said," Fluttershy assured her. "If he asks, I'll say it was my idea and take the heat from him." The fillies were still a little bit anxious about singing but they felt comforted that Fluttershy will take the blame for them. Even if their father would give Fluttershy more than heat. They all gathered around in a circle and faced Fluttershy. "Welcome to Music 101!" The buttercream pegasus strummed the strings to find a beat. She started off with the basics of 'do-re-mi.' The girls were confused thus Fluttershy had to come up with strategies to help them memorize the notes. 
After singing some notes, the children laid back and gave a hearty laugh. They never knew that singing could lift up their spirits. 

"That was so much fun!" Screwball chortled. 

"Now I know how to sing!" Sweetie Belle squeaked. "Thanks for the music class, Miss Fluttershy!"

"Oh but the lesson is not over yet, girls," Fluttershy giggled. "That was lesson number one. Now, we're going to do lesson number two!
Do re mi fa so and so on, are the only tools we use to build a song. Once you have these notes in your head, you can sing a million different tunes by mixing them up!"
She demonstrated how she mixed up the tunes and the girls repeated after her. 
"Good job!" Fluttershy praised them. "You're learning fast!"
"But Miss Fluttershy, those words don't mean anything?" Apple Bloom interrogated.  
"So, we put in words," Fluttershy clarified, kindly. "One word for every note!" 





After leaving the park, Fluttershy and the children had rented scooters from a local bike shop and scooted around the town square. It was an activity that Scootaloo wanted to do since she loved riding around in scooters. Draconians gave them odd looks for singing but the nanny and the princesses did not seem to mind. 





Another activity that Fluttershy and the girls participated was ride in a wagon, which was pulled by a griffon, Gaston. At first, Fluttershy did not have a baton to direct the children's singing. Luckily, Screwball secretly summoned one up for Fluttershy so she could use it. Each child had their turn singing each note.





After riding on the wagon, they got off and still sang as they danced near the town's water fountain, its garden, and its statue of a black draconequus, King Q (great-grandfather of King Discord).



> Chapter 13: Weird acquaintances and Discord's past (EDITED)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So what's King Discord doing in the meantime?" Spike said, before taking a bite out of his slice of jewel cake. 

"Talking with Lady Chrysalis and Uncles Flim and Flam," Shining Armor said. 

"Ugh, why would anypony want talk to Chrysalis?" Twilight jaded. Although it had been a year since the Canterlot Wedding, Twilight still struggled recovering from the torture that the evil changeling put her and Cadance through. The purple alicorn was too scared to think how awful Chrysalis was in the book. She turned the page and started on a new chapter.

The living room in Lady Chrysalis' castle looks dark and gloomy. The King was sitting by an ugly table in a cold and dark room. There was light green lantern dangling from the ceiling, the walls were shiny black, and the floor was concrete. There was also a line of small statues of creepy gargoyles on the left side of the room. Discord did not mind the look, since he was used to dark interiors. He was not alone, he was accompanied by two stallions and a changeling. The female changeling long teal hair, green oval eyes and battered translucent wings. Her outfit was a long dark green dress that came down to her hooves. The other two characters were yellow ponies with red hair and top blue and white hats. One of them had a red mustache. Discord swirled his tea inside his teacup with his talon.

"I'm glad to have you over for luncheon, Discord," Chrysalis spoke, with an ostentatious tone. "I was afraid you weren't going to come at all due to your ahem, problems at your castle." Her words made Discord's fur crawl. He only continued to swirl his tea, trying to hide his disgusted look from her.

"What kind  trouble did the fillies get into this time?" Flim laughed. "What, let me guess! They blew up their nanny and sent her flying into the sky!" His brother, Flam, joined in the laughter.

"That would be so funny if they did that, haha!" 

Discord scowled at the two brothers' laughs. As troublesome as the children could be, he did not appreciate them talking about his children like that.  It's bad enough that the girls were the talk of his village for driving former nannies away! Town gossip always made Sweetie Belle burst into waterfall tears, Screwball unleash angry chaos, and the rest just furious. He did not want them to look bad in the eyes of their uncles and their soon-to-be-mother. That is why he did not feel the need to tell them about how his children sent the palace pets to bite Mrs. Harshwinny's flank. 
"Yes, well, everything is well in Draconia," he cleared his throat, taking a sip of his tea. He thought of a way to change the subject. "Chrysalis, I can't help but notice that you did not want to drink my tea which I had made for you. Why is that?" Chrysalis and the Flim-Flam brothers all burst out laughing their heads off loudly. Discord crossed his arms, not knowing what was so funny about his question. 

"Oh Discord!" Chrysalis chuckled, wiping her tears away. "You know that my diet does not contain regular food or liquids!" 

"What do you eat then?" Discord asked, scratching his head. He was confused about her diet and why Chrysalis was slowly scooting over to him. She put her hoof on this chest and slowly stroked it, with heat in her eyes. Discord was aware of what Chrysalis was trying to do to him and it was starting to scare him. 

"What I eat is something...more...delicious...than your tea," Chrysalis purred. "I absorb it..like a sponge absorbs water...love," she whispered the last word in his ear. "This morning, I snuck into Canterlot looking for meals. There was this brown stallion who was infatuated with a gray pegasus. I took the form of the gray pegasus and...flirt with the brown stallion. I sucked...the love..from him and left before his marefriend could see me! Hahaha, ponies are so easy to fool! Love is...very...delicious..don't you think?" Discord cringed at feeling too close to comfort with Chrysalis. 

"I-I-I don't know what you are talking about!!" Discord stumbled. "And could you please give me some space? You know I am claustrophobic!" He wasn't really claustrophobic, but he had to say something to get her off him. Thankfully, Chrysalis moved away from him and sat back in her chair.

"Oh I'm just teasing you, I like you so much!" Chrysalis laughed, haughtily. Discord only gave a weak chuckle. He turned toward the Flim-Flam brothers. They had been laying back and enjoying Discord's discomfort.
"What's your excuse for not having my tea?"

"Oh we have come with our own tea product!" Flam said, showing Discord his own tea. It was a package that showed a teacup with yellow liquid with Flim and Flam's faces.  "It's called the Flim-Flam tea! Our tea is made with pure tea leaves! It's gluten-free and has no preservatives at all!" 

"We are going to sell them at your kingdom and once we do, your subjects will see that our tea is better than yours!" Flim added. The two brothers smirked and gave each other a bro hoof. Discord rolled his eyes.

"First of all, you two are not going to scam my subjects off with your tea! Second of all, my tea is better than yours!" On an impulse, Discord levitated his teacup in the air, above the Flim-Flam brothers, and splashed it on thier heads.

"Touché," Flam mumbled. Just then, a changeling maid flew over to the table, carrying what looked like an envelope.

"Excuse me your majesty, but there is a letter here for you."  

"Oh, who wrote to me?" 

"It's from Lieutenant Rainbow Dash. She says it's urgent!" 

Discord quickly excused himself from the table, and took the letter from the maid. He needed to read his letter in a private room away from his nosy acquaintances.  Once Discord was out of the living room, Flim and Flam wiped the dripping tea off their hats with napkins, and turned to Chrysalis.

"Well, Chrysalis, have you made Discord's mind up yet?" Flam asked. 

"Is he going to marry you?" Flim pressed on, eagerly. 

"Yes," Chrysalis smiled confidently. Her smile went away two seconds later. "However, he hasn't asked me. Something seems to be standing in the way." There was a growl hidden in her voice. Flim and Flam brothers shared concerns with each other. Why hasn't Discord proposed to her yet? They were the ones who had introduced Chrysalis to Discord some time ago. Despite spending a lot of time together, Chrysalis had not felt any love from Discord. The brothers brainstormed a theory for the wedding bells not ringing yet.

"We know what it is!" Flim shouted. "It's money!" Chrysalis raised an eyebrow at the two brothers.

"Money?" Her voice filled with skepticism. She was sure that Discord had a dark secret from her like fear of commitment or a secret girlfriend.

"Of course!" Flam beamed. "You're rich and he's rich! That's why you two still haven't felt any sparks yet!"

"Oh no!" Chrysalis chuckled sarcastically. "No wonder!" 





"YOU DID WHAT!?"  Flash yelled at Rainbow Dash. The captain could not believe that the Lieutenant wrote to Discord to come back.

"Hey, I had to do something!" Rainbow Dash argued. "Right after I came back from my bathroom break, I totally freaked out when I saw Miss Fluttershy taking the kids around the town!"  

"AAA, WE'RE DEAD, WE'RE DEAD!" Pinkie screamed, running around in circles. Flash and Rainbow tried to calm her down but she kept running around! Thankfully, Sunset came over and wrapped her forelegs around Pinkie. The pink pony took deep breaths and stopped hyperventilating.  Applejack and Rarity galloped over to see what the fuss was all about.

"Calm down, y'all! What's the problem?"  Applejack inquired Rainbow Dash and Flash.

Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, and Flash told Applejack and Sunset how Rainbow Dash wrote a letter to Discord to come back after Miss Fluttershy broke another rule. 

"All I wrote is 'Dear King Discord, Please come home right away! There's trouble at home and I need you to fix it now! Signed, Lieutenant Rainbow Dash,' That's all!"  Rainbow Dash revealed.  Sunset sighed a bit in relief. 

"Does any pony know if the kids used chaotic powers or magic?" Applejack asked everypony. Flash and the girls grunted and shrugged their shoulders. 

"It's not that bad, darling," Rarity said, gently. "What's so bad about them going outside? Or using their magic?"

"Rarity, you know why!"

"Don't worry, we are going to ask Miss Fluttershy if the kids used any powers or performed any spells. Then, we'll tell her why the King keeps the kids from spreading chaos or magic," Sunset added, which the others nodded. "Hopefully she'll understand."

"Right!" Everybody chorused. 

"So where is Miss Fluttershy now?" Applejack wondered. Right on cue, Fluttershy and the little princesses came skipping merrily in the hallway. They were smiling and giggling like crazy! It took a while for the servants to catch Fluttershy's attention.

"Miss Fluttershy may we have a word with you?" Sunset requested. 

"Sure, Miss Sunset Shimmer," Fluttershy replied, kindly. "But please  let me take the children to the nursery first."
"I'll do it, Miss Fluttershy," Screwball volunteered. "I know the way to the nursery!"
"Thank you, Screwball," Fluttershy smiled. Then the staff and the little royals parted ways.





Flash and the mares led Fluttershy to their servants dorm which was downstairs, next to the kitchen. They sat inside a bedroom that was shared by Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. They sat on the three beds, facing each other.

"Firstly, we want to thank you so much for helping with the children," Sunset began. "Out of all the nannies we had, you were the best!" Fluttershy blushed at the compliment. "But I am concerned that you broke some of the Royal traditions." 

"What traditions did I break?" Fluttershy asked, suddenly feeling timid again. She did not know exactly what she did, but whatever it was, she did not meant any harm!

"Well...," Sunset trailed off, thinking of how to word her sentences so she won't hurt Fluttershy's feelings. "You took the children on a field trip-"

"Away from the palace!" Rainbow blurted out. "What were you thinking!?"

Fluttershy winced at Rainbow's shrill voice and hid her face behind her mane. 

"I'm sorry, I was just-just-trying-to give them a fun education," Fluttershy stammered.

"So how's a trip to the town educational?" Rainbow scoffed. "What did they learn? How to buy scones!?"

"Rainbow quit it!" Applejack scolded, watching Fluttershy  shrinking from Rainbow's anger. "You're scaring her!" 
Flash Sentry cleared his throat.

"What my lieutenant was trying to say is that traditionally, royals, especially royal children, are not allowed outside of the palace walls under any circumstances. This was also done for safety reasons in case somepony tries to kidnap the royals and use them against their father. Tell me, did any pony recognize the princesses?" Fluttershy was alarmed.

"No, no one did because of their playclothes!"

Flash and the girls released thier breaths that they had been holding. But this new discovery of why the children could not go out, made Fluttershy more apprehensive than ever!

"Oh, I am so so sorry! I didn't mean to put the children at risk! I just want them to have a good time in the town!" Fluttershy cried. Even though she had been here for two days, Fluttershy had already grown to love the children. What was she thinking? What if somepony tried to attack them? She did not know what to do, if they become a target for somepony! 

"That's all right, Fluttershy," Applejack said, wrapping her foreleg around Fluttershy. "We know you did not mean to do that."

"And their play clothes kept their identities a secret!'' Rarity winked. "I was exhilarated when you asked me to help you make play clothes! You gave me a chance to put my fashion talents to good use! Really, I haven't made anything for the children or the King in such a long, long time!"

"Rarity, stay on topic," Applejack reprimanded her. 

"We ask you one thing Miss Fluttershy," Flash began. "Please stop breaking the rules or else we'll be punished by the King!" 

"Yeah!" Pinkie piped up. "He might fire us! Or throw us in jail. Or execute us! Or send us to the 'Ghost of the Goose Island-"

"Quiet, Pinkie!" Applejack hushed the pink pony by placing her hoof over Pinkie's mouth. Fluttershy could see how really unfair the King's rules were. No playtime, no outings, no games, no fun at all! Her fear was replaced by curiosity and concern for the children.
"I don't understand, why must the rules be done that way? Don't you find them strange?" 

"Whatever the King says, goes, Darling " Rarity added, in a apologetic tone.

"It seems to me that the King is cold and unfair!" Fluttershy cried. "Does he always treat his children this way?"
Silence filled the room. It was so dead quiet that Fluttershy  panicked again.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be mean to your King!"

"That's all right, Miss Fluttershy," Applejack murmured. "However, you must understand. King Discord wasn't always like this. He used to be a good father-funny, charismatic, boisterous, mischievous, loving, caring, brave, and intelligent!"

"He and the princesses used to play practical jokes and pranks on unsuspecting ponies!" Pinkie Pie chimed in.

"The King also used to be on the Navy!" Flash mentioned. "He fought hard to protect his country from King Charlatan during the early! When King Charlatan froze Equestria (except the Changeling's kingdom), it was Discord who helped Queen Celestia and Queen Luna unfreeze Equestria. He also threw Charlatan in jail. He sailed on the seas to catch Charlatan and threw him in prison!"

"He was also a good husband who cherished his late wife, the Queen (may she rest in peace)," Sunset added. "He and his wife also used to perform magic together. He would perform chaotic tricks and she woukd create spells. There was a time where Discord created chocolate rain and his wife used a spell to turn chocolate rain into chocolate snow! In fact, the Queen casted her Patronus Charm to guide King Discord to hiding places from Charlatan's army-that's how he survived the war!"

"Don't forget Sunset," Rarity mentioned. "King Discord and the Queen also taught the children thier magic! 

"How did they do?" Fluttershy pressed on. 

"The lessons proved to be...difficult," Rarity sighed. "Screwball was the only princess that mastered her tricks and spells. The others were not so lucky. Apple Bloom and Babs Seed had trouble bringing out thier magic for some reason. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were weak at doing charms or spells!"

Fluttershy let all the stories processed through her mind. This grumpy king was the same stallion that saved countless lives form the war and was a good father and husband? She felt guilty for thinking lowly of King Discord! Who was she that she had the nerve to say that he was "unfair" or "cold?" But from her defense, Fluttershy did not know that Discord used to be different. She also felt sorry for the princesses who could mot perform magic so well. As a pegasus who could not fly very well, Fluttershy could relate to thier struggles. If the King used to be a happy draconeques, then why was he so cold and distant now?

"Then what happened to Discord that made him change?" She uttered. The staff took a deep breath.

"Well, one day the Queen died," Applejack started. "We don't know what happened exactly. All we know is that the Queen was having a drink with Lady Chrysalis when she fell ill!" 
At this point, Pinkie and Rarity were watering up. Rainbow Dash began to sniffle. 
"We..couldn't save..her. King Discord was so heartbroken by her death that he tried to forget about everything that reminded him of her. For instance, he no longer enjoyed chaos, because just thinking about the times he made chaotic magic with her, made him very depressed. 
He also shut out other things-music, pranks, laughter, playtime-anything that made him remember his wife-even the children!"

Fluttershy sniffled at Applejack's story. She wiped her tears with her foreleg. Oh no wonder why the King was so cold! He lost a loved one that he cherished so much! 

"I'm so sorry!" She cried.

"It's okie-dokie-lokie!" Pinkie Pie replied. "You did not know!"

"Still, it's not fair!" Fluttershy added. "All due with respect to the King, but you can't shut fillies out like that!" 

"Ah well, what could you do?" Rarity shrugged. She and other staff did not approve of Discord shutting out the children for reminding him of his wife. Whenever they spoke about this to the King, he would threaten to fire them!

"Guys, is there anything I can do to help the King and the children?"

"Well Miss Fluttershy, I suppose the best thing you can do is to support the King and be there for him," Applejack responded. "Same for the children. They need  somepony that would give them love and affection."

"If only the King would do that without being so afraid to look at them!" Rainbow grumbled. Fluttershy did not hear Rainbow Dash. This new revelation about the King made her realize that the King needed help. She planned to fix things between the King and the princesses. How would Fluttershy do it, she did not know, but she would find a way!




> Chapter 14: Conversing with Mothball
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the nursery, the fillies were waiting for Fluttershy to come back. They hoped that their nanny will come back and play with them again. The fillies fidgeted and sighed. Waiting is one thing they do not like doing at all. 

"Aah, where is she?" Scootaloo cried. "I'm bored! It's been 20 minutes and I want her to play with us now!"

"Me too!" Babs Seed grumbled.

"Screwy, you can sense what ponies are doing, can you find out what Miss Fluttershy is doing?" Apple Bloom suggested.

"No need to tell me twice, AB!" Screwball smiled, as she closed her eyes. A vision of Miss Fluttershy talking with the servants appeared in her head. "She's still talking with our staff. It doesn't look like she'll be coming in a while.

"Aw, nuts!" Apple Bloom groaned, kicking at her toy ball. "I hate waiting!"

"Maybe we can do something else until she comes," Sweetie Belle said, gently.

"Okay Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo sarcastically remarked. "How about 'Pin the tail on Apple Bloom'?" Her red-haired sister scowled.

"How about a fair fight?" Apple Bloom challenged, pulling a surprised Scootaloo up by her fur, with her other hoof curled into a fist. Screwball quickly flashed between them before the fight started.

"Would you two knock it off?"

"How about hide-and-seek, girls?" Babs Seed offered. The other fillies smiled and agreed with her. Screwball was the only exception. She remembered Mothball and didn't want him to be discovered by her sisters! 

"Guys I don't want to play this game, let's play something else!"

"Oh come on, Screwy!" Babs Seed said rolling  her eyes. "It won't take that long!" 

"Besides, you're outvoted!" Scootaloo chimed in. Screwball really did not want to play this game but she did not want to make her sisters angry. She thought of a way to make a compromise.

"Okay, but nopony hide in the wardrobe, okay?" 

"Why?" Apple Bloom blinked with confusion. 

"Because that'll be too obvious!" Screwball winked. "You need to hide in a place where nopony would ever suspect!" 

"Oh, can we hide in the kitchen?" Sweetie Belle perked up. 

"Yeah, whatever!" Screwball agreed, abruptly. She knew that she and her sisters would get in trouble for being outside of the nursery without an adult, but she had to think of something to keep Mothball hidden!

"If you say so...," Apple Bloom frowned. She had a feeling that Screwball 's hiding something. Whatever it was. 

"So, who's going to be 'it?'" Scootaloo convoked.  




"5...4...3...2...1! Ready or not, here I'll come!" Sweetie Belle shouted. Having already heard hoof steps leaving the nursery, Sweetie Belle gallopped out through the door. What she failed to realize was that Screwball had turned invisible during counting. Once Sweetie Belle was out of the room, Screwball became visible and decided to check on her friend. She gave a signal and the wardrobe opened. The princess stepped inside and found the young changeling sitting. Mothball quickly scrambled to his hooves and bowed before Screwball.

"Good afternoon Princess Screwball," the young changeling murmured politely.

"Mothball, please call me Screwball!" The princess giggled. "None of this 'Princess stuff', I don't do formalities!"

"Okay Prin-er, I mean Screwball!" Mothball stuttered nervously. He mentally kicked himself for embarrassing himself in front of her. Screwball sat down on her haunches in front of him. She turned on the wardrobe light on. When she did, Screwball felt her heart stop. She did not realize that Mothball had such lovely eyes. She felt like she could drown in them forever! Mothball felt the same way about Screwball's swirling eyes. To him, they were so mesmerizing. It lasted for a couple of minutes before one of the kids spoke.

"Mothball, you promised me that you tell me why you are here," Screwball whispered. "So why are you here?" 
Of course Mothball remembered, he was just nervous about telling her about it. He swallowed and took a deep breath.
"Did you remember when  I told you I'm running away?" He asked her. Screwball nodded. Of course she remembered.
"Yes, but from who?" She elaborated.

"From Starlight Glimmer!" Mothball growled. Screwball blinked.

"Starlight Glimmer? The countess?" Screwball did not know anything about politics but one thing she heard from her father was how much he hates Starlight Glimmer. She did not know why because whenever she'd ask him, he'd only tell her that she's not to be trusted.

"The one and only," Mothball confirmed.  Screwball motioned him to continue.

"You see, I am from a small village, called McMane. My father, who was an earth pony, worked as a carpenter. My mother, a changeling, was a stay-at-home mom. Although we struggled to pay our house bills, the family was still happy together. One day, Starlight Glimmer, came to our town and started preaching about equality. You know, that all ponies should be equal and we should make that possible for Equestria."

"That doesn't seem so bad," Screwball said with a small smile. She was aware that mares did not have the same opportunities as stallions do when it comes to finding a job or inheriting their own homelands. 

"Yes, but my parents and I really did not know what she was talking about. I thought she meant help ponies and non-ponies get along or that peasants should have the same rights as aristocrats! But we were wrong."

"Well, what was she talking about, then?" Screwball threw her arms up in the air, frowning. Mothball took another deep breath. He started to shiver.

"Glimmer was talking about getting rid of any animal that's not a pony whether it's a griffon, a dragon, a donkey, a penguin, a changeling, or in my case, a hybrid!"  

"Why would she do such a thing?" Screwball gasped, putting her hoofs to her mouth.

"I do not know," Mothball grumbled. "When my parents saw Starlight Glimmer and her soldiers forcing a family of donkeys into a wagon, that's when we realized something was up!"

"How did you escape?" Screwball pressed on. She noticed Mothball's eyes becoming misty as he spoke. 

"My parents told me I was no longer safe and had to escape. At night, they packed me food and clothing and told me to run as fast as I can! I didn't want to leave but I had no choice! It was either leave or stay and be taken away by Starlight! I ran as fast I could, hoping to find a place to hide! I traveled many miles and could not find a good hiding spot. Just when I was about to give up, I saw your castle and came here."

Screwball wanted nothing more to take the pain away from Mothball. She wished there was something she could do. Being separated from your family is something that Screwball could never imagine. It must be as painful as losing them to a strange drink. 

"Do..you miss your parents?" She whispered, sadly.

"Of course!" Mothball emphasized. "I just hope they're still safe." 


Without warning, Mothball felt himself being enveloped by Screwball's forelegs. He blushed at feeling so close to her and slowly wrapped his forelegs around her hair. Suddenly, the door swung open widely. The two tweens looked as if they saw a ghost and hugged each other tighter. The little princesses just continued standing there in the doorway, frozen. Their eyes never leaving their sister and the strange changeling until one of the fillies spoke.

"Hey Screwball, you said no pony can hide in the wardrobe!" Babs Seed shouted.

"Yeah, you cheated!" Scootaloo added, pointing her hoof at Screwball. 

"I don't think that's the problem here," Apple Bloom said, glaring at Mothball.

"Who's he?" Sweetie Belle said, pointing her hoof at Mothball.

"Um, I can explain!" Mothball stammered.
"I'm telling Miss Fluttershy!" Apple Bloom warned. She started her way toward the exit door. Screwball poofed in front of her sister before Apple Bloom could reach the doorknob.
"Wait, don't tell Miss Fluttershy!" She cried. The eldest princess was not sure how angry her nanny would be, but she did not want to take the chance! Besides, Fluttershy might tell her father afterwards and he'll go berserk!
"MISS FLUTTERSHY! MISS FLUTTERSHY! MISS FLUTTERSHY!" Apple Bloom hollered. As she did, red winds appeared and slowly formed into a cloud in the ceiling. It made a thundering sound, Screwball tried to shush Apple Bloom but her sister just kept yelling. Mothball and the others noticed the red cloud and freaked out when it began to rain apples!
"DUCK!" Mothball shouted, hiding under Screwball's bed. Sweetie Belle managed to make a tent out of her blankets with her magic and took shelter. Scootaloo and Babs Seed retrieved under the beds.
Just then, Fluttershy opened the nursery door. Her eyes widened at the sight of apples raining hard in the nursery. Screwball literally zipped Apple Bloom's lips. The red cloud dissolved and the remaining apples splattered onto the floor. Everypony peeked out from their hiding spots when they heard the apples no longer falling. mothball did too, but slowly shrank back a little when his eyes glanced at a shocked Fluttershy.  
"Oh my goodness!" Fluttershy cried, seeing splattered applesauce everywhere. "What happened?  Why is there applesauce everywhere?"
"Um, I can explain," Screwball said, sheepishly.



"...and that's why I'm here!" Mothball finished, rubbing the back of his head. So much for his cover not belong blown. He, Screwball, and Fluttershy were sitting in Fluttershy's bedroom, talking. The story the colt told Fluttershy was not as detailed as he told Screwball, because he did not want to bore the nanny. The other fillies were cleaning up the mess in the nursery. Sweetie Belle was the only one who successfully used her unicorn magic to clean the room faster by making half of the mess disappear. The others were not so lucky and had to use broomsticks and dustpans.
"Please don't tell father, Miss  Fluttershy!" Screwball begged.  "If you do, Father will send Mothball away. He has nowhere else to go! Please don't tell father!"
When Fluttershy stayed silent, Screwball spoke again.
"You won't tell father, right?"
"How long have you been here, Mothball?" Fluttershy finally asked.
"Two days, Miss Fluttershy," Mothball answered.
"Have you had anything to eat?"
"Not since this morning, Miss Fluttershy."
Fluttershy pondered for a while, and then, smiled.
"I'll get you something some food, some clothes, and a proper bed.  As along as you stay in the nursery, nopony would ever know."
Both Mothball and Screwball sighed in relief. Screwball was glad she did not have to use her magic to sneak food to Mothball. 
"But Miss Fluttershy," Mothball started, still a bit worried. "What if the cooks-"
"Don't worry, if they ask who I'm getting food for, I'll say it's for my pet rabbit," Fluttershy assured him. The changeling was so happy that he gave the surprised  buttercream pegasus a hug.
"Oh thank you so much, Miss Fluttershy! You don't know how much this means to me!"
Screwball smiled and giggled.
"Remember how I told you I don't need a nanny, Miss Fluttershy? Well, maybe I do now!"
> Chapter 15: Discord comes home (Rewritten)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, the sun shone its golden rays in the sky. The birds were chirping as they flapped their  wings nearby the clouds. A golden chariot raced by, causing the birds to almost lose their balance! The same chariot also ran through some clouds, making them dissolve. Two dark brown Griffons were pulling the chariot as faster than a cheetah. Although they were exhausted, they could not stop.

"With all due to respect, your highness!" One griffon panted. "Can't we just please slow down?" 

"Save your breath men, faster!" Discord commanded, hitting them with his reins. The two griffons reluctantly did as they were told. They went so fast that Lady Chrysalis and the Flim Flam brothers  held onto their crown/hats!

"Discord, would you please slow down!" Lady Chrysalis shrieked. "Do you want me to fall off!?"   
'That can be arranged!' Discord thought, grinning, evilly. He steered the reins to the right, to the left, and then to the right again. The chariot swerved as the King steered, making  his passengers more scared than ever! Lady Chrysalis gripped her seat, shocked at her beau's driving skills. Discord was disappointed that she did not fall off. 

"Aaaaah, please Discord!" Flim and Flam shouted, holding onto each other for dear life. "This ride is way too fast! And we're scared of falling!" King Discord literally rolled his eyes with his claw, and socked them back in his eye sockets.

"Hey, I have to get home fast, you idiots!" He hollered. "My lieutenant said it's an emergency! I don't know what she's talking about, but it's something about the children!" 'Or Miss Fluttershy!' He added in his head. During most of his trip, he could not seem to get the new nanny off his mind. She was so different from the other nannies. First, she defied his whistling signals and marching. Then, she and his children bounced and danced on her bed! He admitted that she was pretty and kind-but that is not the point! The point is what was she doing with the children that had Rainbow Dash concerned? 

Lady Chrysalis resisted the urge to groan and roll her eyes. She turned her head around and faced Flam. After making sure Discord was paying attention to the road, she leaned toward Flam's ear.

"Is he going to keep talking about the children all the time?" She grumbled with a slight hint of annoyance.

"Now, Lady Chrysalis, if you want to get into Discord's good graces, you must be nice to the children," Flam reminded her. "After all, the children need a mother, and just think how close you are to winning him!" 

"Right," Chrysalis hastily agreed. "The sooner I get acquainted with the children and win Discord, the better!" 

Although Discord had been keeping his eyes on the road, he sensed Chrysalis and the stallions having a private conversation. He scowled, not liking that they were talking as if he weren't here. Not leaving his eyes off the road, the King jumped in the discussion.

"What are you two talking about that is so secretive?" 

"Nothing, Discord!" The changeling and the earth stallion sheepishly, responded.





Because the day was so warm and sunny, Fluttershy felt that this would be a perfect opportunity for her and the children to have a picnic outside. Applejack and Pinkie Pie packed some peanut butter and apple sandwiches and Apple juice glass bottles in a basket for them.  Fluttershy and the children headed outside once they were ready. The children agreed that they should have thier picnic at the same forest that Fluttershy took them to, yesterday. Rarity and Sunset reminded her to come back to the castle in thirty minutes. Although they trusted Fluttershy, they still do not feel comfortable about them being in the woods that long. 
The children had finished thier lunches earlier and were now playing a game of baseball. On the field, the baseball game was still going on. Screwball was the pitcher, Scootaloo, Babs Seed, and Sweetie Belle were in the outfield, and Apple Bloom was the batter. Fluttershy watched them play as she put the dirty plates back in the basket. She looked at the sun and realized lunch time was almost over.

"Girls, time to go home!" Fluttershy called.

"Aww, just a few more minutes?" Screwball begged. "Apple Bloom hasn't have a turn yet with the bat!" 

"Please, Miss Fluttershy?" Apple Bloom put on her biggest Bambi eyes that she could ever muster. Her sisters followed suit. How could the mares ever resist those adorable eyes? 

"Oh okay, I suppose a few more minutes won't hurt," Fluttershy answered. Screwball swing her forearm round and round until she pitched the ball toward Apple Bloom. The batter kept her eye on the ball, swung her bat, and hit the ball! The ball went flying into the sky and landed on top of one of the trees! 

"Uh oh," Sweetie Belle gasped. Apple Bloom winced as she stared at her hooves. 

"Oh my goodness!" Fluttershy gasped, putting her hooves to her face. She and the princesses saw which tree the ball landed on. 

"No problem, Miss Fluttershy, just fly over there and grab the ball!" Babs Seed said, confidently.

Fluttershy gazed at the grass beneath her hooves. Her mane was covering partially of her face.

"Um, I..I..I can't," she stammered.

"Why not?" Screwball said, easing an eyebrow.

"I-I...can't fly well!" Fluttershy stammered. Her face blushed in shame. "I am afraid of heights!" 
Scootaloo face hoofed herself. 

"Oh joy!" She grumbled. "So much for our game! How are we going to get our ball back, now? Nice going, Princess Apple Bloom!" Scootalo scowled.

"It was an accident, Princess Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom barked.

"Miss Fluttershy, I know you can't fly well," Screwball said, calmly. "But can you climb a tree?" Fluttershy gulped as she glanced at the tree, again. 

"I-I don't know, Screwball."

"Look, how about if I summon up a ladder for you?" Screwball suggested. Just as she said, a ladder flashed and leaned against the tree. Fluttershy was still nervous about this situation, despite the crown princess' help.
As much as Fluttershy hates heights, the pegasus did not want to disappoint the children.  What should she do?






At the castle, the other servants heard a door knock. Sunset galloped and opened the door, to see a Jabberwocky from Alice in Wonderland! The orange unicorn screamed and fell back on her haunches, as a bright white light flashed. In the doorway, Discord was on his back, laughing his head off.

"Oh Sunset, you should have seen your face!" He laughed, wiping a tear from his eye. He then, poofed and reappeared inside in his castle, before shutting the door. It took a while for Sunset to get over her shock. She looked at her King with an unamused look.

"Must you always do that? I thought you gave up on chaos long ago?" Sunset snapped.

"True, Sunset, but if there is one teeny tiny chaotic thing I still enjoyed, it's scaring ponies with my many disguises, haha!" 

Sunset watched her King giggle in annoyance. Flash, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinie Pie, galloped over because they heard Sunset scream. They too, almost fell over when they saw Discord-and he wasn't dressed up as a Jabberwocky..

"King Discord, you're back!" Flash exclaimed.

"Of course, I'm back!" King Discord scoffed. He raised an eyebrow at them. "I was meant to be away for a week! I only came back because Dashie said there's an emergency that I need to take care of!" 

Flash and Sunset glared daggers at Rainbow.

"What, I did send him a note telling him not to come back!" Rainbow shrugged. She quickly covered her mouth, almost forgetting that she was talking in front of the King. The King frowned at them, not noticing Applejack and Sunset face hoofing themselves.
Discord was interrupted by the door that flew open and hit the walls so hard that they cracked! 

"Discord, how could you forget about your lovely guests?" Lady Chrysalis exclaimed with a teasing smile. The doors closed behind her.

"Yes, your lovely guests!" The Flim Flam brothers added. Discord growled and tightened his fists for a few seconds and turned around with a fake smile.

"Sorry my friends, I was just so anxious to see my children that I ran off and forgot about leaving the door open!" The King scanned his eyes around the castle hallway. "Speaking of the children,  where are they?" 

The staff looked each each other and gulped. They did not know why Fluttershy and the children were late. They should have been back ten minutes ago! Sunset formed a plan of how to stall Discord until Fluttershy and the children arrive.

"Well, um, heh, you see-" Sunset stuttered. 

"NOT HERE!" Pinkie Pie yelled in a sing-song voice, quickly covering Sunset's mouth. King Discord folded his arms.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm sure they ran off after they heard that I was coming," Lady Chrysalis spoke in a snobbish tone.

"We're doing a strategy, Your majesty!" Pinkie explained. "It's called the process of elimination! Rather than tell you where they are, we''ll tell you where they aren't. For example, the children are not in the nursery!" 

"They're not in the throne room!" Sunset yelped.

"They're not in the kitchen," Applejack said truthfully and carefully.

"They're not in the living room," Rainbow Dash analyzed.

"Nor are they in the library," Flash added, sheepishly.

"They're not in Rarity's sewing room," Pinkie Pie mentioned.

"They are not in Miss Fluttershy's bedroom!" Rarity mentioned.

"They're not in the dungeon!" Pinkie Pie listed. "Why in the name of Celestia would they be in the dungeon?" Rainbow whispered harshly. "I don't know!" Pinkie shrugged. "Beats me!"

"Silence!" Discord demanded. He rubbed his temples, annoyed from their silly strategy. "If they are not anywhere in this castle, then where are they?" Then, his eyes widened and his body became frozen. "Wait a minute! Are they outside!?"

"Ummmm....," Flash and the mares smiled, sheepishly.





"Struggling!" Fluttershy panted, her hooves on the bark of the tree. "Struggling is useless!" The ladder was not tall enough to reach all the way to the top of the tree. It just reached half way of the tree. Fluttershy was almost there but she was still apprehensive of falling and of heights!  
The fillies had been standing there, making sure she would not fall. They did not realize that Fluttershy was not kidding about her fear of heights. 

"Oh good grief, what do we do?" Apple Bloom crossed her forelegs. Scootaloo and Babs shook their heads, sadly. Screwball whispered something in Sweetie Belle's ear, who smiled and nodded in response. 

"Hold still, Miss Fluttershy!" Screwball instructed. Fluttershy was startled when she saw rocks appearing on the tree bark all the way to the top. Her wings were held in green transparent magic. Little by little, Sweetie Belle guided Fluttershy climbing through the rocks. When Fluttershy reached the top, she breathed out a sigh of relief. She thought she'd never make it to the top! Now the next thing to do is to grab the ball! The object was a few inches away from her...next to a bee's nest. The pegasus gulped-not that she was afraid of bees, mind you, but bees are very sensitive bugs. They sting you if you bother them or their nest. Fluttershy was surprised that the ball did not disturb them. The pegasus stretched forward, slowly as not to knock the ball from its inertia. Finally, her hoof touched the ball and tried to pick it up. 
The princesses jumped and cheered for joy!

"GIRLS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" A booming voice shouted. 

The princesses turned and gasped. Sweetie was so shocked that her magic accidentally let go of Fluttershy. The booming voice startled the yellow pegasus so much that she dropped the ball, lost her balance, and fell off the tree! She failed to notice the ball, hitting the bees and their nest.. 
Fluttershy screamed as gravity pulled her toward the earth. Her wings shut tight whenever Fluttershy felt afraid, thus flapping them was out of the question. The nanny shut her eyes, preparing for the worst. But instead of falling to the ground, Fluttershy landed in a pair of strong arms. Technically, a paw and a talon. Her eyes opened and widened. It was King Discord who broke her fall! He put Fluttershy down hastily, trying to hide the blush from his cheeks. 

The bees, had felt the impact from the ball. They were so angry, for being disturbed, that they swarmed out of their nest. They aimed toward the King, the mares, and the girls! 

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH, WE'RE DOOMED!!"  Sweetie Belle screamed.

"Everypony, run!" King Discord ordered with emphasis. He grabbed Apple Bloom and Screwball, Fluttershy took Scootaloo by her hoof, followed by Sweetie Belle and Babs Seed. Quick as a lightning bolt, they dashed away from the angry swarming bees. The insects flew after the ponies and the draconequus with their stingers out. Because the wasps were getting closer, Discord and Fluttershy knew that they could not outrun them. Using all of his strength, Discord teleported everypony including himself to the castle. The bees stopped, not knowing where thier victims went.





As soon as Discord and the girls came into the view of the staff and guests, the staff ran over to Fluttershy.

"What took you so long?" Sunset asked, frantically.

"Bees," Fluttershy panted. She was still tired from running. Discord blew his whistle loud and the children formed into a line, facing him. He angirly snatched Scootaloo's head scarf that was the same color as her play clothes. The King made introductions between them and his guests.

"This is Lady Chrysalis...and these...are my children." 

"How do you do?" Lady Chrysalis expressed her politeness. The children murmured how do yo do back. When Flim and Flam came up to them, the children enthusiastically responded, "Uncles Flim and Flam!" The two brothers swooped them in their arms for a hug. Flim kissed Apple Bloom on top of her head. 

"Look at them, brother, they look different, don't they?" Flim asked, eyeing their outfits.

"They certainly do, brother," Flam responded. "Where did you get these clothes, Miss Sweetie Belle?" 

"Yes, that's what I like to know," Discord said, as he eyed Fluttershy. Aside from seeing his children in the forest, Discord was also appalled to see them not in their uniforms, but in some ridiculous outfits. 

"Miss Fluttershy made them for us!" Sweetie beamed, her smile whiter than snow. Fluttershy would have smiled if she wasn't shrinking down from the King's cold stare. 

"I see," He said, slowly. "Excuse me, while I have a talk with my nanny." Fluttershy gulped, dreading the lecture that Discord would bestow to her. The King flashed her and himself to a private room before the princesses or the staff could protest.

"Oh, she's in it for now!" Rarity whined. 

"It can't be that bad," Flash shrugged, trying to hide his nervousness. Sunset and Applejack directed Chrysalis and the Flim-Flam brothers into the living room, where refreshments would be served.
The children were left standing in the hallway, fearing that their father was going to do something drastic.
"What do you think Father's going to do Fluttershy?" Babs Seed whispered to her sisters.
"Apparently, something not good," Screwball aforementioned. "Let's just sneak in them and make sure he doesn't fire her!"
"What if he does?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Then, we'll convince him to let her stay. Now let's go!"

> Chapter 16: Please Love Them!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A bright white light flashed inside the library. Fluttershy and Discord sat at a small table with two chairs. The buttercream pegasus had lot of butterflies flying around inside her stomach. The King was so intimidating that Fluttershy felt a shiver running down her spine. Fluttershy wanted to turn her head away from him, but at the same time, she couldn't. The nanny had promised that she would brace herself for whatever lecture the King would grant. She's going to try to stick to her promise.

"Miss Fluttershy, what were you and the children doing outside in the woods?" Discord finally, asked with an angry tone. It was clear that he was not pleased that his nanny and children broke the rules. He had a reason those laws were enforced! It was to keep the children safe from ponies who might target this children-just like somepony targeted his late wife.

Fluttershy flinched at his voice, but kept her voice steady.

"We-we thought it would be a good place to have lunch, your majesty," Fluttershy responded, meekly. "After we ate, the girls played baseball, but one of them hit the ball way up in the tree and I had to go up and get it! Oh, I did not know I would be facing a nest of wasps!" Fluttershy twiddled her hooves, her gaze still on Discord.

"What were you thinking? You and the children could have been stung!" he yelled.

"I didn't mean to!" Fluttershy yelped. Discord angrily dangled Scootaloo's head scarf in front of Fluttershy's face.

"And where did you get these silly outfits?" he demanded. "I don't recall asking Rarity to make them!" Even though the children told him Fluttershy made their playclothes, he preferred to hear the story from Fluttershy herself.

"I-I-I made them from my old curtains," Fluttershy stammered, meekly. She continued twiddling her hooves. "The children have been wearing them ever since!"

It took Discord all of his strength not to faint.

"You mean to tell me that my children have been running around Draconia, wearing curtains!?" He roared, throwing the head scarf into the nearby fireplace and setting it on fire. Fluttershy's eyes narrowed at Discord. Why was he acting so ridiculous? Discord had refused to order new fabric, when she had requested. Thus, what choice did she had?

"Mmhmm! And having a marvelous time!" She replied, assertively.

"What made you think these children would wear something so ridiculous? They have uniforms, you know!" Discord barked.

"Straight jackets, if you forgive me," Fluttershy mumbled.

"I will not forgive you for that!" The King snapped.

"Children can't do all things they're supposed to if they have to worry about spoiling thier precious clothes," Fluttershy put her hooves on her loins.

"I haven't heard them complain," The King shrugged, in a careless tone. If his daughters were so displeased with his uniforms, why didn't they say anything?

Fluttershy leaned forward in her seat.

"Well, they wouldn't dare! They love you too much. They fear you too much!"

Discord huffed and clenched his paw and claw into tight fists. He leaned forward trying to intimidate his pretty nanny.

'Okay, stop calling her pretty and focus!' he scolded himself.

"Why are you discussing my children in this manner? Who do you think you are? You're not the parent-I am!" Discord jabbed a finger on his chest. Abruptly, he stood up from his chair and faced the wall, with his arms crossed.

"Well, you have got hear from somepony! You may be the parent but you're never home long enough to know them!" Fluttershy emphasized. She knew she was risking her life raising her voice at the King, but Fluttershy had hoped to talk some sense into him. From what the servants had told her, Discord and the princesses must have been close to each other years ago. Now they have grown apart. Surely it's not too late to bring them close again, right?

Discord slowly turned his head to Fluttershy. His teeth were gnashing and his eyes were on fire. Literally on fire. The sight made Fluttershy shiver.

"Are your ears working? I said I don't want to hear anything about my children!"

Despite her shivering, It took all of Fluttershy's strength to keep her composure. She narrowed her eyebrows.

"I know you don't, but you've got to! Don't you know what they are like? Now take Screwball, for instance."

"You will not say one word about Screwball, Miss Fluttershy." Discord said, hesisitantly, pointing at Fluttershy. He knew what Fluttershy was going to tell him. Screwball's almost going to be sixteen years old. By Equestrian law, that meant she would be of marriageable age! Soon, all princes from Equestria would travel to meet Screwball in hopes of becoming her husband. That was something that Discord dreaded. To him, Screwball is still just a filly! Is she ready for marriage? Besides, how could he be sure that Screwball would find a Prince Charming? What if all the princes turned out to be charmless? He betted that they want Screwball, not for love, but for her wealth and crown!

Despite his shouting and yelling, Fluttershy still refuse to crack.

"She's not a filly anymore, and one of these days, you are going to wake up and find that she's a mare. You won't even know her! And Babs Seed, she's an earth pony with magic she feels insecure because she could not perform it as well as you!"

"Don't you dare tell me about Babs!" Discord barked, taking his horns out and plugging them in his ears. Out of all his daughters, Babs was the weakest at magic and chaos. Discord knew that but he did not know what to do about it! His other daughters were not lucky, either. Scootaloo could not fly at all, even if she tried. Young creatures from his village had given Scootaloo a cruel nickname, "chicken." As a result, Scootaloo would get into fights with them. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had very limited magic. He was not sure whether they had trouble bringing their magic out or their magic was not fully developed. Even his wife could not understand why Screwball is the only one that was skilled.

Fluttershy flew up and pulled his horns out faster before Discord could grab her hooves. Fluttershy flew backwards and hid his horns behind her back, as Discord tried to grab them from her. Everytime he tried to reach her, Fluttershy would move out of the way.

"Apple Bloom could tell you a lot about Babs if you let her get close to you!" Fluttershy retorted, grinding her teeth.

Discord was not sure how much he could take it. A mental image of Apple Bloom's pleading face, just made his heart break. Shaking the sad feeling off, Discord snapped his fingers and his horns reappeared on his head.

"Miss Fluttershy...," He started, but Fluttershy still went on.

"And Scootaloo pretends she's tough not to show how hurt she is when you brush her aside-"

"That will do!" He did not need to be told twice of Scootaloo's harsh reaction to him!

Discord used his magic to shut Fluttershy's mouth with a cloth. But the pegasus unwrapped the cloth and tossed it away.

"The way you do them all!"

"I said that will do!" Discord shouted. An orange appeared in Fluttershy's mouth. She spit it out in her hooves and tucked it in her dress pocket.

"And Sweetie Belle, just wants to be loved. Oh your majesty, please, please! Love them, love them all!"

That was the last straw! Flashbacks of Sweetie Belle calling out to him as he ignored her, brought tears to his eyes. He wiped his eyes so Fluttershy would not think he was weak. Discord magically zipped Fluttershy's lip with a zipper.

"I don't care to hear anything further from you about my children!"

When he turned away from Fluttershy again, only to walk out of the room, Fluttershy flew up in front of him. Judging from her face, Discord could tell the equine looked angry. Her eyebrows were narrowed and her cheeks were flushing pink. She waved her hooves and made sounds that Discord could not make out. He unzipped her lips.

"What was that?" he asked her, thinking she called him a rude name.

"I'm not finished with you!" Fluttershy yelled.

"Oh yes, you are, Miss Fluttershy!" Discord roared. "Pack your things and return to Canterlot today! I should have known that you would be trouble from the moment I laid my eyes on you!"

Fluttershy felt her eyes watering and her heart sinking. Did the King just fired her!? She could not believe it! She blinked her eyes, so her tears won't fall. She stood up straight and walked toward the door. Her hoof laying on the doorknob, Fluttershy turned to Discord.

"Maybe I said some things in the wrong manner but if you don't love your children, you'll never know what you miss!"

"Then, the pegasus opened the door and left the room. Fluttershy had left in such a haste that she did not notice five little spies in the hallway.

Discord stared at where Fluttershy left, thinking about the last thing she had said to him.

''What did she mean by that? 'You'll never know what you miss?'" he mumbled to himself. "Miss out on what? Oh mares!" the draconequus sighed, throwing his arms up in the air in frustration. "Why must they always be so sentimental? They're so saccharine that it makes me gag!" He sticked his tongue out as he spoke. But an image of Fluttershy's watering eyes appeared in his mind. Discord felt a prick in his heart.'Did..Did I make her cry? Why does this bother me so much? I barely know her!'

Discord froze.

'W-W-what was that? Was that...music!?' 

Sunset poked her head through the opening of the door.

"Your majesty, you must come and see this!" she beamed. Sunset teleported her and the King to the living room.

Discord's jaw dropped and his eyes widened! In the center of the living room, stood his five daughters, singing! The music sounded so beautiful and peaceful. The guests and staff sat on the couches and chairs, watching the children.

When the children saw their father, they froze. Discord felt his eyes watering a bit.

"Daddy?" Apple Bloom asked, worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"Did you not like it?" Sweetie Belle asked, sadly.

"I-I-I...LOVE IT!" Discord shouted so loud that confetti bursted from his paw and talon! He teleported to the children and scooped them up in a big hug! The children were startled! They have never dreamed that their father would feel happy again! They relaxed in his hug, trying to enjoy his warmth before it ends. Until now, Discord did not realize how much he missed fun and happiness! And how much his children meant to him! How could he have forgotten about it? He almost did not hear the others stomping their hooves.

"THAT WAS WONDERFUL!" Pinkie cheered so loud that it hurt Rainbow Dash's ears.

"The Draconinan singers rule!" Flash yelled, excitedly.

"Yee-haw!" Applejack hollered. "That was some singing!"

"I have to admit, they were charming!" Lady Chrysalis smiled. It was hard to tell whether her feelings were full of genuine or sarcasm. The Flim-Flam brothers just simply smiled very big. Nopony noticed the four bit signs going off in their eyes. Or huddling together and whispering to each other.





Fluttershy wiped her tears from her eyes as she put her clothes in her suitcase. When Fluttershy had left the library, she felt like crying but had held back her sobs because she did not want the King to see her cry. In her bedroom, Fluttershy felt free to let her tears loose. Angel sat on top of head and stroked her mane.

"Oh Angel, I really blew it this time!" she sobbed. She took a tissue from her pocket and wiped her eyes.

When Angel peeped about wanting to tell the King off, Fluttershy reminded him that it would be disrespectful.

"It is best if we go now, before the girls see us," Fluttershy finished. "We'll find some other job." Angel huffed but reluctantly, hopped of her head to lift her toothbrush, hairbrush, and toothpaste in her suitcase.

Fluttershy really did not want to go. Even though she had been here for a few days, Fluttershy had grown very fond of the princesses. They were amazing. All of them! And the servants were not so bad, either. It's a shame that she and the King couldn't get along. When Fluttershy closed her suitcase, something weird happened. The suitcase flipped open by itself! And all of Fluttershy's dresses unfolded themselves and flew back into her closet.

Angel squeaked in fear and ran under the bed. He thought there were ghosts in the room, trying on dresses!

The pegasus gasped as she dropped her tissue. She had never seen this kind of magic before! Wait a minute! Was it one of the princesses? Quickly, Fluttershy grabbed one of her slips from walking into her drawer. She closed her eyes and lowered her head.

"Screwy, you know that I love you but I can't stay. Your father won't stand for it!" Fluttershy sighed.

Instead of sounds of protest, there was silence. Then, there was a sound of "thump!" When Fluttershy turned around, she yelped and dropped one of her slips. It wasn't Screwball at her door! It was the King!

Discord's eyes widened and his cheeks flushed a dark shade of red. His head began to feel a bit lightheaded. When he put his paw to his head, Discord staggered and fell onto the floor! His heart was beating as fast as a cheetah! Discord tried to process what just happened. There was something about the way that Fluttershy said 'I love you', that struck a chord inside him! Even if it was directed at his daughter.

"Oh, your majesty! I'm so sorry, I-I-I thought you-you were Screwy-or-oh my! ...Did-did I just say that? I-I didn't know you were behind me! I thought you-oh!"

Fluttershy hastily turned away from the King and covered half of her burning face with her mane. She wished she could curl up into a ball and sink into her carpet.

Discord snapped out his own world when he heard Fluttershy talking. He rushed to her and stood on fours just so he could be at her eye-level.

"No, no, there's nothing to be afraid at all! It's just that..you were right," he sighed.

Fluttershy peeked out from her mane, surprised. The King was apologizing? Was he being sincere or sarcastic? Fluttershy boldly looked into his eyes.

Discord continued, not wanting to embarrass himself in front of her, again. Since when does he become so flustered?

"I do not know my own children. I don't know them at all. All because of my stupid choices!" Looking into his eyes, Fluttershy was able to see who the King really was, not a cold-hearted tyrant, but a lonely stallion.

"However you brought joy back into my home. I have forgotten the music." 
Discord and Fluttershy glanced at each other and smiling shyly. Fluttershy felt a strange and warm feeling in her heart. She could not comprehend the feeling but it felt good.

Discord took out his whistle and looked at it shortly, before he carelessly, tossed it out of the window. No more marching!

"It's not too late, your majesty," Fluttershy said, gently. "There is still time to make amends with them." When the King did not respond, Fluttershy feared that she may have said something wrong, again. "I should go," she said quietly.

"Wait!" Discord quickly grabbed Fluttershy's hoof with his talon before she could pick up her clothes. They felt that warm and fuzzy feeling again. "I-I want you to stay!" Doscord cleared his throat. "I mean, I ask you to stay."

"Really?" Fluttershy's eyes filled with hope.

"Of course!" The Draconequus smiled, gently. "Couldn't ask for a better nanny!"

The pegasus was so thrilled that she flew and give the King a big hug.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you so much!" she squealed, her face blushing. She couldn't believe that the King was letting her stay! Fluttershy felt her heart soaring as if it were on wings.

Discord was shocked by her sudden physical contact. His face flushed red again and awkwardly, he wrapped his arms around her.

"I-er, your welcome," he stuttered. The King felt his heart rate still increasing. 'Oh boy, how will I behave toward Miss Fluttershy now that I'll be seeing her more often? I hope it's not what I think it is!'

Angel poked his head out from underneath the bed. His long ears flopped to its sides and his face resembled of a sour apple. He did not appreciate that some creature was hugging his friend!

'Why is that stupid King hugging my friend? Didn't he make her cry a few minutes ago? I'm the one who is worthy of Fluttershy's hugs, not him! Grrr...looks I got competition!'


> Chapter 17: Trying to help Mothball and...a possible choir??
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Angel dashed out from underneath the bed and gave Discord a hard kick on his goat leg which made the draconequus lose his grip on Fluttershy. Discord yelled an "Ow!" and grabbed his goat leg, while hopping on his dragon leg.

Confused, Fluttershy looked down and gasped that her bunny was the source of Discord's physical pain.

"Oh your majesty, I'm so sorry!" She panicked. "I never knew my pet, Angel, to be so naughty before!" She send Angel a very firm look like a mother would when catching her son stealing a cookie from a cookie jar. Angel just pouted and crossed his little paws. When Discord sat down on the floor, cradling his leg, Fluttershy placed her hoof on it to check if there were any bruises. Her touch made Discord blush again. Clearing his throat, he waved his paw over his leg.

"It's all right, Miss Fluttershy," Discord assured her,trying not to sound nervous as he healed his leg with his magic. "I admit your pet startled me, but I am fine. Really." Fluttershy lifted her hoof off his leg, which allowed Discord to stand up.

Fluttershy turned her head back to Angel.

"Angel, apologize to King Discord right now," she said sternly. The bunny did not say anything. At first, he would not look at his owner or at the King. When Fluttershy verbally prompted Angel to make eye contact wit the King, he did but still scowled. Even though Discord towered over him, the bunny was not intimidated. Not even the slightest.

Discord stooped down to Angel's eye level, his eyes held a mixture of amusement and annoyance.

"Well, little furball. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Angel responded to the King with a bunch of angry peeping sounds. Discord raised an eyebrow at the bunny's foul language. Angel punched Discord's muzzle with his little paw which hurt a bit, but not as bad as his kick. Discord stood up and turned away to rub his nose.

"Stubborn little fellow, isn't he?" he joked, looking at Fluttershy.

Fluttershy scooped Angel up in her forehhooves before he could try to deliver another kick to Discord.

"Very stubborn," she giggled, in a apologetic tone. Angel made another angry peep, which sounded like a curse word. He was trying to insult Discord but both the King and the nanny ended up having a good laugh. Angel just continued to pout.





Sunset and Flash were secretly watching the scene from an open doorway. They had come upstairs to check on their king and the nanny. Apparently, the captain and the wise mare would not have to worry about intruding on their majesty. Their faces were full of surprise and excitement.

"It looks like Miss Fluttershy will not leave after all," Flash commented.

"I knew the two would get along," Sunset smiled big. "Now I won't have to worry about Fluttershy complaining about him and the other way around!" She was glad that Discord was finally able to show Fluttershy his good side. Which was what Sunset and the girls had told Fluttershy yesterday! Seeing Discord and Fluttershy laughing put her at ease. She and Flash just turned around to leave only to bump into something hard in the dark. They jumped back and shrieked at the the sight of two dark green eyes! The figure trotted out of the shadows, revealing herself.

"Lady Chrysalis!"

The changeling ignored the captain and the wise mare. She looked over their heads and scowled at the display in Fluttershy's bedroom. She tapped her hoof against the floor, at a slow rhythm. The sophisticated changeling had come up to see where Discord ran off to, and found him talking to a staff member that she had never seen before. Seeing her suitor laugh happily with a common mare, deepened her frown. How come he never laughed with her? Lady Chrysalis darted her eyes back to Flash and Sunset.

"Who is this mare and what is she doing here?" Her voice filled with a hint of venom. "Didn't Mrs. Harshwinny used to work here? Or was it Miss Lyra Heartstrings?"

She had lost track how many nannies Discord had to hire but last one she heard of was Mrs. Harshwinny. She was not aware that Discord hired somepony that was young and beautiful!

"That is Fluttershy, the new nanny," Sunset answered nervously. "Mrs. Harshwinny left so King Discord had to find a new nanny." The unicorn did not know why, but Chrysalis' cold look made her a bit uneasy. She swallowed and proceeded. "He asked Queen Celestia for a possible nanny and Fluttershy was sent to us."

Flash put his hoof on Sunset's shoulder to relax her. The gesture brought a smile on Sunset's muzzle.

"Pretty sweet, huh?" Flash said enthusiastically, hoof bumping in the air. Chrysalis did not share the enthusiasm. Her face was still scowling. Nevertheless, she kept herself from losing control of her annoyance.

"Oh yes, Indeed," she said slowly. "However, she is quite young for the job, isn't she? I thought it would be an older mare!"

"Yeah, that was we thought, too!" Flash chuckled nervously, as he rubbed the back of his head. Sunset chuckled along with him, too. Chryslais's facial expression did not change, making Sunset and Flash feel embarrassed about their attempt to have a good laugh.

"How long will this nanny last?" Chryslais asked abruptly. If she was lucky, then Fluttershy would leave early just like the others! Then her secret plan would not be ruined!

"Probably until the King remarries," Sunset shrugged while frowning. Discord had never discussed with them how long he needed Fluttershy but common knowledge held that once he remarries, he won't need any nanny to watch over the children.

"I see," Lady Chrysalis said, her muzzle pressing in a thin line. "Now if you excuse me, I like to rest from today. The carriage took some energy out of me." As she trotted away in the hallway, Flash turned to Sunset.

"What's up with her? She gives me the willies!" The captain shivered, his teeth chattering.

"I'm just as clueless as you are, Flash," Sunset shrugged frowning. "I too, wonder why is Lady Chryslais bothered by Miss Fluttershy."

Sunset's answer should have assured Lady Chrysalis that she had nothing to worry about but it didn't. The Changeling was still suspicious of Fluttershy. Seeing her beauty and youth made Chrysalis feel threatened and worried. It was expected that Discord should marry Lady Chrysalis so she would become the new queen of Draconia. What if the King becomes distracted by this new nanny? Even if Chrysalis and Discord marry, what if Discord kept Fluttershy around? Either way, she might seduce him! As she neared toward her guest bedroom, Chryslais planned to keep a close eye on Discord and find a way to get rid of that new nanny sooner or later...





"...After we sang our song, Father was so shocked and so mesmerized, that he pulled us into a big group hug!" Screwball finished, waving her hooves up in the air, which almost made her fall back on Mothball's bed. "But the best part was that Father changed his mind and begged Miss Fluttershy to stay! She did not have to leave after all!" The Princess had been telling the young changeling about today's events. Usually, Screwball would have gone to bed with her sisters at nine o'clock. However, the heir was not sleepy and wanted to talk with Mothball. She had asked Fluttershy to stay up late but much to her surprise, the nanny had forbade it. Letting the young stallion stay in the nursery is one thing (Mothball wanted to stay in a room where he could have access to bed and food. Since Pinkie and Applejack bring meals to the nursery, the pegasus agreed thus she would not have to worry about the colt sneaking around in the kitchen. Fluttershy did not really think of the unorthodoxy of the situation), but letting the two teens stay up late and talk is another thing! Fluttershy had firmly told Screwball that she had to go to bed at the same time her sisters do because it would not be fair if one stays up later than the others. Despite the filly's pleas, the buttercream mare still stood her ground. Screwball had been miffed that her nanny was not as moderate as she believed her to be. She was just as strict as her father! After the nanny left to retire to her chambers, Screwball still stood in the hallway, faced with a choice. She could either stay up late and secretly talk to Mothball or obey Fluttershy and go to bed. Apparently, like any disobedient child, the princess chose the former option. In her room, Screwball sneaked up from her bed and tiphoofed past four beds to the changeling. He had not gone to sleep yet, so Screwball did not have to worry about waking him up. Now the two teenagers were staying up and chatting. They just had to keep their voices down a bit as to not disturb the other fillies.

Mothball chuckled, putting his webbed hoof to his muzzle. He was sitting next to Screwball. It felt good to be out of the closet and be able to roam around in the nursery. He would not have to worry so much about hiding in the closet, now that Miss Fluttershy and the other princesses are on his side. Mothball enjoyed listening to Screwball's stories about her family. They seemed like a fun and normal family, like his parents! If only he knew what happened to them...

"Mothball, what's wrong?" Screwball asked with worry in her swirly eyes. "I'm not boring you, am I?" The Princess knew that the changeling was not bored by her stories. She was just trying to light up the mood.

"No no, not all!" the half-changeling squeaked, taking Screwball's hooves into his webbed hooves, surprising Screwball. "You never bore me! In fact, I find you quite interesting!"

Screwball's face flushed at Mothball's bold gesture. She could feel her heart beating frantically at how much warmth she felt from his hooves. It was a new and weird feeling that Screwball was feeling and she did not want it to go away.

Mothball realized what he was doing, and hastily let go of her hooves. He needed to be careful or else he might scare the princess.

Screwball was disappointed that her friend released her hooves. She missed his warm touch and wondered if he enjoyed that, too.

Mothball cleared his throat and changed the subject.

"So um, will Miss Fluttershy stay here?"

"Of course, you silly head!" Screwball smiled as she playfully rolled her eyes. She lightly nudged the young stallion on the shoulder, making him smile sheepishly.

The princess was still certain that something was bothering Mothball. She wondered if it had something to do with his missing parents or Starlight Glimmer.

"Were you thinking about your family?" She asked cautiously. Screwball did not want to make her friend upset but she wanted to help him.

Mothball took a deep breath and sighed.

"Yes, as much I like it here, I can't stay here for too long and I am worried about my parents." He explained. His eyes were downcast and his mouth was shaped like an arch.

When Screwball put her hoof on her friend's shoulder, he relaxed at her soft touch.

Screwball's face was full of concern and compassion.

"Do you know where they are?" She said, softly.

The colt shook his head, sadly with his eyes closed.

"No, I am afraid not. But I hope to find them someday!"

Screwball smiled a small smile that the boy is determined that he would be reunited with his family again. However, her smile turned into a frown when a question appeared in her head.

"How would you find them Mothball?"

"I have no idea!" Mothball shrugged, sheepishly.

Screwball narrowed her swirly eyes at the hybrid.

"What do you mean you have no idea!?"

The half-changeling put his webbed hooves up in defense.

"Hey, I just don't!" He hissed. "It's not like I have some magical ability to track them down in seconds!"

Screwball rolled her eyes, sighing annoyed.

"Oh Mothball, what a dumb thing to say! Why I-oh!" Just then, a light bulb appeared over Screwball's head and lit up. The lightbulb then disappeared. The Princess gasped, and began to drag the startled changeling toward the door.

"What! W-w-where are we going?" Mothball stuttered. He was nervous about the girl's crazy big smile.

"To see my Father!" The heir responded excitedly.

Mothball's eyes widened like saucers and his mouth formed in a shape of an oval.

"Your Father!?"

"Uh-huh!" Screwball nodded her head, excitedly. Her hoof held fairly onto Mothball's. Her big smile shined brighter than Luna's Moon. "My father has great power! He can help any pony! Perhaps, he can find where your parents are and bring them back to you! Oh wouldn't that be swell?"

Mothball was still nervous. He did not share his secret crush's enthusiasm.

"And you will not have to hide anymore!" Screwball added. Her hoof inched toward the doorknob...

"But wait!" Mothball shouted, making the chaotic princess freeze in the mid-air. Literally. "We can't talk to your father!"

The ice melted away from Screwball in seconds. She turned her head back to Mothball and scratched her ear.

"Why not? I don't understand."

Why couldn't she tell her father? Screwball knows that she and her father had not talked to each other in a long time until today. However, if there is one stallion that could fix everything, it's her dad!

Mothball felt a mixture of anger and fear running through his mind. His eyes widened and he flung his webbed hooves up in the air in exasperation.

"Why Screwball! Have you forgotten? I trespassed into your kingdom! I'm a refugee! What if your father throws me in jail?"

Of course, Screwball remembered those facts. She also understood that Mothball was scared and felt reluctant to ask for help.

"Don't be silly, silly-head! My father is not that strict (Or at least not anymore)!" The princess scoffed playfully. She murmured the last part to herself. Grabbing Mothball's hoof, she edged toward the door and opened the doorknob. "Come on!"

She swung the door opened and began trotting out.

"Now wait just a minute!" Mothball protested, his hoof releasing from Screwball's. "I still do not think it's a good idea!" The princess did not realize he let go of her hoof until she came back into the nursery three seconds later.

The teen colt trotted toward his bed, rambling all why they still could not ask for help.

"Your father will say no and toss me in jail! Wait, he is a draconequus so maybe he would understand? No, what if he hates the changelings just like Glimmer? Or maybe he likes Draconequei only? After all, his kingdom is called Draconia! Even if he does say yes, I do not want to put him or his kingdom at risk for hiding me! I know that Miss Fluttershy and your sisters know about me and I trust them, but I could not put them at risk because they are powerless-"

He stopped in the middle of rambling when he bumped into a lavender equine. Screwball had poofed and appeared in front of him. Frowning and crossing her forehooves, she narrowed her eyebrows at the young stallion.

"Mothball, do you want to find your parents or not?"

"Of course!" Mothball said, without hesitation at all. He sweated a little when Screwball put her face close to his.

"Then, help me by letting me help you!" she said very firmly. "I know my dad can be intimidating but I trust him that he could help out. And if he says no, then I will take the matters in my own hooves. Don't worry about me being in danger! I may be a princess but I have chaotic powers! I can use them against my enemies!" She added, ignoring Mothball's soft pleas.

Mothball closed his eyes and sighed, realizing that she won the argument.

"All right, we will talk to your father. But can we do it tomorrow morning? I'm still sleepy," He yawned at the last part of the sentence.

"Sure, we can do that," Screwball smiled, putting her hoof around the half-changeling's shoulder. "Tomorrow, just stay hidden until I get my dad to come in here so we can talk."

"You promised to do that?" Mothball asked hopefully.

"Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a cupcake in my eye!" Screwball nodded while sticking a cupcake in her swirly eye.

Mothball laughed. It was the first time that he had laughed since he came to Draconia. His heart had fluttered at Screwball's oddness.'Knock it off, Mothball. She's the Princess and you're a peasant boy! It won't work!'





In the King's bedroom, you will see a bed that hangs from the ceiling. Discord liked to sleep that way instead of on the floor because it's part of his chaotic nature. The walls were all dark blue with a dark brown dresser and brown closet both on the right of the room. There was one window that had white window sills and with curtains that were black and have very small multicolored flowers.

Discord had gotten into his covers in his king size bed. He looked over to the side. There, on his right side, was a second pillow. Discord sighed sadly. His wife used to put her head there. When she passed away, Discord felt very lonely. He could not find any pony who was not put off by his appearance. Even when the Flim Flam brothers paired him up with Lady Chrysalis, he still yearned for the company of his late wife.

'Or at least the company of your nanny,' his thoughts rang in his head. A small smile tugged at his lips as he thought of Fluttershy. After they had made up with each other, Fluttershy had asked him if he wanted to join her and the girls outside. It was the first time in a while that he said yes to somepony so eagerly.

When they went outside in the courtyard, the first thing Discord did was make it clean and presentable. He snapped his fingers and the grass and plants became green and alive. He also allowed the girls to add some touches to the courtyard with their own magic. Apple Bloom made the apple trees bear fruit again. Screwball added a bunch of flowers such as lilies, daffodils, pansies, petunias, and orchids. Sweetie Belle, using with all her magic, created a rosebush. Discord showed Babs Seed how to make an orange tree. All she had to do was to just by simply closing her eyes and concentrate on orange tree. After trying for seventeen times, Babs Seed finally designed an orange tree. Discord was so proud of her, that he picked Babs Sed up and tossed her up in the air, making the filly laugh. Scootaloo did not know what to use her magic with to help with the courtyard. When she heard Fluttershy telling Discord that they should mown the grass, the filly eagerly jumped for the opportunity. Scootaloo poofed a lawnmower that a scooter on top, so she could scoot on it. Rising on the gadget and going as fast as the wind, mowing the lawn was a breeze! The courtyard looked better than ever!

Discord remembered how happy he and the children felt looking at their finished courtyard. It had been a long time since they had cleaned it. He also remembered Fluttershy shining brightly in the sunlight. To him, it made her look like a goddess. Even her simple and plain blue dress made her look lovely.

Discord shook his head.

"No, Fluttershy and I just simply understand each other better! I may think she's gorgeous both inside and out, but that doesn't mean we are in love, does it?"

He took in a sharp breath when he felt a sharp pain in his heart.

"What? No, I can't be in love with her! She's a nanny, I'm a king, it won't work! The Draconian law said royals can only marry those who are also of Royal blood. They can't marry commoners or else they'll lose their crown. In my case, I must settle for a royal mare whether she'd be a princess, a duchess, a countess, daughter of a knight, or a noblemare. Not a commoner! That is one reason why the Flim and Flam brothers picked Chrysalis for me! She was born of noble birth and would know how to handle politics. Because she's a changeling, I'm assured that I would not have to worry about Chrysalis siding with politicians who are prejudiced against non-ponies like that foolish Starlight Glimmer! Also, Chrysalis was not put off by my appearance. If I marry an attractive pony, she would feel embarrassed being with me and have an secret affair with another stallion!"

'But you remember when you met your first wife! She was beautiful and she loved you!' His brain argued. 'Sure, she was scared of you at first, but eventually she became comfortable with you as she learned to love you! If it weren't for her parents, the marriage would have never happened, and the girls would have never been born!' Discord for once, agreed with his brain that things had turned out well for him and the late Queen. But what are the chances of him meeting somepony who was as loving, accepting, and compassionate, as she was? He would have to marry Chrysalis.

Discord's heart disagreed. It knows what it wants! It wants the sweet natured nanny but Discord does not want to admit it. His eyes closed and he slipped into slumberland...



Discord found himself on a hill. A big hill that you could run around with your forehooves spread out. There were yellow daffodils all over the hill. The sky was bright blue, with little to no clouds. Discord looked at himself. He was wearing a white tunic and white pants. The chimera gazed his eyes around the hill and saw something from a distance that made his heart stop. It was Fluttershy, all dressed in a flowing and long white dress. When she saw Discord, she smiled and ran toward him. Discord ran up to her, feeling excited. As they came closer to each other, Fluttershy accidentally slipped on her dress! She began to fall forward but was caught in the arms of a strong paw and a sturdy talon. Discord lifted Fluttershy up slowly and gently, as if she were fragile. Her teal eyes met his red eyes. Discord caressed Fluttershy's face with his paw. His touch made Fluttershy's heart flutter like a butterfly. Her face also flushed a lovely shade of crimson, which pleased Discord very much. Discord leaned toward Fluttershy, his lips slightly puckering up. Fluttershy's eyes closed, her lips also puckering...

Discord woke up with a jolt, panting. His eyes were wide like pancakes. It took him a long time for him to breathe again. As the chimera leaned back in his bed, Discord recalled the dream. His dream about him and Fluttershy on the fields. It was awfully very peaceful and sweet. The only question is what could the dream mean? Did that mean he was destined to be with Fluttershy? He could still feel her soft and smooth coat. Oh if only he could touch it again!

"Oh Discord, get a hold of yourself!" The king chided himself. He slapped himself in the face. "It was only just a dream!"

'A dream which you enjoyed!' His brain mocked.

Discord shook his head, gritting his teeth.

"I can't be in love with Fluttershy! My dream was just showing me my slight attraction to her!" His heart argued that what he was feeling for Fluttershy is more than an attraction. "It's against the law for me to fall in love with Fluttershy! If I marry her, I lose my title! Also I am courting Lady Chrysalis! As much I can't stand her, I can't break it off with her just because I feel something for my nanny!" He grumbled, as he got out of his bed and landed from the ceiling to the floor. He started to get dressed.

Despite what he told himself, Discord was still worried. Long ago, he felt this exact same symptoms with his late wife. Shaking those thoughts away, Discord opened a drawer from his dresser and picked out a white tunic.

"These gooey feelings will go away in a minute-I hope!" Discord added as he put his tunic on.





Little did Discord know was that Fluttershy had dreamt that same dream, too! The pegasus had woke up panting. Her eyes were wide like saucers and and her face was all red. Fluttershy did not know what she was feeling for the King but when he leaned toward her for a kiss, that was when it clicked in her mind.

"What, no! I can't be having feelings for the King! Or am I?" Fluttershy said to herself. She was not sure about what she was feeling for Discord. She had never courted any stallion before so these weird feelings for Discord felt strange to her.

"I wonder if there is somepony I can ask about it," Fluttershy pondered. "Either Rarity or Sunset will know!" The pegasus leapt from her bed and started to get ready for the day.





"Dad! Dad!" Screwball called, galloping into the dining hall. She found her father finishing his breakfast of cucumber sandwiches and fried daisies. He wiped his mouth with a purple polka-dotted handkerchief as Applejack came to take the plate away. The cook and the king turned their heads to the sound.

The orange earth pony frowned. It was not that she was displeased to see the Princess, she just did not want Screwball to get into trouble with the king. "Now Screwball, you know you are supposed to stay in the nursery-"

"Oh let her be, Applejack!" Discord chided the cook, flinging his talon at her. "My daughters can come and see me whenever they want!"

"Really?" Screwball and Applejack cried at the same time. Screwball's muzzle displayed joy and excitement. Applejack was so shocked that she almost dropped her plate!

"Of course!" Discord laughed merrily.

Screwball giggled, glad to see her father laughing again in such a long time.

Applejack was too stunned to carry the empty plate to the kitchen. Thus, Discord snapped his fingers. At the sound of his paw, the cook poofed and reappeared in the kitchen, with the plate still in her hooves.

Discord turned to Screwball and invited her to sit down. Screwball took a seat and sat down by lifting her skirts up and slowly but gracefully sat down. 'Just like a princess should do', as Rarity would say.

"So kiddo, how are you doing?" Discord chirped.

Screwball smiled. It had been years since her father acted cheerful. "Great! How about you?" she asked. "How did you sleep?"

Discord blushed and gulped inwardly. If he told her that he was feeling all right and she asked why, he might end up feeling her about his dream! He took a deep breath and said that he was well.

Screwball was not fooled. She had an ability to tell when equines lie.
"Are you sure?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" Discord scoffed, waving his paw and talon around.
Screwball gave him a hard look, which made Discord put his arms down and clear his throat.
"So, uh what's on your mind? Didn't you want to tell me something?"

Screwball brightened up. She was glad that her father reminded her because she almost forgot. "Oh yes! Well, you see, Dad. I have a favor to ask you but it is a long story."

Discord motioned Screwball to continue.
"I got plenty of time, kiddo! So what's the story?"

But before Screwball could fully tell Discord about Mothball, the King heared his name being called again.

"Discord! Oh Discord!"

This time it sounded low and seductive. Lady Chrysalis strutted toward Discord and sat down next to him. She looked at Discord only, not bothering to acknowledge Screwball.

"Ah, there you are! I thought you'd be here. So nice to see you," Lady Chrysalis said, in a tone that made Screwball uneasy. Great, the one time she gets to see her dad, only to be interrupted by somepony else!

Discord looked surprised by her presence. Since when does the changeling wake up so early? He had recalled that Lady Chrysalis was a very late riser.

Lady Chrysalis smile in a way that would make your flesh crawl and put shivers in your spine.

"Discord, what are you doing today?" she said in a tone that sounded so formal. Despite knowing Discord for more than a year or even mock-flirting with him, she always acts formal to him whenever they talk.

"I'm going to go over some paperwork in relations to the politics, my dear," Discord said formally. Two can play this game. If she were to be formal to him, then he would be formal to her back.

"Dad, do you think you can play baseball with me in the courtyard this afternoon?" Screwball softly pleaded.

The King made eye contact with Screwball who looked a little bit crestfallen. He smiled, liking the idea of bonding with one of his kids.

"Of course, my little abomination!" He merrily responded, by rubbing Screwball's hair. "Wouldn't miss it for the world!"

'Hey, why not give your daughter a new toy!' His mind told him. 'You need something to bestow to her for her sixteenth birthday!' Discord couldn't agree more with his brain. A birthday gift sounded like a good opportunity to strengthen the bond with his eldest. His train of thought was bothered by the changeling.

"Oh no, that won't do," She said snottily. "You can't do your paperwork or play baseball with Screwball."

Screwball made a scowl. She did not appreciate being talked as if she wasn't here in the room!

Discord did not appreciate someone telling him what to do or what not to do.

"I was talking to my-" Discord began.

"Listen, you had promised to give me a tour around your home, which you did not do yesterday," Lady Chrysalis said, again formally and cooly. "So let us do this tour now!"

Discord frowned. Two days ago, he had promised to give Lady Chrysalis a tour at his castle. However, that was before he ever thought of spending quality time with his children yesterday and today. He was a stallion that could not break any promises and did not want to make his guest more angry than she was.

"Very well, " he sighed in annoyance. He got up and extended his arm to Lady Chrysalis. She stood up and took his arm.

Screwball's eyes were misty. She looked as if she lost the marathon.

"Dad," she pleaded softly.

Discord shared with Screwball an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, Screwball. Maybe tomorrow? Why don't you go play with your sisters in the nursery?"

Screwball sighed and nodded in defeat. As Discord and Chrysalis walked away, the changeling looked over her shoulder and shot Screwball a sneer.

The princess frowned, suspecting that Lady Chrysalis was being unfair!

Suddenly, Flim and Flam popped out of nowhere, startling Screwball by making her jump in the air. She fell and was caught by Flam.

"Uncles Flim and Flam, you frightened me!" Screwball yelled, her face red.

"We're sorry, my child," Flam apologized. "However, we would like to spend the day with you!"

"You would?" Screwball's eyes lit with hope. If the Princess couldn't spend the day with her father then, maybe she could spend time with her uncles. Besides, it's been a long time since she had seen her uncles. "I would like that."

"Good!" Flim exclaimed. "Now go fetch your sisters and your nanny!"

"Why?" Screwball asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"I'll you when you bring the others here!" Flim assured her pushing the Princess out of the dining hall. Screwball suspected that her uncles were keeping something from her. Nevertheless, the eldest filly fetched for Fluttershy who was about to ask Rarity about her confusing feelings for Discord. She also went to retrieve her sisters from the nursery who were coloring in their books. In the nursery, Mothball's face filled with hope as if to ask Screwball if she told her father yet. Screwball shook her head sadly at him, confirming that she didn't. Mothball's ears fell flat against his head as Screwball closed the door.

Soon Fluttershy and the girls were sitting down in the dining hall with Flim and Flam.

"We'll be taking you all to the village!" Flam responded. He expected the girls to squeal with joy. Instead, they all gave him winces as sweat ran down from their heads.

"Um, Uncle Flam, father doesn't let us go outside of the palace walls," Screwball reminded them. "You know that, right?"

"Oh course we do!" Flam laughed overconfidently.

"Did King Discord said it was all right?" Fluttershy checked with them. Although she had enjoyed walking through town, she did not want to disappoint the king again.

"Oh of course you silly mare!" Flim laughed boisterously. He patted Fluttershy on her head as if she were a silly child. The mare felt annoyed from his gesture. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about the king! We are-"

He was cut off from his speech as purple aura engulfed him and Flam by their necks, starling their nanny. The aura flung the stallions across the walls as if they were rag dolls! The brothers tried to free themselves from the aura with their unicorn magic but the purple aura was too strong for them! The uncles gazed down to see where the purple aura was coming from.

Screwball was glaring daggers at them. Her eyes were swirling and glowing purple.

"Uncles Flim and Flam," she murmured. Her voice sounded low and dangerous. "You know how I feel about lying, right?"

"Yes," They gasped, almost choking.

"Just because you can't lie to me doesn't mean you can fool my nanny!" She hissed, tightening her hold on them. "Now tell me the truth!"

"Okay, okay!" Flam wheezed. "We didn't ask your father for permission! We just wanted to take you to a local theatre and form you girls into a choir! We could not let your father know because we wanted it to be a surprise for him!"

Screwball's eyes stopped swirling and glowing. She released her uncles from her grip and they fell to the floor, gasping for breath.

"Can you tell us more about this choir?" Babs Seed asked hopping over to them in excitement.

"Yes," Flam wheezed. "But can we go somewhere where your father won't see us?"

"How about the courtyard?" Fluttershy suggested gently.





"...And this hall is the art gallery," Discord explained. He and Lady Chrysalis were looking at paintings of the Royals that have reigned in Draconia.

"Wow, Discord!" Chrysalis smiled. "These paintings are magnificent!"

"Yes," Discord whispered as he gazed at one particular painting of his daughters. They were standing and smiling in their formal gowns. "They are." The draconequus gazed at the window, taking note of the beautiful sunlight. While Chrysalis paid attention to a painting of King Q, Discord walked toward the window. From his view, he could see the courtyard. He was very glad that Fluttershy had talked him and he kids into cleaning it. It looked a lot better as a huge garden rather than as a dump. His eyes also caught Flim and Flam escorting Fluttershy and the kids across the lawn. Curiosity sparked inside Discord as he watched the two yellow fools conversing with his excited offspring and the mare of his dreams-er, his nanny!

"What are Flim and Flam bothering Miss Fluttershy and the girls about?" Discord pondered to himself. He thought that the girls were going to be in the nursery. He opened the window a little bit where he could hear them.

"You see, girls," Flim started."We were very impressed by your lovely and exquisite singing from yesterday!"

"We love your singing so much, that we want to hear more!" Flam added.

"So, my brother and I just have the most marvelous idea!" Flim emphasized. "Come on, don't stop!" He and his brother led the girls further away to the right of Discord's case. The further they went, the less Discord could hear.

"Uh oh, what they are up to?" Discord grumbled. He knew that Flim and Flam were always trying to think of ways to make money. Schmoozing his daughters into their scams was the last thing Discord wanted to happen! He almost did not notice Chrysalis beside him until she spoke.

"This art gallery has been wonderful," the changeling admitted. Now show me the dungeons-"

"Forgive me Chrysalis but I have to go and check on my children," Discord interrupted her apologetically.

"What? I thought they're fine now!" Chrysalis stated her eyes in shock and disbelief.

"I know, I know," Discord replied politely."But it doesn't hurt to check on them, once in a while!" He took the shape of a pink butterfly. "Besides you know how secretive nannies are! Well, ciao!" He flew straight out of he window, before Chrysalis could snatch him. As he fluttered away, Chrysalis let out a nasty growl.

"So much for having him to myself! Why does he care about those bratty princesses so much?"





"Uncles Flim and Flam, what are you trying to say?" Apple Bloom whined. She was growing tired of Flim and Flam's endless compliments on her and her sister's singing.

"What we're trying to say is one thing," Flim smiled. "Why don't you girls form a choir?"

The princesses gasped happily at the idea of being a choir. Fluttershy smiled, liking the idea for the girls, too.

"Uncles, are you serious?" Apple Bloom said extremely happy.

"Straight as a line!" Flim responded. "We'll be your stage managers and help you become famous! Remember how much your father loved your singing? Well, imagine him being moved by your beautiful voices! It's the first time, in a while, that we have seen him happy! If you start a choir, you will see your father smile again at your performances! So what do you say, kids? Do you want more admiration from your father?"

The princesses processed all this information from Flim. Singing on stage while heir father proudly praises them? Sounds a like a good deal to them! It would also allow them to continue mending their bond with the king! The princesses were so delighted that they squealed!

"Yay!" Fluttershy cheered. She was as enthusiastic as the girls but her cheer was so soft that she got stares from everypony.

"Is that the best you can do, Miss Fluttershy?" Flam asked frustrated.

"Well..,"

"Never mind that!" Flim waved it off. "The most exciting part is you too, will be in the choir!"

"Oh that's wonderful!" Fluttershy exclaimed, clasping her hooves in joy. The princesses jumped up and down excitedly. Singing with their nanny will be fun! Just like how they sang together during their first lesson!

"Splendid!" Flam cheered. "And the most other exciting part is that we will make you ladies famous!"

"Famous?" Fluttershy and the children repeated, confused.

"Why of course!" Flim answered in a jolly way. He put his hooves up in a shape of a picture frame. "Picture this! An opening night at the theatre! Miss Fluttershy and the princesses walked onstage, face the audience, and sing! The crowd goes wild! They laugh, they cry! And when the show is over, they applaud and throw flowers at you!"

"Are a lot of ponies going to come and see us?" Scootaloo inquired enthusiastically.

"Of course! You will be singing in front of hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of ponies!"

"What!?" Fluttershy squeaked. Her excitement had been replaced with fear. All of the sudden, being in a choir was not such a good idea after all!
> Chapter 18: Trouble
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Fluttershy shook violently like a pony who had no wintercoat on in the middle of winter. She felt as if hundreds and hundreds giant eyes were watching her! Haunting voices repeatedly played in her head, 'Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Fluttershy can't really sing!' The buttercream mare hyperventilated so much that the fillies became worried.

"Miss Fluttershy, what's wrong?" Scootaloo spoke. 

Fluttershy could not hear the orange pegasus because fear and anxiety had clouded her mind. The haunting voices have become loud for her. She shut her eyes tight and put her hooves on head, trying to shut them off!

"Snap out of it!" Screwball cried, shaking Fluttershy by her shoulders. She was able to read what was in Fluttershy's head. "Open your eyes! It's just your imagination!"

Fluttershy snapped back to reality. Her eyes opened. She still saw eyes but only seven pairs of them, rather than hundreds.

"My dear, what seems to be the trouble?" Flim asked. The mare shook in her hooves so much that the fillies thought Fluttershy's legs would break.

"I-I-I-I-I-I-I-" Fluttershy gulped. Her eyes were as wide as saucers. Her teeth were chattering.

"Come on, spit out, you silly mare!" Flim barked, waving his arms. "We haven't got all day! We got mon-music to make!"

Fluttershy took a shaky breath. She shut her eyes again, trying to pull herself together.

"I can't sing onstage! I can't! I can't! I'm sorry!"

"What!?" Flim yelped. His face was a mixture of shock and frustration.

"Why? What do you mean you can't sing onstage!" Flam grumbled. He seemed to be very annoyed.

"I have...stage fright!" Fluttershy shouted. 

"What do you mean you have stage fright!" Flim pressed on. He was not as annoyed as Flam but he failed to comprehend how could a singing teacher not be enthusiastic for choir.

Fluttershy let out a sigh that held sadness and exasperation. 
"I dread performing in front of others! At boarding school, I couldn't gallop hard, fly fast, or sing well, not with every pony looking at me!"
Her mind drifted back to her years at Faust Academy, an all-girl boarding school. When Fluttershy was a filly, she used to be tall and gangly looking with long legs. She remembered standing In the school auditorium, looking nervous. The pegasus had been excited to sing a song that she and her teacher had worked on. When Fluttershy had walked onstage, she looked at the audience and became a little bit apprehensive at the bountiful amount of foals looking at her. The young Fluttershy only sang a few notes before she noticed the foals staring holes at her! She became so overwhelmed by their stares that she hiccuped on a note and fainted!
"The other foals used to tease me, a lot!"
When she had fallen, the foals cruelly chanted, "Fluttershy, Fluttershy, Fluttershy can hardly sing!"
"I just can't risk that kind of humiliation!" She finished, her voice breaking. Her eyes watered a bit.

"Oh suck it up-"Flam shouted before his brother quickly covered his mouth with his hoof. Flim whispered to him to let him handle this problem before trying to persuade the mare.

"Oh come on, Miss Fluttershy! You've got to perform! After all, you are the one who taught the princesses how to sing!" The stallions were not concerned about Fluttershy's low self-confidence. They were both silently panicking at how far away their money dream was. 

The pegasus stood her ground and shook her head. She was certain in her decision not to join the choir.

Flam grumbled and huffed. He swished his head to the princesses.

"Girls, say something!" he pleaded. The sales pony  knew how close the children were with their nanny. Whatever the fillies wanted to do, Fluttershy would go along with it and not question about it. If they could convince Fluttershy to change her mind, then he and Flim could carry on with their idea.

"Actually, Uncle Flam and Uncle Flim, I do not want to sing onstage anymore," Screwball slowly revealed. She and her sisters had been listening to Fluttershy with sympathetic ears. They felt sorry for what she had to endure.

"Me too!" Babs Seed followed.

"Me three!" Apple Bloom admitted.

"Me four!" Scootaloo joined in.

"Me five!" said Sweetie Belle. One by one, they trotted to their nanny and stood next to her. 

"What!? But-but-but wait a minute, girls!" Flam protested. "You all can't quit!"

"We're sorry, but if Miss Fluttershy is not singing onstage then, we won't sing either. Being in a choir won't be fun without her," Screwball explained firmly. The others nodded with "yeah!" or "yes!"

The brothers shared looks of worry. This was not how they expected their deal to play it out in their heads! They huddled and whispered to each other. When they were done, they turned to Fluttershy. Flim cleared his throat.

"Miss Fluttershy, my brother and I completely understand you have stage fright but you must sing with the children! It's important that the princesses perform for Equestria. It would be really good PR after they and their father have locked themselves away since the death of the Queen of Draconia (May she rest in peace). Besides, it would do the equines some good to see the Royal family in such favorable light again. Don't let them blow off this opportunity! Give it a chance!"

It took all the nursemaid's strength to calm herself down. 
"I understand your point of view and I don't mind if the fillies sing," Fluttershy replied politely. Her face still showed signs of anxiety and sadness. "But why me? I really really don't want to sing onstage!"

"Oh but you must do it!" Flam debated. "Horses and other creatures need to know whom the princesses have been taking singing lessons from! We also, have been told that you have a beautiful and a marvelous singing voice! So come on and join the choir! Or else we won't make any money-stars!"

"What?" Screwball deadpanned. She caught their little slip-up.

A pink butterfly that had been sitting in Fluttershy's mane during this whole time, flew out of the mare's mane. The insect transformed back into a certain angry draconequus.

The girls except Fluttershy jumped at Discord's sudden entrance. Fluttershy's eyes widened at the fact that Discord was in her mane. Her cheeks turned pink and her mouth formed in a small 'o'. Why was the king in her mane? And what was he doing in her head? A smile formed on her face. For some reason, it did not bother her that he was in her mane.

Flim and Flam screamed. Not because they were surprised at Discord's disguise but becuase he found out about their scam!

Discord's eyes glowed yellow as they glare at the brothers. He was so angry that his crown bursted into flames! Strangely the flaming crown did not burn the king's head.

"Your majesty," The two con artists whimpered as they slightly bowed their heads before their king.

SO, WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA HERE!? WHO GAVE YOU TWO IDIOTS PERMISSION TO MAKE MONEY OFF MY CHILDREN AND MY NANNY!" Discord screamed. His yelling was so loud that Flim and Flam that they almost tumbled backwards. Their hats and vests also flew off from Discord's loud volume.

"But Discord! It's not what you think!" Flam stuttered. He and his brother both got on their haunches, attempting to beg for mercy.

DON'T LIE TO ME YOU FOOLS!" Discord roared. "I HEARD EVERYTHING! YOU WERE TRYING TO MAKE MY KIDS INTO A CHOIR SO YOU CAN MAKE MONEY OFF THEM, WEREN'T YOU? WEREN'T YOU?" He spat on the ground, turning the grass into an ugly shade of yellow.

"Well, D-Discord. Don't you want your children to go out in public and be famous?" Flim smiled sheepishly, polishing Discord's lizard foot with his handkerchief.

"NO!" Discord yelled, kicking the handkerchief away.

"Mingle with the public?" Flam suggested feebly, kissing his paw.

"NO!" Discord yanked his paw away from Flam.

"Oh come on, Discord! Don't you want you and your children to be shown in good light for all the Equestria, especially after being locked up for years? What's so wrong with putting them in a choir? Think of how much money and fame they'll get!" Flam persuaded.

"My children will not sing in public! You know why I can't let my kids out of the castle! What if somepony tries to kidnap or eradicate them?" Discord snapped.

"Glad you brought that up, my king!" Flim chuckled nervously. In truth, he and his sibling had forgotten about the possible ponies that might be lurking around, trying to harm Discord and the princesses, like how they hurt the late Queen. The sales pony had to think of something on the spot."Like I said, Glad you brought that up! There won't be any rude characters roaming around here. We understand that you wife was mysteriously assassinated by somepony in the village and we never found out who done it. But we can assure you that your daughters won't fall to that same fate because whoever killed your wife is not here."

"So what do you say, Discord?" Flam winked, putting his arm around Discord's shoulder as if they were good pals. "Can you see what we see?"

"No, but can you see what I see?" Discord smiled wickedly. Judging by his smile, Fluttershy and the princesses gulped at what chaotic thing the ruler had designed.

The chimera snapped his talons and there was a bright light. The light faded away to reveal a huge brown contraption. It had a giant knife that was made for slicing. The knife was attached to a rope, which was to be used as a lever.

"Aaaah, what is that?" The sales ponies panicked. 

"The guillotine!" Discord answered gleefully. He rubbed his paw and claw together.

"The g-g-g-g-guillotine!?" The two stallions gulped.

"Yes, the g-g-g-g-guillotine, you deaf mules!" The king mocked. Grabbing them by thier nostrils, he tossed them like a bunch of rag dolls into the contraption. The chimera also magically tied the brother in ropes so they would not try to escape. The scam artists begged for mercy but their cries fell on deaf ears. With a mad grin, Discord gripped the lever. Before he could slice thier heads, a soft and sweet sound made him not pull the lever.

"King Discord, wait!" Fluttershy shouted. "Please have mercy!"

Her plea made Discord's heart flutter like a string on a guitar. The king's eyes softened a little but he was still angry at the two brothers.

"But Fluttershy, they tried to put my daughters at risk and they were being extremely rude to you! Weren't they children?"

While Discord had been sitting in Fluttershy's soft and silky mane, he had heard her story. The draconequus founded himself wishing to erase the mare's fear. He would do anything to take away her pain! He was not sure who to beat up: the school kids that bullied her or the two stallions for disregarding Fluttershy's  stage fright, as if it was silly. Now that he's out of his secret crush's mane, Discord was going to make sure that his so-called friends will pay dearly!  

"Yeah!" The fillies chorused. As much as the children loved their uncles, they were turned off at how they mistreated their beloved nanny.

"So that's why I have to put them to death!" Discord told Fluttershy gently but firmly.

"But King Discord, don't you think that's harsh?" Fluttershy meekly said. Truly, she was touched that somepony stood up for her.  Fluttershy had felt her heart thumping loudly when he told Flim and Flam off. He was one of the few equines that actually defended her! She had wanted to throw her forearms around the king, very badly! But it did not seem to be the right time. Still, chopping two ponies' heads off for a minor offense was something Fluttershy would not stand. She was the kind of pony that would not kill others who had trespassed against her. Yes, the two brothers had to face the consequences but it must be a punishment that truly fit their crime. "Maybe we should give them a different punishment?" she suggested.

King Discord put his talon to his chin for a few minutes.

"Hmm...all right, I won't execute them."

The ruler snapped his claws and the guillotine disappeared. The brothers sighed with relief but were seized by their necks with his Discord's paw. "But I will banish them from Draconia! How's that?"

"Sounds fair," Fluttershy nodded in content. She had thought that Discord would send them away to a far away land like Appleloosa. But the King had other plans. He unzipped a zipper in the air, which revealed a portal. Inside the portal were many grotesque faces and monster heads flying in a pink and orange area. The King tossed the confused brothers in there, before they could say anything.

"Lasta Vista, boys! Have fun in the Fly of Despair!" Discord laughed maniacally. "Mwuahahahahahahaha!"

"Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Flim and Flam screamed as they fell down. Their eyes were wide opened and their manes stood up. How long will they fall, they'll never know.

The princesses peeked at the opening of the portal and cringed at the sight. They quickly backed away from the portal, fearing that they might fall into it. The girls would not have to worry any longer as Discord zipped the portal. He was still laughing his head off.

"Oh Your majesty, that's not what I thought you were going to do!" Fluttershy chided, her arms crossed. She narrowed her eyes at the king who just finished his evil laughter.

"Relax, Miss Fluttershy. They won't be gone for that long," Discord waved his talon off as if it was nothing to worry about. His expression switched from a laughing face to an angry one. "Besides, they should have thought of the consequences before seducing you all into doing something that you'd might regret."

The nursemaid sighed in defeat. She hated to admit it but King Discord was right. What the brothers had tried to do was illegal. They should have asked their friend if it was all right to put the girls in show business and be their managers. Still, sending them to some dimension was too creepy.

"Daddy, how long will Uncles Flim and Flam be banished?" Apple Bloom asked.

"I don't know," Discord shrugged carelessly. "Probably forever!"

"King Discord, please!" the nursemaid pleaded. Her voice was gentle and soft but still loud enough for the King to hear. "Not forever!"

"Well..., for a year then," The ruler finally concluded. "Come on, let's go inside!" 
His eyes widened when he felt two forearms wrapping around his arms. His cheeks blushed that it was Fluttershy. She held him for five seconds before letting him go. "W-What's that for?"

"For standing up for me," his employee smiled gently. 

Discord rubbed the back of his neck with his paw and muttered "your welcome" to her. He  snapped his talon claws which allowed him and the girls teleport to the inside of the castle.





Little did Discord and the girls know, was that a certain changeling had been spying on them from a bush. After the Royal family and the nanny had teleported, Chrysalis jumped out from the bush. She dusted the twigs and leaves off her.

"So the little pegasus has stage fright, eh?" Lady Chrysalis chuckled darkly to herself. "What a perfect way to use it against her! I'm not sure how to do it now that Flim and Flam can't make that tramp and those brats into a choir, but I'll think of some way! Just wait and see!"





Later in the afternoon, Discord was sitting in the library going over letters from Prince Ayaan. The Arabian Prince had suspected that some of his missing weather ponies had joined Starlight Glimmer's party. Starlight Glimmer, an important mare had promised ponies to make them equal by giving them the same job. The job would be to work for Starlight Glimmer and her party to bring New World Order to Equestria. Discord was surprised that Starlight a Glimmer was recruiting workers so secretly. True, he did recall attending one of her lectures but he thought Starlight was just being crazy. Surely, Glimmer would never cross the line by recruiting innocent ponies to join her, would she? Sadly, it seems like she has. The king wrote back to Ayaan that he would find his missing weather ponies. After he used a spell to send the letter to the prince, Discord heard someone calling him. He turned around to see that it was one of his daughters.

"Dad, can I talk to you?" Princess Screwball walked nervously into the library. Her hoofs were twiddling together. "I wanted to tell you something this morning but didn't get the chance."

Her father smiled kindly, thinking about this morning.

"Yes, I do Screwball," King Discord recalled. "What is it?"

"Before I say anything, pinkie promise you won't freak out?" Screwball gulped. She was twinkling with her hooves.

"Pinkie Promise," her father vowed, sticking a cupcake in his eye. "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" He did not know why would he freak out at his heir's message but whatever it was,  it couldn't be that bad, could it?

"Um, I..I have made a new friend," Screwball said in a meek voice. She was not quite as anxious as her nanny but not as confident as her father or late mother.

"Splendid!" Discord shouted joyfully. It was rare for Screwball and her sisters to make friends because of their chaotic powers. It became harder for them to meet other children after they were shut away in the palace. Discord did not know how or where his firstborn met a friend, but he was very glad that she met someone! He bounced in his seat like a colt who was going to receive Pinkie Pie's triple decker chocolate chip cookies. "So what's your best friend's name? A name, name! Hello, Gimmie a name!"

Screwball started to sweat and shook. 'Aw man, he is going to freak out if I told him it's a colt! Come on, Screwball! Do it for Mothball!' She looked into her father's eyes and took a deep breath.

"My friend's name is-"

"Ah, Discord, there you are!" A low and seductive voice interrupted, from the other side of the library. Screwball groaned under her breath and gritted her teeth. She knew who that voice belonged.

Discord growled inwardly and gritted his teeth as well. As Lady Chrysalis came up to his desk, he quickly masked his fake smile and turned to face her. She leaned her face toward which was too close for Discord's comfort. Sweat dripped from his forehead as he backed up from her in his chair.

"I've been looking all over for you! I thought you disappeared!" The changeling continued. "Now that I have found you, can we get back to the tour?"

Discord frowned and raised an eyebrow. The gallery was the last room he had showed her.  By the time the king went out to check on the girls, the tour was already ending. (And he had been itching to get away from her no matter what.)

"I've showed you almost every single room, didn't I? What other rooms did I miss?" His voice held skepticism and annoyance.

Chrysalis formed a small smirk. The sly changeling caught him right there! A perfect way to get the king of Draconia to spend more quality time with her!

"Oh just the dungeons, the courtyard, and the bedrooms!" she listed.

"Did I not recall that you were not interested in seeing the courtyard earlier today?" Discord questioned firmly. "Well, news flash, my lady,  the ship has sailed!" His toy boat sailed out of his glass bottle on the wall and flew out of the room, as he was speaking. "Now, I was conversing with my daughter. She has something to tell me-"

"Whatever Screwball wants to talk about, can wait!" The noblemare rudely cut him off. She was trying her best to be as polite as possible. "You had promised Flim and Flam that you would spent your time with me! And that you would be a generous host! So let's see those rooms now!"

"Yes, I did," Discord sighed sadly. The scam artists had told him to make sure that Lady Chrysalis has a marvelous time visiting his palace. Even though Discord had promised that she would, he was beginning to wish that he hadn't. He didn't realize that it would mean not having time to himself or with his offspring. The king turned to his eldest with an apologetic look. "Can we postpone this conversation Screwball?"

"No!" Screwball uttered. She would have said more if Lady Chrysalis' eyes were not glowing green dangerously at her from behind her oblivious father's back. She quickly shut her mouth and formed a nervous smile. "Um, I mean yes!"

King Discord nodded, content that his daughter was handling the situation like an adult. He ruffled Screwball's hair affectionately, making her giggle. The king turned to Chrysalis and extended his arm out for her which she took. As they walked away, Discord did not notice Chrysalis shooting another mean look at the heir.

Princess Screwball frowned, realized that the noble changeling really was acting odd. Determined, she turned herself invisible and followed them.





*In the dungeons*

"So, in these dungeons is where we keep prisoners," Discord motioned. The dungeons have five rooms that each have bars. The walls were made out of ivory bricks. The King was holding a torch that helped him find his way through the dark. 

"But we let them go after good behavior!" Screwball piped, surprising the adults. She had turned herself visible. Discord recovered from his shock, used to his kid's magic. Chrysalis, on the other hand, silently glared at the princess. Screwball did not notice because she was looking at her father. "Hey Dad, remember Otis? The orange earth stallion who always gets drunk, and comes in here to sleep it off?" She asked in a nostalgia tone.

"Haha, who could forget about that chum?" Discord laughed. Otis, was a pony who was known in Draconia for having too many apple ciders. Rainbow Dash and Flash would bring him to jail thus he would not hurt other citizens. Otis would stay until he overcomes his hangovers. This episode went on for long until Flash and Discord helped Otis overcome his drinking problem.

"Very funny...," the sophisticated changeling mumbled dryly.
Frankly, she found the subject of the conversation very inappropriate.




*In the courtyard*

"This is the courtyard," Discord explained. He, Lady Chrysalis, and Screwball, were standing on a white balcony. It showed a perfect view of the courtyard.  "This where the children practice their magic and frolic around. We also grow apples and oranges which our staff uses for cooking."

"How nice," his soon-to-be fiance muttered, while observing a bush of roses.

"It used to be really messy until Miss Fluttershy helped us clean it up!" the chaotic pony chimed in. 

"Right, Screwy! She's been a big help to us!" the king agreed. 

His eyes glanced over the courtyard. He spotted Fluttershy playing a game of chase with Princesses Scootaloo, Babs Seed, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle. The fillies had wanted to go back outside and play before Queen Celestia lowers the sun. Their nursemaid had also joined them, also wanting to enjoy the sunshine before putting them to bed. Fluttershy was laughing as she ran trying to catch Apple Bloom and Babs,  who were shrieking with laughter, as they tried to stay out of her reach. The pegasus  thought she saw somepony on the balcony. She squinted her eyes to get a better look. The mare looked delighted to see Discord on the balcony! And he seemed to notice her too! They waved to each other, shyly, while both blushing. Discord chuckled as he watched Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle tackling Fluttershy to the ground. He became lost in her flowing hair for a moment before Screwball poked him hard with her stick.

"Ow, Screwy!" the draconequus hissed, rubbing his side. 

"Sorry Dad," Screwball smirked. The chaotic filly pressed her mouth inside her father's ear.  "But you can't stare at Miss Fluttershy like that. It'll make her feel like she's been put on display or something!" she whispered.

Discord blushed in embarrassment that his kid caught him making googily eyes at his employee. He shrank down until he was the size of a hoof. His daughter patted him on the head to let him that let him know that all is forgiven. He returned with a smile.

"Okay, I've seen enough of your courtyard!" Chrysalis shouted. "Can we go inside now?" Her voice was loud enough to make the king and the princess jump in fright. For a while, they had forgotten about their guest.




The three royals had walked back inside the castle.  The balcony was connected to the left side of the throne room. 

"So has Daddy shown you around the throne room?" Screwball asked politely. 

"No need to worry, dearest," Discord told his daughter. "She has already seen the throne room but we can see some other-"

"What I really want to see are the bedrooms," the changeling interrupted him. "Especially yours," she purred at the last part. Chrysalis added heat to her eyes like she always did whenever she tried to seduce stallions.

However Discord was no fool. 

"I'm sorry but I cannot show you my bedroom because I have a strict policy about ponies being in the room of their opposite sex," he explained politely but firmly. The changeling did not look amused. She was thinking of spending some nights there with him just for her amusement. Screwball snickered at her facial expression.

"But I can show you the other rooms such as the servants' quarters (except Flash's room) or the nursery or Miss Fluttershy's bedroom. Which one do you want to do?" Discord inquired.

Screwball silently prayed to Celestia that her father would not pick the nursery. Although she wanted to tell Discord about Mothball, she did not want him to discover him that way! The idea of just finding him in her room, on his own, would not be the proper way for introductions. What if he gets the wrong idea? 

Just then, Sunset Shimmer, galloped into the the throne room, panting. Her mane looked a bit messy and her muzzle was flustered.

"Your majesty! Can you come into the kitchen for a minute?"

"Sure Sunset," the king replied surprised at seeing Sunset looking weary. He wondered what the problem could be about. He excused himself and left with the wise mare. Leaving your child alone with an adult you do not know well, is a big mistake. Once the draconequus  and the unicorn were out of sight, Chrysalis glanced at Screwball.

"Child, come here," she motioned to her with her black hoof.  Screwball obeyed by taking a few steps until she was close to the changeling. Then, something happened that Screwball did not expect at all. The changeling lifted her hoof and slapped the little princess in the face! It had happened so quick that the filly did not have time to respond. The impact was enough to cause the heir to fall down to the floor. She sat up and rubbed her cheek gently. Her swirly eyes enlarged when Chrysalis put her ugly muzzle close to her.

"Can't you take a hint and get lost?" the changeling snarled.

"Wait, what?" Screwball gasped.

"I'm courting your father and he is supposed to devote all his time to me, not to a bunch of little brats who waste their time playing with dolls and dresses!" Lady Chrysalis snapped.

"Hey, you had your time with him at your place! Now it's my turn and I want to tell him something!" Screwball barked. 

"Whatever it is, I don't care," the changeling retorted in an icy tone. "Now, scram!" Lowering her horn, she aimed green light at the filly, which made her disappear. It happened so fast that Screwball did not have time to shield herself! Once the princess was gone, Chrysalis gave a dark chuckle. "Good thing the Flim-Flam brothers taught me that spell!"
Her ears picked up the sounds of her suitor's voice and his footsteps. She quickly wiped off her evil smirk.

"Now Applejack, if Pinkie Pie said she didn't eat the Apple pie, then she didn't. Now you are an honest girl, you know when someone is telling the truth! Listen to your instincts!" 

Discord walked back into the throne room.

"Sorry trouble in the kitchen!" he smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. Applejack had accused Pinkie Pie for stealing the Apple Pie. Pinkie had denied it. Sunset had only fetched him because the situation was getting out of hoof. His smile disappeared when he noticed that somepony was missing. "Hey, where is Screwball?" 

"Oh she went to play outside," his suitor answered in a careless tone.

The king blinked. It was odd for his daughter to leave so sudden when she had expressed interest in helping him with the castle tour.
"...Okay. Well, let me show you the nursery," he said, extending his arm out for her. Chrysalis took it as they descended upstairs.





"Screwball, what brings you here?" Rarity asked, looking up from her sewing machine.  The white equine wondered if her little mistress wanted a new dress. This time, it was not the case. When Screwball had been zapped by Lady Chrysalis, the filly had fallen down on her face. She pulled herself up.

"I got here by accident!" she replied in a panicked tone. Princess Screwball had not recovered from the slap.

"What do you mean?" Rarity asked confused.

"Can't talk right now! I got to get upstairs quick!" Screwball answered very fast. She had to stop her dad from going into the nursery before it's too late! A flash of light surrounded Screwball before teleporting to the throne room.





Discord showed the nursery to Chrysalis. The king went into a backstory of how he and the late queen decorated the nursery, with Rarity's guidance. He even counted five beds and said which daughter slept in. (He scratched his head when he saw the sixth bed. Who sleeps in that bed? Does Fluttershy sleep in here, too?) Chrysalis looked completely uninterested. The sight of the toys and the soft colors made her want to gag. 
'Well, at least once I'm queen, I won't have to deal with those brats!' She thought bitterly. 'Or that little yellow pegasus!'

Suddenly, Discord's ears picked up at a rustling sound in the closet. His suitor heard it too. 
They trotted to the closet. Discord put his talon on the doorknob, opened the closet and a little black body with green hair came tumbling out! The two adults dropped their jaws and their eyes enlarged. Out of the closet,  was a changeling, who looked no older than sixteen! His mouth was full of pie crumbs. In Mothball's hooves, was the half-eaten Apple Pie! He swallowed as he noticed the adults staring at him.

"Um..hi?" Mothball squeaked. The colt smiled sheepishly and waved his hoof.

Lady Chrysalis released an ear-splitting scream that traveled through the entire castle!
Overcome with shock, the changeling stumbled and fell onto the floor!

"AH! WHAT'S A BOY DOING HERE IN MY DAUGHTERS' ROOM!?" Discord roared.
"GET OUT!"

"Wait, Your majesty, I can explain!" Mothball shouted, holding his hooves up. The apple pie had fallen to the floor, unnoticed by the boy.

Before King Discord could tell the teenager to get out or send him to another dimension, the door swung wide open.

"Daddy, wait! I-Oh...no!! Mothball!!" Screwball cried. Her eyes went big as her jaw dropped at the scene. 

King Discord's eyes glowed yellow and gnashed his teeth. Studying the two worried teens, he realized that something was up.

"You are in deep trouble young filly!" he growled lowly.

> Chapter 19: A Scandal!?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chrysalis laid across the floor, her hoof over her head. Her eyes were tight but she was still awake.

'Why doesn't Discord notice me?' The noblewoman silently asked herself. She had expected the King to see her once she screamed and faked a faint. Apparently, he was too busy with his daughter, again. 'I better get his attention back onto me!' She gave out a very loud moan and put her hoof across her face. She also turned her sides, just to make it look like she was whimpering in pain.

Discord could not believe his eyes! He did not know who this colt was but he had a feeling that Screwball knew him! She ought to give him an explanation and after that, he'll ground her and toss the boy in jail! He was about to speak when Chrysalis' moan cut him off. He turned to his suitor and rolled his eyes. Oh he heard Lady Chrysalis, all right. From the corner of his eye, he had spotted the changeling faking her faint and moaning loudly. But Discord was in the middle of yelling at his daughter and had no time for Chrysalis' shenanigans! Just then, he heard the hoof steps appearing. As quick as a rabbit, the monarch snapped his fingers to hide Mothball back in the closet. Discord shuddered at the thought of what would happen if any pony saw Mothball. The last thing the king wanted was one of his servants dumping questions on him. Or Worse, tell anyone they saw a boy in the nursery!

Rainbow Dash and Flash galloped inside the room, quick as lightning. Screwball had moved over to the side thus they would not trip over her.

"What's going on?" Flash Sentry asked. "Who screamed?" The two soldiers scanned their eyes around the room, trying to find the source of the commotion. They frowned that they could not see any bring suspicious other than Lady Chrysalis lying on the ground.

Captain, Lieutenant," Discord calmly ordered. "Could you please carry Lady Chrysalis to her chambers?"

Flash and Rainbow studied the black figure on the floor. The noblemare had her hoof over her eyes. Her tongue was hanging out of her mouth. At a closer look, her body seemed to twitch just a tiny bit. The slit eyes were tightly shut. More loud moans escaped from her mouth. The two guards shared each other silent smirks knowing that Lady Chrysalis was pretending. They lifted her up and Discord poofed them to her chambers before Lady Chrysalis could wake up. He also shut the nursery door and flashed Mothball out of the closet.

Mothball looked a bit flustered and shocked at having been switched from the closet to the room back and forth.

Discord scratched his goatee in a mocking manner.

"Now where was I? Oh yes! You are in deep trouble young filly! Who is this boy? And why is he here? Who said he could be here?"

"Well um...," Screwball stammered. She knew what tell her father, she had been practicing all day! So why was it hard for her to speak now?

Screwball's friend took pity on her seeing at how she was just as nervous around the King as him.

"My name is Mothball and Miss Fluttershy said I could stay here!"

Discord's eyes were widened a bit before they narrowed dangerously. His eyes began to glow yellow.

"Miss Fluttershy!? Why had I known-"

Growling dangerously, King Discord lifted up his arm and snapped his talon fingers. In a bright flash, the buttercream pegasus appeared into the nursery.

"Eep!" Fluttershy squealed, stumbling a little on her left leg. She would have lost her balance if she had not put her right leg down and distribute her weight on both legs.

"Miss Fluttershy! I demand answers now!" Discord roared.

The mare jumped at the sound of his voice and hastily turned around, looking frazzled. What was he talking about? One minute she was playing with the princesses, the next minute, she was teleported to a different room unexpectedly.

"What-oh!" Fluttershy turned around and gasped when she noticed the young boy. "You met Mothball, haven't you?" She said with a nervous smile.

Mothball blushed in embarrassment and stared at his hooves.

"Yeah we met," Mothball mumbled, staring at the floor. His face turned red in embarrassment.

"Obviously!" Discord snapped, gnashing his teeth.

"How did he find you?" Fluttershy asked Mothball. She did not think that the king of all equines, would enter in the nursery. Usually it's either her, Miss Pinkie or Miss Applejack that come into the nursery, not the ruler!

"He opened the closet," the colt mumbled again.

"Figures!" Screwball grumbled underneath her breath. She had tried so hard to avert this situation from happening!

"How I discovered him isn't important! What I care about is why is there a boy in the nursery?" Discord barked, his face inching near Fluttershy's face.

The mare shrank a little at the sight of his cold stare. Fluttershy could not put her hoof on why Discord was so upset at seeing Mothball. The only possibility she could think of was that maybe he had quite a shock for discovering the boy.

"I know this so sudden, but Mothball had ran away from an enemy and needed a place to hide. Screwball found him first, before she introduced me to him."

Her tone was soft and calm but, it was not enough to decrease the King's anger.

"How could you let a boy sleep in a nursery?" the Royal yelled, extending his arms up in shock.

"He wanted to be here!" Fluttershy argued, not letting Discord's anger scare her.

"Why, so he could make moves on her!?" the King snapped, referring to the two teenagers.

Fluttershy looked a bit taken back by her majesty's comment. His anger was understandable but this was not such the case. She knew Mothball would never do anything to Screwball that she and Discord would be concerned about.

"Your majesty, he wouldn't-" the nanny shook her head in disbelief.

"Of course he would!" the monarch interrupted. He knew how colts act when they see a pretty filly!

"No I wouldn't!" Mothball said in an inaudible tone. His mother had taught him to always be respectful toward girls.

"Do you have any idea what would ponies say if they heard about my daughter having a boy in her room!? Her reputation would be ruined! She would be a huge laughingstock!" His majesty roared. His roar was so loud that it blew Fluttershy's mane in the air!

"King Discord, I didn't think-" Fluttershy stuttered before Discord interrupted her again.

"You didn't think!? What do you mean you didn't think!? Haven't you thought of her honor!? Have you no sense?"

"I do have sense!" Fluttershy said, in a desperate tone. She tried to tell him about Starlight Glimmer only to be cut off from him again.

"If that were true, you would not act so irresponsible! Who is the sovereign here? I am! I set the rules and I expect rules to be obeyed! They're not just written to children! They're for the staff, too! Apparently, out of all the rotten nannies I had, you are the most difficult one! You are irresponsible, thoughtless, wimpy, and senseless!"

Fluttershy's eyes watered up and her bottom lip trembled.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything of this to happen!" the nanny whispered before running out of the nursery in tears.

"Miss Fluttershy, wait!" the little princess called, chasing after her. She gave her dad a glare before leaving the room.

Discord stopped gritting his teeth. A wave of shock and shame washed over him, as he realized what he had done. He slapped his head with his paw. Great, he made her cry...again!

"Stupid Discord! Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

"Um, Your majesty?" Mothball uttered, timidly. "I know you don't believe her, but...it is true. I did run away! I'm running away from Starlight Glimmer!"

Discord swished his head toward the boy with a shocked and confused look.

"Starlight Glimmer!?" 
> Chapter 20: Promising to help
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The chimera and the little changeling sat next to each other on one of the beds. For two hours, Mothball told Discord everything that happened from the beginning (he left out his crush on Screwball). Discord was so shocked and dumbfounded that he fell off one of the beds! Discord helped himself up.

"I never expected Starlight to stoop that low!" the ruler uttered in an angry and shocked tone. "Do you know where she took your parents?"

"No, your majesty, I don't know!" Mothball murmured sadly. "But it's probably someplace horrible! That is why I came to you. I was hoping that you maybe you could help me find them or something."

"As much I want to I can't," Discord sighed unenthusiastically.

"What? Why?" Mothball gasped, his jaw dropping.

"Because I don't know myself where the Countess is taking your family and other non-ponies!"

"But Screwball says you have great power! Regardless of the unknown location, surely, you can track them down, can't you?" the teenager pleaded.

"Son, I wouldn't call my power, great," the king muttered, thinking back to his wife's passing.

"Why?" Mothball asked confused.

"Never mind that! The point is because the whereabouts of your parents are unknown, it would be difficult for me to find them," Discord explained coldly.

"But I need to know if they are okay! Please, your majesty! I really need your help! I have never been seperated from my family before and it scares me!" The boy emphasized. His lip trembled and his eyes grew big and wide.

Discord sighed, feeling pity for the boy. He couldn't imagine being separated from his daughters. "Very well, I...suppose it would not hurt to check every part of Equestria."

"Or you could try the process of elimination!" a certain pink pony chimed in.

"Or try the process o-a-a-a-Aaah!" the King screamed and quickly flashed Mothball back into the closet. His eyes were wide in shock at the sight of his assistant cook. "Miss Pinkie Pie! What are you doing in here?"

"Well, Applejack was still feeling so sad about her missing apple pie, so I decided to hunt for it! While I was sniffing for the missing pie my pinkie sense tickled me, and it guided me to this very room!" the assistant cook chirped cheerfully.

"But-But-But-I locked the door! H-H-How did you get in?" his majesty stammered.

"I opened it," a southern drawl answered. Discord swished his head and dropped his jaw when saw his cook standing in the doorway with a key in her mouth. "We all have keys to every room, remember your majesty?"

"Curses!" Discord grumbled, slapping himself on the forehead. How could he forgot that his staff has access to all rooms for cleaning? A ruffling sound was heard from the closet. The king tried to keep the door from opening but it bursted open as Mothball came tumbling out again. This time the boy bumped his head with Discord. They both let out an "OW!" and held their heads.

"Will you stop tossing me into the closet like that!?" Mothball complained.

"Will you stop falling out of there!?" Discord snapped.

"Oooooh!" Pinkie awed staring at the little black figure. Excited at seeing a creature she had never seen before, the pony scooped Mothball into her fore arms.

"Miss Pinkie Pie!" Discord cried. He reached out to stop her but Pinkie got out of the way with Mothball, causing him to fall face flat on the floor, instead.

"Look Applejack, I found a baby alien!" the pink pony chirped, holding Mothball for her friend to see.

Discord slapped his talon on his forehead and ran it down on his muzzle. Perfect. Now two of his servants know!

"I'm not a baby alien!" Pinkie's victim snapped. "I am seventeen years old!"

Pinkie Pie sniffed Mothball, which creeped him out.

"He smells like apples!" she smiled, oblivious to the boy's uncomfortableness.

Applejack spotted the half-eaten apple pie on the floor. She looked between the refugee and her dish. Her eyes narrowed at Mothball and inched her hoofsteps toward him in a quiet but deathly manner.

"Boy, how did you get hold of my pie?"

"I...hehe, disguised myself as the pink pony here, snuck in, and...took the pie," Mothball smiled sheepishly.

Discord folded his arms and snorted as he rolled his eyes.

"That was dumb. Especially For somepony who tried to stay hidden. All. The. time!"

"Hey, I was hungry!" the colt snapped, almost forgetting who he was addressing.

"Don't talk to me in that tone, mister!" the monarch barked.

"Boy, I don't mind if you need a snack, but I would have appreciated it, if you had just asked!" the cook chastised. "I was saving that pie for the princesses!"

"Sorry!" Mothball apologized, meekly.

"Aw, that's okay!" Pinkie Pie piped, patting the teen on the head. "Nopony can resist Applejack's famous apple dishes! And we can always make more!"

The colt relaxed and smiled a little, touched by Pinkie's forgiving and upbeat nature.

The assistant cook turned her focus from the boy to his majesty. "So how did this baby alien get in here, anyway?"

Mothball made a face and let out an annoyed sigh.

"Not a baby alien! And I'm right here, you know!"

Discord gulped and smiled sheepishly. He had hoped that neither of his servants would ask him that question! Because his cook was very good at reading when ponies lie, the king had to answer in a way that would not come out as a lie.

"Oh, he...snuck into the castle, because he...was running away! He had been hiding in this room because it was big and cozy! Besides, he figured you would not look for a boy in a girls' room, hehe!"

"Were the girls here?" Applejack pressed on. She had a suspicious look in her eyes.

"No, of course not!" Discord quickly fibbed, sweating. His daughters were not present so Applejack wouldn't notice, right?

The orange earth pony gave him a hard look. She could read him whenever he was lying or not, which sometimes scared Discord.

The king tried to act innocent as if he had not said anything that was the opposite of the truth. However, his cook's stern look became harder. The longer she stared at him, the more sweaty the king became. When Applejack gnashed her teeth and growled, that was when the sovereign could not take it anymore.

"Okay, okay, one of them was here!"

"What!?" Applejack and Pinkie cried. The king quickly tied handkerchieves around their mouths. "Shush, do you want the whole world to hear you? I don't want gossip to be spreading around! If word gets out, my daughter will be ruined!"

Applejack and Pinkie Pie untied the handkerchieves from their mouths. They gave their king a look of sympathy. It was bad enough that the princesses, who had been locked away for years, could not defend themselves when ponies gossiped about their pranks on former nannies. What are the chances that they would be able to stand up for themselves if the town heard about Mothball?

"You have our word, your majesty," Applejack assured him, with a soft smile.

"Yeah, Pinkie Promise! Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" the pink pony vowed. She also literally sticked a lemon cupcake in her eye.

(Applejack and the boys had no idea where Pinkie Pie got the cupcake from.)

Discord smiled and nodded at the girls. He turned to the boy.

"You'll be sleeping with me in my room so it'll be proper."

"Well...okay," Mothball replied in a hesitant voice. The teen understood why he had to be moved, he's frowning that he won't be able to see Screwball very often. Maybe he could see her during Miss Fluttershy's lessons? "So, you said you'll help me?"

"Yes, here's what we are going to do," the Draconian king explained."Tomorrow, we will get up and track down your family on every part of Equestria. My teleportation will help us get around quickly, so we can get this done in a day."

"Your majesty, how are you going to find the boys' parents, when he is a refugee?" Applejack inquired, feeling apprehensive.

"She's right!" Pinkie Pie squeaked. "You have to watch out for that mean countess and her minions!"

Discord turned to Mothball.

"You can disguise yourself, right?"

"I sure can!" the boy smirked. He transformed into a purple colored colt with orange hair and amber eyes.

"That'll do!" Discord approved, smiling proudly.

"Does anypony else know about you, besides me, AJ, His higness and her little highness?" Pinkie asked, smiling big at the boy.

"Yeah, there's Miss Fluttershy-"

"Fluttershy?!" the king asked himself before his eyes widened, as if he forgot something. "Hold on, I need to talk to her!" He wasted no time, snapping his paw, and flashing out of sight.

"Talk to her about what?" Pinkie wondered, looking confused.

Mothball winced at her question.

"Well...,"

"Wait, don't tell me. Were they fighting again?" Applejack interrupted him in a serious voice.

Mothball nodded with a sad expression.

"Oh boy...," the cook sighed, facehoofing. She had thought things were going so well between them.





Screwball had followed Fluttershy into her room, after the fight. The youngest four princesses had teleported to her room because they did not know where Fluttershy had dissappeared. While chasing her, Scootaloo was just about to tap Fluttershy on the back, when all of the sudden, a bright flash came. As soon as Fluttershy disappeared, Scootaloo lost her balance and fell on the ground, face flat. Her sisters had helped her up and gazed around. to while playing tag. Now they are gathered around Fluttershy on her bed. Their nanny had told the girls (except Screwball) what had happened with Mothball. After telling her tale, Fluttershy curled up into a ball and sobbed with tears cascading down from her eyes. Angel was sitting on top of Fluttershy's head and patting her mane to calm her down.

"Don't cry, Miss Fluttershy," Screwball soothed, patting her nanny on her forearm.

"It's okay," Sweetie Belle murmured, not liking seeing the pegasus upset.

"Oh I messed up everything!" Fluttershy wept.

"No, you didn't! You made a little mistake!" Screwball assured her in a gentle tone. "Dad just blew a little bit of a scoche, that's all."

"More like a lot of scoches!" Fluttershy cried. She sniffled, wiping her tears away. "And besides, my mistake was big! What if I ruined you?"

There was a look of shock and sadness on Screwball. The heir had never thought of that! She looked down on at the bed and sighed.

"Well...I...I...I can always give up my title."

"No, Screwy!" Fluttershy gasped after looking up at her student. "I don't want you to give up your title because of me!"

"Did you get...sacked?" Sweetie Belle gulped nervously.

"No," Fluttershy answered. "But I should leave anyway!" She got off her bed and grabbed her suitcase to begin packing, much to the princesses' horror.

"No, no, no, please don't go!"

The nanny turned her head to them at the sound of their pleading. Her heart sank when she saw their eyes watering their lips trembling.

"I have to go. I'm not fit to be your nanny," she said sadly.

"Sure you are, Miss Fluttershy!" Apple Bloom cried.

"Please stay!" Sweetie Belle begged.

"You're the only nanny we like!" Screwball reasoned.

"If you leave, who is going to give us singing lessons?" Babs Seed questioned, trying to persuade her governess.

"Or play games with us?" Scootaloo added.

Fluttershy did not know what to think. She felt as if she were to blame by really blowing things up. Her eyes formed a new set of tears and began crying.

"Oh girls, I don't know, I really did it this time! Just when I thought I was doing the right thing, it blows up in my face!"

Her weeping stopped when she felt herself being enveloped by the little princesses in a group hug. The pegasus was surprised at the gesture at first, but calmed down a little. She began to feel a bit better at their sense of comfort.

Just then a knock was heard on the door.

Screwball used her magic to make the door swing open. She and the girls were surprised to see their father standing in the doorway.

"Hello...," the king uttered, waving awkwardly. He still stood at the doorway, rubbing the back of his neck with his paw. Discord knew what to say to Fluttershy, he just did not expect her to be accompanied by his daughters, except Screwball. He took a deep breath. "This is not easy for me to say-"

He was cut off when the girls dashed to him at his feet.

"Dad, you're not gonna fire Miss Fluttershy, are you?" Apple Bloom yelped, looking up at him.

"Please don't fire her!" Sweetie Belle begged, hugging her father's feet.

"I'm not going to send Fluttershy away!" Discord barked in annoyance.

The girls got off his feet.

Discord made eye contact with the timid and shy pegasus. "I just came to say...I'm sorry."

The princesses' jaws dropped to the floor. Was their father apologizing to a servant? That's something they didn't see every day!

"Mothball told me the whole story," the king continued. "It was stupid of me to go crazy at you earlier. I should have listened to you before drawing conclusions. You did nothing wrong, you were just looking out for the boy's safety."

Fluttershy listened attentively. Her tears had stopped running and felt warmth in her heart. She smiled, touched by Discord's apology.

"I understand if you don't forgive me, but I just want to you let you know that I still want you here," the king finished concluded, sweating. He began to make an exit. 

"Your highness, wait!" Fluttershy said, stopping him. She flew over to him and placed her hoof in his talon. "I forgive you. I'm the one who should be apologizing. I should have thought of a better place for Mothball to hide without embarrassing the girls."

"No matter," Discord said, waving his paw as if it didn't matter to him.

"So, she's staying?" Babs Seed asked dumbly.

"What do you think?" Scootaloo sassed at her.

"All right, Dad!" Sweetie Belle squealed, happily.

"Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!" Children bounced around an annoyed ruler and an amused nursemaid.

"Stop parading around me! I'm not a statue!" their dad snapped.

The children stopped bouncing but still surrounded the adults.

"Dad, what about Mothball?" the eldest princess inquired. She had almost forgotten about him and prayed that her father did not do anything rash with him.

"He'll be sleeping in my room tonight," her father replied, with a small smile. "Tomorrow I'll help him find his family."

"Oh thank you, father! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Screwball and her sisters were so delighted that they embraced Discord.

"Not so tight!" Discord gasped.

Fluttershy giggled, glad that her boss did the right thing.





Chrysalis opened her eyes and felt something soft and comfortable.

"Hey, where am I?" she asked herself, confused. The changeling sat up and looked around her surrounding. The room had black walls, a vanity mirror, a dresser and a shower room. The noblemare was in her chambers. "Oh horse droppings! I have to get him be with me more next time! The more he spends time with me, the sooner he'd forget about them!" Chrysalis growled, her eyes glowing green. 
> Chapter 21: On a Journey
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, the King and the young changeling prepared for their trip. They had a quick breakfast of oat pancakes and apple juice.

Later, the boys are at the door and ready to depart. But before they do, they must change their appearances so nobody would recognize them. Just then, a lavender pony appeared before them, which made them jump.

*"Twilight?" Spike guessed.*

*"No, you silly-head!" Twilight sassed. "Screwball!"*

"Dad, can I come?" Screwball asked, looking up at her father.

"Absolutely not!" Discord said instantly.

"But Dad, I want to help!" Screwball whined.

"No, it's too dangerous out there! I can go because my magic can defend me," Discord said sternly.

"I have powers too!" Screwball said, showing her hooves that glow a golden aura. She swung her hoof as if she were punching a monster. "I can beat whoever gets in my way!"

"You're not strong enough!" Discord raised his voice. "Do you know what Starlight and her army are capable of doing to you?"

"But I really want to help!" Screwball yelled. "I can protect Mothball!"

"No, you stay here and do your lessons!" Discord scolded, putting his hoof down. "You don't know the outside world like I do! You've never traveled outside of Draconia! How do you expect yourself to protect Mothball when you don't know your way around?"

"But-"

"No buts!" Discord interrupted, while pointing his bottom. "Stay here and that's final!"

Screwball crossed her arms and pouted. She really wanted to go, really she did! Unfortunately, her father had a point. She had never been outside of her country.

"We'll be back soon, Screwball," Mothball said, putting his arm around her. "It's just for one day."

"HEY, HEY, HEY!" Discord snapped, ripping Mothball's arm off of his daughter. His eyes were on fire. "DON'T TOUCH MY DAUGHTER EVER!"

"Sorry, your majesty!" Mothball stammered. He had the shivers. "I won't do it again!"

"Good or else you'll pay!" Discord hissed, his eyes never leaving the boy.

Mothball was one lucky colt that the King did not call off the mission!

Screwball rolled her eyes at her father. He can be so overdramatic!

They heard some hoofsteps which came from the governess and the other princesses.

"Oh Screwball, there you are! Please don't run out of the nursery like that!" Fluttershy scolded the heir.

Screwball casted her eyes and shifted some dirt around with one hoof.

"Do you have everything you need, King Discord?" Fluttershy checked.

"Yes, Miss Fluttershy!" the King smiled, pulling out his long list. "I have everything here! Map...check! Food...check! Bits...check! Binoculars...check! Emergency kit...check! Sunglasses...check! Bathing suit...check! Rubber chicken...check! Glow-in-the-dark stick...check! Sketchbook...check! Camera...check! Flashlight...check! Jabberwocky mask...check!" Each item he named, appeared on top of his antlers. The last one flashed on his face, making the girls, except Screwball, squeal and jump up in the air.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you!" Discord laughed, lifting the mask up from his muzzle.

The girls landed on the floor, relieved.

"I would not bring the Jabberwocky mask along, your highness," Mothball warned. "That will draw the Countess' attention."

"But's it's my great disguise!" Discord whined, sounding like a kid.

"Not if you don't want Starlight Glimmer to harm you!" Mothball argued.

"Oh very well!" Discord sighed, annoyed that he could not have any fun. He transformed into a gray earth pony with black mane, and a cutie mark of a tornado. "Is this better?" he grumbled.

"Much better!" Mothball beamed. The teen changeling changed his appearance back into his colt disguise.

Screwball and her sisters jumped on Mothball and hugged him very dearly. They didn't realize that Mothball was losing air until he wheezed that he couldn't breathe. When they let go, he plopped onto the ground.

Fluttershy hugged Discord which made him blush like a schoolboy.

"Please be careful out there and come home safely," the governess spoke. Her voice held fear that Discord might be seriously hurt if he is not careful.

"Relax, Miss Fluttershy," the chimera said confidently. He pointed to his chest. "I'm the King of Chaos! I can take care of myself and Mothball!" With a little of his magic, Discord donned himself and Mothball in top black hats. "Well, arrivederci Miss Fluttershy! Girls, behave!" He bade goodbye with a kind tone toward the mare and used a strict tone with the fillies.

Once the king and teen teleported out of the castle, Fluttershy and the girls returned to thier lessons. Screwball was the last one to leave as she looked back. She sighed sadly, hoping that Mothball would be fine.



Outside, Discord and Mothball stood by the gates. The king pulled out his map.

"Why did we stop here?" Mothball questioned. "I thought we'd be in a different country now!"

"We can't just go anywhere, you nilly-dilly! Like I told you before, we don't know where your parents are, so we are going to see which possible locations to check. Visiting every single part of Equestria would be tiring!" Discord explained, stiffly. He studied the map for a while. Frustrated, he crumpled it up into a ball and threw it away. "Why do they always make maps so hard to read?"

"Since we're undercover, are we going to have fake names?" Mothball asked.

Discord thought of good names for them.

"Yes, I'll be Twister and you'll be Copper."

"Sounds good," said 'Copper.'

Discord snapped his fingers and a mirage appeared before him and Mothball. In the mirage was a couple. One was a female changeling with green mane in a long braid. The other one was a navy blue stallion with red mane. They seemed to be running in a quaint village.

"That's them!" Mothball said excitedly. "That's my parents!"

"They must be in Germaney," Discord observed. He snapped his fingers and the moving picture disappeared. "Let's go!"

"There you are Discord!" a screeching voice rang out, making Discord and Mothball jump. "I almost didn't recognize you in your stupid disguise!"

"Chrysalis, what are you doing here?" Discord asked, annoyed. This mare was really starting to bug him.

"Sunset told me that you'd be outside. I just want to spend some quality time with you."

"Ah, yes!" Discord smiled, remembering. "Sorry, my dear, but I am going on a trip for the whole day!"

"Doing what?" his future fiance raised an eyebrow. Her frown had increased greatly.

"Oh just boring king stuff," Discord responded, flinging his hoof, as if it was noting interesting. "You would not be interested!"

His suitor glanced at a small brown earth pony, who was shaking in his hooves.

"Who's this?" she pressed on, pointing her hoof at Mothball. "He doesn't look like your son to me (then again, none of your daughters look like you)!"

"Ah, this is Copper, my valet!" Discord quickly added, putting his arm around 'Copper.'

"Funny, you never mentioned your valet," Chrysalis replied in a suspicious tone.

"I'm new!" Mothball added.

"Yes, and now if you excuse us, we got a business trip to make," Discord added, patting Mothball on the back. "Ciao!" The boys quickly dissappeared in a POOF faster than you can say "bananas!"

Chrysalis narrowed her eyebrows with gnashing teeth. She growled so much that she began to fume! Chrysalis walked away and bumped into Flash Sentry.

"Out of my way, you fool!" she snapped, bonking Flash on the head.

Flash winced in pain and held his head. He glared at the retreating figure.

"Oo, I hate that witch!"



Twister and Copper arrived in Horseburg, one of the towns of Germaney. They surveyed the many tall timber-framed houses and trees. They had hoped to spot the parents right away, but they were nowhere to be seen. The towns square also seemd to be empty and quiet. The disguised gray stallion spotted a toy shop with a sign that read, "Changeling." He also noticed another shop with a sign, "Griffin." In fact, all shops each had a sign that read "Changeling", "Minotaur," or any non-pony creature. Twister wondered what do the signs mean.

"Do you know anything about these signs, 'Copper?'"

"Yes, 'Twister,'" he said gravely. "The soldiers put them up to-"

"Hey you two!" a mare called them. She had a dull pink coat and her blonde mane was in two braids. "Come on, the Countess is going to make a speech at the City Hall!"

As she left, the boys looked at each other.

"Should we go, Twister?"

"If we want to blend in, yes," Discord whispered back. They followed other ponies to the city hall. Maybe they would find Mothball's parents there.




Earlier, the nanny had made some changes to their school curriculum. One of the changes that she decided on was having lessons out in the courtyard. Now it's such a lovely environment to be in, the kids would not need to be in the library all the time.

"Are you ready for today's storytime?" Fluttershy smiled, holding a book in her lap.

"Yes, Miss Fluttershy!" the princesses chorused, brightly.

Fluttershy opened the book and began reading.

"Here is a true story about a goatherd who was so lonely-"

"Wait, Miss Fluttershy!" Sweetie Belle raised her hoof. "Can we use our powers to visualize the story?"

Her sisters brightened up at the idea.

Fluttershy was not sure but when Sweetie Belle gave her 'Bambi' eyes, she giggled and said all right.

Sweetie Belle was very excited that she cheered!

The girls thought they saw their baby sister's horn glowing green but it went out so quick that they were not sure.

Fluttershy returned to the story and read the first lines.

Screwball summoned her magic to create a picture of a goatherd, standing on top of a hill, above a village.

Sweetie Belle's horn glowed and changed the image to a prince in the castle and the town ponies.

Babs Seed whistled golden musical notes that caused the image to shift back to the lonely goatherd. Only this time he was not alone. The goatherd was accompanied by a mare.

Scootaloo stomped her hoof to change the mirage. In place of a goatherd, his fiance, and mother, were a boy goat, a girl goat, and the girl goat's mother.
The pictures faded away. Who knew that school could be so much fun?



In Germaney, all ponies stood outside of the City Hall. The City Hall was a huge building made of polished white marble. At the entrance were five Greek pillars. At the top of the staircase, was a row of pony soldiers all dressed in green. Trumpets sounded. A sea of soldiers parted making way for Countess Starlight Glimmer. She descended downstairs from the entrance, gracefully. With her head held high, the countess stepped toward a huge lectern. Two generals that stood next to her sported brown uniforms. One was a blue unicorn with silver mane, Herr Trixie. Another one was an orange pony with blonde mane, Herr Svengallop.

"Heil Glimmer!" The citizens saluted loud and clear.

"Heil!" Starlight shouted back.

"I want to thank you all again for coming here today. This means very much to me. We, ponies of Equestria have been miserable! For far too long, there has been separation between the royalty and the commoners! The royals won't help us! They won't help ponies who had lost everything after the war with the evil Penguin king! They won't give our ponies, especially mares, job opportunities! They won't give us food! They won't help us at all! Why? Because they are greedy and selfish! They are afraid that the 'riff-raff' will try to be more rich than them! And steal their positions in power, too! But we would never do such a thing!"

Ponies murmured to each other. They agreed with all the points that the Countess made.

'Blah, blah, blah!' Discord thought sourly. 'She is such a whiner! Doesn't she have anything better to do then moan about how the royals were not giving any ponies special treatment? Boy, does she need a hobby! Yes, the mares can't get jobs but in my country they can! Most of my servants are women! It bothers me how neither she or her followers acknowledge that! Nor do they remember that it was me and my wife that stopped that penguin king! '

"But fear not, my little ponies!" Starlight continued. "I have a solution to our problems!"

'Like what, democracy?'

"Equality! We will get rid of the monarchy system and replace it with a new one: democracy!"

'Called it!'

"Every pony will be treated as equal! It will not matter what social status they are! We will be able to have the same kind of jobs, wear the same cutie mark, and live together in harmony! Stick with me and you will never suffer again!"

All the gullible and naive ponies fell for her chicanery. They cheered and repeated "Sieg Heil!" over and over again.

'Oh bother! How could these idiots be passionate about everything she said? What are the chances of Starlight being terminated by an assassin? Oh that would put an end to all my problems!" Twister was snapped out of his dark thoughts by Copper.

"Herr Starlight said those exact same words to me before she raided up my parents," the colt whispered to the king.

"Hey, why don't we sneak out, find your parents, and get the heck out of here?" Twister whispered back.

"Right!"

During the hysteria of the crowd, Twister and Copper snuck out of the crowd. They scanned around the city hall. Still no sign of them. They secretly poofed from one location to the other in the village. But they still have not found the missing parents.



Several hours later, after looking around, they poofed back to the city hall. Starlight and her followers and supporters had been gone by now.

The boys were very tired. It felt as if that they had been on a wild goose chase.

"What time is it?" Mothball panted.

"Hey you two!" A voice yelled from the shadows.

Discord and Mothball jumped up in fright! They slowly turned around and their heart rates increased at the sight.

It was Herr Trixie! One of the generals they witnessed from Starlight's lecture! She was accompanied by a group of other soldiers.

"Heil Glimmer!" Trixie saluted.

Twister and Copper stayed silent.

"You refuse to answer 'Heil Glimmer' to me!?" Trixie roared, her face as pink as Pinkie's hair. She could not believe that these stallions refused to respond. "Also why don't you two have the equal sign as your cutie marks, like everypony else?"

"Well...,"

"Arrest them!"

"Yikes!"

The boys dashed before they could get hoof cuffed, leaving dust behind. The dust traveled up to Trixie's nostrils, making her cough.

"Hey don't just stand there, get them!" Trixie wheezed. She and her army chased them throughout the town. Around the corners of buildings they went. Past the shops, past the houses, and over a bridge! Twister led Copper around another corner into a dark alley. They ran into a dead end and were surrounded by Trixie and her group.

"Ha, the Great and Powerful Herr Trixie has got you now!" Trixie sneered. The blue unicorn and her army surrounded them.

"Twister, use your powers to take them down!" Mothball whispered.

"I can't!" Discord hissed, trying to stay cool. "I don't want to blow my cover!"

He looked up to his right and saw a street lamp hovering over him.

"All right, boys. We can do this the easy way or the hard way," Trixie sneered. "Put your hooves up!"

"Okay," Discord smirked, doing as he was told.

Mothball followed suit.

Before Trixie could do anything, Discord stomped his foot and the lamp went off! There was a commotion as Trixie's soldiers went crazy and pounced on the two stallions. There was lots of kicking and punching. Screams and profanities were also tossed around. Trixie turned the lamp back on with her unicorn magic. When she did, all the soldiers were wrestling with each other to the ground.

Trixie face hoofed herself.

"Hey, you idiots, they're not here!"

Immediately the soldiers stopped short and looked around. She was right! None of them had the right stallions!

"Hey, where did they go?" one soldier asked, dumbly. "They were here a minute ago!"

"I don't know!" another shrugged. "Beats me!"

"Oh perfect!" Trixie grumbled. "Just perfect! How is Herr Trixie going to explain to the Fuhrer that she failed to capture the rebels?"



The King and the teen appeared on the streets of Ponyville. It was dark and quiet but peaceful.

"Whew, that was close!" Discord sighed in relief.

"No, my lord, that was bad!" the teen spoke sorrowfully. "You said we'd find my family today! Well, look at the sky now! The day is over and we haven't find them!"

"I did?" Discord lifted up to his eyes toward the night and gulped. "Oh..." The chimera faced Mothball with a sheepish smile.

"Oopsie, doozie...um...I may have been a teensy weeny overconfident."

Mothball looked as if his birthday had been cancelled.

"Okay, so maybe trying to find them in one day was too much but I did check if they were in Germaney or not!" Discord defended himself. "I don't know why they were not there! It does not make any sense and I love nonsensical stuff!"

It took Mothball a long time to calm down so he would not cry like a foal.

"Perhaps they have escaped?" the boy suggested hopefully.

"Let's see where they are, right now!" Discord answered, summoning up a mirage. But he yawned which made his mirage fade away. When he yawned, golden 'Zs' swam out of his mouth.

"We should get some sleep," Mothball observed the King. "It's late."

"No, I am not...tired! We can do...this in...one day...," Discord yawned between words.

"Well powers or not, we still have a long way to go," Mothball sighed, shaking his head.

Luckily, a hotel was close by them. They went inside and got a room.

In their room, Discord magically sent a letter to Sunset that he won't be home for quite a long time.



Meanwhile, Sunset was about to hop into her bed when an orange aura flashed on her desktop. It disappeared and in place was a letter. The orange unicorn quickly opened it and read Discord's message. She sighed, hoping that she and Flash could run the castle smoothly without any trouble.

Time passed since Sunset had gotten the King's response. For two weeks, the wise mare, the captain, and the lieutenant had been trying their best to run the kingdom as smoothly as possible. It was easy for Sunset and Flash because they were familiar with the daily routines. Rainbow Dash was an expert at handling security and guarding the gates. Rarity would help out with the duties whenever she wasn't making any dresses or suits. Every pony was busy doing their daily duties. However, Screwball had other things on her mind. 

Outside, Screwball trotted toward the balcony during twilight. Putting her hooves on the railing, she looked straight ahead with a sad look. Everything about her body showed sadness. There were blue rainclouds in her eyes, raining fruit punch. Her mane was dull like a diamond that had lost its shine. Her coat turned a deep navy blue. She gave out a sad sigh.

"Oh Mothball, I miss you! Are you and Father all right?" she whispered.

The princess glanced up at the evening star twinkling bright. Somehow the star seemed to be listening to her.

After singing the last note, the filly let out another sad sigh. She proceeded staring off into the distance, not knowing she was going to have company.

Fluttershy trotted on the balcony and stood next to the princess.

"Screwball, what's the matter?" a gentle voice spoke.

Screwball turned to see her nanny.

"Huh, oh it's nothing," Screwball mumbled dismally.

"You can tell me anything," Fluttershy responded gently. "You have a rain cloud over your head."

Screwball looked up and flushed. She forgot that sometimes her chaotic powers go loose when she gets emotional. She clapped her hooves twice and the rain cloud dissipated. A scowl formed on her lips. "You wouldn't understand!"

"Try me," Fluttershy gave a comforting smile. The common pegasus put her forearm around the filly, showing that she can be trusted.

Screwball took a deep breath and sighed.

"It's about Mothball," she revealed. "It's been days since he and Father left and I am worried. What if he gets hurt? What if he gets lost? I could not bear it if anything bad happened to him!"

"Screwy, he'll be fine as long he's with your father," Fluttershy calmed her down.

"I know, it's just that...that...,"

"That what, sweetie?"

Screwball checked around to see if they were being watched. She put her mouth to Fluttershy's ear.

"I'm in love with Mothball!"

Fluttershy's eyes widened. She had suspected that Screwball had feelings for Mothball but this was still news for her!

"But I knew I can't have him, Miss Fluttershy!" Screwball's voice broke. "Do you know why? Because of that stupid marriage law! It isn't fair! Why do I have to marry a prince only? I love Mothball And I do not even know if he loves me back!"

She flung herself around Fluttershy and buried her face on her shoulder. Fluttershy allowed the teen to sob her heart out on her shoulder.

Sadness began to swell inside Fluttershy's heart. She wished she knew what to say but she could not. Usually whenever one of the girls have a problem, the pegasus always knew how to fix it. But tonight was not one of those times. This was a problem that the nanny had no experience with. Fluttershy knew what Screwball was going through because she herself, was having the same dilemma with a certain King. She had suspected that her feelings for Discord might be romantic. But she did not know if they would come to pass or not. Heck, she did not even know if the king felt the same about her! The pegasus stopped her thoughts, focusing back on the lavender filly. The best thing the governess could do is hold Screwball and let her cry. 
> Chapter 22: The Gala
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



The sun rays from Celestia's sun shined on the suburbs of Ponyville. Multicolored ponies went on about their day with their daily tasks. Some were shopping for food, others were selling their goods. Some ponies greeted one another. Every pony seemed to be enjoying their daily life. However not every pony was outside.

At the hotel, Mothball was sitting down in his room, gazing into Discord's mirage.

"I see my parents!" he shouted excitedly.

His parents were in some kind of a dark place. They were gathering around a pile of wood that had flames dancing in front of them. The flames were bright enough to give the gray pony a clue of their location.

"Dark, cold, and big," Discord studied. "They must be hiding in some kind of a cave or something." His mirage faded into smoke. "Come boy, we must visit every cave here!"

"Right!" the copper colt nodded.

"But we must be careful of the dragons," Discord added. "They don't take kindly to visitors."

"I know," Mothball gulped. The young boy never met a dragon before but he heard that they can be quite vicious.

They opened their bedroom door and stepped out. The boys did not see a letter, appearing in an orange aura on their desktop. The letter was scrolled up with a tag. It had an image of a twister, the royal seal of Draconia.



Back in Draconia, the staff were cleaning up the castle as ordered by Lady Chrysalis. Each staff was assigned to different cleaning duties. Pinkie Pie and Applejack were designing a menu for the guests. Sunset and Rarity were dusting the furniture in the ballroom.

"Ugh I can't believe how extremely filthy the ballroom looks!" Rarity grumbled. She was dusting of the light lamps on the wall. Rarity had been dusting the ballroom all day. Despite using her magic, it was still hard work for her. She sighed as she finished dusting that last lamp.

"That's because we haven't thrown a party for years, silly!" Pinkie Pie called out from the kitchen. She hopped into the ballroom in her usual giddy manner. Pinkie took out a yellow balloon from her hair and blew one. After blowing up more balloons, Pinkie jumped up really high, pinned them up on the chandelier and landed on the floor gracefully. Her friends looked dumbfounded.

"How did you do that?" Sunset asked.

"I do not know!" Pinkie grinned blissfully.

Sunset rolled her eyes at the pink pony and resumed mopping the floor with her unicorn magic. Sometimes she forgets that Pinkie Pie could defy the law of physics. Why she could do that, Sunset didn't know. Sure, the royal family had played around with gravity too, but that was because of their chaotic powers. Pinkie had no magic so what was her excuse? Some things remain a mystery.

"Any word back from the King, Sunset?"

Sunset stopped her mopping and faced Pinkie.

"No," Sunset sighed. "I don't know why he's not responding to my telegram. I hope the King remembers that the Gala is a week away. How are we suppose to plan this without his guidance?"

"And he thought his trip would take a day," Rarity trailed off. With her magic, she picked up the untouched balloons and streamers. "I just hope we can pull this off."

"Don't worry girls! We can do this!" Pinkie chirped. The earth pony had just finished adding streamers from the chandelier to the dusted wall. "Throwing a party is easy! As long as you have lots of balloons, streamers, and confetti, I'm sure we can do this in a breeze. No need to panic!"

Rarity and Sunset smiled.

"You're right darling. What could possibly go wrong?"

"WHAT THE HECK IS THIS CRUD?" A snarling voice shouted across the room.

"Her," Sunset grumbled to Rarity.

Lady Chrysalis stormed in through the ballroom with a look that would give you shivers. She gazed at the scenery with a look of scorn.

"Balloons!? Streamers!? Miss Pinkie Pie?" Chrysalis sneered, plucking a balloon and some streamers from the chandelier. "I'm throwing a ball for the elite, not a birthday party for six year olds!" The changeling shook the balloon in Pinkie's face.

Pinkie's shoulders sagged and her lip quivered.

Rarity put her forearms around the cook assistant. The seamstress knew how sensitive Pinkie was to harsh criticism.

"Now my lady, you said that you wanted this room decorated," Sunset spoke up. The unicorn was not liking the baroness' attitude. "And Pinkie tried-"

"Ridiculous!" Chrysalis huffed. She spoke in a scratchy and icy tone. "None of you morons tried to make this room look elegant. Redo this all over and make it look like a party and less like a circus!" The changeling threw down the balloon and crushed it with her hoof. "And as for your punishment, I'll give you more chores. When you are finished redecorating the whole ballroom, I want all of you to scrub and polish the living room, polish the throne room, wash the windows, dust the couches, change the lightbulbs, and rearrange the furniture! Is that clear?"

The staff nodded.

Pinkie did not dare to look at the noblemare.

"I'll get Flash and Rainbow to help us," Sunset said.

"Oh no Miss Sunset," Chrysalis commanded. "I already gave them more chores to do! And Miss Applejack will be busy, too!"

"But it's too much work, even for us!" Sunset protested.

The Baroness put her muzzle to the Orange unicorn's. She spoke again with her usual scratchy and icy voice.

"Then I suggest you get to work you stupid mule. Where did Discord hire you from? Hmm? The farm? Ha, you girls are so useless and stupid! It's no wonder why none of you got married! You three are so dumb that you deserved to be left on the streets! Even if you are capable of getting a job, it's prostitution. Haha!"

Her ladyship's insults made Sunset's blood boil. Sunset growled, wanting nothing than to jump and strangle that changeling's neck. How dare she act this way! She would have done that if it were not for Pinkie Pie holding her back.

"By the way, Miss Rarity," Chrysalis spoke again, her voice still haughty. "Tell Miss Fluttershy that she is invited to attend the gala. I want to show the elite the woman that tamed the Royal princesses."

"Um, sure my ladyship," Rarity bowed. She was uncertain why but it gave her another excuse to make a new dress.

As soon as Lady Chrysalis exited the room, Pinkie let go of Sunset.

"Why did you restrain me?" The unicorn yelled at the earth pony.

"I didn't want you to get hurt!" Pinkie yelled back. "Do you want to lose your job over her?"

The question shook Sunset out of her anger.

"Sorry I just can't stand her! Everyday she has been dumping work on us all. the. time!" she ranted. Her eyes formed tears but Sunset refused to show them.

"I know darling, she is very rude!" Rarity said soothingly. The pearl equine had spotted her friend's tears.

"If she keeps acting like that, I don't think I want Discord to marry her!" Pinkie whispered to them, in fear that Chrysalis or somepony else might hear them.

"Me either," the girls replied.

"What's going on?" a sweet voice rang out.

The mares turned around to see Fluttershy and the children. The nanny stood there looking concerned while the fillies looked around the room with curiosity.

"The gala is in two days and Discord has not come back to oversee the party preparations! The Baroness has dumped so much work on us!" Sunset answered. Her voice held stress and frustration.

Fluttershy felt pity for the staff. Thinking back to her days at Madame DeRange's boutique, she remembered how it felt to be overworked.

"Is there anything I can do to assist you?"

Before either of the stafff could answer, they were pounced by Babs Seed, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom.

"Sunset, did you say 'gala'?" Babs Seed smiled, her eyes growing really big.

"Yes," Sunset answered.

"Are the ponies going to come over and dance and eat with us!?" Sweetie Belle squeaked.

"Yes."

"Does this gala include ponies dressing up?"

"Yes!"

The girls were so excited that they squealed! They all began jumping up and down in the air as fireworks bursted out from Screwball's hat. Screwball and Babs Seed haven't been to a party in years and the younger ones had never attended a party. Either way, they were thrilled that they get to go!

In her excitement, Sweetie Belle's horn glowed green again. This time, her new power did not go unnoticed by her sisters or the staff.

"Sweetie Belle, your horn!" Apple Bloom pointed it out.

"Huh?" Sweetie Belle squeaked. She stopped bouncing. "What about it?"

"It was glowing green!"

"It was?"

"Yeah and you changed the room!"

Sweetie Belle glanced around and noticed that she had changed the color of the walls from golden brown to mint green. Her cheeks flushed pink in embarrassment.

"That's odd," Rarity observed studying the youngest princess' horn. "It has never done that before."

"Is it bad?" Sweetie asked, still flushing. Like her other sisters (especially Babs Seed), Sweetie Belle rarely did magic because she was not good at it. She was afraid to find out whether this power was a good thing or not.

"No, far from it," Rarity smiled rubbing Sweetie's mane.

"In fact, this is good news!" Sunset added. "It means that your powers are growing. Glowing horns are common among the unicorns."

"But why did my powers take so long to develop?" Sweetie Belle questioned.

"I don't know but it's a very good question!"

"Let's worry about the powers later, we got a gala to prepare!" Rarity reminded her friends. She turned to the nanny. "Oh by the way, Miss Fluttershy you are invited, too."

Fluttershy looked like a deer in the headlights.

"I-I am?"

"Orders by Lady Chrysalis," Sunset answered.

"Yeah she said something about wanting to show off the mare that tamed the Princesses of Draconia!" Pinkie added, ending her sentence with a squealing sound.

Fluttershy looked worried. Something about meeting other royals seemed to make her apprehensive. "I don't know...-"

"Oh come on, Miss Fluttershy!" Apple Bloom chirped. "It'll be so much fun!"

"But girls-"

"We'd be honored if you join us," Screwball smiled also persuading.

"Yeah please, Miss Fluttershy?" The others pleaded. "Pleeeeaaase?"

The girls put on thier best Bambi eyes that they could muster.

Fluttershy really didn't want to go to the gala. She'd feel out of place because she's a commoner. But seeing as how much the princesses want her to accompany them, Fluttershy surrendered.

"All right, I'll come."

"Really?!"

Fluttershy smiled and nodded.

The girls were so happy that they bounced around Fluttershy.

Sweetie Belle's horn glowed green and green balloons appeared on the chandelier.

"Miss Sunset, do you want me to help you with the preparations?" Fluttershy offered.

"No, that's fine," Sunset shook her head. "You don't have to help." As grateful as she was, the orange unicorn didn't want to overload the pegasus with work.

"Oh but I want to," Fluttershy insisted. "I don't want you girls to be burdened."

"We can help too, Miss Sunset!" Sweetie Belle added. Her sisters nodded too excitedly.

"Are you sure?" Sunset asked. The wise mare felt a sense of warmth in her heart that Fluttershy offered to lend a hoof. But she was skeptical at the princesses. Since when do they help out? They were just as lazy as their father!

"Yes!" Fluttershy and the fillies chorused.

Sunset, Rarity, and Pinkie smiled.

"All right, but it's going to be a lot of work. Are you up to it?" Sunset explained.

"Of course, Miss Sunset," Screwball smirked, flashing herself, her nanny, and her sisters, some maid outfits. The swirls in her eyes began to swirl and glow in a lavender aura. "We can do work very fast. After all we have powers after all!"



During the next several hours, the princesses and the staff worked together to get the castle in top shape. Everybody was working together side by side!

Screwball and Sweetie Belle helped Rarity and Pinkie decorate the ballroom. The heir used her powers to make the chandelier sparkle with color-changing lights. She and Rarity also set up the tables with ivory table cloths and silverware. After a couple of tries, the youngest princess got her horn to change the color of the walls back to golden brown.

Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash made sure that the security was doing well.

Fluttershy helped Flash Sentry clean the court yard. It was easy for Fluttershy because she had done it before. She taught Flash how to care for the flowers and keep the grass neat.

In the kitchen, Apple Bloom assisted Applejack with cooking the food. They had to make lot of dishes for many guests. With Apple Bloom's powers, the females managed to make 49 apple pies, 49 apple fritters, 49 apple salads, and 49 apple ciders in a matter of minutes. When Applejack could not store anymore food into her own fridge, Apple Bloom flashed another refrigerator for her.

Babs Seed and Sunset walked down the hallways, making sure that the rooms were clean and neat.

By the time evening came, the castle was prepared for the party.

Flash and the girls stood out in courtyard and studied the castle.

"Well, I'll be," Applejack said softly. "The castle has never look so grand in ages!"

"Thank you so much everypony for all your help!" Sunset praised. "Especially you Miss Fluttershy and your highnesses. We could not have done it without you."

"It was nothing," Fluttershy blushed.

"Yeah no big," Babs Seed chirped.

"I can't wait for the gala!" Pinkie shouted. "It's going to be so much fun! Ooo, I'm so nervicited!"

"You do realize that's not a real word, right?" Applejack deadpanned.

The others just simply laughed, used to Pinkie's nonsensical vocabulary.



Suddenly the day of the gala arrived.

Apple Bloom looked out of the window from the nursery.

"Look girls, I can see the guests now!" the princess yelped excitedly. Her sisters rushed to the window and gasped.

"There must be dozens of them!" Scootaloo cried.

"Maybe there's a prince who wants to dance with you, Screwy!" Babs Seed teased, nudging Screwball in the arm.

"Har har, very funny!" Screwball grumbled. There was one boy she want to dance with but he's not here.

Sweetie Belle gave Babs a disapproving look before putting her hoof on Screwball's arm.

"Don't worry, big sister. You don't have to dance with a Prince. You can dance with us!"

"Yeah, it'll be a sisters night out!" Scootaloo piped up.

Screwball felt her gloominess melt away a little as she smiled at her sisters. Perhaps just spending an evening with her sisters would be all the company she could use.

"You're right," she hugged them after stretching out her arms very long. "Besides we have a song to perform so we better stick together."



Every noble from every part of Equestria hopped off their carriages and headed toward the castle. They all looked forward to this party for it's the first one that Discord has thrown in years

"This party is going to be great!" Prince Ayaan cheered to his friend Prince Rutherford.

"It better be," Rutherford responded.

"Ugh, why do we have to go visit that dreadful King and his horrible daughters?" Queen Spoiled Rich of Ponyville gagged to her husband, Filthy Rich.

"Darling, please be nice," Filthy Rich hissed. "I don't want my partnership with him to be ruined! And that goes to you, too Diamond Tiara!"

"Yes, Daddy," his daughter winced at her father's tone.

"Now Blueblood, I want you to be on your best behavior," Queen Luna reminded her nephew sternly. "Do you understand?"

"Yes Aunt Luna," Prince Blueblood sighed in a bored voice. He didn't see how this party could be any fun.

"Sister, did you raise the moon up?" Celestia asked Luna.

"Yes, Sister."

"I wonder what the Draconian princesses are like now?" The Duke of Maretonia asked his wife.

"I bet they are beautiful!" The Duchess of Maretonia wondered in amazement.

Flash Sentry and Rainbow Dash opened the gates as soon as they saw the elite. The two pegasi bowed and greeted each noble that passed by them.



"WHERE THE TARTURUS IS DISCORD!?" Lady Chrysalis screamed at Sunset, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie. They were in the throne room, waiting for guests, but mostly, Discord.

"I'm sure he's-"

"Shut up!" Chrysalis snapped at Sunset. "Your days are numbered! I told you a hundred times to sent a note to Discord!"

"No you didn't," Pinkie Pie mumbled. Even the perky pony was having enough of this changeling.

Chrysalis swished her head to the assistant cook.

"What was that?"

Pinkie stuttered only to be rescued by Applejack.

"What she means your Ladyship is that Discord is very busy but he should be on his way-I hope."

"Well one of you, anybody, I don't care, go and call him again! If Discord does not show up to announce our engagement to the world, I will look like a laughing stock! And I don't want my reputation to be ruined! I am the Baroness, I deserved to be treated like a saint! Do I make myself clear?" Chrysalis barked.

"Y-Yes, my Ladyship!" the staff gulped.

Sunset dashed off to write another message for Discord. Applejack and Pinkie Pie went to the kitchen to check on the food. As they went away their seperate ways to do their duties, each mare felt a little bit shaken up and angry. They wondered out of all the Royal women, why did the Flim and Flam brothers pick her for Discord?



All the guests gathered into the throne room. They were greeted by Lady Chrysalis, who did a marvelous job acting sophisticated and proper.

Rarity came into the throne room and announced every pony's attention.

"Introducing the five princesses of Draconia!"

The first princess to trot in was Screwball. She was dressed in a pink gown with short puffy sleeves. Her dress had a white frilly sash with pink in the middle. The white frills appeared on the hem of her dress, the hem of her sleeves, and on her collar. On Screwball's chest, was her brooch of a baseball. Screwball bowed down to the crowd and stood next to Lady Chrysalis. She was still secretly a bit wary of the noblemare but stood next to her anyway for appearances.

The second princess to walk in was Babs Seed. Her gown was midnight blue with blue frills which were at the hem of her dress. She had long sleeves that had frills on her elbows and frills on the end of her wrists. Her dress had a sash that was tied to the side of her waist, rather than on the back. Her brooch was of a pair of scissors. Like her sister before her, Babs Seed bowed down to the crowd. After that, she stood next Screwball.

The third princess to waltz in was Apple Bloom. She was donned in the exact same gown as Screwball's, only except it was in salmon with cream frills. There was a brooch of a purple apple with a pink heart in the middle on her chest. Apple Bloom waved to the guests-only to be interrupted by Rarity's cough. Apple Bloom blushed, forgetting that she was supposed to keep her hooves folded together like holding a lily. She bowed in front of the audience and stood next to her sisters.

Scootaloo was up next. Her gown was lavender with gray frills that showed on her long sleeves, her wrists, her collar, and the hem of her dress. Her sash was tied to the side of her waist like Babs Seed's sash. Her brooch displayed a purple pegasus wing with a pink lightning bolt in the middle. Instead of trotting gracefully like her sisters, she skipped! When she did, she tripped on her dress and fell! (Princess Dimond Tiara of Ponyville snickered at the sight, only to be nudged by her father, Filthy Rich.) Scootaloo quickly stood up, bowed, and quickly walked to the side of her sisters. If she weren't in the company of adults, she would have punched whoever laughed at her.

It took the nervous youngest princess a while to take her turn. Prompted by Fluttershy, Sweetie Belle took a deep breath and gracefully trotted into the throne room. Her purple gown had light blue frills that appeared on her sleeves, her wrists, her collar, and the hem of her dress. Her brooch was a purple star with a pink heart in the middle. When Sweetie Belle looked at the audience to bow, the sight of many ponies spooked her so much that her horn lit up and aimed toward the ceiling! The impact was strong enough to form cracks on the ceiling but not enough for it to fall down.

Many guests gasped (Diamond Tiara snickered again until her father nudged her to stop.)

Sweetie Belle looked to Rarity for help.

The Royal seamstress frantically, motioned for Sweetie Belle to bow. Rarity had to get a janitor to fix that ceiling after the gala.

So Sweetie Belle did and quickly walked to where her sisters were before her horn could light up again.

All princesses bowed to the guests together. A round of applause rang throughout the throne room. Despite a few missteps, the royals were delighted at how graceful the princesses were.

"Their father must be proud of them," Celestia whispered to Luna.

"Speaking of him, where is Discord?" Luna whispered back. "It seemed rude of him to not show up to his own party."



"Don't worry, Mothball, I'm sure your parents are here," Discord comforted Mothball, for what seemed like a hundredth time.

"That's what you said several hours ago before we left!" the colt barked. The two males were back in their room at the hotel. Despite looking at every dragon cave (and fighting off every dragon that lived there) Mothball's parents were nowhere to be found. "I am beginning to think that-that...,"

Mothball's eyes began to form tears.

"Now don't say that Mothball!" Discord said abruptly. "We saw in my mirage, your parents are alive, and we will find them!"

Mothball sniffled and wiped away his tears.

"You are right, I'm sorry acting like a sissy."

"No problem, kid."

An annoying ringing sound came from the desktop. It was another letter with an orange glow and a Draconian seal on it.

Discord rolled his eyes.

"Oh brother, what is bacon head bellyaching about?"

Mothball took the rolled up letter from the desktop and hoofed it over the King.

"You should open it."

"Oh it's probably nothing to worry about." Discord scoffed. "It could be one of my daughters acting up and no pony except Miss Fluttershy, knows what to do." Lazily, he opened the letter, expecting to hear Sunset whining about his daughters. But what he read, made his eyes pop out of his sockets!

"THE GALA!?" The King looked at the grandfather clock. It was 6:00pm. The gala started an hour ago. "OH NO, I'M LATE!" He turned to the young boy. "Mothball, I am afraid we have to cut this search short."

"WHAT, BUT WE CANNOT GO NOW!" the refugee shouted. His hope quickly turned to anger. "YOU SAID THAT WE'D FIND MY PARENTS NO MATTER WHAT! WHY DO WE HAVE TO GIVE UP NOW? I THOUGHT YOU'D HELP ME! BUT I WAS WRONG!"

He quickly ran out of the room.

"Mothball, wait!" Discord shouted. He ran after the boy.

Mothball ran and ran until, he came upon a hill. The colt sat down curled up in a ball and pouted. He squeaked when he found Discord sitting down next to him. (Discord had flashed beside him.) Mothball glared at the King and turned his back to him.

The chimera sighed.

"Mothball, will you please listen to me?" he pleaded gently.

The boy said nothing and kept his back to him.

The King sighed again, trying to think of how to make the the teenager understand.

"Mothball, I'm not canceling the search. I'm just cutting it short. Think of it as taking a break."

The teenaged boy turned around and raised his eyebrow at the king.

"What do you mean by 'taking a break?'

"I meant that we'll just quickly go back to my castle, make sure everything's fine there and resume our search party!" Discord explained, putting birthday hats on him and on the boy. He also summoned Mothball a piece of vanilla mousse cake. "This is..not cheering you up, isn't it?"

"Well, I still don't understand why we have to go back for the gala." grumbled Mothball. "Couldn't you just notify Sunset that you can't go?"

"Unfortunately I have to be there Mothball." Discord responded apologetically. "As King, there are duties that I can't ignore. Like I said, I will resume the search for your parents after attending the gala."

"Really?" the young changeling asked, feeling tiniest bit of hope.

"Yes," his highness answered. His face turned sour. "Although I am not REALLY looking forward to announcing my engagement to the whole world! Believe me, if it were up to me, I'd much rather run around with you than pretend not to squirm around Lady Chrysalis."

"Lady Chrysalis?" Mothball blinked. "Was it that scary mare who wanted to talk to you or something before we left Draconia?"

"Yep, that's the one." the King grumbled.

"Why do you want to marry the baroness if you can't stand her?" the boy questioned.

"Because!" Discord snapped."It's my duty! My daughters need a mother, my subjects need a queen. As much as I dislike Chrysalis, I can't afford to be romantic."

"Beg your pardon your majesty," the boy pressed on. "But don't you want to marry someone who you love and loves you in return?"

The question made King silent. He wanted to say something but when opened his mouth, no words came out.

"You don't have to answer now," Mothball added patiently. "But please think about it before you announce your engagement."

"Oh let's just go home already!" Discord barked before snapping his claws to teleport the boy and himself back home.



All the royals were in the ball room having a good time. Some couples were dancing to the orchestra, led by Octavia. Other royals were taking hors d'oeuvres from waiters and maids. Fluttershy was thrilled to see Queen Celestia.

"Oh Queen Celestia, it's so good to see you!" Fluttershy said joyfully.

"Likewise Fluttershy," Celestia smiled. "I came here to check up on you. How are things going with your job?"

"Wonderful!" Fluttershy responded immediately. "The children were so delightful! I thought I was going to be not good at my job at first, but with help from the staff and the children, I think it turned out just great!"

The children appeared by her side, mesmerized at the Canterlot ruler.

"Miss Fluttershy, do you know Queen Celestia!?"

"Yes, I do," Fluttershy giggled at the princesses starstruck faces.

"Miss Fluttershy was telling me about you." Celestia smiled at the princesses. "And I must say you were all wonderful on your introductions."

"I don't know," Scootaloo said, blushing. "I messed up a little."

"Me too," Sweetie Belle said, thinking back to her incident with her horn.

"Everypony makes mistakes. The important thing is that you two recovered from them very nicely," Celestia responded gently.

The princesses sighed in relief.

Just then Lady Chrysalis appeared. Unlike other royals, she didn't acknowledge Queen Celestia or the little princesses.

"Ah Miss Fluttershy!" The changeling greeted. "There you are! I have something special for you to do." There was a sneaky twinkle in her eyes which confused the mares.

"Um all right," the nanny said, feeling unsure. She really want to spend time catching up with Queen Celestia. But she understood her responsibilities that have to be fulfilled-whatever responsibilities Chrysalis had for her.

Lady Chrysalis led Fluttershy by her hoof to a small stage in center of the ballroom.

"You will be singing a song for the elite!" Lady Chrysalis answered when asked by the little pony what she would be doing.

Fluttershy's eyes almost bulged out of her sockets.

"What!?"

Chrysalis put Fluttershy center onstage and gave her a microphone . The nanny began to fret.

"I have stage fright!" Fluttershy protested. "I really can't sing-"

"You will sing by my orders!" Chrysalis commanded. "Ponies everywhere want to hear about the mare that taught music to the princesses of Draconia! Having you sing will make the king and his kingdom look good. And you better sing well because if you sing badly, you'll embarrass the kingdom and lose your job! Understand?"

"Y-Yes, my Ladyship!" Fluttershy stammered.

Lady Chrysalis rang her bell to get everypony's attention.

"I want to thank you all for coming to the party of me and King Discord (who is running late). You will be hearing a performance by the children's school teacher, Miss Fluttershy."

A round of applause was heard throughout the ballroom.

Chrysalis gave Octavia a note to play and Octavia started up the band.

Fluttershy gulped. Out of all the ponies to sing in front of the party guests, why her? When she started her song, her voice was soft, barley audible.
"I can't hear her!" One party stallion whispered to another one. Fluttershy gulped again but proceeded singing anyway.
Celestia and the children signaled Fluttershy to raise her voice. As she did, Fluttershy also closed her eyes, not wanting to look at the crowd.
At the last note, Fluttershy fainted! But just as she was collapsing, Fluttershy didn't hit the floor. She felt herself in a pair of strong arms-technically a paw and a talon. She opened her eyes and was surprised to see a certain draconequus smirking down at her. She gave him a look that yelled, 'Save me!'
"Relax, my dear," Discord chuckled lightly. The King pushed her back up on the floor. He winked at her as he flashed a microphone for himself and sang his part.
"Keep your eyes on me," Discord whispered to his employee.

Fluttershy felt her fear disappear. As she looked at her King, Fluttershy forgot about the ponies, the baroness, the children and everything around her. All she could focus on was him. For some reason, the King looked very hoofsome tonight. Automatically, she sang the chorus with Discord.
The pony and the draconequus were smiling and gazing into each other's eyes. They almost did not hear the crowd applauding for them.

"Oh thank you, thank you so much, your majesty!" Fluttershy cried as she hugged a shocked Discord. She breathed out a sigh of relief and snuggled in his arms. They were so strong and warm that Fluttershy felt that she could stay in them forever.

"Anything..., Fluttershy," the King stuttered. Not only was his face flushed, but his heart was pounding in his chest.

The princesses shared each other big smiles.

"Oh my gosh, are they in love?" Apple Bloom whispered to her big sister.

"Of course they are!" Screwball said. "Didn't you see them gazing into each other's eyes?"

"Did you notice how daddy got up to sing with Fluttershy? It was so romantic!" Sweetie Belle sighed.

"I don't know about you guys, but I like the idea of Fluttershy being my mother!" Babs Seed said happily.

"Oh me too, me too!" Scootaloo jumped, happily.

"Grr, what the heck just happened!?" Chrysalis growled underneath her breath. This was not how she thought the outcome would turned out. She had expected the namby pegasus to freak out and flee out of the ballroom! And it would have worked had that idiot future fiance of hers didn't spoil everything!

Rarity whispered to Sunset that it was time for the children to sing their act. Thus, Sunset Shimmer got onstage with the microphone and bowed to King Discord and Fluttershy.

"Wow, that was a tremendous performance! Thank you you majesty and Miss Fluttershy! Let's give them a round of applause for such a lovely duet!"

The guests cheered and stomped their hooves for the blushing nanny and the sheepish King. They bowed and exited the stage.

Sunset resumed her speech. "And now the next show will be the princesses of Draconia bidding you all goodnight before they go to bed!"

The crowd stomped their hooves.

"OK, that's our cue!" Screwball whispered to her sisters.

"What, 10:30 already!?" Scootaloo groaned.

"Oh, suck it up! Be happy that we got to stay up an hour later!" Babs Seed hissed.

The five little princesses poofed onstage, almost scaring Sunset. (They giggled at Sunset's scared look.)

Sunset trotted offstage and gave Octavia a note to play. Octavia started up the orchestra. Screwball and Babs Seed formed a single line while the younger three positioned themselves behind them. Screwball and Babs Seed began to sing, followed by the three younger princesses.

When the performance was over, the guests started to converse with each other, excitedly on how wonderful the princesses were.

"Wow, those fillies were tremendous!" Prince Rutherford marveled.

"Indeed," Blueblood agreed. "I never thought I'd say this but...they are talented."

"Discord, how did you get the girls to behave so well?" Prince Ayaan asked.

Discord looked fondly at Fluttershy who was conversing with Celestia and Luna.

"I had some help."

He excused himself and strode over to Fluttershy who had just finished talking with the two royal sisters. When Discord met Flutterhsy's gaze, he noticed how the pegasus blushed but smiled shyly at him. For some reason, this made him feel giddy. The King felt himself blushing as he returned her with a genuine smile.

"Miss Fluttershy, would you like to sit with me at the dinner table and later have a dance?"

Fluttershy lit up like a firefly. Being with the king made her feel giddy.

"I love to, your highness!"

Discord's heart fluttered at his nanny's answer. He began leaning forward as if he wanted to kiss her.

Fluttershy felt a little scared yet at the same time, excited. She felt her eyes closing as she started leaning forward.

"Miss Fluttershy, " Rainbow Dash popped in, causing both the yellow pony and the chimera to quickly jump back from each other. Rainbow Dash observed their red faces and wondered what was wrong with them. "I am sorry to interrupt but the fillies want a bedtime story and they only want you, nopony else. So can you come upstairs for a bit?"

"Sure Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy responded. She faced Discord again who looked a little peeved at his lieutenant's interruption. Fluttershy giggled at his expression. "I'll be right back, your highness."

"Don't worry, I'll save a seat for you at the table, Miss Fluttershy," Discord told her gently.

As Fluttershy went upstairs to the nursery, Discord stood by the staircase. He'd wait for her, no matter what.



After Fluttershy bid the children good night, she stepped out of the nursery room, only to bump into...Discord!?

"Oh Your Highness, I didn't know you were coming upstairs!" Fluttershy flushed. She smiled and giggled, feeling like a young school filly. "But no matter, let's go downstairs together."

Just as Fluttershy was about to take his paw, Discord halted her with his claw. He looked very grim.

"Miss Fluttershy, I came here to tell you something. I am afraid I won't be needing you anymore."

Fluttershy looked hurt and shocked.

"What, I-I-I d-don't understand," she stammered. "Am I being fired? Did I do something wrong?"

Discord halted his paw to silence her ramblings.

"No, you did not do anything wrong," he explained calmly and stoically. "It's just that tonight, I am going to propose to Lady Chrysalis and later announce our engagement. Now that the children are going to have a mother, they would not need a governess anymore."

Fluttershy felt her heart shattering into a million of pieces. A while ago, she was asked to sit next to her employer and dance with him. Now he's kicking her out!? How could he just throw her away like that? Fluttershy had no idea how long she would stay at the castle but she thought it would be for a very long time! She thought that she and the King were getting along so well! What happened? Did her really think of her not fit to watch the children? The children! How was she going to explain to them?

"Could I tell the children goodbye?" Fluttershy dared to ask. Maybe she could tell Screwball and leave it to her to explain to the little ones.

"No," Discord answered, still emotionless. "It would upset them. Leave right away because the family and servants would be too busy with the wedding preparations." The chimera conjured up a pink slip and gave it to the shell-shocked pony.

"Oh come now, Miss Fluttershy," the ruler chuckled. "Did you really think that our little duet meant anything? I only came up there to save my reputation, not because I felt sorry for you! I mean, the idea of me falling in love with you is laughable! Hello, it's against the law for us to be together! However, even if I did, I would still marry Chrysalis and keep you as a mistress! But Celestia would kill me for trying to do that. So pack up your bags and return to Canterlot immediately!"

It took a lot of the pegasus' strength to not break down and sob before His Majesty. Hurt and heart-broken, Fluttershy galloped to her bedroom to pack.

Once the pegasus left, a huge green flame engulfed Discord. It was Lady Chrysalis! Lady Chrysalis had disguised herself as King Discord to fire Fluttershy! She had snuck upstairs into the hallway, knowing that Fluttershy would tuck the kids in bed. She had donned her disguise while Fluttershy read to the children so that once she came out, Chrysalis would catch her like a Cat catching a mouse!

"That was excellent!" the Baroness chuckeld evilly to herself. "Her love for Discord was delicious and made me very strong! Now that I got Miss Fluttershy out of the picture, I can easily get rid of the Draconian family and rule Draconia!"

"You!"

The Baroness heard a gasp coming from across the nursery. Chrysalis turned around and was surprised to see Copper!

Copper (or Mothball in disguise) witnessed the whole scene! When he and Discord came home, the king had poofed Mothball back to their room. The boy had gone out to ask Applejack for a glass of water when he spotted Fluttershy coming out of the nursery. When he saw the fake Discord talking to the nanny, he thought it was the real Discord, too, until the green fire revealed who really tricked Fluttershy into leaving.

"I can't believe what just happened!" Copper growled. "I'm going to tell the King about this!"

Before he could leave, Chrysalis flew in front of him with a death glare.

"Go ahead and do it, little pony," she spoke in a cold and icy tone. Her eyes narrowed at him, clenching her jaw. "And I will kill you and make it look like an accident!" She held up her knife to show that she was serious.

The color drained from the boy's muzzle. Out of fear for his safety, Mothball gulped and promised.

"I-I w-won't say a-anything!"



The real Discord was still by the foot of the stairs, waiting for Fluttershy.

"Oh come on!" he muttered to himself. "How long does it take to put the girls to bed?" He knew he was being impatient, but he could not wait to dance with Fluttershy and dine with her! When he heard hoofsteps, he smiled thinking it was Fluttershy. Dissapointment flashed in his face when he saw Lady Chrysalis descending downstairs.

"Hello Chrysalis," Discord greeted stoically. "Where is Miss Fluttershy?"

"Oh she had to go to bed," Lady Chrysalis lied. "The poor dear was too tired from the party!"

Discord was confused. Fluttershy had never said she was too tired to join the party. Didn't she say that was going to join him for dinner? She looked very excited, too.

"Maybe I should check on her," he replied. He was about to go upstairs and see if she needed anything when Chrysalis gripped his arm. He looked at her wondering what was up with her.

"Don't bother her," Chrysalis said lowly. "She needed rest."

Before Discord could question it further, Applejack and Pinkie Pie announced that dinner was served. The king escorted the baroness to the dining table. He knew how much Applejack and Pinkie Pie hate to wait serving dinner.



At dinnertime, the King never drank or ate his food. He didn't participate or listen to the conversations that happened at the table (even the ones about politics). All he could ever think of was his nanny. Whenever Fluttershy plagued his thoughts, Discord's heart would accelerate in a good way. When he sang with her, Discord realized that maybe, just maybe, she's the one he couldn't get enough of. Maybe she's the one that he wants to spend-

Chrysalis clinked her wine glass with a spoon to make an announcement. She waited for Discord to stand up and say something but but the time never came. So she decided to take matters into her own hooves.

All royals faced Chrysalis and Discord.

"Thank you for laying your eyes on me," she announced.

'Who would want to lay their eyes on her?' Discord thought with annoyance. He absentmindly took a sip from his chocolate liquor.

"As you all know, Discord and I have wonderful news! We are getting married!"

Discord was so horrified that he spit out his drink from across the table. Before he could say anything to stop this, Chrysalis turned to him.

"Isn't that right, Discord?"

Her question felt more like demand. As if she were demanding him to say something.

"...Yes...," Discord reluctantly answered.

King Filthy Rich raised his wine glass.

"A toast to the happy couple! May Celestia grant you a happy and successful marriage!"

All royals raised their glasses and clinked.

"All hail King Discord and Queen Chrysalis!" They alll cheered. Celestia and Luna were the only ones who noticed Discord being secretly unhappy about this match.



A waiter and a maid had heard the news while waiting to collect the dishes. Once they collected the dirty dishes, they went into the kitchen. But instead of washing the dishes, the waiter and the maid tiphoofed outside to the courtyard. They took out their Walkie talkies. It was Svengallop and Trixie!

"Calling Starlight, this is Svengallop and Trixie, over!" Svengallop called.

"What news have you for me?" Starlight's voice was heard over.

"King Discord and Lady Chrysalis had announced thier engagement!" Trixie reported. "They are getting married!"

"Oh no, this is bad!" Starlight gasped. "With Chrysalis by his side, Discord would surely attack us! And help Chrysalis kill all ponies so they could rule Equestria!"

"It doesn't make a difference. He's all powerful whether he's by himself or allied with someone. What chance do we stand against Discord?" Svengallop questioned.

"Yeah, it's not as if we have some kind of magic that would eradicate him," Trixie added.

"I've been working on it," Starlight answered patiently. "Ever heard of a creature called the Tatzleworm?"

"No," Svengallop and Trixie spoke.

"Well, the Tatzleworm is a giant worm that lives underneath a large pink flower on a hill in Ponyville. When it sneezes, it spreads a lot of mucus around. The Tatlzeworm's mucus is very fatal, especially to those with magic. If we could collect some mucus, we would use it to weaken Discord enough for an assassination! And we'll do the same to Chrysalis and eventually Discord's daughters. What do you think?"

"Sounds so evil and tricky!" Trixie stated. Then she did an evil chuckle. "Oh I love it!"

"Does this mean that we have to go and collect...the poisonous mucus from...the Taztleworm?" Svengallop gulped.

"Yes Sherlock," Starlight answered, annoyed. "Go right now to Ponyville! Don't let the others see you!"

Svengallop answered, "Rodger, over!"

Just then they heard hoofsteps approaching from afar.

"Quick, somepony's coming!" Trixie hissed. She grabbed a broom and a dust pan that was leaning against the back door. "Let's pretend we're sweeping so they won't notice a thing!"

The two spies pretended to work. From the corner of their eyes, they see a distressed buttercream mare slipping out into the night, carrying her baggage. Tears were cascading from her eyes as she flew away into the moonlight.

"Who was it?" Starlight asked worriedly over the walkie-talkie. "Did someopony see you?"

"Nah" Trixie answered not feeling worried at all. "It was that governess Fluttershy who was flying away with her bags. I'm not sure where she was going."

"Bring her to me," Starlight ordered.

"Why?" Svengallop questioned. "I doubt that she could be an obstacle to our plans."

"She might have useful information about Discord," Starlight answered. "Svengallop, you go and get Fluttershy. Trixie you get me the mucus from the Taztleworm. Now get on with it!"

"Right, over!" the two minions reported.





Fluttershy had to get far far away from this place. Just thinking about Discord and the children brought tears to her eyes. The pegasus was thinking so much about them that she did not notice a certain follower of Starlight Glimmer approaching her from behind...

> Chapter 23: Fluttershy is Gone
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a bright and sunny morning. The princesses were still sleeping in the nursery. They were blissfully, unaware of the events that were about to take place.

Pinkie Pie bounced in through the opened door. She leapt over to each bed, banging a pair of cymbals while shouting, WAKEY-WAKEY GIRLS! WAKEY-WAKEY!"

The princesses shot up from their beds, startled by their hyper servant. Their manes and tails stood up in the air. Once the sound of cymbals deceased, the fillies landed softly on their mattresses.

"Pinkie, that hurts our ears!" Sweetie whined covering her ears.

"Come on girls!" Pinkie whined back. "Your daddy is downstairs waiting for you!"

Screwball looked at her alarm clock which read 9:00 AM.

"Oh no, we overslept!"

"Exactly!" The pink mare emphasized. "You girls were supposed to be up and at the breakfast table by now!"

"GIRLS!" A loud voice shouted from downstairs.

"And your father's being impatient!" Pinkie added, frantically.

The princesses leapt out of their beds. They pulled out their new outfits (courtesy of Fluttershy and Rarity) from their closet. They could pick any outfit to wear as long as it's not their ugly sailor suits.

While choosing a casual dress, Screwball looked around the nursery, her mouth slightly opened.

"Where's Miss Fluttershy? She's usually here to wake us up."

"Yeah," Apple Bloom agreed, distracted from her dressing. "She promised to wake us up at 8:30am.

"GIRLS!"

Their father's calling voice was loud and clear but it didn't snap the servant and the little royals out of their thoughts.

"That's a good question!" Pinkie Pie put her hoof to her chin, lifting her eyebrow. "Hmmm...Come to think of it, I haven't seen Miss Fluttershy today."

"Do you suppose she overslept, Pinkie Pie?" Sweetie asked worriedly.

"GIRLS, GET DOWN HERE!"

This time, the King's booming voice made the girls jump in fright! Their bodies shivered and their manes and tails stood up.

"Just finish getting dressed and hurry downstairs to the dining hall!" Pinkie spoke hastily. "I'll check on Miss Fluttershy!" If the kids don't make haste, she'll lose her job, or worse! Sent to a different dimension with no cake!

The fillies clapped their hooves. Their pajamas were changed into their causal dresses. Screwball donned in a yellow dress with purple polka dots. Babs Seed sported an blue navy dress. Scootaloo was in a purple dress with blue polka dots. Apple Bloom was in a light champagne dress with short sleeves. Sweetie Belle was dressed in a mint green dress with yellow lines.

As soon as the princesses finished dressed, they galloped out of the room. The heir would have transported them to the dining hall if she had known how to do that.

Pinkie Pie put on her deer musket cap and took out a smoking pipe. She inhaled it and blew out bubbles. "Pinkie is on the case!"



The princesses dashed throughout the castle, anxious to hear what their father wanted to tell them. They haven't had breakfast or lunch with their him in ages! Usually the girls would eat in the nursery until Miss Fluttershy encouraged Discord to have all three meals with them together. They had trouble putting that into practice because of Mothball and Chrysalis, but this time it's today! The one thing that the fillies wanted to talk about with their father was how awesome he and Miss Fluttershy were at the gala! Maybe, just maybe, she could be their new mother! When they reached the dining hall, the girls stopped abruptly.

Lady Chrysalis was seated next to their father and holding hooves with him. She held a knowing smile that made the girls' stomachs churn. Discord's face was so devoid of emotion that the girls couldn't read it. It didn't last long as his eyebrows narrowed.

"Where's Miss Fluttershy?"

He was a little miffed that the children came downstairs unsupervised without their governess.

The girls winced as they took their seats.

"We-we don't know," Screwball shrugged. "She didn't even wake us up! Pinkie did."

Dissapointment was still present in the King's eyes. He wondered if the pegasus was sleeping on the job. Regardless of Fluttershy's absence, the chimera decided to cut to the chase.

"Children, I know that you have been lonely and need a mother. I have been lonely and I need female companionship. So I have decided to do something for all of us."

"Get to the point, dearest!" the changeling whispered, smiling big.

Discord took a deep breath and put his arm around the baroness' shoulders.

"Lady Chrysalis is going to be your new mother. We're going to get married."

The fillies' eyes widened and their jaws dropped to the floor. They looked as if Hearth's Warming Eve was canceled.

"Better close your little mouths before a group of parasprites fly in, haha!" Chrysalis teased, making a flying gesture with her hooves. She showed off something on her necklace to them, making Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Babs Seed blind. "Anypony liked my engagement ring? I do! Your father made it just for me!" It was an 18k yellow gold 3-stone pearl. Its two pear-shaped emeralds accented the diamond, which was in the center of the ring.

It took a while for Screwball to find her voice.

"A NEW MOTHER!?"

Yes...," Discord answered raising his eyebrow at the tone that his daughter used with him. He crossed his arms. "Is there a problem?"

"Dad, can we talk to you alone?" The heir hissed.

Before Discord could say something, Chrysalis closed his mouth.

"Now, now Discordkins," she said sickenly. "Be nice." She turned to the girls. "If you young ladies want to tell your father something, you can say it in front of me."

"Very well," Screwball glared. She lifted her head up, trying to stand tall. "We don't approve!"

There was another sound of deadly silence. This time it was the adults' turn to be shocked.

"E-Excuse me?" the Baroness asked incredously.

The young princess ignored her and addressed her father. Her voice was struggling to stay calm, despite feeling angry.

"Father, we don't want you to marry her!"

Discord had figured that his daughters would not take the news well but he didn't expect them to react this badly!

"Listen young lady...," he growled.

"No, you listen!" Screwball raised her voice. "We don't want her as our mother!"

"You don't like-like her!" Sweetie Belle added, angrily.

Discord hated to admit but his youngest was right. He doesn't love Lady Chrysalis. She was something that distracted him from his depression during these past five years. But he secretly did not enjoy the Baroness' company, despite always visiting her.

"What other choice do I have?" he sighed. "She is the only one who was not put off by my appearance!"

His fiancé nodded triumphantly. Although she was secretly peeved that the girls were being annoying, Discord was doing a marvelous job, convincing them to suck it up and accept their engagement!

"But what about Miss Fluttershy?" Screwball questioned. "She wasn't put off by your appearance either! Now don't deny that you don't love Miss Fluttershy! We saw how comfortable you were with her last night. You two looked as if you were in love with each other! So why not just marry Miss Fluttershy-"

"SHUT UP, YOU STUPID LITTLE GIRL! " Chrysalis roared. "TEENAGERS LIKE YOU MAKE ME SICK!"

The noblemare had expected her fiancé to keep on convincing the children that their engagement is acceptable. Yet, when the heir brought the name of that little pegasus, the King suddenly changed his demeanor. He went from being emotionless and defeat to being sad and nervous. The anger that had been growing inside her was now rearing its ugly head.

Shocked and horrifed at his fiance's behavior, Discord abruptly stood up from his chair.

"Watch it, you don't call my daughter stupid!" he yelled. "You can't talk to my girls that way, they are not your children!"

"What, they will be soon!" Chrysalis retorted. She was apparently being rude.

Just then, Pinkie Pie bursted into the Dining Hall. There was panic written on her face and she was panting from all her running.

"YOUR MAJESTY! YOUR MAJESTY! MISS FLUTTERSHY IS GONE!"

The princesses gasped in horror.

"WHAT!?" Discord yelled. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S GONE!?"

Pinkie grabbed Discord's muzzle while squishing it and yelled back, "GONE AS IN G-O-N-E! SHE'S NOT IN HER ROOM OR THE  NURSERY! I'VE SEARCHED EVERYWHERE! SHE JUST EVAPORATED! LIKE COTTON CANDY!"

After Discord got Pinkie off his face, he pulled out his walkie-talkie to contact his staff. His heart was pounding hard. Why did Fluttershy leave? She would never leave him and the children, would she?

"Hehe, darling, is this worth getting stressed over?" his fiancé chuckled nervously.

Discord ignored her and called the rest of his staff and Copper (Mothball, as you recall) to report to the dining hall immediately!

When everypony was present, Discord inform the bad news. "Miss Fluttershy is missing! Have any of you seen her last night!?"

Flash and the girls gasped, except Pinkie. The staff shook their heads sadly. They had not seen the buttercream pegasus since the party. All they recalled was that Fluttershy went upstairs to put the kids to bed. They had assumed that she would come down later since they remembered accepting Discord's offer to dine and dance with him. Each staff member found it strange that she did come down but they had thought that Fluttershy was either reading to the kids or was too tired to come down.

Copper stayed silent. He just looked down on the floor and shifted dust around with his brown hoof.

Screwball noticed her friend acting strange and wondered what was wrong with him.

"I want everypony to re-search the castle grounds!" Discord ordered. "Find some clues that could track her down!"

The staff saluted and went away to search.

Copper snuck behind Applejack and walked with her while the Baroness wasn't looking. If it weren't for her presence, he would have told the King what truly happened. But his life was at risk. She was giving him the stern look the whole time!

"Oh please!" Lady Chrysalis rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Discord, is this really necessary? Why do you care so much about this particular nanny? We can hire another one since you are so worried about who will take care of the children! Come on now! Let's forget about her and focus on more important things like our wedding!"

The children shared each other confusing looks. They didn't expect such a strange reaction from the Baroness. Even Screwball looked dumbfounded.

Discord frowned and lifted his eyebrow.

"Why are you talking in this way, Chrysalis? Surely, you like Miss Fluttershy right?"

"HA, of course not!" Chrysalis scoffed. Her face became disgusted as if she drank sour milk. "She's just a foolish common pony!"

Perhaps she had given a bit too much away. Discord crossed his arms and his suspicios look became more apparent than it was a few seconds before.

"Why do you dislike my nanny so much?" the King questioned. "After all, you exposed her in front of all the world leaders."

"Because she's obedient and would never dare to disobey me-unlike your foolish servants! Really, that wise mare and that assistant cook are an embarrassment to Equestria!"

Chrysalis only muttered underneath her breath on what she said about the staff. Unfortunately for her, Discord heard it loud and clear. She had forgotten that he had very good hearing.

"Lady Chrysalis!" he growled. "I do not appreciate the way you talked to my staff! I had heard about how mean you were to them during these past weeks! These 'stupid' servants are my friends! I've known them long way before my daughters were born! I won't tolerate any insults whether it's directed t to my children or to my staff! Do I make myself clear?"

Chrysalis looked a bit taken back at her fiancé's sudden anger. Since when does he lecture her? That tone is usually reserved for his family! The Baroness knew she had to act quick before Discord could ask her anymore questions. She knew how demanding he could be.

"Oh Discord darling!" she purred. Her voice dripped like posion honey. "I am sorry, I was just feeling cranky-wanky today. I went to bed very late because of the party. Would you forgive me?" She flashed her eyes at him to emphasize her innocence.

The King just simply stood there with his arm crossed. He had cringed at his fiance's sickenly sweet behavior that it made him want to gag.

His daughters felt the same as they silently gagged to each other.

"...I'll let it pass this time," he said slowly.

"Oo, goody goody!" Chrysalis clapped her hooves in an annoying manner. "I'll volunteer to help out with the search just to show how sorry I am!"

Still smiling sweetly, the changeling trotted away as if she were an innocent school pony. Once she was out of the dining hall and out of their sight, the Baroness picked up her pace and ran upstairs to her room. She had to sneak by the servants who were on the search. Once the noblemare reached her bedroom door, she opened it and dashed in closing the door behind her.

"Oh this reeks!" she grumbled to herself. "This plan is not going as well as I hoped it would! Discord is smarter than I thought!" She gazed over at her desk that displayed paper, quill, and a bottle of ink. "No matter," the changeling chuckled evilly. "I'll write a fake note from Fluttershy. It'll say that she quit on her own because she was embarresed about last night!" She sat down on her seat and dipped her quill in ink, preparing to script. "No pony will suspect that it was me who sent her away!"



Downstairs in the kitchen, Mothball was helping Pinkie and Applejack with the search. He and Pinkie were told by Applejack to be on the lookout for any clue that belonged to Fluttershy. Once they understand what to do, they split up. Applejack went to the right of the kitchen and Pinkie went to the left. Mothball stayed in the center.

He glanced around and didn't see anythjng that looked suspicious to him. Out of the corner of his left eye, there was the door that the servants use only to take the garbage out. The colt knew that Fluttershy must have run outside. There must be some of her hoof prints there, maybe even a lock of her mane!

Mothball opened the door and stepped outisde. He sniffed the ground, detecting for Fluttershy's scent. He found her scent and kept on trotting until his nose bumped into something hard. "Ow!" the teen cried, rubbing his muzzle. His nose had discovered a brown suitcase. It was opened and some of the clothes had fallen out. There was also the owner's name engraved on the handle, confirming Mothball's fears.



The Draconian royals were still in the dining hall. None of them had touched their food. They just sat there and scraped their forks over their plates with worry.

"I can't belive Miss Fluttershy left," Apple Bloom mumbled. "She didn't even say goodbye!"

"Scootaloo, you didn't play pranks on Fluttershy, did you?" Discord confronted his pegasus daughter.

"No!" Scootaloo responded. "Just the ones she laughed at."

"Then why did she run away?" Discord threw his fork on the table, scaring Sweetie Belle and the scattered Draconian nobles that were also attempting to enjoy breakfast. They were better at pretending it, since they were also scraping their plates and worrying over the nanny. His majesty was always in a better mood with Miss Fluttershy around.

"Father," Screwball narrowed her eyes. "You and Miss Fluttershy didn't have another fight, did you?"

"No, no, we didn't!" Discord assured her. It was true that Fluttershy would try to quit whenver they had a fight only for him to beg her to stay and she'd hug him for giving her another chance. But they did not argue last night. He had a feeling that something was amiss.

Just then, the staff and Copper entered the room. The teen was carrying something in his teeth.

"Copper found this suitcase lying outside of the castle," Sunset told Discord. She levitated the clue out of the boy's mouth and laid it on the table for Discord to see (Discord had flashed the plates away before the suitcase landed on the table). "It was Fluttershy's."

The royals studied the suitcase. There was dirt on the edge of it.

"Why would Miss Fluttershy forget her suitcase?" Apple Bloom inquired.

Anger and panic began to build in Discord. He didn't want to believe it but he had an awful feeling that something dreadful happened.

"Fluttershy's been kidnapped!?"

"Yes, it seems like it," Applejack sighed sadly.

"No, not kidnapped!" Pinkie, Flash, and the children wailed.

"Oh of all the worst possible things that could happen, this is THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!" Rarity bemoaned. Feeling faint, she pulled out one of Discord's lounge chairs and fell on it.

The King's eyes glowed yellow and fire shot up from his horns.

"WHOEVER KIDNAPPED FLUTTERSHY IS GOING TO REGRET THAT THEY MESS WITH THE KING OF CHAOS!"

He was about to take off and find his beloved governess only to be pulled down by Rainbow Dash and Flash Sentry.

"Hold it, Discord!" Rainbow snapped. "We don't know who kidnapped her!"

"I know that, but I am willing to search Equestria to find her no matter how long it takes!"

"I still don't understand why was Fluttershy leaving in the first place," Applejack stated. "It seemed to me that she got kidnapped on her way out."

"She was in a hurry to get-oops!" Copper covered his moth with his hooves, almost forgetting his promise. The company of Fluttershy's concerned friends made him concerned too and speak up just like they were doing. True, his enemy was no longer present in the room but he was afraid that she might appear in any moment.

"Wait a minute," Sunset said suspiciously. "How did you know she was in a hurry?"

The teen sweated and shivered as he tried to back out of the company, only to be stopped by a stern-looking Flash, blocking the exit with his body .

"Kid, do you have something to say that you would like to share with the rest of the class?" Discord questioned. He dressed up like a schoolteacher with glasses and a blue vest. A ruler was in his paw and an apple was in his claw.

"Never mind, forget what I said!" Mothball blushed.

"Please tell us!" Screwball pleaded. The trembling lip and the moisture in her eyes made Mothball's heart break.

"I wish I could tell you but I can't!" he yelled in frustration. "If I tell you, I'm dead."

"What in tarnation are you talking about?" Applejack demanded.

"We won't hurt you," Flash said calmly. "We're family here!"

"It's not you or the girls or even the king that I'm afraid of!" The colt clarified.

"Well, then who is it?" Sunset's patience was running thin.

"Easy Sunset easy," the monarch soothed her by massaging her head with his tail. Once he felt Sunset's anger melt away, his tail left her head. Sunset felt a sense of peace inside her despite the situation.

The King turned to the guilty and nervous boy. "If he won't tell, he'll just have to show us!"

Mothball was confused. What did he mean by that? Then he felt the King touching his forehead.

"Um, beg your pardon your majesty, but what are you doing?"

"I'm going to read your mind!"

After touching the boy's forehead, an image appeared. Discord and others watched as Mothball's memories from last night play out...



It had taken forever, but Chrysalis had perfected 'Fluttershy's' note, finishing it with the pegasus' name at the end. "Now this will fool the King for sure!" she cackled. The Baroness left her bedroom and walked down the hall. She stepped toward the governess' former bedroom. Chrysalis went inside and stayed in there for a minute. Then she popped out of the room, looking as surprised as possible. "Discord, Discord!" she hollered. "You would have never guessed what I just found in Miss Fluttershy's bedroom!" The Baroness rushed into the throne room. Once she did, she had noticed the King looking a bit grimmer than usual. Regardless, the Noblemare smiled gleefully. For once, she gets to be alone with her fiance! No bratty children or servants were in the dining hall, so breakfast was probably over. "Oh well, guess what I found!" She handed the paper to him. "A note from Fluttershy! It explains that she quit on her own will! The poor dear was still shell shocked from last night! The servants must have missed that when they checked her room this morning! Honestly, your servants need to get their eyes checked! Maybe we can hire an eye doctor for them!"

"Chrysalis..," Discord spoke. He just finished reading the note.

Chrysalis didn't hear him and kept on talking. "Which reminds me, we have to do something about the children! Haven't you heard of a little thing called a boarding school? I heard that Faust Academy is a terrific-,"

"Chrysalis!" Discord shouted. This time he got his fiancé's attention. "Although I haven't seen Fluttershy's hoof writing, tell me. Are you sure this note was from Miss Fluttershy?"

"Of course it's from her!" Lady Chrysalis huffed. "Didn't you see her name on the bottom?"

"Yes," said Discord re-looking at it. His tone suddenly changed from calm to anger. "However I doubt she could have gotten hold of the noble stationary!" He stood up from his chair and dangled the fake note in Chrysalis' face.

The sophisticated lady jumped a little and her eyes widened. Her ink and paper were too distinct for the Discord to overlook.

The monarch crumbled the note into a ball and threw it over his head, which blew up and left a dent on the floor.

"Hehe, darling," Chrysalis chuckled, twiddling with her webbed hooves. "What's gotten into-"

"DON'T PLAY INNOCENT WITH ME LADY CHRYSALIS!" Discord hollered. His eyes glowed and his teeth gnashed. "I KNOW IT WAS YOU WHO DROVE MISS FLUTTERSHY AWAY! YOU WERE THE ONE WHO PRETENDED TO BE ME AND FIRE HER! THEN AFTER THAT, YOU THREATENED TO KILL MY VALET IF HE TOLD ME! AND AFTER THAT, YOU CAME DOWNSTAIRS AND LIED TO ME ABOUT FLUTTERSHY BEING TOO TIRED TO JOIN ME AT THE PARTY WHEN SHE HAD ALREADY ACCEPTED MY OFFER! DO YOU DENY IT?"

"Hehe, Darling-"

"DO YOU!?"

Nervousness was replaced by anger in the changeling. She started to become defensive of herself.

"OH YEAH!?" She spat. "HOW DO YOU KNOW ALL THAT? CAN YOU PROVE IT, DETECTIVE!?"

"You have forgotten, my dear friend," Discord snapped. "I have the ability to look into ponies' memories by touching them." He inched toward the jealous bug. "Unless you want me to see your memories...,"

The Baroness jumped away from him fearfully before the chimera could touch her.

"What's wrong Chrysalis?" the draconequus mocked, conjuring up a harmonica. "Are your memories in tune with Copper's?"

Chrysalis had run out of ideas for an escape. The Draconian had discovered the truth and he was not going to buy her lies at all!

"All right, all right!" She snarled at him. The noblemare became defensive again and waved her hooves. "So I did it! But only because that little tramp was trying to steal you away from me! At first, I thought she was trying to get to know you, seeing that she was your new employee. But later, I noticed that you were becoming way too fond of her for my taste! She was preventing our marriage plans from happening! Apparently, she was a distraction to you! I thought if I scare that little pegasus away, you'll forget about her and focus back on me!"

"WHO GAVE YOU AUTHORITY TO FIRE MY NANNY!" Discord erupted. Red flames appeared in his eyes and steam tooted from his ears. He had known how mischievous she was, but he didn't expect Chrysalis to be this ugly on the inside as well! "I DECIDE WHO STAYS AND WHO GOES, NOT YOU! I HAVE BEEN PUTTING UP WITH YOUR FICKLE BEHAVIOR FOR TOO LONG! YOU HAVE CROSSED THE LINE! APPARENTLY YOU CANNOT BE TRUSTED!" The royal Draconian snatched the ring away from Chrysalis' neck roughly. He made it fade away. "THE WEDDING IS OFF! GET OUT OF MY CASTLE AND NEVER RETURN!"

The bug's mouth was wide open. She barred her teeth and huffed. This was not how she imagined her plan was going to play out. She had plans to marry him. Eventually, she would kill him and the children and blame it on one of the staff! Now her plans were crumbling down! "HOW DARE YOU!" she screamed. "NOPONY HAS EVER SPOKEN TO ME LIKE THIS BEFORE!"

"WELL GET USED TO IT, YOU WITCH!" the Draconequus roared. "NOW BE GONE OR ELSE I'LL TURN YOU INTO A CUPCAKE FOR PINKIE PIE!"

The former fiancé flinched, believing he was actually going to do that. She gave Discord a death glare, which left him unaffected. "All right, Discord!" she sneered. "But you will be sorry!"

Discord lifted an eyebrow, wondering what she meant by that.

Chrysalis kept talking and talking so much that Discord felt tempted to snap his fingers and make her disappear.

"You may have won the battle, but you have not won the war! I'll get you, your majesty ...and your little brats too!" One thing ran through her mind. I may not be able to have him as my husband but I can still kill him and seize his throne, one way or other! At last, she dashed out of the room, out of the castle, never to return.

As soon as the Baroness left, Discord breathed out a sigh of relief.

"ALL RIGHT EVERYPONY!" he called. "YOU CAN COME OUT NOW! SHE'S GONE!"

The servants and the children popped out from from various hiding places.

Pinkie Pie and Screwball popped out from the chandelier and floated down, thanks to Screwball's propeller hat.

Applejack and Apple Bloom walked in from the kitchen.

Rarity and Sweetie Belle teleported from the sewing room.

Sunset Shimmer and Babs Seed peeked out underneath the table.

Flash, Mothball, Rainbow Dash, and Scootaloo, flew down from the ceiling.

They smiled and cheered, "All right!" or "Woohoo!" and "Oh yeah!"

"Ding Dong the witch is dead!" Flash and Pinkie sang. "Which old witch, the wicked witch! Ding dong the wicked witch is dead!"

"Not quite, my little ponies," Discord sighed. "She's going to come back with her vengeance!"

"WHAT!?" Pinkie yelled.

"Um, that's...bad," Applejack responded, trying not to sound scared. She had to stay strong for her friends!

"Don't worry, Discord!" Sunset Shimmer saluted. "If that witch comes back, we'll be prepared!"

"Yeah!" Rainbow cried, feeling ready for action. "We'll kick her plot! Chrysalis doesn't stand a chance against us!"

"Good," Discord nodded. "Because I need all of you to watch the castle while I'm gone!"

The ponies and a disguised changeling teen shared each other knowing looks.

"Are you gonna find Miss Fluttershy now?" Pinkie begged while hopping up and down with anticipation.

"Of course, Pinkie, what do you think?" Discord answered.

"One of us should come with you!" Flash commented. "It's too dangerous out there! You have to worry about Countess Glimmer!"

"You also have to worry about Herr Trixie and Herr Svengallop!" Applejack added, worry in her voice.

"I can come along!" Mothball volunteered.

Discord took a deep breath and sighed. "No, I lost Fluttershy and I don't want to lose anymore servants. Besides this is something that I need to do alone. I have no idea how long the journey will take."

"Daddy, promise you won't get hurt!" Sweetie Belle whimpered, her eyes filled with moisture and her bottom lip trembling.

Discord gave a smile and rubbed her mane, which made Sweetie relax a bit.

"Daddy is a big stallion who can unleash chaos on his enemies!"

He conjured up a blue T-Ford car which runs on sugar cane.

"Pray that I'll have a safe trip!" The King hopped in his car and zoomed out of the castle like a spaceship.

"Bye Daddy!" the princesses waved. They could only hope that their dad would find Fluttershy sooner rather than later.

> Chapter 24: The Prison Camp
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


First there was darkness.

Then the mare's eyes slowly opened.

"Ugh...,"Fluttershy moaned holding her head. If only she had an ice pack or a pillow to stop the throbbing! When the equine thought back to what happened, all she could remember was running away when she was suddenly grabbed by a pair of hooves, and feeling a great hit to her head before passing out. She heard a rusting and bustling sound next to her. It was coming from a small brown sack. It rustled so much that the buttercream equine thought that it would explode! Then, the bag opened and out came Angel tumbling out. His fur was messy and unkempt. Relieved to see her pet, Fluttershy scooped up the bunny in her arms and held him.

"Are you all right?" an unknown female voice spoke.

Fluttershy turned to her right and noticed that she was not alone. There were thirty other prisoners in the dark cell. Three of them were stallions. The rest were the changelings. They were all looking at her with curiosity and concern.

"Who are you all?" Fluttershy stammered confused and slightly afraid. "Where am I?"

A female changeling with emerald eyes and her green mane in a braid, answered her question.

"In a prison camp, my dear. We are all prisoners here. We are all in an underground cave."

"I'm...underground?" Fluttershy said in a very small voice. She examined her surroundings. The underground was huge and hollow. It would have been completely dark if it weren't for the torches on walls providing light. In front of them were jail bars. Up above, were many stalactites and stalagmites hanging down.

"Yep!" An orange stallion with poofy brown mane responded. Bouncing up and down in excitement, he shook Fluttershy's hoof so much that she vibrated. "Welcome to the Prison Camp! Home to changelings and a minority of ponies who opposed the countess!" He began introducing himself and the others. "My name is Cheese Sandwich! This changeling is Emerald; that brown stallion is her husband, Toffee; this unicorn stallion is Fancy Pants, this colt changeling is Kevin...,"

Cheese Sandwich voice was drowned out by the throbbing of Fluttershy's head and the racing of her heart. Prison camp!? Is she in Germaney!? How long had she been out? Who took her here? Where's her suitcase? Where's Angel? Will she stop shaking?

"Cheese Sandwich!" a white unicorn whispered, narrowing his eyes at the orange stallion, who immediately dropped the pegasus' hoof. "You're scaring the poor mare!"

"Oops!" Cheese smiled sheepishly, putting a hoof to his mouth. "Sorry, Fancy Pants!"

Fancy Pants rolled his eyes.

Just then, a metallic clinking captured their attention, making the company look over to the bars where a hastily introduced Herr Svengallop was glaring.

"Hey you there!" he shouted. Two eyes glared in the dark. "Yeah, you, the one with pink mane! Get over here!"

Angel squeaked and hopped out of Fluttershy's hooves and hid underneath her long pink locks.

Trembling, Fluttershy got up to her hooves and stumbled on the way to the bars. She gripped the bars with her shaking hooves, trying to hold herself up.

Then a torch was lit nearby by a mint unicorn soldier with short purple hair and pink highlights. The light shone on the face of the ponynapper...

Angel squeaked and shouted many curses that are only understood in bunny language. Oh he remembered that stallion all right. When he saw him grabbing his owner, Angel had jumped on him, trying to bite him! He had successfully bitten that kidnapper which allowed Fluttershy to keep on running! Unfortunately, Angel hadn't thought he would have been cast into a sack so unceremoniously.

"Come with me," Svengallop barked. He took out his keys and unlocked the door. "The Countess wants to see you!"

Without warning, the pegasus felt herself being turned around with force and her hooves being scrunched together behind her back. When Fluttershy tried to shake her hooves away from the earth pony, he threatened to kill her if she did not stand still. The ropes were so tight that Fluttershy feared that her hooves were going to pop!

Blood boiling in his little body, Angel hopped on the pony and began scratching the stallion's face.

"Angel!" Fluttershy gasped. Seeing her bunny act with such fury, made her freeze up. She was torn between getting her pet off the soldier or let him continue since that stallion was the reason she was here in this dreadful place.

"OW!" the soldier yelled. "OW, OW, OW!" He released Fluttershy and tried to pry the bunny off his face. Svengallop blocked out the laughing voices of the other prisoners. He would deal with them later as soon as he teaches that little furball a lesson!

Angel wouldn't budge and kept on scratching that mean pony.

"Sunny Flare, get this little pest off my muzzle!"

"Yes, Herr Svengallop," Sunny Flare sighed rolling her eyes. Seriously, he can't handle a small critter? Sunny used her unicorn magic to force Angel off Svengallop. Once she did, Sunny swiftly tossed him right into an another burlap sack. "Done, simple as that!"

"Good thing, you were wearing glasses!" Toffee added with a twinkle in his eye. "Or else you would have been blind!" Cheese Sandwich and Fancy Pants didn't bother hiding their giggles.

Herr Svengallop shot them a death glare that sent shivers down the prisoners' spines. After shutting the door and locking it, he dragged a tumbling Fluttershy away from her cell.

Sunny Flare followed him, carrying the sack.




Across from the cells was a big green tent. The inside part of the tent was green, too. If you walk in, the first thing you'd see was a long orange carpet that traveled all the way to a brown desk. On the left, is a brown and cream cabinet which contained documents of the prisoners. On the right, was a flag hanging on the wall. It was gray and showed two black parallel lines. The symbol of equality. A map of Equestria hanged on the wall behind the desk. There were a couple of brown chairs in front of the desk for visitors.

The Countess was sitting by desk going over some papers. She had two candle lights beside her to provide light. When she heard her name, Starlight looked up.

"Heil Glimmer!" Sven Gallop and Sunny Flare saluted.

"Heil!" Starlight saluted back showing a smug smile.

With excessive force, Svengallop threw Fluttershy on the ground as if she were a rag doll.

"I brought you Miss Fluttershy from Draconia!"

Sunny Flare untied the sack and pulled out Angel, holding him by the ears.

Angel made attempts to swing a punch at Sunny but he swung so hard that he ended up twisting himself around. He was stuffed back into the sack by the mint pony.

"And her little bunny, too!" Svengallop added.

Starlight Glimmer stood up from her desk and came toward them. She narrowed her eyes and her lips were pressed tightly together. "Stand her up, Svengallop!" she bonked him on the head. "How am I supposed to ask her questions if she's lying there?"

"Right, my lady!" the pony mumbled, rubbing his wound. Quickly, he yanked the pegasus' pink locks so hard that Fluttershy squealed. Her eyes formed tears because it hurt so much. Svengallop pushed her down in a standing position and forced her head to look up at Starlight. The Countess faced Fluttershy very slowly, with narrowed eyes and a tight smile that showed a little of her teeth.

The pegasus trembled and shivered in her hooves. Sweat broke out from her and her eyes widened. Fluttershy could only imagine what the Countess could possibly want from her.

"Miss Fluttershy," Starlight finally opened her mouth. "I believe you're wondering why you are here."

Obviously! The former nanny frowned and rolled her eyes.

"I believe you are acquainted with King Discord of Draconia, correct?" Starlight questioned.

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. What is her game? She did not answer the Countess' question.

Svengallop was about to strike her but was halted by Starlight not to do it. The leader wanted to give the pegasus another chance to talk. She put her face very close to Fluttershy's face with eyes so icy that it made Fluttershy shiver and sank a little.

"Tell me, Miss Fluttershy," Starlight whispered in a deadly voice. "What are Discord's political views? Is he planning to stop me? Or does he support me?"

The pegasus closed her eyes and turned her nose up, not looking at any pony. While she didn't understand why this Countess was interested so much in her Discord-er, King Discord-Fluttershy felt that something about her was off. Without warning, she felt ice cold water raining down on her from head to hoof. The pegasus let out a scream, feeling her body temperature drop from warm to cold. She desperately wrapped herself, trying to be warm. Her eyes widened at the sight of Starlight Glimmer holding an empty bucket with droplets of water.

"TALK TO ME YOU STUPID MARE!" the Countess screamed. "I ASKED YOU A QUESTION! LET ME ASK YOU AGAIN: IS DISCORD PLANNING TO STOP ME?"

Fluttershy shivered and her teeth chattered. Shutting her eyes so she wouldn't have to look at Starlighthis. Fluttershy still refused to talk. She felt the bucket break against her back from a violent throw, forcing her to the ground once more.

"DIDN'T YOU HEAR WHAT LADY STARLIGHT SAID!?" Svengallop yelled. "ANSWER HER QUESTION!"

Fluttershy still did not respond.

"GIVE HER 40 LASHES!" Starlight shrieked. "WHY WON'T THIS STUPID PEGASUS TALK AT ALL!? IS SHE MUTE!?"

Sunny Flare handed Svengallop a long black leather whip. Svengallop stood over Fluttershy.

Fluttershy shut her eyes, afraid of being drenched in ice cold water again. Instead, she heard a whipping sound and slash on her back. Fluttershy let out a yell, as her back began to sting. Then she felt another hard whip slashing on her back, and another one, and another one. The whips came in a very fast pace like there was no tomorrow. Tears threatened to fall down from Fluttershy's eyes. She screamed at every whip she felt. Ow, how her back burned! How long will this last? Will it ever end?

"Okay, Svengallop, that's 40 lashes," Starlight said, through thin lips.

The General obeyed although, he looked slightly disappointed. He enjoyed watching the pathetic pegasus whimper like a helpless foal.

"Pick her up!" he commanded to Sunny Flare.

The mint unicorn picked Fluttershy up with her unicorn magic.

Some blood dripped from the pegasus' back. Her mane looked wet and messy. Fluttershy's eyes also looked red and puffy.

"I'M GOING TO ASK YOU A QUESTION ONE LAST TIME, MISS FLUTTERSHY!" The Countess roared. "IS DISCORD AGAINST ME OR NOT?"

No answer.

Starlight looked as if she was going to explode. How dare this pathetic pony defy her! But she took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Svengallop, please take this wimp back to her cell! Heil!"

"Yes, heil Glimmer!" Her follower grabbed Fluttershy and dragged her away as if she were a rag doll.



The former nanny was thrown mercilessly back into the cell, the back of her dress torn enough for the whip marks to be seen by the other prisoners.

Thorax, another changeling, untied the sack, allowing Angel to fall out.

The bunny flinched and growled, believing that it was Svengallop or Sunny. He'd rather deal with the worm king or his daughters than those two soldiers. He stopped his growling when he heard Thorax, using a gentle and quiet voice.

"It's okay, little guy, you're safe with us."

"It would be better if he were in the fields," Fancy Pants frowned. "This underground is not suitable for a bunny."

When Emerald laid her eyes laid upon Fluttershy's repeatedly cut and bleeding back, she let out a gasp.

"Oh no, they whipped you didn't they?"

The buttercream pony only sniffled and nodded, before she broke down.

Sadness and grief were shown in the other prisoners' eyes. They too, had received many lashes from Svengallop.

"It's all right, dear" Emerald soothed, wrapping her leg around Fluttershy's shoulders.

"Oh I never knew any pony to be so cruel!" Fluttershy sobbed, her eyes cascading many tears. "Even my aunt, uncle, and some of my schoolmates were never like this!"

"Are your aunt and uncle with you?" Emerald asked innocently.

Fluttershy abruptly looked up and acted as if somepony said a terrible word.

"Goodness, no! Why would Angel and I be with them?"

"Sorry miss," Emerald shivered and cowered a little. "I had no idea."

Fluttershy frowned and immediately apologized to the nice changeling. She wiped her eyes.

"It's all right." She looked at the doors again, hoping to spot something-or anything-that looked like an escape. "Is there a way to escape?"

The prisoners looked grim and somber at her question.

"I would blast us out of here with my horn," Fancy Pants frowned. His horn was bent out of shape. "But as you can see, my magic was taken away from me."

"Don't look at me or the other changelings," Thorax said in a sad voice. "Starlight and Trixie had put a magic block on our abilities and powers. Otherwise, we would have disguised ourselves as the other soldiers to escape by now!"

Fluttershy's eyes widened and her mouth fell opened. How could somepony take some other pony's powers away? Or block their powers? The mare curled up into a ball. She shut her eyes that were spilling another new round of tears. Not only was she crying for her doom but also for the other prisoners.

All Emerald, Toffee, Thorax, Cheese, and Fancy did was just looked at Fluttershy with sympathy.

The other prisoners just continued to sit there and stare at the ground. Some also shed some tears.



"Boy that was a waste of time!" Starlight grumbled, with her head in her hooves.

"My Fuhrer, we will try again with her in another time," Svengallop responded, patting her on the back.

"She was useless!" the Countess barked. "She spent months working for that mismatched freak and yet, she couldn't tell me anything about him!?"

"Oh I bet she knows," Svengallop assured her. "Obviously, she was holding back and pretending not to know anything. You know how prisoners are, my Fuhrer. When they don't answer your questions, that means they do know but just don't want to reveal. Ponies who do not share information are just as bad as liars."

"That pegasus won't tell me whether Discord's plotting against me or not!" the Fuhrer grumbled.

"Of course!" Svengallop replied loudly. "He spoke openly about how much he hates our New World Order! I won't be surprised if he starts a war with us!"

Just then a door burst open to reveal a wide-eyed and panting blue unicorn with a big smile on her face.

"Look, look my lady!" Trixie cried, rushing toward the Countess and Svengallop. She seemed to be carrying something in a bag. "You'll never guess what I got-oops!" Clearing her throat, she raised her hoof high and proud. "Heil Glimmer!"

"Heil!" Starlight smiled.

"Heil Glimmer," Svengallop mumbled.

"Look my lady and my co-worker!" Trixie yelped in joy. "I got the thing that you have asked for!" She lifted up her small brown bag with a proud smile and closed eyes. "The mucus of the Taztleworm!"

Svengallop's jaw hit the floor.

Starlight was well pleased. "Marvelous, Trixie! I knew you could do it!" Her grin turned a bit more amused as she reached over and closed Svengallop's mouth with a hoof.

"How in the name of Celestia did you manage to collect the mucus without being poisoned?" the earth pony questioned.

Trixie gave a smug smile. "Oh it was nothing! First, I removed the giant flower that was on top of the Tatzleworm's home. Next, I use my fireworks to wake up the Tatzleworm. Once that ugly thing appeared, it roared! I put my shield spell around me as it shot mucus at me! Then, the Tatzleworm sank into its hole. I put on my safetly gloves and reached out of the bubble to shovel the mucus into this canister." Opening the bag, Trixie pulled out the canister, containing the mucus.

"That was quite impressive, I must say!" Starlight smiled. She pulled out from her desk drawer, an object that was round and made out of bronze. "I'm going to give you a bronze medal for bravery and wit!"

The blue unicorn beamed as she felt her leader pin the mark of honor onto her military jacket.

Svengallop frowned as green flames flashed in his eyes.

"Hey what about me? Don't I get a medal for kidnapping an innocent mare for you?"

Starlight gave out an agitated sigh and rolled her eyes. She tossed a black medal at Svengallop in the face.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"How did the questioning with Discord's servant go?" Trixie asked, in a casual manner.

Starlight let air fume out of her nostrils.

"It wasn't very productive. She won't share any information with me of Discord no matter how much I tortured her!" The Countess then sighed and put her hoof to her chin. After a moment of silence, she looked up at her comrades. "I don't suppose any of you caught what her relationship with King Discord was like, did you?"

"Trixie has an idea of what their relationship was like!" the blue unicorn yelled so loud that it made Svengallop's ears ache. "They seemed very close with each other. Friends or lovers, I don't know. But either way, they seemed close."

"If they were so close, then why did Miss Fluttershy act like she didn't know anything?" Svengallop questioned.

"Perhaps, she was doing it out of love for him?" Trixie suggested.

"Ah that makes sense!" The stallion nodded. "Suspects don't answer questioning because they were trying to protect other ponies."

"Rumor has it that King Discord fancies Fluttershy all because they sang together," Trixie added. "Seems rather...touching, if you ask me."

"Love, ha!" Starlight let out a cold harsh laugh. "Don't make me laugh! Need I remind you that he's engaged to Lady Chrysalis?"

"Yes, but I can't imagine someopony, even Discord, being attracted to that nasty bug!" Svengallop wretched in disgust.

"It's about marriage, not love!" Starlight retorted. Then she went into a long explanation of how love could do more damage than good.

"So basically, love is foolish and dumb?" Svengallop asked.

"Yes," Starlight answered.

"Not to mention that love is weak and fleeting!" Trixie added.

"Now you are catching on!" The countess clapped her hooves with evil delight. "Come, we are going to declare war on Draconia!"

Her comrades dropped their jaws.

"A war!?"

"Svengallop, you said that you wouldn't be surprised that Discord would start a war with us, remember? Well, we will strike him first. We have to keep him and Chrysalis from trying to stop us from executing the changelings!" Starlight answered.

"But what if the other royals go against us?" Trixie questioned. "They already had a problem with you for trying to create egalitarianism."

Starlight paused for a few minutes before answering. "Then...then...then, we have to kill them too."

"Wow, you're willing to kill the changelings and the royals for your plan?" Svengallop gasped incredibly.

Starlight Glimmer had misty eyes and a trembling lip. "It's more than just my plan." she said in an audible and quiet voice. Her mind flashed back to the distant past.

Long ago, when Starlight Glimmer was a teenage mare, she lived in a small country of Ponia, with her father, the Count Indigo and her mother, the Countess Lavender Stream. They had taught Starlight everything that a young Countess should know from table manners to financial matters. But Starlight struggled with her magic. Thus, her father hired a young orange stallion who was a wizard named Sunburst. He was everything that Starlight could ever wish for in a husband. Sunburst was intelligent, helpful, kind, warm, and adorable! Study sessions were the only times where they could spend time together with no pony interrupting them.

Unfortunately, her parents did not like the idea of their daughter falling in love with a common stallion. They refused to give the couple their permission to marry. Despite Sunburst proving himself to be a good stallion, the parents would not reconsider. The couple eloped to Germaney. They were living happily with each other until one day, Sunburst went on a trip to Canterlot for a magical business trip. He promised Starlight that he would come back in a week. But a week passed and he never came back. Two weeks later, Starlight received a telegram in the mail with shocking news. Sunburst was killed by a changeling! Nopony noticed that Sunburst had been spending his time with an impostor until a colt had found her husband dead in the back of an alley. From that day forward, Starlight swore revenge on the changelings and make them pay for what they had done to her mate.




Later, Starlight and Trixie began rounding their army up on the grounds of Germaney. All soldiers were lined up in a single line, standing up straight. Starlight went up to each soldier that was standing upright. They always answered her with the same old response. "Sieg Heil!" "Sieg Heil!" "Sieg heil!"

"Every pony seems to be in order!" Starlight smiled proudly. She pulled out her walkie-talkie. "Calling Svengallop! Over!"

"Yes, my Fuhrer? Over!" the response came from the underground. Usually, it would be difficult to talk to some pony from underground but Starlight had used a spell to make it possible. "You and the other guards are in charge of watching over the prisoners. I have put a magic block on them so they will not escape but make sure that no funny business happens anyway! You can never be too careful with those...monsters."



"Rodger that, over!" Svengallop copied from down below in the office. He leaned back in his chair. His eyes were full of darkness and his grin twisted into a huge and creepy smile. He rubbed his hooves together."If they ever try to escape, they'll get fifty lashes. But if it is that Discord's little tramp, then I will make sure she suffers much more than that!" 
> Chapter 25: Way Back Into Love
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Discord has been searching every part of Equestria for Fluttershy. He had checked various parts of Draconia. For each local resident, the King had asked, "Have any of you seen my nanny?" To show Fluttershy's appearance, Discord had rolled out a materialized poster of the pegasus with his talons. A couple of Draconians had recognized his former staff member as that 'enchanted pony' who had sang and danced around with the princesses a few months ago.

Alas, they always answered him,"No, but I will keep an eye out for her."

In response, Discord sighed, poofed the poster into oblivion, thanked them, and be on his way. The Draconians gave thier King looks of sympathy and wished him the best of luck.

After hours of searching, it was apparent that Fluttershy, wasn't in Draconia. Discord remembered Celestia and thought of going to Canterlot. He knew that Fluttershy was sent by Celestia, so having him check with her would be a very smart thing to do. The King hoped that Celestia or Luna could help him. He used teleportation to travel to Canterlot. It was much faster than getting there by train.

When Discord arrived in Canterlot, he appeared at the main gate.

"Halt, who goes there?" A royal guard demanded, drawing out his sword. "Friend or foe?"

"Friend!" King Discord replied. "I need to see Queen Celestia, immediately!"

"She is busy going over her documents," the Royal guard answered stiffly.

"But this is an emergency!" Discord cried. "And I need her help!"

Before the royal guard could turn him away again, the Queen's voice rang out.

"Is that King Discord?"

"Yes, my Queen!"

"Let him in," Celestia ordered. "I can accept walk-ins this evening."

The Royal guard put his sword away and allowed Discord in. The King was relieved because he was tempted to turn the guard into a plate of cookies if he was denied entrance once more. He came into the throne room where Celestia was finished with her papers. Luna was also there as she had just woken up. She wanted to help her sister before she starts her night duties.

"Discord, this is quite a surprise," Celestia blinked. Then she let out a giggle. "Then again, you are always full of surprises. What brings you here?"

"Fluttershy is missing!" he cried.

"What!?" the sisters gasped. Celestia dropped her quill in horror. Luna looked as if she had seen a ghost.

"What happened?" Celestia implored.

Discord let out a sad sigh. He flashed himself a floating chair and sat on it, in front of the two alicorns. The Draconequus told them everything that happened from the party to the morning after. Discord also made sure to mention how his valet found Fluttershy's suitcase and suspected that she may be kidnapped. Last thing the King added was that Fluttershy was nowhere to be found in his kingdom. When he finished, Celestia and Luna were still appalled but ready to take action.

Celestia hastily rose up from her seat. "GUARDS!"

At her command, all soldiers dashed up and lined up in front of the three royals.

"Send a high alert to everypony that my subject, Fluttershy is missing. We suspect that she may be kidnapped. Leave no rock or tree unturned until she is found!"

"Yes, your majesty!" the guards saluted and scampered off.

"Sister, is there anymore we can do?" Luna asked, her eyes showing worry.

Celestia shook her head. Her eyes looked solemn.

"No, this is all we can do. We are not sure where she is right now."

"Then what are the chances that she might be here, instead of Draconia?"

"Not to sound ungrateful or anything," Discord began. "But is there someone that knows Fluttershy around here? Like a grandmare or a cousin? Maybe they would know!"

The two sisters gave each other shocked looks as they shudder.

"Celestia, you don't think Fluttershy went back to-to..you know...,"

"I don't know!"

Discord raised his eyebrow.

"Went back to where?"

The sisters turned to Discord.

"Has Fluttershy told you about her family?" Luna queried.

The King shook his head. He had recalled one time when he asked Fluttershy about her family. The pegasus had mentioned about her parents and her little brother with a loving smile. Then her smile would crumble and tears would spill from her eyes. When Discord had asked her what was wrong, all Fluttershy had told him was they had died. When he asked her who she had been living with after their deaths, she cringed and didn't want to talk about it. Even his daughters did not know much about Fluttershy's family background.

"I knew she had parents and a brother who died in a terrible accident. But that is all I know. Why doesn't she speak of her other family?"

Queen Celestia gave out another sad sigh.

"When Fluttershy was eleven, she went to live with an aunt and an uncle. The relatives did not show kindness to Fluttershy. They were always hitting her or kicking her over small matters, like a spilled glass of milk. Everyday, Fluttershy would get bruises from them before bedtime. She was only lucky, when she had to leave for Faust Academy. I paid for her to go there because it was her mother's wish that she should go there. I also thought it would help her be away from her relatives. She dreaded going back home every summer, knowing that she would get kicks and slaps, instead of hugs and kisses. Once she graduated from Faust Academy, Fluttershy looked for a job that would also provide her shelter. Last thing she wanted to do was go back to her aunt and uncle."

Discord was near the edge of turning into a valcano-and explode like one! No wonder why Fluttershy felt uncomfortable telling him about her whole family background!

"Those bastards!" He hissed. "Filthy bastards!" His eyes glowed yellow and his teeth gnashed. His claws were visible on his paw and talon. "Where are these relatives? I ought to show them a piece of my mind!" He was about to teleport only to be halted by Luna with her horn.

"Discord, we understand your anger but there is no need to hurt them. They are still our subjects. Two wrongs don't make a right!"

"I can't let them go unpunished!" the chimera retorted. He was gently released by Luna. "Besides, I want to make sure that Fluttershy is not there. Perhaps, they were the ones who took her?"

"Discord," Celestia chastised. "That doesn't make any sense! Why would they kidnap her?"

"Sister, since when does Discord say anything that makes sense?" Luna said in a casual tone.

The Draconian King quickly disappeared and was gone for ninety seconds.

"Should we send someone after him or should we wait?" Luna questioned her sister. Before the elder could think of what to do, their friend reappeared before them.

He wore a smile that looked a little disturbing but comical at the same time.

"Okay, what did you do?" Celestia raised an eyebrow in a disapproving tone. "You didn't put a Hot Fudge mudslide on them, did you?"

"Ladies, ladies," Discord said all too calmly. "I only asked them if Fluttershy came back to them."

"Is that all?"

"And I left them...a present...from Draconia."

The alicorns wondered what present did Discord leave them...



Nearby Canterlot, there was a small brown house. It looked shady and was made out of mud. Inside the house, there were two alligators who were chasing two ugly ponies, who were screaming their heads off.

"GET THIS ALLIGATOR AWAY FROM ME!" An orange stallion with purple mane ordered as he hid behind a dirty couch.

"YOU GET RID OF IT!" his wife, barked, who was also orange with with long purple mane. She hid underneath the table. "YOU WERE THE ONE WHO CALLED THAT KING 'UGLY', AND OUR NEICE A 'TRAMP!'"

"HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT HE WOULD CONJUR TWO ALLIGATORS?"

The two alligators licked their teeth as they inched closer to thier meals...



"Was Fluttershy there?" Luna piped up.

"No," Discord answered in a sad voice. His ears drooped.

The two sisters approached closer to him, feeling sorry for him.

"You'll find her Discord," Celestia smiled a comforting smile. "We'll make sure that she is safe and sound."

"Thank you, ladies," the King bowed and smiled sadly. All he wanted to do was find a way back to her.



A few days have passed, let's go back to our heroine. Back at the concentration camp, things were dark and gloomy for Fluttershy. Everyday, she and the other prisoners were forced to do heavy work such as digging the ground or carrying anvils to the other side of the cave. It did not matter which grueling chore Fluttershy hated the most, she was terrible at doing them! Plus, she was always receiving a whipping or extra work from the soldiers whenever she messed up.

One day, the buttercream equine struggled with all her might carrying an anvil. She was walking she came upon a river. When Fluttershy tried to sidestep, she slipped and fell into the river all the while dropping the anvil. Thankfully, the pegasus inched away from the anvil as it fell. She was pulled up by Cheese Sandwich and Fancy Pants.

"Thank you, gentle colts," she breathed, after coughing water out.

The two stallions smiled kindly. Until they were both pulled away from Fluttershy from behind by two lieutenants. Fancy Pants and Cheese were forced to face two very angry mares.

"Who gave you two permission to stop working?" Sugarcoat demanded them.

"W-we were j-just helping her!" Fancy Pants stammered.

"Y-yeah!" Cheese stuttered. He was shaking in his hooves as much as his friend was.

"This is going in your record!" Sunny Flare hissed. "You two will be sentenced to do extra work for the whole night!"

She and Sugarcoat swished their heads to a silent and scared Fluttershy. They gave her death glares.

"And as for you, Fluttershy, you're dead!" Sugarcoat barked. "That's ten lashes for you!"

She dragged a screaming Fluttershy away from the trail and headed toward the office where Svengallop sat.

"NO, NOT THE LASHING! PLEASE, PLEASE! NOT THE LASHING!"

Cheese Sandwich and Fancy Pants just stared at them helplessly. They only wished they could help her get out of this mess. With their powers blocked, what could they do? They prayed that Fluttershy would make it through.

Later in the evening, Fluttershy limped to her prison cell with more fresh slashes on her back. She reached a wall and sat down while leaning against it. Tears had been running down from her eyes. The whipping and the slashing gave her such incredible pain that Fluttershy wondered how long it would last. The soldiers never bothered to put ointment or use their healing spells on her back, when she asked. The pegasus put her head down and let out a quiet sob. Oh how she hated this place! What would she give to return to Draconia! At the mention of Draconia, happy memories began to replay in her mind.

The first memory that came to her mind was her meeting with the children. The pony giggled when she remembered that they put a frog in her dress. AJ had said that she was lucky that it wasn't a snake. Well, it didn't matter whether it was a frog, snake, or a spider, Fluttershy handled the situations with grace. Another fun memory of the children was when Fluttershy first taught them how to sing. She recalled feeling that rush of joy when she and the girls ran around the town, singing "Do Re Mi." It was also their first time experiencing around the kingdom together! Even though, it was only for one day, the former nanny was grateful to give the children a little taste of life outside the palace.

Another memory appeared, only this time, it featured the staff. She smiled at how she and Pinkie had sung together as they swept the dirt into the grass. Rainbow Dash and Flash had shown Fluttershy how to fly higher thus she could easily reach the ripe apples from the trees. After she had gotten the apples out, AJ was able to use them to make her apple dishes. Another memory that came to Fluttershy was when she and Rarity made play clothes for the children. She recalled at how excited Rarity had been, when she had asked the white unicorn to help her. At first, Fluttershy had asked her about the children's' measurements. Then when Rarity asked Fluttershy why and discovered that she was making new clothes for the children, Rarity squealed and offered to help. Rarity had told her that she used to design dresses for the children. But when their mother died, Discord forced the kids to wear the same sailor dresses every single day, which meant no more dress-making for Rarity. She was very thankful that somepony came along and inspired her to get back into dress-making business. Ever since then, Rarity now felt useful and helpful around the kingdom.

Another memory appeared, but it wasn't about the children or the servants. It was a certain Draconequus. He was smiling at her with his goofy grin and dreamy eyes-

Fluttershy shook her head. No, she would not think of him! Why should she? He played with her heart by leading her on thinking that he really loved her when he actually didn't! Did he love her or not? Why couldn't he just be honest with her about his feelings? But no matter how hard she tried to suppress her memories of Discord, they keep popping up in her mind. One memory was how she first met him. Her heart had stopped when he blew that whistle. Second memory was of Discord apologizing to her for being rude to her and begging her to stay. It was the first time that Fluttershy had realized that there was a tender side to him. That was when she no longer saw him as hardened stallion but a stallion who was misguided and broken. This led to another memory of Discord. After he had yelled at her about Mothball, which she blamed herself for as well, the King came back and admitted that he overreacted. The way he begged her to not leave him and the children, made her heart do flip-flops. Her heart always skips a beat whenever she thinks about his eyes or his smile. Just when Fluttershy was about to think of something else, her head brought up another memory. This time it was about the events of the gala. She had never imagined that Discord, of all ponies, would be the one to come and save her from embarrassment. And the way he sang the song, it was as if he truly meant those words. Butterflies flew in her stomach the more she thought of his voice or the way he held her in his arms. Whether she liked it or not, Fluttershy could not stop thinking about Discord. But if her memories of him were all she needed to distract her from this cruel world, then let it be.



Hopefully our heroine will meet our hero soon enough. In the meantime, let's see what our antagonists are up to.

Starlight Glimmer and her army were still marching toward Draconia. All ponies stood upright as they marched forward. Through the rocks and through the woods, they marched and marched and marched. It was hard to tell whether they were feeling tired because they did not show any emotions. If Starlight and Trixie could, they would teleport themselves and the entire army to Draconia. However because they have about three hundred soldiers and a couple of tanks, it would have taken a lot of energy out of them. Which was why they had been marching and heiling for days. The army stops whenever it is twilight thus they could eat and get some rest. Then, they would be back on their hooves by morning.

One day, Starlight and her army stopped at a green and grassy spot in a valley for the night. As the ponies were unpacking their belongings, a young green unicorn spied on them from afar behind a bush. Curious at what these ponies are doing here, the unicorn teleported himself to three of Starlight's followers. His sudden appearance spooked them out of their wits.

"Be not afraid!" the unicorn announced. "I only want to say hello and ask what are you doing here!"

The unicorn was very handsome with long flowing red mane, sapphire eyes, and a mint green coat.

Trixie and Lietuenants, Lavander Lace and Fuschia Blush, all swooned at him. Forgetting everything that Starlight told her about love, Trixie glided over to the handsome unicorn. Usually, Trixie is not the type of mare that is into boys and romance. But this stallion has her bewitched.

"Why, we were just stopping here for the night," Trixie said in a very happy voice. "My name is Trixie Lulamoon. What's your name handsome?" She felt herself enchanted by the unicorn's voice.

Lavender Lace and Fuschia Blush both drooled with their tongues hanging out. Each of them hit themselves on their heads with hammers.

"My name is McDreamy," answered the unicorn. "Where are you going?"

"We are on our way to invade Draconia and kill the Royal family!" Trixie answered without hesitation. She could not help but boast, believing that McDreamy will be impressed by her.

McDreamy's eyes widened before relaxing into a smile.

"King Discord is a mighty being and so are his little daughters." he stated. "How do you expect to kill him?"

Trixie, foolishly, took out the canister out of her bag. "With this!"

"Yes, it's the mucus from that terrible tatzlewurm plant in Ponyville!" Lavender Lace added.

"And it is our only weapon to take them down!" Fuschia Blush nodded.

McDreamy was fixed upon the canister.

"May I hold it?" he asked innocently. "My eyesight is not good and I see better close up."

Once Trixie naively hoofed the canister to McDreamy, the stallion smirked as green flames engulfed him.

This confused the mares until they dropped their jaws at his real form. McDreamy was a changeling!?

"So long suckers!" He laughed as he teleported away before any of them could get to him.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Trixie screamed, her hooves shaking in anger. "How could Trixie be so stupid?"

"What happened?" Starlight Glimmer exclaimed as she galloped over. She heard Trixie scream.

When Trixie told her what happened, Starlight's face showed a combination of anger and fear.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! TRIXIE HOW COULD YOU! THAT MUCUS WAS OUR ONLY HOPE!"

"Trixie is very sorry, my Fuhrer!" the blue unicorn said bowing her head down in shame and guilt.

"You should be," Starlight growled. "NOW WE HAVE TO MAKE ANOTHER JOURNEY TO PONYVILLE AMD GET MORE MUCUS!"

"Please calm down, my Fuhrer!" Trixie said, putting her hooves on Starlight's shoulders. "I will go back to Ponyville and get more mucus. With my teleportation skills, I should be back here in no time!"

"For your sake, I hope you're right," grumbled Starlight. "Oooo, of all the things to go wrong, this one just had to happen!"



Meanwhile in Draconia, the princesses are still worrying over their father and Miss Fluttershy. They were all sitting alone in their nursery and staring out at the window.

"What are you guys doing?" Mothball asked as he and the other servants came inside. He was in his real changeling form.

"Waiting," Screwball answered, solemnly. When she turned around to look at him, she gasped. Her sisters swished their heads around and gasped as well.

"Oh no, Mothball, your disguise! What if the other servants see you?"

Her crush halted her with his hoof.

"It's all right, Screwball, they won't send me away," he said calmly and softly. "Besides, they figured it out."

"How?" the heir wondered.

The other servants came in, led by Sunset Shimmer and Flash Sentry.

"Because changelings buzz wherever they go," Sunset explained. Her smile turned into a playful smirk. "And this one was buzzing around here!"

The young boy nervously chuckled as he put his hoof around his neck.

"You're not going to hand him over to Starlight, are you?" Screwball asked hesitantly.

"Screwball, I've told you before, they won't send me away," Mothball reassured his crush.

"Sorry," Screwball sighed. "I'm just...I'm just stressed out right now."

"We know, you're not the only ones who are worried about your father and Miss Fluttershy," Sunset Shimmer murmured.

"Girls, you've been sitting by the window all day, come downstairs and have something to eat!" Applejack pleaded.

"I'm not hungry," Apple Bloom said sadly.

"Me either," her sisters nodded. AJ would have persuaded them more but in these circumstances, she understood why. She and the other servants were missing their King and their former nanny as much as the children were.

"Are father and Fluttershy coming home today?" Babs Seed asked Sunset Shimmer, absentmindedly.

"I wish I knew, kid," the orange unicorn sighed. "I am not sure if he'll be home or not."

Babs Seed groaned. Sunset rubbed her back, bringing a pleasant warm feeling to the filly.

"They'll be back someday," she said with a sad smile. "I don't know when but we can't give up hope yet."

"Can't one of you guys send him a telegram?" Sweetie Belle urged.

"We would but he'd say that he'd tell us when he has found Fluttershy," Rarity answered.

Sweetie Belle groaned and slammed her head down on the windowsill.

"What can we do to cheer them up?" Rainbow Dash pondered. "Hey, guys, why don't we all sing? Fluttershy once said that singing will make you feel better right?"

"Right," the children smiled.

"So sing that song she first taught you!"

The children got up from their chairs and took deep breaths before singing. As soon they started singing, they stopped. Their faces were no longer sad but they were sadder than before.

"What's wrong?" Flash asked.

"It didn't make us feel better," Screwball's voice cracked.

"It made us worse!" Apple Bloom added, tears forming in her eyes.

"Hey now, don't cry, sugarcube," Applejack wrapped her forearm around the middle child.

Instantly, Mothball wrapped his arms around Screwball, which allowed her to cry on his chest. "There, there," he said softly in her ear. "It'll be all right."

Rainbow Dash pondered if a different song would work better. Another idea hit her.

"Pinkie, sing one of the songs you learned from Rock Farm to cheer up the children."

"Not another song!" Scootaloo moaned, covering her ears. She couldn't bear to have another song remind her of her beloved nanny.

"Okay!" Pinkie chirped. Then, she took a deep breath and began bouncing around. But her song, the Orphanage Song, was anything but cheerful. 
"PINKIE!" Rainbow Dash yelled. Her cheeks flushed in anger. "Not that song!"

"Ooops, sorry!" Pinkie murmured, looking down shamefully. "It worked on Flash!"

Sunset gave Flash an odd look who just smiled sheepishly and shrugged.

"It's okay, Pinkie," Sunset Shimmer assured her, patting her hoof on her shoulder. "Can you remember any other songs you learned from Rock Farm?"

"No," Pinkie sighed. "This one is the only I remembered."

"Remember that song that the late Queen used to sing?" Sunset encouraged.

"Oh yeah!" Pinkie brightened up. "I remember!" It was a song about happy talk and making your dreams come true.
Eventually, the servants pulled the princesses in for a group dance. They all laughed as they danced around in a circle.

Screwball, who was holding hooves with Mothball, looked into his eyes and felt that strange but wonderful feeling in her heart. Mothball felt it too as he smiled dreamily at her. He could get lost into the heir's eyes forever! They were so lost in their world that they accidentally tripped and fell down.

The others stopped dancing and looked at the two fallen teens to see if they were all right.

Mothball landed on top of Screwball. But he pulled himself up and helped Screwball up. When the teen did, he stared into Screwball's swirly eyes again. She gave Mothball a kiss on a the cheek, which made him flush.

Everypony giggled.

"Is everypony feeling better now?" Pinkie asked, smiling big.

"Yes!" the servants and the children said in unison.

The young changeling sneakily planted a kiss on Screwball.

"Mothball!" her cheeks became pinker than a raspberry.

"You know you love me!" he winked.

Screwball pretended to ponder. "Do I? Yes...Yes I do."

Mothball gave her a playful smirk.

"Well now that we all feel better, what could possibly go wrong?" Rainbow Dash relaxed on Scootaloo's bed.

Unfortunately, she spoke too soon.

BOOM!

The sound was so loud that it made the children and the staff jump.

"WHAT WAS THAT!?" Rarity screamed.

They all rushed to the window and looked as if they just saw a train crash.

Outside of their kingdom were thousands and thousands of changelings swarming around the castle. Draconians were either running away from changelings or being tied up by them in ropes.

"Oooh Discord! Little Princesses!" a low and seductive voice taunted.

"The witch is back!" Sunset Shimmer and Flash both whispered in a sing-song voice. They shivered and their teeth chattered.

Pinkie Pie, Sweetie Belle, and Rainbow Dash gulped.


> Chapter 26: Trouble
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A couple of changelings swarmed around the castle, hissing at the ponies.

"Come out!" they whispered. "Come out!"

The princesses and the staff stood in the nursery room, frozen.

Babs Seed automatically turned into a life-size orange popsicle.

Rarity was the first to break the silence.

"The changelings have invaded Draconia!? Oh of all the worst possible things that could happen, this is THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!" Then the unicorn fainted dramatically and landed on Sweetie Belle's bed.

"Rarity's right!" Apple Bloom cried. Apple juice sweat formed on her forehead. "What are we going to do?"

"We're gonna die!" Scootaloo yelled. Her purple mane began sticking up with electricity, due to nerves.

"Easy, there kid-OW!"

Rainbow Dash had tried to calm her down, but ended up getting electrified by the filly's mane.

"I wish father was here!" Sweetie Belle whimpered. Tears fell from her eyes and they turned into crystals.

"EVERYBODY CALM DOWN!" Screwball shouted. She stomped her hooves which created a light beam. It traveled from her and hit her sisters, ceasing their magic from going haywire. Babs Seed was changed back to normal.

Her sisters stared at her with awe. She has never used her royal voice before.

"We can't cry like a bunch of foals!" Screwball continued. "We are big kids now! Would father want us to hide? No, he would prefer that we, the Draconians fight back!"

"Yeah, but how?" Mothball pressed on.

"Hey Flash, what do you say we sent our soldiers down and arrest the changelings?" Rainbow Dash suggested.

"Our army is outnumbered by the changelings!" Flash answered. "Besides, these changelings are more powerful than us!"

An idea hit Screwball.

"We can help your army fight against the changelings, Flash!"

Her sisters brightened at the idea and smiled eagerly.

"Well...that is a possibility," Flash pondered. "Sunset what do you think?"

"I...I don't know...," Sunset said unsurely.

"Oh come on, Sunset! We can help!" Babs pleaded.

"You are too young!"

"We have powers, remember?"

"Yes, but your powers are still not fully developed! Besides, you are too small."

The princesses only scowled.

"Sunset, give us a chance to help out," the heir spoke gently but firmly. "My powers are fully developed and I can take  them down. Even though my sisters' powers are half-developed, I can stay by their side, and they are just as capable as you are! Please give us a chance to defend our kingdom. Isn't that what princesses are supposed to do? Fight and protect others from our enemies?"

There was a pregnant silence for a while.

"You sound just like your mother," Sunset smiled softly. "All right," let's gather around and discuss a plan!"

"Yay!" Everybody shouted.

They almost forgot about Rarity until they heard her groaning on the bed.

"I'll get her up," Applejack rolled her eyes.

"And I'll tell our soldiers to come upstairs!" Rainbow Dash saluted.



"Should we charge into the castle and attack them, my lady?" McDreamy asked.

"Not yet!" Chryslais responded sharply. "Let them come out and then we attack them!" She lifted her eyes up toward one of the windows of the castle. "Heloooooo! Where's Discord? I'm not getting any younger down here!"

A window opened. Pinkie Pie poked her head out.

"Um, Discord is not here! Please leave the message after the beep! Beeeep!"

Chrysalis rolled her eyes.

"Okay, then show me the princesses, you fool!"

"Okay!" Pinkie said, pretending she didn't hear Chrysalis' insult.

After the window closed, Chrysalis turned toward the general.

"Be prepared to attack as soon as they make their appearance!"

"Yes my lady!" the army answered.

As soon as the window opened the army shot their green magic toward...a giant block of cherry jello!? The green magic bounced off from the jello and aimed back at the changelings. They all screamed, feeling the burn of their own powers.

Laughter was heard from inside the nursery.

"You can't hurt us! You can't hurt us!" Screwball and Babs Seed mocked.

Apple Bloom blew a raspberry at them. The two sisters giggled madly and high hooved each other.

Chrysalis seethed so much that steam came out of her ears.

Before the changelings could fully recover, Babs and Apple Bloom clapped their hooves together. A moment later, a huge red cloud appeared over the changelings.

The cloud poured out all oranges and apples on them like there was no tomorrow! Changelings were screaming and getting their heads bonked by the fruit. Some were even knocked out!

"Those simple little fools!" Chrysalis growled. She had shielded herself and McDreamy from the princesses' attack with her invisible shield. "McDreamy, we have to sneak in through the backdoor since the front door is not avaiable!"

"Can we use the mucus on them, my lady?" The Captain suggested.

"Not yet!" the angry noblemare snapped. "There isn't enough of it!" Her face formed a twisted smile. "Besides, I want to save the mucus for their father."

"But he's not here!"

"I mean, once he arrives, you brainless warthead!"

"Oh...," McDreamy said in a dumb voice.



"Fluttershy, do you want some water?" Emerald asked. It was early evening and the prisoners were in their cells. Some were sleeping, others were sitting around.

"No thank you," Fluttershy shook her head.

"Fluttershy, you have to drink," Emerald pressed on. "You need strength!"

"I second it!" Cheese added. He leaned over to Fluttershy's ear. "Fancy Pants and I have stolen a water pitcher from Lemon Zest while she was sleeping!"

"You stole it!" Fancy Pants corrected. "I uh..was making sure that Lemon Zest didn't wake up!"

Fluttershy's eyes widened.

That glass of water did look refreshing.

"Well...all right," the pegasus smiled. She took the cup from Emerald and put it to her lips. Amazingly, the water did taste refreshing.
"I have forgotten the taste of water," she murmured. Her eyes looked up to her changeling female friend. "Emerald, may I ask you a question?"

"Yes, anything!"

"We got time before 'Herr Stinkgallop' bothers us," Cheese winked.

"Why did Starlight Glimmer throw you all in this place? How did you came here?"

Her new companions looked at each other, wondering who should go first.

"Fancy and I'll go first!" Cheese volunteered. He cleared his throat. "I come from Germaney!"

"And I am a resident of Canterlot!" Fancy Pants stated. "I met Cheese Sandwhich on a train. He was sitting next to me when we got into a conversation of politics."

"I told him that I didn't believe Starlight's claims that the changelings were the reason why Equestria has been lacking in economic problems. It has been like that since Equestria's war with the penguins," Cheese added. "Starlight promised that after establishing equalitarianism, we would never work like slaves. But after she became head of Germaney, we still work like slaves!"

"I agreed with him as well, which was why I volunteered to join him in the protest rallies." Fancy continued. His voice changed from neutral to sadness. "One day, we were holding a protest rally on the streets of Germaney when Fräulein Starlight appeared. When she did, we were arrested immediately! Many of our followers screamed and ran away, trying to get away from Starlight's goons. Cheese and I were one of the few that her soldiers had captured."

"We weren't fast enough," Cheese recalled unhappily. "The soldiers tasered us with their magic which made us black out. When Fancy and I woke up, we were surprised to be an underground cave! The soldiers made us wear these striped pajamas and put us to work!"

"And we've been here since then!" Fancy finished.

"How long have you two been here?" Fluttershy asked.

"Ten months."

Fluttershy's mouth fell open. 'Sweet Celestia!'

Thorax took his turn to talk.

"Before I tell you how I was brought here, let me tell you a little bit of background so you would understand my answer."

"Go ahead," the pegasus nodded kindly.

"I was born in Lady Chrysalis' kingdom. I was different from the other changelings because I was more interested in gaining love through friendship, instead of stealing it from other ponies. I guess I've always been like that since birth. Chrysalis always told me that feeling love makes us weak but I didn't beleive that! A few times, I had felt love from ponies, for some reason love made me feel strong. Stronger than I am without love. I used to sneak out just to befriend the ponies. Chrysalis found out and banished me from her kingdom. Afterwards, I went to find a place call home. That home was McMane, a nice small pony village that happily welcomed changelings. That is where I met Emerald and Toffee." His smile started to wan as Thorax continued his story. "Then Fräulein  Starlight came and began preaching about equality. We didn't know what to expect of her. Once she loaded us into her carriages, that was when I knew she was not to be trusted. I tried to run but she lassoed me with her rope and took away my powers."

The pegasus was at a loss of words. Her heart went out to Thorax and for all the pain he had to endure.

"You are not alone, Thorax," Emerald spoke soflty. "The same situation happened to me too and any changeling who wasn't evil. I too, was banished from Chrysalis' kingdom because I wasn't interested in feeding off ponies' loves, like other changelings. I don't know why it never pleased me, but it was always like that for me since birth. When Chrysalis found out that I refused to eat a pony's love, she told me to never come back to her kingdom. I had to find a place where I can be free and settle down. And that place was McMane."

"How did you two survive without stealing love from others?" Fluttershy questioned.

Emerald and Thorax smiled, that this question was brought up.

"We have found a way to do that," Emerald explained. "By developing mutual friendships with ponies. We show our true forms to a pony and befriend them while a pony befriends us back. While a changeling obtains love from their pony friend, the pony friend doesn't lose energy at all because they're receiving love from the good changeling in return. It is what allowed me to meet my husband, Toffee." A sad sigh escaped from her lips. "Starlight captured my family and I, the same way she captured the others."

"Who are your other family members?" the former nanny asked.

"Only our son," Emerald sighed. "He managed to escape when my husband pushed him out of the carriage while Starlight was looking the other way."

"What's his name?"

"Mothball."

Fluttershy gasped. Her eyes sparkled for the first time in a while. "Oh I know Mothball!"

"You do?" Emerald and Toffee , responded with shock and excitement.

"Yes, he came to Discord's castle months ago!" Fluttershy told them about how she and Discord discovered their son. When she was finished with her story, the parents became overfilled with so joy that tears fell from their eyes.

"Oh thank Celestia that he is safe!" Emerald smiled.

"We thought he'd be a goner!" Toffee wiped his tears away.

"Discord has been looking for you two for Mothball!" Fluttershy added. She pumped her hoof in the air. "What til I go and tell him!" Her smile was quickly replaced with a sad frown. "If he still likes me."

"Um, there is one problem!" Fancy Pants pointed out. "We are stuck down here. So how would you go and tell him?"

Fluttershy pondered for a while.

"Well, we could plan an escape. I know we lost our powers but we haven't lost our will to fight back. Do you want to get out of here?"

"You bet we do!" Cheese winked. "Who doesn't?"

"Find the courage within yourselves to stand up and fight for what you believe in. Who wants to join me in escaping?"

All prisoners smiled and raised their hooves up. One by one they all sided with the kind pegasus. Not only do they crave for freedom but also they felt that the soldiers were being too harsh with Fluttershy.

"So, what's the plan, Lady Fluttershy?" Cheese bowed.

"Well, here is what we are going to do...,"



Fancy Pants and Cheese had taken keys from the sleeping soldiers and unlocked the cells. One by one with Fluttershy in the lead, all prisoners tiphoofed out of thier cells. They had to restrain their giggles and shouts of joy so the enemies would not be awakened. Sneaking past the soldiers was easy since the soldiers were heavy sleepers. They did not have any trouble getting past Svengallop's office since the pony snored like a train coming down the road. The escaped prisoners walked down the cave, over the waters, and across the rocks.

At last they spotted a ray of sunlight! It was coming from an opening from above. There was also a rope that hanged from there.

"So that is how Starlight and her minions entered and exited out of here," Fluttershy mused.

"Well, what are waiting for?" Emerald beamed. "Let's climb!"



Somewhere in Canterlot, Discord was in the middle of negotiating with the royals about the whereabouts of the yellow pegasus. Suddenly, he felt his body shaking and slithering in a violent way.

"What in the world?" he grumbled in pain, massaging the right side of his torso. "I felt some strange magical imbalance going off."



So far, only a couple of refugees made out of the cave. Emerald, Toffee, and Thorax had gone up first and were assisting the rest up onto the grass.

"I have forgotten the feeling of the grass!" Emerald noticed, feeling the grass brushing against her hooves.

"I have forgotten what Celestia's sun looked like!" Fancy Pants, gazed up while squinting.

Down below, Fluttershy was making sure that all the prisoners were climbing up safely on the grass. One by one, every pony with the pegasus' encouragement reached up to the top of the opening. The former nanny was the last one to get onto the rope.

"We're almost free!" the prisoners cheered. "Woohoo!"

"We're almost there!" Fluttershy agreed. But just as she was climbing, the pegasus felt something grabbing her long tail and pulling her down by force. Fluttershy tried to fly up but whoever was grabbing her tail was stronger than her. The pegasus landed on the ground with a thud.

"Oof!"

"Going somewhere?" a cold voice sneered. Fluttershy turned her head around. It was Svengallop! Standing behind him were Sugarcoat, Lemon Zest, Sunny Flare, Sour Sweet, and Indigo Zap. Their eyes were groggy and there were lines underneath their eyes. They had just woken up from their nap.

Fluttershy stayed frozen in her spot, her eyes widened. How could she mess this plan up?

"I woke up from my sleep, wondering why was everypony so quiet," Svengallop talked so quietly but dangerously. "Now I know why. Not only were my girls sleeping on the job, but also they let the prisoners get away!" He swished his head to his little army. "Seize the prisoners!"

Before the girls could take one step, Fluttershy sat up and waved her hooves out.

"No, if you want my friends, you have to come and get me first!"

"Very well...," Svengallop smiled cruelly. He grabbed the mare by her pink mane and tossed her across from him.

Fluttershy yelled when she felt her head make contact with the wall. Sinking down to the floor, she grabbed the back of her head, feeling if there was any blood. There was red blood on her hoof. She almost didn't see the general coming up toward her until he loomed over her with a sword.

"What a stupid way to die!" Svengallop mocked. "Dying while trying to escape! You could have stayed here longer and we would have spared your life! Any prisoner who tries to escape is punished by death! And that is what I'm going to do to you!"

The pegasus gasped as she watched Svengallop raise his sword. Fluttershy shielded herself with her hooves, thus she would not feel the impact so much.

Just then, there was a big flash of light that appeared around the trapped mare. It was so bright that it blinded Svengallop. Surrounding Fluttershy was...her draconequus!?

"GET YOUR HOOVES OFF MY FRIEND!" Discord screeched.

"Discord!?" Surprise filled in the mare's head. Her heart also felt peace and serenity that her friend came to save her!

The Draconian King grabbed the pompous Svengallop by the throat and threw him against the wall. The sword dropped from the general's hoof in the process. The spikes appeared from the wall. As soon as Svengallop made contact with them, he screamed.

"Don't just stand there, get that royal freak!" he demanded.

Sugarcoat, Indigo Zap, Sunny Flare, Sour Sweet, and Lemon Zest were about to take one step closer only to be turned into giant blue creampuffs by Discord.

"AAAHHH, WE GOT FAT!" they screamed with horror.

Discord wasn't finished with them yet. With his chaos magic he raised the injured Svengallop and the cream puffed shadow five and spun them in the mid-air around and around and around-until he was sure that they turned green.

"And now for the grand Finale!" Discord announced. The chimera snapped his fingers which opened a hole in the wall. He didn't hesitate to toss Svengallop and the soldiers into a dimension, that was filled with dancing broccoli and carrots, singing obnoxious songs. "Have fun in veggieland!" He laughed.

"Not not veggieland!" Svengallop cried. He and the girls screamed as they fell down inside the strange place.

Discord zipped up the dimension, feeling satisfied. He poofed over to the object of his affections. "Fluttershy are you all right?"

Fluttershy beamed when her eyes met Discord's. She was more than all right, she was so happy to see him! With all the energy she could muster, the pegasus ran over to him, eager to hug him. But as soon as Fluttershy reached Discord, she stopped. Her joy and relief was replaced with anxiety and confusion. Her last conversation with the King never went well. How was she to know whether he will take her into his arms or reject her again? Does he truly care about her?

The king still smiled and quickly wrapped Fluttershy up in a big hug, knowing that his beloved had been tricked by Chrysalis.

"Don't worry, I'm getting you out of here," Discord whispered softly into her ear. His voice made Fluttershy's heart flutter and her muzzle pink. How could he still have this much effect on her? She heard her King snapping his claws twice and before she knew it, she was in Celestia's throne room.
> Chapter 27: Making Amends 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Wait!" Fluttershy yelped. "There were other prisoners back at the camp! We need to bring them with us!"

"Already taken care of," Discord gently answered, pointing to them with his two claws. He gently put Fluttershy down.

In the throne room, all the prisoners were there including, Emerald, Toffee, Thorax, Fancy Pants, and Cheese Sandwhich. They were being tended to by the Celestia and Luna. When Emerald and the boys saw their friend with the King, they quickly galloped to her.

"Fluttershy, thank Celestia you are safe!" Emerald and Toffee smiled.

"We were so worried about you!" Thorax smiled.

The pegasus smiled and sighed with relief that they were all safe and sound.

"How did you all get here?" Fluttershy asked considerately.

"Well, after we got out, His Majesty arrived in a flash! He knew that we were refugees so he snapped his fingers and the next thing we knew, we are here!" Cheese explained, at a rapid speed. He didn't talk as fast as Pinkie Pie, which made him comprehensible for the pegasus and the King.

"Thank you King Discord for rescuing us and our friends!" Fancy Pants bowed. His friends and other refugees followed suit. "We are forever in your debt!"

"Likewise," the King nodded.

"This calls for a celebration!" Cheese beamed, donning a party hat. He even pulled out his ukelele to play!

"I'll say!" Fancy agreed.

But before Cheese could break out into a party song, the ruler of Canterlot dashes over to them.

"Fluttershy, are you all right?" Celestia asked, worried.

"I'm fine, Your Highness," Fluttershy smiled. But she winced in pain when she felt a sharp pain in her back. The wounds were still hurting her a bit. Not quite as bad as they were when Herr Svengallop delivered them to her but the wounds still hurt.

"Are you hurt?" the alicorn inquired again.

Cheese jumped right in.

"Quite a bit, Fluttershy was whipped by Herr Svengallop whenever she gets into trouble!"

"All of us had received lashings from him," Emerald corrected.

"I see," Celestia said in a small voice. Both she and Discord had winced what they just heard.

The Queen's tears welled up at what her subjects had endured during their time in prison. She must think of some way to make sure that something like this would never happen again but she didn't know how!

The Draconian King gnashed his teeth to himself that Herr Svengallop would stoop so low to whip the innocent, especially his Fluttershy. Since the chimera had already punished Svengallop and his followers for what they had done, he can't help but wonder if sending them to another dimension was enough. It probably was.

"I'll call the Royal doctor," Celestia promised.

"There's no need for that," Discord interrupted. Not wasting any time, he waved his arm in an eight-shaped figure and snapped his claws.

Instantly, everybody's wounds had vanished. Fluttershy looked at her back and gasped. It was as if there were never any lashes on her back.

"Fascinating!" Fancy Pants admired his now-healed back.

"I feel great!" Emerald smiled. The other refugees nodded that they too, felt healed.

"All hail, King Discord!" They bowed.

"Oh, don't thank me yet," Discord quickly spoke. "Celestia, take them to the healing room. A good rest will complete the treatment."

The queen nodded and told the refugees to follow her.

Once they were gone, the King turned his head toward his former nanny. "Mind if we go outside and talk?" He had a feeling that there were some things that need to be discussed. It has been a very long time since they last saw each other.

"Yes," his love answered right away. Fluttershy wanted to talk to him as badly as he wanted. Perhaps his treatment toward her wounds meant that he rearly did love her? Still, the pegasus would still feel better if he would be direct about his feelings to her. Why was he so confusing?

The King snapped his fingers and the couple poofed themselves from the throne room to Celestia's study.

"I figured that you wanted to talk about us," he started.

"I do," the former nanny responded. "Discord, why did you fire me? What did I do wrong?" The tone of her voice turned sad at those questions.

"I didn't fire you, Fluttershy," Discord answered confidently. "It was Chrysalis. She disguised herself as me to get rid of you."

His beloved frowned and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Somehow, I don't believe it," she said, turning away from him. Was that the best he could come up with?

Shocked, that the pegasus did not believe him, the King poofed from behind and reappeared in front of her.
"Fluttershy, it's the truth!" He cried. "It really wasn't me! Lady Chrysalis pretended to be me to fire you!"

"Why would Lady Chrysalis fire me?" Fluttershy challenged. "If it was her, then where were you?"

"Downstairs, waiting for you!" Discord responded back, his voice straining in desperation.

"I still find it hard to believe that!" The pegasus huffed, turning away from him again.

The draconequus waved his arms up in frustration. She was making this situation a lot harder than it already was! "I'm telling you the truth, mare! Would I be making this up?"

Suddenly, a guard entered into the study. His prescence interrupted their fight.

"Can't you see we're busy?" Discord snapped.

"Forgive me, but you and Celestia are needed in the council room!" the guard calmly bowed.

"Whatever it is, can't it wait?" Discord snapped. "Tell Celestia to go ahead of me! I'll catch up later!"

"But sire, it's urgent!"

It took all of the King's strength to not turn the guard into a strawberry snicker doodle. He was already frustrated but knew that he lashed out at the guard in front of Fluttershy, she would not forgive him. He massaged his temples with two iced cappuccinos on each side.

"I'll be there in a minute!" Discord snapped.

The guard bowed and left the couple alone.

The chimera appeared in front of his upset former employee. Before she could retort, Discord and took her hooves in his hooves and gazed deeply into her big eyes. "Please Fluttershy, try to understand. Everything I'm telling you is completely true! Don't you remember when I had asked you to sit next to me at dinner? Why would I fire you immediately after saying that?"

The mare's eyes widened at his sudden gesture and his words.

"Please think about it," Discord whispered, desperately. He kissed her hooves very tenderly before he released them. Then the chimera ran off, while Fluttershy pondered and realized that perhaps her ex-boss was telling the truth.

Oh Fluttershy, you were foolish!
> Chapter 28: Making Amends part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So what is the trouble?" Discord asked. He, Celestia, and Luna were seated around in a round table that was reserved for royals whenever they have council meetings. All royals revealed looks of worry, confusion, and fear.

"We have all gathered around to talk about the Countess Starlight Glimmer," King Rutherford stated. "Currently, she's been trying to replace monarchy with democracy by planning to hurt the us one by one. Just like she told her followers! If we don't put a stop to this, Equestria will be ruined!"

Discord understood what they meant by that.

"Starlight wanted to create opportunities for mares and low class ponies," Spoiled Rich pointed out. "Although the idea of giving jobs to low class ponies is ridiculous!"

"Beg your pardon, Spoiled Rich," Ayaan disagreed. "This is what she plans to do after killing all of us in order to accomplish her all-equal society. I also had discovered that it was Starlight who had taken some of my subjects to be her followers! Her army had stormed into my country months ago, and persuaded my ponies to go with her! It seemed to me that the more followers she gathers, the sooner she'll murder us!"

"Aah, that mad mare is probably coming to Ponyville and brainwash my subjects to assasinate me and my family!" Filthy Rich freaked out.

"I have a suggestion," Duke of Maretonia spoke. "Somepony should go and find out who is Starlight planning to kill first so they could stop her from trying to wreck the government system. One of us will have to do it."

"I'll go," Luna volunteered. "I have known these parts of Equestria well. And it is my time to raise the moon up anyway."

"Let me come along, Luna," Discord added. He conjured up a scoreboard in his claws. "I have a score to settle with her..."

"No Discord!" Celestia warned him firmly. "It is too dangerous! Starlight would injure you easily because you, as a chimera, are a much bigger target for her than the other royals, who were regular ponies."

Discord morphed into a gray pony. "Um, Hello! Have you forgotten that I can disguise myself? I am just as capable-more capable than any of you! Starlight has done many unforgivable things-including hurting my precious nanny!"

"But Discord, Celestia has a point! What if-" Luna began but was shushed by the frustrated chimera. Blue steam flew from his ears and his eyes glowed.

"Look Luna, either we can work together or trip over each other to see who will get the leader first!" he snapped. He crossed his arms as his ears stopped steaming and his eyes reduced from glowing. "So what's it going to be?"

Every royal looked at Luna. It did not take long for the moon queen decide her answer. She understood that Discord wanted to confront Starlight for hurting Fluttershy.

"I'll make sure he's safe, Celestia," she finally said. Her elder sister sighed and reluctantly gave them permission to go.

Discord poofed himself and Luna faster than lightning out of the castle.



Trixie galloped as fast as she could. She hoped to make it to her camp before sunset! Eventually, the blue unicorn reached her destination. Trotting forward, Trixie entered into one of the tents where her leader sat.

"THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE...has got that deadly mucus you asked for!" The blue pony held her can out with magic through her horn, proudly.

Starlight Glimmer gently, took the can with her magic.

"Thank you, Trixie!" she smiled. "I knew you can do it! After this war, is over, I'll give you another medal!"

Starlight Glimmer held the can in her hooves and thought of her late husband and friend, Sunburst. Tears welled up, remembering his voice, his eyes...

"Don't worry, Sunburst, I will avenge your death!" she sobbed.

Suddenly, there was a sound of Poof and clouds, that made their hearts stop.

Trixie screamed so loud that it would make your ears ring.

Starlight was so terrified at the sight of Luna and Discord that she dropped the can. It smashed to the floor into pieces. The purple unicorn did not expect them, of all ponies, to show up out of nowhere! Nor did she expect them to teleport her, her friend, and her army away from their campsite.



As soon as Luna and Discord teleported back to Canterlot, he immediately poofed Starlight's followers in the dungeon, after magically tying them up in metal chains.

Starlight was chained up with his magical blue handcuffs. She was the only one not to be thrown in prison because the King wanted to have a hard talk with her. A very long hard talk. Thus, the chimera took her into an Interrogation room which was next to the dungeons.

Luna went off to report to her sister that Starlight and her army have been founded.



Discord roughly dragged the light purple pony into the room and sat her down on a stool by a brown table. He snapped his fingers and lit a lamp that hovered on the ceiling. It's light was so bright that almost blinded his prisoner.

Starlight hissed at feeling her flank numb with pain on her seat. She would have grab her flank and rub it if she were not handcuffed.

Discord cleared his throat and glared daggers at Starlight. Two small flaming daggers appeared from his eyes, causing the leader to scream. He quickly encased her in a bubble, so she would not try to run away.

"What's the matter?" He snapped. "Never seen daggers before? Wow, you are so pathetic!" The daggers went away right away.

The prisoner gave him a death glare, hearing his insult.

"LET ME GO, YOU FITLHY BEAST!"

Discord's eyes glowed a dangerous color of orange-yellow. His head also lit on fire, making Starlight scream again.

"MADAM, IT IS YOU WHO IS THE BEAST!"

"HOW DARE YOU TAKE ME AND MY SOLDIERS HOSTAGE!"

"HOW DARE ME!? HOW DARE YOU TRY TO HURT OTHER PONIES, ESPECIALLY CHANGELINGS!"

"Why do you care so much, your royal angry pants?" Starlight challenged.

The King opened the bubble and punched Starlight in the muzzle. His punch was so hard that it gave the pony a bloody muzzle.

"Don't speak to me in that way," he whispered in an icy voice. He closed her up in a bubble, as the pony held her muzzle. "You have been causing a lot of trouble lately in the past several months. Recently, you kidnapped my nanny! Why did you do it?"

"I'm not telling you!" Starlight sneered.

Discord pounded on the table and the bubble turned into ice, making the pony wrap her arms as she shivered.

"Answer me or else-"

"I don't need to tell you anything, you disgusting beast!" the countess spat. "Out of all those annoying royals, you were the worst. You were always voicing your opinions against me! I thought your nanny would confide me in your weaknesses or something, for me to use against you and Chrysalis! But she proved to be useless because she did not know anything at all."

"What made you decide to attack me now?" Discord demanded. "I never proved to be a threat to you!"

"Actually, you did!" Starlight scoffed. "You were planning to marry my arch nemesis, Lady Chrysalis. If you two marry, you will both plan your attack against me!"

Discord gritted his teeth and tightened his fists.

"Why in the world would I do that? And you should not worry, I broke the engagement off with that horrible mare!"

"Hah!" Starlight bitterly laughed. "A likely story! If that were true, then why wasn't it in the news? But no matter, I was willing to get rid of Chrysalis anyway so all ponies can live equally with one another. And not be hurt by those disgusting green bugs, who are a disgrace to all pony kind!"

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY LIVES YOU HAVE RUINED!?" Discord exploded. Images of Mothball crying out for his parents, filled in his mind. His paw and claw turned into iron fists before he pounded them on the table, almost breaking it. "YOU BROKE INTO MANY TOWNS, STOLE EVERYPONY'S FAMILIES AWAY! HECK, YOU EVEN KIDNAPPED A YOUNG CHANGELING'S PARENTS! AND THERE IS NO TELLING HOW MANY PONIES DIED IN YOUR CAVE! WHY ARE YOU SPECIEST AGAINST ANYONE THAT IS NOT A PONY?" ARE YOU JEALOUS OR SOMETHING-"

"SHUT UP!" The pony leader screamed back at him. "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I HAVE BEEN THROUGH! YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE TO LOVE SOMEONE ONLY TO HAVE THEM BE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU!" Her eyes misted as Sunburst swirled around in her mind. She crossed her arms and turned away from the chimera. She would not let him see her cry.

Her words made Discord's heart tighten, thinking back to how he almost lost Fluttershy. He closed his eyes and turned his head away trying to conceal his sad look. "I do, Starlight," he said softly. "I do." True, he had found his nanny, but he wondered if they could ever repair their friendship.

Now, you'd think that Starlight would turn around at Discord's answer. But the pony did not because she did not believe that Discord had ever lost someone to Chrysalis before.

The door opened and the Queen of the Moon appeared.

Discord quickly poured bird doo doo over the bubble. Then he got up and poofed over to Luna.

"Has she said anything important?" The Queen of the Night asked. Her ally responded by summoning a green folder with containing information of Starlight Glimmer's. Luna looked through the folder, and read a page that showed the countess' answers to her answers to the chimera's questions.

"That is all she had to say," Discord grumbled. "It is apparent she would not talk anymore."

"Let me take over," Luna said. "Perhaps, I can pick up from where you left off and break her. Her muzzle became repulsed at the dirty bubble. "And could you please get rid the bubble?"

"Oh very well," Discord mumbled, snapping his fingers. He made the bubble disappear and in place, was Starlight wrapped up tightly in rusty chains. The chimera did not care that the pony landed unceremoniously on the chair. "Perhaps, I'll take my leave."

"Wait!" Starlight shouted, making the draconequess stop in his tracks. "A couple of days ago or so, Trixie stole some mucus from the Tatzlewurm. She and I have planned on using the mucus to weaken Lady Chrysalis. But then a changeling came and stole it!"

The King's eyes widened and he poofed over to where he was sitting before and glared at the prisoner.

"Where did they take the mucus?" Discord questioned, harshly. "Who do they plan on using it?"

"I don't know!" the lavender mare whimpered. She gasped as she felt the King's claw grabbing her by the throat and strangling her.

"TALK, TALK, TALK!" Discord screeched.

"I-I-can't because I don't know!" Starlight choked.

"Let her go, Discord," Luna spoke gravely. "It is apparent she is not ready to talk."

The chimera released he pony and watched her plop down to the ground. Then he snapped his fingers, and with a poof, Starlight Glimmer was back in the dungeons with her comrades.



"Well, that was a waste of time!" His Majesty grumbled. He and Luna walked out of the room and into the hallway.

"Not completely, Discord," Luna disagreed. "We may not know why Starlight was hurting the changelings but it must have something to do with Lady Chrysalis. We also know that one of the changelings had stolen the Tatzlewurm's mucus that was meant for her. Has Lady Chrysalis mention anything to you about Starlight?"

"Not really," Discord sighed. "She has never said anything to me about Starlight other than how much she hates her speeches as much as I do."

"Maybe she had a past with Starlight?" Luna wondered. "She implied that something happened to them."

"From what I heard, perhaps Chrysalis was the one who took somebody away that meant a lot to Starlight. It was so bad that it caused our 'beloved countess' to snap!" Discord theorized.

"It seems likely," Luna commented, still unsure.

"You know she has her posse with her," Discord reminded the midnight alicorn. "We could talk to Trixie."

Just as they turned around the corner, they jumped when they saw Fluttershy in front of them!

"Fluttershy?" Discord spoke.

Fluttershy was taken aback from seeing the royals unexpectedly. She had felt bad for not trusting her former employer. Unable to sleep, the pegasus had gotten out of her bed to find Discord and apologize to him. She was walking around trying to find Disord before she turned the corner. How was she supposed to know that DIscord would be turning the corner, too? Along with Luna? Taking a deep breath, she bowed to them.

"Hello, Your Highness and Your Majesty."

She still felt afraid to look at Discord, and missed the disappointment in his eyes in response to her not calling him by his real name.

"Evening, my little pony," Luna expressed politely. "But why are you up? Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I want to speak with him," Fluttershy answered, referring to her former employer. "If it's all right with you."

The draconequus felt his heart leap in surprise. She wanted to talk to him!? He dared to hope that there was a possible future for them.

"Of course!" He eagerly replied. "Luna, you go ahead and interrogate Trixie." Then he snapped his fingers and poofed himself and Fluttershy to the Canterlot gardens.

"No need to tell me twice," The queen playfully rolled her eyes.



Now the pegasus and the draconequus were sitting down inside a gazebo made out of marble. She glanced around the grass and the flowers, and took deep breaths, trying to ease her worry. Just calm down, Fluttershy! Everything is going to be okay. Just say you're sorry.

Why is she so nervous? Discord wondered, facing his love. She did nothing wrong.

"Discord?" "Flutterhsy?"

They chuckled and turned pink, realizing that they spoke at the same time.

"You go first," Discord smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"No, you go first," Fluttershy voiced, smiling.

"Oh no, ladies first."

"But Discord-"

"I insist!"

Fluttershy sighed. "I-I just want to apologize."

"What for?" Discord blinked. "You did nothing wrong!"

"I was a fool!" the mare moaned, covering her muzzle with her hooves. "I jumped to conclusions when Chrysalis tricked me! And when you tried to tell me the truth, I did not believe you! For that I am really really sorry!"

"It wasn't your fault, Fluttershy!" The King expressed his concern. "Don't worry about it. Anypony could have fallen for Chrysalis's tricks! She has been known for taking the form of someone you love and feed off your love."

"I know," Fluttershy murmured. "Emerald and Thorax told me."

"What did Chrysalis say to you when she pretended to be me?" Discord asked her. Not that he did not know but whatever that witch told his former nanny, must have tainted their friendship.

Fluttershy shivered as she recounted her last day at the castle.

"The fact that the idea of you and I getting married is, how she put it, "laughable!" All because it was against the law!" She sniffled and her eyes so tears form in her eyes. "She was right, it wouldn't work!" She was quickly scooped up into the arms of her lover.

"Oh sweet Fluttershy, don't cry," the chimera whispered gently. He was horrified at what she had to put up with from his fiancé. He held her securely and rested his chin on top of her mane. His claw brushed the mare's pink locks behind her ear. Lifting her head up, Discord locked eyes with his beloved.

"Ignore what that horrible changeling told you!" he told her firmly. "She had no right to tell you who gets married and who doesn't! Only I can decide who I want to marry! The economic status of a mare should not matter!"

"But Discord, the law says-"

"To Tatarus with the law!" Discord barked. "I'm the King! I can do whatever I want!"

Fluttershy raised her eyebrow at him.

"Okay, maybe not whatever I want," Discord quickly added. Fluttershy's look made him wince and sweat cherry juice. He still didn't understand why he had to get Celestia's permission to change the royal marriage laws. Not only did he have to get her approval but also votes from other royals, too. Why must he go through this if he wanted to fix the marriage laws? Just because Starlight went around changing things without asking permission from Celestia? It must be that reason. But whatever it takes to have Fluttershy be his love. "But I know one thing, you are the only one that I want. At first, I was looking for someone to be a mother to my children. Now, I realized that I don't just want a mother figure, I want a wife! Someone who could love me and the children! You're the one mare that I want to spend the rest of my life with, just like in my dreams!"

The King took his chance to serenade Fluttershy.
Fluttershy looked away, blushing. She could feel her heart skipping a beat. Just like it always does whenever she's with him.

Discord cupped her muzzle with his paw and claw, and turned her to face him again, smiling so tenderly. He smiled at her blushing.

Fluttershy glanced up at the evening sky and levitated toward it. She smiled sweetly at her lover and sang as if she knew the song very well.
Discord looked at her in mesmerized by her flight and beauty. She floated down and landed gently in his arms, continuing the song.

The King locked lips with Fluttershy. His mouth on her was gentle but desperate. He pushed her up against the wall, never breaking the kiss.

Joy rushed through the pegasus, as she closed her eyes. Fluttershy moaned at feeling the warmth of Discord's wet lips. It was like happiness she had never knew! She hoped it would never end.
> Chapter 29: Rescuing the Kingdom
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ew, gross!" Twilight Sparkle squinted her eyes and stuck her tongue out. She turned her head away from the book.

"Aw, Twi, you were getting to the good part!" Spike whined. He was relieved that Fluttershy and Discord finally kissed!

Shining Armor giggled at his sister's reaction. He stopped immediately when he saw her glare.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Twilight deadpanned.

"Maybe?" The Captain shrugged innocently.

"Cadence, how did far did they get?" The Princess of Friendship asked her cousin nervously. She was glad that the couple got back together but she did not want them to go very far.

"Nothing went beyond the kiss," Cadance assured her sister-in-law. "Trust me."

"Oh okay," Twilight breathed a sigh of relief.



Discord and Fluttershy broke the kiss due to lack of air. When the couple broke away, they rested their foreheads against each other, panting. Discord caressed her muzzle, making Fluttershy sigh at his touch. She wished that he would kiss her again. Discord smirked as he read her mind and began leaning into her. But the second kiss would have to wait.

"Discord! Fluttershy!" Luna shouted, flying toward them.

The couple noticed her distress and wondered what was wrong.

The Moon Queen reached them, panting from excercise.

"What's wrong your majesty?" Fluttershy asked, concerned for her friend and ruler.

"Any new information from our enemies?" Discord spoke gravely. He did not know what was going on, but he bet it had something to do with them.

"There is trouble in Draconia," Luna said gravely. "Trixie told me the changelings are attacking your kingdom as we speak."

Discord looked as if Hearth's Warming Eve was cancelled. He knew who was leading the changieongs against his homeland! He did not think that Chrysalis would stoop this low! Then a fury of anger grew in him. "That Chrysalis!" he growled. "She has crossed the line!" A dotted white line appeared over his head and it snapped into two. Two lines fell and vaporated in the air.

"Oh no, the children!" Fluttershy gasped, her eyes forming tears. "We have to save them! What if they are hurt?" 

Discord' eyes narrowed at the thought that Chrysalis would hurt his children! 

"Not on my watch!"

Before he could teleport, his beloved put her arms around his torso.

"Let me come with you!" 

"What!? No, Fluttershy!" Discord nearly cried. "It's too dangerous!" 

"But Discord-"

"Don't 'but' me missy!" the King chided, pointing to his rear. "I just rescued you from Starlight and her goons! There is no way I'm bringing you into another danger zone!"

"I want to check on the children!" Fluttershy protested.

"No!" Her beloved stood his ground. "You will stay here with Luna and Celestia! I lost you once and I don't want to lose you again!" Discord planted another kiss on Fluttershy's miuth. He felt the same feeling of rush of joy just like in their last kisses. Thrn, he was gone in a flash.

Fluttershy blinked, trying not to keep tears from falling from her eyes. 

"He'll be fine, dear," Luna soothed the pegasus, by wrapping her hoof around Fluttershy's back.

But that did not calm the former nanny down. How can she be sure that her lover and the children will be all right?



Back in Draconia, the war between the changelings and the royals and their servants was still going on. The changelings were floating around, causing confusion and mayhem in the kingdom by taking forms of Draconians. It became confusing for the princesses and a few brave Draconians to take them down.

Flash's army decied to go outside and prevent the changelings from trying to enter the castle. Flash was still concerned that they were outnumbered but his soldiers were confident to do the job. The orange pegasus only agreed to the plan when he saw three changelings trying to go through the front door. Thus his army went out and charged at any bug that tried to get in.



Rarity and Sunset ran through the back door, arounf Thr castle, and into the battlefied. They struck their magic at a group of changelings that were trying to get in through Thr back door. The changelings were blown away, much to their satisfaction. Until the changelings got up and charged toward them! Sunset and Rarity were spooked but then they charged toward the changelings. Two groups were getting closer and closer...until a huge anvil fell from the sky and squished the changelings. Pinkie Pie was on top of the anvil.

"Boy that was a piece of cake!" Pinkie Pie giggled.

"Pinkie, where did the anvil come from?" Sunset asked, looking stupefied. Rarity was so shocked that she fainted!

"Babs Seed made it, silly head!" Pinkie giggled, jumping off the anvil and landing on the grass.. "When I saw those changelings charging against you two, I thought to myself, 'Let's find a solution tat does not end up in yucky bloodshed so I asked Babs Seed to give me a giant anvil and she did! Then she floated the anvil into the sky, with me on top, of it, so I could direct her where to drop it. She did a great job, didn't she?"

"Yes...," said Sunset slowly. The girls failed to notice two certain changelings sneaking up behind them with chains...



Flash and Rainbow Dash flew out and formed into a tornado to blow their enemies away. Some of the changelings that were caught up in the tornado became dizzy and frazzled. Next, Apple Bloom gave out a great yell and produced numerous of apples to fall from the sky. Applejack threw down more apples from the window at the changelings. All apples landed on the bugs' heads and knocked them out. It gave Sweetie Belle a chance to aim her horn at them and struck them with her green magic.

"I made them dissappear!" Sweetie Belle squeaked.

"Good aim, kiddo!" Flash commented, still flying along with Rainbow.

Screwball was using her powers to stall some of the changelings who were still present, from attacking the locals. One magic trick she did was freezing each changeling into an iceberg. The princess could not freeze them all at the same time-what if she accidentally froze a local by accident? Because of the changelings copying other Draconians, Screwball could not tell which one was a changeling and which one was a local.

"Hurry, Screwball!" Rarity panicked. "It is getting worse!"

"I am doing the best I can!" Screwball cried.

Flash and Rainbow Dash came back into the nursery.

"There's still too many of them!" Rainbow panted. The fighting was wearing her out.

"We need a better plan that this!" Applejack agreed. The adults and the kids pondered on ideas.

"What if Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Flash, and Rainbow create a giant tornado that could blow all the changelings away?" Mothball asked. He knew that his girlfriend was struggling and needed somwthing better.

"No, Mothball!" Screwball argued. "We might blow everybody away by accident! Rarity, Sunset, and Pinkie are still out there!"

"We can use our powers to select the our enemies first before blowing them away!" Sweetie Belle suggested.

"And then you can use your magic to make them dissapear!" Scootaloo added triumphantly.

"That's a great idea!" Apple Blooom piped. "Screwball what do you think?"

"I think Screwball should surrender!" A nasty voice answered.

Everypony turned their heads to the front door and their jaws dropped.

It was Lady Chrysalis! Along with her soldier, McDreamy! Her magic carried Sunset, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie all gagged and tied up in chains. 

"Hey let go of our friends!" Apple Bloom ordered.

"Sorry, you Royal brat," the bug mocked the princess. "But these three were in my way! Now that I am back, I can easily do what I should have done in the first place!" She neared toward the princesses.

Sensing danger, Flash, Mothball, and the mares quickly got in front of the children.

"Chrysalis, if you are going to kill the girls, you'll have to kill us first!" Flash spat.

"Yeah!" Mothball added.

"Very well," Chrysalis mumbled. " If that is the only way!" 

"How do we kill them if we can't use the mucus?" McDreamy whispered in her ear.

"I will suck up all of their love so much until there is nothing left in them!" Chrysalis cackled. Her eyes startled glowing green. She inched toward Flash Sentry who looked petrified. But just before Chrysalis could taste one ounce of Flash's love, a bright flash of light appeared.

"Hello Lady Chrysalis!" Discord snarled. "You dare to attack my kingdom and my family!?" 

("Daddy!" The girls cheered. 

"Your highness!" Mothball and the staff acclaimed.)

At first, the noblemare looked surprised. Then, her twisted smile appeared on her muzzle. Now that he is here, she can use the mucus! 

"Yes, because I came here to get rid of you for good!" 

"Now can I throw the mucus of Tatzlewurm on him?" McDreamy butted in. 

"No!" Chrysalis snapped, annoyed at her henchman. She snatched the can away from him with her horn. "I want to do it myself!" 

"Do what?" Discord confronted her. Hie eyes widened when he saw what his foe was holding. 

Knowing what the dangerous effects of the mucus are, Discord quickly took the sky-but only after snapping his fingers to free the girls from their chains and putting the chains on McDreamy. 

Chrysalis flew after him, by breaking through the nursery roof.

Everybody snickered at the tied-up McDreamy, who just growled and pouted.



The two creatures flew into the sky, swirling around in a circle. Discord and Chrysalis stood from each other at a far distance. They stared down at each other. 

"I have waited a long time for this, Discord!" Chrysalis snarled. Prepare to meet thy doom!" 

"Just to let you know, it is you, who will be meeting her doom!" Discord barked. "Bring it on, buggy!" 

Chrysalis growled viscously.

Then they fight!

The wicked bug shot her green magic from her horn.

But Discord dodged it by using a mirror to bounce the magic back.

"Nice try!" He stuck his tongue out at her.

Chrysalis quickly got out of the way before her own magic could burn her.

She dashed forward at him but missed Discord because he vanished.

The bug looked around for him but could not locate the chimera.

"You can't see because I am invisible!" Discord taunted her.

"Show yourself, you coward!" the noblemare screeched.

"Coward? Me!?" the King took offense. "Nobody calls me a coward! And if you want to see me, then answer this little riddle of mine: Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

"I don't know!"

A buzzing sound was heard.

"Sorry, try again!" Discord mocked, enjoying seeing his ex seething in anger.

Chrysalis felt a headache coming on. This was not how she visioned her evil plan playing out. This was going to be long day.
> Rescuing the Kingdom part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The  bad changelings, were still flying about in Draconia. They terrorized the locals by tying up most of the local Draconians in chains. They had gotten annoyed by the brave Draconians that had dared to fight for thier princesses.

"Guys, look!" Apple Bloom pointed. "The changelings are hurting our subjects!" The others dashed to the window and witnessed the chaos.

"Flash! Rainbow Dash! Did you send your army out there to stop them?" Sunset asked.

"Of course, we did!" Rainbow Dash huffed. "As a matter of fact, they are out there fighting right now!"

"Are you sure they can take them down, darling?" Rarity questioned.

"Positive!" Rainbow Dash said proudly.

Flash nodded in agreement.

"Um, Rainbow Dash?" Applejack said nervously, still looking at the window. "I don't think it looks like they are doing well."

"WHAT!?" Rainbow and Flash looked out at the window. Their muzzles looked as if their birthdays got cancelled. Many of their soldiers were tied up by the bad changelings. Some of them were running away from the enemies in fear. Even they were no match for Chrysalis' army!

"Got any ideas Flash?" Rainbow asked.

"Yes!" Flash saluted. "Let's all go outside and fight!"

"Yay!" Everybody cheered.

"Why didn't I think of that?" the cyan pegasus mumbled before joining the others.



The princesses, Mothball, and the staff, arrived in the downtown section of their kingdom. Looking around, they saw the townspeople who were tied up and crying for help.

"Princesses, help us! Save us!"

Thier anguished cries pricked the hearts of the girls. Thier lips trembled and thier hearts filled with compassion.

"Those poor ponies!"

"No need to stand around!" Rainbow Dash said with a determined voice. "Let's set them free!"

So one by one, the Mothball, Flash, and the girls used their magic to untie the victims. Each group was able to break free from their binds.

"Hooray, we're free!"

Soon a huge war erupted between the Draconians and the Changelings. All Draconians were fighting very hard to protect each other from Chrysalis' minions.

The princesses and the staff always made sure that every subject of their was safe and sound. The princesses also took their opportunity to put their unused chaotic powers and magic to good use. It did not matter that their powers would make them weak, now they can use them to protect their kingdom! Let's check and see how one of the girls are using their powers to help others.

Apple Bloom gasped when she saw one mean big changeling that was about to pounce on the twins, Pound Cake and Pumpkin! They were holding each other and shaking with fear.

Apple Bloom's eyes glowed purple as she created a huge apple pie and made it land on the big changeling. SPLAT! A couple of apple crumbs fell down to the ground from the crust.

Pound Cake and Pumpkin cheered at Apple Bloom's victory. They were lifted off the ground a bit by the princess, as she gave them to their relived parents, Mr. and Mrs. Cake.

"Oh bless you Princess Apple Bloom!"

Sweetie Belle saw a group of changelings charging toward Party Favor, Double Diamond, Blossomforth, and Junebug. The former group gnashed their teeth with their tongues hanging out, while the latter group huddled together and screamed.

The youngest princess turned to Rarity, who along with Pinkie, had just finished untying Davenport and Lilly Blossom.

"Rarity! Pinkie!" Sweetie called. "I need your help!" She pointed them to that group of changelings who were about to charge.

"Quick, use your magic!" Pinkie cried, shaking Sweetie by her shoulders. Rarity had to stop her so she could hear the youngest heir's plan.

"Rarity, do you still have that fabric that stretches?" the filly asked. "We could use it to sack the changelings!"

"Yes, darling," Rarity smiled, pulling a patch of gray fabric out of her mane. Her eyes showed uncertainty. "But...I don't think it's big enough." She was right, it was small, the size of a small square.

Sweetie Belle winked and lightened her horn. A green aura surrounded the gray fabric and stretch it-until it was the size of a blanket made for a King Size bed. The blanket flew toward the changelings and engulfed them up into a sack! Then the bagfull of bugs dissappeared!

"Stupendous!" Rarity hugged Sweetie Belle. "That was an amazing trick!"

"Thank you!" the Princess beamed.

"Do it again! Do it again!" Pinkie chanted, bouncing up and down.

Rarity and Sweetie witnessed another group of changelings coming. They prepare to repeat their trick!



Meanwhile back in Canterlot, Fluttershy was walking around on the balcony. She was worried about Discord and the children. She didn't know if they were injured or worse, killed. She lifted her gaze up toward the sky. Scanning around the area, she could see the kingdom of Canterlot, but not faraway places like Draconia or Ponyville. Mostly Draconia.

Fluttershy had tried countless times that to reassure herself that Discord is doing fine but she can't shake the feeling off that soemthing was wrong. Not being able to take it anymore, the pegasus gallopped to the throne room.

Inside the throne room, Celestia and Luna were waiting anxiously to hear back from Discord. They perked up when they saw Fluttershy running toward them.

"Fluttershy, why aren't you in bed?" Celestia asked.

"Celestia, I need to go back to Draconia!" the pegasus said urgently.

"What?" Celestia was shocked.

"Beg your pardon?" Luna was just as surprised as well.

"I need to go back to Draconia as soon as possible!" Fluttershy repeated. She was nkt being shy this time but she was not being aggressive either. Her voice only showed urgency.

"Fluttershy there is a war going in," the sun queen reminded her sternly.

"It is too dangerous!" Luna added.

"But the family needs me!" the pegasus pressed on, her voice cracking. Her eyes began to form tears. "Please your majesties, the children need me! I should have never left them! They are in danger and they need me to protect them! Please your majesties, take me to Draconia! If Discord and his children die, I would never forgive myself! I can't live without them! I need to know they are safe! Just please, let me see them!"

The two sisters looked at each other.

"What should we do?" Luna asked her older sister. "It is too dangerous and it is too late to get her on the train to Draconia!"

"I do have a solution," Celestia finally replied, after thinking for a while. "A teleportation spell. But I do not use it very much because it is tricky and exhausting." She ordered the yellow pegasus to closer before her and Luna. Then, Celestia and Luna light up thier horns, which glowed pink. First, the two alicorns circled around Fluttershy three times. Next, At the same time, the sisters placed their glowing horns on top of Fluttershy's head.

"Relinquo, relinquo to Draconia!" they chanted loudly. Suddenly, a bright flash appeared and filled up the room. After the bright light dissappeared, so did Fluttershy.

"Godspeed, Fluttershy," Luna whispered softly.

"May she be safe from harm's way!" Celestia added, solemnly. She hoped that she was not making a mistake.


> Love of Family
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Draconian King seemed to be fighting well. He's still invisible, Chrysalis still hasn't hit him, and it's not even three o'clock!

"Dangit Discord!" the ugly bug snapped. "Where are you!?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out, crabapple!" the invisible chimera cackled. As soon as he said "crabapple", Chrysalis's muzzle was now the shape of a red apple.

"I'm losing my patience!" she snarled. Just then, a pink cloud appeared over her head and it rained chocolate milk on her mane. Feeling her mane all icky and sticky, she shrieked.

"Tee hee hee!" the King snickered. "I should have done that months ago!"

While Discord gleefully continued to harass the angry bug, the children and the servants were still fighting off the changelings. They got rid of one half of them; they just need to to take care of the other half. The remaining changelings surrounded the children and staff. No matter how many times they used their magic, the changelings were too strong for them to handle!

"Anybody got new ideas?" Rainbow Dash asked tiredly, after trying to punch a changeling.

"No!" Flash yelled while fighting another bug.

Rainbow growled in annoyance.

"Oo do me, do me!" Pinkie chirped to one changeling, who was taking forms of many ponies in front of her.

"We're doomed!" Rarity wailed. "Doomed, I say!"

"Rarity, stop crying and help!" Applejack snapped.

"I'm trying!"

"Sister, do you have any plans?" Sweetie begged Screwball.

"Just keep fighting the best you can!" The heir responded, feeling stressed out.

Suddenly, a changeling, larger than the others leapt at Apple Bloom who was distracted by another bug. It pinned the princess to the ground. It opened its mouth showing its pointy teeth.

Apple Bloom screamed at the sight! She tried to use her powers to free herself but the bug was too strong! Just before the bug could suck the love from the princess, a bright light appeared between them! The light was so bright that it blew the big changeling away from the princess. The light faded away to reveal...

"Miss Fluttershy!?"

Apple Bloom rubbed her eyes to make sure that she was not seeing things.



Discord flew down closer to the clock tower, while hiding from Chrysalis. Suddenly he saw a bright light and his jaw dropped. He could not believe his eyes!

'What is she doing here!?' the King angrily thought. 'I thought I told her to stay in Canterlot!'



The Big changeling whistled for his friends and signaled them to follow him to attack Fluttershy. But before they could charge, the pegasus did the most remarkable thing of all.

Gnashing her teeth, the buttercream pony looked straight into the changeling's eyes. Her eyes send a strange vibe to the changelings that was so unnerving and disturbing that they began to worry.

"HOW DARE YOU!" the pony shrieked. "HOW DARE YOU ATTACK MY FOAL! DO YOU THINK YOU CAN STORM IN HERE AND MURDER MY BABIES!?"

The mean bugs shook their heads and shivered.

The pony was not finished and began marching toward the bugs, who began to walk backwards nervously. "WELL, YOU ARE WRONG! SO WRONG! I WILL NOT LET YOU TRY TO ATTACK MY FOAL! IF YOU EVER LAY ONE HOOF ON HER, I WILL MAKE YOUR LIVES COMPLETELY MISERABLE! AND I AM NOT AFRAID OF YOU! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

The evil insects nodded their heads.

"THEN GET OUT!" Fluttershy's voice was so loud that it almost shook Draconia!

The bugs wasted no time! They took off and flew into the sky, far far away from that pretty but scary pegasus!

Fluttershy took a deep breath and sighed. She couldn't' remember being this angry before!

"MISS FLUTTERSHY!"

When she turned around, she was greeted by not only Apple Bloom, but also her sisters, Mothball, and the staff! They were so overjoyed at seeing her, that they all pounced on the startled Pegasus and gave her a huge group hug! Pinkie and the princesses hugged Fluttershy the tightest!

"YOU CAME BACK!" Rarity cried.

"WE WERE SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU!" Applejack was so happy, she shed tears.

Realizing thier former nanny needed air, they released her.

"Oh my friends!" Fluttershy weeped, smiling. "You have no idea how much I missed you all!"

"Thank you for saving my life!" Apple Bloom replied. "What you did to those changelings was amazing!"

"Yeah, it was so awesome!" Scootaloo smiled. "I was watching you doing that!"

"We all did!" Applejack reminded her.

"How did you learn to do that?" Sunset asked.

"Oh, it was just something my professors used to do," Fluttershy blushed shyly. "Whenever they wanted my classmates and I to behave, they always give us 'the stare!'" Her eye popped out at 'the stare' to demonstrate.

"Cool!" Sweetie Belle admired, her mouth making a circular shape.

"You're like the stare master!" Scootaloo marveled.



The King could hardly believed it! He never knew that his true love had such great power! Who knew that she would stare down at Chrysalis' army and make them flee? While Discord was distracted, a certain jealous ex-suitor sneaked up from behind him. The chimera sensed she was behind him. However, just as Discord turned around, Chrysalis shot him with mucus, throwing him to the ground!

When the family and the staff saw Discord falling to his doom, they gasped horribly.

CRASH!

The chimera fell to the ground, helpless.

"NO!" Everybody screamed.



"NO!" Twilight and Spike screamed.

"Keep reading," Shining Armor insisted. "The story is not over yet!"

"I hope it doesn't end in tears!" The baby dragon shook.

"Me too, Spike," Twilight agreed sadly, before resuming reading.



"Discord!"

Horrified, Fluttershy ran over to Discord. He was lying on the ground and maiming. His fur turned green and there were sickly peach polka dots on him!

"Oh please don't tell me you're dying!" the pegasus cried as she cradled his head in her arms. "Please don't die on me!"

"Shhh, don't cry Fluttershy," Discord gently whispered to her. He cupped her wet muzzle with his paw. "I'm not dying, I'm just sick." Red mushrooms popped out for his arms, much to his annoyance and disgust. "Very sick."

"Sunset, do we have a royal Doctor?" Fluttershy asked, her voice showing desperation. She hoped that they do, because the pony didn't know what would happen if Discord died! She couldn't bear to think of it!

"No, but Rarity and I will fetch the medical supplies!" Sunset assured the upset pegasus.

But Rarity shook her head, her muzzle showing concern.

"But darling, I don't think we have a medicine that can cure this strange disease!"

"Then we shall call for a doctor!" Sunset said, hastily.

But before she and Rarity could leave, a red aura levitated them and the rest of the staff up in the air and wrapped them up in chains. The staff was shocked and they tried to break free but they couldn't! The chains were too strong!

Mothball grabbed on the chains with his teeth. He tried to untie the chains but no matter how hard he tries, it wouldn't budge!

Chrysalis slowly hovers over them, smiling evily. She gave an evil laugh.

"Oh this is perfect!" she cackled. "The King is dying, the kingdom is falling, and his stupid friends are tied up!"

"LET US GO YOU WITCH!" Rainbow Dash growled. Oh if only she were free, she'd beat that ugly bug into a bloody pulp!

"YEAH, YOU BIG FAT MEANIE!" Pinkie Pie snapped.

"YOU MONSTER!" Flash snarled.

"SILENCE!" Chrysalis growled viciously at Discord's staff, who shrank from her.

Mothball hid behind the group.

"I am one step closer to getting the throne!" She announced. "Once I become ruler of this land, my subjects and I will be able to suck the love out of every creature here, starting with the girls! (The princesses shivered when they were mentioned) What better way to make them emotional than to kill their father? Oh yes, kill their precious nanny too! Once I kill them, I will feed on the girls' loves! Then I will move on to the peasants, then to every creature in Draconia, then to every pony throughout Equestria! Equestria will be mine! Not Starlight's, not Trixie's, not Svengallop's, but MINE! MWHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

After her speech, Chrysalis lit up her horn which turned red and pointed to Fluttershy and Discord.

"Say goodbye lovebirds!" She laughed cruelly, as red magic shot out from her horn.

Flutterhsy and Discord winced and their eyes widened. They looked at each other, thinking one thing. This is the end! They held each for comfort, for one last time.

Just then, a big sparkling blue bubble formed around the couple!

The sparkling bubble had been created by the princesses who had thrown themselves on the couple. The girls were also glowing blue.

"You will never defeat us, Chrysalis!" Screwball shouted.

"Why won't this magic of mine break your stupid bubble?" The overgrown bug screeched. She kept shooting her magic nonstop at the bubble trying to break it, but the bubble was very sturdy.

"You think you are all mighty and powerful, but we have magic too!" Screwball continued. She and her sisters levitated into the air and they glowed brighter. Each princess powered up their magic. "You may have riches, armies, and power, but deep down inside, you are still empty! You are still missing some things you can never comprehend!"

"Honesty!"

Apple Bloom sprouted her yellow wings and silver horn. Her red mane and tail had salmon highlights and her cutie mark glowed purple, cream, and pink.

"Generosity!"

Sweetie Belle sprouted wings with silver glitter. Green highlights were added to her pink and purple mane and tail and her cutie mark glowed purple, cream, and pink.

"Loyalty!"

Scootaloo grew a horn that sparked ruby pixie dust. Pink highlights were added to her purple mane and tail. Like Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, her cutie mark glowed purple, cream, and pink.

"Kindness!"

Babs Seed grew a pair of wings and a horn. Yellow highlights were added to her red mane and tail. Her cutie mark glowed silver.

"Laughter and Magic!"

Last, Screwball grew a horn and a pair of wings. She also sported a long white dress.

When the ponies finished powering up, they formed together in a shape of a heart.

"Here in Equestria, we hold these elements that are sums of the greatest power of all: the magic of friendship!" Screwball bellowed.

Bright light appeared over them and exploded which created a long rainbow coming from the girls' muzzles. The rainbow aimed at a confused an irritated Chrysalis and engulfed her.

"What's...happening?" the overgrown bug screeched.

The rainbow continued to swirl around her as Screwball opened a portal from thin air. The portal showed red boulders being surrounded by fire.

"As Princess and Future Queen of Draconia, my sisters and I banish you Chrysalis to Taturus!"

The princess and her sisters used their horns to lift their enemy and tossed her into Taturus.

"NO, NO!" Chrysalis shouted. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

As soon as the evil bug landed in the lake of fire, the portal was shut immediately. The light and rainbow sparkles faded away in thin air. Justice was served.

The girls laid on the ground. Not to worry, readers, for they were not dead but tired. When they opened their eyes, they stood themselves up and saw a huge crowd of Draconians surrounding them. Then, the crowd broke into a thunderous cheer and applause.

"Hooray for the princesses!"

"They're our heroes!"

The princesses blushed, not used to such attention, as they were hugged by Flash and the mares.

"You did it, Screwball!" Mothball beamed. He was so happy that he bestowed a kiss on her.

"That was awesome!" Rainbow Dash cheered, giving Scootaloo a noogie. "Way to go kiddo!"

The reactions from the staff and kingdom to thier magic were positive but what really mattered to the girls was seeing the joy and pride in their nanny and their father.



After the war ended, Discord was treated right away. The doctor prescribed to him an antidote for the terrible mucus. Fluttershy was relieved that the treatment worked on the King.

Soon Mothball was reunited with his parents. When he was escorted to Canterlot, he had no idea what the King had in mind for him, other than that it was a surprise. As soon as Mothball mad eye contact with his parents, he immediately ran over to them and gave them a hug. The family was reunited. Mothball gave Discord a thankful look as the King smiled at the reunion.

Later, Discord attended a meeting meant only for royals.

In the royal court, Celestia led the discussion of matters that need to be taken care of. They talked about many issues that needed to be settled such as giving the changelings and non-ponies their homes back.

When Queen Celestia asked what changes need to be made to some of the laws in Equestria, the chimera raised his paw up.

"I like to change...the marriage laws for the royals."

The whole court room gasped loudly.

"Change the marriage laws!?" Queen Spoiled Rich questioned, with a muzzle mixed with shock and disgust.

"I know, I know," the Draconian King continued. "It sounds unorthodox to your ears but royals only marrying other royals would lead to inbreeding, after a while. It truly alienates the royals from their subjects. You don't want to marry your own children, do you? I certainly wouldn't! Besides, we and our children will get a chance to marry ponies outside of royalty, like the peasantry! think of the many options royals would have!" He said this so he could legally marry Fluttershy.

Other royals disagreed.

"Dreadful!"

"Horrible!"

"Kings and Queens cannot marry peasants!"

"I would never let my Diamond Tiara marry below her status!"

"We must keep the Royal line pure!"

Discord seethed, as the royals threw more reasons against his proposal. How dare they talk that! Before he could attack them for putting a veto on his proposal, Celestia motioned him to stop. The Draconian King knew that meant that the Queen had something important to say.

"SILENCE!"

Everybody quieted down at her loud 'Canterlot voice.'

"How many of you are happy with their marriages?"

Everybody stayed deadly silent. Looking nervous or guilty, nobody raised a hoof (except for Queen Spoiled Rich who raised her hoof smiling proudly. She did not notice her husband, Filthy Rich looking down with regrets).

"Well then," the white alicorn continued. "Why would you want your children to also be stuck in loveless marriages? Don't you think that everybody deserves to find true love? To find happiness-even if they are royalty? You can still offer guidance to your children on marriage but whoever they want to marry, it is up to them only. I believe Discord also has a point that ponies should be free to marry whoever they want despite social class. Now think carefully, do you want Discord and future heirs marry for power or for love?"

All the royals considered Celestia's words thoughtfully. At last, everybody made a decision together...



"All right girls!" Fluttershy announced as she closed her book. "It is time for bed!"

"Aw, can't we hear another one?" Scootaloo pleaded. "Please?" Her sisters also made big pleasing eyes at their nanny.

"Well...one more story won't hurt," the buttercream Pegasus replied.

"Yay!" the girls cheered.

Suddenly, a light blue could puffed up in the middle of the room. It faded away to show Discord looking dashing in a light orange tuxedo, top hat, and a blue rose.

"Evening girls!"

"Ooo, Daddy you look soooo fancy tonight!" Sweetie Belle commented, her eyes full of stars.

"What's the special occasion?" Screwball asked, raising an eyebrow. "You rarely dress up unless it is for parties."

"I have a little surprise for our friend," Discord smiled and waggled his eyebrows at Fluttershy, who blushed.

"What is it?" she asked.

"My dearest Fluttershy," the draconeques took his lover's hoof in his. "Since you came to Draconia, you turned my home from a sad one into a cheerful one. You showed love to my children, kindness to my staff. And also, taught me how to love. So now I ask you thing: (opens a black box to show a ring. It was a silver ring with a heart shaped pink zirconia stone) Will you marry me?"

Fluttershy could feel her heart leaping for joy. Her lover proposed to her!? She could hardly believe it! But the ring proved to her that it was no dream at all, it was real! Overcome with happiness, Fluttershy kissed him!

The princesses, were so happy for the engaged couple, that they ran over and hugged them!

"Father, does this new law mean that Mothball can court me too?" Screwball asked hopefully. If her dad can marry a peasant girl, then maybe there is hope for her too!

"Of course!" Discord smiled proudly.



"'And so King Discord and Fluttershy had a splendid wedding. The girls were happy to have Fluttershy as a mother and the Draconians were thrilled to have a Queen again. There was a lot of singing and dancing during the reception. After the wedding, Fluttershy spent time with the girls in the mornings and with her husband in the evenings. Discord balanced between work and playtime thus he would never neglect his daughters. Mothball courted Screwball for a year. With the King's permission, the young changeling married Screwball. And they all lived happily ever after. The end.' What a terrific story!" Twilight sighed happily as she closed the book.

"And you thought you wouldn't like it!" Spike smirked.

"Still I think the idea of Discord being in a romantic relationship is silly," the princess of friendship frowned.

"I don't blame you," Shining Armor giggled. "Sometimes I wonder if that is possible."

His wife spotted a certain chimera walking up to Fluttershy who just happened to be sitting by a nearby treetop, drinking her tea. She smiled slyly as she watched the nervous Discord asking the patient Pegasus something.

"Fluttershy, would you be my special pony?" he stuttered.

To his surprise, the element of Kindness, shouted "Yes!"

"I think it is possible." Cadance smiled. She snickered when her husband and sister-in-law dropped their jaws at the sight of the odd couple embracing.

"I wonder if Discord could give me advice on how to ask AJ out," Spike wondered blissfully.

THE END