Perplexity was in the kitchen eating all the ice cream she could get from the freezer or conjuring up it herself. Already, she ate a whole carton of strawberry ice cream, a box of fudge bars, and now she was munching on some ice cream sandwiches.
Screw Ball was in the living room going over her guest list and when she got to the bottom of it, she gave out a gasp of horror and summoned up a blaring siren with flashing red lights, shouting out, "Every pony! In the living room, now!"
Her entire family rushed in except Perp, who took it slow and was still munching on the sandwich.
Once they were all seated, Screw Ball acted like a drill sergeant, "It has come to my attention that some pony has been messing with my guest list for the wedding," She got to the bottom where it listed Hail Storm, Butter Ball, and Dignity's names, "and I demand to know why that is. I know for a fact I keep this list under lock and key and no pony outside this house knows where I keep it stashed, which means… this was an inside job! So, what I want to know is… which one of you was it?!" She pointed at her parents and little brother.
Discord gave out a long and slow clap, "Bravo, Screwy. Way to use those investigation skills."
"Dad, please, this is serious. I'm feeling very violated right now. So unless you know who the guilty party is, it'd be best you stay quiet."
"Oh, but I know exactly who it is: it's me!" he pointed to himself with a smug look.
"What?!" both Screwy and Perp gasped.
"Yes, I was the one who found the guest list and used it to invite Butter Ball."
"You invited Butter Ball?!" Zany pointed. "I thought you hated all of Perp's coltfriends?!"
Discord wagged his finger, "Not so, son. I only hated two of them. Butter Ball was the exception. I don't know why you ever broke up with him in the first place, sweetie." he told Perplexity.
"I already told you, Daddy: it just wasn't working out for us. Sure it was great at first, but it was going nowhere."
"So the big question is: why did you bother inviting him?!" Screw Ball inquired.
"Well, I thought it would be nice, for Perplexity to have some colt there while watching her big sis getting married off. As long as it was a colt I knew, of course."
"But that's why I invited Hail Storm!" Zany blurted out and covered his mouth, realizing all too late what he just revealed.
"I knew it!" Screwy glared at him. "I figured you would invite two other colts!"
"But I didn't invite the other one!" he protested.
"Then who…" she started until they all stared in shock of the mare that was hiding behind her mane.
"Mom?!" the kids said.
"Fluttershy?" Discord was genuinely surprised.
She sighed, "I'm sorry, sweetheart… I didn't mean to… but the guest list was just out there… and I knew how sad Perplexity was after her break-up with Hail Storm, and I remembered a time when she was at her happiest and… I figured it was the best way for her to rekindle what she and Dignity had lost…"
There was silence for a while until Screw Ball dropped the list and said, "Well, what's done is done…" She looked over to her sister, "But are you going to be okay with this? I don't like to have to take back invites after they've been received."
"I understand. I'll… just have to learn to cope with it."
"Now I believe you three owe us an apology for messing with my guest list and for inviting Perp's old coltfriends without asking for her permission."
Their heads hung down as Discord was twiddling with his thumbs.
Fluttershy faced her daughters, "I'm so sorry, girls. It was very wrong of me to do those things. I hope you can forgive me someday."
"Of course we do, Mom," Screwy smiled. "We know you would never intentionally do things unless it was in our own best interests."
Perplexity nodded her head, "Yes, but next time, please ask."
"I will," she did the Pinkie-promise gesture and she went to hug them as they happily returned it. She then stared at her husband and son, clearing her throat.
Zany was having a hard time getting the words out, but he finally came out with it, "Yeah… I'm sorry, too. I should've asked first… It won't happen again."
Then they all turned their heads to the last person who still had to give out an apology.
Sweat trickled down his forehead and he sputtered, "Give me time! You know how hard it is for me to admit how wrong I can be…"
They just sighed.
"Okay, here it goes, girls, I am very… very… s-s-sorry for what I did!" he sighed in relief, knowing it was all over.
Fluttershy rolled her eyes, knowing what a drama king her husband could be and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Hmm… You know, I could use some resuscitation…" he smirked.
But she turned the other way and told their kids, "He'll live."
That caused them to laugh.
Apple Jewel found her coltfriend from across the marketplace and ran to him. He extended his arms out and she ran into them. He gave her a twirl before setting her down.
"So, ready to find the perfect wedding gift for our best friend Screw Ball?" Fire Spark asked.
"It won't be easy. What do you give to one who has powers of chaos at her whim?"
"A toaster?" he shrugged.
"Oh, she'll be bound to have a bunch of those even if the other guests don't get her one."
Fire tapped his chin, "Well, then, looks like we'll have to get creative."
She raised her brow and pointed to his head, "What is going on in that large brain of yours?"
"Best way to explain that is to take you the lab!" He led the way and she followed after him.
Moments later, they were in the cellar of the castle, where Fire Spark had all his equations on a blackboard and a chemistry set close by on a table. On another table were inventions and gizmos that Fire worked on for years.
He handed his marefriend a lab coat and goggles and he got on the same attire.
"Just what are we doing?" she asked.
"We are going make our own present for Screwy, something she wouldn't expect or can conjure up for herself."
"Nice!"
He went to the board and found a clear spot as he grabbed hold of the chalk and started writing down math formulas.
Apple Jewel looked down at Fire's inventions. A smile spread across her face as she remembered how Fire was always excited to show off a new gadget or doohickey to her and Screw Ball when they were kids. They always tried them out before it got them into trouble and they had to fix things before their parents found out.
Suddenly, she recalled what she told Screw Ball that morning and stared at her coltfriend. For some pony so smart, he was pretty clueless when it came to taking relationships to the next level. It took them two years before Fire asked her to go steady with him. Maybe… if she dropped a few hints, it would get the idea planted in his head and then he'll want to ask for her hoof in marriage! It was worth a try…
Fire Spark was busy concentrating on the formula, but he was also concentrating on his marefriend. This was a golden opportunity to finally ask her to marry him. But the setting seemed a little off… Whoever heard of proposing to one's marefriend in a laboratory that was in their parents' basement? That doesn't really scream romantic proposal… Moth Ball told him how he proposed to Screw Ball, so Fire wanted to give his marefriend the best life-decision proposal he can give her.
"You know," Jewel started to say, "speaking of Screwy's upcoming wedding, I saw her gown today and it was incredible!"
"Oh, really? That's great! I'm sure Moth Ball will be stunned come the big day."
"Right…" she had a bit of disappointment in her tone. She thought, This is going to be harder than I thought…
Meanwhile, upstairs in her room, Starling was pacing the floor while muttering under her breath, "Zany… he can be so impossible, stubborn, arrogant… and…" She stared at a picture on her desk with her and Apple Shield and Zany having fun, "charming… witty… and sweet…" She levitated the picture for her to hold and lied on the bed, "I hate him and yet… I love him… why? Why do I torture myself with these feelings? I don't even know if he would ever return them…" she sighed, "…especially after what happen today… Chances are we'll never speak to each other again…" She released a single tear.
Zany lied on his own bed of his room, where he was holding the picture of him and his best friends playing, but he was mostly staring at Star. He said out loud, "Star… you are so impossible, stubborn, bigheaded… and… pretty… smart… and caring… Arrgh!" He threw his hooves in the air, "Why can't I get you out of my head?! You're nothing but a pain, but darn it! I love you! There! I said it! I have been madly in love with you since kindergarten! And I can't stop!" He sighed in defeat as he held his hooves over his eyes, "What have I done? I made one stupid mistake and now she won't speak to me ever again…" A tear fell from his eye.
Screw Ball was downstairs in the den looking over her guest list to make sure no pony else had gotten hold of it and made changes like her family did. So far, everything looked good despite the three colts that made it on there without her knowing. Her thoughts then drifted to her fiancée. Moth Ball was still watching over the southern lands while Screwy was here handling wedding preparations. But with the wedding being a week away, Mothy would be staying at the castle a few days before the wedding since they had to have him for the wedding rehearsal.
She knew that her love would be here within a day and it made her feel so excited. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and she called out, "I'll get it!" She went to the front door and opened it. "Hello?" she said, but only to find no pony there, "That's weirdddd!" She got lifted up unexpectedly and she struggled to get free, "Let me go!"
"Screwy! Screwy! Stop! It's me!"
She froze at the sound of his voice and turned to see the changeling she deeply loved. She grinned, shouting out, "Mothy!"
He put his hoof to her mouth, shushing her.
She gave him a confused look as he took her to a clearing in the Everfree Forest and let go of her.
"Mothy, what are you doing here so soon? The wedding isn't for a week, not that I mind you're here, but aren't you supposed to be minding the kingdom?"
"About that…" he cringed, "I… I, uh… may have accidently put my subjects in danger by releasing a certain being that caused us trouble before…" He braced for impact.
Screw Ball pondered on this, "Wait… are you trying to tell me…" Her eyes widened, "that… that… your mother…"
"Escaped? Yeah… pretty much…" he crouched down in fear.
Screwy floated up in anger, "HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?!"
"I didn't mean to! I just… she is still my mother, after all… I wanted to point out to her that despite all the unhappiness she had caused in the past, I was going to fix all that by marrying you. She looked so sincere that she actually wanted to be there on our wedding day that I…" He slumped, "I'm so sorry, Screwy. I don't know what I was thinking…"
"But… is it just your mother? Not the rest of the changelings?"
"No, I made sure it was just Mother, but… I have the others watching them to make sure Mother doesn't try to free them." By the others, he meant Sedate, Rosaceae, Camille, Butch, and Marvin from the time she first met her beloved and their outcast friends.
"So it's just them who know about Chrysalis's escape and no one else?"
"Right. The minute Mother made her escape, I rushed right over here to warn you and make sure she hasn't disguised herself as you yet…"
"Eww! Why would she want to marry her own son?!"
"It wouldn't be so much as her marrying me more like making it seem you would stand me up at the altar."
"Ah, that makes sense…" Then she gave a suspicious look and gestured, "How do I know you're not her right now posing as my groom?! Just making me think that everything is going to all right, but when we have the actual wedding, you'll stand me up at the altar, making me think that Moth Ball broke my heart!" she panted.
Moth Ball gave a smirk and leaned in her ear, whispering something which made Screwy blushed.
"Oh…"
"You told me that, remember? And how no one else knows that secret?"
She nodded her head and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Sorry I ever doubted you…"
"No, no, it was good thinking on your part. My mother is very tricky. Who's to say she wasn't posing as me just to gain your trust until it was too late."
"That's right. We have to be careful. With the wedding taking place soon, she might pull something big!"
"Should we warn your family? Everybody?"
"Maybe… we better not. It'll cause paranoia and every pony won't be able to join the festivities."
"But we should let someone know, like your dad?"
Screwy bit her lip in thought. It could work. Her dad does get magical imbalance twitches. He should be able to spot a phony pony a mile away!
She nodded her head, "Wait here. I'll go get him."
"Gladly," he smiled.
She rolled her eyes as she popped out for a few seconds before popping back in with a tall draconequus.
"So, let me get this straight…" he pointed accusingly at the changeling, causing him to move back in fear, "you let out a dangerous threat known to Equestria just days before my little girl's wedding?!"
"Our wedding, Daddy."
"Well, there isn't going to be a wedding until that queenie is caught! Need I remind you of Princess Cadence and Shining Armor's wedding?"
"Yes, Daddy, I know the story. There's no need for a flashback."
"And how do we know you're not the queen herself?!" he pointed his glowing finger at Moth Ball's throat.
Screw Ball came between them, "Now, stop that! I already checked that out. He's proved himself to me that he is my one and only Mothy." She gave her fiancée a loving glance.
Discord sighed, putting down his finger, "It's a good thing you came straight to me."
"Actually, Daddy, Moth Ball was the one who suggested we tell you," she gave a smirk.
Discord look at the changeling in bewilderment, "Well, kid… I mean, Moth Ball, gotta say: I'm impressed."
"I figured you'd want to know, considering what happened last time between you and my mother."
"You're darn right I do!" he ruffled the changeling's cobweb hair.
"See? Isn't it nice when you two get along?" Screwy mentioned.
"I still don't approve one hundred percent, but if I have to trust someone with one of my precious treasures, I'm glad it's him."
"Thanks, sir. That means a lot…" he grinned.
"You don't have to call him 'sir'." Screwy pointed.
"Yes, he does." Discord quickly said.
She just groaned and stated, "Okay, we have a major problem on our hooves. With Chrysalis out in the open and with the wedding happening soon, we can't have any pony panicking."
"No kidding. Your mother and Aunt Twilight would certainly go to pieces." Discord's own body parts fell off before putting them back on.
"Think you can track her down?" she asked her dad.
"Not to worry, kiddo! I'll have her back in her prison cell before you say, 'I do'!"
"Which means I hope you don't plan on delaying…" she raised her brow.
"Relax, sweetie. I know this wedding means everything to you… You can count on your old draconequus to see it through."
"I hope so, because who else am I suppose to get to give me away?"
He kissed her forehead and then glared at Moth Ball again, "You… will… take… care of her… Am I understood…?"
Moth Ball puffed out his chest, "Perfectly."
"Good. I'll see you at dinner," he gently patted his daughter's head before disappearing in a flash.
Moth Ball let out a big breath of air and fell on the ground.
Screwy smirked at him and faced him just a few inches from his lips, "That was a pretty brave front you put on…"
"Think he bought it?"
She giggled and kissed him just as a pair of green glowing eyes was watching them…
