Chapter 29
"Sorry it took so long, did I miss anything?" Discord asked as he flashed in. Screwball was looking straight up with amazement.
"Hi Dad, take a look" Screwball responded, then Discord looked up. He wasn't sure what he was looking at, it was an amazing looking yellow light that was lightly twirling around, like a peaceful light show. Discord rarely found things like this amazing, but even he had to admit that he found it, peaceful. Discord could probably stare at it for hours, forgetting everything else.
"Do you like it?" Fluttershy asked, the only response she got was Discord looking up with a pleased smile, as if he forgot they were there. Screwball shook her head, like a dog trying to dry themselves, and looked at Fluttershy.
"Pretty, but what does it do?" Screwball asked, pretending to be unimpressed. Fluttershy looked up at it, then back to Screwball.
"Um, I was actually hoping you knew" Fluttershy admitted with an embarrassed smile. Screwball arched an eyebrow.
"You mean to tell me you made this thing and you don't know what it does?" Screwball asked, looking up at it then quickly back down, she didn't want to be caught in the trance again.
"It sort of just seemed normal, I have no idea what it does" Fluttershy said, hiding behind her hair. Screwball sighed.
"Dad, you have any idea what it does?" Screwball asked. Discord didn't respond, he just continued looking up.
"Discord?" Fluttershy called, he still didn't respond.
"Helllooooo?" Screwball called as she waved her hoof over his face.
"Is he ok?" Fluttershy asked. Screwball poked him but he still didn't react, like he was a statue.
"Heh, I guess it's a good thing I looked away when I did huh?" Screwball joked, messing around with one of Discord's wings. Fluttershy flew over to Discord and gently poked his stomach, still no reaction. It was weird, as if he was in some sort of trance. Wait, trance?
"The stare" Fluttershy whispered in realization, catching Screwball's attention.
"The what?" She asked, looking at Fluttershy in confusion.
"The stare, it's something I can do to animals to make them cooperate, I used it on a cockatrice once to make him stop turning my friends into statues. But when I use the stare, it doesn't freeze them like this." Fluttershy explained, pointing to Discord. Screwball looked at Discord, then back to Fluttershy.
"Amazing, this could totally be useful later on. I wonder what other abilities you have." Screwball thought out loud. Just then a green dot lightly past Screwball's vision, making her turn her head. She gasped when she saw her green parasprite flying while spinning, making her grab it with her magic to stop him for spinning any further.
"What happened?" Fluttershy asked, looking very concerned for the parasprite. Screwball turned it around and noticed marks on it.
"Well my guess is it either got attacked by a forest critter, or somepony tried to whack the wrong parasprite" Screwball said with a serious tone to her voice.
"Oh no!" Fluttershy (somewhat) yelled as she gently scooped up the parasprite. Screwball shook her head disapprovingly.
"Dang, looks like Little C won't be much of a pet after all" Screwball joked. Fluttershy then ran inside her cottage, startling Screwball a little.
"Don't worry little guy, I can fix you up" Fluttershy said with determination. Screwball walked inside.
"So… are we going to leave my dad like that?" Screwball asked, Fluttershy not hearing.
"Oh no, half you wing is torn off" Fluttershy thought out loud as she placed it on her bed and began bandaging it.
"Fluttershy it's no use, wings don't usually regenerate and by the looks of it, this guy will need it to survive" Screwball said. Fluttershy turned around in surprise.
"What are you saying?" Fluttershy asked. Screwball shrugged.
"It'd be best to let it die quickly, rather than letting it starve to death" Screwball nonchalantly said. Fluttershy's surprised expression turned into anger.
"I'm not letting this little guy die on my hands" Fluttershy said with a stern look on her face.
"Listen Fluttershy" Screwball started.
"No you listen to me, I've never given up on any animal before, no matter how large or small they are" Fluttershy (somewhat) yelled. Screwball's eyes widened.
"Um… Fluttershy…" Screwball tried.
"No matter how scary or defenseless they are, I've never turned my back to them" Fluttershy continued. Screwball looked behind Fluttershy, straight at the parasprite laying on the bed.
"Fluttershy" Screwball tried again.
"This poor guy needs my help, needs OUR help, and I think-" Fluttershy said.
"Fluttershy look!" Screwball yelled as she pointed back at Fluttershy's bed. When Fluttershy turned she gasped when the parasprite was surrounded by a yellow aura.
"What?" Fluttershy went, then she noticed her body was covered in the same glow. Screwball kept switching between staring at Fluttershy and the parasprite.
"I… think this is healing magic" Screwball said. Fluttershy turned to Screwball in amazement.
"Healing magic?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yeah, although I should've expected that coming from your nature, I had the impression you'd be a nurse to be honest" Screwball said. At this point Fluttershy's glow disappeared and Fluttershy ran to the parasprite and gently scooped it up. Fluttershy gasped.
"His wings! They're back!" Fluttershy stammered as she held it up for Screwball to see.
"Wow, well I guess you can… regenerate too?" Screwball questioningly asked as she scratched her legs. Fluttershy removed the bandages from the green parasprite and it happily began flying around them again.
"I'm so glad you're ok" Fluttershy said to the parasprite. Meanwhile Screwball went outside.
"Hey Dad, can healing magic also regenerate body parts?" Screwball asked. She got no response and mentally slapped herself. Right, still in trance.
"I wonder where the blue parasprite went" Fluttershy thought to herself.
"EEK!" Pinkie yelled, making Trixie and Rainbow leap up.
"What is it!?" Rainbow yelled. Pinkie hid behind Rainbow.
"A parasprite!" Pinkie yelled as a blue parasprite flied into the cart.
"Oh great, no again" Rainbow sighed.
"We're going to need to get all the instruments! Fast! Trixie, we will need that trombone again!" Pinkie yelled as she began franticly searching around for it.
"Pinkie" Trixie called as she eyed the blue parasprite flying circles around her.
"Rainbow, go find me maracas!" Pinkie ordered.
"Maracas? Where am I going to find maracas at this time?" Rainbow asked.
"Girls, Trixie has this" Trixie called out, still eyeing the parasprite.
"You have maracas?" Pinkie asked. Trixie held out a hoof, to which the parasprite eyed a bit and gently landed on.
"Poor thing looks lost" Trixie went, gently petting the parasprite.
"Poor thing!? That's a parasprite!" Rainbow yelled in disbelief.
"Trixie is fully aware of what a parasprite is, but this one doesn't seem to want to eat" Trixie said.
"How do you know?" Pinkie asked.
"If said goal of the parasprite was to eat, then it would've targeted the bowl of fruit on the bed rather than hovering Trixie" Trixie explained.
"Well then what does it want?" Rainbow asked. The blue parasprite then flew near the fruit bowl and formed a small tornado on one of the apples.
"Oh no!" Pinkie yelled. When the parasprite was done eating, the others gasped.
"Is, that Fluttershy?" Rainbow asked, looking at the carving of Fluttershy the parasprite made out of the apple.
"Trixie thinks so" Trixie responded as the parasprite flew circles around her again.
"Is Fluttershy in danger?" Pinkie asked. Rainbow gasped.
"What if Discord is attacking her!?" Rainbow yelled in disbelief.
"Discord? You mean the Spirit of Chaos?" Trixie asked, looking very worried.
"Yeah! He's probably trapping her as we speak!" Rainbow yelled.
"We must go assist her immediately" Trixie said with a determined look.
"C'mon Rainbow, you know dizzy wouldn't hurt us anymore" Pinkie tried.
"Dizzy?" Trixie asked.
"Yeah right, I'm going to go save her!" Rainbow yelled as she flew out the window.
"Erm, is Trixie missing something here?" Trixie asked.
"No time to explain, c'mon we need to go help Fluttershy" Pinkie yelled as she ran outside. The parasprite was bumping onto Trixie.
"What is it little guy?" Trixie asked. The parasprite flew in circles and made a few motions, which no one could understand. No one, except Trixie.
"So my assumption was right, you were just lost?" Trixie asked. The parasprite flew to Trixie's face and nodded.
"C'mon Trixie! My cloud is ready!" Pinkie yelled. Trixie scooped up the parasprite and ran outside.
"Deep breath" Spike thought to himself as he began slowly inhaling. He had woken up a while ago and told Twilight of what his training practices was. Feeling it was safe, Twilight decided to let Spike do his breathing exercises while she read one of the books she 'borrowed' when she went to Discord's home.
"Don't hurt yourself Spike" Twilight called out, not taking her eyes off the page. How could she, this book was likely not found in any other library. Spike was now slowly exhaling, trying to last a long time. Spike was keeping count in his mind.
"Nine seconds" Spike said out loud for Twilight to write out.
"Got it" Twilight responded, writing out his new time without taking her eyes off the page. Twilight knew she had to interview Discord soon, this book was fascinating to say the least. Spike began inhaling again.
"Gah!" A voice yelled outside, causing Twilight to drop her book and Spike to release his breath.
"Um, one second?" Spike went. Twilight ran outside and Spike followed. There were guards scattered around the floor everywhere, some were unconscious but most were moaning. Probably from pain.
"What happened? Are you all ok?" Twilight asked, running to the nearest guard. She gasped when she saw it was her brother Shining Armor.
"Twi-Twilight" Shining groaned.
"BBBF! Are you alright!?" Twilight yelled.
"R-Run!" Shining stuttered.
"Run from who?" Twilight asked. Spike backed up into Twilight.
"You!" Spike went, making Twilight turn around.
"Twilight Sparkle, long time no see" the intruder said with a devious smile.
"Sunset Shimmer!" Twilight yelled.
"Aww" Discord went when the beautiful display above him disappeared.
"Jeez, took you long enough" Screwball went.
"Can you blame me? It was an amazing display." Discord went as he looked down to Screwball.
"I was talking to Fluttershy, she was trying for a few minutes to make that trance thing disappear" Screwball clarified.
"Sorry, I'm still not very used to this magic thing" Fluttershy said with an embarrassedsmile.
"Trance thing?" Discord asked.
"Yeah, you were completely tranced while staring at the yellow light thing" Screwball responded. Discord scratched his head.
"I, guess I was…" Discord went. He didn't realize it at all.
"Also, Fluttershy can heal" Screwball added.
"What really?" Discord went as he flew over to Fluttershy, his attention made her blush a little.
"Um… yeah I can…" Fluttershy went, trying to hide behind her hair.
"Not only that, she regenerated a wing, is that normal?" Screwball asked. Discord thought to himself.
"Well only advanced healing magic can heal body parts like that, but wings aren't as complicated as organs and stuff" Discord went, he couldn't remember off the top of his head. Just then the green parasprite caught Discord's eye.
"Dad, meet Little C" Screwball went. Discord poked the thing and it retreated back to Screwball.
"Too cute for my interest" Discord said, waving a paw in dismissal.
"You should hear Fluttershy's story about these little guys, they ate most of the food in Ponyville from what I heard" Screwball responded. Discord put a paw under his chin.
"Not bad, but I could definitely do better" Discord went as he suddenly picked up Fluttershy, making hew squeal in surprise.
"What are you doing?" Screwball asked. Discord eyed Fluttershy as he held her gently.
"Trying to figure out this healing thing" Discord went, turning her upside down.
"Discord, please put me down" Fluttershy went, for some reason being used to this.
"How do you turn this thing on?" Discord joked as he playfully shook Fluttershy up and down.
"D-D-Discord" Fluttershy went, making Screwball giggle. Discord was giggling when he felt something pounce him, tackling him to the floor.
"Ouch" Discord went, looking up. Of course, he saw Rainbow.
"I knew it! You were attacking her!" Rainbow accused.
"Oh boy" Screwball went.
"Hi everypony!" A voice yelled from above, Fluttershy and Screwball looked up and saw Pinkie and Trixie.
"Trixie!?" Fluttershy yelled.
"Trixie!?" Screwball yelled just as loudly as Fluttershy.
"Discord?" Trixie gulped.
"Rainbow!" Pinkie yelled. Just then Discord teleported himself up to Pinkie and Trixie.
"Well if it isn't my favorite pink pony" Discord said.
"Hiya Dizzy!" Pinkie chanted, Discord then noticed Trixie.
"Somebody new?" Discord went as he eyed Trixie. Trixie gulped and back away a little.
"It's ok, Dizzy won't hurt you" Pinkie assured.
"In public" Discord laughed, just as Rainbow flew up and tackled him again. They spiraled in midair but Discord grabbed on to her hoof and held her upside down.
"Hey! Let go!" Rainbow yelled as she flapped her wings and tried to escape.
"Now now, hasn't anyone taught you manners?" Discord asked as he shook Rainbow a little. Rainbow responded by throwing a punch at Discord, which he easily dodged by holder her farther away from him.
"Dashie stop, I'm sure there's an explanation" Pinkie assured.
"Yeah right, didn't you see how he was holding Fluttershy?" Rainbow yelled, still dangling upside down.
"He wasn't attacking me, although I agree he was being rude" Fluttershy said as she frowned at Discord. He put up both his hands as if he was being held at gunpoint, dropping Rainbow down.
"I'm 'sorry' Fluttershy" Discord said, putting emphasis on sorry. Fluttershy smiled and looked at Rainbow.
"Now Rainbow, you apologize too" Fluttershy instructed.
"WHAT!?" Rainbow yelled in disbelief.
"You attacked Discord and you didn't trust him, you need to apologize" Fluttershy sternly said. Screwball was laughing really hard.
"No way! He probably deserved it!" Rainbow yelled.
"Rainbow c'mon" Pinkie said.
"No!" Rainbow yelled, crossing her hooves. Fluttershy knew Rainbow wouldn't budge, but she also learned a new trick.
"You better apologize Rainbow, or I'll give you… um…" Fluttershy trailed off, now thinking of a name for her new power.
"Oh! Oh! The Trance!" Screwball suggested.
"The trance!" Fluttershy finished. Rainbow scratched the top of her head.
"What's that?" Pinkie asked. Trixie was now peeking over Pinkie's shoulder to see.
"Trust me, you don't and do want to see it" Screwball went. Discord put on an umbrella hat so he wouldn't look up. Rainbow turned away.
"Not listening" Rainbow stated. Fluttershy's body began glowing and Trixie eyed her suspiciously. Just then a yellow ball of light emerged from Fluttershy and began flying upwards.
"Woah" Pinkie and Rainbow went. Just then Trixie forced Pinkie's head to lower.
"Hey!" Pinkie whined. Trixie shushed her. The yellow ball was hovering high in the sky now.
"Bright and slow magic like this is meant for distraction, it is best we look away" Trixie whispered. Pinkie looked confused but nodded in agreement. Just then the ball began spreading out, forming the bright yellow swirling light show Discord saw earlier. Except this time Rainbow was the target.
"Wow, what is this?" Rainbow asked as she stare. Fluttershy had a satisfied smile on her face.
"That'll help her cool off" Fluttershy said.
"Wow Fluttershy, I didn't know you could be so mean" Screwball cheered. Fluttershy's ears dropped.
"Mean?" Fluttershy asked.
"Wow Fluttershy! I didn't know you could use magic!" Pinkie cheered as the cloud went down to ground level.
"Oh, Screwball taught me ho- EEK!" Fluttershy jumped when she saw Trixie again.
"Oh right, you've met Trixie before right?" Pinkie asked with an innocent smile. Trixie had an awkward smile.
"Hello everypony" Trixie greeted, adjusting her hat a little.
"Nice hat" Discord complimented. Trixie noticed Screwball looking at her very nervously.
"Has Trixie seen you before? You seem familiar." Trixie asked. Screwball was awkwardly smiling.
"No! Of course not! Nice to meet you!" Screwball yelled and held out a hoof. Trixie eyed Screwball suspiciously and reluctantly shook her hood.
"I'm, Trixie" Trixie said, still looking suspicious. Trixie then turned to Pinkie and she shrugged in response.
"All that lying training down the drain" Discord hissed. Screwball shook her head, she needed to calm down. Trixie didn't recognize her, so it doesn't matter. Trixie then turned to Fluttershy.
"Trixie would like to, apologize for her actions last time. She wasn't in her right of mind but that is no excuse for how she acted." Trixie apologize as she took off her hat and held it to her chest. Fluttershy was surprised, but she wasn't one to hold grudges.
"It's alright, it wasn't entirely your fault" Fluttershy said with a smile. Trixie looked up and returned the smile.
"Thank you, Trixie was worried you'd hate her" Trixie said as she placed her hat back on.
"For what?" Discord asked.
"For nearly enslaving Ponyville" Pinkie responded. Discord laughed, Trixie blushed and hid behind her hat, Screwball looked shocked, Rainbow was still looking up, and Pinkie covered her mouth.
"I like her already!" Discord laughed.
"Alright Trixie gets it!" Trixie yelled. Fluttershy took the opportunity and walked over to Screwball.
"Um Screwball, what's the matter?" Fluttershy whispered.
"What do you mean?" Screwball asked innocently.
"Why did you react like that when you found out she is Trixie?" Fluttershy whispered. Screwball sighed, she had to tell somebody eventually. She eyed Trixie to make sure she wasn't listening and leaned into Fluttershy's ear.
"Trixie is my sister" Screwball whispered.
What are you doing!? You're supposed to wait for the signal!
"Couldn't help it, she was basically asking for it" Sunset replied, tossing her two captives in front of the crystal.
You fool! I'm still not strong enough!
"Calm down, I erased the memories of all the ponies there, nopony will know she's gone until we attack" Sunset reassured.
You better hope so, otherwise our plans are ruined.
"Don't worry, you're almost at full power right?" Sunset asked.
Right, but the moment Celestia realizes this, Discord will no doubt fix it.
"She won't find out, and I even caught Twilight Sparkle early. She put up a fight, but she wasn't a match for me." Sunset snickered.
And who's the other one?
"Isn't he the one who you sensed in Canterlot? He's the captain of the guards, his name is Shining Armor." Sunset said, pointing at the unconscious Shining Armor.
Erm… This isn't the one.
"What!?" Sunset yelled in disbelief.
The one I sense is still in Canterlot, how did you miss them?
"But, who else could it be? The only resistance I encountered were these two, the guards, and… THE BABY DRAGON!" Sunset yelled.
What? You found a dragon and you didn't assume it to be strong!?
"It wasn't that large, and he fainted on the first beam I shot at him!" Sunset defended.
Go get him. NOW.
"W-What's the big deal? He won't remember about Twilight, I could sneak attack him." Sunset said.
You got lucky the first time! I'm surprised LuLu and Sunbutt weren't there when you attacked.
"Whatever" Sunset replied.
Also smartflank, Dragons have scales, which protect their heads from spells.
"WHAT?" Sunset asked in disbelief.
You're actions might've just doomed us.
"No, I won't let our plan be ruined by some baby dragon!" Sunset declared.
Then you better go get him. Before Luna finds him first.
"I'm going dragon hunting!" Sunset declared, running upstairs.
Run Spike run! I'm trying to figure out what Applejack is doing right now, she obviously finished spreading the word by now. She also has a role in the finale, I haven't forgotten her so don't worry. I also have plans for Trixie and Screwball being siblings, you'll find out what they are later. :D
