Discord's Daughter
by Speedy Quill
First published
Discord finds out that he has a daughter from his one and only romance.
Discord lounges around Canterlot Castle without a thing to do. A reformed life has taken every surprise out of life. Until Celestia drops the bomb on him: He has a daughter. And what's more is that Celestia wants him to reunite with her with Twilight's help.
What?!
Discord drifted through the air, his face towards the ceiling. He had been in the castle for a month. And now he was out of things to do. Sure he could always try to prank Luna again, but she was starting to ignore him at Celestia's suggestion. Of all the times for her to start taking Celestia's advice!
He drifted around a corner and saw two guards walking by below. He was tempted, but the guards had ignored him from the beginning. He sighed to himself. "What to do?"
"You can come down here."
Discord stopped and turned over. Celestia was standing below looking up at him. Discord stood up and pretended to jump off a diving board. He landed in the carpet with a splash, his head surfacing after a second. "You called?"
Celestia turned away and began to walk. Discord began to swim after her. "Come now Celestia, don't make me guess. You weren't mad about me floating around, were you? Just because you never fly through the halls doesn't mean I can't."
Celestia entered her study. Discord climbed out of the carpet and pulled a towel out of the air. He walked after her, drying himself off as he went. "Won't you talk to me? You were never this silent when I was stone."
Celestia sat down and motioned for Discord to sit. "There is something we need to discuss."
Discord rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers. He reappeared in front of Celestia, lying across a couch. "It all started when I was a baby Spirit of Chaos-"
Celestia raised her hoof. "Discord. You've been sitting around this castle for far too long."
Discord sat up. "So your going to use me now? Just like you planned? What possible problem could there be that needs my magic over yours?"
Celestia smiled. "I don't need your magic. I need your heart."
Discord chuckled. "I'm flattered my dear, but you're not my type."
Celestia rolled her eyes. "I need your newly discovered understanding. Do you remember Startail?"
Discord froze. His eyes began to burn with anger. He stood up. "Never mention that name!" He snapped his fingers and disappeared.
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Discord sat in the middle of a tornado. The entire contents of his room were swirling around him. He took a deep breath, his eyes closed, and smiled. This was his natural state. Neverending chaos. Constantly going in a circle. That and it kept anypony, especially Celestia, from getting near him.
Startail.
Discord's eyes opened. He hadn't heard that name in centuries. No! He couldn't think about that! He closed his eyes again, willing the tornado to spin faster.
Startail.
The tornado began to slow down. Discord tried to hold it together.
Startail.
Everything dropped to the floor. Discord shuddered. What was wrong with him?
Startail.
"Stop it! STOP IT!!" He covered his ears. "I refuse to remember!"
And yet he did....
Discord stood in the shadow of a building. He looked around the village. Everything was peaceful. How perfectly horrid. He snapped his fingers and watched as the fountain in the village square started squirting passing ponies. The ponies looked at the fountain in shock. Of course doing so caused them to be squirted as well. Discord chuckled to himself.
Another snap of his fingers and he transformed himself into a pony. He pulled a mirror out of thin air and looked at his reflection. He was brown with a gray mane. Not bad for a pony. He smiled to himself and threw the mirror over his shoulder. He walked out into the square and admired his handy work. Ponies were beginning to avoid the fountain. Well that was no fun!
Wait... A mare was coming out of a shop. New prey! Discord watched as she walked across the square. And...
"AAHHH!!!!"
Discord couldn't help himself. He began to laugh. He watched as the mare looked at herself, soaked. She looked up at the fountain, the innocent-looking statue staring back. And she began to laugh. That shut Discord up. What?! She...liked it?
Discord began to walk towards the mare just as she stepped away from the fountain. "You're the first one to smile about being wet. Everypony that got hit by that water was angry."
The mare looked at him and smiled. "Did you do that?"
Discord froze. "Well...maybe."
The mare narrowed her eyes. Discord sighed. "Yes. It was me. So what?"
"It was funny. What's your special talent? Pranks?"
Discord found himself smiling. "I guess it kind of is."
The mare held out a hoof. "I'm Startail."
Discord shook her hoof and tried to think of a pony name. "I'm...Discord." Idiot!
Startail smiled. "I guess that goes with pranks in a way. Kind of a dark name isn't it? Not that I'm saying that's bad!"
Discord shook his head. "It isn't. It's a very good name for somepony like me."
Discord was brought back to the room by a knock on the door. He sat still, trying to regain his composure. It was harder than he realized. Another knock at the door got him to speak. "Who is it?"
The door opened and Twilight stuck her head in. "I thought I'd find you here." She walked into the room.
Discord groaned. "And what does the newest princess want from me?"
Twilight sat down in front of him. "I came to talk. Celestia thought you'd be more comfortable with me."
Discord shook his head. "If Celestia's the one who sent you, then no."
Twilight smiled. "I wanted to come for myself. You're friends with Fluttershy. That means that, by extension, you're my friend too. And I want to help you in any way that I can." She placed a hoof on his knee. "Please."
Discord looked at the young alicorn for a moment. She smiled up at him. He sighed. "Okay."
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"Did Celestia say anything to you?"
Twilight shrugged. "Only that she wanted to talk to you about somepony named Startail."
Discord forced himself to take a deep breath before continuing. "I met her over a thousand years ago. I was causing some trouble in her village. She got caught in one of my more harmless jokes and actually liked it. That drew me to her. Nopony likes what I do." He noticed Twilight nodding at the last sentence. He narrowed his eyes. "You don't have to agree."
Twilight stopped nodding. "Sorry. Please, continue. What happened next?"
Discord looked down. "I fell in love with her."
"What?!"
He looked up at Twilight. "Believe me, I was just as shocked as you."
Twilight scooted closer. "What did you do?"
Discord didn't answer for a moment. Finally he continued. "I decided to win her affections. And I did it the old fashioned way. No magic. I wanted to know what the real thing was like. My original plan was to make her fall for me and then I would break her heart. What better form of chaos than a shattered love?"
Twilight stared at him in disgust. Discord shook his head. "You don't have to tell me what I was going to do was wrong. I know! And besides....it all changed when I actually fell for her myself."
Twilight slowly nodded. "Go on."
Discord shrugged. "That's it. We were together for a time. Eventually my nature took over and led me away from that village. I never returned."
Twilight closed her eyes. "So you did break her heart."
Discord stood at his full height. "I would never have done such a thing to her. You'd better understand this right now Princess. I loved her. And she loved me."
Twilight lowered her head. "I'm sorry. It's just....what happened when you left?"
Discord relaxed and sat down. "I told her who I really was. She had had her suspicions. And....she didn't care. I would have given it all up right then for her."
Twilight frowned. "But?"
Discord closed his eyes. "I had stayed so long in one place that Celestia had discovered my whereabouts. I had to run. Startail understood. So I left." He looked at Twilight. "And that's my unfortunate history."
Twilight smiled. "Thank you for sharing this with me."
"She visited you once."
Discord looked up.
Celestia was standing in the doorway. She smiled. "I saw her in front of your frozen form. I couldn't hear what she said, but she left a flower at your feet."
Discord nodded. "Yes. I remember. I may not have had eyes to see or a mouth to speak, but I could hear everything around me."
"Did she tell you?"
Discord looked at Celestia. "Tell me what?"
Celestia sighed and stood still for a moment. She looked into Discord's eyes. "She was pregnant."
Discord would have fallen over if he wasn't already sitting. "WHAT?!"
A Tale Of Derpy
Discord sat across from Celestia and Twilight. They had returned to the study to talk.
Discord was fidgeting in his chair. "How could Startail have been pregnant? We never..."
Celestia nodded. "You are the Spirit of Chaos. Stranger things have happened."
Discord rolled his eyes. "I disagree with that. Now what happened?"
Celestia closed her eyes. "Did you ever imagine living out your life with Startail?"
Discord nodded. Celestia continued. "Did you ever think that you would have children?"
Discord's eyes widened. He put a hand to his face. "Once. Before I left her. That's what did it." He slapped his face. "Curse my magic!"
Celestia shook her head. "It's not your fault. You didn't know your magic would do this."
Discord sighed and looked at Celestia. "What happened after I was imprisoned?"
Celestia's horn glowed and a book came off of one of the shelves in the study. It stopped in front of her and opened.
Celestia looked down at the pages. "Startail had a daughter. She looked just like her, a beautiful pegasus. She grew up in the village and was a normal filly like anypony else."
Discord nodded. "So she wasn't like me."
Celestia shook her head. "Startail told her about you when she became an adult. She became confused...and dangerous. She didn't know what to think anymore. Something sparked in her. Something magic. In a fit of rage, she disappeared in a flash of light. Just like you do."
Discord stood up. "What happened to her?"
Celestia closed the book and let it go back to its shelf. "I thought she ran away to live her life in isolation. I found out the truth a few years ago.... She appeared in Ponyville just before I sent Twilight there."
Discord and Twilight both stared at Celestia. Twilight stammered. "You...you mean she....she was there? Discord's daughter was...in Ponyville?!"
Celestia nodded. "What would have only been a moment for her, was centuries in Equestria. I don't know why she appeared there. I doubt she even had control over the magic. When I heard of a pegasus that suddenly popped into existence, I investigated." She lowered her head. "Whatever magic she inherited from you Discord, it damaged her when she used it."
Discord's shoulders slumped. "What do you mean?"
Celestia looked up at him. "She has no memory from before the accident. She's a very confused pony. She has trouble even with simple tasks. She can function normally it's just....harder for her. But I knew it was her the moment I saw her. Grey coat and a yellow mane, just like Startail."
Twilight gasped. "But..I know that pony! I've seen her around Ponyville all the time! That's Derpy!"
Discord turned to Twilight. "You know her? My...daughter?"
Twilight nodded. "Not personally, but Rainbow knew her a bit. She was always getting into trouble."
Discord rolled his eyes. "That sounds like my kid."
Celestia stood up. "Discord, I told you this because I think it would help you further your reformation. I want you to go and meet her."
Discord shook his head, fear creeping into his expression. "No. I couldn't! I'm not a parent!"
Celestia smiled. "I know. Believe me, I wouldn't be asking you to do this unless I thought you could handle it. And you won't be alone. As her first assignment, I want Twilight to accompany and help you."
Twilight's eyes widened. "Me? You want me to help?"
Celestia nodded. "Who better to help Discord than you, a student of friendship, with the task ahead of him?"
Twilight was silent for a moment before nodding. She looked up at Discord. "I guess we're off to Ponyville."
Discord looked at the young princess. "It seems we are. I doubt we'll succeed."
Celestia put a hoof on his shoulder. "Have faith in Twilight. And yourself. Together you can find your family."
First Encounter
Discord and Twilight popped into existence inside the Ponyville library.
Twilight immediately went about tidying things up. "I'll have to have a word with whoever the new librarian is. This place is getting messy."
Discord looked around. From what he could tell it actually looked clean. Normally he would have chosen to put all the books on the floor, but he decided he'd better not annoy Twilight. He had seen her when something was out of place. It was not a pretty sight. Not even he wanted to see that sort of chaotic mess again.
He decided to sit over in the corner and wait for Twilight to finish up. Besides, he didn't want to get started right away. He was still dealing with everything that had happened so far today. It was normal to freak out about finding out you had a child, right? Honestly he didn't know. He went around causing chaos. He had never had anything chaotic happen to him personally!
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Alright.
You have a daughter. Her name is Derpy. She looks like Startail, but doesn't remember anything about her.
She doesn't remember her past at all. She doesn't know a thing about you except that you're the Spirit of Chaos. And now you're going to tell her that you're her father.
Discord's eyes snapped open. He stood up. "I can't do this."
Twilight looked at him over her shoulder. "Why not?"
Discord rolled his eyes. "I'm happy for the support and all, but I can't handle being a parent."
Twilight smiled. "I doubt anypony is ever ready to be a parent."
A frown formed on Discord's face and his brow furrowed. "Do you really think that I'm cut out to change diapers, make bottles, and babble like an idiot?"
Twilight's answer came in the form of a groan and rolling eyes. "I'd say you've got that last one down pretty well. Besides, you're not raising a baby! You're meeting your adult daughter. She's close to my age for Celestia's sake!"
Discord began to pace. "Alright. Point taken. So what do I do first? Restore her memory?"
Twilight spun around on the spot. "No!!"
Discord was so surprised by the shout that he shot into the air, grabbing onto the ceiling. "Don't scare me like that! And why shouldn't I?"
Concern danced across Twilight's eyes as she looked up at him. "If you try to restore her memory, you could cause even more damage to her already broken mind. She has to remember herself if she can."
Discord let go of the ceiling and lowered himself to the floor. "And if she doesn't?"
"Then she doesn't."
He let out a sigh. "So what do I do first?"
Twilight looked around at the bookshelves. "I'd suggest looking at some books on parenting. None of the baby books of course. Maybe something along the lines of raising teenagers or something. Those ones usually help parents to relate to their children."
"A reading assignment? Really?" Discord looked at the books and hen back at Twilight. "Why can't I just go and introduce myself?"
Twilight nodded towards the shelf. Discord rolled his eyes and walked over. He looked at the various titles until he found one that he thought might help. "So Your Filly's A Teen?. That should do." He pulled the book off the shelf.
"Should do for what?"
Discord was back on the ceiling. He looked down to see Pinkie Pie peeking out from the space where the book had been.
Twilight beamed. "Pinkie!"
The pink pony jumped out of the bookcase. "Twilight! Or is it Princess? Princess Twilight? Twilight Princess? Your Highness? Your Twilightness?"
Twilight hugged her. "You know you can always call me Twilight. What are you doing here?"
"I work here!"
"You what?!"
Pinkie motioned around the room. "I'm the librarian silly! I decided to take over after your coronation!"
By this time Discord had gotten his heart to slow down and was lowering himself back to the floor again. He looked at Twilight, pointing at Pinkie. "Are we sure it's not her by chance? She seems to have a talent for popping out of nowhere." Twilight rolled her eyes an hook her head.
Pinkie looked up at Discord. "So what are you doing here? You were looking at a parenting book." She froze as she processed what she had just said. Her jaw dropped and she gasped. "Omygosh! Discord's a parent! He's a dad! We need to have a 'Hooray For Discord Becoming A Daddy' party!!" She threw some streamers in the air.
Discord was getting more nervous by the second. He didn't want a party! He didn't want any attention at all! In fact, he sort of wished he were a statue again. "I'm leaving!"
His path was blocked as Twilight stepped in front of him. "Please don't! Pinkie's just being Pinkie. She won't do anything if you don't want her to." She looked back at Pinkie. "Right?"
Pinkie looked shocked. "Of course not! If it would make Discord feel weird, I wouldn't do anything until he wanted to!"
Twilight smiled and looked back at Discord. "See?"
"I still need some fresh air." He reached for the door, pausing as he saw his lion paw. "Perhaps I should slip into something a little less...me." He snapped his fingers and transformed into his pony disguise. The same look he had worn the day he met Startail. He hadn't used it since he left her. It felt....odd. He stretched his hooves for a moment before turning to Twilight. "How do I look?"
Twilight looked him over. "Not bad actually. Kind of....handsome."
He winked. "Watch yourself. You may be royalty, but that doesn't mean I'll automatically date you."
"Ugh! Just go."
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Discord slowly walked down the street. He liked being able to walk around without anypony staring or screaming. He stopped and looked at shop windows and fruit stands. He smiled when he spotted Applejack selling apples. He trotted over to her stand.
Applejack waved to her approaching customer. "Well howdy there! You new to town?"
He chuckled. "I guess you could say that. How much for an apple?"
The orange mare narrowed her eyes. "You sound mighty familiar. Have we met before?"
Discord winked. "I guess you could say that too Applejack." He stomped his hoof against the ground and two bits appeared in the air. They fell into Applejack's apron with the rest of her bits.
Her jaw dropped. "You...but... How did you do that without using your horn?"
Discord put on his best look of shock. "Well! I thought I'd made a better impression when I was here to be reformed!"
Applejack's eyes bugged out. "You!!"
Discord put a hoof on her shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm here with Twilight. If you don't believe me, go to the library when you're done for the day. She's waiting there." He picked up an apple and bit into it. "Mmmm! These really are the best in Equestria." Without another word he walked away.
He spent another hour walking the streets of Ponyville. He was just turning away from the window of Sugarcube Corner when-
WHAM!!!
The door slammed into his face before he could jump away. It slowly swung closed and Discord grabbed his snout. "Ow."
"Oh! I'm sorry."
Discord opened his eyes and nearly fainted. At first he thought he was seeing a ghost. After a second he realized it was....Derpy!
Derpy tipped her head to the side. "Are you okay?"
He stood frozen to the spot. "Umm...yes! Yes, I'm fine. No harm done." He removed his hoof from his snout. "See?" There was a late bump forming.
Derpy winced. "Ouch."
Discord looked down at the bump. "Oh... It's alright."
The gray pony looked down. At least that's what Discord thought she was doing. Her eyes never seemed to be focused on the same place. A side effect from the accident perhaps. Derpy sighed. "I'm really sorry."
He put a hoof under Derpy's chin and lifted her head. "It's okay my dear. I think it's an improvement."
That got her smiling. "You're silly! Gotta go!" And with that she took off into the sky. She paused for a moment and looked around before remembering which way to go. She didn't get far before crashing through the roof of a nearby building.
Discord chuckled to himself. "Destroying property. Perhaps we're related after all."
Introductions
Discord paced around the library while he read his book.
Relating with your filly is easier said than done. With culture constantly changing around us, you may find yourself behind the times while your filly stays up to date on the-
He threw the book over his shoulder. "So much for that approach."
"I see you're taking the reading seriously."
An about face revealed Twilight standing there, the book hovering in her purple aura.
Discord rolled his eyes. "It wasn't very helpful."
"Really? How far did you get?"
He shrugged. "One...two sentences."
She groaned. "Well of course it wasn't helpful! You have to read more!"
Read more? Discord shook his head. "That book is duller than my sensitive side!"
The alicorn replaced the book on its shelf. "Something that you're going to see a lot more of as you get to know your daughter."
Discord felt something strain in his chest. He wanted to clutch at his heart, but refused to let Twilight know that he felt hurt. He hated to admit it, but he did indeed have to get in touch with his sensitive side if he planned to reunite with Derpy. He blamed Fluttershy. She was the one that made him realize the truth about friendship. But this was....deeper. He had to make a connection with his own child! He couldn't even begin to comprehend how to do that!
"Ahem!"
Discord blinked and looked down at Twilight. She had obviously said something and was waiting for a response. Discord sighed. "What?"
She sat down. "I asked you what you think we should do."
What to do? There were several things... "Hula contest?"
Twilight frowned. Discord tried to hold his smile, but found it slipping away the longer he looked at the princess. He groaned. "Fine! Why don't we invite Derpy over and introduce me?"
"Now that's a decent idea! I'll get Pinkie to go and find her. Pinkie!"
Pinkie came through the kitchen door, a grass skirt covering her flank. "I heard someone say 'hula contest'!"
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Discord sat waiting. He twiddled his thumbs, much to Twilight's annoyance. She was sitting next to him trying not to organize the library for the third time. Pinkie had been gone for nearly an hour. Where was she?
As if the silent question had cued her, Pinkie opened the door. "And this is the library!" She stepped aside to allow Derpy to walk in.
Derpy looked around at the shelves. "Cool!" Her eyes fell on Twilight and Discord. "Woah! You're Princess Twilight! And you're....a mixed-up.....dragon...thing..." Her eyes crossed in confusion.
Twilight smiled. "It's so nice to officially meet you Derpy. Rainbow Dash has told me so much about you."
Derpy's eyes uncrossed and actually focused on Twilight. She smiled. "Really?"
Twilight nodded and motioned to Discord. "This is my friend Discord. He's a draconequus. I wanted to introduce him to you."
Derpy trotted up to Him. "Cool! You're funny looking.... I like you!"
Discord smiled. "Thanks. You're not so bad yourself." He looked at her flank. "That's an interesting cutie mark. What's your talent?"
Derpy looked at her cutie mark. "Uhh....I don't know." She pouted. " I keep trying to find out, but everything I do is wrong."
She sat down causing one of the floorboards to squeak. This squeak meant the floorboard was shifting, unbalancing the table in the center of the library, which tipped it slightly, allowing a ball to fall off and bounce into one of the bookshelves. One of the books was shifted enough for it to fall off the shelf, causing a domino effect. When the entire shelf was empty, the whole bookcase fell forward.
Twilight jumped forward and froze the shelf in place. She carefully placed everything back where it belonged, sighing when she was done.
Derpy looked down at the floor. "Was that my fault? Sorry."
Twilight shook her head. "No it wasn't you. I have a great idea! Would you like to come to dinner tonight?"
The mare went from sad to happy instantly. "Yes please!"
Twilight smiled. "Why don't you come back a little later? We'll have a nice meal all ready to enjoy."
Derpy jumped in place. "Ooo! Will there be blueberry muffins?"
Twilight chuckled. "I'll make sure of it."
Derpy flapped her wings and flew into the door. She backed up and smiled, her eyes crossed again. "The door's closed." She opened the door and flew off.
Twilight looked at Discord. "Was that whole fiasco really her fault? I've never seen such an accident prone pony!"
Discord shook his head. "Accident prone means breaking a couple items in the room, not making everything collapse from sitting down. What you saw my dear Twilight was unorganized chaos. She causes it without realizing. It's something she'll have to learn to control."
The princess slowly nodded. "I'll leave that teaching to you." She giggled. "She was so funny about dinner. I've never quite understood that pony's love for muffins."
Discord smiled. "She obviously gets it from me. I love muffins above any other food!" He snapped his fingers and a muffin popped into existence. He grabbed it and took a bite. "Mmmm!"
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Discord admired his handiwork. He had conjured a table set for three with a floating, blue-flamed candle as the centerpiece. He snapped his fingers again and three plush chairs appeared around the table. He smiled. "Perfect."
Twilight entered from the kitchen with several trays floating behind her. "I think I've got a good variety for the main course. I'm sorry, but I wasn't entirely sure what you liked to eat."
He looked over the platters; small sandwiches, fruit, vegetables, muffins, and some various cheeses. He nodded. "It'll do. I'll tell you about my usual diet another time."
She set the trays down on the table and smiled. "It looks wonderful!"
'Knock Knock Knock'
Discord flew over to the door and reached for the handle. He paused and took a deep breath.
Twilight smiled. "You're going to be fine. Why don't you let her in?"
He nodded his thanks, grabbed the handle, and opened the door.
Derpy jumped as the door opened. "Oh! I'm in the right place! This is the right place, right?"
Discord smiled. "Yes. Come on in."
She trotted in. "It smells good in here. Are you cooking something?"
Discord held his tongue. He would have made a critical remark thick with sarcasm, but he didn't want to make her sad or embarrassed. Had she really forgotten they were having dinner? The accident must have done more harm than Celestia knew about. All of this raced through his mind in a split second. He smiled and responded to Derpy's question. "The food just came out of the kitchen. Have a seat."
She skipped over to a chair and sat down. "Ooo! Muffins!"
Twilight sat down and Discord joined them at the table. They began to eat, Derpy taking several muffins for herself. It was a few minutes before anything was said.
Derpy looked up at Discord. "Sorry about your nose yesterday."
He nearly choked on his sandwich. "What? How did you know that was me?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. Is it feeling better?"
He responded by rubbing his nose. "Yes. A lot better."
Derpy smiled and went back to her muffins. Discord looked at Twilight. She seemed just as surprised by the exchange. Discord nodded towards Derpy, hinting he wanted to tell her something. Twilight shook her head and mouthed 'not yet'.
He was about to obey, but changed his mind at the last second. "So Derpy, do you have any family in Ponyville?" Twilight glared at him, but he ignored her.
Derpy tipped her head to the side. "I don't think so. I think I have a mother somewhere..."
She remembered Startail! Discord felt his heart breaking at the thought of eventually revealing that her mother had passed on centuries ago.
The gray pony frowned. "But I don't think so. I don't know where they are."
Twilight smiled sympathetically. "That's too bad. How about friends? You must have tons of friends."
Derpy shook her head. "Nope." She went back to eating.
Discord looked at Twilight. He could see the tears welling up in her eyes.
When the last of the muffins on her plate was gone, Derpy stood and smiled. "Thanks for the muffins! I guess I should go now."
Discord shook his head. "No! You can stay as long as you want!"
Derpy tipped her head to the side again. "Really?"
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They spent the next few hours joking and laughing. Discord kept trying to think of a way to tell Derpy about her parentage, but couldn't find the right words or moment. He eventually resigned himself to enjoying the evening. And it was fun. True fun with good friends. He knew that he would hold this evening close to his heart for the rest of his existence.
A Day In The Clouds
Discord stepped out of the library, his pony form in place, and walked into town. He had decided to go and visit Derpy. Guessing that she lived in Cloudsdle, he had traded in the unicorn horn for a pair of pegasus wings. He stretched them out and admired them with a smile. "Not bad."
He had asked Derpy last night if she would be I town. She had said 'yes', but he had had his doubts. Still....better safe than sorry. He chuckled to himself. Safe? Since when did he worry about being safe?
It didn't take long to discover that Derpy was indeed in town. What tipped him off? The sound of something crashing.
"No! Just set it down!"
Discord picked up the pace until he rounded a corner to discover a moving carriage. Boxes were everywhere. And in the middle of it all...
Derpy was looking at the ground, her eyes crossed slightly. "Sorry."
A large stallion stood nearby, his face in is hooves. "Whatever. Why don't you take the rest of the day off?"
Discord backed away as Derpy took off into the air. He watched her go, her sad eyes burning in his mind. He looked back at the stallion and frowned. With a mischievous smile and a hoof stomp, the rest of the boxes in the carriage came toppling down. The stallion's head surfaced from the cardboard pile and looked around in confusion. Discord smiled to himself and ran off after Derpy.
It took him all of three seconds to realize two things. One, he would never catch a pegasus on hoof. Two, he was a pegasus! Why was he running at all? He unfolded his wings and jumped into the air. He looked around for any signs of Derpy. Nothing.
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It took several flybys above town, but Discord finally spotted a yellow tail hanging from a cloud higher up in the sky. He flew up and around until he was eye level with Derpy.
It was several seconds before she spoke. "You have wings."
A smile crept to his face. "I do. I thought I'd come visit you in Cloudsdale. But here we are, a cloud in the sky."
Derpy rolled over onto her back. "Have you ever laid on a cloud? It's comfy."
Discord stared at her or a few moments. She had such a simple way of thinking. Had she always been like this, even before her accident?
For no apparent reason, she giggled. Discord smiled at that. She giggled just like Startail. What else had she inherited from her mother? More importantly, what had she inherited from him? He couldn't decide if he wanted to find out.
Realizing there had been nearly a minute of silence, he cleared his throat. "Would you like to fly around for a while?"
Derpy turned back over and smiled.
-------------------------------
The rest of the day was spent flying between the clouds. Discord would show off by performing simple aerial tricks mixed with magic. Derpy in turn would laugh and show off as well.
It surprised Discord how she seemed more normal now. She wasn't klutzy, cross-eyed, or anything. Perhaps it came from having somepony who was interested in her. He had seen how some had reacted to her before. He guiltily admitted to himself that he was one of them. But now as he flew through the sky with his daughter, he saw a different side to her.
This new side came with a surprise. They had landed on a cloud to rest and Derpy looked at Discord. She blinked a few times and tipped her head to the side.
Discord locked eyes with her. "What's wrong?"
"You... You look familiar."
He rolled his eyes. "I should hope so. We've been flying together all day."
She shook her head. "No. I mean.... I recognize you from somewhere. A long time ago."
How could she recognize him from somewhere else? He had never used this pony form anywhere else except...
Startail led him towards a small booth. "Come on! It'll be fun.
"What exactly are we doing Star?"
She kissed him on the nose. "It's a photo booth. It takes your picture."
"Doesn't sound very fun."
She smiled. "Don't you want a picture of the two of us? Something we can cherish forever?"
Discord smiled. She must have kept those photos. And Derpy had seen them! She was remembering something.
He looked at the pegasus. "Do you know where you've seen me before?"
Derpy closed her eyes in concentration. There was absolute silence for a few minutes. When she opened her eyes, they had grown sad. "Sorry."
Discord couldn't believe what he was about to do. He reached a hoof around her and gave her a hug. He had never given hugs out of sympathy. Only for annoyance. This was a first. But he felt the need to comfort Derpy. Was he...acting like a father?
-------------------------------
Discord walked into the library, a smile on his face. He conjured a couch and laid down.
Twilight appeared from the upstairs room. She paused as she took in the scene in front of her. "Well, it looks like you had a good day."
He didn't respond. He didn't want to raise her hopes by mentioning Derpy's epiphany. He didn't want to raise his own hopes either, even though they were already higher than the moon. She was beginning to remember.
Distant Memories
Discord laid back on his cloud. Twilight had agreed to let him bring it inside for his bed. Sleeping on a cloud was by far the best way to sleep. He sighed happily as his mind wandered over the day's events. Derpy had remembered his face. True, she didn't know who he was yet, but it was a start.
He felt his mind slowing down as sleep overtook him. The last image he saw was one of Startail....
Startail sat across from him at a cafe. "You're not like a lot of stallions."
"Is that bad?"
She shook her head. "No. It's what I like most about you."
"Funny. I've never been liked before."
-------------------------------
Discord walked alongside Startail as she window-shopped. It was such a trivial thing to do, but he enjoyed being next to her.
Startail pointed out a hat. "Isn't that beautiful?"
"Would you like it?"
She seemed shocked at the question. "I couldn't ask you to buy that for me!"
"You don't have to. It's yours." He let his eyes look upward. She followed his gaze to discover the hat was on her head.
-------------------------------
Startail followed him into the forest. "Where are we going?" She smiled. "Somewhere romantic?"
"I want to show you something."
They entered a clearing and he turned to her. "You need to know this right now." He felt his body shift as it reverted to its original form. He waited for the screaming to start.
It never did.
-------------------------------
Discord pulled Startail into a hug. "I'm sorry."
She looked up and smiled. "Don't be. This was going to happen eventually."
He narrowed his eyes. "And yet you still didn't leave me."
"Because I know the real you. Everypony may think you're a monster, but I know better."
The sound of guards running through the streets made them hold each other tighter.
Startail released him and backed away. "Go."
Discord woke with a start. "Startail."
-------------------------------
Derpy rolled over in bed as she dreamed, a smile on her face.
She was dancing around in a circle. Tasty sweets littered the ground. She paused to pick up some candy and eat it. But it tasted bland.
She spit the candy out and looked around for different candy. But she wasn't surrounded by sweets anymore. She was in an old house. She turned in a circle. "Hello?"
A faceless mare faded into view. She held up an old photo strip. Derpy looked down at the pictures and saw the brown stallion she knew. Wait... Not a brown stallion. Discord! It was him, smiling and hugging a mare. Could this be who the faceless mare was?
She looked back up and jumped in surprise. The mare had her face back. She was the one from the photos. The mare opened her mouth and began to speak. Derpy couldn't make out what she was saying.
While the message was lost on her, Derpy began to notice something familiar about the mare. She was gray with a yellow mane. She had beautiful eyes. And she was a pegasus. Derpy looked down at herself. Gray, yellow, pegasus... This pony looked just like her!
"M-m-Mom?"
Derpy opened her eyes. She laid perfectly still as she processed what she had dreamed. A mare, a picture, and Discord.
Discord had known her mother.
Remember
Discord, Twilight, and Pinkie sat in silence as they ate breakfast. After his dreams last night, Discord was content with the quiet. The opposite was true for Pinkie.
She looked from Discord to Twilight and back. "What's with the silence? Aren't we going to talk about anything?"
Twilight gave a look that said 'be quiet', but the pink pony didn't take the hint.
"What about you Discord? How are things with you and Derpy?"
Discord glared at Pinkie. He had heard that a unicorn had once made her mouth disappear. He was tempted to do it to her now.
'Knock Knock Knock'
Three sets of eyes turned to the door. Who could be here so early in the morning? Pinkie smiled at the prospect of somepony who would actually talk with her, so she jumped up to answer the door. She pulled it open and gasped in surprise.
Discord froze in his seat as he spotted Derpy standing in the doorway. What was she doing here?
Her eyes were focused as she looked at Pinkie. "Can I see Discord?"
"Sure!" Pinkie stepped aside for her and Derpy walked in.
It was a moment before anypony could move. Twilight slowly stood. "Pinkie, could you help me in the kitchen?"
"Right! We've got cupcakes to bake!"
Twilight was ready to correct her, but Pinkie was already in the kitchen. She gave one last glance to Discord before walking away.
Discord turned his head to find Derpy in the same spot. She was staring at him. He smiled. "What can I help you with?"
"What was she like?"
What? Was she talking about... No. She couldn't be!
"Who?"
"My mom."
Discord felt his heart skip a beat. She remembered! "You... You remember your mother?"
She nodded and stepped closer. "She showed me some pictures. They were of you and her."
He had guessed as much. Startail wouldn't have thrown those cheesy photos out. They were good memories.
"What was she like?"
Discord stared down at the mare for a moment. How could he answer her? Where would he even start?
He motioned to the couch. Derpy went over and sat down.
He sat in his own chair and sighed. "You look just like her. Just as beautiful. Yes. I knew your mother. A long time ago."
Derpy narrowed her eyes. "How long?"
"Long enough. I met her before I was imprisoned by Celestia."
She tipped her head to the side. "Wasn't that like, a thousand years ago?"
He nodded. "A little more than that, but close enough. She got caught in one of my pranks. She thought it was funny. Nopony ever thinks my jokes are funny."
"What about the pictures? You two looked....happy."
Was it possible for a heart to split in two? Discord decided it must be. That's what it felt like right now. "Yes. We were happy. We... We loved each other."
------------------------------
Loved each other? Discord and her mother? Derpy tried to wrap her head around the concept. She felt like she should be shocked, angry even. She closed her eyes for a moment.
And that's all it took.
She was back in the old house. There was her mother. She held up the photo strip and smiled.
"I know I've never told you much about your father. I thought it was time you knew. This is him."
Derpy shook her head of its own accord. She realized that she was reliving her memory. This must be what she had actually done. "Who is he?"
"His name... His name was Discord."
A scream caught in Derpy's throat. Her voice cracked. "But he's the one that did so many horrible things! Princess Celestia and Luna turned him into stone! I've heard ponies in the village say how evil he was! How can he be my..."
She couldn't say it. Her mother put a hoof under her chin. "You must understand my dear, he wasn't like that when he was with me. He was kind. He was gentle."
Derpy found herself stepping backwards. "How do you know he wasn't pretending?! What if it was all a trick?!"
"It wasn't honey. He loved me. And I loved him back. We would have been together if he hadn't been discovered."
Derpy could feel the anger that was boiling in her mind. She had never been so angry before! "How could you choose to be with a...a.... A monster?"
Something was sparking in the back of her head. It felt foreign. It felt powerful.
"Please, try to understand. I knew what he was and still loved him."
The new feeling filled her entire being. "How?! How could you love him?!"
"Because I saw what lies beneath."
Everything faded to white as Derpy felt her entire body explode. Her vision cleared and she was on a grassy hill overlooking a town. Her eyes rolled up and she collapsed.
Derpy opened her eyes. She was looking at Discord. How long had it been? A minute? A second? It didn't matter. She felt the tears coming to her eyes.
"Dad."
------------------------------
Discord felt a tear roll down his cheek as he heard Derpy, his daughter, call him that. He wanted to embrace her, but she beat him to it. She flew up into his arms and held on tight.
"I'm sorry."
Discord put his arms around her. "What for?"
"I called you a monster. I yelled at Mom. I never got to tell her I was sorry!"
She cried into his shoulder. Discord smiled as another tear appeared. "She would have forgiven you. Just like me."
------------------------------
Twilight peeked out from the kitchen door to see Derpy hugging Discord. What had they talked about? Why was Derpy crying? Why was Discord crying?
"Oh my...."
She smiled as her head connected the dots. It had finally happened. And they were both happier because of it.
------------------------------
Discord set Derpy down and smiled at her. "Are you angry with me?"
The tears were still flowing, but she shook her head. "I don't know. I just found out I have a dad. But...it's you. I'm just happy right now to have a family."
He sat down next to her. "I am too."
Derpy smiled at him. "The last thing Mom said was that she had seen what lies beneath. I guess she saw something besides the Spirit of Chaos."
Discord thought for a moment.
Is it true Startail? Is there something in me that's good?
Yes. There had to be. He wouldn't be sitting with his daughter otherwise. There was good in him somewhere. And it was starting to show.
Of course a few jokes now and then wouldn't hurt.
Lesson One
"Where are we going?"
Discord smiled at his daughter as they flew over the Everfree Forest. "I'm going to give you a lesson in the power of Chaos."
Derpy slowed to a stop. "I thought you didn't do that kind of stuff anymore."
The draconequus nodded. "Not usually. But the lesson isn't for me. It's for you."
He watched her eyes cross in confusion for a moment.
"Huh?"
He grabbed her hoof and snapped his claws together. They popped into existence in a clearing somewhere in Everfree. Discord sat down and cleared his throat. "I'm sure you've noticed that things always seem to go wrong when you're around."
Derpy lowered her gaze to the ground, poking at the dirt. "Yeah. I just don't know what happens."
"It's because you're my daughter. You inherited some of my powers. But since you're not a unicorn, you have never been able to harness this magic."
Discord paused, watching Derpy nod. He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Did you understand any of that?"
""Umm.... I'm magic?"
He smiled. "Yes! Yes you are. And I'm going to help you learn how to control it."
"Neat!"
--------------------------
Discord and Derpy sat across from each other. Discord hovered a few inches off the ground, his legs crossed.
He closed his eyes and let out a long breath. "Now my young pegasus, you will learn the art of Chaos. When we have finished your training you will be able to control the power within yourself. You will no longer cause trouble wherever you go."
"Really?! I won't screw up or anything?"
Discord opened an eye slowly to find a wide grin on his daughter's face. He chuckled. "Yes. You screw up because that's the only way the magic can get out. With my help, you'll be able to direct your power towards more....constructive things."
He shuddered. He was still getting used to the idea of using power for good. He wanted to show Derpy all the fun she could have, but he knew that would only make things worse.
Standing up, Discord stretched out his arms. "Today I will teach you a very simple exercise. It not only works your muscles, but also twists your body in a shape very few can achieve. As you try to make the form, concentrate on the shape you want to make. The magic will direct itself to helping you make that shape."
"What shape do we have to look like?"
"This form is called 'The Q'."
He began to bend his body around as he worked to form the circle of the letter. Beads of sweat begn to form on his brow. He hadn't done this exercise in decades. But just as he had explained to Derpy, his magic began to inch him further. He could feel his power slowly bending and tweaking his body. Soon he was bent over backwards, touching his feet. With a final grunt, his wings unfolded. They touched the ground and kept him from rolling away. Not only that, but it formed the Q's tail.
Derpy applauded. "Wow! I don't know if I can do that!"
"You won't know until you try."
Derpy smiled and began to bend over backwards. She only got halfway before falling into a reverse somersault. She rolled a few feet before stopping. She laid sprawled out in the grass for a moment before standing.
Discord walked over and put an arm around her. "That was a perfect first try. I would have been surprised if you hadn't somersaulted."
That got a laugh from her. "Let me do it again!"
--------------------------
Three more attempt were made, all of them ending with her flat on her back. Just as she began to get discouraged, Discord chimed in. "You're thinking to hard. Just relax and bend."
She nodded and narrowed her eyes. "Okay."
Her head went back as she began to bend. She held her hooves over her head, reaching for her hind hooves. She felt her muscles straining in the unnatural position, but she refused to quit. She let out a slow breath and found her four hooves touching.
"I did it? I did it! DID IT!!"
She looked over at her father. Wait... Wasn't he supposed to be upside down?
Nope. Discord was hovering upside down. And he was smiling. "Don't forget the tail."
The tail! She had to do that or she would roll again! She looked down to her wings. They were already out, holding her steady. When had she done that? She looked to Discord.
Discord chuckled. "You see? The magic helped you finish. Go ahead and relax."
Derpy didn't need another word. She let her wings fold and rolled onto her back. She began to laugh.
--------------------------
Another hour was spent on various stretches and forms, each on seeming far simpler for Derpy. When she questioned her father, he smiled.
"That's because we started with 'The Q', the hardest form of all."
Derpy's eyes widened in surprise. "The hardest? Why would you make me start with the hardest?"
"I had to know how good you were. And you're extremely good. You made me very proud when you formed that letter."
She smiled. Praise from the father she had never had. It was the best moment of her life.
--------------------------
Derpy opened her eyes as she heard hoofsteps approaching. Se looked to the edge of the clearing to see Princess Twilight approaching.
Even though she was balancing on only her head, Derpy waved. "Hi Princess!"
Twilight giggled. "What are you two doing?"
Discord, who was also on his head, looked at the princess. "Relaxation and control exercises. Care to join us? You'll gain great control over your chaos magic."
Twilight rolled her eyes. "I don't have chaos magic. That's your area of expertise. Besides, I don't think I can balance on my head alone."
Derpy smiled. "But you wouldn't be alone. You'd be with us!"
She and Discord began laughing, eventually tipping over and falling to the ground.
--------------------------
Twilight sat to the side as she watched Derpy go through her exercises, each one getting harder. She leaned towards Discord. "How does this help her?"
Discord whispered. "Her energy is being focused elsewhere. Haven't you noticed that this clearing is still in one piece? Her magic and attention are on her exercises. It's helping her build concentration and control."
The princess nodded in understanding. The pegasus was indeed concentrating on the exercises she was performing. She doubted she had ever seen Derpy so focused before.
Derpy finished her current form and smiled. "And now for the final form! The Q!"
The Q? What could that be? It didn't take long for Twilight to get her answer. She stared with a dropped jaw as Derpy bent herself into the shape of the letter Q. How was she doing that?
Derpy unbent herself and bowed. Twilight and Discord applauded as she ran over to Discord and hugged him. "Thanks."
The draconequus smiled down at his daughter. "No problem. But don't think this is our only lesson. We have a long way to go still."
Derpy returned the grin. "Awesome."
Cutie Mark
Discord opened his eyes, the rising sun blinding him.
He grumbled. "You did that on purpose Celestia."
"Breakfast!"
He looked down from his indoor cloud to see Twilight levitating a plate of pancakes. One finger snap later the pancakes were up on the cloud.
"Thank you!"
"You're...you're welcome."
Discord allowed a smile to cross his face. Never once had he legitimately given thanks to Twilight. He liked catching the alicorn off guard like that.
"Can you guess what's on the agenda today?"
Twilight put a hoof to her chin as she thought. "Umm...more chaos exercises?"
"We finished those two days ago."
"How about something fun?"
"Oh? Do you have a suggestion?"
"Well...you could try participating in her special talent!"
Discord smiled. Of course! Derpy had mentioned she didn't know what her cutie mark meant. What better way to bond than to help her rediscover her special talent?
"Brilliant! That's exactly what we'll do!"
Twilight narrowed her eyes. "You didn't have anything planned, did you?"
A sheepish grin was all she got in return.
---------------------------------
Back in his pony visage, Discord knocked on an apartment door. He looked over his shoulder, admiring the view. Derpy had a room facing the center of Cloudsdale.
The door opened to reveal Derpy. She smiled. "Hey!"
Discord returned his gaze to his daughter. "Are you ready for an exciting day?"
"Yeah!"
The pegasus closed the door behind her and stretched her wings. Discord dove into the sky, leading the way towards the earth below. Derpy matched his speed and they sped up.
Discord smiled. "Chicken?"
She smiled back. "You'll lose."
They continued falling towards the ground, their bodies picking up speed. Discord glanced at Derpy. She was totally focused, but he knew it was pointless.
The ground approached rapidly. When there was only ten feet to go, Derpy pulled up. Her belly skimmed the grass blades and she pulled into a stop.
"Yes! Top that!"
She turned around, but her father was nowhere to be seen. And then a head appeared in the grass. "I think I did."
Derpy watched as the draconequus rose out of the ground, his body back to its original form. She looked at the spot he was standing on. It was solid earth.
She narrowed her eyes and smiled, looking up at Discord. "You cheated."
"You never said I couldn't."
Derpy began to giggle and soon they were both laughing.
---------------------------------
"Let's see here. Your cutie mark seems to consist of... Bubbles."
Discord straightened up, a magnifying glass in hand. "Now what could that mean?"
Derpy shook her head. "I don't know. And nothing I try works."
"Perhaps you weren't trying the right things. Hmm.... Bubbles. Bubbles.....Ah!"
He snapped his fingers and a sink appeared in mid-air. Another finger snap brought a pile of dirty dishes.
"Have you ever tried dishwashing?"
Derpy went dross-eyed momentarily as she thought. She shook her head in the end. Discord prodded her towards the sink.
The pegasus looked up at him. "Are you sure about this?"
"No. But that's what makes it fun!"
She looked at the dishes and slowly picked one up. "I don't know..."
Discord smiled reassuringly. "It's alright. Just give it a try. If it doesn't work well... We'll keep trying. And we won't stop until you've found your special talent."
His daughter smiled up at him. "Okay."
She turned the faucet on and stuck the dish under the water...
---------------------------------
Twilight walked towards the meadows outside of Ponyville. She enjoyed walking through the town again. She didn't get to do it often. It was nice seeing familiar faces.
'CRACK'
She paused and looked down. She had stepped on... Was that part of a plate? And then her gaze took in the scene before her. Broken dishes littered the meadow.
"What in Equestria happened here?"
Her eyes fell on Discord and Derpy standing over a sink. Discord gave her a weak smile and waved.
Twilight shook her head. "Is this your idea of finding her special talent?"
"Well it seemed like a good idea at the time."
---------------------------------
The three sat under a tree, the dishwashing failure cleaned up. Discord pondered what to try next. And then it hit him.
"Of course! Why didn't I think of this before?"
Twilight glanced at the draconequus. "What?"
"Derpy's already found her special talent once. She just needs to remember!"
Derpy looked between the two. "How do I do that?"
"I'll jog your memory."
"Discord, you can't!"
Discord and Derpy looked at the princess, disappointment in their eyes.
Derpy looked hurt. "Why can't he?"
Twilight sighed. "Derpy... Your mind was already injured once by chaos magic. It's too much of a risk to try restoring memories.
"What if I don't care?"
"You could lose your mind!"
"I already lost it!"
That shut Twilight up. She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."
Discord put an arm around Twilight. "She wants to so this."
"Okay. But only if you're careful. Both of you."
Discord smiled. "We will be. And I think I have a safer idea on how to do this."
---------------------------------
If anypony had been looking at the outskirts of the village, they would have seen three ponies pop into existence. But it was early in the morning. Nopony had woken up yet.
---------------------------------
"Are you crazy? How is this safer? You can't just bring us back in time like this!"
"Calm down Twilight. Nopony will ever see us."
"It doesn't matter! We can't be here!"
"Where are we?"
Twilight and Discord paused in their argument to look at Derpy.
She was staring at the village. "Is this... Is this where I grew up?"
Discord nodded. "It is. It's also the day that you got your cutie mark."
Twilight looked skeptical. "How could you know that?"
"Honestly I don't know. I just knew."
"But how?"
"Because chaos stuff, that's how. Now hush or you'll wake the village."
He led the way towards the center of town, Derpy skipping along and Twilight nervously glancing at every window and door.
"It also helps that we're invisible to everypony except each other."
Twilight froze, gritting her teeth. "You couldn't have said that earlier!"
Discord chuckled to himself. Where was the fun in keeping the princess calm? He was about to respond to her when he froze in front of a building. Derpy bumped into him from behind him, followed closely by Twilight. They looked up at the building from behind the draconequus.
"I never thought I'd see this place again."
Twilight gasped. "Is this...her home?"
Derpy beamed. "My home!"
The sunrise hit the house as it rose above the nearby hills. Discord closed his eyes and sighed. Yes. It was home. It had almost been his home. His and-
'Creak'
The front door opened and a small filly ran out.
"Sweetie, come back!"
Startail!
The mare stepped outside, calling after the young Derpy. "You're going to wake everyone running around like that."
Discord couldn't take his eyes off of her. He barely noticed that Derpy was staring as well.
"She looks just like me."
Discord felt a smile creep onto his face. "Yes. You didn't think you got your good looks from me, did you?"
Startail ran after her daughter, catching her after a few seconds, the two of them laughing in the main square as the village began to wake. Ponies emerged from their homes and went about their morning routines. The three time travelers watched as the village came to life. More fillies appeared and the young Derpy ran off to join them.
Startail shook her head and smiled. "Come back in half an hour. You haven't had breakfast yet."
Discord watched her disappear into the house, but found his attention brought back to the fillies as he heard-
"Look at what my Mom made for me!"
He turned to see one of the fillies holding up a cup of liquid.
"What is it?"
"What's so exciting about that?"
The filly set the cup down and held up a stick. It had a hollow circle on one end. "Watch!"
He dipped the stick into the cup and then held it up to his mouth. He blew through the circle and a bubble appeared.
"Woah!"
"It made a bubble!"
"Can I try?"
"Me too!"
"Me first!"
The fillies began taking turns blowing bubbles, giggling the whole time.
The older Derpy laughed. "That looks fun!"
Twilight leaned closer to Discord. "Is this it?"
He nodded. "Something special is about to happen."
Startail walked past him, catching him off guard. "Breakfast is ready dear."
The young Derpy looked at her mother. "But Momma, I didn't get a turn!"
Startail smiled. "Okay, I'll wait."
The filly was given the stick. She dipped into the cup, the last of the soapy mix gathering together. She put the stick to her mouth and blew.
A square bubble appeared.
The fillies gasped.
"How did you do that?"
"That's so cool!"
"Do it again!"
Young Derpy blew into the stick again and a triangle formed.
"Another!"
A butterfly.
"Wow!"
The older Derpy watched, her eyes filled with wonder. "How did I do that?"
Discord smiled. "Your chaos magic. It had to escape somehow. It decided to ruin, or rather improve, the bubbles."
He looked at Twilight to see a similar look on her face. "It's a wonderful talent."
As if that were the cue, there was a small flash of light next to the young Derpy's flank.
Startail beamed. "Honey, look!"
The filly looked down to find a no-longer-blank flank.
"My cutie mark!"
Every nearby pony gathered around to congratulate her.
Discord put his arms around Derpy and Twilight. "I believe our journey is over." He snapped his fingers and the two ponies disappeared. He knew Twilight wouldn't approve of this, but he was going to anyway.
---------------------------------
Startail was leading her daughter back home. She was so proud of her, getting her cutie mark.
Startail.
She paused. That voice... It couldn't be! She looked down at her filly. "Go inside, I'll be right there."
She watched her daughter disappear into the house.
Startail.
She looked around the street. "You're...you're supposed to be in Canterlot. You're stone! How can you be here?"
I'm not. Not entirely at least. I just wanted to see you one last time.
"Then you saw her too?"
Our daughter? Yes. She's beautiful. And I couldn't be more proud of her.
A single tear rolled down Startail's cheek. "I miss you, my love."
I miss you too, but we'll never see each other again. Know that I will always love you.
"I know."
Live a long and happy life my dear. And take good care of that filly.
"Goodbye Discord."
She felt the slightest touch. Like a breeze had blown right passed her lips. She smiled. It was a kiss she would treasure for the rest of her days.
A Short Walk
Discord sat in the library, flipping through the pages of several books. Derpy had decided to start exercising her talents again and was entertaining the schoolhouse ponies today. That left him with nothing to do. He let out a sigh and let the books drop to the floor.
"Oh no you don't!"
Twilight walked down the stairs and stood in front of the draconequus. "Pick the books up and put them away properly."
"Fine."
He snapped his fingers and the books flew to their appointed shelves.
Twilight nodded approvingly. "Thank you."
"No problem."
Silence fell over them as they stood there. Discord wondered why neither of them spoke. He decided to do something about it.
"I'm going to go for a walk."
He snapped his fingers and shrunk to his pony form.
Twilight smiled. "Okay. Um..."
Discord nodded to the door. "Come on already. If you don't want to be alone-"
He didn't have to finish the sentence. Twilight was by his side and they left the library.
---------------------------------
Every now and then a pony would stop and bow when they noticed Twilight. She encouraged them not to, but they still did it anyways.
When the latest encounter ended, Discord looked at her thoughtfully. "I'm surprised that you don't like the attention."
"I'm not used to it. I know these ponies and they know me. Why should they bow to a friend?"
"Because it's what being royalty is about. You're above them now. They look to you for help and give you respect for it."
"I guess that makes sense."
"That's how it was for me."
Twilight looked disgusted. "You think that ponies fearing you is the same as respect?!"
He shrugged. "That was how I thought back then. I couldn't say it now though. Too much has changed."
"Like what?"
"Startail. That's where it all started. Then there was Fluttershy. And now it's you and Derpy."
The princess paused on the street. "Me? What have I done?"
Discord smiled. "You helped me reconnect with my daughter. You've been a true friend to me even though I can be awful at times."
A half smile crept onto Twilight's face. "You're not as awful as you were before."
"Is that a compliment?"
"Yes. And it's true. If Celestia had asked me to help you connect with Derpy when we had first met, I'd have said it was impossible."
"True."
"But now... You've changed for the better. You're not the same Discord I met once. You're a father now. And a dear friend."
Discord felt a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. He'd pull the fuzz out if he didn't like the feeling so much.
Twilight surprised him by kissing him on the cheek. She smiled at the draconequus' surprise. "Come on. Let's go see how Derpy's doing"
Cloud Talk
Discord laid back in the grass, staring up at clouds. He pointed up.
"That one's a rabbit."
With a snap of his finger, the cloud shifted its shape until it took the form of a rabbit. And then it started to hop across the sky.
Derpy giggled and pointed to another cloud. "That one looks like... A dragon!"
Discord tensed up as a cloud dragon began to form. He relaxed though as he realized it wasn't moving. His daughter could do some amazing things, but luckily she couldn't do everything he could.
It didn't seem to matter to Derpy. She was staring at the cloud dragon, her creation, in amazement. "Cool!"
Discord sighed. "Indeed it is."
They were silent for a moment. Discord couldn't help but think the day was perfect.
Derpy had something on her mind though.
"Could I ask you something?"
The draconequus could sense the reluctance in the question. He glanced at Derpy. "Sure."
"Why were you ever bad?"
He sat up, turning to the pegasus. "What?"
"Why were you bad before?"
He stared at her for several seconds. And she stared back, waiting.
"Well... That's just who I am. I'm the Spirit of Chaos."
"You're not now."
She smiled at him and put a hoof on his knee. "I like you a lot. So you can't be bad."
Discord smiled at such a naive statement. And yet he could tell she believed it.
"It's true I don't cause as much trouble as I used to."
"Why did you cause trouble?"
"It's just how I was born."
"Is that the truth?"
"I...I'm not sure."
A sigh escaped him as he was forced to think back on his early years. He had been a very practiced prankster. He had done what he wanted, when he wanted. And nopony could stop him. That was until Celestia and Luna had shown up to challenge his power.
"Ponies have always considered me a monster. I guess after a while even I started believing it. So I acted like a monster."
"I don't think you're a monster."
He smiled at his daughter. "Thanks."
"It's true! You're not a monster! My mother knew it and I know it too."
Discord looked down at Derpy. She looked just like Startail. Right down to the eyes. Those beautiful eyes that didn't show fear or anger. All they were capable of showing was love.
He put an arm around her and pulled her close. "If you're saying it, then it must be true."
"It is.... Love you Dad."
A single tear was rolling down Discord's cheek. "Love you too."
They laid back in the grass and looked at the clouds. Derpy smiled and pointed. "Look! A unicorn!"
One Last Choice
Discord woke up to the sound of books falling to the floor. He looked down from his cloud to see that all the library shelves had been emptied. And their content now littered the floor. In the middle of the pile was Twilight. She looked up at Discord.
He shook his head. "I didn't do it."
"Of course not. I did!"
Wait... Twilight, Miss Everything Needs To Be Organized, had just...messed everything up?!
"Why?"
"I figured I'd reshelve the books before leaving."
Discord hopped off his cloud, floating down to the princess. "Leaving?"
She nodded. "I think it's time for me to head back to Canterlot. You're doing fine on your own here. You and Derpy have reconnected and it's been the best thing to happen to the both of you. That's what Celestia wanted."
Discord raised a brow. "So... You're going back to Canterlot? And leaving me here?"
"Is that a problem?"
He couldn't form a response. He wasn't sue how he felt about being left alone. He had gotten used to having ponies around. Especially Twilight for the past few weeks.
Twilight turned from the draconequus and began to sort books. Discord had to dive into the kitchen to avoid being hit.
---------------------------------
After pulling together some breakfast, Discord had decided to go for a walk. He needed time to think. Now he was walking down a street in his pony form. He looked around at the shops and the ponies. Could he learn to live here? He doubted that Ponyville would accept him. After all, he did try to make this the Chaos Capitol of Equestria once.
"Hey Dad!"
He was caught off guard as Derpy landed in front of him. Her smile melted away as she saw his look. "Is something wrong?"
"No. It's just... Twilight's going back to Canterlot."
Derpy's ears drooped. "Oh. That's sad. I really liked her."
"Me too. I mean, it's not as if I won't ever see her again, but still..."
"Are you going to leave too?"
He looked at his daughter. Her sadness was obvious. He pulled her in for a hug. "No. I could never leave you."
"But you don't want Twilight to leave?"
Discord froze. Even he was still surprised at some of he things Derpy could do. He doubted he would ever understand how she could read him so well.
"No."
"Then why don't you tell her?"
"It's not that simple. She's a princess. She has...princessy things she needs to do. Me... I'm just me. I don't have responsibilities. I can't just tell her to not be who she is."
Derpy stepped back, looking over her father. "Do you want to go back with her?"
Discord sat down. Did he? Did he want to go back to Canterlot? Or did he want to stay with his daughter?
He looked to Derpy. "What should I do?"
She smiled. "Whatever makes you happy!"
"You make me happy. And Twilight... She's beginning to make me happy too."
"Why don't you go with her then?"
The draconequus stared in shock at his daughter. "And just leave you?"
The pegasus giggled. "Well don't leave for good! You can come back and visit!"
"You wouldn't mind?"
She grabbed him in a tight hug. "I'm just happy I got to meet you. You've done so much for me."
He returned the hug. "And you for me."
As they pulled apart he smiled. "I'll come and visit as soon as I can."
"Tomorrow?"
"Probably!"
They laughed for a minute.
Derpy gave him one last hug. "Bye Dad."
"I'll see you soon, alright?"
"Maybe we could do more magic practice next time."
"I'd like that very much."
"And have some muffins?"
"Well what else are we going to eat?"
----------------------------------
Discord stepped into the library. All the books were back on the shelves. To him it looked exactly the same, but he was sure that everything had been changed.
Twilight appeared at the top of the stairs. "Oh good! I didn't know if I'd see you before I left. Were you out with Derpy?"
He nodded. "Yes. I was just saying goodbye."
"Goodbye? Why would you do that?"
"We're going back to Canterlot, aren't we?"
"I'm going back to Canterlot. You're staying here."
"Says who?"
"Says me! You should stay with your daughter!"
"She's a grown mare. She can take care of herself."
"And why would you want to leave?"
"Because you're leaving!"
At this point the two were standing nose to nose, their anger having risen with each statement. It wasn't until they pulled away from each other that he noticed Twilight was blushing.
Discord could feel a small smile forming on his face. "You should be careful with that temper of yours."
"I could say the same to you."
"This is going to be difficult, isn't it?"
"Possibly. I've never really..."
"Shall we go?"
"Yes."
They stood next to each other, their flanks almost touching.
Discord chuckled. "So who will break the news to Celestia?"
"About what?"
"Us!"
"There's no us!"
"Keep telling yourself that princess."
He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. With a flash of light they were gone.