The four troubles

by Shadowstalker

Rating: everyone
Tags: Nightmare Moon, Princess Luna, Comedy, King Sombra, Queen Chrysalis, Princess Celestia, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 3596

Three of the royal sisters enemies, plus one reformed one, arrive at the castle, as foals!

How many alicorns does it take to take care of a living nightmare that was torn away from its host, a changeling, a shadow of a tyrant, and the spirit of chaos?

Evvidently, two, as Celestia and Luna will find out. Now with three of their most hated enemies, plus one reformed one, how will they take care of them?

Published 2013-09-24 00:50:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-09-24 00:50:02 UTC

Not the momma!

Both Celestia and Luna sat in the throne room, listening to a pegasus complaining about the local riff raff spray-painting his house.

"-and that's when my son came out and saw what the others wrote!" The grey stallion said, his face a beet red from anger. "All I'm asking is for a guard or two to patrol the area around my house!"

"And you will get two," Celestia said. "And once they are caught, my sister may decide their punishment. You may leave-"

The doors burst open as a full platoon of guards rushed in and formed a line in front of the two alicorns. As more filed in, they made a two line circle around the poor stallion who was quickly rushed out of the room. As the two alicorns watched in slight shock, a single, shaking stallion came in with two wicker baskets perched on his back.

Stopping in the middle of the circle, two unicorns gently lifted them off and the stallion joined his troops by the door.

"Princesses," one stallion said without looking back to the alicorns. "We... We are unsure of what to make of this." He said, his voice on the edge of breaking from the sound on it.

"And, what is so important, that you require this many guards?" Celestia asked.

"To be honest, your majesty, none of us are sure how to word this exactly."

"Then, describe it to the best of your abilities." Luna said making him jump.

"P-Princess Luna! Good, I didn't see you in the rush. Well, w-we found the baskets and their contents outside the castle drawbridge roughly a half hour ago. W-We looked inside, and now the poor lad who did is still in shock. I-It had... Well, a charcoal grey colored unicorn colt with armor, flames, a red horn, and a little cape."

"Guard, we are not in the mood for jokes." Celestia said. "Who you are describing is long since gone."

"W-Well, maybe it's just a coincidence, because this isn't a joke. I don't scare easily. And right now, right now I'm terrified for myself, and what the other three could do to my guards."

"Other three?" Luna said. "Describe them." She said staring intently at the baskets in front of her.

"O-One is a filly, blue armor, black coat and a mane much like yours, wings and a horn. T-The other one, is a changeling; a teal mane with a few pieces sticking up, a few fangs, big hooves, a jagged horn. And the last one... I'm just going to say that Discord guy made a mini version of himself, because that's what it looks like."

"Guard, you have just named three of our greatest enemies and one that was reformed." Luna said. "We shall go down to look at these... Contents."

"I must advise you do not, your highness." The guard said finally turning to her.

"On what grounds do you have to keep me from seeing what could possibly be a national threat?" Luna said narrowing her eyes at him.

"The grounds of my life at stake in which I will give instead to assure your safety, as I vowed to do as a recruit." He said suddenly taking on an edge. "I will, at your order, retrieve them and assess the situation first hoof."

Luna looked at her sister for a comment, seeing her nod. She nodded towards the guard and sat back down on her throne.

The guard, now levelly moving forward in his steps towards the baskets. He was sweating bullets under his armor, even leaving a few drops on the floor. Stopping at the basket on the left, he looked down and saw a small patch of fluff on one side sticking out, while on the other was a ethereal tail blowing in some unseen and unfelt wind.

Reaching forward with a trembling hoof, he lifted the small red blanket off the side the ethereal tail was. As soon as he took it off, he froze in slight worry as the small alicorn stirred. She yawned and fluttered her little wings before pulling the blanket back over her shoulder. In doing so, she had pulled the blanket off the other end of the basket, exposing the second occupant.

He was a smaller version of Discord, the only differences being the horn stubs, the lack of beard, and his pupils were the same size as they stared up at the stallion.

"Are you my momma?" He asked with a high voice. He sat up and yawned, his little tail curling slightly. "You don't like the momma."

"I-I'm not your momma." The stallion said.

"Not the momma!" The small Discord yelled, conjuring a frying pan he hit the guard over the head. "I want momma! You're not the momma!" He yelled again before bashing the the stallion over the head.

"Ow! Stop it! I don't know where your mother is!" He said before taking the frying pan away.

The small draconequus, seeing his pan taken away, looked at the stallion with watery eyes and a trembling lip before he burst out crying. The guard, holding the cooking pan away, now had a slightly guilty look as some of his other guards gave him hot glares.

"Little one," Celestia said making him turn towards him. "Do you know who I am?" She asked stepping down with a warm smile.

"Momma!" The small draconequus said leaping from the basket and to her.

As he said that one word, the whole room went silent. The guards were blinking, whispering amongst themselves, and Luna was laughing behind a hoof at her bewildered sister who's face was slowly flushing.

"Sister," Luna snickered as she made her way towards Celestia. "You should have told us of your relationship with Discord. Strange, as I do not see a ring upon your horn, wing, or hoof. Is there something you need to tell us?"

"I have no relationship with Discord, nor will I ever." Celestia said. "But, I am sure that this is him, and that he has somehow managed to turn himself into an adolescent. Now, sister, what means do you think he managed to bring her back?" Celestia asked pointing at the small Nightmare Moon.

Luna, upon seeing the small alicorn, gasped and stepped back. Putting a hoof to her chest, she swallowed a lump in her throat before glancing at the other basket.

"I-If the nightmare is in that one, what is in the other basket?"

Celestia, looking down at the grinning Discord as he held onto her front left leg, used her free hoof to uncover the other basket. Inside, and now stirring from the sudden intrusion of light, was a small grey unicorn colt and a changeling.

"Friends!" Mini-Discord said going over to the two.

He nudged the unicorn until he woke up and gave a yawn. Looking at the changeling, he saw her rising from her sleep. As they all, minus Nightmare who was still sound asleep, got out from their baskets, Discord ran back over to Celestia alongside a smaller Chrysalis. While, a younger Sombra, sat in front of Luna who was eying him cautiously.

"Guards, you may leave us. These are no threats, only hyperactive foals." Celestia said attempting to gently slip Discord off her leg. "Can I have my leg back?"

"Toy?" He asked back, pointing at the frying pan the guard still held.

"Guard, if you would." Celestia said nodding towards the pan.

Nodding, he gave it back to the small draconequus, who, after receiving it hit him on the hoof. Sucking in a breath, he held it as he bit his lip, his whole body straightening out as he desperately forced the pained yell down in his throat further back.

"Permission to leave, your majesties?" He asked, letting out a small breath.

"Granted." They both said, still staring down at the three foals.

As he and the other guards filled out of the room, Celestia turned to Luna with a worried look in her eyes.

"Luna, how is this possible? Not only is Discord a mere foal, but Sombra, Chrysalis, and Nightmare are back, luckily in the same condition as him."

"I am unsure, Celestia." Luna replied. "But I think it would be in our best interests, if we told none of this for now. Not until we know more." She said casting a glance down at Nightmare. "I suppose that she will be referring to me as her mother, just as Discord and Chrysalis have done you?"

"That would be my best bet." The elder replied. "We have no other duties aside from your raising of the moon, and my lowering of the sun. Come, we can discuss this in your chambers, and later I can send a message to Twilight and the others, asking them if anything strange has happened in Ponyville as of late. or if Discord has been acting stranger than normal."

"Why my room?" Luna asked, setting Sombra in the basket with Nightmare and then placing them on her back.

"Because," Luna suddenly saw a mischievous glint in her sister's eyes. "My stuff isn't in there."

What are we to do?

Celestia and Luna, along with the four foals, three now awake, and Nightmare still resting. Were sitting on Luna's bed, with Discord sitting comfortable on a pillow with his frying pan as a helmet. Nightmare, upon waking for a moment, decided to curl up beside Luna as the alicorn decided to lay down. Sombra and Chrysalis were amusing themselves as Sombra grew crystals from the floor and made faces through them.

"Sister, where do you keep the quills and parchment?" Celestia asked rummaging through her sister's desk. "Why are there socks here? We don't normally wear clothes, Luna." Celestia said raising a pair of black socks with purple highlights.

"My," Luna emphasized the word with air quotes. "Quills and parchment are behind the chalkboard in my observatory." She said snatching the socks from her sisters magical grasp. "And I happen to like wearing them."

"Would you care to get them?" Her sister asked laying on the bed.

"Why me? I'm not the one writing to Twilight." Luna said. "She is your student, evidently, seeing as I have no wish for one. Because, if that happens, I do not want to run the risk of falling for him or her."

"Alright, you can stay with these four." Celestia said waving a gold clad hoof towards the foals.

Luna's eyes widened as she did a very good impression of a fish. Setting the now grumbling Nightmare Moon by her sister's side, she got up and quietly went to her balcony where she spread her wings and took off.

Celestia, watching her sister leave, looked down at Sombra and Chrysalis as they attempted to eat one of the crystals. Shaking her head, she used a bit of her magic to levitate them off. Upon seeing their snack taken away, they began to reach for it and when that failed, began to cry. Flattening her ears, she set them on her sister's bed and made her way to the door.

Knocking on it, a Luna guard poked her head in, her eyes trained on Celestia's.

"You knocked Princess Celestia?" She asked.

"Yes," she said glancing back at the foals. "If you would, may the chefs send up a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the castles newest... Guests?" She asked.

"Of course, right away ma'am." The guard saluted before closing the door and the sound of hooffalls was heard fading from it.

Sighing, she turned back to the whimpering foals who were giving her puppy dog eyes from the edge of the bed. Going over to them, she leaned down and nuzzled each of them. Wiping away some tears from their eyes with a hoof, she got back onto the bed and put her wings around them. They sniffled slightly but cuddled up against her just like Nightmare was using the end of her tail as a blanket.

As she lad there, her vision was drawn to the small Discord rummaging through the basket him and Nightmare had arrived in. Stretching her head up, she could see past his shoulder and saw him turning with a piece of paper.

"Discord," she said staring at the paper in his claws. "What is that?"

"Cure." He said holding it up.

"Cure?" She parroted. "A cure to turn you back into an adult?"

He smiled and nodded, his pan turned and the handle was now laying on his snout. Crossing his eyes, he tried to blow it away, but try as he might, it barely moved. Celestia, giggling lightly when she saw him raise onto the tip of his hoof and claw, puffed up his chest and tried to blow it away without any different effect. Blowing again, he clenched his paw and talon into fists and his tail even straightened out as his eyes crossed.

"Here, come here Discord, let me get that." She said.

Looking past the handle, he went over and let her brush the handle away. Smiling up at her, he leaned forward and gave her a quick hug around the neck. She rubbed his back a little before setting him down.

"May I please have the paper?" She asked pointing at the piece of parchment he was holding.

Looking down at it, he unfolded it it and there turned out to be two pieces, giving her the first, he sat down at the foot of the bed and laid his pan down.

Turning the piece he gave her over, she was met with his unique writing. The sentences, all of them backwards and upside-down, gave her a slight headache just looking at it. Looking around, she spotted her sister's dressing table mirror.

Going to it, much to the annoyance of Sombra and Chrysalis, she turned the paper upside-down.

"Dear Celly and Lulu, it is I, Discord!" She read, her brows furrowing as she continued. "As you may have figured out, I have successfully brought back Sombra and Nightmare Moon back! Oh, and I also got that changeling queen, Chrstack or something like that. Anyhow, not only have I brought them back, but I've turned them into foals! And, as you may have guessed, I might have botched the spell up when Sombra smashed a crystal on my tail. So, if you haven't read the cure, I'd hurry before you say 'Yum Yum' or was it something else?" She paused and read that last sentence, looking back at Discord, her eyes widened as she saw the last slip of paper disappear into his mouth.

"Discord!" She said rushing towards him. "No, no, no, no... Please let this be a simple prank and not some revenge scheme against me and my sister." She opened his mouth and saw nothing but spit, teeth, and a jelly bean in place of one tooth. Closing it, she sighed as he put his pan back on. "Oh, by the sun, what have you done?" She asked herself before looking back at the paper.

As she was gong to go and finish it, Luna arrived and stepped in with a sheet of parchment, a quill and an inkwell. Seeing her sister's downtrodden look, she set them aside and went to the white alicorn, putting a wing over her shoulder, she looked down as rubbed her back.

"It turns out," Celestia said. "That is was Discord, just as I had thought. He brought them back, somehow took Chrysalis, and turned them into foals while accidentally doing the same to himself. And Discord has just eaten the other page containing the cure." She sighed.

"Oh," Luna could only say. "Do not worry, I am sure Twilight and the others will know of his plan. Surely he could not have done anything without alerting them, especially Fluttershy."

"You forget, sister," Celestia said standing again as she had sunk to her knees before. "Discord does not follow the laws of reality well, and he has already proven that he can be in two places at once. I am positive the elements will have no knowledge of his plan. Whatever it may be, is still anyponies guess."

"It would not lessen our knowledge of the matter or more if we do not ask. Here," she said levitating the materials over. "Write to them and we shall take care of the foals for now."

"Thank you," a knocking was heard and the female guard came in with a cart. "Ah, the snacks are here. Luna, if you would give them to the foals, as I'm sure they're hungry."

Luna, staring at her sister again with a slightly bewildered expression, smiled and thanked the guard. Taking the plate off the cart, she took off the lid and the fresh smell or peanut butter and jelly hit her. Hearing her own stomach growl, the foals were looking down at the plate, some curious, and some with a feral hunger in their eyes.

Taking Chrysalis and Sombra down from the bed, they rushed over and each grabbed a sandwich for themselves. Looking over at Discord, he was looking back at her and the sandwich's.

"Go on," she said. "They are for you too."

He quickly snatched one and stopped before biting it. Sticking his tongue out, he peeled off the crust before putting that back on the plate. Nibbling on the crust-less sandwich, he slunk next to the changeling and dark unicorn, who, were just sniffing them.

Sombra, finally taking a bite, Luna couldn't help but smile as he stuffed the rest of it in his mouth. Chrysalis, looking over at him, took a dainty bite before spitting it out and wiping her tongue. She threw it over and Sombra had managed to spear it in a crystal he had grown from the floor.

As Luna was mourning the second hole in her carpet, she didn't notice Nightmare standing at the edge of the bed. Discord, looking up, stood and raised himself on his tail. Now facing the drowsy filly, he picked her up by the shoulders and plopped down. Letting her go, she slightly staggered over to Luna and merely looked at the sandwich's.

Luna, seeing the drowsy filly, picked a sandwich up in her magic and held it under Nightmare's nose. Slowly, her eyes widened a little before she took it and ate nearly half of it in a bite. Chewing, Luna cringed each time Nightmare forced her jaws open, the peanut butter holding them together.

"Luna," Celestia said. "Is there anything you would care to add? I'm finished with the letter, and was wondering if you would care to give your own message? Can you also pass me a sandwich? I'm afraid I slept in this morning and didn't get any breakfast."

"I only wish for you to send the paper and have us be done with this," she glanced at the foals who now had glasses of chocolate milk, Discord with a mug which he was greedily sucking down. "Curious, situation." She said. "Here, it seems they are not entirely difficult to feed." She said giving her sister a sandwich and taking one herself.

"True," Celestia said taking a bite. "Discord always had a light stomach. I guess that's why he normally chose liquid foods such as milkshakes or smoothies."

"Or the abomination he called an 'ice cream float' where he mixed ice cream and soda." She shuddered taking a bite of her sandwich. "My head ached for an hour after eating it."

"To be fair," Celestia said sending the letter away. "You did drink and eat all forty ounces in one sitting, and rather quickly too."

"That is not the-"

She was cut off as a loud belch shook the room. Both alicorns looked over and saw Nightmare pushed against the bed, the occasional hiccup coming from her. The others looked at her before setting their drinks down, Discord though, had finished the mug and held his up proudly, an old, devilish gleam in his eye.

Before either alicorn could react, he threw the mug down in an explosion of chocolaty goodness. The explosion sent out a cloud of dust, and they could even feel the flavored enhanced milk sticking on their coats much like honey.

Blinking, Luna looked down at herself and shut her eyes as she saw her fur matted down and sticking up in places, her once flowing mane now hung down to her side, damp and darker than before. Hearing a slight whine, she looked over at her sister who was prancing in place.

"This is going to take a near eternity to get out of my coat!" Celestia whined looking at her fur. "Now I'll look like a chocolate coated alicorn trotting around. It is times like this, sister, that I envy your darker coat."

"I would say, as the ponies today say, you are green with envy, but you are clearly brown with it." Luna giggled. "Come, I propose we clean ourselves and the foals."

"I suppose," Celestia sighed. "Oh, Luna," she said shaking her head. "What are we to do?"

"Keep calm, and carry on. That is all we can do." Luna replied back. "You may use my bathroom if you wish, as I will surely do, seeing as how this is my chamber."

"I know," Celestia said. "I may keep the chocolate scent though, I happen to think it suits me just fine."

"Only you," Luna grinned shaking her head. "Only you would say that, sister."