Saving Screwy

The sun was high in the sky, and the throne room was silent as Discord waited for the princesses to respond.

The events leading up to this meeting were very important so allow me to catch you up. It was about two years since discord had been reformed, and about one year and three months since the incident with screwball had occurred.

After her father had been turned to stone, screwball found a safe place near his statue and had waited for his return. However three thousand years is a long time to take day by day, and screwball took to napping for several years at a time, waking up to check on her father and then falling back asleep.

So when she woke up one time to find that her stone encased father was gone, she was both happy and scared. She had felt his presence in equestria, but equestria was still orderly. At first she had assumed he was hiding and began causing mild but unmistakable chaos around equestria hoping to get his attention. However when no response came, she quickly began to believe that the princesses had found a different punishment for him.

And so Screwball had gone to the castle where at that moment discord was, having been called in to explain the chaos that had been happening. When screwball had charged in demanding the “witches” to let her father go, it had been a wonderful reunion.

Until discord explained that he was reformed. At first screwball went along with it, thinking her daddy was playing the princesses for a laugh. But when she discovered that he was not faking she grew scared.

She did not believe her father would ever willingly change, and so jumped to the conclusion that the princesses had done something to him and that they would do it to her too, to keep her from fixing her father.

And so she ran…. She ran from equestria and claimed a part of the everfree forest as her own, putting wards around it to keep out any beings who had a threatening amount of power.

She hadn’t been heard from since. Neither discord nor the royal sisters could enter the now chaotic land. However a year later discord stood in front of the alicorns and the elements. Stood not floated, his expression more serious and sad than it had ever been thought possible, and it frightened Celestia.

“Please help me save my daughter”…..

Prince Elysian, son of Celestia, sat at attention by his mothers left side. His slicked back, gold and periwinkle mane shining in the noon day sun. Around him sat Luna,, and the former elements of harmony.  In front of him stood Discord, lord of chaos and a petitioner to the crown.

Elysian knew discord quite well, and had been away when the screwball incident occurred. However, he had been brought up to date and understood the significance of discords request.

He looked at his mother; she sat tall her white coat- which he had inherited- shining like pearl in the harsh light. She bore the same posture as she always did when performing the role of Princess. Proud, demure, powerful.

However, her expression was one he had never seen before. A mix of anguish, sympathy tiredness and….. fear, it was faint but he could tell that she feared for something, however he couldn’t tell if it was for her kingdom, her friends or discord.

“Discord I feel your sorrow, and if I knew a way of gaining entrance to her realm, I would gladly accompany you myself in retrieving her. However as you know better than any of us her power is as strong as yours and her wards are expertly crafted to keep us away.”

Elysian watched the draconaquus expecting anger or defeat to be prominent on his mismatched features, however none was present.

“Screwball is not dangerous or evil, she is scared and trying to help me. She is also clever, her objective is to try to cure me of the spell she thinks you cast on me. She knows about the element bearers and knows that you often use them to solve problems that you can’t, and that they had a hoof in reforming me. She set her wards carefully, she knows that both of you together would have a chance of overpowering her and that if I went in she wouldn’t be able to harm me. But the bearers wouldn’t pose a threat, and they fall short of her wards guidelines/boundries/limit. She set everything up, hoping that you would send them in so she could figure out how to cure me from them”

Celestia took a breath to say something but stopped herself, and mulled the new information in her head. “Yes I see how this would provide us with an opportunity. However there is one thing that worries me, as you said they are no threat. So how would they be able to do anything to help us bring her back?”

Upon hearing that Celestia thought them no match for Screwball, Rainbow Dash started to object but was quickly silenced by the others. Elysian smiled at this.

“As I said, screwball is not evil. Like me she has potential to be kind and helpful, unlike me she has more of it. They wouldn’t be trying to drag her back here kicking and screaming. The objective would be to convince her that I am not being forced to be good and that it is safe to comeback. Besides, what little physical or mental threat she poses could be nullified by small protective spells, that you or I could cast on the bearers. I have thought this out Celestia.”

Both Celestia and Luna were a bit surprised at the detail of his planning, he had obviously been spending lots of time working out a solution.

There was silence for a long time, Celestia and Luna exchanged a silent conversation while the elements and discord stood still, Elysian simply observed.

Celestia looked over at twilight and her friends, each gave a nod, even Fluttershy showed her willingness, giving an actual nod.

Celestia sighed, her head hanging, this was a tough decision and Elysian knew that his mother had many pro’s and con’s to weigh. Eventually she lifted her head and looked discord straight in his wonky eyes.

“Alright Discord, we will get your daughter back”

Prince Elysian paced outside the doors of his mothers quarters, she had been busy with her normal duties as well as discussing the mission with Twilight. He knew that after she lowered the sun for the day she would come straight to the private rooms she shared with him and Luna. He hoped to catch her when she came to remove her royal garb for the day.

As the sound of hoof steps neared Elysian smiled. While he tended to act formal around his mother when acting as prince, he loved his mother and they had many good conversations in the mornings and evenings.

“Elysian. What are you doing here? I would have thought you would be waiting in the dining room with Luna.” Celestia asked smiling at her son.

“Actually I had something I wanted to ask you.” He said following his mother as she entered her chambers. She placed a pair of cushions with her magic and took a seat on one of them, she gave a nod to Elysian, indicating for him to continue and began to take off her necklace and crown.

Gathering his thoughts he began to speak. “Well as you know I am fifteen, I am nearing the point in an alicorns life where the growth in their physical appearance begins to slow considerably.”

Celestia looked at her son, she could tell what ever he had to say must be big since he seemed to be trying to justify his reasoning for asking it.

“However my magic is no where near strong enough to be considered a full grown alicorn. And, well, I was wondering…” He stopped talking for a moment before standing tall. “I would like to request to join Twilight and the rest of her group in retrieving discords spawn.” He blurted deciding to make his request as formal as possible.

Celestia looked him over, her expression unreadable. “Why?” She asked her tone sounding of genuine curiosity.

“Well, several reasons. For one, I can. My magic is only as powerful as your average high level unicorn mage, so I shouldn’t have any problems with the wards. Also because it is an adventure, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t doing it out of sheer foalish excitement. And well I want to see if I can be of any help, I spend most of my time dealing with diplomatic things or tagging along with Aunt Luna when she deals with her night guard. This could be a chance to test my actual skill, besides as discord said we are mostly going to talk to her, I would be helping with diplomatic stuff.”

Elysian tried to keep his expression confident and nonchalant but his features betrayed a look of nervous hope. Celestia thought it over, her first instincts as a mother were to say no, she didn’t want her son to go into any sort of  conflict diplomatic or no. However she knew that was a silly feeling, her son was just as capable as any of the others she was sending if not more so. Being an alicorn he was more sturdy and had already had all the training he would need. However she could see one legitimate problem.

“As an alicorn Screwball may not trust you. She is the spawn of a draconaquus and they are- were the natural enemies of alicorns.”

Elysian donned a pensive expression. “Yes but she isn’t a draconaquus herself, and she didn’t grow up in the time when that conflict occurred. Besides she has never met me, there is a chance she might trust me more than the ponies she knows for a fact were involved in the supposed spell that you cast on discord.” Elysian smiled “Basically there is no good reason I should go, and there is no reason I shouldn’t. All you have to do is say if I can.”

Celestia sat there for a moment, fighting between the part of her wanting him to stay just because and the part of her wanting to let him take advantage of the experience he may gain.

“Fair enough, you may go.”