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Discord breathed deeply the scent of mellow tea steeping in a small cyan kettle on the table in front of him. He was slightly bewildered that Fluttershy said it wasn’t for drinking but rather for the aroma. He continued to consider on how little sense it made. Typical ponies would lay out shallow bowls of dried plant matter or light scented candles for the effect but his wife insisted on having a tea that one wasn’t supposed to drink.
He smiled to himself as he considered that his methods had rubbed off a little on Fluttershy and because of him she had become less than typical.
A slight case of something wriggling around in his lap drew his attention from the kettle. The tiny foal that used to be lying half asleep had decided to stir. He moved his paw arm to prevent an accidental migration from his lap to the floor; and his arm was promptly crawled onto and was converted into something to lay on. The curious creature sprawled out casually and seemed to be observing the kettle.
Little Screwball was startlingly similar to what his mind had envisioned except for a few key differences. One thing he noticed was that she was a lot more curious about her surroundings. She also exhibited having a stellar memory for her age. He suspected that she was taking notes and planning how to get into mischief when she became more mobile. She also had a better knack for sneaking around. Unless she was physically in contact with him he had no warnings of her crawling around. Fluttershy seemed to have a knack for tracking her movements and elected to keep him in the dark to toy with him. Their daughter also seemed to be unaffected by the fact she she had to rely on crawling to move around. The couch she could somehow get onto on her own. The high shelf with a lone cookie jar was also somehow visited earlier in the morning and had been completely pillaged.
He started to think that giving her a beanie to fly around with wasn’t needed to help her get around; but rather to help him keep tabs on her since the propeller had a distinct sound if you were listening for it.
Another thing he noticed that she seemed to be less likely to channel her power which left him to question if she had any at all. With that in mind perhaps if he gave her a propellor cap to wear that she might use it for it’s intended purpose and not for flight. Except for her swirled eyes and suspiciously accelerated development she seemed to be a very normal Earth Pony filly.
Discord gettly ran his claw through the small foal’s mane. She never cringed or shied away from his talons. She never seemed to wonder if he was some bizarre predator to be avoided. Screwball regarded him in a way that no child ever had upon a first meeting. Instead of trying to get away from him she nuzzled into his arm and babbled something incoherent to him. The miniature pony turned her gaze from the kettle and at the third occupant of the couch.
Fluttershy was resting on the opposite side and seemed to be enjoying the scent of the steeping brew that apparently wasn’t tea. Her eyes observed the curious child and she offered young Screwball a gentle smile. Screwball slowly inched her way over to her mother and crawled onto Fluttershy and paused when she reached her swollen abdomen. Discord took a moment to let himself be absorbed in wonder as the tiny foal compiled what was happening right next to her. Discord and Fluttershy were very much aware of the new addition to their family growing and how it got there,but whatever Screwball was thinking had to be a stranger and yet more wonderful reasoning.
Fluttershy slowly tilted her head to the window briefly. Discord looked and all he saw was the outside world and the lone tree that captured his attention once before. He smiled to himself as he returned his eyes to their daughter.
Screwball slowly ran her hoof along where her future sibling was. With a curious expression she gently inched another inch forward and abruptly stopped her hoof. Discord caught Fluttershy’s facial expression and knew too well that there was a kick. Screwball remained perfectly still and waited. She uttered a single syllable that could have meant everything or nothing and everything in-between. Fluttershy displayed another twitch and Screwball faintly giggled. The tiny foal softly nuzzled Fluttershy’s body and she uttered another giggle as Fluttershy showed evidence of another kick. The gentle mare’s gaze fell on the window again and Discord was quick to have his eyes follow.
All Discord saw was the tree; and he desperately wanted to know what his lover saw. Granted if this evening was anything like the one he experienced he would be be very aware of what she saw soon enough but the wait was grinding him.
Discord wove a gentle spell and discreetly planted it under the couch just in case he needed it.
Screwball raised her head and looked at her mother’s face while gently poking her. Fluttershy just nodded in response and Screwball gently ran her hoof along again. She stopped when Fluttershy felt another kick. Discord paused to wonder how they seemed to communicate without a spoken word. Fluttershy’s eyes returned to the window and Discord again looked to see just a tree. Screwball pointed at the window and said something that only made sense to the source of it. Fluttershy just smiled and nodded and Screwball returned to her snuggling.
Discord glanced at the tree again and let himself go into his thoughts. With their first foal he had an idea of what to expect. With their second arrival he had no idea of what to expect. Whatever was going to happen would be a complete surprise to him and yet Fluttershy seemed to have somehow seen their not so distant future arrival. The Draconequus gently ran his paw through their child’s mane and she turned over to look at him. She seemed to be deep in thought.
“Screwloose.”
Discord promptly removed his ears and vigorously shook them before reattaching them. Fluttershy was equally bewildered. Screwball simply giggled and rolled over to resume her snuggling. He looked at Fluttershy who softly blushed.
“If...that’s ok with you Dizzy” she said quietly as she carefully adjusted her position on the couch to make it impossible to look at the window. “It...it just feels right...i’m not sure how to explain why.”
“If it feels right then it probably is right” replied Discord as he softly laid his paw on her body next to Screwball. “Besides, I got to name Screwball so it’s only fair.”
Fluttershy smiled and rested her fore hoof on his paw. Discord distinctly felt a soft kick. Screwball must have felt it too. Fluttershy clearly felt it.
“Just a little longer little one.” Fluttershy whispered. “Just a little more...time.”
Fluttershy’s pause was clearly caused with a kick. Discord did not remember Screwball being this active while in her womb. He considered that maybe their second child might have a stronger chance of inheriting his boundless power. He wondered if he was mistaken when he told the infant that she was going to have a lot of fun making Celestia’s life a little more chaotic.
Then again, Screwball did somehow correctly predict the name of her inevitable sibling. Perhaps Screwball was merely biding her time before sampling the nature of Chaos. Or perhaps she was waiting until she became more mobile before giving her father a steady cardio regiment. Maybe their first born might even be stronger than he was.
Discord smiled to himself. Screwball giggled and playfully poked Fluttershy’s body.
Fluttershy’s facial expression told him all he needed to know before she could get the words out. He summoned the spell he cast to his claw and before he could channel the energy the couch and it’s occupants firmly landed in a room that Discord had only visited once before yet remembered it quite well.
The receptionist also remembered him. She rolled her eyes as Discord carried his wife and foal over with the speed of an animal on fire.
“Excuse me but my wife is ready to have our second child.” Discord calmly said in a manner that contradicted his charge.
Without waiting for a reply he carried Fluttershy through the halls until she was taken from him by a few doctors; leaving him behind in a very familiar hall. It wasn’t nearly as foreboding this time since he had company. The former Master of Chaos gently rocked Screwball in his paw arm and stood with his back to the wall directly in front of the door where the miracle was about to happen. The tiny foal giggled and Discord gave her his full attention. Screwball had somehow helped herself to a lollipop and Discord had no knowledge of where it came from.
“Our little secret.” Discord softly said as he plucked the thin wrapping from the treat.
He looked at the door again and wondered if he was in the same spot he was in last time he was in the hall.
He took a deep breath and steeled himself for another round of waiting.