Screwball sighed. "Daddy," she muttered. "How did those ponies defeat you? You're so strong!"

The statue looked at her with a frozen look of shock, despair, and defeat.

"I wish… I wish you didn't make that face," she mumbled. "It makes it look like you don't wanna see me."

A soft moonbeam ticked her nose. The statue garden was cold and scary this late at night. But heck, Screwball had nowhere else to go. Her mom, Screw Loose, was insane, and recovering at the asylum. "It was your fault," Screwball whispered to the statue of her father. "She went insane because of you!"

"I loved your mother," came a sad whisper. "I loved her SO much. I don't know what happened… She just, couldn't handle something about me."

"Daddy?" Screwball screamed. "Daddy! You're alive, not a statue!"

Discord looked down at himself. "Why, I am! Screwball, come give Daddy a hug!"

The purple pony dashed up to her father's pedestal. She clambered up it into Discord's waiting arms. "Daddy!" she sobbed. "I… I… I Didn't mean anything I said!"

"No," Discord murmured into her mane. "You were right, darling abomination."

"You know what!" Screwball grinned.

"What's that?"

"We've got some chaos to cause!" she smiled.

"Ahh, yes!" Discord shouted, a chaotic smile winding its way on to his face. "Ha-ha! You're right!"

Screwy yawned despite herself. "Daddy, I'm tired," she said, snuggling against his brown fur.

"Then let's sleep," he suggested. Just as he was about to step off the pedestal, Discord froze. A gray stone cracked its way up his body.

"NO!" Screwy screamed. "DADDY!"

"Shh!" Discord shouted. "I don't have much time! I love you, Screwy!" I don't think-"

With that, he froze in the stone. "Daddy!" Screwy sobbed. "Daddy!"

"Darling," a silky voice said. "What are you doing in the statue garden so late at night? Nopony comes here anymore. You're lucky I found you, you know."

"I… what?" Screwy asked. She stopped crying and turned around. There was a stallion about her age. He had black fur and a cutie mark of a skull.

"My name's Crossbones," he smiled. "I'm Princess Luna's son. I'm staying with my mom and auntie for a little bit. Who are you?"

"I'm Screwball," Screwy whispered.

Crossbones took in the odd purple pony. She had lavender fur, that wasn't that odd. Her cutie mark was literally… a screw… and a ball. She had on a propeller cap. He laughed. "I like your cap."

"Don't laugh at me!" Screwball screamed, tears running down her cheeks.

"I'm not!" Crossbones tried desperately. "I'm not. Please, Screwball. Just because you don't look like everypony else doesn't mean I would tease you."

"R-really?" she stammered. "Why? Everypony always made fun of me in school when I was a filly. They knew that my Mama was insane and my Daddy was Discord."

"Wait!" Crossbones roared. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" He slammed a heavy hoof on the cobblestones. "WHO IS YOUR FATHER?"

"Discord!" Screwball snarled. She narrowed her purple/white eyes accusingly. "You got a problem with that? Of course you do! Everypony always does." Her voice lowered sadly. "I knew you wouldn't be different. I love my father the way you love yours. Just because he's different doesn't mean I love him any less."

"You're right," Crossbones whispered. "I'm sorry, Screwball. But…" He looked for the right words. "Well, Discord is a chaotic being bent on destroying innocent pony's minds. If anypony knew that he was your dad…" He paused, his voice trailing off, looking at the cold, empty statue garden. "Where do you usually stay at night?"

"Here. I sleep at my Daddy's feet."

Crossbones smiled despite himself. "You're a loyal daughter, Screwball. I admire that."

"Who's your father?" she asked quietly. "And… you can call me Screwy."

"Um…" The stallion rubbed his hoof in the dirt. "He… he's, uh. Well, promise you won't tell?"

Screwy nodded earnestly. "I do."

"He's… Big Macintosh."

"Who?" Screwy asked. She really didn't know the name of anypony, adult or otherwise, considering all of her time was spent in the statue garden. She never left except to… do her "business"

"He… he's fathered a filly now," Crossbones muttered numbly. " He's got a new wife. Fluttershy. My step-mother."

"I don't know who those ponies are," Screwy said. "I'm sorry."

"It's… probably better that you don't. He's an adult now. They were young when they had me. It's been… fifteen years."

"Hey!" Screwy shouted happily. "That's how old I am! My Mama's been in the asylum since I was… just a filly."

"That's when my dad left us. He knew it wasn't good for an Earth Pony and a Princess…"

"I know what you mean," Screwy smiled. She hugged Crossbones.

He was surprised, but hugged the strange mare back. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Screwy grinned happily. "Then can I ask you one?"

"Sure. Promise me that you won't get mad."

"I promise, Crossbones."

"You're mental health isn't that good is it?"

"Um…" Screwball blushed. "Well, I'm not insane like my Mama. She wouldn't do anything but bark!"

Crossbones wondered. "How can you speak about that so calmly?" he asked.

"I… I've actually never talked about all this with anypony but my Daddy," Screwy admitted. "I talked to his statue for hours. I talked to him about anything and everything. I even made up a schedule of my day in the statue garden."

"I'd love to hear about it," Crossbones whispered kindly.

"Well, I woke up at about nine. I would say good morning to Daddy, and brush him off if his statue got dirty. Then, I'd eat some weeds."

"Not grass or hay?"

"None of that grows here, Crossbones!" Screwy shouted, rolling her eyes. "Weeds are kinda dry and dusty, but okay once you get used to them. Then, I'd clean up the other statues and trim up the weeds while talking to Daddy. I… I can't remember the rest, I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Crossbones smiled, looking up at the night sky. It was cold and dark, with only a few stars twinkling in the sky. He didn't see how this screwy mare stayed in this secluded area of the Royal Palace. How long had she stayed here? Weeks? Months?

Years?

All this time, talking to a statue and hoping, praying it would come back to life. Wishing that her "Daddy" would show up and take her far away from a world where everypony made fun of her. At least here, in this weed garden with only cold marble for company.

"Screwy," he said quietly. "You're slowly losing your sanity by staying here. Why don't you come back to the castle with me? The Princesses would be very welcoming to you. Discord isn't somepony to look up to. Heck, he's not even a pony. He's… he's…"

"My Daddy!" Screwball screamed, pushing Crossbones away. The black stallion stumbled back, losing his balance and falling on his rear end on the stone paving.

"Ow!" he shouted. "Screwy, please think about this. Please."

"No!" she screamed. "You said that you loved your dad, so why can't I love mine? I don't wanna see the Princesses! They're evil and cruel!"

"DON'T YOU DARE INSULT MY MOM!" Crossbones roared, jumping up and clearing the distance between them in a single bound. He glared at Screwball, and Screwball glared at him.

"I'm leaving," he snorted, and turned away. He trotted out of the garden, his hooves clapping on the uneven cobblestones. He crossed the bridge, staring at the moonlit river. Crossbones felt bad for leaving Screwy there. Even though she was… screwy, he still liked her as a friend and wanted to help her.

He turned. "Screwy… you're still always welcome at the castle."

With that, he left.

"You were right to distrust him, you know. You shouldn't have told him so much about us, though," Discord said, climbing down from his pedestal.

"Daddy!" Screwball cried, hugging her father. "How come you're alive?"

"I don't know, my darling," Discord shrugged. "I don't know. Some things can't be explained, you know."

"I'm sorry I told Crossbones so much about us, Daddy," Screwball apologized. "I just thought…."

"There is no love for creatures like us," Discord whispered. "That's why we must stick together."

"But… but…" Screwball stammered. "There has to be hope for me! Mama and you…"

"I wanted a daughter," Discord stated flatly. "I knew she was insane."

"But… you said that… you said that you loved her! You said that there was something about you she couldn't handle!"

"I lied, darling daughter. I wanted so badly to come back to life that I lied. I knew she was insane from the moment I laid eyes on her! She's been insane her entire life."

"Daddy, you lied to me!" Screwball screamed, tears running down her face.

"Darling abomination, don't think of it like that," Discord begged. "I lied to you, but meant to tell you the truth in just a few moments, once we were fully acquainted as father and daughter. There is NO love for creatures like us. You think that silly stallion and you actually had a chance?" Discord laughed. "You're just like your mother, you know. Insane."

Screwball screamed. "NO! I AM NOTHING LIKE YOU! I NEVER WILL BE!"

With that, she ran out of the statue garden, and into the royal palace.