"Really?" Discord was eyeing Celestia with insulted doubt. "You're still using those schools?"
Celestia was returning with her guard. "And what is wrong with the foci? They do a good job of giving us broad strokes to test with."
Discord rolled his eyes onto the table in front of himself. "You've been using that, for what, forever? Whatever." He plucked up the dropped eyeballs. "Transmuter, huh? So you like changing things?" He popped them back into his face casually. "Like what?"
Comforting did not seem upset by his prickly words. "Well, I got the flower spell down pretty well." She covered the table casually in roses.
Which Fluttershy gently brushed aside to set down a platter of steaming food. "Sorry about that."
"It's alright." Comforting was way too happy, clapping eagerly. "And--"
"That isn't transmuting." Discord adjusted the glasses he hadn't been wearing a moment before. "You are creating those flowers from nothing, not changing anything into flowers. See, Celly dear, this is the risk of this whole 'school' nonsense. Everypony starts getting them all mixed up."
"Oh..." She couldn't argue it. Those flowers did spring wholeformed from nothing. "You're right... But I can change things into other things." She set a hoof on a fork, drawing it closer. "Like this."
"Ooo, do a spork." Discord clapped without bringing his hands apart very far, a rapid beat. "I love those things."
"Spork it is!" Her horn hummed with the changing spell, willing it to change. It was a small change, compared to others, and she was able to refashion the fork into a spork without too much trouble. "Ta da!"
Celestia nodded gently. "Very good. You are a natural at that. Transmutation continues to elude me." She leaned in, craning her neck down to Comforting's level. "I am more of an evoker. I blame the sun thing."
Fluttershy hopped up onto the remaining seat. "I hope everypony enjoys."
"It's great, ma'am." The guard was already chomping down his food with great zeal. "Very nice."
Celestia set a hoof on his back. "Am I not feeding you all? Poor things. I will look into that."
The guard colored, half a mouthful of food dropping from his limp jaws. "Ma'am! You've done nothing wrong, Your Highness. I'm sorry."
"Do not be." With a glowing horn, she casually cleaned the snout of her guard. "I can see something wrong, and I will fix it. That is what princesses do."
"Yes, ma'am!" He slowed his eating, clearly self-conscious about being spotted enjoying himself too much for propriety.
Discord casually claimed the spork, using it to secure himself a bite. "Mmm, wonderful as always, dear Fluttershy. So, got any other spells down? That one's nice, but a bit crude. Like playing with clay, though, admittedly, the whole world is clay if you get good enough at it."
Comforting colored with the thought. The whole world, clay... "I'm still getting that perfect, and Twilight said no more spells for now." She crossed her arms with a mighty pout. "She wants me to focus on school for now. It's probably 'cause I messed up."
Discord leaned in over the table. "Messed up? Now this I just have to hear. Do share. I'm all ears." His ears had tripled in size, twitching eagerly to hear the story. "By the way, transmuting is one of my favorites, if we have to use that whole 'school' thing."
"I thought I'd be more mental..." Comforting cocked an ear at Celestia. "I'm not upset, but how does this relate to my cutie mark?"
Celestia smiled gently. "It's how you use it. While the connection isn't as obvious as it could be, you will use your transmutation to make others happy, and to heal their broken hearts. Not physically, I hope, unless becoming a doctor is your calling." She tapped her chin slowly. "Your cutie mark would fit that rather well, come to think... But only if you want to be."
Discord waved it away. "Your stamp is just a hint, nothing more. Trying to take it literally is a good way to be miserable. You're more clever than that. Find your own thing. You like helping creatures? Fine, don't let that mark hedge you in any further than that. Now, about that accident?"
"The mistake, right..." Comforting squirmed, working her hooves. "I made a... It was an accident! We fixed it. Starlight fixed it..."
"Good mare." Discord nodded. "A little short of a fuse, but go on. You're teasing now. What was the mistake?"
"I was distracted... on purpose. I... not that I wanted to be distracted, but I asked my friends to do it, for practice, and they did when I wasn't expecting it... which is right when I said to do it... and I accidentally turned Diamond Tiara into a statue."
Fluttershy gasped sharply. "Oh my! Is she alright?"
"Is she?" asked Discord with a scowl.
"She's fine, she's fine!" squeaked out Comforting. "Starlight fixed it... I felt so bad..."
"Being a statue is no fun." Discord brought his hands together silently, clasping them. "I speak from experience. At first, like a peaceful nap, but you eventually 'wake up', sort of. Just enough to realize you're trapped, but can you do anything about it? No. Then you get to wait and wait. You only have your thoughts for company, and they're about as slow as the rock you are, so they're pretty bad company..."
Celestia raised a hoof over her mouth. "You were awake?!"
"I was awake," he confirmed with an icy tone. "There was a reason I was as eager as I was to get a little revenge when I got out."
Fluttershy pressed a hoof against his closer arm. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. I'm glad we're past it now."
Discord smiled at Fluttershy, unable to be properly angry with her calming presence. "Thank goodness. Now, Comforting." His eyes went back to her. "No more turning anyponies, or creatures, to stone. Are we clear on that?"
Comforting slapped a hoof to her chest. "I didn't want to in the first place, so promise! It was an accident."
Discord reached across to pat the top of the nervous unicorn filly. "Mistakes happen... This is what you get for getting all chummy with Harmony. A field of statues sounds right up her alley. Nice and orderly."
Celestia perked at that. "Harmony is an idea."
Discord snorted softly. "Was an idea. Little missy there met her and they're best of friends now." He took an angry chomp of food. "Go ahead, ask her."
Called out! Comforting laughed nervously. "Harmony is very nice... Just not used to talking to ponies, like Discord used to be. He's gotten way better at it."
Fluttershy rubbed Discord's arm gently. "There's plenty of space to grow, and I'm glad to lend a hoof."
"You're the best." It was Fluttershy's turn to be pet gently, so he took it on himself to be the one to see it was done. "But I make things fun and interesting. Gonna bet Harmony doesn't do that at all."
Celestia was looking between Discord and Comforting, but said nothing.
"She isn't boring, that's for sure. I'm not sure anycreature that powerful and with a perspective so... different... even could be boring. That goes for you too!" She pointed at Discord accusingly. "You don't see the world the way we mere mortals do."
"Can't argue that." He buffed his right claws on his chest. "Not that you seem bothered by it." He glared at the guard and somewhat more kindly, but still glaring, at Fluttershy. Neither of them were ready to face that perception entirely. "What's your deal?"
Celestia cleared her throat, drawing attention. "It was in a dream... but from what I remember, Comforting has the advantage of another world of experience. I have poked my nose in on other worlds, briefly, but to live in another entirely is a different thing."
Comforting tensed as Celestia spoke. Her secrets, being revealed. She heard a faint ticking and looked up, seeing a big sign with bulbous lights circling it. In bold colors, it announced 'Isekai' and pointed right down at her. "Discord!"
"What?" He assumed the most innocent look he could manage, halo glittering in the light.
Fluttershy inclined her head. "Oh... Like... Like in Neighponese comics?"
Discord recoiled in surprise. "You know those?"
"I love those!" Fluttershy clopped her hooves together with a joyful smile. "Their stories are always so interesting, even if they are scary sometimes."
Comforting struggled to parse that. "You wa... read manga?"
"Manga?" The word clearly was lost on Fluttershy. "Do you mean the comics? Yes. I didn't think you'd be interested."
Discord slapped down his hands. "This is all very lovely, but back to the point at hand. So she's lived in two worlds, very different worlds from the sound of it. So what's a third, and a fourth perspective after that, is that it?" He peered at Comforting suspiciously.
"Kinda..." She struggled for better words. "It..." Hiding it wasn't helping. "Mom, you know how I know about people before meeting them?"
She nodded. "Mmhmm. Um, is this related?"
"It is." She sat up in her chair, tail curling in a question mark behind her. "In... the other world, there were ponies, but as stories, and I loved those stories quite a bit... You were always such an inspiring character, Mother. It's even better now that you're not a character. You're a living creature, and my mom! I... am so happy."
Celestia inclined her head slowly. "Did you know me? You must have... That was one part of the dream that confused me. Why would... Why would you accept the word of this imposingly tall creature you only just met. Why did you come with me? If you were a pony, I'd understand, but you were not, this much I knew."
Fluttershy looked between Celestia and her daughter. "Oh, um... So..." She was so close to putting it together, but struggled at those last bits.
"Don't hurt yourself." Discord set a hand over Fluttershy's eyes, as if not seeing the problem would fix it for her. "So you ran away."
"What?" Comforting frowned at Discord. "That isn't nice."
"But the truth? You ran away from home and went off to live in a story time. Not very brave of you, if you ask me." He scoffed in his idle mockery of Comforting.
Who was busy turning colors. "It wasn't like that! I didn't have a choice in leaving... Not that you'd understand. This is a 'mortal thing'."
"Oh please." Discord waved away the idea. "As if there is any 'mortal thing' I couldn't comprehend."
But Celestia knew what it was. "I don't think this one..."
"Et Tu, Celly?" He threw away the toga he only needed for that out-of-dimension joke. "You're joking, yanking my chain." He pulled firmly at the chaint hat hadn't been there before with a loud flushing sound. "Such a thing doesn't even exist."
Celly shrugged softly. "Really, as bottled as you were, I can't help but feel this become even more difficult for you to grasp."
"Is this about the swinging night life." He swung his gem-topped cane at Celly, adjusting his bright purple hat. "I'll have you know, I've already mastered that. I can dance with the best of them!"
"Perhaps... But one day, they will not dance." Celestia sat back with a gentle sigh. "They will never smile again. They will not do any more fun things, no matter how much you may wish them to."
Discord raised a brow. "Is this a friendship thing? I'm getting better at that! Rude, implying I'd chase them all away. Fluttershy, back me up here!"
Fluttershy smiled awkwardly. "Even if you are very kind, this will... eventually be true, even for me. I'm not forever. That's... what being a 'mere mortal' is, Discord."
"Well then, I'll..." He trailed off, the weight of the statement perhaps reaching him. "Oh... Well, that isn't very fun at all..."