The Apology
All of the light bulbs in the room burst simultaneously, casting a blanket of dark over the room. From the ceiling, a bright beam of light cast a wide circle on the floor. The three ponies were struck dumb, mouths agape.
“No,” Fluttershy whispered.
A conniving, winding Draconequus took a smooth, scaly step into the spotlight’s center. “Oh, I just couldn’t resist the opportunity to make a dramatic entrance,” he said, his voice dripping with honeyed sardonicism. One moment he was dressed head to toe like a flapper, languidly fanning himself; the next, he and the spotlight blinked away with a pop. In the same moment, the exploded bulbs replaced themselves, and a shower of confetti in the shape of pink and teal butterflies rained from a Fluttershy-shaped cloud hovering near the ceiling. Discord reappeared, stretched comfortably upon the couch much as Rainbow Dash had been only a short while ago. “Ta-dah!”
Fluttershy, who had been standing on the couch to look out the window just moments before, squealed and tumbled backward. Her eyes were wide and confused, and her head was on a direct collision course with the edge of the tea table. A luminous pink barrier shaped vaguely like a pillow formed itself between the table and her skull in the nick of time. She landed on her butt and scrambled, feathers askew, to her hooves.
“Pth-thuh!” Twilight spat a few pieces of confetti onto the floor. “Saving me some time, are you?” She zapped the raincloud into oblivion and then lowered her horn, which threw off threatening violet sparks. “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, Discord. Let’s not make this more complicated than it needs to be.”
Discord smirked and cocked his head. “I agree, Twilight Sparkle. Let’s simplify things. I’m not here to talk to you, so...” He snapped his paw-fingers, and a muzzle and blinders appeared on Twilight’s face. “Keep quiet a minute, would you?”
“Hrrmph?!” Twilight reared, waving her forelegs in confusion. The blinders flew off easily with a tug of her magic. However, the muzzle proved more of a challenge, and she stumbled about the room with each pull.
While Twilight struggled, Rainbow Dash assumed a catlike fighting stance. Her ears pressed back, and a snarl formed in her teeth. Fluttershy ducked as Dash rocketed across the few feet between herself and Discord with a hoof pointed straight at his smug face.
He flashed an unevenly-fanged smile at her the instant before he faded away like a cloud of smoke, and the sickening crunch of splintering wood indicated that Fluttershy was going to need a new couch.
“Behind you,” whispered a voice in her ear. Dash tugged her hoof free from the smashed couch and swung around. She struck empty air.
Twilight had managed to free herself at last, and her eyes glowed white-hot with emotionally fueled magic. “That’s enough!” she bellowed. A sound like a cracking whip accompanied a wave of magic energy as it rippled through the air.
Discord stood frozen in place with an air horn behind Rainbow Dash’s head, one chicken talon an inch from the button and a devious smile on his face. She and Fluttershy were as statuesque as he, bits of confetti caught in the paused whirlwind around their ankles, but Twilight walked unhindered. She panted as though she had run a great distance, the effort of maintaining the spell evident in her strain. Still, she reveled in her power; her horn glowed, her mane rippled in a nonexistent wind, and a triumphant grin played at the corners of her mouth.
“Now listen to me very carefully, Discord, because I know you can hear me.” Twilight stopped directly in his line of sight, speaking over Dash’s head. “If you don’t do exactly as I ask when I unfreeze you, you’ll be stone the next time we meet. I hope you realize that such a task isn’t exactly outside my skillset any more.
“You’re going to accompany me back to Canterlot, of course, but first you’re going to explain to me why you left the castle. You’re going to do it without destroying Fluttershy’s cottage. You’re not going to create any more trouble for her.” Twilight knocked the air horn out of Discord’s grip with her hoof. “For her or for any of us.”
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and undid the spell. The tremendous pressure of the magic was lifted. Dash leaped to Fluttershy’s side, eyeing Discord with suspicion, her tail flicking nervously. Discord, however, seemed to have been made tame by Twilight’s words, and he only glared at them all with his arms crossed.
“First of all, living like a prisoner qualifies my sojourn down to Ponyville as either fleeing or escaping the castle.” A pout tinged his voice. “Secondly, I didn’t punch a hole in her couch.” He snapped his fingers and the couch was repaired, though the upholstery was now a horrendously garish orange and brown plaid. “At this point, I’ve done more good than you two have for poor Fluttershy this evening.”
When he raised his arm to snap again, Twilight took an aggressive step toward him, her horn glowing. “You can make your case without causing chaos,” she barked. “Not that you’ve got much of one. Fluttershy wouldn’t need anyone’s help at all if it wasn’t for you.”
To Twilight’s surprise, the glare on Discord’s face slipped. A hurt expression replaced it. “Yes, well, I didn’t claim otherwise. I wouldn’t.” As quick as it had happened, though, it was gone; judging by the astonished looks on both Fluttershy’s and Dash’s faces, they had all seen it. He continued: “I was here to apologize for my actions in person, actually, since dear Fluttershy hasn’t been responding to my letters. Er.” He grimaced, as though physically pained. “Please imagine I’ve conjured a newspaper with an advice column for bored housewives entitled ‘Dear Flutter--’”
“Apologize?”
It was Fluttershy who spoke. She had risen from her position of cowering on the floor beside Rainbow Dash, who stuck out a foreleg to stop her from moving forward. “He’s lying! Don’t listen to him, Fluttershy!” Dash’s expression could have made a manticore run crying to its mother. “This… this son of a Cerberus wouldn’t apologize if he got paid to.”
Fluttershy placed a hoof on Rainbow Dash’s own outstretched one, lowering it. Wide-eyed, Dash let her do it.
“He’s not lying.” Fluttershy’s voice was barely audible. Gently, without even the slightest hint of aggression, she said, “I know he’s sorry. I know he wants me to forgive him so we can be friends again. We were… very good friends, weren’t we, Discord?”
Discord visibly relaxed, clasping his paw and claw together joyfully. “Ah, Fluttershy, I knew you’d come around. We just know each other too well.” His serpentine form arched toward her, paw outstretched.
“Hey! Freeze, mister!” Twilight sent a warning shot sizzling into the space between Fluttershy’s face and Discord’s clawed digits. Fluttershy sprang back, but Discord’s paw didn’t jerk away even as the heat of the blast grazed his knuckles. He did as Twilight requested and froze it in place. “I didn’t say you could move,” she snarled. “You’re still in trouble whether she’s forgiven you or not.”
“Twilight Sparkle, the only thing that matters to me here is that Fluttershy forgives me.” Discord’s tone was condescending, as though explaining something simple to a stupid child. “I’ll come right on back to Canterlot without any trouble. I’ve gotten what I wanted.”
“Actually,” Fluttershy interjected, “I-I’m not so sure that you have.”
No one breathed, and all eyes were on Fluttershy. She trembled where she stood, but her eyes were dry, and she kept them aimed at the crumpled confetti between her front hooves. “I know that you’re sorry. I know because you were sorry the last time, too.”
“I don’t understand.” Discord had a half-smile on, but it was an unsure one.
“Do you think that being sorry means you can just… do these things to me forever? Just treat me like I'm expendable, a thing to be traded away when a better offer comes along?”
Any hope for a smile literally slid off Discord’s face and landed with a wet smack on the floor.
Fluttershy wasn’t done. “You’re sorry because… because…” Fluttershy choked, “You wish you had made the safer bet instead of throwing in with Tirek. And, well, here’s my bet: that I won’t have to feel this awful over and over by forgiving you again and again” --she stomped her hoof for emphasis-- “if I just stay away from you.”
For the thousandth time that night, Fluttershy’s eyes were overflowing with her hurt. The difference this time was the steel in her gaze, which she directed straight into Discord’s own.
Unlike when Dash had glared at him, Discord actually took a step back. He withdrew his outstretched paw with uncertainty. From the floor, his mouth said, “Did someone suggest that you--”
“Nopony told me what to do,” Fluttershy said, the mildest hint of an edge to her words. “The others wanted to forgive you, but it’s different for them. They wouldn’t have trusted you with their lives. They don’t… they didn’t feel the way that I…” she trailed off, finally breaking eye contact and ducking her face behind her mane.
Rainbow Dash and Twilight, throughout the entire exchange, had scarcely let themselves breathe. It was like the freezing spell Twilight had zapped them all with earlier on, but this time Fluttershy was the only one able to move. Without looking directly at him, she picked Discord’s mouth up off the ground, gingerly placed it back on his wide-eyed face, and then retreated to lean against Rainbow Dash.
After a few seconds of dead silence, Twilight broke through. “Well. That’s your answer, Discord.” It had meant to come out cold, but all of the ice left her voice in the wake of Fluttershy’s display. Instead, Twilight just sounded tired-- which she, realized, she truly was. And she still had to fly Discord out of Ponyville. “This party’s over. I have to take you back to Canterlot. Celestia’s waiting.”
“Yes,” Discord mumbled, his eyes still glued to Fluttershy. He reached up and touched his own mouth absently. “Yes, I’m sure she is.”
Twilight and Rainbow Dash tensed for action in case he was planning another display of chaotic theatrics, but Discord only dragged his vision away from Fluttershy’s bowed head and drooped wings before he trudged to the front door. Without turning back, he said, “I wasn’t lying when I said all I had wanted to was to apologize to Fluttershy. I don’t have anything else to gain here, so just relax, would you?”
Twilight squinted at him. She was surprised at Discord’s reaction, but she had never trusted him further than she could (physically) throw him, and they had all seen what happened when one let one’s guard down around Discord. A sympathetic glance in Fluttershy’s direction told the whole story.
The door glowed pink and swung open. In her best princess voice, Twilight said, “Rainbow Dash, please stay here. I’m going to fly Discord back to Canterlot, and I’m going to put that spell we talked about up just in case; I doubt I’ll be back at a reasonable hour, so I’ll most likely stay in Canterlot overnight.”
“Okay, Twi. Safe travels.” Rainbow Dash stood close to Fluttershy, who had apparently exhausted her emotional reserves entirely. She leaned on Rainbow Dash’s side and stared blankly into space without saying goodbye to Twilight. Dash put a wing over her friend’s back, pulling her closer.
“Take care, Fluttershy,” Twilight said gently. She and Discord walked out, and the door shut. The cottage was silent for a moment, chilled by the fall air that had sneaked in. Then, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash watched a flash of pink light run over every inch of the building’s interior.
Outside, Twilight saw the same thing happen to the exterior of the cottage. The walls sparkled faintly when she leaned in to inspect her handiwork.
Scrambling over to a window, Rainbow Dash put her hooves up on the sill and watched as Twilight gestured wordlessly toward the Northeast. She and Discord flew side by side into the distance.
Dash watched until they were specks, and then until they blended into the darkness.
“I think I’d like to go to bed,” Fluttershy said from behind her.
"All right," Dash murmured, eyes straining against the night, trying to make out some hint that Twilight was still there. "I’ll meet you upstairs. Don’t wait up for me, okay?”
The flight to Canterlot was a tiring one, especially after all that heavy-duty spellwork, but Discord couldn’t be relied upon to teleport there himself. “At least this is another opportunity to work on my flying stamina,” Twilight mumbled to herself.
“And look how lovely Ponyville looks from way up here,” came Discord’s wistful reply. He flapped his wings alongside Twilight, not moving ahead or falling behind.
She glared at him. “I wasn’t talking to you.”
“Talking to yourself is a sign of insanity, Princess Twilight.” When Twilight didn’t respond, Discord looked downward once more. “Really, though, it looks very cozy. The little dots of lighted homes dispersing more thinly the further we travel... it’s all very picturesque and quaint.”
Hesitantly, Twilight said, “I… suppose it is. I don’t generally do much flying at night, so…” She let the sentence hang, feeling strange about making small talk with Discord. He was right about the beauty on the outskirts of Ponyville, but she could hardly appreciate it right then; cold night air rushed over her without mercy, and she was too tired to risk expending too much more magical energy keeping herself warm.
Discord no longer sounded the way a deflated beach ball might if it were made animate, but he seemed exhausted as well. In fact, he was silent for a good stretch of time before speaking again. By then, the mountain loomed in the distance, promising that the flight to the castle at its base would only be another fifteen minutes or so.
“Twilight?”
She started, not realizing she'd zoned out as they flew. “Y-yes, Discord?”
“Why didn’t Fluttershy forgive me?”
That certainly woke Twilight up. She turned her incredulous expression toward him and was met with genuine confusion. “Do you honestly not understand why? She told you herself. In her own words. And you left without too much of a fuss, so if you’re just trying to be contrary, I really don’t--”
With a dry, humorless laugh, Discord cut her off. “Don’t be ridiculous, Twilight Sparkle. Fluttershy very clearly wants me to leave her alone, so I’ll leave her alone. All the same, this just…” He made an exasperated sputtering noise, struggling to find the right words. “It doesn’t make any sense to me! I apologized and I meant it. She knows I meant it. What else do I have to do to make her forgive me?”
Twilight groaned and rolled her eyes. “Discord, you can’t just force others to forgive you. When you hurt them, the hurt doesn’t just go away because you tell them that you regret hurting them. Friendship isn’t a possession, a reward, or something you’re entitled to.”
“You say that like it’s common sense, and yet I remember reading a certain somepony’s diary entries about learning the nuances of friendship through experience,” Discord pouted.
“The difference,” said Twilight icily, “is that my friends and I learned from our mistakes. Fluttershy gave you more than one chance.”
“Well, she’s the Element of Kindness, for chaos’ sake!”
“Sometimes ponies need to be kind to themselves first and foremost. Especially after enduring a deeply hurtful act.”
They landed alongside one another before the castle gates. The last thing Twilight had said seemed to have had an impact on Discord, because he was muttering about it under his breath.
“Kind to herself, eh.” He scratched his chin thoughtfully. “I see. Hmm.” A scientist’s lab coat, scaled appropriately to Discord’s narrow form, appeared on him in a puff of smoke. He held a clipboard and pencil, scribbling away furiously. “Interesting, interesting.”
“Put all that away,” Twilight snapped. “You can try to figure out all the infinite facets of your wrong-doing after we talk to Celestia.”
Discord looked at her with disdain for a moment, then snapped his fingers and returned to the state nearest normal that his nonsensical form could take. “Sorry. It’s a nervous habit. Also, you know, it’s in my nature as a being of pure chaos. But hey, you’re the princess.” He curtsied melodramatically, crossed his arms peevishly, and hovered ahead of Twilight. Zipping through the front gate while facing backward so as to glare at her more effectively, he called, “Hurry it up. I want to get this over with.”
Twilight smiled apologetically at the two guards looking on with uncertainty. “Royal business,” she said curtly. “Don’t worry unless you hear screaming.”
A shriek sounded from the entrance hall, followed by self-satisfied giggling.
The little piece of sympathy Twilight had felt toward Discord promptly shriveled up and died. She hastened after her charge, looking forward to unloading him on somepony else so she could finally get some rest.
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This story hurts me... In the best of ways. Eeeeegh, I'm going to cry.
5656366 Haha! Thank goodness complimentary tissues come with every chapter.
Interesting.
I will find you. And I will slap you.
IF YOU DO NOT UPDATE!
5656591 How could I possibly say no to a double-edged, vaguely threatening comment?
5656608 Love your profile picture!
Also, what's the plot for this!? YOU HAVE TO UPDATE FASTER IF YOU DON'T WANT ME TO SLAP YOU!
5656611 Thanks!
Gosh, just when I was toying with the idea of changing it, you gotta say these nice words at it.
The plot for this is totally being built up in dramatic fashion and if it doesn't pay off by the end of chapter three, you get your money back. I'll force any tears you feel were wasted back into your eyes, too, but for a small service fee.
5656631 Just please update!
5656591
Here, have a clue: it is rude to threaten to slap people, even if it's a joke intended to convey that you like their story. As a writer, I do not feel good when someone threatens to hurt me if I don't update; I feel angry. I am not the only one; there is an entire community of fans who rant about things that make them mad about fanfic, and comments that threaten violence to an author and demand updates are something that get complained about like once a month or so (along with passive aggressive behavior from authors like "Review or I won't update!") So how about, if you actually like the story, show some respect to the author and don't be an asshat?
I like the fact that even though Discord came to apologize, he is still being a vaguely threatening, overbearing ass. A lot of stories which do this kind of "Discord wants forgiveness" plot have him acting really hangdog and guilty, but I feel like that's not him; if he was feeling bad, he might clown even harder to try to distract himself from how bad he feels. I think he could come to a point where he was visibly upset, but that a story would need to show how he gets there, not just drop him into the story already like that and never show how it happened.
This is good; I'm looking forward to future chapters.
5656662 ...
I am an asshat? Your point?
Mwahahaha! It's all in good fun though! But honestly, this story is quite capable of becoming something great with feeling. There are a myriad of ways he or she could take this, and hell am I interested in the direction he or she is going to take us!
That was... intense. Yep, that´s the term I would use to describe it. Fluttershy confronting Discord was actually pretty cool, an event that you carried out completely in character. Discord´s ingenuousness is pretty plausible as well. I didn´t really like seeing Twilight being able to overpower Discord with magic, since... well, that´s basically against what the canon has stated in power principle, but that opinion is quite biased as well, since Discord is my favorite character. But I think it would have been more powerful had it been Fluttershy who made him quiet just telling him to or so. Anyway, good chapter, and I´ll keep following this story.
Yes, Discord is really in character because he have no idea how to really be sorry about something he doesn't fully understand. He never had a friend for eons. Ponioes kind of a look like asshats, tho. They are basically expect a creature who was a mad tyrant for decades and a prisoner for thousands of years to suddenly respect the values of friendship. Especially when no one except Fluttershy offered it to him. He should betray them 5 times and they should still be understandable toward his case. They expect too much from him. He never had anyone telling him how to act after all.
5656732 Thank you so much for reviewing both chapters separately, that's actually very useful! I don't want to spoil anything, but there is a reason for all of the information referred to that might seem extraneous at the moment. Hopefully later chapters will satisfy any loose ends you're seeing at the moment.
5656674 Aaah, I'm so glad you appreciate Discord being an insensitive jerk. That was my exact line of thinking; if he had to deal with someone else's emotions, he'd try to play it off like it was a joke until he had no choice but to take the situation seriously. I'm really glad that came across well.
Thanks for the thoughtful response!
5656931 Yes! I totally agree. To be honest, if we were to look at the way Discord was socialized from a psychological perspective, the way the ponies treat him (with suspicion and distrust) is counterproductive toward teaching him how to have healthy friendships that don't result in ponies getting betrayed all the damn time. I could write a whole separate fic where Discord goes through counseling instead of wild and crazy adventures, but that wouldn't be nearly as interesting.
This is very good. Characters are spot-on and the story looks promising. Take all the time you need, real life comes first.
To those who want updates faster than every 3 days, they should have a look at stories who haven't moved for years.
5660547 Thank you very much! Real life always takes priority, don't you worry. I'm a tough dude to guilt when it comes to stuff like this.
I do appreciate the encouragement and reassurance, though.
Good story so far. I'm interested to see where this goes. Also, I noticed one mistake you may wish to correct. Nothing to big, but I think it hould be "one" rather than "once".
Great story, and I really love Fluttershy's rejoinder. That said, I'm a little confused about Twilight's actions. Discord is a lot more powerful than any alicorn, even Twilight. I imagine she could whip up a ward on Fluttershy's house that he couldn't break without at least alerting Twilight, but there's no way she could turn him to stone on her own, alicorn or not. Unless you think that the rainbow power the Mane 6 used on Tirek is repeatable and can be sued to petrify Discord like the Elements of Harmony did?
5663320 I'm glad you like the story so far! And thanks for pointing out the grammar thing, I fixed it.
5664319 Thank you. Finding a balance for Fluttershy's personality has been a bit of work for me, but it's reassuring to hear that you think I'm doing okay so far.
As for Twilight's comment... maybe it'll be relevant later?
5664594 Well now I'm intrigued.
Doesn't work.
She got the key, twilight fundamentally has to view discord as a true friend, totally and completely. Else no way she could beat Tirek.
Discord- Hey girls! i bookmarked the relevant chapters of your friendship book on the keys to beat tirek.
Friends- *Ignore*
Discord- Fuck it, i'ma join tirek.
5664981 What part doesn't work because of that? I'm not asking to be a smartass, I really want to know so if I actually am drastically changing canon, I can slap an AU tag on it.
My logic in calling this true-enough-to-canon-that-no-AU-tag-is-necessary is that in this story, I make a point of saying that the other ponies forgive Discord. This isn't a story about how Fluttershy and Discord hate each other forever, it's about the process of repairing a friendship after a great betrayal (spoiler just in case)... Additionally, Discord is genuinely sorry and Twilight, in canon and in my story, realizes that; she's able to look past his betrayal because she was never as emotionally invested in her friendship with Discord as Fluttershy is/was. Her mission in looking for Discord wasn't to catch him and lock him up, it was to bring him back to Canterlot... I had hoped it would be apparent that that meant he was still considered an ally, if a volatile and untrustworthy one.
Which is related to your final comment: Exactly. Being treated as untrustworthy and disrespected (cough Applejack cough) isn't going to get you the best results. Fluttershy was the only one who "really didn't" expect the betrayal in pt. 2 of the finale.
5665684
Simplest answer, fluttershy's entire response to the betrayal after the fact was "You aren't quite there yet" regarding discord and a throne to which discord agreed.
Then forgiveness is not given.
You forgive and you move on.
She is now. Her element is the magic. His betrayal was her trial, that she would find his that friendship beautiful, wonderful, magical in the face of ultimate betrayal.
Of course The Rainbow clearly knew in advance what was going to happen so it's not like it was taking a risk or anything, just ensuring they were worthy, giving them the subtlest push.
You had him state rather explicitly he considers it such.
5665849
Hmm. Maybe I'll alter the long summary for this story clarifying that this is a hypothetical and non-canon extrapolation from a psychological point I find interesting so as not to confuse anyone else about what sort of story this is.
You're treating this like a black-and-white sort of paradigm, which it isn't. People don't just decide to let things go and then bam, forgiveness happens. It requires reconciliation of hurt, which can either be a very simple process or a drawn-out and troubling one, depending on the situation. If the hurt is severe enough, even if the two can "move on," there will be lasting damage (emotional trauma is a thing). This sounds to me more like your subjective opinion of how forgiveness "should" work.
I don't see how my story contradicts that point. See above response if you're unsure.
Yes, and..? I thought your point was that Twilight's view of the friendship was the one you took issue with?
5665849 I appreciate that you took the time to read and respond to my story, and I'm sorry that it doesn't work for you, but I'd prefer not to continue going back and forth about it. It seems I will just end up repeating the same points if this continues. I don't agree that the story doesn't work, and I'm not going to stop writing it, so... sorry you feel that way!
5665925
I don't expect you too, if it doesn't work then it doesn't work for me. Others will have other opinions.
5665894
It is also how i treat it.
Dude, you keep writing, I see no issue with the story. There are people who can't accept a story when it doesn't match their beliefs, I have probably been that person before. This time however IMHO, write it, finish it, let us see what you had in mind, where are you taking these characters. I, for one, am curious to know.
I thought this to be a very enjoyable story. Very well done, and characters seem very in character with themselves and have adapted/expanded very well and true to nature. I have been in a similar situation before, but I was Discord in this case.
It's a pretty haunting pain.
This is really good. Keep it up!
I don’t know about y’all, but twilight wouldn’t be talking to me like that. Also, is this gonna continue?