One Big Awkward Family

by PropMaster


Distance

In a flash of light, Discord and Fluttershy appeared on a massive, icy valley. Huge craters in the ice surrounded them, a few filled with water. A blizzard blew far overhead, over the top of the valley, and snow fell in little flurries from the upper atmosphere. Nearby were a team of ponies: Shining Armor, Flash Sentry, Zecora, Spitfire, and Big Macintosh, all heatedly discussing something. Discord blinked, glancing around awkwardly. "Hm. Nope, wrong story." He snapped his fingers before they were noticed and ruined the mood.

Discord and Fluttershy appeared on a snowy mountainside, surrounded by low scrub brush. They overlooked the Crystal Empire, several miles distant on the flat tundra that stretched out endlessly from the base of the icy mountains. Fluttershy gasped, eyes wide, and Discord smiled to himself. She looked up at him after a moment, smiling. "This is beautiful."

Discord smiled. "Well, almost beautiful. There's something missing... perhaps a little 'Winter Wrap Up' can really make this mountainside pop!"

With a snap of his fingers, the area immediately around them cleared of snow. The grass sprang up, green and lively, the bushes and scrub around them burst into colorful bloom, and the temperature rose a few degrees. Discord smiled and flopped into the grass. "There we go. And you ponies work so hard to clear the snow. Honestly, it isn't even hard."

Fluttershy laughed, delighted, and sat down next to Discord. A brisk breeze blew up from the tundra below, and Fluttershy opened her wings as it hit their area. Her feathers caught the breeze and splayed out in a brilliant display, and she sighed happily. Discord stared at her wings, absently picking blades of grass and tying them into intricate knots. He began subtly flicking them at Fluttershy's open wings, bouncing them off her primaries and making the feather tips twitch in response to the tiny taps. Fluttershy shot him a dirty look over her shoulder. "Must you?"

"I must," Discord said with a smirk, tying another knot of grass and flicking it so it landed on the tip of her muzzle.

Fluttershy went cross eyed, staring at the knotted grass, and then plucked it from her nose with one hoof, turning away from Discord. He chuckled under his breath and then stood up. "This isn't all."

"No?" Fluttershy asked, turning to look at him, "Isn't it enough?"

Discord paused, looking around slowly. This place was idyllic, perfectly quiet. His little bizarre patch of spring stood out like a sore green thumb on the face of the snowy mountain, certainly, but it was far from true chaos. Just... minor mischief, at best. Discord grinned. "For you, Fluttershy? Maybe. But for me? Not even remotely!"

He cupped his hands around his mouth and let out a loud, bleating cry. Fluttershy raised one eyebrow. "What's that? Your best moose impression?"

Discord held up one clawed finger, gesturing for silence. "Close." He made the call again.

From somewhere nearby, a similar call answered. Within a few moments, a tiny herd of fluffy, pastel sheep approached. Fluttershy gasped. "Crystal ewes!"

"Gezundheit," Discord quipped, and accepted the teasing shove that Fluttershy gave in reply to his bad joke.

The extra-fluffy, puffy sheep arrived at the little patch of grass, grazing on the bushes and grass, approaching Fluttershy and Discord with mild curiosity. Fluttershy giggled. "Well, hello there, little friends. Oh, you're so fwoofy and adorable! They're amazing, Discord!"

Within moments, Fluttershy had the whole herd gathered around her. She'd found the sugar cubes that Discord had hidden in her coat pockets, and was laughing delightedly as the Crystal sheep nuzzled her affectionately and leapt over each other with excitement at the offered treats. Discord strolled a few feet away and watched the Crystal Empire below him, smiling as happy laughter and bleats filled the air. "Now it's enough," Discord said to himself.