It was the middle of summer when it happened. The day showed such promise, with a crisp, cloudless sky, and a warm, gentle breeze blowing by. No one thought that anything bad could happen on such an idyllic summer's day, however, they were sadly wrong. For on this day, in a humble little cottage just outside of Ponyville, an old mare was quickly nearing the end of her life. Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness, Reformer of Discord, and friend all animals, was resting quietly in her bed. She carefully turned her head toward the nearby window and gazed out at last she was sure she'd see of her lovely backyard and garden. She couldn't help but smile a little to herself, thinking of the long, rich life she had lead, and how happy it had made her. However, before she moved on, there was one last thing she needed to take care of. Lifting up her weak old arm, Fluttershy reached for a silver bell that sat upon her bedside table and gave it a little ring, and in a flash, Discord appeared before her.
"You rang for me, my dear?' he asked politely. He had given her the bell a not too long ago, so that Fluttershy would always be able to summon him if ever she was in need.
She smiled up at him sweetly. "Yes, Discord, there's something that I'd like to talk to you about."
"Anything, Fluttershy." Discord conjured up a plush armchair and sat close to Fluttershy's bedside, giving her his full, rapt attention.
"Do you remember that time when Princess Celestia asked me to reform you?"
"How could I forget." chuckled Discord to himself, recalling the memory.
"I'll admit, I was a little unsure at first about it, and about whether or not we'd actually become friends, but now, now that I'm glad that I did agree to it." She laid a hoof on Discord's paw. "You've been a very dear friend to me since then, and I can't imagine what my life would've been without you around."
Discord waved his talon dismissively. "Oh please, there's no need for such flattery, my dear. Though, I suppose I can say the very same thing about you."
Fluttershy gave him a sad sort of smile. "I know,which is why I want you to promise me something, a promise between friends."
"Just name it, my dear."
"When I'm gone, I need you to promise me that you won't try to bring me back, and that you won't revert back to your old ways." she said.
There was a long, awkward pause, as Discord just sat and stared at Fluttershy, until finally he replied, "Y-you won't have to worry about that, Fluttershy. You still have a long time before that happens."
Fluttershy let out a sigh. She knew that this would happen, how Discord would try to deny the truth to himself. "Discord, take a look at me, you and I both know that I have little time as it is."
Discord did look at her. Over the years her mane had faded until it was white as snow, her body became fragile, and her face wrinkled and worn from age, but her eyes, they hadn't changed in the slightest. When he looked into the teal eyes, he could still see the young, sweet Pegasus who had befriended him all those years ago. His first friend. His best friend. A friend he didn't want to lose.
"You don''t have to go." said Discord, desperation creeping into his voice. "I-I can make you well again, make you younger, then you won't ever have to go, and--"
Fluttershy quieted him down with a stern look. "Discord, you've already offered me immortality before, and just like before, I still can't and won't accept it."
"But why?! Why can't you live forever? Why can't we be friends forever?"
"That isn't how it works." she said, trying to calm him down.
"Then I'll make it work, that way, I won't have to lose you."
Fluttershy heaved a sigh. Even after all these years he was still stubborn. "I don't want to be immortal, Discord. I have lived a long life already, and for me, that's enough."
"But, but..." Discord tried to argue some more, but Fluttershy promptly shushed him.
"Discord, I love you very much, and I will always be your friend no matter what, but I can't stay with you." Discord didn't say anything, but Fluttershy could see the heartbreak in his eyes. "Ponies are meant to live and die, just like everything else in nature, and I am no exception."
"You could be." Discord said in a hoarse whisper.
Fluttershy shook her head. "No, dear, we both know it wouldn't be fair. If I were to live as you do, I'd have to watch the world go by, always changing, unable to enjoy the fleeting moments of life. Not to mention, I would miss all of my friends and family very much, and I want to be able to join them." Discord's head lowered, tears threatening to escape his eyes. Fluttershy stroked his arm in comfort. "I know this is very hard on you, but even when I'm gone, I'll always be with you and I'll always love you."
"Fluttershy..." In one of those rare instances, the Lord of Chaos was at a loss for words. "I...I will always love you too."
"When I'm gone," she continued. "I want you to keep those promises I asked of you. Do not bring me back, or go back to the Draconequus you once were. I want you to live a happy life, with all sorts of friends around you who will love and care for you."
"But none of them will be you." said Discord, moving his talon onto Fluttershy's hoof that rested on the bed.
"No, they won't be." she admitted. "But I know that you'll be able to make so many wonderful new friends. Will you accept my promises?"
Discord didn't want to answer, afraid if he did, everything would crumble away. But inside, he knew what he had to do. "Yes, I promise that I will never try to bring you back, or that I'll return to my old ways."
Fluttershy laid back in her bed, a warm, peaceful smile on her face. "Thank you." she said. It was then at that moment that a sharp, stabbing pain slashed through Fluttershy's heart. She let out a gasp.
"Fluttershy? What's wrong?" he asked asked, sounding alarmed.
"It's time." gasped Fluttershy.
"Time? No! You can't go! Not yet! Not now!"
Fluttershy felt her heart clench in her chest as she held on a little longer. She lifted her head up a little toward Discord and gave him a little kiss on the cheek. "Goodbye, Discord, I'll be watching over you, always."
Discord felt time slow down around him, as he watched Fluttershy fall back onto the bed, the life slowly fading from her eyes. "Fluttershy, I'll never forget you."
With one last loving smile, Fluttershy closed her eyes and became motionless. She had left the world, at peace and full of content.
The funeral for Fluttershy was said to have been an interesting one, as the majority of the mourners that attended this sad day were the animals of the forest. Those who had been cared for by Fluttershy, or who were descended from them, gathered there to pay their respects. Discord didn't say a word, and even when he did speak at Fluttershy's coffin before it was lowered into the ground, it was in a barely audible whisper. He stayed behind, even hours after the funeral had ended, staring that the new grave sight, lost in thought. A set of hooves carefully approached him from behind. Discord lifted his head up, but didn't bother to turn around.
"I was wondering if you'd be checking on me." he said in a serious, almost bitter tone. "Come to give me a little speech about moving on, Princess?"
Twilight Sparkle stood there for a moment before replying. "No, I just came to let you know that Fluttershy left her cottage to you."
Discord snorted. "Oh please, tell me why you're really here Sparkle."
""Alright then, I came to also let you know that if you ever need somepony to talk to, my door's always open." she said.
"Thanks, but no thanks. I can manage things quite fine on my own."
Twilight sighed. She'd pretty much gotten used to Discord messing with her and teasing her, but in the later years, he had become somewhat bitter toward her, and she was pretty sure she knew why. "You wish that I hadn't been made a princess, don't you?"
Discord slowly glanced over at her. "It had crossed my mind." he admitted. "Not that it really matters now anymore."
"Still, you wish Fluttershy had been offered the same gift, right?" She could see Discord's body tensing at her words.
"What do want me to say?" he asked. "Yes, I wish that Fluttershy had been a princess and not you? That she had accepted my offer of immortality? That she didn't have to leave me behind?"
"Yes." Her answer seemed to take Discord off guard. "I want you to talk about what's troubling you, so you don't shut yourself out from anypony else." Twilight lowered her head, a sad expression on her face. "I know how it feels to lose those that are close to you, so do Princess Celestia, Luna, and Cadence. We all understand what you're going through, and want to try and help you."
Discord spun around, giving her a venomous glare. "You have no idea what you're talking about, Twilight Sparkle." His voice cold and threatening. "You can't possibly understand how I feel. None of you had what we had!"
Twilight flinched a little, but did her best to remain calm and rational toward him. "You're not the only one who misses her, you know. Don't act like you didn't notice. All those ponies and animals that were here today came for her, all of them cared about her." She could see Discord's tense stance easing up a bit. "I may not know exactly how you feel, Discord, but I do know that you need to try to cope with this so you can move on."
There was no reply from Discord, as he silently returned his gaze to the grave. Finally, he said, "You said that you know how it feels how to lose those that are close to you, how do you cope?"
After giving it some careful thought, she replied, "Well, one way I try to cope is by talking to others around me about how I feel, like the families of those who are gone. Talking to them and helping them learn to grieve allows you to connect with them, and to also learn about a new side of your old friend that you never knew from the old memories and experiences they once had."
Discord scoffed a little. "I knew you'd be giving me a sappy speech eventually." Twilight gave him an annoyed look. "But...what you said...might be worth trying." He stood back up onto his feet, before teleporting away, he said to Twilight, "Thank You." Flash!
A few decades rolled by in the blink of an eye, it was once again midsummer as Discord busied himself with cleaning out Fluttershy's cottage. Even though much time had passed, the cottage had remained the same as it always had been. For Discord, it was like a memorial of sorts, to the marvelous mare that he had the privilege of getting to know, and every year from Spring to Fall, he would visit the little abode to reminisce of all the wonderful times that were spent there. They were bittersweet memories, as the thought of them made him feel a twinge of sadness over not being able to experience them once more. However, he gradually learned over the years to accept this sadness and this reality.
Twilight Sparkle's advice to him had actually been helpful and useful for once. After thinking over the advice given, Discord had paid a visit to the members of Fluttershy's family on her brother's side. While they weren't Fluttershy, he did feel that by talking and interacting with them, he felt almost as if she were still there with them. And with each new generation, Discord would visit the descendants of Zephyr Breeze's family, sometimes to hang out with or to tell them all about Fluttershy and the wonderful things she had done in her life.
Just as Discord was dusting the mantle piece, a letter popped up from thin air. He opened it up to see that it had come from none other than Twilight herself, and began to read over it.
Dear Discord,
I hear you've been doing well. I've sent this letter to tell you that a new pony has moved into Ponyville, and I was wondering if you could give her a tour of the town for me. I've sent her to the cottage and she should be arriving there shortly. Your friend, Twilight Sparkle.
P.s. I have a feeling that the two of you might get along nicely together.
Discord snorted. Oh please. He thought to himself. Now and then, Twilight would try to send somepony over to him, in the hopes of getting him to open up and make other friends. And while he appreciated some of the attempts, he felt that all her efforts really weren't necessary. Still, it had been a while since he had anypony over to startle or amuse.
A knock sounded on the door. "Coming!" called Discord. With a flick of the wrist, the door flung open, causing the pony on the other side to let out a squeal in surprise. "Welcome, I am Discord, how can I--" Discord faltered as he got a look at the pony standing on the welcome mat. She was an earth pony with a pale yellow coat, a short pink mane, and a cutie mark of three pink tulips.
"H-hello, mister Discord." the mare said shyly. "My name's Posey, um, I was sent here by Princess Twilight who said that you would give me a tour of the town.That is, unless you're too busy to do so, in which, I completely understand."
Discord said nothing as he stared at the pony. He looked into her eyes, and though they were a dark emerald, he could recognize them immediately. "Fluttershy..." he uttered softly under his breath.
Posey tilted her head in confusion. "Hmm?"
"Oh, er, nothing." said Discord, starting to recover. "I would be more than happy to escort you around our humble little town, ...Posey."
She smiled a sweet, grateful smile. "Oh, thank you so much, mister Discord."
"Please, simply Discord will do." he said, smiling warmly at her. Now then, let's head out together, shall we?" He then led her down the walkway and toward the town. "Why don't you tell me a little about yourself."
Posey glanced over at the Draconequus, usually she felt awkward and uncomfortable talking about herself, but for some reason, she felt a little at ease around him. So she smiled and replied, "Okay." And thus, the two chatted together along the old road into town, and if you were to see them together, you might've mistaken them for old friends.