//------------------------------//
// 1. Auspicious/Inauspicious 
// Story: Mutual/Unmutual 
// by Cluttermane 
//------------------------------//

Spring Scholar, a mild mannered pony researcher, stood at the steps of Fluttershy's house. He was excited to speak to her, the foremost expert on animal behavior in all of Equestria. Knocking softly, but not too softly, he was finally rewarded with a response. Fluttershy herself opened the door.

"Hi... how can I help you... sir?" She had said, with the softness of fall.

"I... I'm Spring Scholar. I came here to ask... well, interview you. About animals. I'm... I do research on them. Animals, I mean. And that's why... you... I wanted to ask..." he stammered.

She looked nervous, which was reciprocated silently by Spring. Even her rejection sounded melodious.

"I'm afraid I can't..." she said before a louder, less inhibited voice spoke from behind.

"She's with me, mister. We are doing important work. No doubt beyond your caliber, Mr... Spring, is it? Why don't you get Sprung. We're busy." He said in what could only be called the epitome of smugness. It was Discord. If Spring had any reservations before, they were increased tenfold. He could have walked away, but of course, he froze.

"Not much of a talker, is he? Well, he would make a great lawn ornament. That look of frozen horror would be the perfect thing to add to the decor, don't you think?"

Fluttershy spoke out, as she often did with her erstwhile friend's ersatz caprice.

"You will do no such thing! This is our guest. Our talk can wait." she said, giving the embodiment of chaos a mid-level stern look. Discord, to his credit, looked sheepish.

"Did I say lawn ornament? I meant 'lets invite him in and talk to him'. The two sound similar, so I'll forgive you for making the mistake. Come in, come IN, my friend. You are always welcome at chez Fluttershy." Without warning, Spring was shunted into the house by an unseen force, and catapulted into a chair. He was dizzy for a moment before recovering. He had imagined being there roughly a dozen times by the noon of each day, but he was unprepared for the quaintness of it. It was eternally endearing; with animals at every glance, and decorations that made this look like a home. Like her home. He barely had time to swoon before he was smacked back into reality by the lovely vision that stepped before him.

"Are you OK? I'm Fluttershy, but you probably already knew that. I've never been interviewed before. I'm sorry for the state of the house." She spoke and apologized with equal candor, fussing about things here or there before finally coming back to speak to her guest.

"I'm quite alright. I... just had a few questions. And your home looks lovely." he managed to say while somehow retaining his composure. He continued, "You have been my inspiration. Your affinity with animals is miraculous. I too love animals, but they all seem to flee from me. I want to be your student. I want to learn how you earned their trust." 

She was taken aback, and responded with a confidence that undermined his expectations.

"I don't earn their trust. They trust me because of who I am. It has to come from you." she pointed directly at Spring to punctuate her words.

"But I can't teach that. You have to have a pure heart. If they flee from you..." she stopped herself. Of course she knew what it was like, but now was not the time to recount that incident.

"You can't want them to come. They must want it all on their own. They have to feel that you are serene. I'm very sorry, but I'm no teacher." She said with lament in her voice.

"But you should really go. I can't really help you, but maybe you can find someone who can. I hear that meditation is helpful." she offered. Spring was crestfallen, but he hardly had time to respond before Discord snapped his fingers and shunted the colt out of the home in an instant. The chaos creature then poked his head out the window, grinning and waving.

"Don't forget to write, young man. Sorry you aren't pure of heart. Maybe I'll give you some pointers some day on being exceptionally pure. Tata!" The chaos being spat the words out in a way that seemed pointedly insulting. 

Spring Scholar barely had time to process what had just happened, and simply sat in the dirt, considering what Fluttershy had said.

After many long minutes, he dragged his hooves as he left, with a depression that dwarfed his earlier anxiety. What more did he have to look forward to now?


***Later***

"I feel bad, but the poor man was confused. I've been through this before..." Fluttershy opined to her confidant, Discord.

"Oh?" Discord said lazily, half listening and half irritated at the very obnoxious interlopes that was looking at HIS Fluttershy in such a way and... _his_ Fluttershy? 'What made me think that?' he thought to himself.

"I feel very very bad. I'm not cut out to be a mentor. Not in that way. I like being a role model but... teaching things about nature is beyond me. I've tried to impart it to others, but it never works. And here everyone thinks I'm an expert, when it is all so intuitive. It frustrates me to no end. Do you know what I mean? Discord? Are you listening to me??" She displayed a soft irritation at her distracted friend. To her surprise, he went from mild disinterest to chatty in no time flat.

"Hmm? Oh yes, unwanted attention. Yes, I get that all the time. You should see how Celestia just glares at me. I'm only actually guilty about half the time, but the way she gets mad, you'd think it was 100%. Oh wait, you're not talking about making people mad on purpose. You know... I feel like I used to have admirers all the time. But that was so long ago..." Suddenly, Discord stopped his diatribe. For a moment, Discord looked wistful. 

This took Fluttershy by surprise. It was hard to find Discord in a mood other than bored or capricious. She quietly admired him for a fleeting moment before he broke the silence.

"Now everyone just watches me and waits for something random to happen." As he finished his sentence, his eyes exploded into confetti, before popping back into his sockets. "I tell you, putting on a 24 hour show can be exhausting." He finished his statement with a smile that informed Fluttershy that he was in fact trying to impress her in his sophomoric way. She sighed.

"What's the matter FS, did that rude colt get you down?" Discord was quick to shift the blame.

"No, it's just that... never mind. I think he meant well. I just hate to think of his disappointment. I'm not someone to be put on a pedestal. He can be great on his own." Fluttershy took a deep breath, hoping to put the unpleasantness behind her.

But her words unsettled Discord. Why did she have to keep talking about that colt? Did she entertain the idea of being involved with THAT pony? The very idea!

"Whatever toots. I've got to get to some important business. You gonna be OK by yourself? Yes? Fabulous. Don't wait up."

Before she could speak, he was already gone in a wink and a pop. She knew that he was upset, which made her nervous. It was so hard to read Discord, and he exhausted her,  but she genuinely enjoyed his company. More so, she worried about him. He didn't normally leave like that. Not unless he was mad about something, and it was rarely easy to discern what that 'something' is.

Fluttershy resolved to speak to her animals to help calm her nerves.

***Meanwhile***

Spring wandered aimlessly, devastated by his apparent rejection by his hero and his inspiration. The waves of humility made him realize how foolish he'd been. In the harsh light of reason, he reeled at the audacity of his actions. How dare he? He was inconsolable as he tried to reconcile his foolish thoughts. And yet, he continued to wander, going further and further into the Everfree forest without care or concern.

He bumped into a tree before long, the impact waking him from his unfortunate reverie. He wondered where he was, before realizing that he didn't care.

But he did care. Suddenly, he realized that he was in danger. He had been walking for nearly an hour, and nothing looked familiar. He knew that the Everfree Forest was close, and he knew that it meant danger. He was not confident enough to navigate out of it. He was stuck, and the sun was going down.

He grew weak with worry, and his sight began to blur, and just like that, he passed out.

***Later still***

He woke, but was still groggy. It was dark. He could barely make out any shapes. But he did hear a familiar and rude voice. Discord was speaking to someone. A someone that hissed. Who was it?
Before long, Discord blinked out of existence, and the hissing shape came closer. Spring's vision returned to normal, but the darkness of night made it difficult to focus. It was not too hard to see who the hissing shape was, as it came close, bowed its head to meet with Spring's, and smiled a fanged smile.

"You belong to me now. Isn't that grand?"

It was Queen Chrysalis. As unlikely as it was, Spring had been granted the ill fortune of meeting two of the most dangerous beings in Equestria on the same day, and one was laying claim to his life. The other had probably sold him out.

"I uh..." he barely managed before she roughly nudged him.

"'I uh..' NOTHING. Get up. You serve me now, and you serve me quickly. I do not suffer layabouts." She spat. The Changeling Queen watched him impatiently as he rose.

"I... I don't belong to you. You can't control me..." Spring said unconvincingly.

"Well, do you suppose you have any hope of resisting me? You don't. And I need help. But I can either get your cooperation, or I can wring it from your lifeless corpse. I... wait... what is this?" she said in shock, before continuing.

"Your heart... it has... such a delicious feeling. You have... untapped potential." she somehow said her words while licking her lips. It was a disturbing sight.

"My heart? Potential?" Spring asked incredulously.

"Forget about that. You must come with me." she said, gesturing as though she were tugging on a leash. It must have been some kind of magic, because her felt a force tug jarringly at his neck, and he was obliged to follow.

***Back at Fluttershy's***

The scent of a cake had already filled the house. Fluttershy was busy decorating it. Almost as if planned, she felt a familiar oppressive but comforting presence behind her. He had frightened her enough times for her to grow accustomed to his game, silly as it was.

"Boo!" he said perfunctorily.

"Discord, you know that doesn't work anymore." she replied with a sigh.

"Well I COULD scare you, but that hasn't been fun in hours."

"Are you mad at me?" she said abruptly, not wanting to be drawn into whatever game he was playing at.

"I... what?" he said in genuine surprise.

"Are you mad at me?" she said again, turning from her cake to face him with a serious expression.

"I... no. Of course not. Fluttershy, we're friends. Why would I ever..." he stammered.

"You have been upset since that colt came to interview me. I'm tired of you acting this way. You do this whenever I say or do things with anyone else, and yet you and I spend so much time together. I don't know why you do this, it makes me so stressed, and I can't think right and this cake didn't turn out the way I wanted and you DON'T tell me what's wrong ever..." she stopped because she was unsure of what else to say. She also felt bad for being so effusive. Her hair fell over her face as she considered whether to say something or cry. Seeing this really shook Discord, though he did not show it.

"Fluttershy... I'm... no. No I'm not mad. Except at that pint sized weirdo. I mean, he's probably off getting into some kind of trouble. Don't let it bother you further. I came to say I'm sorry. And from the looks of it, you were baking me a cake." His confidence was irritating, but he was right.

"It is for you. I wanted to make sure to help you feel better. But we have to talk." She punctuated her statement by slapping his hand before it touched the cake.

"Talk about what? I just want to celebrate us being friends over cake and tea. You still like cake and tea, right?" he said evasively. He was exceptionally good at that.

"That's not the point. Why do you act so possessive around me? I feel caged in. You don't own me. I'm not some trophy for you to claim. I can't be shut in by you." few people saw Fluttershy cry in a way that didn't involve fear or anxiety, but these tears were of anguish. Discord had seen tears like this on a few occasions. In a rare moment of empathy, he was speechless. He had never truly contemplated his actions, especially as they affected others. This was difficult for a being as mercurial as him. But if anyone could cause him to reflect, it was Fluttershy.

"You really feel that way?" he said after a lot of thought.

"What way?" she asked meekly.

"Like I fence you in? Keep you to myself?" he clarified.

"I... well, no... just when  you... get jealous and..." her words came out jiltingly. The tears, however, were flowing freely.

"My precious friend, I'm a being of chaos. And yet, the only constant in my life is you." he couldn't believe the words he was speaking, though he wanted to with all of his empathetic might.

"What do you mean by that?" she wondered.

"Don't fret, mon ami. I'm only just understanding it myself. If it makes you feel any better, plan a party. Invite the girls. And even Spike. I'll hang out, chat it up, and let you be yourself. How does that sound?"

"Really?" she smiles through tears. 

Something continued to stir within Discord. It was hard to identify through all the years of petrification and cynicism.

"Really. You aren't mine. That's absurd! We're friends. It's time I began treating you like one. I think I forget myself sometimes."

"Discord I...." she was all twisted up inside. The way he was acting... it was new. But she could tell that it was genuine... or maybe she inwardly hoped.

"Yes?" He said through a sideways glance.

"Nothing. I'll invite the girls."

Discord stood for a second, contemplating. It was unlike him to ponder at all, but he pondered her words and expression all the same. However, he wasn't very good at reading emotions yet. Especially ones that he hadn't experienced for so long.


***Back in the forest***
As he was being forced to march through the forest, Spring thought of his family. Of his brother, and the nature reserve that they both dreamed of starting. He had spent many bits to go to school and learn how to tend to animals, but not how to act around them. That was something that no book could teach. And no pony, as it turned out. He had, perhaps, picked a doomed path, perhaps even literally speaking. He was, at present, being led by a mystic leash by the most dangerous woman in the world. She claimed to own him, though he did not know for what purpose. He only wanted to help animals, and yet here he was.

Spring remembered getting his mark of destiny. He was watching a young mare about his age sing. It warmed his heart to see her so at peace that it he wanted to learn everything there was about animals, eventually going to school to learn more than nearly anyone else. And yet it felt empty. Books and pictures are no substitute for nature.

The irony then was that he was here, in the very heart of nature, and instead of enriching his soul, he was a slave to this creature. It was enough to make him angry. He tugged again at the leash after hours of complacent marching. Chrysalis turned and seethed. She circled the poor colt and hissed.

"You are brave. Do you wish to court death? I don't think you understand how much pain there is between you and oblivion. If you did, you'd follow me without another tug." He lost the will to fight, seeing her up close. She was not a disgusting creature, but she was fierce. The click of her exoskeleton, the glow of her eyes, the glistening of her fangs, and the caress of her sharp horn.

"No, mistress." he said despite himself. He had worked up the courage to fight back, but she tore it from him as she had apparently torn his freedom; effortlessly and ruthlessly, it was hers unquestionably.

She merely snorted, pleased with her victory. "Remember your place, fool." she extorted before tugging at his leash purposefully. Before long, they were back on the trail, at the same torturous pace as before.

***To Be Continued***