//------------------------------// // Listen to your Heart // Story: The Element of Kindness // by BlueHeartTattoo //------------------------------// Everything was dark. Fluttershy stood there, turning her head at every direction she could find but all she sees is darkness. “Hello?” she weakly cried out, “Is anypony there?” All she can hear were the echoes of her own voice, but nothing calling her back. “Anypony, please, I don’t know where I am!” she cried out louder this time. Then she heard a dark chuckle coming behind her. Fluttershy recognized that voice and gasped in fear. She turned her head to see the shadowy figure of her mother. “There you are, Nameless,” Chrysalis said in a mockingly sense of motherly love, “I’ve been looking for you. I was so worried.” “My name isn’t Nameless anymore!” Fluttershy stated with her voice weakened with fright. “That may be true, but you’re still Nameless to me. You’re still Nameless to all of us.” Then green flames burst from the ground and its lights illuminate Chrysalis much more threatening presence now as it did to the army of changelings that were hovered behind her. Fluttershy stared at her whole family with horror. “Come home with us, my dear,” Chrysalis pleaded, holding her hooves out in a waiting gesture of a hug, “And we promise you that you’ll be at peace.” Chrysalis drew the last word in a hiss, her eyes bearing an eerie glow as she stared at her daughter. Fluttershy wanted to run from her mother, but her body didn’t budge; she was scared to move at all! Suddenly there was another voice calling out her name; one that was familiar and sincere, “Fluttershy!” “Discord?” Fluttershy uttered as she turned the other way and saw his figure in the shadows running towards her. He stopped only a few feet from her and it came to her attention that he is standing on a cliff. “Fluttershy! Come here; I’ll keep you safe!” Discord cried out, reaching his paw out for her. She almost step toward before she is reminded of the last time she saw him. She uttered quietly, “You hurt me.” “That doesn’t matter now; just come here!” He still holds out his hand to her. “And I hurt you back,” her eyes started to well up with tears. As right on cue, her chest started glowing though she could barely notice. She bowed down her head in shame as she struggles to hold the tears back. “How will I know that you aren’t lying to me? How will I trust you again after all this?” Then he spoke to her gently and his figure suddenly lit up in a warm glow, “How come you were upset that you attacked me? Or better yet, why are you still dreaming about me?” She lifted her back at him. She couldn’t find the words to talk or find the reason why. Suddenly, spikes of stones strung up from the ground in front of Fluttershy. She jumped back in fear and saw Discord returning to the shadows as he called out her name in alarm, “Fluttershy!” Even more grew into a thorn-like wall, blocking her way to Discord. Fluttershy turned to see her mother and the changelings laughing manically as they star down at her. “Are you serious going to believe that?” One changeling shouted. “You know very well why you shouldn’t forgive him,” another spoke out. “And why you shouldn’t forgive yourself,” and then another one. They started to close in onto her as the spikes now encircled around her. They then grew taller and the changelings had advanced in size while they started down at her with a wicked smile. She felt so small, figuratively and literally. The wicked laughter of the changelings and the sound of Discord calling her name in distress were deafening to her ears and shrink down and close her eyes, hoping that they’ll go away. Then there came a sudden boom from her chest and the sky that started shined in a golden blast. The screams from both the changelings and Discord was the last thing she heard. She let out a scream, hastily sitting up awake in her bed. She slowly realizes that she was back in her own room. It was all a dream, she thought to herself, gasping for air when she tried to steady her heartbeat, it felt so real. She nearly jumped at the sound of a knock before the trap door was opened by Apple Bloom, “Are you alright? We heard you scream.” Fluttershy replied hesitantly, “Uh, yes. Yes, I’m fine. I just had a… a bad dream.” “Oh,” Apple Bloom replied, “Hey, I know this is a little early; but the girls and I are planning to have breakfast at Ponyville. You can join us if you want.” The thought of food and going outside made Fluttershy squirm, “Thank you, but I don’t feel like it right now.” “Are you sure? You hardly ate anything last night. And you haven’t left the room since….” Fluttershy can feel from her uncomfortable pause that she didn’t want to mention yesterday. “It’s okay, I’ll be fine.” Then an awkward silence overtook them before Apple Bloom sighed in defeat, “Okay. We’ll see you then.” Hoofsteps were heard as Apple Bloom walked down the stairs, Leaving Fluttershy alone in complete silence. She stayed silent as she sat on the bed for what felt like eternity. After what felt like a long time has passed and when she noticed that the girls had left for Ponyville, she slowly walked out of the bedroom and down the stairs to the main area. Everything was so still and so quiet that the only sounds were made were the wind and the rustle of the tree.She caught something at the corner of her eye and glanced to see the shelves where she kept all her books. She went to have a better look at it and then she pulled out of her animals book; this one focuses on the aquatic mammals and the sea life. As she stares at the cover, she thought about the time where Discord taught her to read, which inspired her to develop her gift of communicating with animals. Then she thought back to the times where things were good. She remembered the words that he would always say to make her feel better. She remembered the tight but gentle embrace of his mismatched arms and how it made her safe and warm. She remembered the soft, kind eyes that would’ve the power to frighten those in his presence. It was all back when he was the funniest, dorkiest, gentle and compassionate creature she had ever met. Discord had changed her more than she could ever imagine—but now she felt nothing but an empty shell with only a broken heart. She was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a small screech. She turned to see Octavius the carnivorous plant, whimpering as if he was concerned about his master. She had nearly forgotten about him being there and seeing him reminded her of the first time that she met him. Feeling sorry for the plant, she come up to the windowsill and softly petted him, to which he purred at the touch. It almost seems wrong to be near something that Discord that created, but she knew that it was unfair. It wasn’t Octavius’ fault and it wouldn’t feel right to throw out any reminders of him at all. She doesn’t think she would forget him if she tried. A few birds chirped by the window, having heard of the news that occurred yesterday. They tweeted in a concern tone as they pointed out that her face is covered in tears. Since when has she’s been crying? Wiping away the tears that might’ve streaked, she responded back to her friends, “It’s okay, I’m fine. I just need a little time for myself, that’s all. You don’t need to worry about me.” The birds chirped in protest, as if they were saying, we care about you and we won’t leave you alone. “I appreciate the thought, but…,” Fluttershy then sighed sadly, “I just need to be alone right now.” The birds and Octavius looked at each with concern, yet both of them decided that if that’s what she wants right now, then they would give her that but keep a close eye on her just in case. Fluttershy see the birds flew off to the treetops above the window. Before she can turn away from the windowsill, Octavius made a growling sound, signaling that he was hungry. “Okay, I’ll get you something,” Fluttershy flew up the stairs and came back down with a small plate that holds a blueberry muffin. “The girls left this for my yesterday,” she put the muffin right next to Octavius’ pot, “It was nice of them, but I wasn’t hungry.” Octavius turned between her and the muffin, hesitant to even take something that was meant for her. But when she gestured him to eat it anyway, he obliged reluctantly and goggled the whole thing into its leafy mouth. As soon as he was finished, he yawned and rested his head down to sleep. Fluttershy appreciated her small friend trying to comfort her, but still she felt alone. She stared up to the window where the sky looks like it was about to rain. She stares on each small little raindrop that falls onto the leaves. She listened to the wind that softly brushes the branches of the tree hut and the tinkling sounds of the water raining down lightly. When she closed her eyes, it was almost like she was listening to music; a symphony that reflects somewhat on her own; the sense of loneliness, the nerve-wrecking vulnerability and the melancholic regrets. And all the while she was feeling her need of light, the feeling of longing so familiar but so far from her reach. She was trapped within her own storm and she doesn’t think that she’ll ever come out of it. Knock-knock-knock Fluttershy jumped at the sound of the door knocking. She wasn’t sure if it was real or just a figment of her imagination. But when it knocked again, she quickly rushes over and opened to see the hooded and exhausted Zecora. “Zecora?” Fluttershy uttered surprised, “Are you alright?” “I am quite alright, my dear,” Zecora panted, “I’d quite a while running to here.” “Did you just come back from Ponyville?” Fluttershy asked. “Indeed, I did,” Zecora regained her energy after the long run she had, “The whole town was bustling on their knees, and I had rush in and out in a breeze.” “Did something happen there?” Zecora stopped and think for a moment. She doesn’t want to burst out the news about Discord being captured since she had heard from the young fillies about the Discord imposter they encountered. She can tell from the events and from looking at Fluttershy that she is completely broken; and the news alone could break her even more. She need to take this slowly and resolve her spirit for her and for Discord’s sake. “I heard from the girls that you’ve been quite lonely lately,” Zecora stated, “Perhaps you can come over for tea; I just got Bayley.” “Oh, um…” Fluttershy muttered uncertainly, almost hiding herself behind the door, “I… I don’t feel doing anything right now. But thank you for the offer--” Fluttershy was about to close the door until Zecora hold the door open with her striped hoof. “All I ask at least for now is to talk,” Zecora pleaded calmly, “Sure you have some time around your clock.” Fluttershy looked at Zecora, surprised that she was willing to fight back to help her. She needed to be alone by herself but judging how Zecora pleaded her to come with her, she knew that she wouldn’t be rude enough to reject an offer again. Sighing in defeat, she lightly pushed the door wide open. Zecora stepped out of the way for her to walk through and close the door behind her. She replied shyly to the zebra, “I guess a cup of tea would be fine.” Zecora smiled and tilted her head to follow her. They both walked through their part of the forest until they arrived at Zecora’s hut, still have grand and decorative as Fluttershy remembered. Zecora opened the door to let Fluttershy in and closed it before she would unclasp the cloak off her and hang it onto a stand rack. Fluttershy observed that the kettle was already on the open fireplace, but she didn’t question if she left it there or she knew that she’s coming. “Sit down for a while, dear,” Zecora pointed to the table in the middle of the room, “I’ll bring this tea over there.” She put a cloth in her mouth to grab the hot kettle from the fire and set it on the woven coaster on the table. She grabbed two tea cups from an open shelf and place them on the table before proceeding pouring the hot water in each cup. She then dips a packet of bayley tea in both cups. When everything is set, she sat down in the chair on the opposite side where Fluttershy sat. She took a sip of the barley tea and hummed in content. She then noticed Fluttershy was sitting as still as a post, looking down the tea cup dejectedly. “Is there something wrong with your tea?” Zecora asked. Fluttershy jumped when her friend spoke to her, “What?” “Perhaps I can pour in some honey.” “No, no, that’s alright. It’s fine the way it is.”’ The zebra smiled with sympathy as she reached for her own cup, “Try to drink it whole; it’ll soothe the soul.” Hesitantly, Fluttershy reached for her cup and lift it closer to her. She slowly took a small sip of tea and found it to be quite good. This was the first drink that she had in the past few hours. She drank a few small sips of it before she can place back to the table. When she noticed that Zecora was glad that she finally had drink something, Fluttershy asked in suspicion for the reason she was asked to be here, “You didn’t want me to come here for a small talk, right?” Zecora nodded, “Indeed you have read my mind. Though I am curious to ask what has found you confined.” “You said that the girls that told you what happened yesterday?” “Yes; But I want to hear it straight from your lips. Was there more that had ended your friendship?” Fluttershy took a pause of hesitation before she took a deep breath and decided that, since she always knew parts of it, there was no use holding it in from her. She explained to her how she came over to Discord’s dimension to see him, overheard all the cruel things about her and how he admitted that he was using her as a joke and means to get his throne back. She almost choked when she came to the part how he attacked her and later when he claimed that he is innocent; she accidentally almost turned him into stone. All the while, Zecora had paid attentively to Fluttershy’s story. From what she had observed today and even before that, she can tell which ones were true and which were trickery for the mind. But the huge factor that she noticed was the complexity of her emotions; In some ways, she pitied the poor thing. Then Fluttershy ended her story and she almost waited for a response from her zebra friend. “That was some tale that you’ve told,” Zecora responded, “I am sorry for the things that you had behold.” Fluttershy didn’t respond much to it; she only stares down at her cup she holds in her hooves. “Though you heart might have great pain and grief in it, I must ask you this: do you believe in it?” Fluttershy lifted her head up confused, “Believe?” “Do you believe that everything that was placed in front of you is exactly what you thought to be true? Fluttershy grown ever more confused by this sudden question, “I’m not so sure what you mean?” Zecora then lay a sympathetic smile, “Dear Fluttershy, long ago I had told what you didn’t believe—that Discord wasn’t all as he seemed to be. But then later you had heeded my advice, and you’d learned that his heart isn’t all in ice. Why did you started to be kind when you had change your mind?” Fluttershy hesitated the answer as she responded back, “Well, he had saved my life from that hydra. And after that, he started being… nicer to me. I realized then how lonely and scared he was; he looked shocked when I told him I wanted to be his friend. I guess I gave him a chance to see if… if all that you’d said was true.” “Then it started to change a little there and that. You, too, seemed to change since then, why is that?” Fluttershy tried to open her mouth, but couldn’t find the words to say. She hadn’t given it much thought about it; but she knew there was something in there that made her think that somehow--she knew. After much pause, she spoke out, continually searching the words to say, “My life, back with my mother, my home—I was miserable. I was mistreated…and taunted by those around me. Because of that, I’ve gotten used to being alone, even though I would’ve liked some company. But from everything that I was raised back then, what have gotten to me the most of how everyone expects of me. I was told constantly how no one will notice me. No one will listen to me or even love me, just because of what I am…. and I would’ve been lying if I said I didn’t believe them. Every single time they reminded me that, I felt like I wanted to cry but I can’t at the same time. It’s moments like these that make me wonder why am I still alive, or for a better term, exist. But then…. He—he saw me, and-- after trying to make my situation hectic as it was-- he changed. He wasn’t not a monster that everyone thinks of him. He was sweet, gentle, and he never failed to make me smile whenever I needed it. He made me feel like a complete pony. He made me feel like the opposite of everything I’ve known myself for—he thinks I’m beautiful, that I’m sweet and that I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to anypony--” She stopped as tears started to roll from her eyes. Zecora didn’t mind waiting for her to take a few breaths and speak again. “Everything I thought about myself has been changed because of him,” she then frowned sadly, “And… I was grateful for that.” There became a pause between them. It felt forever until Zecora spoke out loud and clearly, “You know him.” Fluttershy’s eyes widen as she looked back up to Zecora, seeing the determined frown on her face. “What?” she uttered in confusion. “You know him, Fluttershy,” Zecora articulated again, “You know that if you try to realize that Discord would never steep into doing anything so cheap. Something about this is clearly out of place; more differently than what he uses in his good grace.” “Are you saying that I should know if he wasn’t lying to me?” Fluttershy said, almost offended of what she thinks she’s implying. “No, I am saying that you understand him better than you should,” Zecora interjected, “If he’d truly done this to you, then he should’ve done it sooner if he could.” “But I was there!” Fluttershy stood up from her chair, her eyes brimming up with tears upset, “I had overheard everything-- he confessed to me everything! What makes you think that what I see or hear isn’t true?!” “I know that you love him.” Fluttershy froze that those words had left Zecora’s mouth. Her face was filled with shock, awe and confusion. “Though you may not realize it yet, your emotions are as wild as it can get.” Fluttershy slowly sat back at her chair, looking at her with a small glimpse of awe, “How can you tell?” “You were upset when you shot him,” Zecora pointed, “You had every right to leave it be and be done with him. But you regret it and turned away when things seemed grim.” “But I didn’t mean to hurt him!” Fluttershy defended, “I was so angry at the time and I— “I know,” Zecora reassured, “But sometimes our mind would tell us one thought, while the heart would tell you a lot. You couldn’t bear to be apart from him, because you came to care for him. My dear, sometimes the shadows from the past could still haunt all around you; but if you let the pain go and breathe in, you will see a different view.” It was then that she had come through a revelation. She recalled of what she had said to Zecora about how much she had changed because of Discord; of how he makes her laugh and thinks that she’s special. Of how she didn’t feel lonely or afraid. Of how he makes her feel complete. Everything that she said about him before was evidence for her true feelings for him. And that gave her the strength that she needed to see the truth. “What do you want me to do?” she asked Zecora. “I may have the thing that’ll give you what you need,” Zecora suggested, “A simple potion that would show you what you had not seen.” Zecora then walk over to a shelve with various of potions and pick one that was filled with pink liquid. After she popped off the cork from the top, she handed it over to Fluttershy. “Once you had taken a sip, close your eyes and listen to my tip--Think very carefully in your head; were there any moment that seemed lost within the threads? Out of sight, out of mind but didn’t think to define?” Listening attentively to her instruction, she brought the potion close to her lips and drank a sip. Then once she had closed her eyes, she started to feel very strange. She had open her again, hoping to see the zebra for help; Only she found that she was standing in the middle of a forest. Then she heard noise and turned to see…. herself bumping into Discord?! It was confused on the sight until she realizes that she is only seeing through a flashback. That potion must’ve had the power to bring her a vision from a past, which happens to be when Discord confessed his trickery to her. It was hard for her to think that she had to watch the whole ordeal through another perspective, but for now she can try to trust her friend; she knew she wouldn’t give her that potion if it meant hurting her more. The scene played out as she remembered it—Discord coldly insulting her to her face, her past self being lifted in the air by his magic and swinging around the air as if she was a ragdoll. But then, she saw something. Something that she didn’t remembered that that made her eyes grew widen in shock—Another Discord arriving at the scene with Sweetie Belle and Diamond Tiara in his arms. She didn’t time to think more of her confusion when Discord pounced onto the other Discord, resulting him letting go of her past self and let her fall to the ground. The fillies went after her, as she remembered, as Discord pinned the other Discord against the tree. She can hear his voice shouting, “WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!” Then she heard the other Discord chuckled and said, “I think the better question is: what did you do to her?” Flames suddenly erupted from the Discord on the tree when she finally saw him in the true form of—A Changeling?! Fluttershy’s body stood in shock as she saw the changeling pushing the real Discord out of the way and making his escape. Then everything resumed as she remembered when Discord rushed over to her side and she slapped his hand away. “Don’t you touch me!” She heard her past self echoed. The voices continued the scene, though in her head it began to become quicker in pace and overlapping with the overwhelming shock. She watched the rest of the memory as the truth was becoming clearer. As when her past self suddenly struck Discord with her glow, everything went white and she gasped loudly and opened her eyes to see that she was back in Zecora’s hut. “What is it?!” Zecora said in great concern, fearing that the spell may have hurt her. “It wasn’t him!” Fluttershy exclaimed in revelation, “The Discord that attacked me isn’t really him; It was a changeling! Gypsum and Nabis must’ve told mother about him so she’d planned to set us apart!” “And finally, the truth has been set free,” Zecora beamed gladfully, “You are not the one fooled by this trickery.” “How long did you know about this?” “Not long as I would’ve liked. And I regret to say that this comes with a price.” Fluttershy didn’t like the sound of that implication, “What do you mean?” “While you have hidden your broken heart inside your room, Discord has now been discovered, and is being sent to his doom.” Fluttershy’s eyes widen in shock, “You mean Twilight found him?! Oh, no, if he’s being send to Canterlot, he’ll be--” She couldn’t bear to finish that sentence, as it quaked her heart with fear. “I need to get to Canterlot!” she stood up from her chair and hastily makes her way towards the door, “I need to get to him before it’s too late!” “Fluttershy, that is impossible; there is no time!” Zecora warned, concerned, “Canterlot is so far away, you won’t be able to make it at noon’s chime!” “I don’t care how far it is; I’m going to save him no matter what!” But then as she opened the door, she was suddenly confronted by a hooded figure and she jumped back and screams.