Fluttershy was walking home with Discord following close behind her. Neither of them said anything, but didn't mind the somewhat awkward moment. Fluttershy was proud of herself for being able to earn his friendship, she had finally done something useful on her own.
Discord just stared at the buttercream pegasus in front of him, watching her hips swerve back and forth and her mane falling off the sides of her shoulders. She was very pretty, he couldn't deny that but he knew that he was an idiot for harbouring his unrealistic thoughts and fantasies.
She was his friend after all. Friend? That word sounded almost foreign to him. How was he supposed to act around her? What do friends even do? He didn't have the slightest idea.
Fluttershy could almost feel his confusion. She occasionally would sneak glances towards her new friend. It was strange being friends with a colt. She knew he was a draconequus and not a pony but by looking into his eyes, she could see that he was very much pony, meaning that he was just as sane underneath and she believed that secretly he had a good heart. He just didn't want anypony to know about it, but what she didn't quite understand was why.
They began to approach Fluttershy's cottage and Fluttershy started to figure out what they should do. What did he like to do? She knew the answer to that, spread chaos, but surely there were other things he enjoyed doing.
"Umm...Discord?" she asked softly. Discord soon realized that Fluttershy had stopped walking and that they were right in front of her door. He seemed to have been lost in thought.
"Yes my dear?" he asked casually, as if he had always called her that. A small blush crept across Fluttershy's cheek, and she prayed that he hadn't seen it.
"So, umm...when we get inside what would you like to do?" she said. Discord was surprised, and Fluttershy could tell.
"What is it? Is something wrong?" she asked. Again, Discord was shocked. He looked into her eyes and found that her eyes held...concern? For him?
"...No, it's just that...never mind. And it doesn't really matter to me what we do...what do...you want to do?" he asked. This conversation seemed so strange. No pony had ever asked him what he wanted to do, let alone show concern for his well being.
It was Fluttershy's turn to be surprised. Had the Lord of Chaos just asked her what she wanted to do? She didn't make a lot of decisions for other ponies, afraid that they wouldn't like what she decided.
"Well umm, are you hungry?" she asked, trying to lay out options. Discord was about to reply but felt a cold breeze sweep across his fur and he noticed that Fluttershy felt it too.
Out of pure instinct, Discord wrapped Fluttershy in his arms and carried her inside. She was frozen stiff. What was he doing? She could've just walked in, herself but...this?
Discord was surprised, once again, that Fluttershy hadn't immediately jumped out of his arms. In fact, he felt her hold him closer when another gust of wind flew through the door.
He could feel his cheeks getting hot, a feeling he was unfamiliar with.
He carried her over to the couch and laid her down. He quickly turned around, not wanting to see the 'disgusted' look on her face.
But what he didn't know was that Fluttershy's expression held nothing of the sort. Suddenly she got an idea.
"Hey Discord?" she asked. He was surprised that her voice sounded so...casual. Shouldn't she be afraid of him now, be cowering or begging him to leave.
He slowly turned around to face her.
"Yes my dear?" he did it again. Dammit.
Fluttershy could feel the blush return to her cheeks.
"Umm, how do you feel about tea?" she asked. He was flabbergasted. He had just carried her through the door as if they had just gotten married and she was asking him about tea?!
He shook his head, realizing that she had been eagerly awaiting an answer.
"Umm tea is alright, although I prefer Chocolate Milk," he replied. Her eyes lit up.
"What about Hot Chocolate?" she inquired. Tea was a hot beverage and if he like chocolate milk then she'd probably meet his needs somewhere in the middle.
He thought about it. He had never had Hot Chocolate before, just chocolate milk.
"Is it good?" he asked. Fluttershy nodded her head a little too enthusiastically. She stood up, putting her front hooves on the table in front of her.
"Yes, it's so good. It's almost like tea, but not exactly, and just a lot sweeter, oh and if you get fresh cocoa beans it tastes so good and it's even more like tea cause cocoa beans are like herbs...sorta," she suddenly realized that she had been talking faster than usual and had been rambling on about...how good hot chocolate is and how much alike it is to tea? What was wrong with her?
She hid behind her mane in embarrassment. Though Discord found it quite adorable. Fluttershy seemed very...excited about hot chocolate?
"Umm, it's good," she said softly, summing up what she had said. Discord gave a soft smile and a light chuckle.
"In that case, I will have to try some. Could I trouble you for a cup?" he asked. Fluttershy looked up at him through her mane and smiled giving a small, "Mhh hmm."
Fluttershy gave once last glance towards him before making her way towards the kitchen.
Discord didn't really know what to do so he just sorta stood there. He took the time to examine her cottage. He knew that she didn't mind him turning into a house of complete chaos before but since the flooding he wasn't really sure he should use more chaos for today.
Her house was so orderly, the opposite of how he liked things, but for some reason it didn't bother him too much. He found her cottage having enough chaos when all the little critters were running around, especially when her rabbit was out and about. Otherwise, her cottage was quite fitting for her.
He liked to think that on the outside she portrayed a timid and shy pegasus but on the inside she was fun and chaotic. This hypothesis had only grown due to her outburst at the mention of hot chocolate. He knew she had been embarrassed but he didn't mind.
His attention turned to the buttercream pegasus who entered the room carrying a platter on her wing, that held two cups full of steamy type liquids and also a small plate of cookies. She placed the tray on the small dining table and sat down on the couch.
Fluttershy stared up at him, waiting for Discord to take a seat but was confused when he didn't.
"Umm, everything alright Discord? The chair won't bite," she attempted a joke. Discord appreciated her wanting to make him smile, and he did, but was still trying to figure out how she was so...comfortable here with him.
Discord slowly approached the seat and sat down.
He looked at Fluttershy who was waiting for him to take a sip of his cocoa.
"Oh, yes of course," he said, bringing himself back to reality. He reached out his eagle taloned hand and took the small purple tea cup. Raising it to his lips, he couldn't help but take notice that Fluttershy was watching his every move and fidget.
Although she quickly realized that he knew she was watching him, she turned away.
Discord wondered what was so possibly interesting about him drinking a cup of hot chocolate. Sure, he knew that he himself was quite interesting but she had seen him all week. Shouldn't she be sick of him by now? His ego wasn't so inflated that he believed himself to be so tolerable. No, something was...weird, which he usually didn't mind but for now, for some reason he did.
Finally, he took a sip of his hot chocolate and his eyes lit up. This...hot chocolate was so...good? He liked it? Wait...he smelled it, there was something else.
"What else is in here?" he asked.
"I may have added some Cotton Candy extract...it's like vanilla but it gives it the taste and smell of cotton candy," she smiled, "I...I came up with it a little while after I was assigned to reform you."
Discord was wide eyed. How could...? Is this mare even real?
Thinking no further, he reached out his free lion paw and gently touched her cheek. He felt her soft skin and knew for sure that she was all too real, unless this was a dream.
He finally realized what he had done, though, and jerked his paw away.
"I-I-I'm so s-sorry," he said. It appeared as if Fluttershy hadn't heard him, for she was gazing off into space and slowly lifted her hoof to the place that Discord had touched. She made no noise or movement except for slowly running her hoof across her cheek, very...very slowly.
Discord, once more, wondered about her strange reactions to him...touching her. But...her skin was so smooth and soft, and he could smell the shampoo she used from his seat, although he did have better senses than most ponies so that wasn't an uncommon thing to happen. She smelt like rose petals and buttercream frosting, in other words she smelt very nice. To him anyway.
"It's...ok," she finally replied, although not looking at him and continuing her slow actions.
"I umm, really like the hot chocolate," he said, hoping to bring up a normal conversation. Fluttershy finally turned her head to look at him and gave a grin.
"I'm glad, I thought you might...oh, the cookies on the tray are chocolate and I used chocolate milk instead of regular milk and cotton candy extract instead of vanilla...I umm, hope you like them," she said softly.
Discord was so amazed at this pony.
"When did you even have time to make these?" he said. She hadn't been gone long enough to be able to have made cookies.
"Oh, umm...I made the dough earlier and just kept it in the freezer, and then I put it in the oven when I made the hot chocolate," she replied.
"Ah, I see," he said. He grabbed a cookie and took a bite. Once more, he was impressed. He might've found his new favorite snack, although it wasn't quite different from the original.
"Fluttershy...these are very good, the cookies and the drink," he said.
"Oh thank you, I just want you to feel comfortable here," she said. Fluttershy raised her tea cup to her lips, although her drink had actual tea in it.
Discord observed how elegantly she did everything, it was amazing really to find some pony who cared so much about everything and anything. Although he doubted she cared very much about him. He had been nothing but a nuisance since he got there.
"Discord?" her soft voice echoed through his mind, he almost though it was his imagination.
"Yes my dear Fluttershy," he replied, screaming at his mind to think before speaking.
"Are you ok? You seem a little...distant and...calm. Which is fine and all but it's just...well..." she decided not to go on. He gave a small chuckle at her concern, which he believed to not really be there. She was just doing this cause Princess Sun Butt asked her too. All of this was forced and none of it was real.
"I'm fine Fluttershy, don't waste your tongue with me," he replied hastily. Her tongue...he could imagine her- NO! Ugh, he hated himself for thinking such foolery.
"Discord," she began before getting off her chair and walking the short distance between them, "I...I know you're not fine," she said.
She was quite persistent, he wouldn't deny that.
"My dear, I assure you that I'm quite...alright," he tensed the last word. Fluttershy looked down towards the ground, and expression of sadness across her face, which was mostly covered in her mane, but Discord could still see the...hurt in her face?
He heard her sniffle and then felt bad, hoping he hadn't made her cry. Slowly, she raised her head.
"No, no you're not alright and you're not fine...please," she grabbed his paw with her hooves, "Please, tell me what's wrong. I want to help you," she pleaded. Discord took one glance into her teal eyes and felt like he would melt right then and there.
"Why do you continue to care? Even if something was wrong, which there clearly is by the way," he said, gesturing to his body, "why would you want to know...I-I know that you're just doing this because Princess high and mighty told you to," he said, trying to act confident but Fluttershy could see right through his disguise.
Discord began to get up and started to head towards the door but stopped when he heard an angelic voice singing to him. He turned around to find Fluttershy hovering in the air, staring at him with her wide eyes, those beautiful teal eyes.
"Strange sight, you stand in the light
you're wrong but you're right
and my heart's beating wildly," she sang, blushing as she held a hoof to where her heart was.
"Strange, how I'm scared but delighted,
afraid but delighted too," she smiled, flying closer towards him.
"You have a good heart,
but you're wreck-less and distant,
but I'll stay persistent,
I will understand you
Strange, how I'm drawn to the danger,
I reach out my hooves to you," she sang, holding out her hoof for him to grab onto. He was hesitant but eventually grabbed on. While singing she began to lead him outside.
"Do you long to be left all alone?" she sung. No he thought.
"Set yourself as a statue of stone,
let me help, let's begin, let me learn,
won't you let me in,
all the light let it show," Fluttershy continued, leading him to a patch of flowers atop a hill. She dropped his paw and started singing again.
"You are a strange sight,
some new kind of wonder,
with good hidden under,
I'm sure that it's true," she said, putting a hoof on his chest.
"Stra-a-ange how your dark doesn't phase me,
no I won't give up on you," she reassured. She flew a bit away from him and spread her wings wide open.
"Do you long to be left all alone?
Set yourself as a statue of stone?
let me help, let's begin, let me learn,
won't you let me in,
all the light let it show," she turned her back to him and flew higher pointing her hooves up. But then she flew towards him and put both hooves on his chest, looking up at him.
"If you're caught in the shadows,
and turn around,
lost in the darkness,
you will be found," she took his claw and paw in her hooves and started bringing him up into the air. They were both flying.
"If you hear my voice, follow the sound
cause I'm gonna guide you home!" she tucked in her wings and began falling towards the earth. Discord was scared for a moment and dodged after her. He was caught in a hug as she flew upwards. She wrapped her hooves tight around his neck.
She began to sing softly but her voice grew stronger each second,
"Do you long to be left all alone?" she then began to distance herself a bit from him. He turned his face away from hers, knowing the answer to her question.
"Set yourself as a statue of stone,
let me help, let's begin, let me learn,
won't you let me in,
all the light, let it show," she got softer and softer and they both slowly floated towards the ground. She stared up at him with her big teal eyes.
"Do you long to be left all alone?
Set yourself as a statue of stone?
Theres a light that you shine... she flew towards him and hugged him once more.
"Theres a love, I see it in your eyes,
all the dark...let it go,
you're not alone," she finished.
Discord held her in his arms and could feel tears well up in his eyes, but he wouldn't allow them to fall.
"Thank you Fluttershy," he whispered.
"You're welcome Discord."