Fluttershy sat before Twilight, a cup of tea tightly clasped between her hooves. Her muscles tensed, eyes roaming around the kept castle fretfully. The non-cluttered-ness of it all somehow made her feel worse. Discord had been acting strange lately, in an even stranger-than-Discord- way. He had missed several weekend teas, was not responding to her letters. Fluttershy became sick with worry that he’d been taken or hurt. The others…very much doubted this. Her bottom hoof began to tap the floor at a pace, eyes meeting Twilights for the first time.
Lips pursed, Twilight looked away. Truth be told she and the others were sure Discord was fine. She figured he was off somewhere wreaking chaos without their, as he put them, “annoying” platitudes of harmony and friendship. Well, it was fine by her if Discord decided to strew about his chaos someplace where innocent ponies wouldn’t be affected; and as far as she knew, Discord hadn’t been spotted anywhere stirring up trouble.
Fluttershy, on the other hand, was looking at her with giant, worried eyes, convinced that something awful had happened to him.
“Why would he miss tea? He loves tea! He can name so many I lost count!” She said. “He would at least answer my letters Twilight, I know he would!”
Twilight sighed, reminding her friend that Discord is an immortal, insanely powerful Lord of Chaos. Nopony could have taken him or hurt him.
“What about Tirek? Hm? He was powerful enough to hurt Discord-to- “
“Are you afraid of that happening again?” Twilight interrupted, now looking at the miserable Pegasus directly. “Discord…abandoning us? Turning against us again?”
A flash of hurt struck her eyes at the insinuation. “Of course not…I trust him…he would never- “
Twilight relented, feeling guilty for saying it. “I know you’re worried. But what are we supposed to do? My summoning spells aren’t working. I’m sure he’ll come back when he’s ready.”
Fluttershy looked at her, eyebrows furrowed. She’d hoped Twilight would know what to do, that she would offer to help. Instead, she was discouraged and made to feel like her anxieties were trivial. She knew had it been any other friend missing, Twilight would have jumped to the map without a pause, tenaciously searching until that pony was found. She knew her friends still held a small aversion to Discord…at least, they didn’t care for him as much as she did. They didn’t understand him, was all.
Conceding, Fluttershy left the castle feeling more hopeless than when she’d arrived. Her other friends, like Twilight, dissuaded her worries and told her to relax. But Fluttershy wouldn’t. She knew Discord would stop at nothing, and he had, to save her if something bad happened to her. So, she decided.
“I’m not sure when I’ll be back,” She told Angel bunny as she packed. “But I’m afraid this is my last hope.”
She then wrote a letter, imparted with misleading information about her whereabouts for the next few days. She knew it was wrong to lie to her friends, but she felt she had no choice. They refused to help, and they would no doubt talk her out of her plan if they knew. As she taped the letter to her door, a bad feeling formed in the pit of her stomach. She gave one last look at her cottage and vanished.
The train ride seemed to last much longer than usual. Perhaps it was because she was alone, and the pit in her stomach had only worsened since the train left the station. She couldn’t enjoy the views of the window as nature flew past her and blurred together. She couldn’t distract herself with an animal friend or hum a song to calm herself. The fear that Discord was in danger only permeated in her chest, tightening until she couldn’t breathe.
Finally, the train arrived, and she took in a gasp of fresh air as she departed. The Castle above her seemed much more imposing now; as though it were dimmer, cast by a shadow of fear and false hope. She knew this was in her imagination though, as palace guards smiled at her unbothered, welcoming her.
So, after some time and a heartfelt explanation of her worst fears, she stood before none other than Princess Celestia, anxiously awaiting an answer.
The Princess sat for a moment, considering all that the young mare had told her.
“It is rather odd that he hesitates to write even you back,” Celestia murmured.
In shock, Fluttershy agreed. “Yes…yes!”, finally, somepony was hearing her side. “I know Discord,” She told the Princess. “I know that if he wasn’t hurt or in trouble…he would let me know!”
Celestia nodded, scenarios running through her head. If Discord were taking a break to spread chaos where nopony would be harmed, why would he not write back young Fluttershy? Especially upon finding out about her fears? She looked down at the mare, who stared up at her hopelessly.
“I’m sorry to see that your friends have not joined you today, Fluttershy. I know they’ve learned better than this…a friend’s support means everything…even if one does not agree with her friend…”
Fluttershy looked down at her hooves. “They aren’t as…close to Discord as I am,” she said.
Celestia smiled softly, agreeing. “Yes, I see this. You have certainly changed him, and he’s changed you,”
The young Pegasus missed the overtone in Celestia’s words, as she began to pace the Castle’s walls.
“Do you know what’s wrong with him?” Fluttershy asked.
"I'm afraid not my young pony. Discord is not the type of creature to share his feelings openly. If he is truly unharmed, you may have to catch him off guard."
"How?"
"I can summon him, insisting that there's a matter of great importance I need to discuss with him."
"So... you want to...trick him?" Fluttershy asked softly, processing it. She didn't like the idea of that at all.
"Fluttershy, as odd as it sounds, I too am becoming worried. Discord has never disappeared before. If something has happened to him, it would explain why he would ignore even my summoning,”
Fluttershy shook her head, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. If Discord responded to Celestia’s summons, she would know that he’s okay. But if he didn’t…
"I feel sick…” She whispered.