//------------------------------// // Oversight // Story: Heart of Darkness // by yellowtangerine //------------------------------// Fluttershy sucked in a deep breath, searching above for the source of his voice. “This is my home,” She answered. She waited, watching the cottage bounce slowly in the air. It was ironically comforting, watching the up and down movements of her home among the clouds. “Oh!” The voice replied. “I think you’ll find I’ve made the loveliest of changes. Would you agree?” “I’m not sure,” She answered. “I can’t see the inside from here,” Discord furrowed his brow as he stared down at her. Why was this pony acting so normal? Why wasn’t she screaming in anger or fear or both? “What’s your name?” He asked, emerging from his hiding spot in the clouds. He grinned in delight as she gasped at the sight of him. Now that’s more like it. “D-Discord-“ Her face turned from him, eyes wet. “You really are different,” He stared at her. Sparky had told him the same thing. “Have we met?” “My name is Fluttershy,” Fluttershy. Now, why was that so familiar? He racked his brain. He’d heard it somewhere… “Oh! Are you a fan? I haven’t done a meet and greet in over a lifetime, my claw-writing is certainly not what it used to be…” He muttered as he dug out a pen and portrait of himself. Shaking her head, Fluttershy reached up and snatched the portrait. He recoiled instinctually. No stranger would ever get that close. They wouldn’t dare. “Enough joking around!” She screamed at him. “Listen to me!” This small Pegasus was braver than he thought. He felt he ought to indulge her, at least until he got bored of whatever game she was playing. He fell back into a lawn chair, his claw and paw clasped on his stomach. “I’m listening.” Fluttershy swallowed the lump in her throat. Enough crying. She had to get him to listen. “You remember taking a potion to forget somepony, don’t you?” She asked. He nodded. “I’m her,” She confessed. “I’m Fluttershy…and you loved me, and you don’t anymore,” she continued. Discord burst into laughter. “You!? I thought maybe you’d be taller! What is it about you that kept me from what I truly love most?” Fluttershy was hurt by that remark. Even before he was reformed, he was never so cruel. That potion had not just taken his love for her, but it had taken all the love from his heart. She stared up at him, trying to think of ways to stall. She needed to restore his memories…and to do that… He stared down at her, boredly. “I think I’ve heard enough from you, Shutterfly,” He turned to go, then jumped in shock as she grabbed his arm. “Wait-please!” He held onto his arm protectively, face confused. “Or what? You’ll turn me to stone!?” “No!” She cried pleadingly. “Of course not!” Discord watched her, desperate to prove herself. To prove she would never turn against him. Then he let out a chuckle. “Then give up, my dear, you won’t turn me to stone, so there’s nothing you can do! I win!” Discord’s eyes followed her as she flitted up to meet him face to face. Her shaking hooves reached out to him, but he shifted away, disgusted. She decided to try another tactic. "My friends could convince me to, you know. If-If I had to-" He chuckled, then pressed his claw to her nose. “My dear, you won’t turn me to stone because then everypony would know that you have failed. One of their precious elements of harmony would be a failure, shaking the foundation of trust you and your friends have built,” Fluttershy shoved his claw away and looked around. “I think you’ve already done that. But you’re right. I won’t turn you,” “HA! So you see? I’ve won!” As he said this, the ground began to shake, and Fluttershy could hear the startled cries of ponyville citizens as their floors collapsed beneath them. “Discord! Ponies are going to-to get hurt! Your magic was never about physically harming anypony!” He only continued laughing at the masterpiece before him, Fluttershy’s cottage spinning out of control and animals flying about. She knew she couldn’t mess around anymore. She had to try it. He was distracted, so she had to act quickly. Before Discord could react, she pulled his face towards hers. Their lips met, Fluttershy so afraid that any moment he would poof away. Discord fell still in shock, his eyes wide and terrified. Fluttershy kept her eyes locked, afraid to see his face. Her heart hammered in her chest, the feeling of kissing him but not knowing how he felt overwhelming her every being. Her eyes shot open as she felt herself flying toward the ground. She barely managed to catch herself with her hooves, sending a sharp pain into them. “Get off of me!” Fluttershy was staring up at him, eyes wide and brimming with tears. “How did that not work…?” She asked herself, looking toward the ground and shivering as snow had suddenly formed around her. Her lip trembling, she pushed herself up to find that Discord was no longer there. Her cottage was on the ground but the chaos around her remained. The trip back to the cottage was long and disappointing. Fluttershy had hopes when she’d left. She supposed she and Discord would return, he would be normal again and everything would be okay. She had worried, sure, but when had Zecora ever been about a potion and its cure? Now she had. Now Fluttershy had the burden of telling them that dark Discord was still at large, terrorizing ponies everywhere. As she arrived, the mares' faces quickly turned as they saw Fluttershy’s expression. “What happened?” Twilight quickly asked. Fluttershy just shook her head. Words refused to leave her mouth as she slowly slumped over to the couch. As far as she knew, there was nothing to do now. Nopony would listen to her anyway, and Celestia would declare that he be put back to stone. Then their friendship, the tea parties, the conversations, all of it, would be over. “I think I may know why it did not work when Discord was kissed by miss Fluttershy.” Zecora said as Twilight went to comfort the yellow Pegasus. “The potion can only be broken by a kiss of true love. Discord, however, is not…in love.” “Not…anymore,” Twilight added, pressing her hoof to her forehead. “Of course not. True love’s kiss can’t work if he doesn’t love!” “So then what are we supposed to do?” Fluttershy asked. “I just couldn’t bear it if we had to…” Twilight noticed her friend’s distress and took her by the shoulders. “Fluttershy, we will turn that Draconequus to stone over my dead body. Discord is…our friend. You don’t give up on a friend, now do you?”