Discord’s living room was currently a little more chaotic than usual.
Like always there was furniture floating on the ceiling and random dust bunnies roaming the floor and that singular set of stairs against a wall leading to nowhere. But right now there were also books scattered on every surface, diagrams with magical symbols suspended in midair, and levitating parchment pieces on which Discord was currently writing using quills in his paw and tail. And on the ceiling above all this new chaos was a large sketch of a figure that could only be Grogar.
Discord sighed and mumbled to himself. “He’s missing something and doesn’t even realize: he’s an idiot for not knowing they have the bell. But there has to be a ‘best’ way to attack him about it. There’s always a ‘best’ way to do everything…I think—right? Ugh, why didn’t I pay attention to the finer points of those friendship lessons and positivity pep talks the girls are always spouting? Maybe I’ll ‘borrow’ their old journal and brush up on some things. The point is strategy is key.” He grinned and wrote more fervently as he glanced up at the sketch of Grogar. “Strategy—from the chaos master: he’ll never see it coming.” Discord chuckled at his own joke.
Then there was a knock on Discord’s door.
The chaos master flinched but caught his quills before dropping them. “Okay, there is no way that is Grogar—he is not that subtle.” He raised an eyebrow, glancing at the door. “And that couldn’t be Tirek and Chrysalis and Cozy Glow unleashing some big final attack already. It’s too soon, and either way the three of them wouldn’t have the courage to be nearly so casual: that’s my bit.”
Another knock. “Discord?” a familiar, soft voice asked. “Are you home?”
“Fluttershy!” Discord gasped. “Er…” he called out, “Yes, yes, of course, Fluttershy! Be right there!” He snapped his fingers multiple times to make various scrolls furl up and books drift away to another room and the quills hide themselves wherever possible. He glanced around and quickly remembered to make the sketch of Grogar disappear too. “Did we have a tea party scheduled? You’ll have to pardon me, I completely forgot!” He quickly snapped up their usual table and tea place setting.
“Oh, no, not at all,” Fluttershy responded from behind the door. “I just had something to deliver to you. And…I also wanted to talk if you about something if you’re not busy.”
Discord took a final glance around his living room, breathed a sigh of relief at how unsuspicious the chaos looked, then flew over to the door and opened it with a warm smile. “For you, Fluttershy, I’m always free as a bird.” He snapped, and a toy cuckoo popped out of a clock on his wall, chirped and flew around Fluttershy, then went right back into his clock home. Discord stepped aside and gestured forward. “Come in—I’ve already got some tea and cucumber sandwiches set up even if we didn’t have plans. See how good I’ve become at preparing for friendly company?”
Fluttershy trotted inside, smiling (and with a scroll held in one wing). “Oh my, yes—how hospitable. Thank you, Discord. You do make the best cucumber sandwiches.”
“Naturally.” He held his head high and walked over to the table to take a seat along with her. “It’s because I start with pickles and use chaos magic to turn them back to cucumbers. Gives them a bit of a zing.”
Fluttershy laughed softly as she sat down put a sandwich on her plate. “Yes, it does.”
Discord poured them both tea. “Now then, what are you delivering to me? Oh, tell me Twilight is finally sending out the invitations for her coronation. I’ve been looking forward to adding the big bash to my date book for weeks.” He snapped up a black book and opened it, a quill in hand.
“Oh, I’m afraid not.” Fluttershy shook her head. “I think Twilight is just going to make an announcement extending a general invitation to all of our friends and everyone in Equestria. This scroll is actually from Starlight.” She Discord snapped away the date book and raised an eyebrow as Fluttershy gave him the scroll. She explained as he read. “Starlight chose Sunburst to be her official Vice Headmare—or, I guess, Vice Headstallion—at the Friendship School. But she knows how much you like the idea of contributing to the school yourself, so she’s naming you Official Substitute Headmare or Vice Headstallion. If she or Sunburst can’t look after the school for any reason, she wants you to fill in until they can get back.”
Discord was beaming. “Really?!” When he glanced up from the scroll and saw how much Fluttershy was smiling at his giddiness, he cleared his throat and went on a bit more casually (though he couldn’t help continuing to smile). “Er, I mean…how nice. Yes, I’d be happy to grace the school with my presence.” He hesitated though for a moment, and hid the gesture by shrugging and sipping his cup of tea. “As long as I’m available, of course, and up for the challenge…”
Fluttershy’s smile softened slightly. She bit her lip like she wanted to speak but looked down at her tea for a moment instead.
Discord noticed and pouted a little. He didn’t like hesitant Fluttershy: he wanted Fluttershy to always be able to tell him anything—they were best friends after all. “Is something wrong? If you’d like to be Substitute Headmare sometimes, I’d be happy to share.”
“Oh, no, it’s not that, Discord.” She looked up and shook her head. “It’s just…Starlight announced she was looking for a permanent Vice Headmare last week, but you didn’t apply for the job even after you went through so much that one time to send me and the girls away so you could be part of the school. It was surprising that you didn’t take the chance to be Vice Headmare officially: or at least make an appearance just to remind Starlight the you want to help.”
Discord blinked then shrugged as he polished off a sandwich. “Oh, you know me—popping in to share some of my style is one thing, but a permanent job—I…that’s such a big, long commitment.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Also I didn’t realize she was hiring. I suppose I haven’t been eavesdropping as much on the goings-on of Ponyville as I used to.”
“I know.” Fluttershy frowned a little. “You’ve only been around lately when you’ve been invited. And then when you are around you’re…not so Discordy.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I’m still chaotic.”
“Yes, of course, but…you’re not causing problems, even fun ones. And if problems come up, you’re encouraging us to solve them specifically without you. That’s…new.” She frowned a little. “Maybe I’m worrying too much but…is everything okay, Discord?”
Discord continued to sip from his teacup for a moment longer than necessary. Then he lowered the cup, his smile gentle and his tone as normal and carefree as ever (if perhaps just a skosh gentler than usual). “Fluttershy…Twilight—and the rest of you girls to an extent—are going to be taking over this entire nation. I’ve run this entire nation before—admittedly, I sort of ran it into the ground and for only about two weeks. But my point is, if you’re going to run it you need to be ready to handle anything. And I believe in the six of you; I think you can handle anything. But I’ve decided that me snapping my fingers to clean up messes and show off is only going to make it take longer for the six of you to realize just how amazing you are. You don’t need me, Fluttershy, however much it pains my ego to admit the fact.”
She frowned. “But we do need you, Discord. Not to fix things, but…because you’re you and you’re our friend. We love having you in our lives, Discord. We need you because you’re important to each of us in a special way.” Her smile returned. “Even believing in us so much is something we need. I’m a little scared about helping Twilight run all of Equestria, but I’m not so scared when I think about it when the girls are around or when you’re around.”
Discord smiled a little more, his eyes hazed in an all-knowing way. “You want to know something, Fluttershy?” He leaned in close, glanced around playfully like someone could actually be listening in, then turned back to her. “When I first tried making friends, I was scared I couldn’t do it. And after I made friends I was scared I couldn’t keep them. And after I kept them, I was scared they wouldn’t want to keep me eventually. But being around you always made me less afraid. Knowing you has made me brave, Fluttershy. And it’s taught me how to take care of my friends. Thank you.”
Fluttershy was smiling so much, hiding in her hair a little as her eyes shimmered with happiness.
Discord shifted back from her and took a deep breath. “You girls can handle Equestria—better than I ever could. And once you realize it, you won’t even think to come to me for a snap of my fingers when a party goes awry or some nutty villain comes back from the past.” He swallowed and shrugged as he added “And who knows? With you six being so strong and independent, maybe one day I’ll go off somewhere for a bit one day—see the world and do some crazy retirement activities like Celestia and Luna. Because now this world is a place I really like even if Equestria isn’t chaos one hundred percent of the time. But I’ll always be supporting you, and you and I will always be connected because we’re friends, Fluttershy…right?” He hesitated, an eyebrow raised, almost like he wanted to confirm that he’d drawn the right conclusion about how friendships worked.
Fluttershy nodded and put her hoof on one of his hands. “Always.”
“Good.” Discord sighed and squeezed her hoof in both hands. “I really haven’t meant to worry you lately. I think I’m just…growing up, in my own chaotic way. And so I’m acting a little differently.” Her relieved smile made Discord smile more. “But as long as you’re here as my considerate best friend, I want you to have something. Now’s as good a time as any…” He snapped—a troop of dust bunnies rolled across the floor and spread apart once they reached the table to reveal a small, multicolored key on a pink chain. Discord picked it up and held it out to Fluttershy. “This is a spare key to my cottage. It’ll open the front door and any door in the house. And all you have to do if you’re in Equestria is put the key into any door lock, turn it, open the door, and a portal will appear that will take you right here.”
Fluttershy looked on in awe as Discord slipped the chain around her neck. “Discord, I don’t know what to say. Thank you, but…I still think I should send you a note before stopping by. I wouldn’t want to interrupt you if you’re in the middle of anything.”
“My house is your house, Fluttershy, and my magic is your magic.” He leaned back with an easy grin. “Come and go as you please. I leave it all to you and in your capable hooves. Besides, the dust bunnies really like you.”
For a moment the little herd of them crowded around Fluttershy’s chair, and she laughed. When she threw them a couple slices of cucumbers, they dashed off in a tiny dusty stampede.
After she finished giggling and waving goodbye to them Fluttershy turned back to Discord, her gaze and tone easy once more. “Thank you for talking with me, Discord. I guess I was getting worked up and worrying over nothing. It’s probably from all the excitement lately. I’m just happy everything’s going well for you.” She hesitated. “And you really will be at Twilight’s coronation, right?”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” he replied, looking into her eyes as he held up a paw, “chaos’s honor. I’m determined to see you girls off into your new roles and powers. And besides, I love a good party. And I love spending time with my friends,” he added that last part softly, nibbling on a cucumber sandwich.
“In that case, would you like to come back to Equestria with me right now?” Fluttershy asked, standing up from her seat. “Twilight’s having the girls and I over to the castle to help her pick out some things for her coronation, and to talk about transitioning things at the school, and also to figure out our schedules for how we’ll help her once she’s in Canterlot.”
Discord chuckled. “Sounds like a potentially stuffy meeting that’ll quickly evolve into playful chaos all on its own, though I’m sure I could help it along with a few good jokes. But I’m afraid I can’t, Fluttershy. I was working on something just now, and I really should get back to it.”
“Would you like any help?”
He floated up and snapped away the tea things, then snapped to put all of the leftover cucumber sandwiches into a satchel which he placed on Fluttershy’s back. “I’m afraid it’s a bit of a surprise: something I’ve been planning. And I promised myself I’d have all the chaotic kinks worked out by coronation day. But you go have fun, take the girls some sandwiches, and take the recipe too.” He snapped up a recipe card and popped it in her mane behind one of her ears. “And remember what I said; that key I gave you means you’re part of this cottage…and my home.”
Fluttershy touched the key and nodded. “I’ll remember, Discord.” She shifted the sandwich satchel more onto her back. “Thank you for the sandwiches, Discord: I’ll share them at the meeting. And I can’t wait to see your surprise. I won’t say anything to the girls about it so they’ll be surprised too.”
“Thank you, dear Fluttershy.” He landed. “I want it to be like a little gift from me to all of you. I think you’ll appreciate it very much.”
“I’m sure we will.” She came forward and hugged him with her foreleg. “Enjoy your afternoon, Discord.”
He took a deep breath and put an arm around her to return the hug. “You too, Fluttershy.”
She pulled back as Discord snapped up a portal for her. Then with a final smile she trotted through, and the portal disappeared.
Discord watched her leave. When she was gone, and the cottage was silent again, he sighed deeply and closed his eyes. “No matter what happens, Fluttershy, you are going to live a safe and happy and long life with your friends. And no matter what happens to me in the process, as long as I can give you that…I think I’m okay.” He opened his eyes and he was smiling a little though he had to wipe a tear away quickly. He regained his composure and floated up then cracked his knuckles then snapped his fingers on both hands—all of his charts and diagrams and scrolls including the sketch of Grogar reappeared. He stared at the sketch.”Friendship has made me better than you, old creature: you just don’t know it yet.”
Discord went back to planning.
A week later…
Fluttershy was so excited to surprise Discord with a visit at his cottage today. Of course, no matter what he’d said about coming and going as she pleased after he’d given her a key, Fluttershy still intended to send him notes in advance asking to come by. But right now she just couldn’t wait to share everything with him about her adventure yesterday with Daring Do and Doctor Caballeron and Ahuizotl: how the three of them had learned through kindness to be friends, and how Caballeron and Ahuizotl had decided to be more honest going forward. Helping them had reminded Fluttershy of helping Discord—listening and encouraging and letting him realize that being happy and expressing himself was so much better than being angry and clinging to bad memories. Maybe Discord would even want to write a book about his experiences one day? Or maybe he’d like to meet Ahuizotl or Caballeron and be friends?
Despite his assurances last weekend that he was just a little different lately because of some personal changes and all the excitement about Twilight’s coronation, Fluttershy still sensed a shadow of something underneath Discord’s smiles and jokes: her friend was nervous. So if she could help him feel better, that was one more reason to be thankful for the adventure she’d just had and to share it with him right away.
Fluttershy took Discord’s key, put it into her own cottage door, and turned. She removed the key, and the door frame glowed. Fluttershy opened the door and trotted through the portal.
On the other side she found herself standing on the upside down stairs Discord had in his hallway. Before she could drop to the floor, she stuck out her wings and managed to turn herself over and land softly. Fluttershy glanced around; the house seemed quiet. Maybe Discord wasn’t home? She trotted toward the kitchen to check. “Discord?” He wasn’t there. She trotted to one of his back windows and looked out into his yard—sometimes Discord liked to garden or play in the chaos. But no, he wasn’t out there. Fluttershy went to the living room next. “Disc—oh.” Fluttershy got quiet—Discord was curled up on his sofa, snoring, his face buried against a pillow. A teapot sat on the coffee table with an empty teacup beside it.
Fluttershy smiled and very quietly walked over and used one wing to move a quilt over his body. She stepped back—she would visit again later. Right now she was just happy to see Discord getting some well-deserved rest.
Then Discord gasped and tossed violently in his sleep.
Surprised, Fluttershy’s eyes went wide and she quickly flew back, hiding behind a bookshelf made of books.
“Mmmm….” Discord moaned and trembled a little. “No…”
Fluttershy frowned. Should she wake him up? Did waking up creatures from nightmares cause any problems? If only Princess Luna were here… Fluttershy didn’t know what else to do but wait close by and help if and when Discord needed it. Hopefully he would wake up soon and they could talk about his nightmare. He would feel better then: everypony had nightmares sometimes after all, but talking always helped.
“We won’t go back—you can’t have me back! No matter what it takes…. No!” Discord bolted up, clinging to the sofa and the blanket, eyes open wide and breaths fast.
Fluttershy was so surprised again that she instinctively hid even more behind Discord’s bookshelf.
The chaos master sat there for a moment, catching his breath and clutching his heart. Eventually his breaths slowed and he closed his eyes. He took a final deep inhale in and out. “I’m not scared. Nothing bad is happening. I’m okay. I…” He took another deep breath and collapsed back onto his sofa.
Fluttershy didn’t move. She would have felt bad trying to talk to him right now—she knew Discord didn’t like getting caught in vulnerable moments unexpectedly, and right now he seemed like he’d been through enough.
She could hear him still talking to himself though, faintly. He sounded different than she’d ever heard him…except for once, she realized: he sounded a little like that time he had said ‘I’m sorry’ to her after helping Tirek and then being betrayed. Like he was small and tired and sad. “Maybe I am a little scared of everything changing. Feeling that way can’t be wrong. I deserve to be happy too—and I’ll be happy once everything works out…” He settled more into the sofa. “I need to get back to sleep. I haven’t been sleeping enough lately.”
Then he didn’t speak anymore, and Fluttershy only heard light breathing.
She quickly walked backward to the hall closet, put in Discord’s key and turned. The door glowed. She opened it and stepped through the portal.
She found herself back in her own cottage. Fluttershy sighed and looked down. “There really is a problem—but he just didn’t want to worry me.” She looked at the key. “He sounds more than nervous about whatever’s coming up; like he’s scared. Could it really be the coronation that’s worrying him that much? At least it’s in only three weeks: maybe he’ll feel a little better once it’s all done. Then I can help him if anything else is bothering him.” She nodded to herself. “For now, I’ll just do my best to be a good friend to him. Maybe he is just going through a phase and some growing up like he said, but he shouldn’t have to do it alone.”
Fluttershy walked over to her desk, put a quill in her mouth, then wrote on a scroll and folded it up. Discord had enchanted her mailbox a while ago so that any letter she put in there addressed to him would automatically teleport into his cottage mailbox (a safeguard for preventing lost or delayed mail after the ‘missing Gala invitation’ incident a while ago).
Fluttershy tried to smile as she took the furled up scroll in her hoof. “I’ll invite him over for an extra tea party this week. I’ll clear the whole afternoon and put out his favorite snacks. And he can sleep over on the sofa, and in the morning we’ll have carrot muffins with Angel Bunny and then we’ll visit the animal sanctuary. We’ll just enjoy being together, no worries about anything else” She trotted outside and slipped the scroll into her mailbox. The box glowed, and then the scroll was gone. “I’ll make sure he has some time to just relax and have fun. We’ve never talked about it, but I’m pretty sure fun and relaxing are very key components to being a healthy being of chaos.”
Fluttershy took a deep breath, and her easy smile returned. She looked at her cottage and then out at the fields and woods around her. “Discord’s helped us out so much the last few years—without him, I’m not sure if we’d have Equestria as peaceful and happy as it is right now. And if I’m going to be part of taking care of it, it’s nice to know I have a friend like Discord to support me.” Her smile brightened a little. “Maybe after the coronation I’ll let him know that, and I’ll remind him that I’m always here to support him too. It’ll be the least I could say to thank him for everything and for whatever surprise he’s planning.”
She walked back inside of her cottage, touching the key around her neck to Discord’s cottage. He wanted her around, and she would be there for her friend because she wanted him around too, no matter what would come next in their lives for everyone.