//------------------------------// // Tied Up // Story: Tangled Red String // by GeekCat //------------------------------// Discord slowly blinked awake, stretching all the kinks out of his back. He glanced out the window and saw that Luna'a moon was still shining, no sign of the sun. He rolled off of Fluttershy's couch onto a pocket of air, glancing lazily around the cottage. Fluttershy was perhaps the sweetest being he knew of. He considered himself lucky to have her as a soulmate. Even now, if he focused, he could feel her presence upstairs through their bond, feeling a sense of peace as she soundly slept. He looked through the cottage again. She was sweet, so sweet, to give him a place to stay. But sometimes he felt trapped. Never when she was around, of course. But sometimes, when he woke up early like this, he felt so...stifled. Like the walls were closing in on him, what with their perfect right angles and orderly patterns. He felt like he was drowning in all this order, even if it would disappear in a few hours as animals would come inside of the house, seeking out the kind pegasus. But there would always be some order underneath. Something inside of his brain was itching, telling him to change the cottage in some way: to tear off the wallpaper, rip up floorboards, to turn it upside down, to burst out of the wall and let chaos flood through the town, bursting out of him like a dam. He shivered at the thought, a smile twitching onto his face. But Fluttershy was upstairs. This was her home, and if it changed, she would be upset. Just as she could be upset and leave him if the town was suddenly struck by a freak storm of chaos. He forced himself to breathe deeply, to stop his shivering and bring his claws away from a snapping position. With another deep breath, he opened her window and flew off in the direction of the Everfree Forest. He was able to breathe more easily the second he escaped the normalcy of the cottage and headed towards his special place, thoughts of chaos already running through his head. He'd have until the sun rose, when Fluttershy would wake up and come downstairs to have breakfast with him. He quickly darted through the forest, dodging trees as though he knew them by heart—which he did. Soon, he came across a curtain of vines and leaves, a perfectly normal thing to see in a forest. He walked around the curtain, nodding in satisfaction when he saw nothing but forest on both sides. With his paw, he pulled back the curtain and stepped through—into a grove of chaos. A lake of chocolate milk lay in the center, surrounded by a bank of chocolate pudding, and rocks of rock candy. His storm cloud collection was rumbling in the corner, the trophies from a few heists in Cloudsdale. A bucket of bruised apples was off to the side (who would throw those out? They were the best kind!), next to a wreck of a raft. The pink grass under his feet swayed in a soft breeze, chiming musically. Discord sighed in relief, taking a seat on his throne, right next to the lake. He decided he was bored with chocolate milk and turned the lake into soda, adding in a couple of upside-down waterfalls. The rocks started to skip and dance, skipping to the tune of the grass, which gained new colors and tones. He disorganized his cloud collection, and nibbled on a bruised apple as he took his raft to the middle of the soda lake. He gazed contentedly at the dawn as he sank into the lake with his sorry excuse of a raft. ...the dawn... He bolted upright, flying out of the lake. He made sure his illusions were still up as he tore through the curtain, magicking soda off of himself as he flew back towards the cottage. Discord slowed down slightly once he saw the cottage. He needed to calm down, slow down his breathing. If Fluttershy sensed him through the bond, she'd wonder why he was so nervous. He didn't want her to know his secret, to know how stifled he felt. She'd try so hard to please him, or she'd blame herself for it...he shook his head. He took a few deep breaths, slowing his heartbeat. He let his thoughts drift towards what breakfast with Fluttershy would be like. She'd fix herself something small, asking sweetly if he'd like anything. Soon, she'd fly off to care for the animals, inviting him to come. But until then, her attention would be fully on him, and his on her. A smile spread on his face. With happiness in his heart, he decided to risk sensing her through the bond. She was definitely awake, and...worried. It seemed like she was looking for something, and worried that it wasn't there. Gulping, he plastered the smile back on his face, and flew calmly towards the cottage. He made it towards the door before it suddenly burst open, revealing Fluttershy's worried face. "There you are!," she sighed. "I was so worried! I didn't see you on the couch this morning, and..." Discord patted her on the head with his paw. "I merely woke up early and decided to go for a walk," he said, scratching behind her ears. It was hopefully enough of the truth to not be suspicious. "I'm sorry to have worried you, dear Fluttershy." That was undoubtedly true. She leaned into his touch, an action that made his heart melt. "Okay...could you leave a note next time?," she asked softly. "I was just worried when you disappeared suddenly." She opened the door a little wider. "Come in, please! I was just about to make breakfast. Do you want anything?" Pastries. Baskets of them, in every existing and non-existing flavor. On top of pancakes, covered in different syrups. With a side of chaos. "Pancakes sound nice," he answered, floating in behind her. He shoved down memories of creating whole towns constructed of breakfast, rivers of maple syrup. He focused solely of Fluttershy mixing batter, occasionally creating an ingredient and handing it to her. Breakfast was a simple affair, though Discord performed a few small tricks that made Fluttershy smile. The syrup bottle floated in the air while butter pats skated and jumped between bowls and plates. He resisted the urge to do something crazier, like turning the table into a pastry and their chairs into cream. She flew out the door, ready to express her caring nature to any creature that needed it. She was so happy, and that made him happy. Happy enough to mask that itching he felt. Discord had turned in early last night, claiming he was tired. (Which he was, actually.) This let him wake up even earlier before dawn, and he quickly darted into the forest before the itching, drowning feeling came back. He transformed the lake back into chocolate milk, then added a few more reverse waterfalls, and a long, winding lazy river. He played with some of his cloud collection before tossing them into the sky, watching their new, crazy effects. With a snap of his fingers, his throne turned into an inflatable raft and splashed into the lazy river. He lay on top of it, staring up at his clouds. Some were still normal, just raining in the wrong direction. Others were made of blue cotton candy and raining strawberry milk. Others kept molding themselves into fun shapes. One just rained a constant downpour of liquid rainbow. A yawn escaped him. With a snap, he had a downy feather pile under his head, and he made himself comfortable, letting the lazy river make its own path. He watched as forest rolled by, snapping his fingers in a steady rhythm and changing the world around him. Discord stirred and blinked awake as something cold and wet splashed onto his face. He wiped it off with his paw, sitting upright and looking at his surroundings. The lazy chocolate river had continued on its path, leaving his throne raft beached on its shore. Feathers were drifting slowly down it. Signs of his chaos were sprinkled around him, from puddles of cream to flying oranges. His cloud collection was still floating overhead, and— And the sun was already fairly high in the sky. That jolted him awake. With a squeak, he snapped his talons and teleported to the edge of the treeline near Fluttershy's cottage. As soon as he was there, he was hit with a wave of worry from her. With a deep sigh, he landed on the ground and approached the cottage. There was not point in trying to hide his feelings in the bond. He rubbed at his paw, where three butterflies lay, and wished for her to know that he was there, and sorry for losing track of time. The worry slowly disappeared, and Fluttershy opened the front door, running out to meet him. "I'm sorry," she said, "But there wasn't a note—" "I'm sorry," he murmured, bending down to hug her. "I'm sorry." He held her tightly against him, nuzzling against her neck. She leaned closer, running her hoof through his mane. He tried to suppress a sigh, though it still escaped from him. "Do you still want breakfast?," she asked. "I hope it's okay I started making toast..." He made a noncommittal noise, releasing her front the embrace and floating into the cottage behind her. She served him two slices of toast, which he covered in every kind of spread he could find before messily devouring them. Fluttershy just giggled and handed him a napkin before nibbling on her own toast. He didn't know why, but he felt so tired. And not the good kind of tired that came after spreading chaos for a full day or three, where he'd curl up in a cozy bed and sleep for the next month. No, he felt...drained. And that cursed itch was still there. Of course, he didn't even entertain the thought of telling Fluttershy. Oh no. She would worry and fuss, which would be sweet, but she would bundle him in blankets and maybe leave him alone to fetch something, and those rectangular perfect walls would start closing in on him again, as though they were waiting for him to be alone and—he pushed away the thought. He couldn't let her sense it. She headed off to care for her animals, and he quickly followed. He summoned a nice hammock in between two trees and settled down for a quick rest. Discord heard voices, and one of them wasn't Fluttershy's. This was enough to make him sit upright and see what was happening. He felt a bit of relief seeing it was just Rainbow Dash. She was flying above Fluttershy's head, rubbing at her right hoof, her eyes furrowed, a frown set on her face. She was saying something. Discord pulled at his ear, enlarging it so he could hear. "...been itching like crazy," Rainbow ranted. "And I just feel so...mad! How am I suppose to take a nap when AJ gets worked up?" She scratched at the three apples emblazed on her right hoof. Fluttershy sighed. "I'm not sure why you came to me," she said. "You've had more experience with soulmate bonds then me." "Yeah, but I figured you'd have the hardest one," said Rainbow. "Since you're bound to the Spirit of Chaos and all." "Well, everything's been easy, actually! We hardly ever sense things from each other without meaning to, and he is just such a sweetheart." Discord buried his face in his hands, even knowing they couldn't see him. Even his neck was turning pink. He heard Rainbow snort in disbelief, and felt a short pang of disappointment from Fluttershy. He rolled his ear back up into its small, compact form, thinking of how he could casually fly up to the two pegasi without alerting them to his spying. As he was leaving his hammock, though, a cloud of dust in the distance caught his eye. He placed his hands to his right eye, and with a twist, his eye enlarged into a telescope, which he carefully focused at the front of the dust cloud. It was Applejack, galloping at an incredible pace, her emerald eyes looking almost red. A rope was held tightly between her grit teeth, the other end hidden in the cloud of dust forming behind her. With each hoofstep, she let out an angry snort, steam practically pouring out of her nostrils. Discord let go of his eye, letting it hang limply like a deflated balloon from his socket. He turned to look at the pegasi, who had already noticed the dust cloud. Rainbow's eyes lit up, and she flew forward to meet the earth pony, while Fluttershy glanced over at Discord. She cringed and tapped at her right eye. He turned away and twisted his antler, reeling the eyeball back into place. He blinked a few times, then continued to watch Applejack, who was now much closer. My, she moves fast. Rainbow flew over to her, her hoof raised in greeting, but was pushed aside as the earth pony continued her one-pony stampede. Applejack's eyes were darting around, scanning Fluttershy's yard. They focused on him and narrowed, looking even redder, if that was possible. She changed course and charged directly at him. Discord hissed like a cat, his hackles raised, and climbed up the tree behind him. He found a spot on a nice, thick branch and laid there on his stomach, tucking his hands underneath his chest. Earth ponies can't climb trees!, he thought smugly, Unless I do something like give them fingers... He snapped out of his thoughts when Applejack came to the base of his tree, glaring up at him. He stuck his tongue out at her, which made the sound of a noisemaker before it curled back up into his mouth. She growled, her eyes narrowing, before turning around— And bucking the tree. He clung to his branch for dear life as the entire tree shook. His claws were unsheathed, and dug into the bark of the tree. His dragon's foot dug itself in, while his goat leg just tried to seek somewhere it wouldn't dangle weakly over the edge. Applejack bucked the tree again, forcing him to grip the branch even more. Even his tails was tied around the limb in a knot. Applejack was shouting something, but it was muffled by the rope in her mouth. "What was that?," he asked, leaning his grinning head towards her, splaying out his ear. She spat out the rope. "Don't try and act cute! Yer gonna pay for what you did to ma farm!" She struck the tree again, and Discord yelped. The two pegasi had already flown over. "Oh dear. Applejack, please stop. I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding," Fluttershy said. "Yeah! I've never even been to your farm!," added Discord. I only snapped up some of the stuff you were already throwing out! Applejack snorted and grabbed onto the rope, pulling it forward. The other end was a lasso wrapped around a fluffy storm cloud...a storm cloud pouring liquid rainbow. "And there's more like this at the farm," she growled, "Plus a river of chocolate milk. Our trees are bein' exposed to elements they should never naturally encounter, and who else could be behind this?" Discord fought to keep the blood from draining from his face I didn't put them back, did I... Rainbow growled under her breath, then flew towards him, striking him in his stomach. The air was knocked out of him, and his grip on the branch was loosened. Applejack bucked the tree..and down he fell. He crashed onto his stomach, quickly flipping himself over and backing up against the tree. His claws were still unsheathed, and he could feel his lips pulling back slightly to show his fangs, predatory instincts flowing through him. And in his veins, he felt something far more dangerous—his chaos magic. It was screaming at him, chanting to turn these ponies into fish and throw them into the chocolate lake to live in, then burn the forest and grow it back again, to run into town and open the earth and sky until nothing was left but his beautiful chaos. Rainbow was hovering over him, pounding her hooves against each other. Applejack was still glaring, but her eyes weren't red, and she didn't look quite as ready to strangle him. But he still wasn't safe. He twisted his tail behind his back, his head buzzing. He'd turn all the ponies next to him into fish, and teleport them into the lake! Just before he could snap, though, Fluttershy flew in front of the others. "Wait, please! I'm sure this was just an accident!" She turned to look at him. "Right, Discord?" He let his tail fall limp. Her eyes showed complete trust, and the same thing radiated from the bond. She was willing to listen to him, even after he— He...he almost turned her into a fish with the other two. He was so close to harming the only pony who was willing to give him a chance, striking against ponies who were rightfully angry at him. And the thoughts of harming them were still buzzing in the back of his brain. A cold tendril of guilt squeezed at his heart, which sank into his stomach. Fluttershy frowned, holding her right hoof with a shiver. "...Discord?," she said softly, reaching out to him. He felt a large wave of concern coming from her, concern he didn't deserve. He snapped his talons and disappeared in a flash of light. The first thing he did was gather his storm clouds from Sweet Apple Acres, and roll the chocolate river up like a carpet. He then teleported to his chaos grove and threw up as many illusion spells as he could, even creating a bubble-like shield around his area. Once he was done, and stopped shaking at the thought of Applejack or Rainbow crashing through the trees into his special spot, he fell to the ground with a sigh. The multicolored grass made the sound of crashing instruments as he fell on top of it. He flopped over onto his back, staring up at the sky through the sheen of his illusion. His chaos magic was still buzzing in him, urging him to act. He weakly snapped his fingers, making a dark cloud hung over him, drenching him with sweet-smelling water. His hand flopped back onto the soggy ground as the rain soaked his fur. The magic still wanted more, but he silently told it to shut it. It had made him damage Applejack's farm, it made him leave Fluttershy's homey cottage every morning, and it almost made him hurt his soulmate—the magic had no right to demand anything from him! He growled at himself. He had come so close to losing it, to falling back, after all Fluttershy had done for him! He honestly didn't deserve her as a soulmate, platonic or otherwise. He glanced around his chaos grove. Perhaps he could hide here for a few decades, changing locations if ponies came too close. Equestria would forget about him, expect for a few ghost stories. It would be better for everypony, especially Fluttershy. The sound of hoofbeats made his ears perk up. He jumped off of the ground, ready to teleport away, but stopped himself before he snapped. He had put up multiple illusions, a shield, and a spell to make ponies instinctively avoid this area. All he needed to do was wait for whoever it was to leave. Six ponies came into his vision, stopping just a few feet away from his bubble. It was the Element Bearers. "Girls, we need a plan if we're going to find Discord," said Twilight. "And when we find him, we'll all talk to him together." The others begrudgingly nodded. "Rainbow, scan the forest from above and see if you can spot him. Applejack, search the east side of the forest. Pinkie, west. Rarity, you stay near the entrance and see if he comes back out. Fluttershy, search the north." Her horn lit up. "I'm going to scan for any sign of chaos magic." The group cheered and broke apart. Rainbow tore through the tree branches, Applejack and Rarity cantered off, Pinkie bounced away, and Twilight teleported away. Fluttershy hovered in the air, looking ready to take off, but paused glanced around. "...Discord?," she said quietly, making him flinch. "I know you're there. It's okay to come out." She rubbed at her right hoof, closing her eyes in concentration. He was hit with a mixture of emotions—worry, pity, sadness, and concern. He wanted to reach out, to comfort her. His paw was already stretching towards her before he grabbed it, shoving it back down to his side. She opened her eyes and glanced around her. Did she...sense that?, Discord thought, wringing his tail. He tried to shrug off the idea. Even if she had felt his presence, she wouldn't be able to pinpoint where he was, or see him under his illusions. Still, it was unnerving when she manged to look him in the eyes through his shield. He gulped, telling himself it was a coincidence. Even when she flew forward, straight towards him, he wrung his tail again and reminded himself that he had put up several barriers and repulsion spells. She stopped right where Discord knew there would be a barrier that would lightly push against her. He held his breath, waiting for her to fly away, then he could safely leave and find a deserted island somewhere to inhabit. She turned...and sat down, leaning against his barrier. Yeah, she definitely knew he was there. "I know talking about things like this can be difficult," she said, "But if you don't do it, nothing's going to get better. Please, Discord...just let me in." He hesitated, then slowly stepped towards her. With a snap of his fingers, the barrier was dispelled, though he held the illusions up. He quickly summoned a pillow as Fluttershy fell to the ground. She landed with a wheeze, the breath knocked out of her, sending a pang of guilt through him. She slowly got back onto her hooves, her mouth dropping open as her eyes scanned his chaos grove. She shook her head, focusing her gaze on Discord, her attention flicking to the cloud raining on him for just a second, and he sensed a mixture of confusion and pity from her. His hackles almost rose. He hated being pitied. He jabbed at the cloud with his talon, making it pop like a soap bubble. A smile flickered on Fluttershy's face, but disappeared as she started to approach him. When she was just a few feet away, he grabbed his tail, watching her warily. She stopped right there and sat down, gesturing for him to do the same. He did so, tucking his legs into a pretzel shape, hands on his knees. "Is there...anything you'd like to say?," asked Fluttershy. He quickly shook his head. She raised an eyebrow, which caused him to freeze before he started to slowly nod. "Yes...but I don't know where to start. And...I don't really want to say it," he muttered. "I know it's hard," she said. "Is it alright if I ask you some questions? You don't have to answer them if they make you uncomfortable." He hesitated, but nodded. "Okay. First...did you mean to cause chaos at Applejack's farm?" He quickly shook his head. "No, of course not! I mean, I did it, but it was purely accidental! I just forgot to put everything back in its place." She breathed a sigh of relief, a smile on her face. "Okay, t-that's good. I was sure of that, but..." She scuffed at the ground with her hoof, glancing around the grove. "And...how long have you been making chaos here?" He looked away. "...I started a few days after moving in with you," he said quietly. She was quiet. "I just...it was too orderly. I couldn't take it. But I didn't want to change your home." "Didn't you say you'd make your own pocket dimension? What happened?" He rubbed the back of his neck. "I made it sound easier than it is. I'm not quite ready for interdimensional travel yet, much less making my own dimension. It doesn't help that I've been feeling so tired all the time." She looked him in the eye. "When you say you wake up early and go for a walk, is this where you come?" He nodded. "Have you being planning on coming here so early intentionally?" He hesitated, but slowly nodded. "Do you think that's why you're so tired? I mean, you're waking up early and then using a lot of magic." He bristled up, opening his mouth to defend himself. His mouth snapped shut with a click as he realized that she wasn't being accusatory, and she was also completely right. He crossed his arms with a huff, letting his frustration shine through the bond. "It's okay to feel annoyed, especially when you're sleep-deprived," she assured him. He let out a "Harumph." She continued, "But I'm sure that once you get some rest, you can make your own chaotic space! And I'm sure I can help you find some spot to make chaos in until you're all rested up—" "Stop," he grunted. "P-please, stop." She froze, staring at him questioningly. He covered his eyes with a paw so she couldn't look him directly in the eye. "You're...you're too good, Fluttershy. I don't deserve you." She gasped. "How can you say that? You've changed! You turned away from evil, you stopped trying to take over Equestria! You can't be faulted for causing chaos if it's part of who you are!" He glanced at her over his paw. She was breathing heavily, gazing at him with such sincerity and trust. He uncovered his eyes, shifting his gaze to the ground. "...You're...not...entirely right," he whispered. The wind blew through the grove, but not even the musical grass dared to make a sound. He sighed. "I know I said I'd change my ways, but...I still want...I want to wreak havoc, to cause chaos. Some small part of me still wants to take Equestria by force." She wasn't saying anything. He silently begged her to say something, to stop him. "It-It whispers to me at night. I can't fall asleep because it floods my mind." He clamped his mouth shut, turning away from her. He willed himself to not reach through the bond for her reaction, not wanting to feel the fear and hatred that was surely there. His ear twitched as he heard her soft hoofsteps, but didn't turn to look, not wanting to see the painful sight of her walking away from him. He gasped when he felt a soft touch on his lower back. His head snapped around. There she was, right next to him, a gentle hoof laid on his side. She gazed at him with sympathy, sitting down next to him and leaning her head against him. "It's alright," she whispered. "Y-your whole life you've only worried about yourself and your chaos...a-and now everything's changing. It's...it's not going to just go away suddenly. Thoughts of your life before, I mean." His eyes widened, remembering flashes of her memories he had seen in their first connection. She had believed her whole life that she had no soulmate, just as he had believed he was utterly alone in the world. Was she going through the same struggles as him? Even without magic screaming in her veins, her life had also been turned on its head. He reached out with his paw and grabbed her right hoof, closing his eyes. With all the energy he could muster, he tried to open the connection, thinking of every moment they had shared together. When they'd first met. The first time he made her laugh. Their first tea party. Her inviting him into her cottage, telling him he could stay. Their kiss. "I don't want to leave you," he murmured, opening his eyes. Her own eyes fluttered open slowly. "You don't have to," she said, leaning against him. He sighed. "Your home, it's too...orderly. Whenever you're not there, I feel...overwhelmed by it. Uncomfortable." "Why don't I sleep next to you?" She blushed, hiding behind her mane "I-if me being there will help you feel comfortable. Until you're ready to make that dimension. A-and you're free to cause chaos to make yourself at home! Anything that doesn't hurt any creature is alright..." "...That sounds nice." His voice was so thin. He couldn't remember ever being this vulnerable before he met her. But he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she was the one pony who would never, ever hurt, shun, or manipulate him for showing weakness. "And my home is always open to you! I just don't want you to be uncomfortable," she said, nuzzling his side. He bit his lip, trying to stifle a whimper. "...What about my...well, wanting to..." He gulped. "I don't think your friends will be quite as accepting of the fact that I'd like to...take over Equestria." She sighed. "I know. But...you haven't done anything. They shouldn't hold that against you. Everypony has thoughts of horrible things sometimes." She wrapped her hooves around him. "And, um...I think you might be considering...that...because there's no other way to use your magic." He stared down at her. "What do you mean?" "W-well, you've only ever used your magic for yourself, right? A-and now, you're being told you can't, or you feel like you can't. You have your magic, and you can't use it as much as you used to, or in the ways you used to...and nopony's given you an alternative." She buried his face in her fur. "I'm so sorry. I never thought of that before. I'm...I'm such a terrible soulmate." His eyes widened. He grabbed her under her forehooves and lifted her up to his eye level. She squeaked, trying to hide behind her mane. He pressed his forehead to hers, staring her right in the eyes. "You are not terrible," he hissed. "You are wonderful, sweet, and impossibly kind. If either of us is terrible, it's ME! I sneaked away from you, after you opened your home to me. I hid things from you, when I knew you were worried. I didn't talk to you about what I was thinking, because...I don't know how to trust you. Or anypony." He quickly blinked, his eyes burning, his vision blurring. "I...I care about you. I want to be with you, by your side. I want to trust you. I just don't know how." She reached out, brushing her hoof against his cheek. It looked wet when she pulled it away. She slowly closed her eyes, leaning her forehead against his, returning the pressure. Her hooves snaked around his neck, and began rubbing at his mane. To his horror, strangled sounds came from his throat, and he felt something pouring down his muzzle. They stayed like that for some time. Her friends wandered by, saying they couldn't find him, and eventually walked away, heading towards Fluttershy's cottage. The two of them ignored everything around them, Fluttershy gently comforting Discord, who cried for the first time he could even remember. Eventually, his breathing became less labored, and tears stopped flowing down his cheeks. He slowly released his grip on Fluttershy, and her gentle stroking slowed. He opened his eyes, drinking in the sight of her. Her pink mane was shimmering in the orange sunlight, her teal eyes glittering as she offered him a soft, caring smile. I want to kiss you. She blinked in shock, and he covered his mouth. "...I said that aloud, didn't I?" She nodded, a slight frown on her face. "I...I wouldn't mind that..." She whispered. Before he could lean forward, she continued, "But...I don't think we should. We...we still need to figure out what we are. You said you're not used to trusting ponies. And...I'm not used to having a soulmate, either. We...we both have some things to work through before we can take that next step." "...I understand," he said. She smiled softly, though her eyes still seemed sad. She started to walk towards the edge of his grove. He floated behind her, snapping his fingers to dispel most of his defensive spells. She spoke up again as they walked through the forest. "I think you should go explain what happened at Sweet Apple Acres to Applejack. Don't worry, I'll be right by your side. And then we can go home...you can sleep next to me tonight, if you think that will make you feel better. And you can cause chaos, and maybe talk with Celestia tomorrow, to see if you could use your magic to help—" He quickly scooped her up into his arms, nuzzling her. She froze, surprised, but nuzzled him back. He held her, feeling trust and acceptance from their bond. "I'll do all of that. But for now...can we just stay like this?," he whispered. She nodded, and he stood their for several minutes. Once he was ready, he took a deep breath and let her go. She flew ahead, and he followed her without hesitation. They left the forest, heading forward.