//------------------------------// // The Break // Story: A Discordic Adventure // by GeekCat //------------------------------// The day just seemed to fly by, even with their long break for a picnic lunch, and the frequent stops they made to watch some interesting animal on their path. Fluttershy and Discord were deep in conversation for most of the way, one or the other occasionally using their magic in some small way to help or show off to the other. Pinkie was always nearby, grinning widely as she watched them and giving them a little space whenever they were particularly occupied with observing or even helping an animal together. But now, evening was approaching. The trio emerged from the forest and climbed up a short hill, where the sun’s dying rays brushed over a field of flowers, the gleaming white city of Duloc not terribly far away. “Well, Princess, there it is,” Discord said, pausing at the top of the hill and gesturing out towards the horizon, where the city of Duloc lay before him. “Your future awaits you.” “Yeah!” Pinkie said, nodding rapidly. “A future in a stifling castle with a guy you don’t know anything about! It’ll be like a surprise!” Fluttershy bit her bottom lip while Discord sighed. “Yeeeeeah,” he said, glancing once more back at the kingdom that had brought him all this trouble. “Either way, I… suppose we should get a move on.” He didn’t see Fluttershy bite down her lip even harder. “P-Pinkie!” she blurted. “Huh?!?” Pinkie said, looking towards her. “What’s up, buttercup?” “W-Well, it’s just…” I don’t want to go. “Um…” I don’t want to say goodbye to either of you! I don’t want Discord to go back! I need more time with him! But Fluttershy found her lips blocked by a bubblegum pink hoof. “Say no more! I know EXACTLY what you’re gonna say!” “You… You do?” “Yeparoo! You wanna celebrate, don’t ya?!? And you’ve never even TRIED my famous cupcakes! But don’t worry, Fluttershy!” She began to hop off.  “Leave it to me! I’ll go make some! Just stay right here, don’t move, and I’ll be back in a jiff!” Fluttershy’s eyebrows creased in confusion. “But we’re in a forest, and Duloc is the other way… How are you going to…?” She startled as she felt a finger on her lips.  “Don’t question it,” Discord said, quickly removing his finger and missing her blushing face as he sat down on a rock. “I’ve known that loony tune for only a few days, but she will be back with cupcakes. I guarantee it.” “O-Oh,” Fluttershy said, before sitting down. “...Okay.” An awkward moment of silence passed, before Discord started tapping the rock he sat on. “...You thirsty?” “Hmmm?” “Thirsty. Because you know, as limited as my magic is, there are still plenty of tricks up my sleeve that you have yet to see. For example…” He held up a solitary pointer finger, and looked up at the sky. Eying a cloud, he levitated it over, and the cloud began to change. It curled within itself and expanded, its fluffy white exterior slowly changing hue to become a shade of cotton candy pink.  Fluttershy’s eyes widened as it sank down to them, and Discord took two mugs out of thin air. With the snap of his fingers, the cloud shrank and became just big enough for the cups, and began to rain! “Um, Discord, that water is…” “Aha! But that’s where you’re wrong, little bird horse! You think I want water? Pffft, no! And brown water is gross. No, that’s not what I’m giving you.” He grabbed the second mug and handed it to her. “Go on. Have some.” He bent his head back and took a swig, followed by a long sigh. “Ahhhhh~.” Fluttershy took a sniff and gasped. “Is this…?” She took a sip to confirm, and a wide smile bloomed on her face. “Oh, Discord, that’s wonderful! It’s chocolate almond milk!” “Bingo, give the mare a prize!” he said, snapping his fingers again, causing a flower crown of marigolds to drop onto her head.  She giggled. “Thank you,” she said before taking another drink. It had been so long since she’d had such a treat! It had been too long since she had had a lot of things that Discord and Pinkie had given her in the past few days. “...You’re welcome.” The sincerity in his voice made Fluttershy feel butterflies in the pit of her stomach. Who knew that Discord was even capable of speaking to her in such a way…? She stole a glance at him, and he smiled at her. He picked up his mug. “Cheers?” She smiled and brought her mug to tap against his. “Cheers.” Discord took another drink. “You know, back in my dimension, there are plenty of things I could show you… Things that make this cotton candy cloud and chocolate milk rain look like mere child’s play!” he said. “Maybe… sometime you could come down, and I could show you. I do love to show off, after all. It’s good for my ego.” Fluttershy gasped and put her hooves together. “R-Really? You’d… You’d let me come and visit? But… I thought you didn’t like visitors! Especially not ponies!” Discord blushed, bringing his hand to the back of his neck. “Well, that’s because they usually come without my permission! And I’m giving you permission, aren’t I? So it’s different!” His ears twitched at the sound of another giggle.  But her smile was genuine when he dared to glance at her. “I’d like that,” she said. The setting sun was behind her, giving her a glow that almost looked as if it was a halo encompassing her entire body. It made Discord’s throat tight in a way that wasn’t totally terrible. “Um… Princess Fluttershy…?” “Yes, Discord?” “Ah…I…” “Aaaaaand here you go!” Pinkie shouted, suddenly appearing and setting down a plate of three perfectly delicious cupcakes, complete with paper liners. “My famous cupcakes, as promised!  She inserted herself between Fluttershy and Discord, forcing them farther apart as she picked up the plate, pointing to each one.  “This one is lemon-raspberry, which I thought you’d like, Discord, for the tang! And Fluttershy, I made you a niiiiiiice carrot cake cupcake, ‘cause that’s a national favorite, and you haven’t had one in so long! As for me, I made myself a cookies and cream cupcake! And not a peanut butter and chocolate one, because it wracks me with guilt!”’ Discord and Fluttershy exchanged a look. But Pinkie continued, taking a bite of her cupcake. “Mmm-mmm! Delicious! ‘Course, we could also just share all three of them! It’s up to you guys! And boy, look at that!” She pointed up at the sky. “Looks like I made them in just enough time for us to watch the sunset! Ooh, it’s gonna be so pretty and romantic!” Fluttershy gasped. “S-Sunset?!? Already? Oh, dear, it’s late, it’s so late…” Pinkie quirked her head. “Yeah, but--” Then it dawned on her. “Ohhhhh! I get it! You’re afraid of the dark, aren’t you?!?” Fluttershy blinked. Pinkie’s assumptions were being very helpful for her today. “Um, yes! Yes, I’m terrified! I… I’d better go inside the tower now. I’ll… I’ll see you in the morning! Goodnight!”  She flew off as fast as she could. “NIghty night!” Pinkie said, waving at her. Discord sighed. “Goodnight, Flutters,” he murmured. But he wasn’t the only one with good hearing. A smirk grew on PInkie’s face. “‘Flutters’, huh?” Discord used one eye to look over to her. “Hmmm?” “Don’t play coy with me, mister,” she said, lightly punching him on the upper arm. “You loooooooove her! And ya know what, I think she likes you too!” Discord blinked, shocked at her words, before shaking his head and growling. “What? What are you talking about? Because I don’t think you even know what you’re saying. And trust me, I’ve said a good deal of nonsense in my time!” “Awww, c’mon, Cordy!” PInkie said, rolling her eyes. “Even I can see that you two can’t stop thinking about each other. I don’t need my Pinkie Sense to tell me that. Wake up and smell the cupcakes! You can’t take her to Lord Tirek. You should tell her how you feel instead. And then I can bake your wedding cake!” Discord couldn’t stop himself from blushing, and curled his paw into a fist. “Pinkie, the very idea of me being in… in… that particular emotion, with any other creature other than myself, is utterly insane! You should know by now that chaos is my lady, and no other.” “Chaos isn’t a lady, and Fluttershy is, and you love her and you need to marry her!” Pinkie insisted. “No! That’s--There’s nothing to tell, all right? And even if I did feel that way about the yellow birdhorse--which I don’t--it would never work out! She’s a princess, and I’m a tyrant of chaos. I start mobs while she kisses baby animals who follow her around wherever she goes. That’s how it is. And ponies would never let that change. Even if I wanted it to.” Pinkie’s ears fell back as she frowned. She put a hoof on his arm.  “I would let that change.” Discord’s barely-existent shoulders sagged. He let Pinkie’s hoof lay there for a second before he stood up. “Where are you going?” “I’m going to get some firewood. I need something to munch on.” Pinkie’s frown continued to grow as he walked away. Discord walked a good distance away, stopping on a hillside that overlooked a field of rose bushes...and off in the not-so-great distance, Duloc. With a sigh, he sat down, staring at the sunset over Duloc as he propped his head up with his hands. What should I do? The sun sank below the horizon, and he still didn’t have a completely satisfactory answer. Pinkie waited for Discord to come back. But as the sun set and the stars came out, she felt a chill. Being alone in the dark was never fun—it was lonely, and cold, and she was well-aware that her pink fur made her stick out like a sore thumb (part of the reason those lizards had caught her in the first place). She glanced between the direction Discord had left in, and the building that Fluttershy had gone into. After a few moments of thought, she went to the building. The door opened with a loud creak, and Pinkie flinched, expecting the sound to have woken Fluttershy. But there was no response, except for a few birds preening their feathers, and the wind whistling through a few cracks in the walls. “Fluttershy?” Pinkie asked, creeping further into the building. She flinched as a flock of birds flew away, startled by her presence. “This is spooky...I just wanted to talk, and maybe have a night buddy who’s also scared of the dark…?” A strange figure watched from the shadows, quickly darting away as Pinkie came closer. The floorboards creaked up their feet, and they panicked as Pinkie’s ears twitched up. “Fluttershy?” she asked. The figure gulped and scampered towards the nearest ladder, quickly pulling themselves up the rungs and onto the upper level. There was more to this level, with things to hide behind, across a bridge of wooden planks...too close to a window. They waited patiently for Pinkie to begin searching, becoming focused on what was around her...and not looking forward to the bridge. They quickly darted onto it, flapping their thin wings in an effort to move faster. But as soon as they were halfway across the bridge, it trembled under their weight and collapsed. They screamed as they fell, a huge cloud of dust bursting around them as they tried to pull themselves out of the pile of broken wood. Pinkie had turned to see them, and they braced themselves for the inevitable reaction. Pinkie heard a great crash behind her, and whirled around. She gasped, her ears flattening against her skull. Looming high above her, shrouded by a cloud of dust, was a tall, thin, almost serpentine being, with parts that didn’t match— Another draconequus. Immediately, she shrieked and tried to rush back to the door. “Discoooooord!” she yelled. “I need help!” “P-Pinkie!” the strange draconequus said. “Please, please don’t yell!” It took a tentative step towards her...and a little bit of magic caused a web to appear in front of the door. They both seemed to flinch at this. Pinkie whirled back around, backing away. “How do you know my name!?” she said. “And what did you do to the princess!?” “Pinkie, Pinkie, it’s me,” the draconequus said pleadingly. “In this body…” “Oh my Faust, you ate the princess!?” Pinkie said, her eyes nearly bugging out of her sockets. The draconequus flinched, her ears pinning back against the sides of her skull. “P-princess Fluttershy, just hold on!” She turned and rushed towards the door, trying to tear away the sticky web. Her hooves just got very stuck, and she had to flail to escape rather than make any progress. “Discord! Discoooooord! Cordy!” she yelled as loudly as she could. She inhaled deeply, her chest expanding with how much air she took in. She opened her mouth, prepared to scream her head off to catch Discord’s attention...but before she could, she felt two paws grab her and quickly pull her out of the web, a pony-like tail covering her muzzle. “Mmmph!” she said, mostly in surprise as the draconequus turned her around and put her down. “Pinkie...please,” the draconequus said, bending down to meet Pinkie’s eye level. “This is me…” Pinkie’s eyes widened. Those teal eyes...they were Fluttershy’s. And the pink tail wrapped around her muzzle hadn’t changed a bit, aside from getting longer. She slowly relaxed, taking a step back and looking her up and down. Fluttershy took a step back as well, dropping her tail from Pinkie’s muzzle when it became clear she was going to stop screaming. She wrapped her arms around herself, looking away as Pinkie scrutinized her. Now that Pinkie wasn’t freaking out as much, she could get a better look at Fluttershy’s...new form. Her snout was longer and much narrower than her pony one, but her eyes were still the same. Her ears were now long, floppy bunny ones that hung almost to her shoulders. One of her wings was still a pegasus wing, though slightly bigger, while the other was a pink butterfly wing. Her front hooves had transformed into a rabbit paw and a cat paw, white and cream-colored respectively, while her back hooves were the same pony hooves...though longer, and now with the strength to support her much taller, if thinner, body. “You look, um…” Pinkie said, trying to find the right words. She wasn’t bad-looking, not at all, but it was hard to say that right after screaming in her face. “I’m hideous, okay?” Fluttershy said in a pained voice. “You don’t have to lie about it.” She stepped past her and carefully began to pull the web apart, before sighing and sitting down next to a barrel of water, averting her eyes from her reflection. “Well...no?” Pinkie said, taking a seat next to her. “I mean, you startled me, but it’s not that bad…” Fluttershy glanced at her, her eyes pained and lined with tears. Pinkie frowned and reached out to comfort her, but she flinched away. “How did this happen, anyway?” Pinkie asked in an attempt to change the subject. “Changing you seems like a prank Discord would pull...do I need to have a talk with him!?” “No,” Fluttershy said with a sigh. “It...doesn’t have anything to do with him. This has been happening to me for as long as I can remember.” “But...we’ve been together all the time for the past few days, and I’ve never seen you like this,” Pinkie said, tilting her head. “It only happens at night...after the sun goes down,” she said with a sigh. She glanced at her reflection for just a second. “‘By day one form, by night another...this shall be the norm, until you find true love’s first kiss, and then take love’s true form…’” “That’s, um...nice,” Pinkie said. “I didn’t know you wrote poetry.” Fluttershy shook her head. “It’s not one of my poems,” she said. “It’s a spell. When I was a little filly, someone—a witch, maybe—cast a curse on me. Every night, I become...this!” She gestured to her body. She wrapped her arms around herself, biting her lip and looking sadly at her reflection in the barrel of water. “I become this...ugly, horrible thing,” she said quietly. “I was placed in that tower to wait for the day my true love would rescue me. That’s why...that’s why I have to marry Lord Tirek tomorrow, before the sun sets and he—or anyone—sees me like this...” Her voice broke, and she pressed her rabbit paw against her mouth, failing to stifle a sob. “No...no, you’re not ugly!” Pinkie was quick to assure her, placing a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “You’re just not aesthetically pleasing in a way ponies like!” She grinned a little. “But...if Discord saw you like this? He’d probably go ‘ha-cha-chaa’!” “W-what!?” Fluttershy said, stunned. A blush spread across her muzzle. “And since he’d think you’re beautiful, and he and I are friends, then of course I think you’re beautiful, too!” Pinkie continued. She gasped, her eyes sparkling happily. “Ooh, do you think he’s pretty, too!? You should tell him! And you should show him yourself, just like this!” “T-t-tell him!?” Fluttershy squeaked. Her blush disappeared as her face became pale, and she placed a paw against her mouth. “N-no, I just...I can’t…” Pinkie tilted her head. “Why not?” she asked. “I mean...you two get along so well, and he’d probably be happy if you shared this with him. Why couldn’t you tell him, and maybe...maybe even stay with him!” Fluttershy was silent, quietly staring at her own reflection. She closed her eyes and turned back to Pinkie, taking a deep breath. Meanwhile, Discord was walking back to the building, gripping a blooming red rose in his paw. There were a few pricks on his palm because of it, but the task ahead (especially since he couldn’t find the right words at all!) seemed much more pressing. “So, um, princess,” he said. He shook his head. “No...too formal. Fluttershy?” He frowned. “Maybe...Fluttershy, I—well, I suppose for once I’ll indulge in that small talk you ponies love so much. Soooo… how are you? Good? Ah, good for me, too. I was just out for a stroll, and I saw this rose, and well, you know, I actually despise roses. They are just SO cliché. Seriously, why is it always a rose? I mean, I only brought you THIS one because it’s the only flower I was able to find, but why couldn’t it have been a nice monkey face orchid? Or a bird of paradise, or snake’s head, or even a flame lily?!? They’re SO much more interesting! But I guess even though I don‘t like roses, they ARE pretty in an overrated kind of way, so they made me think of you. Uh, I mean, not that I think YOU’RE cliché or overrated! I hate roses, but you’re different, I like you!” He groaned, pressing his forehead against his fist. “Why, why, why,” he growled. “Did I eat those books without even reading them once!?” He sighed. “I don’t know what I’m doing…” He glanced up and saw how close he was to the building. He sighed again, clutching the flower with both hands. “Right, well...here goes nothing,” he said, straightening up and stepping forward. As he neared the door, his ears twitched as the sound of two very familiar voices came through the closed door. It was muffled, but his hearing was always sharp.  By the sound of it, Pinkie and Fluttershy had been in deep conversation. “I shouldn’t listen,” he said. “That would be the polite thing to do…” “...true love’s kiss,” he heard Fluttershy say faintly. His ears perked right up. “Then again, when have I ever worried about politeness?” he said to himself. He leaned closer, pressing his ear against the door. Pinkie’s voice came through clearly, only a little muffled. “But Fluttershy, I really think that Discord—” “It doesn’t matter,” Fluttershy said, sounding upset. “Just...just look at me, Pinkie. I...I mean, could anyone honestly care for and love something so...so hideous and monstrous?” Discord froze, unable to move, his heart racing now for an entirely different reason. “‘Princess’ and ‘monster’ shouldn’t go together. That’s why...that’s why I have to marry Lord Tirek. I can’t just...just stay with Discord!” His heart that had been furiously thumping in his chest shuddered and froze at her words. He took a few steps back, reeling and trying to justify what he had just heard, trying to convince himself that he had misheard, that she hadn’t just… But there was no way she could be talking about any creature but him. He scowled down at the rose in his paw. Such a pretty thing...one that had pricked him with its thorns as soon as he tried to pick it. With a snort, he tossed it aside and walked away, shaking his head. He mentally berated himself for being so foolish...for thinking with his heart instead of with his head, as he should have. He took a deep breath, allowing himself to feel nothing but cold, hard anger...anything to smother the hurt. Another deep breath, and he opened his eyes again, focusing his sights on Duloc. He kept walking forward, her words fresh in his mind. He would not care. He would not be hurt. He wouldn’t. “Couldn’t you at least tell Discord the truth?” Pinkie pleaded with Fluttershy, unaware the draconequus had been listening and left. “I mean, you never know! He could get all excited, and then you’ll both be in love, and kiss, and you’ll live happily ever after!” She grinned, gesturing animatedly to Fluttershy’s body. The princess looked away, biting her lip and rubbing at her arm. For a long, long moment, she actually considered it. Discord was sweet, and he made her laugh...would he really accept her as she was…? A part of her immediately, instinctively balked at the idea. “No...no, I can’t tell him!” she said, shaking her head. “And...please, please don’t tell him either!” Pinkie frowned. “Well...I still feel like telling him would go well!” she said. “But...if you really don’t want him to know…” She pulled a cupcake out of nowhere. “I’ll keep your secret,” she said. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” She went through the motions of her Pinkie Promise, ending by pressing the cupcake into her face. “Pinkie Promise! I never break my promises.” Fluttershy smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Pinkie,” she said. “And...I’ll think about telling him…” The two of them sat in silence for a few moments. “...do you want to stay?” she finally asked. “I mean, you already know about…” She gestured to her asymmetric body. “And...it would be nice to...have someone near…” “Of course!” Pinkie said, hopping into the nearby pile of hay. “This’ll be like a sleepover! Sorry I didn’t bring any popcorn. I still have a few cupcakes, though!” “That’s okay,” Fluttershy said with a small smile, slowly laying on the hay next to Pinkie. “I’m full, anyway. And...pretty sleepy…” “Sleepy?” Pinkie said. “After all of those revelations and expositions? Me, I’m so excited, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to—!” Her head fell back onto the hay, and she began to snore without even finishing her sentence. Fluttershy giggled, shifting until she was comfortable, with only her tail hanging off of the hay and sprawling onto the floor. She sighed and closed her eyes, but despite feeling a bit tired, she couldn’t fall asleep right away. What if telling Discord was the right thing to do? Should she just...abandon the idea of marrying nobility, and give up a chance of breaking her curse by going against everything she was taught as a princess...for maybe a little bit of happiness? She wrapped her arms around herself, shutting her eyes tightly and wishing she didn’t need to make a decision like this, or worry about this...curse, and this form.