Many of the rooms in Twilight’s castle were of such a size and architecture that sound rang clearly throughout the space, yet seemed all the more insignificant for it. So it was that Fluttershy could listen in on her foals’ story time with Spike at one end of the west drawing room while simultaneously conversing privately with Twilight at their chess game at the room’s opposite end.
She pushed forward a pawn. “How has Cozy been coming along lately? I know she was giving you some trouble.”
“I wish I could say for sure,” sighed Twilight. “Luna visits her fairly regularly now, and I think Cozy has more respect for her than for me. I feel so bad about it. Luna already has enough on her plate reforming Tirek and helping Celestia out with Chrysalis. I’m the princess of friendship, and I can’t even handle my own reformation student!” Twilight, too, pushed forth a pawn, fixing it at a near diagonal to Fluttershy’s.
“But that’s not entirely true! Cozy may be locked in your pocket dimension, but she’s not your only reformation student right now, and your other one has already come a long way. And you’ve been managing all your royal duties on top of that! Princess of friendship or not, you’re still just one pony. I’d say the reformation progress you’ve overseen already is a great accomplishment.” Her hoof went to a bishop, swinging it out far through the hole her earlier pawn had left.
It was quiet as Twilight pondered her next move. Spike’s voice drifted across the room.
“...So when the moon rose they got up, but they could find no crumbs of bread, for the birds of the woods and of the fields had come and picked them up. Hansel thought they might find the way all the same, but they could not...”
“I suppose I know who you’re talking about,” replied Twilight to Fluttershy. “I haven’t done any kind of formal assessment on his progress yet. Oh, I see what you’re doing here. My queen’s in danger, but if I take out your bishop, you’ve got your knight ready to go. You’re forcing me to block you with this pawn.” She placed her own pawn in the bishop’s path to the queen. “Anyway, do you really think he’s much improved?”
Fluttershy nodded. “It’s hard to believe I’m saying this, but yes. He’s given every indication of trustworthiness.”
From across the room: “...About noon they saw a pretty snow-white bird sitting on a bough, and singing so sweetly that they stopped to listen. And when he had finished the bird spread his wings and flew before them, and they followed after him until they came to a little house...”
The black bishop held its position while a black pawn took one step forward, and Fluttershy folded her hooves back in her lap. “How long were you thinking to keep him confined as he is?”
Twilight stared at the new diagonal chain of opposing pawns, trying to calculate some advantage from the mutual slaughter it promised. “Longer than it’s been, but I guess I could arrange an assessment and maybe even shorten the span if you recommend it. I’d like to wait for Applejack to finish and bring me the report before I think any more on that, though. She’s been expressing some doubts about his honesty.” A white pawn took the first black pawn in the sequence.
Having taken the first casualty of the game did nothing to assuage the sudden welling of bitterness in Fluttershy’s throat. Doubts about his honesty? He had bared his past and his heart to her, advised her without taking advantage of her! How could anypony accuse such a helpless, abused stallion of dishonesty? With nothing to say to Twilight’s offense, Fluttershy thrust her queen diagonally out to the edge of the board. “Check.”
Twilight glared at the assault on her royal pieces.
“...So she took them each by the hand, and led them into her little house. And there they found a good meal laid out, of milk and pancakes, with sugar, apples, and nuts. After that she showed them two little white beds, and Hansel and Gretel laid themselves down on them, and thought they were in heaven...”
Then Twilight moved a pawn between the black queen and the white king. “Anyway, what about you and Discord?”
“Me and Discord?” Fluttershy’s queen retreated back a space, out of harm’s way.
“Yeah, you know, the ceremony thing. I’d have thought you’d want that ‘safety measure’ in place before I let our current reformation student out.” A white pawn swallowed a black bishop.
Fluttershy felt like she was choking as her heart suddenly reverted to a heavy, labored beat. “Oh. Right.”
“...Then she grasped Hansel with her withered hand, and led him into a little stable, and shut him up behind a grating; and call and scream as he might, it was no good.”
It took all her concentration to keep her voice level and clear. “Well, it’s such a big change, you see, and we haven’t really had a lot of time to talk it through.” The black queen stepped left to take its revenge on the white pawn.
“...Gretel began to weep bitterly, but it was of no use, she had to do what the wicked witch bade her...”
The white queen pounced on the black.
Then the perished piece slipped from Twilight’s grasp, elongated, slithered off the table, and grew into a draconequus. Framing Discord’s mouth were two mismatched fangs. He plucked off the one that was black and sculpted and handed this replacement queen back to the alicorn. “Twilight, most excellent friend that you are, would you excuse me if I borrow Fluttershy from you for a moment? There’s something I’d like to discuss with her alone.”
"…‘Spare me your lamentations,’ said the old woman; ‘they are of no avail’…"
Fluttershy had her hoof on her knight, but her poor, tired heart was beating so hard that it hurt, and she forgot to move the piece to its target.
“Certainly,” piped Twilight. “Our game can pause for a few minutes. We were just talking about you, you know!”
Discord turned then to his mate. “Fluttershy, may I?”
“...And Gretel once in, she meant to shut the door upon her and let her be baked, and then she would have eaten her...”
There was no way out. Fluttershy stood up, her knight abandoned. “Fine.”
Discord teleported the two of them just outside, where they could see through the window into the room they’d just left, but could not be heard. Kneeling in the grass, he picked up both of Fluttershy’s front hooves and held them gently. “My darling, something is wrong. I’ve hurt you somehow. Please tell me so I can make it right.”
Fluttershy tightened her lips as she looked away, resenting his hold on her.
Perceiving her discomfort, Discord let go. His gaze, though, did not. “Please, even our friends have begun to notice. They’ve urged me to talk to you, you know, communicate. We can’t go on like this. It’s the only way to make things better.”
You have power over him now. You don’t want to make things better. How her heart squeezed and throbbed!
“Please talk to me,” pleaded Discord. “If not for my sake, then for the foals’?”
“Why, is that a threat?” Her eyes snapped to his to relish in the power of her bite.
“No! I—what? No! I… I would never...”
She’d intended to inflict pain, but she didn’t anticipate she’d make the all-powerful Lord of Chaos cry. Fluttershy stared back astonished at his tears and realized there was more than hurt pride there. In Discord’s face was pleading, desperation—she really did have power over him—and there was also love. So much of it, in fact, that even in her conviction of his greed, she could not deny its presence.
Fluttershy breathed because her cinching heart loosened. “I’m just… feeling trapped. That’s all.”
Discord breathed too, wiping his eyes. “Am I making you feel trapped?”
The weight of admission dragged Fluttershy’s gaze down to her hooves. “I know you don’t mean Fio and Corey any harm. You just want them to be yours, but they have two fathers all of a sudden, and now you both want them to be your own.” (And now you both want me to be your own.) Her heart squeezed again, preventing her from voicing that thought. “So how can I balance that? What’s your role, what’s his role, what’s mine? Something’s got to give, and I’m realizing that it’s—” (you). Fluttershy broke off to cough. “I’m realizing that it’s not a problem with an easy answer. You can’t just snap it right. I’ve been thinking to start taking the foals to see Sombra sometimes. Maybe even to shift some of the parenting load onto him. None of us would be quite so trapped that way.”
Discord’s tears dried as Fluttershy explained herself, and he began to notice certain things about his mate. Certain things about his mate that were not his mate. First, her eyes stayed on her hooves, even after she finished speaking. Painful honesty often involved looking away, he knew, but it at least usually ended with eye contact as a seal of earnestness. This painful honesty, while honest, was not earnest; Discord could tell she was making this admission as a disguise for another one. A harder one. That’s why she ended by rubbing her hoof over her neck.
That was the second wrong thing. Her neck, with its shriveled brown bruise snaking down toward her heart, a relic of a near-fatal dark magic infection. That bruise was no longer shriveled. In fact, he could see her pulse in it.
Her slow, sickly pulse—thing number three. It only quickened to liveliness once so far in this entire interview. Only when she spoke that name.
His Fluttershy never spoke that name.
“...I see,” said Discord, finally drawing her eyes back to his. “You are indeed in a difficult situation. My involvement probably isn’t giving you any clarity.”
“No.”
“Well, much as I do want to claim Fio and Corey as my own sons, I concede that the matter of how to parent them is more your right than mine.”
“Thank you.”
“Still, I have a vested interest in those two, and if you really wish to entrust them to their other father, then I would like to see how this other father is coming along in his reformation. How about this? Instead of taking the foals to his next friendship lesson, you take me?”
“What?” Fluttershy’s glare shifted to surprise. “I mean, what would that accomplish? I really don’t think that step is necessary.”
“No, no, I insist. If the wellbeing of our foals is at stake, I don’t think any extra precaution is unnecessary.”
“But why must you come with me? Couldn’t you visit him alone, whenever you wanted?”
“Oh, but a joint effort should involve joint communication, should it not?”
There was fear in her eyes. “You don’t trust me to make my own decisions?”
Fear and hurt. Discord hated to see it, hated to be the direct cause of it. He could visit Sombra alone, couldn’t he? But Fluttershy’s blood was infected again, and he could see it plain as day. After what almost happened last time, he couldn’t let himself fail her again.
If he was wrong, he was putting the last nail in his own coffin. But for her sake, he had to do it. “No, not particularly. I’m coming with you.”
Tears sprang into Fluttershy’s eyes, hot blood to her cheeks. Her breath came faster, and her swollen vein pulsed slower.
“I’m sorry,” Discord quickly added before she could unleash her rage. “I don’t know what your feelings are right now, but I still love you with everything that I am, and the foals, and I just want to make sure I’m doing what’s best for our family too.” Then he braced himself.
Ka-BOOM!
There was a blast inside the castle, followed by muffled shouting. Both Discord and Fluttershy turned in vacant astonishment toward the window behind which the commotion was happening. Streamers and confetti were still raining down after the explosion of the party cannon, and a pink blur was dashing about the room.
“Better go see what that’s all about,” said Discord, teleporting them inside.
“...Oh, good, Fio and Corey are here too,” continued the pink blur. “Applejack’s just finishing with Sombra. And Fluttershy and Discord, hello! And I’ve brought Rarity and Rainbow is on her way.” Party decorations were rapidly appearing on every wall and available surface.
Applejack then joined the growing collection of confused creatures. “Pinkie, what’s all this about? I’m not too keen on having to wrap up my lesson early like that!”
“You’ll see in just a teensy-weensy second, we just need Rain—Rainbow Dash, there you are! Okay, everypony’s here!” Pinkie Pie bounded toward a closed door and gave a mighty honk on her party pipe.
““SURPRISE!”” The door burst open and mare and stallion shouted in unison as Cheese Sandwich sailed into the room, landing perfectly in Pinkie Pie’s waiting arms. ““WE’RE GETTING MARRIED!””
The entire assembly—Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Spike, Fio, Corey, Fluttershy, and Discord—erupted in excitement and congratulations. Fluttershy forced herself to shelve her frustration with Discord for the moment. Discord, for his part, was already setting up a dance under the disco ball he’d conjured, laughing with unbridled and unapologetic mirth as Fio and Corey tried to chase the shards of disco light across the floor. He was clearly not sorry at all.
Discord had carefully avoided seeing that unicorn’s face again after the initial release. Some part of him really had hoped the stallion would improve himself, and he kept out of the way out of respect for that process. Now, though, as Fluttershy slunk along at his side, he realized that had been a mistake. There was clearly some foul trick at play designed to drive his mate away from him.
He had fought to free Fluttershy from Sombra once before, and he was ready to do it again. It was just trickier this time. Whatever Fluttershy had been persuaded about Discord, she had been persuaded without the aid of near-death delirium. In fact, there was a chance she had changed her mind willingly, and really did want to trade her draconequus mate for a unicorn one. That’s why Discord was so emphatic about making this visit. He had to see.
Every excuse Fluttershy made as they walked toward the castle was casually dismissed. The anger and mistrust visibly billowing behind her eyes terrified Discord more than anything else he’d ever seen, but for her sake he had to be calm.
The tension between mare and draconequus by the time they arrived that the guarded door was so palpable, it would have snapped Discord away like a broken rubber band if he had not been consciously and deliberately preventing himself.
Fluttershy gingerly knocked, then tiptoed into the room.
From inside: “Dearest Fluttershy!” Here, Discord too entered the room, closing the door behind him. “Oh,” continued Sombra, “I see you have brought Discord as well. Welcome.” The stallion’s head dipped in polite greeting but the smile on that face was more of a sneer.
“Thank you, but I brought myself,” returned Discord. “I’m told you want a greater presence in your foals’ lives, and since I’ve until now been trusted with their guardianship, I just wanted to come and make sure you are suited to be a worthy parent to them.”
Sombra blinked slowly. Then his smile deepened, exposing his fangs. He stepped forth to where Fluttershy was seated and sat himself down, taking her two front hooves in his. “Lovely Fluttershy here has skill enough as a parent to make up for any deficiencies either of us might have, and with her by my side, I’m sure I can’t fail to learn quickly and become as good a father as our foals could dream of having.” He kissed each of Fluttershy’s hooves.
This made Fluttershy turn red, white, and red again. “Oh my, um, I...” Her whisper trailed off.
Discord had simply watched, glaring, his arms crossed. So this was how it was going to be? He picked up his cowering mate and gave her soft stomach a nuzzle without breaking eye contact with Sombra. “She is the most excellent mother as could be, I agree. But my mate is also an extraordinary individual and you must understand that I couldn’t bear to see her stifled by the painful responsibility of picking up for anypony else’s slack.”
All four hooves back on the ground, Fluttershy scrambled backward, her face now more green than anything.
“I am right to be just a little worried about that,” asked Discord, leaning down to meet Fluttershy’s stunned gaze, “aren’t I, my darling?”
“Um...”
Her response trailed off yet again when Sombra advanced to her side, brushing his body affectionately along hers. “Don’t forget that I had her first, Discord.”
“What do you mean, you had her first? She was friends with me long before you ever stole her away!”
“No, I mean I had her,” Sombra rumbled with self-satisfaction. Then he ran his tongue up Fluttershy’s left hear and gave it the softest, gentlest nip, right over the hole he had put in that ear years ago that had started Fluttershy’s dark magic infection in the first place. Not until he removed his lips from her did Fluttershy finally startle and scramble backward.
Discord trembled, hardly noticing the twin plumes of smoke rising from his ears. He was losing control. He could see now all that had been going on behind his back, and he wanted nothing more than to smear the entrails of that vile beast across the deepest trench of the darkest methane sea on the blackest planet in the most violent astronomical system of the most impossibly inaccessible dimension, where the sarcophagus eels could gnaw eternally on his eternal rot. But if he attacked now, he knew Fluttershy would never trust him again. Discord’s body contracted in a great, sparking spasm.
“I think, um, we’d better go,” squeaked Fluttershy, finally finding her voice. She scurried toward a twitching Discord and the door.
As she retreated past him, Sombra made a quarter-turn and lashed his tail against her flank. “Goodbye for now, my sweet,” he drawled.
It took no small effort for Discord to wrench his flaming eyes off the beast and follow his mate out. Gradually, he convinced his muscles to relax, and the twitching stopped. He looked to the mare at his side. Fluttershy dragged herself along, tail between her legs and ears pinned back. Her breathing was heavy and fast, and that vein snaking down her neck looked as black as it had ever been.
Discord sucked in a breath. Fluttershy was worse off than he had feared—how had he failed to notice earlier? His mate was once again being choked out of her own body by an infection of dark magic. If he tried to make her see it, it could just drive her from him forever. But if he tried to draw out the infection himself, it would still drive her away, or worse—kill her. The dark magic had such a hold on her body by now that its sudden absence could be too much.
He needed to plan his next move carefully. Nothing was going to work if Sombra kept a direct hold on Fluttershy through his connection to her dark magic. Before Discord could do anything for her, he needed to stun Sombra first.
“Fluttershy, why don’t you go on ahead and take care of the twins? I’m sure they’ve all but driven Rarity mad by now! I’ve got something I need to see to.”
Fluttershy flinched. “Please don’t—”
“No no, I insist!” Discord ignored the pain in her eyes and snapped his fingers, teleporting Fluttershy to the cottage and himself back into Sombra’s room.
Pages went flying from the startled stallion’s desk. “Need something else, draconequus?” growled Sombra as he kicked the papers out of sight.
“Why, yes, in fact!” Discord swirled into the air where he could smirk down at Sombra. “You’re an awfully handsome specimen, you know, and I have something of a soft spot for the evil and formerly-so. If you want Fluttershy so much, I think I might be willing to let you have her—if I can have you! The three of us could make a very cozy bed, don’t you think?” Discord punctuated his proposal with a savory stroke along the stallion’s angular jaw.
Sombra stood rigid as stone except for a dry swallow and cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Discord chuckled. “Speechless, I see! Typical. Well, you can answer me later if you must. In the meantime, I’ll be thinking of you, big boy.” He winked as the stallion’s face contorted in protest.
And he was gone just as Sombra began to bellow “GET OUT!” and the guardponies stormed into the room for an explanation.