//------------------------------// // System Error // Story: Reconnection // by GeekCat //------------------------------// Fluttershy hummed to herself as she cooked some scrambled eggs in a skillet. The sun's first rays were barely peeking over the horizon, but she had always been an early riser. After all, there was so much to do! Once the eggs were ready, she divided them up onto two plates and set them both on the table. Then she started laying out the toppings for them—shredded cheese, ketchup, hot sauce, sour cream, whipped cream, and chocolate syrup. Nodding in satisfaction, she unfurled her wings and flew upstairs, towards the bedroom across from hers. “Discord?” she said, rapping gently on the door. “Breakfast is ready.” There was no response. Slowly, she placed a hoof on the handle and opened the door enough to peek inside. This room had once been a guest bedroom, often used by the crusaders whenever she foalsat them. Now, it was completely Discord's, with touches of chaos they had created together to make him more comfortable. Each of the walls was painted a different, bright color, the window curtains were mismatched, and the hoofmade quilt on his bed clashed with its plaid pillowcases and polka dot bedsheet. The chaotic draconequus was currently lying prone on the bed on top of the quilt, completely straight but for one arm tucked underneath the pillow his head rested on. His eyes were half-lidded and unfocused, but they opened up and became clearer once she was in his field of vision. “Fluttershy,” he said, sitting up on the bed’s edge. Her lips wobbled. They were still working on him being able to easily greet her without just her name…at least it looked like he had rested in the bed tonight, instead of just…waiting. “Good morning, Discord,” she said, forcing a smile onto her face. “Did you sleep well last night?” He shrugged, and she tried not to let her face fall. A shrug could mean anything—he slept so deeply he couldn't remember falling asleep, the spell was fogging his memory of sleeping, or he didn't sleep at all and the spell kept him from asking for help. She was trying not to baby him too much by tucking him into bed, but he always seemed better rested when she helped him relax and get to sleep… “Breakfast is ready, unless you want to sleep in,” she said, pushing the thoughts away for now. She'd ask Discord what he wanted later, when it was closer to evening. “I made scrambled eggs.” “Mm,” he said, licking his lips and standing up. She took his paw, and together they walked downstairs and to the kitchen. She took a seat in her chair and waited as he sat in his. He did so slowly, his movements very jerky, and his back still ramrod straight, his head facing forward. She picked up her fork and took a slow bite of her eggs, watching Discord carefully. His fingers twitched, his hand moving jerkily forward and grabbing his fork. It took several more minutes, but he finally used the fork to move a bite of eggs into his mouth. Her shoulders relaxed as his eyes became a little clearer. From here, eating the rest of his plate should be easy for him. The first bite on his own was usually the hardest. “Do you want anything on your eggs?” she asked, adding ketchup and cheese on top of hers. His eyes flicked over the selection of toppings as he shoveled eggs into his mouth. It was a messy affair, with him swallowing anything that got into his mouth, and anything that didn't dribbling back down onto his plate. His claw twitched, almost moving towards the chocolate syrup, but quickly fell back to his side. He continued to eat his eggs plain, with his claw occasionally twitching towards one of the toppings. “…do you want chocolate syrup on your eggs?” she asked. He shrugged and continued eating, and she lowered her head to hide how she bit her lip. He cleaned his entire plate of eggs, while she finished her own slowly. She gathered up both their plates and started to wash them in the sink. “So…how was your breakfast?” she asked. “The eggs were savory,” he said in a monotone voice. “But…did you like them?” she asked. She would do this every so often—try to press him for his opinion, rather than a statement of facts. His eyes fogged over for a few moments before they cleared and he said, “It was well-cooked.” …that was a little closer to a complimentary opinion, right? She smiled and patted his arm. “Thank you,” she said. “Now…is there anything you'd like to do today after all the animals are fed?” It was hard to tell if he was actually thinking about what he wanted, but she gave him some time to do so, preparing bowls of food for all of her animal friends. Just after she had set them outside in the backyard, a knock came from her front door. “Huh,” she said, setting down her bowl of sliced carrots. “I wasn't expecting anyone to come by today…” She headed to the door and opened it. Rainbow Dash beamed, throwing her wings around her in a hug. “Fluttershy!” she said. “How are you doing?” “I'm doing pretty well…and so is Discord,” she said. “What brings you here so early, though?” Rainbow's grin tightened a little. “Well…I thought it might be nice to swing by and see you before I meet up with the others for the…” She coughed. “…once-a-moon visit.” “…ah,” Fluttershy said. Every moon, the remaining Elements of Harmony would go visit Twilight in Canterlot, where she was imprisoned. All of the Elements but one, that was. “I'm still not going,” she said with a stubborn shake of her head as Rainbow started to open her mouth. Rainbow groaned. “Fluttershy…you can't just keep hiding out here and pretending Twilight doesn’t exist anymore,” she said. “You know what would feel better? Confronting her and telling her everything you think about what she did.” She smacked one hoof into the other. “I'm not hiding,” Fluttershy said, placing some extra food bowls around the living room. Rainbow stepped inside, glancing around. “I just…have much more important things here to take care of.” “Fluttershy, you already set out enough food for a whole day,” Rainbow said with a roll of her eyes. “I think your animals will survive without you if you take a trip to Canterlot.” “It's…not just the animals I'm worried about,” she said. Rainbow blinked, but her eyes quickly dawned with realization. Fluttershy bit her lip, glancing back at Discord. He was still sitting at the table, staring blankly at the two of them. “…I don't want to just leave Discord on his own for so long,” she said. Twilight had just sent him to Celestia-knew-where so many times, alone, when she didn't have use for his magic…she hated the idea of just leaving. It felt like abandoning him. He blinked, his head tilting the slightest bit. “…and I don't want to take him to see Twilight,” she continued. “Not unless he wants to.” She waited to see if Discord would answer, but he was still silent. Rainbow looked back and forth between the two of them. “…you know, I could hang out here with Discord, and you could go to see Twilight,” she suggested. Fluttershy froze in place. She swallowed and glanced at Discord. A chill went down her spine, and she looked at the floor. “I…” Rainbow placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Shy?” she said quietly. “The rest of us…we're a little worried about you. I mean, you've been spending more and more time out here with just Discord, and…” She took a deep breath, pausing for a few seconds before continuing. “I just…seeing Twilight might help.” “I don't think so,” Fluttershy said, feeling a scowl form on her muzzle. Her eyes started to scrunch up, and it took great effort for her to not tear up. “But if you go, you can tell Twilight how you've been feeling,” Rainbow said. “…I know you're upset with her. All of us are. But, seeing her and talking to her…” She bit her lip. “It…helps.” Fluttershy continued to stare at the ground for a long time. Just thinking about Twilight made her upset, hurt, angry…but maybe Rainbow had a point. Bottling things up like this wasn't healthy. “I…can try to visit just this once,” she said quietly. Rainbow grinned widely, and Discord's pupils widened. “But I have conditions,” she quickly said, holding up a hoof. “I know, I know, watch over Discord,” Rainbow said with a nod, draping a wing over her back and guiding her towards the door. Fluttershy shook her head and stepped out from under her wing. “It's not just watching him,” she said. “I have a few things you need to keep in mind.” Rainbow rose an eyebrow, folding her wings against her sides. “First, please don't tell Discord to do anything, unless it's to keep him safe,” Fluttershy said. “Put things in the form of questions, so that he can choose what he wants to do.” She turned to face Discord. “What do you think of the weather today?” He blinked, turning his head to glance out the window. “It's mostly sunny, with about ten percent cloud cover,” he said. He closed his eyes and continued, “Wind speed is three miles per hour. There's going to be a thunderstorm tonight.” Her ears drooped when he made no further comment. “…thank you, Discord,” she said. He opened his eyes and nodded. “So…only ask questions, don't give orders,” Rainbow said. “Is that it?” “Well, that's the most important, but it's not the only thing,” Fluttershy said. “If you could, it'd be nice if you would hold a conversation with Discord…there are a few board games he enjoys, if he's having an off day with talking.” She flew over to her bookshelf and grabbed a stack of games, plopping them onto the living room table. “I was thinking about having peanut butter and pickle sandwiches for lunch today, but you should ask Discord if he wants anything else,” she continued, ignoring the disgusted face Rainbow was making. “Still, having something a little out of the ordinary is probably good for him. Like chocolate and hot sauce on a daisy sandwich, or a hayburger with everything on it…” “Ugh…I'll make lunch when lunchtime comes around, don't worry,” Rainbow said, looking even less enthused at the other odd food ideas that were presented. “What else?” “If I don't make it back until evening, the same rules apply to dinner,” she says. “But oh, please try to not use the exact same thing you made for lunch. There are some leftovers in the fridge, like the pot of stew we've been working through…” “Fluttershy, we're usually done and back way before dinnertime…” “I know, but just in case!” Fluttershy said. “Sometimes we like to go on an evening walk after supper, but you should ask him what he feels like. Whenever he's ready for bed, his room is upstairs and opposite mine.” Rainbow nodded along, scuffing her hoof impatiently on the ground. “Is that it? I can take care of all that, but is there anything else?” Fluttershy thought for a moment, then shook her head. Rainbow's ears perked up, and she disappeared in a rainbow blur, dropping Fluttershy's saddlebags on top of her back. “I have things handled here, don't worry!” she boasted. “Now hurry! The train could leave any minute!” She made a small shoving motion with her hooves. Fluttershy frowned and rose an eyebrow. Rainbow blinked, then sighed, rolling her eyes. “Could you please go to the train station, if that's what you want?” she said in an exaggerated monotone voice. It wasn't perfect, but it was better. Fluttershy smiled and nodded, satisfied, then walked over to Discord and wrapped her forelegs around him. “I'll be back in a few hours,” she said, rubbing his back. “You won't give Rainbow too much trouble, will you?” “…heh heh,” he chuckled quietly under his breath, his shoulders shaking just the slightest bit. For a brief moment, she could swear she saw a mischievous smirk on his face. She beamed, absolutely delighted, and tightened the hug for just a moment before pulling away. She waved goodbye to him and Rainbow, then headed out the front door and trotted to the train station. Though she was still filled with trepidation, she wanted to trust Rainbow’s word that this might be able to help her. As soon as the front door was closed, Rainbow turned to Discord. “…so,” she said. “What do you and Fluttershy do for fun all day?” Discord blinked slowly. He recalled memories spent in this cottage with Fluttershy without too much trouble, memories where he was almost…happy. Not worried about—a burst of static throbbing echoed through his skull, just as it did whenever he thought too hard about the static sitting in his skull… His train of thought snapped back to Rainbow and her question. “…tea parties,” he said as she looked expectantly at him. Those made Fluttershy happy. “Board games. Cloud watching.” There were hundreds of other little things he and Fluttershy did together that at least made her happy, but it was easier to be concise and brief. Less risk of rambling on too much and…he stopped his train of thought before the static decided to do it for him. Rainbow stared at him for a few seconds, then sighed. “Whelp…at least Shy got out the board games,” she said, shuffling through the stack. “How about this one?” She held up one of the first games—Monopony. Discord remembered him and Fluttershy goofing off, disregarding rules and doing their own thing…he shrugged in response to Rainbow’s question. “This one it is!” she said, tossing the box onto the table in front of them. “I hope you’re ready to get crushed!” Even with the hint of static humming in his mind, he felt…something. A surge of confidence, enough that his lips briefly twitched into a smug smirk. It's on. Fluttershy fidgeted as the train came closer and closer to Canterlot. Every so often, she would glance out the window, wondering if it would be better for her to fly home, instead of doing…this. The others had been shocked but pleased when she showed up at the train station. At first, they had spent some time talking and catching up…but as the train started moving further and further away from Ponyville, everypony became quiet, the mood turning somber. She bit her lip, wondering for a final time if it was too late to head back home, when the train screeched to a halt. Canterlot's tall, fancy buildings rose above them just outside the train station. The four of them gathered up what few things they had and disembarked. “…um,” Fluttershy said as the others started walking down the streets, their ears drooping. “Where…is Twilight, actually…?” A few nearby ponies whipped their heads to stare at her, some strangers flinching or scowling at the name. Fluttershy squeaked, hiding her face behind her mane to avoid the attention suddenly drawn to her. Applejack placed a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. “It's okay, sugarcube,” she said. “Ponies are just a little…tense about what happened.” She glared at some of the ponies staring at them, who suddenly found much more interesting things to be doing and looking at. “She's being held in the castle, darling,” Rarity explained. “Not in the normal dungeons, of course, but in a…specialized holding area. I…you'll understand when we get there.” Fluttershy nodded in understanding, and the four of them walked the rest of the way in silence. They soon reached Canterlot Castle, and the guards quickly allowed them in. Applejack took charge, guiding them down the hallways, into deeper and darker parts than Fluttershy ever remembered going in. They hadn't quite reached any of the secret tunnels before Fluttershy spotted a familiar face, one that made her eyes light up. “Spike!” she cried, flying forward and pulling him into a hug. “Whoa, hey!” he said, squirming for a moment. “Wait…Fluttershy?” “Oh…sorry, Spike,” she said, letting go and taking a few steps back. “I was just…excited to meet you.” It had been a few moons, after all. He blinked, but gave a quick smile. “it's good to see you, too.” His smile fell, and he addressed the whole group. “Princess Celestia is already inside for her scheduled visit. We'll have to wait a couple of minutes.” The other three nodded in understanding. Fluttershy looked around, noticing that Spike was by himself. “Did you…come here alone?” she asked quietly. “Yeah…Shining Armor came with me the first few times,” he said, scuffing a foot against the ground. “But we've done it enough I know the train line pretty well, so he trusts me enough to go alone and come back. …I think seeing Twilight like this was hard for him.” Her heart panged. “…how, um. How is it, living in the Crystal Empire?” “It's great up there!” Spike said, looking back up and smiling. “Everyone treats me like a hero, there are lots of tasty gems and crystals everywhere, and Cadance and Shining sometimes play O&O with me in the evenings.” Still, his smile wasn't quite reaching his eyes. “…is there something else?” she asked gently. He sighed, ear spikes drooping. “I miss Ponyville," he admitted, rubbing at his arm. “And seeing all of you every day. And playing with Big Mac…” He sighed, closing his eyes. “…I miss Twilight.” “I…” She paused. She missed Twilight, too—the Twilight who had been her friend, before she did horrible things to Discord. But the words stuck in her throat, blocked by all the very clear memories of the pony Twilight was the last she had seen her. “…I understand,” she said instead. Spike wrapped his arms around himself and looked away. The others sat next to them, and they all waited in silence. Soon, a loud click came from the door. One of the guards placed their badge against the lock, and it fully clicked open, the other guard opening the door. Princess Celestia emerged, her wings drooping and her head hung low. With a heavy sigh, she glanced up at the group of them. “I hope…your visit with her is better than mine,” she said. “My…former pupil still has very few words to say to me.” She walked down the hall and back to the castle proper, slowly sliding into the mask of a royal, her head lifting and wings folding tightly to her sides. Fluttershy watched her for a few moments, her head only turning when she heard the door to Twilight's cell close. “Apologies,” one of the guards said. “We're going to do a quick sweep of the cell before we can let you in. Regulations, you see.” “We understand completely,” Rarity assured him. “Security is very important.” The five of them sat together quietly, the guards watching over them. Fluttershy couldn't help but nervously wring her tail. Her stomach was in knots. Hopefully Rainbow and Discord were having a less anxiety-filled time back at home. “Uggghh,” Rainbow groaned, throwing her head back. “Discord, would you…please take your turn already?” Discord blinked, his eyes refocusing. Ah, yes…they were still in the middle of their Monopony game. And Rainbow’s words weren't a direct order, but they did make it easier for him to grab the dice and roll them. A five and a six. With a flick of his tail, his top hat moved forward eleven spaces, landing on a green square. Rainbow groaned again. “You gonna purchase that?” Discord shrugged, but counted up his stack of money and handed it over to her. She scowled and handed him the deed card…which he added to his considerable collection. “How are you beating me when you can barely even focus!?” she said. He just shrugged…after all, he kept forgetting how he was winning…mostly because the static made him complacent and forgetful every few minutes. “Whatever,” she huffed, snatching the dice and rolling them herself. Seven spaces. She carefully moved her piece along…landing right on one of his properties with a house. “You’ve gotta be kidding me!” Discord briefly smirked again as she forked over a good stack of cash. Rainbow's reactions at losing were much funnier than Fluttershy's…though he did enjoy how much Fluttershy would get happy at either of them doing well… “Take your turn, please,” Rainbow said, grumbling and laying her head on the table. Discord picked up the dice and rolled. After about five minutes of waiting, one of the guards removed the pendant from their chest. “That should be enough time,” he said. “Since there's a new member among you, I'll go over the rules again. Don't give any items to her. Any gifts should go through processing, so you should hand them to us now. Don't antagonize her or incite her anger. Don’t enter her side of the visiting cell, and especially do not enter her personal cell. If you ever feel that you are in danger, get the attention of one of the guards, and we'll get you out. You'll have a fifteen-minute window of visitation. Is that clear?” Everyone else nodded, and after absorbing all of the rules, Fluttershy did, too. The guard was satisfied by this, and tapped his pendant on the lock. There was a matching click after a few seconds, and the door unlocked and opened. They all entered one at a time, with Fluttershy going last, resisting the urge to cower behind Rarity. Her eyes flicked across the room, taking everything in. Two guards wearing armor stood on either side of the door, their eyes carefully scanning the room in a much calmer, more practiced way than her own. Changeling stone was embedded through the walls, which Fluttershy remembered had once prevented Discord from using his magic. The girls spread out, and Fluttershy tried to stay very close to Rarity. They were actually in one half of a room, separated from the other by a thick sheet of clear crystal. She swallowed thickly and raised her head to look at the other half of the room. It was actually quite easy to see through the crystal, even through the crystal door set in the very center. The other side looked…quite a lot like a small study. There was a small desk and chair in the far corner, a few small bookshelves pressed against the wall, a ratty armchair closer to the crystal division…and piles of books scattered throughout. On the far end, there was an open door where she could see into a bedroom piled with even more books. Twilight Sparkle was currently sitting in the old armchair with a book on her lap, not having looked up once since they entered. Fluttershy's gaze nervously flicked up to her horn. It was somewhat of a relief to see a metal clamp sitting on it, much like the one Celestia had used during her arrest—though she immediately felt guilty for feeling that. Maybe it was a good thing she couldn't use her magic, but losing such a big part of her shouldn't be celebrated…right? “…Twilight?” Applejack said, coughing into her hoof. “It's us.” “I'm aware,” Twilight responded dryly. Her voice made Fluttershy flinch—she hadn’t heard that voice in moons. “You all come every moon, right after Celestia comes in for her weekly visit. My parents and Shining have stopped coming, so that just leaves either you or the princess.” She sighed, slowly raising her head. “Now, if you don't mind, I'm actually researching—” She paused when she saw Fluttershy, her eyes locking on her. “Oh. You.” Fluttershy nodded, her knees shaking. “H-Hi, Twilight…” Twilight looked at her critically for a long few moments. “So you're taking Rainbow's place this time, I see,” she said. “Too scared to come before, then?” Fluttershy was scared, especially right now, but she refused to hide this time. This wasn't just about her. “I’ve also been busy,” she said. “Trying to fix what you did.” “Still trying to help Discord?” Twilight said, before shaking her head with a sigh. “Oh, Fluttershy…it's impossible for you to do anything for him.” Her heart dropped to her stomach. “What…what do you mean?” “Oh, maybe Discord has a chance,” Twilight said, waving a hoof in the air. “But coddling him and talking to him politely isn't going to do a thing. That spell on him took years of trial and error, effort, and magic, with some of the most careful casting I've ever done. The only thing that's going to give him a chance?” She lifted her book up to show them the cover. It was an expert's guide on counterspells. “Magic,” she said. “Powerful magic, carefully cast. Something only me or one of the other…one of the princesses can do.” Fluttershy glared at Twilight, her wings shaking. She was still scared, but she was now also furious. “You're wrong,” she said. Twilight blinked, seemingly stunned. “…oh? And how am I wrong?” she asked, recovering from the shock and raising an eyebrow. “Discord has been getting better with my help,” Fluttershy said. “Sure, it's long, and slow, but…but that doesn't mean I'm just going to give up on him!” Rarity flinched next to her, but Twilight was all Fluttershy could focus on. “Besides…friendship is magic.” Twilight stood up, dropping the book on the pile next to the chair. “If the magic of friendship really worked, I wouldn't have to had cast that spell on him,” she said, stepping closer. Even with the crystal wall between them, Fluttershy gulped and took a small step back. “And if it worked, and you were really his friend, he'd be better right now, wouldn’t he?” “I…” Fluttershy stammered, her wings quivering. Twilight glared at her, so close that her breath was fogging part of the crystal. “You can't help him,” she said bluntly. “So don't fool yourself into thinking you can. Right now, Discord's best…his only hope is for a powerful wizard to undo the spell.” She suddenly slammed a hoof against the wall keeping them apart. “You can't do anything!” she shouted. For one terrifying moment, Fluttershy thought she saw a magenta spark on her horn, quickly torn apart and dispersed by the clamp. Suddenly, two light blue points of light focused on Twilight, and she froze. Fluttershy glanced over her shoulder and saw that both of the guards were in battle-ready positions, both of their horns glowing. “Miss Sparkle, step back from the crystal,” one of them warned. “…very well,” Twilight said, lowering her hoof and walking back to her armchair. The guards relaxed, though both of their eyes were still on her. “Just…don't get your hopes up too much, Fluttershy. That's all I'm saying.” With that, she picked up her book again and began to quietly read, the room falling into silence as she ignored them. “Here's your…ugh…peanut butter and pickle sandwich,” Rainbow said, wrinkling her nose as he placed the plate in front of Discord. He picked his lips and picked up the sandwich, taking a bite. Completely crushing Rainbow Dash and making her go bankrupt in Monopony (twice) really worked up an appetite, enough that he could eat the chaotic meal without the static fussing too much. The sandwich was okay, even if there were fewer pickles than Fluttershy would have added. At least it still had a good crunch. Rainbow kept wrinkling her nose, taking a bite of her plain peanut butter sandwich. “How can you even eat that? It looks disgusting.” She winced as he took his next bite, producing a rather loud crunch. Vinegar dripped across his fingers and onto his plate. “And it sounds disgusting.” He just shrugged. How could he explain how chaos gave him a warm feeling, one the static could press down but never completely take away? How Fluttershy invented recipes like this that seemed to have the perfect hint of chaos he craved? “Well, plain peanut butter is just as good!” she declared. He almost snorted. That had to be one of the most incorrect statements he had heard today. “Though…ugh, I could use a drink,” she said, struggling to swallow her bite as the peanut butter coated her mouth and throat. “Hey Discord, could you…please grab a glass of milk?” she asked, gesturing towards the fridge that was closed to him than to her. He blinked slowly. That wasn't an order…but it was a request easy enough to follow. With a snap of his fingers, a glass of milk (with a few small dribbles of chocolate syrup mixed in) appeared in his hand, and he grasped it. “Uh, not quite what I meant, but could you pass it over?” Rainbow said, making a ‘gimme' motion with her hooves. He slid it across the table, and she caught it and guzzled it down. As she set down the empty glass, she stared at him for a few moments, as though considering something. Then, she grinned, her eyes lighting up. “Hey…hey, you have pretty powerful magic, right?” she said. “I mean, surely Twilight's got nothing on you!” Discord tilted his head. He couldn't remember enough to compare Twilight's magic to his own, but he couldn't not answer. So, he gave a small nod, though he shrugged his shoulders. “That's perfect!" Rainbow said. She rubbed her front hooves together with a smug grin. “Discord—use your magic to remove the spell Twilight put on you!” He blinked, then rose his fingers into a snapping position. “Yes, Rainbow Dash,” he said. The pegasus's grin became even more smug and self-satisfied, if that were possible. He slowly pressed his fingers together, summoning up his magic to pry out whatever Twilight had done that was taking residence in his skull— A headache spiked through his skull. It felt nearly as bad as the time he had wandered into the changeling kingdom without a direct order to. He gasped in pain, his fingers separating an inch and his magic dropping away. The headache faded, turning into a dull, buzzing static that made him not want to think too hard about anything. Rainbow was staring at him worriedly, tilting her head. You have to do what she said, something told him, with the throbbing promise of a future headache if he didn't comply. He started to press his fingers together again to obey what he had been ordered to do… A spike of pain went through his skull. He pulled his fingers apart. He couldn't disobey Twilight's friends. He got ready to snap again. A spike of pain went through his skull. He kept going through the cycle, the headaches and static not letting him think of a way out. His face felt damp and it was hard to see. His ears were buzzing, though he swore there was a loud sound nearby. His throat was starting to ache…though it was nothing compared to the pain in his head. It seemed to get worse, more powerful and insistent with each cycle. His eyes closed, and his ears pressed against his skull. The pain was so bad, and he couldn't think of anything else but what was happening right here and right now… Couldn't remove the spell. Had to remove the spell. Couldn't remove the spell. Had to remove the spell… After several long minutes of silence, the guards informed them that their time was up. The five of them stood up, and Twilight turned and headed back into her personal cell. One guard placed his pendant against the lock, and after a few moments, there was a matching click, unlocking it and allowing all of them to leave. Even the two guards with them left, and the four of them worked on the door's lock, with it soon giving three loud clicks instead of just one. “…are all visits like that?” Fluttershy timidly asked when they were a good distance away from Twilight's cell. The other four sighed, looking very sad. “She's…sometimes a little less…intense and quiet,” Pinkie said slowly, her mane deflating. “Today's just a bad day.” Or she’s upset I came, Fluttershy thought, her ears drooping. She knew how Twilight was doing, but…it didn't make her feel any better like Rainbow said it might. She just felt…sad. And cold. And wanted to get back to Discord, to hug him and tell him that she knew now Twilight could never, ever hurt him again… They exited the castle and cut through the gardens. The weather was pleasant, and all of the greenery lifted Fluttershy's spirits a little, but the coldness still clung to her. She lifted her head and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. The smell of flowers was strong in the air. Her home and Discord were just a short train ride away. They'd eat a quick lunch, board the train, and she'd be home safe again…the cold feeling started to loosen in her chest, and she felt a little bit lighter. She opened her eyes, about to ask where they would eat, but a loud boom! cut her off before she could speak. Her head whipped in the direction of the sound, and they watched as a Sonic Rainboom spread across the sky. Worry began to take root in her chest. Rainbow was supposed to be watching Discord—why wasn't she with him? Rainbow screeched to a halt in mid-air above the group, barely avoiding crashing into them all. “Fluttershy!” She hovered in place, holding her hooves out to Fluttershy. “There's no time to explain, but you need to come back home now!” she said. “Discord's freaking out, and I don't know what to do!” “What!?” Fluttershy said. Her heart began racing, and before she even thought about it, her wings flared out, and she took to the skies as quickly as she could. As usual, she struggled to move quickly, and it felt like she was trying to push through molasses, the air holding her back from Discord. Thankfully, Rainbow quickly wrapped her forelegs around her from above and took off, back towards Ponyville, leaving another Rainboom in her wake. Fluttershy's eyes watered at the high speeds, but all she could think about was what was happening to Discord, and what she could do about it. Is he upset I left? Wanting to cause chaos and having trouble doing it? Hungry? Sick? Headache? She racked her brain for any possibility. Rainbow screeched to a sudden stop at her front door. The first thing Fluttershy realized was that Discord was screaming—a high-pitched keening sound that made her eardrums vibrate, and made it abundantly clear that he was in immense pain. “What happened!?” she managed to say over his screaming, throwing the door open. Discord was standing in the kitchen with his eyes closed and his mouth open, screaming himself hoarse as his fingers moved into and out of a snapping position. Immediately, she flew to his side and placed a wing on his back. Rainbow stepped inside, wincing and using her feathers to plug her ears. “I told him to remove Twilight's spell!” she shouted. “And a few seconds later, he just started flipping out!” “Told him to…” Fluttershy said, before gasping. The spell was hurting him, and badly. She pressed a hoof to his forehead and found that it was warm, uncomfortably so. If she didn't help him soon… “Discord!” she said, her voice drowned out by his screaming. “Discord, Discord, look, it's me! It's me,” she said desperately. She pressed her hooves against his cheeks, up and down his throat, along his forehead, trying to grab his attention. The only sign he had noticed anything was a flicking of his ear. She hated being forceful, but she placed a hooftip against his eyelid and started to pry it open. His pupil was cloudy and unfocused, quickly dilating and then contracting when exposed to light. She hovered so her face would be directly in his line of sight. “Discord, it's me. It's Fluttershy,” she said, using her other hoof to hold his ear up. Slowly, his pupil shifted around, becoming a little less cloudy as it focused itself on her. “Flu…ttershy,” he gasped, his shoulders heaving. “Discord, do…do you feel anything?” she asked. He was in pain, but she had to try and distract him. His fingers started to move more slowly as he began to respond, though they still weren't stopping. “H-Hurts,” he gasped, his voice hoarse. And he was still running hot. “I know, I know it must,” she said. “…Discord? I want you to ignore what Rainbow told you to do. …that's an order.” He blinked, his brows furrowing as her words sank in. She hated telling him what to do, but emergencies had to be an exception. She just hoped she hadn't caused another conflict… Obey Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy? Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy? his thoughts repeated, carried forward by the static. It still wasn't pleasant, but it gave a reprieve from the even worse spikes of pain from when he tried to gather his magic. …see Twilight to settle this, a thought rose, prompted by the static. She could decide whose order should be obeyed, with them both having equal priority… No, Discord thought, feeling actual anger. The thought of Twilight always made him feel that way, but it was more than that…and stronger, too, the static not able to push down all of his emotion this time. Fluttershy is…I'm going to listen to Fluttershy over anyone else. Maybe it was because he was so stubborn, or maybe the static was overworked…but it died down. Fluttershy's word was greater than Rainbow Dash's, and he would ignore Rainbow Dash's orders to get rid of the spell. His fingers, slick with sweat, slipped out of their snapping position, and his whole wrist went limp. For a moment, the static left him, and his vision fully focused on Fluttershy. She was still gently stroking his cheek, her eyes filled with worry. “…Rainbow Dash's order forgotten,” he told her. His voice was so croaky, every word scratching against his sore throat. She smiled sadly, feeling at his forehead. “That's…that's good,” she said, her voice shaking. “You…you can rest now. If you need to.” He was quite tired, now that she brought it up. His eyelids drooped, and his whole body started to go limp. His head still ached, his throat throbbed…and he had permission to rest. And so, with a sound somewhere between a groan and a sigh, he slumped forward and into Fluttershy's forelegs. His eyes slid closed, and blissful nothingness crashed over him. Fluttershy was almost knocked down as Discord went limp in her hold, falling unconscious. He was heavy, for being so skinny, and she quickly pumped her wings, gently landing on the ground, sitting and positioning Discord's head in her lap. She gently ran a hoof across her cheek. His breathing, though ragged, was even, and his 'fever' was slowly dying down. He'd be fine. He'd be fine. But no matter how much she told herself that, she couldn't get rid of the small doubt in the back of her mind, or the swirl of mixed emotions. “Fluttershy…” Rainbow said, placing a hoof on her shoulder. Fluttershy whipped around, tears pouring down her muzzle. “Why!?” she said. “I told you not to give him orders! Why would you…you gave him…” She sobbed, pressing her face into her hooves. Rainbow stepped back, rubbing at her foreleg. “I…I thought I could help,” she said, looking at the ground. “That I could fix this.” Fluttershy sniffed, turning away from her and back to Discord. …lying on the ground like this probably wasn't good for him. She sniffed again, rubbed at her nose and eyes, and began to lift his torso onto her back. Rainbow stepped forward, reaching toward Discord. “Fluttershy, here, I can—" She couldn't even finish her sentence before Fluttershy's wing flared out, slapping across her chest and stopping her in place. They both looked at each other with wide eyes, even Fluttershy shocked by what she had done. But still, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and made her expression neutral. “I think that you've done enough, Rainbow,” she said quietly, her voice wavering. With that, she grit her teeth, stood to her full height, and began to slowly walk towards the stairs. Discord's body, legs, and tail draped behind her, but she wrapped his arms around her neck and lifted his head with a wing. It wouldn't be easy walking, but she would support him. “…Fluttershy?” Rainbow said as she stood on the first step, her voice cracking. “…I'm sorry.” Fluttershy opened her mouth…then closed it, hanging her head. She couldn't even find the energy to look back at her friend. Rainbow didn't say anything else…and moments later, she could hear her walking away, closing the front door behind her. Her lip wobbled, but she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and squared her shoulders. Face set in determination, she carried Discord all the way up the stairs and dragged him into his room. It took a lot of effort and a bit of time to lift him onto the bed, but she eventually managed it, tucking him under the covers. She pulled a chair up to the side of his bed, staring at him for a few moments. She couldn't hold it in anymore—she pressed her head against his shoulder and cried.