//------------------------------// // Epilogue: Ten Years Later // Story: Reconnection // by GeekCat //------------------------------// Ten Years Later “…and so, due to Discord's nearly-full recovery, Miss Sparkle's offered assistance in the said recovery and in other magical areas, and an agreement from both Sir Discord and Miss Fluttershy, Miss Sparkle is pending to be released,” an off-white unicorn with a black mane read aloud from the sheet of paper in front of her. “As soon as Miss Sparkle accepts the terms and conditions of the prosecution's agreement, and hinged on continued good behavior, her release will be scheduled six moons after this date.” The unicorn set the paper down, glancing up at Twilight. “Thank you, Ink Pot,” Twilight said, closing her eyes. The unicorn had been an immense help, acting as her proxy and taking detailed notes during her hearings. She wasn't…ready to be in a courtroom again, especially if it meant seeing Discord. Or Fluttershy. Or any of her former friends. “Of course, Twilight Sparkle,” Ink Pot said. After months of interaction, she was finally moving past calling her only ‘Miss' and ‘Miss Sparkle’. “What ‘agreement' did Fluttershy and Discord propose?” Twilight asked. Ink Pot simply slid a large packet of papers across the table. Twilight's eyes flicked over the words. As she suspected, it was a restraining order—a special one, even, where after agreeing, she would be bound with magic that would alert the nearest guards if she violated its terms. She understood the premise well enough that she simply skimmed for the key details of her specific circumstances. “So, I just need to stay one hundred feet away from Fluttershy and Discord?” she said. Ink Pot coughed. “And the two other parties in the restraining order.” Twilight furrowed her brow. If her other friends wanted to be included in the order, she would have expected them all to agree, not just two. She read through the rest of the document until she found the names of all parties she was supposed to stay away from. Her brow furrowed in confusion when she read the last two. “Who are Bubblegum and Onyx?” “Papa!” a young pink unicorn called, wobbling as they stood on their two front hooves. Her mane with white with a tinge of pink, her eyes a clear baby blue, and her cutie mark was of two strawberries. “Look, I'm doing it!” “Great job, sweetheart!” Discord said, beaming and clapping his hands. “But do you know you've left an opening?” “No way!” she said, sticking her tongue out. “I'm the mighty Stormbreaker! No one can defeat me!” “Oh, really?” he said, raising an eyebrow and strolling over to her. Once he was close enough, he grinned, lifted his tail, and tickled her sides with his feathers. She pursed her lips together, her face turning red with the effort of not laughing. “Pfft—!” As soon as the gust of air escaped her lips, she lost her balance and fell onto her back. Discord laughed so hard that he clutched his stomach. The unicorn stood up, puffing her cheeks out and turning to the draconequus with a glare. “Not fair, Papa!” she huffed. “That was a cheap trick!” He just patted her head as his laughter slowly died down. “My little Stormbreaker, villains revel in cheap tricks,” he told her. “If you ever want to fight them without giving your poor mother a heart attack, you'll have to learn to handle them.” Stormbreaker scowled…then grinned, firing a small beam of blue magic at his ankles. “How's that for cheap!?” Her magic barely even tickled, but Discord still placed a hand on his forehead dramatically. “Oh, no! I'm done for! Remember meeeee!” He flopped onto his back, his tongue rolling out of his mouth as he held a lily over his chest. Stormbreaker laughed, flopping onto his stomach. Discord grinned, only barely managing to suppress his own laughter. “Bubblegum? Dad?” a voice said hesitantly. They both lifted their heads to look at the source of the voice—a young, lanky black dragon, with a purple underbelly and spines. “Mom said that lunch is almost ready, so you two should get washed up.” “Coming!” ‘Stormbreaker' leapt up off of Discord and galloped into the cottage, the dragon following behind her. Discord snapped his fingers, teleporting in a flash of white light. He reappeared behind Fluttershy, who was humming a gentle tune as she set a few jars of jam on the table. As soon as they were set down, he wrapped his arms around her and scooped her up, placing a kiss on her cheek as she shrieked. “Discord, you startled me!” she exclaimed, bursting into a fit of giggles. “Sorry,” he said, eyes twinkling in a way that said he really, really wasn't. “You just look too cute, Flutternutter.” Fluttershy blushed, and he set her back down on her hooves as the unicorn and dragon entered the kitchen, taking seats at the table. “Bubblegum, Onyx, you both got cleaned up, right?” Both of them nodded, holding out their forehooves and claws respectively for inspection. Fluttershy nodded in approval, then looked at Discord. “And you?” He chuckled nervously, and she raised a wing, pointing at the kitchen sink. Bubblegum and Onyx giggled as he sighed dramatically, trudging over to the sink and giving his hands a good scrub. After he finished, he sat down, and they all began to help themselves to the sandwiches and veggie platter in the middle of the table. Discord and Onyx also had emeralds on their plates, which both of them nibbled on. Bubblegum spread some strawberry jam over her sandwich. “Do we still have lots of jam, or can I go foraging for berries again soon?” she asked with a gleam in her eye, taking a large bite out of her food. “We still have plenty of jam…” Fluttershy answered. “But the weather is going to be nice this weekend, so we could go then!” Bubblegum's face lit up. “…could we go this afternoon?” “We have the Union Festival to go to this afternoon,” Discord said with a shake of his head. “Your mother and I were specifically invited, and we can't just leave the two of you alone, so you're going to come with.” “Aww, Papa, I can take care of the both of us!” Bubblegum said, throwing a foreleg around Onyx's shoulders. Onyx tried to pull away, but he still smiled at her, using a wing to nudge her in the ribs and make her giggle. “What's the festival supposed to be for, anyway?” she continued. “And will it actually be any fun?” “I'd hope so! What would be the point of a festival if it wasn't fun and exciting?” Discord said. “As for what it's about…” He trailed off, sending a wink to Fluttershy. She waited, and after a few seconds, Onyx's eyes sparked. “I remember!” he said, raising a claw into the air as though he were in a classroom. “Want to tell all of us, then?” Fluttershy asked. He nodded, then entwined his claws together on the table. “Mayor Starlight is hosting a festival to welcome all the new residents of different species that semi-recently moved to Ponyville. She wants all the Elements to be there, since that would show that this is an important matter.” He scratched his chin. “I've also read some debates that she wants to change the town's name, but it hasn't been popular with many people, and it's definitely not going to happen today.” “That's right!” Fluttershy said, nodding. “Although the name change is news to me…” “She should do it. She really should,” Discord said. “Imagine all the chaos it would cause! Confusion for the town, confusion for cartographers…” “Mama, do you think Tempest will be at the festival?” Bubblegum suddenly asked. “I mean…Mayor Starlight's whole thing is about giving every pony and creature a fair and equal chance, right? She could have sent a personal invite to the strongest unicorn ever!” Before Fluttershy could answer, Onyx reached over to poke her in the ribs. “You just wanna see your celebrity crush~,” he teased. Bubblegum's face flushed bright red. “S-Shut up, Onyx! I just think she's a really cool and strong adventurer!” “Sounds like something someone with a crush would say~…” She continued to glare at him, her horn briefly flickering with magic. “No roughhousing at the table,” Fluttershy quickly said. Bubblegum grumbled, and the light on her horn went out as soon as it had appeared. Onyx looked smug for a few moments. “…Mom? Could I bring some books with me to the festival?” he asked, suddenly looking nervous as he tapped his claws together. “Well…how about just one book?” Fluttershy said. “I'd really like for you to socialize with others. Or at least take part in some of the activities.” Onyx frowned a little. “Hey, your Aunt AJ is going to be there,” Discord offered. “Maybe you can talk to her about how the farm is doing. Wasn't there some new species of plant you wanted to tell her about?” Onyx brightened up. “Yeah, I read that someone discovered a new fruit tree growing in high altitudes…I think it might be related to Zap Apples, but I haven't talked to her about it, yet.” “Dork,” Bubblegum said. Onyx frowned at her, then stuck out his tongue. The rest of lunch was filled with chatter about the festival, guessing what events and activities there would be, and Onyx and Bubblegum lightly teasing each other over small things. For a moment, Discord paused, watching them all and smiling. A family…his family. Once they had all finished lunch, Fluttershy started to gather up the dishes. But Discord snapped his fingers, making the plates and cups grow wings and fly themselves over to the sink, where they began to wash themselves. “Oh, thank you!” Fluttershy said, beaming at him in the way that always made him feel light and warm inside. She turned her attention to their kids. “Now, can you please go change into something nice for the festival? I think Rarity made you some good outfits that would work for this…” “Yes, Mama!” “Okay, Mom!” The two of them hurried upstairs, Bubblegum galloping up two steps at a time, while Onyx unfurled his wings and soared over her head. “We'll meet in the living room once we're ready!” Fluttershy told them, she and Discord following them at a slower pace. They both responded in the affirmative again, opening the doors to their rooms. Discord still felt a small rush of pride whenever he saw them—he had made the rooms himself, without making the cottage’s exterior change shape at all. Each was designed by his children, though…he just brought their wishes to life. Onyx's bedroom was a mixture of greenhouse and library. He had asked for shelves to line his walls (even underneath his bed), and where there wasn't a book set in place, there would be a potted plant of some kind. The far wall had a large window that let sunlight stream in…and whose windowsill was the dragon's favorite spot to curl up and read. Sometimes the others would hear him quietly telling stories to his vast array of plants. Fluttershy saw a lot of herself in the younger dragon. She wanted him to have a space that felt safe and secure, where he could be alone if he wanted, but they still encouraged him to come out of his shell and make friends. Bubblegum's bedroom, on the other hand, looked more like some sort of training ground. Platforms lined the sky-blue walls and hung from her ceiling, which she used to parkour around to different corners of her room. Her floor was a deep black, and as soft as a storm cloud (at Fluttershy's insistence, in case she slipped during her ‘training'). All sorts of items were scattered through her room—laundry, weights, spellbooks, and so on. She always insisted that she knew exactly where everything was, though! Not that Discord would ever blame her for keeping a little bit of chaos. The two of them closed the doors behind them, Bubblegum already hopping her way up toward the ceiling. Fluttershy and Discord exchanged a fond smile before heading to their shared bedroom. At first glance, it was almost surprisingly ordinary—a bed large enough for the both of them, with a nightstand on either side, a closet in the corner, and a window letting in plenty of sunlight. But if one looked closer, they would notice the wavy striped walls, and how whenever anyone looked away and looked back, said stripes would move. Or how the stripes would change color every other moon, or sometimes every other week. They might also notice that the curtains would also change color and pattern if one stared at them for too long, or the Discord-shaped lamp atop one of the nightstands, or that the room's lightbulb was actually a tiny sun encased in a glass jar. But only the four of them knew that at night, when the light was turned off, their ceiling was painted with a sprawling galaxy of stars. They both headed to the closest. Fluttershy selected a summer dress she had already chosen for the occasion, a grass-green one with white butterflies lining the hem. Discord, on the other hand, pulled out several outfits, looking over each of them and tossing them into different piles on their bed. “What are you thinking of?” Fluttershy asked as she moved to her nightstand. She opened the second drawer, then pressed her hoof against the bottom of the one above it. The handle glowed with magic, and the drawer popped open, revealing the Element of Kindness resting inside. “Just about what I want to wear,” he responded as she clasped the Element around her neck. He held up an orange dress shirt. “Will this clash with my crown?” “…yes, I think so,” she said after looking it over. He nodded in approval, pulling the shirt onto himself before drifting over to his own nightstand. He placed a hand on the bottom of the first drawer, and just like with Fluttershy's, it popped open. He plucked out the Element of Magic, placing it on top of his head. He then closed the drawer and re-opened it, revealing an assortment of baubles and trinkets he had collected inside. He plucked two bracelets off of the very top, carefully unfurling them and slipping them onto his wrists. One was a pink leather string with plastic gems of white and blue strung along it, along with little plastic lightning bolts and clouds. The other had a black leather string and was filled with gems of all colors, sparkling in the light. Fluttershy smiled. “Taking another opportunity to wear those in public?” she said. “Of course.” He held up his wrists to show them off. “I have to show everyone how amazing and talented my kids are!” Her smile only grew, and she fluttered over to lean against his side. “You're a really good father to them,” she said, draping a wing around his back. He smiled down at her, his wings giving a small flutter. “…I'll never get tired of hearing you say that,” he whispered. “Us adopting them…that's tied with the best choice I ever made in my life.” “And the other best choice?” she asked. “Telling you how much I love you.” He leaned down to peck her forehead. She giggled, leaning up and into the kiss. “Thank you, Discord,” she said. “I love you. And I agree…adopting them was one of the best decisions in my life, too.” She briefly glanced away, pursing her lips for just a moment, and he could feel her wing twitch on his back. He raised an eyebrow—something was on her mind, or on the tip of her tongue, he just knew it. “What's on your mind, Shyfly?” His words made her blink, momentarily startled. “Well, I…I was thinking.” “I sure hope so!” That got a chuckle out of her, and she visibly relaxed, letting her wing fold back against her side. “Discord, I…” She took a deep breath. “…I'd like for us to have another child. Our biological child.” She took his hand and gently placed it against her lower abdomen. He stared at her, eyes slowly widening as his jaw dropped. “I, you…you want that? With me?” She nodded. “I…Shy. I'm not even sure if it could be possible for us to have a kid together. I mean…” He gestured to himself, then to her. Two wildly different species. And it was debatable if ‘draconequus' even counted as a species, since he was the only one that had ever existed, as far as he knew. She just patted his hand. “But we could still try. If…if you want another child, too.” “I…” His fingers twitched, and he gently pressed his hand against her stomach. “I…I love you, Bubblegum, and Onyx with all my heart. I can't say no to growing our family. “But…are you sure about this? You think we're ready for it?” She nodded. “We've been raising Bubblegum and Onyx well, I think. And like I said, you've been a wonderful father to them.” “…I could still have a Bad Day,” he said quietly. “You'd have to look over three kids and one dazed-out, unhelpful draconequus.” She gently squeezed his paw. “Discord, you've been doing so well…you haven't had a Bad Day in moons.” The last one had been hectic—Bubblegum had caught dragon pox, Onyx blamed himself and become distraught, and Fluttershy and Discord had both scrambled for a cure. Discord had felt so stressed that he regressed. “Besides, even if that happens, our friends can always lend a hoof,” she said reassuringly. Which was exactly what happened on his last Bad Day—Applejack tended to Bubblegum while Pinkie lifted her spirits, and Rainbow and Rarity helped them look for medicine while Spike explained to Onyx through messenger crystal that he wasn't the source of the disease. Once Bubblegum got better and things calmed down, Discord had slowly become himself again. “I suppose that's true,” he said with a smile. “And…I know you'll always be there.” She smiled and nodded in confirmation, and he closed his eyes, taking a few minutes to think. “No promises if we can even have a child, but…we can try,” he finally answered, wrapping his fingers around her hoof. “Trying is all I ever ask from you,” she said gently, kissing his knuckles. “Well. That and you being yourself.” He smirked. “So…being on time for events isn't on that list?” Fluttershy's eyes widened. “Oh my goodness…I can't believe I almost forgot!” She rushed out of the room, sighing in relief when she saw Bubblegum and Onyx ready and waiting in the living room…even though Bubblegum was practicing fighting poses and testing the limits of her sky-blue suit. “Hi, Mama!” Bubblegum cried, bouncing out of her latest pose. Onyx’s attention snapped up from the book in his claws. “Is it time to go?” Fluttershy nodded, and their children gathered around them, Onyx tucking his book into his ruby-colored suit. “Discord, care to do the honors?” “Naturally,” he responded, snapping his fingers and teleporting the whole family in a flash of light.