Discord laid down on his back beside the tombstone which still looked new, despite the fact that years had passed. Discord had been making sure it stayed nice. The grave was in a special cemetery reserved for the past wielders of the elements of harmony – the special ponies who had the honor and power to control the elements of harmony. Around him was a tombstone for an old wonderbolt, a famous fashion designer, a popular party planner, and his best friend, Fluttershy.
Discord stared up at the fluffy white clouds for a moment and finally picked up a book with a soft blue cover and opened it up to a random page, holding it up high to see it.
“Let’s see what we get today, shall we?” he smiled, as if talking to an invisible presence.
He had opened up a page – his favorite page in fact – that had a few pictures and a bunch of stories that had to be unfolded to read since the page wasn’t big enough to fit it all. It was stories from that day Discord had talked Fluttershy into spending a night in the Everfree forest. He loved the Everfree forest. Fluttershy, on the other hoof, didn’t share his fondness for it at all.
Discord opened up the folded piece of paper in the top corner of the page. He had written this particular little story. He began to read it aloud.
“As we walked through the trees – the kind of trees that are always empty of leaves despite the season, you glanced around nervously, afraid of the creatures of the Everfree that I could, obviously, protect you from. In fact, I was almost offended. ‘Fluttershy!’ I said, raising my eyebrow at you. ‘You do know that I could turn a cockatrice into stone and a timber wolf into a toothpick if I wanted to, don’t you?’”
Discord smirked at the memory. He signed in contentment and made a glass of chocolate milk appear. He lifted the glass to his lips, the liquid not pouring out despite that it was sideways, defying gravity, and continued reading before he drank.
“’I know…’ you said quietly, blushing slightly. You’re adorable,” Discord added, sipping his drink. He continued to read the story despite the chocolate flavored milk still on his tongue, “‘But…D---‘”
“Discord?”
Discord coughed, spitting the milk back out into the glass. He stared into the light brown liquid for a moment, not knowing whether or not he should continue drinking it or not. Finally, he made it vanish from his talon and sighed. He glanced around the cemetery, knowing already that the soft, feminine voice seeming to have been carried by the breeze had been a figment of his imagination. He held up the book again.
“’But…Di---‘”
“Discord?”
Discord sighed overdramatically and swept his eyes over the graveyard, putting the scrapbook down with a thump and sitting up. “You’re hilarious!” he called, bothered by the fact that somepony would find such a thing so funny to play a trick on him. Even his chaos wasn’t so horrible.
He heard a gentle giggle. He made a face and glowered around. He turned to pick up the book. He reached his paw towards it before seeing the pale lemon hoof already resting on it. He froze, his paw halfway to the book. Slowly, he raised his eyes up to her smiling face.
He stared straight at her and she stared directly back. Discord looked around the cemetery once more before straightening his back and giving the blurry yellow Pegasus an odd look.
“Uh…”
“Hello, Discord,” she beamed.
Discord gawked at her as she laughed. She bent her head down and blew on the edge of the book. The pages fluttered open until it reached the last page, where Discord had started a new scrapbook. The Pegasus placed her hoof over the last sentence of the page.
The page had only a simple picture of Discord and Fluttershy and a short note on it, where Discord complained of the need to begin a new book and how much he missed her. The last sentence read: “I wish there was some way I could still see your sweet smile and your bright turquoise eyes.”
Discord looked at her. She smiled at him.
“I…don’t…are you real?” he stuttered, baffled. He reached his paw forward to touch her but it went straight through her, going tremendously cold as it did. He quickly jerked his paw back. She frowned and shrugged her tiny shoulders.
“You…aren’t going to…speak?”
Fluttershy bit her bottom lip and looked away, into the distance as if looking at something that Discord couldn’t see. She turned back to him and flew up to be at eye level with him.
“I can, but I mustn’t speak to you too much, as I’ll be wasting energy. It’s a bit hard to speak to you…I…so…sorry…I…er…could still speak if you…want…” she said, her voice seeming to be carried by the breeze like a moment ago.
“It is you,” he whispered instantly.
He reached forward to hug her, but his rough yellow and furry yellow-brown arms slipped right through her. He looked at her, his expression slightly pained, and she made an apologetic face.
“That’s alright Fluttershy! I’m just so delighted to see you again! Are you a… ghost?”
Fluttershy nodded.
“Fascinating…” Discord said quietly, looking at her intently, much to her discomfort. “How long can you stay?”
“Not too long…I…it’s quite difficult…”
Discord pursed his lips together and thought for a long moment. Fluttershy watched him as if there was no time passing by at all. Then, Discord closed his eyes in concentration and focused on her, on spirits, on those who had passed on…
He opened his eyes.
“Sweet Celestia!” he gasped before he could stop himself, seeing them all.
Rainbow Dash zipped and soared through the sky, grinning widely from the thrill of being able to fly on the earth plane again. Rarity lounged on her gravestone, watching Discord and Fluttershy carefully, curious, and wanting to make sure nothing went wrong and that they were okay. Pinkie Pie rested right on Discord’s lap, humming to The Smile Song, oblivious to the fact that she could now be seen by the draconequus.
Discord screamed, shocked. Pinkie Pie shrieked as well, equally surprised. She bounced away from him. “He can see us!” she announced in a squeal.
Rainbow Dash stopped dead in her tracks, spinning around in the air, her mane slapping her in the face. Rarity blinked from not having blinked for an unbelievable amount of time. Pinkie Pie turned to stare at him with wide, blue eyes, and Fluttershy gasped.
“You can see them?” she asked.
“Well, that’s definitely a Pinkie Pie,” he said uneasily as Pinkie Pie beamed at him.
“Oh!” Fluttershy said, her voice sounding clearer. She looked more opaque as well. “Your powers! You’re using them to see us?”
“I was only trying to help you.”
“But that’s wonderful, Discord. I don’t have to leave so soon!” Fluttershy smiled brightly. “But I do have to go after a while, and their only here to accompany me. But I can come back.”
Discord’s face lit up and he turned his attention directly to her and away from the other ponies floating around him. “You can?”
“I think so, yes.”
“Excellent!” Discord grinned, diving to hug her again. His arms, once again, slid right through her. He made a face. “I’ll…manage,” he smirked at her.
Fluttershy beamed and then put her arms around his neck. Discord could only feel a cool breeze, but he could feel her.
“Let’s go have an adventure then!” Discord said brightly.
“Actually, Fluttershy said, moving her head back to look at him, “the further away from here I go, the harder it is to see me. But I’m easy to see here and at my cottage.”
Discord paused and then smirked. He lay back against Fluttershy’s tombstone, crossed his legs and picked up their scrapbook. He opened it up and looked up at her.
“Then, let’s just read.”
Fluttershy flew forward and curled up in Discord’s lap, laying her head in the crook of his elbow.
“I love you, Discord,” Fluttershy smiled up at him.
Discord smiled back. “I love you as well, my little butterfly.”
Then he began to read his best to her.
It wasn’t how he had planned to spend his time, sitting with a tiny ghost in his lap, reading to her like she was a little filly about things they had done when she had been alive. He had planned to spend his time watching ponies freaking out as he tore their world apart.
Yeah. This was better.