Chapter 20: Staccato
"Calm down, Rarity...it doesn't look...that bad..."
"You're right, Spike...It's worse!!!"
"I honestly don't see the problem. I think it will become the newest spring sensation."
Three people stood around a mannequin, their own views and ideas on the dress that laid gently over it. The outfit in question, however, was not gentle on the eyes. There were parts of the dress with alternating yellow and black stripes, other parts with orange and green polka dots. The sides were two different types of plaid, one red and greenish, and the other pink and white. Rarity, Spike, and Discord each exchanged glances with each other. Discord showed off a proud smile, happy to have 'helped' Rarity in the shop. He had decided to be helpful to her all day, replacing her annoying alarm clock with a rooster. He also made a plate on toast and eggs , gave poor opal a haircut, and finished the work on her newest dress she had been working on, which they were viewing now.
Spike looked back between Rarity and the dress, not really sure how to react to the obviously hideous mess in front of them. Rarity was a scary mix of emotions, and none of them were thrilled. "Rarity..." Spike said slowly, not wanting to divert any spontaneous anger towards him.
"...I will have to destroy it...No sane individual should have to see this." Rarity said, her voice eerily calm.
"That's not very nice." Discord said, folding his arms over his chest, a pout on his face.
"Oh hush, you!" Rarity said quickly, pointing a finger at Discord. "You created this mess, can't you undo it?"
"That hurts...it was my first try at making a beautiful dress in a little over a thousand years. I say the lucky lady who wears the chaotic queen design will be the center of attention."
"I don't disagree, darling...but I doubt that attention would be something she would want." Rarity said, shaking her head. "Oh I got it! Why don't we have our wonderful friend Perry make it go away!" Rarity said happily, jumping up and down. Spike couldn't help but stare at her as she did this, something about it hypnotizing him. Discord giggled oddly, before shrugging his shoulders in defeat.
"Everyone is a critic, I guess." Discord snapped his fingers, the dress turning back to normal. Rarity sighed in relief, nodding at the now repaired dress.
"Though I do appreciate your help, you can relax, Discord." Rarity said, though her tone of voice pretty much spoke differently, saying 'Touch my designs again and perish.'
"Don't worry, Discord." Spike said, patting him on the back. "You can leave the assistant job to me. Why don't you go relax, I got it covered."
"You're too good for this world, young man." Discord said to Spike, nodding in approval. With that said, Discord vanished from sight, setting his sights on traversing the unsuspecting town of Ponyville.
"Thank you, Spike. I wasn't sure if I was going to last much longer. “Rarity said with a relieved sigh. Spike nodded, blushing and smiling at his crush.
"So what shall we do now?" Spike asked, staring at Rarity hopefully. His teenage mind wandering to places where teenage minds usually wandered.
"Hmm...I got it!" Rarity said, staring at her repaired dress. "Spike, if you could be a doll and give me a hand?" Spike sighed, slightly disappointed, but willing to help anyways.
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Discord found the responses of the town quite amusing as he casually strolled on by. People were either staring curiously, ducking into their houses, or running in total terror. This didn't actually bother him. He did things...proud of them none the less, but he did do things. Deciding to kick up the pace, his casual walk turned into a glide, as if he was ice skating across the ground, grinning the entire way. His destination grew into sight, the house by the Everfree Forest. He had some fond memories of this place, some good, some better.
He approached the house, whistling an odd unidentifiable tune, and knocked on the door. The door opened, a mask flying out of it, followed by a low bellow.
"Angel...I am going to destroy you!" the voice said. Discord opened the door wider, which lead to a high pitched squeal and a thud. Amused, Discord walked in and took a seat on the end table, his presence striking Angel with a paralyzing fear. Angel went and his behind the couch, before getting pushed out from there. "This is my spot, go find your own!"
"Perry, my dear boy, is something the matter?" Discord asked, looking around.
"That demon spawn snatched my mask and threw it outside. I feel so naked..." Discord chuckled at Perry's state. He snapped his fingers, and a small pop could be heard from behind the couch. Perry slowly stood up, a large paper bag with a yellow smiley face on it covering his head.
"Always glad to be of assistance." Discord stated, a hint if whimsy in his voice. He didn't need to be able to see his face to know Perry was less than amused. Perry slowly walked towards the door, and headed outside, slamming the door as he left. Discord looked back around the room, Angel no longer in sight. He snapped his fingers, the couch lifting up, and the bunny in question hiding, not having noticed his cover was blown. Discord snapped his finger again, Angel suddenly appearing in the palm of his other hand.
"Why hello, Angel. How are you doing?" Discord asked politely, Angel suddenly coming to realize he was exactly where he didn't want to be. "Do you not like Perry?" Discord casually asked. Angel, taking a few seconds to comprehend what was happening, shrugged its shoulders. "You just don't like that he is taking up all of Fluttershy's time and you don't get nearly as much, am I right, my small furry friend?" Angel nodded furiously, a small scowl on his face. "You want me to make him go away?" Discord asked again, a wicked smile forming on his face. Angel thought for a few more seconds before nodding to the request. "What would you do if I making Perry go away caused Fluttershy to never be happy again?" Discord asked, his smile still in place, though a hint of seriousness in his voice. Angel froze, unable to really make any response to the question. "Do you still want me to do that, at the cost of her happiness?" Angel stalled, but slowly shook his head. Discord's smile faded into something more soft. He gently patted Angel before setting him down.
Perry walked through the door, his mask back on where it should be. He handed the paper bag back to Discord. "Thanks...though you could have just given me the mask."
"Yes, I believe I could have. Oh well." Discord said, a grin on his face. He looked down at Angel, a frown hiding from behind his mask. Angel responded with a sorry look, confusing the angry Perry.
"Ok...what did I miss?" Perry asked, staring at the rabbit, then at Discord.
"Oh nothing. Just a friendly conversation between friends, right Angel?" Discord asked, looking over at him. Angel nodded quickly before hopping away from the situation in general. Perry stared, stupefied.
"...I don't know whether to be scared or thankful...how about both." Perry said, giving a small chuckle to Discord. "Well, that being said and done, how can I help you?"
"Oh I am just out and about, and I figured I would come by to say hi to Fluttershy. Is she available?" Discord asked.
"She is taking a bath right now. Aren't you supposed to be watching Rarity?" Perry asked.
"Oh she is fine. I am a god, after all." Discord said, no doubt in his mind. Perry wasn't about to dispute it, so rather than argue he shrugged and went along with it. "I must ask, though. Why aren't you up there helping her out?" Discord said, a hint of mischief in his tone.
"That would be a completely discourteous thing of me to do. She is indecent, and I would be lower than scum to do that without her permission." Perry said confidently.
"Well, you might me missing out then..." Discord said, moving closer to Perry. He started to whisper into his ear, before pulling away with a sly grin. Perry's reaction would have been impossible to detect, had he been able to hide the slight flow of dark mist from the right side of his mask.
"I am going to go make lunch! You want lunch? I want lunch...let's have lunch." Perry said quickly, walking away.
"Kitchen is the other way, my lad..." Perry froze, stepping slowly away from the stairs and walking towards the kitchen. "...and I will take a sandwich with anchovies and coleslaw if you don't mind."
"Not at all, it will be my pleasure." Perry said quickly, stumbling through the kitchen. He waited, still maintaining his spot on the end table. He had bothered the poor man enough, so he figured he could give him a break. His attention turned towards the stairs anyways, as light footsteps slowly echoed through the living room. Discord watched as Fluttershy, wearing her usual style of clothing, minus the heavy sweater, as well as a fluffy pink towel in her hair, took step after step to make sure she didn't fall.
"Good afternoon, Fluttershy." Discord said softly, not wanting to startle her more than he knew he would. She jumped slightly, her wings shooting open in surprise. She let out a quiet 'eep' as she stared at the surprise visitor. Her wings slowly closed back to their usual position, a smile forming on her face.
"Sorry...you scared me a bit. How are you doing, Discord?" she asked sweetly, having been the first time she has seen him since he became a nicer guy.
"Oh, you know me, causing trouble still, but in smaller doses." Fluttershy frowned slightly, shaking her head. "But I am helping people. In fact, I am the temporary protector of the lovely lady Rarity." His outfit switched to that of an old time knight, full plate mail included. Fluttershy nodded, her smile returning. She slowly made her way to the couch, taking a seat, patting the spot next to her.
"Come and take a seat. Would you like some tea?" Fluttershy asked. He blinked over to her, a cup in his hand.
"No thank you. I am all taken care of." He took a sip, the small cup being sucked into his mouth leaving the tea, which he causally set down. It was one of those things that will take time to adjust to, but Fluttershy smiled anyways, trying to make him feel welcome. Discord got into a comfortable sitting position, leaning in closer to Fluttershy. "So I have to ask you..." he got in close, lowering his voice as to not be heard.”...is he the one?" His voice was all giddy, like a teenage school girl gossiping. Fluttershy blushed, looking down towards her hands, her palms suddenly becoming very interesting. "Oh, don't worry. I promise you that smiley won't hear it from me." Discord said, grinning. He already knew the answer, but it was just too cute the way she would get nervous.
"W...well...I really do like him..." Fluttershy said, still staring at the back of her hands. "I would like to take this ...well...one step at a time...but I really care about Perry. I hope he truly is my special someone..." Fluttershy was smiling through her blush.
"Oh you two are just the most adorable. I do hope you two are happy for a long time. What do you say, Perry?" Fluttershy's eyes widened, slowly turning her gaze behind her. Perry stood right behind the couch, a tray of sandwiches in his hands. The mask did its job yet again, hiding his expressions. They stared at each other for some time, Discord casually slipping into the background, making way for the scene to take place, watching his newest masterpiece take place. Truly beautiful, randomized chaos working together to create joy.
"Do...do you really want that?" Perry asked, having a hard time to hide the quiet sniveling behind his stoic appearance. Fluttershy sat there, eyes widened.
"...Yes..." She said, her face a deep shade of red. He casually set the tray down on the table, taking a seat next to her. Perry removed his mask, setting it aside, letting Fluttershy see his blushing smiling face, small beads forming in the corner of his eyes. They stared at each other, moving in slowly for a kiss, completely oblivious to Discord at this point, as well as Angel standing next to him, tongue stuck out and a finger in his mouth. Discord chuckled slightly, turning around and taking his leave, as well as his sandwich. He quietly exited into the wall, moving through it like a ghost, not that the two on the couch even noticed.
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"I must say, lad does make a mean sandwich." Discord said as he walked towards the boutique, his little adventure done for the day. He couldn't help but smile when he thought back to the two. Helping others really did feel good, as much as he refused to admit it.
Discord finally reached the entrance to Rarity's shop, taking a second to spiff himself up, before entering quickly.
"Honey, I'm home!" Discord yelled out, suddenly wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase. His spectacular entrance, however, went unnoticed. Rarity was busy at work, lost in her own little world of design. Spike, fast asleep on the couch, only acknowledged Discord's entrance by a low grunt followed by rolling over. Returning to his original form, Discord frowned slightly, not amused that no one was amused at his antics. He walked towards Rarity, who still had not noticed his presence. He casually admired the work she was doing, all the effort that went into every subtle curve and line on the dress. He admired it for all of two seconds before it bored him, taking his leave elsewhere.
Discord plopped himself onto one of the waiting room chairs, staring possibly into the endless void if infinite probability. "Patience...all the domino's need to fall on their own. I am just here to make sure the pieces don't fall out of place..." Discord sighed. Patience wasn't his strong suit, but he didn't actually want to make trouble for anyone here. Discord knew inside, he was terrible at being serious, and needed to remedy this fast. He conjured up a wooden paddle with a rubber ball attached to it by a string. Grabbing the ball, he repeatedly bounced the paddle back and forth, a self-satisfied grin on his face.
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"Wow...Catacomb...that was..."
"Something else?"
"Just...amazing..."
Twilight and Catacomb returned to the library as the sun made its trek towards its resting place. Twilight and Catacomb both sported a frizzy afro like head of hair, a few black marks on their clothes and faces. "So that was a full power lightning spell performed by Princess Luna herself?" Twilight asked, using her magic, to force her hair back into its natural state.
"Yup. Sorry about the shock, wasn't expecting you to shoot it so close." Catacomb said, chuckling slightly. His hair reformed itself on its own, Catacomb not having any real issue with changing his looks to begin with.
"Would I be able to make you one?" Twilight asked, earning a puzzled look from Catacomb.
"Make one what?" Catacomb asked, not sure what she was actually asking.
"A rune shell. It doesn't seem that difficult." Twilight said, nodding with confidence.
"I would say it is dangerous, but I ain't stupid. If I said no, you would do it anyways, going out of your way to keep it a secret from me. Your efforts to hide your work from me will end up backfiring as you can't put your full concentration into the manufacturing, explode, and I will be the one in trouble because I should have trusted you from the beginning." Twilight stared awkwardly for some time, Catacomb's assessment of the outcome spot on in her opinion. She just nodded slowly, not bothering to question how or why Catacomb was able to conceive that specific timeline of events so easily. She would chalk it up to something along the lines of the Pinkie sense, but Catacomb chalked it up to common sense. He knew her well enough at this point where it was bound to happen as so. "I will need to order empty shells, the particular mineral powder mixtures for engraving spells, and several mana collection gems for the power source. Without a second thought, Twilight was already recording the special shopping list. "I can assemble the shells, so you should just study up on your rune crafting."
"I already know the basics. This is going to be so much fun!" Twilight said happily, finishing up the list and smiling.
"You seem awfully enthusiastic." Catacomb observed, taking the time to get comfortable. "Perry and Fluttershy should be here soon, then we can finish up your little study session with me."
"This is so exciting. I will be the first one to get documented information from a changeling in history." Twilight's smile was infectious, causing Catacomb to smile as well. He took a deep breath, calming his own nerves about the situation, before getting up.
"Well, I guess I should start on the one thing I know is on your mind. “Catacomb said, a nervous smile on his face. Twilight looked inquisitively at Catacomb, her smile less overjoyed, and more subtle. Catacomb walked over to the table and set his belongings down on it. Stretching to loosen himself up, he still couldn't help himself but be nervous.
"Well...I owe you this one, Twi." Catacomb said, moving towards the window, making sure Perry and Fluttershy weren't in view yet.
"What do you mean, you owe me? I should be the one saying that, silly. You have been nothing but kind and helpful, if not in your own weird way." Twilight said, laughing lightly. She turned her head slightly, a meek attempt to hide the small blush forming as she stared at Catacomb. She wasn't really sure what he was planning, but the subtleties of her imagination slightly whisked her away to fantastic places, with him as her focus. It was an odd feeling, one that she was definitely not used to. Whatever he was going to do, if he was this nervous, it must be something special.
"Wow...I haven't felt this nervous since leaving the hive." Catacomb said, chuckling to ease his own tension. "Enough talk, though. I am going to do this...a possibly once in a lifetime thing...just for you Twilight." Twilight swooned on the inside slightly. At least, she thinks she swooned. Never happened before, but the sudden flare of emotions almost seeped its way out, leading to a slightly embarrassing moment, but Twilight managed to keep it restrained. "Are you ready Twilight...for what I really look like?" Twilight's eyes widened. It wasn't what she was expecting, but she was shocked none the less. He was very reluctant for just one arm, and now he was willing to drop the disguise entirely. It wasn't what she wanted to happen exactly, but she was more than ecstatic with his trust in her.
"Really?!" Twilight said, excited, yet wanting to make sure it is ok with Catacomb. Catacomb gulped and nodded.
"Well....here I..."
The door opened abruptly. "We have arrived!" Perry said, walking into the Library, causing Twilight to jump and Catacomb to freak out entirely. Twilight was at a loss for words, her special moment was ruined. Her emotions needed time to register how she felt, unsure of what exactly to feel. It soon registered as anger, as she got up from her spot.
"LIGHTNING!" Twilight cried out, striking the unsuspecting Perry with a bolt that appeared from a storm cloud above him. Within seconds, he was reduced to a quivering pile of flesh for the second time today, without any real reason why.
"Is...is this a bad time?" A quiet voice said from behind the door.
"Not at all, Fluttershy, come on in. It is always nice to know some people ask before entering someone's home." Twilight said, smiling as her friend slowly knelt down to check on Perry. She looked around, Catacomb hiding behind the couch nervously, taking deep breaths. She frowned looking back at Fluttershy and Perry.
"It...is...a public...library..." Perry choked out, still twitching slightly.
"I will feed you to my owl..." Twilight grumbled lowly, not really caring if anyone heard it or not. She was going to take some time to recover from the disappointment, but the reason they were here should make up for it. Catacomb peeked his head out from behind the couch, staring at Perry and Fluttershy, his eyes widening.
"NO...FREAKIN...WAY..."