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// Surprise 
// Story: Thirty Minute Ponies 
// by QuirkyQuills 
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The Prompt: Even on your birthday, duty calls.

When Fluttershy awoke, she was upside down.

No - scratch that. Her cottage was upside down. Her bed was still firmly anchored to the floor, blankets still doing their job, mane and tail laid across her sheets in delicate pink waves. The sun, however, was sinking over the horizon instead of rising, green field and forest above and blue sky below.

Besides, as soon as she realized the problem she fell.

The pegasus caught herself in midair, sighing as she hovered upside down a moment before righting herself.

As soon as she stepped outside her own cottage righted itself, and none of the other houses seemed to be upside down. All of Applejack's trees were, though, and when she looked closely no one building in Ponyville was in its correct location. She could see ducks making valiant efforts at dam building, beavers perched in nests, and a line of geese trooping dutifully after a lone gosling.

She landed and headed into town, braced for the barrage of complaints.

"Fluttershy, every book in the library is blank and there's writing all over the walls, the shelves - even me and Spike!" 

"Every time I buck a white cloud I get zapped, and the rainclouds are sucking water in!" 

"Darling, I do hate to be a bother today of all days, but every scrap of fabric I've got has turned plaid! Chartreuse plaid!"

"Can't you do something?"

"He listens to you."

"Where is he anyway?"

Fluttershy sighed, and smiled, and nodded. Duty called, and having a birthday off was a foal's luxury.

Of course, she had no idea where he was herself, but she realized he would quickly appear if he realized she had noticed. Why else would only her house be upside down, if not to gain her immediate attention?

"Discord." She made her voice as stern as she could. "Discord, please come here."

Nothing. She was going to have to find him.

She sighed again, looking around carefully; everything looked so odd that it took her a moment, but she soon noticed that one of the anti-rainclouds was both butterfly-shaped and flying slowly away.

Almost cute - she smiled a little, nodding again to her friends.

"All right. It's um... my duty, I guess."

She flew up to tap the butterfly-cloud with a hoof, and was rewarded by its bursting into a swarm of butterflies (bread-and-butterflies, she quickly realized, and her favorite flavor at that). The swarm flew more quickly than the cloud and she picked up her own pace to give chase, heading quickly out of town and into Ghastly Gorge.

Which, like most of the area, was not quite itself. 

Fluttershy touched down in the gorge, looking down its strangely serene length. The thin river along the floor seemed to be made of cherry cola, and burst up in fountains here and there, and pastry flowers lined the liquid. The bread-and-butterflies, still on the move, slowed when she did, and she continued at a wary pace.

"Um.... Discord. I would like it if you would please stop bothering everyone."

"Oh, not to worry. Ponyville's back to its old self. I just knew they'd be inconsiderate enough to call you out, and on your birthday! Predictable. Go crying to poor Fluttershy, even if she deserves a day off." 

There was mock woe in his voice as he formed himself from the swarm she'd been following. Fluttershy blinked, pawing at the earth.

"You... um... knew?"

"Oh yes. I found out when I ate Celestia's diary, she keeps marvelous track of things. And you would not believe some of the things she puts in there!" He chortled, paws clasping. "In any case I've never had a friend's birthday before, so I decided to surprise you."

"Er... with an... invasion?"

"Oh no - that was just because I knew it'd get you out here without you getting all suspicious. This."

He snapped his claws, and everything - the pastry flowers, the soda fountains, all the incongruities - burst into butterflies.

Real butterflies, pink and yellow and the blue-green of her eyes, surrounding her in a whispering swirl of delicate wings.

"Oh...! Oh my goodness!"

"You like it?" There was a hopeful note in Discord's voice, though the playfulness was back when he spoke again. "Well, it was that or enchant the quarry eels to sing 'Happy Birthday'...."

She laughed, fluttering up. 

"It's perfect... and I had no idea. Much better than a day off." A smile. "Besides - something had to distract me from Pinkie Pie's surprise party."

"Surprise indeed." Discord laughed, coiling idly around his friend. "You see? Your other friends are too predictable, my dear. So you'd best stay on duty a bit longer - so I don't liven up the party for you before you get there."

"Oh, I wouldn't mind. Er, too much." She smiled, giving him a light nuzzle. "But all right. Duty calls."