//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Discord's Problem // by solardancer //------------------------------// I arrive at the dress store only to find a distressed Rarity. “Go AWAY! My mane looks awful!” “Rarity, nobody's going to care about what your mane looks like, least of all me,” I reply impatiently. “So am I going to come in to clean your house or not?” “Leave me alone!” I guess that leaves me no choice but to leave the premises. I snap my talons and the maid's outfit is immediately off my body. Flapping my wings and roaming around Ponyville, I try to find someone to talk to, but most of the ponies that I encounter are either too scared of me to talk or too angry about what I did before. In the end I confine myself to Sugarcube Corner, eating cupcakes and drinking chocolate milk while listening to Pinkie Pie squabble on and on about parties, babies, and cakes. “OOOH, every party needs to have cakes! CAKES ARE THE GREATEST THING IN THE WORLD!” Pinkie Pie yells with excitement. Good thing I have my earplugs in my ears. Normally, on a day like this I would go to Fluttershy's home for some tea and chit chat. However, after the unfortunate events a few days ago I am still not ready to face her. I know what you're thinking: ooh, Discord, you are such a coward, boo hoo hoo. I am not a coward. You try hurting someone you love so much and see how confident you are then. Fluttershy, I wonder what she is doing right now. Most likely, she is taking care of that annoying bunny Angel, but it's still early in the morning and I doubt she is up at this time of the day. I wonder what she does in her spare time, when she is not taking care of her children. When I think about her, I always imagine her surrounded by bunnies and birds and all kinds of small animals, not reading a book... ” I spit out the chocolate milk that I was drinking all this time. My head spins around and I catch a glimpse of the elegant pegasus, my heart racing. Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh. What is she doing here, of all places? Calm down, calm down. I must stay calm and collected, like Rarity said I should. “Hey, Fluttershy!” That sounded like the most ridiculous thing I ever said. “Um, hey Discord. Um, what are you doing here?” “Nothing. Just relaxing and chilling out.” While my palms are beginning to sweat profusely. “Oh, mind if I join you? I wanted to by a birthday cake for Angel, but I guess I can stay and chat for a little while.” What am I supposed to say again? “Oh, sure, have a seat. Make yourself comfortable.” I point to the empty chair next to me, the one Pinkie Pie used to occupy. I'm not even a minute into this conversation and I'm already sounding like a complete idiot. The voice coming out of my mouth is strange and foreign. “So how have you been? Sorry I haven't visited you lately. I was busy with, um, taking care of my precious ones. I found a nest of birds that were starving to death yesterday, and I finally was able to nurse them back to health,” Fluttershy tells me with a worried look in her eyes. Something tells me that is not the only reason why she has been avoiding for the past few days. “That's really nice of you, I suppose those birds can use a new home.” I smile the most pleasant smile I can come up with. “What did you name them?” “Well, I haven't come up with any names yet... I was too busy trying to get them back up on their wings that I completely forgot.” “That is unlike you.” “Well, they were in dire conditions, see....” “I'm sure you will come up with suitable names sooner or later,” I reassure her. “They are so sweet, you should come over and listen to them sing. They are part of my choir of birds now.” I try to keep my boredom as discreet as possible. Honestly, animals don't appeal to me as much; they are only useful when pulling practical jokes. True to my name, anything cute and fluffy are only tools for pranks. “I am sure they sound lovely.” “You should come over and listen to them sometimes, we're learning a song for the summer festival in a few weeks!” Fluttershy says excitedly. “Oh, I better go. Angel will be so sad if I'm late for her birthday party.” My eyes follow Fluttershy as she rushes to grab the box that holds the annoying Angel's birthday cake. I wait for her to disappear around the corner before I slump and bang my head on the table for my incompetence. Ladies and gentleman, behold the King of Fails, myself. Why do many of my conversations that include her involve me being a complete idiot. “Well, that went better than I expected.” “Rarity?” I turn around to see the fashionable mare dressed as a bush. “What are you doing here?” “Why, tracking your progress of course.” “You mean stalking.” “Really, if it wasn't for my poor Fluttershy I wouldn't be here.” “Your poor Flutter- Wait, you set this up, didn't you?” “Of course, you didn't think that Fluttershy came here by her own will, didn't you?” I just sit there, dumbfounded. No words can describe the stupidity that I feel now inside my heart. Rarity's complaints of a bad mane day should have triggered something inside my brain. One, because she takes extra care of her mane every single day and night... Two, she never ever has a bad mane day ever in her life. I pound my head on the table again, cursing to myself. What. Is. Wrong. With. Me. Today. I wonder if I can kill myself to escape the humility. Then again, I am immortal. “Now, your speech is adequate but needs more training... However, as a reward for today's performance you can have the rest of the day off today.” “You mean, it's not quite ready for a date yet?” “Of course not, darling! We haven't gotten to Intermediate Speech yet.” Of course we haven't, your standards are so high. “Intermediate Speech? Really?”