Discord teleported outside the doors of the throne room. Arriving in flash of white light and startling the two royal guards in the process, Discord grinned at the startled guards. They were both pegasi, one had a snow white coat with dark blue eyes, the other pegasus had a dark chocolate brown coat with mint green eyes.
“ Hello gents, I believe I am expected.”he said with a grin.
The guards recovering from their initial scare, scowled at the draconequus.
“ The princess expected your presence 15 minutes ago.” The white Pegasus stated.
“Well, I needed to make sure that my mane was presentable for the graaaaand princesses of Equestria” Discord replied, snapping his fingers to produce a brush, and proceeding to comb his short mane.
“I shall notify your arrival to the princesses.” The green eyed guard stated.
The guard disappeared behind the door, but Discord could hear the guard’s voice stating his arrival.
The guard soon reappeared motioning to Discord. Discord snapped his eagle talon, making the brush disappear, and went into the throne room.
When Discord entered he saw the two sisters on their thrones both wearing deadpan expressions. They motioned for all of the guards, courtiers and royal staff to leave.
When the last of the castle staff left the throne room, their full attention moved to Discord.
“You’re late ” Luna stated flatly .
Discord grinned “And you’re astute, but I believe the term is fashionably late.”
Discord snapped his eagle talon and a black tuxedo with a crimson bow tie dressed him.
“ I thought I should look my best if I am in the presence of royalty ”
Luna glared at Discord in response.
“Discord you are expected to be here at ten o'clock, to receive your duties unless Luna or I, say otherwise” Cleasta stated sternly.
“Oh, come on! I know what my duties are today, they are going to be the exact same duties I have been doing for the past 2 weeks. Go to the Canterlot museum, help and I've to do one of these three things,”
“ Organize” Discord summoned his waiter suite.
“Clean up” he changed into his French maid attire and made an act of dusting with his feather duster.
“Or provide security” he then appeared wearing his police officers guise.
“Or all three” he appeared wearing ,a mismatch of all, three of the outfits. His waiter’s uniform with the French maid's skirt, with the police hat and holding the feather duster in his eagle talon .
“Discord” Celestia said sternly, already tired of Discords shenanigans, “ You are wasting time that could be used for the preparation for the Lunar Convergence
Celebration, and if you don’t get your jobs done today, then I am afraid you will have to cut into tomorrow ….. your day off, if am not mistaken .”
Celestia could not help but smile a bit at the look of shock and fear that was now on creeping onto the draconequus face.
She rarely used suspending his free day as a threat , because she knew all too well that he spent that day with Fluttershy. Sometimes both the sisters thought that Discord and Fluttershy were something more than friends.
But when Discord was being stubborn, or a bit too much of a prankster she knew that threatening his day off would always confine him. Discord would never risk the time he spent with Fluttershy.
Discord’s chaotic costume disappeared and in its place a was a face of wide eyed terror.
“Y-y-you can't do that” he stuttered, “We had an agreement that if I did whatever job that needed to be done, I could have 1 day off a week which I could use to do whatever I wanted.”
There was the odd time where he could sneak off to do his own thing for a short time, but that was usually after he finished his jobs for the day.
“As long as that day does not involve spreading chaos throughout Equestria; say for your appointed areas” Luna added.
“That goes without saying.” He replied, rolling his eyes.
“That rule only applies if you have finished all your jobs, Discord” Celestia stated “ and it looks like that may not be the case if you keep on bickering and delaying time.”
Discord surrendered at this point. “ All right! All right! What would you have me do your Highness?” Discord surrendered at this point.
“ You will go to the Canterlot Natural History Museum!” Celestia said.
“Big surprise there,” he thought to himself.
“ Once there” Luna continued “ You are to find Prince Shining Armorer, he will give you instructions on what to do ”
“OOOOOOOO, When did the princes and princess of the crystal empire arrive?” Discord asked.
“Princess Cadance shall not arrive until later this day,” Luna said, “The prince however, arrived early this morning and went straight to the museum to do his
duties.” She said the last word with emphasis.
Discord rolled his eyes and raised his mismatched hands in surrender.
“ All right , I can take a hint I am going , I will give your regards to the prince then. ”
And with that Discord snapped his lion paw and was gone.
___________________________________________
The Canterlot Museum was a large, elongated, white building with intricate symbols covering the outside pillars that lead to the entrance. It had 4 floors, not including the basement, with wide windows on each of the floors.
Ordinarily the museum was a quiet place where tourists, school groups and professors would mill about.
It was currently host to a number of work ponies going about their various jobs of moving flood lights into position, carrying banners to hang on the museum's entrance, and other such jobs for the celebration.
Discord appeared outside the Canterlot museum doors, startling several pony workers.
A number of the work ponies shot Discord an assortment of stares, which raged from shock to fear to loathing .
Discord had been used to being stared at like this ever since he was a young draconequus , but since his betrayal, the stares increased in frequency. Even with the announcement of his reformation both before and after the his betrayal, most ponies still did not trust him .
He often had to go in disguise as a pony to avoid persecution from most ponies. The only reason he did not disguise himself all the time was because it limited most of his powers and there were always some parts of his mismatched anatomy that stayed through his transformation.
Although he could not blame the Canterlot ponies for their distrust, he had done little to earn their trust in the first place. Most of the ponies left him alone anyway and besides, he did not really want to be friends with a group of snobbish, self centered aristocrats; Discord would take Fluttershy or any of her friends any day of the week. Particularly Fluttershy!
His heart felt like it did a little somersault as the thought of Fluttershy came into his mind again.
He ignored the stares that the ponies gave him and walked through the museums wide mahogany doors (literally walked through).
Once inside the museum Discord took in his surroundings.
The atrium was full of ponies milling about moving, display cases, tables ,chairs and setting up what looked like a podium, where most likely one, if not all four, princesses would give a speech.
Discord looked up, hearing a tinkling , he saw a team of pegasi flying what looked like the head of a huge magnifying glass, into the museum's glass cupola like ceiling. At the center of the atrium calling out orders, was none other than prince Shining Armor himself.
The prince seemed fully focused on ordering the team of pegasi and a hoof full of unicorns, that were under the strange optical lense with their horns ready.
Discord snapped his fingers and was at the prince’s side in a flash of white light.
“ My, my, that must be the second biggest lens I have ever seen.” Discord said
“Discord?” the prince cried out.
“ The one and only.” The draconequus said with mocking bow.
“You’re late” Shining Armor stated flatly
“My! It seems Luna is not the only one that is astute to day”
A look of confusion spread across Shining Armor face, but he shrugged it off.
“ Any way now that you’re here ,we could really use your help with attaching the lens to the ceiling, Discord.”
Discord looked up at the team of pegasi holding the lens right under the cupola roof.
“Looks to me like they’re doing a good job of it so far”
“Yes so far. Although I doubt the pegasi can hold the lens for much longer, let alone attach it safely ,which is why this team of unicorns and myself are here to catch the glass if anything goes wrong.” He made a gesture with his left front hoof pointing to the group of unicorns before pointing his hoof at Discord, “ And the reason we need your help right now is in fastening the lens safely in place”.
“ Is that all?” Discord said flexing his fingers “ well that shouldn’t be a problem.”
With a snap of his lions paw, the lens was safely attched to the glass sealing . Leaving the pegasi holding nothing .
“Well, does that conclude my duties for to day ?” Discord asked hopefully, even though he already knew the answer.
“You wish!” Shining Armor chuckled.
“ Yes well, you can’t blame me for trying, what’s next on the agenda ? ”
Shining Armor levitated a small scroll over to Discord.
“That scroll will tell you everything you need to get done today”. Shining Armor stated.
“O this doesn’t seem to….” Discord voice trailed of as he unfurled the small scroll , only to have at least 6 feet of it hit the ground and roll off .
“I think these jobs will keep you busy for the day” The prince said cheerfully.
Discord turned to Shining Armour after getting over his initial shock.
“So did Twilight make this for you to give to me, or does list making just run in the family ? ”.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Fluttershy was out in her garden, she had just finished feeding her chickens and was now tending to her lush garden. She was softly humming a song to herself as she flew over her garden, water can held in her front hooves, gently pouring the contents over her blossomed flowers. She heard a soft twittering and turned her head to see a turquoise colored hummingbird.
“ Oh, why hello there Mr. Hummingwing, how are you today?”
Hummingwing gave a few chirps in response.
“I am happy to hear that you’re having a good day as well ”. Fluttershy replied,smiling brightly.
“Would you like to drink some of the nectar from my flowers?” Fluttershy asked, “ I know you normally drink sugar water from the hummingbird feeder, but I thought
if you wanted a change, and it is perfectly alright if you don’t want a change, that you could always have some nectar from my flowers, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to,I just thought I would offer.”
Hummingwing gave few cheerful tweets.
“You're welcome, but be sure to leave some flowers for the bees. If you don’t mind that is .”
Hummingwing dive-bombed a group of tulips and happily started sucking away.
Fluttershy looked happily at her hummingbird friend, before turning her attention back to watering the rest of her plants.
Soon after Fluttershy had finished watering , she was interrupted again this time by a certain white bunny’s, squeaks .
Fluttershy landed in front of the white rabbit
“Hello Angel bunny, is everything ok?”
Angel made a motion with his front paws, of holding some thing and biting down on it.
“ Are you hungry?” she inquired.
Angel nodded his head vigorously.
“Well I guess it is almost time for lunch ”
Fluttershy placed the watering can down. “All right would you like a big yummy, carrot and daisy salad?”
Angel rubbed his chin, with one of his white paws in thought, and then nodded vigorously, causing his ears to flop about wildly.
“All right !” Fluttershy said with a bright smile lighting up her features.
Fluttershy walked up the path that lead to her cottage, Angel hopping right behind her.
Along the way to her cottage Fluttershy gave cherry hellos to her animal friends.
“Now Angel, while I am in the kitchen getting your lunch ready, you can get me your bowl. ” Fluttershy said as she opened the door.
Angel nodded his head in response and hopped inside, Fluttershy walked in after her white bunny and shut the door behind her.
She had only taken a few steps away from the door when she heard a soft thud from behind her.
Fluttershy turned her head and gasped in horror. A small bird like swallowtail was flattened against her window and slowly sliding down it.
As quickly as she could, Fluttershy ran to her door and threw it open.
“O MY GOODNESS I AM SO SO SORRY,I DIDN’T SEE THERE, ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?! O PLEASE TELL YOUR NOTE HURT MR……bird? ”
Fluttershy’s voice trailed off as she got her first good look at what slammed into her window, and was now rubbing its head, with a white wing.
Her first guess of it being a bird was not that far off, but it was unlike any of the birds she knew. This one was not made out of feathers and muscle, instead the bird looked like it was entirely made out of paper , like an origami crane.
In fact, Fluttershy realized, that’s what it was; a living paper bird, spread out on the ground in front of her.
“Hm, are you okay?” Fluttershy asked she took a step forward and heard a soft crackle from under her hoof. She looked down to see a green envelope.
“Oh, is this yours?” She asked taking the her hoof of the envelope.
The paper crane shook his head and shot forward, grabbed the green envelope in its beak, and flew up to Fluttershy’s eye level and started gesturing with its beak.
“Mmm, Is the letter for me?” Fluttershy asked more tentatively.
The Crane nodded its head, enthusiastically, causing the green envelope to wobble.
“Thank you then” Fluttershy said as she took the green envelope in her mouth. Once the envelope was out of the cranes beak, it did a salute and reverted back to it’s lifeless form, and fell lightly to the ground.
Fluttershy looked at the now lifeless crane and then the letter in her mouth wondering who could have sent them .
She shrugged the crane seemed harmless. Fluttershy gently picked up the crane in her front hooves and fluttering back inside to her couch, she lay the crane down and examined the envelope.
Fluttershy gently turned the envelope over in her hooves until she saw her name in all too familiar writing .
A smile spread across her face “Discord.” She said, “Well that explains the crane” she thought to herself.
Fluttershy eagerly tore open the green envelope, to read the contents.
Discord had been sending letters far more frequently, but she did not care, on the contrary she loved reading his letters but she loved seeing the draconequus far more, though she wouldn't say that to him out right .
Fluttershy’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink at the thought of Discord as she unfolded the letter.
Dear Fluttershy
I know this letter might come as a little surprise seeing as how we are going to be seeing each other tomorrow, so will try to make it brief .
The reason I am writing to is just for the fun of it, seeing how writing letters to you is the only source of enjoyment I am allowed to have on a regular basis , by the two princess ponies presence here, but I do enjoy writing letters to you just as much as I enjoy causing Chaos. But both writing letters and causing chaos pale in comparison to when I am with you. I value that time above any other.
Fluttershy smiled inwardly, the smile soon spread to her face, and her heart did a little flutter of enjoyment at the compliment.
Any way I won't tell you all that has transpired since we last met or else I won't have anything surprising to say when I see you tomorrow.
With love
Discord.
Fluttershy eyes fell upon the last two words, Love Discord. Her pink tail lightly wrapped around her body.
Of all the times Discord and she had been sending letters, this was the time she had seen love at the end of one his letters. He usually sent some thing like ‘friendly neighbourhood draconequus” or something like that but never love.
Fluttershy blushed at the thought of that single word.
Could Discord feel the same way as she felt about him?
Fluttershy sucked in a breath as a hope, that she only had in her dreams came to light.
Could..could ..could it be possibly that Discord...
Fluttershy’s thoughts were interrupted by a rhythmical tapping. She looked away from the letter to see Angels front paws crossed, thumping his back paw on the floor.
“Is everything okay, Angel?” Fluttershy asked.
In response Angle pulled his food bowl out behind him and threw it down, making a resounding clatter.
Fluttershy pulled back from the sound, and gave a confused look at her white bunny. Then it dawned on her, she had been so caught up with Discord’s letter , she forgot to get Angel his lunch.
“O my goodness Angel I am so sorry!” She put down the letter, picked up Angel’s bowl and flew off to the kitchen.
_________________________________________________
After Angel and all her other animals were fed, Fluttershy went up to her room taking Discord’s newsletter with her. She lay on her bed carefully rereading the letter.
“With love, Discord” Fluttershy said aloud. Her heart fluttered each time she read the last three worlds.
Thoughts of Discord and his new letter to her, were running through Fluttershy’s mind.
Did he even know what he was writing? Did he know her true feelings for him? Is this his way of returning those feeling?
The questions made Fluttershy’s heart pound even faster and she could feel the start of a blush coming to her cheeks.
Does Discord l-….?
Fluttershy shook her head, trying to clear her head of the thoughts.
“O come on Fluttershy! This letter proves nothing” she said speaking softly to herself, “and besides what would Discord ever see in you, you’re just a shy, wimpy pegasus and even if Discord wanted some pony to love him he could probably create the perfect one with a snap of his fingers.”
Fluttershy shoulders and ears fell as these new thoughts filled her head.
All though, Fluttershy considered, Discord has been sending more letters to her recently. When he was just reformed he sent messages once a week but he had increased in frequency to sometimes 5 times a week, and he has made quite a few unscheduled visits, not that she minded Discord’s unscheduled visits, and increasing letters, on the contrary she loved them, even though he sometimes appeared at awkward times.
And then there were Discord's recent gifts. His gifts were very extravagant and seemed to go beyond an everyday gift of friendship; the gift was her animals able to speak their language and the other was a trip back in time to see some amazing animals. Admittedly,the gifts had been a bit chaotic; not really a surprise, seeing as who they were from, but they had been extremely sweet all the same.
Fluttershy knew some ponies still considered Discord a pain and other still judged Discord by his past action, seeing him still as the cruel creature.
But if they gave him a chance, they could see how sweet, gentle and kind he could be, as he was to her.
Fluttershy looked down at the letter again, more precisely she looked at the word love again.
Fluttershy didn’t know when exactly she had developed a crush on the draconequus..
Whether it was Discord’s confidence she loved, or how he would always listen to what she had to say, or how Fluttershy felt so comfortable around him, or maybe it
was because he was sweet and gentle to her, or perhaps something deeper which she herself couldn't understand or explain fully, Fluttershy didn't know. However, what Fluttershy did know was that she had fallen fully and utterly head over hooves for Discord.
Fluttershy knew, deep down, that the letter wasn’t really proof that Discord shared the same feeling for her, but she couldn’t help hoping that perhaps Discord felt the same way about her as she did for him.
Fluttershy hugged the letter close to her chest and her tail wrapped around her “A girl can dream can’t she?”
Fluttershy’s ears quickly flipped up, as she heard a familiar rhythmical thudding, she looked up and saw Angel standing in her doorway front paws crossed, right hind leg thumping.
“Angel!?” Fluttershy cried, shocked that her bunny was standing there. “ I-is everything okay?”
Angel nodded his head and pointed a white paw at Fluttershy, and the letter she held to her chest and then back to her.
Fluttershy followed the motion of Angels paw.
“O, are you wondering about this letter?” Fluttershy said.
Angel nodded his head.
“ Well um …it’s a letter from someone dear to me.” Fluttershy finally said, she hated lying but she also knew that Angel might not understand her feeling toward Discord.
Angel raised an eyebrow, and looked at Fluttershy skeptically, but then shrugged it off turned around and hop down stairs.
Fluttershy waited till the sound of Angel hopping downstairs disappeared.
She placed Discord’s letter on the bed and walked to her desk , where she did much of her writing to Discord. Fluttershy opened one of the top drawers and pulled out a green rectangular box with pink lace binding. She then walked back to her bed with the box in her mouth.
She lightly placed the box on the bed next to Discords newsletter and crawled back onto the bed.
She then delicately untied the ribbons that held the top of the box together, and lifted the lid to reveal all of Discord’s past letters he had sent to her, all neatly filed by the date when he had written them.
“This one’s my new favorite” Fluttershy softly said to herself with a warm smile placed on her lips.
She gave the letter another read, then hugged it, imagining she was hugging the writer who sent it and put it in the green box.
“Mare can dream” Fluttershy said again, with a bit more confidence in her voice this time “ and you never know that dream could become reality”.
A thought struck Fluttershy. Even though she was seeing Discord tomorrow, perhaps it might be a good idea to send him a letter just to test the water to see if he truly felt the same way as well, and it was only polite, right?
But the letter would not make it for tomorrow-- unless.
“I hope Twilight and Spike won't mind if they send it for me?” She said softly.