"So when you do that camouflage thing," Blueberry asked Rainbow Dash, "do your clothes camouflage with you or do you have to take them off?"
Rainbow stared down at the blue filly beside her for a long moment and then slowly retracted her marshmallow from the fire. Without saying another word, she popped the treat into her mouth, glancing uncomfortably at Blueberry.
"You know, I never knew there was a gingerbread house around here," Applejack said as she pressed her marshmallow between two graham crackers.
"Well, duh!" Pinkie exclaimed, casually sliding a piece of chocolate into Applejack's little sandwich. "Who do you think made the gingerbread path?"
"That was you guys?" Rainbow asked.
Pinkie gasped. "How'd you know?"
"Did you make this whole house too?" Sweetie Belle inquired, glancing around.
"Oh, yeah. Baking is my specialty. Well, that and throwing parties. Oh! And playing the flugelhorn!"
"It's incredible," Rarity complimented, "although it's a little…in disarray."
"Oh." Pinkie hung her head. "Well, things haven't been the same since that meanie old Discord took over. He sent the Diamond Dogs to take the place apart. We managed to fight most of them off, but…" She sniffed. "Not before they took my Cheese!"
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Can't you get more cheese?"
The pink mare wailed and collapsed into Fluttershy's shoulder, as she was the nearest.
"I'm guessing she really liked that cheese," said Sweetie Belle.
This made Pinkie cry even louder.
"What's with the cheese?!" Rainbow demanded.
"Hey, shut up!" Raspberry hollered.
"She means Cheese Sandwich," Blueberry explained.
Rainbow tilted her head. "She's upset 'cuz the Diamond Dogs took her sandwich?"
"He's our dad!" Cherry exclaimed.
"Oh." Rainbow shrank back. "I feel like a schnook."
"He was just going to lead them away!" Pinkie whined. "But he never came back!"
"Hey, hey," Fluttershy said, softly patting her back. "It's okay."
"HOW IS IT OKAY?!"
Applejack shrugged. "Well, for one thing, a lot of us know how ya feel. My sister was taken by the Diamond Dogs just today."
"And the Chaos King has my Cadence," said Shining Amor.
"And my Scootaloo," murmured Rainbow.
"But don't you worry," Rarity said boldly. "Once that brute is off the throne, we're going to get every pony back!"
"That's right," Fluttershy whispered, lifting Pinkie's chin. "We'll all be with our loved ones again."
"Yeah," Rainbow huffed, glancing down at the floor. "You'll see him again, alright."
One way or another, she finished in her head.
She remembered Cheese Sandwich as soon as she heard his name: tall, lanky, orange, green eyes, poofy brown hair. Discord had made him his court jester. Sometimes Rainbow would see him perform. The stallion was hilarious, but now that she thought about it, he always had a sort of sadness in his eyes. She glanced around at the Tri-Pies and Pinkie, who was blowing into a tissue.
Rainbow touched a spot below her neck, where the silver whistle bulged slightly beneath her leotard. If she were to blow it here and now, would the Diamond Dogs take the Pies too? Would Discord enslave them as he did the father? She told herself that at least they'd be together, but that's what she'd told herself when she'd been captured trying to rescue Scootaloo.
She remembered that day. The minute she had seen the Diamond Dogs carrying off her little sister, she hadn't hesitated to rip out their throats. Unfortunately, she had been outnumbered. When they had reached the castle, she had tried to escape using her camouflage powers, but that hadn't fooled Discord. That's when he saw potential in her and demanded that she be his spy. Refusing had been pointless, because he had already had Scootaloo as leverage.
She looked back up at the ponies gathered around the fire. What would the Chaos King do to them once they were captured? She knew he wouldn't let the nutcracker live, and even though she had only known him for a few hours, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. She turned to the Tri-Pies and Sweetie Belle, who were engaged in a duel with their sticks. They were all around Scootaloo's age, and Discord never made exceptions for children.
Her gaze stayed for a moment on Fluttershy. For some reason, the thought of her as Discord's slave worried her the most. She was barely a mare and still so innocent, and the way the Chaos King had spoken of her made Rainbow shiver.
Fluttershy yawned. "Dear me. It's been quite a day."
That brought Rainbow's mind back to the task at hoof.
"Yeah!" she exclaimed, faking a yawn. "We could all use the rest!"
Pinkie suddenly perked up. "Yay! Slumber party! Girls!"
The Tri-Pies dashed off and returned a second later with bundles of blankets and pillows.
"Sleep wherever you want," Pinkie said, using her hoof to put out the fire, "so long as it's not near an open flame. Oh yeah, and watch your head. This place isn't as stable as it used to be." She pointed up to the hole in the roof. "And you might not want to sleep under there if it starts raining."
Applejack nodded. "Good to know."
Shining Armor rose. "I'll take first watch."
Rainbow's eyes widened. "Watch?"
"The Diamond Dogs are on the lookout for us. We have to take precautions. Besides," the nutcracker looked down at his body, "it's kinda pointless to sleep when you're made of wood."
As Shining Armor walked out onto the balcony, Applejack sent Rainbow Dash a warning glare.
"Just so you know, partner, I always sleep with one eye open!"
"What a coincidence!" Sweetie Belle piped. "I always sleep with two eyes open!"
"W-what?" Rainbow stammered.
"We're dolls," Rarity explained. "Technically, we're asleep in the daytime when we're not being watched."
Rainbow bit her lip. "Uh…so are you…still conscious?"
"Oh, yes. We may be perfectly still when we're asleep, but we are aware of our surroundings."
"That's good," Fluttershy said. "That means you can wake us up if there's danger."
"Yeah," Rainbow chuckled nervously. "Lucky us."
The multi-colored pegasus took a blanket and pillow and found a spot in the corner where she was sure to be out of the dolls' gaze. She glanced over her shoulder and noticed Applejack settling a few feet away, probably so she could keep a close watch on her. Rainbow then noticed Fluttershy lying in the middle of the floor, gazing up at the hole in the roof.
"Aren't you afraid of getting rained on?" she asked.
Fluttershy shook her head. "No. I like to watch the stars at night. They sky here is so much clearer than it is in my world. I've never seen so many…"
Rainbow noticed the sudden frown on her face.
"Fluttershy…do you, um…miss your family?"
Fluttershy nodded. "Very much. It's probably Hearth's Warming morning by now and they're all wondering where I am." She turned to look at the other pegasus. "Do you miss your sister?"
Rainbow looked down at her hooves and replied, "I…I would do anything to get her back."
Fluttershy smiled softly. "Don't worry. You'll get her back. Goodnight, Rainbow."
"'Night," Rainbow muttered before quickly rolling her back to her. Then she carefully took out the silver whistle and gazed at it guiltily. "Yeah. I'll get her back, alright."
He was standing in a wood. It was cold and dark, with snow falling lightly to the ground. Discord glanced around, wondering how he had gotten there.
He jumped when something pushed him. He turned to see a group of tiny winged ponies. Squinting, he realized they were Snow Breezies.
"Get away!" he shouted, waving his paw. "Shoo!"
The fairy creatures squeaked something in their language and persisted in nudging him forward.
"What are you doing? Stop it!"
He tried snapping them away with his magic, but for some reason, it wasn't working. Then he heard a small, distant voice like the coo of a dove.
"Oh, where are you taking me, little friends?"
He looked ahead and froze. The mare who had spoken did the same as soon as their eyes met.
There she was, the young pegasus he had been chasing all day. The Jewel of Kindness glinted off her neck, but that's not what caught his eye.
The way she stood there, the hem of her simple white gown lightly touching the snowy ground, her wings spread out to her sides, she looked like an angel on a Hearth's Warming tree.
For a long while, they just stared at each other. Fear welled up in her eyes, thinking he was going to pounce at her at any moment, but Discord could do nothing but watch. The sight of her was too enticing to approach.
He yelped as the Breezies pushed him forward again. Another group was pushing Fluttershy too. He soon realized that the tiny creatures were bringing the two of them closer together.
"No, you don't understand!" he shouted to the Breezies. "She hates me!"
"He's evil!" Fluttershy exclaimed.
"What exactly are you guys trying to…?"
He was cut off when he and the mare collided. She gasped as she looked up at him and attempted to run when the Breezies put her back into place. Discord tried the same thing with the same result.
They were stuck there, standing toe-to-hoof, him looking down at her. Discord didn't know whether it was the cold or her wide gaze that was keeping him frozen in place.
They both stiffened when they heard music. The Breezies started dancing with the snowflakes around them, singing softly, but joyfully. Before they knew it, his claw was being pulled toward her waist and her hoof to his paw.
"Oh, no, no, no!" Discord insisted.
"No, I don't…" Fluttershy uttered at the same time.
She gasped as she was lifted and brought to his chest. Discord gulped as she was now pressed fully against him, not sure what to do now. She met his eyes again, her fear even clearer now.
His instincts told him to drop her and run, but they also told him to keep holding her. As his paw tightened around her, he felt a strange sense of…completeness. She was so small, yet fit perfectly in his arms.
The Breezies fluttered by their ears, this time speaking his own language:
"Dance! Dance!"
They stared at each other again, giving equal gulps. After a long while, Discord shrugged and guided her in a waltz. He was surprised when she suddenly yelped and wrapped her hooves around his neck. It took him a second to realize she was afraid of slipping from his grasp. He tightened his hold on her and whispered:
"Don't worry. I won't let you fall."
Fluttershy looked up at him, in the way she had while tending his burns. The fear from earlier had been replaced with fascination, as if she were under a spell. The reality was that he was the one under her spell.
From then on, the dance was easy. Every step he took with her was smooth and light. It came to a point when neither of them cared what they were doing and just followed their instincts.
Out of the corner of her eye, Fluttershy could've sworn she saw a dark figure watching them from the trees. When she turned to get a better look, it was gone.
As the music drew to a close, Discord twirled her and moved her into a slow dip. Her breath became sharper as she gazed up at him. The way he held her in mid-air made her forget everything for a moment.
It wasn't the Chaos King she saw in those red and yellow eyes, but a tender, lonely creature.
"Shining Armor isn't the only one under a curse."
She gasped at the voice, as it sounded like her Aunt Luna's. However, she quickly forgot it as Discord's claw lifted to lightly brush the snowflakes out of her face.
Then their amulets started glowing again, pulling them closer. This time, when Discord closed his eyes, she closed hers too.
Discord sat up in bed in alarm, crying, "WHAT AM I DOING?!"
He glanced around the dark bedroom, panting heavily. Luckily, no pony was around to see him in this state.
"What a dream," he sighed, wiping the sweat off his brow. "What a dream."
He remembered it. Every little detail: from Fluttershy's twinkling eyes to the snowflakes entangling in her soft, pink mane. They were dancing in the snow, the snow dancing around them, and near the end of the dance…
He shook his head. What could've caused him to have a dream like that? He'd never dreamed about such things before.
Feeling he should wallow in these thoughts somewhere else, Discord climbed out of bed and sauntered to the throne room. He plopped onto his throne and stared up at the ceiling.
"That mare," he whispered, clutching his head, "why can't I get her out of my mind? Why can't I stop thinking of her ocean eyes, or her sweet smile, or her gentle face, or her…soft, silky hair…?"
He shook his head again as he rolled onto his stomach. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?!"
He was now facing the smaller throne, the throne that had been empty ever since he had overthrown the Sugar Plum Princess. He stared at it for a long time.
He then imagined some pony sitting in the throne: a mare dressed in a simple, but elegant white gown; a small, golden tiara resting atop her rosy head. Her teal eyes turned to look at him, her gentle lips curling into a loving smile.
The mare of his fantasy was Fluttershy.
His eyes widened at this realization and then he rubbed his chin in thought. He was getting nowhere with Cadence, and it was true what she said, that he could have any mare he wanted. But could it be possible for him to have this mare? He couldn't deny that she had bewitched him in a way that she was all he could think about. He remembered the kind look she had given him. Was it possible that perhaps, in time, that kindness could develop into…love?
It was surprising how well he accepted this fact: no pony loved him. Despite the fact that he was King of everything, no pony loved him. Not even his followers cared for him. They only obeyed him out of fear.
Yes. That's what he had been missing. That was the emptiness he had felt not long after taking over the Land of Sweets. He had everything…except some pony who loved him.
He thought over the witch's words and that perhaps she hadn't been talking nonsense after all. The Chaos Amulet was pointing him toward his destiny: Fluttershy. His dream had confirmed it.
He looked back at the throne and realized how much he really wanted a queen. The more he thought about Fluttershy as his queen, his wife, his eternal companion; the quicker his heart raced. It came to a point where he couldn't picture any pony else sitting in that throne but her.
The idea was now engraved in his mind. As soon as the Jewel of Kindness was removed from her neck and he could finally touch her, he would take her as his bride. The sweet mare clearly wasn't fond of him now, but once she saw how much he had to offer her, she would be his.
Discord sighed contently. "Then I'll never be alone again…"
Fluttershy lay awake under her blanket, having been unable to sleep after that distressing dream. At first, it had been wonderful being greeted by Snow Breezies, but when the Chaos King had appeared…
Her feelings about his role in the dream were mixed. The sight of him had been alarming, yet he had looked equally surprised to see her. Then the Breezies started pushing them together into a dance. She remembered the sensation of being in his strong but gentle arms. Surprisingly, she hadn't been afraid, not while he was holding her.
She blushed at the fact that they had almost kissed before she had woken up.
What did this dream mean? She shouldn't be thinking about the Chaos King in this way! He was the enemy!
Shining Armor isn't the only one under a curse, her aunt's voice said in her head again.
That puzzled her as well. What curse? At first, she thought it might be about his appearance and that he was cursed like the prince in Beauty and the Beast. Or had her godmother meant the curse of the Chaos Amulet?
She tried to think back to Aunt Luna's story. Had she said anything about Discord being under a curse then?
Any pony would act horrible if they had not been shown any kindness in their life, her godmother had said.
This was true. If Discord had looked that way his entire life, not many would've been kind to him.
She shook her head at the thought. That gave him no excuse for his actions. He had brought misery to his friends, misery to this land, and most likely intended to bring misery to her as well. A monster like him didn't deserve pity, especially from her.
Fluttershy turned when she heard a soft sigh. Through the window, she saw the nutcracker staring out from the balcony. Curious, and anxious to clear her thoughts, she rose from the floor, wrapped the blanket around her, and walked quietly out to him.
"Hey," she whispered.
Shining Armor glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "You should be asleep."
"I could say the same for you."
He shrugged. "I told you. I'm wood. I don't really get tired. You know, unless you use a really good sleep spell like the one Discord cast on us today."
Fluttershy joined him against the licorice rail and gazed up at the sky. "Were you thinking about Cadence?"
He nodded solemnly. "She's alive. That much I know. Discord has every intention of marrying her, but I know she would never accept such a fate. She knows I'll always come for her."
She hung her head. "You must really love her."
He sighed. "Ever since I first laid eyes on her. But don't get me wrong, she's more than just beautiful. No pony is able to spread as much love as her. She always had an ear for her subjects and was willing to solve any problem thrown at her." He chuckled. "I was scared to talk to her at first, but she was so understanding."
Fluttershy looked off to the side. "She sounds wonderful."
Shining Armor turned to her sympathetically. "Fluttershy…I…I know how young mares often feel certain…attractions toward their rescuers, but I can't…"
"I know," she muttered, her mane falling over her eye. "You have Cadence. It's just that…" She sighed. "This is like one of those fairy tales I read in books as a filly, and…I figured that if I ever found myself in a fairy tale, I would find a sort of…Prince Charming, you know?"
She turned to him, but kept her gaze down. "I know I'm not the one who can break your curse, but…there must be some reason for me being here, right? I mean I know I'm here because of this silly necklace, but…if I didn't have it, I'd just be…well…me."
"That's not true," the nutcracker said, laying a hoof on her shoulder.
"Oh, really?" she said, looking up. "Name one useful thing I've done on this quest."
"You fended off the Diamond Dogs…"
"Without the necklace."
He opened his mouth but then paused. After much thinking, he spoke again.
"Rainbow Dash. You helped us learn to trust her. Well, Applejack's still a little wary, but…"
"What's your point?"
"My point is that you're able to see the goodness in ponies when others can't, and are able to bring out that goodness." He chuckled as he pointed to her necklace. "I don't think you need a magical amulet for that."
Fluttershy sighed. His words were a little comforting, but the whole ordeal still worried her.
"And…when we get to the Sugar Plum Palace," she murmured, "what then? I'm not even sure how this necklace works, and I don't think there's any goodness in…"
She trailed off as she recalled her dream and her strange encounters with the Chaos King.
"Hey," he whispered reassuringly. "Don't underestimate yourself. Any pony can do anything if they put their mind to it."
Fluttershy said nothing for a while and then nodded, even though no question had been asked.
"Now get some sleep," said Shining Armor. "Tomorrow's gonna be rough."
"Right," she replied softly.
She started to leave, but after a moment's hesitation, she turned back and gave the nutcracker a peck on his wooden cheek. He looked at her with wide eyes.
"What was that for?"
"Just…making sure." She blushed slightly. "Also…thanks."
Shining Armor smiled kindly. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
Rainbow Dash remained still as she listened to Fluttershy's hoofsteps. It was just her luck that the young mare had chosen to wake up minutes after the multi-colored pegasus. Now Rainbow was waiting for her to fall back asleep, so she could carry out her mission.
When she heard the young mare's body make contact with the floor, Rainbow took the whistle out to gaze at it again. It glinted in the moonlight coming through the roof.
She turned it in her hoof, contemplating her next move. If she blew this whistle, every pony here would become Discord's slaves. If she didn't blow the whistle, she would never get Scootaloo back.
She didn't want these ponies to get hurt. She had never wanted any of the ponies she had ratted on to get hurt. These ponies in particular trusted her. One of them had jumped off a cliff just to prove her so-called loyalty. They were counting on her to help them in their quest.
But Scootaloo was counting on her more.
Rainbow shut her eyes tight as she slowly raised the silver whistle to her lips.