//------------------------------//
// First steps to reformation 
// Story: Natureshy: RotE Episode 11 
// by Dream Volt 
//------------------------------//

	Discord raised an eyebrow at me.  Around me were a few animals, including Angel.  The circle of normal grass ended a few dozen hooves away.  Everything else was nonsense.  Complete madness, checkerboards, upside down buildings, creatures that shouldn’t exist, and lots of dragons.  I almost made them go away, but resisted.

"Oh come on, you have to be kidding me."

"Well you asked.  I have to keep you away from ponies until you learn to behave properly, but I'm not going to punish you for being you."

He rolled his eyes.  He then used a screwdriver on the side of his head when one eye kept spinning.  "That's not what I meant.  You're asleep you…"

"The whole point of the training…"  Then I blinked and looked down.  "Oh, so sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you."

"To stop nightmares."  He just stood there blinking.  "That's all I am now, a nightmare to be ignored.  A bad dream with no power.  I've been reduced to…"  he trailed off

"There there."  I flew up give him a pat on the back.  "You are real, even if you're only here because of magic and can't leave because of the same."

He then grabbed me and with a huge smile on his face tried to do something.  It didn't do anything though, since I wasn't letting him affect me.  He slumped down again.  I just hovered there for a bit.

"Ummm, I'm not sure, are you really upset or trying to trick me again."

"Both, just like before.  I can't believe it.  Of all the ponies I'm powerless against you.  That's just plain insulting."

"I'm sorry."

He flopped down into a couch that came into being.  It was the ugliest thing I had ever seen.  I couldn't look directly at it long enough to see too many details, only that its pattern was horrible, made of the ugliest possible combination of colors possible.  I think I wasn't sure what that combination was because my brain immediately repressed it to save my sanity.

"You know that's the worst thing.  That I'm almost sure you really are like this.  It's so ridiculous it just might be true.  I like that sort of thing usually but…"  then he screamed

"Should I go?"

"Of course you should.  End your torturous niceness and leave me alone."  Then his voice got louder.  "It will give me time to find some way out of this mess."

"Did you mean to…"

"Well yes, obviously.  I suppose whispering it would have been a good idea, but that just made far too much sense."

I giggled.  "You know, I didn't think I could really reform you on my own and I'd need to get somepony to help me somehow when I failed, but you don't really seem that bad anymore.  You were so scary at first, but now…"

He sat up, head whipping right into my face, despite most of his body still being on the couch several of his body lengths away.  "I'm still scary."

His face was scary.  In fact his whole body seemed much more dangerous.  But I saw it for what it really was.  A lost child who just needs a little kindness.  I pulled him into a great big hug, making myself a little bigger so we were closer to the right size.  He tried to squirm out of my grasp, but slowly he stopped resisting.

"Is this really so bad?"

"Of course it is, but it's not like I can do anything about you horrible evil kind pony.  This doesn't mean anything.  I will find a way to defeat you."

"You might.  I'm good at this but you probably are better.  I know you'll never be able to hurt or control me, but you can probably get out.  I really hope not though.  I think I can help you, and I really want to."

"Ugh, I'll never change, and you can't make me."

I blinked.  "The spirit of chaos doesn't change?"

"Shut up.  You know nothing."

Then I was awake.  I wasn't sure if Discord really did something or it was unrelated.  So far the training with Lush had been easy enough, though most of it seemed to be a lot like what Acorn taught me.  Rarity also seemed to be doing well.  That was good because we only had a few days left before we had to return.