//------------------------------//
// Prologue 
// Story: The Misadventures of Fluttermom and Discordad! 
// by MythrilMoth 
//------------------------------//

Father's Day had come and gone once again. Rainbow Dash had spent the day in Cloudsdale with her father, Rainbow Blaze. Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor had both gone to Canterlot to visit Night Light. Rarity and Sweetie Belle had spent the day with their father; Pinkie Pie had gone back to the rock farm to throw a Father's Day party. Stores all across Equestria ran out of neckties, cologne, and shaving sets.

As the sun set, Discord sat in Fluttershy's cottage, enjoying a simple, hearty vegetable stew with his best pony friend. "I don't understand these odd pony holidays," he said. "I mean, a day just for mothers? A day just for fathers?" He shook his head. "Who came up with that?"

"I think they're lovely holidays," Fluttershy said. "A lot of ponies don't really appreciate their parents the way they should." She looked down and rubbed one hoof with the other. "Like me, for example. I was just a filly when I fell out of Cloudsdale and ended up here in Ponyville, and...well...I just decided to stay, and...and I didn't think about my mama and daddy at all!"

Discord raised a bushy eyebrow. "Really? You? Do something inconsiderate to the ponies that gave you life?"

Fluttershy's ears folded down. "I...I was young, and young ponies...they make mistakes."

"Hmm...yes...even older ponies...and ancient immortal beings such as myself...are known to make the occasional mistake." Discord stroked his beard. "But did you ever...?"

"Oh, yes, I did," Fluttershy said with a smile. "I worried Mama and Daddy so much, and they were upset with me, yes, but...they were also happy that I'd found my special talent. When I told them I wanted to move to Ponyville, they...they supported me." She sniffled and wiped a tear from her eye.

"But you didn't go visit your father today?"

Fluttershy dipped her head, her face turning sad. "Daddy passed away a long time ago."

"Oh. Oh my. I'm ever so sorry to hear that."

Fluttershy shook her head. "He was old," she said. "He was twice Mama's age when they got married and had me." She blushed. "That's...actually pretty...bad..." She looked up. "I did visit my mama on Mother's Day, but...I don't like going to Daddy's grave. It's too sad."

"You know, I've noticed something since I started spending time in Ponyville," Discord said. "For all the importance ponies place on family, it certainly seems as though there are far more ponies living alone, or scattered bits and pieces of families, here than there are whole, intact families with a mom and a dad and two kids and a dog and all that good stuff."

Fluttershy frowned thoughtfully. "Well..." She blinked. "You know, now that I think about it, you have a point there." She rubbed her muzzle with a hoof. "That is odd. I mean, sometimes things just happen, like...like with the Apple Family, but..."

"If you'll excuse me, I think I'd like to do some research on this whole 'family unit' thing," Discord said suddenly. He snapped his talons and exploded into a swarm of polka-dotted bees, which flew out through every opening in Fluttershy's cottage.

Fluttershy blinked. "Oh...oh dear..."


* * * * *


A week later, Fluttershy was having a picnic with her friends when Discord suddenly appeared, wearing a hideous maroon sweater and a pair of horn-rimmed glasses and smoking a pipe. "Good afternoon, ladies!" he said.

"Oh, hello Discord!" Fluttershy greeted.

Rarity recoiled. "Good heavens, what are you wearing?"

"There's somepony I'd like you all to meet," Discord said. "Come along, my dear!" He snapped his talons...

A second, female draconequus appeared. Her various chimera parts weren't quite as mismatched as Discord's; she was much smaller, and her features were far more ponyish. Most of her body was a soft buttery yellow, and her short, feathered hair was light pink with a black streak. One of her wings was a pegasus wing; the other was a vampire pony wing. She had a deer leg, a hawk leg, a bear claw, a sphinx paw, and a seapony tail. She lacked antlers of any kind. She wore heavy black eyeliner and mascara around her bright green eyes. She was holding a small purple device.

She looked up, and her muzzle scrunched.

"Uhh...what's with the mini-Discord?" Rainbow Dash asked, blinking.

"This won't be good," Twilight Sparkle muttered.

"Really!" Discord huffed. "How rude! Pay them no mind, Eris dear."

"I never do, Dad," the yellow draconequus said in a soft, bored voice.

Twilight, Rainbow, Rarity, and Applejack's eyes bugged out. "DAD?!"

"I didn't know you were a daddy, Discord!" Pinkie said.

Fluttershy frowned slightly. "Discord? What did you do?"

"Oh, well..." Discord chuckled. "After our little chat the other day, I did some research into family life in Equestria, and I felt...intrigued. So I began searching through all the potential future timelines of this dimension, and—" He started cackling. "I found one where, oh-ho-ho, you'll never believe this! Where I get married!"

"You're right. I don't believe it," Twilight said flatly.

"Oh, but it's true! And not only that, I end up a father!" Discord rubbed his hands together gleefully. "Can you imagine? Well...I just had to explore this possibility, so..." He gestured at the female draconequus. "I bent time and space to my will, and here she is, live and direct from one possible future...my lovely, spirited daughter, Eris!"

Eris looked up from the device she was fiddling with. "'Sup?" she said.

"Is she...y'know...all chaosy and stuff?" Rainbow asked.

"Her magic hasn't...really developed yet," Discord said. "She's only still learning the most basic stuff. Give her time, though...give her time..." He gave Eris a fond, tearful smile.

Eris blew on her bangs. "Whatever, Dad."

Rarity's eyes narrowed, and she cleared her throat. "Ahem. Not to be indelicate, but...who's her mother?"

"Why, I'm glad you asked!" Discord said. He swooped down and swept Fluttershy up, holding her aloft. "Congratulations, Fluttershy! It's a girl!"

"FLUTTERSHY?!" the others chorused, jaws hanging wide open.

Fluttershy's irises shrank to pinpricks. "Meep."

"Oh, hey Mom," Eris said before becoming distracted again.

Fluttershy fainted dead away.