//------------------------------// // Part One: Tea Party // Story: One is Silver, and the Other's Gold // by Azure129 //------------------------------// “…So then I just, like, found my center, and I’ve been so chill ever since.” A smiling Tree Hugger (currently seated at a certain chaotic-looking tea table in a certain chaotic-looking cottage floating in a certain chaotic-looking realm) let out a peaceful sigh as she pressed her hooves together in front of herself in a Zen-like fashion and closed her eyes. Fluttershy, seated near her, sipped some tea from a teacup and smiled. “You really are always so calm, Tree Hugger. It makes you very comfortable to be around, especially for me. That’s part of why I like our friendship so much.” Discord, reclining in the air above his seat across from Tree Hugger and holding a teacup in one of his hands, raised an eyebrow at his green pony guest. “She’s right, you know, Tree Hugger—you really are the most relaxed creature I’ve ever come upon. I mean, I know how to enjoy myself or even completely goof off if the mood strikes me. I’m an expert at it actually.” He grinned, then sipped some tea and continued, looking at her in perplexity again. “But you’re just…beyond being truly troubled by anything. Even my chaos couldn’t rattle you. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Seated near Discord, the Smooze nodded with a smile, then made a gurgling sound and absorbed the crystal cup filled with tea that was upon the table before him. Discord chuckled slightly at his other greenish friend and nodded. “Agreed, Smooze. It is an almost impressive degree of relaxation.” The master of chaos snapped his fingers, creating another crystal cup for his amorphous friend, and then twisted himself in the air to look at Tree Hugger (and to drink his tea…and its cup) upside down. “Can you teach me about this whole ‘Zen’ thing, Tree Hugger? I really do let myself get too stressed—one of the burdens of being the chaos master, I suppose.” Tree Hugger smiled more and waved him off with a hoof. “Aw man, you’re, like, already half way there, Discord. I mean, you have to be totally chill deep down to go all twisty in the air like you’re doing now. It’s like how Smooze doesn’t have a shape—he just goes with the flow, you know?” She glanced at Smooze. Smooze smiled back at Tree Hugger and belched. Then he finished off his fresh crystal cup of tea and slumped into a wide blob now instead of a tall one, letting out a soothing gurgle. Tree Hugger nodded with a grin to him. “Radical, Smooze, radical.” Fluttershy laughed softly and looked to Discord. “Tree Hugger’s been teaching me to meditate to reduce stress, Discord. Maybe she could teach you too.” “Righteous!” Tree Hugger nodded and looked to Discord again. “Yeah, man, you’ve just gotta close your eyes and get somewhere comfy and totally just let everything go…. No stress.” She held out her arm to the side with her elbows slightly bent. “Just take a deep breath, in and out, and let go of all your thoughts. There’s nothing to harsh your mellow. You’re you…that’s all you have to be. Can you dig it, Dissy?” Fluttershy giggled. Discord blinked at the new nickname. Then he eyed Tree Hugger very curiously for a moment, seemed on the verge of dismissing her advice with an offhand joke, but then reconsidered and placed his teacup down on the table. “Well…I suppose I really have been under some stress. The last thousand years or so haven’t exactly been a day lounging on Horse Shoe Bay between the battles and the drama and that pesky stone body suit.” He twirled his beard, looking up in thought. Tree Hugger frowned and shook her head. “Ugh, stone—so confining. Talk about a chakra blocker. You are, like, the freest spirit ever, Discord. You’re chaos! Trust me, meditation will totally help you get back in touch with that.” She let out a deep breath and smiled, closing her eyes. “Just let the positive vibes carry you away to a better place away from the past or the future—be immersed only in the present.” Discord sighed and eyed her for a moment longer. But finally he snapped up a cotton candy cloud for himself and took a seat upon it. He closed his eyes, sat up straight, and held out his arms like Tree Hugger was doing. While Discord made his attempt at meditating, Fluttershy and Smooze looked on with smiles of great interest. Discord sighed. “All right then…deep breath…and think of nothing…I’m me and that’s all I have to be…. Perfectly content within myself.” Tree Hugger merely responded with a deep sigh like a hum. Discord and Tree Hugger were quiet for several moments. Then Discord cleared his throat. “Should I feel something, or…?” “Shh…” Tree Hugger whispered, “Like I said, just go with the flow, man, like when you make yourself all twisty or make chaos without even trying. Don’t think, just be…in the moment. Feel the energy fields of the present.” Discord sighed and nodded. “Okay…in the moment…chaos without even trying…energy fields…” He let out a deep breath and tried again, his brow just a touch furrowed this time. Fluttershy and Smooze both tried to hold back giggles. Discord lasted for a few more seconds, but then peeked open an eye. “Are you sure I shouldn’t be moving or…” “No…” Tree Hugger’s voice was barely audible. “We all move too much each day. Just…chill. It’s like sleeping but not sleeping—dig, Dissy?” Discord rolled his lone opened eye but closed it again and mumbled. “I’d dig it more if you’d stop calling me Dissy…honestly.” But he let out a breath and tried again. “Now visualize your aura like a magical manifestation all around you…” Tree Hugger whispered. “What color is it?” Discord’s brow furrowed more, though his eyes remained closed, and then he raised an eyebrow. “Paisley. Does paisley sound right? It seems sort of paisley…” “With, like, a neon checker-board pattern kind of inlaid through it?” Tree Hugger suddenly suggested. Discord blinked and opened his eyes, looking to her. “Yes, actually, and…” Tree Hugger opened her eyes with a smile, and she and Discord (who still looked quite surprised) spoke at the same time. “…ultraviolet and infrared upside down rainbows!” Discord scoffed and grinned, leaning in closer to her. “How in the world did you know that?” Tree Hugger shrugged. “I can, like, see auras when I spend enough time around other creatures. Yours is totally the coolest one I’ve ever seen by the way. It’s a real head-trip. I love it. Very chaotic.” Discord beamed in a touch of pride. “Well, I…yes, I should hope so, heh. Really, the coolest one you’ve ever come across?” The touch of pride grew considerably. “Totally.” Tree Hugger winked. “You are one of a kind, Dissy.” Discord’s smile warmed and he nodded to her as well. “So are you, Treesy, so are you.” Tree Hugger chuckled and then lowered her arms. “All right, probably enough meditation practice for now. We don’t want to harsh the vibe of the room by leaving our other friends out.” Discord chuckled lightly and nodded, snapping away the cloud and resuming floating in the air again, his teacup in hand once more. “No, I suppose not.” He looked to Fluttershy. “Sorry, dear Fluttershy, didn’t mean to steal your friend.” Fluttershy giggled. “That’s perfectly okay, Discord. Smooze and I had fun watching you anyway.” The Smooze smiled more and gurgled. Discord grinned. “Glad you enjoyed yourselves. Up for another bit of crystal, Smooze?” He raised his fingers to snap. The Smooze gave his usual wobbly smile and nodded the part of himself that served as his head. Discord nodded in return and snapped up a particularly large (and tasty-looking, in Smooze’s opinion) crystal goblet, which Smooze proceeded to half absorb as though he were merrily sucking on a lollipop. Discord chuckled at the sight. Tree Hugger looked to Smooze and smiled. “I can try to show you how to meditate too, Smooze, but you’re like the chilliest one of us all, so I’m not sure if I could teach you much. You’re just kind of everything and nothing and whatever you want to be all at once. And your karma feels like it’s flawless. It’s really radical.” The Smooze’s smile grew, and he released what was left of his big crystal goblet to ooze across the table and ‘hug’ Tree Hugger with his slime, effectively covering most of the area with smooze as well. Tree Hugger patted his head, coating herself even more in his goo and not caring about it at all as her continuing placid smile and gaze showed. “You’re welcome, Smoozey. I dig you too.” As the Smooze pulled back, Discord chuckled. “Hmm…maybe when you return home, Tree Hugger, I can continue my meditation lessons with Smooze since he’s so good at ‘being chill’, as you say.” He made air quotes around the phrase. “Righteous.” Tree Hugger nodded, looking to Discord. “Totally drop me a line, let me know how that goes, ‘kay?” Discord laughed more and nodded. “Totally.” Fluttershy just smiled warmly at the whole exchange as she finished removing a few blobs of stray smooze from her hair before taking another sip of her tea and then addressing her chaotic friend again. “Discord, later Tree Hugger and I were going to explore the Everfree Forest a little together before she has to head home. You and Smooze are welcome to join us.” Smooze’s smile grew as he finished engulfing his crystal goblet. Discord smiled at his dear friend but shook his head as he finished another sip of his tea. “Thank you, Fluttershy, but actually Smooze and I have plans ourselves.” He chuckled and snapped his fingers, suddenly putting himself floating right beside Smooze in the air. He hooked an arm around him, pulling his smiling sliminess close, and then held out his other hand high in front of himself as he envisioned their plans for later. “We thought we’d have some guy time—go cruising throughout the cosmic dimensions, talk about the trials and tribulations of being misunderstood immortals, maybe pick up a few chicks, swap some stories, play some pranks. That kind of thing.” The Smooze nodded in his smoozey way. Discord went on, still looking to the two mares. “You two friends enjoy the last of your time together. And we’ll all hang out together for a ‘group Tuesday Tea’ the next time Tree Hugger’s in town.” Fluttershy smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Discord. And you and Smooze enjoy your time together too.” Discord nodded in return. “Thank you, Fluttershy.” Then he released Smooze, snapped to put himself hovering back over his own seat, and turned his eyes once more to the green pony seated at his table. “And Tree Hugger,” Discord’s tone and look softened, “I apologize again for all of the trouble I tried to cause you. And I’m very glad we’re learning to be friends…and that this experience has taught me that Fluttershy will always be my friend no matter how many new friends she makes so long as I keep being a decent enough being of chaos to earn her friendship.” He shrugged with a touch of sheepishness in his grin. “Dissy, it is water under the bridge…” Tree Hugger merely replied with a smile and a slow, wide movement in front of herself with her hoof. “So we’re cool then?” Discord asked, his grin picked-up on one side and an eyebrow raised as he rested on his arms in the air. Tree hugger sipped her tea and nodded. “Cool as can be. And don’t sweat it, Discord.” She shrugged. “Your aura was all stressed—people do weird things when that happens. Learn to just be in the moment though like I said, and that should help. You’re chaos…I think chilling is very important for your health.” “I completely agree.” Discord twisted through the air and then came to settle into his chair, leaning back in a perfectly relaxed manner as he finished his tea. “I agree too, Discord.” Fluttershy nodded. “I’ve always worried about how stressful the reform and learning about friendship could be on you. It was such a great change for you to go through, after all.” She smiled. “But I’m happy you’re starting to feel like your life’s settling down now, and that you’re even feeling comfortable enough to start making new friends all on your own, like Smooze.” With a giggle she reached over and patted Smooze on the head, who responded with a gurgle and then a spreading out of his ooziness to wrap his friends in sort of a blobby hug that mostly just consisted of spreading himself entirely around the perimeter of the table and immersing half of each of them in his gelatinous form (though the sentiment was clearly there). Fluttershy laughed more and looked to Discord again as Smooze got himself together once more. “And I’m happy that you’re starting to make new friends like Tree Hugger too.” “Definitely.” Tree Hugger nodded to Discord with her usual blissful grin. “I can sense that you’re very close to being totally one and at peace with the universe—like you’re finding your true place in the world and making it your own in the way only you know how. Congrats, Discord.” She winked. Discord beamed a little at all of the positive attention and chuckled. “Yes, well…I’ve been trying, but I also have my friends to thank for that…dear Fluttershy most of all of course.” He smiled over at his little pegasus friend who beamed all the more in return, then went on. “And I’m glad it seems I’m just as good at making friends as I am at letting others befriend me. And that I was as successful as ever at incorporating a lot of particularly brilliant chaos into the whole situation.” He chuckled. “Speaking of which…” Discord glanced around and sighed, “I’m dreadfully sorry for the state this place is in today.” Indeed, the cottage looked rather clean. “You know how it is—in orderly reality you can’t keep the dust bunnies at bay, in chaotic reality you can’t keep them around.” He snapped, making a half a dozen dust bunnies suddenly appear which started bouncing all over the place. Smooze smiled more and looked at this one then that one prancing about. “Aww,” Fluttershy smiled as she leaned down to tickle one of the little creatures under the chin, “They’re so cute, Discord.” “And they totally question the very nature of reality itself,” added Tree Hugger, gazing at the bunnies. “I mean, order, chaos…who decided on the separation? They’re like two sides of the same bit—they need each other to exist as opposites and yet friends of each other, you know? Like a logical paradox of illogic.” Discord chuckled at this odd if oddly accurate view and nodded. “Righteous.” He sipped his tea and glanced at Fluttershy once more. “And speaking of chaos, Fluttershy, you really did have a wonderful suggestion back at the Gala even though you didn’t realize you were giving it to me.” Fluttershy smiled and tilted her head to the side. “I did?” Discord nodded to her. “Yes. You mentioned something about what it might be like if I had a friend I could discuss chaos magic with. Well, now I do.” He snapped up some more crystal teacups for Smooze (who happily started absorbing them). “I’m the only master of chaos of course, but Smooze ‘gets the vibe’, you might say, behind my magic since his operates on a similar principle—the more he consumes and gets stimulated, the more out of control and chaotic he gets as a being.” He glanced to Tree Hugger. “He’s very glad you discovered that chanting technique to calm him down though. Usually it takes him hours to relax on his own.” Tree Hugger smiled at Smooze. “Not a problem at all, Smoozey. Glad to help. Chanting totally relaxes me too.” Smooze finished consuming another teacup, then gurgled and raised his top part high enough to give her an appreciative nod. Discord smiled. “So it’s been fun for me having someone who gets how crazy it can be to wield and be subject to chaos, who knows what it’s like to have a sort of knack for spreading disharmony, but who also knows what it’s like to struggle with adjusting that knack to make his actions a positive and enjoyable experience for others. And it’s been interesting getting close to someone who has a slightly checkered past as well.” “Oh my…” Fluttershy frowned a little and glanced at the green blob. “Smooze, did you used to have trouble making friends too?” The Smooze pouted a little and nodded, then made a series of gurgles (which Tree Hugger understood in spirit, Discord understood to a growing extent, and Fluttershy with her intuitiveness understood perfectly). Fluttershy nodded, frowning more. “I understand. That’s awful though that people used to summon you up just to make you do bad things for them by using dark magic. You’re so nice, after all.” The Smooze smiled a little again and then made several more gurgling remarks before beaming happily and suddenly moving to the side and wrapping up (a very surprised) Discord in a nice, fresh, big, oozy hug that pretty much absorbed all of the draconequus except his head, neck, and his paw holding his teacup. Fluttershy giggled (both at Smooze’s actions and at Discord’s sudden surprised and shy look at the gesture). “I see. Well, it’s very nice that Discord was the first one to summon you and to just let you be yourself and stay around for as long as you want. I know—he’s really a very good and very sweet friend once you get to know him.” She sipped her tea and smiled more at the sight. The Smooze nodded to Fluttershy with a big smile in return as he released Discord and resumed his seat. “Yes, well…” Discord cleared his throat and glanced down and shrugged, playing with his teacup, a smile starting to grow upon his features. “I suppose I’m an all right friend at that.” He chuckled, brushing the excess smooze off of himself as best he could. “You’re an awesome friend, Discord,” Tree Hugger suddenly offered, resting a hoof on his arm and smiling warmly up at him. “Never be afraid to own it. It’s in your nature, it’s who you are.” Discord’s smile couldn’t help growing as he glanced at her. “Thanks, Treesy.” “Not a problem, Dissy,” Tree Hugger assured as she removed her hoof. Then she got herself centered again, closed her eyes, and sipped some more of her tea before letting out a pleased sigh. Meanwhile, Fluttershy was playing with another dust bunny and Smooze was finishing off the last of his crystal teacups. For a moment Discord glanced forward and just took in the sight of Fluttershy and Tree Hugger and Smooze seated around his kitchen table all enjoying themselves and talking with him. His smile grew. Fluttershy raised an eyebrow and smiled more back at him as the dust bunny bounced off and she finally noticed him observing them all. “Discord? What is it?” Discord chuckled and sipped more tea. “Oh, nothing…Just, um…” he set down his cup and flew into the air again, “Hey, you know, as long as we’re all here and enjoying ourselves, how about a group picture? I’ve, uh…sort of been keeping an album, and I also have a ton of frames that need filling, so I’ve been trying to get photos of all of my friendship experiences. I think one from today would be nice.” Something a touch hopeful came into his smile. Fluttershy’s smile brightened, and she nodded. “I think that’s a wonderful idea, Discord.” “Photographs are the simplest but best mementos—like memories you can see,” Tree Hugger added, spreading out her arms and looking up with a philosophical smile. The Smooze gurgled and grinned a lot, stretching himself out and then contracting himself back in again in an expression that could only be described as enthusiasm. Discord chuckled and then snapped, making an old fashioned camera appear on a stand (the whole thing floating in the air). It had a cord attached to it with a hand control to activate the shutter from a distance. Discord flew over to his friends with the control, and hovered in the air just above them with a big grin. “All right, everybody, say Smooze!” Everyone laughed and smiled. “Smooze!” (The Smooze himself, of course, just gurgled). Discord pressed the shutter, making a flash. The picture taken, the chaos master flew back over to his side of the table and snapped the camera away. He looked back to his friends. “I’ll make you all copies and send them to you,” he assured. “Now then, we’re almost done with the tea—any suggestions for how to spend the rest of our chaotic time together?” Fluttershy nodded. “Maybe you could take us all on a tour of your house, Discord?” She looked to Tree Hugger and Smooze. “I’ve been on the tour a couple of times, and it’s always really fun. There are rooms full of pillows, rooms full of Discord lamps, rooms full of pies that rain up from the floor, and all the rooms change each time.” She laughed softly. Discord’s grin brightened. “Say, I’ll do you all one better: a tour of the house and a tour of my chaos realm. It’ll be great.” The Smooze gurgled and nodded his head. Fluttershy’s smile brightened. “I’d love that, Discord.” She glanced to her green pony friend. “What do you say, Treesy?” Tree Hugger grinned. “A radical ride through a crazier part of the cosmos to connect with the chaos within us all? I’m in.” She gave a nod. “Excellent!” Discord clapped his paw and claw together, and then he snapped his tail. Suddenly there was a small train on a track running through his house (or rather, over the ceiling of his house), and everyone was seated on top of it with Discord at the front wearing a conductor’s hat (or rather, everyone was seated on top of the train but hanging upside down from the ceiling). Discord pulled the cord of a whistle floating in the air, which made a sound like a kazoo as it blew. “We’ll start with the house then and work our way out. First stop, ladies and gelatinous gentleman, my game room—it’s flooded with cherry cola a fair amount of the time, so I’d suggest some umbrellas.” He snapped, making inverted umbrellas appear over everybody. “Now then, just keep your hooves, wings, and various gooey appendages in the confines of the space of the train at all times…unless of course you just can’t help touching something…and stick with the tour…unless of course your curiosity for chaos gets the best of you…and follow all of the rules…unless of course you just don’t feel like it. We are dealing with chaos, after all! Let’s have some fun!” He chuckled. “And let’s go!” Discord pulled the whistle once more, and then the train started puffing forward (each puff of the engine not producing rings of smoke but rather rings of white powdered donuts which could be taken from the air by anyone as a snack at will). Suddenly, the track spiraled downward from the ceiling in a sudden quick loop through the air, putting the train and everyone right side up again as the contraption headed out of the room. Laughing together, the whole group went along on their chaos tour, thoroughly enjoying their afternoon and very glad for the new friendships they had managed to form and let thrive.