My Little Draconequus: Wishing is Chaos

by taterforlife

Dress to Distress

Soon, it would be finished.

Soon, Rarity would complete her very first dress for a bipedal creature.

And she could hardly contain her excitement.

She had already finished her design sketch and had all the materials picked out. Fluttershy’s new measurements from her visit to the cottage yesterday stood in the forefront of the Unicorn’s mind as she prepared herself for the final step: making the actual, tangible thing.

With help from Twilight’s number one assistant, of course.

“Wow, Rarity,” Spike said, looking at her sketchbook and admiring Rarity’s design. “This dress is gonna be beautiful!”

“Oh, but of course it will be, Spike. In fact, it must!” Rarity replied, putting a confident hoof in the air with a determined glint in her diamond blue eyes. “But!”

She turned around and pointed at Spike. “It mustn’t be too beautiful! For it is the mare that compliments the dress, not the other way around. It must say to all who see it on Fluttershy…”

She stood on her hind legs. “‘Look at me! I’m Fluttershy, and I don’t care who knows it!’”

Spike wrinkled his brow in confusion. “But she does care, doesn’t she? And don’t we have to keep it a secret? I mean, we don’t want other ponies to see her. They’d flip out over seeing another Draconequus!”

“Of course we want to keep it secret, sweetie.” She trotted over to him and put a hoof under his chin. “But I want this dress to make Fluttershy more comfortable in her own skin...to help remind her of who she is despite how she looks.”

A thought occurred to Spike. “‘Remind her of who she is’? You mean...You think she’ll forget? Forget who she is and maybe…” He gulped. “Go...crazy?”

Rarity gasped. “What! No, of course not!” She put a hoof to her chest, “She would never do anything to put Equestria or her friends at risk, no matter what she is. Really Spike, you’re taking my words far too literally. Hmm.” She tapped her chin in thought. “I’m not sure whether that means you should read less books, or more of them.”

“I live in a library, I think I’m good,” Spike said. “But if you didn’t mean it that way, then...what did you mean?”

Rarity’s eyes softened as she looked at the innocent young dragon, and rubbed the top of his head softly. “What I meant, Spike, is that Fluttershy has made so much progress over the years, and I don’t want all of her hard work to become undone like a spool of thread on the floor. I’ve known Fluttershy for a long time, and you and I both know that she’s grown a lot in four years. She’s started to grow the kind of confidence I’ve always hoped for her to get. But she still has a ways to go.”

She looked out the window. “Did you know that when I first met her, her voice hardly ever went up above a whisper?”

Spike put a hand to his mouth and chuckled. “She was that way with Twilight too, until she got a look at me.” Seeing a rare opportunity to strut his stuff for his lady, he puffed out his chest and put his arms on his hips. “Then she wanted to know all about me; she thought I was fascinating, you know.”

This time, it was Rarity who laughed. “I know, dear. I remember her talking all about you afterward. But I met her before the two of you did, and oh, she was even quieter then.”

This surprised him. “She was?”

Rarity nodded. “She was.” She sighed deeply. “...I’m afraid I can’t tell you too much, and you’ll have to ask her yourself about it, but...when we first met, she was still healing from from her past. It’s true that she’s always been a shy mare, yes, but oh, what she went through…” She shook her head. “It only made things worse.”

But the corners of her mouth turned up as the sun shined brighter. “But that just makes her growth all the more impressive now. She’s overcome it, and she shines so bright in my eyes that I’d take her friendship over a mere diamond any day.”

This piqued Spike’s interest, but he was still confused. “But what’s that have to do with a dress?”

“Why, everything, of course! Fluttershy’s going through a very trying time right now. It was hard enough when Discord made a mistake and chose Tirek over her. But now she’s in a strange new body with powers she’s only beginning to comprehend. I don’t want her to forget all the progress she’s made, or lose faith in herself. And I think a dress is just the ticket to helping her with that.”

“Woah, can a dress really do that?”

Smirking, Rarity glanced at Spike, and levitated a fancy top hat over to the top of his head.

“Don’t you feel more confident when you’re in a dashing suit, Spike?”

Grinning, Spike stood with as much good posture as he possibly could, and tipped his hat to her. “Definitely.”

Rarity gave him a smile so genuine that he thought he’d melt through the floor. “Then imagine what a nice dress will do for Fluttershy when she wears it as she is now.”

She glanced at the clock and gasped. “And if I wish to get anything else done by the end of the day, we have to start working now. But I can’t hurry too much. I’ve got to give this my best effort.”

With her horn aglow, she levitated some pale yellow fabric, which inspired more questions from Spike. No one was more familiar with Rarity’s collection than him, after helping her in the shop for so many years, and he thought her choice of color was unusual.

“Rarity, are you sure that’s the right fabric you’re gonna use? It’s the same color as Fluttershy’s coat! I mean, er…” He blushed, and clasped his claws together in embarrassment. “Head. The same color as her....head. And uh, you hardly ever make dresses that are the same color as somepony’s coat. Or head.”

Rarity rewarded him with another smile. “Oh Spikey Wikey, you really do pay attention to my work, don’t you? Well, you’re right. Usually, I don’t do that. I’ll sometimes pick a dress that matches a pony’s hair color, but never the coat. It’s just far too bland to work in most things, unless the dress has embellishments of different colors.”

She hung the fabric over a hanger and picked out a spool of turquoise ribbon. “But this is a special case, dear. Fluttershy isn’t in her...usual form, right now. Her head and upper neck are still that lovely shade of buttercream yellow we’re all familiar with, but she’s also sporting a plethora of other colors on her body. Having a dress the same shade as her pony coat will be a lovely way of making her feel more comfortable under her own skin.”

Spike nodded in understanding. “You’re such a good friend, Rarity,” he gushed. “You always know just what everypony needs.”

“Oh,  you’re too sweet,” Rarity said,, a hoof on her cheek as she stood there with a pleased blush on her face. “Now, could you be a dear and hold up my sketch for me to see? I remember it well, but one can never be too careful. Especially in fashion!”

“You got it, Rarity.” He picked up the sketchpad and held it above his head for her to see without having to bend her delicate neck too much.

“Ah, yes, thank you, Spikey Wikey. I don’t know what I’d do without you!” She turned back to her work as Spike pumped his fists in celebration.

“Yes, this is going to be the perfect outfit for her,” Rarity said to herself. “ Simple, yet chic! Casual, but refined! Comfortable, yet functional! She’ll be able to move freely and still feel as pretty as a flower.”

The design was simple enough, but it was a challenge to design a dress for someone who didn’t stand on four legs. But that made the project all the more exciting for her, and after a few failed attempts at cutting the fabric and starting over, she was able to make it just how she envisioned. Since all she had were ponyquins, she had to levitate the dress in the air instead so she could see the final product.

And she squealed in delight at her success. The yellow dress had an orange ribbon wrapped right around the waist to nip the shape, with a tiered empire skirt just beneath it and a shallow V-neckline. It was light and it shimmered slightly under the natural light of the room. It was the perfect sundress for a tall skinny figure like Fluttershy the Draconequus. And for a final touch, she added in a floppy sunhat with openings for her antler, antenna, and ears, with another ribbon wrapped around its brim.

“So what do you think, Spike? Does this not positively scream Fluttershy?” Rarity asked giddily.

Spike nodded in agreement. “It totally seems like the kind of thing she’d wear. She’s going to look great! But I mean, it is a dress from you, so I’m not that surprised.”

“Oh, always a flatterer, Spikey! I’d say it was too much, but I just love to hear it! Now, shall we go deliver it to her?” she asked with a smile.

Spike grinned from ear to ear. “You want me to go? On the long walk to Fluttershy’s? Alone? With you?!?” It was practically a date.

She lifted her hooves and pinched his cheeks. “But of course! I couldn’t have done this without your help. So let’s get going!”

She folded the dress in a box and levitated it herself, not allowing Spike to handle it. This had been such a special project that she wanted to do everything herself this time.

Stepping onto the cobbled streets of Ponyville, Rarity trotted forward with Spike by her side. The fashionista was so happy with her work that she even started humming to herself. Spike had hearts in his eyes.

He was so occupied with listening to her heavenly tune that he didn’t notice Mayor Mare headed their way. The mayor herself had just finished straightening her collar and began walking again when she ran straight into Rarity.

“Oh!” Rarity gasped as the mayor’s forehead bonked against hers, startling her and causing the box to hit the ground before Spike could think to catch it. Both mares stepped back, taking a moment as their heads circled and their irises rolled, before shaking their heads to reorient themselves.

The mayor was the first to speak. “Oh my! Rarity, I’m so sorry! Are you--?”

“Rarity! Are you okay!?” Spike cut in, taking her shoulders and holding her steady in case she needed the extra support.

The unicorn put a delicate hoof to her head, rubbing it for a moment. “Oh, I’m quite all right, but I’m the one who should be apologizing to you, Mayor.” She looked back at the gray-haired mare. “I’m afraid I was so occupied with what I was doing that I paid no attention to where I was going. Are you all right?” She reached forward to straighten the glasses on Mayor Mare’s face.

She was rewarded with a thankful smile. “I’m right as rain, with no harm done. I take it you were on your way to making a delivery?”

“Yes; it’s a dress for dear Fluttershy, actually!” Rarity replied, her horn becoming aglow as she set the box upright on the ground again, with the dress neatly tucked inside. “In fact, I’m heading to her cottage now to show it to her.””

Mayor Mare grinned. “Oh, in that case, I’m glad I ran into you! I’ve been meaning to speak to Fluttershy myself. It’s odd though; I haven’t seen her in the last few days. I know she enjoys her alone time in her cottage, but normally I see her at least a few times a week, either with you girls or at the market stalls.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully.

Rarity’s eyes widened as she realized her mistake. A quick glance at Spike showed her that he was thinking the exact same thing.

“Oh, err, yes, well, Fluttershy, you know, she...Um, what was it you needed her for? Perhaps somepony else could help you…?” Rarity said with a forced smile.

“Oh, but Fluttershy would really be the best choice,” the mayor said. “After all, she is our local animal expert, and I recently just found a nest of baby birds in my flower garden. I think they’re bluebirds...or maybe bluejays…?” She pursed her lips in thought, before giggling to herself. “Well, either way, I’m not quite sure what to do with them, and I don’t want to scare the mother away with my presence. I was hoping I could get Fluttershy to talk to her for me.”

“Ohoho, is that so! How quaint,” Rarity answered, stalling for time. “Well, I’ll make sure to tell Fluttershy for you, but I’m not sure that she’ll be able to help you any time soon. She’s been away from town because she’s…”

Rarity swished her tail as she struggled to think of a good lie. Think, Rarity, think, think!

Luckily, Spike was able to save her. “She’s sick!” he cut in, waving his claws as if the situation were dire. “Really really sick! With, uh, lice! So she can’t be around ponies OR animals! Not even birds!”

The mayor gasped in horror as Rarity tried not to facehoof herself. While she was grateful for Spike’s quick thinking, she couldn’t help but inwardly moan at his choice of fake illness for their friend. Lice? Really? Ugh, how deplorable…

“Is that so?” The mayor asked in wonder. “And shampoo hasn’t worked? Because lice certainly shouldn’t be enough to keep her out for a week.”

“It’s a rare type of lice, one from the Everfree! They’re, uh, mean, with sharp little teeth and pincers!” Spike wriggled his claws menacingly as he displayed his small canines, as if mimicking a monster. “Theyl lay their eggs in anything with hair or feathers, and, and, they’re so tough that not even a bath can destroy them!”

“Oh my goodness!”

“But not to worry!” Rarity added, putting a hoof on Spike’s shoulder and sending him a look that said I’ll take it from here. “They’re relatively harmless, just a bit itchy and unpleasant. Twilight is fervently looking for a spell to get rid of them. Of course, it’s got to be a humane spell too,” she laughed nervously. “After all, you know how our Fluttershy is. Couldn’t harm a thing even if it helped her!”

The mayor nodded in understanding. “Well, I certainly hope Twilight finds a spell to help her, so that she recovers soon. Though…” She looked at them in confusion, “if she’s contagious, then why are you going to visit her?” She put a hoof on Rarity’s shoulder. “It would be a shame if those nasty little fleas got to you, Rarity, or…” She gasped. “What if they got on your dresses and spread them all over Ponyville?” Her eyes continued to enlarge in horror. “Or not just Ponyville, but all of Equest--!”

A delicate, polished white hoof stopped the Mayor’s lips. “Now, there’s no need to worry! I assure you that I’m going to be just fine.” Rarity smiled, trying to look confident, hoping it was enough to deter her. “I won’t get close enough to contract them. I’ll just deliver the dress and be right off! I just, err, couldn’t put off the delivery. After all, a due date is a due date, and as a proper businessmare, nothing will get in my way of finishing an order on time.” Her grin widened painfully. Please believe me, please please oh sweet Celestia please…

“But if you get those fleas, the fleas could spread and ruin all your inventory, and put your business at risk. I think Fluttershy will understand if you don’t deliver one dress on time, just this once. And as mayor of this fine town, it’s my duty to look after all it’s fine citizens.” She poked at Rarity’s chest with a determined hoof. “And that includes you, Miss Rarity.”

Drat. Rarity could feel sweat beading at her forehead. Great. Now, not only did she lie and tell the mayor that one of her best friends was covered in bugs, but now her hair was surely going to frizz. Oh, why wasn’t the mayor a stallion instead of a mare? Had the mayor been a stallion, she could have easily convinced him to let her go with the power of her luscious fluttering eyelashes…

Spike could tell this wasn’t going to end well if he didn’t intervene again, and shoved his entire body between the two ponies, his back to Rarity as he smiled awkwardly at Mayor Mare. “But I’m not at risk, see?” He gestured towards himself with both claws. “No feathers, no hair, nothin’! Just scale and tail, as I always say.”

Mayor Mare blinked. “You do? I’ve never heard you say anything of the sort, Spike.”

“I just started yesterday!” he said, his voice a tad bit too enthusiastic, making Rarity nearly wince. “But don’t ya see? I can get near Fluttershy with no problems at all! So I’m the one that’s actually gonna take it.” As if demonstrating, he picked up the box. “Rarity’s just gonna wait outside the cottage while I go in and give it to her, aren’t you, Rarity?”

Rarity nodded, her forced smile starting to make her face hurt. “Oh! Oh, yes, most definitely! I’m just going to make sure Spikey Wikey here gets there and back safely, and that the dress is in pristine condition when it arrives! I won’t even go inside the cottage!”

Mayor Mare stared at the two as they displayed their pearly whites in giant grins. It was only for a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity to Rarity and Spike, hoping they hadn’t ruined everything.

“Well, if that’s the case,” the mayor finally said, “then I’m sure it’s all right. Though I’d suggest taking no risks, Rarity. Don’t even take that box back home with you. And please, let me know if there’s anything I can do for Fluttershy.”

“You got it!” Spike said.

“Of course!” Rarity nodded quickly. “We’ll be sure to do that. Thank you, Miss Mayor! Come now, Spike.” She levitated the dress and trotted past the mayor. “We’ll have to be quick if we want to get back in time!”

“Coming!” Spike called, running to catch up, before calling over his shoulder to the mayor. “I’ll ask Fluttershy about the birds and see if I can help later!”

But the two were out of sight before Mayor Mare could even thank him, watching as they disappeared around the corner towards the outskirts of town. She cocked her head.

“How odd…”

When Rarity and Spike were out of earshot, they looked at each other for a moment and sighed in relief. “That was a close one,” Spike said.

“Indeed, but I wasn’t kidding about us needing to hurry.” Rarity continued to trot, quick enough that it was faster than a walk, but slow enough that Spike could still keep up with her. “I just hope that the Mayor doesn’t see Twilight while we’re gone. We’re going to have to stop by the castle to tell the others about our little fib. Especially Twilight. That way we can keep our stories consistent.” She sighed. “So much for finishing up the rest of my orders today…”

“Sorry, Rarity…” Spike rubbed the back of his head, feeling guilty. “But I had to come up with something, or--”

A soft muzzle nuzzled his face. “No need for an apology Spike; you saved me more than once back there. True, I wish we didn’t have to include something as vile as fleas in our lie, but I’ll admit...It’s a good fib. The mayor surely won’t come for a visit now.”

Spike glowed under the compliment. “Yeah! And nopony will bring animals to her, either.” He put his claws on his hips, looking smug. “I guess I’m a better liar than I thought!”

Rarity gave a laugh. “I wouldn’t recommend advertising that particular skill of yours, Spike. Especially not to Twilight.” Her smile then turned to a frown. “Let’s just hope we won’t have to lie much longer…Fluttershy’s more popular than she realizes. They’ll begin to notice if she’s gone too long.”

Spike nodded. “Yeah…” His voice was somber.

They tried not to think of it as they made their way to the cottage.

Dear Princesses Celestia and Luna,

Hello! I hope that the two of you are doing well, and that everything is peaceful and lovely in Canterlot. I wanted to write to you to tell you how Discord and I were doing back here in the cottage, as you requested. I hope you’ll forgive me if this letter gets too long, though...It’s just that I have so much to tell you.

Discord and I have been getting along wonderfully. It hasn’t all been easy, but

“Do you have to do this now?”

The writing stopped, though the quill remained steady in Fluttershy’s mouth as she twisted her long neck to look behind her. Discord had his arms crossed, with a slightly irritated scowl on his face.

“Diff--”

Oh, right. The quill. She still wasn’t used to writing with her hands yet, and she definitely didn’t know how to use her magic to levitate things, so she still had to write it old-school Pegasus-and-Earth-Pony style. She gently put the quill back in the pot of ink before turning back to Discord.

“Discord,” she said again, “you know that Celestia asked for daily reports on your progress. If I don’t, she won’t know what’s going on and may come visit here. And you know we don’t want that.”

Discord scoffed. “Well, it’s not my fault you love me so much that you want to be me.”

Color rushed to her cheeks and she shook her head. “That’s not true! Well, I mean, um, part of it is...kind of true, but not, I mean, um, and it’s not that I wished to become you, but I do care about you, and…”

Discord rolled his eyes, though the smirk on his face showed anything but annoyance. “Calm yourself, Shutterfly,” he said, putting his paw on top of her head. “I was only joking.”

Slightly. The corner of his mouth quivered as he tried not to giggle.

“Well, either way…” She stood up straighter and set her shoulders, turning away from him and picking the quill up awkwardly with her hand, clutching it against the pads of her rabbit paw. “You know I have to do this.”

“But why now?” He spread his hands before him. “The day is just beginning, you have plenty of time later to gossip with ol’ Tia later! We could be working on your powers now instead. That’s a lot more interesting than this.” He pointed to the parchment with an accusatory finger. “You’re letting this letter hold back your progress!”

“But it could hold me back even more if I put it off for even longer. Then I’d have a longer letter to write, and I would need to apologize for taking so long.” She straightened the parchment before glancing back at him without turning her head. “Why don’t you go read a book? You don’t have to wait for me. I promise I’ll join you soon.”

Discord snorted. “Oh, wow, thanks for the advice, Twilight Sparkle. In fact, while I’m at it, why don’t I go ahead and polish your friendship tiara! I’m sure you have a book on princess crowns around here, so perhaps I’ll just read that!”

“Wonderful, go ahead.”

Discord’s face fell. He had been expecting a lecture in return for his sass. He hadn’t expected to get sass back. “Huh?”

Her mouth curled upward the slightest bit. “There are books on the shelves beside the couch. I have a lot for you to choose from, and I know you like to read.”

He gasped. “Moi? Like to read? Whatever makes you think that?”

“You read the entire journal my friends and I kept of our adventures. Not only that, but you had left tabs in them to help us figure out how to unlock the chest to the Tree of Harmony. I know you’re intelligent, but I’m sure that still took a lot of time.”

“That...That was different!” Discord said, waving his paw and claw in protest. “That was more like snooping. And you know how much I love to do that.”

Fluttershy’s tiny smile widened. “Then why did I find a tea stain in my copy of Gait Expectations for Furry Friends Book Club? It wasn’t me.”

“Well…” He looked away from her. “I didn’t do it, if that’s what you’re implying!”

“Miss Hooversham is an interesting character, isn’t she?” Fluttershy asked before taking the end of the quill in her mouth.

With this question, Discord’s demeanor completely changed, a devious grin on his face. “Ohoho, she’s an interesting one, that old mare is! Can you imagine, meeting a mare who’s stayed in her wedding dress without ever taking it off, so bitter over the groom who jilted her that she raised a gorgeous cold-hearted daughter for revenge?” He slapped his knee and belted out laughing. “She’s my idol! I was delighted when--”

He stopped immediately, realizing that he had been tricked. He glared at Fluttershy as she tried not to giggle.

“Oh, that was low, Fluttershy. Real low. Even for you!”

This only made her giggle harder, and he growled and walked away, though once he made his way back to the living room, he found himself chuckling too.

“I really am rubbing off on her,” he mused, before taking a seat on the couch and eying the bookshelf.

Fluttershy had been more right about him than she realized. The truth was, he had already read all the books on Fluttershy’s shelves, save for the ones on the very bottom. Craning his neck down below the arm of the couch, he saw that there were only a few books on the last shelf, many of them dusty. They looked like they hadn’t been touched in years.

But that made him all the more curious. Reaching down, he grabbed the biggest book he saw. Bound in what looked like vegetable leather, it looked more like a large binder than anything else. Rubbing his paw over the cover, his eyes widened as he realized the treasure he discovered.

In glossy embossed golden letters, the words FAMILY ALBUM stretched across the cover.

An album? Discord mused. A family album? Suddenly he was grateful to Fluttershy for her suggestion. How did I not come across this before? She didn’t even bother to hide it!

His fingers itched to open it up, and Discord always had a hard time with temptation. Besides, it had been right there, on the shelf, for anyone to find. He really wasn’t doing anything wrong. It wasn’t snooping.

And yet...it still felt slightly wrong, but…

He opened it anyway.

And his irises grew at the very first picture.

The picture was of a tiny, tiny foal, with a buttermilk coat and long, long eyelashes. The eyes were closed, and just a small, curly tuft of pink hair sprouted from the base of the head, between two tiny ears.

Fluttershy...She’s so...tiny…

Without thinking much about it, he put a talon on the face of the picture, as if stroking the baby Fluttershy.

Too tiny.

It was true. Wrapped around Fluttershy were two huge brown forelegs, which Discord guessed were her mother’s. But Fluttershy looked incredibly small compared to the grown adult pony’s forelegs.

Discord didn’t know a lot about foals, but he knew how big they generally were, and Fluttershy was definitely not that. She looked so small that she could fit into the palm of his paw.

He turned the page, hoping for more answers.

He got them.

The next photo showed something that looked like an incubator, with glass surrounding little Fluttershy, a soft light glowing on her angelic little foalish face. He noticed that despite her tiny size, her limbs seemed abnormally long, and her stomach, a bit too skinny.

She was always such a petite little thing…

But it seemed that Fluttershy overcame whatever problems she had as a newborn, for the next pages showed pictures of her as she grew. Her limbs remained long and gave her a gawky sort of look, but Discord found it completely and utterly adorable. One picture showed a tiny little Fluttershy foal giggling as her muzzle touched the muzzle of another…

Her mother, it seemed. She was holding little Fluttershy up in the air and giving her an Eskimo kiss, making the filly laugh in delight.

Her coat was brown, and her mane was a lovely shade of orange that laid over her left shoulder in a soft curl, bound together with a single hair tie. Orange freckles spread across the bridge of her nose. And her eyes…

They matched Fluttershy’s perfectly in shape, with eyelashes just as long and lovely as her daughter’s. The only difference was the color of the irises. They were the same fall-orange as her hair.

Well well well, Flutters. Now I know where you get your looks. Though I can’t help but think you’ve surpassed her, somehow.

Which was odd for him, because freckles were always asymmetrical on the face. Usually he liked asymmetrical. It certainly made Applejack more interesting to look at.

Still, he found himself looking at Fluttershy’s picture more, and it made his grin broader.

Before he knew it, he turned towards the end of the album, hoping to see a more updated picture of Fluttershy. Something in her teens, perhaps? Or maybe one of her with a brace face. Wouldn’t that just be a riot?

But he soon realized that the album had nothing towards the back. The shiny plastic pockets for holding pictures held nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Slightly taken aback by this, he furrowed his brows and took half of the pages and flipped through them until he came across one that refused to bend, stiffer due to the insertion of a photo. He stopped to look.

He gasped.

The picture had been ripped horizontally. On the bottom half was Fluttershy, her parents’ legs standing from behind her, smiling happily at the camera. Her eyes were shining as her little wings stood up and outward. None of her usual shyness seemed present during the taking of the picture.

On the top half, he saw the brown Pegasus mare, smiling serenely towards the camera. And next to her, with a foreleg wrapped around her withers…

The pegasus’ smile was proud as he stood there with confidence, his shoulders squared and a determined sort of gleam in his brown eyes. His coat was beautiful, a bold shade of darker yellow that seemed gold, complete with a metallic sheen. His slightly curly, windswept mane was a brighter yellow, a nice compliment to his golden body.

A happy family, torn apart by a rip, but forced together through the pockets of an album and two grayed strips of old wrapping tape.

How did the picture end up this way? That was only one of the many questions Discord had on his mind, but it was the most important one. Had it come from an accident? He doubted it. The rip had been too clean, as if it had been done on purpose. It went straight across the middle of the photograph, with no jagged edges or missing bits.

No. Whatever had happened, it was ripped on purpose.

But the question was...who did it?

Had it been Fluttershy?

No. He couldn’t imagine somepony like her ever doing such a thing. So if it hadn’t been her, then…

Knock knock knock!

Discord nearly fell over at the sound of the pounding door. Acting as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn’t have, he shoved the album back on the low shelf before standing up.

“Fluttershy, darling! Yoohoo, we’re here!”

Discord grunted as he smoothed back his hair, hearing the legs of Fluttershy’s chair scrape against the floor in the kitchen. “Back already...?” he muttered to himself, glaring at the door.

 Rarity had just been to the cottage yesterday. She had arrived immediately after he and Fluttershy returned from their trip, armed with pencils and measuring tape. It had taken forever, and as soon as Rarity had finished, Applejack came right after, hauling over a cart of groceries and carrots for Angel Bunny. By the time the three had finished helping Fluttershy put her groceries away and gabbing over various things, the sky had darkened, and Discord hadn’t gotten any alone time with Fluttershy at all.

Not that he had been looking for any. No. Of course not.

But he couldn’t help but wonder what Rarity came back for.

The sound of Fluttershy’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “Coming!” she replied, zipping past Discord without a second glance and landing at the door to answer it.

He stayed where he was, eyeing the shelf again to make sure it was hidden where he’d found it.

“Hello Rarity, hello Spike!” Fluttershy said happily as she opened the door, stepping to the side to let them in.

Rarity trotted in, a box floating in front of her as Spike trailed in from behind, greeting Fluttershy and giving her a small wave. Discord eyed the box.

He remembered Rarity’s promise to make Fluttershy a dress. It had been the whole reason she had come over the day before to take her measurements. And knowing Rarity’s level of skill and the look of excitement on her face, he had a good idea of what was in the box.

That was awfully fast, Miss Rarity…

He could see that he wasn’t the only one to suspect it. “Rarity, is that…?” Fluttershy asked, her head slightly tilted as she looked at the mysterious package.

“That it is, darling, that it is!” Rarity said, looking proud as she set the box down in front of Fluttershy. “I finished the final sketch last night, and thanks to Spike’s help this morning, I was able to finish it up just before arriving here! Go on, open it, open it!” She bit her lip as she practically pushed the box against Fluttershy’s stomach.

Fluttershy seemed hesitant, biting her lip as she picked the box up. This also caught Discord’s interest as he sidled up next to Spike. He was about to tease Spike about his little crush on Rarity when Fluttershy finally opened the package.

A small gasp left her throat as she looked inside, before reaching a paw into the box. “Oh, Rarity…”

Gently with her rabbit paw, she took out the long yellow sundress, which seemed to glow as the light from the window fell across it. With the other hand, she pulled out the sunhat as well.

“It’s…” she began.

“Now, I know what you’re thinking,” Rarity interrupted. “It’s the exact shade of yellow your pony coat is, and I don’t normally do that, but this time, I felt it was needed. After all, even artists such as myself make exceptions every now and again. But I thought it would help…”

She touched Fluttershy’s arm. “Help you feel more like yourself again.”

Discord felt his jaw set as he watched Fluttershy give Rarity a wide, grateful smile as her eyes glittered. “It’s beautiful, Rarity. I love it.Thank you.”

“It’s not beautiful yet, darling!” She started pushing Fluttershy in the direction of the stairs. “It’s only going to reach its full potential when it’s worn by its intended! Oh, I can’t wait to see it!” She clapped her hooves together. “So go on, go on! Go go go!”

Fluttershy laughed. “Okay, I’ll be right back!”

“Don’t forget the hat!” Spike ran to the base of the steps, her sun hat in hand.  Fluttershy thanked him and gingerly took it with her tail before heading to the bathroom and closing the door behind her.

“Oohoohoohoo, I’m on pins and needles now!” Rarity said. She seemed unable to keep still, tapping her hooves and pacing back in forth. “My first bipedal customer! Oh, do you think it will fit right? Even with the measurements I’m still afraid the length might be a tad off.” She gasped. “But wait!” She turned to Discord. “Of course! Discord, you wear outfits all the time. What do you think?”

She zipped over to him so fast that she seemed to vanish before re-appearing before him. “Do you think it will fit? Did you see the slit in the back for her tail? Do you think it will be comfortable enough? Oh, why didn’t I ask you this yesterday? You should have said something!”

Discord crossed his arms and glared at her. “Yes, well. I don’t normally find measuring ponies very scintillating, and I was busy greeting Fluttershy’s couch after such a long visit. It tends to miss me when I’m gone.”

Rarity shook her head. “Oh, it doesn’t matter, never mind that! Just tell me, do you think it will work for her? It’s my first dress for a creature with her…” She struggled for a word. “...characteristics.”

Discord’s glare grew more intense. “You don’t say…?”

The conversation came to an end when all three of them heard the bathroom door creak open.

“Um...I’m ready…”

All heads turned to look at her, and Fluttershy made her way to the stairs. Spike grinned while Rarity gasped and pressed her hooves against her face..

Coming down to the last step, with her paw on the rim of her hat, she peeked out from under the brim, a slight blush on her face. “Do I...look all right?”

“Are you kidding? You look great, Fluttershy!” Spike said, his arms out towards her. “It fits you perfectly!”

“Oh, it’s just like I imagined! Fluttershy, you look like a doll, an absolute doll!” Rarity gushed. She zipped over to Fluttershy just as fast as she had earlier. “The hem is just where your knees are, making it the perfect length! And the bow, is it tight enough?”

“Oh, I actually think I need it a little tighter. Could you maybe redo it for me please?”

Rarity agreed, retying the bow on Fluttershy’s back. Once it was tight enough to Fluttershy’s satisfaction, Rarity had her do one more twirl, checking her from all sides and making sure the tail had enough room from the slit in the dress to move about freely and comfortably.

Discord watched and said nothing, wondering if they had all forgotten that he was there.

He was wrong. More bashful than she had been before, Fluttershy glanced at him, blushing even redder. “Discord…?”

It was obvious what it was she wanted to ask, not only to Discord but the others as well. She could barely look at him for more than three seconds before losing her nerve and looking at his feet instead of his face. Spike and Rarity looked at him expectantly, and Discord tried not to grimace at the slight smirk on Rarity’s face. It was so irritating, how she lifted that high brow at him, expecting him to coo about how pretty Fluttershy was.

But as much as Discord had a bad feeling about the dress, he couldn’t help agreeing with her. “It’s nice,” he finally relented. “Very pretty.”

Despite his uncaring voice, he meant it. She did look very pretty. Lovely, even. He even liked it better than the getup she wore at the first Grand Galloping Gala. She had been one of the few ponies he had seen that night, back in his dark corner of the Royal Garden. He had known who she was the moment he looked at her, and while he had inwardly laughed at her misfortune at the party, he thought she looked rather nice, for a pony.

But this dress seemed to fit her personality even more, in its simple yet chic form. It hugged her in all the right places and looked modest without being too much so. The bow wasn’t too much on her; it was a thin strap of silk rather than a wide piece of ribbon, and it didn’t poof out too much in the back. The layered tiers gave her more of a shape without making her look too frilly. The shallow v-neckline was enough to show her her lovely clavicles, and Discord discovered with mild surprise that he wanted to touch them, as he had never really noticed them before. And the way the sleeveless straps showed off her shoulders, which otherwise went unnoticed…

He tightened his arms around him more. His hands were getting more itchy than usual. He almost wanted to bite them.

But despite all that, nopony could tell that he noticed it more than he implied.

Especially Fluttershy. She frowned.

Rarity scowled.

That stupid, stupid male. Of course, Rarity always knew that Discord was nowhere near a perfect gentleman, but she always thought he had more tact than that when he was with Fluttershy.

Apparently, she was wrong.

Her smile was forced but her eyes glittered tersely as she looked Discord straight in the eye. She still stared at him as she spoke. “Spike, why don’t you ask Fluttershy on how you can help the mayor with that bird nest she mentioned earlier? I need to speak to Cordy privately for a moment.”

Discord stared right back at her, wondering what in the world he did wrong. “You do?”

“A bird’s nest?” Fluttershy asked.

“Um, yeah!” Spike said with a few nods. “A bird’s nest. I promised the mayor I’d ask you how I could help her…”

Though Fluttershy still seemed disappointed by Discord’s lackluster compliment, she still smiled. “Oh, of course. Did she mention what bird it was?”

“Um, a bluebird...I think.”

They began talking about it and when it seemed safe, Rarity grabbed Discord by the arm. “Kitchen. Now.”

Discord was stunned. “What? Why? Whatever you need to say to me, you can say right here. We may be friends, but no one bosses me around.”

Rarity took a deep breath to relax herself, before holding her head up high and turning her back to him. “Fine then,” she said. “Then I guess you can just continue to hurt Fluttershy’s feelings like the uncouth brute that you are. After all, I’m sure you don’t care about how she feels, right? She’s only in this predicament because of you, anyway.”

She hid her satisfied smirk as she heard a small growl behind her. “What? Ugh, fine.” He stomped past her to the kitchen, and she quickly followed him.

They sat at the table. Discord looked more like a stubborn foal rather than a full-grown Draconequus. “What did I do now?”

“You acted foolishly, that’s what you did,” Rarity said, almost yelling but not quite. “Come now, Discord, I know you can do better than this. Did you not see how badly Fluttershy wanted you to like the dress? She was practically begging you to fawn all over her. Of course, she would never make it too obvious. After all, she’s a very modest mare that doesn’t like to ask for much. But sweet Celestia, Discord!”

She slammed her hoof against the top of the table. “You and I both know her well enough to tell when she secretly wants something, and she made it even more obvious than usual when she asked you what you thought of the dress. Why, I hadn’t even expected her to ask you herself! I thought I’d have to do that. But nooooooooooo. Instead, you just had to give her a halfhearted answer. And while I’m aware that you and I still don’t know each other that well...I know you like her more than you let on. So why? Why disappoint her like that?”

Discord was stunned by this, his eyes wide and blinking a few times before growing irritated. “Methinks you’re reading into the situation a little too much, Rarity.  In fact…” He stood up from his seat, glowering over her. “I think it’s more your problem than hers. Why?” He spread his hands apart in questioning and pouting his lips. “Sad that you can’t make a dress that impresses me? Were you expecting me to fall on my knees in captivation of my best friend, adorned in one of your creations?”

He threw himself on his knees with a dramatic paw pressed against his forehead. “‘Oh Fluttershy! Your beauty! That dress! It’s the most amazing thing to ever come across my old, tired eyeballs!’“ he lamented. “‘Why, I may just faint!’”

He then made a sighing sound, and Rarity’s fainting couch suddenly appeared as he fell across it, pretending to go unconscious as he hit the cushions.

“Ugh, would you please stop teleporting my couch out of my home whenever you feel like it?” Rarity moaned.

“Nope.” He broke his act and sat up, crossing a leg over the other and looking back at her. “But I will have you know that while my compliment might have been a little too lackluster for you...I do find the dress…”

Rarity looked at him as he spoke and was surprised to find a hint of color at the top of his cheekbones.

“...Attractive. It suits her. I wasn’t trying to hurt her feelings. But now I have a question for you.”

“Oh? And what question would that be?” Rarity regarded him with suspicious curiosity.

He stretched his neck out more to get closer to Rarity’s face. “Why?”

She managed not to roll her eyes at his vagueness. “Why what?”

“Why make the dress? You made it so quickly.”

He settled back down into the cushions and steepled his fingers together. “I’ve been in your shop enough times to know that you usually have plenty of work orders to keep you nice and busy, and you only just took Fluttershy’s measurements yesterday. And yet, here we are, talking about dresses with a gussied up Draconequus in the living room. What are you trying to say here, Rarity?”

“What am I…? I just wanted to make a dress for my friend, Discord. A gift! I’m not trying to say anything.”

“So you don’t mind that Fluttershy is a Draconequus? You aren’t embarrassed by how she looks? After all, who knows how long she’ll be like this? Maybe a dress will help you look at her easier.”

Rarity gasped at his suggestion, and before he knew it, she grabbed his goatee and shoved her face against his snout.

For a sophisticated mare, Discord noted, she could really growl something fierce.

“I’m going to pretend that you didn’t just accuse me of being so petty, Discord. That you implied that I would be so shallow as to end my friendship with Fluttershy due to her appearance. I love Fluttershy, and I’ll always be her friend, regardless of what she is.”

With one last yank, making Disord hiss in pain, she let go. “And I hope that you do the same.”

Rubbing his chin, he glared at her. “I never implied you would end her friendship with Fluttershy.”

“Perhaps you did without meaning to, but that doesn’t matter. I’ve said my piece, and you had better believe it. I may enjoy fashion and beauty, but I am not so horrible as to judge my friends for things they can’t control.”

This time she was the one to sit on her haunches and cross her forelegs. Her feelings were genuinely hurt by Discord’s accusation. She thought that Discord wanted to be friends with all of them. Did that not include her?

She was surprised that it actually mattered to her.

She was even more surprised by what came next.

“I’m sorry.”

She looked up at him. “What?”

Discord merely sighed, and he looked tired for some reason. He stretched out his arms and stood up, snapping his fingers and teleporting Rarity’s fainting couch back to where it belonged.

“Oh, didn’t I tell you? Apologizing is sort of my thing now. It’s all the rage, you know.”

“Oh, well…” She looked away, feeling awkward. Had he ever apologized to her personally before? It was...different.  “What are you sorry for?”

“For…” Rarity looked up and could see him searching inward for words to explain himself. “...Misjudging your intentions. Yeah, that sounds pretty good,” Discord mused to himself. “I’m sorry for that. I was only looking out for our favorite bird horse. You know how she is, always afraid of being judged.”

Rarity straightened herself up, relieved that the awkward tension was gone. “Well, she certainly doesn’t seem afraid of me judging her. There was absolutely no reason for you to assume that I made her dress for all the wrong reasons. However, I do appreciate and accept the apology.” She smiled sincerely at him. “Thank you. And I will admit, it’s sweet to see you so worried about her. After all, I did make the dress to help her feel a little more comfortable in her new body. Maybe help her feel a little bit more like herself.”

He looked at her curiously. “And you think a yellow dress will help with that?”

“It might help her feel more attractive. It’s true that she didn’t wear clothes very often as a pony, but she’s always had some interest in fashion, especially of the Prench variety. So the dress is something akin to what she would wear as her normal self. That was my goal with the dress. I just want to see her happy and comfortable.”

She sharpened her gaze at him. “And that’s the only reason. It was for her. Not me. I’ll admit I was excited about the project, but that was just because it was my first dress for her kind of body type. But that’s it. Understood?”

His hand turned shiny and transparent. “Crystal clear.”

“Good. And Discord.”

“What?”

“Next time she wears something nice and asks you how she looks, make sure you flatter her. Even overdo it if you feel so compelled, which I’m sure you will. She might blush, but trust me…”
She put a hoof on his arm. “She’ll secretly love every minute of it.”

Discord gave her a smile. “I’ll overdo it so much that she’ll turn into a tomato.”

Rarity didn’t doubt it.

Discord was rather surprised by how fast it took him to apologize to Rarity. It seemed like it really was his thing, apologizing to everypony at the drop of a hat. But he could see how honest Rarity was, that she truly meant what she said and didn’t judge Fluttershy in the slightest.

It made him both happy and jealous at the same time. Why couldn’t all ponies be like that? Why did it take so long for…?

He mentally slapped himself. Don’t think about it. You don’t care about that anymore.

But he still had an uneasy feeling about the dress. He wasn’t sure why.

As he and Rarity came out of the kitchen, they could hear Fluttershy talking to Spike about the birds. He was writing notes on her words when they finally came into view.

“...But I can understand animals, so I’d be able to talk to her. But for you and the mayor, I think it would just be best to leave the nest alone. The mother will know what to do. Just peek in the nest every so often to check them, and make sure they’re all safe in their nest. Once they start to resemble their parents with all of their feathers, you might start seeing them out of nest, but don’t chase them. They’re supposed to be exploring by then.”

Spike nodded. “And that’s all?”

Fluttershy nodded back. “Yes, that should be all…” She sighed. “I’m sorry I can’t come to help you. I love baby birds and helping them learn to fly.”

“Don’t be sorry at all, darling,” Rarity said, trotting over to her friend’s side. “It’s not as if you meant for this all to happen. At least, not in the way it panned out.”

“I suppose…” Fluttershy’s ears perked up again as she glanced at Rarity and Discord. “Did you, um, have a nice talk? In the kitchen?”

“Oh, it was scintillating,” Discord said. “We were just gabbing, Rares and me, weren’t we my dear?”

Spike scowled at this. “My dear?”

“Oh, yes, in fact, Discord just couldn’t stop talking about how gorgeous you looked in your new ensemble!” She pat his side. “He was just so stunned earlier that he couldn’t properly express himself. Isn’t that right Cordy?”

“Oh, yeah, totally.”

He watched as Fluttershy turned crimson. Despite his reservations on the dress, he couldn’t help but feel a little glee at his influence on her. Who knew she cared so much about what he thought of her? So much that she wanted him to compliment her? So much that she was willing to ask him for it?

“Thank you…” Fluttershy hid behind her hair, embarrassed by the attention. “I’m...um...glad you think so.”

A warm feeling spread in his chest at her words and his smile turned softer. “As you should be,” he said. The words came out softly, quieter than he had intended. She looked back at him and for a moment, his mind went blank as he stared back at her face. He didn’t even think of her dress.

He just looked at her.

He liked looking at her.

The moment ended when Spike cleared his throat. Fluttershy started at the sound while Discord merely blinked. Rarity, on the other hand, giggled and trotted back towards the door.

“Well, Spike, I think it’s best we made it back to the shop. I do have other orders to complete, after all, and with your help, I think I can still get them all finished.”

“Oh, you don’t have to go, if you’d like to stay…” Fluttershy tried, but Rarity shook her head and nuzzled Fluttershy’s side quickly before opening the door.

“Normally I’d love to, but I really do have to get going. Besides, I’m sure you had plans today, and I wouldn’t want to...interrupt anything. I’m just happy this worked out so wonderfully. Discord,” she looked back at him, “Take care of her while I’m gone, all right?”

She winked at him, and Discord wasn’t sure what she meant by it. But he played it cool and winked right back at her, a cheesy grin on his face.

“Oh, not to worry, Rares. I’ll make sure she stays in one piece and doesn’t explode.”

He laughed as she rolled her eyes. “Always the funny stallion, you are. So glad I can count on you to take care of her,” he said.

“Me too,” Fluttershy said. “He’s been wonderful with helping me…”

“I’m sure he has, Fluttershy....” She eyed Discord before hugging Fluttershy. “I’m sure he has.”

They bid their farewells and made their way off the path, with Spike carrying a page full of notes from Fluttershy’s lecture on baby birds. Discord and Fluttershy watched them walk off with a final wave goodbye before closing the door back on them.

And they were alone again.

And the two of them stayed alone together for the next few days, not having any more visitors for a time.

But that made it all the more frustrating for Discord as he watched Fluttershy out of the window one morning.

She just won’t take the stupid thing off! He thought with a grimace. His paw and claw gripped the window sill tightly, enough to engrave thin little lines across the wood with a screeching sound.

There she was, standing in the bright fluffy green grass and watering the plants of her garden with a sweet little smile on her face, the sun glinting off her pink tresses…

As that stupid, stupid dress flowed in the gentle breeze, billowing against her thin little Draconequus legs. Fluttershy laughed she held her sunhat against her head, trying to keep it from flying away. Discord scowled.

She was just so happy. Because of clothing.

At least, that’s how Discord saw it. He didn’t see what else could have made her so giddy. In terms of their magic lessons, the past few days were not as productive as learning to fly had been. She was working on levitation and teleportation spells, but success had been minimal.

At first, Fluttershy had tried bringing objects to her by using the same method she had with flying, with the concept of attracting magnetic forces rather than opposing ones. But, as Discord had predicted and later explained, Chaos was a picky mistress. Magic such as theirs demanded creativity, and coming up with new ways to use their powers was a must.

She had made a little progress, but it was much more mentally draining to her than flying was. Discord wasn’t surprised. She had been a Pegasus, and the concept of flying wasn’t nearly as foreign to her as object manipulation spells were. The lessons were short, and so far, Fluttershy had only been able to move liquids due to their irregular molecule structure. And even at that, she wasn’t able to manipulate it much. So far, all she had been able to do was cup her hands together and transport a bit of water from the nearby pond into her palms. It wasn’t exactly thrilling, not even for Fluttershy.

But Discord remembered having slow progress himself as a youngling, and Fluttershy was undoubtedly moving at a faster pace since she had him as a teacher. He was okay with it, for now.

Besides, he had other things to be frustrated with.

Such as the dress she refused to take off.

She had worn the dumb thing every single day since Rarity had brought it to her, and while Rarity had been able to calm Discord’s initial disgust with it for a short period of time, it had quickly returned when he woke up the next morning to find Fluttershy making tea in the kitchen, adorned in yellow flowing fabric.

But he had shaken it off that day. Surely she was just sporting it for one more day, since she had just gotten it from a friend. Discord could at least relate to that. After all, he remembered using the same teapot Fluttershy had given him for Hearth’s Warming for a week straight after opening it. That had been a record for him. He usually used a different tea set every time he made tea.

But tea sets and dresses were completely different things. Most avid tea drinkers would of course use a pot more than once a week. But a dress? Not even a fashionista would make such a faux pas. And Fluttershy was nowhere near as into fashion as Rarity was.

And yet, this was the fourth day in a row that Fluttershy had it on, and Discord was more than tired of looking at it.

But he had kept his mouth shut, because he himself didn’t understand why he cared so much.

But Discord was never really good at keeping his feelings to himself. He had always been a creature of intense emotion, especially when it came to the unpleasant ones. Trying to hold them back was like trying to bottle up a stick of burning dynamite until the whole thing exploded. And it was hardly ever pretty.

At that moment, he was afraid he was coming close to detonation. Frustrated with himself, he scowled and forced himself away from the window. With an impressive backwards jump, he landed on the couch with his hind, an annoyed frown still plastered on his face, wondering what he could do to distract himself from his dilemma.

His eyes flickered to the bookshelf, and a memory of the photo album flashed in his mind. He hadn’t looked at it since he had discovered it four days ago, and a familiar itch came to the tips of his fingers. Looking once again through the window, he could see that Fluttershy still had a few patches left to water.

Just enough time for another quick peek.

Scrambling over the arm of the couch, he quickly leaned down and grabbed the album. It had been exactly where he had left it last time. Checking again to make sure no one was watching, he eagerly dropped the book on his lap and leaned over in hopes of concealing himself better. Even though Fluttershy had made no attempt to hide the album, it still felt like he had found a forbidden treasure, one for his eyes only. He opened the book and perused once more through the pages.

There were a few that featured only Fluttershy’s parents, dispersed throughout the book in random places. The first one he found was obviously their wedding photo, and Discord gagged at the outfit the golden stallion sported. A black tuxedo with a white undershirt and black bow. He could have at least added a little color to it, Discord thought. So boring and common. Had I been the wife I would have left him at the altar. He gave a harsh laugh at the thought before turning back to the mother.

And once again, he was stunned by how much Fluttershy resembled her. The way she held herself was soft and gentle, but her eyes and smile radiated the kind of happiness a new bride would feel next to her husband. Her dress was also simple, classic and white with a skirt that draped over and behind her. Sheer lace with a very subtle flower pattern covered the silk of the dress. Discord thought she looked beautiful despite the boringness.

Discord looked once more through the window, catching a view of Fluttershy from the back as she watered the flowers towards the front of the yard. The ribbons of the bow at her torso fluttered in the wind and made him growl.

“It’s not like you’re getting married, you know.” He said it so quietly that there was no possible way she could have heard him through the walls of the cottage. “This is different.” He tapped a talon over the wedding photo. “Fancy prancy weddings are supposed to have a gussied-up bride. Besides...” He looked back at the photo to look at the stallion. “Your old man would have married her anyway, dress or no.  She’s quite the looker. The only one that seems to beat her is--”

His ears flicked as they caught the sound of a door opening. Uh oh. He grabbed the book and threw it back under the arm of the couch, making it hit against the top of the bottom shelf before landing haphazardly on the floor. He tried not to wince at the sound of it landing, and didn’t dare to look to see if it was all in one piece.

The sound of humming filled the room as Fluttershy kept the door open for Angel, who carried a few flowers in his mouth for the vase on the kitchen table. He hopped past Discord without acknowledgement, which suited Discord just fine. Instead, he crossed his arms and glared at Fluttershy.

“Oh, Discord, you’re in here! I would have thought you’d be outside!” Fluttershy said as she turned and found him on the couch. “I haven’t seen you all morning.”

“I slept in,” was his only reply.

“Oh, okay. Well, I just finished watering the garden, and it’s almost ten. Did you eat breakfast yet?” She took a seat next to him.

Discord refused to turn his head to look at her. Instead, he leaned back and rested his head against his arms. “I’m not hungry.”

“Oh...” Fluttershy twiddled her fingers. “Well, Discord, I know that...I still haven’t made much progress with the new spells yet. I...I tried to teleport some water into my watering can earlier, but I didn’t even get a drop. I had to fill it up myself. So I guess we should probably practice again…?”

He shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. After all, you don’t seem too concerned about it. Instead, you seem quite happy.” He popped open an eye to acknowledge her. “You’ve been rather chipper for the last few days, actually. In fact…”

He stroked his chin to appear as if he were in deep thought. “If I recall correctly--and my memory usually serves me well, mind you--I’d say you’ve been in a great mood ever since Rarity came over to give that dress to you.” He said dress as if it put a bad taste in his mouth, then sat up and peered closer at her, almost giving her the stink eye. “Does that seem accurate to you?”

Fluttershy leaned back a bit, his gaze a little too harsh for close inspection. “Well, no...I mean...Our trip really made me happy. It was one of the most magical days of my life!” She perked and gave him a big smile.

“Oh? So you’re telling me you’re still feeling happy from that one day? I don’t remember that happening to you after all the other trips you’ve been on, ours included. So tell me…”

He extended a forefinger and thumb and pinched a piece of fabric at her waist. “What is it about this thing that’s got you all perky, hmm?”

She blushed at him touching her dress, though she could barely feel the hold he had on the fabric. He was barely pulling on it. But the color rushed to her cheeks nonetheless, and Discord tried not to pay attention to it. Instead he continued to hold the fabric between his fingers and tapped the pads of his paw against his leg. “I’m waiting~” he singsonged.

That seemed to be her last straw. She pushed his hand away to free her dress from his clutches and frowned. “Why does it matter?”

He snickered. “Oh, I don’t know…” He levitated himself off the couch until he was looking at her from above, giving himself the higher ground. “I’m only asking because of what I’ve observed for the past few days. You’ve acted as if you’re on cloud nine....” He snapped his fingers and a cloud in the shape of a 9 appeared, with Fluttershy’s head sticking through its looped top. “...Ever since you put it on!”

Fluttershy waved her hands around until the cloud dissipated. “But why does that bother you? You’re my…” She paused. “...friend. You’re my friend. Friends should want each other to be happy. I know I certainly am whenever you’re having a good time. And I know you don’t want me to be unhappy, or else you wouldn’t be here. So why does it bother you now?”

Discord shook his head. “I don’t have a problem with you being happy, bird horse. Because I am your friend. Your best friend.”

“Then is it…”

Her eyes widened as something seemed to dawn on her. “It’s the dress then? You don’t...like it?”

Ugh, this was irritating. Why was she making this into something about him? She was the one with the problem. “Well, I certainly don’t seem to like it as much as you do, my dear…” He fingered the strap of the dress. “After all, you’ve worn it for three straight days. You don’t even want to take it off…”

She shoved her shoulder out of the way. “And what’s wrong with that?”

His teeth clamped together. “What’s wrong with it? What’s wrong with it?!? You’re really asking me what’s wrong with it?!? Everything’s wrong with it!” He threw his arms up in the air. “You never wore anything this often back when you were a pony! And now that you’re a Draconequus…!”

It suddenly came to him then. He suddenly understood why it bothered him, and Rarity’s words from her last visit rang in his head.

It might make her feel more attractive...I just want her to be happy and comfortable.

And then more voices joined in. Voices that mocked. Voices that threatened. Voices filled with fear and pure, utter hatred…

His head had dipped lower and a shadow crossed over his face as feelings boiled and bubbled inside him, dark and bitter feelings that he hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Discord…?”

“...It’s because you’re a Draconequus, isn’t it?” He growled in a low voice, frozen in his pose without looking at her.

“What? What do you--”

“It’s because you’re like me that you’re wearing it!” His head snapped up, his eyes blazing with sudden anger that made Fluttershy take a step back. “That’s why! Ahaha!” A cynical smile that seemed too long for his face appeared as he slapped his forehead. “Of course it is. After all, you’re not a pony anymore, and who knows how long you’ll have to stare at yourself like that in the mirror before you turn back? And anything that doesn’t look like a pastel pony with perfect symmetry is most definitely wrong, right? That’s why, isn’t it? Haha!”

He started pacing back and forth. “Of course it is. Because Celestia forbid anyone be unique and stand out from the crowd...I might find my species incredibly attractive, but no one else would dare to agree with me.”

He dragged his fingers across his face, his eyes looking out from between his fingers. “Even you, Fluttershy! Even you, who has managed to shatter all my preconceived notions about you, still conform to normal, pony aesthetics! You hate being like me, and that’s why you hide yourself behind measly yellow fabric!”

She took a hesitant step towards him, and reached out to him. Now she seemed to be nothing but concerned. “Discord, I don’t think that at all…”

“Oh, yes you do!” His eyes blazed at her. “Admit it Fluttershy! You like yourself as a pony much more when it comes to looks, don’t you? Because ponies would totally freak out if they saw you now, because anything like me has to be dangerous, right?” He closed the distance between their feet and practically shoved his nose against her muzzle.

“Discord…” she whispered.

“Just answer the question!”

She looked at him for a few more seconds before taking a deep breath and gently pushing his shoulders away from her, giving her more space.

“You deserve the truth, Discord, so...Yes. It’s true that I think I look...strange, in this body. But that’s only because I’m supposed to be a Pegasus!” She quickly added before Discord could react. “And you’re right.” She put a hand on her chest, her fingers gliding over the material it. “This dress...helps me feel a bit better about that. When I look down, my eyes see a familiar yellow that they’re used to seeing. It’s not as big of a shock in the morning if the first thing I see when I look at myself is the dress. I feel more like myself in it.”

“And this kangaroo pouch…” She moved her hand to her stomach. “It covers it up. The pouch gets in the way sometimes and it feels so strange. It’s...disorienting. But with this on, I feel a little better about that.”

Discord still wished he had one, but he nodded anyway.

“But why does that upset you so much, Discord?” She tilted her head. “I mean...how I feel about my appearance is my problem. Not yours.”

She had a point. He tensed at the question. The voices in his mind blasted back for a moment, before he shook his head. “I don’t have a problem with it!” He argued, looking indignant with his face turned away and his arms crossed.

“Then why do you look so angry?” Her voice was soft, and Discord couldn’t help but wish she sounded harsher instead. It was so much easier to fight with ponies when they were fed up with him.

He sounded like a child as he murmured, “I’m not angry.”

He could sense her gaze on him and suddenly the room felt hotter. He could practically feel the waves of pity radiating off of her and crashing into him. “This has nothing to do with me,” he growled.

“Discord, you can tell me…” She started reaching out for him. “Is it because you’re a Draconequus?”

“Of course not! I’m not the one who hates my appearance!” He stepped backward as she came forward. “I love myself. Isn’t that obvious?”

“Then are you afraid…” She blushed. “...that I don’t like your appearance?”

Discord’s mouth fell open. “...What?”

“Do you think I don’t like your appearance too? Because I just told you that I think I look strange myself, and we’re the same species.”

He scoffed at that. “I’m not worried about that at all,” he lied. “Instead, I wonder if you really mean it. That your little outfit makes you feel more like yourself. Are you sure about that? Really, really sure?”

She didn’t seem to take offense by the question, which irritated him again. Why was she making this more difficult? He was so good at fighting. Why did she always have to be so patient and calm and kind with him? Had she been Twilight Sparkle, he would have gotten her to tear half her mane off by then.

“Really. Didn’t I just tell you that?”

He stuck a finger in his ear as if trying to clean it out. “Yes, but I thought I’d ask again, just to make sure I was hearing you correctly. And I’ve got to say, Fluttershy...I’m so disappointed in you. I had no idea you were so petty. You care so much about outside appearances.”

She gasped. “What? No, that’s not true. Of course not! But Discord--”

“It is so true! Do you really feel so much unlike yourself that you need a dress to remind you of who you are? Fluttershy, this silly little table cloth doesn’t change anything!”

He grabbed the ribbon of her bow from the back and tugged hard, so much that she fell forward and had to put her hands out to save herself, only to find them on his chest. He grabbed a small part of the skirt and crumpled it in his fingers. “You can’t hide behind this thing forever, Fluttershy! Whether you like it or not, you’re a Draconequus with a kangaroo pouch and the assorted limbs that come with it, antlers and all! It changes nothing, and you have to accept it before you start letting the opinions of others rule over you! You’re--umph!”

He felt a push against his chest and he toppled over onto the couch.

He looked to find an angry Fluttershy with her fingers curled into fists. “Don’t you dare touch me like that again, Discord!” She scolded. “Especially when you’re the one that’s in the wrong!”

“Me?!?” He sat up and growled at her. “I’m the one in the wrong? Well, ohoho, no surprise there! After all, I’m always the one in the wrong! But you, nooooooo. You’re perfect little Miss Two-Horseshoes!” He snapped his fingers and a halo appeared over her.

Fluttershy grabbed the halo and threw it on the ground with her eyes shut tightly. It made a metallic ting as it rolled around on the floor before falling flat. “I never said I was perfect! I never said that! I’m never perfect! If I were, don’t you think I’d be as confident as you are?!”

“I’m not just confident, Fluttershy, I’m a narcissist!” He shouted. “There’s a difference!”

“Well, I’m not! I don’t think I’m pretty at all! I...I never have!”

Discord gripped the seat of the couch and squeezed. “And being like me only exacerbates the feeling, doesn’t it?”

“This has nothing to do with you, Discord!” She tugged at a piece of her hair with both hands. Ah, now they were getting somewhere.

“It has everything to do with me! I’m the very reason you turned into one in the first place! And it’s not like I was always so c--”

He shut his mouth. Oh no.

He looked away and bit his lip nervously. Maybe she didn’t catch it, he thought hopefully.

“You weren’t always what, Discord?”

Barnacles.

He blinked a few times, trying to look innocent. “I wasn’’t always what what, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy stared down at him, but he refused to give in.

It was only a few seconds of dead silence between them, but to Discord, it seemed like hours. He swore he even heard crickets despite the fact that it wasn’t even evening yet.

Fluttershy broke the silence. “I’m not taking the dress off, Discord.”

That got his attention. He immediately got back to glaring at her. “Why not?”

“Because it’s my dress and my problem, mister. So if you want to change my mind, you’ll have to try a little harder to convince me.” She crossed her arms and looked away. The gesture was stupidly cute, and he secretly loved that pose of hers, but this time it didn’t amuse him.

“And how, exactly, am I supposed to do that?” He asked sharply.

She still didn’t look his way, but she visibly softened. Her arms loosened around her torso, and her tightly pressed lips opened slightly. “You know what I mean, Discord,” she whispered.

Discord instantly grew stiff, his hackles raising in defense. “No.”

She whirled around, her hair slapping him in the face, before facing him with her hands on his shoulders. “Please Discord!” She begged him. “I know this has something to do with your past! The dress triggered something, didn’t it? I know how ponies react to you, sometimes. I know that ponies today aren’t like how they were thousands of years ago. And you’ve lived a long time. Long enough to have known the Neighyan Zebras!”

“Exactly! Neighyan Zebras, who don’t exist anymore, with a society that’s now in ruins that nopony cares about!” Discord shot back. “The past doesn’t matter! I know you told me differently back in the rainforest, but you’re wrong! It doesn’t matter, and it especially doesn’t matter to me!”

“But it matters to me!”

Discord lowered his head and, to Fluttershy’s confusion, chuckled slightly. “Oh? Does it? Does it really?”

“Yes, Discord!” She scrambled over to his side and sat next to him, desperate to get him to understand. “Don’t you see? Learning your powers and being like you can only get me so far into really understanding you. And the reason I want to understand you in the first place is because I care about you. I care about you very, very much, and I want to know as much as I can about you so I can help you when you need me. Because that’s what friends do.”

His head dipped lower until his face seemed covered in shadow, though his eyes were too bright in color to miss. “Is that so? Well, in that case…”

He held her trapped in his glowing golden eyes as he bent backwards and dipped his paw down behind the arm of the couch. Fluttershy watched his every move.

He grabbed something and dropped it into her lap. “Then how do you explain this?”

“Wha…” She leaned over to look at what was there. She gasped and her face grew pale.

“...Where did you…?”

“A bit of advice, from one wormhorse to another,” Discord said. “Hiding a book in a bookshelf isn’t exactly hiding anything.”

She said nothing else as her hand grazed over the worn cover, feeling the letters emblazoned over it. Family Album.

“I found it on the bottom shelf looking for something to read the other day. Which you suggested, by the way, and…”

He stopped as he noticed something glittering down her face. A tear.

Oh no.

“Discord, why are you doing this? I thought we were friends!”

He snapped his fingers and a tissue appeared. He took it and brushed it softly over her face, making the fiendish drop of moisture disappear. He crumpled the tissue in his hands.

“Don’t cry. Please...Please don’t cry. I...I didn’t mean…”

He heard her softly whisper something, but didn’t catch it amidst his apologizing and the pounding sound of his heart in his ears. “Huh?”

She laid her hand over his fisted one. “Did you look…?”

His ears flattened and he started feeling even guiltier. Stupid dress. This is all IT’S fault. I need a giant paper shredder.

He shrugged. “Who wouldn’t look? And like I said...You didn’t really seem to hide it.”

“I didn’t...You didn’t do anything wrong…” She sniffed and wiped the back of her rabbit hand across her face before shooting a warning look at him. “About this, that is.”

He perked up despite the warning. “So it wasn’t a secret?”

Fluttershy sighed. “I forgot about this completely...Whenever I want to see my mother, I just look at her picture in my nightstand. That way I wouldn’t need to…”

Her lips shook again and Discord panicked. “Gah! No, don’t do that! We can put it back! In fact, you know what?” He forced a toothy smile on his face and jumped up. “Let’s just forget that this entire incident ever happened! You can keep that fabulous, totally not-annoying dress on…”

He bent into a slight arc and reached for the album, which still laid on Fluttershy’s lap. “and I’ll just throw this book back where I found it and--”

His fingers barely brushed the cover when Fluttershy grabbed it and held it to her chest. “No.”

Startled, his hand hovered there. “No?”

She shook her head. “No. I...We need to get past this, Discord. And you’re right...I…”

Fluttershy sighed again and put the book back  on her lap. To Discord’s surprise, she opened it. It was like her fingers knew by memory where to turn it to get to the page she wanted.

She opened it to the very last picture in the book. The one with the clean rip right across it, separating Filly Fluttershy from her parents forever.

“I have a past to share, too...One that I don’t really talk about often…”

She slowly brought her frog finger to the picture, sliding it across the stallion and the mare’s face.

“Discord…?”

Discord found himself leaning over the book and stroking her face. “Yes?”

“Do you care about me?”

“Of course I do, Flutterbuddy.” He didn’t even have to think about it.

“And you know I care about you.”

“I do.”

“Then…” She held his hand against her face and looked at him with big beautiful aquamarine eyes that never changed. “If I tell you my story, then will you tell me yours? Because we’re friends that care about each other, and want to know each other more…?”

He knew what she was asking him. An eye for an eye, it was called. Only if Discord had the choice, he would have preferred to give her his eye in exchange for her past, rather than his own story. It sent a jolt of fear into his heart, because he had never told anypony his past. Not all of it, anyway. Mostly not the part about his childhood.

Especially not the part about his childhood.

“I don’t want to,” Discord whispered in fear. “I’m...I...I hate being vulnerable.”

Fluttershy graced him with a small smile. “I’m used to it, actually. It’s not so bad.”

He blinked. “Was...that a joke?”

“...Sort of?”

That managed to get a snicker out of him, and he put his arm around her and laid his forehead against hers. He felt a little lighter as he felt her lean back against him. “You’re terrible at jokes.”

“Well, maybe my story will help explain why. But only if you tell me yours in return.”

He paused to take a deep breath. “...You’ll go first though, right?”

She nuzzled the side of his face. “Uh huh.”

“...And you won’t tell anypony anything I tell you?”

“Never.”

He pulled his head away and sighed, before looking down at the open album.

Fluttershy was so much like her mother…He wanted to know about her. About the stallion next to her…

His eyes shifted to Fluttershy’s gentle face.

He wanted to know everything about his best friend. Everything. He cared about her, and realized that he wanted to be closer to her, closer to her than anypony else he’d ever known. She was precious to him, and he needed her. Her friendship, her approval, her utmost affection…

He slowly twisted his tail around hers, and Fluttershy gasped at the sensation. She looked over to see that his tail had slithered from behind her and around to her other side to wrap around her tail, his white tuft at the end resting above her own pink one.

She blushed. “Um...I-Is...Is that a yes?”

He felt hot in the face too, and swore he felt something spark inside of him, but he kept his cool and ignored it. “That it is. But remember!” He poked her in the chest, which made her giggle. He smiled. “You said you’d go first.”

She nodded, and looked back at the photo. Her face went somber once more, her eyes clouding. Discord gave her tail a supportive squeeze with his own, and felt her finally hold his tail back, tightening them together in a twist.

She leaned against him. “Well...In that case...I’m sure you’ve already figured out that these two…”

She stroked her hand over the golden stallion and the brown mare again. “That these are my parents.”

“I gathered that much, you are correctamundo.”

She gave the slightest chuckle at his word of choice, but her face didn’t change. “Then I guess the best place to start is with them…”

She turned a few more pages until she got to the wedding photo. She took a deep breath. Discord rubbed his thumb over her small shoulder in comfort. If he was lucky, she would do the same for him when it was his turn.

She spoke in a tiny, quiet voice.

“It started with a whisper…”