//------------------------------// // Heart to Heart (Morpheus) Part 2 // Story: dC/dt ≠ 0 // by I Thought I Was Toast //------------------------------//                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         There was a certain tranquility to be gained from tending to Fluttershy’s charges. The joy they felt coming to greet Fluttershy and me was like sweet nectar right from the flower, while fledgling snippets of curiosity from my presence created the sense of being in a grove of freshly bucked oranges. Some felt fear on seeing my fangs showing, adding the sour tang of lemons to the air, but it was soon overshadowed as Fluttershy urged her critters to greet me. Like a heady aroma, their emotions filled the air as we threw feed to the chickens and spoiled the ducks with bread crumbs. No words were shared between us. She hummed as she worked, and I couldn’t help but buzz an accompanying melody with my wings—even with my disguise. There was no other feeling for the cottage than safe. Of course, it was just as that idea took root in my mind that we moved onto the rabbits. Beady eyes stared at me from the numerous abysses lining the wall. I took a step forward only for a series of baleful hisses to drive me back. “Now, now…” Fluttershy cooed. “There’s no reason to be scared.” Around a hundred carrots flew from the crevices. Their aim was true—their power not. None managed to lance through my chitin to my heart. I arched an eyebrow, taking in the bitter hostility and empty eyes directed at me. “Demons like those know no fear.” “Indeed they don’t!” a recognizably smug voice came from everywhere and nowhere. A small quake signaled the rise of unholy battlements and spires from the dens. Uncountable spikes and spines were spaced among cackling gargoyles and crackling runes. Darkness seeped from the burrows as innumerable hordes of bunnies swarmed from them. Their carrots were sharpened and their eyes were filled with a malice only true monsters possessed. From the center of the abominable fortress rose a tower, and it was from this tower a gold and red eye looked down on us—gaze all but burning the ground around us. A small white rabbit stood next to the eye—his gaze somehow holding even more hatred. “Angel Lucifer Bunny the III, what have I told you about playing with Discord?” Fluttershy tsked, the cajun chicken taste returning to her emotions. Angel waved a paw dismissively, his emotions batting back Fluttershy’s attempts to commune with him. Fluttershy waved a hoof at the small fortress of eternal darkness. “And this doesn’t strike you as going overboard?” Angel puffed out his chest, fluffing his fur. Fluttershy sighed, “Yes, this is tame compared to when Bulk came over, but you’re still overdoing it. We don’t want another pony terrified of the color white, do we? Bulk’s still jumping at his reflection.” Angel and the burning eye of Discord snickered. “It isn’t funny you two!” Fluttershy gave a dainty stomp, kicking up an almost microscopic amount of dust. A calculated nudge drew her attention and the increased ire of the army once more. “Let me handle this.” Walking to a very specific spot, ve grinned, the sun gleaming off my fangs. Combined with the added flash of green to my eyes, I gave off an aura of murderous—as far as the bunnies knew—intent. In that same instant, my wings—barely hidden by illusion—slowly crept from the cases I’d made for them. Ve crafted the smallest of breezes to crawl up the  bunnies’ backs. The sound of their hearts racing pounded in their ears, carried by the wind. From there, it continued to caress them like a piece of the Azure Veil. The chill of the grave permeated their very being. In short, to the army, I seemed like death incarnate. To Fluttershy, I was just smiling amicably. It had the desired effect of promptly routing the majority of the army. The rest followed as their numbers dwindled until only Angel and Discord remained. Smiling properly this time, I turned back to Fluttershy. “Problem solved. What were we here for again?” Fluttershy sighed. “I needed to convince them to part with the carrots they raided from the pantry so we could feed the others….” “Oh….” I gulped under the molten glare of the Eye of Discord and Angel. “I still have this.” Ve ran the numbers in our head. “Maybe.” A quick pulse of our tremor sense found the carrots in the heart of the fortress. A few more pulses identified the weak points in its structural integrity. Estimations were made. Calculations were done. And I grimaced at the results. They were too spread out to for the standard concentrated strikes of an ‘earth pony’ buck. A more… creative approach was needed. If I created a series of weak yet prolonged tremors, then the interference pattern could be built up such that it amounted to kicking every weak spot at once. The problem with such a tactic was the highly conspicuous flailing and stomping required to craft such a pattern. Even worse, this time the required stomping just so happened to require performing a rather overly energetic river dance. A chuckle emerged from everywhere and nowhere as I worked up enough courage to glare at the Eye. With veiled calm, ve spoke, “Did you plan this?” “Chaos has a way of rolling the dice and turning up snake eyes in the most literal way.” The Eye grinned, pupil briefly forming a snaggletooth before melding back into something that could watch events unfold. Meanwhile, the characteristic crunch of somepony eating popcorn filled the air such that it came from right behind me. I turned around momentarily, only for the sound to follow. “I could just drop the disguise and levitate the carrots out, you know.” That was a good half-truth. There was too much risk involved to actually do so, but I could. “Yet how much wood does a woodchuck chuck knowing it could chuck wood, but not if it should—or even would—chuck wood?” The spirit’s voice came smoothly, but he was lacking a straight face to sell it. Ve debated the chances of that being the not-so-subtle suggestion ve thought ve heard. Or if it was a double bluff to fake us out. Or if it was a triple bluff to fool us into thinking he was faking us out. Or if it was simply the insane rambling it actually sounded like. “Let’s just get this over with,” I sighed. In the end, it wasn’t worth the headache, and ve decided not to press our luck. “You aren’t going to do anything too serious, right?” Fluttershy asked. Ve continued staring into space as ve searched. She clearly knew how to distract Discord. Concern swept over me like desert sand on the wind—salty and sweet, but also dry. Turning, I found her statement had actually been targeted at me. “He’s just playing around. If you just ask, I’m sure he’ll give us the carrots.” Angel gave a rather rude gesture at that, but she ignored it. The grains of sand dug into all the most uncomfortable places on my chitin. Ve expected it to start itching, but she smiled, and they gave off that warm glow that comes with baking in the desert sun. “And it’s not like you need to prove anything to me….” There was the itching. “Isn’t that what redemption is all about?” Ve obliged the itch both physically and mentally. She frowned. “But you haven’t done anything….” I snorted. “Tell that to Rainbow Dash. Better yet, don’t. Mother—” “You. Aren’t. Chrysalis.” Her words were soft, yet firm, and they dripped with honey and wine. There was silence after her interruption. Shuffling awkwardly, I looked back to the Eye of Discord. “What?” The eye managed to shrug somehow. “Would you expect anything else from the pony who reformed me? You’re lucky to be chump change.” Fluttershy sighed at his statement. “You really think asking will work?” I asked Fluttershy, pouring every ounce of citric acid in my skepticism over her. “Discord, will you give us the carrots?” The smile she gave Discord could melt Windigos. Angel’s outraged war cry turned into an echo of despair as a trapdoor suddenly opened beneath him. The eye grinned again as it replied. “Perhaps, but I want the princeling to ask.” I tentatively kicked the ground. “Discord, can we have the carrots?” “You can, but whether I give them to you is another matter entirely.” He chuckled. Rolling my eyes, I snorted. “You sound just like mother. May we have the carrots?” The Eye gave a long and contemplative hum. “Nah.” “Discord…” Fluttershy tsked. “Why are you being so difficult?” “He didn’t say the magic word.” The smugness in his reply was beyond measure. Deep breath in. Hoof to chest. Deep breath out. Push the annoyance away. If it worked for Twilight, maybe it would work for me “Please….” I ground my fangs. “Your sincerity touches me.” Discord cackled. “Not! Dance for me, puppet! Dance!” With a flash of light, I was in a rather garish purple and pink kilt. “Discord… please….” Fluttershy’s patience astounded me. It was pretty clear asking wouldn’t work. “Fine.” I blinked as the Eye pouted. A second later the gates opened, pouring the carrots out. A flood of rabbits followed as the castle collapsed inward. Soon all that remained was a statue of a despondently crying Discord. It's plack read, “Here lies Discord. Turned to stone by the cold, cruel, rejection of being replaced by another.” I snorted. The statue blinked before wiping the stone off like it was wet paint. “Too much?” “More than I suspect you’ll ever know,” I retorted. “Morpheus.” Fluttershy tsked, her disappointment pecking into me. “Ha! Who’s in trouble now?” Discord gloated, pointing a talon at me. “No pony is in trouble, Discord.” Fluttershy sighed. “Lies.” I flinched as he swore in Chitri. It was an old and particularly vulgar variation on the intonation. “Real mature.” I rolled my eyes. “Where did you even learn to say that? Or did you just pull it out of thin air?” He stuck out his tongue at me. “Your mom.” “Yes, very mature.” I muttered, ignoring the knots in my stomach. Fluttershy giggled at the exchange. “So are you two going to behave? I need to go chop the carrots for today's feed.” “Absolutely!” The draconequus puffed his chest out and gave a salute. “We’ll even feed the butterflies for you!” Fluttershy paused almost imperceptibly. “Really? But you never like it when I show others your butterfly collection.” Discord replied far too fast. “It’s not my collection. It’s a friend’s! How many times do I need to tell you that? She asked me to look after them, and I said sure, and we meet every Sunday for tea to talk about how they’re doing, all while joking about what things would be like if we ran Equestria.” Fluttershy shook her head, smiling a knowing smile. “I can’t believe I forgot. You’ll have to introduce me to her sometime.” Discord forced a grin. “It might take a while. She’s Caneighdian.” ‘Lies,’ ve thought in Chitri. Ve could taste the acrid self-loathing on him. It would be much too rude to actually say that, though, and Fluttershy didn’t appear to want to push the matter. Nodding, she began to return to the cottage—presumably needing a bag for the veritable mountain of carrots Discord had presented her with. “Shall we then?” The draconequus’ grin was somewhat less forced as he turned to me. Ve arched an eyebrow. “If ve say yes and cooperate, will you tell us why you’re lying? You certainly aren’t rubbery enough to be embarrassed.” “You’ll find out soon enough, little princeling.” He cackled as thunder sounded all around us. A maroon-flavored flash of alfalfa lit the sky, and cotton candy clouds shrouded us in shadow. A deluge of chocolate milk lasted just long enough to chill me to the core before we were once again in a delightfully sunny day—everything but me was perfectly dry. “That’s not ominous at all,” ve muttered. There was a brief internal debate on whether or not we should follow the departing draconequus. It would have been longer if Discord hadn’t given the ground beneath me legs. Jumping off the abomination, I briefly cantered to catch up. As ve caught up to him, ve slowed ourselves down to an easy trot—fast enough to keep pace, but slow enough to avoid tiring. Soon the Everfree Forest loomed above us, and I was about to voice an objection, but Discord turned at the forest’s edge, heading parallel along the trees. Every so often his ear would flick, and he would turn to watch something in the trees only he could see. He would stare for a moment before chuckling something about chaos at its best, scoring whatever happened on a scale of -i to tucan. To pass the time ve analyzed the rules of said system. There would be rules, of course, whether Discord liked it or not. His scale was simply a set of elements that would interact in a certain matter, and those interactions would define how his scaling system worked. The problem for any non-draconequus was tracking the myriad of whimsical exceptions he put into it. Figuring out if ve should be using tucan or twocan as the upper limit of the set based on whether it was currently an odd or even numbered second—factoring in second zones, of course—was a nightmare. And somehow Discord always knew which one to use. He didn’t even remember the rule five minutes after prattling it off, but he followed it with a hundred percent accuracy every single time. Ve weren’t sure whether or not ve should be relieved at the predictability or terrified at what it might imply. “Do you know why I let you see Princess Bookie-All-Night-Long?” The sudden question startled us from our musings. The Spirit of Chaos was looming over me, arms crossed and an amused grin on his face. “Because I stroked your ego?” I responded before ve could stop myself. Discord gave a hearty guffaw. “It definitely helped, but that wasn’t it.” He tapped the side of my head. “No matter what you think up there…” He poked a talon at my chest, and I looked down only to have him flick my muzzle. “...I could see you weren’t a threat where it mattered. That’s my job. I find threats to Equestria through the chaos they wreak and stop them before they become big enough to merit the Elements. They get some breaks. I get some chaos and a show. Everypony wins.” His grin turned manic. “Of course, sometimes things get through. It would be boring if a single snap made everything better, after all. I know you aren’t a threat. Fluttershy probably knows it too.” Then it turned vicious. “The others, though?” He waggled his eyebrows. “Who can tell what they’re really thinking?” And suddenly he was back to a cheerful smile. “Something to think about.” Ve gulped, mind racing. There were so many potential meanings to his words, and none of the obvious ones seemed good. Then again, this was Discord. Maybe he was messing with us, or maybe he simply meant ve could trust Fluttershy. It was meaningless to try and puzzle him out. Ve don’t know why ve insisted on trying.