ADORKABLE LOVE
By: Einhander
Pre-Read: Cola Bubble Gum
The Best Damn Editing Team In The Pony Business: TheLastBrunnenG, Space Commie
CHAPTER XII: DOWN WITH LOVE
What Blue Bonnet saw was this:
A Pinkie shaped hole in the wall. Furniture and feathers everywhere, peppered with crumpled invitations and books. And in the middle of it all, a giant snake/dragon/horse/goat/lion…. thing in the middle of the room. And some twenty odd ducklings looking at the creature in amazement.
And what the creature said was: "Fluttershy, I LOVE what you've done with the place!"
He twirled in place, gangly limbs moving with such precision that it was practically a pirouette. "Holes in the wall, the debris, the baffled faces..." He grabbed Fluttershy and wrapped her in a hug, grinning from ear to mismatched horn. "I'm home!"
"Oh hi, Discord." Fluttershy was smushed in his arms, forcing cheerfulness into her voice.
“And look at all these ducks!” Discord let Fluttershy go, floating over the little featherballs like a fox inspecting a house of baby ducks. “Little bow ties, little frightened expressions, little cigars- oh ho ho, this is going to be fun!”
"Um, actually Pinkie Pie made the mess."
“Hey!” Pinkie Pie yelped. “Spike crashed into the wall too!”
Spike glared. “Don’t drag me into this more than you already have.”
"Ah yes, your charming friends!" Discord landed and leered at the crowd. "A fine hello to you all." Four ponies and a dragon responded by looking at him with various expressions of exhaustion (Shy), rage (Dash), excitement (Pinkie), fear (Spike) and bafflement (Bonnet).
Discord sighed. "Oh dear. Some seem less than pleased to see poor old Uncle Discord. But you see, I've changed! Reformed! Presentable for polite pony society!"
Dash snipped, "Oh, that is such-"
A single claw was at her muzzle, silencing her. Discord smiled, then backed up a step. He bowed, claws up, his face the very portrait of a foal begging for forgiveness. Please Ms. Dash, in the face of all these new, fine, feathered friends, allow me to reintroduce myself..."
He disappeared and reappeared in a huge muscular shape, not unlike a certain minotaur...
“The ever impressive!”
Smoke enveloped the creature and when it cleared, a stone statue lay the middle of the floor. A voice floated into the room, hissing, “The long imprisoned!”
Long white strings descended from the ceiling, attaching themselves to the sides of the statute. The strings began to move, and the statue moved with them, dancing and waving its tiny arms about. The crowd looked up to see a floating Discord manipulating the strings like a puppeteer, and providing the voice-over:
“The often imitated, but never duplicated-”
“... duplicated!” The stone statute mimicked his master.
Suddenly there was another statute, free of strings. Its mouth opened and a creaky, high pitched version of his voice spewed out. “Duplicated!”
“Duplicated!”
“Duplicated!”
“Duplicated!”
There were over a dozen of them, running around and blowing kisses and smiling at all the ducklings and ponies.
The original Discord threw his head back and “Discord, Draconequus of the-”
One his little copies piped up, “Hold it!”
Everything stopped. The upstart statute pointed at Blue Bonnet. “Who’s he?”
“Uh… hi.” Bonnet said.
Discord gasped, and all of the statues poofed out of existence. He took Fluttershy aside and hissed, “Fluttershy! I don’t mean to alarm you, but there’s a stallion in your house.”
Fluttershy rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know.”
Eyebrows arched to the point of actually floating off his face, Discord stroked his beard. “Oh myyyy. Things have changed around here.”
“Ahem….” Bonnet offered his hoof. “Blue Bonnet, at your-”
“Yes, yes.” Discord waved him off. “Blue Bassinet, nice to meet you. Now!” He disappeared, only to pop back into existence opposite the hole in the wall. Now he wore a smoking jacket, a pair of reading glasses and, however improbably, fuzzy slippers with stuffed Celestia heads. A pipe was sticking out of his mouth, and standing next to him was an easel with a stack of presentation cards. The title card read, in crayon, "friends of my friend."
Underneath the word 'friend' was a crayon stick figure rendering of Fluttershy smiling.
"I know the rule is you only get two chances at a first impression, but you know, the rules and I have gotten back together recently, and I think she'll forgive me this once..." He snapped his open claw, and all ponies (and Spike) found themselves staring at chairs. Spike, much to his immediate dismay, was looking a high chair with a baby dragon pattern.
Discord coughed. "Please be seated."
"Oh, come on!" Spike wailed.
"Everypony?" Fluttershy turned to the crowd. "And dragon? Would you mind terribly taking a seat?" Everypony-dragon did, even a grumbling Spike, except for Rainbow Dash. She leaned against the upturned table, hooves crossed. "Dash?"
"Nope." Dash shook her head violently. "Nope nope nope nope."
Fluttershy looked at her, then looked at the empty chair pointedly. "Have a seat, Rainbow."
"Shy, are you blind? He's up to something!"
Fluttershy leaned close to Dash and hissed, "Of course he's up to something, he's Discord! But he's asking, and politely, too! And that's progress. Don't. Be. Rude."
Dash threw up her hooves. "Fine! Let's walk into the draconeqqus' den, knowing it’s a trap!" She collapsed into her seat with a harrumph.
"At least you get a real chair." Spike grumbled, his tiny arms resting on the table part of the high chair.
Discord puffed into his pipe and soap—or perhaps soda—bubbles came out. "Thank you. So nice to see you all. " He opened his free claw, palm up. "Right where I left you." A long black cane shot out of it, as if from an invisible sleeve. It had a white top and a long black wooden middle and it floated in the air for a moment before plummeting back to the ground, right over Dash's head.
She yelped and held up her hooves. Discord's tail shot out and caught the cane. She opened her eyes, and saw the cane held in place, pointing at her.
"The indomitable Rainbow Dash!" Discord crowed, using his magic to move the presentation cards. There was a blue crayon sketch of what appeared to be a frowning Pegasus, although it could have also been a dog with wings. There was a lightning bolt at the top, and several symbols that looking like euphemisms for swear words drawn around the stick figure's head.
Despite the crudeness of the drawing it was, objectively, not an unreasonable likeness.
"She's always loyal, usually mad about something, supporter of my darling Fluttershy, and the single biggest cause of property damage in Ponyville, narrowly beating out Twilight Sparkle. Did I leave anything out?"
"Yeah." She spat. "I just hate you so much."
"Ah yes." A blue balloon with a sad face painted on it rose behind his left shoulder and halted at his eye level. He turned to face it, head lowering. "Ms. Dash has never been my number one fan, has she?" The balloon shook its head, drooped to match and height and mood of its master as it floated over to Dash's chair.
The balloon gently nudged Dash. She stared it down with a snarl.
"Oh!" Discord stood up straight, cane twirling in his claw. "But that's okay, because we DO have a friend of chaos here tonight!"
“Excuse me?” Bonnet asked.
Discord slammed the floor with his cane, disappearing as the presentation cards shuffled, revealing a messy pink drawing of a happy pony dancing under a pink cloud. He reappeared in back of Pinkie Pie’s chair. "Pinkie Pie, amateur chaos creator extraordinaire!” He leaned over the chair, staring at her eye-to-eye upside down, “You know, I've always liked the cut of your jib."
Pinkie put on her best angry face. "Yeah, well I still haven't forgiven you for what you did to me and my friends!" She paused, and her anger melted into nostalgic flavor as she stared at the drawing of her. "Although to be fair, I HAVE always liked your chocolate milk rain!"
“Of course you do!” He floated over her and landed, using his cane in the air like a pen, and tiny sparkles shot out as he drew the words ‘PINKIE = DISCORD # 1 FAN’. Pinkie cooed at the words floating in the air, and Discord leaned in close to her.
"After all, you're a pony of wealth and taste."
"WHAT?" Pinkie shouted, falling off her chair. "How- who- what do you mean by that?"
The words faded into the ether as Discord turned towards Pinkie, head tilted. "It's a figure of speech from another world. But as they also say in that world, ‘tee el, dee arr’? You like fun, just like me."
"Oh. Right." Pinkie got back on her chair. "And nothing else?"
Discord grinned a beat too long, then, snapped his fingers, and a tiny pink cloud appeared over a tiny glass that started storming and making tiny chocolate milk. “Care to partake?”
Pinkie Pie squealed and hopped over to the tiny choco-rain storm, waiting for the glass to be filled.
Bonnet coughed. “Um. Excuse me?”
Discord swiveled his head towards the room’s only high chair. "Spike, dear dear Spike. A hatchling in a horse world. Tell me, do you still have that embarrassing habit of, how shall I put this..." He paused, stroking his beard as the presentation cards shifted behind him. His own cane broke him out of his meditation, pointing him towards the new art: a purple dragon (maybe) lying on its back near a pile of squiggly lines. A cackle escaped from his lips. "Ah yes, thank you Mr. Point! Yes, your irresistible urge to vomit up piles of magical scrolls?"
"Hey! My belching is a special duty given to me by Princess Celestia!"
Discord shook his head. "One day her cruel reign will end." He opened his claw and the cane/Mr. Point returned to him as the cards shuffled to the next display. "And next we have—”
“Excuse me.” Bonnet stood out of his chair, annoyed.
“Oh yes, how could I have forgotten!” Discord quickly floated over to his display cards. “The fair Rarity!”
Silence reigned in Carousel Boutique.
“No?" The cards shuffled, trading a white unicorn covered in sparkles for a Purple one covered in stress marks. "Twilight, the smartest and yet most neurotic pony in the land, missing? Applejack in absentia? And I drew all these apples and lassos for Applejack's card. I thought she'd really like those, and by like I mean begrudgingly admit they were accurate. Ah well." He snapped his claws and magically reshuffled the cards.
“Is there no card for Blue Bonnet?” Fluttershy asked.
“Well I don’t know Mr. Blue Balls, do I?” He turned towards the stallion, face impassive. “But I’m sure we’re going to be fast friends.”
He was bearing his teeth. It could have been a smile.
“Won’t we?”
Bonnet gulped. “Excuse me I must be going.”
“Right behind ya, Bonnie!” Dash snorted. "Thanks, Discord, this has been pointless."
Discord gasped. "Ms. Dash, such language, and in front of Mr. Point no less!" The cane was bowed and trembling. Discord gently offered it a napkin. "That was only the windup, you haven't even heard the pitch yet!"
Pinkie looked up from her milk. "Ooh! Like Hoofball!"
“You see, I’m reformed now! On parole! A convicted felon!” He held his claws up in prayer, kneeling on the ground. “Sweet Celestia, I’ve seen the light! I’ve changed!”
“Pfft.” Dash shook her head. “And I’m… who’s that old, dead egghead Twilight’s always going on about? Oh yeah. If you’ve reformed, than I’m Starswirl the Bearded!”
Discord paused just a moment too long, staring at Dash with a glint in his eyes. Then he cried out: “Mazel Tov!”
Spike blinked. “Mazel what now?”
“Now, you are a mare!” Discord dropped a wizard’s hat onto the ground by Dash’s hooves, then turned to the rest of his audience. "You see, I have confessed to my crimes against Equinity, and as part of my plea bargain, I have pledged to move on as a citizen of Equestria." He paused, adding under his breath, "an immortal citizen with infinite cosmic powers, now restrained, but a citizen nonetheless."
"Wait a second," Spike fidgeted in his high chair, "I thought they just convicted you. All six of the Element Bearers had to testify! They had you in the bag! Right?"
A sudden aura of awkwardness took over the room, as ponies cyan, pink and yellow all avoided eye contact with Spike and each other. Words ceased, replaced by a cough, sniffs and sighs. Even the ducks picked up on it, ceasing their quackery to stare.
"Right?" Spike repeated, voice faltering. "They convicted you, right?"
"Somepony isn't up on current events!" Discord sidled up to Spike's chair. "Trial was a bit of a fiasco, a circus, a real cluster buck if you will, and I always will. There was no verdict, I took a deal. Save everyone the drama of a mistrial, or," he gasped "a possible not guilty verdict!"
"But you're guilty, right?" Spike was a dog and he wouldn't let the bone go. "You said you did it?"
"All I had to plea to was Reckless attempted treason. A felony, but just a little one. And it was less ‘I did it’ and more ‘I did it but I'm really sorry.' Law ponies are wonderful creatures, and I had the best. "
"Oh!" Pinkie jumped up. "Was that the old pony with the funny accent who made me all confused and mixed up when I tried to tell the jury what happened to the point where even I wasn't sure what happened?"
Mr. Point jumped into Discord's claw and he thrust him in Pinkie's direction. "The very same! Wonderful old coot. I tell you, as the commercial goes: if you're suddenly in the slammer, better call Drawl!"
Dash looked at Bonnet. "What the buck is a commercial?"
Bonnet shrugged.
"Anyhoots, I now play by the rules, same as you. This charming little accessory forces me to. Rule one! I cannot lie. For instance!" He held Mr. Point upright. "Mr. Point here is a red cane..." He paused as one of the rubies on his necklace began to glow. "... That would be a lie!" The glowing ceased. "See? Whereas if I said, Fluttershy, all the furniture in your house appears to be covered with duck droppings..." They all stared at the necklace. Nothing happened. "You see? The system works."
"Ooh! This is fun!" Pinkie grinned. "What's the second rule?"
"A slight modification on Celestia's prior rule: I cannot use my magic to create chaos, unless the creature asks for it. For instance, there's nothing inherently chaotic about a pie..." He snapped his claws, and a fresh lemon meringue appeared out of the ether. It floated in a fresh crust and to everypony who liked lemon meringue it smelled and looked like, objectively, the most delicious of pies. "But a pie in a pony's face? That simple act of chaos will send me right back to the pokey. Unless the pony is willing, of course."
"Ha! Good luck with that!" Dash grinned. "No pony actually WANTS a pie in-"
THUD.
The pie was now located at the address formerly listed as Pinkie's face. Dash stared, frozen mid sentence.
"Discord!" Fluttershy glared. "How dare you? Clean off Pinkie's face right now!"
"And deny her all the fun? I may be a monster, but I'm not completely heartless! Look how happy she is!"
Pinkie had been still since pie contact, but had begun to shake at Discord's words. After a few moments of strange sounds, a tongue burst through the base of the pie crust, slurping up the crumbs greedily. A familiar, bubbly voice rang out, "Mmm! Lemony!"
Face met hoof as Dash searched for the words. "Why would anyone WANT a pie in the face?"
Discord's grin momentarily dropped. "The heart wants what the heart wants." He shrugged, and his smile returned. "Or in this case, Ms. Pie's stomach wants... Pie."
Pinkie had taken the pie off of her face, and was now munching wholesale. "Thth ith twew."
Glaring with the fire of a thousand suns, Dash seethed, "And the third rule?"
"Now this is where things get a little awkward." Discord waved Mr. Point and summoned a full tea cup. He sipped once, opened his mouth to talk, stopped, then sipped again.
Bonnet turned to look at Dash. Her face was a mask of incredulous rage, muscles tight and teeth bared. It would have been comical but for the prospect of sudden violence.
"Rule three, and I have to give La Luna credit for this, it's quite clever..." He paused, finding his tea cup empty, he bit into it. Chewing thoughtfully, he went on, "... Clever for Luna anyway, who tries hard, the dear, but really isn't—"
"Get on with it!" Dash growled.
Discord paused, giving Dash a look. "If you insist." He swallowed the rest of the cup whole. "Rule number three! Outside of Canterlot, I am a guest. I may only go where invited, and if the host asks me to leave, then leave I must."
Dash's frown turned upside down. She leaned in and somehow bared even more teeth. "Then let me be the first to say: Get.Out."
"Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy gasped. "That's not very nice!"
Dash snorted. "Neither is Discord."
"Very well!" Discord wailed. "I know where I'm not wanted! Come all this way for a party, but crushed right when I came, yes yes, I will go because I now have no choice but to leave this house..." He stopped, showing off his necklace that was glowing again. "Except I that would be a lie, and Lulu said I must tell no lies."
The glowing ceased. Dash blinked. "So you are lying! There is no rule three!"
"Um, no, because then it would have lit up when he was talking about rule three." Fluttershy turned to Spike. "Right?"
"Don't look at me, I'm the one in the high chair." Spike grunted.
"But I told him to leave, and the bozo's still here!" Dash stomped a hoof. "Pinkie, you speak Discord. What the hay is going on here?"
"Dunno!" Pinkie was eating popcorn. "I just know this is fun!"
Discord chortled, now wearing a clown nose. "Isn't it though?"
"I think..." Bonnet scratched his head. "He doesn't have to leave because it's not Ms. Dash's house? She's not the 'host.' He said he has to leave if the host asks him to." Dash stared at Bonnet open mouthed. He coughed and continued. "So he doesn't have to leave unless Ms. Shy says so."
"That's right!" Discord crowed, summoning a diploma and hovering it in front of the stallion's head, "he can be taught!"
Bonnet stared at it for a moment before taking it out of the air. Upon opening it, it read:
By the authority vested in me by the Universitartus Committiartum E Pluribus Unum, I,
DISCORD
hereby confer upon
BLUE BELL
the honorary degree of
THD.
Bonnet squinted at the writing. “THD?”
“That’s a Doctorate of Thinkology.”
Fluttershy smiled. “That’s very nice of you, Discord.”
Bonnet stared at his misspelled name and sighed. . "It's a nice gesture, I guess."
“Ha. Ha ha. HAHHAHAHA!” Cackling seared through the air. They turned to see Dash "You, you you you-” Dash was pointing to Discord, “Youuuuu weren’t invited!" She fell out of her chair, laughing.
Discord stroked his beard. “I don’t get the joke.”
“That’s why it’s funny!” Dash' stood, eyes blazing with confidence. "You were never invited into this house! That means according to your stupid rules, you’ve got to go!"
Discord smiled. “Does it?”
"Rainbow Dash, enough!" Fluttershy walked between Dash and Discord. "All my friends are always welcome to drop by my cottage. And Discord is my friend!”
“So ask him to go! If you tell him to go, he has to go, right?”
“Correct.” Discord replied, balancing Mr. Point on the tip of his hoof.
“No.” Fluttershy said. “He’s behaving himself, and he's... he's my friend.”
Discord smiled. "Thank you, Fluttershy. Now! Speaking of friends..." He turned around suddenly and grinned at Pinkie Pie. "What's this I hear about an invitation to a party?"
"The biggest party that Ponyville has ever partied!" Pinkie crowed, holding up her now empty glass of chocolate milk.
"Oh, allow me." Discord took the glass from her hoof, and he conjured up a small pink rain cloud, which caused a very localized storm of chocolate milk to refill her glass. "It all sounds delightful, but I'm afraid Mr. Point has a question." The cane jumped over in front of Pinkie Pie and did a short but nevertheless elaborate series of tiny dance movements.
Pinkie stared at the cane, rubbing her chin in thought. "He's either asking if he can come to the party, or if he can have a cheese sandwich. In either case, the answer is, 'yes!'"
The cane stopped moving and turned in his owner's direction. Discord held up a hoof. "I've got this." He grabbed the cane and held it up high. "What Mr. Point is trying to ask is, how are the preparations coming along for the biggest party that has ever so on and so forth, etc-era."
Discord held out the now full glass, and Pinkie took it back with a smile. "Everything is going according to plan!"
"Pinkie, how can you say that?" Spike sat up in his chair. "We've spent this entire time inviting the whole town to Sugarcube Corner, and none of it actually setting up the party!"
"Exactly!" Pinkie nodded. "Just like we planned."
Spike stared, jaw open. He finally sputtered. "What plan?!"
"Simple." Pinkie put down her glass and raised her hoof. "Step one! Invite every pony in town. Step two!" She paused, raising both hooves and squinting at them. "Finally, Step three... PARTY!" She threw confetti into the air and cheered.
All the creatures, alive and recently animated, stared at Pinkie.
Dash finally broke the silence. "That's not really a plan, Pinkie."
"See, Miss Dash? We can agree on something." Discord floated over to Pinkie. "You know, Miss Pie, back in my old days-one might call them the bad days, I prefer the all-or-nothing days-I was known to throw fairly epic parties. Of course we didn't call them parties." He stroked his beard, lost in a happy memory. "Parties are for punch and dancing, and we drank a lot more than punch and did a lot more than dance."
"Really?" Spike tilted his head. "Like what?"
Pinkie, Dash, Bonnet, and Fluttershy all looked at one another and held their respective breaths.
"We also played games."
As one, they exhaled.
"Ooh! Like pin the tail on the pony?" Spike grinned. "I'm getting good at that."
Discord laughed. "No, my little dragon friend. Something a bit more complicated, a lot more invigorating." He looked at Bonnet, holding his gaze a little too long. "And much higher stakes."
Pinkie jumped up and down. "Ooh! Maybe you could teach us how to play at tonight's party!"
Bonnet swallowed. Why do I get the feeling we're playing already?
"That brings us me and Mr. Point to the point, Miss Pie. You seem to be swamped, even with little Spike here doing his best. You are all friends of my friend Fluttershy, and what do friends do?"
"No." Dash whispered.
"Yes!" Discord grinned. "They help! So with your permission, Pinkie, I offer my humble assistance in whatever way I can to make sure this... How did you put it, ah yes." He reared back, and thunder could be heard in the distance as he bellowed "The biggest party that has ever been partied in Ponyville!"
"No." Dash said, louder now.
"Of course, it's up to you, Miss Pie. I don't want to tread on any hooves here."
They all turned expectantly at Pinkie, who was drinking her milk again like it was a cocktail. She finished a healthy sip, wiped her mouth in a way that only made the milk moustache worse, and proclaimed: "That would be great Discord! Why with your help, I bet this could be the biggest party that's ever been partied in all of Equestria!"
"Splendid! Also, may I have Fluttershy assist me? I want to help but we've had so little time to spend together..."
"Oh, um, sure." Fluttershy smiled. "If that's what you want, Discord."
Bonnet's heart sank.
"No!" Dash roared.
Bonnet's heart leapt back up into his throat.
"You dolts, you ninnies, you lamer than lame jerks!" Dash screamed, her eyes bloodshot and voice hoarse. "He’s playing you like a fiddle made of fiddles. He's up to something, I know it, you all know it, and you're letting him do it! Heck, you're encouraging him! Pinkie, you're drinking his milk-"
"But it's so good!" Pinkie whined, trying to hide her newest moustache behind her glass of milk.
"And let him run your party? Gee, I wonder how that will turn out, you moron!"
Fluttershy gasped. "Rainbow Dash!"
"I... I think it'll turn out fun?" Pinkie said, eyes big and watery.
Dash groaned and turned to the others. "Spike, you're just as bad! Willingly sitting in that stupid chair."
"Hey, I was asked to do this. Do you think I want to be sitting in a baby dragon chair?"
"Then stop sitting in it."
"Wait!" Discord gasped. "Spike, you want a big dragon's chair? All you had to do was ask!"
He snapped his claw, and the high chair lit up, groaned, and ballooned into a tall backed, royalty ready living room chair, fabric backed, cushion bottomed and complete with brass armrests molded into dragon heads. It had the same baby dragon pattern as before on the fabric portion, but was otherwise a significant improvement in the 'adult chair' rubric.
To Bonnet, Spike looked even younger than before, sitting in the middle of this new set piece. Not that the dragon minded. His eye were big as tiny dinner plates.
"Cool!" Spike stood up on the chair, visibly impressed with the craftsmanship. Then he saw the pattern on the back and drooped a little. "Uh, Discord? Could we have something a little more... Adult for the back?"
"Stop encouraging him, Spike!" Dash growled.
Discord grinned at Dash, then turned to Spike. "Of course, friend."
Another snap of the claw, and the pattern changed from baby dragons in booties to a bold, deep purple background with green slashes through it, in a shield outline. Spike claw-pumped.
"Spike!" Dash said. "Come on, dude. You're better than this."
"You're just jealous you don't have an awesome chair. Lighten up, Rainbow." Spike turned to Pinkie and said, "This chair comes to the party."
Pinkie was still muzzle-deep In chocolate milk but managed to raise her hoof and gargle out a "oh-bay!"She shrunk back under Dash's gaze, but kept drinking her milk.
Bonnet leaned over to Fluttershy and whispered "Why is miss Dash so angry with your other friend?"
"Why?!" Dash screamed, and the ducks all quailed and dove out of the way as she flew right up in Bonnet's face. "Are you deaf, new pony? Or hard of hearing? Discord ruins everything everywhere he goes, and turns ponies against each other and makes everypony unhappy and oh yeah he almost destroyed the world!"
"Not true!" Discord thrust a photograph in Bonnet's face. It had three buffaloes pirouette ing in tutu's against a cotton candy cloud backdrop. "As you can clearly see, Mr. Bomber, I almost made the world a better place." He sighed and crumpled up the photo. "Still, one has to adapt and move with the times. And the times are all about harmony and friendship. Besides, only one pony seemed to really appreciate my old work." He pointed one claw at Pinkie, who was holding the glass over her mouth, trying to get every last drop. Then he smiled. "Of course, my new work seems to be picking up some new fans!"
Spike fiddled with a lever on the side of his new throne. There was a click, and the back of the chair tilted in reverse. "It's a recliner?!" He squeed. "That's so cool!"
"No pony is a fan! We're all pretending to be nice because we're afraid of you!" Dash flew up to Discord's face. "If I wasn’t in mixed company, I swear…”
Discord smiled. "Come now, let it go, Ms. Dash. I’m an immortal being. I can take a little constructive criticism.”
"Fine!" Dash snorted and flew up face to face with Discord. "I hate you SO much. I ... its’ like… Flames. Flames on the side of my face? Burning. It's..." She shook her head and took a giant breath. "You think that ponies in pain are funny, You turned me and my best friends into something we're not and thought it was hilarious and I will never forgive you, never trust you, never ever, I don't care how many rules there are or how sorry you say you are, you're the same and you're up to something and anypony who says otherwise is believing in a foal's tale!"
"Rainbow Dash..." Fluttershy said, teeth bared.
Still looking at Discord, Dash said, "Fluttershy, listen to me-"
"No you listen to me."
The force of the words brought Dash to the ground. She turned and found herself facing the fearsome sight of Fluttershy in full Stare.
"You have been unforgivably rude to all of us for no reason, no reason at all. The Princess would be ashamed of you right now. Friends don't treat friends this way, or the friends of their friends. And if you don't apologize right now, to every creature here, you're going to have to leave."
"But... But it's Discord!" Dash's voice was cracking. "He's up to something, I'm sure of it! We fall for it every time, YOU fall for every time! Can't you see he's the one making all the trouble?"
She looked at the tall creature standing in the middle of the room. "Discord is my guest, and my friend. He's behaving himself. You're the one causing the trouble." Fluttershy turned back to Dash, eyes hard. "So apologize. Or leave. It makes no difference to me."
Popcorn stopped being chewed. Quacking ceased. Bonnet fought the impulse to shield his ears.
Dash drew herself up, opened her mouth and... nothing. Her wings sagged and her voice turned cold. “Fine.” She turned to leave, and caught Bonnet’s eye. “Buddy, I’d get out of here as fast as I could, if I were you.”
"Wait, Miss Dash.”
They all turned. Discord's lip curled up just a bit. It wasn't a smile.
“Fair's fair. You told me what you think of me...” Discord shot over to Dash like a cobra. They were eye to eye, and Dash tensed up for a blow. “My turn." He leaned into her ear and started whispering. No pony could hear except for Dash. There was another thundercrash outside. After a solid minute, he leaned back. Dash stared, eyes big as dinner plates, brow furrowed.
Discord’s tilted his head, smirking. “Am I lying?”
Her lips were quivering, mouth open and shifting, but no words came out.
Pinkie swallowed "Uh…. Rainbow?"
If Dash heard the voice, she didn't seem to care. Shaking, she strapped her new goggles to the top of her head, wiped her eyes and turned towards the door. Her wet hoof picked up one of the invitations on the floor, and it stuck to her as she plodded her way out of the house, knocking over various pieces of debris. The balloon Discord had made for her followed her out the door, still low in height and mood. She opened the door and there were heavy gray clouds outside, ready to burst. She walked out and didn't bother to close the door behind her. It creaked in the wind.
"What did you say to her?" asked Fluttershy.
Discord shrugged. "Only the truth."
"Should someone go after her?" asked Spike.
There was a third thunderclap, and it started pouring outside.
"She'll be fine," Pinkie said.
An earth-shattering scream of rage came from outside the house, followed by the sound of furious flapping.
"Maybe," Pinkie added.
"Oh very well. I'll go find Miss Dash and apologize if you wish, Fluttershy." Discord sighed.
"No." Fluttershy said, picking up a crying Civility. The little duck had finally found her tiny tea set, and it was in pieces. She patted the duck on its back and looked out the window coldy. "She needs some time to cool off."
"I think she just needs to smile!" Pinkie grinned. The grin faded a bit. "Or cry. Or yell. She needs something."
"I can go." Bonnet offered.
"No." Fluttershy's voice was firm. Then Civility buried her head in Fluttershy's neck, and the warmth returned to her voice. "It's nice of you to offer, Mr. Bonnet. She'll realize she was wrong, eventually, and come back and apologize."
"Don't hold your breath," Spike muttered, sinking into his throne.
"Very well!" Discord said. "In that case, Ms. Pie, let's get this party planning started. Wow, an entire day planning a party with my new friends Spike and Pinkie Pie, and then an entire evening with my best friend Fluttershy." Discord glanced at Bonnet, holding his gaze a little too long. "It must be my lucky day."
Bonnet took in the look, and the words. And he said, "I'm going to go."
"No, Mister Bonnet," Fluttershy smiled. "It's very gallant of you but I think Dash should—"
"No, I mean, I'm going. I'm leaving." Bonnet lowered his ears. "It's been fun, well, until it wasn’t, but I think I've overstayed my welcome."
"Silly, this is Fluttershy's house! No pony can overstay their welcome!" Pinkie paused. "Except for Rainbow Dash just now. She overstayed her welcome."
He shook his head. "No, I’m going to go."
Fluttershy's voice became very soft. "But, Mr. Bonnet..."
"Too bad so sad, Blue Boing! But if you must, you must.” Discord leered as he grabbed something off the ground. “Don't forget your hat."
Discord offered the beat up messenger cap. Bonnet stared at it, then shook his head. “No. It’s Bill’s. He won it fair and square.” He nodded at the duck. “Take care of it.”
“Quack.”
“Um… you really don’t have to go, Blue.” Fluttershy tilted her head down, then looked up.
He looked at Discord, then at Fluttershy. “I hope you enjoy your party, Ms. Shy.”
Bonnet left, although he made sure to close the door behind him. After a gentle click, there was a silence.
Swanky perched on the windowsill, watching Bonnet walk away. She pressed her wing on the window, calling out "Quack! Quack..." Her head slumped against the glass. "Quaaaack...."
Bill flew up and landed next to her, watching her for a moment. Tiny tears were rolling down his sister's face. He hesitated a moment and nudged her gently. "Quack?
She looked up at him, then nodded at the glass. Bonnet had made it all the way to Applejack's cart, and was now sitting on it, looking away from the house. He was the picture of a dejected pony, between the slump in his neck and the rain falling on his head.
Bill shrugged. Swanky stamped her foot, then gestured to her left, towards their 'mom'. Fluttershy was standing next to Discord as he was ranting about what to wear at the party, conjuring various outfits out of thin air.
"Perhaps something gallant? Something epic? Something futuristic, yet dated? Maybe water balloons for shoes? Oh my, it's my first Pinkie Party, I don't want to make a poor impression."
It was easy to miss in all of the flashy conjuring of chaos, but Fluttershy was constant: smiling politely, nodding assent, clearly sad. Her eyes were following Discord's magic, but there was little life in them.
Bill sagged. He liked to think of himself as the grown up of all his siblings, but she was his mother too. Swanky tapped him on the shoulder. She pointed one wing out the window, one wing at Fluttershy. Maintaining eye contact, she brought the wings together in a self hug, smiling. She closed her eyes and twirled, and promptly fell off the windowsill, landing on Silly.
Lighting up another tiny cigar, Bill pondered it all. Below him, Swanky and Silly were bickering. He glanced out the window at Bonnet, slouched over Applejack's cart. Eyes shifted back, looking at mom, her smile fading now as she listened to the goat dragon horse thing go on and on.
"Quack." Bill said to his siblings. They didn't hear. The sibling bickering had had turned into a wing slap fight. Quack!" Bill thundered. Silly and Swanky stopped wing slapping as he jumped down in front of them. Pointing at Swanky, he commanded, "Quack quack, quack!"
Swanky looked puzzled, but after a few moments of Bill's stare turned to scoot away. Bill turned to Silly and said, "Quack," and promptly stomped off to the kitchen. Silly shrugged and followed.
Inside the kitchen, they found Artsy doodling on the kitchen table. Crayon and ink smudges all over his feathers, tongue sticking out and eyes narrow, he was drawing furiously. Drowsy was sleeping on the counter across from him.
Bill quacked as he approached. Artsy looked up and smiled. He blew on his work and shook it a few times. Satisfied, he held up his latest magnum opus for Bill: a rather accurate sketch of Drowsy dozing.
Bill nodded appreciatively, then smacked it out of Artsy’s wing.
Artsy gasped.
A pointed wing and defiant roar later, Bill quieted his brother. He was a duck of many talents, one of which was having many balls in the air at the same time; or in this case, getting Artsy to focus while at the same time getting Swanky to produce a specific item.
She waddled up to the table, folded piece of paper under her wing. Bill pointed at the table and she laid the paper out. All ducks stared at the cursive:
Bread
Milk
Tea (for Rarity)
Lettuce
Fancy Carrots for Angel (With Extra Carrot-ness)
Artsy stared up from the note, puzzled.
“Quack quack, quack quack quack?” Bill asked.
Artsy titled his head to the side for a moment and then nodded. Bill waved his wing at him expectantly. Shrugging, Artsy took his pencil and began writing, slowly and carefully:
Bread
Milk
Tea (four Rarity)
Bill held up the two. Other than the typo, there were practically identical. Even the accents were perfect. He smiled at Artsy, then turned towards Swanky. “Quack quack?”
Swanky was practically dancing in place. “Quaaaaack!”
He nodded, then turned back towards a still confused Artsy. Bill puffed up his chest and began dictating: “Quack Quack Quack: Quack quack, quack quack quack….”
Artsy began to write:
Dearest Mister Bonnet…
Bonnet had left the cottage, deposited back onto the paths that carved out Ponyville. He had only gotten a few steps from Fluttershy’s home, only as far as Applejack’s cart, when he froze in place.
It wasn’t sadness, he had been used to that for a long time. It wasn’t guilt, for he had made no promises that had been broken. In fact, she had been the one to rescind the offer so soon after he had made it. It wasn’t the thought of being unloved, as he had taught himself to do without for a long time.
What froze him was had no reason to move in any direction.
Where would he go? What was there left to do? He had already tried responsibility and a good work ethic, which had blown up in his face. He had already abandoning sobriety, which made him more miserable than he had been before. And he had already gone for broke and bared his lonesome pony soul, and all that had gotten him after a few fleeting moments of happiness was some kind of dragon horse hybrid giving him a fake diploma and all but kicking him out the door.
So he sat on the cart, staring into space. He was vaguely aware that is was pouring rain. He was also aware of the not-fantastic smell emanating from the ground beneath him. He recognized it as his own creation from earlier. This was not enough to move him.
He was also aware that he was still in eye-view of the cottage. That also did not mean much to him. His dignity was already in the gutter, along with his self-respect and ego. He leaned back on the cart, which creaked in response.
He felt a gentle nudging against his leg. He looked up and saw Ms. Dash's balloon from earlier, the one with the permanently downturned face.
"Left behind, huh?"
The balloon nodded, and even though the expression painted on its face could not change, it looked even more sad than before.
Bonnet reached out and gently touched the balloon's side. "You and me both, buddy."
It bobbed a bit, then turned and floated lower to the ground. Then he realized there was something in the ground by where it landed. Something... white?
He lowered his neck and picked it up with his teeth, then wiped the mud off. He blinked.
The top read 'Pony Postal Service- Delivery Manifest, Friday.'
He stared at the manifest, one fake name matched to a real address after another. If he had the energy to laugh, he would have. His big dream of gainful employment. Gone now, along with his prospects for a first date with the most beautiful pony in town.
He looked down the manifest, which read like a laundry list of Blue Bonnet buck-ups in the past twenty-four hours.
Eip Eikinp- Twenty Trampolines. Rush.
Sahib Onward- One medium sized box. Fragile.
Gmvuufstiz- One box live ducklings. Fragile.
Ringo Manriki- One Letter. Rush.
He sighed, and sat back down on the cart. Why? Why would ponies bother? Was there some new practical joke holiday he was kept out of the loop on? Was this a Hearts Warming Eve secret swap gag? Was it...
Clink.
He turned his head. There sat the final package, tucked up next to him. A little worse for wear, and not at all meant for the address listed, but still waiting to be delivered.
The 'name' stared at him in open defiance.
18. 1. 18. 9. 20. 25.
Blue Bonnet glared back. Whoever random number pony was, it wasn’t their fault that their package had gotten sidetracked due to some other pony being a giant hoof-head. Some other pony… who never left a return address...
...wait a second.
He looked back at the manifest. None of the packages yesterday had a return address, and they were all mailed on the same day.
He looked away. He looked back.
18. 1. 18. 9. 20. 25.
Did it matter? None of his packages had been delivered to the right pony. He’d left them all with the wrong pony. The goggles weren’t meant for the designer. The trampolines weren’t meant for the librarian. Those ducks weren’t meant for…
But they did get to the right pony. In the end, there was no better pony than Miss Shy to take care of those ducks. And Ms. Dash seemed happy with her goggles, to the extent she was ever happy… and Ms. Pie was very happy bouncing, even if it didn’t make other ponies happy.
He looked away. He looked back. He looked away again, flipping through the manifesto. They had to have taken down something. There had to be some kind of receipt for payment. There had to be...
A tiny piece of paper fell out of the manifest. He picked it up and looked at it.
Everything stopped.
Please mail the following packages ASAP. Payment in full- Gems. Sender:
He squinted. The name was crossed out. But they all came from the same pony. And they had paid in gems.
He closed his eyes, trying clear his head. Fluttershy appeared in his mind, looking at him with kindness and sadness, and she said...
"I think somepony's been funning with you, Blue."
She disappeared, and the numbers burned into the back of his eyelids.
18. 1. 18. 9. 20. 25.
He opened his eyes.
“Buck it.”
He picked the package up and stood, the rain still falling. His messenger bag was still on the ground where he had fallen, and he picked that up too and threw the manifest and package inside. Determination filled his heart. He may have struck out at love and at his job, but we was going to find the mysterious stranger who had ruined his life.
The balloon nudged him again as he got his bearings. He turned to it, water dripping off his nose. "You want to go on an adventure?" The balloon seemed to look at him, then lowered and raised itself in what he assumed was nodding.
"This is bigger than us," he said to the balloon, which some small part of him knew was crazy but he didn't care anymore. "This is convoluted and weird and we're going to need help if we're going to figure this out. Somepony smarter." The balloon stared at him as he looked down the road, shielding his eyes from the rain with his hoof. "Maybe even the smartest pony in the land."
He wasn't sure if she would help, but he was sure where she lived.
"Let''s go find the pony who said she wasn't Eip Eiknip."
They trotted and floated down the road, into the rain.
And if he had waited just a few minutes longer, he would have met a very sleepy duck flapping up to the cart to give him a letter.
Alas, he did not.
The sleepy duckling looked around the cart and called out, to no avail. He eventually made his way back to the house, damp letter in his bill and defeated expression on his face. Fifteen minutes later, ducklings came flying out of the front door of Fluttershy's house, flying in several different directions, all carrying envelopes in their bills.
And on every envelope bore the same hastily written title:
To My Dearest Mister Bonnet
DUN DUN DUN
3660018
Similies are comparisons. There's more than comparing going on in the quotes I posted.
Discord: No longer evil; still kind of a jerk.
3661295
And how!
Today's missive is a basic cypher. It's to Rarity.
This story has gotten so big, so many loose threads but we all know they're going to converge and the outcome is either going to spell disaster or glorious success. Possibly both.
I wonder what Discord said to Rainbow Dash. Also, Discord seems totally in-character, even matching his reappearance in more recent episodes of the show.
- I believe you mean baring. Bearing would mean he's carrying his teeth. Of course this is Discord...
extra space
Kinda contradictory to the other two.
Discord? hoof? I don't recall him transfiguring himself... unless it's his "foot"...
et cetera
in
missing space
Improper pronoun. Or rather, "she" would be referring to Dash, because she's the last "she" you referred to.
Seems a bit ooc and uncaring of Pinkie Pie. Seeing a friend upset, no matter the reason, is not something she takes lightly.
Missing close quotation.
missing word
Fluttershy also seems a bit out of character. I don't exactly see her as a pony who would coldly say "Do this or Get out, makes no difference to me."
EDIT: Will say though, I'm noticing a bit of parallelism between Gilda/Rainbow and Rainbow/Fluttershy here.
At least Spike's chair is awesome
Next to Pinkie Pie this might have been the easiest cipher.
I would normally think gems = Rarity or Spike, but due to the glaring obviousness of it all and the fact Spike figured it all out, Pinkie Pie clearly made quite the fortune working on the rock farm.
Looking forward to more of this, even if this chapter through me for a bit of a loop
I suppose it IS in character for Fluttershy, but Staring the only one aware that you just can't trust chaos...
One can only hope she gets the deserved tongue lashing after the dust settles.
Oh my god.
That ending....
Also, you had BETTER tell us what the hell Discord said to Rainbow.
~Skeeter The Lurker
And it's gonna be awesome. I'm in agreements with Skeeter.
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3662784
True story: I wrote it, then Cola told me to cut it and save it for later. She was right.
IMO, It's a doozy.
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Damn well better be...
~Skeeter The Lurker
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static1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121230025010/mlp/images/e/e0/Rainbow_Dash_feeling_the_pressure_S1E16.png
Ha ha! no pressure
I'm sorry Discord, but it is pronounced Blue Bass Clarinet
skymusic.com.au/images/products/5351.gif
Honestly, screw Fluttershy. It obviously hurt Dash deeply to be mind-controlled into abandoning her friends, and Fluttershy has no right to demand that Dash get over that and accept Discord, especially as he has never once offered any kind of sincere apology. You don't put a victim and their assailant in a room together and then come down hard on the victim for not being able to handle it gracefully... Especially when the assailant is all but gloating the entire time.
3663584 you're not wrong.
3662007
I'll have you know he has one cloven hoof!
What I'm about to say is all personal opinion and im really quite tired while writting this so please don't tear me to shreds too much
That being said, this chapter is terrible. There was a constant vibe of unpleasant maliciousness that made it border on a chore to read. It was the meeting of every plot point of this story I've disliked. This story is starting to feel schizophrenic, two completely different stories in both genre and tone, welded together. I got whiplash reading the last chapter and this one. I can only hope sleep deprivation is an excuse for fluttershy being a total asshole. If it wasn't for the fact that I really genuinely like the cheerilee/twilight plot, I'd abandonned this sorry for one able to keep a coherent tone. What's worse is that I really liked the last chapter, and was so exited when I saw it had updated again. I was severely disappointed
3665334
I can't disagree that my story is crazy, but I can tell you that it is all going somewhere, and that the two threads are destined to meet head on, and soon. Whether it pays off or not is for the courts to decide.
I am sorry you found it genuinely unpleasant, as I don't write to annoy people. I will say this:
A) both Fluttershy and Dash are running on no sleep, and have been pushed to extremes
B) even if discord is trying to be nice (and I'm not admitting to that), it's exhausting to be in the room with him and I wanted to capture that
C) what happened had to happen for the next thing to happen.
I hope you like the next chapter more?
3662420
What has Discord done lately to cause such distrust? He is reformed. See, the problem with the good guys reforming the bad guys is that they then have to start treating them like they're not the bad guys.
3663584
And yet everyone else forgave him. Or is Rainbow's hurt somehow more important than everyone else's?
3665624
Well, treating him as a bad guy would mean returning him to stone, and that's not what I'm advocating. The distrust should come by him being the personification of Chaos. You don't trust him just like you wouldn't trust a stormy sea or a mountain during a blizzard.
Besides, we have Pinkie Pie openly stating that she has not forgiven him, and even if that was the case, forgiveness is not something that should come 'because your friends did', or something that anyone has an obligation to give.
3665897
She says she hasn't forgiven him, yet she's more than willing to work with him. So ... maybe she hasn't forgiven him completely, but at least she isn't being unreasonable. Also, what is the point of him trying to turn over a new leaf, then, if everyone has a 'treat Discord like a douche' card whenever they want? Rainbow should forgive him, or at least not have acted like she did, because she should be there for her friend. No, not Discord. She should be there for Fluttershy.
But she cant, because Discord hurt her? Oh my, such a great Element of Loyalty we have here.
*Sigh* okay. Let's dismiss the out of character moments due to sleep-dep. Let's ignore how obvious Discord is being in bribing the fun-seeking Pinkie Pie and the materialistic Spike, and driving the only pony brave enough to stand up to him away in tears. Let's even forgive how Fluttershy doesn't even bat an eye at how snide, demeaning and dismissive he is to Blue, the pony Fluttershy got to know and initially sympathise with ibecause everyone treated him like crap, just like Discord is doing (if anything, that should be the tipping point). No, let me just paint a picture of what's happened so far in this storyline:
A bunch of presents just so happened to be delivered to ponies that would really want them (which just so happens to be a loophole in Discord's parole, as evidenced by the pie in Pinkie's face), but which all just so happen to be precisely the things to utterly exhaust them. Then, just as they reach breaking point, Discord just so happens to pop up and offer to help, pretty much taking over precedings as he does.
Now, I'm not saying Discord's definitely responsible - there's a good possibility he's not... but the only reason I'm not saying it is because I know, from an author's perspective, that'd be far too obvious. However, in-universe, there's no reason to suspect that it's not the case, and every reason to suspect that it is. Sure, they're sleep-deprived, so maybe most of them wouldn't think of that (though, in general, I find sleep-dep affects your emotions and mindset, not so much your intelligence), but at the very least, Blue should be suspecting something.
Now, again, I'm not saying this is the case, and if it isn't, I look forward to the revelation that it isn't. However, it must be said that Discord has given them precisely zero reasons to trust him. Yes, he's not done anything actively malicious (that we know of), but, again, he's just as snide, smug, insulting, overbearing and just generally douche-y as he ever was. And notice he never denied Dash's accusation that he enjoyed seeing ponies suffer. Frankly, while she could have gone about it a bit smarter, Dash had every right to accuse him of being up to something, and, 3665973, every right to refuse to help her do something she truly believes to be self-destructive.
Don't get me wrong, as negative I've been in this post, I do enjoy the story and will continue to read... but this, being kind of the low point of the story (as in saddest/angriest/etc, not worst) I will be paying attention to how you resolve things. Still, should be good.
3665624
Fluttershy regularly recognizes that animals like the Manticore act aggressively because they are scared or hurt, and so just need some kindness. Dash rants about what Discord did to them, making her hurt pretty clear, and even says that they're all afraid of him... So clearly her aggression has much the same reason... Yet Fluttershy has zero kindness for her. I get that Discord is a "problem child" and so one has to give him a lot more leeway than those you can expect to behave themselves, and so her expectations of Dash can reasonably be higher... But there's no excuse for not extending Dash any consideration when faced with something that is clearly a raw wound.
As for the others forgiving Discord, that is irrelevant. Just because something is no big deal to me doesn't give me the right to declare that it should be no big deal to you. Fluttershy herself benefits from that thinking, as Dash and Pinkie won't prank her despite everyone else laughing it off, because she's too sensitive... She'd be hurt by it. So really, Fluttershy has no right to say Dash shouldn't be so sensitive about Discord making her abandon her friends.
3666740
When Dash said that they're all afraid of him, when obviously they're not, she ruined her own argument. She didn't just attack his ability to be trusted, she actively insulted everyone there by saying that. That isn't some big point in her favor any more than any other paranoid nut job having a conspiracy gives them points in their favor. And there's a difference between what manticore do (get aggressive and need love) and what Rainbow is doing. One of them is an animal that is 80% instinct, the other is Rainbow. They're been humanized in a way, given higher thinking than the animals around them.
Now we move on to Fluttershy not getting pranked because it would hurt her too much. Pinkie said that, and it's likely true. Now I'm going to explain how that is different. The thing that Discord did to Rainbow wasn't really completely Discord's fault. He didn't really force her to abandon her friends. There's only one person who he didn't just use their own weaknesses against them, and that was Fluttershy. If anything, this just shows that Rainbow continues to have some anger issues over the fact that she screwed up.
Yes, you read that right. SHE SCREWED UP. She was shown images of Cloudsdale going down, and she was then given the chance to go and save it. She knew that she would be abandoning her friends that way. She was tempted by Discord, but she made the choice in the end. She chose to abandon her friends and take her wings back. The thing with him making her think that a cloud was Cloudsdale was wrong, but that was after she made the wrong choice.
So, no, I don't have sympathy for Rainbow. She just can't handle that she isn't always the pillar of loyalty that she'd like everyone else to think she is.
3666792 Okay, firstly, the argument of "a manticore's an animal, Dash isn't" might have worked if we were dealing with Vulcans or Cybermen, but Ponies, and people for that matter, are still subject to emotions and instinct - I'm sure we've all said things in the heat of the moment that we regret. Yes, her precise ways of lashing out may differ, but the underlying reasons remain the same. And just because she made a bad point or gave a bad example (though, in Fluttershy's case "you're afraid of him" is a possibility worth bringing up, even if it isn't correct) doesn't make her overall point invalid.
And as for it being Rainbow's choice to abandon her friends...
ponyvillegazette.com/files/2011/09/my_little_pony_friendship_is_magic_2x01_the_return_of_harmony_part_1_16_rainbow_dash_hypnotized-1024x576.jpg
Yyyyyyyyeah, and I'm sure her eyes going all ring-around-the-kaa-colours had nothing to do with it.
And don't tell me "Well, we don't know exactly what that means!" We see, with Fluttershy indisputably and I would say with the others as well, that Discord has the ability to manipulate their minds and invert their personalities, and that the ring-eyes is a sign of him doing so. Given that, we can conclude once Rainbow has gained the ring-eyes, she is no longer in full control of her actions. Maybe she was tempted (though we can't see her reactions to the images she's shown at first, and when we do, she's got the ring-eyes [need a better name for them]), but her abandoning her friends was a result of Discord's magic, and she is perfectly justified in hating Discord for it.
3666792
I fear your interpretation of events from the show is so very different than my own that debate would be pointless.
However, In regards to Dash's argument about ponies being nice to him because they're afraid of him, I feel you're missing the important bit... She distinctly said "We're" afraid of you. It was a straight out admission on her part. She might be projecting that fear onto the others as well (or not... I suspect both Blue Bonnet and Spike wouldn't cross Discord at least), but that doesn't change things in regards to her own feelings. Discord hurt her and she remains afraid of him as a result.
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3666792
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I appreciate this spirited debate. No one kill each other while I'm on vacation.
3666792
Ok, this may be a long post. First off...
That isn't how trust works...or reformation to be honest. This isn't like a criminal who has served his time getting out of prison and deserving a fresh start, a core plot point in this chapter is the fact that he more or less dodged taking responsibility for his actions, and is still pretty much unrepentant. He has to give them a reason to trust him, not for them to give a reason to distrust him.
That is a phenomenally stupid statement. Dash's hurt is no more important than anyone else's, but its still hurt. Everyone deals with things differently, just because the others were able to move past it, doesn't mean she was. Fluttershy should be offering support to her friend, not abuse. That's like a police psychologist telling a jumper that everyone else around him is happy so they should just get over themselves and stop drawing attention to themselves.
It's not the argument itself that's important, but that she's making it. It shows that she is still incredibility upset about what happened. Of course she isn't going to be acting completely logical when faced with the guy who did such horrible things to her, basically openly mocking her, while her friends do nothing.
There's actually a really good video that explains the flaws with this, its called 'Return of Harmony Part 1'. You should really watch it. If you did, you would know that Dash isn't even offered the choice until after her eyes start to spiral and Discord touches her head, greying her, the exact same thing she did to Fluttershy. It's entirely Discords fault, and given he raped her mind and forced her to abandon her friends I can understand why she's still a little sore with him.
3665479
Its not so much that I don't like the crazy, its that it feels like there are two stories, and one got all the crazy. When the narrative jumps between them its incredibility jarring. The best example for me would be Spike. When he's with Rarity in the A Plot, he's relatively mature and competent, when he's with Pinkie in the B Plot, he more or less abandons both Dash and the conversation as a whole because Discord gives him a shiny thing. Neither are necessarily wrong interpretations of the character, but having both in the same story is weird.
Also I don't like blue bonnet...at all. Which may contribute to me not liking B Plot.
He's just so...bland. His entire character could be summed up as...
and he doesn't really ever evolve past that. I can empathize with him, but I can sympathize with him
3667072
The same happened to Rarity and Twilight. Those rings were merely the illusion. Those rings were Discord showing her something fake. Those rings didn't make her abandon her friends. Also, bringing up that she isn't an animal is a valid point because the universe of MLP gives them nigh human levels of sentences and intelligence. For all intents and outposts, they're humans in pony form.
3667325
Discord didn't gray her. Discord used his magic to show her something fake and she fell for it. The spirals in her eyes are just that, the illusion. Saying it is anything else is simply wanting Rainbow to not be wrong, which isn't even a good argument. She made a bad choice, she need to own up to that.
3667072
I hadn't thought of the angle of her being projecting.
3667677
Okay, firstly, as to Ponies basically being humans... yeah, that's my point! Well,
3666740 's point initially, but one I agree with, at any rate - That humans/ponies can be just as irrational and emotion-driven as animals, particularly when exhausted or in times of high stress, both of which apply here, and Dash's behaviour is analogous to an angry and frightened beast at this point.
Well, that's just my way of looking at it, anyway. Harwick may have a different opinion and I apologize if I misrepresented his argument.
As for your explanation of the whole ring-eyes thing... no. Seriously, watch the episode again, because I just checked and what you said is incorrect.
First off, the whole "rings are just the illusions" bit doesn't make sense because, again, they happen to Fluttershy, who was shown no illusions.
Discord comes up to her as butterflies - no rings (which, even if that was an illusion would disprove your theory).
They have their little Tete-a-tete - no rings.
He forces his mirror morality move on her - boom, the rings appear.
Sorry, but the rings are him using his magic to invert personalities.
Further proof - contrary to what you said, Twilight never shows the rings. Why? Because Discord didn't use his flip-switch magic on her - he broke her spirit manually by corrupting her friends. The others all show the rings... and it's always at or just before moment they're switched. Heck, Rarity's the perfect example - Discord shows her the illusion, the rings appear (after the illusion starts), but she manages to resist it briefly, whereupon her eyes return to normal, until her will breaks and she instantly greys out.
So, yeah, rings = mind control therefore Dash = not in control.
3667677
Um, no, watch the episode again, she sees the illusion of cloudsdale falling, gets the swirly eyes, then Discord offers her the choice, and as he says the second option (to leave) he pokes her in the head and she starts to turn grey. He greyed her. Just like he did fluttershy. its a simple as that. Hell, I've re-watched that scene 5 times today just to make sure I wasn't wrong
20:20
Ok, its more of a one finger stroke than a poke, but it corresponds with her graying
EDIT: Looking back on some of your comments, its pretty clear you haven't watched the episode in a while. Which is fine. But neither had I and I actually went through the effort of re-watching parts to make sure I wasn't mistaken. Just saying
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3663584
I'm going to agree, and disagree, with you.
On the 'agreement', I do think Fluttershy is unfairly accepting of Discord in general for plot purposes.
On the 'disagreement', however, canonically she asks all her friends to make precisely this choice in Keep Calm and Flutter On, and it's arguable that she interpreted what Dash was doing as bullying one of her friends. What does Fluttershy do when someone bullies one of her friends?
images.wikia.com/mlp/images/archive/9/9c/20121228004422!Fluttershy_stares_at_the_dragon_S1E07.png
She does that.
Sure, she's being a jerk in a way, but it's consistent with her character, as far as I can tell.
3668769
You tease.
~Skeeter The Lurker
3668799
It's building suspense! C'mon!
3668865
I repeat the following:
3668799
~Skeeter The Lurker
3668795
True, but then Fluttershy did admit after the dinner party in "Keep Calm and Flutter On" that of course she knew that Discord was being a jerk and was behind all of their torments, but that she was just trying to gain his friendship any way she could. That belies the idea that she felt that all of the others truly had to accept and forgive Discord... Merely that she had to do so and treat him as if he deserved the benefit of the doubt.
I honestly don't have a problem with Fluttershy taking issue with Dash's behavior. Dash was out of line multiple times. My issue is that Fluttershy was truly angry with her and seemingly without any compassion for her oldest friend, when just as before its painfully clear that Discord is still at least a jerk, and Dash is still hurting.
If Fluttershy and Discord truly are friends at this point in continuity, its actually worse because Fluttershy didn't side with Discord over Dash due to the need for someone to befriend the spirit of Chaos at the behest of Princess Celestia... That mission was accomplished already. She did it because she truly felt that smarmy Discord deserved more of her support than an obviously emotional Dash when she could have called both out on their behavior or taken Dash aside to talk to her or many other more balanced approaches.
None of this is to say I have some major beef with these things happening in the story... I'm curious to see what it all leads to and what lessons are learned. I was just expressing that Fluttershy's stance actually angered me.
3667852
The rings are the illusion. Twilight isn't shown having any because she's not under any illusion. Even Applejack gets them when she's looking into the pond. As for why Fluttershy sees them, we don't exactly know what Discord did to cause her to be "Discorded". That is a plot hole, I'll give you that. But that also shows why it makes no sense that he would have forced Rainbow Dash to become "Discorded". He only resorts to that when he has failed.
But, seriously, watch that part of the episode again. It shows her being under the illusion, and then it shows the rings. Now take into consideration what he did to Fluttershy. He poked her on the head and then she became Discorded. Now take into consideration that he didn't even touch Rainbow until the very end, when he ran his finger along her face. She already had the rings.
So even if it wasn't the illusion, it certainly isn't plausible that those are caused by Discord's mind control (which has been shown to be a touch attack).
3668024
Actually, we see the swirly eyes already going by the time the illusion ends. They don't just start when it ends, they were already going. It's fairly obvious that you're watching the episode with some serious fan goggles. At best, the swirly eyes mean it's about to happen. So, at best, he tricked her to the edge and then gave her a not so gentle poke. In the end, she still isn't being completely mind controlled.
Seriously, Mr "I've watched that scene 5 times", I would expect more. Just as I pointed out to the other person, he didn't touch her to give her the swirly eyes. He showed her a lie, Cloudsdale falling. He hadn't touched her until the point when he ran his finger across her face. We also know he doesn't force it when he's winning, and he clearly was winning. This is a game to him, something that brings enjoyment. Watch the episode, the entire episode, again. When he is finally forced to cheat and make Fluttershy mean, he's frustrated. When he strokes Rainbow's face, he's gleeful. That's the "I just beat you" face, not the "screw you, I'm not losing".
Him forcing the issues goes against everything that was established in that episode and merely serves as a fantasy answer where Rainbow has no responsibility for it.
3670655
Okay, this is getting silly - are we watching the same show?
Okay, first off, the rings as the illusion makes no sense at any point in the episode. Think about it - what illusions are people shown - Applejack seeing her friends break up, Pinkie seeing them laugh at her, Rarity... actually, we're not shown what she sees until after the discording, if anything, so I don't know what's up with that, and Rainbow seeing Cloudsdale getting destroyed. If it was just the latter two, maybe that'd work... except at no point in the illusion do either Applejack or Pinkie Pie show the rings. In both cases, they show them after they're over, but just before their personalities switch. Yes, if you look at Rainbow's discording on its own, it may look like the rings are the illusion, but taking it in the context of the episode, it makes no sense. Rather, it's him using his power as he's showing it to her.
Plus, "he doesn't use mind control unless he's failed?" What? You seem to be under the impression that having one's entire morality switched is in someway a normal occurrence, and could happen just from being shown something contrary to it. Sorry, but no. I don't see how you could deny that Discord had to use his power to facilitate the change in all of them. I mean, let's take Applejack for example. I can see how being shown that the truth can hurt (in theory, at any rate, since even she should not be dumb enough to believe what she's seeing, as I'll get into in a second) would shake her, maybe make her question herself. But I somehow doubt it would be enough to make her physically incapable of not lying. It just doesn't follow. Heck, we see her in pain and denial after being shown the illusion, but that's a perfectly normal reaction to an image, not proof that she's been convinced to turn her life upside down. However, after she's been shaken, Discord shows himself, gives her the ring eyes (as we can see from his own eyes going like that) and she switches. This is not ambiguous. Claiming Discord didn't use his power - which, again, we are explicitly shown manifests as ring eyes when he does it to Fluttershy (which is only a plot hole if you start from the rings-as-illusions assumption) - on her and the others just doesn't make sense.
And what, precisely, makes you think a nigh-omnipotent spirit of chaos needs to touch people to use magic on them? Even ignoring my previous point that he would need to use his powers to achieve the effect he did, none of which he touched to do so, all we're shown is that he touches Fluttershy when he discords her. So how does it follow that it's necessary? Heck, if anything, it seems more like the equivalent of hitting her out of frustration that anything to do with the magic.
So, no, it is perfectly plausible - as far as I can see, almost certain - that the rings are Discord mind controlling them.
3670770
I think we are, you're just watching it with special fan goggles.
I give up on the illusion nothing, it's obviously wrong. The rings are happening when they're about to be "Discorded". But, yes, the failure aspect is one that you seem to be ignoring. I meant failure as in "he's playing a game, trying to trick them into abandoning their elements". He got Applejack and Rarity without forcing it. If anything good can be said about Discord, it's that he's only doing these things because it amuses him.
"But he had to use his powers to facilitate the change in all of them"
Yes, but there's a huge difference. Discord views this as a game. He wants to outsmart them, use his powers to make them make the wrong decision. There is a huge difference between "using his power to make an illusion" and what he did to Fluttershy. Everyone else had a choice in the matter, their own base flaws just outweighed their virtues. He knew how to trick them, which makes sense in the fact that he's older than all of them combined.
And now you're going off the rails and saying that nobody made a wrong decision.
And I think the discussion is over from there. You've essentially taken a semi-deep episode about the Elements having to worry about their own flaws, and maybe grow from them, and ruined it. I sincerely hope that the writers don't go the route you seem to have the ponies take, where there is ni possible way they could ever just abandon their elements (not the necklaces, what they represent). Somewhat flawed characters are interesting, and that's part of the reason why I like the show.
Interesting characters make a show, boring ones ruin it.
AKA the chapter in which Dash is justifiably angry and hurt, Fluttershy is so out of character it was painful to read, and Discord makes everything worse. Pinkie letting Dash walk away that angry and upset was a little hard to swallow, but not nearly as much as Fluttershy demonstrating that she really is the silly, gullible fool she previously claimed that she wasn't.
If this was the first chapter of a story I wouldn't be reading the second.
3670854
Okay, I was going to go on about you forcing your interpretation onto the the episode, and all that, but... frankly, we've long ago got away from the central point of whether Dash could be blamed for what happened.
I agree that the discussion is basically over and we're evidently going to have to agree to disagree, since you refuse to accept any other valid interpretations. However, I will say two last things - first a summation, then a response to your little ad hominem bit.
Discord affected their minds. Just because he cut the taunts and Hannibal Lectures on Fluttershy doesn't mean what he did to her is any different to what he did to the others. The eyes, as you say, are them being discorded, and he is shown to be directly causing that - he is discording them directly. He is directly manipulating their minds. Whether he "won" or not is irrelevant, because even if he could make them abandon their elements through persuasion alone, the fact is that he didn't and all his "winning" amounted to was hurting them before he brainwashed them... which, to be honest, fits his character perfectly.
And secondly, no, there is way they would "just abandon their elements" I mean, there are times and moments when Applejack lies, Rarity is greedy, Pinkie Pie takes things seriously... relatively speaking etc, they're not inseparable for those parts of their personality. But they're just that... times and moments, and generally speaking, they will show those parts. Saying that they wouldn't just abandon their elements is not them being flat, it's them being consistent. They have all have plenty of other flaws and quirks, no need to say they're flat if they lack these particular ones. If I "ruined" the episode, I apologize, but all I did was point out what happened and what didn't and...
Ah, screw this whole silly argument!
3670655
Quit being so condescending. At least I made the assumption that your ignorance was due to not having seen the episode in a while, and didn't flat out state everything you said was biased.
First of all, I wasn't talking about the swirls. I don't give a shit about the swirls, that was another argument you were having. My argument has always been that you claim that Dash was responsible for her decision to leave. I was stating that she was forcibly greyed by discord before she is even able to make any choice and is therefor, in this chapter not acting out as some form of guilt. I reiterate. WATCH THE DAMN EPISODE. Discord begins to offer her a choice, But she is greyed before he's even finished speaking, she didn't choose anything. Regardless of being 'tricked to the edge' she ultimately is forced against her will to do what she did. If Discord didn't need to touch her, then why did he? Is it just coincidence that it matches with the moment she starts to grey? Is it just coincidence that it matches what he did to Fluttershy. Hell, its not even a subtle or natural gesture, he very deliberately strokes her head with his finger. You can make all the assumptions all you want about what X means and why did Y Z but the facts are, he Discorded her before she did anything. And yes, I did go watch the episode, and you know what I didn't see? Him touching anyone as they grey other than Dash and Fluttershy. And since we know exactly what it did to Fluttershy, we can infer it did the exact same to Dash. That's logic
I'm not watching this through fan goggles, I'm simply listing the events, as they happen.
3670854 I like how you're talking about "fan goggles" and yet you're trying to defend this baseless idea that "the rings are the illusion" and that the ponies all gave in to his temptations or whatever because you want it to be so. This isn't some bible story and Discord isn't Satan. Honestly, out of the two of you, you seem much more like someone who's made up a headcanon for themselves in a way that they want, stretching the episode's scenes desperately to try and fit them around it, and tries to convince other people that it's the only true interpretation when in fact it's just a big stretch. There's absolutely no reason to believe that D didn't use his magic to corrupt the mane6. Believing illusions wouldn't cause you to totally abandon who you are, reverse your personality, go crazy and change your freaking color in the process (a fact that was brought up to you and you promptly ignored). It's pretty obvious that he only needed a slight nudge to sneak his magic in and corrupt them, only the smallest doubt enforced by goddamn mind control, and apparently that wasn't even required since he could always go "fuck it" and force it like he did with Fluttershy (in fact, what illusion precisely was Fluttershy seeing when he forced his corruption on her? Your ideas don't hold up at all! The rings were happening as a direct result of his mind control and not just some illusion, how can you ignore that?), when he realized that toying with her would lead him nowhere. All the "trickery" was clearly just him having fun before pressing the "almost certainly win" button, pretense, trying to do things the elegant and entertaining way and appear to himself like some genius mastermind. You are cheapening and simplifying his character by simply having him be this old wise malevolent being that outsmarts everyone, when he's pretty glaringly childish, immature, overconfident and not even too smart, which makes him much more interesting, and his reformation later much more reasonable.
So no, the ponies aren't guilty of being discorded by Discord in the slightest, and to believe so is goddamn ridiculous.
3672372
I like how you blatantly ignored when I said I was probably wrong about that. Seriously, if you can't even bother to read my posts... don't respond to me. This is more frustrating than actually arguing with a wall, because at least I can expect the wall to be incapable of reading. From there on, your response gets even more idiotic. Have a nice day.
3672323
I'll quite being condescending the moment you do. Or is it a special rule where you're allowed to be a giant hypocrite? As for the choice, you don't have to say anything to make a choice. If she had chosen that she was going to go back to Cloudsdale, when she had already been offered the wings, she doesn't have to say anything.
We have no evidence that he did it beyond him touching her, but forcing it is OUTSIDE OF HIS FREAKING CHARACTER.
People are saying that I'm ignoring things, but man oh man I don't have anything on the two people I'm discussing this with. They just want to dumb down one of the better villains, ignore his personality, or anything else that ends with "not the ponies' faults". Fricken A, it's okay for them to occasionally screw up. And the idea of them screwing up at this point, against a major villain that is smarter than them (which he is, he tricked Twilight into going into the maze to begin with) and you have something that is both IC for everyone and makes freaking sense.
If either of the two above were really paying attention, they'd notice that (overall), the element had to be going against their element to get discorded. Fluttershy is the exception because she's the only one he forced. Applejack chose to start lying, Rarity chose to be greedy, Pinkie got incredibly sad, and ... Rainbow Dash chose to be disloyal to her friends. They fell to their weaknesses for a moment and it was taken advantage of.
Or we can just say he forced everyone to do everything, because the ponies are perfect.