Promise Me
It was the coldest winter Ponyville had seen in decades. Fluttershy had the thick, warm blanket pulled across her entire body and head to protect her from the freezing cold of the winter. She even wore socks and a sweater under those covers.
Fluttershy was busy dreaming of the most beautiful garden filled with all sorts of wonderful creatures who protected her from inexistent dangers when the voice pierced through her dream like a needle through fabric.
“Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy dug her hooves into the mattress, her already closed eyes tightening ever so slightly as she struggled to escape her dream and find that voice.
“Flu-ut-ter-shy.”
Fluttershy finally blinked her eyes, the dream collapsing into empty black space around her. She opened her eyes to the darkness, the blanket shielding the light from her.
“Fluttershy!”
Fluttershy jumped, and quickly yanked the covers away from her face, squeaking in surprise and pulling back when she found the large face with the yellow and red eyes focused upon her turquoise ones.
“Good morning, Fluttershy!” Discord grinned.
“G-good morning,” Fluttershy whispered.
“I brought those flowers you like from Celestia’s garden,” Discord said, dropping an overflowing basket down onto the bed.
Fluttershy looked down at it, holding the blanket in her hooves close to her, feeling as if her privacy had been invaded. “Oh…thank you, Discord.”
“I---“
“But…” Fluttershy whispered. Discord went silent immediately to hear what Fluttershy had to say, unlike some ponies who would continue on with what they were going to say when conversing with the timid young pony. “Didn’t…didn’t Celestia say not to do that…”
“Well, no,” Discord said defensively. “Not exactly. She said, ‘Discord, those flowers are for beautification!’” Discord’s zebra mane grew out suddenly, becoming long and flowing and changing into pastel colors. His grey fur tinted white and his eyes became light purple. He produced a golden crown with a single purple gem in it and placed it atop his head. “’Not for consumption!’” he mimicked the princess of the sun in a snobbish, royal tone.
“Yes…but…” Fluttershy trailed off nervously.
“She never said not to take them.”
“But…th-that’s what she meant…” Fluttershy said.
Discord stared at her, returning to his normal – if it could ever be considered normal – form. His mouth was a straight line as he waited for her to give in to him.
“Can you…put them back…please?”
Discord let out a heavy sigh. “Fluttershy, I went to all that trouble to get them for you.”
“I know…”
“Eat them,” Discord said, refusing to give in.
“I…no…I don’t think I should…”
“Eat them,” he repeated, leaning towards her.
Fluttershy whimpered, lifting her shoulders. She quickly picked a flower out from the basket. Almost instantly, it vanished from her hooves and back into the basket. Discord picked the basket up.
“Fine! I’ll put them back! Stop your whimpering!” he said, annoyed.
Fluttershy smiled at him. “Thank you, Discord,” she said, holding out her hooves to him. Discord swiftly snatched her up into his arms to hug her, the basket disappearing. It was Fluttershy’s reward to him whenever he did good.
He would never admit it but sometimes he did something chaotic just so that he could fix it later and get a hug from her. She was so soft and cuddly, like a bright eyed plush. He loved her hugs. It made him feel good inside, knowing some pony was grateful for something he had done.
Fluttershy was almost as sweet as chaos. She was the second best thing really. Discord absolutely adored her.
It was a bit later into the day – a special day at that, since Celestia had allowed Discord to come to visit, or at least that’s what Fluttershy hoped – that it happened.
“S-speckle…?”
Discord looked up from toying with Angel Bunny and looked over to where Fluttershy sat with her back to him as she shook with despair and quiet sobs. In a second, Discord appeared by her side and looked down at the fluffy, light brown ball in her pale lemon arms.
“What’s going on?” Discord asked, not appreciating the tears falling from her pretty eyes. He moved his red dragon tail to curl around her as comfort.
By now, a small crowd of other little critters had come to comfort Fluttershy as well, even though afraid of Discord. Nothing could keep them from making sure the Pegasus was okay. Fluttershy held out the bunny slightly for him to see it better. The bunny seemed stiff and cold. The bunny – or rabbit rather – was dead.
“What happened?” Discord inquired, frowning.
“He-he just…” Fluttershy sobbed. Then, so abruptly that it astounded even the spirit of chaos, Fluttershy calmed down. She sighed and flew up into the air, pulling the rabbit closer to her. She stopped crying, leaving only the tears already on her cheeks behind to dry. “No. That’s okay. I knew it was going to happen soon. He was very old, poor dear. It must have been the cold,” she said, fluttering to the kitchen, her bubblegum pink mane flowing behind her.
This left Discord wondering slightly. About death mostly. About Fluttershy.
His sweet little angel. The element of harmony, the element of kindness. His best friend. How eventually, she’d end up like that rabbit in his arms.
Discord’s face contorted in grief at that thought. He had never thought much about it before, since he had never had a friend and would never die himself. Even that Celestia would never die. So he had never really had a reason to think of it.
Until now, of course.
Quite frankly, the only ponies like him were Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and Twilight. And they were all dreadfully unbearable. Celestia was too boring, Luna was too serious, Cadence was too perfect, and Twilight was too much of all the three traits put together. But all those other ponies, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy…would all die eventually.
Discord raised his head and narrowed his eyes. Slowly, he floated up into the air – using his magic rather than his wings to lift him – and went into the kitchen where Fluttershy had gone. He saw that Fluttershy was busy with wrapping the rabbit in a white cloth, a small chest – it’s coffin – waiting beside her hoof. Her expression was calm and serious as she worked. She surely was a very special pony.
He felt a stab in his heart and turned away, floating back into the living room.
“I can carry that, my dear,” Discord said, making the picnic basket disappear from her hooves and into his lion paw. He curled his claws around the handle.
“Oh!” Fluttershy smiled up at him. “Thank you, Discord. It’s a lovely winter day, isn’t it?” she said, before realizing it may have not been the best thing to say to the draconequus.
“It could do with a bit more chaos,” Discord mumbled. “That Celestia should really add some variety to her days rather than leaving them all ‘lovely’,” he said, sticking his snake-like tongue out at the word ‘lovely’. “Even Luna has some variety to her nights. It’s a wonder why no pony appreciated them.”
“Er…oh! Let’s sit over there!” Fluttershy said quickly, to end the conversation, pointing over at what would be a lovely patch of grass if it weren’t wintertime.
In fact, as the two friends went over to the area Fluttershy had suggested, she realized how odd they must look. Not only was the shy Pegasus hanging out with the monster that had brought so much horror and anarchy to their land, but they looked to be having a picnic in the heart of the winter.
But when they reached the area, Discord raised his talon into the air and snapped his fingers. Instantly, the clouds departed the sky above them, letting the sunlight right through the clouds in a bright beam. The snow below them melted away and the grass below rose up, reaching towards the sky, drying out immediately. And thus, the friends were left in a brilliant patch of sunlight and spring, while other ponies were left in the gloom and winter snow.
Fluttershy smiled as Discord placed the basket down and the objects and food inside of it bounced out, moving into their correct places and setting themselves out nicely.
“There we are,” Discord smirked, gesturing his paw in pride at his work. “Have a seat, Fluttershy!”
Fluttershy beamed at him with a small squeak and sat down onto the blue checkered picnic blanket. Fluttershy had bought it since she knew that Discord had a fondness of the pattern from when he had first escaped his stone prison.
The teapot bounced over to her cup and poured out the light brown drink into her cup before doing the same in Discord’s cup, but the liquid coming out darker and thicker somehow. He had changed it to chocolate milk. Fluttershy lifted the teacup to her lips to drink when:
“Hi, Fluttershy!”
“Hey, Fluttershy!”
“Howdy there, Fluttershy!”
Fluttershy smiled as she looked up at the Pegasus with the multi-colored mane, the cowfilly, and the bouncing pink earth pony, while Discord looked up with distaste.
“Hello, girls,” Fluttershy smiled.
“We’re off to AJ’s for a good ol’ fashioned barn raisin’. Thought we’d stop to say hello,” Rainbow Dash said in her boyish voice with a grin, emulating Applejack’s country twang.
“Yeah! Would you like to come with us, Fluttershy? Oh, and you can come too, Discord! Come on, it’ll be so much fun!” Pinkie Pie said. The word ‘fun’ barely audible as it came out in a squee for the high level excitement in her.
“We always appreciate more help,” Applejack smirked in her country accent.
“Oh, we were actu---“
“How many times does that barn need to fall over,” Discord said, sipping his chocolate milk. “Do you ponies not know how to properly raise a barn? And you want to do it in the winter at that. Besides, as you can see, we’re having a picnic.”
“Geez, we were only asking,” Rainbow Dash hissed.
“Did you just insult me?” Applejack growled, narrowing her eyes.
“Ugh, come on, guys. Let’s leave these two alone,” Rainbow Dash said.
“Hmm?” Pinkie Pie smiled from atop the picnic basket, her face raised to the sunlight. “Oh! Okay, Dashie!” she said quickly, jumping off the basket and nearly knocking over the teapot if Fluttershy had not quickly snatched it away. She chased after the cyan pony and the cowfilly hat wearing pony who had already flown off. “Bye, Fluttershy! Bye, Dizzy!”
“Dizzy?” Discord said, giving her a look as she raced off.
“Hello, darling.”
“Uuungh,” Discord groaned, looking at the newest arrival, Rarity, who had a new scarf and boots since the last time Fluttershy had seen her.
“Hello, Rarity,” Fluttershy smiled.
“How lovely,” Rarity smiled, looking up at the sunlight. “Oh, I must be off actually, Fluttershy. I have a spa appointment, a winter special. Only came over to say hello. But if you ever need me to arrange a better little…” Rarity smiled. “date for you two, just let me know!” she said with a wink before flouncing off.
“What?!” Fluttershy blushed, waving her hoof frantically after the beautiful white unicorn. “No! Rarity, it’s not like that!”
Discord stared after Rarity, his face slightly red.
“Right?”
Discord looked at Fluttershy’s pale yellow face that was tinted light pink from embarrassment. Discord raised an eyebrow at her.
“Fluttershy…really---“
“Hello there, Fluttershy. Discord.”
Discord turned to the newly winged pony in annoyance and displeasure as she hissed out his name. “Why do I get the impression that this was planned?”
“What was planned?” Twilight asked, looking back and forth between them. Then she noticed their red faces. “Er…what’s going on here?”
“Uhm…there was a misunderstanding...” Fluttershy whispered.
“With who?”
“Can we not drink our tea in peace,” Discord muttered. The two ponies ignored him, much to his irritation.
“Rarity.”
“Oh…I’m afraid to ask-umpf!”
Fluttershy gasped as the snowball hit Twilight in the face. She looked over at Discord whose paw was in the snow, ready to throw another one.
“Then don’t ask,” Discord said calmly.
“Discord!” Fluttershy scolded.
Twilight brushed the snow off of her face quickly. She glared at Discord and gritted her teeth together.
“What was that for?!”
“Can’t you speak with Fluttershy another day?” Discord glared back. “I rarely ever get to spend time with her myself.”
“Er…”
“I just wanted to say hello!”
“So did everypony else then, I suppose.”
“I…uhm---“
“Well that’s not---“
Discord snapped his fingers and suddenly Twilight’s mouth became a zipper and got pulled shut by an unseen force. Twilight jumped and gave out a muffled shriek of surprise. She grabbed at her mouth, horrified.
“Be quiet for a moment!” Discord said. “Fluttershy wishes to speak.”
“Uhm…no, that’s okay. I don’t mind…” Fluttershy whispered.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Just tell us whatever it is you wanted to tell us.”
“Uhm…I…just…please don’t argue…”
“Yes, Twilight. Please don’t argue.”
“Mmm hmmp mm!” Twilight mumbled, stomping her hooves, the angry effect not working too well because of the snow, and glaring at him. Spike came up behind her and looked at the purple alicorn, obviously confused.
“Uh…” Spike said, pointing at his mouth to indicate his confusion about Twilight’s new zippered one. Twilight shook her head, shot Discord one last withering look and then stomped off with Spike hurrying after her, leaving a trail in the snow behind them.
Fluttershy and Discord watched after them and then Fluttershy turned to give Discord a disapproving look. Discord lifted his shoulders.
“What?”
Fluttershy shook her head. “Discord, you know you shouldn’t do that…”
“I just wanted to spend time with you without those annoyances bothering us every two seconds,” Discord said tightly.
“I know, Discord. I do too, but you shouldn’t have done that.”
“You’re no fun.”
Fluttershy furrowed her brow at him and sighed. She picked up her teacup and took a very small sip.
“I’m sorry.”
Fluttershy looked up at Discord. His face was right up in hers and he was giving her his best puppy dog eyes. Fluttershy couldn’t help it. The corners of her mouth pulled up into a gentle smile.
“Thank you,” she said, putting her arms around his neck and squeezing slightly in a hug. Discord put his arms around her as well. A moment later, Fluttershy let go of him, but Discord hadn’t let go. Fluttershy waited a few moments until she began to feel uncomfortable.
“Er…Di-Disco---“
Discord let go of her and quickly picked up the teapot. He smiled at her, “More tea?”
“You aren’t going back to Canterlot tonight?” Fluttershy asked, needing to lift her face up high to look at his.
“I don’t have to,” Discord lied, having to lower his face down low to look at hers.
“Are you sure?” Fluttershy asked. “I don’t want you getting in trouble.”
“Me? Get in trouble? Never!” Discord said, so obviously lying now as he clapped his paw and talon together and stared at her with wide eyes and an offended expression.
Fluttershy raised an eyebrow at him. “What’s wrong, Discord?” she asked, not missing a thing. He had seemed a bit odd at the picnic earlier. Usually, he would smile and laugh along with the other ponies in amusement, and he never hugged her so long before. And now he didn’t seem to want to leave despite the darkening sky.
Discord’s face fell and he raised his head so that he wasn’t looking at her and she couldn’t see his face. He stared directly up at the pale and empty ceiling. Fluttershy flew up and Discord automatically held out his paw and talon so that she could step onto them. Discord finally looked at her, keeping his face vacant of emotion.
“What’s wrong?” Fluttershy asked again, her voice gentle, putting her small face up to his large one.
Discord held out his paw and talon away from himself so that Fluttershy was moved away as well. “Just a little thing, Fluttershy. Don’t worry about me.”
“Discord…”
“Don’t. Worry. About. Me.”
“Oh, Di---“
“Worry about yourself!” Discord erupted suddenly, startling Fluttershy. He rarely ever raised his voice with the frail pony. But Fluttershy just frowned at him.
“What do you mean, Discord?” she asked softly.
Discord gently set her down onto the wooden floor. He sighed and lowered his head down so that he was eye level with her, his back arching ridiculously, only like Discord could.
“Don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself. I’m the spirit of chaos and disharmony. I’ll be perfectly fine, while you’re…well…you’re just like that bunny,” he said, making a fake pair of bunny ears on a headband appear. He put it on her and flicked at one the ears, forcing a smile onto his face for her.
“The bunny? Speckle?” Fluttershy said, understanding at once. “But Discord. I won’t pass away for many years to come, hopefully,” she said, laughing softly and taking the headband off her head.
“Of course,” Discord said sarcastically. “I’ve lived for thousands of years, Fluttershy. What are a few decades to me?”
Fluttershy frowned. “But…when my time does come…I…have to go.”
And then, Discord looked so sad that Fluttershy almost cried herself. She went up to him and hugged him around the neck, pressing her face into his soft, cloud gray fur. Discord hugged her back, his paw and talon tightening at her tiny sides as he began to cry.
“Ssh,” Fluttershy whispered. “It’s okay…”
“I don’t want you to go!”
“I know. But it isn’t now or for a long time.”
Discord moved his head away from her shoulder, forcing Fluttershy to let go of him. He pushed his paw and talon underneath her and lifted her up like a few moments ago. He stared straight into her eyes.
“But I don’t ever want you to go!” he said sincerely.
“Discord---“
“No! You’re the only thing they’ll let me have! You’re my best friend, my only friend! No pony else will be there for me, or to stand up for me, or to care about me!”
“No. Discord. Listen to me. I have to go eventually. Everypony does. I’m not like you or like Twilight.”
“Y-you could be! I…I could make you immortal! Like me!” Discord said quickly, his eyes going wide and crazy, making Fluttershy afraid that he’d do something rash.
“W-what?! N-no, Discord. I don’t want to be like you…listen to me. I want to go along with my friends.”
“I could make them live forever too!”
“No!” Fluttershy yelled. Discord jerked away as she screamed at him. “Discord, that is wrong. I’m not supposed to be like you. None of us are supposed to be like that. Twilight is special.”
“But…I…who…else…cares about me?” Discord said, pressing his nose against hers. Fluttershy frowned at him for a moment, before smiling gently and putting her hoof on his neck.
“One day, after I’m gone, you’ll find some pony who will care about you even more than I do.”
“Impossible.”
“You will. Discord…you’re not as bad as everypony thinks…”
“I…what?” he whispered, seemingly genuinely surprised.
“Everypony only looks at what you’ve done. All the chaos, the mayhem…but they never thought of what you could have done,” Fluttershy smiled gently. “You’re very powerful, Discord. You’re more powerful than Celestia and Twilight put together.”
“I already knew that.”
“But you didn’t kill them.”
“Yes…what?!…kill them?! Fluttershy, why would I kill them?”
“Exactly Discord. You didn’t kill them, but you could’ve. You could’ve killed me, too. You could have destroyed us all and easily taken back the throne. But you didn’t do that. You could have destroyed everything! But you didn’t.”
“That’s not fun...”
“Exactly. You’re just like a little kitten.”
“A kitten, of course!” Discord said, his eyes widening. Then he raised an eyebrow at her and shook his head.
“Yes. A kitten will bite and play with you, but they aren’t actually trying to hurt you. You just wanted to have fun, Discord. You’re just misunderstood. No pony appreciates your chaos. Only you seem to like it. So you must have felt so alone. Maybe you even got a little angry, but even then you never meant us any harm. Nightmare Moon could have killed us all with eternal night, Chrysalis would have hurt us by feeding on our love, and King Sombra would have filled us all with hate. You weren’t hurting us like they were.”
“I think you busted up Twilight’s head with that bucket, by the way she acts now. You were hilarious,” Discord laughed. “And I could have messed you all up.”
“But still, you were just playing with us. You didn’t have anypony else to play with. And you could have changed Celestia’s personality around as well, so you’d get your way. But you didn’t.”
“That’s a wonderful idea.”
“You don’t understand, Discord. You aren’t evil.”
“Oh, I’m not, am I?”
“Yes…you just think that you are because everypony else thinks so.”
“I’m not blind, Fluttershy. I can see that I’m a monster. I mean look at me. I don’t even know what this fluffy thing is,” Discord said, swiping his tail at her, the fluffy end tickling her nose.
“But you aren’t. You just look different,” Fluttershy insisted. She glanced around the room and then spotted a butterfly. She didn’t know what it was doing there, and how it got in, but she pointed at it. “Destroy that butterfly,” she said, completely serious.
“Huh?”
Discord looked over at the butterfly who flapped its wings, gliding lazily towards him. Discord moved his head back as it came closer to him, oddly disturbed by how the butterfly approached him so easily. The butterfly proceeded to land onto Discord’s nose. Discord stared at it, his eyes going crossed as he tried to get a good look at the pale orange winged insect. Fluttershy giggled.
“You see, Discord? You couldn’t hurt it. And it knows that you won’t,” Fluttershy said, reaching her hoof out. The butterfly flew off of Discord’s nose and onto Fluttershy’s hoof.
He watched her smile and turned her head away, lifting her occupied hoof into the air. They both watched as the butterfly flew off of her hoof and away from them.
“So---“
“I can destroy it!” Discord said defensively. “Watch!”
Discord snapped his fingers together loudly and the butterfly disappeared in a puff of smoke. Discord grinned widely at Fluttershy and gestured to the empty space. Fluttershy raised an eyebrow and looked outside to see the butterfly flying around, as if confused by its sudden location change.
“That’s a different butterfly.”
Fluttershy laughed.
“So you see, you’re so powerful, but you don’t go completely crazy with power. You don’t start destroying things and hurting everypony. That’s greatness, Discord.”
Discord stared at her, having gone quiet, stunned silent by Fluttershy’s words. Fluttershy smiled at him and then flew off of his lion paw and eagle talon and over to her bed. She flew down onto it on her feathery wings. She looked at Discord to see that he was still staring at her.
“You’re not alone, Discord,” Fluttershy smiled. “Look at Luna and how no pony seemed to love her night. You’re never alone.”
Fluttershy pulled the orange and pink checkered butterfly covers up over her body and laid her head down onto the pillow.
“But…”
Fluttershy looked up at Discord.
“But…we were talking about something else.”
Fluttershy sat up. “Discord, I told you. I have to go eventually.”
Discord sat down onto her bed. “But…why?”
“That’s the way the world works.”
“You aren’t…afraid?”
“Not really. Because it has to happen eventually. I don’t know what happens after I die, but I know that it has to happen and that I’ll be perfectly fine.”
Discord looked away, towards the fireplace, devoid of fire. He snapped his talon quietly and the wood in the fireplace lit up at the flames rose up. He lowered his head, shaking slightly as he stared at the dancing hues of reds, oranges, yellows and blues. Fluttershy touched his paw like she had that one day where she reformed him. He slowly turned his head to look her in the sparkling turquoise eyes.
“Promise me, Discord.”
“Promise you what?”
“Yes. Promise me that after I’m gone, you’ll be good. Promise me that you’ll use your powers to do some good in the world. Promise me that you’ll find another friend like me, maybe somepony immortal like you. Promise me that you’ll remember me. Promise me that you’ll remember my kindness. Promise me that you’ll remember that somepony out there, dead or alive, cares about you and is proud of you. Promise me that you’ll let me go.”
By this time, Discord was crying again. His tears ran down his face. Fluttershy brushed them away with the feathers on the ends of her wings and smiled kindly at him.
“I…I…” Discord stuttered, pressing his talon into his neck, disliking the way it burned with sorrow. He pressed his paw into his chest, disliking the way it burned with grief.
“For me. My last request,” Fluttershy whispered.
Discord nodded quickly. “Yes. Okay, Fluttershy. I promise.”
“One last thing, Discord and then I won’t ever mention it again.”
“What?”
“Promise me that you’ll be there to say goodbye when it’s time for me to go.”
“I don’t want to say goodbye.”
“I know, sweetie. But promise me anyway.”
“I…promise.”
“Thank you, Discord.”
Discord smiled slightly and poked her in the chest. “I don’t care what anypony says, your friendship is like magic, my dear Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy smiled brightly at him. “Friends forever?”
Discord nodded slowly, knowing that if it hurt this much now, then it would hurt even more when the time finally came. Caring was agonizing. Love was burning. He hadn’t ever hurt so much. “Friends…best friends…forever.”
“Now…are you going back to Canterlot tonight?”
“No,” Discord said stubbornly. He reached out his talon and snapped his fingers, making another bed appear in the middle of the room. A very odd looking bed, but a bed nevertheless. Discord jumped onto it, bouncing up and down for a second.
“Okay,” Fluttershy chuckled. “You can…make yourself at home…” she hinted.
Discord sat up, his eyes bright with excitement. He looked at her. “Really?”
Fluttershy nodded. Discord grinned and dropped back down into a prone position. He put his paw behind his head, closed his eyes and snapped his fingers again. The cottage jerked slightly as it was lifted from the ground and into the air. After a moment or two, the cottage began spinning around and around, objects flying everywhere through the cottage. Only the two beds and two friends stayed upright. The objects seemed to bounce off of them if they ever fell into them, protected by Discord’s spell.
Fluttershy flew over to his bed. She landed by his head. “Let me sing you a lullaby,” she smiled.
Discord opened his eyes and grabbed the blanket, pulling it over him. He gazed up at her with wide eyes, pretending to be a foal. Fluttershy laughed.
“Hush now, quiet now, it’s time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now, it’s time to go to bed..."
As the years passed, Discord ended up spending more and more time with his best friend. The other ponies eventually grew used to it, believing that for now perhaps, he had in fact changed. It wasn’t hard to see that he truly cared about the kind Pegasus, it becoming even more apparent as she grew older and he had to help her out more. Eventually, the draconequus ended up moving in with her.
They grew closer as well. Fluttershy was spending more time with him than with her other friends. One of the reasons was because although he was much older than her, physically he was younger and healthier and could help her much more than her other friends. And Twilight, although not growing any older physically now that she was an alicorn, had seemed to throw herself into her studies.
Discord and Fluttershy had many adventures together which they would never forget. And to make sure of this, they kept a scrapbook of pictures, notes, and stories. ‘Our story’ Fluttershy would call it.
Soon, Fluttershy had to say goodbye to some of her own friends. Angel Bunny was the first. Then there was Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash had never let the fact that she was getting older stop her. She lived life to the fullest. But that resulted in her dying earlier than her friends, but everypony respected how she didn’t let her age get in her way. And she had lived her dream of becoming a Wonderbolt. Fluttershy was so proud of her.
She had cried the most at the funeral. Some ponies thought it was because of her personality, but her close friends knew it was because Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had grown up together, with the fast flying Pegasus always looking out and standing up for her.
Next was Pinkie Pie. She was the same as Rainbow Dash, not letting her old age ever get in the way of how she lived and partied. Fluttershy was proud of her as well, and although the two very different ponies had never really hit it off that well, they were still best friends, and Fluttershy still cried.
And Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy knew that their time was near. Twilight watched on, trying to remain strong, but breaking at times without warning. Immortality had a high price to pay, certainly, and Fluttershy was glad she hadn’t let Discord make her immortal.
Spike, obviously, was worried mostly for Rarity, even though he had grown out of his little crush. He had grown, although slowly, since greed was unable to play a part in it. He was tall and the size of a teenage dragon by now.
Everyday, Fluttershy reminded Discord about the promises he had made, mostly because she forgot that she had already reminded him. And Discord never cried in front of her, which made her last few days so much easier.
It was winter again, this time even colder than the day it had all began. Discord had woken up from his bed in Fluttershy’s room and quietly went out to make breakfast. He made it the traditional way, without using magic, because he knew she liked it that way even if she could never tell the difference.
Discord climbed back up to her room carrying the tray which set up beautifully, with a thin, tall vase of posies and her medicines as well. He went over to her blue, wooden bed and placed the tray onto the bedside table. He shook his head at seeing her form completely underneath all the covers. He had told her that despite how cold it was, not to do that in case she had trouble breathing. Silly Fluttershy.
He reached down and pulled the covers down from her face. Then he shook her shoulder gently.
“Fluttershy.”
She didn’t respond.
“Flu-ut-ter-shy.”
She didn’t move.
“Fluttershy?”
She didn’t breathe.
By the time he had said her name the second time, he already had tears running down his face because he already knew, he just didn’t want to believe. Discord threw the covers off of her, which changed over time to a solid pale green. He took her tiny hooves in his large paw and talon and called her name repeatedly, hoping against all odds that it would bring her back to him.
He pulled her into a hug, sobbing hysterically like you’d never expect the bizarre creature to do. He held her against him and started talking complete nonsense.
“No, no, no, no. The birds need you. The-the birds…aren’t here, but the-the bunnies need you, Fluttershy. Your…your bonsai is going to die. I already made you breakfast you ridiculous pony. There are ponies starving out there, don’t let it go to waste. Fluttershy! These animals need you! Your plants need you! I need you! Please don’t leave me!” he yelled.
But the only ears to hear him were the tiny creatures bouncing over to see what was happening. Discord let go of Fluttershy, laying her gently back onto the soft bed. He stood up and stepped back, stumbling over a book that he had foolishly left on the floor. He swiftly grabbed at the lamp on the bedside table and a shelf on the wall.
He fell onto his back, pulling the lamp, the tray, a clock, and a vase down with him. The tray and clock crashed down. The lamp and vase shattered with a harsh, twinkling sound, like what one would expect exploding stars to sound like. He sat up, glaring at the book which had caused the destruction of Fluttershy’s favorite vase. Then, he realized what book it was. Their book. Their scrapbook. Their story. Discord reached for it with a shaky yellow-brown paw and then opened it to a random page to see Fluttershy squee in delight when she opened a present to find something that actually made sense although it was from her best friend who never made sense.
Discord’s talon tightened up into a fist and he slammed the book closed. The small critters surrounding Fluttershy, whimpering, looked over at him. When he looked up at them they quickly scurried away, his angered expression terrifying them enough to make them flee.
Discord stood, going towards the window. He put his paw and talon on the window sill, his palms flat, his shoulders raised and his body hunched over. He glared out the window to see the ponies skipping around happily, to see the glorious day shining brightly despite the cold snow.
It should be a horrible day. Those ponies should be sobbing with sorrow.
Discord growled, pulling his paw back and bringing it forward to slam it straight through the window, shattering the glass. He turned away from it, holding his bleeding paw close to him. Fluttershy wasn’t available to fix it up.
He was all alone.
It wasn’t right! It wasn’t fair! That dim-witted excuse for a princess taught him and that Twilight about love and friendship and then she forced them to watch as the world tore their friends away from them!
And that Twilight! That atrocious Twilight Sparkle! Everypony thought she was so special, so perfect, so good! What’s so great about her?! Fluttershy was an element of harmony just like her! Fluttershy took this demon of disorder and reformed him, made him feel, made him love, made him care! Fluttershy made as much good in the world – if not more – than that dreary, obsessive, purple alicorn made!
And yet she had gotten the better end of the stick! She had gotten to become an alicorn! She got to live on! She received all the love of all the ponies while Fluttershy was stuck with those judgmental Pegasai who made fun of her just because she had trouble flying fast!
Even that perfect, little Mi Amore Cadenza reformed some idiot and came out of it with wings, a horn, and immortality! Not to mention respect and honor! And what did Fluttershy get?! She came out of it with wings she barely knows how to use, mortality, disrespect, dishonor, and Discord to take care of at that!
No. That was wrong! That was not right, not fair! And he would show everypony just the wrong they had done. Yes! He would go to Canterlot and switch around Celestia’s personality, then Twilight’s! Yes! He would turn the dirt roads into soap, the grass into blue checkered floors, the day into the night and the night into the day! He would spread chaos, disharmony, and discord. He would spread it all over Equestria! He would show everypony the wrong they had done to his little butterfly.
His poor, angelic, beautiful, sweet, darling, innocent, little butterfly.
Discord sobbed, pounding his fisted talon and paw against the floor.
He broke his promise. He wasn’t there to say goodbye.
“I’m sorry!” he sobbed. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy!”
Then, something happened so crazy, so magical, that no pony would believe him if he told them.
A swarm of hundreds of turquoise, bubblegum pink, and butter yellow butterflies flew in through the shattered window. Discord looked up, stunned. He stared at them in transfixed amazement as they flew around the room, up to Discord, up to Fluttershy, up to the scrapbook, everywhere. He watched as they fluttered and danced about the room like the Pegasus herself. They were devastatingly beautiful. Finally, they flew out of the window and then departed as they suddenly soared into the sky. And for a split second, they seemed to form the image of the pony who was the exact reason for Discord’s tears before disappearing from his sight.
He stared out the window for a moment, speechless. Then, he realized.
It was Fluttershy’s sign to him. A reminder of the promises he had made to her.
“I don’t want to say goodbye.”
“I know, sweetie. But promise me.”
Discord took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He picked up the scrapbook and began to turn the pages, starting from the soft, pale blue cover. He read all the stories and notes and looked at all the pictures, reliving every single adventure they had together. He smiled as he looked through it, still crying though. And then he reached the last used page and his brow furrowed together in confusion.
He hadn’t done the page with her.
There was a picture on the page, a very simple picture of Discord and Fluttershy just hanging out together. He couldn’t remember when it was taken, or even who had taken it. Fluttershy was still young in the photo, so it had to be an old picture. Discord began to read the note on the page.
Dear Discord,
If you’re reading this, then I’m already gone.
Yes. I'm sorry. I knew I was going, but I didn't have the heart to tell you.
If possible, I’ll try to give you a sign that I’m okay after I go. Please don’t worry about me. Please remember all the promises that you made me. I hope you’re okay, Discord. Remember how you promised me that you’d be good, that you’d do good in the world. You’ll find somepony like me out there. You promised to remember me and my kindness. Remember that even if you feel like you’re all alone, I’m not really gone. I’m going to be there by your side and I care and I’m proud of you. You promised to let me go.
This book is our story, remember that too. Together, all of these chapters become one big adventure called life.
You’re such a good pony Discord. You made my life a wonderful, wonderful adventure. Thanks to you, my life was worth it. Thanks to you, I did something with my life. So get out there and give another pony a wonderful life to live, just like you gave me.
My story, my adventure is over, but yours isn’t. Continue your story, Discord. This is isn’t the end of your story. It’s the end of mine. But for you, it’s only a new chapter. And you have so many chapters ahead of you.
Thank you, Discord. For being my best friend.
Forever yours,
Fluttershy
“You have to stop making me cry, Fluttershy,” Discord whispered.
He stood up, closing the book gently. He went towards Fluttershy’s bed and gently picked her up into his arms. He hugged her one last time, because once he told everypony about her death, he would never get to hold her again.
“Hush now, quiet now, it’s time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now, it’s time to go to bed..." he sang gently. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead, his tears falling to her coat. "Goodnight...goodnight, my sweet butterfly."
He’d miss her hugs, her voice, her friendship, her kindness. But he had promised to let her go.
"Sleep well in that beautiful land where dreams come true..."
“Are you alright, darling?”
“You okay there, sugar cube?”
“Are you going to be okay?”
Discord ignored the three ponies sitting in the front row beside him. He stared straight at Fluttershy’s coffin with his head low. He thought he was done with crying, but he was wrong.
“Discord?”
This time, he looked up at the alicorn with the multi-colored, pastel mane, who looked at him with wise, concerned, lilac eyes.
“Would you like to say a few words?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?” Twilight asked, having already gone up herself and having already cried a few buckets of tears.
“Yes.”
“Come now, Discord. I’m sure you have something to say,” Rarity smiled tightly, still crying a bit in her hoof-made black ensemble. You could barely see her wrinkles underneath all of the black material.
They had all gone up to talk about their friend, Fluttershy. Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Celestia. Only Discord had not spoken, and they were all wondering why.
Discord stared at the picture of Fluttershy they had put up. Discord knew Fluttershy had a thing for art, so he had made a painting of her that showed everything that Fluttershy is and everything that she was. It was a picture of her flying through the sky, one hoof held out in front of her, her eyes closed contently with millions of butterflies flying along beside her. Each butterfly meant something. One stood for her love of knitting, one odd looking one stood for Discord, but his butterfly was lost in the sea of butterflies. She was too special to simply have had only Discord to represent her. Not that anypony noticed anyway, except perhaps for Rarity.
“Oh, hello Discord. I…I made a painting for Fluttershy,” Rarity said, putting up the portrait. “How does it look?”
Discord tightened his claws on his own painting and then turned away without a word.
“Did…did you make her a painting as well?”
Discord looked over his shoulder at her and nodded. Rarity cringed slightly, but held out her hoof for it.
“Can I see?”
Discord sighed deeply and swung it around to face her. Rarity let out a tiny, surprised gasp. Discord knew why. It was because he had made something that other ponies could consider beautiful.
He had to actually mess with time a bit to get it ready on time. He worked so hard on it, harder than he had ever worked on a painting. Out of all the years of his life, he had certainly dabbled in the art of painting and certainly understood pony anatomy.
“It’s stunning!” she exclaimed.
“I would prefer something a bit more…”
“Chaotic?”
“Yes. But it’s not for me. It’s for Fluttershy.”
“It that you?” Rarity asked, pointing a marsh mellow hoof at the butterfly that represented the draconequus.
The corner of Discord’s mouth pulled back in slight surprise. “How’d you know that?”
“Well, it…it’s a bit different is all…is that me?”
Sweet Celestia, Discord thought. Of course, he didn’t say it out loud. It would ruin his reputation. “Yes.”
Rarity smiled. “Well…put it up!”
“What about your painting?”
“Oh, I’m not really an artist. I’m better at fashion! Please! Put it up there! And I’ve been meaning to ask if you would like me to make you a nice little outfit! It would be a wonderful challenge for me, and it couldn’t hurt to not manifest an outfit for once, right? You’d look lovely in a nice shade of---”
Perhaps he would be a bit sad when she died.
Finally, Discord sighed and stood up to go to the podium. He turned to the crowd of ponies and wondered why half of them had even bothered to show up since they had barely spoken to Fluttershy when she was alive.
“Good afternoon, little ponies,” Discord said, frowning. “There’s much I could say and many stories I could tell, but I’ll just settle for admitting to you all – for the first and last time mind you – that Fluttershy actually made me care and love. She was the only one that believed there was any good in me despite everything I have done. She was the only one who would be my friend. She’s the only one who gave me a chance even when all of her friends turned their backs on me. She was the only one that had ever been kind to me, cared about me, been proud of me. She was my only friend. She was my little butterfly, my little angel. The light to my dark, you could say...the harmony to my chaos.”
Suddenly he on his knees weeping with heartache again.
“She-she’s still m-my little angel,” he sobbed.
Celestia came over to him and just stood there, annoying Discord to the point where he looked up and gave her a withering look.
“Is there anything I can help you with, Celestia? Because if there is, kindly let me know so that I can help you out and you can go away to let me grieve in peace.”
Celestia held out her golden clad hoof to him.
“Discord. Princess Luna has been gone for a long time. Princess Cadence and Princess Twilight are new to immortality. But I know a thing or two about grief. I can’t help you deal with it, but I can certainly be a shoulder to cry on. And remember, Twilight lost a friend today just like you have. I’m not asking you to accept my friendship – our friendship – but I am asking you to give it a chance.”
Discord stared at her. Then he reverted his gaze to Twilight Sparkle as she alit beside Celestia and took a step towards him.
“Yes, Discord. What are you talking about? Fluttershy wasn’t your only friend.”
“Yeah, sugar cube,” Applejack smiled, pushing herself up from her seat with the help of a wooden walking stick. She hobbled towards them. “We’re you’re friends, too.”
Rarity stood up as well and started towards them, walking quite easily despite her age. “Any friend of Fluttershy’s is a friend of ours.”
“You took such good care of Fluttershy,” Twilight smiled. “You took better care of her than I did. I…I was selfish…locking myself away in the library to study…not wanting to see my friends…afraid…to…to see them… I should have been there for them, to help them. I forgot how important friendship was because I became afraid. But you…you never let fear get in your way. You stood by Fluttershy’s side since that first day.”
“We could never repay you for making our friend’s life so happy,” Rarity agreed.
“Thank you,” Applejack said, “for being our friend’s friend.”
Discord glanced around at all of them, bewildered.
“Let me remind you that this is only the beginning,” Celestia said. Discord turned his gaze to her. “This is the only friend you’ve had – or the only one you’ve truly accepted – so far. True, the first time you lose somepony is the worst, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t grieve more after Fluttershy. I’ve lost many friends in my lifetime and I’m the closest to your age. You are not alone.”
Discord had already taken her hoof.
Discord visited Fluttershy’s grave every single day to lay down new flowers. And he would bring along their scrapbook and read a page to her every day. He kept adding to the scrapbook, even had to conjure up a new one at one point. Sometimes, he would just tell her about his day, or just talk about some of their adventures without the book.
“Fluttershy, do you remember when I got you to spend the night in the Everfree forest? You fell asleep right up against me.”
“I remember when I had to tell you that there are monsters out there worse than me. I had to curl my whole tail around you and your mouth! It was right outside of the cave and I had to get you to stay quiet.”
“And that time you…ahahah! That time I took you flying at night and I went so fast you started screaming! That was priceless!”
“And then when you started yelling at him. I could have taken him. I didn’t need you to stand up for me. Thank you though.”
“I’ll never forget your face that time I was tickling you and told you that it was a form of torture!”
“I enjoyed those fireflies you showed me. You told me to make a wish. My wish didn’t come true, you’re still dead, you liar.”
“That first time you wanted to give me a hug, I didn’t even know what to do. And everypony was watching…ugh…embarrassing.”
“It hurts how much I miss you.”
Eventually, Discord also realized that he could use his powers to go back and live the memories all over again. It was almost as if Fluttershy was really there, adventuring along with him just like before. But in the end, he knew that she wasn’t really there.
He lived up to the promises he had made to Fluttershy.
Yes, he would never forget their adventures. He would never forget any of it.
He wasn’t exactly friends with Celestia, but they were getting along better now. After a few years, he showed Twilight their scrapbook and they cried and laughed together.
He wasn’t truly accepted, not yet anyway. He was still looking for a friend to love and then to let go. For him, a friend was like the leaves. In spring and summer, he could hold them close. In fall, he would have to let them go. And in winter, he could only hold them close to his heart because they were no longer there.
He had been wrong before. There was something better than chaos and her name was Fluttershy. Fluttershy was sweeter than chaos, she was second to none.
Celestia was right. The first time would be the worst when it was gone, but certainly the best while it was still there.
He didn’t care what anypony else thought. Fluttershy changed a life, saved a life from an infinity encased in stone. Fluttershy had had the ability to see the good in somepony that others flinched away from. Fluttershy had made Equestria a much better place simply by taking the hoof of somepony who no pony loved. Fluttershy had made the world a much better place in the eyes of somepony who had no pony. Fluttershy had sung a song that Discord would never forget in his eternal life.
Goodbye, my sweet butterfly.
Best friends forever.
Yes. Friendship truly is magic.
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You sir, are EVIL! First I'm just waiting for my fries too cook, next thing you know I'm on my kitchen floor crying and stuffing my face with fries (emotional eater)! Damn you and your good writing!
Seriously though, awesome work
This..was amazing...I cried so hard. All of the endings are good, my favorite is the original one though. Oh dear lord. You're such an amazing writer. Thank you for posting this ;~;
I come back to read this every so often, I have only found one other story that made me cry as much as this one made me. That story was "My Little Dashie", but you sir have truly shown my heart true sadness and I will never be the same again and for that I thank you. Never let anyone tell you that you haven't done anything, this story has changed my life. And that is something that very few can say.
I would've been finished reading this sooner had I not had to stop so frequently to wipe eyes
It's been a long time since a story has brought me this many tears. You're writing is amazing. Bravo!
Hey it's @bronyphilosper
thanks for making me cry! I'm drowning in my feels right now.
This made me cry, for real, this is a very good story good job ^_^
I like how Discord tries so hard to be a good friend but ends up coming off kinda awkward/creepy.
This makes you think about how often Fluttershy has to deal with losing her pets...
I don't think Fluttershy should feel obligated to justify Discord's past though. They may be friends now, but she and the Mane 6 were obviously seriously hurt by the stunt he pulled back then.
This is the 2nd saddest story I ever read. 1st is My Little Dashie.
I can not stop crying....
It is ... really good.
Saddest story ever. The tears are still blurring my vision.
I cried several times during this.
Fantastic writing
I’m not a crier. But this made the impossible happen. This is beautifully sad!!!!!
😭
You also get a giant pile of cut onions to make you tear up as much as I did.
I don't comment much on Fimfiction...
I don't cry much on stories...
But on that one, I've done both.
One like and your story go directly on favourites one ^^