Flora

by SilentWanderer

Friend

“How did she find it out?” asks Twilight, angry.

Mom and her friends are at Twilight's library. I'm spying on them together with Discord, while my body sleeps peacefully at home.

“She told me that Discord showed her what we were doing.” answers Mom.

Twilight recoils at the mention of my friend's name. “I can't believe it! Celestia told me that when she brought him the news of Fluttershy's death, he listened without saying anything, and then just disappeared without a word!”

“I'm worried,” says Mom. “I don't know what that monster is doing to my little Flora.”

“How is she?” asks Applejack.

“She cried herself to sleep. I left my husband watching over her.”

“What are we going to do?” asks Rainbow Dash.

“We're going to do what we should have done a long time ago. Spike, write a letter.”

Spike grabs a quill and a sheet of paper, while Twilight goes to the corner of the room. She rips the fabric covering the box, and lifts the glass.

“Dear Princess Celestia, as we feared, Discord is back to his old self. We are going to make sure he does not get away with it. Signed, Twilight Sparkle.”

Spike finishes writing, rolls the paper, and burns it with his breath. The ashes fly out through an open window.

Twilight gives each of the ponies one of the collars, keeping the crown for herself.

“I don't think I can use it,” says Mom.

“Celestia chose you to take her place because you have the potential to use it. Trust me, it'll work,” says Twilight.

“Now we have to find him.” Rarity adjusts her collar. “I don't think he's going to appear in front of us and say, ‘have you missed me?’”

“It doesn't matter how long it takes, I will find him and make him pay!” says Rainbow Dash.

“What are you going to do, Discord?” I ask.

“I have to face them. I promised to my best friend that I would not hide from them.”

“But they're going to do something bad to you!”

“They're just going to turn me into a lawn ornament again. I'm getting used to it.”

“Lawn ornament? They're going to turn you into stone?”

“Well, yes. It's time to say goodbye, Flora.”

“No, Discord, don't go!”

He ignores me and follows the six ponies as they exit the library. He flies ahead of them, waves goodbye at me, smiles, and becomes visible.

“Hellooo, my little ponies! Have you missed me?”

“Discord!” Twilight glares at him. “What are you planning?”

“Ooh, the purple pony is angry! How scaaary!”

“What did you do to my daughter?”

“You mean that little, innocent filly?“ He answers, while filing his claw. “I just showed her what you all were hiding, nothing more.”

“Why did you do that, Discord?” asks Twilight.

“You're angry because I exposed what you didn't want her to know. That her mother is nothing more than a replacement for the friend you lost. That she's living on a house that belongs to a dead pony. Do you really think it's better to let her live a lie, just so she doesn't lose her oh-so-precious innocence? Or is it you who doesn't want to face your guilt over not being able to save your friend?”

“SHUT UP!” screams Twilight.

Discord smiles widely. “So, what are you going to do? Turn me into stone? Without Fluttershy?”

Twilight smirks. “That's exactly what I'll do!”

I have to do something.

I fly with the speed of thought to my sleeping body, and wake up. Dad and Angel are sound asleep, as are all the animals.

I fly as fast as I can back to the front of Twilight's library.

A strong glow is already encircling the six ponies. I dive between them and Discord, and yell. “STOP!”

The glow around Mom and her friends disappears. “Get out of the way, Flora!” demands Twilight.

“You won't turn my friend into stone!”

“He's not your friend, he's a monster!” says Twilight.

“He used to be a monster! He's reformed!”

“He's lying to you, Flora!” says Applejack.

“He's the only one who didn't lie to me!”

Applejack is taken aback.

I hear Discord giggling.

“You won't get away with it, Discord! Fluttershy is not here anymore to protect you!” says Twilight.

Discord is rolling on the floor laughing.

“What's so funny?” blurts Rainbow Dash.

“How can you all be so blind?” he says between fits of laughter. “You say she's not here to protect me, when she just did it! She's been here the whole time! Don't you get it? Flora is Fluttershy!”

Twilight rolls her eyes. “Not you too!”

Pinkie Pie walks slowly to me. “Flora... no... Fluttershy... I was right...”

She embraces me tenderly, crying silently.

Discord raises to his feet, with a serious face. “You know, when Celestia told me the news, I was very sad. Not even I can go to where a pony goes after she dies. But when you live for as long as I have lived, you notice some things.”

He smiles. “I knew she would come back. They always do. I just had to wait, and observe.”

“But why did you have to do all that? Why not just come up and say it?” asks Twilight.

“Would you believe me? Or would you try to turn me into stone, like you just did? Your friend noticed it even before me, but did you believe her? No, you didn't. Instead, you forced her to deny it.”

Twilight sighs. “All right, you win. What do you want?”

“I want to get back to how things were. I'll make to Flora the same promises I made to Fluttershy. I just want to be her friend again, even if she does not remember me.”

He looks at each of the six ponies. “Will you all accept me?”

-*-*-*-

I am seated at a bridge, looking at the stars together with Discord.

“It's strange to think that I had a whole another life before this one.”

“Don't worry about it. You don't have to follow your previous life's hoofsteps. Your previous life was Fluttershy. Your current life is Flora. You have a kind mother, and a smart father. Leave your old life behind, and live your new life to the fullest. You deserve it.”

“How did you know I'd go back and save you?”

“It was because of something very important that Fluttershy taught me.”

“What is it?”

“Friendship is magic.”

Comments

[SilentWanderer]

Thank you for reading.

[Nerfyy]

EEEPIC!!!!
Sequel ? :DD

[Nstone53]

Cute

[SilentWanderer]

3824375

Sorry, no sequel is planned.

[JazzyWaffles]

“Dear Princess Celestia, as we feared, Discord is back to his old self. We are going to make sure he does not get away with it. Signed, Twilight Sparkle.”

I... what? In what world does this make any sense?

“How can you all be so blind?” he says between fits of laughter. “You say she's not here to protect me, when she just did it! She's been here the whole time! Don't you get it? Flora is Fluttershy! ”

Pinkie: "Not to say I told you so, buuut..."

---

Final verdict: D

The characters feel ooc half of the time, ESPECIALLY in this last part.