You Can Hide A Lot About Yourself, But Honey, What Are You Gonna Do?
The rough feel of the blue-barked tree made Discord smile. It wasn’t fully uncomfortable—rather, it was a nice tough feeling, with just the right amount of scratchiness to make it pleasantly unpleasant.
The tree boasted more than just blue bark; it drooped down, long stringy, fluffy blue leaves with tiny flowers blooming here and there, dappling the blue with pink and yellow. Discord lounged in the crook of two branches, smiling contently and he twiddled his claw and talon equivalent of thumbs.
This was his thinking tree.
The God of Chaos had just returned from a long jaunt with Princess Twilight and Princess Cadence, and he couldn’t be more content. Much fun and mischief had been accomplished, and Twilight was thoroughly flustered.
“Oh, she’s such a treat to mess with,” Discord giggled to himself, absently levitating a few inches from the crook of his thinking tree. “I do hope I get to show up again and have a bit more fun, oh yes...”
Discord wasn’t just laying there, recollecting, of course; he was thinking to himself, as this was his thinking tree. This is where the birth of all his tom foolery and practical jokes and pranking took place. Of course, in days past, back when it was a wee sapling and he was far younger, there had been more sadistic plots connived there...
Discord sighed, the edge of his content feeling dulling slightly. Gazing up above him, he moved his paw and talon to tweak with the atmosphere. Soon, cotton candy clouds and a vanilla sky greeted him, with his trademark chocolate rain drizzling down.
Not even this seemed to cheer him up, however.
Frowning, he curled his body in a very snake-like fashion around one of the sturdier tree boughs. Resting his bearded chin on the rough wood, he moved his head back and forth softly, scratching the skin below.
He was bored. And when Discord got bored, memories of things that he’d rather not revisit often floated to the surface of his mind.
Slithering down the blue tree, Discord curled up in the green grass below, lying on his back. His thinking tree was situated in a little grotto at the far end of the Royal Gardens, and the vanilla sky and clouds that he had created were often nestled against the cave ceiling. A rather large rift in the ground about twenty five feet up connected Discord’s little hidey-hole to the rest of the world. The rest of the grotto was a modestly-sized cavern, filled with all manners of oddly colored plants and fungi.
His thinking tree was usually situated in a nice beam of sunlight, but it was grim, grey watery light that filtered down on him today. The sky above in Equestria was a stormy grey, obviously work of the local pegasi weather team.
“How depressing,” Discord muttered. Flopping over onto his belly, Discord looked at each blade of grass on the ground before him. Taking his talon, he twisted it around his left eye, extending his eye in a way akin to a spyglass. His vision magnified, zooming in on a grass stalk, where he found a small insect winged pony was scurrying across it.
“Ew, breezies,” Discord remarked, picking it up by its back with his paw. It babbled and squeaked in its strange language, and flailed its tiny legs in vain protest. “I thought we sprayed for these.”
Flipping back onto his back, Discord nonchalantly tossed the faerie pony up at the break in his cave sky. “Get your pollen somewhere else!” The tiny creature screamed cutely in horror as it sailed up towards the riff at breakneck speeds.
“Discord!” came a soft but stern voice from the hole in Discord’s grotto. Both of the Chaos God’s eyebrows shot up, and he sat upright quickly.
“Fluttershy?” he said hopefully, looking around before setting his gaze up at the mouth of the cave. Indeed, mane hanging down over her face from the angle, Fluttershy had her head poked over the lip.
Fluttershy dropped off the side and glided down through the cavern air. Discord could see a saddlebag perched on her back as she became fully visible. Coming to a stop about halfway up from where Discord was sitting, the pegasus flipped to face her belly at the opposite wall, and Fluttershy caught the creature on her soft underbelly. Discord’s eye was still magnified, and he watched in extreme detail as the breezie cheered in delight and scuttled towards Fluttershy’s mane.
“Off you go, little guy,” she said kindly, brushing her mane to the side softly, and the breezie chirped what was assumed to be a thank you as it flew off towards the outside world, considerably slower and much more controlled than when it had been propelled by Discord.
Fluttershy descended the rest of the way down through the air, and softly alighted the ground next to Discord. He collapsed his eye back into his head, and grinned at the pony. “Fluttershy! How good it is to see you again!”
Fluttershy gave Discord an apprehensive look. “Discord, that wasn’t very nice to do that to the breezie. They’re only here to gather pollen to take back to their homeland! In fact, in just a few weeks there’ll be a great congregation of them heading back when their portal opens, so it’s extra important to make sure they’re safe!”
Discord rolled his eyes. “Hey, it was stealing my pollen!”
“What do you need pollen for, Discord?” Fluttershy asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Lots of things,” Discord retorted. “But mostly for...” he extended an arm to impossible lengths, where it disappeared into the darkness that hid the walls of the cave from sight, and returned with a bit of pollen on his paw-tip. “Pollen puffs!”
Gesturing his talon over the paw, the pollen swelled to roughly forty times their original size, so they were roughly the size of a small gum ball. Unfurling his tongue, Discord consumed two of the pollen puffs, grinning contentedly. He offered the other two to Fluttershy, who accepted them cautiously, and popped them into her mouth after Discord nudged her slightly.
Chewing them both, Fluttershy frowned slightly. “They don’t taste like anything,” she remarked. Discord swallowed his bits, and smiled, flashed his teeth and lonely fang.
“They’re like air, only more nutritious!” he advertised, smile never faltering. As he did this, he placed an arm on his head, wailing in mock distress. “I can’t eat too many or I’ll get fat, though. Goes right to my thighs!”
Fluttershy giggled quietly, placing her hoof to her mouth.
“Well, they weren’t bad by any stretch of the word, that’s for sure,” she said kindly. “But um... there’s a reason I came here, Discord.”
Discord was in the process of fishing for more pollen when she spoke, and he looked over at Fluttershy’s concerned expression. “Oh yes, I was wondering about that. I gave you the location of my grotto in our third letter, why did it take you so long to show up? Also, a bit of notice would have been nice, I could have put out the nice china for our pollen puffs.”
Fluttershy blinked, and suddenly the two of them were sitting on a picnic blanket, surrounded by ornate china plates and a tea set. Discord was wearing a bonnet with a few roses circling the top of it in a crown-like fashion around his head, and Fluttershy was sporting a large sun hat.
“Oh my,” she said quietly as Discord poured her cup of tea, smiling and giggling. “I’ll make sure to let you know next time, hehe!”
Discord took a sip from his cup, and set it daintily down on the saucer he was holding. “So, tell me about this ‘reason’ thing. I’m afraid I am unfamiliar with the concept.”
Fluttershy gave Discord a knowing smile, and the God of Chaos took an innocent sip from his tea. Sighing slightly before, Fluttershy took a deep breath.
“Discord, I’m concerned about you.”
Discord took a pause in mid tea-sip. “Hm?”
Fluttershy nodded, casting a gaze to the side. “Oh, yes. I’m afraid that you’re not happy.”
“What?” Discord exclaimed. “Why ever would I not be happy? I’ve just enjoyed a nice little outing with Princess Cadence and Princess Twilight to the wild edges of Equestria! I’m perfectly content.”
“Content is not the same thing as happy, Discord,” Fluttershy whispered softly.
“It is for me,” Discord said, setting down his tea. “I appreciate it, Fluttershy, but it’s not necessary! I’m alright with being in my grotto, plotting little tricks and such to pass my time. It’s a nice little break than what came before.”
“So you don’t mind?” Fluttershy asked, looking up at Discord, her eyes large and sympathetic.
Discord looked back into the sad eyes, and frowned. “What? What could I possibly mind? Everything is fine, Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy crept up closer to Discord, careful not to place her hooves on any of the plates or cups on the blanket. “Do you ever miss who you once were, Discord? Before we forced you into reforming?”
Discord chuckled. “My dear Fluttershy, I chose to reform! What could possibly lead you to think that I wouldn’t want otherwise? You’ve been my first—” the word stuck in Discord’s throat for a moment before he coughed and freed it. “F-friend in a long time. I am content, Fluttershy, much more so than I was as the malevolent spirit of chaos.”
Fluttershy didn’t look completely convinced, and pawed at the blanket with a hoof, casting her gaze downward.
“But that’s not to say I don’t think about it,” Discord said, bringing his talon under Fluttershy’s chin and steadying her gaze with his. He grinned slightly. “Quite often, in fact.”
“Oh?” Fluttershy said, blinking uncomfortably as she struggled not to associate the last memory of Discord giving her a gaze this deep and direct with the current situation.
“Oh yes,” Discord said, sighing, and looking away. Fluttershy shook slightly, but took a deep breath and banished the memory. “Yes, being trapped in stone for that many years makes you accustomed to doing some deep thinking whenever you’re given some time alone.”
“I see,” Fluttershy said, sitting down, resting her back against Discord’s large tail.
Discord looked down at Fluttershy, an odd expression contorted on his face. It was halfway between grimace and grin, and was honestly the most confused expression Fluttershy had ever seen on any creature, living or dead.
“I do remember being truly happy as that creature, the one I have since come to hate after my reformation,” Discord confessed, and Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “And I wonder... if I can’t be happy if I’m not a villain, what’s the point in being around at all?”
“Oh no, Discord,” Fluttershy exclaimed, and rushed to hug Discord. He was taken by surprise, and grunted softly as the pegasus flung herself on his stomach, hugging him tightly. “No, Discord, you mustn’t think that!”
Discord stared down at Fluttershy in shock for a moment, then gradually and awkwardly, returned the hug, arms curled around the pony’s shaking body, paw resting in her mane.
“It’s not all the time, I wouldn’t worry if I were you,” Discord remarked, sighing. “But it does get rather bothersome when those annoying thoughts do bubble to the surface, after all.”
Fluttershy looked up at Discord, and he saw a tear forming in one of her eyes. “Discord,” she spoke in a hushed voice. “I love you just as much as my other friends, you have to know that; we have have gotten off to somewhat rocky start—”
Discord snorted.
“Okay, extremely rocky start, but you’ve got to know that I can see how much you’ve changed, even if all my other friends are a bit more apprehensive of you! Even Celestia sees how you’ve changed, you must...” Fluttershy hiccuped. “You must believe me...”
Discord nodded. “Oh, I do. Don’t you worry, please.”
Fluttershy nodded, her gaze still watery. “You know what was the first sign that you weren’t deceiving us with your reformation, Discord?”
Discord cocked an eyebrow. “What was that?”
Fluttershy wiggled out of the hug, and undid one of the pouches on her saddlebag, and removed a scroll. “Your first letter.”
It was Discord’s turn to have his eyes widen.
Clearing her throat, Fluttershy began to read from the letter. “Dear Fluttershy, I am very pleased to be getting fan mail already! I knew I was famous, but not that famous. Jokes aside (as if), I do greatly enjoy seeing a letter from a tolerable pony as opposed to these stuffy princesses. Luna is all boring and gets offended when I make moon jokes, and Celestia won’t stop giving off that ex-girlfriend vibe. Kinda kills my buzz. But you’re rather interesting to be around, and it pleases me greatly to get a letter from you. We absolutely must make this a regular thing, I insist. I would also like to take this time to apologize for the atrocities committed by me in our previous meeting. I hope that you and your friends aren’t too hung up on that. It was only a little bit of personality-inversion, but nonetheless was wrong of me. I’m sorry. -Discord.”
Fluttershy looked up from the parchment once she had read all of the text upon it, and saw Discord looking down at her. “I think that shows a lot of character on your part, Discord.”
The draconequus sighed, and lifted the saddlebag from her back. Fluttershy’s wings rustled slightly as this occurred, and she watched silently as Discord placed it down near Fluttershy’s previous sitting place on the blanket.
Fluttershy gasped quietly as Discord scooped her into a hug quickly, but returned the hug all the same almost instantly.
“You’re a good friend, Fluttershy,” Discord said. “Pardon my sap, but I felt it needed to be said. Coming in to check on me like this... I’d rather not any other pony do it than you.”
Fluttershy smiled. “You’re a great friend as well, Discord.”
The two lay in the grotto, the watery sunlight from the stormy sky breaking into golden rays as the clouds parted.
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You can sleep in a coffin, but the past ain't through with you~
Yay another story!
You're a really good writer. Great story.
Think you meant me.
4026779 Oh, thank you.
4026783
No problem.
Regi, my little shitposter, since when did you start being good at this writing business?
This was adorable and well written. Very sweet!!
4026829 I'll let you know when it happens
I like it. It's short, it's sweet, and it's cute. I'd say your chances of winning are pretty good!
4027171 Hehe, thanks for that
'In vain', not 'in vein'
I'm honestly curious as to why you stopped posting your trademarked "Shit Stories." I love the cute and serious ones, but I miss your old crazy stories as well
4027389 oi, was wandering about this, but I'm shitfuck lazy. Thanks for helping me out.
4027691 I foresee shit in your future
better lay of the chinese for a bit
Yo! Regi, didn't realize you were that good at writing.
4028043 neither did I, apparently!
Short, sweet, and heartwarming. It's always nice to see this side of Discord in stories. It makes him seem more like an actual individual than a cartoon character when authors present this side of him.
You have my thumbs up and fave Regidar.
~ Super-Brony12
Very nice.
D'awwwww
Also
I've read too many shipfics
Regidar :3 finally i lol
AWWWW! How sweet! They belong together.
Goodness, that's awfully sweet. Well written, too.
A nice look at the new Discord, and featuring the breezies was a really nice touch. It's good to see a story about Discord that isn't totally insane, and that actually has substance and meaning. Nice work.
I wish you luck in the contest.
4026679
Good job dude.
You've earned yourself a like
stream1.gifsoup.com/view2/2009084/devil-may-cry-4-dante-lucifer-o.gif
Damn. This might be your best story yet. The dialogue and characterization of Discord is incredible. (And he's fucking hard to write well.)
Mad props to ya. Or whatever the hell you kids say nowadays.
4031686 thanks brah
4031769
dose feels doe...
Lovely and simple. Nothing too grand, but not too simplistic. Characters are acting just right. Excellent work.
P.S. Mootaloo thinks you should write more of this :D
4034507 Compony confirmed for M00taloo tulpa
4036947 oh god what the fuck me and my friend were just discussing a mootaloo tulpa, are you psychic?
4037023 shhh don't tell anyone
the government will only want to use my powers for evil
4037114 ... and then they bucked right?
4038961 i imagine if they bucked it would be painful
bucking hurts
getting bucked hurts
as someone who has been bucked by a horse, I can testify
now if they had sex that would have been neat
4039011
Best story yet. A nice take on Discord and Fluttershy's friendship. That ex-girlfriend vibe
This was fun. Discord was very well-written.
I don't feel like this really resolved properly. Like, one moment, fluttershy is worried that Discord isn't really happy, and then the next she say's he's improving and reads him the first friendship letter he wrote. And then it's done.
dat ex-girlfriend vibe :D
This story was unfortunately far too typical and uninspired for my tastes, not to mention I don't feel that it engaged the prompt. But hey, it gets the votes, doesn't it?
4/10
4046000 nice way of being passive-aggressive, bud. Just outright tell me if you think it sucks without anything else tacked on, mmkay?
4043028 life's not perfect
I myself enjoyed this fic. It was light and pleasant.
4046169
Alright. With all the writing present, it all boils down to the same old relationship we've known from the show writers in regards to the Fluttershy/Discord dynamic. You added nothing that I can sense. In the show, Discord, the spirit of disharmony, realizes that there is more to life than simply...being. This is a turning point for the character as it allows him to open up to new ideas including friendship. Your story reflects what we already know. The relationship they two have is special and they're good friends. Discord was a villain but not a villain proper, that he believed himself to be a villain. We don't see the character in a different light that advances understanding of him. Instead you just copy. I don't feel that you depicted Fluttershy accurately. She wouldn't have seen him claiming friendship as forced. She helped him and gave him an opportunity that only he could have taken on his own, even without threat of imprisonment in stone. I don't know where you have supposedly met the prompt. I really don't. Discord is a friend by this point and even casually refers to Twilight and others as friends. Discord also wouldn't have been so thick as to misjudge Celestia's reaction to him as anything but reasonable. But he is still a trickster to the very end.
I think the breezies reference went nowhere but took up too much of the overall story. I am not sure why they were added really. Fluttershy was also too forceful in the way she spoke.
So, the story just takes advantage of a hyper popular character relationship just for the sake of taking advantage of low hanging fruit. You add nothing and yet you are still popular which attests to the overall way that stories are treated here from what I've seen. It's a pity.
I stand by my rating. I dislike your story and think you could have done better.
4046323 Thank you. See, that actually helps me instead of pissing me off as your previous comment did.
this was not a bad story i liked it short and sweet! X3
Celestia turned discord into stone cuz he broke up with her.
That ending! D'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwww!
I friend-ship these two so hard.
Have a thumbs up.
Couple of things:
I couldn't tell if this was a typo or if Discord actually keeps glass grass.
Didn't understand this sentence at all, I'm afraid.
4196951 I'll change the first "with" to "of". It's referring to when Fluttershy was brainwashed by Discord in the S2 opening.
I wouldn't put it past him.
4199945 Maybe "as she struggled not to associate the current situation with the last time Discord had given her a gaze this deep and direct"? He pretty much poked her head in Return of Harmony, though.