Less Than Hurt
She didn't even remember hearing the sound of ponies shouting.
She didn't remember the sound of them galloping up to her.
She didn't remember the sound of ponies asking if she was alright.
However.
She remembered becoming alert as they took him away from her.
She remembered them putting him on a stretcher and taking him away.
She even remembered following, as if by instinct, despite Twilight's constant assurance that he'd be fine.
And now, she sat in the hospital room, having just gotten the opportunity to sit in there and see him, though he was sound asleep with most of his arms and legs being wrapped in bandages.
Fluttershy gazed at him, her eyes never moving away as she sat firmly on a chair.
Everything had just been one big blur. She barely recalled anything; just basic events that led up to this. Her mind had finally clicked back to normal as the doctors and nurses tore her aware from Discord and forced her to sit outside of his room. She had paced back and forth until they had finished, then practically pushed through them the second the door opened. Once she noticed that Discord was asleep, she had just pulled up a chair and sat there.
Now, swallowing nervously, she continued to watch. Every nurse and doctor had assured her that he'd be fine, and that Discord had even been awake when they were bandaging him.
But still. She had to see it for herself. She wanted to be there the second he opened his eyes; no doctor or nurse could change that.
The sound of the door behind her opening made her ear twitch, but she still didn't avert her gaze.
"Uh... Fluttershy?"
The yellow mare shifted slightly in her chair, not looking away, but acknowledging the visitor's presence.
"Hello, Rainbow..." she muttered, promptly hearing the cyan pegasus take a seat on the floor beside her.
"Hey..." she murmured, sounding uncomfortable.
Fluttershy opened her mouth to say something, but Rainbow Dash quickly cut her off.
"You alright? I mean, Discord..." Her voice trailed off.
Fluttershy nodded her head. "He's gonna be okay. They told me that he was already awake and everything earlier, but that doesn't mean that I don't wanna be here for him. That wouldn't be fair..."
Rainbow Dash nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I get that..."
An awkward silence came after that, the only sound in the room coming from the cyan pegasus tapping her hooves against the floor.
"Ur..."
Rainbow Dash gulped somewhat, then rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
"L-look, Fluttershy. I...I'm sorry about... y'know..."
Fluttershy smiled softly. "Yeah, I know. It's okay."
"It's just... it's Discord, Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash told her. "I trust him - I guess - but I didn't expect you two to... and then this... and..." She trailed off, nervously rubbing a foreleg. "Augh, I'm no good at this."
Fluttershy giggled. "It's alright. I understood, and I'm sure that Discord did too," she assured.
Rainbow Dash nodded, then paused before staring back at the draconequus. "Eheh... so, what happened?"
The yellow pegasus shrugged in reply. "I don't know; I think I was unconscious for most of it," she said, her tone lowering slightly.
"I just... know that he was protecting me..."
Rainbow Dash raised a brow, intrigued. "Yeah? How do ya know?"
Fluttershy put a hoof to her snout, unable to come up with a solid answer. "I...I'm not sure how I know, but..."
She directed her hoof towards Discord's bandages. "I just... know. We were out at the edge of the Everfree Forest. I wasn't injured at all. I don't know if he got attacked by the animals, but somehow, we got out there. Somehow, something was trying to attack me; and I just... think..."
Rainbow Dash finished for her. "Y'think he took a blow for ya?"
Fluttershy nodded firmly. "Exactly; the nurses and doctors even checked me over to make sure I wasn't injured. There wasn't a scratch on me..."
There was another silence as Rainbow Dash carefully eyed Discord, her face looking unusually serious.
"...Well..."
The cyan pegasus stood up, gazing over at Fluttershy with a chuckle. "I know ya aren't leavin' until he wakes up, so I guess I better fly outta here, huh?"
Fluttershy giggled in reply, at which point Rainbow Dash smiled at her, promptly leaving.
However, though Fluttershy felt somewhat relieved that it was just her and Discord now, the sound of Rainbow Dash slamming the door shut made her jump.
She blinked, surprised, then watched as Discord slowly began to awaken from the sound, groaning softly before opening his eyes.
"D-Discord?" Fluttershy asked, nearly squeaking at his name.
He looked over to her, just taking in her appearance, then chuckled. "Did someone get the number of the magic that hit me?"
"Discord!"
Fluttershy instantly brightened up, her wings fluttering a few times in excitement. "You're okay?"
The draconequus grinned at her. "Seems so. Those ponies told me that I shouldn't be doing any hard labor for the next week or so, but feh; what do they know?"
The yellow pegasus nodded her head, though barely able to take in his words from how suddenly cheerful she was.
"I'm just so glad that you're alright! I-I mean, I knew you'd be okay, and they even said so, but—"
Discord waved a hand dismissively, giggling. "It's alright, darling Fluttershy."
She smiled wider, becoming overwhelmingly happy just from hearing him say her name.
He smirked in amusement, noticing her excitement, then tilted his head and mused, "Although..."
Fluttershy's ears perked at his sudden shift in tone. "Y-yes?"
Discord glanced at her, then shrugged. "The strangest thing happened when I woke up earlier."
"O-oh yeah?" she questioned, feeling her forelegs stiffen suddenly.
"Yes. I noticed that all the wounds I had were cleaned already. I asked the doctors about it, but they told me that they were clean before I even got here..."
Fluttershy swallowed nervously. "I-is that right?" she asked, trying to sound innocent.
Discord frowned, watching her direct her head downwards.
"...Fluttershy."
The pegasus glanced at him briefly, then returned her gaze to the floor.
His mouth twisted as he lightly tapped his blanket. "It was you, wasn't it?" A light chuckle came from his throat. "Somepony had to do it, and..."
He paused, his cheeks turning slightly pink. "...I believe that, for just a moment, I was conscious enough to know how."
Instantly, Fluttershy's wings and forelegs came up to cover her face. "I-I didn't mean to! Honest! I-it just—"
"—Fluttershy."
The yellow pegasus didn't respond at first, then slowly moved her wings and hooves away. Discord shifted to the side of the bed, patting the other side before holding his arm out to her. "Come here."
She gulped, her cheeks red, then slowly got off of her chair and climbed onto the bed. Immediately, she was pulled to his side, causing her to blush terribly.
"You say that as if it's a bad thing," Discord said, smiling at her.
Fluttershy looked downwards. "W-well, it's just... not polite, to lick someone's wounds like that."
"So you regret it then?" he asked.
"W-wha? No, never! I had to stop the bleeding somehow!" she replied, locking eyes with him.
Discord laughed. "Then that's all there is to it."
He paused, then pulled the pegasus closer, earning a light squeak in response.
"You're... brilliant, Fluttershy..."
She gulped loudly at that statement, flushing at the absolute tenderness in Discord's tone.
The draconequus even seemed slightly embarrassed, bringing his free hand up to his chin to rub it.
"I wasn't fully awake when the doctors and nurses were all around me, but I do remember what they were saying... somewhat," he explained. "That I was lucky. The Everfree Forest was a dangerous place. Something about the bloodstream, infections, blah~"
He stopped there, knowing that anything else would've just been him gushing about how amazing she was.
...Not that it would've been a bad thing, but what was the fun of it if there wasn't anyone around to brag to?
Discord chuckled, entertaining that thought for a while before glancing back at Fluttershy, who remained curled up against him. He reached over, ignoring the pain in his arms as he pulled her onto his chest.
"Does this feel familiar?" he asked, smirking slightly.
Fluttershy paused, not understanding at first, then flushed as she realized his meaning.
"Y-yeah... it does," she said, relaxing against him and sighing contently.
He gazed at her, his eagle claw reaching up to slowly stroke her back. Fluttershy let out a small sound of surprise, then giggled, nuzzling her head into Discord's chest.
He smiled, continuing to caress her until he began to hear a continuous rumbling sound come from her throat.
He stopped stroking, causing Fluttershy to look at him confusedly.
"Something wrong...?" she asked, her tone sounding slightly worried.
"Oh, no. Nothing," Discord said. "Just..."
He brought a hand up to his chin and smirked.
"I didn't know ponies could purr."
Fluttershy swallowed abruptly, her face heating up. "W-we can't! I-I mean, we shouldn't be able to... um..."
Discord brought her closer to his face, chuckling. "It's perfectly alright; just another thing that makes my Fluttershy special from the other ponies, I suppose," he mused.
She let out another squeak. "U-um! N-not really, I'm—"
She stopped speaking as Discord gingerly kissed her forehead. At first, she was frozen, but she then tilted her head up, allowing her lips to come in contact with his. They both shuddered, savoring the sensation before slowly pulling away.
"Ah..." For once, Discord was strangely silent, a small smile on his lips.
"What's wrong?" Fluttershy asked, tilting her head. "I-if I didn't kiss well enough or was too forward, I could—!"
She gasped slightly as Discord embraced her, the draconequus chuckling quietly to himself.
"It's not, darling Fluttershy, I'm just..." He paused, trying to think of the right words. "...trying to gauge my luck."
The yellow pegasus blushed, allowing him to cuddle her affectionately.
Then, for the first time in his life, though only for a moment, Discord cried happily.
THE END
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YES! HAVE ALL THE YAYS!
Cried a little at the end it was so tender. Brilliant story overall and I don't know why/how this doesn't have more views and likes.
Such a cute ending.
An interesting follow up story you could do that would be more cutesy than dramatic. After a time of being together and their relationship progressing, Fluttershy ends up pregnant. After whatever happens as a result of that - be it panic, romance, marriage, or Discord hiding from Fluttershy's parents - the baby is born...with all of Discord's chaos powers.
Then the fourth story of the sequence is two chaos-less parents trying to raise a chaos baby.
31.media.tumblr.com/4a7244ab79dfcd5a74211639f7df3998/tumblr_inline_n19nesM1WR1sohk3w.gif 31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lws4yjo7lo1qb9g03o1_500.gif 31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lws198jIj71qduhhoo1_400.gif
Aw. That was so cute
Awwwwwwwww! I demand more! This is too cute!
A very good, cute ending to finish this story off. Loved it!
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I CAN'T HANDLE ALL THESE FEELS. STAAAAAAAHP.
4441950 NEVAH!!!
Hnnnnnnnnngh!
So much cute!
I love it!
Good job, my good sir. I thumb up to my fellow reader that talked about marriage and parentage
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Thank yooou >////<
4442231 just need to point out that your username is not accurate
That was utterly adorable!! The ending was too perfect, and I had a feeling when flutters would purr...
You know I wonder if Fluttershy's in some way physically effected by Discord, she seems to be taking on the aspects of a number of animals. A bit like a chimera or Dracoequis.
This was so good, I'm so happy I read this. your name should be the talented pony.
This last chapter made me downvote this story...
So that I could upvote it again!
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ALL OF YOU GNKJESDHSNHSLDJG I CAN'T UIFHKGAEL *cries happy tears*
That was amazing; I'm so happy I had the privilege of reading such a spectacular story. You have created a beautiful narrative here and should feel proud of what you've done.
/
I give it one Celestia out of Twilight.
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NO.
NO.
YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO SAY THAT.
I'VE ALREADY DROWNED MY HOUSE WITH HAPPY TEARS.
WE DON'T NEED ANY FLOODS!
...KGHDJGSG
so goddamn habnndnysfgjgbgbdfbfbg adorable
I'm so disappointed...
That it's over, of course! This was sweetness with adorableness sprinkled all over; and I'm talking a buck load of sprinkles like at a ice cream place at my campus.
This was more adorable and dramatic than intense, which is what one would imagine. I mean, Discord's magic loose? People who write big epic stories would make 100k+ words about that, probably! As someone who prefers writing short, too, I understand taking the shorter yet sweeter approach. There are rather dark moments, but they don't last long because Discord makes sure nothing hurts Fluttershy. In the end, it's justified.
I should say that I usually don't like how people write Discord. It's very hard, I can imagine - I want to write my own Fluttercord story, but darn, I want to get Discord just right before I get that done! Yet that doesn't ignore the fact that not everyone gets it right; they'll just change him too much without reason. Here, he literally has the "evil" sucked out of him, and while he's changed, he previously said that chaos is how he makes it. This made me realize something. I mean, here's the thing: when people complain about Discord being too boring or annoying and unlike his old ways... since when does chaos have rules? Chaos is however you like it! And there was just something about this Discord, powers aside, that sounded so wonderfully like him. That alone got me into the story first~
I can't help but ask as to how Discord got those wounds? We know the fake ran into him with the light, so did that hurt him? It's hard to think over.
God, this is really long. What can I say? I enjoyed it very much; especially because you updated daily. I also wrote a lot here because... well, I want to say you shouldn't act so down on your writing, which I've seen you do a lot. However, I have to say I'm the same way with my own writing, to a point where I'm rewriting whole stories because I feel I messed up one thing. We are our worst critics, I believe, we as see it in a whole different perspective as opposed to our readers. However, don't ever be afraid to like or be proud of your own writing, because as the popularity of these stories show, you have a talent, Talentless (yes, I made sure to do that on purpose, lawl).
Also, thank goodness that you added in that "purring" scene. When I saw you wrote that in the comments, I went, "Why didn't she keep this? I'm sure my cuteness diabetes can handle it!" And I think it did... I think. Hah.
TL;DR Good story. Think I'll follow you because you seem to have great ideas that are executed very well!
Well dear I think you outdone yourself this time, I think you the Fluttercord fan writing!
aw!
That..... was.... Adorable
Brava! Congrats! Well done Talentless!
Your story days are done with stress.
And the comments all show success!
With Flutterchord in a loving caress.
The sequels done, at last at an end.
And along the way you made many a friend.
This story of laughs and tears to rend.
A beautiful, poignant, slice of life blend.
Now the theater empties out it's rows.
As the story's midnight hour grows.
I look for more of your pony based prose.
A fond farewell from your fan Thanatos!
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*sniffle* Your comment made me get legit tears in my eyes. ;~;
Also, YES. Someone who prefers short stories too! <3 Honestly, this was stepping out of my comfort zone because this is the longest story I've ever done (and the fact that it's a sequel and thus even longer doesn't help, ngh...), so I got really nervous and even felt a little discouraged when I got told that things were rushed because I was trying so gosh darn hard to make this story a nice long one.
Basically, the chaotic energy used the last of its powers to take Discord with it; he was just cut up a little because the copy didn't have enough power to do any more damage.
I almost HAVE to write at least daily (my cutie mark fic doesn't count because that's more like three separate stories that are connected by type), or every other day; I get very anxious otherwise because I feel bad making people wait super long.
And yeah, I know I get down on myself a lot. I didn't have the best childhood and it just crushed my self-esteem. Hard to get that back once ya lose it...
Yeah, the purr scene comment I made was a bit of a tease. I took it out of Chapter 1 because I wanted to put it in Chapter 8.
Gotcha~
Also, I wanted to save this comment for last, so... yeah, Discord's hard to write because he's very sporadic, which fits his 'spirit of chaos' motif. He's only been in a few episodes, and we only see bits and pieces of his personality. Because of that, everyone will have a different opinion of what Discord is.
Personally, here's my take (this is the Discord I saw in the season finale; the Discord in this sequel story is slightly different, but nevertheless similar):
Discord, generally, is a very light-hearted and playful kind of guy. He's lived for thousands of years, so he's very knowledgeable and witty from what he's picked up from all that time. Despite that, he doesn't exactly 'act his age'. He's mature for sure, but he doesn't like to show it. He likes to have fun, put bluntly. However, that doesn't mean he likes to cause harm. From living with Fluttershy and watching ponies interact, he's realized that chaos doesn't have to equal trouble, and that he has more than enough fun by pranking Pinkie-Pie style.
He's very aloof, usually keeping his actual emotions and intentions held in. Because of that, he has become very sneaky and mischievous in how he helps others. He likes to help, but he doesn't want ponies thinking he's soft for helping. From his constant visits with Fluttershy, he's settled down much more, but not to the point where he's 'boring'. He's come to terms with the fact that chaos in itself isn't fun, and that the relationships he makes are just as important if not more. He still enjoys teasing, but not to the point where anyone would feel insulted or angry with him; at least not to extremes.
The major flaw in Discord's personality comes from the fact that he's rather possessive. Not selfish so much, but he likes things a certain way. As long as it's not a huge stretch, he doesn't mind compromising, but what's his is his and one shouldn't mess with it.
When Discord betrayed his friends for Tirek, this is one big example. Tirek offered his friendship in addition to Discord being able to cause limitless chaos. Thus, the compromise didn't need to be there. In my opinion, while Discord was in that bubble next to Fluttershy during the final fight, I think his own faults got to him, and he realized that Tirek wasn't the kind of friendship he was looking for, even before Tirek betrayed him.
Discord is very much an enigma. He can be calculated and witty, but also a little childish. He doesn't like change, but he's more than happy to compromise if it means keeping a friend, which has become a very important value in his life.
However, I think, under all that, is a very sensitive and loving side. He suppresses it, but I think I've managed to see it a few times. He feels guilty for a lot of things, and that has the unfortunate tendency of clouding his judgment. When Fluttershy walked away from him in Keep Calm and Flutter On after he betrayed their friendship, he didn't even acknowledge his own emotions until they smacked him in the face and told him that he was wrong. I don't even think that he was aware of that side of himself until Fluttershy came into his life and reformed him.
That's where my fanfiction stands.
That's why he gave up all of his powers. For her. For Fluttershy.
Because she made him realize that there was another part of him that he hid away and suppressed. She clicked that part of him back in and was his first true friend.
And that's worth giving anything up for.
IT'S SO FLUFFY!!!!!!!!
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THANK YOU ALL.
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I'm thanking your comment separately because I like doing poetry and yours is awesome.
...
Whoa! It's over! I didn't see it coming! But it's so a d o r a b l e! I'll be honest, I'm not quite sure what happened with Discord's wounds...I know it had something to do with his chaotic energy trying to get him with him, but I'm wondering how the fake self hurt the real self, exactly. Either way, I thought you pulled off the sequel quite nicely; I hope to see more from you, but no pressure, of course. You're one of the best Fluttercord shippers out there. Not to mention, you do so well with characterization. You made Fluttershy more romantic without her becoming somepony that isn't Fluttershy, and you made Discord more thoughtful without becoming some suave regular guy. Great job, Talentless...Though I'd say you are anything but.
4442702 You are most welcome
AWWWWWWWWW! No words!
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Funny you mention that.
I always wanted to do a fic where all of ponyville is cursed to talk like Zecora when she tried to fix her own constant rhyming.
And each of the mane six speak in different styles. Pinkie in limericks, Rarity Couplets, Flutters or Twi in Iambic Pentameter. . .still haven't worked it all out in my head yet. But like you I like to write every day and write a lot. Though I realize you need a bit of down time after righting two novellas in month.
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My idea was that it was that the chaotic energy was still in the physical world, but Discord was wearing it down in the mental world. It cut Discord in the physical before being taken out in the mental, then vanished from both sides.
4442663 Ah, I love analyzing characters as enigmatic and deep as Discord. I agree with so much of what you said, and I'd also like to add something, just for the fun of it!
I always found Discord to be lonely, yet he never even realized it until now. I mean, all that chaotic power in the world, and no one ever took enjoyment in it but himself. I always believed that he hid behind his sarcasm and chaotic magic a more sensitive side of him that he masked, because no one ever cared. They were more concerned with how he looked and acted. He never had a friend, especially not one who took a liking to something as abnormal as cotton candy clouds and chocolate rain. Which is why he was touched when someone sort of appreciated his magic, as she said it livened up her place a bit.
It only increased when he let his chaos become more significant compared to his first friend, the one who actually accepted him, despite everything. People say it was rushed; he never had a friend ever, so of course he'll feel crushed. He's so lonely, and after so long of letting his magic hide his true feelings, he let that mask crumble just this once. Having someone who gave him a chance no one else did mattered so much to him, that he'd change his ways a little for the sake of having a friend by his side.
This changed even more so when he made his grave mistake in Twilight's Kingdom. I never found Discord evil; just a chaotic neutral, so he doesn't care about sides. Good or bad, as long as he gets what he desires. Adding unlimited use of his powers, something the ponies hindered from him, made him think he made the right choice. As long as he had a friend, it didn't matter. Then he got betrayed, and he never felt so alone and lost; without friends or magic. He learned his lesson in friendship over power, and realized just how much friendship means. It can't be tossed around; it's delicate and beautiful at the same time. Hopefully, we'll see lots more of him next season, and he'll value his friendship with Fluttershy and the others much more than he ever did before.
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*throws all of her agreeing at you*
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It's fanfiction; chances are, every single idea you write will go against someone's headcanon. Maybe they ship FlutterDash; maybe they don't think powerful magic can have a persona; maybe they think Twilight would have followed Discord to help him.
But this is your story, your idea, your world. And from what I've seen in the comments, a few people point out small grammatical/context issues, and everyone is enjoying the ride. You're doing things right.
Though, self-confidence issues are pretty hellish sometimes. Hopefully, having a couple stories that a few hundred people liked within the same month you wrote them will help (correction: the first hit >800 thumbs in 2 weeks, and the sequel has >180 in 1 week).
P.S. Ending was pretty good. A little bare details-wise, but the whole story has a light tone anyway, so I'm not going to consider it a bad thing (and neither should you).
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Ahhh, thank you.
I guess I have a big issue because I want to make EVERYONE happy, so when I fail at just one thing, I feel like I've blown it for them...
I was already pretty interesting in reading this when i read the description and I have to say that was quite the cute, well-written, and interesting story you have written, good ma'am. Discord's chaos turning into its own being for him to deal with was something I never thought of before. If I ever do try my hoof at writing again, I hope that my stories can be at least half as good as this, and for that i simply ask:
mlpforums.com/uploads/monthly_04_2013/post-14701-0-03115500-1366846808.jpg
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Ahhhh~ >///<
*hugs so much bgkndkjgnks*
Not bad. Not bad at all. I don't regret my favorite and like, so good on you.
WHOOOOO!!!
What!? It's over!?
It was so perfect!!
You write Discord so well! It's nice to see a different side of him, kind of like a fish out of water, but the fish becomes a land shark.
...
I can see Discord doing that to a regular fish.
Anyway, I wish I could leave 10 likes.
I've complained a bit in my earlier reviews haven't I? Well, I stick by them.
But that's not what I'm here to say. I'm here to say that you wrote a great last chapter here. Often, fanfics slowly lose quality as the author loses steam or gets lazy or something gets away from them. But your handle on the characters in this chapter, both Flutters and Discord but also, Rainbow. Rainbow was spot-on, awkward about the mushy stuff but supportive and maybe even a little clever, if the slamming door waking Discord was on purpose. And the Fluttercord in this was both so sweet I think I need a dentist, but also very well done with the two characters really sounding like themselves most of the time and also, very important, apparently moving like they should, Flutters avoiding eye contact and hiding and Discord barreling through that with physical contact.
All in all, despite all of my griping, I think you great job.
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Ahhh, thank you all!
i just got finished reading it again and i codnt help but take note that it seems more absolutely adoringly adorable the second time. and i couldnt help but notice (while also watching the episode Three's a crowd (Glass Of Water)) that you really write discord greatly.