Chapter 16. John 8:32
Chapter 16
“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”—John 8:32
“We have to move fast,” said Fluttershy, turning back to the door. “We have to get to the Crystal Empire. I’ll explain on the—”
Discord’s hands closed on her shoulders and the cottage around them disappeared in a flash of light to be replaced by a field right outside the Crystal Empire.
“—way. Oh, um...” In her hurry, she’d briefly forgotten he could use that mode of travel, and suddenly finding herself in the intended destination left her feeling disoriented.
Discord let go of her shoulders, and turning to look at him, Fluttershy saw him tenting his fingers together as he eyed her expectantly. “Hmm?” He arched one shaggy brow, and the gesture seemed to bring Fluttershy back to reality. She flew up to hover near his head, glanced quickly about to make sure no one else was around, and began to whisper into his ear.
“All of these ingredients are pretty common,” said Fluttershy, looking down at the library book. Both she and Discord were currently in a tent he’d conjured for them on the field. Fluttershy was perched on a stylist chair in the middle of the tent, while Discord stood behind her with his crossed arms resting on the top of the chair’s backrest, and his long neck stretched over her shoulder. He was dressed in a sugar pink salon tunic that looked doubly odd with his tattoos emerging out from under it.
“Most ponies could find or buy them easily,” Fluttershy went on. “Except this one: powdered gemstones. Beating them into powder is hard work, so that will narrow our search down.”
“Well, let’s get to it then.” Discord straightened up and walked around in front of her, making a show of frowning and measuring off her face with his hands. “Are you sure you want the complete makeover?” he joked. “Because I just doubt if I have the heart.”
“Please just do it, Discord.” She had gotten used to his habit of teasing before actually buckling down to do the job, but this time she felt they really did need to hurry.
“Well, the customer is always right,” he said in a mock regretful voice before cracking his knuckles. It only took him a few finger snaps to turn her eyes a light sky blue, her mane and tail a soft green, and her coat a pale lavender.
Moving to her side, he pulled a comb from his tunic pocket and began to run it through her mane. With each stroke it changed the light green strands from straight to curly. Then he pulled a tube from the pocket of his salon tunic and squirted a lavender-colored paste into his paw. He began to smear it over the bandages on her forehead.
“What does that do?” Fluttershy asked.
In response he snapped his talons and a mirror appeared floating a little to the left and in front of him. Looking into it, Fluttershy saw that where the paste was now smeared over the bandages they had the same color and texture as her now-lavender coat. Once all the bandages were covered nopony would even know they were there.
“Hold still.” said Discord. “I’m going to try and be careful but this is probably going to hurt anyway.”
Fluttershy held still but she couldn’t help wincing as he rubbed the paste over her neck to help conceal the bruises that still showed even through her new coat color. When he was finished, she looked back at her reflection. He’d done a good job. She hardly recognized herself.
“Oh, almost forgot.” He stepped back around her, and gave her a light slap on her left hindquarter, right where her cutie mark was located. The slap hadn’t been hard enough to hurt but it startled her enough to make her squeak. Before she could recover from her shock, he repeated the gesture on her other side. Looking down, she saw that he’d altered the butterflies on her hindquarters so that they now looked more like flowers.
Shortly afterward a lavender-colored pegasus, who when asked her name answered with Wisteria, began making her way through the Crystal Empire, stopping at jeweler after jeweler, asking where she could buy powdered gemstones or pay to have the jewels she’d brought with her ground up.
“Excuse me,” she said, walking into the latest jeweler’s store. A pale pink crystal pony and a periwinkle blue unicorn looked up from behind the counter at her. The lavender pegasus ducked her head, causing her curly mane to tumble down either side of her face before she looked back up. “Um, I was wondering if you sell powdered gemstones here.”
The crystal pony jeweler shook her head. “No, sorry. We don’t sell any powdered ones here.”
“Oh, well ... do you have anything that could grind up these jewels I brought with me?” Wisteria asked, opening her saddlebag to reveal several gemstones.
The jeweler peered down at them, then shook her head. “Nope. We have instruments for cutting gems but not for grinding them I’m afraid. Sorry.”
“Well, thanks anyway.”
Wisteria turned to go back outside when the unicorn suddenly called out to her.
“Wait, hold on! I just remembered someplace you could probably get powdered gemstones. Amberlocks’ Orchards.”
Wisteria turned back to her. “Amberlocks’ Orchards?”
The unicorn nodded. “They use powdered gemstones in their Sparkling Cider.”
Sparkling Cider! The name sent bells clanging in Wisteria’s head as she remembered Spike and Rarity mentioning it before she’d raced from the library. Rarity had said that the cider had gemstones in it, but Wisteria had only been half-listening at the time and couldn’t remember if Rarity had mentioned the gems being powdered or not.
“Oh, that’s right,” said the crystal pony. “I forgot about them, but it’s true they do buy a lot of gems from both us and other jewelers that they then grind up for their cider. Maybe if you go to them, you could pay them to grind up your jewels or get them to sell you the powdered ones without mixing them into the cider.”
Wisteria moved back over to the counter. “Can you tell me more about this Amberlocks’ Orchards?”
The periwinkle unicorn ended up guiding Wisteria to the place. Apparently the orchard had been started about eight or nine years ago on the outskirts of the Crystal Empire and had been doing good business since then. When the two ponies reached a hill overlooking the orchard, Wisteria noticed that the apple trees in it didn’t seem to be crystal ones but regular ones. Though it was hard to tell for sure since winter had currently stripped them of all their fruit and leaves. Still even though there were no apples to harvest, the orchard was full of ponies, both crystal and ordinary, loading what appeared to be crates of cider onto carts.
“Which one is the owner you mentioned? Amberlocks?” Wisteria asked the unicorn.
“That one over there, directing the crate-moving,” said the unicorn, pointing to one of the crystal ponies.
As Wisteria studied that particular pony, she noticed that Amberlocks’s name was a bit of a misnomer. Her braided tail and short mane weren’t amber but a silvery white, and her coat was much closer to gold than to amber.
“She’d probably be the best one to talk to about your powdered gemstones,” said the unicorn. “Though she can be a little hard to get a hold of. Keeps to herself mostly. Shall I go try and introduce you to her?”
“No, that won’t be necessary,” Wisteria said quickly. “I’ll just wait here and introduce myself to her when she’s a bit less busy.”
“You sure? It’s no trouble.”
“No, you’ve done more than enough. Thank you.” Wisteria managed to keep her voice and manner pleasant but inside she was vibrating with nervous tension. If she wanted to find out if her theory was true, she had to time her meeting with Amberlocks just right.
“You’re sure?” the unicorn repeated, frowning at her.
“Yes, I’m sure. Thank you.”
The unicorn studied Wisteria for a few seconds more, then she shrugged dismissively. “Okay, if that’s how you want to do it.”
As soon as the unicorn left, Wisteria flew up onto a cloud above the orchard. The sun had started setting by then and the orchard’s employees had started leaving. However, there were still far too many of them around Amberlocks for Wisteria to want to risk confronting her. She had to be sure the crystal pony was completely alone to test her theory. Wisteria lay down on her stomach on the cloud and as soon as she settled a tiny draconequus swung out of her curly mane and landed beside her, leaning against one of her forehooves. They’d decided earlier when searching for powdered gemstone suppliers that one pony would attract less attention than two of them, so Discord had opted to ride along, hidden in her mane.
“Did you catch everything we were talking about?” the disguised pegasus asked.
“I did indeed.” Because he’d shrunk himself down so small, Fluttershy had expected his voice to come out in a high-pitched squeak and was surprised to hear instead the same baritone he had at his usual size. He disappeared in a tiny flash of light and Fluttershy rested her head on the cloud, watching the ponies below her, and waiting for him to return. About a minute later a tuft of the cloud detached itself from the rest and wafted through the air to bump Fluttershy right between the eyes. Before she could brush it away, it suddenly transformed into Discord, still tiny enough that he could cross his arms on top of her nose.
“I’m pleased to report that my reconnaissance was a success,” he stated in a mock officious voice. “And lookie what I found in old Amberlocks’s house,” he added in a singsong voice as he pointed in front of Fluttershy. A small pile of drying apple peelings, and a bottle identical to the ones that had been arriving yearly at Sweet Apple Acres appeared there.
Fluttershy felt her breath catch at the sight of those items. Don’t get too excited, the small voice in her head warned. It is an apple orchard after all. The fact that there might be a lot of drying apple peels lying around might not mean that much. And you said yourself that those particular bottles are sold all over Equestria...
“Something on your mind?” the tiny draconequus flew backward to see her whole face more clearly.
Fluttershy sighed. “Oh, I’m just wondering... What if I’m wrong? What if my whole theory turns out to be wrong?”
Discord studied her, then flashed the bottle and apple peelings away before disappearing again.
“Discord—?” she started to ask then gasped as an unseen force suddenly wrapped around her and pulled her backward. She started to struggle against the unseen force, but halted when she heard Discord’s voice right next to her ear.
“Don’t worry, Fluttershy. It’s just me.”
She was pulled down onto her side and now she recognized his familiar arms, one furred and the other scaled, wrapped around her and his chest pressing into her back. Looking down at where his arms should have been, she saw nothing, and looking over her shoulder at where the rest of him should have been, she saw nothing there as well.
“Discord? What are you doing? Why can’t I see you?”
“How else am I supposed to hold you without attracting the attention of any nearby ponies? Gorgeous as I am, ponies just can’t help noticing me. A fact that I’m ordinarily extremely proud of. Tonight however...”
He trailed off and Fluttershy suddenly felt him nuzzle her cheek. She let out a small surprised giggle, and raised her shoulder, pressing her cheek down against it in reflex. The nuzzling had been unexpected but not unpleasant or unwel—
Wait a minute; does he not have his nose rings? Before she could be sure, he’d pulled his head back away from hers. She reached her forelegs out in the direction his muzzle had moved.
“Where are you?” she asked, groping at the air with her hooves. He must have lowered his head back down toward hers because after a few seconds of feeling only empty air she found his beard, found his chin, found his fang, then found his muzzle. As her hoof brushed over his muzzle, which had the same velvety texture as her own, she found that she hadn’t been mistaken. The rings he normally wore in his nose as well as the one in his lower lip did indeed seem to be missing. His eagle arm shifted around her and she felt his taloned fingers brush her now-curly mane back from her face. His other arm pulled her close and as her back pressed against his invisible body she wondered if he was still covered with the coils of a certain tattoo. If not, was that why he didn’t want to risk any ponies nearby seeing him?
“Try to get some rest, Fluttershy,” he murmured. “Our best bet for catching Amberlocks alone is first thing in the morning tomorrow. We’ll worry about whether or not you’re right then.” He started to pull his muzzle back out of her hooves, but she tightened her hold on him.
“Wait.” Wrapping her forelegs around his muzzle, she leaned in until her cheek encountered his invisible one. She felt his facial muscles twitch but couldn’t tell what expression was currently on his face. “Discord, whatever happens tomorrow, I just want you to know that ... well ... I’ve enjoyed working with you.”
I’ve enjoyed working with you. The words seemed to echo in his head. They were ones he had never expected to have directed at him. He was the epitome of chaos and disharmony for crying out loud! Those concepts were the most important things in the world to him! He was supposed to inflict them on other creatures, not work alongside those other creatures!
Then he felt his breath catch as Fluttershy gently rubbed her cheek against his. I do like causing chaos and disharmony! he insisted to himself. I really, really, really do like it! Then in a much more subdued tone came the thought: But I kind of like this too.
Fluttershy’s grip on his muzzle loosened and, grateful that she couldn’t see any of the expressions currently at war on his face, he pulled his muzzle gently out of her grasp. “Try to get some rest, Fluttershy,” he repeated.
As she closed her eyes, Fluttershy thought about tomorrow and how she would confront Amberlocks.
It was strange for Fluttershy to wake the next day and find herself snuggled up against nothing at all. She could feel Discord’s arm draped over her and his chest pressing into her back, but when she raised her head to look behind her only a long shallow furrow in the cloud indicated that there was someone lying there.
She felt her way up his arm until she found his shoulder and shook it. “Discord, are you awake?”
There was a grunt nearby, the arm lifted from her, and the furrow behind her shifted, getting shallower in some places and deeper in others. “I am now.”
Suddenly their surroundings disappeared, and Fluttershy found herself sitting on an enormous tree branch with Discord beside her, now visible with his face pierced and his body tattooed. Looking around, Fluttershy realized that Discord had teleported them down into the orchard and shrunk them down so that nopony would notice them. Looking down at herself, she saw that her coat was pale yellow once again and the locks of hair that fell down on either side of her face were straight and pale pink instead of curly and pale green. Quickly checking herself over, she saw that all the rest of her disguise was gone as well.
The two partners hadn’t had breakfast yet, so at Fluttershy’s request, Discord conjured some peanut butter-and-pickle sandwiches for them. As they ate, they watched both the house and surrounding orchard for any sign of Amberlocks or any other pony. Fluttershy would raise her head and scan the area in between bites of sandwich, while Discord had simply sprouted an extra head to monitor the area while the other head focused on eating. As it ate, this head also observed Fluttershy and noticed that she was drawing in deep breaths through her nose and letting them back out again in equally deep exhalations.
“Nervous?” he asked.
“Some,” she admitted. “I know I’ll only be talking to one pony, but I feel like I’m about to go out in front of a bunch of them. And I was pretty sure of my theory yesterday but now... I’m still afraid of turning out to be wrong.”
Discord reached over and put his paw on her back. Still watching the area around them with one head, he leaned the other one down close to her. “You know you’re not going to be completely alone,” he said, his voice not quite a whisper but considerably softer than it normally was. “You won’t see me, but I’ll be with you. Just like last night.”
“Thanks Discord, I appreciate that.” Smiling her gratitude at him, she reached over her shoulder and patted his arm before going back to her sandwich.
Just as they were finishing up their sandwiches, Amberlocks stepped out of her house and trotted down toward the orchard.
“Now,” Fluttershy whispered as the crystal pony passed underneath them.
Discord thumped his two heads together, causing them to merge back into one. Snapping his fingers, he teleported Fluttershy down behind the tree, changing her back to her regular size at the same time. Peeking around the tree, Fluttershy now saw Amberlocks standing with her back to her, watching the path for any sign of orchard employees.
Fluttershy drew in a deep breath and let it out. Time to find out if my theory is right.
Checking the bandages on her head, and pulling her scarf down to expose her bruised throat, she walked quickly but quietly up to the crystal pony, took in a second deep breath...
And spoke the two words she’d been psyching herself up to say all last night.
“Hello, Applejack.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.028 seconds
Total duration
982 users online
1,610,701 hits today, 2,004,447 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
YES! I KNEW IT!
#plottwist
*gasp*
i.imgur.com/gqLi6BA.jpg
MErrgh!!! You updated!!!! AND AppleJack is still ALIVEEEE!!!
And oh mah gosh that cliffhanger!! Keep writing you wonderful/terrible person!
That. Cliffhanger.
I know I usually leave a big giant review, and how much I love every single chapter, but to be honest, I think the emoticon everyone has been posting is enough:
I LOVE IT ALL. And even though that last sentence was the part that made this chapter gold (and now that I think about it, omg. Amberlocks...and it doesn't fit what she looks like. I GET IT.) Anyways, even though that already makes this chapter genius, the invisible cuddling made my heart squee a bajillion times, which was needed since Discord wasn't in the season five's first two eps. SO FREAKING CUTE.
Let's admit it. Discord's not just afraid to show himself and start a commotion. He doesn't wanna show the public that he loves cuddling with Fluttershy. I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE THINKING DISCORD!!! HAHHHH.
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG APPLEJACK! I KNEW SHE WAS STILL ALIIIIIIIIIVE! (Or IS SHE?!??!?)
5824774
*chuckles* Yep, I guess that pretty much sums it up. Though to be fair that was the reaction I was hoping to get from at least a few people so mission accomplished. Yay.
When is the next one coming out? This weekend,next week? I must finish this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I knew it was Applejack! But, on more important matters, when is the next chapter coming out? Because this one seems to have been posted 10 weeks ago so I'm worried it may not come. Please continue this! This is the best story I've read in a while, and my stars is it adorable! My first Fluttercord story, and so completely in character, yet so completely adorable. I love the tattoos just disappearing at times, and rebelling, kind of like Angel sometimes in the MLP we know, though not disappearing. Anyhow, I can't wait for more!
6057182
6089832
Thanks, glad to hear you're enjoying the story. As to the next chapter, I apologize for the delay but over the past couple months I've had a lot of things going on (family-related stuff, etc.) that cut into my writing time, and since the next chapter is pretty important plot-wise I didn't want to do a slip-shod job on it. However I can tell you I now have most of that next chapter written. I'm not sure how soon I'll have it ready since I need to check it over for typos, awkward sentences, etc. but I promise that it is on its way and sooner rather than later.
6089967
It's fine! I was just worried because most authors don't bother to finish it after 10 weeks.
Thanks for still working on it, nonetheless, it's been a great story so far! Funny thing is, I just realized I have The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo on my Goodreads to-read list. I wonder how much I will already know and figure out because of this story here. Oh well! XD! Great story so far, anyhow, can't wait for the next chapter! 
6091830
*chuckles* Oh, rest assured I have every intention of finishing this story.
If you do plan to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo I do feel the need to warn you that there's a lot of R-rated stuff in it that I cut from my version. Definitely not for anyone under 18. I'm also not really a fan of the book. I thought it had a lot of potential to be a good story, but it also had a lot of problems (both from a technical standpoint, and from my own personal taste's standpoint) that prevented that. So I took quite a few creative liberties with the plot, *chuckles* besides the one you probably already guessed that Discord's character was originally a girl, and Fluttershy's was originally a dude.
6093276 Great to hear you plan on finishing it. I'm not much of a fan of too much R rated stuff, so I may skip the book for something else. I guess I'll see. So.... Flutterguy, and Discordia?
6094203
Yeah, when it comes to R-rated stuff in books, I'm one of those people who can put up with it, but I don't enjoy it, and that particular book does get pretty nasty in the R-rated department so you're probably better off skipping it.
Spoilers:
Also in the original novel, Fluttershy and Discord's characters (Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander respectively) don't meet and team up (which is the main focus of this story) until over halfway through the book. So when I say loosely based, I do mean loosely based.
But on the plus side, I'm glad to say I've almost finished this story's next chapter and should have it up sometime next week.
When is the next chapter?
6117656 It will be out some time this week, though I can't tell you the exact day as I'm still checking it over for typos etc., but I can promise it will be out before next Sunday.
6115549
That's great! Yeah, I can stand some stuff as well, but I'd rather not read that much R rated stuff. Well, I can't wait!
WHAT Happens next!!!'
Need more, feed my brain, its starving from lack of chapters and awnsers! Pls feed me!! I need the!
I knew it.
And still, there is more to hear. I wonder what the stor is here...