The Element of Kindness

by BlueHeartTattoo

Destiny

As quick as she can, Rainbow was able to a find a royal doctor as Twilight and the others carry the awaken Fluttershy into the castle.

She and the bearers now waited outside the Doctor’s quarters in the hospital wing, entirely wearied of the time that has passed. Spike had taken the fillies somewhere in the castle so that they can relax from all the excitement that’s been going on.

“How long have we been waiting here?” Rainbow uttered impatiently.

“About an hour and a half,” Pinkie replied, “Unless you count the time with you finding a doctor, carrying Fluttershy in the castle and getting water and snacks for ourselves, that would be—”

“I don’t want to know!” Rainbow interrupted.

“The doctor never took an exam this long,” Twilight said her thoughts out loud.

“You don’t think there’s something wrong with her?” Rarity asked.

“Of course not,” Twilight replied, “I’m saying that it’s unusual for him to take him this long.”

“Well, she has been unconscious for a month and we all thought that she was dead,” Applejack stated, “I say the time spent in there is reasonable.”

“Ugh, I don’t care how or why this would count as reasonable as long as that doctor come through that door right now!” Rainbow whined irritated.

Silence fell through the hallway as the seconds passed proved Rainbow’s impatient expectation wrong.

Pinkie had a thought and couldn’t help but ask, “Hey, now that we know that Fluttershy’s alive, does that mean we have a bearer again?”

The bearers, even the frustrated Rainbow Dash, widened their eyes in revelation, as it now come to their minds the resolution of bringing harmony back to Equestria and the future generation of element bearers.

“I didn’t realize that before,” Rarity uttered amazed, “It’s been so long since we thought finding the missing bearer would be a possibility.”

Applejack turned to Twilight with a hint of hope in her eyes, “Do you think it’s possible to have her join us this late?”

The rest turned to Twilight, hoping for a positive answer that would ease their worries.

“I…I’m pretty sure that we can,” Twilight said. Before the others can celebrate, she stopped them by saying, “But we need to consider this carefully.”

The hopeful glint of their eyes was gone and was suddenly replaced by bewilderment.

“What do you mean?” Rainbow asked, “I thought it was your goal to save Equestria—this is how we can do it!”

“I know that,” Twilight explained, “But Fluttershy doesn’t know that she is a bearer. She was kept captive by Chrysalis and she doesn’t know the world around her. If we force her to accept her role now, she’ll be stressed and confused.”

The others didn’t think much of that possibility until Twilight said it to them. Now they can only think of it with uncertainty.

“She’ll need to rest for a while once the doctor’s done. Once we find the right time to tell her, the best thing we can do then is to give her space to think about it. Whether now or later she wants to connect with her element is her decision to make.”

The bearers can only nod in understanding as silence take over the hallway once again.

Then a door opened and a unicorn stallion in a white lab coat stepped out through it. Twilight and the others stood up and approach to him.

“How’s she doing?” Twilight asked worried, “Is she going to be okay?”

“Yes, she will be fine,” The Doctor reassured the princess, “I’ve just finish the exams on her and I’d found a diagnosis. It turns out that her body had been paralyzed with dark magic.”

The ponies stood in stunned shock.

“Dark Magic?” Rarity uttered, “But I thought dark magic was forbidden to use!”

“Not outside of Equestria, though,” The doctor then explained, “I’m not entirely sure if the changelings were connected to it; but when her physical and mental exams didn’t show much change, I’d decided to perform magical surge test on her. Dark magic is hard to detect due to their foreign aura, but I saw that there was a small area around her heart where that magic used to be hidden. That magic seems to disappear the moment she regained consciousness.”

“So, all this time, she was under a spell?” Pinkie asked.

“That is correct.”

“But what break it?”

The doctor was stuck before he can answer, “That, unfortunately, I don’t know. I asked her companion this since he was in contact to her when she woke up, but he was too embarrassed to say.”

They’d nearly forgot that Discord was with Fluttershy inside that room. He wouldn’t risk having her hurt and stressed, so he stayed by her side for any repercussion.

“But I can see from the results that, other than the dark magic disappeared from her heart, that your friend is perfectly fine. She just needs to rest for now.”

“Oh, that’s good to hear,” Twilight sigh in relief, as did the others, “Can we see her?”

The doctor holds up his hoof to her, “You can, but not right now. She and her companion requested that they’ll be left alone for a while. I’ll be sure to pick you up when she’s ready.”

“We understand,” Twilight spoke, “and thank you, doctor.”

The doctor nodded to the princess before he took his leave to attend his other patients.

“I guess we can leave now,” Applejack said as she and the others walk down the hall away from Fluttershy’s room.

“Do you think that she’ll agree becoming a bearer?” Rainbow asked Twilight concerned.

“I hope so,” Twilight replied, “But we’ll just have to wait and see.”

---

Meanwhile, once the doctor has gone through the door, Discord sighed in exhaustion, “Ah, that took forever!” He then turned to Fluttershy, who lied on a hospital cot, “Are you feeling alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Fluttershy replied, “You asked me that four times now.”

Discord blinked, “Did I?”

Fluttershy nodded. She was starting to get worried about Discord, how he had been eager to stay by her side and hastily tends to her when she no least than needs a drink of water. She appreciates the comfort he’s giving her, but she knew then that something was wrong.

Discord noticed her glass was nearly empty and attempts to snap his fingers, “I’ll refill your glass.”

Before he can do it, Fluttershy grabbed hold of his claw and stopped him. “Discord, please,” Fluttershy spoke, “You’ve been acting antsy since we got here. I think you should calm down.”

“Calm down?” Discord uttered confused, “How am I supposed to calm down when you’d just woke up when we thought you were dead?”

“Dis--!” Fluttershy tried to speak before she was interrupted again.

“I thought you were dead.”

Fluttershy stared at Discord for a moment before she gently guided him down to a chair right next to the cot. She sighed, “Discord, we didn’t know what was happening that time. I didn’t know that old mare was my mother, you didn’t know that I was under a spell. Let’s be grateful for the fact that everything is alright now.”

Discord sighed, I’m sorry. So much had happened for the past month and nothing’s been the same without you.”

Fluttershy had a thought and asked him, “Would you tell me then?”

He looked at her with a cautious glance. She then explained when she thought he might back away from the topic, “I obviously don’t know of everything that’s going on. If you can tell about it, then maybe I can understand what you’re feeling.”

“There was a lot more to it then you think, though.” He spoke in a nervous tone.

Fluttershy blinked, “What do you mean?”

He stares at her hesitantly until he took a deep breath, “I’ll start small and I’ll try to make it as smooth as possible.”

So, then Discord tries his best to explain everything that happened from when a changeling tricked Fluttershy to the visitation services to Fluttershy’s coffin. While that, he tried his best to keep some details vague as he still needs to confess to her later.

Time has passed when he finally reached the end of his story, “…. And that’s about it.”

Fluttershy sat there for a second, trying to process all of this information, “So…. Mother was only using me as a pawn?”

Discord nodded.

“And… and the element turned her…. Into stone? Is she….”

Again, he nodded.

“Oh. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

Discord stayed silent.

Then a thought came to Fluttershy, “But…. I thought the element doesn’t have its bearer. Shouldn’t it be activated only through the bearer’s will?”

“It is, but… there’s something that I didn’t tell you.”

“What?”

He paused for a moment before he asked, “Remember when I freaked out when I saw you glow for the first time?”

Fluttershy nodded in response.

“Do you remember the reason why I avoided you at that time?”

She nodded again, “You told me it reminded you of somepony. Somepony who’d hurt you in the past.”

“Yes, well….” Discord shifted uncomfortably, “That was only half a lie. It did remind of something, but it wasn’t a pony. It was more of a something. I didn’t want to tell you this because I thought it would scare you; But due to circumstances, I feel like this is necessary.”

Fluttershy asked in confusion, “What are you saying?”

Discord paused for a moment before he said it clearly, “Fluttershy, you’re the missing bearer.”

Fluttershy stood still with her eyes widen with shock, “W-What?

“You are the bearer to the element of kindness,” he repeated.

Fluttershy was understandingly in shock as well as confused. How can it be possible that she is the holder to one of the most powerful force of all Equestria? So many questions started rolling within her head and she couldn’t find one to pick first.

She then decided to pick the very first one, “H-how is it possible?”

“Chrysalis stole you on the night you were born. She wasn’t only using you—you were her hostage. She kept you there so that you wouldn’t be connected to your element. But once she saw how powerful you’d grown, she decided to have the connection gone completely.”

“So that’s why she tried to kill me,” Fluttershy uttered, “But… how could she known that I’ve gotten powerful?”

“Your glow,” Discord pointed to her chest before explaining, “Twilight told me that a couple of bearers from the past experiencing themselves glowing in their lifetime. It’s very rare and they don’t know why it does that—but mainly it’s there to help them guide their way. Since the elements had affected me so many times, I can sense its magic.”

Then Fluttershy had a thought that honestly disturbed her, “How long had you known about this?”

Discord choked and looked down in shame.

Fluttershy softly repeated her question, “Discord, how long had you known about this?”

After a moment of silence, he got the courage to speak, “Since you told me.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widen, “What?”

“Since you told me about you glow.”

Then suddenly, everything was starting to make sense for her. Not only of Chrysalis’ intentions on her, but on why Discord avoided her the first time and why has been so hesitant on telling her all of this. But then she felt disappointment. Why did he lie to her when she had given him her trust on many occasions? Why did he feel that now was the right time to tell her this, after everything that happened that could’ve had him killed?

She gazes up to him with tear glazing in her eyes, “Why did you kept this from me?”

Discord met her gaze and flinched at the tears. Nevertheless, he replied, “I was afraid that I was getting you hurt.”

“Hurt from what?”

He became hesitant to reply. Fluttershy spoke to him again, “Please, tell me.”

He sighed in defeat, “Hurt by the elements.”

She raised her eyebrow in confusion, “What do you mean--!”

His head snapped back up to face her and surprised her with his harsh tone, “You know I was imprisoned in stone because of them! And the princesses wouldn’t hesitate to have you on their team! If you learned the truth—if you bonded your soul to that element—they would force you to turn me back into stone!” Then gone was his frustration and it was replaced by worry, “And you would leave me alone. You wouldn’t want me anymore.”

Fluttershy grew surprised on this assumption, “Why would you think that?”

Discord slowly turned away from her as he uttered, “Back then, after I escaped, I’d made sure that I would never turn back to stone again. You’ve seen how exactly I was able to keep this up for this long. But then, when Twilight came, and I saw you glow, things had gotten complicated than I thought, and I got…. Scared. I realize now that you would never hurt me, but…” he sighed in shame, “That doesn’t excuse for the trouble that I’ve caused. For that, I am truly sorry. I’m also sorry that I snapped at you. The point is I was so scared of losing myself and losing you that…. I didn’t see I was damaging Equestria and you.”

Silence came between them once again.

“Is that all?”

Discord turned to her confused, “You’re not mad at me?”

“Well, I am upset that you lied to me; but I also understand why you did it,” Fluttershy scooted to the edge of her cot so that she could be closer to him, “I also can see from how you regretted your decisions, you’re at least trying to make up for it. And I’m proud of you for that.”

Discord blinked, “Proud of what?”

Fluttershy reached her hoof to gently caress his cheek, “When I first met you, I was completely terrified of you and I believe the words that the girls told me about you. But then I gave you a second chance when you saved me, and I offered my friendship to you. Only time went on that I saw as a funny, kind, intelligent pony that just needed to be loved. But then I saw you putting up this mask whenever you’re around any other pony and it made me sad that they couldn’t see you like I did. I just hoped that, one day, they will see the real you and that you wouldn’t be afraid of them anymore.

“Discord, you’d risk your life saving me and the element when we only gave you nothing but trouble—”

Discord interrupted her for a moment, “You weren’t any trouble; you know that!”

She giggled at him being concerned about her, “Not only that, you came to save my friends who were against you from the start. I can see from you escorting me to the castle that Twilight and the others came to respect you. I am amazed to see how much you had changed and see you now as the stallion that I l—!”

Fluttershy quickly covered her mouth in embarrassment; she almost blurted it out to him!

Discord raised an eyebrow, “I’m sorry, what was that?”

When she couldn’t answer back, he reassures her, “Whatever it is, you can tell me. Please, tell me.”

After a moment of silence and a deep breath, Fluttershy finished her sentence with a blush on her cheek, “…And see you now as the stallion that I…. love with all my heart.”

Discord grew speechless; he didn’t expect her to say the same way to him.

Mistaking his silent reply as confusion, she explained, “That day when I was attacked by—who I thought it was you, but it was actually a changeling—I was heading to your bubble. I’d talked about my possible feelings for you with Octavius and the animals and I went over there to see if you ever felt the same about me--!”

She was suddenly interrupted when Discord crashed his lips into hers, giving her a passionate kiss. She was indeed surprised, but that melted away and she returned it.

After the moment they let go, Discord simply said, “I hope this counts as your answer.”

Fluttershy asked with hope in her eyes, “So… you do love me?”

“Ever since that night at the pond,” Discord replied sincerely, “I had already confessed it to you while you were still unconscious, and I think my kiss actually broke the spell.”

“It did?” Fluttershy tried to utter out but Discord interrupted her again.

“But for your sake, I’ll try to summarize it while also taking away the depressing parts. Fluttershy, you meant everything to me. You were the only pony who even dared to come close to me and show me that I am more than the monster I was written to be. When I thought that you were gone, I felt lost and alone. I never want to feel that way ever again. I don’t know if I can make it work do to the fact that I’m immortal, but I will be willing to spend the rest of my life and the rest of yours loving you, if you are willing to do the same.”

Fluttershy shed a few joyful tears as she listens to his proclamation. She uttered as she grasps Discord’s paw that was holding onto her hoof “Yes, I always will.”

Discord’s heart leapt with joy when he heard her sincere response. Then a thought came to him, “Oh, I almost forgot!”

He let go her and he snapped his fingers. In his hands, Fluttershy saw it was a book, but then she took one long look at it and she lightly gasped in surprise, “Is… Is that…?

“Indeed, it is,” Discord replied, “The same first book you’d ever read. I was going to give it to you when I confess my feelings for you, but that was before you fell into a scary coma. You can still keep it; maybe you’ll finally finish that story with that sleeping princess.”

He hands her the book over to her and she stares down the hard-cover book with awe. It has been so long since she last since it, she felt a sense of nostalgia rush over her. But as much as she was grateful for this gift, only one thought came to her mind from Discord’s suggestion on reading on that specific story.

“Discord, what you had given me is thoughtful,” Fluttershy said to him, “But I’m afraid I can’t read this.”

He raised his eyebrow in disbelief, “Why not?! I had to hold back my trolling nature to ask Twilight for this—for the most part.”

“I mean I can’t read because I already know the ending of that story—now that I have my prince charming.”

Discord grew speechless from her statement and he felt compelled to kiss her again. He caresses her cheeks with his claws and brought his lips onto hers while she closed her eyes, giving into the kiss in bliss.

They remind locked into their embrace before they ended their kiss. Both were in complete bliss that they were able to confess their love and that they were free from all conflicts that were holding them back before. Now they can finally be at peace.

But then Fluttershy realized something. Not everything in Equestria is back from normal. For so long that she didn’t know she was the missing bearer, she can only hear from her friends how bad Equestria had suffered without her. Even if the conditions of Ponyville was improving as Applejack had told her and the fact that she doesn’t know everything of the world, there was still a problem that solely rested upon her absence on other parts of Equestria. She remembered on how connected she was when she saw the elements in front of her eyes and it was then she realized that her glowing was telling her exactly where she needed to go.

With that thought in mind, she decided to do exactly what her instincts had been telling her for the last 20 years.

She was the first to break the kiss and she looked up to Discord, “There is also that I should add to my ending.”

Discord blinked in curiosity, “What is it?”

“I need to connect with my element.”

His eyes widen in surprise, “You do realize that you’ll become a bearer?”

She nodded in response, still determined of her decision.

Discord, however, still felt uncertain about it. She doesn’t know much about Equestria and there is a chance that she will get hurt from all the dangers there is out there, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Discord, Equestria suffered because I have been gone for so long. Chrysalis made it sure that I would never know about it. You tried to, too, but that was because you were scared of losing me. And I thought my chest was glowing just because it had a mind of it own, but now…. I realize that it was guiding back home, back to the element. It must’ve known somehow that I was alive. From all the things that the girls had told me of how bad things are outside of Ponyville, I could imagine how horrible it is like for them. I need to become a bearer; that’s what I was born to do. And that’ll be selfish of me to just leave them after waiting this long. If there is any hope for anything getting better, it’s this.”

When his thoughts about this decision was somewhat skeptical before, it has slowly changed, looking at this sweet and bold pegasus before him. There was a reason why the elements would choose a specific pony the moment before their birth, and he can now see why it had chosen her. She had proved to be so compassionate towards others that she couldn’t bear for others to suffer from their circumstances. She also had the capacity of consoling even the coldest of heart into the best they can be, as Discord was already a proof of that.

It was clear in his eyes that she is more than ready to make a big decision like this. And with that thought in mind, he said back to her, “Well, I’ve kept you from it before. I’m not gonna hold you back from it now.”

Fluttershy smiled at his gentle and honest response, “Thank you for understanding. I should probably call the doctor to get Twilight here.” She tried to reach for the remote that had the assistance button before Discord could stop her.

“Already taken care of,” Discord stated before he snapped his fingers and Twilight appeared in a flash of light.

Twilight stood there confused, taking notice of the white light and where exactly she is right now. She also noticed that Discord and Fluttershy were in the same room.

“W-Wha...?” Twilight shuttered, trying to clear out her blurry vision.

“Sorry about that,” Discord said, “You’ll get used to it the more it happens.”

Twilight sent to Discord an irritated glare, realizing that he was back into his usual self after a long time. She then turned to Fluttershy with a gratified smile and gave her a hug, “Fluttershy, I’m so glad that you’re alright.”

“Thanks, Twilight,” Fluttershy replied before she broke the hug, “There’s something I want to tell you.”

“What is it?”

Fluttershy glanced up to Discord who gave her a nod that showed both understanding and approval. Feeling confident about this, she looked Twilight directly in the eyes and said back to her, “I want to connect with my element.”

Author's Note:

One more chapter to go!!

I wrote this sooner than I thought it would be, but I need to write and experiment what I want this to go before I forget.

The idea of Discord giving the fairytale book to Fluttershy and she refuse came from a reviewer from Fanfiction.net, Ponyloco. I love the idea so much that I decided to add it in, so I give credits to him/her!

Comments

[kurusagi16]

Wow! I didn't expect a new chapter to come up so quickly! Nice job.