Heart of Gold

by CartoonNerd12

Chapter 20

Fluttershy was utterly stunned when Discord finished the story, and he asked her sadly, "Now do you understand why I can't let her leave?"

She softly replied, "Yes… but that doesn't mean you should keep her here forever, her and her siblings as well as her unborn child…"

"I just can't let them go, Fluttershy, and even if I do… I'm not sure if I could handle it…" he closed his eyes solemnly.

She placed a comforting hoof on his paw and went closer to him, "Letting go is never easy… I had to let go of my family when I was kept here…"

His eyes widen realizing the truth behind that statement.

"You can do the same… I know you can…"

Discord said nothing and decided to change the topic by looking at her with a smirk, "So… you're a singer?"

She blushed and started fiddling with her hair, "You… you heard?"

"How can I not?! Your voice is so beautiful and haunting!"

"T-thank you… but it's nothing really…"

"Nothing?! Nothing?! I beg to differ; it most certainly is not nothing!"

"You're too kind…"

"Only to you, my darling…" he winced, "That is, is it alright to call you that?"

She shook her head, "I don't mind. I like it when you say sweet things to me…"That made him smile until she pointed out, "But you still have a long way to go before I can love you and accept being your queen."

He made a sad smile, "I'll wait as long as I have to my darling."

"If you like, I can talk to Applejack first that way it would be easier for you to talk to her and tell her what you know."

Discord slightly chuckled, "You can try, Fluttershy, but keep in mind that my servant can be very stubborn when she wants to be."

Fluttershy merely stated, "I don't care. This has to be done."

"My goodness, you certainly have gotten braver since our first meeting…" he quickly added, "Not that I don't like it! In fact, it's a very good thing for you."

She blushed, "Thank you, but I'm still not very good at facing my fears, when I got off the stage today I told the girls I wouldn't go back up there again."

"Well you just need more practice! Tell you what, let's spice up our agreement shall we?"

She eyed him suspiciously.

He held up his paw and claw in defense, "Don't worry, you'll like this. How about for every night that you perform with the Pony Tones, I will permit one servant a day off. How's that?"

Her eyes widen at this, "You-you would really do that?"

"That all depends on you. If you can perform I can let my servants have day offs."

She smiled brightly at this and hugged him much to his surprise. Once she let go a tint of pink appeared on her face and said, "I-I should go back inside now… Rarity will be wondering where I am…" she turned to go but stopped herself and inquired to him, "Would you like to join us?"

For a moment there he seemed to consider it but then he shook his head, "I shouldn't, it'll just kill the mood and it'll become super awkward."

"Oh…" she voiced in disappointment, "I suppose you're right…" then she made a determined look and asked, "Well then, can I at least ask you for one dance?"

For the third or fourth time that night-Discord wasn't sure since he lost count-Fluttershy surprised him and he beamed at her invitation before he bowed deeply and held out his paw, "I would be honored."

With a bright smile of her own she took his paw and bowed her head. She then flapped up and slowly they got into a waltz position. Then together they twirled around midair with the moonlight beaming on them. In that moment alone, they were lost into each other's eyes and forgot every bad thing that has ever happen to them.

It was something that neither of them wanted to end.

But alas it had to end as they moved back to the roof and Fluttershy had to go. The draconequus and the pegasus were sad to part from each other that when they weren't in each other's sights a resolve came over them that they were willing to make sure that they could be together no matter what.

---

"NO! Absolutely not!"

"But Applejack…" Fluttershy tried to say when she and the kitchen maid were in the kitchens that night after the party died down.

"Did ya not hear me?! I said 'no'! I won't talk to that varmint!"

Fluttershy tried to reason, "I know you had to suffer greatly especially now with your newborn coming and he's forcing you to stay because of that… but… if you just listen to what he has to say, I think you'll find that he's more then what he seems to be…" her eyes went soft when she said that.

Applejack gapped at this and said in disbelief, "Sugar cube… do ya hear yerself? You sound like… like you actually care for him…"

Fluttershy frowned, "And if I do?"

AJ's mouth widen and she shouted out, "But ya can't! He's nothin' but a heartless monster!"

Fluttershy gasped and retorted, "He isn't!"

"And how would ya know that? You haven't been here that long! I on the other hoof have been here since the day I was born!" she snorted in irritation.

The pegasus went quiet and her eyes casted down then she softly uttered out, "I can't force you to talk to him… but listening to his side of the story would help in more ways than one. He wants to change, Applejack but he needs someone who will give him a chance…" on that note she left.

Silence filled the room and Applejack pondered over Fluttershy's words while muttering out, "She's wrong… She has to be… That monster had to have tricked her…"

A voice suddenly said, "I knew you wouldn't give in so easily, I tried to warn her."

Applejack looked around the room and saw no one, with a scowl on her face, she demanded, "Show yerself, you coward!"

Discord popped up and faced the expecting mare with crossed arms, "I've banish ponies for less you know."

She bitterly replied, "If I wasn't so concern for mah child's safety, I would gladly take banishment over imprisonment any day."

"And yet, imprisonment is what keeps you safe." He countered.

"Safe?! Safe?! That's a poor excuse if I ever heard one! Admit it! The only reason my brother, sister, and I are still here because it's because yer punishing my parents for what they've done!" she panted heavily from her rant.

Discord frowned deeply and clutched his fists. He turned around, closing his eyes somberly. He slowly started, "At first… it was a punishment… but afterwards… I realized how much I needed to protect their children… As they were the only reminder I had of the two greatest servants a king could ever have…"

Applejack's face slowly went soft and her eyes widen at hearing those words.

Discord faced her again with sad eyes, "But more importantly… they were the only friends I had ever made during my darkest hour…"

She covered her mouth, she tried to find any hint of lying in his words but for the life of her, she couldn't. Just seeing the sad look in his eye told her he was telling the truth much to her surprise.

"Go wake your siblings, it's time I show you everything about your parents."

Applejack didn't hesitate and ran out of the room. In moments, she came back with Big Mac and Apple Bloom. The siblings were distrustful toward the king but seeing the expression on his face made them gape and he told them.

"You obviously know how your parents came here but what you don't know is that the castle was much worse before they arrived…" he lifted his fingers and snapped them.

The Apple siblings and Discord soon found themselves in the throne room but they were transparent and the room was dark and creepy looking with plunder vines decorating the walls.

Applejack asked, "Where in the hay are we?"

Discord replied, "In the past."

And sure enough, a unicorn king that was of course Discord entered the room and sat on his throne with a dark expression on his face. Shortly afterwards, the throne room doors opened with a guard walking in who looked like an older Flash Sentry with build. The Apple siblings figured that was Flash Sentry's father.

The guard bowed before the king, "Your Majesty, a young couple wishes to meet with you."

He sighed in annoyance, "Bring them in."

The guard nodded and in minutes he brought in the couple.

The Apple siblings could feel their tears welling up at seeing their parents. Apple Bloom went up to them and tried to touch them but her hoof went through them painfully reminding her that they were just shadows of the past. She went back to her brother and sister and Big Mac wrapped a comforting hoof around her as they watched the scene play out.

Bright Mac approached the king, "Your Highness, my wife and I thought it over and we decided to agree to your deal."

"Fine," he magically summon a contract and held it up to them, "as per agreement, the feud between the Apples and the Pears shall end once you've accepted to be my servants for a lifetime."

The couple exchanged somber expressions with Buttercup saying, "Anything to bring our families together and to end the hatred…"

Bright Mac sadly nodded and both of them signed their names.

The king took back the contract and stated, "And as proof I've kept my end of the bargain…" he lit his horn and a moving picture came up with a middle-aged Granny Smith and Grand Pear being in the amidst of an argument no doubt about their kids running away to be together until suddenly sparkles surrounded their heads and they looked like they were in a haze. They looked at each other in confusion before starting to chat away happily like two old friends.

The king explained, "I erased all memory of them feuding and instead they think they're friendly neighbors to each other."

Buttercup and Bright Mac exchanged a look, unsure if this was a good thing or not. But the deed was done and now it was time to keep their end of the deal as they bowed before the king.

Applejack questioned to Discord, "You put a spell on our grandparents to get along?"

Discord shrugged, "It was the only solution I had then."

She just rolled her eyes.

Discord then snapped his fingers and they found themselves in a fast moving montage of their parents serving in the castle. Bright Mac was the head groundskeeper naturally as that was the job Big Mac inherited from while Buttercup was a kitchen maid as what Applejack was now.

Discord narrated, "As hard-working ponies all their lives, your parents naturally did their jobs so well that it actually impressed me. I had your mother serve me my meals personally and she genuinely cared if I actually enjoyed them. As for your father, his honesty won me over and so I made him a trusted advisor."

The siblings gapped at this information.

Then he lowered his head sadly, "But as the years passed I witnessed firsthand of how they gained a family and jealousy started to rear its ugly head. I was upset at how much attention they were putting toward their children and how much love they always had for each other that when you were born, Apple Bloom, I decided enough was enough and I banned love all together from the castle."

He snapped his fingers and the montage stopped at the throne room again only it was more like it was present time without the creepy décor. They were still in the past as Bright Mac and Buttercup faced the king with sad expressions.

Bright Mac started, "Banning love is not the answer, Your Highness…"

The king gruffly replied, "I should have done it years ago, if you ask me. Love is worthless to have!"

Buttercup countered, "But that's not true! Love is the most important thing in the world!"

Her husband added, "And we should know, Buttercup and I gave up everything just so we could be together!"

Applejack saw Discord shamefully turning his head away and cringed as he heard his past self said.

"And you would still be running were not for me! I made sure that your families stopped fighting so that you could be together without regret! Or have you been so busy with your children lately that you forgot this!"

Buttercup angrily stated, "Our children have nothing to do with this! We made the deal with you and we will uphold it!"

Bright Mac mentioned, "That's right, and you will not keep them here as you have kept others here since their childhood."

The king was taken aback by their words then he scowled, "You forget your place, you two…You are forever indebted to me and so are your children. You and your precious family will never be free for as long as you live. Now go."

Bright Mac and Buttercup made small gasps and quickly they ran out of the room.

Discord snapped his fingers and they found themselves back in the present where they all started down the trip to memory lane. The draconequus moved away his old friends' children and looked out the moonlit window while the siblings stay in the shadows and watched him.

He solemnly said, "It was all my fault… I provoked them to leave… If I hadn't let my jealousy get in the way… they would still be here…"

The three ponies exchanged glum looks and for the first time ever they felt sorry for the enchanted king. They lost their parents but he lost the only friends he ever had…

He continued, "Eventually I found out what happen to them, turn out they wandered into an Ursa Major's cave by accident, the mother thought they were threatening her child… Needless to say, they were badly injured and they tried to get back to the castle on their own until the guards found them… And well, you know the rest…" he turned to face them, "I was so upset upon their deaths… the only thing that kept me going was that I had their children as a reminder of them…" he slightly chuckled, "All three of you have shown traits of them that I knew I had to make sure you didn't fall under the same fate as your parents did. Or any servant for that matter. I keep all of you here under lock and key so you'll be safe."

Apple Bloom spoke, "Well sure, but… is bein' safe really worth bein' trapped here?" she looked at him with big eyes.

Discord sighed, "I just can't let history repeat itself…" then he popped away leaving the siblings to dwell on all that's happen.

Comments

[Godslittleprincess]

That was SO SAD! That was so much more emotional than Discord pulling a Frollo.

[Queen Goodfay]

The king gruffly replied, "I should have done it years ago, if you ask me. Love is worthless to have!"

If Cadence had heard you say that she would have you turned to stone!!