Bonus 3: Early Draft of Mayhem's second appearance
Knock knock knock.
Mrs. Cake heard the gentle rapping on the door. It was the weekend so they knew it wasn’t a customer. Opening the door she saw Fluttershy.
“Hello there, dear,” Cup said. “How are you? You’re looking a bit tired.”
Fluttershy nodded sleepily. She sighed. “I’m exhausted. You remember Mayhem, I’m sure?”
Cup nodded, frowning slightly. She certainly did, considering he had nearly killed the lot of them and possessed her children. “What about him?”
“Well, he’s improved a lot since you last saw him. I think you’ll find the change stunning.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Fluttershy giggled, her eyes slowing closing before she caught herself, shaking her head. “Sorry.”
“What’s got you so wiped out?” Cup asked with a little concern.
“Well… Mayhem has gotten attached to his new freedom. And to me. It’s like having my own kid. He always wants to play and snuggle and get hugs and kisses.”
She yawned, putting a hoof over her mouth. “I was right, you know. Once he got a taste of love and affection he understood why Discord changed so much. He is always doing things to try to make me happy. He’ll feed and take care of the animals, or give me flowers, or whatever else comes to his young mind.
“Don’t get me wrong. He’s a little sweetheart and so so adorable but he’s also very needy and demanding of attention. I just can’t keep up with him all alone. I could just tell Discord not to let him out when he asks, but I don’t want to push him away after all the progress he’s made.”
Getting a pleading look on her face she said, “I was really hoping that Mayhem could come over for a playdate if the twins are free. I need a break.”
Mrs. Cake squirmed a bit. “Uh… I really… don’t…” She trailed off. After everything he had put them through she certainly wasn’t eager to have him back, especially as she didn’t know whether he’d mind himself if Fluttershy wasn’t around.
She sighed. “After all you’ve done for the twins I can do that much, but could I make one little request?”
Fluttershy looked relieved. “Sure. What do you need?”
“Could you sleep here? Maybe in Pinkie’s room.”
“I don’t mind, but why is that?” she asked.
“Well, given what I saw last time he doesn’t care much for Discord, but he certainly cares for you. I’d just like you to be nearby in case he gets out of control. That way you can calm him down.”
She nodded. “Makes sense to me. There’s still a lot he has to learn, and self-control is going to be on the list for a while.” She gave Cup a hug. “Thank you so much.”
Cup gave her a hug back, patting her back. “No problem.” She waited, but Fluttershy didn’t let go. She heard a gentle snore, and she grinned awkwardly. Fluttershy going out of her way to help others could win almost anyone over. She couldn’t ever forget how Fluttershy had brought her children back to her when they had run away.
She picked Fluttershy up and set her on their couch for a short nap. The twins were upstairs playing, and her and Carrot had just been relaxing, so Fluttershy got to sleep without being disturbed.
After about thirty minutes she woke the pegasus up.
Fluttershy looked kind of lost as her eyes opened, glancing around and muttering incoherently. Once she got her bearing she realized where she was. “Oh, no,” she said guiltily. “Did I fall asleep on you?”
Cup laughed. “Literally,” she replied. “You gave me a hug, and then you were out.”
She sat up and stretched, yawning. “Sorry about that. I’ve just-”
“No worries,” Cup said, cutting her off. “You told me about how tired you were. I didn’t want you walking or flying home in that state, so I thought a little nap would do you good.”
She got up and stretched again, her front half going down as she pushed her front hooves out, then did the same with her back hooves. “Ugh. It helped, but I still feel like I’d rather go back to sleep.” Standing up straight now she sighed. “I’d rather get Mayhem first. Then I can sleep all I want.”
“Well, don’t push yourself, dear,” Cup said, patting her back.
Fluttershy gave her a tired smile. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” She went to the kitchen and splashed a little cold water on her face to help her waken more, then left and took to the skies, lazily letting the air direct her home.
When she got there she saw Discord seemingly sleeping in a hammock, but one of his eyes was floating above his body and following the movements of Mayhem, who was chasing some of her animals around.
As she landed she called out, “Mayhem!”
He screeched to a halt, turning in her direction. His eyes lit up. “Mommy!” With a snap of his claw he vanished, appearing in front of her. He began nuzzling her chest. “I missed you.”
Fluttershy blushed. She was honored that he called her that, but it was still an odd thing to hear. It wasn’t like she and Discord were dating, but anyone who heard him call her mommy would immediately assume Mayhem was the product of her and Discord being intimate. It wasn’t like he could be confused for anyone else’s son, being just a mini version of Discord. Of course she had nothing against Discord, but she just wasn’t into him in a romantic sense.
She put aside her musings for the moment. He was waiting for her to reciprocate his affection. Sitting down she picked him up and hugged him close. “Aww, I missed you too.” She nuzzled his nose, making some silly noises, and Mayhem laughed.
Another thought came to her: could Mayhem grow up? He was a personification of Discord’s magic, and he acted much like Discord had when he had first been released. Allowed freedom and the chance to be himself he was certainly learning new ways to be and maturing, so she wondered if the babyish form he was taking was deliberate. On the other hand, he sure acted much like she’d expect a toddler to. He was self-centered, always wanting attention and love, and didn’t consider the consequences of his behavior as long as he was having fun. If she continued to help him mature would he still keep that form but simply act different, or would his appearance change to match his maturity?
It was an enigma she honestly wasn’t in a hurry to resolve. His cuddly personality was a delight, and she wasn’t eager to see it vanish. The only reason she wanted to get rid of him for a while was just to focus on some other things for a while. Namely, sleeping uninterrupted.
She decided to get back on track. Setting him down she said, “I have a fun surprise for you,”
“Ooooh!” he responded, hopping up and down eagerly. “What is it, what is it?”
“Well, it’s not here. We have to go somewhere else for you to see it.”
“Okay!” he said, nodding.
“For now I want you to go home.”
Mayhem pouted. ‘Go home’ was Fluttershy’s euphemism for returning to Discord. “Aww, but I don’t want to go. What about the surprise?”
“Don’t worry. It won’t be for long.” She put her face right near his and planted a dainty kiss on his forehead. “Don’t you trust me?”
Mayhem opened his mouth, then closed it, and then sighed. “Okay, mommy,” he said in a defeated tone. He slowly lifted his claw, and then gave it an unenthusiastic snap, and his body slowly dissolved until it turned into a mist, heading to Discord.
“Discord!” Fluttershy called out. “Time to go.”
Discord got up, watching the mist enter his body. “I think you’ve unleashed a monster, Fluttershy,” he said dispassionately. “I can already feel him wanting to come back out.” He teleported over to her.
“No worries.” She gave Discord’s stomach a rub. “Once Mayhem proves that he can control himself we can leave him out all the time. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
Discord chuckled. “He liked that.”
“I’d also like you to start treating Discord a little nicer,” she added, her voice getting a bit stern. “You’re a part of him, so I think you should stop looking at him as just the cage that restricts your freedom and more like a friend.”
Discord rolled his eyes. “Well, he’s a little more reluctant on that one, but I feel like he’ll try if it’ll make you happy.”
“That’s all I ask for.”
Discord put a claw on her, and teleported them both near Sugarcube Corner.
“Well, here we are,” Fluttershy said brightly. “I told you that you wouldn’t have to wait long.”
Discord extended a finger and a plaid mist came out of his finger until Mayhem materialized again.
Mayhem scratched his head. “Mommy, what was the point of going home if I was just going to come out a few seconds later?”
Fluttershy picked him up and gave him a nuzzle. “You’re a being made of magic, so if that magic is used up you’ll vanish and your essence will once again be inside Discord. For your first time being out and also away from me I think it’s safer for you to only have a little bit of magic sustaining you so you can’t get into too much trouble if you lose control of yourself.”
Mayhem’s head tilted. “What do you mean being away from you?” He looked heartbroken. “Are you abandoning me, Mommy?”
She planted several kisses on his face. “Oh, don’t be silly, Mayhem. I love you very much. I just thought it might be nice to have someone your own age to play with for a little while.” She added in her head, ‘Relatively speaking…’
He gave her a sour face. “Like who?”
She gave him a big smile. “Come on, now. Don’t make that face at me.” She turned and gestured with her hoof. “It’s Sugarcube Corner. I’m sure you remember Pound and Pumpkin, don’t you?”
“Oooh!” His eyes lit up again. “Oh, yeah! They were those two kids I got to have so much fun playing with a while ago.”
Fluttershy set him down, getting her stern face on again. “And?” she said meaningfully.
He flushed a bit. “And…” He twisted one of his back legs around bashfully. “And I took over their bodies and tried to use them to hurt a lot of ponies… including… you…” His eyes filled with tears, and he looked like he was about to begin sobbing. “I’m sorry, Mommy!”
He was certainly progressing much faster than Discord had, whether that was because Discord had mainly been playing her in the beginning, or because Discord had already learned these lessons and Mayhem just wanted to see if they were valid for him as well.
Fluttershy hugged him to her. “That’s what I want to hear. I want you to take responsibility for what you did and apologize. If you really want to be allowed to be out all the time then you have to prove you’re mature enough to handle it. I told Mrs. Cake that you had really improved since the last time she saw you.” She gave him a loving nuzzle. “You don’t want to make me a liar, do you? That would make me feel so sad.”
He shook his head hard. “NO!” he said firmly. “I don’t want to make you look bad, Mommy.”
She rubbed his head. “That’s my boy.” She had that odd sensation in her stomach again. Even though she was gradually getting used to him calling her ‘mommy’ she had a lot more difficulty in addressing him in ways that made it seem like he was her son. She guessed she was just worried about being teased or disliked. Even though Discord was good now some ponies still had trouble getting over the days he used to cause chaos to reign. A few of them might react with disgust or revulsion if they thought Mayhem was biologically her kid, and she hated the idea of other ponies breaking off a friendship with her for that.
“Are you okay, Mommy?” Mayhem asked curiously. “You look upset. I don’t like it when you’re upset. I want to see your lovely smile.”
“Huh?” she murmured, pulling herself out of her thoughts. She saw the concern in his eyes, and suddenly felt an odd protectiveness for the young Draconequus. Even though, age-wise, he had several lifetimes over her, he still had the disposition of a five or six year old, with a bit of naïveté and innocence to go with it. For all intents and purposes he was a little kid just looking for love and guidance, and he had chosen her for that role.
Her concern for herself quickly vanished as she thought of how she had been treated at Summer Flight Camp, all the teasing and bullying and mocking. Mayhem was so different that she worried he would get it worse than her if she started bringing him out into public places more often. As she knew from her own bullies, and from watching the twins, kids didn’t have the best filters on their mouths.
She wanted to see him excel and grow, not think of himself as a freak. And when the taunting came, as she knew it would, Mayhem would need a safe space to vent his feelings, much like she had done for the twins when they were having trouble with their parents.
She hugged him close again. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly.
Mayhem felt drops of moisture hitting his head, and when he looked up into her eyes he let out a quiet gasp before holding her back. “Mommy, it’s okay. Don’t cry. What’s wrong?”
Why did it matter what other ponies thought? Why did it matter if he called her his mother? Even if he wasn’t her child by blood she loved and felt for him like he was. It was no different than if she had adopted him, which in effect she had.
“Oh, don’t mind me,” Fluttershy said with a slight groan. “I just feel I should be treating you better.”
“B-but you’re great!” he said. “I think you’re the best pony in the whole world!”
Discord gently chuckled. “Well, that’s something we have in common.”
Fluttershy blushed heavily at the praise.
Mayhem glanced over at him, thinking of Fluttershy’s request. “I guess you’re not so bad if you like Fluttershy so much too.”
Fluttershy beamed. “Hey, there you go!” She set him down and put a hoof out.
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Nice to see this story return, even if it is only for a bit. An interesting alternate take on how this meeting went and Fluttershy proving what a good mother she is.
11300759
Yeah... it led to better character development for Masky, but less for Mayhem and Fluttershy's relationship.
Thought it was the last of Andy Ray?..
AU CONTRAIRE, MON CAPITAIN!
!!!
I'M BACK
Wait a second...
O MEIN GOTT, 105 CHAPTERS JUST TO FIX THIS BEARD IN ONE SCE-E-ENE?!
11430234
Well, it only took ten months. Welcome back. I still check in from time to time, but I haven't written anything new for like 3 years. Knowing you're going to be reading again gives me more reasons to check in, but I'm not too fussed about grammar anymore. I'd rather just have your reactions to the story.
11433123
!..
...
!
.
Only one thing can deter me from reading
Desire for sleep
Can't go on for 24 hours...
...
...I've slept... and now NOTHING can stop me
...Except for hunger
...
* Oh Darn How Did I Miss All Of That
?!
But now one of them gets to get an extra door
!.. Do you get me 
?
11435829 No, I don't get it, because they still have an equal amount of doors. When Mayhem made the adjustments to their room he added an extra door to the hallway for whichever twin didn't have it on their side. Then with the panels he created a door in two halves so they could each lock their side. So that's doors apiece for both.
11435954
Weeeeeeell, that's not exactly wrong. While it's not going to be as physically painful as that the two of them are going to have a few worse days. We're close to one. Chapter 6 is where things get crazy, and it's probably my favorite arc of part 2.
11435829
It's been 2 weeks. I think you've slept and ate enough!
11448600
...
APOLOGIES FOR THAT!
I realise the old year's deeds are unfinished!..
Got sidetracked by "PAW patrol"!..
Attempted writing!..
Under any other circumstances that'd not be forgivable, but...
Happy New year!
!
May we all be happy!..
And happy new fiction
Happy new to-read list!.. to all of us!
Must put down those fics... and return to this one
...
11465689
It's been a while, but the magic notebooks have been a thing since chapter 18 of part 1. First it was just Peppermint and Pumpkin, then Masky got one, then at the twins party they all got one.
And the next part is another of my favorites. I like Flurry and her friend coming to an understanding.
11484370
Let us see, where I left...
Aha. I see...
You gave your character words: "You deserve to be loved, no matter what".
And I replied with:
And you were surprised: "THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING!!!"
While you said everyone deserved to be loved, I said the opposite.
Entitledness to love defeats its purpose.
If one is going to be loved regardless, there stops existing hatred.
And without hatred love becomes meaningless. Every bit of contrast disappears.
One can't have love without hatred, because love is supposed to be an inversion of hatred.
If love is given regardless, hatred disappears, and without it there is nothing to invert.
Love stops being love.
Try saying: "I'll always love you, my child, no matter what!"
"But, -- the child answers, -- you ALWAYS love me, no matter what!!! Even when you ground me!!! Even when you are disappointed!!! You give me cookies with love, and you spank me with love, and you send me to do chores with love -- all that you do with LOVE!!! 'Love' everything!!! When does it come to pass, that you ACTUALLY care about me, huh?!! That you forgive me my slip-ups, goof-ups and mistakes!?!"
"Mother! -- the child says. -- When I deserve the worst punishment ever... can you forgive me?.. And you, Father! Can you not hate me, when I betray everything you stand for?.. Tell me, please, how FAR must I push you to get ANGRY, GOSH DARN IT TO ALL HECKS!!!!!!!!!!?!!?!?!?.."
"My sweeties... -- the child says. -- When I screw up... you love me... And when I behave... You love me, don't you?.. Then what in the name of hecks?! WHAT IN THE NAME OF HECKS?!?!?!?!??!!!!!! Is it really sweet love you display all the time?.. or is it actually insignificant in every gosh-darned aspect of my wretched life?! If it's the same... are you actually behaving... any different from when I am sweet and innocent?.. Mom... Dad..."
"...Tell me, -- he enquires, teary, -- do you actually... l... l-love me
?.."
If they truly do, he will never "deserve" to be loved. No deeds warrant love. No redeeming qualities.
". [hug baby boy]
Let them show love. Let him utter in disbelief: "B-but w-why?!.. I did nothing to deserve any love!.." And they'll say: "Yes, we know, but to us you are really special for no apparent reason. Weird, huh? But such is the way of parents, honey
Now! YES! That is love! I already feel it to be the greatest gift of all
! A something that's not to be taken for granted -- oh, no-no-no!..
11486812
>You: give examples.
And yet not once did Crystal say to Flurry: Flurry, look me in my eyes... Flurry... Now, repeat after me... I am not a freak.
ALL I can see in your examples is her going on about how Flurry should disregard everything the-ponies-who-are-not-Flurry-or-Crystal say!
Not once does Crystal attempt to re-assure Flurry of Flurry's normalcy!
Only: "disregard them".
How am I supposed to behave??? What do I do as Flurry???
Do I believe myself a freak??? But if I AM a freak... shouldn't I do something about that???? If I am, I'm clearly broken or smth! Well, I like myself normal! Normalcy is for the win!!!!!!!!! I will become normal, even if it takes countless lives to do so!!!!
I do in fact think Crystal approves of that.
As in: instead of saying to Flurry: you are not a freak!!!!!!!! -- Crystal appears to say: "freak" doesn't mean what you think it does; it's actually a way the elite refer to themselves!
The universe is imbalanced now! Somepony, be Justice! Get things back on track! Approach Crystal and confront her!
No freaks are allowed to show up in between regular ponies! None, I say! All, shoo!.. Flurry! Where are you going to, Flurry?! Have you forgotten?! You are not a gosh-darned freak!!!!
11516571
Is there a better way? If one always focuses on the hurtful words of others then they'll always see flaws in themselves. The only way to rise above that is to become mentally stronger so their words lose their impact.
The question isn't about whether she's a freak, because she already owned that.
However, as she said to Crystal, it's easy to declare such a thing surrounded by friends in private. It's harder to put into practice in the real world. During their walks Flurry was outwardly focused on everyone else at first, but found her strength when she began being inwardly focused on thoughts of not being able to protect her friends because of shame over her big wings. Being able to help her friends meant more to her than whether some ponies thought less of her because of her wings, so it gave her the strength to rise above it.
Around the middle of the next arc, when Flurry finally returns, you'll see the fruits of her labor where she demonstrates her inner strength against Drill Bit.