Festivitea
Discord plucked a neatly trimmed bread crust from the coffee table and slurped it up like a bready noodle.
“I must say, my dear, you have excellent taste in bakeries.”
“Why thank you, I’ll be sure to pass the compliment along. Pinkie will be so happy to hear it.”
“Pinkie Pie made this?” Discord’s eyebrows shot up high on his brow, then detached and fluttered away. “How odd! Did she finally deplete all of Equestria’s frosting stockpile?”
“I mentioned that I was looking for some new bread to make our sandwiches more interesting,” I said excitedly. Just thinking back on it made some of Pinkie’s enthusiasm rub off on me. The banana-pistachio swirl complimented the sweet carrot and ginger filling strangely well without being too sweet itself, and she’d been so excited to share it. “She’s been wanting to contribute to our parties for so long, you know.”
“Well, naturally!” Discord plucked his eyebrows out of the air with his eagle claw and casually smoothed them back into place. “After all, they involve the two of us! It’s a miracle we don’t have to hold crowds of fans at bay.”
I caught a glimpse of movement in the window. When I craned my neck to look I saw a crowd of Discords dressed in t-shirts and hats. Their apparel had our faces printed on them, and the gathered throng was excitedly waving in at us from outside. I giggled into my hoof before Discord dismissed the display with a snap.
“How is the tea, by the way?” I asked. “Zecora gave it to me. It’s called Rooibos.”
“Quite distinctive. Though I do believe it might benefit from a dash of lemon.” A bright yellow fruit flashed into existence in the air between us, neatly segmented itself, and then squeezed a slice’s worth of its juice into Discord’s cup. “Might I tempt you with a taste?”
“That sounds lovely.” A segment juiced itself into my cup then joined its fellow spent piece in a quick soar out the window towards the compost heap. Meanwhile, the rest of the lemon settled down on a freshly conjured plate next to the teapot for a game of poker. I took a sip and smiled in agreement. Lemon was just what it needed.
“Now then, I believe you were telling me about Princess Luna’s visit?” Discord asked.
“Oh, yes! Everypony in town is looking forward to it. They tell me she really makes, um, Nightmare Night, um, extra special.” My initial excitement faded quickly when I approached the topic of Nightmare Night. It was an unwelcome reminder of the uncomfortable night ahead of me.
“Planning to spend it in your usual way?” He sounded genuine enough in his curiosity. There wasn’t even a hint of judgment in his tone at all, but my heart sank a little anyway.
“Oh, um, well, yes.”
Discord simply chuckled and wiped his mouth with a napkin from the napkin fern that sprouted out of the carpet beside his scaly foot.
“Worry not, my dear. I’m certainly not about to pass judgment on you.” He dropped the napkin into the salivating jaws of the trashcan, swiped a cucumber sandwich from the table and tossed it whole into his mouth as if it were popcorn. “I don’t plan to partake either.”
“What?” I was truly shocked to hear that. Discord hadn’t been part of the Ponyville celebrations after his reformation, but I had always assumed that he spent the night much like Rainbow Dash did. Pranks were one of his favorite things, and with his magic he would be a natural fit for Nightmare Night.
“Why so shocked?” An arc of electricity sparked up between his horn and antler with a loud crackle.
“It’s just… I thought you’d like Nightmare Night.”
“Oh I do. Everypony going around all dressed up--” A dirty, patched suit appeared on him along with a greenish tinge to his fur and two metal bolts jutting out just above his collar. “--spreading mischief in the name of treats.” His costume switched into a high-collared black and red tuxedo with a bat-like cape. “It’s one of the most chaotic holidays around!” The suit was replaced by a wrapping of ancient, yellowed bandages. “Watching it all unfold is delightful.”
“Then… why--?”
“I am chaos, my dear. If I were to go out there and join the fray I would put everypony else to shame! Nopony could dream of matching me for chaos!” He floated out of his seat and posed dramatically, lion arm raised in a flourish. “I would be the talk of the town! The Master of Ceremonies! Equestria’s number one commodity! See the problem?”
“Um, not really. Isn’t that exactly what you’d like?”
“Oh indeed. But you must remember what you taught me about friendship.” His mummy costume vanished and he settled back (upside down) into his chair. “’When you’re friends, you can’t always have things your way.’ And while I could go out there and give those ponies the Nightmare Night of their lives… I don’t think Princess Luna would appreciate it.”
My eyes went wide when what he said started to sink in. Princess Luna still made few public appearances compared to her sister. Celestia lived in the spotlight with one formal event or celebration after another, all of them focused on her. Nightmare Night, on the other hoof, belonged to Luna. It was her night to shine, her chance to be close to her subjects and make them happy like her sister did. If Discord stole the spotlight…
Oh my!
“Oh, Discord! That’s so considerate of you!”
“Isn’t it though? I learned from the best.” He lifted his teacup to me as if to toast then drained it into his ear. “Although... I do confess to having a teensy little ulterior motive.”
“Oh?”
“This night is, as I said, chaotic, and Luna will be in the thick of it. Picture it.” He popped up behind my chair and lifted me up in a one armed hug with his lion paw, sweeping his claw as if to paint a scene before our eyes, which it did. “Princess Luna, one of the most powerful, respected, and respectable ponies in all Equestria is going to be out there, amongst the rabble, playing games, telling stories and, most of all, pulling pranks! For one night a year Princess Luna is going to embrace chaos!”
The little midair painting of Luna swooped back and forth across Ponyville, popping out of bushes, and setting off thunderclouds all around the tiny, painted citizens who laughed and screamed in delight and shock before the scene vanished in a flash of light.
“Now,” he set me back down on my chair and reappeared hovering in the middle of the room. “What do you suppose would happen if I went out there and stole the spotlight?” He conjured a shining spotlight for a moment before tossing it away to shatter into a burst of toffees. “She might take her ball and go home! She might abandon that beautiful chaos! Chaos is a wonderful, wonderful thing, Fluttershy. I want Luna to revel in it, even for just one night. Who knows? Maybe she’ll develop a taste for it? Just think of all the fun we could have then!”
“So you want to share your love of chaos with Princess Luna?” A mortar board appeared on my head and a scroll of paper landed at my hooves. Discord flicked the tassel from one side of the board to the other.
“You do catch on so quickly.” He vanished the props and poured himself a fresh cup of tea with his tail. “And they say Twilight is the smart one.”
“That’s very sweet of you, Discord.”
“It is?”
“Of course it is! You want to share something so very important to you with somepony else. I think that’s wonderful. I’m so proud of you!”
“You are?” Discord stared at me as if I’d grown an extra head. Or, well, the way a pony would stare at me if I’d grown an extra head. Discord would have thought it was hilarious, and probably would've been the one who caused it in the first place. Again. “But I have a selfish motive. I want Luna to enjoy chaos so that I can enjoy more chaos.”
“And I wanted you to enjoy friendship so that everypony else could live in peace.”
“Oh, that’s not the same thing,” Discord said with a dismissive wave of his paw. I set my teacup on the table. It was getting cold anyway, and I couldn’t stop to drink without breaking up our conversation. It felt like this talk was very important.
“The old Discord I met wouldn’t have even thought about what Luna would like. The old Discord would have taken over the holiday without even stopping to think about the future. Now you are willing to let somepony else have the spotlight. You’re willing to share your love of chaos even if it means you can’t join in. And besides, isn’t part of sharing always to make yourself happy? I know sharing makes me feel good. Sometimes I go out of my way to share something with somepony just to brighten my day.”
Discord stroked his beard thoughtfully. “So, even if you benefit from something, doing it can still be considered thoughtful and generous?”
“That’s right!” I said brightly. Oh, he was catching on so quickly. And he was really trying to understand, too!
“Bah!” He threw himself backwards over the back of his chair. “This friendship thing is so complicated.”
“But, um, it’s worth it though. Isn’t it?”
Discord snapped upright. Perhaps he could hear the worry in my voice, or maybe he was just eager. I couldn’t be sure. I wanted to think it was the former only because it would mean so much that he could pick up on things like that.
“I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Believe me, I tried and it was a terrible deal. Just imagine never having another tea party again.” He reached into his ear and tugged out a red fabric banner depicting a teapot that was crossed out with a big black ‘X’. “It scarcely bears thinking about.” The banner evaporated in a puff of turquoise fire.
“I’m very glad you feel that way. I love our tea parties. It really means a lot that you’re here today.”
“We’re still on for next week in my realm, I trust?” he asked hopefully.
I smiled warmly. “Of course we are! I’m really looking forward to it. Just remember...”
“’Be myself’, yes, yes. I promise you a delightfully nonsensical time! Just wait until you taste what I’ve done with the walk-in closet in the synesthesia suite!”
“I’m sure it’ll be lovely.”
“You know...” He leaned forward, a mischievous glint in his eye. “There’s really no reason to wait. Why don’t we spend tonight in my realm? What better way to get away from it all than by visiting another dimension?”
“Um, are you asking me to...” I ducked my head a little so my mane fell across my face, “spend the night?”
Discord gasped and sprung out of his chair. “A slumber party! I’ve never had a slumber party before! Hoo-hoo-hoo~! What a fantastic idea! We can spend all night playing games, telling stories, swapping gossip, doing each other’s manes, rewriting the very laws of space and time to our whims!” He made a quiet little ‘squee’ then leaned in close. “What do you say?”
“Oh, um, well...” A slumber party at Discord’s? That was-- well, after all-- “I wouldn’t want to impose.”
“Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it! There’s nothing like a good imposition. That is, unless hiding under your blankets sounds like more fun to you than hanging out with me?”
“Not at all! I just--” Oh, who was I kidding? How could I say no when he was so excited? Why was I even trying to find a reason not to go?
“Okay. But!” I added quickly when I saw him raise his claw. “Let’s wait until sundown. I need to be sure all the animals are set up for the night and that my friends know where I’m going in case they need me.”
Discord grinned from ear to ear. “Sundown it is! I’ll pick you up here, then?”
“That’d be lovely.”
“Excellent! Let me just tidy up and I’ll be on my way! So much to get ready, so little time!” He put a leash on the trashcan and snapped his fingers. In a flash he was gone and my cottage was back to normal.
“Oh! So soon? You forgot your teacakes!” I called.
His eagle arm popped up out of the teapot, snatched up the platter of small, brown cakes, and tugged them through the (much too small) opening. A pair of them flipped back out and landed neatly on a plate along with a fresh, piping hot cup of tea.
I smiled and shook my head. He was so thoughtfully silly sometimes. I scooped up the teacup and gently blew away the steam before taking a sip. As soon as I finished I was going to have to get straight to work if I was going to be ready by sundown. A slumber party with Discord. I was getting ready for a slumber party with Discord. He was inviting his best friend over for a slumber party on Nightmare Night. He’d decided, all on his own, that he would rather have fun with me than ruin somepony else's chance to shine.
Oh, I was so proud of him I could just burst!
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9362248
Thank you. When I first started writing these stories I hadn't intended on shipping, but I confess that ever since the way Discord acted in The Breakup Breakdown my thoughts on that have become... less dismissive.
Oh my God, you have such a delightful grasp of these two adorable characters. Now, my perception and recall may be a little colored by a recent influx of alcohol, but this story has consistently put a smile on my face from day one for the excellent capture of Fluttershy's voice and the way Discord's antics flow so naturally and constantly somehow without being overbearing.
9362376
Thank you, I'm glad you (and possibly your alcohol) enjoyed it. I'm especially glad to hear I've struck a good balance with Discord. It's hard to translate him into text and I spend a lot of time trying to make sure his little stunts feel like him without clogging up the pacing.
Like the synesthesia suite.
9362679
Thank you. It seemed like something Discord would have.
9363089
No it’s good. Just paraphrasing John Oliver’s description of a bucket of sloths.
What an enjoyable late night read !
9459513
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I've been working on more off and on for what feels like forever. Hopefully it'll actually be ready soon.
Ohhhhhh this is so freaking adorable. Fluttercord 4 life!
9503939
Thank you, I'm glad you liked it. I can only hope for more scenes of Fluttershy and Discord spending time together in the upcoming season.
Story 1: Jovialitea
You wrote it so well I honestly wondered if that was how you felt about such things too. 
Fluttershy dressed up like that and laughing with Discord would be adorable. 
I related so much to Fluttershy in that first paragraph. I really don't go for scary things.
Story 2: Hospitalitea
*Story begins with a very thoughtful analysis of episode events*
Er... Come again, Fluttershy?
She just finds every possible way in which she can blame herself, doesn't she? 
I loved your idea about how Fluttershy and Discord exchanged letters, very chaotic.
And the descriptions of what Discord's letters were like kinda make me feel like I wouldn't mind having Discord as a pen-pal. LOL. 
*Snickering*
The first half of the story - predominantly Fluttershy's thoughts and perceptions - gives us good insight into her choice to invite Discord to tea for the first time - which is a fantastic idea for a fic by the way. Firsts can be really fun!
You portrayed Discord with all his chaotic manipulations of the physical world nicely, and all while still getting across his cheery disposition - I especially liked the part where the clock acted up. 🕰 Well done!
I think this story was my favorite of the anthology thus far, though if your concern is that the first and second halves of this piece don't mesh like you'd like, perhaps a small extension would more neatly tie up Fluttershy's earlier concerns about the whole vine incident. 🤔
You could have Discord and Fluttershy have a brief heart-to-heart where she expresses her concerns and reassures him they're real friends and she'd never betray him, and then he could be all reservedly touched and agree to handle things better in future and trust her, you know. 😊 But I enjoyed this piece for what it was too. It was cute, unique, and fun! Now, onward to the next title!
Story 3: Festivitea
Way to bring back puns with a flair, Discord.
Awww.
He noticed that hers went cold because she was focused on the conversation. 
I wish the Discord in the show did more things like that. 
This was a rather nice read too!
Your reasoning for him choosing to abstain from something he would enjoy for the sake of another was both surprising and clever.
The way you write characters often seems to render them more easy to empathize with and understand - I'm guessing that may well be just your own considerate disposition shining through.
You did a great job with Discord's physical use of chaos in this one as well.
Thanks for the stories!
9680966
For Jovialitea, I do usually avoid things like horror films or especially grimdark entertainment, but I wouldn't say I'm quite as averse as Fluttershy.
I'm always glad to hear I've gotten Discord's chaotic quirks and gags right. He's tricky to translate into text without bogging things down describing all the things he gets up to.
It's good to hear that the characters come across in a sympathetic light. I mostly just try to fill in the blanks under the assumption of "never ascribe to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence, ignorance, or apathy".
For example, we know he abstains from Nightmare Night because, if he didn't, there'd probably be an episode about him and Luna butting heads. Knowing who he is and what he stands for, this seemed like why he'd do it.
Thank you for reading, and for your feedback!
Despite your jumbled mind or whatnot, your inspiration struck gold. Good job
9837725
Thank you, I'm glad you liked it. I've been stuck on the next chapter of this for what feels like forever because my mind decided it only wants to write about dragons now. I'd mark it as on hiatus but I know for a fact that I'll start writing it again the moment I do.
It's almost strange to hear so much from Fluttershy, but it makes a lot of sense for her inner thoughts to be so extensive, especially all the second-guessing she does. Like other commenters have said, you do a great job of weaving in Discord's antics without breaking up the narrative, and the portrayal of the friendship between the two feels very natural. Looking forward to more, whenever it comes.
10076506
Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! The second guessing angle is definitely one I have in mind whenever I work on this one, and I do still work on it, even if I make no progress. Discord is a challenge to write, but also a lot of fun. I've always wondered if the animators of the show felt the same way. He'd require a lot of extra work with all the unique things they'd have to make, but the room for creativity he allowed had to make it at least a little bit worth it.
I love this.
11126592
Thank you. It's always nice to hear that the little details work for people. Thanks for reading!
...I really need to finish the next chapter of this at some point.
11127149
If your update schedule is pure chaos, then you’re doing it right.
Please don’t quote me in that.