Kindness and the Seed of Shadow

by Raven-Flight

In the library

Fluttershy woke up the next morning to breakfast in bed. A whole buffet of waffles, hash browns, fresh fruit, and a parfait was dangling from a branch above her head. Even a steaming cup of tea was there, refusing to spill though the cup was upside-down.

“Look! No paws or claws or hooves required!” Discord had been lying in bed next to Fluttershy, and when she turned to look, he stretched his neck and started eating right off the tree. Fluttershy followed suit, but only managed to finish half a waffle and a bite of parfait before her stomach started protesting.

“Thank you, Discord. This is all very nice, but it’s a little more than I can handle right now.”

“Nonsense! Your body needs nourishment at a time like this. I forbid you to leave this bed until you’ve had more to eat!” A cage descended over the entire bed and breakfast setup for emphasis.

Fluttershy rolled her eyes. “Discord, I need to get going. If I get to the castle library early enough, maybe I can catch Twilight there and get her help in my research. I’m sure I’ll be plenty hungry in an hour or two; maybe you could package some of this up for me, and I’ll take it to go?”

“But you really should be resting!”

She responded with a stare.

“Ugh, very well, since I see you’re determined.” The cage disappeared and little bubble-like packages grew around some of the food, which then dropped off the branch like overripe fruit. Fluttershy set them on the nightstand and scooched toward the edge of the bed. Discord slid himself under her back to help her tilt down onto her hooves. He then gathered the packaged food in a bag and slung it over his shoulder. “I might as well come too. I have some research of my own I’d like to do.”

“Oh, okay! I certainly never mind your company.” The sweet smile she flashed at Discord set his heart a-flutter. Sometimes he worried his presence was overbearing, but he could never stand to be very far from her for too long anymore. How fortunate she had more tolerance for his presence than her friends did!

“Well then, shall we?” Discord poised his fingers to snap.

“Wait! The gardens are so lovely, and I rarely get to see them anymore. I was really hoping to walk this morning.”

“I suppose it’s not that far. But if you change your mind on the way, don’t you hesitate an instant to let me know!”

Fluttershy laughed. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

Their walk really was short—not more than ten minutes by the shortest route and at a normal pace. Of course it took Fluttershy rather longer than that and wore her out to cross from her cottage to the castle, but the air was refreshing, and, much to Discord’s dismay, she never changed her mind. Not even when she noticed the strangers, those few ponies visiting the gardens that early in the morning, staring at her. With her obviously swollen belly and a doting draconequus beside her, Fluttershy could have no doubt what they were thinking. The new flowering hedges that rapidly grew up to block the strangers’ views did help her keep her nerves, though.

~*~*~*~

“Fluttershy, Discord, welcome! What brings you here so early in the day?” Twilight set down a quill as she greeted her friends. There were four books open and at least a dozen more stacked on the desk where she sat, with titles like Ramifications of Trauma and Psychological Case Studies, Vol. IX.

“I’m here to do some research,” Fluttershy started, noting how wide Twilight’s eyes grew as she spoke. “Rarity asked me a question yesterday, and I realized it would be best to have an answer for it. Would you maybe have a few minutes before court begins to help me get started?”

“Of course,” Twilight exclaimed almost before Fluttershy had finished asking. “So, what’s the question?”

Discord had been scanning the library. He must have found what he was looking for, as Fluttershy felt him leave her side and begin floating upwards. “I’m here for research too, but I won’t require any assistance,” he called as he soared away.

“Good luck!” Fluttershy turned back toward Twilight. “What are shadow ponies? Will my foal be some sort of hybrid? What can I expect?”

“Oh. Yes, those are important questions. Hmm. I know shadow ponies are considered to be distinct from your typical pegasus, unicorn, or earth pony, but to what extent are their unique features heritable? Has there ever been such a cross? Huh! I don’t know why I didn’t think about this sooner! Fluttershy, do you realize you and your foal might represent an important scientific discovery? We’ll need to design some studies! This could be a—”

“Twilight! Please, um, slow down a moment.”

“Right, sorry.”

“I need to take this one question at a time, starting with what shadow ponies even are, if they’re really so different from us. Are you sure it’s not too much trouble to help me? I know you’re busy with your royal duties.”

“Of course I’m helping you! These kinds of questions will need expert inquiry. It might take all day—or longer! I can set aside the duties for a little while.”

“You can? I mean, you’re the princess, but… Is that a good idea?”

Twilight laughed. “I appreciate your concern, Fluttershy, but I’m not pretending to try to rule exactly like Celestia and Luna did. I’ve already set up policies and appointed officials to cover for me for just this sort of thing. I mean, I may not freak out as much as I used to, but I’m always going to need the occasional library binge. I hope Equestria can respect that. Besides, this project would be a great way for me to test out those policies to make sure the kingdom can really run smoothly without me on a normal day.”

“Well if that’s the case, I’ll be glad to have as much help as I can get! Thank you, Twilight.”

“My pleasure! Now before we get started, did you happen to have any idea what Discord came here to research?”

“No, I’m afraid I don’t know. Why?”

Twilight pointed toward a distant alcove in the library that was glowing with a colorful aura. “It looks like he’s found it necessary to scour the entire Rare and Magical Creatures section. I just hope he puts all the books back where he found them when he’s finished...” The two friends giggled as Twilight led them toward the historical archives. They collected a few books there, including a pamphlet that Twilight had written herself detailing the contents of a diary she had found deep in the castle at the Crystal Empire. Next was a neglected corner of the extensive Magic and Spells section, where an ominous old book joined the collection floating along in Twilight’s aura.

Once Discord had apparently moved on, they also browsed the Rare and Magical Creatures section. The Lord of Chaos must have returned the books properly, as Twilight had no trouble sweeping through the stacks and picking out the ones she thought they might need. But just before they left the area, the alicorn paused.

“Wait a second. The whole library should have been converted over to the Library of Congress system by now; it’s been moons since I gave the order...” Twilight re-examined one of the shelves. “This section is all in Dewey Decimal!” Steam might as well have started pouring from her ears. “DISCORD!”

There was no response, not even the most distant chuckle. It was uncharacteristic for the trickster not to gloat over his jokes.

“Huh, I wonder what he’s up to...” Twilight mused, her anger suddenly dissipated. She walked out into the main isle, peered up and down, and stifled a laugh.

“What is it?” Fluttershy followed Twilight’s gaze and spotted the end of Discord’s tail poking out from between the shelves at the other end of the library.

“Whatever his inquiry had been, he must have gotten an answer. He’s moved over to Fiction—the Romance section, actually. My my, what can he be up to?” A knowing grin spread on Twilight’s face as she gave Fluttershy a playful nudge. “Anyway, I think we’ve gotten just about everything we need. Come on; now the fun begins!”

Fluttershy followed to a nearby table, her cheeks hot with a blush after Twilight’s jesting. Soon they were both poring over their stack of books, taking notes whenever they encountered a piece of information that seemed relevant.

After three books had moved to Fluttershy’s “done” pile, and twelve to Twilight’s, there was a sudden sound of pounding rain. Fluttershy looked up to see the alphabet cascading down onto their table, and while she was safe due to the umbrella Discord was holding over her head, Twilight and her notes were very quickly covered in gibberish.

“Hey!” spouted the alicorn, now frantically moving her books and notes out of the literary downpour.

Discord took no notice. “I think I’ve wrapped up my own little research project, so I’ll be heading out now. But if you should need anything, just speak my name and I will return. Seriously! Papercut, out of food, foal’s coming—”

Fluttershy held up her hoof. “Discord. Thank you, but I’ll be fine.”

“I know, I know.” He leaned down and gave Fluttershy a peck on top of her head. “See you later, my dear!” With that, Discord vanished in a flash of light, and so did the puddles of letters that had accumulated on the table. Twilight, too, was no longer sprinkled in characters, except for a few still lingering across her forehead. They spelled “e g g h e a d”. The flustered alicorn couldn’t understand at first why Fluttershy burst out laughing.

By the time Twilight had magicked her forehead clean and gotten her books and notes re-organized on the table, Fluttershy’s stomach decided it was time for brunch and released a startling symphony of gurgles and howls.

“S-sorry,” she cowered, but it was too late: her noise had summoned a beast.

Poing, poing, poing, poingpoingpoiNGPOINGPOINGPOINGW H U M P

“Hiya, fillies!” Pinkie Pie suddenly landed on the table, and Twilight wailed in agony as pages of notes went flying.

“Pinkie!” Fluttershy beamed. “So good to see you! What brings you to Canterlot today?”

“PAPER!”

“Um… what?”

“See?” Pinkie Pie whipped a sheet of vibrant tie-dye paper out of her mane. “It’s a letter from Cheese Sandwich I just got! He says he’s coming to Ponyville for a visit in a couple weeks, so I’m putting together a welcoming party! There are a few extra special party supplies I needed that I can’t get back home, and I thought as long as I had to come to Canterlot, I might as well make the trip FUN and see my old pals! Don’t’cha think??”

Twilight by now had gotten over the shock of Pinkie’s boisterous arrival. “Of course! Any day we get to see you is automatically a fun day, Pinkie.”

“D’aww, you sure know how to warm a mare’s heart!” Pinkie paused for a moment, then bounced as if re-inflating. “But hey! I heard somepony’s tummy making a ruckus, so I came to help!”

Fluttershy retrieved the bag of food Discord had left with her. “Oh, no need, Pinkie. I brought some food along this morning.”

When Pinkie saw the fruits and waffles her friend was unpacking, though, her eyes grew humongous. “But where’s the syrup? The whipped cream? The sprinkles? That’s no good at all! I’ll be right back!” And she was gone as suddenly as she’d appeared.

“Well,” Twilight started, tapping her notes into an orderly stack, “I suppose now would be as good a time as any to take a break and maybe start putting some of our thoughts together. How are you coming along?”

“I’ve found some things that seemed pretty important, but to be honest, I don’t really know what to make of any of it yet. I could really use your insight.”

The two ponies whipped around to look when the library door suddenly banged open. It was Pinkie Pie again, naturally, now with a rolling cart packed with food.

“Make way! Pinkie’s traveling brunch buffet has arrived! Fluttershy, here you’ll find the syrup and whipped cream and chocolate sauce and caramel sauce and caramel candies and chocolate chips and the sprinkles! And I didn’t want you to feel left out, Twilight, so I brought some muffins and scones and strawberries and and and OH! There’s also juice and tea and coffee and hot cocoa and whatever your stomach or your heart desires! Dig in!”

Twilight and Fluttershy sat dumbfounded for a moment before the princess was finally able to find her words.

“Wow, Pinkie, you really went all out! Thanks!”

“Anything for my best-est friends!” The earth pony pulled up a chair and filled her own plate of goodies. “So, what are you guys doing so intensely here in the library this morning? Book club? Reading contest?”

Fluttershy washed down a mouthful of waffle and answered. “Twilight’s agreed to help me with some important research.”

“OOH, sounds exciting!”

“It sure is!” Twilight burst, spraying pastry crumbs all over her plate. “We’re learning more about the shadow ponies to try and figure out what Fluttershy’s foal might be like. As far as we know, there’s never been another successful shadow pony-pegasus cross! This could be an important scientific discovery!”

Pinkie Pie gasped. “You’re right! What a great surprise! Fluttershy’s little foal is going to captivate the whole world! Oh, do let me foalsit sometimes, Fluttershy! I just can’t wait to meet her—or him!”

“Me too,” Fluttershy returned, “But I want to be as prepared for anything as I can be. That’s why we’re here. Twilight, this book Sentient Beings of the Non-pony Kind talks about how most shadow ponies take the form of unicorns and can transform at will into clouds of shadow, but if their horns break, they die. What do you think that means? Are the shadow ponies descended from unicorns, or is it, maybe, the other way around?”

“Maybe neither. This book I’ve been reading on Properties of Dark Magic mentions them as some sort of golem. Shadow ponies are what happens when dark magic gains agency and fuses itself with a corpse. So they seem sentient, but they’re just some sort of magical reaction between the destructive will of dark magic and the properties of the deceased brain it overtakes.”

Fluttershy furrowed her brow. “I’m not sure I’m understanding this.”

“It means however much shadow ponies seem to be alive, apparently, they’re dead, and their bodies are just acting out the evil intentions of the dark magic. Somehow, they can walk and talk, even eat and drink, or show some vestiges of a personality, all while being physically dead.”

Pinkie Pie’s elbows rested on the table and her hooves were on her face, which was twisted up in consternation. “So they’re, like, un-dead?”

“But if his body is actually dead, how did he…?” Fluttershy looked down at her belly. She’d grown enough and felt enough kicks to know that her foal was certainly alive, whatever that meant about the father.

“Huh,” Twilight mused, briefly closing her eyes in thought. “Now wait a minute. He kept a diary when he ruled the Crystal Empire, and I took some notes on it. I wonder if there’s anything he said about himself that can clue us in...” While Twilight scanned her writing, Fluttershy sat brooding and Pinkie Pie thoughtfully chewed on a blueberry-cheesecake muffin.

Eventually, there was a thump on the table, and Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie both looked up to see a frustrated Twilight slumping in her seat and glaring at the book she’d just slammed down. “This is not making sense,” she huffed.

Pinkie Pie jumped onto the table and pressed her nose against the recently-discarded book. “WHAT ARE YOU NOT TELLING US? Come on, spit it out!”

“Pinkie, it’s okay,” interrupted Twilight, capturing the excitable pony in her magical aura before anything regrettable happened. “It’s not what the book’s not telling me; it’s what it is.”

“What do you mean, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked, watching Pinkie Pie float back into her seat and blush an apology.

“I mean that as far as I can tell by what he said about himself, he wasn’t really dead, not at first, even though his mother was. The Crystal Heart affected them differently. It weakened his mother and the other shadow ponies and apparently eventually snuffed them out. But it didn’t start touching him until he had reached a certain age. So are shadow ponies dead, or are they alive? Was he really a shadow pony?” Twilight’s head dropped lower with every clause of confusion until she had planted her face onto the table.

Pinkie Pie rushed over to the hot water carafe she’d brought and swiftly delivered to Twilight a freshly-brewing cup of chamomile tea.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy gazed unseeingly into the stacks in thought. “...I seem to recall that he was certain of being a shadow pony, but… Come to think of it, I’m also pretty sure his body wasn’t alive in the usual sense. I mean, I did have to teach him how to sleep...”

Twilight looked up again and accepted Pinkie Pie’s offering of tea. “Alright, so he was born to a shadow pony with a living body, but at some point along the way, he became shadow pony enough to be hurt by the Crystal Heart, and by the time he captured you, he was dead. Undead. So at some point, his body died, but his… his mind didn’t? How does this all work? Wait, Fluttershy!”

“What is it?”

“Discord has him with him in a pocket dimension, right? Maybe you could ask him in person!”

“Oh, I...” Fluttershy began twirling a lock of her mane. “I’d rather not see him again. For a long time. I… I couldn’t...”

“But—”

“OH OH OH OH!” Pinkie Pie leaped out of her seat and started bouncing. “What if—” She froze and her eyes locked into focus somewhere off into infinity. “Sombra was born alive but with dark magic from his mom already attached to him and as HE grew IT grew until there was enough of it for the Crystal Heart to attack but he was still alive so that hurt so he destroyed the Heart and then his dark magic grew mature enough to take over his personality so then he killed his own body since he didn’t need it anymore and that’s how he finally transformed into a fully-fledged shadow pony!” Pinkie Pie sucked in a huge, loud breath and started bouncing again. “What’cha think, Twilight?”

“That sounds… Plausible, somehow. How did you…?”

The bouncing mare hummed a nonchalant “I dunno”. Then she halted when her gaze fell on Fluttershy. “You okay?”

Fluttershy was shaking violently in her seat.

Twilight raised a hoof toward her friend. “Fluttershy?”

The pegasus snapped to attention. “I, um, have to go. I—Sorry, it’s been lovely, but, um. Discord?”

“You called?” The draconequus spoke before his body even arrived in the room.

“Take me home.”

Flash.

Twilight and Pinkie Pie both stared at the spot where Fluttershy had just been sitting, and then they stared at each other.

“Did I say something to upset her?” Pinkie Pie finally asked.

“I guess so. —But I’m sure she knows you didn’t mean to!”

“Yeah...” Pinkie Pie looked down at the table for a minute, and all the books, papers, and half-eaten plates of food scattered on it. “So, uh, do you want some help cleaning all this up?”

Comments

[taterforlife]

Oh, this poor, poor Pegasus.

I'm loving all this magical lore, though. And once again, your characterization is spot-on. Raining alphabet letters! I wish I had thought of that!

Pinkie Pie was a delight in this, too. And Twilight teasing Fluttershy as Discord perused through the romance section was something I didn't realize I was waiting for until now!

I look forward to finding out what Discord himself is researching. Somehow, I don't think he's just looking for dating excursion ideas.

[Heartstrings1]

She responded with a stare.

Wait I thought the stare doesn't work for him

Twilight laughed. “I appreciate your concern, Fluttershy, but I’m not pretending to try to rule exactly like Celestia and Luna did. I’ve already set up policies and appointed officials to cover for me for just this sort of thing. I mean, I may not freak out as much as I used to, but I’m always going to need the occasional library binge. I hope Equestria can respect that. Besides, this project would be a great way for me to test out those policies to make sure the kingdom can really run smoothly without me on a normal day.”

So this takes place after the 2 parter finale or..?
The ending tho
Me: WTF WTF WTF WHAT'S HAPPENING IS IT HAPPENING ALREADY IDK
I look forward on what'll happen tho

[Raven-Flight]

10248137
A stare, not The Stare. Fortunately, Discord is sensitive to Fluttershy's desires even if the manipulative power of The Stare doesn't work on him!

Maybe I should make a blog post about the timing of this story; I can see how it could be a little confusing. I started writing this series shortly after the airing of the season 9 opener. The events in Kindness and the Heart of Shadow start there and mostly unfold in their own way, independent of the rest of season 9. Here in the sequel, the setting and Twilight's rule are kind of similar to the end of the show, but still ultimately an AU.

[GeekCat]

Ooh, this is already shaping up to be an interesting story! Good to see some magical lore, even if they're still trying to figure out exactly what Sombra is and what Fluttershy's foal will look like. I feel like Pinkie's guess could be pretty close, though.

Discord seemed very in character, here—you showed well how much he cares for and dotes on Fluttershy, but also how much he loves messing with others (especially Twilight) I do wonder what research he was doing, exactly...

Poor Fluttershy...I cannot blame her for not wanting to see Sombra for a very long time, or ever again. Glad to see Discord's willing to take her home whenever she feels traumatized or uncomfortable, and that her friends genuinely don't want to make her upset...they just want to know more things about Sombra in order to help her.

I'm enjoying this, even if I might end up reading it really slowly...

[Raven-Flight]

11001517
Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far, and I hope you find the journey worthwhile, however long it happens to take!