A Distant Dream

by Sennerazen

1: Meeting

“Reform… Discord?”

Celestia kept expression serene. “I believe you have what it takes. His magic may be used for good, if you can convince him of it.”

Fluttershy set her teacup on the end table; her hand was shaking. “Discord... the god? But why… that is, why can’t you do it?”

"Your compassion exceeds anyone else's I've ever known. I don't want you to be afraid. He's locked away, both in a hidden room and in a chair. He can't hurt you."

Fluttershy's eyes darted about the sitting room of the castle until she found she could not focus on anything. "I don't know what I can do. I'm not good at anything except talking to animals, and Discord is not an animal. Is he?"

"I think you have a way with everything," Celestia said standing up. "But I can see you're distressed. Why don't you take a few days to think about it?"

Nodding, Fluttershy smoothed her dress as she stood to join Celestia, but she felt numb and hadn't meant to nod at all.

"Thank you." Celestia bent forward to lay her hand on Fluttershy's shoulder. "I'll be waiting for your answer."

***

"No way. No. Way!" Rainbow Dash was so disturbed she could not sit still, but paced Twilight's throne room in circles. "Are you out of your mind?"

"It does sound like a big risk," Twilight said. "Are you sure you want to go through with it? I didn't even know Discord was still alive. Has she really kept him in that prison for a thousand years?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "I don't know. I kept asking her what she wants me to do, but she never did give a straight answer."

"I'm certain she wouldn't willingly put you at risk," Rarity told her. "If she says he's locked up and frozen still, then he must be."

"It hardly matters to me," Fluttershy wailed. "I thought he was turned to stone!"

"I think you should follow your gut," said Applejack. "If you don't want to do it, then don't do it. I don't know why she expects you to be with him all by yourself. I wouldn't do it, that's for sure. What even is he?"

Fluttershy felt miserable, unable to make a decision, and already three days had passed. She trusted Celestia with her life, but Discord was... discord. Chaos. An enigma. What could he be like? A monster? A man? Some ethereal being of light? What could she, a nervous, docile young woman, do for something like him?

"Celestia must believe you have what it takes," Pinkie told her. "And she never makes mistakes, does she?"

"Uh," Twilight mumbled, hanging her head for a moment. "Anyway. I wouldn't mind going in your place, Fluttershy. I have an historical perspective about these things, and I can be very nice. I would love to get to know him. Maybe he's not how he's written in history books."

Fluttershy slumped in her chair, her legs splaying out. "She was very final. It's me, or not at all."

"Well, that just seems weird," Applejack said, yanking off her hat and placing it on the friendship map. "She must be up to something."

"I don't know what to do," Fluttershy sighed. "I want to help her, but I can hardly take care of myself. I wish she hadn't asked me."

Rarity and Twilight hugged her on either side, and Rarity said, "Perhaps you should ask your family."

Rarity's words caused Fluttershy to jerk back as if she had been electrocuted. "I could never tell them. They worry about me enough as it is. They wouldn't be able to sleep at night. They'd probably think of visiting Celestia to tell her off, but they really dislike confrontation, so they couldn't even do that."

Pinkie Pie produced a cupcake frosted with pink and yellow roses from seemingly thin air and handed it to her. "I'd love to meet Discord! He sounds like a fun guy. But Celestia didn't ask me..." She let her head droop as her hair began to flatten.

"That's right," Twilight said, perking up. "She's right. Maybe it will be fun. Maybe he's been so bored in there for so long, he just wants to talk to someone? Give it one try, if you really don't mind it. If you decide not to return, I know Celestia will understand."

***

Fluttershy found herself before Celestia the next day, though she was not quite sure why she was there; Twilight had a habit of convincing her to do things she had no interest in doing. But what were friends for?

Covering her eyes with her hands, Fluttershy said, “I’ll do it.”

Celestia hugged her, though Fluttershy could not reciprocate. “Thank you. I was hoping you'd agree. I think things will go better than you anticipate. Shall we head over?"

"Now?" Fluttershy squeaked, then cleared her throat. "I mean, I haven't prepared anything yet. I don't even know what I'll say."

"Just introduce yourself. He hasn't spoken to anyone but me in a long time, and he doesn't enjoy it." Celestia had wrapped her arm around Fluttershy's shoulders as they meandered down a series of corridors and stairwells. After they descended a particularly dark and narrow staircase, the emerged in a round turret room filled with sunlight and balcony on the far side. To the right was a heavy door of dark wood carved with symbols Fluttershy did not understand. Two guards stood before it, stony-faced and unblinking.

"Is this..."

Celestia nodded. "Right here. I'll wait for you. You don't have to stay long. And if you come into any trouble, just come right back out this doorway and my guards will help you."

Her throat dry and palms sweating, Fluttershy grimaced at the door, but Celestia lay her hands on Fluttershy's shoulders so they were facing each other directly. "It will take a long time, Fluttershy. Maybe more time than you have. You don't have to save him."

Fluttershy looked back at the door, her teeth clenched, hardly hearing the princess's words. “I’ll do it.”

The guards unlocked the three chains and two bolts from the rounded door and opened it. Fluttershy clenched her hands into fists, digging her nails into her palms, to keep from shaking as she stepped inside.

The room was bigger than she’d anticipated; there was plenty of space between where she stopped just inside the closing door and the throne where the Lord of Chaos sat. She heard and felt the door close, then lock, and tensed her shoulders as if something might fall across them. Then, silence. The floor, ceiling, and jagged, seven-sided walls were all beautiful facets of a bluish crystal. She thought for a moment she could see something moving behind them, but her eyes could not focus.

She looked up to see Discord sitting on the throne on the dais. He hadn’t moved. His face was down, his hair falling across it like a curtain. Perhaps he was asleep. Perhaps he knew she was there and wanted to rip her heart out. She swallowed and cleared her throat, balling her hands into fists for encouragement. She took one small step forward and stopped still when she saw him move.

His head was still down, but he was moving it slightly from side to side as if disappointed. His feet and lowers legs were covered in stone, which grew into his stone chair. His hands and forearms and across his neck were also stone, locking him in place. She was too afraid to move or speak and stood frozen, just as he was.

“Who are you?”

Fluttershy flinched at the voice. It was low and guttural and echoed around the chamber. She winced, ready for some attack, but nothing happened. Discord’s head was still down and she stepped backward so her back was against the door. “I- I’m Fluttershy. Princess Celestia wanted me to…” His lack of reaction unnerved her.

“Wanted you to what?” His voice wasn’t very loud, but in the crystal room it bounced off every facet.

“Wanted me to… talk to you.”

Discord stopped moving, but then his body shook and Fluttershy realized with some chagrin that he was laughing. He lifted his head a little and opened one eye; she could hardly make it out through his dark hair. “She told me she was sending in a friend. I had no idea it would be a scared little girl.”

Fluttershy lifted her chin and forced herself away from the door. “I’m not scared.”

“Why are you here? Where is Celestia?”

“She told me she couldn’t do this on her own.”

“Do what?”

Fluttershy glanced at his shrouded face and then at the floor. “Help you.”

He raised his head. Enough of his hair parted for Fluttershy to see that the irises of his eyes were red. The skin around them was swollen red and purple; he looked as if he had been beaten, or as if he had been crying for a long time. When he looked at her directly, she lost her nerve again.

“She wants to make you better,” she whispered, but her voice bounced around the room as his had. “She wants you to use your magic for good.”

Discord shifted what he could of his body on the throne. “My magic is for good. Your princess and I have differing opinions on what being good entails.” He waited to speak until she glanced at him again. “Tell your princess she’s wasting her time. And you’re wasting yours.”

This isn’t going well at all! Fluttershy thought. What would Celestia say? She had put so much faith in Fluttershy, despite Fluttershy’s protests. But maybe, this time, Celestia was wrong. Fluttershy hugged herself. “I will tell her.” She bit her lip, waiting for Discord to yell at her or laugh at her, or both, but he didn’t say anything after that. After a while she peered at him again through her own long bangs. He was staring at her, frowning, looking exhausted.

He really looks terrible, she thought. His skin was flushed and shiny, his white beard overgrown. She sighed. “You don’t want to stay here like this forever, do you?”

His expression didn’t change, and still he said nothing, but Fluttershy found his silence empowering. “Well?” she asked. “Celestia is offering you a chance to get out of here. Don’t you even want to consider it?”

Discord blinked at her and she fought to keep her eyes on him; his eyes were unnerving. “What’s your name again?”

“Fluttershy. My friends and I work for Celestia. We help each other sometimes.”

“But only you’re here.”

“Celestia asked for me, is all.”

“Why?”

Fluttershy hesitated. “She thinks I can help you.”

“And what do you think?”

She frowned at him. He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I don’t know what she wants me to do.”

Discord hung his head again, his eyes closing. “You do know who I am don't you?”

“You’re chaos incarnate.” Fluttershy swallowed hard.

He seemed about to fall asleep, but said, “I would show you something you want to see, but I can’t use my magic right now.” He shrugged his shoulders as much as his tethered arms would allow. “So you see, we are at an impasse.”

Feeling miserable and hoping for a way out, movement behind the crystal walls caught her eye. She was quite certain when she arrived she had seen trees swaying in a silent breeze, but now she saw thunderclouds roll in and rain fell in sheets. A flash of lightning startled her from her thoughts and she briefly narrowed her eyes. “Are you doing that?”

“Typical,” his sleepy voice echoed. “Everything always has to be sunshine and rainbows for you Ponyville kids.”

“I like rain,” she protested, absently taking a step forward. “It’s strange I can’t hear it, though.”

“You must be going deaf. Are you leaving? I saw you touch the doorknob.”

Fluttershy hesitated, tripping over her words in her mind. “Do you want me to?”

“Yes. Get the fuck out of here.”

Her tentative, strange feeling of hope was immediately dashed and replaced with a disappointment that confused her. She turned away and knocked on the door, where at once guards opened it and escorted her out.

Celestia was in the sun of the balcony, adjusting a spyglass she had aimed toward some trees, and was startled when Fluttershy said her name. “Goodness, girl. You’re quiet as a mouse.” She lowered the spyglass and her smile faded. “How did it go? All right?”

Fluttershy shook her head, uncertain she could speak clearly, but Celestia smiled. “No blood, no tears. Well, I might say it was a success. Shall I ask for you next week?”

She swept her pink hair from her face, unsure of how to answer before realizing she was always unsure about everything. She clenched her jaw and almost frowned at Celestia. “Yes.”