Discord is missing, and nopony else besides Fluttershy seems to care! Worried that something has happened to him, she leaves Ponyville to find him.
Discord is missing, and nopony else besides Fluttershy seems to care! She sets out to find him alone; meanwhile Twilight discovers the shocking truth. (Based on the Once Upon A Time episode Heart of Darkness)
Fluttershy sat before Twilight, a cup of tea tightly clasped between her hooves. Her muscles tensed, eyes roaming around the kept castle fretfully. The non-cluttered-ness of it all somehow made her feel worse. Discord had been acting strange lately, in an even stranger-than-Discord- way. He had missed several weekend teas, was not responding to her letters. Fluttershy became sick with worry that he’d been taken or hurt. The others…very much doubted this. Her bottom hoof began to tap the floor at a pace, eyes meeting Twilights for the first time.
Lips pursed, Twilight looked away. Truth be told she and the others were sure Discord was fine. She figured he was off somewhere wreaking chaos without their, as he put them, “annoying” platitudes of harmony and friendship. Well, it was fine by her if Discord decided to strew about his chaos someplace where innocent ponies wouldn’t be affected; and as far as she knew, Discord hadn’t been spotted anywhere stirring up trouble.
Fluttershy, on the other hand, was looking at her with giant, worried eyes, convinced that something awful had happened to him.
“Why would he miss tea? He lovestea! He can name so many I lost count!” She said. “He would at least answer my letters Twilight, I know he would!”
Twilight sighed, reminding her friend that Discord is an immortal, insanely powerful Lord of Chaos. Nopony could have taken him or hurt him.
“What about Tirek? Hm? He was powerful enough to hurt Discord-to- “
“Are you afraid of that happening again?” Twilight interrupted, now looking at the miserable Pegasus directly. “Discord…abandoning us? Turning against us again?”
A flash of hurt struck her eyes at the insinuation. “Of course not…I trust him…he would never- “
Twilight relented, feeling guilty for saying it. “I know you’re worried. But what are we supposed to do? My summoning spells aren’t working. I’m sure he’ll come back when he’s ready.”
Fluttershy looked at her, eyebrows furrowed. She’d hoped Twilight would know what to do, that she would offer to help. Instead, she was discouraged and made to feel like her anxieties were trivial. She knew had it been any other friend missing, Twilight would have jumped to the map without a pause, tenaciously searching until that pony was found. She knew her friends still held a small aversion to Discord…at least, they didn’t care for him as much as she did. They didn’t understand him, was all.
Conceding, Fluttershy left the castle feeling more hopeless than when she’d arrived. Her other friends, like Twilight, dissuaded her worries and told her to relax. But Fluttershy wouldn’t. She knew Discord would stop at nothing, and he had, to save her if something bad happened to her. So, she decided.
“I’m not sure when I’ll be back,” She told Angel bunny as she packed. “But I’m afraid this is my last hope.”
She then wrote a letter, imparted with misleading information about her whereabouts for the next few days. She knew it was wrong to lie to her friends, but she felt she had no choice. They refused to help, and they would no doubt talk her out of her plan if they knew. As she taped the letter to her door, a bad feeling formed in the pit of her stomach. She gave one last look at her cottage and vanished.
The train ride seemed to last much longer than usual. Perhaps it was because she was alone, and the pit in her stomach had only worsened since the train left the station. She couldn’t enjoy the views of the window as nature flew past her and blurred together. She couldn’t distract herself with an animal friend or hum a song to calm herself. The fear that Discord was in danger only permeated in her chest, tightening until she couldn’t breathe.
Finally, the train arrived, and she took in a gasp of fresh air as she departed. The Castle above her seemed much more imposing now; as though it were dimmer, cast by a shadow of fear and false hope. She knew this was in her imagination though, as palace guards smiled at her unbothered, welcoming her.
So, after some time and a heartfelt explanation of her worst fears, she stood before none other than Princess Celestia, anxiously awaiting an answer.
The Princess sat for a moment, considering all that the young mare had told her.
“It is rather odd that he hesitates to write even you back,” Celestia murmured.
In shock, Fluttershy agreed. “Yes…yes!”, finally, somepony was hearing her side. “I know Discord,” She told the Princess. “I know that if he wasn’t hurt or in trouble…he would let me know!”
Celestia nodded, scenarios running through her head. If Discord were taking a break to spread chaos where nopony would be harmed, why would he not write back young Fluttershy? Especially upon finding out about her fears? She looked down at the mare, who stared up at her hopelessly.
“I’m sorry to see that your friends have not joined you today, Fluttershy. I know they’ve learned better than this…a friend’s support means everything…even if one does not agree with her friend…”
Fluttershy looked down at her hooves. “They aren’t as…close to Discord as I am,” she said.
Celestia smiled softly, agreeing. “Yes, I see this. You have certainly changed him, and he’s changed you,”
The young Pegasus missed the overtone in Celestia’s words, as she began to pace the Castle’s walls.
“Do you know what’s wrong with him?” Fluttershy asked.
"I'm afraid not my young pony. Discord is not the type of creature to share his feelings openly. If he is truly unharmed, you may have to catch him off guard."
"How?"
"I can summon him, insisting that there's a matter of great importance I need to discuss with him."
"So... you want to...trick him?" Fluttershy asked softly, processing it. She didn't like the idea of that at all.
"Fluttershy, as odd as it sounds, I too am becoming worried. Discord has never disappeared before. If something has happened to him, it would explain why he would ignore even my summoning,”
Fluttershy shook her head, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. If Discord responded to Celestia’s summons, she would know that he’s okay. But if he didn’t…
After Fluttershy left, Twilight realized it wasn’t fair to brush off the Pegasus’ concerns. Fluttershy had been right, it was strange that Discord wasn’t writing her back. Discord was a lot of things, but if he knew Fluttershy was worried sick about him, he would ease her concerns. Perhaps he was busy spreading chocolate rain and his favorite new invention, ‘alligator-bunnies’.
So, she walked through the Everfree forest, fighting the urge to turn back. Her wings folded to her body as sounds of the wildlife scattered around her. Fluttershy had left a note on her Cottage door saying she was staying in Cloudsdale with her parents for a while. Twilight couldn’t help but feel responsible, so she had decided to seek help in a trustworthy friend.
Zecora greeted her at the hut in her usual cadence. The two hugged briefly and sat across from one another. Twilight explained the situation, hoping Zecora could shed some light on what had happened to Discord.
“I have the answers you seek, for the one who is so anxious and meek,”
“Fluttershy,” Twilight said. Zecora nodded.
“She’s so worried about him…worried that something bad has happened to him,” Twilight told her.
“Discord I have seen. He came seeking some special medicine. A potion of my own making, but not for his taking,”
Twilight cocked her head. “Why would he want your potion?”
Zecora sighed, her eyes to the floor. “To have feelingsnaught is what the Draconequus sought,”
“Discord…wanted to rid himself…of feelings?” Twilight guessed, eyebrows furrowed. “Why?”
“He would not tell me why, but my guess is it is something to do with miss Fluttershy,”
Twilights eyes widened, mouth agape and then shut again. She gulped, “Did…did you give him the potion?”
Shaking her head, the zebra gestured to a broken chest across the room. “Chaos magic can break even my own spell…The Draconequus knew this well,”
“So, he’s out there somewhere, with no feelings whatsoever?”
“Feelings of love are what the potion disposes of,” Zecora said, ashamed. “I should tell you this…the potion can only be cured by true loves kiss…”
“Discord has no true love!” Twilight exclaimed, beads of sweat beginning to form on her face. If Discord had no feelings of love, he was bound to do something drastic. She needed to find him and quickly…but then what?
“You are mistaken,” Zecora said, disturbing her thoughts. “We both know someone with whom he is quite taken,”
“Fluttershy?” Twilight asked absurdly. “But she doesn’t…does she?”
Zecora nodded, no words needed.
Twilight opened her mouth, a sad expression forming on her face. She had discouraged Fluttershy and her fears, not knowing the extent of the Pegasus’ feelings. Perhaps she was unaware of them herself?
As she approached her castle, she knew what she would have to do. Twilight knew it wasn’t going to be easy. This was going to take a sizable amount of magic and most of her energy. But she knew if she didn’t find Discord and soon, something horrible could happen. The only reason he even gave up using his power for evil was because of Fluttershy. Now that his love for her was gone…
She shuddered. “Okay Twilight, you can do this,” She encouraged herself. “You’re only about to attempt to break a chaos-based blocking spell. No biggie,”
Focusing on a plush Discord he himself had given her, a purple aura expelled from her horn. She struggled against whatever force was blocking her, eyes tightly shut and sweat forming on her face.
“Come on,” She muttered through bared teeth. “Let me in!”
Her muscles strained, power concentrating from her horn and enveloping the room around her. Suddenly darkness enveloped her, she was no longer standing in her Castle. Panic washed over her as she found herself in a boundless void, floating aimlessly. Then, a speck of light appeared in the distance and a dull, white floor manifested. She fell, only to have her wings catch her before she could hit it. Her hooves landing gently on the floor echoed.
Looking up, her eyes exchanged with the source of the chaos. Discord.
“Hello Sparky,” He greeted her. Something dark radiated from him now; darker than when they had first met.
She dusted herself off and stood across from him. He stared at her boredly, waiting.
“Discord you’re…different…” Twilight observed, staring at him in unease.
“How so?” He mused.
“Do you remember what you did?” She asked, watching him hover around impishly.
“Regarding the potion I…acquired? Yes. Although I don’t recall much of the who…but I suppose a potion to remove love from your heart will do that to you,” He remarked jovially, a dark chuckle escaping his lips. “I can’t even remember whats-her-name, or why I even…loved her… to begin with!”
Twilight felt herself grow angry. “Her name is Fluttershy,” She hissed. “And she’s been worried sick about you!”
He shrugged, floating towards her on his back. “None of this is my problem anymore. I have ceased caring. It is so freeing, dear Twilight. You must try some,” He offered the potion to her in his claw. Her nose wrinkled at the stench of it and she slapped it away. It soared through the air, only to disappear before it could hit the ground and reappear in his paw.
“Very well,” He motioned. “It’s not for everypony.”
“I don’t want to get rid of the love in my heart,” She sneered. “You shouldn’t have done this, Discord,”
“Why not?” He asked. “After all, I’m not bothering anypony. Nor am I hurting anypony…”
“You’re hurting Fluttershy!” She reminded him.
“Who?” He asked, turning.
Twilight let out a yell of frustration. Then she turned to face him, restraining herself. “You loved her once,” She tried to say calmly. “You idiotically drank a potion to forget her,”
Discord made a face, suddenly remembering. “Ah, that Fluttershy,”
Twilight looked at him desperately. “Don’t you remember being reformed? The reason why you’re not made of stone right now!?”
He put his claw to his lip, thinking. “I remember being stone… then suddenly I was out! Being told I would use my powers for good. You and your friends are there…But Shutterfly? She’s simply not.”
“S-Saving us from Chrysalis?” Twilight countered.
“I don’t know why I did that,” He responded, fiddling jadedly with some toy.
She backed away, eyes wide with concern. She remembered Zecora’s words. “I have to find Fluttershy…”
Discord was left alone. He scoffed to himself, he was always alone. Whatever feelings he’d had for whats-her-face were gone. He felt it was very smart of him to rid himself of whatever love he had. Lords of chaos had no need for such trivial things. A mirror suddenly hovered directly across from him, the only light in the now darkened void he took residence in. He looked at himself for the first time, something in his reflection made him uneasy, though he couldn’t place it. Was he truly different now?
He didn’t feel any different…Honestly, he wasn’t sure why he’d given up taking over Equestria. Surely it wasn’t for some mare. Some friend she must have been, stopping him from achieving ultimate power over Equestria. Sparky and the others could use the elements to threaten him…but he had apparently willingly given up. All for her.
Well. Good riddance. Now he was free! Free to do whatever he wanted. He chuckled darkly, lifting his claw.
Princess Celestia nearly collapsed in disappointment as she failed again to locate Discord.
“It is not working,” She stated sadly, fretting as she saw the look on Fluttershy’s face. “I shall keep trying!”
“No,” Fluttershy murmured, head shaking with a sad but frightened expression. “Obviously something is wrong if he hasn’t answered by now…” The Pegasus didn’t meet the Princess’ eyes, too afraid to show her emotions clearly.
“What can we do?” She asked, gaze still averted.
Celestia swallowed. “You and your friends have faced many tribulations…you each have such unique talents to help you along your tasks. I’m certain should they help you…you can save him from whatever has him. And you, Fluttershy, your bond with him…it is stronger than ever. I am confident that you have better chances of helping him than I. Even if I were to locate him, Discord does not trust me. Not like you,”
Fluttershy listened, although unsure that the Princess’ words were true. Twilight had been unwilling to help in the first place.
The doors burst open suddenly, Luna running in with frantic eyes. “Sister, you must see this!” Her chest heaved as though she had been running for quite some time. Celestia saw this and ran to her aid.
“Are you alright, sister!?”
Fluttershy looked at Celestia, afraid. “W-What’s going on?”
Princess Celestia turned and met the Pegasus’ eyes, just as confused. “Stay here, my little pony.”
Fluttershy watched as Luna led her sister from the room, their hushed voices fading. She wondered what was happening. Maybe Luna knew where Discord was? She wished they wouldn’t have gone. The room felt darkly imposing now that she was alone. Almost as if it was filling with darkness…as if…
She screamed. The castle was literally filling with darkness, the windows shadowed by thick grey clouds. A sudden gust of wind flew past her as the curtained windows burst open. Birds and other winged creatures that she couldn’t identify swarmed in. The crying animals and speeding winds deafened her, overwhelming her senses as she tried to ask the animals what was happening.
A creature with the head of a deer and the body of a bat spotted Fluttershy on the ground. It stopped its circled flight with the others, swooped down and began to screech.
“Hello! A-Are you hurt?” She studied his body. “W-What are you?” Her voice trembled.
He only screeched again, but to her surprise, she couldn’t understand. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand! What’s going on!?” He threw his head toward the doors in response, quickly flying away.
“Fluttershy!” Celestia’s voice came from across the room.
“Princess?”
“Come, quickly!”
Fluttershy looked back at the creature who was still screaming to her as it flew, warning her. She ran with Princess Celestia, away from the noises and animals. She nearly cried thinking that they maybe needed her help. The deer-bat had been trying to warn her of something, but she didn’t know what. She wanted to ask the Princess where they were going, but something told her not to stop now.
“This is…” Fluttershy didn’t know how to describe it.
“Chaotic,” Celestia answered, still moving forward. Her voice angry, eyes filled with rage.
Fluttershy stopped so suddenly she nearly fell. Looking up at the Princess, whose back still faced her, she smiled. Her face filled with hope.
“C-Chaotic? But that means-“
“I’m afraid reforming him may have been a lost cause, my dear Fluttershy,” Celestia muttered. She didn’t turn, didn’t want Fluttershy to see the fear she felt.
Fluttershy’s eyes welled up, she wanted to stomp her hoof to the ground. “How can you say that!?”
“Look around, Fluttershy,” Celestia stopped and gestured. “Look what he’s done. This is so much darker than before. There are no cotton candy clouds filled with chocolate rain. This chaos magic is more sinister. His magic always was more spirited…Now? You saw those animals…the sky. You must find your friends-and-“
Fluttershy whimpered, backing away. “I won’t, I won’t turn him,” She bared her teeth through the pain, eyes blinded by tears. Celestia reached out a hoof to stop her. Fluttershy grunted as she backed into a wall, turned and started to run. She could hear Princess Celestia calling her, but she couldn’t look back. The sky was too dark and filled with animals to fly, but that didn’t stop her. She spread her wings and flew all the way to Ponyville, faster than she had ever flown before. For a bitter moment, she thought Rainbow Dash would be proud. Rainbow Dash wasn’t there, though. None of her friends were.
She felt herself growing angrier as she thought of how her friends would agree with Celestia. They would try to convince her that Discord should be turned back to stone. She knew that she absolutely would not do it. There had to be some reason for this…Discord would never do this to her again! With nowhere else to turn, she realized there was somepony who would give her unbiased, judgment-free advice.
The forest didn’t weaken her resolve as it had so many times; her fear trounced by her need to find answers and protect Discord from the other Elements of Harmony. What would they say if they could see her now? She imagined Twilight lecturing her, being scolded by Rainbow Dash for being so naïve.
“He tricked ya’!” She could hear her say.
Without thinking to knock, the Pegasus burst into the hut. “Zecora! -“
Twilight and Zecora stood huddled around Zecora’s cauldron, each pouring in a different bottle of fluid. Their eyes met hers suddenly, in shock.
“Twilight? What are you doing here?” Fluttershy stammered, back against the door. She eyed the cauldron. Oh no. Were they making something to defeat Discord with? Did they already know she wouldn’t use her element on him? She opened her mouth to protest, but words refused to come out.
“Fluttershy, before you exclaim, Princess Twilight can explain.”
“So, you understand now?” Twilight asked gently. Fluttershy was sitting across from her, her expression as though she were trying to absorb too much information at once. Her nose wrinkled, a small tear dripping down her pale face. She turned away, hoping her friend wouldn’t see how emotional she felt. How weak.
“We were never trying to make a potion to defeat Discord. We’re trying to find an alternative cure to the potion he took,”
“I d-don’t understand why he would do this,”
Twilight shrugged, biting her lip. “All we know is true loves kiss just isn’t going to work-“ She blinked in shock and covered her mouth before she could say more. She wished she hadn’t said that.
“True loves kiss?” Fluttershy said softly, a strange stammer in her heart at those words. “Like in the Fairytales?”
Gulping, Twilight nodded.
“B-but, Discord doesn’t have a special somepony, d-does he?” Her arms crossed, eyes searching the room instead of meeting Twilight’s.
“No,” Twilight assured. “He doesn’t...but...” The Pegasus looked at her.
“But?”
Twilight put her hoof to her forehead, how did you tell somepony that her best friend is in love with her? Or was…
“Fluttershy...have you ever noticed just how much Discord cares about you?” Fluttershy blinked at her.
“Of course. We’re so close, I can’t imagine life without him,”
“I know that you’re close,” If Fluttershy didn’t feel the same about Discord she was afraid they would have no choice but to turn him to stone. “But how do you...feel about him? Like...how does he make you feel?”
The Pegasus stared at her, brow furrowed, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Um well...I...” Her eyes flitted to the floor, her face suddenly heating up. Why was she feeling this way? All twilight had asked her was how she felt about Discord. Her best friend, Discord. She thought of him, his antics and chaos, his charming yet chaotic way of doing things. She felt her ears grow hotter as Twilight stared at her, waiting. “Why are you asking me this?”
Twilight took a deep breath, clasped her hooves together, then looked her friend in the eye. “Discord loves you, Fluttershy.” Fluttershy went to argue, but she stopped her. “That’s why he stole Zecora’s potion. That’s why he’s spreading chaos now. Without you in his heart, he’s no longer refraining himself from taking over Ponyville!”
“B-But- “
“I know this is a lot to take in. But I need to know, it’s very important. Do you feel the same?” Fluttershy blinked. Her heart stammered, pounding as each second ticked down. Answer her. Answer her. What’s the answer? What do I say? She’s waiting- she’s waiting! As embarrassment swallowed her entire body, she looked beyond Twilight’s shoulders where clouds were forming directly over her cottage.
“I have to see him!” Fluttershy exclaimed.
“Fluttershy wait!” Twilight called, but the Pegasus was far from her now.
Even from a small distance, Fluttershy could see it. Complete and utter chaos surrounded her once still home. The animals ran wild, some of them no longer the same species. Her cottage hung in the air as though controlled by a puppet-master, familiar laughter came from somewhere unseen.
“Discord!” She yelled, hoping he would hear her. Twilight had told her Discord didn’t remember her. She felt tears well up in her eyes. How could he do this? Was he afraid? It wasn’t like him to be afraid. And he didn’t need to be. She wouldn’t have…
Her eyes turned to the sky as a sudden cloud directed itself above her.
“Welcome,” A darker version of the voice she’d come to know so well greeted. “Who might you be?”
Fluttershy sucked in a deep breath, searching above for the source of his voice. “This is my home,” She answered. She waited, watching the cottage bounce slowly in the air. It was ironically comforting, watching the up and down movements of her home among the clouds.
“Oh!” The voice replied. “I think you’ll find I’ve made the loveliest of changes. Would you agree?”
“I’m not sure,” She answered. “I can’t see the inside from here,”
Discord furrowed his brow as he stared down at her. Why was this pony acting so normal? Why wasn’t she screaming in anger or fear or both?
“What’s your name?” He asked, emerging from his hiding spot in the clouds. He grinned in delight as she gasped at the sight of him. Now that’s more like it.
“D-Discord-“ Her face turned from him, eyes wet. “You really are different,”
He stared at her. Sparky had told him the same thing. “Have we met?”
“My name is Fluttershy,”
Fluttershy. Now, why was that so familiar? He racked his brain. He’d heard it somewhere…
“Oh! Are you a fan? I haven’t done a meet and greet in over a lifetime, my claw-writing is certainly not what it used to be…” He muttered as he dug out a pen and portrait of himself.
Shaking her head, Fluttershy reached up and snatched the portrait. He recoiled instinctually. No stranger would ever get that close. They wouldn’t dare.
“Enough joking around!” She screamed at him. “Listen to me!” This small Pegasus was braver than he thought. He felt he ought to indulge her, at least until he got bored of whatever game she was playing. He fell back into a lawn chair, his claw and paw clasped on his stomach.
“I’m listening.”
Fluttershy swallowed the lump in her throat. Enough crying. She had to get him to listen.
“You remember taking a potion to forget somepony, don’t you?” She asked.
He nodded.
“I’m her,” She confessed. “I’m Fluttershy…and you loved me, and you don’t anymore,” she continued.
Discord burst into laughter. “You!? I thought maybe you’d be taller! What is it about you that kept me from what I truly love most?”
Fluttershy was hurt by that remark. Even before he was reformed, he was never so cruel. That potion had not just taken his love for her, but it had taken all the love from his heart. She stared up at him, trying to think of ways to stall. She needed to restore his memories…and to do that…
He stared down at her, boredly. “I think I’ve heard enough from you, Shutterfly,” He turned to go, then jumped in shock as she grabbed his arm.
“Wait-please!”
He held onto his arm protectively, face confused.
“Or what? You’ll turn me to stone!?”
“No!” She cried pleadingly. “Of course not!”
Discord watched her, desperate to prove herself. To prove she would never turn against him. Then he let out a chuckle.
“Then give up, my dear, you won’t turn me to stone, so there’s nothing you can do! I win!”
Discord’s eyes followed her as she flitted up to meet him face to face. Her shaking hooves reached out to him, but he shifted away, disgusted.
She decided to try another tactic. "My friends could convince me to, you know. If-If I had to-"
He chuckled, then pressed his claw to her nose. “My dear, you won’t turn me to stone because then everypony would know that you have failed. One of their precious elements of harmony would be a failure, shaking the foundation of trust you and your friends have built,”
Fluttershy shoved his claw away and looked around. “I think you’ve already done that. But you’re right. I won’t turn you,”
“HA! So you see? I’ve won!” As he said this, the ground began to shake, and Fluttershy could hear the startled cries of ponyville citizens as their floors collapsed beneath them.
“Discord! Ponies are going to-to get hurt! Your magic was never about physically harming anypony!”
He only continued laughing at the masterpiece before him, Fluttershy’s cottage spinning out of control and animals flying about.
She knew she couldn’t mess around anymore. She had to try it. He was distracted, so she had to act quickly. Before Discord could react, she pulled his face towards hers. Their lips met, Fluttershy so afraid that any moment he would poof away. Discord fell still in shock, his eyes wide and terrified. Fluttershy kept her eyes locked, afraid to see his face. Her heart hammered in her chest, the feeling of kissing him but not knowing how he felt overwhelming her every being. Her eyes shot open as she felt herself flying toward the ground. She barely managed to catch herself with her hooves, sending a sharp pain into them.
“Get off of me!”
Fluttershy was staring up at him, eyes wide and brimming with tears.
“How did that not work…?” She asked herself, looking toward the ground and shivering as snow had suddenly formed around her. Her lip trembling, she pushed herself up to find that Discord was no longer there. Her cottage was on the ground but the chaos around her remained.
The trip back to the cottage was long and disappointing. Fluttershy had hopes when she’d left. She supposed she and Discord would return, he would be normal again and everything would be okay. She had worried, sure, but when had Zecora ever been about a potion and its cure? Now she had. Now Fluttershy had the burden of telling them that dark Discord was still at large, terrorizing ponies everywhere.
As she arrived, the mares' faces quickly turned as they saw Fluttershy’s expression.
“What happened?” Twilight quickly asked.
Fluttershy just shook her head. Words refused to leave her mouth as she slowly slumped over to the couch. As far as she knew, there was nothing to do now. Nopony would listen to her anyway, and Celestia would declare that he be put back to stone. Then their friendship, the tea parties, the conversations, all of it, would be over.
“I think I may know why it did not work when Discord was kissed by miss Fluttershy.” Zecora said as Twilight went to comfort the yellow Pegasus. “The potion can only be broken by a kiss of true love. Discord, however, is not…in love.”
“Not…anymore,” Twilight added, pressing her hoof to her forehead. “Of course not. True love’s kiss can’t work if he doesn’t love!”
“So then what are we supposed to do?” Fluttershy asked. “I just couldn’t bear it if we had to…”
Twilight noticed her friend’s distress and took her by the shoulders. “Fluttershy, we will turn that Draconequus to stone over my dead body. Discord is…our friend. You don’t give up on a friend, now do you?”
Discord was trembling. He stared at his own shaking paw and claw, breaking into a sweat. The snow had appeared so suddenly before the mare had had the chance to land. He hadn't even thought about it. He hadn’t snapped his claw. It just appeared. He'd shoved her away, so obviously he shouldn't have cared how she landed! She had done something to him, whatever it was, that had made his heart start pounding. Before it was beating so subtly he wasn’t sure it was working at all. Not that he minded! He groaned at the pangs it was experiencing now, new feelings of regret surfacing that wasn’t there before. It was madness. Chaos! And not the good kind!
He stumbled back into some wall that hadn’t been there before, as it felt more and more like his realm was closing in on him. He touched a claw to his lips absentmindedly, then threw his arm down.
“What am I doing!?”
He had no new memories, especially not of her, but what if what she’d done had kickstarted something inside him? He needed to find a way to fix it, and fast. How could he wreak chaos and terror with new feelings of guilt overwhelming his senses?
At least he now knew that the mare, Fluttershy, wasn’t going to turn against him. He shut his eyes with gritted teeth for a moment at the memory of being encased in stone. How cruel a torture had that been? He couldn’t go back. Fluttershy had tried to act as though she would turn him, but he knew she wouldn’t. He could tell she had cared about him. She had kissed him even. He briefly wondered if they were involved before he took the potion. If that were the case, why would he have taken it?
Discord pulled at his face in confusion. None of it made any sense, which was ironic. Usually, he liked for nothing to make sense. Now he only wished that it made sense to him. If Fluttershy had the same feelings toward him, he would have had no reason to get rid of his own. Was he dissatisfied? That could have been it. She didn’t seem all that remarkable. But something told him differently.
Then maybe she didn’t have feelings…but he did? That would explain it. He let out a low exhale and brushed his claw through his mane. Leave it to him to get caught in a whirlwind of unrequited love. How embarrassing! Either way, he had no memory of these feelings or this mare. This shouldn’t stop him from moving forward with his plan, yet something now hesitated inside him. Surveying the realm, he found it was devoid of anything but blackness. There were no clues, no explanations to help him through this. He thought back to the Pegasus and the feeling of her touching him; the soft and hesitant brush of her lips to his, her hooves on his face. He shuddered as his stomach moved in knots, quite literally popping that memory bubble above his head with his claw.
He decided this was entirely Celestia’s fault. If she hadn’t damned him to eternity in stone in the first place, none of this would be happening. With her standing in the way, with every pathetic element of harmony, he would never know victory. He had to get rid of them. Especially Fluttershy. For a small second, she had had power over him. The accidental snow proved it. He had unknowingly protected her from her fall. Whatever it was inside him that once loved her remained there; buried deep by the potion, but not eradicated. Even as he thought of this, the idea of hurting her was becoming less and less appealing. His heart started to hurt, and he grabbed at his chest uselessly. No, this wouldn’t do. Not at all. He had to find Princess Celestia and end this.
Quickly, he grabbed a coat from a coatrack he’d just manifested and vanished.
“I think we should consider going to Princess Celestia,” Twilight argued pointlessly. Fluttershy had not been very receptive to the idea of the Princess helping.
“She wants to turn him to stone!”
Twilight groaned, “Celestia didn’t know-she thought it was another Tirek situation. She’ll understand-“
Fluttershy huffed, pushing her mane out of her face and turned from her friend. Twilight slowly crept around Fluttershy’s shoulder, searching her face.
“Fluttershy?” Her voice was tender, eyes filled with compassion. She knew that Fluttershy was afraid of losing Discord. She knew that, even if she hadn’t admitted it, she loved him. It was harder for Fluttershy to understand that Princess Celestia would be willing to help if they explained the situation.
“Flutters,” She put a hoof on her shoulder.
“Discord calls me that,” The Pegasus said, staring away. A sad smile grew on her face. “He has so many nicknames for me, he gave himself an award for the most original given nicknames. There was a ceremony even…!”
Fluttershy’s smile faded as she remembered Discord’s graceful bow from the stage, as he rewarded himself with a sash and trophy. She had applauded, and he had been grinning so widely.
Twilight smiled and sighed. “We’re going to go to Princess Celestia. We’re going to explain to her what happened and why Discord is doing this. She knows Discord well enough to believe us and to want to help. We should be able to find him fairly easily. We’ll just follow the chaos,”
Fluttershy gave her a long hesitant look, before finally conceding with a nod.
“When we find him, I want to talk to him,” Fluttershy told her, a stipulation. “Just me,”
“Fluttershy, what makes you think that will work a second time?”
The Pegasus bit her lip, eyes on the ground. “I think he saved me,”
Twilight gave her a look that told her she didn’t understand.
“I mean when he shoved me away. There was suddenly all this snow on the ground. It wasn’t there, before, Twilight. I think he put it there,”
“Why would he do that?”
Fluttershy shrugged, her face hesitant and hopeful somehow at the same time.
Nodding, Twilight looked to Zecora. “Well…I guess we should get going then. We’re heading to Canterlot,”
Fluttershy jolted awake, a sudden sadness hitting her as soon as her head left the ground. She quickly checked to see that Twilight and Zecora were still sleeping beside her. The sun was gone, at least for now, leaving nothing but the moon in the sky, bouncing off the lake beside them.
Their walk to Canterlot was taking longer, though they had no way of knowing how many hours were passing, as the sun and moon no longer obeyed certain times, it seemed…under Discord’s power.
As she found that her friends remained fast asleep, she slowly allowed her head to rest upon the grass again. Watching the sky after her nightmares became something of a habit ever since Discord turned up missing. They were mostly about him, although some came from memories of villains and monsters they’d encountered over the years.
Those made her grateful that she was able to help Discord at all when she did. It also reminded her that her progress, their progress had been erased. Tonight’s dream had been less of a nightmare in the beginning.
She and Discord lay across from one another, a picnic basket between them. They were having tea outdoors, laughing as he told another classic joke of his. The animals joined them occasionally to steal some food, much to the Dracoquus' annoyance. The dream then turned dark, as most of them did, when Discord was faced with a decision.
Could he really be good, forever? In her nightmares, it seemed, he could not.
Chaos would be everywhere, there were screams heard in the streets as the roads uprooted from the ground, the sky becoming lit up by lightning and thunderstorms. She would be begging him to stop this, for the sake of their friendship, for her, and he would not.
No amount of begging could ever end it, she concluded. No…but she was starting to realize something that would.
“She dreams of him often…” Luna approached her sister from behind, who stood at the end of the balcony watching the stars. The Princess was trying to shake off Fluttershy’s most recent nightmare, one that had been…rather hard to see. She was not able to intervene, each time they would start to get bad, the Pegasus would wake up.
Celestia’s eyes drooped downward, and she felt as though she might collapse at any moment. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to sleep now.
“Of Discord?” She asked quietly, regarding her sister’s statement. Her eyes fixated on one twinkling star in the sky that reminded her of Twilight. Twilight, who now was nowhere to be found.
“Yes,”
Discord stood a distance away, watching-waiting. He could see a tired Celestia, doing her best to stay awake. Her face was scrunched up, her nose wrinkling and eyebrows sharp.
“I don’t know why I didn’t see it. I guess I never thought somepony would fall for…” Celestia paused, turning her eyes to the ground. “Well…that’s my fault…”
When Celestia had chosen Fluttershy to redeem Discord, she had done so because the Pegasus was kind; Because she was good, and because she hadn’t been so vulnerable to his mind games in the maze. Fluttershy was understanding, she gave the benefit of the doubt, something Celestia felt Discord needed in order to grow. How could she not have seen what would happen?
Luna looked at her, her eyebrows furrowed and her mouth in a tight frown.
“It is not your fault, sister. Neither of us thought of what would happen. Discord must have grown lonely in his prison. The first pony to not shun him, to accept him? I should have known,”
Discord’s ears perked up. So, then, the Pegasus had reformed him? He attempted to steady his heartbeat as the sisters looked at one another solemnly.
“Fluttershy will not turn him to stone,”
Indeed, she won’t, he thought triumphantly.
“What can we do now?”
Suddenly, the sound of jostling leaves came from the East of the balcony. The Princesses turned their heads in its direction, then stared at one another, wide-eyed.
