We Begin.....
It was the perfect Tuesday afternoon in Ponyville. The skies were clear, the sun shining, the animals were out enjoying the sun’s warm rays. It seemed to be the very picture of a beautiful, perfect day. Everyone seemed to be busy doing something. Twilight and Spike were out doing their royal duties, a very stressed out Rarity had locked herself up in her boutique to plan out next season’s style, Applejack was hard at work at the family’s farm, Rainbow Dash was on cloud patrol and Pinkie Pie was probably baking up a storm while simultaneously planning the next, bestest party.
And Fluttershy was busy having tea with another one of her dearest friends.
There was something about their tea parties that were just so relaxing, Fluttershy decided, sipping her tea and peering over the rim of her teacup to look at her visitor. It was hard to believe that Discord, the mighty and imaginative spirit of disharmony, had once been anything other than a friend. The draconequus was seated across from her now, the one part of his lion’s paw extended like a pinkie as he sipped from the teacup. He was full of jokes and quips, and often times her sides would ache from laughing so much during their little visits.
Even now she watched as his white moustache changed colour to match the multiple colours of Rainbow Dash’s mane as he mimicked her voice in his story. “Of course, once I convinced her that she should let me help in her little friendship quest, the mission was over in a snap!” he said, snapping his talons together, his teacup and saucer floating in front of him. Instantly, Fluttershy’s little bouquet of flowers bloomed, expanding to twice their size in the little vase. “Ms. Rose’s bushes were back to the former glory, and all without all the heavy petting that Rainbow was trying to do with the weather. And every pony thinks that I'm the chaotic one." He shook head in mock disgust.
“Heavens, I bet she wished that you would have asked her sooner,” the yellow pegasus said, giggling as one of the flowers came to life. The stem lengthened and it pressed close to her, most of the petals closing up until it roughly resembled the look of a dog with some of the petals still. The pistil panted like a tongue, clearly excited to see her. “Oh aren’t you just so cute!” she exclaimed, cooing softly, rubbing under its “chin”.
“Oh, I know I am,” Discord’s voice came from the flower, his serpent’s eyes appearing on the petals. “And you of all ponies should know that Rainbow Dash could be tied up in a spider’s web and still be loathe to ask for help. Her ‘loyalty’ to her own independence is something else.”
There was another snap of his fingers and, as if nothing had happened, the draconequus was back in his seat, sipping his tea, the flowers returned to their normal state. Fluttershy couldn’t help but let out another giggle. He had a point. Rainbow Dash had quite the ego and admitting defeat was something that she did not do lightly.
Discord eyed her as he ate one of the sandwich crusts that she had put out for him. “You’re awfully quiet today,” he noted, “is there something on your mind, Flutters?”
Fluttershy squeaked and tried to hide behind her cup. She still wasn’t used to the little pet name that he gave her and there was a part of her that hoped that she would never get used to it. Her heart would skip a beat, her cheeks would flush…
Ok. Maybe she enjoyed these little tea parties for another reason altogether.
Not only were they relaxing, but Fluttershy had a small crush on the spirit of chaos.
Well, maybe a draconequus-sized crush on him. She couldn’t exactly pinpoint when these feelings had exactly started, but she had been more aware of them since the defeat of Queen Chrysalis. It was cheesy she knew, but she had always been a sucker for strong knights. Now, whenever she saw him, heart would skip a beat and the smallest shiver would flow through her wings. So far, the rest of her friends didn’t know about her feelings, and it was for the best that way. Twilight would open a book and try to research how to best approach the situation, Rarity would give her a "stunning" makeover, Applejack would argue that she needed to be honest with her feelings for him… though that would be the best case scenario. Knowing her friends and how they felt about the draconequus, they were equally as likely to try and admit her into the nearby pony centre for insanity.
“Flutters? Are you still there?” a paw waved in front of her face. Pulling her back from reality. “Your mind must be in Cloudsdale. Your body is here, but your mind certainly isn’t. You’re not getting sick, are you dear?” Discord asked.
Gulping slightly, Fluttershy looked at her friend. If she messed this up, she could lose him forever. But yet, she had to know if he felt the same about her. It was only a matter of time before the others figured it out. “Well… I was just thinking…” she began, looking at his teacup. “What… what are you doing after our little tea party?” she finally asked him. She said it!
The talon stroked the beard as Discord thought. Snapping his talons, an agenda appeared in front of him. “December 17,” he muttered, pages turning rapidly as they sought out the date. “Ah yes. After our tea party, I have an appointment with the one and only Princess Celestia.” He said, finally flipping to the right page. A small hologram hovered above the page, first showing a small and bashful looking Fluttershy before changing to the majestic alicorn. Celestia hovered over the page, her wings outstretched, mane and tail flowing in the non-existent wind. As Fluttershy watched, little hearts flowed off of the page, slowly dancing and twisting in the air. “Oh shoo!” Discord said, slamming the book shut and trying waving the air clear of them. “I swear that they get more and more insistent with every passing day. Who needs a heart on their sleeve when your heart escapes the pages of a book?”
Fluttershy barely heard him. She was looking down at the last dregs of her tea, trying to ignore how her own heart was shattering in her chest. She should have known that this would happen. Celestia was beautiful, elegant and magical, the one with the power to raise the sun, Discord’s equal in magic and power. Of course, Fluttershy was nothing more than just a friend to him. She could barely fly for Celestia’s sake! What would he want with a boring, old mare like her?
“And there you go, your mind taking off to Cloudsdale again, faster than that Rainbow Dash!” Discord again waved his paw in front of her face, worry beginning to show on his own muzzle. He was never worried. “Did you need me to help out with your pet bear again?”
To her horror, Fluttershy felt tears welling up behind her eyes. No! Not now! Not when she could blow everything! She could still salvage the friendship that she had threatened to destroy! Her and her dumb feelings. “It’s just… it’s just…”
* * * * *
It was a soft touch to her muzzle that caused Fluttershy to wake. Startled, she clambered to her feet, her eyes blinking frantically, trying to shake the last of her dream. Angel, her faithful bunny friend, was beside her, looking up at her with concern, a single paw still outstretched. He gave a questioning noise as he looked at her.
She seemed to be worrying everyone these days.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I must have startled you,” Fluttershy whispered, picking up the soft creature and hugging him gently. “I’m sorry. It was nothing more than a bad dream. I’ll be back to normal in no time.” she promised.
Cocking his head, Angel looked rather unconvinced. “Now don’t give me that look, mister. It’s my job to give you that, not the other way around.” she joked, still hugging the soft animal.
Angel seemed to give a soft sigh but hugged her back, pleased that he had saved his beloved mistress from that horrible nightmare she had been having. Fluttershy hugged him a little longer than usual, taking the time to orient herself. The dream had been so life-like, echoing many of her waking thoughts that it didn't feel like just a dream.
“Come on, Angel,” she said, choosing to ignore the thoughts for now. She couldn’t spend the day inside, moping around because of some nasty dream. There were things to do, responsibilities to attend to, animals to feed, ponies to see. And she still had to go get her shopping done for today’s tea party with the draconequus in question. Oh boy, would she even be able to face Discord after such a dream?
Well, it was too late to back out of their party now. She would just have to pretend that the dream never happened. Steeling herself for the day to come, Fluttershy swung her saddlebag over her back and trotted out. It was time to face the day.
* * * * *
The morning passed mercifully quickly for the young mare. She trotted through the nearby meadow, making sure that all of her animal friends had more than enough to eat. The local squirrel family was given a handful of freshly picked acorns, the birds were given a pile of seeds. Angel helped her with his fellow rabbits by giving them a pile of garden-fresh carrots.
She giggled as a few of the birds flew around her, singing to her. “Oh, you are very welcome,” she told them, watching as they flew off. “Alright Angel,” she said as her bunny companion wiggled into her saddlebag, “all I have to do is go to the marketplace and pick up a few items for our tea party, and then, I just have to do everything else to prepare for it. That shouldn’t be too hard.” She said, turning to look at her bunny friend.
Angel shot her an incredulous look, folding his paws in front of his chest.
“Now, now, none of that attitude, mister. I know that Discord isn’t one of your favourite po-… creatures, but he is a good friend of mine.” Choosing to walk to the market today (flying always tired her out), she started at a brisk canter, one that would not disturb the bunny’s pouch.
Angel chattered something fast and high-pitched to her.
“Yes, I know that you don’t trust him. He did say some rather hurtful and rude things when he first met you, but I think that he has changed.”
Again, Angel released another babbling chatter at her, this time his paw waving behind him.
Fluttershy sighed, slowing to a brisk trot as she passed a few other ponies, lowering her voice. “I know that I said that before he joined Tirek, but I think that he has gotten through a lot of issues, learned more about friendship. And he hasn’t threatened to make you into a cloak for a while.”
Angel huffed and folded his arms, looking away from her. He looked so cute when he was trying to be angry with her.
“Oh, don’t be like that. I’ll need your help to pick out the best carrots.” At the mention of his favourite treat, Angel brightened up considerable, already looking for his favourite seller.
The shopping took much longer that Fluttershy had originally anticipated. Of course, it was always a challenge when you were so soft-spoken that one could barely be heard over the normal hustle and bustle of the town square. Sure she had a few wrong amounts and orders, but she was still much too shy to correct them. Her pantry will just be extra full this week, and she will have to try out some new recipes. Maybe Pinkie could give her a few tips on cooking something special with the extra chocolate and vanilla she ended up with.
“Alright Angel, only one more thing left on the list.” She said, peering at her grocery list. “I just need to get some tea and we could go home and…”
One of the flaps on her saddleback jolted suddenly and unbuckled. From the inside out. A rather odd-looking grey and brown rabbit poked its head out of the bag, nose twitching at her. It looked to have two different types of antlers on its head. “Now how shocked would you be if your precious Angel started talking back to you?”
Fluttershy gave a startled gasp, causing the few ponies that overheard her to peer at her. She silenced herself and flushed, nodding to the other ponies, before giggling softly. “Well, he does talk back to me, in his own way of course.”
The rabbit snapped his fingers and Discord changed form again. He didn’t shift into his normal draconequus form, but instead into a large pink and yellow butterfly, much like the ones that painted her flank. He knew that Fluttershy was uncomfortable with too much attention on her at once, and his original form attracted a lot of attention. “I bet you and him have the most stimulating conversations about carrots and sunshine and rainbows…” Discord mused, twirling in the air. Fluttershy giggled and shook her head. If only he knew what they really talked about! The butterfly let out a huge sigh before lighting on her muzzle. “Unfortunately, I do not bear good news, Flutters.”
“Oh! What is it? Is there an animal in trouble? Are you hurt?” Fluttershy questioned, her eyes wide and worried. This was Discord after all. No news was bad news for him. Usually, he could change things to suit him in a snap of his fingers.
“I’m fine,” Discord said almost dismissively, one leg waving at her, “as are your precious animals. It is in regards to our tea party this afternoon…”
“Oh no… did I not get enough of everything? I… I can go back and get more if you need…”
“Flutters, please, let me finish first before you leap to conclusions or I’ll be forced to seal your muzzle shut so I can get everything out.” Discord told her in exasperation, his feelers twitching. “I don’t have much time. Princess Celestia has asked me to do a special mission for her and it has to be done today.”
Fluttershy felt like she had been kicked in the stomach. At the very mention of the princess’ name falling from his mouth so easily, it brought forth all the feelings of her dream. “Oh… I see…” her head fell down, her eyes prickling with unshed tears. She willed herself not to cry in front of him. Celestia knew that she had done that enough already. “I… I understand…” she whispered.
“Now, now, I’m just as upset at missing tea as you are,” Discord told her gently, his little agenda book appearing before him as the pages flipped at another snap of his fingers. “Do you mind if we have it tomorrow instead? My schedule is rather open for the week, but I don’t know about yours…”
“Yes… tomorrow is fine,” she said, her ears falling back and giving a soft nod, forgetting that Discord had been on her nose.
Effortlessly he took the sky, fluttering in front of her. “Very well. Pencil me in for tomorrow,” he said, a note folding and being placed in her saddlebag. “I’ll hopefully have an exciting story for you tomorrow! See you Flutters!”
In another snap of his fingers, he was gone.
Fluttershy sighed, bowing her head low. She supposed that she was looking forward to tea with him a little more than she had let on. And hearing that he was going to see Princess Celestia about something...
Well, she supposed that she shouldn’t be upset. She never had any sort of hold, romantic or otherwise, on him anyways.
Angel poked his head out of his flap, patting her neck softly and chirping softly to her. Trying to encourage her, raise her spirits. The draconequus managed to hurt her again, even after his warning. Angel would never forgive him for this, no matter how many carrots or apples he brought back for him.
“Well… it looks like we have the entire day free…” Fluttershy told Angel, turning around and beginning to head for home. “What do you think we should do?” she whispered to him.
Angel chattered to her again, acting out something with his paws. “Girly time… what do you mean by that?” she asked him, curiously.
Pulling gently on her mane, Angel gestured her towards the boutique that Rarity ran. “Oh… oh, that is a terrific idea, Angel!” Fluttershy exclaimed, immediately turning around and briskly trotting to her friend’s shop. “Maybe she can get us into the spa today… after I take my groceries and you home, of course.”
The boutique is a complete disaster. Fabric and thread were thrown every which way imaginable, and Rarity’s mannequins were strewn around the room. If Fluttershy didn’t know better, she would have guessed that Rainbow Dash and the rest of the Wonder Colts had a training session in the little house. “Rarity?” she questioned, stepping through the door.
There was an undignified shriek from somewhere in the depths of the mess. “WE ARE CLOSED TODAY!” A frazzled unicorn appeared under from under a mountain of fabrics. Purple mane and tail struck out from every possible angle, though her eyes did lose their wild look once she realized just which pony had entered. “Oh, thank Celestia it is you, Fluttershy.” Rarity sighed, shaking her head. Her curls returned but her mane remained frizzled and wild.
Fluttershy giggled and closed Rarity’s door behind her. “My goodness, Rarity, your house… are you having… some difficulty with the new line?”
Rarity sighed and rubbed at her muzzle. “I admit that I have run into a bit of a designer block. Summer is supposed to be all about bright colours, blues and greens and yellows, but I everything that I create just seems to echo last year's. I’M A FAILURE!” the overly dramatic unicorn collapsed, oversized tears dripping from her eyes.
“Oh… don’t cry Rarity… you just need a break.” Fluttershy gently pet her friend’s back as Angel glared at the angry ball of fluff that was watching them from behind a curtain. “Perhaps... do you want to go to the spa…? Relax and let the designs come to you?"
The unicorn sprang to her feet so fast Fluttershy was sure that she had used her magic to pull herself off the ground. “Oh, you are a GENIUS Fluttershy!” Rarity exclaimed. “You’re absolutely right, all this stress is terrible for my complexion. A day at the spa… that is exactly what I need… will you come with me?”
Giving a small nod, Fluttershy agreed. “Yes. I’ll meet you there after I drop off my food and Angel.” She said, turning on her heel and galloping back towards her house, grateful for a distraction.
“Very well, darling. See you there! Just… hurry! I don’t think my complexion can handle much more of this….”
* * * * *
What seemed to be a very short few minutes later, Fluttershy was entering the Ponyville Spa. Rarity had gotten there before her and was already talking to one of the clerks. “There you are! They are able to take us in today at such short notice!” she exclaimed as Fluttershy came over to her. “Actually you made very good time. What about the food that you were carrying?”
“It’s alright. Angel and the others told me that they would take care of it.” Fluttershy smiled. Her animal friends really were the sweetest.
“Excellent. Don’t need anything spoiling on you after you went out and bought it.” Rarity and Fluttershy were quickly ushered into the back of the spa. The blue mare recognized them from their previous weekly sessions and ushered them into the steam room first.
Slipping into the warm and soft housecoat that the spa pony offered her, Fluttershy quickly entered the room. Rarity always took a little bit as they needed to do extra preparations with her. Soon enough she too entered the room wearing a bigger housecoat and a towel over her purple curls.
The two mares settled in the room and sighed happily as the spa worket began to pour water over the hot rocks in the room. Fluttershy could almost already feel her stress melting away. “Sweet Celestia, this is exactly what I needed.” Rarity smiled, her eyes closing in bliss.
Saying nothing, Fluttershy gave a soft sigh and nodded. The steam room was one of her favourite parts of the spa. They were quiet for only a moment when Rarity spoke again.
“I am a little surprised that you asked me to come out with you today,” Rarity said suddenly, turning towards her. “You and I usually stick to such strict schedules. Today is usually your tea party with… that troublesome draconequus. What made you come out to see me today?”
“Oh… well…” Fluttershy looked away, not knowing what to say. Rarity may not be as book smart as Twilight, but she had instincts that were spot on. “You see… I…”
Thus why she was such a successful designer.
“Ooooh~ Fluttershy, now you simply have to tell me.” The unicorn sat closer to her. “You haven’t been this bashful since before we first became friends.”
Glancing up, Fluttershy noticed that the spa pony was trying, and failing, not to look overly interested in what they were saying. It was well-known that ponies came to the spa to gossip. She did not need all of Equstia knowing about her feelings for Discord just yet. “Well... after the spa... Afterwards, I’ll tell you…. but tell me about your ideas for your fashion line, first. You need to destress to properly focus on the line. Everyone is counting on you.”
Rarity caught her eye and discreetly followed where she was looking. Spying the spa lady, the unicorn gave a small nod, though there was a sparkling glint in her eye. She was very curious now. “Well, as I told you back at the shop it is summer time. Summer is all about bright and vivid colours. Not to the point of spring of course, those colours are all about fresh beginnings. Summer is more mature. More established, but they simply must be just as fashionable.”
This seemed to be uninteresting to the spa pony, a spiel that she had no doubt heard Rarity say many times over. Her eyes glazed over and she began to rhythmically add water to the rocks. Rarity’s eyes, however, were sparkling and bright. She was eager to talk fashion, her career, and then whatever juicy gossip that Fluttershy had for her.
It was many hours later that the two ponies left the spa. Rarity happily sighed and tossed her luscious mane over her neck. “Oh, that was complete heaven,” she exclaimed to her friend. “What a terrific idea, Fluttershy. An impromptu spa day was exactly what I needed. The stress has completely left my body. I feel like I can create again!”
“That’s great…” Fluttershy giggled softly, following Rarity closely. Her whole body was felt brand new, free of the previous stress and tension. Part of her mind wondered what Discord was up to but she did her best to push that thought away. “I’m glad that I was able to help you with your summer line. I’m sure that it will be your best line yet.”
“But of course, my dear. After all, Rarity does not do subpar. Rarity does not simply do her best… Rarity sparkles!” The fashionable pony struck an elegant pose, smiling fondly at her old friend.
Fluttershy gave a small laugh. “You sure do, Rarity. You sure do.”
“But that is more than enough about me. What is it that you wanted to tell me?” Rarity seemed to lose her overconfidence in a moment, looking at her with those deep blue eyes. “You weren’t exactly yourself when I first saw you today.”
It was just like Rarity to get straight to the point.
“Well… erm… neither were you…?” Fluttershy mustered, giving a small smile, just so her friend would know that she was kidding.
“Well, yes, that is true my dear. But please… what is it that is bothering you? What can I do to help?”
Staring into those big eyes, Fluttershy knew. She knew that her friend cared deeply about her and her happiness, that her generous spirit would not rest until she was sure that Fluttershy was happy too. Rarity came across a bit of a snob and more than a little high-maintenance, but she was one of the best of friends that one could ask for.
“Well… it’s…. it’s a little embarrassing…” Fluttershy admitted, her eyes sliding to the side, her pink mane covering her face. Rarity cared about her, yes, but would she accept that her friend had feelings for the so-called Lord of Chaos?
“Fluttershy, you know that you can tell me anything, right? I promise that I won’t tell anyone that you don’t want me to. None of the girls, or Spike, will know. You know that I am no element of honesty, I can keep a secret.” Rarity’s concern for her and her potential problem was growing. Her pace was slowing so she could walk shoulder to shoulder with the other mare.
Gulping, Fluttershy pondered her options. Could she do this? Could she tell her?
“Well… it’s… it’s just that…” her voice was barely above a whisper. What if someone overheard?
“Wait a second,” Rarity said, trotting in front of her and peering closely at her friend. “You’re not looking me in the eyes. You’re blushing. Acting nervous…” her eyes grew to the size of sapphires. “Is it a stallion?”
Fluttershy wanted to protest in some way. Discord was the furthest thing from a stallion, especially a stallion in Rarity’s books. “Well… you see…” Rarity was leaning closer to her, her excitement palpable. She was positively twitching in eagerness. “Well… I… I suppose in a way it is…”
Rarity gave a high-pitched squeal, bouncing a few times. This was a sound that Fluttershy had heard many times before. Whenever she saw new gemstones or came up with a new idea for her fashion line, she would make the same noise. “Oh Fluttershy, that is simply terrific news!” she exclaimed. “We had no idea. You always seemed so quiet and disinterested in anyone or anything besides your animals. This is such a surprise.”
“I… I suppose it is…” Fluttershy wanted to sigh in relief. At least she wasn’t as apparent as she thought she was. She had some of her secret hidden.
Pausing in excitement, Rarity turned to look at her, seeming to come to her senses. “But there is something wrong with this stallion of yours?” she asked. “Why do you seem so… haunted by it?”
Fluttershy dropped her head further. “I’m not sure if he returns the feelings,” she finally admitted. It was like a weight had lifted off of her chest. “I… I feel that he has feelings for some other pony. That he doesn’t feel towards me as strongly. That I would ruin the friendship that we have if I do admit them. I worry that you guys won’t like him either, that you think that I can do better…. That he isn’t worthy of me… and…. And…”
A gentle hoof touched her shoulder, stopping to flow of words streaming from Fluttershy’s mouth. Rarity smiled at her. A soft, gentle smile. “Fluttershy, dear. You honestly worry too much.” She told her, shaking her head. “Though I suppose your kindness makes you look at everything at every possible angle before you act. Perhaps I should be more like you.”
Giving a soft gasp of shock, Fluttershy looked at her friend in astonishment. Rarity said, what?
Another small smile and the hoof was removed from her shoulder. “If I could speak plainly, Fluttershy,” she began, looking at her friend almost sternly. “If you are this worked up over a… a stallion, it means that you care very much for him. That you not only value the relationship that you have, but value the relationship that you could have. You’re hurting yourself to keep this all deep inside…”
“But what if I hurt him by saying that I like him in that way?” Fluttershy interrupted, immediately seeing where Rarity was going with this.
“Darling, even if he doesn’t see you in the same light, he should be honoured that you see him in that light.” Rarity said firmly. “You can’t hurt him by saying that you like him. However, if you forced him to love you or stay with you, that would be a different story.
“But honestly, dear. You are hurting yourself by keeping this all inside. I think you have come to an important pathway and you must make a decision. Do the two of you advance your friendship and see where it leads, or do you stay friends with him for the rest of your days and live with regret?”
Deep down inside of her, Fluttershy knew that Rarity was right. She couldn’t keep this façade up forever. It was only a matter of time before everything came to a head. Discord had a way of finding everything out, one way or another. “But… if you guys don’t like him…?”
Rarity gave her a mysterious smile before walking down the path. “Fluttershy, dear, if you like him, that is all that is needed. As long as he treats you right and you like him, you shouldn’t worry about what the rest of us think. You must follow your heart, isn’t that what Celestia is always teaching us?”
“Always,” Fluttershy said, following Rarity. “Thank you. For all your words… and for today…”
“Oh hush, it was my pleasure. I do enjoy being the occasional voice of reason. Besides, you can repay me by being my model for the rest of the day and help me with these blasted clothing.”
“I would love to help,” Fluttershy said, watching as the roof of the boutique came into view, “just as long as I am home before sundown.”
Rarity pushed the door open with her magic. “No promises darling~. We need to have you looking fabulous!”
* * * * *
The next day found Fluttershy in her cabin, preparing everything for when Discord arrived. His favourite sandwiches were made, the crusts cut off and set to the side just for him. Fresh cookies sat cooling, fresh from the oven, and there were little slivers of carrot and apples for them on the tray. Fluttershy checked the tea, making sure that it was seeping properly before giving a great sigh. Her wings pressed tight against her body as she gave a great shiver.
She was nervous. Part of her wanted to call off the tea party, call off the admission of feelings…
But Rarity was right. She had been pushed into the crossroads, forced to make a decision. She couldn’t sit and stare at the sign forever, wondering those what-ifs. She needed to be more like Rainbow Dash, be brave and confident.
Taking a peek at the clock, a soft squeak escaped her mouth. Oh, it was almost time for him to show! And she still had no idea what to say. She wasn’t prepared at all. Angel made sure to stay out of her way as she began to pace back and forth in the kitchen. “What to say, what to say…” she whispered to herself, eyeing the tea and cookies….
Pausing, she stared at the cookies. Homemade and full of the sweet chocolate that Discord adored, they were uneven shapes and sizes, perfect disharmony for the chaos lord himself. And yet, one almost looked like him. The batter swirled into what seemed to be a long tail, two chocolate chips for eyes, oats as his scales, and what appeared to be two little feet at the bottom.
Tilting her head, she pondered it a little more. There was no way… “Discord?”
“You know my dear, when you start talking to your food, ponies start to call you crazy.” A familiar, deep voice told her.
Giggling, she saw the cookie blink at her before sitting up on the cookie sheet, looking back at her. “What gave it away?” he asked.
“Well, I was sure that I baked a dozen cookies, not thirteen for one,” she said, grabbing the tea and heading to the living room.
There was a loud scoff and a snap of fingers was heard. Discord appeared in her kitchen, full draconequus glory, ducking his head as he followed her into the room. Angel shook his little furry paw at him but stayed clear. By now he knew better than to interfere with their tea time. “You know, Flutters, that most ponies cook a baker’s dozen. Just in case one is improperly cooked.”
“Do you doubt my cooking skills?” she shot back, pouring the tea and adding sugar to his cup.
He sputtered for a moment, before shaking his head. “No… I have to say that your cooking skills are top-notch. Much unlike those of that silly Celestia. She can cook any kind of cake. Pancake, chocolate cake, even tofu cake. But if you want something like a sandwich, you’re better off wrestling a timber wolf for it.”
Fluttershy shook her head and took a sip of her tea. It seemed like Princess Celestia’s cooking skills fit Discord’s tastes perfectly. Sweet and sugary. “So, what happened yesterday?” she asked him. “Can you tell me now that your top-secret mission is over?”
Discord floated a stream of tea into his mouth. “Ah yes. The mess that was yesterday. Turns out that Tirek attempted to get up to his old tricks. The princess just wanted me to teach him a lesson about behaving. But it seems that he is not as easily reformed as I.”
Memories of Tirek floated to her mind and she shook them away. Those had been dark days, ones that she hoped never to repeat. “Goodness. I suppose being locked away for years can really affect a pony…”
“I suppose. But then again, I had a better teacher than he did.” Discord said, snapping his fingers. A blue ribbon appeared on her flank, the words “#1 Teacher” emblazed on it. “I think all he learned was what would happen if he attempted to pull a specific guard dog’s tail again.”
“Oh… and poor Cerberus…” Fluttershy began. The poor puppy was just trying to do his job and that nasty Tirek…
“Oh, don’t you worry about that sweet little head about that dog. He’s perfectly fine. I made sure of that myself.”
Ok… it was now or never…
“I bet that the princess was very grateful for your help,” Fluttershy began to say. “She might even have more missions for you…”
Discord made a dismissive gesture. “Oh, she was grateful enough. As for more missions, I don’t mind taking on a few jobs here and there, as long as it doesn’t interfere with our tea parties.” He said, taking another sip of tea.
Fluttershy stared at him, her eyes glazing over. He… he had just said…
Snapping his fingers again, Discord began to prepare another pot of tea. “Yes, I much prefer our little tea parties to whatever royal mission that she has up her crown,” Discord continued, shaking his head. “She could have gotten anyone to go down there and scare the bejesus out of him. Anyone, even Twilight Flompers could have done it. Yet she insisted that I do it…”
“Probably just to make sure that he knew that you were truly on our side this time?” Fluttershy asked.
With a sigh, Discord looked to Fluttershy. “Well hopefully she keeps me out of her political power plays next time. She did it all wrong. There was no cotton candy clouds, no chocolate milk rain. Completely distasteful for a princess….”
“Do you like her?” she asked him quickly.
There was a choking sound as the last of Discord’s tea went down into his breathing tubes. “Do I… what? The princess? Celestia?” he turned to Fluttershy, ears pricked towards her in surprise. Fluttershy chose to say nothing. She stared evenly at him, waiting for his response.
With a sigh, Discord magicked a napkin to his lips. “Despite our long and ‘loving’ relationship,” he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes, “there is no love lost between the princess and I. She considers me an ally, and I consider her a barrier between the throne and I.”
There was a sigh of relief from her lips before she could reel it back in. No hearts in the journal after all. “Well, she does a good job at ruling…”
“Are you jealous?”
It was Fluttershy’s turn to snort and turn towards him. “… no? Why would I…?” Shoot. There was a playful smile playing at his lips, a knowing sparkle in his eyes. “No. I’m not jealous. I was just… concerned if she would be interrupting anymore of our tea parties….”
Fluttershy gave a shriek as Discord lay himself across the back of her seat. “Flutters. You are a horrible liar. You have a terrible poker face for one.” The draconequus pulled her face up to look at him causing her to squeak again. “First of all, you have to learn how to control this adorable blush on you. It isn’t the same colour as your mane so it sticks out like a sore thumb.
“Then your pupils tend to shrink. You try to hide it by looking away, hiding behind that mane of yours, but everyone knows what you are trying to do. Your breathing quickens, your left eye twitches. Need I go on?”
Fluttershy stared at him, eyes widening. “Adorable blush?” she asked him.
“Is that seriously all you heard out of all that?” Discord groaned, shaking his head. “Here I am trying to help you become a better liar and all you can focus on one word…”
“You said adorable! Admit it!”
“I’m not saying that I didn’t…” Discord began to say but paused when Fluttershy turned to look at him.
“Adorable blush…” she breathed, focusing on him.
With a sigh, Discord shook his head. “Goodness, it is like talking to a broken record.” He groaned. He went to pull away, but Fluttershy did not allow that. Sitting up, she seized his cheeks, keeping him close.
She realized that he too was hiding secrets. Secrets that he had been scared of revealing.
Seeing him up close like this, she noticed a few minute details, details that were easily missed. His own cheeks were a darker grey, if only by a few shades, as he looked at her. His own mane, ink black like the night, was ruffled, like he had brushed it before he saw her. And his eyes…
The pupils were ever so slightly the shape of hearts.
“You like me too!” she exclaimed excitedly. “Admit it! You like me! I can see it in your face!”
He groaned and looked away, the dark grey now fully visible on his face. “Flutters, what was your first clue?” he asked, looking away.
Fluttershy went to answer but paused, the puzzle pieces of their relationship suddenly coming together in sharp focus. The touchy-feely way that he always had with her, usually having one arm wrapped around her. The way he always found a way to say her name. How his eyes sparkled, how excited he became when he saw her… had she been that blind?
The red-pink tail wrapped close around her, pulling her from the chair and close to his face. She gave another squeak of surprise, still continuing to stare as if hypnotized into his eyes.
“You said too,” he purred, his lion paw tipping her chin up to face him, careful not to touch her with the claw. The fur between his pads was exceptionally soft, she realized, just like a real cat’s. “Does this mean that we have the same feelings for one another?”
Fluttershy wanted to deny it, maintain her innocence. Yet, the paw had not been moved from her chin, making sure that she looked into his eyes. Teal met yellow and red. The more she stared into his eyes, the warmer, the softer, they appeared. “Well… I suppose that we do…” she whispered, words barely heard over the wild thumping of her heart.
“Well then, my dear,” Discord pressed closer to her, his lips tickling her muzzle. His breath was warm, smelling faintly of tea and sugar. “What do you say that we do about it?”
* * * * *
Rarity was with Twilight, helping her reorganize the library for the third time that day. They just couldn’t find the perfect organization for the books. Should they go by subject, then by author’s name alphabetically? Or did they want to have the books by order of importance and what she was currently reading? Or even colour scheme?
“I haven’t heard from Fluttershy in a few days,” Twilight said, magicking a couple of her favourite books wrapped in pale yellow covers to the nearby bookshelf. “I hope that she is doing alright. She’s seemed a little out of it during the last couple weeks.”
“Oh, she is doing more than fine.” Rarity assured her, adding a few green covers to the bottom of the shelf. “I just saw her yesterday at the spa, and then she helped me with my newest fashion line”
“Oh? Did you guys talk about anything important?” Twilight asked in distraction, trying to remember if she had read “101 Uses of Apple Sauce” and if it would be considered pink or rose.
“Nothing too, too important,” Rarity shrugged, continuing to organize the countless books. “But I may have convinced her to finally admit her feelings to Discord, once and for all.”
Twilight dropped the stack of books that were being held in her magic. “Her feelings for who?”