> The Mark of the Soul
>  by Comicizzum
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> How in Equestria had it all Come Down to This?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the first time in years Discord was thankful he lived alone in his own dimension. Slamming the door to his house, he reached within his chest and pulled out his heart. Setting it on the coffee table, the poor organ literally bled his emotions, red tears falling all over the carpet. Did he care? Not one bit.

He’d promised himself that he would never again be responsible for her tears and yet he’d left her, the one pony he cared most about, with a river of them falling from her gorgeous teal eyes.

Eyes full of sorrow.

Eyes full of pain.

Because of him.

Discord scrunched his eyes shut and screamed, an explosion of pure chaos blasting from his being. The force obliterated his entire house; every fiber of wood, furniture, and glass ripped to slivers and shards of unrecognizable material in seconds. Did he care? Not one bit!

“It’s not like I wanted to break her heart!” he snarled, reforming his house with a snap only to pick up the nearest piece of glass - a vase - and throw it across the room. With satisfaction he listened to it break and decided further shattering was in order.   

Summoning a door, he walked through to a room filled with mirrors and windows. Picking up a baseball bat that had helpfully appeared next to the door, he swung at the nearest mirror and listened as a symphony of shards bounced all over the floor. He swung again. And again. Glass rained down, cutting into his skin; a physical representation of the pain coursing through his veins.

After every square inch of mirror and window lay at his feet, Discord threw the bat and left the room, slamming the door shut behind him. Lungs heaving, he walked up the wall and threw himself onto his couch somewhere near the ceiling, covering his eyes and relishing the sting from the various cuts. 

How in Equestria had it all come down to this? 

He used to be the most terrifying villain in all of pony history! The only thing that could stop him was his exact opposite, harmony. And where did harmony get him? Into this tangled mess!

“This is all Celestia’s fault!” he snarled. “Her and her stupid idea of reformation! Why couldn’t she have just left me in stone? Fluttershy would have been better off. But now… now…”

He snarled again, slamming his fist into the coffee table and sending it spiraling towards the ground. A leg fell off on impact. Discord watched as it spun around in zero gravity, smacking into several different objects on an uncharted course. 

If anypony had told him that the weak pegasus he’d manipulated years ago in Celestia’s maze would one day become the owner of his heart he would have laughed in their face! But he was a very different draconequus back then compared to now. Then he only had love for chaos, believing love between creatures as petty and finite. How could he think otherwise? Nocreature had ever loved him and the only examples of love he’d seen ended in death.

Death. That was the biggest reason behind the raging conflict in his heart. One day Fluttershy would die and he would be alone. Forget the revolted stares and whispers their relationship would bring; living life without her after having her romantically would destroy him. He’d wander the rest of existence unfulfilled, lost, and alone in a way he’d never had to deal with before.

“But we’re already doomed to that life, aren’t we?”

Discord looked up and scowled as a copy of himself wearing a pair of glasses sat down beside him. “I didn’t ask for your opinion!” he snapped.

“Too bad,” he said, sticking out a forked tongue. “You’re already head over heels in love with her. Denying yourself of romance - that she clearly wants too because she’s the one who asked you! - is stupid.”

“It is not!”

Discord 2 stared at him skeptically. “Really? How so?”

“Because of the memories we’d create! After she died they would be all we had left. We’d live in them and forget everything else!”

“But we would have them instead of just the dreams we’ve been feeding off of for years.”

“Dreams are sometimes better than reality!”

“But actual memories containing what Fluttershy tastes like when kissed would be so much better!” Discord 2 countered.

“Shut up! You’re not helping!”

“Why are you fighting this?”

“Because I have to!” Discord bellowed, standing up. “For Fluttershy! Do you know what would happen if she got involved with us? She would be shunned. She would be scorned. She would become a target. Every single horrible thing those ponies say about us they would begin to say about her! I cannot allow that to happen. I cannot allow her to become a freak to her own kind by becoming involved with me. 

“And what of children?” he continued. “Surely one day she will want some of her own and we don’t even know if we’re compatible! And would we even want a child? A spawn of my genes would never be accepted by ponykind. It would be feared, hated, shunned, just like us!”

“But it would be half of her. It would be a physical manifestation of our love for each other.”

“It would be an abomination to everyone else,” Discord lamented. “I would hate to be the reason Fluttershy’s children were rejected. She deserves a stallion not this!”

He gestured to himself.

Discord 2 scowled. “Since when do we have issues with self image?”

“We don’t!” Discord said, “Except for when it involves possible offspring with the most gorgeous mare to ever grace Equestria!” He flopped down and mournfully continued, “And I can’t stand the thought of watching her die. If we could have children and they ended up inheriting my immortality, Fluttershy would succumb to her mortality, leaving us behind. I don’t think I could live without her. I would submit myself to being stone over her grave; after wallowing in misery until our children were grown and settled, that is.”

“But that was the plan regardless, wasn’t it?” 

Yes, that had become the plan; shortly after the incident with Tirek. After realizing how deeply he cared for her, and how much it would hurt being without her, Discord decided that the moment Fluttershy died he would become her grave’s protector forever. Not that she nor any of their friends knew that; not even Celestia and Luna knew. He knew they wondered what would become of him after Fluttershy’s death but neither had the courage to ask. The only princess who might have the imagination of his planned fate would be Cadence and that was only because of her understanding of love. But she wasn’t even aware of their feelings for each other so maybe she would be just as surprised as everypony else in the end.   

Discord 2 harrumphed before standing up. “While you’ve brought up some good points, the stone gravemarker is our chosen fate either way. I don’t see why you can’t live the life you really want until then.”    

Discord put his head in his paw and claw. “But what if it all falls apart? What if this whole venture is doomed to fail before it even starts? A draconequus and a pony? It’s not meant to be. It never was!”

“Says you.”

“I am you!”

“And I’m also you!” Discord 2 retorted. “So there must be a part of you that believes it could be.”

Discord threw up his hands. “The hopeless part! The part that is foolish enough to believe in dreams and all that other impossible hooey!”  

“Have you forgotten who we are? We are chaos! We literally are capable of doing the impossible!”

“There are some things even chaos isn’t capable of conquering!” Discord spat. “And being in a successful endless relationship with Fluttershy is one of them!”

“You can’t know that!”

“And you can?!”

Before the copy could respond a sealed scroll magically poofed into existence between them. Discord unfurled it with a little more force than necessary, ripping it in half. Angrily shoving the stupid piece of parchment back together, he read the summons and crumbled it into a ball, tossing it over his shoulder. It disappeared through a small portal to a local dump.

“Sorry, Cordy Two, but I’m going to have to cut this incredibly distressing conversation short. Don’t be here when I get back.”

“I wouldn’t have anything new to say anyway!” 

Discord snapped his fingers and a hole appeared beneath him. Cordy Two frowned. 

“Another forced exit? My you are getting predicta-”

Discord forced him through the hole, cutting him off. 

“Me? Predictable?!” He closed the void. "How utterly absurd!”

Snapping his fingers, he teleported to the palace in Canterlot, silently hoping the task Celestia had for him would be chaotic enough to distract him from a certain pink and yellow pegasus.
> You're in Love with Who?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fluttershy swallowed and squared her shoulders. It was too late to go back now. Stepping off the train, she looked up at the vast crystal palace in the distance and began making her way through the streets of the Crystal Empire.

It had taken three whole days of intermittent crying and conversing with her animals to come to this decision. Normally when faced with a problem she’d single out one of her friends but this was a matter none of them knew about; simply because of how they all felt about Discord. There was only one pony Fluttershy could think of that would be able to look past her dislike for the draconequus to give the advice she so desperately craved.

It took half an hour but she finally reached the palace entrance close to midday. The guards recognized her from previous encounters and nodded, allowing her access. A herald ran ahead, announcing her presence and, moments later, Shining Armor appeared.

“Fluttershy,” he greeted warmly, “what brings you here?”

“I, um, just really need to see Cadence,” she muttered. “That is, if she’s free.”

“You caught her at a good time,” he said, leading her down the hall towards the throne room. "She just got out of a meeting." Pushing the door open, he called out, “Honey, you have an unexpected visitor.”

Fluttershy stood frozen on the other side of the door. She was terrified. What if Cadence said it was hopeless? What if she laughed at her? What if she believed Discord had manipulated her emotions so that what she was feeling wasn’t genuine? What if-

“Fluttershy?”

The yellow pegasus gasped and glanced up, hiding mostly behind her mane. “Y-Yes?”

Shining Armor frowned. “Are you okay?”

“Y-Yes,” she peeped.

“Okay,” he muttered, unconvinced. “Um, you can go on in.”

“T-Thanks.”

Come on, Fluttershy. You can’t turn back now. Remember why you’re here. For you. For Discord.

That last thought was the final push she needed. She stepped through the door. 

The throne room of the Crystal Palace was not as grand as that in Canterlot but that suited Fluttershy just fine. The crystal walls gleamed and almost sang as she walked down the carpeted center of the room to where Cadence sat in her crystalized throne. The pink alicorn looked surprised as she drew near.

“Fluttershy!” she smiled, hopping down to meet her. “When Shining Armor said I had a visitor I honestly expected it to be Twilight. What brings you here? Is everything alright in Ponyville?”

Fluttershy hid even more behind her mane as she answered very softly, “Everything is fine. In Ponyville, I mean.”

She could feel Cadence’s eyes on her. She shrunk down further. 

“I see.” A comforting hoof reached out and touched her shoulder. She looked up and found a compassionate smile on Cadence’s face. “Do you want to talk about him?”

Fluttershy gasped. “How did you…?”

The princess’s smile deepened. “I am the Princess of Love, remember? If not a threat to Ponyville, why else would you come here individually to see me?”

“Oh. I guess that makes sense." 

Cadence gently laughed before beckoning her towards a door off to the right. Fluttershy followed, somewhat confused. Inside was a completely different setting than the throne room, the smaller space holding two comfy lounging sofas and a table in between. A large set of shelves lined the far wall, covered in a collection of sweets that would make Pinkie Pie’s entire day. 

“Can I get you anything?” Cadence asked, heading over to the shelf. “Chocolate? Cake? Carrot éclair?”

Fluttershy blinked. “Um…?”

“Comfort food,” Cadence explained. “It tends to help with conversations of the heart.”

“Oh… um, a carrot éclair would be great,” Fluttershy said. 

The princess placed one on a plate and carried it over to the table with her magic. “Please, take a seat,” she invited. 

“What… is this place?”

“A private anti-eavesdrop chamber to see clients such as yourself,” she said, sitting on the couch opposite her. “I don’t feel it appropriate to discuss one’s love life in the throne room for all to hear. Matters of the heart are sacred.”

“That’s very considerate of you,” Fluttershy said, both relieved and grateful. 

“Thank you,” Cadence smiled. “Anything you say here will never leave this room. I don’t have any expectations either. You can tell me whatever you want and I’ll do my best to listen and give advice as needed or wanted.”

The pegasus relaxed further, put at ease by Cadence’s quiet reassurances. “Thank you. I… I confess I don’t really know where to start.”

“Just say whatever comes to mind. The heart usually takes over once the conversation picks up.”

“O-Okay.” Fluttershy looked down and hid behind her mane. Closing her eyes, she opened her mouth and everything came pouring out.

“It started a long time ago, the attraction, that is, but I don’t think it really developed into anything else until after the Tirek incident. I mean, I’ve always held a love for animals but I never thought I’d actually fall for one. Not that Discord is an animal - well, he is but he’s sentient like ponies - and he’s the nicest, most incredible draconequus I’ve ever met. I mean, he’s the only one but - that is- what I mean is - I couldn’t ask for a better stallion - I mean, draconequus - oh, am I even making sense?”

She looked up to find Cadence staring at her in disbelief. Fluttershy’s cheeks burned and she lowered her gaze, tears burning her eyes. 

Here it comes.

“Y-You’re in love with Discord?”

She whimpered and nodded, hiding behind her mane, waiting for the princess’s ridicule.

Silence stretched between them and then, to her surprise, Cadence’s hooves wrapped around her. Fluttershy accepted the embrace, a sob of relief escaping her trembling lips. The princess gently squeezed her shoulders. This reaction was what the pegasus had desperately been hoping for: compassion and understanding.

“I’m so sorry for my earlier reaction,” Cadence muttered. “Forgive me?”

“O-Of course,” Fluttershy said at once, living up to her element. “I know it’s unbelievable.”

“Actually, when I really think about it, it’s not,” she gently countered. “You were the one to reform him, correct?”

“Yes.”

“And I assume that turned into seeing him on a more frequent basis?”

Fluttershy nodded. “It started as just exchanging letters back and forth. Then we began having tea parties once a week. We’ve still kept up with those things but lately he’s just been showing up at different times.”

“Especially after the incident with Queen Chrysalis?”    

Fluttershy paused in thought. Come to think of it, Discord’s visits had increased since then. Not that she minded. Shortly after the rescue he’d privately confessed that the whole reason he’d accompanied Starlight, Trixie, and Thorax on their mission was to save her. She’d felt so special that night and had rewarded him with a kiss on the cheek; the first of many. 

“I think that was when they became more frequent,” she said finally. “Why do you ask?”

“I’m just trying to get a feel for how long these feelings have been developing for you,” Cadence answered. “And for him? Has he reciprocated your feelings?”

“In some words, yes.” -Fluttershy blushed and looked away- “B-but mostly in actions.”

“Oh?”

She fiddled with her plate. “As an animal caretaker, I’ve had years of experience recognizing the attraction and mating rituals in all kinds of creatures.”

“And Discord has displayed some similar animalistic tendencies toward you?”

Fluttershy nodded, her whole face turning a dark shade of red. “He strokes my mane and n-nuzzles me. Sometimes he rubs the side of his body against mine like a giant cat. And when we’re spending an evening together at my cottage, he’ll coil himself around me like a snake or dragon guarding his hoard. And all of it has been really… nice.”

Cadence grinned. “Receiving affection from the one you’re attracted to usually is.”

“But he’s not a pony!” Fluttershy said, looking at her desperately. “Is it wrong, Cadence? Please tell me it’s not!”

“Oh, Fluttershy, does it really matter to you?”

“Of course not!”

“Then why do you need me to validate your feelings?”

“Because I need to know that it’s possible.” Fluttershy looked down at her hooves, her heart constricting. “A few days ago I finally mustered up the courage to confess how I felt about him and asked if he felt the same way. Oh, Cadence, why would he say that he loves me and then cruelly say that it’s impossible?”

Her voice cracked and tears began to blur her vision.

“I love him so much,” she confessed. “Why would he say that he can’t have me when he already does?”

The pegasus sobbed, hiding her face in her hooves. After a moment a handkerchief was placed in her hooves and she gratefully glanced at Cadence before dabbing her eyes. 

“I-I’m sorry,” she hiccupped.

“There’s nothing you need to apologize for,” Cadence consoled. “Every feeling of the heart is accepted here.”

“T-Thank you.”

The princess hugged her with her wing before retracting it and sitting back. “Can I give you some advice?”

“Please.”

“There’s obviously some obstacle in Discord’s mind preventing him from fully accepting an intimate relationship with you. There’s possibly several. What you need to do is reaffirm your feelings and encourage him to share his fears. Then you need to dispel them any way you can. He’s never going to allow what both of you want if he’s afraid.”

Discord, afraid? Never in her life would Fluttershy have tied such an emotion to the draconequus! Discord was the epitome of confidence. 

“What in Equestria could he be afraid of?”

“That’s up to you to find out.”

Fluttershy studied her. There was something in the way she’d said that… “You know, don’t you?”

The Princess of Love sighed. “I have an idea but I’m not going to voice it. It’ll be more beneficial for you to get a clear answer from him than a suspicion from somepony else.”

“Oh.” She looked away, disappointed. “Okay.”

“But Fluttershy? The only way he’s going to open up is for you to be firm in your love for him. He has to feel how much your heart is committed to being in an open relationship with him. He has to know you are willing to sacrifice everything to make it work. Would you be willing?”

“Of course!” she said immediately. “I love him! I want to spend the rest of my life with him.”

Cadence smiled. “Then let him know that.”

Fluttershy stood up. “I will. Thank you, Cadence, for the advice and for listening. I don’t think my friends would have been as…understanding.”

Cadence stood up too. “I’m always a crusader for love, no matter what form it takes. I’m happy for you, Fluttershy. Your love for Discord is one of the strongest I’ve ever felt. I’m rooting for you!”

“Thank you.” 

Fluttershy bowed to her respectively. Cadence enveloped her in a comforting hug. 

“Can I make one more suggestion?”

“Of course.”

“Try to tell your friends. You girls have an unbreakable bond. It might take them time, but I know all they want is for you to be happy. And if Discord makes you happy, they’ll come to see, understand, and accept him just as you have.”

Fluttershy nodded hesitantly. “Thank you, Cadence. I’ll try. After I convince a certain draconequus how much he means to me.”

Cadence sent her an approving smile. “Good luck. And come back if you need an ally. I’ll always stand in your corner.”     

The two shared one last hug and then Fluttershy departed, her heart filled with determination and hope.
> Bound to Break
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The conversation with Cadence had lit a fire in Fluttershy’s heart and she was more than ready to stand up and defend her love! But the raging inferno had diminished to a flickering shimmer as days turned into weeks without a sign of Discord. And she’d never been so depressed. 

Her friends had immediately noticed her lack of happiness and tried to wiggle out the cause but the pegasus refused to confess until after she’d cleared things up with Discord.

In her spare time she tried to keep busy, caring for the animals at the Sanctuary and teaching at the School of Friendship. Since Discord had missed three consecutive tea parties, she’d decided to spend the time tending her flower garden in the backyard. That didn’t stop her from having a kettle ready just in case he did show, however. 

When Tuesday rolled around again, she set the kettle on the stove (along with a collection of tea options) before heading outside. Tying her hair in a braid so it would stay out of the way while she worked, she picked up a basket and flew over to a flower patch. A few birds, butterflies, and squirrels kept her company as she pulled up the weeds; Angel was inside taking a nap or he would have been there too. 

The sun had traveled just past noon when she heard a familiar pop that usually accompanied teleportation. Her heart leapt as she looked around and saw the tall handsome keeper of her heart standing there in all his mismatched glory. Discord was rubbing his paw and claw together, his cloven hoof nervously digging into the dirt.

“Um, hello, Fluttershy,” he muttered, unable to meet her gaze. 

She leapt up and pounced, her arms wrapping around and hugging him tight. The draconequus froze before wrapping his own arms around her, his head bending down to nuzzle hers. 

“I missed you,” she cried, unable to help the escaping tears.

His paw gently wiped them away, the large pads underneath smooth and pleasant against her cheek. “Please don’t cry, Fluttershy,” he whispered.

“I-I’m sorry,” she said, reluctantly letting go. “I was starting to fear you’d never come back.”

“I tried not to,” he confessed. “But it seems my heart had other plans.”

Fluttershy frowned. “Why?”

“Huh?”

“Why did you try to stay away?”

He looked at the ground uncomfortably. “Because… because you and me… it’s just not in the cards, Fluttershy. Look at me. Do you honestly want to be with me when you can have any stallion in Equestria?”

“But I don’t want any stallion!” she cried, grabbing his face. “I want you!”

He gently removed her hooves. “No, Fluttershy, you don’t.”

Anger overcame the small pegasus and she kicked her back legs in frustration. Flaring out her wings, she shoved her hoof into his chest and snapped, “That’s not up to you to decide!”

“Why are you making this so complicated?” he snapped suddenly. “Isn’t it enough for you to just remain friends?”

“No, it’s not!” she shouted. “And it’s not enough for you either!”

He opened his mouth to retort, closed it, and then stomped his foot. “What do you want from me, you infuriating canary horse?!”

“I WANT YOU TO LOVE ME!”

“AND YOU THINK I DON’T?!” he bellowed back, his ferocity causing her to physically step back. “Of course I love you, Fluttershy! I want to be with you more than anything! But it’ll never work!”

“WHY NOT?!”

“Because it’s impossible!” he snapped, throwing his hands in the air. 

“No it’s not! I love you! I want to be with you! Why can’t you accept that? Why can’t you give us a chance?”

“BECAUSE I’M NOT WORTH IT!” he shouted. “I’m not worth it, Fluttershy! Can’t you see that? Here, at your cottage, we make sense but out there” - he threw his claw out towards Ponyville and Canterlot - “we don’t! If you’re with me, everypony will judge and reject you. You’ll be an outcast. And I will not see you treated the way ponies treat me! You, the epitome of kindness and all that is good, cannot be despised for being in a relationship with the Lord of Chaos. It wouldn’t be right. It would be a crime.” 

“I don’t care what anypony else thinks!” she cried, latching onto his paw and pulling it closer to her heart. “You’re worth everything to me! Besides, what fun is there in making sense?” 

 A slight smile lifted his face and she silently applauded herself in triumph. But then the smile fell as Discord looked away. 

“Even if we could ignore everypony else, there’s one thing that can’t be avoided.” 

“And what might that be?”

He twisted around so his back was to her, his arms tightly hugging his body. “It’s nothing.”

She huffed in silent frustration. “It’s obviously not nothing. What else is bothering you? Tell me.”

“No.”

“Discord!”

“It’s NOTHING!” he snarled, his body immediately tensing like a bowstring.

Fluttershy took a deep breath before gently moving around so she was in front of him again. Taking his face in hers, she lifted his chin and waited until their eyes had locked.

“Please,” she whispered. “Please, let me in.”

To her surprise, his eyes began to water. “I can’t.”

“Yes,” she encouraged softly, “you can.”

He shook his head and turned away. “No, Fluttershy. I can’t. You and I… we’re bound to break.” He looked at her, his eyes glossy with sorrow. “I can’t have you forever.”

He lifted his eagle talons. Fluttershy saw what he was about to do. She flew forward, hooves outstretched.

“No!” she cried, but it was too late. 

He was gone.

Again.

The yellow pegasus slowly landed and collapsed into the dirt, tears falling anew. She’d been so close. So close! Frustration soon replaced sorrow and she stomped her foot. 

“I’m not going to give up!” she whispered before filling her lungs with air and shouting, “I’M NOT GOING TO GIVE UP!”


<><><>


In his dimension, Discord sat in front of a huge lake of chocolate milk, his claws digging into the brown sugar shore unconsciously. 

“For the first time in my incredibly long life, I curse my immortality,” he muttered, looking down at the broken heart he’d just drawn in the sugar. 

Scowling, he swiped it away with his tail. It reappeared instantly. With a growl he swiped it again. It reappeared.

“Would you just leave me alone?!” he snarled, smashing his paw into the drawing. 

The sugar exploded all over the place, shifting and floating up into the air, creating more broken hearts. 

He screamed and buried his head in his arms. Unbidden, a tear fell. Then another. The drops transformed to chocolate milk and soon formed a slivered stream heading for the lake; a lake formed from over a millennia's worth of shedded tears. 
> A Generous Reveal
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been a long, sleepless night and, for once, Fluttershy did not get out of bed in the morning. She lay there, the conversation with Discord replaying over and over in her head like a broken record. His parting words, however, had captured her attention most. 

“I can’t have you forever,” he had said. 

It was around midnight that she was struck by a sudden revelation that broke her heart and opened her eyes to understanding. 

Discord would never die. But she would.

“How could I have been so stupid?” she groaned, flopping over and burying her face in her pillow. 

She was an idiot. Here she was, a mortal, attempting to tether the immortal Spirit of Chaos! How insufferably selfish could she be? And how could she have overlooked that single most important detail? 

And that led to so many other silent questions.

Had he been in love with a mortal before? Had the pain of losing them sealed him off from further pursuers of love? Did she even want to know if he had a past love? Or several for that matter? Or was he immune to love? No, he’d already said he cared for her. But was that the same as love? 

Fluttershy groaned. 

Somewhere below her, Angel sat on the floor. She was ignoring him and his constant hopping. She knew he was hungry but she also knew he was fully capable of finding food without her if he really wanted it. She also knew she was neglecting her animals but, as with Angel, they were animals, perfectly capable of scavenging on their own. Angel’s paw swatted at her covers.

“Angel, I love you but I really need some space right now. Please, go away,” she whispered miserably, curling further in on herself and closing her eyes. A few tears fell and she sniffled. 

She heard the soft thump of his footfalls hesitate at the door before heading for the landing. Part of her wished he would have denied her request and stayed but another was glad he was gone. 

“I’m so confused,” she mumbled. “I don’t know what to do. I can’t go back to Cadence. She’ll just say to keep pursuing my love. But I’m not sure that’s the right thing to do anymore. How can I ask Discord to love me when one day I’m bound to leave him behind? I can’t do that to him. He asked me if we could just remain friends but I don’t think I can do that. We’ve already made physical advances towards each other. Maybe that's all he wants? Should we just keep doing what we’ve been doing and label it as 'just being friends'? But that would be a lie because I would secretly be feeling it was something more. Oh, what am I supposed to do?”

Lunch time came and went and still Fluttershy remained confined to her bed. She’d cried, she’d thought, she’d cried some more, and was still just as lost as she was all night. She was on the verge of tears again when someone knocked on her door. She had half a mind not to answer when a second knock sounded throughout the house, accompanied by a voice.

“Fluttershy? Darling, are you there?”

Fluttershy gasped and sat up. She’d forgotten all about her spa day with Rarity! Throwing off the covers, she flew down the stairs as quickly as she could, thrusting the door open.

“Fluttershy, are you al-GAHHHH!” Rarity reeled backwards. She rushed forward and grabbed the pegasus by the withers. “My poor dear, what in Celestia's name happened to you? Your mane! It’s positively ghastly! And you look like you haven’t slept a wink!”

Fluttershy rubbed her hoof against her leg and looked behind the pink mess that was her hair. “I’m sorry, Rarity. I completely forgot to meet you at the spa. I’m sorry you had to come all this way…”

“Forget about the spa, darling!” Rarity said with a wave of her hoof. “Tell me who he is so I can destroy him!”

Fluttershy blinked. “Huh?”

The dainty unicorn trotted past her into the cottage before turning around. “Oh please, dear, don’t hide it from me. Puffy eyes, messy mane, withering soul. You’re suffering from genuine heartbreak!” She then paused, her eyes widening as she internalized the facts. “Fluttershy!" she gasped. "You didn’t tell me you had a special somepony!”

Fluttershy’s heart clenched as she closed the cottage door and mumbled towards the floor, “Because I don’t.”

“Pardon?”

“I don’t!” she cried. Her eyes were so full of tears that Rarity was a blur. “I don’t have a special s-somepony, Rarity! And I don’t think I ever will!”

The white unicorn studied her a moment before magicking a handkerchief. Fluttershy took it and wiped at her puffy eyes, her friend placing a comforting hoof on her shoulder.

“Would you like to talk about it?”

Fluttershy was unsure but Cadence had suggested leaning on her friends. Out of all the girls, Rarity might be the best pony to start with; her generosity tended to result in compassion.

“I confessed my feelings to somepony,” she admitted, “But it wasn’t well received. It’s not going to work between us.”

“Did he say that?” Rarity asked, surprisingly gentle instead of demanding.

“He did,” Fluttershy replied, “But after thinking about it, I agree with him. There are too many obstacles.” Her eyes welled with tears. “Oh, Rarity, why does it hurt so much?”

Rarity pulled her into a hug and allowed her to stain her coat as she sobbed. The unicorn patted her back several times, simply being there; the exact kind of friend Fluttershy presently needed. 

After a while, they pulled away and Rarity gently guided her over to the couch. 

“Relationships are difficult things,” she muttered. “Many think I’m an expert but I honestly struggle just as much as the next mare when actually facing somepony I like. I’ve had my heart broken so many times I’ve almost asked for my Soul Mark just to put an end to it all!”

“Soul Mark?” Fluttershy questioned. 

Rarity’s eyes widened. “Oh, darling, don’t tell me you’ve never heard of it?”

She shook her head. 

Rarity frowned in thought. “I suppose that’s not much of a surprise. It isn’t a common pony practice anymore. Back in the days of ancient Equestria, before Celestia and Luna's rule, receiving one’s Soul Mark was part of pony culture. When a mare or stallion reached the age of adulthood, they would seek out soothsayers who would use their magic to connect soulmates together. The Cutie Mark belonging to your soulmate would appear on the back of your right ear.”

“Why the ear?” Fluttershy wondered.

Rarity shrugged. “Some say it's meant to symbolize how the heart whispers when you find your true love. Anyway, the practice was mostly done away with because of the dangers it presented.”

“Dangers?” Fluttershy cried in fear and confusion. “What could be dangerous about finding your soulmate?”

“The magic of binding souls made it so the only pony you could fall in love with was your soulmate,” Rarity replied.

“That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“At first you wouldn’t think so,” she agreed, nodding her head, “but some ponies would search for their soulmate only to find they had tragically passed on. Others had defied culture and married another defector, causing a huge amount of drama for the courts. Who was to say which was right? Forcing someone to receive their Soul Mark to be with their soulmate when they were already married to somepony they chose to love? Or allowing the chosen lovers to continue while the pony with the Soul Mark remained bound by unbreakable magic, witnessing from afar the one they were meant to be with living with somepony else?”

“That sounds horrible,” Fluttershy muttered with a shiver. 

“Indeed, darling,” Rarity muttered. “There were quite a few scandals back in the day! I’ve read about some of them in romantic history books. To keep the peace, once her reign began, Celestia heavily discouraged the Soul Mark ritual and eventually it fell out of practice. There are still some who choose to have it done, though. Mrs. Cake, for example.”

The yellow pegasus gasped in disbelief. “Mrs. Cake?”

Rarity nodded, leaning forward excitedly. “She used to be known as Chiffon Swirl but after she got her Soul Mark, she changed her name to Mrs. Cake.”

Fluttershy’s jaw dropped. “I didn’t know that!”

“Not many do,” the unicorn consoled. “The only reason I found out was because I happened to see Mr. Cake’s Cutie Mark on the back of her ear when she was trying to get batter out of her mane. I asked and she happily told me the story.”

“Who did she go to to get it?” Fluttershy asked. 

“A zebra living in Saddle Arabia,” Rarity answered before slightly narrowing her eyes. “Wait, Fluttershy, surely you’re not… are you?”

The pegasus didn’t answer. 

If what Rarity said was true, receiving a Soul Mark would put an end to her selfish pursual of Discord. She could move on with her life and he wouldn’t have to worry about catering to her feelings anymore. While it was obvious he held deep affection for her, she was sure it would eventually die once she was gone and Discord moved on in his immortality. He wouldn’t have to mourn her with a hole in his heart forever. 

“Fluttershy?” Rarity questioned again.

“Huh?”

“You’re not seriously considering getting your Soul Mark, are you?”

Fluttershy hid her face behind her mane. "Maybe.”

“But, darling, you’re so young! And you’re one of the most sought after mares in Ponyville! Don’t think I don’t know about all those cards you throw away every Hearts and Hooves Day.”

Fluttershy blushed. “You know about that?”

Rarity scoffed. “Of course I know! I confess, I tend to go a little green with jealousy when my friends have more admirers than I that particular day. Forgive me, dear?”

Fluttershy giggled. “Of course. No hard feelings. I’m not interested in any of those stallions anyway.”

“Something I cannot fully understand,” she sighed, before returning to her initial inquiry. “But, darling, there are plenty of other stallions in Equestria to pick from. Why bind yourself to one specifically? Besides, I thought…Oh, nevermind, it’s not right of me to pry.

"I just feel you might be making a hasty decision. Getting a Soul Mark is not the same as choosing what dress to wear to the Grand Galloping Gala - and that's a hard choice to make! This is the rest of your love life we’re talking about!”

Fluttershy frowned. “And that’s why I’m considering it.”

Rarity’s eyebrows drew together. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

The pegasus shook her head, unwilling to elaborate. “I’m sorry, Rarity. You’ve given me a lot to think about. Would it be okay if we postponed our spa day for another time?”

The unicorn studied her silently before nodding. “Alright… If you’re sure?”

“I am,” Fluttershy said firmly. “Thank you for coming all this way.”

The visit now concluded, Rarity headed for the door. Once there, she turned back to look at her dear friend. 

“Fluttershy?” she said hesitantly.

“Yes?”

“Please Pinkie Promise me you’ll give this a good deal of thought before making any kind of decision.”

Fluttershy smiled. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”        

Rarity nodded in apparent satisfaction, her lips pulled down in silent worry as she left. 

Fluttershy walked back to her green couch and sat upon it, thinking of all the times she and Discord had cuddled in that very spot. Her eyes once again filled with tears. 

“I have to let him go," she whispered brokenly. "This may be the only way to do it.”
> At the Crossroads
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the next week Fluttershy checked out every book, document, passage, and old newspaper clipping on the subject of Soul Marks. Twilight had been both surprised and apprehensive to her requests but helped with the research in her spare time. Fluttershy had also gone to Mrs. Cake, asking about her experience and if she had any regrets. 

“None whatsoever,” the cake artist proclaimed. “I’m happier than a cupcake covered in frosting! I knew it wasn't for everypony - and there was a distinct chance my soulmate could already be married or dead - but I was a hopeless romantic and considered it something out of pony tales I’d read as a filly. I’d advise you to give it serious thought before making that choice though. Some ponies I know received their Soul Marks and didn’t end up having a happily ever after.”

Eventually word of her interest in the subject reached her friends and each expressed their concern on the matter. Rainbow Dash was surprisingly supportive. Not being that much of a romantic herself, she thought getting a Soul Mark was a great way to ‘get all the sappy stuff out of the way’. Pinkie Pie and Applejack both thought it was a bad idea. Twilight was fascinated by the subject but nervous for her friend and Rarity’s feelings were already known. Surprisingly, Spike was angry when she expressed getting it. 

“I think you’d be making a big mistake!” he'd said. “It just doesn’t seem right, relying on a mark to find love!” 

Despite the differing opinions, Fluttershy came to her own decision after three weeks of pondering. She approached Zecora over the weekend and the zebra, though surprised, agreed to make the required potion. She asked for payment in advance since some of the ingredients were on the pricier side (Fluttershy willingly and resignedly handed over the bits) as well as time to prepare it. 

“Potions like this take time to brew,” she’d said. “But by next Saturday it should be ready for you.” 

Now Fluttershy just needed to talk to Discord. 

Unfortunately, she hadn’t seen hide nor hair of him since their last meeting. She felt it vitally important to their friendship that he knew what she was planning to do so, on Tuesday, when he once again didn’t show for tea, she entered her backyard and attempted to summon him.

She took a deep breath and called his name. 

He didn’t appear. 

She sighed. “Discord, please, I really need to talk to you. Friend to friend.”

That did it. In a flash of light, the draconequus appeared in all his handsome glory. He looked apprehensive as he stood before her, his claw and paw nervously rubbing together.

“Hello Fluttershy,” he said. “Something on your mind?”

Fluttershy steeled herself. She needed to be brave. She couldn’t break and allow him to see how much her heart was bleeding inside to do this. Putting on her kindest smile, she nodded and asked him to take a seat.

Magicking up a comfy cushion for each of them, he sat down across from her, his tail whipping around into his lap. He started to braid the white tuff unconsciously.

Fluttershy took a deep breath. It was best to just get it over with. “Thank you for coming. I wanted you to know that I have decided to get my Soul Mark.”

Whatever Discord had been expecting, it clearly wasn’t this. His eyes actually fell out of his head and rolled onto the grass while his jaw dropped down to the ground. Recovering his eyes, he yanked on his beard and his mouth rolled back up like a curtain on a string. 

“W-What?” he rasped, his voice weaker than Fluttershy had ever heard.

The pegasus swallowed. Celestia, this was harder than she thought! 

“I’m getting my Soul Mark,” she repeated. “I’ve already confirmed with Zecora that she can do it and I made arrangements to get it this Saturday.”

“You can’t be serious?!” he cried, leaping to his feet. “Soul Marks are dangerous, Fluttershy! Why do you think that particular practice fell out of practice?”

“I know the risks,” she stated. “And I’ve mentally prepared myself for what may happen. But this is the only solution I can think of.”

“For what?” he asked.

“Our friendship,” she replied. “I love you, Discord, but I refuse to be selfish and hurt you. This is the only way we can remain friends and I always want to be friends with you.”

The draconequus folded his arms and looked away. “I see.” Despite the tough act he was trying to display, Fluttershy saw right through him. His hurt was plain as he turned his back to her. “Well, if you think the right thing to do is to bind yourself to some stallion until the end of your days, who am I to stop you?”

“Discord,” she began but he cut her off.

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to be there to support you, my dear. I have important business elsewhere that day. I’ll be sure to visit again. Maybe after you’ve found your soulmate.”

He spat the last word as if it were venom and disappeared in a flash of light. The cushions vanished, leaving Fluttershy sitting in the dirt. 

Once again the backyard witnessed her heartbreak, her animals hopelessly looking on from a distance. That is, all but Angel. He hopped over and set a comforting paw on her hoof.

“I am doing the right thing… right, Angel?” she sobbed. 

He wrapped his arms around her leg and hugged her as she cried, unable to give an answer because, like her, he truly didn’t know. 


<><><>


After once again blowing up his house, setting fire to a purple forest somewhere in the Chaos Realm, and obliterating a star (Luna could get mad at him later; right now he couldn't care less), Discord sat before his chocolate milk lake, his puffy eyes wet and sore. 

“Pathetic,” he rasped, watching as another tear transformed to chocolate and headed to join its brethren. “The Lord of Chaos reduced to a heartbroken shell.”

Footsteps were heard before his double sat down next to him and also drew his knees up to his chest.

“It’s your own fault,” he grumbled, adjusting his glasses.

Discord balked. “How is this my fault?!”

“You pushed her into making this decision!”

“How? I don’t recall any of our previous conversations mentioning the Soul Mark ritual and who to go to get one! Where did she even hear about it anyway?”

Cordy Two shrugged. “Search me. The fact remains she’s found out and decided to get it. So…?”

“So what?” Discord snapped.

Cordy Two snarled before smacking him upside the head. “So what are you going to do about it?”

“Nothing,” Discord retorted, rubbing the offended area and scowling.

“Nothing?” he replied in disbelief. “Are you serious?”

Discord leapt to his feet and threw up his hands. “What do you expect me to do? This is good, isn’t it? She moves on, we remain friends, everyone wins.”

Cordy Two stood too and looked at him with the most intense expression he had ever seen on a double. “If you honestly believe that, then you’re a fool. Never in the history of Equestria - in the history of our existence - have you ever loved anypony before. There have been flings, true, but nothing like this.”

“It doesn’t matter! She’s getting her Soul Mark!”

“Not if you stop her first!”

“I can’t!” he bellowed. 

Cordy Two shook his head, Discord’s sadness reflected in his eyes. “Will you truly just sit back and do nothing?” he whispered. “Is she not worth fighting for?”

Discord opened his mouth, closed it, then turned away. A soft snap was the only sound that reached his ears as Cordy Two voluntarily faded away, leaving him alone. 

Is she not worth fighting for?

Discord looked out at his chocolate milk lake, his mind’s eye filled with moments of Fluttershy. One in particular stood out: her in his arms, covered in green goo, pressed protectively against his chest. Discord looked down at his empty arms and chest, his heart aching painfully at the thought she might never occupy them again. 

Is she not worth fighting for?

Discord snapped his fingers, instantly teleporting in front of the Crystal Palace in the Crystal Empire. He walked past the startled guards, barging his way inside without invitation or consent. By the time they’d realized what he was doing, the draconequus had made it halfway to the throne room. 

“Halt!” one of them demanded, raising a spear.

The Lord of Chaos stopped, snapping the weapon into a flurry of bubbles with annoyance. Leaning his head down so his fiery eyes bore into those of the guard, he growled in a threatening guttural tone, “If you have any sense of self preservation, you’ll get out of my way."

The poor stallion scurried off as fast as his knocking knees would allow. Discord snorted and continued on. The next interruption he didn’t mind. Shining Armor, having been alerted by the guards, cantered forward to meet him.

“What are you doing here, Discord?” he demanded.

He had every right to be angry; the last time they’d met, Tirek had drained him of his magic while Discord looked on.

“I need to speak with your wife.”

“She’s not available. Civil consultations are tomorrow between 2 and 4. Come back-”

“By then it will be too late,” Discord interrupted.  

Shining Armor scoffed. “I’m sure you can wait until tomorrow to ask for something as trivial as ‘a glass of water’.”

Discord had had enough. Similar to the guard, he bent down and glared at the prince. “If you want the entire world as you know it to turn upside down in a rage of never-ending chaos, by all means, Shining Armor, continue to belittle the reason I’m here.”

“Are you threatening me?” he demanded, swiping away Discord's talon, unafraid.

“I’ll do more than that if you don’t get out of my way!”

“What is going on here?”

Now snout to snout, Shining and Discord looked away from each other as a rather angry Princess Cadence made her presence known. 

“Discord is just trying to cause trouble,” the former explained, “But I’m handling it, sweetheart.”

The Chaos Lord scoffed. “Believe me, Shining, if that were true, your crystal home would already be turned into swiss cheese. I’m here to see you, Cady, and for the sake of all Equestria, you won’t make me wait.”

Cadence studied him a moment before commanding her husband and guards to stand down. 

“But Cadence,” Shining Armor protested. “What about taking the day off?”

“This is more important, sweetheart,” she replied, putting a hoof on his shoulder. “I’ll meet you and Flurry in the garden later, okay?”

“I’d rather not leave you alone with him. Nothing good ever happens when he's around.”

“Hey, I resent that!”

“Trust me, Shining,” Cadence assured, both ignoring Discord’s indignant huff. “I think I know why he’s here. And, if I’m right, we have nothing to worry about.”

“Alright,” he muttered, turning back to the draconequus, “But if you try anything, Discord, anything at all, I’ll get Twilight and the girls to turn you back to stone before you can even snap your fingers!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Discord said dismissively, waving his talons nonchalantly through the air. ”Let’s go, Cady.”

Reassuring her husband one last time, the Princess of Love turned around and followed the Lord of Chaos down the hall without another word. 
> Reality Check
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The draconequus strolled through the throne room doors as if he owned the place, heading straight for the doors hiding the princess’s private clientele room.

“Should I even ask how you know where everything is?” Cadence said once inside, watching him raid the available sweets.     

Discord sneered. “Please, Cadence, you insult me. The number of times I’ve entertained myself listening to ponies confess their hopeless love lives to you! Why, it’s even better than sitcoms on TV!”

“Excuse me?” Cadence angrily cried, clearly aghast.

“Now, now, no need to get your mane in a twist,” he said, waving his paw. Her hair twisted up like thousands of miniature springs before quickly unraveling back to normal. “As is your policy, their plights never leave this room. It’s not my fault you’ve never noticed my set of ears mixed in with the chandelier.”

She looked up to see his ears currently making themselves comfortable in the crystal hangings. Her scowl deepened. 

“Discord, those conversations were private! Honestly! Do you even have an ounce of respect for anypony else's privacy?”

“Well of course I do!” he countered. “I’ll have you know there have been many opportunities to sneak a peek at Fluttershy’s diary but I’ve refrained every single time - even when she left it sitting wide open in plain sight one day I randomly popped in to visit.”

Cadence scowled. “Anypony besides Fluttershy?”

Discord thought a moment before shrugging, a shameless grin on his face. The princess scowled.

“From now on I would appreciate you respecting the privacy of every pony that comes in here!”

“Fine, fine, I’ll behave,” he drawled. “Now, let’s get down to brass tacks, shall we? I’m here because Fluttershy has decided to get her Soul Mark and I need you to tell me what to do about it.”

Cadence blinked. “Fluttershy is what?”

“She’s getting her Soul Mark,” Discord repeated, “In an hour, if I’m not mistaken. It is Saturday morning, is it not?” He pulled out a calendar that had the current date circled in red. “Time runs away from me in my own realm. If I didn’t have a cuckoo clock set to remind me of Tuesday Tea and Guy’s Night every week, I'd miss them altogether.” 

“Fluttershy is what?!” Cadence repeated. 

Discord rolled his eyes. “Honestly, Cadence, do you have a canary in your ear?” He pulled said bird from her right ear before repeating a third time, “She’s getting her Soul Mark. And if she does, the entire world is going to plunge into chaos because I honestly cannot handle the very thought of her being with somepony else! And Celestia help the stallion that ends up being her soulmate.” He spat the word and growled. “The poor creature will be in the puppet dimension the second I know who he is!”         

Cadence leapt onto all fours, looking at him as if he were deranged. “If all this is true, why in the whole wide world of Equestria are you even here? If you love her, then stop her!”

Discord blinked. “Honestly? That’s all you’ve got for me?”

Cadence scowled. “Discord, do you love her?”

“I thought that was obvious!” he snapped. “I’m talking to you about her, aren’t I? Are you sure you’re the Princess of Love because you’re pretty bad at this. I’m here for advice, Cady!”

“If you already know how you feel, why do you need me to spell it out for you?” she retorted. “I know for a fact she’ll reciprocate your feelings so why don’t you just go and tell her?”

“Because I can’t!” 

“Why not?”

“Because I’m immortal!" Discord shouted. "Because I can’t stand the thought of living in a world without her! And I don’t believe she’d be happy with having to leave me behind either. It would torture her. It would torture me. And yet the very thought of her with somepony else… 

"Cadence, I don’t know what to do!” he cried. “If she gets her Soul Mark today, I… I'll unleash chaos across Equestria again! You weren’t born when I took over the first time. Chaos was slowly disappearing and I let my anger get the better of me because I couldn’t stand the rejection… I fear history may repeat itself.”

Cadence bit her lip and hesitantly prodded. “All those years ago, the reason you took over Equestria; it was because Celestia didn’t return your feelings.”

A humorless laugh escaped Discord. “Why does everypony believe it was Tia?”

“It wasn’t? But I thought…”

“So did everypony else,” he muttered, “Including many fans. No, the straw that finally broke this camel’s back was Luna.”

“Luna?!” Cadence gasped. “But… I’ve never seen the two of you together. Ever!”

Discord rubbed the back of his head. “There’s a reason for that. In the past the only thing I’ve ever been attracted to is chaos. My partners never lasted because the relationships died when their lives were fully devoid of disharmony. Lulu and I never actually had a relationship. I was merely attracted to the chaos raging inside her.”

"So, you’ve never actually been in love with anypony before?”

“Or creature,” he added, nodding. “Only the chaos they temporarily held.”

“Sweet Celestia,” Cadence muttered. “Fluttershy’s your first!”

Discord smiled, his pupils unintentionally reshaping into hearts. “The first and last, if I’m being honest. She’s done something nopony or creature has ever managed to do before."

His gaze drew distant as he thought of her. Her teal eyes. Her small, perfect form. Her ability to find order in the midst of pandemonium. (Taking care of all those animals day in and day out; how did she do it?) Her quirks. Her kindness. He shook his head. "I'm getting distracted."

"That usually happens when you think of the pony you love," Cadence smiled supportively.

Discord cleared his throat. "Yes… Well, back to the past. The anger Luna felt about being overshadowed by Celestia mixed with the love she still had for her. It was tearing her apart so badly her very magic was being infected. I felt and watched that conflict grow from a distance and thrived in it; the imbalance was like an enticing drug! Here was a pony, the most powerful I'd ever been attracted to, a princess even, who was rejected by her kind and left alone in the dark with her chaos; sweet, glorious chaos. She was just like me. So naturally I thought: 'Why would she not accept one who was also unappreciated by ponykind?' But when I tried to propose a relationship, she spurned me. This rejection (made by one who was an outcast herself) coupled with over a millennia of cruel treatment by ponies everywhere, finally tipped me over the edge.”

“I’m sorry,” Cadence muttered. She knew she wasn’t responsible for the actions of past ponies but she felt the need to say it anyway. 

Discord merely shrugged it off. "It wasn’t your fault. Besides, my hostile takeover suited me just fine since Equestria had been purging disharmony from the land for years.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Well, the uniting of ponykind ended the Wendigos for one and Starswirl finding and beginning Celestia and Luna’s reign didn’t help. But then the Pillars disappeared - something I originally celebrated- and Sombra began to rule over the Crystal Empire. Chaos was thriving. That is, until Cay-Cay and Lulu defeated Sombra and harmony once more started to invade. I confess I was thoroughly put out until I noticed Luna’s growing inner conflict. As stated before, I tried to get her on my side but was rejected. Thus my short reign began, Luna temporarily forgot her anger to help Tia imprison me, and the rest is history.”

“And now you’re afraid of causing another reign of chaos because Fluttershy’s getting her Soul Mark?” Cadence asked, slightly perplexed.

“She’s the first real friend I’ve ever had, Cadence,” he reminded. “My best friend. The only creature I've ever truly loved. Imagine that friendship, that love, ending and how I would personally react to it. I’ve already obliterated a star from the mere revelation of her getting a Soul Mark! Imagine what I’ll do to Equestria if she bonds eternally with somepony else! All of you think my first reign was bad…”

“I see your concerns,” Cadence muttered, trying not to panic. 

If what Discord was saying was true, and he'd never truly loved any of his previous partners, Equestria was indeed in trouble! To think the fate of the world rested on the shoulders of a tiny yellow pegasus! 

“Discord," she hesitantly began, "Will your friendship with Fluttershy really end if she’s with somepony else?”

“Well, yes,” he stated. 

“Why?”

“Because I would end it.”

"And what about your love for her? Are you going to end that too and take over Equestria out of spite?"

"No!" he countered. "I'd take over Equestria, throw her soulmate into another dimension, and-"

"And what?" she angrily interrupted. "Keep her for yourself? Are you seriously that selfish? Discord, she would be miserable without her soulmate! A part of her would literally be missing. Not to mention she'd be forever disappointed by your behavior. Retaliating by conquering Equestria and throwing her soulmate into some abyss is not the way to fix this!"

"Then what is?!" he snarled.

"Wait,” she paused, rubbing her hoof against the side of her head, “Were you seriously going to keep her locked up like a prisoner?" 

“Scorpan, no!" he cried, appalled. "Honestly, Cady, what kind of draconequus do you take me for? I'd never do anything like that to Fluttershy! I’d just make everything return to the way it used to be between us."

"When you were just friends?"

"Yes!” he said exasperatedly. “Because back then everything was perfect!"

"And you honestly want to go back to that?"

"Of course I do!" he huffed, crossing his arms. “This love nonsense has ruined everything!”

She held a skeptical stare. "So you’d be totally okay with going back to a platonic relationship, removing all physical affection besides that of an occasional friend-based hug?"

Discord froze, fully grasping what she was getting at. There would be no more snuggles. No more kisses! No more nuzzling each other's muzzles! The draconequus literally began to deflate at the thought, his body crumbling in an unruly heap as the sound of leaking air filled the room. He looked up at Cadence and scowled.

"You had to go and ruin my one solution, didn't you, princess?"

Cadence sighed. "I’m sorry. While I have no doubt that you could somehow use your phenomenal powers to revert the world back to how things used to be, living in the past is not the answer."

"Then what is?" he mumbled, using a car jack to crank his body back upright. 

"How about stopping Fluttershy from getting her Soul Mark by confessing your feelings and living the life you so obviously and desperately want?" Cadence said. Discord opened his mouth to protest but she wasn’t done. "Stop hiding behind your immortality already and spend the rest of her life with her, for pony’s sake! You’ll make wonderful memories -memories you currently don’t have- and you’ll both be happy. Yes, she’ll die and you won’t, but it would be a crime to let the love you clearly have fizzle out instead of giving it a chance!”

“No, princess, what would be a crime is allowing her to be with me!” Discord snapped back, just as agitated. “Ponies hate me, Cadence! How do you think they’d treat her if I were to become her special somedraconequus?”

“Are you seriously going to let your happiness die because you’re afraid of what others think?” she rejoined.

“Yes!” he retorted. “You don’t get it, do you? The rejection I faced by ponies in the past was not just verbal, Cadence. They literally chased me out of their towns with torches and pitchforks! While none of those things could actually hurt me, the manner in which I was treated…" He paused, shaking his head, briefly stuck in past memories. Ones filled with nothing but anger, abuse, terror, and pain. 

"I've had years to perfect brushing aside the snide comments and crude actions of others,” he muttered. “But Fluttershy hasn't. And I'm afraid she's too tender-hearted to grow callous to the mean things ponies can say and do. It’s hard enough for her just being friends with me. I’m well aware of what those ponies in Ponyville say about us. I could care less what they think of me - I stopped caring eons ago - but I do care about what they think and feel about Fluttershy. It will only grow worse if we become more than what we already are.”

“All creatures fear what they can’t understand,” Cadence consoled, “And I’m sorry I haven’t had the highest opinion of you in the past. But the feelings of others should not stop you from being with the pony you love. Standing side by side through every hardship, fighting opposition, strengthens love. It deepens and makes it all the more precious to you. Don’t you want to deepen your love with Fluttershy?”

“Of course I do!”

“Don’t you think she’d want to do the same for you?”

“I thought she did until she told me she was getting her Soul Mark,” he said. “Now I don’t know what to think!”

Cadence frowned. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe she’s getting her Soul Mark because you made her feel like she didn’t have any other choice?”

“What do you mean?” Discord asked, failing at hiding the guilty look on his face. 

Cadence let out an exasperated sigh. He was really going to make her spell it out, wasn't he? 

“You told her you couldn’t be together because you’re immortal and she’s not. Yet she has these deep feelings for you that aren’t going to simply go away. Neither of you want to lose the friendship you have so maybe getting her Soul Mark was her solution to end any further romantic feelings that could interfere with said friendship.”

The horn and antler on Discord’s head wilted like dying flowers as he covered his eyes with shaking hands. “This is all my fault,” he finally admitted.

“So it would seem,” she muttered sympathetically. 

The draconequus agitatedly rubbed his face. “I’m such an idiot!”

Seemingly out of nowhere something forceful smacked into the back of the Chaos Lord's head. Yellow stars popped into existence, swirling around his skull. Rubbing the sore spot, Discord shooed the stars away and turned to reprimand Cadence but the princess was looking over his shoulder with a somewhat amused expression. He glanced back and saw Cordy Two standing there with a bat in his hands, the wooden surface sporting the words Reality Check in bold black ink.

“Well? What are you still sitting around here for?” he cried. “Go after her, you fool! Before it’s too late!”

Discord turned back to Cadence.

“I'm with him,” she agreed, waving her hoof. "I think you’ve wasted enough time already."

“But what if she doesn’t want me anymore?” he protested.

“Please,” Cordy Two scoffed. “How could she pass up the most handsome draconequus in Equestria?”

Cadence laughed. “He’s got a point. And, if it helps, I know for a fact she wants you. You’re in her heart; her chosen destiny. The one she’s meant to find. The apple of her eye. The sugar on-”

Discord threw up his hands. “Ugh, gag! I get the picture! Please stop.”

She laughed again. “Then get out of here, you lovestruck Purveyor of Pandemonium.”

Discord leaned forward. “You know, you’re not so bad, Princess of Love.”  He produced a single yellow rose. “Thank you, Cadence,” he said, his tone turning serious as he held it out. “You may not believe it, but you saved Equestria today.”

She smiled, accepting the bloom. “I’m glad I could help.”

Discord grinned. Inclining his head, he stood up. Placing his paw over his heart and thrusting his eagle claw above his head, he began to proclaim, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a Fluttershy to wo-”

But Cordy Two cut him off, grabbing him unceremoniously around the middle. “No time!” he shouted, throwing him ruthlessly through a portal. “Honestly, he’s the King of Procrastination. Toodles, Cady! Keep up with the love therapy. You’re really good at it!” Wiggling his talons, he disappeared. 

The princess blinked and then fell back laughing both at the absurd exit and as a means to release the tension she’d been feeling through most of their conversation. 

“I think I’ll leave all future hero work to Twilight and the girls,” she said shakily. “Fluttershy’s got her hands full with that one. If she makes the right choice, that is.”

She could only hope that she would.    
> Divine Intervention
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Are you sure about this?” Applejack asked as the six pony friends entered the Everfree Forest. 

“I am,” Fluttershy said, lying through her teeth.

In all honesty she was a nervous wreck. She did not want to do this but it was the only way she could free Discord from her silly fantasies. She had to see this through. For him. Steeling herself, she quickened her pace, leading her friends deeper into the Everfree.

“All of us want you to be happy, Fluttershy,” said Twilight as they went, “but I’m not sure this is the answer. Even Celestia’s against it.”

“I appreciate your concern, girls, but I've made up my mind,” she replied, keeping her eyes straight ahead so none of them could see the tears threatening to fall. 

They reached the hut a while later and Zecora opened the door, a smile on her face. “Welcome, welcome, come right in. The potion is ready for us to begin.”

The six mares entered the darkened abode, apprehensive of the large pot in the center boiling pink liquid. They watched as Zecora filled a vial and swirled the contents, muttering an unknown chant under her breath. Afterwards she emptied the contents into a bowl made of crystal. The zebra turned and beckoned Fluttershy near.

“Before we proceed, I feel I must ask: Fluttershy, are you sure you are up to this task? The Bonding of Souls will not go away. You will have the Mark ‘til your dying day.”

Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash all looked at her. Fluttershy sent them a false, reassuring smile before turning back to Zecora. 

“I’m certain this is what I need to do.” For Discord, she silently added, her heart quietly breaking.

“Very well,” the zebra solemnly said. “Not many decide to be marked with the Soul but if you are sure, please, step up to the bowl.”

Fluttershy took the crystal bowl full of pink liquid, careful not to spill. The potion smelled sweet, the aroma reminding her of something. Cotton candy?

“It’s not going to hurt, is it?” she asked.

“My dear friend, there is no need to fret,” Zecora assured. “The feeling is similar to the Cutie Mark we get.”

“So I just drink this and then the mark will appear?”

Zecora nodded. 

Fluttershy stared down at the bowl. She looked at her friends. Pinkie Pie latched herself onto Rainbow Dash, practically squeezing the color out of her.

“Oh, I’m so nervous!” she whispered.

“Pinkie!” Rainbow complained, “Can’t… breathe!”

The party pony let go. “Sorry! Sorry! It’s just that… Oh, Fluttershy, are you sure?”

The yellow pegasus nodded. 

“But what about Dis-” 

Before Pinkie could finish the sentence Fluttershy tipped the bowl back and downed the contents. Several things happened at once. The drinker’s eyes widened, the other mares in the room clamped their hooves over Pinkie’s mouth, and the door to the hut burst open.

“FLUTTERSHY, WAIT!”

There was a flash of light above the yellow pegasus’s right ear. Fluttershy felt the magic course through her, the Mark feeling exactly like a tender kiss from…

“Discord!” she cried, eyes wide, staring in shock at the Lord of Chaos’ sudden appearance.

A heavy silence fell. No pony moved. Until Pinkie Pie appeared behind Fluttershy, holding up two mirrors so the pegasus and everyone else could see the new symbol on her ear. 

It was black. Eight pointed arrows were connected at the center, each point shooting out in a different direction.

“Hey! I’ve seen this mark before!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“You have?” cried Rarity.

“Where?” demanded Twilight as the others rushed forward.

“Hmmm, can’t remember!” Pinkie replied with a shrug. 

“Is it somepony we know?” Rainbow asked, fluttering overhead.

“Nopony in Ponyville has a Cutie Mark like that,” said Applejack. “I would know.”

But Fluttershy had stopped looking at the mark’s reflection, focusing instead on the intruder still standing in the doorway. His chest was heaving and his eyes; they were filled with disbelief. 

She leaned unconsciously towards him. “Discord?”

The draconequus didn’t answer, his focus completely devoted to her ear, his mouth hanging open wordlessly towards the floor. Everyone in the hut finally turned to look at him but he ignored their stares. Fluttershy took a step forward.

Suddenly he shook his head and cried, “That can’t be right!” And then, without further explanation, he vanished.

Fluttershy’s heart sank and constricted at the same time. Wait; she shouldn’t be having feelings for him anymore. She had a Soul Mark. The pony who had the arrow star on her ear was who she was supposed to be yearning for. 

Then why had it felt like him when the Mark appeared?


<><><>


Discord reappeared far underground, deeper even than the bowels of Tartarus, in some kind of enchanted paradise.

A magical reflection of the sun and sky were overhead, the green grass below gently bending in a dancing breeze. Trees surrounded the edges of a lake, the bank covered in fresh wild flowers that nodded their heads in the wind. A quaint little cottage stood on the opposite side of the water. A tall brown alicorn with a mane and tail made completely of fresh plants tended the small garden out front. 

Her leafy green hair defied gravity and waved just as Celestia and Luna's. Flowers occasionally sprung into existence on her scalp, traveling down the waves before falling off the ends into the grass, the earth absorbing them hungrily. Her Cutie Mark changed constantly like the tides of the sea from animals to plants to clouds to water formations, etc. Her eyes, frequently shifting from blue to green, looked up at his approach. She smiled and lowered the watering can she’d been using to feed a bed of tulips.

“Why, Discord, I must say I’m surprised to see you. Out of stone already?”

“Do keep up with the times, Mother," he replied. "I’ve been out for a few years now. Although, something tells me you already knew that.” 

He looked at her accusingly. She merely smiled. Two lawn chairs magically appeared and she invited him to sit down. After changing the plain yellow fabric of his seat to tie dye, he joined her, conjuring a glass full of chocolate milk. 

The pony chuckled, the sound like the chime of a bell, and sipped her own conjured glass of lemonade. “I’m glad you came to visit, son. It’s been too long.”

“Please don’t change the subject.”

“Can’t I reprimand my own son for neglect? It gets awfully lonely down here in the center of the earth.”

Discord frowned sourly, staring down at his glass. “Maybe you should have thought of that before you turned me to stone for a thousand years.”

“That wasn’t me, dear. That was Princesses Celestia and Luna.”

“Oh, sure, place the blame on them,” he grumbled. “I know your magic when I see it, Mother Nature. The Elements of Harmony; you finally found a way to keep me and all of Father’s other creatures in check. Should have known those plunder seeds of his wouldn’t really work.”

His mother sighed. “Cordy, you know as well as I the importance of balance. I caused the Elements of Harmony to grow from that seed all those years ago for the good of the land. Your chaos tantrum severely threw everything out of order. It took a thousand years to shift through it all.”

“Is that why I was finally able to break free? You’d finished tidying things up?”

She nodded. “It also helped that Celestia kept you in the Canterlot Gardens. You were able to meet all your potential suitors at the same time!”

Chocolate milk spewed from Discord’s mouth, the draconequus thumping his chest as he choked and rasped, “My potential WHAT?”

“Suitors,” she repeated. “You know; the Bearers of Harmony.”

Discord’s entire body fell apart, the cubed chunks chaotically toppling off the chair into the dirt. Mother Nature’s horn lit and she began piecing him back together. It didn’t take long. After he was reassembled, however, he remained frozen in complete disbelief. 

His mother chuckled into her hoof. “Oh, son, don’t look so surprised. Your opposite is harmony. It’s only natural for you to be attracted to the bearers of it. I was sure you would fall for Magic out of the six, being that you love yours so much.”

Discord’s mouth opened and closed like a codfish before a literal bomb exploded his head, leaving a miniature mushroom cloud coming out of his neck. His mother merely sipped her lemonade at his antics, a smirk lifting the corners of her mouth as his head reappeared. 

“You thought I would fall for Twilight?” he shouted.

She continued without answering, her expression one of contemplation. "Although, Laughter and her use of chaos magic would have been an excellent choice too. Generosity was a possibility because of your love for fashion. But Loyalty and Honesty I didn’t have high hopes for, seeing who your father is and how you tend to take after him. But you completely surprised me by choosing Kindness. I suppose it makes sense, seeing that is what you craved above all else from those ponies of mine.”

“Now hold on a minute!” Discord cried, leaping to his feet. 

Towering over her in all his menacing majesty, with fangs bared and eyes aflame, the Lord of Chaos snarled. Any other pony would have cowered in terror but, to his immense frustration, all she did was elicit another chuckle. 

“You,” he spluttered, “You made me suitors?!”

“Come now, dear, did you think I would allow you to live the rest of your life alone?” she asked, finishing her lemonade. “After learning about your chocolate milk lake I had to do something.”

He froze. “You’ve been spying on me?”

The alicorn shrugged unashamedly. “You can’t blame me for worrying. Though your realm isn’t my favorite, I do tend to pop in unseen every now and then.”

The Spirit of Disharmony groaned and sunk back into his chair, his head in his hands. “You weren’t supposed to know about that." 

His mother reached over and rubbed his lion paw. “There’s nothing wrong with having a Sorrowing Place, son.”

He shrugged her hoof away and sourly changed the subject. “I cannot believe you made me suitors like I was some sort of prissy little princess to be given in marriage!”

A gold crown appeared on his head while a pink and blue spattered dress belonging to one of the animated princesses in the human world wrapped around his figure. Scowling, Discord took both off and threw them into the lake. 

“Ahhh, but you liked the ones I gave," Mother Nature pressed, amused by his shenanigans.

“As friends!” he countered.

“Oh, I think we both know that isn’t true,” she rejoined. “Look me in the eye and tell me that you haven’t been attracted to each of them at least once.”

Discord opened his mouth, closed it, and angrily looked away, crossing his arms over his chest. He hated admitting it, but she was right.

When he first met the Bearers, there were different parts of each he had been attracted to. If he were honest, in the early years, Fluttershy, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie had caught his eye the most; each for a different reason. But, as time went on, Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack became ponies he only loved to vex while Pinkie and Rainbow Dash were just fun to pull pranks with. Only Fluttershy had risen to become the keeper of his heart. 

“I may have liked each originally,” he admitted, “But Fluttershy is the only one who ever became something more to me.”

“Which is why the bond is with her,” Mother Nature confirmed. 

“So you did do it,” he muttered. “Fluttershy’s Soul Mark-”

“Yes, I used my phenomenal cosmic powers to ensure that whichever pony you chose received that particular Mark; should they have chosen to get it, that is. And I knew Fluttershy would."

"Because you know everything that's going to happen," Discord grumbled. "How utterly boring."

Mother Nature laughed. "To my little Cordy, Spirit of Chaos, I'm sure it is. Though I don't know everything. Just most things." He snorted and rolled his eyes. "It's a beautiful symbol, by the way," she continued, "The Star of Chaos; the true Cutie Mark you would have had had you turned out a pony like me.”

Discord rubbed the back of his neck, a faint blush darkening his cheeks. “While I am grateful for what you did, Mother, I’m not sure it's going to work.”

“Whatever do you mean, son?”

“Have you seen me?” he said, gesturing to himself. “I doubt the ponies will believe one of their own has bonded with the Spirit of Chaos. They’ll think it was a trick!”

“All they have to do is confirm the bond through a simple revelation spell,” she said dismissively. 

“Alright,” he said, before continuing bitterly, “But there’s still one major problem.”

“And that is?”

He looked at her angrily as he demanded, “How could you give me a mortal for a soulmate? I know I’ve had moments when you’ve felt the need to discipline me, but a mortal love, Mother? Such an act of cruelty I’d expect from father but from you?”

Mother Nature burst out laughing, derailing the Chaos Lord’s anger. “Oh, my son, do you honestly think I would do such a thing?”

“Yes! That is…until you laughed like that... Now I’m not so sure.”

She smiled, shaking her head and looking at him as if he were a child instead of an ancient spirit. “The moment the Soul Mark appeared on Fluttershy, a part of your immortality fused with her soul.”

Discord’s jaw fell into the dirt. “W-What?"

“Search deep within yourself,” she invited. “You’ll feel a strand of your immortality now connected to her.”

Closing his eyes, he did as asked. Sure enough, he felt the pull on his soul, like a piece of invisible string stretched far and thin across time and space. Fluttershy was on the other end, the light of her soul tied securely to the strand. Completely overwhelmed, Discord looked at his mother, words of gratitude lodged stubbornly in his throat. She smiled knowingly, nodding her head in affirmation.

“I…” he began but choked up. 

Coughing, literal words tumbled out of his mouth and into the air, forming different sentences. Confetti burst behind the words while balloons and streamers rained down from the sky.

You’re the best.

I love you.

World’s Greatest Mom.

Thank you!

Mother Nature chuckled as a cape made of every flower in the world draped around her shoulders and a flower crown wove its way into her hair. The air flashed with light as Discord disappeared, knowing that she would more than understand his hasty exit. 

Appearing in his house within his own dimension, Discord shed several tears of joy. A plant suddenly burst out of his floor, a huge sunflower blooming before his very eyes. In the center was a note.

You’re welcome, son. Please bring your mate to meet me once you two have settled in. Oh, and your father would love to meet her too. Love forever, Mom.

PS: Don't worry too much about the ponies. They'll grow to accept you two over time. Be happy and don’t you dare release those villains and pretend to be your father's favorite disguise in the mortal realm! Grogar's days ended for a reason and that bell will bring you nothing but grief. If you need further convincing, feel free to visit Thursday next. Until then. Ta!
> Revelations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The six Bearers of Harmony were in the library in Twilight’s castle, pouring over books. Well, everypony was except Fluttershy; she lay on a large pillow, her heart no longer in the search.

“I didn’t even know they kept a record of Cutie Marks,” said Rainbow Dash, tossing yet another volume aside.

“And who knew there were so many volumes of said records,” said Pinkie Pie, rapidly flipping pages.

“I did,” Starlight Glimmer confessed. 

“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me,” Applejack muttered.

Twilight’s friendship student blushed and stuck her nose back in a book, hoping the attention would soon turn away from her.

“Cutie Mark records have been kept since the beginning of Celestia and Luna’s rule,” said Twilight without looking up from her copy of Cutie Mark Records Volume 12. “They’re invaluable when it comes to scientific research as well as keeping track of genealogy. See the dates under each one? They represent the birth, Cutie Mark appearance, and death of every recorded pony. Isn’t it fascinating?”

“Quite, darling.” Rarity lied, glancing over at Fluttershy. Noticing the yellow pegasus’s lack of interest, she quietly wandered over and whispered, “Are you alright, dear?”

Fluttershy unconsciously rubbed her right ear. She knew the Mark was there but, like her Cutie Mark, she couldn’t feel any kind of change in texture when touching it. 

“I guess I was just expecting to instantly know who it belongs to,” she muttered, afraid to voice what she was actually thinking: why had the mark felt like him when it appeared?

“That would have been incredibly helpful,” grumbled Rainbow Dash, closing another book. “I feel like we’ve been at this for hours! Can we please take a break?”

Before Twilight could protest (as everyone knew she would), Discord materialized into existence with a faint pop. The room stilled. Fluttershy’s heart leapt. 

The draconequus was looking positively gleeful. Ignoring everypony else, he crossed the room and swept Fluttershy off her hooves, kissing her square on the mouth. He pulled her away before she could even respond. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” cried Twilight at the same time Rainbow Dash snarled, “Get your filthy claws off her!”

“D-Discord?” Fluttershy stuttered, her head and heart somewhere in the clouds. “W-What-?”

But she was forcibly removed from his grasp by Rainbow Dash, the blue pegasus swooping in and carting her off just as Applejack bucked her back legs into Discord’s stomach. The draconequus grunted, clutching his abdomen and landing on one knee. Remarkably, he was still grinning.

“Wipe that smirk off your face, you ghastly beast!” Rarity commanded. 

“Yeah!” Pinkie Pie cried, putting up her front hooves. “Nopony assaults our friend and gets away with it!”

“Stop!” Fluttershy cried, wrestling herself free from Rainbow Dash’s grasp. The others watched in disbelief as she flew down and helped the Lord of Chaos back to his feet. “Are you alright?”  

Discord scooped her up again and pressed her tightly to his chest. “I’m more than alright, Fluttershy. I’m wonderful!” 

The room exploded in confetti.

“Pinkie!” Twilight complained.

“Don’t look at me!” she said. “My confetti doesn’t come in plaid, animal print, and polka dots!”

“Can anypony explain what the hay is goin' on?” demanded Applejack, brushing bits of paper from her stetson.

“It’s quite simple, really,” said Discord as he gently placed Fluttershy on a pillow. “I was simply embracing my soulmate!”

“SOULMATE?!” the ponies cried in unison.

“Wait a second!” Pinkie grabbed a glass of water out of nowhere and did a spit take. “Are you serious?!”

“One hundred percent!” Discord grinned, pointing at Fluttershy’s ear.

“I-I don’t understand,” she stuttered. “You don’t have a Cutie Mark.”

“I don’t,” he agreed, “but I do have a symbol!”

His body shifted into the exact symbol on Fluttershy’s ear before he returned to normal, this time with a cane in his hand. It looked oddly familiar.

Pinkie gasped. “I knew I’d seen that symbol before! It was on Discord’s cane at the Grand Galloping Gala! You know, the one where Fluttershy invited Tree Hugger instead of him and he got so jealous he invited the Smooze to make her jealous but it didn’t work and the two of them had to have a major talk about how it was okay to have other friends?”

“Yeees,” Discord cleared his throat as he and Fluttershy shifted awkwardly at the memory. It wasn’t one of their finest moments.

“Wait just an apple-pickin’ minute!” cried Applejack. “You mean ta tell me that Discord is Fluttershy’s-”

“Soulmate?” the draconequus interrupted. "Why, yes, if you must know.” He then turned to his heart keeper and said, “I do hope that doesn’t disappoint you, my dear.”

Fluttershy’s hooves were covering her mouth, her eyes staring up at him, wide and unseeing. It was as if she’d been carried off to some other plane. Incomprehensible joy was nearly causing her heart to burst. 

Discord was her soulmate! She didn't have to give him up! She would have him by her side for the rest of her life! 

The rest of her life…but his…

The elation she felt popped like a lead balloon as dread began twisting her stomach into knots. A sob suddenly escaped her and she began to cry.

“F-Flutters?” Discord prompted, the wind in his sails dying instantly at her distress.

“Fluttershy?” Twilight tried when she didn’t respond. “Are you okay?”

The yellow pegasus fell at Discord’s feet, wrapping her wings over her face. “I’m so sorry, Discord!” she sobbed, her ears flat against her head. “I failed you!”

The Spirit of Chaos looked around at the others and was thankful to see they were as just in the dark as him. Feeling incredibly awkward having his soulmate in such a position -like a peasant groveling before their feudal lord- Discord lowered himself to the ground and lifted one of her wings. 

“Shy? May I come in?” he asked.

Still sobbing, she nodded. Shrinking down to the size of a butterfly, Discord slithered his way inside and lowered her wing. Rubbing her muzzle comfortingly, he asked, “I’m afraid you’ve stumped me, my dear. I was expecting tears of joy, not this.”

“I-I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I’m really happy you’re my soulmate -thrilled even!- but you weren’t supposed to be!”

Discord frowned. “I’m… confused.”

“The only reason I got my Soul Mark was to let you go!” Fluttershy revealed, sitting up. He remained small, looking up at her with furrowed brows. “Now you’re stuck with me!”

Discord blinked and then stuck a talon in his mouth. Blowing into it, he reinflated to normal size before scooping her up. Booping her on the nose, he gazed down on her with an expression none of the other ponies had ever seen before. His eyes were soft, his mouth lifted in a tender smile. Without a word, he bent down and kissed her,  his talons gently caressing her cheek.

Rarity squealed into her hooves; Rainbow Dash gagged; Applejack lowered her stetson over her eyes; Pinkie Pie, starry-eyed, looked ready to burst; Twilight and Starlight’s jaws dangled somewhere near the ground; and Fluttershy sighed in happiness, wrapping her hooves around Discord’s neck and returning the kiss with all the love she possessed. 

His snaggletooth pressed against the side of her mouth but didn’t bother her in the slightest. In fact, it somehow fit perfectly. The pegasus closed the remaining distance between them, wrapping her wings around his neck. Discord’s mismatched wings spread around and encased her body.

This was heaven! 

This was bliss! 

This was…

“GET A ROOM!” Rainbow shouted, bringing the two back to reality. 

Discord broke the kiss but kept his eyes on his beloved. “What say you, my dear?” he asked, face red and eyebrows wiggling. “Should we find a more private setting to continue?”   

Fluttershy started to nod but then shook her head, pushing herself back. She saw the hurt flash through his eyes and quickly tried to explain. “It’s not that I don’t want to!” she said as he let her go. “It’s just… I’m having a hard time believing all this is really happening!”

“You’re not the only one,” Twilight muttered.

“What?” Discord prompted. “That we’re soulmates?”

“Yes!” Fluttershy cried. “That and why all of a sudden me being mortal doesn’t seem to bother you!”

“Oh, that’s because you’re not anymore!” Discord said, nonchalant, as if he were announcing the weather. 

There was a second of silence and then the room exploded with a collective “WHAT?!”

“What do you mean she’s not mortal anymore?” Twilight demanded.

“Did Fluttershy become an alicorn?” Pinkie asked, zooming over and inspecting said pony’s forehead. 

The yellow pegasus gently pushed her away. “I don’t have a horn, Pinkie,” she said before freezing and feeling her forehead herself. “Do I?”

“Not to worry,” Discord assured with an amused grin. “You’re still very much a pegasus.”

“Then how can she be immortal?” asked Starlight.

“The moment the Soul Mark appeared, a portion of my immortality latched itself onto her," he answered. "A gift from my mother, bless her eternal soul.”

“Your mother?!” cried Twilight and Rarity together.

“Discord has a mother?” gasped Pinkie. “Is she a draconequus too?”

“You have a mother?” Rainbow Dash spluttered. 

“Of course I have a mother!” he scoffed. “Where exactly did you all think I came from?”

“I guess we all sort of thought you’d just always existed,” Starlight nervously answered, speaking for everypony. 

“I suppose you’d be right, in a way,” he mused, rubbing his goat beard. “I was one of the first children she had - and she had plenty! Of course, that’s no surprise, seeing as she’s Mother Nature.”

Fluttershy gasped. “Mother Nature?”

“Mother Nature is a creature?” cried Twilight.

“She’s a pony, actually,” Discord chuckled when seeing the stars in their eyes. “At least, that’s the form she chose shortly after forming this world with my father. Don’t ask me what he looks like. He changes his appearance so often I don’t even know what his true form is. I always figured that’s why I’m a mismatch of animals instead of a complete pony like yourselves.”

“And your father is…?” Twilight prompted.

“Someone I try to avoid at all cost,” Discord answered, “Insufferable old man. If you must know, his name is Abysm. Although you ponies would know him as Tartarus.”

“I thought Tartarus was a place,” said Rarity.

“The prison you call Tartarus is his realm and feeds off his existence,” said Discord while pulling a stray piece of confetti from his feathers. He looked at it for a moment before popping it into his mouth. “Best not to keep talking about him, though; might draw his attention. Anyway, I'm sure if you’re uncomfortable with immorality, Fluttershy, we can discuss it with my mother.”

“O-Oh,” Fluttershy stuttered, feeling slightly dazed. “Um, I’m not, um, sure how I feel about it yet?”

The draconequus bent down to her level and huskily muttered, “I might have a way to help you with that.”

Fluttershy blushed scarlet as he brushed a talon delicately down her left foreleg before lifting her hoof to kiss it. 

Rarity cleared her throat. “I do believe it would be most opportune if the two of you continued your 'conversation' elsewhere, posthaste.” 

“Please, before we gag ourselves to death,” Rainbow Dash said, her lips curled in disgust. 

Discord grinned up at her. “Might as well get used to it, Dashie!”

“Just because you’re soulmates doesn’t mean I have to like it,” she snapped.

“Y-You don’t approve?”

Everyone stilled, having heard Fluttershy’s soft spoken question as if she’d shouted it.

“It’s not that we don’t,” Applejack began.

“It’s just a surprise,” Twilight finished, rubbing her foreleg awkwardly. 

“He’s not even a pony!” Rainbow Dash voiced, throwing her hooves out. 

“Hey, Rainbow, that’s not entirely true!” Pinkie cried. “He’s part pony!”

“I guess,” she muttered, crossing her hooves.

“I think the thing we all have to remember,” Rarity said, placing a comforting hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder, “is that two of our friends have found happiness and we should be happy for them. Granted, I presently consider Discord more an acquaintance than a friend,” -she looked up at him- “But I’d like to change that. Would you be willing?”

Discord blinked in surprise before smiling down at the white unicorn. He held out his paw. “I’m game if you are.”

She placed her hoof inside and the two shook. Fluttershy sent her a grateful smile. The fashionista winked. 

“Well, I have no problems with Discord,” said Pinkie, hopping over and slapping a sticker of approval on his chest. It had her face on it and said APPROVED in puffy pink letters. “I’m so super duper excited for both of you!” She froze and gasped. “We should totally have a soulmate party!”

“I think the two of them should have some time alone before we do that, Pinkie,” said Twilight, stepping forward. “Although I must confess I’m rather fascinated to learn more about your parentage, Discord.”

“I think some time alone would be best right now,” said Fluttershy, seeking intervention before the purple alicorn could give in to her thirst for knowledge.

Discord came to the rescue, materializing a piece of paper with something written on it. He handed it to the purple princess. 

“What’s this?” she asked.

“A raincheck for this conversation,” he said, grinning. “Though I may choose not to answer every question you have, Sparkles. I do like my secrets, after all.”

Twilight smiled excitedly. “I’ll take whatever I can get! Now get out of here.”

“As you wish, Your Royal Bookness,” he laughed, holding out his paw to Fluttershy. “Shall we, my dear?”

She took it, her cheeks darkening.

“Have fun!” Pinkie shouted, pulling out her party cannon and setting it off.

A few pieces of confetti got caught in the teleportation, the little flecks of paper falling to the floor of Fluttershy’s living room. Grateful to be in a familiar setting, the tired pegasus weakly flew over to the green couch and collapsed. Discord summoned up a chair made of bubbles and nervously sat down across from her.

“Shy?” he asked, “Are you okay?”

“I… don’t know,” she said honestly.

Her head was spinning. So much had happened; she was having difficulty processing it all. It was revelatory enough to learn Discord was her soulmate. Learning that she was now immortal and had a possible visit with Mother Nature was almost too much to swallow. Her vision swam.

“I think I’m going to…”

She passed out. 
> Worth It All
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Discord caught Fluttershy's head with his tail and gently lowered it down, resting it between her hooves. Settling back in his chair, the draconequus waited, watching her chest rise and fall with a tender smile. 

“Poor dear.”

Discord jumped and whirled around. His mother had magically appeared, her beautiful form slowly walking over to look down at Fluttershy with a pitying smile.    

“You dropped quite the bomb on her.”    

Fluttershy’s animals scampered out of their hiding places (they always hid when Discord was around) and rushed toward Mother Nature, the bunnies and squirrels dancing about her legs while the birds and butterflies nestled themselves in her hair and on her back. The spirit chuckled. 

“Hello my little ones. She’s taken very good care of you, hasn’t she?”

Several of them chittered in the affirmative.

“Mother, what are you doing here?” Discord hissed. “You can’t just show up unannounced!”

“Your father dropped by for a visit,” she revealed, unconcerned. “He was most displeased with me for rewriting the stars when it came to you.”

“What in the world is that supposed to mean?”

Mother Nature smirked. “He originally set you up with Pinkie Pie.”

“He… WHAT?!”

“He had hoped that between the two of you the world would plunge into eternal chaos,” she chuckled. “But we both know I couldn’t allow that. So I rewrote your destiny a bit when he wasn’t looking, enabling you to choose your soulmate. Don’t worry though; he approves of Fluttershy. She reminds him of me, afterall.” She winked. Fluttershy started to stir. “Oh, I’d best be off! I can’t wait for the grandchildren!”

Discord blanched. “Mother, at least let me court and marry her first!”

She jutted her lip in a slight pout. “Oh, very well. You two have a lot to talk about before any of that can happen anyway. Love you, son! Good luck!" She faded away.

Discord frowned. Good luck?

Fluttershy sat up. “Dissy?”

“I’m right here, Shy,” he said, slithering over and nuzzling her head. 

She nuzzled him back automatically. “What happened?” He was about to answer when she gasped and looked up at him, her eyes filled with remembrance. “We’re soulmates.”

“Yes,” he said, his talon briefly stroking her ear where the Soul Mark lay.

“And I’m immortal now?”

“Yeeesss.”

“Because a piece of your immortality attached itself to me when the Soul Mark appeared?”

“That’s correct,” he said happily.

Fluttershy frowned. "Oh. I see."

Discord's grin quickly fell, his happiness spiraling into confusion at her sudden lack of enthusiasm. Hesitantly he prompted, "Fluttershy?"

The small yellow pegasus slowly slipped off the couch and relocated to a nearby chair, observing him silently. The draconequus began to squirm.

"Why do I suddenly feel like I'm in the dog house?" he asked, said house magically appearing with him inside. 

To his bewilderment, Fluttershy’s eyes filled with anger and frustration. Taking a deep breath, she spoke calmly but her words felt sharp and harsh.

"You avoided me for weeks and now that I have your symbol on my ear everything is suddenly okay?"

He opened his mouth but then paused. "Would it be wrong to say yes?"

"Yes!" She snapped. "Do you have any idea what these past few weeks have been like for me? I didn't want to get a Soul Mark! I really didn't! But I decided to get one for you because you told me it was impossible between us. You told me I couldn’t have you.” Her voice cracked as tears began streaming down her pale yellow cheeks. “I wanted to be with you so much. When Rarity told me about the Soul Mark I thought it was the only solution. If I could rid my feelings of you, we could stay friends and everything would eventually be okay. But then you got mad when I decided to get one. You told me you weren’t going to show up but you did and it turned out to be you anyway! Was I not enough for you without it?"

A sob wrenched itself free from her tiny form and she collapsed onto the chair, hiding behind her mane and wings, her tiny body shaking as her lungs heaved.

Discord felt positively awful. Without realizing it, his form had shrunk down until he was the same size as that demon bunny; who was mercifully nowhere to be seen. He’d been so focused on his own feelings that he hadn't taken into account how Fluttershy was feeling through this whole ordeal. Had he really left her to wade through everything alone for weeks? Curse time and his ignorance of it!

Fluttershy’s sobs still filled the cottage, the dark eyes of her animal friends glaring at him accusingly from their hiding places. Discord bit his lip and slowly, hesitantly, slid off the couch and wandered over to his newfound soulmate, his form growing as he walked. He looked down at the Chaos Star on her ear and frowned.  

Slowly, gently, he moved her feathers aside. Fluttershy looked up at him, her teal eyes filled with so much inner conflict. Normally such chaos and disharmony would thrill him but it felt wrong, seeing it within his beautiful Fluttershy. She wasn’t supposed to feel this way. He had put those emotions inside of her. This was all his fault. He had to make it right. 

Tenderly, he stroked her cheeks, brushing the tears away. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice cracking unexpectedly. “I’m so sorry, my dearest Fluttershy. I’ve been stupid, selfish, and afraid. I hope you can forgive me; I’m no good at this sort of thing. Never in my very long life have I ever truly experienced being in love. You’re my first,” he chuckled darkly, “so naturally I screwed everything up.

“I stayed away because I didn’t feel like I was good enough for you. I was afraid of what kind of life you would have if you were with me, how other ponies would treat you. I was afraid the pain of losing you would be unbearable. And I was selfish because, despite driving you into getting this” -he pointed at the Soul Mark- “I didn’t want to share you with anypony else.” 

"Is that why you showed up at Zecora’s hut?" she whispered quietly, her eyes locked with his. 

"I went to see Cadence,” he confessed. “She -and my inner self- finally managed to beat enough sense into me to realize my concerns didn't matter. What did was to be with you, to spend the rest of your life with you."

"So you were coming after me?"

"I was coming to stop you,” he confirmed, unable to look at her. His face felt like he could fry an egg on it. “I'm a selfish old draconequus, Fluttershy. I’m sure you know by now that I have some serious issues when it comes to sharing."

Fluttershy looked down at her hooves and hid behind her mane. She quietly replied, “I can be selfish too.”

His ears perked up as he met her eyes again. She held a smile, befitting of her name. A slow grin started to climb Discord’s face, one of elation and hope. He leaned forward, stopping when he was mere inches from her muzzle. 

“My dear canary horse, are you saying what I think you’re saying?” he asked. “Because an eternity with me is not going to be easy.”

Fluttershy surprised him by latching her hooves around his neck and pulling him into an extremely passionate kiss. “I think I can handle it,” she breathlessly replied. 

Discord’s eyes opened, tiny hearts popping into existence all around his head. “Are you sure?” he asked, slightly dazed from such an unexpected but welcome show of affection.

She booped his snout. “Absolutely. But there’s something we need to be clear on.”

Discord cleared his head and refocused on her. “What’s that?”

The look she was giving was just as intense as the Stare. It left the Lord of Chaos spellbound. 

“I don’t want something like this to happen again," she said. "I know it’s in your nature to lie but can you at least Pinkie Promise that when I confront you about any future issues you’ll come clean and be honest with me?”

Discord studied her silently, absorbing her request before making a decision. “For you, Fluttershy, and only for you, will I ever come completely clean- even if it takes me a while to do so.”

She smiled. “Pinkie Promise?”

“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” He materialized a yellow cupcake with pink frosting and shoved it in his right eye without mercy.

Fluttershy wrapped her hooves around his neck, nuzzling his fur with her muzzle. “Thank you.”

Discord held her tightly for a minute before setting her down and clearing his throat, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. She looked up at him questioningly. 

“Are we okay now?” he hesitantly asked. “Because I honestly feel like this whole story has filled my sappy quota enough to last me a lifetime.”

Fluttershy giggled, not entirely sure what he meant by that. “For now, I think we’re okay. Would you like some tea?”

He leapt at the suggestion like a dying creature. “Please! I need some normalcy after all this!”

“I’ll put the kettle on.” 

“Nonsense! Allow me.” 

With a snap of his talons they were sitting side by side on the green couch, a plate of cucumber sandwiches and two cups of singing Ginseng spread on the table in front of them. The two took their cups in silence, simply enjoying one another’s company.

After a moment Fluttershy set down her cup. A deep blush stained her cheeks as she peeked up at her soulmate. He was currently munching on glass, a quarter of his cup remaining around the exposed cup-shaped tea.

“Discord?”

“Hmmm?”

She gestured to her ear. “I’m happy it’s you.”

Setting the now fully exposed tea on the table, he turned to look at her. “Really?” She nodded but he kept going, “Because if you’re not, I’m sure we can talk to my mother. I know that the whole ‘ascension to immortality’ thing can be quite the shock.”

Fluttershy took his paw in her hooves. “I’m sure it’ll take some getting used to but there isn’t any other draconequus I’d rather be with. I love you, Discord. You’re worth all the challenges of immortality to me.”

A smile rewarded her declaration, the most genuine and loving she’d ever seen on the draconequus’ face. Discord cupped her cheek and tenderly stroked it. “I love you too, Fluttershy,” he muttered, “More than all the chaos and disharmony in the world.”

Happily, the two closed the distance between them, their kiss sealing the beginning of an eternal destiny forged by choice and rewritten in stars by the hand of Nature herself.