The Burden of Loss

“Ow!”

Sunny yelped, her forearms positioned right over a prickly bush she had been trying to avoid stepping on but had been pricked while carefully stepping over. Its thorns stuck out and pinched Sunny’s skin as she moved backwards from it and cradled her stinging arm.

This had been the second time she accidentally got herself caught in a particularly thorny plant while investigating the area. The last occurrence had been a dainty orange flower that caught Sunny’s attention almost immediately and had her trotting over to view it. She had to admit, it was pretty stupid of her to stick her muzzle into the center of an unknown flower and not expect anything to happen, especially with the new reintroduction of magic in Equestria, but did it really have to latch itself onto her face?

She spent a solid fifteen minutes attempting to pry its clasped petals off her before her alicorn magic finally kicked in and the plant was sent flying from an induced shockwave of her materialized horn. She felt a bit sorry for the flower but the continuous aching from her muzzle being squished and dug into by tiny thorns reminded her of the ridiculous trouble she had caused herself just to experience the scent of the exotic flower.

She promised herself she wouldn’t interact with any more of the plant life around here after that incident in fear that it would try and entrap her in some other way but it seemed inevitable that her path would be crossed by another dangerous plant.

“I’m going to Mane Melody after this and seeing if Pipp knows a thing or two about massages and relaxation. I don’t think just a new mane style is enough of a pick-me-up after all this…” Sunny sighed.

Truthfully, Sunny didn’t originally want to be out here trudging over wildlife and uncharted territory. She had been called here by the unity crystals, the three ancient artifacts that held all of Equestria’s magic and regulated it for all to use. She had previously thought there only function was to be held together and as long as all of ponykind remained harmonized and one, they would continuously provide a gift of magic for all. But apparently, they could draw Sunny’s power towards an overgrown forest, unexplored for generations. It was an itching urge mentally that could not be cured unless she followed what the crystals wanted so she had done what they wished. She didn’t even tell her friends she was here and trusted in the crystals to lead her where she needed to be.

All she had hoped was that whatever god or higher power that had been watching over her and guiding her to her next objective had good intentions for her. And maybe a tiny bit convinced herself that it was Princess Twilight Sparkle, the old ruler of Equestria showing her her purpose and destiny?... Maybe that was a bit much. It was rude of her to assume she would be entitled to a powerful princess’s guidance simply because she admired her. What if she was a goddess now?

Sunny shook her head of her rampant thoughts, she was letting herself get sidetracked by her fantasies while on an important mission. She couldn’t let herself be distracted now!

She started galloping through the long grass, weaving in and out of trees and ducking over low-hanging branches. She could feel a metaphorical string pulling her to where she needed to be and felt its grip loosening and becoming less strained as she got closer and closer. It was almost as if she could see it in front of her very eyes, a sparkly trail of stardust that was roped around her heart. It didn’t hurt, it just felt like a force gently pulling her along like a little filly, excited to show her something important.

And then, an uprooted tree caught the end of Sunny’s hoof and she went rolling down a trail.

“Woah, woah, woaaahhhh!”

The forest had taken on a completely different appearance, almost as if she had rolled into a different area. There were no more overgrown vines and lopsided trees for her to navigate under and around. The ground was barely littered with fallen leaves and small plants broke from the soil surface and rose as little sprouts. She could hear the chirping of lively birds from the well-groomed crab apple trees towering over her and the skitter of critters within their homes.

Although, the most defining thing about this place for Sunny was the tens of thousands of magnificent flowers swaying in the wind and facing the setting sun in the distance. They were all blooming with beautiful petals, ones only some earth pony gardeners would ever hope to achieve. And with the orange sunset casting its rays upon the sight, Sunny could barely believe her eyes, so in wonderment, at this little treasure, she just happened to stumble upon.

“This is beautiful…” Sunny mumbled to herself, carefully rising to her hooves.

Careful to not disrupt nature’s work, Sunny stayed on a worn-out path as she admired the beauty all around her.

Was it possible for all of this to flourish without the assistance of a pony? Why was it this particular part of the forest that was untouched by time and climate change? Of course, it wasn’t a rare occurrence for nature to be able to conjure its rarities but everything here appeared to be well kept as if an invisible hand was aiding it in survival. Nopony had been here in many, many moons. It couldn’t have been one of Sunny’s kind, could it?

She stopped when she heard hoof-steps fastly approaching to her right, panic overtaking her as she dived behind a tree. Oh no, did she accidentally trespass on somepony’s property? She didn’t mean to, she simply fell here from her clumsy thinking. Maybe she could escape before they noticed she was here?

She listened as they passed dangerously close to the tree she was hidden behind before their walking became more distant. Once she was sure she was out of their line of vision, she shifted a little so she could lean herself against the tree’s trunk and slowly peeked her head over to spy at them.

She had to suppress herself from audibly making a noise of surprise as a tall and slender hybrid creature trotted away from her on all fours. Its red dragon-like tail swayed with each movement as its limbs noticeably trembled to balance the large creature on top of them. Lengthy silver hair overflowed over its shoulders and down its mismatched arms as it struggled in the direction it was walking to. To make matters worse, one of its wings, a bat wing, was torn and full of holes, possibly hindering its ability to flight altogether.

Even though Sunny was terrified of whatever this creature was, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for it. It seemed old and was lacking the mobility it may have had years ago to get itself around. Not to mention that it was injured, which would surely exacerbate the situation. She wanted to help it but she didn’t know how.

“Fluttershy, I’m back…”

Sunny’s ears perked up, did the creature just talk? It was a soft but hoarse voice with a pronounced hint of exhaustion to it. Well, it wasn’t uncommon for animals to talk, after all, Hitch could somehow communicate with every animal in Maretime Bay, possibly with every creature in Equestria. And…Fluttershy? Were they talking about the Element of Kindness? The same pegasus who was best friends with Princess Twilight Sparkle and saved Equestria multiple times? It couldn’t be…Perhaps they had a friend who was named after the caring pony. Or she misheard what they were saying? They were quite a distance away from her.

She watched as the creature kneeled itself in front of a stray cherry blossom tree, the only one of its kind in the forest. A few pink petals flew off the branches and nestled into their mane as they bowed their head to the tree and shut their eyes. They appeared to be honoring the tree and showing their respect before it continued its actions.

“I picked some sunflowers for you. You never really told me what your favorite flower was so I chose myself. I hope you don’t mind.” They rested a bundle of sunflowers at the tree’s base. “Then again, you loved everything that came from nature, didn’t you?”

The tree must have resembled somepony important to them since they addressed it like it was a living thing that they used to know. Did something happen to them? The creature treated the tree with kindness and spoke in the past tense…What could have happened?

“I would have brought us both some tea but I appear to be lacking in a kettle and teacups,” They peered down at their lion paw. “My magic isn’t as chaotic as it used to be. But not to worry, I’ll bring some next time!”

They sat in silence for a moment, thinking about their next train of thought before speaking again.

“You know, it’s rude of you to not thank somepony for a gift. I spent all of this morning inspecting and thoroughly checking each sunflower to find the prettiest ones just for you. The least you could do is show me some appreciation.” They crossed their arms and frowned.

When they were met with no response once again, they sighed and gazed down at the sunflowers laid in front of its trunk. There leaves were already wilting from being away from the soil for far too long and were losing there bright “flowery” look. The creature swallowed hard and glanced at the tree again.

“When are you going to answer me again?”

The question left a tense feeling in the air, one that made Sunny feel like she shouldn’t be here. It wasn’t her place to intrude upon this. But she couldn’t just simply leave.

“I’ve been tending to the garden, taking care of the animals-...Angel has had several generations of grandchildren and you haven’t said a thing to me since that day. I’ve come back here every day bringing you gifts and greeting you and yet you still have left me in silence.”

Sunny could physically feel a wave of bottled-up anger starting to rise in the creature as its back began to tense and it narrowed its eyes.

“Was it them?… Twilight and all of them. When you met them all again, you decided that everything else didn’t matter anymore, is that it? You had no problem leaving Equestria behind.”

“Leaving me behind…”

Sunny stepped out from behind the tree, a compelling feeling provoking her to approach them.

“It’s been thousands of years and I’m still here, mourning a lifeless tree.”

They took a sharp breath in before bringing themself to their hind legs, using their tail to support them from falling backwards. They stared daggers at the tree, unstoppable wrath consuming them as their cloven hoof crunched the bundle of sunflowers underneath it. They raised their eagle claw high above their head, threatening to harm the tree out of their feelings of betrayal and grief.

“You’re a liar. You’ve always lied to me.” They said bitterly.

“Wait, stop!”

The creature’s arm fell almost immediately as their head turned abruptly to Sunny who was galloping over, concern written all over her face. They recoiled out of fear as the fur on their back stood up defensively.

“Who are you, ponies aren’t supposed to be here.” They snarled.

“I’m not here to hurt you. I just saw you were going to hit that tree,” She gestured to the cherry blossom tree. “I wanted to stop you!”

“I know you’re not going to hurt me. A small earth pony like yourself could hardly hurt a fly. And even if you could, you’re no match for me.”

“Hey, that’s a bit offensive,” Sunny scowled. “Just because I’m an earth pony doesn’t mean I’m weak.”

“In comparison to some of your earth pony ancestors, they were a lot more capable and stronger than you. Your generation seems more like a defect to everything they worked for.”

Sunny was utterly appalled by this creature’s behavior. She had come over to try and help them and now they were sputtering nonsense about her appearance and her race. They hadn’t even met her before and all they could do was judge her based on something that was completely out of her hooves. Maybe that was the purpose of her mission that the unity crystals had sent her on. To try and reconcile a grumpy creature from its terrible ideals. It was an awful task to be given but if it was what the unity crystals thought, Sunny would just have to put up with them.

“Well, that’s not fair at all. What if I just came up to you and started pointing out things about your appearance? That wouldn’t be very nice.”

“So what, ponies used to do that all the time. This isn’t the first time a pony has commented on the way I look. In my opinion, they should all just go paint themselves purple or polka-dot, at least then they wouldn’t have anything to complain about.”

“Huh?...” Sunny tilted her head in confusion.

They emitted a dramatic sigh before dragging their claw across their face, highly disapproving of Sunny’s lack of understanding.

“Let’s just start over,” They held out their paw to Sunny and forced a smile. “I’m Discord, Lord of-...Well, I suppose nothing now. Just Discord is fine, my dear.”

Sunny gasped loudly, her hooves doing a little giddy dance in place as multiple fireworks and stars shot off in her mind mentally. She couldn’t believe who she was standing in front of and was practically shaking with excitement.

“D-Discord?...You mean the same Discord who was friends with Princess Twilight Sparkle and made ponies suffer in eternal chaos and-”

Before she could continue her spree of ancient Equestrian knowledge, Discord placed his finger at her mouth, quieting her.

“Alright, no need to go that far. I’m receiving second-hand embarrassment from your recounting of those events.”

He removed his finger from her mouth and she frowned, a tiny bit disappointed he wouldn’t allow her to obsess over one of her favorite topics with him.

“Anyways, now that we’re acquainted and you know my name, I believe it’s time for you to depart and leave me be. Good evening and may the rest of your short life be tolerable!” He replied quickly.

Before Sunny could argue with that, he whipped himself around and slapped her in the face with his tail. She held her cheek, taken aback on whether that was intentional or not just as the draconequus trotted away hurriedly.

Was Discord always this distant and moody? Sure, he was a bit of a menace and created a lot of problems for the Mane Six in their earlier years, but he had been reformed and was recalled to be at the sides of the six girls, defending Equestria from time to time. He was a free-spirited, charming jokester who in the end always meant well about his actions. Why would he be so judgy and sharp-tongued to a fellow pony? And why was he about to slam his fist into a harmless tree? Things didn’t seem to add up.

“Hey, Mr. Discord, come back!” Sunny shouted, chasing after him.

The draconequus didn’t quicken his pace when he noticed the mare catching up with him but he appeared particularly unimpressed with her not listening to him when he attempted to “shoo” her off. He remained silent just as she reached his side, hoping his lack of speech would motivate her to leave. Instead, she took his refusal to not say a word to her as an opportunity to speak.

“Why were you going to hit that tree anyway?” Sunny asked. “It’s a little silly to be angry at something that can’t even move or talk back to you.”

“If you’re going to stick around I’d prefer you do something more productive instead of clinging to my feet and asking a million questions.”

“Oh, do you need help with anything?” Sunny perked up, eager to possibly fulfill the unity crystal's request for her.

He stopped and thought to himself, dragging his fingers through his beard before he came up with an idea. “You could watch Reginald Fursome for me, he gets particularly clingy when I’m trying to tend to the flowers.”

“Reginald Fursome?...”

As soon as his name was mentioned, the small patter of tiny paws approached Sunny and she found herself gazing downwards at a tiny creature. A little blue opossum who wore a yellow name tag around his neck stared up at her in wonderment, most likely surprised to see someone else other than Discord. She was able to make out two words written in fancy letters on the tag, “Reginald Fursome”, just as he had said.

“Aww, that’s so cute! He has a little name tag.” Sunny gestured to it, a grin on her face.

“Of course he does, he’s very proud of his name. So much so he had to attach it to a piece of plastic and wear it around his neck.” He replied matter-of-factly as if Sunny should have known that already.

“He made this himself?”

“He makes everything himself. He’s one of the most creative creatures I’ve had the privilege of meeting. He’s normally busying himself creating birthday cards or celebratory gift cards for all sorts of occasions,” Discord turned to Sunny. “But instead he seems more infatuated with you.”

Sunny happily waved at the opossum before the creature suddenly dashed off in a hurry behind some trees.

“Huh, where’s he going?”

“He’s probably off to find materials for a card for you. It’s not every day he gets to meet a pony like this.”

With the small animal off to fetch some supplies, Sunny turned her attention to the old draconequus who now stood to the side of a group of hyacinths. They were a variation of purple and pink with tiny clusters of petals rung all around them.

With a watering can in his clutch, he pointed his finger into the can and water seemed to mysteriously expel right out of his fingertip. Glugging noises emitted from the can as it was filled to the brim with liquid. He stopped the stream of water from his finger with a simple blow and held the watering can to the flowers. He began generously sprinkling the water across the leaves and soil below, ensuring everything was well watered.

“Is this your garden?” She gently scooped a flower’s petals into her hoof.

“It’s not exactly my garden. It belongs to an old friend of mine. She’s not exactly capable of caring for them anymore, nor the animals gathered here so I took over for her. I might not be as diligent as she was but I try my best.”

“I think you did a wonderful job.” Sunny praised him. “I’m sure she’d be proud to see the state of her garden. I know I was impressed when I first came here.”

He set the watering can at his feet and gazed at her. A gentle smile tugged at the corner of his lips before it was forcibly removed shortly after and replaced with a scowl.

“Yes, well, you weren’t supposed to come here in the first place.”

Why was it so difficult to get on his good side? All she was doing was complimenting his hard work. All she had ever done since stumbling upon this place was try and display that she was a good pony and only wanted to be his friend. Why was he shoving every attempt at friendship away? He was the friend of the Princess of Friendship, wasn’t he? Surely he would know the signs of a true friend.

“Ah, it seems Reginald has returned.”

The small creature ran on all fours with a piece of paper in his mouth, even larger than his head. It was a surprise that he could even see past it as the little one planted himself down at Sunny’s hooves. On his back, he had a mouse-sized set of colored paper, pencils and markers, stickers, and even a pair of scissors that would only fit his little fingers between them.

Sunny giggled at his adorable craft set as he got straight to work creating Sunny the perfect card. Possibly a greeting card? It’d be more welcome than Discord had given her.

“I didn’t know animals were able to do a lot of things ponies were able to. It’s cute that Reginald has a little hobby.”

“It’s disappointing that an immense amount of the knowledge of animals has been lost to time with ponies. They play very important roles in the ecosystem and are as articulated and full of personality as ponies. They deserve to be listened to and heard like all who live on this land.” Discord replied to her as a small robin rested on his deer antler, another on a fragment of what was left of his horn.

“I have a friend named Hitch who knows a lot about animals. He can communicate with them and hear them speak as clear as day!”

“Say that again,” Discord lowered his head closer to her face. “A friend who can communicate with animals?”

“Yes! After magic was returned to Equestria, he just mysteriously was able to not only talk to animals but hear what they say back to him! It’s such a rare skill that I had no idea it was possible. Maybe it’s a side effect of earth pony magic?”

“That’s…That’s not possible,” Panic struck the draconequus’s face. “There’s only one pony in all of Equestria who was able to do that…This…This can’t be.”

“What pony?” Sunny asked, listening in on his barely intelligible mumbling.

“None of your business!” He snapped before he disappeared with a poof.

Confusion and guilt batted at Sunny’s mind, unsure of what she had just done or where things went wrong. She didn’t mean to upset him. She knew he already wasn’t quite fond of her but this may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.

What was so wrong with asking who a pony was? When she replayed the question through her mind a few times, it didn’t seem inherently offensive. It couldn’t have been something she did wrong. Maybe there was more to this pony that he just wasn’t willing to open up about? Of course, who would want to spill something personal like that to a stranger…Perhaps she was being a little too pushy.

She felt a little tapping sensation on her arm and she peered down to see Reginald Fursome staring up at her with a proud smile on his face. He held a card up towards her, prompting her to take it.

Unfolding it with care, inside the card she found stickers of flowers, squirrels, and little birds dancing across the page. She smiled warmly at the cute little creation before her eyes fell on a letter pasted inside, written in fancy hoof-writing. She had never seen hoof-writing this neat before in her life and reminded herself to commend Reginald for it once she was finished reading.

“Dear, Sunny Starscout,

I apologize that the Lord of Chaos, Discord has not been so kind to you upon your arrival. He is entirely different once you get to know him personally. In fact, he wasn’t always this way with ponies. He used to have a pegasus best friend whom he always was at the side of and tended to this garden and the other animals with. He was very fond of her up until she disappeared one day.

He hasn’t been the same since and has been alone for many years, more than I could ever count. Maybe if you talked to him about it, he’d be willing to tell you more. All I know is that her name was “Fluttershy” and that she was well loved by our ancestors.

I wish you luck with your discussion with him, maybe he’ll learn to appreciate more than just this place.

From your friend, Reginald Fursome.”

She gazed up in awe at the opossum, utterly shocked that he was able to have such a complicated thought process and express it so clearly in words without even needing to speak it physically. These animals truly were creatures worth treasuring.

“Thank you, Reginald. I understand now. I’ll try my best to help Discord, I promise!” She placed her hoof to her heart confidently.

Reginald nodded and placed his paw to his heart in appreciation.

“Do you know where I could find him?”

He then proceeded to give her another card. This one didn’t have any extravagant decoration on it this time but more words had been pasted inside.

“He normally stays by that tree you found him at. However, there is another place…”

In a field untouched by pony hooves, a fast-moving river splashed two and fro as fish leaped out and dived back into the water. The field was mostly inhabited by wildlife but multiple trails and streams of water interconnected throughout the peaceful area. The perfect place for any animal living in Equestria, aquatic or land to situate itself without being bothered by any outside forces.

Beside a small lake, an old worn-down cottage, barely distinguishable from being a home at one point, was in shambles. Once a lively and bustling home for creatures of all kinds was now a pile of rotten wood and decaying leaves, surrounded by water and swamps.

A broken bird house lay on the ground in front of a large crevice underneath the wood where many small animals had taken refuge. A few birds chirped and a tabby cat meowed from the shelter just as a large figure began to approach them.

“I thought I told you all to leave this place? This cottage will eventually collapse and have you all stuck underneath it. It would be wise to heed my warning.” Discord kneeled down to the grass, peering into the small space.

The critters didn’t move, but they did chatter excitedly at him.

“There’s been nothing here for the last few millennia, I don’t understand what all of you are waiting here for. You’d be far safer if you left.”

He leaned his lion paw to the ground, palm open in an attempt to urge the little critters to trust him and follow his suggestions. A blue jay and a robin perched themselves onto his paw and the little tabby cat trotted over, rubbing against his legs on its way, but all the other animals stayed put. They weren’t scared of Discord, nor entirely rejected the idea of leaving with him, but something seemed to be keeping them here. The only reason Discord could think of was one he had truly hoped they weren’t refusing him for.

“Are you still waiting for the Element of Kindness to return?” He asked in a soft tone.

Many of them nodded their heads, and others decided to verbally express it, but they were all agreeing on the same thing. They were waiting for Fluttershy, the previous caretaker from many moons ago that took care of their ancestors. In their short life spans, they would have never been able to meet her, but despite knowing this, they wanted her to return to this abandoned cottage and meet the kind soul.

The stories of her heroic deeds in Equestria and the animal sanctuary had come a long way through generations of creatures, but they never forgot her. They refused to forget her legacy and persisted here. It was a determination that even Discord knew he couldn’t sway.

Yet, he tried.

“You have to understand that she no longer exists in this realm. She departed so long ago that it would be impossible for her to come back. You cannot bring someone who’s already gone, back.”

But the creatures argued with him. They didn’t want to believe that all hope was lost. The caring spirit would someday come back for all of them, as long as they remained here waiting for her.

“No, she won’t,” His tone became more stern. “Her time here has already passed and she’s demanded of elsewhere, she can’t come back.”

The once calm and collected discussion dissolved into angry screeching and calls from the critters as they insulted Discord in their own language, furious that he would even suggest such a thing.

Discord raised to his feet, his body tensing as the animals spilled out of the crevice underneath the wreckage and surrounded him. Squirrels, birds, mice, bunnies, and even a baby bear were yelling at him in a fury. A few birds swooped in and pecked him on his shoulders and arms, a squirrel threw an acorn at his head and the tabby cat hissed and growled at him. They were all berating him and questioning his authority to say things about Fluttershy.

Had he even been her true friend in the first place? Why would somepony as worthy as her stick with someone as disastrous as himself? Was a reformation ever going to change the fact that he was a monster and never was and never will be accepted into society?

He stood there unmoving as the animals attacked him, the sensation of being hit no longer being a feeling. Their yells and sounds faded as ringing replaced the silence. His eyes fell on a patch of grass before him, feeling like he was being sucked away from the world around him and to a place only he could see.

“F-Flutter…”

The words caught in his throat as his breath hitched. Four yellow hooves stood on the patch of grass he was staring at, a pegasus with her back turned. Her lengthy pink mane trailed down her shoulders and gently swayed in the breeze, her wings shifting at her sides.

“...Shy.” He muttered.

Her head moved slightly to the right as if she heard him, but she didn’t look at him. Her gaze stayed fixated on the distant kingdom of Zephyr Heights, almost as if she was ignoring him.

“Please, Fluttershy…”

Her head lowered yet no words came from her mouth. He reached his arm as far as he could, his claw outstretched and attempting to grasp her long silky mane.

“Please turn around…Please talk to me.”

Her legs shifted and she slowly rotated herself around. Excitement built within Discord, his longing to see her soft turquoise eyes and her gentle smile, maybe even hear her say his name again. He hadn’t heard her precious laugh in ages, nor her many stories about assisting animals and assuring they were well taken care of. He wanted to see her so badly, he needed to see her. He had been empty for so long without her and she was right here…

His desperation soon reached a breaking point when he noticed her physical form starting to fragment and crack before she could turn her face to him. The tips of her wings had begun to fade away into tiny fragments, along with the beginning of her hooves at an increasingly fast rate.

“Fluttershy, no!”

He shouted, commanding his body to move with every fibre of his being. However, his legs refused to cooperate with his wishes and he only swung his arms forward. Something wasn’t allowing him to reach her, it wanted to keep him there as he desperately watched the pony very dear to his heart fade away. This couldn’t happen…He wouldn’t let it happen! He had to get to her before he’d never see her again!

He grunted and furrowed his brow, screaming within his mind for him to be released from this invisible prison. He was the Lord of Chaos and had control over many aspects of himself and the world around him that ponies would never come close to being able to manipulate. Why was a simple movement of his body that he was capable of every time, but now so difficult? He didn’t have time for this.

“Hold on, Fluttershy, I’m almost there! Just hang on a little longer!”

By now, all that was left of her was her chest and head, it too quickly cracking away and vanishing into thin air.

He finally found control over his legs again and rushed to embrace Fluttershy into his arms before she could leave him. But instead, his paws swiped through the air to find nothing to grasp onto and he fell onto his stomach, exhaling sharply. He gazed up at her, her face still invisible to his view as her head and the rest of her body dissipated and left his field of vision.

He found himself back in the reality of Equestria where multiple animals clung fiercely to his body and continued to name-call him in resentment for what he said earlier. However, they were the least of his worries as his mind was clouded with nothing but loss and guilt, his body uncontrollably shaking with intense emotion he couldn’t even begin to describe.

It was enough for him to completely give up and lie his head on the ground, surrendering to the raging animals on top of him. No amount of repeated insults and physical harm would be enough to break him more than he felt right now.

“Discord?...”

To make matters worse, that insistent earth pony had found him despite his best efforts to make her lose his trail. However, to his surprise, she was now traveling through the air with a pair of transparent gold wings and a horn now resided on her head. He had long thought alicorns had disappeared for a good many millennia ago, never mind a previously earth pony ascending to princess hood in a matter of a day. This new age of ponykind was full of surprises.

She carefully landed behind him, tucking her alicorn wings at her sides and watching in confusion as the small critters attacked him with their tiny fists. A few even bit him but he refused to move a muscle.

“What’s going on here? Why are you all attacking him?” Sunny asked worriedly.

Although Sunny wasn’t capable of hearing them speak in the first place, they didn’t even bother trying to explain to her and continued to harm Discord. With no answer being given to her and seeing how they weren’t intent on stopping their aggression, she used her magic to levitate all the animals off him and placed them a distance away from Discord.

“You can’t just attack others like that. That’s mean and unnecessary,” Sunny placed a hoof to her chest. “I can’t understand what you all are saying but I’m sure Discord could. You should try talking it out with him instead of jumping to conclusions.”

“They don’t want to talk it out, I already tried.” Discord replied exhaustively behind her.

“Are you sure?” Sunny turned to him. “Animals don’t just hurt others for no reason. For them to be this angry it has to be something that really upset them.”

Of course, Discord knew exactly why they were so upset, he just felt as though it wasn’t necessary information. At least, in his opinion anyway. That pesky fake earth pony didn’t need to know anything more than she already did.

“Yes, they don’t want to solve things peacefully.” He replied sharply.

Sunny knew that was a lie and Discord was just being difficult on purpose, especially since he was so fond of the animals earlier. He most likely had done something they didn’t appreciate, but what? He wasn’t going to explain it out of spite, how was she supposed to figure out what occurred here if no one could explain it?

“Hmmm, oh, I got it! Why don’t we go and visit Hitch?” Sunny grinned.

“Hitch?... Oh, your strange little friend you were talking about earlier, right?” Discord asked his irritation for Sunny leaking into his words again.

“I wouldn’t say he’s strange, he’s just gifted with an uncommon talent! And because of that talent, he could help you and the animals! They could explain their side of the story to him so that we can figure out how to resolve this.”

“What about my side of the story? Doesn’t how I feel matter as well?” Discord titled his head, scowling at her.

“You didn’t want to tell me your side of the story so there’s not much I can do about that.”

Discord sighed. “Fine, let’s go see this Ditch then.”

“Hitch.” Sunny corrected.

“Whatever, but you’re going to have to carry me there. I’m far too worn out to walk myself there. Besides, all those ponies staring at me are going to give me a headache.” He rubbed his head with his claw.

“Carry you?! But- you’re gigantic! I can’t lift you myself!”

“And you’re supposed to be the disciple of Princess Twilight Sparkle, yes? Well, Ms. Sparkle would not approve of the way you’re addressing me right now. It’s rude to talk about another’s weight. If you plan on following in her hoof steps, you could try being nicer to me.”

Sunny rolled her eyes, irritated at the fact that he was most likely right. Twilight wasn’t exactly here to confirm whether she agreed with him but considering she was brought up to respect everypony, no matter their appearance or capabilities, this was something she’d just have to grin and bear. Hopefully long enough to where she could drop the responsibility of the draconequus onto Hitch for a bit.

“Fine, but I’m carrying you with my magic! There’s no way you’d fit on my back.”

“Much appreciated, Starscout.” He smiled.

“Please don’t call me that, Sunny is just fine.”

She hadn’t lifted anything quite large with her magic in a while and lifting Discord wasn't a piece of cake. She strained to concentrate on her magical flow around his tall body and his weight was another factor working against her. She had to force her eyes shut so she could visualize her flow of magic easing him up into the air due to the stress being caused. She was able to levitate him in the air but she would have to hurry, she wouldn’t be able to perform this for very long.

“Am I that bad?” Discord frowned.

Sunny began to pace herself to a canter and regulate her breathing. “J-Just…Don’t worry about it. The sooner w-we get to Maretime Bay, the better.”

“If you can make it to Maretime Bay.” He chuckled softly.

Her End

View Online

Sundown had already fallen on Maretime Bay as the sun disappeared into the spanning ocean at the edges of town. Most shops were closing for the evening and a certain sheriff was finishing his daily duty of checking through the complaint box.

He had received several calls today of crying foals, cats stuck in trees and trivial arguments that required a simple push for a different perspective before the opposite ponies went separate ways. They were all incidents that even Hitch thought were solvable on their own (well except maybe cats stuck in trees) and he got a tiny bit bored with his role in Maretime.

When he had desired to be a sheriff as a young colt, he was expecting a bit more action. A high-speed chase with a criminal would have definitely suited his taste. He longed for the adrenaline and satisfaction he’d receive from catching a wanted thief or perpetrator and ensuring those who were affected would be safe. Helping an old granny down the street or solving an argument on whether pancakes or waffles were better just weren’t doing it for him. Neither was sorting through these complaints.

“Rosabelle won't stop playing loud music,” Hitch read aloud a slip before tossing it to the side and grabbing another. “Diamond Hollow is a liar and a fake.”

He tossed that one after reading it too and found a piece of paper that caught his interest. It was written in green crayon and appeared to be in a little foal’s hoof writing. He snatched it and read it out loud.

“Mo...Mom,” Hitch squinted down at the messy writing. “Mom threw out my slipper...Oh, forget it!”

He crumpled up the slip and tossed it across the room. He had aimed for the nearest garbage can but the crumpled-up paper hit just beside it and tumbled to a stop. He sighed out of annoyance, knowing he’d have to pick it up later.

“This is ridiculous. The citizens of Maretime Bay aren't taking the complaint box seriously. It’s not for menial requests and solving arguments that can be helped by themselves. It’s for real dangers and problems…”

He slumped back in his chair and grumbled, closing his eyes as he titled his head to the ceiling. He knew he would have to finish combing through the complaint box before he could leave for tonight, despite how much he detested this specific duty and wanted to be entirely rid of it. If only for once there was somepony who had a serious problem that he could jump onto the case with enthusiasm.

A baby babbling noise forced Hitch to reopen his eyes as he glanced over at a green baby dragon, seated in another chair. The little one flapped his tiny wings and chewed on a pencil, previously stolen from Hitch’s pen holder and emitted little cooing noises.

Hitch stood up from his chair when he recognized the loud crunching noises to be the dragon digging his tiny teeth into the wood of the pencil and hurried to snatch it from him.

“Sparky, no!”

He stared up wide-eyed at Hitch and removed his mouth from the pencil, startled by his raised voice. With Sparky caught off guard, Hitch stole the pencil out of his little claw and returned it back to his pen holder.

“You’re a real troublemaker aren’t you?” A small laugh escaped Hitch.

Noticing his laughter and sudden increase in the mood again, Sparky grinned widely and reached his arms into the air, giggling and attempting to reach for Hitch. He scooped the little dragon into his arm and allowed him to rest his head on his shoulder, smiling warmly at the baby.

“I guess it’s partly my fault you’ve resorted to chewing pencils. I really need to invest in baby supplies. I’ve never had a child before, especially not a baby dragon. I don’t really know what you guys need or what I need to do.”

Even though Hitch felt guilty for not being able to fully care for Sparky like he probably should, he looked quite content in Hitch’s embrace.

There wouldn’t be enough information in this world that could possibly prepare Hitch for the joys and disasters of taking care of a species who had long been thought to have vanished from Equestria, but he was determined to do his best and keep Sparky happy. It was all he could really do after all.

He glanced over at the mess of slips and paperwork scattered across his desk, letters, files of ponies and whatnot and sighed exhaustively. An adorable yawn from baby Sparky caught Hitch from his thoughts of work as the dragon carefully nestled himself in the corner of Hitch’s arm before drifting into a light sleep.

“Oh, I guess it is getting late.” He stared through a crack of his blinds, the moon uncovering itself behind a nearby business.

With Sparky asleep in his arm and a lonely office awaiting him if he stayed, Hitch decided he would return home for tonight and finish the rest of his work the following day. It wasn’t very fair to allow Sparky to sleep in an uncomfortable space just so he could scan through documents and it was about time the sheriff pony took his badge off for the day.

He quickly tidied up his workspace and crossed off a day on his steamy calendar before locking up the sheriff's office with an audible click.

He was about to turn the corner to make his way to his home when the screaming of another mare disrupted his walk.

“Ma’am, are you alright?” He called out into the dark.

He saw no movement for a while until a panic-stricken unicorn exited the darkness and upon seeing Hitch changed her direction and galloped straight to him.

“S-Sheriff Hitch? T-That’s you, right?” Her voice shook, appearing as though she wanted to take off any second.

“Yes, Sheriff Hitch Trailblazer at your service. What seems to be the problem?”

“I-I don’t know...I don’t really know what i-it is. I need help!”

“Alright, calm down, ma’am. It’s going to be okay. I can help you but I need to know what’s troubling you first.”

“I-It’s this r-really large animal with this gigantic horn! I-It has w-wings and a long tail. I...I think it foalnapped somepony!”

“An animal with a horn, wings and a tail?” Hitch wore a confused expression. “That doesn’t sound real. Maybe you’re seeing things. It could be a shadow from a street light.”

“No, it can’t be!” The mare replied desperately. “It was moving and there was a shadow of a pony behind it! I think it’s taking the pony away. You have to do something, please!”

Even though Hitch found this extremely hard to believe, this pony was clearly distressed and in need of his help. This whole thing maybe just a huge misunderstanding but he felt as though he should at least reassure her that there was nothing to worry about and scope the area himself. Allowing her peace of mind could be the solution to this problem.

“I’ll go check it out. Where did you see this thing?” He asked.

“Over there,” She pointed to a path leading beside the water. “It was coming towards me so I ran as fast I could!”

“I’ll be right back, you stay here.”

He galloped onto the trail the mare pointed him to and followed the railing at his side. For a while, it was just the sound of the water crashing down below, the impact of his hooves on the dirt path and baby Sparky deeply asleep and babbling in his slumber despite all the commotion around him.

He immediately slowed his gallop to a trot when he noticed a towering shadow looming just up ahead, leaning against the railing. He held Sparky closer to himself and narrowed his eyes, steadying himself for a possible confrontation.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” Hitch didn’t waste time on greetings as he glared at the figure.

The mare wasn’t lying, this shadow had a tall figure with one stray horn peeking out from the top. Two differently shaped wings were spread at its sides and a long tail that idly swayed with each movement stuck out. In the shadow was the shape of a pony, appearing as if it were bowing to carry enormous weight. Hitch could sense there was something definitely wrong here.

“Are you being held, hostage? Show yourself!”

“Hitch?”

Sunny Starscout revealed herself from the darkness, completely unharmed and looking both frazzled and utterly exhausted. It took a moment for Hitch to fully register what he was looking at.

“Sunny? What are you do-...Holy macaroni, what is that?!”

Hitch almost peed himself at the terrifying sight of Discord lounging on Sunny’s back. The draconequus made an effort to straighten his messy white hair out of his face and mischievously grinned down at Hitch whilst he used his friend to carry his entire weight. Sunny emitted a groan of exhaustion, almost contemplating the thought of collapsing right here.

“You must be Trip, right?” Discord stroked a talon through his beard.

“That’s Hitch, Discord.” Sunny replied underneath him.

“You know what, all you ponies have silly little names. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t bother with them at all.” Discord rolled his eyes.

“S-Sunny,” Hitch shuddered. “Are you okay?... Do you need help?”

The stallion was absolutely terrified of the creature riding Sunny’s back but he still offered to help Sunny out of this mess, even though he didn’t know exactly how.

“No, I’m not okay,” Sunny responded bluntly. “I just walked miles through a forest that seemed like it would never end, carrying this lazy pile of noodles all the way here. I haven’t had dinner yet and my back feels like it’s going to split in half!”

Sunny huffed angrily as Discord leaned his head over her shoulder.

“Never mind dinner, I haven’t had a single speck of food in over a millennium!” Discord complained. “You try living in an overgrown forest for a few centuries and we'll talk.”

“That’s not my fault! You chose to live there.”

“You really think I decided that place as my home? My magic hasn’t functioned correctly for years, I couldn’t simply leave even if I wanted to!”

“I saw you teleport away!”

“That doesn’t mean I can travel long distances!”

Hitch glanced back and forth at Sunny and Discord as the two argued over things he couldn’t even understand. He felt like a bit of a third wheel in this situation, awkwardly standing here and observing whatever this was. He still didn’t even know who and what this creature was.

Finally, Hitch interrupted. “Uh, hello? I’m still here.”

Sunny gazed back at Hitch, almost forgetting he was here. “Oh, sorry Hitch. Um, do you think we could go to your office? I really need to sit down.”

“Uh, not if you’re bringing that thing along,” Hitch gestured at Discord. “It’s not coming into my office, period.”

“Hitch!”

“Ah, so I'm just a thing now, ya?” Discord smiled thinly. “Watch your tongue, earth pony. You have no clue who I am and what I’m capable of. Your generation is so woke that you’ve forgotten the most influential heroes in your tiny little lives. Those who have dealt with more than a WiFi signal going out…”

“Is that a threat? I’m the sheriff of Maretime Bay and from where you’re standing, I have full right to arrest you.”

“Oh dear, Sunny, your little friend is a sheriff?” Discord chuckled. “He’s not even wearing a badge. I hope he isn’t the type of crowd you surround yourself with.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Hitch growled.

“Enough!” Sunny shouted over them. “Hitch, let us into your office.”

“The answer is no, Sunny. For all I know, this creature could be a convicted criminal. I’ve never seen anything like him before. His attitude doesn’t help his situation either.”

“So because you don’t understand who someone is, you immediately gatekeep them from having any similar rights to yours? Princess Twilight would be highly disappointed in her successors.” Discord scoffed.

“Princess Twilight?” Hitch questioned.

“Look, this is really important. I can explain more but I need you to let us in your office. Me walking into Maretime Bay like this will cause a huge panic and I don’t need other ponies knowing what’s happening. Please help me out.” Sunny pleaded.

“Actually, you already did cause a panic,” Hitch informed her. “You sent an older mare fleeing for her life. The only reason I came down here was that she asked me to deal with the problem.”

“Ohh,” Sunny smiled apologetically at him. “Sorry…”

“It’s fine,” Hitch sighed. “I see your point. I don’t need the whole of the bay panicking. You can come inside.”

Sunny squealed in excitement, mostly excited to finally rest. However, when she took a step forward, Hitch stopped her.

“But if it destroys anything at all, it goes back outside.” He said sternly.

Sunny couldn’t argue with that. It was Hitch’s office after all and he was being generous enough to allow her to set hoof in with a dangerous-looking creature he knew nothing about. One that didn’t exactly appreciate him either.

The three traveled down the path by the water until they made it into town, Hitch leading the way and frequently checking back and forth to see if anypony was still lingering around before proceeding. He did spot the anxious mare, still situated in the spot he had told her to stay and warned Sunny to stay behind momentarily.

It only took a few minutes of Hitch convincing the mare it was just construction workers rotating a large object which cast a suspicious shadow in her direction for her to understand and take her leave. With her mind at ease, it was much easier for Hitch to sneak Sunny and Discord into his office, well almost.

There was only a minor inconvenience of Discord being extremely tall and catching his goat antler on the entrance. They eventually squeezed him inside with a bit of pushing and lowering his head. However, he did not take kindly to that and chose to sulk in the corner of Hitch’s office once inside, waiting for an apology from both of them. He would be thoroughly disappointed to find they had no apologies to give.

Once they were settled in, Hitch rushed to shut all the blinds over the windows and locked the front door in hopes to shield Discord from any passerby noticing him. Meanwhile Sunny was investigating a half-empty box of donuts, fluffy pink frosting and sprinkles enticing her to steal a bite. Hitch had set sleeping Sparky down on a small pillow from his desk when he noticed the earth pony eyeing the box.

“Those are almost a day old. I wouldn’t recommend eating them.” Hitch cautioned her.

“I haven’t eaten anything for hoouursss…” Sunny complained, dramatically resting her head beside the box.

“If you want to eat them so bad then go ahead, just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Sunny’s head perked up and she excitedly reached for a donut. With no hesitation, she took a bite, the frosting and sprinkles making a tiny crunch in her mouth. It certainly wasn’t as tasty as it would have been fresh from the bakery, especially since the dough was rather dry and the frosting had already hardened but Sunny was hungry enough to enjoy it.

She finished off her donut and reached for another when an eagle claw snatched it away first.

“Hey!”

Discord now standing at her side quickly gobbled the donut before she would have any chance to get it back and licked his lips satisfied.

“My word, I haven’t had anything nearly as scrumptious in centuries!”

“Claws off, these are my donuts!” Sunny hugged the box of donuts.

“Haven’t you ever heard of the element of generosity? You of all ponies should know how important it is to give your belongings to your friends.”

Discord placed his paw and claw on the box and yanked it away from her.

“That’s not what Rarity meant!” Sunny argued. “Besides, I carried you all the way here. You could be a generous friend and let me have the donuts in exchange for my favor.”

“Friend? I don’t recall us ever being friends.”

“Quiet!”

Both Sunny and Discord whipped their heads around to see Hitch glaring at them. Discord’s claws slowly retracted to himself and Sunny folded her ears, her eyes darting elsewhere nervously.

“You two are acting like little foals! All that you have been doing is arguing over and over since I got here. If you want my help so badly then quit it. You’re giving me a headache.”

“Sorry, Hitch…” Sunny muttered, shamefully staring at the floor.

Discord didn’t bother apologizing to Hitch but he carefully slinked away under a table, slithering like a snake. He passed right under Hitch’s hooves without the stallion noticing and popped up behind Hitch’s desk. His paw and claw gently crept over the desk as his horn and then his yellow and red eyes peered at the baby dragon curled up on a pillow. His tail swished back and forth, quite like a cat as he inspected the small creature with his sight.

“So you said you had an explanation?” Hitch asked.

Sunny then proceeded to tell Hitch everything she knew. From when she stumbled upon Discord in the forest, the garden, Reginald Fursome, the strange occurrences in Discord’s behavior, and even his not-so-forgiving past of chaos and betrayal. The Lord of Chaos gratefully had fallen asleep, face first into the desk before he could hear Sunny clarify his reign of chaos. He would have had a lot to say if he knew what Sunny was saying.

Hitch, however, was having a crisis standing there, wide-eyed and petrified about the old Equestrian criminal he let inside without further questioning. He didn’t even know who this Discord character was twenty minutes ago, and now with the knowledge of him being a powerful trickster, he was about ready to crawl into a bunker and call it the end of the world.

“You’re serious...Right?” Hitch asked bewildered.

“Yes.”

“You didn’t just make that all up on the spot?”

“Why would I do that?” Sunny replied, offended. “My father was a historian who specialized in the knowledge of Equestria’s most influential ponies and creatures in history. I don’t think it’s fair of you to doubt me when you and Sprout didn’t even bother to listen to him when we were younger.”

“Sunny, do you know what this means?”

“It means that a piece of history still lives on and we can learn so much from him!” Sunny grinned excitedly.

“No!” He shouted. “You said he’s a lord of chaos! He could destroy all of Maretime Bay!”

“You’re not listening to me again. He has reformed a long time ago and would never do that.”

“How do you know that? You’re not friends with him or anything. He’s not just going to tell you his plans.”

“He’s been living in a forest for thousands of years. If you’re so sure he’s so destructive and evil, then why hasn’t he done it already? He’s had all this time, even when we were at our weakest point when the unity crystals were separated. I don’t think somepony who would want chaos would wait so long to initiate their plan.”

“...You're right, I don’t think someone as impulsive as he could be that patient and miss all of his opportunities to do something.” Hitch glanced at the slumbering draconequus.

“There’s also another part that’s strange about it…”

“You mean the opossum who can write letters?” He cocked his eyebrow at her.

“He takes care of a garden that used to belong to an old friend. The animals as well used to be in his friend’s care, not his. They were really angry at him for no reason and he refused to explain why. He’s really touchy about the past and I don’t know why.”

“Not everypony has a wonderful past, Sunny.”

“I know that. But it all seems to lead back to the fact he won’t talk about his friend. I think there’s something wrong…”

“Could be. But you’re never going to get it out of him. That guy is already hard enough to get along with.”

Sunny’s eyes fell on Discord who was drooling on the desk in his sleep. Little Sparky had moved from his place on the pillow to lay beside Discord’s face, hugging his lengthy goatee like a stuffed animal.

“Wait...The animals. I-I was supposed to-...”

Sunny trailed off as she hurried to the door. She turned the knob but it clicked and refused to move. She tried it a second time before turning to Hitch.

“Hitch, I need you to open this please.”

“What for?”

“I need to check something.”

Hitch simply shrugged and joined her side. He unlocked the door with his key and Sunny instantly galloped out into the street, her eyes set on the land outside of Maretime Bay.

“Are you coming back inside? I thought you didn’t want anypony to see Dis-...Uh, chaos.” He corrected himself quickly.

Sunny was a million miles away, visualizing the forest she once stood in alongside the Spirit of Chaos. Miles away where many of the animals he had previously been caring for resided. Did she leave them all behind? She was so set on taking Discord to Maretime that she forgot to ask them to embark on the journey with them. How was she supposed to receive answers if she had a draconequus who wouldn’t talk and carried limited information on ancient Equestria?

She sat down in the street, lowering her head and sighing. It was too far for her to go now, especially in the dark. Those animals were her ticket to seeing a past she would never be able to see on her own. What could she do now?

Suddenly, the rustling of a bush disturbed Sunny from her sorrow and she leaped to her hooves, staring at it fearfully.

“Uh...Hello?”

The bush rustled and shivered once again before a small tabby cat hopped out with a few leaves stuck in its fur. It was the same cat she had seen attacking Discord back at the remnants of the fallen cottage.

Sunny gasped. “You followed us!”

The cat meowed in response and she carefully scooped the small feline into her arms. She turned around and stared at Hitch with a big smile.

“Oh greaatt, you found a cat,” Hitch said sarcastically.

“Not just any cat. The cat with the answers to our problem!”

Hitch begrudgingly allowed Sunny to set the cat down in his office, positioning it on a small coffee table. The cat did a few circles before settling down and curling its tail to itself, purring contentedly. A few tufts of fur flew through the air from its movement and Hitch scowled, knowing he’d have to vacuum it all up later. He certainly wasn’t fond of cats for this reason.

Sunny, being completely on the opposite side of the spectrum, proceeded to fluff up the cat’s cheeks and baby it, giggling at the small creature. Hitch waited a few minutes longer to allow Sunny to get the ‘adorabetes’ out of her system before inquiring about this animal’s presence.

“Sooo, how is a cat supposed to help us?” Hitch paused. “Actually, what is it even helping us with?”

“Remember what I said about the animals being mad at Discord? Well, this little fella was there,” Sunny waved the cat’s arms involuntarily and uttered a small giggle. “You have the ability to talk to animals. That means you can find out why they were angry with him!”

“If it gets you to stop torturing that cat then, fine.”

Sunny allowed the small kitty peace, giving the two some space to communicate with each other. She observed eagerly as Hitch rolled up a chair and met with the cat, mere inches away and staring hard into one another's eyes. The cat’s slit pupils gazed blankly at him, no thoughts coming to mind whilst the large stallion awaited something to happen.

“Wait, what did you want me to ask it?” He asked, perplexed.

“Hmm,” She thought to herself. “Maybe why all the animals were piled on him and trying to hurt him? That might be a good place to start.”

He proceeded to ask the cat who kept a blank expression back at him. It wasn’t until a few seconds later that a few short meows and purrs emitted from the animal that Hitch finally discerned the sound of the cat’s voice.

“He said that Discord said something really offensive that hurt the other animal’s feelings. They got really mad and wanted to hurt him out of their frustration.”

“What did he say? Was it meant to insult them?”

A small exchange of sounds and Hitch nodding his head occurred once again before he continued.

“It wasn’t an insult directed at them specifically. It was about a pony named…Flutter… - Shy?” He pronounced the name with struggle. “I think I might have translated it wrong. I’ve never heard of anypony with that name.”

“No, you pronounced it right.”

Sunny already knew who he was talking about the minute the name left his tongue. She should have known. How didn’t she know? It was so obvious that Sunny was practically kicking herself for not thinking about it further.

Fluttershy was the one to ‘tame the beast’ essentially, all those years ago. Not only the Element of Kindness but a loyal friend to the Lord of Chaos. She had shown him more to this world than just his chaotic antics and given him a reason to spare Equestria his tyranny and pursue a life of fulfilling friendship and kindness.

Sunny didn’t know all the details as it was impossible to regain all the knowledge that had been lost within ancient Equestria, but it was well known that Fluttershy and Discord were tightly knit, despite their immense differences.

It made sense now. The name he muttered at the tree, the old friend who owned the garden he tended to and the caregiver of the animals, was her. But why?...

“Fluttershy,” She repeated the name. “What did he say about Fluttershy?”

“You know who that is?”

“Just ask him, please.”

He didn’t hesitate, hearing the importance in her tone. Unknown gibberish sounded from the cat before he repeated it in english to her.

“That she was never coming back.”

The words hit her harder than she could imagine. Her body almost physically motioned how she felt, feeling like she had been punched in the guts.

Of course, she knew that the Mane Six had died. It had been so long since Twilight’s reign and there was no way any of them had survived to live in this age of Equestria. But it still didn’t make hearing it from someone who knew them personally hurt any less. It only confirmed what she had known.

And it only made her think about how Discord felt about the whole ordeal. How much pain he must have been feeling over the loss of somepony very dear to him. Maybe that's why he had changed so much? Grief was a very powerful emotion that Sunny knew all too well, having experienced it with her father. He hadn’t spoken to anypony in ages either. How long had he stayed silent about this?

She glanced over at the draconequus who was still resting, his arms now positioned out in front of himself to hug the baby dragon attached to his goatee. His form, his torn apart wings, his shaky stature, he hadn’t been taking care of himself. She had taken note of it when she first came across him but now it was more evident that he completely lacked any self-care for himself. It was almost like he had given up.

Sunny couldn’t help but blink back at the stinging tears in the corners of her eyes, overwhelmed by emotion and heartache for the broken creature in front of her. She didn’t know what to do…What to say? There was nothing she could really do that could make this better.

“Sunny, are you okay?” Hitch stood up immediately.

“He’s hurting…” That was all she could muster, trying not to break down into sobs.

The scratching of wood disrupted their conversation as the lanky creature in the corner rose up from the desk, his antler nearly protruding through Hitch’s ceiling. One eagle claw rested on the chair to support his body and the other dangled at his side as Discord leaned onto his hind legs like he always used to do. Strain plagued his eyes, a strenuous effort being made to stand.

He neither smiled nor scowled at the two ponies as they waited for his next action unpredictably.

“You must have thought I wasn’t listening, didn’t you?”

Sunny’s heart sank into her stomach as she fought back even more tears.

“You ponies are so silly,” He replied with an edge to his voice. “Talking about someone else while they’re sleeping, unconscious and unable to clarify anything that is said about them. Don’t you think that’s a little presumptuous?”

“We weren’t doing it to hurt you.” Hitch quickly added.

“My ears are always open, thinking that could slip past me is a foolish thought.”

He then whirled around to the cat glaring at him, hissing and puffing up its fur. He leaned over and yanked at the scruff of its neck, lifting it into the air and leveling it with his face. It growled and yowled at him, swiping its unsheathed claws near his nose.

“And this little stowaway…” A malicious grin spread across his face. “How lucky you are that you live under the protection of the Element of Kindness. That unsaid agreement is the only thing preventing me from doing anything more.”

That dangerous underhanded threat…It made Sunny feel sick. How could he possibly say that? What was going through his mind?... How would Fluttershy even respond to such a twisted thought process from someone she truly trusted?

“Fluttershy would be disappointed in you.” Sunny replied harshly.

His forbidding gaze shifted to her, studying her sudden confidence with curiosity. He set the cat down and it hissed loudly before bounding away to find a safe place behind one of Hitch’s files.

He turned to face her and scowled. “You don’t even know who Fluttershy is. All that you have been fed is selective facts and what ponies want to believe.”

“Maybe so, but even beyond that, Fluttershy has always been known as a kind and caring pony. She would never approve of what you just did and what you’ve become.”

“Perhaps that’s for the best. She’s already left me behind for whatever realm is after this, not even a sign…”

Discord paused, a deep sadness flashing through his eyes before he balled up his fists.

“No one other than me wants to accept the reality that Fluttershy is dead. Not the animals, not you, not even this generation of ponies. Whatever judgements she may have had, whatever wishes and dreams, they’re already over. They died with her and nothing is going to make her come back.”

Sunny’s mouth went dry, finding herself with a lack of words.

He was so anguished and unforgiving of his dear pony that he had practically backed himself into a corner emotionally and pushed away anything and anyone who questioned his feelings. She could almost feel a sense of deja vu, seeing as his grief was in a stage of hurt and unrelenting anger. She remembered being like that too when she lost her dad, blaming herself and being mad at anyone who reached a hoof to her. But she didn’t want that negative feeling to define her, consume her. She chose instead to healthily express it in other ways but not allow it to control her, especially when she socialized with other ponies.

She didn’t believe Discord should suppress the anger he felt, nor deny that he carried a powerful rage inside of him. But he should at least come to an acceptance of the situation, even if it hurts a lot to do so. He may have been repeating over and over that Fluttershy was ‘dead’ and there was nothing anyone could do to bring her back, but Sunny could tell that behind those words he didn’t entirely believe it himself and it was a facade to hide his emotions.

“Maybe it’s not them who haven't accepted her death…”

“What?”

“Acceptance is when you’re willing to come to terms with what happened and you don’t push others away over it anymore,” Sunny explained. “But you’re still angry. You still won’t let anyone in and instead say that everyone else hasn’t accepted it because they want to help you. Maybe it’s you who hasn’t accepted it yet.”

Discord went quiet, gaping at her. There was no refusal, no argument back, just shock and hesitation in agreeing with what she said. But then, the walls he had set crumbled.

“How do you live after the death of somepony you loved so very much?...”

It was a genuine question. For the first time, Sunny could see an overwhelming fear in his eyes and desperation to know the answer. It was strange for a “god” to be seeking a solution from a mere pony. It should have been the other way around. Yet he appeared so helpless, that it shook her to her core.

She glanced at Hitch to see his expression and if he’d offer a suggestion, he was just as bewildered. It wasn’t a straightforward answer and she questioned her judgment.

“You don’t. I mean, you’re alive and everypony can see you but you’re not there. You’re somewhere else.” She looked up at him. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“I do.” He nodded. “I feel like that right now. I haven’t been able to feel anything else. It makes living feel insufferable…”

He slowly sunk to the floor, an audible groan sounding from the old draconequus as he held his aching back and carefully eased it down. He curled his dragon tail to himself and found a comfortable position.

He stared up at her expectantly before gesturing to her to seat herself beside him. She was surprised at the sudden trust she was being given and gently sat a few inches away from his tail.

“You know, ponies don’t realize how fast life passes you by. I suppose it’s different when you’re expected to exist for less than a hundred years. But wouldn’t that make you more aware of your brief place in this world?”

“Ponies don’t like thinking about their end all the time. It’s more like living in the moment and leaving the rest until later.”

Discord softly laughed. “It reminds me of Fluttershy in a way. She always appreciated life and everything that came from it. She never once took it for granted.”

A sad smile passed over his lips as Sunny felt a twinge of sadness in her heart, seeing him reflect on her.

“I never truly understood what mortality meant until I met her. I was more obsessed with what I wanted and what I could do to stop and look at the things around me.”

He shifted, straightening his back and raising his head to the ceiling.

“When she came into my life, chaos was all that I felt necessary. There was not one single soul who would love a mischievous spirit as I, so there was no reason for me to please or break my back for anyone else’s happiness. It was all about my entertainment and laughing at another’s expense.”

“But she gave me a chance, beyond all reason to reconcile and see what more life had to offer. Once I took it, everything changed for good. I felt so happy, so fulfilled to finally have someone who I could call my friend.”

He exhaled what sounded like suppressed laughter after he said that and Sunny gazed at him confused, unsure what was so funny.

“I’m sure you know of the rest. If your father was a historian, I’m sure he knew and told you a lot of his findings. Such as the adventures between those six ponies.”

“He did, yeah.” Sunny grinned, reliving her memories with her father. “It’s why I’m so determined to restore harmony to Equestria. Princess Twilight and her friends inspired me to stand up for myself and take back the peace we once had. I want everypony to be able to live together, united as one, just like we used to before.”

Discord couldn’t help but admire her positivity and powerful will to restore a world where having either a horn or wings didn’t matter. It was a bold dream after thousands of years of turmoil between three races, but it was one he didn’t entirely doubt either. If Twilight Sparkle was an example of anything groundbreaking, Sunny would be the next. They both had undying spirits.

He had already taken note of the increasing diversity of ponies in Maretime Bay on his travel here, perhaps this kid was the next leader for change.

“That’s a noble ideal to carry. I do not doubt that you will accomplish what you’ve set out to do.” He replied encouragingly.

“Thank you...That means a lot coming from you.”

A small sniffle came from the earth pony and he leaned down, noticing her wiping away a few tears. His words seemed to have choked her up.

“Are you crying?” He avoided breaking into laughter.

“N-No I’m not! I’m just...Um…”

“Starscout, I never took you as the emotional type. I usually can read everyone quite well.”

“I’m not crying! I’m just-...Happy I guess.”

He stifled a laugh. “I’m glad.”

He allowed her a moment to gather her feelings, all while having a smug smile on his face. Once all the tears were shed and the compliments meant, Sunny turned the conversation to Discord again.

“You never finished talking about Fluttershy. Unless...It's too personal?...”

She waited with bated breath, worried she might have asked the wrong thing at the wrong time. His smile vanished, just as she feared and he stared at the ground, contemplating his next words.

“You know, with the short time I’ve known you, you have proven to be someone with great courage and compassion. Truly a rarity among your kind.” He clasped his paw and claw together. “If you are meant to be the one who comes after the Twilight era, then perhaps I have no reason to hide such delicate information from you.”

“The one...Who comes after?” She reiterated.

Hitch now seated at his desk, observed the two with great curiosity as Discord prepared himself to tell the tale of his dear Fluttershy.

“Twilight Sparkle, the former ruler of Equestria, was not by herself in decision making. She had her friends, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and of course, Fluttershy at her side. Instead of ruling by herself, it was a joint effort which ran surprisingly smoothly than what most would expect.”

“When Fluttershy wasn’t assisting the princess with revisions of the future, she ran an animal sanctuary which I also had a part in. Not only that, but she had her students she’d teach on how to handle animals and care for them. It was a wonderful success that left many inspired to pursue a role in the preservation of all creatures. Including even myself.”

“It wasn’t until later that I noticed life had begun to take its toll on her. I didn’t understand how age worked for ponies, I hadn’t even given it a second thought beforehand. But by now she was much slower on her hooves, forgetful, weaker than she normally was. Eventually, I was the one taking care of her little critters, even her bunny Angel.”

His breath shook, a painful sadness lingering in his voice as he carried on.

“A terrible illness overtook her so quickly alongside her old age…It wasn’t before long that she was bedridden and barely able to walk. Her friends were so terrified for her, I was terrified for her…”

He swallowed hard, his back noticeably shuddering.

“They helped out as much as they could but life seemed to always get in the way. I’m sure Twilight would have stuck around had it not been for Equestria demanding her attention all the time. I’m sure she would have stayed at her bedside and made sure she had everything she needed. Instead, I was the one who stayed by her side every single day, every single hour…”

“She was so frail and exhausted, yet she always smiled and held onto a dying hope that things would get better. Even when she was in utter agony, even when I had to bathe her and when I did simple tasks for her she used to be able to do…She still was Fluttershy behind all the sadness and misery.”

His claw lifted to his eyes to wipe away a stream of tears. But they continued to fall, his voice breaking with each word.

“I remember the day it all ended so vividly. It was a sunny morning, her garden was in bloom, and she was sitting in my arms content. I think she knew it was time as she asked me to lift her out there for a short while…I…I didn’t know…”

“Fluttershy?... Oh, my dear, are you alright?”

“Where’s…Angel?”

“He’s asleep. Are you okay? Do you need to rest?”

“I think…I do.”

“Of course, here, let me just-”

“No, no, please…Please don’t.”

“Oh, no?”

“Please…I want to stay here.”

“Alright, we’ll stay here then.”

…

“Discord…”

“Yes, my dear?”

“I love you…”

“I love you too, more than all of the butterflies in your garden.”

…

“What’s with the sappiness all of a sudden? You’re scaring me a little.”

“Thank you for taking…Care of me.”

“What do you mean? Fluttershy, you can’t be saying things like that. Not right now. We still have many more things to see and places to go, creatures to meet! I promise it will be wonderful.”

“I’ll see them all with you…Someday…”

“Fluttershy?...”

…

“Fluttershy, wake up! You just fell asleep…I know you did. Come on, dear, you can’t sleep out here…Please…”

…

“Fluttershy, you can’t go yet…I haven’t even-...We haven’t even-...”

…

“FLUTTERSHY!”

The draconequus held the small lifeless pony to himself, his entire figure heaving and shuddering as his sobs traveled through the air of the cottage and the land surrounding it. His screams of despair caused multiple trees filled with perched birds to take flight and disappear into the open sky. The land-bound animals scurried away in fright as he was left behind in his grief.

All of Ponyville would have heard those wretched wails and his pleading for her to come back, so wrapped up in his immeasurable emotional pain and shock. He wouldn’t even hear her friends fastly approaching and gasping at the scene. It was all drowned out by his sobbing.

Even now, seated in a pony’s office whom he barely knew, he broke down for the first time in a long time. So many years of bottled-up emotion, suppressed feelings for fear of feeling weak and being bothered by everything that happened. He felt such raw emotion that stung so badly, he hated it so much.

It was only amplified when he remembered her lying there so helplessly with nothing but a soft smile, promising nothing but a few days of life. He wanted to give her so much more, he wanted to hold her so tight, consciously knowing she was about to slip away so he could say all the things he wanted to say. He wanted to tell her a million times how much he loved her and how much she had changed his life for good.

Why didn’t he have the power to reverse this? Why couldn’t he have simply snapped and made her all better? Why did the most deserving and kind pony in all his life have to die such a cruel and ruthless death?...

Sunny threw herself at the pained draconequus, barely containing her own tears.

“I’m so sorry, Discord…”

“Please don’t blame yourself…”

My Dear, Fluttershy

by Fluskie

The Burden of Loss

Her End