> I DisPiez U > by TheTalentlessPony > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Dissonance > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- She had everything planned out. The invitations. The cake. The decorations. The cupcakes. The frosting for the cupcakes. The toppings for the cupcakes. The... hey, cupcakes are important, okay? Anyway, now things were set up and ready. She just had to execute it. "ALRIGHT EVERYPONY! ARE YOU READY TO PARTY!?" Pinkie Pie's booming voice sounded throughout the wide open area as she leapt onto the picnic table she had set up. ...She received no response though. Upon scanning the area, she found that there was no one else around. Deadpanning, she sat down on the wooden table and confusedly raised a brow. "...Huh..." Maybe it wasn't a good idea to hold a party in the Canterlot sculpture garden... Giving a prompt snort, Pinkie Pie laughed it off and climbed down from the table, gathering up her things with no real sense of urgency; the Cakes wouldn't need her for another few hours anyway. Still though, the question plagued her: Why didn't anyone come to her party? Upon further thought however, she just giggled and hoisted her bag over her back, ready to get going. "Silly Pinkie Pie... animals don't have mailboxes!" she exclaimed with cheerful innocence, acting as if she were two different ponies. Too bad though...that bear would've loved a party for his birthday... Putting her obliviousness-caused mistake behind her, she took a light hop forward and jogged towards the exit. And she was fine doing just that... for a moment. What about Discord? Suddenly, she stopped. Who had said that? Looking around, there was still no one. She was still alone. Could it be that... her own mind had asked her that? "Discord...?" she questioned in a whisper. Glancing around, she noticed an entrance to another part of the garden; an unclosed space where Discord's statue was held. There was never a need to guard it, since going to the Canterlot sculpture garden was now forbidden to everypony but Pinkie Pie and her friends. Curious about her own sudden thoughts on Discord, she headed for the entrance and went inside. Examining the place, it was clear that there wasn't much to look at. Just large dark green hedges surrounding a plain grassy field; in the middle of said-field was the statue of Discord. Still a bit confused on why she was even here, Pinkie Pie took another second to take in the sight. It wasn't like something was going to happen or anything, so why was she so drawn here? Why did she think about going her in the first place? Maybe because... she hated seeing someone all by themself... "That's right... nopony ever comes to see you, huh?" she asked, walking forward as her ears went down. She knew that the statue wouldn't respond, but... well... that's sad, isn't it? Someone frozen in time. Someone who can't respond to a single word you say. You could yell and scream at him all you wanted... but he'd never say anything in response. A frown slowly overtook her smile as she noticed the look on Discord's face as well; the one he had on when she and her friends had imprisoned him. Had she really never noticed how scared he looked until now? Guess I never did... I was all 'grrrr' and 'you're a big meanie Discord' back then... Pinkie Pie found that she could say nothing more than that. What else was she supposed to say, when she was the one who did this to him? The one who made him look the way he did before cursing him to be a statue until the end of time. Guilt now tugging at her little streamer-shaped heartstrings, she sat down and placed her bag in front of her, gently prodding at it with her forelegs before pulling out a cupcake, which was somehow unsmashed by the bag. "Nopony can come here to give you treats, right?" she questioned, looking up at the statue while not giving it eye contact; she couldn't bear to. And after a moment of gut-wrenching silence from the non-responsive Discord, she placed the cupcake on the statue's pedestal, promptly stepping back to take in the sight once more. "You can have one of mine." Then, she... smiled a bit at it. It had felt good to give somepony one of her homemade cupcakes. "...!" She quickly remembered however; this was Discord. "Oh, no no no!" Snatching her cupcake back, Pinkie Pie leapt away and glared at the imprisoned Discord. How dare he trick her with his evil trickery! "You can't have any of my special cupcakes, no way!" she yelled angrily. "You'll just use it for your evil chaos-y things, won't you!?" Upon hearing the silent response, she got increasingly more tense. This... doesn't feel right at all... Hesitantly giving the cupcake back, she gazed down at the ground with a bit of sadness in her eyes. She wanted to bring happiness to everyone... even Discord. At the same time though, it felt so wrong to her. What would her friends think? Should she even be doing this? "...I thought everypony was your friend?" she asked herself. Her sadness suddenly turning into rage, Pinkie Pie jumped to the other side of the statue, glaring at the spot where she had been standing. "Y-yeah, but... t-this is Discord!" Leaping back over to the former side, she, again, stared at the place where she had just been. "He's an exception just because he's a big old meanie pants? That's not fair." sproing! She continued jumping back and forth as she debated with herself about the situation. "It is too fair! He was mean to my friends!" sproing! "So you don't wanna be friends with the friendless 'meanie'?" sproing! "No, I don't! As a matter of fact, I-" ... "...I..." Gazing back at Discord, Pinkie Pie felt her mane deflate somewhat. That's right...Discord never had friends. He caused chaos everywhere. That was his only fun. He was a meanie, but... he was a friendless meanie. "Friendless? I never even... thought about it," she muttered, placing her hooves to her head as she tried to imagine herself without friends. Without all those picnics she was invited to. Without all the games she was challenged to play for fun. Without all the parties thrown just to make her happy. ...and without all the love she was given from every single one of her friends. "B-but Discord... he's just... I mean I..." Beating at her head, she slowly grew frustrated. "It's not like I can free him or anything! I... I just... RRR!" Letting out a loud yell of annoyance, Pinkie Pie bolted upwards and charged out of the garden, accidentally leaving her bag of supplies behind. And maybe something else too. Her chaotic thoughts. ...crack! > Indecisive > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I'm home!" Pinkie Pie shouted...as she entered Ponyville. Hey, the whole town felt like home when she thought about it. "Good morning, Pinkie Pie!" "Hi, Pinkie Pie!" "What's up, Pinkie Pie?" Ponies greeted her left to right, and of course she would greet back. ...But today, she never greeted anypony before they greeted her first. It was so unlike her. Quickly, the ponies began to draw worried gazes at her. "Is something wrong with her?" "Did something happen up there?" "Her mane does looks a little less... bouncy, than usual..." It was like she was hypnotized; only paying attention to ponies if they greeted her. Otherwise, she passed them by like nothing, seemingly focused on getting back to her actual home, Sugarcube Corner. Taking a bit longer to get there than usual, Pinkie Pie entered the building and looked around. The place was always quiet without her there, but the Cakes were still busy, silently boxing up a dozen cupcakes for some sort of order. Mister Cake was holding the box while Missis Cake was putting the cupcakes in. Being already occupied with that, they didn't notice Pinkie Pie entering the building. Raising her hoof at first to greet them, Pinkie Pie paused for a moment. She simply didn't feel like greeting anypony today. It was odd... an almost otherworldly feeling to her. Taking one last second to ponder over the feeling, Pinkie Pie then turned her attention to the stairs and trotted up them, going straight into her room and closing the door behind her. The somewhat-loud slam startled the Cakes, and they glanced over at the stairs in wonder. "Was that... Pinkie Pie?" Missis Cake questioned, sounding more than a little surprised. Pinkie Pie always greeted them when she came in. "I think so dear..." Mister Cake responded, raising a brow as well. That wasn't like the Pinkie Pie they knew. "...I'll go check after we get this order finished up." "Sounds good. I just hope she's all right..." "Aaaaaugh!" Kicking her back legs out in frustration, Pinkie Pie promptly tossed and turned on her bed; trying to make sense of what had just happened earlier was no easy task. "Discord, Discord, Discord!" she repeated, throwing a small plushie she had at the wall. It gave out a small 'squeak' and fell to the ground afterwards. The sight of it made Pinkie Pie a little upset. She knew that she shouldn't be so frustrated. She just couldn't help it. "Sorry, Squeakington." she muttered, hopping off of her bed and walking up to the small toy. "Miss Pinks is just a little bit weird today." Cradling the plush with her left foreleg, Pinkie Pie tried to smile as she walked back to her bed, setting Squeakington down on her dresser, to which the toy squeaked again in response. "I know, I know. You like me to hold you." Pinkie Pie told the plush. "But I've just been worried about someone." "Someone?" "Yeah... Discord..." Gritting her teeth slightly as she mentioned the statued Discord, Pinkie Pie prodded the floor slightly, feeling somewhat torn. "Don't worry. I'm sure that handsome devil is doing just fine." "Thanks for trying to make me feel better, but... no one who's stuck like that is 'just fine'." Pinkie Pie replied. ... Wait a minute. Deadpanning, Pinkie Pie turned her attention back to the plush and eyed it carefully. "Y-you..." Gasping upon a realization, she jumped closer to the toy and directed her hoof at it. "You're not Squeakington! You're Fluffy-Puffy!" Glaring down at the plush, she poked it intensely. "You're not supposed to squeak. It'll give you indigestion," she muttered. "...Pinkie Pie~" "Huh?" Looking around, Pinkie Pie eyed all of her plushes. The sound certainly hadn't come from them. "...Pinkie Pie~" "Hello~?" she greeted with the same sing-song tone. "Hello, Pinkie Pie~" the voice responded. "Hello to you too, mysterious voice!" Pinkie Pie giggled a bit as her ears twitched. Although the voice was familiar, it made her giggle by calling it 'mysterious'. "You sound like you're happy, mysterious voice!" she said. "Did somepony make you happy?" "Oh yes. You could say that~" the voice replied. "Ooo! Ooo! I was right!" Pinkie Pie cheered. "What'd they do!? Did they give you flowers? Did they make you candy? Did they-" "Oh no. They did something much more special." Pinkie Pie took a moment to think about the voice's words. What could somepony do to make the voice so happy? "Don't tell me... don't tell me... theeeeeey..." "They freed me." "I was just about to guess that!" Pinkie Pie whined as she pouted. "..." "...w-wait," she muttered. That voice...I knew it sounded familiar, but... Pinkie Pie quickly turned her head as her plush began to shake. "Fluffy-Puffy! That'll just make your tummy worse!" she warned. However, the toy continued to shake, beginning to let off yellow and red puffs of smoke. "...Fluffy-Puffy?" Pinkie Pie called softly, walking closer to her plush. And then, suddenly, the toy stood up, glaring at her with big red eyes. T-those eyes... "Greetings Pinkie Pie." "Y-YOU-" Pinkie Pie had no time to react as the plush exploded into a gigantic puff of smoke, which quickly filled the room and began to circle it. Pinkie Pie jumped back and yelped, unsure of what to do as her mane flopped in and out of her face from the harsh wind. "AHAHAHAHA!" A familiar laugh rang in Pinkie Pie's ears, making them twitch intensely. She covered them and curled up on the floor, but the voice still rang in her ears. Though, finally, the smoke began to clear after a few seconds, and the laughter began to die down. Pinkie Pie stayed still however, still cringing a bit from shock. "And here I thought laughter made you happy~" Hearing that sentence, Pinkie Pie slowly removed her hooves from her face and looked up. Standing right in front of her was... "...D-Discord..." "Oh, Pinkie Pie." Discord chuckled at her. "I'll admit, you had me. I never thought that you'd be the one to free me." "...F-free you?" Pinkie Pie questioned, still recovering from the shock. "Don't you know?" Discord grinned. "I became freed because of the chaos happening around me!" "C-chaos? B-but, nopony was with me, and-" she froze as he got closer to her. "I never said it had to be physical chaos~" he whispered. "...T-that's right..." Pinkie Pie muttered. I was fighting... with myself... Glancing up at Discord's face, she... blushed slightly... but only from embarrassment, of course. Did he... hear what I was saying? Judging by his expression, she assumed that he hadn't and calmed down slightly. "U-um... m-my friends will just go and imprison you again!" she told him, though her tone sounded anything but certain. "Funny you mention that~" Discord replied, taking a seat on Pinkie Pie's bed and lounging back. "I've already thought about it actually. So, I think I'll lay low for a while. How does that sound, roommate?" "R-roommate?" she questioned. "...W-well, what if I-" "Pinkie Pie!" a voice suddenly called as a knock was heard at the door. "M-Misses Cake!" Pinkie Pie shouted. "U-um-" "Are you alright in there, deary? Can I come in?" Turning her attention to Discord, Pinkie Pie quickly shoved him off the bed and covered him with her blanket. "H-hide!" "Hm...?" Though looking a little confused, he simply nodded to her and snapped his fingers, vanishing in a puff of smoke. Pinkie Pie breathed a sigh of relief at first, but was also a little puzzled at herself. I told him to hide... I didn't want Missis Cake to see him... "C-come in?" she replied, though as more of a question than anything else. Missis Cake was quick to enter the room, looking around for anything out of the ordinary. "Are you okay, Pinkie Pie?" she then asked. Pinkie Pie just nodded, almost sweating as she saw Missis Cake's skeptical look. Had she heard Discord? Had she seen him somehow? Why was she looking at her so suspiciously? "Y-yep! Just fine!" "Really?" Missis Cake questioned. "You didn't greet us at the door. Did your party go alright?" "Mm-hmm!" Pinkie Pie responded firmly. "B-but... next time I'll make sure to hand-deliver all the invitations. Those animals just didn't get 'em!" she explained. Misses Cake was quiet for a moment, then giggled. "Ah, so nothing new for Pinkie Pie then. Well, don't fret over it dear. I'm sure that your next party will be much better!" she said, promptly leaving and closing the door behind her. Pinkie Pie waited a few seconds, then breathed a sigh of relief. That was close... "So then!" In a fireworks-like explosion, Discord suddenly reappeared in front of her, holding out his claw in a taunting manner and grinning devilishly. "Roomies?" > Safety > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Roomies... Pinkie Pie found herself frozen as she stared at Discord's eagle claw. Roommates? Her and Discord: the spirit of chaos? The one who tore her and her friends apart? We're STILL holding that over him, Pink-Pie? C'moooon~ Don't listen to me, Pinkie Pie! Discord was a big meanie then, and he's STILL a big meanie now! Hush up me! He's just a wittle wonely~ Wittle wonely!? That doesn't make what he did okay! Pft. Says me. If I'm gonna be like that, I'm not inviting me to my next party! I wouldn't! I would! I'm a terrible pony! ...Well, that shifted tones easily. Pinkie Pie quickly decided that her mind was not the best place to go. So... where else could she go for answers? Her body? Her... mane? Or maybe... My heart...? Shifting her eyes downwards, she tried just that. ...Admittedly, it was rather hard. She had never really focused to listen to her heart before. "...Well..." she began to say, unable to come up with much. Choosing to give Discord the impression that he wasn't in control, she frowned and gazed up at him. "Well, what if I don't wanna, huh? What if I say n-" Pinkie Pie was suddenly stopped from completing her sentence from her tongue suddenly sticking out. She stared at it, confused, then pulled it back in and tried again. "You'll be in big trouble ya know! And all I gotta do is tell my friends that you're he-" Stopped again by a protruding tongue, Pinkie Pie deepened her frown in frustration. Even Discord was giving her a strange look at this point. Why was she having such a hard time rejecting his offer? Maybe because... I want him here? Pinkie Pie found herself intrigued by her own suggestion. Was that possible? She wanted a big meanie like Discord to hang around with her? That's silly. You're silly! ...But he's silly too. Raising a brow up at him, Pinkie Pie slowly... approached Discord, growing closer to his claw. "...No chaos." "Of course." "No hurting my friends." "Me? Never!" Clearly, it was Discord's want for privacy that made up those answers, but for some reason, Pinkie Pie didn't really care. So, she held out her hoof to his claw and shook it. "Room-rooms," she muttered. "Oh, wonderful!" Discord exclaimed, with a slight hint of devilish intent in his voice. "I'll just make myself at home then!" Pinkie Pie barely had time to utter a flat "what" before the snap of a claw made the entire room light up, making her unable to see much. However, upon the lights dimming, Pinkie Pie looked around... in awe. Her room had officially been Discord-ified... if that was a word. Her ceiling had been checker-boarded light and dark blue, while the floor was made out of cotton-candy clouds (which Pinkie Pie would've GLADLY eaten, if not for the fact that it would've made a hole there, where the Cakes would've be able to see the mayhem). Her bed had been turned into a giant cake, while her pillow had been turned into a huge brownie. Her plushes were still recognizable, but now had cupcake-like bodies with icing-hats. The walls were made of popcorn, and the whole room smelled of a bakery mixed in with a movie theater (it was undecided if that was a good or bad thing). "...Whoa~" Pinkie Pie lit up as she surveyed the room. "How cool! Why didn't I think of this!?" Excited as could be, she jumped up and rolled about in her cake-bed with her fondant-blanket draped over her. Meanwhile, Discord stared at her quizzically. A sudden change in a room's appearance would usually surprise anyone. He wanted to put it off as Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie, but there seemed to be more behind it than that. Before he could ponder on it further though, he was tackled to the ground by Pinkie Pie, who cheerfully touched her nose to his. "This is awesome! The perfect amount of silly!" He blinked for a moment, trying to register her words, then just grinned. "You mean 'chaos'." "Silly chaos then~" Discord couldn't help but huff at bit at Pinkie Pie's unnervingly cheerful demeanor. "You made lots and lots of food here though. You must be hungry!" The sudden growl from Discord's stomach confirmed Pinkie Pie's theory, and she quickly dashed into her closet. "How good are you at..." Coming out of her closet, she showed of her black stealth suit. "...sneaking~?" Discord snorted a bit at the simple question. "You need to ask? I'm a master!" "Good! Follow me then, Master-of-Sneaking-Discord...and no turning lights into fireworks!" she told him, opening the door quietly and heading out into the hallway. He made a mental note to make a mental note of her idea, then slithered after her; being stealthy was an easy challenge, if you could even call it that. Sneaking downstairs, Pinkie Pie curiously looked about. "No Mister or Misses Cake in sight. Wonder where they went." she muttered. After confirming that no one was around, she made her way into the kitchen, followed by Discord, who looked rather unamused. "So the kind Miss Pinkie Pie is going the make the great Discord something to munch on while all I have to do is thi-" "No no no!" Pinkie Pie stopped Discord's attempt to snap his fingers and pulled his face closer to her, giggling slightly. "I'm not gonna make you something! We're gonna make us something!" She lightly poked his nose to get her point across. "And no magic. Kay?" Discord raised a brow at her, but Pinkie Pie ignored it. "It'll be so much more special if we do it without magic!" she told him, almost like a promise. He was skeptical, but decided to go along with it anyway. He wasn't quite sure how much Pinkie Pie was willing to tolerate him before she told her friends about him, after all. "Now! We need...flour, eggs, butter, sugar-" Discord almost started to doze off by the boring old list of cake ingredients, until... "...soda pop...cookie crumbs...what else?" Pinkie Pie questioned, looking at him with an innocent expression. He was unsure of how to respond at first. He had never really made anything from scratch before. "...Hey," she called to him suddenly. "Why don't cha just have fun with me and try making something instead of poofing it up like ya usually do?" she questioned. It was a simple straight-forward one, but it somehow felt as if there was more meaning behind it. Not knowing that meaning frustrated Discord, so he chose to play along some more. Maybe if he did, it would inform him of that reason. Looking around, he opened a cupboard and pulled out a bag of gumballs, offering it to Pinkie Pie, who lit up at the suggestion. "That's PERFECT!" she exclaimed, grabbing the bag with extreme enthusiasm. Upon placing it on the table, her mind began to race; it needed more. Slyly turning her head to Discord, she grinned. "...Chocolate milk?" He stared at her for a moment, puzzled, then grinned as he caught onto her game. "And cotton candy?" "And gummi bears!" "And peanut butter cups!" "And Hershay Kisses!" "And Butterhoofers!" "And Gaitstoppers!" "And SweetTrots!" "And Filly Bottle Pops!" "And Pony Tales!" "And AirHooves!" The madness of adding candy into their mix would've continued on forever had it not been for the overflowing bowl. "Oops~" Pinkie Pie said, pretending as if they had dumped all of the candy in by accident. "Guess we went overboard!" Turning her attention to Discord, she slid the bowl over to him and gave him a spoon. "Can you stir that for me? I gotta go find us some chaotic muffin tins!" she exclaimed, knowing that Discord would be more than happy with the term 'chaotic'. He just nodded in agreement, being, admittedly, a little speechless. He had never really been asked so nicely to do something. All he ever remembered were demands, like "Begone Discord!", "Stop this chaos at once Discord!", or "Discord, stop turning my plants into marshmallows!" What made Pinkie Pie so tolerant of him? He had to know. "And remember! Nooo snappy-snaps!" Pinkie Pie reminded him before she trotted off to find the 'most chaotic' muffin tins. Her words had snapped him out of his thinking, and he quickly turned his attention to the candy-coated batter that her and himself had made. Though he did begin stirring it, he couldn't help but draw his attention back to Pinkie Pie every so often. All she was doing was rooting through cupboards, and yet he was drawn to her. Drawn to the mystery of her perhaps. Yes... perhaps. "PERFECT!" Discord blinked in confusion as he saw what she was holding. It wasn't a muffin tin at all; It was just a flat piece of metal... ...And Pinkie Pie shoved her head right into it. CLANG! Pulling the metal off of her face, she smiled at Discord and held up her 'chaotic' creation. Forcing her head into the metal plate had left an indent into it; an indent of her face. "Hm...silly me!" she said with a giggle. "My face isn't muffin-size." Looking over at Discord, she held out the muffin tin and shook it tauntingly. "Help me out~?" He stared at her in confusion, then simply snapped his fingers, turning the Pinkie Pie shape into 13 smaller Pinkie Pie shapes. Hm... confusion. It had been a word that had described his expression often during the short time he had spent with her. The spirit of chaos... confused by a little pink pony whose cutie mark was balloons, not a confused Discord head. It... amused him somewhat, admittedly. Snapping up another metal plate, Discord made his own indent into it by turning himself into 13 smaller Discords and promptly slamming into said-plate. Afterwards, the smaller Discords formed together like a puzzle and turned back into the normal-sized one. Pinkie Pie clapped her hooves at the sight. "That's perfect!" she exclaimed, grabbing his tin and smiling up at him. "Now the Pinkie Pie cupcakes can be friends with your Discord cupcakes!" she added, rushing to the oven and placing the cupcakes inside. Discord couldn't help but raise a brow skeptically. "Oh? What if the Discord cupcakes don't want a friend?" he questioned, teleporting inside the oven before Pinkie Pie could close it. The expression he got from her was... odd, to say the least. She had deadpanned, as if her mind could not comprehend the thought. Or perhaps she was merely thinking of a response? Nevertheless, she cheered back up after a moment and grabbed him. "That's a silly question!" Pulling him out and shutting the oven, she stood him up and thrust herself at him, hugging him with all her little pony might. "Everyone wants a friend, Cordie. Even if they don't know it. If you never have a friend, you'll just... never know what you're missing," she said softly. Discord shifted uncomfortably in her grasp, not used to getting a hug from someone. "Urf. Yes yes, magic of friendship and whatnot," he muttered, trying to push Pinkie Pie away as quickly as possible. She wouldn't let go though, so he snapped his fingers, speeding up the oven and prompting it to go off. Ding! "Ooo! The cupcakes are ready!" Pinkie Pie cheered, looking away from Discord and focusing on the oven. This made it much easier for him to push her away. Despite that though, she still smiled at him. "...What's that face for?" Discord questioned with raised brows. A giggle was all the reply he got from Pinkie Pie however as she opened up the oven, happily pulling out the colorful cupcakes and setting them on the counter. He then watched her closely as she pulled out the somehow not-gross-looking cupcakes and put them in couples; A Discord with a Pinkie Pie. Afterwards, she iced them, making sure to get the faces just right; she wanted them perfect. This was Discord's first hoof-made cupcake after all. Or... was it claw-made? ...Maybe paw-made? He's got both! Despite the argument going on in her head, she ignored it and swiftly shoved one of the couples into Discord's claw and paw, letting out a cheerful, "Try 'em!" before helping herself to a couple. He stared skeptically at the cupcakes first, then hesitantly took a bite. While Pinkie Pie seemed to be enjoying them to no end, he simply couldn't describe them as anything but 'odd'. The taste was amazing, yes... but there was something else about them too. It wasn't the look of them, or the crazy-high sugar content. It was... just something. For that moment however, he ignored the thought and ate at the cupcakes with Pinkie Pie, splitting the last couple between themselves. Afterwards though, he noticed her sad expression over the already-gone cupcakes and simply snapped up another couple for her. She was... skeptical of them actually, and her expression even shifted to one of dissapointment when she bit into them. "...What?" Discord questioned. "Not chaotic enough for you?" With a wide smirk, he snapped up another cupcake and made it explode, splattering icing all over the walls. "That's not it." Pinkie Pie told him, despite laughing a bit as she licked some icing off of her mane. "The love is missing." Then it was Discord's turn to be skeptical. "Hm?" "The love," she repeated, handing him the half-eaten cupcakes. "You can't copy the love we put into making those cupcakes. Silly Cordie~" Thinking that she was crazy, Discord took it upon himself to test that theory. Biting in though... he discovered that, admittedly, there was something different about the cupcakes. Where did that oddness go? Though he wouldn't say it out loud, it was something he missed from them. Dropping the cupcakes, he simply shrugged his 'mistake' off and tried again, whipping up another batch. The oddity was still missing though. And it irritated him. Why could he not replicate the silly little 'love' put into those cupcakes? He was the spirit of chaos. He could do anything he wanted! "Sorry, Cordie," Pinkie Pie said, showing a bit of concern. "We can make another batch if you want," she added, being slightly more gentle than usual to ease his frustration. She then looked around and giggled. "But first, I wanna clean this mess up, or the Cakes will-" "PINKIE PIE!" The aforementioned pony froze, then turned her head to see the Cakes standing there, looking rather displeased at the chaotic mess. Icing and opened bags of candy were everywhere, and Pinkie Pie was the one caught right in the middle of it, being covered in icing herself. Despite this though, her first concern was of Discord. Looking over, she noticed that he was long-gone; probably teleported away. Admittedly, she was glad. "Cordie~" she cooed to herself, happy that he had been unseen. She recalled their hug (well, her hug to him), and found herself surprisingly content with getting caught in the messy kitchen. She remembered his expression; the one he had made when he pushed her away. She knew... she knew too well. He liked it... With that in mind, she then tilted her head back towards the angry Cakes and shrugged, putting a hoof behind her head and sticking her tongue out. "Oops?" > Problems > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Discord huffed as he stared out of Pinkie Pie's bedroom window. How pathetic. There he was, the spirit of chaos... and he was pouting over a pink pony. Granted, it was one of the Elements of Harmony, but that just infuriated him more. Idly tapping on the popcorn-covered window frame, he then searched his mind once again for answers. She was the Element of Laughter. He was supposed to be one step ahead of her; of all the Elements. Yet, here he was, contemplating over what had just occurred. She had treated him normally... acted as if he wasn't who he was... Everyone wants a friend, Cordie. Even if they don't know it. If you never have a friend, you'll just... never know what you're missing. At first, he had been confused... then surprised... then annoyed. Annoyed by his lack of knowledge. Discord considered himself to be perfect. Always handsome. Always alert. Always knowing. But he didn't know her. He didn't know Pinkie Pie. One of the only ponies he had to know well, and he failed to understand why she did what she did. The way she smiled at him. The way she touched her nose to his. The way she called him 'Cordie'. And how long had she called him that anyway? Discord wasn't sure. He failed to remember a time like it before he had been imprisoned for the second time. "Cordie..." he muttered, letting the name roll off of his tongue as he pondered its meaning. He questioned if it was one of those nickname things he had heard off. He knew that Pinkie Pie affectionately called that blue pony 'Dashie'... was this the same thing? Affectionately... stemming from the word 'affection'? Discord huffed. That was ridiculous. An Element of Harmony, being affectionate towards the spirit of chaos? He almost scoffed at the idea. Almost... He repeated her words to himself once more. She had hugged him as she said them. Hugged... him... Discord furrowed his brow at the memory. It was only for a second; a split second. But it was something that he couldn't forget. For that split second, he had felt... warmth? Her body had lit him up like a furnace, her hooves affectionately gripping him so he couldn't move from her hold unless he had teleported away. Why hadn't he? He couldn't recall a reason. Yet, still... he had felt something. He failed to find the word to describe it, but he found himself disgusted by whatever feeling it was nonetheless. You can't copy the love we put into making those cupcakes. Silly Cordie~ Love... Discord quickly snapped up a table and flipped it, infuriating by the word. Feelings. He wasn't supposed to have them. He had always told himself not to feel anything but the joy of causing chaos. Had she caused him to feel? He looked outside to the ponies walking around. None bothered to stare up at him, and he felt unusually grateful for it. He then noticed a flower between two buildings. Nothing special about it; just a flower. He grinned; forcefully, but still a grin. He could easily turn that flower into a manticore if he wanted to. Or maybe just a rabid bird. Yes, yes... it wouldn't look out of the ordinary at all. He could caused chaos and nopony would ever know! He raised his eagle claw... but stopped, instead slamming it against the popcorn-frame. He didn't feel like snapping. He didn't feel like causing chaos. Taking a handful of the cotton-candy floor, he gluttonously shoved it into his mouth. None of it made sense at all. "Make sense? Oh, what fun is there in making sense?" He had said that. He. Himself. The draconequus, Discord! Spirit of chaos and disharmony! But he wanted some sense in all of this. He wanted... no... needed to know. He squinted at the crowd of ponies. The only chaos and disharmony he was causing was within himself. "Cordie!" Discord jerked his head towards the source of the voice in an instant, intending to glare at the one who had caused him so much confusion. However... he quickly found that he couldn't. Pinkie Pie bounded in, looking cheerful as ever. Discord expected her to be angry at him for leaving her to take all blame, but no. No. She was still happy. Still cheerful. Still smiling. "I'm SO glad you're still here! I thought you had gone up and left me!" she exclaimed, her aura as bubbly as ever. If Discord had been focusing more, he would've noticed how her cheeks were slightly more pink than usual. "Ah, yes... Pinkie Pie," he said, shooting her an evil grin, despite how forced it was. "So, how did it go? I bet the Cakes were so frustrated with all that we did!" "Oh, absolutely!" Pinkie Pie replied. Again, Discord deadpanned, confused. "What." "They told me that I had to pay for all the damages and stuff, but that's okay!" she told him. "I still have a few bits left to take you out!" "What." "Don't worry though! You got that shape-shifty power, right? You can just be a pony like everypony else Mister Soon-To-Be-A-Pony! ...Eheh, wow! I said pony a lot right there!" "What." Discord repeated once more, blinking obliviously as he tried to fathom the enigma that was Pinkie Pie. Speaking of, she stared at him and frowned, getting up on her hind legs and putting her hooves to her hips. "Do I gotta explain everything to ya?" she asked. Jumping onto him, she pouted cutely and tugged at his cheeks. "I could tell~ You're being a grump. And grumps aren't any fun!" "I'm a ton of fun!" Discord shouted in retort. After a moment though, he paused. Confound it all! This pink pony had him talking like a child! "Anyway~ I figured that I could ungrump you by taking you somewhere nice!" Pinkie Pie added. "Where?" he questioned. "It's a surprise, silly!" she responded, jumping back down and directing her hoof at him. "Now! Show me your best pony!" she said, in an adorably demanding tone. Discord put a hand to his beard, taking a moment to examine her expression. "Is that a challenge?" Pinkie Pie shot him a grin, almost imitating his devilish one. "You bet~!" He smirked a bit, then snapped his fingers, a puff of smoke once again circling the room. "Oooo~" She watched closely as the smoke began to take shape until it was that of a pony. It disappeared afterwards. "Wow, Cordie~ You look-" "Amazing. I know." The ever-so-humble Discord said. There he was, disguised as a gray earth pony with burning red eyes. His hooves were colored black, while his mane and tail were white as snow. Studying him closely at first, Pinkie Pie then smiled a bit. "You're an earth pony." "And?" Discord asked, looking at her skeptically. She just smirked. "Nothing!" She then opened up the window and hopped down to the grass, with Discord following closely behind. "Hiya everypony!" "HIYA PINKIE PIE!" Discord cringed slightly from the loudness of the crowd. "Daily greeting to random crowd in Ponyville: check," Pinkie Pie said to herself. Though she got a look from him, she still smiled at Discord and encouraged him to follow as she cheerfully trotted onwards. He studied her as she walked. Her hooves lifted off the ground so daintily that she might as well have been walking on air. He swiftly looked away and try to ignore such pointless thinking though. Pointless... "This is it?" Discord questioned, looking up at what appeared to be an ice cream shop. "Yep! Follow me!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, leaping inside excitedly. He was hesitant, but followed anyway. "Hey, Pinkie Pie!" the pony at the counter greeted. "Snuck out of your place to get a sugar-rush elsewhere?" "You bet!" "Haha~ I see!" the pony smiled for a moment, then looked over to Discord, who stared back skeptically. That pony wasn't looking at his face; what was she gawking at? "...S-so!" Drawing her gaze away from Discord, the pony at the counter glanced over at Pinkie Pie instead. "You here for two sundaes then?" "Nnnnope~!" Pinkie Pie sing-songed. "I don't have the bits. Just give us a suuuper big one! I think I could pay for that," she explained. "Heh. You got it." After taking the last of Pinkie Pie's bits, the pony got to work and prepared the shop's famous 'JumboDae'. Discord then sat at the table as Pinkie Pie brought over the sundae; two straws stuck out of each side. "How do you slurp ice cream?" one of the ponies nearby asked with a raised brow, eyeing the straws. "Quickly," Pinkie Pie replied with a grin, promptly putting her mouth to her straw. Giving a small, but loud slurp, she gulped down a bit of ice cream. Discord stared for a moment, taking in the sight of the gigantic ice cream-filled bowl, then just smirked. He took a longer and louder slurp. His opponent quickly caught onto his game. The two leaned forward, front hooves on the somewhat-rickety table as they attempted to best each other in gulping down the sundae. Two ponies. One sundae. No prize... except great satisfaction. Discord wasn't planning on winning fairly though. Inches away from Pinkie Pie, he made sure that she was looking before crossing his eyes. She tried not to snicker at it. She really did. But Pinkie Pie was Pinkie Pie, and she leaned forward even more as she let out her loud and cheerful laughter. That's when it happened. The sudden change in balance made the table shift greatly, tilting back Pinkie Pie's way and forcing Discord over it. The sundae fell and crashed to the ground, as did the two challengers. "WAH!" THUD! "...Wow, Cordie! That was so awesome! Let's do it-ah..." Pinkie Pie suddenly took a strangely soft breath of air as she stared at Discord, who laid on top of her. They were inches away from each other, which had only happened a few times before. This time was different though... somehow... Discord tried to speak and ask her why she was staring at him like she was, yet he found that he couldn't. Seeing her expression... was he staring at her in the same way? He didn't know. Pinkie Pie wasn't sure what she was seeing in Discord's gaze, but it confused her. She had never been speechless in her whole pony life! Why now? Why was her face heating up? Why... "...uh..." she managed to utter. In a quick motion, she stood up and backed away from him, looking...concerned? "Hey, Pinkie Pie. You alright?" one of the ponies asked. "...Y-yeah!" she replied. "Of course!" Suddenly, she found herself speaking quicker as she turned towards the exit. "H-hey-would-you-mind-watching-Cordie-for-a-few-minutes? Yeah? Thanks-bye!" Discord merely sat on the floor, confused as he watched her run off. Sheesh. She's more confusing than I am... "U-uh... hey... Cordie, was it?" the pony from behind the counter asked. He scowled at her for her mention of the nickname 'Cordie'. He wasn't sure why, but it sounded wrong coming from another pony. "U-um..." she tilted her head, then directed her hoof towards his lower body. "So... I gotta know... how come you don't have a cutie mark?" Discord raised a brow, then simply huffed at her and stood proudly. "Of course I have a cutie mark. It's-" He paused as he turned his head, staring down at his blank flank. "...chaos?" Great confusion and irritation rising within him, he turned around and looked at all the ponies; unknowingly wearing red cheeks from the earlier event. He was sick of not knowing. "Alright, one of you tell me; what just happened and where is my 'cutie mark'!? Panting and galloping as fast as she could, Pinkie Pie raced down the road that led out of Ponyville. She then jumped into a hollow tree and rummaged around, looking for something... something she needed. Her cheeks had heated up, and she had felt so confused all of a sudden. She had never felt so... uncomfortable around a pony before. Granted, Discord wasn't a pony, but... it was just too different for her to ignore. She had to figure it out, and she intended on doing that by finding the smartest pony she knew. Emerging from the tree with balloons strapped to her waist, she charged forward for a moment before taking off like a graceful pegasus. "RAINBOW DASH!" > Inspecting > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Well, a cutie mark is-" "I know what a cutie mark is!" Discord snapped. Still at the ice cream shop, he glared around at all the other ponies. The confusion was beginning to get to him. "I question if you do," one pony stated. "Oh?" Discord asked with aggression, turning his head towards said-pony, who backed up somewhat in fear. "A-a cutie mark only appears when the time is right; when a pony has discovered their special talent," the pony continued. "You said your cutie mark is meant to be chaos, right?" "Oh course it is! That's what I've always been doing!" "...Perhaps it's not your special talent then. Perhaps it's not what you're meant to do." Discord inwardly scoffed at the thought. Not meant to cause chaos? Him? That was absurb. But then why... He looked back to his bare flank once more; still no cutie mark. It bothered him. Honestly, he felt somewhat childish. He may have been a spirit of chaos, but there were just some things he couldn't control. He couldn't change his own emotions, he couldn't go back or forward in time... And he couldn't change a pony's cycle. He had tried it once; to make sure a pony never got their cutie mark...to make sure that they would never achieve their goal in life. But that pony found it anyway. He tried again. And again. And again. Every time, the ponies would always meet that goal; they would always earn their cutie mark. No matter what he did, there were some things so set in stone that even he could do nothing to stop it. ...Am I one of those things? Is this... all of this confusion so set in stone that I can't control it? Discord lowered his head and gazed at the floor. He had been so happy to be freed. He had been so happy to be able to cause chaos and mayhem once again. But... how happy was happy? What had he been missing all this time? After spending time with Pinkie Pie, why was he so quick to question himself? "...Pinkie Pie..." ...! "A-alright! Which one of you did that!?" he suddenly asked, putting a hoof to his chest and glaring around at the other ponies. "H-huh? I didn't do anything!" "Me neither." "I didn't either." "Why, what's wrong?" Discord pounded his chest slightly. "My heart stopped for a second! One of you must've done something! One of you unicorns perhaps, out to get me?" he said, being oddly judgmental. The ponies all stared at each other with concerned expressions. This friend of Pinkie Pie's was...strange. Then again, they had expected as much with one who was apparently so close to someone like Pinkie Pie. After thinking that, they then giggled. "W-what?" Discord questioned, his anger quickly dissipating as he grew confused. "What's so funny?" Gosh, he hated not getting the joke... "You," a pony replied. "Yeah. You clearly like her," another stated bluntly. Discord snorted at the comment. "Who? Pinkie Pie?" he asked. The ponies merely giggled again. Though he had tried to say her name in a more aggressive manner, it came out much softly than he had wanted. And... was he blushing? ...Not possible. Shaking his head, he sat at the counter, his head resting on the cold surface. Seeing one pony's ice cream sundae, he slid it away slightly and frowned at the pony in front of him; the one who still stood behind the counter. "Foolish pony," he spat, though rather light-heartedly. "Your stupid sundae made me sick." The pony was quiet for a moment, then smiled at him and brought over a cold water. "Oh, you're sick alright." "DASHIIIE!" Pinkie Pie quickly landed on the cloudy surface (how she did is anyone's guess) and rushed to the door of Rainbow Dash's house, knocking on it as fast as she could. "DAS-oh, hey!" Smiling as Rainbow Dash opened the door for her, she lightly trotted in, stopping as she was out of the door's range, thus letting Rainbow Dash close it. "How did you even...nevermind." Rainbow Dash raised a hoof to her face for a moment, then looked back at Pinkie Pie. "What are you even doing here?" "...Well..." Pinkie Pie paused for a moment, then swiftly turned around and tackled her winged friend. "I NEED YOUR HELP, DASHIE! REALLY REALLY BAD!" she shouted. "Pinkie Pie! Get off of me! And what the hay are you talking abo-" "SEE-I-WENT-TO-THAT-ONE-PLACE-WHERE-WE-SEALED-UP-DISCORD-TO-THROW-A-PARTY-SIMPLE-RIGHT? BUT-THEN-I-WAS-WALKING-BY-AND-" "PINKIE PIE!" Rainbow Dash swiftly pushed her fast-talking friend off of her, standing up and placing her hoof back to her face. "Ugh, you're so loud, and you talk way too fast. I mean, you're giving me a headache, geez!" Tilting her head back, she then stared skeptically at the cause of her frustration. "So... what? I told you that no animals would get your invitations, so-" "No, Dashie! That isn't it at all! It really really isn't!" "So what is it then?" "W-well... u-um... y-ya see-" Rainbow Dash gave a sigh of annoyance. Pinkie Pie never was good at getting straight to the point. And, having been awoken from her nap, she wasn't too happy to see her either. "Pinkie Pie. I don't have time to guess what's up with you. If it's such a big deal, you should just-" "Rainbow Dash..." "..." Rainbow Dash took a mental pause. Had she heard that right? Sure, Pinkie Pie had called her Rainbow Dash before, but... ...not like that. "...Please... you gotta help me..." Turning around, Rainbow Dash's gaze was quickly drawn to the small tears in Pinkie Pie's eyes, along with the red blush across her cheeks. "...You're so serious all of a sudden..." she told her, her gaze softening. Pinkie Pie was just quiet, awkwardly rubbing her right hoof against her left foreleg. "...I'm confused, Dashie." Though returning to Rainbow Dash's nickname, it held no more joy in it. "Confused about what?" "..." Seeing her usually-cheerful friend so upset was not something that Rainbow Dash was used to... nor was it something that she knew how to deal with. But still... she knew that she had to try. "Hey... wanna sit down?" "...Mmhm..." Pinkie Pie muttered, nodding her head as Rainbow Dash brought her over to a fluffy blue couch. She was comfortable, at the very least. "Now, what's going on?" Pinkie Pie almost froze at the question. How was she supposed to explain her feelings about Discord to someone who probably hated him? "Well..." I'll be firm, but not specific. That'll do... "...I met a pony..." "Yooou... met a pony..." Rainbow Dash repeated, suddenly sounding somewhat disinterested. "N-not just that. He's... well... he spent some time with me, but then we got all close and I just..." "...Just... what?" "I just... wasn't pink anymore." "You weren't pink?" Rainbow Dash questioned. Pinkie Pie simply nodded in response. "Yeah. He made me feel funny in my tummy, and I turned all red. I must've swallowed my plush Fluffy-Puffy too, cause my Pinkie-heart felt all fuzzy and tingly." "And you were all... red? What does that-" As Pinkie Pie blushed slightly from embarrassment, she could see a small spark of understanding go off in Rainbow Dash's eyes. "...oh." "Y-you know!" Pinkie Pie suddenly shouted, placing her hooves on her friend's chest. "W-what's wrong with me, Dashie? Am I real sick? Am I changing? Is Pinkie Pie gone forever!?" "You got a crush on him," Rainbow Dash stated bluntly. Pinkie Pie deadpanned. Now that she thought about it... "H...how do you know?" "I crashed through someone's house this one time and one of those gushy romance books landed on my face." "...heh..." "...D-don't grin at me like that! I-it was just coincidence that I saw the part that helped me figure you out, I swear! Two pages! It was just two pages that I saw!" "...It's okay Dashie." Pinkie Pie said softly, pulling away from her and staring down at the floor. "So, what do I gotta do about it?" she questioned. Rainbow Dash huffed. "What do you gotta do? Pft. That's easy~" Stepping down from the couch, she took a few steps forwards, turned to Pinkie Pie, and puffed out her chest. "...? Dashie, what are you-" "ALRIGHT YOU. LISTEN UP." Rainbow Dash shouted, making Pinkie Pie uncharacteristically jump in surprise. "I LIKE YOU, OKAY? ACTUALLY, NO. I FREAKIN' LOVE YOU. NOW, YOU BETTER BUCK UP AND TELL ME HOW YA FEEL, OR I'LL KICK YOUR SORRY FLANK SO HARD, YOU'LL SEE HEARTS!" "..." "..." Suddenly, the two burst into a light fit of laughter. Though it hadn't helped Pinkie Pie in any way, it certainly made her feel better. "Ha...ha...haaah~" she breathed, calming down and smiling at Rainbow Dash, who happily smiled back. "Alright. But seriously, Pinks... just go up to him and tell him how ya feel. Ya won't know unless ya try," she told her. Pinkie Pie nodded, rubbing a small tear out of her eyes. "O-okay. I will," she said, getting off the couch and heading towards the door. "...And Dashie?" "Yeah?" Pinkie Pie suddenly turned around and hugged her friend, grinning from ear to ear. She knew she had come to the right pony. "Thanks." > Emotion > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yaaaaaaaawn... "I wonder if Cordie went back home..." Pinkie Pie muttered as she slowly walked back to Ponyville. Generally, she'd never walk so slow. However, she was, admittedly, a bit nervous. Luckily though, nopony was around to see that nervousness, as it was almost pitch black out; she had stayed at Rainbow Dash's house a bit longer than she should've, being a bit too frazzled to leave so soon. Still... what was she meant to say to him? Rainbow Dash had given her advice, but that didn't stop her from thinking it anyway. She knew that she would probably just burst out with whatever words came to mind, but that was okay. It would all be okay... Pinkie Pie... you are so random! I know~ creaaaaaak "I'm home!" she called as she entered Sugarcube Corner, wearing a delicate smile. "Pinkie Pie?" Missis Cake questioned, turning to her and raising a brow. "It's so late," she stated simply. "I know." "We thought you were already here," Mister Cake commented. "You did?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Well, yes. We heard noise upstairs and thought it was yo-h-hey! What's the rush?" Mister Cake's voice went unheard as she scrambled upstairs as quick as she could. "C-Cordie!" she shouted as she opened the door. "...Cordie?" Pinkie Pie grew concerned as she eyed Discord. He looked rather exhausted, lying down on Pinkie's normal bed in her normal room. In fact, the only Discord-like thing in the room was Discord himself, and even he didn't seem very chaotic or strange at the time. He just seemed to be staring off into space. She saw him mutter something and went closer to the bed, placing her front hooves on it. "W-what was that?" she asked. He turned to her, a look of defeat on his face, then threw his head back and sighed, though with a... genuine smile? "I'll admit... you've bested me, Miss Pie," he replied. "Bested you?" Discord nodded, staring down at Pinkie Pie with a somewhat-amused look on his face. "They tried. They tried so long to convince me of what I should be doing... and yet, you do it in one day." He then picked her up and placed her on top of him, earning a small squeak from her in the process. "Cordie?" "You've..." He stopped to bite his lip, taking a moment to word out his sentence. "...bettered me." Pinkie Pie smiled slightly. I knew you could do it... I knew... Hugging him, she received a surprised reaction, but also a somewhat hesitant return of her hug. "You're hugging me back Cordie." "I know I am... my amante segreto." "Amante segreto?" Pinkie Pie repeated, looking up at his face obliviously. "What does that mean?" "U-ur, well..." Now it was Discord's turn to be nervous. "Nothing... special, just-" mwah~ Almost tumbling off the bed in shock, he stared downwards as Pinkie Pie had made contact between her lips and his. The kiss had lasted for a few seconds before Discord reluctantly pushed her down, preventing further contact. "Cordie?" "...Your friends, Pinkie Pie..." he stated simply. She paused for a moment to absorb the meaning of his words, then smiled and hugged him again. "You're silly. Worrying about something like that. They're my friends, and they'll never ever leave me," she told him. "Even because of this?" "Even because of this..." Discord frowned somewhat at her unchanged demeanor, then firmly placed his paw on her head. "I'm the spirit of chaos," he reminded her. "Discord." she whispered, quickly getting his attention by mentioning his actual name. "...Ya know... I'm the element of laughter..." she told him. He rolled his eyes somewhat in response. "I know-" "-but it doesn't mean that I have to laugh all the time." she said. "I might represent the element, but... I have my times... where I'm sad... lonely... and I just don't feel like laughing..." Discord's frown deepened as he saw her mane deflate slightly. "But that's okay... and it's okay for you not to cause chaos all the time. You represent the spirit of chaos, but the spirit of chaos doesn't represent you." she explained, being oddly soft-toned. "Pinkie Pie?" he questioned, feeling her right hoof caressing his fur gently. "It's okay Discord... it's... o...kay..." And just like that, she was sound asleep, curling up and gripping what she could of him. She had said her words so... lightly. Yet... she sounded so unsure when telling him that it was okay. Did she not care? What was she willing to risk to be with him? ...Everything? He eyed her a bit longer, taking in his 'amante segreto'. Her mane had puffed back up to its normal volume, and gave off the scent of cotton candy whenever he ran his paw through it. Her big blue eyes were closed shut, but still fluttered somewhat anytime he went to touch her face. Her cheeks, while still pink like the rest of her body and face, were blushing slightly, and her forelegs squirmed a bit as she attempted to get a firmer grip on him. He was happy to oblige. Staring down at her, he felt rather awkward. The experience was still new to him, and he hadn't expected to enjoy it as much as he did. He even found himself recalling her kiss; her lips had tasted like turbinado sugar. It was still a very strange thing to him, and didn't make sense in the slightest. ...But... Looking down at Pinkie Pie, all he could do was smile softly. What fun was there in making sense?