Discord lifted his head when he heard it, his ears perking up, twisting and searching. He glanced around the yard, wondering what possibly could have made such a sound, a sound that sounded so much…so much like her.
He stood up and called out.
“Fluttershy?”
Discord was met with nothing but silence. He breathed a deep sigh and turned his back to the yard. He went back into the quaint little cottage, a very empty – very lonely – quaint, little cottage.
He missed her.
He had been waiting a very long time. She had promised him before she passed that she would give him a sign to let him know that he could go to her. He had promised that he’d wait for that sign before he did.
He had searched endlessly, hoping that a sign would come. She was so far away from him. She was in a place where even the Spirit of Chaos couldn’t reach her.
He was ready to let go. He’d been ready since she passed on. Obviously though, she was not.
She wanted Discord to live a full life. She wanted him to do as much good as he could. She wanted him to secure himself a place beside her in the land after before he left the land of before.
"If you can give them hope...if you can help them live a wonderful life..." he remembered the tiny pegasus whisper to him, holding his paw and talon in shaky hooves as she breathed her last breathes. "Then, one day, you'll get everything you gave them back. I promise. Just as long as you are able to love and care for everypony as you do me."
He had tried very hard to do just that.
Discord travelled now, moving throughout Equestria, helping those he could. Sometimes, he would just spend a year to himself, locked away somewhere unknown to others. He now owned the little cottage which once housed his first friend, but rarely stayed there. He only stayed there during his visits to Ponyville.
Ponyville though, was his favorite place in the world despite all the other amazing places he’d seen throughout his life and throughout his travels. Ponyville held something special. It held such beautiful memories.
Memories of friends, memories of joy, memories of…harmony…
Discord may have been the Spirit of Chaos, yes…but even chaos is needed to create a balance with harmony.
Immortality was a great burden that many could not handle. It surprised Discord to this day that he was one of those who could not. For such a long time, he had been so proud of his immortality. Now, all he wanted was to see his beautiful friend again in the land after.
“Discord! I am so glad to see you again, my dear, dear friend!”
Discord smiled as the majestic, snowy white alicorn trotted towards him, beaming with a smile that shone like the sun. He leaned over and the two of them pulled each other into a warm hug.
“Hello, Princess Celestia.”
“Oh, you don’t have to call me that, you know,” Celestia smiled, pulling back to look at him carefully with wise eyes, almost as old as his. “To you, I am just Celestia.”
“I heard about your sister, Celestia. My condolences.”
“I need not your condolences, Discord,” Celestia sighed, still smiling gently as they walked side by side through the hall of the large castle. “Luna chose to pass on herself. I knew it was coming. I could see it in her eyes.”
They walked in silence for quite a while before Celestia spoke once again.
“How have you been, Discord?”
“I’ve been well.”
Celestia looked at him, stopping in her tracks, causing him to stop as well. He looked at her to see her expression was very sad.
“Oh, Discord. I can see it in your eyes as well…the same quietness I saw in Luna’s. You’re leaving, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
Celestia frowned and looked down at her gold clad hooves. It took her a moment, but she managed to muster up a smile for him. She rose her head once more, but he could see the tears in her eyes.
“I’ve been wanting to go for a very long time, as well. I miss Luna. Equestria no longer needs me. It is Princess Twilight who needs me. I have to wait until the time is right.”
“I always thought you’d be the first to go.”
“I always thought that too…but…I suppose life doesn’t always work the way we plan, does it?” Celestia smiled, her tears flowing freely now. “Luna was very sad. I understand why she decided to go so quickly. She was never much of a happy pony after what happened to her. I’m happy she decided to leave. I never saw as much hope in her as I saw then, as…she left us.”
“Yes.”
“Princess Cadance was no surprise either, after Shining Armor passed. She knew when she married him how difficult it would be. He was not immortal like her.”
“Yes.”
“And you…” the sun princess whispered. “Ever since the unfortunate passing of the element of kindness…I’ve never seen this much excitement in you, although you try your best to conceal it. I bet that you can’t wait to see her again.”
“I love her.”
“We all loved her very much,” Celestia agreed.
Celestia tilted her head and watched Discord carefully. He stayed silent, not moving, not blinking. Then, Celestia’s gentle smile became a bright beam as her horn began to glow a bright gold.
With a poof sound, a large, pale pink cloud appeared above her. It flashed and suddenly it began to pour a milky brown liquid. The chocolate milk rained down onto the regal princess, flattening her multi-colored mane and lightly staining her snowy coat. She flinched at the coldness of the rain from the cotton candy cloud. Discord burst out laughing.
“That’s the Discord I want to see,” Celestia grinned. “I was afraid you had lost your sense of humor.”
A paper cone appeared in Discord’s paw and talon. He smirked at Celestia. He swiftly scooped the cloud into the cone, stopping the rain. He winked at Celestia as she tried to resist the urge to shake herself dry like a dog.
“I’d never lose my sense of humor for very long, Sun Princess.”
“I never thought I’d say this, Spirit of Chaos, but I’m going to miss you. I could very well consider you one of my best friends now.”
Discord over dramatically bowed to her. “Same to you,” he said quietly.
He stood back up and hoofed the cotton candy to her. She took it with a smile and a nod.
“Goodbye, old friend. Perhaps, one day soon, I shall join you in the land after.”
“We’ll be waiting,” Discord said, disappearing in a flash of confetti which erupted throughout the hallway.
Celestia was thus left alone once again to ponder what immortality actually meant. If it wasn’t for Princess Twilight, Celestia would truly be alone now.
“You’re leaving?”
That is what Princess Twilight Sparkle said immediately, once she saw the draconequus standing before her. Twilight stood up from her throne. Her throne was one of seven in the large room. The other six were empty and cold, once having occupied the Princess of Friendship’s friends, none of which were still in the land before. The smaller throne, beside Princess Twilight’s too, was abandoned, the dragon owner of it having only passed a few years ago. Dragons lived much longer then ponies, but even then, none of them could outlive an immortal princess.
“Yes.”
“So…so soon?” Twilight whispered, her voice hurt.
“Yes.”
“Has…she called to you? Sent you a sign?” Twilight asked, glancing at the throne with three butterflies painted on it.
“I think that she has.”
“How can you be so sure?” Twilight inquired quickly, looking back at him.
In response to her question, Discord produced a small cage. He held it out to Princess Twilight. She hesitated and then took it in her magic. She peered through the thin bars at a tiny butterfly with bubblegum pink wings and a turquoise body. It fluttered away from her when she leaned towards it.
“It’s very shy, isn’t it?” Twilight said quietly.
Discord nodded.
“It…oh,” Twilight realized.
Not only did the butterfly resemble Fluttershy’s cutie mark exactly, but it also seemed very shy, the way that Fluttershy had been.
“Where did you find it?” Twilight asked.
“While I was travelling, I helped a young mare reunite with her love,” Discord said, walking towards Fluttershy’s old throne. “As she thanked me, the butterfly landed on my snout. She laughed and told me that I can be a real sweetheart once you get to know me,” he said, running a finger along the foreleg rest of the throne.
Twilight sighed. “That’s what Fluttershy said about you the day she reformed you.”
“Yes.”
Twilight was very quiet. Discord looked over at her and saw her head was hung low. He watched as a tear drop fell silently to the pale floor. He went over to her and placed a paw on her shoulder. Twilight looked up at him.
“I miss her too.”
Twilight wiped her eyes. “I-it isn’t just that. I’ll miss you too,” Twilight whimpered, looking up at him. “Y-you and Princess Celestia are the only ones left. You…you’re one of my best friends. We taught each other so much.”
Discord smiled at her and held out his fisted talon to her. “Do you want to see something, pretty Princess?”
“What?”
Discord slowly opened his talon, revealing a charm, and Twilight burst into laughter. Her horn glowed for a moment and then a charm appeared in her own hoof. They pressed the pieces together and laughed with each other.
Discord had given her half of a friendship necklace many years ago. Obviously, it had been one of Discord’s little jokes, since the engraved image of Discord on the charm was intentionally covering the engraved image of the alicorn’s face with his talon.
“They both belong to you now, Princess Twilight,” Discord said, fastening the two necklaces around her neck. “I no longer need it. Maybe it could be of use to you though.”
“I’ll treasure it always,” Twilight smiled, touching it tenderly.
“Now, I have a favor to ask of you, Miss Sparkle,” Discord said, looking at her with hopeful eyes.
Twilight chuckled. “My, you have changed a lot, haven’t you, Discord? What do you need from me?”
“I’d be very honored if you stood by my side as I left.”
Twilight’s eyes widened and she jerked back slightly, surprised. She became very quiet, her brows furrowing together as she went into deep thought. She turned away from him and moved towards the window to stare out of it.
After a few minutes, she looked back at him. “I-I never thought it would be such a hard decision to make. It will hurt me, I’m sure, but…but I am very honored that you would ask me to…to help send you off…” she smiled sadly, looking touched. “I’ll do it.”
“Thank you,” Discord smiled warmly. “There’s no pony else I would ask.”
They bowed their heads to each other. It was a sign of great respect. They had both come a very long way since the first time they had met. They had both lost the same friends and they both shared many adventures together. They had a very special bond with one another. Immortality could bond as many together as it could break apart. Fortunately, those bonds could be mended with enough strength and enough sacrifice. All he had to do was let go.
Twilight smiled at Discord from beside his bed, a bed that once belonged to Fluttershy. Discord smiled back at her.
“I really wish I could leave too,” Twilight said. “If only to see them again, but I can’t. Princess Celestia needs me. If I left, she’d be all alone.”
Discord chuckled. Twilight couldn’t leave because she believed Celestia needed her, and Celestia couldn’t leave because she believed Twilight needed her. Typical candy, friendship equines. He wouldn’t tell her though. That would be robbing her of a valuable friendship lesson...
“Will you please tell them that I send all my love?”
“I think they already know,” Discord grinned. “But if you insist.”
Twilight nodded. They both stared at each other for a long moment, and almost simultaneously they begun to talk. They had never really just talked. Now they did though. They talked about all sorts of things. They talked about friendship and chaos, about Fluttershy and about Lord Tirek, about immortality and about sins. When they finished talking, they’d talk some more. Neither of them seemed to want to end the conversation because they both knew what would come after.
Truth be told, they were both a bit frightened.
Twilight Sparkle didn’t know what to expect as Discord travelled to the land after. She didn’t know if she would see something or see nothing. She didn’t know if he would go smiling or go screaming. She didn’t know if she would be at peace or in tears after it was all over. She just didn’t know.
For a pony who loved to know everything…Twilight Sparkle was absolutely terrified to face the unexpected and that was what this draconequus was all about.
Discord didn’t know what to expect either. Once upon a time, this would have excited him, but that seemed like such a long time ago. Now, he was filled with doubt. Did he really receive a sign from dear Fluttershy? Had he really done enough to be secured a place in a land of splendor, or was he doomed to a place in a land of horror?
For a creature of such chaos and anarchy…Discord was undeniably petrified to face the unexpected that he used to be all about.
Eventually though, everything ends. Whether an immortal life, or an extended conversation…it always draws to a close. The silence that now filled the small room marked the close…but also marked the beginning of something else.
“Are you ready…?” Twilight whispered.
“Yes,” Discord lied.
Twilight nodded. “Okay. W-what do you want me to do?”
Discord snuggled down beneath the covers of the bed. He placed his head onto the soft, marshmallow like pillow. He took a few deep breathes and then held his paw towards her.
“Do you think you could hold my paw?”
Twilight took it quickly. When it popped off in her hoof, she screeched, dropping it and jerking backwards into the air on her wings.
“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to---“
Twilight stopped when she saw Discord laughing silently to himself.
“Hmpf!” Twilight hissed. “Still the same old Discord underneath, I see.”
“Oh no,” Discord smiled. “I’ve changed very much, Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight sighed, floating back to her seat. “Well…yes…I guess.”
“Twilight…?”
“Yes?”
“Have I really?”
“Really what, Discord?”
“Have I really changed?”
Twilight Sparkle looked at him. He stared back, his expression rather pained and afraid. Twilight had only seen him with such an expression once before, when Fluttershy had passed. He had come to her castle in the middle of the night, begging her to answer a question prodding at his mind, a question which now echoed throughout the room.
“Without her…without her, can I really be what she wanted?”
Twilight shook her head slowly at him, not knowing the answer. “Di-Discord…I---“
“I’ve never really been afraid of much, Twilight Sparkle. When Fluttershy left us I was afraid I couldn’t live up to her expectations. I was afraid that without her guidance, I’d end up where I began…a cold, stone statue sitting alone in a garden. I’m still afraid, Princess. I’m still afraid that I haven’t changed, that I can’t. How can a spirit change? After all, that’s what I am. I’m the Spirit of Chaos. Can I really change?"
“I…I don’t…”
Discord sat up, tears beginning to flow from his eyes. Twilight sat in her little seat, shrinking back. She shook slightly, fearful, but not of him. She was afraid of what else he might ask her because she knew that she wouldn’t have an answer.
“Was it enough? Did I do enough? Could I have done more?” Discord questioned. “I am so frightened, I feel like a foal left alone in a dark room at night. I’m much too small and ignorant to fend for myself. The room is much too dark and cold, so many unknown things hiding in the shadows.”
“So…why not turn on the lights?”
“What was that?” Discord said, turning to look at her.
Twilight was curled up in her seat, seeming very small but very brave. She didn’t look much like a princess. In fact, she seemed just like the wide-eyed filly that had defeated him with friendship the first time they met. She seemed just like that tiny unicorn, Twilight Sparkle who confidently stood up against him with her friends by her side, demanding that he believe in her.
“It may be dark, but it’s still your room, isn’t it?” Twilight said. “You know what’s hiding there. Your stuffed bumblebee is by your bed; your toy rocket ship is by the door. You could always hurry to the light switch. You might stumble in the dark. There might be something else there in the dark, waiting for you…but…you’ll never know unless you go and switch the lights back on…”
Discord’s yellow and red eyes stared directly at her violet ones. Twilight stared right back, full of confidence.
“The longer you wait in the darkness, the more afraid you’ll be. You have to stand up and be brave. You have to switch on the light and see if what you fear is really there or not. It might be, it might not be…but…don’t you want to find out?”
Twilight smiled. Discord sighed, but slid back under the covers.
“You’re very special, aren’t you Sparkle? I very much dislike you.”
“I very much dislike you too, Discord,” Twilight beamed. The beam was contagious and Discord beamed back despite himself.
“Are you ready then?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
Twilight took his paw into her two lavender hooves and nodded at him. Her smile was now sad, but encouraging too.
“Then, goodbye, my friend. You may have done a lot of bad things, but you have also done a lot of good things from what I’ve heard. You found your way. I can’t say whether or not you’ve done enough. That isn’t my place to say…but you have done a lot of good. I feel very proud of you.”
Discord nodded, holding tightly to her hoof. “Thank you, Twilight…”
“Goodbye, Discord,” Twilight said once again.
“Goodbye.”
Discord closed his eyes and let go.
It was very strange.
Discord was now in the land between. It was not the land before, nor the land after. It was…between.
He floated in what seemed to be light. The light was a mix of colors, some of which he had never seen before. There was orange over there and lime over there. There were sounds all around him, though he couldn’t place what they were exactly. It was like the most beautiful music, indescribable. It was…it was so beautiful that he began to weep.
Then, he heard something even more stunning, the most beautiful, enchanting voice.
“Let the rainbow remind you…"
Discord raised his head and stopped weeping.
“That together we will always shine…"
Discord gawked.
“Let the rainbow remind you, that together we will always shine…"
A trotting form appeared in the distance, singing a familiar song stunningly, a song that warmed Discord’s heart since the first time he had heard it. The form fluttered and danced as it slowly came closer and closer until he was certain it was her. Her long, cotton candy colored mane, her butter yellow coat, her bright, shy turquoise eyes. She resembled an elegant butterfly.
“Fluttershy!” Discord breathed.
The translucent figure paused twenty feet away from him, her head low. Discord watched in confusion, trembling. After a moment, a golden gate began to form in between the two of them. Then only did she raise her head.
“Hello, Discord,” Fluttershy smiled shyly.
“Fluttershy…”
Fluttershy couldn’t help but giggle at his expression. She went towards the gate and Discord automatically did the same. They reached the gate at the same moment. Discord quickly reached out his paw to touch her, if just to see if she was real. His paw disappeared when it slipped through the bars.
“Aaah!” Discord gasped, pulling back quickly. He held his paw fast, breathing heavily. Fluttershy frowned.
“Don’t worry!” she said, her voice breathy and light. “Don’t worry, Discord.”
“F-Fluttershy,” Discord said urgently.
“Ssh,” Fluttershy said, smiling gently and holding up a hoof.
Discord went silent.
“There’s a very special way it works, Discord,” she said.
Without hurrying, Fluttershy unlocked the gate and pulled it open. Discord stayed on the other side, waiting uneasily. When the gates were fully opened, Fluttershy held out a hoof towards him. Discord hastily stepped forward and stretched out to grasp it.
“Careful,” Fluttershy whispered.
Discord slipped.
Discord hurriedly seized Fluttershy’s hoof, jerking her forward as he fell. He didn’t fall downwards though, but he fell backwards. He felt like he was getting pushed back by some burning force.
“Flu-Fluttershy!” Discord cried out.
“Don’t worry, Discord!” Fluttershy said. “I made sure! Don’t worry!”
That’s when the others came. Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and so many other faces he’d seen before, the faces of ponies that had already passed. There were some from thousands of years ago and some from only a few years ago. They all formed a chain behind Fluttershy and helped pull Discord through the golden gate.
“What’s going on?!”
Fluttershy beamed as she pulled him further and further past the glittering gate. “These are all the ponies whose lives you’ve touched in a good way Discord! These are all the ponies who you’ve helped! Now, they’re helping you! Don’t you see, Discord? The more ponies whose lives you’ve changed for the better, the more ponies to pull you to the land after, the land of delight!”
“This is insane!” Discord cried, panicked. He held her hoof tighter. “This is not going to work! I’m so sorry, Fluttershy!”
Fluttershy laughed. “You love insane things, Discord! This will work, I promise! I made sure!” she smiled softly, despite the tension around her.
And with a final jerk and a flash, it did work.
Twilight felt tears streaming down her face like a waterfall as the paw she held in her hooves went limp. She carefully placed it by the draconequus’s side. Twilight sobbed, rocking back and forth in her chair. She shook her head and covered her eyes with her hooves.
“I-I don’t know if I can handle this,” she cried. “I don’t know if I-I can take this.”
Twilight put down her hooves and sniffled. She watched as Discord’s body evaporated into the air, transforming into various shades purple as his essence merged into the universe. It made weird, funny little whirring sounds, the kind of sounds one would expect from a being of disharmony like himself. Despite the stunning sight before her, she turned away from it.
Twilight gasped.
There they all were…all her friends, her family. They stood there, beaming with pride at her. Just like that though, they were gone as well, fading away. All they had done was smile their approval of her and then they were gone again, leaving her alone in the old, now truly empty, cottage.
And…she was at peace.
Discord was holding her. She was holding him. He hadn’t even realized that it was over. He hadn’t realized anything. All he could do was hold the tiny pegasus in his arms and feel her there, her warmth, her love. She didn’t interrupt his moment either. She waited patiently for him to open his eyes.
After a long moment, he did. He slowly pulled his head back to see the pony beaming at him, seeming so excited and so happy.
“O-oh…Fluttershy,” Discord whispered, surprised. He had truly believed that he wouldn’t make it.
Fluttershy hugged him again, equally happy to have him back by her side. He didn’t refuse it. Why would he? He was finally with her again, finally at peace, finally in the land after. He was finally---
“Let’s create such utter chaos everywhere. I haven’t done anything remotely fun or chaotic in such a long time,” he whispered into her ear, grinning crookedly.
Fluttershy laughed.
Author's Note
To be honest, I wrote this in two days.
That's never happened before.
For one of my ask blogs (one about Discord and Fluttershy), I was trying to figure out what song would suit something that I had planned. I pondered over this for days and days.
One night, I had a dream where I found a list of songs on Tumblr which suited Discord and Fluttershy! One of them caught my eye! It was a song I had on one of my CDs filled with brony music! I loved the song, as the singer had a beautiful voice! The thing was, it never stood out as something that would inspire me insanely.
When I woke up, I listened to the song again.
And slowly...slowly...the song inspired me for the whole story which you have just read!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=254enWyb68g
That song is Pull Me Through! By Aftermath ft. Lilycloud!
Go give them some love and listen to the song and replay my story in your head as the music plays!
