Factum Est

Fluttershy was humming. Discord liked it when she hummed. He relaxed himself on her couch, invisible. She turned around, feather duster in her mouth, drops of summer sweat trickling down her forehead. Her eyes sparkled happily, and she beamed, the thread of the song dying temporarily. She set the duster down on a small end table and then wiped a hoof across her forehead.

"Let the rainbow remind you..." she sang to herself quietly, straightening a few feeding dishes. Then she disappeared into what was supposed to be the master bedroom, except she used it as a makeshift animal hospital and nursery. He followed her. She was still singing, but now it was the lullaby he'd heard her sing on a bunch of separate occasions.

"Hush now, quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy heads. Hush now, quiet now, it's time to go to bed..." She pulled a small quilt over a doll-sized bed that housed three ¬¬tiny brown bunnies. She turned to leave them, but one chittered for her attention. She turned to it, nuzzling it affectionately. "Don't you worry, dear. Your parents will be here as soon as they can. And besides, you have me here if you need anything." The bunny nodded, then snuggled back into what Discord assumed were its siblings. She closed the curtains and left the room, closing the door halfway. She quietly walked back into the living room, resting on the couch. It was the only rest she'd had all day, and he continued to watch her curiously.

She never gave up. She kept going and going, and giving and giving. It was fascinating. It was unimaginable. None of the other Elements did that. Sure, Pinkie was constantly in planning mode, but she didn't feel it the way Fluttershy did. She didn't see anything as chores. Her livelihood kept her busy, but she wasn't really sacrificing anything. Fluttershy, however... She could barely sit down during the day without Angel making another mess, a tiny filly or colt bringing about a pet with illnesses that weren't really illnesses, or feeding some creature or another. She sacrificed most of her days, living in near solitude. It really was amazing, he thought.

"Let the rainbow, remind you..." Her voice was even softer than normal, drawing his attention. This time it was out of tiredness. She'd had a particularly busy day today. Discord smiled, slipping through the room like a shadow, closing the blinds, putting a soundproof block of magic around her. Within five minutes she was asleep. He smiled, materializing and curling around her soft form.

"Oh dear, look at the time," he said softly, trailing his talons through her mane, then down over her wings. She mewled softly in her sleep and he grinned widely. He prepared to delve further into playing with her wings, only to be stopped by an insistent tugging on his tail. His smile turned into a look of rage. He recognized those paws. He twisted his body around, picking Angel up by the tail. He moved out of the spell's range, and Angel's furious chittering filled his ears.

"You know, I always hated you," Discord said, his voice low. Angel stared at him, eyes full of defiance and small traces of fear. Discord clenched Angel tighter, his claws creating two small bloody specks on either side of the rabbit's body. Angel let out a pained whimper and Discord smiled again. "If it were up to me...," he cooed, taking one of Angel's ears into his lion paw. "you'd be dead by now." He tugged hard enough to cause the rabbit a small amount of discomfort. "Unfortunately, I can't. For now. But just you wait, you disgraceful little vermin. You'll regret ever crossing me. Soon enough, I'll have Fluttershy all to my own, and then I'll CRUSH you." He knocked Angel out with a spike of magic and then dropped him to the floor. He took a look up at the wall clock. He'd been bothering Angel for maybe seven minutes, but he didn't have much longer, and he wanted to hear Angel's explanation for his wounds. With a sigh, he woke Fluttershy up, removing the sound barrier and making himself invisible again. She leapt to her hooves upon waking.

"Oh my goodness, I must have dozed off! Oh dear, did I miss anything...?" She looked up at the clock and then sighed in relief. "Only a few minutes. I should go to bed earlier tonight." If Discord had been willing to give up his position, he would have scoffed. How much earlier could one go to bed? She was already asleep around nine, most nights. He moved closer, resting just behind the mare. She took a quick survey of her surroundings, reaching up and rubbing her eyes. She yawned, stretching out her slender frame, only to stop.

"Angel!" she yelled, hurrying over to the rabbit, kneeling at his side. Discord snapped quietly, and Angel woke up again. What a huge waste of power, he thought. He should have checked the time before putting Angel to sleep, but at least Fluttershy had a few minutes of rest. He tuned himself back in to the conversation.

"Angel, I know you don't like Discord, but he hasn't even visited since before Tirek. It isn't fair that you're still intent on treating him so horribly. I know he messed up, and I know he isn't perfect, but neither are you!" She scooped him up. "He couldn't possibly have hurt you. Why would he even want to? He's expressed to me many times how lovely he thinks you are." She set the rabbit on the couch, bandaging him up. "Now, I have an appointment with Twilight and the others today, so you need to make sure everyone stays safe until I get back, okay?" Angel lifted a paw, but was silenced by a glare from the pegasus. He nodded, and Fluttershy smiled, nuzzling him.

"You're a good boy," she said gently. Angel puffed his chest out proudly, then scampered down off the couch. Fluttershy smiled, opening the door. Discord grinned, then vanished. He had another appointment, after all.

"Ah, hello ponies!" Discord smiled politely, waving. He had a box of chocolates and a bouquet of roses in his arms. Fluttershy looked up with a shy smile as he approached Twilight's castle.

"Hello Discord," she replied softly.

"Discord, you're ten minutes late!" Twilight barked, approaching him. He gave a practiced look of embarrassment, seething on the inside.

"I know, and I apologize, but I had to pick up some things for my dear Fluttershy." He juggled the items into one arm, randomly plucking Applejack's hat out of thin air and tipping it. A pink blush spread across the pegasus' cheeks.

"F-for me?" she asked. He nodded, placing them on a table he'd conjured out of nowhere.

"I brought them to you as an apology. I know what I did was wrong, and giving into that weakness after you took me in and loved me was simply inexcusable." His voice lilted as a slight mockery of Rarity's but none of them caught it. Fluttershy nuzzled his lion paw affectionately.

"Thank you," she said. She waved it away, before turning right back to Twilight. The alicorn was watching him warily. Merciful as she was, she was still suspicious.

"Come on Fluttershy, you can't be so nice to him after all that's happened!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, stepping forward. He frowned.

"Rainbow Dash! How dare you?" Fluttershy demanded firmly. "Do you think that maybe if you all had trusted him more he would have turned to Tirek at all?" Before Rainbow could respond, Twilight cleared her throat heavily.

"This isn't what we're here for girls. We have a job to do."

"Ah don't understand all this technical stuff Twilight," Applejack said.

"Well you see, it's all very simple actually! I use a spell that powers this generator, then the generator connects to every screen in Equestria as a television channel. We're just supposed to talk to ponies, let them know that we're here for them, and that we will try to help as best as we can, not just as the Elements of Harmony, but the Friendship Council."

"The what now? And how are we supposed to be talkin' ta other ponies who ain't in the room or on the phone with us?"

"Friendship Council, I made it up! Since you all are just as important as I am, we shouldn't just be "The Princess of Friendship and her friends", so I thought us up another name. And we're not actually talking to them, Applejack, we're just acting as a reminder-"

"How is that gonna help anypony?" Rainbow interrupted. Twilight sighed.

"We'll also be taking letters and answering them based on our own experience," she explained. "It might be better to learn in practice."

"Um, T-Twilight? I don't want to be on television..." Fluttershy whispered. Discord moved close to her, trying to make her feel more at ease. She leaned back against him subconsciously. He allowed himself to wonder, for a second, how long it had been since someone besides Rarity or Rainbow Dash willingly touched her, or even tried. He experimentally put a hand on her lower back, and she looked up at him and smiled a gentle smile. He smiled back. He was a good actor. Not that he didn't like touching her, but not for a nice reason. Not for anything worth her smiling over. He watched, not really listening, as they persuaded and soothed her.

"You know what, maybe this isn't a good idea right now. We'll do a practice run tomorrow, and get more acquainted with everything. I'm sorry to waste your time today, girls," Twilight said, chagrined. Pinkie Pie bounced in a small circle around the alicorn.

"Don't worry Twi! It's my day off, Rarity shipped off her big order yesterday so she has free time, Applejack has been training Apple Bloom to take care of the apple trees, and today was her "personal application" thingy, and all Dashie has scheduled is a nap!" The pink Earth pony bounced in place for a few extra minutes, not paying attention to the incredulous look on the other's faces. Then she let out a huge gasp.

"THAT MEANS I GET TO PLAY WITH THE TWINS SEE YOU LATER BYE!" She took off in a blur. Twilight stared after her.

"Why does her social memory outweigh her factual memory?" she groaned, rubbing her head near the base of her horn. That was where her headaches tended to pop up.

"I thought ya learned about tryin' to question Pinkie Pie's antics," Applejack said, hinting at a small warning. Celestia help us if we have another 'incident' before Applebucking season, she thought.

"Oh I did, don't worry, it's just I get kind of... jealous," Twilight explained, blushing. "I feel so behind on some of the more intimate details of your personal lives, while Pinkie remembers everything about not only us, but extends that to the cow herd and the various nomads who come around! She's only known Cheese Sandwich for a month, and all but one day was through letters, yet she can list off all of his third cousins, their favorite everything, and their birthdays!"

"Aw, shucks, Twi. We know ya do yer best. We don't expect ya to know everything about us, do we?"

"No way, Twilight. You're awesome enough at it as it is. You get us the coolest presents, even if they're books sometimes, you take care to know exactly what we like," Rainbow assured.

"You're always willing to lend an ear and give us advice," Fluttershy chimed in.

"And you're always willing to sacrifice your personal time for us. You're just as good a friend as Pinkie Pie!" Rarity exclaimed. Twilight smiled, dragging her hoof along the ground.

"Really? You mean it?" she asked.

"Of course they do silly!" Pinkie's voice rang out, despite her being nowhere in sight. Twilight looked around, then chuckled.

"I don't know how she does it, but I admire her attention to detail.... DETAIL! THAT'S IT!" With that, she ran into the castle without so much as a backwards glance. Applejack laughed.

"Well, I should go check on Apple Bloom. You wanna come along RD? We're tryin' a new recipe for lunch, somethin' about Apple Cider donuts? Granny says we might be able to sell 'em with cider later on if they're good."

"Anything that's a friend of cider is a friend of mine! Let's go!" The two started off for Sweet Apple Acres. Rarity turned to Fluttershy.

"Would you like to accompany me to the spa? We could have an extra day of relaxation, my treat. I'm sure you have an arrangement at home, yes?"

"That sounds lovely. Do you mind, Discord?"

"Of course not! Have fun ladies, I'll be in town if you need me later."

"Be good, okay?" Fluttershy asked, nuzzling his lion paw affectionately.

"Of course, dear," he replied, his talons crossed behind his back childishly. He watched them leave, then snapped, vanishing.