Going Backwards

by taterforlife

Rating: everyone
Tags: Romance, Slice of Life
Length: 11406

When news of Twilight Sparkle's decision to rid herself of immortality becomes common knowledge, Discord decides to follow suit with a spell he finds in an old book. But it comes with a price that only he and Fluttershy can pay.

Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic or any of its characters. It is solely owned by Hasbro.

Discord is shocked when he hears that Twilight Sparkle asked Princess Celestia to help her dispose of her immortality. He visits Ponyville to help sort his thoughts, but…
He realizes he doesn't want to live without his new friends, either. So after searching Twilight's library and finding a very old spell book, he finds a solution…
Little does he know that his decision will change his and Fluttershy's lives until the day they die.

*Fluttercord and friendshipping abounds! Spike will also make appearances, but Celestia is more crucial to the story so I had to leave the poor guy out. :(

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2014-09-28 19:58:13 UTC

Prologue

The news of Princess Twilight Sparkle’s mortality spread like wildfire.

All throughout Equestria, the same squeals of disbelief and shouts of surprise echoed all throughout the country.

“Princess Twilight gave up her immortality?!?”

“Are you serious?”

“Is that even allowed?”

“What is she thinking?!?”

As  temporary resident in the Canterlot royal castle, with Celestia Sunbutt and Loony Lulu, Discord had heard the news long before the rest of the land.

In fact, it was Sunbutt herself who told him.

“Wait, wait, Tia, hold on a mo,” he interrupted her, his paw and claw waving to get her to stop. “So you’re telling me that Twilight Sparkle wants to, for lack of a better word, die?”

Celestia winced, and for once, Discord hadn’t meant to make her do that. He was simply stunned. Most ponies would be thrilled for the status that Twilight now held…And to live forever, never having to face the fear of the unknown?

Then again, Twilight hated it when she didn’t know things.

“She is the Princess of Friendship,” her angelic voice said, regaining her composure after Discord’s abrupt truth. “She wishes to live her life with her friends and loved ones, and follow them to the next world when the time comes,” she answered, her face somber but wise. “She came to me yesterday with the request to help her rid of her immortality, and I…”

She swallowed, her eyes suddenly closed, holding back tears.

“I have to let her go, one day.”

Discord gulped, suddenly not sure what to do with the situation. It was obvious that Celestia adored Twilight—the newly-dubbed Alicorn Princess was so much more than just her “most faithful student.” She was her friend, her family.

Twilight was like a daughter to her.

“Well...So what?” he retorted harshly, crossing his arms and huffing at her. “You shouldn’t have helped her, Tia. You’re always going on about how one should always fulfill his or her responsibilities and yadda yadda yadda. If she’s a princess, then she has to live forever! I didn’t make the rules—I despise rules, you know that—but that’s how it is. How could you just let her drop it like that? How will she ever get all her princess duties fulfilled if she only lives for another eighty years?”

“I had to!” Celestia shouted, before she suddenly collapsed onto the floor, hoofs against her eyes. Suddenly, the Princess of the Sun was just like any pony, crying so hard that she was unable to keep still and trembled, the weight of the world too heavy for her withers.

“I had to…”

Once again, Discord was stunned—this time more so than before. He had never seen Celestia like this. She had always been so strong, so calm, so composed…

And now that he was reformed, the impossible had happened. He was now friends with his greatest enemy…This peaceful, wise mare who had lived as long as he, and he felt bad.

“Well…” he started to say, and leaned down on his knees, awkwardly patting her head. “It’s…It’s all right, Celestia. Now, now…Just...Um…” He had no idea what to say next.

“Why…?” she rasped, having troubling breathing due to heavy sobbing. “Why do I have to watch everyone go…? Every year, no matter what, I have to say goodbye to somepony…Somepony that I used to know, used to care for….It’s so difficult…And I…I was hoping…”

She hid herself behind her hoofs and mane, which struck Discord even harder in the chest. It was a gesture that reminded him of Fluttershy when she was in distress, and that was a resemblance he really didn’t care for.

He sighed. He lowered his eyes to her. “You were hoping Twilight would stay so you wouldn’t have to say goodbye, weren’t you? Because she’s more important to you than most other ponies…Besides, perhaps, your sister…”

Her crying grew quieter, but she said nothing. To him, that was as good as an answer as anything.

He sat down on his haunches. “Listen, Tia…I’m no good at this comforting business, and I don’t even know how to put myself ‘in your hooves’, as ponies like to say…But, uh…Listen, I’m….”

His lips trembled as he tried to find the words. He wondered if saying them would wound him more than this mare’s stupid tears had. He cursed Fluttershy in his head for giving him a conscience.

“I may have been…A little harsh…That is, to say, I could have…”

Celestia’s crying finally stopped, and she slowly lifted her head to look at him, rubbing her eyes and sweeping her hair away from her face to compose herself more. She stared at him, wondering if he was actually going to do it.

“Go on,” she prodded gently, some crystalline tears still hanging onto her long lashes like a chandelier.

“I’m…” He took a giant breath, his chest expanding in size. “I’m sorry. Okay?!? I’m sorry. Honest to Applejack!” he said, putting his hands up.

She sniffed and gave him a small smile. “Thank you,” she said, slowly bringing herself to sit on her haunches. “I forgive you, Discord. I know that was hard for you to say.” Then she let herself smirk. “Even though it took you so long just to get the words out. Was it really all that difficult?”

He growled, and got back up, floating on his back and crossing his arms again. “Hey, cut me some slack, Sunbutt,” he sneered.  “At least I said it, didn’t I? I was trying  to be a good friend like dear Fluttershy always tells me to, and all you do is scoff at me! Well, whatever, lady! You can cry about Princess Twilight Falafel all you want; see if I care.”

He spun around and refused to look at her. “Stupid Sunbutt.”

She finally was able to laugh, feeling less weighed down by the world and able to stand on her hooves. “Forgive me, Discord.” She put a hoof on his shoulder, and was happy when he didn’t shove it away. “It was very sweet of you. I feel much better.”

“Oh, blech!” he groaned, meeting her eyes again. “Don’t think much of it, Tia, you old goat. I just absolutely despise crying. It’s so boring. I just thought you looked so pathetic, that even I couldn’t let it go on. I had to apologize just to get you to shut up!”

She only shook her head. “Either way, thank you. It’s nice to know that Fluttershy has had such an effect on you.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“I think you do.”

“…”

“But you have to understand,” she started again. “You have to understand why Twilight gave up her immortality. Don’t you realize why? Or do you need yet another lesson in friendship?”

“Ugh, not this again,” he complained, and conjured up a chili-pepper-and-mothball pizza—with limburger cheese—to chomp on. All the news of the day had made him hungry. “Spare me the details and just get to the point, Tia. Are you saying that Twilight didn’t want immortality because…Oh, I don’t know, because she already had a retirement plan?”

Celestia could only sigh. As far as she could see, there was only one way she could get Discord to understand.

Her horn flaring with magic, an already-opened envelope conjured in front of her. “Discord, do you remember this letter you sent me, when you stayed in Ponyville for a week to celebrate Hearth’s Warming?”

The letter floated out, along with two pictures. One was of himself with all seven of his friends, the Mane Six separated into threes at both of his sides, with Spike sitting atop of his head, his small legs dangling between Discord’s antler and horn. A wreath sat around Discord’s neck.

The second was of him and Fluttershy. It looked as if Discord had taken it himself, one arm around Fluttershy with the other shooting out of the picture, obviously holding the camera. He had a grin on his face, his tongue lolling out, and Fluttershy was shown smiling sweetly, looking at Discord, obviously overjoyed to see her friend so happy.

“Ah, those are my favorites!” he said, grabbing the photos out in the air. “The wreath was a mite itchy, but oh, I really think it adds a little something to the overall setting, don’t you think? And Spike made quite the hat, to top it all of.”

He blinked, and then laughed. “Ah, I made a pun! Get it? Top it all off? Ha.”

Celestia politely laughed, and watched him look at the next picture.

“Ah, me and my Flutterbuddy,” he said smiling. “The best selfie in all of Equestria! We make quite handsome visage, do we not, what with my roguish good looks and her soft features? In fact, why don’t you have this framed in the castle? Both of these pictures would give these dull gray walls a bit of color!”

He snapped his fingers, and the two pictures suddenly appeared on the wall, framed, right next to a palace window.

“There; much better than those garish stained glass windows. Really, Tia, I think you should allow Rarity to—“

She put a hoof onto his lips, smiling and trying to get him to stop talking. “Discord.”

He raised an eyebrow at her, and moved the hoof away from him. “How rude, Sunbutt. Interrupting me like that! What now?”

“I want you to imagine something for me…and I want you to remember the feelings you had while you looked at these photos,” she said, gesturing towards them. “I want you to imagine all the good times you’ve spent with your friends in this past year, since you truly reformed.”

He only raised his brow higher as he stroked his beard. “Is this a therapy session, Celestia? Because you can poke and prod at mine noggin all you wish…”

The top of his head opened like a cap, and the gray-pink mass that was his brain poked out. He poked at it, squishing it and making Celestia frown slightly, trying not to show her disgust.

“But you really won’t get anywhere. I’m crazy, you know.”

She sighed. “You’re not crazy…”

“No, I’m just a little unwell.”

“Either way,” she said, her mouth now a stiff, straight line instead of a slight smile, “I want you to do it. Please…Just humor me, this one time.”

“Ugh,” he groaned, and he snapped his fingers. A chair appeared for Celestia, and a couch for him. He laid against it, and put both paw and claw behind his head, relaxed but pouting.

“Fine, Sigmund Freud. Have at it. But if you’re wondering, no; I’ve never felt threatened by my father’s masculinity; I never had one!”

Celestia sighed. “Discord, you really must be careful when referring to subjects of other dimensions…”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever…It’s only you and me here,” he said, waving her warning off. “Nopony will found out about the human world, or any of the others. We’ll keep your happy little kingdom of happy little ponies blissfully unaware of the world and keep their minds inside the nice tidy box that is Equestria.”

Another sigh. She needed to change the subject. “Discord.”

“Celestia.”

“Your friends…”

All of a sudden her throat got tight. She knew that he wasn’t an idiot; he was immortal, they were not. It was a fact everypony knew.

The problem was, he needed to acknowledge it. The ponies of Equestria weren’t the only ones who believed that ignorance was bliss.

“You know…” She turned her head, unable to look at him. Normally, eye contact wasn’t hard for her, even in the direst of circumstances. But this was different. This was someone who had to face the same hard truths as she did, someone who knew what it was like to be considered godlike…

“They’ll die someday, Discord.”

She closed her eyes in sorrow, but heard nothing from him. After a minute of this, she opened them back up and looked back at him, sitting up straighter in her chair.

He only stared at her.

“Discord?”

“Celestia.”

It took all her strength not to roll her eyes at him. He would cause a déjà vu moment such as this.

“Any thoughts?”

“Oh, always, Celestia. I’m always thinking.”

“But on what I just said?”

He sat up and laid his eagle arm across the top of his couch, cocking an eyebrow at her. “What about it? You think me an imbecile, Celestia? I know they’ll die one day. That’s how it is for anyone who isn’t like us. Really, I don’t know what you’re expecting from me.”

He stood up. “You hope I’ll burst out crying? Hope I’ll wail to the heavens, begging some higher power to let me keep my friends, my only friends, the first to accept me, from dying? Expect me to delve into some deep, dark state of depression as I imagine myself watching them age for years and years, getting wrinkles and gray hair, having trouble crossing the street, wobbling and falling and remembering the good ol’ days, while I just stay the same?”

His voice grew louder. “You expect me to start dreading the days where I have to say goodbye to each of them, and visit them in the graveyard? Never to race with Rainbow Dash, gossip with Rarity, prank with Pinkie Pie, cook with Applejack, eat gems with Spike, practice magic with Twilight? Tear my hair apart at the thought of never seeing Fluttershy again, or hearing her voice, with my only memories of her being mere photographs?”

He puffed his chest. “Well, you are mistaken, dear Celestia! I do not have such feelings. Friendship may be magic and blah blah blah, but I don’t let these things bother me, because I have better things to do!”

He growled and then sat himself back down. “So there. Disappointed?”

Celestia only sat there, frowning, her heart aching for him. “No, Discord.” Her frown grew deeper. “Not at all.”

She stood up and magicked Discord’s chair away before taking one more look at him, concern in her large, brilliant  eyes. “I just wanted to make sure you were faring alright.”

“Well, I am—I’m doing very well! Fluttershy invited me down to the cottage today, and I’m to see her at noon. So I’m fantastic.”

“Well…” She glanced at the sun, noting it’s position in the sky. “It’s almost noon now.”

“Oh, is it?” A watch suddenly appeared on his wrist, with a little cartoon Discord pointing at the numbers eleven and nine on its face. “Oh, you’re right! Meh, Celestia, you just had to take up my time and distract me, didn’t you? You know if you wanted to spend time alone with me, you could have just asked, instead of quizzing me on things with obvious answers.”

She allowed a small smile to grace her lips, masking the sadness that she felt inside.

“I’ll keep that in mind, Discord. I’ll see you in time, I suppose.”

“Mmmm, yeah, maybe. I might crash at Fluttershy’s place if she lets me…Which she probably will. It’s getting so boring over here, after all. So I guess I’ll see ya later, Sunbutt! Send me a note if you suddenly yearn for my company. I might pity you enough to reply.”

She laughed. “Of course. So long, old friend.”

“Ciao, toots.” He decked on a pair of classes, pink and sparkly with light up blue polka dots all around the frame. “And Tia?”

“Yes, Discord?”

“No one likes a sad sack; lighten up, hmm?” He grinned mischievously. “Besides, frowning brings out the wrinkles in your face!”

She gave him a playful swat with a hoof, and he cackled while making the window disappear. He flew out, snapping the window back into place as he reached the clouds.

Celestia watched him fly away, and a ray of light from her sun seemed to reach through the window and caress her, giving her a glow that made her seem all the more transcendent.

Her eyes grew glassy as she watched him disappear, a speck in the blue of the sky.

“I’m going to lose you next, aren’t I?”

Forever with Friends

Crash!

Dust surrounded Discord as he landed rather abruptly on the ground in the middle of the Everfree forest, birds and bugs scattering as he made contact with the grass on his mismatched feet.

His eyes were as wide as an open window, showing nothing but shock and worry, as if he had some dark, horrid revelation all on his own…Because that was the truth.

Unable to hold himself up, he grabbed a thick tree branch for support.

“Sweet Celestia…” he said, staring into the darkness of the forest as thoughts raced in his mind. “I never even thought….hadn’t even considered…!”

It felt as if a giant anvil had crashed atop of his head from out of nowhere. And as much fun as that sounded, he didn’t relish the feeling.

Death was a word that hardly ever crossed his mind.

Why should it? He was immortal; he could be killed, but age and time did not apply to him, and he was so powerful that being killed was unlikely.

But that was before, when the only thing he cared about was himself.

But now…Flashes of ponies clouded his brain, his friends that he had come to know and cherish in such a short amount of time. Now, with more than a year passed, he had joined their side, and made them a part of his life and vice versa.

But how many years did they have left? Seventy, eighty years, at most?

And then…what?

No Twilight to pester him and give him the stink eye when pranking…No Rainbow Dash to compete with…No juicy pieces of gossip from Rarity…

No Fluttershy…

Fluttershy.

She was a trigger word for Discord. If a pony wanted him to reconsider a decision, all he or she had to do was mention Fluttershy and he would be on his knees, ready to change his mind—whether he truly wanted to or not.

All of his friends were precious, but she was the one that he always went back to—the one that shined the most.

But he had lied to Celestia. He didn’t have plans with Fluttershy that day.

But that changed the moment the words came out of his mouth, when Celestia brought the future to his attention—the future without his friends.

He gripped the branch harder until it snapped in two, and he huffed in a deep breath before setting his shoulders back.

He needed to see her. Now.

He snapped his fingers and vanished.

“Come on now, Angel Bunny. You know that Sniff didn’t mean to take your carrot. You don’t need to be angry…”

Fluttershy was crouching down, her hoof holding up a few twiggy branches of a bush by the river, staring into the darkness between the leaves and earth. In this slight blackness stood a small, white rabbit. He sat on his behind, his paws crossed, his lips pouted and his eyebrows arched. He saw another rabbit behind Fluttershy and glared at him.

“Now now, Angel. It’s not nice to look at our friends like that,” Fluttershy gently scolded him, before turning to the small gray bunny behind her with a smile. “Sniff, you didn’t know that carrot was Angel’s, did you?”

Sniveling, the rabbit nodded yes, wiping a paw across his nose and looking at the white bunny pleadingly.

“Angel, why don’t you come out and talk with Sniff?” Fluttershy suggested, patting Sniff on the head. “And then you can—“

She stopped when she heard a static, popping noise, followed by a brief flash of light that reflected in the green of the shiny leaves on the bush. Startled, Sniff hopped under the bush and tackled Angel, burying his head in Angel’s fur. Angel only shook his head, deciding to put the issue of the carrot on the back burner for a while, and patted his friend on the back. Angel Bunny wasn’t afraid; he knew what—or who, was coming.

Fluttershy, too, knew exactly what was happening before she even turned her head. Her eyes widened, and with a big grin she turned to the draconequus. “Discord!”

Discord beamed back at her, his fangs glinting in the sun, and opened his arms wide for her. “Flutterbuddy!” Gleefully, she lunged herself at him and wrapped her forelegs around his neck in an embrace, smiling as his arms wrapped around her in return.

“What a wonderful surprise!” she said, letting go and flying backward to get a good look at him. “I didn’t think you would come by today, usually you let me know before you come. Of course, not that I mind,” she reassured him. “You know you’re always welcome here.”

“Indeed I do,” he replied, nodding with a warm smile. “And I apologize for the short notice. But I was simply aching to see you, dear,” he said dramatically, twisting his neck around like a licorice stick, a few bones cracking noisily. “I simply could not wait to ask you if today was appropriate for a visit, so I took a risk. I hope this doesn’t inconvenience you?”  He kept on a happy ruse, but hoped deep inside that she would have time to speak with him, at least for a little while—even five measly minutes would relieve him, if only a bit so.

“Oh, no, of course not.” She turned and nodded towards her two rabbit friends. “I was just trying to get these two to make up—there had been a mishap with a carrot—but it seems they’re okay now.” She smiled back at the bunnies as Discord put her down, and then looked towards him concernedly. “So…What is it that you needed to see me for?”

“Well…” Suddenly, it occurred to Discord that Fluttershy probably hadn’t been away from the cottage at all that day. It was only afternoon, and Fluttershy took a lot of time to take care of her animals. Unless she planned ahead and arranged for the animals to be left alone for a while, she took most of the mornings to feed all of her critters and see to anything they needed. So that meant…

“Fluttershy, have you seen anypony today?”

Surprised by the question, she cocked her head quizzically. “Me? Why, no. I’ve only been around the cottage, and you’re the only visitor I’ve gotten today. Why?”

“Hmmm…” Stroking his beard, Discord tried to think of the best way to approach the touchy subject of Twilight Sparkle. “Fluttershy, I find myself once again stuck between a rock and a hard place.” A flash of magic popped in the middle of Fluttershy’s vision, and as soon as it disappeared, she found Discord laying on the ground with a giant boulder on his stomach, pressing him against the ground.

A small squeak flew out of Fluttershy’s throat, alarmed by the sight. “D-Discord, are you—?!?”

“I’m fine dear, just fine. Just a little visual representation…Really, you should be used to this by now.” He raised a brow at her, and she smiled sheepishly. “I…I can’t help it, I don’t want you to get hurt, and you’re tricks can be awfully dangerous,” she replied.

Discord found himself both exasperated and pleased at the same time. It was hard to convince her that his tricks were harmless when it came to himself and his own safety, but her concern for him was endearing. As he pondered over his feelings, the thought of her aging, changing, and moving on to the next world without him approached his mind. It made him grit his teeth, and as a reflex, he twisted his neck around into a loop and thrust his head through, making a knot with his own vertebrae. He let out a moan and his left eye twitched, and the rock fell off his stomach, behind him.

“Discord?!?” He felt a hoof take hold of his neck and his angst came to a halt. Looking at her big turquoise orbs, full of alarm and worry, he untied his neck and stood back up straight.

“Sorry, dear; just needed to stretch a moment. Sometimes my muscles still feel a bit like granite,” he joked, winking at her. She laughed and said, “If you need me to give you a massage, I can…It helps Harry the bear.”

“No, no, I’m fine. But I’ll keep that offer in mind for later—I’ll hold you to it. But Fluttershy…” Always a touchy-feely draconequus, Discord put an arm around her and pulled her to his side.  “Now, as I was saying…The rock and the hard place.” He pointed to the rock and blasted it into small pieces, a small pile of gravel now on Fluttershy’s otherwise immaculate yard. “I’m afraid we’re going to have to go pay a visit to Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“Twilight?” she cocked her head to the side. “Why? Is…Is she alright?” Her eyes widened, and a worried look took over her face. “Oh no…Don’t tell me there’s an enemy or, or something after her? You keep an eye on magic imbalances, don’t you? You haven’t—“

Her words stopped once Discord put a finger to her lips. He clicked his tongue at her a few times, shaking his head. “No, no, Flutterbuddy, nothing of the sort! Don’t you think if she were in danger, I’d go to her first?”

She stared at him. “Um…maybe? You’re not exactly…um…”

He smirked, chuckling. “Predictable? Oh, good job dear; you’re learning! Congratulations!” He conjured up an inappropriately sized sticker the size of his head and stuck it on her chest, shiny and red with the phrase “#1 Student” glossed over it in blue.

“Oh!” she said, looking at the giant sticker. “Um, thanks…I think. But…What is it that Twilight has to tell me? Can’t you just tell me?”

He shook his head. “As much as I would love to share the juicy gossip with you, I’m going to be an amazing friend and leave it up to her. It’s…” A more serious look took over his face, his grin turning into a deep, straight line. He looked at her, the mirth gone from his eyes. Fluttershy straightened up, not used to such a face.

“It’s very serious, Fluttershy….Nothing’s wrong!” he assured her, recognizing the panic in her eyes before she could say anything else, his hands held up to stop her. “It’s just a…a delicate situation. I’m quite surprised one of our other little friends hasn’t come to the cottage to tell you.” He stroked his beard in thought. “And I’ll bet Twilight isn’t able to come out of her castle without being bombarded with media. I’m number one in chaos, but the media most definitely takes second place.”

“Media?” she squeaked, remembering her modeling days in horror. “Oh dear…If it’s something they’re concerned with, it really is a big deal! Oh, Discord, let’s go!” She jumped up and flapped her wings open, so eager to leave that she was willing to tire her wings out to get there. “I’m sure Twilight will tell me everything, if I’m just kind and patient.”

Discord fought the urge to gag at Fluttershy’s wishy-washy talk, and merely cleared his throat ,“Yes, well. There’s no need for you to get your tail in a twist…Or have your wings out, for that matter. I’ll take us there!”

Fluttershy closed her eyes, and listened for the loud, clear snap of Discord’s fingers. She could still see the light from behind her eyelids as she felt a shift in the air, opening them to find herself right in front of Twilight’s castle. Fluttershy squinted; it took a bit of adjustment to look at Princess Twilight’s crystal, reflective castle. She wasn’t sure she liked it; the library was much more quaint.

“Well, let’s pop in and see what we can—“ Discord began, but then suddenly the door slammed open. Thud! The door hit the side of the castle with a bang as Spike shoved it open.

“Spike, please—“

“No!”

Twilight walked into sight behind Spike, her eyes shiny and upset. It looked like she was about to cry.

“Spike, you have to understand…”

“Understand? Understand?!?” he turned his back on Discord and Fluttershy to look at her, not registering the audience. “Oh, I understand, all right! I’m good enough to be your assistant, I’m good enough to work for you, but I guess I’m just not worth it for you to stick around long enough for me. I guess my friendship isn’t good enough for you!”

Tears ran down the baby dragon’s cheek, but his face remained angry, scowling at Twilight with his claws curled into tight balls. He shook with anger and sadness. “Well, if you want to leave me, then fine!” He turned back around and stepped off the foundation of the castle, onto the cold hard ground. “See if I care!”

Twilight jumped after him. “Spike, please--!”

“Leave me alone!” he roared, and spit a burst of neon green fire at the grass, before stomping it out, leaving an ashy, black spot in the dirt. “I’m going to Rarity’s!”

Fluttershy stood frozen, shocked from the sudden fight, and turned quickly at the retreating dragon. “S-Spike!” she yelled towards him.

He stopped and turned to look at her, his frown a little less defined, but the tears flowing more freely. “Oh, Fluttershy…” He wiped the tears off his face. “You’re here. You’re the last one to come….” He turned his head to look at Discord.

“Hey, Discord…Did you tell her what happened…about Twilight’s decision?” He spat at the final word as if it were poisonous, refraining from catching anything on fire. “All the others came by already…Rarity was the last to visit, but you just missed her. I stayed with her while Twilight went off to Canterlot…without me.” He shot his caretaker an angry look, and Twilight looked away, a tear finally escaping her eye. She whimpered.

Discord gulped. Now he really wasn’t expecting this. Didn’t Spike adore Twilight? If he had known what was coming when he teleported himself and Fluttershy there, he would have chosen a better time. He cleared his throat again. “I said not a word of it, Spike. You know, we would be more than glad to come back later—“

Spike let out a huff. “Huh! Doesn’t matter; I’m leaving.”

“But Spike…!” Fluttershy called out again, and ran over to him and laid a hoof on his shoulder. “What’s wrong?” she whispered to him. “I don’t know what’s going on, but...I know you don’t really want to leave Twilight like this.” She gave him a smile. “You love her. I know you do. And she loves you.”

A look of hope flashed in his eyes, fast but not unnoticed by the Pegasus. But it was only a fleeting moment, before his eyes grew cold again and iced back over like a green pond on a December day. “I can’t! I’m too angry with her! After all, if she really loved me…”

He pulled away from Fluttershy’s hoof, and started walking away, his steps growing faster and faster as he increased the distance between himself and the castle. “Then she wouldn’t die!”

Time stopped.

Fluttershy.

Her heart seemed to lose it’s beat, her eyelids frozen and unable to close. Colors became more vivid, and the natural sunlight seemed as harsh as a single yellow lamp in a dark room.

“If she really loved me, then she wouldn’t die!”

What…? Her legs began to shake as Spike’s voice rang through her head.

“She wouldn’t die!”

What does he…? Her breath shallowed.

“Fluttershy…?”

Wouldn’t…

She began to fall.

“Fluttershy!”

Die…

“In here, on the bed!”

Discord stepped into one of the many large, plush rooms of Twilight’s castle, and laid his friend on the soft pink canopy bed by the window as Twilight fluffed the pillows. Soft rays of sunlight came through the four panes of glass, and Discord snapped a finger, causing the rope on both sides of the curtain to come undone, freeing the fabric and shutting out the brightness, covering the room in the dark gray of shadows.

“I don’t think she’ll be unconscious long,” Discord whispered, taking a blanket and throwing it over Fluttershy. “I’ve seen this before; I’ve made many a pony faint in my past. Sometimes they’re unconscious for more than an hour, but that’s the rare case. Either way, she’ll be fine in good time.”

Twilight nodded, sighing. “I’m glad…” She looked back up at the draconequus, then back at Fluttershy. “You know, don’t you?” she whispered.

Discord knew what was coming, but crossed his arms and asked her anyway. “Know what?”

“You live in Canterlot, Discord. That’s where the news got out in the first place…Not to mention, you’re staying in the castle.” She met his eyes with her own dark purple ones, the orbs themselves their own dark galaxies. “I’m sure Celestia has told you. I told her there was no point in keeping it a secret from you.”

He shrugged at her as they both made their way outside the room, Twilight closing the door as quietly as she could. “Even if you hadn’t, you know just as well as I do that news travels fast. And before you even ask me, my answer is no: I haven’t told her.” He sat on his haunches outside the door, and patted the floor beside him for Twilight to join.

Twilight let out a small, grateful, and slightly watery smile. “You’re…You’re not going to be angry with me, are you?”

Discord chuckled softly. “Oh, I think I criticize you enough, Princess. That can wait another time. I’ve had enough lessons from Fluttershy to know that perhaps today is not the day for such things…Though making fun of you is always such a temptation. It’s so easy to make your blood boil!”

She sat beside him and curled her tail around herself. “Yes, well…as much fun as arguing with you is, I’d appreciate the break for today. It’s…” She let out another strained and painful sob, though no waterworks escaped this time. It seemed to Discord that she had run out of tears to spill, and the thought brought a frown to his lips.

He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. “Ah, none of that now, hmm? You keep crying like that and you’ll dehydrate yourself. And a dehydrated princess makes for an unhappy princess. You should see Tia before she drinks her coffee. Nearly killed me this morning, even when all I did was replace her coffee with mudwater…”

Twilight’s sob suddenly turned to a snort, and she tried cutting back a laugh. “Really, Discord? The Princess? I would never even think to do such a thing! I would be ashamed!”

“Well, unlike you, I don’t kiss the ground she walks on,” he retorted, rolling his eyes but keeping a smile on his face. “If you love her so much, why don’t you just marry her already?” He snapped his fingers and suddenly Twilight had a tuxedo, and a rosary appeared around Discord’s neck, along with big fat rings around his fingers, glasses, and a thick robe. “I’ll marry you two off and give you ugly dishware for presents.”

Twilight shook her head. “I thought you said no teasing today?”

“You actually believed me? Twilight, I thought you were smarter than that!”

Twilight laughed again, and Discord smirked, secretly pleased that his jokes seemed to be lightening her up a bit. He snapped his fingers and their costumes disappeared.

But Discord’s ulterior motives didn’t go undetected for the studious alicorn. “Thank you Discord.” She moved to his side and gave him a slight hug, making the draconequus stiffen in surprise, staring at her warily. “I feel a little bit better now. I just hope Fluttershy wakes up soon.”

Discord relaxed. He really should be used to such embraces by now. He hugged Fluttershy all the time; he didn’t know how this was any different. He squeezed her against him with his arm. “She’ll be fine, Twilight. She may not be strong physically, but nopony’s ever been able to keep her down forever; it’s one of her best qualities. Now you, on the other hand…”

He stroked his beard. “You’ve got a bit of both.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, don’t act so humble,” he retorted at Twilight’s confused look. “There’s a reason Celestia chose you to be a Princess. You’re a tough little pain in the rear. You can fight a centuries-old centaur that’s bloated with pony magic, and beat him to the ground like some crazy samurai alicorn from a foal’s cartoon, but you also have a stubborn spirit and an iron will to do what needs to be done. I’ve seen you do it time and time again.”

Twilight stared up at him, surprised by his subtle compliment. She sighed, thinking of Spike and the surprised faces of her friends, and looked to the ground, hoofing at invisible dirt on the floor. “I’m not tough…Not at all…”

Before Discord could reply, the two of them heard the squeaking of a bed being moved about.

“What...?” They heard Fluttershy say. Discord, still sitting down, used magic to turn the knob and open the door. He bent his neck around to look inside, his eyes landing on a slightly dazed and confused Fluttershy. “Out here, Sleeping Beauty,” he said to her with a playful smirk. “Twilight and I were just having a chat while we waited for you to wake up.”

Fluttershy rubbed her head, some of her hair unkempt and out of place. “I…I fainted, didn’t I?” she squeaked, blushing to herself. Discord nodded. “Oh yes, indeed you did. Quite the dramatic show, I must say. You nearly gave Twilight and me a case of cardiac arrest. Now come along, dear, and come cheer up our dear ol’ buddy here. She’s quite out of sorts, and I’m really not as good with comfort as you are.”

Fluttershy suddenly grew much more alert as memories of what had happened moments before flashed through her mind. “Oh dear, Twilight!” She stood up immediately and practically flew off the bed, running across the bedroom. However, she was not used to going at such a speed, and the polished floors disoriented her, causing her to loose traction. She started sliding on her hooves, flying out of the door and hitting against the opposite wall.

Discord flinched with his teeth grit as Fluttershy bounced off the wall, Twilight calling her name in panic. Undeterred by yet another impact with a hard surface, Fluttershy bounded over to Twilight and practically jumped upon her friend.

“Twilight!” she gasped, grasping her friend in as tight of a hug as she could—though with her strength, it wasn’t nearly as bad as a Pinkie Pie hug. “Twilight! Oh, Twilight, what happened? What’s wrong? Why was Spike so angry with you?” She started nuzzling Twilight, and the kindness and affection managed to somehow replenish the Alicorn with enough bodily fluids to start tearing up again.

“Oh, Fluttershy!” She squeezed her friend back, hooves circled around the Pegasus’. “Fluttershy…I…I…I made a terrible mistake!”

Burying her face into Fluttershy’s chest, Twilight began sobbing harder than ever before, overwhelmed with emotion. Fluttershy started to tear up as well, her heart breaking at the sight, and looked up for a moment to meet Discord’s eyes. Trying to keep a straight face, he only nodded in her direction, though the scene was rather hard to watch for him, too.

Fluttershy held Twilight, rubbing her hoof across her back, and whispering assurances to her in a soothing voice. “It’s alright, shhhh. Hush now…Quiet now. Discord and I are here for you. We love you. You’re not alone.”

“B-But Fluttershy,” Twilight sniffled. “You…You don’t even know what happened…”

“It doesn’t matter,” she assured her. “No matter what happens, our friendship will always remain.” She flashed a look at Discord, wondering if he remembered her saying that from another point in time. “Isn’t that right, Discord?”

Discord sighed; of course Fluttershy would make him act mushy. “Yes, yes…” He laid a claw on top of Twilight’s head, rubbing it gently. “Of course. Friendship is magic, remember? I didn’t give you that medal for nothing. I had meant what I said.”

Twilight sniffled again, and then removed a hoof from Fluttershy so she could wrap another around Discord, hugging them both and sticking her head between them. “Thanks guys…I love you too.”

Fluttershy smiled, happy and warm, while Discord did his best to keep his face expressionless, though he didn’t ignore the hug—he actually returned it quite heartily, despite his affect. The girls only shook their head at his expression, grinning slightly. As hard as he tried to, he couldn’t hide how he really felt from them anymore.

“Well…” Discord said, clearing his throat after releasing them. “Now that we’ve all shared this precious Stallmark movie moment here, let’s get to the real root of things, shall we?” He snapped his fingers, and the three of them then appeared in the library of the castle. It still wasn’t as well-stocked as the treehouse had been—after all, that whole building had been a library—but it was at a good start. It was one of the more comfy rooms, too, with a sitting and reading area away from the shelves, complete with a large, warm rug and three overstuffed chairs with side tables and lamps for reading. A hearth for fire sat before them in the wall. Each of them sat in one of the chairs.

“Twilight—tell her what happened,” he said to her somewhat cryptically, folding his fingers together and folding a leg over the other.

Hearing this, Fluttershy turned her head towards Twilight, who sat to her left, and saw her friend take in a deep, slow breath, eyes closed.

“Twilight…” Fluttershy whimpered, concerned. “Um…I…I don’t mean to push you…but…” She clacked her two front hooves together nervously. “But…the reason I fainted…It was because Spike….”

Ah, Fluttershy regretted mentioning that—Twilight winced at the sound of his name. Fluttershy was about to apologize before Discord loudly cleared his throat, catching her attention, and nodded his head towards Twilight, encouraging the Pegasus to continue.

Fluttershy swallowed down the apology for the time being. He was right—there was no avoiding the question now, anyhow. “He…he said…you would…” Her throat started to tighten, and the last word came out as a mere squeak, “D-Die?” Tears threatened to escape Fluttershy’s eyes at the thought of losing her friend. “Are you sick? Is something wrong? P-Please, Twilight—“

Twilight was quick to hop off her chair and take Fluttershy’s hoof. “No, Fluttershy, no. I’m fine, I promise. It’s just that…Well…”

Discord groaned. How long was she going to stall like this? “She went into Canterlot early this morning—the crack of dawn, really—and she paid a visit to Sunbutt Celestia with a request,” he explained, his claws clicking against the arm of the chair in impatience.

“A request?” Fluttershy repeated, turning to Twilight for further explanation. “What kind of request…?” Something in her mind told her she should know what was going on, but she was still fuzzy from fainting earlier. All she knew was that her throat still felt a bit tight, and her heartbeat was still a bit fast for her liking.

“It was…something I spent a lot of time thinking on,” Twilight said, letting go of Fluttershy’s hoof and returning to her own chair. “Something I’ve been trying to decide ever since this entire castle came under my care, when I decided I was meant to be the Princess of Friendship.”

Her horn started to glow, and a small spark of fire began sprouting from the wood inside the hearth. It wasn’t particularly cold that day, so Fluttershy assumed Twilight just wanted something else to direct her attention towards—Fluttershy knew that tactic quite well.

“But being a Princess…” She stared as the fire continued to grow, the flames reflected in her dark, troubled eyes. “And the one of Friendship, at that…Living an immortal life…It just never seemed right, to me. Most fillies dream of becoming princesses, they play dress-up and dream of one day joining Celestia and the others in the Royal Court. But I never did that, as a filly. I wasn’t in love with becoming a princess…I was in love with magic. I didn’t want to acquire the same rank as Celestia, but I wanted to learn all I could from her, because she is the best at her craft. I didn’t admire her for being a princess. I admired her for her leadership, her skills. I wanted to be like her, but…”

“I never wanted to be a princess…I never wanted immortality, where I would have to watch everypony I love…”

Twilight’s breath hitched, and suddenly, Fluttershy’s mind became clear, as if the Weather Pegasi had kicked the clouds out of her brain, letting the sunlight in.

She couldn’t help it; she gasped. “You’re not immortal anymore, are you, Twilight?”

The Alicorn finally dragged her eyes away from the flames, slowly turning towards her, her eyes pleading for understanding.

“…I just wanted to be a normal pony…And grow old with the ones I loved…”

Discord sighed, crossing his arms. This explanation was taking way too long. “And so Twilight took a trip down to Canterlot and had Celestia remove her immortality.”

He glanced at Fluttershy, though her attention stayed with Twilight. “It’s really not that different. After all, you met Twilight when she was just a normal Unicorn—not an Alicorn.  So really, she just gained a bit of her normalcy back—after all, a mortal Alicorn certainly isn’t as dramatic a change as an immortal one. She’s pretty much just the same old Twilight again—just with, you know, wings and a grotesquely shiny castle and throne,” Discord joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Twilight nodded, sending Discord a grateful smile. “Exactly. I just…wanted my old life back, in a way....Instead of a life that would go on forever, watching everypony I love go on without me. I’m the youngest in my family, so I know I will probably end up outliving my parents, my brother…But what if Shining Armor and Cadence have a foal? Maybe two? I would’ve outlived them too, if I stayed immortal. And what about you?”

She pointed at Fluttershy. “I’d have to watch you go, one of my best friends…watch you age with all our friends, and eventually leave…And Spike…Oh, Spike…”

Fluttershy’s heart split apart when she saw Twilight’s face completely break when she mentioned Spike.

“I…I didn’t tell him about my decision,” Twilight said to the two of them. “I never even told him that such a thing was on my mind after all these months…Sometimes he could tell I was upset by something, but I always made something up, saying I couldn’t find my favorite quill, or something…”

Discord nodded. “I gathered as much when I saw your little fight upon our arrival. My dear, whatever possessed you to keep such a secret from him? He has been with you since the beginning, I would have thought he’d be the first you’d tell.”

He floated off his chair and twirled himself over to Twilight, before lowering his neck to look at his friend upside down. “So, why’d you keep your lips zipped?” A zipper replaced his mouth. “Hmm?”

“I….” Twilight found that she couldn’t look directly into Discord’s gaze, and started hoofing the seat of her chair instead, looking downward. “I can’t really explain myself, actually. I knew that it was something he should know, but something always stopped me. Sometimes, I would wake up, and see him asleep in his bed, and I would just…just stare at him, and remember back when he really was just a baby. We call him a baby now, but…He’s grown so much since then…”

Well, since Discord was getting close to her, Fluttershy certainly wasn’t going to hold herself back. She slipped off her chair gingerly and decided to imitate Twilight from earlier, sitting by the side of her chair and taking her hoof gently between hers. “Didn’t you tell me that you pretty much raised him single-hoofedly?” she asked her with a small, sweet smile.

Grinning in remembrance,  Twilight nodded. “It was me that forced his egg open, when I took that entrance exam into Celestia’s school. The way I saw it, he was my responsibility, and mine alone. I begged my parents to let me care for him, and they let me—but I could tell they thought I wouldn’t be responsible enough, that I’d go back on my word to raise him myself—that they would end up taking care of him. But I proved them wrong.”

Discord raised his brows at this. “You were just a filly at the time?” he asked. “And you took on the responsibility of a baby dragon?”

“I was, and I did,” she answered proudly. “It nearly wore me out, but I was determined to take care of him. Dragon babies are very colicky, and he woke me up every night, but I never let my parents take over, because I wanted to take care of him. I stayed up entire nights, holding and rocking him, until he fell asleep. I gave him everything: his bottle, his toys, my affection; I gave him all the attention I possibly could. Sometimes my parents helped look after him when I needed to study, but for the most part, it was all me. I even saved up my allowance so I could buy him more toys, and sometimes a gem or two...Because when he was born, I was determined to…” her voice lowered a bit. “To make him my own. Because when I first looked at him, when I saw him split his egg apart, yawning and sucking on his thumb, a small little smile on his face, purple all over just like I was…I don’t know, I…” She put her hoof over her heart. “I just…”

Fluttershy smiled warmly. “You fell in love, didn’t you? You think of him as your baby.”

Another smile. “You would understand, wouldn’t you, Fluttershy?” She gripped Fluttershy’s hoof more, somewhat desperately. “I’m sure it happens to you all the time, with all the animals you take care of.” She stared at her with hopeful eyes. Certainly, Fluttershy would understand…!

“It does, but as much as I don’t want to admit it…I grow more attached to some than others,” Fluttershy said, a small trace of guilt in her voice. “I don’t mean to, of course, but…Some of them just really grow on me…Angel Bunny, for instance. I love all my animals, and I would do anything for them...” Her voice took on a deeper tone. “But Angel Bunny is my baby. He’s mine, and nopony else’s, and that’s the way I always felt about it. When he was born, and his mother ignored him, and fed all her other babies…I took him in, because I fell in love right away. That’s what happened to you, with Spike.”

Spreading her wings, she flitted up to Twilight’s eye level, and put a hoof under her chin. “And no mama wants to outlive her son…Does she?”

Twilight shook her head. “No,” she croaked. “But he doesn’t understand that…He thinks I’m abandoning him, that I don’t care about him enough to stay, when the truth is that I just never want to watch him leave…!”

Fluttershy understood that perfectly, and opened her forelegs wide for her friend. Twilight was grateful for the chance, and threw herself against her chest for another warm hug.

Discord just suspended there, midair, seeing but not really watching. His mind was somewhere else.

He never had a mother, a father, or a sibling. He had no family.

And he used to be all alone.

But he had friends. At least, he had friends now. Two of them were making a tearful mess of themselves right in front of him, for crying out loud.

But, as he had thought numerous times that day, he was immortal. And now that Twilight was a mortal, he was the only one.

He would be left behind—and he hated to be left out of things. Now that he had a taste of what it was like to have companions—ones that actually liked him—he didn’t want to go back. And being the stubborn Draconequus he was, he didn’t want to lose them and be left to make new ones. As much as he would never admit it, the ones he had now were irreplaceable.

As he thought this, his eyes drifted over to Fluttershy.

Irreplaceable indeed.

He continued to stare at her, until Fluttershy felt his gaze on her and she turned towards him, wiping a few tears off her face. “Discord? Are you alright?”

He said nothing.

“D-Discord?”

Twilight joined Fluttershy, looking his direction. “What’s wrong, Discord?” She gave a watery smile. “Too much love and friendship for you?” she teased.

“Huh,” he said, giving her an approving smile. “You’re finally catching on, Twilight Falafel…”

And you’ve all got me caught in your own clutches…Especially you, dear, he thought, looking at Fluttershy again. Whatever am I to do when you…?

He wouldn’t even allow himself to finish the thought. “Well, then. Are you two quite done impersonating waterfalls?” he asked them, putting himself right-side-up again and on the ground. “After all, I’m sure that everything will work itself out in the end. It always seems to for the good guys,” he said, thinking of every time the friendship-powered ponies took down powerful enemies deemed impossible to beat—including himself.

It’s actually quite impressive, if you think about it.

“Besides,” he continued, “Spike will get over it eventually. He knew he would have to deal with it when you were a mortal Unicorn. I suppose he’ll just have to learn to accept it again. The poor boy’s usually a wreck without you, anyhow.”

Twilight sniffed at that. “I think I’m more of a wreck without him,” she countered, giving off a slightly forced chuckle. “I just want him to come back.”

“He will,” Fluttershy assured her, a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “He just needs some time; you’ll see.”

Time. Suddenly, Discord really despised the word. Just how much time did they all have? Perhaps if Spike knew he was wasting time already, when he could be with Twilight…

He had always had eternity…He never had to consider the end of his life, because he didn’t have one.

Time meant nothing to him physically. But now…It meant something to him personally. How much time would he get with them before spending the rest of it alone?

Or could he have more…if he went into the next world with them? After all, that’s all death really was…Moving on from one world to the next. Could he get into that world? Could he find a way?

Was he willing to even do such a thing?

The answer came to him so readily that it surprised even himself. Yes.

Memories of his friends flashed through his mind once more. Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Spike, Rainbow Dash, more Fluttershy…

Most definitely yes.

It was shocking, terrifying, thrilling, satisfying. For a moment, he thought to himself; did he really want to die? Was he really contemplating suicide?

No, he decided. Not suicide. Life—he wanted life. And that was something he would not have, if he feared over his friends’ deaths obsessively until they actually came. That was a waste of time, a waste of breath. But he did not see happiness in his future, once he was alone in the world with the Elements of Harmony gone forever.

It was an odd thought, one that made him chuckle. The Elements of Harmony, once his downfall and his greatest threat, were now one of the very things that made him happy to exist, besides his chaos. But now he had grown greedy. He couldn’t live happily with just his chaos anymore—now he wanted both friendship and chaos. And he only wanted it with six ponies and a dragon.

But what of Celestia? Luna? You sort of like them now, do you not? he asked himself. He had seen Celestia after Twilight left for home that morning; she had fallen apart after her decision, he had been right there. He did not care for her as much as his other friends, and this was especially true for Luna, but…He still considered them as friends.

Could he leave them too, just like Twilight? Would it break Celestia’s heart too?

He snorted. It was hard to believe, Celestia crying over him. But…

He didn’t notice that the two mares had been staring at him the entire time he stood there thinking, and whispering about it. The two were puzzled by it.

“What’s he thinking?” Twilight asked, leaning towards Fluttershy. “I’ve never seen him like this, have you?”

“No,” Fluttershy answered, shaking her head without taking her eyes off Discord’s troubled face. “But I think something might be—“

“Fluttershy.”

The mare in question stood up straighter, looking at her addresser. “Y-Yes, Discord?” she said to him, hoping he hadn’t been paying attention to her. “What is it?”

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to cut my visit with you early today, as I have forgotten something that desperately needs attending to. Do you think you can take over from here and look after our dear Twilight?” He turned his gaze to the Alicorn. "Honestly, I’m surprised our other friends aren’t here comforting you, dear,” he said.

“Oh, yes,” Fluttershy said, agreeing with him. “Why aren’t the others here? I…I don’t mean to judge, I’m sure they have their reasons, but…I-I would think, they would be worried for you, Twilight…”

Twilight shook her head, smiling. “It’s alright; trust me, they wanted to stay with me. In fact, they helped me in other ways. I was actually…pretty okay with everything before…Before Spike found out. Pinkie and Rainbow Dash came first, and after I told them, we found paparazzi everywhere outside the castle…” She shivered. “It was so…”

“Disorienting?” Discord supplied, grinning mischeviously.  “Unruly? Hectic? Chaotic?!?”

“All of those!” Twilight answered. “Oh, it was disastrous! All of them crowded around me, asking me questions and being as loud as possible, when the three of us opened the door to see where all the noise was coming from. They wouldn’t leave me alone! And then Applejack came—she heard about me from some of her customers—and she yelled for all of them to back off, along with Rainbow. Then Pinkie ran off, only to set off her party cannon a few miles away from the castle, and that caused panic everywhere, and Rainbow pretended  that it  was an emergency alarm and that everypony but me had to get to safety…Applejack didn’t say anything, but she helped direct traffic, and the three promised to come back later to see how I was doing…”

“Oh my…” Fluttershy gulped, glad she hadn’t been there, and Discord groaned. “Ah, I would have loved that…” he said, throwing his head back as if the thought caused him physical pain. “I could’ve really given them something to panic about, like perhaps thundering shards of ice from the sky, or popping rocks, or...Oh, the possibilities are endless!”

Twilgiht laughed. “You know, I thought the same thing, Discord. It was a shame you weren’t there. But the others really helped me out, and it worked; the press didn’t come  back…I hope it ended up alright.”

“Oh, I’m sure they’re just fine, Twilight,” Fluttershy answered. “It’s as you’ve said; the press didn’t come back, and we’ve…” she shivered. “We’ve faced scarier things than that.”

Discord winced at that, putting himself into that category, but Fluttershy was quick to give him a look and shake her head. “Not you, though, Discord. Never you.”

“I…I know!” he crossed his arms. “Obviously!”

The others just laughed, and he glared at them, though his own smile tugged at his lips. Curse them… He couldn’t help it, he laughed too.

“But what about Rarity? You said she was watching Spike, yes?”

Twilight nodded at Fluttershy’s question. “She came a little bit before you guys came…And that’s when Spike and I got into it…She wanted to comfort me, but she thought Spike and I needed some time alone, and left.  Maybe I….” Twilight paused. “Maybe I should go visit her…?” She sighed sadly. “But Spike’s there…”

“All the more reason to go!” Discord said, giving Twilight a small push to the door. “You’re just a normal pony now, Twilight! Time is of the essence! If Spike’s so worried about you, then he needs to get over himself and realize he needs to be with you as much as he can. Honestly, what a baby.”

Twilight stopped and turned her head to shoot him a glare. “He is a baby, Discord! Don’t make fun of him.”

“You said yourself that he’s grown up,” Discord argued, hands on hips. “He needs to realize that this is the way things are going to be, and he needs to cherish his time with you rather than mourn it.”

As that is what I intend to do.

“But he’s going to go such a long time without me!” Twilight argued, somewhat at a yell now. “Do you have any idea how long dragons live?”

“I’m not an imbecile, Twilight Sparkle. I know very well how long dragons live. But he is still a mortal. He will not be saying goodbye to you forever when you go. He’ll join you, one day. In your situation, you wouldn’t have, once he left.”

She blinked at him. “I…I suppose that’s true…” As she looked at Discord, a strange feeling overcame her. Perhaps it was the look in his eyes…

“Discord…?” Twilight began, about to ask him what was going on, when he gently pushed her towards the door again.

“Not now, dear. You and I both have to get going! Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” A soldier’s uniform flashed onto Discord’s body. “C’mon, now, you slitherin’ slowpokes! Hup two, hup two, hup two! Now, before I give you twenty!”

The girls burst out laughing, running as he chased after them, making their way to the front door.

“Wish me luck,” Twilight said, nuzzling Fluttershy goodbye. “I’m going to need it.”

“You’re going to be just fine,” Fluttershy assured her, nuzzling her back. Discord sniffed at that. Really, what was so great about rubbing your face all over the other? What exactly made that so attractive to ponies?

And they think *I’m** odd…Weirdos.*

“Good luck, Falafel,” Discord said, rubbing the top of her head and messing up her bangs a little. “I’m sure you and Dragonbreath will be back together before you know it. And if not, well, we can always give him a good whacking in the head.” He conjured up a squeaky plastic hammer, tapping Twilight’s head with it as it emitted a high-pitched squeak.

“Pfft, I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” Twilight said, rolling her eyes, though a small smile stayed on her face. “At least, I hope not.”

“If it’s okay with you…” Fluttershy rubbed her forelegs together. “I’d like to come see you later, if that’s okay…?”

“Please do!” Twilight said. “I would really love that, Fluttershy. And thank you so much for being there for me today.” She glanced at Discord. “Both of you.”

Discord grunted. “Okay, okay, hooray for friendship and rainbows and glitter.” He spread his hands and confetti and glitter magically rained down from his hands, some of it getting caught in both his friends’ manes. “See you later, Twilight.”

She waved them goodbye after shaking the glitter out of her head, making her way to the Carousel Botique. Fluttershy waved back, but as she smiled, there was ahint of worry in her eyes.

“I really do hope everything will be okay…” she muttered to herself, barely audible.

But Discord, with his big sensitive ears, picked it up. “Oh, she’ll be fine, I’m certain. Everything always works out for her—it’s the way of the Princesses!”

She gave him a disapproving look. “That’s no way to speak about her, Discord…She has her own troubles—more than most ponies do.” She pointed at his snout. “And you know it, mister.”

He rolled his eyes. “Yes, mother,” he replied sarcastically.

“Discord…”

“What?!?” he asked her rather harshly, making her flinch a bit. He immediately calmed himself. Look at me, acting like a brute in front of her, only because I don’t want to lose her. If that isn’t oxymoronic, I don’t know what is.

He sighed. “I’m sorry, Flutterbuddy,” he said, extending his arm across her back to her other side and pulling her over to him in a side hug.  “I just…really need to get back home.”

“But…” She bit her lip. “I thought…Um…You…You wanted to spend time with me…” she squeaked, slightly red in the cheeks. “I thought there was something you wanted to talk about…?”

He gave her another hug. “I’m afraid that will wait for later. There is something I really, truly, absolutely must get done as soon as I can—I just didn’t think of it until now,” he lied. “But I promise you, dear, I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. It shouldn’t be too long.”

“Are…Are you sure?” She took his claws between both her hooves. “Are you r-really sure? Because you…you know you can talk to me about anything, right? Because we’re friends.”

“Friends? Oh no no no no,” he corrected her, a smile on his face. “You mean best friends. Do not put me merely on the low end of the friendship scale, my dear. I refuse anything less!”

She gave a giggle. “Yes, of course…” She flew up and gave him a hug, and his arms had opened for her before she had even left the ground. “Best friends.”

His throat suddenly grew tight…He didn’t know why, but the sentimentality was getting to him, and he hated how much this moment meant to him. However, he still brought enough courage to ask her: “Forever?”

She sighed happily, laying her head against him with a content smile. “Forever. You and me…and all of us. And…” She brought her head back up to look at him. “Discord?”

“Yes, my dear?”

She laid a hoof on his face, and bit her lip again. She didn’t know why, but she felt that whatever was troubling him…Had something to do with Twilight. Otherwise, why would he have brought her to the castle in the first place?

“Don’t…Don’t be sad, okay?”

He blinked, surprised and a bit nervous. “Sad? Whatever makes you think I’m sad, Fluttershy?”

Just how well can you read me, exactly?

“I…I don’t know, I just...” She couldn’t seem to find the words, and instead stayed silent and gave him another hug. “I just feel like you’re sad…”

Maybe because Twilight can’t stay your friend forever?

She couldn’t bring herself to say it, in fear of what he’d do.

He stroked her hair, digging his claws through it, a gesture he knew to calm her. “My dear, I’m fine. Really, I am! I just need to get going, I promise.” He set her down after stroking her hair one last time, and gave her a smile before waving goodbye. “You’ll see me soon, alright? For now, though, arivederci!” His favorite purple sunglasses appeared on his head along with a small top hat, and he tipped it towards her.

Fluttershy gave another laugh, and waved. “Au revoir…!” she said, which made Discord smile. He gave a bow, and soon flashed away.

And there, Fluttershy stood, alone and staring at the space where Discord had been standing.

Her smile faded, and she gave out a sigh, sitting on her flank, a hoof to her heart, troubled with the way it beat so fast, worrying for her friends.

It troubled her that Twilight got rid of her immortality, but Fluttershy knew Twilight didn’t need that right now; she needed support. So she had choked down her shock for now, and ignored the urge to encourage her to get her immortality back. Though  Fluttershy was certain she would have done the same thing herself, it made her both flattered and uncomfortable to know she was one of the reasons Twilight became mortal again.

And now, she was worried for Discord too, for reasons she couldn’t figure out.

But she also worried for herself, because…

I miss him already…

And she didn’t know why.