Eternal Chaos of the Spotless Draconequus

"Fluttershy...hey, Fluttershy wake up. We're back in Ponyville."

She stirred under the blanket and curled up against the feathers on my chest, then she opened her eyes. We were outside her cottage.

"Oh!"

"Yup," I chuckled. "You're home."

She went very still as if she was considering something.

"Discord...can I? Can I sleep at your place? Just sleep, I mean.  I'm so tired. Then maybe we could have tea?"

I was stunned. She was that comfortable with me already? Today really did feel surreal, and that's something when the Spirit of Chaos is thinking that.

I nodded, dumbfounded.

"Let me just pack a bag with my things," she said, shooting me that winning smile again. I placed her gently on the ground and watched her walk up to the cottage.

She's so pretty. And she isn't *afraid** of me. Not one bit.*

"Hey," said a voice behind me. "What are you doing here?"

I turned to see a blue unicorn with white hair regarding me.

Today was just full of confusion. Normally I like that sort of thing but not when it makes me feel like a fool.

"What are you talking about?" I asked. "I've never seen you before in my life."

She looked as if something had dawned on her. "Oh, right. Of course," she said. "My mistake."

And she walked away as I wondered how I could be mistaken for anyone. Yeesh, Ponyville is full of nutters sometimes, I swear. Or maybe they just want to have a look at the Lord of Chaos and tell their friends they've gazed upon me. Sort of like a bet or something. A Hearts and Hooves day bet where they can impress their mates. "Oh, I walked right up to the Spirit of Chaos and he didn't even attempt to mind control me! Aren't I a brave, brave pony? Adore me". Bleaaargh. Vomit.  Either way, I quickly forgot about the unicorn as I waited for my new friend.

Friend. The word made me feel warm inside. I'd never had a friend before.

The idea was seriously something I never thought I’d be entertaining. I certainly didn’t think when I woke up this morning that I was going to be making a friend and having such notions in my head by the end of the day. When I had woken up today, all that was in my head was the usual swirling chaos, and that was the way I liked it.

But…this pony; there was something about her that I couldn’t put my talon on. The way she made me feel seemed paradoxical (and I don’t think I have to tell you I find paradoxical things intriguing.) It was like I felt comfortable and excited around her at the same time.

The thought drove me to walk towards her cottage and I poked my head in through her window. She tapped on it as if trying to boop me on the nose and smiled at me. I grinned back. She was sorting through her mail.

I never got mail. No one ever wrote to me. I suppose in some ways that was a good thing, or I’d be getting nothing but hate mail in the post.

Fluttershy continued to sort through the envelopes as she made her way out and rejoined me on her doorstep.

“There’s one from Princess Luna,” she said, holding up an envelope with the Royal Canterlot seal on it.

“Ah, that’ll be mind-numbingly bureaucratic and dull then,” I chuckled. She didn’t reply to me. Instead she looked worried.

“I hope nothing’s wrong,” she said, as she opened the envelope. Immediately a speaking scroll floated out and began dictating in Luna’s voice:

Dearest Fluttershy,

I hope this letter finds thou well but I fear that may not be so.

Please come and see me immediately if thou can. In the meantime, please see the attached document.

Many things may not make sense to thee, but we will talk soon.

In the meantime please look after thyself, my little pony.

Yours,

Princess Luna.

“And I thought I was confusing,” I remarked. “Luna always did love to cloak herself in ridiculous amounts of mystery. I’m convinced it’s mostly for attention.”

“How do you know Princess Luna?” said Fluttershy. She had a confused and almost suspicious look on her face. I was beginning to worry.

“We go way back,” I said. “Now I’m a civil servant of sorts and I can’t stand it.” I didn’t tell her that before my train journey this morning, I had actually been entertaining thoughts of wreaking havoc again. There was nothing good in my life, so I may as well have gone out in a blaze of chaos.

“If you don’t like your job then why do you do it?”

“I…I’m not entirely sure,” I admitted. My head felt really fuzzy that morning, as if there was something on my periphery I couldn’t quite grasp.

“I better see what else Princess Luna sent me.”

Fluttershy pulled the second sheet out of paper out of the envelope. It was another speaking scroll, but this time the voice was not Luna’s.

My name is Fluttershy, and I’m here to erase Discord from my memories…

“What?!” we both said in tandem.

…I don’t want to do this, but Princess Luna has said it’s for the best.

A male voice then said: Very good, now tell me all about the problems you’ve been having with Discord.

At the sound of the male voice, Fluttershy looked up at me in horror.

The recording continued. It sounded like she had been crying: He’s…so rude sometimes to my friends. And jealous. And insecure. He doesn’t understand why no one wants to be around him, but he doesn’t make any effort to be nice to others himself.

Fluttershy was beginning to look extremely uncomfortable. I was shaking with anger.

I just want to be a tree and I feel like he’s trying to chop our friendship down…

“Have you and Luna been enjoying Prank the Draconequus day?” I said in a low and dangerous voice. “Makes you feel good to know you can all kick me when I’m down because the alternative is slamming my butt back inside concrete doesn’t it?”

“Discord, I don’t know what this is!” she cried.

“Oh shut up!” I snarled. “Just shut up. All of you are the same- ridiculously symmetrical, two-faced and boring!”

Fluttershy looked like I had just slapped her in the face. I could see tears beginning to stand out in her eyes.

No, I thought. I’m not falling for those fake tears. There’s probably someone in the bushes filming this, and later they’re going to call their friends round and they’re all going to watch it and laugh at how they fooled Discord. Wait until I find them and turn them into naked mole rats. We’ll see who will be laughing then.

“Discord, I’m sorry, but I need to be alone,”sniffled Fluttershy.

“That can be arranged,” I growled at her and began to storm off. She ran up to her cottage, tears streaming behind her.

Oh, what a consummate little actress you are. Well played, my Dear. Well played.

Before I teleported I turned to give her one last look. There was now a large white unicorn on her doorstep. Maybe he was in on this whole charade as well.

To my utter surprise, the petite Pegasus pushed him out of her way. I have no idea where she had mustered up the strength to do so, but she managed to give him a good, hard shove.

Her previously soft voice was now practically a roar: “Get out of my way!” she was telling him.“You’re no worse than a changeling!”

I heard the door slam.

Maybe she hadn’t been playing a prank on me. Maybe she was just nutso.

You sure can pick em, Discord.

Even with the fluctuations in the chaos dimension I was used to, my house seemed larger and emptier when I arrived home.

I sighed and put on my bathrobe, then reached down for my platypus slippers near the door. That was when I noticed the envelope with the Royal Canterlot seal on it.

Ugh I thought. Wonder what incredibly boring task they have for me this time.

I tore open the envelope and a speaking scroll floated out:

Discord, said Luna’s voice.

I will be calling on thee later. I’m afraid many things that may not make sense have happened.

In the meantime, listen to the attached document. When I call on thee all will be explained.

Yours,

Princess Luna

I snorted with rage. Just how far did this prank go?

So they think they can have a good laugh at my expense? I’ll show them laugh. They’ll be laughing when it starts raining parrot poop and the street is filled with giant sandworms.

I tossed the envelope in the corner. I’d make them all pay tomorrow. For now I just wanted to sleep.

I curled up in my bed and pulled my tail tuft over my face.

I hate you all I thought. But my chest ached.

Soon I was asleep.

My dreams, at first, were of the usual sort: swirling masses of chaos. Dancing cabbages. Changing fractal shapes, however after a while I noticed that the fractals were shifting into a dark blue mass that looked like Luna’s mane.

Then she was before me. The Princess of the Night in her element. I don’t think she had ever visited one of my dreams before.

“Discord,” she boomed in the Royal Canterlot Voice. “Thou must listen to that document.”

“Are you kidding me, Luna? How much further are you and Celestia going to go to try and humiliate me?”

Luna’s eyes suddenly looked very sad.

“That is not what is happening, Discord, but I cannot explain what is going on until the document has been heard.”

“Ugh! Fine. If it will get you out of my head. I would at least like somewhere I don’t feel like I’m being watched 24/7.”

I walked over to the corner and against my better judgement…actually, scratch that…I’m not sure better judgement is a thing that exists with me; I opened the second document, expecting to hear Fluttershy or Luna berating me. Instead the most familiar voice of all met my ears: My own.

My name is Discord and I’m here to erase Fluttershy from my memories…She’s boring, for one thing.

“What?!” I said. “I never said that! When was this recorded?”

The recording of my voice continued:

She's just another boring, symmetrical pony that looks like all those other boring, symmetrical ponies.

As I listened in confusion and growing horror, I saw a movement behind Luna’s hind leg, and a small yellow face framed by a rosy mane peeked out.

“Fluttershy…” I said. “What is going on?”

“These recordings were made recently and three weeks apart,” explained Luna. “First I would like to apologize to you both. I feel that I have failed my subjects in my duty to protect them.”

“It’s not your fault, Princess Luna,” said Fluttershy softly.

“What’s not your fault?” I said. “I still don’t understand what is going on. I’m living in a cuckoo clock!” I am aware of the irony of that statement.

“Fluttershy and thyself art former friends and lovers,” said Luna.

“I only just met her this morning!” I said. “What are you yammering about?”

“Once again, I apologize, but I was unable to detect what was happening until recently. I do not know how, but the ponies who ran the clinic that erased your memories were able to put a cloaking spell on your dreams. It was only until Trixie came to me and explained that she had figured out her memories had been erased by Dr. Flashback herself that it came to light. He was also committing forgery and writing letters using my seal.”

Luna shook her head sadly. “Poor Trixie. It must have been such a shock to find that file while she was going through the others at her own place of work. As I’m sure it is a shock to thou both to hear thy own voices. And poor Fluttershy. Dr. Flashback is a predator. He saw thou at a book reading and decided he wanted thou for himself. He used all thy mementoes and memories of Discord to find out more about you and get closer to you.”

“Dr. Flashback?” I said. The name did not ring a bell. Come to think of it, many things today didn’t.

“He’s a pony I had been seeing,” said Fluttershy softly. “But I was thinking of breaking up with him. Something about him didn’t quite feel right. That’s why I was on the train earlier yesterday. I wanted to be alone with my thoughts. When I saw you, I wanted to talk to you. I felt like I needed a friend and you were alone on Hearts and Hooves day too.”

I felt sick. Someone had tricked me.

But how? I felt so confused. I looked at the small yellow mare I had met this morning. She looked just as confused and exhausted as I did.

“Where is this Dr. Flashback now?” I said. I was already fantasizing about shoving him into a tree and leaving him there. After all, Fluttershy had said she wanted to be a tree, and he wanted her…

“He and his ring of cronies are awaiting trial at the Royal Canterlot Court,” said Luna. “He hath committed a very serious crime and his punishment will be decided once we have established everything that hath happened.”

I can think of a few punishments to dole out I thought, angrily.

Suddenly the room changed, and I realized I was awake.  Luna and Fluttershy were still in my house.

“I must go,” said Luna. “There are many other ponies I must pass on the message to. Then I will need to establish a plan on returning thy memories to you while you dream. But I feel you two have much to talk about.”

Luna vanished in a swirl of nighttime sky and I was alone with Fluttershy again.

The recording was still playing.

…I wouldn’t even give her a second look.

Fluttershy winced.

I felt awful. “I would never think that about you…” I began. But I had, hadn’t I? That was my voice and I was saying terrible things about this kind, beautiful mare who had been trusting and affable enough to invite me to go ice skating with her when everyone else shunned me and would rather move to another train carriage.

“I’m so sorry, Fluttershy,” I whispered. I sat down in the corner of the room with my face in my paw and eagle hand.

It doesn’t matter anyway the recording was saying. I'm pretty sure she cares more about her other friends than she does about me…She’s just a dull looking pony who is no fun.

I felt so ashamed.

Then I felt her small hoof on my knee.

“I said awful things too,” she whispered.

“I likely deserved every word of them,” I said, trying to hold back tears. “You were kind to me and offered me friendship and I threw it back in your face, Fluttershy. I mean, normally I’m quite happy annoying the masses, but not today. Everything just feels so weird and messed up.”

“Do you…do you need to be alone?” she asked me. “I can call on Princess Luna or Princess Celestia to escort me back if you do.”

My head was swimming. “Yes,” I croaked. “Yes, I think I do.”

She nodded, then started to move towards the door.

I’ve always been rather impulsive, but I have no idea why I said what I said next:

“Wait…”

She looked over her shoulder at me.

“Yes, Discord?”

“I don’t know.” My tail twitched with anxiety as we stared at each other.

“I don’t know,” I repeated. “I just…actually, I feel like I want you to stay.”

She gave me a weak little smile.

“Ok.”

My chest flooded with relief for some reason. After the events of today, I felt like I would feel safer with her around.

“So,” I said, looking at the ground. “We’ve met before?”

That explained the weird sense of déjà vu I had with her on the train. It also explained why I felt so comfortable around her. I wonder if she had felt the same.

“We have,” she said.

“I…I know you probably want nothing to do with me after all that’s happened and everything I’ve said about you, but, before those letters arrived, I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed our time today.”

It felt so odd saying that. I had never said that to anyone.

“I enjoyed it too, Discord,” she said softly.

“So what do we do now?” I asked.

She thought for a moment.

“Try to be friends?” she whispered. I felt like crying. This kind, amazing pony still wanted to be my friend after everything I had said and done. “Our friends and Princess Luna can help us rebuild our memories and then we can see where things go from there?” She placed her hoof on my paw, a sweet, hopeful look on her gorgeous face.

Not for the first time today, I looked at her in surprise. “Wait, hold up. I have friends?”

She smiled at me. “We have mutual friends according to Princess Luna. I can’t wait for you to meet them, Discord.”

Then she did something no one had ever done to me before, at least not that I can remember:

She leaned her soft beautiful mane against my feathery chest and hugged me. I instinctively snaked my arms around her and rested my head on hers.

“Fluttershy,” I whispered.

She really was a stellar chick—an amazing person.

This time I wouldn’t forget that.