A missing Draconequus and a broken mind.

Sunlight flickered down from the pale blue sky through the curtains at the butter-cup mare who was until very recently peacefully sleeping. She cracked her eyes open a little then as the light assaulted her retina she closed them before groaning. She hated Sundays. Sundays where the day for her and her friends to have there weekly sleep over/ council of elements meet. Fluttershy loved every one of her friends through and through but it was the sleeping in the same room that made her uncomfortable. During flight academy any time she had a crush on any stallion Rainbow Dash would some how know. Fluttershy had been confused and assumed that either Dash was some kind of stealth unicorn/ alicorn with mind reading powers or she was a really open book. However it began to annoy the yellow mare more and more as time stretched on and Dash was there to be overly protective every time she liked a Stallion. One day Fluttershy had locked the door to their shared room and confronted Dash, Dash had been a hard nut to crack but after threatening her wonder bolts poster with a match she caved.

"You talk in your sleep Flutter." She said a little to fast with a nervous look in her eye sneaking quick glances at the burning match that was just to close for comfort to her signed precious wonder bolts poster.

Fluttershy caught the glances and guiltily lowered the match, 'I would never have actually done it, I just needed the answer and Rainbow is extremely defensive of this.' Fluttershy mentally assured herself. Then Fluttershy had a realisation. That week when she was in heat. Those dreams she had had about White Skies. 'Oh no!' With that she turned to Dash trying and abjectly failing to hide the rising pink in her cheeks. "What kind of things do I say?" As she had spoken her voice had gotten graver and quieter with each word.

"You mostly just toss and turn but often you Just repeat a name of some Stallion you keep staring at when we are supposed to be practising." Fortunately Dash being a year younger than Fluttershy she had missed the evident charge in the question. Fluttershy was fully aware that now they where grown up Dash knew exactly what sex was. All illusions of her not had been obliterated when she had been flying after a few over zealous baby birds and got a view of Dash and her "Friend" Soarin curled up in Dash's bed sheets.

Of course Dash already suspected she had feelings for the Draconequus and liked to rib her about it constantly but she had no intention of encouraging or feeding such things. A swift rhythmic tapping of soft pad on wood roused Fluttershy from her thoughts, she saw her little Angel bunny sat on her bedside table gesturing at her alarm clock. '11:15 AM!!!!!' her mind kicked into over drive with worry as she bolted from her bed practically flinging angel onto her back and then rushing off to start her rounds feeding the animals. Fluttershy had stayed up rather late as Discord had stayed until midnight, the two had been through a lot of tea given he had arrived at 3 PM. Fluttershy didn't blame him as he had respectfully asked her to prompt him to leave if he was over staying his welcome when she had decided to quickly make them an evening meal. In Fluttershy's mind Discord could live with her like he did during his reformation and the early days after before he had moved into the ever-free and it wouldn't be overstaying his welcome. She was surprised by how much she adored the Draconequus' company. She was worried there relationship would suffer even after she forgave him for the Tirek incident but outside of occasionally having to remind Discord that neither her nor the other element holders held it against him as he had been tricked and deceived and convince him that he wasn't a bad pony/ draconequus. Other than that though he seemed his chipper self again and the fun she had with him was in no way diminished even if she got an uncomfortable longing in her heart whenever he did his snake body wrap trick. Fluttershy always had to run through the reasons in her head that a relationship between her and Discord couldn't work. 'He is a god I am mortal, He is not a pony nor am I a Draconequus, He is the lord of Chaos I am an element of harmony. On the face of it those reasons are true but at the same time Fluttershy also knew he could very easily make her immortal, he could become a pony for certain situations and it wasn't his appearance she loved anyway so it didn't really make a difference and that despite the differences in personality they got along better than Fluttershy did even with the other elements. In reality it was simply that she couldn't muster the nerve to grab that smiling goat face and kiss it.

By the time she had finished her animal feeding with enough to last them the night as she wouldn't be here then, it was 25 to noon which placed her at 35 minuets late for meeting her friends at sugar cube corner. Not that it was really an alarming amount of time and her friends wouldn't be to worried for a good few hours yet but she still wanted to get there fast and relay any fears they might have had forming about her absence. She then hurriedly grabbed a blanket and a set of pyjamas and set of for the front door before noticing a letter. 'NO POST ON SUNDAYS.' Her mind yelled then she wondered what on earth brought that on. Never the less she picked up the letter and read the script on the front. In amazing eloquent hoof-writing it read. "To the most amazing mare in all of Equestria." she then noticed under it to the left bottom corner it had written. "From the desk of the Lord of Chaos." Fluttershy smiled and chucked the letter into her saddle bag, nuzzled a quick goodbye to angel who returned the gesture quickly before pushing her off and gesturing at the door. She took the hint and flew at top speed out of her house.

She glide softly through the clear skies and spotted her friends at a table out side of sugar cube corner enjoying a drink and chatting idly. They spotted her as she flew near and all bar one waved. The pink mare in abstinence from the waving leapt into the air and hugged her causing them both to fall to the ground in a pink and yellow mass of fur and feathers.

"Good to see you too pinky." Fluttershy muttered sounding a little colder than she had intended and the pink mares reaction was not what she wanted to see.

"I'm really sorry Fluttershy!!! I just saw you, and it was the first time you  had been here all day!!! And you had finally gotten here and I-I"

"Don't worry Pinky it's fine, sorry I was so short with you." To prove peace she put a hoof round her pink friend. With that she turned to the whole group. "Sorry I am late girls I may have stayed awake a little too late last night."

"Oh to busy bumping uglies with Discord to get some shut eye?" Rainbow said with a sing song voice sweet enough to give most ponies stomach ache.

"No, he just decided to stay until dinner and we kept talking." Adopts smug grin. "honestly dash you shouldn't be accusing me after having had Soarin at you house for god knows how long."

Rainbow flushed bright red, "H-How did you know that" she stuttered."

"Oh darling it is rather obvious that is where you have been, I can smell the aftershave you needed my help to pick out for him last Hearth's warming." Rarity chimed.

"And I may or may not have had a fairly good view of the two of you at it on the balcony when I was trying to star-gaze the other night. Honestly Dash you must remember I don't get my vision blocked by clouds any more with the new castle." Twilight chipped looking slightly smug.

Rainbow Dash's face lost all of it's colour and is an on looker at it they might assume Discord was up to his old tricks again. 'How could I have forgotten that' she groaned and flopped fully onto the ground face in the dust when she saw non of them where are all surprised by the revelation. 'What if they think less of me for it, I haven't even outwardly told them soaring and me are dating.'

Noting the disparate look on her face apple jack put a hoof on rainbows shoulder and said. "Hay now sugar cube, we are just teasing ya. Nothing wrong with it, you are both grown ponies after all." Rainbow dash looked up and Chuckled awkwardly then turned to Fluttershy reacquiring her cockiness and surety.

"Hey at least I am with a pony," the comfortable long term friendship between Rainbow and Fluttershy meant the mare wouldn't take it seriously. That an the huge shit eating grin on Rainbow's snout.

Fluttershy just shook her head before taking a leaf out of Discords theoretical book and throwing a nearby cup-cake at Rainbow Dash which hit her icing side directly between the eyes. She watched surprise flash over her red eyes. Fluttershy was begging to feel bad about what she did until she felt a cupcake plant itself on her forehead. This initiated a bit of a food war between the two as Pinkypie back out and scampered inside.

"CUPCAKE FIGHT!!!!"yelled pinky who had somehow produced a large cannon from the doorway which the rest of the elements could see was full with cupcakes. Twilight and Rarity both opened their mouths to protest before pinky fired. The table and the mares at it where coated in icing and destroyed sponge. After a few seconds in which every pony's re opened as windows through the icing.  Twilight and rarity both magically removed the icing from them whilst Apple Jack and Rainbow Dash charged the spent cannon. Before long the two and Pinky where all even more coated in icing and wrestling in it. Twilight Shook her head but grinned. Rarity freaked out over her ruined mane and started desperately making it obey her with minimal success. Fluttershy just sat and smiled at her friends. She felt happy and the letter from her favourite person was long forgotten in the bottom of her saddle bag. as the three got up and pinky quickly consumed the rest of the icing and cake. With that done they all walked back Twilights Castle where they went to the throne room.

-8-hours-later-

Fluttershy was happily seated in her comfy throne watching her friends. They had spent the vast majority of the day sitting around and talking about what had gone on in there lives since Twilight's time battle which she had informed the girls all about the week previous. Despite the fact that nothing had changed between the five of them they did seem to have less time to spend together. Between Twilight having to take on some jobs for Celestia who had briefly left the country for negotiations based on trades between Equestria and YakYakistan and had returned to be buried in work. The princes had been preparing for a slog-fest when Twilight had appeared in her chambers with intentions to catch up and hopefully find out the situation with the trade and noticed the somewhat swamped monarch could use help. Ever the keen subject Twilight had agreed to do about a third of it for her. and the fact that she was now dating the God of Death himself or Mortem as he preferred who was far from clingy but had a habit of causing a stir in royal court or surprising Twilight with a sudden planned evening together. These would often consist of a meal together and then something that only two beings with God level magic like them could do such as a walk in space. Twilight was surprised and partially relieved when last time they had just spent a night talking about junk in front of a fire. Evidently he was running out of ridiculous ideas which was probably a good thing. At the same time as that Dash had been trying to hide how close Soarin and her had gotten for a reason only known to her. Pinky's newest recipe had become the talk of Manehatten meaning she was having to spend a lot more time in the bakery and had even hired a helper called Cookie Jar. Fluttershy herself had been preparing the influx of animals she would get in spring and drawing up plans for another pet show. That and spending A LOT more time with Discord. Apple Jack was as busy as ever which was still unreasonably busy and Rarity had often been left with to much time on her hands with her friends busy so she has really stepped things up at the boutique.

Now they where all just relaxing something they all agreed was far to rare. Rarity had preened herself to perfection one again and was giving Pinky a pedicure whilst the pink mare was testing the power of a gift Discord had given her. He had made a glass appear in the colour of her coat, filled it with chocolate milk by ringing out a cotton candy cloud before quickly enchanting the whole thing to be an infinite well of chocolate milk that could only be accessed with a bendy straw the draconequus had also provided. She had been going for a good five minuets and showed no signs of slowing down as her stomach slowly expanded. Fluttershy would have been worried but knowing Pinky next time she was out of sight she would become her old self again and not realise anything had happened. Whilst this was happening Twilight was idly reading a book whilst Rainbow was arguing with Mortem about whether In-Flames was better than Dark-Tranquillity or the other way around. This had happened almost immediately when he had arrived back from observing the fruits of his training recommendations. He had barely paused his music from his headphones to say hello to the girls before Rainbow had recognised End time hearts and had sparked a conversation about music asking if he also liked In Flames thus triggering the argument. Apple Jack was just reclining relaxing and seemed to be nodding off. Fluttershy knew she was not asleep as her throne would have become a  bed due to the castle predicting this event before they had started it. Speaking of which Fluttershy was feeling increasingly tired as she was not in an active conversation and by her standards it was starting to get late. Her thoughts drifted to Discord. 'Maybe I could persuade the girls to let me invite him along next week' Fluttershy considered this but decided he probably wouldn't want to as he was still not overly close with Rarity or Apple Jack and might find spending a night with them odd, Discords uncomfortable odd obviously as most pony's idea of odd was his element. She felt she was forgetting something about the draconequus but couldn't place it in her tired mind so she just fell asleep. Her throne quickly turned itself into a bed and produced a soft warm duvet which fell a few inches onto the sleeping yellow mare. Twilight was the only one who noticed and she simply smiled, She was glad to see Fluttershy wasn't feeling any worse than she did before Tirek. Twilight was also glad she was still getting on with Discord as well as before. She may have had her doubts about him and even about sending him against Tirek, however his true sorrow and watching him swallow his pride and apologise to Celestia told her he know understood friendship and had taken on a little of each of the elements. That and that the castle doors had formed tall enough that he didn't have to duck when he entered which must meed the magic of friendship trusted him. She stood up and decided to rescue her Colt-friend from her multi-chromatic friend as she seemed to be getting a little to passionate about this discussion since he had mentioned he didn't really like In Flames.

"Come on you two, everypony has their own taste and that isn't wrong or right." She chided the pair with a little friendship wisdom. Mortem appeared next to her and pulled her into a wing-embrace. She hugged him right back. Despite the fact his body was meant to kill and handle dead souls when he wanted to be he could be a real softy and very passionate.

"Right you are my dear Twilight" He said as he rubbed her face against hers. Pulling back a little he whispered into her ear "Even if In Flames are complete rubbish." With that he gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Twilight leant subconsciously into the kiss and deepened it slightly. As much as both of them wanted to make it last a good amount longer they had to brake apart and Twilight remembered he had just gone against the friendship code even for a joke.

Twilight hoofed him gently in the ribs to which he pretended to be Mortally wounded and asked in an exasperated magically strained voice why Twilight  would betray him like this. Both Twilight and Rainbow Giggled at this act and Rainbow decided to give him a less gentle second strike. However he was not one thing to let her inflate her head further by landing a hit so he caught it in his wing and pulled her onto the ground smirking at the slightly surprised look on her face. Twilight shook her head at the ridiculous ponies before turning to the room and saying "Okay everypony, I think it is time we at least pretended to be trying to sleep as Fluttershy has already decided to turn in. Just as she said that Apple Jacks Throne bedified itself as she had clearly fallen asleep. Reassured of her decision she magically forced the other Thrones to follow suit. She knew full well her and the other three mares wouldn't be asleep for another few hours but at least she could say she tried. She turned to Mortem and said in a low voice. "I am happy to see you, when they all fall asleep If I have kept myself awake I will come join you in our room."

Mortem smiled back at her and softly said. "The amount you sit up in that library, I think you could stay awake for a month if need be." He said this slightly wistfully before facing her and saying in a warm tone. "I am happy to be back with you Twi Hopefully by then I will be finished writing up the reports for the ball and chain." As the reports came up his voice lost its warmth and with that he walked off to his study. Twilight watched him go, she knew full well that "the ball and chain" was in reference to Celestia who would be expecting a report on his observations of the guards training and a set of suggested improvement. Him and Celestia where actually reasonable good friends, certainly better than they where when Mortem had first arrived back in Equestria but he was not one to graciously receive orders from any pony, even Celestia. She trotted over to and climbed into her throne bed and started up a conversation with Rainbow Dash about the rumours of a penultimate final daring do book. Of course the Girls knew that Daring Do was actually a real person and as such this could only mean that she was getting tired of the whole adventure racket or had finally won against her nemesis Ahuizotl. As time slipped by and was approaching midnight the remaining mares drifted off. Bar Twilight of course who simply pretended by having a relaxing lie down against her stack of pillows. Once she was sure she was the only one awake the lavender alicorn slipped out of bed and Headed to her main bedroom where Mortem was, no doubt. She opened the door and looked in, she had other plans that sleeping straight away due to the fact she hadn't actually had a complete night with him for a few weeks due to both their work getting hectic but was stuck by how much less imposing Mortem looked when he was asleep. He was in his pony form which he spent most of his time around other ponies in. Twilight has asked him to as his natural form looked like the creatures Twilight had met in Equestria high and made pretty much everyone uncomfortable at first. His mouth hung lazily open with his tongue hanging out and his main was an absolute mess. One wing sloppily flopped out from under the bed clothes occasionally fluttering a little. She smiled at the sight and slipped into bed so that he was facing her trying not to wake him. Sadly as his body didn't need to sleep and he simply did it as it was relaxing that was nearly impossible. No sooner had she reached her for blanket to grab some had it floated into the air and with a giggle she was encircled by wings and pulled to Mortems chest which she buried her her face into noticing with a slight blush that as he transformed into his as he called it "Human" form he had not summoned any bed clothes. As the transformation was complete he dropped the blanket onto them both before leaning up to the side of Twilight's horn and hissing her mane and then relaxing into sleep replacing his wings with his arms around her body as by default the transformation removed them alongside his horn.