Hearths Warming, Hearts Breaking

Chapters

Painful Revelations
The Sun Will Still Shine
A Visit From Mommy

Painful Revelations

The sounds of war reverberated through the chilly winter air that morning, as well as the high pitched squeals and screams of ponies as they ran for cover from the projectiles above. Victorious chants and battle cries echoed through out Equestria, and weapons flew through the air; a soft wet snow ball landing smack dab in the center of a certain draconequus's face.

"Oho, very funny," Discord muttered, swiftly packing some snow into a giant ball of his own. "This one is coming straight for your FACE!" He lobbed his weapon, which flew like a fast ball straight over Fluttershy's rosette mane. The pegasus only smiled and fluttered higher into the air, laughing as his aim missed again.

Everypony was out this morning; the air was brisk and frigid cold, decorated with falling snow, but nopony wanted to miss the biggest blizzard of the season. Snowballs were being lobbed everywhere in Ponyville, and everypony wanted to make good use of the snow. The quieter and calmer ponies built humble little snow sculptures out in their lawn, while the rest engaged in fierce rough and tumble play.

Originally sculpting in the snow was what Fluttershy had planned; she had wanted to make little snow dens for some of her animals. It all changed the moment she stepped outside and Discord had stomped on the roof of the cottage, shaking an avalanche on top of her. Then it was on.

"That all you got?" Discord shouted from behind his tree. "I've seen fillies do better!" Aptly thing to say considering he was the one getting pummeled by a little girl. The response was merely another wet ball to splash into his face.

He loved snowball fights. So chaotic, so free, so fun. It was always interesting to see how they would escalate and to what degree of violence they'd reach. He loved manipulating the soft white crystals under his fingertips and turning them into whatever shape he pleased.

"You've seen fillies do better? Really?" Fluttershy giggled softly. "I'm not the one under a mountain of snow, you know!"

The three had found a perfect, unoccupied area just in the outskirts of town, close to Everfree. There was nopony to butt in or distract them. Most were somewhere in town square. Originally Fluttershy had wanted to go there, but figured the town would probably run off in fear if they saw the spirit. Plus, there was no telling what trouble Discord could get into.

"Fluttershy, remember the techniques I taught you to making a perfect snowball," her mother advised, having parked herself under a tree with a canister of her daughter's tea. Snowflakes patterned the faded mane and the winter air made her look positively ghastly. The only part of her seeming to glow amidst the rest of her features were her vibrant and sparkling blue eyes.

Discord tried to get his mind off the mare; she wasn't his problem after all. He didn't show much compassion if a pony got terribly ill, even if he did agree it was a total waste of life. Even when he ruled Equestria, he never killed simply because it was completely wasteful when the ponies could have been useful for something, such as his own amusement.

His mind kept drifting to Fluttershy, sweet, naive, and ridiculously oblivious Fluttershy. He gazed thoughtfully at the joyous sparkle in the pegasus's eyes and wondered if the sparkle would still be there if she found out. Or would it extinguish forever?

His eyes drifted back to the sickly mare under the tree, and she smiled sweetly and waved at him, clearly not seeing the true nature of his expression. Her eyes widened and he was just about to question her and got his answer when he was suddenly tackled into the wet snow.

He muffled out curses and threats as the pony forced the freezing snow into his mouth. He swiped at her with a paw and managed to get a good hold of her mane, yanking her away from him by the hair.

Camellia only laughed through out all of this, merrily sipping at the steaming tea and watching as Fluttershy pinned the annoyed and struggling spirit into the snow, covering him with snow and pretty well burying him. The elder pegasus gasped, laughing as a snowball landed with a splash into her tea. She struggled up, backing away in alarm when her daughter charged towards her.

Discord furiously wiped the freezing snow off his face, glaring through the remaining white mess in the direction of the tree. He summoned some glue, made it into a ball and prepared to destroy that little pegasus with it. He lowered his weapon as Fluttershy tackled her own mother into the snow. The mare was laughing, but Discord could tell she was in quite a bout of pain.

"Mummy, I remember we always used to wrestle in the snow," Fluttershy giggled, effortlessly wrestling with the weaker hooves; her mother trying to keep the grimace of pain from showing as her daughter sat gently on her chest.

"A-and I always beat you," Camellia strained through her teeth, trying to make that fact true as she grappled with her filly. Eventually, she fell back in the snow, suppressing the groans. The oblivious pegasus laughed victoriously while Discord gave a cringe himself.

"Know what we should do tomorrow, Mummy?" Fluttershy had given up the roughhousing and only laid her head down on her mother's chest, nuzzling under the furry chin. "You and I should go skating like we used to." She didn't notice the look of panic on her mother's face.

"I mean – well, I still can't really skate... My legs still wobble terribly on the ice, but I know it will be ever so fun with you and Discord!"

Camellia bit her lip, easing her way out from under Fluttershy's gentle, yet still painful hold. "I...well..."

Say something, Discord tried to drill into the stupid mom's head. Tell her the truth! Anyone can see you've been lying; you're as see-through as a glass of water. He rolled his eyes when the mother forced out a cheerful agreement. Ponies were so stupid sometimes.

"FLU-TTER-SHY!" All three heads turned to the angry voice, which belonged to a steaming, pink earth pony. An earth pony glaring wildly as she approached them, a large frown on her face, somewhere through the snow covering her snout.

"Fluttershy and Discord and Fluttershy's Mom! You ponies know you're supposed to be at the party! I mean – your mom is the main GUEST at the party, so we can't exactly – like – have the party for your MOM when your MOM isn't there! It doesn't make sense! I love parties and when I arrange a party for my very best, terrific friends I expect them to show UP!"

As the pony finished her harsh scolding, all three heads looked curiously at each other. Then Fluttershy's eyes widened,

"Oh, goodness – the party!" She hopped out of the snow and trotted over to Pinkie Pie, nuzzling her side. "I'm so sorry; we all got distracted by the snowfall and forgot all about it."

The annoyed pout lasted only a few more seconds before that ever cheerful and goofy grin took hold. "Oh, that's okay~" Pinkie chirped, "Everypony makes mistakes. Anyways, come on – it's at Twilight's! It's gonna be supery-duper fantastic!" She gave an eager hop, before changing directions and promptly hopping back to the direction of the library.

"Well, who won then?" Discord asked, floating into the air and brushing the clinging snow off his body. There was a lot of it. Fluttershy effortlessly needed to simply give one shake to get the tiny amount of snow he threw at her off.

"I think it is safe to say that I won," the pegasus grinned triumphantly, holding her head high victoriously – just to get a ball of..marshmallows in the face. She glared at him through her sticky eyes, wiping a hoof over her face, just to get that stuck to her cheeks. Discord laughed hysterically as the pony tried yanking her hoof off, only to fail miserably.

"Yet I get the final blow," the spirit smirked, casually floating on his back with his hands behind his head.

Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes as the two jabbered on like siblings in a playful spat (if one could call it playful), and she led them through the plush snow. "It's so, sooo cold out today, I almost froze my poor hoofsies on the way here! They say it's supposed to get colder tonight, but I mean how could it get any colder than THIS!?"

Discord rolled his eyes, while Fluttershy and Camellia softly laughed, discussing their skating trip the next morning, debating on what lakes they'd hit. Discord stayed silent through the entire conversation; the urge to blurt the truth to Fluttershy overwhelming. It was a relief when they finally reached the library. Before even reaching the large tree he could hear the echoing dance music.

Usually when he entered a filled with ponies, they'd give him suspicious and hard looks, or they'd simply turn their backs. This time, however, he was trampled without a second thought as every pony hurried over and crowded around Camellia.

"Oh, Miss Camellia, we're so glad you came!" Twilight gushed, leading the pegasus mother through the door. "We went through a lot of effort to make you feel welcomed."

Indeed, the room had a distinctive partying atmosphere with floating, fat balloons and colorful streamers, but it also seemed to have some elegance. Instead of party food, there was a small table with biscuits and a steaming pot of tea. Twilight had set out a few parcels on another table, and the air smelled fragrant of tea. This definitely hadn't been Pinkie Pie's idea.

"Gee, that snow out there sure did cover ya whole, huh," Applejack chuckled, every pony waiting for the mare to shake the white snow off and step inside. Camellia smiled questionably as the ponies stared, and that's when it dawned on them: there was barely a speck of snow clinging to her, despite how sickly white her coat was. A few pairs of eyes subtly drifted down at the swollen limbs and they all exchanged glances.

Fluttershy, completely oblivious to all of this, smiled and tugged her sick mother into the house. "Oh, I know Mummy looks a little paler than usual. She has a cold, really." Her smile broke the hearts of everyone in the room. "She's getting better though, and she's on a lot of medicine."

The five pairs of eyes turned to Discord, who gave a helpless shrug and a look that said "what am I supposed to do?"

Twilight was the first to break the awkward and gloomy silence; her voice was slightly broken as she spoke, ushering Camellia to the guest chair of honor. No pony looked happy now, and their faces were full of questions.

Camellia was either oblivious to this or simply used to it as she nonchalantly sipped her tea, the rest of the ponies quietly following suit. She attempted to strike up a conversation with Twilight:

"You're Twilight, dear, am I right?" The lavender unicorn mumbled a soft 'yes, ma'am.' "I was told you knew a lot about gardening and could give me some tips from your book."

Twilight flushed with happiness, her face turning a happy pink. It was rare anypony expressed interests in her books, and she was always happy to share her wisdom with anypony that was willing to listen. Still beaming, the unicorn levitated the book with her horn, flipping through pages and using her magic to hover the hoofbook in front of the pegasus.

"It's not really anything, I guess," Twilight said shyly, scraping her hoof slightly against the ground and using magic to flip a few pages. "I didn't really have a gift for you, but I figured you could make good use of this book." She laughed. "Equestria knows I hardly get out to garden."

"Hardly?" Spike snorted, pouring them refills of tea. "Twilight, you never garden." He yelped as the unicorn lightly bucked him.

Camellia took the book into her hooves, carefully studying the pages and merrily flipping until she reached the carnation page. She sat there in the chair, as absorbed as Twilight was when she cracked open a good book. Suddenly the mother had to do a double take when the words subtly twirled on the page.

She didn't catch the soft snickering from high above the table where Discord was hovered at the ceiling. Rather fearing that her pain and the general illness were causing her to hallucinate, she dropped the book, watching as the words floated off the page.

Twilight's smile had faded by this point, and she gave a tiny shriek as the words drifted from the book and dangled in the air. "NO – that's bad! Augh-!" She jumped at them, trying to gather as much as she could and slam them into a book. "No..augh! Stay ON the page!" Discord had kept his magic ignited hand out of their field of vision, tears in his eyes as he fought to suppress the hysterical laughter.

"This is bad! Spiiike!" The baby dragon emerged from where he was stacking books on the top floor. He yelped, dropping them all and charging down the stairs and diving at the words. The more they slammed into the book the more that spilled out into the air.

Discord, by this point was kicking his legs and laughing like a child, holding his stomach as tears spilled down his face. "Perhihihihceless!" Twilight glared up at him furiously when she saw the dim golden coating around his talon.

"Discord! Stop messing with my books!" This earned only a belligerent "no" as the spirit smashed a cream pie into her face and turned a few of her books into bananas.

"Stop now or you won't get your Hearths Warming present!" Twilight warned, spitting out pieces of the pie, and was pleased to see that effectively shut him up, his ears perking up in excitement.

"A present?" Eyes sparkling, the spirit released his magic banana hold on the books and put the words back in, before darting over the table and towards the holiday tree. Twilight galloped after him, while the curious mother watched on and Fluttershy hid her face in her hooves.

"Hey – no - no!" Twilight angrily ignited her horn, a violet hue grabbing Discord's tail as she began to forcibly yank him out from under the tree by magic. Discord glared behind him, digging his nails into the wooden floorboards as she yanked at him. He gave a low growl, an involuntary shiver of fear riding up his spine as the unicorn that almost killed him grabbed at him.

"Let go!" he snarled, the shiver shuddering his body as he kicked at the unicorn. Twilight was really pulling now – it hurt. "Ow ow ow!" Getting his presents early was not worth it. Rolling his eyes, he let go, which ironically enough was a terrible idea. Twilight could feel her body being strained backwards as she pulled with all her might, and when he let go...

Both went flying backwards, nearly taking the tree with them. Twilight could see the blur of colored ponies in her field of vision rush up to her face fast, and she thrust her body sideways slightly, enough to dig her hooves into the wooden flooring. Her back barely tapped the table – and that's when Discord slammed into her. Both uttered cries of pain as they careened into the table. Every pony rushed to get up, and from the corner of his eye the spirit saw Fluttershy desperately try to tug her mother out of the way, but it was too late: the table splintered and both unicorn and heavy, full grown spirit crashed on top of her.

Camellia wasn't able to suppress the agonized gasp as the draconequus and unicorn both tumbled onto her. Tears stung her eyes, but at seeing her daughter's horrified eyes on her, she tried to quiver out a smile. It didn't work; the sobs threatened to over take her. It felt as if every bone in her body had been broken into tiny shards. The pain was just excruciating, and she knew pain.

Discord pushed himself off, backing up on all fours, and it wasn't just because he was currently in too much pain to stand. His ears inadvertently lowered and he chewed on the inside of his lip. Oh Equestria, this was bad.

Fluttershy was horrified, the look on her face easily showing her pain and confusion. Alright, sure getting crushed by a full grown spirit would hurt a little bit, but wasn't her mother being a bit over dramatic?

It was then the pegasus took in her mother's full condition; the swollen, throbbing limbs; the ghastly white face and sagging skin; the feeble looking bones. She backed up a bit, shaking her head. Was this common with a cold? She had taken care of enough animals to know that weakness was a common factor, as was paleness, but...swollen limbs?

"Fluttershy, dear," Camellia gasped out, squinting the tears away desperately, not wanting to make her daughter suspicious. "Please, can we go home?"

Fluttershy said nothing as she wedged herself shakily under her mother's chest, lifting the mare up onto her back as she shakily made her way out the door, feelings of dread racking her brain, twisting at her mind. She tried to ignore them; she needed to focus on her mother right now.

Discord's body throbbed and ached as he pushed himself up to a painful stand, flexing his sore tail and scanning his eyes over the damage he caused: the table was kindling, and dishes were strewn about, broken everywhere on the ground, food splattered about.

He hardly cared about the damage and in fact smirked as Twilight groaned in pain, but it faded as he looked over to where Fluttershy was taking her injured mother out the door. The mare looked terrible, even worse than last night, and Fluttershy was just...

Every step caused his abused body to throb; it was still pretty sensitive with left over scars from the ordeal nearly half a year ago. His body was slightly more fragile, making him more susceptible to injuries. He dropped unsteadily on all fours and began advancing towards the door once Fluttershy opened it. When she paused, he tilted his head curiously. To be honest, the sharp and cold tone to her voice gave him an eerie shiver:

"You're staying here." The door closed roughly, not a slam but not gentle either. Discord sat there at the doorway, flying himself to the window and peering out it. The cold eyes that stared back seemed completely devoid of forgiveness. For how long he would never know.

"You despicable varmint." Applejack was the first to speak, her tone low and icy cold. Discord didn't turn to her or even show a sign he acknowledged her. "Couldn't contain yourself, could ya? Ya just had to ruin a perfect day just like ya always do!"

Slowly, the spirit turned to her, silently, his eyes narrowed coldly, trying to shut out the pain he was feeling. It was an accident. For once - for the first time in his life - some sort of chaos he caused was not intentional. Even he would never stoop as low as to torment a terminally ill pony.

"It was an accident," he hissed, slowly raising into the air and hovering high over every pony, glaring down their accusing stares, trying to wipe them off their faces with a fierce look of his own. It didn't work.

"What a low blow!" Rainbow Dash added, "don't you have any class? Do you have to be pathetic enough to pick on a sick pony? What, were you just trying to hurt Fluttershy?"

Oh, that was it.

Twilight only had seconds to react as the honest to goodness animal snarl tore from the multibeast's throat, and his palms ignited with a crackling fire. Luckily, the unicorn jumped in between them just in time before the fatal tendril of magic almost singed off the horrified pegasus's face. She absorbed it with a strong magic barrier, and used magic to hold them both to the spot.

"That is enough, you two," Twilight ordered, taking the liberty to cast a soothing spell on them both. The anger seemed to diminish, as well as their desire to kill each other, and both shakily sat. "I'm sure...things aren't as bad as they seem."

"Oh come now, are you as naive as that dumb pegasus?" Discord snapped. "You're supposed to be the intelligent one of the bunch!" He knocked her on the head with a fist, her head making a comically hollow sound. "Hellooo? Anything in here?"

Twilight smacked him off. "What I mean is, well, maybe she looks really terrible, but, well – hey, I know I look pretty terrible myself whenever I get sick. I get very pale and-" She trailed off as Discord rolled his eyes and looked on disapprovingly.

"Twilight, she's dying," he said bluntly. "She's dying and she's dying fast. I'm sure we're both aware of it – matter of fact, I'm sure we're all aware of it. I don't know how long this pony has been sick, but from what Fluttershy has told me it sounds like she's been ailed with this since Fluttershy was only a filly."

Every one of the ponies exchanged looks and bowed their heads; some eyes brimming with tears. "There's gotta be something we can do," Applejack muttered. "There's just gotta be!" They all turned to Discord hopefully, and the spirit snorted.

"Oh, what, you think I can just wave a magic wand and make her miraculously well? Magic does not work that way – not even mine."

True if she died he'd have the powers to bring her back to life, but it was under certain conditions that he could do that. The spell had incredible drawbacks: though the victim would arise alive they would only stay alive if what they had was survivable. If a pony died from a heart attack, he could most likely bring them back and they'd live on happily, unless their heart attack stemmed from another illness, such as cancer. If he brought Camellia back to life she'd only be revived in a body of agony. He couldn't do that.

"There is nothing I can do," Discord's voice was angry, but it was soft, sorrowful even. Fluttershy would lose her mother...soon.

He pushed himself up on all fours, head bowed to the ground, eyes narrowed hatefully at the situation and at himself. "If you'll all excuse me, I believe I need to find a new place to live." He left without another word.

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Fluttershy hadn't had much time to think things over and reconsider her mother's illness; she had been on the go since she got home, boiling tea, wrapping her mother in blankets, giving her cough medicine, preparing some soup.

The injured pegasus wasn't faring the best as she laid there in a trembling heap on the couch, paler than usual, frailer too. She shuddered now and then from the pain, tears soaking her face fur, dripping down her muzzle from behind her glasses.

Her daughter was so sweet, so wonderful. She was the only – the last ray of hope in her life and had been since her husband died so many years ago. That little sparkle in those bright blue eyes kept her going. Yet...here she was lying to her face about her illness.

Darling, forgive me...

"Fluttershy, sweetheart, would you please do me a favor and fetch my book from my saddlebag please? I could do with some nice reading while I'm laying here" The mare failed to realize what else she had in that bag.

Fluttershy nodded to her mother, shakily trotting over to the bag, flipping open the leather flap and reaching in with her mouth. She yelped when something sliced into her nose, and she realized it was a piece of paper.

Oh no, Mummy's pages didn't fall out, did they? Her mother loved her books just as much as Twilight did. She'd be crushed if a page had ripped out. Hurriedly, the pegasus latched her mouth around both book and crumpled paper, and she pulled them out.

Smoothing a hoof to fix up the paper, Fluttershy tilted her head when she saw that this was a note from a doctor in Ponyville. Oh, it was a prescription; her mother probably hadn't had the chance to go get some cough medicine from the doctor. Well, Fluttershy would fix that. As she read the paper, her heart started to tie in painful knots, and her stomach twisted. What was all this? What were all these words? She hadn't ever heard of this medicine before!

"Mummy?" Smiling, the mare turned to her daughter, still holding her tea. When she saw the look on Fluttershy's face and the object she was holding she instantly dropped it. The tea exploded like a wet bomb as it slammed into the wood flooring; shards of the cup flew everywhere.

"Mummy, what is..." Fluttershy tried not to let her mouth tremble as she gripped the notice. After all, this weird fancy word could just be a doctor's fancy way of saying...medicine, right? "What is this? What is..a dialysis?"

The mare stood frozen for a few moments, voice held hostage by her fear as her coat paled a few lighter shades than usual. Her daughter stared at her, pleadingly, clasping her hooves together, eyes searching.

"That...that's my medicine, dear," Camellia said calmly, trotting over to the kitchen counter with difficulty and pouring herself another soothing cup of tea. The porcelain pot trembled in her mouth, but Fluttershy hardly noticed as the liquid spilled over the counter and burned the tips of her hooves.

"My medicine – that's all." It wasn't a lie – at all, really; it was medicine to help her, it just...definitely was not the kind of medicine her daughter thought she was taking. "It's the medicine the doctor gives me to help me feel better." She expected to get a relieved smile and a nod of the head, but not this time.

Fluttershy's ears flattened and her eyes narrowed. "I have never heard of this medicine before... I take care of all kinds of animals, so I know of every cold medicine there is," she hissed softly, and her mother shut her eyes.

It was then that it dawned on her when so far ago in her memory she recalled an incident that happened when she was a child. She was only young and had attempted a hoof at flying. She had crashed into other pegasi and broken her wing. When she was at the hospital, she had made friends with another young pegasus.

The pegasus had been on these peculiar tubes, and had told Fluttershy what was wrong with her, what the tubes did, what...a dialysis was... No – no, it couldn't be true, it was not true! Her mother would never-

"You...you LIED to me!" Fluttershy cried, fiercely backing away as her mother tried to put a wing around her. "All these years – all this time, you lied to me! You got sick when I was three – when I was three!!"

Her mother desperately tried to extend a hoof to her, but the distraught pony smacked it away. "How could you!?" she shouted, already starting to dissolve into sobs. "How could you lie to me!? Why wouldn't you tell me!?"

The elder mare was in sobs as well, and they shook her entire body. Fluttershy's trembling eyes scanned her mother's form; the swollen legs, the ghastly white coat, her entire trembling form. Fluttershy started crying harder, gripping at her head in grief. How could she have been so stupid? How could she not have seen?

...How could her mother lie to her?

Fluttershy had to get out of there. She scrambled past her mother, tripping into the table and sending dishes flying. She didn't even bother to look where she was going and disregarded everything, even the dishes she sent smashing as she burst through her cottage door.

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Discord had been walking for minutes. No, hours. ...Days? No, definitely not days – now he was being silly. Of course it wasn't his fault he was so incoherent, it was this deadly freezing night. His body was consumed in a cold numbness; the only indication his limbs were still in tact was when he saw them make their prints in the soft snow.

Every part of him throbbed with a sharp pain, and he felt like a statue (ha, he had experience with that!) with every step. Everfree's trees passed by him in an endless snow covered line, and he could no longer see a trace of Ponyville. His lungs burned as the frigid winds wrapped their steely, cold fingers around them, trying to siphon off his air.

What was he doing, he mentally scoffed to himself. Was he trying to run away? How childish was he? (One shouldn't ask for an answer to that question). No, he wasn't trying to run away per say, but there was no way in Equestria he was going to attempt to go back to the cottage tonight. Or tomorrow. Another Hearths Warming Eve alone; it wasn't like he ever wanted anything to do with the stupid holiday anyways. He was used to spending it alone in the courtyard, watching from behind stone walls as the Canterlot Palace shone with twinkling lights.

Maybe he should leave, it was probably for the best. After all, he needed to leave her eventually and what better time than now when she probably hated him? Where would he go, and what would he do? Psh, he had so little magic and no home; may as well turn himself into Celestia and request to go back into stone. At least there he had something to protect him from the weather.

His body had advanced as far as it could muster in the blizzard, and it was already injured and weak from the accident earlier. He collapsed in the snow, trying to weakly summon some sort of shelter. The golden hue glowed from the tip of his fingers...and then extinguished.

It was no use. He was too weak to use magic, and he definitely wasn't strong enough to withstand a physical attack if an Everfree monster tried to take him on. It didn't help that he was in the open, not even sheltered by trees, and with no hope of his brightly colored body camouflaging into the snow.

The spirit let his face fall miserably into the wet snow, ears flopping to the sides of his head, where they froze and stuck there. He never thought he'd die like this. He was so sure his death would be by the Elements of Harmony finally having sense enough to kill him. Nope, it was going to be the stupid, stupid cold.

He never even had the chance to apologize to Fluttershy. How strange, an apology...what did it feel like? It had been eons since he felt remorse for anything, and he was fairly certain he'd never apologize to some sniveling pony, for anything. Of course by now he had come to terms with the fact that Fluttershy meant much more to him than just a simple pony.

And here I never even had the chance to tell her that.

As he closed his tired, wet eyes, somewhere over the howling winds he could hear soft, sniffling cries. They were drawing closer. It didn't take much time to discern who they belonged to.

"Fluttershy!!" Discord yelled, snarling and fighting with the snow that had him pinned from where it collected on his back. Suddenly, he was no longer numb; his strength was back, as were a few sparks of magic.

With a blast of fire, he rid the small area of all snow and bolted up from the grassy spot, running through the forest. What was she thinking? EVERFREE? This stupid pony was afraid of her own shadow, let alone going to Everfree for whatever reason. With this weather, it was doubtless she'd get lost in the clouds of white.

"FLUTTERSHY!" He whirled around wildly in the air, panicking and searching desperately for any sign of her. It was no use, he could barely see a tinge of green from the trees; the blizzard was just far too severe to see anything. He groaned and had to resist the urge to shut his eyes as the snow whipped into them, searing his face with an icy pain. It was far too cold.

Finally there was a slight break in the frigid winds; the tempo of the snow at last slowing down some, and he could finally make out the traces of the rosette tail decorated with white. He showed no mercy and no restraint as his claw latched fiercely into the base of the tail, roughly yanking the sobbing and incoherent pegasus to him.

"What are you doing!!" he screamed harshly, needing to over the roaring winds and over Fluttershy's sobs. His claws latched into Fluttershy's shoulders, digging slightly into the flesh, but Fluttershy hardly seemed to notice, even as the dents were made in her frozen, honey colored skin.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" Discord continued to roar at the trembling pony, giving her a fierce shake. "Get back to the cott-" His grip tightened as Fluttershy desperately fought against him, hitting at him in grief, thrusting back desperately, trying to scramble away. Discord fumbled and dropped the pony halfway into the snow, before pinning both her hooves together and jerking her roughly up to his face.

"FLUTTERSHY!" he growled sharply, "enough already! Stop it!" He was breathing harshly, still gripping the pony tightly as he shakily fell on his haunches in the snow. "It's over," he said, voice low. "There is nothing you can do..." His paw and talon moved behind her to support the broken pegasus before she collapsed in the snow.

"It's over, dear," he repeated softly, keeping the paw behind her. "It's over.."

Barely anything intelligible could be heard in between the broken, soft wailing as she cried, sinking deeper and deeper into the snow; the only thing keeping her from falling into it being that same, soft paw.

"No," she whispered hoarsely, the tears staining her candy striped scarf. "No...no..." She shook her head, dim blue eyes igniting with a slight spark of hope as she tried to stand, only to collapse against his arm. "No, m-maybe the doctor wrote the..the wrong prescription.. M-maybe dialysis really is just a fancy word for-for cough...drops?"

The spirit's glare deepened and he wedged a talon under her chin, forcing the trembling and tear filled eyes to meet his stern, harsh, yet sympathetic eyes. "Enough," he commanded. "Stop trying to fool yourself. Accept what's real and stop feeding yourself lies." A claw raked through the snow covered mane. "You may think you're shielding yourself from more pain, but you aren't."

Fluttershy's entire body quivered as she let this sink in. She had been lying to herself; she had known her mother was sick, but she was too stupid to believe it. So stupid and so...childish! So ignorant. Her mother had been showing her signs, and yet she had ignored it. All because she didn't want herself to be in pain.

Discord sat there as the broken, wailing pegasus buried into his cinnamon fur and drenched it; the howling winds and her hysterical sobbing forming to create a symphony of anguish, that broke the hearts of everypony that heard it carrying through the winds that evening.

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(All of my tears.

(To answer any questions, Camellia has a chronic and now fatal kidney disease, hence the swollen limbs.)

Have your box of tissues ready for the next and final chapter.)

The Sun Will Still Shine

His paw and talon were quickly becoming frozen; snow icing the tips of his nails, and it stung as it stuck to the fabric. Despite the numbing sting, the spirit wouldn't lower his hand from where he was holding the warm, hastily summoned blanket to Fluttershy.

It seemed to have taken ages for Fluttershy to stop crying, and he had in fact watched as the moon began to rise through the sky, indicating the probable hour or so as the anguish, pain and tears continued. The bright, shining eyes usually so full of life and shining were now dim pricks – like lights at the end of a long tunnel. She was broken, barely coherent, trembling into him. Holding her was getting uncomfortable, but experimentally releasing her only caused the unstable pegasus to collapse into the snow.

The spirit flexed his stiff, frozen fingers and dug them deep into the snow, pushing his body up. When he tried to flap his wings he found icicles lined the base. Flying wasn't an option, and neither was setting her down to walk on her own. The spirit trekked on through the snow with the pony half swaddled in his arms.

The storm was finally beginning to let up, even if the frigid cold wouldn't. The seemingly endless walk home continued on, and Discord's body was consumed in agony by the time he finally grasped the freezing, metal door knob and twisted it. He was still sensitive from the tumble earlier today, and adding the damage of the cold just made it all the more painful.

Ha, pain. As if he had the right to feel bad about his own boo-boos when there was a terminally ill pony in their house. He rolled his eyes and ran a heavily stressed paw down the center of his face.

The crisp and warm cottage air rippled through his fur, melting away the flakes of snow and thawing the coating of ice as he shakily stepped through the cottage door and lowered the trembling, butter colored ball into his own bed, not having the strength to climb the steps and get her to her own room.

Fluttershy wasn't sleeping, despite her eyes being closed and the way she comfortingly curled into his blankets and pillow. Discord just sat there, part of him wanting to throw the stupid pony off his bed so he could curl up on it – it wasn't as if she was the one who was hurt! ...Not physically anyways – while another part of him wanted to shake her awake and demand what had happened, and yet another part simply wanted to curl up on the floor and forget everything in sleep.

He finally sunk into the floor and watched the patterns of the distraught pony's erratic breathing as she shifted restlessly in his bed. Everything was nice and silent, but it seemed...just a tad off to him. At this point of the night he'd be hearing the sifting of pages from Camellia's dumb books, or at least see a sliver of light from her door.

Discord groggily sat up, hovering in the air as he scanned the room for any sign of the mother mare. Her saddle bag was gone, as were her winter clothing; one torn piece of parchment paper glinted in his eye from on the table.

His head was turned away from the notice as he hesitantly picked it up, eyes closed as he brought the paper in his field of vision. He was nervous of what it might say. Finally, the apprehensive spirit cracked an eye open and briefly scanned it, wishing he hadn't.

Yes, Camellia was gone; it looked as if she had left a few hours ago since the candle she had lit on her way out was extinguished, and not even a trail of smoke came from the wick. She had gone to the hospital for an early treatment, figuring Fluttershy needed some time anyways.

There's no time in the world that can make up for your appalling lie, Discord thought, absently pulling a blanket up over Fluttershy and settling himself on the hard wood floor. He glanced out the window where the thermometer was visibly dropping before his very eyes. Oh, perfect weather for a sick pony to go out in. Dear Equestria, stupidity ran in Fluttershy's family.

Sighing, eyes closing, Discord laid into the hard ground and drifted into a sleep far from peaceful; Fluttershy's short, gasping whimpers haunting him all through the night.

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Tomorrow was Hearth's Warming Eve, and every tree in Ponyville was decorated with strings of tinsel that shone as if diamonds were embedded in every fiber; crystal like ornaments hanging from them. Ponies trotted by with brightly wrapped gifts in their mouths, smiling and giggling among their equine friends as they chatted eagerly about Hearth's Warming the next day.

The only part of Equestria that seemed completely devoid of holiday spirit was the humble, placid little cottage near Everfree. Surprisingly enough, it was not a certain draconequus that wasn't in the mood, but a certain pegasus.

Discord was lounging on a plush, pink cloud, mismatched legs crossed over himself as he glanced back now and then to the distraught, still, little pony at the window. She had been like this for ages, since he had found her bawling in the snow anyways.

When Fluttershy read her mother's notice Discord had expected her to break down bawling once more, or at the very least try to go after her. She had merely slid down the wall to her rump and stared at the window for hours. She'd probably stare and stare and waste away if he didn't remind her to eat. It had fallen to him to not only look after her, but try his hand at taking care of her stupid animals.

"I don't know what in Equestria you expect me to do," Discord snapped from over his cloud, glaring down at a tiny little mouse with a broken tail. "Snuggle you like her? Oh please – I am not that kind of draconequus; the name is Discord, spirit of chaos, and I don't do cuddles."

The injured little rodent wrinkled its whiskers up at him and squeaked, limply holding up the broken tail in his pink paw.

"A bandage?" he questioned, getting a confirmed answer when the mouse nodded. The dark smirk spread across his face and he smiled, eyes glinting dastardly as he snapped his fingers.

The creature gave a horrified squeak as a large roll of bandages lightly constricted around its tiny body like a mummy, and it tipped onto its side, pathetically kicking its legs while Discord laughed at the poor thing's plight.

"Hoho, there, you're healed," the spirit snickered, bursting into further peals of laughter as the mouse tried dragging itself back into its home. "Please see my receptionist at the desk to schedule your next appointment."

Still laughing, the spirit swooped over to Fluttershy in the air, laying on his back and staring upside down at her. "I'd make a lovely doctor, wouldn't you say so, little one~?" His smile fell as the pegasus only nodded unconsciously, obviously having not seen or heard the entire scene. Such a shame – it was funny.

Discord hovered there silently in the air a few minutes, pondering on what to do to crack a smile on that miserable little face. After a few seconds of rubbing his beard, he gently grasped both the pegasus's ear bases from behind and made them flop back and forth.

"Floppy floppy~" He continued this for a few seconds, leaning over the slumped butter colored shoulder to see if there was at least the glimmer of a smile. There wasn't. Retracting his hands, Discord studied herface, watching as she gazed at the movements of the snowflakes.

After several seconds, he snapped his fingers and reappeared. As the pegasus watched the snowflakes, one of them flipped slowly back and forth before her very eyes. Discord was at least pleased to see the lifeless eyes widen slightly as his face projected on one of the snowflakes. A burst of wind blew him into the window and though it didn't hurt, Discord made sure to make dramatic gasping noises and roll his eyes and tongue back and forth. Still no response.

Despondently, the chaotic spirit reappeared behind Fluttershy and stroked his beard again, looking a little glummer with his repeated failures. It dawned on him what was far easier than making her laugh: annoying her.

Flitting over to the tree, Discord dropped on all fours and advanced slowly to the tree. "Oh, Fluttershyyyy~" he sing-songed, smirking, "I'm about to crawl under the tree and open all the gifts. Better come stop me."

She didn't even turn, but undaunted, he wiggled under the tree anyways. There was still no reaction even though he knew the pegasus could hear the rustling of the branches and rattling of the ornaments...and chili peppers.

"Oh dear, it appears I've found and am about to open a gift. What a shame." Despite his cheery voice, he was cringing, knowing he was probably risking getting some serious tickles from her (or perhaps she'd go with the threat of tying him to a tree outside), but it would be worth it if at least a smidgen of her usual spark returned to her.

He was more than annoyed when Fluttershy still didn't turn to him, and he was honestly running out of ideas. This had been her biggest pet peeve for the past week; it was his last option, really. He swiped his claw over the wrapping paper with a loud "rip". Definitely expecting the hooves to scurry over to him, Discord was angry to see she was still ignoring him.

"Fine, be like that," he snapped quietly, slamming the present back down. "Last time I try to do something nice. Matter-of-fact, I do believe this was the first time." He tried to wriggle his serpentine body out from under the tree, only to realize he was wedged far too tight.

Uh oh... "Alright, Fluttershy, I get you're depressed and all, but if you could perhaps help me out from under this tree it will be deeply appreciated." He hadn't even noticed Fluttershy was no longer in the room. "Fluttershy??"

No response now, except for the light pattering of feet as they neared him. Far too small to be Angel's or Fluttershy's, the pair of feet belonged to the mouse that Discord had imprisoned in bandages. One of his brethren had chewed him free, and he decided to get his revenge on the spirit by chewing his feet.

"Ouch!" Discord yelped as the tiny teeth gnawed on his toes. He hissed and fought to kick the stupid vermin away, but it clung tightly with its teeth. "Cut that out!" he snarled, writhing and bucking, trying to perform a spell. The painful nipping ruined his concentration, and thus he couldn't teleport away. The draconequus had to reside with lying under the tree and endure the chewing.

Mere seconds later, there arose a sudden, shattering noise, followed by a large thump. Discord began kicking and struggling with the stupid tree, expecting that he'd see Fluttershy sprawled somewhere, having dropped some sort of glass and perhaps cut herself on it. A cold wind rippled through his fur, and it was accompanied by a quiet moan.

The stupid mouse finally let up on his abused feet and Discord teleported himself out from under the tree, taking in the sight in front of him with total bewilderment.

Their window was gone; some pieces on the floor, some outside, and the wind screamed through the gaping hole where the window had been. At his feet was a pale blue-grey pony, buried under a seemingly endless amount of letters. She rose her head, and Discord stepped back slowly at her crossed eyes.

"I'm sorry," Derpy profusely apologized, hurriedly gathering her letters and stuffing them back in her bulging mail bag. "I wasn't watching where I was going, and the blizzard was really bad, and..." She stopped to take a breath, giving a goofy and sheepish smile.

"How can you see where you're going?" Discord demanded rudely, creeped out by the state of the blue pegasus's yellow eyes. Her head lowered for a few moments, but she seemed to shrug it off, reaching into her mail bag.

"I can pay for the window," the pony assured, blinking as Discord merely snapped his fingers and put it back in place. "...Or that works." She pulled out a small blue envelope, handing it to him. "Message for Fluttershy, from the doctor."

The spirit barely had a chance to open his mouth before Fluttershy trampled him, hastily grabbing the letter that floated in the air after it flew from his hand, and tearing it open. She barely made it past the first sentence before the remnants of her broken heart shattered further and the tears streamed.

"I'm sorry," Derpy said softly, leaving both draconequus and pegasus to wonder if she meant the window or the letter. Before either asked, Derpy had flown clumsily out the window, dropping several letters as she did.

Fluttershy sat shakily down by the window she had spent the past two days staring out, and she wiped her face. Every deep breath only came with even more sobs.

"Mummy doesn't have much time." The spirit slunk to a sit beside her, taking the letter and reading through it. He sighed after a few minutes and tossed the paper over his back, watching as further tears flooded down her cheeks.

"And that's it? You're just going to sulk around the cottage until she passes?" he asked, and the pegasus's face screwed up in a failed attempt to contain the further undesired tears.

"What else can I do? She won't want to see me, not after I yelled at her and stormed out..." An amused chuckle was the response as the spirit tilted her chin towards him with a talon.

"Please, my dear; I'm pretty sure if anypony has the right to be angry it is you. You have nothing to apologize for. You are being far too much of an apologist for this." He rolled his eyes. "As usual." Fluttershy didn't appear to hear his last comment as she quietly fiddled with her hooves, resting against his side. Normally Discord shoved her off him, but made an exception for today.

"I'm so scared," Fluttershy whispered, ignoring the sarcastic "what a surprise" as she climbed into the stiff spirit's lap and snuggled into the cinnamon brown fur. A paw tentatively rested on her head.

"I'm so scared to...to see her like that. I've only just realized that she looks so different, and I know that she will look just terrible when I see her at the hospital." Her face scrunched up again as the realization once again crashed in waves. "She's dying, Discord." The spirit flinched when the pony cried into his lap, but didn't pull her off.

"Which is why she needs you," he said, voice slightly stern as he forced the pony to look up at him. "I very highly doubt she'll care about you running off that night, and although I don't believe in forgiveness on your part – or forgiveness in general – perhaps..." He shrugged. "Perhaps you both should put it aside in..." There really was no easier way to put it: "her last days."

Fluttershy nodded reluctantly, resting her tear stained cheek against his knee and shutting her tired, tear stung eyes. Not even two days ago the young pegasus had been lead on believing that all her mother had was a simple flu since she was a toddler. She was told her Mummy got sick a lot, and that "the germs just seemed to attack her more than any other pony."

Somehow all her life she was stupid enough to believe that lie. Perhaps to a filly that hadn't seen much else than a cold it was understandable, but even as she grew older, more mature, she never caught on. It was always cemented that her mother was just different. She never looked at her mother as "sick", just different. With age the pegasus learned all kinds of pleasant diseases...

...and yet she could never put two and two together and complete the grim puzzle.

"I am so selfish," Fluttershy whispered, covering her face shamefully. "Mummy has been trying to communicate these symptoms to me, and I've never listened. My Mummy needed me and I was never there because I only wanted to protect myself."

Discord was at a loss of what to say, unused to these types of scenarios, especially giving any form of comfort. He merely sat there awkwardly against the wall and waited for Fluttershy to cry herself out. It didn't take long, being how out of tears the pegasus already was.

"Well, look, she needs you now more than anything, Fluttershy. This could be your way of making up for...what you feel you've done." He shrugged, honestly not seeing what Fluttershy had done that was so awful, and not just saying that to protect her. "This might be her last day. If you don't go see her, you will be kicking yourself for it for the rest of your life."

Fluttershy knew he was right; she knew she had little time to say the unspoken words that had been going through her mind the past few days. She knew this wasn't the time to hold a grudge, feel guilty, or just cry and feel sorry for herself and for her mother. No, this was a time to be with her mother, to forget everything that had happened and focus on making these last hours the best she could.

Opening the tear stung eyes, the pegasus forced out in a trembling, weak and frail voice:

"I'm ready."

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They walked through the dreary hospital corridors. Well, one walked while the other floated. Discord watched on as nurses busily trotted in and out of hospital rooms, carrying trays of food, medicine, bed sheets. Normally in such an environment Discord would go all out of the nurses (having enough dignity to leave the sick patients alone), and he'd turn bedsheets into giant butterflies, make their clipboards come alive, and plenty more.

Right now he just...wasn't really into it for some reason. He despised that. When had he not been into chaos? Was it because he was still tired and in agony, or was it the tears on the frail little pegasus's face who had unceremoniously wriggled her way into his indifferent heart? That perhaps had a factor, but for the most part Discord simply assured himself he was exhausted. Tired and wanting only to sleep more than anything. He had been given the option, but for reasons unknown to him he decided to tag along.

"She's right in here." The draconequus's head snapped up at the doctor's somber tone; his bushy eyebrows furrowed in a stressed and sympathetic frown as he led the two into the Intensive Care Unit.

Fluttershy wasn't prepared for the grizzly sight that met her eyes upon entering the dim white room. There her mother was, or at least there lay the hollow shell of what was once her mother. Dear Equestria, had it only been a few days? It looked as if years had passed; her mother seemed fifty years older, already turning into a sunken skeleton against the white pillows she laid upon.

Fluttershy swallowed hard and felt like crying, turning from the door, but firm mismatched hands blocked her.

Mother and daughter met eye to eye, and it seemed like years since they had. Camellia's vibrant eyes seemed lifeless and devoid of the sparkle they usually had. They were sad, tear filled, looking to her with yearning.

"Darling." She could still speak, and she could still weakly hold out those swollen arms, that Fluttershy promptly fell into and cried as her mother pressed dry and cracking lips to the butter colored forehead, ignoring the pain as she rocked her only daughter.

Discord observed the emotional display in total silence. Tears and hugs were never his thing, but he didn't exactly feel like making any gagging noises like he usually did anyways. Mother and daughter needed their time, and he needed to get himself back into the mindset of causing trouble and strife. Now that he thought about it, those nurses were indeed fabulous candidates.

"Mummy, I...I'm so sorry," Fluttershy gave a thin and painful whisper, lowering her head and burying her face into the sick mare's graying mane. "I have been so stupid all this time; I never realized and I should have. I just left you.." She breathed in a sob, smoothing a hoof over the unbrushed mane. "I left you when you needed me the most."

Camellia took the hoof in her own hooves and pressed it close to her face, tightly, holding it there and feeling her daughter's warmth against her freezing cold cheek. "I am the one that owes the apology." She took in a deep and shuddering breath. "I thought what I was doing all these years was protecting you."

Fluttershy licked her dry lips and played with her mother's hoof in her own, gently rubbing it to warm it and shutting her eyes. "S..so..how..how long?" she whispered hoarsely, figuring she may as well bite the bullet.

The pale blue eyes were sad, yet her mother feigned a pathetic attempt at cheer as she lightly swung her daughter's hooves back and forth. She chewed on the inside of her cheek before quietly responding. "We will have the night together." She brushed back a lock of rosette hair from the pegasus's face. "We can carry on our Hearths Warming Eve traditions, and Discord can participate as well if he wants."

Fluttershy laughed at the initial thought of forcing Discord into participating in their holiday traditions, and the giggles grew even more high-pitched and hysterical as she remembered she and her mother's favorite activity was to give each other make overs.

"I'm sure he'd love us making him pretty." Both mother and daughter shared a laugh at that, exchanging different and devious ideas of the kinds of things they could do to him, falling back in hysterics when the suggestion of braiding his beard and putting a pink bow around it came up.

"Mummy, he'd turn you into a vegetable," Fluttershy advised, yet having to laugh at the initial thought of Discord wearing a bow. "A bag of frozen vegetables. Hm, speaking of which, I wonder where he went."

One needn't look too far but the frenzied corridors of the hospital, where nurses sped by, shrieking that the hospital was haunted when their quills inexplicably came to life and began scribbling over their clip boards. Papers were scattered, fluttering through the air like large snowflakes as ponies ran by, abandoning the reception desk and bolting through the hospital doors. At the very least he hadn't done anything to the patients (although several were at their door or staring from their bed to the hallways).

Fluttershy pursed her lips and stomped her hoof at the door when she saw her little draconequus rolling on the floor, laughing his head off. The pegasus clamped her jaw down on his tail, deliberately harder than usual, invoking a yelp of pain as she dragged him back to the hospital room and shut the door to the chaos outside.

"You're staying here," Fluttershy said flatly, and Discord was pleased to see the chagrined frown on her face and the angry spark in those baby blue eyes.

A satiated smile spread across the spirit's twisted face and he flipped onto his back, head hanging down, floppy ears dangling into the miffed pony's face. "Ah, success~" he chuckled quietly.

"Excuse me?" Flutteshy dead panned, blinking as the draconequus wedged a paw under her chin to tilt her face towards his, and she found herself staring into those every playful, harmlessly taunting, ruby red eyes.

"Well, really, little one, how else was I going to get anything other than that teary little frown on your face~?"

Fluttershy stood there for several seconds, blinking and taking in that mischievous twinkle in his eyes. With a warm glow coating her large heart, she shook her head, heartfelt tears brimming in her eyes. "You are...impossible."

"Granted, my dear, because what is possible is horribly boring," he drawled, hanging upside down over the small hospital cot. Camellia smiled at how silly he looked, also shaking her head at him.

"Afternoon, Discord," the elder pegasus croaked out, "it's nice to see you again." She flinched as the multibeast summoned a soft, plush, pink cloud, and she tensed in anticipation for the cold sweet rain, but Discord merely draped himself over it, popping on a pair of large sunglasses for some reason.

"Afternoon, Camellia," he said nonchalantly, trying not to show he had lost an iota of valor at the pegasus's sickening condition. Oh, it wouldn't be long now. He lowered the sunglasses at her next comment. "Likewise I suppose - if just so that pesky daughter of yours would stop her moping." He feigned hurt, a talon flying to his heart. "I mean really, all that work on all my pranks – wasted because she wouldn't give a decent reaction."

Camellia looked sympathetically at her bedside where her daughter was looking at the ground and sighing. Rumpling the younger pegasus's mane, the mother smiled. "She'll probably be back to her old self in no time."

Fluttershy was unsure of that; she wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to smile again, not if she lost her mother. She shut her eyes. In only two days her mother's cold became a fatal disease, and she was going to lose her. In only two days. A double blow.

But Fluttershy was determined to keep her mind off all this. She would not allow her despair to ruin her last hours with her mother. All the tears could release themselves in a tsunami for all she cared after her mother passed.

"If you want, I can go back to the cottage and get some things for us to do." She smiled, hopping up on the side of the bed, keeping her shudder inward when she saw the tubes coming out of Camellia's pale skin.

"I could get some supplies for us to do our yearly make overs on each other," Fluttershy said, and would certainly welcome the idea of brightening that ghastly face with a little bit of blush, and tying that faded mane up into the usual perky bun she put in every year.

Camellia only laughed, shaking her head and smiling knowingly as she pointed down to her saddle bag. Fluttershy blinked briefly in confusion, before reaching into that bag and pulling out a package of hair pins, and a wide bristled hair brush.

"Mummy, you really thought of everything, didn't you?" Fluttershy asked with a giggle, pulling the bag of hair things up onto the stiff cot and opening them with her teeth, beginning to run the soothing bristles through her mother's somewhat scraggly mane. She decided to make a small joke to lighten the mood.

"Mummy, your poor hair looks like a tornado struck it. It's absolute chaos." She giggled when Discord's ears visibly perked up at the mention of chaos. Camellia just blinked, surprised her unusually mischievous little filly had the gal to say such a thing. She smiled, pulling her young daughter against her side and lightly running a hoof down her rib cage while the pegasus let out soft laughing squeals.

Discord hovered from above, having to smirk in delight when the pony finally truly laughed after a few days. It felt nice to hear it, he had to admit. "Oh, now go for her back hooves – that just kills her," he chuckled evilly.

"Oh, I know," Camellia chuckled as well, lifting her hoof off her daughter's side and instead wrapping it around the wooden handle of the brush as she tenderly raked the bristles through the slightly mussed mane. "Your hair doesn't look too spiffy either, my little flower~"

Her mother held the the rose locks gently in her hoof, stroking the brush through. Fluttershy remembered that the mare always ended the make over with a few hair pins lightly holding back the longer curls of hair that fell over her face and over her blue eyes.

The dreary, white hospital room suddenly began to swirl in front of her eyes, briefly, as did the figures around her. Her mind projected the image of her old house, and her gentle, healthy and ever vibrant Mummy. Her hooves were no longer wrinkled and swollen as they gently pinned her hair back behind her ears.

She had questioned her mother as the thin veil of pink was removed from her sight, and she could now see the window she was perched in front of, freely. Quietly, the timid pegasus questioned her mother's motives for doing this, and the pegasus only smiled, kissed her cheek, and told her to look out the window.

Lights exploded in twinkling patterns as the fireworks ignited high in the ebony skies, and Fluttershy tilted her head, watching in awe as these brilliant lights made flower like shapes in the sky. She realized the reason behind her mother's hair pinning, and she beamed up at the pegasus, who only softly nuzzled her nose.

Fluttershy blinked her way back to the world around her; the bright and luscious face before her eyes had disappeared, replaced with the fading white one, and the sunken blue eyes. Yet, the smile stayed ever loving, and like she had so long ago, her mother nuzzled the tip of her nose with her own.

"Now you'll be able to see the fireworks better."

Fluttershy choked down the urge to burst out crying.

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The soft heavenly hum reverberated through out the streets of Ponyville, and the lanterns in their teeth shone bright as they trotted through the soft snow. Fluttershy allowed the sweet voices of the carolers to drift through her ears and heart, but it brought no comfort.

From on the cot it was clear the sickly mare was in her last hour. As the day went on, her pendulum of life had dwindled away slowly; she and her daughter had started the afternoon giving each other make overs and playing cards, but by the time evening came her head could no longer lift from the pillow.

Fluttershy spent the past few hours trying to talk to her mother, only to receive barely audible whispers in response. She had shut her eyes and a certain purple wing had draped over her when the tubes were removed, and the doctors had cast sympathetic glances to her (and a few annoyed ones to the spirit sitting there in absolute silence) as they made their way out the door.

"And through the hardest of times our love will pull us through.." The saccharine singing invaded Discord's mind and he inwardly cringed, but found going "oh, GAG me" highly inappropriate at the given moment, so he merely sat and suffered in silence.

"And when we feel we cannot last.." Fluttershy lifted her head off the cinnamon brown chest when she heard the distinctive, soft and crackling voice echo from the hospital cot, where the tiny form lay on her side, eyes open enough to look out the window where the carolers now stood.

Fluttershy shakily pushed herself up off of Discord and trotted over to her mother's bed side, afraid to touch her hoof for fear of breaking it. "Mummy, save your strength and your voice." Oh, for what? When she died? "You should rest."

This earned a sad chuckle from her mother as she stroke a tender, cold hoof down her daughter's face. "Sweetheart, the next time I rest...I will not open my eyes again." Fluttershy felt the tears brim, but for her mother's sake, held them back. "Oh, don't you remember, dear? We always...used to sing the carols before bed."

Fluttershy nodded thickly, and brushed back a loose strand of hair from her mother's face. "That...that was my favorite of the traditions. That and the fireworks."

The sweet singing drifting into the room from the frigid outdoors took on a different tune, and Fluttershy could easily discern that it was her favorite song – the main carol: "Fire Of Friendship."

Camellia noticed that as well, and the faint smile touched the thin, pale cheeks. "Oh, sweetheart...it's your favorite carol. Sing with me, dear.."

And Fluttershy did, her soft and angelic voice growing with confidence with every note as she granted her mother's final request. "The fire of friendship lives in our hearts.."

The sparkle twinkled in those sagely eyes for the final time, as he mother opened her mouth and joined her. "As long as it burns we cannot drift apart..."

Fluttershy opened her squinted, tear glued eyes. This was so wrong.. Why were they singing such a sweet and happy-go-lucky tune in such a painful, dark moment? It didn't feel right, and the pegasus felt her lungs constricting when she looked over and saw her mother smiling, looking concerned, and waiting patiently. Oh Equestria – she forgot the words. Her limbs trembled and her heart pounded, and she was ready to faint – was going to faint, when...

"..Though quarrels arise..." The voice was adorably awkward and gravely, obviously unaccustomed to singing, especially such a sappy song, but he mumbled out the lyrics regardless, face red.

Fluttershy took a deep breath, shaking off the initial shock at what she just heard and merely concentrated on finishing their final duet. "Th-their numbers are few..."

"Laughter and singing will see us through..."

Fluttershy placed her front hooves on her mother's bedside. "We are a circle of pony friends.."

"A circle...of friends..." Camellia's loving, fading eyes said all the unspoken words she had wanted to say, and the tears slid down her face, mingling with Fluttershy's, before staining the white hospital bedding. "...we'll be....til the....very.."

Fluttershy waited for her mother to finish the final verse, but she never did. The warmth of life was already leaving the still body, and as her mother's head slowly nodded off to the side, Fluttershy felt a soft sense of peace. Quietly, she nuzzled the lifeless face, and let the tears softly drip on her mother's muzzle.

"....end..."

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Fluttershy greeted Hearth's Warming's sun with a gentle, tranquil smile that morning as she perched her hooves at the window sill and lightly tilted her head. She threw open the shutter and smiled as the chilly breeze caressed her fur.

Good morning, Mummy. When she was young her mother always told her that when she passed she would live in the sun, so she could rise day by day to greet her daughter the moment she woke up, and she'd be with her all through the day, to nurture her flowers, to watch the filly play.

A wind whipped behind her – followed by the rough rustling as Discord bolted underneath their holiday tree, eagerly pawing at his presents that Fluttershy had pushed to the very back of the tree, where he couldn't reach them. The pegasus had to laugh and shake her head, rather endeared by his adorable childishness.

"Alright, alright, I suppose I did keep you waiting long enough." Smiling, the pony wriggled her own way under the tree and pulled out a brightly colored package, blinking as he thoughtlessly snatched it from her hoof and tore into it like an animal (well, figuratively speaking).

"Oho, my chaotic life is complete," Discord snickered, pulling out a six feet long silly straw, and instantly summoned a glass of chocolate milk. He giggled like a school filly when he placed the glass on the ground and was able to drink it, nearly from the ceiling.

Fluttershy giggled, "I don't know if you want it, but I just thought of you when I saw it in stores." She watched, amazed as the stream of chocolate milk surged through the seemingly endless straw. "Wow."

Soft bristles of white fur rubbed against her torso, and the pegasus turned her head to look down at her little bunny. "Oh, Angel, Happy Hearth's Warming," Fluttershy smiled, cuddling the soft, snow white face. She blinked when the rabbit held up a ball shaped present.

Gently, Fluttershy unwrapped it, suppressing the soft giggles when she unwrapped a cabbage. Of course. Fluttershy gave her flushing and beaming little rabbit a final affectionate nuzzle with her face, gratefully taking the vegetable and setting it down. A subtle and almost hesitant tap barely touched the back of her head, and the pegasus turned, blinded by the beautiful colors held up before her eyes.

The spirit floated there in the air, averting his eyes and seeming to glare at the wall, flushing and lightly jabbing the bright package towards her. "Um...here you go," he mumbled almost bashfully. Fluttershy took it tenderly into her hooves and Discord flushed further when he felt the smiling eyes on him.

"Oh, Discord, you...you got me a present? ...Why?"

The spirit raised his eyebrows at her, chin resting in his paw. After a few moments, he smirked. "Let me re-clarify the tradition of Hearth's Warming Eve, shall I~?" He snickered, flipping over onto his back in the air when the pegasus hid her embarrassed blush.

"Oh, yes, I know that; I'm just wondering why...you got me something." She nudged his elbow gently with her snout and he grimaced, shying away, muttering a quiet "it's not really...anything..." He certainly wasn't used to any of his actions being well received, despite meaning to get a good reaction this time.

Fluttershy didn't get too excited as she grasped the pink ribbon in her teeth. Something was going to pop out at her, she just knew it. Eyes closed in anticipation and worry, she hastily pulled off the ribbon and nudged the box open. Nothing popped out or splat into her face. Finally, she had the courage enough to open her eyes, and she gasped.

Perched comfortably on a small white, laced cushion was a small and twinkling golden trinket. When the pegasus pulled it out she realized it was a charm bracelet, decorated with several hanging charms on a golden band and pink beads.

"Oh, Discord," she breathed, left breathless by the bracelet's beauty and the fact that he was the one to give it to her. "It's just..." The spirit delicately took the piece of jewelry in the palm of his hand, fingering a few charms.

"This is a Canterlot charm bracelet," Discord began, keeping his gaze away from Fluttershy's beaming face. It was just making him more uncomfortable. "They were once popular in Canterlot eons ago, though few ponies seem to wear them these days. What a shame." He swooped down towards her, holding out a charm slightly; a diamond butterfly.

"This one represents your element and your love of nature." He smiled slightly. "Much like your cutie mark, in fact." He moved onto a golden heart. "Quite obvious what charm this represents-" He made a gagging motion with his finger in his open mouth, having to lightly smile when Fluttershy laughed. "-love."

Fluttershy happily wriggled it onto her hoof, watching as a particular charm bounced lightly and jingled in front of her eyes. It was a small pair of hearts; a pink one and a black one. "What does this one represent?"

A playful glint shone in the draconequus's eyes. "I'll let you figure that one out yourself, my dear~"

Fluttershy set down the box, standing on her hind legs to hug him – only to fall flat on her face as he jerked away, glowering.

"I don't think so," the spirit said flatly, dusting himself off where her snuggling hooves touched him. "There is no way I'm letting myself succumb to the indignity of both giving a pony a present and being cuddled all in the same day." He narrowed his eyes at the pony, not liking that look in her eye. "Fluttershy," he warned. His eyes widened and he barely had time to dodge as the pegasus jumped at him.

Fluttershy eagerly landed on the spot where he had been, scraping her hoof into the wooden floor playfully, tail flicking back and forth, as did her darting eyes. She proceeded to chase the spirit around the cottage until he finally had enough sense to teleport, reappearing beside the couch – only to be instantly pounced on as Fluttershy took a running leap off the couch.

Discord protested and whined and squirmed, trying so sound as angry as he could and failing as the energetic, affectionate little pony smothered his face with cuddles and nuzzles. His empty threats became muffled as he struggled to speak through the pink hair that kept wiggling in his face and mouth.

"Fl-Flutter – okay, I can't breathe!" He pushed the playful little pony off, climbing to his feet and grooming his ruffled fur. He rolled his eyes as the pegasus giggled at him from where she was on her back on the ground. "Very funny, you pesky little pony," the spirit muttered, yet finding himself giving an exasperated smile of his own when Fluttershy put her hoof to her mouth and giggled further.

Fluttershy rolled onto her hooves, laughing still as she stood. "We better get going; we don't want to be late for the party Pinkie Pie is throwing at Twilight's."

"Perish the thought of delaying our time to spend with those delightful, miscreant foals," Discord said sarcastically, only to yelp as Fluttershy plucked a small feather from his wing.

"Be nice," she told him, eying the pouting draconequus sternly. "It's Hearths Warming Eve, remember? The day when everypony puts aside their differences and join as a family."

"Gag me," the spirit muttered, yelping further as Fluttershy lightly clamped her jaws down on his tail and pulled him out the door.

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"Party tiiime!" Pinkie Pie squealed, and confetti showering down from the ceiling, decorating the tinseled tree with large sprinkles of rainbow, that also got caught in every pony's mane, and stuck to a certain draconequus's long twisted horns.

That certain draconequus was laying in a pile of gifts, cheerfully licking at a caramel apple from Applejack, while drinking chocolate milk from his impossibly long silly straw. He glanced up at Rarity approached him with an elegant, striped scarf with a bow on it.

"Here you go, dog," she said dryly, handing him the scarf. Discord turned it over in his hands a few times, looking thoughtful, and then he turned it into a long stretching piece of swiss cheese, which he happily tied around his neck.

"Much better~"

"The nerve," Rarity huffed, turning on her hoof and trotting away to sulk. A paw lightly gripping her tail stilled and froze her.

"Oh, Rarity, my dear, don't you know it's rude to walk away from someone when they're about to give you a present as well~?" The unicorn turned, only to stare in wide, open mouthed shock at the dreadful, ugly grey boulder with a bow on it at the spirit's side that she was sure she had seen the last of.

"Oh, Equestria – how – how have you come back!?" the unicorn cried, a hoof to her heart as she staggered back. "How – no – nooooo, get away, you hideous thing!" Rarity shrieked, hooves to her head as she stumbled backwards, whirling around and bolting to the farthest corner of the library to shake.

Discord only laughed hysterically, laying in the pile of colorful wrapping paper and chewing away at his candy apple, while munching on a polka dotted, cotton candy flavored cupcake from Pinkie Pie. The pink frosting covered his face, creating an adorable pink beard around his mouth, and sticking to his own beard.

Rainbow Dash wrinkled her snout up in disdain at the ill-mannered beast who had now outright dove his face into his cupcake, frosting even dripping from his horns now. "Okay, so I may not be the best mannered, but isn't that a little TOO much?" She exclaimed, gesturing to him with her hoof and making a grotesque sound as the spirit flicked his serpentine tongue over his face to clean it.

Fluttershy merely laughed, taking a tiny, elegant sip of her herbal tea. "Just let him have his fun, Rainbow Dash... I'llmake him take a bath later." Oh, bath time, now that was always fun. It wasn't that she couldn't make him go into the water, but it was that he always insisted on turning the water into some sort of sweet and sticky liquid.

Twilight winced as splotches of icing splattered into her shelves and she inwardly vowed to do something terrible to him if he ruined her books with his stupid cupcake. Her attention was averted to a very quiet Fluttershy, whose eyes seemed drawn to the window and the bright, warm sun.

"How are you doing, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked softly, nuzzling the peaceful butter colored face. "I'm so sorry for your loss..."

A strange, calm and tranquil look came to the soft blue eyes, and the pegasus rested her chin on the windowsill. "I don't wish to think of it as a loss," she said softly, smiling and holding back the brimming tears. "I know Mummy is happy now, and that makes me happy." She leaned her cheek against the back of Twilight's neck as the lavender mare nuzzled lightly under her chin.

"If you don't feel like being alone, any one of us will gladly let you stay with us. We're your friends, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy gratefully nudged her snout against Twilight's, and glanced from the corner of an affectionate eye at the spirit, inwardly giggling when he seemed to get his own paw stuck to his cotton candy covered face. "I'm not alone, Twilight."

"Let me rephrase," Twilight said flatly, narrowing her eyes at Discord, "if you don't want to be alone with him." She tried not to say it with too much disdain, given how much Fluttershy cared for the spirit.

The pegasus didn't seem to mind, only smiling absently over at the draconequus and taking another sip of her tea. "Oh Twilight, I don't mind being with him. I love being with him most of the time."

Twilight found she couldn't really argue with Fluttershy's response; she had heard of what happened in the hospital, and the Discord was what brought Fluttershy and her mother back together in her final moments.

According to Fluttershy, he had actually been pretty well behaved since Camellia passed on. No pranks for the entire night, not even the extent of changing something in the cottage. No teasing, and most of that night he simply stayed in his bed or hovered over the couch where Fluttershy stared silently out the window.

The small unicorn gave an inward smile, before directing it to the multi beast still trying to get himself out of the cotton candy mess he had created. He sighted the smile however and made a bucket of water appear over her head and drenched her.

Fluttershy still had her eyes plastered on the sun as she silently made her way to the door, past Pinkie Pie and her 'Pin The Star On The Holiday Tree' game, and past Applejack and Rainbow Dash bobbing for apples,even past a rather distraught white unicorn in the corner.

Her hooves glided out freely into the snow; she didn't even bother putting her new boots on, loving the cool sensation under her hooves. She gazed at every sparkling flake of snow, and then back up to the sun. Her eyes felt like they were shriveling like grapes in their sockets, but she hardly cared as she stared intently through the burning ball of fire, almost able to see the outlines of her mother's beautiful face beaming down on her through the warm rays of the sun.

The pegasus blinked as a pair of large dark sunglasses suddenly fell over her eyes, and she smiled up at the spirit who was laying down over her head, his beard dangling into her face.

"Don't want to burn your eyes out like a light bulb now, do we~?"

"Thank you," Fluttershy whispered, to which Discord absently returned a "you're welcome." Fluttershy smiled and turned around, shaking her head as she advanced closer to him. "No, I don't mean for the sun glasses." She lowered the lens, focusing her ever grateful, compassionate blue eyes on his confused and slightly nervous red ones.

"Thank you for everything these past few days, and for always being there for me. Thank you for putting a smile on my face when I need it the most, and even doing things to try and annoy me just so you won't see me cry and get my mind off the pain I'm in." He fell silent, face emotionless as her joyful, tearful, heartfelt speech went on.

She gave a soft, teary laugh as she continued. "Thank you for the fun and even the chaos you put into my life, making sure it's never boring." She trotted closer to him, not minding that he was backing away with every step she took. "Thank you for being someone I can trust and love."

He froze, utterly baffled, slowly descending to the ground and staring at her. It was all he could do as the unsettling warmth entwined with his indifferent heart, and coated it with a soft ruby hue.

"Fluttershy!" Pinkie Pie shouted through the open library door. "Come on – we're cutting the holiday cake I made!"

Fluttershy turned from him without a word, happily galloping back to the library and through the open door before it quietly shut.

Discord leaned back against the tree, shaking his head and dispelling those blue eyes and the kind face from his thoughts. He forced a sneer to cross across his snout, but found there were no longer enough shards of ice to coat his heart anymore. Fluttershy had melted most of them. He sighed and allowed his body to slide into the snow, holding his chest and staring off into the distance with a look of bewilderment.

"You did a good thing, you know." The spirit's heart jumped into his throat when Twilight spoke softly from his side. He didn't look at her, focusing a hard glare at the clouds; evidently careful to keep it off the sun.

"Don't you have some...I don't know, partying to do?" the spirit grouched, contemplating whether or not to smash another pie into her face. She seemed unfazed by his painfully bored and annoyed tone as she stood.

"I'm proud of you." That finally did get her a pie in the face, slamming harder than usual. She didn't look disheartened in the slightest, even as the cream dripped crudely down her mane and chest. She beckoned a welcoming hoof to him, opening the door for them both.

Discord stared at the open door for a few seconds, then back at the warm smile through the layers of coconut cream.

He started to turn his back and give her the cold shoulder, up until he heard Fluttershy's laughter as she was spun around, blindfolded in front of the 'Pin The Star On The Holiday Tree' game, and the spirit watched her for a few moments, before quietly following the unicorn through the open door.

The laughter filled the library, drifting through the windows and carrying through Ponyville; through the wind; the sky; the joyful sounds met with the warm rays through the open window, shining down and illuminating Fluttershy's happy face and her laughing smile.

The End

(Other than my own laziness there really is NO reason why this chapter wasn't posted sooner. I haven't had the drive to do anything lately really. Although tonight I finally got a good part of "Distorited Worlds" prologue done, including a song...but not a happy, sunshine-filled one.

This wasn't as satisfying as I wanted it to be, and I had to cut out a few parts, but now that I look at them they're irrelevant.

Before shippers go on a squealing march, Fluttershy's speech and implied love for Discord was not meant to be interpreted as a romance. There is more than one kind of love, ya know? :|

Ah, Discord, your douchebaggery and kindness was so contradicting in this chapter~ With this fic done I can now work on "Heal What Has Been Hurt", a sad/tragic Discord and Fluttershy mini fic that has references to this)

A Visit From Mommy

Her aching and freezing cold hooves felt like ice when she lightly pressed her snout to the bottoms of them. They were still iced with snow and no amount of rubbing could thaw them. Fluttershy once again glanced up as the beautiful pair of green winter boots were held out to her.

"Oh, Rarity, are you sure?" Fluttershy asked timidly, giving the boots an experimental step around the boutique, having to smile as she could feel the frigid ice melt away as it came in contact with the wool.

"Oh, trust me, darling, I have plenty more boots, and – my stars! Green is certainly your color!" Fluttershy flushed, looking down at the borrowed pair of boots that matched her candy striped, green scarf nestled around her neck.

The pegasus had been awake and trotting around Ponyville since the crack of dawn, having made a nice hot breakfast for a certain lazy and snoozing little bedhead before Celestia even rose the sun that morning. Animals were either still nestled warmly in hay or twigs, or gathering their food rations of the day. The day was freezing cold – perhaps Fluttershy should have listened to verbal warnings that Discord had ushered out the night before that it would be cold, but she figured she could tolerate it.

Well, her coat was strong enough to withstand the pearl white flakes that clung to it, and it protected her skin from winter's cruel fingers. Her hooves – buried deep in snow - didn't fare as well as the rest of her had. Stepping in Ponyville with half frozen hooves and a crystal coated mane hadn't gone well with Rarity. Within seconds, Fluttershy found herself in a variety of boots, until both she and Rarity decided on a pair of little green boots, bringing them up to this point.

"It's sweet of you to allow me to borrow these, Rarity," Fluttershy said softly, a bright smile spreading across her butter colored face, flushing it a faint pink.

"Borrow?" The fashionista pony turned to her, mouth hanging as if Fluttershy had spoken a blasphemy. "Oh, darling, that's a gift! Think of it as an early Hearth's Warming gift," Rarity smiled, nuzzling the pegasus's cheek lightly. "Well, in addition to the one I already bought for you."

"Oh, Rarity..." Fluttershy stepped up, still in the wooly boots and wrapped her hooves around her best friend's neck. "I have gifts for you too. Oh, I just can't wait until Hearth's Warming Eve!"

"Is the party still on at Pinkie's?"

"I think so."

Rarity gushed happily, fleeing to her wardrobe and whisking out a long flowing royalty purple dress. "It's my outfit for the celebration. What colors do you think you might wear?"

Still twirling around in her boots, Fluttershy plopped onto her haunches, looking thoughtful as she smoothed a hoof over the velvety feel of the boots. "Pink, maybe – it is Mummy's favorite color."

Rarity gave an absent nod, the pondering look on her face making Fluttershy rightfully guess she was trying to figure out what accessories would look the best. "Oh, yes, your mother is supposed to be coming to Ponyville, right? Oh – didn't you say she needs a new scarf?"

"She did mention that," Fluttershy agreed, wrapping her own scarf around her neck. "If you wouldn't mind – do you have some affordable scarves-" She was cut off, blinking as Rarity stuffed a hoof to her lips, silencing her.

"Buy a scarf? Nonsense, my dear, I will make a positively lovely scarf for your mother. While I'm at it I may as well use the leftover fabric on that dog of yours." 'That dog' was Rarity's special nickname for the draconequus and had been since the one time – the first time – Discord was out in Ponyville. He needed to be taken by leash. Since then, the nickname stuck.

"This is all incredibly generous of you, Rarity," Fluttershy whispered in awe, before mentally face hoofing and giggling at her silly mistake. Of course, Rarity was the Element of generosity. "It's so kind and I know Mummy will appreciate it. Now, I need to get home and see how the decorating has been coming."

"You do that, dear, and by the way, the girls are outside the boutique with some things for your mother."

Fluttershy giggled, face flushing deeply, grateful. "Wow, really?"

"Well now, darling, parents coming to Ponyville is always a big thing, especially since the majority of our parents live quite far from us. And well – to be truthful, dear, we've always wanted to meet your parents especially."

"You'll love my Mummy," Fluttershy gushed, overjoyed at the thought of seeing her mother again after quite a while. "She will love you all as well! I think she might even really like Discord."

"Now other than you somehow because you love every creature, who in Equestria would love him? You remember what he did to little Opalescence! Poor little dear couldn't taste food for a week!"

Fluttershy sighed, recalling the oh so fond memory of the hot sauce incident. "Yes, I recall..." She swung a few presents into her saddlebag, beaming at the fashion pony. "Anyways, I really should be getting back now. He's probably turning poor Angel into a cotton swab again." She really couldn't make those two get along.

Her body shuddered from winter's icy fingers when she stepped foot back into the cool snow, her hooves at least protected by the thick wool inside the satin green boots. "Yes, these will be very useful..."

"Fluttershy!" The southern pony's voice made the pegasus's head shoot up from where it was gazing at the snow. She eagerly scampered up to the voice belonging to Applejack – and a few other voices from the rest of her friends.

"Brought ya some candy apples; I really do hope yer mother likes them," Applejack piped from behind her teeth, gripping a basket of candied apples in her mouth.

"Oh, yes, she will love them, girls. I promise I will bring my mother over tomorrow afternoon to see you all!"

"Well, we can't wait to see her," Twilight chimed in. "I remember you told me her passion is gardens, so I found a "Gardeners' hoofbook", and it's full of all sorts of flowers and tips. Oh, I know she'll like it!"

"I promise she will," Fluttershy assured, taking her friends into a tight four way hug.

"She can fly, right?" Rainbow Dash asked from inside their cuddle, earning weird looks from her friends. "Well, I know she's a pegasus and all, but, I mean...well, last time I saw her she didn't seem to be able to fly too well – kinda like you, and-"

"Oh, oh, oh!" The party earth pony jumped up and down like a flea. "Are those gifts I see hanging out of your bag?" Fluttershy squeaked in surprise and hurriedly used her snout to jab the unwrapped presents back in. "Well, they aren't wrapped, Fluttershy!" She hurriedly scurried over and used her body to cover the holey bag.

"We better get to my place fast and wrap them! I mean – you know how horrible it would be if ponies saw their gifts BEFORE Hearths Warming? Nuh-uh! The fun thing about gifts is surprises, so nopony needs to see what you got them!" Without even asking her friend, Pinkie Pie began dragging her away by the hoof.

"We'll fix that right away! Maybe while we wrap I'll let ya try some super yummy yummy cupcakes Mrs. Cake made for the holidays!"

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"Discord?" Fluttershy's voice came from...somewhere, if it was at all possible to spot the poor little pony from somewhere under the seemingly endless mound of packages. Discord could see the pony out of the corner of an eye, but was too busy 'decorating' and trying to ignore her to care.

"Discord, I really need help?" Fluttershy squeaked. "There's so much here...!" She could feel her legs quiver underneath as the weight of the boxes and bags threatened to push her deeper into the snow. "Please..?" From the crack between two packages, she could see a glimpse of red dangling off the Hearths Warming Tree in the middle of the room. Ornaments?

"I'm busy," the spirit said flatly, hanging the last of the chili peppers off the luscious green branches. "Bring them in yourself."

"Oh, please," Fluttershy whined, "it's all really heavy, and I've got groceries, and decorations, and presents-"

"PRESENTS?" All at once, dropping the squishy peppers from his hands, eyes wide and eager, Discord bounded through the air like a child, tackling the frazzled pony down into the snow, disregarding the fact she was now pinned under a pile of spilled groceries and only snatching the brightly wrapped parcels from the air.

Fluttershy stumbled unsteadily to her feet, kicking a few oranges and – eugh – broken eggs off herself as she dusted the snow off the bags, and shook some from her mane. She let the childish spirit shake and probe at his gifts, but when he scratched a small tear at the corner of his parcel she snapped her tail against his wrist.

"No!" she scolded, taking the present in between her teeth as he rubbed at his sore wrist with a frivolous pout. "It isn't Hearths Warming Eve yet." When he tried to subtly reach for the other parcels on her back, she kicked a mist of snow at him and went through the door.

"I normally and still do abhor anything having to do with this disgustingly saccharine holiday you ponies have created, but...well, if I get free gifts." He snickered, and laid back to relax on one of his clouds. The tone was still flat, but he was truthfully a little...touched she had gotten him something.

"Yes, not to mention you get to be in charge of decorating the cottage." Yes, speaking of which.. Fluttershy surveyed the room, shaking her head and snorting out giggles at the discordant flair their decorations seemed to have. The tinsel looked to be made of shredded piece of licorice, and the tree was decorated with chili peppers. Wreaths with mushrooms lined the cottage walls, and the holiday lights appeared to be made of hard icing.

"Couldn't find the ornaments?" Fluttershy asked playfully, spinning a chili pepper on her hoof.

"Ornaments are so cliché," Discord smirked, sinking his snaggle tooth into a pepper and noisily chewing away. "Peppers are not." His eyes once more drifted to the prettily wrapped up boxes under the tree, and Fluttershy had to suppress the giggle when his feet seemed to give an impatient hop.

"Don't you dare," she said, trying to be stern but evidently failing due to the pouting frown on his face. "If my friends can wait for their presents then so can you." She caught those mischievous red eyes falling on the other small pile of gifts, and her eyes narrowed when a smirk went across his face.

"Discord," she warned, sternness leaking into her tone as she stepped protectively in front of the gifts. "Don't even think about messing with their presents. If you do, you'll be in trouble." When the dastardly smirk didn't fall she stomped her hoof. "Discord, I mean it. I will tell the princess."

At that the scheming grin vanished and the spirit heavily rolled his eyes in annoyance. It seemed everypony always resorted to using Celestia as a threat, and – irritatingly enough – it worked. He didn't want a complete suspension from his magic!

"Oh, fiiine." The spirit moaned and flopped around pathetically on the floor, rolling his sad and rather endearing little eyeballs up to her. "Why make me wait? Why must you be so meeean!" He then smirked. "I must be rubbing off on you. Excellent~"

Fluttershy rolled her eyes and salvaged what was left of the spilled and rather mangled groceries, trying to get as much in her mouth as she could since the dumb draconequus had ripped open the paper bags. "Well, there go the eggs." She sighed and glanced over to where the white snow was stained with yellow mush.

"So squeeze your chickens until some pop out of them," Discord unhelpfully advised, tilting his head back over his pillow to see if he managed to get some sort of reaction from the pegasus. Nothing. That annoyed him; she'd usually either get annoyed (which was beyond fun for him) or find his jokes funny. She didn't even seem to be listening to him!

The pony had heard him, but seemed too busy scouting for any eggs that were still in tact, breathing in relief when she pulled a few surviving eggs from the snowbank he knocked her into. Without even sparing a passing glance to the spirit (who was tapping his foot in annoyance) she trotted into her kitchen and set the bag of groceries on the counter.

The groceries were instantly turned into stuffed animals.

"Discord!" Fluttershy exclaimed, angrily spinning to the spirit. She looked...odd, not just annoyed, but almost desperate? "Please turn them back?" Studying her pleading expression, he slowly did so.

"What is with you today?" the spirit grouched, chagrined that his harmless little pranks weren't provoking the response he was hoping they would. "Stress of the holidays or something?"

Again Fluttershy didn't seem to be listening, and it was now at a point where Discord was ready to attach her to a marionette and forcibly turn her to him if that's what it would take to get the pesky little pony to listen to him.

"Fluttershy!" he growled, pleased when the butter colored pegasus squealed in surprise and stumbled back from the counter, landing hard on her haunches at his feet.

Towering over her, Discord bent his body forward, creating a flexible bridge with his long serpentine form. "What is going on? And don't you ignore me!"

Intimidated by those narrowed demanding eyes, Fluttershy lowered her own to her hooves, twiddling with them and looking like she was preparing what to say. Numerous times her mouth opened and Discord's ears perked expectantly, only to flatten in annoyance when she'd close it. Fluttershy decided to just come out and say it:

"My mother is coming for Hearths Warming Eve," she squeaked in a tone barely audible, but loud enough that the spirit seemed to be able to hear her. He floated in front of her face, confused.

"And that's bad because..?"

Fluttershy sighed, rolling over onto her back and pushing herself to her hooves, once more striding to the kitchen to put away what was left of the groceries. "Well, it isn't bad, she's just.. never met you, and I'm nervous. Of course, she's never met the girls either."

"How exactly do I differ from the girls?" Discord asked, now upside down and somehow...walking on the ceiling. His dragon wing fluttered into view and he ran a paw over it, before looking down at his mismatched hands and the rest of his body. "Ah, gotcha~" He snickered.

"No, it isn't that I think she'll be afraid of you or anything," Fluttershy went on, flopping back onto her haunches and fighting to open a jar of jam. "I guess I'm just – well, you know how ponies get when their parents are coming over; they want everything to be just perfect." Her eyes took in the wayward edible decorations of the room and she sighed. "Just perfect..."

Juggling tomatoes (Equestria knows where he got them), the draconequus swooped down to the pegasus's level, tossing the tomatoes high in the air and swallowing each of them whole with a smack of his lips. "Oh, come now, what pony wouldn't appreciate my lovely decor~?" He really knew nothing about Fluttershy's mother, and just hoped that she wasn't as sensitive as little Fluttershy could be. He'd absolutely love to welcome a guest with, oh, pies to the face and a bucket of water over their doorways; fun stuff like that.

"Not to worry, my dear," Discord said, feigning innocence in his tone as he secretly plotted out different and hilarious little schemes to greet the elder pegasus with. "I promise you I'll help make her feel welcome."

Fluttershy was obviously too occupied at the moment to see the true devious look behind the mask of innocence, as she absently responded, "Oh, thank you. Now, I could use some help sprucing up the cottage. If you don't mind that is..."

"Mind?" he piped, summoning a paint roller and a bucket of honey. "Why, I'd be delighted to~!" He then proceeded to dunk the roller into the honey and smear it across the walls and ceiling, humming an old Equestrian tune as he did so.

Fluttershy smiled at his eagerness to help, not catching her poor little Angel in the corner who was frantically waving his paws at her as the thick globs of honey coated his face and the floors. "Thank you so so much for helping. I should have told you sooner – I don't know why I was so worried. It was very silly of me, I suppose." She flushed quietly and began feather dusting her old tables.

A large, golden blob of honey splat itself right in the middle of her poor table. Fluttershy nervously looked up – only to get some honey in her eyes. "Oh, no..that's really not what I meant when I asked you to spruce things up." She watched as he dipped the rollers into some molasses, gluing the couches together. "...Ah...never mind."

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Fluttershy watched the snowflakes dance their yearly dance at the windows early that morning. Truth be told, she had been awake and watching their patterns in the sky since late that night. For some reason, she was just never able to sleep well the night before she saw her family. She had no reason to be nervous, she knew, and yet she was.

Was she nervous that her mother might not like Discord? Honestly, no. She could see her mother liking the spirit due to the fact they were both pretty mischievous. That and her mother – well, loved everypony, just like her.

The thought that it was actually common for an offspring to worry when their relatives were coming over didn't really cross her mind. She was also wondering about her mother's cold – it had lasted forever it seemed, and Fluttershy wondered if she'd even make the journey. She hoped her mother would stay at an inn if she needed to.

Lost in the memories and thinking about her mother, the pegasus reached underneath her pillow and pulled out a photo album aptly titled "Memories." She flipped through the leather book, resting a hoof on a picture of her and her mother and father. She ran the hoof lovingly over the page, tracing each detail of their smiling faces.

"Hummingway." Fluttershy turned to the groggy just-waking-up hummingbird on her windowsill. "Did I ever show you photos of my family?" A stupefied coo was all she got in response, and Fluttershy took it as an invite, opening the album and flipping through the pages. "This is Mummy, Daddy and me on a picnic. Oh, isn't Mummy's hat beautiful?" The bird rubbed at his sleepy eyes with a wing, tilting his head to the photos.

"And this is Daddy trying to teach me to fly. Oh – I was so scared of the sky." She shrugged. "Even now I still prefer to keep my hooves on the ground. Not Daddy; Daddy and the sky belonged together."

When Hummingway gave a questioning chirp, Fluttershy's smile became slightly sad as she lovingly rubbed the photo with a hoof. "Oh, Daddy? He's in the skies...flying. He's happy," she said, and the small bird understandingly nuzzled her.

Fluttershy hopped back and Hummingway flapped in alarm when the bed bounced, Angel landing on the startled pony's stomach. He did not look happy, snout wrinkled up in frustration; large flat foot slapping the mattress impatiently.

"What is it, Angel?" The bunny only pointed his paw out the door, and then made the motion of...

"Digging?"

He shook his head.

"Eating?"

He shook his head.

"Um..thrashing?"

Slapping a paw to his face, Angel's paws made ripping motions, before looking like he tossed something imaginary over his shoulder.

"Tearing? Ripping open?" Fluttershy smiled when the bunny eagerly hopped and nodded. "Ripping op...oh, Discord!" She closed her photo album and bolted through the open bedroom door. Fluttershy galloped down the stairs with Angel, halting her scuffed up hooves at the edge of one of the steps, peering over the banister, not exactly all that surprised with the sight that met her eyes.

Yup, there he was, under the tree, wiggling his long snake body as far under the tree as it could go. His fingers scraped at the air as he tried to grab at the ribbon ties and pull the gift out. Fluttershy was as quiet as a mouse as she nonchalantly flapped there in the air behind him, her hooves crossed.

A smirk of victory plastered across his face, Discord wiggled back with his prize, chuckling maniacally; his simple and evil little ploy had been a success. As his fingers gripped the tip of the ribbon ties, Fluttershy swiftly skittered her hooves under his arms. The spirit jerked back with a laugh and dropped the present.

Fluttershy rolled him onto his side and began fiercely nudging and nuzzling his exposed belly with her snout. "No!" she scolded over his loud laughter, "I told you that you had to wait to open those!" He kicked against the wooden floor, occasionally letting out squeals through the laughter.

"Oh, honestly," the pegasus huffed, her voice muffled in the cinnamon brown fur, "aren't you ever going to do as you're told?" She paused in the tickle punishment to receive a most likely snarky response, which she did.

"No, I was sure I had clarified that," the spirit snickered out, wrestling the hooves as they went for his sides. He got a good hold on the hooves and slammed the pony on the ground beside him with a dull thud.

"I guess I'm going to have to hide these, aren't I?" Fluttershy narrowed her eyes at him, inches away from his face on the ground. He didn't respond and merely blew a raspberry straight at her face. The pegasus groaned in disgust, removing the dragon/pony/lion - whatever saliva from her face as the spirit laughed at her plight.

The clock chimed for breakfast with a powerful dong that resonated through the cottage walls. Animal heads peeked out from the dark, waiting for their caretaker to make their meal. Fluttershy laid there on the small mat under the holiday tree for a while, looking peaceful enough to drift off at his side. It dawned on her in an instant, and she had bolted upwards, accidentally stumbling on Discord's throat.

Discord's contented sigh as he nearly dozed off turned to a choked and gagging yelp of pain as she stepped on his throat. He jumped up abruptly from under the tree, shaking a few chili peppers loose as he did.

"Oh, fantastic," he coughed, rubbing at his injured throat. "If you could find my windpipe somewhere on the floor and return it to me it would be most appreciated," he snapped sourly.

Fluttershy glanced back from where she was making last minute preparations, and she hesitated, looking like she was about to apologize, but then changed her mind. "Well, you should not have been under the tree snooping." She shoved a hairbrush into his paw. "Clean yourself up before Mummy arrives. Fix your mane – oh, it got so ruffled under the tree!"

The draconequus glanced dully at the bristled brush and then back to the pegasus. A sly grin came to his face as he snapped his fingers. "I'm done."

"That fast?" Fluttershy asked flatly, just turning to face him. "I don't think so – EEP!" He was there, floating in the air in front of her, and he was completely purple, covered in green polka dots that the pony realized matched her baby blanket. "Discord, be serious!"

"How drawl~" He snickered when Fluttershy once again turned her back, and he looked down at the brush once more, turning it over in his hands and contemplating. After a few seconds he snapped his fingers again. "Hey, Flutter Butter, who am I~?"

Fluttershy slammed her hooves down on the counter, her mouth up in a tight frown. She didn't even turn to the draconequus this time, once again, angrily, tightly gripping the brush between her teeth. He kept whining however, and narrowing her eyes, Fluttershy turned, trying to glare.

He stood there with a goofy grin on his face, his horns having disappeared and were instead replaced with a long rainbow mane. His tail flowed as well, glowing with the ever familiar pastel colors. Fluttershy said nothing as she turned away, burying her face in her hooves and exploding into giggles, which turned into loud laughter.

Discord smirked, poofing the clown colored hair out of existence and squeezing the pegasus's shoulders. "There, see now, my dear. Just try to lighten up a little won't you~?" The butter colored face had softened, slowly turning towards his and letting a warm smile stretch slightly over her face.

Angel knocked on Fluttershy's leg a little, snapping her back to reality as he yanked frantically on her mane and pointed to the clock. Discord's own triumphant grin fell as Fluttershy's eyes widened, struggling from his embrace and accidentally snapping her tail against his eye as she quickly galloped away from the yowling spirit holding his eye, and she scrambled up the stairs.

Discord gave his eye a few experimental blinks, only to moan in pain and tightly shut it again. From his uninjured eye, he could see through the misted window, and beyond the snowdrifts trotting up the white blanketed path was a pony. He tilted his head at the weird way she was limping, but thought nothing of it.

"She is old," he snickered to himself, wondering how well she'd be able to run if she found a spider in her bed. He had already secretly vowed not to take the pranks too far – at least until he could better discern this mare's personality.

It didn't mean he hadn't set up a few little plots to 'welcome her.'

THUD! A rough tumble and an "ow" was heard from somewhere up the stairs. Discord correctly guessed the pegasus had tumbled into a wall, and he snickered as he made last minute preparations, such as propping a bucket of water over the doorway.

"Discord, if Mummy comes before I'm ready will you open the door?" Fluttershy called down the stairs. A smirking sneer crossed the spirit's face; he was hoping she'd say that.

"Certainly, my dear~" He could already see the form right at the doorway. It was hard to make out features through a fogged window, but he knew that was obviously the mother. Barely anypony came around if he was floating around the cottage.

The draconequus snickered darkly as the door began to open slightly. The snow covered hoof stepped in; Discord ignited the magic in his right talon and just waited.

Hoho, he had so much planned for this little pony. There was hardly a doubt in his mind that she'd not want to come back, but maybe she'd be a little more joking and playful and would perhaps take well to the pranks. It was always funny to witness different ponies' reactions.

The door completely opened – and Discord promptly halted the sloshing bucket just as he began to take it off the door frame.

The older pegasus smiled at him; her eyes seeming much older than she was, yet still held onto a blissful and kind sparkle. She had Fluttershy's beauty and a similar coat, even though hers was faded and worn. She was pale...very pale, and Discord knew it wasn't merely the cold temperatures outside. Her body seemed to stumble to the side slightly; so that was the unsettling limp he noted from before.

Silently, the draconequus lowered his hands to his side, poofed the bucket from existence, and met the mare's kind gaze.

The mother pegasus's smiling eyes trailed off the creature and instead took in her surroundings. She chuckled softly as she looked at every decoration; from the chili peppers to the licorice tinsel, and she turned, looking back up to the doorway.

"No bucket of water and or chocolate milk?" she smiled, "that's what my daughter said you might pull." She still got no response, so the mare pouted slightly and pulled out a frilly umbrella, extending it over her head. "I even brought an umbrella for the occasion."

Discord awkwardly tried to avert her gaze, face completely devoid of his usual smirks and sneers as he got rid of the rest of his booby traps. He lowered himself slowly to the ground, standing quietly in front of the mare.

She tilted her head to him. "Don't talk much, do you. Interesting, that's not how Fluttershy said you usually were. Or are you just shy of meeting new ponies?"

"MUMMY!" Thank Equestria – at least Discord now had something else to look at other than the swollen hooves, and her sagging face. Fluttershy stood on the top step proudly, one hoof hovered above the ground. She looked...well, not really like Fluttershy. The pegasus was wearing a translucent pink shawl that fell over her shoulders, and pretty, pink butterfly hair pins. Covering her hooves were shiny little pink slippers. Quite frankly, she looked adorable.

"Mummy!" The pegasus flew down the stairs, knocking Discord out of the way as she flew into her mother's arms. Discord winced as the elder pony gasped and bit back an evident cry of pain.

"My little flower, how are you?" The mother nuzzled her daughter's nose, pressing the pony to her chest tightly. As soon as she did however, her throat seemed to tighten and she nearly collapsed coughing.

Fluttershy was at her mother's side, nuzzling into the mare's waist and helping to upright her. "Is that cold STILL bothering you, Mummy? You get a lot of those don't you?"

Wait, what? A cold? Did that ridiculously naive pony really think that...all her mother had was a simple virus? And why wasn't the pony correcting her? Discord could make out the tight and sorrowed features on the gentle, aging face as she gave her daughter a quiet nod.

Was Fluttershy really trying to fool herself into thinking her mother had a meager cold? Didn't she realize, or was she only trying to protect herself? The solemn look in the mare's face and the painfully oblivious little filly nuzzling against the swollen legs was almost too much to bear. Dragging a stressed paw down his face, the spirit turned his back.

"Your little friend isn't very talkative," the pegasus chuckled, glancing over to where Discord stood staring at the wall. "You said he never shuts up."

Fluttershy glanced up from where her face was buried in the beige leg, and she tilted her head in confusion where the spirit stood, ears slightly pinned back. For a moment, a hint of worry flickered in her face, but she shrugged it off with a small eye roll. "Oh, he is probably just mad at me for not letting him open the presents yet."

Her mother laughed, taking a step towards the draconequus and holding out a greeting hoof. "I really should help you brush up on your chaos creating skills," she said, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "I was quite a prankster when I was younger."

And healthier I bet, Discord mentally grumbled. He felt the urge to snap at the mare that dared have the audacity to tell him he needed to work on something he had done all his life, but bit it back. Of course she would think that. He had nothing to show for his name when she walked in. Nothing but chili pepper ornaments and mushroom wreaths.

"In any case, it's still a pleasure to meet you. My name's Camellia."

Finally, Discord took the hoof, resisting the urge to shut his eyes when he felt how frail the hoof was in his paw. "Likewise," he finally muttered.

Camellia and Fluttershy trotted by him, settling themselves on the couch and chatting busily about their lives. Discord tried to keep both himself and his mind occupied as he floated to the ceiling. This was not how today was supposed to go – for him anyways. He had been looking forward to driving both mother and daughter to their last string of sanity with his pranks. He had so many prepared and now...he didn't want to do any of them.

The spirit summoned a giant wad of gum with the intention of blowing a bubble until it covered the room. He didn't even feel like doing that. Sighing, sitting crossed leg in the air, he poofed a puzzle into existence and silently began to ponder how to solve it.

He was annoyed by the sudden change of events. He had an entire day of pranks and tormenting planned out, and here Camillia was sick. Very sick. His eyes trailed down to the chattering pegasus and he sighed, flinging a piece of the jigsaw puzzle against the wall in frustration.

Very, very sick. But, well, what right did he have to tell Fluttershy something was very wrong with her Mummy? He should have expected this (not the probably terminal illness); Fluttershy was the childishly naive one of the group, wanting to believe anything if it saved her mind and heart from some pain. Wanting to believe that he was capable of changing his ways, and now wanting to believe all her mother had was a cold.

It wasn't his place to tell, but something needed to be done soon; it wasn't a secret that could be kept for long. For now the draconequus juggled the puzzle pieces in his hands, occasionally glancing back now and then to lay sorrowful eyes on the haunting sight of the small little pegasus nuzzling into the coat as sickly white as what blanketed the hills outside.

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(I'm gonna try and get all the chapters up tonight. :D Mostly because I want to finish "In Spring There Is Life", a Discord and Fluttershy tragedy, and this fic needs to be read before you can read that one. XD) A huge thanks to my editor and friend, Dave~