Equustale

by neorenamon

Twilight was confronted by something she scarcely imagined before then. A talking flower. A flower with a face. It moved. It was a bright yellow flower with six large petals and a really creepy face.

"Howdy!" it said amiably, "I'm Flowey. Flowey the Flower."

She glanced over at Chara standing at the door and wondered why she was rolling her eyes so much. By then, Rarity had whipped up a few more sets of clothing for her to wear in case she had any more... unfortunate 'accidents'.

"I thought you said this was..."

"Golly. You must be so confused," he continued, "I guess it's up to me to explain how things work around here."

"You mean why you're now a flower?" she asked as she raised an eyebrow.

The world seemed to change suddenly as a red heart emerged from Twilight's chest.

"You see," he continued, "This is your soul. The culmination of your being."

"Hey!" protested Twilight, "I'm still using that!"

"Your soul starts out weak... OW!!"

Chara had walked over and smacked Flowey in the back of the head.

"What was that for?!" he asked hotly as his head turned about.

"Because Asriel," she announced, "This isn't the Underground, Twilight didn't just fall off the turnip truck, and we don't need to hear The Speech again. Now put Twilight's soul back before I have to hurt you."

Flowey grumbled as Twilight's soul returned.

"Why is Flowey... uh, Asriel... acting so different?" asked Twilight as she cocked her head to one side.

"It's a long story," sighed Chara, "but it involves my own death by flower poisoning, taking my soul, going to the surface, getting mortally wounded, dying..."

"The short version is I was brought back to life as a flowery abomination with no soul and no feelings!" snapped Flowey.

"I see..." muttered Twilight.

"Well once we were freed from the Underground," continued Chara, "The scientist Alphys tried to make an artificial soul to replace Asriel's original soul. We thought that would bring him back. The experiment was deemed a failure until we got here... The magic of Equestria seems to have filled his 'soul' and turned him back into Prince Asriel."

"I knew it wouldn't last!" hissed Flowey.

Chara sighed as she continued, "But turning into the God of Hyperdeath seems to have drained all his magic. Now he's back to being... this." Her hand gestured towards Flowey. "I'm hoping... that once his magic returns... he'll become his more agreeable self in short order."

"Asriel was always a crybaby! I'm better off without!.. OW!!"

Chara had smacked the flower again as she hissed, "I don't care who you think you are! I won't let you badmouth Asriel even if you are Asriel!"

"I suppose that can be... a little confusing..." admitted Twilight.

"Got a spell that will let him soak up magic faster? Flowey... can be a pain in the pot."

"I DON'T NEED YOUR PITY!!" hissed the flower.

"I wish Frisk was here. She's much better dealing with this miscreant than I am."

"Oh," said Twilight, "She and Fluttershy are having a meeting with the Princesses about what to do with Discord."

"Why her?"

"He's probably some perv... OW!!" hissed Flowey as he got gobsmacked again, "Stop that or I swear I'm gonna... OW!!"

Twilight's horn glowed as Flowey floated over to her pot and all. "Look," she said softly, "There's those who care about you and they want to see you whole again."

"Why do you care so much?!" he hissed back, "You don't even know me!"

"Because I want to help everypony I can."

"I'm not a pony!" he snarled.

"That's a figure of speech!" hissed Chara.

"You know, I think a wise pony named Zecora might be able to help you much better than me," said Twilight.

"How can she help?"

"She knows ancient magics and potions. We've never actually met face to face, but I was told about her while we were going through the Everfree Forest. I might have gone to see her then, but we were a bit busy dealing with Nightmare Moon."

"Yeah," replied Chara, "Let's go to see the forest."

"It's a place where magic works... differently..." she replied slowly, "and it's full of beasts we normally call... monsters."

"Gee. Maybe this trip won't be so boring after all."

"Since I'm pretty much the only pony available who's been there, I guess I'll have to lead you to Zecora's hut."

"She lives in a hut?" asked Chara as she raised an eyebrow, "Is she some kind of witch doctor?"

"I'm not sure. Zebra culture is very mysterious to the rest of us ponies."

Chara sighed, "I guess I get to carry the flower this time."

"I'm sure it's going to be a thrill for both of us," muttered Flowey.

"Oh, I'm sure I can put Flowey and his pot in one of my saddlebags," offered Twilight.

"That sounds even better," he replied with heavy sarcasm.

...

Fluttershy looked nervously into the calm face of Princess Celestia as she was surrounded by the members of her Day Court. Frisk was next to her with her hand on the back of her mane. Discord stood between Celestia and Luna.

"I'm not sure why you think I can teach Discord about friendship," said Fluttershy softly. She paused before she added, "Frisk is wondering why she's even here."

"Because you two have very special perceptions," said Celestia with a soft look in her eyes, "You have gifts that I'm sure is going to be a great help teaching Discord what he needs to know."

"Heh," interrupted Discord, "I bet it has something to do with the fact I set the two of you aside so you won't get in my way."

"You set them aside to keep them from getting hurt," countered the Princess, "So I think you think more highly of them then you are willing to admit."

"So you're willing to gamble on them on the slightly off chance I think more highly of them?!"

"You cannot learn about friendship from power," she replied evenly, "Even one as powerful as Starswirl the Bearded had trouble grasping the true meaning of that."

"Thou should return to us the Elements of Harmony!" interrupted Luna.

"Why? So they can be used against me at the first chance?"

"We need them in case another threat to Equestria should arise!"

"Do you think I'm a fool?!"

"I promise that I won't use my Element of Kindness against you if you give the rest back."

"Hmm... without one of the Elements, the rest would be..." mused Discord as he scratched his chin.

"We would be powerless against Discord!" proclaimed Luna.

"Well I find Fluttershy's terms agreeable," he said as he snapped his talons and five of the six Elements of Harmony returned.

Celestia's horn glowed as the returned Elements floated over into a new strongbox that was made proof against magical tampering. Of course, it would open to Celestia's horn and the right spell.

"I hope that by learning the value of friendship, you can become an asset to all of Equestria," said Celestia regally.

Discord scooped up Flutters and Frisk as he announced, "Well now that we're besties, where should we go first?!" He looked about before adding, "You know, a place a little more cozy and private might be better than a loud and stuffy court."

"A place away from the Royal Guards," muttered Luna under her breath.

"Well... We can always go back to my cottage on the outskirts of Ponyville..."

"I thought you'd never ask!" replied Discord cheerfully, "Toodles!" He simply vanished with his two charges.

"We surely hope that big sister is not making a big mistake," sighed Luna.

"I have much faith in the... persuasive powers... of those two," replied Celestia softly.