One Big Awkward Family

Chapters

Dawn
Fatigue
Drafty
"Funny"
Divine
Fake
Decency
Frustration
Distance
Flirty
Delectable
Feelings
Discontent
Fazed
Conscience
Caring
Friends
Discombobulated
Fright
Decisions
Epilogue: Family

Dawn

The sun was still hidden behind the horizon as Discord hung lazily in the sky above Fluttershy's cottage. This was his favorite time of day. Overhead the celestial cogs whirled and clicked, humming a tune of perfection filled with harmony and order. It was something only gods noticed, though Discord wished he didn't have to notice. It was rather like an annoyingly loud clock that one could not muffle. It was beyond his control, which both aggravated and amused Discord. After all, he never wished for complete control over everything. That would defeat the point. Some order was good; it made the chaos more apparent.

The audible thrum of the celestial machinery overhead wasn't why this was his favorite time of day. The gears overhead shifted subtly as entities stirred beyond his ken, but Discord had been around long enough to know what it foreshadowed. Somewhere, Celestia awoke. Dawn was imminent.

Discord floated closer to Fluttershy's cottage, wriggling his way through the sky like an excited foal before Hearth's Warming Eve. He delicately perched atop the weathervane, balancing on one cleft hoof as he watched eagerly. This was the moment. This is what he lived for. The tranquility, so precarious. The atmosphere simply shivering with antici—

The first rays of the sun brightened the world around the cottage, lighting the tops of the trees. From below in the yard, a rooster saw his sworn enemy, the bright orb that daily threatened his station as the most beautiful part of the morning. Strutting to the top of the coop, he flared his wings, plumage red and green and golden as the light hit him just-so, and he cried defiance to the sun. "Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

The animals of the cottage awoke, chattering cries filling the air, and all around the cottage, the beasts and birds came out of their slumber, shouting for attention, sustenance, love! Order shattered, the tranquility evaporated, and the atmosphere was resolved.

"—pation." Discord said, grinning at nobody in particular, and yet also everyone at once. With a delighted laugh, he hopped from his perch atop the weathervane and dove like a horrific, mutant swan to the ground below. His momentum abruptly halted mere inches from the ground, and he simply straightened up and walked through the front door and into Fluttershy's cottage.

"Oh Fluttershy, dear little pony! Time to start the day!" he called with manic glee, turning with a snap of his fingers and repairing the perfectly Discord-shaped hole he had made in Fluttershy's front door. Around him was madness, birds trilling and mice squeaking and assorted other family, genus, and species making their particular brand of racket. Discord stalked through the front room, tracking half-hoofprint, half-lizardprints across the rug and to the bottom of the stairs to Fluttershy's room. He stopped there, though, ducking beneath a few birdhouses. He didn't go upstairs. That was against the rules. He grimaced slightly, and impetuously put one hoof on the lowest step in a small act of defiance to the rules. He grinned wickedly at his semi-transgression and called again. "Fluttershy! Your constituents await!"

Satisfied that he had added the perfect amount of rush and strain to the morning, Discord stepped away and lounged across a nearby couch to wait.

Author's Note

Here we go. 30 days, 30 chapters. I don't even know where I'm going with this, but we'll find a way there, together. It fits the theme of the story, I think.

Fatigue

Fluttershy curled into her blankets, breathing hard as a familiar voice called up to her from the bottom of the stairs. She'd been startled awake by a crash from below, but had calmed as Discord's sing-song greeting set her at ease. The animals had awoken rather abruptly this morning. She frowned slightly. No doubt Discord had moved things along with his... gregariousness.

She pushed away the blankets and rolled out of bed, taking a quick moment to settle her feathers and run a hoof through her mane, before giving up as the insistent cries for attention, sustenance, and love grew louder. Not a moment to lose, today. Things to be done. Fluttershy spared herself a small smile in her mirror. "Okay," she said softly, "time to go to work."

She threw open the shutters to the window above her bed, and opened the window for good measure, dim dawn light peeking hesitantly into her bedroom. She smiled, inhaling the fresh air, and then leaned further out the window to peek in on a myriad of nests that had been constructed in the eaves right above the window. "Hello, Mrs. Titmouse, and good morning, Mrs. Jay. How are the eggs? Warm and cozy?"

She blushed rosily as the birds chirped happy greetings to her. They looked content in their nests, unhatched young safe beneath them. Mr. Titmouse and Mr. Jay arrived in quick order, bearing breakfast offerings for their nesting mates. Fluttershy's smile widened. "Oh, how thoughtful. You boys are such gentlebirdies. You know that I'll have some yummy seeds outside for you soon, but you still brought your lucky ladies breakfast in bed."

The birds chattered and cheeped away, and Fluttershy giggled and slid back inside her room. She opened the door to her room and stepped daintily down the stairs, small rodents and her indoor friends clustering around her as she descended. Discord lay draped sinuously across her couch, grinning cheekily at her. "Oh, good morning, Fluttershy, dear. I hope I didn't startle you awake."

Fluttershy smiled gently. "Good morning, Discord. No, I needed to wake up, anyway." She spared a quick glance at the coffee table, noting that there was no breakfast waiting for her.

Not that she expected it! It just... would have been nice. But it was fine! Fluttershy smiled at her chattering woodland friends. "All right, now. Breakfast time! Discord, would you be a dear and help me get a few of these bags of feed out of the closet? I didn't have time to move them last night."

Discord stretched, elongating beyond his normal proportions, his upper torso moving towards the closet while the lower half continued to recline lazily on the couch. "Of course! It would be my pleasure."

Fluttershy frowned, opening her mouth to add a few stipulations as to how and where she wanted those feed bags moved, but before she could object Discord had floated three of the bags into the air and separated the feed inside into several dozen conjured, garishly colored tea cups, which he placed around the floor awkwardly. Fluttershy sighed, and managed a smile. "Thank you."

The animals crowded around the tea cups, and Fluttershy carefully trotted through the gaggles of wagging tails, avoiding stepping on them as best she could. She had to jump over the last little group of hungry animals to get to her kitchen, but she managed. With a sigh, she poured water into a kettle and put it on the stove to heat. She paused for a too-brief moment, sitting down on the floor of the kitchen and letting out a slow breath.

"Oh Fluttershy! I believe the birds are in a foul mood. After all, they haven't been fed!"

Fluttershy let out the smallest snort, before rising to her hooves. "Thank you for the reminder, Discord," she called into the other room.

"Always happy to be of service!" He hollered back, nearly drowning the chorus of anxiously chirping birds.

Fluttershy cast a longing glance at the kettle, but it was still heating, so she trotted towards her stash of birdseed for the indoor feeders. "Time to go to work."

Drafty

Discord watched Fluttershy out of the corner of one eye, maintaining his relaxed position on the couch. She rose into the air with a few swift flaps of her delicate wings, gaining some height to reach the indoor birdhouses and feeders for her winged friends. He admired her careful mannerism, doling out enough bird seed from a pail clutched between her forelegs into each feeder to satisfy all of the avian creatures inside her home, but not so much that they would gorge themselves. As soon as she finished, she set the pail aside and moved to the lower windows, lifting the blinds and opening them. Fresh, chill air filled the house, and Discord couldn't help but notice the little shiver that moved through Fluttershy's frame, or the way she held her wings a little tighter against her sides to keep warm.

Though he wasn't uncomfortable, he snapped his fingers, creating a hot tub that floated in midair. He grinned as Fluttershy watched him incredulously. "The chill is rather terrible this morning, Fluttershy. What with you opening the windows and all, now I'm cold," he griped.

"The windows have to be open so my bird friends can come and go as they please. You know that, Discord. It's important for them to get their exercise." She finished opening the windows, allowing a brisk crosswind to fill the house.

Discord rolled his eyes as he slid into the hot tub with an exaggerated sigh of content. His eyes were closed, but he could picture Fluttershy's tiny frown as she said, "Speaking of exercise, somepony's being awfully lazy this morning."

He gave Fluttershy a hurt look. "Who? Moi? I've been helping! I fed your ground-bound critters!" Discord shifted around in the tub, trying to find a comfortable position, sending hot steam billowing into the room.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to object, but the whistle of a kettle gave her pause. "Oh! The water is ready. But don't think this conversation is over, mister." She trotted into the kitchen and out of sight.

Discord smirked as he raised the water temperature of the hot tub by a few degrees. The interior of the room was filled with warm steam, billowed about by the cold air, but he could tell that it was far more tolerable inside.

From the living room, he listened contently to the sound of tea being made. The clink of china, the rustle of tea leaves, the trickle of hot water into empty cup. Fluttershy's voice called from the kitchen, "Don't think I haven't noticed the pudge you've developed. Even the embodiment of chaos needs his walkies."

Discord stood up from the hot tub, placing his claw-paw hands on his nonexistant hips. "Excuse me? Pudge? There isn't an ounce of pudge on me! I'm positively sinuous!" Discord said, gesturing to his person.

"Nonsense. I know the difference," Fluttershy said, returning to the living room with a teacup and a slice of toast balanced on a saucer. She sat down, carefully avoiding the hot tub floating in the middle of the room, and took a sip of tea. Warm steam billowed around her, and she relaxed slightly. "By the way, it's very nice in here thanks to your hot tub. It's positively cozy!"

The jig was up. Discord sneered. "Oh, it's nice, is it? Well, it's not like this was for your benefit! Somepony simply can't take a hint about open windows and drafty chills."

He dismissed the hot tub with a snap of his fingers, conjuring a big purple towel in its place. He proceeded to wrap the towel around himself like an imperial cape, and with a haughty "Hmpf!" he stalked outside, opening the top of the front door and jumping over the lower portion to enter the front garden.

Once outside, though, Discord smiled to himself.

"Funny"

Fluttershy sipped her tea, watching out of the corner of her eye as a towel-draped Discord stalked out the front door. She smiled gently, blowing on the surface her tea before taking another drink. The tea warmed her insides, almost as much as the heat from Discord's impromptu hot tub warmed her outside. Fluttershy exhaled slowly, the content sounds of happy animals surrounding her and calming her. Outside, Mr. Clucky let out another loud crow, and she could hear some commotion from the animals outdoors. They were next on her list of things to do.

Fluttershy finished her breakfast in short order, quickly washing her teacup and saucer and leaving them on the drying rack. She stepped around her furry friends as they clustered near her hooves, and she opened the front door. The cooped-up indoor animals were off in a rush into the front yard, flowing around a disgruntled white rabbit that stood right at the doorstep. Fluttershy smiled happily, leaning down to greet the lapine. "Angel Bunny! How's momma's boy doing?"

Angel didn't seem amused. He tapped his hind leg impatiently and pantomimed checking a watch. Fluttershy's smile faltered slightly. "O-Oh, am I behind schedule this morning?"

Angel nodded emphatically, gesturing towards his conspicuously empty food bowl near his hutch. Fluttershy nodded. "Of course, you're first on the list. I'm sorry if things are moving slowly today."

With a flap of her wings, Fluttershy took to the air, gliding quickly over to her root cellar and pulling open the doors. She stepped down the stairs into the small, dark interior space and, reaching up with her mouth, yanked the pull cord on the light.

"Yeowch!"

Fluttershy gasped, leaping half a foot into the air in surprise. The light turned on a moment later, revealing Discord. He had shrunk down to a diminutive size and had wrapped himself around the light bulb, his tail dangling down right next to the pull cord. Fluttershy placed a hoof to her breast, panting with fear. "Discord! You scared me! What are you doing down here?"

Discord rubbed his now-kinked tail tip, grimacing. When he spoke, his voice was tinny. "I could say the same to you! I was trying to catch a few extra minutes of beauty rest in the dark."

"I needed to get some stored carrots out of here for Angel Bunny. Why are you wrapped around the light bulb?" she asked, slowly sitting down as she tried to calm her nerves.

"It seemed like a bright idea at the time!" Discord said with a manic grin.

Fluttershy stared with a deadpan expression at Discord for a moment, before grabbing a bundle of carrots off a nearby shelf and leaving, stopping only long enough to turn out the light and close the door behind her on her way out of the cellar, plunging the small room back into darkness.

"I probably deserved that," Discord said to himself.

Divine

Discord hung by the light bulb for a moment in the dark cellar, contemplating his life choices that led him to bad puns in a basement with a pony. Had he fallen so far? Had he come to this? Was this what the God of Chaos amounted to? He smirked, then laughed. "Nope, no regrets!"

He uncurled himself from the light bulb and returned to his usual stature, his horns scraping on the ceiling of the tiny space. He winced, ducking down slightly, and then snapped his fingers, warping reality around himself as he teleported. He re-appeared atop Angel Bunny's hutch, and he slid down from the roof to the ground below. Angel, himself, sat in front of a bowl of carrots, munching away. Discord smiled at the little rabbit, "Hello, chum. You don't happen to know where Fluttershy is?"

Angel Bunny blinked up at Discord for a moment, mouth full of carrot, before giving him an incredibly rude gesture and returning to his breakfast. Discord scowled. "That was uncalled for."

Angel made it clear to that he did not care, turning his fluffy tail to Discord. Discord scowled and snapped his fingers. The remaining carrots in Angel's bowl sprouted leafy wings and began to dart around his head, bopping the startled rabbit on the head. Discord stalked away, leaving Angel to battle his breakfast.

Discord found Fluttershy around the back of the house, feeding her outdoor animals. Cats, dogs, otters and seals, bats and owls; her menagerie was impressive. The sounds of feeding and content surrounded Fluttershy, and she basked in the satisfaction of a job well done, her wings spread as she sat in the sun. Discord halted his approach for a moment, simply taking in the tranquil moment. Fluttershy's yellow coat was fuzzy, having not been brushed in the morning, and it caught the light so that a halo surrounded her form. Her eyes were closed, her breathing slow, chin tilted up slightly as the sun caught her chest and neck. Her mane was mussed and hung about her in a chaotic tangle, flowing down her back, meeting her long tail which pooled around her. One yellow ear flicked towards Discord, and he held his breath, eyes widening. "Hello, Discord."

"Hello, Fluttershy," Discord replied, voice reverent.

Fluttershy's blinked one eye open to regard him, one eyebrow raised at the tone of his voice, and Discord was snapped out of the moment. He laughed, "Asleep on the job? You poor dear, you must be overworked."

Fluttershy smiled. "Not that you'd know what that feels like."

Discord gasped, placing one hand dramatically on his forehead and the other upon his chest, the very picture of affronted feelings. "You wound me, Fluttershy, dear! Your uncharacteristic snark speaks to your levels of exhaustion." He leapt from his pose, landing with a rude sound right before Fluttershy, "You obviously need a break. From all of this."

Fluttershy frowned, her nose wrinkling. "No, I still have a lot to do today. I need to run into town for more fish for the otters and seals, and then I need to feed the chickens."

Discord frowned, "Well, that simply won't do. I won't have my devious plans ruined! Where's the fun in that?"

He snapped his fingers, and sardines began to rain from the sky above the seals and otters. Discord nodded, and then snapped his fingers again. Scootaloo appeared, in mid-scooter-pose, and promptly fell flat on her face with a yelp. Discord picked up the startled filly and brushed her off. Scootaloo blinked, looking around. "Uhhhh, what?"

Fluttershy frowned. "Discord! Scootaloo isn't a chicken. That was never funny!"

Discord frowned and rolled his eyes. "I know that," he said, before turning to the confused filly, "Heya, kiddo. Wanna make a few bits?"

Scootaloo blinked up at Discord, uncomprehending. "What?"

Discord smiled, "I'll take that as a yes. Here's the deal; go and feed the chickens for us, and keep an eye on your brothers and sisters—" Fluttershy's frown deepened into a scowl, "—for an hour, and I'll give you ten bits."

Scootaloo glanced at Fluttershy, seeking permission from the adult mare, before planting her hooves and looking up at the God of Chaos before her. "Forty."

His mouth fell open to gape at Scootaloo. "Forty? You've got some nerve!"

"No," Scootaloo countered, lifting a hoof to point at Discord, "you've got some nerve! You interrupt a sweet scooter session, I was going to go see Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom and now that's gonna have to be pushed back, and on top of that you made a friggin' chicken joke. Disabilities aren't something you should make fun of ponies for!" She finished, her small wings fluttering with indignant anger.

Discord snorted. "I don't hear a convincing argument in there."

Scootaloo held up a hoof. "I wasn't done." She glanced around at the feeding animals and Fluttershy, before looking back up to Discord, her expression confident. "If you snapped me over here, that must mean that you need me to get you off the hook for something. Which means that you're not in a position to negotiate, I am. So, I say forty bits, or I walk and you can find somepony else."

Discord rocked back on his heels, staring at Scootaloo incredulously. "Wow," he said after a moment, glancing at Fluttershy, "what's Cheerilee teaching these kiddos? The Art of the Deal?"

Fluttershy giggled, giving Scootaloo a proud nod. Scootaloo sat on her haunches and crossed her arms, a devilish smirk on her muzzle. Discord was briefly struck by how much she reminded him of Rainbow Dash. He grinned back at the little orange mare. "You're good, kid. I'll give you fifty bits. Forty, like you asked, and ten for cheeking off to a God—" he bared his teeth, which were suddenly shark-like, "—that could crush you like an insect if he was in a bad mood. So you treat those chickens real nice, capisce?"

Scootaloo's confident smirk faltered slightly. "Uh, yeah, of course! Like they were, ah, my own siblings! Heh..."

Discord patted her on the head, mussing her mane. "Attagirl." He turned to regard Fluttershy, who gave him a shrug. "Looks like you've found yourself some free time."

Fluttershy glanced at Scootaloo, who gave her a subtle nod. She smiled at Discord, "I guess I have."

With a clap of his hands, Discord donned a pair of aviators, a boonie hat, and a red hawaiian shirt. "Fantastic. Let's be off!"

Fluttershy smiled, standing up and looking up at Discord. "Let's go somewhere nice and quiet, maybe?" she asked hopefully.

Discord considered for a moment. "Hmm... no, not ringing any bells."

With a snap of his fingers, Fluttershy and Discord disappeared, leaving Scootaloo standing in the back yard by herself. She rolled her eyes and let out a sigh, and trekked over towards the chicken pen. "Hey Mrs. Feathers. Flappy. Beakhilda. Laid anything interesting today?"

Fake

They appeared on a floating island in the middle of a bizarre plane of colored lights, impossible geometry, and strange shapes and vistas. Fluttershy gasped, staring out into the chaos, and Discord suddenly put his paw over her eyes, gently turning her away. "Don't look at it too hard. You'll lose your mind."

"O-oh, it was... very pretty," Fluttershy said softly, her voice quavering.

Discord raised one eyebrow. "Hm. That's a novel reaction. Usually when mortals show up here, they end up drooling, catatonic messes if they look into the abyss for too long. After all, if you stare into the abyss, it is liable to stare right back." He kept his paw over Fluttershy's eyes for a moment longer, helping her trot to the front step of the strange house that sat in the middle of the floating island. He released her once she was safely on the stoop, and he pushed the front door open. "All right. You're safe in here."

Fluttershy resisted the urge to glance behind her at the abyss, instead peering into the interior of the house. The interior... didn't make any sense. Certainly, there was a living room, but there were staircases on the ceiling, far too many doors, and strange bits of furniture that barely resembled furniture at all. The walls were painted garishly, the carpet was messy and patchy, and the whole place smelled like flowers. "What is this place?"

"My humble abode in the Plane of Chaos. Come in! Sit down! Just, you know, sit carefully, sometimes the chairs decide they would rather be tables. Or toasters. Also, don't turn on the television, it'll rot your brain out." Discord ambled inside, walking up a wall and into a door that lead to a room that couldn't possibly be attached to the house, considering the small exterior.

"It's bigger on—" Fluttershy began, before Discord waved a claw and interrupted her.

"No! Don't say it! We don't want The Doctor showing up. He's such a bore, even if he's a master of chaos," Discord said hurriedly, before disappearing through one of the interior doors. "We're only stopping here for a few moments. I wanted to grab a few things for our outing."

"O-Okay..." Fluttershy trotted carefully into the living room. She regarded several of the pieces of furniture before deciding on the larger, polka-dotted sofa with a cheerful blue end table. There was a rather ordinary stack of magazines on the end table. It was, in all the strangeness, the most normal appearing spot in the room. She sat down gingerly, wings open and ready to launch herself into the air if something happened. The coushin beneath her was comfortable, and she settled onto her side, stretching out on the couch. She exhaled slowly, allowing some of the nervous tension to escape.

Out of her vision, she could hear Discord rummaging and talking to himself, searching for... whatever he was wanting. It demonstrated a lot of foresight. He was usually more scattered, but he obviously had put some thought into this little trip. Spontaneous things weren't her favorite, but she appreciated the effort Discord was going through for her benefit... and, if she was being honest, a little break did sound nice.

Feeling more relaxed, she reached over and picked up a magazine. She smiled, reading the title. "A fancy fashion magazine? Discord, you are full of surprises," she said to herself with a small giggle. She flipped open the cover... and froze.

Her own face stared back at her, a timid, wilting violet look that was somehow compelling and adorable at once. She blinked, flipping back to the cover, and spotted the publisher. "Photo Finish! Oh, oh my goodness!"

She breathed hard, reaching over and checking the stack of magazines. They were all from her brief period as a fashion model, all photography by Photo Finish! She blushed, setting the magazines down slowly as she tried to consider how to feel about this.

Discord had obviously gone through some trouble to collect these magazines, which was... flattering. But she hated being reminded of her stint as the most popular fashion model in Equestria. That hadn't been a happy time, even though in the end the whole ordeal had brought her and Rarity closer together. However, it also made her very, very uncomfortable to think that Discord had these magazines. These pictures... weren't her. Not the real her. She was a different pony than the creature Photo Finish had created with her careful angles and doctored effects. They were idealized. Unrealistic. They weren't her, but an impossible standard that nopony could live up to.

She steeled herself, and picked back up one of the magazines from the stack, choosing one that featured her on the front cover. "Discord, when you're done, I really want to talk to you about something."

Decency

Author's Note

Double upload, I wanted to shift perspectives here from Fluttershy to Discord, but I didn't want to sit at a cliffhanger moment. I wanted this little piece of the story to be told all at once. Enjoy!

Decency

Discord peeked his head out from a completely different door than he had entered. "Certainly, I'll be just a—" he froze when he saw the magazine. "Oh. Oh, I... have an explanation?" Steam rose from his ears.

Fluttershy held up a hoof. "I'm sure you do, and I'm not angry. I just... wanted to talk to you about this, because I wanted to make myself clear on something."

Discord slithered out of the door, shrinking in stature as he moved, and stood across from Fluttershy, now small enough to be at eye-level with her while she was sitting on the couch. Discord rubbed a claw hand behind his head, scuffing a hoof on the carpet. "Listen, I... I found out that you'd been a model, and I thought that... it was very funny! Yes! It was very..." He trailed off, swallowing hard.

Fluttershy gave him a hard look. "Discord. Be honest."

Discord shuffled his feet. "I don't wanna."

Fluttershy gave him a wan smile. "I already told you I'm not upset."

He shrank slightly smaller, unable to look her in the eyes. "I know. It's just... embarassing."

"I appreciate that. It's embarassing for me, too," Fluttershy said, flipping open the magazine and scanning the pages. Her face peered back at her.

Discord looked up at her, eyes wide. "Embarassing? For you?"

"Yes," Fluttershy said, sighing and closing the magazine.

Discord stepped a little closer. "Why? That... doesn't make any sense. You were a model! You're... well..." Discord steeled himself, both hands clenching. "You're very beautiful, and Photo Finish did a lovely job making your beauty shine."

Fluttershy smirked, and put on an affected accent. "I vill make you shine across Eqvestria!" she said, before giggling. "Yes, that's what Photo Finish said. And she did do a lovely job... but that's not the point. This makes me uncomfortable because it is not the real me. I'm not this..." she gestured to the collection of magazines, "ideal. I'm not this pony in the pictures. That's something that Photo Finish created. I'm just a regular pony. And, while I can understand why you'd want to see these pictures of me, I hope that you understand when I say that I... wish you wouldn't."

Discord stared at the stack of magazines. They were neatly organized. The stack was flush, square with the end table's corner and edges. The pages were crisp and devoid of bending or marring. A perfect collection. "Could you... explain more? Because I don't understand," Discord said quietly.

"The pony here isn't how I want you to think of me. When you think of me, I don't want you to see... this picture-perfect pony. I want you to see me as I am. I'm just a regular pony, Discord," Fluttershy said softly.

"Not to me," Discord said, far below a whisper.

Fluttershy leaned forward, "What was that?"

Discord straightened up, returning to his regular size. "I said 'Silly me'! Of course I understand you're a regular pony, Fluttershy! I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable by having these silly magazines. They were just... very nice. I thought that maybe you'd appreciate that part of your life, but if it's a sore spot, why, then say no more!"

With a snap of his fingers, the magazines were collected. A cardboard box labeled 'To Burn' appeared, and the whole stack was unceremoniously jammed inside, the top was closed, and then set in the corner of the room. "There. Next chance I get, I'll get rid of them."

Fluttershy stared at the box in the corner for a moment. "Promise me you'll get rid of them, Discord."

Discord sighed, deflating slowly. "If that's what you'd like, then I'll absolutely do it. For you."

Fluttershy smiled. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. I want you to see me when you look at me. Not... the fake me."

Nodding his head, Discord picked up the box. "I'll take care of this right now. Then... we can get back to our little break?"

"That sounds wonderful. You don't have to do it now. I trust you!" Fluttershy said gently, reaching out a hoof towards Discord.

"No, no. I'm going to do it now. I'll be back in a moment." With a snap of his fingers, he disappeared, leaving Fluttershy behind in his house.

With a flash of light, Discord appeared in Carousel Boutique's main showroom. The area was a mess, fabric and half-completed dresses on ponnequins everywhere. Rarity sat in the middle of the chaos, humming and sewing something with many petticoats. She yelped when Discord appeared, but quickly calmed down. "Oh! Discord. Goodness, you gave me a scare. What's this about?"

Discord dropped the cardboard box in front of Rarity. "Here. I figured you might appreciate some inspiration. I'd bet you'll get some use out of these... and if not, then do me a favor and burn them, will you?"

Rarity stared at the cardboard box. "What?"

Discord was already gone, disappearing in a puff of multicolored smoke. Rarity waved a hoof in the air, clearing away the cloud, and then opened the mysterious box. "Old fashion magazines! Oh, how thoughtful. I'm sure that there's... there's...."

She picked up a stack of the magazines in her magic and spread them out, covers facing her. "Oh, oh my. These are all the issues of Photo Finish's magazine featuring Fluttershy!"

She giggled, shaking her head. "How scandalous! Discord, having these..." she pulled more of them out, until the whole box was empty and spread before her. "My, my... this is the whole collection. I don't even have all of these issues!"

She stared fondly at the covers, before choosing one at random and flipping it open. "These are beautiful... and the clothing Fluttershy's wearing is so classy! She really brings life to those pieces..."

As she reminisced on the lessons she'd learned from this brief period in her life, warmth flooded her, and soon she was scanning the pages. "There's inspiration to be found, here. I can make a line... something about jealousy! Acceptance! Friendship overcoming misunderstandings!"

She squealed, clopping her hooves. "Ohhhhh, ideaaaaaaa!"

Frustration

Author's Note

So, for those curious as to what happened to Saturday's post: I'm planning on continuing to do double-posts on Friday, to count for both Friday and Saturday. Most Saturdays I'm super busy, so finding time to write is hard, so I compromised with myself a little. There will still be seven updates a week! Just not Saturdays (unless I feel like doing something extra on Saturday). Thanks for sticking around, and I hope you enjoy the latest chapter.

[Special Thanks to Floydien for spotting the spelling error]

Frustration

Fluttershy slowly exhaled, her heart beating rapidly in her breast as she tried to calm down. Confronting Discord had been hard... harder than she'd like. But that was always how she was. Conflict was against her nature. She shook her head, her bangs hanging down to cover one eye. It wasn't like Discord to simply... do what she'd asked. But he seemed to understand that it was very, very important to her, and that was far more than she'd ever expected. A part of her was very flattered that Discord had collected those magazines, but she just...

She groaned in frustration, slumping onto her side on the couch and rolling onto her back, wings splaying out. She wanted him to see her as she was. She was almost always messy from work, covered in dust and sweat from the day of tending to animals. She wasn't... whatever he saw in those pictures. She bit her lip, considering the empty end table. Had she been right, asking him to get rid of those? Maybe it had overstepped her bounds. It wasn't like... well.

She rolled onto her stomach and buried her face in a couch cushion, closing her eyes as her muzzle pressed into the textured fabric. She felt like screaming. Her whole life was uncertainty and chaos, and Discord just added another layer. A fun, welcome layer sometimes, but other times he made her feel this... conflict.

What was he to her? Her kindness and willingness to give him another chance had saved him. Was he another animal that needed taking care of? She frowned, pushing away from the couch and sitting up, opening her eyes. Discord sat in a chair across from her, sipping some tea, a wicked gleam in his eyes. Fluttershy's heart rate shot up and she startled, gasping slightly, before calming down. "Discord! How long have you been there?"

"Oh, not long. Just wondering what you're thinking about." His teasing smile made her feel nervous, but she knew he was just being himself. Every day with him was a test of her patience, but in a lot of ways he helped her... she had to set boundaries and limits with him around, and she'd gotten better at that.

"N-nothing. About your magazine collection—" she began, but discord held up a taloned hand, stopping her.

"No. We've got things to do. I'm glad you told me that you didn't like those magazines, and that's the end of it. So, I've got a place picked out, and something for you to wear, too."

He seemed firm in his decision. She couldn't really read his emotions, though. Not like she could her animals. He was always difficult to read, which was both frustrating and... exciting. Fluttershy blinked, realizing Discord was waiting for her to say something. "Um...I'm wearing something for this outing?"

"Yes. We're going somewhere cold, so I grabbed a few things for you." He snapped his fingers, and a pile of winter coats, hats, and scarves appeared in a pile on the coffee table in front of her. The coffee table reared up like a frightened animal, but Discord gave it a swift kick and it settled back into place. Fluttershy eyed the table uneasily for a few moments, before reaching out to sort through the clothes. She picked a powder blue, puffy jacket and a pink scarf that wrapped three times around her neck, snug and warm.

"Ready?" Discord asked.

"Yes, but what about you?" Fluttershy asked, adjusting the jacket and getting more comfortable in the clothes.

Discord smiled and snapped his fingers. A furry ushanka and a grey, long grey overcoat appeared on him. He flicked the ears up on the ushanka and smiled at Fluttershy. "Good to go!"

With a snap of his fingers, they disappeared.

Distance

In a flash of light, Discord and Fluttershy appeared on a massive, icy valley. Huge craters in the ice surrounded them, a few filled with water. A blizzard blew far overhead, over the top of the valley, and snow fell in little flurries from the upper atmosphere. Nearby were a team of ponies: Shining Armor, Flash Sentry, Zecora, Spitfire, and Big Macintosh, all heatedly discussing something. Discord blinked, glancing around awkwardly. "Hm. Nope, wrong story." He snapped his fingers before they were noticed and ruined the mood.

Discord and Fluttershy appeared on a snowy mountainside, surrounded by low scrub brush. They overlooked the Crystal Empire, several miles distant on the flat tundra that stretched out endlessly from the base of the icy mountains. Fluttershy gasped, eyes wide, and Discord smiled to himself. She looked up at him after a moment, smiling. "This is beautiful."

Discord smiled. "Well, almost beautiful. There's something missing... perhaps a little 'Winter Wrap Up' can really make this mountainside pop!"

With a snap of his fingers, the area immediately around them cleared of snow. The grass sprang up, green and lively, the bushes and scrub around them burst into colorful bloom, and the temperature rose a few degrees. Discord smiled and flopped into the grass. "There we go. And you ponies work so hard to clear the snow. Honestly, it isn't even hard."

Fluttershy laughed, delighted, and sat down next to Discord. A brisk breeze blew up from the tundra below, and Fluttershy opened her wings as it hit their area. Her feathers caught the breeze and splayed out in a brilliant display, and she sighed happily. Discord stared at her wings, absently picking blades of grass and tying them into intricate knots. He began subtly flicking them at Fluttershy's open wings, bouncing them off her primaries and making the feather tips twitch in response to the tiny taps. Fluttershy shot him a dirty look over her shoulder. "Must you?"

"I must," Discord said with a smirk, tying another knot of grass and flicking it so it landed on the tip of her muzzle.

Fluttershy went cross eyed, staring at the knotted grass, and then plucked it from her nose with one hoof, turning away from Discord. He chuckled under his breath and then stood up. "This isn't all."

"No?" Fluttershy asked, turning to look at him, "Isn't it enough?"

Discord paused, looking around slowly. This place was idyllic, perfectly quiet. His little bizarre patch of spring stood out like a sore green thumb on the face of the snowy mountain, certainly, but it was far from true chaos. Just... minor mischief, at best. Discord grinned. "For you, Fluttershy? Maybe. But for me? Not even remotely!"

He cupped his hands around his mouth and let out a loud, bleating cry. Fluttershy raised one eyebrow. "What's that? Your best moose impression?"

Discord held up one clawed finger, gesturing for silence. "Close." He made the call again.

From somewhere nearby, a similar call answered. Within a few moments, a tiny herd of fluffy, pastel sheep approached. Fluttershy gasped. "Crystal ewes!"

"Gezundheit," Discord quipped, and accepted the teasing shove that Fluttershy gave in reply to his bad joke.

The extra-fluffy, puffy sheep arrived at the little patch of grass, grazing on the bushes and grass, approaching Fluttershy and Discord with mild curiosity. Fluttershy giggled. "Well, hello there, little friends. Oh, you're so fwoofy and adorable! They're amazing, Discord!"

Within moments, Fluttershy had the whole herd gathered around her. She'd found the sugar cubes that Discord had hidden in her coat pockets, and was laughing delightedly as the Crystal sheep nuzzled her affectionately and leapt over each other with excitement at the offered treats. Discord strolled a few feet away and watched the Crystal Empire below him, smiling as happy laughter and bleats filled the air. "Now it's enough," Discord said to himself.

Flirty

The sun was high in the sky as Fluttershy lay in the grass, surrounded by a herd of fluffy ewes that had bedded down for a mid-day nap. She rested her head on one of the friendly little animals, yawning slightly. She was glad Discord had talked her into taking a little break. She didn't know that she'd needed it, until she'd gotten out here and really relaxed. She absently bit her lip, glancing at Discord. He was pacing around the edge of the little grassy area he'd created, building snowmen that moved around on their own, building little snow towns and snow towers. He sat back, watching them create a tiny civilization. Fluttershy giggled, and looked down, subtly turning over her hoof. In her hoof was one of the knotted pieces of grass Discord had thrown at her. The knots had seemed a bit random when she hadn't been paying attention, but when she looked a little closer, she noticed that they were tied into little... hearts. They were beautifully constructed, even if Discord made it look like the work of a moment. Fluttershy idly wondered if he was even aware he'd done it. She blushed, looking back at Discord. He had stood up, and was now stomping through the snow cities, making horrible roaring noises very, very quietly. He shot a glance over his shoulder, and caught Fluttershy looking at him.

He froze, and Fluttershy felt her heart beat a little faster. He slowly grinned sheepishly, waggling a few fingers at her while the tiny snow citizens panicked around his feet. Fluttershy laughed, covering her mouth with one hoof and shaking her head. He shuffled over to Fluttershy and sat down across from her in the grass. "Well, don't you look comfy?"

Fluttershy nodded. "Yes. This has been a wonderful break, Discord. Thank you."

Discord smiled uncertainly. "You're welcome. Is there... anything I can get you?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "No, I'm perfect, thank you."

Then her stomach rumbled. She blushed. "Well..."

Discord laughed and stood up, glancing up at the sky. "Lunch! Of course. I... didn't bring anything, but you're lucky, because you're taking a break with a God!" He declared, throwing back his head and laughing maniacally.

Fluttershy sat up, raising an eyebrow at him. He was so prone to overacting, sometimes, but it was endearing... that said, he still needed to be taken down a notch. "Overdoing the power trip, aren't you? I just want a nice daisy sandwich, not unlimited power or world domination."

Discord bent down, grinning at her. His teeth were jagged and fierce, his big fang gleaming, and his eyes were a little wild, "Oh, Fluttershy, if only you'd say the word. I could bring you all that and more."

Fluttershy swallowed slowly, her heart racing. He was so intimidating. Sometimes she forgot he was Chaos Incarnate. His pranks were so silly, and he was so full of laughter that came easily and often, but that ultimate power bubbled right below the surface. It was... a little exciting. "N-no, thank you. A daisy sandwich will do."

Discord's smile returned to normal, and he leaned away from her. "Of course! I'll be back in a moment. A drink?"

"Surprise me," Fluttershy said, feeling a little spontaneous and daring, suddenly. After all, she had a god at her beck and call at the moment.

Discord froze up, smile fixed in place. A shiver visibly moved through his body, and he chuckled a deep, throaty laugh, "Oh-hoho, Fluttershy, I love it when you say that."

"What? Surprise me?" Fluttershy asked, knowing exactly what she was doing, but playing dumb. She secretly loved it when he reacted like this.

Discord growled an unintelligible sound in his throat that sent a shiver down Fluttershy's spine. "With pleasure."

With a snap of his fingers, he was gone. As soon as he disappeared, Fluttershy gasped, exhaling a breath she didn't know she was holding, and fell back on her back, giggling and clutching her burning cheeks. She was a terrible tease, and she knew it, but Discord... Discord was special. She could be a little flirty. A little daring. A little... not herself. Maybe, just maybe, a little bit of a better version of herself. After all, she trusted him.

Delectable

Discord reappeared inside Downtown Ponyville. The town was bustling and busy, ponies going about their business or heading for quick lunch breaks. Not the best time to go hunting for a quick daisy sandwich, but Discord would manage. Downtown Ponyville was one of his favourite places, because there was always a little chaos to cause, a prank to play. He maneuvered through the crowds, most of the ponies giving him a wide berth, but he smiled pleasantly and made his way through the streets. As he went, he subtly snapped his fingers, swapping the contents of shopping bags, adding annoying mustard stains to ties, and amusing himself to no end in the process. He stopped in front of a sandwich stall, the trembling proprietor looking up at him with dread in her eyes. She was a young mare, maybe only a year or two older than the Cutie Mark Crusaders, with a white coat and lime green mane. "H-hello, sir, can I help, uh, you?"

Discord smiled pleasantly. "Your finest daisy sandwich, please. Wheat bread, light dressing, hold the mustard, extra petals. And... something sweet to drink."

"Sweet, um, sir?" The mare asked as she assembled the sandwich carefully.

"Yes. Juice, or a cold tea, maybe? What do you have?"

The mare glanced down at the little cooler of drinks while she worked on the sandwich, adding extra daisy petals. "We've got Sweet Apple Acres Apple Juice, Carrot Juice, and Sweet Tea."

"Hmm... yes, a sweet tea, for my sweet-tea. Perfect. She'll hate the pun, too!" Discord chuckled to himself, stroking his chin.

The mare drizzled on the dressing, cautious to keep it light, and then capped off the sandwich with another slice of wheat bread. While she poured a cup of sweet tea, she glanced up at Discord. He looked to be in a good mood, and she decided to hazard some conversation. After all, it wasn't every day that a god bought a sandwich from you. "S-so, ah, picking up lunch for somepony special?"

Discord glanced at her, as if remembering that she existed, and sneered. "Well, that certainly is none of your business..." The mare drooped, blushing, but Discord continued, "... but since you asked, yes. I happen to be getting lunch for... ah..."

Discord paused. For who? A friend? Fluttershy was more than that. A... special somepony? He'd definitely just implied that, but that wasn't quite right, was it? "... for Fluttershy," he finished, a bit lamely.

The mare perked up. "Oh! She helped me pick my pet cat, Sassy. She's a really nice mare." She added a lid to the drink and poked a straw through the hole in the lid. "Here you are, sir. And, um, that'll be ten bits, please."

Discord nodded and reached into thin air, producing a wallet from nowhere, and dropped the requested bits in a pile on the counter. "Thanks, Miss..." Discord glanced at her flank. A green leaf with a swirl of white in the middle. "... Mary Jane?"

"Spinach Dip! And you're welcome, Discord." She managed an uneasy smile.

He chuckled. "Honestly. 'Spinach Dip'. Where do you ponies come up with this stuff?" He gave an amused snort and, sandwich in one paw and drink held in the crook of his arm, snapped his claws and disappeared.

Feelings

Fluttershy jumped a little bit as Discord reappeared in front of her, a daisy sandwich and cup held in his claw-paw hands. He gave her a grin. "I met a nice mare. If you like her sandwiches, we should go and bother her more often."

"Thank you, Discord." Fluttershy smiled, taking the sandwich and drink. She rolled back onto her back in the grass, staring up at the clear sky, and took a sip of the mystery drink. "Oh! Sweet tea!"

Discord grinned and waved a paw, pressing his taloned hand to his chest. "Sweetie? Me? You're too kind," He said with a feigned blush, as he plopped down in the grass beside Fluttershy

Fluttershy giggled. "You're terrible," she said, giving him a little shove with one wing.

"Oh, come on, you're the one laughing!" He said, elbowing her back, eliciting a squeak from her.

"Only because you're making it worse!" She said between laughs, giving Discord another shove with her wing.

"No, you!" Discord gave her a proper shove, making her nearly roll over, and she laughed harder, gasping for air.

"I'll... I'll... fight you!" she cried, sitting up and shoving Discord, knocking him onto his side as he started laughing, too.

"I'll win!" He gasped between hearty laughs, no longer resisting.

"Probably, but... it's the principle, really!" She gave him a few more shoves, rolling him up into a ball as his long body folded in on itself, and then she jumped up and landed on top of him.

Discord shook with helpless laughter. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"Winning," she said, giggling as she reached over and grabbed her sandwich and drink from where they'd fallen in the grass. Luckily the lid of the tea had held on. She took a victorious sip and balanced the sandwich on her flank. "There. Now if you move, you'll make me drop my sandwich."

Discord snorted, his laughter finally subsiding. "I never figured you'd be the pony that would play dirty to win."

"You're a god. Somepony has to put you in your place," she said with a haughty air, before giggling at her own audacious claim.

"Oh, and that pony is you, you think?" Discord asked her, grinning up at her as she lay across his side and back.

She gestured to their position. Discord chuckled, "Hm. Clever pony."

"Puny god," she quipped back, before grinning at him.

Discord smiled back at her, resting his head on the grass. Fluttershy sighed happily. She wasn't wrong, either. She was the pony that put him in his place... but it was a good place. Not beneath her, but beside her. A friend. A companion. Maybe... well...

She'd saved him, and from her position atop the back of a god of chaos she surveyed what she'd accomplished. She'd turned him from a menace to society to a... nuisance to society. A significant downgrade. Not perfect, but she never expected perfection. For being a god, he was far from perfect, but that was good. She wasn't perfect either, no matter how Discord made her feel sometimes. He lifted her up, and she brought him down, and somewhere they'd found something special in the place where their personalities met.

She took a bite of her daisy sandwich, and her eyes widened. "This is very tasty!"

"Is it? Well, good."

"Would you like a bite?" she said, offering it to him.

Discord frowned. "You already took a bite."

Fluttershy stared at him. "Oh, I'm sorry. Maybe you should have had a bite, first?"

"Fluttershy, dear, you don't know where my mouth has been."

Fluttershy giggled, "Oh, I let my animal friends take nibbles of my food all the time. It doesn't bother me."

"Well, now I really don't want a bite!"

Laughter filled the mountains. Fluttershy took another bite of her sandwich, savoring the flavor and texture. Extra petals, too. Discord knew what she liked. He always did that, in his own way. Playing the curmudgeon, but secretly making her life sweet and exciting and spontaneous. She swallowed, sighing happily, resting her cheek on Discord's back. "Discord?"

"Hm?"

She inhaled slowly. "I love you," she said, softly.

She felt Discord freeze beneath her. She lifted her head up. His eyes met hers. She tried to keep the fear out of hers, but his read plainly across his face. "Y-you... what?"

Fluttershy blushed, turning away. Discord slid out from beneath her, staring at her with his mouth agape. She couldn't look him in the eye. "Are you... you... feeling all right?"

He glanced around, and a slow smile broke out on his face. Fluttershy felt her heart soar as he began to laugh, her blush deepening. He threw his arms out wide, falling backwards in the grass as his laughter built to a roar of hilarious release. "Oh, oho, yes, yes, yes! This is rich!"

She didn't like his tone. A sudden fear built in her chest. "Discord, you—"

He sat up, suddenly, holding up a hand. "No, no, don't say anything more. I understand," he said, some unfathomable emotion in his eyes. He turned towards the crystal palace. "Cadance? Is this payback for the practical joke I played on you and Shining Armor? I know it was shocking, and nobody likes surprise children, but you've really outdone yourself!" His last words were a pained snarl.

"Discord!" she shouted, standing up.

"No!" he turned, looking at her, his eyes blazing with fire, even if there were tears building beneath. "No. This doesn't happen, Fluttershy. You don't fall in love with me. I'm not what you want."

She turned away, gasping, feeling as if she'd been slapped. "That's not true."

"You can't, Fluttershy. You mustn't. You don't know what you're saying. You don't really know what you're getting yourself into. What you're getting me into!" he said, slumping down before her and grabbing her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him.

She winced her eyes closed. "I don't care!"

"Don't you?!" he said, stepping away from her. "You're willing to take me on? You're willing to go through with dealing with me for the rest of your short, short, far too meager existence? You're willing to give up on..."

Fluttershy looked down, feeling tears rolling down her cheeks. She didn't remember starting to cry. She could feel Discord's eyes on her, before he sighed. "We can't have children, Fluttershy. Or, well, I can't. I'll live forever, and you'll fade away. There's so, so much wrong with doing this."

"I... don't know. I just know how I feel," Fluttershy said.

"I know. I know how you feel, too. I just never wanted to say it. I didn't want to curse your life. I still don't." his voice was hoarse.

"Isn't that partly my decision too, though?" she asked, suddenly, looking up at him.

He stared at her, and nodded slowly. He looked numb, blank. She steeled herself. "I know what I want, Discord."

"I know what I want, too, but I don't think you understand what it means, wanting..." he gestured to himself, "... this."

"I don't care," she said.

"You do care, though!" He laughed, suddenly, a dead and hollow sound. "You care so much. I need to know that you're sure, Fluttershy. You can't just make a declaration like that without considering it. I—" he swallowed hard, "—I can't make a declaration like that without considering it."

Fluttershy nodded slowly, reaching up and wiping her cheeks. "That's fair. That's very fair."

Discord slumped, sitting down in the grass across from her. "No, it isn't, not to you, but I need to think."

She exhaled shakily. "I'm sorry that I sprung that on you."

Discord held up a paw. "No. I'm sorry that I need time."

They were quiet, then. Discord stood up slowly, and offered her a paw up. "I need to go and think, but I don't want to strand you here. I can take you home, or somewhere, or... anywhere you'd like," he said, voice flat.

"I'd like to go home, now," she said. She needed to be home. She took his offered paw, and when she was on her hooves, he held her hoof in his paw for a moment longer, gaze lingering on her.

"Okay. Home it is." He snapped his fingers.

Discontent

Discord arrived with a quiet pop in the middle of Fluttershy's living room. She stood before him, ears down, face hidden behind her mane. He didn't know what to do or say, because there was nothing to be done. Not yet. His instinct was to pick her up and give her everything she wanted... how he wanted to do that. How he wished he could so lightly accept her feelings, or bring himself to reciprocate like he wanted. But...

"Goodbye, Fluttershy," he said quietly.

Fluttershy scuffed a hoof on the carpet, turning her face away from him. "Goodbye, Discord."

Discord walked out the front door, closing it gingerly behind him. He stared at the sun that hung high in the sky, still, mocking how early he'd messed up everything. There were so many hours left in the day, and he'd already broken something precious. Maybe irreparably.

He walked out to the chicken coop. Scootaloo sat atop the peaked roof of the coop, wings open and surveying the chickens as they pecked the dirt and grass below. He mustered a grin for the young mare. "I see somepony took her duties seriously."

"Discord!" Scootaloo hopped down from the roof, her wings buzzing and slowing her descent so she landed more-or-less gracefully in front of him. "I was starting to get a little bored, but it wasn't so bad."

"Great. Listen, kiddo, would you do me a favor?" Discord asked, leaning down to eye level with the little pony.

Scootaloo frowned, "Seriously? I just helped you out."

"Not for me, this time. For Fluttershy," he paused, giving Scootaloo a meaningful look.

Scootaloo took in his expression, her ears drooping slightly. "Is she okay?"

"No. Not remotely, but she's safe and not physically hurt," he said, wincing as Scootaloo's expression hardened.

"Discord, what did you do?!" Scootaloo said, stepping up to Discord and pointing a hoof in his face.

"Plenty. Not enough. It's complicated, kiddo, but she's not the only one hurting. I don't know what she's going to do here, but I want you to go get your crusader pals and come out here and make sure the animals get fed and taken care of," he said, pulling back from her.

Scootaloo slowly nodded, turning away from him to gaze at Fluttershy's cottage. Discord looked, too, hoping to see... well, he didn't know what he hoped to see. The young mare spoke up after a moment, "Yeah. I'll go get Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, and we'll make sure that things get taken care of. But," she looked at Discord, now, her expression softening, "what about you?"

Discord smirked. "You're sweet, kid, but I have a lot to think about. Hard questions to ask myself."

"You'll be okay, though? You're not going to go off somewhere and mope, all alone?" Scootaloo said, giving him a gentle prod in the side with a hoof.

Discord chuckled. "That was the plan. Am I that easy to read?"

"Your guard is pretty down, Discord. I'm good at seeing things about ponies. That's why we help other ponies find their purpose." She stood up on her hind legs and grabbed him, giving him a hug. "You're our friend too, Discord. If you need our help, let us know. We may be young but we're really good at what we do. If we can get a griffon a cutie mark, we can help you figure yourself out."

"You know, you didn't actually get her a cutie mark?" Discord pointed out, patting Scootaloo on the head.

She snorted. "Yeah, well, that's not the point."

"I know," he said, chuckling. "You go get your gal pals and take care of things here, yeah?"

"Sure, we'll keep an eye on things!" Scootaloo stepped away and gave him a salute and a smirk.

Discord returned the salute, and then snapped his fingers.

Fazed

Fluttershy woke up.

She didn't remember falling asleep. Or going up to her bedroom. She wished she didn't remember the crying, the anger, the feeling of emptiness that sat in her chest. She'd just meant to tell Discord how much he meant to her. How much she cared for him. How thankful she was for him and all the little kindnesses that he gave her in her day-to-day life. He was so special to her, so important.

Instead of saying all of that, though, she'd said it in the most complicated way she could, without any thought. She'd been lost in that moment, on the side of the cold slopes, lying atop his warm form, feeling loved and cherished. She'd been so... assertive, wrestling a god atop a mountain. She was Fluttershy, and she'd been brash like Rainbow Dash. She'd been flirty like Rarity. She'd laughed like Pinkie Pie. She'd felt a spark, something great and magical, like Twilight. She'd felt more like herself than she ever had; the best of herself. So she'd been honest like Applejack.

Applejack was so strong, and so simply spoken and clear in her wants. She'd have found a better way to say what Fluttershy had wanted to say. What she'd meant to say. Something that wouldn't have caused Discord to panic.

She rolled onto her back, staring up at her ceiling, her wings splayed open and limbs askew like she'd been thrown from a high place to land there atop her sheets. Sunlight streamed through her windows, hitting the far wall. She scowled, slowly. Discord had overreacted. That much was evident. He'd said something about... children? Not being able to have foals? She let out a slow sigh. That was certainly not the thing she'd wanted to talk with him about. He'd heard her, but he'd taken her words to mean so much more than the simple statement she'd hoped it would be interpreted as. A declaration of devotion, of appreciation. She didn't mean for it to bring up so much... fear and self-loathing. Discord had deep wounds, she never doubted it, but there was more damaged about him than she'd ever guessed. It made her eyes well up with tears, even as she felt frustrated with him.

He didn't deserve that frustration, though, and she knew it. He deserved a chance to work through his own emotions. She felt a happy flutter in her chest as she considered what he'd said. He'd said that he loved her, too. Not in so many words, but his regret at having to push her away, his pain at having to question his feelings, that was evident. He loved her, but he wasn't sure if he should.

She reached up and wiped at her eyes with her hooves, clearing the wetness from her cheeks, and sat up in bed, sniffling quietly. Love was patient, and love was kind, and Fluttershy knew that she had both of those things in abundance to give to Discord. So she would give those simple gifts to him. She wouldn't resent his panic, even though she'd indulged her anger earlier. She would give him his space, like he asked.

She'd gone her whole life waiting to be loved in the deep, mad, passionate way that she felt Discord loved her.

She could wait a little longer.

Author's Note

I will be double posting next week to make up for the missed day Saturday. Thank you for reading and following along, and to everyone commenting so far. I really appreciate your thoughtful commentary and reactions!

Conscience

The sun sat low in the sky, now, the bottom edge of his immensity resting precariously at the edge of the mountains. The wheels of the universe turned, ticking like clockwork. Celestia could not claim to be the maker of the clock, but she was the horologist in charge of her piece of the magnificent machinery that made up the universe. It was not precisely a clock, though that was an easy comparison, but the complexity of the celestial workings and astral spells that wove this corner of the universe together were meant to be tuned and cared for like one. There were many ways to think of it, but Celestia appreciated clocks.

Her unending partner in this work, of course, was the sun. He spoke to her, in his fashion and particular manner, just like he did every day. His voice was a song, unending, speaking of fire, warmth, energy, life. Sometimes, though, he was more plain spoken.

"Hello, Celestia."

"Hello, Sun. How are we?"

"Large. Exploding. Very hot."

"Sounds uncomfortable."

"It's a dry heat."

"Mm. I suppose you're used to it."

"One does tend to adapt, after a few millennia. Oh, Discord would like to pay you a visit. Should I burn him to a crisp?"

"No, probably not, but I'll keep that in mind. Shall we dance?"

"Seems about that time. Good night, Celestia."

"Good bye, Sun."

With her wings flared, Celestia rose into the air, partially flying, partially lifted in the celestial arms of the sun like a father lifting a child to throw her into the air. Her horn glowed golden and intertwined with the sun's magic, like dancers holding hands, and he was ever the careful partner. He moved with her, as equals, neither leading the intricate dance that would send him around the planet and back into her waiting arms; a 12 hour twirl ending in a magnificent catch. The sky was purple and crimson for a few brief minutes, a by-product of the natural world trying to reflect the beauty of their dance and rapport. If only her little ponies could see it as she could. The truth was far more magnificent and breathtaking.

Celestia landed on her rear hooves, one foreleg outstretched and eyes closed as she bid her partner farewell. She closed her wings and dropped onto all fours once more, exhaling slowly. On the opposite balcony, across the castle, she could feel Luna and her moon embrace as they were reunited, and the celestial machinery was turned over to their tender care. Celestia felt the weight of the universe ease from her mind, just a bit.

She turned around and faced the squeaky gear in her celestial machinery: Discord himself, standing behind her at a respectful distance. He was missing his usual grin and bravado, and Celestia could tell that he was not himself.

"Hello, Discord," she said evenly, "What do I owe the pleasure of your company, tonight? Back for a round of chess, perhaps?"

Discord chuckled weakly. "No, Princess, I'm already feeling rather defeated at the moment. Any more and I'd probably turn myself back into stone."

Celestia frowned. "You are troubled."

Discord arched one bushy eyebrow and mustered a smirk. "We should promote you to the Princess of Obvious Statements."

Celestia allowed him a small smile, "There we are. That sounds more like you. Come in, speak with me. If you've come seeking my help, you must truly be in trouble, and I would be remiss to turn away a friend in need."

Celestia walked through the wide curtains of her balcony, entering her inner sanctum. A desk with papers and quills, shelves of books and trinkets. A carefully arranged wall of portraits. In the middle of the room, a large rug with pillows strewn about a low, circular wooden tea table that was marred with a hundred year's worth of circular stains from mugs and cups left to collect moisture. A hundred years of partially finished teacups, left to cool as Celestia dealt with the running of the realm. She'd had more of a chance to finish her tea, as of late. There were very few new stains.

Celestia sat down atop a pile of cushions on one side of the low table. Discord sat across from her, looking nervous. Celestia sighed, stretching her wings out and arching her back to pop it, and adopting a more relaxed posture. "Tea?"

"You know I don't care for tea, Celestia," Discord said with a laugh.

"Hmm. I hear that you drink Fluttershy's tea when she offers," Celestia replied with a knowing smile, and ignored Discord's unsubtle attempt to wipe the sweat from his brow. She summoned a teapot from the kitchen with a pop of golden magic. The kitchen staff always left a kettle on in the evening for her. Celestia selected a box of tea from a cleverly hidden compartment on the side of the table and scooped some loose leaf into a conjured tea cup, and then poured the water over the leaves. She met his eyes, then, while the steam from the cup swirled in the air between them.

Discord swallowed, unable to meet her gaze for more than a minute before he began to fidget nervously. He finally slapped the wooden table with his paw, "I'll cut to the chase, Celestia, because I've got a lot to do tonight. Fluttershy told me she loves me."

Celestia smiled a genuine smile, feeling her heart melt at the admission. "Oh, Discord! Congratulations!"

Discord stared at her like she was crazy. "Are you crazy?"

Oh. It was complicated, then. She tempered her enthusiasm. "Discord, whatever is the matter?"

Discord rolled his eyes. "Celestia, don't play coy. You know that being immortal and loving a mortal is more complex."

"It's only as complex as you make it, Discord," Celestia said gently, even though she felt his words in the deepest parts of her soul.

"That's ridiculous, and you know it. Giving away your heart when you know that their existence is doomed isn't easy. It's hard. I know that, you know that, the only difference between you and me is that you've done it. I don't know what I'm in for, Celestia. Help me out."

Celestia could see the fear in him, then. Discord was afraid of something, but she wasn't certain what it was that he feared. Did he fear for himself and his emotions? For Fluttershy, perhaps? She glanced town at her tea, buying a bit of time while she sorted her thoughts. "It... isn't easy, Discord. There isn't an easy answer, either. Fluttershy will never live as long as you wish, even with your most potent magics at your disposal. You'll be giving away a piece of yourself that you will someday lose and never get back. But, that's assuming the relationship works out."

"Works out?" Discord said, puzzled.

Celestia stared at him for a moment. "What? Not all relationships stand the test of time. They are like flame, Discord. Some are wild and passionate, quick burning and gone in a flare of beauty. Some burn slow, fed carefully and over time."

Discord frowned. "I was lead to believe that love is some magical force, not a pile of kindling."

Celestia giggled, nodding, "Well, I suppose with an Alicorn of Love around, you can't discount the magic part, but it is still an emotion, as fleeting and ephemeral as all the others. My point," she said, sipping her tea, "is that you haven't started the fire yet. Fluttershy has offered you a spark. You can never know what fire you possess until you have lit the tinder."

Discord stared at her, deadpan. "Once more, but with less poetry. There's only so much sentiment I can take."

Celestia rolled her eyes and clacked her tea cup down atop the table. "Go for it, you dummy, and stop putting love on a pedestal. If you're really worried, go talk to Cadance. She's much better at this than I am."

"But... she's so pink," Discord whined.

Celestia laughed and waved a wing at him. "Begone, thou villian!"

Discord laughed as well, but Celestia could see the gratitude in his eyes. With a snap of his fingers, he was gone.

Celestia exhaled slowly, a blush slowly rising across her features. "Ah, love. I'm proud of Fluttershy."

She took a sip of her tea, and promptly spat it out. "Sour Milk?! Ugh! I take it back, Fluttershy should reconsider!"

Caring

Cadance sprawled on a sofa in the royal suite of the Crystal Palace. Shining Armor sat across from her in an overstuffed armchair, snoring lightly. They both looked rough, but Cadance felt... right. Exhausted, but right. In the middle of the room in a ivory-colored crib sat the source of their sleepless night. Flurry Heart, tiny alicorn that she was, had been up at all hours, crying at any noise. Cadance had finally, after another thirty minute stretch of soft lullabies, silly faces, and feeding, managed to get her to sleep once more. Shining had immediately passed out for a power nap, a skill that he'd perfected with the help of Sir Spike. Not many ponies in the Crystal Empire knew it, but their fearless hero and savior was also a skilled nap expert, and had taught Shining Armor the finer points of tactical nap deployment. It had proven essential in the past month. Flurry had never been an easy baby, even when she'd first been born, but all baby ponies quickly gained their own temperaments and personalities, and Flurry had been a handful. Twilight, Celestia, and Luna had all taken turns with Flurry Heart, and Shining's parents, Twilight Velvet and Night Light, had been an amazing source of support. But tonight, as with most nights, she was all theirs.

Cadance sighed happily, surveying her little family and stretching out on the sofa, burying her cheek into the fluffy pillow next to her. She needed to get some rest while she could.

There was a gentle knock at the door. Cadance blinked, squinting across the dimly lit room to peer at the crystalline door. She sighed and stood up, quietly trotting over to the door and opening it. "Whatever it is, I certainly hope it's important."

"Cadance!" Discord said, a few decibels too loudly. Behind her, Flurry Heart hiccuped and gurgled awake with a whine.

Cadance glared at Discord. "You are the worst," she growled, while she turned and kicked the door shut with one hoof, slamming it in Discord's face.

Shining awoke with a snort, blinking rapidly. Flurry Heart began to whine louder, and Cadance bent over the crib to scoop her up in her magic. She returned to the couch with Flurry Heart in tow and sat up, leaning slightly against one arm of the sofa, and she cradled Flurry Heart in her arms. Shining looked across the room at her, rubbing at his bloodshot eyes. "Honey? What's up? I thought she went down."

Flurry gurgled inquisitively, eyes drawn to the door. Cadance glanced over and noticed that Discord had peeked his head into the room. Cadance gestured to the door with her horn, scowling. "Somedraconequus woke up Flurry Heart."

Shining Armor got up and yawned, stumbling across the room to Discord and looking up at him. "What do you want? This is a bad time."

Flurry Heart was especially sensitive to emotion, something she no doubt had gained from Cadance, and she began to whimper, working herself up to a good cry. Cadance held her close, hoping Shining Armor could get the God of Utterly Poor Timing out of their castle before he set off Flurry, but that looked to be happening no matter what at this point. She could hear Discord and Shining Armor having a whispered conversation, hissing at each other as they debated some point. Flurry Heart had had enough of this nonsense, though, and she began to cry, loudly and with all the force her Tiny Royal Voice could muster. Discord leapt nearly a foot in the air as Flurry Heart began to wail, and he spoke up beyond a whisper. "Gracious me! You've got a set of lungs on you, kiddo!"

Flurry Heart kept up the wailing, and Cadance scowled. "Well, I suppose there's no point anymore. Come on in, Discord."

Discord gave Cadance a sheepish grin and entered the room, Shining rolling his eyes and trotting over to sit next to Cadance on the couch. Discord sat in the overstuffed armchair that Shining had vacated, his eyes darting between Cadance and Flurry Heart. He chuckled, barely audible over Flurry Heart's crying. "She's certainly cute, if a bit... cranky."

"Thank you. Now, please tell me what was so important that you felt the need to show up unannounced and wake up my daughter?" Cadance said with barely constrained hostility.

"I have a... relationship question. You and I, we've never had any problems, Cadance, so I figured—" Discord began, but Shining interrupted him.

"Never had any problems? How about the time you stole all her magic? Or my magic? Or betrayed Equestria?" Shining Armor said, glaring across the room at Discord. Flurry Heart's cries grew louder.

Discord scowled, "Shining Armor! You're making the baby upset! Also, I figured that we'd let bygones be bygones. I sincerely apologized for my little part in that whole unpleasant Tirek episode. Aren't we all friends, now?"

"Nope," Cadance said, shushing Flurry Heart. "We were never friends, Discord."

"Oh, please! I went out of my way to rescue Twilight and the rest of the captured ponies from the Changelings. When Chrysalis's magic was broken, it freed your entire family, including your adorably loud, apparently half-siren daughter," Discord said quickly.

Cadance and Shining Armor glanced at each other. He wasn't wrong, there. Cadance stood up and placed Flurry Heart on her back, and trotted across the room to Discord. "You're right."

Discord scowled, obviously about to object, but he halted, surprise writ large across his face. "... Oh. Well, ah, I expected to have to argue a bit more, so now I'm just at a loss."

Cadance gave him a wan smile. He certainly wasn't her favorite, but he'd proven himself a friend to Twilight and her friends, most especially Fluttershy. Flurry Heart continued to cry, her wings fluttering and her tiny arms flailing slightly as Cadance bounced her on her back, trying to soothe the tiny alicorn. Discord chuckled. "You look a little ridiculous."

"She likes this, sometimes. The trick, really, is finding what she needs and getting her to settle down again," Cadance explained, returning some of her focus to Discord. "So, you said you had a relationship problem."

"Yes... well..." Discord suddenly clammed up, which was unexpected of him. Cadance had rarely seen him pensive, or even quiet for any stretch. "It's complicated, and rather embarrassing, but you're the expert alicorn, here. Celestia recommended me to you, you see."

"Celestia sent you?" Cadance said, surprised, and shot Shining Armor a quick look. Shining Armor shrugged, obviously exhausted and frusturated, but he didn't seem intent on challenging Discord any further. Cadance looked back at Discord, "You have my attention."

"Fluttershy told me that she loves me," Discord said.

Cadance nearly stumbled in shock as she bounced Flurry Heart on her flank. Flurry Heart continued to cry. "Oh. Oh! Congratulations!"

"That's great. Congratulations, Discord," Shining Armor added, giving a tired but genuine smile. Cadance smiled at her husband.

Discord gave her a look. "Everypony keeps saying that. It's more complicated than that."

Cadance resumed her slow trot around the room, giving Flurry Heart a pony ride. "Oh? Why?"

"Well, I'm immortal, for starters. That certainly puts a damper on my future prospects with dear Fluttershy," Discord said.

"Well, that's certainly a valid concern... for the long term. What about the short term?" Cadance asked.

Discord gave her a look. "Cadance, when you're immortal, short term is about a hundred years, give or take. You'll have to be more specific."

Cadance chuckled airily, pausing to collect her thoughts while she made silly faces at Flurry Heart. She spoke after a few attempts failed, and she trotted over to Shining Armor, who took to the silly face task with gusto. "I'm surprised by that, Discord. I know that immortals have a thing about mortal time feeling like the blink of an eye, but you've always stuck me as a... here-and-now type of draconequus."

Discord frowned, though Cadance could tell that it wasn't directed at her. "That... is a fair point."

"So, what's got you worked up and thinking long-term? Is it, maybe, because you value Fluttershy's time? That you don't just see a relationship with her as a here-and-now deal, but something that is lasting?" Cadance pried.

Discord stared at her, unblinking, before slowly nodding. "You're... right."

"So, you want it to last. That's a good thing. She's bringing you beyond your usual in-the-moment attitude. Why?" Cadance asked, before nuzzling Flurry Heart. She was still crying, unfortunately.

"Why?" Discord replied, looking confused. He had a remarkably silly face when he was confused. Cadance trotted Flurry Heart over to the draconequus, hoping that maybe his silly appearance would get her to giggle.

"What's special about Fluttershy? Why does she get you twisted up and second guessing? You're a god of chaos. Love is one of the most chaotic, passionate, crazy things that can happen to a pony."

"She's... well..." Discord swallowed hard, looking down at his hands, which were clasped in front of himself. Cadance could feel his love, in that moment, like a wave of heat that filled her body and left her feeling shaky. Discord continued, suddenly. "Every day, she wakes up to chaos. Madness. Animals that run amok, screaming to have their needs met. Every day, there's two things that terrify her and she has to overcome them to move on with her duties. She does it all, though. She calms the savage beasts, quiets the cries. She fights through the fear and accomplishes everything she sets out to do. She..." Discord paused, inhaling, "She's a goddess. A goddess of order."

Cadance was quiet, staring at Discord and filled with emotion. Flurry Heart was silent, too, staring up at Discord with wide, blue eyes. Cadance smiled, wiping at her eyes. "Wow, Discord," she said, giggling, "you have it bad."

"I do, don't I?" Discord said, his voice soft.

Flurry Heart laughed a tiny baby laugh, hiccuping, and then spontaneously fell asleep. Cadance sighed, feeling the tension drain from her body. "Yes. It's my professional opinion, as the Alicorn of Love, that you're in deep, deep trouble. Because if you're here, that probably means you ran away screaming when Fluttershy told you she loves you."

Discord winced. "Well, screaming is a strong word..."

"You should probably give it some thought, but I can tell that you're very much in love with Fluttershy. I think you need to recapture that sense of here-and-now. Stop thinking long term, and let things happen as they may. Go think up a great apology. Make her feel like the goddess you think she is," Cadance said, removing Flurry Heart from her back and holding her in her front legs.

"Right... yes. Of course. But... while I have your attention..." Discord frowned slightly, "I, uh, I know that Fluttershy wants children, someday. And, well..."

Cadance stared at Discord for a moment, then held out Flurry Heart. Discord gave her a shocked look and laughed nervously. "Cadance, I know you're tired, but you can't go giving me babies."

Cadance laughed, "Hold her. Please."

Discord stared down at the sleeping alicorn foal, his face a mixture of pure terror and deep curiosity. He looked from Cadance to Shining Armor, and then slowly and gingerly took the baby into his arms. Cadance had never seen Discord so... still. She spoke softly. "Alicorns aren't supposed to be able to procreate, either." Discord looked up at her with shock. Cadance smiled at him, her gaze drawn to her sleeping foal. "I can't tell you the hows or whys, but with enough love, anything is possible, Discord. So... stop worrying."

Discord stared down at Flurry Heart, and then nodded. "You're right."

Cadance took Flurry Heart from Discord, and set her back in her crib. "So...?"

"So? So now, like you said, I think up a great apology," Discord said with a small laugh.

Cadance nodded. "Good. Now, get out of here, and don't come back until you've sorted things out with Fluttershy. We'll be here if you need more advice."

Discord stood up, brushing himself off, and made for the door. He opened it, his face filled with determination, and strode into the hallway. He peeked back in a moment later, looking sheepish. "Oh, and, thank you," he said, nodding to Shining Armor and Cadance, before with a snap of his fingers he disappeared.

Cadance shook her head and trotted back over to the couch and sat down next to Shining Armor, hugging him tightly. Shining chuckled, holding her close. "Good work, honey."

Cadance smiled happily. "They're going to be very happy."

Shining Armor smirked. "Really?"

"No doubt. She's his goddess of order. Opposites attract, and I can't think of anything more opposite than chaos and order. They'll do fine."

"As long as Discord doesn't screw up," Shining quipped.

Cadance laughed quietly and gave him a little shove. "Shiny! Bad pony."

"Sweet princess," he countered, giving her a playful shove back, before bending down and sharing a loving kiss with her.

Author's Note

A little late, but this chapter took some serious thought.

Friends

The sun hadn't fully risen by the time Fluttershy woke up. She stretched slowly, sitting up in bed and fluttering her wings before removing herself from the pile of pillows and blankets she'd nestled herself in. She felt tired, even though she'd gone to bed early. She had a brief moment of frustration with herself. She'd neglected her animal friends' evening feeding schedules, and they'd certainly be cranky today. They probably felt as bad as she did. With a small sigh, she stepped over to the window above her bed and opened it, letting the chill air into her room. She peeked out at the birds' nests and found her bird friends nestled in bed with their eggs and mates. That was... unusual. They usually only settled down after being fed in the morning. She smiled warmly at her feathery housemates before ducking back inside and heading for the door out of her bedroom.

At the doorway, Fluttershy paused ever-so-briefly, head tilted as she listened to the sounds coming from downstairs. It was oddly quiet. She frowned, shaking her head. Of course it was quiet. Discord wasn't here to wake the animals up. She trotted downstairs, humming a quiet tune, and stopped dead in her tracks at the foot of the stairs.

Her living room had ponies in it.

On the smaller love seat were curled the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They were dusty and their manes and coats were mussed. Apple Bloom leaned against the arm of the seat, her head thrown back. Sweetie Belle lay across Apple Bloom's lap, head and forelegs drooping over the edge of the love seat towards the floor. Scootaloo lay against Sweetie Belle's side, four legs and tiny wings askew and twitching as she dreamed.

Applejack was sprawled on the floor, face resting on the coffee table as she snored, her stetson covering her eyes. On the sofa lay Rarity, her face covered by a purple sleep mask and an embroidered blanket pulled up to her chin.

Fluttershy stared at her friends, confused. What were they doing here? She overhead quiet whispering from the kitchen and the sound of pots and pans carefully being moved about, and she walked over quietly to investigate. In the kitchen, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Spike were chatting softly. They moved about the kitchen, working on breakfast. A pot of oats simmered on the stove next to her kettle, which was hissing a small line of steam. Pinkie Pie sat next to the oven, a signature smile across her face, peering through the oven window to stare at some treat baking within. Spike stood on the counter, mixing a batch of what appeared to be pancakes, occasionally reaching into a bowl of crystalline shards and snacking on them like hay fries.

Fluttershy cleared her throat, trying not to be intrusive, but the sound broke the bustle of the quiet kitchen and drew her friends' attention. Fluttershy felt a brief moment of anxiety as they turned to look at her, but reminded herself that they were in her house. "Hello everypony. What's going on?"

Pinkie Pie let out a happy squeak and bounced over to Fluttershy, landing directly in front of her. "Fluttershy! We're so happy you're up!"

Rainbow Dash chuckled, "Morning, Fluttershy."

Spike smiled brightly. "We're making pancakes!"

Fluttershy smiled warmly, "Ah, oh. That's very nice of you! But... why?"

Her three friends exchanged a glance, and Pinkie Pie quickly launched into an explanation. "Wellllllllllll, we heard that you and Discord had a fight. Or he dumped you. Or you dumped him! And he went and got Scootaloo to get her friends to help take care of your animals! And Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle tried to help, but the job was super-duper big, so they went and got their big sisters to come and help! And then when we heard that you needed help, everypony else decided to come and help! And now we're allllllllllllllll helping!" Pinkie Pie finished with a grin and a flounce.

"Yeah, we were all worried about you, and we figured you were upstairs trying to sleep, so we kept things quiet and made sure that all your critters were taken care of so you wouldn't have to worry. No biggie, " Rainbow Dash said with a small smirk, as she stepped a little closer to Fluttershy and put a hoof on her shoulder.

"Twilight was here, too, but she wanted to go and see Discord. Everypony had some wild ideas about what happened, so she wanted to clear things up. She said she'd be back once she found Discord... however you do that. So we're making breakfast!" Spike chimed in, smiling as he dutifully mixed the pancake batter.

Fluttershy swallowed hard around a lump in her throat. She was so, so lucky to have such good friends. She smiled, a fragile thing, and whispered, "Thank you. You didn't have to do all this, though. I'm fine."

Pinkie Pie's eyes narrowed, and she looked Fluttershy in the eye. Fluttershy felt her lower lip begin to tremble. "Really. I'm... I'm fine."

Pinkie Pie's smile redoubled. "Somepony needs a hug from Auntie Pinkie Pie!"

"I'm a year older than—eep!" Fluttershy found herself in a tight, fluffy, pink embrace before she could object. Not that she didn't want a hug. She decided that she definitely, definitely needed a hug. She took a slow, shuddering breath, and felt the beginnings of a sob building in the back of her throat. "Thank you..."

"Shhh. It's okay, Fluttershy. Auntie Pinkie Pie is right here. You just let it alllllllllllll out." Pinkie Pie's voice was chipper, yet gentle and full of empathy.

Fluttershy briefly hated how transparent she was with her emotions, but as tears began to roll down her cheeks, she realized that she needed this. So she started to cry, quietly, clutching her friend tight and feeling a strange mixture of sadness and relief.

Discombobulated

Discord lay draped across his polka-dot couch in his living room. The couch was on the ceiling, now, but that wasn't stopping him from draping himself across it. Gravity was his plaything in the realm of chaos. Technically, it was his plaything anywhere, because he was a god, but at that moment he didn't feel particularly godlike. No, at the moment, he felt all too mortal. All too frail. It would have been an exciting sensation, something new and chaotic, but he was too close to the situation at hand.

In his claws, he held a notebook and a pen, and he was furiously tapping it against the blank page. At the top were two words.

Dearest Fluttershy,

And that was as far as he'd gotten. He'd been trying to read up on the subject of apologies. He'd perused a few romantic novellas, and it seemed that ponies thought that letters were sincere ways of expressing emotion. Which felt incredibly stupid, to him, but he was determined to do things properly. He wanted to apologize to Fluttershy. He really, really wanted to. He just... had to do it properly. It was going to be the best apology, ever. An apology so incredible and fantastic that she'd forget his earlier faux pas and just... be something other than angry. Or sad. Or however she was feeling.

Discord hadn't been so anxious since the time Tirek had betrayed him and stolen his power. And this time, it was over some feelings. He was a god. He should be beyond such things, but Fluttershy had reminded him of the beauty of mortal emotion, of the complexity and depth of things beyond simple chaos. Chaos was just that much more chaotic with emotion behind it, after all. There was more than madness in his life, now, because of her.

But, how to say that? How to tell her that she was his other half, his Goddess of Order? He certainly could say that, but it seemed... simple. Insincere, perhaps. He snarled in frusturation, scribbling the pen across the paper in a chaotic whorl of ink and angst.

There was a flash of purple light in the middle of his living room, and Princess Twilight Sparkle materialized on the floor. She shook her head a few times, looking at the empty floor of the room, not bothering to look up. Discord blinked, staring down at her from the ceiling, and frowned. "Well, if it isn't Twilight Sparkle. Here to give me the business?"

Twilight spooked, her eyes widening as she looked up at the ceiling for the source of his voice, her wings flaring open. She glared. "Discord! What are you doing on the ceiling?"

"What are you doing on the floor? Or, rather, what are you doing on my floor?" Discord retorted, regarding her coolly.

Twilight frowned slightly, taking a few steps back from him so she wasn't craning her neck directly upward to address him. "I'm here to check on you. I know that something happened between you and Fluttershy, but you didn't tell anypony anything before you disappeared to... do whatever you're doing."

Discord stared at Twilight for a moment, processing this information, before he smirked slightly. "That's awfully nice of you, Princess, but I'm doing fine. Though, I certainly don't appreciate the intrusion. I'm rather busy at the moment, you see."

Twilight smirked right back, her horn glowing. She gave a quick flap of her wings as a spell flared around her. Discord was moderately impressed by the arcane weave that Twilight expertly worked onto herself, which reversed her own gravity and set his ceiling as 'down' for her orientation. She spun in midair and landed in front of him, now facing him properly. "I see that you're writing something. And I see that you've only got two words, and then a scribble and a bad doodle of me with a unibrow and bug eyes."

Discord chuckled. "A remarkable likeness, really. After all, you're bugging me at the moment."

Twilight stared at him, deadpan. "That was weak. You're obviously upset and off your game," she said with an annoyingly matter-of-fact cadence to her voice as she sat down in the overstuffed armchair across from him.

"I don't remember offering you a seat," Discord groused.

"Well, too bad!" Twilight replied, settling into the cushions and making it clear that she wasn't leaving. "You left my friend, your best friend, so upset that she didn't feed her animals last night because she was locked in her bedroom. Something is obviously wrong, and I'm the Princess of Friendship, so I'm here to help."

Discord shook his head, chuckling. "Oh, Twilight. Your concern is noted, and appreciated, but..." Discord trailed off, his eyes widening as what Twilight had said registered with him. "She... she didn't feed the animals last night?"

Twilight shook her head. "No. You did a good job, recruiting Scootaloo and her friends to help out just in case. You were obviously aware that she might be upset for a while."

Discord winced. "I... well, I took precautions, but I never thought..."

Twilight stared at him, something like worry on her face, before she spoke again. "What happened?"

Sighing heavily, Discord tore away the ruined page in front of him and began to fiddle with it, folding it with his nimble claw-paw hands as he spoke. "I'd taken Fluttershy out for a little... break. She'd had a stressful morning, and I wanted to do something nice for her, because she never gets time for herself. So I got Scootaloo to come and house-sit for a few hours and I took her to lunch out on the slopes of the Crystal Mountain Range. There's a nice spot, right at the edge of the mountains where you can see the Crystal Empire and look out over the snow plains, and..." he shook his head, "... and she told me she loved me."

Twilight's head jerked up in surprise, and she put a hoof over her mouth. "Oh!"

Discord smirked. "Surprised? I was, too. And... I may have overreacted the tiniest bit. Which, of course, is to say that I lost what little sanity I possess briefly as I panicked like some kind of child."

Twilight winced. "Oh."

"Yes. Oh. I was afraid, Twilight, because I didn't know what to do or how to react. I'm the god of chaos, but emotions are something that I'm still getting the hang of. Especially... love. I had all these stupid thoughts and fears and... well... I couldn't just accept what she'd said. So I took her home and told her I needed to think about things." He paused, collecting himself.

Twilight frowned, "So, you came here and you've been avoiding the issue?"

Discord laughed. "Oh, Princess, not even in the slightest. I'll have you know that, had this been a regular, run-of-the-mill friendship problem, I would have come right to you begging for some solution. But I know that you're about as inept at romance as I am."

Twilight blushed, nodding lightly. "That's actually a pretty fair assessment."

"I know," Discord said with a chuckle, "which is why I spoke to Celestia, first. She's a fellow immortal, so she'd understand my... unique concerns. Celestia told me some things I needed to hear, and then she sent me on my way to your dear sister-in-law, Cadance."

Twilight instantly relaxed. "Oh, good. I was going to say, this kind of problem is pretty far outside my scope of expertise. I'll bet Cadance helped."

Discord smiled. "You know? She really did. I know that we aren't the best of friends, Cadance and I, but she put aside all of her misgivings and gave me some very good advice."

"Well, then... what's the problem? Don't you know what you need to do?" Twilight prompted him, her eyes curious.

Discord gestured to the floor below. There were dozens of crumpled pieces of paper, balled up and covered in scrawled ink. "Twilight, give me a solid guess on the number of times I've tried to take responsibility for my actions. Then, give me a guess on the number of times I've apologized to anypony for anything I've done. And then, try to extrapolate from those conclusions how much I care about Fluttershy, how sorry I am, and how badly I want to make things right, and you'll understand my conundrum."

Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but Discord held up a paw. "That was a rhetorical question. I'm terrible at taking responsibility for my actions and apologizing, and I very badly want to do this properly. You see? This isn't easy, even for a god like me. Perhaps especially for a god like me. I'm a bad, nasty person, Twilight Sparkle, and I was bad for a very, very long time, but... for Fluttershy, I want to be better."

Twilight stared at him for a moment, and a slow, warm smile spread across her face. Discord could swear that some tears were gathering in the corner of her eyes, and he sighed. "Spare me the sentimentality. I know you're going to say something incredibly sappy, and I really can't handle anypony else's emotions at the moment beyond my own and Fluttershy's. So, if you please, let's cut to the chase of this conversation. Can you help me?"

Twilight swallowed and rubbed at her eyes, before nodding emphatically. "Yes."

Discord smiled. "Excellent, because this apology letter is killing me. I may have mastered the dirty limerick, but this is beyond even my poetic skill. Unless, of course, you think that I can make an apology that starts with 'There once was a mare from Nantucket'."

Twilight blushed and giggled, shaking her head as though he was ridiculous. Which, of course, he was aware he was, but at this point it was his best defense against his feelings. It simply wasn't in him to give Twilight a hug and cry it out, even though that option may have occurred to him briefly. Twilight spoke up after recovering. "That... that probably wouldn't be appropriate."

"I didn't think so," Discord said with a sigh, dropping the notepad and watching it fall upwards to the floor. "Well, then, help me write something better."

"Frankly," Twilight said, "I don't think you should write a letter at all."

Discord stared at her, raising one eyebrow slowly. "No? I assumed that this was the best way for a sincere apology to be made."

Twilight shook her head. "Well, maybe if I was the one apologizing, yeah. I'd write an apology out. I've done it before, actually, but that's my style. For you?" Twilight snorted. "You're obviously trying, and that's sweet of you, but you should apologize like you would, not like how I would."

Discord blinked. "How... I would apologize?"

Twilight nodded and stood up, approaching him as he contemplated what she'd said. "I think you know Fluttershy. I think you care a lot about her, and I'd even hazard a guess that you feel the same way about her that she does about you. There's no better way to say you're sorry than the way you feel you should. Not some preconcieved notion of this perfect apology. After all, Fluttershy... she loves you for you. So, be yourself."

Discord stared past Twilight as an epiphany exploded in his mind. The couch, chair, end table, and the rest of the furniture suddenly and spontaneously reversed itself, landing on the floor once more. Discord closed his eyes and slowly, deliberately placed the palms of his hands over his face. "Of course."

He laughed, then, leaping off the couch and cackling a madly. "Of course! Twilight Sparkle, you adorkable genius, you! I've been a fool! A boob! An absolute idiot!" He paused in his ecstatic self-criticism, looking briefly concerned. "Goodness, I've been an idiot several times, recently, haven't I? I should probably get myself checked for brain damage." The concern fled just as quickly as it came, though, and he was laughing again. "I just need to apologize, Discord Style, and Fluttershy won't be able to help but love it. After all, she loves me."

Discord froze, suddenly, and grabbed Twilight by the shoulders. "Fluttershy loves me, Twilight. She loves me! It's insane! I don't understand it, but she does, and it makes me so happy I could explode. Twice!" He cackled, mania glinting in his eyes. "Twilight Sparkle, you've done me another great service of friendship. I can't possibly ever repay you, so don't be terribly surprised if I don't! But, maybe, someday, I'll manage to find a way. Until then..." He struck a pose. "I've got an apology to make."

With a snap of his fingers, he disappeared, leaving a bewildered Twilight Sparkle to stand awkwardly in the middle of his living room. Twilight shook her head, slowly, and frowned. "I... feel like I've just unleashed something terrible on Equestria."

She shrugged. "Oh well. I suppose we'll manage!" And with that, she teleported home.

Fright

Fluttershy noticed the change in weather before everypony else did. The sun had just started to rise, and the day had been looking clear and warm, before clouds began to roll in rapidly from behind the Canterhorn mountain. The shift in the light drew Fluttershy's attention to the window, and she stepped over to peer out of the curtains.

The clouds were pink.

She squinted, blinking rapidly, and then turned to the rest of the girls chatting amicably behind her. "Ah, girls?"

Rainbow Dash, Spike, and Pinkie Pie all glanced over at her. Fluttershy pointed out the window. "I think Discord's back."

Outside, the sky whorled with chaotic clouds that changed the light, the whole world turning a gentle shade of pink. The clouds swirled together, blanketing the sky and forming random shapes in the sky. The sun suddenly jerked in the sky and re-positioned itself, shifting rapidly across the sky from a sunrise to a sunset. The pink clouds were suddenly shot through with golden and silver streaks as the sun shone on their undersides, and the sky between the clouds turned a beautiful violet and blue color. Rainbow Dash frowned, slowly. "Uh, that's... not natural."

Fluttershy's eyes widened, and she felt a deep terror fill her chest. Had Discord... snapped? Had he decided that he'd messed up so badly, that he'd reverted to his old ways? She placed a hoof over her mouth, stifling a fearful gasp, and sat down on her haunches. "Oh no."

Rainbow Dash scowled, glancing between Fluttershy and the strange sky outside. "This might be bad. I'll go wake everypony up."

"I'll go, too!" Pinkie Pie gave Fluttershy a big smile, and bounced after Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy nodded quickly, still frozen in place. Spike shook his head, peering out the window, and walked over to stand by Fluttershy. He could obviously see her fear—she knew she was wearing her heart on her sleeve at that moment—and he gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "Fluttershy, we know Discord. He's not turning evil over this. He's probably... just playing a prank?"

Fluttershy tried to let Spike's words calm her, and they rang true in her mind. Spike was right. Discord was better than he'd been before their friendship. He wouldn't revert to his old ways over some... miscommunication. She felt calmer, and gave a small smile to Spike, even though the fear that gripped her hadn't quite retreated. She was about to say something, when a loud knock at her door startled her.

Spike frowned and zipped over to her front door and peeked out the nearby window. He gasped and leapt to the door, pulling it open quickly. Fluttershy peered from the kitchen as Princess Luna trotted quickly into the room, her face grave. She saw Spike and nodded to him, "Spike! Where is Twilight Sparkle?"

"She left to go see Discord. What's going on?" Spike replied, anxiously wringing his hands.

"Discord has taken control of the heavens and refuses to surrender them," Luna said, shaking her head with obvious disappointment.

"He did what?" Fluttershy said, the intensity of her own voice surprising her.

Princess Luna turned at the sound of her voice, and relief flooded her features. "Fluttershy! Thank goodness. We have a dire need of you. We are uncertain why Discord has done this, but we know that he will only listen to you."

"I'll, uh, tell the rest of the girls!" Spike said, walking into the living room.

Princess Luna faced Fluttershy, staring at her with a level of scrutiny that Fluttershy disliked. She shrank back a little ways, and saw something like self-awareness suddenly come into Princess Luna's eyes. Princess Luna blushed and turned her face away. "I am sorry, Fluttershy. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable. I am, perhaps, more used to confronting dreams and nightmares than I am ponies."

Fluttershy felt a kinship with the mysterious princess, and she replied, "Don't feel bad. I'm more used to dealing with wild animals than ponies."

Princess Luna laughed lightly, visibly relieved that she hadn't offended Fluttershy. "Well, then, perhaps we have much in common. I was simply curious, you see. It is rare to find a mortal that can gain the favor of a god like Discord. You must be special, because he holds control of the heavens in your name."

Fluttershy flushed with embarrassment, turning to look out a nearby window at the perpetual sunset. She frowned, "O-oh. He's up to something silly, then."

Princess Luna smiled. "He said that he would only speak with you and your friends. He refused to surrender, and he's fighting Celestia with his unorthodox magics."

"He's fighting Celestia in my name?!" Fluttershy said, horror and embarrassment at war with each other.

Luna held up a hoof, her smile turning inscrutable. "I promise, the situation is far less dire than that. It is less a true battle and more of a... hoof-wrestling match?" Luna pondered the metaphor briefly, before nodding. "Yes, a hoof-wrestling match. Discord's power normally could not outstrip Celesta's control of the sun, but he has grown inexplicably stronger. His maneuver, moving the sun across the sky, took my sister by surprise. She's confronted him, but he's remained obstinate. My sister isn't one to let him simply have his way, so she's been trying to wrest control of the sun from him, but they are at an impasse."

Fluttershy sighed. "I'm sorry, Princess Luna. This is my fault. I'm certain, though, that Discord doesn't mean any harm."

Princess Luna nodded. "We believe so, as well. He's promised that he has a good reason for defying Celestia, but he refuses to speak more on the matter until he's spoken with you and your friends."

Spike, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders all joined the Princess and Fluttershy at the front door. Applejack looked angry, and stomped a hoof. "What's this I hear about Discord messin' with the sun?"

Rarity let out a massive yawn and ran a brush she'd conjured from... somewhere... through her mane. "I knew he'd be upset, but to go to this length! It's ridiculous. Fluttershy, dear, you'll be able to talk some sense into him, won't you?"

Fluttershy nodded slowly. "I... I hope so."

"You're the only pony he listens to, Flutters. He'd better listen, or we'll make him listen," Rainbow Dash said, running her hoof along the floor aggressively.

Pinkie Pie smiled. "I'm not worried! Discord isn't a mean, mean, meany-pants like he used to be."

Fluttershy exhaled and looked to her friends. "All right, we're ready. Should we wait for Twilight?"

Spike stepped forward and held up a scroll. "She sent this a minute ago. Said she's already in Canterlot, trying to help Celestia talk Discord out of... whatever he's doing."

Fluttershy swallowed hard, and looked at Princess Luna. "Okay. We're ready."

Decisions

The sun hung low over Canterlot, perched at the edge of the far horizon with impunity. Discord, however, wasn't as lucky. Before him sat Princess Celestia, her brow furrowed in concentration. He'd chosen to remain standing, perched on the top of the wall of the palace overlooking the Canterlot Gardens. Below him stretched a reflection pond filled with pink and white lilies that bloomed. The sun's reflection turned the water silver, like molten metal, and reflected the barest hints of the sunset's colors at the crests of the gentle waves that lapped at the edges of the pool. The pool was surrounded by flowers and blooming bushes of all types, and they'd all exploded into perfection at his behest. A few snaps of his fingers and it was all perfect.

Now, he only had to contend with an angry alicorn. Well, two angry alicorns. Twilight was here, too, and she looked unhappy. "Honestly, Discord, were you even paying attention? I told you to apologize, not... do whatever it is that you're doing!"

Discord frowned and dabbed at his brow with a striped handkerchief. "Hush, Twilight. I told you, this is part of the apology. I really wish you'd trust me!"

Celestia scowled, her horn glowing brightly, and Discord briefly struggled against the titanic magics she unleashed to try to return the sun to its previous position. Discord held on, though, refusing to relinquish so much as a single inch. "Celestia! Stop it. I already promised that you'd get your sun back as soon as I got a chance to speak to Fluttershy!"

Celestia shook her head. "There were better ways to go about this, Discord. You could have asked for my help! Or even asked to borrow the sun, briefly."

"But then you could have said no. Better to beg for forgiveness, hm?" He chuckled, wiping the sweat from his face again. It was tough work, holding the sun hostage. The sun had lots of things to say on the matter, none of which were particularly kind, but Discord ignored it. He had more important things to worry about.

"I could have said yes, too," Celestia said with a huff, "Did that thought ever cross your mind?"

Discord pondered for a brief second, and then smiled, "Nope."

Twilight's wings flared out and she threw back her head, letting out a sigh. "This is ridiculous."

"Life, my dear Twilight, is ridiculous," Discord countered, briefly distracted by a blue flash of light, "And, more importantly for mortals, terribly short. So there's no time to waste with niceties. I have one chance to apologize properly, and this is—"

"Discord!"

Discord froze mid-sentance, eyes widening. Fluttershy's voice carried, loud and disappointed, across the wall from the garden below. He smiled briefly, and murmured, "I knew I could count on you, Luna. Us ex-villains have to stick together." With a grin, he nodded to Celestia, "I've got an apology to make. The most important one. Yours can come second, but I make no promises as to how sorry I'll actually be!"

Celestia shook her head and strode over to the edge of the wall as Discord leapt from the parapet to stand before the gaggle of ponies gathered in the garden. Fluttershy stood, wings open, her mouth an adorably terrifying frown, glaring at him from across the reflecting pool. Discord approached her slowly, walking around the side. He snapped his fingers, and birds suddenly filled the branches of the nearby trees, happy birdsong filling the air. Fluttershy's gaze didn't shift. He could feel the sweat dripping down the back of his head, but he ignored it, and maintained a pleasant smile. He stopped in front of her. "Hello, Fluttershy. Glad you could make it."

Fluttershy didn't flinch. "Discord, what are you doing?"

Discord winced at the harsh tone of her voice. "Something incredibly stupid, but I promise, I had only good intentions."

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to speak, but Fluttershy suddenly held up a hoof, her frowning visage never moving. "No. This is my job." Fluttershy gestured to Discord, meeting his gaze evenly. He had to fight not to look away in shame. "Explain."

Discord coughed awkwardly, and spoke with a slow, deliberate intonation. "I'm apologizing, but I'm doing it in my own way. No sappy letter, no chocolates, no standing outside your house with a boom-box playing Peter Neighbriel. I'm saying 'I'm sorry', so let me say it properly. Please," he added at the end, hopefully.

Fluttershy's eyes left his, glancing around slowly at the beautiful gardens, the shining reflection pool, the trees full of birds, and the sunset sky full of pink and silver clouds. She sat down, and nodded. "All right. Go on."

Discord exhaled and then sat down across from her. "I thought back to what I'd said to you on the side of the mountain. Not... not all the stupid things I said when I was afraid. Those were said out of panic and fear, and I'm sorry for that. But, what I'm thinking of was what I said earlier." He glanced past Fluttershy to her friends. Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Spike. He glanced over his shoulder, as well, to Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle. They were all watching him, all listening with curiosity.

Good. He wanted them to hear this, too.

"You told me you wanted a daisy sandwich. Not unlimited power, or world domination. A daisy sandwich. And I told you that you could ask for all that and more." He gestured upward to the sun that hung in the sky, "I could do it, you know? I could take over this world, if I was serious. I could hold the sun in the sky, fight the princesses and win. I could even stop your Rainbow Power. I am a god. A silly one, yes, but a god, nonetheless."

He shrunk himself smaller, not by much, but enough so that he didn't tower over Fluttershy. He looked her in the eye as he spoke. "I could give you everything if you'd ask, and you know I would. But you'd never, ever ask me for that. You could live as Queen, but you'd rather stay in your cottage and tend to your animals."

"What are you trying to say?" Fluttershy ask, softly. "That... that we aren't compatible?"

Discord chuckled and shook his head. "No. I'm telling you that... maybe I don't want the world, anymore, either." As he spoke, he released his hold on the sun. The astral machinery unwound rapidly as Celestia took control of her charge once more, her wings opening with a blinding flash of golden magic and the sun returned to it's rightful position in the sky, as Discord spoke his next words.

"I think I'd rather have a daisy sandwich with you."

Fluttershy stared at him, her body still, her wings folding to her sides, and she bit her lower lip. "You... you'd rather have a daisy sandwich with me?"

"You're worth more to me than anything else in this world, Fluttershy. I could have it all, but I'd never be happy. I think, though, that I could have a cottage, and some critters, and a daisy sandwich with the pony I love, and that would be... perfect." Discord snapped his fingers, and a daisy sandwich appeared in his hand, which he offered to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy stared at it, blushing slightly. Discord spoke quietly, "Wheat bread, light dressing, hold the mustard, extra petals."

Fluttershy smiled. "You know my favorite sandwich?"

"Of course," Discord said simply.

Fluttershy exhaled, slowly. "Thank you, Discord. But, I... I need to say some things, too."

Discord faltered slightly. He hadn't expected this! A part of him reveled in the unexpected, while another part was filled with dread. "So... apology not accepted?"

Fluttershy's eyes widened with surprise, and her head shot up to look him in the eyes, "Oh! Oh, no, Discord, this is sweet, and wonderful. I feel so... happy right now!" Her wings fluttered at her sides, and she smiled at him. "But I need to apologize, too."

Discord frowned. "I don't understand. For what?"

"For scaring you. For not being... more clear about what I meant. I had all these feelings, this perfect moment out there on the side of that mountain, and I was very, very happy, and I opened my mouth and... said something that I should have known would make you uncomfortable. And I'm sorry."

Discord stared at her; her morose expression, and the way that the corners of her eyes glistened with barely restrained tears, and then he began to chuckle. "Fluttershy... are you really apologizing to me? For telling me that you love me?"

Fluttershy nodded, and a small hiccup escaped her lips as she started breathing hard. "I just wasn't thinking."

A thought flashed briefly in Discord's mind, and he struggled with a sudden feeling of terror. "So... you didn't mean it?"

Fluttershy gasped, and shook her head, "N-no! I meant it, I truly did, but... I don't want to hurt our friendship by putting such a burden on you. So, if you don't want me to... to love you, than that's... okay."

Discord frowned. "No. No, no, no." He stood up, and glared at Fluttershy, indignation filling his posture. "Fluttershy, this isn't about just me. This is about you, and asking for what you want. Now is not the time to be timid, my dear. Now is a time for bold moves!"

Fluttershy stared up at him, conflict ranging across her face. Discord bent down and looked her in the eyes. "What do you want? Do you want a friend, or do you want a lover?"

"C-can... can I... ask for both?" Fluttershy said, closing her eyes tightly.

Discord paused at this. He'd never considered this option. He glanced over at Twilight. "Oh, Twilight? Princess of Friendship? Can I be Fluttershy's friend and her special somepony?"

Everypony present at once shouted in unison, "YES."

Discord winced at the cacophonous answer. "Geeze. Okay. Calm down, ponies." He turned his attention back to Fluttershy. "Say the word, Fluttershy, and I'll give you all that and more."

"I choose both," Fluttershy said, opening her eyes and meeting his with a confident, if tearful, gaze.

Discord smiled as relief flooded his body, and all the anxiety unwound from him at once. He was about to speak, when Fluttershy jumped to her hooves, grabbed him by the face, and kissed him gently on the mouth. It was quick, shy, and light, barely a tap, but Discord felt like his heart had exploded twice. Fluttershy smiled, and she was beautiful, like a radiant sun goddess, lit yellow like a halo and pink like a sunset. Behind her, her friends cheered and hollered, stomping their hooves or clapping their claws, but Discord only had eyes for her. He smiled the most honest and sincere smile he'd ever given to somepony. "Apology accepted."

Author's Note

This is not the end! A few more things to wrap up, a few chapters more, and some sweet, simple writing ahead.

Epilogue: Family

The sun was still hidden behind the horizon as Fluttershy woke up. She stretched, letting out a sleepy yawn, and rubbed at her eyes. Her bed was warm and inviting, but the cloying scent of tea and warm oats had nudged her from her rest, and she sat up in bed. Discord sat at the foot of her bed, a tray improbably floating in the air within her reach. There was tea, and oatmeal, and some brown sugar and cream. Something to fill her up for the day ahead. Discord held his own cup, a oversize mug of black coffee, and he blew gently on the surface of the steaming liquid before taking a slow sip. He noticed her, then, and a smile of his own spread across his muzzle. "Good morning, dear Fluttershy."

"Good morning, Discord. Breakfast in bed?" she said as she eyed the tray appreciatively.

Discord smirked. "Oh, you thought this was for you? How presumptive! When have I ever made you breakfast in bed?"

"Never," Fluttershy admitted, but she could tell he was teasing her. She prodded him with a hind leg, "But that doesn't mean today isn't a good day to start."

"I thought so, too. Eat up, my dear, we've got a big day ahead of us!" Discord said, slurping down his coffee in a single swallow and banishing the giant mug to some alternate dimension. With a bounce, he flew through the air and out of the open window, startling her nesting bird friends with his laughter.

Fluttershy giggled, pulling the floating tray onto her bed and taking a sip of the tea. It was a bit stronger than she liked it, but he was trying, and that was what was important. She finished her breakfast with time to spare, finally climbing out of bed just as the sun rose. She stretched her wings out, giving them a few flaps to straighten out her feathers from their slightly rumpled state, and walked to the top of the stairs. Discord was below, judging by the sounds of chattering animals and his quiet grumbles. She trotted down the stairs and paused on the bottom step, blinking at the sight before her.

Discord was coiled across the floor, surrounded by her indoor animals. They crowded around their bowls of food, which were full. Discord had Angel Bunny in one hand, and was trying to feed the rabbit a carrot with the other. Angel was stubbornly refusing, and Discord was muttering quiet threats under his breath. He let out an exhausted sigh when he spotted Fluttershy. "Honestly, I don't know how you do it. Every morning. They're all so... demanding!"

Fluttershy smiled, trotting across the room and scooping up Angel Bunny and the carrot. "Not any more demanding than you are."

Discord gave a faux-offended sniff. "Well, then, I suppose I should count myself lucky that you decided to add me to your menagerie."

Fluttershy raised one eyebrow skeptically at Discord as she coerced Angel Bunny into eating the carrot. "I seem to recall someone fighting Celestia and making a fool of himself in his effort to join said menagerie."

Discord smiled a slow, amused smile back at the sassy pegasus pony. "Touché, mon chérie. You're awfully feisty this morning."

"I have to be, with someone like you around!" Fluttershy teased, feeling a small blush rise to her cheeks. She loved this banter, their back-and-forth. It was one of her favorite parts of their relationship. She felt so... emboldened, able be feisty and a tease, because she knew that Discord was someone she could feel safe with.

Discord chuckled and leaned over, giving her a quick kiss on the top of her head, his muzzle deep in her mane. He lingered there for a moment, and she could feel him inhale her scent, and she shivered slightly. It felt good to be cherished so deeply. She laughed and pushed his nose away, catching a brief glimpse of a rosy tint to his cheeks, before he snaked away, whirling through the room and into the kitchen. "By the by," he called, "We're low on bird seed. Do you want me to go to the market and pick some up?"

"We should go together. You're terrible at picking out birdseed," she replied.

Discord stuck his head out of the kitchen, looking stricken. "Fluttershy! You wound me! How was I to know that your birds are such fussy eaters!"

"You brought back a ten pound bag of sprinkles that you'd stolen from Sugarcube Corner, last time."

Discord snickered. "I thought they'd like it! A change in the routine!"

"Animals are creatures of habit, Discord," Fluttershy explained as she set down Angel Bunny, who had finally accepted the carrot with a huff.

"Well, I'm not!" Discord said, his head disappearing once more.

"You're not an animal, silly," Fluttershy called out, shaking her head in exasperation.

"That's not what you said last night!" Discord sang from somewhere in the kitchen.

Fluttershy rolled her eyes. "I said no such thing. You weren't even here last night!"

It was silent for a brief, pregnant moment, before Discord called out, "T-that's not what your mom said last night?"

Fluttershy shook her head and sighed, trotting into the kitchen. "That's the best you've got? Are you going soft on me?"

Discord was cleaning the dishes from breakfast. That is to say, Discord was sitting on a stool, reading a newspaper, and the dishes had sprouted tiny arms and legs and were washing themselves in the sink. He peered over the paper at Fluttershy, "I have gotten a bit domesticated, haven't I?"

Fluttershy laughed. "Maybe a little," she said, but she dropped the teasing tone, "but I like it. It's really nice having you here and helping me more."

Discord smiled a genuine smile. "Then... you're happy?"

Fluttershy stretched up on the tips of her hooves and gave him a gentle kiss on the bottom of his chin. "Yes."

Discord blushed and squirmed happily in his seat. "Perfect."