Tea for Tuesdayby Hasty RevisionChaptersJovialiteaHospitaliteaFestiviteaJovialiteaFor as long as I can remember I always hated Nightmare Night. Most ponies laughed when I told them that. Who could possibly hate all the games, candy and fun? I didn't hate any of those parts, I would tell them. I hated all the scary parts. The monster decorations, the pranks, the scares, the creepy laughs and screams and stories and all those awful things. Being scared was awful. Seeing everypony else scared was worse. It was all just too much for me. Saying all that just made them laugh harder at silly, timid little Fluttershy. My friends, Rainbow Dash in particular, had tried more than once to get me into it, but I just couldn't bring myself to enjoy it. Even when I discovered that I was really, really good at scaring my friends I simply wasn't having fun like everypony else did. I was very grateful that this year my friends had all promised me that they would let me stay home with my animal friends in peace and quiet. Rainbow said she would stop by just before sundown to make sure I was all set, just in case I needed her to quickly grab anything from town before it got dark. I set aside a special little teacake for her just to say 'thank you for caring'. Rainbow could be such a dear and thoughtful friend when she wanted to be. Ordinarily I would have been unhappy all day, even before night fell just from the idea that Nightmare Night was coming. A constant cloud of worry would cling to me from the moment I peeked out from under my blankets in the morning until I woke up the next day. I knew it was silly. I knew it was ridiculous and irrational and, above all, foalish. Knowing all of that didn't make it go away. Being reminded of all that made it even worse. But not this time. This time I was happy. This time I saw the bright sun and fluffy clouds and smiled at the beautiful day it was. I made my normal rounds to all my adorable little friends with a bounce in my step and lightness in my wings. I hummed a cheery tune all through my chores, and kept an eye on the clock not with dread but with excitement. I hated all the unexpected surprises of Nightmare Night, but on this day I was expecting one surprise I wouldn't miss for anything. I didn't know where, I didn't know how or what form it would take, but I knew when it would come down to the minute. As soon as all the animals were fed and watered, I was in the kitchen making all the final preparations. It was a lot of work, so much cooking and cleaning to do, but it was worth every moment for the surprise to come. It was like that feeling you got as a filly when you woke up on Hearth's Warming morning, knowing that there was a pile of presents and a lovely mug of hot cocoa just waiting for you to come and get them. I trotted out of the kitchen just minutes before the hour, pushing a serving cart stocked with treats into the living room. I was almost too excited to hold the plate of sandwiches steady in my teeth when I transferred them to the table, and I very nearly upset the teapot with a clumsy bump of my muzzle. It was a big relief when I caught it with a hoof before any of the hot tea could spill onto the sandwiches. I was always so tense when I did this. Yet another silly little thing that I knew shouldn't bother me nearly so much, but always did. It was just so important to me that everything was perfect. I fluttered away from the table to the bathroom to quickly make sure I was neat and tidy. I may not have had quite the eye for elegance and style to match Rarity, but I am just a little, tiny bit particular about my mane. When I was younger and shyer I often hid behind it, sweeping it over so that it covered as much of my face as possible. As a result, I've taken good care of it since I was a filly, something that's helpful when your mane grows as long as mine does. I can't even count how many ponies have asked me if I've had extensions done on both my mane and my tail, some of them judgmentally, others enviously. I always tell them the truth: they just grow that way. Except for one time after an accident with a rose bush right before the Cutie Mark Crusaders decided to try journalism. I was so close to having that embarrassing incident go completely unnoticed, too. I was just through the doorway when I heard the clock strike the hour. It was time! Somewhere, somehow, and within the next 60 seconds, my surprise would arrive. An electric shiver skipped right up my spine, in time with my heart's jumping tempo. My legs were trembling and I couldn't keep a giddy little smile off my face. I rushed to the mirror on quickly beating wings and felt my heart leap right up my throat when I saw the reflection. “Oh!” I gasped before I could catch myself. I hurriedly forced my expression to be as neutral as possible, and willed my wings to flap more slowly so I could land. Nice, even breaths were essential. Adequately calmed, I leaned in to study the reflection as naturally as I could. I checked the mane first, inspecting the stray, glossy, black strands that had escaped the rest before sweeping them to the side where they belonged. I turned my face this way and that to check that the gray coat was laying smooth and tidy on the long, narrow muzzle. I pulled my lips back so I could confirm that nothing was stuck between the reflected teeth, particularly next to the long, pointed snagglefang. Satisfied with the pearly-whiteness on display, I moved on to the eyes. I reached up and adjusted my eyelashes just the tiniest bit where one or two were askew. In the mirror I could see scaly, yellow digits deftly tending the elegant hairs around the lopsided red-within-yellow eyes. I smoothed one of the bushy white eyebrows for good measure. I pulled back with a nod and a happy smile. The reflection returned a toothy grin and moved in sync with me when I spoke. “My, I really am looking extra lovely today!” I managed to keep up the smile for almost five whole seconds before I started to giggle. The reflection sputtered and choked as it silently bit back its own laughter. In a further five seconds I lost it entirely and burst out laughing. A second voice, jovial and far more male, joined in from behind me. Two mismatched arms threw themselves around me and pulled me into a warm, furry, feathery, scaly hug. I wriggled myself around until I could put my own forelegs around the serpentine body of my dear friend, both of us still laughing our heads off. “Oh, Discord! I'm so happy you're here!” “Wouldn't miss it for the world, my dear Fluttershy!” Yes, this Nightmare Night was different than the previous years. This year I wouldn't be spending all day anxious and upset. I wouldn't be looking over my shoulder and shuddering at the ringing of every hour. This year was special. This year was delightful. This year Nightmare Night fell on a Tuesday. Author's Note I actually wrote the first draft of this before Royaltea quite some time ago. I'd hoped to start this anthology a little sooner but between being busy and my mind being pulled in so many other directions by other stories I've had trouble making headway on any one story. Updates to this are bound to be sporadic at best and I may start and finish other stories in the meantime. As an anthology it's meant to be more open ended, anyway. At least, I think so. Thank you for reading. HospitaliteaIn the wake of Ponyville's latest disaster it was clear to me that I had to do something to fix the rift between my friends. All the distrust was just awful. Everypony had been right to blame Discord, but they had been so quick to judge without any solid proof. Just because a stopped clock was right twice a day didn't mean it wasn't still broken. They were all my friends, and it hurt to see my friends fighting. Both sides were at fault, but I knew that the only way to bring the girls and Spike around was to work on the other side. Discord's strange plants had been terrifying and nearly overrun Ponyville entirely. And yet, despite him being my friend, he had lied about them having nothing to do with him. He may not have made them sprout when they did, but he did plant them, and did plan for them to do what they did, even if he had meant it to happen a thousand years ago. He also could have fixed it all with his magic, that much was certain. What wasn't certain was why he hadn't. The obvious answer (which my other friends believed) was that he hoped his old plan would work so he could rule Equestria again. But then why did he help point us in the right direction to fix it? Why didn't he try to stop us? With all that was happening he had all sorts of chances, especially when we sent Twilight back. When we weren't together the Elements were useless. He could have easily taken advantage of that. But he didn't. Maybe he really did want to teach Twilight something. Discord liked to play games, and he was the sort of spirit who would teach a lesson in a strange, confusing, even dangerous way. I'm certain he enjoyed the chaos while we tried to fix everything. Using it as a teaching experience might have been a good way to indulge in chaos while still helping fix things in the name of our friendship. It sounded reasonable enough and yet... I couldn't stop thinking about two details. The first was the way he reacted when the others threatened him with the Elements. He actually looked frightened. The Elements were the one thing in all Equestria that could overpower him, and he'd told me more than once how much he hated being turned to stone. The second was when he told us that he'd been responsible all along. He'd only done it after we told him that we didn't have the Elements anymore. He could have stayed silent and we'd have all just kept assuming it was some strange growth of the Everfree Forest. Instead he'd come clean, but only when we couldn't use the Elements against him anymore. This lead me to a very unhappy conclusion. I very, very much didn't want to believe it. It made me feel so awful, but I couldn't ignore it: Discord didn't trust us. He didn't trust me. Discord knew full well that the others couldn't harm him without me. I'd promised never to use my Element against him and I had every intention of keeping that promise. More than that, he was my friend. I felt bad fighting him when he was our enemy, being forced to do it when he was my friend would be heartbreaking. He shouldn't have had to be afraid that we'd use the Elements on him if he told us the truth. He should have been able to trust me and tell me what he'd done. But he didn't. And that had only given my other friends more reason to mistrust him. Instead of a chance to make amends it had become just one more trick. And it was all my fault. I had been meeting with Discord only irregularly since helping him reform. We kept in contact mostly through letters sent back and forth with his magic. As far as I knew I was the only pony who could exchange letters with him that easily. Well, sending them was easy. All I had to do was write his name on it and throw it away somewhere random. Getting them was… just as random. In my breakfast, in a bird's nest, rolled up and stuffed into my bathroom faucet... it seemed like the only place I hadn't found a letter from Discord was the mailbox. I even found one in a tissue after I sneezed. I… don't know how it got there. I really don't. Even as strange as they were, I really did love getting his letters. Sometimes he sent postcards from some stop on his trip around Equestria and beyond. The world had changed so much since he'd been imprisoned, and he did so love seeing new things. The most recent had borne a picture of him wrestling with some enormous, tentacled, deep sea monster poised to swallow him whole. Cheery pink words across the bottom read: “It's probably for the best that you aren't here!” Other times he'd write an old story from his past or describe some strange chaotic feature of his personal realm, something which I hadn't even known he had until then. Or maybe he'd just complain about Celestia and Luna. He might write backwards so that I needed a mirror, or he'd write in rhyme, or in ink that shimmered in all the colors of the rainbow. One time the letter was made out of cut and pasted letters from newspapers and magazines, and was just a “threat” to share his favorite vegetable soup recipe unless I asked him not to. I never would have thought to add a splash of prune juice. My own letters were very… plain. I wrote with a normal pencil on normal paper that didn't fold itself or smell like strawberry punch. I wrote about my quiet life with my animal friends or recent events in Ponyville, or my latest adventure with my other friends. Or I asked him questions. Questions about his life, his wants and needs and hobbies and hopes and anything that might let me understand him a little more. I wanted him to know I found him interesting, and that I wanted to be closer to him. I wanted him to feel wanted. Clearly it hadn't been enough. He still didn't trust me. He didn't feel wanted, and the divide between him and my other friends was only getting worse. I was failing him as a friend. So I invited him over for tea. It felt crazy. As much as I loved tea parties, the idea of inviting him over for one sounded like a joke. Surely he was above that sort of thing? Surely he would laugh at the idea? I'm sure everypony in Ponyville would. Well, maybe not laugh. They'd probably just give me a worried look and whisper about it behind my back. That happens a lot when I talk about Discord. On the other hoof, tea parties were a wonderful way to spend some quality time together. A nice, simple activity that let two ponies relax and talk openly. They were all about sharing, something he really needed to learn about. Sharing tea, sharing treats and, most of all, sharing company. I would try to just talk to him. Get to know him a little more. Let him get to know me a little more. If I could make it a regular event, maybe it would help him feel more comfortable and trust me. I would even let him use his chaos on my house as long as he cleaned up afterward. It was a perfect way to teach him boundaries and respect, and how to be himself without hurting anypony. And besides all that… it would just be nice to have a tea party with a friend. I so rarely had guests. It was hard to invite ponies over, even my closest friends. My home was so... unconventional. I did my best to keep it clean and tidy, but I knew it must still smell a little funny from all the animals I shared it with. Then there were all the animals themselves. I'm very comfortable with just about every kind of animal that lives around Ponyville, but other ponies aren't. They don't like it when squirrels sniff at their plates, or when ferrets run over their tails, or when birds land on their heads. The idea of having somepony over and them being so uncomfortable, but forcing themselves to stay just to be polite even though they're secretly hating every minute of it because it smells funny and there's animals everywhere and I'm terrible at making eye contact and I'm not a very good cook and I probably make my tea too weak and I'm terrible at conversation but I just want some company so badly sometimes that I plan out an entire tea party but give up right before I ask and-- ...Many times I've wished that the dinner party with Discord had gone better. I really think if he hadn't set up that disaster at Sweet Apple Acres it might have ended differently. It would have been so lovely if I could have made that a regular event. I could have had all my friends come over again and again, maybe even once a month! It would have been something to look forward to. Someday, if I could ever bridge the gap between Discord and the others, I think I'd like to try that again. But first, a tea party. I woke up early that day, even for me. Early rising is something I have in common with Applejack, especially in summer. A lot of my little friends need looking after in the morning. A few who come to me from the vet need medicine, others just need feeding. Angel Bunny gets cranky if I'm late with his breakfast, and sometimes he takes it out on the other animals if I'm too slow. It was mid-morning by the time I'd taken care of them all. Then I had to warn them that Discord was coming. They… took it well, I think. It was hard to tell. They all ran away too quickly for me to ask. I had everything set up with a few minutes to spare, so I just settled into my chair to watch the clock. I suppose it was a little presumptuous of me. He hadn't actually written back to accept my invitation (which I'd sealed up as normal and thrown out my bedroom window), but he hadn't said no either. I hoped so much that he'd come but as the time ticked closer I became more and more worried that he wouldn't. The clock struck the hour and carried on with no sign of him. I closed my eyes and sighed sadly. He could have just been late, but I couldn't help myself from assuming the worst. It really had been a silly idea, hadn't it? Why would Discord want to have a tea party with me? He may have been my friend but so was Rainbow Dash, and it wasn't as if she liked tea parties. I learned that when we were little. I'd have to find some other way to reach out to him. If only I'd realized what a poor friend I was being sooner I could have come up with a better idea. The fur on the back of my neck stood up. I opened my eyes and looked around my living room. Something was off, something I couldn't put my hoof on. I glanced back at the clock and did a double take. It had stopped dead. I frowned and fluttered across the room to take a closer look at it. Nothing about it looked wrong but it had just been working. I tapped the face lightly with the tip of my hoof. A loud tick made me squeak with surprise and drop out of the air. I winced and shakily got back up on my hooves, feeling rather silly. Perhaps a bit of dust had gotten inside the gears and jammed it up. I would have to take it in to get cleaned. At least it was running again, ticking like nothing had happened. Except… ...Clocks normally ran clockwise, didn't they? Before I could consider the backwards turn of the clock further, a shrill whistling started up in my kitchen that was unmistakably my teakettle. There were only two problems with that. First, I'd already taken it off the heat and poured the water into the teapot to steep. Second, my kettle couldn't normally carry a tune. Or harmonize with itself. A tentative smile found its way on my face when the measuring cups joined in on percussion. It was an upbeat, jazzy number that you couldn't really dance to but it made me want to anyway. My wings relaxed and carried me up into the air almost without me thinking about it. “Discord?” A tiny red carpet unfurled from one of the bird houses, trailing all the way down to the floor where it folded back on itself like a ribbon of melted chocolate pouring into a bowl. As it pooled out, spotlights sprouted around the edges which pivoted back and forth as a drumroll began, accompanied by a deep, booming voice. “Introducing the Master of Madness, the Deus of Disharmony! The one. The ONLY. Discord! Lord! Of! CHAOOOOOOOOS!” A brilliant flash of light filled the room, and then he was there, dressed in a tuxedo and waving to a cheering audience that I couldn't see while the music died away. “Thank you, thank you, everypony,” he crowed. “I'd like to thank the academy...” “You came! I was so worried you didn't want to-” He laughed and snapped the tuxedo, carpet and cheers away. “Pardon the delay, my dear. I simply had to make an entrance. Besides, I think you will find that I'm right on time.” I looked back at the clock and saw that it was showing exactly the hour, and had started running forwards again. I would have to check with somepony else to see if it was actually right or not. Maybe Discord had made it just turn back a minute, or made it run fast then fixed it, or maybe he'd rewound time a minute. I didn't know if he could do that but I didn't know that he couldn't. “Is it- I mean, are you actually-?” “Now that would be telling, wouldn't it? You'll just have to wait and see. Now then...” He craned his neck back and forth, a miniature Discord working the levers in the control booth on his shoulder to raise and lower his head on the rope hanging from the end of the arm. “You said something about a party?” “Oh! Um, yes. I thought maybe the two of us could have a tea party?” “Is this a tee time?” His neck reverted to its normal self, though he sported a plaid sweater vest and a round cap with a pompom on top. He'd also conjured a long bag full of metal clubs, one of which he twirled between his talons. “Or perhaps a T time?” The golfers getup was replaced by gold necklaces, bracelets and a broad, dark mohawk between his horn and antler. “Um, actually, it's tea,” I corrected. “For drinking?” I had said it was a tea party in my invitation very clearly. Did he not really read my letters? Did he simply skim them and toss them aside without further thought? Did they bore him? “Ohhh! I see!” He flashed back to his normal self. “I'm sure I can find some way to work with that.” He vanished and reappeared next to me, lion arm draped casually over my withers. “Did you have anything particular in mind?” I shivered a little at the physical contact. Part of me wanted to shrink away like I usually did when anypony touched me. Another part was quietly thrilled. He did it so naturally, as if it were perfectly normal. As if I were normal and we were two friends who trusted and were comfortable with each other. “Well… I thought we could share a pot of tea.” “And?” “Um, and some sandwiches? And, um, maybe we could just… talk for a while?” Discord raised an eyebrow. “So… you want us to sit together, peacefully.” “Um-” “And drink tea.” “Well-” “And have pleasant conversation about our days and whatever trivialities happen to arise.” “I- oh-” “In short...” He vanished and appeared in front of me leaving me both a little relieved and disappointed. The flat look on his face shoved those feelings aside to make room for my stomach to tie itself into knots. “You, Fluttershy, have invited me, Discord, Master of Chaos, over for a completely ordinary tea party. You've done this with utter sincerity in the hopes that we would spend a pleasant afternoon together, enjoying each other's company simply because we're friends?” I sank to the floor and ducked my head low. He didn't like it. He thought it was a stupid idea. I knew it was a stupid idea! I'd let myself get carried away hoping that I could share something I wanted with him and I'd failed. The only thing I could do was be honest and hope he'd forgive me. “Y-yes,” I squeaked. He stared at me for a moment. Then the corners of his mouth twitched. “Hehe... hohohahahHAHAHA!” I stared open mouthed while Discord flopped to the floor and began rolling back and forth, laughing his head off. “Oh-hoho-heehee! That is priceless!” he choked. “Absolutely priceless!” His eagle claw groped around on the carpet for his detached head which was still laughing madly. “D-Discord?” “Dear, dear Fluttershy,” he laughed. “Only you would do something so- so ordinary!” He popped his head back on and picked me up with both paw and claw, holding me out at arms length so we were eye level. “You make friends with me, me! A spirit who can bend reality to his very whim and what do you do? You invite me over for tea and,” he looked over my head, “milk toast!? Hoo-hoo-hoo~! Perfect! Fantastic!” “I-I don't understand!” I had no idea what this meant. He was holding me again but it was much less casual than before. He was laughing but was that good or bad? It sounded happy, but… “Are you-- does that mean you like it?” “Like it? Fluttershy, this is the single most ridiculous thing I've ever seen any sane pony do.” His manic grin softened to something else entirely. This was something warmer, gentler and just a little bit hopeful. I'd only ever seen this sort of smile on his face once before. "I like it better my way. But I suppose, when you're friends, you can't always have things exactly your way all the time, eh?” He'd smiled when he'd said that. Not smugly or cruelly or insanely. It had been warm and hopeful, an offer of peace and friendship. He bent his arms to pull me in just a little closer, almost muzzle to muzzle. My breath caught in my chest. “I would be delighted to have a cup of tea with you.” Author's Note I'm afraid this one suffers from the same problem as Royaltea where the first and second parts are at odds with one another in terms of style and focus. I added a horizontal rule to emphasize the delineation but I don't know if that really helps. It also rambles on a lot but I've been stuck going over and over it and finally just decided to publish it for the sake of moving on. I hope it was at least a little bit enjoyable. I'd appreciate any feedback anyone might have. Thank you for reading. FestiviteaDiscord plucked a neatly trimmed bread crust from the coffee table and slurped it up like a bready noodle. “I must say, my dear, you have excellent taste in bakeries.” “Why thank you, I’ll be sure to pass the compliment along. Pinkie will be so happy to hear it.” “Pinkie Pie made this?” Discord’s eyebrows shot up high on his brow, then detached and fluttered away. “How odd! Did she finally deplete all of Equestria’s frosting stockpile?” “I mentioned that I was looking for some new bread to make our sandwiches more interesting,” I said excitedly. Just thinking back on it made some of Pinkie’s enthusiasm rub off on me. The banana-pistachio swirl complimented the sweet carrot and ginger filling strangely well without being too sweet itself, and she’d been so excited to share it. “She’s been wanting to contribute to our parties for so long, you know.” “Well, naturally!” Discord plucked his eyebrows out of the air with his eagle claw and casually smoothed them back into place. “After all, they involve the two of us! It’s a miracle we don’t have to hold crowds of fans at bay.” I caught a glimpse of movement in the window. When I craned my neck to look I saw a crowd of Discords dressed in t-shirts and hats. Their apparel had our faces printed on them, and the gathered throng was excitedly waving in at us from outside. I giggled into my hoof before Discord dismissed the display with a snap. “How is the tea, by the way?” I asked. “Zecora gave it to me. It’s called Rooibos.” “Quite distinctive. Though I do believe it might benefit from a dash of lemon.” A bright yellow fruit flashed into existence in the air between us, neatly segmented itself, and then squeezed a slice’s worth of its juice into Discord’s cup. “Might I tempt you with a taste?” “That sounds lovely.” A segment juiced itself into my cup then joined its fellow spent piece in a quick soar out the window towards the compost heap. Meanwhile, the rest of the lemon settled down on a freshly conjured plate next to the teapot for a game of poker. I took a sip and smiled in agreement. Lemon was just what it needed. “Now then, I believe you were telling me about Princess Luna’s visit?” Discord asked. “Oh, yes! Everypony in town is looking forward to it. They tell me she really makes, um, Nightmare Night, um, extra special.” My initial excitement faded quickly when I approached the topic of Nightmare Night. It was an unwelcome reminder of the uncomfortable night ahead of me. “Planning to spend it in your usual way?” He sounded genuine enough in his curiosity. There wasn’t even a hint of judgment in his tone at all, but my heart sank a little anyway. “Oh, um, well, yes.” Discord simply chuckled and wiped his mouth with a napkin from the napkin fern that sprouted out of the carpet beside his scaly foot. “Worry not, my dear. I’m certainly not about to pass judgment on you.” He dropped the napkin into the salivating jaws of the trashcan, swiped a cucumber sandwich from the table and tossed it whole into his mouth as if it were popcorn. “I don’t plan to partake either.” “What?” I was truly shocked to hear that. Discord hadn’t been part of the Ponyville celebrations after his reformation, but I had always assumed that he spent the night much like Rainbow Dash did. Pranks were one of his favorite things, and with his magic he would be a natural fit for Nightmare Night. “Why so shocked?” An arc of electricity sparked up between his horn and antler with a loud crackle. “It’s just… I thought you’d like Nightmare Night.” “Oh I do. Everypony going around all dressed up--” A dirty, patched suit appeared on him along with a greenish tinge to his fur and two metal bolts jutting out just above his collar. “--spreading mischief in the name of treats.” His costume switched into a high-collared black and red tuxedo with a bat-like cape. “It’s one of the most chaotic holidays around!” The suit was replaced by a wrapping of ancient, yellowed bandages. “Watching it all unfold is delightful.” “Then… why--?” “I am chaos, my dear. If I were to go out there and join the fray I would put everypony else to shame! Nopony could dream of matching me for chaos!” He floated out of his seat and posed dramatically, lion arm raised in a flourish. “I would be the talk of the town! The Master of Ceremonies! Equestria’s number one commodity! See the problem?” “Um, not really. Isn’t that exactly what you’d like?” “Oh indeed. But you must remember what you taught me about friendship.” His mummy costume vanished and he settled back (upside down) into his chair. “’When you’re friends, you can’t always have things your way.’ And while I could go out there and give those ponies the Nightmare Night of their lives… I don’t think Princess Luna would appreciate it.” My eyes went wide when what he said started to sink in. Princess Luna still made few public appearances compared to her sister. Celestia lived in the spotlight with one formal event or celebration after another, all of them focused on her. Nightmare Night, on the other hoof, belonged to Luna. It was her night to shine, her chance to be close to her subjects and make them happy like her sister did. If Discord stole the spotlight… Oh my! “Oh, Discord! That’s so considerate of you!” “Isn’t it though? I learned from the best.” He lifted his teacup to me as if to toast then drained it into his ear. “Although... I do confess to having a teensy little ulterior motive.” “Oh?” “This night is, as I said, chaotic, and Luna will be in the thick of it. Picture it.” He popped up behind my chair and lifted me up in a one armed hug with his lion paw, sweeping his claw as if to paint a scene before our eyes, which it did. “Princess Luna, one of the most powerful, respected, and respectable ponies in all Equestria is going to be out there, amongst the rabble, playing games, telling stories and, most of all, pulling pranks! For one night a year Princess Luna is going to embrace chaos!” The little midair painting of Luna swooped back and forth across Ponyville, popping out of bushes, and setting off thunderclouds all around the tiny, painted citizens who laughed and screamed in delight and shock before the scene vanished in a flash of light. “Now,” he set me back down on my chair and reappeared hovering in the middle of the room. “What do you suppose would happen if I went out there and stole the spotlight?” He conjured a shining spotlight for a moment before tossing it away to shatter into a burst of toffees. “She might take her ball and go home! She might abandon that beautiful chaos! Chaos is a wonderful, wonderful thing, Fluttershy. I want Luna to revel in it, even for just one night. Who knows? Maybe she’ll develop a taste for it? Just think of all the fun we could have then!” “So you want to share your love of chaos with Princess Luna?” A mortar board appeared on my head and a scroll of paper landed at my hooves. Discord flicked the tassel from one side of the board to the other. “You do catch on so quickly.” He vanished the props and poured himself a fresh cup of tea with his tail. “And they say Twilight is the smart one.” “That’s very sweet of you, Discord.” “It is?” “Of course it is! You want to share something so very important to you with somepony else. I think that’s wonderful. I’m so proud of you!” “You are?” Discord stared at me as if I’d grown an extra head. Or, well, the way a pony would stare at me if I’d grown an extra head. Discord would have thought it was hilarious, and probably would've been the one who caused it in the first place. Again. “But I have a selfish motive. I want Luna to enjoy chaos so that I can enjoy more chaos.” “And I wanted you to enjoy friendship so that everypony else could live in peace.” “Oh, that’s not the same thing,” Discord said with a dismissive wave of his paw. I set my teacup on the table. It was getting cold anyway, and I couldn’t stop to drink without breaking up our conversation. It felt like this talk was very important. “The old Discord I met wouldn’t have even thought about what Luna would like. The old Discord would have taken over the holiday without even stopping to think about the future. Now you are willing to let somepony else have the spotlight. You’re willing to share your love of chaos even if it means you can’t join in. And besides, isn’t part of sharing always to make yourself happy? I know sharing makes me feel good. Sometimes I go out of my way to share something with somepony just to brighten my day.” Discord stroked his beard thoughtfully. “So, even if you benefit from something, doing it can still be considered thoughtful and generous?” “That’s right!” I said brightly. Oh, he was catching on so quickly. And he was really trying to understand, too! “Bah!” He threw himself backwards over the back of his chair. “This friendship thing is so complicated.” “But, um, it’s worth it though. Isn’t it?” Discord snapped upright. Perhaps he could hear the worry in my voice, or maybe he was just eager. I couldn’t be sure. I wanted to think it was the former only because it would mean so much that he could pick up on things like that. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Believe me, I tried and it was a terrible deal. Just imagine never having another tea party again.” He reached into his ear and tugged out a red fabric banner depicting a teapot that was crossed out with a big black ‘X’. “It scarcely bears thinking about.” The banner evaporated in a puff of turquoise fire. “I’m very glad you feel that way. I love our tea parties. It really means a lot that you’re here today.” “We’re still on for next week in my realm, I trust?” he asked hopefully. I smiled warmly. “Of course we are! I’m really looking forward to it. Just remember...” “’Be myself’, yes, yes. I promise you a delightfully nonsensical time! Just wait until you taste what I’ve done with the walk-in closet in the synesthesia suite!” “I’m sure it’ll be lovely.” “You know...” He leaned forward, a mischievous glint in his eye. “There’s really no reason to wait. Why don’t we spend tonight in my realm? What better way to get away from it all than by visiting another dimension?” “Um, are you asking me to...” I ducked my head a little so my mane fell across my face, “spend the night?” Discord gasped and sprung out of his chair. “A slumber party! I’ve never had a slumber party before! Hoo-hoo-hoo~! What a fantastic idea! We can spend all night playing games, telling stories, swapping gossip, doing each other’s manes, rewriting the very laws of space and time to our whims!” He made a quiet little ‘squee’ then leaned in close. “What do you say?” “Oh, um, well...” A slumber party at Discord’s? That was-- well, after all-- “I wouldn’t want to impose.” “Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it! There’s nothing like a good imposition. That is, unless hiding under your blankets sounds like more fun to you than hanging out with me?” “Not at all! I just--” Oh, who was I kidding? How could I say no when he was so excited? Why was I even trying to find a reason not to go? “Okay. But!” I added quickly when I saw him raise his claw. “Let’s wait until sundown. I need to be sure all the animals are set up for the night and that my friends know where I’m going in case they need me.” Discord grinned from ear to ear. “Sundown it is! I’ll pick you up here, then?” “That’d be lovely.” “Excellent! Let me just tidy up and I’ll be on my way! So much to get ready, so little time!” He put a leash on the trashcan and snapped his fingers. In a flash he was gone and my cottage was back to normal. “Oh! So soon? You forgot your teacakes!” I called. His eagle arm popped up out of the teapot, snatched up the platter of small, brown cakes, and tugged them through the (much too small) opening. A pair of them flipped back out and landed neatly on a plate along with a fresh, piping hot cup of tea. I smiled and shook my head. He was so thoughtfully silly sometimes. I scooped up the teacup and gently blew away the steam before taking a sip. As soon as I finished I was going to have to get straight to work if I was going to be ready by sundown. A slumber party with Discord. I was getting ready for a slumber party with Discord. He was inviting his best friend over for a slumber party on Nightmare Night. He’d decided, all on his own, that he would rather have fun with me than ruin somepony else's chance to shine. Oh, I was so proud of him I could just burst! Author's Note I wrote half of this months ago and the other half just in the last couple of days when inspiration struck me with a plank. It actually sort of follows on from the first chapter and was originally started as a direct sequel to it before my brain got scrambled following a bunch of other stories. Hopefully it holds up with the other chapters.
JovialiteaFor as long as I can remember I always hated Nightmare Night. Most ponies laughed when I told them that. Who could possibly hate all the games, candy and fun? I didn't hate any of those parts, I would tell them. I hated all the scary parts. The monster decorations, the pranks, the scares, the creepy laughs and screams and stories and all those awful things. Being scared was awful. Seeing everypony else scared was worse. It was all just too much for me. Saying all that just made them laugh harder at silly, timid little Fluttershy. My friends, Rainbow Dash in particular, had tried more than once to get me into it, but I just couldn't bring myself to enjoy it. Even when I discovered that I was really, really good at scaring my friends I simply wasn't having fun like everypony else did. I was very grateful that this year my friends had all promised me that they would let me stay home with my animal friends in peace and quiet. Rainbow said she would stop by just before sundown to make sure I was all set, just in case I needed her to quickly grab anything from town before it got dark. I set aside a special little teacake for her just to say 'thank you for caring'. Rainbow could be such a dear and thoughtful friend when she wanted to be. Ordinarily I would have been unhappy all day, even before night fell just from the idea that Nightmare Night was coming. A constant cloud of worry would cling to me from the moment I peeked out from under my blankets in the morning until I woke up the next day. I knew it was silly. I knew it was ridiculous and irrational and, above all, foalish. Knowing all of that didn't make it go away. Being reminded of all that made it even worse. But not this time. This time I was happy. This time I saw the bright sun and fluffy clouds and smiled at the beautiful day it was. I made my normal rounds to all my adorable little friends with a bounce in my step and lightness in my wings. I hummed a cheery tune all through my chores, and kept an eye on the clock not with dread but with excitement. I hated all the unexpected surprises of Nightmare Night, but on this day I was expecting one surprise I wouldn't miss for anything. I didn't know where, I didn't know how or what form it would take, but I knew when it would come down to the minute. As soon as all the animals were fed and watered, I was in the kitchen making all the final preparations. It was a lot of work, so much cooking and cleaning to do, but it was worth every moment for the surprise to come. It was like that feeling you got as a filly when you woke up on Hearth's Warming morning, knowing that there was a pile of presents and a lovely mug of hot cocoa just waiting for you to come and get them. I trotted out of the kitchen just minutes before the hour, pushing a serving cart stocked with treats into the living room. I was almost too excited to hold the plate of sandwiches steady in my teeth when I transferred them to the table, and I very nearly upset the teapot with a clumsy bump of my muzzle. It was a big relief when I caught it with a hoof before any of the hot tea could spill onto the sandwiches. I was always so tense when I did this. Yet another silly little thing that I knew shouldn't bother me nearly so much, but always did. It was just so important to me that everything was perfect. I fluttered away from the table to the bathroom to quickly make sure I was neat and tidy. I may not have had quite the eye for elegance and style to match Rarity, but I am just a little, tiny bit particular about my mane. When I was younger and shyer I often hid behind it, sweeping it over so that it covered as much of my face as possible. As a result, I've taken good care of it since I was a filly, something that's helpful when your mane grows as long as mine does. I can't even count how many ponies have asked me if I've had extensions done on both my mane and my tail, some of them judgmentally, others enviously. I always tell them the truth: they just grow that way. Except for one time after an accident with a rose bush right before the Cutie Mark Crusaders decided to try journalism. I was so close to having that embarrassing incident go completely unnoticed, too. I was just through the doorway when I heard the clock strike the hour. It was time! Somewhere, somehow, and within the next 60 seconds, my surprise would arrive. An electric shiver skipped right up my spine, in time with my heart's jumping tempo. My legs were trembling and I couldn't keep a giddy little smile off my face. I rushed to the mirror on quickly beating wings and felt my heart leap right up my throat when I saw the reflection. “Oh!” I gasped before I could catch myself. I hurriedly forced my expression to be as neutral as possible, and willed my wings to flap more slowly so I could land. Nice, even breaths were essential. Adequately calmed, I leaned in to study the reflection as naturally as I could. I checked the mane first, inspecting the stray, glossy, black strands that had escaped the rest before sweeping them to the side where they belonged. I turned my face this way and that to check that the gray coat was laying smooth and tidy on the long, narrow muzzle. I pulled my lips back so I could confirm that nothing was stuck between the reflected teeth, particularly next to the long, pointed snagglefang. Satisfied with the pearly-whiteness on display, I moved on to the eyes. I reached up and adjusted my eyelashes just the tiniest bit where one or two were askew. In the mirror I could see scaly, yellow digits deftly tending the elegant hairs around the lopsided red-within-yellow eyes. I smoothed one of the bushy white eyebrows for good measure. I pulled back with a nod and a happy smile. The reflection returned a toothy grin and moved in sync with me when I spoke. “My, I really am looking extra lovely today!” I managed to keep up the smile for almost five whole seconds before I started to giggle. The reflection sputtered and choked as it silently bit back its own laughter. In a further five seconds I lost it entirely and burst out laughing. A second voice, jovial and far more male, joined in from behind me. Two mismatched arms threw themselves around me and pulled me into a warm, furry, feathery, scaly hug. I wriggled myself around until I could put my own forelegs around the serpentine body of my dear friend, both of us still laughing our heads off. “Oh, Discord! I'm so happy you're here!” “Wouldn't miss it for the world, my dear Fluttershy!” Yes, this Nightmare Night was different than the previous years. This year I wouldn't be spending all day anxious and upset. I wouldn't be looking over my shoulder and shuddering at the ringing of every hour. This year was special. This year was delightful. This year Nightmare Night fell on a Tuesday. Author's Note I actually wrote the first draft of this before Royaltea quite some time ago. I'd hoped to start this anthology a little sooner but between being busy and my mind being pulled in so many other directions by other stories I've had trouble making headway on any one story. Updates to this are bound to be sporadic at best and I may start and finish other stories in the meantime. As an anthology it's meant to be more open ended, anyway. At least, I think so. Thank you for reading.
HospitaliteaIn the wake of Ponyville's latest disaster it was clear to me that I had to do something to fix the rift between my friends. All the distrust was just awful. Everypony had been right to blame Discord, but they had been so quick to judge without any solid proof. Just because a stopped clock was right twice a day didn't mean it wasn't still broken. They were all my friends, and it hurt to see my friends fighting. Both sides were at fault, but I knew that the only way to bring the girls and Spike around was to work on the other side. Discord's strange plants had been terrifying and nearly overrun Ponyville entirely. And yet, despite him being my friend, he had lied about them having nothing to do with him. He may not have made them sprout when they did, but he did plant them, and did plan for them to do what they did, even if he had meant it to happen a thousand years ago. He also could have fixed it all with his magic, that much was certain. What wasn't certain was why he hadn't. The obvious answer (which my other friends believed) was that he hoped his old plan would work so he could rule Equestria again. But then why did he help point us in the right direction to fix it? Why didn't he try to stop us? With all that was happening he had all sorts of chances, especially when we sent Twilight back. When we weren't together the Elements were useless. He could have easily taken advantage of that. But he didn't. Maybe he really did want to teach Twilight something. Discord liked to play games, and he was the sort of spirit who would teach a lesson in a strange, confusing, even dangerous way. I'm certain he enjoyed the chaos while we tried to fix everything. Using it as a teaching experience might have been a good way to indulge in chaos while still helping fix things in the name of our friendship. It sounded reasonable enough and yet... I couldn't stop thinking about two details. The first was the way he reacted when the others threatened him with the Elements. He actually looked frightened. The Elements were the one thing in all Equestria that could overpower him, and he'd told me more than once how much he hated being turned to stone. The second was when he told us that he'd been responsible all along. He'd only done it after we told him that we didn't have the Elements anymore. He could have stayed silent and we'd have all just kept assuming it was some strange growth of the Everfree Forest. Instead he'd come clean, but only when we couldn't use the Elements against him anymore. This lead me to a very unhappy conclusion. I very, very much didn't want to believe it. It made me feel so awful, but I couldn't ignore it: Discord didn't trust us. He didn't trust me. Discord knew full well that the others couldn't harm him without me. I'd promised never to use my Element against him and I had every intention of keeping that promise. More than that, he was my friend. I felt bad fighting him when he was our enemy, being forced to do it when he was my friend would be heartbreaking. He shouldn't have had to be afraid that we'd use the Elements on him if he told us the truth. He should have been able to trust me and tell me what he'd done. But he didn't. And that had only given my other friends more reason to mistrust him. Instead of a chance to make amends it had become just one more trick. And it was all my fault. I had been meeting with Discord only irregularly since helping him reform. We kept in contact mostly through letters sent back and forth with his magic. As far as I knew I was the only pony who could exchange letters with him that easily. Well, sending them was easy. All I had to do was write his name on it and throw it away somewhere random. Getting them was… just as random. In my breakfast, in a bird's nest, rolled up and stuffed into my bathroom faucet... it seemed like the only place I hadn't found a letter from Discord was the mailbox. I even found one in a tissue after I sneezed. I… don't know how it got there. I really don't. Even as strange as they were, I really did love getting his letters. Sometimes he sent postcards from some stop on his trip around Equestria and beyond. The world had changed so much since he'd been imprisoned, and he did so love seeing new things. The most recent had borne a picture of him wrestling with some enormous, tentacled, deep sea monster poised to swallow him whole. Cheery pink words across the bottom read: “It's probably for the best that you aren't here!” Other times he'd write an old story from his past or describe some strange chaotic feature of his personal realm, something which I hadn't even known he had until then. Or maybe he'd just complain about Celestia and Luna. He might write backwards so that I needed a mirror, or he'd write in rhyme, or in ink that shimmered in all the colors of the rainbow. One time the letter was made out of cut and pasted letters from newspapers and magazines, and was just a “threat” to share his favorite vegetable soup recipe unless I asked him not to. I never would have thought to add a splash of prune juice. My own letters were very… plain. I wrote with a normal pencil on normal paper that didn't fold itself or smell like strawberry punch. I wrote about my quiet life with my animal friends or recent events in Ponyville, or my latest adventure with my other friends. Or I asked him questions. Questions about his life, his wants and needs and hobbies and hopes and anything that might let me understand him a little more. I wanted him to know I found him interesting, and that I wanted to be closer to him. I wanted him to feel wanted. Clearly it hadn't been enough. He still didn't trust me. He didn't feel wanted, and the divide between him and my other friends was only getting worse. I was failing him as a friend. So I invited him over for tea. It felt crazy. As much as I loved tea parties, the idea of inviting him over for one sounded like a joke. Surely he was above that sort of thing? Surely he would laugh at the idea? I'm sure everypony in Ponyville would. Well, maybe not laugh. They'd probably just give me a worried look and whisper about it behind my back. That happens a lot when I talk about Discord. On the other hoof, tea parties were a wonderful way to spend some quality time together. A nice, simple activity that let two ponies relax and talk openly. They were all about sharing, something he really needed to learn about. Sharing tea, sharing treats and, most of all, sharing company. I would try to just talk to him. Get to know him a little more. Let him get to know me a little more. If I could make it a regular event, maybe it would help him feel more comfortable and trust me. I would even let him use his chaos on my house as long as he cleaned up afterward. It was a perfect way to teach him boundaries and respect, and how to be himself without hurting anypony. And besides all that… it would just be nice to have a tea party with a friend. I so rarely had guests. It was hard to invite ponies over, even my closest friends. My home was so... unconventional. I did my best to keep it clean and tidy, but I knew it must still smell a little funny from all the animals I shared it with. Then there were all the animals themselves. I'm very comfortable with just about every kind of animal that lives around Ponyville, but other ponies aren't. They don't like it when squirrels sniff at their plates, or when ferrets run over their tails, or when birds land on their heads. The idea of having somepony over and them being so uncomfortable, but forcing themselves to stay just to be polite even though they're secretly hating every minute of it because it smells funny and there's animals everywhere and I'm terrible at making eye contact and I'm not a very good cook and I probably make my tea too weak and I'm terrible at conversation but I just want some company so badly sometimes that I plan out an entire tea party but give up right before I ask and-- ...Many times I've wished that the dinner party with Discord had gone better. I really think if he hadn't set up that disaster at Sweet Apple Acres it might have ended differently. It would have been so lovely if I could have made that a regular event. I could have had all my friends come over again and again, maybe even once a month! It would have been something to look forward to. Someday, if I could ever bridge the gap between Discord and the others, I think I'd like to try that again. But first, a tea party. I woke up early that day, even for me. Early rising is something I have in common with Applejack, especially in summer. A lot of my little friends need looking after in the morning. A few who come to me from the vet need medicine, others just need feeding. Angel Bunny gets cranky if I'm late with his breakfast, and sometimes he takes it out on the other animals if I'm too slow. It was mid-morning by the time I'd taken care of them all. Then I had to warn them that Discord was coming. They… took it well, I think. It was hard to tell. They all ran away too quickly for me to ask. I had everything set up with a few minutes to spare, so I just settled into my chair to watch the clock. I suppose it was a little presumptuous of me. He hadn't actually written back to accept my invitation (which I'd sealed up as normal and thrown out my bedroom window), but he hadn't said no either. I hoped so much that he'd come but as the time ticked closer I became more and more worried that he wouldn't. The clock struck the hour and carried on with no sign of him. I closed my eyes and sighed sadly. He could have just been late, but I couldn't help myself from assuming the worst. It really had been a silly idea, hadn't it? Why would Discord want to have a tea party with me? He may have been my friend but so was Rainbow Dash, and it wasn't as if she liked tea parties. I learned that when we were little. I'd have to find some other way to reach out to him. If only I'd realized what a poor friend I was being sooner I could have come up with a better idea. The fur on the back of my neck stood up. I opened my eyes and looked around my living room. Something was off, something I couldn't put my hoof on. I glanced back at the clock and did a double take. It had stopped dead. I frowned and fluttered across the room to take a closer look at it. Nothing about it looked wrong but it had just been working. I tapped the face lightly with the tip of my hoof. A loud tick made me squeak with surprise and drop out of the air. I winced and shakily got back up on my hooves, feeling rather silly. Perhaps a bit of dust had gotten inside the gears and jammed it up. I would have to take it in to get cleaned. At least it was running again, ticking like nothing had happened. Except… ...Clocks normally ran clockwise, didn't they? Before I could consider the backwards turn of the clock further, a shrill whistling started up in my kitchen that was unmistakably my teakettle. There were only two problems with that. First, I'd already taken it off the heat and poured the water into the teapot to steep. Second, my kettle couldn't normally carry a tune. Or harmonize with itself. A tentative smile found its way on my face when the measuring cups joined in on percussion. It was an upbeat, jazzy number that you couldn't really dance to but it made me want to anyway. My wings relaxed and carried me up into the air almost without me thinking about it. “Discord?” A tiny red carpet unfurled from one of the bird houses, trailing all the way down to the floor where it folded back on itself like a ribbon of melted chocolate pouring into a bowl. As it pooled out, spotlights sprouted around the edges which pivoted back and forth as a drumroll began, accompanied by a deep, booming voice. “Introducing the Master of Madness, the Deus of Disharmony! The one. The ONLY. Discord! Lord! Of! CHAOOOOOOOOS!” A brilliant flash of light filled the room, and then he was there, dressed in a tuxedo and waving to a cheering audience that I couldn't see while the music died away. “Thank you, thank you, everypony,” he crowed. “I'd like to thank the academy...” “You came! I was so worried you didn't want to-” He laughed and snapped the tuxedo, carpet and cheers away. “Pardon the delay, my dear. I simply had to make an entrance. Besides, I think you will find that I'm right on time.” I looked back at the clock and saw that it was showing exactly the hour, and had started running forwards again. I would have to check with somepony else to see if it was actually right or not. Maybe Discord had made it just turn back a minute, or made it run fast then fixed it, or maybe he'd rewound time a minute. I didn't know if he could do that but I didn't know that he couldn't. “Is it- I mean, are you actually-?” “Now that would be telling, wouldn't it? You'll just have to wait and see. Now then...” He craned his neck back and forth, a miniature Discord working the levers in the control booth on his shoulder to raise and lower his head on the rope hanging from the end of the arm. “You said something about a party?” “Oh! Um, yes. I thought maybe the two of us could have a tea party?” “Is this a tee time?” His neck reverted to its normal self, though he sported a plaid sweater vest and a round cap with a pompom on top. He'd also conjured a long bag full of metal clubs, one of which he twirled between his talons. “Or perhaps a T time?” The golfers getup was replaced by gold necklaces, bracelets and a broad, dark mohawk between his horn and antler. “Um, actually, it's tea,” I corrected. “For drinking?” I had said it was a tea party in my invitation very clearly. Did he not really read my letters? Did he simply skim them and toss them aside without further thought? Did they bore him? “Ohhh! I see!” He flashed back to his normal self. “I'm sure I can find some way to work with that.” He vanished and reappeared next to me, lion arm draped casually over my withers. “Did you have anything particular in mind?” I shivered a little at the physical contact. Part of me wanted to shrink away like I usually did when anypony touched me. Another part was quietly thrilled. He did it so naturally, as if it were perfectly normal. As if I were normal and we were two friends who trusted and were comfortable with each other. “Well… I thought we could share a pot of tea.” “And?” “Um, and some sandwiches? And, um, maybe we could just… talk for a while?” Discord raised an eyebrow. “So… you want us to sit together, peacefully.” “Um-” “And drink tea.” “Well-” “And have pleasant conversation about our days and whatever trivialities happen to arise.” “I- oh-” “In short...” He vanished and appeared in front of me leaving me both a little relieved and disappointed. The flat look on his face shoved those feelings aside to make room for my stomach to tie itself into knots. “You, Fluttershy, have invited me, Discord, Master of Chaos, over for a completely ordinary tea party. You've done this with utter sincerity in the hopes that we would spend a pleasant afternoon together, enjoying each other's company simply because we're friends?” I sank to the floor and ducked my head low. He didn't like it. He thought it was a stupid idea. I knew it was a stupid idea! I'd let myself get carried away hoping that I could share something I wanted with him and I'd failed. The only thing I could do was be honest and hope he'd forgive me. “Y-yes,” I squeaked. He stared at me for a moment. Then the corners of his mouth twitched. “Hehe... hohohahahHAHAHA!” I stared open mouthed while Discord flopped to the floor and began rolling back and forth, laughing his head off. “Oh-hoho-heehee! That is priceless!” he choked. “Absolutely priceless!” His eagle claw groped around on the carpet for his detached head which was still laughing madly. “D-Discord?” “Dear, dear Fluttershy,” he laughed. “Only you would do something so- so ordinary!” He popped his head back on and picked me up with both paw and claw, holding me out at arms length so we were eye level. “You make friends with me, me! A spirit who can bend reality to his very whim and what do you do? You invite me over for tea and,” he looked over my head, “milk toast!? Hoo-hoo-hoo~! Perfect! Fantastic!” “I-I don't understand!” I had no idea what this meant. He was holding me again but it was much less casual than before. He was laughing but was that good or bad? It sounded happy, but… “Are you-- does that mean you like it?” “Like it? Fluttershy, this is the single most ridiculous thing I've ever seen any sane pony do.” His manic grin softened to something else entirely. This was something warmer, gentler and just a little bit hopeful. I'd only ever seen this sort of smile on his face once before. "I like it better my way. But I suppose, when you're friends, you can't always have things exactly your way all the time, eh?” He'd smiled when he'd said that. Not smugly or cruelly or insanely. It had been warm and hopeful, an offer of peace and friendship. He bent his arms to pull me in just a little closer, almost muzzle to muzzle. My breath caught in my chest. “I would be delighted to have a cup of tea with you.” Author's Note I'm afraid this one suffers from the same problem as Royaltea where the first and second parts are at odds with one another in terms of style and focus. I added a horizontal rule to emphasize the delineation but I don't know if that really helps. It also rambles on a lot but I've been stuck going over and over it and finally just decided to publish it for the sake of moving on. I hope it was at least a little bit enjoyable. I'd appreciate any feedback anyone might have. Thank you for reading.
FestiviteaDiscord plucked a neatly trimmed bread crust from the coffee table and slurped it up like a bready noodle. “I must say, my dear, you have excellent taste in bakeries.” “Why thank you, I’ll be sure to pass the compliment along. Pinkie will be so happy to hear it.” “Pinkie Pie made this?” Discord’s eyebrows shot up high on his brow, then detached and fluttered away. “How odd! Did she finally deplete all of Equestria’s frosting stockpile?” “I mentioned that I was looking for some new bread to make our sandwiches more interesting,” I said excitedly. Just thinking back on it made some of Pinkie’s enthusiasm rub off on me. The banana-pistachio swirl complimented the sweet carrot and ginger filling strangely well without being too sweet itself, and she’d been so excited to share it. “She’s been wanting to contribute to our parties for so long, you know.” “Well, naturally!” Discord plucked his eyebrows out of the air with his eagle claw and casually smoothed them back into place. “After all, they involve the two of us! It’s a miracle we don’t have to hold crowds of fans at bay.” I caught a glimpse of movement in the window. When I craned my neck to look I saw a crowd of Discords dressed in t-shirts and hats. Their apparel had our faces printed on them, and the gathered throng was excitedly waving in at us from outside. I giggled into my hoof before Discord dismissed the display with a snap. “How is the tea, by the way?” I asked. “Zecora gave it to me. It’s called Rooibos.” “Quite distinctive. Though I do believe it might benefit from a dash of lemon.” A bright yellow fruit flashed into existence in the air between us, neatly segmented itself, and then squeezed a slice’s worth of its juice into Discord’s cup. “Might I tempt you with a taste?” “That sounds lovely.” A segment juiced itself into my cup then joined its fellow spent piece in a quick soar out the window towards the compost heap. Meanwhile, the rest of the lemon settled down on a freshly conjured plate next to the teapot for a game of poker. I took a sip and smiled in agreement. Lemon was just what it needed. “Now then, I believe you were telling me about Princess Luna’s visit?” Discord asked. “Oh, yes! Everypony in town is looking forward to it. They tell me she really makes, um, Nightmare Night, um, extra special.” My initial excitement faded quickly when I approached the topic of Nightmare Night. It was an unwelcome reminder of the uncomfortable night ahead of me. “Planning to spend it in your usual way?” He sounded genuine enough in his curiosity. There wasn’t even a hint of judgment in his tone at all, but my heart sank a little anyway. “Oh, um, well, yes.” Discord simply chuckled and wiped his mouth with a napkin from the napkin fern that sprouted out of the carpet beside his scaly foot. “Worry not, my dear. I’m certainly not about to pass judgment on you.” He dropped the napkin into the salivating jaws of the trashcan, swiped a cucumber sandwich from the table and tossed it whole into his mouth as if it were popcorn. “I don’t plan to partake either.” “What?” I was truly shocked to hear that. Discord hadn’t been part of the Ponyville celebrations after his reformation, but I had always assumed that he spent the night much like Rainbow Dash did. Pranks were one of his favorite things, and with his magic he would be a natural fit for Nightmare Night. “Why so shocked?” An arc of electricity sparked up between his horn and antler with a loud crackle. “It’s just… I thought you’d like Nightmare Night.” “Oh I do. Everypony going around all dressed up--” A dirty, patched suit appeared on him along with a greenish tinge to his fur and two metal bolts jutting out just above his collar. “--spreading mischief in the name of treats.” His costume switched into a high-collared black and red tuxedo with a bat-like cape. “It’s one of the most chaotic holidays around!” The suit was replaced by a wrapping of ancient, yellowed bandages. “Watching it all unfold is delightful.” “Then… why--?” “I am chaos, my dear. If I were to go out there and join the fray I would put everypony else to shame! Nopony could dream of matching me for chaos!” He floated out of his seat and posed dramatically, lion arm raised in a flourish. “I would be the talk of the town! The Master of Ceremonies! Equestria’s number one commodity! See the problem?” “Um, not really. Isn’t that exactly what you’d like?” “Oh indeed. But you must remember what you taught me about friendship.” His mummy costume vanished and he settled back (upside down) into his chair. “’When you’re friends, you can’t always have things your way.’ And while I could go out there and give those ponies the Nightmare Night of their lives… I don’t think Princess Luna would appreciate it.” My eyes went wide when what he said started to sink in. Princess Luna still made few public appearances compared to her sister. Celestia lived in the spotlight with one formal event or celebration after another, all of them focused on her. Nightmare Night, on the other hoof, belonged to Luna. It was her night to shine, her chance to be close to her subjects and make them happy like her sister did. If Discord stole the spotlight… Oh my! “Oh, Discord! That’s so considerate of you!” “Isn’t it though? I learned from the best.” He lifted his teacup to me as if to toast then drained it into his ear. “Although... I do confess to having a teensy little ulterior motive.” “Oh?” “This night is, as I said, chaotic, and Luna will be in the thick of it. Picture it.” He popped up behind my chair and lifted me up in a one armed hug with his lion paw, sweeping his claw as if to paint a scene before our eyes, which it did. “Princess Luna, one of the most powerful, respected, and respectable ponies in all Equestria is going to be out there, amongst the rabble, playing games, telling stories and, most of all, pulling pranks! For one night a year Princess Luna is going to embrace chaos!” The little midair painting of Luna swooped back and forth across Ponyville, popping out of bushes, and setting off thunderclouds all around the tiny, painted citizens who laughed and screamed in delight and shock before the scene vanished in a flash of light. “Now,” he set me back down on my chair and reappeared hovering in the middle of the room. “What do you suppose would happen if I went out there and stole the spotlight?” He conjured a shining spotlight for a moment before tossing it away to shatter into a burst of toffees. “She might take her ball and go home! She might abandon that beautiful chaos! Chaos is a wonderful, wonderful thing, Fluttershy. I want Luna to revel in it, even for just one night. Who knows? Maybe she’ll develop a taste for it? Just think of all the fun we could have then!” “So you want to share your love of chaos with Princess Luna?” A mortar board appeared on my head and a scroll of paper landed at my hooves. Discord flicked the tassel from one side of the board to the other. “You do catch on so quickly.” He vanished the props and poured himself a fresh cup of tea with his tail. “And they say Twilight is the smart one.” “That’s very sweet of you, Discord.” “It is?” “Of course it is! You want to share something so very important to you with somepony else. I think that’s wonderful. I’m so proud of you!” “You are?” Discord stared at me as if I’d grown an extra head. Or, well, the way a pony would stare at me if I’d grown an extra head. Discord would have thought it was hilarious, and probably would've been the one who caused it in the first place. Again. “But I have a selfish motive. I want Luna to enjoy chaos so that I can enjoy more chaos.” “And I wanted you to enjoy friendship so that everypony else could live in peace.” “Oh, that’s not the same thing,” Discord said with a dismissive wave of his paw. I set my teacup on the table. It was getting cold anyway, and I couldn’t stop to drink without breaking up our conversation. It felt like this talk was very important. “The old Discord I met wouldn’t have even thought about what Luna would like. The old Discord would have taken over the holiday without even stopping to think about the future. Now you are willing to let somepony else have the spotlight. You’re willing to share your love of chaos even if it means you can’t join in. And besides, isn’t part of sharing always to make yourself happy? I know sharing makes me feel good. Sometimes I go out of my way to share something with somepony just to brighten my day.” Discord stroked his beard thoughtfully. “So, even if you benefit from something, doing it can still be considered thoughtful and generous?” “That’s right!” I said brightly. Oh, he was catching on so quickly. And he was really trying to understand, too! “Bah!” He threw himself backwards over the back of his chair. “This friendship thing is so complicated.” “But, um, it’s worth it though. Isn’t it?” Discord snapped upright. Perhaps he could hear the worry in my voice, or maybe he was just eager. I couldn’t be sure. I wanted to think it was the former only because it would mean so much that he could pick up on things like that. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Believe me, I tried and it was a terrible deal. Just imagine never having another tea party again.” He reached into his ear and tugged out a red fabric banner depicting a teapot that was crossed out with a big black ‘X’. “It scarcely bears thinking about.” The banner evaporated in a puff of turquoise fire. “I’m very glad you feel that way. I love our tea parties. It really means a lot that you’re here today.” “We’re still on for next week in my realm, I trust?” he asked hopefully. I smiled warmly. “Of course we are! I’m really looking forward to it. Just remember...” “’Be myself’, yes, yes. I promise you a delightfully nonsensical time! Just wait until you taste what I’ve done with the walk-in closet in the synesthesia suite!” “I’m sure it’ll be lovely.” “You know...” He leaned forward, a mischievous glint in his eye. “There’s really no reason to wait. Why don’t we spend tonight in my realm? What better way to get away from it all than by visiting another dimension?” “Um, are you asking me to...” I ducked my head a little so my mane fell across my face, “spend the night?” Discord gasped and sprung out of his chair. “A slumber party! I’ve never had a slumber party before! Hoo-hoo-hoo~! What a fantastic idea! We can spend all night playing games, telling stories, swapping gossip, doing each other’s manes, rewriting the very laws of space and time to our whims!” He made a quiet little ‘squee’ then leaned in close. “What do you say?” “Oh, um, well...” A slumber party at Discord’s? That was-- well, after all-- “I wouldn’t want to impose.” “Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it! There’s nothing like a good imposition. That is, unless hiding under your blankets sounds like more fun to you than hanging out with me?” “Not at all! I just--” Oh, who was I kidding? How could I say no when he was so excited? Why was I even trying to find a reason not to go? “Okay. But!” I added quickly when I saw him raise his claw. “Let’s wait until sundown. I need to be sure all the animals are set up for the night and that my friends know where I’m going in case they need me.” Discord grinned from ear to ear. “Sundown it is! I’ll pick you up here, then?” “That’d be lovely.” “Excellent! Let me just tidy up and I’ll be on my way! So much to get ready, so little time!” He put a leash on the trashcan and snapped his fingers. In a flash he was gone and my cottage was back to normal. “Oh! So soon? You forgot your teacakes!” I called. His eagle arm popped up out of the teapot, snatched up the platter of small, brown cakes, and tugged them through the (much too small) opening. A pair of them flipped back out and landed neatly on a plate along with a fresh, piping hot cup of tea. I smiled and shook my head. He was so thoughtfully silly sometimes. I scooped up the teacup and gently blew away the steam before taking a sip. As soon as I finished I was going to have to get straight to work if I was going to be ready by sundown. A slumber party with Discord. I was getting ready for a slumber party with Discord. He was inviting his best friend over for a slumber party on Nightmare Night. He’d decided, all on his own, that he would rather have fun with me than ruin somepony else's chance to shine. Oh, I was so proud of him I could just burst! Author's Note I wrote half of this months ago and the other half just in the last couple of days when inspiration struck me with a plank. It actually sort of follows on from the first chapter and was originally started as a direct sequel to it before my brain got scrambled following a bunch of other stories. Hopefully it holds up with the other chapters.
