The room was small, but clean, with pink and white walls and deep red sheets on a remarkably soft bed. Discord threw off his shirt as Fluttershy made it out of her hoodie and shorts before Discord put his hands on her waist and lifted her onto the bed. They wasted no time with showers or awkward silence, but curled into each other’s arms. Fluttershy snuggled into him, her coarse, wind-blown hair tickling his face.

His lips brushed her cheek. “So soft,” he murmured against her skin.

“Discord!” Fluttershy giggled, trying to roll away from him, but he rolled with her, nuzzling her shoulder.

“You’re like a cloud.”

“Stop,” she laughed.

He planted small kisses along her neck. “Marshmallow cream?”

Fluttershy, grinning, gripped Discord’s upper arms to hold him away from her before leaning up to him for a deep kiss.

Discord wrestled her hands from him and wrapped his arms tightly around her body, pinning her arms to her sides. As he shifted on top of her, their eyes met; he cupped her face with one hand, his thumb caressing her cheek.

Fluttershy clasped his hand and drew it to her lips, kissing his palm. He leaned his head down, their lips meeting in a long and gentle kiss before she shivered and broke away from his mouth, feeling his fingers slide under the band of her bathing suit and between her legs.

***

It was nearly eleven when they coaxed each other out of bed the next morning and readied themselves for breakfast. Fluttershy tried rather furiously to smooth her hair; Discord didn’t trust his magic yet to help her, nor to change his own clothes. His only attempt turned his ill-fitting t-shirt into a gold-sequined vest trimmed with red crystals, and he gave up. He fussed with the shirt which kept threatening to slide down one shoulder or the other. Fluttershy did not mind looking at his exposed collarbone, jutting sharply to his shoulders.

They made their way out of the hotel, which looked a little more run-down than it seemed the night before. The air was hot and still, almost stifling, and they hurried to the café a few blocks away which faced the central boardwalk.

Fluttershy’s steps were light and relaxed. She felt freer, relieved to have been with Discord again. The release diminished her tension and, she hoped, his. She stole glances at him as they meandered through an alley, unsure of his mood. Once he caught her looking at him and gave her a faint smile before stretching his arms to the sky.

The café had both indoor and outdoor seating, and was abuzz with people eating, drinking, laughing. They weaved their way through the throng and inside, pleased it was air-conditioned. They were guided to one of only two free tables and were about to sit when they caught sight of two familiar faces.

Bon Bon and Lyra, sucking down a shared iced tea through heart-shaped straws, looked just as surprised to see them.

Fluttershy, dumbfounded, whispered to Discord, “Do we have microchips in us or something?”

Discord grandly pulled out Fluttershy’s chair and she sat, not sure whether to greet her friends or pretend she hadn’t seen them. Discord sat opposite her and stared unabashedly at the women.

Bon Bon and Lyra were still looking at them, leaning in to each other to whisper something. Bon Bon broke the silence. “Fluttershy, Discord. Good morning.” She turned to Lyra. “Wait. Is it still morning?”

Lyra nodded and gave Fluttershy a weak wave.

Fluttershy smiled. “Good morning. What are two up to today?”

Lyra relaxed at Fluttershy’s ease. “Volleyball, probably. Are you sure you don’t want to play?”

“Thank you, but not today.” Her stomach gurgled, and she coughed to hide the sound. She and Discord hadn’t gotten much sleep, and she was famished. She picked up a menu from the table and studied it, careful not to look at Bon Bon or Lyra.

“Discord, are you interested in playing?” Lyra asked.

Discord raised his eyebrows. “I don’t even know what volleyball is.”

“It’s not hard to play. Even Tree Hugger said she’d try a game today, and you know how unsteady she is-"

“Oh, sweet Celestia,” Fluttershy said, dropping the menu. “Tree Hugger! I forgot all about her!”

“What happened to her?”

“I don’t know.” Fluttershy looked at Discord. “We’ve got to find her.”

“I’m sure she’s all right,” he said. “I had the cabbie make sure she wasn’t near any more heroin dens-"

“Didn’t you tell the driver to take her to my hotel?”

“I didn’t know the name of it. Fluttershy, she’ll be fine. I have a sense for these things.”

“Sense?”

“I have it for you, and therefore those close to you.”

Fluttershy was momentarily distracted, touched by his words. She shook her head. “I can’t eat, knowing she’s out there all alone somewhere.” She made to stand up, but Discord touched her wrist.

“Eat first. Then we’ll go. Er, you will. I have to work soon.”

“Sure, Fluttershy, Tree Hugger has been out here loads of times,” Bon Bon said. “We’ll help you look for her.”

Grimacing, Fluttershy picked up the menu again, though she wasn’t reading it. A second later, movement caught her eye and she looked up, taking in the scene before her. A group of a dozen young men were striding toward her and Discord. The one leading the pack looked familiar, but she couldn’t quite place him.

She was about to look at Discord, her eyes alight with questions, when the man hurled a glass of water at their table, which shattered and made Fluttershy stumble from her chair. “I’ve been searching two days for you!”

Discord looked back at the man with vague interest. “What’s this?”

“You know what you did! You know! He’s some kind of crazy-ass magic freak!” he cried to his posse of friends, who looked just as ready to fight as he was. He grabbed Discord’s loose shirt collar and yanked it up. “You’re fucked now, asshole!”

Discord wasn’t small enough to be pulled out of his seat easily. He frowned at the man and realized who he was just as Fluttershy did. It was Blonde Buckaroo from two nights before, his fair hair disheveled and hanging in front his red-rimmed eyes. He pulled the shirt collar higher, but Discord grabbed his shoulder, squeezing until the man grunted and let go.

“You ruined my shirt,” Discord said, appalled, looking down at himself; the shirt barely covered both shoulders now.

Blonde Buckaroo hauled back and slammed Discord’s head onto the table. Discord had the sense to turn his head sideways, saving himself a broken nose.

Discord winced and Fluttershy covered her mouth before placing her hands on his shoulder, but he lurched to his feet, rubbing the side of his face and glaring at the man in front of him. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Blonde Buckaroo punched his face. Discord was turned away by the force, almost thrown from his feet; for someone not nearly the size of Discord, Blonde Buckaroo was strong.

Fluttershy was horrified to see Discord’s nose and mouth covered in blood, but he remained unperturbed. He was slow to turn around again, everyone in the café staring at him and the posse, who wanted to see Discord’s reaction before they all attacked.

“All this over a woman you couldn’t have?” Discord asked incredulously.

“Who cares about that whore!” Blonde Buckaroo spit in Fluttershy’s face before whipping out a knife from the pocket of his cargo pants. “This is payback!”

Discord’s fury seemed only apparent to Fluttershy, who was stunned, wiping her face with her hands. He didn’t move, almost towering over the young man, his eyebrows bunched together as if he were trying see something far away. Blonde Buckaroo held up his knife, though he looked nervous. He made a weak slashing motion at Discord, but both men knew he was bluffing.

Discord’s anger built inside him, a force of nature, chaos overflowing. Dishes and napkins and tablecloths began rising from the tables, and the air around him cracked like bolts of lightning, making his hair stand on end. He was hardly aware of a small pressure encircling his arm, trying to hold him back.

“Discord, don’t,” Fluttershy pleaded quietly. “Let’s just go.”

Discord raised his hand. The man flinched, and Discord snapped his fingers.

Fluttershy blinked rapidly, realizing Blonde Buckaroo had disappeared. The dishes crashed to the floor, breaking the terrible silence of the room. She swallowed hard, both worried for Discord and about what he’d done to Blonde Buckaroo a second time. She looked around herself, trying to spot anything out of the ordinary.

Discord grabbed her wrist, almost painfully, and pulled her alongside him to the café door, through the crowd of confused henchmen. Suddenly he realized what he was doing and let her go, looking down at her, confused.

“Let’s go,” Fluttershy murmured again, rubbing her wrist. Discord snapped his fingers once more, fixing the broken dishes and returning them to their tables. He held the door open for her and they stepped out into the blazing sun.

They walked in silence for a short while before Discord said, “Sorry.”

“I know. It’s all right.”

He ran his hand nervously through his dark hair. “I could have broken his neck.”

Fluttershy hesitated. “Where is he now? A crab again?”

Discord shot her a withering look. “Of course not.”

Fluttershy felt slightly relieved. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me.” He stormed ahead, his glare almost weighing down the road ahead of him. “Don’t.”

Fluttershy caught up with him silently and slipped her hand in his. He squeezed it, not too hard this time, and they walked to the boardwalk together. She wasn’t sure what to say to him; rarely had he been in such a foul, troubled mood, but he seemed to appreciate her quiet company.

After a long time, Discord slowed his pace. “Where are we going?”

“I don’t know. Just cooling off.”

“What about finding Tree Hugger?”

“I want to make sure you’re okay first.”

“I’m always okay,” he said, hitching his shoulders.

“You’re covered in blood,” she said weakly.

He narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re not a whore, Fluttershy. I hope you’re not thinking about what that bastard said.”

She was so surprised, she laughed. “I’m not. Why would I be?”

“You’re sensitive, and I-"

“Not so sensitive. Not around you.” You calling me a bitch notwithstanding. “It’s nothing. It’s over.” She gave him her warmest smile, and he seemed mollified. She tried to touch his bleeding nose, but he turned away from her. His left cheek was swelling up with a bruise and he began admiring his reflection in the window panes of the shops they passed.

“Please let me see it.”

Discord was turning his head from side to side. “Nonsense. It makes me look badass. I like looking badass.”

Fluttershy sighed. “You look like someone punched you. Doesn’t it hurt?”

He smiled. “I’m keeping it. I’ve never been punched in the face before.”

“If you’d just let me-"

“No,” he said, pushing her hands away from his face. “No one will trifle with me now.”

Oh, here we are, Fluttershy sighed again. He must be feeling better.

“’Discord, Defender of Fluttershy’,” he said, fitting his fingers through hers. “It feels good, you know.”

“What?”

“Protecting you.” He touched his bruise. “And now I look it.”

“You do look rather distinctive."

Discord winked at her. “It’s the beard, isn’t it. And I’m not half as distinctive as you.”

“It’s just my long hair,” she said, tugging on it shyly.

“No.”

She brushed her hair back over her shoulders, focusing her gaze on the sidewalk. “Where is he, really?”

“You don’t trust me?”

“I know he’s not a good person, but you can’t torment someone outside the law.”

Discord stopped walking and cried, “Do you have any idea what he was going to do to you?”

“What?”

Discord’s angry face relaxed at her confusion. He let out a short breath and shook his head. “I didn’t hurt him. I just scared
him. And he doesn’t even care- look what he did to my face, remember?”

“I can’t believe you.”

“He deserved it.”

“Where is he?”

“Someplace cold. He’s not being tortured, I promise.”

“How cold?”

“Snow-cold, but truly, Fluttershy, the scenery is beautiful.”

She raised an eyebrow, but said no more.

Discord looked at her sideways. It was only sort of a lie. If Blonde Buckaroo had ended up an immobile snowman in a snow globe, complete with plastic coal buttons and a little hat, who was Discord to brag? He promised himself the brute would get out someday. Eventually. He promised himself only for her sake.

He wondered at the success of his magic, where Blonde Buckaroo was concerned. His power had been haywire since he and Fluttershy broke up, but somehow when he was angry it worked perfectly fine. He flexed his hand, looking at it with suspicion. He snapped his fingers again, thinking of Tree Hugger this time. Perhaps he’d be able to return her to Fluttershy’s side. He sighed and tried again. No luck.

“I’ve got to go to work,” Discord said. “I’m sorry.”

“Where?”

“Lifeguard at a hotel pool, then the force again.”

“When will you be off?”

“Seven-thirty.”

Fluttershy tried to hide her disappointment. “Would you… would you want to have dinner with me after?”

His eyes kindled. “Of course.”

“It doesn’t have to be anywhere fancy.”

A breeze was picking up, and he brushed strands of hair from her face. “Do you regret last night?”

“What? Why are you asking? Of course not.”

“You seem-”

“It was my idea. I’ve been so tense since we met up again… I thought it would help me relax.” She wrapped her hands around his arm. “I’m happy we got to be together. I’ve missed you.”

“Really?”

“What do you take me for? I-" She stopped suddenly.“I haven’t stopped loving you. Despite our arguments, that hasn’t changed.”

“But…”

“Our disagreements have nothing to do with loving or not loving each other. Unless… your feelings have changed?”

“Never.” He slid his arm from her grasp, preparing to hold her to him, but he lowered his arms and straightened. “You know how I am, Fluttershy. I’m still not human. I’m trying. I’ll never stop trying to fight for you, unless you want me to.”

“I know.” Her voice caught in her throat. “It’s…”

Realization dawned on his face. “You still don’t trust me. Look, about that blonde fucker- I mean, that jerk at the café, he’s sort of encased in-"

“No, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know anymore.”

Discord was nonplussed. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“Neither do I. If we could just start over somehow, without all this anger…”

“I’m not angry at you. And if I was, if I am in the future, it doesn't last. It never does.”

Fluttershy bit her lip, shaking her head. “I don’t have an answer, either. I don’t know how to say it, but it’s not enough for me.”

“’Not enough for’… sweetheart, if you want it bigger, all you have to do is ask.”

“Discord,” she gasped.

“Yes, just like that.”

Fluttershy covered her face with her hands. “That is not what I meant.”

“Oh, no?” he asked wickedly, rubbing his chin on the crown of her head.

She stepped out from under him, folding her arms across her chest. “No.”

“Too bad.” His smile faded. “Are we going to see each other again, or what? And I don’t mean at dinner.”

“I don’t know.”

His tired, sad eyes returned. She felt badly, but wasn’t ready to say what he wanted to hear. She argued with herself. Shecertainly wanted to try again, but the failures of their past still made her wary. She felt she was hurting him as much as he was hurting her. How to figure this out, she thought, agitated. I can’t take this much longer.

“We’ll sort it out,” she said bravely.

They stood in silence until Discord kissed her forehead. “I’ve got to go.” She watched him walk away, her brow furrowed.

***

Lyra’s eyes were nearly popping from her head. “And you went back to him?”

Fluttershy tried to placate her. “Not back. We’re not back together, we just…”

Bon Bon and Lyra’s eyes brightened. “Ahhh,” Bon Bon said.

They stood in a circle next to a fried clam cart along the beach. Fluttershy had her hood over her head in attempt to shade her face from the sun, and Lyra was fiddling with a leftover roll from lunch, a lone seagull tilting its head at her.

Fluttershy looked down to hide her blush. “Anyway, he’s still living here.”

“What a cad,” Lyra snorted. “Don’t you dare be his booty call, Fluttershy. I won’t allow it.”

“You’re far better than that,” Bon Bon agreed.

Fluttershy was flustered. “I’m not his… it’s not-"

“Oh, never mind. Lyra, it’s her business,” Bon Bon said. “And stop tormenting that poor gull.”

Lyra finally dropped the roll she’d been mashing together. “Sorry, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy yawned. “Don’t worry about it. I’m worried about Tree Hugger, though. Let’s check the harbor.”

They walked slowly, wilting in the relentless heat. Fluttershy slid her hands into her pockets to keep them from getting burned. She’d have to find a shop that sold sunscreen before too much longer.

“It’s amazing what you’ve done with him, though,” Bon Bon said.

Fluttershy shaded the sun from her eyes. “Discord?”

“He was such a nightmare until you came along.”

“Oh, I don’t know. He did the work.”

“Don’t be modest. He obviously still adores you.”

Fluttershy was remembering her first day with him, when he’d turned her entire house upside-down. It was odd to imagine him doing something like that now. At least to her. “He’s quite soft-hearted, really.”

Lyra and Bon Bon shook their heads, grinning at each other.

“It’s funny how you keep running into him,” Lyra mused. “Do you think he’s pulling strings?”

Fluttershy shook her head. Discord was a lot of things, and was capable of more than a lot of things, but he never lied to her.

“Maybe someone else is.”

Fluttershy halted. “Who would care so much to do something like this?”

“Someone with something to lose, maybe?” She continued down the road, but Lyra hung back.

“I can’t imagine what’s going on, but I hope you and Discord end up happy. I mean, whatever that means for the two of you. I don’t like seeing you so sad.”

“Thank you,” Fluttershy said, giving her a small smile.

“And can I just say, the way he stood up for you in that café today… I’d bet he really loves you.”

“Oh?”

Lyra nodded. “Once, this starfish ended up stuck to my face… well, I’d fallen asleep, you know. This was a few years ago, at Cala de Estrellas de Mar. But Bon Bon just laughed and laughed. I was so mad at her. I mean, it probably looked funny, I admit, but…”

“But you two…” Love each other, right?

“Oh, we’re fine now.” Lyra waved her hand, dismissive. “But, honestly, I was worried she just saw me as a lay or something. She didn’t realize how much she offended me. We talked it out.” She gave what Fluttershy thought was an encouraging look, then followed Bon Bon.

Biting her thumbnail, Fluttershy followed. The truth was, Discord had told her he loved her. More than once. But she had realized she never quite believed him; his expectations of her, no matter how subconscious, made her feel more like a porcelain doll on a shelf than a person. Her talk with him the night before had given her some hope, however. She tried to focus on that.

The day wore on. Fluttershy and her friends thought they searched everywhere- the harbor, the boardwalk, the esplanade, the food stands, even through the narrow alleyways of souvenir shops near the main road. Tree Hugger was nowhere to be found.

The sun began to set. They returned to the beach, defeated, and Fluttershy grew more worried by the minute. At least Discord would be off work soon.

Just as the thought finished, Discord appeared before them. His eyes were big and nervous.

“Discord!” Bon Bon laughed. “We were just talking about you.”

“Off work already?” Fluttershy asked. She met his gaze for only a moment. Something about the way he was looking at her made her feel shy.

Discord cleared his throat and held out a crumpled paper. “From that blue-haired friend of yours.”

“Astra?”

He shrugged and handed it to her.

It was nice meeting you, Fluttershy. I guess I’m in the slammer. It’s going to be a while. I heard you crying a few nights ago, so I hope the harmonica music I played for you made you feel better. Let Treesie know her ‘gift’ is under a rock under the double palms by the airport.

Hugs,

Astra

Bon Bon looked over Fluttershy’s shoulder, reading the letter carefully. “Should she have written that last part?”

“Where is Tree Hugger?” Fluttershy said.

“Hold on,” Discord said, excited. “I think my magic is getting better. I was able to teleport here from the station.”

They waited as Discord snapped his fingers. A mime on a unicycle appeared from the air and immediately crashed into the sand. Discord looked sick. “Wait, wait. Let me try again.”

Three angry ostriches appeared.

“One more, one more,” Discord cried, dodging the ostriches, which bit at his arms.

With his next snap, there was a cacophonous crash. Everyone covered their ears. Fluttershy’s eyes were shut, unsure what awaited them next, but when she peeked through her lashes she saw Tree Hugger.

She stood before them, doubled over, holding her belly and scowling. Fluttershy couldn’t tell if she were sick or angry. Tree Hugger reached out blindly for someone, and Fluttershy took her arm, holding her steady. Her friend’s body was repeatedly racked with tremors.

“Treesie, we were so worried.”

“What the hell happened to me?” Tree Hugger wheezed. “What am I doing here?”

“Discord sent you... where were you?”

“Some punks robbed me! Cash, pipes, papers, bongs- everything! Even the little bottle of Everclear I keep down my bra!”

Fluttershy helped her friend sit on the sand, but Tree Hugger tugged her arm away, making Fluttershy stumble. “Let go of me.” She held her head in her hands, knees up, legs splayed.

“How did you find us here?” Lyra asked. “We’ve been searching for you for hours.”

“How should I know? I was stumbling around a carnival, and then I was here on the beach.”

Everyone but Tree Hugger looked at Discord, whose pleased, hopeful face became sheepish. "So it takes me a while." He cleared his throat and kneeled to help the mime to his feet. “I’ll send them back,” he told Fluttershy. When she blinked, he, the mime, and the ostriches were gone.

She turned her attention back to Tree Hugger. “Discord brought you here. He said he’d try to help you.”

“Oh, not him,” Tree Hugger moaned, her eyes squeezed shut. “He was such an asshole to me at that gala.”

“That was years ago. You know he’s sorry.”

“Well, so what?” She sat cross-legged now, and hugged herself. “I feel terrible.”

“You should go sleep at the hotel. You’ll feel better after.”

Tree Hugger shook her head. “Why am I even in this stupid sandpit of hell?”

Fluttershy sat beside her. “You invited me to come with you.”

She looked at Fluttershy with one eye. “I did?”

“I was feeling down, so we came here to get my mind off things.”

“How can I relax without my stuff?”

“I don’t know,” Fluttershy said. “You could try getting a massage at-"

“Don’t want no massage,” she snapped, her eyes welling with tears. “Fluttershy, is this the end?”

“No. You’re just withdrawing from... everything.”

“I’m too young to die.”

“You’re not dying.” Fluttershy held her friend’s hand. “Let me help you to the ho-"

“Nooo,” Tree Hugger wailed, pulling away. “You’re trying to murder me!”

“Treesie, I am not trying to…” Fluttershy looked up when a shadow appeared over her. It was Discord, just returned from taking his victims to where they belonged, and looking as helpless as she did. “Can you help her? I don’t want to feed her addiction, but she’s frightening me.”

Discord straightened his sagging shirt and sniffed. “I brought her here, didn’t I? The unicycle was a mistake, I know, but I made that giant bag of weed appear the other day, didn’t I? I’m getting the hang of it now.”

“I remember, but those girls aren’t in jail, are they? Did they really have that weed, or did you give it to them?”

Discord avoided her eyes and snapped his fingers. Two leghorn chickens appeared in the sand, knocking their heads together while trying to run away.

Fluttershy covered her mouth with her hand as she looked at the birds. “Elizabeak?”

Discord looked between the chickens and Fluttershy. “She’s not, is she?”

Elizabeak flapped her wings, trying to fly into Fluttershy’s arms.

Discord was trying to find a suitable explanation when Tree Hugger sprang to her feet and grabbed the front of his shirt with two fists. “Where’s the weed, man!” Her voice was low and loud and guttural, like that of a monster. He pried her hands from him and stumbled back, catching his breath. His shirt now slid down both shoulders and he tore it off, throwing it in the sand.

“I’m trying!”

Tree Hugger let out something like an enraged scream. Discord took a few steps backward in case she went after him. “Hold on!” He snapped his fingers again.

The chickens disappeared, replaced by a goat. He tried again. The goat became a parakeet. He tried again. Tree Hugger was creeping toward him, her red eyes crazed. A taco truck appeared. Discord let out a long breath; the truck blocked Tree Hugger from him, at least for a few more seconds.

Fluttershy saved him. She wrapped her arms around Tree Hugger’s waist and held her still. “Tree Hugger, stop. He’s trying to help.”

“Let me go, Fluttershy!”

“If you didn’t smoke and drink all the time, you wouldn’t be in this situation.”

Tree Hugger looked back at her. “How can you be so cruel?” Tears smarted in her eyes again. “Can’t you give me a drink, at least? I’ve got the shakes.”

Fluttershy loosened her grip. “I’ll try. I’ll see what I can do.”

Tree Hugger sank to her knees. Elizabeak looked at her, and she looked at Elizabeak, who clucked. “It’s a cruel world, chicken. You’re better off as you are, you know.”

A man leaned out of the taco cart, furious. “What the hell did you do? What am I doing here? Send me back this instant! I had a line of customers two blocks long!”

Discord apologized. “I don’t know if I can.”

Fluttershy hopped to her feet. “Can we get a cocktail or something first, please? That is, if you sell alcohol?”

“Margaritas. No stupid flavors.”

“It’s fine. And water, too.”

“Bottled only. Fifteen bits.”

“Fifteen...” She shook her head. “All right.” She fished for the crumpled cash in the zippered pocket of her hoodie and handed it to him. “Thank you.”

The man worked on the drink, cursing loudly as he clanked around the kitchen.

Fluttershy and Discord looked at each other. They were both exhausted. Fluttershy felt a tiny tugging, low in her belly, noticing the sunset glowing on Discord’s bare skin again. There was something about the pink and purple light that made him look ethereal, and it hit the angles of his bones and muscles in just the right way to make her own body flutter. She was daydreaming now, remembering his touch only hours before. How she’d missed him lying with her! How she missed feeling his hot skin on hers, missed his scent, missed his tireless energy. She started when Lyra touched her shoulder.

“Fluttershy? You okay?”

“Yes, sorry.” She turned her back to Discord.

“I was saying, Bon Bon and I could take Tree Hugger to your hotel. We don’t mind.” She gave a significant look in Discord’s direction.

Fluttershy looked at Tree Hugger, who was now sprawled on the sand on her back, panting. “Let her have her drink first. And some water. I don’t think you can carry her that far.”

“Go,” Lyra whispered. “We’ll take care of her.”

Fluttershy turned back to Discord, who held his hand out to her. She took it, feeling shy again, but their amorous looks were interrupted by the bellowing taco cart man.

“Here’s your damn drink! Now take me back, you motherfu-“

“So sorry,” Discord said, grabbing the drink and holding it out for Lyra. He snapped his fingers and the cart was gone. Fluttershy looked at him quizzically.

“Is he-“

“Faith, Fluttershy. I’m a new man.” He hooked her arm in his and they set off down the beach.

Author's Note

At long last, the next chapter. A bit rough, but it's all I could do right now. There will be one more. It is partly written, so I hope in maybe a week-ish I’ll have it done (but you know me). And sorry I can't seem to fix the formatting of that one paragraph. This always happens on this site!

No one calls Fluttershy a whore and gets away with it.

RIP Discord’s shirt.

I really miss Elizabeak and wish she’d show up again in the show.