A butter-yellow pegasus sat in a forest grove, humming to herself. She wore a light green dress decorated with white lilies, the same flower also woven into her delicate pink mane. Her hooves were uncovered, and were softly brushing against the buds of flowers.
A passerby, if they had seen her, might not have thought much of it. It may have been odd for a young pegasus to be wearing such a nice dress in the middle of a forest, but most ponies had seen odder things. But if they had stopped to look closer, several questions would have been raised in their mind. The pegasus was otherworldly beautiful, shimmering in the sunlight. And every bud her hoof touched suddenly grew into a large, colorful bloom.
But she wasn't thinking of anypony who might be nearby. She was simply content to feel the soft touch of each plant, the warm rays of the sun, and hear the melody of her own voice.
“Fluttershy!” a voice shouted, causing her to jump. A cyan pegasus flew out of the trees, her rainbow mane filled with a few twigs. She wore a crisp blue-and-yellow uniform that seemed to fit her perfectly, letting her move freely. She crossed her forehooves and gave the yellow pegasus, Fluttershy, a glare.
“Seriously, Shy? Did you forget that we're having a meeting today?” she asked.
Fluttershy bit behind her mane. “R-rainbow Dash. I…I didn't forget, I just…didn't know how to get to…”
Rainbow sighed. “Seriously? Haven't you tried since…never mind. It does take some time to get used to everything.” She turned. “Just follow me, okay? Then maybe you can talk to Twilight about how to do it.”
She started to fly back through the forest, Fluttershy right behind her. A few seconds later, the two of them slowly faded away, and faded back into existence somewhere else. The two landed and began to walk on hoof.
In front of them was a shimmering crustal castle, its walls a gleaming white, sunlight reflecting gorgeously off of it. The roofs and window trimmings were golden, as was the large doors the two of them were approaching. Carved into the doors was a circle with ten equal sections, each with a different symbol.
The doors opened in a golden aura as they came closer. Standing inside was a tall, white alicorn with a multicolored mane. “Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash. Welcome. I hope you didn't have any trouble getting here.”
Fluttershy scuffed at the ground, her eyes cast downwards. “I'm sorry I was late, C-Celestia.”
Celestia smiled. “It's alright, Fluttershy. Everything does take some getting used to. Everything will get easier with time.” She turned and said, “Now, shall we meet the others?”
They went together down the carpeted hallway. “It's been awhile since you've seen us, hasn't it, Fluttershy?” Celestia said.
Fluttershy nodded. “Not since I…woke up.”
“Well, I'm sure everypony will be willing to lend you a hoof in figuring out how to reach the different planes. I apologize for sending you out into the world so suddenly, without any guidance.” She opened the doors in front of them, and the three walked through.
Inside were several other ponies. A purple alicorn was conversing with a taller pink one, two earth ponies were exchanging pieces of paper, a white unicorn was polishing her hooves, and a dark blue alicorn was watching everything happening from her seat.
The white unicorn, who was wearing a bejeweled blue dress, looked up and saw the three of them. “Oh, thank goodness! I was worried you wouldn’t make it in time,” she said as she approached them.
Fluttershy blushed. “I only made it because Rainbow Dash helped me.”
The orange earth pony wearing a cowboy hat and a simple brown kerchief around her neck trotted over to them, the pink one, covered in festive leis, bouncing behind her. “Ah reckon you'll get the hang of it soon enough,” she told Fluttershy. “All it takes is a little bit of hard work and a few hours of practice.”
Fluttershy gulped. The other added, “Aw, AJ, don't scare her! Honestly, all I do is think about where I'm going and relax, and then BOOM! I'm there!”
The white unicorn smiled. “Well, however you do it, you should be sure to enter the room in style!”
The purple alicorn came over. “I heard that you were all discussing planar shifting. Is that right?” They all nodded, and she pulled a thick textbook out of her brown saddlebags, the only things she was wearing. She handed the textbook over to Fluttershy. “This covers several techniques that those in the past have used. You could find out what the last pony in your position did!”
Fluttershy struggled under the weight of the book. “T-Thank you, Twilight. Everypony.”
They all smiled. “It's really no trouble,” Twilight said. “We'll help you get the hang of it. Now, we should probably all take our seats.”
They all trotted away, finding a throne at the round table to sit in. Fluttershy watched them, trying to figure out where she was meant to go. Celestia beckoned her over, and so she approached. “Your throne is there, Fluttershy. Between Rarity and that empty one.”
Fluttershy took a seat in the crystal throne, glancing around at the others. Twilight was writing things down on several lists. Rainbow was tapping her hooves impatiently on the table. Rarity was holding a mirror in her aura, smoothing out parts of her mane. But all of them stopped when Celestia rose to her feet.
“Now, let us begin the Summer Solstice Meeting,” announced Celestia. “As usual, we shall start with the announcement of our names and titles. I am Celestia, Spirit of the Sun.” The others stood up one at a time, saying their name.
“Luna, Spirit of the Moon.”
“Cadence, Spirit of Love and Family.”
“Twilight Sparkle, Spirit of Knowledge.”
“Rainbow Dash, Spirit of Competition.”
“Applejack, Spirit of Workers.”
“Pinkie Pie, Spirit of Festivals!”
“Rarity, Spirit of Beauty.”
Fluttershy nervously got up onto her hooves. “Um, Fluttershy, Spirit of Life.”
Celestia nodded in satisfaction, then glanced at the empty throne between her and Fluttershy. “One of us is missing.”
Rainbow Dash called out, “Motion to start the meeting without him!”
Rarity and Applejack yelled, “Seconded!”
Celestia sighed. “Very well. I suppose we shouldn't wait for him to come. He said he didn't have anything to talk about, so he might skip. Again.” She looked at some papers in front of her. “Our first order of business: helping our newest member. Are there any questions you want to ask us, Fluttershy?”
She fidgeted. “Um, who were all of you talking about? Who's not here?”
Rarity said, “Oh, you don't need to worry about him, darling. You hopefully shouldn't be running into him all that—” she froze when a small, round bug landed in her mane. “My hair! Get it out! How did it even get in here?”
“It's not the only one!,” yelled Applejack. Fluttershy turned to see where she was pointing. A cloud of the round, colorful bugs was rushing towards them at high speed!
Everypony covered their faces as the bugs blew past them, the cloud swirling around them. The bugs started swirling into a tornado just above the center of the table, slowly being drawn away from the group. As the ponies—spirits—stopped shielding their faces, the colorful bugs began to condense into a dark black mass.
A lightning bolt crashed indoors, right on the center of the table, as the bugs condensed and shifted into a new figure. It was tall and skinny, and definitely not a pony of any kind. It was wearing a dark robe with a hood that covered most of its features, which was being held closed from inside by a lion's paw and eagle's claw. Fluttershy noticed that under its robe, its strange, mismatched wings were aflutter as it hovered above the new burn mark on the table.
The figure laughed in a deep voice. “Oh, the looks on all of your faces! Priceless!”
Rainbow growled, “What are you doing here, Discord?”
The figure—Discord—scoffed. “This is a meeting for spirits, isn't it? And as much as you dislike me, I am still a spirit, and I do play a role in these little meetings of yours.”
Celestia said coolly, “You're late, Discord.”
He scoffed and flicked the hood off of his head. Fluttershy squeaked at the sight of him. His head was of similar shape to a pony's, but nothing else about it was pony-like. A large fang poked out of one side of his mouth, and she saw more, smaller fangs when he grinned at Celestia. Two mismatched horns were on top of his head, and two floppy ears at its side. His eyes had golden sclera and red pupils, though the pupils were mismatched in size.
Discord's ear twitched, and his head turned in Fluttershy's direction. “Where's Meadowbrook?” he asked.
Celestia sighed. “Meadowbrook decided to choose a successor and move on.”
Twilight added, “Which you would have know if you'd attended her awakening, like you were supposed to!”
Discord glared at her. “Perhaps if I had been invited, I would have shown up!”
Celestia held up a hoof, stopping Twilight from saying something back. “Now is not the time to discuss this. You're late, Discord, but not terribly so. Please just take a seat and announce your name and title so that we can begin.”
Discord flew over and flopped down into the throne between Celestia and Fluttershy. “Discord, Spirit of Death,” he said in a bored tone as he slumped down into his seat. Fluttershy froze and stared at him. He ignored her, fiddling with a piece of yarn in between his fingers. Celestia coughed, bringing the attention back to her.
“Since we have a newer member, I'll explain what this meeting is for,” she said. “Every season, the spirits meet to discuss any matters that concern them. The meeting place cycles between all of our planes…the safe havens we can go to. Right now, you're in the Horizon Domain, shared between Luna and myself.”
Luna spoke up. “The next meeting will be in my plane, the Lunar Plane, still inside this domain.”
Twilight levitated a chart over to Fluttershy. Six circles were drawn on it, and five of them were split in half, with a symbol drawn in each half. The circle in the middle of the other five was left whole, and diagrams of ponies were drawn in it. “There are six Domains, and all the Spirit ones are shared between two spirits. For example, mine is here,” she used a quill to point to a circle with a star in it, “in the Self Domain, which I share with Rarity.”
“Traveling between planes costs energy…though it really doesn't matter unless you're making a lot of consecutive jumps. But crossing a domain into its opposite plane costs less energy than going to a different domain. In fact, the only times traveling takes less energy is when you go to the Mortal Domain or to your own plane.”
Fluttershy blinked, trying to keep her head from spinning. “I…see,” she said slowly.
Rarity leaned over, giving a compassionate smile. “Don't worry, darling. You'll get the hang of it in time.”
Celestia coughed. Everypony glanced up at her…expect for Discord, who had switched to knitting something. Fluttershy saw the ends of the needles were shaped like pony skulls and shivered, swiftly turned her gaze to Celestia.
“I believe the main purpose of this meeting should be to train our newest member in the skills she requires. This could take some time, so before we begin, does anypony have anything they would like the group as a whole to hear?” The room was silent, aside for Discord loudly tapping his needles together. “Good. I move to begin the training of Fluttershy.”
“Seconded!” said Twilight, who looked quite excited. She pulled a checklist out of her saddlebag, along with a few books. “I've prepared a list of some basic things you should know, along with a list of some history we should catch you up on…but let's start with the training first!”
She lifted up one of her lists. “I’ve made a list of everything you should know, from most to least important, and sub-lists of the spirits who can best help you, from most likely to least likely to be helpful.” Her eyes scanned over her writing. “First thing on the list is…planar travel! And the first one up to help you is Rainbow Dash!”
Rainbow grinned and flew out of her seat, throwing a grin in Fluttershy's direction. “Ah yeah! Don't worry, Flutters, you'll learn this in a flash.” She glanced around the room they were in. “First, though, we gotta take this outside.”
She flew out the doors, leaving a rainbow streak behind her. The rest of the group followed her, a few of them sighing. Fluttershy’s heart pounded nervously in her chest as she kept her wings wrapped tightly around her body. Behind her, she heard a loud groan and scrape, and glanced back to see that Discord was hovering slowly behind the rest of them.
The group came outside, the sunlight warming their fur. Rainbow’s forehooves were crossed impatiently, and she flew to Fluttershy as soon as she spotted her, dragging her forward. “Finally! Okay, so the way I travel is through flight…kind of. If you want to know what really happens, ask Twilight. All I know is that to get to places, I fly.”
Twilight mumbled something, and Rainbow hoisted Fluttershy into the air. “Good thing you're a pegasus, too, or I wouldn't know what to do,” Rainbow said as Fluttershy began to timidly hover.
Rainbow pointed off into the distance. “We're going to try to get to the Lunar Plane,” she said. “I want you to focus on that point right there, and fly towards it as fast as you can. See if you can beat me,” she said with a laugh. “Ready?”
“N-no.”
“Great. Three, two, one, let's go!” She shot off like a rocket, leaving a rainbow-colored streak behind her…and she was gaining speed. Fluttershy followed her, straining her wings to go as fast as they could. Her face turned red, and her wings became sore as Rainbow managed to get far ahead of her.
A burst of rainbow and a loud bang sounded—a Sonic Rainboom. Rainbow Dash had disappeared from sight, and Fluttershy was still far behind from where she had been. She slowly stopped flying forward, hovering in place.
A few seconds later, Rainbow suddenly reappeared and flew up to her. Fluttershy bowed her head sadly. “I…I don't think I can fly that fast,” she said quietly.
Rainbow sighed and shook her head. “Well, I don't think I can help you with that. Who's next on your list, Twilight?” They flew back to the ground as the purple alicorn scanned her list.
An hour had passed, and Fluttershy was no better at moving between planes then when she had started.
Twilight's method involved using magic, and thinking about all the complex processes of moving between planes—none of which Fluttershy understood. Rarity used a simpler method of magic, which she was still unable to understand. Celestia, Luna, and Cadence could use magic or fly—neither of which Fluttershy was able to mimic. Applejack’s tactic was similar to Rainbow’s, just with running instead—Fluttershy wasn't able to keep up with her, either. And Pinkie didn't have any kind of advice to give—she just did it, somehow.
Twilight scanned over her list. “That's all of us. Maybe we should start from the beginning with Rainbow again…”
A loud coughing made them all turn their heads. Discord was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. “As fun as it is to watch you all struggle to teach a new member…aren't you forgetting somepony, Twilight?”
She glared at him. “I didn't forget. I just don't think anything you'd have to say is worth anything.”
He placed a hand to his chest. “Oh, you wound me! But seriously, do you think I can do worse than all of you have been doing?”
Several of them growled under their breath. Celestia said, “It is worth a try, at least. Discord…explain to Fluttershy how you travel between planes.”
He smirked and floated over in Fluttershy's direction. She shivered, but tried not to react as he leaned in to speak with her.
“I can't tell you what I do now…it took me millennia to master it,” he told her quietly. “Buuut I can tell you how I got started!” He rubbed his hands together. “First of all, do you know what Luna's place looks like?”
She bashfully shook her head, and he groaned. “Typical. They call me lazy, and yet they forget to teach you the most basic step.” He pulled a large scroll out of his robes, and let it unfurl in front of Fluttershy. The scroll was made of cloth, and was the size of a small doorway.
The image on it was beautiful, and so realistic. A deep blue night sky, filled with more stars than she had ever seen, with the moon shining with a soft white light. A field of tall grass were bathed in its light, sparkling with dew, captured mid-sway in an unseen wind. In the distance, though not far, was a shimmering ebony castle.
She gasped at the site of it. Discord grinned. “You'd like to go there, wouldn't you?” She slowly nodded. “Good. Just walk towards this scroll, thinking exactly about how you want to go there, and nothing else.”
She blinked, confused, but slowly took a few steps forward, trying to think about how much she wanted to be there…how she wanted to look up and stargaze, to feel that soft grass tickling her fur as she lay back, bathed in moonlight…she blinked.
And when she opened her eyes, she was somewhere else.
She was in the same place the scroll had shown…and it was even better in person. Thousands of stars were above her, and the moon was large and bright. The ebony castle sparkled under the light as a chill wind swept through the area, pushing the soft grass against her small frame. It was wonderful.
But a bright white flash next to her made her jump. Discord was now standing there, a wide grin on his face. “You certainly caught on quick!” he said with a chuckle. “I wonder what the others will say. Will they even believe it? The Spirit of Death does something helpful for once—and for a Spirit of Life, no less!”
He chuckled for a bit, then coughed and stopped himself. “Anyways, we should get back. This time, just think of…crossing a stream. Yes, that's right. Don't think about what's on the other side…just that you're on one bank, and you want to get to the other.”
She took a deep breath and obeyed, walking slowly forward again. She closed her eyes and imagined a running river, like ones she had seen in forests—shallow, but fast and cold. She shivered as she could almost feel her hooves becoming wet, the chill spreading through her bones. But as quickly as she stepped in, she stepped onto dry land. She opened her eyes.
She was back in front of Celestia's castle, where all the other spirits were gaping at her. “So you went to…the Lunar Plane?” Twilight asked slowly.
Discord appeared in a flash behind them, making everypony jump. “Indeed she did! Quite a quick learner, too…once she was taught by somepony who's actually good at teaching,” he said with a smug smirk.
Rainbow and Applejack growled under their breath. Twilight scowled, then grinned wickedly and said, “Maybe you'd like to start with the next item on the list? It's all about hearing and answering the prayers that come to her from the Mortal Domain…”
Discord froze for a second, his jaw muscles twitching. “I…think you can handle it from here!” he declared as she walked past all of them. “Anyways, I think I left my stove on. Good to see you, whatever, see you next meeting.”
Fluttershy stepped forward, opening her mouth to say something, but before she could, he had disappeared in a cloud of pink smoke. “I wasn't able to thank him…” she said quietly.
Twilight sighed. “It's for the best. If you had thanked him, he'd hold it over you for millennia. It's bad enough that you two are living together.”
Fluttershy's pupils widened, and she took a small step back. “W-what?”
Twilight pulled out the same drawing of circles as she had before, pointing to a different one this time. “By which I mean you're in the same domain—the Fate Domain. You have the Life Plane, and he has the Death Plane.”
“D-death plane? I-I have to live near that?” Fluttershy squeaked.
Twilight placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Don't worry. He mostly keeps to himself, so you probably won't see him that much.” The others voiced their agreements. “Now, let's talk about prayers!”
She had been given so much information in the past few hours that it felt like her head was spinning—and only part of that was from her fellow spirits. They taught her how to listen for mortals calling for her help—and a lot of ponies wanted help from the Spirit of Life! It was almost deafening.
Fortunately, the next thing they taught her was how to control how many she heard at once.
After that, they explained a bit about magic, the role expected of her (mostly caring for anything living, be it pony, animal, or plant), and about some of their own lives and roles, along with a bit of history. Twilight gave her quite a collection of books on a variety of subjects as the blue sky above them slowly turned orange and pink.
“One last thing, after we adjourn the meeting: escorting you home!” Twilight said cheerfully. “I move to adjourn our meeting.”
“Seconded!” everypony chanted at once.
Fluttershy smiled softly as she struggled under the weight of Twilight's gifted books. “I'd…I'd love to head home. What's the Life Plane look like?”
The others glanced at each other, smiling. Twilight said, “Is that what Discord…? Never mind. I'll give you pictures of our planes later. But for this, all you have to do is think about how much you want to go home. Just think about home.”
Fluttershy tilted her head in confusion, but closed her eyes and complied. What is home? she thought. She felt safe, comfortable. Distant memories drifted into her mind—memories that were hers, before she was a spirit. Memories of a home she had…
The air around her suddenly felt different…and smelled of flowers. She opened her eyes, and gasped at what surrounded her.
A large field of flowers, of all kinds of colors, grew here, surrounded by a thick wall of trees. In the middle of the clearing, a small cottage lay. It was covered in foliage, and looked humble and homey…simple compared to the grand palaces she had seen.
But as soon as she saw it, she knew it was hers. That it was home.
The other spirits appeared behind her. “It's lovely, Fluttershy,” Celestia told her.
She looked at them in confusion. Twilight explained, “Each plane is a reflection of its spirit. When Meadowbrook left, this plane was formless…until you gave it a new shape.” She smiled. “This is truly your home now.”
Rainbow commented, “It's great…if you can ignore the neighbor.”
Applejack added, “But we negotiated with him a while back that'd he'd leave the next Spirit of Life alone. You'll be alright, sugarcube.”
Fluttershy frowned. “What's wrong with Discord?”
The others all scowled. Celestia and Luna glanced at each other silently. Twilight pointed at one of the books that was still on Fluttershy's back—one about the history of spirits. “I recommend you read that before you form any opinions about him,” she said.
Celestia spoke up. “Perhaps it is best we leave Fluttershy to settle into her home…and her role. I trust you know how to contact us if you need help?” Fluttershy nodded.
The spirits slowly left, one by one. Fluttershy headed towards her cottage, ready to truly start her role as the Spirit of Life.
Fluttershy paced back and forth back at home. She had finally managed to go through all of the prayers she had received, and now that she had a bit of time, was deep in thought.
Over the past few months, she became more skilled as a spirit. She was able to sense prayers at a comfortable level, could complete her duties well, and had very little trouble traveling between different planes. Yes, it seemed like she was finally adjusting to her role as the Spirit of Life.
The trouble was her counterpart, Discord. As much as it hurt her, she couldn't stop the living beings she cared so much for from passing on. She didn't see him whenever it happened, but he had to have been there—how else could they have passed on? He was the Spirit of Death.
And reading all those history books Twilight had given her…it made her shiver. He was one of the original spirits…the only one who hadn't “moved on”, whatever that meant. He was older than even Celestia and Luna, who were the second spirits to receive their respective titles. There were tales of him taking over the Mortal Domain, spreading chaos and Death throughout the land, battling all the other spirits without being injured once, only able to be stopped by tiring him out or catching him by surprise.
She was scared of him…and a good amount of the prayers she received were pleas from ponies begging her to save their loved ones from him…from death. Oftentimes she failed.
He was affecting her job as a Spirit. She knew that what she needed to do was go talk to him…but she couldn't. She was frightened of him, so much so that she hadn't worked up the courage to go to his part of their domain yet.
But if I don't talk to him, ponies might be hurt, she thought. I just need him to stop for a little bit…until I'm better as a Spirit of Life.
She took a deep breath and left her small house. She closed her eyes and trying to focus on crossing the domain, picturing a river in her mind, taking several steps forward. She felt the air shift around her, and the ground change beneath her hooves.
She opened her eyes and quickly took a step backwards. The sky in his plane was purple—but it kept shifting and changing hue. The ground beneath her hooves was checkered pink and lavender, and tufts of turquoise grass were scattered about randomly. But in front of her was a large, dark castle, covered in a few red splotches. Statues of horrible creatures covered the outside, and the windows to see inside were all very dark.
A bolt of lightning crashed overhead, illuminating the sight. She almost turned and rushed back to her own plane, but she forced her quaking legs to carry her forward. She slowly approached the large double doors at the front of the castle.
With another deep breath, she raised her hoof and meekly rapped at the door. She cringed at the tiny sound it make. She was about to try again, but another crash of lightning made her jump and freeze. Her hoof remained shaking in the air, and she quickly lowered it. Maybe I'll try again some other day!, she thought quickly as she whirled around.
To her surprise, the door slowly opened behind her. “Who's there? I haven't done anything since—” Fluttershy glanced back and saw Discord, wearing his usual black robes…and fuzzy pink slippers. He raised an eyebrow at her. “A visit from the Spirit of Life? What brings you over?”
She shivered. “I came to, um…talk with you about something.”
He grumbled, “Great. Only a few months, and there's a problem. That must be a new record.” He sighed and opened his door further. “Whatever. Come in, make yourself at home, etcetera.”
She cautiously stepped inside, and he closed the door behind her. She froze in the doorway, gaping at the interior of the castle. The hallway was covered in a plush red carpet, which became a dark purple farther down the hallway. The walls were all painted mismatched, garish colors, and covered unsymmetrically with tapestries of random images. Doors and stairs were everywhere from floor level to on the actual ceiling, with each one painted a different color, and a few even having odd symbols on them. It was dizzying to look at.
Discord walked past her, gesturing for her to follow. She gulped and did so, navigating the twists and turns with his help. In a matter of minutes, he opened a doorway that opened up into a simple, small room, darkly colored and darkly lit.
He took a seat on a black armchair, and she took the other one in front of him. He leaned back and crossed his arms. “Alright. I think I know already, but what do you want to talk about?”
She rubbed her forehooves together nervously. “I was just wondering if…you could stop, um…doing your job for a bit? Until I'm better as a Spirit of Life.”
He stared blankly at her for a few seconds, then burst out laughing. He clutched at his chest, wheezing. “You…you're telling me to not work…Ha! Like that would…” he trailed off into laughter. Fluttershy's ears slowly drooped as he continued.
Finally, he managed to stop and catch his breath, swiping a tear away from the corner of his eye. “You think you're the first Spirit to ask me that?” he said dryly. She shrunk in her seat as he stroked his goatee in thought. “Although I do think that's the politest way I've ever been asked. So, points there.”
He sat up, his expression neutral. “And I'll say the same thing I say to everypony that asks: even if I do nothing, death comes. My only role is to guide souls afterwards, or to step in during very specific and unusual cases.”
Fluttershy shivered. “But…Twilight's books. They say you took over the Mortal Domain, and…”
He sighed. “I am capable of…ending creatures’ fates sooner than necessary. But that is something I have not done in millennia. Even the mortals don't really remember that period of time, besides a few ghost stories about me.”
She quietly said, “I'm sorry. I didn't know.” She glanced up and saw that Discord was staring at her. “W-what is it?”
“What exactly are you apologizing for?”
She rubbed her forehooves together nervously. “For asking you to stop doing your job…without understanding what it was. And for thinking that you hadn't stopped being, um…”
“The evil spirit who wants to rule over all the domains?”
She flushed red and nodded. He leaned back in his chair. “Honestly, I surprised you didn't come sooner…or that you didn't realize I'm not behind every death.” She flinched. “I mean, you don't attend every birth, do you?”
“N-no, but…aren't I supposed to? Most of the prayers I receive are asking me to bless newborns.”
“Look, don't just do everything asked of you. You're a spirit, for crying out loud! Don't let some mortals boss you around! Make decisions for yourself about who you should help or not.”
She tapped her forehooves together. “Oh…the others didn't say anything about that…”
He scoffed. “They're so practiced at it all that they forget all about how they needed to start at the most basic level. Even I'll be willing to admit I had to learn how to do a few things, because, well…” He sat up straight, his paw on his chest. “I've been amazing at every level of skill, and I'm still amazing to this day. Why bother to hide it?”
Fluttershy giggled softly. “You know, I never got a chance to thank you…for teaching me how to move between planes,” she said.
Discord rubbed at the back of his neck. “The only skill I could teach you…I got a peek at Twilight's list. My magic is so much more difficult and powerful than yours that you couldn't handle it!” he boasted.
“What about hearing prayers?,” Fluttershy asked. “You left really quickly after Twilight brought that up…”
He looked away, fiddling with his hands. “Well, you know, I had things to do…never a dull moment, as the Spirit of Death…”
“…You don't get prayers, do you?”
He puffed up his chest, looking ready to argue…but then deflated. “Well, of course not,” he huffed. “Why ask to be safely guided to what lies beyond when you can ask for health, and parties, and sunshine and rainbows?”
Her ears pressed flat against her head. “I'm sorry.”
He blinked. “What for? It's not like you can pray to other spirits. Or that you need to.”
“For not…I had thought something was wrong when you left, but…I didn't even try to see if you were okay. I just took everypony's word for it that you were fine.”
He shrugged. “Eh. I really am fine. It's just quite annoying that Twilight feels the need to bring it up. Honestly, I don't get why you're apologizing so much. You're the nicest spirit I've had visit me.”
Her ears perked up. “Really?”
He rolled his eyes. “Yes. Most of the time, it's somepony coming to yell at me for one thing or another.” He polished his talons. “At least it breaks up how dull everything can get. Honestly, I should have moved on years ago.”
She tilted her head. “Moved on?”
“It's sort of like retirement for spirits…it's very complex.” He stood up from his chair and continued, “But unfortunately, I do have some things I'd like to do today. I'm sure one of the other spirits would be happy to tell you all about it…”
Fluttershy followed him to the door. “Could I come by tomorrow? S-so you can tell me?”
Discord froze in place at the door. He glanced over at her with an unreadable expression. “…Alright!” he chirped, smiling.
He opened the door, which opened out to outside of his castle, much to Fluttershy's confusion. “See you tomorrow!” she said with a wave as she thought of her home.
A few more prayers whispered at the back of her mind. Before she went right away to the Mortal Domain, as she usually did, she paused. She sat down in a comfortable armchair, and carefully listened to each prayer, thinking about which ones to answer.
The next morning, Fluttershy shifted over to Discord's plane with much less nervousness than the previous day. This time, she had decided to bring something with her, as a sort of “thank you” gift—a plate of teacakes that she herself had made.
She knocked on his door with much more confidence than yesterday. Discord opened the door, a grin on his face. “Welcome!” he said cheerfully, before eyeing the plate of goodies on her back. “Are those for me?”
She nodded. “I thought…since you're being so nice, and telling me things…I should give you something, too.”
He blinked, looking a little surprised. “Well…I suppose if you've gone to the trouble of bringing them…” He stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter. Once she was inside, he led her down the maze of halls again.
“Perhaps since you brought some snackies, we should have something to go with them,” he commented. “Tea is the typical beverage of choice with your little treats there, yes?” She nodded, and with a grin, he took a sharp right turn and opened the first door he came across.
Fluttershy stepped inside, ready for another dark, gloomy room. She was surprised to find a cozy, well-lit one, the walls each painted a different pastel color, a large window on the far wall showing a view of the outside, an impossible feat based on how deep they had gone in the castle.
She shook the thought out of her head and focused on what was inside the room—a small table, each leg carved in a different pattern, and a forest-green couch. On the table was a multicolored tea kettle, which whistled when they entered the room.
Discord plopped down on the couch and began pouring tea into the suddenly-appearing teacups. Fluttershy joined him, carefully sliding her platter of pastries next to the kettle. Discord carefully handed her the hot teacup, which she took a small sip of.
“So, you wanted to know about ‘moving on’, right?,” he asked, taking a sip of his tea. She nodded, and he let out a small hum in thought.
“I really don't know how to explain it,” he admitted, “But I can try to make it less complex than Twilight would. It's like retiring, in a way. Most spirits come from mortal souls, and even with great magic, immortality, and next to no memory of their mortal lives, they feel the pull to rest, like every other good soul wants.”
“So they search for a replacement. Usually it's a mortal soul that has all the qualities they think are good for a Spirit of their position.” He took another sip of tea. “That soul is prepared to awaken as a Spirit—that means giving them magic and letting their memories fade—and then, the Spirit finally gives up their title and moves on, letting the soul awaken as a new Spirit.”
A stack of papers and files appeared on his lap. “The reason I haven't moved on is because whenever I've entertained the thought, I can never find anypony good enough for the position.” The papers were flung into a metal trashcan. “They either don't really understand death, or they wouldn't be able to handle the sheer power of my magic. Most of the time, it's both.”
Fluttershy nodded. “I…think I get it. But how are other Spirits involved?”
“Oh, they can help look for a replacement, and give the would-be-spirit a little magic, but there's not much else they can do.”
“Then why was Twilight so upset you weren't at my Awakening?”
Discord sighed. “Surely you've noticed I'm not exactly popular with the other Spirits. Twilight would be mad whether I showed up or not.” He took a large bite of a tea cake. “Not that I could go, since I had no idea it was happening.”
He swallowed and smiled. “These are pretty good. Where'd you get ‘em?”
She fiddled with her teacup. “Oh. I-I made them myself.” She quickly took another sip of tea. “T-this tea is pretty good,” she added.
“Brewed it myself,” he said smugly, before fiddling with his own teacup. “Say, are you…busy next Tuesday?”
“Why?”
“Well, you're the first Spirit around who's…a good baker,” he said, looking away. “I'd just like some more teacakes is all. And I guess I can give you some more tea if you came over again.” He crossed his arms, his hood sliding up over his eyes.
Fluttershy blinked, wondering if she should call his bluff. She instead smiled and answered, “Of course! If we could also…talk for a bit?”
Discord's hood raised an inch, letting his left eye peek at her. She her smile, he breathed a sigh of relief and let his hood fall, before launching into tales of Spirits who had moved on long ago.
Weeks later, as the middle of the fall season came, the spirits gathered in the Lunar Plane. Luna’s meeting room looked very similar to Celestia's….just with darker colors. The meeting went off without incident, aside from when Discord appeared in a shower of confetti and jam. Nopony was amused, except for Fluttershy, who giggled at his antics.
After everypony managed to get most of the sticky foodstuff out of their coats, the meeting finally started. The only thing discussed were a few old laws that everypony decided were unneeded…though Twilight fought to the end to keep all of them active. But even with her digging her hooves into the ground, the meeting ended in a fairly short amount of time.
“The next meeting will be in the Family Plane, Connection Domain,” Cadence said. “I move to adjourn the meeting.”
“Finally! Seconded!” yelled Discord, who jumped out of his seat. This time, he had been playing Solitaire, and the only sounds that had come from him were the quiet shuffling and placing of cards. Even though he didn't participate, Fluttershy had seen him glance up and watch what was happening a few times. He turned to Fluttershy. “See you tomorrow?”
She smiled sweetly. “I wouldn't miss it for the world.”
He grinned and disappeared in a flash. The others approached her. “What was that about?” Rarity asked.
Fluttershy smiled. “Oh, we meet on Tuesdays to have tea together. It's very nice.”
The others cringed in unison. “I don't think that's a good idea,” Twilight said.
Applejack added, “Life and death…they're just too different. Having a connection like that…”
Rainbow growled, “He's probably just using you to entertain himself.”
Fluttershy frowned and said, “I have to…go to the Mortal Domain.”
As she walked away, Twilight called, “Just think it through, Fluttershy!”
And as she traveled through the Mortal Domain, curing sicknesses and healing small injuries of ponies, she did think about it…and decided that she'd keep spending time with Discord, and not speak about it with the others.
And so it went for the next year and a half. Fluttershy and Discord would meet regularly at each other's planes for tea, talking for hours about anything they could think of. Sometimes they would walk through the Mortal Domain together as they did their work, lending each other their magic and expertise.
Fluttershy's presence caused less souls to flee from Discord in fear, while Discord could tell her exactly how much time a creature had left, allowing her to use her magic to ease their final time of life.
The two of them kept this hidden from the other spirits, although they were both sure they all knew, and simply chose not to say anything.
Over the seasons, Fluttershy had to admit to herself that her feelings for the Spirit of Death had grown into more than friendship. He was surprisingly sweet when he wanted to be, and even though his sense of humor was dark at times, he always seemed to find new ways to make her laugh.
Soon, the summer season ended, the leaves changing into various colors. The Summer Solstice Meeting had been in Fluttershy's plane. Everything had gone well, besides Discord managing to sneak away with most of the snacks she had hidden away in her cottage. But she could never be mad at him…besides, she enjoyed making them, and was happy to see he liked them so much.
The fall season reached its peak, and the spirits started to get ready for the next meeting—in Discord's plane. Several spirits swung by to warn her to some of their previous meetings in the Death Plane. Rarity gave her a pastel raincoat, explaining how it had been raining indoors the last time. Twilight gave her a list of the oddities at the previous meetings at his place. Rainbow simply growled to not trust him, something Applejack agreed with. Pinkie didn’t seem as phased—actually, she seemed excited about visiting his plane.
But finally, after weeks of warnings and worrying, the day of the meeting had come. Fluttershy traveled with ease to Discord's Plane, then blinked in surprise when she saw the other spirits just waiting outside the front doors of his castle.
“What's going on?” she asked as the others turned to look at her.
Rainbow crossed her forehooves. “We're waiting for him to open the doors. After what he did last time—”
“The last ten times,” Twilight interjected.
“—none of us are going to open those doors,” Rainbow finished, a determined look on her face.
“Indeed, darling,” said the large purple raincoat with Rarity's voice. “And why aren't you wearing your coat? You never know what he might try…and he's always loved messing with the Spirit of Life.”
Fluttershy sighed. “Don't say that. I trust Discord!” Rainbow and Twilight shuddered. “And I think it's very rude that we're keeping him waiting.” She fluttered over to the large doors and grabbed the handles, pulling them open.
“Fluttershy, no!” cried the others. But it was too late. They closed their eyes and braced themselves for whatever came out. Rainbow was the first one brave enough to crack open an eye and see what horrible thing had happened.
Nothing.
Fluttershy opened the doors and flew inside without any trouble. “Discord!” she shouted, her voice echoing down the hall. “Everypony's here!”
The Spirit of Death appeared before them with a white flash. “About time!” he huffed. “Do you know how long I've been waiting! I dusted and decorated my meeting room for this!” Some of the Spirits cringed, wondering what exactly he meant by “decorations”.
Fluttershy beamed at him. “I'm sure it's lovely.” Discord smiled at her and turned towards a dark hallway, gesturing for the others to follow. Fluttershy followed behind him without hesitation, but the others traveled more cautiously, several glancing up at the walls and ceiling to check for any tricks.
After a few minutes of wandering through a maze of a hallway, they came to a large set of double doors. They were painted a deep red, and several shuddered when the paint seemed to look wet, almost flowing off of the wood. Discord threw open the doors.
Every spirit gasped at the inside—Fluttershy out of delight, the others out of surprise. The room was almost shining from how well-polished the furniture and walls were. A round oak table was surrounded by nine small wooden thrones, and one large one. At each of their spots was a small vase of flowers, each vase containing a different type. The walls were also covered with flowers, and the room was filled with their sweet perfume.
Fluttershy flew to her throne, next to Discord's outlandish one, and admired her flowers. Out of everypony, she had the largest vase, and the most flowers. She smelled one, a smile on her face. Celestia noticed that Discord's own smile grew wider as she did this, his pupils shining.
All of the Spirits sat down, still waiting for the other horseshoe to drop. Discord flopped down in his large throne once everypony else had taken their seats. “Welcome to the Fall Equinox meeting. Shall we begin as always, or just realize that everypony already knows each other and we can skip the announcements?” he said dryly.
“Discord!” Fluttershy scolded him, to which he sheepishly grinned and rubbed at the back of his head.
Each spirit announced their name and title. Once Fluttershy had finished, Discord coughed and said, “Did anypony bring the itinerary for today?” Twilight, Celestia, and Luna each handed him a piece of paper with their magic.
“And I have extra copies,” said Twilight. “So don't even think you can end this meeting early that way again!”
He rolled his eyes and read through the lists. “Alright. The first order of business is…”
The meeting went smoothly. Rarity and Rainbow were tense the whole time, expecting something horrible to happen. Twilight kept eyeing Discord suspiciously, while Celestia glanced between him and Fluttershy. The rest of the Spirits continued through the meeting as normal, though they looked a bit confused.
Fluttershy spoke up more during the meeting, and answered her questions more confidently then they had ever seen her. Discord was perfectly behaved throughout the whole affair, engaging in discussions, and not doing anything to disturb or annoy anypony else.
They quickly finished the meeting, as there were no pressing matters to discuss, and everypony cautiously left the castle and the plane—except for Fluttershy, who stayed to talk with Discord. Cadence glanced back at the two of them before gesturing for Celestia and Luna to follow her. The three faded from the plane.
“Have you seen the way they act around each other?,” Cadence asked, pacing in her meeting room. “It's…it's something I wish I saw more in mortals. But…it's Discord!”
Celestia nodded. “But Cadence, Discord was…better today. I think Fluttershy's presence has been good for him.”
Luna hummed. “And Fluttershy herself seems more confident in her abilities. Spending time with Discord seems to be good for her, as well.”
Cadence sighed. “You…you're right. I’ve been trying to not judge Discord for his…role. But I suppose I'm still wary of him.” She lifted her head and smiled. “But, if Fluttershy makes him better, and he makes her more confident, we should encourage the two of them to spend time together.”
A sudden clatter made the three of them turn. In the doorway was Twilight, a pile of heavy books on the floor next to her. Her mouth was opening and closing. “Fluttershy…Death…” she babbled, sitting down as she tried to form the right words.
Cadence flew over to her side, laying a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “It's alright, Twilight.”
Twilight sputtered. “A-alright!? This isn't alright! Fluttershy's been spending time with Discord! How much as he corrupted her at this point? How long will it be until he's bored with her, or hurts her, or, or, or…” She started hyperventilating.
Celestia approached her. “Twilight, you know that even the way Discord acts, he's not as evil as he once was. He has no interest in hurting others.”
Luna added, “Indeed. Do you think so little of us that we would not step in to help if Fluttershy truly needed it?”
Twilight's ear perked up. “Step in…” Cadence was about to smile, since she had stopped panicking, but jumped when Twilight suddenly leapt to her hooves. “Of course!,” she shouted, “It's up to me to step in! A new law should do nicely to protect Fluttershy, and every other Spirit of Life to come!”
She ran down the hallway as the other three gave each other worried glances. Once Twilight was in her own plane, she started pulling quills, ink, and paper from all the drawers in her library-like castle, quickly jotting down notes.
“Don't worry, Fluttershy,” she muttered. “I'll do whatever it takes to save you from him.”
“No!” whimpered Fluttershy. “Get off!” Discord merely grinned, curling closer to her, his paw and claw poised to attack. She saw this and quickly curled into a tight ball, protecting herself. He tried to pry away her hooves, but she fought back, pulling away and quickly curling into her defensive position.
Discord huffed, a frown on his face. A second later, and wide grin formed as he glanced at his tail. With a bit of magic, it stretched like rubber, and its thin shape let it easily worm through the pegasus's defenses.
Feeling the scaly appendage against her stomach, Fluttershy's eyes widened. She started to unfurl and pull away, but it was too late. He had her.
Discord's tail waved, brushing the feathers against her sensitive belly. She covered her mouth, but it was too late. Giggles bubbled up from her throat, then laughter as he added his paw and claw to the attack. “Ok, ok! Stop, please!” she finally said between laughs.
He pulled away, a wide grin on his face, while Fluttershy breathed heavily, trying to stifle her laughter and cool her flushed face. A few giggles escaped from her lips as she shot a halfhearted glare at Discord. He merely smirked.
“After you got me with your feathers last time, you didn't expect me to try something? Turnabout is fair play, my dear Fluttershy.” He took a sip from his cup, holding out his pinky finger.
She finally managed to stop giggling, though there was still a blush on her face. She took a sip from her own cup, hoping to hide the redness of her face from him.
A booming knock echoed through the halls, making the two of them flinch. “Who could that be?” Discord said, placing his cup back on the table. “My favorite guest is already here.” Fluttershy blushed and looked away as he floated towards the door.
She followed him, unsurprised that they were already at the front doors. Discord flicked his hood up with his magic and threw open the doors, booming, “WHO DARES DISTURB THE SPIRIT OF DEATH DURING HIS MOST IMPORTANT MEETING?”
“Hi Discord!” said Pinkie, unfazed. She glanced over his shoulder and waved. “Hi Fluttershy!”
Discord relaxed, letting his hood fall back down. “Hello, Pinkie. Did you come by for a cup of sugar?” He materialized a sugar sculpture of a teacup in his paw.
Pinkie quickly snatched it and bit into it. “Thank you! But no, I heard some news from Rainbow Dash, who heard it from Rarity, who heard from Cadence, and I thought, ‘Hey, shouldn't Fluttershy and Discord know?', so I went to Fluttershy’s, but she wasn't there, so—”
Discord grabbed her lips. “Pinkie, please,” he groaned. “Just tell us what the news is.”
Once her lips were released, she continued, “Anyway, Twilight's making a new law that she's going to propose at the winter meeting next week!”
Discord sighed and rolled his eyes. “That's hardly news, Pinkie. That alicorn is always writing some kind of ordinance, the stick-in-the-mud she is.”
“Discord! That's not a nice thing to say,” Fluttershy scolded. Discord lowered his head, his ears drooping. “But Pinkie, why did you come to tell us about this law?,” she asked.
“She's writing a law that says…um…” Pinkie scratched her head. “Hold on, I wrote it down somewhere.” She pulled a piece of paper from her mane, the back labeled ‘Old Draft from Twilight'.
She cleared her throat and read, “The Spirit of Life and the Spirit of Death cannot be in the same plane for more than five minutes, outside of official meetings. In the Mortal Domain, they must stay at least a mile apart from each other.” She shoved the paper back into her mane. “I thought you two should know!”
Fluttershy and Discord's mouths hung open. “Can…can she do that?,” Fluttershy stammered.
Pinkie nodded. “Sure! If she can get the majority vote on making it official.” She turned and began to bounce away. “Just so you know, I'm against it!” she called over her shoulder just before she faded away.
Discord slowly closed the door and leaned his back against it, slumping to the ground. “Discord?” Fluttershy said quickly, sitting next to him. “What does this mean?”
He sighed. “It means that we'd best enjoy our little tea parties now, dear Fluttershy. Because I can tell you that the majority of spirits will be all for that law.”
She gasped and grabbed onto his arm. “Oh, Discord, you don't know that!”
He sighed and stood up. “I do know. I can imagine several spirits who will jump at the chance to separate us. Could you perhaps…come back tomorrow? I need some time to think about this.”
She slowly pulled away, watching him. He refused to look up at her, keeping his eyes focused on the floor. Opening the door beside him provoked no reaction besides a sigh. He lay slumped on the floor for as long as she kept her eyes on him. She went back to her plane and started making some of his favorite sandwiches and teacakes, hoping to cheer him up.
Fluttershy tapped on the door, struggling to hold all of the plates on her back. Discord opened the door and raised an eyebrow, grabbing all the plates and baskets with his magic. He started rifling through them as she entered.
“Carrot ginger sandwiches? Cucumber sandwiches? Chocolate cherry teacakes?” he said, pulling put some of the treats. “You spoil me, my dear. What's the occasion?”
She rubbed at her forehoof. “Well…you seemed upset, so I wanted to cheer you up, and…if the law…” She gulped. “I want us to have the best tea parties we can, before…” She stared down at the carpet, unable to finish.
“Ah.” He rubbed at the back of his neck, biting his lip. “Well, let's not wait, shall we?” He offered her his lion arm and escorted her through the labyrinthine hallways to their tea room. Her eyebrows rose in surprise when she saw five kettles boiling. She glanced over at Discord, who crossed his arms.
“Well, how am I suppose to use up all this tea of that law goes into effect?” he huffed, pouring her a cup. She accepted it as her snacks floated over and settled themselves on the table, in between the kettles. The table squeaked in protest, but Discord shushed it, taking his own tea cup.
He regaled her with tales, as he always did. But Fluttershy noticed his behavior was different from most days. He seemed to stare at her more intensely than usual, and at times, he would suddenly shiver before gulping down his entire cup or shoving an entire snack into his mouth.
With all the tea and snacks, their party lasted much longer than their usual fare. The sky had changed from a dark purple to light pink, and was shifting to a sparkling navy blue. There were still some snacks left, which she insisted that he keep. He followed her to the front doors, fiddling with his cloak. She thought it strange that the doors hadn't been there right away when they left.
Just as she was about to open the doors and leave, he called, “W-wait!” She paused and looked back. He was shaking, a pink blush on his face. “H-have I told you that some spirits hold onto mortal traditions?” he squeaked, his hands visibly fumbling inside his cloak.
She nodded, and he gulped. His pink blush slowly turned red. “Yes. Right. Well then…” With a sigh, he slowly dropped to one knee, pulling a small box out from inside his cloak. With a small flick, it opened, revealing a golden ring set with a pink, butterfly-shaped diamond.
“Fluttershy, Spirit of Life…will you marry me?”
Time stopped for her. Her heart pounded against her chest, her face burning bright. How many times had see imagined them being married? Kissing him, cuddling up against him, spending time with him without the worrying of the other spirits? It was her fantasy, her dream. Her entire body felt light, and her mind was in sweet bliss.
She realized she hadn't answered yet, and Discord's smile was starting to become tight and worried. She quickly rushed forward, throwing her hooves around his neck. “Yes! Yes!” She nuzzled against him, feeling happy tears spring from her eyes. He froze, but slowly nuzzled her in return, carefully draping the ring on its chain on her neck.
He pulled away and looked her in the eyes. “Will you come back tomorrow?” he asked.
Her smile fell, and she slowly looked down. “I'm so sorry, but I have to patrol the Mortal Domain. I fear I've put it off for far too long,” she said guiltily. “And I'm suppose to get some things ready for the meeting…I'm sorry.”
He gently patted the top of her head. “Oh, that's alright. I'll see you before the meeting, and we can go together!” He beamed, and she couldn't help but softly smile back. She nuzzled his cheek again, a blush on her face, before heading back to her plane.
Fluttershy knocked on Discord's door, which he immediately answered. “Hello, dearest!” he chirped. “Are you ready to attend the meeting and strike down that law?”
She nodded. “How…how are we going to stop it?”
He grinned wickedly. “Oh ho, just you wait. This will be an entertaining meeting.” He offered his arm to her, which she took. With a snap of his fingers, they appeared in front of Celestia's castle.
He opened the doors and escorted her to the meeting room. Twilight, Celestia, and Luna were already there. Before they entered, Discord whispered to her, “Tuck your ring into your dress. Then bring it out when I give the signal.”
She did so, treating the ring with care, then asked, “What's the signal?”
“Me telling you to pull out the ring.”
She giggled, and placed her hoof in his paw. He entered the room, slamming the already-open door to the side. Twilight jumped and glared at him, her expression becoming angrier when she saw him holding Fluttershy's hoof. Luna rolled her eyes, and Celestia smiled at the two of them.
Discord let go of her hoof to pull her throne out for her. Once she was seated, he took his own seat, tapping his fingers together and his feet on the floor, a wide grin on his face. Every so often, he would glance at Fluttershy, who stole some glances at him, as well.
Twilight was still scowling at Discord, and began shuffling the pile of papers in front of her, muttering under her breath. The other spirits arrived one by one, raising an eyebrow when they saw Discord was already sitting down. His grin seemed to grow wider whenever a new spirit walked in.
Soon, everypony was present. After the announcement of titles, Celestia remained standing. Before she could say anything, though, Twilight slammed her hooves on the table. “Everyone, I believe I've designed a new, very urgent law!”
Rainbow groaned. “Twilight, you say that about all of the laws you write.”
“Well, this time it's true!” She lifted the papers in front of her with her magic, placing a heavy packet in front of each of them. “This is to prevent Spirits of Death from tricking or harming anymore Spirits of Life.”
Fluttershy flipped through the packet, squinting her eyes as she tried to read the small print and confusing words. “This seems like more than Pinkie made it to be,” she whispered to Discord.
He grunted, holding his own packet upside-down. “It really isn't. It's just a fancy way of saying what Pinkie told us, and some rules and punishments to enforce it.” He glared at a section of his packet. “And what do you know? All of the punishments are described as being given to the Spirit of Death.”
Twilight coughed. “Is there something wrong, Discord?”
He smirked. “Oh…no, not at all. Please continue.”
She looked at him suspiciously, but still turned to a dress the others at the table. “This law will prevent them from interacting outside of meetings and the Mortal Plane…and even in that plane, there should be significant distance between them!”
Cadence frowned. “Twilight, this seems…excessive.”
Twilight gasped. Rainbow spoke up. “I think excessive is just what we need to handle him!” She jabbed her hoof at Discord, who merely grinned.
Rarity sighed. “Well…I'm not sure. Perhaps we could implement for just a little while, as we figure out the whole situation?”
The spirits began to raise their voices. Twilight and Rainbow argued for the law's permanence, Rarity and Applejack tried to argue for a temporary law, and Pinkie and Cadence tried to calm the others, saying the law should not be put in place. Celestia and Luna watched, their expressions neutral.
Fluttershy leaned over to Discord. “It looks like we have some support,” she whispered.
“Yes…but with a majority vote, those two aren't enough.” He glanced over at the two taller alicorns. “Who knows what they're thinking...” He tapped his fingers against the table and mumbled under his breath. “If this doesn’t work…we’ll lose this.”
“If what doesn't work?,” she asked.
He blinked, gazing at her with an unreadable expression. “…It's…” He shook his head. “Anyway, now's the time to take out that ring, my dear.”
She reached into her dress and did so. “What do I do now?”
“Just relax and…watch the fireworks,” he said with a smirk. He placed his lion fingers in his mouth a gave a shrill, loud whistle. The bickering stopped as the others covered their ears and turned to glare at him. While they glared at him, he merely smirked and nodded his head towards Fluttershy. She glanced between him and the other spirits, brow furrowed in confusion.
Rarity's eyes flickered down to the ring Fluttershy was wearing. “Oh, that's a new style for you, dear. I think it suits you rather well.” Her eyes narrowed. “But, I have to say…it almost looks like a—” Her eyes suddenly widened, her mouth gaping as her gaze flicked between her and Discord.
“What? What does it look like?” asked Rainbow.
Twilight's eyes squinted, and Fluttershy felt the ring lifted up in her magic. Then, Twilight gasped, dropping the ring. “It's…it's an engagement ring!” she shrieked.
A moment of silence. “WHAT!?”
Discord chuckled. “Surprise! I’ve found that I rather like this one spirit. We'll tie the knot any day now!” he boasted, slinging an arm around her shoulders. She blushed, her gaze shifting to the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him stroke his beard.
“Although…I seem to recall something about Spirit marriages. Something about how both of their planes become each other's home? How they tend to live together in the same plane?” He frowned, a pout on his face. “Once we're married…well, it'll be a shame that we can't spend any time with each other.”
The room was silent. Pinkie coughed. Everypony's eyes were still as wide as saucers, and several jaws had dropped. Twilight looked the most shaken, her trembling hoof pointed in their direction as strained sounds came from her throat.
Fluttershy buried her face in her hooves, trying to hide the pink glow forming there and traveling down her neck. This broke everypony else out of their stupor. “Well, if you're getting married…” Rarity said, “I suppose…I can't vote on this law, temporary or no.” Applejack nodded in agreement.
Pinkie squealed. “Married! I can't believe it! Except yes I can! Oh my goodness, you two are just so cute together…”
Cadence, Celestia, and Luna gazed at the pair with neutral expressions. “In this scenario, this law would be unfair,” Celestia said.
Rainbow glared at Discord, her teeth grinding. “Maybe the law can't be put in place…but I swear, if you hurt one hair on her head…” She shook her hoof at Discord, her glare deepening. He merely scoffed at her.
Twilight was staring intensely at the copy of her law in front of her. Everypony turned their attention to her, curious as to what she would say. With a sigh, she finally spoke up. “Since you're getting married—and because everypony seems opposed now—I retract my proposed law.” The sheets of paper in front of everypony were lifted up in her aura, and disappeared with a pop.
Discord groaned in relief, leaning back against his throne until his head hung upside-down over the back. “Thank goodness,” he sighed. “I wasn't sure if that would work.”
Fluttershy turned to him. “Us bring engaged…that was your plan to stop the law?” she whispered to him while Celestia read off a short itinerary.
He smiled. “M-hmm. They're all a bunch of romantics. The idea of separating two spirits in love would be just…devastating for them.”
She turned away from him, lowering her head and staring down at the ring he'd given her. “So…you only proposed to me…so that the law wouldn't be voted on? You didn't…care about how I felt?”
“Yep,” he sighed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him stiffen up. “Wait, wait, wait, what was that last part?”
She blinked rapidly, her eyes burning. Tears were already running down her cheeks, and she had to bite back a whimper before the others noticed. Too late, she thought when she realized the other spirits were already staring at her and Discord.
“I'm sorry, I…I have to go!” she said quickly, rushing out the doors.
“Fluttershy, wait! I-I can explain!” Discord cried. She pressed her ears flat against her head, trying to block out the sound of the voice she loved….the voice that had hurt her.
She slammed through the doors of the castle, focusing on getting away from this plane, away from Discord. She faded away just as she felt soft fingers grasp at her hoof.
The only place she think to go to was the Mortal Plane. She immediately went to one of her favorite places—a forest, teeming with life, that she felt had some connection to her mortal life. Discord had never dared to enter it before, always saying that he'd hate for his magic to mar her favorite place.
She sobbed when she thought of Discord, and rushed deeper into the woods. If he hadn't been lying that time, as he had in his proposal, she wouldn't have to see him. She wouldn't have to feel the pain of her broken heart.
Eventually, she made it to a small meadow. She collapsed in the center, burying her face in her front hooves and weeping. Tiny whimpers left her throat as tears poured out of her eyes. As time passed, her tears slowly dried, though the pain remained.
For a second, it felt life there were eyes trained on her. She lifted her head and glanced around, sniffling, but saw only the shadows of the trees. Suddenly, a glimmer of light from her ring caught her eye. She lifted it up gently, wanting to get a closer look at it.
Gazing at it, she remembered his proposal, and all the time they had spent together. How much of it was a lie? All of it?, she thought. With a whimper, she dropped the ring and buried her face in her hooves again, more tears welling up in her eyes.
A snap of a twig made her gasp, her head snapping up.
Standing at the edge of the meadow was Discord—his hood down, his hands clasped together, his eyes downcast. “H-hi,” he said, his head lowering. “May I…sit with you?”
She wanted to say no. She wanted to yell at him, or run away. She wanted to cry. But there was something in his eyes, something warm, that convinced her to nod her head. His head lifted, and he slowly approached her, his footsteps only making the softest of sounds. He took a seat next to her, pulling his feet up to his chest.
For several minutes, the only sound was birdsong. “Why did you do it?” she finally said quietly.
“Do what?” he asked, fiddling with the hem of his robes.
“Trick me like that.” He was staring blankly at her, so she continued, “Proposing to me, just so you could stop that law from taking effect. I…I thought you—" She turned away from him with a sniffle. “A-and those tea parties…were those a trick, too? A way to make me like you so that you could hurt me like this?”
“What?” She gasped when he grabbed her shoulder and turned her to face him. “Fluttershy, no! I enjoyed our tea parties, right from the beginning! Those were never any sort of trick, I can promise you that!”
She yanked her shoulder away from his grip. “And your…proposal?”
He rubbed at the back of his neck. “Oh…that. You see, I…” He lowered his head and mumbled something under his breath. She narrowed her eyes and shifted closer to him. He gulped and continued, “I…kind of thought you already understood the plan? And were going along with it?”
“So you proposed as part of a plan you didn't explain to me…and you thought I wouldn't believe it was genuine!?” she yelled, quickly covering her mouth.
“Well, of course! I mean, you'd never truly want to be bound to me…to marry me…to love me,” he said, looking away.
Her eyes widened. “How…How could you think that?”
“We're opposites, you and I. You're an incarnation of life, beloved by all, and I'm…the incarnation of death, reviled by all.” He clenched his fists, his eyes squeezing tightly shut. “We're just too different. The very fact of who we are will pull us apart. No matter how much I—” He stopped and sighed, his head lowering, his eyes and fists still closed.
She shifted closer to him. “What?”
“…No matter how much I want to be with you,” he said under his breath.
She blinked quickly, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. Shifting even closer, she wrapped her hooves around him, prompting him to gasp. She nuzzled against him and said softly, “Discord, you're more than the Spirit of Death. You're funny and clever, the spirit who can always make me smile. You're my best friend, and…you’re the spirit I love.”
She pressed closer against him, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She gasped lightly when she felt a pair of lips graze against her forehead. Lifting her head up, she saw that he was as teary-eyed as she was, though his eyes still shone with warmth and joy.
“Are you sure about this?,” he asked, voice cracking. “Like I said…we're complete opposites. The others may be mad at us, especially when they learn I wasn't entirely honest about our engagement.”
She leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Forget about titles and opposites. Forget about the others.” She leaned against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her. “But, about that proposal…I know it was part of your plan, but did you…do you…?”
He sighed, kissing her forehead again. “I admit, I…have dreamed of us being married. I love the idea…I love you.” A kiss on her cheek. “But I honestly never thought you'd want to, or that the others wouldn't try and stand in our way.”
“Why don't we wait?” she said. “We'll be together, but not marry just yet. We'll talk with the others, explain things to them. But even if they disagree, I want to be with you.”
His arms wrapped even tighter, pressing her flush against his chest. “I want to be with you, too,” he murmured. “And whatever you wish for us to be, I shall make it so.”
His tail cupped her chin, tilting her head up. His eyes still had tears in their corners, though he tried to blink them away. Slowly, his head leaned closer to hers, his lips coming ever closer. Just a few inches away, he stopped, his eyes nervously flicking up to hers.
She leaned upwards quickly, pressing her lips against his. Both of them moaned softly and closed their eyes as he returned the gesture, creating a tight seal between their lips.
As her eyes slid closed, she felt…him. His magic. It was large, and dark, and spread out from him all across the Mortal Plane, nothing able to stop it. She wrapped her hooves tightly around Discord, reminding herself of what she had just said. Opposites or not, she wanted to be with him.
As she thought that, she felt tendrils of something—her own magic, shining with light, and stretching as far as his—wrapping around Discord's magic. Their powers intertwined, twisting around each other, until both of them were buzzing and humming from their combined powers.
Slowly, they pulled apart, a soft click coming from their separated lips. They panted heavily, both shivering from the kiss and magical phenomenon.
She sighed and leaned her head against his chest. His grip on her loosened, though his arms still gently cradled her frame. “We should go back to the meeting,” she said with a sigh. “I'm sure I've worried them all.”
“Oh, they'll find us eventually. Why not take a break?” he responded, gently kissing her forehead. With a giggled, she nuzzled deeper into his fur and let her eyes slide closed.
