The Fair Lady of the Chaos Lord

by GeekCat

Rating: everyone
Tags: Romance, Fluttershy, Big Macintosh, Discord, Alternate Universe, Drama, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 31404

Lady Fluttershy makes a deal with the fearsome Chaos Lord, to see the true colors of the brave knight many ponies think is a perfect match for her. But this deal leads to unforeseen consequences.

Lady Fluttershy meets Sir Big Macintosh, a knight known through many kingdoms for his strength and bravery. Many ponies think the two of them would be a wonderful match...but she has doubts.

But Discord, the Chaos Lord, suddenly offers her a surprising deal—he'll fake her kidnapping, and let her watch the resulting battle between him and the knight so she may see his true colors. She warily accepts...but this deal has consequences neither of them see coming.

Day One of #FluttercordWeek

Published 2021-01-19 11:10:00 UTC
Last updated 2021-01-19 11:10:00 UTC

The Fair Lady of the Chaos Lord

A yellow pegasus in a silk nightgown laid in a large bed, sleeping peacefully and dreaming about meadows and nature…until a knock on the door woke her up. “Milady?” a voice said. “It's time for you to get ready. You have many things to do today.”

The pegasus sighed and sat up, stretching. “Come in,” she said quietly. The door opened, and a pink unicorn with a purple mane and dress stepped inside. As she got out of bed, the unicorn gave a slight bow.

“Lady Fluttershy,” she said. “After breakfast, your father has scheduled several lessons for you. After that, you will have lunch, and then your afternoon will be free.”

“That sounds…not too busy,” Fluttershy said with a yawn. “What should I wear?”

“I was thinking…a muted color,” the unicorn said. “Perhaps your pink dress. Something simple, but still perfectly proper.” She opened Fluttershy's wardrobe and pulled out a pale pink dress—one with long sleeves with frills at the end, and a poofy skirt that she knew would go all the way to her back hooves.

“Thank you, Sugar Belle,” Fluttershy said, lifting her hooves so that the unicorn could remove her nightgown. “I know being a lady-in-waiting isn't what you want…but you do a very good job at it.”

Sugar Belle glanced around as she slid the pink dress onto Fluttershy. “Milady…please don't speak so casually around me,” she said. “Or else we could both end up in trouble."

“Oh…right,” Fluttershy said, looking down. Sugar Belle finished dressing her and brushed her mane, and they curtsied to each other. Fluttershy waved a quick good-bye—a gesture Sugar Belle hesitantly returned—and headed out the door.

She passed several servants in the hallway, all of them asking where she was heading, in a rehearsed manner. In an equally practiced way, she politely said she was going towards the dining room, and bid them a good day. She continued on her path, eventually coming to two wooden doors.

She raised a hoof and knocked, and a unicorn inside pulled them open with his magic. “Lady Fluttershy has arrived,” he declared to the almost-empty dining room, where a long wooden table sat, most of its seats empty or missing.

But there were already two ponies in the dining room—an older green pegasus stallion with a pale pink mane, and a younger, skinnier one, also green, but with a blond mane tied into a bun. They both nodded to her as she entered.

“Father. Zephyr,” she said, curtsying to both of them before taking her seat.

“And how would you introduce us to another pony?” her father asked, leaning forward.

She gulped. “My father, Lord Breeze of the Land of Breezies, and my brother, Lord Zephyr Breeze,” she said.

“Excellent,” her father said. “Your lessons appear to be going very well.” He rang the bell beside him, and a small group of unicorn chefs brought out several covered plates, setting them in front of her and uncovering them to reveal buttered toast, a bowl of oatmeal, and a grapefruit. They bowed to her, and then to her father, before heading back into the kitchen.

“So, Fluttershy,” her father said. “What are you going to do today?” She swallowed her spoonful of oatmeal and sat up a little straighter.

“I'm going to attend my lessons this morning,” she said. Her father nodded in satisfaction. “I'm…not sure which ones.”

Her father sighed. “Today you will review dancing, table manners, proper conversation, and the history of how proper lords and ladies succeed in maintaining the peace of kingdoms,” he said.

“Yeah, Fluttershy,” Zephyr said, leaning back in his chair and munching on his grapefruit. “Why didn't you know that? It's not like it keeps changing.”

“It does, though…” she said under her breath. “But what lessons will you have, Zephyr?”

“Easy,” he said. “How to run a kingdom, then jousting, and then fencing, and then I'll go into town in the afternoon!” Her father nodded.

“Excellent choices,” he said. “But remember to use your table manners when we have company. Fluttershy, forelegs off of the table.” She squeaked and pulled them away, while Zephyr just nodded and waved a hoof, still slouching.

She nibbled at her toast, remembering as many table manners as she could. When she had finished the first slice, she lifted her head again. “May I take embroidery lessons today?” she said. “Or gardening?”

“You may not take embroidery,” he said. “Your best teacher isn't here right now, and without her, you could easily injure your hoof by stabbing it with a needle. The gardening lesson I will allow, with supervision, but only if you do well in all your other lessons.”

They ate in silence for a few moments. “And what are your plans after your lessons, Fluttershy?” her father asked.

“Well, I'd eat lunch with you and Zephyr, of course. And this afternoon, I was thinking of visiting the animals in the courtyard…” she said. Her father raised a hoof, stopping her, while Zephyr rose an eyebrow, looking at her as though she was crazy.

“Absolutely not,” her father said. “You have to spend the afternoon preparing.”

Fluttershy tilted her head. “For what, father?”

“For the arrival of Sir Big Macintosh, of course!” her father said. “Lords and ladies from everywhere will be coming just to meet him! All three of us have to do our best to make a good impression.” He sighed and shook his head. “I can't believe you forgot.”

She looked down, her ears turning pink. “I…I was never told when it was,” she said quietly. “You wouldn't let me help plan the party…”

Her father sighed again. “You may have a bit of free time in the courtyard,” he said. “But you mustn't ruin any of your dresses, and any unladylike behavior must stop as soon as guests begin to arrive.”

“O-okay,” she said. “When will the first of the guests arrive?”

“They should start arriving right after lunch,” her father said. “And many of them will be coming, so I want to see you both acting your best…as a proper Lord and Lady should.”

“I understand, Father,” they both said. Zephyr sipped at his water, still slouching, while Fluttershy kept nibbling at the food that had been presented to her.

After a few minutes, their father finished his meal and stood up. “I bid you both a good day," he said. “And though I wish I could stay; I must attend to business." Fluttershy and Zephyr both nodded in understanding, and their father left the room.

Once he was gone, and the sound of his hoofsteps couldn't be heard, Zephyr grabbed his plate and stood up. “I hate to leave, Flutters, but this morning could be the only 'me' time I get,” he said. “I'm going to go eat breakfast in the courtyard.”

“…may I join you?” she asked quietly.

He flinched, glancing left and right. “You know how much trouble we'd both be in if Father found out, right?” he said quietly. “Sorry, Flutterbutter. But…you know how he is.”

“Yes…” she said, biting back a sigh. “I'll…practice my table manners. Enjoy your breakfast, Zephyr.” He grinned and nodded, scooping up his plate and heading outside.

She sighed and slowly ate her own breakfast, using proper table manners as she did so. The room was quiet, with only the sounds of work further in the castle offering her company.

Once she was finished, she stood up, gathered her plates, and headed towards the kitchen. One of the servants stopped her before she could enter. “Sorry, milady,” he said. “But you know how your father feels about you entering the kitchen.” She nodded and allowed the plates to be taken from her.

She headed back to her room, greeting several more servants along the way. By the time she made it to her room, there was already somepony there waiting to escort her. With a gulp and only a small frown, she allowed herself to be guided away.

The morning passed by in a blur, yet still couldn't be finished quickly enough. Her dancing lesson had gone well, except her teacher expected nothing less than perfection, and she danced until her hooves were sore. Table manners were a bit of a struggle, but she made it through the lesson without any large mistakes.

The lesson on proper conversation was the worst. She struggled to raise her voice to an ‘acceptable' volume, even if she did manage to remember all of the correct things to say. Even towards the end of the lesson, her teacher simply gave up and told her to practice raising her voice on her own time.

Her history lesson wasn't too notable—though she felt so drained from her other lessons that she found it hard to pay attention. Especially since it felt like everyone but her knew it was the day of Sir Big Mac's arrival, as she had been reminded multiple times…

She shook away that thought, trying to smile. Her lessons were over now, and she could enjoy lunch with her family! She almost skipped down the hallway.

Except that…once she made it to the dining room, it was empty but for a few servants, and only her place at the table had food placed in front of it. “Apologies, milady," a butler said. “But your father is having lunch while discussing business, and your brother has gone into town to eat.”

“Oh…” she said a little weakly. She sat and ate, though she didn't have much appetite. She soon set down her utensils and stood up, thanking the chefs for the food and heading back to her room.

Sugar Belle was already there, with several extraordinary dresses laid out in front of her. “Ah, Lady Fluttershy,” she said, greeting her with a curtsy. “I've been informed that…it's time to choose your dress for tonight's celebration.” She gestured to the selection in front of her, most of which were green, with a few white and pink ones. “Does anything in particular please you?”

“They all look good,” she said, her eyes darting back and forth. “Why don't I try them all on?” Sugar Belle nodded, her horn lighting up with magic. Slowly, the simple dress was peeled from her body, and the first dress draped over her.

Fluttershy shifted as the dress was placed on her. “This celebration…I feel so nervous,” she admitted. “What if…what if I make a fool of myself?”

“I'm sure you won't,” Sugar Belle said reassuringly as she tied the knots in her dress.

“…I already did this morning,” she responded weakly. She looked at the dress on herself, then shook her head. “In front of Father and Zephyr…because I didn't know that today was the day of Big Mac's arrival.”

“I'm sorry I didn't warn you, milady,” Sugar Belle said as she helped Fluttershy into the next fancy dress. “I was never told the day of the big party, either…”

“It's not your fault,” Fluttershy said with a sigh. “Father didn't tell me anything, either…just that Sir Big Mac is coming, and many other nobles.” She shivered and frowned.

Sugar Belle said nothing, only asking if she liked the current dress or not. Fluttershy shook her head, as nothing seemed quite right…until she tried on one of the last few dresses. It was a light green, with gold trim—a formal, fancy dress, but not ostentatious. “It's perfect,” she said to Sugar Belle, who beamed in delight.

Fluttershy glanced out her window, looking longingly at the pure blue sky. “…Father said I could spend some time in the courtyard,” she said. “I'll do that until anypony arrives.”

“Whatever you wish,” Sugar Belle said, untying the ribbons on her back. “I'll escort you to the doors, and fetch you if a guest arrives and asks for you.”

“Thank you,” Fluttershy said as Sugar Belle helped her change back into her simpler dress. The two of them headed out together, Fluttershy leading to way to a door she knew was attended, but led to a part of the courtyard that was mostly out of sight.

Once there, at the simple door, she thanked Sugar Belle, who curtsied and left. Fluttershy greeted the stallion keeping watch over the door, who merely nodded in response.

At her quiet request, he opened up the door—and for the first time today, she felt a rush of excitement. The sky was blue, the sun was shining, and there was birdsong in the air. Glancing at the servant (who didn't seem to be paying attention), she slowly slipped off her shoes.

She smiled and stepped into the courtyard, taking a deep breath of fresh air. The scent of spring was strong, though the wind still carried hints of storms to come. But the air was clear and warm, invigorating her as she stepped out and onto the grass.

For a second, she considered lying in the grass, letting it tickle her skin…but father would never let her heard the end of it if her dress was stained. He'd probably be unhappy with the fact she wasn't wearing her shoes…she frowned and shook her head, slowly trotting over to the grove of trees most of her animal friends stayed near.

The grove was small, but seemed…unusually dark and quiet today, with not even birdsong coming from inside. She paused several feet away from it, knowing that the grove was safe, but still feeling a trepidation, as though she shouldn't enter…

As she was thinking, a red-and-pink blur shot through the grass towards her. She flinched a little, staring and trying to figure out what she was seeing. Then, suddenly, the blur shot towards her hooves, hissing loudly.

She gasped softly as the blur—a snake—came close to her hooves. It lifted its head off of the ground, looking at her with shiny black eyes, and seemed to tilt his head, as though waiting for something to happen. Slowly, a smile spread across her face, and she leaned forward to get a better look.

“Hello there,” she said in a soft voice. The snake pulled back. “It's okay. I won't hurt you.”

It watched her hesitantly as she kneeled down, slowly holding her hoof out to it. It peered at her for a few more seconds, then slithered forward and wrapped itself around her hoof. She smiled and held it close, stroking its smooth scales with her other hoof.

“Oh, you're just gorgeous,” she cooed. The snake relaxed and accepted the attention, and she smiled and continued.

There was the snap of a twig in front of her, and she and the snake both looked up. The shadowed grove was all that was in front of her…though, for a second, she thought she saw a pair of glowing eyes peering out at her.

“Lady Fluttershy!” she heard someone call. With a rustling, or gust of wind, the eyes vanished. She gasped and quickly but gently set the snake back on the ground, where it quickly slithered back into the shadows. Fluttershy stood up straight and turned to see whoever was calling her.

Sugar Belle was the one who had called her name, standing next to a familiar white unicorn, and an unfamiliar group of servants. “Lady Rarity,” she said with a curtsey to the white unicorn, who was wearing a simple but elegant purple dress. “It's good to see you again.”

“And you as well, Lady Fluttershy,” Rarity said with a similar curtsey. “What are you doing, out here in the courtyard?”

“Oh, just…getting some fresh air,” Fluttershy said, her smile a bit strained. Sugar Belle gave her a questioning look, but Rarity accepted this.

“Well, if you want fresh air," she said. “Would you mind indulging me and joining me for a carriage ride? This weather is simply divine, and it's been forever since we had a chance to talk…”

“Of course,” Fluttershy said. “Could you…give me a few moments? I'll catch up.” Rarity nodded and walked away with her servants, while Sugar Belle stayed behind.

“Milady?” she said, discreetly holding out Fluttershy's shoes with her magic. “I thought you would be pleased that Lady Rarity was here…”

“I am!” Fluttershy said quickly, before sighing. “I just…feel upset that I didn't even get to spend five minutes in the courtyard…or visit any of the animals I know.” She slipped all four of her hooves into the shoes.

Sugar Belle smiled sympathetically. “I understand, Milady,” she said. “Perhaps, if you're lucky…you won't have any lessons tomorrow, and you can spend your time however you wish.”

Fluttershy tried to smile. “I…I can only hope,” she said, already knowing that the chances of that happening were slim. She bid goodbye to Sugar Belle, then headed in the direction Rarity had gone in—towards the stables.

When she arrived, two of Rarity's servants were hitching themselves up to an unfamiliar, open-air carriage, while Rarity herself was thanking her father's servants for polishing the carriage's wood. Her ears perked up as soon as she entered, and she turned to face Fluttershy with a smile.

“Lady Fluttershy,” Rarity said. “Thank you again for indulging me and going on their carriage ride.” One of her father's servants helped her into the carriage.

“Oh, it's no trouble,” Fluttershy said, being helped into the other side of the carriage. “Besides, I…I've been looking forward to speaking with you.” It was the truth—seeing her noble friend was the main reason she had been looking forward to the party.

Rarity beamed, her eyes gleaming. “Well, let's not wait any longer!” she declared. At her request, the stallions hitched to the carriage trotted forward, carrying them out into the sunny streets of the City of Breezies.

Rarity told her some of the latest gossip, and Fluttershy smiled and nodded along politely. Sometimes she felt bad that she had nothing to contribute, but Rarity assured, as she had in the past, that sometimes a listening ear was enough.

Eventually, the conversation turned towards tonight's celebration, then to the guests that were to arrive…and then, the most important guest, the reason everyone was coming.

“I've met Sir Big Mac before,” Rarity said. “But only once…after he saved our land from a dragon terrorizing it. My mother and father threw a feast to thank him.”

Fluttershy shifted closer to her. “You met him?” she asked, unable to keep a little excitement out of her voice.

Rarity nodded. “Yes…oh, he's so handsome, Fluttershy!” she said, fanning herself. “The most handsome stallion you'll ever meet!”

“Really?” Fluttershy said. “What's he like?”

“Strong,” Rarity sighed. “With wonderful chiseled figures…a beautiful scarlet coat…”

Fluttershy started to play with the hem of her skirt, but quickly stopped herself. “Did you…get the chance to talk to him?” she asked.

“A few times," Rarity said. “He wasn't a stallion of many words…and he didn't seem interested in telling any of his accomplishments.” She paused and looked at Fluttershy, her eyes gleaming a little.

Fluttershy shifted, not liking that look in her eyes…that look that said she was planning something, or had seen something. She shifted the conversation towards Rarity's hobby of dressmaking, and the two of them chattered about sewing until their carriage carried them back to the castle.

Barely an hour had passed, yet there were many more carriages in the stables, and noble guests milling about the courtyard. “Oh, my…” Fluttershy said. “Father really did invite everyone he could.”

There was a bang! from under one of the carriage wheels, and the vehicle shook. Fluttershy squeaked, ducking and placing her hooves over her head.

“I'm sorry, milady!” one of the stallions said. “We must have run over…” He stared at the wheel and blinked. “Nothing? But the wheel is still in bad shape…”

“You should get off here, miladies,” the other said, unhitching himself and going to Rarity. “We'll worry about taking the carriage back to the stable and fixing the wheel.”

“Thank you ever so much,” Rarity said as both she and Fluttershy were helped out of the carriage. “My, that was quite a scare…perhaps a bit of time relaxing would be good for us both.”

Fluttershy was about to agree, but stopped herself. “I'm afraid I can't,” she said. “Father wanted me to spend the afternoon preparing for tonight…”

Rarity seemed disappointed, but nodded in understanding. “Then I will see you tonight, Lady Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy returned the sentiment, then went inside. Before she could get very far, a servant spotted her and escorted her to her bedroom. Sugar Belle was already there, examine several types of makeup.

“Milady,” she greeted with a curtsy. “There's not much I can do to prepare you right now…perhaps I can begin about an hour before the party.”

Fluttershy sighed and eased into her armchair. “So…I'm just supposed to wait here until it's the right time to be ready?” She glanced out her window and frowned. It seemed like a waste of a perfectly lovely afternoon.

“Your father…just wants things to be as good as possible,” Sugar Belle said cautiously. “Sometimes he…doesn't understand that mares don't need to do that much more preparation for events than stallions.” This just made Fluttershy sigh again, a bit envious of her father and Zephyr.

“Um…perhaps I'll go fetch you a book!” Sugar Belle offered. “And arrange for your before-dinner meal to be brought sooner.”

“Please,” Fluttershy said with a nod. Sugar Belle curtsied and left, leaving her alone with her thoughts. There was quite a bit to digest—from the arrival of Sir Big Mac to her father's well-meaning if disappointing instructions. She sighed again and brought out her embroidery to take her mind off of things. She didn't have any needles in her room, but she could at least plan her next stitches ahead of time.

Between that, and reading a book about accomplished noblemares, the afternoon just seemed to fly by. There was a knock on the door, and Sugar Belle entered once given permission. She was grinning and holding a plate of cold sandwiches in her magic.

“Here you are, milady,” she said, setting the plate in front of her. “Once you're finished, I can help you prepare.”

Fluttershy nodded and began eating. The sandwiches weren't much—there were only three small ones—but eating before large dinners was important. It wouldn't be proper to eat too much in public and show a large appetite. That, and being at large events sometimes made her too nervous to eat…

She made quick work of the sandwiches, wondering if such practices were common in other lands…though it would be rude to ask such a thing. She stood up and went into the bathroom, where Sugar Belle was waiting with her dress and makeup.

Sugar Belle hummed as she helped Fluttershy into her dress. “I'm going to help serve food at the party!” she said cheerfully. “Your father asked me earlier, when I was on my way to the dining room. Maybe he will see how good I am, working with the kitchens…”

“And you could work for them!” Fluttershy said happily. “Someday he'll change his mind and let you cook, I just know it….” Or so she hoped, at least.

“I hope so,” Sugar Belle said with a sigh. She worked in silence for a few moments, applying makeup and working with her mane.

“Now…what do you think?” She stepped aside, and Fluttershy looked up to view her reflection.

The dress she had chosen earlier still seemed perfect. Her long mane had been tied up into a wavy ponytail, and the light makeup on her face brought out the color of her eyes and the rosiness of her cheeks. She smiled shyly, and saw that her teeth were clean and pearly white.

“It's…it's good,” she said, turning her shy smile towards Sugar Belle. “Thank you.”

“Only doing my duty, milady,” Sugar Belle said. “If you're ready, I'll escort you to your brother and father.” Fluttershy nodded, and they exited, Sugar Belle using her magic to lift the hem of her dress slightly off of the floor.

After some twists and turns, they finally stopped at a set of large double doors. Zephyr was already there, wearing a bright red suit and bowtie. Sugar Belle curtsied again to Fluttershy and left, and Fluttershy stepped forward to stand by her brother's side.

“Shy!” Zephyr greeted cheerfully. “Are you ready? This event is going to be huge!”

She swallowed. “Um…yes," she said a little hesitantly. Her ears flicked towards the door, where she could hear the chatter of ponies. “Do you know…the plan for entering?”

“Um…” Zephyr frowned. “So, Father will go in first, with us right behind, one on each side of him. Father and I will sit at the head table, while you, ah…sit at the head ladies' table.” He frowned. “Actually…we might not have set that up.”

“We did not,” their father said as he approached. “It didn't seem right to make you sit alone for the night.” He smiled at Fluttershy. “There is a table close to the front with a seat reserved for you. Your friend Rarity will be sitting there, too.”

Fluttershy relaxed. “Ah…thank you, Father.”

He smiled and nodded. “Once we have entered, and the first course of salads are served, I shall give the cue for our guest of honor to enter,” he said. “After he's sat down and everyone has adjusted, I will take the time to make a toast. Then, the dancing shall begin.”

Zephyr grinned, his head bobbing in understanding. Fluttershy's nod was a bit slower and more hesitant, and her father leaned closer to her.

“Remember, Fluttershy,” he said quietly. “You should drink your champagne after the toast. No more tricks.”

She gulped and nodded, her ears and gaze lowering. Her father walked past her, stepping towards the doors and straightening his bowtie. Zephyr quickly stood straight on his left side, while Fluttershy adjusted herself on his right, readying a shy smile on her face.

Her father gave a nod to the servants, and the doors were slowly pulled open. “Announcing the lords and lady of the Land of Breezies: Cloudcatcher Breeze, Zephyr Breeze, and Fluttershy Breeze!” someone announced.

A large crowd, nearly filling the whole room, stared at them, smiling. Nearly everyone was sitting at the round tables set out, though a few mingled at the edges of a clear area—set aside for dancing. Fluttershy's heart raced, and she just barely remember to walk forward at the same time as Zephyr, stumbling over her hooves as she started.

Father and Zephyr soon turned left, heading towards the large rectangular table along the wall. Her eyes quickly scanned the front tables as she kept walking forward, feeling the stares focusing on her. Lady Rarity, now wearing a fancy purple dress and diamond hoof bands, waved to her.

Fluttershy headed towards her with relief, barely keeping herself from breaking into a trot.

After what felt like an eternity crossing the dancing area, she sat in the empty chair next to Rarity, heaving a large sigh of relief as her face flushed. Rarity offered her a paper fan, which she gratefully accepted to cool her burning face. She glanced up and saw that her father and brother had already taken their seats.

As servants in black suits and dresses served salads and poured champagne, Rarity spoke with Fluttershy. “Are you alright, darling?” she asked. “I would have expected you to be at the head table, or at least a head ladies' table…but they insisted this spot be reserved for you.”

Fluttershy sighed and gave the fan back. “Well…I think father didn't want to set it up because...it would have seemed like a waste if I was the only one there.” Rarity gave her a look of sympathy, as did the other mares at the table, who she didn't recognize.

Before they could say anything else, the announcer spoke again. “Announcing the guest of honor: Sir Big Macintosh of Sweet Appleton!” Immediately, the crowd murmured and turned to look, and Fluttershy joined in the action.

Standing at a different set of open doors was an earth pony stallion with a red coat and blonde mane. He was taller and larger than any other stallion she had seen…and more muscular. His mane was a bit unkempt, as short as it was. His green eyes were darting around the room, and she could see beads of sweat on his forehead.

He quickly trotted towards one of the closest tables of stallions—one just a few tables away from hers. The other mares sitting with her gasped in delight, and though there were some murmurs about his improper trotting…no one would reproach such a hero for such a small thing.

“Attention, everyone,” her father said, standing up and holding his champagne glass high. “I'd like to make a toast before we begin this gathering in full."

“As you know, we are here to meet and to celebrate the deeds of Sir Big Macintosh,” he said. “He who was born in a small town, but grew up to be the strongest and bravest knight in all the kingdoms! He has saved many of our lands from dragons, pushed back armies of changelings…I've even heard rumors that he's dealt with…the unspeakable lord.”

Whispers filled the room at the mention of the last deed. Even Fluttershy felt a chill run down her spine, and she glanced over at Sir Big Mac. He was blushing, and glancing towards some of the exits, as though he wished to flee from all the eyes peering at him. I know the feeling, she thought.

“And so, today the Land of the Breezies honors and thanks Sir Big Macintosh,” her father continued. “We thank him for all his deeds, and for the many more to come.” He held his glass high. “To Sir Big Macintosh!”

“To Sir Big Macintosh!” the crowd replied, all holding up their own glasses and drinking.

Fluttershy cautiously picked up her own glass, frowning at the bubbly liquid inside of it. Maybe I could… Before she could make any plans, her father locked eyes with her and sipped at his own drink, keeping eye contact with her. She sighed and resigned herself to drinking it.

She slowly raised the glass to her lips and sipped. It took every ounce of her will to not gag, and to keep smiling as she set the glass back down, the bitter, burning liquid heading down her throat. She knew it wasn't possible, but she swore she could already feel her head growing fuzzy.

She tried to ignore it, instead focusing on some of the conversations happening around her. Most of what was talked about went over her head, and she wasn't foolish enough to try and start some conversation on her favorite interests. She nibbled at the salad in front of her.

Soon, after a few more nobles stood up to make their own small toasts and thanks to Sir Big Mac (where each drink became more unpleasant than the last), the orchestra began to play music. Slowly, the dance floor started filling up, as stallions approached mares and asked them to dance.

She adjusted herself, trying to look ‘open to invitation', as her dance teacher always said. She wasn't quite sure what that meant, except she was apparently never quite able to do it perfectly. But soon, a white unicorn stallion approached her, someone she remembered as being a noble from several kingdoms away.

“May I have this dance?” he asked with a slight bow, holding out his hoof. She paused for a second, swallowing, then placed her hoof on his and allowed herself to be whisked onto the dance floor.

After the first song, she found herself being asked by another stallion for a dance before she could sit down, and then another. Each dance passed in a blur of colors and music…and not in a good way. She felt unwell, and it seemed difficult to focus on anything…and it got worse with each consecutive dance.

It didn't help that she swore she saw shadows shifting in ways they shouldn't…and though she knew it was a figment of her imagination, she saw gleaming eyes staring at her from them once or twice…

After only the third dance, her stomach was roiling and the room was swimming. That champagne… She politely excused herself from her partner and headed over to the head table, where her father sat and watched the proceedings.

“Father,” she said, swallowing thickly. “I…ask for your permission to leave early. I feel tired and unwell…”

Her father looked her up and down, then glanced at the dark night sky. “Dance one more dance,” he said. “With Sir Big Macintosh, preferably. Then, you may retire to your chambers.”

Fluttershy's ears drooped, her heart racing as she considered everything that could go wrong. But her father was giving her ‘that look', the one he gave to say that she had better listen if she wanted to be a proper lady. So, biting back a sigh, she headed back into the thick of the party, searching for Sir Big Mac.

She finally found him, talking with a group of noble stallions. She almost approached to ask him, but recalled her lessons and stayed back, trying to look accepting and cheerful. None of the stallions seemed to notice her presence, and it became harder to smile as her stomach kept roiling.

Sugar Belle, holding a platter of appetizers in her magic, approached her. “Milady?” she said. “Are you alright? Perhaps you should lie down…”

Fluttershy shook her head. “Father said…I'm only allowed to leave if I dance with Sir Big Mac, first,” she said quietly, glancing around to make sure nopony heard. Sugar Belle frowned, then inhaled through her nose, setting her face in determination and approaching the table Sir Big Mac was at.

She offered the plate to the group, with each noble taking something. Fluttershy saw her saying something quietly to Sir Big Mac as she held the plate out to him. He paused, tilted his head…and held his hoof out to her. Sugar Belle blushed and quickly shook her head, while the nobles giggled, and nodded towards where Fluttershy was standing.

Big Mac glanced over, and she tried to smile as brightly as she could, fighting against the sick feeling bubbling up inside of her. He blushed a little, and cautiously approached her, slowly holding out a hoof. “May Ah…have this dance?” he asked, his voice a deep baritone that made a few nearby mares swoon and begin fanning themselves.

Fluttershy nodded and accepted his hoof. He glanced around, then carefully guided her to the edge of the dance floor, the crowd quickly parting to let them through.

Though he seemed to aim for the edge of the dance floor, they found themselves ushered toward the center. She swallowed and resolved to not think of the eyes on her, as the orchestra began a slow, almost romantic piece. She wouldn't have doubted it was under her father's orders.

She heard Sir Big Mac gulp. He slowly began to go through the motions of one of the simpler formal dances she knew, much to her relief. She slowly followed his lead.

“Ah don't know…many dances,” he admitted. “Ah hope this is okay.”

“It is,” she said with a nod. He seemed to relax a bit, and they danced in silence for a while. She could feel stares on the back of her neck, likely there now because of who her partner was. With a gulp, she tried to distract herself by focusing on her partner…but he looked equally hot under the collar.

To distract herself, and maybe him, from all the attention, she spoke up. “What…father mentioned,” she said quietly. “Is it true that you've…dealt with…the unspeakable lord?”

He quickly shook his head. “Nope,” he said. “One encounter. Coincidental. Less than a minute.”

“Oh,” she said, waiting to see if he would add anything else. When he was silent, she tried to ask a few more questions. His answers seemed to get even shorter, if that was possible, but he didn't seem at all annoyed or short with her—nervous and distracted, if anything.

After several more bars (more bars than the song should have had, she noticed), the song slowly came to an end. She stepped away from Sir Big Mac and curtsied. He hesitated for a second, then gave a slow bow in return.

As soon as the song had finished, there were single mares surrounding them at a respectable distance, all sighing and fanning themselves, batting their eyelashes at Sir Big Mac. He glanced around at them, then whipped his head around as though looking for an escape path. When none was in sight, he sighed and offered a hoof to one of the closest mares, who grinned in delight.

Fluttershy felt a bit guilty about leaving him on the dance floor after dragging him there, but quickly walked over to the head table again. The attention she had gotten during the dance distracted her from her discomfort, but now it was worse than ever.

Her father nodded in approval and gave his permission for her to leave. She almost sagged in relief, but managed to stand tall as she exited the ballroom.

Even as gentle as it was, the dance had done nothing good for her stomach. She wobbled to the nearest bathroom, and as soon as she was there, finally allowed herself to be sick.

The alcohol left her body the same way it had entered, complete with the burning in her throat and the bitter taste. After finishing, she felt more clear-headed, if still tired and with a bitter taste in her mouth…but was under no circumstances thrilled with the idea of going back to the party.

Still, she went over to the preening area, washing her hooves and taking advantage of some of the supplies to get the awful taste out of her mouth. Once she was finished, she sighed, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes.

“Fluttershy?” a familiar mare's voice said from the doorway. Fluttershy's headed snapped up, and she saw Rarity standing there, looking at her with concern. “Are you alright? I saw you leave after dancing with Sir Big Mac…”

“I'm fine,” Fluttershy said. “Just…a little tired.” She walked over to Rarity, thankful that she hadn't been there to see her ill reaction to the alcohol.

“Oh my…I'm sorry to hear that,” Rarity said. “Here, let me help you back to your room.” She offered a hoof to Fluttershy. “I believe I still remember where it is…unless you've moved in the last few years.”

“No, it's still the same,” Fluttershy said with a shake of her head. “And…are you sure? I'd hate for you to miss out on the party…” Still, she slowly reached out for Rarity's supporting hoof.

“Darling, I'd rather make sure you're safe in bed than spend my time drinking and dancing,” Rarity said. Fluttershy took her hoof, and the two of them began to walk slowly down the hallway.

They walked in silence for a few minutes before Rarity spoke up. “So…you won a dance with Sir Big Mac,” she said. “I'm sure that will make you the envy of every mare…what was he like?”

Fluttershy looked down in thought. “He seemed…nice,” she said. “Though he didn't say much.” She glanced up and saw that Rarity was beaming widely, a gleam in her eyes. “W-what?”

“He's perfect for you, Fluttershy,” Rarity said. “Strong enough to protect you…and as shy and quiet as you!” She smiled and winked. “And his adventures have made him something of a lesser noble, so it'd be perfectly proper to marry him.”

Fluttershy flushed a shade of pink. “Rarity!” she said. “I only just met him tonight!”

“Darling, love can bloom quickly,” Rarity said. “And it may be a bit fast, but…he is wonderful, isn't he?”

“I suppose…” Fluttershy said.

Rarity frowned. “Fluttershy…I'm sorry if I've gone too far. I just…I do think he'd be a good match for you, and you are at the age where you must find a husband…”

“I know,” Fluttershy said, choosing not to mention that every one of her teachers constantly reminded her that. “And…thank you. But it still seems too soon for me…”

“I understand,” Rarity said. “I apologize for pressuring you.”

“Milady!” a voice called from behind as they neared her door. They turned and saw Sugar Belle galloping towards them. “Your father mentioned you left because you didn't feel well…are you alright!?”

“I'm fine, Sugar Belle,” Fluttershy said. “I just need some rest…and Rarity helped me back to my room.”

Sugar Belle sighed in relief. “Thank you, Lady Rarity,” she said. “Now, milady, please allow me to help you prepare for bed. Lady Rarity, I trust you can find your way back?”

Rarity nodded and bid goodnight to Fluttershy before heading down the hall, glancing back every few feet. Sugar Belle ushered Fluttershy inside and into her bathroom. “Sugar Belle,” she said as her lady-in-waiting began to dab at her face with a moist cloth. “Shouldn't you head back to the party? This is your chance to work for the kitchens…”

“Bother!” Sugar Belle said, dabbing at her lips. “Serving isn't what I want to do…baking is. Besides, I need to make sure that you're okay before I think about what I want.”

She finished cleaning Fluttershy's makeup off and began to untie her ponytail. “So, I'm guessing…the party wasn't enjoyable for you,” she said quietly. Fluttershy looked down and shook her head. “But dancing with Sir Big Mac…was that nice?” All Fluttershy could do was shrug.

“That Sir Big Mac…he was something!” Sugar Belle said with a sigh. “I overheard him saying that where he comes from, it doesn't matter if someone's a mare or a stallion—anypony can help work. That includes in farms…and kitchens.” She frowned. “Though the ponies he was talking to laughed at the notion…”

Fluttershy smiled as Sugar Belle kept brushing her mane. “Maybe you could ask to go where he's from,” she said. “You could finally achieve your dream there…”

“Yes…” Sugar Belle sighed. “But that would mean leaving the Land of Breezies…and you, Milady.” She finished and carefully set down the brush. “Now, are you ready to get changed?”

“No thank you,” Fluttershy said. “I…I want some time to myself to think before going to bed.”

“…Alright,” Sugar Belle said, laying out a folded silk nightgown. “Call whenever you need me…but I'll check on you in an hour, okay?” Fluttershy nodded, and Sugar Belle left, slowly closing the door behind her.

Fluttershy sighed and headed towards her window, staring out at the courtyard, where a few guests had spilled out, several mares and stallions talking to each other. She sighed and turned her gaze to the green hills in the distance.

The thought of marriage, or of stallions in general, made her feel flustered. Sir Big Mac was the first one who seemed just as nervous as her when it came to talking and large parties. It seemed to align perfectly—a spouse proper enough for her, but one who she might get along with…maybe form a connection with?

But she knew so little about him…everypony insisted that he was brave, strong, heroic, and perfect for her, but they had said so little to each other that she was unsure. What if he wasn't as strong or ideal as they all said?

She sighed, leaning against her windowsill and staring out at the rolling green hills. “I wish…there was some way to tell what he's really like,” she said. “To see if he's a good pony underneath…”

“I could help with that,” a voice from behind her said. She felt a chill crawl down her spine, and turned to see a strange creature made of mismatched parts standing in a dark corner of her room, wearing a black suit and red tie, gazing at her with glowing golden eyes.

She inhaled, and was about to scream, but a massive paw was slammed over her muzzle, stifling any sound. “None of that,” the intruder said, still at the other side of the room. “Don't want ponies to come running and ruin my fun. Are you going to listen to me?”

She swallowed and slowly nodded. The paw fell from her muzzle and skittered over to the intruder, who picked it up and reattached it to his arm. “Now,” he said. “I'm sure you know who I am, but allow me to introduce myself.” He bowed low at the waist. “I am Discord, known as the Chaos Lord. Or maybe the Demon Lord if you ask some ponies.”

She gulped and took a few steps back. ‘Discord' was a name everyone feared...the unspeakable lord. He was said to be powerful and dangerous, often arriving only to throw whole towns or kingdoms into complete chaos. “Why are you here?” she asked, pressing herself against the windowsill. “N-no one spoke your name…”

“Pssh, you all still believe the name-saying rumor?” he said. “Listen, I can appear whether or not anyone wants me around. Frankly, I don't appear sometimes when my name is called because the context of the conversation bores me. As for why I came…” His eyes gleamed, and she shivered.

“It's because I heard there was a big party no one invited me to!” he said. “I thought I could crash it, maybe curse the firstborn—” Fluttershy gasped. “—but I overheard you talking with your lady friends, and talking with you sounded much more interesting than that old song and dance.”

“More…interesting?” she said.

“I have a proposition for you. You want to know if he's a good pony…a ‘hero', right?” he asked. She nodded, still pressing against the wall and away from him. “Well…what if you were able to watch him in action first-hoof?”

“Father would never let me go with him into danger,” she said. “It's too…dangerous!”

“Yes…but what if you watched it from another perspective?” he said. “Like, say…the perspective of being rescued from a monster?”

Another chill went down her spine. “What do you mean…?”

“I'm saying,” he said. “That if you agree, I'll ‘kidnap' you. Then, we wait comfortably in my estate for your new coltfriend to show up…and you'll watch in secret from the sidelines to see how much of a hero he is, as he fights me!”

He grinned. “If he's strong, he'll come close to beating me. And if he's honorable, he won't cheat, and he'll accept my surrender. What do you think?” He held his paw out to her, making her flinch away.

She swallowed. “The stories…they say you only make offers you benefit from,” she said. He grinned. “What do you want from me in return?”

He frowned, stroking his beard in thought. “Oh…the entertainment I get from this should be payment enough,” he said. “Though…there is something else you could do.”

“W-what?” she said, inching further away from him.

“Spend at least an hour with me in my castle every day,” he said. He leaned against the wall, placing a hand against his forehead. “It gets old, with only cranky reflections to talk to. You can be a new voice and listen to my ideas…ward off my boredom.”

“…that's it?” she said. “Just…spend time with you in the castle, doing anything?”

“That's it,” he confirmed. “You're getting one of the best possible deals out of me—seeing the truth of who he is, and for a very, very low cost!”

“So…what'll it be?” he said, a wide grin on his face.

Fluttershy lowered her head, her ears drooping. “I'll come,” she said quietly. “Do you…really think this is a good idea?”

“Not in the slightest,” he said. “But oh, it will be a fun one.” He held his hand out to her.

“Now, we have a long way to go. I'd normally be sneakier, but we don't want to make it too challenging for him to find you, do we?” She slowly shook her head and cautiously took his hand. He squeezed her hoof tightly and pulled her close against his chest. She gasped, squirming a little in surprise.

“Yes," he said. “That's it. Act like you're uncomfortable.” He brushed his claw through his mane, plucking out a few grey and black hairs and dropping them to the ground. His wings flared out, and he darted towards the window.

She gasped and closer her eyes, curling herself into a tight ball against his chest. She heard the whooshing of air, and slowly opened her eyes. His wings were beating up and down, and they were soaring through the air. She risked a glance down, but immediately felt uneasy and closed her eyes again, curling back into a ball.

“Ah, what a lovely night!” he said. “Enjoying the view?”

She shook her head. “Too high,” she squeaked.

His grip on her tightened. “Hang on,” he said. “I'll land in a minute or so…just need to make it obvious who I am and what's happened to you.” She heard his wings beat, and cracked open her eyes enough to see that he was circling the castle, plainly in view of anypony who cared to look in their direction, with only the dark of night keeping them hidden.

A couple of minutes later, she felt that they were descending, and scrunched her eyes even more tightly shut. She heard his feet hit the ground, and slowly peeked one eye open, then the other. Discord hoisted her off of him, high above his head (which made her squeak and him grin), then set her gently back to the ground on her hooves.

She looked around and saw that they were in an alleyway in town—not one familiar to her, but not far from the castle, which was still plainly visible. She heard something cracking, and whipped around to see Discord stretching and popping his back.

“I think we’ve made things pretty obvious,” he said. “Now…to take it a little easier.” He snapped his fingers, and with a flash of light and the smell of brimstone, a carriage as black as night appeared in front of them. “Transportation fit for a Lord and Lady,” he said, opening the door and causing a velvet red carpet to fall out as a stairway.

She took a few steps back. “How…how did you do that?” she asked fearfully.

“Magic,” he said. “Though I guess you're not used to seeing such a large display of it, huh?”

She frowned and shook her head. “Is…is it dangerous?”

He laughed. “No more dangerous than any other carriage!” That didn't fill her with much confidence, and she stayed rooted to the spot. He sighed. “I'm riding with you. It will be perfectly safe.” He gestured inside. “Get in before someone catches us and puts a stop to our plan.”

She swallowed and took a few cautious steps forward, reaching the stairs. She froze, but Discord sighed and nudged her forward with his tail, making her squeak and rush up. He came in behind her, closing the carriage door with a click.

The inside was…different from any other carriage she had been in. It seemed larger than it should have been, with red velvet couches lining the front and back walls, a small crystal chandelier hanging overhead, and a marble counter in the center. There was a plush purple carpet under her hooves, and the walls were a dark blue, with large windows looking outside.

Discord fell back onto one of the couches, tapping the wall of the carriage with his palm. It started to roll forward, almost knocking her off of her hooves, and she quickly sat on the couch opposite him, pulling up her skirts.

“Thirsty?” he said, tapping the counter. With another flash of light, tin plates of food and glass bottles appeared. He grabbed one and popped it open, pouring it into a wine glass and holding it out to her.

“Is…that wine?” she asked, to which he nodded. She looked down, playing with her skirts. “I'm…I'm sorry. But I…I don't drink...much.”

He raised an eyebrow, but brought the glass to himself and downed it with a gulp. “Suit yourself," he said. “Though I do have something else you might enjoy…” He lifted the lid of one part of the counter. The air hissed, and cold steam came out. There was the clunking of bottles and the pouring of liquid, and he closed the counter and held out a smaller glass, one filled with brown liquid.

“Go on, try it,” he said. “No alcohol. Not a drop.” He pressed it into her hooves, and she slowly gripped it. It was cold to the touch, and the brown liquid looked familiar, almost milk-like. She glanced between it and him nervously, and he gestured with his hand, urging her to go on.

She raised the glass to her lips and took a cautious sip…and her eyes widened. This drink was cool and refreshing, like milk, but tasted sweet, and strongly of…chocolate? She pulled back in surprise, then drank the rest of the glass, trying to savor the drink.

“Like it?” he said. “I invented it myself. I call it ‘chocolate milk'.” He sighed. “Such a pity that no one trusts me enough to give it a try…it would change their world!”

His words gave her pause. As sweet and good as the drink was, she had to remember that it came from the Chaos Lord…a practical stranger to her. One she couldn't trust. She swallowed and slowly set the glass down, and he moved forward to fill it again.

“N-no thank you,” she said quickly, holding up a hoof to stop him. “I've…I've had enough for now.” Who knew what even just the one glass could be doing to her?

He frowned slightly. “Well…okay.” He opened the counter again and tucked everything away, then yawned and stretched out on his seat. “I'd recommend getting some rest,” he said. “We're going to be traveling for quite a while.”

He snapped his fingers, and to her surprise, a pillow appeared beside her, a thick blanket falling on top of her. As soon as she pulled it off of her head, she noticed that Discord had stretched himself out on his seat with his own pillow and blanket…though one of his eyes was cracked open, watching her.

With a shiver, she tried to ignore his gaze, and set up her pillow and blanket, curling up and facing away from him. It wasn't as comfortable as a bed, but it wasn't as uncomfortable as she had been expecting, either. The seat reminded her much of a chaise, and the moving carriage barely jostled her at all.

The only thing that made her feel uncomfortable was the gaze prickling at the back of her neck. She curled up into a tighter ball, trying to force her mind away from the carriage’s owner and towards her own exhaustion. It worked—not in making her completely comfortable, but making her realize how quickly her energy was being sapped away…she let her eyes drift closed as she fell into unconsciousness.

Morning sunlight was striking her face, making her head throb slightly, her stomach still roiling from the drink she had had last night. She tried to turn away from the light, her stomach churning as she did so. “Father,” she moaned to herself. “Why did you make me do it?”

“That's the first time anyone's ever called me that,” a deep, male voice that was not her father's said. “But I can assure you that you have the wrong creature.”

Her eyes snapped open, and she quickly sat up and whipped around. Discord, the Chaos Lord, was sitting on the other side of the carriage, leaning his elbows on the counter between them and smirking at her. She felt fear grip her heart, the only thing keeping her from screaming being the memories of last night flooding back to her.

His grin widened as she stammered, not knowing how to react. “You slept well last night!” he said. “Well, I assume. I didn't watch, but you didn't start crying or screaming in the middle of the night, so I'm guessing everything was fine.”

She swallowed and nodded, and he clapped his hands. “Good to hear!” He said. “And now that you're awake, how about some breakfast?” He snapped her fingers and created a tray of steaming hay bacon and hay sausages on the counter between them. While they would have normally looked and smelled delicious to her, the mere thought of eating made her stomach turn.

“I'm…not hungry,” she managed to say, placing one hoof against her mouth and the other against her stomach.

Discord tilted his head at her. “Hmm. Still suffering from those few drinks you had?” he said teasingly. She slowly nodded, casting her gaze downwards. He hummed and stroked his beard. “I might just have something that would help you with that…”

Her ears flicked up, then lowered. “What's your price?” she said.

He chuckled. “Clever mare," he said. “Let's see. My price is…that we spend at least an hour on his carriage ride talking without you cowering away from me.”

She blinked and tilted her head. “That's it?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Well, it's easy enough, and better for both of us than you getting sick in here.” He grinned. “And it should be good practice for you for when we reach my castle.” He snapped his fingers and created a bottle with swirling green and purple liquid. “Do we have a deal?”

She stared between him and the liquid. “What if I…don’t manage to talk for an hour?” she said.

“Then you'll owe me a favor,” he said. “But I'm giving you the cure in the expectation that you will hold up your end.” He set a glass next to the bottle. “Now, this is your last chance…do we have a deal?”

She hesitated, but nodded. He grinned and grabbed the bottle, pouring the swirling liquid until the glass was half-full. “Drink it, all of it,” he said. “No matter how bad it gets, it'll be worse if you start it but don't finish it.” She gulped and took the glass in her hooves, raising it to her lips.

It smelled…off, like some mixture between lemon juice and rotting eggs. She hesitated, but her stomach roiled even without the smell, so she reluctantly placed it against her lips. The first sip of it made her stomach churn even more, with its bitter, almost painful taste. She gagged and was about to drop the glass, but Discord said, “You're committed. You have to finish it off.”

She swallowed, and then kept drinking in tiny sips. Each one was as foul as the last, but after a while, her taste buds felt so abused that they stopped noticing the bitter taste, only a slight tingling feeling. It still wasn't pleasant, but it became easier to choke down.

Finally, she drank the last few drops and pulled away, gasping for breath. The tingling feeling still lingered in her mouth and throat, and her stomach was still churning. “You said…it would help,” she moaned quietly, placing a hoof against her stomach.

“It will,” he said, taking the glass from her and tossing it out the carriage window. “But it's not going to be pleasant. Just lie down and give it a minute or so.”

She swallowed and laid on her side, turning away from him and closing her eyes. She felt very foolish to have taken the deal—this was Discord, rumored to trick and lie if it would get him something. What if she wouldn't feel better, and couldn't talk? Then she would owe him a favor…she could already imagine her father lecturing her, her brother looking on and shaking his head…

“It's been five minutes,” Discord's voice cut through her thoughts. “It should have worked by now…”

She blinked, placing a hoof against her stomach. True to his word, it had stopped churning and aching…and now, with the smell of fresh breakfast in the air, it was growling. Even her headache, though small, had disappeared. “I…I do feel better,” she said, sitting up and looking towards him. “How…?”

“Magic,” he said simply, placing an hourglass on the counter, the golden sand inside slowly trickling down as he spoke. “A potion, specifically. I haven't found a way yet to make it less…unpleasant.” He held a platter of hay bacon out to her. “Want some now?”

“Yes, please,” she said. With a grin, he created a plate and packed it full of both hay bacon and hay sausage, then pressed it into her hooves. She thanked him, and quietly began to eat. Discord grabbed food from a plate of his own and began to eat it loudly, leaning back against his seat.

Fluttershy felt awkward just looking at him, so began glancing around the carriage. She didn't notice anything new from last night, though she noted that there were some thin curtains covering the windows now. The golden hourglass on the table…wasn't doing anything. The sand seemed to be frozen, stuck at the top.

“Is this magic?” she quietly asked, pointing out the hourglass. A ribbon of sand drifted down, but the stream stopped.

“Yes, it is,” he answered. More sand started drifting down to the bottom. “It's only going to act like a normal hourglass if one or both of us is speaking. And, if the bottom isn't full by the time we reach my castle…”

“I'll owe you a favor,” she said, shivering a little just at the thought of it. “And…how long will it be before we reach our destination?”

“We'll be at my estate by evening,” he said. “Let me know if we have to stop the carriage for any reason.”

“I had no idea your castle…was so close to ours,” she said, peering out the window into unfamiliar woods. “Only a day's journey away…”

“Oh, it's longer than that,” he said. “Two weeks, to be exact. I’m just using my magic to speed things along.” He snapped his fingers, and with a flash of light, the trees vanished, replaced by a flat meadow.

She blinked. “Then, why don't you…”

“Take us there right away?” he finished. “I normally would, but I want to leave a nice trail for your coltfriend. He'll be able to follow the carriage's tracks every so often for the first week or so.”

“He's…not my coltfriend,” she said with a blush. “It wouldn't be proper of me to have one…”

“Sheesh, no wonder I get so many unhappy nobles making deals with me to ‘fix' their spouses,” he said. “You all seriously just jump right into marriage without seeing if the relationship works or not?”

She tilted her head. “What do you mean...if it works?” she said. “Doesn't it work if it's proper and…p-produces heirs?” She could feel herself blushing as she said the last bit.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Oh, boy…another lady spoon-fed lessons of proper behavior,” he said. “This'll be a fun two weeks.” She flinched and glanced down, mumbling an apology to him. He raised an eyebrow.

A part of his suit started wriggling. “Oh, there's a friend who wants to meet you!” he said, reaching into his jacket. She cringed a little, not really wanting to know what he had that was moving like that…but stopped and smiled when he withdrew his paw, now with a familiar red and pink snake wrapped around it.

She held her hoof out to him, and he wriggled happily, slithering into her hold. “Mr. Snake!” she said happily, holding him close to her chest. He hissed a greeting to her. “Oh my…how did you find him?”

Discord barked a laugh, and she flinched, realizing she had spoken out of line. “Find him?” he chuckled before she could apologize. “I'm the one who brought him to your castle in the first place! He lives around my castle.”

She blinked. “Why…?” she looked down, blushing and trying to remind herself to not speak so freely.

“Well, I do enjoy playing tricks sometimes,” he said airily. “And scaring some prissy mare a with a little snake never seems to get old. You're the only one who was actually happy to see the little beast, which I found…interesting.” He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming as he stared at her intently.

She averted her eyes, quietly stroking the snake’s back. “Nothing to say?” Discord continued. “Really? You seemed so interested in learning more about him.”

“…it's not my place to speak so freely,” she said quietly. “I don't know what came over me…”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Discord said, raising an eyebrow. “Not being able to speak freely?”

She swallowed. “It’s…not polite to ask a lot of questions, or suddenly take over a conversation,” she said. “And as a lady, I should know what sort of topics to hold my tongue on, and—” He tsked and held up a hand to stop her.

“None of that!” he said. “I'll speak my mind freely, and so should you! I mean, if you don't talk, I'm sure we'll both end up frightfully bored.” He leaned back in his seat. “For example, if you don't ask, I can't tell you about the weird and wonderful creatures around my castle, or where to find them.”

She gasped and leaned forward, her eyes lighting up. He grinned. “But I won't say anything about that unless you ask,” he said. “And if you want to fulfill your end of the deal…well, I'm afraid you'll have to hold parts of a conversation.” He grinned and said nothing else…and the flow of sand in the hourglass came to a halt.

He lounged back against his seat, seeming content to stay silent and stare out the window. She continued stroking the snake’s back, as he curled comfortably after her hooves. She had asked Sir Big Mac questions last night…but she had been so nervous from the attention, so addled from the champagne…if father had known, maybe he would have been disappointed in her actions.

She swallowed and shook her head, glancing at the still hourglass. Between risking being impolite and owing the Chaos Lord a favor…the first seemed a much better option than the second. If only she knew how to start…

“D-does, um…” she began to say. A few grains trickled downward, and Discord's ears and eyes flicked in her direction. “Does he…have a name?” she asked, stroking her hoof against the snake’s back.

“No, not yet,” Discord said, cleaning out his ear. “I don't really name things…sometimes ponies come up with better names in their fright than I could. I'm open to suggestions.”

She hummed in thought, continuing to stroke the snake’s back. “Would you like a name?” she asked him quietly. He hissed, and she blinked in surprise. “You want to keep the name ‘Mr. Snake'?” He hissed again, and she smiled.

Discord leaned forward, his eyes gleaming. She shivered a little, clinging to Mr. Snake for safety. “You can understand what he's saying?”

“Um…” It was probably bad to tell the Chaos Lord her abilities, but it would be difficult to lie and deny it. “…yes. I've understood what creatures say ever since I was a filly.”

“Hmm,” he said, stroking his beard. “That's a rather odd skill. You're the first creature I've met who can do such a thing without magical aid. How sure are you that your parents didn't make a deal with a magician or wizard when you were young?”

It took her a second to figure out what he was asking. “Very sure,” she said, letting Mr. Snake curl up on her lap, close to her stomach. “My gift was a bit of a surprise to them, too. And it's…not the most useful skill for a noblemare.”

“Ah,” he said, nodding in understanding. She waited to see if he would say anything else, but he seemed determined to wait for her to take charge of the conversation.

It took her a while to work up the courage to speak up again…this time, asking what his ‘estate' was like, and what sort of creatures lived there. She learned that he lived in a large castle of his own design, surrounded by a forest filled with impossible beasts.

There were majestic horned serpents in the rivers, birds that could cause storms with a flap of their wings, and large cats that could blend into the shadows. Slowly, she got a very vivid picture of each creature as he told her of them…very slowly, as she needed to work up the courage to ask him each time before he would go into detail.

The sand in the hourglass only fell in short strands at a time as time flew by. The scene outside changed very often—from meadows and forests to mountains and rivers, each shift going by without even a shake of the carriage.

As noon came, he made them both hot carrot-ginger sandwiches for lunch, and as the sun sank lower in the sky, he created a basket of oranges and large plates of salad for the two of them. She thanked him for each meal, and asked for water to drink.

After dinner, she bit her lip and glanced at the hourglass. There was still plenty of sand left in the top, though a majority was in the bottom. Swallowing thickly, she talked about whatever came to mind—and the first thing she thought of was the stories she had heard about Sir Big Mac.

Discord leaned against his fist as he stared and listened, occasionally interjecting to add details or clarify things in the stories she was telling. After perhaps the fifth correction, she asked, “Have you fought with him before? He said he's only had one encounter with you…”

“Ah! We met each other once, that's right,” he said. “We both happened to be in the fire swamps. He was looking for a plant that grew there, as some sort of cure, and I was there to offer deals to some of the ponies that live in the fire swamps.”

She blinked in surprise. “Ponies live there?”

“If they have to,” he said. “But I'll say, a lot of the deals are to get them out.” He strokes his beard. “I ran into your coltfriend…sorry, your ‘hero'…I told him honestly what I was doing, and we parted ways, deciding that fighting wasn't worth it for either of us at the time.”

“…at the time?” she asked with a tilt of her head.

“I want to fight him,” he said. “He's vanquished dragons and wizards without any magic or even wings of his own—and I want to see how exactly he does it. And it'll be fun…it’s been too long since I've fought a skilled knight. Now, I have a perfect excuse.”

She frowned and stroked Mr. Snake, who had been moved to curl around the back of her neck. She didn't like being an excuse for him to fight…but then again, she was using him as an excuse to watch Sir Big Mac fight. Was there a difference?

The carriage slowly came to a stop. “Ah,” he said. “We're here.” He lifted up the hourglass and peered at it. “Hmm…still a few grains left…anything more to say?”

She swallowed thickly. “What…sort of favor do you want?” she asked. “Because there's not much that I can—”

“Oh look, that's the rest of the sand!” he said. He showed her the hourglass, pointing out how the top was fully empty. “That's your end of the deal, so you don't owe me a favor after all.” He stood up and opened the carriage door, hopping outside, then turning to offer her his paw.

She slowly took it, blinking a bit in confusion. Did he…stall so that I could finish my end of the deal? she thought as he gently gripped her hoof and helped her step out of the carriage.

“I think Mr. Snake needs to go back to the woods,” he told her. “I don't have any accommodations for snakes inside.”

“Oh, okay,” she said. She knelt down and carefully pried Mr. Snake off, setting him gently down in the grass. He rubbed against her hoof a few times before quickly slithering away into the darkening woods.

She lifted her head…and stumbled backward a few steps. The castle was huge, and dark, towering over the two of them. Several towers rose from it, pointing at the sky like weapons. The sky gave an ominous grumble, and there was the smell of something in the air…a coming storm, or lingering magic.

“Welcome!” Discord said, taking a step forward as though to present it. “To the Castle of Chaos!” The castle seemed to be enveloped in light as he said this, as though to show itself off better…and she noticed a few more details.

There were splatters and lines of bright-colored paint, contrasting with the dark stone of the walls. Statues lined some of the walls, which at first she thought were frightening gargoyles—but under the light, they actually seemed to be of the Chaos Lord himself. She wasn't sure whether to find them more or less frightening.

Before she could fully decide whether to be scared of the castle or just confused, the light faded, and Discord was already strolling towards the front doors. She hesitated, but quickly galloped to catch up with him.

The front doors seemed to be made of wood, and had large relief carvings of himself on them, accented with gold. He pushed them both open with barely any struggle, and gestured for her to enter first.

She cautiously stepped inside, keeping her head low as she glanced around. Discord stepped in just behind her, grinning and staring at her. “So, what do you think?”

She gulped and continued glancing around. The inside of the castle…was confusing. Right now, they were in a grand hallway with plaid carpet, with a large painting of Discord in a throne on the other side. But there were hallways and stairs everywhere, including stairs that led nowhere, stairs that spiraled up and out of sight, and two stairs leading up to a second-floor balcony…which led to another web of hallways and balconies.

That, along with the clashing colors everywhere, and the tapestries and statues of Discord, would have impressed her and frightened her…if she wasn't also struck by the fact that it was all covered in thin dust.

“It's all so…dusty,” she said. She couldn't imagine how to comment on anything else in the chaotic hallway. He blinked and tilted his head, looking around.

“Hmm. I suppose it is!” he said. “Well, we can't have that.” He clapped his hands, and the air around him shimmered…and then, with a glittering of light, all the dust vanished. “I spend so much time traveling, I don't really notice the dust starting to build up.”

She looked around a bit, not sure whether the area being clean filled her more with awe…or with confusion. Discord stepped forward and began pointing out certain doors and staircases.

“It's too late for a full tour, but that way lies the kitchen and dining rooms, and that way lies my bedroom,” he said, pointing in two different directions. “But it is a bit of a maze, so I suggest you just call my name if you need something…I'd rather you not get lost.”

She nodded…and then yawned. She squeaked, covering her mouth with a hoof and looking up at him, worried about his reaction. He just blinked, staring at her for a few moments.

“I suppose it is around the time you ponies go to bed…” he said. “Follow me.” He started walking up one of the grand staircases, and she had to hurry to match his pace. For a being walking only on two legs, he had a very wide and quick stride compared to her.

After a few twists and turns, he stopped suddenly, and she paused to catch her breath. “And here's where you'll be staying,” he said, opening up a set of double doors. “Make yourself at home.”

Her mouth gaped open. The bedroom was more lavish than she was expecting—with the walls painted a calming sea blue, a bed fit for a queen covered with silk red blankets and soft pillows, and a large balcony, closed off by glass doors.

“I'll see you in the morning,” he said as she took dumbfounded steps inside. “Sleep well.” With that, he closed the door and left her alone with her thoughts.

Slowly, she wandered around the room. The balcony looked out over a large, magnificent courtyard that had become overgrown with weeds and trees. An empty wooden wardrobe was pressed against the wall opposite the bed, and there was a door on each side of it.

She opened the left and found a cozy study. A fire sprang to life in the fireplace, showing walls lined with empty bookshelves, and a desk and chair next to the wall…right in front of a window that logically shouldn't have been there, that gave her another view of the courtyard.

The door to the right was a bathroom, one with blue and green walls that glowed softly, making her feel like she was at the bottom of a lake. A copper bathtub big enough for three ponies caught her eye—and when she placed a hoof on its rim, it instantly filled with steaming water that smelled like mint.

She took a few steps back, surprised. Then, she slowly touched the tip of her hoof to the surface of the water, then jumped back. Other than its sudden appearance, it seemed like a perfectly normal tub of bathwater.

She tapped it a few more times, her hoof sinking a little deeper each time, but still, nothing happened. So, not without a little bit of nervousness, she wriggled her way out of her dress. It was tricky, without having Sugar Belle to help her, and not daring to cause damage to the dress, but eventually managed to get out of it and let it fall to the floor.

She sank into the warm bath waters, feeling the heat soak through her skin and into her muscles. She sighed and relaxed, feeling her hoof bump into a bar of soap. After a moment or two of enjoying the heat, she grabbed the soap and began to lather her skin.

As soon as she felt clean and relaxed (which didn't take long), she stepped out of the bathtub. There was a gurgling sound behind her as the water drained away to nowhere, and a flash of light made her jump as a towel appeared several feet above her head.

She managed to catch the towel in time and dry herself off, even wringing out her mane. She began searching the room for a nightgown, only to find nothing—just a wardrobe and dresser full of air. She looked between the bed and the dress she had cast off, trying to decide whether to go without a dress, or to wear her formal one to bed…

She felt it would be more proper to wrinkle her dress than to go to bed with nothing, so she scooped the dress off of the floor, slipping it on but not tightening any of the ribbons. She sighed, closed the curtains, and slid under the covers of the bed.

The bed was wonderfully soft—perhaps even more so than her bed at home. The pillows were just as soft, and the blankets did a wonderful job of keeping her pleasantly warm. But even as comfortable as it all was…she still couldn't relax.

Curled under the covers, she found herself unable to sleep. She kept wondering why Discord had come to her, why he had made a deal with her, and how much magic was in his castle, completing small tasks normally taken care of by servants…

She tossed and turned, only drifting off a few times before some dream or worry snapped her back into the waking world. Time seemed to crawl by when she was awake but jump forward when she drifted off…

After what felt like an eternity, she closed her eyes, her mind growing fuzzy…and when she opened them again, she still felt as exhausted as she had been when she went to bed, and the sunlight of early morning was streaming through a crack in the curtains.

With a groan, she got out of bed, blinking and wondering what to do next. “Sugar Belle would dress me and brush my mane…” she said. With this in mind, she entered the bathroom and began to search for a brush or comb.

She eventually found a brush in a drawer with some oddly-shaped tools, and began to carefully brush her mane. She winced a few times, finding tangles, but eventually got her mane to look smooth and wavy. She glanced at some of the ribbons she had found, but knowing that she was without her lady-in-waiting's magic, she sighed and put them back where she had found them.

Tying up her dress was just as much of a struggle as she was expecting it to be. It took her several minutes to tie all of the ribbons, and even then, a lot of them were either very loose or very messy-looking. But she sighed, not able to make them any better, and walked to the doors.

To her surprise, there was now a large, glowing blue butterfly resting there, opening and closing its wings. She was certain it hadn't been there when she had woken up. “Did…did Discord send you?” she asked it.

She jumped as Discord’s laugh came from the butterfly. “Indeed I did!” his voice said. “You certainly catch on quick.”

She took a few cautious steps back as the butterfly flapped its wings and flew off of the door. “Um…why a butterfly?” she asked.

“It seemed novel,” he said. “And more interesting than a map.” The butterfly landed on her mane, which made her flinch. “Just open the door, and the butterfly will guide you to where I am. I hope you're hungry for breakfast!”

Her stomach gurgled lightly, and she blushed as Discord chuckled. “See you soon,” he said. There was then a clicking sound, and his voice stopped, the butterfly just idly flapping its wings, resting on her mane.

She hesitated. Spending time with the Chaos Lord still made her nervous…but she had made a deal that she would do so. Her stomach gurgled again, informing her that she was hungry for breakfast. With a gulp, she slowly stepped forward and opened the door.

As soon as she had done that, the butterfly flew off of her head and began to fly down the hallway. She rushed to keep up…until she realized that it was floating along rather lazily, and it was easy for her to follow it without even breaking into a trot.

She followed it down the mazes of hallways, very grateful for the guide. There were so many twists and turns, odd doors and bright colors lying everywhere to confuse her…even with a plain map, she suspected she would have gotten lost.

She turned the corner…and stopped in the doorway. She was at the entrance of a large dining room, with an equally large table…one where if she stared at the surface, it seemed long, but if she looked at the chairs, the distance seemed short. She blinked and tore her eyes away, trying not to think about it too much. But even without looking directly at it, she could see that the table was completely full of mountains of food—from pyramids of fruit to towers of toast, mountains of pancakes and waffles, and several large cauldrons of bubbling porridge. It was more food than she could see herself eating in a lifetime.

She focused her attention back on the butterfly. It entered the room and flew towards Discord, who was bent over the table with another helping of food. It landed on one of his horns and made him flinch. He shivered, and the butterfly’s form slowly faded, the glowing energy that made it up traveling into his horn and down his neck. He lifted his head and looked in her direction.

“Good morning!” he said cheerfully, standing up straight and gesturing to the filled table. “I wasn't sure what you ate for breakfast, so I made a little of everything!”

“I…I can see that,” she said, a little nervously. The table threatened to buckle under the weight of the food, bending in the middle. Discord snapped his fingers and created a marble pillar underneath to support it, then snapped again and created a golden plate and silverware at the end of the table closest to her.

“What would you like to drink?” he asked. “I could give you some more chocolate milk…”

She almost said yes, but her worries from before made her stop. “No, thank you, sir,” she said, as she had practiced in her lessons. “A cup of water will be enough for me.”

He rose an eyebrow, but still snapped his fingers and created a crystal chalice full of ice water next to her plate. He took a seat at the other end of the table and began piling foodstuffs on his plate. She took a seat and looked over the selection, only taking a few things.

They ate in relative silence, Fluttershy slowly nibbling at her food with proper manners, while Discord devoured everything he had chosen without caring about the noise or mess he made while doing so. After some time, she felt his piercing gaze trail along her face, and she glanced down, shivering and dropping the scone she had been eating.

“You look tired,” he said, frowning. “Was the room…not to your liking?”

“Oh, no!” she said. “The…the room is wonderful, really!” She fiddled with the hem of her skirt. “I just…couldn't fall asleep.”

He frowned, stabbing his cheese with a fork. “Why didn't you say something, or come to me?” he said. “I know a cure or two for insomnia…”

Her face turned as bright red as Sir Big Mac's fur. “It's…it's not right for a lady to enter a gentlecolt's chambers!” she squeaked. “Especially at night!”

“I'm no gentlecolt,” he said. “And I am also your host. What sort of host allows his guest to have sleepless nights?” He pointed his fork at her. “I don't care how right it is or not. If you can't sleep, come talk to me.”

“I-I, um…” She swallowed thickly. His gaze pierced through her, and he kept his fork pointed at her. “…okay…”

This made him smile a bit, and he continued devouring his food. She grabbed her scone again and continued eating, occasionally remembering to lift her forelegs off of the table.

The rest of breakfast was silent for the most part. She helped herself to more scones than she probably should have, as well as several types of fruit. Even when they both seemed to have eaten their fill, there was still a large pile of food on the table, enough to feed a small army.

With a wave of his paw, the food vanished. He stood up and stretched, then focused his attention on her. “So,” he said. “Is there anything I could do to help you settle in? Remember, you're more of a guest than a kidnapee.”

He snapped his tail feathers, and they were suddenly in front of her bedroom door. “I can even do something as large as moving your room, or as small as changing the wall color!”

She was about to decline his offers, but remembered something. “I…I saw there weren't any dresses in the wardrobe,” she said. “What am I to wear?”

He froze. “…that is something you need, isn't it?” he said. He stroked his beard and then snapped his fingers, and in a flash of light, a thin silver dress appeared floating in front of her. “How's that?”

She felt herself go pale as she examined the dress. The sleeves were short enough that some of her forelegs would be left bare, there was a V-shaped cut in the front that, though small, would expose a part of her chest…and the skirt wasn't poofy at all! Surely it would hug her sides and show her figure underneath…she blushed and looked away.

“It…it wouldn't be proper for me to wear such a thing,” she said.

He scoffed. “And who's going to punish you for not being proper?” He cackled. “Whoever they are, I doubt they could even think of anything worse than sending you to me!”

She still eyed the dress warily. “Oh, c'mon,” he said, holding it even closer. “Just try it on! It's got to be better than wearing the same thing for two weeks.”

She swallowed, the thought of wearing the same dress that seemed to be getting itchier finally convincing her to grab the dress he was offering. He grinned, and she went into her room with a blush, closing the door behind her.

It took her a long time, once again, to untie all the ribbons and let her dress fall to the floor. She sighed, and examined the silver dress to see where its ribbons were…but there weren't any. She twisted it around in her hooves, trying to find some tie or trick she would need to do to put it on, but there was nothing.

A little confused, she slowly slipped the dress on, then headed into the bathroom to look in the mirror. To her surprise, the dress clung to her figure well, even without ties. It didn't feel too loose or tight…and it wasn't as revealing as she had feared.

The tiny V-neck only showed the barest hint of the top of her chest, which made her feel a little flustered, but not mortified…and while the skirt wasn't poofy and did show more of the shape of her hind legs, it wasn't all that revealing, either. It was surprisingly comfortable.

Still, she hesitated for a few minutes before finally going back to the door and stepping outside. She froze, seeing Discord shouting something into a hanging mirror. “I told you, the deal was to make your fields more fertile!” he yelled. “If they're too fertile, it's your problem now!” He snapped his fingers, and the mirror shattered.

She gasped in shock. His ears perked up, and he turned to look at her. “Sorry about that,” he said, snapping again and repairing the mirror. “I don't like to take care of business so early in the morning, but this unsatisfied customer was adamant that he speak to me.”

“B-business?” she said. She recalled the tales she had heard about Discord—the dealmaker whose deals could either harm or help, but who always seemed to gain something from each bargain.

“Yeah,” he said. “Ponies and other creatures call me all the time as their ‘last resort'. Though for the next two weeks, they'll have to settle for speaking through the mirror instead of seeing my glorious self in person.” He turned to the mirror and preened for a second before his eyes flicked back over to her.

“But nevermind that!” he said cheerfully. “How do you like the dress?”

She blushed a little, avoiding his gaze. “It's…it's nice,” she said. “Comfortable…”

His grin widened. “I'll make enough of them for two weeks, then,” he said, snapping his fingers and creating similar dresses in different colors. They all fluttered past her through the air, settling themselves in her wardrobe. “Anything else?”

“Nightgowns,” she said. “A-and maybe a robe, for if I have to come out at night…”

He nodded, snapping his fingers and holding out a silk gown with a decorative blue ribbon out to her. “Is this acceptable?”

“Yes, very much so,” she said, stroking the soft material with one hoof.

He snapped her fingers, making it disappear. “When you go back to your room, you'll have plenty of them to use,” he said. “And I did throw in a robe for you.” He clapped his hands together. “Now…who's ready for a tour of the most chaotic castle to be created?”

“I…don't know if I am,” she admitted.

“Oh, ponies seldom are,” he said. “But you seem more ready than most!”

He started off down the hall at a quick pace, making her hurry to keep up. “On your right, there’s my impossible hall of mirrors!” he said. With a flick of his claw, the door opened, and she saw a glimpse at least a dozen reflections of herself. “Just a little passion project, in case any adventurers intrude,” he said, closing the door with another flick of his claw.

“And on the left...a swimming pool!” he said. To her amazement, behind the door was some sort of rectangular lake of clear water, surrounded by a floor of stone. “Make sure not to confuse it with the jelly pool later on. And especially not with the Underground Lake of Darkness.”

“I...don’t think I would get them mixed up,” she said, trotting to keep up with him. He chuckled, smiling down at her and closing the door.

The rest of the tour continued in a similar fashion—he would guide her at a fast pace, opening and closing each door, and describing whatever was behind them with some sort of story or quip. She politely nodded and smiled through the affair...though several rooms did pique her interest, such as the indoor glen and the room filled with large insects. The grasshoppers scared her a bit, but the butterflies were so beautiful...

There were so many different rooms that it made her head spin…and before she knew it, they were suddenly in the courtyard. “It's not much,” Discord admitted. “What with the weeds everywhere, and the beasts that wander in to mess with things…but it's still nice if you want to spend some time outside.”

“Mmm,” she said. She had turned her head to the sky, spreading her wings a little to better feel the warm sunlight on her fur. For some reason, she hadn't expected the estate of the Chaos Lord to have such nice weather like this…

As she opened her eyes a little, she caught a glimpse of one of the towers. Though each tower was different, this one was different from all the others in that it had no roof…and that she could see a glimpse of green.

She lifted a hoof and pointed towards it. “We didn't go into that tower, did we?” She didn't remember doing so, but the tour had been a bit of a whirlwind…

“Ah, that tower,” he said. “There are no stairs going up it...a design decision by moi!” He placed a paw on his chest and straightened up, puffing out his chest. “Why put in stairs or a door when I can utilize all the space I have up there?”

“...what is up there?” she asked.

“A small wooded area,” he said. “With a couple of flying critters nesting there...oh, and the view up there is great enough to see all of my estate.”

“Great view?” she asked, her ears perking up as a smile spread on her face. “Critters?”

He glanced down at her. “…you want to see that, don't you?”

She nodded. “But how do we get up there?”

“We fly, of course!” he said. He beat his wings and hovered off the ground. “Let's race there! I want to see how fast those wings of yours are.” Before she could say anything, he had beat his wings again and was already gone.

She frowned, looking at her back and opening and closing her wings experimentally. She glanced up to where he had flown up to—and gasped as he reappeared in front of her with a flash, tilting his head.

“What's the matter?” he said. “You have wings, don't you?” She nodded, lowering her head a little and scuffing the ground with her hoof. “…you don't know how to use them.”

She flinched, and slowly nodded again. “I haven't flown…since I was a filly,” she said. “And even then…I wasn't very good at it.”

He stared at her blankly, tilting his head. “You have wings…but you don't use them?”

“It's…not proper for a lady to fly about,” she said. “It's physically taxing, and there are more dignified ways of moving around…”

“It's foolishness," Discord said. “That's what it is, to keep ponies from learning natural talents just because of their noble blood.” He lounged against the empty air. “So…do you want to reach the top of the tower, or no?”

“I do,” she said, looking up at it. “Could you…take me up there?”

“I can do you one better,” he said with a grin, “I can reteach you flying so that you can go up there—or anywhere—whenever you want!”

“W-what?” she asked, her wings flaring out in surprise. “But…but…!”

“Hey, if you work on this skill, you don't have to use it,” Discord said with a shrug. “But you could also use it as a tool to reform the standards of nobles…cause a little chaos…”

Fluttershy thought back on some of her lessons—apparently, in a distant land, there was a lesser noble pegasus with a rainbow mane who rebelled against customs, including by fighting as a knight and flying. Her father had scoffed at the notion, but Fluttershy was secretly impressed with the mare taking up her father's old position as a knight and rising her noble status further without getting married…

She shook the thoughts away. “…alright,” she said quietly. “I'll try, though I don't know if I'll be any good…”

He grinned and straightened up, straightening his tie. It was orange today. “Alright,” he said. “The first thing you'll want to do is open your wings.” He spread his mismatched wings to an impressive wingspan, and she copied his motion. “Now, just give them a few flaps to rise into the air.”

His wings fluttered, and his feet rose from the ground. She swallowed, stretching her wings out a little more as they trembled. But she began thinking about high she might end up, how easy it would be to lose control and fall—!

She squeaked, her wings snapping back to her sides in fright. “Oh, don't be like that,” he said. “You don't have to be scared. If you fall, I'll catch you.”

She swallowed, and with a deep breath, slowly peeled her wings away from her body. Discord nodded in encouragement, and she slowly flapped them—once, twice, thrice. On the third beat, she hovered a few inches into the air.

“That's it!” Discord said encouragingly. “Just keep going!”

With this encouragement, she kept flapping and rising until she felt tired. Panting, she slowly hovered back down to the ground, wobbling on her hooves.

Discord held a strange yellow tape with lines and numbers on it, up to the height where she had stopped. “Hmm,” he said. “You're a little slow, and your landing was a little bumpy, buuuut…for someone who hasn't flown in years, this is good progress!”

She panted, letting her wings fold against her back again. “I don't think…I can make it,” she said, glancing towards the top of the tower.

“Yes, you can,” he said. She blinked and looked up, seeing he was offering her a glass of water with a slice of lemon. She took it and eagerly drank. “I can see what ponies are and are not capable of. Trust me, you have to ability to get to the top of this tower if you don't hold back.”

He leaned forward and whispered, “Please do try to prove me right. I have a reputation of pure correctness to maintain, you know.”

She couldn't help but giggle a little as she sipped her drink. She blinked, startled by her own behavior. Discord himself seemed startled, but pleasantly so. He grinned and hovered back into the air, waiting patiently for her.

After another minute to recover, she tried again. She managed to get a little higher, and her landing was a lot smoother. The next attempt brought even more improvement, and she felt a rush of…something. Pride, or perhaps confidence.

It took the rest of the morning, but her later attempts brought her even closer to the top of the tower. Each time, Discord stayed by her side, telling her what she could do to make things easier for herself.

She landed a bit roughly, her wings aching as she panted. Discord handed her a glass of water, which she gulped down. “Perhaps we should break for lunch,” he said. “To get some of your strength back.”

“One more…one more try,” she gasped. She was surprised by her own desire to keep going…but her newfound confidence and desire to make it to the top made her want to continue.

Discord himself seemed surprised, but didn't protest. After a few more minutes, she stood up and hovered once again into the air.

About halfway to the top of the tower, she began to wonder if this was a mistake. Her wings were aching once again, and she was starting to feel out of breath. Still, she pushed herself forward, barely registering Discord's words of encouragement as her energy sapped away.

Just a few feet away, her wings trembled…and before she could stop them, they went limp and snapped back against her body. She looked down and saw the large drop under her hooves, becoming dizzy at the sight.

She screamed as she felt gravity start pulling her down, trying and failing to reopen her weak wings. With a whimper, she closed her eyes and curled into a ball, preparing for impact.

It came much sooner than she thought—and though it knocked the breath out of her, it didn't hurt at all. And the ground was…surprisingly soft? Confused, she slowly cracked her eyes open.

She looked up at Discord's face. His wings were flapping, carrying them both upwards…and to her embarrassment, he was holding her bridal-style in his arms. “You almost made it to the top!” he said, not yet noticing her blush. “Quite impressive for someone who hasn't flown in years.”

“Um…thank you?” she said. She blinked, glancing down, then back up at him, then at the wings on her back. “Wait…you just…saved my life.”

“Did I?” he said, landing on the rooftop. “Okay, in all seriousness, why would I let you get hurt? I might be a monster, but letting a sweet thing such as you perish doesn't give me anything, and would frankly be cruel, even by my standards.”

She couldn't help but blush a little at his words. He set her gently down on her hooves, keeping his hands close to her sides as she wobbled and regained her footing. As soon as she was sure she wouldn't topple over, she lifted her head…and gasped at the sight before her.

The top of the tower was like a small, lush garden. There were fruiting trees and flowers, and a thick carpet of green grass. Birds flitted from tree to tree, building their nests and singing to each other.

She stepped closer, whistling to the birds. A few of them flew over and landed on her hoof. “This is…this is beautiful,” she said, turning around and trying to take everything in.

“I suppose it is impressive,” Discord said, puffing out his chest. “I figured, what was the point of a tall tower for observation if there wasn't anything else interesting about it?” He leaned against a nearby tree, grinning. “And now, you can come up here whenever you want! Isn't that exciting?”

She shivered and frowned. “I don't know…if I want to risk flying like that again. What if—” Her stomach growled and interrupted her, making her blush.

He laughed at her expression, which only made her blush more. “I'd say that's our cue for lunch. But it’d be a shame to leave so soon, wouldn't it?” She nodded slowly. With a flourish, he reached behind his back and pulled out a wicker picnic basket.

He dropped the basket next to her, and sat on the ground beside it. Slowly smiling, she sat down on the other side of the basket, which he opened, pulling out a large platter of sandwiches. He handed her one, which she graciously accepted.

“Anyway,” he said as he bit into his own sandwich. “You really did almost make it. If you want me to spot you again to keep you safe, all you have to do is ask.” He reached into the basket and pulled out a pitcher of brown liquid. “Chocolate milk?”

She hesitated for a few seconds, weighing her choices again…and then finally said, “Yes, please.”

Discord beamed widely as he poured the two of them glasses. She continued nibbling at her sandwich, staring out at the extent of his ‘estate'…from the thick woods around it to the tall mountains in the distance.

After they were finished, and she had a chance to greet and say goodbye to all of the birds, Discord snapped his fingers and teleported them both back to her bedroom doors. “You've fulfilled your end of the deal for today,” he said. “The afternoon is yours, my lady. If you need assistance, don't be afraid to reach out to me. But I suggest you rest your wings for a bit.”

She nodded in understanding, and with a smile, he turned and disappeared down the hallway. She went into her bedroom, and then into the small study area, planning on resting in the sun.

To her surprise, there were now a few books on the once-empty shelves. Looking through them, she realized they were field guides—either about birds, flowers, or some other type of animal.

With a small smile, she sat down with the field guide of birds and began to read.

The next few days were a little awkward—Fluttershy would have preferred spending time alone in her bedroom, the courtyard, or at the tower than with Discord at first.

But she remembered her end of the deal…and that ponies who went back of his deals seemed to have unhappier fates than the ones who followed through. Rumors like that made him seem scary to her…but then she remembered his encouragement, the way he had caught her, how he offered a picnic as opposed to leaving the tower. He seemed less like the fearsome, unspeakable Lord, and more like…an odd friend.

He seemed to revel in finding new ways for them to have fun when she chose to spend time with him—from sharing books and stories from faraway lands to exploring the forested lands around his castle to find some odd creature. She was enjoying spending time with him so much that she started spending more than an hour a day with him.

And they had shared all of their meals together, even if they weren't in the dining room. Discord had encouraged her to try new and different foods—some she liked, and some she didn't. But at every meal, she had a glass of chocolate milk. It was hard to believe that she had never had a drink so delicious before in her life.

But as the days flew by, and the first week of her ‘imprisonment' had passed…something was bothering her at the back of her mind. Something she was happy enough during the day to easily ignore…

She gasped and shot up in her bed, the last tendrils of her dark dream still playing in her mind, making her heart race and her eyes fill with tears. After a few deep breaths, she managed to calm herself, at least enough that she knew she was awake, and that her memories of the dream weren't real.

But still, the dark remnants refused to leave her alone, and she huddled under her blankets. It had been years since she had had such a vivid nightmare…and back then, she had wandered the halls until she found someone who took her to her father, who comforted her.

Well, father wasn't here, but…she remembered Discord's invitation to visit him if she couldn't sleep. After some hesitation, she rolled out of bed and draped her robe over her shoulders. She opened her door, which swung open soundlessly, and headed deeper into the castle.

She paused at the start of the hallway his bedroom was in. With a gulp, she pulled the robe tightly around her to cover herself, and headed down the hallway towards Discord's bedroom. There, she paused, but with a deep breath, brought herself to knock.

There was shuffling inside, and a second later, the door was opened. Discord peered down at her, blinking sleep out of his eyes…wearing a thin silk robe. She blushed and looked away, and he blinked, snapping into a softer version of his typical suits. A part of her was disappointed, but she didn't understand why.

“Come inside,” he said, opening the door a little wider and stepping back. She slowly stepped forward, her hooves shaking a little. She froze in place halfway over the threshold, all of her lessons—and the nightmare—flooding back into her mind.

Discord rose an eyebrow and turned, walking further into his room. A green fire sprung up in a brick fireplace, while two armchairs and a small table shifted and turned to face it. He took a seat in one of the armchairs and poured out two glasses of chocolate milk, looking at her expectantly.

With a gulp, she managed to finally move forward, taking a seat in the chair opposite him. His room was strange, with most of the furniture floating in the air aimlessly, and a large bed attached to the ceiling. Her heart was still pounding, knowing that she was in a stallion's bedroom.

“So,” he said, pushing the glass close to her. She picked it up and took a small sip, letting it soothe her nerves a little. “What brings you to my chambers in the dead of night?” He leaned forward, his fingers intertwined and laid on the table.

She swallowed and set her glass down, gaining an interest in his soft carpet. “I…I had a nightmare,” she said. With a deep breath, she recounted all the details—how he was hurt so badly fighting Sir Big Mac, and how she was rejected by everyone else for being ruined, or not being proper enough.

She closed her eyes once she was finished, looking away. “I…I'm sorry to have bothered you!” she said. “I'll just go—” as she moved to stand up, he pushed her back down with his paw, making her gasp a little, her head snapping up to his face.

He was frowning. “I have some things to say,” he said. “First of all, that knight is not going to hurt me. Especially not if he's as noble as everyone insists he is…but even if he is cruel, I've faced worse.”

The pressure he had been putting on her relaxed, and he gently cupped her cheek. “Second of all…what's made you so worried about being proper or being ruined?” he said. “This past week…I've seen it's not part of who you truly are. Why are you so…consumed by it?”

She looked down. “I…I wasn't always,” she said. “But for the last ten years…my father has made me take lessons. To learn how to be a proper lady…and how to stay out of danger…”

“Why ten years ago?” he asked. “Why did he start then?”

Her ears flattened. “…that was when my mother…left,” she said, her voice almost a whisper. “She had gone out for a walk earlier that week into the town…talking with everyone there, not taking a carriage…she even flew for a little while, to help a cat out of a tree, I think…”

She swallowed. “But…she got caught in a rainstorm, and was rained on as she walked all the way back home from the edge of town. No one was sure where she had gone, so the servants couldn't fetch her…and she had never had a great constitution, so she got very ill and—!” She stopped with a sob.

Discord looked torn by her tears, like he wasn't sure what to do. Slowly, he placed a hand gently on her shoulder and began to rub gentle circles. With a sob, she leaned into his touch and against his chest, throwing away any idea of being proper. He froze at this, but slowly brought his arms around her, gently stroking her mane and back as she cried into his chest.

After a while, she sniffed and pulled away, Discord releasing her. “Father said…if she had been a proper lady, she wouldn't have gotten sick,” she said. “Ladies don't…go for walks without servants and carriages. They don't talk to everyone on the street. They don't fly, and they don't leave without anyone's knowledge…”

“And so he put enormous pressure on you, in an effort to ‘protect' you,” he said. “He decided to damage you mentally in order to keep you physically ‘safe'.” He sighed. “I've seen it time and time again…noble parents wanting to protect an image of their perfect child, even if it means sacrificing some part of their child.”

Her head snapped up, and she scowled at him. “Don't say that!” she said. “Father…Father loves me! That's why he does what he does!”

“Does he love you…or some perfect image of you he's trying to mold you into?” Discord said.

She felt tears well up in her eyes again, her body trembling. “You…! You don't know what you're talking about!” she snapped. “Father and Zephyr do love me! Maybe you just can't see it because no one's loved you!”

She wriggled and jumped off of his lap, glancing up to scowl back at him. “I don't know what I was thinking,” she said. “That the terrible Chaos Lord could help me.” She noticed for a second that he seemed stunned, almost pained, but she turned and marched back to her room, ignoring everything but her anger.

Fuming, she slammed her door shut behind her and flopped into her bed. In a very unladylike manner, she shoved her face into her pillow and screamed with rage. Though her screams were quiet, she kept it up until she had tired herself…though an ember of anger still burned inside of her.

But with most of her anger gone, she curled under her covers and tried to sleep. But now, instead of her fear keeping her up, her fury refused to let her rest.

She sighed and rolled over, staring up at the ceiling. I don't know why I'm so angry. Father and Zephyr do love me. But why should I have to prove that to anyone, especially him?

Still, she felt bothered by his words. “We're…a family,” she said. “We eat meals together…” She recalled how Father and Zephyr would leave the dining room, taking their meals with them. “We...spend time together…” Her main memories of that, in recent years, were those of her Father giving some kind of lesson to them both.

She swallowed. “Zephyr's…odd, but he cares…” Yet she could still remember clearly how he had laughed at her, had mimicked her father's look at her (as though she were crazy), how he had left her alone in the dining room…

“Father…cares about…” Before she could even finish, she remembered the day Sir Big Mac came—the way she was kept in the dark until the day of the party, the way he told her to drink even though he knew how bad it was for her, the way he told her she couldn't leave the party early—!

She gasped, trying to shake away the thoughts. But Discord had planted a seed in her, and as much as she denied and despised it—maybe, in some ways, he was right.

“And I insulted him for it…” she said in a hushed voice. “When he was trying to be…” Helpful? Comforting? She swallowed and kicked her blankets away, sitting up on her bed.

“What should I do?” she asked herself, holding her head in her hooves. “I should apologize…but how? And when?” She sighed, playing with the hem of her nightgown. She stood up and paced, occasionally heading towards the door, but always stopping in front of it, not knowing what she should say.

On her third hesitation before exiting, there was a knock on the door. She jumped in surprise and slowly opened it, seeing Discord looking at the ground, holding a bouquet of lavender roses. “I'm…s…sssss…” He swallowed thickly, then forced the word out. “Sorry.”

She blinked. “W-what?”

“I'm sorry,” he repeated, thrusting the roses into her hooves. “Goodness, don't you ponies clean your ears?” He sighed and crossed his arms, not quite looking her in the eyes. “You're…right, you know. I am terrible. I only see creatures who are horrible, desperate…at their lowest points.” He rubbed his arm. “It was…wrong of me to apply what I've seen to your own family.”

She paused, looking down at the flowers. “…it's okay,” she said. “And, when I thought about it…maybe you're…right about my father.” She frowned and looked away. “Besides…I should be the one apologizing, after I said those nasty things to you…”

“Well, nothing you said was a lie,” he said with a shrug.

“That doesn't mean it was right to say it!” she said. She flinched a little at her own raised voice. Discord looked shocked at first, and then…proud? She blushed a little, turning her gaze back to the floor. “Is there…anything I can do to make it up to you? For how I…hurt you?”

“Ponies say a lot of foolish things when they're mad,” he said. “But you're better than most for apologizing, so…I won't hold it against you.” He patted her head. “So long as you keep spending time with me…and maybe enjoying a few more glasses of chocolate milk together.”

She smiled a little. “I'd…like to keep doing that,” she said. “If you're really not mad at me…”

“I’m not,” he said. “But…do you still have any worries about that nasty nightmare?”

She blinked and frowned in thought. “…no,” she said. “I'm still…worried about what you said about my family, and how correct it might be, but…I'm not worried about that nightmare anymore.”

He smiled brightly, and deeply bowed to her. “If that is the case, I bid you good night,” he said. “Just know that my door is open to you—and in the future, I'll try not to hand out harmful revelations.” She snorted in laughter, surprising both of them. Discord's grin widened, and he turned and walked down the hallway.

As he left, she shifted, still feeling like she hadn't apologized enough. “Discord?” she said quietly, making him pause. “…thank you for your help. I…I truly don't think that you're terrible.”

He blinked, staring at her blankly for a few moments…before a large grin spread across his face. “You are a very unique and strange pony, Fluttershy,” he said. “I think you're pretty good yourself.” She blinked, feeling a bit of heat rise in her face at his words. Before she could react or reply, Discord had disappeared down the hallway.

After a few moments of staring down the empty hall, she slowly closed the door. She filled an oddly-shaped vase with water, then carefully set the bouquet inside, giving them a sniff. They smelled like normal roses, but with something sweet present...and with a faint tingle of magic.

She smiled and laid back in bed. Though she still wasn't fully content with the revelations that had come, she didn't feel guilty anymore…and so was able to fall into a relaxed slumber.

Early sunlight streamed across her face, beckoning her to wake up. She got up and stretched with a yawn, smacking her lips. In the past few days, she had put off getting out of bed for a few minutes after waking…with no duties or schedule, she could take as much time as she wanted to curl under the covers and relax.

But though it tempted her today, she resisted. She wanted to do something nice for Discord, to make up for her actions last night…and if he wasn't up yet, maybe this would be her chance.

She found both the dining room and the expansive kitchen empty. “Okay…what's something easy to make for breakfast?” She could think of many different breakfast foods, but didn't know where to start for any of them, except perhaps fruits. It was improper for a mare to work in the castle’s kitchen, especially a noblemare.

Still, she figured that scrambled eggs and toast wouldn't be a bad place to start. She retrieved bread and eggs, then stared at the stove for several minutes. Eventually, she figured out that there were pans that sat on top of the burners, and that the dials started flames underneath.

She placed two pans on the burners and turned both of them on. One she cracked a few eggs into, while she added several slices of bread in the other.

She searched for and grabbed a spatula and began to poke and prod at the eggs, waiting for them to look like the scrambled eggs she remembered eating. Every so often, she spared a glance at the bread, but turned away when she saw no changes.

After a few minutes, though, when she glanced at the bread, she saw black smoke pouring from it. With a yelp, she dropped the egg spatula and grabbed another, trying desperately to pry the charing bread from the pan.

It took a lot of time and effort, but she did manage to flip all of the slices…revealing their blackened sides. With a sigh, she turned back to the eggs…and groaned when she saw that they had gone from being close to a golden color to a burnt brown.

With another sigh, she turned off the eggs' burner, and watched the toast for a few more moments before switching off that burner, too. She pried the toast off of the pan with ease, and flipped it over onto a plate to see that this side was light and undercooked.

Her ears flattened, and she fetched another plate for the eggs. Using a spatula, she tried to knock the eggs onto the plate. It was a great effort, and she began to wish that she had something like…a chisel, perhaps.

She had almost gotten all of the eggs out, only fighting with one last stubborn part, when Discord came in. “What on earth?” he said, eyes darting between her and the plates. His muzzle lifted to sniff the air, and his nose wrinkled. “What's with…you, and this, and the smoke?”

She looked down. “I…I tried to make breakfast,” she said. “But it didn't go very well…” The last bit of eggs fell to the plate with a soft clank, proving just how solid it was. Her ears flattened.

“Well…it just takes practice is all,” he said, maneuvering around her to grab a piece of burnt toast. “And I'm charmed that you made the effort to do something kind for me.” He bit into the toast with a loud crunch and grinned. “Besides, I actually like a little burnt food now and then.”

“You…don't have to make me feel better,” she said. Still, she couldn't keep a smile from appearing on her face.

“’Tis not a lie!” he said, dunking another piece of toast into a glass of marmalade and taking a bite out of it. “Would you like to learn how to make breakfast foods?” he asked.

“Is this a deal?” she asked, carrying the plates of food over to the table.

“…hmm,” he said, stroking his beard in thought. “I suppose it could be. I teach you, you cook something for me—does that sound like an adequate deal?”

“How many ‘somethings’ will I make?” she asked. He hummed, dipping his toast into blackberry and then blueberry jam.

“Perhaps…enough for one meal,” he said. “Let’s be fair and say a reasonable amount. Not the mountains of food I made for you your first day here, but not a meal only a bird would find filling, either.”

She giggled and sat down, looking at her plate of food. Slowly, she picked up her piece of toast and tried to bite into it…and found it very difficult. She had to exert a large amount of force to finish taking a bite out of it.

“I'll also trade you that plate for this one,” he said, holding up a plate of fresh, buttery croissants as he drizzled ketchup onto his eggs. It was no choice—she quickly slid her plate to his side, and he slid over the fluffy pastries.

She eagerly munched on the tasty food, while he eagerly crunched at her unfortunate cooking attempt. Once they were both done, he stood up and gestured towards the kitchen. She walked inside, and he followed close behind her.

“Now,” he said. “For things like toast, the important thing is to melt a bit of butter in your pan.” He dropped a butterpat off-center in a new pan and placed it on the burner. She tilted her head as he turned the dial. “Keeps whatever you're cooking from sticking, and gives it a nice buttery taste.”

“Ah,” she said, nodding in understanding as they watched the butter melt.

“Once it's melted, we'll add the bread. It can take about two minutes to cook, but you can also use the spatula to lift it and check how it's cooking…”

It took a good portion of the morning, but Discord taught her how to successfully make toast, scrambled eggs, and even pancakes. “Those are some of the simplest breakfast recipes,” he told her. “I'd teach you how to make more, but…well…”

“…I don't have much time to use it here,” she said. “And I can't really use it back home.”

“Which is foolish,” he said. “Why are nobles always so foolish? You can sew and dance, and…what else?”

“Recite poetry and literature, and speak politely with other nobles,” she said, scraping a piece of toast off of the pan.

“So…one functional thing, one sort of functional thing, and a slew of skills that aren't good for much,” he said. He snagged the toast and bit into it, smiling and giving her an encouraging nod. “Perhaps I should make more deals like this…it would cause societal chaos if noblemares were suddenly able to care for themselves.”

She smiled. “Right…we'd fly out of our rooms to sneak into the kitchens, where we'd cook breakfast for everyone.”

Discord laughed loudly. “And then you'd take the thrones from your brothers, or choose for yourself who you want to marry! Pure chaos everywhere as noblecolts around the world go into a panic!”

She couldn't help but laugh, too. The two of them giggled, Discord only pausing to swipe toast just as quickly as she was making it.

“You're getting very good at this,” he said, slathering some garlic butter on her last piece of toast. “I think that we can stop for now, and you can make breakfast tomorrow morning.”

“Okay,” she said, remembering the important step of turning off the oven.

“Oh, and remember that most kitchens won't be as easy or advanced as this one,” he said, polishing off the toast. “I'm a bit ahead of the times in some ways.”

She giggled a bit, setting the pan in the sink, where it began washing itself. Discord slid a plate over to her with the few pieces of buttery toast that he hadn't eaten, and with a smile, she took one and began to nibble on it.

“Care to do anything in particular today?” he asked as she polished off the toast.

“I feel like…visiting the tower garden,” she said. “And then maybe…explore the castle and look for something else to do.”

“Sounds like a plan,” he said. He offered her his paw. “Shall we?”

She smiled and took it, and he escorted her to the tower garden.

The next few days passed…happily. To her surprise, Fluttershy woke up and went to bed every day with a smile on her face. She slept well through the night, and was free to do whatever she wished during the day—though Discord liked to tag along and offer suggestions. Not that she minded.

He greatly enjoyed the breakfast she made, and kept complimenting her as he ate. She blushed all the way through, with a bashful smile on her face. He offered to teach her other things, such as swimming, but she declined for the moment.

The days passed without incident…until the fourth day before her coming rescue.

She was exploring the castle as she headed down to the courtyard when she had a revelation. She had been staring at one of the many portraits of himself he had, and she felt foolish for not seeing it sooner.

Discord was the only one ever in the portraits…unless you counted the creatures avoiding him like the plague.

That, and the dust that had been in the castle when she arrived…she thought she knew why her end of the deal was simply spending time with him. Her heart beat a little faster, and she moved a little quicker to the courtyard.

Discord was already there, lounging in a vine hammock and sipping a fruity drink while wearing odd, dark spectacles…which she couldn't imagine the purpose of, especially since it was dark and cloudy outside.

She shook the thought out of her head and approached him. He lifted his spectacles and smiled at her, rolling off of the hammock. “What shall it be today?” he said with a stretch. “A quick flight, a practice of maneuvers? Perhaps a quick trip to the top of the tower?”

Though going to the tower garden was tempting, she had to know… “Discord…I think I know why you made that deal with me.”

He froze and turned away, twiddling his fingers. “Well…it was to fight that hero, of course! And cause a bit of chaos for your land. What else could I need?”

“You could have asked anything from me in exchange for the favor, taken something from my land,” she said. “But all you wanted was for me to spend time with you.”

“There was…nothing about your land that interested me,” he said. “And I could see that…if the price was too high, you would reject the offer. You're not nearly as foolish as other maidens.” But he kept glancing back at her, and there was an emotion she never thought she would see in his eyes—nervousness.

With a gulp, she said, “You were lonely.” When he didn't refute this, she continued, “Being the Chaos Lord wouldn’t make you many friends…and there's no one else living here, not even any servants. You made our deal for fun and chaos…but also so you had a pony to spend time with.”

He stared at her blankly for a few moments, and she managed to make eye contact without flinching away. Perhaps she should have kept quiet and not pressured him so, but she wanted to know the truth…especially if she was leaving soon.

Funny…she never expected the thought of leaving the Castle of Chaos would come with a twinge of sadness…

Discord sighed and looked away. “Clever mare…” he said with a choked chuckle. “Very clever…you're certainly an unusual pony, Lady Fluttershy.”

She stepped closer and wrapped her forelegs around his torso. “I…hope I've done well in keeping you company,” she said.

“…very, very well,” he said, wrapping his arms loosely around her and patting her back. “So well that spending time with you seems better than making deals.”

She lifted her head and looked up at him. “But…I've heard you talking with ponies. Through the mirrors, and yelling sometimes.” Though there hadn't been much yelling since the first time she saw him do it…most of the time, he was cordial and oozing with polite, clever charm.

“Well…a Chaos Lord needs to make chaos,” he said with a shrug. “And I didn't work remotely as much as I originally thought I would. Besides, most of those ponies were trying to reach me.”

She frowned. “I…it's hard to believe that ponies can come to you instead of you to them,” she said quietly. “I don't mean to be rude, but…”

“I'm the fearsome Chaos Lord, and every foal and filly knows to stay away?” he finished. She looked away, but nodded. “Well…I do come to offer deals of my own accord, most of the time. But desperate ponies come to me, too.”

He looked off into the distance. “I only…trick and cheat the worst ponies, you know,” he said quietly. “The ones who are willing to sacrifice their own children, or their subjects…or the ones who are tax collectors.” His lips twitched into a brief smirk.

She had to quickly stifle a snort. “But...other ponies, good ones, might get fair deals. They just feel like they've been cheated?”

“Bingo,” he said. “Though…you're the first ‘good' pony I've met in quite a while. Unless you want to count your knight.” He glanced away. “And I must admit that I've had…bursts of anger that led to short-lived curses, and I do enjoy scaring nobleponies…”

“Like with Mr. Snake,” she said. “So…any chaos is good chaos for you.”

“Exactly,” he said with a nod. “And even if I have to work to get it, I love it enough that it almost never feels like work. You know?”

“I feel that way about…caring for animals,” she said. “Even if it isn't exactly ‘proper' to do so.”

“Add that to the list of things I lo…like about you,” he said. A scroll appeared in his claw, and he began to read. “Sweet, clever, surprisingly funny, surprisingly chaotic and uncaring of rules, can be direct with…ugh, feelings.”

He dropped the scroll and bent to her eye-level, placing his paw on her shoulder. “You are good—no, the best company,” he said. “Out of anyone I could have made this sort of deal with…I'm glad it was you.”

She blushed and looked away with a bashful smile, letting some of her mane fall in front of her face. His sincerity…it made her heart race, in a good way.

“And I don't think I'm the only one who finds you good company,” he said. He gestured towards the woods, where she saw a few fantastic creatures looking out at her, then to the courtyard, where she had made a little progress in clearing out weeds to let the other plants grow.

She smiled and scuffed the ground, feeling a little embarrassed. “Well…you're good company, too,” she said. “You make me happy, and…I've learned a lot from you.”

He beamed widely, though she could see a blush on his muzzle, his tail wringing itself into flustered knots. “Anyway,” he said, clearing his throat, “Care to show off your flying skills? I know you've been using them to get all around and up to the tower.”

That was the main reason they agreed to meet in the courtyard…and it was true, she had been using the skill more than she expected she would. She spread her wings and rose off of the ground. She wasn't very fast, and didn't have much stamina, but…

“I've been improving!” she said happily, flapping her wings and rising higher into the air.

He beamed up at her, clapping as she continued. “Yes, you have!" he shouted encouragingly. At his words, she felt like she had a little more strength, that she could go a little higher. She beat her wings and continued to rise.

As she rose a few more feet above the tops of the trees, a strong gust of wind blew through them. Before she could react, the wind caught one of her wings and pushed her off-balance. She pinwheeled and spiraled away, yelping and covering her head with her hooves.

She was spinning so fast it became hard to tell which way was up and which was down. She whimpered and curled into a ball, trying to prepare herself for the inevitable impact. Maybe she would be lucky and hit a soft patch of ground…

Suddenly, she felt Discord's arms wrap around her, and she was pulled tightly against his chest. She gasped and looked up, seeing that his face was set in determination…and that the ground was rushing up to meet them.

They hit the ground with a thud, and Discord kept skidding, digging a crater in the ground. Other than being a little jostled, she barely felt a thing.

As soon as Discord stopped moving, she quickly sat up. “Are you okay!?” she asked, moving in preparation of getting off him.

He grunted and slowly stood back up, tightening his grip on her. “Well, my suit is ruined,” he quipped. “But other than that, I've just got a bit of dirt on my back. No biggie." He lifted his head and glared at the sky. “The wind is picking up…I think that's the end of flying today. Unless you want to try to fight the winds?”

She quickly shook her head. “No thank you,” she said. “I don't want…that happening again.”

“Of course,” he said, adjusting his grip on her. “Let's head inside before that wind brings a storm with it.” He started walking towards the castle, still holding onto her.

She looked up at him with wide eyes, her heart quickly beating in her chest. A warm, unknown feeling was flooding through her. It felt…nice, to be carried like this, especially after he had saved her. And for some reason, she couldn't help but wish to be even closer to him…she wasn't sure in what way, though.

Soon, they were back inside the castle, and Discord set her gently back on her hooves. She felt disappointed, but she couldn't tell why. “I need to change suits,” Discord said, holding up the frayed, dirty fabric clinging to his back, “But after that, how does going for an indoor nature hike sound? We can even grab your army of animal friends to join us.”

“That does sound fun…” she said, the idea already pushing away the foreign disappointment. “Do you want to meet back here?”

“Sure,” he said, raising his fingers to snap. “I might take a while to pick a suit I like, so please make yourself comfortable!” He snapped his fingers and teleported away, and she headed to the nearest chaise to relax…and forget about the oddness of her feelings.

That night, she shot up in bed, covered in sweat as her heart raced. She breathed in and out, placing a hoof against her chest as she tried to calmly remember what had happened in her dream.

It had been so vivid, as short as it was. At first, it followed exactly what had happened that afternoon—Discord saving her, and holding her close to him as he carried her back to safety. But then, instead of releasing her, he…he...

He had kissed her.

And she had enjoyed it.

Her heart began racing once again, and she whined and buried her blushing face in her hooves. Why had she dreamed something like that? And why had she…enjoyed it so much? Was that what she had been disappointed about after he had put her down?

She rolled out of bed and paced back and forth. For a second, she considered going to Discord for help—but immediately regarded it as a foolish idea. He would probably laugh as soon as he heard about her dream… “Well, maybe a little,” she said to herself. “But he'd probably get flustered, too…” She thought of how he acted when embarrassed, and a giggle bubbled out of her throat.

With a gasp, she placed a hoof against her mouth, her eyes widening. What's happening to me? she thought. After a few more paces, she headed out onto the balcony and stared up at the stars.

“Three more days…” she said to herself. Funny…she thought she would be excited as the day of her ‘rescue’ came closer, or at least relieved. But instead, she was just…disappointed. “Maybe he'll get lost for a few days…”

She took a few steps back and shook her head. She wanted to stay longer with the Chaos Lord? There really must have been something wrong with her…but Discord was so sweet. He seemed less like the Chaos Lord of scary stories and more like…a dear friend. She had smiled and laughed more with him than she could remember doing in years.

“If I could just stay here…” she said wistfully. A memory came into her mind, a dim one of her mother. Fluttershy, when you're blissfully happy with someone, when you find yourself wanting to share your whole life with them, that means you're—

“Oh,” she gasped, taking several stumbling steps backward. “Oh.” It explained everything, but it was still so hard to accept. To believe that she…she…

She was in love with Discord.

I've known him for less than a month! she thought in shock. But Rarity's statement about how love could bloom quickly came to mind… “And he is wonderful, isn't he…” she mumbled to herself. She gasped and covered her mouth with a hoof, blushing.

Her heart was racing, and the blush on her face grew the more she thought of Discord. Was this how it felt to be in love? How did ponies ever manage to get anything done if they felt like…like this? Was this what her father and mother felt?

But one question rose above the others: What was she going to do?

If she told him, what would he say? A part of her hoped he would feel the same…but another part was worried that he would laugh and laugh. Even if he did feel the same…she would leave soon, anyway.

Could she stay? Could she somehow stall, to spend just a bit more time with him? It seemed…ridiculous, really. Things were out of her control…and if she asked Discord for help in this, he would start to question why.

Maybe…I could keep this quiet, she thought as her eyes became damp. I'll spend the next few days enjoying time with the creature I love, without ruining things with a confession…then go home, and…

She shook her head, stopping those thoughts before they came. There wasn't anything happy there, and she didn't want to cry. So she wiped at her eyes with a hoof, then turned and went back to her bed.

Though it was comfortable, her newest revelation both weighed down on her and excited her, making it difficult for her to fall asleep. But she managed to, eventually…even if her dreams were swirls of mixed emotions.

Discord seemed to notice that something was off the next morning. But she assured him that she was just a little tired, and some breakfast and a bit of time in the tower garden would make her feel better.

He seemed unconvinced, but dropped it…and his respectful concern only reminded her more of her feelings for him. She kept them bottled up, but only barely, as they ate breakfast and he escorted her to the tower garden.

They spent all morning up there, followed by a picnic lunch. In the afternoon, they hiked through the forest and greeted every creature they saw—Mr. Snake was one of the first ones, and he wrapped himself around her neck as they walked.

In the evening, after supper, they read in the library until their eyelids were heavy, at which point he escorted her to her room. She was grateful, she thought as she fell asleep, that he had spent the whole day by her side…even if she was anxious and bursting with emotions.

The next morning, during breakfast, Discord seemed more interested in poking at his food than eating it. “Is something wrong?” she asked.

He glanced up at her and forced a small smile. “Just…thinking about things, dear Fluttershy.”

The endearment made her heart flutter, a warmth spreading on her muzzle. She brushed a bit of her mane in front of her face before he could notice and tease her about it…or begin asking questions.

Once they had finished breakfast, Discord had paused in the hallway, staring at a mirror. She glanced at it…and instead of his reflection, there was a blurry, murky image of Sir Big Mac, pushing through harsh winds on some kind of mountain.

With a wave of his claw, the image turned back into Discord's reflection. He glanced over and turned to face her, taking a deep breath.

“Your knight is coming,” Discord said. “In fact, I think he's arriving tomorrow. I'd say to prepare your bags, but…you didn't bring anything, and I doubt that anypony would let you keep something from my castle.”

“…probably not,” she said quietly, and a little sadly. Leaving behind all of her comfortable dresses, and going back to the ones at home…it would be a change.

“Unless you smuggled something!” he said suddenly. “In your mane or in your dress…though it'd have to be something small for that to work.”

“Maybe…one of the lavender roses,” she said. “If I could keep one, or plant more…” Seeing them would make her sad for leaving, but remind her of the happy times she had had with him…

“Clever mare,” he said with a smile and a nod. “Do you want to smuggle Mr. Snake with you, as well? You two have quite a bond.”

She almost said yes, then closed her mouth and thought. “…I shouldn't,” she said. “Father would panic if he knew I was keeping a snake…he's probably safest staying here. The same goes for…my other animal friends.” Perhaps she could get away with keeping a bird, but it would be cruel to take them away from their families for her own selfish wants.

He frowned, then placed his paw on her shoulder. “Do you want to…say goodbye to all of them today?”

She sniffed and quickly blinked, then nodded. “Yes…yes, please.” He nodded, his frown smaller but still present. He guided her to the front doors, holding an oddly-shaped compass and pointing out to her where all of her friends were.

Everyone was very sad to hear that she was leaving…and it pained her whenever they asked when she was coming back. She told them all that she wished she could stay longer, but that there was nothing she could do. At least, nothing she could think of.

Mr. Snake was the most upset with this news. He slithered up her foreleg and coiled himself around her neck, refusing to let go until she and Discord headed back inside and she pried him off, with her farewells given to all the animals she knew.

“Well,” he said, casting a glance at the sun hanging low in the sky. “Since it's your last night here, what do you want to eat for supper?”

“I…don't know,” she said. There had been so many new and amazing foods that Discord had given her, and it was hard to pick just one. “Maybe…a little bit of everything. With some chocolate milk.”

He smiled. “One everything, coming right up.” He snapped his fingers and teleported them to the dining room, where the table was packed with all the different foods she had tried…and a few new dishes.

Fluttershy slept fitfully that night, and rose with the sun instead of dawdling in bed. She slipped into one of the dresses Discord had given her, and headed to the dining room.

Discord was already there, setting food on the table as he sipped a steaming mug of…something. “Coffee,” he said when he noticed her curious expression. “It helps any creature wake up…but it's very bitter, so I don't think it's to your taste. I hardly enjoy it, myself.”

She noticed the dark circles under his eyes, which he muttered and rubbed at. Maybe it was the coffee or his magic, but the circles seemed to fade...though he still looked tired, and a bit grumpy.

She walked towards him and hugged his torso tightly. “Good morning,” she said. “Thank you for making breakfast.”

He paused, then patted her head. “I almost considered challenging you to make something,” he said. “As a sort of final exam. But then I figured that hardly seemed fair, when you have such a…big day today.”

“…yeah,” she said quietly. “Big day.”

Noticing her unhappy expression, he slid one of the plates of food over to her. She smiled a little more when she saw what it was—a large stack of chocolate chip pancakes.

She sat down and began to dig in, while Discord sat at the other end and starting munching on a grapefruit…without bothering to peel it. She couldn't help but chuckle at him, though she felt a pang, knowing that this was one of the things she would miss.

Before she started thinking of everything else she would miss, she took a large gulp of chocolate milk.

Though she did her best to eat slowly and savor her food, they both eventually finished. She followed Discord as he strolled out of the room and up the stairs, stopping and inspecting the balcony and its view of the grand hallway below.

After a few minutes of muttering and considering, he snapped his fingers and created a bubble around the balcony. “There,” he said. “This magic will make you…well, not invisible, but overlooked. Unless he's told you’re here, or you draw attention to yourself, he won't see you.” He grinned and gestured to the area below. “And you get front-row seats!”

“Y-yaaay…” she said, feeling a little pale. Seeing them battle was the whole reason she had accepted his deal, but now…the idea of watching them fight made her feel sick. What if…?

“I won't attack to grievously harm him,” he said. “In fact, I'll go a little easy on him! If he's half the famed knight he's supposed to be, he'll win with barely a scratch.”

His words made her feel a little better, but… “What about you?”

He flinched and stared at her for a few seconds. “I'll be fine,” he said. “I know I don't look the toughest, but I've weathered plenty of knights before. And this one is staged, so I'll come out of it just fine.” He patted her head, ruffling her mane.

“…thank you,” she said, relaxing and leaning into his touch. His fingers scratched against her scalp, and then flinched away from her.

“No problem,” he said, holding his claw and glancing down at it as though it were foreign to him. “Why don't we, ah…prepare you for rescuing?”

“Right,” she said, slowly heading down the hall towards her room. “Though…all I really need to do is change back into my original dress and smuggle that lavender rose.”

He floated just behind her, nodding along. They traveled the rest of the way in silence, and Discord stopped at her door, leaning against the wall. She opened the door and stepped inside.

She took her time finding her old dress. Once she did, she slowly, reluctantly took off the comfortable sky-blue one from Discord. She slipped her old dress back on, tried to tie the ribbons…and was reminded that she could not.

For a second, she thought about leaving them untied, or only very loosely tied…but she could just imagine a scenario where the front of her dress fell. To reveal so much of her coat…the mere thought made her blush brightly.

So, she went to the door, slowly opening it to see that Discord was still leaning against the wall, waiting. He appeared to be writing something in gold ink on a scroll…perhaps a new deal. She was tempted to ask him about it, even if just to stall for time…but she knew there wasn't much time to waste.

“Um…could you help me, please?” she said. Discord looked up, vanished the scroll, and stepped forward. She tensed a little as his hands touched her back, but relaxed as they gently glided across her skin until he found the two ends of the ribbon.

He skillfully tied each set together, pulling them so that they were tight enough to hold together, but loose enough that the dress's bodice wasn't squeezing her too tightly. He took a few steps back. “How is that?” he said. “I'm guessing it's not in the ‘proper fashion', but is it comfortable?”

She looked, looking at herself in the mirror. “It feels good,” she said. She smiled a little at how parts of the dress looked slack. “And you're right, it's not in the proper fashion…but who's going to condemn me for that, after I spent two weeks here?”

He laughed. “Too true! Too true.” He reached past her, plucking one of the lavender roses from the vase and bringing it to her. He snapped his fingers, and the petals sparkled, as though covered with dewdrops.

“There are seeds inside,” he said as he tucked it into her mane, just above her ear. “So…you can plant more, in your courtyard or garden. Back home.”

She felt a knot form in her throat, and she nodded, quickly blinking before she cried in front of him. “Thank…you,” she managed to force out. He smiled and briefly caressed her cheek. It only made her want to cry even more.

They slowly headed back to the prepared balcony. Discord kept his paw on her back the whole time, which gave her mixed feelings. On the one hand, it felt good to enjoy his touch one last time…on the other, this was the one of the last times she would ever feel his touch.

Soon, too soon, they arrived at the balcony. “I should…get down there. To get ready for your knight,” he said slowly. She nodded in understanding…but neither of them moved. They stood awkwardly, both scuffing at the ground and almost, but not quite, making eye contact.

“Is this…the last time we'll be able to talk to each other?” she said quietly.

“…I think so," he said. “I mean, I doubt the knight will let you talk with the Chaos Lord before he takes you back home…” He sighed. “So…if he ‘defeats' me, this is goodbye…”

They paused, staring at each other quietly for a few seconds. She slowly took a few steps forward, wrapping her forehooves around his waist. “I'll…I'll miss you,” she said, pressing her cheek into his torso.

“I'll…miss you, too,” he said, his voice sounding strained. She felt him place both of his hands on her back, pressing her closer to him. She whined a little, holding him a little more tightly.

Say it, she thought. What if it's my last chance to tell him…? But despite how many times she had thought of the scene, how many times she had dreamed of it…she couldn’t find the words to say, much less the strength to force the words out.

After a few more moments of her trying and failing to say what she wanted, Discord sighed and patted her head, then pushed back on her shoulders. “As much as I'd love to prolong this,” he said, “It would be rather awkward if your knight caught us in this position.”

“R-right,” she said, letting go of him and taking a few steps back, blushing a little.

He snapped his fingers and created a glass of chocolate milk and a bucket of popcorn next to her chair. “Just remember to throw those out after the fight,” he said. “Or else, well…your knight might be quite confused why you had them.”

“Good point,” she said, walking over and taking a seat in the chair. It was comfortable, almost like a shrunken chaise, and its placement let her see all of the grand hall below.

Discord waved and walked away. The words still sat heavy in her throat, but she didn't know how to force them out. So she sat silently and watched as he walked downstairs and lounged in a chaotic throne.

He stretched and posed as he waited…and she bit her lip, staring at him. Even when doing something as simple as sitting and waiting, he exuded an aura of…confidence. Playfulness. Chaos and change…and she stared at him, wanting to commit every part of him to memory.

The longer they waited, the more she felt like crying, already missing seeing him every morning, seeing his expressiveness, hearing him call her ‘clever'…even sipping at the chocolate milk he gave her just made her feel melancholy, knowing it was the last glass she would ever get.

But before any tears could actually begin to fall, Discord’s ears twitched up, his eyes flicking towards the front doors. He slowly got up from his position (lying across the armrests) and leaned forward.

The doors burst open, as though struck with great force. The ‘great force' likely came from Sir Big Mac…wearing silver armor, and with a sword and saddlebag at his side. He turned to face the castle (he must have bucked open the doors, she realized) and marched inside, his face set in determination.

“Ah, Sir Big Mac!” Discord said, sitting upright as a glass of chocolate milk appeared in his claw. “Come in, come in. I see you found my abode without…too much trouble.”

Sir Big Mac growled, reaching for his sword. “Chaos Lord!” he said. “Where is Lady Fluttershy?”

“So, you're here for her,” Discord said, standing up and swirling the milk in his glass. “What are you after, rescuing her? Make a deal with me, and I could give you all the riches and fame that you would get by saving her…”

“Ah'm not after those,” Sir Big Mac snorted. “Ah'm saving her from you because it's the right thing to do!” Fluttershy gasped softly, her heart warming.

They were right about him being noble, she thought. But…

“What a gentlecolt. Well, if you want her,” Discord said, baring his fangs as magic crackled around him. “You'll just have to prove you're strong enough to protect her!”

He threw the glass at Sir Big Mac's face. Quick as a flash, the knight pulled out his sword and batted it away, lunging for Discord with the sword in his mouth.

Fluttershy gasped, but Discord suddenly had a sword of his own, which he used to block the attack. He blocked, feinted, and dodged, dancing about the room as Sir Big Mac kept lunging forward. Fluttershy swallowed and leaned forward, her popcorn and milk forgotten.

After a minute or so, Sir Big Mac managed to send the sword flying out of Discord's hand. “Oh no!” Discord said. Fluttershy's hooves flew to her mouth…but she relaxed when she saw him grin. “Oh wait…that's not the only trick I have.” He snapped his fingers and suddenly vanished from sight.

She looked around the room, wondering where he would appear from. Sir Big Mac seemed equally confused and nervous…and she noticed his shadow straightening with a wicked grin on its face.

Discord sprang out of the shadow, slashing at the knight with his claws. Sir Big Mac dodged, just barely, and it seemed like…Discord's attack had veered away at the last second.

He cackled and disappeared again. Sir Big Mac kept an eye on his shadow…but this time, Discord dropped from above, landing on his back and slashing at him. The knight received a few cuts, but nothing life-threatening, and he managed to throw Discord off and give him a much bigger cut across his cheek.

Their fight continued, as Discord used his magic to trick and strike Sir Big Mac, while Sir Big Mac fought back with his sword skills and greater strength. Fluttershy felt terrified just watching it, but she couldn't look away. She gasped every time Sir Big Mac was attacked, and yelped whenever Discord got hurt.

At some point, Discord seemed rather worn and looking worse for wear. She tried to tell herself that it was part of the staged fight, that he was just acting…but the large cuts covering him made it hard to believe. Sir Big Mac lunged forward, using the blunt side of his sword to knock Discord's feet out from under him.

Discord landed on his back, and Sir Big Mac placed a hoof on his chest to hold him down, hanging on tightly to his sword. “Ah'll ask again,” Sir Big Mac said. “Where are you keeping Lady Fluttershy?”

Discord grinned. “I never said I would tell,” he said. “Hopefully you're as smart as you are strong…” He laughed and pushed the knight away with his tail, flying up and into the air.

Sir Big Mac quickly pulled something out of his saddlebag and threw it up at Discord. A length of chain wrapped itself around his back, pressing his wings closed. His expression morphed into one of true shock, and he fell to the ground, landing on his side.

Fluttershy gasped and stood up, almost leaning over the balcony. Sir Big Mac paused, still keeping his sword pointed at Discord. Discord shakily stumbled to all four of his limbs, tugging at the chain.

“Enchanted iron,” he said. “You are smart…” He growled, baring his fangs. “But I'm afraid if you want Fluttershy, it'll take more than this to prove yourself!”

Sir Big Mac charged forward, his sword swinging towards Discord. Discord's magic was crackling around his fingertips, and he raised his claws into the air, ready to strike. Fluttershy gasped, an image of one or both of them being injured flashing through her mind. The possibility of Discord being injured seemed most prominent, though…he seemed shaky and weighed down, and he said he wouldn't attack to seriously hurt—!

“WAIT!” she shouted, drawing the attention of them both. “Stop, please! Don't hurt him!” Her wings snapped open, and she glided down to Discord's side.

“Lady Fluttershy!” Sir Big Mac said, moving his sword away. “What are you doing?”

“Fluttershy,” Discord said. “You were supposed to wait until I was defeated…”

“I couldn't just stand by and watch you get hurt!” she said. She started tugging on the chains around him, pulling until they finally became slack and slid off. “Are…are you okay?”

“I'm fine,” he said, stumbling onto his feet. “A little banged up, but still perfectly fine.” That didn't stop her from checking over all the places she had seen Sir Big Mac land a blow. The wounds were bad, but they could heal without scarring. Discord grumbled a little, but didn't push her away.

“What's going on here!?” Sir Big Mac demanded. “Chaos Lord…did you put some kind of spell on her?”

“NO!” they both shouted at the same time.

“I would never do that to her!” Discord said.

“He wouldn't go that; he's been good to me!” Fluttershy said at the same time. They both blinked and turned their gazes toward each other, pink blushes on both of their muzzles.

Sir Big Mac stared at the two of them. “Ah…can't believe that,” he said with a sigh. “Lady Fluttershy…come with me. Your father sent me to bring you home.”

Fluttershy bit her lip. “Just…give me a second,” she said. “To bandage some of his worse wounds…” Some bandages appeared in her hooves, and Discord looked innocently away (too innocently).

Sir Big Mac watched as she wrapped bandages around Discord's deeper cuts. “I'm…sorry, Sir Big Mac,” she said. “But we…I tricked you. Discord didn't kidnap me…he offered to take me away, so I could see you fight and…see if you were a good pony.” She gently brushed a hoof against his plastered cheek, and he leaned into her touch. “And all this time…he's been kind to me.”

She glanced back, expecting the knight to look angry, but he just looked…stunned. After a few seconds, he sighed and sat down. “Was this…one of those tricks to make me accept your hoof in marriage?” he asked slowly.

Fluttershy shook her head. “Ponies were wanting me to think of marrying you…but I didn't know you well enough to want that. That's why Discord offered to…let me see how you fought. To see what kind of pony you were.”

“You're a very brave and noble stallion, Sir Big Mac. But…I don't want to marry you. I'm sorry.” Her heart had already been stolen.

Sir Big Mac looked away for a few seconds, his face shrouded in shadow…and then visibly relaxed. “Thank…goodness,” he said. “Just…you're safe, and this isn't another plot to force me into marrying a noblemare…”

“Oh, it's so horrible to have mares throwing themselves at you,” Discord said in a deadpan voice. “How awful your life must be.” Sir Big Mac glared at him, and Fluttershy shook her head.

“Ah…appreciate that you were honest,” Sir Big Mac said. “And Ah'm glad that…you weren't treated badly these past weeks.” He glanced at the bandaged Discord. “But…it's time for you to come home now, Lady Fluttershy. Your father is worried about you.”

Fluttershy froze. Him saying it so plainly made memories and emotions come flooding back to her. She began to shake, and both Big Mac and Discord looked at her with worry. Discord placed his paw on her shoulder, which made things worse.

She felt tears well up in her eyes. “No…” she said. “No, I don't want to go back there! This is more of a home than with Father, and…and I…” The words welled up in her chest before she could even think to stop them. “I love Discord!”

There was stunned silence. She shut her eyes tightly, burying her face deep into Discord's neck fur. She slowly felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her even closer. She glanced up, worried about his reaction…and saw that he was tearing up as much as her.

“You…wonderful, sweet, unpredictable pony,” he said with choked laughter. “You have to…force me to play my hand, huh?”

She tilted her head, and he quickly elaborated, “I love you too, you…you naïve, beautiful butterpat.” He pressed his forehead against hers. “I just thought it impossible that you would feel that same…”

“I mean it,” she said, caressing his cheek. He shivered a bit, leaning into her touch as he teared up a little more. “I really mean it, Discord.”

“I know…you wouldn't lie about something like that.” He slowly cupped her chin with his claw, tilting her head up a bit…

A cough made them both freeze, their heads turning to look at the temporarily-forgotten Big Mac. He wasn't looking directly at them, and there was a blush on his face as he shifted awkwardly. The two of them coughed and turned away, breaking whatever gesture of affection might have been close to happening.

“This…won't work,” Big Mac slowly said. “You're a noblemare with a father who wants you rescued, and he's the Chaos Lord Ah'm supposed to slay.”

Discord sighed heavily. “He's…right, sadly,” he said. “If Big Mac doesn't return with you, or doesn't return at all, some other knight will be sent to fetch you. We'd never have a moment's rest.”

“Discord…” she said quietly, her lip wobbling. She knew he was right, but…

“Go…back home, travel with your knight,” he said, giving her a light push. “Maybe spending two weeks with someone…better for you will shift your affections.”

“It won't work,” she said, hugging him even more tightly and burrowing her muzzle into his fur. “It won't work.”

“And, um…” The two of them glanced up at Big Mac, who was tapping his hoof on the ground nervously. “I wasn't going to travel for two weeks with her…” He dug through his saddlebag and pulled out what looked like a large glass orb to Fluttershy. If she squinted, it looked like there was an image of buildings inside of it. Discord's eyebrows shot up.

“An Anywhere Orb?” he said. “Let me guess, set to the Land of Breezies already? Where did you get that?”

“Wizard friend,” was all Big Mac said before putting the strange orb back into his saddlebag. “Pretty useful.”

“I wondered how you traveled so quickly after rescuing maidens,” Discord said. He leaned over to Fluttershy and whispered, “It's a magical artifact. He can set a certain location in it, then at any time, he can just teleport there. The downside is, you can only set one location at a time, and you have to actually be in the place to set it. Oh, and it only works perfectly if you use it with doors.”

“Thank you,” she whispered back, feeling much less confused now…at least about the object. But… “I don't want to leave Discord, but I can't stay,” she said sadly. “I don't want to go back home to my old life…but I can't avoid that, can I?”

Both Discord and Big Mac shook their heads. She looked down, her ears flattening, and she tightened her grip around Discord.

“Just a few more minutes,” she begged. “Please, enough for me to say goodbye…”

“Enough to leave without regrets,” Big Mac said quietly, nodding.

Discord chuckled and shook his head. “Oh, there's always regrets where there are goodbyes,” he said, making Fluttershy sniff. He frowned and stroked a paw down her back. “But it's a way for creatures to depart with fewer regrets, or to establish when they might meet again…”

He paused suddenly, his eyes lighting up. He grinned and mumbled, “What if…no, that's too easy…” Fluttershy lifted her head as he began to mutter, his expression shifting. Even Big Mac was staring at him.

“Do you…have a plan?” she asked. Discord paused in his mumbling, then slowly nodded, frowning.

“There's one way this can work out,” he said. “But I'm not terribly pleased about it…”

Fluttershy and Big Mac both leaned forward, curious.

“Fluttershy!” her father cried, rushing forward and throwing his forehooves around her. “Are you hurt? Did he do anything to you!?”

“Father, I'm perfectly fine,” she said, moving to hug him back. “In fact…”

Her father pulled away before she could actually hug him, turning to face Sir Big Mac. “Sir Big Macintosh,” he said. “I cannot thank you enough for saving my daughter from that awful demon.” He bowed his head. “It would be my honor to offer you her hoof in marriage as your reward.”

Fluttershy gulped, shivering. Big Mac frowned and bit his lip, and she made eye contact, urging him to not tell. He swallowed and said, “Your offer is generous…but Ah must decline. Ah don't love your daughter, so Ah cannot marry her.” He clamped his mouth shut and said nothing else, much to her relief.

“…oh,” her father said. He shot her a look, as though he was disappointed but didn't want to appear so in front of other ponies. She frowned and glared back, but he had turned his head before he could notice. “Well, allow me to arrange a feast in your honor, at least!”

“Ah'm afraid Ah…need to leave tonight,” Big Mac said, taking a few steps towards the door.

“Oh, then we shall have the celebration early this evening!” her father said. “Please, stay until then. A servant can guide you to a guest room, where you shall be comfortable.”

Big Mac looked like he wanted to refuse, but was too polite to do so. Once again, she felt a sort of connection with him. Maybe, if things were different… she thought, before shaking the thought away. She didn't need to wish for anything to have gone differently.

“If…you insist,” Big Mac said, rubbing at the back of his neck. Her father beamed and stomped his hoof, and within moments, Big Mac was being guided down the hallway. Her father turned to another servant.

“Order the kitchens to expand and improve tonight's menu,” he said. “Have the dining room cleaned, as well. I'll figure out what the main course should be, and extend invitations.” The servant nodded and left, and her father headed into a nearby study.

Fluttershy found herself fuming a bit. First, he offered her hoof without asking her, and now he was just going to ignore her? She waved off the approaching servant (likely planning to guide her to her room) and marched towards the study door, throwing it open.

Her father worked at his desk, while Zephyr read a thin book in the corner. Zephyr gave her a reproachful look, which she returned with a glare. He quickly hid behind his book. Her father only glanced up once before looking back at his work.

The flames of her fury were fanned. “Father,” she said. “We need to talk.”

“Fluttershy,” her father said, standing up and looking ready to deliver yet another lecture. “I'm afraid I'll be busy planning Sir Big Macintosh's reward. And you know, you shouldn't speak without—”

“That's the problem!” she snapped, cutting him off. “You’ve taught me to be a proper lady to protect me, but you don't spend any time with me at all! You keep me safe, but you don't bother to know if I'm really happy or loved!”

Her father took a step back. “Fluttershy…”

“Zephyr can do whatever he wants, but I can't,” she continued. “Shouldn't it be the other way around, if he's supposed to inherit the land?” Zephyr's face went a little pale, and his head whipped towards their father.

“What are you saying, Fluttershy?” her father said, his tone neutral but his voice trembling.

“I'm saying,” she said, “that Discord gave me a taste of freedom I haven't had in years. For the first time in ten years, I was truly free, and truly happy! I loved it, and I…I love him, too!”

Her father and brother both reeled back. Her father glared at her. “Clearly, that demon has done something to you,” he said. “My sweet daughter would never behave in such a way.” He stomped his hoof. “Guards! Escort Lady Fluttershy to her room. She'll be staying in there until she recovers.”

Two of the guards approached her and, seeming conflicted, started to usher her towards the door. “You don't know who your own ‘sweet daughter' is!” she said. “You haven't bothered to know me for years—just kept me safe and proper, like a doll you can put on a shelf!” With that, she turned away from him and stormed down the hallway, the guards hurrying to keep up with her.

When she made it into her room, she slammed the door shut in the guards' faces before they got the chance to shut it on her. There was some whispering, and the clicking of a lock, before she heard soft hoofsteps—it sounded like one guard had left, while the other had stayed.

In frustration, she growled and flopped onto her bed, whining out of anger, frustration, and…sadness. “He didn't understand,” she said in a warbling voice. “Why doesn't he understand me anymore?”

“Who, milady?” she heard a familiar voice say. She lifted her head and saw that Sugar Belle was there, tidying up a corner of her room. “What's made you so upset?”

“My father,” she said. “I tried to explain how I felt to him, and…he didn't listen to me.”

Sugar Belle sat next to her on the bed. “Milady—Fluttershy,” she said. “If you want to speak, you know I'll listen to you.”

“You probably won't believe me…” Fluttershy said. But Sugar Belle's kind expression melted away any reservations she had. She sighed and admitted everything—that her kidnapping had been a ruse, that being in Discord's castle had given her a taste of freedom…that she had fallen in love with the Chaos Lord.

Sugar Belle seemed skeptical, and shuddered anytime Discord's name was said…but she didn't interrupt, and still wore a kind expression when she had finished, even though she seemed confused now, too.

“Does…Sir Big Mac know about this?” she asked.

Fluttershy nodded. “Yes…in fact, that's why he's leaving so quickly tonight. Discord and I…” She paused, placing a hoof over her mouth. “I can't say…if you know, you might get in trouble...”

Sugar Belle sighed. “If you have some kind of plan…I'll probably know whenever it's executed,” she said. “Since we're both locked in here…”

Fluttershy took a deep breath and launched into telling Discord's plan. “...if we do this, we can all walk away from this, and be…happy.” She smiled. “…free.”

Sugar Belle stared at her with wide eyes. “Milady…Fluttershy,” she said. “What you're saying…it sounds unbelievable, to be honest…”

“I know,” she said, her ears lowering. “I don't expect you to believe me…but I really do love Discord! He's been so kind of me these past two weeks…he taught me a lot of things, too.” She tapped her hooves together. “Please don't react the way my father did…”

“I…” Sugar Belle sighed, standing up. “I…don't know what to say.”

There was an awkward silence between the two of them, only broken when there was a knock on her door. “Lady Fluttershy,” one of the guards said. “You have a visitor. We'll be opening the door now.”

She folded her hooves on her lap and waited. The door opened…and in walked Big Mac, frowning. “Lady Fluttershy,” he said as the door closed behind him. “Your father told me what happened…” He glanced between her and Sugar Belle.

“It’s okay,” she said. “I already told her everything.” Big Mac relaxed, looking almost relieved.

“He…said you're going to be locked in here until you recover,” he said. “How will you…?”

She smiled. “Discord will come,” she said. “He can make it in here without being seen, I know it.”

“You're sure you don't need…help?” he asked.

“I'm sure,” she answered. She paused and glanced over at Sugar Belle, who was looking a little nervous with Big Mac in the room. “But…Sugar Belle, do you want to stay here?”

She blinked, looking up. “W-what?”

“I don't want you to get in trouble when I leave,” Fluttershy said. “And…I don't think either of us has been happy here for a while.”

Sugar Belle paused. “You’re…quite right, milady,” she said. “This land is my home, but…all I have in this castle are you, a few friends…and the hope of working in the kitchens.” She sighed. “But if you're leaving, and that hope seems hopeless…but even if I did leave, where would I go?”

Fluttershy glanced between the two of them. “What if you left with Sir Big Mac?” she suggested. Both of their eyes widened, and they looked at each other. “You could travel with him back to his hometown.”

Sugar Belle and Big Mac glanced away from each other, both blushing. “Ah…ah dunno,” Big Mac said. “Ah don't…travel with others much. And most ponies here have thought my home sounds…odd.”

Sugar Belle gulped. “I've…never traveled alone with a stallion,” she said weakly.

Fluttershy frowned, trying to remember something that could convince the two of them. “Sir Big Mac…didn't you mention at the party that anyone can hold any job where you're from? Anyone could…be a baker, mare or stallion?”

He slowly nodded, and Sugar Belle lifted her head. “Do you think…I could…bake there?” she said quietly. “I know a few recipes, even if I'm out of practice. I know how to make pies, and some cakes…”

Big Mac lifted his head. “We…do like our apple baked goods in Sweet Appleton. Maybe you could…come with me and work there.”

Sugar Belle brightened at this. “Really? Thank you! I know how to make apple pie, apple crisp, and I’ve heard of something called ‘apple fritters' I want to try…” Big Mac smiled, looking almost enchanted with her. “But…oh…” She glanced at the door. “I don't know if they'll let me out…”

Fluttershy frowned in thought. “Big Mac," she said. “Is the Anywhere Orb still connected to the door to the courtyard?” That was where the two of them had come back, and from where they had circled around to the larger front doors.

He slowly nodded. “Are you thinking...”

“If you use the orb, Sugar Belle can go to the courtyard. After the feast, the two of you can…meet up somewhere and leave,” Fluttershy said.

Sugar Belle glanced between them. “I don't know how I'd get to the courtyard, but if I can…I'll wait for you in the stables,” she said.

Big Mac nodded, reaching into his saddlebags and pulling out the Orb. He set it on her doorknob, making it glow…and opened the door to the courtyard. Sugar Belle's jaw dropped, and she passed her hoof through the doorway a few times, as though to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

She paused before going through, turning back to look at Fluttershy. She approached her. “Milady…I…”

Before she could say anything else, Fluttershy wrapped her forelegs around her. “Sugar Belle,” she said. “You've been…a good friend to me here. Thank you for that.” Sugar Belle slowly raised her forelegs and returned the hug.

Fluttershy sniffed, tightening the hug. “Goodbye. I hope that…you find happiness with Big Mac.” Both Sugar Belle and Big Mac blushed, and she couldn't help but grin, stifling a giggle even as a lump formed in her throat.

Eventually, she and Sugar Belle parted. “Goodbye, mi—Fluttershy,” Sugar Belle said. “I hope this decision makes you happy.” With that, she stepped through the door and into the courtyard, looking surprised as the grass tickled her hooves.

After a final wave goodbye, Big Mac closed the door and removed the Orb. “Do you…want me to help you?” he said. “I don't want to just leave you stuck here…”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I'll be fine. Besides, I…don't want ponies to start thinking that you worked to help him. Rumors can…they can hurt a pony.”

He nodded slowly. “I…guess this is goodbye, then,” he said. “Lady Fluttershy…Fluttershy. I know this must be difficult for you. But…you're braver than you think. And kind. That…will be good for both of you.”

She nodded and reached out to shake his hoof. “You should go,” she said, “Before Father starts getting wedding-crazy again.” He groaned and knocked on the door, which was opened for him, then closed behind him just as quickly.

Now, she was left all alone in her room, unable to leave. With a sigh, she began to pace, glancing out the window. The sun told her it was past noon, but it still hung high in the sky. She groaned and sat in her armchair, thinking of how to distract herself.

There were no books in her room. There were no needles to finish her embroidery. There were only her dresses, her writing desk, and her view of the courtyard. She already missed the Castle of Chaos, where she had the freedom to go where she wanted…plus plenty of things to do, even in her room.

She shook her head. She would be back there soon enough…she just needed to wait until nightfall.

Eventually, an idea came to mind. She stood up, went to her writing desk, and began to pen a message.

Writing a letter that satisfied her took most of the afternoon. But finally, she had finished it and placed it in an envelope. There was no way to seal it—she didn't have any wax for it, to keep her from burning herself accidentally—so she wrote ‘To Father and Zephyr’ on the back before placing it on an obvious spot on her bed.

As the sun slowly sank even lower into the sky, the door was quickly opened and shut rapidly. When she turned, she saw that a platter of sandwiches was set on the floor there, enough for one pony.

She ate slowly, grateful that Sugar Belle had left, and hoping that she was at least able to find something to eat. If she lifted her ears, she could hear the chatter of guests as the great feast went on downstairs—her father must have invited some more guests to the feast, to make it truly grand.

Eventually, she finished off her sandwiches, and the chatter downstairs died down. The sun was slowly sinking past the horizon, and she hoped that Big Mac and Sugar Belle would be able to leave without trouble, and that their travels would be safe.

The sun disappeared, and she waited. While the sky grew darker and filled with stars, she glanced around her room, trying to guess which dark shadow he would appear from. Not the first one, he disliked repeating himself…perhaps from the ceiling?

“Hey, lovely lady,” a voice purred from her window, making her heart leap. “Need a lift?”

She smiled and rushed to her open window, throwing her hooves around Discord's neck. “You came!” she said happily.

“Of course,” he said, slithering into her room. “What did your father and brother say? How did they react?”

She lowered her head, her ears drooping. “Not well, huh…?” he said.

She sighed. “They thought you had done something to me…and put me in here until I ‘recovered',” she said. “But I did write them a letter…”

She held it up to him, and his eyes glowed as they flicked along the envelope's surface. “Looks good,” he said. “Now, for the last time…are you sure of this?”

“More than anything,” she said, placing the letter back on her bed. “The way my father reacted…it's given me more of a reason than ever to leave. Especially since one of my closest friends is also leaving tonight…”

“What?” Discord said. Fluttershy explained how Sugar Belle had left the room, and was planning to sneak out of the castle by Big Mac's side. That she might already be heading towards Sweet Appleton.

He smiled. “Oh, that's a good plan…almost a devious one. Did you happen to come up with it?” She bashfully nodded, and his grin widened. “Oh, you'll be a true Chaos Lady in no time!”

He snapped his fingers, and she felt something soft drape over her. “Semi-invisibility cloak,” he told her, draping a black cloth over his own shoulders. “We won't be truly invisible, but we'll go unnoticed…enough that we can sneak out without any alarms.”

She nodded in (semi-)understanding, and he walked over and stopped at her open window. “Ladies first,” he said with a deep bow. She chuckled a little and flapped her wings, slowly fluttering out of the window. She willed herself not to look down as Discord slithered into the air next to her.

“I don't know…if I can fly long,” she admitted, doing her best to keep her wingbeats even and constant.

“That's okay,” he said. “We just need to fly out of the city, then I can take us directly home.” He frowned. “I don't want any mages or wannabe wizards to track us through the teleportation spell if I cast it in the town…too much hassle.”

She smiled. “Home…” she said quietly. Discord turned to her, looking almost worried. She faced him with a smile. “Right…let's go home, Discord!”

She quickly flew forward, surprising even herself with her speed…and the bit of laughter bubbling up and out of her throat. Discord tried to shush her, but he was laughing a bit himself. In no time at all (though she still felt quite tired), they landed in a clearing that was a short carriage ride away from the outskirts of town.

“Ready?” Discord said, raising his fingers into a snapping position. She nodded, her expression and stance determined. He grinned and snapped…and they both vanished in a flash of bright light.

Dear Father and Zephyr,

I'm sorry that you couldn't understand how I felt. How happy I was to taste freedom, and how miserable I realized I was, being trapped here in this castle. You know, even if Discord was my captor—no, he wasn't. I can't lie like this.

We made a plan so that I could see how heroic Big Mac was, by creating a situation where the two would fight. But in the end, I saw something else—how I had been needlessly protected and sheltered, and that I was able to take care of myself and make my own choices.

One choice I am making now is to leave. Goodbye…Dad. Zephyr. I hope that one day, maybe…you can understand me, and I can visit home again.

Love,

Fluttershy,
once Lady of the Land of Breezies, now the future Chaos Lady.