Falling

Chapters

Fluttershy's Confession
Vermillion's Story
Celestia's Trade
Rainbow Dash's Foreshadowing
Discord's Love
Bonus Scene

Fluttershy's Confession

Author's Note

For those who are terrified to fall in love again, including myself, I write this story. Hope y'all enjoy it.

Fluttershy's Confession

As Fluttershy plummeted from the sky, feeling her body fall towards the ground with her wings tucked to her sides, she felt her heart racing as she closed her eyes, hoping that Rainbow Dash was good enough, if only today, to catch her in time.

Just as she could see her cottage among the trees, rainbows blurred her vision as Rainbow Dash crashed into her and held the yellow mare in her embrace as she flew down and gently placed Fluttershy on the ground. Her animals rushed over to her, her bear Harry scooping her up into his forelegs as the animals stared at her with their wide and beady eyes. Angel hopped over, glancing at Rainbow Dash as she grinned at her friend.

“See? If you can handle that, you can handle anything!” Dash told her. “Plus, it’s good for me to practice for the next time a pony’s falling on my watch.”

Harry lowered his embrace towards the ground, allowing Fluttershy to jump out of his forelegs and beside her friend. As Rainbow Dash smirked at Fluttershy, the yellow mare stared at the grass as she rubbed one hoof against her leg slowly. Her face heated up right before the silence was broken.

“So, do you think you’re ready?” Dash asked her, leaning forward as she tried to meet Fluttershy’s gaze. “I’m sure if you shout for him, he’ll be right here in less than a minute!”

“He might be overhearing us,” Fluttershy whispered.

“So why hide it?” Dash frowned. “Seems harder to keep a secret then, right?”

Fluttershy opened her mouth, but nothing came out as she felt her heart pounding inside her chest. She imagined going to Sugarcube Corner, to Sweet Apple Acres, even the privacy of her own cottage, and not being able to speak beyond a whisper over what had a hold over her heart. Years of spending time with him had taken its effect, the butterflies inside her body being the most wonderful and yet terrifying feeling that she’d ever felt. It made her tremble more than any humongous dragon or mean pony ever could, but the image of her never saying anything as she cheated herself out of happiness was tenfold worse than speaking up. Fluttershy nodded, and Rainbow Dash grinned from ear to ear right before she zoomed off into the clouds. Taking a deep breath, Fluttershy inhaled before shouting:

“Discord!”

This is happening this is happening oh please don’t let it ruin our friendship maybe I shouldn’t say anything-

Fluttershy shrieked as a white flash of light nearly blinded her, causing her to fall on her rear end as her animals dispersed in different directions. Covering her hooves lest she be subjected to the light again, Fluttershy nearly jumped as she felt something gently pushing her hooves out of the way of her face.

“Oh dear Fluttershy, I thought you’d have gotten used to my flashy entrances,” Discord chuckled. “This is quite intriguing though, I’ve already helped with all the animal responsibilities, and our tea time together isn’t until tomorrow. What couldn’t wait until then?”

“I...um,” Fluttershy resumed covering her face with her hooves, a heavy blush coming to her cheeks as she felt Discord running his claws through her mane.

“Wait, did somepony hurt you?” Discord growled as his claws stopped moving. Fluttershy felt her heart jump as she uncovered her face right then and there.

“No!” Fluttershy gasped. “Discord, I’ve been meaning to tell you this for a while now. And with what little time we have, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you this sooner. But I love you, Discord. Every moment I have left in Equestria, I want to spend with you.”

Discord pulled his claws back, and even though he stared at her as though she had three heads, Fluttershy gave a deep breath and smiled.

See? Now was that so bad-

Fluttershy squeaked as she was surprised by another flash of light, turning her head away until the light was gone. As she looked back to where Discord stood, there was nothing but the grass where he once was. No hint of his silly tail, or his cute donkey-like face.

Discord was gone.

“What just happened?” Fluttershy whispered as some of her animals returned to her side, a raccoon resting his paw on her shoulder and staring at her with just as many answers as she had. Angel hopped to her side, rolling his eyes in the direction where Discord was. Looking at Fluttershy, Angel shook his head.

“But I can’t just forget about h-him,” Fluttershy’s ears flattened as her eyes threatened to break out into waterfalls against her will. Just as she was teetering on the brink of caving in to her emotions, Rainbow Dash nearly crash landed into the grass, her eyes surveying the whole forest around them.

“What the hay, where is Discord? Did he go off to celebrate in his own chaotic kind of way?” Dash’s smile died as she looked at Fluttershy, flying over to her and placing her hooves on Fluttershy’s shoulders. “Did...did he reject you?”

“That’s the problem, I don’t know!” Fluttershy whimpered as she felt tears rolling down her face, raising her hooves to cover her face a third time when Rainbow Dash’s touch turned into a full-on hug as the tears landed on Dash’s shoulders. “I told him how I felt, and he just disappeared! This doesn’t make any sense!”

“Hmph,” As Fluttershy buried her face in Rainbow Dash’s shoulder, Dash’s ears flattened as she glared in the direction of where Discord had vanished. “C’mon Fluttershy, everything is going to be okay. We can talk to the others about what happened, and maybe send a letter to Twilight. Besides, no friendship problem can’t be solved with communication. Right?”

“I h-hope so,” As Rainbow Dash stepped back from the hug, trying to give Fluttershy the most comforting smile she could give, Fluttershy wiped the tears off her face. Rainbow Dash smirked, thinking of the most Rainbow Dash way that she could try to comfort somepony.

“Race you!” Rainbow Dash turned her tail to Fluttershy and took off into the sky, zooming towards Ponyville. It was useless to try, but Fluttershy could already feel the pain subsiding a little as she flew above the trees and tried to catch up to her friend.

Vermillion's Story

Discord found himself floating in his own dimension, staring down at his shaking claws as her confession repeated endlessly in his head. Any warmth he could feel was overshadowed by the images of her dying and leaving him behind with little to nothing behind, knives tearing apart at his insides. Allowing himself to fall, even for a soft and giving creature such as Fluttershy, wasn’t worth crashing and breaking into pieces for the rest of eternity. He wouldn’t experience that feeling ever again.

That wasn’t even including all those centuries he spent as a statue, immobile as he witnessed Princess Celestia walk past him, weeping for each mortal stallion and mare that she loved and had eventually lost. It was devastating enough for Discord to lose him, but to watch the ruler of Equestria weep for at least a dozen lovers? He didn’t know how Celestia ruled Equestria with her sister to this day, her heart hardening for the sake of her subjects. That's why, he couldn't understand her of all creatures doing what she had done to him.

Vermillion, a muscular brick red earth pony with a flowing dark grey mane and green eyes, hadn’t protested or cowered when Discord had poured chocolate rain and caused other bouts of chaos, but was overjoyed that his life as a construction worker had been interrupted by a strange creature that made sure there was never a boring day in the land of Equestria. Discord had even eavesdropped on the stallion and heard Vermillion insisting to ponies in his town that Discord was a ruler to be celebrated and not scorned. Discord’s heart skipped a beat as he savored his words...nopony had spoken about him like that before. So as many of the townsfolk had turned in for the night, Discord appeared right in front of Vermillion on his way home. The wide expression in the pony’s eyes quickly gave way to the burly and deep-voiced stallion acting like a colt in a candy store. His initial meeting with the Element of Chaos was like a filly meeting Coloratura or Songbird Serenade. Even months after they’d started a relationship, Vermillion would cringe and laugh at the memory. As he praised Discord for his brilliant ideas, and criticized him whenever his ideas came at the harm of other ponies, Discord gave him many rooms of his own in his castle at the time.

And then they came, with their Elements of Harmony and intent to rid the land of his power.

Discord could see Vermillion in Fluttershy when she spoke up for him to her best friends, but when she told him she loved him, he could also see the stallion’s teary eyes staring up at his statue. Discord wanted nothing more than to hold him, and he knew that Celestia had wronged him so deeply. Gritting his teeth, his claws clenching into fists, images of Vermillion and Fluttershy blended into each other as he realized who was at the center of it all. His fate and her fate.

Snapping his fingers, Discord left his dimension and found himself on the beaches of Silver Shoals.

Celestia's Trade

Glaring at the bright and scorching sun above the crowded beach, Discord snapped his fingers, clouds blocking out the sun as rain began to pour down. Ponies glanced at Discord, then the clouds, before packing their stuff and bolting out of the beach. He could only imagine them, running to the former Princesses and shrieking up a storm about how the Element of Chaos was back to bring ruin to Ponyville. He snorted and rolled his eyes as thunder boomed throughout the beach.

With a flash, Princess Celestia appeared before Discord, her eyes narrowed as she looked away from him and at the heavy rain landing on the two of them.

“As soon as I heard them tell me you caused a thunderstorm, I knew that you weren’t here to take over Equestria,” Celestia scoffed. “You’re more creative with your tricks than that.”

“Do you even know what I’m here for?” Discord growled.

“No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me,” Celestia stared at him with that same stoic expression that she had when she showed up on the beach, and Discord’s ears flattened as he hissed the name through his teeth.

“Vermillion.”

Celestia’s eyes widened as her mouth opened with no words escaping from her for a few moments, and then she spoke.

“D-Discord, we’ve talked about this,” Celestia stammered. “I couldn’t let you out, even to say goodbye to him. You would’ve taken him and escaped, caused more chaos, possibly killed me or my sister. I couldn’t risk any of those possibilities, I had to protect my ponies.”

“But there’s another pony who loves me just like he did,” Discord explained. “And I’m not about to lose her like I lost him.”

“What do you want me to do?” Celestia frowned.

“Make me mortal,” Discord told her.

“What?”

“You heard me,” Discord snapped. “Do you think Fluttershy will be happy as an alicorn, having to watch all of her animals, dearest friends, and foals die before her eyes? Plus, you wouldn’t have to worry about me destroying Equestria if I’m dead.”

“Discord, I wouldn’t worry about that anyway,” Celestia shook her head. “I trust you enough to know that you’ve changed. But your magic is unlike that of any creature I’ve ever known, even with Grogar’s bell, I can’t make you mortal. After all, all that magic has to go somewhere. Remember when the Legion of Doom had it? When Pinkie had it?”

Discord cringed at the memory, and Celestia spoke again before he could.

“Besides, I don’t just make anypony immortal,” Celestia added. “If I did, don’t you think my lovers would still be alive? It is only Twilight Sparkle, the one pony who proved herself, that I’ve kept alive. Not just because I love her, but because of her diverse abilities.”

“This is why I brought up Vermillion,” Discord smirked. “Think of it as a trade, dear. You took me away from that darling stallion, and now to make up for it, you will find some way for me to have my dearest Fluttershy.”

“And if I don’t?” Celestia narrowed her eyes.

“Well, then you’ll just have to look Fluttershy in the eyes and tell her why we can’t be together,” Discord tilted his head. “I’m certainly not going to share her that news by myself.”

“Oh for my sake,” Celestia groaned, placing one of her wings over her head. “Fine, we’ll go speak to Fluttershy and see what can be done.”

“Excellent,” Discord grinned from ear to ear as he petted Celestia’s flowing mane. “Knew you’d be able to see it my way, dear. We shall head straight to Ponyville, no need for Flutters to cry anymore than she already has. Poor thing.”

Discord winced as he imagined the mare in tears, and grabbed Celestia as he teleported both of them out of the beach.

Moments later, as the clouds disappeared and the bright sun returned in all of its glory, Princess Luna stepped onto the beach and looked around in every direction.

“Sister? Tia? Where did you go?”

Rainbow Dash's Foreshadowing

By the time Fluttershy landed in front of Sugarcube Corner, Rarity and Pinkie were already standing outside, tilting their heads at Fluttershy.

“Dear, what is going on? Rainbow Dash just took me out of my boutique and dropped me off here,” Rarity frowned. “Oh! Did you finally tell him?”

“Um,” Fluttershy blushed as she stared at the ground. She didn’t realize that Rainbow Dash was going to bring all their friends at once. How was she going to explain everything without bursting into tears? Before she could respond, Pinkie jumped up and down as she grinned.

“She did! I can feel it in my legs!” Pinkie exclaimed. “But I don’t understand, why isn’t he here with you? Oh fruit loops, he was supposed to surprise us, wasn’t he?”

“Let’s just wait for her to tell us, darling,” Rarity frowned as she looked back at Fluttershy, and Fluttershy winced as she glanced towards Sweet Apple Acres, where Rainbow Dash was seen dragging a flailing Applejack in her hooves.

“Hey! What gives? Ah was busy apple buckin’!” Applejack huffed, her eyes widening as she saw the others waiting at Sugarcube Corner. “Ah for Celestia’s sake, did the Legion of Doom escape?”

“No,” Dash rolled her eyes as she dropped Applejack next to Rarity and Pinkie Pie, turning to look at Fluttershy. “So do you want to tell them?”

“Sure,” Fluttershy whispered, before she spoke up. “Yes, I did tell Discord how I felt. But...he disappeared on me. If he didn’t want me, he would’ve told me. Right?”

“Well, if he were an Element of Honesty, maybe,” Applejack replied as she got up on her four hooves. “Back when ah thought ah was interested in stallions, they’d usually ghost me instead of telling me it wouldn’t work out right then and there. Well, then ah met somepony pretty special, and she’s left me no doubt.”

Applejack blushed as she glanced at Rarity, and Rarity stepped to the farm pony’s side as she pressed herself against Applejack.

“She’s got a point dear, you’ll want your love to not leave you with any serious doubt,” Rarity explained. “Although, I’d give Discord a day or two to process everything. He is immortal after all, that might pose an issue between you two.”

“Wait...of course!” Fluttershy face-hoofed herself as she frowned. “I didn’t even think of that. Oh Celestia, I hope that’s what he is worried about.”

“Somethin’ funny, Rainbow Dash?” Applejack narrowed her eyes as Rainbow Dash tried hiding her smirk with her hoof.

“You might have nothing to worry about, Princess Fluttershy,” Dash grinned as she flew above Fluttershy, placing her forehooves on Fluttershy’s shoulders. Fluttershy glanced at Rainbow Dash’s wide grin as she pulled back, her eyes wider than saucers.

“Princess?” Fluttershy gulped.

“Well, duh!” Dash snickered. “Just think, he won’t have to lose his best friend if you never die! Or, I guess he could also make himself mortal, but that wouldn’t be as awesome as immortality.”

“Ah doubt that when we all die, Twilight and Fluttershy would find that awesome,” Applejack rolled her eyes. “That’s something to think about, if he does ask.”

“Oh my gosh, another Princess party?!” Pinkie bounced in the air. “Fluttershy, quick! What’s your favorite cupcake flavor?! Discord’s wouldn’t be too hard, after all I’d just have to mix a bunch of unexpected ingredients together to create the most chaotic cupca-”

“Okay girls, thank you,” Fluttershy took another step back as she looked at Dash and Pinkie’s borderline psychotic grins. “But I think we might be getting carried away. Princesses? Immortality? That’s all exciting to think about, but he p-probably is just not into me like that. After he tells me, I’ll come back here for ice cream. See you girls tomorrow.”

As Applejack and Rainbow Dash broke into another one of their signature arguments, the pegasus ranting about how cool it’d be to live forever while the earth pony retorted with how it’d suck to see all of her family die, Fluttershy waved at Rarity and Pinkie Pie and turned around. As she walked in the direction of her cottage, a bright flash sent her jumping backwards into Rainbow Dash.

“Woah Fluttershy, is everything alr…” the words died as Rainbow Dash stopped flying mid-air, landing on all four hooves as her jaw dropped.

Before the five mares was Discord, in a tuxedo, standing next to a wide-eyed Princess Celestia as they both looked at Fluttershy.

Discord's Love

Vermillion made his way to the Canterlot garden, staring straight ahead as he refused to make eye contact with the Princesses on each side of him. Princess Luna did the same, although Vermillion could catch the taller Princess glancing at him as she frowned. Vermillion exhaled sharply through his nostrils as he glared up at her.

“You’ll never be my ruler,” Vermillion spat. “He gave me a reason to wake up every morning, and you just had to take that away from me.”

“Vermillion, we gave him a chance to peacefully cease the terror he was inflicting on our kind, and he refused,” Celestia explained.

“He can’t help the way he is!” Vermillion stomped his hoof, stopping as they approached the statue. “With all your talk of Elements, you can’t understand that chaos is part of him?”

“Of course I can understand that,” Celestia lifted her hoof towards Vermillion, and the stallion scowled as he stepped away from her. “And maybe one day he’ll be able to live in society and not use his Element for harm. But we cannot fix him, that would have to be a job for another pony.”

“Give the job to me!” Vermillion begged, his eyes watering as he glanced at the stony figure of his lover. “He always knew to stop when I asked him to, our love is more important to him than sharing his chaos throughout the land!”

“If that were true...” Celestia walked up to the statue and stared up at it. “...then he would’ve surrendered when we had asked.”

Celestia teleported away in a flash of light before Vermillion could open his mouth, leaving him with Princess Luna, who only gave him a blank stare before teleporting out of sight as well. Vermillion stomped his hoof into the grass, letting out a thunderous yell that sent birds flying out the nearby trees as he fell to the ground, burying his face in his heavy hooves as he dissolved into a series of sobs.

“I’m sorry, Dissy, I tried,” Vermillion hiccuped and hypervenialied through his words, getting up on his hooves and slowly approaching the statue. “Maybe they’re right, you cannot be fixed. But what can you do? There has to be a better way than sealing you in stone.”

Vermillion stood on his hind legs as he embraced the statue, staring up at Discord.

“I love you,” Vermillion whispered. “I’ll save up enough bits to move here, and then I’ll visit you everyday. They’ll let you out soon, I’m sure of it.”

“This isn’t goodbye,” Vermillion said as he removed himself from the statue. “I’ll see you again soon.”

Discord gulped as he remembered the first of many visitations from his former coltfriend, so full of hope before years of his statue remaining there snuffed that hope out from him. After the fifth year of visitations, Vermillion stopped coming back. It gave Discord a sense of warmth in his heart, maybe Vermillion had met somepony else and didn’t have to grieve him anymore. Regardless, he wouldn’t be making the same mistake twice.

As Pinkie Pie glanced at Discord in his attire, and then at Celestia, her eyes widened as she screamed. “You’re marrying Celestia?!”

Discord nearly coughed up one of his lungs as Celestia jolted back, shaking her head as Rainbow Dash and Applejack broke into laughter.

“Oh stars above, no!” Celestia gasped, her muzzle scrunching up as she stuck out her tongue. “I’m already taken, and he’s definitely not my type.”

“Likewise,” Discord shook his head, managing to keep his lunch from coming up as he walked towards Fluttershy. With his lion paw holding a small box behind his back, Discord gently lifted Fluttershy’s face towards him with his talon. “My dear Fluttershy, forgive me for such a rude interruption to your confession. Centuries ago, I had loved a stallion when Celestia here had trapped me in stone for obvious reasons. I was never able to speak to him, or hold him, again. He had tried to change me for my own sake, to prevent what had ended up happening anyway.”

Discord frowned as he broke away from looking into Fluttershy’s cyan eyes, staring at the dirt.

“It was never anypony else’s responsibility to fix me,” Discord admitted. “Even with your sweetness that I wasn’t deserving of, I had still failed time and time again. That was never your fault, nor Vermillion’s fault. I hope that you would be willing to spend an eternity with me, and stay with me even if I fail again.”

Discord knelt before Fluttershy, the pegasus’ eyes widening as he revealed the small box behind his back. Her jaw dropped as he opened the box, revealing a diamond ring as wide as her forehoof. While Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack stared just as bug-eyed as their friend, Rarity grinned as she stared at the symbol of her cutie mark.

“Fluttershy, will you marry me?” Discord asked. “I promise, this time I’ll-”

“Yes!” Fluttershy knocked Discord to the ground as she embraced his noodle body, only letting go to fly up to his face and kiss him. Discord set down the box as he rested his claws on Fluttershy’s face, tears rolling down his cheeks as the cheers of Fluttershy’s friends faded away into the background. As Fluttershy pulled back from the kiss, and Discord had let go of her face, Fluttershy smiled at him as she rested a hoof on his face.

“Can I ask something of you?” Fluttershy whispered.

“Oh my sweet little canary, you can ask me anything,” Discord responded as he kissed Fluttershy’s muzzle.

“Becoming an immortal princess would be really big to take on,” Fluttershy blushed as her ears flattened. “Perhaps we can see each other for a year or two before Celestia makes me immortal? I want to get used to the idea and be sure that it is right for me.”

“Of course!” Discord’s ears flickered as his eyes lit up. “Fluttershy, never feel pressured to go through with this or stay with me for eternity. Our love wouldn’t mean anything if you were staying purely out of obligation.”

“Thank you,” Fluttershy pressed her lips against Discord’s lips a second time, for a shorter amount of time before she pulled back. “Oh goodness, y’know what is really going to be a challenge?”

“What is that, my dear?” Discord tilted his head.

“Picking my maid of honor,” Fluttershy giggled, glancing at her best friends. Pinkie Pie had already hopped back inside Sugarcube Corner, shouting about a party she had already prepared in case Discord proposed. Fluttershy flew off Discord and followed her friends inside, Rainbow Dash putting her foreleg around Fluttershy’s shoulder as she shouted “I told you so!” in Fluttershy’s ear. Fluttershy laughed as she glanced at Discord’s wide grin and Celestia’s gentle smile.

Perhaps falling didn’t always end in pain, after all.

Bonus Scene

“I had to find out after I’d sent several search parties to find my sister,” Luna sat at the table inside the coffee shop next to the window, Twilight Sparkle sitting across from her. “That was so typical of her to just up and leave with no warning, but with Discord showing up, I had to make sure she was alright.”

“I found out from this letter,” Twilight used her magic to show a long scroll of different hoofwritings nearly overlapping each other. “I lost count of how many times Rainbow Dash put there instead of their, or your instead of you’re. For my marefriend’s sake, there’s frosting stains on the letter!”

“It reeks of excessive sugar from here,” Luna’s muzzle scrunched up as she stared at the white and pink stains on the letter. “Did they say anything about a date on there?”

“Not yet,” Twilight shook her head. “Fluttershy ended up deciding to give her relationship a year or two to be sure of her decision. Would’ve been nice if I had some time to think it over.”

“Well, Tia had full confidence that you’d manage just fine,” Luna told her, using her magic to bring her coffee to her lips before speaking once more. “I don’t suppose you think she made a mistake, did you?”

Twilight had her cup of coffee between her hooves as she blushed, reflecting on the memories that she had made with Celestia the past several years and the triumphs she had as the ruler of Equestria. And one day, Fluttershy would get to experience the same gift. With that in mind, Twilight shook her head.

“Not at all,” Twilight replied, and with that, the two alicorns enjoyed their coffee as the sun slowly rose with Twilight’s magic.

Author's Note

There's so many ideas that I could write from this story. What should I write first? A sequel involving Princess Fluttershy, or a prequel detailing the life of Vermillion? 😃