Discord fidgeted inside the small home. Treehugger lived in a small cottage, away from society—just like Fluttershy. But unlike Fluttershy, Treehugger's home was decorated more to welcome spirits or auras or whatever she believed in than animals and plants.
His eyes flicked along the walls, observing art that looked like someone had simply splattered paint onto a canvas, colorful glass jars filled with herbs and liquids piled on shelves, and homemade wind chimes that hung in every window, singing in the breeze. Treehugger was seated on a straw mat in front of him, and a bowl full of incense sticks burned between them, filling the room with sweet smoke.
"Radical to see you again," Treehugger said, holding a ceramic mug that looked homemade, full of herbal tea. "Would you like some tea to calm your chakras?"
He wrinkled his nose slightly. The tea in question smelled like she had just seeped bitter herbs in water. He much preferred Fluttershy's hot teas—varied, flavorful, and always with sugar or cream or honey to add for sweetness. "I'll pass."
Discord inhaled sharply through his nose, clasping his hands together. The incense stung his sinuses, but it was also rather calming. He had to focus, he couldn't get distracted by mentally picking apart Treehugger's home. "So," he said. "Why do you think I came to you?"
Treehugger smiled up at him. "Looking for a place of peace and calm?" she guessed.
"Nope," he said, popping his lips. "Close, but no cigar." He summoned a bubblegum cigar, which he promptly swallowed. "It's something else. You see..."
He leaned forward until he was right up in her face, eyes glowing. "I have a question for you, Miss Hugger."
She slowly blinked. "Woah. That's...deep, that you're trusting me enough to ask me something," she said with a lazy smile.
He sighed, clapping his hands in front of her muzzle. Barely a reaction. "Look. This is hard to say, so I'm only going to ask it once, okay?" he said. "What's the best way to ask Fluttershy out on a date?"
Treehugger slowly blinked twice. "...why are you asking me?"
He almost slung his arm around her shoulders, but stopped himself and simply laid behind her. "Well, I know we didn't start off on the right hoof, but surely things are better between us now? And who understands Fluttershy and me better than a friend who can see our, whatchamacallit, auras!"
She rose an eyebrow. A few beads of sweat popped on Discord's brow. “Because…you're a wise pony who understands something about the world I don't?” Her other eyebrow rose, and he sighed. “Okay fine, maybe you're not my first or perfect choice.”
“Then why still come?” she asked.
"Well…you're her good friend, at least," he said. "I'm trying to get information from all of her friends, to make sure this goes as smoothly as possible." To demonstrate, he held up a thick scroll, which he unrolled.
It was full of advice from the rest of Elements of Harmony—from basic things like Fluttershy's favorite foods and places, to more abstract ones, like being truthful, giving a gift of some kind, and doing something that would make her smile.
"It's all about what I had expected," he said, rolling the scroll back up. "But as Chaos itself, I know that the unpredictable is always right around the corner! So, I decided to talk to the one pony who's close to Fluttershy, and whose answer I can't predict."
"Soooo?" he said, leaning so close that his nose almost pressed against hers.
She stared at him for a few moments. "I'm not sure what you're looking for," she said. "You've already got a lot of good answers."
"Yes, but not all the answers!" He began to chew on the end of a quill. "Everything needs to be perfect when I ask her! Otherwise, she might say 'no'. But how will I know it's perfect if I don't have..." He sighed. "Goodness, I'm starting to sound like Twilight. I do need to be very prepared, though."
“Sounds like there's one thing I can help you with, then,” Treehugger said. “If you really want to be with Fluttershy, you need to let go of that anxiety.”
“Why?” Discord said. “I'm always a bundle of energy! Besides, Fluttershy gets anxious, too, so what's wrong with me being anxious!?”
"Fluttershy might get nervous and anxious, but she always has chill vibes," Treehugger said, closing her eyes and nodding. "Yours are a little less chill. If you want to be on the same wavelength as her, you need to find a way to calm your chakras."
Discord stared at her, blinking. "...if I hadn't met you before and known this is actually just how you are, I'd accuse you of being a buzzword-happy scammer."
Treehugger opened her eyes. "That suspicion is just sapping your energy in an unhealthy way," she said. "Just close your eyes and relax with me, and let your wavelength calm to Fluttershy's level."
He rolled his eyes. "Oh, fine." He sat on a mat in front of her, sitting in the exact same position she was. "Not like I'm out anything when this doesn't work."
"Now, close your eyes," she instructed. He rolled his eyes one last time before doing so. "Breathe deeply. In...two...three...out...two...three...four..."
After a few rounds of the breathing exercise, she added, "Keep your rhythm, but listen to the sound of my voice." Discord kept counting out his breaths while she began making the same odd sounds she had used to calm down Smooze.
Like they were the same type of creature. Odd "music" would do nothing but distract him, possibly entertain him. And he was too busy to be entertained—he had a mission to complete!
...it didn't sound too bad, actually. Kind of rhythmic, like his breathing, but not annoying. He still really needed to focus on how to ask out Fluttershy, though...
...needed to focus...
...focus...
...
...focus on what, again?
Treehugger let out one last musical breath. “And…done,” she said. “How do you feel now?”
Discord slowly, sluggishly opened his eyes. He could focus again on his goal (finding the perfect way to ask out Fluttershy), but his head felt fuzzy, like it was full of cotton. His thoughts flowed through like a slow stream, instead of the usual crashing waves in his head that could change any of the multiple subjects in his mind in an instant.
"...huh," he said. His mouth also felt like it was fuzzy and full of cotton. "This is...peculiar."
A part of him was worried that this was some mental attack—a trick to soothe him until he became a puppet of someone else. But that part of him was a lot quieter than usual, and...he could look at what it was saying from a surprisingly rational standpoint.
If this was some kind of plot, would the villain have left that doubting voice? Unlikely. It was strange that it was so quiet, but it was clearly still there.
"You've entered the state of a perfectly calm mind," Treehugger said. "For now, all the anxieties and the pressures of the world can't have their claws in you. So...what are you going to do now?"
Discord blinked, and frowned in thought. "...I'm going to get some flowers," he said slowly. "Pink tulips, she likes those. I'm going to bring them to her cottage, give them to her, and ask her out."
Treehugger smiled. "That's the power of a clear mind," she said. "Worries are quiet for the time being. Now go...and good luck." She made a shooing motion, and he turned to leave.
He paused in the doorway. “Thanks for your help,” he said. “Any last-minute advice?”
“If you stall too long, the calm effect will wear off,” she warned. “Also, Fluttershy prefers simple dinners over fancy ones. Don't go overboard on the herbs.” He nodded, opened the door, and teleported away in a flash of light.
Treehugger sighed, standing up to close the door herself. Things would end just fine, she knew, reflecting back on the last letter Fluttershy had sent her. A letter detailing a small crush she might have on her best chaotic friend…
Her grin widened, and she sat back down to enjoy the rest of her herbal tea. She had planned to write a letter encouraging Fluttershy to confess, but it seemed like she didn't need to now. She had to admit, even if things between her and Discord weren't completely good…she was happy one of her close friends found someone to love.
