Unborn

Big Mac had taken Fluttershy out into the orchard with him to talk with her. This was an idea proposed by Applejack, as not only did the pair need to talk to each other about what had happened and what might be about to happen, but it was also something that could assist Big Mac with his chores. Specifically, the light ones that didn't take effort, but time. Watering plants, feeding livestock... stuff that Fluttershy was happy to help with.

Granted, Applejack wished she could be out there with them, as she felt useless, stuck inside. It was always the worst part of being sick, and even if she wasn't feeling ill, she was still confined to her room. Applejack's whole identity was tied to her family. She wanted to help. She needed to help. It was putting unnecessary strain on her mind. She was going to go crazy if she couldn't do something.

Well, that wasn't wholly true. She was allowed to leave the room. Just not the house. She stood up and left, walking downstairs to the kitchen. Granny was making soup. Lentil soup, by the smell of it. As soon as she entered, Granny looked up from her cutting board.

"Didn't Ah tell ya, ya needed ta rest?"

"Ah'm tired a' restin'," proclaimed Applejack. "Ah need to stand up an' do somethin', or Ah'm gonna have a nervous breakdown."

Granny scowled and put down her knife. "When Ah told ya ta rest, Ah wasn't sayin' it for your own sake. Ah don't want Apple Bloom to be jostled around and end up injured. Ah know good an' well that you're more than capable of handlin' the extra weight and bulk, but the little filly swimmin' around inside a' you can't even brace for impact if'n ya trip."

Applejack sighed. "Ah'm not tryin' ta go out and do rodeo practice. Ah just need somethin' ta keep me from goin' stir crazy. Ah wanna help with dinner. Let me take over from here."

Granny Smith wiped her hooves on her apron and dropped to the floor. "Now, Applejack, ya know that Ah'm only tryin' ta look out for you an' your sister. Ah know you're not in the most stable state right now, but ya' really need ta think about what it is ya hope to do and what the consequences are. If ya'd thought about that before, she'd still be walkin' around."

Applejack scowled back. "If it weren't for Discord's interference, she would be! Ah woulda' stopped before anything went too far! If he hadn't walked in and been castin' his freaky chaos magic, she'd be right here next to me!"

"Don't you raise your voice at me, missy!" scowled Granny back. "It ain't my fault. Ah weren't even involved!"

"Too true, Applejack," came a familiar voice. Discord was leaning in through the window. "I can personally confirm that she was having an afternoon nap."

All eyes turned to him. It was made immediately clear that his input wasn't welcome. "You can leave," snapped Granny, slamming the window shut on his neck.

His head fell off and dropped into the sink. "Well, I never! Here I was, checking in on you, making sure you were alright, and my care and attentiveness is spat upon."

"Ah'm not alright!" shouted Applejack, grabbing him by the horn and dragging his head to the door. "You made me not alright! If you'd just left well enough alone, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

Discord pouted. "You could have been injured. I wanted to ensure that you weren't. I can only do things perceived as nice, or at least harmless since my reformation, or Fluttershy will have my hide!"

"I certainly would," huffed Fluttershy, walking in with the rest of Discord's body, taking his head from Applejack. "Everypony knows that Applejack is very durable, and could handle the damages that might have been done to her. And she loves her family, too. Apple Bloom wouldn't be seriously hurt. There was no need for you to interfere."

"Well, I'm not a pony," snorted Discord. "I can only judge based on what I know, and what I saw. I even offered my aid!"

Fluttershy reattached his head right back where is should be, rather than in a weird place as Pinkie would, or just chucked at him randomly as Applejack had planned on doing. "I appreciate that. And she does to, even if she doesn't see it right now. She's very upset by this whole thing. Isn't there anything else you can do to make her feel better? Something that can make this whole ordeal easier, or maybe shorter? I guarantee that she'll be even more appreciative later if you do."

Discord scratched his chin. "Well, I suppose I could try a few things," he said, glancing up at the ceiling. "Yes, I have something that will do quite nicely!"

"Excellent!" smiled Fluttershy. "I'm sure this will all be a funny story we can all look back on and chuckle before you know it."

Discord snapped his claws and nothing seemed to change. "There you go!" he smiled, patting Applejack's head. "You can thank me later."

"Thank you?"

"Or now works, too. You're very welcome."

"What did you even do?" demanded Applejack.

"Well, I--" Discord turned to look at Granny Smith, who was sitting next to the stove, stirring her pot of soup. "I can't tell you what it is"

Even Fluttershy was fed up with this. "Why not?"

"Because I made a promise. I am many things, Fluttershy. Chaos incarnate? Yes. Powerful? You bet. A trickster? Without a doubt. Not of this dimension? Most definitely. A nightmarish manifestation of some fevered dream come to life? Also yes. A liar? Sure. But I don't break my promises. And if I do, I am to be shredded across existence itself. I dare not break this one."

"What promise?" demanded Applejack. "Who would make you promise not to tell me what spell you do?"

Discord smiled and pulled out a scroll and a pair of reading glasses. He unrolled the scroll, cleared his throat, and declared without moving his lips, "Outside of you, Twilight, Fluttershy and Big Macintosh, I will say nothing about this. I'll even tell Fluttershy to keep it under her hat. She's very good at keeping secrets, you know." He closed the scroll. "That's a direct quote. You can read it, if you like."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "And?"

Discord smirked and leaned down. "I'm not allowed to say a word about the details when Granny Smith is noticeably within earshot."