Echoes of Equestria

The next day, tea time with Discord was upon me. Part of me was looking forward to this, the fanboy part of John De Lancey and his role as Q and his reprise of his role as a fictional character in this world excited me. However, at the same time, after my initial meeting of him since coming here, I really didn’t like the way he avoided answering my questions and giving me the runaround. It was really annoying.

Fluttershy busied herself getting ready for his arrival, humming a happy, excited tune, which is, you know, not something you see every day. Apparently, she really relishes these visits with him. I guess they truly are friends. Of course, it's not surprising, given the way he dotes on her from the show. And man, talk about that overprotective streak. I still have nightmares when I see his where face from that episode ‘To Where And Back Again’, still gives me nightmares.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I asked Fluttershy.

Fluttershy turned to me and said, “Oh, Simon, there's nothing to worry about. Discord's a dear.”

“Yeah, I'm sure he's great and all, but after my initial meeting with him, he seems like the kind of guy that doesn't want to give a direct answer.”

“Yes, Discord does like to keep things close to his chest, but that doesn't mean that he has an answer to give. You’ll find that when dealing with him, it's really difficult to discover what he truly knows or doesn't know. But then again, he is the God of Chaos. We can't forget that that's just how he is.”

“Yes, but isn't that just frustrating?”

“Sometimes, but I found that trying to work out just what he's saying or not saying is half the fun. Plus, sometimes I'm able to figure out the things on my own, which gives me a sense of accomplishment. Imagine if Discord just handed you the answers to everything. How boring would that be?”

Suddenly the air began to vibrate as a rumbling noise began.

“Oh. Seems like he’s making a dramatic entrance. Must be putting on a show for you.”

Before I could say anything, a trumpet fanfare could be heard, as with a display of fireworks that burst with confetti and glitter, Discord appeared in a flash of fire to the applause of an invisible audience. “Ta-da!” he declared, bowing deeply. He straightened, dusting off an invisible speck from his coat. “Did you miss me, my dear friends? Of course, you did.”

Then, focusing on us, he continued. “Ah, Fluttershy, my dearest friend and Simon, the colt who’s been dabbling in chaos without even realizing it! How delightful to see you both!”

“Dabbling?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Discord smirked, snapping his claws. A pink cotton candy cloud appeared above my head, dumping chocolate milk all over my mane.

“Just a hunch,” he said with a knowing wink.

I groaned as the sticky liquid ran down my neck. “Yeah, thanks for the reminder.”

Discord chuckled. “Oh, Simon, you truly are a treasure! Now, let’s get started, shall we?”

The tea table wasn’t normal. Not that I expected it to be. Chairs shuffled like restless foals, and the teacups floated above the table, flipping upside down now and then. The teapot flapped its wings, performing aerial stunts before pouring tea into my cup—while upside down.

I stared at the glowing liquid. “This is safe, right?”

Discord grinned. “Safe? Where’s the fun in that?”

Fluttershy turned to me and said, “It’s just chamomile. You’ll be fine.”

“Chamomile,” I muttered. “Mostly, I’m guessing.”

The plates began to spin, forming a tiny carousel that pranced across the table. A salt shaker joined in, whistling a jaunty tune that somehow harmonized with the teapot’s flirtatious whistle. I reached for a napkin, only for it to fold itself into a paper crane and flap away, leaving me empty-hoofed. The teapot let out a high-pitched whistle—the kind you’d hear when somepony spots an attractive mare walking by. I froze.

“Did that kettle just flirt with me?”

“Well, of course!” Discord said, clapping his claws. “What kind of tea party would it be without a little charm?”

Fluttershy calmly sipped her tea, clearly unfazed. I sighed, leaning back in my chair. “This is ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous is the spice of life!” Discord declared, his grin as wide as ever.

Discord snapped his claws, and my teacup floated away, bobbing like a balloon just out of reach.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. “If this is life, it’s too much for me.”

Discord gasped, throwing a claw to his chest. “Too much? Simon, my boy, you wound me! Chaos is the zest that makes life worth living! Why, without it, everything would be dreadfully dull.”

Fluttershy gave a soft smile. “Sometimes, Simon, a little chaos helps us grow.”

“Yeah, well, I’d rather grow without all the flying teacups,” I muttered, dodging one as it floated past.

“Oh, come on!” I groaned, swiping at it, but it floated higher.

Discord laughed, conjuring a croquet mallet out of thin air and dropping it in my lap. “If you want your tea, Simon, you’ll have to earn it. Think of it as a game—a friendly introduction to the art of chaos.”

“A game,” I repeated flatly. “Right.”

Fluttershy sipped her tea, her cup hovering perfectly within reach. “It’s all part of the experience,” she said, her voice calm as ever.

I sighed, picking up the mallet. “Fine.”

The moment I swung at the teacup, it let out a loud quack and turned into a rubber duck, ricocheting off the table. Discord howled with laughter as I chased it down, the mallet awkwardly clutched in my hooves.

“Is this really necessary?” I shouted, dodging a stray cupcake that decided to join the chaos.

“Oh, absolutely!” Discord said, reclining mid-air. “You’re doing marvelously, my boy!”

By the time I finally caught the rubber duck, my mane was a mess, my pride even worse off. I glared at Discord, who applauded lazily as if I’d just finished a marathon.

“Bravo, Simon! Bravo!” he cheered, snapping his claws to make the duck vanish in a puff of glitter. “You’ve proven yourself quite the little chaos prodigy.”

“That’s one way to put it,” I muttered, slumping back into my chair.

Discord leaned forward, resting his chin on his claw. “You know, Simon, chaos isn’t just about making a mess. It’s about perspective.”

I raised an eyebrow, brushing cupcake crumbs out of my mane. “And soaking me in chocolate milk helps with that, does it?”

“Precisely!” Discord replied, snapping his claws to clean the mess off me in an instant. “You’re catching on.”

Fluttershy smiled at me gently. “Sometimes, Simon, letting go of control can lead to wonderful surprises.”

“See? She gets it,” Discord said, gesturing to her like she’d just won an award.

I shook my head. “Yeah, well, I’m still working on it.”

When it was time to leave, Discord conjured a pocket watch and dropped it into my hooves. It shimmered faintly, the numbers on its face rearranging themselves at random.

“What’s this for?” I asked.

“A gift,” Discord said, his grin widening. “To keep you in sync.”

I frowned at the watch. “In sync with what?” I turned the pocket watch over in my hooves, its surface cool to the touch. “Why does it feel like this is more than just a watch?” The numbers didn’t just rearrange—they swirled, merging and breaking apart like the ebb and flow of a tide.

Discord’s smirk softened, just for a moment. “Ah, Simon. You’ve already learned more about chaos than most ever will. Think of it as a reminder—of the beauty in things not going as planned.”

“Oh, you’ll figure it out eventually,” Discord said, stepping into a swirling portal. He paused, looking back with a playful smirk. “Or maybe you won’t. That’s part of the fun, isn’t it?”

And with a snap of his claws, he was gone.

I stared at the watch, its hands spinning in opposite directions. Whatever Discord meant, I had a feeling my time with chaos wasn’t over yet.