Chaos Inverted

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8

Chapter 1

Discord glanced at the clock on his computer. 03:12PM. He groaned, pushed away from his desk, and checked the clock on a nearby wall. He was hoping his computer was off and the new clock would show him a few minutes of relief. Sadly, it only showed the time as 03:10PM. Another groan escaped his lips. He swore 3 o’clock on Fridays was a relativity hellscape where time seemed to stretch forever.

He was so close to the day ending but still had 2 hours before he could be free. He wouldn’t be able to start a new case file and finish it in a way he liked in time, and anything he starts now he’ll probably forget by the time he comes back Monday. Best thing to do now was to take his time on the projects he already agreed on.

Discord debated going for another cup of tea or taking his time to stretch his legs. His bosses were usually busy in their private offices around this time, so he most like wouldn't get caught. He could also see if he could sneak a walk outside if no one caught him. He probably would have spent another five minutes in this indecisive haze, but his thoughts were interrupted when he heard a perky, feminine voice, “Discord! Glad I was able to catch ya!”

Discord turned his chair to see a face he was still getting used to seeing. The woman standing outside his cubicle was a new transfer to his department. He remembered her saying something about working in the main branch but moved here to be closer to friends. She kept her purple and rich blue hair tied back as if she was giving off a serious yet sweet librarian vibe. He could tell from her pristine pantsuit she must have liked things neat and tidy. He racked his brain to see if he remembered her name. It was said in the last meeting. Starspark or Starlight something or other.

The “Star” woman continued before waiting for a response. “A few of us were planning on hitting the pub across the street to celebrate the end of the week. Care to join us?”

Discord took a breath and cleared his throat. His coworkers must not have warned her about him. He was used to getting the odd glance thrown his way, but thankfully he was left alone for the most part. Just the way he liked it. However, part of him wondered if he should take up on this rare offer. While not much of a drinker, being chummy with his co-workers could help with his barely functional social status with them.

Then he remembered his actual plans for tonight. He didn’t want to cause any delay in getting ready for something he’s been planning for the last few weeks. He could leave the pub early, but that would come off as socially rude and awkward. Getting involved seemed too risky.

Worst of all, there was a chance Trixie from HR would be there.

“Thanks for the offer,” he managed to say after a noticeable pause, “But I have plans after work. Maybe next time.”

“Of course! I’ll hold you to it,” the purple-haired woman said in a teasing tone before walking off to the next cubicle. Discord leaned back in his chair and stretched his sore back. Maybe he would get that cup of tea. Something that will keep his eyes open for the next few hours.

While walking over to the break room, his brain did what his brain does best: overanalyze his last social interaction. He shouldn’t have said, “next time.” That created a weak promise she could bring up in the future. He could have said he doesn’t drink, but didn’t want to be caught in the lie if he’s caught later on with a beer at the Christmas retreat or annual potluck. Now all his thoughts were spiraling, focusing in on his posture, his tone, his word choice. ‘God, that was stupid of you. You’re already going to stare off the new girl, you idiot. Why would say that, Stupid?’ They weren’t the most articulate thoughts, but they still wore Discord down. He couldn’t wait for the day to be over with.

Waiting for the tea to steep, Discord’s thoughts pivoted from its usual, harsh tone into a more inquisitive one. Why was the new girl being so nice to him? He wasn’t used to someone making an effort to know him after their first week. Yet this “Star” woman has been here a month and still greets him in the morning and at meetings. At this rate, he should probably learn her name before it gets too awkward.

Guess he just wasn’t used to someone actually trying to interact with him. Doesn’t help that people will get turned off by something he’s been dealing with his whole life. Thanks to a genetic disorder that he couldn’t remember the name of, he always had piercing red eyes surrounded by pools of yellow. His parents did their best to see if his eye color could be treated medically, but other than color changing lenses (which made his eyes itchy and watery all the time), there wasn’t much doctors could do.

It also didn’t help his bushy brows tended to knit together in a passive yet slightly aggressive expression all on their own. This created what he dubbed The Stare, and it tended to make people jump a bit in shock at first glance. He has always been told he has a “serious” face, but he knew that’s the polite way of saying you look angry all the time. Then there were the markings of time, like his slowly forming widow’s peak, the bits of white in his wavy hair and goatee, and a touch of forehead and smile lines. He was slowly morphing into the stereotypical old man who yelled at kids to get off his lawn, and he was still a year away from hitting forty.

Still, Discord wasn’t the type to focus on the things he can’t fix. If it was in nature’s interest to make him look old and stay isolated, then so be it. He preferred the isolation; it was controllable, calm, and content. He was free to use his free time to enjoy the simplicities in life, which he hoped would come soon. He checked the break room’s clock. 3:34 PM. Stifling the expected groan, he stretched his back until it popped, grabbed his thermos full of fresh tea, and headed back to his desk. The day was almost done now.

=================

Discord checked the clock on his car dashboard. 1:24 AM. He checked the weather apps on his phone one more time before putting the car into drive. All three of them guaranteed at least an 85% chance of a clear, night sky. He’s been burned too many times in the past when relying on just one source. Satisfied with his odds, he pulled out of his driveway and into the dark street.

Thankfully Discord was able to escape his relativity worm hole at work, and he was set free for the weekend. He did a few chores like grocery shopping and getting gas, but he headed home quickly afterwards to prepare for his trip. He still had some time to kill before it got dark enough, so he had a small dinner, fed his pets, and took a quick nap before heading out for the night.

The drive was the most annoying part of his plans; it took 55 minutes to get to his spot. He wished he could find a closer place, but the light pollution from the bustling city of Canterlot extended for miles. If he really wanted the best results, he (sadly) had to put in a little effort.

This wasn’t the man’s first rodeo, so he hooked up his phone to the car to listen to the podcast he downloaded. It was an Ogres and Oubliettes roleplay group he’d been following for a while, and their current campaign was almost finished. The podcast’s banter and strategy discussions filled the background as Discord turned off the main highway to a series of side roads.

At last, a familiar sign pulled into view of the car’s headlights. The weathered text read, “Everfree Forest Nature Preserve. Established 1982. Hours: 7AM-7PM. Information Center: Right.”

Discord made his turn and parked at the far end of the parking lot. He knows he should feel guilty about breaking in, but it’s not like he was destroying the place. If people didn’t leave their lights on all the time, he wouldn’t have to go so far away from civilization. Grabbing his supplies, he walked along a nearby wire fence that ran partially through the forest. He turned on the heavy-duty flashlight to the off-beaten path covered by decades of old foliage. There, hidden behind a long dead blueberry patch, was a hole in the fence big enough for a child to easily duck behind. The hole was also big enough for a tall, lanky adult if they didn’t mind branches and rusted chain stabbing at them at all sides. This is why he always wore his old, ratty clothes to these outings.

After illegally entering the park, he swept the ground with his flashlight to find his familiar path. Discord tried to keep his presence to a minimum as his feet crunched over twigs and dead patches of grass. He brushed past thickets of trees and rotting logs. Owls hooted over his head while he heard the small footsteps of raccoons or squirrels. The Everfree Forest always had an eerie air to it, and the darkness did not help one bit.

About a half a mile later, the forest parted to a lush clearing. Discord breathed a sigh of relief; finally, he made it. He discovered this area by accident when he got lost on a nature hike a couple of years back. Little did he know at the time this would serve as a refuge he would return to time and time again. After scoping out the area for a nice spot, he put down his bag to set up his folding chair. He plopped down with a sigh and scanned the sky. He was already starting to see the little streaks of light pass by the horizon.

Discord was out here this time to watch the Perseids meteor shower. They showed up from mid-July to late August, and he tried to see them as much as possible during that period. He lucked out and had no clouds, rain, or even the moon to distract him from the light show. The strings of light would pass by every few minutes while the rest of the sky seemed to twinkle in response.

This was an odd hobby of his, he knew, but stargazing put his overactive mind into a Zen state. He discovered this hobby also by accident. After a particularly bad breakup he did not want to think about any more than he has to, he found himself driving endlessly as if to physically get away from his depressive state. He pulled into the Everfree parking lot to compose himself as best as he could when he noticed something. He could actually see all the stars, planets, and galaxies in the sky. The view was breathtaking, nothing like the dull, murky blackness he’s used to from Canterlot. It brought back fond memories when his mom and dad would take him camping in the summer and how he dreamed of being an astronaut as a little kid. For once in a long, long while, Discord felt at peace with himself.

Sure, he might be stuck in an unremarkable accounting job that barely pays the bills. He might have to deal with coworkers who either avoided him or strangely got into in his space. But these little excursions in-between the noise of everyday life made life worth living. When he was out here, he didn’t feel alone in an uncaring world. He felt like a small star among the other small stars. On his own, he wasn’t much, but with the others, he was part of something bigger than himself. He didn’t need to have it all figure out yet. He was content being a small light among a sea of lights.

=================

The walk back to the car was thankfully uneventful. After putting away his chair and bag, Discord flicked through his phone to find something to keep him awake for his almost hour-long drive back. He settled on an electro swing radio mix and started up the old SUV. The headlights cut through the pitch-black darkness that seemed to cover the path out of the parking lot. After a minute of not vibing with the music, he was tempted to fiddle around his phone some more until he found the genre he wanted. But he resisted the urge, focusing instead on the road out of the nature reserve.

Good thing he did resist because otherwise he would have possibly hit the animal darting in front of the road.

Curses were yelled, brakes were hit, and the car screeched to a halt a couple of yards away off the road. Discord felt his heart lodged in his throat as he gulped deep breaths. The seatbelt tightened around his chest as he tried to turn his head to where the animal was last spotted. He couldn’t see anything except for the dense woods illuminated by the headlights in front of him.

A debate started to form in his head. Should he go check on the animal? He didn’t feel it hitting his car, but the possible guilt laid on his shoulders. If he did hit it, he should do something. At least do a mercy kill if it was too badly injured, though he didn’t know if he had the heart to do something like that. He could try to save it if the injury isn’t too bad, but he knows nothing about caring for a wild animal. He could watch it and call an animal rehabilitation center, but no one was up at this time, and he did not want other people to question why he was at a closed park at 4 AM.

Eventually, the side of guilt won the argument (like it usually did) as Discord slid out of the car with a sigh. He grabbed his flashlight before exiting to better see the situation. ‘It’ll be alright,’ he assured himself. ‘It probably ran off. I’m going to check the area, make sure it ran off, and move on so I can actually get some sleep tonight.’

It was only a few feet to where Discord suspected the crash almost happened. He aimed his flashlight at the area and, sadly, what awaited him was a mass of fur. Swearing under his breath, Discord moved closer to the poor thing to see the damage. He didn’t see too much blood, but there were signs of bleeding. Upon closer inspection, the blood wasn’t coming from a possible car crash wound. Instead, it seemed to be leaking from an injured paw, possibly from a hunting trap. The nature preserve was supposed to have no hunting by law, but he knew that didn’t stop any of the local hunters and trappers who “accidently” hunted on the property.

Discord swept the flashlight over the creature. It wasn’t very big, only the size of two footballs put together. The ears, snout, and fur texture made him believe it was a possible fox, but there was something that was throwing him off. Where there should have been one tail were multiple tails, around five and six of them all stemming from the same base. Maybe a possible genetic mutation? He’s heard of turtles and sheep with two heads from an oddities and curiosities book he read in middle school.

The last thing Discord noticed was the fox(?) was still breathing. The breaths were shallow and fast, and the eyes were scrunched together as if in serious pain. He imagined the poor thing was running from the trap and had to put pressure on the injured paw. To be honest, he could probably treat it. Some gauze, an antibiotic gel, and it should be good as new. He did have some sturdy gloves in his trunk for the occasional snapping turtle or snake removal from the road. However, he didn’t want to take the creature of the forest property. He could get in serious trouble if caught, and that wasn’t even accounting for possible diseases and the fox’s temperament once awake. He was about to go into Round 2 of a debate in his mind, when he heard something not too far away.

“Think it’s over here!”

“Quick, before she gets away!”

Shit. The hunters. Discord didn’t even think if people who left the trap were still in the woods. He did not want to get caught trespassing. Sure, they were trespassing too, but he figured now was not the time to argue with a bunch of hunters on who was more wrong in this situation. Also, they probably had guns. And he did not have the social skills to talk his way out of this. He had to make a decision. And fast.

Relying on basic instincts, he ran back to the car to grab his gloves from the trunk. He threw them on while running back as fast and as quiet as he physically could. The sound of branches snapping and boots thumping against the earth were getting closer.

“Don’thaverabies,don’thaverabies,don’thaverabies,” he murmured to himself as he slowly lifted the fox-thing off the pavement. He rushed to his trunk and placed the injured animal on an old blanket he’d been meaning to take out of his car. The fox barely stirred and kept its eyes shut throughout the process. It must have been in more pain than Discord thought. Due to muscle memory, he shut the trunk door with a large THUNK. He forgot he was trying to make his presence unknown. Sure enough, more voices even closer than before rang out.

“Did you hear that? Is that a car?”

“Shit! After them!”

“How the hell did she get reinforcements?”

“Doesn’t matter, get moving!”

Discord flung his gloves and then himself into the driver’s seat. He fumbled his keys for a few seconds before finding the right one and revving the car awake. His car sped out of the woods and (hopefully) out of sight of those chasing him.

Discord didn’t bother to look back until he hit the highway. He didn’t encounter the headlights of a chasing car for the first few miles, so he must have been in the clear. Now he had to check on his current passenger. He adjusted his rearview mirror until he could see the huddled bundle in the back seat. The fox appeared to be still breathing, but the breaths looked as shallow as before. It made no attempt to growl, bite, or move.

Discord let out a held breath. Was this the right choice? There was a good chance the fox was going to die no matter what. What if the hunters caught his license plate before he drove off? What if they set up hidden cameras and spot him that way? This was supposed to be a nice, calm night and now it’s turned to a wild animal kidnapping and escape!

Discord just sighed and took a sip from his thermos. The tea he brewed at the beginning of the trip was lukewarm by now. The electro swing music mix was still playing softly in the background. Welp, whether it was the right choice or not, he made one. And he might as well follow it out for all the effort he put in. He hoped it was worth it.

=================

A strange scent stirred the fox to a state of consciousness from her shallow slumber. The air didn’t smell like the usual mix of fresh dew and pine. Instead, it smelled artificial, like gas and pesticides. This wasn’t good; the creature was most likely taken out of the protection of the forest. Best to look like she was still sleeping in case someone was watching her. Still, she needed to see what state of capture she was in.

The fox slowly twitched her limbs to not raise suspicion but stopped moving when she felt a strange pressure on her front left paw. She opened one eye cautiously to check. Covering the paw appeared to be medical gauze held together by medical tape, with small spots of blood coating the outside. That’s right; there was that damn trap. The animal was too busy shifting from one form to the next to see it. The group must have booby trapped the place before hunting her down.

The fox’s memories of the night were still fuzzy. Lots of running, changing to a bird but almost caught by a net, more running, changing to a fox, the trap, then a car, being picked up, seeing streetlights pass by a car window, then nothing.

Taking a risk, the creature slowly opened her eyes to gaze around the room. It appeared to be an empty one-car garage. There were a few shelves holding random items like tents and gardening tools, but for the most part it was kept empty. The fox was glad there didn’t seem to be anyone keeping watch. She should be able to escape once they shifted back to-

Her thoughts were interrupted from a noise coming from behind. It sounded like a saw being cut into a sheet of metal. Forgetting the plan to appear asleep, the fox whirled her head toward the noise. What awaited the fox was no machine or weapon, but a man. A tired looking man, from the looks of it. His whole body was slumped over a simple workbench in the corner of the garage. Out of nowhere, the saw-like noise returned from the man’s area. He grunted and turned his head toward the fox. The man’s eyes were still closed, a clear state of exhaustion on his face. ‘So, he was just snoring,’ the fox concluded. ‘He should see a doctor for that.’

Now that she knew her only guard is fast asleep, the fox raised herself from the makeshift bed (looked like it was made of an old carboard box, a plugged-in heated blanket, and dirty dish rags) and walked closer to the human. Outside of the noticeable fatigue and weird sleeping spot, he looked...normal. A bit on the older side, tall, and a bit thin, but nothing out of the ordinary. Normal was, ironically, not normal for the social groups the fox was used to.

There were other medical supplies on the workbench like ointments, more gauze, scissors, and heat packs. That means the man was...helping the poor creature. The fox pondered with what information she had. With no guards, weapons, or security, and the fact that the man tried to heal her wounds instead of restraining her, means this man must not be part of the hunting group. Just a random good Samaritan. The fox was, sadly, also not used to this either.

Still, it was time to head out. Any more time outside of the protection of the Everfree Forest meant more chances for the wrong types of people to find her. The fox approached a closed side window. With a flick of one of her many tails, the window slowly opened on its own. The fox was set to jump out and make her way back home, but something made her hesitate. She glanced back at the human and smirked. It wasn’t often someone would go out their way to help someone defenseless. Maybe if she saw him again, she’ll find a way to thank him properly.

Before leaving, the fox jumped onto the messy workbench, bent close to his exposed ear and whispered a small token to the kindhearted man.

“Thank you for your hospitality.”

Author's Note

Thank you so much for reading! This is my first fanfic, so still learning the ropes. I can't guarantee a set upload time, but I do have the next few chapters planned out so hopefully not too long of a wait. Let me know what you think, and I hoped you enjoyed it!

Chapter 2

Today was already a busy day for Discord. One of his coworkers called in sick, so he had to check their financial reports before sending them off to the clients. He also promised his current client (a small food chain that sold cupcakes and coffee) he would look at their records to see if they can apply a tax break. His mind was full of numbers, plans, and expectations. Yet his mind couldn’t stop thinking about last week.

Discord was kind of glad things played out better than he expected. When he woke up at 7 AM, the fox managed to escape through an open window he swore he had closed. He was planning on leaving the garage to give the animal time alone to heal, but he must have passed out due to exhaustion while cleaning up. Luckily, the fox didn’t bite or scratch him, so he wasn’t worried about any caught diseases. The only thing nagging at him was how the window got open.

Overall, the whole night felt surreal. The almost car crash, the multi-tailed fox, the hunters, all ending with a speedy getaway. He was glad to be out of said excitement. Any more stress on his heart and he would have had a panic attack (or a heart attack, at his age).

Nearby, the usual chatter from other cubicles was starting to get louder and more excited. Discord moved away from his computer to listen in. He’s not one for gossip but doesn’t hurt to hear what the current hubbub is about. The main chatter was coming from three cubicles away, with around four or five people surrounding one of the computers. “It says he’s starting next week, that can’t be good,” one exclaimed to the others.

“New CEOs like that always cost so much money,” said someone else. “I bet there will be layoffs before the holidays. Count on it!”

A squeaky voice joined in. “Did you see the part about ‘restructuring?’ What if they cut out this branch? I can’t move to the main branch! It’s way too expensive!”

Ahh, this old routine. Any change in the office dynamics and everyone acted like the sky was falling. He had seen these cycles a few times since he started eight years ago (two owner changes, a merger, and a not well thought out rebranding that barely lasted a year) and he knew the work didn’t change that much. If he needed to, he could jump to a new accounting job for a different company. Someone always needed a bean counter.

Another person appeared suddenly by his cubicle wall which almost made Discord jump an inch out of his chair. It was Starlight Glimmer (He looked up her name through the email directory as soon as he got back from the weekend and spent a good five minutes storing the name in his memory). She wore a ruffled purple blouse and a black A-line skirt which gave off a more casual look than her usual pantsuits. She was looking over to the nervous group and asked without glancing at Discord, “Any idea what they’re so worked up about?”

Oh, boy. Starlight was handing Discord an olive branch of communication. He could make up being so awkward last week. Here was his chance; he could do it. Based on the eavesdropped statements and what he read earlier, Discord did have a rough idea. He cautiously shared his theory, “Probably about the email they sent out an hour ago. New CEO is replacing Zacherle. New one is supposed to be a big deal and do some reorganization.”

“Really? I was stuck in a meeting. Let me check.” She pulled out her cell phone from a hidden pocket to check her work email. All Discord could do was try his best to read her facial expressions as she scanned through the announcement. First, she had a half-lidded expression most people had when going through the usual corporate talk. Then her eyebrows raised suddenly as if she saw something familiar. Then she glared at her phone with a look of disdain Discord never saw on her before.

He took a risk and asked, “Is something wrong?” Starlight must have remembered where she was as she glanced back. She put on a wide (yet fake) smile and said, “Oh, it’s nothing. I think I ran into this guy as the main headquarters. Nothing to worry about.” She put her phone away and started to walk away. Then, something compelled her to grab the cubicle wall and stay behind. She said, “Just keep your distance from him when he arrives.” She gripped the wall tighter. “He’s known for his...results and will do anything to get them. Just keep your head down, that’s what I recommend. Well, have a good weekend!” Her smile turned genuine as she walked back to her desk.

Oh, boy. What can of worms did Discord open this time? He didn’t know talking about a work email would lead to a dramatic mood shift. He took a deep breath and pulled up a weather forecast website. He hoped looking forward to something later tonight will ease his anxiety.

=================

“Ben, I don’t care if you don’t eat the new food. Whether you eat it or starve, you’ll lose weight either way, so I win in the end. So there.” Discord plopped the food down and waited. The rat the color of a starless void stared back at him with resentment for a few seconds but went on to eat the new brand of pellets. Discord smirked with satisfaction and walked away. Ben (sometimes nicknamed Big Ben, due to both his girth and personality) was always the toughest to feed, so starting with his dinner seemed like the right choice. The rest should be a piece of cake.

Bags of feed, pellets, and other food for the animals laid nearby on the kitchen table. While assembling each individual meal, he thought about his current diet plan for Ben. ‘He’s actually been pretty good this week on the new food,’ he thought. ‘I’ll throw in some strawberries or something tomorrow as a treat.’

The rest of the feedings were uneventful. He checked the temperature and pH of the aquarium, left mealworms in the heated enclosure, and checked all the water bowls. The last one to be fed was Socrates, his other rat. He was the easiest to feed as he squeaked in approval and ran in tiny circles near his food bowl. Socrates was an albino rat with piercing red eyes just like Discord. There was a running joke they both had to stick together as fellow red-eye weirdos.

This was the first time Discord took in a pair of rats, and he was glad the transition went pretty well. Like most of the pets he had, he stumbled on them by accident or by fate. At his previous apartment before moving into his house, he heard his next-door neighbors arguing over the purchase of said rats (wasn’t too hard to hear them, the walls were tissue paper thin). The father got them to appease the kid in the relationship, but the mother insisted that the kid was too busy with sports and school to properly take care of them. Discord walked by their front door during one of their many arguments and just offered to take the rats off their hands if they wanted. It was awkward like most of his conversations, and it might have been the first time he ever talked to them, but they were grateful someone would take the added stress away from their lives.

Abandoned pet snakes in the woods, coworkers needing a new owner for betta fish due to changing apartments or new girlfriends, lizards and frogs that were going to be disposed of due to lack of space in the pet store. Those are the pets Discord usually takes in. The outcast looking out for the other outcasts.

He wondered if the fox would have fit in with his other pets. Sure, it was a wild animal, but the addition to his home wouldn’t have been too off compared to his usual pets. Most of all, he just hoped the poor little thing was okay. He doubted it would have made it back to the Everfree Forest, but maybe he would spot it in the neighborhood. Speaking of which, he had to make his own dinner soon if he wanted to head out later tonight.

=================

The forest air was chillier than expected. Discord was lucky he brought his beat-up jacket for the jagged fence alone. August was halfway done, and soon he would have to really bundle up for the weather. Right now, he was kept warm enough with his jacket, ripped-up jeans, and his old band t-shirt (he used to be in a short-lived band with his only friend in high school. He played the drums while his friend Smayan Blinx AKA The Smooze tried to belt bad cover songs while plonking at a guitar. It lasted five, long, embarrassing months before Schmooze moved on to his next scheme to get attention).

He pulled the jacket closer to zip it up. Other than the chill in the air, it wasn’t too bad. There were barely any clouds in the sky, and the light from a crescent moon gave him a tiny bit of light to travel by. He wasn’t too far from his usual clearing. He must have been too busy noticing the weather he didn’t notice the sound of footsteps of another person slowly approaching him.

“Excuse me, sir, sorry to bother you.”

Discord felt every muscle in his body freeze in place. Park rangers. Fuck. Time to start groveling before he got in too much trouble. He stammered out whatever came to his mind, “I’m so, so sorry, I was just trying to find something I lost on a trail and the only time I could come out was at night and I’m really sorry, I wasn’t planning on disturbing anything-”

The voice gave off a hearty laugh and interrupted, “Woah, woah, there, mate! No need for that!” He took a few steps closer to the rambling man. Discord was able to point his flashlight toward him and got a better look. No uniform or badge in sight, that’s a good start. The stranger didn’t appear to be a park ranger or any other government official. He was wearing something similar to what Discord was wearing, a semi-thick jacket with a dirty sweatshirt and straight fit jeans. While the trucker cap he wore on his head covered his eyes, his smile and relaxed posture gave off a mood of nonchalance.

The man laughed again and said, “I have a feeling I’m not supposed to be out here either. What do you say we keep our little adventures out here a secret? I won’t tell if you won’t tell.”

Discord gave off a laugh too (albeit weaker and with more of a stutter) and said, “S-sounds good to me.” He moved the flashlight away from the man as to not blind him. “Truth be told, I’m just here to watch the stars tonight. I’ll leave you to whatever you were doing. Have a good night.” He continued his way to the clearing without a second thought.

“Wait, before you go, I wanted to ask you something,” the man said while jogging to cut Discord off. “I am actually looking for someone. Perhaps you’ve seen her. A young woman, long hair, you can’t miss her, trust me.”

The man kept in pace with Discord to explain, “She was with my camping group. Look, I know you’re not supposed to camp here, but I’m sure you get it. The area is too perfect to pass up. Anyways, she was staying with us when she got in a fight and left the camp. Now she’s off who knows where and it’s super late. Any chance you saw or heard something?”

“Sorry, haven’t seen anyone. I’ll keep an eye out though,” Discord said while continuing his usual pace. He was hoping the man would take the hint and leave him be, but the man kept walking beside him as if they were long-lost buddies.

“Come on, man, you gotta know something. You can’t miss this chick. She’s very...unique. And we really need to find her.”

“I’m really sorry, but I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

“Oh, but I think you do know.”

Discord paused mid-stride. What did he mean by that? He turned back to the man and said in a slightly firmer tone, “No, I don’t. I’m here by myself and I haven’t run into anyone. I’m sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.” He turned toward the clearing again but started wondering if he should head back to the car. The atmosphere had shifted from friendly to semi-hostile in a blink of an eye. He wasn’t sure if he said or did anything to piss the man off. Either way, he did not like his chances if he stayed for a second longer in this man’s presence. Discord quickly turned around and made an excuse, “Actually, I think I left something behind. I just need to head on-”

“I don’t think so, mate,” the stranger slammed a hand on Discord’s shoulder to stop his advance. “I think you do know more than you’re letting on. You wouldn’t happen to have been here last week? Maybe took something or someone home?”

Crap. The hunters. He should’ve known they would be back. And he said he was alone. Double crap. Things were getting too intense. And they found out about the fox and his interference last week? Crap crap crap! No time to think, main goal is to put distance between him and the current threat.

Discord grabbed the hand on his shoulder and pulled it as hard as he could toward the ground. The man fell over with an irritated grunt. “L-leave me alone!” Discord managed to cry before dropping his supplies and running toward the parking lot. He never had the greatest stamina but hoped the head start will be enough to hide in the woods.

A bulky arm hiding between the trees appeared out of nowhere and grabbed at Discord’s throat. He felt the air press out of his lungs as he strained against the grip. This arm belonged to another man who was bigger and stronger than the first stranger. While Discord resisted as best as he could, he saw more people come out of hiding from nearby trees and bushes. It looked to be about six in total. It was a trap all along, and Discord fell for it like a chump.

The first man rubbed his sore back as he walked to the one restraining Discord. The injured man swore under his breath and said, “For a skinny guy, he’s a lot stronger than he looks. Now,” the man leaned so close to Discord he could smell his acidic breath, “I’m going to be nice and give you one last shot. How’s that sound, mate? We know you were here last week, and you left with something we need. Where is it?”

Discord wasn’t sure how they expected him to talk when his windpipe being slowly crushed, but he did his best to shake his head and mouth out whatever he could to lessen the grip. He even tried to explain how he left with the fox and its eventual breakout, but all he could manage was small pleas of mercy. The man soon caught on the futility of the current setup and motioned the bulky man to drop him.

Discord fell to the cold, damp dirt with a THUMP. He took in as many breaths as he could muster. He didn’t even have time to tell his story when one of the group members said, “I don’t think he knows anything. Let’s just get rid of him.”

“We almost had her last week. And this geezer is the last one to see her,” the first man said. “We need all the leads we can get.”

“Yeah, but I don’t sense her presence on him anymore,” said an older woman with short, curly hair. “She probably dumped him as soon as she could. He’s just some weird loner she used as a free ride.”

“Yeah, and besides,” said another man with a large scar down his cheek, “if he did know something, he would probably lie. No doubt he’d been charmed out of his mind by now.”

“I thought this one couldn’t use her charm powers,” said the woman.

“I thought the charm thing was a myth,” said another new voice.

“Well, the Element has to do something! Why wouldn’t it charm people to doing what they want?”

“It’s not like a superpower thing. There’s more to it than that!”

The group continued this confusing dialogue while Discord tried to regain his breathing and tried to assess his chances of escaping. The group surrounded him in a semi-circle, and there was a slight gap in the area toward the parking lot. If he could just distract them for a second, he could probably sneak out.

Eventually, the first man got tired of the endless chatter and shouted, “That’s enough! Let our poor guest speak. I’m sure he can tell by now it’s best to work with us, hmm?”

Discord closed his eyes, took one more deep breath, and rasped out, “You’re right. I know. I know where she is.”

The first man gave off an unflattering grin. “Now we’re talkin! Now, where was she last?”

Discord turned toward the man who he assumed was the leader and said with a straight face, “Isn’t it obvious?” The man sputtered something under his breath and replied, “No?”

Discord shrugged and pointed off to behind the leader’s left shoulder, “She’s right behind you.”

The man’s eyes widened in fear, and he spun around to his face his foe. The group joined him in this action. As expected, there was nothing behind him. Also as expected, Discord used this chance to spring off the ground and run for the hills.

Discord wasn’t expecting the standard “Look over there!” trick to work, but he’ll take it. He purposefully jumped over fallen trees and muddy puddles to hopefully slow down his chasers. He felt cuts on his face, neck, and arms as the nearby sharp branches ripped at his jacket and shirt. His lungs still burned from the chokehold, but he kept persisting. Step after step after step. He was almost there. He could feel it.

Sure enough, Discord’s old SUV was within sight past the broken fence. He gasped a tiny cry of victory to himself. Sadly, the cry was made too soon. There was a sharp tug on his left ankle, and he swiftly lost his balance. He fell again to the cold, damp dirt with a louder THUMP than before. Pain radiated from his caught ankle and his wrists which broke the fall.

Discord tried to get up but the grip on his ankle was strong. He turned around and saw a new, young face hold his ankle with both hands. So, it was a group of seven, and they left one person here to catch him in case he escaped. This group knew what they were doing.

He tried to use free leg to kick the young person’s hands off, but the person was able to dodge efficiently. Discord turned toward the parking lot and used his hands to try to drag himself away. He had to keep fighting. He had to get help. He was so close to freedom. He just had to-

A pain so sharp and excruciating removed all thoughts from his mind and all sound from his throat. Discord turned to look at what caused it. One of the captor’s hands was off his ankle and held a hunting knife. Said knife was now lodged in Discord’s left thigh. The young person twisted the knife deeper into the thigh with a nasty smirk. Discord tried to scream as lights and color left his vision.

The rest of the group soon joined the pair. The leader was panting for breath, but managed to say, “Good job. This guy is more trouble than he’s worth.” The leader leaned over the injured man. Discord could feel the wrath emanating from the leader’s aura. Discord used the last of his strength to pull himself away with his hands. His reward for this action was another deep stab in the left shoulder.

He managed an audible scream this time as he crumpled to the ground. He felt woozy and sick. His fingers were ice cold and starting to turn blue. He was having a hard time gathering his thoughts. All he could think about was who was going to feed his rats.

Discord heard the leader give the order to “Finish him off,” but the voice sounded far away and in a tunnel. Discord closed his eyes. He just wanted to rest. He would rest and try to escape later. That was a good plan. He just needed. To rest.

“HOW DARE YOU HURT SOMEONE IN MY DOMAIN?!”

The words shook the ground below Discord. He opened his eyes a crack to see the group huddle together in horror. The leader still had the bloody hunting knife in his hand, ready to attack, but his face showed doubt in his own resolve.

“YOU WANTED TO FIND ME, HERE I AM. BUT I SHOULD WARN YOU, LITTLE PEONS. YOU MESS WITH THE BULL...”

The group shivered in fear. The leader tried to shout orders, but the group wasn’t listening. People shoved and pushed each other away in order to escape. It was total chaos.

“YOU GET THE HORNS.”

The screams that followed would haunt Discord for many years to come. He tried to keep his eyes open to see who or what was causing this strange phenomenon, but his strength was dwindling by the second. He felt so cold. So tired. He just wanted to sleep. Discord closed his eyes and adjusted to the best sleeping position as the world slowly faded to black.

Chapter 3

Discord woke up slowly in a soft, comfortable bed. This should have been his first clue that something was wrong. He still slept on an old, lumpy mattress for the last six years, waking up to occasional back and neck pain that would disappear as the day went on. He kept meaning to switch to something more reliable, but he didn’t have the social energy for it. The process of going to a mattress store, ordering it, and setting it up always felt like something he could put off for another day.

Today, however, was different. He felt groggy and well slept, but also off somehow. He tried to recall his last few moments before going to bed, but all that came back to him were flashes of pain and the forest and running and…a booming voice in the distance. It all felt so uncanny and like a dream. Maybe he slept in instead of heading out and he imagined all of that. That had to be it, right? Discord gave off a series of grunts as he shifted himself to a sitting position. He was still wearing his old, baggy band shirt, but his jacket was missing. He never wore his old band shirts unless he was going out to the Everfree Forest. This was not helping his claim it was all a dream.

Discord inspected himself some more. There were small, green pieces of what looks like leaves covering parts of his exposed arms and neck. The areas felt tender to the touch. He guessed they were some sort of bandage for the small cuts he remembered getting from running through the thick bramble.

Discord let out a groan and rubbed his eyes. His brain felt foggy and distant, his palms were sweaty, his stomach tugged itself in knots. Things needed to make sense soon or he was going to not have a good time. When he pulled back the covers some more, he almost let out a yelp. Someone had stripped him to his boxers! A thousand scenarios started playing out in his head.

‘No no no no no! What happened last night? Was I drunk? I didn’t go to a bar, and I barely have beer at home. All I remember is the forest and those guys and-Wait, wasn’t there was that urban legend of stolen kidneys? Aren’t I supposed to be in a bathtub? Am I bleeding out?!’

Discord quickly felt around his torso for half-hearted stitches or signs of surgery. Thankfully, he felt nothing. When he glanced down at his legs again, he noticed a green bandage similar to the ones on his arms wrapped around his left thigh. That was one of the spots where he distinctly remembered being stabbed. He reached out and touched the affected area but felt only light bruising and the throb of a minor (yet long) cut vertically down the thigh. Once again, his thoughts raced around his mind like a tornado.

‘This should have been deeper. And more fatal. They also got my shoulder, but that feels fine too. That means it had to be a dream. So, what exactly hap-?’

His thoughts abruptly stopped as he finally took in his surroundings. As he glanced around the room, he formed a new theory to explain everything going on.

The new theory was Discord was out of his mind.

Or maybe he hit his head, and this was all a concussion dream, he wasn’t sure. But it for sure wasn’t reality, not in the way he recalled it.

For one, this wasn’t his room. He should have guessed from the bed and sheets alone, but his cloudy mind didn’t take it in until that exact moment.

Secondly, this “room” was not a normal room. Sure, there was a bed, a desk, a couple of chairs, and a closed door leading he assumed to another section of the “house.” The part that threw him off was the nature of the items, emphasis on “nature.” Everything appeared to be made from natural sources like tree trunks, leaves, moss, and vine. Different types of leaves and colorful flowers covered the walls, moving at the slightest breeze. His blanket and pillow felt like it was made of a super soft moss material, and the bed was carved into a large stump. The mattress seemed to be made of fluffy, tiered mushrooms that could hold his weight. It was like something he would see in front of a home design magazine, if that magazine was made for gnomes living in treehouses.

The third thing that made Discord think he lost his mind was the fact he was on the ceiling. The doorway, chairs, and desk floated above his head like stalactites. The only sign of gravity working properly was the strands of his straggly hair lifted away from his neck.

He couldn’t help but stare at the sight above him. Everything was out of his reach. At this rate, he wouldn’t be able to escape this dreamscape. Discord couldn’t help but mumble to himself, “How the hell am I supposed to get down?”

As soon as he said the word “down,” it was as if the magic spell holding him to the bed was broken. His stomach lurched as gravity yanked him off the bed and threw him to the “floor” above. The wind was knocked out of his lungs as he landed on his back on the ground covered in various petals and leaves. Discord moaned both in pain and in frustration. His body was still sore from the stab wounds, and now he had back pain added on top. If this was a dream, he hoped all the pain he was feeling would make him wake up soon.

Suddenly, the door to the room creaked open a crack. Tilting his head, he saw something unexpected. A tiny, pure white bunny was peering into the room, its nose twitching as if it were inspecting the area through scent. It hopped over to Discord after a few seconds and landed right on his stomach. It was so light it barely ruffled the t-shirt. The rabbit’s black, beady eyes stared the man down with either confusion or fascination. Not minding a fuzzy, little animal keeping him company, Discord let out a small chuckle and said, “Well, hi there.”

The bunny scoffed and said in a deep, masculine voice, “Oh good, you’re still kickin. I thought it was pointless trying to save ya, but you somehow won my human over. You better be worth it.”

Oh, Discord definitely lost his mind.

Fighting back a scream, he crab-crawled away from the cute, defenseless animal with the voice a of chain smoker. The rabbit jumped off as soon as he started moving, staring as though the whimpering man was the strange one in this situation. The animal rolled his eyes and muttered something inaudible. Discord fought to keep his breathing even. He did not need anything like talking animals to be added to his weakened psyche.

“Now, now, Angel, that’s no way to treat our guests.”

The voice was soft and teasing, and it didn’t come from the grumbling bunny. Discord managed to move his eyes away from the possessed bunny to glance at the only door in the room. Standing there was something he never would have ever imagined.

The figure appeared to be a woman, at least for the most part. She was humanoid-shaped, bipedal with a pair of arms and legs. She had light pink hair that partly covered her face and extended all the way down her back. She wore a simple dress with short sleeves and a tiered skirt that reached down to her ankles. Her eyes were wide and expressive as they stared down at Discord. Overall, she was the most normal thing besides him that was in this room. That didn’t mean much, though, since parts of her body stood out like a sore thumb.

Her arms had different textures and properties. Her left arm appeared to be made of a light shade of oak with tree knots and lines of bark. The right arm was covered in a thin layer of gray fur and covered in light gray spots like an ocelot or a snow leopard. The hands were shaped like they were from a human, but the feline hand had long, sharp claws while the wooden hand grew tiny, green leaves at the tips.

Discord couldn’t see the woman’s feet well due to the skirt, but he could make out hints of a hoof and a paw. A long, thin, yellow tail with a light pink feathery edge curled behind her. She had large butterfly wings on her back gently folded away. He could see one wing had a rich, blue color while the other wing was light green with a dark purple frame. On top of her head were two white antlers possibly made of a different wood material compared to her arms. The antler on her left side had cherry blossoms lightly falling from the branches, while the other antler was broken off near the base.

The woman(?) gave off a small smile and said, “Glad to see you’re okay. It wasn’t easy getting you here, that’s for sure. I had Harry carry you here-oh, Harry’s a bear, you see-and I just treated you the best I could. My connection to healing magic isn’t the greatest but I think I managed to put you back toget-”

“Where the hell are my pants?”

Discord wasn’t sure why that was the first thing to pop out of his mouth, but it seemed to be the only words he could have managed to audibly throw out. The draft on his legs were making him uncomfortable and he needed some semblance of control in this situation.

The woman slowly blinked at him and just pointed with her tree arm to one of the chairs in the corner. Sure enough, there was his pants over the back, along with his jacket and his flashlight, chair, and other items he brought with him to the forest. Discord awkwardly stood up, walked over to the chair and started getting dressed. He had his pants on and was in the middle of putting on his jacket when he heard the rabbit named Angel whisper to the woman, “Maybe we should have erased his memories or something. Or left him in the woods. He’s not taking being here too kindly.”

“I only do erasure if it’s a last resort,” the woman whispered back, but not quietly enough so Discord could still eavesdrop. “Besides, the healing tired me out. I need time to recharge. I’m sure we can talk this out. I have a good feeling about him.”

Now that he had some sense of decency, Discord turned to the two strange individuals and explained, “Look, please, you need to help me. I think I hit my head or lost too much blood. I need to go to the hospital. I’m seeing things that should not be there.”

The humanoid woman just stared back as if he spoke another language. Then she looked down at her hands, and a dawn of realization spread across her face. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “I get it. Forgot to put something on. Give me a sec.” She snapped the fingers of her feline hand, and a flash of light filled the room. It disappeared as quickly as it came, and what Discord saw before him did not help his unease. The unnatural features of the woman were gone and were replaced with a normal human woman. Normal legs, normal arms, no wings, and no spindly tail. She still had her long hair and the simple dress, though they were slightly altered with the lack of extra appendages. She gave a big smile showing her slightly fanged teeth and said, “There, is that better?”

Discord stammered random noises for a second and said, “N-no! No, it’s not! Y-y-you can’t j-just change things like that!”

The woman tilted her head. “Why not?”

“Why n-not?!” Discord groaned like a stubborn child and buried his head in his hands. This was going nowhere. He needed to get help. Somewhere far, far, far away from here. He tried again, “Please, may I borrow a phone o-or can you show me where my car is? It was in the Everfree Forest Reserve parking lot. It should still be there. I’ll drive myself.”

Angel scoffed at his pleading display. The woman gave the rabbit a disapproving glare and said to Discord, “I’ll take you back to your car in a bit, but maybe you should rest. You seem a little...agitated, and it’ll help if you took the time to calm down.”

The last two words set something off in Discord. He’s not one to lose his temper easily and more of the type to avoid conflict and any interaction in general. It was only when he was beyond stressed and felt pushed into a corner when he fought back. He raised his head to the woman and shouted, “Calm down? CALM DOWN?! I can NOT calm down! I have no idea where I am, what happened to me, and whether or not I’m insane! I am out of my element, I am at my limit, and all I want to do is get the fuck out here!”

Both the rabbit and woman froze in shock at his harsh words. The bunny moved a few steps closer as if to punch him out like a boxer, but the woman placed a foot to block his advance. Her shock slowly turned to annoyance. Discord could see the light in her eyes fade. “Figures,” she finally managed to say. “I thought you would be different. Guess not.” She snapped her fingers on her (normal?) right hand. A large click noise filled the room. The woman approached the door to the room and placed a hand on the handle.

The woman coldly looked back at the frazzled man. “This will lead to straight to your car,” she said in a neutral tone. “Never come back to the Everfree Forest and you’ll never see me or anything weird again. And don’t worry, you’ll be safe from those thugs. They only wanted me.” With that, she walked away from the door and turned her back to Discord. She tried to busy herself by cleaning up whatever was on the desk in the room, obviously waiting for him to leave. The rabbit gave Discord a look that was borderline murderous but soon followed the woman to give him space toward the door.

Discord quickly grabbed his things and rushed to the exit. He flew open the door and was almost blinded by the light. On the other side of the door was the Everfree Forest at what appeared to be the break of dawn. The exit seemed to be in the heart of the forest with no connection to a building or structure. Whether or not it was a magic portal didn’t even cross his mind. He just added it to the other things he couldn’t logically explain today.

Discord’s car was within view of the door, only a hundred or so feet away. There it was; Freedom. Sanity. A world where things made sense. No strange talking bunnies or women with branches in their heads or rooms made for tree spirits. He could go to the hospital, check on his wounds and mental status, and go home if he got a clean bill of health. He could never return to the Everfree Forest. He could let the memory slowly turn into a dream or a hallucination he could ignore as the decades went by.

He could leave it all behind.

Despite all reasoning, this thought created a twinge of guilt in the back of Discord’s mind. He was basically left for dead in the woods, and despite the strange circumstances, he was saved by this strange woman. The bandages and comfy room were all evidence of that. He knew if he left things off here, in this irritable state, he would be thinking back on this moment at 3 AM for the rest of his life.

Dammit.

Once again, Discord’s guilty conscience won the debate. He closed the door and took a few steps toward the woman. He took a deep breath and said in a soft whisper, “I’m sorry.”

The woman’s ears perked up at the sentence. She turned around and acted surprised to see the man still standing there. Quickly she put on a facade of annoyance and said, “You’re sorry forrrrr...?”

Discord harrumphed. So, this was how she was going to play this. Still, he understood why. He said through trembling lips, “I’m s-s-sorry for shouting like that. That was incredibly rude of me.” The Angel bunny scoffed and mumbled, “Bet your britches, it was.” Discord (begrudgingly) continued, “You...saved my life, didn’t you? You were that voice in the woods. The one that scared off the hunters.”

The lady shrugged, still playing nonchalant. “It wasn’t that hard. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

“Still, you helped me, and I imagine these bandages were also from you.” He exposed one of his covered arms as if to give an example. “I...I should be grateful. Th-Thank you.”

The last comment made the woman relax her posture. She turned to Discord and softly said, “You’re welcome.”

Bringing up the hunters formed a new question in his mind. He asked, “What happened to the group, by the way?”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I took care of it.”

He did not like the sound of that. “You didn’t...you know..?”

The woman took a few seconds to decipher what he meant. Her eyes bulged and she scoffed, “What, kill them? Don’t be daft. I may like to have my fun now and again, but it’s all for show. It was easy to scare them off. Some possessed vines, a few grabbing trees, a looming shadow here and there.” She paused and moved a bit closer to Discord. There was a new devious smile forming on her lips. “Except for their leader. He’s been on my ass for a while. Let’s just say he’ll have...a new perspective on life.”

The bunny jumped high in the air to add, “She turned him into a snail. Ha!”

Discord backed up a few feet. “W-w-what?!”

The girl made a pssh noise and waved him off. “Oh, he’ll be fine! If he stays alive for 24 hours, it’ll wear off on its own. All he has to do is find a mushroom or log to hide in and he’ll be good as new.”

Discord felt dizzy again. He tried to take deep breaths as this new information bombarded his sense of self. “Th-this isn’t a concussion or a dream, is it?” he whispered mostly to himself. “This-this is all real?”

“As real as me, buster,” she said with a toothy grin. A look of realization soon appeared on her face. “What’s your name, by the way?”

Discord froze. Should he give his name? He recalled in the fantasy books he read about fairies and supernatural creatures using people’s names to control them. But this woman didn’t look like a fairy. She didn’t look like anything he ever saw before. Honestly, he was too tired and frightened to think of a fake name. Without thinking, the words tumbled out of his mouth, “D-Discord.”

The woman laughed. It was light and airy and sent a chill down Discord’s spine (out of fear or fascination, he wasn’t sure). She said, “And here I thought my parents were the worst at names. Your name doesn’t exactly emit cheer and happiness, does it?”

He was sort of used to that response. It was an uncommon name. He remembered the story his mother told him on how she was an avid reader of horoscopes during her pregnancy with him. She read on the day he was born, “The world is full of uncertainty and chaos, but the path to change starts with a bit of discord.” And that’s how the name stuck. Not wanting to share his personal history, he gave a noise of approval and said, “I do enough of that on my own.”

The woman laughed again while Angel smirked in approval. Discord couldn’t help but join in the laugh. The previous tension in the air had vanished completely. The logic part of his brain suddenly kicked in and he thought, ‘Wait, what am I doing? I need to get out of here.’ However, before he left, he wanted to at least know who it was that saved him. He asked, “What about your name?”

The woman looked hesitant. “Fluttershy,” she drew out through closed teeth as though it was the most embarrassing name to admit to the world. “I think it was a hopeful wish on my parent’s end, but hey, I live to disappoint people’s expectations.” She said the last part with a light chuckle. Discord nodded in solidarity and said, “And this is your home? The Everfree Forest?”

“Yep, has been for a while now,” she said while patting the walls covered in leaves and flowers. “It has a natural magic that makes it easier to stay hidden. Let’s just say I like my privacy.” The newly appointed Fluttershy then turned to the man and gave another devious grin. “Think I’ve seen you a few times sneaking around at night. Not trying to hide dead bodies or something, are ya?”

Discord sputtered at the accusation. He could not get a good reading on her or what she would say next. He said as fast as he could, “N-n-no, no no! I-I just like to look at the stars and this is the best area for them! That’s all!”

Fluttershy paused and made a huh sound. “It is? I haven’t checked myself. Never caught my interest.” She stepped a bit closer to Discord and said inquisitively, “You’re a bit of a weirdo, aren’t you?”

“Uhhhhh...” Discord was at a loss on what to say next. It was bad enough he admitted his uncommon hobby, but now she was mocking him? Her, a woman with tree antlers and butterfly wings?! How was he still the outcast in this situation? Fluttershy saw the confusion in his face and corrected, “Relax, will ya? It’s a compliment.” She followed up this sentence with a light tap of his arm (the arm was still a bit sore from the cuts, but Discord hid his grimace).

Angel walked closer to the woman and said, “Fluttershy, maybe we shouldn’t fraternize with a mortal. We’re already taking a risk with saving his life an’ all.”

“Nahhh, he’s cool,” she assured the rabbit as she bent down to give a light head pat. “I can tell by his eyes.”

Discord rapidly blinked in confusion. His piercing red and yellow eyes? Usually that was what pushed people away. Though he guessed it made sense for a woman with non-human arms and legs to see the comfort in something unusual. Still, he felt his heart rate pick up in pace. This was enough social interaction for a lifetime. He needed to go. He grabbed his supplies, approached the door and said, “I should go. I’ve taken enough of your time. Thank you again, for everything. If there’s anything I can do to thank you, let me know.”

Fluttershy paused petting her rabbit and stood up. Her smile was gone, her face inexpressive. She quickly walked over to Discord and didn’t stop until she was a few feet away from his face. With her face this close, he could see her eye colors were slightly different to each other. Her left eye was a teal color with a touch of more blue than green, while the right eye was the same teal but with more green than blue. They almost looked like they sparkled like gemstones. She said in a light whisper, “You mean it?”

A light flush climbed up Discord’s neck and ears. He was not used to anyone being this close. He managed to say, “W-what?”

“Do you mean it?”

“Y-yes?” He was starting to wonder if he accidentally insulted her. If she could change her shape and create portals in doors, who knows what she would do to him. Would she keep him prisoner? Demand payment? Swear to secrecy or obedience through a blood pact?

Fluttershy smiled again, showing off her small, sharper than usual canines. “Alright, then take me wherever you go next time you’re here.”

That was not the answer Discord was expecting. “W-what?”

She continued, “How about next week, same time as the gang attack? They shouldn’t bug us anymore.”

“What?”

“Welp, you better get going,” she opened the door for Discord and started pushing him through the threshold. “Don’t want a search party to form, do you? Okay, see you later, thanks, byyeeeee!” And with that, the door was closed with a soft click.

Discord turned and saw his car in the distance. He turned back expecting the door, but there was nothing there except the endless, vast forest. He was all alone, with his chair, flashlight, and a million questions. He was back to the normal world. But nothing was normal. Not anymore. All Discord could do was yell a single word.

“WHAT?!”

Chapter 4

A screen of white enveloped Discord’s eyes. He had been staring at the computer screen for five minutes now. He was supposed to write an email to someone about something, he couldn’t remember. His mind was too scattered and unfocused to recall his next steps. This wasn’t like him, but how could he focus when his supposed rendezvous with an ethereal woman was in less than 12 hours?!

As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he was like this all week. He missed the deadline on a bunch of his usual reports. He was spaced out at the weekly meeting. He would walk into rooms and forget why he entered in the first place. A passive-aggressive email from Trixie from HR was even sent to him noting his lack of attentiveness in his work (to be fair, every little thing seemed to set off Trixie from HR, so it wasn’t a big surprise).

He really, really tried to pass off the whole event in the forest as a dream or a mental break. Sadly, there were still little reminders throughout the week. When he got home, the green leaf bandages were still on his arms and neck. Light scarring remained from the cuts throughout the week. His flashlight and chair were still a bit damaged from the tussle with the hunters. All of these facts kept him in the current reality he stumbled in: Magic was real. People were hunting said magic. And there was a mysterious women named Fluttershy hiding in the forest who had more power than he ever faced before.

Discord tried to think of ways to get out of the meetup, but most ended with him moving to a new country and changing his identity. Who knows if that was enough to hide from a woman who can do whatever she wanted at the snap of her fingers? Out of curiosity, he checked a weather website. Maybe, if he was lucky, the weather will be too bad to stargaze. The website took forever to fully load. After some searching and scrolling, Discord found his answer: The forecast predicted an 80% chance of rain. He doubled checked with a few other websites. The rest of the sites had precise results ranging from 80%-90%.

Discord felt his shoulders relax a bit. Never in his life would he be happy to be rained out for one of his outings. Still, even with this high chance of a downpour, he still had to show up. He had no way to communicate with her, and he was afraid of the repercussions if he appeared to have ditched. He still had to make the long drive to his possible doom.

He glanced at the clock on his computer. 4:02 PM. For once, why couldn’t the usual Friday time dilation keep him at work a little longer?

=================

The drive to the forest was eerily quiet. Discord didn’t want to distract himself with any music or podcasts this time. The only comfort he had was the rain he was wiping away from his windshield. If this rain kept up, he could stroll up to the strange woman, say that the weather’s too bad for tonight, and try to think of a way to not come back. Would saying he was suddenly allergic to grass work? He doubted it.

By the time he pulled into the Everfree Forest parking lot, the rain had subsided to a light drizzle. He hoped the weather would still be bad enough to cancel. Taking one last deep breath for luck, Discord left his car and headed toward the fence.

Sure enough, at the edge of the forest entrance, was Fluttershy. She wasn’t looking in Discord’s direction and instead was looking deep into the forest. She had a look of stoic concentration across her face, and Discord was afraid she was already mad at him for something. However, when she caught his movement up the path, her face softened as she gave a small smirk.

When he was close enough, Discord managed to say, “I’m here.”

Fluttershy’s smirk became bigger, and she said with a little sass, “You sure are.” She strolled up toward him until she was only an arm’s reach away. She said, “Care to lead the way?”

Right, she didn’t know about his specific spot. It was a little reassuring he wasn’t followed around like a hawk by her every time he entered the nature reserve. He mumbled a quiet committal noise and made his way to his usual path.

Both of them managed to make it through the small opening in the fence without much trouble. It was through this action Discord was able to take in Fluttershy’s current appearance. She was in the mismatch state like she originally appeared. Most of her oddities were covered by a long, dark blue cloak with a hood, but the hood was kept down, leaving her tree antlers swaying with the wild breeze. She caught him staring, so Discord tried to explain, “Oh, sorry, it’s just, you still have-”

“Oh, right,” Fluttershy said while patting her non-broken antler. She hid herself more in her cloak as she said, “Want me to put them away?”

“No, no, you don’t have to!” Discord said with a vague gesture. After their first encounter stewed in his mind for the past week, he honestly wasn’t that frightened of her anymore (based on her looks, at least. He had other, more powerful things to worry about). He tried to explain, “I mean, if that makes you feel-or if there’s a-whatever’s more comfortable for you.”

Fluttershy put her hand down, gave a simple smile and said, “Okay.” They continued their walk in silence. A full minute had passed before she broke the silence by saying, “I’m amazed you haven’t asked me yet.”

“Huh?”

“My whole...appearance, as it were. That’s what most people ask me. Well, usually they scream the question at me while running away or looking for pitchforks.”

Discord moved his gaze to the ground. He honestly wasn’t sure how much she was exaggerating with that last statement. He mumbled, “Well, I didn’t want to be rude.”

“My, my, aren’t you a gentleman?” she said with a hint of her sass again. “I haven’t seen much of that during this century.”

The two of them went back to silence. Discord was afraid to bring up the elephant in the room, but he figured he might as well get some information. After all, this whole setup was already super tense, might as well dive headfirst into the awkwardness. He turned to her and said, “C-can I ask? About your appearance?”

Fluttershy shrugged her shoulders and said, “Sure, no fur off my back.” The phrasing made Discord jump a bit, so she added, “What? It’s a joke. Relax, man.”

She quickened her pace and went ahead of Discord before speaking. She said in a nonchalant way, “I look like this because I have draconequus blood.”

“D-dracano-what?”

She let out a quick laugh. “Exactly. My guess is you’re new to all of this.”

Discord spread out his arms in exasperation. “Wouldn’t everybody?”

“You’d be amazed. Fine, I’ll teach you the basics.” Fluttershy stopped walking and turned to Discord. She went on, “The abridged, kid’s fairy tale version of it all is this: The inhabitants of this world used to be connected to the different energies of the universe. That’s what most people call ‘Magic.’ People used it all the time and even magical creatures were born. This is where you get your stories full of wizards and dragons and five-headed chickens and stuff.

“Then, something happened. No one knows if there was a shift in the world’s connection or something else entirely, but the majority of people and animals couldn’t access the energies anymore. Magical-based creatures died, and humans had to rely on their own inventions and ingenuity to survive. Only certain humans and creatures managed to keep some connection, but it’s significantly weaker than what it used to be.”

Fluttershy paused and looked to the ground. She said the last part with a hint of dejection. For Discord, the tone made it sound like she saw the decline in the magical world personally over the centuries.

The story enraptured Discord. He asked, “You said you have draconequus blood. I’m guessing that has magic?”

“Kind of,” said Fluttershy. A smile grew on her face as she continued, “We’re our own entity of creatures who have access to the best magic of all: Chaos magic!” As soon as she said the last word, she snapped the fingers on her wooden hand in a grand flourish. A bush nearby instantly grew an extra 3 feet and sprouted an unseen flower with red and blue polka dots. Discord jumped back and held back a scream.

Fluttershy approached the bush with excitement in her eyes. She started plucking some of the flowers while she elaborated, “Think about it. The little changes and effects in the world that pop out of nowhere. The smallest changes that go on to start the biggest domino effect. The disorder found in life that leads to revolution and change for the better. There’s magic behind it, whether you notice it or not.”

She tucked some of the flowers in a hidden pocket in her cloak. She went on to say, “So draconequus like me have access to that. Sort of. The connection to the chaos magic of the world has been diminished over the years. Whether it was the lost connection or how we had to share our lineage with humans for survival.”

She plucked one last flower and handed it to Discord. He hesitated at first but saw the importance of this gesture. He took it (hoping it didn’t burn or change his skin) and placed it in his jacket pocket. Sensing the explanation was over, he continued to walk to the clearing while Fluttershy followed. To fill the new void of silence, he asked, “So, this chaos magic, I’m guessing the Everfree Forest is full of it? You said it had some natural magic.”

“It does, but most nature reserves untouched by technology is full of chaos magic,” she clarified. “If you think about it, nothing is as chaotic as nature itself.”

Discord wasn’t sure he fully understood, but the time for more questions was coming to an end. The clearing was right in front of them now. He led the way through the knee-high grass while Fluttershy inspected the area with interest. Discord looked up; the sky was still full of clouds from the earlier rainstorm. Now was the time to wiggle his way out of this situation. Though talking to her did seem to go better than he planned.

“Right,” he said with a tone of finality, “we’re here.” Fluttershy was nearby and soon noticed the cloudy state. Discord said, “Yes, the clouds. I’m sorry for dragging you out here like this. I didn’t know how to warn you ahead of time. I checked the weather apps, and they predicted something like this. We can head back.”

Fluttershy just looked up, shrugged her shoulders, and said, “No worries. I got this.” With another snap of her fingers, the landscape changed in an instant. The clouds parted as if they were repulsed with each other. A circular opening with the circumference of three football fields hung above their heads. The whole field was illuminated by a full moon which Discord forgot would appear tonight. The stars and galaxies seemed to be brighter and clearer compared to his previous trips.

The whole ordeal left him breathless, but it wasn’t due to fear. He was mesmerized. “That’s amazing...” he managed to choke out.

Fluttershy let out a small laugh. “Really?” she said in a teasing voice. “I just told you about all the magic and chaos in the world, and you’re still surprised? Don’t tell me you weren’t listening. I should give out quizzes after my monologues to check for listening comprehension.”

“It’s...still amazing,” he replied. He was truly moved. Sure, she wanted to come along and needed a way to remove any obstacles, but Discord never had someone do a grand gesture like that for him in his life. He was used to being forgotten about or avoided. He turned to the magical woman and simply said, “Thank you.”

If Discord didn’t know any better, he could swear he saw a slight flush to Fluttershy’s face. She turned her head and mumbled, “It’s nothing. You caught me on a good day when I’m not tuckered out. You’d be amazed how many animals need help which requires magic.”

The two of them stared at the wonders of the sky for a few minutes. They were silent, but the silence wasn’t as suppressing or awkward as before. Discord was amazed he was comfortable with someone nearby for what he considered his private hobby. Yet she seemed to respect it. Discord continued looking up, catching the last bits of the Perseid meteor shower as they blinked in and out of sight.

“You know,” Fluttershy said, “we could be closer.”

“Closer?” Discord wasn’t sure what she meant. There weren’t any mountains or even large hills nearby.

“Sure, but wait. Do you get airsick?”

“Airsick? No, but what does that have to do-AHHH!!” Discord’s sentence was cut off by the sense of weightlessness. He felt a strong wind keeping his eyes closed. He felt what he imagined to be Fluttershy’s furry hand holding his. His grip became tighter, sensing that having her nearby would keep him safe. After a few agonizing seconds, he heard Fluttershy say, “You can open your eyes now.”

Discord (reluctantly) opened his eyes and almost lost his lunch, dinner, and whatever snacks that remained in his stomach. He was floating a few miles high off the ground! He snapped his eyes shut and grasped Fluttershy’s hand with both of his hands. He could hear her scoff and say, “Relax, will you? I got you.”

“H-h-h-how can I relax?!” He kept his eyes shut and tightened his grip. Talking was not helping his unease at all.

“Geez, you going to break my hand at this rate. I wouldn’t have taken you up here unless I knew I could handle it. Trust me.”

“T-this is t-t-too much. Please, p-p-put me down.”

Fluttershy sighed. Discord heard her voice closer to his ear as she said, “Look, I’ll take you down if you want, but before we do, will you please just look up?”

He really didn’t want to anything that involved confirming the fact he was dangling over the earth, but he figured he was not in a position to argue. He sighed, opened his eyes, and looked up.

Nothing could prepare Discord for what he saw. The wonders of the night sky seemed to surround him at all sides. Swirls of unexpected colors from faraway galaxies were so close now he felt he could touch them. He wasn’t just a watching participant anymore; he was a part of it.

“Wow,” he heard himself say without expecting it. He vaguely saw Fluttershy at the corner of his vision, most likely giving a self-satisfied grin. She said, “Yeah. Better, right?”

Discord just nodded and continued staring at the sky. He still held a death grip on her hand, but the fear of falling was slowly diminishing with each passing second. The two returned to their stargazing without a word.

The need to quell his curiosity eventually got to Discord again. He said without looking away from the stars, “Those people in the woods, they were looking for you for your magic, I’m guessing?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Sadly. There are those who still hunt down the entities left with magic. You know, for the usual stuff: Power, fame, unstoppable force, etc.”

Discord wasn’t sure how to respond to that. He couldn’t imagine running away from people who just wanted to hurt him all the time. All he could manage was a simple, “That’s rough.”

“Yeah, but I’m good. Just have to keep my guard up sometimes. Around everyone.” She used her free hand to push her hair out of her face and turned away from Discord. He could tell it must have been a touchy subject. In a move he would probably regret later, he prodded on by saying, “Are...are they all bad? Maybe some of them just need some help?”

She turned back to face him. Despite her youthful face, he could sense a long history of betrayal and burned bridges behind those eyes. She said with no emotion in her voice, “Trust me, no matter the intention, trying to gain magic that’s not yours leads to trouble. Every time. Hell, having magic alone is its own trouble, and many people try to repress it or try to pass as normal.” She said the next part with a new wave of conviction, “But not me. I’m proud of my draconequus blood, and I will not let anyone tell me what to do with my magic. I’m no one’s plaything.”

Discord was left speechless. He honestly didn’t know what to do about this. True, he wasn’t planning on taking her magic or using her for his own needs, but she didn’t know that. Why is she spending time with him if she can’t trust others? What made him so special? Why was he roped into this whole thing at all? The questions seemed to swirl in both his head and his already weakened stomach.

Fluttershy didn’t seem to catch this and instead changed the subject. She asked, “So, this is what you do? You just...sit here?”

Discord wouldn’t consider their current position as “sitting,” but he fought back the urge to be a stickler. He said, “Yeah. It’s not much, but I like it.”

“Why?”

Ah, yes. The question that has been haunting Discord for years. It was something he was still trying to figure out himself. He considered giving a vague non-answer, but something about Fluttershy opening up made him want to share the feeling.

He said after a minute of thinking, “I’m honestly not sure. I came here when I was du- when I was at a low point in my life. I felt like a nobody and listless. I felt like I had to live up to someone’s- hell, anyone’s expectations, and I kept failing at it.

“Then I came here. Sure, it was just the sky, but I guess it opened up something in me. Here was something bigger and more random and listless than me. And it was fine, the earth kept turning. It made me feel less of a failure.”

Discord turned to Fluttershy. She was staring intently at the stars. God, he must have bored her to tears. He followed up by saying, “I’m sorry, that got weird. I didn’t mean to bother you with my bul-”

“I get it.”

“Huh?”

“I get it,” she repeated. “At least the ‘living up to other people’s expectations’ part. It’s hard, and it sucks. So, I get it.”

Huh. Discord was not expecting one of his rambles to be relatable to a chaotic being of power. Then again, I guess trying to find your place in the universe is a common emotion.

Fluttershy didn’t follow up her statements, and neither did Discord. They just stared and relaxed and enjoyed each other’s company. For once, his mind didn’t lean towards the endless list of ways he could screw up this interaction. He didn’t feel the need to fill the silence with hollow chitchat. Instead, he felt a sense of deep connection he didn’t really feel toward others.

It was nice.

After a solid period of silence, Fluttershy turned to him and asked, “Wanna see me change to a different section of the world? We can try to catch the aurora borealis.”

Discord tightened his grip once again (he wasn’t going to be losing his fear of heights anytime soon) but nodded and bravely said, “Sure.”

=================

The ground was a luxury Discord would never take for granted again. He resisted the urge to kiss it as they walked back toward the parking lot. Despite all the magical shenanigans and literal new perspective creating a new sense of fear, this was one of the most memorable outings he had for a long time. Overall, he was grateful for making it out here.

He said to Fluttershy, “Thank you again, for all of this.”

She gave a toothy smile and said, “I should be thanking you. Now I got a new thing in my forest to check out.”

As much as Discord wanted to leave everything like it was, he knew he had to ask. With the remaining bits of his courage, he said, “Fluttershy, can I ask you something?”

“Fire away, buster.”

“Why did you set this up? It sounds like...normal people like me shouldn’t get involved with this magic stuff. You could have erased my memories later on or ban me from the forest or something. So, why? Why...do you trust me?”

Now it was Fluttershy’s turn to be introspective. She stared at something far off as she tried to find the proper words. After what felt like an eternity, she said, “I have my reasons. For one thing, I know you’re not going to exploit me. Don’t act like you’re some nefarious, evil mastermind or something. It’s obvious you’re just a weird, boring guy.”

Discord would have been more insulted, but he kind of agreed on that fact. She continued, “Besides, I just had a good feeling about you. After you saved me and all, and let’s face it, it’s nice to talk to a human after being with animals for so long. Don’t get me wrong, they’re great, but you can only hear about winter preparation and the best berries to eat before you start to-”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Discord managed to say while stopping their walk. “What do you mean I saved your life? You saved mine.”

“Hmm?” Fluttershy stared at him like he wasn’t making sense. Then it hit her. “Oh, right! I never told you. Here, this should refresh your memory.” Another SNAP and something big and showy was suddenly behind her. It was an array of giant, furry tails of different colors arranged like peacock feathers. Fluttershy posed like she was ready to model on a catwalk. Discord stared intently; the color scheme, the texture, it looked so familiar...

The realization hit Discord like a bus. “You were the fox?!”

Fluttershy nodded and snapped the tails away. “You caught me when I used up most of my magic for the day fixing a dispute between some beavers.” She leaned in to whisper the next part, “Never get on their bad side, by the way. They will tear up your house’s walls in a millisecond.”

She stepped back and said, “Anyways, I was exhausted that day. All I had the energy to do was escape when those hunters came. I never thanked you for that. So, thanks.”

Discord nodded and mumbled a small, “No problem.” Thinking back on that first night, some parts were starting to make sense. He didn’t question anything at the time, but now everything was glaringly obvious. He could see how magic was still unknown by the general public if people are so quick to dismiss the unexplained. With Fluttershy’s display finished, they continued their walk in silence.

The parking lot was soon in viewing distance for both of them. Fluttershy readjusted her cloak and said, “You should be heading back, I imagine. Thanks for indulging me. Feel free to come back anytime. I’ll leave you be.”

Wait, just like that? She wouldn’t bother him anymore? No more prodding or expectations? Discord was amazed and a bit relieved. This magic business was not good for his health.

Still, he felt something hollow inside of him. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to happen after this outing. Sure, he started wanting to run away, but then he got to know more about this strange, alluring woman. This sweet yet sassy woman who had her own worries and dreams. She probably felt isolated being in these woods all the time. She probably didn’t have anyone to truly talk to. It was all too familiar to Discord.

After a lengthy pause, he said, “You can join me next time.”

Fluttershy was on her way back into the forest, but the sentence made her stop in her tracks. She turned and looked at him in a puzzled expression. “Really?” she said while raising one of her eyebrows.

Discord had to admit to himself; he wasn’t planning on saying that either. Still, it felt right. He continued, “Well, the Perseid meteor show is over, but there’s the Leonids one in mid-November, and I usually just come out for regular stargazing too. W-we don’t have to do that either! We can just talk or hang out i-if you want.”

God, this was just like high school all over again. Any plans to interact and socialize and it falls apart under his awkwardness. Fluttershy didn’t seem to be bothered by that, though. She just smiled and said, “Well, aren’t you a complex Rubik’s cube? Thought I pegged you as a lone wolf type of guy.”

“I am, usually,” Discord said while he crossed his arms as a weak form of protection, “But I didn’t mind our talks. And-well, to be honest, it sounded like you needed a friend.”

The last word made Fluttershy lower her head and give a low sounding chuckle. “A friend, huh,” she mumbled to the ground. “Haven’t had one of those in a long time.”

Discord stepped closer to the one-of-a-kind woman. “Well,” he said after a moment of hesitation, “You have one now, if you’re willing.” The two of them then stared at each other, trying to read the other’s emotions. Discord was trying his best to appear brave in his new social choice, while Fluttershy’s face was etched with curiosity and a little bit of hope.

Discord felt the awkwardness starting to creep back into the air. He tried to salvage it as best as he could by saying, “I-I should warn you, I’m not good at social stuff, and I’ll probably put my foot in my mouth, especially with this new magic stuff, and I should figure out how to contact you better and-” he paused and sighed. “This isn’t making much sense, is it?”

Fluttershy gave a louder, lighter laugh compared to before. Discord blushed and looked away. Already he messed it up, great. Fluttershy seemed to sense this and said with her usual level of sass, “Hey, what fun is there in making sense?”

Chapter 5

It had been raining nonstop for the last few days. Usually, this kind of weather made Discord lethargic and moody. However, he was in an unusual chipper mood. His coworkers spent an extra second glancing at him, wondering what changed his attitude recently. Some even snickered and had a not so nice comment whispered behind his back. He didn’t care. For once, he was enjoying the company of another person. Even if that person is a magic-infused entity in the woods he was still figuring out.

Despite the bad weather, Discord and Fluttershy were hanging out every few days or so. They communicated through texts every other day. ”I’m not a caveman,” she said when Discord acted surprised she had a phone. Though said phone had a thick, green stem piercing the back. At the end of the stem was a peculiar white flower which twitched toward the nearest light source. His best guess for its purpose was to power the phone indefinitely.

When they weren’t texting, Discord would come by the forest during the off-hours. She was usually nearby and would take him to the clearing to stargaze or back to her home via portal. Her “home” was much like the room he stayed in, covered in different types and shades of nature. Animals of all shapes and sizes were inside the home, looking to Fluttershy for love and attention (including that snarky bunny which still glared at Discord).

Discord had seen the living room, kitchen, and an animal play area at this point. Fluttershy seemed to make a point to show a new section of her house every time he visited. It felt like she made a new room every time just to impress him.

This interaction had been going on for about a month now, but it still felt like they were still just getting to know each other. They only shared safe topics like work (numbers and spreadsheets for Discord, animal handling/tiny bits of chaos for Fluttershy), the weather/constellations, and small bits of activity happening in their lives. She offered strange tea concoctions he drank after some hesitation (most of them turned out pretty good). Fluttershy even showed off some bits of chaotic magic for him to marvel at.

Mostly, it was just nice. He didn’t find many people to talk to that didn’t also activate his fight or (mostly) flight reflexes. Sure, he had a few internal debates on whether he said the right thing or not, but she would continue talking to him like nothing was wrong. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, this has been filling his very empty social battery.

It was another Friday afternoon, and Discord had plans to do more stargazing with Fluttershy later that night. However, he still had to get through his usual amount of work. Luckily, it was the end of the month, so he was allowed an hour and a half lunch break due to a work perk from the company. He was about to log off his computer and head out when he heard the familiar ding from his inbox. Holding back a groan, he sat back down to skim it before moving on. Last thing he needed was one of his bosses thinking he was avoiding work.

The email was short and simple, thankfully. It came from Watson, one of the higher-ups he barely interacted with. It read:

Discord,

The new CEO of the Southeast Division would like to take time to meet with his new employees on a personal level. He would like to meet with you within the next week if possible. Please reply with your availability so we can arrange a proper meeting time.

Thanks,

Erik Watson, VP of Sales and Communication

Discord found it a bit strange, but nothing he couldn’t handle. He knew some newer bosses liked to be more personable when they’re first hired. It was supposed to create a better working relationship or trust for the company or whatever. He shrugged and rapidly typed the free time in his schedule. It was probably a meet-and-greet type of thing that would last five minutes. He would be most likely forgotten about, and he can move on with his work.

With that last bit of formality out of the way, he stretched, loosened his tie a bit and made his way down to the ground floor.

=================

The rain continued to pour at a constant rate while Discord made his way to a local deli. It was only a few blocks away, so he didn’t bother with an umbrella. Thankfully, since it was past 1PM, the wait wasn’t too bad, and there were even a few tables available to sit. Not wanting to go back to the office just yet, he sat down at a nearby booth with his modest meal.

He unwrapped his sandwich while pulling out his phone. No texts from Fluttershy yet. That’s fine; that’ll leave plenty of time to think about what to talk about later tonight.

He proceeded to his usual scrolling on his 3-4 sites when he saw a flash of something in the corner of his eye. It was...bright. And quick. Whatever it was, it disappeared just as fast. He ignored it and continued scrolling. Discord didn’t look up until he heard the familiar sound of scraping wood on tile. He glanced up.

The first thing he noticed was the pink. It wasn’t a soft, subtle pink like Fluttershy’s hair. It was loud, screaming for attention with its bold, radical color. The pink came from tight curls framing a petite woman’s face. The colors on her tank top and pants were in more bright shades of pink, yellow, and blue. She had a grin that seemed to encompass half of her face.

And she was sitting right across from Discord. Staring at him.

This was not a good start.

Thinking she must have mistaken him for someone else, he was about to say something when she grinned even harder and said in a sickening sweet voice, “Hiya there, stranger!”

Well, that was one question answered; he was a stranger to her. Doesn’t explain the close proximity and the smiling being used as a weapon. Discord averted her gaze but managed a weak, prolonged, “...Hi.”

The girl took it as a sign to unleash whatever was in her head. She pointed to his lunch and said, “Ooo! Is that a sandwich? Looks pretty tasty!”

If this was a way to beg for money for food, it was a tactic he hadn’t run into yet. He figured it was best to treat this as direct and plain as possible. Any emotion could lead to her using it as a weak point. Shrugging, he continued eating and said, “It’s just a Reuben sandwich. You can grab it over there.”

The girl squealed in response and prattled on, “Oh, you’re right! I should pick something for lunch. What do you think? Soup? A salad? Something with bread? Ooo, maybe one of those soups that come in a bread bowl. Best of both worlds, am I right? But maybe I should think of dessert first.”

Discord probably shouldn’t add more fuel to the fire, but the last line did spark his curiosity. “Dessert?” he said.

“Well, it’s the best thing to look forward to!” she exclaimed while slamming her hands on the table for emphasis. “Don’t you hate it when you have to wait until your finish your meal before you can have dessert? Who decided that? Wasn’t me, that’s for sure.”

As “enrapturing” this conversation was for Discord, he could feel his flight reflexes go into overdrive. He was hoping to avoid the office, but he could hang out in the break room if this woman was going to keep pestering him. He bagged up his food and said in a nonchalant tone, “I should be heading back to work. Have a good day, miss.” He then proceeded to walk as quickly as he could without going into a full sprint.

Discord was a block away before he turned back to check. No sign of hot pink anywhere. Thank goodness. He slowed down a bit and took a breath. Sadly, it was the wrong time to relax as the woman popped out of a nearby street corner. He almost dropped his sandwich in shock.

“Aww, you gotta go back to work?” she whined. “But it’s such a nice day!”

Okay, now she was making no sense. It was still gray and raining. He wanted to fight back on this point but saw no reasoning with her. He picked up his pace again.

The woman followed closely behind. “Sure, it’s a little rain, but we need the rain for flowers. And I heard there’s supposed to be sunshine later today! I can’t wait! You know what? We should have a time for recess, but for adults!”

‘Are you an adult?’ Discord thought to himself. She certainly didn’t act like it. He continued to say nothing and kept walking.

The woman seemed to bounce nearby as she chattered away, “I should open up a play area myself! Super Happy Fun Time Land and Park! I should look into trademarking it. I could- ”

That’s it. Discord reached his limit. He stopped in his tracks, turned to the woman and said, “Look, I’m sorry to interrupt, but is there something you want from me? I don’t carry money if you want change.”

“Oh, I don’t need anything, silly!” the woman said with a giggle. “I’m just serving as the distraction!”

“The what?”

As soon as he uttered the sentence, he felt strong hands pulling on both of his arms. He was slammed onto a brick wall of a nearby alley, hitting his head in the process. His vision swam as she tried to focus on his attackers. One of them put a hand up to his face. His vision must have been affected because the hand appeared to be glowing. The glow seemed to sap his energy as he effortlessly fell into an unconscious state.

=================

The first thing Discord focused on was his throbbing headache. It pulsed insistently behind his eyes. The next thing he noticed behind his head pain was the feeling of his arms and legs being restrained. They felt like they were tied up to a cold, metal chair. Finally, his eyes were able to focus on his environment and his current situation.

The room was cramped, possibly a converted storage room. There was a table and a couple of chairs shoved into a corner behind him, and boxes of hidden supplies stacked in random areas. There was a whiteboard on the wall with what looked like random articles, papers, and photos pinned to it. It was only missing the red string to be the stereotypical conspiracy board. The room had one door exit and no windows, the only light source coming from a buzzing fluorescent light above his head.

Discord wasn’t the only one in this room. The bubblegum distraction woman was behind him, sitting on a table and digging through one of the boxes. She would pull out some papers or a small knickknack, shrug, and continue with her search.

There were two other women on the other side of the room, talking amongst themselves. The two of them looked like complete opposites of each other. One had a simple outfit made up of a plaid shirt, ripped jeans, sneakers, and a beat-up cowboy hat. She fit the cowgirl archetype with her defined muscles and tanned skin.

The other was the definition of prim and proper. She wore a short, white, sparkly dress that hugged her curves. She accented her look with dark blue high heels, a small purse that most likely came from an expensive designer, and purple, stylized curls framing her face. The only thing that stood out from her ensemble was a small, cone-like horn protruding from her forehead.

“I think you knocked him out too good, Sugarcube,” the cowgirl said with a thick twang while adjusting her hat. Her hat hid thick, golden hair held together by a simple hair tie.

“How was I supposed to know what amount of magic I needed?” said the posh woman in another accent more more appropriate to a city landscape. “Seriously, Darling, it should have been you to do the nabbing. I could’ve broken a nail!” She held out her manicured hands to emphasis her point.

“You know I couldn’t,” the cowgirl said with a sigh. “I was busy with looking for any trace of Flutters nearby. You and Rainbow had to do it. Also, you had the knockout spell.”

“I still say we discuss our roles next time we have a plan like this. I felt like a thug for hire. So drab! So uncouth!”

Discord imagined she would have gone on about her complaints, but then the door to the room opened with a large BANG. Another woman around the same age as the others entered, holding her arms behind her covered head as if she had not a care in the world.

She looked like she crawled out of a gym workout with her running shorts, knee-high socks, running shoes, and an oversized hoodie. Discord apparently didn’t catch her attention as she said to the others, “Twi will be here in a minute. She said to go ahead with the questioning if he wakes up early.”

Discord should have stayed quiet to think of a clever escape plan, but his mouth moved faster than his brain. He muttered to himself, “Great, there’s more of them.”

Since the room was so quiet, his sentence was heard by all four women. They all turned to stare at him in different ways. The cowgirl looked relieved, the posh one looked surprised, and the gym rat glared as if he was hiding something despite being tied up to a chair.

The hyper pink one was the only one to seem happy about his presence. “Ooo, he’s awake!” she squeed and jumped off the table. She was up in Discord’s personal space again in a flash. Her attitude changed as she put on a scowl and growled, “Start talking, tough guy. Or else...”

“W-w-what?” Discord managed to squeak out. He was hoping the other girls in the room made more sense than this one.

Thankfully, the one with the cowboy hat walked over and said, “Don’t do that, Pinkie, you’ll scare the feller.”

“But I thought we agreed I would be Bad Cop!” the aforementioned “Pinkie” whined.

“You also need a Good Cop to make it work,” said the one in the hoodie. She pulled her hood down which showed a clash of primary colors on her head. She crossed her arms and stared at Pinkie as though this wasn’t the first time she had to be explained something.

“Ooo, great idea! Do you want to do it, Rainbow? How about you, Rarity?” the pink haired girl asked while still being a few feet away from Discord. She really must have wanted to play Bad Cop for some reason.

“Thank you, Darling, but I’ll pass,” the prim one said with a wave. “I mean, do you we need to play this game? I’m sure he will be willing to share if we ask properly.”

“If not, ya know I’m down to pull the truth outta him,” the cowgirl said with a smirk.

“Still weird he has any connection to her,” the rainbow-haired woman added. “You sure it wasn’t someone cooler or better dressed?”

“Rainbow, that’s no way to talk to someone who’s sittin’ right there.”

“Don’t see you doing anything useful yet, AJ.”

“Now see here, ya foulmouthed-”

Alright, Discord had reached his limit for the second time today. He was sick of people talking about him when he was still in the room. Trying to take control of the situation, he yelled, “Can any of you please explain what the hell is going on?!”

Everyone left in the room froze in place. Well, that certainly grabbed their attention. Riding on his earlier bravery, Discord said, “I don’t have much money, but you can have whatever I got on me if you let me go. I promise not to say anything to the cops.”

The one named Pinkie was the first to say something. She went back to her “Bad Cop” mode and sneered, “We don’t want your money, Old Man. We just want the facts!”

“I didn’t think he was that old,” whispered the posh woman (possibly Rarity, if Discord had to guess). “Some better tailored clothes could really help capture the strengths of his physique.”

He swallowed his pride and tried to focus on the bigger points. “Facts?” he asked. “On what?”

The rainbow gym one moved closer and also started to act aggressive. “Oh, come on! You know what we’re talking about!”

“No, I don’t! God, what does it take to have people who talk to their victims directly?!” Discord sighed and looked down. He had a pretty good feeling on what they wanted, so might as well confirm it. He stared up at the rainbow one and said, “Are you after any magic? Because I don’t have any.”

The answer made the woman’s eyes light up. “So, you do know about magic!” she exclaimed while adjusting her hoodie. Then, out of thin air, a pair of light blue wings seemed to pop out of hidden holes on her back. She extended her wings to full length, as if she was trying to make herself bigger and scarier. She leaned toward Discord and said with a smirk, “You better start telling us what you know, or else things might end up pretty-”

“GIRLS!”

All four of the women stood to attention at the voice. Discord leaned to the side as much as he could so we could see past the bodies. Standing near the door was yet another woman, but she carried an air of formality and authority. She wore a simple, purple blouse with sensible slacks and flats. She had broader, larger wings compared to the blue winged woman (most likely the “Rainbow” the others called her. Why they did call her that seemed pretty obvious). She also had a horn intrusion on her forehead, but it was longer and had a sharper, possibly deadlier tip.

Discord couldn’t help but gawk at the display. ‘Wings and a horn?’ he pondered. ‘Does she need both? Kind of seems like overkill.’

The rest of the group parted as the winged/horned woman trotted closer. “I see you haven’t properly started on the interrogation yet,” she said with obvious disappointment in her voice. The rest of them gave weak apologies and avoided her gaze. That just left her to stare at her current victim tied to a chair.

She grinned (thankfully, not as wide and creepy as the pink one) and said, “I apologize for the confusion. We’ll have you on your way soon. We just need you to answer a few questions for us. Let’s start with introductions.” She daintily placed a hand to her chest, bringing Discord’s attention to a purple gem on her neck. It appeared to pulse with an inner light. “My name is Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic. What’s yours?”

Discord ignored the question as he tried to piece together what he had seen so far. They appeared to have extra appendages like wings and horns. Did they also have draconequus blood? If so, why did Discord feel like they were completely different compared to Fluttershy? And why were other magic users looking for Fluttershy? They wouldn’t need her chaos magic if they had their own magic to use at their disposal. Discord highly doubted these women would give him the full truth, but maybe starting on the right foot will lead to some answers. He took a calming breath and clearly said, “Discord.”

The purple winged Twilight girl beamed with pride. “Thank you!” she said while placing her hands behind her back. She began pacing around the room as she said, “Now, as you might have guessed, we are affiliated with what you consider ‘magic.’ Also, from what I’ve caught outside the door, it seems you know more about magic than a regular human. Am I right?”

He looked off to the side to think. Best to start with bits and pieces and work his way up. “A bit,” he mumbled.

“Great!” Twilight was beaming again. “That will make explanations easier. You see, we’re looking for someone with powerful magic in particular. She goes by the name Fluttershy. Have you seen her recently?”

“I...uh...” Of course. The million-dollar question. He sure as hell wasn’t going to give her location to a bunch of strangers, especially after the last group of strangers tried to kill her and almost killed him. But what if they actually don’t mean any harm? Discord remembered how Fluttershy was so certain that everyone was out to get her. He was starting to see why.

The one named Rarity clicked over in her unpractical heels and said, “Are you sure this is the right course? We rarely get outside humans involved.”

“Don’t worry, I got this under control,” Twilight said in her strong, authoritative voice. She turned back to Discord and said, “Please, any information you can spare is very important to us.”

He narrowed his eyes. “What do you plan to do to her?”

“Oh-n-nothing, I promise!” she stammered. The strong authority force she carried melted away at the first sign of the unexpected. She quickly regained her composure and continued, “We do need to talk to her about something important and...complicated. Nothing for a non-magic user to worry about!”

Discord scoffed and looked away. “Consider me not convinced.”

“Hey!” the one named Rainbow said while spreading her wings again. “You don’t talk to her that way!”

“Rainbow, let her handle this,” the cowgirl lectured.

Rainbow turned to the cowgirl. “If he thinks he can sass my friend Twi, he has another thing coming!”

“Will it kill ya to control yer damn anger for one minute? You’ll mess things up again!”

“Of course you’d bring that back up you-”

“GIRLS!” Twilight bellowed with a shockwave that felt unearthly. The whole group silenced instantly as Twilight’s anger subsided. “I got this,” she repeated as though she was willing it to be true. She turned back to Discord who was shaken up by the fighting and yelling. “Please, sir, we really need to speak to Fluttershy. Whatever you can spare. We need her connection to the Elements of Harmony now more than ever. There’s something...we need to say to her. I need to say to her.”

The last line was barely uttered. Discord felt a wave of sadness encompass all the women. Whatever happened between them and Fluttershy must have still brought painful memories.

Still, this could be a trap to spill his secrets. He needed to just give enough info to get them out of his life. He’ll talk to Fluttershy about them later and figure out the whole deal. Discord broke the silence by saying, “I...I don’t really know her that well. I met her a couple of times and that’s it.”

Twilight and the rest seemed surprised. “That’s all?” she asked.

“That’s all,” he said with a restricted shrug. Maybe that will be enough to let him go.

Twilight shrugged as if to mimic him and said, “I appreciate your cooperation, but I’m afraid I need to make sure you’re being entirely truthful. Applejack?”

“On it.”

Discord felt two calloused hands press on his shoulders. The cowgirl (who he now guessed as Applejack) had walked behind him in a flash. The grip was firm but not painful. Instead, he felt a strange wave of energy flowing through the fingertips. The waves traveled down his arms and to the rest of his body. His muscles felt tight, and his jaw clenched out of reflex. What were they doing to him?

The earlier kindness Twilight showed earlier went away as a stern expression crossed her face. She leaned down to stare at Discord and said, “What you’re feeling right now is a truth spell. It won’t cause permanent harm on you, but it will make lying very uncomfortable. So, please answer these as best you can. What do you know about Fluttershy?”

Discord’s muscles tighten even harder as he tried to think of an answer. He experimented with a lie in his head, but when he tried letting the words out, his tongue didn’t work right. He felt the urge to spill his guts out, but he couldn’t do that to Fluttershy. Not until he knew who these Element people were and what exactly they wanted. He had to be creative with this. If he could only tell the truth, he had to work with those limits.

After a minute of tightening muscles that almost took his breath away, Discord settled on a truth. He rasped out, “S-s-she has draconequus blood. She controls chaos magic. Her bunny friend is a bit of a prick.”

Twilight nodded along. “Good start,” she said. “Now, tell me, do you know where she lives currently?”

“D-don’t know. I don’t know where her house is.” Which is technically true. He guessed it might be in the Everfree Forest, but since she created a portal every time he visited, he can’t pinpoint its exact location.

Twilight frowned. “Do you know her current whereabouts now?”

“N-n-n-no.” Also true. Fluttershy is a free woman and can be between Canterlot and the Swiss Alps by now. He hoped they didn’t ask more specific questions like if he plans to meet her.

Twilight’s frown turned into a scowl. She looked up to Applejack, but she just shook her head and said, “So far, nothing.”

“It’s very important to us you tell us what you know,” said Twilight. “She can’t be left to her own devices.”

This made Discord’s blood boil. What did they know about Fluttershy? Sure, he only knew her for roughly a month, but she had been fun and sweet and caring the whole time. Yeah, she liked to be a bit chaotic (the less said about the new paint job she did to his car, the better. She eventually changed it back), but it was all for fun, and no one got hurt. They were acting like she was a war criminal.

Discord raised his head to stare up at this Twilight leader. He said with no hesitation, “It sounds like you’re describing someone who’s dangerous and cruel. And I know no one who matches that.”

The two of them stared down each other for a few long seconds, neither one of them wanting to back down. The tension was broken when Rarity made a light gasping sound. She was looking at her phone she pulled from her purse and said, “Oh dear, it’s getting late. Someone might have noticed he’s missing by now.”

Twilight broke contact first and walked away. She sighed and said, “Fine. Let him go.” She looked over her shoulder, her eyes flashing with determination. “We’ll be keeping an eye on you. If you see Fluttershy again, tell her this: Twilight and the others needs her back. Best of luck, Discord.”

Twilight then threw her hand towards Discord’s direction. It glowed a neon purple color as Discord felt another wave of energy crash through him. He felt himself lose consciousness again and his vision faded to black.

=================

Discord felt someone push on his back as he stumbled to catch himself from falling. The blinding light of the late afternoon sun poked through the clouds above him. He adjusted his eyes to the light as he took in his surroundings. He was nearby the alleyway he was kidnapped. When he turned to look down the alleyway to see if the five ladies were still there, he saw nothing. Just garbage bins and trash littering the ground.

Figures, they ran away. He was hoping the whole ordeal was a weird dream, but his gut feeling was saying it wasn’t. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and checked the time. It was 4:55 PM. His lunch ended over two hours ago! God, his bosses were going to rip him a new one. Figuring out what exactly happened would have to wait. He made his way back to the office in a light sprint.

When he approached the large skyscraper that housed his job along with ten other companies, he heard a shrill yell, “Discord! There you are!”

Oh God. The magic women weren’t done with him yet. Discord raised his hands to fight/plea but was relieved to see Starlight Glimmer approach him instead. He switched his hands to a more friendly wave.

Starlight put her hands on her hips and said, “Erik was looking for you! I covered for you and said you had to meet up with a client. I emailed you five times, and you didn’t respond! Where were you?”

Shit, time to dig himself out of this hole fast. He said with only a slight stammer, “N-nowhere in particular. Sorry. To be honest, I’ve been overworking myself lately and headed out to take a small nap. It lasted longer than expected. Sorry again.”

Starlight sighed and brushed her hand through her hair. She looked up at Discord and said, “You’re lucky you got people like me keeping an eye out. You owe me big time.”

“Sure, sure, whatever you want,” he said while moving into the building. The sooner he can see Erik and get to work, the better. The routine will help him clear his head.

Erik Watson was nearby his cubicle when Discord entered his section. He wore a pressed suit and tie which gave an image of power and wealth. His eyes (and whitened teeth) sparkled as he saw Discord and went in for a handshake. “Discord, there you are, ya scamp!”

“Right, yeah, sorry for the delay,” said Discord. “I forgot to set up my email and everything.”

“It’s good, it’s good. I just wanted to follow up on that email I sent before lunch. Looks like the new CEO is delayed by a new project and won't be in town next week. Just wanted to pass that on directly.”

Sounds...simple. Too simple. “Oh, okay, sure, no problem,” Discord said while trying to find the right emotion to portray to this high executive. He had to find the right mix of not too eager and not too heartbroken about this canceled meeting. “Is there something he needs from me specifically?”

“He didn’t say much,” Erik said while walking away. Discord had no choice but to follow him to whatever destination he was heading to. “If you ask me, I think he sees great potential in you. Your last yearly review was pretty solid, and you helped us out with that Hub Station client not too far back.

“I would keep my wits up around the new Head Macho. I smell big promotion!”

Discord nodded and kept quiet during Erik’s speech. While a promotion would be nice, he didn’t want to get caught up in the work politics found in higher positions. He would have to think about it. Not sure why the new CEO would be interested in someone boring and plain like him though.

The break room wasn’t too far off now. If Discord planned it right, he could break off from Erik and return to work. He nodded once more and said, “That sounds nice. Well, let me know when he’s in town next time.”

As Discord walked into the break room and Erik continued walking down the hallway, he heard Erik bellow, “Of course, of course, I’ll be sure to set something up with you and Tirek next time he flies over Canterlot!”

Chapter 6

The plate was precariously placed on top of a drinking glass and a dirty pan in the sink. Discord resolved to wash the plate and the rest of the dirty dishes left in the haphazard shame pile later today. He was usually on top of his cleaning chores, but his mind wasn’t focused on much lately. He was still debating on what his next step should be.

He impulsively checked his phone for the fifth time in the last hour. No texts from Fluttershy. Discord sighed; he wasn’t too surprised. After all, he canceled his last outing, blaming it on an unspecified illness. She took the bait and said she would wait until next time. She even sent a few texts to get their conversation going again. But he never texted back. For over two weeks. Like an ass.

He knows the pains and guilt of being ghosted, but he couldn’t help himself. The “meeting” with the other Element ladies still played in his mind when he tried to sleep. What did they want from her? What did they want with him? Were they still tracking him? In what way was Fluttershy connected to these Elements? The sad part was he could easily find out if he had the courage to say something, anything. But he didn’t.

What he need right now was some good ol’ distraction. He dragged his feet to the living room and looked through his record collection. He wasn’t a vinyl record collector until recently, when his mother passed away last year. When he inherited her house, he also inherited her assortment of junk and treasures. Among the abandoned craft projects, kitschy knickknacks, and antique floral vases, he found some leftover stuff from his father.

His father left the family when Discord was only four years old. His mother never talked about him, as though invoking any part of his memory would bring back waves of nostalgia and pain. He didn’t even think about his father until he heard about his death in his freshman year in college. The man was a mystery to Discord, and all he had left to know about him was whatever leftover boxes his mother stored in the attic.

One of the items was a box of old vinyl records. The main genre was mostly jazz and blues from the 50s and 60s. Seeking any kind of connection to his father, he found a decent vinyl player online and played them when he got the free time. Discord started to like the genre and even made trips to a record store to add to his new collection. Now, whenever he wanted to drown out his thoughts, he played whatever caught his interest.

His fingers moved through the dusty records until he settled on one of his father’s jazz collections. As the music played softly through the room, Discord scanned the state of his house. He was really behind on cleaning, and he could use his day off to finally get things in order. Settling on this plan, he rolled up the sleeves on his light brown sweater and got to work.

The coffee table was organized, the carpet was vacuumed, and dust was wiped off the TV and other surfaces. Satisfied with his progress, he let his rats out to roam a walled-in play area and moved on to the kitchen. He threw out the mystery leftovers from his fridge and was about to tackle the kitchen island full of unread mail and empty beer cans.

“You know, I never expected you as a type who liked floral print.”

A voice cut through the music and almost made Discord jump a foot into the air. That sounded like, no, it couldn’t be-

He swung his head toward his phone he left on the counter. No messages, no recent calls. He then turned his head toward the living room. Could she be-

He ran out of the kitchen and poked his head around the corner. Sure enough, there she was in her usual mismatched glory. She was facing away from him, staring at the old, peeling wallpaper he had been meaning to replace.

She wore a somewhat average long-sleeved shirt and skirt combo. The skirt portion looked to be made of different colored fabrics, but the top section was a simple faded yellow shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Fluttershy had her furry hand under her chin as if she were staring at a renowned painting. She glanced over to Discord and said, “You seemed more like an Art Deco type.”

As much as he wanted to clarify the wallpaper was left over from his mother, he knew that wasn’t the most important thing right now. “What are you doing here?” he asked as he approached her. “How did you find this place?”

“You took me to your garage, remember?” Fluttershy moved her gaze back to the wallpaper. “Wasn’t too hard to retrace my steps.”

Right, the whole fox thing. He forgot. He relaxed a tiny bit. At least now he can talk things out directly instead of over the phone.

“As for why I’m here,” Fluttershy said with bit of malice in her voice, “You tell me.” She turned her whole body to face him, crossing her arms as if she were about to lecture a disobedient child.

Discord felt his previous relaxation exit out of him like steam. This wasn’t good. All he could manage to utter was a useless, “Uhhh...”

“You haven’t been responding. Why?” Her glare was enough to turn someone to stone. Discord couldn’t help but notice her sharpened canines more now when she talked. He never saw her so pissed, and he had to think of a good response and quick.

He decided to go with the stupid option; he got defensive. Discord stood up taller and balked back, “H-hey! I don’t need to be at your beck and call at all hours of the day! I was busy!”

“Busy, huh,” Fluttershy said with the most obvious disbelief. She looked around at the relaxed atmosphere with the soft jazz music still playing in the background. “Yes, I shouldn’t interrupt you when you’re sooo busy,” she said with the driest of sarcasm. “Don’t forget to clean the grout from the tile and reorganize your sock collection.”

Discord wanted to bite back with his own words, but he held back. He knew he was in the wrong and didn’t want to provoke her. He instead looked away as he felt his face flush in shame.

“Look,” Fluttershy continued while pacing around the living room, “I might be a bit rusty on this whole ‘friendship’ business, but from my perspective, you and I were eager to talk and drink tea and hangout all the time. Then out of nowhere, you decide to just phantom me!”

“I believe the term is ghosted...” Discord corrected under his breath. He imagined she wasn’t too caught up on current lingo if she hung out in the forest with a bunch of animals.

“Whatever! Point is, I’m pissed off!” She said the last word while stomping a hoof to the floor. The record skipped and a few items near his TV stand flew off the shelves from most likely a magical force. She turned her back to Discord, putting her hands on her head and her wings vibrating with rage. “UGH! This is why I don’t even bother! Just when you finally open up a teeny bit, and you think, finally, there’s something meaningful happening here. But no! They pull it back like it’s bait. Everything is temporary and conditional, apparently! I just-you’re just so-”

Fluttershy didn’t go on, just letting the silence settle on both of them like a heavy blanket. Discord was frozen in place. He couldn’t think of anything to do or say to make this better. He didn’t realize how much this meant to her too. Fluttershy eventually dropped her hands, and her wings stilled. Her head hung low to the floor as she whispered, “I was really starting to...look forward to it. Guess it was too good to last. Just tell me, was it something I did? Is it...because of who I am?”

Discord’s heart almost shattered on the spot. That feeling of always being the cause of a friendship breaking, to feel inadequate all the time. He had felt this way too many times in the past, like a failure. And now his cowardice made her feel like failure too.

Fluttershy was still hanging her head low to the ground, so she didn’t expect a strong force pressed against her back. She jumped a bit and turned her head. Discord was hugging her from behind, an action even he didn’t predict himself doing. But doing this felt right.

“No, no to all of those things,” he murmured close to her ear. “I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel like that. I would never want someone to feel like that.”

Fluttershy was fairly tall compared to other human women, but she still had to look up to stare into Discord’s eyes. She fought back a blush to the unusual close proximity and put on her mask back on. She sighed and said, “You sure like sending out mixed signals, don’t ya?”

“I wanted to talk to you again, I swear. It’s just...I mean...things got complicated.”

She stepped away from their embrace and faced him. “Then make it less complicated. Tell me the truth.”

“Huh?”

“If you don’t want to see me anymore, just say it,” she said while her tail whipped behind her in either agitation or nervousness (maybe both). “I’ll leave you alone, no questions asked. I can’t stand being stringed around.”

Discord took a deep breath. As much as his usual instincts wanted him to run away from any possible danger that came with interacting with her, he needed to know. It was now or never to fight this fear paralysis. “Okay,” he said after collecting himself, “I’ll tell you the whole truth, but you have to do it too.”

Fluttershy tilted her head and gave off a confused chuckle. “Okay?”

“I mean it,” he emphasized. “I’m still new to this whole chaos and magic stuff, and I need to know what I’m getting into.” He softly placed a hand on her shoulder. “Please.”

Discord did his best to look firm and serious. He also did his best to not think about all the possible chaotic scenarios he would be put through due to an angry/upset draconequus, but they were leaking in. Fluttershy didn’t look angry or upset, though. She just stared back at him as if to read his mind (he hoped she couldn’t read minds). She eventually closed her eyes, put her hands on her hips, and said, “Alright, that’s fair. I’ll be truthful and stuff.”

Not fully buying the execution, but it was a start. “First off,” Discord said while backing away, “Answer me this: what are the Elements?”

Fluttershy’s eyes shot open and her wings twitched. “The Elements?”

“There was this group I ran into awhile back. They kept questioning me, wanting me to confess to all that I know about the Elements of Unity or something.”

“Harmony.”

“What?”

Fluttershy let out a frustrated groan and walked over to the daisy-patterned couch to sit down. She squeezed her wings close to her back to fully lay down comfortably. She picked at the dust and lint on the arm rest as she said, “They’re called the Elements of Harmony. Now, if you ask me, I would have gone for a more ominous-sounding title, but hey, I wasn’t on the naming committee.” She patted the seat next to her. “Might as well sit down. Start from the beginning.”

=================

“-and that was the last time I saw them. I haven’t heard from them yet, but I’ll be honest, I’m not sure if I’m being magically tracked or not.”

It took Discord around ten minutes to fully tell about what happened during his lunch break with the other Elements. He went into detail as much as possible with Fluttershy only interrupting to ask for clarifying details or to repeat a sentence.

Around the five minute mark, Fluttershy snapped her fingers to instantly bring one of her tea concoctions in a teapot made of cave crystals and geodes. She drank several cups like shots while Discord sipped his first cup (it was a flavor combination he enjoyed in the past. She called it Lavender and Stardust. He was afraid to clarify whether it contained actual stardust).

Fluttershy finished her fifth cup and said, “I don’t sense their magic on you, so you should be in the clear. For now. They probably think your connection to me is small and won’t lead to anything.” She was pouring another cup from the apparently bottomless teapot when she said with a smile, “Good job getting around Applejack’s setup. I’m impressed.”

Discord took the small compliment as best as he could and set his cup down on the nearby coffee table. “So, that’s my side,” he said after a moment of hesitation. “Now yours.”

Fluttershy stared down at her dark purple tea with annoyance. “Mine? Is it really necessary?” she said more to the tea than to Discord. She dropped the tea, got up from the couch, and started to walk over to the kitchen. “It’s starting to get late. How about some food? Are you open to Italian-Japanese fusion cuisine?”

A slight tug on Fluttershy’s furry hand stopped her progression. Discord was gently grabbing her wrist, his eyes full of concern. “Please,” he said with a hint of desperation, “Tell me what you know.”

She bit her lip. “I promise you, it’s nothing,” she started. “They’re making a mountain out of a molehill. I doubt you want to hear my dumb take on this.”

He lowered his hand to loosely grasp her hand. He gently moved his fingers over the soft fur. “Please,” he repeated.

As much as Fluttershy didn’t want her only human friend to get caught up in her bullshit, she knew he needed to know at least the basics. She sat back down on the couch and turned to face him. She squeezed his hand as she said, “Okay, but I swear it’s not as big of a deal those horse bloods are making it. I...happen to be one of the Elements. There’s different types like Laughter, Loyalty, Honesty, Generosity. The sappiest of stuff.”

Discord kept holding on to her hand. He imagined the contact is helping her get through this rough part of her history. She was an Element this whole time. That explains why that group wanted to find her so bad. He remembered the Twilight one was saying she was the Element of Magic. So there’s different types.

The title made Discord wonder. “Which Element are you, then?” he asked.

Fluttershy let go of his hand as she used both hands to comb through her hair. “Don’t make me say it,” she whined. “It’s sooo lame.”

“You said one of them was the Element of Laughter,” he said with his own chuckle. “I think you’re fine.”

Fluttershy gave him a deadpan look. “I’m the Element of Kindness.”

The pause that followed permeated the room. What followed next was a stifled wheeze.

“Don’t laugh!” Fluttershy said while pointing at the guilty party. She said it with annoyance, but she had her own smile forming from the absurdity of the situation.

Discord turned his head away as he continued to hide his evidence. “I-I’m not! It’s not that bad.” Still, he couldn’t help but picture a stereotypical fairy tale princess helping animals in the forest with a title like that.

Thankfully, both of them were smiling and laughing at this revelation. Fluttershy was the first to calm down as she said, “Yeah, yeah, you so are. But it’s the truth. For some reason, in the last century or so, I was chosen for the Element. And I legit don’t know why. Harmony magic is counterintuitive to chaos magic. Something that’s made for order and unity in mind shouldn’t choose someone whose entire nature is to dismantle that. But you deal with the cards dealt to you.”

She picked at her animals claws as she continued. “If I had to guess, they’re worried about me doing my own thing without their supervision. They can’t tap into the full potential of the Elements without all six of them together. But I’m fine on my own!” Fluttershy jumped up a bit on her seat as she stretched her arms to make her point. “I tried working with them, but they had so many rules. ‘Fluttershy, don’t levitate items around the room. Fluttershy, don’t create windstorms to travel on.’ I felt like I was being suffocated!”

With all of her extra energy spent, she laid back down on the couch, her arms spread out on the back portion. “So, I ran away as fast as I could,” she said while staring at the ceiling. “And they’ve been looking for me ever since.”

Discord let the words sink in as Fluttershy didn’t move from her spot. “Do you think they’re the ones who sent the hunters?” he asked after thinking it over.

She shrugged. “I doubt it. They wouldn’t get regular humans involved. Something about both protecting and being separate from humanity or some crap.”

The way the other Elements looked so forlorn when asking about Fluttershy played in Discord’s mind. He prodded again, “But are you needed? You said they can’t tap into the Elements.”

“They still can,” she clarified, “But it’s not as its strongest. And the current world doesn’t need it at full power. Look around!” She swept her wooden hand in a grand gesture. “We live in a world where people are more concerned about their jobs, money, and little bits of free time. The grand era where heroic, magical interventions are needed is over.”

Fluttershy paused and let her hands rest on her lap. She gripped her skirt into a tight ball as she mumbled, “They’re more concerned about controlling me than they are about the status of the world. Trust me on that.”

Discord didn’t have anymore questions to ask, and Fluttershy didn’t want to continue. Discord tried drinking his tea again, but it became lukewarm in the intervening time. They both sat on the couch, not sure where to go next. Both for the conversation and (possibly) their connection.

One part of Fluttershy’s explanation made Discord pause to think. Last century or so...

“Wait, how old are you?” Discord said without thinking. God, he knew the proper way to put his foot in his mouth, didn’t he?

The question seemed to break the tension left in the room. Fluttershy snorted and said, “You should know better than to ask a lady her age. Why not ask which gods I sacrifice blood to next?”

Discord blinked. “This isn’t helping.”

Fluttershy blinked back, looked away, and whispered quietly and quickly, “Couple of thousand years, give or take.”

Discord fought the urge to make any sudden shocked noises. He shouldn’t be surprised. Anything is possible at this rate. Instead, he dropped his head into his hands. “God, I’m in way over my head.”

“You’re fine,” Fluttershy reassured as she patted his back. After a moment, she cleared her throat and said, “And...I am sorry. I really didn’t mean for you to get wrapped into this.”

“I know you didn’t.” Discord raised his head to stare back at her. “Thank you. For telling me everything.”

Fluttershy just nodded and moved her hand and whole body away. She wasn’t used to opening up this much and needed a distraction. Luckily, a nearby squeak and a tumbling of a food bowl caught both of their attentions. Fluttershy walked over to the noise and saw two little rats peeking up from their playpen. She giggled and asked, “Are these your little friends?”

“Oh, yeah.” Discord moved off the couch. When he got closer, he pointed to each pet. “This one is Socrates, and this one is Ben.” He proceeded to point out his other pets in the living room (Art the lizard in his heat tank and the betta fish Meg and Steve in their aquarium) and vaguely to other areas of the house (Brutus the snake in his bedroom and 2 to-be-named hermit crabs in a spare room). “I used to have hissing cockroaches, but then they escaped into the vents at my last apartment, and let’s just say I haven’t gotten my security deposit back.”

Fluttershy laughed more heartily and looked back at the rats. “They seemed to like you.”

Discord blinked. “You can tell?”

“Yeah, I can communicate with all animals. Big Ben is a bit grumpy with his current diet, but all of them have nice things to say about you.”

“That’s...good to know.” Discord scratched the back of his head as Fluttershy continued to coo and play with the rats. His previous image of her being a fairy tale princess actually matched better than he realized. She always seemed to be talking to and helping animals in her forest. Maybe her connection to the Element of Kindness wasn’t such a stretch after all.

“What’s the story behind their names?” Fluttershy asked as she gave Ben a scratch under his chin.

“O-oh, just whatever popped in my head when I first got them,” Discord stammered. “I like to watch old horror movies sometimes, so when I got Soc and Ben, I went with the names in the movie Willard.”

“I’m so behind on movies. Any good?”

“Not too bad, I think.” Discord wasn’t sure if Fluttershy was the type to appreciate old 70s horror. Most people didn’t. He muttered to himself, “I think I have the DVD somewhere around here...”

“Sounds like a plan!” Fluttershy clapped her hands and stood up rapidly. “You set that up, and I’ll throw together dinner.” She went over to the kitchen before Discord could say anything.

Then again, a cozy night in watching an old movie with his magical friend sounded pretty nice. Why would he object?

=================

“You know, you’d probably be better off not being around me.”

The sentence sprang up out of nowhere from Fluttershy. Discord looked over to her and gave her a questioning look. He didn’t understand. They were having a good time for the last hour or so.

She made the promised Italian-Japanese fusion cuisine (sushi in a garlic white sauce shouldn’t have tasted so good, but it did) and he managed to dig out the DVD and set up the DVD player in only 10 or so minutes (plus or minus a few grumbled swears). They were near the climax of the movie where Willard sent his rat army to destroy his boss when she broke the silence with that statement.

Sensing she had to explain, Fluttershy continued, “I mean, I know I can be a handful sometimes, especially with those five hounding me all the time. I’m not planning on changing my mind on going back. I guess I want to make sure you’re still...okay with things are now.”

She was giving him another out, Discord realized. Did she feel like a burden to him? He certainly didn’t feel the same. While it was scary to know there were people out there looking for Fluttershy (and possibly him), he was liking the current status of his life more than what came before. He was liking the changes in himself more.

He was still scared (he knew he would always be scared), but he was also intrigued. And that kept him going.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” he said while shifting his weight to face away from the TV. “I might be, well, out of my element, but I still want to see you. You make great tea, you’re nice and funny, and you put up with my ramblings. I wouldn’t be a good friend if I gave up as soon as things got hard.”

The draconequus woman stared back at him in disbelief. Was she not used to people staying around? The thought made Discord’s chest tighten. It’s one thing to pick a life of isolation. It’s a whole different thing when it’s decided for you.

“Besides,” he said while moving a bit closer to the perplexed woman, “I don’t like being told what’s good for me.”

Fluttershy snorted. “Oh, really?”

Discord smirked back. “Yeah, I guess I picked it up from you.”

“Smartass,” she murmured as she leaned against him. Discord felt his heart do a backflip. He was fine with them hanging out on the same couch, but now they were touching each other. He tried his best to brush off the feeling. They were just two friends comfortable in their spaces. That’s all. Also, it was cold, he added to his mental checklist. It was an early autumn night, and he didn’t turn on the furnace yet to his house. Made total sense.

Thankfully, the rising action of the movie soon distracted his mind. They watched the rest of the movie in contempt silence.

=================

The world was made of stars.

That’s all Discord saw at all directions. Stars, galaxies, and stardust swirled around him. Their glow was made of different hues of blue, yellow, green, and red. They blinked, faded away, and came back just as quickly. It was serene, peaceful, a blanket of stars to lie back on and drift.

Something grabbed his arm. He was pulled toward a swirling galaxy. A shiver went through his body. Was he afraid? He wasn’t sure. He let the force pull him away toward the unknown.

Discord felt something lightly brush his face. He looked up. A woman made of stars was holding his gaze. Her eyes were so bright, he couldn’t stare straight at them. Her hands made of stardust held his face towards hers. He felt warm and safe. He didn’t want to move. He needed to be closer to her.

Discord pulled his face closer to hers. She reciprocated, bending down to be within inches of each other. Before he made contact, he noticed how the star woman’s hair seemed to be soft pink and flowed behind her back like a winding river. ‘How strange,’ he thought as his lips inched closer. ‘It looks so familiar...’

The scene ended with the blaring of the world’s most obnoxious phone alarm. Discord groaned as his dream gradually fell away to be forgotten. He really hated that alarm, but it was one of the few that seemed to cut through his deep sleep the best. He silenced it and slowly made his way to the bathroom. After a quick shower, he brushed his teeth and dressed for another day of work. He could pick up some breakfast on the way over to the office.

He glanced at his phone while brushing. Fluttershy sent him a funny picture of a sleeping Angel laid on top of an annoyed bear around 4:35 AM. He let out a breath of amusement and wondered if that woman ever slept a normal sleep cycle.

Then, it hit him all at once. Pink hair flowing. Twinkling eyes. Stardust hands. Their faces moving closer and closer and closer.

Discord dropped his toothbrush in the sink. He felt the prickling heat of a blush overcome his face. He stared at the aghast man in the mirror.

“Oh no.”

Chapter 7

Thank God for busywork.

Not the first thing Discord would think he would be thankful for, but today he needed it. He needed a nice, big distraction for his mind. It’s been a few days since his fight/make up with Fluttershy, and there was a nagging feeling bugging him ever since. He didn’t dare to say what he thought it was; as if defining it would give it more power. Instead, he focused on some reports that fell behind by accident.

Looking at his current work pile, he regrettably knew he had to come in on a weekend to finish it. Hanging out with Fluttershy was distracting him more than he realized, or he was just using her as an excuse lately. To be perfectly honest, the whole situation with the magic and hunters and other magical Elements was most likely causing his distraction. Still, can’t use his personal concept of reality falling apart as an excuse in the corporate world. He took a sip from a nearby thermos and set his fingers above his keyboard-

“Discord.”

Figures someone comes by when he actually had to work. Sure, he wanted a distraction for his mind, but it didn’t involve another human being. Begrudgingly, he turned in his chair to face his cubicle opening. There was Starlight Glimmer, as usual. She was still one of the few people to acknowledge his existence most of the time. However, she didn’t look like her cheery, perky self today. She looked serious and even a bit gloomy.

“We need to talk,” she said before Discord can give his standard, hollow greeting. That was...blunt of her. How odd.

Discord was feeling a bit brave today, so he retorted, “Can it be later? I’m very behind on my work.”

“No, it can’t.”

Another unexpected reply from a woman he considered too caught up in niceties. Kind of a refreshing response, actually. Discord never got used to formal small talk (’how are you’ or ‘how’s the weather been’ or ‘that sport game, huh’). He leaned back in his chair and said, “Fine. What is it?”

Starlight was about to speak but stopped herself. She glanced back and forth a few times before saying, “We should probably discuss this somewhere more private.”

“What, like the conference room?”

“No, no. I don’t trust this place.” An airy pause hung in the cubicle as Starlight thought of her options. She finally said, “Can you meet me at the McCarthy’s pub on Grand River after work?”

So much for this conversation not being able to wait. Discord looked back at his stacks of unfinished paperwork. He turned back and said, “Look, if this is another Happy Hour thing with the department, I can’t. I’m probably going to be staying late to finish this up and then I’m meeting with someone.” Which was true. Fluttershy was hoping to watch another one of his DVDs with him. Seemed like the last movie opened her interest in the animal revenge schlock genre.

“You still owe me for covering for you a few weeks back, right?” Starlight threw back at him. “Well, I’m cashing it in.”

God, she was being so pushy today. Sure, he denied her last few outings, but this was excessive. What was her deal? Holding firm, Discord said with a disguised snarl, “I’m really not in the mood tonight. Can it please be another day?”

Starlight sighed but didn’t give any hints of giving up. She walked into Discord’s cubicle until she was leaning over his ear. She whispered with a bit of bite in her voice, “We need to talk. About something important. About a certain...Element in your life.”

Discord’s heart almost skipped a beat at the emphasis on the word Element. No. No no no. Her, too? Just how many people in his life were secretly magical? His eyes tore into hers as he whispered back, “What?”

A small smile formed on Starlight’s face. She must have liked it when things went her way. “That’s all I can say here. It’s not safe.”

Oh, bullshit. Discord was getting sick and tired of these little roundabouts for answers. “No, you’ll explain what you mean right now!”

Starlight mimed her hands to him to lower his voice. She hissed, “Do you want to keep your friend safe or not?” That made him pause. If she was after Fluttershy’s magic, she doubted she would care about the safety of the draconequus woman. Then what did she want?

Starlight’s smile grew a little wider. His response must have been enough to confirm some things for her. “I promise,” she said with a mix of sincerity and sympathy, “I’m here to help.” Discord was afraid to ask if she was here to help him or Fluttershy or both. He just nodded in confirmation and looked away. His previous anger and bravery had melted away to nothing by now.

She made her way out of the cubicle but stopped at the opening again. “I’ll explain more at the pub. Meet me at 6 o’clock.” Then she walked away without looking back. The click of her heels slowly faded in the background noise of the active workspace.

Discord let out a held breath and dropped his head on his keyboard. He didn’t care he was leaving a slew of letters and numbers in an uninterrupted line on a finance report for a shoe store. “Gods above, below, and in between,” he mumbled through his restricted lips, “What the hell did I stumble into this time?”

=================

The pub was too loud and full of mostly college kids from the nearby university. Strike number one.

A quick glance at the menu displayed overpriced burgers and pretentious “secret sauces.” Strike number two.

Discord was sure he could think of at least five more strikes that would have sent him packing if this was a regular meeting. But it wasn’t. It involved the safety of his one close friend, so he persevered.

Luckily, it wasn’t too hard to spot Starlight. She managed to find time to slip into a more relaxed jeans and hoodie combo. She was tucked away in a corner, but not too far off from the entrance so Discord could spot her. He sauntered over to the table, took off his jacket, and sat in his chair with a disgruntled THUMP.

“Glad you could make it,” Starlight said with a smile, using her sweet voice she used at work.

“Like I had a choice,” Discord said in a more confrontational voice he didn’t use at work but figured he could pull it off in this scenario.

Starlight ignored the hostility. She continued smiling and said, “Either way, thank you. I ordered us some chips and samplers, if you’re hungry. I’m also waiting on two more people to come in.”

This was news to Discord. “I thought this whole secret meeting was just between us.” What other magical beings will she drag up to confront him? God help him if she somehow knew the five other Elements and was using this meeting to hold him down.

Starlight didn’t seem bothered by Discord’s distress. “I need them to check something for me,” she said after a sip from her preordered soda. “Just be patient.”

Discord huffed and glanced at the menus on the table. Might as well get something out of this. “Fine,” he said, “but you’re covering my drinks.”

Starlight’s smile didn’t falter. “Deal.”

The wait for the first mystery person only took five minutes, though for Discord it felt like five hours. He kept glancing back at the entrance expecting another person with extra wings, horns, or who knows what else.

The person who approached the table seemed normal at first glance. It was an older male, probably around Starlight’s age, whose only standout feature was his bright orange mop of hair. He also wore giant glasses that covered most of his face. He wore a blue dress shirt and khaki pants as though he didn’t have time to change after work. He moved quickly to Starlight and gave her a long, loving hug. “Hey ya, Starlight!” he said with warmth in his voice.

“Hi, sweetie,” Starlight said while moving away from the hug to get through introductions. “Sunburst, this is Discord, one of my coworkers I was talking to you about.”

Sunburst enthusiastically thrust his hand out to the still grumpy man. “Nice to meet you!”

“Charmed,” Discord managed to say while juggling the handshake and a sip from a beer he ordered. He was glad this pub was quick on delivering their drinks. Of course, another strike for the place was that it only had bitter IPAs on tap.

While Sunburst sat down at the table, Starlight explained, “I was hoping you could help with what I mentioned the other day.”

“Oh, sure! Let’s see...” Sunburst looked at Discord with engrossed eyes. Discord felt like he was being examined under a microscope. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“I need to concentrate,” Sunburst said while waving his hand to silence him. “Please hold still for a few more seconds.”

‘Did I enter crazy town?’ Discord thought as Sunburst looked like he was going to pop a blood vessel. He thought this meeting was about Fluttershy’s safety. After a few intense moments, Sunburst closed his eyes, looked over to Starlight, and said, “It’s still there, but not as strong.”

Starlight nodded. “I figured,” she said with confidence. “Trixie should be here soon to confirm if it’s from an Element bearer or not.”

Trixie? Oh, no no nooo. Discord leaned closer to the table and begged, “You don’t mean-”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie has arrived!”

Dear God in Heaven, she brought Trixie from HR.

To match the bravado of her shouting her name for all to hear, she walked as though she were worthy of everyone’s prime attention. The attention was almost warranted with her sparkling pants and complex blouse with a built-in miniature cloak attached. She liked putting on a show wherever she can and tried to dress for the part. She joined the other three at the table and said with her usual confidence, “Trixie would like her usual.”

“You do the whole name thing outside of work, great. Perfect. Splendid,” Discord mumbled to himself.

Man, he never got her. It’s been a rough start ever since he was hired at his current job. It’s bad enough she used her HR status to demand things from everyone. It’s bad enough she dominated every conversation she starts up at the water cooler. Hell, he even tolerated her sleight of hand tricks she always brought out in company picnics. No, it was the weird third-person narration she did whenever she spoke. It rubbed Discord the wrong way every time.

Trixie ignored him and rang out her order to the waitress who was close behind. Discord took this opportunity to lean closer to Starlight and groan out, “Whyyyy?” He knew he was acting out a bit, but hey, he was off the clock. He figured he can get away from his reserved work persona now.

Starlight just shrugged and said, “What? She’s fun once you get to know her. Besides, I need her to check on something.” She turned to Trixie when she was finished ordering. “Trixie, can you check to see if the energy around Discord is from an Element?”

Trixie released a devious smirk and said with a wave of her hand, “But of course! Trixie will use her great and powerful connection to otherworldly dimensions to determine-”

“I’ll save you the effort,” Discord said while shoving a hand toward Trixie to get her to stop. He took a look sip of his beer and said, “Yes, I know the Elements of Harmony. I assume you guys know about it, too. Care to explain the weird energy readings and why you think the Elements are connected to me?”

Trixie pouted in her seat as she lost her chance to show off. Sunburst looked a bit tense from the hostility emanating from Discord. Starlight was the only one who looked calm as she said, “I am sorry for the energy readings. I wasn’t sure if you were going to lie to us, and I wanted to be absolutely sure. As for your connection, I saw you get ambushed by them a few weeks ago.”

Discord froze mid-sip. So, someone did spot that. And other people knew the Elements. This revelation made him feel less alone, but also more paranoid of who else was watching him all this time.

Starlight played with her hoodie drawstrings as she continued, “I wanted to talk to you directly about it, but I wasn’t sure if you were fully involved in the magical world like us. It wasn’t until Trixie mentioned she sensed their magic on you at the last meeting.”

‘That was only two days ago,’ Discord thought. He remembered Trixie staring at him with an evil eye, but he figured she was being her usual weird self.

“Wait, do you guys have magic?” Discord said after a sudden realization. Sure, they didn’t have the weird appendages like the others he met, but at this rate he feels like the only non-magical person on the planet.

“Not exactly,” Sunburst cut in. “We’re regular humans, but we each had our own personal experiences with magical artifacts and people.”

“There are also non-magical people like Sunburst who can sense magic from birth,” Starlight added.

“What about Trixie?” Discord jabbed his thumb at her. “How is her sensing different from his?”

“She can sense Element-specific magic as a side effect from her last...run-in with them,” Sunburst explained after noticeable hesitation.

“Oh, really?” Discord crooned. It might have been the awful beer he was drinking, but he felt more confident to push some buttons. With a level of sass that would make Fluttershy proud, Discord asked, “Care to explain how that happened?”

For once in Discord’s life, Trixie looked embarrassed to have the spotlight on her. “Trixie has... no comment,” she murmured into her drink.

“She found a magical amulet that mind controlled her,” Starlight said with no remorse.

Trixie slammed the table with one hand and whined, “I told you that in secret!”

“You were the reason the bridge into town was down for a month!” Starlight retorted. “During peak tourist season! You know how much of a pain in the ass it was to get into work?”

Their bickering played in the background as the food ordered for the table was delivered. Discord helped himself to some fried pickles and a potato skin. The bickering ceased as the excuse to eat food was used as a temporary truce. After a few minutes of everyone stuffing their faces, Discord took the chance to get more answers.

While munching on one of the pickles, he said, “Okay, so you guys are involved in the not-so-secret magical world. I get that. What I don’t get is why you’re interested in me.”

Starlight was munching on some chips when she said, “Well, you know about magic too, somehow. We were hoping you could tell us your connection to the Elements. Seeing how we can still sense their magic on you.”

“What do you mean?”

Sunburst was focused on the calamari but said, “When you interact with magical people, their energy resides around you for a short while. It goes away on its own in a day or so.”

“But both of them were able to sense magic on you today.” Starlight narrowed her eyes and folded her hands on the table. “So, tell me: Are you involved with the Elements?”

Discord felt his anxiety start to jump back up. He should’ve known the food and drink would be used to put him in a false sense of ease. “N-no! Of course not!” he exclaimed. “They kidnapped me, remember? They demanded answers from me.”

“About what?” Sunburst asked.

Discord hesitated. “They were looking...for someone. I’m not sure who.”

Trixie barely touched the food and instead down another gulp of her fancy cocktail. “So, they’re still not fully together...” she mused to herself.

“Wait a minute, what do you guys know?” Discord asked. He knew this stuff due to accidentally being involved with Fluttershy. How did they know these details?

“Just the basics of what other support groups are saying,” said Starlight.

“Support groups?”

Sunburst took this chance to pull out his phone and show some bookmarked websites. He flipped through forums, social groups, and small articles. “There’s plenty of groups online that share their info on what magical intel they find. To an outsider, it just looks like a roleplay thing,” Sunburst explained. “It’s best to keep an eye out for the big names like the Elements of Harmony before they make a big move.”

A big move? “Why?” Discord pondered out loud.

Starlight stopped eating to lean closer to Discord. She said in a hushed tone, “It’s not on most written records, but if you go digging for it, the Elements are very powerful. Power like that can lead to dramatic changes.”

Trixie scoffed and said, “Try cataclysmic changes!”

That didn’t seem right to Discord. “I-I thought they were supposed to help humanity.”

“It depends on the current holders of the Elements,” Starlight explained while playing with her food. “They change every century or so.”

Sunburst looked sullen as he added, “In the long run, their magic does help bring balance and harmony to the world, but average citizens like us are forgotten pawns in this game. It’s best to be cautious based on what intel we find.”

Trixie looked at Discord and gave a deceitful smirk. “Yeah,” she mused, “There’s even some rumors of one of the Elements coming from a race of magical creatures known to torture innocents and create destruction on a whim.”

Discord tightened his grip on the table out of reflex. He stared down Trixie as he rambled, “That’s not true! Fluttershy is one of the nicest people I’ve met! Her chaotic magic is just used for her own personal fun. She would never hurt someone on purpose!”

The whole group stewed in this new revelation. Discord realized his words and groaned. This is why he doesn’t drink in public. He turned into such a loudmouth.

Trixie must have expected this as she gave a smug look back that screamed gotcha. She turned to Starlight and said in a singsong voice, “You owe Trixie twenty bucks.”

While Starlight tried to discreetly pass the money to Trixie, Sunburst just started at Discord, amazed. “So it’s true,” he murmured to himself. “You know one of them.”

“Which explains the residue magic on you,” Starlight said with a nod. “So, how long have you been interacting with this Fluttershy?”

Discord felt humiliated and pushed into a corner. He would explode at them in anger if this kept up. “That’s all you’re getting out of me!” he yelled as he stood up. He was a bit tipsy but knew he could hang out somewhere else until he sobered up. “I’m outta here,” he muttered mostly to himself.

“Wait!” Starlight stood up expediently and reached Discord before he moved too far away. “We’re not trying to tell you what to do, honest,” she said while resting a hand on his shoulder. “We’re just concerned.”

“Concerned? Ha!” Discord swatted away her hand and pointed to the whole setup. “You cornered me until I blabbed!”

“That wasn’t our intention.”

Trixie let out a small laugh and said, “Maybe not for you.”

Starlight glared at Trixie which prompted the boisterous magician to hide in her drink. She looked back at Discord. “What we’re trying to say-,” Starlight took a calming breath and continued, “-is we get how scary it is. To be thrown into this magical world where you feel weak and have no agency. We just...wanted to show you’re not alone.”

Discord let the words settle on his inebriated brain. He did feel powerless. All the time. Ever since he found out about this whole magical side of the world. And it did give him some comfort these three regular humans and even a bunch of others on the internet felt the same. It was a pain that could be shared.

He looked back at Starlight and eventually said, “Well, thanks, I guess.”

Sunburst leaned closer from his seat to add, “I like to point out I’m still not telling you what to do, but I would be wary of the Element you’re hanging out with.”

“What? Why?” Discord asked. “I told you, she’s nice. She wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

Starlight interjected with, “I’m sure she wouldn’t, but how much do you really know her? About her powers? Her history?”

Great, now random passerby were questioning Fluttershy’s intentions. As much as he didn’t want to fight last time, he was glad they were able to air out their concerns and handled it better than he expected. “Not much at first, but we’re getting better,” said Discord. “She trusts me, and I trust her. I hope that’s enough for you.”

Starlight nodded solemnly. “I see. I hope this friendship of yours works out. I mean it,” she stated. “Just let us know if you need help with something. I’m here if you need it.”

As much as he didn’t want other people snooping into his life, Discord was glad to have someone else to talk to about this. He didn’t think Fluttershy would fully relate to the powerlessness a mortal human would feel in this situation. “Okay, thanks. I do need to head out, though.”

“I’ll cover the bill. See ya around!”

“It was nice to meet you, Discord!” Sunburst said with an enthusiastic wave. Trixie gave the smallest possible wave and finally started to eat some of the samplers.

Discord grabbed his jacket and was about to head out when he remembered something. “Hold on,” he said to Starlight. “Why did you not want to talk in the office? You said you didn’t trust it or something.”

Starlight’s eyes grew wide and whisked Discord away to a far-off corner of the pub with billiards and darts. The rest of the patrons were too distracted by their games to listen in on their conversation. Still, Starlight moved close to Discord’s ear and whispered, “Sorry for the secrecy, but I have my reasons. And it’s probably best I should warn you. It’s about Tirek, the new CEO.”

Discord wasn’t expecting that name. He hadn’t thought of him since the canceled meeting. He noticed Starlight did act cold whenever the name was brought up. “What about him?” he asked.

“I can’t fully confirm it, but there have been rumors on the forums about someone with a lot of authority trying to hunt down the Elements for their own purposes. Someone that matches his description and background.”

“Are you serious?” Discord felt a shudder run down his back. Someone with a lot of authority could easily hire middlemen to do a job. Like hunt down an Element in the woods. Could he be behind the hunters? Or was it just a coincidence?

“Like I said, I can’t confirm it right now, but believe me, I’m looking into it. I haven’t even told Trixie about this yet in case it slips out. Until I figure it out, just keep your distance from him and anyone that works for him. For your own safety.”

Discord nodded. He wasn’t sure if he was able to fully able to avoid him, especially with the higher-ups wanting to set up that meeting, but he had to manage. “Alright,” he said grimly, “you do the same.”

Starlight put her customer-friendly smile back on. “Oh, don’t worry about little ol’ me,” she exclaimed. “I’ll be fine. It’s you being all chummy with an Element that has me worried.”

With a tap of his shoulder, Starlight said, “Take care!” before heading back to the table. Discord wasn’t sure what she would say to the other two to explain the private conversation, but he left that up to her.

He put on his jacket and headed out the door. The cold breeze from an early chilly autumn wasn’t pleasant, but the roar of noise from the pub being dulled in the background helped him think a bit better. This was a lot of information to sort through once he had some private time. He made his way to a nearby park to have a quick walk. He needed to sober up a bit before driving.

=================

“You’re awfully quiet tonight.”

Discord lost his train of thought and looked over. Fluttershy was in her now usual spot on the couch, leaning a bit into his side. She was looking away from her movie choice: Night of the Lepus. Discord tried to warn her it was a bit corny even for him, but she was insistent. She even brought Angel as she thought he would enjoy this type of entertainment. Sure enough, the bunny was on the coffee table and munching away on salt and butter-free popcorn. He was absorbed in the hokey plot.

“I-it’s nothing, my dear,” Discord said with as much confidence as he could muster. He went over the details at the pub in his head over and over. He felt like the world was throwing him puzzle pieces and it was up to him to sort through them to get to the ultimate truth.

“Usually, you have some factoids about the movie you love to share while it’s playing,” Fluttershy said with her usual sass. “I was starting to miss it.”

Discord smiled and tried to pay attention to the movie. “Not much on this one on top of my head but give me a minute. I’ll think of something.”

Fluttershy giggled a bit and settled more into the couch. Her furry hand absentmindedly moved to be on top of Discord’s thigh. He tried to fight the blush he felt forming on his face and hoped the room was dark enough to hide it.

He was tempted to share what happened at the pub, but he wanted to keep this to himself for now. They were still working on trusting each other, and he felt like this news would just stress her out. As much as he wanted to piece together the mysteries of his life, he had other, more pressing things on his mind that needed to be dealt with.

Like how he was falling in love with Fluttershy.

Chapter 8

Discord didn’t want to be in his own mind right now. He wanted a distraction, a diversion, a new situation to throw his heart and soul into. Hell, he would even take another group of mysterious people entering his life who spout more nonsense on the power of magic and all that junk.

But he was alone with his thoughts today. In a way, all of his thoughts were on the same subject: Fluttershy. The part he was struggling with the most was the fact he loves her. Deeply. Like a lovestruck fool.

It would be one thing if he just had a crush. No, it was never that simple. When Discord fell for someone, he fell hard. It’s been that way ever since he read pulp sci-fi and fantasy novels growing up, and he imagined himself as the brave knight falling in love with the beautiful princess.

It felt like two sides of his brain were in constant battle: The hopeless romantic and the anxious data cruncher. Every time he had a new crush, both sides would fight for dominance in his mind. The battle could last for hours or days, and in the end, neither side would fully win and just left him tired and confused.

It was only 11:30 AM on a regular workday. An aura of exhaustion hung around Discord’s cubicle like a heavy blanket. The numbers on his computer screen ceased to make sense anymore. He sighed; maybe he should say he’s sick and head home early. He could tell he wouldn’t be able to focus for the rest of the day. After confirming his early departure through email, he threw on his jacket and headed out.

As much as he wanted to head home and sleep for the rest of the day, he knew he should squeeze in a small chore. He was out of his food essentials, so he decided to hit a nearby convenience store. As he grabbed his usual purchases of cereal, boxed dinners, and other random items, his brain tried for the millionth time to put together his feelings for Fluttershy.

There was no way he could confess his feelings, that’s for sure. That was one conclusion both his logic and romantic brain agreed with. There was no way an alluring, chaotic god like Fluttershy who had been alive for over a thousand years would be interested in a nobody like him. That just leaves where he goes from there. He could still be her friend. He enjoyed her company. But what if his unspoken feelings boil up eventually and destroy everything? Was he willing to risk that? Was he doomed to destroy all of his relationships?

Discord paid for his items at the self-checkout and continued his pondering. Sure, he didn’t destroy all of his relationships. He still got a holiday card from Smooze once in a while. He was on good terms with his mother before she died. He even talked to Starlight a bit more at work after that confrontation at the pub. They couldn’t talk much about magic stuff in the office, but the previous tension that was there was gone now. Discord found she was easier to talk to than he predicted (Trixie from HR was still her usual self). It was just his love life that seemed to falter the most.

God, those were always a mess. First, there was his high school crush Cosmos. She was in a punk rock band and moved way too loose and fast for Discord’s liking. They were together and broke up in a blink of an eye.

Then there was Lucky Clover in college. He was another outcast in his requisite classes. That relationship was looser and more free-spirited. It lasted a few months before they both mutually agreed it wasn’t working out and drifted apart.

Then there was...Her. Discord shuddered just thinking about it. It ended over a year ago, but the pain from that breakup still sat heavily on his heart.

He picked up his pace to the car with his groceries. It wouldn’t have surprised him if he was worried that same soul-crushing feeling would happen with Fluttershy. He should be fine, though. If he kept his feelings in check, he didn’t need to worry about this friendship ending like-

“Discord! Is that you?”

Speak of the lipstick-wearing devil.

There was no way that was her. There was no way the Gods were that cruel and sadistic. Discord cautiously turned his head to confirm who was behind him.

The pale blue, green, purple, and pink swirling hair he was used to seeing was tied up in a loose ponytail. She was wearing a new tan overcoat to fight the crisp Fall air. Her magenta eyes framed by delicate eyelashes looked the same as he remembered. And she looked...happy to see him.

Somehow, just thinking about Celestia, his ex-girlfriend of two years and five months, summoned her presence to the same sidewalk he was standing on.

The only noise Discord could manage to pass off his lips was a questioning, “Wuh?”

The woman gleamed. “Hey! I feel like it’s been ages! How are you?”

Discord’s brain was basically fried at this point. Still, he needed to exchange formalities. He couldn’t let her know he was still affected. “Guh-good, good,” he said with as must confidence as he could dig out of him. This couldn’t have been a coincidence, right? He tried to hide his confusion (and tiny bit of fear) as he asked, “What you are doing here?”

“I’m in town meeting a client,” she said with her sweet, velvety voice. Just hearing it again stirred complex emotions in Discord’s gut. She laughed to herself and went on to say, “Definitely don’t miss the traffic getting into the city. But I’m so glad I caught you! Are you free? We can grab something to eat and catch up!”

Discord wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole than deal with this. He could make up an excuse to run away, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to pull it off in a convincing way. Or worse, she would see through the pathetic excuse as him still being torn apart from the breakup (he still was, but she didn’t need to hold that fact over him).

He faced magical beings countless of times at this point. Having a polite conversation with an ex should be simple compared to that (it wasn’t). He tightened his grip on his bag of groceries and mumbled, “Sure...”

=================

After Discord dropped off his groceries at his car, Celestia picked a nearby bakery to have their lunch. Discord wasn’t too surprised with this choice; she always had a giant sweet tooth. Thankfully, the bakery also served a small selection of hot sandwiches and drinks for a more balanced meal. While Discord grabbed a table with his grilled cheese and chai latte, Celestia ordered herself an egg salad sandwich and an iced frappe along with two different small cakes.

“Man, I do miss the food variety here in the city,” Celestia commented while settling into her chair. “There’s not much in my town except a few small shops and the library.”

Discord nearly forgotten the reason why he barely saw her anymore. She moved to a small town in the countryside. He couldn’t remember the full name, something like Stoneyville. She swore up and down she made the move for her job prospects and her own well-being, but it wouldn’t have surprised him if she needed a fresh start away from him.

“Are you enjoying the town since you moved there?” Discord knew it was best to stick to simple questions and comments. That should hopefully kill enough time to finish this lunch without any causalities.

Celestia nodded as she dug into her sandwich. “I am,” she said between bites. “I was always a city girl but moving there was the right change of pace for me.”

“Yeah...” Discord mumbled into his drink. Change of pace away from him, he imagined...

“So, how about you? Any big changes in your life?”

Discord almost did a comedic spit take. No way he was going to mention the hidden world of magic and wonder. He managed to choke it down before placing his drink down and sputtering out, “M-me? Oh, no, no, the same, mostly. Still in my current position...”

Celestia grinned and leaned into the table. “You always enjoyed crunching numbers, I’m not too surprised. Hopefully that company is still keeping you motivated.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Discord tried to concentrate on Celestia going into detail about her new freelancing job, but his mind was time traveling to the past.

It wasn’t supposed to be a big deal. He met Celestia at work and considered her another coworker at best. She worked with individual clients while Discord worked with businesses, so their paths didn’t intersect that much. It was only through a few chats in hallways and during lunch breaks that they started to get along. She was sweet and kind and had a godly glow about her, and Discord was absolutely smitten.

The relationship moved at a decent pace after that. They talked, they went on dates, and they spent all their time together. They even moved to the same apartment after a year together. It was all going so well. At least on Discord’s end.

Then, it just ended. Just like that. Celestia pulled him aside one night and explained she didn’t feel like they were fully connecting. She did like him and care for him, she explained, but she did not think she was in love in him in the same way.

Of course, she did this after Discord bought an engagement ring and was going to propose the following week.

He was a fool. An absolute, blubbering fool that was so caught up in the idea of a romantic partner he totally missed the blaring signs of their relationship falling apart.

It took a few months of introspection, but Discord realized (and eventually admitted to himself) she was right. They spent time together, but he rarely shared his interests or opinions. He would nod along to anything she would say and agree to her choices and opinions. He played the part of an attentive partner but never played himself. Maybe she sensed that. Maybe she wanted something more. Either way, she was pulling away and he was too dense to see it.

Now here she was, conversing with him as if nothing was wrong anymore. What was he doing here? He should leave. He’s just a burden to her now. To anyone, really. Why won’t he make up an excuse and leave? Why, why, why? How can she be so okay with this? Can’t she see how torn apart Discord was? Surely, she moved on to be with someone else, that must be it.

In the background of Discord’s mental spiral, Celestia continued to talk. “Working from home is a nice touch, but finding the right balance of work and time off was tough for the first year. I had to invest in-”

“Are you seeing someone?”

Discord wasn’t too shocked about what he said, but he was still a bit embarrassed on how blunt it came out. Celestia’s face morphed into a confused expression to the statement as well. He tried to save whatever social grace he could manage. “I-I mean, are you doing okay? And maybe you’re seeing someone new, not that I’m implying anything. I was just curious, I swear.”

With that, Celestia went back to her radiant smile and said, “Not right now, but I’m in no rush. I’m glad to take time to figure myself out, you know?”

Discord weakly nodded as if to agree. ‘Of course she wasn’t with someone new,’ he reprimanded to himself. ‘You idiot, you made things ten times worse now. Why can’t you just move on like a regular person? Stop getting caught up on the what-ifs and just accept you’re never going to-’

Celestia cut through his internal monologue by saying, “What about you? Are you seeing someone?”

Discord gaped a bit at that. He raised his sandwich to finally eat it. “No, no. Nothing like that.”

“Really? I’m surprised.”

The sandwich was dropped just as fast. “Why?” he asked.

Celestia tilted her head as she tried to figure out the right words. “I don’t know,” she said after much deliberation. “You just seem...different somehow. I figured it’s because you found someone who you got along with better.”

“Oh,” Discord said with a sinking realization. “I mean, kinda. I do have...a new friend.”

Her eyes beamed as she clapped her hands together. “That’s great!” she said with no false exaggeration. She was always genuine about her feelings. That was one of the many things Discord found so appealing about her.

She avoided eye contact as she lowered her hands to the table. She examined her nails as she said, “I kind of felt worried for you when I left town. You always hid away from the world.” She looked up, looking relieved. “I’m so happy you’re reaching out and making friends!”

“Really?”

“Yeah! I know things are still a little...awkward, but I’m glad you agreed to this lunch. I wanted to make sure you were okay. And you are. This is the most I’ve seen you really express yourself.”

Discord didn’t know what to say. He knew he tended to isolate himself, but he figured no one really noticed that. People were too busy with their own lives to pay attention to someone like him. Has he really changed since Celestia last seen him? He didn’t feel that much different; he was still the scared, awkward man he had always been.

He managed to give off a noncommittal shrug and said, “I-I didn’t realize I changed that much.”

Celestia must have sensed his unease as she leaned back into her chair to give him space. “Well, I’m hoping for the better,” she said softly.

Discord wasn’t sure how to respond to that when he felt something weird in his hand. He was still a bit cold from outside, so he still had his jacket on. He put both of his hands in his pockets earlier to hide his nervous fidgeting. He pulled out his right hand to inspect the weird texture.

There, crumbled up in his palm, was the polka-dotted flower Fluttershy gave him on their first night out together. He almost completely forgotten about it. It still had soft petals to the touch and didn’t look dried out or dead. Discord wouldn’t be surprised if the magic from its creation kept it thriving all this time.

A warm smile formed on Discord’s face without him realizing it. “Yeah, it is better,” he answered back to Celestia. He continued to stare at the little flower as he said with no hesitation, “My friend, she really is something. Helped me see so many new things and figure out some parts of myself. I’m-” He put the flower away in his pocket again and stared at Celestia sincerely. “-really glad to have her in my life.”

Instead of the expected jealousy or apathy to his revelation, Celestia was beaming with pride. “I’m glad for you, too! Does she like dessert? You should grab one of the cakes here to share.”

Oh, no. She was reading more into it than he planned on. Discord stammered back, “Oh, it’s not like-I mean, she probably-”

“Hey there, buster!”

A pair of arms closed around Discord without warning. That voice, it couldn’t be. In the corner of his vision was the light pink hair cascading on his shoulder. Discord gulped and looked down at the arms wrapped around him. Thankfully, they looked human in nature. She must be disguised right now, thank goodness.

The human-looking Fluttershy hugged Discord tighter and said in his ear, “Didn’t think I’d catch ya here! And who is your friend over there?”

“Wuhhhh,” was all Discord could manage to spit out. What is with today? Is this street cursed to spawn the most unexpected people in Discord’s life? Celestia didn’t seemed bothered at all as she gave one of her usual radiant smiles. “Oh, hello! My name is Celestia. Nice to meet you! I think we were just talking about you.”

“Oh, reallllly?” Fluttershy drawled out as she released Discord from her grasp. She moved to stand between the two at the table. She was dressed for the weather with a knitted hoodie, dark jeans, and padded boots. She stared down at both of them with a civil smile, but that smile felt like it was hiding something more foreboding.

Discord wasn’t sure if she was pissed at him or not. She shouldn’t be, him and Celestia were just friends, and he didn’t spill any magical secrets, but her popping up here was not a good sign.

Celestia laughed. “All good things, I assure you,” she said with a wave.

“Oh, I’m sure,” Fluttershy said with her teasing tone. “Discord here would never say anything bad behind my back, right?”

“R-right,” Discord mumbled back. Best to get introductions over with and hopefully escape this social hell. “Celestia, this is...” Crap, he didn’t know if he should give her real name. Isn’t she still being hunted?

“Name’s Fluttershy,” she finished the statement with no hesitancy. Discord breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t want to endanger her more if possible. Fluttershy looked back at Celestia and remarked, “Are you grabbing some food and gossip?”

Celestia nodded. “We’re just catching up. You’re free to join us!”

“Gladly!” Fluttershy pulled a nearby chair close to her without touching it (thankfully, no one was looking in her direction), and she jammed her seat at the table meant for two.

‘God, someone just bury me where I stand,’ Discord thought as he tried hide his face from the two women.

“So, did you guys meet at work?” Celestia prompted.

“Nah, you wouldn’t catch me dead at his boring job,” Fluttershy said with a light scoff. “We met while he was stargazing.”

“Stargazing?” Celestia looked over to Discord. “I didn’t know you were into that.”

“It’s a recent hobby,” he said while staring intently at the table. He was tempted to add, “because of you,” but he knew that would just open up more problems for him to answer.

Fluttershy nodded along and entwined a hand around his closest arm. “Yeah, we became two peas in a pod after that. Now you have to tell me how you know Discord.”

“Oh, nothing big,” Celestia said calmly while sipping her drink. “We used to work together and then we dat-”

“How is your sister Luna by the way?” Discord said a bit too loudly. He knew he was as subtle as a train wreck, but he needed to steer this conversation away from past romances.

Fluttershy glared back and scolded him. “Discord, it’s rude to interrupt.”

“I just wanted to ask before I forgot.”

Celestia either didn’t sense the tension or chose to ignore it. “She’s good, thanks for asking,” she said in her sweet voice. “She graduated with her Master’s last year and is now working in social care. I’m so proud of her.”

“I’m sure you are,” Fluttershy said with a bored sigh. “Now, you were saying something earlier?”

Celestia was about to continue, but she saw Discord signal with his pleading face and hand gestures to not go on. Celestia hid a small giggle and finally said, “It’s nothing. By the way, would you like anything to eat?”

“I’m good. Everything here is too sweet and orderly for my liking.” Fluttershy leaned closer to Celestia with a devious grin on her face. “I’m sure you and Discord go way back if you worked together. Care to share any embarrassing details?”

Celestia laughed again. “I’m tempted, but I’m sure he’ll tell you in his own time.”

Fluttershy started scratching at the table. Discord noticed the fingernails on her right hand were sharper than what was expected on a normal hand. She left a long indent on the wooden table with no effort. “You’d be amazed what he hasn’t told me yet...” she said in a drawn-out tone.

Discord stood up abruptly. “Wow, look at the time!” He pulled out his phone to emphasize his sentence. “I’m needed at a meeting. Darn.”

Celestia looked at him quizzically. “Really? I thought you were off today.”

“I am, but they do want me to join in a conference call for this meeting today. It was the only time they could schedule it. What can you do?” If there was one nice thing about his humdrum white-collar job, it was how everything could be blamed on a meeting.

He turned to Fluttershy. “Would you like me to take you home? My car isn’t too far from here.”

Fluttershy tried to stare him down at his obvious excuse, but she relented. “Sure,” she said while standing back up. She looked over to Celestia as she said, “It was nice to meet you, madam.” With that, she took off to the exit without looking back.

“Nice to meet you, too!” Celestia still exclaimed despite Fluttershy’s quick getaway. She began to pack her things but paused to gaze in Discord’s direction. “And it was great catching up. Thanks for agreeing to this.”

“Of course,” Discord said with true sincerity. He added, “Thanks, for...the talking.” He didn’t know a proper way to say it was nice to know she was doing well without him, but that seemed to say it all. He actually meant it when he said, “Let’s try to meet up again sometime.”

Celestia gave off one more genuine grin. “I’d like that.”

=================

Fluttershy didn’t get too far from the bakery. She was hiding in a nearby alleyway, her arms wrapped around herself. Her breathing was shaky at best, and her fingertips trembled as though she were freezing.

Discord soon caught up to her and noticed her distressed state. He approached her carefully and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Just a bit tired,” she said while taking steadying breaths. “Used a bit too much chaos magic to transport here.” She looked at her (mostly) normal human hands and looked sullen. She mumbled to herself, “What I wouldn’t give to have my old power scale...”

Discord audibly gulped. “What do you mean by that?” he said with added concern. “Are you getting weaker?”

Fluttershy finally looked up at Discord and saw his face filled with unease. She took one more controlling breath and stated, “It’s nothing to worry about. I’m fine, really.” She stood up straighter and leered at Discord. “I’m more concerned with who you were talking to.”

“What? Celestia?” Discord stepped back and tried to play it off as chill as possible. Too bad he was a horrible actor. “She an old friend, that’s all.”

“An old friend, right,” Fluttershy said blowing her hair away from her eyes. “Please. I could feel the past tension between you two from across the street.”

Discord scoffed at that. He felt like he handled the meetup just fine. It definitely went better than the thousand scenarios he pictured at night. Also, why did he care if she knew his past relationships? Might as well rip off the band aid while he had the guts. He grumbled at bit as he said, “Fine, she was an old girlfriend. Why do you care?”

“I don’t!”

Now it was Discord’s turn to be doubtful. “Really?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. “You popped up in the city for no reason?”

Fluttershy pouted a bit and tried to save face. “Hey, that was a total coincidence! I was gonna surprise you on your lunch break.”

Discord should have been flattered, but his concern for her safety overpowered that feeling. He gawked, “Why would you do that? You’re being hunted down all the time!”

“So what? I’m not going to hide away every day! I need variety in my life, you know that! Also-” Fluttershy paused and looked down at her boots. “-I wanted to see you.”

Now his feeling of concern was being replaced with this unexpected flattery. He blushed a bit when he said, “You did?”

Fluttershy seemed hesitant to elaborate, but she managed to say, “It’s been a week, and I was getting antsy. I know we can text, but it’s not the same thing.” Discord remembered he was actually pretty busy this past week with work and had to delay in seeing her in person. He did past that info along, and she didn’t seem bothered by it from his perspective. He didn’t realize it affected her that much. She always had a facade of a strong, confident person who didn’t anyone specific in her life.

She scrapped at the ground as she spat, “But apparently you don’t need me here, do ya? Not when you can hang out with whoever is nearby.”

Aghast, Discord bit back with, “Why wouldn’t I? I do have other friends, believe it or not.”

“You sure don’t act like it, Mr. Hide-In-The-Woods-All-The-Time.”

Discord twitched a bit at that but took a calming breath. She was obviously acting out, and he needed to handle it graciously. “I am trying to be more open to situations and actually interact with people.” He waited until Fluttershy looked in his direction to add, “You helped me realize that.”

This statement caught Fluttershy off guard. “I did?”

“Yeah.” Discord knew this was dangerous territory to share with her. He wanted to gush all of his feelings for her, but he knew that would just scare her away. He settled with, “Of course. I mean, I can’t hide away all the time either. Ever since I met you, you helped me realize what I want in life a bit more.”

He kept staring at Fluttershy. She kept avoiding his gaze and scratched at the alley wall with her half-claw hand. This wasn’t like her. He leaned closer. “Are you...worried about something?”

This made Fluttershy laugh. It wasn’t her sweet, airy laugh though. It was filled with venom and contempt. “What, me?” she scoffed. “A chaotic being like me? Worried? As if.”

Discord crossed his arms. Getting her to confess to anything felt like pulling teeth sometimes. “Remember, we’re trying to be honest with each other,” he reprimanded. “I want to help, but you need to tell me what’s wrong.”

Fluttershy wanted to dismiss him again, but she was visibly tired, and her defenses (both physical and mental) were down. Her eyes shifted away from Discord once again as she said, “I just-I mean-” She gave a frustrated cry and said with a defeated look, “I just don’t want you forgetting about me.”

Discord was perplexed. “Why would I?”

“You said it yourself. You’ve been more open to other people lately,” she said while walking away to create some space. She moved deeper into the alley as she continued, “Other people see that, and then you make new friends and reconnect with old ones. You won’t need me anymore.”

She turned back to finally meet Discord’s gaze. He barely heard her when she whispered, “Everyone moves on. Why wouldn’t you?”

The weight of her words set heavily on Discord’s mind. There was obvious pain and previous experience from that, and he felt like he was still at the surface of it. Still, it was driving Fluttershy to be both wary and possessive of her relationships. He couldn’t imagine feeling abandoned at every turn. At least with his fuck ups, he knew was at fault.

Fluttershy turned away from him, probably preparing a speech to leave this downer of a conversation. Discord needed to be brave again. For her sake.

“My turn to be honest,” he said as he carefully stepped closer to her. “I would never want to stop being your friend. You mean...so much to me, I don’t know if I can fully put it into words. However, in order for this friendship to work, you need to trust me. Like I trust you. Please.”

The internal walls Fluttershy put up were crumbling bit by bit. She sighed and nodded. “I know,” she said with dejection. “I’m just-well, when you’ve been around for a couple thousand years, relationships of all kinds come and go so quickly. But this...this is nice. One of the nicest ones I’ve had in a long time.”

She grabbed Discord’s hand when she said this. The nails on her claw hand have reduced to regular dull shape. She rubbed the top of his hand as she said, “I don’t want to mess this up.”

Discord didn’t even bother to hide his blush this time. He let the moment happen and tried to be there for her. “You are not messing this up. I promise,” he assured her.

Fluttershy smirked at that and finally let go of his hand. “I doubt that. I am sorry for ruining your lunch, by the way.”

Discord smirked back. “Thank you. And I am sorry if I made you feel like you’re being forgotten.”

“You’re fine,” she said with noticeable ease. She looked calm and collected now, and the previous tension in the air seemed to dissipate.

Discord tilted his head toward the opening of the alleyway. “Do you want to head back to my house? I called off for the rest of today.”

“Sounds good to me, buster,” she said in her usual sassy tone. They both headed off to Discord’s car and chatted about what they could do once they got to his house. They were back on their familiar friendship routine. For now.