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!