Chaos Inverted

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.