Remain|Release|Remember

The next tea was at Discord’s place. There hadn’t been any pomp and ceremony, he hadn’t terrified Crystal Trend by growing out of her body, and he’d been… close to on time. Close enough that she really couldn’t complain. Twilight’s only real complaint was that he’d ponynapped her quite suddenly.

Even then, she had given him explicit permission to do that on Fridays.

The pulsing purple mass of energy looked more like a burgundy today as Twilight spun slowly and helplessly in the void. She stretched her wings out and gave a flap, but nothing seemed to happen.

His voice was disappointed. “No, no. That wont work here. Wings don’t help you fly! You need skates!”

She kicked her hooves, causing her to spin slightly more. “I didn’t exactly get a chance to bring any skates with me, Discord. You just took me off my throne.”

He grumbled, and his claw grabbed her by the scruff of her neck like she was a cat—causing her to stop spinning at least. His frown was clearly unimpressed. “You’re trying too hard. Just… skate by. Like I told you last time.”

Twilight sighed, trying to approach this diplomatically. “Normally I’d tell you that puns wont help me, but I get the feeling they will here. If I really need to ‘skate by,’ this exercise might be antithetical to my nature. I know it’s a hassle, but would you mind helping me until I can manage?”

Discord’s grin grew surprisingly toothy. Twilight suddenly felt very vulnerable. She was effectively at his mercy, and his overly large mouth was looking abnormally predatory. His teeth reminded her of a wild animal’s; a wolf perhaps.

No wonder Fluttershy had grown so fond of him. She loved wolves.

He seemed pleased with himself somehow. “I suppose I can help for now… but you’ll have to learn eventually, Twilight.”

“I’ll just have to get more practice in. Assuming you don’t mind hosting more often?” She looked closer at his teeth, curious if he’d ever used them to bite somepony.

Discord puffed up, looking pompous. “Me host more? This is our second proper tea party, and I’ll have hosted half the time! I think half is a fair split between two creatures.”

Twilight shrugged. “I agree! Half is a grea…”

“Of course, since you so desperately begged me, how could I turn down a friend in need? I’ll host more often—but only because I’m such a good friend!”

“Desperately begged?” Twilight stared flatly.

He pulled out a mug, and a sign; giving them to Twilight to hold. She looked down, and the sign said “Please invite me over more often, Discord!” While the cup was half full of bits…

Twilight angrily threw them both into the void.

He grabbed her in the small of her back with his paw, turning her around and she felt the strange sensation of motion again. As they “skated” through the void, she began to relax. Even though there was no breeze, this was almost nice? And Discord was being gentle at least.

His head slid up next to hers, and she remembered that he was built like a big, bendy noodle. In a way, she was almost envious. He could arrange himself however he wanted, bending and twisting effortlessly.

“Isn’t it beautiful here, Twilight? The storm, the void, the everything, and of course the chaos just everywhere. I love it here.”

Twilight smiled, letting him guide her and not complaining when his head nuzzled up next to hers. He was being more affectionate than usual, and far more touchy than she expected but she didn’t mind. He seemed… happy? “It does suit you.”

He slid his claw from her neck, grabbing her underneath one of her wings and slightly stretching it out.

She felt a strange shiver. Something about this reminded her of something entirely different, but she couldn’t remember what. Had it been a dream?

Warm, hot, safe, dark, fur, spit, wet, hot, hot, hot!

She shook her head as the flash of sensations threatened to overwhelm her. She tried to pull away, but there was nowhere to pull to. Her wing folded in, found his claw underneath and then stretched out. Her tail swished aggressively.

The talons on his claw were sharp but gentle, digging into the soft flesh underneath her wing without hurting her…

Dangerous, sharp, safe, held, dark, fur, tingle, stretch, dizzy, filled, hot!

She blinked, fighting back the cacophonous flood of sensations. With great focus, she managed to light up her horn and use it to shift his claw out from underneath her wing. Discord didn’t complain or even seem to notice, his eyes were focused on the pulsing magical storm with a strange and faraway look.

Twilight shook. The strange flashes were over, but her heart was still racing. Her cheeks were still flushed, and she was short of breath.

What was that? The first time had been last week when she’d tried to hug him. This time he’d been simply helping her move through the void. Her ears felt like they were turning red from the heat. Why was she so warm? The whole mess of sensations were confusing, but the warmth at least was something she could understand. She just didn’t understand why she was feeling it.

Worse, it hadn’t gone away. Everything else was overwhelming, but it was there and gone in an instant. The warmth, though… the warmth lingered…

Discord’s couch was surprisingly cozy. Twilight’s face was still flushed, but she hoped he didn’t notice. He at least hadn’t said anything to her about it. The warmth hadn’t left her, and now it was making her mind wander.

“So I told him, ‘Macaroni? More like Macarina!’ and then we danced! Well, he danced and I played the banjo, but you know how these things go.” Discord seemed pleased with himself as he took another sip of the rose-hip tea he’d made.

Twilight’s eyes were focused on his claw as it held the mug he was drinking from. The claw looked sharp; it always had. It had felt sharp when he’d grabbed her. She’d never really noticed how physically dangerous Discord was—his magic had always been so much more problematic. But that claw… As Twilight watched, a burning hole opened up in it, causing some of it to melt off. She lurched back in surprise as Discord glared at her.

“I can’t help but noticed you’ve been staring a hole in my talon. Has the pony fear of all things predatory finally caught up to you? My claw and teeth never bothered Fluttershy, but you seem disturbed by them today.” His glare was dark.

Twilight sighed, looking apologetically down at her simple black tea. “I… No. That’s not the problem.”

Discord’s eyes narrowed. “So there is a problem?”

Twilight looked sheepishly to the side. “Not with you… with me.”

He took a sip of his mug, then turned it upside down and set it on the ceiling. Ants carrying sugar began to march towards it while he tilted his head in confusion. “I never expected I’d get the ‘It’s not you it’s me’ speech from you over tea, Twilight. And yet here we are at the second tea party no less!”

She shook her head. “I don’t mean like that. I just mean… I’ve been feeling strange lately. And I think it has to do with your… cure.”

Discord blinked, then his eyes went wide. “Oh. What kind of strange? Strange can be good.”

She let out a soft chuckle. “Not anything serious. Just a few unexpected sensations. Can we talk about… whatever you did? I honestly can’t remember much. Just that it helped.”

He shooed the ants away from his cup, watching them scurry. “It’s not a secret, Twilight. It’s just… well, I don’t mind breaking the natural order for any reason. This is… a little more dangerous. I’m abusing my powers to help a friend, which is a perfectly natural use of my powers, mind you. It’s just that they inherently create disorder. Not order. There might be some… small… side effects. More than, uh, we found out already. But I wouldn’t know. I’ve never done anything like this before.”

Twilight took a sip of her tea. It wasn’t too sweet and wasn’t too bitter. She stared at him for a moment, letting her eyes wander back to his claw. The hole had been fixed. She shook her head, ripping her eyes away from it.

“I can’t seem… to remember anything that you did for me, Discord.”

Discord looked alarmed. “Wait… That wasn’t supp

The darkness was overpowering. Her mouth was full of fur. He tasted like candy and peppers at the same time, burning her tongue while simultaneously being too sweet.

Everything was too hot.

She couldn’t see anything. It didn’t matter. She didn’t need to see anything. She could feel everything. The beat of his heart. The ripple of his muscles.

His claw digging under her wing, pressing sharply and almost painfully as he gripped her. He was dangerously strong, and more immediately dangerously sharp. His teeth raked down her neck, causing her to shiver while his coiled body somehow surrounded her as she pressed her snout further into his fluffy chest.

He was encompassing her, wrapping her tightly and practically suffocating her in his embrace.

She was safe. She could relax. There was nothing she could do to escape even if she’d wanted to. He’d taken her horn, but he’d left her wings so she could embrace him. They were wrapped together, ravenously pressing their bodies as physically close as possible.

She needed this. She needed to be held, to be loved, to be… this. He needed it as well. She could feel his need in the low, possessive growl that rumbled from his chest as he gripped her tail with his lion’s paw. She didn’t struggle or complain as he lifted it. She was eager to give it to him—and everything it promised.

The warmth surrounding her pulsed strangely. It almost burned, but she didn’t mind. She tried to cry out with joy, but there was no air to gasp or fuel her words. It didn’t matter. She was still safe. She was still held. She was still his.

He wrapped his long, impossibly twisted body around her like a snake even as he kissed her neck and pulled his claw under her wings. His claw tickled in a strangely electric way. It was a different kind of dangerous, and not one she was shying away from.

All too soon, their mewling, eager mouths found each other. She went from suckling on his fur to sucking on his lower lip as soon as he offered. His teeth pressed against her mouth, and she realized he could swallow her whole if he wanted. Undoubtedly his mouth could open like a snake and simply… consume her.

Instead, their lips met and his tongue slid into her mouth like a burrowing snake. He didn’t taste like another pony. He was far more salty and earthy, his tongue almost tasting like dirty metal. Somehow, his slimy tongue was roughly bumpy and slick and slimy all at the same time. He felt like some animal, a mindless beast that had her trapped and vulnerable. It swirled in her mouth, refusing to stay in one place for more than a moment as he hungrily devoured her in an entirely agreeable way.

She wondered if she tasted sweet as he consumed her.

A hint of pepper, and something lemon sour at the same time dripped down her throat. His spit reminded her of the world’s strangest candy. Then his tongue probed further.

She expected she’d gag, but she quickly discovered that she didn’t. His tongue was easily as long and strong as his body. He could have skewered her with if he wanted; driving it through her heart like the helpless meat she was. She shivered, aroused by the strange thought.

Something wasn’t right. That wasn’t right. She tried to open her eyes, but they were already open. The world was simply dark. No, not like that.

She tried to open her real eyes.

Twilight woke with a sweat, her eyes snapping to her clock, surprised to be able to see at all. Somehow, she expected more suffocating darkness. Another almost full night of rest. Another pounding headache and a drenched bed. She shivered, the warm air still feeling cold against her soaked coat. She hacked and coughed, feeling her body coughing up another disgusting ball of dried mucus and spit as it woke from the deep, nearly comatose slumber she’d been in.

Drowsily, she worked her way to the bathroom, quickly finding a sink to spit in. She blinked, watching the thick and gooey ball of phlegm swirl in the water as her pounding headache faded and the sweat slowly dried from her fur.

Strangely, it tasted like pepper and lemon when she spat it out.

Her ragged eyes focused on her reflection, and with a growing terror she turned to the mirror and lifted her wing.

There were claw marks underneath.

How did she get those? Why did she even think to check? How did she know the marks were even from a claw? Her mind awakened to the world, and nothing made sense. Did it have to do with the dream she couldn’t remember?

She looked at a sheet of paper she kept posted to the mirror. A quick cognitive test. First find the date. Then convert it to absolute days since her ascension. Square the number. Divide by the month. If even, add the day of the week. If odd, multiply it by the nearest prime. Find the cubed root.

She blinked at the sheet. It was trivially easy. She needed to design a more difficult one—this sheet was taking her time a week ago, but now it was only a moment’s distraction. Her faculties seem better and better. She didn’t just feel young anymore. She felt young with the power and abilities of a two hundred year old alicorn. She was better and more capable than she had ever been in her “prime.”

Discord’s fix seemed to be working. She didn’t know why he seemed so panic… wait. She couldn’t remember their last visit. Hadn’t he been worried about her? The last thing she remembered was trying to explain her strange flashes, then he seemed concerned for some reason… and then…

It was morning.

Yawning, she set to brushing her teeth. Regardless of what else was happening, she felt amazing once the lethargy and morning headache wore off. Her eyes lingered on her wings and cutiemark, noting that she was practically glowing with color again. She hadn’t looked this bright in a century.

Spitting into the sink the mint toothpaste clashed strangely with a lingering taste of lemons and something spicy. What had she eaten?

She smiled as she made her way back to the bedroom, surprised to find a nervous looking Discord waiting for her on her bed. He was playing with a rubber chicken chicken of all things.

“Okay, Boneless. We can do this!” He said to the chicken, watching as it saluted him back.

Twilight cocked her head. “Discord? What are you doing in my room? Why do you have a toy chicken?”

He looked back at Twilight and the chicken seemed to fade from reality. “Twilight! What a surprise seeing you here.”

She scoffed. “This is my room. I’m supposed to be here.” Curiously she felt the need to be more friendly than she expected to be. “While you’re always welcome, might I ask what inspired you to visit as I was brushing my teeth?”

Discord bit his lip. “I know you said everything was fine and not to worry, but you also said some very concerning things a little earlier… and I can’t help but notice you haven’t touched… the thing you begged me to make.” He nodded towards a door.

Had that door always been there?

Twilight furrowed her brow. She didn’t remember any of this. “Discord, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

He looked at the door and bit his claw. “That’s the answer we came up with. You, uh, even made something like a deal with me for it. But you haven’t touched it at all! Maybe that’s hurting you somehow? I fade when I don’t do chaos. Maybe when your friends are taken you…”

Fear raced through her. “Excuse me, what do you mean when my friends are taken?”

Discord shivered uncomfortable. “I can’t go inside. I can’t check. You’re the only one who can even know if it works! I thought you’d check it right away, but if it’s been two weeks… What if this hurt you? What if I hurt you?”

He looked terrified.

Twilight stepped towards him, feeling oddly confident. “You didn’t hurt me. I’m fine! I honestly feel better than ever. There’s some strange side effects, but honestly, they aren’t too bad. My only real concern is that I seem to keep forgetting our tea parties.”

He blinked, then frowned. “That far back? Oh… Oh that isn’t good. Maybe we shouldn’t…”

Twilight held up a hoof. “No, no. It really is fine. And I feel better than ever! My mind just seems… free. I can’t explain how much easier it is to simply think!”

Discord looked at her uncomfortably. “So, uh, what do you remember from the tea parties?”

Twilight shrugged. “The last thing was when I asked you to explain what we’d even done. I didn’t even get to hear your answer!”

Discord’s stomach fell out of him, leaving a round hole in his abdomen. Then his arms fell off, grabbed the stomach and put it back in place before crawling slowly back up his body; all the while he looked at them with an intense gaze. Twilight couldn’t tell if he was sad or feeling guilty. It seemed a bit dramatic to her. “So… you don’t remember any of the… conversations we had after?”

She frowned. Clearly this was a big deal for him. “I’m sorry, I really don’t. If it they were good conversations, maybe we can just have them again?”

He looked at her strangely, then his face crinkled up like he was going to cry. After a moment, he sighed, then shrugged. “C’est la vie… Maybe they’re in there?” He pointed at the door from earlier. “I hadn’t intended to put them in there, you were supposed to keep those, but chaos magic and all that. Could you look for me? I’m… not allowed inside.”

Twilight looked back at the door. Somehow it had slipped from her mind again. How had she not seen it if it’d been here for the last couple of weeks? Where did it even lead to?

Discord wasn’t his usual annoying self. If anything, he seemed afraid. He kept nervously glancing around the room as though he was doing something bad and someone was going to catch him.

She frowned. He wasn’t about to go through the door, and she felt capable of managing herself. Worst case, she could simply teleport back. She stepped forward, and grabbed the handle.

It was strangely warm to the touch.

Hot even.

Curiously, she pushed the door inward, and it opened easily. Inside was darkness. She should have been afraid, but it looked oddly comfortable? Something about it was

Safe

If anything, it made her feel warm and somehow she needed to go inside.

“Twilight? You look a little off. Are you okay?”

Twilight ignored his senseless rambling. There was something far more important than whatever he had to say. She put a hoof in the darkness, feeling it.

Hot, soothing, relax, safe, home.

Home.

Home!

A panicked voice shouted behind her. “Get back! It’s definitely not supposed to look like…”

Twilight jumped in, desperate to get back home.

She felt him caressing her back, gently rubbing a lion’s paw up and down her body. Their bodies were both hot, and his practically burned as he touched her. She didn’t mind. In the darkness, she couldn’t see him, but she could feel him.

“Do you still miss her?”

His voice was low and thoughtful, a far cry from the Discord she usually knew. Then again, they’d just done something she’d never have thought Discord would be interested in.

“I… always will. She was my first in so many ways.”

Twilight took a big, deep breath of his chest, letting the hot air run through his fur. He smelled like a herd of wild animals, now wet with summer rain. He felt fluffy, far softer than any pony. His claw trailed softly up her stomach, reminding her that he was far more sharp than any pony as well. A creature beyond extremes, a far cry from what might be considered a comfortable lover.

“I’m sorry that… I won’t. I still do, but someday I wont, right?”

He almost laughed, pulling her up his soft and hard body, letting her hooves drag across his fur and scales. He was so long, she felt like she was on a ride of some kind as he settled her face in front of his in the dark. She couldn’t see him, but she could feel him.

His breath was hot, much like hers.

“Don’t apologize. I’m the one that’s going to take her from you.”

He breathed in, his breath turning into a sucking vortex as she felt herself grow weak. The air rushed around her, pulling and tugging at her fur, and she opened her mouth to exhale.

And it all came out.

Her breath was sucked out of her, being swallowed by him as she relaxed. He was eating her. Not physically. Not with his teeth. But with his magic.

Memories flooded her mind.

Her mother. What was her name? Her father had… a blue coat? Or had he been green? Moon… Spinner? The DJ with the glasses. A small… what was it?

She felt dizzy. She wasn’t afraid. She wasn’t scared. This was their deal.

This was what Discord really was. Entropy. The slow, inevitable march of decay. And she was just as subject to it as anypony else. Even if her body never failed, even if her mind was as sharp as ever… nothing was infinite.

Except for him. The infinite void of chaos.

His mouth stayed open, but the air was gone. There was nothing left to breathe, but she didn’t mind. She wasn’t suffocating or in pain. In the airless vacuum, she placed a kiss on his lips, and she felt him shiver.

His mouth closed, the void filled. She didn’t know what with. She couldn’t remember. But it had been part of her. He would never be sated. Until the end of time he’d be ravenous.

She placed her snout into his neck, feeling the warm tingle of his fur as she suckled on it. He tasted warm, almost spicy. He seemed surprised. She liked surprising him. She liked feeding him; fueling his chaos with her memories.

Had that been their agreement? The details slipped, but they didn’t matter. So much of her… something… was his now. What was a few licks and nuzzles? A few hungry, desperate hugs here in the silent, dark void?

Had she known it would be like this? She couldn’t remember.

Had he known?

She shivered at the thought, curious if he’d taken advantage of her somehow. The physicality was nothing compared to what the deal entailed, but maybe… maybe he’d known anyways? She didn’t think she had. This was definitely surprising for her, even if she couldn’t remember why or how she’d gotten here. Now that she was here, though…

Not that she would have complained. She would have tried anything to alleviate the pressure. And maybe she did? She couldn’t remember. So why bother worrying.

It was all gone anyways. And someday, all the rest would be gone as well.

She smiled as she slid herself back down his body, looking for something in particular. He kept hold of her, keeping her tightly pressed against him like she was a ring on a horn, sliding down the length to the wide base.

And then she found the wide base.

Twilight stumbled into a purple room. She sucked in breath, surprised to have air at all. The light burned her eyes; a rapid shift from the dark void where she’d been…

What had she been doing there?

Her body was too warm, and her wings were spread strangely wide. Worse, she felt… wet.

Okay then. That’s a surprise.

Trying to ignore her strange state, she forced her wings back down and took a few deep, calming breathes. The air here was cool, and the light was actually quite soft once she got used to it. She regained something like composure, and looked forward.

It was a library. The shelves were mostly empty, but the first few had books in them. Her eyes wandered further down, noting that the library seemed to extend forever. Curious, she walked up to the shelf and pulled a book down to look at it.

The label was a picture of a pony, with simple text underneath. He was a blue pony that she didn’t recognize, and star cutiemark. The cover simply said “Night Light”.

Taking a look inside, she read the first few paragraphs.

Night Light—From Twilight Sparkle’s Family Collection.

Night Light was Twilight Sparkle’s father. A studious sort, he always worked hard to ensure she had the best life possible. He was married to Twilight Velvet, and was succeeded by his son, Shining Armor, and his daughter, Twilight Sparkle. As follows are the memories retained by Princess Twilight Sparkle upon the creation of this record…

She stared, tears forming in her eyes. She couldn’t remember him.

Sniffling, she closed the book and placed it back on the shelf. Next to it was a book labeled, “Twilight Velvet”.

She didn’t want to open it just now. She knew she’d have time later. This was her place. This was her sanctuary against eternity. She’d paid a price for this library, and now she intrinsically understood that it was part of her.

Instead, she looked down the empty halls. There was no end. It was… an eternity. An aimless, empty void. One she was destined to fill.

Her tears grew warmer, but she wasn’t sad.

She could keep them forever now. All of them. A sense of relief flooded her and she collapsed on the ground.

Whatever the cost, it didn’t matter. There was an answer—and it was beautiful.

The void was particularly spinny today. Twilight laughed as Discord pretended to be a duck. “You’re ridiculous.”

The duck quacked, its rubber head bulging as though someone was squeezing it. “I’m ugly now, but just you wait! I’ll grow up to be a swan!”

And just as quickly, there was a giant rubber Celestia floating in front of her. With all too large a rump and big googly eyes.

Twilight practically doubled over, her giggles uncontrollable. “Oh, that’s too much! She’d be furious with you… Do Luna next!”

The rubber Celestia turned blue as it deflated, the extra fluff moving from her rump to her chest as it looked about in a panic. “I would never mock our only equestrian cosmonaut! She’s a national treasure!”

Twilight laughed a little. “Eh, that’s a six out of ten.”

Discord popped on top of her, wearing a cowboy hat and swirling a lasso.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Seven out of ten. But you’re pushing it.”

He fed a carrot to the inflatable steed, and Twilight watched in horrified fascination as the rubber mouth gnawed at it fruitlessly. “Three out of ten. That’s… too weird.”

“Please. I’d like to see you do better.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “The swan joke was funny, but the cosmonaut joke was… tasteless. And the carrot thing? Don’t do that.” She shivered as the inflatable pony’s mouth helplessly gummed at the carrot. “Yeah… really don’t.”

He rolled his eyes. “Everyone is a critic.”

She tapped her hooves, noticing that she was moving slightly forward. It had taken months of practice, and she wasn’t any good at it, but she’d started being able to maneuver in the void. Skating, as he said, was mostly just carefully using her hooves to sort of slip between the chaos. Truth be told, it was easier the less she thought about it, but that just wasn’t who she was. She always thought about things.

She worked herself to the inflatable pony and took the carrot away from Discord as he watched. He seemed curious, but was pretending not to look with an over exaggerated head tilt. She used her levitation to spread inflatable Luna’s wings, used magic to color her white, and put the carrot in her hooves. She couldn’t shape change things like Discord could, but the inflatable was easy enough to manipulate with her magic; making it look vaguely like a rabbit.

Twilight smiled. “Now she’s a proper nightmare.”

Discord stared at the messy art she’d created, then looked back at Twilight. “You… remember Angel?”

Twilight winked, then pointed her hoof at the messy sculpture. “I read up before I came today. I thought you’d appreciate it. And this, right here, is a three layer pun! Almost as good as bean dip, right?”

Discord looked like he was going to cry, then he raised a score board that said “6.9 / 10”.

Twilight stared blankly. “Six point nine? Really?”

He sounded like he was holding back a sob. “I’m still the master of chaos. But I’m just so… proud of you!”

She growled, using her magic to rip the carrot out of the front of the inflatable, and immediately shoving it as hard as she could up the back end. The balloon like object popped with a wet “Pheeeeeee” while she glared at Discord as she slowly drug the carrot across her neck.

The score on the board magically changed to “8.2”.

He nervously threw the score card away. “Look at that, you win! On to tea! Race you there!”

She threw the carrot behind her as she desperately tried to keep up. There wasn’t a chance, and she knew it, but it was good practice. She’d never be as fast as him, but maybe someday she’d be comfortable here.

In a way, she already was. She felt safe here. This was almost as comforting as her hide-away from reality library sanctuary. It was his home, and he was…

Something to her.

Something more than a friend?

The thought gave her pause. She’d been wondering for a while now if he felt anything like she did. The strange flashes of sensation she sometimes got when he… grabbed her… were decidedly unique. And they weren’t necessarily bad sensations, either. Not at all. Just incredibly distracting.

Even more-so, Discord had never been afraid to get in her personal space and do things like throw her around, but lately he’d seemed even more familiar with her. His paw didn’t seem to hesitate when it reached under her wings, and he was comfortable laying his head right next to hers to whisper something quiet. Usually it was part of a gag, but sometimes he did it and it made her heart skip a beat.

She hadn’t complained. If anything, she’d been silently encouraging him by putting herself in easy to access positions.

She wondered if he’d hesitate to take things further if she really pushed it. She didn’t feel lonely, but lately it was because it almost felt like they already were… intimate in some way. He wasn’t interested in actually dating her; she was sure of it. At least, not like a normal pony. And she wasn’t sure if she was either. He was still Discord—a traditional relationship would be a nightmare far worse than her bunny balloon Luna. But he was…

He’d done something monumental for her. Something grandiose in an impossible way. She didn’t know the details, in fact she couldn’t know the details, but he’d literally figured out a way to give her a slice of infinity. It was truly hers now. That was more than a gift for a friend, right?

That was… certainly at least worth a little flirting. She hardly remembered these tea parties once they sat down and actually began to have tea. Maybe tonight…

Maybe she’d just push him and see how far he’d go.