Shadows Over Equestria
Chapter 3: 3. Dreams and Confessions
Previous ChapterShadows Over Equestria
Chapter 3: Dreams and Confessions
By the time Twilight's hurried pace through Ponyville had taken her halfway to the train station, she was helpfully reminded by Spike – once he was done stuffing his face, that he was sure she still had her wings and could instead fly to Canterlot. Had it not been for the urgency of the situation, she would have likely been embarrassed far longer than she allowed herself to be. Once she recovered from her brief flustered lapse, she quickly launched herself into the open sky, and her flight time was half that of what taking the train would have been.
Her aerial flight did not last long before she saw Canterlot rapidly approaching on the horizon. She soon landed right in front of the castle entrance. It was all thanks to Rainbow Dash she hadn't crash landed once since the last time she was in a rush. As she entered and casually took in the familiar grandiose architecture of Canterlot Castle, she was quickly met with the sight of a single royal guard standing next to the inner entrance, waiting patiently for her arrival. He was wearing the traditional golden armor and helmet, and was a bay-colored unicorn stallion with a dark mane and tail that matched the fringe of his helmet.
After exchanging pleasantries, the royal guard made Twilight aware that he had been given direct orders from Princess Celestia to escort her to the front hall, where they would be meeting her but as soon as they arrived at the front hall the royal guard stopped her.
"I beg your pardon, princess, but your dragon friend cannot join you." He said.
"Why can't Spike come with me?"
"The princess has personal affairs that she must discuss with you in private, but she has asked me to escort and accommodate him elsewhere in the meantime." He explained, much to Spike's apparent disappointment. The two were quickly led through the same entryway where Twilight had once met the princess during the Grand Galloping Gala and upon the news of Discord's return. Completing the picture was Princess Celestia herself, whose presence was awe-inspiring as ever.
"Your Highness, Princess Twilight Sparkle has arrived."
"Thank you, Valor, that will be all. You may continue your rotation with your team, once you have accommodated Spike."
"Of course." The guard answered and followed with a small bow in Celestia's direction. When she saw Spike was sitting on Twilight's back, Celestia gave the young dragon an apologetic look as she watched him hop off.
"I'm sorry you can't stay with us, Spike. There are royal matters I must attend to with Twilight, so I hope you'll understand. If you want I can look into having a meal prepared for you in the castle dining room while you wait?" She offered as if making up for all the trouble. She saw the small twinkle that appeared in his eyes and knew she had gotten Spike's approval and forgiveness.
"Alright, sounds good. I'll see you around, Twilight." He said, before following after the guard when he took his leave. As the guard passed Twilight, he turned and demurely gave her a formal nod before leaving the front hall through the right corridor, with the little dragon in tow.
As soon as the two were out of sight Celestia quickly descended the steps and, without even stopping for a simple greeting, led her former student out of the front hall via the left corridor.
"Thank you for coming here as soon as you were able to Twilight. I must apologize for asking you to come under such short notice."
"No apology is necessary, Princess. You can always call whenever you need me, but may I ask what it is you need my assistance with? Is everything okay?"
Voicing her curiosity Twilight saw the warm smile that had graced Celestia's features fade, to be replaced with a serious expression. No answer was forthcoming as the silence lengthened and grew tense, deepening the uncomfortable feeling between them. It was during their silent walk that Twilight knew this wasn't going to be a mere meeting over tea, but she dared not repeat herself and decided to give the princess the chance to speak when she was ready. Well over a minute of silence passed before Celestia finally spoke.
"Before you received my letter, did you feel like anything in your surroundings was misplaced or out of the ordinary?"
"No, not that I'm personally aware of." Twilight answered, feeling as though she may have misspoke because of Celestia's tone. Although she knew she would find out in due time, was it possible she was in fact being tested as Rarity first predicted? Perhaps her perceptions were being tested now that she was a princess? "My friends haven't mentioned anything being out of place."
"Good." The utter relief was evident."I'm sorry for asking such a cryptic question. I needed to be certain of something first and if neither you nor your friends have noticed anything out of place, then I doubt anyone else has realized. It looks like I haven't lost my touch or gotten out of practice after all."
Forgive me if I'm repeating myself but what is this all about? What's going on?" The silence returned, finally a soft sigh.
"I wish I'd called you under better circumstances and everything was alright, but I can't. Unfortunately I'm running out of options and should have called you sooner. I am the only one who knows about this, aside from a few guards. I don't wish to risk more learning and potentially causing a panic, not if there is something I can do. I've done all I could, but nothing is working, which is why I need your assistance."
"Does Princess Luna know about this, maybe she could help? She'd probably be more use than me." She saw that Celestia was no longer walking beside her. She too stopped, before stepping back to the princess's side.
"I wish that were the case but that is also why I have called you. You see, Princess Luna hasn't been awake for almost three days."
Back in Ponyville, the other five stuck around Sugarcube Corner for another hour before anyone considered leaving. While the others went their separate ways, Rainbow Dash had some flight maneuvers she wanted to work on and felt that with the energy boost from her Fizzle Puff she could go through many more exercises before feeling any worse for wear. It helped that Soarin', one of the elite fliers known as the Wonderbolts, had actually been at Sugarcube Corner making his own contribution towards the bake sale and saw her while she was on her way out. After catching her for a casual chat, Soarin' had offered to join her workout and even help by providing some pointers. Rarity and Applejack had teased her for it. Ever since she'd saved him from his 'crash landing' at the qualifying round in Rainbow Falls, the stallion had been starting to take more notice of her. Rainbow countered with their gossiping and said it was probably only because he thought she was awesome, but Rarity assured her that she knew chemistry when she saw it. Rainbow cut her off by leaving the bakery in a flash. Romance was definitely not something the athletic pegasus wanted on her mind.
Fluttershy returned to her cottage, where she would usually have been relaxing with her animal friends, waiting for their dinnertime, when she would feed them. As the animals of her cottage approached her with a mix of greetings and desire for food, they were met with a distracted owner. All they could do was watch silently watch as Fluttershy nervously paced the cottage with Angel sitting on her back looking close to stopping Fluttershy's pacing personally. This went on for over five minutes.
"I... I can do this. I know I can. I need to see Discord now. If I don't face him with the truth now... I'm only going to feel worse and regret it later... oh but I just can't bring myself to leave."
Angel tapped her shoulder firmly enough to get her attention, and motioned to the pastry box that was currently resting on an end table nearby as a friendly reminder. He also pointed to the clock that read ten minutes until five.
"I know... I need to go and do this now and I know it's also almost that time to get everyone's dinner together." Fluttershy said, conflicted, as her words made the animals chatter lightly. Perched on a part of the foundation that supported the roof a blue jay glided over and flapped to her side. It chirped rhythmically as if it were speaking to her.
"Yes, I did talk to my friends about it and they did reassure me. It's not like I don't want to tell Discord the truth... I'm just worried that if I do I'll end up hurting his feelings... and I don't want that." She sighed. "What if I become the one responsible for hurting him so much... that he returns to his old ways?" She gasped, her eyes quickly widening in fear by the end of it all. The blue jay chirped once more to distract her from having another panic attack. She looked at the bird before she turned to meet Angel's gaze, and then sighed in defeat.
"I'm sorry, you're both right... I just don't want to hurt him being his first friend, but I owe it to him to be truthful too." She stated adamantly, before lowering her head, worried. "It doesn't mean I'm looking forward to doing that though. I just hope he can forgive me for it..."
After promising that she'd be right back to feed them as soon as she finished talking with Discord, she hesitantly left her cottage. To get to Discord's home she needed to take the path a short distance to the right. With the pastry box resting atop her back she made her way to the edge of the Everfree Forest, Discord was adjacent and not directly inside the forest.
Fluttershy quickly made it to her destination and stood outside Discord's new home. It was a small place that anyone who did not personally know the draconequus would least expect was a house, let alone one they'd find Fluttershy standing outside of.
It was… an outhouse.
An old looking outhouse made out of withered brown wood, its lines running crooked rather than straight. Judging from its size, it could barely hold a single pony. It certainly was no size for a creature like Discord, but then again, this was the spirit of chaotic magic.
"A-alright. Here goes nothing." Fluttershy said to herself before she brought her hoof up and softly knocked on the door a few times, then stepping back. All she could do was wait. A small part of her was hoping he wasn't home, but as hopeful for that outcome and as nervous as she was, she knew she needed to do this. She had to keep calm and firm.
After a minute of no answer, Fluttershy thought she would be able to get away with it for the day. Just as she turned to leave, the lavatory door flung itself open, causing her to freeze before she forced herself to turn back around.
Poking his horse-like shaped head through the entrance was, without a doubt, Discord. There was no one quite as physically mismatched as he was. His expression appeared to be on the unpleasant side, as though her knocking had been an inconvenience and was disturbing him. The moment he saw it was Fluttershy however, the yellow of his eyes literally lit up like a pair of peculiar light bulbs and his attitude shifted from pure annoyance to utter delight in a second.
"Fluttershy! It's so good to see you again in such good health and spirits. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, best neighbor and best friend?" Discord spoke with a widely exaggerated smile that matched his tone of voice, while his snaggletooth served to accentuate it.
Oh dear. It seems like he's in such a good mood. I'd hate to ruin it with what I have to say... but maybe he'll take it easier this way? Fluttershy thought, hope returning to her by the end of her train of thought.
"Oh. I… um I brought you something." Fluttershy said while motioning to her back allowing Discord to see the pastry box resting there. "Also, I need to talk to you about something really importa-"
"For me? Oh Flutter Butter, you shouldn't have!" Discord said ever more ecstatically before following with a single blink, as though he had just only then registered that she was still standing outside. "Where are my manners? Please do come in, I insist. Me casa, su casa." He said, before his head retreated back through the open door.
"Me what-?" Fluttershy began, only to be interrupted, yelping in surprise when Discord's contrasting limbs shot out and stretched like rubber for her, quickly pulling her inside, the door closing itself behind her.
The rush of being pulled in threw her a little off balance, but as her equilibrium returned, she landed on what felt like a soft cushion. Sure enough, as opened her eyes and looked down she did find herself sitting on a checkered sofa that could sit two. In a flash of white Discord reappeared, but politely sitting in his own chair decorated in as wild an appearance as the sofa she was sitting on. Occupying the other half of the sofa was the pastry box, but not for long as Discord levitated it to his side.
Once Fluttershy recovered from this new disorientation, she attempted to take in her new surroundings only for her head to spin out of dizziness once more due to Discord's taste in interior decoration. For a home in the form of an outhouse, the space inside was much larger than one would expect from the outside. The idea of letting Discord have a place of his own to call home, for the sake of venting some of his chaotic energy, seemed more ingenious now than she had first given herself credit for. The only furniture in the room were the pieces they were sitting on, but they looked like they were levitating several feet above the ground! The walls and floor were grayscale in color, as if they were drawn in pencil, and several staircases of winding stairs were present. Nothing about it had an orderly manner, for the stairs crowded against one another, curling and winding around each other. Although the home itself looked like it was just one huge space made of surrealist art, these stairs each looked like they had an exit... or were they entrances? There were stairs that even traveled across the ceiling! This all looked too real to be a mere illusion, as Discord had the power to change reality at will.
Fluttershy quickly looked away from the confusing background before she became too dizzy again. She chose instead to turn her attention on Discord, using him as a focal point. She watched the box open on its own while he peered with a curious gaze into the box.
"Oh? What do we have here?" Discord asked, his fingers twitching as he levitated the vibrantly colored treat out of the box for closer inspection. "This design seems a little strange and not at all like what you usually make."
"It's actually from Pinkie Pie. It's called a Fizzle Puff and one of her newest recipes. It's definitely... really interesting." Fluttershy said, further piquing Discord's interest.
"I'll be the judge of that. So, I take it you saw Pinkie Pie while on your errand?" He asked.
"A-about that..." Fluttershy started, but stopped when she saw Discord's tongue launch from his mouth towards the floating treat and pull it back into his mouth in a motion. Instantly recalling the effects of the Fizzle Puffs she and the others went through a while ago Fluttershy spoke up.
"I-I don't think you should eat that all at once." Her words of warning however came a little too late, as he was already chewing it down, savoring the taste fully. In a matter of seconds his eyes blinked rapidly before his eyes began to water.
"Discord?" Fluttershy asked, only to receive an explosion in response as Discord's head literally burst like a firework. Fluttershy winced from the noise and braced herself for the impending impact, only to feel something scatter across her mane. She hesitated to open her eyes as if she possibly held darker thoughts about what was in her mane, but once she pushed herself to open them she noticed a couple of flakes slip from her mane. They were bright pieces of confetti. When she looked back to Discord, her hoof covered her mouth in surprise. The entirety of Discord's head was missing! A wisp of smoke lingered where his head once connected to his neck. Moments later his head instantly snapped back to its unusual shape, but his face charred black like the aftermath of an explosion; his fringed mane standing on end beyond even its unkempt style, much like everyone else's had after having a bite of their Fizzle Puff. Fluttershy gasped as Discord coughed and a small flame came out of his mouth.
"Goodness! Are you alright?" Fluttershy said with a great deal of concern.
"Oh, it's nothing I can't manage." Discord said while rapidly shaking his head causing the soot that had covered his whole face to disperse in a black cloud. Once he got rid of it, with a snap of his fingers his mane returned in its normal style.
"I must say that was an absolutely ingenious piece of work. Do give my compliments to the chef for the sweetly gooey and perfect combination of cotton candy and chocolate milk. She most certainly deserves some praise for being able to make something that even impresses me. It's a hard feat to accomplish."
She had gullibly thought his reaction had been caused by his treat, but it had just been him messing with her. She had been so worried for him for a moment and showed how that made her feel by frowning.
"Discord, you shouldn't have done that."
"Aw, but I was only messing around with you." Discord smiled. "It's all in good fun."
"Playing a joke is one thing but you had me really worried. What if you had actually been hurt and I thought you were just goofing off?" Fluttershy countered. Discord pouted, receiving a gentle but serious look from Fluttershy. Discord mustered all the effort he could to fight back, but she was never fazed by him and kept staring. Discord eventually sighed in defeat a few seconds later. He could hardly believe it. It hadn't been 'the stare' she tried but failed with last time, and yet there was always something about a serious look that always put a damper on Discord's mood.
"Alright, fine." Discord groaned. "I'll try to be more considerate with how I go about it next time, but honestly none of you ponies know the meaning of a good joke. I thought you of all ponies would have understood ~" He sulked.
"I'm not upset but you really need to be careful when it comes to your humor. One of these days you could really suffer for tricking and fooling someone again, whether you feel it's all in good fun or not. Remember when you lied about your blue flu and you ended up getting sick, for real?" Fluttershy asked as if it served as an example of what she was saying. Both Discord and the chair he sat on disappeared in a flash and was replaced with a therapy couch, as he reappeared and rested his back against it. The chair wasn't the only thing that changed, for Fluttershy was now wearing a white coat and a pair of thick eyeglasses with her mane done in a bun and holding a notepad in her hooves. She was no longer on the sofa, as Discord had changed her sofa into a chair that levitated to his side as he sprawled across his couch. Fluttershy felt the chair she was now sitting in levitate to his side.
"So what are you suggesting I do, doctor? That I stop all my tomfoolery and always be some serious stick in the mud and give up who I am? I'm Discord, the spirit of chaos and disharmony. You can't change who I am." He said, folding his arms while his expression looked like something a young child would give during a tantrum.
"That isn't what I meant at all, and you know that." Fluttershy said, while removing the outfit and undoing her hair. As soon as the pieces of clothing were removed, they disappeared in a flash, courtesy of Discord. It still bothered her how he still called himself that. Chaos, sure, as that's what he was as far as his magic and embodiment, but disharmony? It was almost like he still considered himself a bad guy, even though she had helped in reforming him and had become his friend. Was he not as reformed as she thought?
Stop it, Fluttershy. He might not be completely changed in his ways, but you can't ever completely change the way someone naturally is. He's certainly better and at least somewhat reformed, and he is more willing to do good with his magic than bad. She shook the thought away and continued.
"I'm not trying to change who you really are, but I'm just saying you should be more mindful with how you go about it. You remember when you were first released and how our goal was to reform you, it was so you could become our ally by using your magic for good. We were never going to take away your magic or force you to do anything against your will."
"Hmph. I know Twilight was going to try and force me with a reformation spell, that little teacher's pet..." Discord mumbled. Good thing he had eaten all reforming spells out of her books. That had been some fast thinking he was personally quite proud of.
"She just didn't think there were any other options left in that situation, and that you couldn't be reasoned with like I believed. That's all."
"I don't really care to speak much more about Princess Bookworm, right now. I am rather more interested in the current events of my best pal and teacher of friendship. How are you?" Discord smiled and sat up.
"Huh?" Fluttershy said, only to disappear in a flash of white and reappear seconds later. She noticed she was now the one laid back on the couch. Discord reappeared in the chair Fluttershy was just sitting on, now posing as the one wearing some kind of therapist's clothing, only looking much more crazy and over the top than she had. He wore a plaid sleeveless jumper over a buttoned top with a matching plaid bowtie. The round glasses he wore had thick lenses that had a swirly pattern across them. He looked more crazy than helpful in appearance.
"Why don't you tell me all about your childhood?" Discord began, conjuring a notepad of his own that he now held in his talon, a pen held in his paw. Fluttershy turned, as confused as ever.
"W-what?"
"Okay, we can talk about your childhood later. How about a stallion? Is there a special somepony in your life right now; is there one you're holding back a relentless and undying passion for? How goes the relationship? Would you say it's going well?"
"W-what!?" Fluttershy stuttered, her face going pink. "I-I don't have a special somepony, right now!"
"Sure you do. Look at how pink you are!" He grinned. "Now spill the dirt, young lady. Who is this lucky stallion… or mare?"
"I-I don't have one, honest!" She said.
"Very well, then let us do what friends do!" He grinned and tossed the notepad over his shoulder, only for it to explode. "That was some explosive information." He chuckled, but with Fluttershy blinking cluelessly in response, Discord's smile dropped when she didn't get his joke. He responded by moving in closer to her.
"Tell me, what is the biggest secret of secrets that you have?"
"S-secret? And what do you mean by biggest secret?" Fluttershy asked.
"You know, like what's your darkest secret. What's something you aren't proud of you did, etcetera. Perhaps it's an embarrassing moment? Something along those lines." Discord elaborated.
Fluttershy looked on nervously, and it took a few moments of fidgeting and the sight of Discord's smiling face waiting for her response before she said anything.
"It's... well, it's about the errand I went on. I said I was going out for a few things, but to be honest... I-I lied." Fluttershy was sitting up now, but was also looking down in shame. "I...I didn't mean to lie to you, but it just happened that way and the words just came out like they did. The real truth is... I went out but I went out to meet up with the girls at Sugarcube Corner. I was with everyone and we were all meeting up to try Pinkie's new recipe, the Fizzle Puff. She just so happened to already make one for you, since you inspired her to make you one. I feel so terrible and I should have included you in on the meeting, but I suppose deep down I was hesitant to invite you. It's n-not because I didn't want you to or out of selfishness... I was worried you might get out of hand, since there were so many ponies at the bakery besides us. I know you can be good, but I guess deep down I was worried you would do too much or cause too much chaos and mayhem. I'm so sorry, Discord, I didn't mean to lie to you when I did today. Can you ever forgive me?" She said, not exactly blurting it all out, but barely pausing as she tried to explain her 'not so nice' actions.
Discord was silent the entire time Fluttershy spoke. The fact he was quiet and looking on as calmly as he was, it made her feel all the more nervous. Discord and calmness didn't usually go together; as in fact she had never seen Discord look so calm. It was an odd sight. As her nerves continued to escalate, Discord blinked as if he had been sidetracked or in his own world of thoughts before returning any response.
"Oh! Is that all?" Discord began as if he expected more. "I already knew about that." Discord said like it was old news. This was the last thing Fluttershy expected to hear, as she looked to be very surprised and hadn't expected this.
"Y-you do? Wait... how did you know already?" Fluttershy asked.
"I might have watched all you did today, ever since you left." He said, almost nonchalantly.
"Might?"
"Okay, I did. I confess to my crime." Discord declared in an over dramatized fashion, with a paw on his forehead and leaning back. "But it's not like I was hiding in the kitchen or anything."
"Then... how did you know about everything?" Fluttershy said, confused but still surprised.
"Let's just say I have... eyes everywhere." He said, as his left eyeball popped out and landed in his talons before he pushed it back into its socket. Fluttershy leaned away from him as if a little grossed out; despite the fact it never came close to her.
"Then, you aren't mad?" She asked, hopeful.
"Oh Fluttershy, I could never be mad at you. It might have been nice to join you, but I know a girl-time when I see one." He said, almost disgusted at the idea of 'girl time.' "It was probably for the best that you never invited me." He said, snapping his fingers as the therapist garb he wore and the couch disappeared, leaving Fluttershy sitting back on the sofa she'd been on before and him back in the chair he was previously sitting on.
"A good idea?" Fluttershy asked with a frown. "No it wasn't. If you knew what I was doing... didn't you hear what ponies said?"
"What? About me? Of course, but it didn't bother me." He chuckled. "As much as I do hate to admit it, I don't have the greatest self-control." He mused.
Fluttershy smiled quietly, a little impressed that he admitted something like that, though her smile faded quickly when something else crossed her mind. "Still... how does it not bother you? I'm your friend, and friends don't lie to each other."
"Not everyone can be perfect like me. It's fine, I'm used to it." Discord shrugged, earning a strange and suspicious glance from Fluttershy as if she weren't completely convinced. "What did surprise me, though, is that you came and told me what you did. I might have already known what happened, but what if I hadn't? You felt bad and came clean with me about it, and that dear Fluttershy, I am grateful for."
He smiled broadly, as if he had been struck with an idea. "Hey! Why don't we go out and have some fun? We could go to Las Pegasus for a few rounds of poker, visit the Crystal Empire's Museum of Precious Stone, or even better, we can have a picnic."
"A picnic? Now?" Fluttershy blinked.
"I suppose it could be a dinner picnic." Discord said. The moment the word 'dinner' was uttered, it served as a reminder for Fluttershy.
"Oh!" She cried in realization. "Discord, do you know what time it is?"
"A freckle passed a hair." He said receiving a gentle but serious look from Fluttershy, once more. "Sorry. It's fifteen minutes after five."
"Oh dear. I should have started feeding all the animals dinner fifteen minutes ago, and I promised them I'd be right back." Fluttershy said, sounding as if she felt guilty.
"I guess this means our plans have been postponed?"
"I'm so sorry, Discord. I'd love to, but I can't keep them waiting."
"You do realize I could just finish all of that for you." He said and motioned with his paw, ready to snap his fingers.
"I know and I do appreciate the gesture," she said with a grateful tone. "But you know how I love to spend time with each of them. And some of them may get startled by your magic."
"Oh, very well." Discord said. "Perhaps may I suggest we plan on something for next time, then?"
"Sure. Why don't we have a picnic tomorrow, for lunch?" Fluttershy smiled.
"Splendid. I look forward to it." Discord said as both he and Fluttershy flashed and reappeared outside the closed front door of the outhouse. "Allow me to walk you out."
Fluttershy thanked him and was about to wave farewell, but stopped in midway as something came to her.
"I have an idea." Fluttershy said, looking back to Discord. "Would you like to join me by helping me feed the animals?" She smiled.
"Hmm?" Discord said, intrigued by the idea. "I appreciate the offer, Fluttershy, but I'm going to have to decline. I have a myriad of chores to accomplish, a whole chaotic dimension to clean, and besides, cutesy animals aren't really my thing."
"Oh." Fluttershy said softly as if a little disappointed by his turn down, but nodded. "That's okay, I understand."
Discord could see the disappointment in her face, but smiled. "Perhaps another time?" He said, hoping she would take his rejection better.
She looked up and smiled. The one thing she wanted was to share her friends together, including Discord with her animal friends.
"I'll see you tomorrow for our picnic. Have a good night, Discord." She said seeming happier as she flew in to the air; it was more direct than the path she first took.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world ~" Discord said, rapidly waving his paw, watching her set off as she turned and began her trip back to her cottage. "Ta-ta! Au revoir! Arrivederci! Auf Wiedersehen! Toodles!" He added and waved until she was no longer in sight.
Once Fluttershy became nothing more than a speck and was out of sight, the speed of his wave slowed until it came to a halt, and the widely bright smile and expression he gave faded from sight. He looked on with a silent and distant expression on the pathway where Fluttershy disappeared. He sighed as his paw rested at his side, before he turned and opened the outhouse door and slipped back in, the door closing behind him.
Once back inside, Discord looked at the interior of his home. For some reason, he was no longer in mood with the topsy-turvy appearance. In fact, he looked rather bored with it and with his fingers he snapped the look along with the furniture from existence, as the visage of his house changed to something else.
The inside of his home was now suddenly Sugarcube Corner. It looked like he was in the back of the bakery in the kitchen. In front of him and sitting around a round table were all the seven chattering on. He watched and saw Twilight was trying to console Fluttershy… supposedly.
"I know it seems wrong, but I think these measures were needed... He might have gotten out of hoof... The citizens in Ponyville haven't really been fully acclimated to him yet... what with taking over Equestria after all... Old habits are hard to break, so we have to make sure to keep an eye on him. With the elements no longer at our disposal to keep him in check... He hasn't changed enough; he's been making ponies suffer from his chaos far longer than trying to be good. Inflicting chaos is what comes naturally for him...
We don't mean to put you on the spot like this, but we can never be too careful. I know you know as much as I do, and Discord hasn't been free for even two months, let alone a year. It's too soon to let our guard down. Until he gives us no more reason to doubt him, we have to be there whenever he does act out with his magic."
Discord's expression went from bored to tense and he looked downright annoyed. He walked into the scene and stopped behind where Twilight Sparkle sat. No one seemed to notice he was there mainly because this was his own magical recreation, and so they talked on, only a reflection of what already happened.
"Blah, blah. Boring speech. You have no reason to feel bad about lying. You can lie to Discord, Fluttershy, because I'm a princess and demand it." Discord said, mocking Twilight. In fact he said it perfectly in her voice while perfectly lip synching to Twilight's mouth when it moved. He was suddenly behind Applejack, now sporting a country accent and doing the same replicated voice as he did with Twilight.
"There's nothin' to feel sorry for. Discord is just a bizarre critter who wants your complete attention. We shouldn't trust him."
"Absolutely, dear. Discord is nothing but a spoiled brat, who has no manners whatsoever." He said, now with Rarity's voice.
"Teehee! I'm laughing and have no idea what we're talking about." Discord said as Pinkie Pie.
"I'm too cool and macho to care about all that girly worrying and stuff. I'm awesome and everyone should pay attention to my awesomeness." He said as Rainbow Dash, before he returned to Twilight.
"I'm only saying what I am because I am so jealous of Discord, and am threatened by him trying to take you away from us. He's so much more fun to be with than I am. As Princess, I order you to stop being friends with him."
"O-oh. I couldn't..." He said in Fluttershy's timid tone. "Discord is my best friend and so great and amazing to be around. I can't abandon him like that."
"Well, you have to choose. It's either us, or him." He said as Twilight.
Discord opened his mouth as if about to say something else, most likely as Fluttershy's voice, but paused.
"What am I even doing? This is stupid; of course she'd choose me over the others. We have so much fun together. She wouldn't want to miss out the chance to hang out with me and lose that." Discord said with confidence, but watched quietly as the image of Fluttershy continued talking with the others. Shortly after Twilight ran off for some supposed princess errand, he saw that the five at the table were chuckling, as Fluttershy joined them. They all looked friendly with each other, like they were all sisters.
Discord sighed almost dejectedly, before the image and the inside of Discord's house disappeared in a bright light and left Discord in a dark, empty space.
"Who am I kidding? Of course she'd choose them over me..." He stated, looking dejected. "They may no longer have the Elements of Harmony, but they still personify the elements themselves. They were meant to be friends with each other, and I?" He paused. "I'll always be left alone in the dark..."
He floated in the abyss with a look of sadness before he instantly snapped himself out of his depression with a chuckle.
"Wait. Why do I even care? That would never happen, anyway. Fluttershy's my friend no matter what happens. Even if she were forced to choose between me and her friends, she'd pick us both and not just the other six." He chuckled on lightly. "What a silly thing to be worried about. Why would I of all people be concerned about that? It's not like I have any reason to ever worry about losing a friend." He said, suddenly feeling a funny sensation arise from within. He felt a rush to his head before an image from the recesses of his more than one thousand years' worth of memories surfaced in his thoughts.
It was the profile of a pony, facing away. She was a white-coated filly but one showing the first signs of blooming adulthood, with a long mane and tail, mainly soft pink with very discreet traces of cobalt, light cerulean, and light turquoise shades coming in. She turned to the side, as if she heard something behind her. Her long horn appeared and a pair of purple tinted eyes looked at Discord as her wings opened up and she smiled warmly.
"Come on Discord." The elegant mare's soft-spoken voice called, only for the memory to quickly fade. Discord tensed up and quickly forced the memory deep back into the depths of his mind where it came from. He shuddered once it was completely dealt with.
"What an odd sense of déjà vu." He said, when 'and when his conscious awareness of it had faded completely he felt better.
"I should clear my head with something else. Something fun, but what?" As soon as he asked this a smile returned to his face and with another snap from his fingers, the inside of his spacious home now looked like a large ice rink. A rectangular ice rink with a single blue and red ring encircling each other at one end and at the other were a few round and heavy curling stones. Surrounding them appeared to be several booths of seats, where several imitations of himself whistled out. Standing with him on the ice were two other imitations of himself that matched him complete with a uniform with shoes and gloves while on the other side were three other Discords with uniforms similar in style but different in color. They all held a curling broom.
"What better than a riveting game of curling! Who's in?" He cried, as the five followed in cheering along with the crowd.
"You've been working both day and night these past few days?" Twilight said a little surprised. That certainly explained why she'd asked if any of the surroundings were different. She had done an amazing job keeping things exactly the same as Luna would have, her one thousand years of experience clearly showed; not a single star was missing from the sky. "It's not like you've never juggled both duties before, but aren't you tired? Have you rested at all?" She asked as they continued to stroll through the castle grounds, toward their destination.
"I have rested whenever I can, but this is something I must do in my sister's stead, as she is unfortunately incapacitated at this time. It has been hard to sleep when I know there's something wrong with my sister, so I've spent most of my time trying to do what I can to wake her up or snap her out of it."
"What did you mean by she hasn't been awake?" Twilight asked, returning to the original topic. "What's wrong with her?"
"From all that I have been able to gather since this started, it seems Luna has been suffering from what I can only assume are nightmares."
"Nightmares? Isn't it her duty to use dreams to guide others? How could she be plagued by bad dreams?"
"It's true she's not easily deterred but it's always a possibility that even one who can traverse the dreamscape could have nightmares. But this isn't a normal nightmare, if it was she would have woken up but instead it's as if she's trapped in her sleep." Twilight looked surprised.
"A few nights ago, Luna lowered the moon and went to bed; when I was ready to lower the sun next evening, Luna was nowhere to be found. As long as we've had these duties we've both taken them seriously and been punctual, especially Luna. For the sake of balance I went ahead and raised the moon for her, and asked the guards to see if they could locate her. It wasn't even ten minutes before one of them returned urging me to follow them to her bedchambers. Upon entering I found her in a deep yet restless sleep. She tossed and turned and sometimes cried out in pain or desperation. I tried everything I could to wake her and any means I could devise, but to no avail.
She sometimes has severe moments that lead to her using magic. Thankfully, the worst she has done so far is disorganize her room. She's either been using her magic without realizing it, or she is aware but aiming towards whatever is in her dreams. She's never used such magic in her sleep and certainly not reacted while in the dream realm. I fear this is no ordinary nightmare and that she is trapped in her own realm of dreams."
"You aren't suggesting somebody's somehow attacking her in her sleep are you?" Celestia nodded.
"Exactly. I'm sure you're aware that some unicorns experimented with spells used as a bridge to their own subconscious."
"Yes. I remember reading Starswirl tried once."
"Yes he did, but he realized the danger and potential for abuse unlike the others. Thoughts and dreams are too different; even if you come close it takes far too much magic and precision, a lesson many learned the hard way..."
"I can see it being practically impossible for any unicorn, something only somepony with a natural talent could do... but if someone else is responsible it must be either another alicorn or-"
"- another magical creature. The only alicorns are me, you, Luna and Cadance. I thought of Discord, but this isn't his style. Delay her one night perhaps but nightmares for days? I have no idea who could be responsible but everything points to an outside attack. Whoever it is using some dangerous magic."
"What about you, Princess? You're an alicorn and I assume you're on par if not stronger than Luna. Aren't you able to dream walk like her?" She asked, hoping her question was not too bold.
"I can, but not in the same way she does."
"What do you mean? What did you do about it while Luna was banished?"
"I could handle many of her duties but I am only barely able to access the dreamscape, from afar. It's like watching a play, I can see the performers onstage but I'm not part of it, I can't participate. Only Luna can do that."
Twilight became more curious as the princess spoke about things she'd never known, but something was unexplained. Plucking up the nerve she asked.
"If you're at least capable of peering into another's dreams then why can't you glimpse into Luna's yourself? Even if you are limited you could still find something out, right? What would you need my help for?"
"I'm glad to see you are as sharp and observant as always." She smiled.
"Usually it wouldn't be a problem, but when I attempted to peer into Luna's dreams all I saw was blurred darkness, a mental block. I don't know why but Luna or someone else is keeping me out."
Celestia came to a complete half facing a large, dark double door with a pale crescent moon across it. They were right outside Luna's bedchambers and Twilight could feel the eyes of her mentor looking at her.
"I need your assistance being my eyes, entering the dreamscape into Luna's subconsciousness."
"You want me to enter Luna's dreams?" Twilight said a little taken back by her request. It wasn't so much that she'd never entered dreams before but the dawning realization of responsibility and just how much faith the princess had in her. She wanted help with her sister and through her magical strengths even attempt dream walking. Something Celestia was unable to do completely. It became MORE overwhelming the longer Twilight thought about it. "What difference will I make? I'm nowhere near as experienced as you are, and I don't even know if there is a particular spell required or not."
"I understand how much I am asking, and I hope you do not think any less of me for it. Even as an alicorn it will still be difficult for you to do on your own, but I will be there to help you. I will take you where Luna first enters and where all the dreamscape entrances are. It's also at this place where I am able to see dreams from." Celestia placed a hoof on the young alicorn's back. "However, I don't want to force you into this. I want you to make the decision for yourself. If you do not want to help or feel too uncomfortable, then I don't-"
"No!" Twilight cried in panic that Celestia was assuming that she didn't't want to help, only to realize she spoken out of turn based on the innocently blinking gaze Celestia gave her. "I mean… of course I will. I'm just still not sure if I will be of any help but if you're going to help me get to the dreamscape, then I don't see any problems. I was just feeling a little nervous is all." Standing firm and clearing her mind she looked at Celestia with confidence. "Princess Celestia, for the well-being of Princess Luna, of course I'll help you."
"Very well, Princess Twilight. I am grateful for your assistance in this matter." Celestia smiled, equally formally, convinced by her words. Due to the years of working with her as a mentor she could tell when Twilight spoke truthfully from the heart.
As soon as they finished talking, the door knobs were encased in the golden aura of Celestia's magic. Once the doors opened, they both quietly entered the dimly lit room. Twilight took this opportunity to take in this luxurious space, reminding herself that she had never seen Luna's personal chambers before. A princess now or not, it wasn't every day that just anypony got to see one of the royal bedchambers.
Luna's bedroom consisted of two levels. The main level was a sitting area with a varnished dark oak table and a couple of wide, plush cushions for sitting on in the center of the room; this acted as a reading and relaxing spot. On both the left and right walls were matching bookshelves filled to the brim with books of all colors and sizes, ranging from magic spells to astronomy, much to Twilight's pure delight. The shelves were a foot or so away from touching the magically enchanted ceiling that glittered like a clear starry night sky. Leading and curving up to the second level were a small flight of marble stairs that she and Celestia took. The second level was Luna's observatory deck. At the north end of the second level was a gigantic black telescope pointed upwards towards the ceiling. The ceiling could be opened up with magic allowing the telescope to feed itself through to the outside. While the telescope itself was the main attraction on that level, the left side was also where Luna's bed was placed and where a working desk and seat were. The entirety of the room was decorated in blue and dark hues, serving as to represent her as Princess of the Night.
Unfortunately her room was not nearly as pristine as it could have been. More than half of the books from the shelves were scattered across the floor, and some had fallen open. The plush cushions on both levels had been thrown all across the room. The desk on the second level had been tipped over.
Celestia and Twilight stood quietly inches away from where Luna lay trapped in her own sleep. Celestia watched silently, grave concern in her expression as she saw how her little sister's eyes twitched underneath her closed eyelids; one of many signs towards her state of discomfort. Her horn was aglow in blue aura, but judging how calm she seemed, her magic was being used in dreams rather than destructively outside them.
"We've come at a good time." Celestia said while Twilight continued to take in the scale of disaster in Luna's chambers. "She's calm for now, but based on the past couple of nights, I've noticed her times of peace are becoming briefer by the hour."
"Lucky us, but how do we get to the dreamscape from here?" Twilight asked, while watching Luna shift slightly.
"You need not worry. All you have to do for now is keep close to me. I'll explain everything else shortly." She said. Twilight nodded and scooted an extra inch closer to Celestia's side. As she turned to look at her mentor, she saw her horn was glowing and her open eyes shone the same color.
Twilight suddenly felt the tingling sensation of being enveloped by something warm and bright. Her eyes began to squint before she realized she and Celestia were being rapidly encircled by a golden aura. As the magic brightened, her vision was blinded as she failed to shield her eyes in time. The magic surrounding them swelled to a peak and Twilight felt the impact around them slowly recede in intensity. After her momentary lapse, Twilight's vision recovered and she slowly removed the hoof she had shielded her face with and slowly opened her eyes. The light of Celestia's magic had completely disappeared and what was left in her line of sight was a soft surrounding.
A very familiar ethereal skyscape of dark and bluish space decorated with stars and nebulae greeted her with its gentle, dim glow. The light was no doubt emitted by all the stars around her, as well as from smaller stars that lit a pathway underneath her hooves. Twilight took in the space with an awe-filled gaze, as everything she could recall returned to her as Celestia quietly approached and stopped at her side.
"I…I remember this place." Twilight said, her tone filled with wonder from the heavenly sight before her. She turned to Celestia's side. "What is this place? The first time I was brought here was through the Elements of Harmony, and now you've personally brought me here."
"This location is what you may call a rendezvous point for Luna and I. Princess Cadance has also been here before, but only once. I am sure that you are catching on to the pattern so I will go ahead and answer another question for you; this location is only accessible to those who are alicorns. However Luna and I are primarily those who personally access it. You and Cadance too will be able to enter this realm on your own, with time and experience. We like to call this place an astral plane, the only one which is tied to the magic and essence of Equestria. It is not a place I find myself frequenting often, but Luna does moreso, in order to enter the dreamscape. This is the only location, as far as either of us are aware, where one may enter dreams. I'm sure any alicorn other than Luna could have the power to dream walk, but it would require a very substantial amount of magic and practice."
"If only alicorns can enter this place then how come I was able to? I'm pretty sure I was a unicorn the last time I was here." Twilight pointed out.
"Yes, but with assistance. Your reason for coming to this plane was a special occasion. The raw force of the Elements of Harmony combined from your friends is what brought you here to this place. The elements themselves are known between myself and Luna to be tied to the power of Equestria and this place, enough to act as a beacon for any pony strong enough in magic to enter. Allowing any person other than an alicorn race outside of an alicorn here is based on… her own personal approval by allowing only certain ponies to enter this realm based on if that pony's particular destiny supports reason to bring them here. You were given access because you chose a path that showed you had what it took to be a princess, and… she could see the potentials I saw in you." Celestia explained earning an immediate questioning and confused look from Twilight.
"Her?" Twilight said, quite confused. She didn't mean herself... did she? It was like someone else was involved but the only thing Twilight received from Celestia as a response was her proceeding gait that moved away from her side.
"I'm sorry but there isn't much more time we can afford to lose, but I promise to explain everything else you need to know in one of your lessons in the future." That was certainly mysterious.
Why do I get the feeling she avoided the topic on purpose? Twilight thought as she followed after her. She quickly dismissed any further thoughts on the topic; reminding herself she and Celestia were on a mission to help Luna. Time was of the essence right now and she knew that was why Celestia was no longer in any mood to talk about anything else except what was useful in helping her sister. It was after several more moments of silence during their travel that Celestia came to a stop followed by Twilight.
"Alright. Now that we're in the center, we can begin." Celestia said.
Center? How in Equestria could Celestia tell they were in the center of this place? She personally felt like this expanse was never-ending.
"What happens next?" Twilight asked.
"I will be here to guide you through this process, and throughout your trek in Luna's dreamscape. First, you must understand that for this to work, we must combine our magic. I will act as the main foundation as this requires too much magic for you to conjure, at this time. I will also be your extended supply in magic, so opening a path into Luna's dream is possible and will be acting as your anchor, so you have a source to return to. Once we have begun and our magic is combined into one, you must focus as much as you can on finding Luna."
"Find Princess Luna? How do I go about doing that?" She had already tried by looking in all directions in the space they were in. Luna was nowhere to be seen.
"You must see with your magic through presence and life energy reading. You may not have realized this, but while you are in this space, magic and its senses are much more enhanced than they normally are out there." Celestia explained, referring to the outside world. "Each living creature has magic inside of them, and the enhancement from here should be more than enough for you to find her with your magic. We were within Luna's bedchambers not only for you to serve as a witness to the situation, but to also bring you closer to her. With only the two of us in her room, this should be a lot easier for you to achieve."
After this in-depth explanation Twilight now more than ever appreciated that her friends had coaxed her into going to Canterlot Castle without them. No wonder she had been the only one asked to come in the letter.
"Are you ready?" Celestia asked in a gentle yet serious tone. All Twilight could do was look down and gather her thoughts. After her coronation, she had finally understood what her mentor had meant when she said she would be ready for 'the next level of your studies'. It had started with gaining her wings and royal title and now continued by taking part in a once in a lifetime opportunity to enter the dreamscape. She was right to be feeling nervous, despite the fact she admittedly was also a little excited to have the chance to take part in something not many could.
"As ready as I'll ever be." She finally replied.
"Alright. First I need you to charge up as much magic as you can at once. Once you do, I want you to keep it going. When you get to this point, I'll follow by doing the same and siphon a small fraction of my own magic into yours, so you have the energy and support to help you through this process." Celestia said, before smiling at Twilight. "Don't worry, this combination and what you will feel from it is only temporary, and by the time you find the entrance to Luna's dreamscape, the addition of my magic will be used up. Whatever you do, do not lose even a moment's focus when you feel my magic coincide with yours, or else the whole process will cancel itself out."
Twilight nodded, adjusting her stance and recognizing she would probably feel some strain in the aftermath. With a short grunt, she began to dig into her magic reserves, mustering up as much as she could at that second. Her horn sparked out a little in a magenta hue, before it was soon surrounded by her magic. Her horn could soon no longer be seen under the color and density of the magic she was pushing out, as sparks continuously escaped from it. Her magic brightened intensely, as the aura itself began to expand out from her horn. At this point, Twilight started to grimace out ever slightly, as her eyes clenched shut and her body started to tense. As she got to this point, Celestia spoke while approaching her.
"Good, I will be joining in now. When you feel our magic combining, you may feel some extra pressure and you may feel like it's too much to handle, but remember that I'm supporting the bulk of it. What you will feel is a sensation, but it is no more than an illusion from your body internally reacting to an outside source. Remain focused, no matter what your body tells you." She was satisfied when she did not receive a reply from Twilight, as if that was proof enough that she was in deep focus and following her instructions.
Celestia summoned her magic, the golden aura matching Twilight's equally in intensity. The only difference beyond aura color was that Celestia showed no hints of struggle, at all. She quietly bowed her head forward, the glowing from her horn soon growing brighter than Twilight's. Once it had brightened, her eyes closed and the golden aura began to extend itself from her horn, moving towards Twilight. As it reached and touched her horn, the hue of Twilight's magic flickered between magenta to golden multiple times as both magical sources clashed during the process of combining.
Twilight could already feel the additional magic from Celestia intertwining with hers, and could feel how much it was already making a difference. While she was only breaking a sweat at this point, when she felt her magic melding with what Celestia gave, it almost felt as though something heavy was being lifted off her shoulders, but she spoke too soon. In an instant, her head felt like it was in the clutch of a vice-like which proceeded to crush her head with great deal of pressure. Her legs, once standing firm, were now getting tense and started to slightly buckle outward. From one moment to the next, she went from feeling at peaceful ease to feeling pure sharp pressure and pain in her head and her body caught in a bout of struggling. She choked out in surprise. So much pressure came from the princess's magic alone! If this were any indication on how much magic and power she held, especially in just a small fraction's worth...
"Keep focused, Twilight." Celestia reminded firmly. "I need you to continue your line of focus, but now seek out Luna's presence. All you need to do is think about her, or the things you connect to her most with."
Twilight began to do just that. She started by thinking of the night and the moon. She also thought of the time when Luna had her night watch at Canterlot Castle, during the night before Cadance and Shining Armor's wedding day. She even thought back on the time she first appeared in Ponyville on Nightmare Night. She thought of the struggle of acceptance after being banished for the thousand years, the laughs and smiles she soon shared with those that took part in the festivities that warmed up to her. As her memories of the princess of the night continued, beneath her shut eyelids, she was surprised to find that an actual visage of Princess Luna appeared. This was not a figment of her own imagination; she could really feel her presence like she was there, too. She had a completely vivid image of her while her eyes were still closed.
"Keep hold of the feeling of her presence. Once you feel you have a firm enough grasp on it, shoot all that you can of our joined magic anywhere in front of you." Celestia said and motioned around the ethereal space in front of her student. Twilight's eyes briefly opened despite the strain of opening them, before they returned to clenching shut once more. She could feel the grasp on Luna's presence already receding, due to her brief lapse in focus.
Once she felt the presence return in strength she opened her eyes and aimed her horn forward. Softly emanating from her horn was a very dense and ample plume of magenta magic; a much more powerful blast than she could normally conjure up. Where the magic struck, the celestial space rippled like a stone thrown into a pond. The array of magic continued out from her horn several more seconds after and slowly but surely, something was happening. She could feel her surroundings fading and changing, giving her a different feeling even as she continued on, blindly focused.
The longer she continued to channel out magic, the more apparent it became to her that the amount of magic Celestia was giving was diminishing quickly, and soon the magical boost from Celestia dropped completely, returning Twilight's magic to its previous state and power. In an instant, Twilight put an end to her intense focus and everything else altogether, the aura itself fading quietly away from her horn. Her body was covered in a thin layer of sweat, and she felt herself sluggishly drop to a sitting position on her haunches. She wearily looked about, only to realize she was no longer in the astral plain, and Celestia was no longer at her side.
Twilight took the opportunity to take in her new surroundings. The most immediate impression she felt from this place was how eerie it both appeared and felt. With the edges of the space around her in a blur, she was currently facing the outskirts of what looked like a very dense and dark forest. Was this the Everfree Forest? It certainly gave her an odd and unknown vibe like the Everfree did, but something about it was also very different. If it was even possible, this forest almost felt more sinister in nature and that alone was a scary thought. As if to confirm the location, she turned and expected to find Fluttershy's cottage nearby, but was instead greeted with literally nothing but an empty space.
Behind her, even the path that led to the entrance of the forest was faded, as if any trail or land that may or may not have once been there disappeared with the rest of this space, and Twilight felt as though she were on the edge of the world. This alone made her apprehensive enough, so she made the conscious effort to avert her gaze and turn back to the forest, willing herself to forget that she could fall into an eternal void of emptiness if she took a few steps back. While taking a few deep breaths, Twilight turned and looked up, still wearing a worn expression.
You did wonderful, Twilight. She heard in praise Celestia's voice disembodied but clear in her mind, which brought the warmth of approval and accomplishment from within herself, as Twilight mustered a slightly tired smile.
"Your magic... it put so much pressure on me. Is that what your magic always feels like?" She spoke out loud, despite the communication.
Yes and no. If I share my magic just like I did for you but with others, it will, but just as you have always had your own magic within, so do I. Each source of magic within each individual is different, and therefore each unicorn or alicorn's magic is uniquely different from another's. A magic that is not entirely your own will always feel harder to handle and control. Though, I've been around for over one thousand years, so those like Luna and I have gained much experience throughout our lives. Celestia explained with her soft tone, understanding how weary Twilight was. Rest as much as you need to, but do not take too long. I don't want you in there longer than you need to be, for your own safety.
"I'm alright." Twilight reassured her. "I just need to catch my breath. And how is it I can hear you?"
We are magically connected, I am seeing and hearing all you do, so I can help and guide you. Celestia replied. So take this moment to readjust your senses.
Fortunately, with Celestia's magic having temporarily combined with her own, Twilight didn't feel all that much drained from her own magic supply. The overall rush of experience had left only Twilight's body in a light state of shock. Still, she could not help but inwardly shudder. To think Celestia had only given her a small fraction of her magic to support her through this endeavor! It were feats like these that reminded Twilight just how powerful Celestia was, and just how far away in skill she was in comparison to her, even as an alicorn now.
It thankfully only took her a few minutes before Twilight felt her breath return followed by a more normal feeling as her heartbeat returned to a more relaxed tempo. After a deep breath to calm herself she stood, prepared.
"I'm ready."
A/N: "Flutter Butter" is a nickname I first came across in some of Cryssy-miu's stories (she's on this site, too!) Ever since I read them a long time ago, the name stuck with me so much that I felt it really did sound like a pet name Discord would give her and it always made me chuckle.