Still Here

The cottage was remarkably quiet, with the night dark and beautiful. Fluttershy slept peacefully in with Angel right beside her bed in his own. Her mind had long drifted into sleep.

Then a brilliant flash burst from the center of the room, creating a loud cracking sound, and whisked them both away from dreamland. She groaned groggily and covered her face in the blanket from the blinding contrast of light. Once her eyes could relax, she peeked out to see a shadow standing in front of the door.

Even in the black of night, with no lights on, she could still spot her friend in the black room. Discord stood where the light had emanated, donning a nightcap.

"Discord, what are you doing?" she muttered, voice low and weary.

"Why, just popping in for a visit! Evening, Fluttershy," he announced with his arms spread out.

She gave a quick smile, but it fell when a yawn escaped. "Don't you think it's a little, umm, late?"

"What? Is it wrong to visit a friend at…" He conjured a cuckoo clock, but rather than a bird popping out when it struck three, a mini Discord appeared. At least, she believed the silhouette resembled him, as the room was still shrouded in darkness. "Three in the morning?"

"Well, not exactly… but ponies aren't nocturnal, so late night visits are… a little surprising, that's all," Fluttershy explained while sitting up, sighing and rubbing her eyes of sleep. "

Discord hummed. "I suppose, but better late-or rather early-than never, hmm?"

Though she grinned through the darkness, she yawned again. When it passed, she said, "Discord, if you don't mind, it's still very early, and I'm still tired. So can this please wait until morning? We can have breakfast together."

There was a still, strange pause that caught her off guard. "I'm, uh, not sure…"

A brow rose to her forehead. If only she could see his face right now, as his voice dropped into a more melancholia one. "What?"

"It seems your little squeaker ran off."

Fluttershy blinked, but when she glanced over at the tiny bed inches away, this rang true. Angel's blankets sprawled across the floor, but the bunny himself could not been seen. She slipped out of bed.

"The flash must have spooked him," she whispered. With a shake of the head, she called out, "Angel? Angel, are you still in here?"

"That thing? Spooked? I doubt it," Discord's voice muttered behind her, and she wouldn't be surprised if he was rolling his eyes.

Rather than wander blindly, she took cautious steps to the table with the lamp. Then she noticed a small silhouette on the edge of the table, and Fluttershy breathed out a laugh. "Oh, Angel-wait, hold on a minute."

She pulled the string and brought the room to life, light engulfing them. Blinking away the dots in her eyes, she cradled Angel in her hooves with a smile. "There you are, silly."

Angel furrowed his brow and shot a dangerous look at Discord. Her smile stayed. "He didn't know better. I'm sure he didn't mean to frighten you, right, Dis-?"

Then her gaze rose up to glance up at his face, and she dropped her sentence.

Discord stared at her with a confused look, but his bemused expression didn't hide the tear-stains painted on his cheeks. No actual tears could be seen, yet the remnants had yet to dry. That alone gripped her heart like a vice, and she took a moment to compose herself. Angel jumped out of her grasp, bringing her back to reality, and she still found herself staring at those still tear stains.

"What? Is something the matter?" he asked, growing curious, though his eyes flashed a bit more sincerely than his tone. He probably didn't even realize it.

Fluttershy shook her head. "No, but um… is there something you want to talk about?"

He blinked, and she almost regretted asking. "Nope. I'm fit as a fiddle. Is there something you want to discuss?"

"No, no, I'm fine… if you want, you can take the guest room. So you don't have to go all the way back to the castle." She gestured to the room in the hallway, wearing a smile more forceful than before.

"I'd be delighted to." Discord gave a dramatic bow. "I do apologize for waking you and your hamster. I'll just leave you be."

As he began to leave the room, her eyes slipped to the floor. She didn't even bother noting how he kept misnaming Angel. "Oh, okay. Goodnight."

Thirty minutes passed, and Fluttershy received little sleep. She twisted and turned, her mind shifting in multiple directions and then some. She whimpered in her reckless attempts until, finally, she caved in and tossed the sheets off. And careful so as to not wake Angel, she flew from the bed and left the room, sliding the door shut with a gentle click.

Some milk might do… maybe, she thought with a solemn look. Another yawn, and she hoped she was right.

Just as Fluttershy came near the staircase, a single noise reached her. With her ears perked, and she glanced to her side to see the guest bedroom shut. But behind it, she heard whimpering, one that asked to escape a nightmare.

I knew it.

Her ears wilted. Not that she relished in being right about this…

Fluttershy opened the door and winced at the obnoxious squeaking sound. She entered the guest room and looked to the bed.

Discord looked similar to her from earlier, turning this way and that as he slept. However, she saw that his eyes drew shut, clearly able to sleep unlike her.

"Discord?" she called out in the dark.

He didn't show any signs of hearing her, the dreams grasping any and all of his attention. Fluttershy approached him on quiet hooves, the creaking barely heard in the utter silence. Then she approached the head of the bed and shook his shoulders lightly, muttering his name again and touching his shoulder.

Discord moved his head in her direction, but he would not wake. Her heart thudded, though, as his face contorted in some unknown fear, teeth barred. His hands dug deep into the mattress. Growls and groans slipped from the back of his throat, and often silent words fell from his mouth.

Then she wrapped her hooves around an arm and shook him again. "Discord, it's only a nightmare. Wake up."

"Don… leave her… don't..."

Fluttershy stared and choked back tears, the tension on his face visible as he dreamt of whatever was bothering him so greatly. Though he whispered, there was agony tinting his voice, and not a second longer could she take it. She sat on the bed and took hold of one of his hands, stroking his arm gingerly. "Discord, everything's okay. It's not real, please wake up. Please… wake up!" The mare tried hard to hold back fear, but her voice cracked the longer she stared at her terrified friend.

"No!"

Discord's eyes snapped open, and he all but launched himself out of bed. His eyes stared off wildly left and right. His abrupt action nearly tossed her off the bed but she held firm. Fluttershy took her hooves away from his arm and lifted them gingerly to the sides of his face.

"Shh, it's alright. You're safe. And so is 'she'. It's over."

At last, Fluttershy's voice reached Discord, and he looked over at her. The wild look lingered, but when their eyes met, his focus wasn't on her. As if he were staring into space, he looked lost and confused, and his mouth dropped. She pressed her forehead to his sweaty own, brushing gray-furred cheeks.

"It's okay."

In the blink of an eye, Discord reached out and embraced her. She could feel him nuzzling into her mane, and his arms wrapped securely around her and gripping her shoulders in a desperate yet surprisingly careful hold. Fluttershy sighed.

"Everything's fine now," she murmured, rubbing circles over his back. Discord said nothing, just breathing noisily. She tilted her head to rest on his elongated neck. "But you can't tell me that you're completely okay."

"They're... just bad dreams. It's nothing to worry about."

Fluttershy almost scoffed. How could she not worry, especially when he was like this?! "Well, too bad," she muttered and slipped away from his embrace. Their eyes met, and she placed her hooves over a lion paw. "You don't have to tell me… but if you want, I'm right here for you," she added, voice rising.

Discord's eyes never left hers, but he said nothing, and for a split second, she begged in silence for him to rip that mask of stupid, stupid pride off. He pulled his paw away and crossed his arms, lounging back onto the bed. "I don't usually have nightmares," he grumbled, turning his gaze away with a hint of a growl in the back of his throat.

"They're perfectly normal," she said while sitting down, their bodies inches from touching. "Scary, but normal."

There was a lingering pause, cut when he cleared his throat. "Do they usually feel so… real? Because I'm not a fan of that, let me tell you."

She shrugged, shifting attention to the blanket. "Sometimes."

"Even if it couldn't? Be real, that is."

"Of course. It could be a dream where, umm, everypony is walking on ceilings, and it could feel a little real. Dreams can just be like that for some reason." She shrugged again.

Discord grinned, but only momentarily. "Walking on ceilings. I'll be writing that one down for later."

Fluttershy glanced towards him, but he had turned anyway. Her shoulder leaned against him. "But then you wake up, and none of it even happened. No matter bad it gets, it doesn't last forever, because it's not supposed to."

"Oh, I knew none of it was actually happening. But then Tirek grabbed you from that bubble, and I just stood there, useless as he shot-"

Silence. Cruel, utter silence. In an instant, Discord shut himself off and stared into the distance again.

"... Discord?"

Still nothing.

Fluttershy crawled onto all fours and looked up to face him. Discord opened his mouth, but no words came out. So much for a random visit… she thought. However, she, too, grew speechless, a hoof cover her dropped jaw.

Discord reached out a claw, but he was too slow. Fluttershy threw her arms around him, her hold on him tight yet gentle all at once. He went stiff at the abrupt action, but then he relaxed into her embrace.

"I'm still here," she whispered in his ear, struggling to not let him hear any tears laced in her voice. She tried hard to blink them away, and she wasn't surprised to hear a crack at the edge of her sentence.

"I know."

She tilted her head to look up at him with big teal eyes. "That whole thing with Tirek is over, and it won't happen again."

Discord paused. "I know," he said again, grip tightening around the pegasus's shoulders for a moment, but noticing it made her wince, he relaxed his hold. "I suppose I'm keeping you up with my silly worries."

Fluttershy bit her lip and buried her face into the fur on his shoulder. "They're not… silly at all. I…"

He was worried about me… out of everything… Her chest tightened.

"I didn't even realize my idiot mistake until it was too late… and I was useless to stop it." He growled 'useless' as if the word itself became acid.

She didn't need details on what he meant. "Of course you didn't. You're not psychic… well, actually, are you?" she asked with the tiniest spark of mischief in her eye, so small he almost missed it.

Almost. He chuckled. "No, I'm not. If I was, I don't think I'd make such a foolish move." His tone darkened again, making her frown once more.

She patted his shoulder in a comforting manner. "Everyone makes mistakes, Discord. And you acknowledged yours. That means a lot, honestly."

Discord nodded, but his gaze fell away.

Stepping back from his grasp, Fluttershy fiddled with her hooves for a hesitant moment. "Would you like me to stay with you tonight?"

Discord's eyebrows shot up. "Seriously?" His voice was sparked with incredulity. When she nodded, he said, with a paw beside his mouth as if spreading a rumor, "I've been told I'm a loud snorer."

"I think I can handle it. I wouldn't mind one bit." Fluttershy's smile matched her sincere response.

And she settled down with no further questions. He shifted more to the left to give her a large space. Even so, as she lay down, she nudged towards him. Moments passed, and Discord rested his head on his hand.

"How long have you been having these dreams?" she asked, turning to face Discord. "Have… have you gotten any sleep?"

His eyes wandered. "My dear, draconequus don't even need that much sleep to begin with. We're so old, and it's such a small thing to be concerned with-"

"Discord."

Fluttershy's stern voice brought him back, albeit with his stubborn look. Less than a second later, as he looked back at her, however, it broke. And Discord sighed a tired sigh. "Four nights… in a row, to be precise. Even that's difficult to keep up."

She frowned. "I wish you told me sooner."

"It wouldn't exactly fix my problem," he pointed out.

"... No," she sighed. "It doesn't, but… I can at least try."

Discord gave a low chuckle. "I suppose so." He lay back, eyes wide as he gazed at the ceiling.

Fluttershy tilted her head, sighing at her wide awake friend, and an idea came to her. She looked at him and whispered, "I can sing you a lullaby, if you want."

He scoffed. "Fluttershy, I'm not a child."

A tiny smile played on her face, and it refused to go away. "You sometimes act like one." She nudged him teasingly.

Discord guffawed, startling her, but if he noticed, he failed to prove it. "All the more true. Besides, I do love to hear your lovely little voice."

Fluttershy blushed. "Well…" She giggled and cleared her throat when she saw him smirk.

"Hush now, quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy head," she sang, her melody gentle and smooth.

Discord turned to his side, facing her as she shut her eyes and continued to hum as her voice met his ears and calmed his mind with its sweet harmony. Her voice reminded him of honey and pure silk.

"Hush now, quiet now, it's time to go to bed."

Discord's eyelids already drew half-shut. "Thank you, Fluttershy."

His blissful smile brought one to her own lips. "You're welcome, Discord."

Fluttershy leaned forward and nuzzled her nose against his. Discord let out a content noise, eyes shut entirely now, and his body relaxed onto the sheets. And only now, did she realize they closed the distance between one another except for an inch or two. With his nose buried in her mane, she snuggled into the fur on his chest, sighing at the warmth. She shut her eyes with a wonderful beam.

And she could finally find it in herself to sleep with a peaceful mind.

… Maybe.

Thump… Thump! Thump thumpity thump.

Discord cursed mentally in multiple tongues… and teeth. Opening his eyes to the bright sunlight, he were immediately greeted with coal black eyes of a certain annoyance.

Angel thumped his foot vigorously again to garner attention. Too bad he got the wrong one's.

"Bambi's not here at the moment. Go away," Discord mumbled, snapping his eyes shut again.

Angel continued nonetheless, pointing at his opened mouth followed by crossing his arms. Discord didn't need to speak annoying weasel to realize what he meant. He groaned, but lowered his tone when he realized Fluttershy remained asleep beside him.

With a quick whip, he grabbed Angel around his tiny waist with the tuft of his tail and brought the little devil to eye level with him. "Can't your stomach wait a while longer?" he growled in a low tone.

Angel shook his head, striking his nose high in the air. Discord rolled his eyes and released him. Angel's eyes bulged, but before he fell onto the ground, Discord snapped his fingers twice. On the first one, Angel disappeared in a flash, but with the second, nothing happened in the room but rather downstairs.

Hopefully that'll get him to shut up for now, he thought before laying his head back on the pillow, his face remarkably close to Fluttershy's. She stayed asleep through the whole thing, her mane sprawled across her face and all over the pillow.

Then he heard a whimper. He looked down to see that peaceful expression crumbling away, her face scrunched in an expression he couldn't describe. All he knew was that it was a look he wasn't fond of seeing her with, and he shook her gently to wake up.

Her eyes fluttered open, starting off slow before they popped open. She just about jumped out of bed, gasping. "Oh, goodness! How late is it? I-I didn't forget to feed my animals, have I?" she stammered on and on, approaching the door before even brushing her hair.

An arm stretched out in front of her, forcing her to a stop. "Relax, my dear. I already took care of it."

"You… you did?"

Discord had trouble reading her expression, but he went on. "They should be fed by now. It's not a problem, really, especially after you helped me with, you know, last night." He grumbled as he recalled what happened not too many hours ago.

"Gosh, thank you. You didn't have to, but-" She beamed a delightful smile, one full of light and one that got his heart beating twice as rapidly. Her smile lessened when she blinked. "Oh, that reminds me. Did you sleep better last night? Did you… did you have any more nightmares?"

He chuckled. "Not a one."

"Good."

"But…"

"But?" she repeated, ears perked up.

"Did you have a decent night?" He pointed.

Fluttershy blinked, and her smile slipped away. "Oh, sure. Why… why do you ask?"

"Oh, I just woke up to hear you whimpering in your sleep, and you certainly didn't look all content while sleeping."

Fluttershy shrank back, all that previous joy fading. While tempted to drop everything just to bring back that smile, something in the back of his mind nagged at him to do otherwise.

"Seems I'm not the only one having bad dreams." Discord rubbed his chin in faux pondering. "Care to tell me?"

She worried her bottom lip for the longest time, and for a second, he was terrified she'd burst into tears. "I… it's nothing," Fluttershy retreated, backing away even more so with pink tresses covering half of her face.

"Well, Fluttershy, too bad."

Fluttershy shot a look at him, and he grinned, floating his upper body downward to meet her at eye level.

"After last night, the least I can do is get something out of you." Discord brushed her mane away her from face, and his smirk melted into a more sincere look.

Her lip quivered again, hesitant. "I just… don't want to upset you."

His ears perked up. "Upset me? What do you think would upset me?" He sat in the air, as if resting on his stomach, brow furrowed.

"My dream… it was…" Fluttershy's eyes drifted away, but her defenses crumbled with a defeated, tired sigh. She rubbed her arm. "I dreamed you turned on us again, only you… you never came back."

And once she started, the words continued to slip away with no warning. "I don't remember a lot, but I do remember me and my friends on the ground, like we were defeated. And you were there, but… you were la-laughing at us. You told us how this was bound to happen again. I was c-crying, then I saw you turn away… and you never came back."

Fluttershy's heart lurched into her throat, and she could say no more. Tears trickled down her cheeks as the visions recollected and the images burned in her mind all over again. Them surrounded by a dirty plain with the sky pale red. Discord laughing in a malicious, cruel way that tossed a shiver up her spine just by thinking about it.

"Is that what you think would happen?" he asked in the quietest voice after the longest minute of silence in her life.

She glanced up at him, and her mouth gaped at the hurt reflecting in his eyes. Even if he tried to hide it, Fluttershy could sense it. However, the images refused to leave her be, and she saw the dream Discord smirking at their defeat and his cruel victory, that glint in his eyes that brought back memories of before they were friends. "... I don't know," she whispered, wiping her eyes. With a shake of her head, she added, "I'm sorry, I'm… I'm just scared."

Discord lifted a hand to his chest. "Of me?"

Fluttershy's stomach twisted. "No, no!" She waved her hooves, flying to his eye level. She grabbed his wrists in a desperate hold, and it was hard not to notice the shock on his face from her immediate reaction. "It's not that at all. I'm afraid of-of…"

She shuddered out a long breath, bowing her head to fight back the tears that made her voice thick, the ones that wouldn't stop. Discord waited. When she brought her head back up, tears swam around her eyes.

"Losing you."

"... Losing me?" he repeated, blinking as if something stumped him.

Fluttershy bowed her head, shame and guilt overwhelming her, and the tears dripped onto the floor. "After what happened with Tirek, I'm afraid that something will cause you to leave us. And I don't want you to. I'm not a mind-reading, so I don't know if it can happen or not. I'm worried that we all failed you as a friend, th-that even when I tried to prove you mean a lot to me, that it wasn't enough."

"Fluttershy."

Discord's tone stopped her immediately, heart thudding against her chest. Of all things, she never thought to hear him sound so… stern and blunt. Yet, like his soft gaze, it wasn't demanding or intimidating.

"I don't know what would make you think that you're to blame for my mistake. You weren't there, after all, and if anything, you were someone in my thoughts before I made my decision… and believe me, I took my time thinking about it." He winced, both upon realizing how sappy that sounded-and he prayed she wouldn't remark on that-and how it most likely didn't help her feel better.

Fluttershy's lip quivered, though the smallest tint of blush appeared on her cheeks at the last point. "But I-"

"Besides, it's like you told me, my dear."

"What?" Fluttershy sniffed, and she felt a brush on her cheek, just below her eye. Brushing away those stray tears was a white tuft connected to a red tail. She blinked her glossy tears up to him.

"Once you wake up, it never happened."

"Will it, Discord? How can you know that?" Her voice broke. She pushed away the guilt she felt shooting these words of doubt at him. The visions of her dream did not relent, and she could only hope a promise would whisk them away.

"Well, I plan on keeping it that way." "I'm not normally one to plan things, so it's going to be a bit tricky. But… I'm more than willing to give it a shot. For you. Because contrary to what you believe, your friendship means more to me than you believe."

Fluttershy paused, her heart twisting in itself at those last words. His eyes spoke of sincerity, his voice low and gentle, very much unlike him. She grew speechless even as his paw touched her hoof.

"Be sure to put sticky notes around the house every once in a while, how 'bout? Just as a reminder." A single flash, and a neon green sticky note appeared on the edge of Discord's muzzle. It read, "Discord, stop being a jerk-butt."

She reached up, gingerly tore the note from his nose, and gave him a little smile. "Sure."

He placed his hands onto her shoulders, and Fluttershy stared at his quivering eyes. "All I ask is that you give me a… oh, geez, what is it now? Second chance? I'm lucky to get a single chance, so-"

"I already have," she interrupted, wrapping her hooves around his wrists. "I just worry, but… I believe you."

They stood there for a moment, as if absorbing everything said. Eventually, Angel found his way upstairs and into the room, noting the two quiet, staring friends. When their silence began to bug him, he rolled his eyes and smacked the ground.

They glanced down at Angel and snapped into reality. "Now, about we have some morning tea to relax?" Discord asked.

Fluttershy stared at his extended paw, followed by looking into those mismatched eyes that switched back on that bright and prideful look. But beyond that look, she saw something… else. She could find no other words to describe it.

And she placed her hoof in his paw, wrapping around it and feeling how warm and comfortable it was within his grasp. She smiled. "I'd like that."

~/~/~/~/~\~\~\~\~

Ooooh, I hate this, I hate this. And I don't know why. I just... argh, I have no confidence in my work, but I thought, "I finally finished this, let's get it out of here already so I can kick it off my bucket list!" ... AGH!

If it isn't obvious romance, that's because I try to make it not like that. I don't like them thinking over their feelings, I just prefer to let the feelings flow in silence. So one can interpret this as friendship as well as romance, because there is no direct romantic gestures. It's two people going through rough patches, and while the wounds may not be fully healed, they're supporting one another. What their relationship is matters not.

… These. Are. F*cking. Cartoon. Characters.

What am I doing with my life?