The bear growled deeply, and bared it's fangs. Sharp, white teeth glinted in the sunlight. Then the animal lunged forward, roaring savagely as it raised it's paw, readying itself to strike full-on with long, knife-like claws.

"NO! FLUTTERSHY!" Discord cried, his eyes wide with horror. He quickly snapped his fingers, enclosing the creature in a see-through barrier. The blow struck the barrier instead of the intended target, causing the shield to ripple like a stone hitting water.

Fluttershy only blinked, then looked back at Discord. "Why did you do that?" she asked the draconequus innocently.

Discord stood there for a moment, his mouth agape.

"WHY DID I DO THAT?!" he shouted suddenly. "Like I'd actually just watch you get torn apart by that...beast!"

Fluttershy frowned. "Harry wasn't going to...'tear me apart'." she replied defensively, looking back at the bear. It now looked rather sad, and was giving Fluttershy a pouty look.

"I was just going to clean the wound that he got on his nose. He got too close to an angry mommy kitty-cat and now he needs some help." the pegasus said softly, pointing to the animal. Indeed, a few long red scrapes were on it's nose.

Discord crossed his arms, grunting stubbornly. "Hmph! Yeah, right. I saw it with my own eyes, Fluttershy-" at this, he took out his eyes and gestured towards the bear, before placing them back where they belonged. "That bear was going to seriously injure you-AT THE LEAST! Why are you so calm?!"

Fluttershy looked at her friend for a long time, before smiling softly. "Because I'm not scared. I've dealt with animals for most of my life; it's my calling, and the reason for my cutie mark; for my destiny. Why would I be afraid of that?"

She cocked her head, looking nervously at the imprisoned creature. "And, um...could you please let Harry out? He doesn't like it in there..."

Discord was quiet. His gaze drifted again to the bear. It had gotten slightly annoyed at being confined, and was clawing at the prison.

"You're...a lot braver than you get credit for, Fluttershy." he said finally. "Any other pony would have run away and hid before I could snap my fingers once-twice, tops."

"Oh, no, I'm not brave at all," Fluttershy replied quickly, her eyes widening. "Rainbow Dash is a lot braver than I am! So are Applejack, and Twilight...and, really, all of my friends. Rarity and Pinkie Pie wouldn't back down, either, even if they're not quite as well known for their bravery. Me, um, well...I'm a scaredy-cat."

"I don't know any 'scaredy-cat' who can look at a snarling, bloodthirsty bear face-on. Let alone, with a straight face."

The pegasus frowned. "Dissy, I told you; Harry isn't bloodthirsty. He just needs a little help. He's my friend." she replied. "Please, let him out...if you don't mind."

Discord's eyelid twitched as he raised his paw. "Are...are you sure, Fluttershy?" he asked cautiously.

The pegasus nodded. "Positively."

She had no trace of doubt in her voice whatsoever. Discord looked at her for a moment, trying to decide whether or not to listen to her and let the beast out. It would definitely make her unhappy if he didn't, but there was a startlingly large chance that the bear could tear his dear, dear friend apart.

He looked straight into her large, teal eyes. They were calm, and expectant. Also innocent. And so, so much more.

And...looking into her eyes, he knew that he could trust her, no matter what. If she said that she could handle this bear, well,then...she could handle this bear.

The draconequus gulped, and quickly snapped his fingers before his mind could be changed.

As the barrier dissolved, Discord started feeling sick. His paw was shaking slightly, and he had half a mind to reconstruct the barrier...but, no...he had to trust Fluttershy...

Fluttershy smiled at him. Her smile was beautiful, and gentle. "Thank you, Dissy."

Then she turned back to her bear friend, and slowly raised her hoof towards him. "Don't worry, Harry...I'm here to help you..." she whispered soothingly. "Don't be afraid, alright? You know that you can trust me..."

The bear was beginning to calm down. He let Fluttershy put her hoof on his shoulder, and stayed still, watching her as she gently rubbed his fur. "Good boy."

After a few minutes, the bear looked a great deal more calmed. It's eyes were even beginning to droop closed, and it looked sleepy. Fluttershy chuckled softly and withdrew her hoof, reaching down beside her and grabbing a first aid kid she'd brought with her.

She opened it, and pulled out some ointment, then turned back to her large patient. "Thith myght sthing a wittle, otay?" she warned the bear, her voice muffled by holding the ointment in her teeth. "Juhst truhst me."

The bear gave a slightly nervous look as she squirted some ointment onto her hoof, then reached forward, and began to spread the ointment over the scrape. "Thith is tho your boo-boo won ghet inthetched."

The bear still looked uneasy, and was grimacing a little, but stayed still as she finished rubbing in the ointment. After she was done, the pegasus withdrew, and turned back to the first aid kid, spitting the tube of ointment back into the box; then pulling out an adhesive bandage.

She grinned, and gently reached forward once more, plastering the bandage on the bear's nose. "There. All better." she said, and rubbed his shoulder again. "You were such a brave boy. Yes, yes you were..."

The bear gave a toothy grin back, and made some sort of noise which Discord could only assume meant that it was happy.

"Stay safe now, and be careful of cats. Especially mother ones." Fluttershy warned, pulling back her hoof and giving the bear a stern expression. "You know I don't mind helping you at all, but I'd hate to see you get hurt again."

The bear pricked it's ears, and nodded. Then it got up onto it's feet, and waved it's paw, smiling a little.

"I hope you have a nice day, too, Harry." Fluttershy replied happily. "Tell your wife that I said 'hello', okay?"

The bear nodded again, and began walking away.

Fluttershy sighed contentedly as she watched the bear disappear into a thicket; leaving to return back to his home in the Everfree.

"You were...you were right, Fluttershy..." Discord admitted softly, a slightly sheepish tone in his voice. "I'm quite sorry I doubted you."

"Oh, that's okay." Fluttershy said. "I know you were only looking out for my best interest, and I really appreciate that. You're really sweet, Dissy."

Discord felt his face grow hot at being called 'really sweet', and he turned away so that Fluttershy wouldn't see the redness in his cheeks. "Oh, erm, well...I'm just a sweet little bowl of sugar, aren't I?" he replied, and snapped his fingers, actually transforming into a bowl of sugar to prove his point.

Fluttershy only blinked, and watched, as with another flash of white light, the draconequus transformed back into his normal self.

At first the transformations and such had startled her, but now she barely batted an eyelash at them. She'd gotten used to Discord's little quirks. She even found them endearing.

There was an awkward moment of silence.

Discord broke the silence, clearing his throat. He hated silence, and especially awkward silence. He blinked, and decided to ask her something that had been on his mind.

"Why aren't you afraid of me, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy gave him a surprised look. He stopped for a moment, then continued on.

"I've...I've got teeth sharper than knives! Really!" Discord cried, and snapped his fingers. An x-ray of his jaw appeared, floating, in the air with every sharp tooth clearly visible. Then he snapped it away, giving the pegasus a curious look.

"I should be a great deal more frightening than that teddy bear, and ponies are usually quite terribly frightened of those. And of me. Why don't...why don't I scare you?"

Fluttershy cocked her head, and Discord added quickly, "But it's not like I want you to be scared of me. Not nearly, my dear! But I was just...curious...is all."

"Well, um, your my best friend!" Fluttershy replied. "I trust you, Discord. I know you'd never, ever hurt me like...like that."

Discord suddenly felt guilt gnaw at his heart at 'like that', though he knew that she probably didn't mean what he had gleaned from it. She must have seen the slight frown on his face, as she quickly added, "You're reformed now, and everything. You'd never hurt me at all! Why should I be afraid of you?"

Discord raised an eyebrow. "But, what about before I was reformed? Weren't you afraid of me then? I don't recall ever seeing you afraid during my reformation, and when Celestia asked you to reform me. If you're truly a scaredy-cat, then why is it that you weren't afraid?"

Fluttershy felt her face grow hot, and she looked away, feeling slightly uncomfortable as her thoughts focused to when Discord wasn't reformed. It was a place she didn't let her mind linger, and she didn't like to think about it much. "W-eell, um...um..."

Discord frowned at her obvious discomfort, and felt bad for bringing up the subject. "Uhm, sorry. Just forget that. Forget it, okay?" he said quickly, and went down on all fours, walking up beside her and curling his tail around her. "Don't think about that, really."

Fluttershy shook off the bad thoughts, and looked up into her friend's eyes. She smiled, and sighed a little, rubbing her muzzle against his fur. "Um, okay. Besides, you're reformed now, and that's all that matters, right?" she replied. "Like I said, you're my best friend, and I love you a lot."

Discord blushed again. "Oh, well, um...thanks." he murmered. "I...I-i l-love...l-love you too, Flutters."

Fluttershy chuckled, and Discord spread his pegasus wing, wrapping it around her.

"What I was trying to get to, in a roundabout way, was..." Discord said suddenly, pausing before continuing, "I, myself, think you are among the bravest ponies who have ever lived. And I've lived a long time, so I'd know. I've seen lots and lots of brave ponies in my time."

Fluttershy was quiet.

"Stop not taking yourself seriously. You are brave, Fluttershy. You're a lot braver than you know you are," Discord said, and looked down, looking into the pegasus's wide teal eyes. "It doesn't make you any less brave if you have fear, because all ponies do. All ponies have fear. But...you..."

Discord smiled, and said quietly, "You feel the fear. You know the fear. But still, you overcome the fear. And that's..."

"That's what makes you brave, Fluttershy."