Chapter 1: What a gentlecolt
She stared at the flowers from the sofa for a bit. She wasn't a foal she knew his tricks. She wanted to trust him, she wanted to go back to their care free days of play and good humor but every time she saw him, every time he called her "my Dear" that day replayed in her mind, surly you saw this coming?
"I didn't" she choked, "I really didn't".
"So what about that stallion I saw you with at the harvest festival?" Twilight asked. Fluttershy had been a bit lost in thought until the question grabbed her attention.
"Oh yes" Rarity cooed, "really dear do tell" she was always a fan of gossip and Fluttershy so rarely took interest in stallions. "Well I-I," she stammered and blushed behind her mane.
"Come on, spit it out already" Rainbowdash chided. They had gathered together for a rather lovely brunch at a little café. It was nice having all her friends together, well, most of them anyway. Discord and Spike had been left out of their girl's day out. "He, he's nice" she whispered.
"He's from Canterlot isn't he?" Rarity inquired with stars in her eyes. "Oh no it's not like that at all" Fluttershy corrected. "He runs a nursery, he lives in Canterlot but he's not a high society type or anything. He was here in Ponyville visiting his cousin during the fair"
"He's a foal sitter?" Pinkie looked confused, "I thought he grew flowers?"
"He does, and trees" Twilight explained, "It's a nursery for growing plants and trees for ponies to buy"
"Oh, well that makes much more sense since he's cutiemark's a tree and all"
"Well, I think ya'll make just the cutest little pair" Applejack interjected. Fluttershy blushed at the comment as she thought of the young stallion. He was handsome, and terribly sweet, but she never thought of him as anything more than a friend. "I don't know if I would go that far" Fluttershy replied.
"Well why ever not?" Rarity replied with her usual dramatics, "You sure seemed to be enjoying yourself" she shot Fluttershy a sly smile that made her blush harder. "Girls stop it please your embarrassing me"
"Yeah lighten up will ya" Rainbow defended, "Ya act like a girl can't have guy friends". Fluttershy smiled. Rainbowdash always had a habit of getting her out of sticky situations like this.
"Honestly I only just met him, he's nice and kind of cute I guess but we're just friends" she stated rather matter-o-factly as she took a sip of her strawberry shake. Rarity looked like she was about to make a comeback when Twilight interjected. "I've been meaning to tell you girls, the crystal fair is coming up soon"
"Well of course we all know that" Rarity dismissed. "I know, the thing is I got word form Cadence yesterday, she said a number of the ponies in charge of the fair activities have come down with a bad flue that's been going around. She asked if we could come a few days early to help with the setup"
"ooh, ooh, I wanna do the decorations" Pinkie chimed gleefully bouncing up and down in her seat shaking the table, and nearly spilling chocolate on Rarity. "Darling do be careful" Rarity complained as she swiped her mane away from the table.
"I'm sure you can have a hoof in the decorations Pinkie, we'll all have something to contribute"
"uhm Twilight?" Fluttershy asked in her typically mousy voice "Will Discord be coming too?"Discord had been involved in more and more of the group's endeavors as of late. Technically he was considered a member of Twilights council and he seemed rather eager to help out since, the incident. His help was sometimes misguided but the sentiment was there. "Well Cadence didn't say he couldn't come…" Twilight stopped to think about it for a moment. "You know I should ask him"
"NO!" the others all shouted in unison.
"What's the matter? He's our friend isn't he?" Twilight asked. "Yeah about that" Rainbowdash rubbed the back of her neck with her hoof. It was Applejack who was the first to chime in, "look twilight I know he's trying to be helpful in that weird way a his, but…"
"He ruins everything" Rarity complained. "I told him I wanted to redecorate the boutique and he offered to help and covered the whole place in green and purple checker patterns and…" she nearly choked out the next word, "plaid of all things".
"So he's not exactly fashion forward, that's hardly a crime" Twilight defended.
"He offered to help with the apple buckin and flung half an orchard clean off the trees" Applejack complained. "Isn't that the idea?" Twilight responded. "Inta the Everfree forest"
"Oh"
"He offered to help me with the weather patrol, I said we needed a light shower and he made it rain flashlights" Rainbow added. "He helped with Derpy's birthday party and it was awesome!" Pinkie screamed.
They all turned to stare at her, "Uhm, how is that a bad thing Pinkie?"
"It's not I just wanted to feel included" Pinkie smiled.
"Look girls he's just trying to help, it hardly seems fair to leave him out just because he's a little…" she searched for the right words.
"Insane?" Rainbow added.
"Rainbow!"
"What?"
"That settles it" Twilight huffed, "he's coming whether you all like it or not, it will be a good bonding experience" the ponies around the table all shifted awkwardly and looked around mumbling but no further complaints.
After they all had finished their meals the ponies went their separate ways. Except for Fluttershy, "Fluttershy? Can I talk to you?" Twilight called to her friend as she got down from the table. "Sure Twilight what's on your mind?" she asked.
They went on a walk together back towards Twilight's castle. "Did something happen between you and Discord?"
"No, why do you ask?" Fluttershy answered innocently. "It's just, whenever he's around lately you seem a bit distant with him" Fluttershy stared down at her hoofs, what was she supposed to say? After Discord provided them with the final key to the harmony chest Twilight took that as all the proof she needed of his sincerity. After all magic doesn't lie, right? But she couldn't help it. What if she let herself get to close, what if he betrayed them again.
"Fluttershy?" she looked up as her trailing thoughts were broken. "Twilight you trust him right?"
Twilight considered this for a moment, "about as much as I can, I doubt he'll ever be some shinning symbol of society, but I genuinely believe he means well" she replied. Fluttershy stared down at her hoofs again. "And what if you're wrong, what if…" she trailed off trying desperately not to let the fear sink into her voice. Twilight could see the hurt in her friend's eyes, she stopped and placed a hoof around Fluttershy's shoulder. "You know you're his closest friend right?"
"That's what I thought but he, he tossed m-, us aside once he was given a better offer" she had been fighting back tears but she was losing. "Fluttershy" Twilight soothed, " you know your friendship means more to him than anything? He made a mistake but I honestly believe he's trying to make it right"
"You think so" Fluttershy sniffled. "I know so" Twilight replied, "you were the one who believed in him when nopony else would, I think he needs your support now more than ever".
"Fluttershy looked down at her hoofs and kicked the dirt about, "I'll try" she replied.
Later that evening twilight summon discord to the council room. He had given her a magic bell he told her to ring for him whenever she needed him. She knew he could always hear it although he didn't always respond and she learned rather quickly that the bell wasn't something to be abused. Never the less she rung it.
"How many times do I have to tell you I'm not your errand pony" Discord gripped from the throne of his which had materialized into the room with him. He still hadn't changed its design despite Twilight's insistence, its ominous black and red pattern didn't help his case any but he liked it and refused to change it. I guess I can't expect him to stop being himself.
Twilight went over and took a seat in her throne. "It's nothing like that discord" she assured. "I called you here so I could invite you to come with us to the crystal fair, cadence need our help with the preparations this year so we'll be going a week early"
"And you want me to help?"
"NO!" twilight blurted out then quickly corrected herself, "No thank you, I mean you've been so helpful lately I thought it would be nice to let you just sit back and enjoy the fair"
"Honestly twilight," discord disappeared and reappeared wrapped around her throne, "what kind of friend would I be if just sit back and let you do all the work?"
"It's fine discord consider it a reward for all your hard work" twilight replied as genuinely as she could. Discords eyebrows furrowed as he searched her face for any hint of deception. Twilight smiled back nervously and after a moment of awkward staring he disappeared and reappeared by the door. "Well then sounds like fun, I'll go see what the others are up to, tah!" he waved flamboyantly as he walked out. Once he was out of earshot twilight let loose the breath she'd been holding. "Now let's just hope he doesn't get himself into too much trouble".
Discord made is way about Ponyville teleporting from one hiding place to the next, it's not that he had any particular reason to hide but he didn't feel like drawing attention to himself and the usual gawkers would undoubtedly test his patience. He looked and spotted Applejack and Fluttershy stepping outside the pet shop. Applejack had a saddle bag full of dog food and Fluttershy had loaded up on a variety of animal feed.
"I do hope you'll get to sell a lot this year" Fluttershy said, "ah ain't nothing ta worry about, I'm sure I'll be makin a mint this year, I did last year" Applejack replied with confidence.
"Why hello my dear friends!" Discord chimed as he appeared suddenly behind them. Applejack jumped and Fluttershy nearly had a heart attack. "Discord don't scare me like that!" she scolded in that soft but stern manner of hers. "In all seriousness ya shouldn't be sneakin up on ponies like that" Applejack added. "Come now when have you ever known be to be serious?" Discord replied. Snapping his fingers and dressing himself in the most absurd clown suit anypony ever did see. Fluttershy chuckled at his humor and her smile warmed his heart.
Applejack rolled her eyes. "Well I'll see you both later" Fluttershy said as she turned to head home. Discord materialize in front of her blocking her path, "need some help with that it looks heavy"
"I'm fine" she replied as she walked around him. He craned his neck around to watch her as she walked off, "well I'll see you later then…" he trailed off with a dreamy look in his eyes. "Isn't she just the cutest thing?" Applejack stared at him quizzically for a moment and took a step closer to get a better look at his face. He still hadn't taken his eyes of the departing Fluttershy. "ya know, if I didn't know any better I'd say it looked like you had yourself a regular school pony crush" she remarked slyly.
Discord snapped his attention back to reality, "why Applejack I'm surprised at you!" he cried with mock indignation, "to even suggest such a thing!" he appeared before her in a school desk wearing a sailor suit, "the idea of me in school is absolutely preposterous"
"That's not what I was referring to Discord and you know it" Applejack scolded. Discord vanished and reappeared behind her, coiling his body around her personal sphere. "I do not have a crush" he argued. Applejack raised her eyebrow at him and his resolve began to waver. He teleported away "alright, so maybe just a little, teeny, tiny…" Applejack's stare didn't ease up.
"Ok fine, you caught me" he grumbled. "But you better not tell a soul or else" he threatened waving his claw in her face, "or else what" she replied. "Or else or else" he shrunk as he realized he didn't have any real threats to give. Applejack smiled down at the tiny Discord who now sat dumbfounded on the ground by her hoofs. "It's fine a won't tell, but somehow I get the feeling I'm not the only pony whose noticed"
"What do you mean?" he replied returning to his normal size. "I'm just sayin subtly ain't exactly yer strong suit sugarcube". He knew he should appreciate the way Applejack had started using the endearing term when she was talking to him, but he couldn't help gagging a bit every time she called him that. "I can be subtle" he argued, "as a flyin mallet" Applejack retorted.
"Exactly!" she smacked her face with her hoof. Clearly Discord didn't understand the concept. But of course he lived in his own little reality so perhaps in his mind a flying mallet was hardly unusual. "All I'm saying is if you don't tell er Fluttershy's bound to figure it out on her own sooner or later"
"I couldn't possibly," he replied, lowering himself to all fours putting himself at eye level with Applejack. "What if she rejects me? What if I lose her as a friend?" she shook his head and stood back up "oh no it's far too risky"
"Alright if you insist" Applejack sighed. "But this can't end well".
Authors note: I feel like the latter half of this chapter was rushed and not thought through very well I had come up with this exchange between applejack and discord but wasn't sure whether to place it in the story and simple stuck it here, I think I may rewrite this chapter latter and move that scene to someplace a little farther in cause it feels awkward where it is. Anyway please let me know what you think. Feedback is always appreciated.