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#yay discord isnt an incel anymore!!! 🩷🩷🩷💛💛💛
brideofdiscord-rewritten · 8 months
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Bride of Discord chapter 12: The Story
"Discord, may I ask you something?"
The draconequus had just finished showing Fluttershy his water skiing tricks and was drying off. His feathers clumped up and he looked as if he were one of those dogs, the ones that leave a film on the hoof when pet. Fluttershy loved how happy and prideful he looked when he wanted to show her a trick, like the previously mentioned playful puppy.
"Anything, of course!" he said over his shoulder.
She looked down at the blanket she was sitting on. "Well…I've been here since late summer, and now it's winter, so... and…"
He made his towel disappear and teleported to her side. "Yes? It's been a pretty confusing series of time. I had no idea how much time had passed since you got here!"
"Well…there's something that's been on my mind and…"
She felt him scoot closer and rest his hands on his... whatever's. What were they, if not hooves? Claw and paw? "Go on?"
"I…I just want to know…"
A ray of hope appeared on Discord's face. Was she finally going to say it? But she said it was a question. Still, was this it?!
She looked up at him. "Where did you come from?"
His expression fell. "Oh…see here, when two ponies are in love- you ever heard of spores? Well-"
"Dear no,that's not what I meant! I meant what was your life like before... uhm, y'know, turning into stone." She quivered. She didn't want to think about how that felt.
He sighed. A great weight rested on his every fur, every fibre. " I'll tell you now, it's not very cheery, but if you look at it like a book or painting, then it's kinda beautiful."
Fluttershy lay on her belly. "I'm curious, about what art is to you."
Discord smiled and took a breath. "I like to think that art is seeing the beauty in the ugly and the ridiculous in the aesthetic. Like looking out the window at an ugly forest. If it was a painting, the elements would make it meaningful."
She shifted her weight. She was getting him comfy, and that's what mattered.
"if my life was a biography,I'm sure the paintings and music it would inspire would be beautiful. Perhaps even architecture. Im particularly fond of maximalism, ecobrutalism, cubist works... you get the point. I like to romanticize things. Back to the story!"
She smiled warmly at him, brushing the weight from his follicles with a gentle hoof. He still needed to know where she gets her iron shoes fitted
"well, I'm rather famously one of a kind. I like to think of it as a blessing, no younger brothers or culture to feel like I'm disappointing! I think I just appeared one day, in a big star, surrounded by bigger stars. I remember a quaint little Stone house I'd take apart and put together again. That was how I honed my craft, magic! Chaos! In the middle of space!"
He scratched his hand.
"it does get rather lonely. I have no idea what the concept of age is, or how old I was. I didn't know there were others until I met an owl. It's first reaction was to screech and fly off. So I had no idea what interactions were. The only thing I knew was remodeling a single building, with no idea what it was or why it existed. I found out by wandering around that I was in a dimension between dimensions. I was intertwined between the multiverse."
Fluttershy looked at him like he was... well somehow less normal than he is. He looked down at her and giggled. "See? Weird painting."
He made another pause before continuing. "I'll spare you the details. Let's just say that it didn't take long for me to realize that I was different from most creatures. I came to equestria by complete accident, by my magic bursting while I was practicing. in the middle of the forest, where I met the aforementioned owl. The forest turned black and spikey, and I heard before that it was regular. I corrupted it. I knew then that I wasn't meant to be interacted with. I was a complete anomaly, and should never have existed. Yet, I learned every day for something to accept me."
He felt corny. Fluttershy snuggled close to him. Gosh, that must have been jarring. No concept of anything and then constant yearning. It made her want to cry.
"Then I found Equestria and you ponies, and…well, let's just say they didn't take kindly to my appearance either. I eventually gave up trying to fit in and focused on my magic, making myself at home in a cave in the mountains."
"Was it that cave you took me from?" Fluttershy interjected.
"Yes, in fact. You know Celestia has stopped by there several times to see if I was hiding there? I made myself invisible whenever she came. She found me there, when her mane looked like yours. She saw me practicing my magic and might I add, she was quite impressed with it. She said I should use my talents for good, for her court! Well…" he twiddled his fingers, "she wasn't very specific on her definition of 'good.'"
He gave a small laugh. "My magic wasn't made for pony ideals! It was just wacky! I guess I got in over my horns. I had packed houses every day! Just hours and hours of ponies adoring me, giving me what I wanted, what my magic was made for! Lights! Attention! Laughs! I guess she didn't really like how little i cared about actual court matters. Wasn't my fault!"
Fluttershy Stared intensely at his manners, the lordliness of it all.
"I wished more than ever to date this alicorn. She always pestered me about her day and I just heard her, and didn't listen. I just dreamt about her being my... housewife. I KNOW!" Fluttershy cringed and laughed.
"I asked her out once and... it was over. She couldn't see me anymore. Granted, her sister was locking herself away and becoming... less than favourably hostile, and her kingdom was constantly yelling at her. But I asked anyways. She told me that I only liked her because she was the first pony who was ever kind, and she didn't owe me anything."
Fluttershy sat up. "What did she mean?"
" gosh, it's so stupid. I used to think that since I was nice to her she owed me her hand in marriage! Can you imagine? I didn't care about her princess struggles or her look to the kingdom of she married, I just wanted a wife. Everypony else had that one pony who loved them no matter what, and I thought I was entitled to one!"
Fluttershy spoke up. She puffed up her chest, tried to hold it in, and laughed. "Oh dearie, at least you're past that!" She looked almost pleadingly at him with a warm smile. He nodded.
"well I blew up on her, and she cast me out, telling me to go find a place that accepts my magic and all my demands, but somewhere else. I felt rejected again, and... tried to takeover. Thank Celestia she- wait, what? That's so weird. Anyways, she turned me into stone."
It felt crushing to hear himself thank the pony he harassed into hating him for thwarting the plan that was still in motion.
"Did it hurt? The stone, I mean."
"woof! Lemme tell ya, I've never had a better sleep in my life! It's like all the benefits of sleep, and a good stretch. Never felt a thing."
Discord looked down at her. "But yeah. I got pretty messed up being alone. Not anymore, now that you're here."
He used his tail to bring her closer, making Fluttershy blush. She put a hoof over her muzzle and grinned gently.
"you don't think... of me like that Celestia thing, do you?"
He felt like he was going to heave. He did. One hundred percent. He Never made an attempt to this point to even think about it, but he knew it.
"I've been trying so hard not to think about it, and when I see you, my best-first friend, I can't help but cringe when I remember it. I Can't imagine being in that deep of whatever that was!"
He trailed off and stared into space.
"I suppose I should tell you about me?"
"wouldn't object to it, if you really want to tell me."
"You see…" She glanced down at her hooves. "I was very shy as a filly and could barely fly. All the other ponies laughed at me. It didn't help that I believed them. These boys, they were the only ones I swear loved me."
He choked. "They laughed at you?! You didn't do anything wrong!"
She giggled. "Don't do that. It was a long time ago. Anyway, I know what it's like to be…different. Alone. They treated me like I was too much when I was happy, like I was a disease." She whimpered, and shook it away.
Fluttershy squeaked as he threw his arms around her. "We can't make each other sick, can we! Sickness buddies!!"
She gently tried to push him away. "Discord, please…"
"Did you not hear me, darling? I'm saying you're perfect! And you make me feel less alone! We're peas in a pod!"
"dis-"
"Which reminds me! Do you love me? Better get it out of the way now!"
A wall burst
"I can't! I can't just love you now! You don't know me!"
He floundered into a deflated dunce.
"That's really flattering and all, but…those colts didn't like me. They liked my looks. They never hung out with me after school because they didn't want to have to hear me. They didn't want to listen. Everybody in the world could love you... but nobody really likes you. And I feel like that every time you compliment me, I can't help it. They beat me down just like anyone else, but we're embarrassed to be around anyone else when they said they liked my face."
He felt like a sludge of trash for what he thought. For trying to convince her with a stupid little sob story and a dumb little question.
"I just know it in you you aren't like that anymore, but I just wish you'd let yourself fully heal before you try to marry me. Even if we're just married friends. I wish I could heal first."
True or not, Fluttershy knew he was lonely and that he seemed to care for her, but she could not do it. She might as well be saying 'I do' at the altar. She was not ready.
"Are you alright?"
...
She was so honest with what she wanted. She was so shy and retracted, so outspoken through years of tears.
...
"I think I'm gonna start exploring those thoughts. I think I want to be nature, y'know? I want to be a part of the life here, a little animal. I don't wanna tell myself I'm different until it's true."
She looked at him like he was a roaring river, like he was a gentle spider web. It fascinated her. After everything, he was there.
"Maybe one day we'll get married. one day. but right now, I want to stay as your friend more than anything."
"Be patient, Discord. You've at least gotten somewhere with that pony. She'll say yes eventually. You just need to up your approach. She admitted it herself!"
He smashed the glass. It made him sick. How callously it ignored every word she ever said. At least pretend like you were trying! At least pretend like you're not thinking like that, like you detest it! I'm sure I dont actually hate it, I was right back then... I know it. I think.
He hates that he was unsure. He hates that he knows it was horrible, how he treated Celestia and how he still thinks that way. He hates that he didn't think that way. He hates that Fluttershy tore his plan apart with pony morals.
Across the dinner table, now less quiet, to simple pain.
"why are you making me better?"
She shrunk under his gaze.
"I think you'll be happier when you know you love yourself. And you'll find its easier to make friends that way."
He hoped he didn't come off as how he used to act.
"Well, glad to have you then! I don't want you to feel like you're forced to lo-"
"YOU DONT HAVE ME!"
His face fell as she snapped at him. Fluttershy then took a breath and moved towards the window.
"I understand you don't want me to leave and that we had a deal, but... You've tried so hard to make me happy, but you still deny me the one thing I want." She glanced out as some of her birds tried to fly into the forest but were stopped by the force field.
"Well, you've denied me the one thing I want, and what I want is…"
His frustration melted away when he saw the tears streaming down her cheeks. He cautiously stepped toward her.
"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I didn't mean to …"
He lightly hovered his claw over her, almost asking, only to have her pull away.
"Fluttershy…"
She faced him. "I want to let them go."
He blinked. "What?"
Fluttershy glanced back at the animals outside. "It would be selfish of me to keep them here. They're not here because they need me. I thought they did, but…I just wanted them here for myself."
Discord put his claw on her shoulder. "That's why I brought them here. For you."
"And now I want you to send them back."
"But…don't they make you happy?"
"Look at them." She pointed at the birds pecking at the invisible wall. "They don't want to stay here. That's why you have to send them back. And besides this... in sorry, but I want you to help yourself too. I can't always help you, because we're too similar."
He stared at her for a while, wiping away her tears. "I understand. I know you can't always help me, but I'm glad you're real with me. I guess I'd like to have more friends, not just you. But... you sure this is what you want?"
She looked up at him and nodded.
She knew he knew she never owed him a thing, and smiled as he let them go. He simply hugged her hard and sat and talked throughout the meal. They talked and laughed and he never asked for a thing. The birds sang louder than they did when they were trapped. He probably didn't even know it, but he climbed the stairs once more and they felt one step lower.
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