//------------------------------// // Potential Bug Identified // Story: Reconnection // by GeekCat //------------------------------// Discord had been unconscious for two days. Fluttershy had stayed by his side whenever she could, and barely left the cottage even when she wasn't right by him. Her animals were given quick meals that were easy for her to prepare, and Angel Bunny even helped out, once she had promised to groom his tail after Discord recovered. She sighed, replacing the damp, cool cloth on Discord's forehead. He wasn't running hot anymore—he had cooled down within the hour of passing out. But she had no idea if he was in pain, if he was having nightmares, or if the spell was bothering him…all she could do was nurse him as best she could, and hope he woke up soon. With a sigh, she filled a syringe with vegetable broth, then used her hooves to pry Discord's mouth open. She wriggled the syringe between his teeth and slowly depressed it, the thin liquid slowly dribbling down his throat. If he doesn't wake up by tomorrow, I'll put in an IV, she vowed. Once the syringe was empty, she grabbed the second one, filled it with ice water, and repeated the process. She had given him orange juice with a single crushed aspirin his morning, which would hopefully keep him from feeling any pain the rest of the day. She gently smoothed down one of his eyebrows. They were soft to the touch, and it lightened the knot of stress in her chest. She hoped that the small gesture comforted him, too, even though he wasn't awake to feel it. A knock on her front door made her flinch. Who could that be? she thought as she headed downstairs. Most ponies didn't visit her much, aside from her friends, and even their visits had become more infrequent over the months. She slowly opened her door, peeking outside. “Hello, how could I—” Her breath caught in her throat. Standing right in front of her was a changeling about the same height she was, their chassis black and their eyes a gleaming teal, with eerie white pupils focused on her. Her heart pounded in her chest as they opened their mouth, showing off their sharp fangs. She could remember being ambushed and having the love drained out of her, how she had woken up in a sticky cocoon, how Discord had fallen unconscious when trying to save her—! She yelped and slammed the door shut, holding it closed with her own body as her eyes darted around her room. She had to hide. Had to keep Discord safe. There was another knock on her door, and she gasped, flying over and diving behind her couch. “Um…Miss Fluttershy?” the changeling's voice said. They sounded male. “I'm sorry for scaring you…maybe I should have taken on a pony form,” he muttered. “But, you don't have to be worried. It's me, Thorax.” After a pause, he added, “T-The changeling who helped Starlight…invade the castle and overthrow our queen.” She blinked, slowly poking her head out from her hiding spot. Thorax…he was the changeling who helped them, even after Twilight used Discord to have him captured and immediately put in a cell. Cautiously, still waiting for the other horseshoe to drop, she shuffled along the carpet until she reached the door. She opened it just a crack, peering out with one eye. He looked like Thorax, but she wasn't sure if she could tell the difference between him and another changeling. There was some kind of metal pot on his back…why would he have that if he was evil and going to capture her? But… “…how can I be sure?” she asked. His voice sounded familiar, of course, but couldn't another changeling imitate that, too? Thorax placed a hoof to his chin in thought. “…after you were out of your cocoon and Chrysalis had left,” he said. “You spoke with Starlight, and then went to find Discord.” After a few more moments, he added, “Celestia arrested Twilight just a few minutes after our pardoning ceremony.” Fluttershy mulled over these facts. To her knowledge, Thorax was the only changeling who should have known about both of those. “…Alright. I believe you,” she said, opening the door fully. “Um…what could I do for you?” “Oh, I don't need anything. I just brought some stew,” Thorax said, holding the pot out to her. “For you and for Discord…if he's awake yet.” “Oh…thank you,” Fluttershy said, grabbing the pot with her wings. There was a vegetable stew inside, delicious, creamy, a still a bit warm. “I’ll put it on the stove for later…Discord still isn't awake.” Thorax’s ears drooped. “…sorry to hear that,” he said. “Um, if you wanted, I could…I could try to see if he'll wake up soon.” Her ears perked up. “Do you know a lot about caring for creatures?” “No, not really,” he admitted. “But, I could try and sense what emotions he's feeling. The more he's feeling, the sooner he's likely to wake up, right?” “I…suppose that makes sense,” she said. It might also tell her if he was feeling physical pain, or having a nightmare, both of which she was still worried about. “…I'll take you to him. Please, come in.” She opened the door a little wider, turning and moving into the kitchen. While she set the stew on the stove for later, Thorax entered and looked around her home. His eyes seemed to sparkle as he took everything in, from her comfortable couch to the birdhouses and pet beds scattered throughout. “Your home seems very nice,” he said. “Though a little…” He bit his lip as his eyes landed on the tacky throw pillows, the mismatched curtains, and the clay statues that were strange shapes and colors. “Odd?” she finished, turning the burner up to set the stew to a very light simmer. Thorax stared at her with wide eyes. “I know things are a little different. Discord…seems to feel better with touches of chaos.” She smiled fondly as she looked at the clay statue on the kitchen counter. Discord had molded it himself, and she had painted it with his approval of colors. It was some sort of misshapen mug, very convenient for storing quills, and whose bright colors livened up the room. “I see,” he said with a smile. “I think I can understand…I mean, having plants around me helps me feel better and sleep well.” She smiled and nodded. “Well…I'll take you to Discord," she said, heading upstairs. Thorax followed right behind her, and once they reached Discord's bedroom door, she opened it and gestured for him to enter first. He did so, his eyes widening as his head swiveled around to take in all of the chaos that filled the room. Though Thorax was distracted for a moment by the shimmering fake jewels hanging from Discord's light, he soon blinked and turned his attention to the reason he was up here—the still-unconscious draconequus. Thorax placed his head close to Discord's and sniffed. Fluttershy watched as he continued sniffing along the draconequus's head and chest, his tongue flicking out every so often. After a few minutes, he stepped back and looked at Fluttershy. “Well?” she asked anxiously. “I…think he might wake up soon,” Thorax said. “I can sense a few small emotions bubbling up in him before…something catches them like a net. But he's mostly calm…it's like he's dreaming.” “…good dreams, right?” she asked. Thorax just shrugged. “Probably. He seems happy and content, without very many negative emotions right now.” “Oh, thank you,” she said, smiling as her shoulders relaxed. “…thank you for coming to help. How did you know that Discord was unconscious, anyway?” “Rainbow told me and Starlight about…well…” Thorax shuffled his hooves and nodded towards Discord. Fluttershy blinked. “Are…you and Starlight both living in Ponyville?” she asked quietly. Honestly, if any changes had come to the town, it was completely possible for her to have missed them… “Oh, that's right!” Thorax said. “You haven't been to the Golden Oaks Library in a while, have you?” Fluttershy frowned, shaking her head. A sick feeling formed in the pit of her stomach…that had been where Twilight lived. Where she ‘improved' her spell on Discord. Where she had made him use his magic in mundane ways, or to expand the library on the inside and add more books… “Well,” Thorax said, interrupting her train of thought. “They needed a new librarian…or two, with how big it is now…Starlight couldn't go back to her village, and I…didn't feel great about going back home, so…with Celestia’s approval, we both started working and living there!” “R-Really?” she said. “That's…that's good. How has it been?” Thorax rubbed the back of his head. “It…could be better,” he admitted. “Most ponies in town don't trust either of us yet, but…well…no one is exactly asking to have Twilight back.” Fluttershy giggled—the sort of giggle ponies or any creature made at the end of their rope, when your choice was either to laugh or to cry. She giggled for a long time, until her laughs turned into hiccups, and she finally stopped, rubbing at her eyes. Thorax gave her a concerned look. He stepped a little closer and sat at the edge of Discord's bed, close to her but still giving her space. “…Twilight really hurt both of you. Like she hurt Starlight and me,” he said quietly, glancing at the sleeping draconequus behind him. “…you really do love him, don't you?” “W-What?” she said, blinking. “I mean, I…I do care about him, of course! And I want him to get better, and, and…” Thorax gave her a look, his blue eyes shimmering. “That's…not the kind of love I meant,” he said, his voice growing even quieter. She spotted his forked tongue peeking out from behind his fangs for a moment, before he pulled it back and bit it. “Sorry about that,” he said, clamping a hoof over his mouth. She wasn't sure if he meant the sudden revelation or him accidentally eating a bit of her love. “It's…it's okay,” she said, flopping into her chair. “…I think I…I need some time to think.” Thorax lowered his head and headed towards the door. He stopped when he reached it, looking over his shoulder at her. “…Starlight’s been researching into a safe counterspell for him,” he said. “If you ever want help.” She nodded, tucking that information away for later. Thorax paused for a few more seconds before continuing down the stairs and out the front door. Fluttershy stared at Discord, her chin resting in her hooves. He looked so peaceful…she reached forward to stroke his cheek, but she quickly caught herself and pulled away. “What am I doing?” she said quietly. Biting her lip, she stood up and walked towards the door. She glanced at Discord one last time before she closed it, and headed to the kitchen, her thoughts caught in a whirlwind. Through muscle memory alone, she filled a kettle with water and began to boil it. Then, she began to pace back and forth, trying to puzzle out all of her emotions and thoughts. Well. The first thing was…Thorax was right. She did love Discord. And while that knowledge made a few things suddenly make sense…it also complicated her caring for Discord. Did she really love him, or did she love him the way she saw him now? …it had been so long since Discord had freely shown his true self without complications or anything holding him back. And, if she loved him for how he treated her now…what if the spell made him stay like that? The thought made her blood run cold. Could her actions…mold Discord into a creature she loved, who showed all the actions and traits of loving her right back? Could she influence him and lock away his true self, even accidentally, through her actions and the way she spoke to him? …could she end up just like Twilight? The kettle began to whistle, but she ignored it. Instead, she collapsed into one of her kitchen chairs, placing a hoof against her forehead. She didn't know anything about magic. She had been doing her best to avoid triggering the spell and forcing Discord to do anything, but…with all of the passive effects Twilight had given it, was it really possible that she had managed to avoid influencing him completely? Again through muscle memory, she turned off the stovetop, poured herself a cup of tea, and ladled out a bowl of stew. She sat down at the table again and began to eat and drink, only barely tasting anything. The stew was good, but the tea had seeped a little too long. …and what about everything Twilight had said? She almost choked on a vegetable as the alicorn's words came back to her. She had spent so long worrying over Discord that she had pushed them out of her mind. But what if she was right? Even if she didn’t end up harming Discord, could she really help him? Without a spark of magic, or any knowledge about it? Her appetite was suddenly gone, and she swirled the stew around for a bit, occasionally taking small bites. Eventually, though, she just sighed and stood up. She covered her bowl and teacup and set them both in the fridge, then went into the living room and began to pace. …maybe she could avoid hurting Discord, she thought. It was possible for creatures to fall out of love, wasn't it? If she spent a little time away from him, perhaps her love would fade, and she could welcome Discord back with open wings. But she couldn't just leave him all alone. No, Discord should spend time with someone who didn't love him, but who had time to focus on him. Maybe even someone who knew more about magic, so they would know exactly what to avoid so as to not trigger the spell… Her thoughts were interrupted by a shuffling sound from upstairs. Her heart leapt with joy (though she was scared just by how strongly it did so), and she quickly galloped upstairs. She only came to a stop in front of Discord's bedroom door, which she lightly tapped her hoof against before opening it a single crack. Discord slowly turned his head to look at her. He was still lying down, but his eyes were open, and though he looked weary, he seemed to slowly gain enough focus to recognize her. She opened the door the rest of the way and stepped inside. “Good…afternoon, Discord,” she said, needing a quick glance out the window to remind herself of what time of day it was. “How are you feeling?” He just stared at her blankly, slowly blinking. Swallowing, she placed a hoof against his forehead. That terrifying fever hadn't returned…she could only hope it hadn't harmed him before she was able to help. “Do you have a headache?” she asked. He blinked, then shrugged his shoulders. “…fuzzy,” he said. His voice was thick, either from tiredness or from going unused for some time. “Well, that doesn't sound fun,” she said, stroking his shoulder. “But…you aren't in pain, are you?” He slowly shook his head, and she smiled. “That's good to hear,” she said. “You can take all the time you need to rest. You…went through a lot, I think. W-Would you like a story?” He slowly nodded, and she fluttered over to his bookshelf, selecting one that he had greatly enjoyed in the past and holding it up for his approval. He gave another small nod, and she flew back over to his side, positioning the book so that both of them could see it. She slowly began the read it aloud. But even as relieved as she was, and as calming reading by his side was, today's revelation still sat heavily in the back of her mind.