Blind Faith 6

>You lay face down on the hardwood of the desk, your face drenched in moisture.
>You didn’t know what time it was, but you guess it was close to dinner from the way your stomach was acting.
>You hated yourself for what you did to Feather Duster.
>A simple prank caused her to spill her feelings of love to you.
>How were you supposed to react to that?
>You roll your head to the side, hoping not to burst into tears again.
>There was a heavy knock at the door.
‘Who is it?’ you call.
>’Anonymous?’ came the young voice of Shining Armour.
‘What do you want, Armour?’
>’I haven’t seen you round today and Princess Celestia seems worried about you.’
‘Yeah?’
>’Do you mind if I come in?’
>You sit in silence, thinking.
‘Yeah, come on in.’
>The door opens and you hear the heavy steps of Shining enter.
>As he closes the door and approaches you, he gasps almost silently.
>’Anon…What happened to you?’
‘Why?’
>’You look… horrible. Your mane is a mess and your eyes are all… Have you been crying?’
‘Wow… back to being a dick.’ you mutter under your breath.
>Shining walks forwards until he is write at your feet.
>’Anon, what has gotten in to you?’
‘Nothing. I’m fine.’
>’Anon, I can see when people are upset. Tell me.’
>You lose it, bending down into his face.
‘WHY?! What good would it do?!’
>’Cos that’s what friends do.’ he said, calmly.
>You stop and move back.
‘I…I’m sorry Shining. I… don’t know what came over me.’
>You run your hands through your hair.
>You hear the dragging sound of a chair, and Shining sits across from you.
>’What happened?’
‘I screwed up. I played a prank on Feather…and… it caused her to confess to me.’

>’Confess? As in…?’
‘Yes. But she said she didn’t want to ruin our friendship.’
>’And you wanted to be more?’
‘No!’ you reel back ‘No, I just… I don’t feel that way about anyone at the moment.’
>’So, what’s wrong?’
‘I played a prank, causing her to tell me her dark secret.’
>’But you say she wants to remain friends? I don’t see the problem here.’
>You give him an annoyed stare.
‘You don’t understand mares, do you?’
>’Who is the one married here?’
‘Shining, I have two problems. How will Feather react when she finds out it was a prank? She probably won’t take it well.’
>’Yeah, but time heals all things. What’s number two?’
‘She said she…’ you shake your hands in the air. ‘She said she loved me, but… I’ve known her for only a short amount of time.’
>’It’s not true love.’
‘Huh?’
>’It’s not true love.’
‘How do you know? I might be her soul mate…which is a cruel twist of fate if I never turned up here.’
>’No, I mean it’s not a true form of love. It sounds like a crush. Puppy love, of you will.’
>You sit in silence thinking before nodding your head.
‘But what if Feather doesn’t realise this? She sounded serious about this being just…love.’
>’Anon, do you remember what Cadance and I told you last night?’
‘Stop threatening people with your fork?’
>Shining sighed heavily.
>’Don’t worry about this Anon. Cadance and I will have a talk, see what can be done. You will eventually need to talk to Feather, though.’
>You cross your arms.
>’Don’t give me that look, young man. You need to apologise to that mare.’
‘Humph!’
>’Don’t make me send you to your room without dinner.’

>You can’t hide your smile and shake your head.
‘God dammit… You are going to enjoy being a dad.’
>You place a hand on his shoulder.
‘Thank you for the chat, Shining.’
>’It’s fine, Anon. That’s what friends do, right?’
‘Just…promise you won’t confess your heart out to me as well.’
>’Well, now that you bring it up, Cadance and I were thinking-‘
>You physically shut Shining Armour by sticking your hand in his mouth.
>’Aner….’
‘Sorry… ‘
>You quickly remove your hand, shaking off the saliva.
>’Kinda jumpy?’
‘Some things shouldn’t be joked about.’
>You hear Shining climb off his seat and walk towards the door.
>’I need to leave. Cadance will be upset if I am late for dinner again. You need me to send one of the guards down to help you with dinner?’
‘No, I might take a walk to the dining hall.’
>’Okay. I’ll talk to you tomorrow Anon.’
‘Night Shining.’
>You listen as Shining takes his leave before standing from your seat, grabbing your cane in your clean hand, and walk into the bathroom to clean yourself up.
>Turning on the warm water, you scrub your hands clean before getting started on your face.
>Giving it a couple of good splashes, you clean off the remnants of tears you had left.
>Usually you don’t mind how you appear.
>You can’t see how people… others see you, and it works out most of the time.
>But you decide to dampen your hair so it looks a little styled.
>Small droplets of water drip down your freshly moistened hair, sliding on the back of your neck before creeping down your back.
>It sends a cold shiver down your spine.
>You dry your hands before clutching your cane and begin your walk towards the dining hall.

>Dinner was uneventful.
>You found the hall easy enough, choosing to sit at the far end of the table.
>When one of the staff p0nies came up to check on you, you asked them to bring you a simple salad.
>You felt the need to specify what you wanted in your salad just in case they were like herbivores back home and ate flowers and the like.
>Your suspicions were proven correct when the waiter asked if you wanted it garnished with frangipani or lilac.
>You quickly ate your garden salad in silence before standing from your seat and walking out.
>As soon as you got back to your room, you headed to bed.
>You were too exhausted to read anything right now.
>Dreams were as normal, no sign of Princess Luna.
>You didn’t know if she was really not there or just observing you from afar.
>You awoke to the sounds of birds chirping and sun shining through the glass doors of your room’s balcony.
>You sit up and stretch, before grabbing your cane and glasses and walking towards the bathroom.
>You decide to skip the shower, choosing just to use the facilities before washing your hands.
‘What am I going to do?’ you mutter to yourself.
>You walk towards the door to the balcony, grasping at the cool handle, and give it a twist to open it.
>Direct sunlight warms your exposed arms and face, the overpowering smell of freshly cut lawn reaching your nose.
>You softly sway your head from side to side, taking in the sounds and aromas you can, and you decide to take a walk.
>You turn around and walk inside of your room before exiting through the hallway door.

>Turning right down the hall, you try to remember the way out.
>After a good 5 minutes of idle walking, you finally hear a p0ny approach you.
‘Excuse me, can you possibly help me?’
>’Anonymous?’ came a somewhat familiar male voice.
‘Corporal Smiles? Wow, small world. What are you doing?’
>’I just finished night guard, about to get some sleep, sir.’
‘Oh, well… sorry to stop you.’
>’No trouble, sir.’
‘Can you stop the “sir” stuff? I just need help to get to the gardens.’
>’Of course. It’s just straight down this corridor and the door at the end will lead you out.’
‘Thank you, Corporal.’
>You hear the clang of metal, and you quickly return the salute.
>Sunshine Smiles walks off and you follow his directions.
>Within minutes, you are once again standing in the warmth of the fresh sun light, the fragrance of nature reaching your nose and calming your mind.
>You unfold your cane before beginning your stroll.
>The path was made up of, what felt like, a rough stone material.
>As you continue on the path, you hear someone humming a tune.
>It was a familiar tune, though it makes you wonder how they know that poem.
>You walk forwards towards the voice, trying to pick up where they were at.
>You smile, before stopping.
‘The time has come, the walrus said, to talk of other things. Of shoes and ships and sealing wax. Of cabbages and kings.’
>’And why the sea is boiling hot and whether pigs have wings. Callou callay, no work today. We’re cabbages and kings.’
>You hear him groan as he stands up until his voice reached over your head.
>’And what do we have here?’
‘Anonymous, sir. Diplomat from Earth.’
>’Ah yes, Celestia did tell me of you.’
‘And you are?’
>’Discord, the gardener.’

>You give him a nod before turning your head from side to side.
‘Your garden smells wonderful.’
>’Smells? Oh yes. Celly did mention you were of a different kind, but I don’t see the problem.’
‘Yes, it does seem like an illusion.’
>Discord gave a hearty chuckle.
>’Come. I need to finish some work and I know the perfect place for you to sit.’
>You hear him begin to walk away, and you do your best to follow.
>His steps were… strange sounding.
>Click… clop… click… clop.
>It wasn’t… p0ny-like.
‘So, you obviously aren’t p0ny.’
>’I can say the same about you.’
‘Quid pro quo? I tell you about me, you tell me about you?’
>’Yes… squid pro row.’
>You chuckle and shake your head.
‘Okay, so where to start.’
>’I’d say start at the beginning and continue until you arrive at the end, then stop.’
>You smile and begin to tell Discord about the parts of your life you like to discuss.
>Every so often, he would stop to tend to some flowers.
>You had random flashes where you would hear a click sound before feeling a weird air surround you, or you would stumble on the ground while standing still.
>This was a weird garden.

>You are now Discord, lord of chaos, chancellor of chuckles, and today, gardener.
>You were walking around the Canterlot gardens with Anonymous, or Anon as he says you can call him.
>You like this guy.
>He has a chaotic essence to him, though tiny as it may be, it reminded you of your youth.
>Despite his disability, he was a barrel of mutant beavers, and he spoke to you.
>Every so often, you would need to stop to check on your special little plants.
>Poison Joke, p0ny fly traps, snapping dragons.
>And for some reason, Anon would find his way to get as close as he can to them.
>For a blind guy, he seemed to know where to be to get in serious danger.
>Of course you could always leave him there, always the good prank, but ol’ solar flank warned you about him.
>’If he gets hurt in any way with you around, you are going back into the stone.’
>That wasn’t so bad, you told her.
>’And I’ll have Luna tell you about her time on the moon.’
>Cruel and unusual punishment, but it was effective.
>So every time a plant took a swing at Anon, you would jump in to save his hairless ass.
>’And so I just…ended up here, I guess.’
>There he goes again next to the snapping dragons.
>You snap your eagle talon, and Anon is teleported away.
‘So, you just walked into the castle.’
>You can’t hold back your laughter.
>’Yeah, just strolled in there.’
‘Ho boy, that would have been fun for Celly to deal with.’
>’So…what’s your story?’
‘I can tell you some parts of my life, but not all of it. Some things I have done, I am not proud of. I just need to tell you this now.’
>’That’s fine with me. We all have things we aren’t proud of.’
‘Well, to answer your first question, you were right. I am not a p0ny, not fully really.’
>You see him tilt his head to the side in question.
‘I’m what is known as a draconequus.’

>’Never heard of them in mythology.’
‘We are… an amalgamation of different creatures. A claw here, a tail there. Hence, we are called creatures of the chaos and why we use chaos magic.’
>Anon snickers at something.
>’Sorry, I just thought of something really mean.’
‘Well, tell me. It seems funny.’
>’It just seems… who ever created your race might have been drunk or bored.’
>He stood up real tall, putting his cane under his arm.
>’Hmm…left over parts. Ehh, fuck it.’
>He clapped his hands together.
>’New species.’
>You laugh again.
>That was quite amusing.
‘So, yeah. I grew up with Celestia and Woona, playing a few pranks here and there.’
>You give a soft smile, knowing full well he couldn’t see it.
‘They…tolerated me, I guess. Tia never was one to become angry at me, and Luna was young and impressionable.’
>’They are very nice princesses.’
‘Yeah. But as we grew, they matured but I stayed the same. My pranks never got the same chuckles they used to. Around the same time they began to rule, my jokes became out of control and they told me to leave.’
>You look down at your lion paw, seeing the small scar that remained of your exploding crown trick.
‘I was angry that they could just brush me off, pretty p0ny princesses can’t be seen with a monster like me. I did something truly horrible to them after that, planting a seed of chaos in one of them just before they locked me away.’
>’Oh…’
‘It wasn’t till about 2 months ago that I realised how much I must have hurt them and others, and I promised to try and be a better Discord.’
>’Wow…’
‘Come. I have one last thing to attend to.’

>You walk down the stone path, the sound of Anon’s cane tapping along behind you.
>You consider turning it into a snake of some sort, just for a giggle.
>’Don’t you dare.’ came Anon’s voice.
‘How did you know I was going to change your cane with a snake?’
>’I didn’t. You say you play pranks, and you’ve been quiet for some time. Just wanted to put the fear of Anon in to you.’
>You can’t help but let out a hearty chuckle.
‘Anon, I will admit this now. I like you.’
>You gasp over dramatically
‘ANON! WILL YOU BE MY BEST FRIEND?!’
>’Huh?’
‘WE HAVE SO MUCH IN COMMON!’
>’You know, I thought today was gunna suck but I got to take a walk in the royal gardens AND I got a new best friend.’
>You laugh again before your smile falls.
‘What happened?’
>’Pardon?’
>You float closer to him, wrapping your body around his.
>You could feel him flinch before relaxing.
‘You thought today was going to suck so you came down to the garden for a walk. Now, I’m no expert on psychology, but it sounds like something bad happened.’
>You unwrap yourself from Anon before continuing your walk.
>’I…made a mistake. Played a prank on a friend and caused her to do something awful.’
‘Are you just copying my life?’
>Anon softly chuckles before sighing.
>You realize you are at the garden bed you need to finish working on.
‘Ah, here it is.  Anon, be a dear and take a seat.’
>You wave your talon about towards the right, Anon catching the sound of it and moving to the pedestal beside you.
>’Stone?  Are you sure this is comfortable, Discord?’
‘I certainly think so.  Been using it for years!’

>Anon sat down on the pedestal, shuffling around to make himself comfortable.
>You decide to continue your work on the flower bed.
‘Now, I ask again, what happened?’
>’I played a prank on a friend of mine, making it look like I was in love with her, and she stopped me. She told me she had serious feelings for me, but wanted to remain friends.’
>You stop planting the next row of flowers and raise an eyebrow.
>’But it was a prank and… I feel awful. I don’t even know how to explain it to her.’
‘Anon…’
>He turns his head to you.
‘I know what you have been through.’
>You stand up, rubbing your eyes in thought.
>You needed to piece your words together properly.
>’Discord?’
‘When a friend has feelings for another friend, things need to be taken seriously. You will need to take this delicately or something… horrific could happen.’
>’How did you make amends?’
‘Pardon?’
>’Well, again, putting two and two together. You were angry at them for leaving you behind, but it might have been something more.’
>He puts his hands up in front of him.
>’I don’t mean to over step my bounds here, Discord. I just noticed that connection.’
‘It took time.’
>You get back to work
‘The thousand years I spent locked away only made my anger worse. When I escaped last year, I wanted to make her pay, and I did so by going after those she loved instead of myself.’
>You glance at Anon, to see him sitting in silence.
‘I told you I wasn’t proud of some things.’
>’It’s okay, Discord. I am not judging you.’

‘So, I made more mistakes. Then, two months ago, I met a p0ny who looked past what I have done to her and her friends in the past and called me her friend. I was even going to cause more chaos for her, but… It took more to apologise to Celestia and Luna for what I did to them. I don’t think Luna has forgiven me fully.’
>’Is that why you work in the gardens?’
‘Oh, this isn’t work. This is my own secret pleasure.’
>You plant the final flower before casting the colour changing spell on it.
‘Done.’
>’What are you doing?’
‘Oh just a few finishing touches on these petals, aren't they lovely?’
>‘They smell nice.’
‘Oh yes they're fine flowers, but it's what they do that's really just the ticket.’
>You give an evil smirk.
‘Every time the breeze blows, their combined image turns to something new, just wait!’
>‘Discord...’
‘Uh uh uh! There'll be a breeze any moment now.'
>‘But I-‘
‘Shshsshhh...
>You watch Anon get annoyed and you giggle happily
>’Well, I'm sure-‘
‘There it goes again! Ooh! And another one! Ohoh!’
>Anon jumps up from the pedestal.
>‘Stop having fun! You know full well I am blind’
‘Well of course any creature would be blinded by my immense beauty.’
>Anon turns up the path back to the castle.
>’I should go. I’m getting hungry.’
‘WAIT!’
>You fly for him, coiling around his body.
‘One final thing. It doesn’t matter what’s on the outside to those who know you on the inside.’
>Before he can answer, you teleport away.
>But not before slipping a little blue flower into his breast pocket.

>While all this is going on, in a lower part of Canterlot castle, a not so familiar looking light brown unicorn is awoken by the sound of somep0ny knocking on her bedroom door.
>She rolls over in her small, simple bed, covering her head with her forehooves.
>You are Feather Duster, and you did not enjoy be woken up on your day off.
>And especially after the day you had yesterday.
>’Excuse me?’ came a muffled female voice. ‘Is this the residence of Feather Duster?’
>You quickly sit up in bed, rubbing the sleep from your eyes.
>As you climb out of bed, fixing your mane as you did, you wonder who would visit you.
>Their voice didn’t sound familiar, and they were extremely polite.
‘What is it with everyp0ny trying to ruin my day?!’ you growl.
>Your brain obviously doesn’t feel like working until you open your door to see a bright pink alicorn with a soft, nervous smile on her face.
>Your eyes go wide as you squeak and slam the door shut.
>There was another knock at the door and you run for your bed, praying the covers hide you from the world.
>You hear the door open from behind you and a soft voice say ‘Hello?’
>You leap towards the bed, only to be caught in a magical field.
>Wow. You are as light as a feather.’
>You turn your head to give her a very evil glare.
>’Did I come at a bad time?’
>You remain silent, giving her an evil stare.
>’Are you going to speak?’
‘Anything I have to say at the moment would consist of a large amount of swearing and I would prefer not to be fired or banished or… worse today.’

>’So, you DO know who I am?’
‘Yes, your highness,’ you mumble.
>You feel your cheeks burn with embarrassment as your brain fully comprehends who you are talking to.
>’Oh, good. That saves a lot of time explain who I am.’
>Cadance gives a soft laugh before lowering you to the ground.
>’I’m sorry for surprising you with my visit. It was-‘
‘NO!’ you interrupt. ‘No no no no no.’
>You bow down low.
‘It is an honour to have a princess in my living quarters. It is I who should apologise for how I acted towards you.’
>You hear her approach but you dare not lift your head.
>’Please don’t treat me in such a manner. If you know of me, you know I don’t like being treated differently.’
>Her words resonate with you, bringing up memories too quickly for you to cover up.  You feel the tears building up in your eyes.
>’Lift your head, Miss Duster.’
>You slowly lift your head and through your tears, you do your best to look Cadance in the eyes.
>She smiles at you before giving you a welcomed hug.
>As you return the hug, more tears form.
‘I’m sorry, princess. I don’t know why I am crying.’
>’It’s okay, Miss Duster. If my suspicions are true, it may be the same reason I have come to speak to you today.’
>You pull away and look Cadance in the eyes again.
>’I hope I am not intruding, of course. I knew that today was your day off, so I can understand if you have plans.’
‘No, your highness. I don’t usually spend my days off doing anything of importance.’
>Your mind twinges as you remember yesterday and your eyes fall to the floor.
>’Come, we can go grab a coffee in town.’

>In no time at all, you were sitting outside a small café in the heart of Canterlot, Princess Cadance sitting across from you.
>You sit quietly, slowly stirring your tea with your magic.
>’Thank you for coming out with me, Miss Duster.’
‘Yes, your highness.’
>You don’t bother looking up at her.
>’May I call you Feather?’
‘Yes, your highness.’
>’Thank you, Feather.’
‘You’re welcome, your highness.’
>’Now Feather…’
‘Yes, your highness?’
>’Call me 'your highness' again, and I’ll send you to the moon.’
>Your eyes shoot up to see Cadance with a cheeky smile on her face.
>’I’m not trying to be a princess today, so I don’t expect you to act like a maid. Please just call me Cadance.’
‘Yes…Cadance.’
>She gives you a smile before sipping at her tea.
>’Now, do you know why I asked you to join me?’
‘I-it’s about Anon, isn’t it?’
>’Yes, it is. I want you to know, first of all, that the only p0nies that know about what happened are Shining Armour and I.’
‘Oh no…’ you moan as you cover your face with your hooves.
>’Please don’t worry. We only want to help.’
>You lower your limbs.
‘I… I believe you. What did Anon say?’
>’That is something you need to discuss with Anon in full on your own. I wanted to talk to you because of some… mixed feelings you might be experiencing.’
>You look into your tea.
‘I don’t know…’

>Feeling a hoof rest on yours, you look up to see Cadance giving you a warm smile.
>’It’s okay. In your own time.’
‘I… I love Anon, but I want to be his friend at the same time. My mind is so frazzled at the moment.’
>’Hmm… well, which one is stronger?’
‘I…don’t know. If I had to guess, I’d say I would prefer to stay Anon’s friend just so I know I can spend more time with him. If…if I didn’t confess him, we would still be friends.’
>’I see.’
>Cadance took a sip of her tea.
>’Feather, silly question, but how do you know you are in love with Anon?’
‘Well…I just feel it. When I think about him, he makes me happy. He stood up for me in front of Captain Armour. He… treats me like I am special.’
>’Feather, you’ve known Anon for a few days, yes?’
>You nod.
>’I don’t want to tell you how you are feeling, but as the princess of love…’
>Cadance grimaces.
‘You don’t believe it’s love?’
>’No no no no no!’
>Cadance took a deep breath and put on a brave face.
>’It’s not really love…more like a crush. It may develop into love over time.’
>You sit in silence, thinking about the words.
>Was Cadance correct? Was it just a crush?
>’Feather, I only wanted to find out because… everyp0ny knows how much the two of mean to each other. It broke Celestia’s heart seeing the two of you not on speaking terms.’
‘But… how am I supposed to talk to him? Both of us… neither of us want to initiate this.’
>Cadance gives you a smile.
>’Don’t worry, Feather. I have a plan.’

>You are Anonymous, and this day just seems to be getting weirder and weirder.
>After your talk with Discord in the gardens, you decided to try and procure some lunch.
>Walking inside the castle, you slowly made your way towards the dining hall.
>Every so often, you swore you could hear someone whispering or the sound of a p0ny trying to sneak past you.
‘Excuse me? Can you tell me how to get to the dining hall?’
>There was a definite 'eep' sound before two p0nies galloped away.
>You silently shook your head before continuing your journey.
>Eventually you found the dining hall, only for the p0nies in there to outright ignore you.
>It was like you were the plague.
‘Hello?!’ you say in an annoyed tone.
>You hear hooves approach you, only to stop a few feet away.
>’Y-yes, sir?’
>Your waiter sounded like a stallion, though it was hard to tell with his quaking voice.
‘I am sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if I could get something to eat.’
>’W-we are terribly sorry sir,’ his voice wavered in distance slightly as he spoke. ‘We are under a lot of stress at th-the moment, with the Galaxia Garden Soirée.’
>You were familiar with the ever slight change in his voice.
>He was trying to avoid the eye contact you couldn’t give him.
>Even p0nies still feared you, it seemed.
>You grip your cane tighter in anger, only to nod your head and smile.
‘Of course. I am terribly sorry for disturbing you.’
>You spin on your heels, walking back out into the hall.
>You pick up the slight sigh of relief as the stallion walks away as well.

>You decide to strike going back to your room for a while.
>Feeling sorry for yourself and moping around won’t solve your hunger issues.
>Besides, the sunshine on your skin will help brighten your mood...hopefully.
>You walk down the corridors of the castle, past your room and towards the exit.
>Your cane’s tip glides over the surface of the floor as it changes from ceramic tiles to rough stonework, and your skin feels the cool breeze coming from your right.
>You walk past the guards and they stiffen up, their armour rattling as they did.
>One mutters to the other, but you don’t bother listening in.
>As you feel your cane drop slightly, you stop at the edge of the castle steps before slowly making your way down, counting as you did.
‘35...36...37.’
>As your feet find solid ground, you rev up your olfactory senses and sniff around.
>Apart from the smell of fresh flowers that was laced on the breeze, you pick up the slight smell of fruit.
>Your stomach growls at you, demanding some of that sweet natural fructose that only fruit could provide.
>You sniff around a bit more before determining the proper direction of the fruit and slowly tapping your way there.
>As you walk, you hear small gasps of p0nies looking at you.
>You really should get out more.
>Anxiety starts to build as you progress further down the market street.  The skittering step of every adjacent p0ny tugging away at your self-imposed politeness.
>As the 'inaudible' gasps of the mares about you strain your courtesy, you’re taken from the brink by a magnificent fragrance.
>Wandering over to the smell, you listen for opposing traffic, but find your path uncomfortably clear.  As you reach the vicinity of the market stall, you can make out apples, oranges, mangoes and other various fruits.
>The voice of a female customer before you makes you pause, standing your turn in line.

>'I’ll take two grapevines for five bits.'
>'Seven, these are hard to come by this season.'
>The stall owner’s voice is gruff, that of a working class stallion.  It seems haggling is still a part of the Equestrian grocer.  The mare continues on, annoyed.
>'What, do you think your grapes are from Prance vineyards?  Six bits, final offer.'
>'Seven bits, lady, I’ve got customer’s waitin’ if you want to hike.'
>The mare shuffles her feet, you assume to look at you as the stall owner must have pointed you out.  Caught in the headlights, you’re not really sure how to respond, and do your best to put on a placid face and nod.  As you do, there’s a slamming on the table.
>'Seven bits.'
>You catch the sound of the mare trotting away at a considerable pace.  Disheartened, you waddle up to the stall.
>'Sheesh, she’s in a hurry.  Now what can I do for you, buh...Oh.'
>The stall in the owner’s speech is odd.  You chalk it up to him not realizing your size till you  stood at the stand itself.  Smelling around, albeit softly as to not make a scene, you try to pinpoint your fruit of choice.  Despite your best efforts, you can’t seem to find it, and resort to asking the shopkeep.
‘Do you have any...’you lean in as you try to find your wallet ‘...bananas?’
>’Buh...,ahem, bananas?’
‘Yes, the curvy throwing fruit things. They’re a particular favorite of mine, but I can’t seem to spot any in the shop.’

>You lean forward slightly, twisting your head about in a hopeful manner to spy a pair.  It never hurt to play the part, even if you didn’t have the means.  The stall owner doesn’t take kindly to the intrusion, stepping back a few paces.
>'Yeah, yeah I got em!  Just stay where ya are!'
'Oh!', you exclaim, raising your head slightly out of the stall. 'That’s wonderful!  Now, how much are the....'
>As you finally make contact with your wallet, you realize the foolishness of your plan.  The currency here was completely foreign, and would have no way of accepting your fiat money.  As you fumble about, the store owner plops what you can only assume to be bananas on the counter.
>' ‘Ere.  Two of em fresh.  Just drop yer bits and we’re done.'
'Bits? Well, I-'
>'Yeah fine, one bit.  Just hurry it up, pal!'
>Saving yourself from more personal embarrassment, you make a showing of rifling through  your pockets, looking for bits that would never be there.
'I'm afraid i've left my wallet in my quarters...'
>'JUST TAKE IT!'
'Really? You're sure this is f-'
>'Yes, now GO! GO!'
>The merchant tosses the bananas towards your chest, which you manage to catch before they topple down.
'Well. thank you f-'
>The sound of a shutter slamming in front of you causes you to jump.  The stallions voice can be heard muffled behind it.
>'Closed for inventory check up, now LEAVE!'
>The mixture of emotion leaves you unsettled.  On one hand, you’ve got the food you so desperately craved.  On the other, the ways the p0nies are murmuring around you has put on an awful unease.  You head back to the castle grounds silently, eating as you went.  Something tells you finding a bench to rest at wouldn’t end well.

>You slowly trudge back to your room, your stomach still growling.
>You would have enjoyed a proper meal, but that fruit would have to suffice until morning.
>As you place your hand on the handle to your room, you hear the sound of metal clinking and a slight breeze brushing against your hand.
>Somep0ny was inside your room.
>You push the door open in a dramatic fashion and walk in.
>There was a distinct gasp of somep0ny and you turn your head in their direction.
‘Good evening.’
>’Bonsoir Monsieur.’
>Your shoulders slump as you hear the French accent.
>It wasn’t Feather.
>You stand there, slowly spinning your cane in between your fingers, the sound of hooves shuffling on the tiled floor coming from the p0ny.
>China grating on china originates from your desk like cymbals grazing each other.
>’Dinner is served, monsieur. Princess Celestia ‘as ask moi to cater to you for zee evening in light of… festivities.’
‘Festivities?’
>’Oui , zer is a jarden soiree tonight for zee Canterlot elite.’
‘Oh…well that explains it.’
>’Monsieur, if you would like to take a seat, I ‘ave set up you meal on zee desk.’
>You nod your head.
‘Yes. Of course, Mademoiselle…?’
>’Eh… Fine Plume, sir.’
‘Mademoiselle Plume. Merci.’
>You walk over to your desk, feeling around for your seat.
>’Vee ‘ave eh selection of roasted vegetables and freshly made bread.’
‘Thank you.’
>As you take your seat, you hear here walk away.
‘Uh, mademoiselle? One last thing?’
>She stops, but doesn’t turn around.
>’Oui, Monsieur Anonymoo?’
‘Would you possibly stay next to me while I eat my dinner?’

>’Pardon?’
‘You see, I haven’t been feeling 100% lately, and having company might make me feel better.’
>’Oh….o-of course sir.’
>You hear her turn and walk back to your desk, taking up the other seat.
‘So, how long have you worked for the princess?’
>’Around… sept months…eh, seven.’
>You nod as you find your fork at stab at the food.
‘Where did you grow up?’
>’On zee south side of Maris. My mozzer was… ‘appy I could work for zee princesses.’
‘That’s very nice. Do you miss your family?’
>’Oui, but zey vill alvays visit.’
‘Good. It sucks being alone in this world.’
>You take a bite of bread.
'Do you know a maid called Feather Duster?'
>'Dustere?'
'Yes.  She usually brings my meals to the desk like this for me.  Thank you for that, by the way.  I prefer it here rather than at the table.'
>’Non, monsieur. If she works ‘ere, zhen we ‘ave not met. She might work on a different shift or in a different part of zee castle.’
‘Oh, well that makes sense.’
>You drop your fork and rub your eyes without removing your glasses.
‘Mademoiselle, can I ask you for one last favour?’
>’Eh… oui.’
‘P0nies today have been acting weird. When I tried to speak to them, they would run off.’
>’Oh… vell… I do not know vhy zey vould do zat to y-‘
>Plume stopped mid-sentence and gasped.
>’Monsieur Anonmyous!  Where did you get zat flowere?’
‘Flower?’
>You begin to pat down your shirt, feeling around for the flower she was talking about.
>Feeling the petals, you smile, knowing you found it.
‘Oh!  Pretty little thing.  it must have fell on me while I was in the garden, or perhaps the gardener-‘
>’Non, non, non!  Zat ees poizon joke! Eet is très, très méchant!’
>You feel the flower become warm in your hand and it shoots out of your grasp.
‘Now just a mo-‘

>The sound of hooves crushing the rigid stem of the flower strikes your ears.
‘Well…’
>‘You are lucky to not be affected, Monsieur.  Zee joke deed not play its part on you.’
>You pause, allowing your mind to process everything.
‘I'm afraid it may already have, my dear.’
>’Pardone?’
‘Nothing, nothing. There is one final thing. I kind of had a falling out with a friend of mine, Miss Feather Duster.’
>Plume makes an inquisitive noise.
‘There was a big fuss that I caused, and I feel awful.’
>’I see.’
‘And I spent all of my time today just thinking about how I would apologise to her.’
>’R-really?’
>You notice her accent fading.
‘And I figured out what I would say to her if I ever had the chance.’
>’W-what would you say?’
>You turn to her, a soft smile on your face.
>Removing your glasses, you openly show your milky white irises that convey your emotions.
>You softly grasp her hoof and speak before you get choked up.
‘I… I am so very sorry, Feather Duster.’
>There was no words, only a very high-pitched squeak followed by a pair of legs wrapping around your neck, pulling you close.
>’I’MSOSORRYANONIMISSEDYOUSOMUCH!’
‘Whoa whoa whoa! Feather!’
>She didn’t release her hug, only choosing to rest her head on your shoulder.
‘Yes, I am glad to see you too.’
>’If you could see…’ she mumbles.
‘Look, I know you are happy and all, but I still need to… I need tell you everything.’

>It takes all of your strength to detach Feather from her death grip on you before placing her on the seat next to you.
‘Feather... I am so sorry for what happened yesterday.’
>’NO! I mean... it was my fault for telling you something so...’
>You place a finger on Feather’s lips.
‘Feather. How I acted was all a prank. I was trying to embarrass you, and it got out of hand. You have nothing to apologise for.’
>Feather pushes your arm away.
>’But I do! I was...confused at first. I thought that you hated me because I didn’t return your feelings... and it made me question myself. I even spoke with Princess Cadance about it and...she helped me sort some things out.’
>You put your hand over her mouth to quiet her down.
‘Me first.’
>You take a deep breath, calming your mind as best you could.
‘I am sorry for what happened. I went too far with my joke, and that’s why I had to walk away. Not because of you, though being confessed to… it was unnerving to think I made you say such a thing to me. I spent most of this time worrying that you would never forgive me.’
>Feather forces your hand down.
>’Are you done?’
‘Yeah…maybe.’
>You feel something soft rest against your right cheek.
>’I forgive you Anon. Some might think I shouldn’t…’
>You droop your head, knowing she was correct, only to feel Feather lift your face back up.
>’But you are my friend, Anonymous, and if I can’t forgive you when you are obviously sorry, then I wouldn’t be your friend. Cadance helped me realise that it was a simple crush, but our friendship is…important, to the both of us. And I… Are you crying?’

>You reach a hand up to your face to feel droplets of moisture rolling down your face.
‘I guess I am. Funny how that works.’
>’How do you not know when you are crying?’
‘I don’t know.’
>’You are a weird one, Anon.’
‘Well, that’s a given. So, uh… what now?’
>’I… I don’t really know.’
‘Wanna…have dinner with me? After, I can read my book to you.’
>’Like…a date?’
‘Like an apology dinner for friends.’
>Your stomach growls angrily.
‘Hurry! I can barely contain him!’
>You suddenly feel a kick to the gut as Feather titters.
>’There. He’s subdued.’
‘Pain…’
>You can’t help but laugh and shake your head.
>’I’m going to fix something in the kitchen and I’ll be back, okay?’
‘Okay. I’m gunna start eating.’
>You hear Feather stand and walk out of the room as you trace the surface of the desk with your fingers, pinpointing where the edges of the plate sat as well as utensils.
>You grab your fork and stab at the plate, feeling the soft resistance of a vegetable, before bringing it to your mouth.
‘Mmm…food.’
>You couldn’t help but smile, feeling happy once again.

>You were now Celestia, and you were angry.
>As you stood in the moonlight of the royal gardens, you could only stand in absolute shock at what your party had turned into.
>Tables had been flipped as the plants in the garden began to attack your guests.
>Many were able to flee, but some had been caught in traps.
>Poison joke causing the high class p0nies to act like foals.
>P0ny fly traps that entwined some in their grasps.
>Snapping dragons that had bitten at least three on the flank.
>And now, all that was left was yourself (covered in food scraps with your dress in tatters), the grand mess, and a snickering draconequus leaning against a tree.
‘Discord!’ you growl.
>’Oh, hello Celly. How was your party?’
‘You know full well how my party went, seeing as you went out of your way to wreck it.’
>’It wasn’t ruined. It was just a little fun!’
>Discord floated from the tree to in front of you.
>’But if it makes any difference, I am sorry that your visage was ruined.’
>He bowed down low, keeping his head up and his eyes on yours.
>You glare at him.
‘What did you and Anonymous talk about today?’
>Discord stood up straight with a smile.
>’Oh you know…stuff. Nonsense. Of cabbages and kings.’
‘Nothing important?’
>’Of course not. He is a small squishy thing and I am Discord.’
‘Then you won’t mind me sending him away.’
>Discord flinched only slightly, something most wouldn’t have noticed.
>’Sounds like a plan. Let him run around blind.’

>You can’t help but smirk at his joke.
‘That shall be all then, Discord.’
>You turn to leave.
>’Wait.’
>You smile but drop it as you turn to Discord again.
>He seemed nervous.
>’You aren’t sending him away IMMEDIATELY, are you?’
‘Not at this second, no.’
>’You can always take your time.’
‘I thought he was just a “small squishy thing” to you?’
>’He is.’ Discord gives a huge grin ‘But he’s fun to talk to. He has a sense of madness that I rarely see in p0nies.’
‘And what is in this for me?’
>’What do you mean?’
‘If I hold off on my plans, what would you promise me?’
>’I’ll be good.’
‘Clean up this mess, remove these plants and if Anon chooses to come visit you, keep him out of trouble.’
>Discord gives you a goofy salute before snapping his talon.
>All the mess was tidied up in an instant, including your dress which was now fixed like new.
>Before turning to fly away, you look Discord in the eye.
‘Cordy, if you wanted a job, why be a gardener?’
>’This is not a job, it’s my free time.’
>You spread your wings and fly up to your balcony that overlooked the garden.
>’Oh, and Sunny side?’ Discord said sweetly.
>You turn and look back down into the gardens, immediately gritting your teeth in anger.
>You couldn’t see it while on ground level, but as the wind blew through the posies, the petals changed colours to look like a moving image of…
>Is he dancing?
>And who is a hater?
>’Have a good night, Tia.’
>Discord teleports away before you could scold him.
‘Great, now I have to wake up to that every morning…’