“Fluttershy, ready for our most predictably unpredictable party? I’ve brought you —”

The smoke of my arrival clears and I see just a bunch of scared, dumb animals — I mean, lovable critters making way for my daffodil brass band; my yellow friend is nowhere to be seen. How unkind of her, she knew I was coming!

I sigh and, sending the flowers back to their beds, cross the bridge towards Fluttershy’s cabin. Staying angry with her is harder than tearing my ears off. Before knocking, I look around; the animals are skittish, keeping distance, and I hope Fluttershy won’t blame me for…

“Ouch!”

I stop playing with my ear and put it back before looking down; there he is, the devilish white furball ironically named Angel, his foot still up after a kick.

“If you want to pick a fight with me…”

His ears twitch, and I take a step back; that varmint is planning something. He starts to gesticulate towards the door. I keep my eyes on him as I set foot on the sill, which almost costs me my head when the upper half of the door burst open, passing but a whisker away.

“I told you to be quiet!” Her green irises almost cover her eyes when she sees me, ice-blue hair whipping around her cream-colored face. “You! Go away, Fluttershy can’t see you right now.”

My eyes lock on her white headband, and the cross in it. Oh, poo, that is Nurse Snowheart. And if she is here… “Look, I’m sorry I turned you into a living snowpony when I took over Ponyville. That won’t happen again, scout’s honor. Now, nurse, I need to see Fluttershy.” Flashing her my best smile, I add, “Please?”

I must have frozen her too well if not even my smile can thawn her. “No, you can’t. Fluttershy has just a cold, she will be fine after she gets some rest. If you could…”

Our eyes meet, and her hoof inches towards her temple. “She will want to see you when she wakes up, won’t she?” Yes, nopony can resist my lovable yellow eyes.

I’m opening my mouth to answer when I feel something clinging to my leg. Oh, crud. “Can the little furball come too? Inexplicably Fluttershy loves him.”

She nods, and opens the door. “But you have to promise to keep quiet. I’m leaving as soon as I give Fluttershy her cold medicine. She said she had some in her bathroom —”

The little bunny-shaped devil leaps towards the bathroom, turning mid-jump to blow a raspberry.

“Oh, no, you don’t,” I say, running after him.

His headstart allows Angel to reach the cabinet and bottle first, the little cheater. I tackle him; he holds fast to the medicine bottle.

“I’ll take that,” I say as I lift the bottle with the hanging furball in front of my face. Not one to miss a chance at mischief, he kicks my nose. “Ouch! You little —”

His kick makes the little furball lose his grip, the sudden jerk sending the bottle spinning through the air, passing just over the medicine cabinet, closer and closer to the ground...

“What are you thinking?” asks Snowheart, catching the bottle in a desperate dive.

“I just…”

Fluttershy’s voice comes from somewhere outside the bathroom. “Discord?”

Forgetting our previous quarrel and the nearby nurse I leave the bathroom, Angel trying to overtake me, and race up the stairs. Fluttershy is in her bed, and her face melts into a smile as she sees us. I take her hoof in my claws. “Yes, Fluttershy, I’m here.”

“And he is leaving, together with your rabbit. They don’t seem to understand what ‘quiet’ means,” says Snowheart, entering the bedroom.

Fluttershy’s eyes go round, sparkling, as if a thousand puppies were lending her their cuteness. “But you will behave, won’t you, Angel? Discord?”

And here I was thinking her stare was hard to resist. It’s like a candle to her puppy eyes’ sun...

Wait, puppy eyes? Is she intentionally using puppy eyes?. “You’ve been taking assertiveness lessons with Rarity again, weren’t you?”

“Huh, yes,” she says, breaking eye contact. “But I really wanted you to get together...”

That is Fluttershy, so easy to take advantage of. I could say anything, wait for the nurse to leave, and do as I please...

Then I look at Angel, and he nods to me; well, easy, but not for today. Shoulders dropping, but smiling, I say, “Yes, Fluttershy, we will behave.”