((OOC: IMO, the only reason Studio B brought Discord back was Brony pandering, and so I find it hard to rationalize it in an IC way for Feminist-Celestia. Please be aware that I don’t really think Discord’s return was intended to be anything deeper than ‘fan pandering,’ and I really dislike the terrible way it’s being done!))
In my mind, Discord has not been fully reformed, and his behavior remains deplorable - even if it has improved a great deal.
As I said to Fluttershy, I had hoped that she would be able to help to reform him - so that we would be able to use his magic to help benefit the kingdom. (Freely and willingly, of course!) As a ruler, it often falls to me to make difficult decisions; it happens quite often, even in your human lives, in which you need to make use of someone’s talents, even if they are not a very nice person! So, for this reason, I asked Fluttershy to help and see if we could reform him. As Fluttershy’s strengths lie in being kind to others and working out ways for very disparate beings to get along, I knew that she would have the most chance of being able to change Discord. Although kindness is an oft-overlooked talent, I know that having a kind heart and being able to sympathize with others is a very important strength, just as important as magic or intelligence!
However, considering the unkind way he has continued to treat Fluttershy and her friends, and the way that Fluttershy seems to be using her friendship as a threat to make Discord behave, is not what I had in mind. “Be kind or else I won’t be your friend” is not a threat anyone should make - it is emotional blackmail to use your friendship as a bargaining chip in an argument!
While you can say ‘if you continue to be abusive to me, we cannot remain friends,’ threatening someone with your friendship is not the same thing. One way is explaining that you will not accept abuse in your relationships, and that you will remove yourself if they cannot treat you with the kindness and respect that you deserve; the other way is trying to force someone to act the way you want not based on any logical argument, but simply by threatening them!
As of right now, I am very disappointed in the way Fluttershy and her friends are dealing with Discord, as well as the way Discord continues to behave. She alternates between tolerating his abuse like a doormat, and then trying to blackmail him into behaving better, and he never seems to genuinely treat anyone nicely! It’s a terrible situation, one that I am starting to fear may be becoming untenable.
Ultimately, if my subjects find themselves in an abusive situation they cannot find an escape from, it is my duty to step in and protect them; Discord should be well aware that he cannot cross me a second time and walk away from it unscathed.