“There you go Angel Bunny, nice and snug in your bed.” Said Fluttershy as she tucked the little white rabbit into his cushioned bed. The crackling fireplace behind her bathed the room in, dancing orange light, heating the small cottage to a nice and cozy temperature. Outside through the living room window, Fluttershy watched as a thick sheet of snow fell heavily on the fields and meadows of Ponyville.
Snow was already a foot thick, and she new that it was going to be a long cold night so thought it best to bring in as many animals as she could. Swallows and blue-jays huddled together in the rafters of the living room while squirrels, chipmunks and ferrets snuggled together in wall mounted burrows Harry the Bear haven made himself comfortable on her living room sofa.
“Nighty night.” She said, giving her little rabbit a kiss on the forehead. Angel nuzzled her back and let a yawn escape him as he turned over and snuggled in for the night. Fluttershy smiled and quietly snuck out of the living room where her animal friends had all settled down for the night and headed for the kitchen.
She had wrapped up for the cold and She wore a big fluffy red and white holiday sweater she saved just for cold snow nights just like this. Popping open the ice box she reached for some cookies she had baked earlier, and some milk to go along with them.
With cookies and a glass of milk in hoof she took a seat at the small kitchen table in the corner of the kitchen and relaxed letting herself sink into the soft warmth of her sweater and the flavor of her sweets, dunking them in the milk before taking a bite. She was already on her third cookie when she heard a knock on the front door. “Who could that be this late?”
Heading into the living room she was relieved to find that all of the animals were still tucked into bed despite the the disturbing knock. Undoing the lock she opened the door and gasped in shock Fluttershy's hoof covered her mouth, there in her doorway was a lanky popsicle with resembled a certain draconequss. Snow and frost flaked off as he shivered violently. She spoke with a mixture of surprise and confusion. “Oh goodness! Discord?”
“S-s-s-s-sorry to b-b-barge in on you s-so late my dear, b-b-but might I come in?”
“Oh Discord, your chilled to the bone! Come inside, come inside.” She said worriedly, ushering the shivering draconequus into her home. Discord almost looked blue in color, with the upper parts of his body covered in snow, and icicles dripping down from his goatee and horns.
“Come here by the fire. I’ll go make you some hot chocolate.” She said as she helped him over towards the fireplace to warm up.
“T-t-t-thank you s-s-so much F-f-fluttershy. I’d really ap-p-preciate that.” Said Discord through clattering teeth, smiling.
Flapping her wings, Fluttershy flew off to the kitchen to make some hot chocolate, leaving Discord to warm up by the fire. She returned to find him shaking the snow out of his mane and snapping off the icicles from his goatee, tossing them into the fire.
“Here we are.” She said happily, returning to her frigid friend with two mugs of piping hot coco in hoof. “Sorry, I'm out of the tiny marshmallows, I know how much you like them.”
“Worry not dear Fluttershy.” Said Discord as he snapped his fingers and summoned a dozen miniature marshmallows out of thin air that fell into the frothing chocolaty beverages.
“Ah,” he sighed, taking a deep, enthusiastic whiff of the sugary, hot drink. “Perfection. You always make the best hot chocolate.”
Fluttershy felt a bit of blush on her cheeks as she giggled, “Oh it’s nothing really.” She said as she sat next to him on the rug in front of the fire, taking a sip of her coco. “What were you doing out there in the snow so late at night anyway?”
Discord seemed to have trouble finding the words. “Oh… well, you know… late night stroll through the moonlight when wouldn’t you know it, massive wall of snow rolls in and nearly turns me into a popsicle. I think I’m going to have a little chat with those ponies up in Cloudsdale for their ill-timed weather scheduling.” Fluttershy could tell that that wasn’t the whole truth, but she decided not to press it, letting a knowing smile trace across her lips.
“Oh now, no need for that,” She said as she leaned against him, sipping her hot chocolate. “These things happen.”
Discord felt his back go stiff as he felt her body lean against his side. Looking down he saw her beautiful cyan eyes looking back up at him, smiling. He felt his teeth wanting to start jittering again.
“I’m actually glad you stopped by.” Said Fluttershy as the fire crackled and danced in the fireplace in front of them. “I was wanting to ask you if maybe you’d like to come with me and the girls to go walk the Trail of Lights next weekend?”
Discord looked down at her with a cocked eyebrow. “The Trail of Lights? What’s that?”
“You don’t know about the Trail of Lights? Oh goodness, well… it’s just beautiful. Everywhere the town sets up all these Hearth’s Warming lights along the trail through the park and ponies will come and walk through them and enjoy the lights at night. It’s a really big thing in Ponyville. Families and couples… the lights are just so pretty… and well… I was going to ask you tomorrow, but since you're already here… what do you say?”
Discord felt surprised and delighted at the proposition. He’d never gone out with Fluttershy to a night on the town before, so this was very exciting for him. While levitating his hot chocolate to a nearby coffee table he bravely reached out and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a warn and tender hug.
“That sounds absolutely splendid!” He said happily as he smiled and giggled in the back of his throat.
Discord felt his heart beating heavily in his chest as he and Fluttershy settled back down onto the carpet. He had to swallow, feeling his mouth grow dry.
“Well… if that’s alright with you… I’d be delighted.” He said finally. Glancing around the living room he bit and chewed on his lower lip seeing no obvious place to rest. “Um, about somewhere to stay for tonight where can I-”
However he was caught off guard as the little butter-cream Pegasus laid out across the carpet beside him, snuggling up into his lap.
“Well… I think here would work fine if that’s okay with you?”
He didn’t answer. Not with his words at least, as Fluttershy felt his body shift as he wrapped his long serpentine body around her in a protective coil, forming a living nest for his favorite little pony.
“I think that sounds just perfect.” He said with a warm smile, which she returned, the two of them snuggle together in front of the fire, the warmth eventually overtaking them as they drifted off to sleep.