Discord hopped out of the swirling blue portal, cradling Fluttershy against his chest. She smiled up at him, leaning up to lightly peck him on the lips, before pulling away to see where they were.
“Lovely, isn't it?” Discord said, brushing his fingers through her mane, being mindful of the pins and roses. “I was just exploring Equestria, and I found this place, untouched by pony hooves.”
She didn't say anything, too busy drinking in her surroundings. Discord had brought them to a tropical island. Right now, they were standing on a beach of pure white sand. To their left was a dense, lush green forest, and to their right, there was shimmering, pure blue water.
“It's beautiful…” she said. After a few more seconds to take it in, she glanced up at him and smirked. “Are you sure you didn't make this island, just for a place to honeymoon?”
He placed a hand to his chest, his expression one of shock. “What? No! When have I ever done a thing like that?” Behind him, crayon drawings floated past, showing all of the buildings and pocket dimensions he had made just for their dates.
She placed a hoof against her mouth and giggled. He glanced behind him and blushed, shooing the pieces of paper away. “Alright, alright, so I've done that a few times.”
He set her gently down on a lawn chair that suddenly appeared, flashing into a chair of his own beside her. “But I promise you, this island is not actually my creation. Oh, I used to hang out here, explore the forests, look at the stars, turn the sand to jelly…but this location is all the work of Mother Nature.”
Glasses of chocolate milk appeared in their grips, complete with tiny paper umbrellas. He clinked his glass against hers. “To us.”
She smiled. “To us.” She took a sip of her drink, while Discord made himself a plastic straw and blew bubbles into his.
“How big is this island?” she asked between sips.
He shrugged, using his straw to blow bubbles of chocolate milk into the air. “I'm not sure of the exact measurements, but you can walk through pretty much all of it in half a day.”
“Trust me, I have big plans for the rest of our honeymoon—there are some dimensions I know you'll just love. But I wanted to start here to just…relax, you know?” He kicked his feet into the air, paper fans appearing at both their sides and blowing cool air on their coats.
“But what I really want to do is show you the stars,” he said. “Goodness, Fluttershy…maybe it's because we're so far away from every creature, and there's absolutely no trace of magic or lights or whatever…but in this dimension at least, I've never seen more stars in the night sky than here.”
Her eyes widened slowly. “That sounds amazing,” she said breathlessly.
“I know! Trust me, tonight is going to be perfect.” He pulled a gold pocket watch from behind his tie, popping it open to look at the time. “But we have about four hours to kill before the sun actually sets. So…what would you like to do first, my love?”
“I'd like to see what's in there,” she said, pointing a hoof towards the forest.
He nodded. “Excellent choice! But first…” He snapped his fingers, and a large glass case with two mannequins appeared—one normal and pony-shaped, the other a smiling plastic replica of himself, complete with color.
“Let's get out of our wedding clothes. I wouldn't mind romping through the thicket in a tux, but Rarity would kill me if I allowed your dress to be damaged.” She nodded in agreement and reached behind her, trying to reach the zipper on her back.
After a few seconds of struggle, she looked up at him with wide, pitiful eyes. He snapped his fingers, and her dress and his suit were teleported from their bodies to the mannequins. With another snap, the veil and roses that were pinned in her mane carefully floated up and over to the pony mannequin’s head.
“Thank you, Discord,” she said, patting her mane down with her hooves. He smiled, snapping his fingers and creating a plaque on the case saying that these were their wedding clothes, and giving the date and time of their ceremony.
After writing a quick Post-it note that read, Pls add memories, k thnkz bye, he slapped the note onto the glass and snapped his fingers. The case slowly faded away, disappearing into his memory museum.
He turned back to Fluttershy. “I think we're ready to go, Flutters…” A glint on her chest caught his eye, making him pause and look down. Her ring was still on her neck. He ran his thumb over his claws, and realized he was still wearing his own ring.
He snapped his fingers again, making a jewelry box of mahogany wood, with an etching of the two of them clasping each other's hands and hooves on the lid. He opened it up, showing the soft, pink velvet on the inside.
“Do we want to put our rings away for safekeeping?” he asked. “Knowing me, I'll end up losing mine doing something foolish and-or crazy.”
She giggled, then held up her ring with a hoof, lips pursing in thought. “I think I'd like to wear it a little longer,” she finally said. “And you shouldn't doubt yourself, Discord. I know you'll keep your ring safe.” She smiled, and continued with a blush, “Y-you're good at keeping the things you care about safe.”
He coughed, face flushing a bright red. He snapped the box shut, dropping it through a portal to his dimension. “Well, if you're sure…” He ran his thumb across his ring again, a soft smile forming as he did so. She held her ring to her chest, smiling back.
With another cough, he turned on his heel to face the forest. “Well! If we're all ready, why don't we get this show on the road?”
She smiled and jumped off of her chair, walking next to his side. He snapped his fingers, and suddenly he was wearing a royal blue suit and hat, holding a sign that said “Tour Guide" in his claw, and a megaphone in his paw.
“Alright, folks,” he said into the static-y megaphone, stepping into the forest, Fluttershy at his side. “If you look to your right, you will see…a lot of trees.” He grinned, and she giggled.
As they continued through the forest, he got rid of the tour guide outfit, and just began showing her the natural wonders of the island—from a small, sparkling waterfall, to two trees that if you looked at just the right angle, you'd see a space between them that almost looked like a heart.
He kept stealing glances at her as they went, sighing a little in relief when her eyes would light up at whatever he was showing her. He wrung his tail between his hands as she sniffed at some pink-and-red flowers on a bush.
She's your wife now, he thought. She has to be safe and happy. Always. And I have to make sure of that.
She glanced up at him. “Discord? Is everything alright?” she asked, with a cute little tilt of her head…and worry filling her eyes.
Oh no, she stopped smiling. How do I fix this? A lightbulb almost flashed above his head, but he quickly hid it behind him with his magic. “Of course everything's alright!” he said. “Why wouldn't it be?”
“Well…you're wringing your tail. You only do that when you're upset about something.” A frown formed on her face, her eyes still shining with worry. “Is something bothering you?”
He looked down at his hands and saw that his tail was still clasped between them. “Oh, no!” he quickly said. “I was, just um…polishing my scales!” He snapped up a white cloth and tin of polish, and began rubbing at his scales, bringing them to a shine.
He grinned at her, and she rose an eyebrow. “If you say so…” she said quietly, before walking with him towards a flowering tree.
As she flew up to get a closer look at the blooms, he teleported just a little ways away and around a corner, and hit himself on the head. “Stupid, stupid, stupid!” he quietly growled at himself. “Of course she picked up on how I was feeling! She's always good at that!”
After hitting himself a few more times, he shook his head and glanced over at her. She was softly smiling as she sniffed at the blooms, her eyes closing as she took in the scent. He nearly melted again, but snapped himself out of it.
“Okay…to make her happy, I'll have to make sure I look happy,” he said to himself, pulling the corners of his lips into a smile. He flashed back into the clearing she was in, floating up and wrapping an arm around her, kissing her cheek. She smiled and leaned against his shoulder.
The rest of their afternoon passed by quickly. After exploring the forest, they had gone for a swim in the ocean, where he pointed out coral reefs and large schools of fish swimming by. After that, they went back to their lawn chairs on the sand, where he pulled a picnic basket out of the ground, filled to the brim with cucumber sandwiches.
He always kept at least one of his eyes focused on her face at all times. At the slightest hint that she was going to stop smiling (for some reason, it was whenever she glanced at him), he would quickly point out something else new and interesting, something he was sure she would love.
After their late picnic supper, he snapped his fingers. The lawn chairs dissolved into a mist underneath them and traveled to two trees just on the edge of the forest. He quickly caught her in his tail and brought her up into his arms.
The mist swirled around the tree trunks, before finally solidifying in the form of a hammock. He floated over and flopped into it, Fluttershy laying on his chest.
He glanced up and smiled. “A clear view of the sky. Perfect for stargazing,” he said, running his fingers through her mane. “But I suppose we can enjoy the sunset while we wait.”
She made a noise in agreement, curling closer to his chin, and letting her head relax on his chest. After a few minutes, she said quietly, “Discord?”
He flinched, his fingers freezing against her scalp. “Yes, my dear?”
She lifted her head, placing her hooves against his chest and looking him in the eye. “Are you alright?” she asked. “You seemed fine when we came here—excited, even—but you've just been…off.”
“You were wringing your tail earlier, and…and I know that when I looked at you half the time today, your smile was just a pinned, fake one.” His eyes widened, and he sputtered, making her shake her head. “It was too symmetrical and ‘perfect' to be your real smile.”
“So, Discord…are you okay?”
He coughed, wiping some sweat off of his forehead. “Well, I have a question for you: are you happy?”
She blinked, tilting her head. “Well…yes, I suppose so. This island is so beautiful and wonderful. The only reason I'm not completely happy is because I’m worried about you.”
“Then don't worry about me,” he said, cupping her cheek in his paw. “Just…be happy. Your happiness is all I care about, and I will give anything to ensure it.” He tapped his forehead against hers. “That's my promise to you as a husband.”
He lifted his claw, where his ring glinted in the dying sunlight. “You said I'm good at keeping the things I care about safe. Well, for once, I'm going to do everything in my power to keep the first creature I've ever cared about happy, too.”
Tears formed in the corner of her eyes. “Oh, Discord…” She quickly shook them away, pulling back and tightly grasping his claw. Her eyes were burning with determination, an inner fire that intrigued him, reminding him again why he loved her.
“Don't you dare go putting me on a pedestal,” she said. “Don't put my happiness over yours. Don't beat yourself up because you ‘have' to do things as a husband.”
Her ears drooped. “Don't promise to always make me happy, because sometimes…there will be times so sad, I just can't find joy. Instead, promise me…” She gulped, pressing his claw against her cheek.
“Promise me that you'll stay with me, through happy times and sad ones. That we'll be happy together and sad together. That you'll bring me happiness, but that you won't give up on your own just for my sake.”
“Please?”
He let out a long, shuddering breath. “My dear, sweet, wonderful Fluttershy,” he said, his voice quieter than normal. “I'll promise all of that…if you will do the same for me.”
She smiled, eyes wide and shiny. “Of course, my dear sweet Discord.” He squeaked—she never used his phrase on him!—his face turning a lovely shade of deep red.
She leaned forward, pressing her lips against his. He moaned, wrapping his arms around her as his eyes drifted shut. She shifted forward and laid on his chest, wrapping her forehoof around his neck, deepening the kiss.
He sighed, tracing the edge of her wing with his claw and feeling her shiver against him. He cracked open his eyes to look at her, a smile tugging at his lips when he saw she was doing the same. He pulled away a little, leaving less than an inch of space between their lips, letting her catch her breath.
He placed his forehead against hers, letting his claw rest on top of her head. They laid there, panting, looking into each other's eyes. He sighed as a feeling of pure bliss coursed through his body.
A scroll suddenly appeared above them in a burst of green fire. Fluttershy yelped and jumped, almost falling out of the hammock. Fortunately, Discord wrapped his tail around her waist and pulled her back against his chest.
He snatched the scroll out of the air, glaring down at it as he broke the seal with a claw. He blinked a few times, and his eyes glowed brightly enough that both of them could read the letter in the dimming light.
Dear Discord and Fluttershy,
I’ve been trying to contact you since you left! If you receive this message, please come back to Canterlot. Pinkie planned a wonderful reception for you two, and she's very upset that you won't get to be part of it.
Please return quickly,
Twilight
Fluttershy groaned, placing her face in her hooves. “Oh, I completely forgot about the reception! I'm such a fool…”
Discord kissed her cheek. “Well, I did whisk you away and distract you all afternoon. It's not your fault in the slightest, my sweet Fluttershy.”
He sighed and flopped down in the hammock, pouting. “I don't want to hurt Pinkie's feelings…but I really wanted to show you the stars here.” He glared at the horizon, where the last bit of the sun was slowly sinking. “I just wanted tonight to be perfect.”
She placed the top of her head against his chin, wrapping her forehooves around his chest. “The reception will be fun, though,” she said. “There'll be cake, and dancing…”
“But I won't have shown you something wonderful,” he sighed.
She sat up and grabbed his muzzle with her hooves. “Discord, you've already shown me so many amazing things today. I would have loved to see the stars, too, but…there will be other nights.” She wrapped her forehooves around his neck again, nuzzling his cheek. “I'm not going anywhere anytime soon.”
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to his chest, nuzzling her in return. “Can we come back here? After the reception?” he asked.
“We'll see,” she said. “Pinkie's parties can be very exhausting. I might be too tired afterward.” He frowned slightly, but froze when she lightly kissed his nose. “But if not tonight, then tomorrow night. If that's okay.”
He smiled and sat up, kissing her cheek. “Whatever makes you happy, my dear sweet Fluttershy,” he said, cradling her in his arms as he swung himself out of the hammock.
She sighed, narrowing her eyes as she leaned her head against his chest. “Discord…”
His ears flattened, and he said, “But not at the expense of my own happiness, of course! And a Pinkie party does sound fun.” She smiled and nuzzled into his chest fur.
With a snap, they were both wearing their wedding outfits once again. He brought his gleaming claws into the air, ripping at the space in front of them and opening a blue, rectangular portal. Through it, they saw a decorated hall filled with friends and family. Twilight’s head snapped in their direction, and her withers sank in relief as she saw them.
Discord stepped through, casting one last glance over his shoulder at the sky, where a few tiny white dots were starting to appear. He turned away and looked down, where his beautiful Fluttershy was beaming up at him.
He smiled and got rid of the portal with a wave of his claw, placing a gentle kiss on Fluttershy's forehead before looking up and grinning sheepishly at their friends.
“We're back…?” he said with a soft chuckle. Pinkie rushed forward, tackling the two of them in a hug and talking a mile a minute, ushering them to their place as the guests of honor.
Through the rest of the night, they were pulled into dances and wedding traditions, from feeding each other wedding cake to answering questions about their relationship. It was no stars, and no interdimensional adventure, but they were glued to each other's side the whole time.
“And that's all I need for it to be perfect,” a sleepy Fluttershy mumbled into his neck, lying in a bed in Chaosville in the early hours of the morning.
He kissed her forehead. “I feel the same,” he mumbled, before falling asleep right alongside her.