//------------------------------//
// Discord Detangler 
// Story: Domestic Drabbles of Discord's Dimension 
// by GeekCat 
//------------------------------//

Fluttershy sighed, closing her eyes as she sank deep into the hot water in the bathtub. She could just lie here for hours...especially since the water didn't seem to grow cold at all. Probably a small spell from Discord, she thought with a smile. He could be so thoughtful.

A relaxing bath that never grew cold was just what she needed after today, anyway. Spring had arrived, and that meant several things needed to be done at the sanctuary—including helping birds build their nests, and hibernating creatures clean out their burrows and dens. Her day had been long, and left her with mud caked on her coat and twigs and feathers stuck in her mane, but it had been worth it. It always was.

She lazily rubbed a blue bar of soap over her forelegs, enjoying the scent of jasmine. Her coat had been easy enough to clean off, but her mane...that was a different story. Oh, the mud had come out of it easily, too, after a thorough soaking and shampooing, but there were still plenty of twigs and feathers left from the birds who preferred to wait there instead of in the branches as she worked.

She set the soap bar aside, dipping down into the water and rinsing the suds out of her coat. She emerged and twisted around, pulling most of her mane in front of her and brushing it with her hooves. She worked carefully to pluck out all of the twigs, feathers, and even leaves stuck there, setting all of them aside on the bathroom floor.

Fortunately, it didn't take too long, though there were some slight delays whenever something was well-wrapped and tangled in her mane. A bit of gentle tugging was usually enough to free them, though, and a little shampoo or conditioner helped them slip out if not.

She finally managed to remove all of the debris in her mane, and she sank into the hot water to relax for a moment. Still, she knew her task wasn't done. She should probably comb out all the tangles she had run into. It had been a while since she had given her mane a very thorough combing, but hopefully she wouldn't run into any more tangles than she had already found.

She sat up in the tub, then moved over to the other side, where she could easily reach the cupboards under the sink. After a bit of searching, she found a plastic, neon orange-and-green comb, with writing on the handle promising it was one hundred percent recycled material. Comb in hoof, she moved back to the other side of the tub, made herself comfortable, and started to comb her mane.

Before she had even been combing for five minutes, the comb snagged in her mane, making her wince slightly. That felt like a big tangle. With a frown, she tugged and tugged on her comb, wincing from the slight pulls on her scalp, until the comb's teeth finally passed through the tangle.

She sighed in relief and continued to brush the comb down through her mane. Hopefully, there wouldn't be any more tangles that big.

...just as she thought that, her comb was caught in yet another large tangle.

This time, she sighed in frustration as she started to tug at the comb. This tangle was being much more stubborn, and the pulling on her scalp was starting to become much more unpleasant. After a few failed attempts, she scowled and decided to just pull the comb out of her mane and start over.

...but when she tried, her mane was tugged along with it. She twisted and looked over her shoulder, and saw that her comb was plainly stuck right in the middle of her mane. She let it go and watched as it dangled over the floor, still staying stubbornly in place.

Well, that was a bit vexing. She tugged at the comb a few more times, but to no avail. It was stuck firmly in place. She continued tugging a little more without expecting much. All she received for her small efforts were more tugs on her scalp, and the comb probably getting even more caught up in her mane.

She tried to reach the knot, to see if she could untangle it by hoof or wing. But whenever she got a hold of it, it was always in the perfect position to be just out of her sight. There didn't seem to be any way to fix this alone...she was going to have to ask for help. Even if the thought embarrassed her and caused her to blush.

With a deep breath, she pushed her embarrassment away and found her voice. "Um...Discord?" she called. "I...need a little bit of help."

With a flash of light, Discord appeared beside the tub, bowing low at the waist dramatically. "What troubles you, milady? How may your ever so handsome and charming husband assist you?"

A smile flickered on her muzzle, and she shifted her head to show him her mane and the comb stuck inside it. "Do...do you think you could help me get this out?"

His eyebrows rose, and he carefully lifted the comb and the tangle it was stuck in. "I certainly can," he said. "Maybe I can fix this tangle, too."

"Oh, that'd be nice," she said, smiling. He smiled back, rubbing some conditioner on his hands that smelled like coconut before moving behind her and starting to experimentally, gently tug at her mane.

She could barely even feel anything, he was so careful. Discord hummed a small tune to himself as he worked, with a melody only he probably knew. After a minute or so, she heard him say "Aha!", then saw a familiar plastic comb enter her peripheral vision.

"Oh, thank you!" she said, turning around to smile gratefully at him. He grinned smugly, brushing his conditioner-covered fingers through that part of her mane a few times and showing how well it had been smoothed out.

"Still, though... there are a few more tangles to puzzle out in here," he said, stroking his fingers through her mane. It wasn't long before they stopped just at the edge of another tangle, this one thankfully a little smaller. "I didn't think you were letting the birds build their nests in your mane, Flutters!"

She blushed, tucking a strand behind her ear. "I don't mean to...but oh, they like to rest there while I'm helping someone else," she says. "They may have accidentally tangled it up a bit..." She tapped her hooves together and looked at him a little shyly. "Could you...please help untangle the rest?"

He blinked a few times, his expression neutral...until a wide grin spread across his face. "Helping you, and having a wonderful excuse to play with your mane!?" he said, a few sparkles shining in his pupils. "Fluttershy, you don't even have to ask! Of course I'll help!"

Her smile became a little less shy, and she straightened up as he moved behind her. She felt him tug at it lightly in a few places. "Now, let's see what the damage is," he mumbled. She heard him shift back and forth for a minute or so, humming to himself and giving her mane experimental (but never painful) tugs.

Eventually, he stopped right behind her, right in her blind spot. "Hmm....hmm," he said, holding up her mane in what seemed to be a thoughtful way. "Hmm?"

"Is it that bad?" she said, hunching her shoulders. She knew there were a few tangles, but it couldn't have been that bad, could it?

He clicked his tongue, stretching his neck forward and around to look her in the eyes. "Well, I wouldn't say your mane is its great, wonderful, smooth glossy self," he said. "But I've definitely seen worse tangles. Rarity might be horrified, but me?" He rubbed his hands together. "I see a puzzle I'm more than happy to solve."

"So...you really wouldn't mind helping?" she said, her expression brightening.

"Not in the slightest!" he said. "But forget just helping...I think this is the perfect opportunity for you to just sit back, relax, and let your incredibly skilled husband take care of everything."

He batted his eyelashes at her. She mulled it over for a few moments—it seemed unfair to ask him to fix all of it by himself. But he had offered, and...she yawned quietly, her tired body drooping and laying down below the water without her thinking much about it.

"Is that a 'yes'?" Discord asked, tilting his head. She slowly nodded as her yawn died out.

"Excellent!" he said, stretching his arms and cracking his knuckles. "First things first, though...I'll help set a relaxing atmosphere for you."

He snapped his fingers, and two candles appeared in his hands, one light green and one light purple. He set them near the sink and lit them both with a quick puff of blue fire breath. Once the candles were burning merrily, he snapped his fingers again, creating a few golden urns that poured their contents into the tub, along with a flurry of red rose petals that settled and floated on top.

Fluttershy smiled, shifting backward until she could lean comfortably back against the side of the tub, her mane hanging over the edge. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The candles, though they had just started burning, already filled the air with the aroma of mint and lavender. Whatever he had poured into the water was slowly mixing in and sinking to her level, and she felt a soothing sensation wherever it touched her skin.

"Feeling comfortable?" he asked, rubbing her shoulders. "Nice and relaxed?"

"Oh yes, very," she said, giving a slight nod. "What did you put into the water?"

"Just a few oils and conditioners I've learned about over the years," he said, a smile clear in his voice. "Things to help relax you, and that will make your coat and skin clean and smooth! Rarity would most certainly approve...dare I say she'd even be a little envious?"

She shifted in the tub, feeling the oils do their soothing work as Discord smeared something between his hands. "Trust me, Fluttershy," he said, kissing the nape of her neck and making her shiver. "These nasty little tangles and knots won't know what hit them!"

And so, he got to work. His fingers brushed against her scalp, then stroked through her mane until they ran into some kind of snag. He would carefully pull apart each tangle, with only the lightest tugs on her scalp, then kept moving on until he ran into the next tangle. Every so often, she felt him rub shampoo into certain spots, then wash away the suds with warm water. She kept her eyes closed the whole time...he was so skilled, and it all felt very relaxing.

"I hope you don't mind that your mane's going to smell like lots of different shampoos, now," he said. "They're all flower- and spring-related, of course...so your mane's going to smell even more like a garden in springtime than usual."

She giggled. "I don't mind," she said, feeling him rub more shampoo onto a particularly nasty tangle. She caught a whiff of hibiscus. "Besides, I think it all smells nice."

"I knew you would," he said warmly, carefully rinsing away the shampoo suds. She smiled and kept relaxing as he worked, the scented candles and bath oils almost enough to make her drowsy.

Before she knew it, Discord was stroking his fingers through her mane without running into any resistance. "They've been defeated, milady," he said proudly. "Every last one of them." She heard him snap his fingers, and heard mane dryers appear and start blowing warm air over her mane and back.

With those, and a towel Discord summoned, her mane quickly went from soaking wet to almost completely dry. She sat up in the tub and started to get out, the mane dryers floating in the air and following her, while Discord held her mane above the ground in the towel.

He snapped his tail feathers, and a large, fluffy towel appeared in front of her forehooves. "Oh, thank you," she said, picking it up and using it to dry herself. Even after she dried her coat, it still seemed smoothed down, and quite soft—perhaps those bath oils at work.

Soon, she was totally dry, and Discord sent the towels and mane dryers away with a snap of his fingers. "Well, what do you think?" he asked, releasing her mane and letting it drop onto a rug that had suddenly appeared. "The tangles are gone, but does it still meet your approval?" He grinned, tapping his fingers together.

She turned her head, trying to see as much of her mane as she could. It looked clean, glossy, and tangle-free. It also felt very light on her back, though that could have been thanks to the debris being removed. She caught a whiff of a few different shampoos—tulips, roses, and coconut flowers were the first few she noticed—and smiled. She tossed her mane back and forth a little, enjoying the feeling of it. It felt wonderfully clean and bouncy. "It's wonderful," she said. "Thank you for all your help, Discord."

He grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. "It was no trouble, really," he said. "I mean, you know I just love messing with your mane." He chuckled and leaned forward, taking a small strand and curling it around his claw a few times before releasing it. It fell back, still holding a little of the curl he had given it, but quickly straightening out.

She glanced at the blue flower that she normally used to tie her mane up in a loop, resting in a vase next to the sink. She sometimes wore it even in bed, to avoid getting tangled up in her own mane as she slept, but...she brushed a strand of her mane with her hoof, then held it out to Discord.

"I think I'll let it hang loose tonight," she said with a smile. His ears perked up. "Do you think you could give me a hand? I'd hate for it to get dirty as it drags on the floor, after you—"

Before she could even finish her sentence, he scooped the length of her mane into his arms, briefly lifting a small strand to press it against his cheek. "Your wish is my command," he purred, letting it fall in with the rest. "And if your wish is to let your mane down, leaving it oh-so-easy to brush and touch and play with, why, what husband would I be if I didn't help a little?"

She smiled and started walking out of the bathroom, heading for their bed. Already, she could sense Discord stroking her mane, sighing as he enjoyed its softness and let it tangle around his fingers. Her heart fluttered. Being able to make him happy with just a small gesture like this...it was moving.

She climbed into bed and under the sheets, letting her mane drape out beside her. Discord teleported under the sheets once she was in bed, and began to stroke his fingers through the length of her tresses. He reached up and scratched behind her ear with his claws, making her sigh and relax. It felt wonderful.

After a few moments, she leaned forward and lightly kissed him. He eagerly returned the gesture, and she could feel him smiling against her lips. "Good night, Cordy," she said, making herself comfortable.

"G'night, Flutterbuddy," he said softly. She opened one eye for a second to see what he was doing. He was laying comfortably, almost looking ready for bed...but was busy braiding and unbraiding her mane, letting the strands of her mane all slip from his grip before picking a new location to mess with. She smiled, closing her eyes and relaxing before she ended up giggling.

Hopefully, she wouldn't have even more tangles in her mane when she woke up. Then again...Discord would probably be more than eager to help untangle them again. And she wouldn't mind relaxing and letting him.