//------------------------------// // Bashful Birthday // Story: Domestic Drabbles of Discord's Dimension // by GeekCat //------------------------------// A tiny alarm clock went off in Discord's skull. He snorted, jolted out of the wonderfully chaotic dream he had been enjoying. With a flick of his ear, the alarm clock was sent flying to the other side of his head, where it smashed and left his brain blissfully silent. He smacked his lips, curling his arms loosely around Fluttershy. Perhaps he could still reclaim that dream if he could get back to sleep... A different alarm in his skull started going off. With a small groan, he squinted his already-closed eyes and focused on turning it off, along with the eight others he had lined up in advance. By the time he was finished, sleep was far out of his reach. He yawned, showing off all his fangs and stretching out his lithe body like a cat. After that, he blinked the sleep out of his eyes and glanced over at Fluttershy. She was peacefully asleep. That was good, he would have hated for his alarms to wake her on her— His thoughts came to a halt, his body and breathing freezing. He remembered why he had set so many alarms. It was Fluttershy's birthday. Immediately, all of his plans for today came rushing back to him. Fortunately, he had already set everything in motion, told everyone where and when to meet, and given Twilight a one-use portal key for easy transportation from Canterlot. Still, he raised his fingers and snapped as quietly as he could, using his magic to send reminders in the form of flyers. Fluttershy's ears twitched, a huff of air escaping through her nose. He went completely still, even his breath freezing for a moment. But she remained peacefully asleep, and his shoulders relaxed. He reached over and gently tugged her blanket upwards, all the way up to her chin. It had slid down below her shoulders sometime in the night. He held his breath, even as his claw slowly retreated. Fluttershy snuggled a bit more into her pillow, but thankfully didn't stir awake. She seemed rather comfortable and content. That would be her first gift of the day—being able to sleep in. She was typically an early riser, but on her birthday, she deserved a bit of rest. With a flick of his tail, the curtains closed completely, and any light that still made it into their room dimmed to almost nothing. Another flick, and her pillow slowly fluffed up underneath her head. Finally, he levitated a vase of fragrant lavender over to her nightstand. He had done all he could to make her sleep a little dapper, save for using magic directly on her, an idea he immediately balked at and discarded. With a quiet yawn, he twisted and turned on his side of the bed, working out the kinks in his body before laying his head back on his pillow, watching his sleeping wife with a soft smile on his face. After some time, though, nothing but exhaustion could persuade early-bird Fluttershy to stay sleeping. It happened slowly—first her muzzle twitched, then her ears and wings, and then her eyelids, which slowly cracked open. She blinked a few times, her vision clearing and focusing on him. She gave him a soft smile that made his heart want to sing. "G-good morning," she said with an adorable yawn. "Good morning," he said with a chuckle. "Do you know what day it is? It's very important..." She blinked, frowning in thought for a few moments before a smile twitched onto her muzzle. "...my birthday?" "Corrrrrect!" he said, clapping as confetti showered down on her. She giggled, blushing a little. "Happy birthday, Fluttershy." He leaned forward to peck her nose, then her cheek, before finally pressing his lips against hers in a kiss. He could feel her smile and return the light pressure of the kiss. They soon had to separate for air, but he reached up to scratch behind her ear, tangling his fingers in her mane. She sighed, leaning up and into his touch as her eyes slid closed. He smiled and stroked his paw down her back—but paused when her stomach suddenly growled. Fluttershy opened her eyes, blushing as she placed a hoof against her stomach. "I guess I'm hungrier than I thought," she said. "Do you want to start making breakfast together?" She moved to get out of bed, but he grabbed her shoulder and clicked his tongue. "Shyfly...it is your birthday, and you deserve to be spoiled!" he said. "Which I why I shall create breakfast in bed today!" He prepared to use his magic, but paused for her approval. After a moment of consideration, she gave a small nod. He grinned and snapped his fingers, creating a tray in his hands. There was a plate with a small stack of blueberry waffles in the middle, topped with whipped cream and strawberries. In one corner there was a cold glass of strawberry milk, a fresh strawberry embedded on the rim, and in the other, a tiny balloon reading Happy Birthday! bobbed in place. "For you, my lady," he said with a smile, gently placing it in her lap. "Oh, thank you!" she said as a silver fork with a rose pattern on the handle appeared in her hoof. "It looks so delicious." She paused, admiring the waffles, and how the strawberries on top were arranged to look like a flower. He couldn't help but smirk slightly. He knew she would love that. She glanced over at him. "Don't worry, I'm not skipping breakfast," he assured her. With a snap of his fingers, a bowl of pickled eggs appeared in his lap, which he picked up one at a time before slurping them down whole. Satisfied that he had something to eat, she dug into her waffles. They both finished their meals, and Fluttershy leaned back against the pillows and sighed, patting her stomach. "That was very good," she said, smiling. "So delighted that you approve," he said, shaking vinegar off of his hands before leaning over and gently caressing her shoulders. She smiled and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder, making it easy for him to reach up and tangle his fingers in her mane. Her ears slid closed and a blissful sigh escaped her lips as he scratched behind her ear. A warm, soft smile spread across his face. Her soft mane felt like heaven, and that peaceful expression on her face made his heart do backflips. He could do this all day—well, for most of a day, at least. Thankfully, nothing was happening for several more hours, so the two of them could just sit there for a while, feeling cozy... His ears perked up as Fluttershy placed a gentle kiss on the nape of his neck, and a shiver went down his spine as she felt her nip him slightly with her single tiny fang. He looked down and saw that she was smiling coyly at him. "Am I picking up on some...signals here?" he said grinning widely. "Mhmm," she said, leaning upwards to peck his lips. His ears wriggled, and he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Well, I'm more than happy to give the birthday mare what she wants," he said, kissing her back. His tongue snaked into her mouth and wrapped around hers, and she moaned in approval. Perhaps hours, or perhaps just minutes later, the two of them laid in bed. Fluttershy was snuggling against his chest, her breathing even and her expression content...though he was proud to note that her face was still flushed. "Thank you," she murmured, still with that pleased smile on her face. It warmed his heart. "Hey, I enjoyed it, too," he said, stroking her back. "Plus, it's your birthday. Whatever you want, you'll get." He kissed her brow. She blushed. "Um, this...could be a little silly, but...could we read Saddlemon together?" He smiled warmly. "Silly or not, that sounds nice," he said. "Here or in the library?" "Library, please," she said, sitting up and stretching out her wings. He smiled and snapped his fingers, teleporting them both to the library. They appeared on a comfortable couch on the ground floor, right next to a babbling fountain full of water lilies, and with another snap, a good portion of her Saddlemon collection flew over to them, forming piles beside them. Fluttershy searched the pile before grabbing one of her favorites and leaning against his side. He grabbed one of his favorites, an issue full of misprints, and wrapped an arm around her. They both cracked open their books and began to read. The morning just seemed to fly by as they both devoured the manga. (Figuratively. Fluttershy would have had his head if he ate part of her collection!) The Twilight cuckoo clock in the corner chimed on the hour, chanting "Books! Books! Books!" every time. A little after noon had rolled around, Fluttershy's stomach quietly growled. Discord summoned Saddlemon bookmarks for them both, passing one to her. "I guess I didn't realize how hungry I was getting," she said, marking her place and closing her issue. It disappeared, teleported to their bedroom to be read later. Discord grinned, and while her back was turned to shoo the flying manga to go back where they had come from, rubbed his hands together with a devious gleam in his eye. It was finally time to play his part and set the ultimate birthday plan in motion! "How does a picnic lunch sound?" he innocently suggested when she turned back around, the manga settling themselves on the shelf. "Maybe on that lovely hill just outside the sanctuary?" He hoped she agreed. If not...well, Plan B of blindfolding her and teleporting her there was a possible option. Fortunately, she smiled brightly and nodded. "That sounds really nice," she said. Yes! he cheered internally. Externally, he smiled widely and snapped his fingers to create a wicker picnic basket. Another snap, and a blanket and several plates of her favorite food appeared in the air, all of them floating and settling themselves inside the basket. "Care to add anything else?" he asked, holding it open and showing it off to her. She peered inside. Her gaze scanned over the cucumber sandwiches, the fresh strawberries and apple slices, and a few of the desserts he included, before nodding in satisfaction. "It looks delicious." "Then...shall we?" he said, bowing and offering his arm to her. She looped her foreleg around his elbow, and he stood up, snapping his fingers and making them disappear in a flash of light. They reappeared on the side of the hill just outside the sanctuary. A flick of his tail, and a discrete message was sent to the party planners. "Oh, it's such a lovely day," Fluttershy said with a smile, opening her wings to absorb the sunlight. "You know, I think the other side might actually get more sunlight," he said, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. "Care to come with me and see?" "Sure!" she said, her wings folding against her sides, trotting to keep up with him as he headed uphill. He struggled, resisting the urge to cackle and rub his hands together. She was putty in his hands, and everything was going perfectly! As long as he didn't give away what was going on before they actually got there. Fluttershy currently appeared oblivious to his scheming, simply smiling and enjoying the warm spring air as she trotted alongside him. Soon, they came over the top of the hill. "You know..." Fluttershy said. "I'm kind of surprised none of our friends dropped by our home. Pinkie always likes to surprise ponies on...their..." She froze in place, staring at what was set up right at the bottom of the hill. All of their friends were gathered there, even Twilight. Her mother and father were also there, along with her wishy-washy brother. Several picnic blankets were spread across the ground, pinned down with multiple baskets and a cooler of apple cider. A plastic table had been set up, with gifts piled on top of it. There were few decorations, so the animals wouldn't be disturbed or try to swallow something they shouldn't, but a banner that read Happy Birthday, Fluttershy! was still placed between two wooden poles erected behind the party. Applejack noticed the two of them on top of the hill and waved. This got the attention of the others, who also started waving and beaming. Discord smiled and glanced over at Fluttershy, whose jaw had dropped. He snapped his fingers, teleporting them into the middle of the group. "Surprise!" everyone said once Fluttershy was there. "Oh!" she said, blinking in surprise, slowly turning and looking at everything that had been set up. "You all...and..." She glanced up at Discord, who gave her a smug smirk. "You knew?" "I planned it!" he boasted. Pinkie coughed into her hoof, and he flinched. "Well...okay, Pinkie and Cheese did. But I helped, and I was the one with the plan to get you here!" "So...the picnic lunch for two was a ruse?" she said, looking between him and the party. "Yep," he said with a smug nod. "There's still lunch, of course. And carrying this basket made bringing my final party contribution easy." He opened it up, showing her a glimpse of a patchwork job made from various wrapping papers. He dropped the basket, allowing it to float over to the table Pinkie had set up for presents. Her stomach growled, jolting her briefly out of her shocked stupor. "...lunch sounds really good right now," she said, smiling bashfully. He smiled and took her hoof, guiding her over to the collection of picnic blankets. She paused next to her family, giving each of them a hug before finally sitting next to them. As soon as she had sat down, Discord plopped a cardboard crown crookedly on top of her head, with the words Birthday Queen written on it. "All hail Fluttershy, Queen of the Day!" he declared, summoning and blowing into a tiny trumpet. "Oh, Discord," Fluttershy said, giggling. The rest of their friends laughed, even her family chuckling a bit. Discord's grin widened, and he sat right next to his wife, curling his tail behind her. With all of them together, Pinkie and Cheese opened up the wicker baskets and started to pull out food. The first things they pulled out were what Discord had packed earlier, to their mild confusion, but they shrugged it off and laid everything out. Everyone was given a paper plate and told to help themselves. Discord watched as Fluttershy helped herself to his cucumber sandwiches, and several dishes he recognized from her parents ' cooking, plus some baby carrots. Applejack went around, giving everyone a full glass of Sweet Apple Acres cider. Discord filled his plate with a few carrots drowned in ranch, a couple of sandwiches, some cheese from Cheese, and a few of the dishes Mr. and Mrs. Shy had clearly made, like the green jello. Thankfully, it didn't look like Zephyr had decided to 'help' provide food this time. They all ate, drank, and chatted, with Fluttershy being wished a happy birthday many times (usually from Discord, which made her giggle). Before they all knew it, they had eaten their fill, and were enjoying slices of carrot cake made by Pinkie while listening to the party planning couple debate about cheese tables versus dessert tables. "Alright!" Pinkie said, rubbing her hooves together as Cheese gathered the empty plates. "Who's ready for the birthday mare to open all her presents!?" A burst of confetti appeared behind her, and with a pink blur, the whole tableful of presents was moved into the middle of the picnic blankets. Discord snapped his fingers, causing the basket his present was in to fall apart and reveal a lumpy present with garish, hodgepodge wrapping paper, which was much too large to have reasonably fit inside of the basket. "Oh, already?" Fluttershy said, blinking. "Well, alright..." She scanned the small mountain of presents, her eyes pausing just for a second on Discord's gift. "I'd save mine for last, Flutterbuddy," he said in a stage whisper. "After all, it's the best! No one else's is going to match it." There were a few grumbles and challenges from their friends, especially from Rainbow, but no one directly argued against it. They'd eventually see he was speaking the truth, anyway. "Okay," she said with a nod, her eyes shifting as she looked for something else. Eventually, she just grabbed the gift bag that was closest to her. "Oh, that's mine!" Zephyr Breeze declared. "You're going to love it!" We'll just see, Discord thought, trying not to glare as Fluttershy pulled the tissue paper out. The younger pegasus's gifts in the past had been quite...hit and miss. Photos of himself, terrible experimental perfumes, and tacky baubles...he stuck his tongue out as he remembered them. Fluttershy deserved quality presents, for chaos's sake! Of course, it seemed memories of past mediocre gifts didn't damper Fluttershy's mood at all. She dug through the bag and finally pulled out...an extra-large bottle of shampoo. "Oh!" she said, turning the bottle around to read the labeling. "Oh, and it's strawberries and cream, even...this should last for a while. Thank you, Zephyr!" Her brother puffed out his chest, even his feathers fluffing up a bit. "You're welcome, Sis," he said. "It's the perfect formula for your mane, and it'll keep it soft and bouncy!" Discord bit his tongue, but still rolled his eyes. Fluttershy didn't need expensive shampoo to make her mane as wonderful as possible. ...but it was still a nice enough gift, and Fluttershy seemed pleased with it. She carefully set the bottle aside, then began searching for a specific present, eyes skimming over the name tags and labels. Finally, she grabbed a small gift bag with a butterfly on the front, the tag saying that it came from Mom and Dad. "Our gift...probably isn't as impressive as all of your friends'," Mr. Shy said, rubbing the back of his neck. There was a bit of sweat on his brow—being surrounded by ponies who were technically royalty probably did that to a pony. "But I hope you'll still like it," Mrs. Shy added, patting her husband's shoulder and giving Fluttershy a soft smile. "I'm sure I will," Fluttershy said, giving a smile back that was just as soft. She carefully began pulling the tissue paper out of the bag, then dug around and pulled out a few of the items. First was a handful of seed packets for irises, roses, and tulips. Then there were a few rosehip green tea bags, followed by tea bags for chamomile. Fluttershy's smile became a little brighter as she pulled out a few more kinds of tea and seed packets, finally pulling out and opening a birthday card. "'To our favorite daughter—Happy Birthday'," she read with a smile. "'Love, Mom and Dad.'" She looked up at them, smiled, and leaned over to pull them into a quick hug. "Thank you both...I love you." She kissed both of them on the cheek, making them smile and tear up a little. Discord just smiled warmly, gathering the items carefully and shifting them back into the bag they had come from. He set the bag close to where Fluttershy had been sitting with the utmost reverence. Fluttershy settled back in her place, shooting him a quick, thankful smile. He gave her a thumbs-up in return. "Now, let's see..." she said, looking back at the pile. But before she could think long about what to open next, a rainbow blur flew over it, screeching to a halt in front of her. "Here, open mine next!" Rainbow said, shoving a Wonderbolts-themed gift bag into her hooves. "I guarantee that it's the most awesome thing you'll get today!" Discord smirked. "Bold words, considering I'm also giving her a present," he said. Rainbow scoffed. "Whatever. I know Fluttershy will love mine, and that immediately makes it awesome, guaranteed." She sat down with a wide grin, tapping her forehooves against the ground. Fluttershy dug through the bag, eventually pulling out a record. "A...a Skullcrushers album?" she said, eyes widening. "Wait, what?" Discord said, quickly zipping over and looking over her shoulder. His eyes quickly scanned the cover, and to his relief, that wasn't anything gory or disturbing that he would normally cover up with stickers. Actually...it was much different from their usual covers. It was a picture of the band during one of their concerts, rocking out and blasting their music. "Limited edition copy!" Rainbow said, looking smugly proud of herself. "They were selling them for an anniversary event. It was packed and hard to get tickets or merch, but being the Captain of the Wonderbolts helped me get through the line before they all sold out." Fluttershy flipped the record over, her smile widening as she read all of the songs that were included. Discord noted that a couple of her favorites were on it. He didn't have a preference for any of their songs in particular, but if any of them made Fluttershy especially happy, that was good enough for him. "Thank you, Rainbow," she said, hugging it to her chest. Rainbow chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck, still with that smug grin on her face. Fluttershy carefully set the record with her other gifts, looking back at the pile. The next thing that caught her eye was a white hat box tied closed with an elegant purple ribbon—clearly Rarity's gift. She grabbed it and used her wings to pull the ribbon undone, pulling off the top. Inside sat two pairs of boots made out of thick faux leather, with intricate golden designs of vines and leaves, the thread so fine and closely packed that even Discord couldn't see the stitches, even after increasing the magnification of his eyes a few times. "Thank you, Rarity," Fluttershy said, picking one up and examining it. "They're beautiful." "Oh, it was no trouble at all, darling," Rarity said. "Besides, I heard through the grapevine that you might be thinking of helping even more birds with sharper talons," Rarity said, closing her eyes and taking a slow sip of cider. She shivered—either she was thinking about those sharp claws, or the vine full of whispering grapes Discord had made to talk to her. (He had been nice and cleaned it all up! And even offered her the jar of jam. She seemed a bit nauseated by it, for some reason.) Rarity set down her cup and opened her eyes, smiling. "And I figured you might want something that would be fashionable and keep you safe from being scratched by any of those large birds." "Oh, thank you!" Fluttershy said, slipping the boots on. "Most of the raptors I know are very careful, but these will be good for introducing newcomers into the sanctuary. Or helping clear out briar thorns..." Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she looked at the boots, probably imagining all the wonderful, sappy things she could do with them. "Or come hiking with me," Discord suggested, holding her close. "After all, with thick boots like those, we wouldn't have to feel worried about you hurting your hooves!" His favorite hiking mountains tended to be hard and filled with plenty of sharp rocks...but if he was confident she would be safe, it would be fun to have her by his side! "I guess that's true!" she said with a smile, leaning against his side. She carefully slipped the boots back off and into the box. "We'll have to see on another day, though." He nodded in agreement as she rifled through the gift pile, pulling out a large, lumpy present covered in bright pink wrapping paper with Happy Birthday written all over it. "This one is from Pinkie and Cheese," she said, reading the sticker label posted on the side. Pinkie threw one of her forelegs around Cheese's shoulders, grinned widely. They both seemed to be quivering in anticipation. Fluttershy tore into the wrapping paper...and a small pile of yarn balls tumbled out and across the blankets. "Ah!" she cried, quickly standing up, her wings flaring out. "Don't worry, I've got them," Discord assured her, snapping his fingers. Each of the yarn balls floated into the air, bobbing back over to her and arranging themselves into a multi-colored pyramid. There was a ball for each color of the rainbow, and even some sparkly silver and gold ones. With the yarn saved, Fluttershy relaxed and sat back down. She picked up the last item sitting on top of the wrapping paper—a pair of wooden knitting needles, etched with vines and flowers. She smiled, tapping them together experimentally. "Pinkie, Cheese...thank you! This was so thoughtful." "Pshaw!" Pinkie said, waving off the praise with a grin. "We know you'll make amazing things with those yarn and needles. So we got you the best stuff we could find!" "Almost the best escapees, too," Cheese said with a chuckle. The whole group giggled along with, even Fluttershy. Still, Discord used a little magic to make an invisible barrier around the yarn. No more escape attempts for them! She carefully set the needles next to the yarn pyramid (a thought was enough to let her hoof through the barrier), then reached towards the pile again. The next gift was in a wooden crate with a stamp of three apples on it, tied off with a large red ribbon. "From Applejack, I'm guessing?" she said. The orange earth pony smiled and nodded. Fluttershy pulled the ribbon off, then removed the top of the crate. Inside sat six gleaming jars of zap apple jam, along with two jugs of apple cider...and one bottle of cider that was shaped much like a wine bottle, with a red ribbon tied around the neck. "Ah hope it's enough," Applejack said, rubbing at the back of her neck. "I think it is!" Fluttershy said. "I mean, the cider alone should last us for a month or two..." Not to mention all that delicious sweet jam, Discord thought, staring at the jars and licking his lips. His attention was snapped away when Fluttershy used her wing to lift out the fancier bottle of cider. "I thought you weren't putting cider in bottles like this anymore." "We weren't," Applejack admitted. "But someone made a special request, and even provided the bottle." Her eyes flicked over to Discord, who covered his face with a hand. Why had he thought the Element of Honesty would be able to keep that little detail a secret!? Fluttershy looked over at him, smiling. He felt heat rise in his face. "...well, I did enjoy that date night we had with that last bottle," he said. "I wouldn't mind doing it again." Her smile only seemed to grow, and he looked away, biting his lip. "...I think that sounds nice, too," she said, leaning up and pecking him on the cheek. His ears perked up, and his tail wagged. "Thank you," he mouthed to Applejack as Fluttershy set everything in the crate and set it aside. She just smiled and nodded, while Fluttershy thanked her again, skimming the pile of presents. The next one she picked up was rectangular, the wrapping paper immaculately folded and taped, and shiny and glittery enough to look a little more expensive than the usual fare. "From Twilight," she said, reading the label. Twilight smiled and nodded, tapping her front hooves together in anticipation. Discord couldn't help but chuckle to himself. All these years, and the High Princess of Equestria was still the same old dorkish Twilight. Fluttershy unwrapped the gift, revealing...a book. "Of course," Discord said, rolling his eyes with a grin on his face. "Be nice," Fluttershy whispered to him. Her eyes skimmed the title, her grin widening. "A guide to exotic creatures?" She flipped through the pages. "Cockatrices, manticores...and even chimeras!?" Her head snapped up, and she beamed widely. "Thank you so much, Twilight!" The High Princess beamed. "I thought you'd like it," she said. "Still, I...also got you another one." She laughed, levitating another rectangular gift over to her. "Couldn't help myself. Taking a break and finding the perfect present is just so fun!" Discord chuckled. "Let me guess...you made a list of potential gifts, and you spent time organizing it alphabetically to relax?" "...maybe," Twilight said, smiling sheepishly with a small blush. "Oh!" Fluttershy declared beside him. His head swiveled back over to her, and saw she was holding a brand-new Saddlemon manga...in such mint condition that he wouldn't be surprised if it was fresh off of the press. "This is the next issue in the current arc! I thought it wasn't supposed to come out for another few weeks..." "Technically not," Twilight said with a sigh. "But when I go into stores and ask where the newest books are, somehow they manage to find something that isn't even on the public shelves yet..." Her wings drooped. "At least they accepted the extra bits I offered this time." Discord crossed his arms, a bit of smoke pouring from his nose. He was royalty by marriage, and no one ever offered him things that weren't available to the public yet! "Thank you again, Twilight," Fluttershy said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "I'm sure this book is a good one." She placed it reverently on top of the exotic creature guide. Her wing briefly brushed against his arm, and she gave him a concerned look...she must have seen the smoke. He smiled warmly and gave her a thumbs-up, assuring her that he was fine. Her expression lightened, and she turned back to the selection of presents. The next one she grabbed was actually two presents tied together with a loose green ribbon, each of them messily covered in wrapping paper, with some bits of tape sticking up here and there. Discord turned to Spike, grinning and giving him an approving nod for his wrapping job. Spike just shrugged with a sigh. Ah, so it probably hadn't been intentional. Still, it met his approval. Fluttershy slowly tore her way through the paper. The stray pieces of tape caught stuck to her hoof a few times, slowing her progress, but she managed to flick them off and continue on. The first gift she opened was a Saddlemon manga—one made for a promotional crossover between the ever-popular O&O and Saddlemon. Discord's ears perked up, and did Fluttershy's. That could be a fun game to play together, once it was released. The second present was a Saddlemon plushie of Mewnew, one of Fluttershy's favorite legendaries. "Thank you, Spike," she said, smiling brightly. Even Discord had to admit that he was impressed with the dragon's gifts. Spike chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "It took me a while to find an issue I didn't think you had yet, and I thought you'd like to know about that crossover game coming out," he said. "Did you know there's a store in Canterlot now that pretty much just sells Saddlemon stuff? The O&O store I go to recommended it." "There...there is?" Fluttershy said, her eyes sparkling. Discord brought out a notebook to jot down a memo. That gave him an idea for something the two of them could do after their next Council of Friendship meeting. "So anyway...I hope you like them," Spike finished with a smile. Fluttershy beamed, hugging the plushie to her chest and smooshing her cheek against it. "I love them," she declared. Spike's face flushed, and he gave a proud smile (if a little sheepish). Mewnew was set carefully in a gift bag, along with the manga. "So then, that just leaves..." She looked back at the 'pile'...which couldn't really be called that anymore, since there was just one large present left sitting there. Discord beamed widely, light literally shining from his smile. "That's mine!" he declared. With a flick of his claw, magic surrounded the present and levitated it over to her. "I know that you're going to love it." "I'm sure I will," she said. Her eyes sparkled, and she peeled back the wrapping paper eagerly. There was a sand-colored carrier underneath, filled with a bag labeled Lizard Pellets, a small pile of tubers, and a water bowl that looked like a rock. On top sat a small, tan whistle. Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Discord, this...this is all so nice, but...for you, it seems...rather tame." She gave him a look, and he grinned. She was clever enough and knew him well enough to know that something was up. "You caught me," he said. "These are supplements to your real present. If I wrapped up your actual present, I don't think you'd ever forgive me." He picked up the whistle and blew into it. No sound came out, and everyone furrowed their brows in confusion. But, just moments later, two very large, furry ears perked up from behind a rock. Soon, a canid head followed, eyes focusing on Discord. A small fox with straw-colored fur stood up and lopped his way towards the group, coming to a stop in front of Discord. Fluttershy gasped, a delighted smile spreading across her face. "A...a...a fennec fox!" she squealed. Discord grinned and nodded, giving the little fox a gecko tail as a reward for coming to him. The fox's large ears swiveled around, carefully watching the yellow pegasus that flew around him and looked at him from every angle. "Oh goodness, oh goodness...where did you find him, Discord!?" "Oh, I came across him on one of my desert adventures," he said with a shrug. "He looked young, and he seemed friendly enough...I thought you might like to meet him." "Oh, yes, oh thank you!" she said. She quickly dug into the bag of food and held out a hoofful of the pellets to the little fox. He sniffed the food cautiously before taking a small bite...and then quickly devoured the rest of the pellets, eagerly licking her hoof to grab any stray crumbs. Fluttershy giggled—that tongue must tickle. Discord grinned, crossing his arms and watching her. The fox had already warmed up to her a little more and was sniffing at her neck and face, giving her little licks every so often that made her giggle. His heart tumbled, and his expression became warm. Her gift with animals was beautiful to watch. "There should be some nice sunny rocks you can rest on if you like, and plenty of water in the sanctuary, and a small area with sand I've been planning on expanding..." Fluttershy babbled to the fennec fox. The canid looked pleased and was rubbing against her legs. "...alright, I have to admit," Rainbow said. "That? Is an awesome gift for Fluttershy." She held her hoof out to him, and he smirked and bumped his fist against it, sunglasses appearing on both of their faces. Eventually, the small fennec fox sniffed at the air and wandered off to explore the nearby area. Fluttershy bid him well, quickly giving him directions to areas of the sanctuary he might enjoy. Discord snapped his fingers and summoned a food bowl filled with Lizard Pellets in the area the small fox had been resting earlier. "Alright!" Cheese said, bouncing to his hooves. "Is everyone ready to play some party games?" "Discord, Fluttershy, you should play Twister!" Pinkie said cheerfully, bouncing onto her hooves and trying to usher them towards the mat with colorful dots set up near the picnic blankets. "Sounds fun," Fluttershy said with a smile. "Hah! You know none of you stand a chance against me!" Discord said. "So of course I'm going to play." All of their friends chuckled, arranging themselves into a group who wanted to play and those who just wanted to watch. As the afternoon continued on, Pinkie and Cheese encouraged everyone to take part in plenty of party games, including bobbing for apples and Twister. Fluttershy was even encouraged to try out the karaoke machine a couple of times, and Discord couldn't take his eyes off of her, entranced by her singing. They all helped themselves to cupcakes from Pinkie and a cheese platter from Cheese, continuing to enjoy each others' company. The Cutie Mark Crusaders and Starlight were able to swing by quickly during a free period between classes, wishing Fluttershy a happy birthday and giving her cards, flowers, and an enchanted manga with moving pictures (from just Starlight). Even later in the day, when the afternoon was almost over, Dr. Fauna and Zecora swung by, both to inform Fluttershy that her tasks were all taken care of, to wish her happy birthday, and to give her cards and a potion that would help any animal sleep (from just Zecora). Even a few volunteering students swung by to wish her well...though Lucky Clover gave Discord a nervous look before approaching. Eventually, though, everyone was partied out. Everyone headed back home, with the Shy family flying towards Cloudsdale, and Twilight and Spike using a portal created by Discord to get back to Canterlot. Pinkie and Cheese cleared up everything from the party in just a few seconds before heading out, and Fluttershy bid everyone goodbye. She yawned, stretching out her wings. "Worn out?" Discord asked, all of her gifts gathered up in his arms. "A little bit," she admitted. "But...it was very nice." She smiled brightly. "Thank you." He smirked, puffing out his chest. "Well, Pinkie and Cheese were the party planners of the day, but I did do good, didn't I?" She giggled, pressing her hoof against her lips. "Yes...yes you did," she said. She leaned against his side, rubbing up against him. Heat rose in his face, and he felt a warm smile spread across his muzzle. "Ready to head home?" he asked, getting ready to snap with his tail feathers. She nodded, and he teleported the two of them back to their dimension. They reappeared in their living room with a flash of light. Discord snapped his tail feathers, sending Fluttershy's pile of gifts to her bedroom. Then, he stopped and raised his muzzle dramatically into the air, sniffing loudly. "Hmm, can you smell that, too, Fluttershy?" he asked. She sniffed at the air curiously, and blinked in surprise. He grinned, taking a deep breath and enjoying the scent of a savory vegetable stew that was thick in the air. "Why, I do believe that it's the smell of one of your favorite dishes!" he said, grin widening. "And perhaps we'll even find some delicious apple slices, strawberries, and..." He snapped his tail feathers. "...fresh-baked biscuits we can use to enjoy that zap apple jam you got?" Her surprise slowly faded, and she smiled at him. "...that sounds like a lovely dinner," she said. "Thank you, Discord." He smiled, shrugging off the praise. "You deserve to have some of your favorites on your birthday, right?" he said. "Trust me, it's the least I could do." And it was—he could have made cakes larger than the house, or entire oceans of brothy soup, but Fluttershy was simply happy with a delicious homecooked meal. In a way, he loved that about her. His stomach growled loudly, and he patted his torso to shush it. Fluttershy smiled widely. "I suppose that's our cue to go and eat," she said. "Yes, I suppose it is," he said. He offered her his arm and started to escort her towards the kitchen, but paused in the doorway when he remembered something. "Oh, almost forgot," he said, snapping his fingers. A pile of cards, flowers, and babbles appeared in the middle of the living room. "Here's all the items your subjects dropped off at the cottage, your majesty." "Oh, dear..." she said, staring at the pile as it spread across the floor. "That's...an awful lot of gifts." "Well," he said with a shrug. "You're a princess. On top of that, you're the kindest princess. Of course a lot of ponies will want to do small things for you on your birthday." She began to sift through the cards and read them. "...I'll have to try and send them all thank-you cards." He sighed, pressing a hand against his forehead. "You probably don't have to," he argued. "It'll be so much work, and they're probably not expecting anything from you, and..." He paused, staring at her. She was stubbornly unconvinced. Just like every year she got the gigantic pile of birthday baubles. He sighed again, shoulders sagging. "...and I'll help so you don't get bogged down by it," he muttered, crossing his arms. "Thank you," she said, smiling gratefully at him. She flew up and pecked his cheek, and his lips twitched up into a soft smile. Her stomach gurgled quietly, though not as loudly as his had just a moment ago. She blushed, and he placed a hand on her shoulder. "But before you throw yourself into a lot of work...we should both eat." She nodded, putting down the current card she was reading. "You're right," she said. She sniffed at the air again, smiling as she headed towards the kitchen. Discord followed along behind her, snapping his fingers to make the prepared food fresh and hot. After all, he wouldn't want to disappoint her with a cold meal! He urged her to take her seat as he used his magic to bring the meal over to her. Before he sat down, he bent and kissed her cheek. "Happy birthday, Flutterbuddy." She smiled, kissing him back. "Thank you, Discord," she said. "Today has been lovely." He beamed, his tail wagging. Fluttershy had confirmed that her birthday had been wonderful—mission accomplished.