Seduction
The days that followed Christmas were awkward days for both Discord and Fluttershy. After the kiss, Fluttershy had retreated to her chamber, blushing furiously, wondering if she had done the right thing, if perhaps she had jeopardized the steady friendship they had been building. In her heart she knew she loved him, but she was afraid of saying the words out loud for fear of what he would think of her.
She remembered the night he had saved her from being raped; while she was most grateful to him, the two of them despised each other, and she remembered all too well the words he had said to her, how he was not some knight in shining armor from a fairy tale. Fluttershy couldn't help but smile at the memory. Discord was far from being a knight on a white horse…and she would have it no other way.
He was tall, dark, and brooding. His temper was short, his emotions were like stone, and his patience was extremely thin. And yet, she had heard him laugh, seen him smile, and felt his kindness. He gave her this beautiful chamber, taught her to sing like a star, calmed her fears, and on the night he took her to the opera, carried her back without protest after losing her shoe. Discord was still very dark, still short-tempered, and she had a feeling that he would be as brooding and stone-like as the pony statues on the rooftop, but she hoped and prayed that with every day they spent together, with every conversation they had, she had been able to chip away at the stone barrier he kept.
She tossed and turned in her bed that night, remembering the kiss with every breath of her body.
It had been brief, fleeting; a simple brush of their lips and then it was done.
…but it had been the most electrifying, heated sensation Fluttershy had ever felt. Had Discord felt it too?
Fluttershy was not an experienced kisser, she had only been kissed once before, by a farm colt in her village when she was fifteen, and the experience, she recalled, was not spectacular.
Was it the hypnotic way he held himself when they were together? The way he stood, the way he looked at her? Often she found his voice, deep and rich, dark and soothing, to be the most hypnotic thing about him, but his very presence was having such a deep effect on her, that in that fleeting moment, Fluttershy could not hold herself back. She came towards him, placed her hooves against his skin, as if it were the most natural thing to do…and stood up as high as she could and kissed him, as if it too, were the most natural thing to do.
But the sensation she got from it was nothing natural. It was everything Discord was; sensual, dark, and extremely seductive. It had only been a light brush of lips, and yet she recalled a strange trembling feeling develop in her knees, in the pit of her stomach, and that shot through her body.
Fluttershy was young and innocent, but she was not ignorant. After all, she grew up on a farm and knew all about animals and their mating rituals. But her mother had never told her what it felt like to feel…intense passion for a stallion. Did it…did it hurt when a stallion and mare lie together? She had heard stories in the village; colts boasting to one another. They seemed to get something from the act, but was it pleasant for mares? Was it normal for a filly to question such things? To feel such sensations as she felt when she kissed Discord? She had to admit…she liked the sensation. Would it always be like that? Discord was surprised by her kiss, but…did he feel what she felt? Did he…did he know about such things?
Fluttershy found herself blushing furiously and scolding herself immensely for thinking such things. If Discord did not share her feelings of love, how then could he share her feelings of passion? She bit her lip, wondering slightly if…if he, like other men it seemed, was…"experienced". She shook her head immediately, not sure she wanted to know the answer to that question.
She knew he wore the mask to cover his scars, and even if his face was not disfigured, she knew Discord was not what society would call "fashionably handsome" even if he looked normal. He was tall, thin, with a workstallion's callouses, and strong arms, shoulders, and back. His hair was black and somewhat wild; it was not long, and went up the length of his back. His face was rough looking as well (and this was the non-scarred side). And overall, one can never forget his body.When she touched his cheek, she remembered how it felt like sandpaper. Discord had a small beard and a soft face, but his face felt right, just as his roughened paw and claw felt right when he offered her his paw. No, he was not handsome by society's standards…but no other stallion had ever been as devastatingly attractive to her as Discord was.
The way he moved, spoke, even the way he looked at her! Her body screamed with desire as she felt his eyes upon her. These bold and unashamed feelings frightened her, for she had no idea how to handle them. For the first time in her life, Fluttershy was beginning to understand what it felt like to lust after a pony.
Yet more than anything, she wanted to teach him love. She loved him; for how long, she was unsure, but it had been growing for quite some time. She hoped and prayed that perhaps his feelings towards her were growing as well. After all, he had entrusted her with the secrets of his lair.
But did that mean he trusted her with his heart?
The next few days were extremely awkward. Fluttershy arrived at Discord's chamber for her lesson, unsure what to say, unsure how to behave, and worrying how he would react when he saw her.
Discord, who had been feeling emotions of joy, fear, uncertainty, and desire, stared at Fluttershy as she entered. She wore a simple maroon gown, plain in its appearance, and yet she radiated in it. Her eyes reminded him of the ocean, deep and blue, like the sea he had crossed when the carnival had "bought" him. Her hair was the color of pink flowers, and it felt like silk. Now and then, when she walked by him, he'd catch wisps of it, and he longed to thrust his paw and claw into her strands and run his paw and claw through the locks. And her body…dear God in heaven, so many times he recalled the night he saw her bathing. It took every ounce of will power he had to not return and watch her again. While his desire for her was growing like wildfire, his respect for her had grown even more.
But new thoughts and feelings were racing through him now, for he continued to recall the kiss she had given him. In truth, it was the first kiss he had ever received. While he was not "inexperienced" when it came to mares, he had never allowed the mares he paid for a moment's pleasure to kiss him…or be close to his face at all. But her kiss, Fluttershy's sweet fleeting kiss, had changed all that. In that brief but blissful moment, he knew what heaven smelled, tasted, and felt like. It was the closest he'd ever be to heaven.
"G-g-good morning Discord," Fluttershy stuttered, quickly clearing her throat to try and sound as normal as possible.
Discord nodded his head, not trusting his own voice at the moment, and for a while, the two stared at one another, neither moving nor speaking. Fluttershy felt her legs sway slightly, and was sure her knees would buckle if she didn't do something.
"I–"
"Shall we–"
They both stopped and gave a rather nervous sounding chuckle, before Discord broke the awkward silence and moved around the piano, opening the score to a later portion in his opera. "Come," he said, instructing her to approach the piano. "There is a song I have longed to hear you sing ever since you mastered the role of Aminta." Fluttershy couldn't help but smile at this. When it came to music, Discord was ever the professional.
"Do you recognize this?" he asked.
Fluttershy gazed at the score and felt her eyes go wide. "Point of No Return?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She remembered the song all too well. The music was sensuous and the lyrics were graphic. Oh God above, how was she going to survive singing this song in front of him?
"In Don Juan, this takes place towards the end when Don Juan is attempting to seduce Aminta to his bed, triumphing over her lover and before he murders them both."
Fluttershy held back her groan of disdain. Extremely cheerful, she thought sarcastically.
"Now, it is a duet," Discord instructed. "But for right now, we shall concentrate on Aminta's part. Ready?" And they began.
Fluttershy sang the role as best she could, although her heart was not entirely in the music, as Discord became all too aware half-way through. He first thought it was because they had not had the proper warm-ups to singing, so they went through those for a good half hour before coming back to the score. But once again, Fluttershy struggled.
It was not the music or the rhythm of the song that caused her to struggle, but simply the memory of the opera's sad, tragic story. She knew deep in her heart that it didn't have to end the way it did; that Aminta truly loved Don Juan despite his disfigurement and that she would not betray his trust.
Fluttershy knew deep in her heart that it was she, she was describing, not Aminta.
After an hour of Fluttershy's depressing singing, Discord sighed and chose to end their rehearsal, believing it to be a case of post-Christmas fatigue. Fluttershy left his chamber then, believing it to be for the best, but was determined to think of a way to convince Discord to perhaps change the ending to his opera. Or at least to consider it.
The next day was not much better. This time Discord's patience was waning thin, and he bit his tongue so as not to shout, but Fluttershy could feel his frustration. She was just as frustrated, although over an entirely different reason. "You're not trying," he growled, playing the introduction to the song once again. "I know you can sing this, I've heard you sing it before, now show me the spirit of the mare I know!"
That did it. Fluttershy belted out the notes as he played, matching the passion of his music, although it was not the same sort of passion. It angered her that he thought the lack of heart in which she sang had anything to do with a weakened spirit. She had more heart and spirit than he perhaps knew, and now she sang the words with great gusto, her voice soaring and flying over the notes. She was no longer singing Aminta, she was Aminta, and she sang to him as Aminta sang to Don Juan.
"You have brought me
to that moment where words run dry,
to that moment where speech disappears into silence,
silence…
I have come here,
hardly knowing the reason why…
in my mind, I've already imagined
our bodies entwining, defenseless and silent–"
She continued singing passionately, despite the fact that her cheeks glowed red. Also, at this point, her eyes were locked with his; no longer was he reading the music as he played, but he was gazing back at her, the way a panther gazed at its prey before attacking.
"And now I am here with you:
no second thoughts,
I've decided,
decided…"
"Good!" Discord interrupted, his playing coming to a stop, awaking Fluttershy from the trance of his eyes and the power of his music. "That was much better," he commended, "but I want that fire at every rehearsal! Why did you struggle so?"
Fluttershy's eyes were focused on the ground. "It doesn't…" she began, knowing his reaction and dreading it. "It doesn't feel…" she sighed, having difficulty with saying what was on her heart.
Discord frowned. "Doesn't feel? Doesn't feel what, Fluttershy? Tell me, you promised you'd never hold any secrets from me during our rehearsals."
He would say that, wouldn't he? Fluttershy sighed and looked directly at him, preparing herself for the possible battle. "It doesn't feel right," she stated plainly. Discord's brow furrowed with confusion, but she continued before he could speak. "Singing this song and knowing the story behind it! Discord, have you not read the words that she is saying to Don Juan?"
Discord scowled at her. "Of course I know the words, I composed them!" he snapped, standing up from the piano and organizing the music before him.
Fluttershy sighed and continued. "Discord, this is a love song! Yes, there are indeed dark elements to it, elements that are sensual and provocative, but…it is what it is…a love song that the two characters are singing to one another–"
"I know very well what it is!" he barked, taking his beloved music and moving it away from the piano as if he feared she would harm it in some way. "This is about the plot again, isn't it?" he groaned. "Good God, I thought we were past that now."
Fluttershy frowned, not appreciating the patronizing tone his words carried. "It doesn't make sense Discord, why would Aminta do this? She loves Don Juan! That is made clear so many times before, and yet, for no apparent reason, she betrays him for another stallion?"
Discord slumped himself into a cushioned chair at the other end of his music chamber, his black cape billowing around him as he did so. "Need I remind you that Don Juan has been hideously scarred, and Aminta's new lover is a handsome rogue? I thought perhaps that would make it plain–"
"No it does not!" Fluttershy shouted, stomping her foot with great indignation. "I know Pinkamena and other mares throw themselves constantly at hoofsome stallions, but Aminta is not that sort of mare! She loves him! She would not abandon him! I am not like that!"
Fluttershy's hoof flew to her mouth the second the words came out. Discord did not miss them; he was on his feet in an instant and staring at her from across the room. Yet before he could say anything, Fluttershy turned on her heel and flew from the chamber, not daring to go to her own for fear that he would follow her, but flying to some private corner of the Phantom's realm where she could be alone. And of all places, she ran to the chamber where the costume cages were kept, seeking shelter inside, hiding amongst dusty dresses and forgotten gowns, praying that he had not followed, not sure if she could face him after her explosion. Silent tears dripped down her cheeks and she hid her face against a tattered garment that hung from above, the words echoing in her head the whole while.
She loved Discord with all her heart, but hearing his words hurt her deeply. Did he not think she or any mare was capable of loving a creature such as himself? How could she help him understand that she would never betray his trust or his love, that she was his and his alone? She sighed, for it was true. He may not know it, but Fluttershy was his, and perhaps, if he could return her love…he would be hers.
Discord never followed, and Fluttershy stayed in her hiding place for several hours before retreating back to her chamber. She held her breath as she approached, unsure whether to find him there or not, a part of her hoping that he may be there, waiting…but he was not.
The next day dawned and Fluttershy was dreading the rehearsal already. What would he say to her? What did he think? Should she tell him her true feelings? After all, she had kissed him, but then a horrible thought came to her. Did he think that her kiss was simply a kiss of pity? Or that she had kissed him only because it was Christmas? After all, she had referred to her kiss as a gift…
Fluttershy grasped her mother's locket that she wore around her neck, taking a deep breath as she entered the Phantom's chamber.
"You're late," he stated simply as she entered, already sitting at the piano and playing several cords from the overture of his opera. He didn't even turn to look at her.
Fluttershy inwardly groaned, realizing that this was going to be a hellish day. Yet she held her head high and approached the piano, prepared for whatever he threw at her.
"Point of No Return," he instructed, placing the score before him.
Fluttershy's eyes widened. "A-a-again?" she gasped, thinking that of all the songs, that would be the last he'd want to hear her sing.
"Yes," he stated again. "Although this time, I will be singing with you."
Fluttershy stared at him, her face going from pale to rosy and back to pale in a matter of seconds. "Y-y-y-you w-w-will be s-singing as well?"
Discord gave a wry grin. "Perhaps you only think I'm good at playing music?" he chuckled. "Not to flatter myself, but I do believe I can sing a good note or two. And besides, this song is a duet, and I want to hear how it sounds with two voices. I want to hear you sing back to another, I think that will help the essence of the song greatly."
Fluttershy swallowed the lump in her throat, her hooves gripping the piano slightly, biting her lip and wondering what all this would have in store. Discord's voice was already mesmerizing, but what would it be like when she heard him singing? And not only that…but him singing back to her, singing these seductive lyrics full of fire and passion. Like Aminta, she felt herself coming to a point of no return.
Discord began playing the introduction to the song, and then, without warning…
"You have come here
in pursuit of your deepest urge,
in pursuit of that wish,
which till now has been silent,
silent…"
Fluttershy's breath had caught in her throat as she heard the Phantom's rich voice, singing both tenor and baritone with ease and skill, the words dripping off his tongue like honey…
"I have brought you,
that our passions may fuse and merge–
in your mind you've already succumbed to me,
dropped all defenses,
completely succumbed to me–"
His amber gaze, which looked like molten fire, was burning into her own as he sang.
"Now you are here with me–
no second thoughts,
you've decided,
decided…"
She was under the spell of his eyes, his voice, his music. Fluttershy felt her skin tingle, her blood boil, her heart speeding, and that strange wonderful sensation return between her legs.
"Past the point of no return–
no backward glances:
the games we've played till now are at an end…"
Discord could not look away, nor did he need to. He knew the music and lyrics by heart, but he was entranced by Fluttershy, he sang as if he were Don Juan, singing to the beautiful Aminta, seducing her to come lay with him.
"Past all thought of 'if' or 'when'–
no use resisting:
abandon thought,
and let the dream descend…
What raging fire shall flood the soul?
What rich desire unlocks its door?
What sweet seduction lies before us…?"
Fluttershy whimpered softly to his voice, the tenor in it singing of seduction, while the baritone promised pleasure.
"Past the point of no return,
the final threshold–
what warm, unspoken secrets will we learn?
Beyond the point of no return…"
Despite the trance his voice had over her, Fluttershy began singing, as if it were second nature, responding to Don Juan's seductive questions.
"You have brought me
to that moment where words run dry,
to that moment where speech disappears into silence,
silence…"
Her eyes were still locked with Discord's as she sang, and she was not sure if she was imagining it or not, but he seemed to be breathing even harder than before, the same way she had been breathing while he sang.
"I have come here,
hardly knowing the reason why…
in my mind, I've already imagined
our bodies entwining, defenseless and silent–
and now I am here with you:
no second thoughts,
I've decided,
decided…"
She approached the piano, pressing her body against it and found herself leaning closer to him, leaning rather provocatively against the instrument, her eyes, the color of a stormy sea, burning into his.
"Past the point of no return–
no going back now:
the passion-play has, at last, begun…"
She leaned against the piano even more, her chest now pressed against its surface, her face leaning closer towards his, licking her lips between notes.
"Past all thought of right or wrong–
one final question:
how long should we two wait, before we're one…?
When will the blood begin to race,
the sleeping bud burst into bloom?
When will the flames at last, consume us…?"
Discord pushed himself away from the piano, rising so quickly that the bench toppled backward, but he did not take notice, nor did he care. He advanced upon Fluttershy, singing with her the next part of the song, neither of them paying attention to anything else, the two completely lost with one another.
"Past the point of no return,
the final threshold–
the bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn…"
Fluttershy gasped as she felt Discord's arms encircle her, his paw and claw pressed flat against her back, drawing her body fully against his own. Her own arms gripped his shoulders, and she moaned loudly as she felt his growing hardness throbbing against her, the tingling between her thighs growing more and more intense. A paw snaked into her hair, and he tangled his fingers in the silky strands, before cupping the nape of her neck. One of her arms went around his neck, clutching him close, drawing his face even closer to hers. His other arm carefully and tightly held her steady, and then he dipped her somewhat, causing her to lose all balance and completely surrender herself to him. Fluttershy's other hoof now carefully moved to his right cheek, touching the smooth surface of his mask. Could he feel her beneath its surface? His breath caught briefly as he felt her hoof go there, and she swore she heard him groan in pleasure as she caressed its surface.
"We've passed the point of no return…" they both softly sang, gazing into one another's eyes, clinging to each other, the music of their hearts echoing throughout the chamber as they were caught up in its spell. Time seemed to have stopped, and for a several agonizing seconds, the two did not move.
Fluttershy held her breath as she gazed up at Discord, feeling his paws tighten at the back of her neck, and her eyes were pleading, pleading for him to do what she wanted him to do, what he wanted to do, and her own hoof massaged the back of his neck, drawing it closer to her, her eyes fluttering closed, her lips moistening, awaiting, praying for the feel of his against her own.
Discord swore his heart had stopped. His breathing certainly had as he gazed back down at her, his eyes moving from hers to her inviting lips, the memory of her last kiss still fresh. What would it be like to taste her? He had had a tempting savoring of her mouth, but he wanted to taste it further, to feel her lips surrender against his, to open her mouth for him and allow his tongue to ravish hers. He had never kissed a mare before Fluttershy, but any fear from lack of experience was gone; he wanted her, all of her, but for now, he would sate his appetite with the joy of her lips.
Fluttershy whimpered a thankful sigh as Discord's mouth came crashing against hers. She moaned and easily surrendered her mouth to him, willingly opening herself for him, welcoming his tongue with her own. Discord's arms tightened even further around her body as his mouth ravished hers, tasting her sweet essence, tasting the beauty of heaven.
Fluttershy clung to him as he kissed her even deeper, her own tongue boldly exploring his mouth, causing Discord to groan in pleasure as she kissed him back deeply, her hooves digging into the flesh around his neck, through his hair, running over the surface of his mask, caressing his unscarred cheek. He was in heaven, and he didn't want it to end.
Fluttershy gasped as she felt her feet lift off the floor. Was this happening? Was this truly happening? The dark hero from her dreams, the creature who haunted her more than any spirit ever could, was kissing her, holding her…oh God, was this how it felt to make love? Surely, this was different than mere coupling; this was passionate, pleasurable, and utter bliss. If he wanted her, she knew she could not stop him, nor did she want to. She wanted him so much, and she longed to feel his body against hers, to know what it was like to be made love to and to make love. She would surrender herself if he wished it, and in her heart she knew, there would be no regrets.
Discord had literally picked Fluttershy up, one of his arms sliding down the back of her legs, scooping her up at the bend of her knees, and he was carrying her, carrying her past the organ, beyond the music chamber, and into the chamber where he slept, laying her down upon the plush Persian pillows that engulfed his bed. A claw was sliding along Fluttershy's leg, and she whimpered against his mouth as she felt it slide upward along her thigh. Fluttershy's hooves were moving along his shoulders, inside his jacket, and she was quickly shoving the fabric aside, caressing the strong muscles she felt beneath the linen of his shirt.
. Discord's hooves tangled in his hair as she kissed him, and one hoof discovered the tie of his mask. She wanted his mask to be gone, so that she could kiss him properly, without feeling it brush and bump against her lips. She wanted to rain kisses all over him, and perhaps by doing that, perhaps by showing him that she loved him despite his scars, that to her, he was handsome and the stallion of her dreams, perhaps by at least touching him there…he would understand that she would never betray him, that he could trust her with his heart, that she truly loved him!
Fluttershy continued kissing him, her passion growing, her heart racing, as her hooves quickly untied his mask. Yet before she could remove it from his face Discord bolted upright, grasping it to him, and staring at her in horror.
"What game are you playing at?" he asked her harshly, quickly attempting to tie the mask back, but his paw and claw were fumbling as he did so.
Fluttershy sat up, her hooves moving to his, but he jumped away from her, backing away from the bed. "Why? What were you trying to do?" he ordered, turning his back to her quickly while he finished tying the mask in place.
It felt as if the all the warmth of the world had been sucked out, and Fluttershy sat atop his bed, shivering as she stared at the creature she loved who seemed to look at her with both wariness and revulsion. "Aminta…" he whispered, looking at the ground, quickly adjusting his shirt and jacket. "Of course…we were playing roles…"
"No!" Fluttershy practically shouted, rising from the bed, and like Discord, adjusting her dress. "No, Discord, we were not playing anything…that was me you were kissing, not Aminta, and I was kissing you, not Don Juan…don't you see? It was us, not characters from an opera!"
But it was as though he could not hear her. Even though his mask was firm in its place, he still clutched it with his paw. "Why Fluttershy?" he asked again, his eyes locking with hers as he continued to back away. Fluttershy wanted to scream at him, to shout that she loved him, to tell him that with or without a mask, he as still the only stallion she had ever wanted, the only stallion she would allow to touch her as he did, to kiss her, to know her as a husband knows his wife.
"Discord, listen to me, please, I wasn't trying to play any tricks or games on you, I wanted you to kiss me, and I wanted to kiss you!"
He shook his head, and then grabbed her by the wrists, causing her to gasp as he hoisted her away from the bed and towards the door. "Discord! Let go! You're hurting me!" she cried, pulling her wrists from his grip and rubbing them.
"Get out," he practically spat. "Leave me! I see now that you simply wanted to play games of 'unmasking the monster', like those fillys who were sent to my cage at the carnival, offering tempting kisses and then screaming in my face! It's the same way Aminta plays with Don Juan's emotions!"
Fluttershy couldn't stand it any longer. "Damn it Discord! I am not Aminta! I–"
"GET OUT! LEAVE ME BE!" he shouted, before turning his back upon her and striding to his organ and banging his paw and claw hard upon its keys, causing a great gust of wind to come out from its pipes and practically blast Fluttershy off her hooves.
With hot tears flowing down her cheeks, Fluttershy turned and fled from Discords chamber, crying for her lost love, for that was exactly who he was. She thought she had been doing some good, but apparently, it did not matter. Any hope of winning Discord's heart was gone, for now he had no more trust within her. How could she explain to a creature who had spent a great deal of his life in a cage, his disfigurement placed on display for money and mockery, that it was his face, both the masked and unmasked version, that haunted her dreams and filled her with desire?
It was the third day following Christmas, and all too soon, Fluttershy realized that her wish had come to an end.