When the princesses heard of Discord's sudden reformation, it was no surprise that they were skeptical about the situation. It was Luna who eased their worry when she said:
"You gave me a second chance, sister. Why should you not do the same for him?"
Needless to say, it took an earthquake for Discord to gain their trust. After he saved Canterlot from a natural disaster, Princess Celestia saw that he had truly reformed.
Of course, it was difficult for Discord to go from plotting against Equestria to doing good deeds, but for the sake of pleasing his beloved, he controlled himself. Most of the time. He still played a few pranks on ponies every now and then, but hey, he was the Lord of Chaos, after all.
Life in Equestria could not have been better, especially for Fluttershy and Discord. Now that the tension was lost between them, their dates were less stressful. When he was not spending his time with her, the draconequus was helping ponies with their problems. For instance, he settled a disagreement between Spitfire and Rainbow Dash. It turned out that the prior was giving the latter a hard time because she was jealous of her and Soarin. He also used his magic to protect Equestria from disasters, making Fluttershy the proudest pony in the world.
It was a year following their confession when he proposed again.
He had surprised her while on a picnic, making a ring box appear and popping the question, as he had done a year ago, only this time, she was more than willing to say yes. He gave her the very same ring, but the inscription had changed.
"To my one and only Fluttershy," she read, "the love of my life, the apple of my eye, my other half. Without you, my life is empty. I still think that one day I'm going to wake up and meeting you was all a dream, but if it is, I'll take it. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me and I hope you can say the same about me."
She then realized she had been turning the ring over and over, the message continuing. She looked up at the draconequus.
"I'm not going to ask how you managed to fit all that in."
He chuckled. "Believe me. That's the short version!"
It took a month to plan the wedding. It was even bigger than when Cadence and Shining Armor had gotten married. Hundreds of ponies came from Ponyville and nearly every pony in Canterlot attended. Even though few were fond of the groom, inter-species marriages were very rare. Of course, many were skeptical of the match, but if pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies could get along, why could a pegasus not marry a draconequus?
On the big day, the bridesmaids hastened to get Fluttershy ready. Rarity, obviously, had made dresses for all of them, including the flower girls: Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Twilight was performing the ceremony.
"Oh, you look absolutely gorgeous, darling!" Rarity exclaimed once she had made the final adjustments to Fluttershy's gown.
She directed her toward the mirror and Fluttershy thought she was looking at another pony. Her dress was simple, but elegant, with a vine design for trimming. Her veil hung from a wreath of pink roses, which sat perfectly atop her curled hair.
"Rarity," she marveled. "It's beautiful!"
"You're beautiful, Fluttershy!" Rarity hailed. "I only made you better!"
Rainbow Dash laughed. "I never thought you'd be the first of us to get married, Fluttershy."
The unicorn sighed. "Yes. I thought it would be me, as I did catch Cadence's bouquet, but...oh, you really do look the part, sweetie!"
"Maybe you'll be next, Rainbow," Applejack chuckled, teasingly poking the blue pegasus in the side. "Soarin might pop the question any day now!"
"Ooh!" Pinkie chimed. "Then we can have another wedding! How does next week sound?"
"Knock it off, you guys!" Rainbow shouted, blushing. "We've only been dating for a year."
"Fluttershy and Discord dated for a year!"
"Yeah, but..."
"And you love him right?"
"Well, I..."
"Admit it! You love him, you love him, you love him, you love him, you..."
"Alright, alright! I love him!"
Pinkie jumped into the air. "Yay! Another wedding!"
"Now hold it right there! He hasn't even asked me yet!"
Every pony burst out laughing, except for Scootaloo, who shifted in her dress.
"Aren't we a little old to be flower girls? After all, we have our cutie marks."
"Maybe," Fluttershy replied, "but I couldn't think of three fillies better suited for the job."
Applejack laid a hoof on her shoulder. "We're really happy for ya, Sugar Cube."
"Even if it is Discord?"
"Well..." Rarity stammered. "We may not approve of your choice one hundred percent, but..."
Twilight finished for her. "We're happy that you're happy."
There was a frantic knock on the door. "Hey, Applejack! You in there? Emergency!"
Applejack approached the door. "One second, Spike."
"Are you mad?!" Rarity yelled. "We're getting dressed!"
The cowgirl rolled her eyes. "Do I have to go over this with you again? We. Don't. Wear. Clothes!"
As she opened the door, she blushed when she saw the dragon in his tuxedo and top hat. He was still oblivious to her feelings, which had rapidly increased now that he was in formal attire.
"Thank goodness! I'm having a problem with..."
He froze when he caught sight of the mare in front of him. He hardly recognized her without her hat. She was dressed in an autumn colored gown, her hair released from her ponytail and hanging loosely around her shoulders with a gentle curl to them, a wreath of roses sitting lightly on top. She looked...well, like a girl. And she was not that bad. He could have sworn she was sparkling.
Applejack raised an eyebrow when she noticed him staring. "Is everything alright, Spike?"
Spike shook his head. "Yeah, I, uh...what was I saying?"
"You have a problem?"
"Oh, right! It's Discord. He's getting..." He peered over at Fluttershy and said the rest in a whisper. "Cold feet."
The cowgirl gasped and called to her friends. "I gotta go check on the groom. I'll meet y'all at the altar!"
Discord needed a best man or mare, but unfortunately, he was still a rookie when it came to making friends, so Applejack had volunteered for the role. After all, she had been the first to support the match.
When she and Spike entered the groom's dressing room, it was empty. They searched in all directions for the draconequus.
"Discord, get your rump out here!" Applejack commanded. "You're gettin' married in thirty minutes!"
She then had a thought and looked up. Sure enough, Discord was hanging by his claws from the ceiling. The cowgirl stomped her hoof.
"Get down here!"
"Make me!" Discord taunted. "I can stay up here all day!"
He summoned a pillow and stretched out against the ceiling.
"But ya gotta get married!"
"No! I can't go out there!"
"Oh, no you don't! You're not abandonin' Fluttershy at the altar!"
"I'm sorry, Applejack, but this is the honest truth: I can't do it!"
"Ya can't get cold feet! You're the one who wanted this to happen!"
"I'm not the one with cold feet."
He snapped his fingers and Applejack yelped as she felt a sudden chill in her hooves. She glanced down to see that they had been encased in ice.
"Quit foolin' and get down! Fluttershy's gonna be heartbroken!"
"What makes you think she will be?"
She spun around as the draconequus teleported beside her. She tried to tackle him, but her hooves were stiff in the ice. Discord sighed and went over to stare at his reflection in the mirror.
"What makes you think she'll care if I leave her? She'll probably be relieved!"
"How can you say that?" Spike inquired.
"Well, just look at me! I don't know how I could possibly have thought I could be worthy of her! She's the most beautiful pony that ever lived and I'm just a lowly draconequus. Even if I'm not evil anymore, that's never going to change."
"But you're..."
Applejack attempted to walk over to him, but she could not shake off the blocks of ice. Spike used his dragon breath to melt them and free her.
"Thanks," she beamed, before approaching Discord. "Now listen here, partner. You may be...different, but I've never seen Fluttershy so happy in my life. You may not be the same species, but love comes in all forms."
"Yeah," Spike nodded. "Like with me and..."
He trailed off unexpectedly, his cheeks turning pink as he avoided their gaze.
"Like with you and Rarity?" Discord huffed. "Please, like that's ever going to...yow!"
He cried out as Applejack stepped on his tail. He caressed it as he glared at her.
"What was that for?"
"Never mind that!" the southern pony shouted. "My point is that I know what love looks like, and I've never seen two ponies, or any other creatures, more in love than you and Fluttershy. Unless I was mistaken and you don't love her..."
"What are you talking about?" Discord snapped. "Of course, I love her! You think I would have asked her to marry me if I didn't love her? You think I would have given up my plans for hostile takeover if I didn't love her? Well, let me tell you something, AJ! I love that pony more than anything! You hear? More than anything!"
Applejack smirked. "Whadya waiting for then?"
The draconequus blinked and then glanced in the mirror. He then snapped his fingers, making a tuxedo appear on his body.
"Look out, baby! Your new hubby's coming!" He slicked back his mane. "Oh yes, you handsome devil! You can do this!"
"I can't do this!"
He winced as Applejack nudged him in the side. "You better not bail!"
Every pony was in their positions at the altar. Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Pinkie Pie were lined up beside the bride's vacant space, Applejack stood alongside Discord, Spike ready with the rings. Twilight stood in the middle, beneath the arch of roses.
The guests had all arrived and the room was packed. Since Discord and Fluttershy had no relations, the Canterlot folk sat on the groom's side while the ponies from Ponyville and Cloudsdale sat on the bride's, along with many of Fluttershy's animal friends. Discord could recognize a few faces, including Zecora, Big Macintosh and Cheerilee (who were married months ago), Granny Smith, Rainbow's boyfriend Soarin, Fancy Pants, the Cakes with their twin toddlers, Twilight's parents, Rarity's parents, Pinkie's family, Rainbow's father and many of Applejack's cousins. Celestia and Luna were seated in the back row, since they were the tallest. Cadence and Shining Armor sat up front, holding their pink newborn filly, Flutterby Lily. They had named her in honor of Fluttershy, of course.
Twilight noticed Discord's nervousness. "You're not getting cold feet, are you?"
"Of course not!" he choked. "In fact, it's quite hot in here, don't you think?"
He tugged on the collar of his suit and wiped the sweat from his brow. "You don't suppose she's changed her mind, do you?"
"She's not late," Rainbow Dash whispered. "The ceremony's not supposed to start until three."
"But every pony's here! Shouldn't we start now? Ouch!"
"Pull yourself together!" Applejack hissed.
"Quit doing that!" He pulled his tail away and turned the end into a fan.
"Relax. We haven't been standing here that long."
"You sure? This seems to be taking an eternity! I should know! I spent that time in stone!"
"Put that fan away! It's startin'!"
Sure enough, the bird choir began singing the bridal march, with Angel directing them. Discord returned his tail to normal as the doors opened. As the flower girls hopped down the aisle, scattering their petals, he started panicking.
What am I doing? I shouldn't be here! Why am I here?
Then he looked up and remembered why.
She entered the room with grace and elegance, causing every pony to gawk in awe. She walked down the aisle with her head held high, meeting the groom's gaze through her veil. Her long train was carried by more birds.
A smile spread across Discord's face. "She's beautiful."
Applejack gave him a sly grin. "Easy, Sugar. Save it for the honeymoon."
Meanwhile, the others were tearing up, including the flower girls.
"It's so romantic," Sweetie Belle whispered.
"I just hope he doesn't go all berserk again," Apple Bloom muttered.
"Naw," Scootaloo said. "If any pony can handle that guy, it's Fluttershy."
Fluttershy giggled at them as she passed by. Then she turned her attention back to Discord as she walked up the steps. He gently lifted her veil to reveal her beautiful face. After exchanging a loving look, they faced Twilight.
"Mares and gentle colts," the alicorn announced. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Fluttershy and Discord. Never in the history of Equestria has there ever been a love so powerful, so strong, yet it started from the most unusual of circumstances. These two standing before you have proved that love surpasses all differences, all flaws, all faults."
She turned to the bride. "Do you, Fluttershy, take this, um, draconequus to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, until death, do you part?"
Fluttershy looked up into Discord's adoring eyes. "I do."
"And do you, Discord, take this mare to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, until death, do you part?"
He was so lost in his bride's eyes that he did not hear her at first. "Huh? Oh, I do! Yes, I most definitely do!"
Twilight chuckled. "In that case, may I have the rings?"
Spike presented the pillow and Twilight used her magic to levitate the rings. One was attached to a gold chain, which she placed around Fluttershy's neck. The other slid onto the middle finger of Discord's lion paw.
"By the power vested in me," the alicorn continued, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss..."
The draconequus did not wait for her to finish and pulled his bride in for a dip before pressing his lips against hers. Most of the audience cringed, but then stomped their hooves in applause.
Rarity nudged Rainbow Dash and tilted her head outside.
"Oh, right!"
The pegasus zoomed out of her gown and out into the skies. The couple pulled away just in time to see her sonic rainboom through the windows.
"BEST WEDDING EVER!" Pinkie cried.
The reception was held in the garden. Vinyl Scratch played the song for the bride and groom's first dance: "Some Pony to Love." Discord had selected it, considering it 'their song.' Afterwards, a slower song was played, drawing various couples onto the dance floor.
"Shall we?" Soarin bowed to Rainbow Dash.
"Um, it's kinda slow, isn't it?"
"Well, I get if you're not up to the challenge..."
"Hey, wait a minute! Are you saying I can't handle a slow dance?"
"Can you?"
She grabbed his hoof. "Come on, you rascal."
Meanwhile, Rarity was met with an all too familiar unicorn stallion.
"Miss Rarity," Prince Blueblood greeted. "Would you care for a dance?"
She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're kidding me, right?"
Fortunately, she was saved by another unicorn stallion. "Pardon me, your highness, but may I cut in?"
Rarity's eyes lit up at the sight of Fancy Pants. "You most certainly may!"
Spike sighed as he watched the girl of his dreams dance with another guy. Applejack noticed his sadness and approached him, following his gaze.
"Sorry, Sugar Cube."
The dragon shrugged. "Yeah, whatever. I guess some things just aren't meant to be."
"Hey, you never know. They could be just friends."
"But what if they're not?"
"Then you let it be. If you really love some pony, you do what makes them happy." She put an encouraging hoof on his shoulder. "But hey, if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I'm here."
Spike looked up at her. She was wearing her hat again, but that did not change the affect she had on him. His heart fluttered in a similar way it did for Rarity, but he felt something else along with it: comfort, familiarity. He rubbed his arm nervously.
"Hey, Applejack...you, um...wanna dance?"
The cowgirl could not believe her ears. "Ya mean it?"
"Yeah, you know...if you want to..."
She smiled at him warmly. "I'd love to."
Discord gazed down at his new wife as she buried her face in his fur. Then he noticed a familiar figure standing off to the side.
"Yo, Zecora!" he called.
Fluttershy looked up as he led her over to the zebra.
"Greetings, you lovebirds, and salutations," she said. "I just wanted to offer my congratulations."
"We have you to thank for this," the bride insisted.
Discord raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? I never told you."
"See, before I accepted your deal, I went to Zecora for advice and she told me that you weren't all that bad and we would be happy together. Wait. Never told me what?"
"That I asked Zecora for advice and she told me to make you that garden! Hey, hold on!" He pointed accusingly at the zebra. "You knew this was going to happen all along, didn't you?"
Zecora laughed as she walked away. "Nice to see you finally catch up. Why do you think I set you up?"
"B-but...how did she...? She's not even a unicorn! And that wasn't even a rhyme!"
Fluttershy silenced him with her hoof. "Does it really matter, dear?"
He sighed and took her in his arms. "No, I guess not."
The carriage was ready with six horses to take the couple home, but Discord waved them off.
"No need to exert yourselves, boys. We can drive ourselves."
He snapped his fingers, releasing the stallions and opened the door for his bride with a bow.
"Shall we be off, my dear?"
Fluttershy was about to step inside but paused. "Oh, I almost forgot!"
She picked up her bouquet of flowers and tossed it over her shoulder. All the single mares wrestled to catch it.
"MINE!" Rarity shouted, trying to push the others out of the way. "For sure, this time!"
But the bouquet went high above her head and the crowd parted to reveal that it had landed in Rainbow Dash's hooves.
"Oh boy, Dashie!" Pinkie cheered. "That means you're next down the aisle!"
"W-what?" the pegasus stammered, her face flushing.
Soarin laughed beside her. "Well, you'd look pretty good in a wedding dress. Oh, that reminds me. Rainbow, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."
Once the newlyweds were in the carriage, every pony waved to them and they waved back, until they were a spot in the distance.
Discord sighed and glanced slyly at Fluttershy. "Alone at last."
He was about to put an arm around her when an acorn hit him. He turned to see Angel and the other animals sitting across from them.
"What the...what are they doing here?"
"Well, I said they could move in with us," Fluttershy explained.
"You what?!"
"They're just going to live in the garden. They won't get in the way."
"But do they have to ride with us? I can just zap them to the garden and..."
She stopped his paw before he could cast a spell. "Please? They want to ride so badly. Don't worry. Once we get home, I'm all yours."
He groaned. "Oh, alright!"
The entire ride was awkward and silent. Whenever Discord attempted to move in on his new wife, the animals would cry out in protest and throw another acorn at him.
"I'm married to her! Get used to it!"
When they finally reached the castle, Discord did not wait to get rid of the pests.
"Okay, we're here! Now scram!"
He snapped his fingers and they were gone in a flash. Fluttershy shook her head.
"You're going to have to learn to get along with them."
"Yeah, later." He looked at her slyly. "In the meantime..."
He teleported himself outside and opened the door of the carriage. He then lifted her into his arms bridal style and carried her towards the castle.
"Home sweet home," he mused. "I hope you don't mind, but I renovated a little."
Fluttershy looked up at the estate. The dark stone had been painted pink with patches of green and purple.
"It's much more colorful."
Discord shrugged. "Yeah, dark castles are kind of boring after a while. You like?"
"Oh yes, very."
"Good, because this time, you're never ever leaving."
She giggled as he poked her in the belly. "I think I can live with that."
The front door opened automatically and Fluttershy could not recognize the place. The main hall was still disproportional with stairs leading to nowhere, but all the doors were right-side-up. The walls were also green and the doors blue.
"What do you think of the interior?" Discord inquired.
"Less dizzy."
He chuckled. "I thought you'd like it. Wait until you see the honeymoon suite."
At his command, a door hanging high on the wall with no stairs leading to it opened. He flew her up to it and Fluttershy gawked at the décor of the room. Everything was in the shape of a heart: the bed, the pillows, the windows, the chandelier, the candles in the chandelier, etc. She did not know what to say about it.
"It's, um...very..."
"Mushy, I know. Makes me want to gag too, but isn't this how most honeymoon suites look?"
"I wouldn't know."
"Oh well, I'm too tired to change anything now."
The door shut behind them and a 'Do Not Disturb' sign appeared on the knob outside. Discord waved back the gossamer curtains and laid his bride on the bed.
"Now, we're alone," he whispered as he moved on top of her and pulled her in for a gentle kiss.
When he moved away to look at her, he caressed her beautiful face. At long last, he had his prize, his true love. What made this moment even better was that she had married him willingly with no strings attached. He never thought he would be married, let alone to the pony of his dreams. Who knew what future lay ahead of them? Maybe one day they would have a foal and become family. To him, that sounded a lot more promising than ruling Equestria.
She suddenly broke his eye contact and looked off to the side.
"What's wrong, my love?" he inquired.
"Nothing," she murmured. "I just...I'm just a little nervous. This is a big step, you know?"
He smirked. "Don't be. If I do anything you don't like, just say so."
She gazed back up at him and a small smile appeared on her lips. "I love you."
Discord's heart thumped wildly. "I love you too, my beauteous bride."
Then he clapped his hands and killed the lights.