//------------------------------//
// The Big News 
// Story: Daughter of Discord 
// by DisneyFanatic23 
//------------------------------//

	The best part about waking up each morning was seeing her sleeping beside him. He stared lovingly at her tiny figure breathing delicately. He reached out his eagle claw to stroke her silky pink mane.

Had they really been married for three months already? It was hard enough for him to believe that they had gotten married in the first place, that after eons of loneliness, he had fallen in love with the most beautiful mare in the world, and she returned his love. Seeing her each morning reminded him that he had not dreamt it.

She stirred in her sleep and slowly rolled over to face him. Her adorable teal eyes fluttered open.

"Good morning," he whispered.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Good morning. What time is it?"

He checked the wiggly-handed clock on the wall. "Oh, about a quarter past nine."

"Oh, I should go feed the animals."

She flipped onto her back and attempted to rise, but he stopped her by pulling her closer to his body.

"I'm sure they can wait," he said lowly.

"Discord..."

"Alright, if you insist." He snapped his fingers. "Done! Now you have plenty of time!"

He tightened his grip on her. She shook her head.

"Discord, I'm going to have to get up eventually. I have to meet the girls at the spa this afternoon."

"Yes, but in the meantime..."

"Do we have to go through this every morning?"

"Can I help it if I want to spend as much time with you as possible? Can I help it if I love you?"

"No, I suppose not."

"Besides, you were rather sleepy last night. You deserve a break."

She sighed in defeat. "Alright, but just a little longer."

As he kissed his beloved wife, Discord concluded that life could not get better than this.





"So how's the married life, Fluttershy?" Rarity asked as the spa ladies placed two cucumbers over her eyes.

Pinkie Pie let out a cheerful cry as she did a cannonball into the herbal bath, landing in between Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, splashing them both.

"Yeah!" the pink pony chimed, popping up from the water. "What's it like being the Lord of Chaos' wife?"

The yellow pegasus blushed. "It's wonderful. Things have been going great between us."

"So the romance hasn't faded yet?" Rainbow inquired.

"Oh, not at all! Discord makes every day memorable. Last night, he took me to see some fireflies. Oh, it was magnificent!"

"Aw, that's so sweet!" Pinkie Pie swooned.

"But seriously, you haven't grown tired of each other?" Rainbow pressed on.

"Rainbow, what a thing to say!" Twilight exclaimed while getting a hooficure. "Don't tell me you still don't approve of their marriage!"

"Oh no, it's not that. It's just that fifty percent of marriages don't work out and..."

Every pony stared at her in shock. The blue pegasus sighed.

"I'm sorry, Fluttershy. I'm just getting the wedding jitters. It's got nothing to do with you and Discord."

"You and Soarin havin' problems?" Applejack asked from the massage table.

"No, it's just...I've never given much thought to marriage before and what if Soarin and I aren't really meant for each other?"

"I thought you loved him," Fluttershy said.

"I do, but...what if I don't love him as much as I think I do?"

"I wouldn't worry about it, Rainbow Dash," Rarity said. "Every bride feels this way."

"How would you know? You never got married!"

"She's right, Dashie," Fluttershy assured her. "I felt the same way while I was engaged to Discord...both times. It's normal to be nervous."

"I guess you're right. What I'm interested in now is what's going on between AJ and Spike?"

"Well, uh..." Applejack stammered.

"They've been spending so much time together," Twilight interrupted, "Spike hardly spends two minutes on his chores."

"Sounds like you two are happy," Rarity sighed.

"We are," Applejack grinned. "How's Fancy Pants?"

"Oh, you know. Sometimes I wish he wasn't so formal all the time, but other than that, I think we're doing alright."

Pinkie Pie sighed dreamily. "I wish I had a special some pony like you guys."

"You'll find him someday, Pinkie," Applejack assured her. "You too, Twilight."

"I'm so busy with royal duties," the alicorn said, "I'm not sure I have the time."

Suddenly, Fluttershy grew very hungry. "Hey girls, can we get some lunch after this?"

Everyone agreed and as soon as their treatment was finished, the six friends went to the café. After the waiter had brought their food, Fluttershy made a surprising request:

"Do you have any whipped cream?"

He raised an eyebrow. She had ordered a plate of spaghetti and a glass of chocolate milk.

"We do, madam," he said, "but what do you want it for?"

"She probably wants it with her chocolate milk," Pinkie said, holding out her own glass. "Bring some for me too!"

The waiter shrugged and returned a few minutes later with a can of whipped cream. Fluttershy snatched it out of his hoof and squirted it all over her spaghetti. Every pony stared at her in confusion.

"Uh, Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash said.

"Can you bring some hot sauce as well?" the yellow pegasus asked the waiter.

"Hot sauce?" he repeated. "Madam, I don't think..."

"Please?" she batted her eyes. "Some caramel sauce too?"

He sighed. "As you wish, madam."

"Fluttershy, are you okay?" Twilight inquired.

"I just have this craving for spaghetti, whipped cream, hot sauce and caramel," Fluttershy explained.

"But all at once?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Even I think that's a weird combination!"

"I'm telling you, that's what I'm hungry for."

"Madam," said the waiter, "here is your..."

"Thank you!"

She grabbed both bottles and splattered their contents onto her plate. Her friends cringed as she began stuffing the concoction down her throat.

"Fluttershy!" Rarity exclaimed. "Table manners, please!"

"What's the matter, Rarity?" Fluttershy snapped, her mouth filled with food. "Afraid to get dirty?"

"Fluttershy!"

The yellow pegasus shook her head, shocked at how she was behaving. Then she wiped her mouth with a blush.

"I'm sorry, girls. I don't know what came over me. I've been feeling strange today."

"No kidding," Rainbow said, staring at what was left of her recipe.

"So other than your peculiar appetite," Twilight said, "how else have you been feeling strange?"

"Well," Fluttershy pondered. "When I got out of bed this morning, I had a terrible cramp and I almost fainted on my way over here."

"Have you been sleeping alright?"

"Yes. Actually, more than usual." She yawned. "For instance..."

She abruptly collapsed face down into her food. Applejack gently lifted her head.

"Fluttershy, wake up!"

Her eyes snapped open. "Huh?"

The cowgirl began wiping her face again. "You sure you've been sleeping enough?"

"More than enough. I fell asleep at six last night and woke up at nine this morning."

"Maybe you're overworked?"

"I don't see how. Discord's been feeding the animals every morning for five days straight. I'm anything but overworked."

She suddenly put one hoof to her mouth and the other on her stomach. "Oh my." Her cheeks puffed. "I don't feel so good."

Twilight summoned a bucket with her magic and handed it to Fluttershy just in time.

"Serves you right after eating that barf," Rainbow said.

"Maybe we should take you to the doctor," Twilight suggested. "We should see what this is all about."





Since he had fallen in love with Fluttershy, Discord had been using his magic for good deeds. Ponies from far and wide would come to him for help. He was now sitting on his throne listening to a stallion from Hoofington. He had lost interest in the middle of his speech and let out a yawn. A sweet voice brought his attention back.

"Discord, I have exciting..." Fluttershy trailed off when she saw the visitor. "Oh, I did not know you had business. I suppose it can wait..."

"Nonsense!" the draconequus said, waving his paw. "Come over here, my dear."

Once she was at his side, he ran his finger under her chin. "I'll be with you in a moment." He turned back to the stallion. "So let me get this straight. Your village was attacked by parasprites."

"Yes," the stallion nodded.

"So what do you want me to do about it?"

"Discord," Fluttershy warned.

"It's a simple question," her husband said innocently.

"All our crops were devoured," the stallion explained, "and we have no food to last the winter!"

"So you want a bountiful harvest, I see."

"Yes!"

"What do you need me for then? You've got seeds, don't you?"

"Well, yes, but they won't grow in time."

He sighed. "Okay, okay. But it's going to cost ya."

Fluttershy crossed her hooves. "Discord!"

"Oh," the stallion uttered. "What's your price?"

"I want..."

The room turned dark and fire ignited behind Discord's throne.

"Your soul!" he hissed.

The stallion cowered in fear. Then the draconequus broke into laughter as the room returned to normal.

"Oh, that was priceless! You should see the look on your face!" He wiped a tear from his eye. "I'm kidding, okay?" He snapped his fingers. "Your village now has enough food to last through the winter, and halfway through spring."

"Oh, thank you!" the stallion said, backing toward the door. "Thank you, Lord Discord! We are eternally grateful!"

"Yeah, yeah. You can send me a gift basket if you want."

Once the door was shut, the draconequus snaked his arm around his wife.

"Now that we're alone..."

He pressed his lips against hers before she could say anything. She took a moment to kiss him back and then pulled away.

"Actually, honey, there's something I need to talk to you about."

He chuckled. "Why would you want to talk when there are so many more interesting things we could do?"

"It's important!"

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, alright. What is it you want to talk about, my angel?"

She laid her hoof on her tummy. "See, I went to the doctor's today..."

Discord gasped. "The doctor's?!" He touched her forehead. "Are you ill?! Is it serious?! How many months do you have left to live?!"

She laughed. "Discord, I'm not..."

"Whatever it is, I'll cure you!"

"But I'm not..."

"So what is it? Pneumonia? Cancer? Tuberculosis?"

"Pregnancy."

"Oh my gosh, it's worse than I thought!" He paused. "Wait. Run that by me again?"

She shook her head and then looked up at him with a bright smile.

"I'm having a baby."

Discord blinked. "What?"

"I'm due in ten months."

"B-but...you...me...us...baby?"

She nodded. "You're going to be a father."

He stared at her for a moment and then scooped her in his arms.

"Oh, honey, this is wonderful!"

Fluttershy laughed. "I knew you'd be excited!"

"Excited? I'm thrilled! I was beginning to think it would be biologically impossible for us to have a baby! But then again, with me, anything's possible!"

As he hugged her, a horrifying thought occurred to him.

"What's it going to look like?"

Fluttershy shrugged. "Does it matter?"

"But...what if it looks like...me?"

"I don't care. I'll love our baby no matter what it looks like, and you will too."

He forced a smile as she embraced him again. She's right, he thought. Though here's hoping it takes after its mother.