Something was tickling his nose waking him up. He tried to snort it away, but the pest kept up with its onslaught. He slowly opened one eye and saw the first streams of light as Celestia began to raise the sun.
The tickling on his nose was now accompanied by soft giggling. He opened both eyes and looked up to see Fluttershy sitting in front of him a long piece of grass in her mouth as she rubbed it against his nose.
He blushed realizing they had slept next to each other the entire night in the garden. He stretched and sat up on his haunches once more.
"Good morning." She said in a sing-song voice. Discord looked away slightly embarrassed not really sure why.
"Good morning, were...were you comfortable last night?" He glanced sideways at her and she just beamed up at him before moving closer and nuzzling his chest. His heart began to speed up and he was sure she could feel it against her cheek.
"Oh yes, it was very nice...as was…" She blushed unable to continue, but he knew what she was referring to. That ground shattering kiss, he smiled and shivered slightly as he remembered the feeling of holding her so tightly in his arms.
He suddenly brightened,
'Nice' that's how she described the single greatest moment in my life?
He decided to have some fun with her, to see just how 'nice' last night had been. He wrapped his tail around them and chuckled as she let out a squeak. He noticed her mane was still pinned up and snapped his fingers freeing the locks to tumble-down her back once more.
"Discord…" She began but he put his nose against hers which caused her to gasp and to forget what she had been about to say.
"My dear, what exactly about last night was so nice?" He asked with a wicked grin, enjoying how she blushed even more.
"Well...when you.. when you…" She stopped again too embarrassed to continue. He chuckled and stroked her mane.
"When I wrapped my body around you and let you share my warmth perhaps?" He smiled at her pulling his head away from her and tightened his tail in emphasis. She frowned and shook her head.
"No...I-I mean yes…but not just that...also…." Again she stopped so he continued with the torture. He used the tip of his tail to tickle her nose, slightly out of revenge for waking him in the same way. She sneezed, such a small quiet sound, it caused him to laugh.
"Oh...well maybe it was how I watched over you while you slept peacefully in such a lovely place?" He felt her getting frustrated, she just sat there her head down.
"Or was it the dancing? Wearing this suit just like I promised? Hmm, what could it be, what could it be?" He tapped his chin with his claw. Then he snapped his fingers in realization.
"Oh I know it was…"
She snapped, her head shooting up.
"Oh you dummy it was-"
She didn't get to finish as he placed his lips to hers silencing any need for words. She melted against him and kissed him back. If the first kiss was 'nice' the second was indescribable.
The same feeling as last night overtook him, a feeling of rightness, of being complete. He would never tire of having her in his arms. He was so happy that she seemed to reciprocate the way he was feeling. Not only was she allowing him to kiss her a second time, but she was kissing him back in earnest.
Finally he pulled away with a sigh,
"Was it that my dear?" He asked as he rested his forehead against hers. She smiled and nodded blushing. She looked up at him and smiled. He smiled back then he remembered she had fallen asleep last night before he'd been able to tell her he loved her. He had only whispered it as he had drifted off to sleep.
"Fluttershy...there's...there's something I need…" He swallowed, why was this so hard? She was looking up at him with her large, teal eyes, a flash of something like hope sparkled in their depths. He took a deep breath and tried again.
"I-I wanted to tell you…that I...I…" He stopped again turning his head away from her.
I can't do it! I'm too much of a coward to tell her how much she means to me, that all I want is to have her with me forever. It's my nightmare all over. I can't…I can't…
"That I had a wonderful time last night…" He chanced a peek at her and saw her try to cover her disappointment, but he had seen it and it ripped at his heart. He closed his eyes angry with himself.
He felt her lips press against his snout in a soft kiss, startling him. She was smiling at him once again.
"I hope we can do something like this soon Discord." She whispered nudging her muzzle against his. He felt a small smile tug at his lips as he pulled her into a hug.
"Of course we will." He promised, just as he thought,
and I promise you next time you'll hear those three words from me…
Fluttershy was out in her garden watering her plants absently humming to herself. Her mind kept wandering to last night's and this morning's kiss. She blushed and couldn't help but smile. She jumped when a rose suddenly grew out among her tulips. She looked at the odd flower and smiled knowing who it was from.
It was both pink and blue in a beautiful swirling pattern. Suddenly the flower flew out of the ground and floated to her until it entwined itself in her mane. Then she heard Discord's voice whispering in her ear.
"Is is soon yet? Come to my castle at 5, make sure you stay on the path I created for you."
She rolled her eyes giggling, he always reminded her to stay on that magically protected road, no matter how many times she visited. Why would she wander off it in the first place?
She was going to see him again, she found herself growing more excited and wanted to get ready.
She turned to trot into her cottage when she bumped into another pony. She looked up to see her best friend Rainbow Dash. She stood up and smiled at her friend.
"Oh hello Rainbow! Was there something you needed?" Fluttershy sat there in silence as Rainbow just continued to look at her for several minutes. Fluttershy was starting to get a bit nervous and worried.
"Um...Rainbow?"
The other mare snorted and gave her a suspicious look.
"Where did you and Discord disappear to? You never came back from the garden last night."
Fluttershy felt her face grow red with embarrassment, she should have realized her friends would worry a bit...but wait she had been with Discord? Why would they need to worry?
"Oh I was enjoying the garden so much that we ended up staying out there until the fireworks started. Then I...I fell asleep...so Discord stayed with me all night to watch over me." She knew she was blushing more. She didn't like lying to her friends, but she was too embarrassed to tell them about the kiss yet.
Rainbow however was too smart to take that as the truth. She frowned at Fluttershy, who turned her head away.
"That's not all, is it?"
"Rainbow I...I...I don't know what you mean."
Rainbow Dash got angry then, knowing her friend was lying to her. She stomped her hoof and shouted at Fluttershy.
"Oh come on Flutters! You know you can't lie to me…" When Fluttershy whimpered she softened her tone.
"Come on, tell me. I just want to make sure you were okay last night."
Fluttershy looked at her friend again somewhat comforted until she once again realized she had been with Discord not on her own...unless… she looked at Rainbow mouth open.
"Rainbow are you suggesting Discord would somehow harm me?"
Rainbow looked away rubbing the back of her neck.
"No! Maybe…okay fine, yes that's exactly what I worried about."
"Why? He's different now he's reformed...he'd have no reason to hurt me!"
"Reformed? Ha! That's what we thought the first time how can we say for sure this time he means it?" Rainbow was once again shouting. Fluttershy felt tears well in her eyes, but tried to hold them off.
"Of course he means it! He's done nothing these past months but apologize and do everything he can to make it up to us! Are you saying you still don't trust him?"
Rainbow looked as if she was trying not to completely lose it. Fluttershy continued to push her friend though, needing to know the full truth.
"Rainbow? Do you trust him?"
"No I don't! Especially not where you're concerned! How do we know he's not trying some new way to come between us so he can rule Equestria?"
Fluttershy felt her tears begin to fall, she knew what she had to say, but Rainbow wouldn't like the answer.
"I know he wouldn't try that! He cares about all of us too much and he cares about me!"
"How do you-"
"Because he kissed me last night!"
Dead silence followed Fluttershy's outburst. Rainbow just stood there frozen in horror.
"He...he what…"
Fluttershy lowered her head and took a deep breath before facing her friend again.
"He kissed me last night and it meant everything Rainbow...he...he would never turn on us again."
Rainbow looked angrier than she had before, even disgusted.
"He kissed you?" She said the word with so much disdain that Fluttershy reeled back afraid.
"How could he force himself on you like that? Flutters, why didn't you yell out for us?"
Fluttershy was totally shocked at her friend, she didn't know how to really respond, so she chose pure honesty.
"He didn't...I...I invited it...I wanted him to kiss me...I've wanted it for so long now…please Rainbow." Fluttershy reached for her friend, but Rainbow backed up shocked.
"Fluttershy are you falling in love with that monster?"
Fluttershy got angry at that word knowing that Discord was very sensitive about it.
"He's not a monster!"
"That doesn't answer my question!"
"YES OKAY I LOVE HIM!" Once again all was silent at Fluttershy's outburst, even Fluttershy stood shocked. She had never actually admitted to herself that she was falling in love. She just knew she cared for Discord, but now that the words were out they felt so right. She smiled at the realization, but it was short-lived when she heard a cynical laugh.
Fluttershy looked at Rainbow again, refusing to acknowledge that this was the friend she had known all these years.
"Oh Fluttershy...why would you want to love a monster that can't love you back?"
Fluttershy gasped and was about to retort, when Rainbow cut her off.
"Oh, are you telling me you think he can love you? Tell me did he tell you he loved you anytime after he kissed you."
Fluttershy had nothing to say, because he hadn't. It had seemed for a moment that he would, but then...
She just stood there and silently shook. Rainbow laughed again and flew up in the air.
"Like I said, don't waste your love on a monster that can't love you back!" With that she took off leaving Fluttershy shocked and alone in the garden. Fluttershy collapsed to the ground sobbing.
"Discord…"
Rainbow Dash landed in the Everfree and grinned as the other creature walked through the brushes into the clearing.
"Excellent my pet, tell me what you have learned."
"Oh she loves him alright and from what I saw last night in the garden, he loves her as well."
"Excellent. I have dreamed of this for an eternity. Waiting for the chance and means to take back Equestria, and now that Discord has come out to play I may have my chance. I will need his power if I am to take back what should have been mine a thousand years ago. It seems I have found just what I need to make him mine." He looked to his creation and nodded dismissing the thing, which disappeared in a puff of black smoke.
He had spied on the ponies for some time now, trying to find a weakness between them when the answer had come from a rather unexpected source. Tirek had been a foal, but a foal with the right idea. Control chaos and you controlled the kingdom. Tirek just lacked the creativity to properly keep it under his hoof. He on the other hoof understood, you don't take the Lord of Chaos' powers, you simply control them.
He walked to the edge of the clearing and looked out over to the distorted castle that housed Equestria's most powerful being. Purple smoke billowed out of his eyes as he licked his lips.
"Oh yes Discord, soon I will use your pretty pegasus to get my collar around your neck and all will fear my name once more…Long live King Sombra…"