"Kibou settle down. Bouncing around won't make this go any faster." His Aunt Twilight laughed from her seat. Kibou looked at the clock again and frowned. Then he turned to his favorite aunt and pouted.
"What's taking them so long Auntie Twilight? Shouldn't Mommy and Daddy be done by now?"
His other aunts and his Uncle Spike laughed at this as they were also all there waiting along with him. His Auntie Rarity got out of her seat and pulled him out of the spot he was floating. She hugged him close and whispered,
"Settle down little hope. These things can take time, but trust me it's worth the wait."
He smiled up at his prettiest aunt and nipped her mane which always made her laugh. Auntie Rarity only called him by his nickname 'little hope'. Although he didn't mind since she also let him play with her pretty fabrics, not getting mad when he would change the way they look.
Kibou wiggled out of her arms and began to float around the room again. He glanced at the clock and got an idea, he grinned and lifted his claw.
"Oh no you don't…" His Aunt Twilight said as she used her magic to pull him away and towards her. He struggled, but he could never get out of his aunt's magical hold. Her and Daddy were the only two that could counter his magic and it made him pout more. Especially since his Aunt Twilight was immune to his begging face, unlike Daddy was. So he was forced to sit next to her and wait.
Kibou was hanging upside down in his chair when he heard his name.
"Kibou."
"Daddy!" Kibou flipped over and flew into his father's arms. Discord laughed and hugged his son tighter.
"Are you ready?"
Kibou nodded and grinned up at his father. Discord kissed the top of his head and carried his son through the double doors. He walked to the end of the hall and winked down at his son once they reached the room. Kibou was wiggling in his father's hold, so excited he was having a hard time containing it.
"Settle down little hope...or you might turn the walls into candy again." His father whispered as he opened the door. Kibou looked over to the bed where his mother was laying.
"Mommy!" Kibou smiled and Fluttershy smiled wider, she looked down at the bundle in her arms.
"Kibou...come say hello to your new baby sister." His mother whispered.
Discord walked next to the bed still holding his son so Kibou could get a better look at his new sibling. Kibou stretched out his neck trying to look. Fluttershy shifted the blankets revealing the sleeping foal.
Kibou stared at the tiny thing in his mother's arms, he didn't say anything, just continued to look her over.
His parents started to worry a little. They weren't sure how Kibou would take to his new sister, since she was a pony. She was a tiny, yellow pegasus just like her mother. Except she had a black mane and a white tail like her father. She also had his strange yellow and red eyes, although her pupils were the same size, unlike her father.
When they had seen how normal their new daughter was they had wondered at Kibou's reaction.
He had been getting teased at school about the way he looked. He didn't show any signs that it bothered him, in fact Cherilee had said all Kibou did was laugh and tell the ponies they were being silly. He would tell them of course he looked different, how much fun would the world be if they all looked the same?
Discord and Fluttershy had been so proud of their son when they heard this, but they were still on edge about the whole thing, never knowing if Kibou would grow more sensitive through the years. Discord worried far more than his wife did, knowing exactly the trials one went through when you were different.
Finally they both sighed in relief when Kibou smiled and reached towards his baby sister, gently stroking her cheek.
"Daddy...she's so pretty…" Kibou whispered and smiled up at Discord. Discord nuzzled his son's mane, which was the same color as his mother's, but was growing out the same as his father's. Kibou wiggled out of his father's hold and sat on the bed staring down at his sister.
"What's her name Mommy?"
Fluttershy stroked her son's mane and whispered,
"Flitterbee. Your father thinks it suits her since she looks like me...what do you think Kibou?"
Kibou looked up at his mom, teal eyes meeting teal eyes. Then he frowned and looked back at Flitterbee. He grinned and curled around his sister, purring softly.
"It's perfect...just like she is. Isn't she Daddy?"
"Indeed she is son." Discord rasped, his voice growing heavy with emotion as he watched his two beautiful children. He looked up at his wife, who was smiling at their children tears in her eyes. She looked up and met his gaze, Discord's heart exploded. Nothing in his life had ever been as perfect as this moment. He leaned over and wrapped his wife in a gentle hug.
"I'm the luckiest creature alive...I love you so much darling." He whispered into his wife's ear as he tried to contain the emotions rolling through him. He pulled back and gave her a soft kiss. They both looked down and realized Kibou had fallen asleep, still curled around his sister.
Discord chuckled and gently lifted his son, careful not to wake him. He cradled him in the crook of his lion arm and stroked Kibou's mane softly. Kibou grinned in his sleep, snuggling further into his father's hold. Then Fluttershy handed him his daughter and Discord held her in his eagle arm same as his son. His children, his babies...both so different in appearance and yet both were a part of him. Discord knew from this day on he would love them both unconditionally and do anything to keep the two of them safe.
"They're both perfect Fluttershy. What did I do in life to deserve such happiness?" He looked over at her no longer able to contain the tears as they fell down his cheeks. She smiled at him lovingly and whispered, so as not to wake their sleeping kids.
"Discord, you've always deserved happiness same as every other pony…I know you still feel like you don't sometimes. You let love into your heart, pushing out the hate and rage...
"I love you so much Discord, and I couldn't be happier than I am right now with you and our children." She indicated for him to come closer and he stretched his neck to accept her soft kiss.
"I love you too my heart...Fluttershy, I still thank the heavens everyday for you...who would have thought that this all happened because you resisted my temptation in the maze?"
Fluttershy giggled and looked at him curiously. He snapped his tail, since his arms were full and two tiny beds appeared. He settled his daughter in one and his son in the other. However Kibou popped out of his and into his sister's, curling around her and purring again. Something his son did when he was really happy.
Can't imagine where he got that? Couldn't be me...
Discord thought smiling at his little ones.
"I thought you said you realized you loved me after Tirek?" She whispered and he grinned back at her. He flashed himself into bed lying next to her, of course now the bed was wider. Thanks to his magic...he winked at her and playfully tugged on her mane.
"Sort of...I fully acknowledged I was in love with you after Tirek. However...I think you had fascinated me from the beginning my love. After all you were the only one who resisted my manipulation in every way. No pony has had that much faith in their friends, it both frustrated and intrigued me."
He pulled her to him and began to stroke her back gently, she sighed and snuggled against his chest. He smiled, he knew she was tired and he hoped he could help her relax. So he continued,
"I cheated, completely abandoning the game, to get my way...something I've never had to do before. Even back in my stone prison I thought about that moment all the time. I couldn't figure out how you had somehow outsmarted me and I became a bit obsessed. I wanted to challenge you again, I found myself wanting to see you. To see if you could still fight me back...I guess that's when my attraction really began as twisted as that sounds...
"That's why the second time we met I was even more determined to win our battle of wits. I thought that if I could manipulate you this time I would get over my slight obsession with you and be able to focus back on chaos."
She snorted and he laughed, then quickly quieted looking at the kids. He sighed when neither stirred from their slumber. He looked down and noticed his wife smiling against his chest. She nuzzled his fur and whispered,
"Don't stop my love...I'm enjoying this tale and I know you're about to get to the good part."
He chuckled and ran his claws through her soft mane.
"Indeed...Then Celestia got her bright idea to have me reformed. I heard this and mentally rolled my eyes, not caring at all. That is...until I heard your name. I heard Celestia say she wanted you to be the one to reform me and I wanted to shout in glee. Celestia was unknowingly giving me exactly what I wanted. I decided I would manipulate you into not using your element, thus winning our battle and freeing myself."
Discord kissed the top of her head and sighed, remembering everything about that day. How at first it was all a game, but when she had sincerely called him a friend something inside him cracked. He wouldn't figure out until later that it was the ice wall surrounding his heart.
"When we were all at Sweet Apple Acres I put everything into action. I knew that if you agreed to never use your element, you would hold to your promise. Knowing how pure of heart you were and that you considered us friends I knew I couldn't lose. Oh how wrong I was…
"You played right into it. Agreeing to never use your element, even when I didn't fix anything only making it worse. I was so excited I was free and I couldn't help the gloating as I rubbed it in your face that I had finally won. I still remember when you shouted that you weren't my friend. I brushed it off as nothing, still following you gloating that it meant nothing to me…
"But...but when I said it out loud...that I would lose the only friend I've ever had. My heart stopped...as the realization hit that you had accepted me, faults and all, without any hesitation. You let me in and in the process had somehow wormed your way into my heart. Fluttershy, that day the shield surrounding my heart shattered and for the first time I wanted to let somepony in."
He lifted her chin and met her beautiful eyes, which were misting with tears. He stroked her cheek, smiling lovingly at her. His wonderful wife, the one that had changed everything for him...for the better.
"I started to fall in love that day...even if I didn't realize it then, I do now. I wanted to keep you in my life, even if that meant giving up my chaotic ways. I was falling in love with you more and more with each letter you sent me. I still have all of them you know...Sure I still played a few tricks on you once in a while…"
"Like forgetting my name?" She whispered and he chuckled remembering the look on her face. She had looked hurt, and he remembered feeling uncomfortable for making the joke. Again something that had never happened to him before.
"Yes...I could never really forget a thing about you darling. However, I was thinking more about the vines. I didn't mention what they were, choosing to drop some hints and let you figure it out. Of course I was also secretly keeping an eye on you...I didn't want anything to happen to you even if I pretended I didn't care. The whole time we were friends I was slowly falling deeper and deeper my dear. Never fully realizing just how much you meant to me, I didn't understand anything about love then, so I figured you were just an important friend. So my darling Fluttershy...as I said earlier. I've been falling in love with you since that day in the maze, even if it only started as a slight attraction. It was after Tirek and my betrayal…"
He had to stop, the thought still brought him pain. It had been years since Tirek, but it was still a wound on his heart that wouldn't fully heal. Fluttershy reached up stroking his cheek, understanding completely. Another reason he loved her so much, she knew what he was feeling without him having to say a thing. He whispered,
"After the Tirek incident had ended I was so worried you would want nothing to do with me. I was so afraid of losing you and I began to understand just how much I needed you in my life. Nothing surprised me more than that first letter I got a week later. It was just like all the others. Not once did I see any hint of malice or force in the words, like you were only writing because you felt you had to. I would have been able to tell the difference from your other letters. This one had the same sweet-toned words they always did, you even asked me how I was feeling after everything. I was shocked and filled with amazement that you were still thinking about my well-being after everything I had done.
"When I saw you again I couldn't believe that you were so sweet and caring, or that none of it was faked. You were still sincere about me being your friend and I found myself falling at your feet in worship. Never had I met a pony with a purer heart than you my dear. That's when the last crack broke in my heart. I was completely and hopelessly in love with you and once I came to terms with this I wanted nothing more than to have you by my side forever…I love you so much Fluttershy. I still can't believe you love me back, but I'm so grateful that you do."
He whispered wiping away her tears, knowing they were tears of joy caused by his words. He leaned in and kissed her deeply, holding her tight against him, but careful not to jostle her too much. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back just as passionately. He growled softly running his claws through her mane.
"Careful you two that's what got you here in the first place." Twilight said.
Fluttershy and Discord pulled apart and looked at the door to see their friends watching them. Both blushed at having been caught then they looked at each other and laughed.
"We got impatient when you didn't come back for us. Remember we want to meet our new niece too." Pinkie said as she bounced over to the little bed. Her eyes got huge and she shoved her hooves in her mouth to keep from screaming.
She motioned for the others to come over and they all sighed and 'awwed' softly.
"Who knew the children of Chaos would turn out to be such cuties!" Pinkie whispered, trying so hard not to explode at all the cuteness. Discord chuckled at that comment wondering the same thing.
"What did ya two decide on for the name?" Applejack whispered to the couple.
"Flitterbee...in honor of her beautiful mother." Discord whispered as he stroked his wife's mane.
"Oh how precious! Look at little hope...he already loves his darling sister. Oh and isn't she just the cutest little thing!" Rarity whispered excitedly.
Rainbow nodded and gently stroked Flitterbee's mane.
"She sure is. Although I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed she looks so normal...is that weird?" She asked and the others softly laughed.
"Not really Rainbow. I think even mom and dad are surprised. Am I right guys?" Twilight asked as she turned away from the two sleeping cuties.
Discord nodded and Fluttershy whispered,
"We're just so happy that she's healthy and that Kibou doesn't seem to care that she's not like him. I can't tell you girls how much Discord and I were worrying he'd be upset or jealous if she was more pony-like than he is."
Spike leaned over, he was now only a couple of feet shorter than Discord and as a result he had asked Discord to cast a spell stopping his growth, physically anyways. He didn't want to grow so large he wouldn't be able to live with his new wife, Applejack.
"We should stop worrying about this little kiddo. He's not the type of pony to judge others based on how they look. Little hope loves every pony and everything equally." He whispered as he stroked the baby draconequus' mane. The others smiled and nodded as they continued to admire the tiny creatures.
Discord hugged his wife and kissed her forehead.
"Yes...Little Kibou has truly shown us today what's in his heart."