The Mark of the Soul

by Comicizzum

Worth It All

Discord caught Fluttershy's head with his tail and gently lowered it down, resting it between her hooves. Settling back in his chair, the draconequus waited, watching her chest rise and fall with a tender smile.

“Poor dear.”

Discord jumped and whirled around. His mother had magically appeared, her beautiful form slowly walking over to look down at Fluttershy with a pitying smile.

“You dropped quite the bomb on her.”

Fluttershy’s animals scampered out of their hiding places (they always hid when Discord was around) and rushed toward Mother Nature, the bunnies and squirrels dancing about her legs while the birds and butterflies nestled themselves in her hair and on her back. The spirit chuckled.

“Hello my little ones. She’s taken very good care of you, hasn’t she?”

Several of them chittered in the affirmative.

“Mother, what are you doing here?” Discord hissed. “You can’t just show up unannounced!”

“Your father dropped by for a visit,” she revealed, unconcerned. “He was most displeased with me for rewriting the stars when it came to you.”

“What in the world is that supposed to mean?”

Mother Nature smirked. “He originally set you up with Pinkie Pie.”

“He… WHAT?!”

“He had hoped that between the two of you the world would plunge into eternal chaos,” she chuckled. “But we both know I couldn’t allow that. So I rewrote your destiny a bit when he wasn’t looking, enabling you to choose your soulmate. Don’t worry though; he approves of Fluttershy. She reminds him of me, afterall.” She winked. Fluttershy started to stir. “Oh, I’d best be off! I can’t wait for the grandchildren!”

Discord blanched. “Mother, at least let me court and marry her first!”

She jutted her lip in a slight pout. “Oh, very well. You two have a lot to talk about before any of that can happen anyway. Love you, son! Good luck!" She faded away.

Discord frowned. Good luck?

Fluttershy sat up. “Dissy?”

“I’m right here, Shy,” he said, slithering over and nuzzling her head.

She nuzzled him back automatically. “What happened?” He was about to answer when she gasped and looked up at him, her eyes filled with remembrance. “We’re soulmates.”

“Yes,” he said, his talon briefly stroking her ear where the Soul Mark lay.

“And I’m immortal now?”

“Yeeesss.”

“Because a piece of your immortality attached itself to me when the Soul Mark appeared?”

“That’s correct,” he said happily.

Fluttershy frowned. "Oh. I see."

Discord's grin quickly fell, his happiness spiraling into confusion at her sudden lack of enthusiasm. Hesitantly he prompted, "Fluttershy?"

The small yellow pegasus slowly slipped off the couch and relocated to a nearby chair, observing him silently. The draconequus began to squirm.

"Why do I suddenly feel like I'm in the dog house?" he asked, said house magically appearing with him inside.

To his bewilderment, Fluttershy’s eyes filled with anger and frustration. Taking a deep breath, she spoke calmly but her words felt sharp and harsh.

"You avoided me for weeks and now that I have your symbol on my ear everything is suddenly okay?"

He opened his mouth but then paused. "Would it be wrong to say yes?"

"Yes!" She snapped. "Do you have any idea what these past few weeks have been like for me? I didn't want to get a Soul Mark! I really didn't! But I decided to get one for you because you told me it was impossible between us. You told me I couldn’t have you.” Her voice cracked as tears began streaming down her pale yellow cheeks. “I wanted to be with you so much. When Rarity told me about the Soul Mark I thought it was the only solution. If I could rid my feelings of you, we could stay friends and everything would eventually be okay. But then you got mad when I decided to get one. You told me you weren’t going to show up but you did and it turned out to be you anyway! Was I not enough for you without it?"

A sob wrenched itself free from her tiny form and she collapsed onto the chair, hiding behind her mane and wings, her tiny body shaking as her lungs heaved.

Discord felt positively awful. Without realizing it, his form had shrunk down until he was the same size as that demon bunny; who was mercifully nowhere to be seen. He’d been so focused on his own feelings that he hadn't taken into account how Fluttershy was feeling through this whole ordeal. Had he really left her to wade through everything alone for weeks? Curse time and his ignorance of it!

Fluttershy’s sobs still filled the cottage, the dark eyes of her animal friends glaring at him accusingly from their hiding places. Discord bit his lip and slowly, hesitantly, slid off the couch and wandered over to his newfound soulmate, his form growing as he walked. He looked down at the Chaos Star on her ear and frowned.

Slowly, gently, he moved her feathers aside. Fluttershy looked up at him, her teal eyes filled with so much inner conflict. Normally such chaos and disharmony would thrill him but it felt wrong, seeing it within his beautiful Fluttershy. She wasn’t supposed to feel this way. He had put those emotions inside of her. This was all his fault. He had to make it right.

Tenderly, he stroked her cheeks, brushing the tears away.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice cracking unexpectedly. “I’m so sorry, my dearest Fluttershy. I’ve been stupid, selfish, and afraid. I hope you can forgive me; I’m no good at this sort of thing. Never in my very long life have I ever truly experienced being in love. You’re my first,” he chuckled darkly, “so naturally I screwed everything up.

“I stayed away because I didn’t feel like I was good enough for you. I was afraid of what kind of life you would have if you were with me, how other ponies would treat you. I was afraid the pain of losing you would be unbearable. And I was selfish because, despite driving you into getting this” -he pointed at the Soul Mark- “I didn’t want to share you with anypony else.”

"Is that why you showed up at Zecora’s hut?" she whispered quietly, her eyes locked with his.

"I went to see Cadence,” he confessed. “She -and my inner self- finally managed to beat enough sense into me to realize my concerns didn't matter. What did was to be with you, to spend the rest of your life with you."

"So you were coming after me?"

"I was coming to stop you,” he confirmed, unable to look at her. His face felt like he could fry an egg on it. “I'm a selfish old draconequus, Fluttershy. I’m sure you know by now that I have some serious issues when it comes to sharing."

Fluttershy looked down at her hooves and hid behind her mane. She quietly replied, “I can be selfish too.”

His ears perked up as he met her eyes again. She held a smile, befitting of her name. A slow grin started to climb Discord’s face, one of elation and hope. He leaned forward, stopping when he was mere inches from her muzzle.

“My dear canary horse, are you saying what I think you’re saying?” he asked. “Because an eternity with me is not going to be easy.”

Fluttershy surprised him by latching her hooves around his neck and pulling him into an extremely passionate kiss. “I think I can handle it,” she breathlessly replied.

Discord’s eyes opened, tiny hearts popping into existence all around his head. “Are you sure?” he asked, slightly dazed from such an unexpected but welcome show of affection.

She booped his snout. “Absolutely. But there’s something we need to be clear on.”

Discord cleared his head and refocused on her. “What’s that?”

The look she was giving was just as intense as the Stare. It left the Lord of Chaos spellbound.

“I don’t want something like this to happen again," she said. "I know it’s in your nature to lie but can you at least Pinkie Promise that when I confront you about any future issues you’ll come clean and be honest with me?”

Discord studied her silently, absorbing her request before making a decision. “For you, Fluttershy, and only for you, will I ever come completely clean- even if it takes me a while to do so.”

She smiled. “Pinkie Promise?”

“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” He materialized a yellow cupcake with pink frosting and shoved it in his right eye without mercy.

Fluttershy wrapped her hooves around his neck, nuzzling his fur with her muzzle. “Thank you.”

Discord held her tightly for a minute before setting her down and clearing his throat, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. She looked up at him questioningly.

“Are we okay now?” he hesitantly asked. “Because I honestly feel like this whole story has filled my sappy quota enough to last me a lifetime.”

Fluttershy giggled, not entirely sure what he meant by that. “For now, I think we’re okay. Would you like some tea?”

He leapt at the suggestion like a dying creature. “Please! I need some normalcy after all this!”

“I’ll put the kettle on.”

“Nonsense! Allow me.”

With a snap of his talons they were sitting side by side on the green couch, a plate of cucumber sandwiches and two cups of singing Ginseng spread on the table in front of them. The two took their cups in silence, simply enjoying one another’s company.

After a moment Fluttershy set down her cup. A deep blush stained her cheeks as she peeked up at her soulmate. He was currently munching on glass, a quarter of his cup remaining around the exposed cup-shaped tea.

“Discord?”

“Hmmm?”

She gestured to her ear. “I’m happy it’s you.”

Setting the now fully exposed tea on the table, he turned to look at her. “Really?” She nodded but he kept going, “Because if you’re not, I’m sure we can talk to my mother. I know that the whole ‘ascension to immortality’ thing can be quite the shock.”

Fluttershy took his paw in her hooves. “I’m sure it’ll take some getting used to but there isn’t any other draconequus I’d rather be with. I love you, Discord. You’re worth all the challenges of immortality to me.”

A smile rewarded her declaration, the most genuine and loving she’d ever seen on the draconequus’ face. Discord cupped her cheek and tenderly stroked it. “I love you too, Fluttershy,” he muttered, “More than all the chaos and disharmony in the world.”

Happily, the two closed the distance between them, their kiss sealing the beginning of an eternal destiny forged by choice and rewritten in stars by the hand of Nature herself.

Author's Note:

Thank you all for reading and taking the time to review. It's been a fun little journey.

Comments

[Hillbe]

Get a room you two
We suggest janitors closet at Twilights castle
That's it! I'm locking all the doors

You did real good!

[Comicizzum]

11227566
Thank you

[Eeveeandmudkiplover]

Is there a sequel in the works?

[Comicizzum]

11227653
Nothing currently in the works but I left it open so whenever I do decide to come back to it I can add more.

[taterforlife]

A beautiful and emotional ending to a beautiful and emotional story that we don't see much anymore since the show ended. One that ends with Discord giving an apology truly worthy of Fluttershy, for what he put her through. But ending in a way that ties the important things up but leaves it still open and all warm and fuzzy.

I loved this story. Your pacing was good, your plot had original elements, your characterization was on point, and the emotional aspects felt real, to the point where even Discord felt this was a story that needed some normalcy!

Thank you for the treat. I loved every chapter.

[Eeveeandmudkiplover]

11227719
And I'm excited to see where it will go in the future.

[Marina Stars]

"You avoided me for weeks and now that I have your symbol on my ear everything is suddenly okay?"

I was thinking the same thing, lol. You tell him Fluttershy!

This was an amazing read for sure. And I'm very glad they were able to talk and set things right. I found this wonderfully written and loved your unique use of soulmate magic. I truly hope to see more from you (even if future works are entirely unrelated to this story because, lets be honest, this had such a nice wrap up it wouldn’t need a full out sequel.) Best of luck! And Thank you for taking the time to write and share this beautiful story.

[Comicizzum]

11227767
Thank you so much for reading and for all of your comments. I know I'm a little late writing for the Fandom (that seems to happen to me alot. I'm always invested in a series after it's been over for a while.) I'm glad there are other Fluttercord shippers still out there and fans of MLP:FiM. It's been so much fun writing this story. I'd love to get the time to write some additional scenes. Like meeting the parents, courting, how season 9 would be different, the wedding, and those grandchildren Mother Nature mentioned. One day, when life isn't so crazy on my end.

[Comicizzum]

11227982
Thank you so much! I'm glad I was able to resolve it all in a way that was satisfying. I honestly have a couple ideas spinning around in my brain but it'll be a while before I'm able to write them out. I'd like to add some bonus scenes later, little drabbles in this AU of mine, when I've got the time. I appreciate your reviews and thoughts!

[sunflowering]

So um I enjoyed this a lot if my other comments didn't make that obvious. I see you've said you may dabble in drabbles if the fancy strikes. So my only request is this: more of your Mother Nature please haha. And letting Fluttershy meet the in-laws, especially dad-in-law, only for them to be utterly charmed by her and roast Discord too. That's it!! I'll be rereading this a lot, it's my preferred "this is the happy ending in immortality they deserve" AU now. 🦋💥💖

[Comicizzum]

11333578
Thank you very much! It's always fun to get Discord to open up about things.

[Comicizzum]

11333585
I'm grateful you love my story! Writing Mother Nature as his mom was super fun and, you're right, he really does seem like a colt to her in so many ways.

[Comicizzum]

11333597
Thank you so very much! I'm really thankful that this story is felt so highly by you as a Fluttercord satisfactory piece. It was a very fun story to come up with and share. It warms my heart to know that it's still being enjoyed. Sorry it's taken me so long to respond to your comments. I've read and appreciated each one very much. I would love to dabble into drabbles and, if that does come to pass, I will definitely have a meet the parents for both Discord meeting Fluttershy's family and Fluttershy meeting Discord's. It would be oh so fun to do! Now that this little universe exists, I can always come back and add more to it, some day. Thanks again for taking the time to read and review!

[new55]

That was a good story.