Discord's Patchwork Adventure

by Comicizzum

Reconcile

Discord led the procession of ponies and humans out of the conference room and down the hall until he stopped and turned to face an empty wall.

“This will do nicely,” he declared, turning to Cordy. “I really hate having to ask for your assistance again but…”

Cordy smirked and held his fingers at the ready. “Just tell me what you had in mind and I’ll make it happen.”

“Huge room on this wall equipped with enough beds for the mares and ladies, queen size should work for each. And please give them a personal touch. They’ll also need all the required items associated with sleep preparation. None of the ponies need clothes but make a sleeping mask for Rarity. On this wall,” he pointed to the opposite side, “two separate rooms, one for the stallions, one for Shining Armor and Flurry Heart. Queen size beds are fine but be sure to add a crib for Flurry and all required baby needs.”

Two Cordys materialized in the hallway, each wearing a construction uniform and yellow helmet.

“You get all that?” the first Cordy asked them. They nodded. “Let’s get to work.”

Each cracked their knuckles, put on their gloves, and began snapping their fingers. Three doors appeared and each stepped inside a separate room. Caution tape appeared over the doors and various sounds of hammering, sawing, and the occasional swear could be heard. Mirror Fluttershy blushed at the profanity, quietly apologizing for her boyfriend’s language.

Discord merely chuckled. “Part of the job, my dear. I would have thrown in a few colorful words myself.”

“Discord!” Fluttershy reprimanded.

The draconequus shrugged with an unashamed grin. She rolled her eyes and shook her head hopelessly.

“Is all of this really necessary?” Twilight asked just before the doors opened and all three Cordys stepped out, each looking like they’d been at work for hours.

“Of course it’s necessary!” Discord said.

“Before they go in, how about you do an inspection,” Cordy suggested, mopping his brow while his two doppelgangers disappeared.

“An excellent idea.”

Discord went into the ladies' room first, shutting the door behind him. Fourteen beds, seven on each side, were decorated in tailor-made designs that he instantly knew each woman and mare would love. The cutie mark symbols were etched into each headboard, the pillows and blankets matching the various color scheme of each pony and girl. He highly approved of the Fluttershy beds; white trimming with adorable teal butterfly images printed over a light pink material. Cordy had even included a plushie bunny for his Fluttershy and plopped the real Angel on Fluttershy’s bed. The little demon spawn began hopping up and down, shaking his paws while yelling at the draconequus.

“Don’t let Fluttershy hear that sailor's mouth of yours,” Discord warned. “And while we're openly expressing our feelings, I’m not very happy to see you either. Ripping my arm off was going a bit too far, don’t you think?”

Angel huffed, sticking his nose in the air.

“Oh, I had it coming, did I?” Discord growled. “Maybe I should return the favor? How would you like to be your little friend over there?” he pointed to the stuffed bunny on Mirror Fluttershy’s bed.

Angel stiffened, his ears flattening as he stared angrily at his sworn enemy.

Discord sighed. “Look, I’m honestly too tired to continue our usual bickering. Let’s call it a truce tonight, eh? We have greater things to be worried about anyway.”

Angel thought a moment before nodding, holding out his paw. Discord shook it with his tail tuft before leaning in.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’ve been up to in my house the whole time I’ve been gone,” he muttered. “An entire room made out of vegetables, I’m sure, was a naturally tempting smorgasbord for you. You should be thanking me for being such a generous host. But let us be clear; if I find that you’ve damaged anything Fluttershy has made for me, I’ll skin you alive and sell your foot on eBay.”

Angel’s eyes went wide.

Glad to invoke such terror in the rabbit, Discord finished his appraisal of the room and made for the exit. Right before he opened the door, however, he turned back to Angel and grinned evilly.

“Oh, and one more little thing. Fluttershy kissed me. I’ll collect my winnings from our little bet after we’ve saved Equestria. Fifty bits; if I recall correctly. Have a pleasant night!”

Discord let out a maniacal laugh at the bunny’s flabbergast expression before opening the door.

“What say you, boss?” Cordy asked, looking at him expectantly.

“The multiple bathrooms were a nice touch,” Discord said. “I think they’ll like it. As for the stallion accommodations…”

He opened the doors and quickly assessed them. The room for Sunburst and Flash Sentry had an astronomy theme while the one for Shining Armor and Flurry Heart was reminiscent of a medieval castle.

“Perfect,” he declared. “But let’s see what the customers have to say. Ladies, mares, stallions, why don’t you take a look at your new temporary living conditions?”

Mirror Pinkie Pie was the first to open the door. She positively squealed and dashed inside, Pinkie Pie bouncing in right behind her. The other girls cautiously entered and several gasps were heard.

“Sweet Celestia!” Rarity cried, admiring the room from top to bottom. She turned to Cordy with stars in her eyes. “This is exquisite, darling!”

“Even the bathrooms are tailored to match us!” Mirror Rarity called from the bathroom that had three diamonds on its door.

The only door that had two different cutie marks on it was the one to be shared between Sunset Shimmer and Starlight. Pony and girl looked at each other and grinned, content with the arrangement.

“Angel!” Fluttershy cried, flying over and scooping her bunny up into her arms. “Oh, I’m so sorry I left you all alone here! Can you ever forgive me?”

Angel nodded before making wild gestures, occasionally pointing to the doorway where Discord stood. Fluttershy’s face turned bright red and she muttered something to the bunny. He continued to flail his arms until Fluttershy used that wonderful Stare of hers. Discord watched in silent satisfaction as a rather cowed Angel hopped off the bed and hid underneath it to sulk. Chuckling, he turned to see how the rest of the room was fairing.

The Twilights were hyperventilating, each eagerly exploring a collection of books about physics and magic from the built-in bookshelf of their headboards. Mirror Fluttershy was happily snuggling her large stuffed bunny. The Pinkie Pies had found the fully stocked candy and soda bar and were eagerly filling their arms with sweets. The Applejacks were trying not to show how much they loved the farm theme for their area and the Rainbow Dashes were drooling over the first edition Daring Do books stacked on their side tables. Sunset Shimmer was biting her lip, contemplating on whether or not she should turn on the portable game console she’d found on her pillow and Starlight was happily using her magic to move the magically suspended kites above her bed in an intricate dance.

“I take it you all approve,” he called.

“One hundred percent!” Rarity answered for the others, admiring her bedspread and the fashion magazines on top of it; her counterpart was still squealing happily over the vast makeup selection in their bathroom.

Cordy stepped up next to Discord and smiled, watching the Fluttershys’ excitement upon finding bunny slippers under their beds.

“The stallions approve of their rooms too,” he said. “They’ve already retired for the night. Flurry Heart was looking pretty tired. She did seem rather thrilled with her stereotypical princess-themed room.”

“That’s good,” Discord muttered, somewhat distracted, watching Fluttershy interact with her friends. “Are you going to stick around? You’re more than welcome to make your own room.”

“I probably should,” he answered, chuckling as his Fluttershy squealed over her bunny themed pajamas. “Don’t want to go too far with everything going on.”

Discord nodded. “Do me a favor though; keep any and all tongue tango-ing and canoodles with your Fluttershy behind closed doors. Light make outs are fine but the heavy stuff…Well, we are trying to keep this an M-rated free zone.”

Cordy chuckled. “I’ll pass the message along. Flutterbunny is usually the one who starts it anyway.”

“Really?” Discord said with a raised eyebrow, staring at his Fluttershy with interest. “I wonder…”

Cordy shrugged. “You never know. They’re the same in a lot of ways but also different.”

“Like us.”

Fluttershy looked over at the doorway and Discord stiffened. She said something quietly to Mirror Fluttershy before slipping off her bed and making her way towards them, her hoofsteps soft and sure.

"Uh-oh," Cordy muttered. "I sense a heavy conversation on the rise. Need a distraction?'

Discord sighed, shaking his head. "No. Better to get it over with now than to let the boiling pot spill over."

"If you say so."

Fluttershy reached them and stopped. "Hi," she said, unable to look Discord fully in the eye.

"Hi," he muttered, his tail tuft twisting in knots behind him.

"Can we, um, talk?” she asked nervously.

“Of course..”

“Um,” Fluttershy glanced over at Cordy, “Privately?”

Discord tried not to show his inner panic, keeping his cool as he motioned for her to follow. Cordy mouthed 'good luck' before hopping onto the ceiling and walking away in the opposite direction. Part of Discord wished he was walking alongside him.

Discord inwardly sighed, leading Fluttershy along, twisting and turning down the hallway; at one point they were walking along the wall though it felt like the floor. Eventually Discord reached a yellow door and pulled it open, revealing a rather chaotic study. A magnificent fireplace, standing on its side, occupied the far wall, a cheerful fire already burning vertically within the hearth. A huge bean bag sat in front of it. There was a desk with a wall full of books, all unevenly stacked, and a lovely liquor cabinet filled not with alcohol but every kind of imaginable treat. A pink cloud was tethered to the cabinet, a stack of paper cups nearby. In front of the 'confection' cabinet was a setting of two shaggy orange couches and a bright pink coffee table.

"This is where I write letters," Discord explained, gesturing to the paper on the desk.

Fluttershy recognized the leaflets immediately and smiled before looking around, happily taking in the chaos. "Nothing matches," she said with approval.

"Why thank you," Discord chuckled, heading over to the shaggy furniture. "Would you like something to drink? Tea perhaps?"

"That would be lovely," she said.

Discord walked over to the cabinet and selected a paper cup from the stack. He held it under the pink cloud and a stream of tea fell out the bottom like a mini cloud burst. As it hit the cup, the paper changed its shape and material, becoming a glass teacup covered in red polka dots.

"Anything from the cupboard?" he asked, gesturing toward the sweets.

Fluttershy looked down at her forehooves. "A cookie would be nice," she muttered, blushing furiously.

Discord smiled, knowing the exact reason for her rosy cheeks. He plucked a cookie from a jar and set the tea and treat down in front of her.

"Fluttershy, you know that everything you told me when I was a doll will never be shared with anypony else, right?" he said after getting his own drink from the cloud (chocolate milk in a tall glass) and a bag of roasted jalapeños from the cabinet. "There's nothing wrong with having a cookie before bed."

She sighed, quietly taking a sip of her tea. "I know. This is really good, by the way."

"Thank you."

Discord dunked a jalapeño into his chocolate milk and swallowed the thing whole. They quietly ate and drank as the most awkward silence in the history of their friendship descended upon them like a cloak of evil fog. Discord hated it. There were so many things that needed to be cleared between them but he didn't even know where to start.

"I know we put the whole doll incident behind us but, for some reason, I'm still sensing that it's a problem," he finally confessed, unable to stand the silence any longer.

Fluttershy's eyebrows drew together, her gaze locked on her tea. Discord opened his mouth to try again when suddenly she slammed her teacup down on the table and shrieked at the top of her lungs. No words accompanied her vocal frustration and Discord watched with morbid fascination as she picked up a pillow and flung it across the room. He would have smiled at the chaotic display if not for her tears. They were thick and fast, her teal orbs swimming with hurt.

"F-Fluttershy?" he hesitantly prompted.

She quickly wiped at her cheeks, uselessly trying to dry them.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I'm just so- oh, I don't even know how I feel! I'm hurt. I'm confused. I'm angry. I'm peeved! Excuse my language. I just can't believe that for all these years I've successfully kept my feelings for you a secret and some big dumb meanie comes along, turns me into an animal, and lets my primal instincts reveal everything on full display for everypony to see!"

She buried her face in another pillow and screamed before sobbing, her shoulders heaving between gasps. Discord was at a complete loss as to what to do. He was positively delighted to hear her romantic confession but now was not the time to rejoice. He nervously watched as Fluttershy withdrew from her hiding place, holding the pillow, debating whether or not to throw it too.

"First I snuggled with you -in my bed!- while not knowing it was you," she muttered, her eyes drawn down towards the pillow's fractal pattern. "Then I told you things I would never tell you. And I kissed you!" Her face, already red from crying, grew, if possible, an even deeper shade at the thought. "I never imagined the first time would be in front of all our friends! I always pictured a more private setting. And then… in Canterlot… and the cave…"

She stopped and shook her head, unable to continue.

Discord looked down at his chocolate milk. "I'm so sorry, Fluttershy," he muttered remorsefully, “For all that has happened to you. Thanks to the Pillars' untimely spell, I couldn't gather any chaos- which was why I couldn't immediately come to your rescue. I'm sorry it took me so long and that my attempt failed. For what it's worth, I found Flutterbat utterly attractive. I'm not surprised my primal self drew to the same conclusion after nearly…"

He stopped, his eyes fixing on his paw. He could still feel the way his claws had raked into her flesh. Suddenly he was plunged back into the memory of actually enjoying hunting her, hurting her, listening to her scream; the smell of her blood and the hunger to taste it; seeing the fear in her eyes as he loomed over her, relishing in her helplessness.

Something wet hit his hand and he watched as the clear drop soaked into his paw. It was quickly followed by others. He blinked, confused as to why his vision was stinging and blurred until he realized he was crying. The hurt and self loathing came rushing from his heart into his veins like a poison, spreading everywhere like rapid fire. The tears doubled.

The Lord of Chaos curled up on the couch and turned away, crying in a way he'd never cried before.

Curse you, Fluttershy. You're the only pony who has ever made me care this much… and it hurts! It really, really hurts!

In his youth he'd cried plenty of tears from being rejected and hunted. But crying because he cared about somepony else? This only happened with her.

"I told myself I was never going to hurt you again," he sniffled, not sure she was even listening. "But it happened again. And this time it was physical as well as emotional. I hate myself. I wouldn't blame you if you hated me too."

He produced a tie dye handkerchief and blew into it messily. The soiled cloth flew up into the rafters of the ceiling like a bat. Discord rested his head in his hands, hunching over miserably. Fluttershy stared a moment before slipping off the couch and coming around the coffee table to his side. She reached out towards his lion arm, her hoof slightly shaking. Taking his paw, she slowly began guiding it towards her neck. Discord immediately panicked, shaking his head frantically, trying to pull away.

"It's okay," she soothed, her voice soft and smooth.

“No,” he weakly protested, fear freezing his heart.

"It's okay," she gently repeated, squeezing his paw with her hoof.

He searched her face, still afraid. Her teal orbs displayed nothing but unbridled love and trust.

"Touch me, Discord," she whispered. "Please."

Discord swallowed, his paw shaking as she drew it closer to her pale yellow coat. He hesitated. She nodded encouragingly, letting go and becoming remarkably still. His heart pounded terribly within his chest. The memory of hurting her frightened him. His paw twitched and he drew back.

"Discord," she whispered, her eyes filled with desperate pleading.

He looked at her, swallowing what felt like a soccer ball in his throat. Taking an unsteady breath, he took the plunge and rested his paw against her neck. He scrunched his eyes shut, his whole body as tense as a bowstring. An eternal second passed.

She was soft.

She was warm.

Fluttershy released her own shaky breath and Discord, sensing her fear, started to pull back.

"Don't!" She cried. He froze. "Please," she said in a quieter, gentler tone. "Please, do what you did before, when you attacked me. Without the claws."

"Fluttershy," he protested, shaking his head.

"Please," she begged.

Looking at her, he saw his own desperation reflected in the windows of her soul and finally understood. She needed this just as much as him. Biting his lip, he moved his paw down her neck, along her side, and across her flank. She shivered fearfully under his touch but did not back away, her breathing labored.

"A-Again, please," she whispered, eyes shut.

He repeated the action, his arm still shaking, Fluttershy trembling beneath him.

She made the same request ten more times before the shivers, shaking, and fearful breathing finally stopped for both of them. Eventually she looked up at Discord, triumphant. She took his paw and this time he did not shy away.

"A monster could never touch me as kindly as you just did," she declared. "Each time, you used the same amount of gentleness. You are not what Tirek made you to be."

Never would she be able to fully comprehend just how much her words meant to him. Admiration and affection bubbled from Discord's heart and spread all the way to his toes and the tips of his horns. There was no doubt or question in his mind; He loved this mare.

Discord looked down at his paw then up at her. "Thank you, Fluttershy," he said with the utmost sincerity before reaching forward and cupping her face. "The same goes for you, you know." Her eyes started to water again. He wiped away a stray tear. "You, my dear sweet pony, are the embodiment of kindness. You, under your own power, would never hurt another creature."

Her eyes glistened, severe emotional pain furrowing her brow. She shook her head and looked away, hiding behind her mane. "I drank its blood, Discord. And I enjoyed it."

"You were a vampire pony," he gently stated. "You were hungry and needed to eat.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better about it!” she snapped before immediately cowering behind her mane. “I’m sorry,” she whimpered. “I’m just so confused. I know what you’re saying is true but I can’t help but feel like I’ve betrayed everything I stand for. How can I look another animal in the eye? How can I possibly take care of them knowing what I did?”

She buried her head in her hooves and sobbed. Discord immediately wrapped his tail around her torso and lifted her up until she was right in front of him. He could feel her trembling as she took great gulps of air. He gently moved her hooves away and brushed away her tears.

“Fluttershy,” he muttered, waiting until she was looking at him. Her teal eyes swirled like the sea, shifting in constant disruptive waves, the turmoil of her soul open to his view. He placed both paw and claw on either side of her face, holding it gently but firmly in his grasp. “You are not what Tirek made you to be,” he reiterated, using her own words. “The Darkness forced you into becoming something that you fear. But you, Fluttershy, are not that creature. You are kindness. You understand and care for every creature that you come across; even the ones other ponies wouldn’t dare come near; like me. I’m not going to lie to you. You will probably struggle with the memories. But the best way to conquer those fears is to continue to do what you do best: caring for all creatures big and small.”

“I don’t know if I can,” she whispered brokenly.

Discord tilted her chin up and smiled. “You already have. The moment I woke up, you were right there, taking care of me.”

“But of course!” she cried. “Where else would I be? You needed me and-” she stopped, her eyes widening with realization.

Discord smiled and gently rubbed her cheek with his thumb. “There. You see? Your natural reflexes to help will always conquer any conflict you have with those creatures you love so much. And they will always love and trust you, no matter what. If anything, they’ll blame me for what happened. I'm the one that hunted down the deer and ate the flesh off its bones. Out of the two of us, I'm the real monster here."

He hung his head and gently lowered her back to the ground. Fluttershy immediately reached out and put a comforting hoof on his lion arm.

"You're not a monster, Discord,” she stated. “You’re right; Tirek made both of us into something we’re not. This isn’t our fault. We need to accept we weren't ourselves and move on."

Discord turned away. "Fluttershy, look at me. Really look. You know your animals. You know the creatures that make up my body. You were not yourself but I was. The truth is…"

He stopped, his ears drooping, his head lowering further in shame. He couldn't bring himself to say it but she already knew. She rested a hoof over his paw. He flinched and looked away.

"You are not a monster. You're an omnivore," she stated. "I always wondered but I never had the courage to ask."

"You’re not…disappointed?" he asked, still unable to look at her.

"No," she said immediately.

Discord whipped his head around so fast his neck cracked. "What?" he rasped.

Her smile was small but kind. "I'm not disappointed, angry, or upset. I understand how the food chain works. I take care of both prey and predators, Discord, and sometimes that means I have to feed them. I may not like some of their diets but, if you like meat, I won't despise you for it. However, if you could do me a favor and not eat it around me, I'd appreciate that."

"O-Of course!" he hastily agreed. "I would never want to make you feel uncomfortable, Fluttershy, and I don't eat it all the time -I'm mostly vegetarian- but every century or so I get a crazy craving and-"

She smiled, interrupting his babbling by squeezing his talons. "It's okay," she said. "I understand."

And she really did. He could see it in her eyes. Shaking his head, he looked down at her hooves and whispered, "My dear, you are the most incredible mare I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. You astound me, Fluttershy."

She blushed sheepishly and tried to hide behind her mane again. "Really? Because you astound me."

Discord blinked. "I do?"

She nodded. "You were the one who fought through the beast Tirek created. You didn't kill me. You chose me. And I chose you." She looked away, blushing furiously as she whispered, "I still do."

Discord was in a daze, unable to fully comprehend what she had just said. Fluttershy scooted closer towards him and took a shaky breath.

"Discord?"

"Y-Yes?" he whispered, temporarily forgetting how to breathe.

"I love you," she quietly confessed, her teal eyes sparkling like stars in the sky, her cheeks glowing like clouds during a sunset.

Discord felt like the floor had been removed from under his feet. It was one thing to receive all the hints and actions, to see all the signs, but to hear the actual words…

"You… love me?"

She nodded.

"Really?"

She nodded again, her smile growing. Lightly scuffing the ground, she boldly declared in her adorably timid voice, "I love you so much! I would happily say yes if you asked me to be your special somepony."

A grin started to lift the corner of Discord’s mouth. He raised a questioning eyebrow.

'Is that an invitation, my dear?"

She looked up at him sweetly. "Maaay-be."

Discord's tail began to wag as he leaned forward, his pupils dilating excitedly.

"Fluttershy,” he eagerly asked, “would you do me the tremendous honor of becoming my very special somepony?"

She giggled and nodded. "Yes!"

He let out a happy squeal before picking her up and cuddling her tightly to his chest. Balloons, confetti, and tiny swirling steamers rained down from the ceiling as miniature fireworks started going off, the draconequus lifting her high and spinning her excitedly around the room. Fluttershy’s delighted laughter filled the air before abruptly ending as Discord pulled her in for a kiss. The happiness and joy he conveyed was communicated right back as Fluttershy applied more pressure, wrapping her hooves around his neck. The kiss was deep, lovely, and passionate; the best they had ever exchanged. When they pulled away, both were smiling brightly.

"Yay," Fluttershy sighed with a dopey grin.

Discord chuckled. "So, one hundred percent satisfied? No complaints?"

"None," she said, nuzzling the side of his face. He nuzzled her back. "For the record," she muttered in his ear, "I think you're the most handsome creature in the world."

Discord puffed out his chest. "Well, I should say so! I am one of a kind, after all."

"My one of a kind," she said, kissing his cheek.

Discord's ears wiggled happily.

Floating over to the beanbag chair in front of the fire, he set her down and coiled around her, resting his head in her hooves. She began stroking his mane and, to both of their surprise, he started purring.

"I didn't know you could purr," she giggled, stroking him some more.

"I didn't know either," he muttered, his voice vibrating slightly. "Never had a reason to."

Fluttershy kissed his head and the purr intensified. Discord closed his eyes in ecstasy, relishing the feeling of her hoof gliding across his neck. Eventually they switched places so Discord could return the favor, his talons gently stroking her mane. Fluttershy sighed happily and relaxed, resting her head against him.

As nice as this was, however, Discord's inner worries began creeping towards the surface. Eventually they grew so pressing he could ignore them no longer.

"Flutters?" he asked nervously.

"Hmmm?"

"Is everything okay between us?"

She pulled back and tilted her head. "I think so. Why do you ask?"

"I just wanted to be sure," he muttered. "There are things -other things- that I need to tell you but I don't want to resurrect the tension."

She frowned. "Are the other things urgent?"

Discord thought about it. He wanted to share all that he and Amity had discussed but fear held his tongue. There was a distinct possibility he could lose Fluttershy from the truths he held inside. He couldn't bear that thought; not after finally having her here with him. Chaos help him, he was selfish. He wasn't going to bring up any further revelations tonight. One day she would know everything. And when she did she would see the monster he really was.

Shaking his head, he gently pressed her back into his chest and kissed her forehead. "It can wait."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes," he muttered, hating himself.

He returned to stroking her hair, pushing the secrets and the guilt into a room within his mind, angrily slamming the door shut. It would all break out eventually but, for now, he could pretend that everything was perfect; that Fluttershy would always love him.

Just focus on the here and now, you idiot. She's in your arms. She's declared her love for you. You're special someponies! Stop worrying about the future and enjoy the moment.

But I hate lying to her.

You've lied to her before and she forgave you.

Yes, but those lies were nothing compared to what I'm currently hiding.

Well, she'll find out eventually and then you can do damage control. Now stop berating yourself and enjoy the fact that she's nuzzling you again.

Discord pulled himself out of his mental argument and realized she was indeed rubbing her face against his chest, even leaving the occasional kiss on the surface. He blushed and chuckled, closing his eyes to relish in the feeling each kiss inspired.

"This is nice," he muttered after a while.

She hummed in agreement, kissing him again before burying her nose happily into his fur.

"I should really get you back to your room," he said, trying not to give into the sudden increased longing of exploring every inch of her.

"Just a little longer?"

Her plea was so adorable and innocent. How could he not resist?

"Alright," he consented, "Just a little longer."

Fluttershy smiled happily, rubbing her cheek against him. "You smell good," she confessed, her cheeks darkening. "You always smell good."

He blinked. "Really?"

She nodded, giggling slightly. "The smell always changes but I love it every time."

Discord's cheeks darkened, both from pleasure and embarrassment. "What do I smell like right now?"

"Sweet, like cotton candy."

Discord blinked again. "Odd. But, then again, I'm me so that shouldn't be surprising."

She lifted her head up and kissed his lips. "I love it."

He smiled and kissed her back before the two of them returned to their earlier position of her resting comfortably in his arms, his talons tenderly running through her pink locks.

Eventually Fluttershy's breathing evened out and he knew she'd fallen asleep. Chuckling quietly, Discord gently floated up into the air and carried her back to her room.

Most of the girls and ponies were already asleep. Sunset, Twilight, and Starlight were awake, talking quietly on Sunset's bed. They stopped their conversation when Discord came in, eyeing Fluttershy with worry. Their silent concern relaxed, however, when they saw she was merely sleeping, snuggled comfortably in the Chaos Lord's arms. They watched as Discord carried her over to her bed and gently laid her on the mattress, tucking her in. Uncaring of the reactions he was sure to cause, he bent down and kissed Fluttershy's head. She smiled and sleepily opened her eyes.

"Dissy," she whispered. "I love you."

Discord's face and ears burned pink as he happily wagged his tail. "I love you too, Flutters."

He left her then, walking past Sunset's bed, ignoring the sly smirks on the ponies and woman’s faces.

"Goodnight ladies," he said without stopping.

"Goodnight," they answered.

He shut the door and immediately heard them start to giggle. "Women," he said, rolling his eyes, a stupid grin plastered to his face as he floated off to his room.

He later fell asleep the happiest draconequus in the world, ignoring the shadows of guilt and fear desperately trying to break down the door.

Author's Note:

Full recovery from their animalistic experience is going to take time but I felt this was enough for Discord and Fluttershy to handle right now. I also wanted to move on to other topics in this conversation because fluff. Lots of fluff. What can I say? I love writing these two; especially when cuddle scenes present themselves.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

How come Cadence didn't get her body transformed in the cover art?

[taterforlife]

It was all the honesty and angst a reader could want with dollops of kisses and cuddles and I just wanna squeal and read it all over again.

You really are great at showing how Discord just works as a reformed friend of everyone and how far he could have gone if the writers could have just been good and consistent with his progress...

Love how Discord and Cordy interact too. I really want to know more about how they differ from each other in personality, both those two and the Shys...

I'm excited to see how it all unfolds from here, and what is left to be told, what secrets are left to tell. Clearly, not all the baggage has been unpacked.

P.S. The scene where Fluttershy encourages him to touch her until they're both calm was such a beautiful moment of their relationship. Well done, my friend.

[Comicizzum]

11421079
If you look, you'll see subtle differences with Cadence. Her hair has a wave to it, similar to what Celestia and Luna's usually does, her pupils are slits like the others, she has fangs, and her crown is black and red. If I hadn't been trying to fit all the characters on the page, I would have been able to show a little more of her differences.

[Comicizzum]

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Thank you so much, Tater!! One of the fun things about fanfiction is being able to dive in deeper with the characters of the shows we love. I'm truly grateful for your compliment concerning how I write Discord. I really wanted to be sure to express that while his relationship with Fluttershy is blooming into something more, he still desires -and is trying- to be friends with the others.
Hopefully I'll be able to show a little more of how Discord and Cordy differ. They're honestly pretty similar to each other; more so, I think, than they may realize.
Well, I have to have some secrets he's still hiding away; gotta keep the drama moving!
I'm so glad you loved that part! It was one of my favorite scenes of this chapter. The moment was pretty vivid in my mind and I'm really happy that I was able to write in a satisfactory way.
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts. They're always a joy to read and to respond to!

[GeekCat]

I'm glad to see that Fluttershy and Discord had a chance to just talk. They've been through a lot, in only...a day? Two days, maybe? It's probably going to take a lot longer for them to fully recover (especially from being turned animalistic), but this was a good start. Seeing them being honest with each other, each assuring the other that they are not a monster for what happened to them under Darkness...oh, my heart! And Fluttershy encouraging him to touch her was so tender...

And they're officially together, they've said their confessions! Hooray!

Honestly, I love seeing Discord and Cordy interact with each other. Discord telling Cordy to "keep things PG" with his Fluttershy, in a way, was funny. And the fact that Mirror Fluttershy is more often the instigator is interesting...and Discord seems to think the same thing.

Discord. Discord what are you hiding. Discord you need to be honest with your new marefriend.

[Comicizzum]

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This was one of my favorite chapters to write. Discord expressing tenderness to Fluttershy and Fluttershy endlessly giving compassion to Discord always makes for a wonderful scene.
Having open communication in a relationship is so important! That being said, Discord still has a long way to go. He's never actually been in a healthy romantic relationship before so this is all new to him. His secrets will get out though; secrets always do, one way or another.
I'm glad you like Cordy and Discord. They're hilarious subjects to write!

[taterforlife]

I'm rereading the fluttercord bits again because I have a problem and I just wanted to say...

Knowing that prior to Fluttershy, Discord was only attracted to those with chaotic feelings teeming within them, this chapter only highlights how his love is actually for HER. She has so many chaotic, crashing waves of emotion right now. But Discord does everything he can to soothe her.

What a wonderful detail to discover after re-reading, knowing what I know from chapters after!

[Marina Stars]

hehehehe... I'm home! And it looks like I've got quite a bit to catch up on! It'll probably take me a little while but I'm excited, and intrigued. A year and a half and sixteen chapters later and it's still unfinished? I have a feeling I'm in for quite the ride!

I'm glad Fluttershy and Discord could talk through things here, and at least start the healing/recovery process. The trauma is being acknowledged and worked through and not swept under the rug! Well done. Plus them working through the fear by Discord repeatedly touching her until they were both okay was a nice way to accomplish that. I'm also really impressed how much effort Discord is putting into this relationship. In general he appears very casual about his friendships but it's really starting to show how much he cares, he's putting a lot of effort into being better and communicating and all of that. But he's also showing ho he cares not just for Fluttershy (that one is pretty clear anyways), but for the others. Then there's the Discord and Cordy dynamic and am looking forward to seeing more of those two interacting.

And the fluff! It was sweet! I love these two

But based on this chapter and his conversation with Amity... Discord seems to know more than he is letting on about this mysterious villain... makes sense, he has been around for ages and has probably seen a lot of things. But I'm intrigued by what it is he might know?

Then there's also this secret, and I can't help but wonder if it is as bad as he thinks or is he overreacting and putting himself down as he tends to do?

So many questions! So many answers to look forward to!