The Married Life
SPRING
Whoosh! A sudden bright flash of light sent the cluster of animals in Fluttershy's cottage scurrying for cover but they relaxed somewhat when they saw their caregiver, who was dressed in a modest white gown and matching veil, her pink mane done up in a bun and decorated with lilies. She was in the arms of a certain Spirit of Disharmony, wearing a black tux and red cummerbund, a gold band on his finger, a perfect match to the diamond ring on his new wife's hoof. Discord spun Fluttershy around, reveling in her giggling before dipping her down for a passionate kiss, something that made Angel Bunny look away in disgust while also somewhat happy at his mistress' newfound happiness. Humming "Here Comes the Bride," Discord carefully deposited Fluttershy onto the sofa and threw off his jacket, taking time to stretch out a few kinks in his neck and back. He peered at the yellow pegasus and sighed contently.
"Have I told you how beautiful you are, my dear?"
Fluttershy blushed. No matter how many times he said it, Discord's compliments always brought a heat to her cheeks. "Yes you did, sweetie. And once again, you are a handsome stallion yourself."
"I know," Discord responded with mock egotism, posing with his arms flexed like an old statue. "Sooner or later, a lucky mare was going to snatch me up. And it only took a thousand-plus years." He sat beside Fluttershy and tenderly took her hooves into his mismatched hands. "The wait was worth it because I got to meet you."
"And my life was never the same again," Fluttershy smiled, enjoying the sensation of Discord's fingers smoothing over her hooves. In society's eyes, he would never be considered attractive but to her, he was beautiful. "I love you."
Discord leaned forward, his lips a breath away from Fluttershy's. "I love you too, my Flutterbuddy."
Below a sunlit blue sky, the robins and blue jays joyously chirped, filling the air with their sweet songs as Ponyville's flowers were in bloom. The front of Fluttershy's cottage was surrounded by cardboard boxes of varying sizes, all filled with all sorts of items that were deemed ready for either a yard sale or for charity. Fluttershy sang a happy little tune as she finished packing the last box, which was filled with clothing she hadn't worn in years and figured would be put to better use at an orphanage. The squirrels and chipmunks were dusting the house while Angel Bunny and the other animals swept and mopped up the kitchen and living room, making the whole cottage sparkle and shine. The annual Ponyville Yard Sale and Blueberry Festival was tomorrow and Fluttershy wanted her house to be presentable for such an occasion.
"There, all finished. Now where did Discord...-?"
"You rang?"
Fluttershy should've been used to her husband's habit of materializing out of nowhere but she still jumped nonetheless. "Oh, there you are. Where've you been?"
"At my old place. There was so much stuff to sort through for the yard sale." He pulled a box seemingly from out of nowhere and dumped it, sending a large pile of springs tumbling to the ground in a glittering pile. "You have no idea how long it took me to scrub all of these things squeaky-clean."
Fluttershy picked up a spring and saw that it was clean enough so that her face was reflected off of its surface. "You know, you really didn't have to do that, sweetie. Why did you go through all this trouble anyway?"
Discord rolled his eyes. "Well, duh, it's called, 'spring cleaning,' is it not?"
Fluttershy's hoof lightly smacked into her face.
SUMMER
That year, Equestria was hit by the most severe heat wave it'd seen in years, sending its many inhabitants sprawling for the public pools, the Crystal Empire or, the most popular option, the many beaches lining its coasts. Discord took a deep breath and stretched himself out on his hammock, enjoying a chocolate milkshake as the sounds of the waves took on an almost hypnotic melody. Being a draconequus meant that Discord didn't have to limit himself to the same hassles of traveling that ponies did and simply teleported himself and Fluttershy to a private beach. What made this particular beach so private was the fact that he put a magical barrier around it that not only made it invisible but also made other creatures subconsciously avoid it. Now there would be no interruptions to their much-needed vacation.
Pulling off his sunglasses, Discord frowned and turned in the direction of the small tent he'd set up. What is taking Fluttershy so long? She can't be nervous to be out on the beach if we're the only ones here. He poofed over in front of the tent and tapped on the entrance flap. "Fluttershy? Are you okay?"
"Y-yes, I'll be right out!"
Discord shook his head. If it wasn't painfully obvious, most ponies went walking around without clothing so the need for a changing tent made little sense, even to a being of illogic. Besides, after their wedding night, a time in which they both had their first taste of carnal intimacy, he'd already familiarized himself with her anatomy and he was the only one around for miles. Ugh, this is what I get for trying to make sense for once! The tent finally opened and Fluttershy anxiously waddled out.
"Finally! I was waiting for...for..."
The draconequus' brain stopped working as he caught sight of Fluttershy. She was dressed in a light blue two-piece bikini, a garment large enough to not be considered improper but still small enough to expose a lot of skin. Even though it was impossible, somehow seeing the normally naked pegasus in such clothing caused Discord's eyes to bulge and his chest to gasp for air. The way she stood with her face partially hidden by her flowing mane and one hoof nervously clutching one foreleg made him want to gobble her up. It was an odd mix of cute and sexy but it did the trick.
"So...what do you think?"
"I uhhhhhh-gluhhhh." Discord slapped himself and chuckled nervously. "You look amazing."
Pulling her mane over one ear, a move that was extremely appealing, Fluttershy whispered, "Really? You think so?"
"Absolutely! I mean, you are a former model, aren't you?"
Fluttershy shifted on her hindlegs. "Well, I never wore anything so risqué, but I thought you might like it."
Discord slithered over to her, gulping loudly to try to alleviate his suddenly parched throat. "I don't like it. I love it," he murmured and pulled her into a kiss, his tail wrapping around her hindlegs. Seriously, how did I get so lucky?!
Fluttershy broke the kiss when she realized that Discord had picked her up and started carrying her towards the beach house. "Um, Discord? Where are we going? The ocean's over in that direction."
Discord's response was to nibble her ear with a soft growl. "Where do you think we're going? We're going inside."
FALL
Ponyville was a sea of reds, oranges, yellows and browns, everywhere you went there was a sea of discarded leaves piled up. The air had gotten a little colder and the trees shed themselves of their leaves in preparation of the coming winter. Truth be told, autumn was Discord's favorite season. The piles of leaves, and their many colors, were so deliciously chaotic compared to the greens of summer or the whites of winter. Then, of course, there was the time-honored tradition of jumping into leaf piles, an activity he preferred over swimming or bicycle riding.
Fluttershy wiped her brow, a sense of accomplishment washing over her at completing another leaf pile, leaving both of her yards looking spic and span. After that, she aided her animal friends in finding shelter and gathering enough food for their hibernations, since it was looking to be a particularly long and harsh winter. Just the thought of all those birds and woodland critters hungry and shivering nearly brought her to tears. Although she was deeply touched by Discord's repeated attempts to use his magic to ease her workload, Fluttershy honestly didn't mind as it gave her plenty of time with her animal friends and gave her a sense of self-joy after so much hard work. Some of that self-pride in one's work seemed to rub off on Discord as he was raking up some leaves as opposed to simply making it vanish with a finger-snap.
Once he'd raked enough leaves into his pile, which rivalled Equestria's tallest mountains, Discord summoned a diving tower and leapt off of it, landing smack-dab into the pile and scattering its contents. A trio of Discord copies held up large scorecards, which read, "9.0," "9.0" and "9.5" respectively as an invisible crowd whistled and cheered. Fluttershy peeled a leaf off of her face and rolled her eyes humorously. Of course. What else was I expecting? Discord surfaced and began to backstroke across the leaves as though he was in a lake.
"Come and join me, Fluttershy! The leaves are great!"
Why not? The work's pretty much already done. Getting in a running start, Fluttershy momentarily propelled herself through the air with a few wing-flaps and dove head-first into the leaves. She was momentarily lost in darkness and emerged to find that she was actually floating in a literal sea of leaves! There was a sound of a radar and a periscope rose out of the leaves, stopping a foot away from her face before morphing into Discord's features, only with a sailor cap and a corncob pipe.
"I yam what I yam and that's all what I yam. A-gah-gah-gah-gah-gah-gah!"
WINTER
Carols echoed across the ivory-white landscape, meshing perfectly with the red and white electric lights and decorated fir and pine trees. Despite the bitter chill of that particular winter night, the residents of Ponyville still stumbled through the snow to gather at the homes of their friends or loved ones, sharing in the holiday spirit of Hearth's Warming Eve. A year ago, if you'd asked Discord what he thought of Hearth's Warming, he would've responded with something along the lines of, "I have a better question: why should I care?" Now laying coiled up by the fire with his wife, Discord believed that it was a truly magical celebration of the power of love and goodwill towards all. Or, at least, an excuse to get presents, eat tons of sugary treats and wear matching sweaters.
His eyes came across the dolls perched up on the fireplace mantle and felt a pang of bittersweet emotions swell up in his chest. He'd been alone since he was colt, having lost his parents at a young age and having to fend for himself against wild animals and ponykind alike. He never knew what it was like to sing carols, drink eggnog or have a doll in his likeness. After all, a lonely draconequus in a land of ponies was hardly the place to put down roots and try to find acceptance. Now that he finally had that, he was going to hold onto it and treasure it for as long as he lived, which was going to be a very long time.
"Discord?"
A gentle voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He slowly uncoiled himself and gazed up at the pegasus laying nestled up against his chest, her beauty and softness making his heart ache. "Yes, Fluttershy?"
She bit her lip before answering, an admittedly cute action. "I...I wanted to give you something tomorrow for Hearth's Warming but I think you should open it now."
Discord shook his fists excitedly. "Ooo, an early present! Oh Flutters, you're the best!" He carefully lifted her off of him with his tail and crawled on his hands and feet towards the tree. "So which one is it?"
"It's the tiny rectangular box with purple wrapping paper," Fluttershy responded, sounding more skittish and reserved than usual. "Before you open it, just remember that it's a big deal and I hope you accept it."
"Fluttershy," Discord replied, taking note of the odd tone of her voice, "Don't worry. I'm sure I'll love it!" He picked up the box and gave it a quick shake, determining that whatever was inside of it was small and lightweight. Using his bird talons, he ripped through the wrapping paper and peeled open the box. He froze, his heart simultaneously stopping and speeding up as he beheld what lay inside. It was an oblong piece of plastic, white with a pink tip, and smelled faintly of urine. What drew his attention, however, was the small screen with a plus sign in the center.
Dumbstruck, he turned back towards Fluttershy, who sat statue-like on the floor, her eyes wide with fear and her lower lip trembling. Discord held up the piece of plastic and felt a tight ball slide down his throat as he gulped for air. "Fluttershy...are you...are we...?"
"Yes. We're having a baby."
A family? I'm...we're going to be a family. The idea was foreign to Discord, as odd-sounding as a flying fish with no wings and yet had a ring to it that never sounded so amazing to him. He glanced down at the pregnancy test, envisioning bringing a little him into the world, a little creature to love, teach and protect. He looked once more to Fluttershy, who was already on the verge of tears, a sight that always rendered him heartbroken.
"I...I'd understand if you weren't ready or..."
Discord coiled around Fluttershy and, clasping both hands to her face, latched his lips onto hers, feeling a whimper escape her mouth as she surrendered herself to it. When at last they pulled apart, Discord caressed Fluttershy's cheeks. "Why wouldn't I want this? Having a baby with the mare I love? Sign me up!"
Fluttershy wiped away her tears and giggled, "Are you sure? Babies are a lot of work."
"Honey, babies are just little agents of chaos and if there's one thing I know, it's chaos." He wrapped his arms around her, letting his love surround her like a blanket before softly adding, "All I ever wanted was a family. Now, thanks to you, I get to experience that. This is my Hearth's Warming miracle."
"Happy Hearth's Warming, Discord."
"And a Happy Hearth's Warming to you too, Fluttershy."
They kissed and cuddled next to the fire, secure in the knowledge that their little family would be growing, introducing more love into their lives. It didn't matter if it was the hottest summer or the coldest winter, as long as they had each other, Discord and Fluttershy could survive anything. Even a bouncing little bundle of joy and chaos magic.