Be Careful What You Wish For

Be Careful what you wish for

Chapter 12 –  Bonus Chapter – ‘Matters of the Heart – a Discord and Fluttershy Heart and Hooves Day romance’

My thinking tree has always been so comfortable.  Of course the fact that I have been given permission to do whatever I want with this small bit of land more than allows me to be comfortable.  To the outer appearance the tree is just that, a tree, but the moment someone was to land where I like I think it’s something else entirely.  I look at the hard wood floors, thatched ceiling, and sigh as I lean back in a faded blue recliner.  A squeak gets my attention and I look up to see a horned rabbit’s head sitting atop of an alligator’s body.

“Yes, it’s quite good to be home,” I replied.

“Squeak!”

“You were right, going and talking to Don and Lyra did give me some direction,” I admitted.

“Squeak!”

“No, I’m still not sure what it is I want to do.  This is the first time I’ve ever allowed myself to feel anything more than friendship.  I was curious,” I said.

“Squeak?”

“What do you mean have I told Fluttershy?  Of course I haven’t, not yet anyway.  I’m trying to think of something nice to do for her,” I stated.

“Squeak!!”

“Oh be serious for a moment…  No, wait, don’t do that.  I hate being serious.  Still, I seriously doubt that Fluttershy is going to find another stallion,” I replied.

“Squeak?!”

“Now that’s just ridiculous!  She wouldn’t just go looking for relief!  To think that sweet innocent Fluttershy would debase herself in such an act.  Reginaldus, you’re being difficult!” I exclaimed as I puffed out my chest.

“Squeak…”

“She only sees me as a friend if that’s all I act like?  What kind of madness is that?!  Fluttershy is very perceptive of how I feel!” I exclaimed again.

“Squeak,”

I watched as Reginaldus gave his parting words of wisdom and shook his head.  He crawled off toward the window to bathe in the sun.  I watched as a small toffee humming bird landed and pecked at its own legs just outside of Reginaldus’ grasp.  I knew what was going to happen and I watched as Reginaldus opened his mouth, a long forked tongue shot out and wrapped around the bird pulling it toward him. It was a sight to watch his sharpened rolls of shark like teeth shredding the candied bird to pieces in mere seconds.

Still, he had made a point that I didn’t want to accept.  Up until this point I had merely been Fluttershy’s pal.  There was never really a moment I had ever expressed any desire to be anything else, and perceptive as she might be Fluttershy was mortal.  Her time to do things, see things, and experience all that life had was limited.  Well, it would be if I didn’t interfere.

I snapped my claws and the coat rack walked toward me bringing a menu.  I looked over it and rubbed my chin.

“Splinter, I believe that I shall invite Fluttershy into my home for Hearts and Hooves Day.  What would you consider a meal fitting a first real date?” I asked.

Splinter, the coat rack, rubbed the knob that was his head and then pointed to an eggplant ala king meal.  It called for candied apples as an appetizer, and a thick chocolate mousse for dessert.  I nodded and watched as he walked the menu over to a kitchen stool and six puppets.  The stool and puppets studied the menu and set upon gathering the ingredients.

“Now, remember this must be perfect.  Of course we’ll need entertainment.  Candeo, do you think that you and the others can give us a floor show?” I asked the center candelabrum.

She nodded before igniting all of the candles around herself.  They began to dance in time with one another.  I clapped as they moved to an unheard music.  Seeing that it was unheard I reached out, found the dial for it, and turned it up.  The sound of a classical, prebanishment, Canterlot Waltz filled the air.  It was beautiful, heady, and reminded me quite a bit of Luna.  Then I remembered that this had been the very song played at Luna’s coronation.  Beautiful as it was I didn’t want Fluttershy to think that I was cheapening our date by using a mere princess’ coronation music.  This needed to be something else.  I reached up and turned another dial.  The sound that filled the air this time was lively, spastic, and the dancing of Candeo and her friends began to reflect the music.  It was wild, spastic, and so much fun to watch.

“Yes, this is perfect!” I exclaimed.

“Thank you, for tuning into Big Daddy Discord’s house of Swing and Jazz.  This is Big Daddy Discord playing all of the great hits of Equus and Earth.  Next, is a softer song, from Earth, a dedication from Discord to Fluttershy,” the voice said.

Earth Angel began to play, and I nodded.

“Yes, that’s perfect, be sure to play that song when she arrives,” I said.

“Of course, and now, back to the sounds of swing and jazz brought to you by the good people of Anarchy soaps and cleaners remember if needs to be tore down, restructured, and cleaned contact Anarchy,” the voice said as the sound of jazz filled the house.

I snapped my claws again and found myself outside of Fluttershy’s cottage.  Standing outside, with a grimace on his face, was Angel.  I looked at the small white rabbit and then looked at Fluttershy’s shed which was boarded up.

“What is going on?” I asked.

He looked at me and then made a heart motion.

“Heart and Hooves Day…  Oh…” I said realization hitting.

Angel nodded and then turned back toward the door and huffed out a sigh.  He quietly kicked the door once and then looked up at me.  He studied my face for a moment before an excited chitter escaped his small mouth.  He pointed to me, then to the door, and then back to me.  I grew amused at his grasp of the situation.  I almost expected to see him to show me some gratitude, but instead he rolled onto his back and began to laugh as if this was the funniest thing he had ever saw.

“And what is so funny?” I asked.

He chittered again and then quickly hopped up to the door, knocked on it.  I heard a sound behind it and the door opened just slightly.

“Angel Bunny, I told you that I can’t have you in here for the next couple of days…  Discord?” she asked sounding surprised.

“My dear Fluttershy, I have come to ask you to favor me with your presence on this Heart and Hooves day,” I said.

“I…  Oh Sweet Celestia you smell so good…” she muttered.

“I… what?” I asked.

Her door flew open and standing there was Fluttershy, with a slightly crazed look on her face, her eyes focused on me and a smile that simply reached too far back to go unnoticed.

“You smell so good Discord!” she cooed as she jumped up and wrapped her forehooves around my neck.

A quick glance around gifts me with the sight of Angel laughing so hard that it’s obvious he’s having a hard time breathing.  I can see why most everypony else dislikes the little white rabbit.  I feel Fluttershy tighten her hug against my neck and her breathing becomes heavy and erratic.

“Fluttershy…” I try to say before I pull my head off, step back, and reattach it.  Without warning she’s on me again, and this time she’s knocked me to the ground.  She nuzzles against me very affectionately, and I gently rub behind her ears.

“Fluttershy, do you have a special somepony?” I asked as she continued to attack me with her affection.

“Yes, I do now,” she whispered.

‘Just be nice to her.  She’s a nice mare, and she deserves being treated like one.  Don’t take her granted, and do something for her that she’ll really like, and if you really care for her then be ready to do whatever she wants on Hearts and Hooves Day,’ the memory of what Lyra had said floated around in my head.  I reached up, plucked the memory out and watched it for a moment before I pushed it back into my ear so it could disappear back into my thoughts again.

I hugged her back, and she felt warm, exceptionally warm.  I had seen the events of Hearts and Hooves Day well over a thousand years ago.  Luna, before her banishment, was chasing down a poor Lunar Pegasus and laying claim to him against his will.  Things were different then, not exactly better, but a bit more chaotic.

The memories of that poor Lunar guard, the sounds of his pleas not being answered reminded me of a very important thing.  This holiday was built on the ideal of insanity that would be forgiven.  Normally I would be all for a celebration of insanity.  Insanity, much like chaos, is a force much like gravity.  The closer one is to it, the quicker one falls into it.  There are a rare few that withstand the temptation of either, and even fewer who can overcome having fallen in only to redeem one of the forces.

I felt somewhat jealous of insanity at the moment.  It had its claws on Fluttershy.  True, I had once done something similar with chaos, but she had overcome falling into chaos.  The train of thought stopped when she squeezed and nuzzled me.  I wanted to win her back from insanity, and share what I had prepared with her.  It was something she would normally enjoy, but it did mean getting her to follow me.  I pulled myself in half and stepped back.  She looked at me, snorted and pounced.  I turned and began to fly chuckling as I heard her following me.

I knew that she wasn’t a strong flyer, but that seemed to have changed since the last time she flew any distance.  It wouldn’t be hard to out fly her, or vanish without a trace, but that would mean leaving her to insanity, and I refused to leave her to something that obviously liked to cheat.  We neared my thinking tree, and I turned to see her flying hard at me.

“LOVE ME!” she shouted as she neared me.

I waited, and she tackled me.  Whatever insanity had been running through her mind had flooded over her.  I held her, snapped my claws, and the sound of the song I had chosen earlier began to play.  She lessened her grip on me for a moment and looked around.

“We always have dinner at your home, and I wanted to share mine with you.  If I am your special somepony, and I truly hope I am, then  I wanted to make this day perfect for you,” I said.

She went back to nuzzling against me, and opened her eyes again.  The look I had seen on Luna’s face over a thousand years ago, the look that was obviously on every mare’s face in Ponyville, and I dare say all of Equus, was fading.  There was something else on her face.  It suited her.  Her kind eyes sparkled differently and she leaned up to me.  I felt something I had never expected to ever feel.

“This is Big Daddy Discord saying to share your hearts to all of you Avatars of Chaos and mares out there today,” the voice said at the end of the song.

“You went through all of this trouble for me,” she said.

“Of course I did.  You’re my friend, and over the years I’ve realized how close you’ve become to me.  I dare say I wouldn’t be the avatar of chaos I am today if not for you.  Fluttershy, I…” I found myself unable to finish the sentence.

I found the words stuck in my throat, and even I couldn’t pull them out.  Instead she kissed me once more, and when she did the words came out.  They filled the room with a feeling I wasn’t sure I would enjoy, but much like friendship itself I found myself wanting this feeling more and more.  She broke the kiss and placed her hind hooves on the floor.  Her right forehoof stayed in my left hand and she led me away from the dinner, from the show, from the music and to a place I hadn’t dared think of.

The room opened, a complete copy of the bedroom she had allowed me to stay in once long ago.

“I love you too,” she said.

Her touch was better than chaos, her kiss sweeter than any torment I could ever give Celestia, and the gift she gave me more precious than the freedom I once held so highly.  I held her, hours after she first began, knowing that things were different.  Change, now I could stand change.  Change wasn’t like insanity.  Change shared.  Change understood that there was give and take.  It wasn’t greedy like insanity was.  If I had to share I could do so with change, and change had given something else in return.

Change had given a marefriend in the place of a friend, and a lover in the place of a playful Avatar.