Mistletoe
It was that wonderful night of the year again, with all the presents and candy canes under the tree, the dolls hung up on the fireplace, and the merry sound of carol singing wavering through the town as the joyful spirit of Hearth's Warming Eve warmed the hearts of everypony in Ponyville.
Everypony's houses looked joyful and bright and full of Hearth's Warming spirit, but the brightest of all was Twilight Sparkle's castle.
Inside, Twilight and all her friends were helping to decorate the castle. Hearth's Warming was all about friends and family, and Twilight's were all here. Celestia and Luna had come over from Canterlot, and even Cadance, Shining Armor and Flurry Heart had come over from the Crystal Empire for the evening. This was a very special occasion.
"Careful, my little birdy friends," said Fluttershy, as a small group of hummingbirds lifted a wreath onto a nail, "I don't want you to get hurt. Careful. Careful. Perfect!"
She patted her hummingbird friends on the head and fluttered back down to the floor. Looking around at all the decorations, she smiled. It was the perfect Hearth's Warming Eve. Rarity was hanging up wreaths and tapestries, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were feasting on Applejack's eggnog, and Twilight and Spike were decorating the tree while the rest of Ponyville helped set everything up.
But there was one person who didn't seem to be enjoying the festivity. Fluttershy noticed Discord sitting by himself on the staircase, watching everypony else decorate the castle. He seemed rather glum, and certainly didn't seem to be getting into the spirit of the holiday. Fluttershy realized he had never celebrated Hearth's Warming Eve with his friends before. He probably didn't know how to enjoy it.
How could Fluttershy cheer him up?
Then the perfect thing popped into her head!
"Twilight!" she called, fluttering over to the purple alicorn, who was placing the star on top of the tree, "Twilight!"
"What is it, Fluttershy?" asked Twilight.
"I just have to zip home for something," said Fluttershy, "I'll be back in two flaps of a butterfly's wings."
With that she fluttered out the door and shut it behind her.
A few minutes later, she returned to the castle with a small blue box in her hooves. She pushed open the front door and fluttered towards the staircase, where Discord was still sitting.
Discord looked round at all the ponies decorating the castle for Hearth's Warming Eve. He had to admit, the castle looked nice. He just didn't really know how to join in. He had never celebrated Hearth's Warming before, and wasn't sure what he should do.
Until he heard a little voice say from beside him: "Happy Hearth's Warming, Discord."
The Lord of Chaos looked over to see Fluttershy hovering there, holding a box wrapped in blue paper with a pattern of pink butterflies on. It was tied with a bright red ribbon.
"This is for you," Fluttershy said, holding out the box, with a big smile on her face.
"You...got me a present?" said Discord, in a touched voice.
"Mmm hmmm," Fluttershy nodded, "I was planning on saving it for tomorrow, but I want you to open it now. I want you to get into the spirit of Hearth's Warming Eve with all your friends. Happy Hearth's Warming, Discord."
She pushed the box into his hands.
Discord looked rather touched, then slowly pulled off the ribbon and unwrapped the box. Fluttershy waited anxiously for his response. Opening the box, Discord pulled out a hoof-knitted pink scarf with two white stripes on both sides and braids dangling from the ends. Written along it in blue letters was the word DISCORD, and in the middle, knitted with a variety of different colours, was a picture of him. Fluttershy had painstakingly knitted it and pulled it apart over and over again until it was perfect.
"Fluttershy," said Discord, his face breaking into a warm smile, and his voice sounded rather choked, "You made this for me?"
Fluttershy nodded. "Do you like it?"
"Fluttershy, you put all that work in to make this for me, how could I not like it?" Discord said, cupping her cheeks in his hands, "I love it."
He pulled her into a warm embrace and she cuddled up to him.
"Thank you, Fluttershy," said Discord, squeezing her tightly in his arms.
"Come on, Discord, let's get some eggnog," said Fluttershy, pulling her friend towards Applejack.
Soon, Discord was just another pony in the crowd, enjoying the festivities of Hearth's Warming Eve with everypony else in Ponyville. Fluttershy watched him as he stood in one of the doorways talking with Princess Celestia, who was laughing at his jokes and funny reminders.
Fluttershy noticed the way Discord was looking at Celestia. He was drinking his mug instead of the eggnog, as usual, and as he and Celestia talked, he was gazing at her in a dreamlike fashion. Similar to the way Spike always looked at Rarity, or the way Rarity always looked at magnificent gems.
Fluttershy chuckled. She had known for ages that Discord had a crush on Princess Celestia, and she was pretty sure Celestia liked him too. She was looking at him in the exact same way. Of course, Discord would never admit he was in love. He would never have the guts to tell Celestia he loved her, much less kiss her.
But Fluttershy knew he wanted to. More than anything did he want to. Perhaps he just needed a little...push.
Fluttershy's face suddenly twisted into a grin as she had an extremely evil idea. It was an idea for the greater good, of course, but it was still pretty evil. She pursed her lips and whistled a tune, and her hummingbird friend fluttered back down.
"Mr. Hummingbird," said Fluttershy, in a low voice, "I need you to hang this—" she picked up a sprig of mistletoe from the decorations box, "—right over there. Understand?"
The hummingbird twittered, then took the sprig of mistletoe and fluttered over towards the doorway Discord and Celestia were standing in front of. Fluttershy watched with a smile as he hung it right above their heads.
Pinkie Pie, who was nearby, noticed the sprig of green leaves hanging above the Lord of Chaos and the Princess of the Sun, and spat out a huge mouthful of eggnog!
"OH MY GOSH!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, "Look at that! Discord and Princess Celestia have stepped under the mistletoe!"
Everypony in the room instantly gasped, and a hundred pairs of eyes fixed on the two immortals standing next to each other beneath the hanging mistletoe. Princess Celestia looked up at the sprig and smiled.
"You know what that means," she said, a twinkle in her eye.
"W-what?" said Discord, looking around, nervously.
"Why, darling, it's tradition," said Rarity, in a giggly voice, "When a mare and a colt step under the Hearth's Warming mistletoe, it is tradition for them to kiss!"
Discord spat out a mouthful of eggnog cup!
"WHAT!?" he exclaimed!
"This should be interestin'," said Applejack, amusedly.
"You...can't really be serious?" said Discord, looking considerably freaked out.
"It is tradition," said Celestia, flirtatiously. catching his eye and giving the draconequus a playful smile, "Unless you're too scared," she purred.
Discord's eyes widened. Him? The great and powerful Lord of Chaos? Scared?
"Look at him, he is scared!" teased Spike.
"What!?" exclaimed Discord, "Scared!? Not in a millennia! And the Lord of Chaos does not surrender to these petty holiday traditions!"
"Come on, Discord," said Fluttershy, teasingly, "You know you want to."
Looking round at everypony in the room staring at him and Celestia, Discord half wished he could just evaporate on the spot. He didn't know what to do. To kiss Celestia was something he wanted more than anything, as he had been in love with her for eons. But now he actually had the chance, he wasn't sure what to do. He felt like he was under a spotlight. He had magic, should he just disappear? But then he wouldn't get to kiss Celestia. It could be his one chance.
"Look at him shake!" teased Scootaloo, pointing her hoof at him, "He's a big chicken!"
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom burst out laughing!
"Chicken! Chicken! Chicken!" teased the Cutie Mark Crusaders, pointing their hooves at Discord, "Buck buck buck buck!"
"Oh, stop it, you three," scolded Fluttershy, "It's really not nice to—OH MY GOODNESS!"
Fluttershy, along with every other pony in the room, gasped out loud as the Lord of Chaos wrapped his mixmatched arms around the Princess of the Sun and his lips met hers in a soft kiss.
He didn't do it hard, but…gently…as if he doesn't want to hurt her.
He sucked in her bottom lip, nibbling on it, then moments later, his snake tongue snuck past her teeth and caressed hers. Discord really couldn't believe he was actually doing this, and with everypony in Ponyville watching. But to be honest, it was the thing he had wanted to do almost ever since he met Celestia, and he didn't care who saw him do it, as long as he did it.
He would have pulled away if Celestia hadn't wrapped her arms around his neck to hold him closer and kissed him back. Was she enjoying this too? Discord would have thought Celestia would turn him back to stone for kissing her like this, or at the very least, banish him from Equestria, or throw him in a dungeon, or banish him and throw him in a dungeon in the place that she banished him. Their kiss grew heated as their tongues danced and they pulled each other even closer. Discord never ever wanted this to end.
They weren't sure how long they were at it until…
"Hellooo-oooo, anypony home!?" exclaimed Rainbow Dash.
Snapping out of their trance, Discord and Celestia broke the kiss and turned to see everypony staring at them in shock. The two immortals exchanged glances, both of them smiling. Celestia winked!
"I personally think I have had my fill of Hearth's Warming Eve for tonight," said Discord, blushing furiously as he smiled at Celestia.
With that, he opened the door and stepped into it, shutting it behind him. There was a flash of light and a dozen heavy locks and chains appeared on the door.
Twilight Sparkle's jaw was as low as it could go, and her eyes were wide and staring, both fixed on Princess Celestia. The Princess of Friendship didn't seem to be quite clocking what had just happened. Her former mentor, Princess Celestia, the Princess of the Sun and ruler of Equestria, making out with the spirit of chaos and disharmony. It was just...it was just...
There were no words.
"One day your face is going to freeze like that," said Spike.
Twilight kept staring at her mentor, unable to believe what she had just seen.
"You should see your face right now!" giggled Scootaloo!
She took out a camera and with a bright flash, she snapped a photo of Twilight's gobsmacked face, then showed the printed card to her. "That's what your face looks like!"
Meanwhile, the rest of Ponyville was spreading out, almost as if the kiss had been immediately forgotten. Fluttershy, on the other hand, knocked on the door Discord had locked himself behind. Celestia tapped the locks with her horn and they instantly unlocked and fell down. Fluttershy pushed open the door and fluttered inside to see Discord breathing into a paper bag, looking rather overwhelmed.
"Discord."
Discord gave a yelp, then sighed with relief when he realized it was just Fluttershy.
"Oh..." he sighed, trying to catch his breath, "It's...just...you...Fluttershy..."
Fluttershy chuckled. "Well, look at you, Mr. Casanova," she said, playfully, putting her hoof on his shoulder.
"I can't believe I did it!" Discord said, as the bag popped, "And in front of everypony!"
"I'm proud of you, Discord," smiled Fluttershy, cuddling her friend from the back.
"Oh...don't be," said Discord, blushing furiously, trying to cover his excitement, "It was...only a kiss. It...wasn't a big deal or anything. Like Rarity said, it's...just a tradition. It could have happened with...anypony."
"Oh, Discord, we both know you love Celestia," smiled Fluttershy, "Just admit it. You liked it."
Discord's cheeks tinged pink. "No I didn't!" he protested!
"You were blushing, and you didn't look too upset when she kissed you back, either," said Fluttershy, smiling.
"I was—caught up in the moment!" said Discord, desperately.
Fluttershy raised an eyebrow.
"Well—OK—fine—maybe I liked it!" Discord said, in a slightly giggly voice, trying to stop the smile creeping onto his face, "Kissing the girl of your dreams, it's—hard not to like."
The yellow pegasus smiled. She knew that deep down he had loved it. He had always been too proud (and scared) to show it on his face, but now she knew he was accepting it.
"I saw the way she was looking at you," said Fluttershy, smiling, putting her hoof on Discord's shoulder, "I know she likes you too."
"I saw..." said Discord, his face shifting into a dreamy smile, "Oh, she's so beautiful...the way her hair flows like that...and that look in her eyes...and that kiss was...wonderful...just wonderful..."
Then he jolted out of it and stood up straight!
"Look, Fluttershy, I appreciate you want me to enjoy Hearth's Warming," said Discord, starting to pace up and down, once again trying to feign disparagement to cover up his delight, "But this holiday is frankly dangerous, as well as those traditions, and I want nothing more to do with it, never ever ever ever EVER agai—oh!"
Discord was abruptly cut off as he bumped right into Princess Celestia. That same look in her eyes. Discord's eyes darted this way and that, and his cheeks turned very pink.
"I liked it too, Discord," Celestia said, smiling amusedly, then gave him a kiss on the cheek.
As Celestia's soft lips touched Discord's cheek, that dreamy expression floated back onto the draconequus's face. He squeezed the ends of Fluttershy's scarf in his paw and claw, and his clenched teeth quivered into a smile.
"Yes, as I was saying, Fluttershy, Hearth's Warming Eve is my favourite night of the year, and I just love all the festivities and the wonderful traditions," Discord said, dreamily, staring out into space, "And I positively can't wait until next year, until every Hearth's Warming for the rest of my life."
Celestia chuckled. "Well, I'm glad you think so," she said, in a seductive voice, "Because look at what we have here."
She pointed up with her hoof, and Discord looked up to see that same sprig of mistletoe hovering above their heads, levitated by Celestia's golden magic. Discord's eyes widened with excitement as Celestia leaned towards him, that same twinkle in her eye.
"You, Celestia, are a very dangerous person," said Discord, smirking.
With that, he leaned forward and the draconequus and alicorn's lips met for a second time.
Discord closed his eyes as he slid his tongue into Celestia's mouth and felt her tongue quiver at his touch. She tasted even sweeter than before. Celestia wrapped her front legs around him and dug her hooves into his strong shoulders as he kissed her back. He wrapped his mixmatched arms around her, his hands roaming down her back and caressing the soft fur between her wings, causing a moan to escape her lips. Discord shivered in ecstasy as Celestia moaned into his mouth. He didn't think he had ever felt so good.
Watching from a few metres away, Fluttershy smiled, then fluttered out the door and closed it shut.
This was their moment, not hers.
THE END
