"There. Alllllll done!"
The Main Six gathered around Twilight Sparkle's castle and gazed up at it in wonderment at the electric lights strung up around it. The blinking red, green and gold lights illuminated the crystal structure, bringing out the glittering splendor of the dark and light blue crystals, creating a soft corona of rainbow-colored radiance. Twilight sent a hoof's-up at Rainbow Dash, who crossed her forearms and smirked triumphantly at her hoofwork. Now that the decorations were all up, the gang could enjoy their Hearth's Warming Eve with no further interruptions. That is, until an explosion of silver burst onto the scene.
"Hellooooo, everypony!" Discord cheered, tossing miniature candy canes around as he skipped in a circle. "Happy Hearth's Warming Eve to you all and to all a good night!" He spun on his right heel and plopped a red and white hat onto Twilight's head. "Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, Princess Prissy!"
"H-happy Hearth's Warming Eve to you too, Discord." It was somewhat jarring to see Discord of all creatures in the holiday spirit, considering he felt such festivities were, in his own words, "dull and boring." And yet, here he was, with a big grin on his face and dressed in a swirly white and purple sweater with a poofy white and red hat matching her own. Either he finally decided to join the town in its festivities or, which was the likelier of the two, he was plotting something. "And why are you in such a good mood? Don't you hate holidays?"
Discord stopped with an audible screech sound and gasped, "Why my dear Twilight, how could you possibly come to such a harsh conclusion?" He changed into a waistcoat, Ulster coat and top hat and held a burning stick over a large smashed nut. "I absolutely adore the holidays! Roasting fire on an open chestnut, building snow with colts and sleeping while visions of sugarheads dance in my plum." His head momentarily became a purple orb before he snapped his fingers and returned to his hat and sweater garb. "So magical, so amazing!"
"Are yah sure 'bout that, Discord? Last year, yah told us that yah couldn't be bothered with the whole dadgum season!"
Discord frowned at Applejack and crossed his arms. "Hmph, well, ye of little faith. Don't you think it's possible that I've finally caught a glimpse of the holiday magic and have decided to take part in the festivities? And here I thought we were friends!"
Fluttershy stepped between the two. "I'm surprised at you, Applejack! Shouldn't you give Discord the benefit of the doubt that he's telling the truth?" From behind Fluttershy's turned back, Discord was sticking his tongue out at Applejack, who shuddered and growled at him. He then quickly sucked it back in when Fluttershy turned to face him. "If you'd like to join us, we'd be more than happy to have you!"
Unbeknownst to everypony, a flurry of hearts erupted in Discord's sight as he beheld the yellow pegasus, taking in her beauty and radiant smile. For the longest time, he'd felt this incredible aching joy in his heart whenever he was near Fluttershy and after assessing that it wasn't heart worms (instead, he had heart caterpillars), realized something shocking, something absolutely mind-boggling even to one such as himself: Discord, the devilishly-handsome Spirit of Disharmony, was in love with Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness! As much as he tried to deny it, it was true, having first realized it when he'd betrayed the ponies to Lord Tirek and had to look Fluttershy in the eyes and see the heartbreak in them. It was then that he knew that he'd screwed up, traded away the one pony that mattered to him in the whole world. Thankfully, they'd all forgiven him but it took even longer for him to forgive himself for hurting the one that he loved.
"Ah Fluttershy, as per usual, you are the one to see the clarity in any given situation. I'd be delighted to attend your little holiday soiree!"
"Right, 'cause it's the party you're interested in," Spike said smugly with an eye roll.
Discord ignored this. "Right, well I've got to prepare! I'll see you all at six. TTFN: Ta-Ta For Now!" He teleported back to his house and hurriedly slammed the door behind him, despite there being no way for any of them to follow him. "Whew, that was close! Of course Spike had to go and run his dumb mouth!" He tapped his chin thoughtfully with an eagle talon. "Now then, how to go about the whole confessing-my-secret-feelings-to-Fluttershy-and-hope-that-maybe-just-maybe-she-feels-the-same-way plan. Hmm, I really need to shorten that." He had, of course, thought about just telling her but he chickened out each and every time an opportunity presented itself.
"If only I wasn't such a coward!" Discord yelled, kicking a nearby wooden chair, causing it to spin through the air and remain in flight. He sighed and sank dejectedly into the couch. Oh sure, Fluttershy was his friend and tolerated his kookiness but that didn't guarantee that she saw him as anything more than just an eccentric companion. Discord summoned a mirror and stared morosely at its surface. There was his appearance to consider and while she didn't mind it, there was no way in Tartarus that such a ravishing beauty such as her would ever find such a freak like him appealing.
When six o' clock rolled around, Discord poofed himself over to Twilight's castle, which was gleaming like a torch in the dark, the sounds of music and merriment echoing throughout the town. A shiver ran down Discord's spine as he entered the castle with feet that seemed to weigh a ton, his heart thundering in his chest and his hands shaking and vibrating the fruitcake he'd brought. He wasn't used to parties, especially given his chaotic nature and bizarre appearance. As a colt, he'd been shunned by ponykind and this was even before his magic emerged. He was ready to leave the fruitcake and scurry out of there when a familiar pegasus darted through the crowd and trapped the draconequus in a surprisingly tight embrace.
"Discord, I'm so glad you're here!" Despite her timidity, Fluttershy had no problem being loud if she wanted to be. She finally released him and it took every ounce of his being not to get lost in those sparkling teal eyes. She was dressed in a frilly green gown with poinsettia flowers tucked behind each ear and her long pink locks braided into a shiny ponytail. Discord inhaled and shuddered, taking in her scent, which smelled of gingerbread and milk chocolate.
"Yes, ahem, so-so am I," he weakly replied. "L-listen could we go somewhere more private? It's very loud here and there's something that I want to talk to you about."
Fluttershy nodded and, dragging him by the paw, lead him to a deserted hallway decorated in streams of tinsel and cutout paper snowflakes. "So Discord, what is it you wanted to talk about?"
Setting down the fruitcake, Discord sighed and tugged at the neckline of his sweater. Okay Discord old boy, it's now or never! "Fluttershy, you know how we-we've been friends and everything?"
"Uh-huh."
"Well, see, the thing...the thing is..." Those teal eyes widened, the light gently glinting off of them. "I wanted to know if maybe...you and me...you and I could be...well...-"
Time seemed to slow down and speed up at the same time. One minute Discord was stumbling through his confession and the next, something warm and sweet-tasting was pressed against his lips. His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when he realized that it was Fluttershy. She's...sh-she's kissing me? She's kissing me?! She was flapping her wings so that she was at eyelevel with the much taller creature, her hooves grasping his cheeks as she hummed and moaned into his mouth.
Discord's hands had a mind of their own, caressing Fluttershy's cheeks and pulling her against his chest, feeling the warmth of her body and the softness of her buttermilk fur. She was so much softer than he pictured her to be and her lips tasted of cinnamon and sugar, a sweet, lip-smacking flavor that reminded him of fresh-baked cookies and a tall glass of milk. The kiss, which started out as a full-lip peck, deepened as the pair became lost in one another, locking lips as though it there was no tomorrow. None of Discord's wildest dreams could ever surmount to the reality and there was a fleeting moment in which he thought that he was dreaming. Then again, he'd dreamt enough about her to know the difference.
They broke the kiss at the same time, heaving and gasping for air as their respective cheeks reddened, their minds recovering from such an amazingly intimate act. Discord sputtered, "F-Flutters, wh-what was that about?"
Fluttershy giggled and pointed upwards. "Mistletoe. It's a Hearth's Warming tradition that when two ponies are standing beneath it, they have to kiss."
Discord caught the mischievous look in her eyes. "Wait...did you plan this?"
Fluttershy stared somewhat guiltily at the floor. "Yes. The truth is, I've...wanted to do that...for a while now."
"You m-mean to say...?"
The smile that Fluttershy gave him was so warm and so loving that he was sure he was going to die from its joyful radiance. "Yes. Discord...I love you."
She...l-loves me? Discord's brain took a minute to catch up, struggling to come to grips with the new information. He was a freak, a reformed villain, something out of a child's nightmare...and yet this stunning mare loved him. Maybe, just maybe, Fate had finally took pity on him and he'd finally paid his dues for his past transgressions. He didn't know how it was possible but he did know that he'd finally found joy in something other than chaos.
"Discord?" Fluttershy reached up and wiped away the tears that he didn't know he'd been shedding, her touch as tender as her voice. "Are you alright?"
"I've been wanting to tell you the same thing for so long," Discord sniffled, his claw caressing Fluttershy's cheek, earning him a pleasurable sigh. "I was afraid, afraid that you wouldn't feel the same. I love you, Fluttershy. More than anything. Even more than chocolate milk or puns or-or-or...or even chaos."
Their lips met again, this time slowly and gently, no rush, no fear or doubt. For as long as he'd lived, which was a very long time, Discord had never understood the significance of Hearth's Warming, seeing it as a futile excuse to bake extra goodies, sing lame carols, spend money on things you didn't need or get gifts you didn't want. But now, holding this magnificent mare in his arms, her lips pressed against his own, he finally got it. He now understood the answer to the riddle: love. It was a time for love, whether be it familial or romantic. Hearth's Warming, he decided, was his favorite holiday.
