//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: Confessions 
// by CartoonNerd12 
//------------------------------//

Twilight had received an invitation from Discord saying he wanted them over for a dinner party which they all accepted as a gesture of their growing friendship with the draconequus. On the day of the party, a portal opened for them to transport them to his living area.

They saw a cottage before them that seemed to resemble Fluttershy's cottage which caused the pegasus to be touched. There was also cotton candy clouds above them, which caused Pinkie to drool. A voice said, "Now, Pinkie Pie, I don't want you spoiling your appetite not when I have a dessert table for afterwards." Discord appears at the door, "Welcome my friends! Let me give you a tour of the place first before we have dinner."

"That sounds lovely, Discord…" Fluttershy smiled.

"I knew you would be please…" he caressed her face.

When he moved away, she turned her head to blush.

When the tour was over, he wore his butler attire again and escorted them to the dining hall. Once he had them seated with Fluttershy and Twilight close to his seat, he had the dancing candles coming out to entertain them, with a snap they're were gone, and he announced, "Dinner is served!" another snap, silver covered dishes were placed on the table.

"Oh my, Discord," said Rarity, "this is simply divine! I'm impressed!"

With his magic he revealed the entrees, "All the food that ponies can eat! Dig in!"

And naturally, Pinkie took that literally and pig in. Once the food was demolished, Pinkie asked Discord where the dessert table was that he promised, and he pointed it was in the next room over and a pink blur zipped past him.

After the successful dinner, Applejack volunteered to help clean up while the others went to where Pinkie was and had noticed that Discord was giving Fluttershy glances.

"So, how long have you had this crush on Fluttershy?" she asked with a smirk.

His eyes widen and quickly said, "What makes you say that?! I don't have a crush on Fluttershy!" he avoided her gaze.

"Yer lyin'… You won't look me in the eye because you do!"

"Oh? And how would you know?! You don't know anything about crushes!"

She bit her lip, "Actually…" she turns away from him, "I do…"

This intrigued him, "Really? You have a crush on some pony?"

"No! I mean… yes, but, he's not a pony…" she looked down.

His eyebrow rose in confusion, then look back to the room where the others are, suddenly Spike came in view and it hit him, could it be… some dragon? With a grin, he thought, How marvelously delicious… And he says to her, "Is it… Spike?"

She dared not to look at him and stood quiet.

"I'll take that as a yes." he gave a small smile and touched her shoulders, "So, how long has that been going on?"

She moved out of his grip, "Whoa there, partner! I ain't saying anything until you tell me about your crush."

"Hm, very well, but you must pinkie-promise not to tell any pony or a certain special pony about this."

She glared, "And you have to pinkie-promise not to tell either."

"Fine. Shall we do it together?"

She nodded and they both said, "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Discord used a real cupcake for the last part causing AJ to shake her head.

While they were talking, Spike and Fluttershy were having their own conversation.

"So do you think you can help me with Angel while I'm with Rarity at the spa tomorrow?"

"Uh, sure, I guess I can do that."

"Thank you!" then she look over to where Discord was in the kitchen it made her smile that two of her dearest friends were having a good talk then a thought occur to her, and went to back to ask Spike, "Um, Spike?"

"Yeah?"

"Um, I don't know how to say this but… you know what it feels to have a crush so…"

"Wait…?" he look on in disbelief, "You have a crush on some pony?"

"Well, um… he's not really a pony… but he's good as any…" she sighed lovingly.

He look at her with confusion, but then got what she was getting at, and started to say out loud in shock, "Dis-" but he was grabbed and his mouth was cover by Fluttershy's hoof, making sure no one else heard that, luckily the others were still preoccupied by Discord's choice of décor. So she quickly moved to the hall, and uncovered his mouth where he took a breath and whisper, "Discord? He's the one you have a crush on?"

"You have a crush on Rarity, it's the same thing."

"Uh…" he blushed, "to be honest, Rarity hasn't really crossed my mind in a long time now. Instead, I want to impress-" he stiffed before he said another word and covered his own mouth.

Fluttershy did a sly grin going, "Oh…? If it's not Rarity you want then who is?"

"Nah-ah! You ain't getting nothing out of me!"

"Then I'll just have to guess, is it… Rainbow Dash?"

"She's cool and all but not my type."

"Pinkie Pie?"

"Always fun to be around, but it's hard to keep up with her, so no."

"Twilight?"

"Gross! No! She's like my big sister!"

"Oh, right… Me?"

"Now if I had a crush on you wouldn't I be feeling heartbroken over your newfound feelings to Discord?"

"I suppose you're right. Then it has to be…" she gasps with wide eyes, "Applejack…?"

He looked away so she wouldn't see his deep blush.

"Oh, my… How long?"

He sighed, "Since the Timberwolf incident… It's just… even when I was still pursuing Rarity a part of me had wondered what it would be like to be with Applejack… So with Rarity not showing me any interest no matter how hard I tried to get her love I started thinking maybe it was time to focus on someone else and well Applejack… she's so amazing, you know? The way she's so strong both physically and emotionally… The way her emerald eyes sparkle whenever she talks about her family or work… Or how her mane blows against the wind whenever she runs… Uh, I mean…" he began to blush again, but felt a playful nudge.

"I'm so happy for you! You love her! You really love her!"

"Okay-okay!" he waved his arms to keep her voice down, "Now are you going to tell me what you find Discord so attractive? I mean no offense, Fluttershy, but he's not exactly… the best looking… if you know what I mean."

"Oh, Spike, despise his outward appearance, Discord is very handsome… He's sweet, lovable, funny, and he sets out to please me, that I think I've fallen for him…"

"Wow… you feel that strongly for him?"

"I do…" she beamed, then an idea occur to her, "Spike… can you help me of how to express my feelings to him?"

"Sure! As long as you can help me get to Applejack."

"Deal!" they shook on it, "When you come by my house tomorrow, that's when we can help each other."

"But don't you need to go to the spa with Rarity?"

"Once I tell her it's for a noble cause she won't mind."

Panic spread over his face, "You're not going to tell her about my new crush on Applejack, are you?"

"Of course not, I won't say anything, and you won't tell our friends about my feelings to Discord, right?"

"You got it!"

"Pinkie-promise?"

"Pinkie-promise." and they both did the gesture.

Back in the kitchen, Discord was amazed by the information AJ just gave him of her liking Spike since after he saved her from a giant Timberwolf, and Applejack was equally amaze by Discord's declaration of him crushing on Fluttershy since after being reform. A light bulb then appears above his head and told her.

"Say AJ?"

"Yeah?"

"I've been thinking, maybe we can help each other out!"

"How?"

"You want Spike, right? And I would do anything to have Fluttershy!" he moved around her.

"So your point is…?"

"You teach me how to win her heart and I, in turn will help you earn Spike's heart. It's a two for two deal!"

"It does seem good…" she pondered and daydreams of having Spike right beside her when she would buck for apples and he hold out a bucket for them to fall in, and after they were done for the day they would look into each other's eyes and kiss… Wait what? Where did that come from? She looks up to Discord giving her a sly grin.

"So…?" he took out his paw to shake.

"Alright, fine!" she took the paw, "Be at my place tomorrow mornin'! I'll show you how to win a mare's heart!"

"Oh, goody!"




Once Discord put up another portal for them to get home, they said their good-byes or thanks for the meal, one by one they went though with Fluttershy having a prolonging to leave and gave him a quick hug before she went. He blushed by her touch and his heart pounded. He wanted to so badly tell her how much she meant to him. But he had no idea of how to do that, so with the help of his new friend he'll finally be able to.

Fluttershy walked slowly to her cottage wishing she could tell Discord how she felt about him, and how much she wanted him. She didn't want to go from him and instead wanted to stay to embrace him forever. With a face full of determination she vowed she would tell him soon, with Spike's help, she will do just that.

Spike crawled into his bed and gave out a sigh, his head filled with the still same Applejack images he had every night, every once and awhile before the Timberwolf rescue his head occasionally filled with images of Rarity but now he can't stop thinking about Applejack and his heart filled with hope that Fluttershy was going to help him admit his true feelings to the mare he really loves.

Applejack looked out the window of her bedroom, overseeing the orchard knowing she'd had to get up extra early to finish her chores before Discord comes by for his lessons on courtship. It made her excited that Discord was returning the favor with helping her on her own unrequited feelings for a certain dragon. But could he do it? Could he actually help her get his attention away from a mare who takes him for granted to a mare who loves him unconditionally? She crawled into her bed, having to wait and see…