“This can’t be happening! This can’t be happening! This can’t be happening!” Rainbow cried, flying back and forth within her small, cozy room. “I-I can’t love Discord! He’s not even a pony!”
A heavy blush formed on Rainbow’s face just thinking about it. How could she even think she remotely liked Discord? He was so…ew. She had to somehow purge the feelings! When she’d take a moment to even consider them a couple, she’d cringe, but simultaneously her heart would melt. Out of all the ponies to feel this wicked curse, why her? Why not Fluttershy or Pinkie Pie? Just not her! So much of her pride was seeping down the drain; she didn’t even know what to do!
All the previous day she'd the mesmerizing draconequus had been on her mind. She awoke from a wonderful dream about her and him together. It was a particularly strange dream; her and the chaotic beast were eating at Sugar Cube Corner together, chatting carelessly and melting in each other's eyes. Her friends were there, too. There were admiring them as a couple, and awing at their beautiful chemistry. She awoke with a giddy smile and warmed heart. It was only then she realized how totally head-over-hooves she was for him. She'd never dreamt of a crush before.
Rainbow was reflecting on old memories in a desperate attempt not to think of the only thing on her mind. Her cupid-struck heart was pounding. Beads of cool sweat dripped from her forehead. Her mind was in a confused daze and her pacing wore out her legs.
Trying her very best to cool off, Rainbow flew downstairs from her bedroom, and into her kitchen. She opened one of her several cabinets and got down a cup and filled it to the brim with water from her faucet. She gulped it down. The smooth liquid massaged her throat and made her pulse lower. She put the glass down with a gasp and smiled. It kind of reminded her of the time Discord poured water all over her as a prank the day prior to that one.
“No! No! Get him out of your head Rainbow!”
The little pegasus banged her head against the counter several times and sighed. Nothing in all of Equestria would get him off her mind. She wanted to see the draconequus again so damn bad! It was killing her and making her stomach churn. There had to be some possible reason she could get down to his house again! There had to be some possible way to meet with him in private without seemingly like she wanted to see him. She thought hard and long until her head hurt and she had to rub her temples. Ugh! Why was this so difficult? Rainbow’s eyes shot opened suddenly. She thought of the perfect excuse that was completely disaster-proof!
“So…” Mrs. Cake pondered, rethinking the order. “You want a muffin basket? For a gift…for Arbor Day…?”
Rainbow smile shyly and nodded with a blush. “Y-yeah… you know how it is…”
Mrs. Cake ignored her silliness and proceeded to fill the order. She stuffed twelve different flavored muffins into a large basket and neatly tied a red ribbon onto the handle. She then tied on a ‘To and From’ tag, then set the order on the counter.
“Twenty bits.” The blue mare requested.
With a sigh, Rainbow tossed a little pouch of bits on the counter. Damn, love was expensive. Rainbow received the lovely dozen muffins and smiled at the mare. With a nervous heart, she hopped out of the bakery. Sweat was already forming on her forehead and an ache was already consuming her heart. She was heading towards the house of somepony she wouldn’t be caught dead hanging with.
With anticipation in her heart, Rainbow leapt into the warm, summer air and stretched out her cyan wings, and flew in the direction of the dreaded but oh, so desired home.
Unfortunately for Dash, her great speeds got her to the draconequus’ house far earlier than she anticipated. Only five minutes of flying lead her to his lovely, little house. She nervously took one step forward, then froze. Fear overtook her and made her rethink everything.
What if… he saw straight through her lie? What if he became suspicious? What if he knew what she was going through? Her feelings may have been easy for the chaotic spirit to decipher. He had been around for thousands of years, so he was most likely used to seeing ponies act strangely when confronted with such…. strange feelings. Her plan had been well-thought out, but maybe love blinded her from seeing her own stupidity.
“Maybe I should just…go home…” Rainbow pondered to herself. “This is stupid! This whole idea is stupid!”
The confused mare blushed heavily and turned around. This was far too stupid. Giving up seemed like the perfect option at that point. Rainbow looked up into the sky and spread her wings. It was time to just go home and cuddle in her blankets. She needed some time to debate on whether she loved him, or was just being stupid.
Rainbow took in a whiff of the sweet, summer air and darted upward. She felt almost relieved to be away from the home. She closed her eyes and started soaring skywards, then stopped herself.
“Come on, Rainbow Dash! You were so, so close! Just turn around and be a big mare about this!”
Rainbow huffed out her chest and turned around. She was a brave pony! She could face monsters, demands, armies of changelings, and anything that came her way! So why couldn’t she face him…? She blushed heavily as she thought, and landed herself back onto the ground. Her hooves touched the gently combed grass.
“This’ll only take a minute or two…” She reassured herself. “And it may or may not get his attention….”
Nervously, the pegasus took several steps towards the draconequus’ home. A heavy shade of cherry red was already forming against her cyan face. Her heart pounded against her chest and pumped blood through her body at an unnecessary rate. She forced one hoof in front of another, and in too little time, she was in front of the dreaded house. She swallowed the spit that eagerly formed in her mouth.
“Just knock…. It’ll be okay… Just knock and he’ll answer…”
Rainbow blushed heavily and sweat as she put her hoof up to the wooden door and gave it three small knocks. Oh, Celestia! Her heart instantly filled with dread and she wanted to so desperately flee. Her heart beat so heavily she could nearly hear its hard thumping. Sweat poured down her reddening face.
Moments later, the draconequus answered. Rainbow smiled awkwardly in his presence. Her heart ached and thumped heavily. Never had his oddly structured, ugly face seem so…adorable. Her heart was blinding not only her mind, but her eyes. She breathed heavily and stared at her crush.
“H-h-hey…. Discord….” She managed to choke off her tongue. “I… It’s from… Fluttershy…”
Shyly, the pegasus set down the basket of muffins and blushed heavier. Her pink eyes stared deeply into the draconequus’ red and yellow ones.
“Fluttershy, eh?” he questioned. “Why couldn’t little Fluttershy deliver these personally?”
“Didn’t have time!” She spat out quickly. “Sh-She had to spend all day caring for a few sick creatures a-and when I visit her she asked me to deliver them…”
Rainbow was sweating as if they were in an intense heat wave. Her knees were trembling and her plastered-on smile was strange to stare at. Discord knelt down and picked up the odd basket.
“What’s the occasion?”
“Arbor Day!” She answered with no hesitation. “You know how she is with nature…and stuff…”
Discord stared at the pony for a good minute. Her blush and awkward smile only increased in size. It was relieving when his singular-fanged mouth turned into a smile and he spoke.
“Well, I think it’s rather sweet of you to do this as a friend.” He paused and Rainbow giggled in the humorless situation. “But I wasn’t born yesterday. In fact; I was born nearly two thousand years ago. And after being imprisoned in stone for all those centuries, you could say I’ve seen a lot. Ponies are constantly going in and out of gardens. Some bring foals, friends, family… dates…” When the word “dates” slipped off his tongue, Rainbow’s entire face lit up and she gulped. “I’ve observed ponies behavior, and I just happen to know there’s something more to this situation.”
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about! Everything I said was completely true!” The pegasus’ tone was shaky, and hard to listen to. “Just… I think I should go home…”
Rainbow turned around to fly away. She couldn’t stand being in his presence any longer than she already had, yet…she loved every second of looking into his beautiful eyes. She flew for almost three feet when she suddenly crashed into a hard, wooden wall. Her head spun as she lifted it and realized she was staring directly at a wall. Her heart thumped and she blushed at the familiar shade of yellow.
“Going so soon?” She heard a familiar voice ask. “You only just got here. And I’m afraid you’re not done explaining yourself.”
Rainbow shook her nauseous head. “I…I don’t have to explain anything to you! There’s nothing to explain!”
Discord smiled. “Oh, really? Then why are you blushing that beautiful shade of crimson. You know, it really does bring out the color in your eyes.”
With a flick of Discord’s tail, a gold-bordered mirror appeared in front of the mare’s face. She didn’t even realize how red her face had turned.
“I….I…. It’s this heat…” She lied. “It’s just too much to bear….”
Discord smiled. “You think I’m that oblivious to not know there’s something up? A foal could see through you!”
Rainbow blushed. She couldn’t think of anything more to say. “I…I….”
Discord smiled at his dumb friend. “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?” The draconequus held out his paw to reveal her wet, disembodied tongue flopping around like a fish. Rainbow’s hooves shot up to her mouth. Her blush would have grown deeper if it were possible. Discord laughed at her expression.
“Oh, you really are so fun, Rainbow Dash.”
The pony couldn’t help but smile at the generous compliment.
“Now…” Discord removed Rainbow’s hooves from her face and made her jaw lower with one talon. He placed his paw to her mouth to return the tongue. “I’d like to get a little truth out of you while you’re here.”
The truth? The truth was she was love poisoned and desperately wanted to see him without being obvious. The truth was painful, and beyond impossible to admit. There wasn’t a thing in the world that could choke the truth out of her.
“I, uh… Well… The truth is what I said! Just let me go home and we can forget about this!”
Ugh! Quit it Rainbow! You sound so obvious! No wonder he’s suspicious! Rainbow thought to herself.
“Well… I suppose I could let you leave…But what fun would there be in that?”
Rainbow grew almost a little angry at the mean, rude, brutish, cute…adorable… lovable draconequus before her.
“This isn’t funny Discord! I think I should just go home now!”
Discord rolled his eyes. “Listen, until you speak words of truth…” Discord flicked his talon and hefty stalks of green vines thrust towards the heavens. Rainbow gaped as she saw the vines block the door. “You’re not going anywhere!”
Rainbow growled. “Well, there’s no way I’m going to tell the ‘truth’ because it’s already been said!”
Discord shrugged. “Looks like I’ll be having company for a while.”
Rainbow grunted in irritation. She was going to have to stay with Discord until she told the truth? That’d take forever! She’d be locked with him for ages…lust her and him…. alone…. Maybe this wouldn’t be that bad after all….