//------------------------------// // Chapter Seven // Story: Ah Must Be Kiddin' Myself // by The Masked Mare //------------------------------// Chapter Seven “Bye, Zecora! Bye, Roseluck! See ya’ll ‘round!” I waved ta the two mares as they walked towards town, their faces jeweled with littl’ satisfied grins. I chuckled, lowerin’ my arm as they dropped below a hill, outta my sigh’. I turned away, my head tilted slightly, an’ let out a long, thoughtful breath as I observed the mess of the party. I sure as hay had a lot ta clean up. “Whoowee, Applejack, that was one heck o’ a party,” I muttered, yawnin’ as I leaned down ta pick up a napkin that had fell on the ground. Celestia’s sun began ta disappear, Luna’s moon beginnin’ ta outline the night. This party had lasted a lot longer than I’d expected it ta. “Applejack, are ya’ll sure ya don’t need any help?” I looked up, one o’ my eyelids half-closed, ta see littl’ Apple Bloom, barely standin’ upright. Her eyes were slits, her figure slouched an’ exhausted. Poor littl’ filly, I thought, shakin’ my head, she can barely even stand up. “Naw, SugarCube, I can handle it jus’ fine on my own,” I insisted softly, pullin’ ‘er inta a blissful hug, “you go on an’ go ta sleep now, my litt’ twelve-year-old filly. Ya’ve had a darn big day. Ya need yur rest.” I ruffled ‘er hair light’ly as ‘er eyes reflected the newborn stars in the sky. “Alrigh’, big sis,” Apple Bloom pulled away, yawnin’ again, “but don’t stay out too late.” She smiled at me slyly, then picked up ‘er front hoof, turned towards the path ta the household, and sauntered down it until she was but a tiny dot in the distance. I blinked slowly at her reatreatin’ figure, then rotated back ta the barn. I sure as hay had a lot ta clean up. I walked over ta the nearest clutch o’ balloons, connnected ta a white stake, plantin’ my hooves firmly on the ground. Leanin’ forward, I adjusted the position o’ my head an’ bit down hard at the base o’ the knot, where the balloons were all joined, startin’ ta strain my back and jerk my head. It was like buckin’ an apple tree; buck ‘em good an’ hard ‘round the base, ta get all o’ the apples out faster. “Mh-mm-hm-mm-mm, Mm-hmmmm hm-hm,” I hummed through clenched teeth as I untied the last significant twist between the balloons. It was the tune of a song that I had written a long time ago; ‘bout the chaotic draconequus that had turned my entire world upside down. I still remember all the words. I sing it from time ta time; at breaks, in my bedroom, alone, at the waterhole. It’s the song that the littl’ songbirds sing in my heart, the tune they always whistle ta whenever Discord’s ‘round. It’s the song that dances in my ears when the fireflies flicker in my heart. I blushed as I remembered the day’s events. Discord tree, Discord dance, Discord conversation. Me fallin’ in love all over again. The white strings o’ the balloons fell limply inta straight lines as they started ta drift inta the nigh’, a group of wishes, a group of dreams, flyin’ higher an’ higher until they were just ‘nother whirlpool o’ stars; more jewels embellished in the crown o’ Luna’s sky. The frigid nigh’ air chilled me ta the bone as I lay beneath the apple tree on the edge o’ the front o’ the barn, my eyes glazed, my mind somewhere else. The grass tickled my legs as I yawned, my eyelids droopin’, starin’ at the blank slate o’ the barn. I had just finished cleanin’ up ‘bout five minutes ago, decidin’ that I needed a littl’ rest ta regain my strength fer the walk ta the homestead. It was a decent half-a-mile from here, an’ my leg muscles were pinchin’ and wobblin’ from hunger an’ lack o’ sleep. I ain’t the smartest pony, but I don’t think that it’s best ta walk when ya can barely stand. The front o’ the barn was so clean that if you hadn’t been there fer the party, you wouldn’t have guessed there even was one. All o’ the tables, an’ the platfrom, had been put in the storage barn, the paper plates, bowls, an’ cups put in the kitchen, an’ the tablecloths stored in the cupboards fer the next year. Whew, am I glad that I got this done tonight. Gettin’ up an’ havin’ ta do it later is worse than gettin’ it over with now. I closed my eyes, the heavy weights on ‘em becomin’ unbearably heavy. I laid my head on the crook o’ my elbow, my mind foggin’ with the whispers o’ the stars an’ my jumbled thoughts. I’ll just rest my eyes fer a second...there ain’t no harm in that, I thought, my words floatin’ through my mind like a leaf on an autumn day as my Stetson fell over my muzzle, obscurin’ the ligh’ o’ the moon that shined through my eyelids. I lasted ‘bout five seconds before my thoughts plummeted inta a black hole, an’ I fell asleep under the stars. “Applejack....” “Mhm...” “Applejack....” “Whaddya want!” “Applejack! My eyes snapped open, my senses alert an’ wide awake as I sprang to my hooves like a frog leapin’ from a lilypad. “Huh? Who’s there! Show yerself!” I whispered venomously, my muscles, inta the nigh’, my Stetson fallin’ over my muzzle. I’m gonna die! It’s probably some serial killer, jus’ waitin’ ta strike! Oh, I hope I can run fast enough ta warn my family before he gets me... “Applejack, seriously, calm down,” a achin’ly recognizable voice from behind me drawled, “it’s only me, the one and only Discord. Now, what in the name of Celestia’s Lucky Horseshoe are you doing out here?” The blood in my veins went as cold as ice as an all-too-familiar bucket o’ pink paint was splashed on my face, dowsin’ my cheeks with a tinglin’ brush. Okay, I have two options here: Run fer the hills, or turn ‘round an’ face ‘im. Suckin’ in a breath, I turned ‘round, pushin’ my hat behind my ears. “Oh, um...it’s just you, Discord. Er...I kinda fell asleep here after I finished cleanin’ up the party. I guess I was just too tired ta make it home,” I yawned, lookin’ away sheepishly, “why are ya’ll here?” It jus’ occurred ta me that we were alone; under the beautiful stars, under a milky crescent moon. There ain’t anypony watchin’ us, scannin’ our every move. It was jus’ us; the only two ponies in the entire universe. Or at least, that’s what it felt like. “You work yourself to death, don’t you? Well, you see, dear Applejack, I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to take a little fly above Ponyville to get me tired. I came to Sweet Apple Acres, because apple trees are a soothing sight for me, and I saw you sleeping under one,” Discord explained, gesturin’ ta the tree that we stood under. “By the way, you look really peaceful when you’re sleeping. It’s actually quite a sight,” Discord stroked ‘is beard with his paw, snappin’ his claw an’ summonin’ a slip o’ parchment, floatin’ above ‘is head. There I was, a movin’ picture; my chest heavin’ up an’ down as I slept, sprawled out like Winowna on Granny’s rockin’ chair, my eyelashes flutterin’ like littl’ butterfly wings. My coat gleamed in the moonlight, the wind blowin’ astray pieces o’ my mane up an’ down. Then I realized...that doesn’t look anythin’ like me. First of all, the Applejack in this picture had a clean, brushed coat; whereas I haven’t taken a bath in ‘bout two weeks. Second of all, ‘er mane was untied, gracefully layin’ ‘cross her shoulders; I don’t wear my hair like that. An’ third of all, this Applejack was way too purdy ta be me... ‘er face was perfect; mine was full o’ grime an’ gristle from work in the orchard. I raised my eyebrow, openin’ my mouth ta object, when I saw what was at the bottom o’ the picture, as sneaky an’ as sudden as a parasprite attack. My name, written in cursive, outlined in littl’ pink hearts. If I was Discord, an’ I had the magic o’ chaos insida me, my jaw would’ve disconnected from my face, dropped ta the ground, an’ turned inta a frog, hoppin’ away through the trees behind us. The best I could do was a big, wide ‘O’. Discord twitched ‘is ears, followin’ my eye trail with a pursed bottom lip. “What are you staring-oh, pooh,” Discord winced when he saw the letters, clear an’ bright as day, his cheeks tinted with pink. He cleared ‘is throat, quickly snapped ‘is claw, makin’ the parchment disappear. “You didn’t see that,” he waved ‘is claw an’ paw in front of my face. That’s when I realized somethin’. “This is a dream,” I whispered, lookin’ at the ground. I picked up my hoof suspiciously, wavin’ in in front o’ my face. It all felt so real...his presence, his words, his face. But it had to be a dream. There was no way that would actually happen in reality. This was all in my head. “Yes, yes, this is a dream, Applejack,” Discord assured me, ‘is face oddly relieved, “this is all inside your head.” He blinked slowly, his face spreadin’ inta a strange, amused grin as he stared at me, his red eyes makin’ my insides melt. “Alrigh’, then.” Discord snapped ‘is fingers, appearin’ next ta me, causin’ my heart ta jump outta my chest an’ my stomach ta turn upside down. My skin tingled as he wrapped ‘round my legs like a snake, coverin’ my entire body with his circles ‘round me, until his face was inches from mine. His hot breath, washin’ over my skin, felt so dang real. “Since this is a dream, and since this is your imagination doing the talking...Applejack, will you dance with me? I, er...quite enjoyed the one we had when you were awake,” Discord whispered, low an’ almost impossible ta hear in my ear. His eyes were full of swirlin’ stars, collidin’ an’ flyin’ together as they sang in ‘is pupils. They were full of hope, full of dreams...full of love. Yup. Definitely a dream. “Of course, Discord,” I whispered back, my voice threatenin’ ta boil over with wantin’, “there ain’t nothin’ in the world I want ta do more.” A dream could be anythin’ ya wanted it to be; a kindof magic that can’t be found in hard, unbendable reality. That’s why it only happened when ya were asleep; that way, when ya had a beautiful dream, perhaps ‘bout a certain dance with a certain draconequus that ya didn’t want ta share, ya could keep it close to yer heart. This was gonna be a dream that I would remember ferever. Discord pulled away, standin’ up straight an’ beamin’, his happiness radiatin’ through my veins like the sun would shine down on Ponyville on a cloudless day. There was no way that Discord would ever be this excited ta dance with me in real life. It was jus’ my imagination on overdrive. He snapped ‘is claw, an’ suddenly, a floatin’ acoustic guitar, exactly like mine, appeared next ta me, the strap suspended in the air like it was on somepony’s shoulders. I giggled as it sprouted black, angelic wings an’ the hole in the middle o’ it started ta bend like a mouth would. I observed it as the strings started ta strum on their own, my fuzzy mind overwhelmed with how familiar the tune was. It was the start ta the song I’d written a year ago. I jumped when I felt a light, sharp tap on my shoulder, my head turnin’ abruptly. There he was, my draconequus in shinin’ armor, kneelin’ on his dragon leg like he was proposin’, his head bowed an’ his hand stretched towards me, silently askin’ fer my hoof. I felt like jumpin’ ta the moon an’ back; I felt like a shootin’ star that a filly was wishin’ on a thousand miles away. “May I have this dance?” Smilin’ a secret smile, I placed my hoof ligh’ly in his claw, my songbirds chirpin’ and twitterin’ on the branches o’ my apple tree, which I’m pretty sure just sprung another trunk, another web o’ complex emotions, another world o’ love, another reality where Discord really did love me. “Yes, ya may.” Oh, the magic o’ a dream. Discord clasped my hoof, risin’ ta his hooves. I willed my eyes ta shine like Rarity’s, I imagined my face as flawless as dream-Discord had seen it; I imagined myself as beautiful as I had appeared in ‘is picture. I would never be as radiant in real life...but in a dream, anythin’ was possible. I felt the ground leave my hooves. I gasped, blinkin’ rapidly at Discord as the nigh’ sky crowded ‘round us, our background the untold stories o’ the stars, our mother the milky bowl o’ the moon, shrowdin’ Discord’s face in the shadow. I looked down at my hooves, which were in the same position they were in when I was standin’ on the ground. It was as if there were an invisible floor ta the sky, that bounced on the lines of reality. Somethin’ told me I wasn’t gonna fall. “What? Haven’t you ever danced in the sky before?” Discord asked, his voice hypnotizin’ly smooth as he joked. I turned back ta him, in awe of how handsome an’ free he looked in the moonligh’, in awe at how loud my heartbeat was in my ears. “No...but now I want to,” I sighed, my voice givin’ birth ta a chuckle. The tune from my song, mixed with the chirps o’ the crickets, wafted up ta where we stood, suspended in the nigh’ sky, weavin’ ‘round my ears like a gentle snake. I tilted my head in sligh’ly, drownin’ in how breathtakin’ly real this dream was. “Well, now you can.” Before I knew what was happenin’, Discord pulled me in close, my cheek brushin’ his soft fur, sendin’ shivers up my spine. As the music created a barrier around us, created another spot in time, in another universe, just fer our sake, the draconequus’s hooves started ta move. I was surprised ta figure out that my dream-self didn’t know howta waltz, jus’ like I didn’t in reality. “What’s the matter, Applejack? Something troubling you?” Discord asked, haultin’ the movement of his hooves when he sense my hesitation. I bit my lip, the pain feelin’ unbelievably real. “Oh, it’s just...my dream-self doesn’t know howta waltz,” I explained, my own words makin’ me laugh. As if this were the funniest thing he’s ever heard, my head bounced on his stomach as I felt the rumble o’ his chuckle vibrate deep in my chest. “Not a problem, Applejack. I will teach you.” My hoof was lifted inta the air softly by Discord’s claw, reachin’ in the direction of the stars. I felt the silky fur o’ his shoulder under my rough frog, causin’ another chorus from the songbirds; makin’ the fireflies glow brighter than ever before. He grabbed my other hoof in his paw, an’ lifted it slightly as I breathed in deeply, my breath loud in my ears. He was so...real. “Now follow my lead,” Discord instructed softly, an’ started ta step slowly in one direction. My hooves followed his, our souls twinin’ an’ huggin’ the music, stayin’ in beat an’ step. The stars swirled inta bright blurs as my hooves became blissfully connected ta his step. “You’re doing splendidly, Applejack.” Oh please, Luna; let this dream never end. Discord waltzed me gracefully inta the stars as we danced, our hearts one. We were part of the sky; another joined soul, displayed ‘cross the blackness for all to see. We marched ta the same tune, thought on the same wave...a fantasy that can only be found in the land of sleep. My heart trembled as he threw me inta the air, the stars an’ the moon blurrin’ inta a thousand white dots, creatin’ the same picture that was graved inta my mind. I jumped between the lines o’ dreams an’ the lines o’ love as I flew through space, sproutin’ wings an’ cryin’ out ta the countless faces that watched me. His breath whispered on my neck fur as he caught me, dippin’ me low ta the bottom o’ the sky. The crimson eyes that were usually emotionless were misted with unbelievable warmth, clouded with desire, as he stared at me, as he got closer an’ closer until we were just inches from each other. “Do you know what I said that day, when you answered my Truth question?” His voice rumbled my heart as I searched ‘is eyes, shocked ta the bone. I was surely gonna wake up before he said it, ‘cuz my mind didn’t know what he had said, so neither could my dream-Discord. I sighed, preparin’ for the magic ta disappear. “No. What did ya say?” “I said, ‘Oh, my dear girl, you have planted a seed in my heart.’ Because you have, Applejack. I don’t know how you’ve done it, but you’ve taught this crazy old draconequus what love is.” I waited for the scene ta collapse inta darkness, fer me ta start fallin’ back through the portal of reality. But it didn’t. We just stood there, in that moment of time, lost in each other’s gazes; lost amongst the stars that I had wished on, the stars that I had prayed on. Discord an’ I were two stars, twinklin’ an’ shinin’ as the nigh’ twisted ‘round us. We were two wishes in a heart, pleadin’ ta be let free. We were two star-crossed lovers, trapped in a dream that felt as real as time.