//------------------------------// // Chapter Eight // Story: Ah Must Be Kiddin' Myself // by The Masked Mare //------------------------------// Chapter Eight Dancin’ in the sky with the pony I’ve been dreamin’ ‘bout constantly fer two years was definitely a dream. Yup, I’m pretty darn sure of it. There ain’t no way that it was real. Nope. Ain’t no way. So I bet you can imagine my reaction when I woke up the next mornin’, my head in Discord’s lap, sittin’ under the very apple tree that I had fallen asleep under. “Discord! Wha-? Did you...did you...ah!” I screamed breathlessly, my chest heavin’. I sat up, my cheeks tickled pink, my eyes dartin’ every which way. “That was...that was...real? You’re...you’re alive? That...that happened? You...you danced with me in the sky? You know my song? WHAT IN THE NAME OF-?” I was hushed by a claw over my mouth an’ a soft, “Shhhhhh.” “You can scream at me all you want after the sun is up,” Discord whispered, ‘is eyes soft an’ makin’ me feel like a pot o’ honey, “but for now, let’s watch Celestia’s ‘grand masterpiece’ in silence, shall we?” He smiled a littl’, sly smile, gently slid ‘is claw off my face, an’ turned slowly ta glowin’ sunrise, peepin’ outta the horizon like a chick, scannin’ the outside of its nest for the first time. OH. MY. CELESTIA. HE’S HOLDIN’ ME, THAT WAS REAL, AN’ NOW HE WANTS ME TA WATCH THE SUNRISE WITH HIM?!? THAT WAS REAL?!? HE’S TOUCHIN’ ME, HE’S LOOKIN’ AT ME OUTTA THE CORNER O’ HIS EYE, AN’ HE OUTLINED MY NAME IN LITTL’ HEARTS?!? THAT WAS REAL?!? As Discord stared at the risin’ orb, ‘is face outlined in shadow, I searched ‘is gaze, tryin’ ta dig up the truth with the tiny, rusty shovel o’ my brain. He had taken my hoof in ‘is paw, ‘is eyes had filled with dancin’ stars at the thought o’ dancin’ with me. The object o’ my desires had twirled me through the stars; through love, through time itself. He had told me that I had planted a seed in ‘is heart; just like he did mine. He had said that I had taught ‘im what love was. My lips tingled, my swarm o’ fireflies morphin’ together ta create one big ligh’, as beautiful an’ as radiant as Celestia’s sun, shinin’ an’ weavin’ through my veins, tyin’ all my limbs ta my heart. He was next to me, righ’ next ta me, ‘is heart beatin’ rapidly against my ears, takin’ my heart by a storm o’ indescribable emotions, tangled in a knot ‘round my brain. The one an’ only Lord o’ Chaos, takin’ a mornin’ ta watch the sunrise paint the land in beautiful colors...it seemed impossible; a vision, stolen from the deepest part o’ my thoughts. The songbirds inside my soul chirped discordantly like I had hit ‘em in the face, squawkin, "Go on, Applejack, tell him! He obviously loves you too; c’mon, he wouldn’t have danced with you, waltzed you around the sky, if his heart didn’t sing for yours! We can hear his own songbirds, a perfect harmony to our melody! Scream to the stars, tell him that you love him! Tell him, tell him now!" I opened my mouth, a collection o’ dreams, o’ hopes, o’ wishes ticklin’ my throat, thrashin’ my tongue. They were about to tumble out, ta fill the empty space o’ silence, when I felt somethin’ tender, ligh’ly fallin’ down my mane like a wave, tricklin’ back inta the ocean. The pink sky colored my cheeks as I realized that it was Discord’s kind paw, strokin’ my mane like it was gold. “Okay,” I whispered, nearly chokin’. A tensity that I didn’t know was there fell outta Discord’s muscles as his face split inta a relieved grin. His eyelids drooped as he continued ta look at the golden angel, risin’ higher an’ higher; flyin’ up inta the sky, her soft eyes watchin’ us with consideration. I turned my head slowly, my eyes widened, my entire body pulsin’ with red electricity, followin’ Discord’s gaze. Littl’ streaks o’ ligh’, the sun’s long, silky fingers, spread across the orchard, castin’ the barn in a beautiful twist o’ pinks, yellas, purples, an’ reds, turnin’ the tips o’ the trees, an’ the rollin’, grassy hills golden. It felt as if one o’ them touched the middle o’ my heart, strokin’ the fireflies, as I felt a shift by my side. Was it my imagination, or did Discord just move closer ta me? My stomach rolled, clutched, an’ seized, as the small fur on ‘is paw touched my skin as he stroked my mane. A weight lifted off of my head; my Stetson, bein’ gently taken off by Discord’s claw, an’ placed on his other side. I would’ve screamed at ‘im, tellin’ ‘im ta give him my hat back...but...it’s jus’...I’d never known he could be so kind, so compassionate, so good-natured. Shoot. I sound like mushy applesauce. “Applejack, why do you always wear your hair in ribbons? It’s so silky, so golden...like butter; why do you always tie such extraordinary hair back?” Discord asked, ‘is voice hushed an’ serene, like a single note on a guitar. I blinked rapidly as the sun rose another inch, creepin’ towards our hooves like a tiger on the prowl. He thinks my hair is silky an’ golden? I thought, starin’ at the ground, my face gettin’ as hot as a volcano. “Er...I guess it’s because of my work in the orchard,” I explained, narrowin’ my eyes at a beetle that was crawlin’ near my flank, “I would wear it down all the time if it weren’t fer the fact that it gets in my eyes when I’m workin’ when I don’t tie it up. Why?” I tried ta keep my tone as conversational as my heart would let me, but even I could hear the unmistakable emotion embedded deep at the core o’ the words. “Oh, no reason. It’s just that...perhaps more ponies would see your raw beauty that way,” the words tumbled outta Discord’s mouth, ‘is ears flattened embarrassedly as his cheeks matched mine, “I mean, you do have amazing, natural beauty; a very rare occurrence nowadays. Of course, there are ponies like Rarity, who bust their chops trying to make themselves beautiful and attractive; but then there are ponies like you, who carry beauty around everywhere they go without even thinking about it. Look at yourself, Applejack; you have glistening, emerald colored eyes that sparkle like gems, an extraordinary orange coat, and naturally satiny hair of a goddess-” before he could continue, his claw disconnected from his body, hopped angrily up ‘is chest, an’ slapped over ‘is mouth, causin’ ‘is voice ta become muffled an’ distant. ‘Is eyes went impossibly wide, turnin’ inta the size o’ dinner plates, ‘is voice trailin’ off. ‘Is snow-colored eyebrows rocketed off o’ his forehead, flappin’ their sides like littl’, odd birds. “I said too much, didn’t I?” he muttered ta himself, wrenchin’ the claw off an’ stickin’ it back inta it’s socket with a crunch. A goddess. He had called a littl’ ol’ farmpony like me a goddess. Comin’ from anypony else’s mouth, I would’ve blushed, dismissed their compliment, an’ my heart would warm from the praise. Then I would’ve tucked it away somewhere; most likely in my heart, an’ I would’ve moved on with my day with a littl’ smile on my face. But comin’ from Discord...Discord, who had been ‘live fer millions a years, seen thousands an’ thousands of beautiful things, beautiful ponies, beautiful creatures; it made my soul fill with words, with love songs, with new branches o’ the apple tree...all the way until it spilled inta my mouth, fillin’ my mind with fumes of crimson emotion. I looked up ta the sunrise, flowin’ up just higher than the barn, flyin’ inta the sky like my heart. Who would’ve ever thought...who’d ever knew, that one day, I’d fall in love with the Spirit of Chaos? Who’d ever guess that me, a pony who had disliked Discord from the start, would ever feel anythin’ stronger than friendship for ‘im? Who would’ve thought...that maybe, jus’ maybe, he’d love me too? “Er...um...thank...er...you...Discord....” I said stupidly, lost in Discord’s labyrinth all those years ago, searchin’ fer the center. I felt somethin’ tug at my mane gently, the tension at the end o’ it caused by the ribbon suddenly disappeared inta thin air. I looked outta the corner o’ my eye ta see my red ribbon, floatin’ gracefully ta the ground like an autumn leaf. Strange. I hadn’t worn my hair down in years; it felt so awkward...like I had stolen somepony else’s hair an’ glued it onta my head. Small trickles o’ feelin’ speckled my neck as I realized that he was gatherin’ my loose mane inta three sections; like a grand, golden waterfall, parted like a curtain by little clusters o’ rocks. My entire body went numb, like I had taken one o’ Big Mac’s afternoon ice baths, when I felt my hair bein’ weaved tagether like the delicate stitchin’ I saw Granny do when she made Apple Bloom’s baby bonnet. One strand over the other, Discord was braidin’ my hair. If it was anypony else, I would’ve swatted ‘em away, sayin’ that I don’t like havin’ my hair done. It’s an honest waist o’ time, in my opinion, an’ I would prefer not havin’ ta go through that kindof trouble every mornin’; brushin’ an’ washin’ an’ shampooin’. How does Rarity do it? It seems downright impossible, ta tell ya’ll the truth. But with Discord, everythin’ I would normally find annoyin’, everythin’ I wouldn’t do or say...jus’ felt so right. In too many ways, that draconequus has turned my entire world topsy-turvey (literally and figuratively). He’s like a puppet master behind the strings o’ my emotions, twirlin’ an’ twistin’ ‘em ‘round like he owns me. So, that’s exactly why I didn’t flinch as he braided my hair, one loop after the other. Exactly why I exhaled deeply an’ watched the purple sky fade inta baby blue, blendin’ like a harmony an’ melody. Exactly why I shivered when he spoke in my ear. “Words,” he whispered, “they are really the killer of us all, aren’t they? So many things one could say that could hurt another, so many hopes one word could crush. I don’t know what you ponies were thinking, writing words. They just get tangled, like hair, and then you can never get them out of your ribcage.” I blinked. Say what now? “I mean, here...let me give you an example, shall I? Okay, so...let’s say that there was this random, completely run-of-the-mill draconequus-who, by the way, is completely unrelated to me-is trying to say something to a pony. Say something that he’s been holding back for a really, really long time, but can’t, because he doesn’t know how to put it; because there are not enough words in the dictionary to define what he means, what he thinks,” Discord said casually, as if he were sayin’ somethin’ ‘bout how the weather was. There was a long, ringin’ silence, as I felt a small squeeze at the end o’ my mane. Discord had finished the braid an’ tied it neatly with my ribbon, drapin’ it tenderly over my shoulder with a swift sweep o’ his claw. It cascaded down, past my stomach, restin’ a few inches above my waist. My eyes skimmed the top o’ it, widenin’ at what they saw. It was a fancy braid; a hairstyle that even Rarity would be proud of, tied with a bow knot at the end. The sun caught the strands, bathin’ them in a radiant light that coulda been in one o’ those romance novels that Rarity hides under ‘er pillow, makin’ my normally dull mane shine with golden color that I didn’t even know existed. But that wasn’t what nearly stopped my heart. Along the braid, spelled out in mornin’ dew, sparklin’ from the ligh’ o’ the sun, there were words. Three words, ta be exact. Three littl’ words, causin’ all o’ the eggs o’ the songbirds ta hatch, causin’ my entire world to shine an’ shimmer in the sky o’ my heart. I love you. “Let’s say, erm...that this certain pony...the one that the draconequus wants ta say somethin’ ta...wants ta say somethin’ to ‘im,” I breathed, my words shakin’ with adrenaline. No, I have ta be dreamin’, I have ta be dreamin’...I’m still asleep, under this apple tree alone.... “Let’s...um...say that she has a problem with sayin’ those words too...has a problem with words in general.” I heard a littl’, almost silent gasp come from Discord’s mouth; one peppered with disbelief, one candy-coated with longin’. “Let’s also say that the draconequus wants to ask the pony, right now, a question. A little, teensy-weensy question that may or may not affect their lives forever, that may or may not make the draconequus the happiest creature alive if she were to say yes. If he asked her, do you think that she would say yes?” I turned my head ta Discord, the breath stolen outta my lungs. He was lookin’ at me like I’d never seen ‘im look at me before. All o’ those emotions that were hidden inside o’ his eyes broke through the barrier; I could see them, sprinkled across ‘is pupils like cinnamon, sprinkled ‘cross an apple pie, as he sat there, waitin’, listenin’. Even though ‘is heart was buried, deep below ‘is magic an’ ‘is mind, I felt like I could see it, burstin’ with the effort of not explodin’. “Yes...I think she would,” I whispered, but even I couldn’t hear myself over the invisible magic, seepin’ through the cracks o’ this moment, this one, beautiful moment, that my life was leadin’ up to; the sun, smilin’ down upon us; Discord, the one who consumed my dreams like I consumed apple pie; an’ me, my songbirds flyin’ in a formation as I realized what was ‘bout to happen, how my world was gonna change ferever. “That’s all I needed to hear.” Chances are littl’ moments, littl’ fragments o’ ponies dreams, that have escaped from Luna’s hooves. Chances come by so quick, like rabbits; if ya don’t decide if ya wanna take that chance, it’ll dash away an’ you won’t even know what hit ya. If I didn’t take this chance, it would dash away, an’ I would never know. If I didn’t take this chance, all o’ the questions, engraved inta my heart, would fade away, an’ never be answered. A slow melody filled my brain, tickin’ with the beat o’ my heart, as Discord’s head moved closer ta mine. My breath straggled in my chest, fillin’ my ears, as Discord’s lips puckered, ‘is eyelids flutterin’ shut. Holy Celestia, this is actually happenin’. I’m ‘bout ta kiss the Lord o’ Chaos. The rest o’ the world blurred, colors fadin’ inta one another, straight lines becomin’ curved, angles becomin’ wider. All I could see, through the heavy emotion cloudin’ ‘round my head, was Discord’s face, shinin’ like a beacon through a snowstorm. My songbirds transformed. They transformed inta great big eagles, rare phoenixes, an’ other gianormous, screechin’ birds. One by one, they were swirled in a cloud o’ sparkles, an’ thrown inta another league of their life, the next stage of their time. The next stage o’ love. Chances are littl’ moments, littl’ fragments o’ ponies dreams, that have escaped from Luna’s hooves. Chances come by so quick, like rabbits; if ya don’t decide if ya wanna take that chance, it’ll dash away an’ you won’t even know what hit ya. So I took the chance. ‘Is face was so close ta mine, ‘is breath competin’ with my heartbeat. I felt like I was a machine, vibratin’, waitin’ for somepony ta turn me off. My stomach sloshed an’ bubbled with wantin’; this may be the only chance I will ever get. My mind as clear as crystal, I leaned forward, flutterin’ my eyes shut; passin’ the boundaries o’ life, my crayon colorin’ outside the lines. My entire body gave a jolt when ‘is lips connected with mine. A space, a giant, gapin’ hole inside o’ me that I didn’t even know existed was suddenly filled; the missin’ puzzle piece ta the jigsaw o’ my soul was found. I knew now that my feelin’s fer Discord ain’t some schoolpony crush. Discord was my other half; the apple ta my pie, the ‘best’ to my ‘friend’. It was impossible. Soul mates are real. Granny Smith once told me that everypony, every mare, every stallion, has a soul mate. They may be ‘cross the country, they may be the very pony that they’ve hated ever since they were a littl’ foal. She always told me that my soul mate was waitin’ somewhere, ready ta sweep me off my feet, ready ta make my heart complete. But who woulda thought that at the time she said it, my soul mate was encased in stone? Our souls finally found each other, after years an’ years an’ years o’ searchin’. ‘Is lips felt so soft, so right, so perfect. Love spilled from ‘is heart, travelin’ up ‘is throat, pourin’ inta my body an’ findin’ my heart. The warmth, the craziness o’ it all...it was a dream, a dream, as Discord kissed me, held me, under Celestia’s risin’ angel. Righ’ there, righ’ then, the world shifted. Time wavered, nature shook; thousands o’ stars, masked by the azure sky, looked at one another, bewildered, as two hearts, two unlikely souls, entwined. They looked at one another, as the galaxies painted this moment on a black aisle, suspended in a forgotten universe, parallel ta our own. Dancin’ in the sky with the pony I’ve been dreamin’ ‘bout constantly fer two years was definitely a dream. Yup, I’m pretty darn sure of it. There ain’t no way that it was real. Nope. Ain’t no way. But then again...everyday was a dream with Discord.