This was it. This was really it! All my hard work. All the headaches and explosions were actually paying off. Oh I wanted to jump around like a little filly on Hearths Warming Eve morn. No, I needed to stay focused for just a little bit longer. Come the dance, I could go wild. Why, I’ll even bring Shiny and Chrissy. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind being teleported all the way here into a dance just as I’m sure my ponies wouldn’t go stir crazy with their royals just vanishing. I’ll be back by tomorrow morning, so it shouldn’t be a problem. They’ve managed without me for this long, they can manage another night fair enough. It’s not like there’s anything important going on. Just smiling and waving……
Being a Princess is boring sometimes.
Being a Goddess of Love never yields a boring moment however. Like right now. This ship had almost sailed. The problem? I said ‘almost’. Something still could go wrong tonight. Everything hinged on them having a good time, but I was confident nothing bad would happen. That’s why I was so giddy. I actually found a love connection for Discord of all creatures. I am the master of shipping~ My joy was so abundant I was literally shining. I was half Crystal Pony after all. It was a neat trick of biology. Of course, my own enthusiasm wasn’t so infectious.
Discord was standing at the door. His feet encased in ice as he just stared at the door in apprehension. Quite a few ponies get cold feet before their first date. This was the third time it was taken literally that I’ve seen.
The other pony with us….well, she was showing her happiness in a different sort of way.
“WAAA!” Fluttershy wailed, crying into Discord’s fur. The yellow mare was clinging to his midsection. “I’m so proud of you.”
I rolled my eyes. Mother figures were often overly emotional when it came to these matters. I had hoped Fluttershy wasn’t the wailing type. I guess I was wrong. She wasn’t by far the worst. That would be Chrysalis at weddings. That girl can get really emotional when she wants to be. So much so that I had to add ‘almost drowned in tears’ to my list of near death experiences.
Yeah, it’s a long list at this point.
“Fluttershy,” I chuckled and patted her back comfortingly. “He’s a big god. He needs a little breathing room.”
Fluttershy sniffled. “Okay.” She flew up and gave Discord a reassuring peck on the cheek. “Just be careful and take care of her, okay?” Discord weakly nodded, which had a creaking sound added to it. She smiled. “Thank you.”
Daaawwww~ They were so cute~ Oh I can’t wait to have kids of my own. If only Shining wasn’t a bit hesitant about the subject. Oh well, I can still mother little Spike and all those baby changelings. Well, as best I can with Chrysalis turned into a dragonoid form. She often does that with her babies about. Not that I’d hurt them and we have played with them regularly together. It’s just…..Chrysalis gets into her moods and it’s never pretty.
Fluttershy landed beside me and we both trotted over to the bushes. We were going to get a front row seat to one of the most adorably, awkward pickups ever.
“The future is in your claws, Discord.” I whispered to myself as we hid. “Make the most of it, you silly god.”
Discord didn’t move for a few seconds, before he glared at the door. The ice at his feet melted away. “What am I doing? I’m the god of chaos. I fought Luna AND Celestia to a standstill. I brought the world to its knees! I have chaos. I have a handsome mug.” He hefted a large hammer to the sky and a bolt of lightning hit it. “I HAVE THE POWER!” He then….lightly tapped the door a couple of times. “Hmm, she’s not home.” He turned around, looking nervous. “Guess I best be going.”
I WAS GOING TO MURDER HIM IF HE DID!
Luckily for Discord, Big Macintosh opened the door.
_________________________________________________________
Ah stared at Discord’s back, holdin’ the door open. Ah was lucky ah was already headin’ outside to get the carriage, or else ah might not have caught him tryin’ to skedaddle on my little sister. While ah knew he wasn’t all that bad, ah’m still Applejack’s big brother. Ah’d be darned if ah let anythin’ happen to her ‘cause a god got cold hooves.
“Goin’ somewhere?”
Discord turned around and smiled. “Big Red, so glad to see you. How have you been? I hope that feisty little bat hasn’t been keeping you. Oooh, maybe you’ve had a few nightmares lately.” He waggled his eyebrows.
Ah rolled my eyes. This wasn’t the time for this kind of talk. Not for a long time, if’n ah had anythin’ to say about it. He can date my sister, but he can’t lay her. Not until he commits. Call me old fashion, but that’s the way it’s gonna be. He can warp me all he likes, but ah can still kick his head straight to town and back.
“So it’s been lackluster for you then,” Discord shrugged. “Sad. I would assume a stallion like you would have mares crawling all over you.” He taped the side of his head and one of his eyes sprang forward and glanced me over.
It was unnervin’ to say the least.
“Nope,” Discord chuckled, pullin’ his eye back. “No mares. Take it from a master, Apple Big. You need to loosen up. Maybe go pay those delightful spa twins a visit. I’m sure they get lonely-”
“Yer tryin’ to sidetrack me,” ah pointed out.
Discord frowned. “Sidetrack you? No, we’re travelling buddies. We escaped Nightmare Moon-”
“Luna.”
“-Nightmare Moon’s clutches with our combined ingenuity. Travelling buddies never sidetrack each other.” He took off his ear, which turned into a book. He opened it up. “Says so right here. Page forty-five in the ‘Travelling Buddies Manuel’. Not the best title in my opinion.”
“Treat her right, Discord.”
The critter blinked in confusion. “Huh?” He popped the book back in place and his ear was back on in a ‘poof’ of magic.
“Ah want ya to promise me,” ah looked him dead in the eye. Ah wasn’t gonna back down. “Ah want ya to promise me that ya will treat her right. Applejack means the world to me. To this family. She deserves the best for everythin’ she’s done. She’s too hard headed to admit that. Yer zany enough to do it anyways, so please. Give her the best night she’s ever had.”
Discord slowly grinned. “Of course. I’m the best at what I do.” He twirled his cane. “I’m the master of fun and a party expert extraordinaire. Applejack is going to enjoy herself tonight.” His face turned serious, somethin’ ah’d never expect to see on that face. “And I promise you. I will make her happy till the end of days. A god never breaks their promise.” He traced an X over his heart, with faint white lines appearin’ fer a couple seconds.
He put his cane down on the ground and leaned forward over it. He stared me right in the eyes. “I’m tired, Macintosh. Tired of messing with everyone’s lives. Tired of being the bad guy. I’m so, so tired, but this feelings. I’m not sure if it’s love. I want it to be. I’ve never felt love before so I don’t know. Whatever it is, it only appears when I think of your sister. When Applejack is with me...I feel alive like I’ve never felt before. It’s a random feeling. It makes no sense. She isn’t the one I would ‘pick’ for a lover, but she is the one I want to spend my life with. That isn’t a lie.”
Ah searched fer a lie in his eyes. Ah searched and searched. Ah found nothin’. He was tellin’ the truth. A part of me was proud of him. He was a mighty good fella deep down and honestly, he was someone Applejack needed. She needed someone to get to contrast, to loosen up. Discord fit that well enough.
Another part of me hated it. Ah was losin’ my little sister. Ah know that’s stupid, but she’s my sister. Ah had a tinge of selfishness to myself when it came to them. Ah wanted them to stay with me always, but that was stupid and ah know it. They had their own lives to live and ah wasn’t gonna be some bull-headed idiot and stop ‘em from bein’ happy.
Ah smiled and opened my mouth.
“Ya….ya mean that?” Ah heard Applejack speak up from behind me.
__________________________________________________________________
Ah stood there in front of a mirror, lookin’ over myself. Ah still couldn’t believe how pretty ah looked. Ah wasn’t one to really enjoy dressin’ up, but this? Ah actually liked it. Never thought of myself as ‘beautiful’, but this image was settin’ myself straight in that regard. Ah had everythin’ prepared for this dance.
Ah wasn’t ready.
‘Yer dressed and proper.’
Somethin’ was gonna go wrong.
‘Yer friends will be there to help ya. Besides, it’s Ponyville. Stuff always happens here.’
Ah wasn’t pretty enough fer this dance.
‘That’s hooey and ya know it.’
Discord would find somepony better than-
‘Quit yer whinin’ and go smooch the varmint, ya pansy. Yer just stallin’.’
Ah snorted as ah admitted defeat. Ah was stallin’. Ah still didn’t know how to feel about this. Ah was goin’ on a date with Discord. He wanted me and...We could kiss. Would it feel like magic? Would ah do any good? Ah could suck at it fer all ah know. Never kissed someone before. Discord could be the first.
That varmint better appreciate it. It was makin’ me glare as hard as ah was red right then and there.
Ah was gonna do this. Ah’m Applejack, Element bearer and one of the toughest ponies ya can meet. This was somethin’ ah had to face head on. Like a real Apple mare should. Ah ain’t no coward. Ah’m gonna enjoy tonight and by Celestia, ah’d do my part to do it. Even if ah had to hogtie Discord up fer the night to do so.
He’d just make a joke out of it.
When ah went downstairs, ah could hear my big brother talkin’ to Discord. Hopefully, Big Mac wasn’t gonna break my date. Same goes for Discord with my brother. Thankfully, they didn’t fight. No, they just talked.
Ah heard everythin’.
It was sweet of Big Mac to worry ‘bout me. He’s always looked out fer us, bein’ the big, strong hardworker that he is. He never did anythin’ in parts. It was all or nothin’ and he never settled fer nothin’. He was so good that ah still can’t believe he was so hard headed that he couldn’t see all those mares after him. Pick one, ya dummy.
‘Course, ah’m kind of a hypocrite in that regard. Rather, ah used to be.
Then Discord spoke and my jaw dropped. The things he said….The way he said it….My heart was beatin’ faster than it was before. Ah was nervous. Ah wanted to hug him. Ah wanted to knock the truth out of him. Had to be a lie somewhere. Had to….
What was ah doin’? Lookin’ fer a lie? Ah wanted him to like me, didn’t ah? ‘Course ah do. At least, ah think ah do. Ah wanted to be held. To be loved. If it had to be done by some varmint, than by Celestia it would be that varmint. Still, ah had to ask.
“Ya…..ya mean that?”
Discord and Mac looked up at me. Ah was standin’ inside the room and they could see me entirely. Discord’s bottom jaw fell off and hit the floor and ah blushed as ah smirked.
Rarity did a good job with my dress.
Usin’ his tail to put his jaw back in place, Discord raised a talon to speak and then…..He floofed up. He did it again.
Ah chuckled. “Well aren’t ya spiffier than ah brand new plow before spring.” Meant that too. Givin’ him a once over, ah noticed he cleaned up real nice. His suit fit him well enough and he actually looked handsome. Fer a varmint that is.
Gettin’ himself back in order, he grinned. “And aren’t you the fabled diamond in the rough. How lucky am I to have snatched you, my dearest Applejack.”
Ah blushed again. Ugh, it was gettin’ annoying blushin’ so much. Why’d he have to keep makin’ me feel so nice? “Just answer the question, Discord.”
“The answer is yes,” Discord stood up straight and nodded. “I meant every word of it. I’m not one for lies, my dear. Not a big fan of them. Half truths are more my game, or a spin on the truth. This is neither of those things. What I said is what I meant. You are the most beautiful mare I could imagine myself with. Of course, you are the only mare I have ever envisioned myself with. Well, in a romantic sense.” He tapped his chin with a claw. “Fun, tea, a good prank, all things I’ve pondered to do with or at many mares before. Love? Only you. Now stop being a silly pony and be an even sillier pony. We’ve got a party to crash.”
Ah smiled. “We were invited. Can’t crash a party we were invited to.”
“Not with that attitude,” Discord huffed, grinnin’. “Though, I did hear of that one party you and your friends attended not that long ago. Nice work.” He gave me a thumbs up with streamers shootin’ out of it and some sort of victory music playin’.
Ah glared at him. “Discord….”
He laughed. “Oh don’t spoil my fun, my dearest Applejack. Tonight is about enjoying ourselves and I assure you that you’ll have many fond memories of this night. I know I will.”
Ah trotted over to him, givin’ Big Mac a nuzzled as ah passed. “See ya, Big Mac.”
“See ya, sis.” Big Mac called out to me before shuttin’ the door.
This was it. No turnin’ back. Ah was datin’ Discord and that was the end of it. Discord clapped his hands and a carriage strolled up to us. It was bein’ pulled by two large, white mice. He grinned and opened the door. “After you.”
“Thank ya kindly,” ah smiled as ah walked inside. Least he had some manners.
“I think I should be the one doing the thanking,” he chuckled as he took his place next to me. The moment he closed the door, the mice started walkin’. “You gave me a chance, my dearest Applejack.”
“Just Applejack.”
“Oh don’t ruin my fun,” he chuckled and ah joined along.
Guess ah was gonna have a better time than ah thought.
_________________________________________________
I grinned from my spot in the bushes. I was so excited, literal sparks sputtered from my horn. That would honestly be rather embarrassing if I did it in public. Well, that and I was glowing up a storm. Someone could mistake me for a small star at this point. My plan was getting better and better. I just had to get my cuddle buddies here and it would be perfect.
“WAAAA!” Fluttershy wailed. “They grow up so fast. It feels like only yesterday he was learning the magic of friendship.” She pulled me close to her as she wailed into my fur. Honestly, I was surprised in how strong she was. I could tell she could easily break me in half. This mare was full of surprises……….
‘She’s a tricky one, this Fluttershy. I’ll have my work cut out for me finding her a match.’ A bit hasty on my part, but eh. She was the motherly type and they were fun and cute to match up. Still, I had someone else to focus on right now. Fluttershy could wait.