//------------------------------// // Chapter 21: A Cordial Date // Story: Relationships are Evil // by TheTimeSword //------------------------------// “Usually, I would say dressing up in fancy regalia would be most appropriate. However, this isn’t a usual sort of thing – what with it being Discord and all.” Rarity levitated dresses around the alicorn, shifting and calculating which would be the most appropriate for the mare’s date. “Where is he taking you? Do you know?” Twilight felt the strings of the girdle tighten, as if to push the air straight from her lungs. “I told him to keep it in Ponyville, but everything else is up to him.” She looked out the window of Rarity’s boutique, the sun shining brightly through with golden rays. “I can’t believe you let Discord make your plans. That’s so unlike you,” replied the unicorn. She began lifting a dress off a ponnequin and eye balling it next to Twilight. The silken gowns and velvety fabrics shifted and stirred until she finally placed them against the wall once more. “He’s the one that wanted the date. Regardless if it’s good or bad, I’ll have fulfilled my end of the bargain.” Starlight pulled the strings of the girdle again, attempting to tighten as much as she could. “I can’t believe you agreed to it at all. You do know if he wins this bet I become his servant for the rest of my life, right?” she reminded as she finished tying the strings. “Hey, you’re the one that made the bet with someone you barely knew,” Twilight sassed. Rarity waltzed over and removed the girdle, causing Starlight to frown. “Since this is with Discord, perhaps something more practical is in order. You may need your wings to fly away just in case things go south, which, I mean, it is Discord.” “Girls! This is a date, regardless of who it’s with. I can’t just show up in my normal attire. I’ve accepted it, and so I will put my best hoof forward – what he chooses to do is a different story.” The two unicorns looked at each other, feeling ashamed at their antagonizing. Rarity levitated a necklace of pearls and matching head ornament from one of the ponnequins. “You’re right Twilight, but like any friends, we are also worried the date may go bad, regardless of who it’s with. Besides, if he’s a true gentlecolt, he’ll say you look lovely nonetheless.” Starlight nodded her head in agreement and motioned for Twilight to sit down in a chair. “How about a mane change? A different style –” Starlight noticed the pearls floating “–and some jewelry. I think that’d be a good look for a first date. I mean, that’s all I’d wear.” “Well, personally, I’d go all out if it were my date,” Rarity mumbled to herself, smiling at the thought. She then noticed the two mares staring at her, to which she gave an embarrassed laugh. “But she’s right. Hair makes all the difference!” “Thanks you two. I couldn’t have asked for better friends.” She gave a smile as the unicorns began their work. While they toiled, a knock came to the door. “Come in!” she called out, allowing whomever to enter. The purple dragon burst the door open and rushed to the alicorn with letter in hand. “T-Twilight!” He stumbled to catch his breath. “You wanted to see this as soon as it came in, so I rushed as quickly as I could!” he said as she levitated it out of his claws. He then looked at the white unicorn expectantly, but said nothing. She quickly unraveled the scroll and began reading over it. “Tirek is returning next week!” she cheerily said, raising her forelegs in excitement, and almost hitting Starlight in the process. “I’ll be glad to see him, it feels like it’s been ages. I’ll have to let Pinkie know so she can begin planning the party – I’m sure she’ll be just as excited.” “Oh, already talking about another stallion and she hasn’t even started the date for this one,” Starlight sassed, speaking directly to Rarity. “Well, he certainly is more of her type. Strong, intelligent, and bold. Perhaps she’s attracted to those with a more mature personality?” Rarity replied, equaling the impudence. Spike shifted his eyes at the white unicorn and crossed his arms, a sulk across his lips. “She’s not the only one.” The mares went silent, an awkward air filled the room. Rarity looked to Twilight, hoping for some reassurance on the matter. The alicorn chewed her lip and scrunched her muzzle, giving no comfort to Rarity. Purple hair swayed softly as she looked down at the glaring dragon, hesitantly asking, “Whatever do you mean, Spike?” He rolled his eyes and exhaled at the same time. “I don’t know. I’m vague and give little explanation,” he replied in a mocking tone. “Listen, Spike. I-I don’t know what you’re getting at, but surely there’s no need for childish tones.” “Oh so now I’m being childish? I thought that’s what you wanted, that’s what you told me that night. In fact, you’ve been acting like none of it ever happened, as if none of those hurtful things even mattered to you,” he scornfully said. “Come now Spike, it’s not like that-“ Starlight then interjected, “Didn’t we figure out it was Chrysalis that said those things?” The two mares looked at Starlight with horror, knowing the cat was figuratively out of the bag. They had wanted to keep it a secret, but nobody told Starlight to keep quiet on the matter. Of course, no one was more horrified by the revelation than the purple dragon. He simply stood there with mouth agape, tears slowly forming in his eyes as. Rarity looked down and saw how upset he was becoming. “Spike, please, I didn’t want-“ “You all knew it was Chrysalis,” he interrupted. “And none of you were going to tell me? You all were just going to let me think it was Rarity?” He looked at the white mare, tears flowing from the sides of his eyes. “I guess you didn’t have the courage to tell me yourself. Better for you, huh?” Before any of the mares could try to comfort the dragon, he rushed out the door, sniveling and crying all the way out of the boutique. Twilight slammed her hoof into her face and groaned. “I knew I should have told him! I just knew I should have! There has been just so much going on… I-I’m such an idiot.” She slouched in her seat and said, “I’m sorry Rarity.” Placing a hoof on the alicorn’s foreleg, Rarity replied, “No, I’m the one that should have told him. I knew there was no way to keep it hidden forever, I should have told him as soon as I found out. Though, now…” her voice quivered as tears began to stream down her cheeks. “This is simply dreadful. I bet he’s going to hate me now. He’d be right to, I know I would if I were him.” “If I was let in on some of these bigger secrets then I wouldn’t have blabbed my big, stupid mouth,” Starlight murmured to herself, almost sarcastically, yet still serious enough. “I’ve got to go to him, he shouldn’t have to sit through this heartbreak alone,” Twilight said as she began getting up from the chair. She was quickly pushed back in her seat by the teary eyed unicorn. After catching her breath and wiping her eyes, Rarity said, “You’ve got a date to prepare for, Twilight. And we’ve got to help you.” She could immediately tell what the alicorn was going to say in response, and so she threw her hoof up to stop her. “I’ve already broken one heart, and I will not have Discord’s broken as well. He doesn’t deserve to go through what Spike is going through, no one should. Spike is my burden to bear, so please, just let us prepare you for tonight.” Twilight wanted to retaliate, but knew it would result in little. She gave a sigh and a nod, allowing the two unicorns to begin working on her once more. Her heart felt low as she thought about the dragon, but took a bittersweet delight in knowing Tirek would be returning soon – though his return would most likely bring more agitation amongst the ex-villains, and more stress to herself. She sat back in the seat and let her mind drift, centering herself in preparation for the night ahead. Hours passed as the three worked, eventually settling on the simplest, yet stylish attire – just in time for the sun to be setting. A knock came to the door downstairs and Starlight rushed down the steps to answer it. She greeted the draconequus who had been waiting patiently, and allowed him to walk in just as Twilight stepped down into the foyer. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. A jeweled necklace of rhinestones was all she wore, but her hair was curled like cinnamon rolls around her neck and forehead. He let out a gasp and quickly placed two fingers against his wrist, making sure he still had a pulse. She gave a smile at his antics, along with the roll of her eyes. “Good evening, Discord,” she said, noting the dusk hour. She stared up at his attire, far more gussied than her own. A black vest and red tie was all he wore, no undershirt, and especially no top hat – which she thanked the stars above. “I-I err uhm I oh,” he stuttered in reply. “I believe that means you look lovely,” Starlight surmised. The three mares let out a giggle as they watched him stiffen and blush, his heart almost pounding out of his chest – both literally and figuratively. He quickly cleared his throat in an attempt to regain composure and then said, “Yes, though I would have said beautiful. Will you accompany me, my dear?” Twilight smiled and gave a nod, stepping out of the boutique into the fresh evening air. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Starlight yelled as they walked away, causing Rarity to giggle. Once they were gone, Rarity turned to Starlight and asked, “Would you mind helping me find Spike? I absolutely have to find him and talk to him, I’ve got to set things straight. I could also use the company, if I do happen to find him.” “Well, I was planning on spying on the two lovebirds all night, but I think I’d rather help you.” ~*~*~*~*~*~ Hay bales shifted as a barrel was moved by the orange mare, it was the last of her chores to be completed for the day. She brought the wooden container to rest against the barn wall, placing a pitchfork atop the casing. A relieved sigh left her throat as she wiped the sweat from her brow. The light was dimming slowly, the horizon barely holding the sun’s weight as night crept from above. Closing the barn doors behind her, she took one last look at the orchard before turning to head home. As she turned her head, she realized her eye had caught a silhouette amongst the trees. The wind was not blowing and so she knew it couldn’t have been the leaves playing tricks on her. She turned back, seeing the outline and noticing how slowly it moved between the trees. The short stature gave her little to worry, but she knew her curiosity would be insatiable if she did not go to it. Cautiously, she approached the figure, only to notice the specific shape could not be that of a pony. “Spike? What are you doing wandering the farm?” she called out as she came closer. His face had been planted staring at the ground until he heard those words, to which he turned and looked at the friendly earth pony, tears streaming down his cheeks. “Applejack?” he said with a sniffle, wiping his eyes with the back of his claw, and clearing his throat to then ask, “What are you doing here?” “Well, I kind of live here on these farms,” she awkwardly replied, hoping a joke would bring a smile to his face. When it didn’t, she continued, “You alright, sugar cube? It’s a little late to be takin’ a stroll. You wanna talk about why you’re traipsin’ around like you’ve got a raincloud over your head?” Spike still had tears in his eyes as he replied with a gravelly voice, “Not really.” With the light slowly being extinguished from the sky, Applejack knew she couldn’t let him wander the farm in the darkness. “Well, then come to my house for dinner. We’d love to have you. You don’t have to talk – heck I’d prefer you didn’t with your mouth full, Granny does that enough already.” She finally got the chuckle and smile she wanted to see as he wiped the last tears from his eyes, giving a nod to her invitation. He was lead out of the orchard and up to the faintly lit house, banging and yelling could be heard from the inside. When she opened the door, the screams of fillies sent a shockwave into their eardrums, followed up with the yelling of a distinct, gummy mouthful from an elder pony. They made their way to the kitchen in the back of the house where three fillies sat with Granny Smith, waiting patiently for Big Mac to place the remaining dishes. “Shoot, we got a full house tonight,” Applejack said as she motioned for Spike to sit down. “Howdy y’all! Hope there’s room for two more.” She then sat herself down next to Spike, the three fillies greeting them both from the opposite side of the table. At the end of the table, Granny yelled, “Well howdy lil’ dragon! We rarely get to see you here, youngin’!” “It’s good to see you again too, Granny Smith,” he happily replied. The three fillies snickered to each other as Big Mac set down the last of the meal, taking his seat next to the young dragon. Spike gave a smile, feeling the comfort of the ponies that surrounded him, and forgetting all the worries that had been burdening him. The group quickly went to work, filling their plates and yelling over each other about their days. One conversation stood out to Spike over the rest, though he concentrated more on eating rather than talking. “Could you imagine if they got married and had babies? What would they even look like?” Scootaloo asked the other fillies, shoving mashed potatoes into her mouth. “Maybe a pony with Discord’s body parts?” Sweetie Belle replied. “Or maybe another Discord except as a pony?” “Isn’t that just the same thing?” Apple Bloom asked. “What are you three talkin’ about?” Applejack interjected into their conversation. Spike slumped against the table, spooning peas into his mouth as he tried not to care. He couldn’t ignore what was being said though, no matter how much he tried. This was especially evident when he almost choked on his food when Sweetie Belle said, “I heard Rarity talking the other day about planning their wedding already. I think she was also planning hers though, she does that from time to time.” Applejack took notice immediately. She gave a simple frown as she realized what he might be upset about, or rather, who he was upset about. With a swallow of food, she then asked, “Hey Spike, I don’t suppose you’ve heard anythin’ about Twilight and Discord’s date, have you?” He looked up at her, her big green eyes looking back at him. “Yeah, I was there earlier today dropping off a letter,” he answered. “Tirek’s returning soon.” Apple Bloom slammed her forelegs onto the table and yelled, “You were there? And Tirek’s comin’ home!? What else happened? Don’t leave us hangin’.” “Now Apple Bloom, it’s not nice to gossip-“ “Not much to say,” he interrupted. “Some harsh words were said, I found out Chrysalis was the one to break my heart – not Rarity. Apparently no one had the integrity to tell me about it.” The entire table went silent after he spoke, surprised to hear his details. “I wasn’t there for long, didn’t feel like talking to any of them after I found out.” “Wait, so Chrysalis posed as Rarity? And they didn’t tell you?” Scootaloo asked. He gave a nod in response. “Well that’s pretty rude of them.” He shrugged and slumped back over against the table, playing with the peas on his plate. “Yeah, I know. I’ve had a while to think about it. I mean… I thought I was their friend. I’d tell them if I found something out as bad as that.” Applejack placed a hoof around the purple dragon, the soft brush of her fur rubbed against his scales. “I think that makes you a good friend, Spike. I would’ve told you if I had known.” “Eeyup,” the elder brother replied, and others agreed with his statement. “Thanks you guys,” Spike replied with a slight curl of his lips. “I’m just glad none of them decided to come after me. I don’t know how I’m going to face any of them now, or if I want to.” He shoved his plate forward and slumped over onto his arms. The orange mare moved her hoof along the spines of his back, hoping to comfort the poor dragon. “I can’t tell you what they’ll say or how you’ll feel, but you won’t really know how it’ll go until you try. It’ll take time to forgive them, but you shouldn’t hold it against them. They just wanted to keep you from hurtin’, they wouldn’t want you to feel this way.” “I know. But here I am, feeling the same way as I did when a fake Rarity broke my heart. If they had told me, if Rarity had told me, then I don’t think I’d feel this bad.” He gave a sigh and sat up. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be drowning you all with my problems.” The chair screeched as he rose from his seat and said, “I should go. Thank you for the meal.” “You’re always welcome back here, youngin’,” Granny said, coaxing a smile from Spike as he said goodbye. As the purple dragon walked through the living room and out the door, everyone sat at the table, silent as a summer night. Applejack hesitantly stood up and looked at Granny Smith, who gave a nod. The others sat hushed as she rushed after the dragon, the screen door slamming behind her as she gave chase. Her brisk pace allowed her to catch him in an instant – his slow, pathetic walk didn’t even get him more than a few yards from the glowing house. He turned to look at the worried mare, barely seeing her golden hair in the darkness. “Applejack?” “Spike…” He stared at her expectantly, unsure of what she wanted. Her heavy breathing was startling, and the long pause she held was even more disconcerting. “I’m sorry,” he started off, “I didn’t mean to make a scene.” His claws fidgeted as he spoke, sweat slowly dripping down his scaly cheeks. “I’m just… I’m a little stressed out at the moment, is all. I hope you can forgive me.” Her heart raced faster than her mind, finally blurting out, “You don’t need Rarity.” She could feel herself choking, wanting to back out, run away and not look back. “You don’t need to keep chasing somepony who isn’t willing to give you the time of day.” She wanted to suck the words back in, but they had already left her lungs, and so there was no turning back. “I’m not chasing her-” His hand turned into a fist, clenched next to his hip “-I’m not going to chase her. It’s not even about being together, it’s about her not telling me how she felt, letting Chrysalis do all the work while she sat back feeling relieved.” Tears started to form in his eyes, but he didn’t care. “She spent time happily confident with herself, while I felt sorry for myself, for what I thought we could be.” “Listen, Spike, you don’t need to concern yourself with her. You’ve got somepony willin’ to share their feelings with you already, somepony who is more concerned with makin’ you happy.” She slowly inched closer to the dragon, her eyes began to water but had not sprinkled out. Raising his clenched fist, he replied, “You’re not listening – it’s not about my feelings for her. It’s about Rarity, and Twilight, and even Starlight, and I don’t even know who else knew! They were all fully aware of what had happened, and none of them felt I deserved to know. None of them felt I was worth telling, as if the whole thing could be swept under the rug! Being alone is nowhere near as bad as being worthless in the eyes of your friends!” Applejack halted, the angry words that the dragon spurted caused her to take a step back. “You’re…” her voice quavered as she tried to speak. She cleared her throat as a single tear dripped down her cheek. “You’re not worthless to me, Spike.” “What?” he confusedly asked, unclenching his fist for a moment. “You are right, Spike. Your friends shouldn’t hide things from you, things you deserve to know.” She slowly stepped forward, reaching the purple dragon and placing her hoof against the underline of his jaw. “That’s why you deserve to know… I’ve had a crush on you, and only recently did I realize it was more than a crush. I like you, Spike. I like you a lot.” He stared up into her green eyes, which were slowly clouded by tears. His voice failed to utter any noise, no matter how hard he tried. Applejack removed her hoof and stared at him, worried and anxious, hoping for him to say something – anything. To her dismay, he simply turned and began running away into the darkness. She stood still, tears streaming down her cheeks as she did nothing but watch, finally tipping her stetson and kicking the dirt. ~*~*~*~*~*~ The restaurant was devoid of any others except for the draconequus and alicorn, and of course the staff who nervously served the two. They had already ordered and the chefs were quickly preparing their meal. It was the most expensive restaurant in Ponyville – which wasn’t saying much for the quaint little town – but with the addition of a new princess to the roster, upscale places like this began popping up slowly. Discord sat twiddling his thumbs and pulling on his tie every few moments. Their conversation had been minute since they left Rarity’s shop; small chit-chat that ended with awkwardly long pauses. The night sky had already come, and it was clear to him that his lovely date was becoming bored. She levitated a fork and looked at it, waiting for the quiet stallion to say something – anything. “So, uh,” he stammered out, finally breaking another excruciatingly long pause. “You look lovely.” She slumped in her chair and threw a foreleg over the back, rolling her eyes at his statement. “You’ve said that five times now, Discord,” she replied with lethargy. “That I have,” he noted with a nervous chuckle, and another pull of his tie. “You’ll have to forgive my ineptitude on this sort of dating. For the last thousand years I’ve been trying to court the other statues that were around my own. It never worked out, of course. They always gave me the stone cold shoulder.” She smiled to his little joke and sat forward. “That’s the best joke you could come up with? You’ve really hit rock bottom,” she replied. He let out a chuckle and then covered his mouth. “Did you just make a joke? I’m not sure if I should be proud or offended!” “Wait... Joke? What joke?” She then slapped her own face upon the realization. “Oh for goodness sake, I didn’t even mean…” Discord slammed his fist down on the table, laughing with a vigorous boom of his voice. She couldn’t help but let out a little giggle as well. When he finally toned down his laughter, he then asked, “You’re definitely one of a kind, do you know that?” “Oh, so now you’ve learned something new to say? Did you spend all day coming up with cheesy lines like that?” she replied with her own sass-filled question. “So what if I did? What did you do all day, then?” “Me? I got ready for our date, received a letter from Canterlot, oh, and saw my best friend run away crying. That was fun,” she retorted, placing her cheek against her hoof in a dismissive posture. He clasped his hands together and fidgeted his thumbs slightly. “I’m sorry. Is that why you’ve been so distant? I thought it might have been…” he trailed off as he looked away. “No, no, it’s not you Discord. Well, mostly not,” she replied. “I’ve just never seen Spike so hurt, especially when it’s something I could have prevented. I feel so bad for him, and can’t help but wonder how he’s doing. It’s got hold of my mind right now.” “How is anyone supposed to wiggle into your affection with friendship being bound to your hip at all times?” he asked with a patronizing tone. “Oh, yes, because that’s more difficult than shuffling through the jokes, quips, and chaotic tricks performed by you,” Twilight replied with even worse condescending inflection. “Not to mention that when you leave those three things behind, you’re nothing but a broken record!” She then crossed her eyes and spoke in a deep, dull-witted voice, “You look lovely today! You look lovely today! You look lovely today!” She then made a farting noise by sticking out her tongue and blowing. A frown had sunken well into his face when she finally looked back at him. She thought he was upset, until a burst of laughter changed his entire demeanor. The laughter was contagious, she couldn’t help but feel a little silly about what she had said and done. First a giggle, and eventually tears streaming down their cheeks. “So…” he said as he wiped his eyes. “This date really hasn’t been going well, has it? We haven’t even shared a meal and we’re already at each other’s throats.” She gave a smile and replied, “It could be going better, but so could this day. If I am completely honest with you Discord, I want to have a good time with you, get to know you, but so much else has already happened that it’s keeping my mind far, far away.” “Then let’s start from here. Forget the rest, and have some fun. You deserve that, don’t you?” “You know what? You’re right. Pinkie hasn’t thrown a party in a while. I’ve been busy reforming villains and curing the changelings. I deserve some fun. So what did you have in mind?” “I’d hate to spoil it, but the only other thing I had planned tonight was a stroll around the lake in the moonlight. I had hoped that would be romantic enough for your taste, though it’s not really fun in the literal definition.” “Dinner and a stroll? That’s positively… normal. You’re trying really hard to make this as romantically customary as you can, aren’t you? I wouldn’t even be surprised if you went to my parents and used their advice to come up with this.” “Is it bad? I know you prefer things planned, simple, and calculated. I even thought of making a list to show you how determined I was for this to go well.” He rubbed his nape. “Would you have preferred something else?” Twilight reached across the table and placed a hoof atop his other hand. “It’s actually everything I would want from a normal date. Awkward pauses aside. I don’t have a lot of time to be dating, but whenever I imagine it, it’s kind of like this. Is that stupid?” He shook his head. “No, of course not. I’d prefer something a little more chaotic, or free spirited, but that’s what I like about you. I get to experience the boring parts of life.” He then covered his mouth, realizing it sounded more like an insult than what he meant. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just different, is all.” “My life isn’t completely boring, you know,” she said, almost as if to jokingly reprimand him. “You go on many exciting adventures, see many different places, shove many pastries against your mouth. Yes, yes, very exciting.” “I’ll have you know-“ Before she could finish, a stallion with slicked back hair and a suave mustache brought their food. He cautiously served them their plates and drinks, and then said, “Let me know if you need anything else.” Discord gave a nod and the waiter took his leave back to the kitchen. The mare grumbled to herself as she levitated a fork. They quickly began eating their meal, catching each other’s gaze every few moments. Her eyes were lit like little fires, burning for the desire to show him how fun she could be. As he scooped up another bite, he looked over at the mare who had gone still. A grin like no other had formed on her mouth, and then he noticed the silver spoon that was pressed against the edge of the table, filled to the brim with food. Before he could even realize what was going to happen, she launched the contents across the table, splashing him with an assortment of food. Splotches of sweet potato and berries lined his vest and dirtied his tie. He quickly rose from the table, staring in awe of the messy sight. “What was that for!?” he shouted with a confused anger. Undoing his buttons and prying the vest off, he shook it a little and the mess magically flung off. He turned back to show it to her, only to get another strike on his muzzle. As he wiped it off, she responded, “Look out Discord, we’re under attack by our nutrition. They’re sending more volleys.” Another toss from the alicorn’s spoon was dodged by him. He noticed the smug grin upon her face. “You think you’re funny, do you?” he asked as he snapped his fingers, two pies appearing in his hands. “Well, do you, princess?” Twilight frowned and quickly rushed towards the kitchen, dodging flying pies and jumping over the counter. “That’s not fair! I can’t make food magically appear!” she yelled as she cowered. Kitchen staff frantically moved into the backroom, hoping to avoid the messy desserts Discord delivered. He was quickly outmatched though, once Twilight realized she had plenty of ammo of her own now. As she sent the batch of potatoes flying out into the restaurant, Discord quickly kicked over their table and used it for cover. Berries and asparagus slid down the surface of the newly made shelter. “Give up Twilight, you’ll never win! I was born for food war!” he shouted, whipped cream cans appearing above him and firing towards her position. With the cream sloshing down around her, he yelled, “I’ve got plenty of food and plenty of tricks! You cannot beat me!” We’ll see about that, she thought as she noticed the lettuce. She raised her head above the counter, heads of lettuce levitating around her. “Surrender now and I’ll let you live,” she replied with her own yell. “You cannot win! I have the high ground!” “You underestimate my magic!” She launched the lettuce balls across the restaurant, causing them to land all around him and the makeshift barrier. Some landed in front, while the others surrounded him. He let out a guffaw, the green spheres rolling to a stop along his sides. “That’s it?” he called out, raising his head above the table. “You should have waited to use your heavier ammo! My retaliation is-“ A smirk crossed her face as her horn lit up. The head of lettuce in front of the table exploded, sending pieces of the vegetable in all directions, especially onto Discord’s face. He felt he deserved that for being cocky. He slumped back down behind the barricade and wiped his face of the green plant residue. It was then he realized he was surrounded by several other heads of lettuce, all strategically placed by the alicorn. “Well this is an unfortunate set of sequences,” he murmured to himself as the heads exploded, covering every inch of his exposed body with the leafy substance. After a few seconds of not hearing from the draconequus, he finally stood up with his back facing Twilight. His back was completely void of lettuce, which worried her for a moment, until he turned around and faced his better. She couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the lettuce covered draconequus. From head to toe he was green with envy. Through her laughter she asked, “Do you concede?” With one wipe of his hand, the lettuce vanished from his body, leaving only his tie. “This is war, and war sometimes means subtly.” Twilight felt a drip of jelly land on her nose. She touched it with her hoof and stared at it for a moment, and then shifted her focus to the ceiling, catching sight of the pies that floated above. In an instant, they began to fall – or were forced to fall – but they were all blocked by a purple shield that surrounded the alicorn. He groaned at the sight of the barrier. “Come on! How is that fair?” he yelled at the smirking, protected alicorn. “I didn’t know there were rules in food war. You could have created a barrier at any point!” “Yes, well,” he paused. “I just didn’t want this to happen to me!” He snapped his fingers and whipped cream filled her barrier, covering the mare with the white, thin treat. As the barrier dropped, cream spilled out onto the floor. Twilight shook her head and wiped the gooey condiment from her eyes. “Okay, fine, you win you big baby,” she admitted her defeat. “Now do me,” she said as she shook her hoof, cream flying off. “Already? But we haven’t even finished our first date! You ponies are quick to move, aren’t you?” “I meant the white cream, Discord!” “Yes, that’s what I meant too,” he replied with a chuckle. “Discord!” she shouted, her blushing was too covered to be seen. “Alright, alright.” He snapped his fingers and the cream disappeared from her coat and mane, everything returned to the way it had been previous. She stepped over the counter and trotted back to the draconequus, a genuine smile blazed across her cheeks. “I guess dinner is over?” she rhetorically asked. “Should we do something about the mess, or are you going to take me on that romantic walk like you said you would?” He wrapped his arm around her neck and replied, “My dear, the night is still young.” The two chuckled and giggled as they stepped out of the messy restaurant. With the commotion finally settled, the waiters and chefs trotted out into the disaster zone, their mouths agape and their minds filled with frustration. “I knew I should have called in sick today,” the mustached stallion muttered. After leaving the restaurant to its filthy demise, Discord led the mare across Ponyville towards the closest lake. As they walked they talked, a cheerful tone in each of their voices. “When it’s just us two, I’d have to say you’re quite a lot of fun, Discord.” “A food fight, I never would have guessed you to be an instigator. What would your parents say? What would Celestia say?” “Oh geez. Celestia would be more than thrilled, most likely. The letters I get from her faintly speak volumes of what she wants from this little bet.” “And what does she want?” he curiously asked. She smiled at the draconequus as she answered, “Same thing you do, actually. She just wants me to have a little fun. I don’t think she cares who wins.” Discord was about to speak, a rude joke of the sun princess was on the tip of his tongue. Before he could release the comment, a gasp from the alicorn cut him short. They had arrived at the lake just as he promised. A serene view during the day was only made more romantic by the full moon that brightened against the water. They stood at the threshold, staring out into the blue beauty, and enjoying the tranquility of the stillness. “It’s so beautiful…” her voice quivered. “I’ve never seen it so lit up at night.” They walked for a little while before arriving at a bench that stared out at the lake. They sat together upon the bench and Twilight then said, “After all this time living here, how have I missed something so gorgeous?” Discord smiled and placed an arm around her shoulders and back, dragging him closer to the mare. “I asked myself that a while ago. How have I missed something so gorgeous? I couldn’t believe what I had been missing, how I had been thinking.” His eyes turned to the purple pony. “That’s when I decided I was going to stop missing, and start chasing after the gorgeous sight.” Her eyes sparkled as she stared out, only to shift from the lake to the draconequus – still holding the same sparkle. “You think I’m gorgeous?” she coyly asked. “I know you’re gorgeous, I can see it with my own two eyes.” He grasped her chin in the palm of his hand, gently touching behind her jaw, holding her steady. When he leaned in, she didn’t fight it, simply closing her eyes to embrace the moment. Their lips met and entwined in each other, and she could not believe how soft and gentle it was. She expected a toothy, chapped, maybe even a little sugary kiss, but it was none of those things. With the crickets chirping, they finally pulled away only to stare at each other. Twilight immediately became aware of her surroundings and what had just happened. “Y-You kissed me!” she yelled, her face was reddened from ear to ear. “I don’t kiss on the first date!” Discord’s ears perked up, smoothly replying, “First… date?” Her face blushed harder than ever, something Discord couldn’t believe had he not seen it himself. She first leaned away from the draconequus, as if to get up, but then decided against it. “Just, shut up or this’ll be the last date,” she replied as she nuzzled her head against his torso, staring back out at the water. He placed his arm around her neck and held her close, giving a smile before looking out onto the magical, moonlight lake as well.