//------------------------------//
// Broken - Jadeile 
// Story: Chaos and Sunshine: the Discord x Celestia Group Collab 
// by The Princess Rarity 
//------------------------------//

Discord had found himself thinking of this place lately- a nagging little thought in the back of his mind, only manifesting itself properly during the night when he was trying to fall asleep. It had to stop.

His feet were kicking up light dust clouds in his wake as he dragged himself up the dirt path towards his destination. The shadows of the night were long thanks to the recently raised full moon and they painted twisted vaguely pony shaped figures on the ground, even though he was alone.

The draconequus walked past the stone ponies and stopped in front the only empty pedestal in the garden, staring at it with mixed feelings. The moonlight gave it a pale yellow sheen, making it look eerie.

He loathed the thing. He had stood on it for far too long and its mere existence gave him nightmares because the fact that it was still here meant that the ponies were expecting him to return to it someday.

He found himself at home here. He had stood on the pedestal for so long that he felt like he belonged here, like there was a bond to this place that he had nowhere else. That was actually true too, since the rest of Equestria had changed drastically - any place he had been familiar with had been altered beyond recognition. Of course he only found that refreshing and exciting but sometimes... sometimes he felt a little lost.

He couldn't stand the granite block. Both because he hated it and because it was too comforting in a way he wasn't comfortable with.

Discord glared at it and snapped his fingers, summoning himself a pickaxe. He lifted it above his head with a look of determination on his face.

“Will breaking it make you feel better?”

Discord startled and dropped the pickaxe, turning around to look at the source of the voice with wide eyes. Multicoloured pastel mane was moving in its personal ethereal wind. No crown, no slippers, no neckband. A look of understanding in her eyes.

“... yes, it will make me feel better, Celestia”, Discord answered and picked up his tool again, turning his back to her. He heard the soft sound of hooves treading on dirt and then felt her presence right next to him. Reluctantly he glanced her way and to his bafflement found her smiling.

“Then do it. You have been very distant lately to the point of making me worried and if one broken pedestal can fix it, then I am more than happy to have one around”, she said.

Familiar things had definitely been altered beyond recognition during the last thousand years. But it could be a good thing. Perhaps Discord could find something else to be his one constant from now on. Something less conflicting than the cold stone.

In the morning the rising sun revealed one broken pedestal and one healing soul for the world to see.