//------------------------------// // Movie Nights and Moody Fights. // Story: The Discordant Days of Discord The Draconequus // by Roxxi //------------------------------// A short week after the momentous occasion of Luna and Discord’s first “Official ‘Now You’re BOTH Alive!” date, as Pinkie Pie had dubbed the unusual outing, would find the Canterlot Castle in a normal state of affairs. An eager group of mares would be making their way down one of the many vast hallways of the castle, a friendly conversation about the night’s events taking place. “Thanks again for letting us use your theatre for movie night Princess!” a cyan Pegasus said as she hovered through the hall, trailing behind Princess Luna, the rest of the Elements of Harmony in tow as well. Luna smiled and nodded. “You say that every time you and your friends come over for movie night, Rainbow Dash, and as always, I am more than happy to join you in the fun of movie watching,” she said, looking over her shoulder at Pinkie Pie, who gripped a film reel between her teeth, her saddle bags stuffed full of sweets. “What movie are we watching tonight?” “Hermepfh! Phfrflk, mernnnyphf! Ferrfph,” was all the walking concession stand could manage with the reel in her teeth. “It’s that new romantic movie that was released in Manehatten just this week. I heard it’s to die for, so I pulled a few strings, and voila! Our very own copy of Jewel of the Desert starring that handsome stud Liam Neighson!” Rarity shivered as she cooed the actor’s name. “He’s so dreamy, with that moody disposition, gravelly voice, and that rugged coat…”A line of droop leaked down her chin as she trailed off and barely maintained the ability to walk straight. It was at this time that the castle’s favorite purveyor of preposterousness chose to show his face and he sprung up out of Pinkie’s hair looking revolted. “Jewel of the Desert? You’re actually going to watch that drivel? Romance movies are terrible, and Neighson only belongs in action movies, everypony knows that.” Discord chided the group of mares with a roll of his eyes, which continued to roll until they rolled out of his head and down the hall. “Look at that, my eyes are just dying to get away and you haven’t even started watching that movie!” Luna scowled and pushed open the door to the theatre, plucking the film reel from Pinkie’s mouth with her magic and handing it to a reedy stallion who wordlessly galloped up to the camera room to set up the film. “If you don’t want to watch it with us, you are more than welcome to find some other way to occupy your time until we are done, but I for one want to see this film,” she said, turning back to look at the draconequus. “You may either join us or leave, although it would mean very much to me if you watched it with me…” she wobbled her bottom lip, and everypony could see the threat of glistening tears in her eyes. Rainbow Dash leaned in with a grin nudged Fluttershy, “You thought the Stare was bad? Wait till you see this. Princess Luna’s gonna have that sap begging to watch this movie,” she whispered. Normally, yes, Luna’s teary gaze was an unparalleled weapon of mass affection and could bring even the mighty Celestia to her knees. Normally, that is. Of course, ‘normal’ is never a word one would associate with Discord, and one he would never willingly label himself with. The draconequus had bolted from the hall with such incredible speed that a faint afterimage could still be seen, panic stricken expression and all. “Um… I think you did it wrong, Princess… I mean…” Fluttershy whispered, looking nervously around the hall as Applejack and Twilight tried to stifle their snickering. Rainbow Dash, however, was far from composed in her response. “BWAHAHAHA! That was priceless! Oh buck me that was better than getting him to watch it with us!” Dash cackled as she rolled in the air and kicked her legs as she clutched her heaving chest. Rarity merely rolled her eyes and daintily trotted into the Royal Theatre, the rest of the group trailing after the diva. Luna still had a bewildered look on her face. “The Tears… failed?” Discord skidded to a halt outside of the Royal Kitchen and panted, hunched over as he tried to get his lungs to work again. “Come on you lazy bums, I need oxygen,” he grumbled, poking his chest until a wheezy sputtering like an old motor came from his chest, allowing the draconequus to breathe properly once more. “Honestly, that mare is abusing her powers far worse than I ever abuse my own…” “Let me guess, Luna used the Tears again,” a dry voice called out to the puffing chaos champion from the door. Celestia turned to trot back into the kitchen, and Discord could only shrug and assume he was supposed to follow, or, at least he was invited to. She did speak to him without setting him on fire this time. If that wasn't an engraved invitation, nothing would be. Celestia sat at a broad wooden table, a variety of snacks laid out before her. Discord sat across from her and picked up a swirl patterned cookie. “She was, but that’s nothing new. This,” he gestured between Celestia and himself, “On the other hand, is a whole other ball game, Sunshine.” Discord tossed the cookie in his mouth and swallowed without chewing. A metallic ping softly clanged from his gut. “Any particular reason for the buckets of friendship you’re pouring out?” he asked casually, flicking an eyebrow up to the ceiling where it stuck for several seconds before gently floating back down to his face. Celestia closed her eyes, floating a chocolate covered banana up to her mouth to bite into it slowly, as if in deep thought. “I can’t force you to leave. I can’t convince Luna to leave you. Therefore, I can only accept your plague reminiscent existence upon life until I can find a suitable punishment for you,” she said evenly, cracking her eyes back open to give the bane of her existence a glare tinged with disinterest. “I’m a plague that deserves a punishment? Remind me, please, exactly what I've done wrong since Luna was kind enough to give me a second chance at life. Well, technically a third chance, but who’s counting? Besides me, that is,” Discord said in that same conversational tone, though the air in the room had become far tenser as he leaned forward on his elbows, slurping up a licorice rope like a noodle. “I've done nothing wrong, relatively speaking. You were the only causality in our first date, and I was only intentionally responsible for one of them; you brought the others on yourself by snooping.” “You’ve done nothing wrong? That’s the biggest joke the world has ever had the misfortune to hear! You’ve tainted her mind. I don’t know how you’ve done it, but you’ve put her under some spell, even if she can’t see it,” Celestia said, all but growling as she slammed her hooves onto the table upending a plate of cracker sandwiches. “You know a few things I don’t about her, I can’t deny that, but I am her sister and I think that gives me a better understanding of her feelings. You’ve come into our lives before and only caused grief not only for Equestria but us as well. You and your despicable ways have caused immeasurable strife in our lives, and this travesty is only going to hurt her worse than anything else she has experienced before! Or have you forgotten your last spurned lover?” the alicorn sneered. Discord’s eyes narrowed. “I have not forgotten her, nor did I spurn her. She wanted more than I was comfortable giving at that time, and I admit I handled it the wrong way. I will not make that same mistake again. Only a blind fool would try to deny that Luna has been considerably happier the past few weeks. She smiles, Celestia. Honest to goodness smiles that brighten up the room she’s in.” Discord leaned back, staring at the ceiling, letting the memory take his mood a little higher. “She’s beautiful… She’s smart, so smart it smarts just listening to her try and explain her latest gizmo, and I love it. Her face lights up when she gets on a science rant, equations and formulas and the like. Have you heard her laugh?” He looked back at Celestia, who was wearing an odd mix of emotions on her face. “I mean really laugh. It’s a symphony of one; pure poetry in the air. I’ve heard her truly laugh, though admittedly it’s often at my expense, but I know she means no ill will of it.” Discord sighed and stared at Celestia sadly. “What is so wrong with me loving her and vice versa? Why are you so against this? It makes your sister happy; shouldn’t that be the most important thing regardless of who she’s happy with?” Discord said. “All I want is to-” “I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU WANT!” Celestia screamed at him as she had reached her limit for this absurd charade that he loved her dear sister, her eyes blazing with fury. Discord’s sick façade of emotions and this blatant jab at her concern for her sister was too much. “You are a monster! You've hurt us – her more than anypony should be hurt – and you think you can come back now and make it all better with a few dates and school filly games? My sister is no game and I will not have you casting her off like every other poor girl you’ve-” CRASH! Celestia was thrown off of her feet and through the wall behind her by an invisible wave of force. Discord was on her in an instant, his face a hair’s breadth from her own. “Listen and listen well you pompous pony… I would never treat Luna like a game. She is so much more to me than that, and if you try to take her away from me, I will not hesitate to destroy you piece by piece with my bare claws. What happened in the past is exactly that: in the past.” A sharp crack bit through the air and Celestia found herself sitting at the table once more, the snacks neatly arranged and a frowning draconequus sitting across from her with his eyes shut. Discord let out a deep breath, his fingers laced together as he repeated this common stress reliever several times before opening his eyes again. “I’m… sorry… I shouldn’t have let my anger get the best of me; Luna would be upset with me if she saw that kind of deplorable outburst…” Discord said softly. Celestia was shaken by Discord’s eruption of anger, and any thoughts she had about him reforming and being harmless to her precious Luna were blown away. No, if anything, this was only solid proof that Discord was an unstable beast bent on damaging her sister beyond repair. Celestia’s resolve to drive Discord away was strengthened further; this farce needed to end before somepony was hurt again. ‘I won’t let you ruin another heart Discord…” she thought to herself as she reigned in her composure. “It’s fine. I’ve seen worse in my centuries of rule,” Celestia said shortly, floating a cup of tea to her lips and sipping from it regally, her composure regained. “Mistakes happen, after all, that is simply life. I think we can have a civil conversation now, yes?” she asked, looking at Discord with barely veiled distaste. “I just want to understand why you’re so set against my being with Luna. I've been there for her the last few months far more than you have when she needed your support. She would talk to me, I couldn’t speak, but just having somepony to talk was all she needed. You were too busy, you’re always too busy. Luna and I wanted your attention, and you cast us aside, imprisoned and isolated us for our attempts, which were, in hindsight, drastic, but we just wanted you to pay attention to us instead of all your little subjects,” Discord said as he leaned over the table with the ghost of desperation in his eyes. “That’s absurd. You were trying to rend the fabric of reality for fun, and Luna was admittedly ignored in favor of my daylight, but times have changed and ponies adore Luna now.” Celestia countered evenly. Discord shook his head and sat back in his chair. “You don’t get it; I was trying to get your attention because you never noticed me, I… I loved you. At least I thought I did at the time. Luna wanted your affection; she thought you were ignoring and didn’t even care about her because you were more concerned with what other ponies thought of you. Is that why you can’t stand me; because Luna and I and connected through your negligence? You hate me because I’m closer to her than you are, that’s what this is, isn’t it? You can’t stand that I understand her better than you ever have,” Discord said before jolting in surprise as the realization dawned on him, “You’re jealous…” Celestia nearly gagged on her tea. “J-jealous!? That’s absurd, why in Equestria would I be jealous of a forsaken monster that preys on innocent fillies’ hearts? You aren’t closer to her; she’s merely experiencing a minor crush from your meddling around with her feelings. I’m not jealous.” Discord grinned triumphantly and stuck his tongue out. “Oh yes you are, you’re so jealous it burns you up inside! I can’t believe it, the noble Celestia is jealous of little old me!” he said as his eyes shone with devious delight. Finally, all of Celestia’s haughty huff and puff routines were brushed aside by the simple act of jealousy, and Discord relished the sweet moment of victory. “You’re jealous!” Celestia’s brow furrowed slightly, “I’m not-“ “Jealous.” “No, I am not je-“ “You’re so jealous.” “I am not! I’m just-“ “Inconsolably jealous?” “I AM NOT JEALOUS!” Celestia roared, diving over the table to strangle the giggling god of chaos, sending the uneaten snacks sailing through the air to smack into walls or plop to the floor. The enraged equine seethed as she thumped Discord’s head against the stone floor, roughly shaking him as her hooves endeavored to crush his windpipe. “I told you somepony was wasting sugary sweets!” a scandalized voice shrieked from the doorway and Pinkie Pie burst into the kitchen quickly scooping up the scattered snacks and nuzzling them. “Shhhhhh, Auntie Pinkie’s here to make it better, don’t worry…” she crooned softly. The other movie patrons hesitantly stepped in as well and stared at Celestia who was straddling Discord who was gurgling and turning a comical shade of purple now. “Sister… Why are you strangling my special somepony..?” Luna asked darkly, her eyes hidden from sight by the dark shadows on the night mare’s face. “Again, might I add?” Celestia looked like a foal caught with her hoof in the cookie jar, “H-hello Lu-Lu, how w-was the movie? I didn’t think it would be that short.” she laughed nervously. “Gurgle!” Discord gurgled. “Oh dear… I don’t think he can… um, breathe,” Fluttershy said as she fluttered over the asphyxiated draconequus and nudged his cheek gently with her hoof. “You should stop strangling him, Princess. If that’s okay I mean; I wouldn’t want to boss you around…” Rarity sighed and trotted out of the kitchen. “I’ve already wasted precious time enough just getting down here; I won’t stay for paltry shenanigans when I could be drinking in that gorgeous stallion on the silver screen. Now I must have the film rewound, how rude of an interruption.” She threw her nose into the air and swiftly disappeared back to the theatre. “Ah’ll just go make sure she doesn’t give the poor fella in the booth a hard time, seems like ya’ll have whatever this is under control.” A tip of the hat and Applejack was gone. Rainbow Dash just left. Twilight rubbed her temple with a hoof and separated Celestia from Discord so Fluttershy could administer first aid, depositing her former teacher in front of her glowering sister so she could assist Fluttershy. Besides, who wanted to get in Luna’s way right now? Luna looked down at her sister who shrunk back sheepishly. “Well?” she demanded. “He started it..?” Celestia offered with an attempted smile. “I am growing very tired of you assaulting Discord. You know I love him, and I love you as well, so it pains me when you two fight. It seems to be every time I let you two out of my sight, in fact,” Luna said. “All I want is to love him, and for you to be happy for me.” Celestia stood up and grimaced. “Luna, he isn’t good, he’s-“ “I never said he was good, I know he has a devious streak in him to this very moment, but I love him regardless. Sister, he makes me happy… He always has time for me, and you do not…” Luna said, her voice taking on a hollow tone. “Until you can set aside whatever petty grudges you have against him, please do not speak to me lest it is absolutely necessary. Come, Twilight, Fluttershy. We shall take Discord to my room where he will not be harmed further, I trust,” she said quietly, quickly leaving the kitchen with Discord in tow, Fluttershy and Twilight close behind. Celestia’s shoulders sagged. “Luna… How can I save you if you refuse to see reason? I won’t let that monster tear you apart; I can’t let him destroy another pony’s heart…” Celestia flinched as a hoof firmly placed itself on her shoulder, and as she turned to face the owner of that hoof, she was taken aback to see Pinkie Pie, although something was off about her… weren’t her mane and tail curled before? “Maybe he will, and maybe he won’t, but don’t you think this is something she has to figure out herself?” a soft voice called from behind her. “Sometimes, we just have to accept that we can’t control everything and that sometimes we don’t know what’s best for everypony. Not every party has a mile long guest list or mountains of presents, but every party is a party because there’s love between the ponies there,” Pinkie said sagely, removing her hoof as she trotted to the door. She stopped before crossing the doorway and looked back over her shoulder. “Would it really be so bad to be wrong about him, just this once? Trying to stamp out love never works, I’m sure you would know,” she said in an almost knowing tone before disappearing. “No… it never does… I know all too well what can happen…” Celestia agreed to the empty room. “This is different, I know it is. I’m trying to protect her, and I’ll do whatever I can to save her, even if it means taking extreme measures.”