Discord, My Son
Sunny and breezy.
That's what the Canterlot Gardens seemed in the morning, as the hedges swayed ever so slightly in the wind and the blades of grass bending before its mercy below. The stone pathways glistening from the sun's rays. The statues that are present within the maze shining with detail from the stonework of various ponies. Though there was one statue that wasn't crafted this way.
The stone statue of an animal that looked to be just as if a bunch of animals were glued together with precision and complete accuracy stood tall and cheerful, as it it had a smile that would rival even a certain pink pony. It was called a Draconequus, a being made up of other beings. Very few exist in Equestria, but the only known one was that statue located in Canterlot Gardens. The Stone carvings read "Discord~God of Chaos".
Discord was mostly a vibrant being that many would call a free spirit-so much that he would bend even the rules and laws of reality. His free will caused him to become overpowered and transform into a tyrant of Equestria. His tyranny lasted until he was defeated-or rather, banished-by the Alicorns of the sun and moon and the Elements of Harmony. It lasted over 1000 years, with Discord still trapped within the locks of stone. Though he was a tyrant, he still had those who had faith in him.
This is the story of the one that the most faith of all within Discord-his mother.
His mother is an Alicorn. One with powers beyond our knowledge. She created the world that is seen today and mighty proud of it. Her name only known to very few beings-most of which helped create the world with her-two daughters, and a son. Not even the ancient libraries of old have any records of her. Discord's mother wanted it to be kept that way, as the world seems to be in good balance. Until that balance was broken, in which she had to personally tell her two daughters to banish Discord. She resented that day the most, and also regrets it. Everyday, she visits Discord's statue in hope that he may forgive her when he is freed.
Today is another one of those days, as she teleports in secrecy towards his statue. Coming towards Discord's still state, she sighs in both disappointment and guilt towards his and her actions of the past. She put her hoof on the the stone carvings, as emotions of relentless guilt flowed through her. Tears started to show, but she wiped them away, knowing that it won't do her any good to cry. However, they kept coming. All she could do was cry silently in her own guilt, no matter how hard she tried to fight it. It was as if she had found her personal Tartarus, and couldn't escape from it.
This had happened every day when she visited Discord. Seeing her mother from the tower in despair like this, Celestia herself tried to hide her own tears. She had also regretted banishing Discord with her sister, Luna. She moreover regretted banishing Luna to the moon, which to Celestia was more guilty than banishing Discord. However, what she resented most was seeing her mother cry everyday because of what her mother told her to do against Discord. She moreover resented the fact that it was her own decision to banish Luna rather than her mother's. In this, she couldn't help but feel the same guilt from her mother, but knows that nothing could come close to the amount of guilt that Lauren Faust possessed.
As Lauren looked up towards Discord's face, she noticed his smile-an insane one at that. She always wondered how he could laugh in the face of punishment, let alone banishment. This happened even when Discord was a younger. He would be put to tasks such as taking out the trash or checking the sewage if he didn't behave. However, all that served was a bigger chance to have fun for the young Draconequus, as he played in the sewer, and even juggled the trash cans with the trash looming over him in mid-air. Discord's mind was always racing, though Lauren could keep up most of the time. He was the God of Chaos, after all. In Discord's smile, she found a bit of happiness, and giggled a little. Knowing that she needed that, she wiped away the tears that welled up from her, smiling. She sat down, thinking more about Discord's past before his banishment. As she pondered, Celestia teleported behind her without her Royal apparel. Lauren noticed, but continued to ponder.
"Good morning, mother." Celestia greeted as she walked over to sit by her mother.
"Morning, Celly." Lauren replied.
"Would you stop calling me that?" Celestia said in mild disgust. "I know I'm your daughter, but I'm older now."
"Well, aren't you cranky today? And besides, whether you're 50 or 5000, you're always my Celly." Lauren grinned.
Celestia sat by Lauren, glaring at her. "Well, you got one thing. Forgetting to have coffee in the morning isn't fun afterwards."
Her mother giggled, smiling at her. "You aren't the only one. I almost fell asleep during one of my World Watches because I forgot my evening coffee the day before, and I almost let a holocaust happen from nuclear radiation. The ponies tried to stop the radiation from spreading, which took a while to clean. Many animals were affected too-heck, the bunnies grew a third eye. *shivers* That still gives me nightmares."
"I remember that." Celestia chuckled. "I haven't seen you that tired before in CENTURIES. I had to pull the bed sheet around Luna's face when you walked past our room. Luna had nightmares of her own that night, considering she woke me up because of it. To be honest, I thought you became a zombie that morning."
Lauren snickers, rolling her eyes. "Well, I've laid off of the coffee since then. One cup a day now. It's not easy whatsoever, but I'm doing better."
"One Cup? You used to drink six a day! What's your motivation?"
"The three-eyed bunnies."
Celestia snorts, giggling. "Yeah, that's some good motivation." She and Lauren look at each other, and then burst out laughing. Falling backwards, they brought the good memories from thousands of years ago back to their minds. Celestia tries calms herself, and pulls herself up. Lauren does the same, and then gives a small kiss to her daughter. Celestia blushes, looking at her mother with an annoyed expression, concurrently smiling. She looks up at the Draconequus in front of her, with her smile quickly fading. "So," Not wanting to do it, but knowing she might as well ask her mother. "it's Discord again?"
"Yeah," Lauren also looked up at him, sighing. "Discord." Tears started to well up in her again, one thing she didn't want to happen in front of her daughter. Celestia looked towards her mother, noticing the tears starting to show.
"Oh no, I didn't mean to do that, mom. Please don't cry. Please..." She said, as she put her hoof on Lauren's shoulder. "I know it was hard to have to tell us to banish him, but you know you had to."
"I know." Lauren replied, as she started to cry. "I k-know." The tears only got worse and worse to contain, and she broke out sobbing. As she broke down crying, she hugged her daughter, trying to find relief in her despair. Celestia started to tear up as well, and hugged her back. She noticed drops of rain fall onto her, and looked up into what seemed to be an array of purplish-gray clouds above the Canterlot Gardens. Knowing that the downpour wasn't scheduled to be over the Canterlot Gardens that day, she expressed bewilderment and mild disgust as the timing of the downpour couldn't be worse. She looked back towards her mother sobbing, and attempts to comfort her.
"Don't worry, mom. It's going to be oka-"
"NO IT'S NOT!! I can't contain this guilt every time I see him!" Lauren yells at Celestia as she cuts her off. "I'm sorry. I just want to see him without regretting the day I told you and Luna to banish him. I just want to see him for who he is again. I...I-I..." Lauren couldn't finish her sentence, as she starts to sob into Celestia's arms again. Celestia tries to comfort her the best she can, but she also starts to cry.
"M-mom, I may not understand your guilt towards Discord, but...but..." She couldn't finish her sentence either. Not because her emotions took over her, but she couldn't find the words to complete it. She really doesn't understand her guilt. Sure Celestia banished her sister to the moon, but that was her sister. Her mom had to make the decision to banish her own SON. She really couldn't understand how it would feel to do that.
"I know you don't, and that's why I'm thankful you don't have to go through this guilt alone like I do." Lauren sobs.
"But mom, you aren't alone." Celestia replied with a subtle yet genuine smile. Lauren looks up at her daughter's face, before losing it again. She cannot stop the torrent of guilt coming out of her. This time, Celestia hugs her mother, trying to comfort her by rubbing her mane. She remembers how Lauren did this with her daughters to soothe and comfort them when they were in despair. She noticed how wet it was, surprised at how much just a light rain can make one mane's wet even after hundreds of years in existence.
As Celestia continues rubs her mother's mane, she looks up at her brother, and notices that in the droplets of rain coming down on him, it almost looked like Discord was crying. Celestia cocked her head a bit before realizing that in reality, he really was crying. Astonished, Celestia gaped at how he was able to cry even when in an imprisoned state. She never had seen Discord cry unless he was in serious pain. In this, Celestia looks back at her mother to get her attention. "Mom." Lauren, sniffling with her tear stained eyes, looked up at Celestia.
"What?" Celestia points her hoof towards Discord, but Lauren is still clueless. "What is it?"
"Discord's crying." Celestia points to his face as the rain rolls off his eyes.
"Don't be ridiculous. When's the last time you ever seen him cry?" Lauren looks at his face, then looks up into the rain.
"I don't remember, honestly." Celestia also looks up into the rain, closing her eyes to feel the rain bounce off her face. "But I believe right now," Celestia looks back at Discord. "that he really is crying this time."
Lauren looks at her daughter, not amused. "Celly, Discord became a tyrant that plunged Equestria into literal chaos. As much as I want to believe he is sorry for what he has done, I just simply cannot."
"Hmmm..." Celestia opens her eyes, and is reminded of the ominously coloured clouds looming over her. "If that's the case, look up."
Lauren looks up at the clouds and likewise noticed the purplish-gray clouds over her. "Why are they...that makes no sense! There's not a cloud in existence that looks like that. It looks so chao...tic..." She gapes at what she just said, as the rain continued to bounce off her muzzle. It was just then that she realized that her daughter wasn't lying. "But,...why?"
"He is showing his forgiveness for your actions. Discord is sorry for what he has done and is apologizing to you. Deep down he regrets what he has accomplished as a tyrant, and understands why you had to do what you did to stop his reign and set peace and harmony to Equestria."
"He...he does?" Lauren replies, looking at her son's face. Hearing something like that made her happy inside, and her tears started to well up again. "He really does?"
"Yes. Even in solid stone, he does. After all," Celestia looks at her mother. "he loves you."
Those were the words that Lauren needed to hear, as the gates of joy finally opened within her. As the river of tears began to torrent out of her, she turned to her daughter, fell into her arms. She hasn't realized how long she wanted to believe that Discord could forgive her for what she had done. That relief was sent out in tears of unimaginable volumes, as she cried endlessly. Words couldn't describe the feeling that poured from Lauren, as the noise of Lauren's bawling filled the morning air. Celestia rubbed her mane again, also crying in joy.
"Thank you!" Was all that she could say. She repeated it more than a dozen times, with her daughter smiling as she continues to bawl. She had been in so much despair, so much guilt, and now it all washes away though tears of joy and words of hope. Lauren wanted this to happen more than anything else, but believed the day would never come. Perhaps today it was destined that she finally let rest to her desires.
After what seemed to be an eternity, Lauren wiped the last of her tears, with a smile on her face. She looked at Discord, then Celestia. "Thank you both. I really needed that more than anything else, and now," she laughs, "it has finally come." She looks back at Discord and walks over towards his statue, puts her hoof around him, and with all her heart and soul gives one last piece to say. "Discord. I know how hard it must have been to be kept in this, locked up seeing me weep in front of you every day. It was heart wrenching, I know. Once you're freed, I'll make sure to make it up to you. As for now, all I can say is thank you, Discord." She sheds one last tear before continuing. "My son." Lauren walks towards Celestia, who has tears running down her cheeks.
Celestia looks up at Lauren with a giving smile. "Mom. Thank you." She looks up the sky to noticing the rain beginning to die off. "Mom."
"Yes?"
"I feel like I realized something in all of this."
"And that would be?" Lauren replies.
"Nothing is lost or gone from our hopes and desires. You showed how you hoped and desired for Discord to forgive you for what he has done. He has, and you two have opened up my eyes. I've always desired to forgive Luna for the same reasons you had between Discord. Seeing this, I can rest a little easier about this. Thank you, mom." Celestia sighs in relief.
Lauren smiled, knowing that her daughter even though the oldest of the trio, still had a lot to learn throughout her life. "No. Thank you, Celestia." Celestia grinned at Lauren's words, as she walked towards the hedge walls, stopping to sit down. She noticed that the rain had subsided, and smiled in the sun's warmth. "Celly, I thought you had some things to take care of in Canterlot, am I correct? You might want to get going."
"Oh, right! Thanks mom!" She prepares a teleportation spell. "I'll visit you some other time!" And with that, she disappears in the blink of an eye.
Lauren giggles, looking up at the sky and takes in the wind for about five minutes. She then breathes deeply, then turns back towards Discord. Smiling, she trots over to him, and sits down. Starting to get a tune in her head, she hums as if Discord was listening. While humming, she looks back up at Discord, gazes at him, and laughs. "Ah, what will I ever do with myself when you're not around to play?" She then starts to sing a certain lullaby that Discord liked to hear.
When the stars are coming out, when the sun lights the land, all is peaceful.
When you're running about disturbing the peace, you are so gleeful.
You run in ways no pony can make, nor any of them could understand.
You don't care, and neither should I, you creations are from the palm of your hand.
Discord. You the enjoyment in my life, the one who starts the fun.
Discord. You're vibrant style and free spirit, show everything you've done.
You light the spark in my heart. Nopony could ever fathom.
But most of all, Discord. You are my son.
She ends the lullaby, flies up to Discord, and kisses him on the cheek. "I love you, Discord." Teleporting, Lauren is nowhere to be found. All there is left is the sunny, breezy hedges of the Canterlot Gardens and the statue that is the son of Lauren Faust.