> Celestia's New Life > by Racoon > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Discord's Invitation > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Letting out a loud whoop, Celestia popped up from under the water and flung her wings open, giving them a few happy flaps. She looked back toward the shore and grinned when she saw how far out she was. “That was a good one!” Her partner grinned back at her, looking impressed with himself. “I can do even better than that!” “I don't believe you,” Celestia challenged. “Oh? Then come here.” Celestia swam back to the shore, where Discord was waiting with a smug smile. When she pulled herself up onto the sand next to him, he brushed some of her long mane back from her face and caressed her cheek. She leaned up, ever so slightly brushing their lips together, and he drew her into a sweet kiss. And then he spun her to face the water, lifted her by the stomach, and threw her like a javelin. Celestia tucked her wings and legs in close to her body to streamline herself, the wind rushing in her ears, and she closed her eyes just before she splashed back down into the water so hard it stung. But it was so fun she didn't care, hastily swimming back up and lifting her head above the surface, laughing. Upon turning to look at the shore again, she saw he had thrown her even further than before. “Whoo, a hundred points!” he cheered. Celestia spent a few moments treading the water and just gazing at him with content. Their relationship has blossomed since she retired a few years ago. Without the daily tasks involved in running a kingdom, Celestia had found herself very bored very quickly. Luna had adjusted well to the change, and Celestia had entertained herself for a while, but soon began to long for regular company and excitement. Enter Discord. He had offered his paw in friendship and began spending time with her nearly every day, and after a few months of playing games together, exploring Equestria, having tea, and sometimes discussing deep philosophical quandaries for hours into the night... they had fallen in love. Celestia was smitten with his eccentric charm and he was likewise enchanted by her kindness and her delightful sense of humor. News of their relationship had surprised Equestria, and it was the gossip of the country for weeks, but eventually, everypony moved on and were happy for the two. And now the two of them were engaged and Celestia couldn't be happier with her new life. “Oh, Kay-Kay!” Discord called to her. “Would you like to have our picnic now?” “Now? But you've barely gotten in at all,” she replied, swimming back toward him and patting the water. “You know how I feel about getting my mane wet.” He ran his hand smoothly down the back of his head and neck. Celestia rolled her eyes and splashed him. She soaked a good bit of his body in doing so and he jerked back, giving her a scandalized gasp. “How dare you attack me!” he crowed dramatically. She smirked and lifted a hoof to beckon to him. “What are you going to do about it?” He answered by tackling her. Both of them went under, and they playfully wrestled for several moments, spinning around as each tried to hold the other down. Discord's height put him at an advantage and he finally managed to wrap Celestia in his arms and hold her tight against his chest, threatening to dunk her. “You wouldn't,” she panted, tilting her head back to stare up at him. “I would. Take this!” He gave her a final firm plunge into the water before laughing and climbing back up onto land. Celestia was right behind him, snorting water out of her nose and brushing her mane around before just using her magic to move it back out of her face. They only crawled partway up the shore before she draped over him, nuzzling him gently. He nuzzled back, moving a hand to her side, slowly stroking it. Even covered in water, her coat radiated warmth. He pulled her close and savored it, tail drifting around hers as he just tried to feel as much of her as he could. “Alright, my love,” she said after a minute, moving away and getting up. “Let's eat now.” “Yes, let's!” He hopped up and rested a hand on her back as they walked over to their picnic blanket. Discord snapped his fingers and the water disappeared from their coats, leaving them warm and dry. “Now, before we get started...” He opened the basket and levitated out a bottle of wine and two glasses. “Wine, my dear?” “Please,” she replied. He poured her a glass and passed it over, then filled the second for himself. She took a curious sip and immediately smiled. Strawberry. Her favorite. “So, what did you pack for lunch?” she asked. “Oh, I thought we could have something simple,” he replied, taking out a couple of plates and setting them down. Then he lifted out a dish with their main course. “Grilled cheese! And not just that, but I cut them into fun little star shapes!” “That's adorable,” she said as he peeled the protective plastic off. “But are they just grilled cheese, or is there a surprise to them?” “I'm sure you can guess the answer to that, you've known me long enough.” Discord piled a few of the small sandwiches onto his plate and kept rummaging through the basket. “Eat at your own risk. Now, would you like sour cream and onion potato chips, or the very experimental relish and mustard flavored ones I got from Pinkie?” “Relish and mustard?” Celestia asked, disgusted. “Really? So brave!” He took the bag out and poured some onto her plate. “Wait, I didn't mean...” She sighed and picked one of the chips up. It had an off-putting yellow-green color to it and smelled strongly of pickles. “So, Pinkie Pie made these herself?” “She did, she likes using me as a food test subject because I'll eat anything. But as for those chips, well... let's just say she should stick to baking desserts.” Celestia tossed the chip into her mouth and instantly gagged at the overwhelming flavor of sour pickle and spicy mustard, along with more salt than she ever expected a single chip to contain. She struggled to even swallow it, and immediately chased it with most of her wine. Discord roared with laughter, taking her glass and refilling it. “I am so telling Pinkie about this later!” “Yes, please tell her to focus her talent on baking rather than... this.” Celestia gestured at the rest of the chips. He snickered. “Can do.” They enjoyed their lunch. It was a sunny day and the temperature was pleasant, the slightest breeze blowing through their fur. It turned out that the grilled cheese was made with a high-quality sharp cheddar with a slightly smoky flavor, making the simple meal even more delicious. Along with the sandwiches and chips, Discord had packed a veggie platter, and they fed each other cucumbers and carrots, occasionally trying to smear ranch dressing on each other's faces. Once they had mostly eaten their fill and had moved on to snacking between sips of wine, they discussed recent events. Equestria was as prosperous as ever, the kingdom was thriving under Twilight Sparkle's rule, and Celestia couldn't be more proud of her. Young Flurry Heart was growing into quite the compassionate and intelligent princess as well, often visiting her aunt to learn magic, and Celestia saw a bright future for her in the Crystal Empire. “I adore Flurry, she's so sweet but she's got a bit of a wild streak when nopony's looking,” Discord said. “What do you mean?” Celestia asked. “She's a little prankster! Oh yes, she's sweet and loving like her momma, but she likes playing harmless jokes on people. During my last session of O&O with the guys, I was over at the Canterlot palace, since Spike was hosting. The throne room is perfect for games, by the way. Anyway, Twilight had Flurry for the day, and the clever little filly ran right in and jumped in there with us. See, I use a sort of area effect to bring the game to life and anypony can cross in if they want. She came in, became an apprentice sorceress, and began insisting we pay her gold to protect us from the bad guy. Adorable, right?” Celestia giggled. “Very adorable.” “So we humored her. Said she'd get a cut of whatever treasure we find and she can help us hunt down the bad guy. I had planned a low level boss, so I decided to just throw him into our path so she could try fighting. And what does the sweetheart do?” “What did she do-” “She used a spell that was so bright we were all temporarily blinded! There were sounds of a scuffle, and pained grunting! Then a thud and silence, save for the sound of little hooves clipclopping away. My vision returned first.” Discord gestured dramatically. “The boss was unconscious and all of us were missing our loot! She defeated the boss but then robbed us!” Celestia put a hoof to her mouth in shock. “Oh no.” “Haha, Spike and Big Mac were so betrayed. Not me though, I hadn't trusted her from the start. Luckily that was the end to our quest, we got a handsome reward from the local village for dealing with the bad guy and could easily replace our lost stuff. But it made for a very interesting story!” Discord was drinking the last of the wine directly from the bottle now, but he offered to let Celestia take a sip before he finished it. She declined. “Did Flurry ever return for the rest of the game?” Celestia asked. “Nope.” Discord finished the bottle and began spinning it around on a claw. “We finished not long after we replaced our stuff and distributed the remaining gold evenly to each other. I ended the simulation and we went to find where Flurry had gotten off to. She was in the garden laughing to herself over the whole thing. She apologized to us though. Said she hoped it didn't ruin the game. I thanked her for spicing it up. Nothing like a good betrayal to make things exciting. Still, she's so nice! Ah, children.” “Yes, children are wonderful. I do wonder if Twilight will ever have one of her own. She would be such a good mother.” “She's not the only alicorn I can think of who'd make a good mother,” Discord cooed. Celestia blushed and looked away. “Foals would be nice to have one day. But I'm not sure I'm ready quite yet.” “Take all the time you need. We don't need to rush.” He grasped her hoof, patting it gently. She looked back at him, moving her other forehoof to the back of his hand, rubbing softly in return. She couldn't ask for a more supportive fiance. He seemed thoughtful as he gazed into her eyes, and she tried to figure out what he was thinking, but despite how long she's known him, that was still an impossible task at times. So she asked instead. “You seem contemplative. What are you thinking about?” “Oh... just musing.” Discord briefly stroked his beard, seeming to stare past her for a bit, before focusing back on her. “Since things have gotten so serious between us and we're betrothed and all... could I tell you a secret?” “Of course,” she said immediately. “You can tell me anything.” “First, I have another question for you. What do you know about the draconequus?” “Hm.” She tilted her head quizzically. “Not much, unfortunately. Your species was seen as legend back when I was a foal. There were tales of a huge society of draconequus that regularly interacted with the other races of Equus, spreading knowledge and mischief, but it's said that slowly but surely they stopped. Draconequus weren't seen again. Every so often there would be stories of somepony running into one, but they could never really prove it. When you showed up and started causing trouble, you were the first after centuries. I assumed you were the only one of your kind left. You've never really told us otherwise.” Discord nodded. “I felt no need to talk about where I came from. But you should know, then... I'm not the only one. There's more of us. Many of us. We are a proud people and our magic is powerful and dangerous. So we chose to hide our society away from all but fellow draconequus.” “Your people just hid? Why? We could learn so much from each other.” “There are many creatures in this world that seek strong magic to take for themselves. We decided it would be best to vanish and not even be a target. Could we fight off most threats that oppose us? Sure. Did we want to have to spend time fighting? No. Also, I'll admit, we're just naturally isolationist. We like our culture and just didn't want anyone else coming around. That probably sounds terrible to you overly friendly pony folk but that's just how we are.” “I see. Sounds like you come from a very unique place, then.” Celestia considered all that she had learned, then said, “If you don't mind me asking, why did you leave?” Discord hesitated. Pain briefly flickered in his eyes before he blinked and smiled, explaining, “I was always odd even by draconequus standards. I got bored. Wanted to get away from my parents, see the outside world, really flex my power around beings that had no way of matching it, and well. We know what happened.” Celestia wasn't sure he was being entirely honest, but she wasn't going to push him. Perhaps there were painful memories from his old society and it was up to him if he wanted to revisit them by telling her. “Did you ever think about going back?” Discord perked up. “That's why I brought all this up, my dear! I was considering finally returning to my old hometown and bringing you to meet my family! We are engaged after all, soon you'll be part of it! Oh my father told the funniest jokes and my mother cooked amazing food, and they're both such skilled magic users, I learned so much from them, I just know you'll love them!” Celestia wasn't expecting that. She stared at him. It was almost shocking to think of Discord as part of a family, he was such a loner for the longest time, but she supposed she should have expected it. Of course he had a family. He had parents, grandparents, perhaps siblings and aunts and uncles. She didn't know what kind of family dynamics draconequus had, but with their long lives, there was no doubt Discord had plenty of relatives. “You want me to meet your family? Are you sure? You did say draconequus are isolationist...” “Well, true, but it's been a long time and maybe they're more open-minded now. Besides, it's not like we're opening our gates to the entirety of the world. It's just me bringing you to visit. No one should have a problem with that. I'll make sure you learn about the customs and things will be just peachy!” Seeing the long lost draconequus society. Learning about their history and culture. How could Celestia pass up such an opportunity? Besides, Discord looked really excited to take her there and she wanted to make him happy. “Sure, we can see your family,” she agreed. He stood and swept her up into a hug, spinning around with her and kissing all over her face. “Wonderful! Then we'll set out as soon as possible! When would you like to go? We could go right now! Or tomorrow morning!” “Tomorrow morning would be best,” Celestia said, doing her best to meet his ecstatic kisses. “Wanna get a good night's sleep before dealing with any creature related to you.” He placed her back on her hooves and laughed, tickling her behind her ear. “Oh just you wait. This is going to be so much fun, I can't wait to introduce you to everyone.” > Home Again > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Though it would have been easy for Discord to teleport himself and Celestia back to his homeland, he claimed it would be much more romantic to make the journey the long way. They went west, alternating between flying and going on foot, until at last they hit a forest that led to the bases of the Smokey Mountains. “It's been a long time since I've been out this way,” Celestia said, gazing up at the tall peaks. “Vanhoover is to our northwest, is that where we're going?” “No, my dear, or I would have had us go by train,” Discord replied. “This forest is our destination.” “Are your people hidden here?” “In a sense. Ssh, don't make me spoil the surprise!” Celestia chuckled and kept walking next to him. She heard a low, rumbling coo from behind her and looked over her shoulder at the small cart she was pulling. Philomena chirped at her from her cage. “I know,” Celestia said gently to her. “I'll let you fly as soon as we stop. It must be getting cramped in there.” Philomena ruffled her feathers and opened her wings. She had a decent bit of room in the cage but was nonetheless unable to spread her wings as far as they could go. The forest was well-shaded by the tall trees and fairly cool. Celestia stuck close to Discord for his warmth as they walked, examining the plants around them and wondering how much further they had to go. It's already been a few days. They reached the foothills of the mountains and Celestia began keeping her ears perked for bears, or worse, Ursa Minors and Ursa Majors. Nothing bothered them save for insects though, which she gently shooed away. Discord finally stopped next to a cave. It had vines growing down from its opening and they could hear wind whistling through it. It seemed like the perfect habitat for a large critter, but Discord seemed prepared to go inside. “Are we going in there?” Celestia asked curiously. “Yes, this is the way,” he replied, giving her a reassuring pat and striding forward. She hesitated, as the cave didn't seem like it would go anywhere but underground, but she trusted him. The draconequus could likely hide their home anywhere with how much reality warping magic they had. So she moved the vines aside and followed him into the cave. Her cart briefly got stuck, but a few tugs and she got it rolling. The cave was quite dark, and Celestia lit her horn up to see where they were going. It didn't branch off at all, tunneling ahead at a slight downward angle. It was strangely empty in here, seeming to lack spiders, bats, or any other creatures known to live in caves. As they walked deeper, she began to feel a prickling of magic along her coat. Her fur stood on end and she froze as she suddenly felt a deep urge to turn and leave. “Discord?” she whispered. “Hm?” He stopped and looked at her. “What's wrong?” “Are you sure this is the right way? Being in here feels wrong, there's an ancient magic here.” “Oh, I'm so sorry, I should have warned you!” He leaned down and clasped one of her forehooves, lifting it up and kissing it. “Since this is an entrance to our land, it has been enchanted to drive away all non-draconequus. It is meant to feel incredibly uncomfortable. Are you okay? Can you keep going?” “I think so.” She pulled her hoof back and kept going. Though her senses seemed to scream at her to turn back, she just kept her head high and told herself everything was okay, she was allowed to be here. It was an ingenious deterrent, she had to admit. The longer she walked, the more her discomfort grew, until it was a nearly paralyzing fear. She began shaking, and Discord swept an arm around her. “This enchantment was designed by several draconequus, but allow me to try and shield you from it.” He focused his magic, diverting the environmental magic away from her. It took effort, but he managed to hold it at bay, and she let out a sigh of relief. “That's some spell,” she commented. “It is. We're very particular about wanting to be left alone. But don't worry, the spell will end soon.” Sure enough, they soon walked out of the area of effect. Discord stopped his magic and Celestia waited to see if the feeling returned, but it didn't. “There. Now, it's not much further ahead,” Discord said. It was still several more minutes of walking, though. It was hard to keep track of time without being able to watch the sky, but Celestia figured it had to be close to an hour since they entered the cave when she finally saw light at the other end. She walked faster, beginning to trot as she longed to feel sunlight again. Discord jogged next to her, and suddenly there they were, emerging from the cave and standing on an outcropping of rock looking down on a beautiful valley. Mountains with snow-capped peaks rose on both sides, rolling down into hills of lush grass. There were diverse trees, some with green leaves and others with pink. Fantastic flowers grew in abundance wherever she looked, there were forests in the distance, and running right through the center of the valley was a crystal clear river. There were houses too, spread out across both the valley floor and built partly up the mountains. Though they varied in size, they all had similar architecture with wooden beams, large windows, and bright colors. Stone paths seemed to connect the buildings, forming a sprawling but organized town. “There's my old home,” Discord said as he pointed to the town. He took a slow breath, almost as though reassuring himself. Then he gave Celestia a grin and messed with her mane. “Come on, let's head down.” He led her over to the side of the outcropping, where wooden stairs led down. She followed him, noting that they were rather high on a mountain now. She has never seen anything like this before. There were mountains, a clear sky above her, the Sun... yet all this was completely hidden from Equestria. Draconequus magic was astounding. When they got down from the mountain, it was an easy walk toward the town. Celestia ran a hoof through the grass along the trail, amazed by how soft it was. And such a bright, lively green. She almost wanted to lean down and take a bite out of it. She did sniff many of the strange flowers they passed, finding that they were all pleasantly fragrant. She began to identify the pink trees as cherry trees, many of which were in bloom. Some of the older, taller trees were filled with birds, with phoenixes among them. She's never seen so many phoenixes in one place. They called out with their singsong voices. Philomena chirped back in turn, giving a few hops. Celestia was sure she would be able to make plenty of friends here. There were many springs out this way, clouds of steam rising from the water, and she hoped to be able to take a bath in one of them. But she didn't see many people until they got closer to the town entrance. Walking the streets beyond were dozens of draconequus. Celestia had an idea of what to expect from being around Discord, but it didn't quite prepare her for the sight of them. They were all so tall, many having pony or goat-like heads, but there were other sorts of heads as well. To say nothing of the vast array of horns, limbs, and tails they had, with very little coordination to their parts. There were individuals with frog legs, tiger arms, insect wings, scorpion tails, massive ram horns or moose antlers, some limbs with scales and some with fur and some merely hide... they were all so different and unique. But despite how much they differed from each other, they seemed to live in harmony, laughing and engaging in conversation, while the children entertained each other with displays of magical power. Then, as Discord and Celestia walked through the entrance and entered the town proper, activity seemed to stop. All eyes turned to them and they stopped too, looking around nervously. Discord clenched and unclenched his fingers, offering a grin and trying to ignore that he was sweating bullets. Next to him, Celestia tensed all her legs, ready to take a stance and fight should something bad happen. And then the tension disappeared and everyone around them called out happily and smiled, rushing in to surround them. Celestia heard several calls of Discord's name, the others clapping him on the back and shaking his hand, glad to have him back. He let out a sigh of relief and found himself feeling emotional over the warm welcome. He hasn't seen them in so long, he hadn't exactly left on the best terms, but they didn't seem to hold anything against him. They were simply happy he was back. “Yes, thank you, everyone!” he said, blinking away tears and grinning at the others. He greeted who he could by name, amazed he still remembered so many of them despite how much time has passed. Though there were some young faces he didn't know yet. He would have to introduce himself. But before he could, someone said, “Your parents will be thrilled to see you!” “Oh, yes!” someone else chimed in. “Don't waste anymore time here, go see them!” “Have they moved?” Discord asked as he was nearly pushed along by the crowd. “Or are they-” “They're right where you left them,” he was assured. “Go on!” “Well, I guess we're meeting my parents now,” he said gleefully to Celestia. She smiled. “If they're anything like the rest of your people, it'll be a fun meeting.” Discord led the way, the townspeople cheering him on as they went. He hadn't known he would miss home so much, but now that he was back, he was glad for this decision. Their destination wasn't too far away. They passed shops and restaurants, and Celestia tried to glance through the windows of every place they passed. Discord told her they would have plenty of time to explore and shop once they get settled in. She was looking forward to it. Soon they were walking up the path to a fairly large house. Discord ran his hand along one of the beams as they stepped up onto the porch, Celestia unhooking the cart from herself as they did. She asked Philomena to please wait a while longer, then joined Discord at the door. He was examining the house, and explained to her, “They've remodeled since I lived here. I wonder how it looks inside.” “Guess we should find out, hm?” She gestured to the door. “Indeed.” He raised a fist, but didn't knock right away. Would his parents even want to see him again? Celestia slipped a comforting foreleg around him, holding him close. “Go ahead. No matter what happens, I'm here for you.” “I know.” He gave her a brief kiss, then knocked on the door. A few moments passed before a female voice replied, “Come in!” Discord felt nervous all over again as he recognized his mother's voice. This was really happening. He found the door to be unlocked. Of course, things were so peaceful no one really locked their doors. It was all coming back to him. He let himself in, his partner following right behind him. The floors were polished wood, and as he looked around, he saw that not much has changed. The furniture was newer, and rooms seemed to have been rearranged since he lived here, but it was recognizable as his culture's style. While they were looking around the house, a draconequus mare came in from another room, politely asking, “What brings you here, honored guests...” Then she trailed off upon seeing Discord, eyes widening. “Discord?” She took a cautious step closer to him. “Is that really you?” He offered her a bashful smile. Celestia has never seen him look so sheepish. “It's me. Mom.” The other's eyes immediately filled with tears and she cried out, “Hades! Hades, dear, come here!” “Persephone? What's wrong?” Another draconequus hurried in, this one a large stallion who at first seemed concerned for his wife, but he grew as shocked as her when he saw who was standing in front of her. “Son? Are you...?” Discord nodded, first to his mother, and then to his father. “Mom. Dad. It's good to see you both.” For a moment, Celestia thought this was going to be a solemn affair. But then the three were bursting into tears and running to hug each other. Discord's parents were happily welcoming him home between sobs, their pain and relief so honest that it broke her heart. She was reminded of how much she had missed Luna after she was forced to banish her, and how happy she was to reunite with her once Nightmare Moon was defeated. “I'm sorry, I never should have left,” Discord said, leaning back and wiping his eyes off. “I never thought about how much it would hurt you, I didn't care, I just...” “It's alright,” Persephone said gently, reaching up to wipe tears from his cheek. “It's not your fault.” “It was ours,” Hades agreed. “If we had just taken the time to listen, to understand you, maybe it wouldn't have happened. We've wanted to make it up to you ever since but you didn't come back for so long...” “We're just glad you're alright,” Persephone finished. “You look healthy, and happy, we're just glad you're back.” They wrapped each other in hugs again, wanting to make up for over a thousand years of missing each other. Celestia just waited, wondering what all happened between them but not wanting to pry. She was about to reach out to touch Discord's back when a third draconequus came to see what the commotion was. He looked to be about Discord's age, with a similar coat, though his limbs were more like his mother's. He gasped at the sight of Discord and shouted, “Hey, everyone! Discord's back!” He began running from room to room calling the news. “It's him, our brother, he's back!” Far more draconequus than Celestia was expecting filled the room after that. They were all about Discord's age or younger, scrambling around so fast that it was hard to count them but she guessed there had to be close to eight. Somehow she just knew they were all siblings, and they crowded Discord, who stepped away from his parents and leaned down to hug each of them. Celestia covered her mouth as she giggled, unused to seeing her partner so sociable. But he was greeting all of his young siblings happily, complimenting them on how much they've grown in the past thousand years, and he picked up the smallest of the bunch and gave her a few playful tosses in the air. “And who are you?” “That's your newest little sister,” Hades laughed. “You left way before she was born. Her name's Fortune.” “Fortune!” Discord nuzzled her and she pulled on his beard. “Wow, isn't she a feisty one!” “She looks a lot like you,” Celestia remarked. “Haha, yeah.” Discord put the foal down and she took one look at Celestia before backing away. It was then that the family really seemed to take notice of the alicorn standing in the room with them, giving her curious and slightly apprehensive looks. Seeing this, Discord went to his partner's side and said, “Everyone, please meet Celestia.” Discord's parents were the first to approach her, their expressions carefully blank. They seemed to be looking her over, examining her closely, and she hoped they weren't angry about her being here. She didn't want to make a bad first impression on her future in laws. But then they smiled and greeted her cordially, holding out their hands to shake her hoof as they introduced themselves. They also introduced their many kids, mentioning that they had more relatives living right next door as well. Celestia relaxed at how inviting they had become, doing her best to learn the names of all Discord's siblings. She had never realized draconequus families were so big. Once introductions were exchanged, Discord went on to say, “She's my fiancee, we plan to marry and start our new life here.” It was an agreement they had come to during their walk, Celestia wishing to live with the draconequus. If they would have her, that is. For a while, the family was silent, and Celestia began to worry that they wouldn't want her here, that the draconequus were too proud to allow an outsider in, that they would turn her away or make both of them leave... But much like when she entered the town, her worries were alleviated. The family cheered, applauding and congratulating Discord on his engagement. “That's wonderful!” Persephone exclaimed. Seeing Celestia's obvious relief, she smiled and went to touch her shoulder. “I know what you're thinking, and it's okay. We don't care that you're a pony, if Discord loves you, then we love you! You're welcome here in our home and in our village!” “Yeah, we're just happy he's finally getting married,” Hades agreed, clapping his son hard on the back. “About time he got a move on.” Discord chuckled and ducked out from under his hand. “I had too much going on to worry about marriage. But now, well...” He smiled. “I think I'm ready for it.” “There'll be much to do,” Persephone commented. “We'll have to prepare the rite of passage ceremony for your fiancee if she wants to get married here, and prepare for the wedding itself... we have a lot to do! But oh, first things first, let's bring in your things.” They went out to the cart, Discord's parents and siblings using their magic to lift luggage and other belongings out, though they were very careful when they got out Philomena's cage. “A phoenix?” Persephone asked, taking the cage in her hands instead. “Yes, she's been with me a very long time,” Celestia replied. “Her name is Philomena.” “We have a phoenix who stays with us as well, though he comes and goes as he pleases, since he leads a tribe of phoenixes in the forest to our east,” Persephone explained, gesturing toward the woods not too far from the house. “Perhaps he would like to meet-” A squawk interrupted her. Looking up, they saw a large phoenix with bright feathers perched on the house above them, turning one fiery eye to gaze down at them. “Ah. He probably heard your lady,” Persephone laughed. Looking into the cage, they saw that Philomena was watching the male phoenix curiously. She pecked at the bars and gave Celestia a longing look. “You should let her go. I think she'll get along well with him.” “You're right. She's been needing to stretch her wings anyway.” Celestia opened the cage with her magic and reached out a hoof. Philomena daintily stepped out and onto her foreleg, shaking her feathers from head to tail and puffing up for a moment before her feathers all slimmed back down. Then Celestia lifted her foreleg up high and Philomena took off, flying up to the top of the house to sit next to the handsome phoenix waiting for her. They exchanged soft chirps to introduce themselves, Philomena a little nervous as she hasn't been around too many others of her kind, while the male seemed confident but also interested in her. “Have fun, you two,” Celestia called, then helped the draconequus carry her stuff inside. Once everything was brought in, it was all taken to a guest room. A guest room that was apparently once Discord's room, which they offered to make his permanently again, but he respectfully declined as he would likely get his own place once he and Celestia married. The couple settled in, soon joining Hades and Persephone out in the lounge to relax. They wanted to get to know Celestia, and she told them about her life and how she knew Discord. They seemed surprised that she was so close to him now after everything they had gone through in the past, but nodded in understanding when she explained that love was full of surprises. It was only when Discord embraced friendship and sought deeper relationships with his fellow creatures that she was able to fall for him, and the two of them couldn't be happier. Getting engaged had simply felt like the most natural thing in the world. When she was done with her stories, Hades regaled her with tales of Discord's childhood, which Celestia found hilarious while Discord groaned with embarrassment. Apparently when he was first learning to teleport, he had a knack for teleporting himself into tight spaces and getting himself stuck, where he would yell for a family member to help him until someone finally teleported him back out or he managed to free himself. And while he may have excellent magic now, at one point he turned nearly everything he conjured into horribly misshapen blobs of material that barely resembled the object he desired. There was nothing quite like your son showing you a puddle of yellow goo that he very earnestly declared was a rubber duck. After several minutes of trading stories, Persephone said she would like to take Celestia to the park and have a private discussion with her about something important, and Hades agreed, saying he wanted to catch up alone with Discord. Discord and Celestia weren't sure what either of them had in mind, but agreed to meet with them separately, figuring there was a good reason. Celestia gave Discord a kiss goodbye and got up, following Persephone outside and toward a beautiful park in the center of the town. She wondered what this was about. > Persephone's Lessons > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was a lovely day to visit the park but Celestia nonetheless felt slightly out of place as she followed Persephone down the trail. She was the only non-dra­conequus here and though she's had her fair share of experience interacting with different creatures and their cultures, she didn't know what to expect from Discord's people. The looks that came her way were more curious than anything, but she still wondered what they all thought of her being here. “I thought it would be nice to tell you more about our people, since you will be joining us soon,” Persephone said, conjuring up a handful of birdseed to toss to a flock of birds playing nearby. They chased after the food, and the two paused for a few moments to watch them scurry about and peck the grass. “I would love to hear about your ways,” Celestia replied. “Life here for us is peaceful and we have a rich cultural history. We value art and philosophy highly, while encouraging magical exploration in those who are so inclined. We enjoy discovering new things, writing books on what we know, sharing knowledge with each other and helping our society flourish.” Persephone continued walking once the birds were done eating, Celestia at her side. “I understand that ponies have an egalitarian society?” “That's right,” Celestia said. “All ponies are free to express themselves how they like and pursue their dreams without being subjected to certain expectations because of their genders.” “And the ponies are happy with this?” “Very happy. Don't get me wrong, there's the occasional bit of prejudice from both mares and stallions directed at each other, but it tends to be quickly stamped out. A pony should be judged by their actions, not their body.” “I'm glad that your society is happy. But you should know, ours differs a fair bit from yours.” “Oh? Tell me more.” Persephone took her to a gazebo, inviting her to sit down at one of the benches. Once they were settled, Persephone explained, “Among the draconequus, the does and bucks have different roles in society. It's not anything we are forced into, it's merely what is comfortable for us.” Celestia curiously took note of how the draconequus referred to their genders as does and bucks instead of mares and stallions, wanting to make sure she addressed them correctly in the future. Then she said, “What are these roles?” “The bucks are often more comfortable as leaders and actors, enjoying the spotlight and entertaining the people. They also tend to be more adventurous and crave excitement, exploring the wild, canoeing, fishing with their friends, or playing sports wherever the mood strikes. I once saw my husband challenge our older sons to a game involving jumping across the rooftops!” “Wow!” Celestia grinned at the mental image. “How exciting!” “It was very exciting, but bucks are just like that, you see. Even their idea of downtime can be quite rowdy, as they like partying with their friends and going to bars. But it's good for them to get their energy out so they can come home and enjoy time with the family. This is how we live in balance. While charismatic bucks are seen as desirable in our culture, it's a down to earth and amicable doe that catches the eyes of our bucks. We often prefer a calmer lifestyle to balance out their adventurous one, pursuing such hobbies as gardening and decorating our homes, along with painting, weaving, and other art forms. I quite enjoy cooking personally. Again, these are not requirements of us. I know bucks who are happy house husbands, just as I know talented and bold does who love stunning audiences at the theater and can drink their husbands under the table. But we are very in tune with our natural instincts and so tend to fall into certain roles regardless.” “I see.” Celestia nodded. “That's very interesting. Thank you for explaining it to me. I'm surprised Discord hasn't already been betrothed with how charismatic and adventurous he is.” She laughed lightly. Persephone laughed too. “Oh, he was a rambunctious child. He's my oldest son and so enjoyed the privileges of lording over his younger siblings. He caused trouble everywhere he went, which is usual for a young draconequus learning to control their abilities. He had quite the charming smile and was very intelligent... but his recklessness caused most of the other kids to avoid him.” “That's understandable.” “He knocked down an old statue in the town square one day,” she said. “Got everyone's attention when it crashed down, we were so embarrassed... not him though, he just laughed about it.” “Were you able to fix it?” “Oh yes, but it was still the talk of the town for a while. He did silly things too, such as replacing windows with transparent rock candy and seeing how long it took for people to notice, or changing the phoenixes to have blue feathers. The flocks were in quite a tizzy that day.” Celestia giggled, enjoying hearing about Discord's childhood antics. “He had a knack for setting things on fire as well,” Persephone said. “We had to repair our furniture often. When he saw how easy that was for our magic, he became bolder in his pranks. He would melt the floor out from under people so they tripped and fell. He would wait for someone to fly before taking one of their wings off and throwing them off balance. He had very refined re­al­ity-warp­ing abilities by the time he reached his teenage years, you see. There was nothing he couldn't do with his magic. We quickly realized that his jokes were beginning to hurt people. He was bored of peace and order, he claimed. He wanted to make things exciting. He encouraged us to push the limits of our chaos magic and do things no one has dared to do, it was so much more fun.” She sighed, rubbing her eyes as they glistened with tears. “His behavior scared many of us. It's one thing to use your magic to surprise and entertain, but his idea of entertainment bordered on cruelty. We tried to get him to settle down and use his talents in more constructive ways, but he didn't want to. He wanted to leave our valley and continue developing his chaos abilities, away from our laws. Hades finally gave him a painful choice. Either follow our laws or leave. He left.” Tears ran down her cheeks and Celestia hastily covered her hand. “He didn't even say goodbye. He just snapped his fingers and disappeared. I'll never forget that look in his eyes, the hurt and disappointment... we truly failed him.” “There, there...” Celestia rubbed the other's arm as she cried. “You didn't fail him, you only wanted to keep the peace, I'm sure it felt like the right thing to say.” “I wish we could have talked it out with him more, took the time to understand where he was coming from and find a safe outlet for him, but... he was just so set on wielding his power in dangerous, unpredictable ways and we were worried about the rest of our family, he could hurt the young ones who didn't know how to defend themselves yet, so we lashed out in fear.” Persephone leaned against Celestia as she sobbed harder. “We thought he would never come home after that, our house became so quiet, it was like part of us left with him...” Celestia turned and lifted her forelegs to pull the other into a hug. “It's okay, it's in the past. He's home now, he wants to be part of your family again.” Persephone slowly relaxed, sniffing and wiping her eyes off. “You're right. I'm glad he's home, but even nearly 1500 years later it still hurts remembering the day he left. Anything could have happened to him, he had barely come of age and he had never been outside the valley, but... well, anyway, he's safe and that's what matters.” She leaned back. “Sorry for getting so emotional.” “It's okay,” Celestia assured her. “I know what it's like losing a loved one because I didn't give them the compassion they deserved. But things are better now between her and I, and things will be better between you and Discord as well.” Persephone smiled. “Yes, you seem to have really brought out the best in him.” “He has definitely relaxed since he left your town. Around ten years ago he was finally able to make a friend, somepony he trusted and never wanted to hurt, and it changed him for the better. He's still a chaotic prankster, but he makes an effort not to cause harm and he is truly remorseful for the wicked deeds of his past. I think he finally feels like he belongs here.” The other nodded. “You have no idea how happy that makes me. Thank you. I truly believe Discord will be a great husband for you, and you a perfect wife for him.” Celestia blushed. “I think so too.” “On the topic of your upcoming marriage... there is a ceremony our teenagers go through when they come of age. This is required for later marriage, which is a goal for many of us does, as we find being housewives to be very relaxing.” “Is it? I figured the work around the home would be a little stressful,” Celestia commented. “Not at all! It's relaxing to us because it's routine. Magic helps as well, but I enjoy being able to listen to my favorite music and reflect on my life while I tidy up, and of course raising my children brings me joy every single day. It's hard at times, but seeing their happy faces and that of my husband makes it worthwhile.” “It sounds like a cozy life,” Celestia said. She was amazed by how much she was learning about the draconequus culture. “It is. Oh but don't think you have to be a housewife, you can have a job in town too if you like, dear.” “I'll have to think about it, but after over a thousand years of ruling a kingdom, well...” Celestia chuckled, playing with her mane. “I think I would like to only worry about watching over a house.” “Oh yes, this will definitely be a break compared to that. Well, if you want to get married here, it would honor us if you go through the ceremony.” Celestia considered it. “What would I need to do?” By way of answer, Persephone reached up to her head. She had pretty black locks of hair framing her face, but to Celestia's shock, she pulled the hair off, revealing it was a wig. The top of her head was entirely bald, save for a thin coat of gray fur that matched the rest of her face and neck. “You will need to shave your head and tail,” Persephone explained. The mental image of that made Celestia wince slightly. Imagining herself without her flowing mane and tail... it was such an odd sight, almost scary. She looked Persephone over in a whole new light now, eyes roaming down her body to her tail, where there was a puff of black fur similar to what Discord had. All she could think to say was, “And is your tail fluff... also a wig?” Persephone chuckled at the question, seeming amused. “No, it's not a wig.” The fur came to life, detaching from her tail and hopping over to Celestia, doing a little dance along her shoulder before going back to the tail and reattaching. The light teasing made Celestia relax a little, reminding her of how Discord would do a very similar trick with his own tail fluff. Like mother, like son. “I can see you're surprised, so let me explain,” Persephone said gently. “I've been bald ever since my coming of age ceremony. When draconequus reach adulthood, we shave our hair to show that it is not our appearances that make an individual, but who we are inside. Us does shave both our heads and our tails. The bucks only shave their heads. At this point, we are also allowed to go without clothing.” Thinking back, Celestia realized that the younger draconequus in Persephone's home had been clothed with plain garments around their hips, while the adults went without. She hadn't given it much thought at the time, just assuming it was another part of their society. “We go through a ritual to purify and unlock our chaos magic,” Persephone continued. “We can use magic before, but chaos magic is especially complex and we are taught not to use it until we're ready. Discord, as you well know, took his to extremes.” “Oh yes.” “It was the purification that allowed him that level of control. I look forward to seeing how the ceremony affects your own magic.” “Do you think it would allow me to use magic like a draconequus?” Celestia asked. “It could. I've never heard of the ritual being done with a pony before. You already have tremendous magical power as an alicorn, it wouldn't surprise me if the ritual gives you access to our magic too.” The thought was both exciting and nerve-wracking. A whole new field of magic to explore! She couldn't wait to tell Twilight and Luna about this. “Is there anything else I'll need to do?” Persephone nodded. “Once the ceremony is done, there's a celebration welcoming the draconequus to adulthood. You are of course already an adult, so we'll instead celebrate welcoming you into our culture.” “That sounds lovely.” “Yes, it's a big event,” Persephone agreed. “And does are free to grow their hair back if they wish, though many of us find ourselves to be more beautiful without and our bucks very much agree. Our wigs are only really for fashion, or to prevent sunburn on especially hot days.” “Is fashion big here?” Celestia wondered. “Very big. Do you like jewelry?” “Oh yes, I enjoy dressing up with jewelry when I get the chance.” Persephone grinned. “You'll fit in around here, I would love to go shopping with you! We could do makeovers too!” It sounded so comfortably domestic and Celestia couldn't help agreeing, looking forward to pampering herself. “Of course, I would love that.” “We'll have to arrange a date. But for now, there's more to discuss. You may have noticed while passing through town, but does all walk with their tail raised high. You see, in our culture, it is considered a symbol of feminine beauty to show off your, oh how do ponies say it... marehood at all times.” “My...?” “Your pussy and anus, dear.” In response to Celestia's stunned stare, she continued, “I know, it must sound odd to you.” “I'll need to... pardon me, ma'am, but my...” Celestia gestured downward, cheeks burning at the idea of even using that language, let alone actually walking around with no tail to cover herself, her backside on display for all to see. She didn't want to be disrespectful of the culture but she wasn't expecting anything like this. Persephone seemed to know what she was thinking. “I apologize, my language must seem crass to a pony, but we take pride in our bodies and don't see any part of ourselves as shameful. Why not speak openly of that which brings new life into this world?” Celestia couldn't really argue with that. If she had grown up in a place where that was normal, she wouldn't find any problem with it now. If every draconequus here simply saw it as a way of life, she would have to get used to it. “I hope I didn't offend,” Celestia said at last. “This is simply all so new to me. I have so much to learn.” “It's alright. I'm here to teach you. Once you've been shaved and have become adept at walking with your tail up, you may complete the ritual to fully enter our society, and you and Discord may be wed.” It was a little frightening to think about, but Persephone assured her, “Discord will be the one to shave you, if that helps. And I believe you'll be even more beautiful once he does.” After some thought, Celestia decided to go through with it. It would be a big change in her life, but she wanted to fully embrace her partner's culture and live as they did. She knew she could rely on Discord and her future in-laws to help her through everything. “Alright,” she said. “I'll talk to Discord about shaving me.” Persephone's face lit up. “Excellent! Oh, I can't wait to see you on the big day. And not to get too ahead of ourselves, but have you two thought about children?” “It's crossed my mind. I'm not sure if he and I can have children, but it would be nice to have one, perhaps...” Celestia rubbed her chin as she thought about it. She and Discord haven't really talked about kids much. Persephone hummed, and lightly patted Celestia's knee. “You know, we have strong maternal instincts. We see mothers as one of the greatest things you can become and we simply adore children. That's why our families are so large and why we often have so many kids. The amount really depends on the person but it's normal for does to have eight to ten children, though the most I've ever heard of a single doe having is over fifty!” “Wow, fifty!” Celestia was taken aback. She's never heard of a mare having that many foals. She wasn't sure it was even possible. Draconequus really had an unbelievable amount of pregnancies. “How many do you have?” “I'm very well off with Hades being an opera singer, so I have thirty,” Persephone said brightly. “Discord is the oldest and sixteen of them are old enough to have moved out and started families of their own, though we all stay in close touch.” Celestia could already tell that family was very important here. She began to think about starting her own with Discord. She loved kids, one of her favorite parts of running her school for gifted unicorns was being able to meet with the foals, passing on her knowledge to young fillies and colts so they could one day better Equestria. She had so much love to give and though she would have a lot to learn, she wanted to be a mother so she could raise foals of her own. “Having a family would be nice,” she said at last. “You'll be a great mother,” Persephone replied. She glanced up at the Sun and then stood, placing her wig back on and carefully arranging it. “Why don't we head back to the house? I have so much more to teach you.” “Alright.” Celestia got up too, and this time as they walked, she glanced over to see Persephone carrying her tail the way she had mentioned earlier. After some thought, Celestia experimentally tried holding hers up that way. It felt lewd and it took conscious thought to keep it like that, but perhaps it will be easier once her dock is shaved and there's less weight on it. For now, she just let her tail drift back down into its usual spot. She'll get used to it soon enough. > New Culture. New Ways > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Getting to know a new culture was some of the things Celestia enjoyed wholeheartedly. The traditions involved, the mindset, the deep cultural roots, the sheer joy to experience something unique that belongs as the heritage of other people was something she personally saw as her biggest joy, aside from leading ponykind and Equestria, during her time as an official Princess. The list went on! Zebrica and their tribal ways, voodoo and shamanistic magics! The buffalo and their spirits and totems! Neighpon and its rich societal culture! Saddle Arabia and how vast it was! Abyssinia and their dances, theatre, and jewelry! She couldn’t get enough of it. Truth be told, she had been taken aback by draconequus culture and how it operated, but as weeks rolled by and she immersed herself more in their traditions, she came to understand and appreciate just how liberal they were. Which she found ironic given their isolationist nature. But still, she did her best to adapt and learn. Persephone proved to be a great teacher and instructor, and she had taken it upon herself to teach her how to be a good housewife, hot to maintain the household, and more aspects of their culture and traditions. This included how to sew, clean, cook, and many other little chores and details any good wife had to know about. Cooking was no issue whatsoever. It was one of the many talents she had and one she was incredibly good at, although lacking in imagination outside breakfast. In fact, she found out, much to her delight, that she was well-versed in most of the chores to do. Except for one. Cleaning. She had no idea cleaning could be so time-consuming and tiresome without magic. She could simply cast a cleaning spell or use telekinesis, but Persephone had insisted to not use magic when performing such a duty. She felt a sudden rush of empathy and understanding with the non-unicorn cleaning staff in the Castle and made a mental note to send a letter to Twilight to raise their salaries. Persephone had also taught her several recipes for delicious dishes, even if she initially found them to be quite bizarre, after tasting them she had to be physically restrained by her future husband. Thankfully, she managed to contain herself after that. But after weeks of getting used to the household routine, she discovered that Persephone was right about finding a sort of calm and peace in doing such chores. It also helped that her mind was put at ease and allowed her to think of happy times or talk with herself for a while in order to reflect on things. As she finished dusting and cleaning the last jar in the living room, she felt a wave of fulfillment that she had only ever experienced before when striking a deal with a dignitary or signing a law. She couldn’t help but hop and trot a little in place. “I can’t wait to marry Discord! What do you think?” She asked, turning around to see a mirror. On it, she saw her reflection. Her backside, to be specific, and how her tail was curled into a small ball so there wouldn’t be any obstruction to her vaginal folds and anus. She blushed, but only a little at the sight of her nethers being so blatantly exposed and how they would be even more exposed quite soon. She had spent some time with Persephone and many of her soon-to-be sisters-in-law plus a few of their friends and neighbors talking about that very same thing. And though she wasn’t as bold as some does when it came to showcasing their liberalism (she would have a heart attack before using anything that further exposed her inner sanctums), she had found it strangely liberating to see her nethers so exposed. Of course, nakedness was common throughout Equestria, but most mares and stallions used their tails to conceal them from direct sight most of the time. For it to be so casual in the land of the draconequus was surprising, but welcome. Sooner than she had expected, she had gotten used to her nakedness. Even when Hades or any of Discord’s brothers saw her, they didn’t treat her any differently. More than that, some even complimented how pretty her pussy and anus were. Besides, Discord had helped her ease out her fears and initial embarrassment with plenty of tender kisses and a grope or two. “I see everything is in order,” Hades said as he stepped into the living room, idly inspecting the room. “And I see you’re not as nervous as before, Celestia.” “Oh, I am terribly nervous,” she set the duster aside. “Tomorrow’s the ceremony and tonight…,” she glanced at her mane and tail. “I hope everything will be alright.” “I may not know much about pony culture and traditions, but I know enough to see this is extremely new and tasking of you. It warms my heart to see your love for my eldest son is so strong and genuine,” he said, a gentle smile forming in his lips. “It’s… new and a bit frightening. But, then again, what new culture isn’t? Were Discord a zebra, I would wear rings on my neck. Or a saddle arabian, I would learn to perform belly dancing just for him,” she smiled at him warmly. “I love him, and I want to be a good wife.” Hades nodded in approval. “Then, my soon-to-be daughter, go and prepare.” Celestia nodded and left upstairs to prepare. There was no need for her to clean, but she did so to kill some time and ease her nerves. Slowly, she entered the shower; taking her time to properly clean herself, caressing her hair and tail through it all. When it was done, she combed it, made sure it was pristine, and finally, finally, moved to her bedroom. Upon entering, she found Discord was already waiting for her. He has an electric shaver, shaving cream, and a sharp razor. It would be so easy to simply use magic and be done with it, but as much as she was dreading the loss of her mane and tail, Discord was also making the sacrifice to be the one to do so without an easy way out. “You ready?” He asked. Celestia shuddered. “I am,” she sat and used her magic to pull her mane and tail until she was able to hug them both. “I’m just saying my goodbyes.” Discord scratched the back of his head. “You know, Tia… You don’t have to do this. We can leave and get married in Equestria. My parents already gave us their blessings no matter what we choose.” “And I choose to remain by your side and embrace their ways and culture,” she replied. “I’m just… worried? No… nervous. Yes. I’m nervous about how I’m going to look. Will I look pretty with my head and tail shaved? Or will I look ugly?” “You will always look gorgeous to me, mi amor,” he replied twirling a bountiful mustache. “You’ve seen my sisters, my ma, and other does and how beautiful they all look shaved. You’ll be just if not more beautiful.” She giggled. “You do know how to bring my spirits up,” she said before closing her eyes. Steeling herself, she turned her back to Discord. “I’m ready to be your wife and live by your side, Discord.” With a visible heartthrob imprinting against his chest, Discord stood up holding the shaver tightly. A flick of his thumb later, the instrument came to life with a ‘Brzzzzzz’. The sound startled Celestia and Discord put his claw on the back of her neck, reassuring her he was with her. Slowly, Discord pressed the shaver against her scalp and began running it slowly across her skull. The vibration of the device made Celestia feel strangely comfortable even as she felt her head get lighter with each passing of the shaver. She saw her mane slowly fall to the ground in great, long streams; her beloved making sure to do a good job without causing her discomfort and making each strike as clean as possible. Surprisingly fast, Discord took a hold of her tail to repeat the process at a much faster pace. It was then when she saw the last strand of her tail fall to the ground un­cer­e­mo­ni­ously that she felt fear grip her heart. She knew she was already past the point of no return, but she didn’t feel regret of pain. Nostalgia and sadness were the demons plaguing her heart at that moment. She had always taken great care of herself as a Princess. “But I’m no longer a Princess,” she muttered, smiling as her heart eased itself. “You’ll always be a Princess to me, Celestia,” Discord said before kissing her rump, a finger idly teasing one of her folds. Celestia sighed contently. “You can be quite the romantic fool whenever you feel like it,” she heard him chuckle but reply nothing else. The shaver died down and Discord moved to the cream. He washed her scalp and tail with it for half a minute. Then, bringing the razor up, she grabbed her tail. “Stay still, okay?” He asked and Celestia stood as firmly as possible. With a few quick and precise movements, he was done shaving what little remained of her tail. Leaving it pristine and pink. A snap of his fingers made it so that her tail would become white with short fur; preventing new hair from growing until she wished for it. “Now be very still,” he warned. Celestia hummed as Discord grabbed her neck and slowly began to remove the remnants of her mane and fur from her scalp. Her fear was forgotten as she found the action surprisingly relaxing, almost as if she was getting a massage. It took him a minute to finish. Another snap of his fingers replaced the pink skin with a veil of her natural short white fur. Standing back, he grabbed a mirror. “Well, what do you think? Am I not the greatest barber in the world or what?” He asked with a cocky grin. Turning to the mirror, Celestia saw her bald reflection for the first time… and found it surprisingly pleasing. More than that, she liked it. Running a hoof across her scalp revealed just how soft and smooth it now was. Turning back to see her tail, she found it in similar circumstances. A thought crossed her mind, a realization. Without her tail, now her rump, pussy, and anus would be completely out there for anyone to see. She was now truly and completely naked, exposed. And she found it a lot less frightening than she thought she would. A whisper at the back of her head told her that Discord would have free and complete access to her lower regions whenever he pleased, either to make use of them or simply admire them, and that thought made her giddy. Looking back to the mirror, Celestia smiled brightly. “I love it!” She declared before admiring herself some more. Looking down, she saw her tail and mane. Smiling, she picked them up with her magic and teleported a small envelope. Discord read her intentions and conjured a box. She put the discarded hair inside the box along with a letter she had written earlier, sealed it, and then conjured it through her connection with Spike. As she saw the ashes vanish into nothingness, she turned to Discord. “Well, what do you think, Discord? I think I look even more beautiful now, don’t I?” She asked whilst raising her rump and shaking it salaciously. In response, she hears a series of groans and mumbles. Glancing back, she found a rather impressive rod growing from between his legs. “I’ll take that as a yes, my love.” Stopping her playfulness, Celestia presented herself to him: legs spread apart, haunches high, and chest on the ground. “Why don’t you come and claim your mare?” “Oh, now that I can do!” Discord exclaims with a smirk. Grabbing her rump firmly, the first thing he does is to shove his face against her nethers. With his snout firmly pressed against her pussy and anus, he shamelessly started to inhale and whiff her at his leisure. “Yooouuuu smeeeeeell soooo gooooood! Better than cotton candy!” He took another deep whiff. “So sweet and evocative. So firm and warm and freeeeesh,” he mumbled in between moans. Celestia gasped, not at his sudden action; she knew exactly to twist Discord’s buttons and what made his mind go blank with desire. She gasped at how different it felt. Without her tail, it was colder, closer, more personal. And she liked it. “Mmmmmhhmmm~” Finding no reason to stop, Discord unleashed his tongue, allowing it to lick against her pristine rear. His tongue played with her anus, coiling itself around her fleshy ring before moving to her vaginal folds and parting them so it could slither past them to wriggle inside for a few seconds. It then would pull out and focus on her pearl long enough to tease her and leave her wanting more before moving again. “Diiiiiscord!” Celestia moaned deeply, her legs trembling with electric delight. “I can’t help myself,” he began. “Your taste is just too good, Tia. I am addicted to you,” a deep and strong lick made his point all the clearer and caused Celestia to moan again. “Pussy, rump, asshole. I love your taste no matter what,” he kissed her anus in turn. His tongue wriggled inside her lavish and cleansed rear hole as he decided to make out with her fleshy donut whilst his fingers made her pink diamond dance. Celestia moaned and whimpered as Discord proceeded to eat her out, shifting from her anus to her pussy every now and then, careful to never repeat the same tongue motions outside those she really liked. For some reason, it felt way better than any previous time to date. There was just something so primal and just right about it now she couldn’t quite place it. She knew her newfound baldness had something to do with it. “Although it breaks my heart, I think that’s quite enough for now!” Discord announced before snapping his fingers. Suddenly, Celestia found herself falling down on their large bed. With her back pressed against the mattress, Celestia fought the urge to flail for balance. Thankfully, her lover grabbed her hind legs just in time to spare her that embarrassment. She barely found her balance once more when his long, thick cock slapped against her pussy and laid across it, almost reaching her teats. “Are you ready to be marked and become my mate?” Discord asked with a smirk. “Yes! Sun above, yes! I love you, Discord. I want to be your wife! Please, mark me!” She begged, somewhat amused at her impatience. “Then so be it!” Declared Discord. Pulling back until his tip was lined up with her entrance, Discord didn’t hesitate to push forward until his cock began sliding inside Celestia’s royal cunt. They moaned in unison as her tight walls were spread apart, the rapture of their coitus sending them through waves of pleasure. She was more than ready to receive his phallus after his thorough tonguing. Once their nethers were conjoined the two lovers let out a moan of pure satisfaction. Discord, using his prehensile and longer body to his advantage, leaned down until he was face to face with his lovely soon-to-be wife. Celestia captured his lips and their tongues began to dance as their hips started to move. While the position was a bit awkward (she was a traditionalist regarding sexual positions, but Discord was anything but traditionalist in ‘almost’ every sense of the word, after all), it was by no means unpleasurable. Far from it, in fact. Using his size to his advantage he could pin her down and really let go if he so desired. For now, though, he had settled for a more measured pace. She still moaned into his mouth with every thrust, but there wasn’t any urgency in his movements. He was being careful but forceful, gentle yet unyielding as he asserted his dominance over her… and she allowed him completely. She loved being used in the bed like that. In the past, far too many stallions treated her with dignity, like she was made out of glass. But not Discord. He treated her like what she was deep within: a mare. “D-Discord,” she managed to bellow his name before he captured her lips once more; unwilling to stop showing her his love and desire to mark her as his mare, mate, and wife. Thanks to her previous treatment, it didn’t take long for her to reach her first climax. He pulled back to allow her to bite her lower lip as she experienced a powerful orgasm made greater thanks to Discord’s unrelenting thrusting. “Mmmhhmmffff!” She moaned heavenly, nearly drawing blood from her lip as she felt his cock ravage her insides relentlessly; his tip knocking and kissing the entrance to her womb over and over again. As her orgasm was dying out, she felt a second one rising at the same time. It quickly escalated until Discord, unable to keep his composure for much longer, went into overdrive for the last dozen or so of thrusts. “Raaaaaggghhh!” He roared, the sound that mixed a dragon, a griffon, and a pony’s scream left his throat as he plowed her fields one last time before cumming inside her. “Yyyy­eeeessssssssssh­h­hhh!” Celestia moaned incoherently. The sensation of being filled by so much cum, enough to allow her to feel it clearly scraping against her walls plus her building climax was enough to throw her over the edge a second time. Before she could begin to descend from her cloud of bliss, Discord dislodged his still hard cock from the depths of her marehood and drove it inside her tail hole. “D-Discord!?” She yelped in surprise, but Discord didn’t answer her. Looking into his eyes she found he was focused and motivated as if an age-old instinct had taken over him. “MmmmmmMMMM!” She moaned loudly as he filled her rectum in a single thrust; her mare juice, his warm cum, and their excitement providing all the lube they needed. “Mine! My wife!” Mouthed Discord as he began to ravage his lover’s asshole like he owned it. “My mate!” “Your mate! Your wife! YES!” Replied Celestia as she used her wings to hug the Chaos Lord in a loving embrace. While she couldn’t do much more than take it, not that she would ever dream of stopping her virile and clearly desperate lover, she managed to clench her muscles around his shaft enough to hinder his pace, forcing him to put more strength behind his humping efforts. They continued to moan, kiss, grunt, lick each other for several minutes. It was just when Discord’s thrusts started to turn unsteady that Celestia noticed, or rather smelled, something was different. She loved his potent musk, but what she was smelling now was far stronger. It was intoxicating and made her mind hazy; almost as if he had sucker-punched her with a bag filled with aphrodisiacs and testosterone. There was no time to ponder on it further as they reached their climax nearly at the same time. Celestia came first, her muscles flexing on their own around his meat in an effort to milk him dry. Discord came after a few extra thrusts, hilting his cock deep inside her sphincter as it unloaded its precious cargo of baby batter. As he pulled out and they both rested, the couple hugged each other in a caring embrace. When their breaths calmed down and their hearts eased out from their frantic exertion, the two of them moved out of the bed. Discord hugged her close as he embraced her neck and she returned it by hugging his torso. As Celestia felt his cum leak out of her pussy and ass, still incredibly warm, she noticed that the smell had, if anything, increased. Half-drunk by the stinky, potent musk she stepped back. Sniffing the air she was able to find the source, although she wasn’t entirely sure, so she asked. “What’s that smell, Discord?” “Ah, yeah… uhhh, that would be my cum, actually,” he blushed a little as he explained it. “I marked you as my mate. Now every other buck and stallion will know you’re my mate and wife,” came his explanation as he smiled. Celestia tilted her head. “But… we’ve had sex before and it never happened?” She questioned as she used a mirror to look at her well-fucked nethers. She instantly noticed that his cum was far heartier than usual, slightly yellow, and thick like yogurt. “Care to explain? I’m a little lost here.” “I should’ve told you about it sooner, sorry. You see, we draconequus bucks can have sex normally, but when we decide for a mate, that’s when we use our ‘marker’, so to speak. Our cum becomes heavier as it is filled with pheromones and blah blah blah,” he rolled his griffon claw, already bored and annoyed of giving such a dry, technical answer. “Short version, now that we are mates, my cum is going to be very musky and smelly.” Celestia whiffed the air and then bent as close as she could to her butt to sniff the air a little more. Her step wobbled and she felt her lucidity leave her for a second before she was able to contain herself. “Smelly is an understatement! It reeks!” She declared before swallowing and sniffing again. “But… it’s a good kind of stink, I think?” She sniffed some more, deeper, almost scientifically. “It smells like you, but a hundred times heavier… but still pleasant, mellow… why am I smelling peaches?” She sniffed again, nearly losing her senses again. “It is very, VERY potent,” she turned to Discord, smiling. “But I love it. It’s as if I’m wearing a perfume you made only for me, Discord.” “You… like it?” Discord said, hopeful and relieved. “I didn’t want to tell you earlier because the stench can be… strong. And since I am the Lord of Chaos… mine is even more so.” “I think it is lovely. So virile, so you, so vigorous,” she took in a deep whiff and sent her wobbling to the ground. “I’m going to get addicted to that smell. It clogs my mind, but in a good way!” “I’m so glad you like it!” Discord said, relieved, as he helped her up to her hooves. Seeing she was dizzy and still getting used to his rather potent musk, he carried her back to their bed. There, they coiled and hugged each other closely; nuzzling, kissing, and generally being a sappy, happy couple in love. Celestia was struck by exhaustion first and quickly began to tilt her head as she heard her sister’s call to sleep. Discord rested his head atop hers, nuzzling and whispering sweet nothings to ease her sleep as the ceremony would be held the following day. With womb and ass filled to the brim with cum, Celestia soon snoozed to a pleasant, dreamless sleep lulled by the culminating aroma of her future husband and confident she’d soon be his lovely wife. Before completely falling into slumber, she felt her heart beat faster and her stomach flutter by the idea that she now belonged to Discord and soon she’d be his official wife and mate. And… with any luck, the mother of his children.