//------------------------------// // Long Forgotten Memory // Story: The Gift // by Broman //------------------------------// Celestia opened her eyes and found that she was staring at blue. She blinked several times, trying to get rid of the blurriness in her eyes. When she looked again she realized that the blue was sky blue, and she could see a few clouds floating within. She was outside, she surmised, but as to where, she was still uncertain. She looked to the left and saw numerous flower beds, many of which were familiar to her. She quickly turned her head to the right and was greeted with the sight of the castle walls of her home. I’m in the gardens? Celestia thought as she sat up from her position. She looked about her and found herself in the center of the royal gardens. All of the spring flowers were in bloom in the flower beds and hanging gardens, and the smell of countless blossoms wafted from each flower, mixing into a potent perfume that drifted through the air. Familiar scents, familiar grounds, all perfectly normal, and not the slightest bit of chaos. Where are you, Discord? her thoughts focused intently on possible hiding places for a certain chaotic draconequus. She had many important tasks at hoof and she didn’t want to be delayed by any of Discord's antics. She looked about and spotted the entrance to the gardens, whose steadfast gates were currently closed. Wishing not to linger any longer in the garden, she started walking to the gates. “I can’t let you do that, Celestia.” Discord’s voice echoed around her as she took her first hoofsteps. “Just try and stop me!” Celestia called out as she put new effort into her pace. As she advanced onward, however, she noticed that her path became more and more narrow. Brush and thickets, all filled with red roses, grew up in front of her path, blocking her way to the door. Her gait never faltered as her horn glowed with magic. She blasted the path in front of her, the bushes disappearing in a instant. She kept her pace, charging her horn for more magic, when she spotted more and more thick bushes continued to block the path in front of her. She readied her magic and another blast went straight at the hindrance before her. Once again the path was cleared, but only seconds later the path was blocked again. Celestia gritted her teeth and charged her magic, only to find that she couldn’t conjure it. She stopped dead in her tracks and quickly placed a hoof on top of her head. Her horn was missing. “Discord!” she screamed as she stopped in her tracks, all the while hearing laughter coming from the nearby flowers. She whirled her head around and saw Discord’s face on a nearby rose. “Oh come now, Tia,” Discord said as he waved his petals at her, “There is a reason as to why I’m keeping you here,” he said, only to be quickly stomped on by her hooves, “Ouch! That was a little rude.” Discord said as Celestia shook her head and unfurled her wings. “I will get out of this, Discord,” Celestia said as she took flight, aiming straight up and into the sky, only to smack into something a few seconds later. Celestia shook her head, her mane trying valiantly to re-organize into stripes and only marginally succeeding as she darted into the sky once more, only smacking against the invisible wall once again. “What is blocking me?” she said, as she scanned the sky around her. She placed a hoof upward, feeling something in front of her hooves, “Is this glass?” she said in confusion. She looked about her and towards the castle and she could see the faint glare of a glass ceiling covering the entire royal gardens. “Why are you trapping me in here?” she called out as she rammed against the glass ceiling, hoping to crack it and escape. “It appears that you have forgotten,” Discord said, his voice sounding nearby. Celestia looked, trying to find the elusive fiend, only to see a small fly hovering in front of her. She narrowed her eyes and saw the face of Discord giving a small smile, “I want to make it up to you for all the times since we’ve missed our-” he didn’t finish as she swiped a hoof at him, “Hey, I’m trying to finish here!” Discord said as he buzzed around her, Celestia continuing to lash out in a fury of swipes. “Whatever you think I’ve forgotten you are clearly mistaken, I don’t want any part in this... weirdness.” she proclaimed, trying to snatch him out of the sky and force him to give her horn back. “My weirdness is pretty clear under chaotic circumstances,” Discord said as he gave a humorous giggle. Celestia spotted him near her muzzle, and seizing the opportunity she brought both of her hooves together in an effort to trap him. “I have you now,” she said as opened her hooves to find him, only to see nothing there. “I think I am the one who has you now, Tia,” Discord said as he appeared, his body hovering several feet in front of her. Celestia snorted and pointed a hoof at him. “It should be the other way around,” she said and Discord rolled his eyes from her boastfulness. “If that is true, then how will you get me without these?” he asked, as he pulled his claw and paw out from behind his back. Both of her wings were in his claws. She looked on her back, which laid bare before her, before doing a double take to Discord, who gave a small wave to her. “Discooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrdddd!” She yelled as she fell, her legs flailing in all directions as she approached the ground. She spiraled downward, going from a straight fall to an airborne tumble, as the ground went from a walk to a jog in her direction, no matter how much she didn't want to meet it right now. She had other meetings to attend to, and the ground wasn't even in her schedule book. She closed her eyes, bracing for impact, only to hit something soft underneath her. Her body was not in several places at once, as it should be, but resting on a pile of flowers and rose buds, as her body having drifted down to be laid gently onto the ground. She couldn't fathom as to what Discord had in mind for her, and why he was not trying to torture her with other chaotic things. She lifted her head and saw that she was in the exact same spot as to where she took off and saw the doors to the garden. She also noticed movement on the other side, most likely her guards searching for her. “They won’t get in, that I can assure you,” Discord said, appearing before her, in the waters of the fountain. Celestia could only watch as Discord happily bathed in the water, splashing around like a child on holiday. She went to raise herself up when Discord raised a claw at her, “Wait just a moment my dear, we're expecting company.” he said as he quickly scrubbed his legs with the limb of a bush. “And who, pray tell, is this company you are awaiting?” Celestia asked as Discord looked at her, as he began to brush his teeth with the same bush. “That would be me,” she heard Discord’s voice, but not from the fountain. She turned to her left and was surprised to see Discord walking out of the forest. She did a double take at the two Discord’s and couldn't quite reconcile the multiple Discords. “She give you any trouble?” the approaching Discord asked, as the Discord in the fountain got out and dried himself by wringing out his body like a dishtowel. “Oh she was hopeless. She kept chasing me, throwing things at me, even trying to smash me like some insect. I had no choice but to take her horn and wings before she could do any more harm,” Discord said while he finished drying himself off, then held out both her missing horn and wings, presenting them on a tray held in his paw while draping a towel over his claw. “Oh that sounds dreadful. You have my sincerest condolences,” Discord said as he patted the other Discord on the shoulder, “but she does look more fun as a regular Earth pony, eh Shadow?” “Shadow?” Celestia said as turned to see the other Discord, who began to dissolve and reform back into Discord's own shadow. He gave a small chuckle as he began juggling her wings and horn. “Oh yes, Celestia. My shadow kept you occupied while I had to bring the greatest of gifts,” he said as he brought forth two glass vials containing a purple substance that was completely unknown to Celestia. “This here, is the culmination of many hours of work, though, I must say, the majority of the work was done by Zecora. She did a superb job in creating this, and it all leads to this special event,” he said as Celestia stood up and began walking towards him. “What have you done with Zecora of the Everfree? What vile and twisted anathema have you caused upon her?” she said, her anger beginning to rise as Discord’s ears fell back in surprise. “Tia, I did nothing of the sort. I merely asked for her help in creating these potions. Nothing more and nothing less. I give you my word,” he said, as a small halo appeared before his head, to which Celestia gave the most nonplussed look in Equestrian History. There were a few that rivaled it, the time Luna sleepwalked into day court, every single look she gave to the budget department when they asked for more bits, and that one time Pinkie Pie told her she wasn't up to anything, but this truly was the worst one. There was a rumor that teachers all over Equestria couldn't teach math for the rest of the day because they couldn't bring themselves to write a plus sign. “A likely story. However, I doubt that,” she said as the halo above his head cracked in shame, and looked apologetic for even being there. The halo was later quoted as saying “ don't normally hang out with Discord, honest. It's not someplace I belong.” As she made her move towards Discord, her visage going from icy cold to hotter than Tartarus itself, she continued, “You disrespected my sister, you brought shame upon my guards, and you insulted me by kidnapping me. To what end? Do you want to cause disruption upon these delegations so much that you are willing to resort to this,” she gave an exasperated sigh as she threw a hoof around the high gardens,” to take me on some grand escapade like in the times of our youth? I have little to no time for your games while while the real game of politics is at my doorstep.” she said as she closed the distance between them. She looked upon him and wondered what he had crawling in his mind, musing at the thought of spiders being whatever lay in his mind, for it was all woven in trickery. Granted, she wouldn't be surprised to find more than a few cobwebs. As she remained there Discord merely shook his head, making a tsking noise with every turn of the head. “It appears even you have forgotten Tia. After all these centuries, you have truly forgotten what this day is. It seems you have been on edge as of late and I think you must take a moment of reprieve,” he said as Celestia was taken aback, her heartfelt words falling on deaf ears. Shaking her head and stiffening her resolve she once again spoke against him. “I have forgotten nothing. My current position requires that I must attend to the needs of my people. I must uphold my duty in speaking with the many representatives, forge treaties and alliances, keep the peace between feuds centuries old, and-” “Which is why that you are stressed,” Discord said bluntly, interrupting her once again, much to her chagrin, “you are so caught up in your work that you neglect to see to your own needs,” he said a he snapped his claw and in a flash the two were on a sofa, both holding each vial of the drink, “I’m certain that once you have taken some respite from your days of hard labor will you be able to appreciate life to its fullest.” he said as he began to uncork the vial. Celestia blinked and looked down at the bottle that had appeared in her hooves. She looked back at Discord who took a whiff from the vial. She shook her head and was ready to toss the vial to the ground when a claw was placed upon her hoof. She turned to Discord, who gave her a concerned look, “My dear, I know you have feelings for me that are quite harsh, believe me, I wouldn’t make you uncomfortable unless it was necessary.” he said as he waved his claw around her vial, and the purple substance within began to turn pure white. Celestia blinked once again and turned to see that his vial had also turned a shade of white. Discord removed his claw and placed it around his own vial as Celestia remained uncertain to his intentions. “Celestia, you may hate me, you may loathe and only barely tolerate me at times, you may even freeze me back into stone if you so wish, but let me assure you of one thing,” he said as he gave a small smile, “what I’m about to show to you is something that I had missed for all of these centuries, and something I wish to use to make amends for all the times we have been unable to participate. I know you don’t understand, but this can explain my actions, and bring a memory or two to the surface.” he said as he turned to his drink and slowly raised it up to his lips. He paused to look at her as she continued to look at him with some hesitation, “It is strawberry flavored.” he said as he only hinted a smile towards her, rather than giving the full answer which would have totally ruined the fun, yet unsurprisingly doubt still remained on her mind. “Just what are you wanting to show me?” she asked, her voice adding a sharp razor’s edge to an otherwise calm demeanor. Discord smiled and gave a small nod towards the vial in her hooves. “All will be made clear, my dear. Can you trust me this once to show you my gift?” he asked as Celestia weighed the thoughts in her mind. She knew that she could drag this out for a little longer, hoping to buy time for her guards to get inside, however, something in the back of her mind was urging her to take this chance. She couldn’t fathom it, nor comprehend why she wanted to trust him, but something deep inside her heart told her that this was important. On the one hand, this is Discord she was thinking about. On the other hand, this might be a good enough excuse to get out of day court. Giving in, and taking a steadying breath, she took the draught of the mysterious liquid and drank it all. Discord followed suit and emptied it in one go. After finishing the drink she dropped the vial when she felt Discords claw around her hoof. “You will enjoy this, my dear,” was the last he said before his eyes suddenly turned bright white and her vision went from light into darkness.