The half moon high in the midnight sky did a lackluster job of lighting up the estate and its valley. Lucky for Discord, what, or rather; who he watched shined in their own light. He stood on the high third story roof of the estate, his position giving him a perfect view into the study Celestia occupied. A fire that had been large an hour ago simmered away in the fireplace, and a few candles within the room gave it a glow that matched the warmth of who sat at the room's single large desk.
Her ever-waving mane seemed a little less lively than normal, almost as if it were reflecting her relaxed state. In the room's orange light her pink eyes and pure white fur glowed with life, her figure untainted by the distracting crown, peytral, and shoes she was accustomed to wearing. She didn't move often; if there was movement, it was a little stir of her posture or her horn lighting up to change the record on the phonograph across the room.
Originally, Discord planned on spawning himself a bed atop the roof and sleeping under the stars, but his attention had been caught by the white Alicorn in the study. She wasn't doing anything exciting or interesting, but for some reason, he found himself captivated by just her sight. There was something so odd about seeing a pony he had only ever known as a deity, ruler, and in many ways, enemy simply doing what someone would do in their private time.
What captivated him the most wasn't what she did; however, it was what she wasn't doing. She wasn't smiling. She didn't look happy. Her expression wasn't a neutral one, it was one of deep thought and reflection, and one could tell there was something far deeper than simple thought going on within her mind. It was clear she was troubled by something. Her eyes shifted around occasionally, and her hoof would rub against her foreleg ever so frequently.
She didn't seem to be reading or writing, either. There were papers on her desk, but they rarely drew her attention. Part of him wanted to enter the study and try to find out exactly what was plaguing her so much, but the other half of his mind was smart enough to actually stop and think. He had always been an eavesdropper, and had always pried his way into affairs that weren't of his concern, but something compelled him to keep his nose away from Celestia.
It might be the fact he was, if nothing, intimidated by her. He had seen her get mad before. He didn't know ponies could snort flames. Fitting for the Goddess of the Sun, he supposed.
He let out a huff, looking away from Celestia and up into the night sky, the few clouds that crawled by glowing in the moon's light. He held up a paw, snapping his fingers as he teleported into the estate's dark main room. The fire had died down quite a bit, its embers and tiny flames providing no light or heat. The doors and windows were still open, leaving the room in a chilly state. Funny enough, Raven was still asleep at the foot of the fireplace, though she now lay on her side as opposed to her stomach.
As quietly as possible, Discord lay down on one of the three couches in the room, a big, quilted blanket puffing into existence and falling over his sprawled figure. After a few stretches, he finally got comfortable beneath the warm covers, sleep wrapping its arms around him.
Forks clinked against plates, drink glasses tapped against the hardwood table, and conversation sang in a hushed mix of voices. Morning light filled the dining room and warmed all who it touched. The scent of freshly prepared food still hung on the air. The family, as they did every morning, sat around the table, Celestia at its head sitting on her cushion, and Discord at the other end in a flamboyant, extravagant throne of his own conjuring. It had been a little bit of a passive-aggressive jab at Celestia's once preferred style. Funny, he thought, to see how one can go from a throne to a simple pillow within a week.
Only two attendees held their silence at the table. While the staff chatted and laughed, Discord and Celestia remained quiet. Celestia had at least spoken a few words since she had come downstairs at dawn. She was now smiling, at least. There was something quite clear to Discord, however; something was far different about the Alicorn across from him. While he had still never formally gotten to know her, he knew enough to recognize her hushed tone, lack of speech, and soft steps in the halls to be abnormal.
Her walk didn't have much of a bounce to it, and her eyes always seemed to wander along the ceiling or walls as she moved, her gaze never dead on as it was when she would trot down the halls of her castle. He had always seen her walking perfectly, no matter the occasion. Posture straight, a perfect gait in her step, and her head held straight and proud. Her wings too seemed inactive. They rarely unfurled, keeping their white feathers hidden away. She seemed far smaller than he remembered. Standing up totally straight, he stood a tiny bit taller than she, but in the past, if they were face to face, she had seemed far larger.
Now, the one time he had been standing before her, it was clear she cared not to hold herself in the imposing manner she was used to. Slouched, soft spoken, slow walking, and gentle-eyed. It was totally abnormal. In the back of his throat constantly rested a question, one that would sometimes open his mouth in anticipation to form the words, but his mind held that question back every time. 'Is there something wrong?'.
Something has to be wrong. Since the beginning she had been Princess Celestia. At the other end of the table was not Princess Celestia. That was Celestia. Possibly it was who she has always been. With a title came a façade, and when one holds a title for two thousand years, that façade becomes far more attached. Now that she had renounced that title, or at least put it upon a shelf for later use, that façade had fallen away, and it had fallen away quickly and harshly. It was shocking to see how someone so ingrained in their work, so dedicated to a life style, could leave it behind and walk out with no scars.
Discord thought a moment. He stared at Celestia, watching her fork stabbing at her pancakes and potato squares, her eyes never moving up to meet his. Maybe she hadn't walked out with no scars.
"So, Mr. Discord, is your meal good? You... haven't eaten much."
Discord blinked rapidly, snapping his gaze to Chef Tea, who sat only two chairs down from him.
"My apologies, I've been a little enthralled with my own mind. And, please; no need for that 'Mr.' business."
Tea nodded. "Gotcha." she paused a moment, smirking as she leaned her head his direction, watching as his invisible magic brought a forkful of syrup-soaked pancakes to his waiting mouth. "The food's good, though, right?"
Too occupied with chewing to produce a verbal answer, Discord simply nodded, a little smile on his lips.
"I thought thinking was a good way to ruin things." finally commented Celestia, bringing Discord's gaze to her smile.
"Oh, it is, which is why I'm currently trying to not do it."
"This place'll do that to you." injected Raven as she took a drink of orange juice.
"Do what to me?"
"Make you think. When you don't have much to do, and all you've got to listen to is the rushing of the river and rustling of the leaves, your mind will wander. There's no escaping it."
Discord stared at the strangely wise Unicorn for a second before taking a smaller bite of pancakes. He expected Celestia to say something like that.
"It begs the question, Discord; why would one wish to escape the mechanization of their own thoughts?"
Celestia's smile was no longer there, instead replaced by a questioning look. A look that was somehow severe, as if she were questioning him on something that he had done wrong.
"Because... I don't like dwelling on the past."
Celestia sat up straighter, that questioning look fading to one that he could only comprehend as understanding.
"The trick is to not dwell, but to understand."
There was Princess Celestia.
"Personally, I interlock dwelling and understanding."
Instantly, and internally, Discord winced. He steeled himself for the coming lesson. Instead, he watched as Celestia tilted her head to the side a tiny bit, her brows coming up.
"They aren't too far from each other."
Not wanting to agitate the wisdom dispenser further, Discord went back to his meal. If there was one thing he could nitpick about her, it would be her tendency to go off on tangents. She was a teacher, after all.
The high noon sun brought an all-encompassing warmth to the estate's front garden. The air was stuffy and thick with the moisture evaporating from the moist soil. As Discord floated a few inches from the dirt, mainly to keep himself clean, he watched Celestia help her two gardeners gather the ripest fruits and vegetables. What Discord found the most intriguing about this situation was the lack of magic Celestia employed. Just as the two earth pony gardeners did, she would use her hooves to dig up root vegetables and her teeth to pluck fruits and such from their stems.
He too found it odd that she was helping in the first place. He knew quite well she wouldn't be caught dead digging around in the gardens of the castle, but here she stood; her pure white hooves now brown with dirt and her knees dusty from occasionally crouching down. She truly did appear as if she were just... a normal pony. Her impressive height, lengthy, spiraling horn, and perfectly pristine wings no longer caused her to stand out as a superior or ruler.
Celestia huffed out a tired breath as she wiped her brow with the tip of her wing, the feathery limb giving a few flaps to adjust its feathers before furling back to her side. She looked back at Discord, their eyes locking for a second.
"You've been quiet." she commented.
"Well, there's not much to say..."
Celestia eyed his paw as it gently tugged at the gray hair hung from his chin.
"Enthralled with your own thoughts?"
Discord blinked, staring at Celestia's little smile.
"More enthralled with you, actually."
Celestia's eyes widened, and instantly, Discord realized exactly what he had just said, his tugging pausing.
"I-I mean I'm... just- just... it's strange that you're in the garden!" he exclaimed, holding up his paws as if to defend from an attack.
Celestia giggled at the deep blush and horrified look plastered over his face.
"Bit of a Freudian slip, hm, Discord?" taunted Celestia.
"What I meant is that your behavior is unusual!" he put his paws on his hips. "It wasn't a Freudian slip, just a simple misunderstanding on your part!"
Celestia tilted her head to the side. "Oh, I'm sure. Now... how do you mean; my behavior is unusual?"
"I- well... you seem so quiet..."
"There's not much to say." she returned with a cheeky grin.
Discord pressed an open paw into his face. He took a deep breath, regaining his composure.
"Alright, let's try this from scratch. Celestia; I find your current mood and patterns of speech to be far from the norm I've come to expect!" Discord spouted with annoyance, only eliciting another giggle from Celestia.
"I'm retired; do you still expect me to prance about with my head held high and speak as if I'm addressing a bunch of dignitaries?"
Discord stumbled over his tongue for a moment. "Well... no, but I-"
"I understand; you've only ever seen me as a ruler, Princess, and mentor."
He paused. "Yes... precisely."
She offered a warm smile. "Give it another week or so, and I'll seem normal to you," she looked away to Vesper, who was only a few rows down going about her work. "my friends too expressed their concern for how I acted."
"So... there's nothing wrong with you?"
Celestia laughed. "No! There's nothing wrong with me! I'm relaxed!"
Discord huffed out a breath of relief, the little act catching Celestia's eye.
"I appreciate your concern, Discord." smiled Celestia as her horn came to life, lifting a basket of freshly picked tomatoes from the dirt at her hooves as she stepped past Discord.
He remained hovering in place for a moment as Celestia trotted over to Vesper, her speech with the mare a bit too quiet to make out. Still remaining in a hover, he leaned down, plucking an unripened tomato from its vine, looking at it for a second before turning it into a perfectly fresh apple. Hovering as if he were reclining in a chair, he snacked on the snappy fruit, waiting patiently as Celestia cheerfully chatted with her gardener.
The two finished up, Celestia giving her a bright smile as she turned away and began back towards Discord, who joined up with her, hovering at her side.
"Did you see any aphids while you were picking stuff!?" shouted Mint from the far end of the garden.
"Not a single one! You and Vesper have done a wonderful job!"
"Glad to see our work is paying off!"
Celestia simply nodded to him, looking over to the hovering, snacking Discord. "If you'll excuse me, I'm off for a bath now."
"Ah; that's why I've been floating about!" Discord's posture mimicked the position one would take if lying on a couch. "You see; I don't have to deal with dirt!"
"Not all of us have the luxury of being free from the constraints of reality." she chuckled as the two approached the estate's front entrance.
Instead of continuing up the stairs as Discord expected, Celestia turned off down a little stone-paved path he hadn't noticed until this point. The path led around the front of the estate to the side, coming to a wooden pathway built into the side of the structure that went all the way around to the western side of the home. As he followed, his suspicions were confirmed, as the narrow pathway suspended above the bay of the river led right to the big porch that extended out from the main room.
Discord paused, looking at the porch for a moment as Celestia continued on. He took a final bite of his apple, the core vanishing with a snap of his fingers as he dropped his paws to his sides in annoyance.
"This porch isn't up to code." he taunted.
Celestia turned around to see him adorned with an orange safety vest and hard hat. She rolled her eyes, scoffing.
"I paid for this place with my own money, and I own the land; therefore, I can do what I want."
"You need a guard railing. This isn't OSHA approved, at all."
Celestia stood right at the edge of the porch, peering at her distant reflection for a second before turning back to Discord.
"My money, my estate."
With that, she leapt from the porch into the crisp river, her body hitting the water with a substantial splash.
Discord hadn't ever spent much time high off the ground, lounging on clouds and such, but he understood fully why Pegasi enjoyed it so much. From the little fluffy cloud that he and Celestia sat upon he could see almost to the horizon's end. He could see where Sol Point's river led far down into the winding valley, and where it split off into two separate paths. He could see the highest peaks and the lowest valleys, the spanning forests and the fields of grass. Its natural beauty struck him with awe, his eyes never quite able to divert away from the untamed wilderness that surrounded Sol Point, which now seemed so tiny when juxtaposed with its surroundings.
He too found awe with something he had just only noticed about Sol Point; there wasn't a single other sign of civilization within view. The estate stood totally alone and totally independent as if it were its own tiny nation. It sat peacefully without the influence of governments, taxes, or even other ponies. He couldn't help but ponder exactly where Sol Point was on a map. He had been a resident of Equestria, and even its ruler at one point, for quite a long time, and he didn't recognize a single thing about the landscape around Sol Point.
A flutter from Celestia's damp wings drew his gaze over to her. Instead of returning inside to get a towel, she had shot straight into the vertical and found a nice cloud to sit upon, allowing the sun and wind to dry her fur. Celestia's attitude and demeanor was still a constant cause for surprise. This morning, and the night before, there had seemed to be something critically wrong with her emotions, as if something horrible was plaguing her mind. Now, she sat across from him with a little smile resting on her lips, her wings half-unfurled and posture somewhat slouched.
He was finally pin-pointing what about her was so strange; she was at peace. He hadn't ever really seen such a state of life within another being. Fluttershy was always calm, sure, but she still had her work to do, and she still worried about the things in her life and stressed over the future. He didn't see that in Celestia. She gave off an aura of total calm, a calm that only comes from true inner peace. He watched as her eyes shut, her chest expanding as she drew in a long breath.
"Mark my words; it'll rain tomorrow."
Discord smirked, raising a brow. "I didn't know you had a part-time job as a weather radar."
Celestia laughed, looking to Discord. "When you pile on as many years as I have, you get good at predicting things." she looked back out over the land, chuckling to herself. "That, and the few meteorology books I've read might help."
"Well, then how do you know it'll rain tomorrow?"
"It's humid, the sky this dawn was a deep red, and there's been a lot of cumulonimbus clouds gathering since this morning... among other things."
Discord's brow raised. "What does the sky being red have to do with anything?"
"Air density." Celestia looked to the east, tracing along the sky with her hoof. "Low pressure air carries more moisture, and it always follows dry, high pressure air. The dry air's already moved past."
"That old head of yours is packed to the brim with useless information, isn't it?" he jokingly inquired, crossing his legs as he lounged back in the cloud.
"You only know the surface, Discord."
A hard breeze gave lift to Celestia's mane, causing her to face towards the wind. "And it's been windy."
"And chilly. My paws are getting cold all the way up here."
"Welcome to high altitudes."
Celestia stood up, walking to the edge of the cloud as she looked down at the estate some thousand feet below. Discord followed, standing at Celestia's side as he too peered downward, getting a little bit of vertigo. Without a word, Celestia walked off the edge, going into free-fall and leaving Discord behind.
"Oh, well goodbye!" he shouted.
"You can fly! jump off!" Celestia yelled, her voice getting more distant as she fell.
He rolled his eyes, snapping his fingers and teleporting to the porch of the estate. He looked up, Celestia but a white dot with ribbons of color at either end as she continued her rapid descent. Finally, her wings opened, and she made a few tight circles down to the porch, landing with a gallop and a bright smile.
"Cheater." she taunted, trotting on past him and through the doors of the main room.
"I technically flew here."
"Mhm, and I technically fell here."