//------------------------------// // Vexations // Story: Sol Point // by CoffeeBean //------------------------------// Celestia snorted awake, her eyes blinking rapidly and her legs scrambling to put her upright in her bed. Something had landed on her in her sleep, and she was almost certain the sound of a spell being worked had been in the morning air. Through tired, blurry vision she spotted a single piece of paper lying in her lap, and curiously, she took it in her magic to find it was an administrative document from Canterlot. Groggily groaning, she sat up further to see Luna’s usual stack of documents spilt across the white carpet beside her bed. She sighed, rubbing her face with a hoof and surrounding the pile of papers with a spell, doing her best to get them back into a uniform stack and ensure Luna’s personal letter remained upon the top of the stack. Staring at the now organized papers, she had an epiphany; Luna sent her papers late into the morning. She flipped to the right, struggling with her blurry vision for a time before being able to make out the time on her nightstand’s clock; 9:24. With haste, she flung her silky covers to the side and fumbled out of bed, her mane horribly frazzled and the normally perfect feathers of her wings ruffled and misplaced. With the twist of a knob, the shower’s warm, comforting spray came to a halt, leaving the steamy bathroom quiet save for the metronome-like drip as the last bits of water leaked from the showerhead to the tile. Celestia gave her legs and wings a good shake, flinging off some residual water before she took her towel down from atop the steamed-over glass door, beginning to dry her mane as she pushed the door open with a hoof and stepped into the morning sun. A little candle in the windowsill placed the scent of vanilla in the late morning air as it wafted in through the ajar window, her nostrils flaring as she drew in a deep breath. Finishing with her mane, she maneuvered the towel along her body, working to dry the rest of her figure as she watched her hazy reflection in the slightly-steamed mirror, the open window bringing in cool air and de-fogging most things quite quickly. Time ticked by as she looked over herself, her thoughts barely paying any heed to the towel in her magic as it, almost working on its own, went about drying her hind legs and tail. Her eyes went to her neck and chest, her mind painting on the scars she carried invisibly beneath a veil of magic. In her mind’s eye, she looked at the three slashes across her breast and the single slice along her throat. Slowly, her hoof came up to feel the perfect, slightly damp fur that covered where one of the three slashes lay, not a single bump or blemish being felt beneath. After a moment, her eyes drew back up to their reflection as her towel finished drying her hindquarters. Blinking a few times, she looked back to the towel as she hung it back over the shower door, nudging it with her leg to re-close it. Then, a brilliant flash broke the room, her heart skipping a beat as she jumped back in surprise as Discord appeared a few hoof-lengths in front of her. He clapped his hands together, smiling, “Ah, wonderful! You’re nice and awake!” Scowling and letting out a long sigh, Celestia nodded, “Far more awake than I was a moment ago, thanks to that heart-attack.” “So, ready to begin the day?” She blinked, staring him in the eye for a moment. “Discord, I just got out of the shower. I haven’t even eaten breakfast yet.” He snapped his fingers, procuring a tray stacked with a bowl of oatmeal, a plate of sunny-side up eggs, hashbrowns, buttered and jammed toast, pancakes, fruit, and a cup of orange juice. “Well, it just so happens the chefs prepared you a little something.” Her eyes widened a little. “Oh! Well, wonderful! I… how’d they know I was up… and how’d you know I was up?” Discord smirked, raising a brow at her. “You’re serious, right?” Confused, she blinked rapidly, “Y-Yes… I’m serious.” “Celestia, you weigh enough to break a scale if you stood on it, it wasn’t hard to hear you clopping around up here.” Her posture straightened, her brow furrowing. “I’m not that heavy!” Taking both hands off the tray and keeping it in place with an invisible spell, Discord aimed a finger at a rather robust scale of steel construction that sat propped in the corner by the window. "That's why you have a reinforced scale, right?" Celestia held her head up in distinguishment, placing a hoof on her chest. “I’ll have you know that, ratio-wise, my weight is right where it should be for my size.” “Yes, but you still... weigh a lot.” Pausing for a moment to think, she shrugged in concurrence. “I suppose I do, yes.” “So,” Discord placed his hands back on the floating tray, holding it out to her, “Are you gonna eat breakfast so we can get underway with the maiden voyage?” Accepting the tray with a spell and laughing, Celestia nodded. “Yes, yes, I’ll hurry up and eat so we can get going,” turning away and heading for the open bathroom door, she looked over her shoulder to him, “if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be up in the study.” “Don’t let any rogue sailboat masts get you on your way there!” A yellow ring of magic surrounding his wrist, bringing his hand up and slapping him with his own palm. He rubbed the spot of impact with the hand that had been forced to strike him, his other hand aiming an accusing finger at her, “Hey, don’t bite the hand that feeds you!” Instantly, the previously used wrist was surrounded by magic once more, prompting him to quickly grasp it with the opposite hand and lean his head back to avoid being struck once more. “Alright, alright! I’m sorry!” “Good. Now, like I said, I’ll be in the study.” With that, she turned her head up and walked out of the bathroom. Discord grabbed the handle of the tea kettle, his other hand bringing up a mug with the text ‘best princess’ printed in black lettering as he began filling the vessel with piping hot tea. Putting the kettle back on its element, he turned to exit the kitchen, but only got as far as a rotation before he paused, his surroundings catching him a little off-guard. Chuckling to himself, he looked around the kitchen, his free hand going to his hip. He found it quite comical. He was the one who designed the ship, yet the thing still managed to surprise him with its grandeur. The most lavish of homes would blush at his work. Even spaces for utilitarian purposes, like the little kitchen he stood in, surpassed Sol Point in their design. The cabinets were made of polished, lacquered mahogany, the walls a smooth, pearly pinkish-white, the floor tiled with marble, the countertops granite, and all that could be made of metal was made of a perfectly sheened brass. “I’d hate to imagine how much this ship would cost if it were real…” he commented to himself, looking around. Finally finishing his ogling, Discord stepped out of the kitchen into the somewhat cramped hall, his eyes still wandering the beautiful interior as he walked to the staircase which led up into the ship’s center structure and living room. Unlike the interior, the living room wasn’t part of the hull, and thus, its walls were mostly made of large windows, allowing for one to be in the comfort of the indoors while having a nearly unobstructed view of mostly anywhere around the ship. Standing at the top of the stairs a moment, he looked around before finally spotting Celestia. She stood right at the tip of the bow, her wings half-spread and her mane and tail lofty with the oncoming winds. Just at the top of the stairs, he stopped, an almost trance-like state taking him over, his eyes unable to move from her. Just the sight of her made something deep within his core warm and fuzzy. Simply seeing her was enough to make him smile. He shook his head, snapping himself from the trance and resuming his approach of the bow-facing door. Upon reaching said door, however; he stopped again, his hand hovering just above the shiny brass handle, his eyes once more locked with her vibrant figure. A question rose through his thoughts, taking priority over any other for a split second; ‘do you like me, too?”. He could feel the words resting in the back of his throat, his lips seeming to part, ever so slightly, on their own in preparation to ask the question. Suddenly, that warm fuzziness turned cold, a sickly feeling taking his stomach as he imagined posing such a question to her. Thus far, she had shown him nothing but what he could only conceive as love. Every statement, sentence, word, and syllable unintentionally formed music that, to his ears, was greater than any. Her words had, in recent days, never once brought negative feelings with them. It wasn’t too crazy of him to assume she too felt more than friendship and camaraderie towards him… at least, that’s how it felt. But, why should she love him? She hadn’t any real reason to. Sure, he had been kind, and given her quite the grandiose gift, but he had heard many-a-tale of stallions going to great lengths to woo the mare his heart’s eye had chosen, only for her to reject him. An annoyed scowl now too his expression. He was Discord. A god. And here he stood, heart racing and nerves unwired at the thought of asking some silly Alicorn if she loved him. He hadn’t been this worried since he had rescued her on the river during that terrible storm. His thoughts paused, elaborating on themselves. He had been less worried when he, Starlight Glimmer, Thorax, and Trixie had gone off and saved Equestria, and the danger had been far more imminent than that night on the water. What about her brought up so much emotion? He grumbled, finally opening the door, “Love is a stupid emotion,” he muttered, quietly latching the door behind him. Looking over her shoulder, Celestia met his gaze, her smile widening as he approached, “Oh! Good morning, Discord.” “Good morning, indeed.” She looked from his eyes to the mug in his hand, then back again, “Did you bring me a cup of tea?” He tilted his body sideways, hiding the cup from view, “How do you know I didn’t brew this for myself?” “Because the mug says 'best princess' on the side of it." He shrugged, “Fair enough.” Celestia giggled, accepting the mug with a spell and bringing it close to her lips, not taking a drink just yet, “Thank you, Discord.” She took a moment to give him a little smile before taking a sip, the cup staying only a short distance from her lips as she stared off into the distance. “It doesn’t need more honey, does it?” She shook her head, “No, not at all. It’s perfect.” Discord smiled. “Wonderful.” There was a pause of silence as Celestia once more sipped at her brew, Discord remaining where he stood and keeping his eyes on her. After a moment, she looked back to him, their eyes meeting and causing him to instantly turn away, a light blush lighting up on his cheeks. Snickering to herself, Celestia turned back around, her tea coming back to her lips as she resumed watching the valley scroll past. With every passing day, Celestia came to appreciate the beauty of her home’s surrounding landscape more and more. Through the lens of her Maneolta, she watched the riverbank scroll past, her magic fiddling with the exposure, zoom, and shutter speed to get the lighting just right for a shot. A little spot of magic that hovered above the shutter switch came down, the camera letting out a beautiful, smooth mechanical click as it captured a split second of the sunset-lit riverbank. Smiling and taking the camera from her eye, Celestia took a moment to enjoy the sights around her without the assistance of a viewfinder. From the bright white, gold-embellished armchair she occupied within the ship’s living room, one of two rooms to be in the section above the hull, she could see nearly 180 degrees thanks to the large bay windows Discord had designed the room with. Turning her attention in the direction of the ship’s travel, her camera came back to her eye as she prepped for another shot. With the sun hung low on the horizon and the clouds a bit broken, the lighting and blazing colors were perfect for good photography. Late in the day and early in the morning; the golden hours of photography. She had already gotten quite a few good snaps, but one never knows how good their picture is until it’s developed. That said, she was sure the pictures of Discord posing with the few large salmon he had caught would come out just fine. The thought of his goofy smile and giddy hopping upon catching soon-to-be-food fish brought a wider smile to her lips than what was already there. In such a short time, she had made more memories with him than what a whole ten years of life could produce. With each day’s passing, she came to value his company and companionship more and more. Her smile faded a bit, eyes diverting from the beautiful river bank and valley fjords as her thoughts collided. Every soul she had let into her heart, some way or another, walked out the other side with scars. Her sister, her close friends, her lovers. It seemed the only exception to the rule had been Twilight. Somehow, despite her best efforts, she managed to neglect those she held most dear. The thought of her and Discord’s relation ending in such a way frightened her to no end. There was, of course, the facts Vesper had brought up a few days ago. She was retired. Nothing in her life could keep her from him. No meetings. No parades. No court. No foreign trips. Just freedom. The more she thought, the less attentive of her photography she became, her other eye now open and her view not focused in on the viewfinder, rather, something far in the distance. Was it ridiculous of her to be so apprehensive about wishing to further their relationship? Was she simply being paranoid and unjustly reluctant? For weeks now, those questions plagued her mind, cropping up nearly any time she laid eyes on him. Maybe her reluctance and apprehension weren’t fear of hurting him, but fear of him hurting her. She hadn’t ever been able to decide. In the depths of her mind, since the very first moment he had arrived, were the memories of when they had been enemies. If she opened her heart, allowing him in, and allowing herself into his heart, would things revert to how they had been? Would the dark past come back to rear its bloody, torn face and tarnish the light of the future? Did it truly matter if such an outcome was to become reality? She had always entered relationships with ponies knowing fully that she would either outlive them or somehow drive them away. At the end of every day, those were the only two outcomes, and that fact never stopped her, for the darkness that followed the death of a friend or the splitting of a friendship never outweighed the light they brought. She could choose to never love, keeping herself shut away from the ponies who she was sworn to love and care for, and in doing so, she may save her heart from the rips and tears of relationship, but by doing that, she would never truly know the light. If she were to turn her back on Discord, leaving him behind because of fears with no true bearing, her heart would never know the warmth his presence may bring. She wanted to take that next step. She wanted to tell him her heart had its proverbial arms outstretched to him, but fear stopped her.              Letting her thoughts wander from worry and apprehension back to photography, she brought the viewfinder to her eye, sighting in and adjusting settings to take a picture of the sunset as the ship followed a bend in the river, giving her a nicely unobstructed view of her sun that seemed to be perched atop the horizon line of the not-so-distant mountains. What she couldn’t figure out was why she felt such fear. She thought, maybe, she was intimidated by him. Maybe it was fear of history repeating itself. Maybe it was the fear of saying three words she only spoke to those who hold a place in her heart. The three words that would, undoubtedly, change her life. Was that where the fear came from? The fact her life would change forever if she were to say just three words? She sighed. Her eyes shut, her camera lowering, ears falling flat and her hoof coming up to rub her face. “Stop being so afraid, Celly. You’re doing the same thing you always do. You’re complicating it.” Again, she took a deep breath, her hoof falling away and her eyes coming back open and being diverted back out to the dusk-glow riverbank. “For the first time in your life, you’re free. You found somepony… someone who you can love without bounds. You found someone who won’t grow old.” Finally, a little smile broke through her cloudy expression as she chuckled, “You found someone who might love you more than you love them.” Her bright smile returned as she thought of just how nervous and love-struck he had been acting for the past while. More than once now had she caught him staring at her as if she were a mural that called out for the eyes to wander it. If he was trying to not look in love, he was failing. Quite miserably, too. She was accustomed to his demeanor being one of superiority and nonchalant-ness, and he had always exulted an air carefreeness and indifference, as if none of the things around him mattered. Since he had come to Sol Point, that had all fallen to the wayside, and she knew well why that was the fact. Love makes even the strongest of beings turn to mush. Again, she sighed, shaking her head, “Love is such a silly emotion.” The sound of a door being opened drew her attention towards the ship’s stern as Discord entered from the stern deck. “How’s the photography going?” he asked, making his way towards where she sat. Looking at her camera then back to him, Celestia blinked a few times, “Oh… it’s going well…” she paused as he took a seat on the couch across from the armchair she occupied, a little table separating them, “Hard to not get good pictures.” He chuckled, crossing his legs, “I’d imagine. This entire place is so..." he looked to her, staring for a moment as a little smile crept onto his lips, "beautiful." Smiling, Celestia brought the camera to her eye, turning it for a portrait shot and quickly adjusting the exposure and shutter speed before snapping a picture of Discord. “Especially with you here.”