//------------------------------// // Young Fools // Story: Sol Point // by CoffeeBean //------------------------------// On her back, Celestia gazed up into the twilight sky. The western horizon glowed a faint violet, while the eastern had just begun to show the stars of Luna’s night. Not a single cloud shrouded the sky, leaving all to be seen. A little pang of hunger brought Celestia’s mind from its drifting state, her attention going from the sky to Discord, who was lying beside her, staring up into the sky just as she had been. “What should we do for dinner?” she asked, bringing his gaze to her. He hummed, crossing his legs and tapping his chin. “Tis a good question…” She smirked. “’Tis’? You sound like my sister.” “She still speaks in old Equestrian?” “Well… you sounded like my sister years ago.” He nodded. “I’ll take that as a no.” Celestia rolled onto her side, now facing him. “So, the question still stands; what shall we do for dinner?” “Well, I’ve got my fish… but you don’t eat fish…” Celestia nodded in confirmation. He shrugged. “I don’t quite know, honestly.” Celestia gasped in realization. “What if we had a picnic? With a fire, like we’re camping!” “A picnic? Like… out here on the deck, or…?” “No, you oversized snake, somewhere along the coastline once we reach it!” Discord sat up. “’Oversized snake’?!?” There is nothing snake-like about me!” he exclaimed with a scowl. Grinning, Celestia nodded. “You’re right, you’re more like a ferret.” He threw his head to the side, rolling his eyes and waving a hand at her. “Oh, big words coming from the pony with cotton candy for a mane!” With that, Discord snapped his fingers to remove her mane and turn it into a big, fluffy ball of cotton candy. Celestia scrambled to her hooves. “Hey, give that back!” Standing, Discord held the ball of candy behind his back. “Why? Not like you were using it!” Her horn lit up, but before she could encompass the candy, Discord grabbed her horn, cutting off her magic. “Ah! No cheating!” Rearing up, she began reaching behind him with her hooves. “Cheating!? You used magic first!” Giggling and stepping back to not fall from her weight, he continued evading her. “I’m the ref, so I make the rules!” Wrapping her hooves around him, Celestia knocked him to the deck, trapping him beneath her, causing his grip on her horn to come loose, as well as his grip on the cone which held her mane. Laughing triumphantly, she quickly reverted his magic, returning her mane to its rightful place. Putting her hooves on either sides of his neck, she glared down at him with a grin. “Forgot to read the part in the rules where it says I win, hm?” Snapping his fingers once more, Discord spawned a book with the text ‘RULES’ printed on its cover. Quickly, he flipped through it, finishing it in a matter of seconds. “Doesn’t seem to be in there.” Quickly, he reached up, grabbing the end of her long, waving mane and took a bite from it. Celestia gasped, looking at the bite-mark in her once pristine mane before glaring down at Discord. Swallowing his bite, he grinned. “Sort of a banana flavor to it.” “Oh, I should toss you into the river.” He reached up, touching her nose with a talon. “You’d get all lonely again!” Celestia smiled at the little gesture. “You’re right. Like the weasel you are, you’ve worked your way into my heart.” His smile went blank. “What?” Her smile too disappeared, a look of horror replacing it. “I-I… I mean that you’ve, uh, become part of my life!” There was a bout of silence, the two staring at each other for a moment. “Celestia…” “Discord…?” “Did you mean that?” “Did I mean what?” He paused for a moment. “That I worked my way into your heart?” Wincing, she diverted her gaze, “W-Well, I’ve grown quite close to you over these past weeks…” He hummed, nodding along. She looked down to him for a moment, a look of hope in his eyes. A pit opened in her stomach, and her legs shook. “And… what I meant… I mean, I value our relationship more than most, and…” Discord rubbed his shoulder, his chin tucking into his neck as he looked away. “Have you grown as close as… I have to you?” “How close do you feel to me?” He paused, thinking of how to put things into words. “I… if you went away, I don’t really know what I’d do with the rest of my life.” A mix of emotions shot through Celestia. Happiness lifted her heart, for he too held her in such a high place in his heart, yet sadness tugged it back down, as she knew that her constant dismissal of him and her inability to admit her feelings had undoubtedly caused him some turmoil and doubt. Fear seemed to push down upon her and make her smaller, because she stood in a position she couldn’t back out of without breaking his heart. She couldn’t tell him “we’re good friends, nothing more” any longer. “I-I feel the same way. When you left to visit your friends a few days ago, I didn’t know what to do with myself. It… was the worst day I’ve had in a while, actually.” His eyes lit up. “It was?” She gave a quick nod. “Having you around brings my heart a warmth I haven’t felt from anyone else in quite some time.” He reached up, touching his finger to her chest. “You feel happy in there?” In silence, she nodded once more. “But… is it… love?” She drew in a sharp breath. “Yes.” That same finger now quickly tapped as if he were trying to listen for something within. “There’s love for me in there?” Placing her hoof on his chest, she let a little smile tug at the corners of her lips. “There’s love for me in here, isn’t there?” He tucked his head inward, peering at her through his brow. "Yes," he squeaked. Celestia giggled, bringing her face close to his, their muzzles nearly touching. "I'm glad I'm not alone." To his surprise, her lips locked with his, the kiss beginning as a fairly awkward affair as Discord didn't quite know what to do. Trying to let himself melt into the embrace, he closed his eyes, relaxing and opening the hand which had been on her chest, placing his open palm over her heart. For another little moment, the two remained in the kiss, her hoof still resting upon his chest and his palm still on hers. Backing away, their lips left one another with a smooch, their eyes locking in the relative darkness of the night and their bodies remaining unmoved. Snickering, Celestia took her hoof from his chest, placing it over the hand he held to her heart. "What's this doing here, hm?" Caught a bit off-guard, he stumbled over his tongue for a moment. "I-I was feeling your heart..." Again, she laughed. "Feeling for what?" "You said it felt warm and happy. I... guess I wondered if I could feel that." Holding back a third giggle, her lips curled inward, a little chortle of laughter escaping her throat. "Well, did you feel anything?" she asked after a moment of recomposure. His nervous look finally changed to a tiny smile. "Nothing, actually." Letting herself laugh fully, she slid his hand across to the opposite side of her chest. "That might be because you had your hand in the wrong place." His smile disappeared as he blushed, the look plastered upon his face making Celestia's smile widen. "You really are adorable," she commented. He smirked at her. "Alright, you're the only one that can say I'm adorable. No one else can." "So, I gained the keys to your heart, as well as the keys to the word 'adorable'?" He brought up his other hand, snapping his fingers and procuring an old-style key, a paper tag which dangled from it via a bit of string reading 'adorable' in fine inked letters. "Yes, and you can only use it when we're alone. Don't do it around your staff. They might get the wrong idea." She smiled. "Can I call you Dissy, too?" "Only if I get to call you K.K." She sighed. "Fine. Deal." He closed his hand around the key, making it disappear without a sound, his now empty hand opening and extending to her to offer a hand/hoofshake. "Sounds good to me, K.K." She took her hoof from his other hand, accepting the shake. "Indeed, Dissy." He cringed. "I already don't like this deal." "Neither do I, but we already shook on it." His mouth opened, but before he could get a word in, she blurted out "No take-backs!" He scowled. "Oh, fine." A little moment of silence passed before they both shared a laugh. "Alright, lets stop acting like a bunch of young fools and get back to finding the coast so we can do this picnic," she explained as she stepped back, letting him float into the upright. "Agreed, I could eat a horse by now!" he chortled, nudging her with his elbow. She whistled. "Good thing you don't do shows." "Oh, I do, just for small audiences." Smirking, she turned for the door of the ship's center structure. "And you still get boo'd off stage." He followed close behind, holding his head high and putting a distinguished hand upon his chest. "It's simply a testament to how skilled I am." "Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that." It had become quite a dark night. If not for the fire, nothing but the horizon line would be seen. A blanket of clouds had shrouded the night sky, concealing Luna’s beautiful night from the eyes and hiding its pale blue light. Along with this thick darkness came the cold, and once more, if not for the fire, the two would find themselves shivering. Despite the warmth of the fire, however, the two were still cuddled together, Celestia’s wing unfurled and wrapped around Discord to hold him close, and his arm went around her back, tucked under her other still-furled wing to hold her closer. Their gazes rested with the flames before them, or at least, Discord’s gaze did. Celestia had her attention focused on the duo of marshmallows she held above the fire with a spell, making sure they didn’t melt too much or catch ablaze. The main course had been finished a while ago; Discord had fried two fillets of Salmon on a little grill grate over the fire, and Celestia had made herself a grilled cucumber sandwich with ingredients Discord had created. Now came Celestia's favorite part of any meal; dessert. “We need to do this more often.” Discord commented, bringing Celestia’s gaze to him for a moment. “What, cuddle by a fire?” She asked with a loving smile. He returned the smile, bobbing his eyebrows. “More cuddling, indeed. But, I was thinking we should have more picnics.” “Why not every night?” “Well, your chef is far better at cooking a fillet than I am.” Celestia paused for a moment. “She's a far better cook than I, as well. We could always have her tag along, she is my chef after all.” He tightened the grip of the arm he hugged her with, pulling her into his side. “Maybe I'd keep my sub-par cooking to keep our time alone.” Smiling lovingly, she pecked him with a kiss. “Maybe I would, too.” The two shared a little giggle, becoming enthralled with their embrace as they turned to face each other, Celestia bringing her foreleg up and putting it around his back to pull his chest into hers. Their lips locked, the kiss beginning in a somewhat awkward fashion as if it were the first time either of them had kissed a lover. But, slowly, the inhibitions melted away, as did the sounds of the world around them; the pop of the fire and the gentle, distant crash of the waves fell out of focus as their lips danced, the feeling of it all becoming more natural with each passing second. Celestia's one ear perked as she heard a tiny 'whoosh’ of flame, her one eye opening to see the marshmallows were engulfed in fire. She hummed in surprise through their kiss, breaking the engagement as she turned her attention to the marshmallows, her magic quickly encompassing them in totality to extinguish the fire. “Good job, you nearly ruined dessert.” She looked back to him. “Hey, this is your fault! You distracted me.” “You kissed me first!” Leaning in, she smirked, “Maybe, but you started it, since you were the one to pull me closer.” Pulling her closer… again, he returned her smile as their muzzles nearly touched. “Sure, but right after that, you gave me a little kiss right here,” he explained in a rather soft tone, his finger coming up to tap his lips. “You tempted me.” “You gave into peer pressure.” Another ‘whoosh’ caught Celestia’s attention, her head snapping towards the fire to see the marshmallows were, again, on fire. Yelping, her magic ceased the flames and brought the overly-toasted treats away from the heat. She looked back to Discord, the two staring at each other for a single second before they both burst out laughing, Discord leaning himself into Celestia as if his fit had taken his strength. Celestia regained a bit of her composure, huffing out a breath as she levitated graham crackers and some squares of chocolate to herself. “I’m just going to stop talking for a second and actually make our s’mores before something else happens.” Discord patted her on the shoulder as he suppressed his laughter. “Yes, yes, you do that. Burnt marshmallow isn’t quite my style.” Completing two treats, Celestia floated one of the sweet sandwiches to him and the other to herself. “Well, luckily, the marshmallows aren’t burnt, just crispy. Accepting the sticky sweet, Discord observed the thing for a second. “And sticky… how am I supposed to eat this thing without getting it all over my hands?” Taking a bite of her own treat, Celestia shrugged. He did a double take between her and the s’more before chomping down on the chocolate-y, sugary, crunchy goodness. His posture melted as he let out a long moan, his current bite only being chewed a few times before he bit off another, far larger bite. Giggling, Celestia watched as he finished off his s’more before she had even taken a second bite. He held up his hands, looking at his marshmallow and chocolate dirtied fingers as he smacked and licked his lips, making sounds Celestia could only imagine a newborn foal making. She laughed as she swallowed her second bite. “I’ve seen newborns with more grace.” He scowled. “I’d like to see you eat the thing without getting it all over!” Celestia sat back a bit, distancing herself from him to show she hadn’t a single speck of s’more on her coat, and her lips were nearly perfectly clean. “Observe.” Waving a sticky hand in dismissal, he scoffed. “Always so clean and perfect.” “A little Princess still seeps through every once-and-awhile.” His eyes went wide. “That’s right! You were the Princess at one point! Honestly, it’s hard to remember.” She laughed. “What, did you forget?” “Almost, yes. Nothing about…” he held both hands out, waving them up and down as if they were scanning her, “this matches with what I used to know.” “You have yourself to thank for that. Before you showed up, I was content with spending the next thousand or so years doing nothing and relaxing. Then you came, and… I’ve never felt this free and happy in my whole life.” Cleaning his hands with a washcloth he had created, Discord looked at her through his brow. “Aw, come on, now, you’re embellishing!” She leaned in close, her expression stern. “No, I’m serious. You’ve changed my life forever, and I not only thank you for doing so… but I love you for doing so. Before now, I always felt like I had to keep all the things in my mind hidden away, and I felt like I’d never be able to let myself fall in love again,” pausing, she smiled and gave him a little kiss, “you showed me I was wrong.” “You… never thought you'd love again?” Nodding, she sighed. “I've had many relationships over my life, and… I’ve never had one end well. The fear of our relationship eventually crumbling terrified me. I didn’t want us to end up hating each other, or for me to drive you away with my negligence… but I had to realize things in my life are different now. I'm not the Princess anymore, and I don’t have to devote my time to my country,” a sweet smile took her expression, “I can devote it to you.” Taking her by surprise, Discord reached out and wrapped her in a tight hug. “Oh, you're such a big, dramatic dork,” he commented in a soft voice, rubbing his cheek against hers. She unfurled her wings, encompassing him with them and bringing her forelegs up to return his embrace. “I know… I'm terrible.” “But,” he leaned back a bit to look her in the eye, “don’t hide yourself from me. I know I sometimes tease you when you talk to me about things, but I don’t do it with ill intentions. If we're going to be together, then I want to help you with whatever problems you have.” Celestia's eyes shimmered in the firelight, her lip seeming to quiver a bit. “That… that is the sweetest thing you've ever said.” He chuckled, “Well, good thing I’ve got the rest of time to try and top it.” Shedding a single tear, though maintaining her smile, Celestia pulled him back into their hug. For a moment, they stayed silent, the sound of the fire and the crash of waves now taking dominance. “Did you originally come to Sol Point with the intent of making me fall in love with you?” asked Celestia after a time. Keeping his arms around her, he leaned out of the embrace to look her in the eye. “Honestly, not really. I wanted to become friendlier with you, but as the days ticked by, I began to… well, feel something more.” She tightened her grip, pulling him back to her. “Then this has been the best accident of my life.” Together, they moved closer and locked lips, the kiss developing further as the seconds ticked by and their want for one-another grew. The hands Discord held behind Celestia began caressing her back beneath her soft, feathery wings, eventually finding where the two wings met with her back. Splitting his fingers into V shapes, he massaged right at the silky soft bases of her wings, causing her back to arch and push her chest into his as she moaned through the kiss. Falling back onto their blanket, she kept him on top, throaty moans leaking through her lips as his fingers continued to massage her sensitive wing bases. Carefully, her tongue pressed against his lips, the faint flavor of chocolate and marshmallow hitting her senses. She giggled, breaking their kiss, but keeping their muzzles close. “Let’s sleep out here tonight.” Discord declared, cutting in before Celestia could jest about the flavor of s'mores. “Out here?” “Yes, together, under the stars.” She looked past him into the blanket of clouds high above. “You mean under the clouds?” He shook his head. “You got what I mean.” “Are you sure? We’ve got a perfectly good yacht over there.” “I’m positive. We’ll put some more wood on the fire and get a blanket from the ship.” Showing apprehension, but not for the reasons Discord suspected, Celestia looked off to the side. His expression went to one of concern. “Is… something wrong?” “No, no, I just…” “Something’s wrong, don’t lie.” “Nothing’s wrong, I just don’t know if it would be comfortable out here.” “Why not? It’s a beautiful night, and the fire would keep us plenty warm.” Still diverting her gaze and seeming to shrink below him, she stayed quiet for a moment. “Maybe, but, well… I move around a lot in my sleep…” He brought his face close to hers. "Maybe with me holding you, you'll be still." Offering a reluctant smile, she moved back an inch. "I-I appreciate the sentiment, but, really, I-" "Celestia." She held her breath, looking into his concerned eyes for a moment. She sighed. “Discord, I… I sometimes have dreams. Bad ones. Ones that wake me in the dead of night." "You do?" She nodded. "I've never mentioned it before. It's... actually the main reason I never wanted us sleeping in the same room together," she sighed, "I've always felt a little guilty about that, thinking you might feel I didn't enjoy your company enough, or like you enough." He chuckled lightly, offering a re-assuring smile. "You know, I was only joking when I suggested we sleep together when I first got here, right?" She too smiled. "Yes, I know, but the more friendly we became, the more I started considering it. Coming downstairs in the morning to find you sleeping on the couch, or in the tea kettle... or on the ceiling, it always made me feel as if I was... pushing you away?" "You worry about really silly things." "Oh, I'm well-aware. It's always been like this, but I'm now truly able to sit down and talk and think about these things. Especially with you here. I don't have to hold any of it in any longer." He leaned forward, putting his hand on her cheek and kissing her. "And don't ever hesitate to tell me what's on your mind. I want to hear every word of it." Mushing her muzzle into his, she giggled, "trust me, no you don't." He locked his lips with hers once more, "you're probably right." Through their kiss, the two let out little giggles as the embrace they shared gained potency, both of Celestia's hooves rising to tug him closer, and his other hand moving up to take her other untouched cheek. Cautiously, Celestia poked the tip of her tongue through her lips, gently tracing it along his soft lower lip. A tiny, throaty moan escaped him as he returned the favor, the very tips of their tongues slipping past one another. Turning his head, Discord furthered their loving engagement, his one hand sliding from her cheek to the back of her neck, his fingers digging into her mane. She giggled, thoroughly enjoying his tenacity. Moving her hooves down his body, she pulled his midsection into her own, the feeling of his body against hers being a very welcome sensation. Surprising her, he somewhat broke their kiss as he gently bit her bottom lip, eliciting another little giggle from her. He tugged just a little bit, causing only the tiniest tinge of pain with his bite before releasing her, letting his lips rejoin hers in their lustful dance. For a moment longer, their kiss went on, the tips of their tongues eventually meeting once more, but for only a moment before Celestia pulled her head back, their lips finally departing. Their eyes opened, their gazes locking as steamy, lustful gasps escaped their wetted lips. Giving a little chuckle, Celestia smiled as she began caressing his lower back with one of the two hooves she held him with. "That... that was good," she commented in a low voice. He replied by planting her with one last tiny kiss. "So, think we'll spend the night out here together?" "I think we shall. You've done a fine job or persuading me." Chuckling, he gently caressed her cheek with the hand he had kept held up. "I was hoping you'd say so." "So, what do you say we make a few more s'mores? I want to see you trying to eat one again." He rolled his eyes. "Oh, ha-ha. I didn't use any magic, you did," he took his hands away from her, grabbing one of her forelegs and bringing it before them, "I'd like to see you eat one using these things." She smirked. "This might become the second deal you'll make tonight which you'll come to regret." He glared at her with determination. "We'll just have to see." Giggling, she lit up her horn and brought up the skewer which the two previous marshmallows has been cooked upon, stabbing another pair of sugary puffballs onto it and hovering it over the fire. The two moved out of their embrace, sitting side-by-side but still staying close as they watched the slowly rotating skewer held within Celestia's aura. "Don't burn them this time." She hit him with her shoulder. "Don't start kissing me, then." He leaned his head over, pressing his cheek against hers. "Honestly, it's hard to not." He planted a kiss upon that cheek, eliciting a few excited giggles from her as he continued to tickle her velvety fur with smooches, eventually working his way down to her neck. "G-Goodness, Discord, the marshmallows are going to get jealous!" she blurted, blushing brightly. His own cheeks red, she smiled as he pressed his muzzle into her neck, "Why, am I too sweet?" he inquired, his hot breath steamy against her skin. She laughed, "Yes, you are!" The very tip of his tongue graced her coat. "Well, I hope you like 'too sweet'." She gasped as he gently bit her neck, his (in her opinion, absolutely adorable) snaggle-tooth holding the bit he had pinched against his bottom teeth. Tugging only a little, he was quick to release her and again lick her in the same place he had bitten as if to help comfort an invisible wound. Again, a little gasp escaped her as he dragged his tongue up the length of her neck, only stopping once he had reached her cheek, where he left one last kiss. Quickly, she moved to take him in a loving kiss, the lustful engagement only lasting a moment before she broke it, turning her attention to the marshmallows over the fire and moving them away from the flames, and having done so just in time, as any longer and they would have caught ablaze. "See? I didn't burn them," she commented innocently, her tone having lost that melty, lustful quake it had held moments ago. "Dang. It didn't work." She chuckled as her magic worked to prepare their two s'mores. "Had you gotten feelsy with my wings once more, I think you would have succeeded." Holding out his open palm to accept his s'more, he smiled. "Can I try again?" She brought up a hoof, bestowing herself and him with a s'more. "Later tonight, indeed," she gave him a suggestive grin, "the rest of me feels a little left out, too." He put the corner of his s'more in his mouth, offering a loving smile, "Happy to oblige." Taking his first bite, and thus far being able to keep his hand clean, he watched as she pulled a rather skillful move with her s'more, her hoof moving quickly to rotate the treat onto its end to where it stood vertically, and with haste, she bit it in its entirety, moving her hoof away as she devoured the s'more in a few bites. With her mouth totally full of sticky s'more, she smiled at his somewhat shocked expression. Looking to her hoof, she found that only a little bit of melty chocolate had been left behind, and to Discord's dismay, she reached across and wiped the melted chocolate on his chest as if he were a napkin. He held his arms out and looked down at his chest in the fashion one would if water had been split on them. "Hey! You're licking that off!" She swallowed a good portion of the goo-y, sugary treat, smiling to him. "Happy to oblige." Discord snorted awake as something rocked him from his sleep. Blinking rapidly, he craned his head up to glance about at the blurry, dark world. The moon above was still shrouded by clouds, and the once greatly burning fire he and Celestia laid by was at a mere smolder. Again, something moved him, causing him to look over at the still sleeping Celestia to see she had indeed been the one to wake him. Through blurry eyes he watched her for a moment, her back legs giving a little kick after a moment; the same movement that had woken him up. Through her uneasy slumber she mumbled and groaned, her foreleg now pushing against the blanket, pressing her back against Discord. Overcoming his tired state of mind, he finally realized what was happening; she was dreaming, and it was quite clearly one of the nightmares she had spoken of. Feeling a nervous knot in his stomach, and feeling a bit more awake, he continued to watch her soft thrashing and listen to her quiet mumbling and groaning. He was a bit frightened. He didn’t know weather he should wake her, or let her sleep. He knew that waking somepony who sleepwalks is never a good idea, but did the same apply for somepony having a nightmare? Carefully, he laid back down, draping his arm over her and hugging her in an attempt to comfort her. Again, her back leg kicked at the air, quiet mumbles of unintelligible words escaping her with nearly each heavy exhalation. Pulling himself closer, Discord held her as close as possible, trying to make his long body into a sort of C shaped pillow to embrace her with. His arm moved from being draped over her raised up as he started to lovingly pet down the length of her soft wing, hoping to help her through whatever storm her mind had created. “You're alright, Celestia. Whatever it is, its just a dream.” He cooed softly, carefully poking his opposite arm underneath her to tug her closer. The tremble in her hind limbs looked to be subsiding. He continued softly speaking to her, his hand still gently stroking her wing. The mumbles and groans escaping her lips had begun to calm, as had her rather hard breathing. After a time, stillness started to return to her slumber, the sporadic, panicked kick of her hind leg finally ceasing and her voice falling silent. He sighed a breath of relief as he snuggled his face into the back of her neck, the warmth of her body and her scent; a mixture of campfire and sweet perfume, drifted into his nostrils as he calmed his nerves and closed his eyes, hoping sleep would soon take him away. Wiggling a bit, he got more comfortable, keeping both his arms around her as if he were hugging a big pillow for warmth. His heart skipped a beat as she bolted awake, screaming in a way he had never heard her or any other creature scream before. She scrambled into a sitting position, her eyes wide and breathing sporadic as she looked around the dark beach. “Luna!! Luna! Don’t! I-I… I…” Her breath caught in her chest as her eyes locked with the smoldering ashes remaining in the fire pit. Letting out a long, shivering sigh, her head drooped and her ears went flat with her head. “I-It wasn’t real. It-it only happened once. N-Never again.” Discord’s hand gingerly came to rest upon her shoulder, the act meant to comfort having the opposite effect as Celestia yelped, jumping and flipping around to face him. “Celestia! It’s me!” He blurted, quickly holding up both hands and moving back as he anticipated her to do something drastic. All that came, however; was her glaring stare, her fear and pain filled gaze burning into his. In what little light there was, he could see the start of tears welling up in her eyes. Her breath shook as she shut her eyes, hiding behind her mane. “I-I-I’m sorry…” “Awww~!” exclaimed Discord as he moved back to her, taking her in a big, comforting hug and letting her nuzzle the side of her face into his chest, “there’s no reason at all to be apologizing!” Her response was a restrained whimper, her body shaking in his embrace as she quietly and softly wept. “You’re alright, Celestia,” he cooed, petting from the top of her head all the way down to her wings, “it was just a dream, you’re alright now.” "I w-wanted… I wanted our first morning together to be happy.” Putting both hands on her shoulders and moving her back, he looked down to meet her teary gaze. “Who says it can’t still be happy?” She remained quiet, sniffling and breaking her eye contact with him. He took her chin in his hand, turning her face back to him as he craned his head down to where their muzzles nearly touched. “Whatever dream you had, it was in the past. Whatever problems you had back then are solved now. The past was dark, for both of us, but right now, here and now, things are brighter than they’ve ever been,” he gave her a kiss, a kiss she hadn’t expected, and thus, hadn’t reciprocated, “you waking up the way you did isn’t going to ruin how happy I am.” Her sorrowful expression slowly turned into a smile, a somewhat inhibited smile that was undermined by her wet cheeks and blood-shot eyes, but a smile nonetheless. In a timid fashion, she returned his kiss. “You… really are the sweetest Draconequus I’ve ever met.” “Oh? How many Draconequus have you met?” She let out a tiny giggle as she planted a peck of a kiss on his nose. “Two. The old you, and this you.” “Well, then you're easily the sweetest Celestia I’ve ever met.” The two shared a laugh and a kiss. “Didn’t have a fancy for Princess Celestia?” “I prefer Retired Celestia far more.” “I think I prefer Retired Celestia far more, as well.” Again, they laughed together, a bout of silence taking over once their laughter ceased. “Well,” began Discord as he looked towards the smoldering fire pit, “are we going back to sleep, or…?” Closing her eyes, Celestia focused on something unseen to him, her ears angling forward as if she listened for something in the distance. “It's too late to go back to bed.” He raised a brow. “Well, then what time is it?” “About half past 5, which means it's time for her to start rising.” Her eyes reopened as she turned back to him, finding a perplexed expression contorting his face. “And… you know this how?” “I ask where she is, and she tells me.” He blinked a few times. “Well, that certainly is a unique skill.” She smiled innocently. “I think so.” Clearing his throat, he looked towards the dying fire. “So, should we make some tea on this wonderful morning?” “Oh, I think that sounds lovely. What say you get the kettle and tea, and I’ll get wood for the fire?” With a snap of the fingers, the said items appeared, floating just a short distance above his outstretched hand. “Easier done than said.” Her horn crackled to life, a stack of 6 freshly chopped logs popping into existence within the smoldering fire pit. “I concur.” Giggling, the two went to work preparing their tea. Dear Sister, As I watched over your slumbers, the clouds of fear, pain, and anger which shroud you from the lights of comfort reverberate into mine own waking life. What memories and visions plagued a rest that had started as peaceful and happy are but curses so begrudgingly forced upon you by the disharmonious who have lived in time. Curses I hold no elixir for. Tried, I did, to remove my own image from the reality you dreamt. These frames of the mind are untamperable when drawn from memory rather than conjured from free thought. In these two thousand years my heart has held a tempo I am still without a reason for as to why. It pains me knowing my own deeds are what brings your nights such stress. Pains me even more that nothing in my power can be done to truly negate what you feel. Your distance only pains me more in this regard. If not for the mortal obligations I face within this waking realm, every night you place your head down to rest and every morning it raises to return you from slumber, no matter if sleep brought terror or not, I would be there to follow you through each beat. Still not proper compensation for past wrongs, I do think. Maybe I embark upon a futile search, seeking to right wrongs done so long ago. My dear adjutant Frolicsome Meadowlark does often say I have more than fully reconciled with a millennium’s past mistake, but guilt and unease has never fled from my thoughts. Know you are not alone in the seemingly empty road that is the past. Know I feel whatever pain you carry is unjust pain. Know your actions years ago have left me with no hate for you. Guilt, of which you do so feel for my banishment, should not be felt. You detest me saying so, and you have made your case many times, but I stand resolute. Should it be needed, I would suffer those thousand years again. For you, I would. You know how little of how much I love you, and how close I hold you to my heart. I am given such meager tools to express such feelings. Words are but sound, as writing is but symbols. No way is there for me to truly convey how dear you are to me. Anxiously, I wait for this month to pass so my visit with you can be underway. -Luna Celestia kept her eyes on the finely calligraphic name of her sister for a time before letting the letter fall to the coffee table she sat before in the Boundless Chaos’s living room. She drew in a sharp breath, looking out the big bay window to her side at the foggy, dim coastline that scrolled by in the distance, the morning sun hardly able to make it past the thick cloud cover and blanket of fog which hugged the coast. “Leave it to my sister to make the statement ‘I’m sorry for the past, I love you and miss you’ into a three-paragraph essay,” she commented, her voice holding a stern, serious, almost melancholy tone rather than a joking one. Looking up from his book and dipping his head to peek over his bi-focal reading glasses, Discord gazed at her from his chair opposite the table. “I take it she was mentioning your dream this morning.” Having her gaze remain beyond the confines of the ship, she nodded. “She was. She spoke of how she wished she could be here to comfort me when I wake up from a nightmare, as she has in the past, but there’s something she doesn’t know,” meeting his gaze, her thoughtful expression shifted to a little smile, “she doesn’t know I have you.” He returned her smile. “I told you I’m here for you.” “I know, and I don’t think you realize what a difference you’ve already made in my life. This morning… you let me forget about that nightmare. I didn’t break down in tears- “ She paused as she noticed his look, a look that said ‘Oh, really?’. “I didn’t spend 5 minutes weeping, is what I mean, and I didn’t pace around nervously or take a walk with my cup of tea to let myself unwind and to meditate on things. You… did all of that in a minute.” Looking away once more, she peered out at the misty coastline and drew in a breath. “You’ve made me feel free again.” No words came from Discord, his tongue caught in his throat is he failed to come up with an adequate reply. “You’re… welcome, I suppose,” He finally returned. She turned back to him. “I am welcome. I’m more thankful than I can say.” Still speechless, he chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s… nothing really, I’m just doing what I should as a lover; be there when you need me.” “And I want to be here for you, too. Don’t hesitate to talk about things that trouble you,” she chuckled, blushing a little, “I feel like I’m taking the spotlight, since I’ve been the only one talking about my past.” He shrugged. “Other than…" he shuddered, his nose wrinkling, "the things I had done to you, I don’t really have anything to mention.” She sat up straighter. “But you do! You feel bad about what you’ve done to me all those years ago.” Tilting his head and raising a corner of his mouth, he looked off to the side, “true, but it’s not… complicated? I feel terrible and disgusted about it, and seeing that scar on your chest brought all that stuff to the surface. That’s about it.” “So, you repressed those memories because you felt ill about them?” “If you put it in such a way, I suppose so, yes.” “And seeing the cuts on my chest upset you?” He paused, looking down to the floor for a moment before turning his gaze back up to hers. “Immensely, yes. Not just the three I caused… all of them. I don’t like the idea of anyone hurting you… at all. If I were to be honest, it angered me.” She looked a bit worried, yet there was something more to the look in her eyes. Disappointment was, somehow, a vibe he got. “Really?” “Yeah, I know. I’m… a lot sappier than you thought I was.” “No-no-no, it’s not that… it’s…” she paused, sighing, “since that day I showed you my scars, they’ve also been back on my mind, bringing a lot of old memories up with them. That spell… up until that point I hadn’t undone it in years. I’ve been thinking about this, debating if I should or not, since I’m not in the public eye and whatnot… but I want to keep that spell undone. Forever.” Looking a bit surprised, he closed his book. “You do?” She nodded. “I know it would be a little jarring for the staff and yourself… especially yourself, but reading Luna’s letter reminded me of something. These memories and dreams I have are my own. She can’t fight them off, and neither can you. It’s my undertaking, something I must face. I think wearing my scars is the first step. The only reason I ever began to cover them was to keep myself hidden from them, not to keep them hidden from my ponies. I started telling myself it was to keep an image of strength, keeping my body so clean and unharmed, but I know it’s a lie.” “I know what you’re going to ask, and the answer is yes.” “Y-you’re sure?” He put a hand on his chest. “If I told you no, I’d be the worst lover to ever love. What you want to do with your life is none of my business, especially if you feel that what you want to do will make things better.” She blushed lightly, dipping her head and looking at him through her brow. “I couldn’t ask for a better lover.” “Neither could I, Celestia.” For a little moment, they remained silent as they looked into one another’s eyes. Celestia was the first to break their gaze as she shut her eyes, holding her head up and straightening her posture. Yellow magic began to glow around her horn, seconds later pillars of that same yellow light began rising from many places on her body, the brightest spots being beneath her left wing and her chest. Gradually, the lights died down, their departure leaving a sight that, despite having seen it once before, still seemed so incredibly foreign to him. It gave him pause. The many marks and cuts dotting her once perfect body reminded him of how imperfect she was. It only made him love her more. “You said that spell kept you looking pretty,” he commented, bringing her eyes to him, “I think you’re far more beautiful with it gone.” She held up a leg and traced a long gash with her hoof. “You really think so?” Quietly, he nodded. After a little while of looking over herself, Celestia brought her gaze to his, her lips curling into a smile. “I love you, Discord.” “I love you, too, Celestia.”