Discord paused at the railing of the third-floor balcony within Sol Point’s entry hall. Smiling, he leaned against the rail to look down at Celestia standing on the estate’s stone-paved entry platform in front of the inviting, wide open double doors. It was just a bit past 9 A.M, putting the eastern morning sun in just the perfect position to shine its warm orange light past the trees and mountains into the ever-so-lively and lush garden that lay proudly before the estate. That calm light too shined upon Celestia, whose figure always seemed to glow whether stood in direct sunlight or darkness. Her radiance glowed brighter than ever in the current moment, as she was adorned with a purely white, silky, long-flowing dress, and her temple wore a crescent bouquet of wildflowers she had picked a mere hour ago from both the garden and the surrounding wilderness.
He could hardly take his eyes of her. Somehow, for every day of the last month they had been together, she seemed to get more and more beautiful. Today was the first time since his unplanned arrival at the estate he had seen her wearing any form of garments, that is, unless one counted the stocking and lingerie she sometimes adorned herself with during their nights on the Boundless Chaos. This was, he supposed, a far different type of garment for a far different type of occasion. Today was a red-letter day, after all; it was the day Princess Luna came to visit. One could tell without being told the occasion. Not only was Celestia preened and dressed, but as were the estate's staff, the estate itself, and even Discord. He had combed his tuft of chin fur, slicked up his black mane, and put on a little suit jacket, complete with a tie.
This was Princess Luna, after all. This proud estate and her staff wouldn’t dream of putting on a poor presentation for her Highness.
“Hey, Discord.”
He jumped, flipping around to see a pristinely kept Raven wearing a nicely pressed jacket similar to his, as well as a small black scarf, standing a distance behind him down the hall.
“Wha- where in the world did you come from?!”
“Uh… I was in my room getting cleaned up? Didn’t you hear my door open?”
“I suppose I didn’t… regardless, it’s rude to sneak up on someone like that!”
She shook her head, “whatever. You look nice, by the way.”
He smiled, standing up a bit straighter, “oh, why thank you! You too look smashing in your suit and scarf.”
She chuckled, her azure magic lighting up for a moment as she adjusted her lapels, “thanks to you, as well. I always questioned why I bothered bringing nice clothes with me to this place, but I guess it paid off.”
“Oh, well, with Her Highness visiting, we've all got to be kept at some sort of standard.”
Raven snorted out a little laugh as she continued on down the hallway, “can't be standing around how we usually look. I stopped bothering with combing my mane and tail, like, a month ago. Not much reason in getting cleaned up to sit around reading, eating, and walking all day, is there?”
He nodded in concurrence. “Indeed, no point at all.”
Looking after her for a moment, he watched as she trotted down the spiral steps before turning his gaze back towards Celestia. He had noticed that, as time had gone on, the estate staff had become far more relaxed than when he had first shown up. Raven had always worn some type of secretarial-type jacket and kept her mane tied up into a ponytail, the Chefs were always seen in their pressed chef's coats, especially the ever-proud Chef Tea and her sleek, black head-chef jacket, and the rest of the staff always kept themselves quite presentable. In more recent times, however, nopony would typically give much attention to their manes or tails in the morning, and it wasn’t often one would find all the staff in one place other than during meals or evenings post-dinner, as typically, they were out hiking as a group, swimming, or using the houseboat Discord had created for them. The H.M.S Rootbeer Float made a wonderful sister ship to the Boundless Chaos, Discord thought.
Finally opting to join his Alicorn downstairs rather than observe her from above, he gave a quick snap of the fingers to teleport him to the base floor of the entry hall, his spell drawing Celestia’s attention to him. For a split second, he found himself entirely enthralled with her. He wished he had her camera. Her smile gleamed nearly as bright as her pristine dress and mane, and the morning sun put a beautiful halo around her as if she were some sort of ethereal being.
“Well, don’t you look dashing.” Celestia praised with a grin, bobbing an eyebrow at him.
He returned that smile, holding his posture straight as he tugged at his red and black plaid tie, “Dashing, sure, but I couldn’t hold a candle to your beauty. Not even an entire sun, for that matter.”
She blushed, dipping her head and giggling, “such a big flatterer.”
“Aren’t I always?” he inquired as he walked to her side, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.
“You always are.”
With that, they shared a quick kiss, gazing into each other’s eyes for a moment once their lips parted before looking out into the garden that lay before them. Then, a mechanical click cut the quiet air, drawing the couple’s attention back into the entry hall to find Raven looking at them through the viewfinder of Celestia’s camera.
“Wow, that was absolutely perfect. Kiss again, I wasn’t ready the first time.”
The couple looked to one another, giving the other a smirk before complying, engaging in a loving kiss long enough for Raven to snap a few pictures.
“Yep. Absolutely perfect. These’ll make wedding photographers blush.”
Celestia did a double-take between herself and Discord. “You know, we do look like a bride and groom…”
“By the stars, we do! Hey, maybe this is a glimpse of the future.”
“Well, if this is what the future holds, I can’t wait for time to fly.”
“Wow, that was sappy,” commented Raven, bringing their attention to her once more.
Celestia chuckled, “I thought you’d have gotten used to this by now.”
Teleporting the camera back into the study, Raven nodded, “oh, I have, but it never hurts to razzle you about it.”
The sound of several sets of hooves on the entry hall staircase brought Raven’s gaze upward to see the three Chefs making their way downstairs. Chef Tea led the pack, her black chef’s jacket blending nicely with her shiny clay-brown coat and her leafy green mane and tail. Flip’s curly blonde mane and her pale blue coat were in far better repair than usual, and the white chef’s jacket both she and Pan Sear wore were nicely ironed, not a crease or fold out of place. The purely, powder white mane, tail, and fur that Pan Sear sported gave her a very vibrant appearance, her deeply orange eyes almost seeming to glow in the sunlight.
“Alright, we’re here,” declared Tea as she made it to the second story landing, her two comrades close behind.
Celestia clapped her hooves. “Wonderful! Now we just need everypony else!”
As if on queue, Vesper poked her head over the third story railing. “Hey, Celestia, we’re ready!”
Discord chuckled. “Well, I suppose we’re good to go.”
The three Chefs and Raven joined up and stood in a row off to Celestia’s left, Raven being closest to Celestia, naturally, and after finally making it all the way down the stairs, the other four staff went to Discord’s right, putting the couple right in the center of the formation. Upon finally grouping together, a moment of silence passed before Discord did a take across the group.
“Alright, now what?”
“We wait,” returned Celestia, “it’s 9:29, and she said she’d be here at 9:30.”
He looked around again, “I suppose the sky turning black, clouds swirling overhead, and the crack of thunder will give us a good idea of when she’s about to show up?”
Celestia, as well as most everypony in the staff, gave a chuckle.
“No, Discord, there won’t be any grand display,” assured Celestia.
“Her chariot won’t pierce the dark clouds as it zooms toward the estate, circling down and landing right before us all as she dismounts, her black cloak turning into bats as she declares ‘the Princess of the Night graces thee with her presence!’?”
A blue strobe of light and the pop of a teleportation spell split the calm air, Discord turning his gaze forward to find Luna standing at the base of the estate’s gently sloped staircase, her figure only adorned with her typical Royal regalia and her single, brown and black luggage bag sitting off to her side.
“Greetings!” she chimed.
Discord crossed his arms. “That was anti-climactic.”
The bright smile on the Princess’s face faded to a look of great confusion, not because of Discord’s words, but because of just what she saw before her. Slowly, with her bag floating at her side, she began going up the stairs.
“What… what is this?”
Celestia chuckled in confusion. “What do you mean, sister?”
Luna scanned an outstretched hoof over the group. "This! Is this... all for me?”
Laughing, Celestia stepped forward to meet her sister as she scaled the final step and came onto the landing, “it isn’t for anypony else, Luna.”
The two sisters laughed jovially as they locked their hooves around one another, Celestia’s larger figure and big white wings nearly totally consuming the younger Alicorn, as she had unfurled her wings to hold her as closely as possible.
“Oh, goodness, Celestia, you didn’t need to bother having your family dress themselves up for me!” Luna laughed, her speech a bit muffled, as her cheek was pressed into Celestia’s chest.
“Oh, nonsense!” returned Celestia as she patted Luna on the back, her wings unfurling to allow her to back out of their hug a bit, “If my sister is coming, then she’s only getting the best welcome party!”
Looking away from her sister, Luna browsed over the crowd before her, everypony returning her gaze with a genial smile, “and the best welcome party, I did get!” with that, she and Celestia broke their embrace, Luna now trotting over towards the estate's staff, “so, so good to see you all again! Chefs, your presence is dearly missed in the kitchen.”
Chef Tea chuckled, “glad we did such a good job, your Highness.”
Luna waved a hoof, “please, forget formalities. No ‘highness' will be needed for while I'm here.”
Raven gave a little laugh, “Sol Point, where none is royalty.”
“Exactly right, dear friend. For these next couple days, I am nothing more than a sister to Celestia.”
“So, no saluting when you walk by, and we don't have to do formations in the morning?” asked Discord.
She looked at him a moment before glancing to Celestia, “I assume the jokes won't stop even while I'm here, will they?”
Celestia shook her head, laughing. “Nope. You doomed yourself when you sent that portrait.”
Luna turned back to the grinning Draconequus, looking him over a moment before laughing and coming forward, rearing up on her hind legs and pulling him into an unexpected hug.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way! So good to finally see you after having heard so much from Celestia!”
A bit stunned, he slowly returned her embrace, his eyes locked with Celestia's, as she stood a little ways away. “Well, good to hear I’m, uh, held in such high regard.”
Celestia blushed, gazing at him through the corner of her eye, “you of all should know I hold you so close.”
Grunting as Luna's hug tightened for a moment before she released him, Discord smiled nervously, “I suppose I should, and its very good to see you once again, Luna.”
She chuckled. “Luna. I think that's the first time you've ever said my name as opposed to calling me LuLu.”
“Well, I'll make sure it's the last time, LuLu.”
“Touche, Dissy.”
He went pale as she darted a look to Celestia, who shrugged.
Luna laughed, patting him on the side before turning to address the rest of the family. “Well, let us drop the formalities and go inside! I'd love to catch up with you all.”
Celestia came to a halt at the top of the stairs ascending into the study and stood off to the side to grant her sister entrance.
“Goodness, I forgot how wonderful this place is.”
Celestia chuckled proudly, “yeah… this place is, well, wonderful.”
It was a bit past noon, and lunch had just concluded. After spending a few hours with the whole family, talking, laughing, and reminiscing, Luna had declared that she and Celestia should spend some time alone, much to Discord’s dismay, as he was now left alone in the living room while the staff went on about their business. Luna stopped right in the middle of the room, taking a long glance around before meeting Celestia’s gaze.
“You never cease to amaze me, sister.”
Celestia raised a brow as she began walking towards her desk. “What do you mean?”
“Everything. Out of all eventualities I’ve thought of, all the ideas I’ve held about the future, not a single one of them was this.”
Dropping into her chair, Celestia chuckled, “I told you about the estate long ago, and even gave you a tour. You didn’t think I’d retire?”
“No-no-no, not at all what I mean. I knew you’d retire, what I didn’t foresee is Discord. Or how he’s changed you, or rather, how you’ve let him change you. Wearing your scars, not fearing them or the memories tied to them. Living in true freedom; freedom from the ultimate oppressor; one's self. In a month, you accomplished the goal every living creature has strived to reach; live free of care.”
Not at all knowing how to craft a reply to a statement like that, Celestia opted to let out a little nervous chuckle.
“T-To be fair, I still do worry about things. I worry if I’m loving enough, I worry if I’m spending enough time with my friends, and I worry about you.”
Humming, Luna looked away, pacing over to the bookcase at the other end of the room.
“Maybe so, but I see your feelings differently. What worries you does not hold true leverage over you. You do not worry. Worrying is to give way to apprehension, to drown in anxiety. You do not worry. You simply observe, check, and question. You observe yourself to ensure you love enough, you check on the time you spend with your family and your lover, and you question me. You ask how my days play out, and you ask if I am still in good health, but you do not worry. Months ago, you worried. Your mind was plagued with anxieties, so much so that they held you back from living the life you yourself created, and followed you through the waking world into sleep. Noticed, have you not, your lack of nightmares? Not my doing, sister, that is your doing. You do not worry. How you do not, I still fail to fully grasp. In fact, I spend far more time studying your dreams than I otherwise did, for I too wish to find the key which unlocks this freedom of mind. I suppose it is foolish of me; I must worry. I have a nation to look over.”
Celestia still remained speechless, only able to look on as Luna levitated an all-too-familiar photo album from the shelf, its binding reading ‘Life Since the Advent of Discord’. Opening to the first photos; despite being the one to have them developed and returned, she still smiled upon seeing them once more.
“I may give you too much credit. This Draconequus of yours has been more than just a catalyst in getting you to open your heart and mind. Without Discord, in fact, I feel we would be in square one. You let your rivers of anxieties flow before him, and he took the fabric of your words and tied them into bows. I see, truly, why you hold him so close. He is your freedom.”
“He’s my everything.”
Luna looked over her shoulder to her sister, “he is, indeed. I truly hope the love you share with him shall last until the universe’s end. I hope my own life cuts short before your bond with him is tarnished.”
Celestia frowned deeply, “come on, don’t say that.”
“It is the truth, no jest, for if I must witness your splitting, then I shall have to rip his heart out.”
“What if it’s my fault?”
“Then I shall rip his heart out and beat you with it.”
The sisters shared a little laugh, Celestia looking off to the side while Luna continued flipping through the album she held. So many photos of the two happily being in one another’s company. The photos too reflected the adventurous and carefree nature her sister had adopted. In every picture, they seemed to do something different. Be it sailing, sitting high up on a cloud, camping, exploring the surrounding landscape, or having a meal with the staff, they always looked happier than ever.
After a few more page turns, however, Luna found herself witness to photos she had not been privy to, and at that end, photos she never fathomed seeing. A proper photographer would certainly call these new pictures ‘tasteful'; despite their pornographic nature, they were wonderfully produced as if taken in a studio. The lighting was superb, showing off the highlights and lowlights of each of their figures, both Celestia's and Discord's curves being quite pronounced and beautiful. Their backdrop was a bed with dark red sheets she had never seen before, and further in the background was a room she didn’t recognize from any previous pictures. It all worked to extenuate the acts they participated in, be it solo or together, their poses just as compromising and revealing as the next.
Suddenly, a yellow aurora ripped the album out of her magic, causing her to jump and dart her gaze to Celestia, who drew the album close and hid it behind her desk.
“I-I forgot those were in there!” she blurted, her cheeks bright red.
Luna smirked. “What use could you possibly have for taking such pictures? And… where did you get them produced?”
Celestia hid behind her mane. “I… wanted to make memories. It was Discord’s idea to begin with! He put the studio and dark room in our ship.”
Luna peered out the study window to the aforementioned Boundless Chaos and her smaller comrade the Root Beer Float, which sat anchored a little ways downstream.
“Your ship has a photography studio?”
Celestia nodded. “Yeah, she does. We got rid of the hull kitchen and living room, since if we weren’t in bed together, we were upstairs, and if we weren’t camping and cooking by fire, we were getting dinner here in the estate.”
“I am sure the staff appreciate you two keeping…” she cleared her throat, looking to the album still floating in Celestia's magic, “that… to yourselves.”
Celestia chuckled. “Not entirely. My bedroom in the estate has seen its fair share of fun.”
“And I am sure this room too has been host to a fruitful night?”
Celestia paused for thought. “Actually, no, but thank you for the idea.”
Rolling her eyes, Luna began pacing her way towards Celestia’s desk, “quite welcome. I won’t have to worry myself with the idea of coming upon you two together during my stay, shall I?”
“No, you won’t. Discord and I’ll keep calm at night. Maybe I’ll sleep with you for a night, for old-time’s sake! Besides, being separated from him for a while would only make it all the better when we’re together once more.”
Stopping before the desk, Luna offered a little smile, “provided you don’t snore too loudly, I have no issue with that. Separation sometimes does the heart well. We are prime examples. In these three months of your absence, I have never felt closer to you.”
Celestia lit up. “I’m not the only one! We’ve been so far apart, but somehow, I feel so much closer to you! Maybe it’s the short communique through our letters, but for some reason, it just feels… better, you know?”
Luna nodded. “Somehow, it does. Has always been our case, however. Should we go for too long without separation, it always seemed we both became rather… irritable. I often ponder that occurrence. No two beings have been closer than we, and no two have stood by one another’s side for longer, yet we fail to manage a long-term comradery. Is the cause our deep, vast knowledge of one another? Often said that opposites attract, but are we too opposite?”
Celestia gave pause for thought. “Some ponies simply don't get along together. Some, on the other hoof, can’t stand to be away from one another. Discord and I have been like that. Even if just a few hours go by without him at my side, I start to miss him. The days he leaves for game night with his pals are always the worst, but when he comes home, it’s all the sweeter,” she paused once more, turning her gaze down to her desk as she let out a sigh, “I… often wonder why we can't be that way.”
Luna nodded. “In my times of meditation, that exact concept often enters my school of thought. We two share a bond deeper than any, and love each other to the world's end… yet we cannot get along.”
The air in the study went silent, both sisters sitting in their own little bubbles of thought.
“Despite all,” Luna began, “I find myself happier than ever. It calms me knowing we feel the same on this issue, and the fact we hold enough confidence with one another to… agree on our relationship, and not dance around the truth or lie on our feelings… that brings me great peace. Thank you, Celestia.”
Chuckling sweetly, Celestia stood from behind her desk, “of course, Luna!” trotting to her sister, she embraced her in a loving hug, “I… always try and do my best to be honest.”
Giving Celestia a pat on the back, Luna nodded. “I know you do, sister. Hard to be honest, most times.”
“It can… certainly be a challenge.”
Again, that moment of silence returned, hanging on the air for a fair while before Celestia backed out of their embrace a bit and smiling down to her little sister.
“Love you, Luna.”
Luna pulled her back in. “I love you, too, Celestia.”
“You know, I too have been happier than ever. Knowing you’re safe; knowing you’re enjoying yourself and having fun doing what you’ve always wanted to do… it calms a lot of the nerves that I had when I first retired. I’m happy for you, Luna, and I wouldn’t change a single thing about how our lives are going.”
A bright smiled pulled at the corners of Luna’s lips. “Neither would I.”
For a time, the two simply enjoyed their embrace, the seconds seeming to crawl by. After a little while longer, Luna pulled her head back to smile up at Celestia, who brightly returned her little sister's smile.
“So, sister, where is that Draconequus of yours? I'd like to have a word with him.”
Releasing her sister, Celestia looked around a bit, “I… haven’t a clue, actually,” she got to her hooves, Luna following as she walked to the study staircase, “last I saw him he was in the living room…” now at the first step of the stairs, Celestia craned her head down to better project her voice into the estate, “oh, Diiiscord~!”
The pop of magic brought her gaze around to find him standing right behind her.
“Yes, love?” he inquired with a smile.
“Oh! Well, Luna says she’d like to talk to you.”
He flipped around to meet Luna's gaze. “I'm not in trouble, am I?”
Shaking her head and laughing, Luna turned around as she made her way towards the reading bench near the study's fireplace. “Hardly. In fact, I wished to give you my utmost thanks.”
He raised a brow, turning back to look at Celestia, who smiled and shrugged as she walked for her desk.
“You would?” he inquired as he flipped back around.
Taking a seat, Luna nodded. "Indeed, I would. You’ve come to surprise me. Every day that passes I grow happier that you're here, as I'm sure my sister does, too.”
Celestia nodded in concurrence. “Couldn't be happier.”
Discord did a double-take between the two, his gaze finally landing with Luna. “You do?”
“You've made my sister into the happiest, freest, calmest mare she's ever been. You did something I thought impossible. For that, I thank you, and with open hooves, I welcome you into my heart and family, and hope that your love with Celestia shall outlast this world.”
Speechless, he let his gaze wander, his eyes meeting Celestia's smile after a moment.
She laughed heartily, shaking her head. “I know, she did that to me earlier,” she looked to Luna, “you have a talent for taking the words from a pony's throat.”
“I always have, sister.”
“Now, I thought I was going to get yelled at because she had found our photo album, or something.”
Luna chuckled, “I have been witness to your… lewd photos, but I was not upset about them. If anything, I found them rather enjoyable, at least, the ones which did not include my sister.”
His cheeks went red with blush. “Wait, what?”
“I left it on the shelf other there, and she ended up finding it.” Celestia explained, her words causing Discord to put his hands on his hips.
“Really? I’m surprised you didn’t leave the Saffafelen out, too.”
Celestia went pale, Luna's expression quickly turning into a surprised grin as she darted her gaze to her sister.
“Saffafelen, hm? Since when did you use such a plant?”
Celestia groaned as she put her head on her desk. “That was also his idea…”
“Blame everything on me, will you?!”
“But… this is your fault! She wouldn’t have found out if you had kept your big mouth closed!”
Luna chuckled. “Sister, I fail to understand why you thought it crucial to hide your use of Saffafelen from me. I have been using its medicinal and hallucinogenic properties since it was first discovered. Have you also forgotten that it was I who pushed for its deregulation 20 years back?”
Celestia nodded. “I… I know, but I was just embarrassed by it. I labeled it as contraband in the first place, yet here I am using it regularly.”
“Only shows me you aren’t stubbornly steadfast with antiquated, ignorant conceptions of a plant which has only helped our nation. The ponies get much better rest at night thanks to Saffafelen, and birth rates have gone up thanks to its role as an aphrodisiac.”
Discord snickered, “that’s one of the reasons Celly likes it so much.”
Luna nodded, “I figured as much,” she looked back to Celestia, “does you family here know of you and your lover's use of it?”
“Considering I give them some, I'd say yes,” explained Discord.
Celestia giggled. “Yeah, he has. It makes the evenings we all spend together in the living room far more fun, and its certainly made our nights on the Boundless Chaos even more fun,” again, she giggled as she reminisced, “since we started using it, the last while has blurred into this…” she leaned back in her chair, gazing up into the ceiling, “lustful, pleasure-filled, intoxicatingly wonderful blur.”
Knowingly, Luna hummed. “The reason behind taking those pictures, hm? Your own mind paints on a wet canvas, and you wished to have a crisp image to look back on.”
A bit surprised by Luna's perfect intuition, Celestia nodded. “Yeah… that's exactly why. Well, that, and I have something for when Discord is off spending time with his pals,” she turned her gaze to him, shooting him a loving, lustful grin, “just your picture is enough, most times.”
He returned that look, growling sensually and clawing his talons at her, “your picture's more than enough for me.”
The two shared a lusty little giggle, gazing into one another's eyes from across the room while Luna simply shook her head.
“No less than three months prior you stood atop the highest podium in our nation, a fair, cleanly kept mare who held herself in the utmost highest of regards, and who kept herself from worldly pleasures to maintain her government. Now, here you sit, care-free as a falcon in a thermal, paying no heed to the expectations once held of you as you go about having what I can infer to be copious amounts of sex with your lover and spending long periods of time under the influence of a hallucinogenic plant. While I couldn’t be prouder, honestly, I must ask… what happened?”
Celestia's smile faded a bit as she let her sight wander a moment, but eventually, her gaze met with Discord's, and she gave him a bright smile.
“I grew up.”