//------------------------------//
// Forevermore 
// Story: Breaking Free 
// by Nrdygrl 
//------------------------------//

                        
Chapter Fifteen
“Forevermore”



A smile managed to creep its way across her face. It was a genuine smile that was accompanied by a brightened face and rosy cheeks. The memory was too sweet not to smile about. However, she smiled amidst the pain tightening inside her chest. Their first real kiss-how could she forget it? Her eyes fluttered shut in this moment, perhaps in an attempt to relive it…to savor the passion once again. However, it was all in a desperate attempt to ignore what occurred afterwards. Oh…how far from over this flood of memories was. It was only just beginning, for her. And what was to come…was nothing happy. Not in the least. 

Celestia sighed and blinked her violet eyes. No tears. Not now. For a moment, her mind drifted away from the statue before her, containing the entity she loved, and it turned to somepony else…Luna. At this very moment in time, her little sister was in her chambers sleeping soundly without a care in the world. She was glad for this. At least Luna would be completely oblivious as to what would happen today and wouldn’t have to feel the pain she was now feeling. 

Now, she silently recalled the next few years. She called them the magic years. The reason being, she and Discord were inseparable. Their relationship was stronger than ever. And, of course, they were officially boyfriend and girlfriend. Perhaps the subjects of the kingdom and the ponies in Canterlot were not particularly fond of their romance, but they learned to get used to it. Seeing them together became a very common thing, just like seeing the sun rise and set every day. This was another period of time that seemed to fly by in Celestia’s mind. Just like the three happy years she shared with Discord and Luna before the dark years, these were pretty uneventful when she looked back now. It seemed like times of bliss were the most unforgettable. This, of course, saddened her. But after all that had happened, times like that were not deemed as important in her memory. 

“One thing I do remember…was…” she said aloud to the statue. “When we graduated from school, you got honors. That was such a big accomplishment for you and I was so proud of you. It was so nice to complete school with you right there by my side the entire time. Nothing in her mind could've made that time sweeter. Now, she could already feel more pain enter her chest. What happened after the magic years ended was what spawned all of this pain. Celestia knew it was not nearly as intense as the pain that the stiff, silent draconequus before her was feeling. As much as he probably would end up ignoring it today and find new ways to make their past a light-hearted joke, she knew better. Discord's heart continued to throb through the wall of stone. The time of his escape would be soon. She knew it. And it made her stomach twist into knots. Celestia sighed and shut her eyes tight again. The next full memory that crept into her mind was the day that should never have been.

"I remember it like it was yesterday," she said. "We had celebrated a few birthdays between you, me, and Luna. But...the day of my twentieth birthday was when everything changed and spiraled out of control. It may have been the best birthday ever...but in the end...it turned out to be the worst day ever. If I could go back..." Her voice wavered and she swallowed hard. "It would've been different. I didn't know...I didn't know..." The flood took over once again.



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The light seeped into the bedroom window and almost seemed to kiss her face. Celestia felt her body transition out of the blissful world of dreams. Her eyelids fluttered open and a smile instantaneously appeared on her face. The feeling of sleeping in…not having to worry about the sunrise was wonderful by itself, but the fact that she knew it was her birthday made it much sweeter. Twenty. It would be odd saying that number now, as it was odd saying a new number every year. What cheered her up the most about today was that she had no worries. There would be no big celebrations today. She had never been extremely comfortable at large gatherings centered on her. Even if she was a princess, she was still humble. Today would be a relaxing break. As much as she hated shirking responsibility, it was nice to not have to worry about her royal duties for one day out of the year. 

Celestia climbed out of bed and stretched out her long limbs and wings. Her long, pink mane fell down one side of her neck, covering one eye. After she tackled the tangles with a brush, she left her chambers and trotted down the castle halls. Many a guard wished her a happy birthday along the way. She entered the dining room to find her family at the table. They instantly greeted her with smiles and birthday wishes. 

“Twenty,” said Solina shaking her head. “Look at you. Tall as me now. Beautiful as ever. You’ve grown up into a lovely mare, my Tia.”  

“Indeed, but you’ll always be my little pony,” said Orion nuzzling her cheek. Celestia smiled. 

“Thank you, Mother. Thank you, Father. But please do not make such a big deal about today! It’s just another wonderful day.” 

“Yeah. A wonderful day where you get presents!” Luna piped in, levitating a gift box up to her sister’s chest. Celestia smiled at her little sister. But then, she wasn’t so little anymore. She was fourteen now. Much taller. She had long legs just like all the other members of their family. Though, Celestia was sure Luna would never catch up to her in height and she was secretly glad for that. At least she had that to brag about. Luna had become very beautiful in the past four years. She was certainly not a little filly anymore. She was turning into a young mare every day, (much to Orion’s dismay.) Many a colt had their eye on her. Celestia used her magic to open the gift and smiled when she saw a beautiful necklace and matching shoes. 

“Oh, Luna! These are beautiful! I love them!” she exclaimed. She immediately put them on. “They fit perfectly.” 

“I made them,” said Luna beaming. “Are you sure the shoes fit?” 

“They do,” said Celestia. “And I really love how they look. Is that why you’ve been staring at my hooves a lot lately?” she asked smirking and raising an eyebrow. Luna chuckled. 

“It was very hard to get them just right. You don’t know how hard it is to measure somepony’s hooves when they’re asleep.” Everypony in the room laughed. 

“Now, Celestia,” said Solina grinning. “Your father and I have a present for you, as well.” 

“Mother!” said Celestia crossly. “I thought I made it clear I wasn’t going to accept gifts from you two. You’ve done enough for me already. I don’t need anything else.” 

“We know, Tia, but we love you so much, and your birthday only comes once a year,” said Orion. 

“Besides,” said her mother, levitating a box from behind her back. “I think it will be hard to refuse this one.” She set the box on the ground and it began to wiggle. Celestia cocked her head at it in confusion. There was a sharp “peep!” and a little head popped up out of the box, knocking the lid off. It was a baby phoenix! It was small and had red and gold feathers that seemed to glow like flames. Celestia gasped. 

“Oh!” she exclaimed, gently nudging her hoof down to the small bird. The baby phoenix peeped again and hopped up onto her hoof, trying to flap its small wings to fly a little. Celestia was ecstatic. She didn’t know what to say. 

“You should see your face!” said Luna chuckling. 

“She’s all yours,” said Solina smiling. “We know how fascinated you are with the phoenix nests around here. This one fell out of its nest. Luna found the egg in the garden and we had the servants keep it warm and watch over it.” 

“We all agreed you’d love to keep it when it hatched,” said Luna. 

“And because your birthday was approaching, we thought it would be the perfect present,” said Orion. 

“Oh! I had no idea! This is the best surprise ever!” Celestia said in bliss. She gazed with awe and adoration at the tiny bird looking up at her. “She’s perfect!” 

“What will you name her?” Luna asked. 

“Philomena,” said Celestia, nodding in certainty. 

“That’s a lovely name,” said Solina. 

“I’m sure you will love having her,” said Orion. 

“Oh, I already do!” Celestia replied giggling as Philomena hopped up her leg and perched on her shoulder, affectionately rubbing her head against her neck. “Thank you so much.” The day was already off to an amazing start.

“Any special plans for today?” asked Luna winking. 

“Oh, maybe…” said Celestia sighing. “Dizzy wants to do something special for me today. You know he insisted on it.”

“Diiiiizzzyyy????” said Luna rolling her eyes and turning a shade of green. “Oh….brother…”  



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Perfect. Everything had to be perfect. No cutting corners. No cheating. Working hard would be the only way to make everything flawless. Today had to be the best day of her life. He planned on it. He had his heart set on making her truly feel like a princess. No…a queen. In this moment, Discord couldn’t help but tap his claws on the mahogany table before him. He just had to run his plans over in his mind once again. This was the easy part, for sure. A lunch date was nothing he couldn’t handle. However, cooking it. That was another story. And no chaos to speed things up. That didn’t make it easier for him. He wanted to do it on his own though. It would be worth it. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t ignore how much his heart was about to burst. And it was only early afternoon. He couldn’t think about anything else but now. He knew that. Today would be unforgettable. It would be the best. The absolute best. 


________________________________



When Celestia came into the dining room again at exactly noon, she came into a very chaotic atmosphere. The disgruntled draconequus before her was desperately trying to fix their lunch and it wasn’t turning out as well as he had probably hoped. She couldn’t help but chuckle at him. He turned and looked at her and tried a sheepish smile. 

“Hello, Darling,” he said sighing. “This…heh….did not turn out perfect…but…uh…” Celestia grinned and tried to hold back a smile as she stared down at the pink apron and oven mitts he had on. “Oh! These? These….” He said blushing. “Uh…this was all they had. I was…” He quickly removed them and narrowed his eyes. “They really need more masculine cooking supplies in there.” Celestia laughed and took a seat at the table. Discord set down a salad and a bowl of soup in front of her and set down a plate of partially burnt rolls in the middle of the table. 

“Mmm! This looks…good,” she said smiling a little sadly. 

“Oh. You are such a bad liar!” said Discord sighing. “I’m sorry, Tia. I really wanted this to be…” 

“It’s fine, Dizzy,” she replied sweetly. “I love that you did all this for me. You’re too nice.” 

“Well, Your Highness, might I wish you a very happy birthday indeed,” he said bowing low and kissing her hoof. The two ate and chatted a bit, laughed together, reminisced, and exchanged romantic dialogue. After their chaotic lunch was finished, the two got up and Celestia prepared to leave and take a walk through town. “I wish I could go with you, but I have quite a lot to do still,” said Discord gently stroking her hair with his paw. 

“What are you up to?” said Celestia raising an eyebrow at him and smiling. Discord returned a sly smile. “You’ll find out later.” Celestia sighed and kissed him. 

“I’ll see you later,” she said turning to the door. 

“At the lake. Sunset. Don’t be late, now. You wouldn’t want to miss your own party,” he replied smiling at her, his eyes twinkling. Celestia smiled back and left the dining room. She felt like the luckiest mare in the world. 



________________________



After she had taken a rejuvenating walk through the Canterlot streets, Celestia found herself resting contently on the balcony outside her chambers. She sighed as the bright sun caressed her fur. The warmth of it, almost like a hug from a dear friend, made her feel true joy. Her horn glowed slightly in response. She smiled as she remembered how friendly and respectful the subjects had been today. She loved being around them. She did. She knew they were looking up to her. And she knew that one day, she would rule the kingdom with Luna. Now that she was getting older, she had more responsibility. She was always glad to accept it, though. Her heart was always in everything she did and was instructed to do. Being a royal was not about the glamour to her. It was about the lives of all those ponies. In this moment, she realized even more how lucky she was. 

Her eyes shifted to the grassy lawn below her. She spotted Discord scurrying along, up to something. Whatever he was doing, he looked determined. She watched him trudge up to the small cottage by the lake and disappear into it. He had built the small house a couple years ago. Though he lived in the castle, with so many ponies around all the time, he needed a place to be alone and think. Their favorite spot by the lake was the perfect place to build it. She chuckled under her breath as she watched him. Oh, how lucky she really was. Every day felt like a new adventure. Every moment with him by her side felt like a tranquil haven of peace, love, and happiness. He gave her so much. Really, what did she have to give in return? She could never be so amazing as he. 

In fact, he always did too much. He truly wanted her to feel like royalty. He almost worshiped the ground she walked on. And…she? She certainly loved him unconditionally, but she began to realize in this moment, it could never truly compare to the love he had for her. It was certainly true. She silently recalled her doubts that one night four years ago at the Gala. If she hadn’t taken the plunge. If she hadn’t kissed him. Things would be so different now. What did she have to fear? Everything was perfect. There was no other word for it. Everything was so harmonious. 

Celestia, in this warm, relaxing moment on the balcony, found herself in a state of calm serenity. It passed all understanding and made the very floor her hooves were on feel nonexistent. She had closed her eyes, taking in the sun and letting her magic out a little to keep calm and relieve any remaining tension. She inhaled deeply as all these thoughts and feelings enveloped her. An unspeakable joy came over her. Her eyes welled up with tears, even. The warmth in her chest continued to grow. She opened her eyes only slightly, not fully aware. Not noticing that something was happening to her. In too much of a trance to think about what was unfolding. Her eyes gazed into the burning sun. It seemed to shine directly at her. Her horn glowed brighter than it ever did before. Still not quite aware, Celestia noticed several orbs of colored lights floating around her. Orange, yellow, blue, white, pink, violet. The violet one was the brightest of them all. 

It took a few moments for everything to sink in. She felt quite dazed in this moment. Things somehow didn’t feel out of the ordinary. It felt happy. Serene. Calm. It felt like all was right with the world. However, something was thrown into the mix. It was called fear. A giant wave of panic suddenly came over Celestia and her mind returned to her. She gasped as her eyes darted all around. The reason why she felt so light was because she was floating of the ground. Magic of all colors was swirling around her. The orbs were doing the same. A pinkish purple spot over her chest where her heart was started to glow as well. She didn’t know what was happening to her. This was unlike anything in magic she had ever experienced before. 

The sparks of light began to swirl all around her body. Something was changing now. She could feel it. Suddenly, she was unable to move. She felt held in place by a force. She was still as a statue in midair. The magic continued its way around her. Her whole body felt like it was being pricked. Almost like pins and needles all over giving her a tingling sensation. The next feeling that came was scratchy. This hurt slightly, but it wasn’t bad. It almost felt good. Like the magic was scraping dead layers of skin and dust off of her and leaving her coat shiny and polished. This didn’t go on for too long. But the last step of this weird transformation was the most frightening. The light flashed before her eyes and she felt it enter her nose and mouth. It felt like breathing in a warm mist. However, after this, she felt an icy cold sensation in her chest. This scared her. She gasped slightly because she could almost feel like her throat was closing up on her. It only lasted a few seconds though and she inhaled deeply, feeling much better. 

However, when she did inhale, it was unlike anything she had experienced. It felt as if she had never breathed before and she was now feasting on the oxygen around her. It felt like her whole being was new. Like a shell had been ripped off of her and now she was a new Celestia crawling out of it. The warm sparks left her. The lights faded away. She felt her hooves gently bring her to a landing. She gasped over and over again in an attempt to figure out what happened to her and why she was feeling this way. She turned her head every which way to examine herself. She was shocked to discover that the magic had altered her appearance. Her mane and tail were not just pink anymore. They had sparkling streaks of blue, violet, and a greenish color too. And they flowed and billowed like her parents’ hair did in a forever, ongoing breeze that wasn’t there. Her white coat seemed to glisten in the sunlight now. She always hated admitting when she looked pretty. But now she was not so ashamed to admit to herself that she looked beautiful. But…why? As she was trying to piece together what happened, a few minutes later, she heard a voice.  

“Celestia.” That was her mother. It was a telepathic message. “Come to the throne room immediately. This is urgent.” She must know. Her mother must know what happened to her. Celestia teleported with ease into the throne room, confusion and worry already setting in. As soon as she materialized in the throne room, she immediately noticed the odd look in her parents’ eyes. It looked like a combination of things. Joy amidst sorrow. Surprise amidst grief. Celestia’s felt her heart sink. What was happening? 

“Oh, dear,” said her father, his eyes widening when he saw her. “Oh, Tia. So…it is true.” 

“It’s happened,” said her mother, tears filling her eyes. 

“What’s happened?!” Celestia cried, her heart racing in fear. “Do you mean what happened to me? I look different! First thing, I was standing on the balcony and then magic enveloped me and then….then…I felt…so…” She couldn’t finish the sentence at first. She wasn’t even sure how to describe it. “Like I was…new.” 

“Almost as if you were reborn,” said Solina nodding. 

“Yes!” said Celestia approaching her. Solina turned her head to Orion and they exchanged a glance. At this moment, Luna teleported into the room. 

“Mother…what is it? Why did you wake me up with telepathy?” wined Luna yawning. She glanced at her sister and her eyes grew wide. “Oh, Tia! Wh-what happened? You look amazing. Your hair….it’s…you’re…” There was silence. After a few moments, King Orion stepped toward Celestia and cleared his throat. 

“Girls…” he said grimly. “Something has happened. And…we didn’t expect it to happen this quickly. And especially not today. Celestia…I….I’m not really sure how to tell you this, but in a way to congratulate you. You must understand how bittersweet this is. You….my dear…have gained Forevermore.” 

“What?!” Celestia gasped, stunned. “You…you mean…?!” 

“Yes,” said her mother sighing. “Today was your…last birthday, dear. You….are now immortal.” Celestia was speechless. The ground dropped out from underneath her. Immortal. How? It was impossible. It couldn’t be true, could it? 

“But…I wasn’t even trying to gain Forevermore,” she replied, hysteria setting in. “I didn’t choose this! I didn’t actually think it was ever going to happen! I’m not as powerful as you! I…” 

“But you are, Tia. You are very powerful now. In fact, so powerful, you have gained all potential of your power. Whether you meant to or not,” said her mother gently. 

“I was just so happy,” said Celestia shaking her head. “I found beauty in everything around me. I found love. I found a kind of magic I’d never experienced before. It overcame me. These orbs of light….it….it was so….” She paused to swallow a lump forming in her throat. “It was…harmony.” 

“And that peace…that…harmony…brought you the greatest power you could ever achieve,” said Orion. 

“Does…this mean…you’re going to live forever?” said Luna, her eyes widening as a film of tears spread over them. “Oh…Tia.” One look at her little sister and Celestia knew very well what she was thinking of. She was thinking of her. Celestia would outlive all of their friends. All of the ones they were closest to. Perhaps even Luna herself if Forevermore never found her. Centuries would go by and they’d be nothing. Death would surround her and there would be no stopping it. This cruel reality set in for Celestia too and a pain developed in her chest. Forevermore. That word would have the bitterest taste on her tongue from this moment forward. 

“Yes,” Celestia replied, feeling her whole body trembling. “It does.” 

“That’s…not all, dear,” said Solina grimly. “When you gained Forevermore, your father and I sensed it. That is why we called you here. We didn’t know it would happen so soon. But…here is the bitter truth: three of us have immortality now. Three of us have ultimate power. Three…is too many. Your father and I…must leave now.” Celestia and Luna gasped. 

“No!” Luna cried. “You can’t leave! Why can’t you stay?! I don’t understand!” 

“There is too much power on earth now, Luna,” said Orion. “Your mother and I planned on this a long time ago. We planned on telling you two about this when the time came, but we didn’t know it would be now.”

“It was unexpected,” said Solina hanging her head. “I’m so sorry, girls.” 

“But…the kingdom…!” cried Celestia in disbelief. 

“Will now be ruled by you two,” said Solina. Celestia and Luna looked at each other with shock. 

“We’re not ready!” said Celestia shaking her head. 

“Luna may not be,” said Orion glancing at the purple alicorn. Luna shook her head vigorously. 

“But can you?” asked Solina, gazing deep into her eldest daughter’s eyes. Celestia looked down at the floor. So much had happened in such a short time. This was so much to take in. Why did this have to happen? It was her birthday. Today was meant to be perfect. Happy. Not like this. Not so sudden. Yes, she loved this kingdom, though. She hated the feeling of everything being out of her hooves. Out of control. 

“Not without help,” she replied sighing. 

“I’ll help as best I can,” said Luna comfortingly. 

“Star Swirl and the Sages can assist you as well,” said Orion. Celestia nodded. They were counting on her. She was new, now. She was immortal Celestia. This opened up a whole new door for her. This began a whole new chapter in her life. Things were changing rapidly. And now, the best thing she could do, was keep up. However…one more question lingered in her mind in this moment. She impulsively asked it, even if she shouldn’t have. Perhaps it wouldn’t have sparked even more pain if she’d kept it to herself. But the words slid passed her lips. 

“What about Discord?” The entire room fell silent. A sudden wave of realization and sorrow hit the alicorns in the room. What about him? 

“We can’t grant him immortality, Celestia,” said Orion quietly. 

“I know,” she replied sighing. “Can the gods, though?” 

“They would never see reason,” Solina replied. “The only other way is for him to gain Forevermore too. It is possible, considering his is a demigod too. However…he can’t use his power. It can’t be.” Celestia started breathing quicker in sorrow and panic. 

“Then what do you expect me to do? Watch him die?!” she shouted, feeling tears flood her eyes. Her parents looked down and didn’t answer. Then, Luna approached her. 

“He loves you, Tia. You love him. What should it matter?” she said, putting her hoof on her sister’s. She was right. This was another instance were Luna’s wisdom and maturity surpassed her own. Celestia found she could not begin to think of that in this moment in time. She drove it from her mind and turned to her parents. 

“I’m sorry…” she said in a hoarse whisper. “I…will miss you so much.” She quickly embraced her parents and Luna did the same. Many tears were shed between the four. At long last, Queen Solina levitated her crown from her head. Celestia bowed and her mother gently placed the crown onto her head. 

“We must go now,” said Solina gently. “But don’t fear. You’ll see us again. And if your father and I ever decide to give you two any brothers or sisters, they and their families will dwell with you. Perhaps you can build a big royal family here. In the meantime, Equestria will look to you both for guidance. Maintain harmony in this land.” 

“The power to do so…lies within,” said Orion smiling at Celestia and Luna. Luna embraced them again, overflowing with emotion. Celestia stood still and tall, biting her lip, trying not to shed anymore tears. She simply gave a nod to her parents. They nodded back and smiled. Then, they gazed at each other and their horns glowed bright. There was a burst of colored light. A funnel of swirling lights materialized around them and a beam shot through the ceiling and into the bright sky. The king and queen glowed until they became nothing but an array of sparks and beams as they melted into the light. In a flash, the beam shot up into the sky and disappeared in a twinkling. Everything was quiet and as it should be. Luna immediately sobbed into her sister’s coat. Celestia closed her eyes, still attempting to process everything that had happened. Nothing could prepare her for what was to come. 


________________________


Celestia was prompt as usual, though she looked a bit stressed as she appeared over the hill. By the soft glow of her horn, the sun was beginning to set slightly. It was a very perfect atmosphere and Discord had taken extra steps to ensure it was romantic enough. The blanket was spread evenly across the grass. He was already lounging a bit lazily on it when the white alicorn approached. When he looked her way and saw her more clearly, he had to do a double take. His love looked more radiant than she normally did. And he thought she could never become more perfect. Perfection was truly obtained. Perhaps this could be a continuing theme. If all went well. Everything truly would be perfect. Perfect. 


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“Wow,” was the first thing he said when he saw her. Could he tell? Could he tell something was very different about her? Would he ask? What if he didn’t? How could she tell him? How could she say it? A million worries entered Celestia’s mind in this moment. “Did you do something to your hair? It looks beautiful!” So her hair was the only thing he noticed. Perhaps he would notice the change more as the evening progressed. The picnic was all ready, so Celestia tried to wipe all happenings of the day clean from her mind and just share a nice, romantic dinner with Discord. As the two lovers sat under the tree, eating and listening to the sounds of the lake, she found herself becoming more and more uneasy the more she tried to ignore what had happened. It appeared, the more she attempted to ignore it, the more she began to think about the inevitable. Casual conversation was exactly what she needed to distract her. “Did you have a good birthday, Princess?” he asked her after they were done eating. 

“Oh…yes…it…it was great,” she replied sighing. Discord hugged her from behind and rested his head on her shoulder. He blinked at her and cocked his head. 

“What’s the matter?” he asked stroking her cheek. 

“It’s nothing,” Celestia replied, swallowing hard. She couldn’t tell him. Not yet. Everything happened so fast. It was too much to worry about in one day. Discord noticed the look on her face and started turning his head some more, using his powers only slightly to turn his head all the way around to make her smile. It didn’t work, though. She stared at her reflection in the lake. 

“You’re grimmer than usual and that’s saying a lot. Something is wrong. Tell me,” he said, giving her neck a gently squeeze. 

“I’m just really tired and…kind of stressed,” she replied sighing. “Something really big has come up…politically…and…I don’t really feel like talking about it right now.” She wasn’t lying. She knew she couldn’t avoid it forever, but she couldn’t solve all her problems in a few hours. He’d have to find out soon, just not on her birthday. Or what was her birthday. Discord seemed satisfied with this response so he nodded lifted her face up to kiss her. 

“I know something that will cheer you up!” he said, jumping to his feet. 

“What is it?” she asked getting up, as well. 

“It’s called your birthday present,” he said winking. “Follow me.” Celestia followed Discord away from the lake until they came to the gardens. At this point, Discord told her to close her eyes and not peak. Reluctantly, she followed him blindly through the garden as he led her along to the correct spot. At long last he told her to stop. “All right! Open your eyes!” he said. Celestia blinked and saw an incredible sight before her. A giant hedge maze stood before her. It was beautiful. It did bring a smile to her face. 

“Oh, Discord! This is wonderful! How did you do it?” she exclaimed. 

“I had some help,” he said chuckling. “Especially from the palace guards.” 

“Ohhh…so this is the reason why they kept telling me the garden was ‘under maintenance’ whenever I’d try to come here,” she said smirking.

“That’s correct! I call it contained chaos…in a way,” said Discord chuckling. 

“I do love it. Thank you, Discord. You’ve done so much,” said Celestia sighing. 

“Well,” Discord replied turning to her. “I’m not quite done. There is…one more thing.” 

“Whatever could that be?!” Celestia exclaimed. “Enough with the gifts, already!” She chuckled. Discord sighed deeply and looked down. 

“Tia…this…is a special gift. And I really hope you’ll like it. You see, I’ve been thinking a lot lately…of how I came here years ago and how we became the best of friends. I realized that…if my mother hadn’t left me here, I never would’ve been so happy as I am now. I believe Star Swirl now when he said good comes from bad sometimes. Fate is a funny thing. And…love is discordant. But…sometimes fate has a way of changing us and love has a way of making us someone better. You have made me feel wanted. Ever since the beginning, you’ve been there for me, Tia. I will never know how to repay that debt. But I may have one small way…” He paused. Celestia stood still, wondering what he was about to do. Her jaw dropped and her heart stopped and plummeted when he got down on one knee. He opened his paw a showed her a ring. It had a big, sparkling diamond on it, staring her down. The array of rainbows and shine pierced her eyes, making the stinging numbness she was feeling that much worse. “I have this ring,” Discord continued, shaking like a leaf as he spoke. “And I know I will have to get your father’s blessing…but I couldn’t wait any longer. I love you. I want to be with you always. I want to spend every moment of the rest of my life with you. Princess Celestia…” Not now. Not now. This wasn’t happening. It was unreal. She felt like her knees were about to give out from under her. Every word of the next question stabbed her in the heart. “…will you marry me?” 

Marriage. Immortal. Forevermore. Nothing made sense now. In this moment, time stopped. There were no senses, except all the raw emotions surging inside her. But she couldn’t see, nor feel, nor hear, nor speak. Her heart felt like it was throbbing with every slow beat it took. The weight of the world seemed to drop down onto her like a ton of bricks. Was this a cruel joke?! Everything that had already happened today…her gaining Forevermore, her parents leaving, her gaining full responsibility for everything, and now…this. She should be happy. But the very thought of seeing him…dying…withering away to nothing, while she outlived him by eons terrified her. How could she deal with the grief? She couldn’t watch him die. The thought made her want to die herself. She wanted to grow old with him. Not to watch her love suffer while she remained at a state of perfection. How could this happen?! It was unfair. And the cruel reality set in, in this still moment. Empty her heart…and grief could not follow her. Celestia inhaled deeply, her mind echoing the question. She gazed deep into his eyes, opened her mouth and spoke the most hurtful, awful, unspeakable, heart-shattering word she could ever have said. 

“No…” 



_________________________



The ground crumbled out from beneath him. His heart stopped beating. He felt his lungs cease to take in anymore air. He felt his hand drop to the earth in shock and despair. No? The one word he never wanted to her. No: the two-lettered word that stung more than any knife would’ve if she’d stabbed him in the heart herself. So many questions flooded his mind. No? Tears blinded his view slightly, but he could see that she was tearing as well. Celestia hung her head and started shaking all over. She looked too distraught to speak, which was nothing compared to what he was feeling at the moment. Behind the film of tears, he watched her turn away from him and begin to speed off in the other direction. Again, so many questions flooded his mind. But he could only ask one. 

“You don’t love me?” he said in a barely audible voice. It was enough to make her stop in her tracks. Celestia turned her head, all the color drained from her eyes. 

“I can’t love you…” she replied hoarsely. That was it. She disappeared. Discord bowed his head low to the ground and clenched his fists tight on the earth. No? She…couldn’t love him? He needed no further explanation. He understood clear enough. And what a steep price he was paying for his own ignorance now. The muscles in his paw tightened around the ring he was holding. He felt his whole body tremble with a familiar energy he couldn’t ignore. Perhaps it was called rage. Whatever it was, it seemed to ease the pain that was decaying his heart. Discord sighed and lifted his head up. His eyes narrowed and his fist tightened around the ring. He watched in a teary gaze as the ring disintegrated in his fist. He let the remaining grains slide off of his paw and into the dirt below him. As he got to his feet and dragged himself toward the cottage by the lake, broken dreams and hopes in tow, his eyes started to change color. And the blacks of them began to turn red. 

'So you truly can’t love a monster,' he thought as he walked. Dark clouds began to roll in and rain started to fall. But I will not be fooled again. 'This time…you’ll pay. You’ll all pay…'    




END OF PART ONE

TO BE CONTINUED…



Author’s Note: Well, that’s it. I know I’ve just crushed all of you guys’s hearts. I iz sowy! :’( 

It appears that all of the Dislestia fics I’ve read constantly display Celestia as the villain. Seriously…can’t there be a logical explanation of why she tore out Discord’s still-beating heart without being a shallow, stupid, cruel…. Uh… [inset nicer word here]? I figured: there had to be a reason why she’d reject him without simply judging him from the way he looked. So, yeah. That is my version of what could’ve happened. 
Now we move into Part Two. How will this all unfold? Hmmm. :) I’ll update a soon as I can, but I am taking a short hiatus to prepare for Part Two. See you guys next time! 
~Nrdygrl