Episode 9: The Return of Discord Part 2
Vaati stood in the Canterlot Castle Gardens with his arms folded, watching as the sun set and the moon rose into the night sky. The sight was indeed beautiful, but Vaati was too mentally preoccupied to appreciate. The only thing on his mind right now was the mismatched creature he had brought terrifyingly close to death. He was rather curious about what Princess Celestia would do with Discord now that he was weak and vulnerable. Considering that she had taken part in ushering in the night, maybe she had already finished with him. Vaati inwardly scoffed; Discord wasn't nearly as mighty as Equestrian history and Celestia had made him out to be.
Nevertheless, something really rankled him at the moment. His mind returned to the aftermath of his admittedly anti-climactic showdown with the god of chaos, when Twilight had stepped between him and his prey. She would not move. He could have easily swatted her aside like a fly and finished off Discord. Yet he didn't. He actually relented. Why?
Because the thought of hurting Twilight actually did not appeal to him. Because she was his friend. Goddesses, he really had become too soft for his own good.
"Wind Mage Vaati!" a voice gruffly announced.
The sorcerer blinked before turning around and seeing one of the Solar Guards trotting up to him. "What?" he responded in kind.
"Princess Celestia requests your presence in the Throne Room at once before she retires for the night."
"Hmph, probably to congratulate me for removing Discord as a threat before he could even get a chance to menace this country properly," Vaati scoffed.
The guard trotted off, ready to end his shift as the sorcerer followed after, continuing to talk to himself. "Perhaps she'll honor me with my own window. Ha, imagine that; a stained-glass window portraying me as the hero."
XXXXXX
Princess Celestia sat on her throne, awaiting the sorcerer. Many questions swirled around in her head, many of them pertaining to the monstrous form he took in the grossly one-sided battle with Discord. Finally she heard the doors creak open as her guards allowed Vaati into the room. The mage's gait had a notable spring to it; the release he had gained from finally getting to unleash his full power after so long had not quite worn off yet. "You wished to see me, Princess?" he asked.
Celestia nodded. "Yes. I summoned you because I wanted to congratulate you on defeating Discord before he had a chance to spread his chaos. However, I also have many questions for you to answer, as well as something you must know concerning Discord."
Vaati's eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Now, Vaati. I bore witness to your transformation, and it has raised many concerns for me. You must tell me everything about yourself, about your powers, your history, and everything you are capable of. I cannot allow you to shroud your past in secrecy any longer. I must know everything."
"...Do you believe me to be a threat, Celestia?" Vaati asked, a dangerous glint in his eye.
"I truly do not know," Celestia answered. "I would like to think not, though. That said, I want answers."
Vaati stared hard at her. "Princess, with all due respect, there are many reasons I don't like revisiting my past and retelling it to those who have no business knowing it."
"Luna knows," Celestia answered. "She knows many things about your past, but because you swore her to secrecy when you caught her wandering your dreams, she has told me little."
"...I wouldn't have revealed it to her if she hadn't discovered it on her own. Celestia, you fail to understand. I don't want to talk about my past. I don't, okay? Ever. Period."
Celestia pursed her lips in disappointment. "...Alright. If you truly wish to maintain some privacy, then only tell me how you came about having the ability to transform into that...thing."
Vaati considered this for several moments before he sighed. "As I said before, I gained power by taking control of a magic cap that could grant wishes. I wished to become the most powerful sorcerer in the world, and my wish was granted. But then I heard of the Light Force and immediately coveted it. I actually succeeded in gaining most of it, and the combination of the two made me virtually unstoppable. Naturally, my methods eventually drew the attention of the Hero, and through a very fortunate stroke of luck, he was able to defeat me. In my battles with his reincarnations, I always took that form, as it is built for offense. You saw what it was capable of."
Celestia kept an even expression as she considered Vaati's words. "I did. And now I must ask; why did you pursue such power?"
"Your question shall remain unanswered."
"I don't think so," Celestia responded sternly. "You are allowed to live here in Equestria on my good graces. I am not going to tolerate you keeping secrets from me that could endanger my subjects were I to remain ignorant. I don't care how high and mighty you think you are, you will tell me what I want to know if you don't wish to spend a week in the dungeons!"
"I don't know what you're thinking, Princess," Vaati snarled angrily, balling his fists. "But I am not afraid of you! If you continue to threaten me in such a manner, then we will have a problem!"
"If you continue to show disrespect towards me and my authority, then we will indeed have a problem," Celestia calmly shot back, though anger was clearly evident in her eyes. "You forget; I rule over Equestria. You are a subject of this land, and are therefore subject to my laws and reign. You are not above my authority, Vaati Picoru! Do you understand?"
Vaati's eye twitched as his scowl deepened. It would be so easy to wipe that glare right off her face. His transformation would only take seconds; he could reduce her to a greasy smudge on the floor before she even knew what was happening. But the mage suddenly stopped himself. What would that achieve in the end? His actions would brand him an enemy and a traitor, just as he had been back in Hyrule. He would once again be a monster, an evil fiend to be hunted, feared, and hated by all. And perhaps the most gut-wrenching thing of all: he would lose his first true friend.
Celestia noticed a sudden change come over the sorcerer. His once-furious gaze lost focus and his expression became pained and troubled. His legs buckled slightly as if he suddenly felt weakened. The Sun Princess knew she had finally gotten through to him, but her words seemed to have shaken him more than she anticipated. But now was not the time to dwell on that. "Now, tell me, Sorcerer of Winds. Why did you pursue that power?"
Vaati began fidgeting uncontrollably, fighting his emotions. "Because...without it...I was...I was nothing," he finally spoke, struggling to keep his voice even.
"Explain," Celestia commanded.
Vaati glared at the Princess. "I wanted to be something, you daft fool. I was born nothing, I was raised as nothing, and I lived as nothing! Your stupid subjects cling to your fanciful ideas of friendship for all to share, but guess what?! I never had any of that in my life! I had no family to love me, for my mother gave her life to bring me into the world, and no one even knew who my father was. I had no friends; I made a better punching bag for the local bullies. I had no one to look after me; I spent eight whole years of my life in a decrepit orphanage and two more as a servant for an oafish old coot who promised me magical studies but gave me only chores. Until I stole that idiot's wish-granting cap, I was nothing, to anyone! A life of infamy was better than a life lacking worth! Anything else you want to know, Princess?!"
Celestia was silent for many long moments, taking in the sorcerer's countenance. She could tell he was struggling to contain his emotions, for his breathing was starting to become heavy and his eyes were starting to water. He was clearly distraught; perhaps the news about Discord could wait until tomorrow. "No," she finally answered. "That will be all. If you wish to rest, I have set up a room for you to stay during the night."
"No. I am returning to the Palace of Winds. Goodnight," he spat.
Before Celestia could even protest, Vaati teleported away, leaving the alicorn princess all alone in the throne room as she groaned in frustration. At that moment, a midnight-blue alicorn trotted into the room, a black crown nestled in her lavender mane, which was just beginning to attain a spectral, night sky-ish appearance. "I heard thy exchange with the Sorcerer of Winds," Princess Luna said, catching her sister's attention.
Celestia sighed. "He is such an enigma. He possesses power the likes of which I've never seen before. I have suspected that he was a rather villainous character once for a while now, but I knew precious little of his history. It's so difficult, dealing with him. He has absolutely no respect for authority and..."
"Canst thou blame him, sister, with the life he hath lived?" Luna responded. "He told thee a part of his history that haunts him to this day, and I hath bore witness to his memories of it first-hand. For all his life, he hath known only hate and indifference. Only here has he been given a chance to experience that which was denied him in his own world."
Celestia rubbed her forehead. "Get Twilight. Take her to his Palace; something tells me he will need her."
"What of Discord?" Luna asked. "Thou hast not yet told Vaati of thy decision to spare him."
"He will be told tomorrow," Celestia answered. "But for now, he needs his friend. Take her to him."
XXXXXX
Palace of Winds...
Vaati, after ordering the Darknut guarding the door to allow no visitors inside, shut himself inside his bedchamber. None of the torches were lit, for the moonlight was casting its beams into the room through an open window. An opulent bed fit for royalty (which he had in fact stolen from Hyrule Castle a long time ago) took up a large corner of the room. The floor was covered by silk rugs depicting various patterns and designs. As Vaati stood in the middle of his room, he released a shuddering breath as his thoughts and emotions began to overwhelm him.
His bout with Discord had reawakened the primal beast within him. Since that moment, he had so desperately craved another release of that power that he had considered swatting aside his only friend like an annoying fly as well as outright killing Celestia. He had thought he was over this, that he had fully given up on his more violent tendencies. This wasn't what retirement was supposed to be about.
He had come too close to utterly slipping away, unleashing his monstrous power on those who honestly didn't deserve it. In that moment, he had come close to ruining everything he had gained. He had nearly become that which he had sworn never to become again, and though he had not acted on his urges, the fact that he still had them distressed him.
He could have lost Twilight in his anger.
She had been the first to truly open up to him and think of him as a cherished friend. She had cared for him when all others had not passed him a second glance. The prospect of losing her actually made him feel physically ill. He didn't want to be alone. He had been alone for so long before.
Chip was right: he was a monster. He always had been.
The sorcerer hunkered down in an empty corner of the room and leaned against the wall, curling himself into a fetal position as he wept in silence, stewing in a hotbed of self-loathing.
XXXXXX
After awkwardly thanking Princess Luna for taking her to the Palace of Winds, Twilight trotted down the unusually empty halls, searching for Vaati's bedchamber. Occasionally she saw a Floormaster pass her by, crawling on rotted fingertips, or a Poe float overhead, its lantern casting a faint, ghostly light that unnerved the poor mare. But she continued on, intent on finding the sorcerer.
After a few more minutes of essentially dungeon-crawling through the expansive palace, Twilight finally reached the door to which she knew to be Vaati's bedchamber. A lone Darknut stood guard by the door, rigid as a statue. Swallowing her fear of the hulking monster, Twilight trotted up to the Darknut. "Excuse me, sir," she said. "Is Vaati in there?"
The Darknut's ponderous helm tilted ever so slightly down towards her. "Yes," it grunted. "And Lord Vaati has asked that no visitors disturb him."
Twilight frowned. "I need to see him, though."
"It can wait till tomorrow," the Darknut said curtly.
"No, I really don't think it can. Listen. Do you hear that?"
The Darknut quieted and strained its ears to listen. A very faint noise that almost sounded like a person crying could be heard through the other side of the door. The Darknut was confused and somewhat unsettled. "Master?" it questioned almost to itself.
"That is the sound of someone who really needs a friend right now," Twilight spoke sternly. "So please, step aside and let me in."
The Darknut shifted uncomfortably before nodding. "Very well, Lady Twilight. Go to him."
Twilight nodded appreciatively to the Darknut before enveloping the doorknob with her magic. She slowly opened the door, eliciting a long, drawn-out creak as she tentatively peered inside. "Hello?" Twilight whispered. "Vaati? Are you in here?"
There was no immediate answer. Twilight's ears pricked as she tried to pick up any faint sounds, and finally heard a quiet sniffling sound coming from the very back of the room. She couldn't see inside the room very well, for there were no lights save for the moonbeams that gave light to a square patch on the floor, revealing a fancy rug with unfamiliar designs on them. Braving the darkness, Twilight trotted into the room, shutting the door behind her. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she then saw the sorcerer huddled in a corner, his arms wrapped around his legs as he stared at the wall, tears flowing freely from his eyes.
Vaati didn't acknowledge her presence. Never before had Twilight seen the sorcerer in such a state, and the sad look in his eyes twisted her heartstrings in a knot. "Vaati?" Twilight tentatively asked.
Vaati did not look up at her or answer. Feeling she should continue, Twilight said, "I don't know what happened, but Princess Celestia said you needed a friend right now. Is...is there anything I can do to help?"
"...I could have hurt you today."
Twilight was not expecting that answer. "I...what?"
Vaati finally looked up at her, his expression one of utter shame. "What you saw today...that is what I truly am. I'm a monster."
Twilight's mind immediately returned to the image of the humongous, glaring Cyclops-beast in her path, the rage burning in its single eye, the sheer power surrounding it, and repressed a shudder. Vaati apparently noticed, for he said, "So you do not deny the hideousness of my true nature."
Twilight shoved that fearsome image aside and matched Vaati's gaze. "I don't deny that that was a very terrifying experience..." Vaati looked down again, ashamed. "...but you are not a monster."
Vaati's gaze shot back up as he blinked in confusion. "Twilight, I had every intention of killing Discord when you got between us. I came this close to hurting you in order to finish him off. I actually considered swatting you aside like a toy, which could have severely injured you had I given in to my urges. And then, when Celestia pressed me for more details surrounding my past, I almost assumed that form again. I almost gave in to my urge to kill the Princess."
To say this news unnerved Twilight would be an understatement, and for a moment, she took a small step back in hesitation. Vaati buried his face in his knees. "Chip was right," he whispered mostly to himself. "I'm a wretched, unlovable monster. I haven't changed at all."
At that moment, something occurred to Twilight. "Well...I don't think that's true."
Vaati scoffed bitterly as he sniffled. "The proof is in the pudding, Twilight."
"That's right, it is. But not in the way you think."
"What are you talking about?" Vaati tiredly demanded, his breakdown having left him feeling emotionally exhausted.
"You said it yourself; you had an urge to...hurt me and the Princess. But you proved that you've changed when you successfully defeated both those impulses. All you showed me was that you had a surge of power that clouded your sense of judgment, but when you were at the height of that power, when you were poised to kill somepony, you heard my voice...you saw my face...and you held yourself back. If I know enough about your past, you wouldn't have done that before you came here. You have changed, Vaati, and you are not a monster."
Vaati closed his eyes and softly exhaled. "Then what am I?"
Twilight sat down on her haunches next to the sorcerer and nuzzled his shoulder. "My friend," she answered.
Vaati could not think of a way to reply. He was too tired, but there was no denying the feeling of comfort worming its way into his heart as he leaned into Twilight. Realizing the sorcerer was falling asleep, Twilight did not push him away, but positioned herself underneath his head to act like a makeshift pillow as Vaati's body stretched out on the rug. She could hear soft snoring issuing from Vaati's mouth already. She smiled before looking up at his bed and igniting her horn, pulling off a pillow for herself and the bedspread, laying the large red blanket over the sleeping mage and resting her head on the pillow. "Goodnight, Vaati," she whispered soothingly before drifting off herself.
A few minutes later, the Darknut guard opened the door and peeked inside, wondering why he heard no more noise. When he saw his master asleep on the floor, his head propped up on Twilight's back like a pillow, the guard smiled and shut the door.
XXXXXX
The next morning...
Vaati slowly awoke as he heard the bedchamber door shut. He groggily lifted his head up, stirring Twilight from her slumber as well. The little unicorn looked up at the mage and smiled. "Morning, sleepyhead."
Vaati's reply came out a barely-audible, garbled mess of unintelligible words as he sat up straight and rubbed his eyes. As the mage gathered his bearings, he mumbled, "Who was just in here?"
Twilight yawned before noticing something sitting on the bed, parts of it giving off steam. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "There's a tray of food up there! Wonder who left it for us..."
Vaati groaned as he stood up, his knees popping as he walked over to the tray of sliced apples, two slices of cheesecake, (a delicacy from Sugarcube Corner that Vaati had grown especially fond of) a plate of roasted cockatrice, and two mugs of freshly-squeezed apple juice and picked up a note sitting next to it and read it aloud. "A little birdie told us you had a rough night last night. The Moblins insisted it wasn't something food couldn't fix, so we made you breakfast. I personally don't recommend the roasted cockatrice to Miss Twilight. Signed, Nigellas."
"Aw, that's so sweet," Twilight said. "Your minions made us breakfast!"
Vaati cringed, but couldn't hide a light smirk. "This wouldn't happen in Hyrule."
"Well, I'm hungry! Let's eat!" Twilight eagerly pressed.
XXXXXX
Canterlot Castle, three hours later...
Princess Celestia was surprised by the sound of the Throne Room door opening. Looking up from the document she had been reading, she noticed Twilight and Vaati entering the room. Twilight was smiling, but Vaati still had an unpleasant scowl on his face directed at Celestia. "Hello again, you two," Celestia greeted, nodding her head.
"Hello, Princess," Twilight cheerfully responded.
"...Well-met, Princess," Vaati grunted.
"I understand that last night was a trying moment for you, Vaati," Celestia said. "As such, I refrained from telling you the news about Discord until you were feeling better."
"News? What news?" Vaati asked suspiciously. "You did turn him back to stone or what-not, right?"
Celestia shook her head. "No. We did not."
Vaati had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, but he tried another option, hoping against hope that the situation wasn't what he thought it was. "Alright, then. Did you just kill him so this couldn't happen again?"
"I have decided to spare Discord," Celestia answered, "in the hopes that he can be reformed."
A heavy silence permeated the room. For many long moments, Vaati just stared at Celestia as if she had sprouted another head. "You...you're joking...right? Twilight, tell me she's joking."
"Uh...no, she actually isn't."
Vaati's eye twitched before he exploded. "PRINCESS, HAVE YOU TAKEN LEAVE OF YOUR SENSES?!"
Twilight cringed at the loudness of Vaati's angered voice. "You know what he's capable of, Celestia!" Vaati vehemently argued. "As long as he lives, he is a threat to Equestria! You yourself said he was one of your most powerful foes, and yet you want to give him a free pass for all the unrest he has caused?! How can you be so dull-witted?!"
"Discord's power has potential to do a lot of good for Equestria," Celestia answered calmly. "All he needs is to be shown the consequences his actions have on-!"
"This is nuts," Vaati interrupted. "You're all nuts."
The sorcerer turned on his heel and strode towards the door. "Vaati!" Twilight called after him.
Vaati didn't respond, slamming the door shut as he left. As it so happened, Rainbow Dash and Applejack were nearby, talking about unimportant things. Vaati approached them and curtly demanded, "Take me to Discord. Now."
"Can Ah at least hear a 'please'?" Applejack sourly replied.
Vaati's murderous glare was all the answer she needed. "Uh...right this way," Applejack tentatively replied.
"What's your problem?" Rainbow asked.
"No questions. Take me to him."
XXXXXX
The two mares led Vaati to the Hospital Wing of the castle, where Discord was currently residing. Stopping outside his room, Applejack said, "He's in there. Don't do anythin' too rash."
Vaati grunted in response and walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. There lay the draconequus, covered from head to tail in bandages, his neck and appendages all wrapped in casts. Vaati sneered in disgust. As if sensing another presence in the room, Discord's eyes fluttered open and glanced towards him. When he finally realized who was in the room with him, Discord's eyes bugged out in their sockets from fright and the draconequus recoiled, instinctively trying to get away from the glaring sorcerer. The spirit of chaos gritted his teeth as the resulting movement sent waves of searing pain shooting down his body.
Vaati's sneer widened into a truly maniacal smirk as he approached the terrified spirit. "D-don't come any closer!" Discord weakly warned. "I'll turn that hair of yours into licorice!"
Vaati laughed mockingly and took another step towards Discord's bedside. "Go ahead. Try it. Humor me, god of chaos."
Discord tried to hide his fear behind a mask of pompousness as he lifted his eagle talon ever so slightly and snapped his fingers. There was no flash of magic, nor were there licorice dreadlocks cascading down Vaati's face. The sorcerer grinned in triumph as Discord immediately dropped his bravado and stared at his hand in shock. "W-what?" he gasped. "You took my magic?!"
"Actually, Celestia did that," Vaati nonchalantly corrected. "Either way, you're a rose without thorns now, Discord."
Discord managed to swallow his terror of the purple-clad magician and adopt a more neutral expression, trying to build back up his usual arrogant countenance. "What's Celestia playing at? Maybe she really did miss me. Maybe she's already gotten tired of her dear sister again."
"The oh-so-exalted Princess has seen it fit to grant you a second chance," Vaati begrudgingly revealed. "She intends to...reform you."
At this, Discord had to laugh. "Oh, really now? What's she gonna do, force me to endure six-hour-long lectures on the "magic of friendship" by one Twilight Sparkle? Boring."
"I really don't care what the Princess plans to do with you," Vaati snapped. "The fact remains that Celestia has made a very grave mistake, letting you live. Her reasons matter little to me; you don't deserve a second chance."
Discord couldn't stop himself from breaking out into a cold sweat at Vaati's menacing scowl. "Oh...and, uh...why do you say that?"
"You know why," Vaati coldly shot back. "You were a menace to society way back when, leaving the subjects in a perpetual state of misery. Secondly, your existence irks me."
"W-well, you can't really hold that blame over my head after a thousand years, can you?" Discord nervously replied. "You weren't even around a thousand years ago! That seems a bit harsh, don't you think?"
"You'll find that I am a harsh person," Vaati smirked evilly, eliciting a gulp from the defenseless draconequus.
"Vaati! There you are!" Twilight suddenly interrupted, walking into the room. "I've been looking all over for you!"
Vaati bared his teeth in aggravation. "You have awful timing, Twilight," he growled.
"Apparently not, since Discord's still in one piece," Twilight flatly replied. "Princess Celestia wanted me to tell you that you are forbidden from harming Discord in any way."
Discord sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness you came, Twilight Sparkle!" he cried in an over-dramatic fashion. "Oh, it was so horrible! He was threatening me and saying unkind words for absolutely no reason whatsoever!"
"Cut it out, Discord," Twilight curtly replied. "You probably pushed first."
Discord's fur bristled in indignation. "I did not!"
Vaati smirked in amusement before Twilight addressed him again. "Promise me you won't do anything to harm Discord."
Vaati rolled his eyes and sighed, holding up his right hand. "Alright, fine. I solemnly swear that I will not lay a finger on Discord again with the intention to harm him. There, happy?"
Twilight smiled. "Very. Now let's leave him alone. Fluttershy plans to visit him soon, so we should give them some privacy."
Vaati grumbled as he headed towards the door, letting Twilight go first. However, before she shut the door, the sorcerer flashed Discord one final glare brimming with malicious intent. The second the door closed, Discord released a shuddering breath.
XXXXXX
That evening...
Vaati sat alone in the bedroom Celestia had given him in one of the towers, waiting until he was sure everyone else was asleep. Of course, not everyone would be; Luna and her guards were active during the night, but Vaati had no reason to be worried about them. Though they were attuned to the darkness, Princess Luna's thestrals would still be unable to detect the nasty surprise Vaati had in store for a certain spirit of chaos.
Once he was sure midnight had struck, Vaati conjured an invisible Eye Sentry, one only he could see and detect. The cyclops-bat squeaked in response to its summoning, eager to please its master. "A dangerous entity called Discord is staying in the castle infirmary," he explained to the critter. "The idiot Princess won't listen to reason, so we must be the ones to eliminate him. Find him, and do whatever you can to dispose of him. Sabotage the medical equipment keeping him alive."
The Sentry nodded in acknowledgement and flew off, phasing through the stone wall of the tower. Confident the Sentry would do its work, Vaati settled into his bed to get some sleep and hopefully ward off any suspicion.
Invisible to all eyes and detection spells, the flying eyeball flitted through the main part of Canterlot Castle, passing by numerous patrols of the unsuspecting Night Guards as it sought Discord. Finally the Eye Sentry found the room and discreetly phased through the wall, spying the draconequus lying in his hospital bed, fast asleep. Gods, that creature could snore. The Sentry then glanced at the beeping devices, to which wires were attached that connected to Discord's body.
Time to wreak havoc on chaos.
The Sentry flitted over towards the equipment, ready to imbue its essence into the devices and short-circuit them.
"It would be an unwise course of action to do that," an unexpected voice coldly warned from behind.
All of a sudden, the Sentry felt its shroud of invisibility dispel and squeaked in fright. Turning around, it saw Princess Luna glaring sternly at the creature. Afraid now that the Princess had seen it, the Sentry zipped out of the room, phasing through the wall like a ghost. Luna sighed in displeasure, knowing exactly who had sent it. Luna then teleported directly to Vaati's room, her arrival startling the sorcerer, who hadn't fallen asleep yet. "Vaati Picoru, we must have a word with thee," she spoke.
Vaati sat up in bed and forced an innocent smile. "Yes, Princess. What can I do for you in the dead of night?"
The Eye Sentry chose that moment to reenter the room, screeching in terror as it spotted Luna. "We are aware of thy attempt on Discord's life," the Moon Princess said, ignoring the Sentry. "Didst thou truly think we could not sense this creature of darkness's presence?"
Vaati frowned, realizing he had been caught red-handed. "We are just as attuned to the darkness as thee, Vaati," Luna continued. "This creature could not hide from us. Now tell us, why dost thou seek Discord's death?"
"Why do you not?" Vaati countered, getting out of bed and crossing his arms.
Luna sighed. "While we admit that Discord's past actions were...unpleasant, Celly believes he deserves a chance to redeem himself."
"Do you?"
Luna blinked. "What?"
"Do you believe he deserves a second chance?"
Luna thought for a moment, then nodded her head. "Yes."
"Are you saying that just because your sister says that?"
"No. We believe he deserves a second chance as well because we were given that same chance despite what we...did in the past."
Vaati said nothing, prompting Luna to play her trump card. "Do not forget. Thou received a second chance as well."
Vaati frowned. "That's different."
Luna raised an eyebrow. "Is it? Tell us how, then."
Vaati opened his mouth to reply, only to realize that he could not think of a response. How were they different? Once upon a time, he, just like Discord, had been a feared villain. His name had been spoken only in hushed whispers, and chaos reigned every time he was released. The idea of redemption was unthinkable.
And yet, here in Equestria, he had found it. The innocent denizens of this world accepted him, forgave him for his past crimes, (at least those who knew of them) and opened themselves up to him. It was here that he had found peace, where his past life could not reach him.
It was here that he had discovered the wonderfully elusive concept of friendship.
What right did he have to deny Discord a second chance at life, when he had accepted that same offer before, under nearly identical circumstances?
It was then that he came to a startling revelation: he was now on the other side of the same situation, and he had a lesson to learn.
"I...I..." The sorcerer could not form coherent words as he sat back down on his bed. "I...don't know."
Luna smiled. "Thou hast just learned a valuable lesson in friendship, methinks."
Vaati looked up at her, ashamed to admit it. "Aye. Everyone deserves a second chance, I suppose. It doesn't matter what one's done in the past. If they are willing to change, then they deserve a chance to show it. And who are you to disagree when you were once in that same boat?"
Luna's smile widened into an ecstatic grin. "Wait until we tell Tia! We taught Vaati a lesson in friendship!"
Vaati waved his hand dismissively and sighed before crawling back under his covers. "Yes, yes, good for you. Now please leave; it's after bloody midnight."
Luna nodded in understanding. "Sleep well, Vaati."
The Moon Princess then teleported away to resume her watch over the night, while Vaati slowly fell asleep, his dreams more peaceful than ever.
XXXXXX
The next morning, Hospital Wing...
"You can't be serious, Celestia," Discord pouted, still unable to move much, though the healing sessions had allowed some of his casts to be removed. "I would try to have your head examined, but I already know I won't find much floating around inside that noggin of yours. You actually think you can reform me? Ahahaha, perish the thought!"
Celestia pursed her lips in annoyance. "You're far too irresponsible for your own good, Discord. You need to learn how to turn your troublesome habits towards more productive things."
"I don't see how, considering you drained me of all my powers!" Discord countered. "Oh yes, that sends a real positive message, Your Royal Pain."
"You will get your powers back little by little as time goes by. The more you improve, the more you will regain."
Discord grumbled irritably. "Really, Celestia. What do you expect me to do?"
"Using your cotton candy clouds and lollipop bushes to end world hunger would be an acceptable start," Celestia spoke with a raised eyebrow.
Discord scoffed. "How positively boring."
The two of them were interrupted an abrupt, "Ahem."
Discord's eyes widened in terror and Celestia turned her head as Vaati entered the room. "Ah, Vaati," Celestia greeted. "Just the one I wanted to see."
Vaati quirked an eyebrow in detached half-interest. "Is that so?"
"It seems Luna was able to teach you an important lesson in giving others the same chance you were given," Celestia answered matter-of-factly, eliciting an annoyed grunt from the mage. "And that is why you, along with Fluttershy, shall be the ones to teach Discord about the benefits of friendship."
Discord and Vaati's eyes bugged out in shock. "You can't be serious," they simultaneously chorused.
Celestia smiled in her usual aggravatingly-benevolent way. "I know nopony else better qualified to teach Discord these lessons, for you have already faced the hardships he will endure. And Fluttershy's infinite kindness and patience will be of great help to you in taming him."
Realizing there was no way out of this, Vaati sighed and ran a hand through his hair, removing his cap with the other hand. "Alright. Since I somewhat doubt I'll be able to convince you otherwise, I'll help you in this most maddening of tasks."
Celestia nodded. "I think it's safe to say that you two got off on the wrong foot. I'll give you a few minutes of privacy to get properly acquainted."
Celestia then left the room. Discord warily regarded the quiet sorcerer, who sighed and sat down at the foot of his bed. "Since it seems I am stuck with you for the time being, I'm going to make something perfectly clear. I have no faith whatsoever in you. As such, you will have to go above and beyond in learning your insipid lessons about friendship if you hope to impress me."
Discord groaned. "Mother Faust help me, I've been enslaved by Drill Sergeant Nasty."
"You don't know the half of it, creature of chaos," Vaati replied. "The princesses were right, though; I was in your position once, and I accepted their offer of friendship. I have no right to deny you the same opportunity. That said, I'm not going to tolerate the slightest bit of insubordination from you. I will be writing to Celestia on a regular basis concerning your progress. When you are fit to leave the castle, you will be staying at the Palace of Winds, where my servants and I can keep an eye on you. You will not leave the Palace without an escort, which will often include myself. And you will use whatever magic Celestia gives you back solely for the purpose of making yourself useful around Ponyville. Do we understand each other?"
Discord gulped. "All those limitations...all that order...you can't possibly be that cruel."
Vaati sneered. "Try me. I was that evil flying eyeball for well over five hundred years; I know a thing or two about cruelty."
Discord shivered uncontrollably at that awful memory. "But rest easy," Vaati continued. "You won't see it again unless you become dangerous."
Discord spent a few moments taking in everything that had transpired around him in the past ten minutes before finally asking, "So how exactly do you expect to actually go about "reforming" me?"
A very unhappy scowl dominated Vaati's facial features. "I have no fudging clue."
To Be Concluded...