//------------------------------//
// Privacy - Paw Paint 
// Story: Chaos and Sunshine: the Discord x Celestia Group Collab 
// by The Princess Rarity 
//------------------------------//

Discord wasn’t usually a deep thinker. He was a forward thinker, maybe a little bit of a hindsight thinker, but the draconequus didn’t usually sit down for an hour or two simply creating theories about the nuclear energies of the multiverse. Most of his ingenious plans simply hinged on his brilliant ability to improvise.

So, in short, he found himself surprised when all his thoughts were focused on Celestia. Not so much what was deliciously right with the alabaster monarch, but rather— what was wrong. So far, the only time Discord had ever seen her fly was seat herself on a chariot, or some other show of graceful strength.

The Celestia he remembered loved to fly—rocketing off mountains and soaring as high as she could before her breath gave out. The Celestia he remembered always pinned back her hair, letting her lovely face be enhanced by two beautiful magenta eyes— nowadays, he was lucky to get a glimpse of both at the same time.  

Something was off with her, and as Discord skipped along the ceiling, he tried to guess what in advance. All his theories sounded preposterous— at least, for Celestia. Coming to a stop in front of her quarters, he gave a quick beating to her guards.

“Helllloo, gentlecolts.” Smirking as their stoic faces failed to match the hue of their scarlet plots, he made to go inside.

“Sorry, Discord, but the Princess has requested no one disturb her privacy.” Ignoring the warning, he popped into the room, not bothering to make a quick come back.

Celestia immediately whipped about. “Discord! I requested that no one disturb me!” She was stricken with a familiar emotion— fear. He was used to fear though, so its presence could not be what made his heart drop. Any and all witty greetings died on his tongue.

“…What happened to your eye?”  Her hair flowed loftily away from the black hole that right now seemed to consume her face.

Taking a deep breath, she looked to her mirror and answered coolly: “I lost it in a battle during the first hundred years Luna was away.” Discord was on her in an instant, coiling around her, gingerly examining her face as a child might his dearest toy.

“Why haven’t you— never mind, I can fix this.” He moved his paw over the absence, ready to repair the damage, only to be surprised as Celestia shoved his paw away.

“Don’t.”

“What-” Her one-eyed steel gaze prevented him from pressing, and the hug that his body wrapped her in dropped away. “What in Tartarus are you—“

“I want to keep it.” Celestia sighed as she stepped out of his embrace

“You’re mad.” He accused. “Why live with something that prevents you from doing things you love the most? You’ll never fly like you used to!”

Her magic picked up an eyepatch, smoothed away any remainder of the empty space as she put it on.  “It’s a reminder of what’s at stake when I am ruler— who’s day to day will change dramatically if a make one misstep— especially when lives other then my own are at stake. Their safety and happiness is now what I love most.”

When she looked back at him, two magenta eyes were fully in view, ready to dispel his forming argument. “If you can’t deal with how I’ve changed, then perhaps it would be best if you left me with my privacy.”