Celestia trotted back into her castle slowly, removing her crown off of her head. The princess was known for being the fairest in Equestria, and she worked hard to reach the expectations of the citizens of her land. Though... Sometimes that was hard. Honesty, on occasion, was hard to reach, and was much expected from a princess. The mare sighed, trotting over to a window that overlooked Canterlot. Though, it wasn't the view she was thinking of. It was the worried Draconequus that stood by it, staring out the window while resting his head on a tight fist created by his furry paw. Celestia approached him, and lay a hoof on his shoulder.
The act surprised him, and he jumped with alert. Once he realized who it was, he went right back to staring out the window.
"I'm worried for her, Celestia." He sighed out. Normally Discord's voice had a touch of humor, and on occasion, a fine slice of sarcasm. However, right now it was sanded down to pure worry and concern for his beloved daughter. Celestia nodded and sat beside him. What she was going to say wasn't going to be easy.
"I... I know how harsh others at school can be to somepony that looks... different." He sighed, looking down at the bustling city below. Ponies value friendship and love? He turned his head away from the crowd when recalling all those years ago when he himself had attended school. For a long time, the Draconequus felt as if the fear he felt when going to school couldn't be beat... But he was wrong. He worried about the streaming tears coming from his daughter's eyes... No pain could pass that.
Celestia looked at him. She could tell what he was thinking. For several moments, she wondered if it was a good time to tell him... However, the princess knew deep down that it was better to tell him now then be surprised with a crying filly questioning his goodness.
"Discord... I... I have to tell you something." She placed her hoof on his paw on the window sill. For several moments, they stared at each other. Discord's eyes were ringed with worry and stress, and Celestia tried to keep her gaze unreadable. She breathed in, then slowly let it out.
"Sparkler.... Sparkler is learning the History of Equestria today in school."
Discord's eyes became wider, which seemed impossible at first. Celestia braced herself for his voice to raise. She waited for him to burst into flames, to perhaps destroy a few things in the room in his attempts to leave and retrieve his daughter, and then she would be there to try and calm him down. She waited for him to yell at her.
But none of Celestia's expectations came.
She felt surprised, wrong, and helpless. Discord's wide, worrying eyes were now hidden in his arm. He was sobbing quietly. Celestia wondered if she should say something to comfort him, or to leave him some time alone. Unsure of which to do, the princess simply stay frozen, staring at him sobbing alone on the window sill.
It seemed like several eternities before he looked up at her. His normally strong, deep voice was now somewhat high-pitched and sad.
"We... We agreed to tell her when she was older...." He sighed out quietly.
Celestia bowed her head in an apology. A promise broken with time was the only excuse she could think of.
"I know... And I'm sorry... I really, really am... But... I knew we had to get Sparkler out to meet friends. And I knew that if anypony saw her in school who knew your history, she'd be confused and scared and lost. This is exactly the reason why I didn't have her start school in Autumn with the others.... I planned this date so Twilight could...."
Discord looked up at her. His pupils were wide, and a rim of tears followed the bottom lines of his eyes. Celestia flinched slightly. It was a rare sight to see him cry... She couldn't remember the last time she saw him like this beside the time when.....
The princess's thoughts wrecked, and she found herself unable to speak. Her bottom chin quivered slightly as she swallowed back a fire in her throat. The remembrance of Discord's tears from a recent past flooded into her mind, and the princess felt a sudden pain of sorrow.
"Discord... I'm.."
Celestia searched for the right words to say. Nothing seemed right. There was no use talking anyway. Words will not dry his tears.
The two sat beside each other, not a word said as the Draconequus finally lifted his head. He took a deep, trembling breath before standing up once again and turning towards the hallway. Celestia wasn't sure to follow him, or to let him be alone. Unsure, Celestia carefully got up to follow him. Almost as if scripted, a guard came running through to the princess. Discord stopped walking and looked back.
"Princess! You're presence is needed in the Canterlot Summer Tea Party!" He yelped, pointing at a clock that hung on the wall.
Celestia rolled her eyes. She didn't even like tea. The princess tried to walk past the guard and towards Discord, who was now heading up the stairs.
"Can't it wait just a few minutes?" Celestia asked, shoving him slightly.
"Princess, you promised you'd attend! This event is what keeps most tea shops open here in Canterlot!" He yelled frantically. Before the princess could reply, Discord turned one last time before heading up the stairs.
"Yeah, Tia. It's not very princess-like to break promises."
***
Sparkler sat, her tail wagging as Ms. Sparkle, her teacher, drew a picture of her mommy, auntie Luna, and daddy on the board. She smiled wildly, not caring that her fang stuck out like a sore thumb. It seemed Twilight kept glancing back at her, and she sold a fake smile to the class, which was pitiful compared to Sparkler's heart-filled smile.
"Now... Who can tell me who or what this is.." Twilight said, pointing a purple hoof at daddy. Sparkler's hoof went straight up, and she waved it wildly. Twilight giggled. She knew Sparkler would be this enthusiastic in class. However, it would only be fair to choose a filly or colt that was sitting much quieter in their seats.
"Wind Rider?"
A blue pony smirked and gave a side glance to Precious Tiara, who nodded approval. Sparkler just continued to smile and turned to look back at the colt who was going to talk about her daddy.
"Well, he's a monstrous creature that made ponies suffer for thousands of years!" He shouted out, waving his hooves dramatically. The whole class erupted in laughter. Sparkler just stared at him, confused. To get back the attention of her students, Twilight banged a stick on her desk very hard.
"Keep in mind now that he has changed, and that the only thing that determines whether or not you're a monster is by your behavior. Just ask the princess."
Sparkler grinned slightly at Twilight's words, but felt knocked down when her pupils gave disapproving glances and whispers.
She listened to every word that came to Twilight's mouth, flinching every now and then when her mommy or daddy was mentioned. Surely mommy didn't really send Auntie Luna to the moon, and daddy...daddy would never do the things Twilight was describing. Mommy was always there by his side to help him. He would never hurt anypony.
As time went on, Sparkler could feel a fire burning in her throat. She swallowed it back and wiped the tears the threatened to peep from her eyes. Why was Twilight saying her daddy made ponies miserable with his powers? He only used his powers to make ponies happy. Then finally, Sparkler felt a tear roll down her cheek when she flipped the page as instructed... It was another picture of her daddy... But... he looked different. His normally soft, warm fur looked hard and cold. Sparkler looked up at Twilight, eyes wide and jaw open as silent tears rolled down her face.
Twilight's eyes met hers, and they locked stares for several moments. The alicorn felt as if she wanted to comfort the filly she had watched grow up more then anything else in the world, but she knew she had to stay focused. It... It was just another lesson. Sparkler stared back down the picture... He looked cold, alone, but somehow masking his feelings away behind a stone smile. The filly hugged the book in attempt to hug her daddy, and she sat there hugging and sobbing into the pages. She was once again unaware of the stares, and even the continuing lesson.
Twilight struggled to carry on. The princess had been teaching for many years now, but had never encountered a situation such as this. For the longest period of time, Twilight had always say Celestia as the most perfect, flawless pony. However, Twilight couldn't shake the feeling that the ancient alicorn had made a mistake sending her to school. Twilight had offered to homeschool the filly, but the sun princess refused her offer.
"Twilight... I find it will be hard for my daughter to make friendship with ponies if she doesn't go..."
The words rang in Twilight's ears over and over, almost covering the sounds of her sobbing in the room. Finally, she snapped, along with the piece of chalk she was using on the board. The princess turned, smiling at her students.
"I... How about we have recess early today, hm?" Twilight gasped out. She never, ever, EVER in a million years thought she would suggest such a thing. She believed having recess was already too large of a gap without learning, and she could teach so much more in 45 minutes, but in this case, Twilight knew Sparkler would need a break.
The class cheered together as all fillies and colts ran out the door, trampling over one another to get through. All except one.
Sparkler slowly walked towards the door, the book still held tightly in her hoof. By the time she reached the front of the room, the rest of the children had made it outside. Twilight stopped her with her wing, then drew her in closer to hold the filly tightly in a hug. Sparkler dropped the book on the floor, letting her tears fly loosely from her eyes. She was such a sensitive little filly.
"Shh... Shhhhh... It's okay..." Twilight stroked her black mane as she sobbed into her chest fur.
"M-My daddy.... hurt ponies... he's bad..." Sparkler cried.
Twilight scooped up Sparkler to hold her at eye-level.
"Oh, no no no, honey! He's changed, he really has!"
Sparkler nodded silently, tears still streaming from her face.
"I know..."
Twilight smiled, then backed away to reach for something with her hoof under her desk. She pulled out a purple journal which contained six gemstones, each being a different color. Sparkler wiped her tears away, then reached for it as it was handed to her.
"I understand it will be for hard for you to make friends at first. Hay, I didn't even have friends at all when I was a filly... But I believe this journal can help you with any problems you might have at first... My best friends and I wrote this."
Sparkler stared down at the book, then flipped it to the first page. She stared down, just glancing at what was written down on the old pages. She loved getting gifts, especially from Twilight... Even though they were mostly books.
"Thank you..." She sighed out, hugging Twilight once more. The alicorn smiled, then lifted the filly into the air which managed to squeak a giggle out of her.
"Now, go out there and make some friends." Twilight said, giving her a gentle shove. Sparkler smiled and nodded, then turned to head out the door. As soon as she left Twilight's sight, the filly let her smile fall once more, mostly from nervousness. The filly tried her best to smile though, and managed to force one on her face by the time she stepped outside.
Fillies and colts were climbing on jungle gyms, swinging on swings, playing cards on picnic tables, and some just stood and chatted. Sparkler looked around, not really sure who to go to. Applalee couldn't be seen, and thankfully, Precious Tiara and her gang were missing as well. Figuring it was too hard to decide, Sparkler trotted to a willow in the corner of the playground. She settled under its hanging branches, wrapping her long, red tail around herself before opening the book to a random page. She began to read.
A shadow cast over the sunlight that allowed her to read the pages. Sparkler looked up to see the source of darkness, and used a hoof as a visor as she looked up. It was Precious Tiara, along with several other fillies and colts.
"Well, at least you're good for something." The pink filly snorted. "Who knew a cry baby could actually do something useful, like get us early recess."
Sparkler looked back down at her pages nervously, blushing terribly and swallowing back the urge to cry.
"Whatcha got there, Sparkler?" A colt asked, shoving through the crowd to get a better look. Sparkler was always told it was a terrible, terrible thing to ignore somepony who directly addresses her.
"Umm.... A book Twilight gave to me..." She said, pulling it closer to her chest.
"Oh?" Precious Tiara came closer, ripping it from the filly's grip.
"Hey!"
"What is this? Advice on friendship?" She chuckled, looking over and over at the page she was reading. "I didn't need any books to make my friends."
Sparkler looked away, wanting these fillies and colts to leave her alone.
"I..I already have a friend..." Sparkler sighed out, then smiled slightly.
"You may want to rethink that."
Sparkler looked up, gasping as she saw Applalee move through the crowd to confront the cowering filly in the grass. She tossed something in her hoof up and down over and over again. It took a moment for her to realize what it was. It was the gemstone her daddy had given her... Or, so she was told. She honestly couldn't remember when he gave it to her, but mommy told her it was the day she was born. She was wrapped in silk, which was then pinned together by a gem that matched the one on mommy's necklace. Ever since, Sparkler has carried it with it. Her mommy must've clipped it on her backpack.
"Hey! Give that back!" Sparkler stood up. She tried her best to sound strong, but her voice instead came out as a scared squeak. "Why'd you take that from me, Applalee?!" She shouted as she reached to grab for it, but the traitor simply pulled it away.
"Why, I wouldn't really get along with a monster."
Sparkler felt her cheeks grow warm. A fire began to burn in her throat as she forced back the tears that threatened to come any minute.
"I'm... I'm not a monster...." She gasped out, swallowing as much air as she could.
"Yeah, I guess you're right..." Precious Tiara's smile fell as she thought for a few minutes. However, her grin returned shortly after.
"But your daddy is."
Sparkler breathed through her nose, ignoring the growing urge to cry. "My daddy is NOT a monster!!" She shouted.
"Oh really?" Another colt spoke up and came to face the filly of the princess.
"I heard he sent three fillies away for asking him how his day was!"
Sparkler looked at the colt, anger starting to cover her sadness. "He would NEVER DO THAT!"
Applalee then took the colt's place and spoke. "Perhaps you don't know you're daddy as well as you think... From the looks of it, it seems you didn't even know about his past."
Sparkler opened her mouth to say something, but instead let it hang open. How could they say such things? Finally, something came to mind. She never, ever would've used this as an excuse before... But she just had to defend her daddy.
"My mommy is Princess Celestia, and she chose to marry him... That is proof he is good." Sparkler replied somewhat calmly.
"Oh yeah?" Precious Tiara walked closer to Sparkler and stopped just centimeters away.
"My mommy says its about time Celestia was pushed off the throne. She went crazy when she chose to marry Discord."
As the fillies and colts nodded in agreement, Sparkler's eyes grew. Were ponies really thinking that about her mommy? She had ruled Equestria for thousands of years. Why are they thinking she should be removed from the throne? When the ponies saw Sparkler wasn't going to reply, they continued.
"Your daddy never told you about his past... And yet you think he loves you? You think he understands you? My mommy says he's just a monster in hiding, waiting for the chance to strike!"
The fillies and colts cheered as Precious Tiara bopped Sparkler in the face. It wasn't hard, though there was certainly some force.
Sparkler rubbed her nose, then just sat there, wondering what to say. Did she really know her daddy? Sparkler shook the thought away. Of course she did. Of course her daddy loved her.
"You can keep denying it if it makes you happy, but you should really think about it. When has your daddy ever done anything but make you laugh? Has he ever done anything else to actually show he cares?"
Sparkler finally let the tears fly loosely from her eyes. She hated these fillies and colts. She hated everypony.
A purple flash fell, slamming the ground and causing several ponies to fall over, including Sparkler. It was Twilight, or as many of the other fillies and colts knew her, Ms. Sparkle. Her violet eyes were ringed with anger. "You ponies leave her alone!! She has feelings, just like all of you. If I see you hurting her in any way again, I WILL take it to the princesses!" The fillies and colts all ran and scattered, and Twilight turned to help Sparkler up. She still held the book tightly to her chest.
"I'm sorry, Sparkler. Don't listen them." Twilight tried her best to comfort the filly, including the gesture of wrapping her purple wing around the little filly. However, Sparkler was quick to push the wing off and she turned away.
"I wanna go home."
Twilight sat in silence. If she sent Sparkler home early, Celestia would not be pleased, and Twilight will feel as if she had failed teaching her daughter. Though, after thinking about it, Twilight knew it would be for the best. She lowered her head and nodded. "I'll send a scroll to the princess to come pick you up."
Sparkler didn't respond, all she did was hug her book tightly. Twilight trotted inside, gesturing for Sparkler to follow her. The filly got up slowly, then did as the princess wanted. She lead her to another room where a large purple dragon sat. It was terrifying, and when it lifted its head, Sparkler squeaked and jumped back.
"Hi Spike!" Twilight smiled.
He got up, then cracked his knuckles. He was about the size of Discord now. "Hya Twilight. Just getting a nap before the kids come back in. They really wore me out today."
Sparkler stared up at the dragon, who bent down to look at her. "Oh yeah! Celestia and Discord's daughter came to school today! What's your name again?"
Twilight answered for her. "Sparkler. She... Isn't feeling well and wishes to go home."
Spike chuckled, then used his claws to straighten his spikes. "I see." He winked at Sparkler, remembering the time he pretended to be sick to be excused from Twilight's chores. Sparkler however, just tilted her head.
"Wait a second... Spike! You sent your class out, too?"
Spike shrugged and chuckled. "Well, I saw a bunch of fillies and colts heading out, so I just thought..."
Twilight shook her head and smiled, then used her magic to pull a quill and paper from his desk. She started to write down what exactly happened out in the school yard. Sparkler waited, still clinging to the journal. It seemed to take forever, so Sparkler decided to open the book. This time, she opened in the very back and began to read. What she read surprised her, and her eyes opened wide. However, before she could read further on, Twilight trotted over carrying the filly's backpack and clicking it to her.
"Your mom will be here soon to pick you up, okay?"
Sparkler nodded, then continued to read the last page. Twilight didn't notice, for she was too busy talking to Spike about what had actually happened.
It wasn't long before Sparkler was hugged by Twilight and then sent inside. However, Sparkler did a lot of thinking. She trotted out to meet her mother, who was sitting on the same golden chariot they had rode this morning. The filly crawled on to it, but didn't say anything when she sat down. Celestia didn't either, and looked onward. Her eyes were unreadable.
Once the two Pegasus stallions in the front took off, Celestia spoke up, but not exactly to her daughter.
"Take the longer route, please."
Sparkler groaned, knowing that her mother planned on trying to talk to her. It took several minutes before the two even made eye contact.
"Sweetie... Do you wish to talk about it?"
Celestia sat beside her daughter, who gently shrugged off the wing that was wrapped around her. Celestia felt her heart slightly crack. Never before has her daughter ignored her or push her away. The princess returned her wing to her side, then looked onward. They sat in silence the rest of the ride home.
At last they arrived home, and Sparkler hopped out. She didn't wait for her mother and walked at a normal pace back into the palace. Her normally smiling face as straight as she opened the doors. There couldn't be worse timing. Her daddy walked in from the kitchen at the same time Sparkler walked through the front door. She did not want to talk to daddy right now.
He seemed surprised to see his daughter home so early, but was relieved to see she wasn't crying. She was always so sensitive, and if she wasn't crying, nothing too bad could've happened... Or, so he thought.
"Hello, Sparkler. Did you enjoy school?" He asked with a smile. Sparkler walked by him without a word. His smile quickly fell. His little princess never ignored him. He didn't know what to say or do, other then to just stand there... His mind began racing with memories of what had happened to him when he was her age. He felt worry, fear, and sadness kick into his body. He didn't want to loose his daughter.
Sparkler trotted up the stairs, but sighed as she passed auntie Luna in the hallway. "Why, hello Sparkler."
The filly once again ignored her. She kept her eyes just as unreadable and if not more then her mother's.
Finally, Sparkler reached her room. It's where she could be comfortable. It's where she wanted to be. The filly slammed her door shut, then hopped on her bed. She snuggled her face into her pillow and began to sob. She let loose all of the tears she had been holding the entire day. The fillies and colts' comments ringed in her ears over and over and over. She couldn't make them leave. Sparker's cries got louder.
The door creaked open, and she knew it was her mommy, daddy, and maybe auntie Luna. But she didn't bother looking up. Her face was buried too deep in the wet pillow to do so.
Luna stared at the crying filly, unsure of what to do. "Should I bring to her some warm milk and cookies?" Luna whispered. Celestia nodded, and then whispered thank-you to her sister for thinking of something they could do. Discord, however, stood there, feeling something in side of him break with each sob his daughter let out. He was the first to walk in, and he took a seat on the floor beside his crying filly. Celestia watched nervously.
He took a deep breath of air before speaking. "I-I'm sorry... For whatever happened..." He gently reached to her with his paw, but she quickly pushed it away and turned her streaming eyes to face his.
"Get away from me..." She cried. "you're nothing but a monster.."
Discord's eyes widened, and he backed away slowly. Tears began to form once again, but none really fell. "I-If that's the way you feel..." He backed out, joining the princess outside the room. He faced the opposite direction, and held a paw to his mouth to keep from crying out. Celestia turned to place a hoof on his shoulder, which only made him shiver and then cough out a quiet sob. Celestia felt anger rise. How dare Sparkler call him a monster when all he ever did was care for her for her entire life. Was it just because some fillies at school told her that?
Celestia stepped in, and she rose her voice for the first time to her crying filly. "How dare you call your father that! All he ever did was love you and care for you and this is how you repay him?!"
Sparkler stood up on her bed and she turned to face her mother. "I WAS PICKED ON FOR BEING ME, TOO! WHY AM I PUNISHED FOR HOW YOU TWO MADE ME?! WHY AM I PUNISHED FOR THE FACT THAT YOU CHOSE TO MARRY A MONSTER!"
Discord's sobs became slightly louder, but he continued to try to muffle them with his paw. Celestia could not believe what she was hearing. Was this really her little Sparkler?
"HE IS NOT A MONSTER! I CHOSE HIM BECAUSE I LOVE HIM! HE IS GOOD NOW, AND MANY PONIES CAN SEE IT!" Celestia screamed at the top of her lungs. It seemed everyone was acting out of character, or perhaps hurting more and more each second.
Sparkler's eyes continued to stream tears, and she rose her voice, which caused her to squeak several times on different words. "IF HE'S SO GOOD, WHERE ARE HIS FRIENDS? I'M GOING TO BE ALONE ALL MY LIFE, JUST LIKE HIM!" Sparkler panted heavily, still crying.
Discord finally turned. He wore a fragile smile that was forcefully being held up. "I'm not alone... I have you." He looked at Sparkler. Though she was hurting him more then he could've ever imagined, he still loved her.
"You... You never had me." She cried. Discord did not turn this time, and he hid his face behind his claw and paw and began to sob. Celestia came towards her daughter, and bent down low so she was face to face with her daughter.
"I can't believe I'm hearing all of this from you... I never would've expected you'd fall so easily to believe your father is horrible. Do you not even remember this morning?"
Sparkler faced her mother, not turning away. "I shouldn't be punished for you making the stupid mistake of choosing him..."
Celestia's eyes opened wide. She was stunned. She stepped back, then sat down and rose a hoof to her head. Luna walked and dropped the cookies and milk at the tone of Sparkler's voice, and she let the glass shatter on the floor. Surely this wasn't really Sparkler. Everypony in the room was now dripping with tears.
"I... I can't believe daddy's really good..." Sparkler cried. "Not when he has only had one true friend in his long life.." Sparkler squeaked, then opened up the journal Twilight had given her. Discord looked up, and he felt his heart fall into his stomach when he saw the book.
"And the only friend he ever had..." Sparkler took a break from talking and began to cry some more. All the fillies at school were right. Every bit of it. She felt her heart break from the fact that her once beloved parents had lied to her all her life.
"Is dead."
Sparkler couldn't even believe her own ears. She had read in the journal the entry by some pony with the name of Fluttershy... She mad mentioned it is time for her to join another pony named Rarity, and that she was grateful the excitement her friends had given her in her lifetime... She had mentioned daddy.
This wasn't the first Sparkler had gotten into a fight with her parents, but none were as serious or tear bringing before. Her daddy was now crying harder and had turned away again. Celestia had stopped yelling and trotted over to be beside Discord, and she began whispering things into his ear Sparkler could not hear. Luna came over to the crying filly and began stroking her mane. The filly buried her face into her pillow once more, crying even more tears then before.