//------------------------------// // Different Ideas // Story: No Elements, No Harmony // by Fret //------------------------------// "...And alternate world?" Discord finally spoke. Celestia nodded. "And I'm reformed?" Again, she nodded. "You sound like that's the part you're most shocked about," she giggled. Discord just rolled his eyes. "As if that little pegasus Fluttershy would be able to do that," he gave a disbelieving snort. Celestia leaned her head forward to get his attention again. "It's true. But it's not shameful- wait... you know who Fluttershy is?" she paused. The draconequus turned his head to face her again. "How can I not? The little brat thinks she's the boss of me," he grunted. "What do you mean? What is she like here?" Discord blinked at her, then started to explain. "With her 'special' talent of communicating with animals, Queen Nightmare Moon gave her the job of controlling all the animals in the Everfree. This includes me. She doesn't know it, but I know what she's really like. She acts all tough, like she's the queen of the forest, when in reality, she's a total wimp. I'm guessing she's a coward all the time in your world." "She isn't a coward. She's just.... afraid of a lot of things," she said, quite quietly. "But I'm telling you the truth when she reformed you. Her kindness showed you that friendship is something you wouldn't want to loose." Discord stared at her, his expression unreadable. Then, "Why would you want to reform me?" Celestia wasn't sure how to answer. Her usual excuse was 'to use his magic for good', but she knew deep down that wasn't true. And the more she thought about it, it sounded like she was using him. "I forgave you," she rasped, "and I'm willing to forgive again... but..." she trailed off, thinking of a way to put it, "I can lead a pony to water, but I can't make it drink." "So... what you're saying is...?" he signaled her to keep going with his talon. "Will you accept my forgiveness?" she finished. Discord looked at the ground for a moment, then he stood up on his hind limbs and walked slowly to the cave exit. "I would, but I'm not going to," he simply said. Celestia's ears drooped. "Why?" she asked, more curious than angry. "It's not you who should be apologizing to me. It's them," he looked up at the castle nearby, "it's... her." That last world was hissed. "But I'm still her. Everypony - everyone is the same here. She may have not said it to you face to face..." she trotted over to his side, "but she feels it. Somewhere." "No she doesn't... she's not you. Not anymore anyway," Discord denied, turning away from her. "Except... she is," another voice came from outside the cave. The two of them turned to where it might of come from, and saw a blue head peeking around the corner, before she showed her full self. "Luna! Where you eavesdropping?" Celestia scolded. "Only the last part. I'm here for a reason though..." she trotted up to her sister. "You see, me and Twilight were talking. Eventually, we got on the subject of whether Nightmare Moon is me or not... okay that part isn't important." She shook her head. "Anyway, Twilight said I transformed into Nightmare Moon because I forgot my love for you," the younger princess put a hoof on Celestia. "Solar Flare... I realized... did not." Celestia tilted her head. "Did not what?" "She didn't just stop loving her... me... whatever. She stayed because she wanted to be with her sister. If dark magic isn't possessing her... she's faking it." Celestia and Discord blinked. "How could she be faking a tyrant for this long?" Discord huffed. "She probably doesn't know what to do. She's blinded by her love for a sister, she can't put her subjects before her," Luna explained, pacing around in circles, as if she was making this up as she went. "Do you get what I'm saying?" She looked at her sister again, freezing in place. Celestia nodded. "I guess it makes sense," she sighed. "Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I will now yell at you." Her sister stopped in front of her, and looked up to make eye contact. She coughed, then began, "What where you thinking, you fool? Twilight said he wasn't reformed in this world, and you know it! Now for all we know he'll tell those two psychopathic tyrants about us and we'll be killed on the spot!!" "Calm it Luna," Celestia raised a hoof to hush her huffing sister. "I did it for a reason." "And just what reason is that?" she spat. "The same reason I freed our Discord," she explained, quite defensively. "Oh, of course. Use his magic for good," Luna rolled her eyes. "Well... yes. But also to give him a chance to redeem himself," Celestia looked at the confused draconequus. "And... forgiveness?" he finished for her. "Oh, and that too." Luna kept glaring at her for a few moments, then sighed, "Okay, yes. You make some good points. It's clear that he is totally helpless here," she glanced at his cuffs, "but what happens when he - wait... why don't you just break the cuffs? Your magic can do anything..." Discord looked down at his chains. "You think I haven't tried?" he smugly looked at her, "they're enchanted. I can't." He demonstrated by trying to pull at them, only for the cuffs to spark magic. "Teleportation?" Luna raised a hoof at the suggestion. "Oh, I tried magic like that. But each time I do, these things absorb it and become even more harder." He gave an irritated look at them. "Oh yeah, those two queens can sense when I use magic. They can tell whether it's a harmless spell or not." Celestia and Luna looked at each other. "How convenient." Celestia said flatly. "Well, that's a dead end." Luna sighed. The three of them weren't sure what else to say beyond that. Then another voice came from outside. "Would you please do the pleasure and not leave me in the middle of the Everfree Forest alone at night?!" Twilight trotted over angrily over to Luna. "Do you know what in Equestria could be out there?" She gave a scared glare at the dying trees. Luna just blinked, not thinking she was serious. "I doubt anything lives in a forest full of dead trees." She muttered. Twilight looked at the ground and tilted her head. "Easy for you to say. You can communicate with nocturnal animals." The Night Princess' eyes widened. "How do you know about that?" "You put it in your journal." Twilight answered. "Oh yeah..." Discord raised a brow at the youngest princess. "Um... who's she?" He turned to Celestia. Twilight flinched when she realized he was there. "That's Twilight Sparkle. She's my student... or was. She's a princess now. Also the Element of Magic," Celestia explained, pride glowing in her eyes. "Um... he doesn't know what the Elements of Harmony are," she pointed out. "He does now. Thanks Celestia." Luna tipped her head towards her sister, who nervously grinned and blushed out of embarrassment. "You told him everything?! I said he wasn't refo-" Twilight was interrupted by Celestia lifting her hoof over her mouth. "I thought I'd at least escape the everyday lectures by being here," she muttered through gritted teeth. "Oh... sorry," Twilight giggled awkwardly. Celestia just gave a smile of amusement. "Oh, I remember now!" Discord suddenly exclaimed. Everypony looked at him in confusion. "I knew I that I knew that name somewhere." He pointed one of his talons to Twilight. Twilight put a hoof on her chest in surprise. "...My name?" She blinked. "Yeah. There was another Twilight Sparkle. Years ago... one of the only ponies who stood up to those two." "What happened to her... or... me?" Discord shrugged. "Nightmare Moon did something to her. I don't think even Solar Flare knows, to be honest. I guess she's dead or something." Luna cringed as he mentioned it. Twilight put a hoof on her shoulder to assure she wasn't angry. "Oh..." Celestia looked down. Discord then started to hover in the air. He flapped his two different wings, in order to pull himself towards Luna. "So, you were Nightmare Moon once?" He laid a talon on her chest. "Why are you still standing here?" At first, Luna wasn't sure how to reply. Then she took a deep breath. "Well... Twilight Sparkle freed me with the Elements of Har-" "Yes yes, I know that part," he interrupted, covering her mouth with his fluffy tail tip. "I mean, why do you still want to rule with your sister? She banished you for a thousand years, after all." Luna's eyes narrowed, and glared at him like fiery blue pits. "Because, I wanted to put my mistakes behind me... and I didn't want to be alone anymore. Do you think I'm that heartless?" she scowled. "No need to get your mane in a twist. If that's possible, that is." The draconequus held some of her dark blue flowing mane in his tail tip, which acted like a hand. Luna used her hoof to move it away from him. "I was just asking. I wanted to know if it was worth it." His statement made her calm. "Of course... but why ask me?" She tilted her head. "Think about it. We were both evil, and in your world, we are both good." Discord shrugged. "You know, I'm considering being reformed already." He leaned on just his goat leg, so he could bend back to hover next to Twilight. "Eheh... great," she rasped. "And I think I will help you, Celestia." Celestia's eyes widened. "How did you know I wanted you to..." "Before you mentioned 'use my magic for good', I worked it out," he stated, kneeling in front of the alicorn, and looking up at her. "Oh... well thank you. I'm truly grateful." She smiled. Then Luna raised her hoof. "Wait... what about my plan?" she asked. "Are we going to reform Solar Flare or not?" Celestia looked at the ground. "I suppose, but..." "If you don't mind me interrupting... I have a plan too..." Twilight said, quite quietly. "I was thinking that if I could unite my friends in this world, maybe we could use the elements after all?" The white alicorn just blinked. "So we have three plans?" Everypony nodded. "Okay... how about this. I'll work something out with Discord, Luna, work something out with the other me, and Twilight, you unite your friends." Luna and Twilight looked at each other uncertainly. "Are you sure that's a good plan?" They both asked. "...No. But are any of my plans good?" she asked. "The whole Tirek event, I'm still not at all proud of that plan." Twilight shrugged. "It was the best plan available." "Yes but, okay, Crystal Empire appears. I send you to save it just so you can learn a lesson." "...Yeah that was kind of extreme." "That's what I was saying!" Luna exclaimed. Celestia shook her head. "Okay, that out of the way, is it settled?" Twilight and Luna nodded. "Then I recommend you two start now."