Canterlot Gardens was a lovely sight to see that afternoon, as it were any other afternoon. Celestia's sun was high in the sky and beaming on Canterlot down below, washing everything in a beautiful light. Summer was coming close and the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration were already well underway.
However, despite all those things, there was one pony who didn't appreciate the gardens, the sun, or the decor being hung up for the coming celebration. A young filly wandered the gardens with a bored expression on her face, aimless and uncaring of the architecture that surrounded her. She never did understand why everypony was so fascinated by them; they were just walls.
"Nova!" a voice called out, breaking her from her languid trance.
Nova sighed, then turned to see another filly coming towards her. She didn't have to bother to look to know who it was, but Nova knew that she wouldn't appreciate being ignored. "What is it, Crest?"
Crest paused in her gallop to glare at Nova. "You just left the group! You're lucky the teacher didn't notice or you would have gotten in trouble!"
Nova arched a brow. "And just what makes you think that leaving to come get me was a good idea?"
Crest puffed her cheeks out in anger. "That's not the point! Yeesh, why can't you just listen to other ponies? You're gonna get in real trouble one day!"
"And that's going to be something I deal with," Nova told her. "I'm guessing you want me to go to the group so we can resume this 'edcuational experience'?" She blew a piece of her royal blue mane out of her face. "I could learn more reading about this place rather than actually being in it."
"So the tour's a bit boring," Crest admitted. "That doesn't mean you should just leave! That's bad manners!"
Nova sighed. "If I come with you, will you stop lecturing me?"
"Maybe," Crest relented. "But only if you stay during the entire tour!"
"Fine." Nova walked over to Crest and when she reached her side, they began to walk together. "But if you see me getting bored, don't bother trying to keep me awake."
Crest rolled her eyes, but she didn't bother commenting on Nova's attitude. She had learned that back when they were little that Nova wasn't going to change it just because somepony told her to.
When the two fillies rounded the corner of a hedge wall, they spotted the school group, who appeared to be lazily watching the tour guide describe a generic looking statue. Crest quietly galloped over, but Nova took her time and arrived just a few seconds after Crest did.
"...and this is meant to represent the adventurous side of everypony!" the guide explained, pointing at a random aspect of the statue that appeared not to hold anything to it. He was rather young, perhaps in his early twenties at best. He appeared to be new, because he didn't have that wasting look in his eyes like Nova had seen many guides have. "Are there any questions regarding this statue?" A colt raised his hoof. "Yes?"
"I don't get it," he said simply. "It looks like a regular pony to me."
The guide's ears fell flat on his head in annoyance. "Yes, well, everypony has their own intepretation, I suppose. Anyone else?" When there were no takers, he sighed. "Alright, onto the next statue, then..."
Nova almost smiled in satisfaction. "Good to know he's getting bored of this, too."
Crest shoved her shoulder. "Quit it!"
Nova rolled her eyes on instinct, then focused ahead as the group continued on. She soon found her attention drifting elsewhere as the tour guide droned on about the different decor that surrounded the gardens, though none of it piqued Nova's interest. Instead, her eyes found more humor in the clouding sky and the hedge walls.
But, as the group passed by an entrance to another part of the garden, Nova paused to look inside an archway. The garden areas weren't typically dark, but this one was due to the shade that the trees allowed. She looked back at the group, which had stopped to look at a random piece that Nova didn't care for, then looked back into the archway once more. Within the trees, she could make out the form of a statue that appeared to be covered in cracks and vines from different plants.
"Now, does anypony have any questions?" the tour guide asked.
Nova raised her hoof, though she didn't wait for the tour guide to notice her before speaking. "What about that statue in there?"
The guide blinked in surprise, then trotted over to look at where she was pointing. "What statue--" He paused, his eyes widening in shock. "Sweet Celestia, could that really be...?"
"What is it?" Crest questioned, appearing by Nova.
The guide shook his head. "I... I haven't ever really gone into this part of the garden. It's not restricted, but it's not typically open to others outside of the royal family and the Elements of Harmony." He scoffed a bit in disbelief. "I can't believe it's really here."
Nova raised a brow. "What's really here? What's in this place?"
Nova trotted forward, causing the guide to follow after a bit, though he didn't appear to want to stop her for the sheer force of his own curiosity. Crest galloped over and slowed when she reached her side, causing Nova to roll her eyes a bit, but she didn't say anything when they reached the statue.
It was a rather strange creature. It's body was lithe and long, almost like a snake. Random parts of animals occupied its body, whatever it was to begin with, all of which ranging from predators of the wild to grazers that Nova often saw during her visits to Ponyville. It was hunched over, its side facing the group as it appeared to curl up. It seemed to be holding something close to it, but Nova couldn't tell from her angle and the vines covering it.
"What is that thing?" Crest whispered fearfully, cowering beside Nova.
The guide blinked, as if remembering where he was, then turned to face the group. "And here you'll see the statue of the Lord of Chaos, Discord, imprisoned in stone." His tone was not enthusiastic as he pointed at the creature. "His species is a rather rare one; nopony has ever seen one besides this rather infamous one. He's a draconequus, and he's been said to have wreaked chaos like no other across all of Equestria, perhaps even other parts of the world."
The students were in visible awe of the statue, despite its state, and they all murmured to themselves about how it looked. Nova squinted her eyes and took a couple more steps to get a better look at it. She noticed that there wasn't a rope or barrier of any sort to keep ponies at bay, so she stopped about two feet from the statue.
"Why is he like this?" Crest asked from behind Nova, not brave enough to get as close as her friend.
"He was imprisoned by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna over a thousand years ago," the guide told her. "He was overthrown by our princesses and he didn't return until a few decades ago."
"H-He came back?" Crest squeaked. "But, isn't he supposed to be evil? How come Equestria's fine now?"
"He didn't stay evil. At least, not after the second time he was imprisoned, only the bearers of the Elements of Harmony took care of that one. He was put under the care of the Element of Kindness, Fluttershy, and was later reformed. There was an incident regarding Tirek and he did betray the Princesses, but he made up for it by aiding the Elements and Princess Twilight in defeating Tirek."
"What happened after that?" asked a random colt.
"He lived in Ponyville with the Element of Kindness." His tone grew a bit solemn. "They fell in love, got married, had a foal... But, things took a rather quick turn for the worst."
While the guide was distracted, Nova walked around the statue, looking at the details until she approached the statue's face, which was clenched in a pained expression. She looked at his mismatched arms, which were wrapped around something surprisingly smooth and unaffected like the rest of the statue...
"What happened?" asked Crest.
"Well, you see, unlike Discord, Fluttershy wasn't immortal," the guide explained. "She ended up getting ill and dying after living a rather full life. Unfortunately, she left her daughter and husband behind, and... Discord didn't take her death very well."
Nova leaned in closer to look at the statue, her eyes peering in between Discord's form. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized what it was she was looking at and she leaned back in horror.
"Excuse me," a voice said from the back of the group. "But might I ask why you all are here?"
"O-Oh, dear!" the guide called out. "Princess, I wasn't expecting to see you here-- Please, I apologize for this intrusion!"
A mirthful laugh filled the air. "It's not an issue. I was just a bit surprised to see you all here. What brought you to this part of the gardens?"
The guide sputtered for a moment. "W-Well... A filly happened to stumble upon this area, so we decided to see what was in here and curiosity got the better of me so I just-- I'm sorry if I upset you!"
"Again, it's no issue," the princess told him. "However, I must ask that you and your group please leave. This is a rather... private area, and I would like to take a few moments to have to myself."
"O-Oh, of course!" the guide concurred. "That's just fine!"
"I would, however, like for the filly who brought you in here to stay behind."
"What?" blurted out Nova's teacher. "What do you want with Nova?"
"And I'd like for Crest to stay behind as well," the princess said gently.
"Me?" Crest blurted out.
"Would that be a problem?" the princess asked.
"Oh, no, of course not!" the teacher said quickly. "Come along, children! We still have a lot to see!"
"Thank you," the princess said as the group exited the garden. A frown settled onto her face as she approached Nova, who was still immersed in what the statue was holding. She sat down beside her, then looked to Crest, who awkwardly walked over to sit beside the princess.
"So," the princess said. "I'm guessing you wandered from the group to go feed that curious little head of yours, didn't you?"
Nova frowned a bit and she turned to face the princess. "Yeah, because the tour was boring. How come everything in this place is so plain?"
"Nova!" Crest hissed urgently.
The princess wrapped her wing around Nova's small form. "Oh, come now, Nova, I'm not mad at you. In fact, I'm surprised you haven't gone wandering through here before today. You're in the gardens almost everyday."
Nova scoffed a bit. "Yeah, but only so I don't have to deal with my tutor. I don't like doing homework, Grandma."
"Not a lot of ponies do," Twilight Sparkle laughed. Her dark purple mane was streaked through with gray, almost eliminating the colored highlights in her hair. Her face was creased from age, but she looked as bright and enthusiastic as she always did.
"Auntie Twilight, are we in trouble?" Crest asked. "You're not gonna tell my parents, are you?"
Twilight shook her head. "No. Just because you're Shining's grandchild doesn't mean that it's my responsibility to tattle to your parents about what you've done wrong. Besides, you were just following along with Nova, and we all know she can a bit much."
"Hey!" Nova exclaimed.
Twilight laughed a bit, but she faltered as she looked at the statue. "You know... I wish I was nicer to him. He may have been a pain in the flank, but I miss having him around. I kinda wish he'd put a sack of weasels in my castle like he did that one time."
"That's this Discord?" Nova questioned. "Huh... I was wondering why his name sounded so familiar."
"You never met him," Twilight reminded her. "He was always about and doing his own thing, but he liked to stay with Fluttershy and Mystery when he could... Before Fluttershy passed away, of course."
"She got sick," Crest said. "The guide told us that."
Twilight's eyes softened a bit, a sparkle of sadness resting in her eye. "Yes... She was so weak by the time she had reached her senior years. She could barely fight it... She went in her sleep, poor thing."
Nova's gaze fell downcast. "And this was where she was buried."
Twilight looked to the statue and she looked in between Discord's arms, where Nova had looked before. "'Here lies Fluttershy... Element of Kindness... Hero to Equestria... Mother, wife, and friend to those who loved her.'"
Nova looked at Discord's face once more, frozen in never ending misery. "He didn't want to leave her, did he? He wanted to stay with her even though she was gone?"
Twilight's wing tightened around Nova. "Yes... He loved her very much, even if he did a terrible job of showing it sometimes. He asked for her to buried here, since she loved the wildlife here so much."
"But why is he in stone?" Crest asked. "I thought only the Elements of Harmony could do that!"
Twilight shook her head. "I've heard of a legend saying that if an angel fell in love, they'd turn into stone if their heart was broken. Now, Discord was hardly an angel, but his heart was broken. And I think that deep down in his crazy, chaotic heart, he knew he didn't want to go on without her."
"So he turned himself into stone?" Nova realized, completely surprised.
"Oh my gosh..." Crest breathed.
Twilight nodded, her face solemn. "He always used to say to Fluttershy, 'Don't worry, Shy, I'll cover you.' It didn't matter if it was for letting her go to the spa for a day off or if it was just him shielding her from the rain during a storm. I never understood why he said it all the time, or why it meant so much to the both of them..." She looked back at the statue. "But, ever since he started coming here, all I saw him do was wrap himself around the tombstone and keep saying it. 'I'll cover you. I'll cover you, Shy, don't you worry.'"
Crest's eyes pricked with tears, but she didn't bother to wipe them away. "And he did. He made sure nothing got on her tombstone."
Twilight shook her head. "Yeah... Yeah, he did."
Nova looked up at Discord. "It's hard to believe he used to be a chaos god. He looks so... painful."
Twilight sighed, then stood up. "Come on, you two. We've been here long enough. Let's leave Discord be."
"OK..." Crest said, wiping her eyes. "C'mon, Nova, let's get going."
Nova lingered for a moment, her gaze still on Discord. She looked over to Twilight. "Do you think he got to see her again?"
Twilight blinked in surprise, her mouth opening a bit in shock. Then, she smiled and nodded a bit. "I bet he did. And I bet he's happier than he's ever been."
Nova smiled a bit. "I bet so, too."
Twilight ushered the two of the fillies out of the garden and began to lead them back to the school group, the three ponies completely unaware of the ethereal glow that that statue had taken on.
"Don't worry, Shy," Discord whispered, cracking his eyes open from their stone state. "I'll cover you."
He returned to stone, waiting for a day when death would take him.