//------------------------------//
// How We Once Were 
// Story: I'm Afraid I Haven't Told You Everything... 
// by Teyeson Bee 
//------------------------------//

	After she said the final words of her story, Celestia looked down and chuckled. The mane six were sitting there, completely still, mouth ajar, and eyes glistening with a few leftover tears. Celestia wasn’t expecting any less of a reaction. She couldn’t blame them. She would’ve acted the same way if she was just told the untold story of the friendship between the ruler of Equestria with the Spirit of Chaos. She would’ve been surprised if they weren’t the least bit shocked and surprised.

As soon as the six found their words, the first thing that came out of all of them was just one word. “Wow.”

“I know,” Celestia chuckled. “Some story huh?”

“Some story?” Twilight said as she wiped her eyes. “That was one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, stories I have ever heard.” The others nodded in agreement.

“And to think that it was all true!” Fluttershy added. 

“I laughed, I cried, it moved me so much!” Pinkie commented.

“Well, I didn’t cry,” Rainbow scoffed. The others turned with a smug look as they noticed a stray tear coming down her cheek. Rainbow quickly noticed this and turned away from the others, wiping her face and eyes. The others just turned back to the princess.

“So, is that all to the story your highness?” Rarity asked.

“For the most part,” Celestia answered. “After the whole event, things went back to the way they were. I made sure to visit Discord’s statue every day and tell him of things happening. It was nice to just talk to him again, even though he probably couldn’t hear me. This went on for some time, until…well…” Celestia’s expression suddenly turned to sad as she spoke. “Nightmare Moon happened.”

The others’ faces fell, as they very well knew what the Nightmare Moon incident did to Celestia. Still, Celestia continued.

“After I had to banish Luna to the moon, I fell into a deep depression for a while and didn’t visit Discord very often. It was…quite a hard time for me.” The others nodded with understanding. “But,” Celestia continued, her expression lifting again, “after I returned to my average life, I started to visit him again. That went on for a while again, until I accepted Twilight as my pupil.”

Twilight blushed heavily as the others turned to her. She had no idea she had distracted Celestia so much from Discord. Celestia chuckled a bit, noticing Twilight’s expression.

“It’s all right Twilight,” she said sweetly. “You didn’t distract me from anything. In any case, you gave me more to care about.” Twilight blushed even harder.

“Princess?” Applejack interjected. “Ah just have one more question for you. During the second Discord incident, you acted so hostile against him when he first appeared in here. Why?”

Celestia didn’t say anything at first. She just got up, headed to the window, and looked out with a frown on her face. The others stared with concern as they waited for an answer. Finally, with a heavy sigh, Celestia answered. When she spoke though, they couldn’t help but notice that her voice was quivering.

“When I first got wind that Discord had returned,” she said, “I was hopeful at first. I was hoping that it was the right time to work things out. My hopes were shattered, however, when I realized that he was just spreading chaos again as before. I knew you girls would be wanting answers about what was going on. I was afraid that if I told you the whole story, you would blame me for the events, so I-” 

Celestia paused for a moment to fight back the quivering voice and the approaching tears. Whatever she had to say, the others could tell that it was hard for her. Finally, she continued.

“-I lied about Discord’s past, and left out his relationship to me. I didn’t want you girls to see me in a different light. As the one who caused Discord to go bad.” She then turned back to the six with clear signs of tears forming. “I put on an act to make it seem like I despised Discord. But while I was yelling at him and being hostile on the outside, I was crying on the inside. My best friend had returned, and it wasn’t any different than how it was the first time. I felt like I was stuck between rekindling my old friendship and keeping up appearances. I look back on what I did, and I just feel so ashamed. I should’ve told you girls the entire story! I’m so sorry." She then lowered her head as tears started to fall. "Forgive me."

Twilight didn't waste any time in trotting over to Celestia's side. She lifted her head so her eyes met her own and softly smiled. 

"Of course we forgive you Princess," she said softly. "We don't blame you one minute. Do we guys?"

"Of course not!" Pinkie answered. "We love you Princess!"

"Yeah!" the others chimed in.

"And besides Princess," Twilight continued, "We DO see you in a new light." Celestia's frown deepened a bit at the comment, until Twilight continued. "We respect you SO much more now. It took a lot of bravery to tell us the full truth, and we really appreciate you for it. Thank you for that Celestia."

Celestia's mouth curled into a smile as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "You girls deserved to know. And it felt really good to tell somepony. I don't feel that weight on me anymore. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to ask you girls to do something for me."

"Of course Princess," Twilight said. "Whatever you need." The other nodded in agreement.

"I would like you to give Discord a chance," Celestia stated as the six listened more intently. "I know that he has done some horrible things in the past, but he's not a monster. We all have done things we're not proud of at some point. He has been through so much, and he needs friendship more than ever right now. I don't know if I'm the best candidate for that right now, but that's why I suggested you girls try at the beginning. If there was anypony who could start reforming him, it was you six." All the six blushed slightly at the compliment. "I know you all have a reason to hold a grudge to him, but for a creature who has been ridiculed, feared, and rejected his whole life, don't you think he deserves a bit of true friendship?"

The girls looked from one to the other, a pondering look on each of their faces. They DID feel bad about not giving Discord a chance when he was reformed. It's as they said in the beginning; they were so blinded by their grudges toward what he did, that they never gave him a chance. Until now, they had always seen him as a nothing less than a troublemaker. But after all they had heard, they finally realized that Discord was a suffering creature who had been through so much heartbreak, they almost couldn't blame him for going crazy...almost. Celestia was right when she said that he needed friendship more than ever. He needed somepony, or some ponies, to call his friends and help and support him when he needed them. As the girls gave a final nod to each other, they knew what they had to do.

"C'mon girls!" Twilight announced to her friends. "There's a draconequus in need of a friend, or six!" The others cheered in agreement as they waved goodbye to the Princess and left the throne room, leaving Celestia with a smile of reassurance on her face. As soon as they were gone, Luna came through the side door and walked up to Celestia. The smile on her own face said that she knew exactly what Celestia was talking about.

"How do you feel sister?" Luna asked.

Celestia didn't even have to ask what she meant by. She just took a deep breath and sighed, "Lighter. Definitely lighter."

"Good to know," Luna happily replied as she put a hoof around her big sister.



 

The six didn't talk much as went home. There was NO conversation they could make to come back from what they had just been a part of. With the occasional joking moment from Pinkie, it was a pretty silent trip. With good reason too. The girls were on a mission, and they weren't going to rest until the mission was complete. Once they made their way back to Ponyville, they headed to where they had first summoned Discord. That seemed like the best place to do it again. Without even saying a word, the girls formed into a circle, looked to one another, nodded, and closed their eyes to focus their energy. One by one, each of them started to glow, as the rainbow ribbon connected them. As soon as the circle was complete, the rainbow flash shined bright once again, and in an instant, Discord was once again standing in the middle of the six ponies.

Or in this case, he was sitting. He was sitting on a stool, in front of an easel, and holding a painting palette in one hand, and a paintbrush in the other. The weird thing was that he was wearing a dark-colored robe, a beret, and a long, gray fake beard on his face.

"C'mon Lisa! Work with me here!" he was shouting as he appeared. "Either you smile, or you don't! There's no in-betwee-" He suddenly stopped as he realized that he wasn't painting his patient, but sitting back in the center of his six "so-called" friends. This time, however, Discord just scoffed, snapped the outfit and equipment away, and stared at Twilight with his arms crossed. "Well? What did I do this time hm?"

"Discord," Twilight started, "I know that we aren't on the best terms right now-"

"That's the understatement of the year," Discord mumbled.

"But we have come to-"

"Let me guess!" Discord interjected. "The reservoir is on fire!"

"No-"

"Oh I know! The school is oozing GACK!"

"Discord, please listen-"

"You know, I try and I try, but it seems that no matter what I do, I can never do good in you six's eyes!"

"Disco-"

"You know what I think? YOU SIX are the meanies!"

"We're-"

"I do a few things that get on your bad sides, and you just can't let it go!"

"We-"

"I just don't know what to do anymore. Even if I stand still you think I'm up to no good!"

"WE'RE SORRY!!"

"You're sorry! That's another thing! I just-" Discord suddenly stopped and looked at Twilight with shock. "Come again?"

"I said we're sorry. For everything." Twilight repeated. Discord stood still, waiting for the joke to end, but all the ponies seemed sincere. Discord relaxed his body a bit as he listened to Twilight continue. "We were wrong to accuse you of so many things just because of what you did in the past. We were so blind to our grudges that we didn't even think to try and help with your reforming. Well, besides Fluttershy. Some Elements of Harmony we are. We should've been helping you all along, and yet we were putting you down and treating you like a monster. But WE were the monsters. We're sorry Discord. Truly, sincerely sorry." 

Discord was speechless. He literally, for the first time in a while, didn't have a snappy remark. He heard the sincerity in Twilight's voice, and the looks of remorse on the others' faces. He didn't know what to say. He never heard the six apologize to him, or even treat him kindly, before, beside Fluttershy.

"You all feel this way?" he calmly asked as he looked around at the others.

"Absolutely!" Pinkie happily said. "You're a really cool dude Discord! Sorry 'bout everything!"

"I shouldn't have been so harsh to you darling," Rarity added. "I apologize." 

"Ah feel mighty awful 'bout everything," Applejack complied. "Ya'll are welcome at mah farm anytime!"

"Yeah," Rainbow said. "I'm sorry I accused you before. I'll keep an open mind next time."

"I'm sorry," Fluttershy said softly, resulting in some stares from the others.

"Fluttershy, you didn't do anything," Rainbow said.

"I know," Fluttershy replied. "I just wanted to be involved."

All joking aside, Discord didn't know what to say. He came into this expecting to be accused of something again, but instead, he was getting true-blue apologies. He felt, in no other word, touched.

"Well," he sighed, "I guess you wouldn't have to hold a grudge if I didn't give you a reason to. I apologize too." The others stepped back with surprise as they heard him say that. He wasn't cracking any one-liners or making silly faces. He was talking to them normally, and quite softly. "I won't deny that I acted like quite a monster back then, and looking back on it, I feel awful. I was a lost soul. Trapped in a world of chaos and disharmony, thinking that spreading it was the only life for me. But then, you girls showed me what friendship could do, and how powerful it was. I should've remembered that during the Tirek incident. Maybe the reformation process would've been stronger. I know it sounds," he snapped his fingers and an ear of corn appeared, "corny," the corn was then quickly thrown away, "but I really DID need some friendship. And I still do. I really am sorry for all that I have done, and I'm willing to make up for it. Can you ever forgive me?"

Twilight and the others glanced from each other to Discord, whose face had no traces of fooling. He was as sincere as they were. They could tell. Twilight then smiled and grabbed Discord's paw softly. The others soon followed, placing their hooves on top of Twilight's, looking at Discord with friendly smiles. "We already have," Twilight answered, "friend." And at that statement, Discord's own mouth curled into a big, happy, friend-filled smile as well.

"GROUP HUG!" Pinkie shouted before wrapping her arms around EVERYPONY, though no one dared questioned it. Everypony just savored in the happy moment. That is until Twilight felt a drop of rain on her head. When she looked up though, it turned out to be a pink cloud hovering above all of them, and it was pouring chocolate milk. Pinkie noticed this and quickly broke the hug and started drinking greedily. Twilight shot a look at Discord.

"What?" Discord asked innocently. "I'm not allowed to use magic anymore? C'mon Twilight! Magic is my forte! It's what makes me...ME! Besides, a little chocolate rain isn't hurting anypony, right?" Twilight looked back to Pinkie, who was now rolling through the chocolate puddles as everypony else couldn't help but crack a smile, soon including Twilight herself.

"Alright Discord," Twilight said. "You can still use your magic. Just as long as nopony gets hurt and no minds are altered. Oh, and no messing with the forces of nature on a huge scale."

"You have my word!" Discord happily stated as he crossed his heart (no literally, he held up a cross to his heart). "You know what? I think I need a different title too! I mean, Spirit of Chaos sounds too...chaotic. How 'bout something more played down, like...um...Ah-HA! The Spirit of Playful Mischief! That just rolls of the tongue doesn't it?"

All Twilight could do was shake her head and chuckle. At this point, it was best to just play along. "Very well Discord," she said. "You are now the Spirit of Playful Mischief."

"Excellent!" Discord said excitedly. "Now, onto more important matters! WHO WANTS WHIPPED CREAM WITH THEIR MILK?!"

Pinkie couldn't have reacted any faster. "Oh OH OH I DO I DO!" she called out. Discord then aimed his finger at Pinkie's open mouth like a gun, and in an instant, a stream of whipped cream came shooting out like a fire hose. As it filled Pinkie's mouth, the others couldn't hold it in anymore. They started busting out laughing. Even Twilight couldn't hold back the laughter. Pretty soon, six ponies and their new draconequus friend were laughing, jumping, and dancing around in puddles of chocolate milk and whipped cream.

It was one of the funnest days any of them ever had!







EPILOGUE





As the sun slowly started to set on the long day, Celestia sat on her throne, reading the recently arrived letter from her old pupil with a smile on her face.

Dear Princess Celestia,

It's been a while since I wrote you one of these, but it seemed to be fitting for this news. I am pleased to report that Discord is now officially reformed. Turns out apologizing did the trick. He even apologized to us for what he did. And now, everything couldn't be better. He has promised to keep his magic under control and not get anypony hurt. He's even calling himself the Spirit of Playful Mischief now. I find it a fitting title. I have to say; it feels really good to have let go of my grudge against Discord. I feel...lighter.

I also wanted to say thank you for everything Princess. As I said before, it took a lot of courage to tell us the whole story, and I can only imagine how much it still hurt after all these years, but you shouldn't blame yourself. You're a great pony, and Discord knows it. Just keep your head high, and...I hope things can be as they once were between you two. I'll keep in touch with you about him in the meantime, and I'll see you soon.

Your faithful friend,
Princess Twilight Sparkle

Celestia chuckled to herself as she folded up the letter. She then got up and went over to a cabinet over in the corner of the room. She opened the top drawer and put the letter inside. Before she closed it though, she levitated a roundish item wrapped in paper. A softer smile appeared on the Princess as she unwrapped it. Inside was the golden brooch that Discord had given her all those years ago, crystals and all. Celestia sighed happily as she pressed the button on the side, which made the small figure move to raise the miniature sun. 

"You've kept it all this time?"

Celestia almost dropped the brooch she was so startled. She quickly turned around to see Discord standing behind her with a soft smile on his face. Celestia sighed of relief and put a hoof on her chest. "Discord. I didn't realize you were there."

"Sorry," he said. "They should put a bell on me." Celestia chuckled as she caught her breath. "I just couldn't help but notice the brooch. You...you've kept that after all these years?"

"Well...yes," Celestia answered softly as she looked at the brooch again. "It gave me hope. Hope that one day you would return, and we could be as we once were."

"I guess THAT didn't turn out so well the first time huh?" Discord nervously asked. Celestia blushed a bit and shook her head no. A moment of silence passed over the two as their eyes darted around the room. Finally, they spoke.

"I'm really-"
"I just want to-"

They both stopped and chuckled nervously before Discord said, "You first."

Celestia nodded and looked Discord in the eyes. "I just wanted to say that, even though I have said this so many times before, I am so sorry about everything Discord. I'm sorry how things had to turn out for us. I had always hoped that we would be great friends forever, but one little mistake led to an entire catastrophe. I didn't mean to hurt you all those years ago. I just wanted to-"

"Protect me?" Discord finished.

"How did you know?" Celestia asked shockingly.

"Pinkie Pie," he answered. "That pony just can't keep a secret."

Celestia nodded in agreement and chuckled before continuing. "But I really WAS trying to protect you, but I guess I could've done it a different way. I didn't want anything to happen to you. I cared too much about you. I'm sorry if I hurt you Discord. That was never my intention."

"I know," Discord sighed. "Even back then, I had a nagging feeling at the back of my head that you had a good reason for sending me away. I was just too brokenhearted at the time to think about it. But that's all in the past. I realize now that you DID care about me, and I took my aggression out on you, and all of Equestria. And for that, I'm truly sorry."

"Oh Discord," Celestia happily said. "I forgive you. I could never stay mad at you. You know that."

"As could I never stay truly mad at you," Discord complied. Another moment of silence passed before Discord held out a paw to Celestia. "Do you think...we can start again? A new slate for returning friends?"

Celestia's smile widened as she took his paw. "Of course!" she said happily. "It seems that my hope has come true. You really have come back to start again!"

"Of course I have," Discord smiled. "No matter what life has to put me through, past, present, or future, I could never give up on you. I mean after all, you ARE the best friend I ever had." At that statement, Celestia couldn't stand it anymore. She had been holding back tears of joy since Discord appeared, and now, they were ready to burst. Letting her instincts take control, Celestia flung herself at a surprised Discord and wrapped her hooves around him in a comforting hug. His body was just as warm as she remembered, and when he closed the hug, she remembered just how comforting they felt. Celestia let her tears of joy spill as she held her old friend. It was one of the greatest reunions of her life, and she didn't want to let go.

After a few minutes though, she knew she had to. She broke the hug and wiped the tears from her eyes, her smile still shining bright. Discord looked at her with the same smile and said, "So...do you think that things will return to the way they once were?"

"I honestly don't know," Celestia answered. "I suppose only time will tell."

Discord smiled in agreement and said, "I'll be seeing you Celestia," and was just about it leave, until Celestia called his name. He stopped and turned to her.

"If you're not busy," she said softly, "would you like to...stay and talk for a bit? It's been a while."

Discord smiled. It HAD been a while hadn't it? "Alright," he replied. Just then, an even better idea came to him, who smiled even wider. "I have just the setting for it!" Before Celestia could ask what, Discord snapped his fingers, and in a blinding light, the whole room was changed. Celestia covered her eyes with her wings, and when the light subsided, and she opened her eyes, what she saw made her gasp in delight.

She was in her bedroom, and a blue, oval table was set up by the bed with all the fancy teapots, cups, and confections that she remembered. And sitting at the table was Discord, dressed in a bright blue suit and top hat, wearing a monocle, and sporting a twirly mustache on his upper lip. When he spoke, it was in a mocking formal accent.

"Ah, Celestia! Would you care to sit and have some tea?"

What could Celestia do but play along, giggling all the way. Celestia stepped forward and bowed as she sat down. With a snap of his fingers, the teapot poured a familiar substance into Celestia's cup. The Princess levitated the cup to her mouth and took a little sip. When the sweet liquid hit her taste buds, she just started to giggle again.	"Why Discord," she said in her mocking formal accent, "this is chocolate tea! How did you know?"

"It's as I said before my dear," Discord chuckled, "I have an act for this!" And with a completed mustache twirl, Celestia was laughing as she hadn't laughed in a long time. All the great memories of Discord and her started to flood back into her mind. Their first encounter, them taking walks, dancing in the chocolate rain, lying out under the stars, and all the above and beyond. It just like old times, and she enjoyed every minute of it. The times with her greatest friend would never be forgotten, and though the bad times would still be remembered, both of them, including the Mane Six finally understood that dwelling on the past just gets in the way of looking towards a better future.

And as the two sat and talked and laughed, Celestia realized that things weren't going to be as they once were.

In fact, she had a feeling that they were going to be much, much better.





THE END