LXII : Celestia
The Steadfast Sky : Chapter 72
The Grey Potter
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/11495/The-Steadfast-Sky
http://cosmicponyfiction.tumblr.com
~Celestia~
With no other reason to remain, we quickly gathered our things and left the hospital. I was more than happy to avoid any more of Apple’s eye. If we had decided to remain, I was certain he would rope me into some kind of dinner party, or a serious talk over tea, or a hushed discussion in the corridor, or any kind of interactive conversation at all. No, a brief note about urgently saving the world was enough. I quietly left it with the still-frazzled Papercut, and without a single glance back we were out the door and gone.
It was, of course, still raining. And I was without my cloak. We could only deal with that for an hour or two before ducking into the next town’s stable, renting a single stall for the night.
Our cloaks, and their bags hung off the door, dripping quietly. I settled on the stall’s straw, mildly disappointed that it wasn’t perfectly dry.
“I’m glad you two had the forethought to actually bring money with you on this trip,” I commented.
“I’m glad Discord had the forethought to not throw the money pouch away,” Luna said. And, at my confused stare, she said, “Long story. Anyway. Think I should pop open a portal to Canterlot, grab her bag and cloak?”
“Just pop open…?” I balked. “Canterlot is so far from here! How…?”
“Alicorn,” Luna swiftly replied, “And I know exactly where I left it. It’d be a pretty direct portal.”
“If the servants didn’t move the bag,” said Discord.
“Yeah, if that didn’t happen.”
“If I may be honest,” I said, “I’d rather just get a new cloak.”
“Again, Alicorn,” Luna repeated, “Worth a shot, right?”
“I just don’t think I’d like seeing Canterlot at the moment,” I said lightly, “Especially if we have to go rooting around it for my things.”
“Hm…”
Neither of them could quite come up with a response to that. Luna calmly sat by my side, staring up at Discord. He regarded his hands, fiddling with the straw of the stall.
Idly, he said, “Bit damp, isn’t it?”
“The straw?” I said, “Yes, it’s not as dry as I would have hoped for. I suppose we’ll just have to make due...”
“Nah, screw that.”
Discord raised a hand and swiftly clicked his talons. In a flash, the stall was filled with bedding. Curtains drifted over the walls, pillows formed under our hooves, mattresses puffed up under our closely cuddling bodies. A thick comforter fell over my sister and I, large, warm and fluffy. All of it was proper, soft bedding, rivaling the comfort of Canterlot.
“Oh!” I turned to him. “And you can maintain this while sleeping?”
He nodded confidently. “It’ll sag a little by morning, but I’m getting better and better by the day.”
“Well… oh!” I laughed, “This is rather comfy! Thank you.”
“Thanks. I mean, uh…”
Discord looked down at Luna. She smiled back up at him, in such a curious way. Luna smiles often, and brightly. But something seemed different about the way she smiled at him.
I stared. Discord noticed me staring. And, was he blushing?
“Well!” he said, dropping down on Luna’s other side. “Guess we don’t want to buy another stall… If you don’t mind, Luna, I’ll be here.”
Luna frowned, looked at him, then at me…? Why do they keep looking at me that way? Did I do something strange? Are they hiding something?
I supposed it wouldn’t be long until I got my answer. Luna puffed herself up, in a way that Luna only does. It was her ‘I’ve decided on a course of action that nobody else wants to take, so I am going to take it myself’ pose. I smiled quietly. Well, Luna will be Luna…
I was still smiling as she loudly declared, “Thanks, Discord! You’re so thoughtful!”
And I lost that smile as, very deliberately, Luna leaned over and sloppily kissed Discord on the cheek.
“N-no!” Discord cried.
He flailed his arms wildly, flushing pink under his gray fur. He tried to draw away, but Luna followed him, like her lips were glued directly to his cheek. Discord’s hands fell on her shoulders, and his eyes snapped to mine. I didn’t look away, of course. Just stared right back.
“Hm?” I asked sweetly, as if nothing was wrong.
Discord blurted out a single, “I’m sorry!” Then he yanked himself away from Luna, grabbed the covers, and buried himself, tightly wrapping into an individual blanket burrito.
“Well!” I laughed. Oh no, did that sound shrill? I didn’t mean it to be so high pitched…!
I don’t think either of them noticed. Certainly not Discord, not wrapped up like he was. And Luna didn't seem to notice because, well um, she was poking her snout at the blankets.
“Disco-ord…” Luna chided. “I can’t tuck under your wing if you—“
Discord made a strangled sound. The bed suddenly heaved under us, and Luna squeaked loudly as she rolled into my side. A wooden wall slammed down between her and Discord, cutting the mattress in half. It bulged into brick, tightened back into a more compressed structure. It gained a tile roof, which also quickly transformed into brick.
Luna and I both stared at the little brick house squatting across from us, taking up a perfectly Discord-sized portion of the bed. It was silent for so long. I don’t know about her… but I wasn’t going to say anything about all this.
Who knows how long it was until Luna moved off of me, shrugging her wings. Perhaps a bit miffed? Yes. Or no. Well, if she was younger, I would have called it pouty.
“He and I both confessed,” she admitted from absolutely nowhere, “We’re both madly in love, you know.”
“Oh,” I squeaked. “I wouldn’t have guessed.”
“That me and him…?”
“Yes.” What in the world was she asking?! “You both acted so… so normal around each other! Maybe it was because I was a bit preoccupied at the time, but you both just seemed like normal when you found me! I would have never guessed that you were…”
What? Were what? Not normal? This is normal enough. Filly. Colt. About that age. All alone on a journey to save the world.
Yes.
Normal.
“Hm. Well.” Luna started, frowning at the brick hut. “He is shy…”
“I can hear you…” Discord said, voice muffled.
There was a flash, and a bit of the brick transformed into a little brick door. Discord poked his head out of the little door, face still flushed a bright hot pink.
“I like Luna for being Luna,” he grumbled, “She’s… she’s wonderful, how she is. I don’t need anything else from her… So I guess I can just be normal now. Just being with her, I can be normal.”
“Nothing else from me?!” Luna cheerfully cried. “So all those nights you spent holding and crooning and stroking my fur—“
“For life’s sake, Luna!” Discord squealed. And then he re-buried himself back into his brick bunker, further burying it under a cascade of earth.
“It’s going to come out eventually, Discord!” Luna shouted at the mound, “No sake in lying to my sister!” Luna fell back to my side, playfully… miffed. “He’s really sweet, but he still has problems being straightforward! You know?”
I could only stare. “Yes, I suppose so.”
“It’s not weird is it?” Luna said, grinning like she obviously wasn’t thinking it was weird at all.
“No…”
I frowned, trying to assert my response internally. It was not weird. I am not going to ruin this reunion by stomping all over my sister’s feelings. And it’s not like I had a logical reason why I didn’t want them together.
I still just didn’t like Discord. I still just wanted to coddle my sister. I knew that was stopping me. Who knew that my flaws would resurface so swiftly, already drive me apart from those two? I couldn’t let it happen. I wouldn’t let myself be burdened by my gut reactions. And I wouldn’t let myself stand apart from my sister and my friend.
So I took a deep breath, and I said, “Better Discord, before the old Canterlot stallions start fighting for your wedding band. Right?”
“I guess… Hm.” Now it was Luna’s turn to blush. “Marriage though!” She giggled. “I’m not even full-grown!”
“You’re getting close, little sister.” I smiled, despite myself. “You’ll be a mare before your next birthday.”
“Mare…” she giggled again. She settled down, face still red, smile wide, in that new, odd way. Her ‘love smile’ I suppose. She turned to Discords bunker, and tucked herself a little closer to it, smiling and smiling like she would never stop.
And I tucked myself in alone, totally accepting that this is how things were now.
~¤~
My legs were getting sore from wading through so much mud. I could already feel the muck crawling up past my knees, damaging my new cloak. But I didn’t dare complain. Luna and Discord had been through this much longer than I have, and I obviously didn’t want to taint my time back with them.
We were all under umbrellas. It was just a little mud that was causing me problems. I could stifle complaints, if it meant having a little peace among us.
But maybe things were a little too peaceful? It had been an hour since we started walking, and we had barely spoke a word. Were they that worn down from their journey? Or, more than likely, was it just that awkward having me back between the couple? Luna usually doesn’t get held up by those things, but Discord was clearly uncomfortable.
So…
“So um… Hm…”
It didn’t bother me. At the very least, it shouldn’t. I mean, Discord was um…
Nice.
Oh, haven’t I gotten over this? Discord is nice. He’s a good friend and I’ve been unnecessarily harsh to him!
Quite suddenly, I barked, “So, Discord!”
He looked up at me, puzzled. Or, maybe not puzzled. Just looking.
“Um… How was your trip?”
“Trip?” he asked.
“Well, you know I spent the weeks in that Sanatorium… what were, uh, you two up to?”
“Well, we got Honesty.”
“Yep!” Luna said, hoof tapping the wide black gemstone of her tiara.
“And we messed with it,” Discord continued, “For a little while, at least.”
“Ran from the stallion…”
Discord frowned back at me, over his shoulder, “But I thought Luna told you all of this.”
“I did!” Luna cried, nodding. “Do you think we missed something, Celestia?”
“No!” I said, “Just, well, you know… Curious, is all!”
Discord mumbled, “About what’s going on between us?”
“No, no, not necessarily! Just looking for things to talk about!” And, before I could stop myself, “I don’t want stuff to come between us, you know?”
He frowned. “This romance…?”
“No! Anything!” I asserted, near babbling now, “I put up walls between us, shoved you guys away in Canterlot. I don’t want the same thing to happen again. I don’t want it to fall off again…” My knee brushed by Generosity, purple diamond hanging stoically around my neck. “I left to correct myself, which I’ve done, to the best of my ability. I mean, I’m so far from better—“
Suddenly, Discord snapped, “Stop doing that!”
“What?” I nearly jumped, surprised, “What am I doing?”
“That! You’re wings!” he waved a frantic hand at me. “Don’t be so blunt with your emotions! Tuck your wings tightly to your sides!”
“What?” I balked. “My wings?!” Of all the things…!
I spun in place, trying to crane my neck back to see what he was talking about. One pure white wing had unfolded serenely, poking out from under my cloak, making the cloth ride up past my shoulders. The other was clearly lifted in the same way, but only the feathertips had escaped the confines of the cloth.
“Oh! Um, I’m sorry, I didn’t quite realize! Uh…”
I tried to steady them under my cloak, draw them back down, or something. But I had no idea how they got this way in the first place! They stuck out even further, wavering and twitching as I tried to tuck them back down. Eventually I had to resort to magic to fold them properly back in place.
“What’s the matter, Discord?” Luna asked, “You know she can’t control her wings yet!”
“It’s just… it’s embarrassing!” He shot, blushing once more, “You never see my wings flip-flapping around, do you? It’s good manners, or something! Yeesh…”
Luna stared at the blushing Discord. “You never told me to tuck my wings in!”
He mumbled something, and I watched as Luna’s eyes went wide.
“Huh?!” she cried loudly, “What do you mean ‘it’s cute when you do it?!’”
Discord made a strangled sound. Without any further warning, he bolted out from under the umbrella and ran into the rain.
“Discord!” Luna cried, “Discord, where are you going, you doof?!”
“Discord, please!”
And, quite suddenly, I charged forward. My umbrella tumbled off my shoulder. I cried out, cold water immediately began soaking through my cloak, raindrops thrumming on my hood. Mud splattered across my belly as I ran, dirtying even more of my hair and coat.
Yet, I still ran after him. Bouncing through puddles and hopping through the air, wings flaring under my cloak, making me float and drift along after him. A curious sensation that I completely ignored, my thoughts racing.
Why I was doing this… Yes, why was I doing this? Why did I feel so desperate? So hurt? He was the embarrassed one, he had the right to be after Luna’s teasing. And yet, I felt just as horrible. Was I sorry for him? Desperate, perhaps? But for what? Forgiveness?
“Discord!” I cried, “Wait up, will you?!”
Through the rain, I saw his lamplight eyes whirl around to face me. Yes! Perhaps he’s going to stop and finally talk frankly…!
Nope. He squeaked, and in a twisting sort of flourish, he ducked right under the shadows and vanished.
“Oh honestly, Discord!” I shouted. “Are you really just going to run from me?!”
My mouth slammed shut so fast, I nearly bit my tongue.
Was that Snippy flaring?
Luna laughed behind me, called out my name. But I didn't dare stop. I just kept running and running, cloak soaking through, mud coating fur too much of my coat…
I don’t know how long I ran. I know Luna stopped at some point, but I knew I wouldn’t stop until I caught up to Discord, once and for all. For a while, I was worried that I might’ve just ran past him, not even knowing better.
But eventually, I did catch up. At a fork in the road, Discord silently sat. He was on a fat rock, hiding under an illusion of a purple canopy. An old and tattered book was open in front of him, held aloft by with a complicated vine stand.
His eyes flicked up at me, then back down at the book.
“Didn’t know what direction to go,” he mumbled.
“So…” I started, breathing heavily through my nose, “That’s your map, then?”
He shook his head. “Ruin’s journal. Wanted to know if the wing thing was pony etiquette, or just a dumb Draconequus rule.” He lifted a clean paw and gently shut the old book. “It’s not in there, of course. What the heck does a Draconequus know about this stuff? ”
He glanced at me once, twice, then tucked the book away, back into his bag. The vine stand dissolved, but the purple canopy remained.
Discord asked, “You’re not… mad at me, are you?”
“No,” I said automatically. “Are you mad at me?”
“No… not really.”
“Then why?” I demanded, “Why are we fighting?”
“I don’t know,” he mumbled, “You get mad at me like it’s your job. Two weeks apart… that’s like no time at all. Why would that change?”
“Is that why you snapped at me?”
“No… Yes?” He huffed, holding his head in one hand. “I just don’t feel right around you. You… uhg.”
“I don’t…” I thought about it for a moment, before finding what to say. “I don’t exactly know what to think about this. It’s strange, yes, but… you’re my friend.” I smiled weakly, “What are you going to do? Respect her too hard?”
Discord sighed loudly. “That’s not the problem, Celestia.”
“Wow. Really?” I laughed, but I quickly stopped myself short. “I um, did not mean to make that sound so sarcastic. I am just genuinely surprised.”
Discord didn’t reply. He just watched me, silent and tired under his little purple canopy.
“Then what is it, Discord? I don’t want anything more to come between us! I want to understand, okay?” I stepped forward and reached out a hoof, tapping his paw hand, “I want us to be real friends. Not friends who hold each other at arm’s length.”
I thought that might comfort him. Might calm him down, at least a little. Accept my friendship, finally.
But no. He tucked his hand under his body and turned away.
“For life’s sake, Discord,” I huffed.
“No,” he grunted, “That’s my phrase.”
“Well I’m using it,” I retorted, “For. Life’s. Sake.”
“You know you’re just praising the fact that you’re not dead,” he snapped.
“Well, I sure am glad I’m not dead!” I stuck out my tongue. “Sweet life, I’m not a nightmare, I didn’t turn to stone and die.”
“You know, that’s the thing!” he shouted, “Two weeks alone, and BAMF, totally better?!”
“Well, not totally—“
“You’re better! You’re much better!” Discord shouted, “Don’t pretend like you’re not! I don’t see you agonizing. I don’t see you worrying or fretting. I haven’t even been shouted at once by you! Least, not until now…”
“Do you want me to do those things?” I said, incredulous.
“Of course not! I just hate the fact that you did this so freaking easily!”
I could feel my feathers ruffle this time, rubbing the wrong way against the inside of my cloak.
“What?”
“For years, Celestia!” Discord cried, “Years, I freaking starved myself! I bottled up my hunger, I bottled up my feelings, I hid and cried and there was no solving it! There still isn’t any solving it! Luna’s been helping me deal with, with me, and I’m still a fucking twisted knot on the inside!”
He lifted his paw, jabbing a finger at me. Face red, he shouted, “And you just think about your problems for two weeks, and poof! Problem solved!? WHY?! Why was it so easy for you?!”
My ears were ringing. Not just from Discord’s shouts. They were just ringing. I was afraid, terrified that I might hear Snippy growling, that she might again rise within me and attack Discord, unwarranted.
I couldn’t answer.
I didn’t answer.
I just stood and listened to my ears ring on and on.
And slowly, Discord’s face fell.
“I’m sorr—“
“No!”
I slapped my middle against the rock, clapping my hooves on his hand.
“Don’t apologize, Discord! I should be the one apologizing!”
“It’s not your fault that you’re a pretty perfect alicorn,” he mumbled.
“But it is my fault for not noticing how much pain you were in!”
The words tumbled out of my mouth, I didn’t want to stop them.
“That’s what you said, right? You were hurting over yourself! And I just yelled at you! I made it worse, didn’t I?! I made you hurt and feel ashamed about who and what you were! Just because you rubbed me the wrong way, because you were different… I shouldn’t have done that! I’ve been a terrible friend for you!”
He snorted weakly, “Finally realized, huh…”
“I realized it while I was fighting myself,” I said, “I realized why I didn’t like you, and I thought that was the end of that. But it’s not. I knew how I felt, and yet, stupidly, I still didn’t understand how you felt, Discord. I just thought… I don’t know.”
He was quiet.
So I said, “I’m still kind’ve stupid like that, aren’t I?”
“Maybe,” he mumbled.
“Can we try again Discord?” I asked, “Can we?”
“Don’t have much choice, do we,” he mumbled, “Fate of the world depends on how much we kiss and make up.”
“Well… if you had a choice in the matter?”
He rolled his shoulders uncomfortably. “New Alicorn You is definitely better than the old version.”
I almost corrected him. Almost said I wasn’t better, and that I wasn’t new. Not yet. But compared to what Discord was going through… maybe I was.
And that was far from a forgiving response.
“Thanks, Discord,” I said, nodding firmly, “It means a lot to me.”
He mumbled, “And it’s not like I hate you.”
“Also means a lot to me.”
“Just… jealous.” He shrugged. “I guess.”
“I’m here to help, Discord. Just like Luna has.”
“Uh. Not just like Luna has.”
I grinned, “Oh really? What can she do that I can’t?”
And despite everything, Discord smiled too. Weakly, but he smiled.
He said, “None of your business.”
“Well, she is my sister.”
“And she’s my, um… nevermind.”
“She’s your nevermind?”
“Well I was going to say ‘mate,’” Discord replied with a shrug, “but I’m pretty darn sure ponies have a different word for it.”
‘Mate.’ That hit me somewhere deep, somewhere inside me where Snippy resides. A deep, primal…
“Fillyfriend,” I quickly said.
“Wow,” he said.
“Hm?”
He shook his head. “Weird word, is all.”
I stuck out my tongue. “Oh, hush.”
“Well, you’re both smiling!” Luna said, running up behind us with both umbrellas bouncing in her aura. “Did you two make up?”
“Perhaps a little?” I said, looking up at Discord.
“Yeah, sure,” Discord grumbled.
Luna floated my umbrella back on my shoulder, and I steadied it with my aura. The damage was long done, however. I was completely soaked through, with no part of me not covered in mud. It was only then that I noticed I had speak a lot of that mud on Discord’s paws.
But he didn’t seem to mind. He dropped to the ground with a wet thump, instantly coating his clean hands in a fresh coat of muck.
“So. Um…” I looked around, trying to find something else to talk about. Um. Uh. Er. I lifted a wing , or at least I tried to. It twitched spastically under the heavy cloak, only barely able to shift the rain-soaked cloth. “When am I going to learn how to use these things? I’m sure Luna’s probably an expert in them by now.”
“Actually…” Luna said, “We were going to wait for the rain to let up before we practiced.”
“Except it rained the whole damn week over here.” Discord looked up. “What is going on up there?”
“Maybe we could fly up and see?”
“Nooooo…”
“Yeah, no.”
“Last time that happened, the clouds tried to grab us.”
“They tried to grab you,” I asked, incredulous.
“Yeah, but that was probably the stallion by proxy.”
“Still don’t want to try that again.”
“Nope.”
“Well.”
“Hm.”
“I still want to learn how to fly.”
“Yeah, me too!”
“Uh…”
~¤~
“Okay… Alright!” Discord called over her shoulder. “Bank just a little to the left! Just a little!”
I did so, rain splattering off my face, my multicolored mane flapping and twisting strangely in the wind. Luna, she turned a little more so. She rocketed left, spinning and wobbling nearly out of control. She laughed as she bounced off my flank, flapping over to her coltfriend.
“For goodness sake, Luna! Be careful!” I squealed, “You’re going to knock me out of the sky!”
“Sorry!” Luan said with a loud, gleeful laugh, “I didn’t know that we were going stay up here so long! My wings are getting tired!”
“We shouldn’t! We haven't!” I cried. “Oh, goodness, this is simply so strange.”
I wanted to beat my wings furiously to escape this falling feeling in my gut. But I fought instinct, and did exactly as Discord told me. Swift, easy beats when I felt myself drifting, wings out to give myself distance… Goodness gracious, it was cold, my wings hurt, there was water in my eyes, and I always felt like I was going to drop like a rock.
I hated this! I loved this! Oh why in the world did it have to be raining?!
“This is great!” Luna cried, “Let’s never land!”
“NO!” I squealed, “That is far beyond feasibility!”
Luna dropped, then heaved upward, wings beating loudly as she jolted upward.
“You’re going to make yourself sick, Luna!” Discord shouted over the rain.
“I already feel sick!” She cheered, “But I don’t care!”
~¤~
It was late. Long, long after the lessons, and much longer after our trip through the sky. We had flown far, further than we would have gone on foot. But I couldn’t help feeling that we may have gotten lost in the meantime…
Wherever we were, we had settled in an open field. Discord had set up a wonderful canopy and laid out dry sheets that refused to soak up the water. I was able to set up a nice warm fire for us, something that only burned on my own magic, and refused to be dampened by the rain. So despite sleeping in the rough, we had a nice, warm, and fantastically dry place to stay. All thanks to our growing powers, and the Elements.
Discord waited for us to both settle down, then slipped away in the night. Luna explained with an easy and comfortable smile, and I didn’t press her on it. I didn’t exactly want the details. She accepted him so easily, could I do the same? When I closed my eyes, I could see him on that rock, absolutely tormented. Even now, alone in the rain, was he hurting all the same?
I was awake when he returned, tending the fire, trying to make sure our cloaks were being dried. I heard him squelch through the mud, and heard his wings give a light flap as he jumped on the platform. I watched, through the dark, as he shook himself free of water, wringing out his cloak…
I thought I smelled blood. No, no, just my imagination. Let it be.
“Welcome back, Discord.”
He froze as I spoke. But slowly, his shadow settled down, relaxing.
“Evening, Celestia,” said Discord.
And we were silent again. He gave his cloak a hearty shake, and spun another hook by the fire. He hefted his cloak up to it, and I warmed the fire a bit more, trying to dry them both.
Think of something to say, think of something to say…
I said, “We’ve only got one more to go… haven't we?”
He remained silent. Another blanket wove itself out of his fingers, wrapping around his shoulders as he settled down by the fire.
“Oh,” he said suddenly, “the Elements.”
I snorted, “What did you think I meant?”
“No clue,” he replied with a shrug. “But yeah. One more. And after that?”
I said, “Is it bad that I think only of challenging the Stallion? First thing?”
“No,” he said with a shake of his head, “Can’t blame you for that.”
“We’d be ready. Far more prepared than before.”
“Yep.”
“You sure you’re not mad?”
He rolled his shoulders, shifting the blanket up higher.
“No, I’m not,” he said, “What more would I suggest? Practice a little, then go? Can’t exactly say ‘nah, let’s not face fath- let’s not face the Shadow Stallion.’ It’s our duty now. Our responsibility.”
I nodded, staring off into the rain.
I mumbled, “And after that…”
He settled further into the blankets, and it seemed like he was just so tired.
“Do you think we could keep travelling?” he asked.
“That would be slightly selfish of us,” I replied.
“But I feel like I just met you,” Discord huffed, “Like… again! I’ve had to re-meet you, and we’ve got to have time to be friends, or the Elements won’t work.”
“We can’t be that distant, Discord,” I said.
“No… but… there’s still some, I think.”
“Even after today?”
“A little bit.”
I took a little moment to think, and Discord let me take that time. I didn’t even know what to say, and nothing seemed to come to me, no matter how much I experimented with the fire or listened to the rain.
There was just one gigantic, wall sized, obvious fact. And it was all I could do to just come out and say it.
“We are two very different people, Discord.”
“I know,” he mumbled.
“You embody freedom. And I am bound by responsibility. We’ve found shared ground, however—“
“Yeah, I know,” he asserted, “No need to repeat that.”
“I want to consider you a wonderful friend, Discord,” I said, “I think there are so, so many things that we just will never be able to accept in each other. But we must do our best to overcome those things. Am I correct?”
He nodded slowly, and mumbled, “Mm-hmm.”
I thought that was that, but suddenly Discord said, quite loudly, “Should I call you Tia again?”
“No,” I replied, almost instantly, “Celestia suits me just fine.”
Discord and Celestia. Freedom and Responsibility. I didn’t tell Discord, but that sounded so familiar.
It sounded like something those Illuminators would say.
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This fic is too beautiful to be on hiatus
4130477
Whoops! Lemme fix that.
Hillarious that the chapter updated mere seconds after you posted your comment
I'm just drinking in words, don't mind me.
Minor mishap.
I love this chapter and the contrast between Celestia and Discord. I also didn't think that this would be the chapter Luna and Discord admit their relationship to Celestia. I thought it would come out in some dramatic intense (Cause of the rule of drama demands to be obeyed!) moment, but to read it like this is better than my expectations. I suddenly feel sour toward the eventual conclusion of this story but I still to it regardless.
My fingers are crossed and I'm looking forward to the next chapter. Great work, author!
Not sure if sounding like the Illuminators is a good or a bad thing.
Should be ponies
In other news, I absolutely loved this chapter, it was a little cute, it added characterization, and it allowed them to learn about those appendages on their backs(who also happen to relay emotions for all to see..oh my that would be embarrassing). The chapter had a very...heartfelt feel to it...The best way I can put it to words is that it was like a warm fire on a rainy and chilly night.
Hahah, Discord I'm surprised to see that you haven't learned yet that Luna does not do shy and embarrassed. She just barrels through it, and I'd be darned if it wasn't extremely cute.
In other words: excellent work, I hope to see more in the near future!
Really enjoyed this chapter. It was nice to see Celestia and Discord able to talk. Celestia really has matured a lot.
4100952 Ironic, even.
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Nope, it's deliberate.
She chose to not refer to Discord as a pony.
...
I read sixty chapters of this without faving?!
But I guess that's the way it goes~...
Discord is hilarious when flustered.
Erm, think that's wrong...
Discord needs to nut up and eat some steak XD
Despite the lack of an Alternate Universe tag (and that one sneak-peek type thing I vaguely remember), a chapter like this makes me believe it all might work out...
That's how I know I'm reading something great.
I hope discord doesn't turn into the need to stone the mean discord like in the show I wonder if he will get an another element?
Its funny how at the end she thinks that its something the Illuminators would say. When one of the mistakes they made was trying to make Discord a responsible rule follower.
Laughter and Honesty for Luna
Loyalty and Generosity for Celestia
Kindness for Discord.
I can only assume this means that he is going to get Magic as well. Which has all sorts of implications
Also, where the crap is Magic hidden? Looking foreward to finding out.
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Alwys amazes me when somebody shotguns my story in a day
Thank you so much for all the live reading comments!
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Shotgunning stories is kinda my specialty. Once I start reading something interesting it is very hard for me to stop.
Oh my. I had started reading this way earlier. I think the last thing that had happened when I just forgot to stop checking back for updates was Discords fiasco with the chicken. Goodness, that was a long time ago.
What's that? Why am I following them? Squeeeee! It's Steadfast Sky! 
I thought I had lost track of that story forever. Holy Crapolzy, that's a lot of chapters now. 
Rather than posting on a bunch of chapters, I'm just going to put my reaction in one comment.
*wanders back to tumblr* Cosmic pony fiction?
*Blows through all of them in 2 days*
So, Blueblood's jerkishness is inherited?
Discord/Luna! Wha??? Wasn't expecting that.
So Discord will be getting the element of Magic, since Celestia and Luna both already have two? For some reason, that just seems off to me. Eh, your (wonderful) story.
*is now eagerly awaiting the next chapter*
It's great that Celestia and Discord can finally get along.
And I loved reading your story after the long break in chapters.