Punishment
Discord and the three royal alicorns materialized in the throne room, finding it in the same partial destroyed state that the Draconequus had left it as.
“Wow, that certainly must have been some battle…” Luna remarked as she gazed at the dozens of black scorch marks that lined the walls and ceiling.
“Eh, not really. For the six strongest unicorns in Equestria they didn’t put up much of a fight…” Discord mumbled as he turned to Twilight and the lone council member.
Magus was still lying on the ground, now looking completely mortified at the sight of the two Princesses. Just hours ago he had been the one in control; he had been Emperor of Equestria, while they were just two powerless alicorns. If only we had executed them sooner… He thought to himself silently while still staring at the Princess of the Sun.
“Well, well…” Celestia muttered as she paced over to him, partially shocked at the state of him. Discord had certainly given him a beating, though this didn’t raise any pity for him. “Where’s the rest of your little band of traitors?”
Magus glanced around at the empty room, almost asking himself the same question. “I… I don’t know…”
“Oh, right! I almost forget about them!” Discord exclaimed before snapping his talons. The five former unicorns reappeared in front of them, though their skin was a dark blue and they were shivering uncontrollably.
“What did you do to them?” Luna questioned as she looked them over, a couple of them looking on the near verge of death.
“I just sent them to the most northern, remote part of Equestria I could think of, while I dealt with their ‘illustrious’ leader. I’m surprised they’re still alive to be honest…”
“M-m-m-magus, t-t-this is all your f-f-fault…”One of them muttered between the loud clattering of his teeth.
“Y-y-yes, we sh-should have just e-e-executed them in the f-f-first place…” A mare stated, her previously beautiful lavender mane had frozen and she could hardly keep her balance. Altogether, they looked on the brink of hypothermia; some even had icicles forming on their bodies. Had the Draconequus left them in the icy north for much longer they certainly would have perished.
“Executed?” Celestia repeated with a tone of surprise as she stared at Magus.
“Uh, n-n-no your highness!” He shrank to the floor, her piercing gaze feeling like daggers entering his skin. “I would never have done such a thing; I merely planned to keep you locked up!”
Discord broke out into laughter at his absurd lie. “Oh right, and it’s not like you just threatened to kill Twilight or anything either…”
Celestia’s gaze turned from daggers to battle axes as her eyes narrowed. “You threatened to kill my personal student?”
Magus couldn’t even speak at this point, only managing a weak squeak in response. He was like a mouse in front of a lion; merely waiting for his inevitable fate.
“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Her stern, inane voice lashed out at him like a whip. After a few moments of regaining himself, the former Emperor spoke.
“I’m ever so sorry your highness…” He rasped; the vocal damage caused by Discord being clearly audible. He assumed the same groveling tone as before and tried to look as weak as possible. “I never should have tried to overthrow you, I realize now all I really need is the power of friendship…”
“He’s lying!” Both Discord and Luna blurted out at the same time.
“I know.” Celestia replied as she continued to give him a cold stare. “So Discord, sister, what do you think would be a fair punishment for these six treasonous ponies?”
“Wh-what?!” Magus stuttered, horrified at her response. “Y-you won’t forgive us? But you forgave Luna and Discord, even after all they did!”
“Yes, but remember both of them were banished for a thousand years as punishment first.” Celestia stated, grinning slightly.
“Y-you don’t mean…” The former unicorn mumbled, terrified at the idea of spending a thousand years in stone or on the moon.
Discord immediately smiled and began rubbing his hands. “That’s such a boring punishment Celly; I’ve already taken the great liberty to come up with some far better ideas!”
“Oh really?” Celestia asked, somewhat both amused and scared with whatever twisted punishment he had come up with.
“I’ve got dozens, but I think this one’s the best! First we hang them on the tallest spires of the castle, and then an eagle picks out their liver.”
Magus swallowed hard, the rest of the council members would have too but their throats were half frozen, not to mention it was already a tremendous task for them to even breathe.
“But that’s not all of course, their liver will grow back and the eagle will do the same thing the next day! I think a few hundred years of that will suffice, don’t you?”
“Does it have to be their liver?” Luna questioned as she turned to the Draconequus. “Why not their kidneys, or their stomach?”
“Well why would it be anything else? What better ideas do you have?”
“Well, I was just thinking of using them as decorations for the next Nightmare Night, entrails draped around the castle would fit perfectly right?”
The two immortals continued bickering as Magus watched, shrinking to the ground even more after each of their horrific comments. Twilight watched in brief confusion, before turning to her teacher.
“Uh Princess, you’re not really going to let them do some of these things… are you? I know they’re evil and tried to overthrow you and all, AND tried to kill us, but doesn’t this sound a little extreme?” The lavender mare asked, her conscience taking hold of her.
“Of course not, but it is very amusing to watch Magus’s face. As soon as they stop arguing I’ll settle this.” Celestia replied with a whisper and a small smile as she watched them, and soon after, true to her words they stopped fighting.
“Well those ideas are great and all, but what do you think their punishment should be Celly?” Discord asked, now finally turning from Luna to the regal white alicorn.
“Five hundred years in stone.” Celestia replied with a completely straight face, which caused Magus to let out a shriek.
“F-f-five hundred years?! B-b-but you can’t!” The former Emperor snapped at her, his sudden anger overwhelming the intense fear that had previously immobilized him.
Discord shrugged his shoulders and let out a sigh. “I guess if you want to use the easy way out… But at least make it eight hundred years, you’re going too easy on them.”
“TO EASY?!” Magus yelled at him.
“Six hundred.” Celestia stated in reply, the hornless unicorn merely looked back and forth between the two.
“Fine, let’s get this over with then. I’ve got just the spot to put these six…” Discord mumbled before snapping his talons, causing them all to disappear from the throne room.
They all appeared moments later in the Royal Garden, the fall weather blowing a harsh breeze through the air. Celestia glanced around, and within moments she knew exactly where they were. Sitting mere feet from them was a cleared area in the forest of fauna, where not long ago a stone statue once stood. The cold, biting air was just like that of the night when she visited that statue; though her purpose here was entirely different.
“Well, what do you think?” Discord asked, his attention turned towards the six ponies. “It’s a great view really, and don’t worry if you can’t take it all in yet. You’ll be looking at this place for a long time…” He raised his talons, the former Emperor immediately crying out in response.
“That’s it?! No trial or anything? You can’t do this!” Magus snapped; trying even now at the very end to escape from his punishment.
“Well, under normal circumstances, we would conduct a fair and orderly trial…” Celestia began, “However, I think there is absolutely no doubt about your crimes and a trial would just be a waste of time. Therefore, I will act as, how do they say it? Judge, jury and executioner?” She stated while giving him a devious smile.
“I certainly would have liked to be executioner…” Luna remarked with a slight scowl.
“So.” Celestia looked over the six former unicorns. Magus was looking as terrified as ever, with whatever attempts at concealing his fear failing quite badly. The other five’s coat’s had started returning to their natural colors, though they still held a tinge of blue. “All six of you are convicted of high treason, attempted murder and a myriad of other charges. Therefore I sentence you all-”
“I would just like to say Princess…” The pony known as Starwind spoke up; the only one of the five having enough courage to speak. “That this was completely Magus’s idea; we had hardly anything to do with it! We would most graciously return to work for-”
“Not a chance.” Celestia immediately cut off, leaving the stallion speechless. “You all had just as much a part in this as him. As I was saying, I sentence you all with six hundred years in stone, to be served here in the Royal Gardens. Perhaps this will teach you all a lesson.”
Magus stared on in horror as Discord rubbed his hands together. “Well that’s it then! I’ll see you all in six hundred years…” He went to snaps his talons, but their former leader cut him off.
“At least give me my horn back, if I’m to be a statue I at least want to be remembered as a unicorn!”
“And you think you deserve that? Believe me; if I was in charge here I’d be giving you something a lot worse than half a millennium in stone…” The Draconequus glared at him, quickly putting a stop to his protests.
Celestia turned to her husband and stared at him for a moment. “Discord, give them their horns back. I know their evil, but magic most likely means everything to them. I personally don’t know what I’d do if my magic was taken away for forever…”
Discord sighed before rolling his eyes. “Fine…” He snapped his talons and the six ponies horns returned, much to all of their relief. “Now, let’s finish this already. We have a kingdom to run, remember?”
“Yes, but first I have one final degree. From this moment, I hereby terminate the Arcana Council and its involvement with the government; I have realized that, although a noble order at first, it has become corrupt over the years and is now nothing more than a racist group of power hungry unicorns.”
And that was it; Magus looked down at the ground in defeat. The last scrap of who he was evaporated into thin air. He was no longer the leader of the Arcana Council, just a regular unicorn like most of Canterlot’s inhabitants. What would he do after the sure to be grueling six hundred years? Get a petty job and just scrape by in life? The thought made him sick; he had been destined for a life of power and fame, not one of mediocrity.
He heard a loud snap fill the air and in looked up in surprise, half expecting to find himself now made of stone. Instead he found himself still of flesh and bone, though the same couldn’t be said about his former council members. Each of their previously blue coat’s had been changed to a dull grey, along with the rest of the bodies. They all stood together motionless; a spot in front of them empty, almost as if waiting for him.
“I just thought you’d like to see your friends get punished first. You know, right before you meet the same fate.” Discord grinned at the now lone unicorn.
I can’t go out like this; I’d rather die than have to face this horrible future! In a final act of defiance and rage, Magus used the last of his energy to shoot off a spell. It flew past Discord, and hit Celestia directly in the side. She crumpled to the ground, though Magus soon did the same as he was hit simultaneously by spells from Luna and Princess Cadence.
“Celestia!” Discord immediately yelled before rushing over to her, laying a hand on her side that seemed to burn from an intense fire.
“D…Discord…” She mumbled between clenched teeth. The Darconequus snapped his talons, and the pain quickly dispersed. Celestia began taking slow, relaxing breaths as he gently stroked her mane.
After a minute Discord turned towards the broken unicorn lying in the dirt, his burning gaze being by far the most frightening he had seen thus far. “You just don’t know when to give up…”
“I say we execute him, he obviously isn’t ever going to learn anything…” Luna stated, her horn still pointed at him.
“We should execute him. It’s the only thing he deserves. But…” Discord voice trailed off as he turned from him back to his wife. “That’s too easy, isn’t it? It’d be too quick; I think instead a thousand years in stone would be far more painful...”
Magus was in too much pain to reply; his already incredibly fragile body had nearly been snapped in two from the force of the two alicorn’s spells.
“Goodbye Magus, enjoy the next thousand years…” Discord snapped his talons and the tyrant disappeared, reappearing an instant later in front of the other stone unicorns. Painted across his face was a look of fear; completely devoid of any of his previous anger or confidence.
“Princess, are you alright?” Twilight asked after a long moment of silence. They all looked over to see the lavender mare standing above Celestia.
“Yes Twilight, thank you…” She stated in reply, and after a few deep breaths she raised herself off the ground. “Well, Discord, Luna. Now that this whole ordeal is settled with, we best get cleaning up their mess.”
“Oh, right!” Discord exclaimed, suddenly remembering something. “The guards, I completely forgot! They’re still all spoons!”
“I was wondering why there were spoons all over the throne room…” Luna remarked quietly.
“Shining Armor’s a spoon?! Get back to the throne room and change him back this instant!” Princess Cadence exclaimed, her expression full of worry.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m going…” Discord mumbled as he snapped his talons again.
“Cadence darling, what happened? The last thing I can remember is a bright light…” Shining Armor mumbled as he had one hoof around his wife and the other rubbing his temple.
“You were brainwashed by the Arcana Council; you locked me in a jail cell!”
“I did? Man, why is it that I keep getting brainwashed…”
“Sister, you’d better go check the barracks and make sure all the guards are all right. The hypnotization spell should have broken, but we’d best make sure.” Celestia said. Luna nodded in response before leaving the throne room. “And Twilight, where are all of your friends?”
The question immediately set off a light in her head, and she jumped up in surprise. “I forgot, they still don’t know that I found Discord! I have to go tell them everything! Thanks, Princess!” She quickly said before teleporting out of the room.
“Well, it shouldn’t take too long to fix everything they did.” Celestia stated as she turned over to her husband.
Discord glanced from the window over to his wife. “That’s great, then we’ll have more time to focus on the baby! Speaking of which, what are we naming her?”
Celestia could hardly believe the words came from his mouth; this was the first time since she had told him the news that he showed some genuine interest in the foal. “Well, I did come up with a few names, but really I just wanted to wait until you got better. It should be a decision we both agree on.”
“Well, we still have a few months; we have plenty of time to decide. I’d much rather catch up on all the time we lost...” Discord smiled before embracing her hoof in his paw. Celestia smiled back, and the two leaned in to kiss.
“PRINCESS CELESTIA!” A loud voice boomed through the throne room as the doors opened, and a brown earth pony with a large, bushy mustache entered the room. “Have you heard what they're saying in the city, how the whole royal family is dead and that the Arcana Council has taken over?! What is this rubbish?! Just a scheme so you can take a nice long vacation?!”
“Senator Green…” Celestia mumbled as she turned away from Discord, giving the stallion an annoyed looked. “How wonderful to see you…”
“There’s nothing wonderful about it!” He screamed in his usual angry voice. “We are supposed to be a responsible government, but you’re here spreading lies so you can sit around and be lazy!”
Celestia rolled her eyes; indeed, things were back to normal.
“I was very proud of you today.” Celestia said with a smile as she looked over the Royal Gardens, the cold air biting at her coat.
“For what, saving you?” Discord asked as he exited their bedroom and stepped out onto the balcony with his wife.
“No.” She said in reply as she stared up at the beautiful night sky. Though she was the Princess of the Sun, she had always found more beauty in her sister’s night.
“Accepting that I’m a father?”
“I’m very proud of you for that yes, but that wasn’t what I was talking about.”
“What, then?” He questioned as he laid an arm across her shoulder and stared into her eyes.
Celestia paused for a moment, glanced down from the dark night to look into her husband’s different sized pupils. “Magus, you didn’t kill him… I thought for sure you would after he attacked me…”
“I almost did. For a few second there, I was ready to tear him limb from limb. But then I remembered you, and as Twilight had told me earlier, it wouldn’t have been what you wanted. He can sit in stone for a thousand years and think about what he’s done. I did.”
“I love you, Discord; more than anything in the world… You may be flawed, and you may make mistakes, but you’re perfect to me.”
“You’ve always been perfect to me… I love you too, Celestia…” Discord muttered before they leaned in and finished the kiss that had earlier been interrupted.
There had only ever been two other moments like this in either of the immortal’s lives. Ones of perfect bliss where earthly troubles seemed to drift off and vanish, when all either of them felt was happiness and the deep feelings they held for each other.
The first had been after Discord had been released; when both of them in the flesh announced their emotions, forgave the other, and finally declared their love. The second had been their wedding, when during a thunderous applause, they kissed, only aware of each other, and not the screaming crowd in front of them.
Discord stared into Celestia’s magenta eyes, lost in deep thought and passion as they embraced. Above them still sat the dark night, dotted with millions of shining lights amidst it’s sea of black.
This truly is the married life…
Stats
Page generated in 0.028 seconds
Total duration
1,003 users online
76,259 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Disclaimer:
This is NOT the final chapter of the story, no matter how much it may seem. There will be one more chapter, I promise.
So for once Shining Armor was the small spoon.
Inb4 miscarriage.
My first thought was that Celestia was going to have a miscarriage as a result of getting hit by Magus's spell, and you would go on from there, but if there is only one more chapter then I guess that isn't the case.
Huh??? What did the Magus's spell do?
i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/440/001/78e.gif
Coo' man!
Weird. I'm torn between hoping that spell did nothing and yet seeing where you are going with this....If the foal miscarries, there certainly is no law against smashing masonry.
I'm certain that if Celestia miscarried becaue of Magus, Discord would un-stone him and go through with the Prometheus thing he suggested, only the eagle would eat all his internal organs and it would last for all eternity.
Please no miscarriage, please. Discord and Celestia have been through more than enough for a lifetime.
1647924 thats terrible
-ly funny
let's hope the final chapter gives birth
Here's hoping for a birth, and hoping Discord doesn't get thrown across a room. XD
Magus is a dick biscuit. He'll never change.
You are just going to have to kill him in a thousand years anyway Discord, so why wait?
Well, let's see how this story ends. I hope it ends well.
Thank Luna it's not over...... I WANT MOAR
.... If that's ok w/ you?
24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lscarnPMQH1r3k1m8o1_500.png
Now I want see Discord and Celestia's filly/colt
1647825
Well, I didn't expect it to be over yet, if marked incomplete and chapter didn't have a fitting title to mark it as the end of the story, more or less. Though know some people tend to forget sometimes to mark it as complete, but anyway, not sure if it's the end of the series, assuming you'd want to write more about Celestia and Discord and their first child (of many?).
Well, seemed like kind of a filler chapter, being drawn-out on the punishment of the former Arcana Council, even if that was the point. Kind of stupid of Magus to attack in a last-ditch effort, especially after Celestia made decision for them to get their horns back.
Which was kinda dumb, but Celestia is kind when not being strict/serious, despite being both at once in this case. 
At least things are drawing to a close for this story, but again, really hope not the end of the series, unless you're content to do so with this couple. Also hope we can get some long-awaited updates on some of your other projects may've forgotten about, if/while you take time to come up with more possibly for this series or other new ideas. But anyway, hope to see the final chapter to this soon, with the hopeful birth of their daughter! Updates've been kinda slow, but know you're probably busy with life, others, and all that jazz. 
1647983
It was PROBABLY the burning spell he used on Cadence, as well as on Twilight, I think. Probably best to think of it as something like a highly concentrated beam of magic designed to directly burn somepony and make their body sear in pain, like was severely burnt by a fire. Though dunno if it burns the fur around the area off, as made no mention of it. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/shrug_Twilight_Sparkle.png
there will be several statues missing in the next hundred years, only dust will remain as their organs disintegrate and fly into the far reaches
Discord should've turned their horns into ice cream cones or something. Centuries of that would be hilarious.
This, was, AMAZING. Seriously, props for creativity and originality. I really loved the style in which you wrote it, absolutely astonishing in my opinion. Spent lots of time reading all three starting last night, t'was all worth it.
Promise me you will stay an amazing author!
Centuries in stone will drive them mad.
1652401
Ooh, ooh, turn them into living candy... and force them into a room full of sugar-craving foals!
When Discord propose the punishment idea.... is that God of War reference?
1662388
Nope, it's referencing Prometheus, the Greek titan who gave fire to man. He's in God of War, but it originally comes from Greek mythology.
1662427
Oh yea... forgot about that. Thanks for clearing it up.
1662003
Better - Use Pinkie clones.
I can not find words in my advanced vocabulary to describe what I have just read.... hang on while I find bigger words to use
TO GOOGLE!!
//activate magical unicorn google powers
//activated
//begin search of all words
//error just go with this
//no!
//yes!
//nooooooo!
//JUST DO IT
// ok
This marvelous piece of lterature is inconceivablely Phenomenal!
//see what did i tell you
//oh f*** off google
1662388 no, that is actually a reference to a greek myth about a man who was punished by zeus to be chained to a rock in the sea. And either everyday or once a week (i forget which one, been a while since i last saw this one), an eagle ordered by zeus would come down to him and eat his liver, which would regrow by the next "meal".
Just now read this chapter after it just sitting their in my favorites box. too much time as has passed.
Eagle/liver thing, greek mythology. It was a punishment for some guy for taking fire back to earth.
Ahhh he said the title!
3436486 it was a Titan named Prometheus who disobeyed Zeus, who didn't want us humans to get to smart, by bringing fire down to Earth. As punishment, he was chained to a rock, and each night an eagle came and tore out his liver. Each day the liver would grow back. This went on for a few centuries until Hercules/Heracles killed the eagle and released Prometheus.
*sqee
3663456
Knowledge of Greek Mythology ftw!!!
3663456
Knew it! I'd question how they got turned into stone but, they're alicorns, I'm sure they can pull off a petrification spell.
This truly is the married life…
role credits!