Another Visitor
Celestia sighed as she made her way to the Canterlot Gardens. There were many things she didn’t like about her job- the paperwork, dealing with snobby aristocrats, political meetings that droned on way too long when the solution was staring everypony in the face...
But nothing compared to this.
Visiting Discord.
And it wasn’t because she hated Discord- no, it was the opposite. Visiting him caused the same sort of pain that looking at the moon used to give her.
It was a reminder she’d failed her family yet again.
Because Discord was family. Not by blood, as Luna was, or by marriage, like many other royals, but he had grown up in the castle, been practically adopted by her parents, and they had spent their childhoods together.
She didn’t know where he’d come from, and he wasn’t really sure either- his species had been all but driven to extinction, after all- but the royal family had welcomed the tiny draconequus with open arms, and she was determined to do the same.
So she put on a smile and entered his section of the gardens.
“Hello, Discord.”
No answer. This was frustrating beyond belief, as she had given him the power to speak to him and Luna, in the feeble hopes he might try and discuss his redemption with her.
So far, there had been nothing.
She continued to look up at him, taking in his stony form. She really hated to see him like this, hated that she hadn’t seen another choice to keep her subjects safe. It just wasn’t right to see he adopted brother without any life or color, and the expression on his face caused her physical pain.
Wait a minute, she took it back. There was color on him... On his head.
Yes, on his head was some sort of stuffed toy, a bright yellow Parasprite. She cocked her eyebrow in confusion, using her magic to take it down and examine it. It was a funny thing- misshapen and lumpy, not particularly well made, but seemingly made with quite a bit of care... But where had it come from?
Give him back. You should know not to take things that don’t belong to you, Celly.
The alicorn looked at him in shock, very nearly dropping the stuffy into the snow. “Discord?” however, she quickly regained her composure and cleared her throat. “As should you. Where did you get this? Did you steal it?”
Ah, yes, because I’m entirely capable of that in this state. He scowled. No, I didn’t steal that- and frankly, dear, I’m offended by that assumption, you taught me yourself to share. A... It was given to me for Hearth’s Warming Eve by a... a friend... The last word was said almost meekly, and with so much trepidation, that Celestia couldn’t help but feel a bit bad. Was he really so unsure that he could have friends? At least, that’s what she said she was... I’m not so sure.
“Why not?” the white mare looked at up at him again, still holding the Parasprite.
No answer.
“Was it Luna? That was kind of her... I thought her needlework would be better, though.”
No.
Again, Celestia looked at him in surprise. “No?” she looked at the toy again. “You mean it wasn’t Luna?”
There was no answer.
“Discord, I need to know who’s been visiting you.”
Why?
If she was being honest, it was because she was worried the chimera was manipulating somepony to come and visit, or he was gaining some sort of following. That could be quite dangerous, and may even lead to his re-release.
It’s because you don’t trust me.
“No,” she said plainly. “I don’t. Should I?”
No. But you have no reason not to trust her.
So it was a mare. Well, that didn’t narrow things out very much- more than 60% of Equestria’s population was female...
“I have every reason not to trust her if she’s been helping you.”
I didn’t know keeping me company and giving me hot chocolate was treason. Good to know.
“Is that truly all she’s done?”
Well, she told me about the pranks she’s been doing lately, discussed her family and gave me Bananas there, but I don’t see much harm in that, either. Unless I’m undeserving of simple conversation?
She sighed. “No, and you know that’s not true. I try to talk to you all the time.”
Yes, and that’s such a joy for both of us.
She very nearly groaned. “Discord, your section of the gardens is protected by strong spells to keep anypony visiting the garden from stumbling upon you by accident. Whoever is visiting you must be very powerful.”
She is.
“Chaotic?”
Very.
“So she’d been giving you energy, hasn’t she?”
Again, there was no answer.
“Brother...”
Don’t call me that. You aren’t my sister. You trapped me in stone and made my actions seem purely evil-
“I had no choice! After your rule, ponies were full of doubt- they needed some sort of solid truth, a view of the world in black and white, as opposed to what you gave them!”
You could have revised the story later, to seem more truthful.
“And had my subjects doubt me? Had their leader seem like a liar? The public eye is always on me, if they couldn’t trust me-”
You could have done something. For both Luna and me. We were not simple villains.
“I know.” She took a deep breath, but continued to stare at him. “But I’m not leaving until you tell me who this mare is.”
She isn’t giving me energy on purpose. She’s only given me enough to express my gratitude for her visits. That’s all.
“Express your gratitude? How?” she looked alarmed, and Discord had to laugh at the look on her face. Seeing Celly so scared was more than a bit amusing, and he was tempted to say something ridiculous to make her even more nervous.... but that could get Pinkie in trouble- or worse, get him in trouble, so he decided against it.
I wrote her a note saying thank you. Only a few words- any more and I would have passed out from exhaustion. Is that alright, Princess?
She rolled her eyes at his melodramatics, but nodded. “That seems fine, as long as you didn’t do anything else.”
How could I?
A scowl graced her muzzle, and Discord had to grin. Ah, it was so much fun annoying her! It reminded him of the old days when they were foals- he and Lulu used to drive Celly up the wall. (It was too easy, after all, she was always so stiff.)
Now Lulu was just as boring as her sister.
“Discord, I need to know who has been visiting,” she said, yet again.
No.
“Why not?”
You’ll try to stop her from visiting. You’ll convince her I’ve been making her come with my powers or something. I know the way your boring little mind works, Celestia, that’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it? Besides, she’ll likely get in trouble for breaking a magical seal. Although knowing her, she probably walked through it without even knowing it was there.
“And you care enough about her to protect her from punishment?”
That caused the draconequus to pause. She’s tolerable, I suppose.
“Oh, really?”
Yes. I find her antics entertaining. She’s refreshing, that’s all.
“Hmmm. I don’t recall you protecting any other ponies you found only ‘tolerable.’ You found Luna and I more than tolerable as foals, and you tortured us more than anypony else.”
Mere pranks, he said dismissively, waving his paw.
“Still, you never protected us.”
I thought of you as siblings. Aren’t they supposed to torture each other? Or do I lack an understanding of family AND friendship? Oh, however will I live without this crucial knowledge?
Her magenta eyes flashed. “The point is, you are acting selflessly, and I’ve never seen that from you before. Not since we were kids.”
I was a kid. You were a filly. Or do you have some goat blood in you I’m not aware of? That would explain your appalling face... And your beard.
“Stop trying to change the subject! I’m getting impatient.”
Oh, whatever shall I do?
She glared at him. “Fine. If you don’t tell me, I suppose I’ll have to post a guard by your statue at all times to find out who it is...” she smiled and started to walk away, Bananas still in her grasp.
You wouldn’t dare.
“I would, and I will.”
He cursed under his breath. Promise me you won’t make her stop visiting? And you won’t be angry at her? I doubt you could be, honestly, you’re so fond of her already...
Well, now she was certainly curious- more curious than she had been, at least. “I promise.”
Pinkie Promise.
The princess chuckled at her older brother’s stubbornness, and nodded. “Oh, alright. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” Discord was impressed when she even produced a cupcake to accentuate the promise.
Sometimes Celly could be a bit fun, at least.
“How did you learn about a Pinkie Promise, anyway?”
He chuckled. She taught me last time she was here.
The draconequus cackled at the expression on her face.
“You mean...?”
I told you she was entertaining.
“You have an Element of Harmony visiting you?” She'd obviously had somepony else in mind, although Discord couldn't imagine who.
I never thought an Element could be such a good companion. I have always been partial to Laughter, though, so perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised.
“I- I can’t allow you to do that.”
You Pinkie Promised.
“I’m sorry, Discord, I didn’t know the extent of the situation-”
Do you really want to face her wrath when she learns you broke one of her patented Pinkie Promises? She will kill you. Honestly, I wouldn’t even wish her anger on you.
“I’m willing to take that risk.”
And suddenly, Discord’s already tiny world seemed to be getting a bit smaller.
Celestia... please.
Celestia took a shuddering breath. “Discord, I am honestly sorry. Anypony else, it would be different... but you corrupted the Elements before, twisted and manipulated them. For the sake of Equestria, I can’t risk allowing that to happen again.”
I wouldn’t do that to Pinkie-
“I have no evidence of that, Discord, I jus-”
I changed her back.
The alicorn paused, looking at the statue in shock. “You... what?”
I didn’t like seeing her gray. It wasn’t funny. The others were funny to watch.
She looked at him a bit longer, still not sure what to say.
I told you- I like Laughter. I liked having someone around willing to give it to me. I still do.
“I- I have no way of knowing that’s true...”
Ask her. She’ll tell you. How did Twilight say she’d changed all of them back? What did she say about Pinkie?
Celestia blinked. Twilight had given a lengthy description of exactly how all of her friends had been changed back- long monologues, and lessons about true friendship in each, as her friends had nodded and affirmed, telling their own sides of the story. But for Pinkie, all she had said was, “And Pinkie was just her usual self when we got there, guzzling down a cotton candy cloud! I guess she was just doing what Pinkie Pie does!”
“No use in questionin’ it, we’ve all learned that by now,” Applejack had shrugged, looking at the pink mare with an amused fondness.
The mare in question had simply nodded, a weird look on her face. “I just didn’t like being gray anymore.”
And that had been that- Celestia hadn’t questioned further, and neither had any of the Elements, as they’d all known Pinkie to do some truly bizarre things.
Perhaps they should have.
“If- and I mean if- I allow Pinkie to continue visiting, I will have to have a long talk with her,-”
Don’t bore her too much, dear, you know how dull you can get.
“And I need you to promise me you won’t do anything to harm her, or change her.”
I wouldn’t dream of it.
For once, there was no sarcasm dripping from the spirit’s voice... he seemed genuinely sincere.
The goddess sighed, looking at her hooves, deep in thought. “I suppose, then... I can’t think of any good reason to prevent her from visiting.”
... Really?
“In all honestly, it could be good for you to make a friend, especially one I trust so completely.”
A friend? No, she’s simply a fun way to pass the time.
“Whatever you say,” she shrugged. The gears and cogs in her head were already turning. A friendship might be exactly what Discord needed to turn him around. Perhaps redemption was possible for yet another member of her family.
“Goodbye, Discord. Have a nice night.”
Good night. Oh, and Tia?
She smiled back at him. “Yes?”
... May I have Bananas back?
She looked a bit surprised, but she chuckled. “Of course. Here you go.” The Parasprite floated back to its perch on top of his head.
He looked at the plush fondly, smiling softly.
Good night.
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So, if I read that right, Celestia threw Discord and Luna under the bus purely to solidify her rule?
5043008 Well, yes, but it wasn't as black and white as all that. Discord and Luna both did wrong- they weren't completely innocent in any way. Celestia was young, afraid, and didn't know how to gain the trust of her subjects yet. It was less that she MADE UP lies about them, and more that she didn't really try to stop rumors and folk-stories about them, because they made sense to her subjects. The ponies wanted a princess that could do no wrong, and once Celestia realized how much she had really hurt her siblings' reputation, she couldn't change it without the risk that her subjects would resent her, and be unable to trust her. What she did wasn't right in the least, but it's also not as horrible as it sounds. (Plus, you know, this was mostly from Discord's point of view.)
So... kinda? Yeah, she threw them under the bus, but it was more like she tripped them and then a bus came hurtling down the street and she hadn't realized it was coming.
... If that makes any sense.
5043247
Still think she needs a punch in the face. Especially considering that she had ample time to outlive any controversy or make slow changes. From here, it looks like she took the coward's way out.
5043267 Well, I'm not gonna disagree with you on that! Honestly, most people could use a good punch in the face every once in a while, just to keep them in check.
another solid chapter. i have one or two little nitpicks though...
i feel like when discord said "pinkie promise" celestia should have gotten the reference immediately and come to the conclusion that pinkie had been the one visiting. celestia is intelligent and sharp and distrustful of discord, so she'd have been scanning his words for hidden meanings as they talked, picking up on his hint quickly before going through a silly little ritual. maybe he wouldnt have confirmed her guess until she'd promised, but since this chapter is mostly told from her point of view i think we should have seen more of her inner reaction to the news. maybe even something like "i should have guess who when he said she was powerful and chaotic and gave him hot chocolate. who else BUT pinkie pie?"
second nitpick is that pre-reformation discord is highly unlikely to have said 'thank you' when she gave him back his toy, unless it was sarcastic. and if it was sarcastic, it should be more obvious.
By the way, previous chapter was literally heartwarming
him the power to speak to him and Luna,
He can talk to himself! (her and Luna)
This is rather adorable thus far. And there's quite a bit more to read. Encouraging.
Great story so far. I'm always up for a good Discopie fic to pass the time and this is certainly turning out to be just that. I've always felt that Pinkie would have been the better option in turning Discord around. But of course no one can reject the adorableness that is Fluttershy.
Also you may want to fix this sentence:
Pretty sure Celly hasn't been hitting any gender bender potions lately.
5043247
And yet she had plenty of time to tell the truth. Like how she and dear old dad left him the last one. I was always taught you mess up then you do your best to fix it. Yes there are some things you can't undo but taking responsibility for them is important. It part of being a responsible person. The ponies may not have known the truth but she did. And being honest is a good way to establish trust. Secrets can't hide forever especially when they are bad Secrets and how much trust do think she will have when the truth comes out.
SIBLINGS! AAAAHHHHHHHH I LOVE THE COMPLEXITY OF THESE OLD ASS BEINGS HAVING OLD ASS BEEF MIXED WITH PAST FAMILIAL TIES MESSING WITH IT ALL!
It reminds me a lot of Pinkie with her Family. Another thing for the two to bond over!
Discord just wanting Bananas back means the world to me.