For Those We Love

by ABronyAnonymous

Chapter 3: Memories

Chapter 3: Memories

Discord watched as the last few sparks from the teleportation spell floated to the ground and fizzed out in midair. Finally alone, he sat down on a fallen log. Replaying the conversation he just had with Shining Armor over in his mind. The one comment about him having never known love particularly irked him.

‘Come on! Is that how ponies see me? Incapable of love or being loved!?’ He materialized a cracked mirror in front of his face.

‘Well, okay, I might have a face only a mother could love but still-’

He continued to stare his many and broken reflections, and they back at him. Some looked just as he did; others laughed; some cried; others simply lashed out at him in blind anger. But he was looking for one face in particular. One from his past. That one reflection both scared him and saddened him at the same time. It showed him everything he once was and reminded him of how much he’d lost.

‘Ah-ha. There you are!’

He had barely spotted it in one of the smallest slivers, hiding. Forcing the mirror to repair itself, he focused on that tiny reflection, watching as the cracks began to merge together and melt away. The surface of the mirror rippled and settled. Its surface smooth and clear. Before him was the image of a young foal staring out at him with sad, pleading eyes. The foal knew the things Discord had done. The cruel jokes that often hurt their targets. The vicious half-truths that would pit brother against brother, or as once before, Sister against Sister. The foal knew his every sin. Discord stared back at the reflection of his younger self.

“I guess we didn’t exactly turn out the way he had hoped we would, huh?” He asked the foal.

‘It’s not too late to change.’

Discord’s ears splayed back against his head. The foal’s mouth hadn’t moved, but he’d heard the words clear as day. He lowered the mirror as the glass shattered once more. Discord let it dematerialize back to wherever his pocket dimension was and laid back on the log. He snapped his fingers and turned it into a soft bed and a projector screen popped into existence in front of him.

Sighing, Discord blinked and his eyes turned into projectors.

**********

On the screen, three foals played on a grassy hilltop. The sun shined down on them gently, making it not so hot, but just warm enough. Laughter filled the air as they ran around trying to catch each other or chase down the butterflies that happened to fly nearby.

“’Tia! Discor’!” the smallest one with a powder blue mane called out, “Imma gonna catch yew! One! Tew! Tree!”

The other two, just a few year older giggled as they ran away looking to hide from the younger one as she counted. They spotted a tree and quickly clambered up it, taking refuge in the foliage.

“So,” Tia panted heavily, “Think she will find us?” She looked conspiratorially at her partner.

Young Discord shook his head, “Nah,” and smiled.

A few months ago, he’d been wandering around when these two had found him. Initially they had been a little leery of the other but soon enough they had become fast friends and went everywhere together.

The two sat in the tree giggling softly as Luna tried to hunt them down, calling out their names. After a few minutes of fruitless searching though, she became worried and afraid that they’d left her.

“Tia! *sniffle* Discor’! *sniffle* W-w-where are yew?” she sat down under one of the tree boughs and cried softly.

Celestia turned to Discord in the tree and whispered, “Do you think we should give up now?”

“Mmmm, maybe,” Discord shrugged before starting to clamber down as quietly as he could as Celestia followed him. He landed on the ground softly and motioned for Celestia to keep quiet too as he snuck up on the crying Luna on the outside of the large trunk.

He sat down beside her softly and draped a foreleg over her small trembling frame, “So what’s got you in tears Lulu?”

Hearing his voice and feeling the weight of his foreleg on her shoulder, her head shot up, waterworks ceasing almost immediately, “Discor’!” Immediately she grabbed his middle tightly, refusing to let him go, “I thought you ‘ad aban-dawned me.”

“Never,” Discord said as he looked down at her and smiled.

At the point Celestia came over and sat down next to the pair, draping one of her small wings over her sister, “Nor would I, Lulu. We’ll always be here.”

Luna mollified at this point, happy that she hadn’t lost her sister and best friend began to smile. She looked up at Discord and tilted her head curiously, studying him. Noticing that the smaller filly was staring at him strangely, he looked down at her, “What is it Lulu?”

“Why are your eyes funny?”

Celestia giggled softly into her hoof trying to keep from laughing harder but was miserably failing. Discord narrowed his eyes at her before speaking to Luna softly, “My eyes aren’t funny.” He then booped her on the nose with his hoof, “Maybe you’re eyes are funny!”

Luna stood up defensively, squaring herself on him, “Nuh-uh, you’re eyes are funny!” Then stuck her tongue out at him.

Discord stood up acting like he was going to come after her. Seeing this Luna squealed and ran away, taking Celestia with her; both of them laughing.

He began to chase them.

**********

The memory went fuzzy as a few teardrops began to leak from Discord’s eyes. Using his lion paw, he dabbed them away, clearing up the picture. A new memory began flashing across the screen.

**********

Now the three of them looked to be in their teenage years. Both of the sisters had their unmistakable cutie marks by now and Celestia’s mane was starting to transform from the light pink of her youth to the ethereal multi-hued one everypony knew. They were all sitting on the embankment of a crystal clear lake staring up at the stars.

Discord whistled appreciatively, “Luna! I know you said you had a masterpiece planned but, I’m not sure that quite describes what you have done here.”

Luna blushed embarrassed but also felt a bit proud of herself too, “Well, it’s not complete yet, but I’m glad you like it.”

“Truly Luna,” Celestia chimed in, “It is magnificent.”

And so the three saw under the stars, Luna engrossed in her work sitting on a flat rock in the water; ever so carefully positioning each star in the sky while Celestia and Discord sat of to the side behind her, on the shore. Discord tore his eyes away from the sky and looked at the smooth surface of the lake, reflecting the night sky almost perfectly as the small ripples made it look as if the entire sky was shimmering beautifully. His gaze shifted from the water to the shoreline; he noticed a few flowers nearby starting to bloom and glow a soft blue in the moonlight. Looking over at Celestia, who was still enthralled by the night sky and her sister’s work, Discord grew a small smile as he got an idea. Turning away, he dimly lit his horn as he picked one of the flowers and levitated it over. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, he turned back to Celestia, heart pounding in his ears and fighting to maintain control of his magic as a nervous excitement threatened to take over. Ever so gently, he slid the stem behind Celestia’s ear and into her mane.

Celestia laughed softly as something tickled her ear. She looked over to see Discord’s horn lightly lit and the last vestiges of his magic dissipating from her ear and he some smiled softly at her. She tilted her head as she wondered what he had done.

“What did you do?” she asked gently, unsure if this was another one of his pranks or something else. The soft look in his eyes told her that this was likely on the “something else” end of the spectrum.

He chuckled and gestured to the still water, “Why don’t you see for yourself?”

Her curiosity catching hold of her, she leaned forward and stared into the water. There above her left ear was a softly shining moon lily.

She turned back to Discord smiling ear to ear, “It’s beautiful!”

Discord gently grabbed the underside of her chin pulling their faces close together. Each could feel the other’s hot breath on their face. “Not as beautiful as you,” he whispered.

Before she could reply, he kissed her. First it was a soft and gentle affair, but as she reached up and placed her hooves behind his neck and brought them closer, it became more heated and passionate. Her mane began to wave more fiercely and their hearts raced. They breathed greedily, trying to take in as much of the other as they possibly could before they finally broke away, panting.

Celestia whispered hotly, “That line was pretty lame you know.”

Discord softly kissed her on the lips again, breaking away before it became as passionate as before, leaving her disappointed and a little teased. “Hey, it worked didn’t it?”

They both laughed as they sidled up next to each other, leaning on the other heavily; Celestia draping on of her wings over his shoulders and he holding one of her hooves. They sat there contentedly on the bank watching the stars.

Hours passed before Luna noticed how quiet things were. She took a quick peek over her shoulder, only to see Celestia and Discord cuddled up next to each other, both still smiling like the lovestruck idiots they were, even in their sleep. She snorted softly and grinned.

“About time,” she whispered to herself. She hummed a soft lullaby to herself as she continued her work on the stars.

The memory shifted again. The three of them were walking at the base of some mountains that he was fairly certain he leveled at some point because, hey, what’s the point of being the god of chaos if you can’t level a mountain range or two?

“So where are we going today?” Luna asked the two ponies in front of her walking side by side.

Discord looked back at Luna, who by now was well into her own right as a mare. Her mane waved and billowed, speckled with the stars that shone in her domain. “Well, ‘Tia here says there’s a cave somewhere over here that we haven’t charted yet,” he lifted a series of maps out of one of Celestia’s saddlebags with his magic and spread them out in the air. The maps documented their travels as they explored around the valley they had lived in their whole lives. Their goal was to at some point map out everything in the valley and beyond it, but for today, they were exploring a cave.

“So I suppose that’s why you had me bring along all this rope?” Luna gestured to the several coils hanging off her.

“That’s exactly it!” Discord said excitedly. He loved this kind of stuff and as so long as Celestia and Luna were with him, he felt invincible. The thrill of facing the unknown and unexplored just made him contagiously ecstatic as both Celestia and Luna found their spirits lifted by his unbridled enthusiasm.

“So, Celestia? How’d you even find this place anyway?” Discord asked.

“Well,” she started slyly, “I actually spotted in a while ago, and I know how much you like exploring.”

Luna noticed how Celestia gave Discord a dirty little look and caressed Discord’s flank her with tail and watched as Discord blushed at the intimate contact. Luna rolled her eyes and cleared her throat.

Celestia quickly knocked it off and continued with her explanation, “and well, I know your birthday is in a few days and wanted to share part of your gift a few days early.”

“Part of it?” Discord asked raising an eyebrow.

A mischievous grin grew on Celestia’s face as she eyed her coltfriend hungrily.

“Oh, OH!” Discord exclaimed as he caught on.

Luna again just rolled her eyes as she tried to focus on anything but their antics. As much as she was happy for them, it didn’t help matters that she didn’t exactly have somepony special to create and share their own such moments with.

After a few more minutes of walking, they finally stood in front of the month of the cave.

“Well,” Celestia started, “It certainly looks much less inviting up close.”

The gaping mouth of the cave was pitch black and a less than pleasant odor blew out from its depths. The whole place just reeked of foulness.

“I think we should turn back and call it a day,” Luna stated, “This place doesn’t feel right.”

“Now wait a minute!” Discord said loudly as he walked backwards towards the cave's mouth, “It’s just a cave! Seriously though, what’s the worst that could happen?”

**********

“NO!” Discord snapped out of the memory with a primal yell and lashed at a large and ancient oak. His talons cut deeply into the hardened bark and wood, but his magic continued on, slicing through the tree. It groaned as it toppled over. His rage and pain not fully spent, he roared again and began to pound on the freshly fallen tree; each time leaving a deep impact that fractured and splintered the wood.

Eventually, his hits began to coincide with his sobs as he wept. As far as he was concerned, that was the day he wished he died. On the other paw, it was his birth. Or at least the birth of who he was today.

**********

Discord stepped back into the cave. As his rear hoof crossed the threshold, a tendril of magic shot of from the depths of the cave grabbed him around the middle.

His eyes went wide and he felt it begin to pull him back. He heard Celestia and Luna gasp in surprise. He shot his eyes to Celestia, making eye contact.

“I’m so sorry. I-” has all he was able to say before the tendril yanked him sharply into its depths.

“DISCORD!” Celestia screamed out, reaching out for him with her hooves. In his last glimpse of her, he saw her flare her wings and horn blazing as she prepared to jump in after him.

“’TIA! NO!” Luna cried out, tackling her sister, pinning her to the ground.

“Luna! Get off me! I have to help him!” she bucked against her sister before crying out one last time, “DISCORD!”

“He’s gone ‘Tia. I’m so sorry.” She held Celestia tightly, not letting her off the ground, “I’m so sorry.”

“Why Luna? Why?” Celestia stared at her sister, the fire of the sun burning in her eyes, “WHY DIDN’T YOU LET ME SAVE HIM!”

“I’m so sorry ‘Tia. I couldn’t stand to lose you too,” she began to explain, “We don’t know what we’d be facing or if we could save Discord to begin with.” Tears fell down Luna’s cheeks as began to hug her sister. “I couldn’t risk losing you both. You’re all I have now.”

The fire died in Celestia’s eyes as she began to embrace her sister back.

“I’m so sorry,” Luna sniffled.

Celestia couldn’t say anything and just sat there and wept.

He didn’t know what awaiting him at the end but he hoped that whatever it was killed him quickly. At least then he’d be as dead as he suddenly felt inside. He didn’t even get a chance to tell her how he felt as she watched him getting whisked away into the darkness.

‘It isn’t fair.’

He began to cry. Whether it was because he knew he was going to die, or due to love lost, or simply because something got in his eyes; he didn’t know. Quite frankly, he didn’t care.

The pitch blackness of the cave started to give way to a little light as the tendril continued to pull him along on his descent.

‘This is it…..I suppose it was good while it lasted.’

The cave grew in brightness as a glowing nucleus of energy came into view. He gasped as strange geometric patterns and strange nonsensical shapes flew across its gigantic surface. The tendril continued to drag him towards it. He struggled and fought as he approached the strange mass of energy to no avail. Finally, it engulfed him. It burned. It burned and stung every part of him and seared him to his very sole as he screamed in agony. His skin began to boil; his bones crack and fracture; even his internal organ began to squirm and shift as his body changed. He wanted to pass out from shock but the very energy that was tearing him apart was also keeping him very alive and very awake. His back snapped with a loud crack; pain shot through his system as his mind burned. Unable to pass out, he then did the only thing he could do. He screamed.

**********

Discord remembered his transformation bitterly. Eventually he absorbed the chaotic power of the nucleus, but when he finally emerged from that cave, the world had changed as much as he had. He had been driven crazy by the constant pain, torture and loneliness, the world due to the sheer passage of time. He hadn’t been free a week when he finally found Celestia and Luna again. By this point they had begun to rule over the three tribes.

Discord snorted, as a slight smile played upon his lips. It took even less time for the two of them to seal him in stone due to his new twisted nature. Well, that and apparently forcing a pony to eat meat was apparently a huge taboo amongst other things. Perhaps playing with your long lost marefriend’s subjects wasn’t the best way to reintroduce yourself. His imprisonment had been long, it hadn’t been completely unkind. Despite his new self, Celestia would still make an effort to come down and talk to him at times. Often times it was a largely one way conversation, as there’s very little you can do when petrified, but he appreciated the effort.

He sighed as he looked around him and at the devastation he had leveled against the tree.

‘You’ve still got too much of a monster in you. You can’t go back,’ he thought to himself, ‘but maybe someday.’

“Shining,” Discord whispered, “I understand you better than you can possibly imagine.”

A roar grabbed his attention as a large manticore came prowling into the clearing Discord had created.

Discord looked it over with bored eyes, “Really!? I’m trying to have a moment here.” he said and snapped his fingers. A zipper appeared suddenly and zipped the manticore mouth size. It eyes bugged out and it began stumbling and freaking out as it tried to open it mouth. It began to head deeper into the forest before Discord’s own eyes grew wide as realization dawned on him. Fluttershy occasionally strolled through these woods looking for injured animals and he didn’t even want to begin to imagine the discussion she’d have with him if she found the manticore in that state.

Discord sighed as he stood up. ‘I wonder if it’s too late to try and patch things up with Celestia. “Hey, sorry for all the takeovers and threats and endless pranks, but you know I love you right?”’

He shook his head, ‘Okay, that’ll need some work. And maybe a bouquet of moon lilies to help smooth things over.’

Satisfied, he began into the forest. “Here kitty, kitty, kitty! Discord needs to take his zipper back! Here kitty, kitty, kitty!”

Author's Note:

Thanks again to stanku for pre-reading this! /)