Second chances

by jacob.galvin

Buried memories

24 hours
Celestia sat by the fire, Twilight’s latest friendship report lay on the floor beside her, unopened. Moonlight shone through the window of her private chamber, though not the beautiful full moon of the previous night. Luna had refused to create a full moon, in anger at what Celestia planned to do. She sighed and with a brief flash of magic, she disappeared, only to reappear in front of her greatest enemy, and greatest regret.
Once again she reached out telepathically, "I have returned discord, what is your decision?” There was silence. "ANSWER ME!" she shouted mentally.
"Yes," came a timid voice.
Celestia smiled ever so slightly, "I'm glad you could see reason Discord." Celestia opened her eyes, stood up and stepped back five paces. A light green aura enveloped her horn, as she prepared to cast a powerful spell. Suddenly a black streak shot out of the sky and landed next to her, the shock broke her concentration and the spell faded.
"Wait my sister, please do not do this! That creature is a menace to all of Equestria, you can’t reason with it!" Luna pleaded.
Celestia was furious, "I gave you clear instructions not to interrupt me Luna!"
The Goddess of the night stepped back in shock and uncertainty; she had never seen her sister this angry before.
"But he doesn't deserve a second chance" she said timidly.
"Did you not deserve a second chance sister?" Celestia asked, her voice cold.
"Th-that was different Tia” Luna stuttered. “My heart had been corrupted by the darkest of jealousies, but this creature… Why it is corruption itself! There could not possibly be any good left in it."
"I would thank you to stop referring to him as it, sister. Now leave me" Celestia commanded.
Luna nodded in defeat, and then vanished in a puff of black smoke, a skill she had retained from her days as Nightmare Moon. Celestia resumed her spell, a green light shooting from her horn, enveloping the statue of Discord. Cracks began to appear, snaking up the long serpent body, finally reaching his twisted horns. There was a flash of green, and the statue vanished, in its place lay Discord, the greatest threat in Equestrian history. "Can you hear me?" Celestia asked hesitantly as Discord lay motionless on the pedestal.
One yellow eye opened, "oh you are so predictable Celestia" he said, snapping his fingers. Nothing happened, he snapped again, still nothing.
Celestia smirked and motioned to the iron ring on his left leg. "Don’t take me for a fool Discord. That ring there is a magic suppressor. It’s my own personal design." The dragonequus attempted to fly away, but was caught in a green energy field. "Stop it Discord, I've taken every precaution, you will not escape me."
He was gently lowered just above the ground, now floating eye to eye with Celestia. "Let me go now" he said coldly.
She gently put a hoof to his face, "please do this for me Discord, I need to know that the good in you still remains." She pressed her horn gently against his forehead. "Remember the good times."
Memories flooded into Discords head, memories that he had tried so hard to bury. He saw himself chasing Celestia through the halls of Canterlot palace, both of them laughing like mad. He saw himself sitting at a table across from Celestia during some meeting with a bunch of boring, stuck up, fancy pants nobles, and mouthing to her that he was so bored, and her smiling and nodding ever so slightly in agreement. He saw himself sitting next to her in a field of flowers, as they gazed up at the sun.
"How the heck will you move something that big?" his memory self asked in wonder.
“They say that it will come naturally, when I come of age,” memory Celestia replied with a smile.
"STOP IT!!!” Discord shouted. "THOSE MEMORIES ARE DEAD TO ME! THEY MEAN NOTHING!"
“I can tell that you are lying,” Celestia replied softly. The green energy around Discord faded, and he fell to the ground with a thud. "Midnight is in one minute, I suggest you disguise yourself. You have 24 hours to prove to me that I should keep you in Equestria and not on the sun." With that said, Celestia disappeared in a flash of magic, leaving Discord sitting silently in the dirt, fighting to keep back the unwanted memories.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Twilight paced back and forth, she had sent a mental call to her friends, asking them to meet her urgently at the library. Her horn glow was back, but much worse than last night. Magical sparks were shooting off it, the purple light was pulsing. There was a knock on the door, Twilight raced over and opened it, coming face to face with her five friends. "Oh thank you for coming at such a late hour."
"Think nothing of it my dear," Rarity said, stepping through the doorway, followed closely by the others.
"Yikes Twilight, what’s up with your horn?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"That's what I need to talk to you about," Twilight replied.
"Couldn’t this have waited till morning?" Applejack asked, yawning. “I gotta be up early after all.”
"No time, by tomorrow it could be too late!" Twilight told her.
"Too late for what?" Pinkie pie asked, not seeming the slightest bit tired, despite the fact that it was almost midnight.
"My horn started glowing last night, and according to a book I read, that means terrible danger!" Twilight explained.
"D..danger?" Fluttershy whispered.
"Well what in the hay could it be?" Applejack asked.
"I have no idea, but I felt like I should warn you all," Twilight replied
"Well I'm not scared!" Rainbow declared proudly, “whatever the heck's going on should be more scared of me!"
"Yes, well thank you for the heads up Twilight dear, but I assure you we can take care of ourselves" Rarity said.
They each walked out of the library and headed home, except for Fluttershy and Rainbow dash. Fluttershy looked at Rainbow nervously and said "Umm, Rainbow , I..I was wondering if umm, maybe, if it’s not any trouble that is, if I could possibly umm…"
"Stay at my place tonight?" Rainbow interrupted.
"Oh yes please, if that’s okay with you" Fluttershy said.
"Sure I guess,” Rainbow said, sounding slightly irritated, whilst in her head she was doing cartwheels. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, on my gosh!" she thought to herself. Fluttershy was actually coming over to stay; she had wanted this for longer than she could remember. She would comfort Fluttershy, tell her there was nothing to worry about, and then they would curl up in bed together. As the two pegasi left, Twilight walked up the stairs to wake up spike, she would need to send a letter to the princess immediately.

Comments

[Dawn-Designs-Art]

An interesting chapter. I could proofread and edit/punctuate it for you if you like

[jacob.galvin]

1276867 yes please

[Shadow Bolt]

I hope the future chapters will be longer than this.

[Evil-Lovieness]

Sooooo..... Flutter-Dash?