Tattoo of the Sun

by FlutterSky1979

Discovery

Celestia woke early that morning, nearly an hour before she normally rose. Other than the early start, she approached the dawn as she always did: she washed, ate breakfast, and gathered her thoughts in preparation for the day ahead. Soon it would be time to raise the sun, and after that Celestia would go on to manage her kingdom. But first, she had a certain guest that she wanted to attend to.

Discord had been staying in Canterlot Castle for nearly a month, and an interesting month it had been. His arrival to the city had been... Rough, to say the least. One of the guards had suggested to keep the creature out of the public's sight and reveal his presence after Discord had been put up in the castle. A good idea, that had unfortunately come too late. By the time it was mentioned, the company had already made their way inside the city's limits. As the crowd of onlookers gathered, it became apparent that a reroute to the castle's back entrance would be impossible without drawing further suspicion. The ponies that managed to get a look at the dying Draconequus reacted with an understandable, confused horror, and the Pegasi guard's forceful attempts to make room for the princesses and their guest did little to quench the onlooker's curiosity.

When at last the castle was reached, the other guards and residents were just as frightened of Discord. Discord, being frightened as well and still on the defensive, didn't improve the situation with his frantic growls and hisses. Eventually, once everypony had a chance to calm down, Celestia was able to sit down with the castle's head doctor and assess his condition. The outlook wasn't good; Discord could be nursed back to an extent, but do to his limited knowledge on the species, Dr. Cross Stitch doubted he would succeed in getting the Draconequus back to perfect health.

Their time in the hospital wing had been the last amount Celestia was able to spend with Discord. After turning him over to the doctor she went to address the growing crowd of ponies that had gathered at the castle's gates, speaking of rumors regarding the horrible creature their princesses had drug into their city, while Luna went to prepare a room for him in one of the less populated towers of the castle. As the room was prepared, Celestia spoke with the castle's head chef and arranged for a meal to be brought to their guest. At the suggestion of the chef, Celestia began to make it a point to let as few ponies as possible know about his carnivorous eating habits. They also made plans to sneak as much vegetarian cuisine (also, though Discord's species appeared to be predominantly Draco, it seemed that he had no taste for gems) into his meals as possible in an attempt to gradually wean him away from his primal diet. Eventually, Discord was moved to his room where he did little but sleep for nearly a week.

Celestia replayed the day of their meeting in her head as she made her way towards Discord's tower. Up until now, Discord had more or less been too weak to have any real interaction with anypony, and she too busy with different matters of the kingdom. Supposedly, his condition had improved remarkably since his arrival and she wanted to check up on him. Celestia suddenly became aware of trotting hoof steps behind her. She turned to look at her pursuer.

"Good morning," Celestia greeted casually.

"You're up early... Why?" Luna asked.

Celestia didn't reply but turned back ahead, beginning to walk once more. Celestia knew that Luna understood why she was awake, and she didn't feel obligated to answer a rhetorical question. After it became apparent that she wouldn't get an answer, Luna spoke up again.

"You're not doing the creature any favors, keeping it here... It doesn't belong here. You don't owe it-"

"Not it, he," Celestia snapped, a tad harsher than intended.

Her annoyance wasn't completely unjustified, not in her mind at least. The entire time Discord had stayed under their roof, Luna had done little more than complain about him. Of course, she had still helped Celestia make accommodations for him, but she had managed to bitch about it every step of the way.

"I don't know why you're still on this Luna," Celestia continued as she walked on. "I get it, you don't like him, must you remind me every chance you get?"

Luna stopped, frowning at her sister, almost at a loss for words.

"I... I really don't understand you sometimes, Celestia. Ever since mother and father left us in charge, you want to act so superior to me, but completely ignore what's right in front of you face..."

"I do not," Celestia defended. "I've just started to see things differently! Once you're older you'll understand."

"Stop saying that! God, I hate it when do this! You know damn well why I don't want him here, I know you do, and yet you continue to play stupid! Why? Why, Celeste?!"

"I don't know what you're talking about..." Celestia muttered, stopping her walk.

Luna snorted, trying to contain her frustration.

"His energy, sis, I know you can feel it. He's powerful, unbelievably so! It doesn't feel like something he can harness at will, but I can feel a latent power with the potential to match either of ours! And it's not like our's, Celeste, it's cruel, uninhibited... Chaotic..."

Luna paused, closing her eyes as she pictured Discord. Recollecting the feelings being around his magic gave her.

"I know you can feel it, I know you can! Please, Celestia, get him out of here! Every second you keep him around, you're putting the kingdom in danger."

For a moment neither of them said a word, Luna even began to believe that her words had managed to sink into her hard-headed, elder sister.

"I know what I'm doing..." Celestia at last replied.

"So be it... When you lose control, don't come to me."

Luna turned around and began to walk, leaving Celestia to her intentions. It was early morning, just after a quarter to five.

*****

He gazed into the polished surface of the mirror, starring at his reflection, paying little mind to the one that did not belong to him. Discord lifted his left arm, the arm that ended in the claw of an eagle, and used a talon to tug at the side of his cheek, opening his mouth. As he examined his fang he noted that, like his horns, it had been completely restored to its former glory. Discord then lifted his right arm, this one the arm of a lion, and extended his claws, dragging one along the surface of the mirror. His claws were also healed, and cut into the mirror like a hot knife through butter. Not only were his lesser appendages better, but Discord's entire body had been transformed since his stay in Canterlot. For the first time in years, he stood at his full power, and it was good.

"You're thinking about leaving." The reflection that was not his own stated.

"Of course," Discord answered, turning away from himself and towards Eclipse.

"And why shouldn't I? There's nothing for me here."

"We've been on the road for some time now, and it hasn't done us any favors. It may not hurt to settle down for a bit. And besides, they did heal you," Eclipse reminded.

"I healed me," Discord responded. "They did nothing more than provide me with an environment I would not die in. I owe them nothing. I have no reason to stay."

"Well dismiss however you wish, but obviously they have no problem with you being around, or else they wouldn't have continued to leave you be for so long. Discord, you have no reason to be afra-"

"Don't you dare finish that." Discord responded, his brother's persistence once again wearing on his nerves. "Don't be mistaken, Eclipse. There is no 'they', that wants me around, just her. Their princess, Celestia..." He grimaced, as though something about saying the mare's name hurt him.

"Ohhhhh..." Eclipse remarked, putting a claw underneath his chin as his lips curled into a smile.

"What?" Discord asked, not knowing what his brother's tone meant but annoyed with it all the same.

"Maybe I am wrong. Perhaps it's not being shunned that's got you spooked. Perhaps what's scaring you is the possibility of having a reason to stay."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Discord growled, raising an eyebrow.

"You know perfectly well what I mean." Eclipse smirked.

"Bah..." Discord raised a claw in front of the mirror. The shiny, glass surface was slowly replaced by unreflecting brick. There was a knock at his chamber's door. He closed his eyes and felt for the bed that sat in the middle of the chamber. He felt the 'pull' that his magic created, and tugged with his mind. The next instant, when he opened his eyes, he was sitting at the end of his bed facing the door. "Enter," he called, and beckoned at the door with his index talon. Pull. The door swung inward. Celestia walked apprehensively into the room.

*****

Upon reaching the door to Discord's quarters, Celestia stopped herself from entering when she heard what sounded like the Draconequus speaking to someone. Though, that couldn't be right, could it? It was to her understanding that Discord hadn't made any effort at all to communicate with the guards or residents of the palace, and she doubted that anypony else had made much effort to talk with him either. And yet, he couldn't simply be talking to himself, because she could hear a second voice in the room. Not wanting to eavesdrop on her guest, Celestia prepared once again to knock on his door when something caused her to still her hoof.

It was magic. Celestia felt that Discord had used magic for some reason, and, just as Luna had predicated, it was terrifyingly powerful. Whatever spell he had cast had only lasted an instant, but it was enough. She had felt the depths of his power, tasted the unrefined skill of the hand that cast it, and glimpsed the potential that lay beneath. Before, Luna had told her that she felt that Discord had the ability to become just as strong as either of them, but she had only been able to draw conclusions from the constant stream of energy that surrounded the Draconequus. Now that Celestia had felt his magic firsthand, she knew the reality to be much worse. She knew that Discord's true potential could very well be a match to both her and her sister's combined efforts. The thought sent shivers down her spine. However, she was able to dismiss it as quickly as it had come, and rapped her hoof against the chamber's wooden door.

She caught another taste of his power as he cast another spell from behind the door. Discord called out to her, and she felt the power once again as his door opened itself for her. As Celestia walked into the room, she wondered if he was aware of the potential he possessed. It was difficult for some magical beings to gauge their own ability, and she wondered if he may be a creature that didn't know his own strength. Celestia also thought back to when she had taken him to the castle's doctor when he first arrived, when Discord had revealed himself to be a Draconequus. She wondered if all Draconequus were as powerful as he, and if action should be taken to put her kingdom in good standings with any others from his species that might be around.

Celestia did her best to push the thoughts out of her head, and concentrate on the situation at hand.

"Good morning, Discord." She said with a traditional bow of greeting.

"Morning," The creature replied, raising an eyebrow at the odd gesture. "You're speech is much quieter than what I've grown accustomed to."

Celestia blushed at his remark and felt like an idiot for it. Embarrassment was very unbecoming of both a princess and leader of a nation such as herself, especially when trying to appear regal in front of a guest in your country.

"Yes, well the 'Royal Canterlot Voice' is designed more for addressing our subjects than a single being. And it's more of my sister's thing anyway..."

"Ah yes, Princess Lunar, how is she this fine morning? Making way for you to raise the sun, I assume?"

Celestia was a little disarmed by his comment, not knowing when or how their duties of raising the sun and moon had been revealed to him. Then again, he had been in the castle for an entire month, she figured that it probably wasn't too hard for him to gather information about the princesses under whom's roof he dwelt. Celestia wondered if Discord had spied on her and Luna's conversation a few minutes ago as she had done with him and whoever he had been talking to. She pushed the thought out of her head and carried on.

"Luna is fine... And I must say that you're looking wonderful as well!"

It was true. As he stretched out along his bed, she noted that the 'remarkable recovery' she had heard about had been an understatement. The healing that had occurred in Discord since they first discovered him, was the single most miraculous thing she had ever seen. He looked so much different than the raggedy body they had first picked up. Discord's body now matched the power that lay deep within him. He looked spry, strong, and, dare she say, handsome? Celestia fought the urge to blush, as Discord answered her.

"Well thank you, Princess. Recovery from the brink of death appears to be a special talent of mine," he replied with a wink. Discord set up in his bed, before levitating his body into a midair sitting position. As he floated, he took a second to look the princess over, taking her in for the first time in almost a month.

Before, he had been injured and concerned with more pressing matters, but now, he could truly take a few moments to look the mare over. She stood a few hands higher than most of the other ponies in the land, with only her sister and large stallions coming close to her height. Her coat was pure as snow, and her mane just as beautifully unique. Her horn was polished and glorious, and her wings looked both strong and delicate, with not a single feather out of place. But what caught him most about her appearance was Celestia's eyes. Discord had heard once that the eyes were windows into the soul, and hers were kind, honest, with just a hint of carefree naivety that made her all the more approachable.

Discord also noted the tattoos of the sun that adorned both of Celestia's flanks. No, wait... Not tattoos, tattooing was a form of body modification practiced in the land he had come from. It was permanent, and painful, achieved by carving into one's flesh with any heated, sharp object, tipped with ink. No, these weren't tattoos, but 'cutie marks', something Discord had learned about since his stay in Canterlot Castle. And why they were permanent, they were not painful declarations of art, but natural occurrences that appeared at a critical moment in a pony's life. Discord found himself fascinated with them, and his gaze stayed on Celestia's cutie marks perhaps a tad longer than it should have, before he redirected it to meet the princess's own.

During his travels, Discord had encountered a few princesses of various lands, and he found the majority of the experiences to be disappointing. Most actual members of royalty were snobs, prudish bastards with their heads so far up their own asses it was hard to say if the light of day would ever reach them again. And the ones that could pass as decent folk, tended to be far from beautiful. Instead, they were slightly deformed, affected by generations of their bloodline trying to keep their mating tendencies 'in the family', as they say. However, occasionally one would find a true, good hearted queen, or a dashing, young prince, a strong, noble king, or even a beautiful, sweet princess. He liked to refer to them as 'storybook royalty', the kind that fairy tales and tomes from his youth had taught him and an infinite number of other once upon a time children to believe in. As he looked into Celestia's light magenta eyes, Discord suspected that he may have once again found a member of 'storybook royalty'.

The seconds began to drag on, with Celestia unsure of how to break the silence. She grew frustrated at herself again. Awkward pauses were also not permitted by her princess status, and she had to find a way out of it.

"Are-are you enjoying your stay here? I apologize for being unable to check up on your accommodations before now, but my duties keep me exceedingly busy..."

"I understand. Eh, it's bit dull compared to the vagabond lifestyle I've become so accustomed to, but I've stayed in worse places."

Discord smiled. At some point during the time they had spent looking at each other, Celestia had taken a couple shy steps backwards. So squeamish. She must be new to this, he thought.

"Do you travel a lot?" Celestia asked, trying hard to fuel the conversation in the most natural way possible.

"I've been on the road for many years." Discord replied.

"How many?"

He stroked at his thin goatee, pondering the question. After some quick calculations, he gave an answer.

"Ohhhh, five hundred, give or take a few decades."

"Five hundred?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes, yes." He replied. "From what I've learned of these ponies, that's quite some time, though... Something tells me you and your sister's lifespans probably differ from the average mare, am I correct?"

Celestia nodded. "My sister and I are Alicorns, more magically gifted than typical Unicorns and possessing the ability of flight, the average lifespan of one of our kind is around three thousand years."

Discord nodded in a 'matter of fact sort of way' as his hunch was proven correct.

"Your kind huh?" He said. "Well you've got me beat, the average Draconequus croaks at anywhere from twenty two to twenty four hundred years old." He paused, then added. "Are there more Alicorns in this land?"

Celestia sat down on her haunches, becoming more comfortable as the conversation started to become more genuine.

"They've moved on. Most stay in a realm only others of our kind can get to. I've never met another though, only my mother, father, and Luna. Mother and Father liked this land, and lived in a castle, before Equestria became settled upon by foreign ponies."

Equestria. Discord had learned that this was the name of the country he now resided in a couple of weeks ago. He had been able to piece together its geography from various maps he had found in the castle's library. It seemed that its northern border ended at the foot of a great mountain range, and the eastern and western borders extended all the way to the sea. However, the southern end currently stopped at about the woods he had taken up residence in when he came into the land, just before the great desert country began. It was one of the smallest countries he had ever been in, but since it seemed that it had only belonged to two mighty Alicorns and their offspring before, it made sense.

"Foreign ponies, you speak of the ones that are not Alicorn?"

"Yes, they came into my mother and father's land nearly a century ago, from the frozen tundra up north. It seemed that they had exhausted their resources, and they needed a new place to call home."

"Your parents were awfully kind to allow so many strangers into their home." Discord remarked, having known many rulers that were much less generous.

"Yes, well, my family and the travelers remained unaware of each other for a couple decades. My mother and father were already spending the majority of their time in the Alicorn realm, and my sister and I were content to play within our castle." Celestia explained.

"The one you found me in?" Discord asked.

"The very same."

"Interesting..." Discord stroked his beard as he processed the information, still floating above the bed. This princess's history was a much greater tale than he had expected.

"So how did your family graduate from being mere residents of the land, to the rulers of a country?"

"You see, while the settlers had experienced few casualties upon arriving here, their lack of knowledge of the land had them running out of resources. When my mother and father discovered them, they were but a few seasons away from having no food left to support their settlements. So Mother and Father took it upon themselves to educate them on the land, and to show them how to survive in Equestria. This, coupled with the fact that my mother and father were the raisers of the sun and the moon, encouraged the pioneer ponies to establish them as their leaders." Celestia exhaled, her excitement from telling the story having caused her to take as few breaths as possible.

Discord continued to float, much more enthralled with the story than he let on. He had seen a lot of fantastic things in his travels, but never had he expected to find creatures that could raise the heavenly bodies themselves.

"So, if it was such an easy win for your folks, then why the yelling? And is your family the only ones with this gift, or is the raising of the sun and moon something every Alicorn can do?"

"It's just in our family," Celestia explained. "Though my sister and I have never beheld another of our species, apparently every Alicorn family has some special gift in their bloodline. The ability was passed from our parents to us, and we'll pass it to our offspring. As for the yelling... It's to my understanding that my father ruled over another kingdom many centuries ago, and that's simply his way of addressing the, as he calls them, 'lesser species'. Not that he had any animosity towards them, that's just what he referred to all non-Alicorn creatures as, and I guess they are, technically..." Celestia bit her lip. She still felt that the term was unnecessarily harsh.

"Interesting," Discord replied again, his levitating body beginning to spin in place. "Interesting, interesting, interesting..." He continued to watch Celestia, his body now upside down in the air. "So, ponies came into your land, your parents began to establish a new kingdom, and then left you and your sister in charge, while they went to some mystical realm for Alicorn retirement."

Celestia nodded. "In a nutshell, yes. After helping the country's new residents for a few decades and building the city of Canterlot, they left Luna and I in charge of Equestria. I believe this year marks our... Twenty ninth, as rulers?"

Discord was again sitting right side up, still very much intrigued by Celestia's story.

"Just under three decades eh? An impressive rule by a mere mortal's standards, but hardly a baby's breath into it as one such as yourself experiences time. By the way, hold old are you, Princess?"

"Oh, I'm two months shy of five hundred and sixty eight." She replied, smiling.

Discord looked at the princess, shocked.

"Really? I'm nearly twice your age?!"

Celestia was also shocked.

"You are? Goodness, I never thought I'd meet a creature older than myself! How old are you, Discord? That is, if you don't mind me asking."

Regaining his composure, Discord examined his claws nonchalantly.

"I know not my birth date, only that I've lived through twelve thousand, four hundred and twenty four cycles of the moon. Roughly a thousand an thirty five years." He thought for a second and added, "May I ask you a question, Princess?"

"Of course," Celestia replied.

"Do to our great life expectancy, my species matures at a much more decelerated rate than other species. If you take the average life expectancy, which in my travels I've concluded to be about seventy years old, and divide it by mine, it takes a Draconequus about thirty one years to mature a single, normal creature's year. While some creatures, such as dragons, have a much higher life expectancy than the average, they also mature much faster. I was curious as to what category you fall into?" Discord paused, waiting for her to answer.

"Well... It would seem that Alicorns are actually quite similar to Draconequus, except we take nearly 43 years to age a year."

Discord nodded. "I thought as much..."

For a few seconds neither of them said a word, Celestia appearing to be deep in thought. Finally she spoke.

"That makes you roughly thirty three years of age." She announced.

Discord nodded. "Impressive. Very quick calculating, princess."

"I've always enjoyed arithmetic," she explained. "In case you're wondering, I'm about thirteen and a quarter of a year, as far as my body's maturity goes. My sister is about twelve..."

Discord stopped floating and settled back down onto the bed.

"So young to be in charge of an entire country, and without the supervision of a loved one to guide you."

"Well, regardless of our maturity to age, we are still over five centuries old, and that's longer than any of the ponies in this land will see. There's not a lot who are going to accuse us of being too young to rule."

Celestia frowned. Like Luna, she did not like to be tossed to the side for being young. Not that anypony in the land knew of the rate Alicorns matured at anyway. As far as she knew, Discord was the now lone soul in the land that knew, besides her sister of course.

"And besides, I've got my advisers. They can help me with any problems I encounter along the way."

"I did not mean to offend, Princess. It was merely an observation." He grinned at Celestia and she frowned, his peculiar mood obviously confusing her.

"Alright..." She finally said. A thought came to her.

"You said you've been traveling for five hundred years. Have you no home or family to go to?"

Discord nodded, yawning as he prepared to explain his lot in life.

"The Draconequus are still around, but we are few in number. While we do possess some magical ability, none did to the extent that I do. When I was young I had quite a difficult time controlling it. This, combined with the fact that it generally unnerved the elders of my clan, resulted in my eventual expulsion from my tribe when I became a young adult. They didn't want me around, and I didn't need them hindering my growth anyway."

Discord didn't appear too upset or bitter as he told the story, but Celestia imagined that being cast out by one's own family must have been a very hurtful experience.

"I'm so sorry... Have you been alone, all this time?"

Discord shook his head, continuing on in the same lackadaisical tone.

"Don't be, there's nothing more empowering than the fresh air of the open road. My travels have led me all across the earth, and I quite prefer the life of a wanderer to that of a brain-dead, listless tribe dweller. And I haven't traveled alone for very long at all actually. My brother was my companion for many years."

Celestia nodded, her turn to now listen.

"That's good, was he elder or younger?"

"Younger, by about two hundred years. I really shouldn't criticize you and your sister for being so young, we were just children ourselves when Eclipse and I set out on our own."

Celestia laughed, nodding at Discord. Eclipse, she thought. A nice name. I wonder where he is now... For some reason, she found herself afraid to ask.

"I'm sure you two have had many great adventures," Celestia remarked.

"Of course," Discord grinned.

"How on earth did you ever manage to end up in the dungeons of our old castle?" Celestia asked.

"Well, it's quite a story," Discord confessed. "It begins in the land of the dragons, southeast of your country."

"I've got time," she said with a smile.

Discord closed his eyes, using his magic to teleport him on the floor in front of the sitting princess. He smiled and began his story.

*****

"Now, keep in mind, I've already won! Our fake die is in play, and theirs is long gone! I banished that bitch to another dimension! So, me and Eclipse are about to take our winnings from this trio of pissed off dragon outcasts, and oh yeah they were pissed, but willing to give up their coins none the less, when what should drop out of thin air and onto the floor in front of them? Their original die! And it didn't take them any time to piece together what had happened, no sir, they were already on it. They get this, I can't even describe, look of malice in their eyes! They are not pleased in the slightest! The place freezes, literally freezes! At this point you could hear a pin hit the floor in that quiet, and they all, without saying a word, stand up-"

Discord slithered and floated around the room, waving his arms and tail about as he reached the climax of his story. Celestia watched with amused interest, keeping a hoof over her mouth to stifle her giggles as Discord's expressional tale continued.

"And I want you to remember, these aren't your typical, run-of-the-mill, brute dragon bastards! These are dragon outcasts, thrown out of their clans for being too dangerous to live with their dragon brethren! Think about that for a second! That's like, that's like-"

Above his head appeared a bicorne, captain's hat, complete with a jolly roger insignia on the front. It floated down onto his head as an eye patch and a peg leg also appeared on Discord's body.

"That's like a pirate captain coming up to one of his crew mates and being like, 'yargggh matey, do ya have a moment?' And the crew members like... 'Yeah, what's up? Hell of a plunder today, cap'n.'"

Discord began to switch between his captain character and the crew mate as he talked. First appearing in one spot of the room with his pirate garb, and then in another without his accessories. Every time he used his magic, Celestia felt a tingle run down the back of her spine, but ignored it. Still enthralled with his story.

"Yar, hell of a plunder, that's kinda what I wanted to talk to ye about. Now, ye knows that I think yer a great pirate, and I really value yer services as a member of me crew."

Discord's Pirate Captain took on a very sincere tone, making it all the harder for Celestia to stifle her giggles.

"I know I can always count on ya to be the first to volunteer when we need someone to torture a captive to prove a point."

"Yes sir, cap'n. I do enjoy makin' em squirm."

"Right, right," The Discord Pirate Captain draped a hand over a non-existent shoulder. "And what pirate leaves the land with winches getting away unscathed? Not ye, that's for sure!"

His crew mate character nodded. "I do like me ladies..."

"Yar, of course ye do. And the way ye fed that man's children to him, that were a stroke of genius!"

"I just really like me job, cap'n, and I try to do me best..."

"Yar, I know ye do, and that's what makes this so hard..."

Discord's captain paused, taking a moment to remove his eye patch and dust it off, before putting it back over his eye.

"Ye see, matey, some o' the other crew members are feeling a little... Unsettled, by your... Tenacity, and well, I'm gonna have ta let ye go..."

Discord's apparel disappeared as he broke into a fit laughter, holding his belly as it passed.

"That's what that's like! Being an outcast dragon, is like being kicked out of a pirate crew, for being just, too fuckin' mean!"

Discord howled with laughter again, and Celestia began to laugh heartily as well. The two's unbroken laughs echoed throughout the corridor leading up to Discord's chamber for nearly a minute, before they finally began to recede into mild chuckles.

Celestia wiped a stray tear from her eye, able to speak properly at last.

"Discord, I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with some of your dialect. What does 'fuckin' mean?"

Discord looked at her for a moment, head tilted.

"It means... Fuckin'. It's just, fuck. You know, fuck, fucker, fucking, fucko, mother fucker, what do you not have swear words in Equestria?"

Celestia shook her head. "No, we do, just apparently not that one..."

"Oh..." Discord replied. "Well, maybe I can spread it around while I'm here."

Discord levitated himself off the ground, returning to a standing position; he exhaled. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so hard. It was perhaps the best feeling he had experienced in a decade.

"So how did you guys escape the renegade dragons?" Celestia asked, picking up their conversation.

Discord rubbed the back of his head and frowned, his mood taking on a somber tone.

"Escape... Well, we didn't, not really. When I finally got away, I had already been severely beaten, and I ran as far as I could, but did not know where I was going. I eventually made my way to that forest, and took refuge in the dungeon of your family's former castle. I remained there for four or five years, until you and your guards found me."

"Oh lord, that's horrible!" Celestia exclaimed.

"Eh, it happens..."

Discord didn't know why he had chosen to tell the story. His mind had known that it ended in tragedy, but his desire to provide a humorous recollection of his adventures in the dragon kingdom had overpowered his common sense. Unfortunately, it seemed the humorous parts of his exploits fell apart at the end.

"What about Eclipse?" Celestia asked.

"I escaped, he wasn't as lucky."

"Oh, Discord. I'm so sorry..."

"It happens." He replied with a stretch, resuming his casual demeanor.

Celestia thought of Luna, and of Discord's brother's fate. If she was in his position, if anything ever happened to her sister, she didn't know if she would be able to go on without her. Even when Luna wore on her nerves, she still loved her. Her sister was her best friend, and nothing could change that.

A long silence passed between the two of them. Celestia mentally kicked herself again, swearing that when she was older, pauses of this nature would not happen to her. She would be able to carry on a conversation like a proper princess should, and the only pauses would be ones that were needed. Brought on not by a lack of words, but by the wisdom of knowing when not to speak.

Finally, "It's almost time for me to go," she told the Draconequus.

"Ah yes, can't keep the sun from rising forever." Discord replied.

"I'll see if I can return this evening, but until then, have a wonderful day Discord..." She turned to walk away, but stopped as Discord called out to her.

"Wait, Celestia."

"Yes?" She turned around.

"I wanted to thank you, for saving my life. I appreciate it, I really do."

"It was nothing," she said with a smile. "Anypony else would have done the same in my position."

Discord smiled as well, shaking his head. "No, they wouldn't have."

They both knew it was true.

It was at this point that Discord realized something. He now understood why he had been able to tell Celestia of the events that had claimed his brother's life, and was in general so comfortable around her. He trusted her, plain and simple. Discord couldn't remember the last time he had trusted anyone (if indeed he ever had), and didn't know what to think of it. Surely it wasn't a good thing, and yet he found no reason it couldn't be. And just why did he trust her anyway? Discord couldn't put his finger on any particular reason. Perhaps there was no particular reason. Perhaps it was because of how unfrightened she was of him. Nervous, yes, but not genuinely afraid like so many other creatures he encountered had been. The way he himself had stayed frightened for the past few years. Perhaps he just did not know.

He put the thought out of his head, making plans to ponder the subject another time. All Discord knew for sure, was that he trusted her, believed her, believed in her. He knew this was the truth, and that was enough for now. Discord saw no reason to let Celestia know of his discovery, at least not now anyway. Perhaps not ever. Time would tell.

"Discord." Celestia began.

"Yes, Princess?"

"I have a favor I want to ask of you."

"Go ahead," He responded. "I need to show my gratitude for being allowed to reside in your kingdom anyway."

Celestia smiled. "I just realized that my council is without a foreign diplomat. Seeing as how you are a seasoned traveler, who has been through many different countries, I was wondering if you might like to fill the position, and help advise me as a part of my cabinet. You could help our land expand into new territories, or even establish a trade system with other countries."

Celestia had no idea what the duties of a foreign diplomat actually consisted of, and she suspected that Discord probably knew this. But it sounded good in her mind, and she also suspected that he wouldn't care if her definition was off.

She then added. "If you're not planning on leaving us anytime soon, that is."

Discord smiled, and Celestia was sure now, the creature was handsome.

"I suppose I could follow you around for a bit. Keep you on the right path, just in case you lose your way."

"I'd appreciate it greatly," She replied, still smiling.

Suddenly, the grandfather clock in Discord's room began to chime, signalling six a.m. It seemed the sun would be rising a tad late this morning.

"I really must be going now, Discord." The young princess apologized. "But I'll be back in the evening, and perhaps we can properly establish your post."

"Very well, I shall hold my breath until then." He responded and puffed out his cheeks. Celestia giggled and turned away, hurrying out of his room.

Discord watched her go until she was out of sight, and then watched the empty space of the corridor for a bit longer.

Finally, he let his magic shut the door and teleported onto his bed. He stretched out and gazed up at the ceiling, the shiny marble surface showing his reflection. The body of the reflection was his own, but the face was not.

"Looks like someone has found a reason to stay," Eclipse stated smugly.

Discord didn't respond but turned over on his side. He closed his eyes and slept.

Comments

[Pennington Inkwell]

Fantastic!
(Insert obligatory statement about disdain for cussing here)

If it wouldn't seem too conceited, I'd just like to mention a couple things in regards to my character, Eclipse...

First of all, the more you use it, the more the "living in the reflection" idea seems like a stroke of genius! Would it bothered you if I used that at some point?
Spoiler: I'm thinking about killing Eclipse, so it would be the same setup with Discord if I did use it...
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I can't wait to see what happens when Discord leaves his room and Celestia spots his reflection(s?) in a window or something. THAT'S going to be interesting! Especially if it's only for a really brief moment. OR if Luna got a chance to talk to Eclipse and find out for herself a few unique things about Discord and/or his brother... The two younger siblings might understand one another, since Discord kind of ran while Eclipse was killed, and Luna feels like she's being neglected by her own sister, the two could have an interesting dynamic, perhaps inherently pushing her more towards Nightmare Moon... But this is all theory on my part, of course! Just thinking about what "could be..."
denver.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw1235_Discord_go_on.gif

Seriously, though, don't take any of this as serious direction. It's all just speculation on my part, free to use or not as you wish.

If it doesn't seem too bold of me, if Eclipse and Celestia ever get the chance to talk (Like, maybe the reflection can stay after discord leaves, as long as someone pays attention to it, IDK...), or if there's a more somber moment with Discord, it would be nice to find out more in detail what happened to Eclipse...There's a lot of potential that his own death could still be a touchy subject. I can only imagine what happens if you make a draconequus ghost angry. He might be just a little indignant at how Discord casually passed over talking about his death... Death by dragon. Ouch.
fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/139/2/b/dragonheart_gif_by_rusticdragon-d3gpykb.gif
(Just having a little fun with one of my favorite movies, there...)

But aside from that, I really am enjoying how this is going! You're doing a FANTASTIC job!! Sorry my comment is more gif than words, but they all seemed rather appropriate. I love this story, and I'm practically bouncing in my seat with eagerness for the next chapter!!!

[FlutterSky1979]

2841539
Thank you very much! And of course you can use the reflection thing! Hell, I am using your character after all to execute it.

As far as characters besides Discord communicating with Eclipse, I'm just as in the dark about how that may play out as you are

My original idea was to have a sort of Jack Nicholson/Jack Torrance Shining thing going on, where Discord would be the only one communicating with Eclipse and could only do so if a mirror/reflective surface was present. As I wrote this though, and got to the scene where Celestia heard Discord speaking to someone outside of his door, I thought it might be interesting if she could hear Eclipse as well. So here we are! It's opened up a lot of possibilities that I have absolutely no idea how to go about exploring

And as for a description of his death, expect it in excruciating detail the next chapter

Speaking of which, while I am getting a lot more done than I ever was before and am hoping to have it out by this time next week, do not hold your breath!

I am ungodly lazy when it comes to writing. I cannot stress that enough

Anyways, thank you for the kind review and letting me use your character!

[FlutterSky1979]

2852407
Thank you very much! And I don't really mind it being obscure. Maybe as more chapters are released more people will come across it!