Storm of Chaos

Chapter One

“Storm of Chaos”

Yes, indeed, the days were so very beautiful in the old times when young Equestria blossomed. It was a much different time and place, indeed. However, it was the world Celestia grew up in. On this day, when darkness still covered the land, the young princess trotted out to the courtyard. The day had finally come. It was the day she had waited so long for. Her hooves clopped on the stone floor of the castle. The guards posted at the door to the courtyard nodded and bowed their heads at her as a ‘good morning.’ Their eyes looked tired and heavy from having had the night shift. Celestia stepped out onto the great balcony. The excitement was building up inside her. Looking ahead, she saw her mother already standing on the balcony. She turned her head when she heard her daughter coming.
“Oh, Celestia, good morning,” said Queen Solina smiling brightly.
“Good morning, mother,” said Celestia walking up beside her. “Is time for the sunrise yet?”
“Almost,” her mother replied. She looked down at Celestia with bright sky-blue eyes. Her face glowed amidst the dull blue glow of the surrounding area, as the moon started to sink below the horizon. Both the ponies turned their heads and looked out at the lake below the balcony. There stood Celestia’s father, King Orion and her younger sister Luna. Luna’s horn glowed a soft indigo. Her eyes were closed tight in concentration. At long last, the moon was swallowed up by the silhouette of the distant mountains. Solina turned to Celestia again and nodded. “Now, my little Tia. Are you sure you are ready?”
“I am,” Celestia replied with confidence. “I’ve been waiting and practicing but now I think I can do it!” She turned her face to the east and breathed deeply. Her horn glowed. She closed her eyes. She could feel deep in her soul the warmth…the power. The first time she had felt it, she thought she would cry. The sun’s beauty and strength was the most overwhelming thing any mortal pony could experience. She very well knew the power that was inside her. It was in her blood. Celestia felt the warmth rushing up from her heart and into her horn. Sparks shot out from her horn. Slowly, slowly the sun rose from the horizon. Its orange rays beamed across the violet mountain tops in sheer radiance and majesty. The sky blushed when the amber streams of light kissed it softly. The overwhelming joy of feeling the sunrise take place due to her own magic made Celestia gleefully spread her small wings out and rear up on her hind legs. She was accomplishing her purpose in life at last.
Then, she opened her eyes to see the beautiful spectacle before her. The sun was so….big…and so….warm. However, in this moment, Celestia was interrupted by another feeling that crept its way into her heart. Fear. The unparalleled joy that overwhelmed her now scared her. The celestial body…the very entity for which she was named…was intimidating. In this moment, Celestia found herself losing concentration and energy. She felt sweat stream down her face. For the first time she actually felt the weight of the star. It weighed heavily down on her; she began to struggle and panic. She sank down on all fours. Her knees trembled and wobbled. She breathed heavily and whimpered slightly. Her muscles strained more and more every passing second. All of a sudden, she felt a sudden wave come over her. It was a huge wave of energy that seemed to take all the sun’s energy out of her grasp. Celestia breathed a huge sigh of relief. The weight was lifted off of her. She looked up with surprise at her mother. Queen Solina stepped ahead of her to the edge of the balcony. Her horn shot out fiery red flairs and white sparks. The sun instantly responded. Its brilliant face climbed over the horizon and shone bright and majestic against a magenta sky. Celestia gazed in awe at her mother. Her coat gleamed and glistened almost as golden and bright as the star itself. Her beautiful, glistening yellow and white mane streamed behind her and billowed into the air like flames. Her wings were like that of an eagle. She stretched them out and lifted her face to the sky. She opened her shimmering eyes and smiled at the sun. Celestia knew her mother was really looking upon the face of her and Luna’s grandmother….the sun goddess. She was up there, perhaps smiling back on her alicorn, demigoddess daughter…queen of Equestria…mother of Celestia and Luna…the very image of power and beauty. Celestia looked on with admiration as Solina sighed contently and turned to face her again.
“I thought I could do it, Mother…” said Celestia hanging her head. “I have failed. I’m…I’m not strong enough.” Solina approached her daughter and nuzzled her with her nose.
“You’ll get it next time, my dear,” she said with a comforting voice. Celestia looked over at the lake again.
“Luna can raise and lower the moon....and she’s younger than me…” said Celestia pinning her ears back in envy.
“The moon is smaller than the sun, Celestia,” Solina replied nudging her. “Luna is not more or less powerful than you are. There is no need to be jealous. You are very young, still, my little Tia. You must learn to be patient. Soon, you will be strong enough to handle the sun and its great power. For now, do not worry.” Celestia nodded and smiled brightly. “Come. Let us meet up with your father and sister,” said her mother turning and walking back inside the castle.
The two alicorns walked over to the edge of the lake and eagerly greeted King Orion and Princess Luna. Celestia always loved how her father’s coat twinkled like the twinkling stars. It was a very dark blue, but there were bright white glowing spots all over it. His mane was black and billowed in the wind just likes Solina’s mane did. His wings looked more like moth wings. They were translucent and curled at the tips to make a half-moon-like shape. Celestia thought they always looked very mysterious….just like the night.
“The dawn is just beautiful, dear,” said Orion walking over to Solina and nuzzling her.
“Why, I would say ‘thank you,’ honey…but…our little Tia raised the sun almost all on her own this morning. She deserves praise,” Solina replied, returning the affectionate gesture to her husband.
“Why…that is wonderful!” said Orion looking lovingly down at Celestia with his silver eyes.
“She still needed help…” Luna muttered. “Father! Tell mother what happened tonight!”
“Yes, of course. Luna and I took a hike up into the mountains. We watched the stars and talked to them. It was very lovely…though…they didn’t talk back to us.”
“That sounds like it was very wonderful,” Solina replied. “And…yes…I am aware that the stars are silent. This worries me.”
“Oh, Solina…we shouldn’t concern ourselves with such matters in front of the children,” said Orion in a low tone. He turned back over to Luna.
“Come, Luna. It is nearing the time for us to retire.”
“Oh, father!” Luna cried in disappointment. “I am not the least bit tired! Must we go to bed now? Can’t I stay up and play with Tia for a little bit?”
“Yes, father,” said Celestia nodding her head vigorously. “I wanted to teach Luna a new spell I learned!”
“Hmm….” Said Orion sighing. “I don’t know. What do you think, Solina?”
“As long as Luna gets to bed by nine sharp, it’s fine with me,” said Solina nodding.
“Very well,” said Orion. “But I want to see you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the evening.” Luna whinnied and pranced over to Celestia.
“Tia! Show me that spell…and then let’s make up a new magic game to play!” she said jumping up and down.
All of a sudden, the ground started to shake slightly. Celestia stood stiff. Luna stopped jumping. Their parents looked around suspiciously. The shaking was getting more violent. Trees surrounding the castle started to fall over due to the shaking. All four alicorns huddled together in surprise. Just then, as soon as the shaking started, it stopped. No one said anything. No questions were asked, as Celestia and Luna were both shocked and dazed to speak. The king and queen looked up at the sky, a wild look of terror filling their eyes. Thick, black clouds rolled in. Thunder roared and lightning crashed. The wind picked up in speed. Next, a great blast of wind and energy surged together to form a tornado. The massive funnel touched down on the ground before them. This was not a normal tornado, however, because its wind current wasn’t sucking anything into it. Instead, the trees in the surrounding area turned upside down. The grass lost its green color and turned gray. The castle in the background started to crack. The turrets started to break apart. The stones on the right side were giving way. Suddenly, a bolt a lightning shot down from the sky and hit the right side of the castle. It exploded and sent a giant shock wave across the lawn. Palace guards flew or teleported out of the building to escape. Celestia and Luna screamed and held onto each other. They crouched low on the ground in fear. Celestia looked up when she felt the wind die down. The tornado had stopped spinning. All that was left was a tall purple figure.
The strange dragon-like creature stared them and laughed in a sinister tone. She had piercing green and black eyes. Her body was shaped like that of a snake’s, and her underbelly was a pale gray color. Her lower body had six long insect like legs. Her upper torso consisted of wings that were big black raven wings. One of her hands was a panther paw; the other was a massive vulture claw. She gave the alicorn quintet a toothy grin.
“Why, hello! Wasn’t that a decent surprise?” she said chuckling.
“Eris!” said Solina and Orion at the same time. Shocked, they both approached her.
“Hm…alicorns seem to have a better memory than I thought they did,” said the purple creature smirking.
“Wha….how…?” said Solina turning to her husband in shock. “How could she have come back?!”
“This…this cannot be….” said Orion, looking very confused. Eris laughed at them.
“Foolish equines…” she snickered. “You haven’t the slightest idea of why I’m here. I’ll tell you…but elsewhere.” She motioned toward the mountain in the distance. “If you don’t want to see me do more damage, I suggest you hurry!”
“Wait!” said Solina abruptly. She turned to Orion. “The children must stay somewhere,” she said to him.
“No!” said Eris looking down at Celestia and Luna. Celestia cowered down again in fear of her. Luna buried her face in her hooves. “They will come too. And…if they don’t…this land will crumble around you. Alicorns…you have an hour.” She cackled and disappeared in a flash. The storm went away, but the sky was still darkened by clouds. The king and queen turned to each other but no one said a word. There was dead silence. This shocking turn of events left Celestia and Luna frightened and dazed.
“Orion, what do we do?!” said Solina frantically.
“We have to do what she said,” Orion replied sighing. “I don’t like this anymore then you do, dear…but…the children must come with us. We must head into the mountains to meet up with her and see what she wants. We don’t have time to stand here worrying about what will be….not when Equestria is in danger again.” Solina nodded.
“Mother, who…who is this Eris?” Celestia questioned. “She’s scary!”
“Look at what she…she did to our home!” Luna yelled. “We….we need to teach her a lesson!” She shook with fear and anger. Solina and Orion looked at each other worriedly. They didn’t answer Celestia’s question.
“Oh dear…” said Solina at length. “We never wanted you two to be involved in these matters…not yet. But…it would seem Eris has ruined this as well. I fear we must tell them the story, Orion.”
“Yes, I agree,” the king replied. “You two are still young…and you may not fully understand, but your mother and I will try to explain everything.”
“First things first, honey,” said Solina quickly. “Let us carry the girls on our backs and fly into the mountains. Luna cannot fly yet, and Celestia cannot go up that high.”
“Yes. Hop on, you two,” said Orion nodding to the two fillies. Luna got onto her father’s back and Celestia got onto her mother’s back. Celestia was terrified, but she didn’t question her parents. Eris seemed like a cruel enemy that didn’t care how much damage she did or who it affected. She had to be stopped, and she hoped her parents had the strength to stop her…however they had to do it. The two alicorns flew up into the dark sky, soaring high over the burning castle. Celestia felt a bit sick being up this high. She glanced to her right at her father. Luna was clutching his neck with her hooves. Her eyes were closed tight. She looked absolutely terrified…even more so than Celestia herself.
“Now, listen, my daughters,” said Solina after they had been flying for a few minutes and Luna and Celestia were starting to get used to the feeling. “Listen closely and your father and I will tell you the history of when Equestria was new. We will tell you about Eris the Lady of Chaos and the betrayer of this land."

_____________________________

Eris stood on the mountain top, an hourglass before her. She watched the sand fall with a smirk creeping across her face. A small presence nervously moved closer to her right side. She glanced to her right and only grinned wider. Her plan was perfect.
“Mother…” said the creature with a questioning look on his face. “Why are we here? Wh…what happened to the sky?” he looked up at the dark, looming clouds. “And…that castle?” he peered into the distance at the smoking castle.
“Do not concern yourself with that, my son,” said Eris chuckling at his ignorance. “It is only natural for us. As a draconequus, you will soon understand the true beauty of chaos. Your father invented chaos…as his name. He is the god of all things that Order restricts. ‘Tis a shame those equines don’t understand such things. However…one day they will learn. This land of Equestria will be yours.
“Mine?” said the young draconequus, his eyes gleaming at the distant kingdom before him.
“Yes…Discord….yours.”

TO BE CONTINUED…

The Tale of Eris

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Chapter Two

“The Tale of Eris”

Orion cleared his throat to begin telling the story to Celestia and Luna. The two young alicorns listened intently at their father’s words. They whistled in their ears like the whistling wind.
“Back before you two were born…and you very well know the story about the Sages finding Equestria. Well, after the three races of ponies came together, they encountered many creatures, such as dragons already living there in the mountains. Well, these dragons came down from the mountains to help serve the Sages in any way they could. Now, at this time, your mother and I were recently married. My parents, the moon goddess, a unicorn named Selena and a mortal pegasus named Star Gazer betrothed me to your mother.”
“And my parents, the sun goddess, a pegasus named Elianna and a mortal unicorn named Fire Light, betrothed me to your father,” said Solina smiling at Orion. “It turned out that your father and I were perfect for one another. We decided after we were married, it would benefit the land of Equestria greatly if we came down to earth to live among the mortals. Though we are demigods, we practiced our magic when we lived in the Heavens with our parents. We gained immortality when we reached the state of Forevermore, or the state of having gained the full potential of good magic. This state allows us to live forever and have almost all the same powers as the gods. Of course, being demigods we didn’t mind staying on the earth with the mortals. The Sages were happy to have us rule as king and queen over Equestria. Thus, we give the subjects day and night.”
“What happened next was something we really didn’t expect,” Orion continued. “There were some dragons that ended up turning rogue on us. Eris was their leader. She wanted nothing more than to rule Equestria and give the dragons the land. This, of course wasn’t fair, because the Sages found Equestria first. They attacked us and the grand castle we had built. They were no match for us, however. We defeated them and the rebel dragons were banished. Eris escaped this, abandoning her own army. She disappeared for a while, waiting for the right opportunity to strike again….”
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Eris watched the sand trickle down through the thin neck of the hourglass. The grains bounced off the glass and fell delicately down to the bottom.
I will have my revenge, she thought to herself. No one…not even Chaos himself could stop me from achieving my ultimate goals. She gazed out to the horizon, vividly remembering a certain day from the past when she almost felt true defeat. This was the day she almost died. This was the day she knew how strongly she hated the equines. This was the day that changed everything….
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The thick, black smoke filled her lungs, and she breathed it in deeply anyway. She dragged her limp body across the forest floor. She knew she had failed, and it never hurt this much. However, she took pleasure in the pain, knowing this meant her determination was still alive. The sky had turned dark from the smoke. It billowed into the air and danced above her like a dark spirit. She collapsed onto the ground and chuckled slightly. The pain made her strong....until now. With one hand, she reached to touch her wound. Her clawed hand turned red with the blood. Eris smiled when she saw the red liquid dripping from her hand. She put her hand in her mouth, licking the sour liquid off with a crazed look in her eyes. She had not lost. She could not comprehend losing. The word "defeat" was not in her vocabulary. She was set back...by those foolish equines. She would return. There were so many opportunities for her to strike again, anyway.
"We've already burned everything they loved to the ground..." she said to herself, chuckling slightly. “They are weak now. So...I must wait for my strength to come back to me. Then...then...they will fall into the flames at last. The alicorns will perish and Equestria will belong to the dragons. I will rule. I will break away from the cursed chains of Order and Harmony. All that is tranquil will die with them into the flames of all that is...."
"CHAOTIC...." a low voice whispered for her. Eris looked up in surprise. An unsteady wind stroked her face. The smoke above her swirled around and around. The leaves on the trees flew into the twisting funnel of smoke and the color of the grass and trees vanished. The ground before her began to crack. Looking up, Eris saw a pair of red eyes staring out at her from the twister. She looked on in shock and curiosity. The twister stopped spinning and a black figure stood tall before her. He was similar to a dragon, but had many arms of all kinds of creatures. She could clearly see he had not two, but four red eyes and a smile that even sent shivers climbing up her spine.
"Have you not called upon me, Eris, dragoness of the snowy mountains?" The figure asked her. He didn't move his mouth when he talked. His voice echoed in her mind.
"I do not recall," Eris replied, pulling herself up onto her haunches to get a better look at the creature.
"Oh, but you have," the creature responded. Suddenly, Eris realized he was no longer in front of her, but behind her. She turned her head and glared at him.

"How did you do that?" she asked. The black figure only gave her a toothy grinned. Eris sighed and looked down at the ground. "Who are you and what do you want from me?"
"The better question, my dear," said the creature, now in front of her again, "is...'what do YOU want from ME?' Have you not called my name when you wanted to see the glory of my power? Have you not tried to summon it to destroy your enemies? Have you not longed for me to come now...when you are so weak? Eris...your patience has paid off." The purple dragoness's eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open. She gasped a little in disbelief.
"Chaos?" she whispered. There he was....Chaos...the god himself...the one who was always thought of as a silent, unseen deity that rebelled against the god Order. He caused everything unnatural and evil to occur.
"You are correct, my dear," Chaos replied. "You know me....as I know you."
"How do you know me?" Eris asked.
"Even before you and your followers rebelled against the equines....I was the wildfire that burned everything to the ground. I was the famine that starved the equines and brought death to this place. I was the water that flooded this earth, sabotaged their homes, and poisoned their lungs. I was the wind and the cold and the heat. I was always ahead of you who rebel against the way things are. Order and the other gods never understood me. In fact, mortals hate me. But....you...you, Eris....you have always wanted my power. You have found such things attractive. You have thought of me in such a way that I have never known before. You have never hated me. This is what made me interested in you, my dear. I have watched you, Eris. And...I must say, I have never looked upon a creature with your beauty ever before. I find YOU most definitely attractive." Eris smiled at him.
"I thank you, Chaos," she said chuckling. "I am flattered. Someone had never taken such an interest in me. I must be honest...I have noticed you. Your work is something to behold. They say everyone has a connection to Order...but I have never felt as if I did. I always felt different...like I was a misfit in this place. I believe we should take control of this land. We deserve it. I have always admired you for being a rebel as I. We are kindred spirits, you and I."
"Indeed," Chaos murmured. "Perhaps you have a connection to me, instead?"
"I believe I do," Eris replied. "Perhaps it is destiny."
"Perhaps," Chaos replied. "Eris...my lovely, dark rose....I wish you could become my wife. Would you like this...to be the wife of a god? The wife of Chaos?"
"Oh, my dear," said Eris chuckling. "You have no sense of time, do you? I have only just met you."
"Time..." murmured Chaos. "I apologize, my dear. Time is irrelevant to me now. You must understand, too....gods fall in love quicker than a mortal does. My dear, Eris, I have fallen."
"But...you do not know me," Eris replied.
"Oh...but I do," Chaos replied. "I do know you. You are like me. Eris...as I said....I have watched you from afar. I do know you...better than anyone, I imagine. I love you, my Eris." Eris nodded. She was silent for a moment. She was in deep thought. Then, a smile crept onto her face.

"I think I feel the same way," she said at last. "Though this is our first official meeting...I have always admired you. Yes...I have always loved you. However, should this be a proper proposal, should I not have something like...a ring...?"
"But...not a ring..." said Chaos, smiling.
"You do know me," said Eris.
"Tradition and order are certainly not to your liking," Chaos replied smiling. He reached into his smoky lower body and pulled out a black rose. "You are my dark rose...unlike the others, my Eris. I want to be with you forever. Marry me." Eris accepted the black rose and tucked it behind her ear.
"Yes, Chaos," she said, a smirk returning to her purple face. "I will marry you. Perhaps happiness will follow me at last. However...I require something of you."
"What is it, my dear?" Chaos asked. He reached out with a clawed hand and stroked her scaly cheek. Eris felt chills when he caressed her. "I will do anything for you."
"Anything?" she asked.
"Anything."
"I am but a mortal dragon. If you wish for me to be with you forever...." she looked deep into his four bright red eyes with her green ones. "Make me a goddess." Chaos floated backwards in surprise by this request. "I understand this is a tall order, my dear Chaos...but...you said you'd do anything. In exchange for my heart...for my commitment...I ask this of you. It is the only wish I have."
"You must understand..." said Chaos slowly. "If I do this...you will never be the same. You will live forever...you will know all and hate all as I do. Your powers will be the same as mine. Your heart will be as black as mine. And you will look like no other creature that exists. You will become deformed...mixed up....and disharmony will riddle your soul. I ask you, Eris...is this truly what you wish?"
"Yes," Eris replied without hesitation. Chaos nodded. He breathed deeply and rose up higher into the air. Wind started to fly around him in a circle. Dark smoke clouded around him, blotting out his facial features and his arms. Bolts of lightning surged inside this cloud. The dark power charged forward at Eris and hit her directly in the heart. She gasped and shrieked as a world of pain enveloped her. She threw her head back and screamed. The dark magic penetrated her heart and entered her very soul. She could feel it charge through her veins into the rest of her body. As soon as that pain subsided, the real transformation began. It was the most painful feeling Eris could've experienced. She collapsed onto the ground, for her back legs seemed to shrink and sink into her underside. Her bones cracked and snapped into place to form new legs. She gained six of them...each bent like an insect's. Eris clutched at the ground, tears rolling down her face. She gritted her teeth, as the pain of her arms changing was a lot worse. SNAP! SNAP! CRACK! CRACK! She wailed and shut her eyes tight. Next her wings started changing. The pain was so intense, she almost passed out. She lay limp on the ground, whimpering quietly and breathing hard. Chaos stood by the whole time without any emotion. Then, he cleared his throat.
"You will now be called a draconequus. And if we have children someday...they will too be the same creature. They will symbolize me."
At long last, Eris started to chuckle. She sat up and smiled. The pain was gone....and all that was left was sheer power. She looked down at her new features and admired them. She took a deep breath.
"At last..." she said chuckling. "I will conquer and destroy. I will rule Equestria....forever." Just then, when she spoke the word "forever," it made her notice something strange. Her side was not healed. She was still bleeding. Eris's eyes grew wide. She looked fiercely up at Chaos and growled at him. "I am NOT a goddess..." she screamed. "AM I?! You made me a demigoddess, didn't you?! But that is NOT what I wanted!"
"Of course not," replied Chaos smiling. "But I did not go back on my word. I made you a goddess in all manner of speaking. You didn't say 'deity'. Oh...dear...you thought you were playing me for a love-struck fool, didn't you?" Chaos laughed. "I am NOT an idiot. I know you do not love me, Eris. You love my power. And that is why you wanted to be a goddess. And if you were a deity, you would kill me...wouldn't you? Then...you would have twice the power. That was your plan."
"You tricked me!" Eris growled. Her whole body shook with rage.
"It would seem so indeed..." said Chaos laughing. "I outsmarted you in your own game. But now...you must hold up your end of the bargain and marry me." Eris pounded the ground with her new panther paw. She frantically searched her mind for a possible loophole in this. She soon found there was none. Unless....
"Very well..." she replied nodding. "....it would seem I have been outsmarted. You are very cleaver indeed, Chaos. I should hope our future child will be such a trickster as you."
"Come, my dear," said Chaos gently. "I wish only for your happiness and companionship. But your newfound power will not exceed mine."
"We shall see," Eris replied walking along into the forest with him. "We shall see...."
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“You are still a fool…” Eris whispered as she continued to stare at the hourglass before her.
“Who is this fool?” asked a small voice behind her. She smiled and turned her head.
“Your father is a fool…” Eris scoffed. “I always knew I would outsmart him eventually. And you…I am lucky to have such a wonderful son as you, my Discord.” Discord smiled a little and then looked down at the ground.
“I always thought father was quite cleaver,” he replied. “Though…he does scare me…”
“Hm! Not so much as he would make you believe, young one,” said Eris rolling her eyes. “You should not let things give you fear. That is great weakness.”
“I do not understand what is happening,” said Discord lowering his eyebrows at her. “Why won’t you tell me?!”
“Don’t worry…” said Eris smirking and turning back to look at the horizon again. “You will soon enough.”
“Now, eventually,” said Solina, flying a little lower. “The opportunity came. For it turned out that Eris married the god Chaos and he granted her the status of a demigoddess. She had magnificent power. She returned and brought a great storm of chaos and disharmony on the land. We almost couldn’t defeat her. However, the Sages found a power within themselves that defeated Eris. She wouldn’t give up the fight at first, but this great power the Sages found brought harmony to the land again and Eris was forced to surrender. We captured her and fought amongst ourselves about what her punishment should be. As you can imagine, she begged us to spare her life. We had compassion on her and decided to simply banish her from the land. A magic contract was developed that prevented her from using her powers here ever again, even if she somehow managed to return.”
“Now, it appears she tricked us,” Orion said sighing. “She found a loophole, somehow. We have to find out how she returned, what she wants from us, and what we can do to reason with her.”
“Indeed,” Solina replied. “Fighting will do us no good. She is stronger now, and she knows this. We are so sorry you two had to become involved in all this. We understand you probably don’t understand, but have tried to tell you this tale as well as possible in hopes you can.” Celestia and Luna nodded. Celestia ran all the words her parents spoke over in her head as they neared the mountains. Looking down, she could see Eris standing on the mountain top waiting for them. Fear crept its way into her heart as she wondered what would become of them now. She could only hope that everything would be fine and Eris would leave them alone. She silently wondered if perhaps Eris was not as evil as she appeared. Perhaps she was simply misunderstood. The young princess could only ponder these things in her warm, compassionate heart.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Everfree

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Chapter Three

“Everfree”

The two alicorns stood firmly on the mountain top, hooves crunching into the ground with anger. They glared at the purple draconequus that stood tall and proud before them. Eris folded her arms and sneered at them.
"Really, now, what took you so long?" she asked raising an eyebrow. "I would've thought alicorns were quicker than that....at least you seem to think of yourselves in such high regard, I would assume....."
"Silence!" Orion bellowed at her. "That's quite enough out of you! Let's get to the unsolved problem."
"Of course," said Eris smirking. Celestia jumped down from her mother's back and stayed at her side. Luna jumped down and hid behind Orion.
"How did you return, Eris?" Solina questioned. "This is impossible!"
"You equines just don't realize how dumb you are," Eris replied, holding her sides in laughter. "Why...when I was....ahem...set back by you..."
"Defeated," Solina argued.
"SET BACK..." Eris growled, "...I knew exactly how to manipulate you alicorns. If you recall, I begged you for mercy and you decided to form a magic deal that stated my eternal banishment. You were weak and soft of heart. A very strong weakness, I might add...."
"Compassion is the greatest sign of strength and restraint," Orion shouted. "It defeats the hate and anger one might have. You wouldn't know this, but I would."
"You didn't choose the darkness, Orion," Eris replied. "But...it chose you, as you are more vulnerable." She raised herself up high and stared down on him. "Weak." she sneered. Just then, she glanced over at the tiny blue alicorn hiding behind his leg.
"Oh...she takes after you, my king," she said with a toothy grin. "What is your name, dear?"
"Leave my daughter out of this," yelled Orion with blazing eyes.
"My demands of the children coming were met," Eris replied. "But they must participate as well."
"Stop blackmailing us!" shouted Solina. "This is childish and cruel!"
"Have we met?" said Eris smirking. "I ask again...child...what...is...your...name?"
"L....Luna...." a small voice squeaked. Luna stepped out from behind her father and stood tall. She analyzed Eris, looking up and down. After a moment, she spoke in anger and fear.
"Why did you take away our home from us?!" she said, her knees wobbling. Her eyes narrowed at Eris and her nostrils flared in furry. "You are...are...EVIL!" She trembled in rage and began to cry again.
"Luna...shhhh...calm down..." said Solina, walking over to her and nuzzling her. Eris chuckled at her.
"She's feisty, now, isn't she?! She'll be trouble someday..."
"ENOUGH!" Solina screamed in rage. "Leave our children alone! This has gone too far, Eris! Just let us make an agreement and solve this issue!"
"Oh...we have all the time in the world to do that..." said Eris yawning. "This is the most fun I've had in years." She crawled over to Celestia and examined her. "Hm...you are just a blossoming little beauty aren't you, child? Oh...but you are not a child anymore, are you?" Celestia swallowed and looked away, narrowing her eyes. "I sense a strong compassionate heart in you. Now...tell me your name."
"You don't have to answer her!" said her mother, coming over to her.
"It's okay, mother...." Celestia replied quietly. "I am Celestia, Eris. And I really don't see what you hope to gain from all this." She glanced up at Eris angrily and then down when she noticed movement. There was another creature trying to hide behind Eris, but he didn't seem afraid of them. If anything, he looked as if he really didn't want to be there or have any part in this. Eris turned her head to look at him.
"Why are you hiding?! I told you to participate in this!" The creature grumbled and slinked out from behind her. He looked like his mother, except for having legs, which made him bipedal. He was mostly brown, but his body parts, which represented other animals, were different colors. He stared at the ground and scowled.
“Why? You don’t tell me anything…” he muttered.
“DISCORD!” his mother snapped at him. She pushed him forward in front of Celestia. Celestia cocked her head at him, wondering why Eris wanted him involved in all this. She thought he looked very strange…unlike any creature she had ever seen. “Now, my little alicorn, don’t worry,” said Eris turning to Celestia again. “I am gaining quite a bit from this.” She looked up at Solina and Orion. “Now, to continue. This magic deal, like all deals, always have a loophole somewhere. They cannot truly be permanent or eternal. I knew this. I knew I could find a way to return.” She smiled and glanced at Discord. “You see…at the time of that deal, I was pregnant with this one. And…the banishing spell you preformed on me, of course, could only be performed on one of a dark heart. My heart is very dark indeed…but…the rule is broken in the case of another pure heart present when the spell is cast. I was with child. An unborn child’s heart is the purest of all hearts. Therefore, the spell was broken when he was born.”
“How can this be?” Orion questioned.
“How could we have not sensed it?” asked Solina.
“You alicorns have your Achilles’ heel,” Eris replied. “You are not as strong and in-tune with magic as you think you are. I waited for thirteen years to make you believe I was gone forever. During that time, I trained him and taught him many things. He knows much, but still has much to learn as well.” The alicorns all stared at Discord. He crossed his arms and glared back at them.
“It’s not polite to stare!” he said scowling. Solina and Orion looked at each other worriedly and then back at Eris. Celestia didn’t quite understand what had happened, but she tried to pay as much attention as she could. She tried not to stare at Discord, but he was so different…it was amazing her. She didn’t know if she was afraid of him or fascinated by him. He was strange, peculiar, and….different. She herself had a hard time finding adjectives to describe him in her mind. She could gather that he was the son of Chaos himself. She had only seen drawings and paintings of Chaos, and he was terrifying. Discord didn’t seem terrifying, though. Celestia herself didn’t understand why, buy she could sense he was good. She just knew it. It was an innate instinct she could not explain to anyone.
“Now,” said Eris at length. “Here is what I’m going to do. Contrary to what you might believe, alicorns…I have a soft spot in my heart. This little weak flame of sympathy and compassion will not dwell in me for long, so I suggest you listen to this little proposition I have. Equestria will be spared from my power and I will leave you be….if…” She paused for effect. “….you cut off a section of your land that will be mine for the taking. In this land, I will be free to use my power and rule as I please.” She stretched and yawned. “In fact, I may not even rule for long. I still have some dragon in me, and a…oh…a ten-thousand-year-long nap sounds mighty fine.” She glanced at Discord. “Oh…but I wonder what will become of him! I do not suppose he could remain here, could he? Alicorns make lovely babysitters, I trust.” She let out a belly laugh and started rolling on the ground. She held her sides and cackled. The alicorns stood stunned and speechless for a short time.

“WHAT?!” the king and queen bellowed incredulously in unison. This made Eris laugh even harder. Discord stared up at her, dumbfounded. His jaw dropped and he blinked his eyes in complete shock.
“You want us to give you a piece of our land and take in your son while you remain there?!” said Orion in sheer surprise. “How…DARE you!” He reared up in anger. “You DARE you blackmail us like this and treat your own son with such inhumanity!”
“What kind of a sick, cruel, insane person or mother are you?!” Solina shouted, stamping her hoof roughing on the ground. Her eyes blazed in furry and her mane morphed into glowing flames. They billowed behind her into the nonexistent wind, and the fierce flares sharply licked the air. Celestia never really saw her mother become this angered. It wasn’t easy to set her off, but she loved justice and was passionate about solving injustices. Eris stopped laughing and stared with great surprise at this last comment. She cowered down just a little bit in front of the intimidating alicorn. Discord was nowhere to be found. He was hiding behind a nearby boulder. Celestia herself didn’t blame him. Her mother’s slight change of form was a bit frightening. “This makes absolutely no sense, Eris!” Eris’s lips curled into a grin. She raised herself up higher again and leaned down towards the female alicorn. Her green eyes glowed just a little bit in a sinister fashion.
“My dear Solina…” she said lowly, in an intimidating, echoing voice that sent shivers down Celestia’s spine. “What fun is there in making sense?” There was a silence after this. Solina sighed and she turned back to normal. She turned to Orion and talked quietly with him for a brief moment. Celestia couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she could tell they were desperate. She looked over at Eris. She was consoling a frantic Discord. He seemed very angry and hurt by what she wanted. It seemed she was trying everything possible to calm him down and reason with him of why this was the best thing for him. Celestia thought it was very cruel of her to want to leave Discord here in Equestria with them. However, she figured there must have been a strong reason why. She thought perhaps if Discord stayed here, it really would be the best thing for him. After all, he had Eris and Chaos for parents. At long last, Solina turned to Eris and said,
“Very well…have it your way, Eris. We will agree to your demands, as it seems we have no choice. However, we must negotiate certain rules and regulations regarding this new land. Therefore, we must call up somepony who understands the laws of magic by heart to assist us in these matters.”
“Fine,” Eris snorted, rolling her eyes. “You alicorns have to make everything complicated. Always trying to follow Order. Typical.” Solina and Orion faced each other, closed their eyes and their horns glowed.
“Star Swirl the Bearded….we summon you!” they both said at the same time. There was a flash of light. The king and queen turned away from each other and waited. In only a matter of moments, there was a great burst of light beside them. A unicorn appeared in its place when the light faded. An old male unicorn with grayish blue fur and a white main tail and beard stepped forward and bowed before the king and queen. He was wearing a wizard’s cloak and hat. Celestia had met him before. He was greatly respected and admired by her parents for his vast knowledge in magic. He had mentored Clover the Cleaver, one of the six Sages. Some said he was not only the oldest pony in the land, but the oldest that ever lived.
“Your majesties,” he said. “I received your telepathic call, and I came as quickly as I could.”
“Your haste was something to admire, Star Swirl,” said Orion smiling at him. “We always know we can count on you. I hate to say it, but we are in a great predicament. Let us tell you the nature of this problem.” The alicorns then proceeded to tell Star Swirl about Eris’s demands and how she managed to return. The old unicorn didn’t speak a word but just nodded and glanced at Eris and Discord curiously. After the king and queen were finished speaking, he cleared his throat and walked to the edge of the cliff. He nodded his head to the others, beckoning them closer. The party moved closer to the edge and gazed out to the horizon.
“Eris,” Star Swirl said, pointing to the forest region of the land. “How do you like that region? How about we say…all of that forest will be yours?” The king and queen nodded in agreement. Eris smiled.
“That seems fair…enough…” she said crossing her arms. “But…what’s the catch?”
“I will use a strong spell to section off this land,” Star Swirl explained. “This spell will make the land yours. However, whatever you do there…whatever unintelligent, barbaric creatures dwell there…must remain there. They will not have the desire to leave the forest and come into Equestria…unless ponies provoke them and lead them here. Yes…ponies can go into this forest if they wish, but that is at their own risk, of course. This means, Eris…that if you go into this forest…because you are intelligent, you cannot leave no matter what happens. But…you will gain what you wished….a land to call your own…where you will be free to rule as you see fit. Does that sound like a fair deal?”
“It does…” said Eris nodding. “You equines drive a hard bargain…but I’ll agree to it. And…my son, Discord will stay here.”
“I don’t understand, Mother! Why can’t I go with you?!” Discord said, distraught and frantic still. “Don’t leave me here!”
“You have to learn,” she replied gently. “Equines are soft, Discord….a bit too soft sometimes. They will see to it you are well taken care of. Don’t worry…” She smirked. “You will learn….”
“Learn what?!” Discord asked, turning his back angrily to her.
“In time…you’ll find out…” she replied grinning even wider. She held out her hand and a locket magically appeared in it. “Take it,” she said firmly. “You cannot open this until the time is right. But…when the time is right you will know. It will be when you are ready to find out your destiny. But…be patient, Discord. You will find out what you need to do to become who you really are.” Discord took the locket and stared with disgust at it. Celestia watched this with even more compassion developing in her heart. She felt bad for him. How could Eris be so cruel? She was still trying to wrap her mind around it all. However, she looked at Star Swirl to see what he was doing next. His horn glowed and so did the forest far below them. There was a great flash and then everything was back to normal.
“It is done,” he said calmly, as it seemed like an easy spell for him. He nodded to Eris. “This new land will be called Everfree. Eris, this is your safe haven. Do as you please and leave us now.” Eris cackled and rose up into the air.
“At last! All this waiting has certainly paid off! Oh…how I will miss you silly equines! However, you haven’t seen the last of me! I will always find ways to trick you foolish alicorns. I will always find a way out of the prisons you continue to contain me in. For now, I bid you all farewell! I am off to reek wonderful, beautiful chaos elsewhere…and then take a well-deserved rest. One of you…promise you’ll wake me up in…oh…ten thousand years or so.” She let out a great thunderous laugh and vanished in a flash of light. The party stood on the mountain top overlooking the new land. A dark cloud formed over the forest. Fear filled the hearts of those who saw it. Celestia shuddered as she looked upon it.
And thus…Everfree was born.

TO BE CONTINUED…

A New Beginning

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Chapter Four

“A New Beginning”

Discord stood alone on the cliff side, gazing down at the dark forest below. The hurt and the sudden loneliness he felt choked his throat. He could feel his whole body tense up in anger. He tried to remember back to the old times when he truly felt like his mother loved him. He tried to destroy the boiling furry in his heart that wanted to erupt. He didn’t want to feel this way, but how she betrayed him…how she walked out on him…how she abandoned him...left him here like he was a worthless piece of garbage, just broke his heart. No…it shattered his heart. How could she?! How could she stoop so low as to run out on her only child?! He didn’t understand. The very fact that he couldn’t understand it, because it was inexcusable behavior on her part just made everything worse.
There were still so many questions deep in his heart that he himself couldn't answer. Who could but her? One of them was "why?". Why did she do this? No....how could she do this? All these questions continued to burn in his mind as he stared at that dark forest. Hot tears filled his eyes as he turned away from it at last. He stared at the ground in silence. The heartbreak and pain enveloped his heart and created an erupting volcano of anger inside him. He knew then, he never even wanted to know who he was. He never wanted to hear another word from her or see her face again! He hated his mother. HATED her! He lifted his face to look at the king and queen. They were talking to each other. If they hated Eris as much as Discord himself did, perhaps he could find a good life with them somehow. He looked on with a small glimmer of hope in his heart.

________________________

Celestia couldn’t help but stare again at the draconequus standing still and silent on the cliff’s edge. She felt an overwhelming wave of sympathy come over her. She felt that she needed to speak to him. It would be for the first time that day. She felt a bit nervous. After all…she could also sense a small form of darkness inside him. There was a certain stillness in the air that made her feel uneasy. It was the way she felt around Eris, except it was stronger around her. She glanced over at Star Swirl the Bearded. He was standing by her parents awaiting orders. He looked a bit restless as well. He had a strong connection to the magic realm. She knew he could sense the growing flame of darkness. However, Celestia did not believe it was something to fear but rather something to try and accept. Could Discord really help it? His mother abandoned him and probably broke his heart. He had a right to feel anger, even if it made him gain just a little more dark power in his heart. She slowly approached him. She stopped in her tracks when she felt a presence beside her. Luna nudged her gently.
“Tia…” she said softly. “Is she going to come back?”
“No,” Celestia replied. She more or less hoped Eris wouldn’t come back, but she didn’t know for sure if she would or not. “I don’t think she will, Luna. It’s okay now. Don’t be afraid.”
“I’m okay,” Luna replied. She looked over at Discord and leaned even closer to her older sister. “Tia…why does he look like that?” she said without whispering.
“Shhh! Luna!” said Celestia glancing up nervously at Discord. She hoped he didn’t hear. She didn’t want his feelings to be hurt. “You shouldn’t ask questions like that. It’s just the way he was born.”
“But…he’s different…” said Luna cocking her head curiously. Being only seven, she was too young to fully understand such things.
“I know…” said Celestia quietly. “He seems very sad. He’s here all alone, you know. We should talk to him to make him feel better.”
“Okay,” said Luna nodding. She and Celestia trotted over to Discord. He was looking over at the king and queen. His eyes looked wet with tears. When he saw the two alicorns approaching him, he quickly turned away and blinked them back. He nodded to Celestia and tried to fake a smile to destroy all evidence of his grief.
“Hello…” she said quietly. She cleared her throat.
“Hi!” said Luna smiling at him. “Don’t be sad! It’s okay that you’re different!” Celestia winced and nudged her sister.
“Luna!” she muttered. “I’m sorry about her, Discord,” she said sliding her hoof on the ground nervously.
“No need to apologize, Your Highness,” the draconequus replied.
“You can call me Celestia,” Celestia replied.
“And you can call me Luna!” said Luna jumping up and down. Celestia admired how quickly she had gotten over the terrifying events of the day and had turned back into her cheerful, carefree self. She was young though, unlike Celestia herself who was growing older. She was now thirteen and had many more responsibilities. She felt she had to worry about such matters, especially if she was to rule the kingdom one day.
“Really?” Discord asked smiling a little.
“Of course,” Celestia replied. “You’re going to be staying here with us. You have nowhere else to go.”
“How can you be so sure?” Discord asked raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms. “Your parents don’t like me, do they?”
“Oh, of course they like you! They will give you a home in our castle…or…when we rebuild a castle, I suppose.”
“My mom destroyed your castle?!” said Discord. “So that’s what that smoke is all about,” he said nodding to the smoke in the distance. Well…I’m glad she’s gone. I don’t want to see her again.”
“But…she’s your mother…” said Celestia calmly. She cocked her head at him.
“I don’t care!” Discord scoffed. “I couldn’t care less! Besides…if you were me…would you go in there?” He pointed behind him to the Everfree Forest in the background.
“Hmm…I suppose not…” Celestia replied nodding. She realized there was no way to make him have the compassionate and forgiving heart she did. She could only try to sympathize with him. “I’m so sorry, Discord…about what happened. But I know you can have a happy life here. Perhaps we can all have a new beginning. It will be okay.”
“I hope you are right, Celestia,” he replied sighing.
“Discord…” said Solina. She and Orion walked over to the three kids. “We want you to know that we are happy to have you here with us. We want to make your stay here as comfortable as possible. I know this must be hard for you. However…we think we can make things better here.” The queen and king turned to Star Swirl. He was still standing by, observing the scene.
“Star Swirl,” said Orion glancing around at the large mountain top they were on. “With your help, Solina and I would like to rebuild here. Our old castle was in the middle of the forest, which is now Eris’ land.”
“We must also find a way to call the other ponies in the kingdom up here too. We must build a new town for them to live in,” Solina added.
“And look at all this land,” said Orion glancing out at the wide open plains. “Ponies can migrate out to the farther regions as well, if they wish. We can have such a fresh start from all this.” Star Swirl nodded and smiled.
“Good does come from bad sometimes,” he said. He examined the mountain top. “The spell required is a strong one. It requires telepathy. I can assist you both in its creation if you work hard to send me an image to follow.” Solina and Orion nodded. All three closed their eyes. Their horns glowed bright and their manes flapped in the air. Two bright white rays of magic appeared from their horns and came together in one big ball of light. It twisted and turned in the air. Then, Star Swirl took the magic ball into his own magic grasp. He levitated it to the correct spot on the mountain top and it grew bigger and bigger. He breathed slowly and lifted his head high. His horn shot out sparks. The spell was so intense, his hat fell off. His white mane and beard flapped around. The rest of the party watched him in amazement. The intensely bright ball of light had now grown so very large, they others had to shield their eyes from it. At last, there was flash and Star Swirl’s horn stopped glowing. He breathed a sigh of relief and opened his eyes. The others looked and gasped in awe. In the ball of light’s place was a grand, magnificent castle. It rested on the cliff side, with a waterfall flowing gracefully down the side of the mountain.
“Oh, Star Swirl! It’s exactly how we imagined it,” said Solina smiling brightly.
“It looks stunning. You’ve outdone yourself,” said Orion nodding in agreement.
“Not a problem, Your Majesties,” said Star Swirl bowing. “I sent out the image of the castle along with a telepathic message letting the kingdom know we are creating a new place to live up here.” He glanced off to the horizon. “I see them already forming a single file line to journey up here. I will make it easy for them to come up here.” His horn glowed again and the rocks on the mountain side morphed into a ramp.
“Thank you,” said Orion, bowing a little in respect. “You have done so much. I’m sure if we learn the basics of that spell, Solina and I can take it from here.”
“Of course we can,” said Solina nodding. “We are so grateful for your help, Star Swirl the Bearded. I’m sure the gods and goddesses will smile upon you always.” The grayish blue unicorn smiled, levitated his hat back on his head, and bowed his head again. His horn flashed as did the two alicorns’. It appeared he sent the spell to their minds, so they had instant knowledge of it.
“Good luck to you,” he glanced briefly at Discord. “…all of you. Farwell.” He closed his eyes, his horn glowed, and he vanished.
Celestia, Luna, and Discord could only watch on in wonder and amazement as they watched their parents set to work. As time passed, more and more ponies made in onto the mountain top.
“Come on, Tia!” said Luna eagerly, after she grew bored. “Let us go into our new castle!” She pranced off in that direction. Celestia smiled at Discord.
“We might as well…” she said. He turned nervously toward her. She could tell he was a bit apprehensive about this. She cocked her head and smiled a little more to try and make him feel more comfortable. He looked into her eyes and sighed. He started to walk towards her. She was glad that he was finally going to accept these changes. Perhaps there really could be a new beginning for him too. She smiled bigger and started to walk away. She did, however, look into the corner of her eye and catch him glancing at the Everfree Forest one last time. That little hint of darkness had never really left, but she didn’t care. She ignored it. And she would regret it.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Upside Down

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Chapter Five

“Upside Down”

Life in the new castle was grand. Celestia and Luna marveled at how many more rooms and beautiful colors the new castle had. Corridors stretched far and wide between rooms. Statues gazed down on them as they travelled down those hallways. The chandeliers sparkled and twinkled like stars as they rested far above them on the ceilings. The rest of the day was more or less spent exploring the castle and claiming rooms. The king and queen were hard at work using the spell Star Swirl had given them to build houses for the new town. Celestia wanted so badly to be involved in these affairs, but she knew somepony had to watch Luna and be there for Discord. When she got the opportunity, she would listen in on her parents’ discussions when they were in the area. She heard the name "Canterlot" being spoken quite a bit by them, but she was not sure of what they were referring to. She was more focused on appeasing her little sister and accompanying her new draconequus friend. In fact, she was delighted to find Discord was not looking quite a gloomy as he did before. Luna was jumping in circle around him, trying to cheer him up. It seemed to be working a little. He smiled and chuckled at the small alicorn. All of a sudden, Celestia noticed it was getting dark out and realized she had forgotten to try and lower the sun. Her mother was doing it for her. She glanced over at Luna.
"Oh dear, Luna," she said. "How can you have so much energy? Now your clock is ruined."
"I stayed up ALL DAY!" said Luna gleefully.
"It surely has been a strange day," Celestia replied. "So I'm sure nopony is to blame...except maybe Eris."
"I do not like her!" said Luna. She stopped jumping and glared into space. "She is EVIL!"
"There is no ounce of good within her!" said Discord crossing his arms. "Now do you agree?" He looked at Celestia. "Your own sister agrees with me."
"I'm sorry," Celestia replied shaking her head. "I simply can't believe someone can be completely evil without having just a little bit of goodness within them that creates conflict within them. Eris appeared heartless when she left you here, Discord, but I have a feeling she did it for a reason. Do you remember what Star Swirl said? Good does come from bad sometimes. I believe that is true. I believe it is a good thing that you are here. Don't you?"
"Hmm...I think so...yes..." Discord replied quietly. "I think I'll like it here." At that moment, Queen Solina materialized in the room. She smiled at the three and spoke.
"In celebration of this new town and castle, there is a grand feast being prepared in the banquet hall. I can imagine you three are hungry!" All three kids looked at each other and nodded their heads vigorously. Celestia couldn't remember much about the banquet that evening. She had attended many a feast like this before, and this one did not seem particularly special in her mind. She at last discovered that the new town was called Canterlot, and there was a toast held by her parents in honor of it. During dinner, as she gazed around the room, she caught some ponies either staring suspiciously or gossiping about her new draconequus friend a few times. This made her feel sorrier for him. Discord knew ponies thought he was strange and it seemed to bother him. He sat beside her with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. He didn't eat very much. Finally, when it seemed he had enough, he excused himself early. Celestia was full, but she was bored sitting there, so she followed him. Before she left the room, she caught a glimpse of a very worn out Luna having fallen asleep on the table. She chuckled under her breath and knew her little sister was not going to enjoy staying up all night to get her nocturnal sleep pattern back on track. She turned and exited the room. The corridor was big, long, and quiet. Hardly any sounds were heard, for the giant doors behind her muffled out all the talking and laughter inside. Celestia trotted up to the bipedal figure who was walking quietly with his head hung low. He turned his head a little when he heard her coming. The two stopped walking at the same time. Discord looked at her sadly.
"None of them like me..." he said quietly. "I don't suppose I'm welcome here." He lowered his eyebrows and crossed his arms again sulkily.
"I like you," said Celestia lifting her hoof at him. "Luna likes you. We're your friends."
"...Friends?" Discord responded cocking his head.
"Of course," said Celestia smiling. "I know this will take some getting used to, but we're here for you, Dis." Discord smiled back. Just then, he cocked his head until it was upside down. This made Celestia shriek and jump back in horror.
"What?" he said turning his head back to normal. "Never saw anypony do something like THAT before?" Celestia's eyes grew wide and she didn't answer. Discord laughed and flapped his small wings.
"How...h...how did you do that?" she asked nervously.
"My father is Chaos, remember?" said Discord raising an eyebrow at her as if it were the most obvious thing. "I can do lots of things!" He flew up higher in the room and disappeared. Celestia gasped and trotted further down the hall. She wondered where he went. She scanned the room. It was filled with stained glass windows. Discord appeared in one of them and laughed at her when she jumped. "I'm in the window looking at you! Hahaha!" he said in an echoing voice.
"Oh...that's...that's...enough, Discord!" said Celestia nervously. She didn't like these powers of his. They were most unnatural. Discord frowned and teleported next to her in a flesh state. He scowled and glared at her.
"You are too grim!" he said rolling his eyes around. "Lighten up a little, Celestia!" He playfully nudged her shoulder and smiled.
"Perhaps you are too silly," she replied shaking her head. She smiled, though. She glanced at him and he smirked, as if he had an idea.
"Or too fun for your royal taste..." he scoffed. He stretched his arm around her neck and snapped his fingers. "Hang on!" he warned.
"What do you mea....AHHHHH!!" Celestia shrieked as she felt the strangest falling sensation. But yet, she wasn't falling. The ceiling was pulling her UP. She hit the ceiling with an "oomph" and rolled over onto her hooves. Shocked, she looked around and realized that Discord had reversed their gravity. They were walking on the ceiling, which made everything look upside down. Celestia felt her mane and tail stretch far out above her and her crown fall off her head. She heard it hit the floor below...er...above. She looked up at Discord, who was swinging on the chandelier and laughing uncontrollably.
"Stop it!" she yelled at him. "This isn't fun or funny!"
"Are you kidding?" he responded. "This is the greatest time I've ever had! And the look on your face is hilarious! Even mother wouldn't let me do this! Ha! Now I can!"
"Well this isn't fun for me! This is...unnatural!" Celestia replied, getting irritated with him. "Put things back to normal at once, Discord!"
"Oh...you spoil sport!" he sighed. "Very well...Your Highness..." He reluctantly snapped his fingers again and gripped the chandelier with his tail. Celestia didn't count on the sudden drop. She shrieked as she fell onto the floor hard. She groaned and got to her feet. Discord stared down at her, dangling upside down from the chandelier. He was doing all he could to keep from laughing at her. She glared at him.
"A little warning might have been nice!" she huffed. She retrieved her crown and stormed down the hall. Discord appeared in front of her in an instant. He looked sadly at her and hung his head.
"I wasn't trying to make you mad..." he said quietly. "Please don't be mad." Celestia sighed deeply and looked down. He couldn't really help it, could he? It was innate power within him that he seemed to take pleasure in using. And why wouldn't he like using it? She practiced magic all the time. It wasn't his fault he was different. It wasn't.
"It's all right..." she said calmly. "Perhaps I overreacted a little. I guess I just didn't expect something like that. I've only seen Eris use power like that. It's new and strange to me." Discord nodded.
"I see," he replied softly. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry," Celestia replied. "It's what you were born to do, isn't it? And...you're my friend. I accept you as you are." She hugged him with her neck and then backed away.
"Th...Thanks..." he said quietly. He grinned and scratched his neck and blushed a little. Celestia chuckled at him under her breath. At that moment, her father and a very groggy Luna walked into the room.
"Hello. I trust you two are getting along well," he said smiling at them. "However...it has been quite a long day. I imagine you are both very tired. It is time to go to bed." Luna looked up at Orion and wined.
"Why can't we go to bed?" she whimpered.
"Because some little filly and I stayed up all day long and now we have to muddle through the night so we can sleep in the daytime again." Luna stamped her hoof on the floor.
"No! I want bed!" she squealed. Orion chuckled at her.
"Now, now...perhaps if Luna stays up all night she can go to bed at sunrise." Luna's eyes grew wide and she smiled and nodded her head vigorously. "Good...now run along. Go play," said Orion nuzzling her. She clumsily galloped out of the room. Orion turned to Celestia and Discord and chuckled. "I've never seen her so anxious to go to bed," he said laughingly. Celestia nodded and chuckled as well.
"I've picked a room," she said yawning. "I'm going to retire. Goodnight father. Goodnight, Dis." She started down the hall. Orion bid her goodnight as well. Discord didn't say another word, but she caught him studying her intently with a softer look in his eyes as she exited the room. In the next corridor she traveled down, she met up with Luna. Luna trotted up to her, her eyes sagging with weariness.
"Tia! Play with me," she said. "I need to stay awake."
"I can't, Luna. I have to go to bed," Celestia replied.
"Where's Discord? I want him to play with me!" said Luna flapping her tiny wings as she reared up on her back legs.
"He's probably going to find his room too," said Celestia turning her head when she heard the door open. He was coming as well. Luna did not appear to like this answer. She galloped over to him.
"DisDisDisDis! Playplayplayplayplaywithmeeee!" Discord chuckled.
"Not now, Luna," he said. "Tomorrow." Luna pouted.
"Maybe father will play with you, Luna," said Celestia nudging her. Luna brightened up at the thought.
"Maybe we can talk to the stars again..." she said hopefully. "And they can talk back this time." Celestia smiled and nodded. She glanced at Discord and noticed he was studying her with his eyes again. He looked away quickly and pretended to look at the ceiling. She glanced back down at Luna. Her little sister had a huge grin on her face.
"Well! Goodnight, my grim Princess Celestia," said Discord chuckling and bowing at her. "And goodnight sleepy Princess Luna!"
"Night Discord!" The two alicorns said in unison. He glanced sideways at Celestia again and smiled before he left the room. She smiled back and looked down at Luna again. Luna giggled and jumped up and down.
"Tiiiiiaaaa!" she squealed excitedly. "Diiisss is your boooyyyfrrriiiiend!"
"Oh, Luna!" Celestia said sighing and rolling her eyes. "No he's not. We've just met and became friends today! Just because he's a boy you automatically think he's my boyfriend, don't you?"
"No..." said Luna lowering her eyelids. "It's because I think he fancies you!"
"No he doesn't, Luna. Do you even understand what that means?" said Celestia sighing.
"Yeah! Mama told me," she replied indignantly. "I'm not a dummy-head! You're the dummy-head if you can't see it."
"No I'm not!" Celestia retorted. "I'm just being realistic, because I know more than you. I'm older than you, you know." Luna glared at her.
"You could still be a dummy-head," she grumbled under breath. She turned and trotted off down the hall.
"Goodnight to you too, Luna," said Celestia chuckling at her young sister. "She has so much to learn," she said to herself. "I'm not a dummy-head!" She paused and looked up in thought. Then she immediately shook her head and chuckled. "Impossible," she murmured laughingly. She exited the room to head off to bed.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Out of Order

View Online

Chapter Six

"Out of Order"

Canterlot was a grand place. The king and queen made sure it was. Days turned into weeks as the final preparations were made for the new town. Celestia, Luna, and Discord spent the days together, taking trips throughout the castle and visiting the new town. When everything was boring for them, Discord would use his powers to entertain the princesses. Luna was very interested in his unusual powers, but Celestia preferred him not to use them. By the first week or so, she had grown a bit used to his unpredictability, however. She thought she could never get used to his powers, though. She liked spending time with her new friend, and she cared about him. However, she wondered if his chaotic powers concerned her parents at all, as much as it concerned her. One morning after sunrise practice with her mother, Celestia talked to her a bit about it. Solina walked beside her down a corridor near the throne room, levitating a brush and gently combing her mane for her.
"I know I should accept him the way he is," Celestia said slowly, her violet eyes fixed on the floor in deep thought. "But...I really don't like it when he uses his powers. They...they are like Eris's powers. They're so...unnatural. It's...it's..." She sighed in frustration and paused.
"I understand, sweetie," Solina replied gently. She gently tugged at a tangle in Celestia's carnation pink mane. "It is hard for Discord to understand that we cannot always handle the results of his powers. It is only natural for him to use them just as we use our magic. Give him time. Perhaps he can learn to use it for good."
"I don't want to be mean..." said Celestia quietly. "I know he can't help it. But..." She sighed again.
"It's okay, little Tia. Don't worry about this right now." The bright golden light shined in through the window they were standing in front of. Celestia turned her head to see her coat and feathers almost glowing a bright angelic white. "Oh! My Tia...I always forget that you are not little anymore. Look at you. You look beautiful. Just perfect for your first day!" Solina started walking foreword again.
"First day?" said Celestia curiously following her.
"You don't remember? The Canterlot School is finished," said Solina smiling at her. "School starts today! You and Discord will be in the same class."
"Oh..." said Celestia groaning. "I forgot about that. Why can't I be tutored like before?"
"You will be," her mother replied. "I will be your magic tutor, of course, but it is also important for you to learn the basics: reading, history, science, and mathematics."
"I don't suppose it will be fun, but if I am to rule one day..." Celestia replied looking up and smiling thoughtfully, "I should be very well educated." Solina nodded. "What about Luna?"
"She will be tutored by your father at night." Celestia stretched out her wings a little and smiled.
"I'm excited!" she said smiling. "I'm going to go find Discord."
"All right. We showed you where the building is. It isn't that far. Watch the clock! School starts at 8:00. Don't be late," said the queen turning away toward the throne room.
"We won't!" Celestia called as she trotted back down the hall. She met up with Discord and Luna in the courtyard outside. She walked in on a humorous sight. Discord turned himself into a giant feather and was tickling Luna. The small alicorn was rolling on her back, giggling uncontrollably. Even Celestia had to laugh at the scene before her. Discord's eyes looked up and saw her and in a flash he turned back to normal. Luna didn't seem to notice the tickling had stopped. She was still rolling and wiggling her hooves in the air.
"Good morning," said Celestia chuckling at them.
"Hi!" Discord replied, holding his stomach in laughter. "Celestia! Look at your sister! This is priceless!" Celestia smiled and giggled, shaking her head and mane. Her pink locks bounced as she laughed. Discord's eyes grew soft and he grinned at her, his cheeks rosy. Luna sat up and heaved with every breath, recovering from the tickle attack.
"School starts today," said Celestia sighing and pinning her ears back.
"I know..." Discord replied glaring at the ground. "Do I have to...?"
"Yes," said Celestia quickly. "I can't endure it alone!" She winked. Discord rolled his eyes.
"Are you sure it will be all right?" he asked, looking nervous.
"I know it's been hard to get used to everything here," said Celestia. "It's been hard for all of us. Everything is changing. Everything's different. We have to try to cope, though." Discord looked down and crossed his arms. "Don't be scared. We'll be together!"
"We...we will?" Discord asked looked up quickly. "To...gether?" He blushed a little more. Luna giggled at him.
"In the same class, yes," said Celestia nodding. She shot a glare at Luna, and she kept quiet.
"Yes! I...I knew that!" said Discord rolling his eyes and looking away. He cleared his throat and turned to Luna. "Hey! Luna! Do you like rain?"
"I like thunderclouds!" Luna replied excitedly. Discord snapped his fingers and a small black cloud appeared over Luna's head. It started raining on her. She squealed excitedly and opened her mouth to catch the raindrops in her mouth.
"Oh, Luna! There you go...you're all wet now! Mother won't like that," said Celestia shaking her head. Discord rolled his eyes and playfully punched her.
"Oh, come on, Celestia! Lighten up!" he said. Just then, he looked at her pink mane and raised an eyebrow, like he had a new idea. "Hey! Your hair!"
"What about my hair?" said Celestia cocking her head.
"It gives me an idea!" said Discord, stretching is arms out. There was a flash of light in both his palms. The raincloud turned into a very fluffy, pink cloud.
"Hahaha! Tia, it looks like your hair!" Luna squealed, laughing. Celestia raised an eyebrow at it.
"It's...a pink cloud..." she said, not acting very impressed.
"I shall it, cotton candy!" Discord announced jumping on top of it. He bit into it and swallowed. "You can eat it!"
"Cotton? Candy?" said Celestia, examining it. "It doesn't sound very appetizing."
"All it is is pink sugar," Discord replied. "But it's fluffy like cotton!"
"Sugar!" said Luna bouncing up to nip at it.
"Absolutely not!" said Celestia, stopping her with magic and levitating her away from it. "You will never sleep today if you eat that."
"Watch this!" said Discord. In an instant, the cloud turned black and white, like a cow and milk raindrops poured out of it. "Milk rain!" He gasped. "Or better yet..." The cloud suddenly turned brown, where it was white. "Chocolate milk rain!"
"Chocolate...milk!" Luna squealed, galloping in the air, while Celestia was still levitating her. "Tia! Let me go! I want to play in it!"
"I've never heard of such a thing," said Celestia shaking her head. "Pink sugar cotton...things...and chocolate flavored milk? You're very silly, Discord."
"I may, be," he replied, changing the cloud again so it was cotton candy and would rain chocolate milk. "There! I combined them! Very silly. However...sometimes you should just...be silly. Let your hair down, for once and dance in the rain." Celestia sighed and let Luna run over to it. She stood by and watched as Luna and Discord danced around in the rain and opened their mouths to drink it.
"Come on, Tia! Come dance with us!" Luna yelled.
"I don't want to get wet," said Celestia glancing around nervously. "I shouldn't have even let you get wet. Mother or Father’s going to kill me!"
"Stop being so grim and come have some fun!" Discord said kicking the cloud so it would rain more milk. Celestia cocked her head and pinned her ears back.
"Please?" said Luna looking up at her. One look into her little sister's big, dewy eyes, and Celestia couldn't say "no" again.
"Oh...all right..." she muttered reluctantly. She nervously stepped under the cloud and closed her eyes tight when she felt the milk instantly plop onto her face and roll down her neck. Her mane grew soppy and flat. She opened her mouth a little, and some little chocolate drops fell into it, making her taste buds tingle at the new, delightful beverage. She smiled a little and licked her lips, then shook her head, her hair flopping off to the side, away from her eyes. She reared up and kicked her legs and laughed. Luna and Discord jumped all around her and danced too. And it was fun. Fun. She couldn't remember the last time she had this much of it. All because of him. This delightful time was interrupted, when Celestia glanced over at a clock, which said 7:50. A wave of panic came over her.
"Oh, no!" she cried. "Discord! We're going to be late! Mother will punish me, for sure. It's all my fault! I'm so reckless! What are we to do? We're soaked!" In her panic attack, Celestia didn't even hear hoof beats behind her. She gasped and whirled around when she saw Discord and Luna staring up at somepony. Orion was standing right behind her. He blinked his silver eyes at her.
“Celestia? What do you mean…’soaked?’” he asked raising an eyebrow. Celestia gulped and nervously shifted around. Suddenly, she began to realize her father was asking her a question. She suddenly realized she was not wet. In fact, her hair and coat was just as clean and well-groomed as before. She suddenly turned her head to look at Discord and Luna. They were completely dry as well, and the cloud was no longer there. Discord stared at her intently, trying to say to her what had happened without words. It suddenly hit her. Discord had turned everything back to normal with his power. Thinking quickly, she looked up at her father again.
“Oh! Uh…we were just playing a game with Luna. In the game…it was raining,” said Celestia smiling nervously. She wasn’t really lying. Orion chuckled.
“Okay,” he said. “You two better head off to school now.” He nodded to Celestia and Discord. “Hurry along, or you’ll be late. And…I believe it’s a certain young filly’s bedtime.” Luna pouted and nodded, approaching him slowly.
“Good day, Tia. Good day, Dis,” she mumbled.
“Good day,” the responded. Orion and Luna left them, and Celestia let out a huge sigh of relief.
“That was close!” she said chuckling a little. For once she was glad Discord used his powers.
“How will we get to the school on time now?” said Discord shrugging. “Hmm…oh well…” He said walking away. Celestia grabbed hold of his tail with her magic and dragged him back. “Hey!” he grumbled crossly.
“I learned a new teleportation spell,” Celestia replied. “I think I can get us both there all right! Stand still!” She took a deep breath and felt warm energy rush up into her horn. Sparks flew. In an instant, Celestia felt herself leave the ground for a split second, and then the ground materialized under her hooves again. She opened her eyes and looked around. She was pleased to find the spell had worked. They were at the school. Just in time!
“Good thinking!” said Discord smiling at her.
“You too,” she replied, walking towards the building. “Though I still think those foods you invented are foolish.”
“Hm! I think they are genius!” Discord replied crossing his arms. Celestia chuckled at him.

______________________________________

The school day was a blur, as all first days are. Celestia could vaguely remember Discord getting picked on quite a bit by the other ponies throughout the day. Recess was the worst.
“You must think you’re pretty special, getting to live in the castle!” said a pony.
“I bet he’s their pet!” said another.
“Or the king’s hoof stool!” another teased.
“What are you anyway?!” asked a male unicorn.
“I’m a draconequus…and I have a name, it’s Discord!” Discord replied crossly.
“I’ve never heard of such a thing!” the unicorn replied. “And that’s exactly what you are….a thing!”
“Cut it out, Dream Catcher!” Celestia shouted defensively. “All of you, leave him alone!”
“What’s the matter, Celestia?” the unicorn replied smirking. “Are you getting all soft for The Thing?”
“Oooooh!” the others squealed.
“I said stop it,” said Celestia again. “You’re acting like foals!”
“Is he your…boyfriend?” Dream Catcher teased. The other ponies all squealed and laughed at once. Just then, Discord made a black thundercloud appear over Dream and he leaped onto it.
“Leave her alone!” he yelled, jumping on the cloud. A huge downpour of rain fell all over the unicorn. All the ponies laughed at him. More laughs ensued when a small bolt of lightning shot out from the cloud and shocked Dream in the flank. The unicorn jumped a mile high from the unexpected zap and limped away from the cloud back into the building. Just then, all the ponies fell silent when they saw one of the teachers coming.
“Ooooooh. You’re in trouble…” They whispered. Discord hung his head, trying to make himself look small and innocent. It didn’t work.

________________________________

After this incident and after the final bell rang that day, the other ponies avoided Discord as much as possible. He had detention that day for hurting Dream Catcher. However, he also began to notice that Dream was very good at exaggerating the incident to the teacher. To make matters worse, Discord had to face the king and queen about the incident. He dragged himself out of the building, just wanting to whole day of mean ponies and work to be over. Celestia was beside him the whole time. He thought it was a bit odd that she didn’t mind being seen with him. He began to realize that she was trying her very best to be kind to him, and that made him feel a bit better. As they were walking out of the building, Discord saw the teacher talking to King Orion and that made his heart sink. What would Celestia’s father do to him?! Banishment…starvation…the dungeon…the gallows?! What would it be?! Orion looked at him and nodded to him to come closer. Discord moved as slowly as possible, dreading every step. Could he explain himself? Could he make the king understand? Perhaps he could.
“Mr. King Orion, sir…” he said nervously. “I wasn’t trying to hurt anypony! He was teasing us and….”
“Discord…” said the king, interrupting him. “I know.” Discord stared at him wide eyed.
“What? How do you know that?”
“I saw Dream Catcher leave already,” Orion replied smiling. “And…aside from a slight burn on his flank, he looks perfectly fine. I figured what Miss Thistle told me was his story alone.” Orion glanced at Celestia. “Tia, why don’t you run along home? Discord, I wish to speak with you alone.” Celestia nodded and trotted off in the direction of the castle. Discord followed Orion as he walked in the direction of the castle garden. The king didn’t speak when they walked there, which made Discord grow more nervous. What was going to happen when they arrived? He was still anticipating the very worst. When they came to the garden, the king stopped.
“Mr. Orion…are you going to hang me?” Discord asked, making himself look small again. Orion laughed.
“Of course not, boy! Why would you think something so dark? I would never dream of that,” he replied smiling down at him. “I just wanted to talk to you, Discord. Do you enjoy using your powers?”
“Oh…absolutely!” said Discord smiling. “I can do all kinds of things! I like to have fun with Celestia and Luna! Though…Celestia is pretty anti-fun, most of the time,” he said rolling his eyes. Orion chuckled.
“She can be serious, can’t she?” he replied smiling. “Did your mother teach you how to use your powers?” Discord nodded. “Well, Discord, let me tell you something. When I was young…about your age, my mother taught me all I needed to know about how to raise and lower the moon. She taught me lots of magic…magic that only she possessed. However, my father worried that the power I had was far too dark. And it was. You see, I am on the dark side of the day. Dark powers can find anyone, but because I am with the night, I am more vulnerable to it. Well, it did find me, and it made me very dangerous. Sometimes I would lose my temper. It would be one little thing that would make me snap and set me off. It was far too dangerous when the ones I loved were at risk. So, now I have learned great restraint. I must not become very angry, or the darkness could find me again. Now, Discord, I must warn you too. You must learn restraint. I know you were defending yourself, and you didn’t hurt Dream Catcher that much, but there could be a time when you really do hurt somepony. I don’t want that to happen, do you?”
“No, sir,” Discord replied shaking his head. He looked down. “But…I didn’t think my powers were bad. It seems like the other ponies don’t like me.”
“Your powers are unique, Discord…just as you are. You are in a world where Order rules. Chaos is your father, so of course you feel out of place. I feel for you, lad. I know this must be difficult, but stay strong. You will find your fit. In the mean time, you must avoid using your powers, I hate to say.”
“That’s no fun…” said Discord sighing and crossing his arms. “No offense, but do all of you ponies just automatically dislike what’s not considered…normal? It sounds kind of...judgmental.” Orion nodded and sighed.
“Creatures of Order can be like that,” he agreed. “I hate to say it, too, boy, I really do. I’m thinking of you, though. What would happen if you hurt somepony with your power out of anger? What do you think would happen? What could we do?” Discord nodded slowly and sighed.
“They’d hate me even more…and you would have to kick me out, wouldn’t you? And I’d have nowhere to go….except to that forest,” he said shuttering. “I think I understand…kind of. It’s very hard for me to, though.” Orion nodded.
“They will learn to accept you as you are in time, Discord. Do not fear. However, in the meantime, be strong. The greatest sign of strength anyone of power can possess is restraint,” Orion said staring down at the young draconequus with a twinkle in his eye. Discord did feel as if the king was making an attempt to take him under his wing, and this made him feel warm and welcomed. He only could hope he would feel the same way at school with the other ponies. Perhaps Orion was right. He would find a place here. Despite the cruel children and suspicious eyes turned towards him, Equestria was his home now, and for the first time, he was starting to feel like it was.

TO BE CONTINUED…

The Breaking Point

View Online

Chapter Seven

"The Breaking Point"

The flood of memories faded away for a moment. Celestia couldn't help but smile when she played the story in her mind. After these events, there was a short time that seemed a bit blurred and faded in her mind. The days spent in Canterlot with Luna and Discord by her side lasted for three years. Three years of friendship and carefree times. School, of course took up some of the time. However, she couldn't recall any specific memories during that time. It was a big three-year blur, but perhaps nothing exciting truly happened in those years. Discord tried very hard to follow Orion's instructions, and almost never used his powers. Celestia could only remember perhaps a few times when he did. It was nothing especially chaotic, just maybe whipping up a cotton candy cloud for them. Life was dull in those years, but they were also the best times...she knew they were, deep down. How times change. How everything can change in only three years.
It amazed her. In a way, standing here alone before the statue, she wished she remembered more before the darker years came. At least, that's what she knew them as. It was when she and Discord were sixteen. Luna was ten. Ten. How quickly she grew, too. She had learned so much magic and even learned to fly in that time. She was still her adorable little sister, but she was indeed growing up. Celestia thought back to what she could do at sixteen. She could finally raise and lower the sun, which was a big accomplishment for her. She learned a ton of magic, and it became her passion. She always looked forward to learning new things from her mother. Sage Clover the Clever decided to also tutor her as well. Discord seemed miserable trying to fit in at school. The fact that he rarely used his powers made him very gloomy most of the time. Celestia always sympathized with him. He was always a fish out of water in Canterlot. The teasing and the bullying never seemed to cease. However, Discord seemed to become used to it and it desensitized him. His only focus in these school years was the work. Eris had taught him a little, but he was behind, and had a hard time catching up. Celestia always knew he would be even more depressed if he had to be in younger classes away from her. She did all she could to help him with studies, which was a challenge, for she had to focus on magic studies as well.
Needless to say, school was a challenge for both of them. Outside of school...was a completely different story. The summers were lazy. The world was peaceful. Celestia, Discord, and Luna would spend almost every moment together. Eventually, though, Celestia noticed Discord was failing to invite Luna when he wished for them to take walks or travel to the small lake in the garden. She didn't blame him. It was harder to spend a lot of time with her sister. Not just because of the fact that Luna was nocturnal, but that she had more responsibilities now. She was still young, but had to learn all she could from Orion. It became apparent that Luna tried a little too hard most of the time. The added stress on her was making her loose her temper very quickly. She had always had a short temper, but it was different now. It certainly wasn't fun for Orion and Solina to watch their daughter's eyes glow a scary white when she mad. It wasn't fun for any of them. Celestia and Discord grew concerned about her, but the king and queen encouraged them to not worry too much. They had everything under control.
However, Celestia always questioned what was happening to her sister. It wasn't anything she understood. These were the start to the dark years. However, Discord was there for her. And they would often spend time together by the lake or in the courtyard. Their friendship grew stronger every day. However, Celestia could see that look in Discord's eyes a lot more clearly. It was a sort of dewy light shining inside them. It looked as if he were constantly melting from the inside when he was near her. She wasn't sure how to react to it. It made her feel a bit uncomfortable. If she ever caught him staring at her like that, she would say something like,
"Why are you staring at me like that?!"
"I was doing no such thing!" he would reply indignantly. This was, of course before Dream Catcher. Yes…there was him and what happened with him too.
Celestia felt a smile spread across her pale white face when she remembered those moments by the lake. She was delighted to remember such moments. It made her chuckle under her breath. She let out a sigh and sifted her eyes up. The statue stood tall and mighty before her. She moved her violet eyes over the gray stone. It was smooth and neat. All the crevices and tiny cracks could barely be seen. It looked like the work of an artist, like the other statues all around it. Did anypony else really understand a being was trapped inside it? How could they know? How could they understand? Celestia stared at the head of the statue. Her eyes welled up when she did. Her throat started to close up on her as she fought back the tears. How could she have known the spell would not last? Perhaps it was her fault. Perhaps she didn't want it to. No. Of course she didn't want it to. Now, she must face the memories that have haunted her.
"I cannot fight you again..." she whispered. "Not again. You know it will break my heart if I have to. But...they will. You can't win. Your mother can't win. She miscalculated long ago with you. And I wish things didn't happen the way they did in the dark years. It was my fault. It was." Celestia let one salty tear fall from her eye.
Suddenly she felt great warmth in her chest. It was the sort of comforting warmth only magic can bring. It was as warm as if she were raising the sun, but it couldn’t have been that. Her heartbeat was slower now. It was steady and soft. She could feel it thumping ever so gently with every breath she took. Her eyes fixed on Discord’s statue once more. Then, something caught her eye. The chest had a spot on it that was glowing on and off. His heart. She could almost feel it beating. She felt a wave of slight joy and fear at the same time wash over her. He could hear her. He knew. Perhaps he had memories too. Perhaps he was trying to talk to her. How she missed him. And how she feared of seeing him again. She couldn’t ignore the warmth in her…the warmth within him. But yet, the stone resting stiff before her was as cold as ice. So beautiful. So evil. She could never fight him again. She loved him. She still did. It hadn’t died, like she thought it did. The war raged on within Celestia. She was feeling happy for knowing she’d see him. She was also feeling angered, sad, broken for knowing what he would do when he escaped.
“I’ve lost you…” she whispered. “The real you is never returning to me. Not the Discord I knew. But you remember, don’t you? You remember who you used to be. You remember those wonderful times. But then…” she paused to swallow the lump in her throat. “Then the dark years came. I’m sure you remember them…most of all.” She closed her eyes and let the deluge of memories take over again.

________________________________________________

The brisk autumn air tore through Celestia’s chest as she struggled forward against it. Her new blue scarf flapped around in the wind, so much she was struggling to keep it on. She turned her head to ensure her saddlebag was wrapped securely around her waist. She cocked her head to push her pink curls out of her face. Discord was coming up behind her, fighting the sudden burst of wind as well.
“Brrr! It’s sooo cccccold!” he murmured coming up next to her.
“Ugh! I know,” she replied. “Winter is coming fast!”
“Hey Thing! Move it or lose it!” said a voice from behind them. A dark purple male unicorn with a blue and green hair trotted up in between them. He smirked at Discord and playfully nudged Celestia.
“Hey, Dream Catcher…” said Celestia quietly. “Stop calling Discord that please.”
“Oh, come on! It’s just a nickname,” said Dream laughingly. “So, Tia, are we all set on that science lab project?” Celestia and Dream were lab partners. Celestia noticed Discord didn’t seem to like that too much. His partner was an earth pony named Speckles who knew everything there was to know about science. So, he took over and did most, if not all, there was to do for every project.
“Yes. Everything is ready. It’ll be a long day,” Celestia replied nodding. The wind had died down a bit as the three walked down the street together.
“A cold one too!” Dream replied, smirking. “But that’s okay. Just cuddle up to me to keep warm, Tia.” Celestia rolled her eyes and smiled.
“Oh, stop it!” she said jerking her head to get her mane out of her eyes again.
“And I must say, that is a very nice scarf. It looks pretty on you,” said Dream politely. Celestia couldn’t help but smile. Dream was charming. He was pretty handsome too. Rude? Arrogant? Yes…sometimes. But…charming too. He was always nice to her. Always had been. Now, he seemed to make more advances on her recently. She had to think about this. It was true Dream needed to be called out on when he ganged up on Discord, but to Celestia, he was merely teasing and not trying to hurt him. Still. She had to think. Her other filly-friends had boyfriends. She was the princess and she was still single. Perhaps it was time for her to return this attention. In this moment, hearing that compliment did make her cheeks prickle with a blush.
“Thank you, Dream,” she replied smiling. “I’m flattered.”
“A sweet filly like you should be told on a daily basis that she’s beautiful,” said Dream winking at her. “But you are the princess, so you probably hear that quite often.”
“Only from my parents, actually…” she said hanging her head shyly. Her cheeks grew redder.
“Well! Shame on those who haven’t said anything,” said Dream. He didn’t say that without shooting a glance and a smirk at Discord. Discord rolled his eyes far into the back of his head and poked his lion claw into his mouth.
“GAG!” he muttered and flapped his wings to move far away from them. Celestia chuckled and sped up her gate in cheerfulness. When they arrived in front of the school, they paused. Dream cocked his head at her.
“I’m sorry if I’m….you know…being too forward. I would hate to get between you two. He’s your boyfriend after all,” he said rolling his eyes around.
“Discord is just my friend, Dream,” Celestia replied. The very thought of that made her feel uncomfortable. “There’s nothing between us accept friendship. I…I don’t mind. I…” she smiled at him and turned as red as a tomato. Dream gently put his hoof on hers.
“Good. I’m glad. I like you, okay? I’ve always liked you. We’ve been friends for a while. Remember when we were young?”
“I remember,” Celestia replied smiling on fond memories of when she was a very young filly, even before Luna was born.
“Well…now I think we could have something,” said the purple unicorn, shifting his bright green eyes downward. “Please promise me you’ll at least think about it?”
“Yes. I will think it over. I promise,” said Celestia smiling bigger. “Now you promise me something, okay? Go easy on Discord, okay? He’s my best friend! I don’t like it when you tease him like you always do.”
“I don’t mean harm, really,” said Dream sheepishly. “I thought it was funny! Really! I mean…he’s….he’s….”
“Different?” said Celestia sighing. Dream nodded. “It doesn’t matter to me, so it shouldn’t matter to you, okay?” Dream nodded.
“Okay. I’m sorry. And after school I’ll go find him and apologize.”
“Good!” said Celestia beaming bright. She giggled when Dream leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the cheek. “Come on!” she said quickly. “We’re going to be late!” They both cantered off into the school building.

____________________________

Discord burst out of the building, his head spinning and his mind in a complete fog from the long day. He secured his backpack on his back and trudged forward. He wasn’t sure what day it was. It didn’t even notice how cold it was. He forgot his name a couple times. He pressed his lion paw against his head trying to get rid of the pounding headache. Suddenly, he heard a voice from his right.
“Psst! Hey! Discord!” He turned his head to look. He saw a male purple unicorn beckoning him to come closer. What was his name again? Oh, right. Dream Catcher. Wonderful. Discord sighed and dragged himself over to the unicorn to see what he wanted. He wasn’t exactly in the mood for him right now. He just wanted to nap for….forever. He followed Dream to the back of the school. “I wanted to talk to you, Discord,” said Dream leaning up against the brick wall. “You’ve got competition, buddy! Get over it. And you know, I think Tia is opening up to me. How about that. So…you should let it go now. Accept the fact that she likes me, not you. She wants me to be all buddy-buddy with you. Wants me to say how deeply sorry I am for calling you what you are….THING. You know…if I even remotely saw you as something above dirt, I’d be on my knees groveling at your feet right now. But…guess, what? You are nothing to me. You are dead to me. So, I’m not going to act like I care, because I don’t. I just care about Tia, that’s it! So…you stay away from me, and I’ll stay away from you…got it….THING?”
Discord swallowed hard and stared down at the ground. He felt a burning fire inside him. It was growing stronger and stronger. Dream was the most horrible creature in the world. What did Celestia see in him?! He was such a fraud! Discord felt his throat close up on him and hot tears blurred his vision. He hated Dream. HATED him. His fists clenched tight. His backpack slid down from his shoulders and fell on the ground.
“Uh-oh…am I making you mad?” said Dream smirking. “Go ahead and bring on the waterworks, Thing! I’ll enjoy the show. Want to whip me up some popcorn?” Discord felt his heart beat so fast, he thought it would explode. His stomach churned and he breathed uncontrollably fast. He couldn’t speak, but sounds came from his throat. Sounds of hurt. Of pain. Of anger. Of hatred. Hatred. Hate. Hate. The only word that crossed his mind. He shifted his eyes up and clenched his teeth. Dream Catcher raised an eyebrow at him and continued to throw insults at him.
“What are you trying to prove?! You’re worthless. You’re useless. You’re hideous. You know she’ll never love you! No one loves you!” That was it. Discord couldn’t take it anymore. He didn’t even know what he was doing or how he was doing it, but in that moment, he felt a powerful surge of energy come over him. Flashes of white appeared over his eyes. Lightning surged from his hands and shot out at Dream Catcher. Discord could only feel sheer power. He didn’t even know what was happening. White suddenly covered his eyes and he couldn’t see anything. He could hear agonized screams. He could hear sparks flying and lightning severely zapping Dream. This wasn’t a simple shock on the flank. This was so different. There was anger in it. Hate. Hate. That word stood out in his mind so prominently for some reason. How much time had passed? Hours? Minutes? Seconds? He didn’t know. All Discord knew was there was a frightened voice screaming behind him. Celestia. He could never mistake her voice.
“DISCORD! STOP!” He couldn’t say no to her, even though he wasn’t sure of what he was doing. He breathed out slowly and felt the energy leave him. His vision was restored and he collapsed in a disoriented, dizzy state. Dream Catcher lay on the ground, white bolts still crawling over his fur, shocking him and making him twitch and whimper in severe pain. It was no small zap. It was severe. Celestia immediately rushed over to Dream. He was moaning and crying. Discord pulled himself up and saw the damage he had caused. He felt his heart drop like a stone. What had he done?! Orion’s words flooded his mind. No powers. No powers. And yet he did use them. He used them so much it had happened….he hurt somepony. Hurt him. He should’ve walked away. Should’ve ignored it like he had for three years. Tuned it out. Forgot it. Forgot about Dream. He felt tears well up in his eyes when he saw Celestia’s face. She was staring at him in shock. Disbelief. Pain. Fear. “Dis….” she whispered. Tears were streaming down her face. Discord couldn’t find words to speak. He slowly approached her. “Stay away…” she said in a cracking voice. Her whole body trembled and her eyes grew hard. Her face was pale. Her words cut him deeper than anything would’ve. She was afraid of him. Discord felt tears stream down his face. His chest tightened. It felt like a knife had been jabbed into it. He turned away and flew away. He flew and flew and didn’t stop flying for anything. And he didn’t look back.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Pandora's Box

View Online

Chapter Eight

"Pandora's Box"

Tears flew off Discord's face as his small wings carried him through the air. The wind that shot into his face like knives made the pooling tears slip out of his eyes and disappear into the clouds. The clouds were growing dark and they began to rumble with thunder. They growled at him. The whistling wind deafened his ears. The lightning bolts that tore the sky almost hit him. It almost seemed like they were trying to hit him...or reminding him of what he had done. He didn't need to be reminded. However, he felt like the world was against him. Hadn't it always been?
"Di-ii-isssss...CORD!" he almost heard the thunder say as it boomed again. He paused and hovered in the air. He didn't care what happened to him at this point. He wrapped his arms around himself and shivered as the rain starting coming down on him. "Discord..." It seemed clearer this time, but he was sure he was hearing things. "Son..." No. It couldn't have been. Discord turned his head, looking all around.
"Father...?" He whispered. Chills overcame him. He couldn't remember the last time he saw Chaos, and when he did, they weren't exactly heartwarming, father-son reunions. He couldn't see Chaos anywhere, until he noticed one of the clouds, which was darker than the others. His father's red pairs of eyes stared at him, unblinking and unmoving. Discord gasped a little and swallowed hard. He could barely stand to look at him. He was always too afraid. He could feel himself shaking from the cold and the fear in this very moment. Suddenly, he felt the raindrops leave his body. They floated weightlessly into the still air. This occurred all around him. A lightning bolt that pierced one of the clouds was frozen in place. It was a if time itself was standing still.
"Look at me..." Chaos said in a deep tone. Discord nervously shifted his eyes up to look at his father. "My son...where are you going?"
"Nowhere..." said Discord quietly. He swallowed hard again and blinked back more tears.
"Discord..." said Chaos gently, (for him.) He reached out an arm which he turned into a giant black cloud and pushed Discord's tail so he could sit in the cloud and rest. Discord stopped flapping his wings and relaxed onto the soft cloud. For the first time, Chaos was being gentle and caring to him. It was quite a surprise. "What do you hope to gain by running? What happened...what you did...made me proud."
"It...it did?" said Discord stunned.
"It is not in order for the prey to be superior to the predator....just as it is not in order for the underdog to beat the champion. I find such things...so unnatural....admirable. Something to be very proud of."
"But...but I HURT HIM..." said Discord softly. "I hurt...her..."
"She must accept you for who you are. They all must," Chaos replied. "You are a part of me and you cannot change that."
"But I have a choice...don't I?" said Discord in deep thought.
"What do you mean, son? What choice?" said Chaos in a more stern tone.
"I'm a part of you...but...I'm not you...I'm not mother." said Discord defiantly, all the while feeling Chaos's cloud hand tense up and harden in anger.
"You will always be my spirit...the spirit of chaos and disharmony alone! Nothing more nothing less. That, you cannot choose against!" Chaos yelled in a booming voice that rattled Discord's skull.
"No," he replied, hot tears filling his eyes. He stood tall and glared right into his father's blazing eyes. "I'm not going to accept that. I'll never accept it. I am who I choose to be. I will not choose to be a pawn in your and mother's game. I will not carry on your evil. I will never used my powers again. Never." Chaos's hand was stone by now; it was trembling with fury.
"So...this is the path you've chosen...defiance...betrayal...rebellion..." he said calmly.
"Yes," Discord replied nodding. He could feel Chaos's icy breath hit him. The raindrops around him began falling down again slowly. The lightning was stretching across the sky like white veins. And before he could brace himself, he saw the stone hand crumbling beneath him.
"Then...it will be the death of you," Discord heard Chaos boom as he felt his unprepared body slip downward with the falling rain. Discord felt time rush back to normal and rain poured all over him, soaking his wings. He tried to flap them to lift himself up, but it was raining too hard. His wings were too small to fly. He knew he could float or teleport with his powers, but he would NOT use them. Not for this. Not to save himself. And now, he was falling...falling. His body twisted around in the air. He gazed up at the gray sky, rain surging toward him like tiny spears. The black clouds loomed above him and a clear outline of oval eyes and grinning mouth stared down at him, taunting him. Lightning flashed on either side of the face, looking like a pair of skeleton-like hands. The air tore through him as he lay limp. He felt the tears overflow and his body shut down. He couldn't look at his father's face anymore. He couldn't wait for his fate to come staring at it. He knew that his fate was certain death. He would die now. Die at the hands of his own father.
Discord closed his eyes and waited for the impact to come. In this time of waiting and falling, images of Celestia filled his mind. He thought of her violet eyes that shined in the sun. He thought of her soft pink hair that blew gently in the breeze. He remembered how pretty she looked in her blue scarf just this morning. He remembered her glowing face, rosy cheeks, and feathery wings that made her look like an angel. She was beautiful. She was the only thing that made sense. She was always there. She always believed in him. But then...that faded away, and the look in her eyes in that one last moment said it all. She feared him. She didn't recognize him. She saw...a monster. He opened his eyes only slightly as the tears flowed from them like a river. Discord clutched his chest, almost sensing the impact was seconds away.
"I'm sorry, Celestia," he whispered. "....I love you." Then...without warning or any time for him to think anything else, he felt the sharpest, most sudden blow to his head followed by complete darkness.

_________________
Celestia sat, waiting, her whole body tense with worry. Her heart felt like it was going to explode. The room was completely silent, except the sharp ticking of a clock. She and Luna sat on red couches across from each other. Luna was staring wide-eyed at the ground. She had a look of pure shock on her face. Celestia figured the same look was on her face as well. She glanced at the door to their left. The doctors were in that room with Dream. She didn't know what was going to happen. She only knew what did. She was only thinking about that moment when she saw Discord and the lightning and Dream's trembling body. Just thinking about this made her shake in horror. Luna seemed to read her mind.
"Tia...I don't believe it..." she whispered, breaking the silence. "I can't..."
"You have to, Luna," Celestia replied, her voice cracking. "I saw him with my own two eyes."
"You don't know what happened..." said Luna, her eyes glossy. "And what did you do?! You told him to stay away from you?! You drove him away?!"
"Luna! I SAW HIM! He was hurting Dream. On purpose!"
"Come on, Tia! You know Dream has been mean to Dis before! How do you know he wasn't picking on him and Dis just couldn't take it anymore?!" said Luna, raising her little voice.
"Dream told me he wanted to make peace! He wouldn't have done that! How dare you judge him!" Celestia shouted, feeling hot tears roll down her face.
"How dare you judge Dis!" Luna yelled, shaking with rage. "You're the one who told me he can't help that he's different! Remember?" Celestia hung her head and stared at the ground again, feeling hurt and scared and conflicted.
"I know, Luna..." she said quietly. "I know I said that...but times have changed."
"How?!" Luna said firmly jumping off the couch. "How is everything any different then when we first met him?! It shouldn't be! He's our friend, Celestia!"
"I know!" Celestia cried hysterically as she spoke. She leapt up too and stamped her hooves in front of her sister. "You think it was easy for me to see him like that?! It was the most terrifying thing I'd ever witnessed! He's changed Luna! Something snapped in him! He could very well do it again!"
"You're wrong!" Luna shouted, crying hysterically. "You're stupid!"
"I'm realistic!" Celestia shouted back. "Luna...you saw what Eris did and it scared you. This was the exact same thing!"
"No! He's nothing like her!" Luna responded, but it was barely audible through her crying.
"His power, Luna...is chaos. Chaos is chaos," Celestia choked.
"No..."
"Since when are YOU on chaos's side?!" Celestia
"I'm on Discord's side!" Luna yelled back.
"You know the face of disharmony, Luna. You've looked straight at it for three years, as have I, and ignored it."
"Maybe I LIKE the way it looks!" Luna shouted in fury. Her eyes started to glow white and she clenched her teeth as power seeped from her horn and enveloped her. Celestia gritted her teeth and her horn glowed bright. She reared and her wings came out full span.
"Maybe you're so in love with him or something, you're blind!" Celestia felt the words roll of her tongue and stab Luna right in the heart. Immediately after she said them, she regretted it. She gasped a little at what she said and dropped down onto all fours. In a split-second, Luna's eyes stopped glowing and she stared up at Celestia in shock. Her lips quivered and her face turned a shade of red. Shaking all over, the only thing she got out was
"I hate you..." Before Celestia could apologize and comfort her hurt sister, her parents burst through a door at the end of the hallway. She figured they must've heard some of the conversation because they were both livid.
"ENOUGH!!" Orion bellowed, his eyes blazing. "THAT'S ENOUGH OUT OF BOTH OF YOU!"
"You both should be ashamed of yourselves!" Solina said firmly. "Sisters do NOT fight like this. You two need to calm down and make up...NOW." Celestia stared at the floor, shame filling her heart. There was silence in the room again, except for Orion's puffing through his nose, which she could feel on her neck. After a minute or so, Celestia opened her mouth to speak, but Luna immediately interrupted her.
"Tia! I'm so sorry..." she said, sobbing after every word. She buried her face in Celestia's chest and wept for a minute straight. Celestia wondered if she was even breathing. "...I don't hate you..."
"No, Luna. It's okay. I deserved that. I'm...I'm the one who should be sorry. What I said there...I didn't mean one word of it. And...you're right...maybe I am stupid."
"Maybe?" said Luna smirking after Celestia used her wing and dried her sister's eyes. At this very moment, the doctor came through the door into the waiting room. The four royal alicorns all stood and held their breath as they waited for the doctor to say how Dream was.
"He's going to be okay," the doctor said smiling. Everypony breathed a huge sigh of relief. Celestia felt like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. Dream was okay. Those words meant so much to her. "He endured quite a shock," the doctor explained. "But it didn't cause any permanent damage. He'll need some time to recover, but he'll be just fine."
"Can we see him?" Celestia asked eagerly.
"He just woke up and his mother is with him, Your Highness. We should give them some time together first." The four nodded and thanked the doctor.
"Perhaps...I'm wrong, Luna," said Celestia quietly. "Dream is all right. Perhaps I did misjudge the situation...and Discord."
"Tia, if Dis wanted to seriously hurt Dream, he would've. And he didn't," said Luna calmly. She smiled. "And I kind of think Dream got what was coming to him for being a meanie to him before." She chuckled and Celestia smiled a little and rolled her eyes. Just then, her smile faded and she hung her head.
"Oh...Discord..." she said quietly. "What have I done?! I AM stupid! I'm horrible! How could I have driven him away?!"
"It's all right, Celestia," said Solina gently. "Discord couldn't have gone too far."
"What if he's hurt or worse?!" said Celestia, feeling a wave of panic overcome her.
"Tia, calm down..." said Luna gently putting her hoof on hers. "We're going to find him and we'll make everything better!"
"Right...you're right..." said Celestia calming down. "Everything will be just fine. We'll find Discord! The question is...where is he?"

________________________
Discord's eyelids fluttered and a bright light seeped in. He blinked to adjust to it. He moved his arms and felt something soft all around him. He breathed in and smelled something very sweet as well. When he was finally able to see all right he found he was looking at a beautiful blue sky. He sighed and sat up. Now all he could see was a field of pink flowers in every direction. He looked down and scooped up some in his hand. He brought some up to his nose and smelled them. He smiled. This was nice. Wait. He suddenly remembered the incident with Chaos and how he fell. Had he fallen here? He looked around and touched the back of his head. He had no pain in his head or anywhere else! He must've had a pretty soft fall, but it was sudden enough to knock him out.
He stood up and began walking through the field in no particular direction. He didn't know where he was, but he didn't feel like leaving. He had nowhere else to go, anyway. This place was warm and inviting. All sorts of curious smells entered his nostrils. Golden sunshine warmed his fur and scales. He felt so content and completely at peace. He shifted his eyes up to look at a hill in front of him where the flowers stopped growing and there was beautiful blue grass. Blue. He didn't really question its color. It looked fine to him. The sun was shining over that hill and he had to hold his lion paw up to shield his eyes. Looking closely, Discord saw a figure standing against the sun on the hill. It was the figure of an equine. Its mane was billowing in the breeze and it had a horn and...yes...a pair of wings. It couldn't be!
"Celestia?" he said. He blinked the sun away and peered at the alicorn. Yes. It was her.
"Hey, Discord!" she called. She giggled at him. "Come here!" Then, she disappeared into the horizon. Had she forgiven him for what happened? Was Dream all right? Could he just go home now? Did he want to go home? He didn't know, but he knew he had to follow her.
"Wait!" he called after her. He flapped his wings and flew across the field towards the hill. He paused when he reached the top and looked down at the scene below him. What he saw...was paradise. There were white cherry blossom trees all around but they were floating. Floating and upside down! The grass was blue. The water was rainbow colors. Yes, there was a great pond and a waterfall pouring down from a mountain. Cotton candy clouds filled with chocolate milk floated low to the ground. His creation. Celestia was lying on one of them. She smiled at him and flew off it, jerking her head, enticing him to chase after her. Discord beamed and flew at her. She giggled and flew all around the valley.

Discord felt at home here. Everything made sense here. He loved it here. What had happened before didn't matter to him now. Everything was perfect. He breathed the fresh air into his lungs and let out a laugh of joy and bliss. Then, he finally caught up to Celestia and tackled her to the ground. The rolled and tumbled down a small hill, laughing all the way. At the bottom, Celestia landed on her back on the soft blue grass and giggled cheerfully. Discord smiled down at her.
"What are you doing here?" he asked cocking his head. She smiled back up at him with her shining red eyes. Red eyes. Suddenly, she gained a few more eyes that were red all over and she grinned at him with sharp jaws. Discord shrieked and jumped up. What he thought was Celestia melted away into black smoke and Chaos floated in front of him, laughing.
"Father!" he said angrily. "What...what happened?!" He glanced around again, realization hitting him. "This place isn't natural. Where are we?!"
"Your mind," Chaos replied telepathically, as always. "You made a choice, remember? Before you fell."
"But...you said my choice...of not using my powers would mean my death!" Discord replied confused.
"Of course," said Chaos. "Which it would've...had I not intervened and brought you here. What kind of father do you think I am?"
"So...we're in my...mind?" said Discord, trying to take it all in.
"We are in a place where one is not alive but not dead either," Chaos explained. "It is filled with your wildest dreams."
"Wow...this place is amazing!" Discord exclaimed. "It's wonderful here. The only thing that would make it better would be..." Just then, he turned his head when he heard his name being called. He saw Celestia...AND Luna and the king and queen. The stared up at him and beckoned him to come. They all turned and galloped through the meadow, enjoying themselves. Discord smiled at the scene and glanced back at Chaos.
"Why are you here?" he asked.
"Oh, I must make sure this is where you wish to be," said Chaos, floating around him. "If you wish to leave, I'm your only way out."
"What do you call this place?" Discord asked, mesmerized by his surroundings.
"Some may call it Pandora's Box," Chaos replied.
"I thought Pandora's Box contained all the evil of the world," said Discord glancing into Chaos's grinning face.
"To the world...this is evil. To you and me, this is paradise." said Chaos, reaching his hand out to let a yellow butterfly land in it. "Such beauty is in the things Order, my brother thought of. But...no one ever appreciates Chaos. Everything he touches..." The butterfly disintegrated as he crushed it in his fist. "...is ugly..." Discord swallowed and looked down at the ground. "But son, you and I and your mother have a different vision. We see the world as something to fix. We should fix it. Make it ours. But....you refused to use your powers. Such a shame. Just think of all you could have accomplished! At least here, you have your own little world. Nothing can ever go wrong here. You can make everything how you want it. Every moment here is a new adventure. This perfect day will never end. You will never get tired or thirsty or hungry. This, Discord...is a dream that never ends...a reality where time stands still...a perfect, chaotic world."
Discord stared at the beauty before him. Celestia and Luna were taking turns jumping over the pond. Solina and Orion were lying in the grass under a shady tree, nuzzling each other. Everything was perfect. Too perfect. He stared even harder at Celestia and Luna and their eyes. There was something about their eyes. Why was he so concerned about that, though?! They were here with him! It was beautiful. Why wouldn't he want to stay here?!
"I...love it here..." he said quietly. Discord clutched his head, for he felt like his mind was in a haze. He just couldn't think straight. Something was wrong! What was it?!
"Then...this is where you should stay, isn't it?" said Chaos wrapping his arm around Discord's shoulder. Discord shifted his eyes up again and watched the princesses as they continued to make perfect jumps over the pond. They weren't using their wings, which he thought was a bit odd, considering the pond was very wide. He still continued to stare at their eyes...especially Celestia's eyes. What was wrong with them? They were violet, but they were so dull...so dead-looking. There was no light in them...no sparkle. They weren't her eyes. It wasn't her.
"They're never going to miss that jump, are they?" he said, the truth dawning on him suddenly, as his mind became aware of what this was. He stepped away from Chaos and glared up at him. Chaos grinned at him. "They won't just fall in by accident. There are accidents. There are no mistakes. No flaws. No surprises. Everything will always be the same, won't it? And while I'm here...I'll never realize it. I'll never question the fact that because the day never ends, it will just keep repeating itself forever and ever. I'll be blind, won't I? I was blind just a moment ago, but now I see. I see how it works. This place isn't real. They aren't real. I don't want this, father. I want Celestia....my Celestia. Not that...thing!" he scoffed, pointing at fake Celestia. Chaos chuckled.
"You are a smart one, son. I never doubted you. I knew you'd see," he said, snapping his fingers. There was a steady wind that started to blow west. Discord felt his fur billow as it blew passed him. He turned his head and peered at the fake alicorns. They continued galloping around and laughing. Then, the wind picked up and they slowly disintegrated into colored dust. Their ghostly laughs remained, echoing as the dust blew passed him. Then, they faded away. The trees, pond, waterfall, grass...they all decayed away and disappeared in the breeze as well. The wind grew stronger. Soon, Discord found it hard to stand up. Chaos didn't move whatsoever, as if the wind was nonexistent. "But you needed to see this. I wanted you too..."
"Why?!" Discord yelled over the whistling wind. He held his arms up to fight it.
"Because someday, Discord...you will open Pandora's Box! The world will be new...it will be yours!"
"What?! What are you talking about?! I'm not you and mother! I..." Discord yelled in confusion.
"Someday...you'll see, son!" said Chaos. "Just remember!" Discord fell down onto the ground, the wind tearing through him, pulling him like a giant hand. He heard Chaos laughing as he disappeared with it. Discord sunk his claws into the earth, gripping it, trying to hang on. He didn't know where it was taking him or what was happening. Fear filled his heart by the moment. It was no use. The wind pulled him backwards and he found himself falling again, very fast and very sudden. The world looked like a far away light getting dimmer and dimmer as everything closed up on him. There was darkness again.
However, this time, something was different. The fall stopped abruptly, as if he didn't hit anything, but was still lying on one place. He heard something strange. It sounded like something thudding on and off. Was it emanating within him? It was his heartbeat. His heart was beating again. He hadn't even noticed that it had stopped the whole time he was in that strange place. But yet...he hadn't died. How long was he in that place? Where was he now? Wait. He had to breathe! He could breathe! He felt his mouth open and he gasped. Air flew into his lungs and he coughed. It was the greatest feeling in the world.
At last he knew he was really alive! He hadn't died after all! He could live! There was something else happening too. He could hear something. Voices. Many voices all around him. He opened his eyes slowly, after realizing they were still closed. He saw ponies all around him as he lay in a bed in a white room. There was a bandage wrapped around his head, which throbbed and ached. He didn't think too much about that, though. Something else was happening. Four winged unicorns entered the room, joy on all their faces.
"Oh, Discord! We were so worried!" said the white one.
"We're happy you're okay!" said the smaller purple one. His eyes fixed on the beautiful white one. Her face. It was something to behold. She was something to behold. Had he seen her before? The last thing Discord expected was the look of horror that swept across her face after he said the words,
"Who are you?"

TO BE CONTINUED...

Lost Memories

View Online

Chapter Nine

"Lost Memories"

She couldn't accept it. She couldn't. Celestia stared at the floor in shock after what happened. She thought everything would be fine when they found Discord. He was on one of the cliffs near the castle. His head only looked a little bumped and bruised, as if he had hit it. How could he have forgotten?! How could he not know who she was?! He looked at her like she was a complete stranger! Why?! Why did it have to be this way?!
"Princess..." said the doctor gently. She looked up at him, realizing she hadn't been paying attention to what he was saying to her, Luna, and her parents. "I know this is a shock to you, but please don't worry. We've tried to talk to Discord about what happened. He says he remembers falling. Well, the fall definitely rattled some things around. He doesn't have severe amnesia...but some. Now, what we need to do is help him get his memories back. Celestia...Luna...can you help him?"
"Yes, doctor," they both replied, nodding. He opened the door to Discord's room and the two walked in. Discord was sitting up, sipping a glass of his chocolate milk. He was smiling brightly.
"I made this!" he said showing it to them proudly, as if it were the first time. "It's called chocolate milk!" Luna giggled.
"We know! You already invented that...and cotton candy clouds! Remember?" Discord looked to the side, trying hard to remember.
"Cotton...candy...wh...what's that?" Celestia walked closer to him. He gazed up at her with the same look he had when they first met on the mountain top three years ago. She could never be sure of what was going through his mind, but his eyes had the same soft, glossy look in them.
"Luna and I are going to help you remember everything, Discord. I'm...I'm...Celestia, remember?" she asked cocking her head.
"They told me already," he replied, never looking away from her eyes. "Your Highness...it's a pleasure to meet you. I...I wish I could remember you..."
"Oh," she said disappointed. "It's okay. But...you must know, you are...were...uh...a very close friend of mine." Are? Were? Which was it? She couldn't choose. Discord nodded.
"And mine..." Luna piped in, shooting a glare at her sister.
"I...I may remember something about that..." said Discord slowly. "Everything is so...fuzzy." He shrugged. "Hey! Look what I discovered I can do!" He made a puffy raincloud appear in the air. "Isn't that neat!" Luna jumped up and down and laughed.
"You used to do this all the time," she said giggling.
"But then you stopped..." said Celestia seriously. "Because you were afraid somepony could get hurt."
"Hurt?!" said Discord, raising an eyebrow. "How could anypony get hurt?! I wouldn't hurt a fly!" Luna glanced at Celestia and raised an eyebrow. It was a look that said 'I told you so'. Celestia pinned her ears back and looked down again.
"Oh, cheer up, would you?!" said Discord smiling. "What's the matter?"
"It's nothing..." Celestia replied. Discord sighed and made the cloud go over her head. She gasped. "Don't you dare....!" She didn't manage to get it all out before the cloud poured rain all over her. Her pink mane flopped over her eyes. Discord and Luna laughed at her. Celestia glared through her hair at Discord.
"Oh, come on," he said chuckling. "I was just having fun!" He snapped his fingers and she was dry again.
"FUN?!" Celestia burst out. "You think this is FUN?! I wanted everything to be back to normal and it isn't and YOU think this a time for GAMES?!" Her cheeks turned red and her eyes welled up.
"Hey! You don't have to be all grim and serious and mad," Discord replied, crossing his arms. "I was trying to lighten things up!"
"Well this isn't the time for that!" said Celestia emotionally. "I just want you to remember! I want you back! Now you're your old chaotic self again and it's not going to make anything better!" She turned and stormed out of the room.

___________________
Discord glared at that white alicorn as she left the room.
"What's her problem?!" he asked Luna.
"Oh, don't mind her," Luna replied rolling her eyes around. "She's a drama queen. This has been a rough day for her and she's a little agitated."
"A little?" said Discord rolling his eyes. He scowled and sighed. "I wish I could remember..." he said. "I...I think I remember seeing my father before I fell. His name...is Chaos?" Luna nodded.
"Your mother's name is Eris. She's evil," she added. Discord nodded slowly. His eyes stared downward in deep thought. He clutched at his head and winced.
"Ugh. Headache," he said sighing. Luna nodded.
"Lay down. You need rest," she said, levitating the blanket up more and fluffing the pillows with her magic. Discord repositioned himself and laid his bandaged head down on the pillows. "The sun is going to set soon," said Luna, closing the curtains of the room. "Just try and go to sleep, okay? Maybe tomorrow you can remember more." She slowly stepped closer to him. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye.
"Okay..." he said yawning. "Night, Princess Luna."
"Night," she said quietly. She leaned her head down and kissed him on the cheek. Discord smiled a little and Luna turned red and shyly slinked out of the room.

_______________________
Celestia walked down the hall, blinking back tears. She took deep breaths to regain her composure. She felt a little bad for snapping at Discord. She didn't want to see him again, though. She figured now was probably a good time to check up on Dream Catcher. She walked into the room across from Discord's. Dream was awake. He was writing something with his magic in a notebook. He looked a bit burned and his fur was a bit singed, but other than that, he looked all right. She was still so relieved he was all right.
"Hey, Dreamy!" she said smiling. He looked up at her and smiled back. Celestia trotted up to him and embraced him. "I was so worried about you..." she whispered.
"I'm okay," he whispered back. "Are you? You're trembling. Tia..." He looked her in the eyes. "Don't cry..."
"I'll be fine," she replied sighing. "Today...was just awful and confusing."
"Talk to me," he said stroking her face with his hoof.
"Well, Discord ran away after the...incident. Something happened to him. He fell and hit his head. It didn't do any real damage...but...he can't remember a lot. He was my best friend, Dream. Now I feel like I've lost him."
"Wait...so...he has no memory of what happened between us?" Dream asked. Celestia shook her head.
"Dream...what did happen? Why did he attack you? I knew deep down that just...wasn't him. Why?" Dream looked down.
"I don't know," he replied. "I asked him to come to the back of the school so we could talk and I did exactly what you said. I talked calmly with him about making peace. I apologized for how mean I was...things like that."
"This doesn't make sense," said Celestia, staring intently at the ground. "I wonder what set him off! I wish I could ask him. I wish he remembered."
"Something I said must've just threatened him or something...even though I don't know what," said Dream shaking his head.
"You're SURE you don't recall anything?" Celestia asked, cocking her head.
"No," said Dream shaking his head. "Of course not! Would I EVER lie to you?" He smirked and nudged her.
"Of course you wouldn't, Dreamy..." said Celestia smiling. She turned toward the doorway. "I must go lower the sun, now. I'll come back tomorrow."
"I'll wait for you, my Tia," he replied winking. Celestia smiled and returned to the hallway. She glanced at Discord's room a bit regretfully. At least Luna seemed to be caring towards him. Celestia chuckled when she saw her sister give Discord a kiss on the cheek. Luna exited the room and closed the door behind her. She walked down the hall towards Celestia. She had a smile spread across her face. She didn't even notice Celestia at first. She was staring with glossy eyes into the abyss.
"Hmm. Somepony's turning red," said Celestia giggling. Luna looked up at her wide-eyed and blushed some more.
"Shut up, Tia..."

___________________
"Discord!"
"Take this... You will find out what you need to do to become who you really are…."
"I shall call it cotton candy!"
"What are you anyways?"
"You're a Thing!"
"He can't help that he's different..."
"The greatest sign of strength is restraint..."
"It's not polite to stare..."
"Stay away..."
"You are the spirit of chaos and disharmony ALONE..."
"You're back to your old chaotic self and it’s not helping anything!"
"What fun is there in making sense?"
"You'll open Pandora's Box..."
"Just remember..."
"Discord!"
Discord's eyes popped open. He gasped and jerked upright. After this, he immediately clutched his head and winced. It throbbed on and off. He breathed steadily to slow down his heartbeat. There was complete darkness in the room, but he could feel he was in a pool of his own sweat. Were they only dreams...or memories? They were so mixed up. He didn't know what they meant; they were just flashes to him. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. Why was everything so confusing? Why were there so many gray areas where he could almost remember but couldn't? Areas where he didn't even know what was a memory and what wasn't. Who was he? What happened? It was all such a blur. Just then, he thought he sensed somepony in the room, but before he could look, a candle on the bedside table was suddenly lit. Discord almost had a heart attack and jumped a mile high, shrieking a little. Luna, who was sitting in a nearby chair screamed. She immediately ceased, however, and covered her mouth with her hoof, for fear of having woken up the whole hospital. The two paused to listen, but everything was still as deathly silent as before.
"LUNA?!" said Discord holding his chest. "WHAT are you DOING HERE?! It's...the middle of the NIGHT!"
"I'm nocturnal, remember?" said Luna sarcastically raising her eyebrow. However, her face turned serious again and she cowered down, as if she realized he may have not remembered that.
"Oh, right..." said Discord raising and eyebrow. "And...why exactly were you sitting there watching me sleep?" Luna smiled and giggled bashfully.
"I had nothing else to do," she replied. "Father said no lessons tonight, so I came here. I wanted to keep you company and help you if you needed something in the night."
"Isn't that what nurses are for?" Discord replied, chuckling a little, even though he was a bit creeped out. Luna grinned sheepishly and rocked back and forth.
"I'm sorry I scared you..." she said quietly. "Were you having a bad dream? You were tossing and turning and sweating real bad."
"Sort of..." Discord replied leaning back again. Luna immediately jumped up and fluffed the pillows. She held up her hoof as if to say, "one moment" and went into the bathroom. She came back with wash cloths and mopped up the sweat. She wet one of them and dabbed it on his cheeks.
"You're very hot. What was your dream about? Was it THAT bad?!"
"I don't know..." said Discord, sighing, because the cool water felt good. "It was...different memories I think. It's very confusing, though. So many flashes...so many images...it was scary." Luna cocked her head and nodded, staring intently at him.
"Why is it scary?"
"I know you can't understand, Luna," said Discord quietly. "But...I had a life. I had so much happen to me. And...to not remember it...to see lost memories in a dream frightens me. Because, I don't understand. I can't...." His voice trailed off and he swallowed.
"It's okay, Dis," she said gently. "I know it's bad now, but soon you'll remember everything and everything will make perfect sense."
"Hm...I hope so," he replied shrugging. Luna pulled her chair closer to him and sat back down.
"Well...Celestia and I would be here for you, even if we didn't already know you," she said touching his paw with her hoof.
"Hm! Celestia doesn't seem excited about helping me..." Discord replied rolling his eyes. "She hates me!"
"She's upset; that's all," said Luna shrugging. "But I'll admit that she's always been a sour puss."
"I was just trying to have fun with a cloud," said Discord crossing his arms. "And she's the fun police. She's probably all stuck-up too and the grimmest most annoying, irritating, joy sucking, parade rainer and the very face of anti fun ever!"
"Ooooh! You LIKE HER!" Luna squealed, giggling.
"WHAT?! How did you.....uh...I mean....did you not hear what I just said?!" said Discord squirming around. "I DO NOT! I despise her! She's the exact opposite of me!"
"True," Luna replied giggling some more. "But you've always liked her. It's kind of obvious." Discord looked away, fidgeted, felt a blush prickle at his cheeks, and cursed in gibberish under his breath. "And for the most part, you two get along pretty well. She just hates your powers," said Luna rocking back and forth. "But...I for one really like them..." She smiled shyly at him and hid behind her mane.
"Thank you. At least somepony appreciates my talents," Discord replied flopping back down on the pillows again. He felt pain in his head, but ignored it. "Oh, you're right, okay? When I saw her I thought she was the most beautiful creature in the world. But who am I kidding? She'd never be interested in me..." Luna shrugged.
"She likes that Dream Catcher. And I think she's stupid for not liking you..." she said quietly. Discord smiled a little.
"Thanks Luna," he said sighing.
"I'm really not surprised you like her," she said looking down. "Celestia always has and always will be the pretty one...the smart one...the talented one...and everypony loves her. Everypony loves the sun..." Discord glanced at the purple alicorn. Her ears were slightly pinned back. She had an angered look of resent and jealousy on her face. There was something else, though. He could sense certain darkness inside her. He figured it was because he knew there was something dark inside him as well. He didn't know why. He didn't understand. He also wondered why Luna had it too. She shrugged again and stood up.
"I'll come back tomorrow evening, okay?" she said cheerfully. Discord nodded.
"No watching me sleep again, all right?" he said winking at her. Luna giggled and nodded. "Seriously..." he said raising an eyebrow. Luna smiled, magically made the candle go out and opened the door.
"Goodnight, Dis," she said quietly. "Sweet dreams." She exited and closed the door behind her. Discord smiled and pulled the blankets up over him. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

TO BE CONTINUED...

The Promise

View Online

Chapter Ten

"The Promise"

"Are you sure about this?"
"Oh, don't worry, Discord! Everything will be fine! You can go back to the castle now and rehabilitate there." The doctor pushed his small spectacles up higher on his nose. He spoke with an assuring voice that gave Discord hope. Then, the earth pony doctor turned and left the room for a moment. Discord wasn't entirely sure being discharged was what was best. However, he wasn't too crazy about staying here anymore either. By this time, his head had managed to heal quite a bit. All that remained of the head trauma was a nasty bruise and bump. There was no brain damage, unless of course if they counted the fact that he lost a lot of his memory. They all assured him it would return in time, however. Luna had more patience with him. She would come and talk to him about times the three of them spent together. Discord might remember a few things, which would make him excited and hopeful. He was glad he was rebuilding his friendship with Luna. Celestia was another story. He didn't know if she was just impatient or annoyed or simply hated him for some reason. Every time she would come with Luna and try to help, she would end up becoming easily frustrated and would leave. Luna would always jokingly tell him,
"She's just jealous because you remember things when I'm here and when she's not." Or, she might tell him that Celestia is a grumpy-pants, or Celestia is stupid, or Celestia is melodramatic, or Celestia still can't understand why this happened and can't fix him and it annoys the tar out of her. Discord figured it was probably the last one. There was one time when Celestia tried to cast a memory spell on him, but it didn't work like she hoped it would. She told him she would think of everything that happened from her point of view and show it to him telepathically. She figured it would help a lot, but she really didn't count on the fact that it could overload. Discord couldn't take so much at once. The images flashed before him, and made his head feel like it was exploding. He ended up with a severe headache and no true memory of what she showed him. Now, though, he thought perhaps if he did indeed return to the castle, it would help to see it again. Seeing objects or faces made him feel as if he knew it from somewhere. At least it would jog his memory a little.
"This is exciting!" said Luna jumping up and down. "You can finally come home!" Celestia materialized in the doorway, all of a sudden.
"Oh! Both of you?!" she said excitedly.
"Both?" Discord asked raising an eyebrow.
"Dreamy is going home too!" Celestia squealed, actually jumping a little herself. "And then...we can be together! Isn't it wonderful?" She pranced down the hall. Luna and Discord just stared.
"I've...never seen her so excited before..." said Discord looking down gloomily. He felt his stomach drop.
"Dreeeaaammmy????!!" said Luna, rolling her eyes. "I don't know about you, but I want to vomit!"
"Yeah, really," Discord replied sighing. The floor was very interesting.
"Awww...don't feel bad," Luna said, nudging him.
"What? Feeling? I wasn't feeling anything..." Discord replied crossing his arms.
"We both know THAT'S a lie," Luna replied cocking her head and smirking. Discord looked up and stretched out his arm, posing dramatically.
"Oh, dear Luna, the truth can make your heart ache. Sometimes a lie is easier to take..." Luna giggled.
"You're so weird," she said sighing. "But that's what me and Tia like about you."
"SHE hates me...in case you didn't notice..." said Discord rolling his eyes.
"I know you think that, but you're wrong," Luna replied. "Tia has always been of afraid of your powers, because she's afraid of anything that she can't make sense of. She likes order and the same-old-thing all the time. But at one time, three years ago, you did make her see what fun is....that it's not bad to be different. And she did like it...whether she'll ever admit it now or not. But apparently...I don't know why she thinks it, but....she saw you hurting Dream Catcher with your powers. I really think she's confused. She doesn't understand and is still trying to get over it, because you scared her." Discord nodded and then looked up in realization.
"The greatest sign of strength...is restraint..." he said quietly. Luna gasped.
"That's what father told you!" she said excitedly. "You remember?!"
"Yes," Discord replied. "I remember...he wanted me to remember that in case I lost my temper. I know I certainly didn't want to hurt anypony. I guess I really got mad and...didn't use restraint." He hung his head in shame.
"Ohh...I'm sure you had a good reason. Maybe Dream Catcher was picking on you. He's done that before," said Luna, stroking his paw with her hoof. Discord shrugged.
"I don't remember what happened," he said sighing.
"Oh well. Maybe it's for the best," Luna replied.
"Right! Nopony got hurt, really," said Discord brightly.
"Reeeallly?" came a voice from the doorway. Was he Dream Catcher? He was purple and had greenish hair. His bright green eyes penetrated Discord's skull. They were not nice eyes, at least not to him. There was something about them that gave him chills. "Easy for you to say, right?" he said wincing a little and jerking his hoof up as if it hurt to step on it. Discord was not convinced. Dream was a poor actor. The purple unicorn chuckled. "Oh, lighten up. I was kidding. I know you don't remember what happened, Discord."
"Oh," Discord replied trying to smile a little. "Still...very sorry about...whatever happened." Why was he not sorry inside? He didn't know what it was, but something about Dream made him feel weird. Maybe it was those sharp eyes or that odd, snake-like smile. It was something dark. He knew there was some darkness inside him and Luna, but this was on a much higher, more sinister level.
"Oh, don't worry about it. It's behind us now, isn't it?" Dream replied glancing behind him as Celestia walked up beside him. Discord nodded and there was an awkward silence in the room.
"I have an idea," Celestia piped in. "After they let us leave, let's all go to the castle. I think there may be something there that could help Discord get his memories back."

______________________
The grand hall had a big red carpet that stretched out far beyond the group, all the way to the end of the room. The tall ceiling had a big chandelier hanging down from it. Something about this did seem familiar to Discord as his eyes fixed on it. He couldn't stare at it for long, though. The beautiful stained glass windows sparkled as the rays of sun refracted off them. They lit the whole room in an array of colors. The perfectly crafted designs almost looked real. Discord stared intently at them, thinking they did indeed mean something to him.
"Look at these ones over here," said Celestia. She and Luna led him to one end of the room. Dream stood away from them, examining other windows near the end of the hall. Discord looked up and saw several very large windows. They depicted the gods and goddesses and the demigods and demigoddesses, including Queen Solina and King Orion and a very young Celestia and baby Luna. They also showed the Sages and Equestrian lands or famous battles in history. One window, though, showed something that made Discord's throat close up and made his heart stop. It depicted a castle, burning and crumbling away. Dark clouds were gathering overhead. A large purple figure loomed over the castle, lightning surrounding her. She looked like HIM. Was it...his mother? Eris? What really gave him chills was the fact that in the clouds in the background was several red eyes that stared right at him. Those eyes. Chaos. He had to blink and look away a few times to make sure it was just the stained glass and not real. The burning castle. That day. Images flashed before him. Memories started to flood his mind. He knew there were gaps in them, but somehow, this image made him remember a lot of things. And they weren't good.
"Discord?" Celestia said gently. She approached him. Discord figured all the color was drained from his face, with how sick this window was making him feel. These were his PARENTS. Who was HE? Was he really just like them, deep down? Did he have to be?
"I'm all right," he replied quietly. There was a short silence and he turned to look at her. "I remember them. I remember that day now," he said slowly. "I remember standing on that cliff and seeing you for the first time. And...I remember cotton candy clouds. When we danced under chocolate rain in the courtyard." When the realization hit him, he felt a sudden wave of joy come over him, no matter how depressed his parents or the window made him feel. "I REMEMBER!" he said happily. Luna squealed with delight and galloped up to him. She hugged him and talked a million miles a minute. He couldn't understand a word she was saying, but she sounded ecstatic. After she was done smothering him, which in actuality never ended and Discord had to shake her off, he turned to Celestia, seeing if he'd get a hug from her. She stared at him in disbelief, her eyes welled up with tears.
"You're coming back?" she choked, her face lighting up as a grin spread across her face. "You're back....to stay?" Discord smiled and nodded.
"Did you miss me?" he asked chuckling. Celestia giggled and she embraced him.
"Tia..." said Discord quietly as he wrapped his arms around her. He remembered calling her that. He felt as if he knew her. KNEW HER. Even if he really only remembered some things about her from the past and really just got to know her all over again. He did know her. He knew she was the exact opposite of him and he should hate her. But there was always something beautiful about her. He didn't even know why he felt this way around her. He shouldn't. But he did. He couldn't hate her. No. She was so...so... No. He knew he shouldn't feel anything. There was no hope. She loved Dream. Or...did she really? Was she just overcome by those green eyes? What did she see in him? He couldn't think about Dream now, though. He knew what he needed to do now. "There's something I once promised your father," he said looking into her violet eyes. "He told me that I needed restraint. I needed to avoid my powers. Now I understand. Just look at what I've done! Celestia...I don't know what I did, or what happened, but I snapped. Now I'm paying the price. I lost a lot. I feel as if I'm gaining some back, but not all. Not many happy memories like the cotton candy clouds. Not what I wanted. So...I will not learn what I can do with my powers. I will not practice them. Celestia, I personally promise you with all my heart that I will never use my powers EVER again. Not for anything. I know this is for the best. I just want things to be like...like how Luna says they once were. This is my promise. I will keep it." Celestia stared at him in sheer surprise. Her eyes were big and glossy. Her mouth fell open a little in shock. She looked as if she was trying to mouth "what?" but it didn't come out. She swallowed hard and looked down.
"Please...don't do that," she said quietly. "Your powers...are what make you who you are. I know I've reacted negatively to them, because they're so..." She paused and started crying. "Discord...this is my fault. Why did I act that way? Why didn't I just accept everything. Maybe if you had used them, you would've learned to control them. Maybe you wouldn't have snapped. Maybe everything would be fine now. I'm so sorry! I was wrong. I...."
"No," Discord replied shaking his head. "I understand. You're a creature of Order. You can't help it. I just know I was out of place here before. This could be a new start. Something good may have come from my amnesia. Now, I can put whatever happened behind me and be like the rest of you. I don't want to be like them...." he nodded towards the stained glass window. "Celestia, I want this. Please. I want to make this promise to you." Celestia smiled a little and let a couple tears fall down her cheeks.
"That is so noble of you..." she said, her voice shaking. She hugged him again. Luna stood by smiling brightly. Discord didn't expect it when Celestia gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Ooooh!" Luna squealed jumping up and down. Discord's face turn so red, the carpet looked very drab in comparison. Celestia backed away and cleared her throat.
"Sorry..." she said smiling. "Excuse me." She turned and walked down the hall. Discord didn't breathe. His heart pounded and he felt a little dizzy. In fact, he felt a out of balance.
"WOAH!" said Luna grabbing his arm with her magic. "You can't even stand up straight!" She laughed hysterically at him. Discord smiled and sighed. He turned and saw Celestia talking to Dream Catcher. He must've seen what happened, because he did not look happy. Celestia smiled at Dream sheepishly and looked as if she were trying to convince him it was nothing. Dream seemed convinced and smirked at her. She breathed a sigh of relief and walked out of the room. Dream shifted his piercing green eyes up at Discord. If looks could kill. The purple unicorn turned away toward the door. As soon as his back was turned, Discord danced around, pointed at Dream, and mouthed laughter at him. Luna's cheeks filled with air as she held her breath to keep from laughing. She let out a little snort when Discord was sticking his tongue out and making faces at Dream. Dream immediately turned his head and glared in Discord's direction, but as soon as he did, Discord was standing calmly gazing at one of the windows, snickering under his breath.

________________________

Two Months Later...

It would have normally been the same few desks only a short time ago, but on this particular day, Celestia realized just how special it was to her. Yes, school was boring. It was always the same. She sat in the same desk every day. But now, it was better knowing she was always near her two best friends. She would easily overlook or take for granted the fact that she had the privilege of sitting next to Dream, her boyfriend, and to the most wonderful friend she could ask for, Discord. Did the fillies whisper? Did they question why she wanted to be near both of them? Of course they did. She was not an idiot. She was the center of the gossip. There were so many false rumors. One was that she and Dream weren't in a serious relationship, which of course wasn't true. Celestia knew that Discord really didn't like it that she was with Dream. He would very quickly leave the room, scowling or rolling his eyes when she and Dream were saying lovey-dovey things to each other. Was he jealous? She couldn't understand why he would be. She knew deep down he always had a thing for her, but it couldn't possibly be that serious, could it? It was impossible. He had gotten a few more small memories back. It was exciting to see. But he really was just starting to get to know her again. The fillies always asked her,
"You don't see it?! You don't see the way he looks at you?! He's madly in love with you!"
She ignored the talk, though. She didn't want anything to change or anything to be awkward. Investing her time in both Discord and Dream is what made her happy. Today she just happened to be in a very good mood. Even the classes seemed either interesting or short. She wasn't sure why the thought occurred to her, but it did.
[I wonder if Dream will ask me to marry him someday soon...] She couldn't help thinking about it. Her parents told her they didn't want to betroth her, because they knew they could never grant her lover immortality. She didn't consider it a problem, though. She figured she would never gain Forevermore. She was not nearly as powerful as her parents and probably never would be. Ah, a royal wedding. How grand! She could only imagine what it would be like. The bell that rang to let the students know school was over gonged sharply, rattling her skull and waking her up out of her daydream. Speaking of dream...
"Yes! Now that school is over for the week, I can spend a nice romantic weekend with my Tia," said Dream putting his hoof on hers. Celestia smiled.
"A picnic by the lake tomorrow?" she asked hopefully.
"Of course!" he replied chuckling. "I'd never let you down, Sunshine. " Discord had disappeared somewhere as if on cue. The pony couple walked into the saddlebag room to retrieve their bags and put books in their lockers. Celestia opened her locker and found a piece of parchment inside it. She took it out with her magic and unfolded it. There was a big heart drawn on it in red ink.
"Awww..." Celestia commented looking at Dream.
"Don't look at me," said Dream raising an eyebrow."I didn't put that there!" He examined it and chuckled. "Wow...not really a man of words is he?" Dream said laughingly. Other ponies poked their noses in to see what all the fuss was about. They all laughed at the paper.
"Wow! A bit elementary, wouldn't you say?"
"He seriously didn't take the time to write words?!"
"That's kind of cute...in a sad way."
"Who put it there?"
"Oh, COME ON, guys. We ALL KNOW who it was from," said Dream rolling his eyes and smirking. The other ponies giggled and glanced at Discord who was acting indifferent to the whole thing and trying to look busy putting books in his backpack.
"Oh, stop it, you guys!" said Celestia shaking her head. "I think it's sweet, myself. So, shoo!" The ponies pranced away with new gossip to talk about.
"Aren't you glad I don't have to draw THIS to tell you how I feel?" said Dream smirking. He glanced at Discord. "I'm not a coward..."

Celestia glared at him. "Be nice, Dream." Dream drooped his ears and nodded, making an adorable apology face. "I was thinking. I don't like how we can't just all get along. You and Discord should become friends, wouldn't you say?" she said cocking her head. Dream nodded and smiled.
"Maybe he won't electrocute me this time..." he said jokingly.
After this, Celestia was headed down the road toward the castle. Discord stopped her along the way.
"Tia, tell your parents I may be late coming home today. I'm going to meet Dream on Stargaze Peak," he said smiling.
"Should I come too?" Celestia asked a little leery about it based upon what happened the last time differences had to be worked out between them.
"No, he just wants us to hang out and talk and stuff," said Discord. "I think he may be starting to warm up to me a little. I hope we can talk things out."
"I'm...I'm sure you can," Celestia responded, pushing all unsure thoughts out of her mind. Discord said he'd see her later and left. Celestia went back to the castle and immediately went to her room. She was very tired from the long day. She curled up on her bed and fell asleep. She dreamed too. But it was not what she normally dreamed. She was at a wedding, but it was her wedding. She could see herself dressed in a beautiful white and golden gown with lace on her front legs. She had a big tiara in her mane and her whole mane sparkled in the light. All the ponies in the crowd ooh’ed and ah’ed at her. When she finally came to the alter, her father gave her away, tears in his eyes. Celestia stepped onto the platform and turned. She looked into the groom's face. But it wasn't Dream. She was marrying Discord. This frightened her enough to wake her up. She sat up and stared at the floor in shock. Her heart was pounding. Discord?! Why? She didn't... He was just... It was just... No matter what she did, she couldn't finish sentences in her mind. It disturbed her, but the strangest thing about it was, in the dream she felt happy. Almost as if...it really was meant to be. How could she dream that? The clock on the wall indicated that two hours had gone by. Did she really sleep that long?! Speaking of Discord...did he and Dream work things out? She couldn't help but wonder. She jumped down from her bed and started to walk toward the door. Just at that moment, her parents came charging into her room, practically giving her a heart attack. Their faces were pale. Their eyes were wild with terror. Their voices sounded so desperate and frightened. They were talking at once and she couldn't understand them.
"WHAT IS GOING ON?!" Celestia asked, the cruel and sickening nausea of uncertainty already filling her stomach. The king and queen paused, looked down and then back at her.
"Tia..." said Solina gently. "There's been an accident at Stargaze Peak." Stargaze Peak. No. Celestia could already feel her body becoming numbed and paralyzed by the shock. She only thought of the worst. Seeming to read her mind, Orion piped in.
"Discord is all right, but...he's...in critical condition. We found him...." his voice trailed off and the look in his eyes told Celestia it was the most horrible sight he'd ever seen. "But....Tia...." he said quietly, pain in his voice as he spoke. Celestia didn't just hear the last words. She felt them. They stabbed her in the heart.
"Dream Catcher is dead."

TO BE CONTINUED...

The Fight

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Author's Note: WARNING: This chapter is the main reason for the Teen rating. It is very violet and graphic. (Not like...Cupcakes graphic...but graphic all the same. lol) Probably PG-13 level. Look away children. Or you will become as demented as me. ;)

Chapter Eleven

"The Fight"

"Oh, COME ON, guys. We ALL KNOW who it was from!" Discord pretended to be interested in the textbooks he was loading into his blue backpack. All sorts of ponies around him giggled and chattered. He could feel their eyes on him. They looked on in ignorance and laughed. Were all ponies like this? From what he had seen in the past two months, yes...with the exception of the royals. And of course he wrote it. There were no other possibilities. Everypony knew he did. And what if he didn't? It still would've been him. They still would've immediately glanced at him. They were ignorant.

"Oh, stop it, you guys," he heard Celestia say in her kind, musical voice. "I think it's sweet, myself. So, shoo!" At least she wasn't mad. All the same, Discord left the building as swiftly as he could. Even though the sounds of giggling ponies faded away, he could still feel his cheeks prickling with a blush. They were so ignorant. Let them laugh. He didn't care anymore. He was used to it by now. It wasn't long before they joined him outside, still chattering amongst themselves. He sighed and started down the path towards the castle. He didn't want to wait for Celestia...not after what happened.

"Hey, Discord!" he heard a voice say. He whirled around and locked onto those piercing green eyes.

"Can I talk to you?" Dream Catcher asked.

"What about?" Discord asked crossing his arms.

"Stuff," Dream replied. "Listen...I know things have never really been peachy keen between us, but I really think we need to hang out and work some things out." Discord cocked his head a little and raised an eyebrow.
"I'm listening," he replied.

"Meet me at Stargaze Peak, all right?" said Dream.

"Don't you want your Sunshine to come too?" said Discord sarcastically.

"No. This is between me and you," said Dream. "Just let her know where we'll be." Discord nodded and in a flash of magic, Dream teleported away. What? Dream wanted to talk to him? He wasn't too excited about it, but why not? It was true Dream wasn't his favorite pony in the world, but that unicorn was also Celestia's boyfriend. He had to come to terms with that. He also had to accept the fact that Dream was probably going to be around forever. One day, perhaps he would even ask Celestia to marry him. Discord shuddered at the thought of this, but he still had to accept it. He couldn't just despise Dream for no reason. The unicorn teased him a little, but he was good to the princess. He was...a soul, all the same. He couldn't hate him. Perhaps this was for the best. Speaking of the princess, Discord noticed her as she walked ahead of him, looking like her cheerful self. He caught up with her and informed her on what was going on. He might be a bit late. He wasn't sure how long Dream wished to talk with him. Celestia seemed like she wanted to come too, of course. Discord thought it a tad bit curious that Dream already knew Celestia would want to come too. He still didn't really understand why Dream didn't want her to come. Well, it really was just between the two of them. As he spoke to the princess, he couldn't help but wonder if she really did know it was him who gave her the heart. If she really did think it was sweet.

'Why are you with him?' he thought. 'You and Luna love me unconditionally as your...friend. But...why not me instead of him? What's wrong with me?' Discord turned away from her and walked towards a rocky trail up the mountain. He walked and thought. He didn't think about anything in particular, but just felt detached from everything around him. In a daze, really. He hardly noticed the gray clouds that had rolled in, making the air eerie and the aura of the sky very bleak and dull. When Discord reached the foot of the trail, he paused and set his backpack down by one of the rocks. He didn't want to carry it up there with him. As he did this, his eye caught a puddle from when it had rained earlier. He stared at his reflection for a brief moment and his last thoughts returned to him. Everything... he thought, feeling as though a weight came down on him. Everything is wrong with me. He sighed and trudged up the rocky path. It wrapped around the mountain until it came to the top, Stargaze Peak.

It was, of course, named after Stargazer, Selena the moon goddess's husband. For young pony couples, it was the prime romantic spot at nighttime. This was when the stars shown bright and the moon smiled down on them, seeming to create a glow in their hearts. One could then understand the term "star-crossed" lovers. Luna often spoke of Orion taking her there to raise and lower the moon. While there, they would often speak to the stars. Discord didn't know much about the stars. He knew they were very powerful entities that guarded the night and the beings of the night. It was said, only the most powerful mortals could talk to the stars.

The alicorns could, of course. However, special exceptions were sometimes made. Sometimes the stars took interest in common ponies if they took interest in them. It was also said one could wish on them if they were falling from the sky. Nopony seemed to know why they fell from the sky, but there were several theories. Discord also noticed that when the stars were silent, the alicorns feared this meant something bad was about to happen. He couldn't really understand all of it. It was beyond anything he could comprehend. He was just thinking about this, when he realized he had reached the peak. He scanned the area and saw Dream Catcher standing near the edge of the cliff. The purple unicorn turned his head and stared at Discord with those green eyes. He smiled and cocked his head, beckoning Discord to come closer.

"Come here," he said. "Don't be shy." Discord slowly approached him. "You need to know..." said Dream looking down. "The last time we had...a talk...it didn't go well. I know you don't remember. But, what happened then is not going to happen this time. This time will be different." Discord nodded.

"So, you go first," he said, putting his weight on one foot.

"All right. Look," said Dream sighing. "It's no secret how you feel about Tia. We all know. And...I can't make you just turn off your feelings, but I'm going to tell you something right now..." He approached Discord and shoved those sinister eyes right in his face. "Stay away from my girlfriend. I know you two are friends, but I'm not liking that too much. I don't want this to get ugly, do you? So...you need to distance yourself from her and stay out of our relationship." Discord glared at him. He knew Dream did not like him. He knew it. He also knew there was always something he despised about that unicorn. And now, he expected Discord to compromise his friendship with Celestia just because she was dating him?! This was uncalled for.

"No..." he replied in a low voice.

"What?" Dream growled.

"Celestia is my friend. She cares about the both of us. Just in different ways. What you are asking is selfish, Dream. You're just jealous. I can see it in your eyes...the green eyed...."

"Monster?" Dream replied smirking. "Is that what you were going to say? Sounds funny...coming from you..." Discord felt the sensation of rage come over him again. It was shocking to him, because it was a major déjà vu moment. Did he feel this way before? Did he lose control? He couldn't this time. He had a promise to keep. He took a deep breath.

"You're not going to tell me what I can and cannot do around Tia," said Discord boldly, ignoring the last statement.

"MY Tia..." Dream said narrowing his eyes.

"OUR Tia," Discord responded backing away.

"You know, the other ponies are talking," Dream said, turning and walking toward a steep wall of stone opposite to the ledge. "They are pretty suspicious of Celestia's behavior. You know...how close she is to you, while she's actually dating me. And, well...with your, shall I say, obvious infatuation, it is creating a lot of doubt and gossip."

"They think...Tia's...cheating on you with me?!" said Discord in surprise. Dream smiled and nodded.

"So, as you can see...you staying away from Tia is beneficial, mostly to her. Think about it! Discord, you fade into the background, Celestia's reputation is saved, I won't bother you anymore, and your love for her dies away. Everypony will be happy. See? It's for the best." Discord stared at the ground and felt his paw and claw curl into fists.

"You're lying," he said glaring back up at Dream's smug grin. "I don't believe you. I'm not going to believe you. We can just walk away from this and pretend this never happened, Dream. We may never like each other, but life goes on! You're with Celestia...I'm not. Really...you've already won. So, goodbye." The anger welled up inside Discord as he turned and started to walk away. He breathed deeply and tried to just ignore it. This was the best thing he could do.

"There won't be walking away," he heard Dream say in a chuckling voice. “You won’t walk away.” All of a sudden, Discord felt something hard hit him on the back of his head. He staggered as the blow altered his vision a bit. In his dizzy state, he whirled around, trying to focus on Dream. What did he do? He caught a glimpse of a fuzzy image of Dream levitating a rock with his magic. It became airborne and crushed against Discord's shoulder before he could react. He winced and clutched at his arm.

"Wh...what are you DOING, Dream?!" he yelled. Dream approached him with more rocks surrounding him. "STOP!" It was no use. Dream fired the rocks at him. There were several of them that hit him mostly on or near his head. Discord saw stars and collapsed onto the ground. He saw a double image of Dream's purple hooves coming closer.

"You shouldn't have said no," said Dream sighing. "Now, this is where it gets ugly." Discord winced in pain as he tried to lift himself off the ground. Just then, he felt a intense blow to his back as Dream pounded him back down with his hooves. He closed his eyes and yelled in pain. The anger was ablaze. he hated Dream. Hated him. Even in this beginning stage of a long, painful battle he knew would ensue, he felt the evil. An evil he himself could never understand. "Aren't you going to fight back?!" Dream yelled. "Oh...wait...you can't can you?" Discord trembled as he tried to get up again. Dream circled around him. "Because of a little promise you made. That was so sweet, by the way. Really, I was tearing up a little at hearing that. You promising Tia you'd never use your powers again and all." Dream smirked and stared at Discord as he finally got back onto his feet.

Another rock went flying. This one hit his eye. Discord immediately flinched and closed it right before the rock smashed against it. Tears, blood and puss trickled down from it and it swelled up, turning black. He found he couldn't open it and he held it briefly in his paw, wincing and moaning in pain. Out of his good eye, he saw Dream levitating another rock. He braced himself for the impact, but instead, Dream threw the rock at himself. He winced as it crushed against his head, but seemed satisfied when he saw blood.

"There, now..." he said chuckling. Dream dropped down and slowly dragged himself across the ground. "Oh...I wonder...what I should...tell them..." he said wincing as he spoke. "I...barely survived when...the rocks came down on us. Such...a tragic...accident." He laughed and got back up. He approached the rock wall and his horn glowed. Discord gasped as he realized what he was going to do. Rocks started falling onto the ledge.

"Dream! Stop! You're going to kill us both!"

"Here's where your wrong, Thing," Dream replied. "I can easily teleport away. You won't. What a tragedy. Not like you'll be missed, though. I wonder if they'll even have a funeral..." That was it. Even if he didn't have power, he had rage. Discord charged forward and tackled Dream to the ground. The unicorn didn't have enough time to react. Discord reached for a rock, intending to hit Dream with it. Wait. No. Not this way. It was too hard. He was mad, but he didn't want to kill him. Perhaps if he could just pin him down...

Just, then the last thing he ever expected occurred. Dream vanished. Disappeared. He was nowhere to be seen. Discord jumped up in surprise and glanced around through one eye. He could barely see it, but several hoof prints materialized on the ground. Dream had turned himself invisible. He realized this too late, however, for he felt a blow to his side. He hit the ground hard and struggled back up again, his side throbbing. As soon as he got to his feet, he felt a sudden, sharp pain on his back. It forced him back down. Discord reached for it. He gathered it was a stab wound from Dream's horn that was bleeding heavily. "You shouldn't have walked away!" he heard Dream say. The sound seemed to reverberate all around him. Dream laughed as Discord felt another hard kick from his hoof. Just then, the unicorn appeared again.

"Dream. Please. Stop this. Wh...why..." Discord said, his voice trembling. The realization hit him in this moment. Dream was going to kill him. He was enjoying watching him suffer and this was only the beginning.

"I'm only helping..." said Dream quietly. He smirked and raised his hooves up high.

"Dream! Wh...wh...!" said Discord desperately. Dream's hooves came down on his knees. There was a loud crack and Discord screamed and writhed in pain. Dream circled around him again and approached the rock wall again.

"Look at you! Just look at you. You're weak," he said, chucking more rocks at Discord's head. "Useless. Lower than the dirt you're rolling in," Dream scoffed and then spit in his eye. Horror. Fear. Humiliation. Anger. Suffering. All of these to the highest degree. Discord felt them all. And there was nothing he could do. He wouldn't use his powers. Not even healing powers. He could only think of Celestia. He promised. So, he would take the beating. He would die for her. He silently prayed it would be all over soon. Suddenly, as if Dream noticed the scar from when he had fallen, a stone went flying right toward it. "Monster!" he heard Dream yell. The stone crumbled against his head and his vision went dark for a brief moment.

In that moment, Discord could hear several voices in his head at once. He was so disoriented, he wasn't sure of what they were saying. However, shortly after this, a burst of light covered his eyes. He could only see images. They were moving pictures. All of them were familiar. There were scenes of Celestia and Luna and chocolate rain, Orion talking to him in the garden, lightning shooting at Dream, Chaos's red eyes staring at him. Everything. Some of it repeated. They all flashed before him faster and faster. The voices and sounds translated to them as well and everything was clear. Then, there was just black and then a fuzzy image of the ground again. When he came to, Discord realized Dream unintentionally triggered his memories. He remembered everything now. And he was filled with fury. Even in his intense pain, Discord pushed himself up with his arms and glared at Dream Catcher.

"YOU..." he growled, trembling both in agony and anger. "I remember you. I remember what you've put me through. You're evil. You're fake. You played me for a fool, just because I couldn't remember what happened. But now...all that has changed. I may have made a promise. But YOU will NOT use it against me!" Discord felt power surging through his veins. He knew he was breaking a promise, but the anger was too strong. He couldn't just let himself die. He couldn't. He floated off the ground, magic surrounding him. Dream's eyes grew wide. His face turned pale and he started to back away. "Fight me now, you sick, conniving, twisted, vial, green-eyed snake!" Discord wasn't sure how his appearance had changed, but something must've, because Dream gazed up at him with a look of sheer terror on his face. Glancing down, Discord could see flames surrounding him. They grew as he floated closer to Dream. Dream kept backing away, until he was right at the edge of the cliff. His back hoof slipped a little, but he caught his balance and glanced behind him as a stone fell off the edge. He jumped a little as he gazed back up at a now very angered and fierce-looking Discord.

"Wh....WHAT are you...?" Dream whispered, his cracking voice failing him. However, one second after this, he slipped again. This time, Dream fell backwards off the edge. His hooves clung to the edge. He let out a little shriek and his back feet scrambled to try and climb back up. Discord saw this and stood by, just watching.

Let him fall, one side of him thought. Help him, thought the other. What was right? What was wrong? Was it really just as bad to let one fall as actually murdering them himself? Even somepony as evil as Dream? Discord felt his power die down. He sighed and let himself fall onto his stomach. Dream started sliding down the side of the cliff. Discord reached his paw down over the side.

"Dream!" he shouted. "Grab my paw!" Dream looked up at him and glared.

"I don't NEED YOUR help, Thing!" he shouted.

"This isn't time for you to be proud, Dream!" Discord shouted back. "Just grab on!"

"No! I'm not accepting your help. I can...tele....port" said Dream, closing his eyes, struggling to make his horn glow.

"FOR GOODNESS SAKE, DREAM! Quit being stubborn! Swallow your pride and save yourself!" Discord shouted, gritting his teeth.

"SHUT UP!" Dream yelled. Just then, he gasped when he slipped down more. In a split second, the unicorn's hooves left the stone. He fell and let out a scream, which was soon silenced when he hit one of the rocks head-first. Discord's mouth fell open as he watched Dream tumble down the side of the cliff, hitting many rocks along the way. At the last second, Discord gasped and shut his eye when Dream's fall stopped on a ledge jutting out from the mountain face. He kept his eye shut for a little while. He couldn't bear to look. It happened so fast. Was he...was he...?

At long last, Discord finally had the courage to look. He saw the purple unicorn resting on his side on the ledge in a pool of blood. His neck was broken in the fall and was twisted around. It didn't even look like a neck anymore. Scars covered his body and one of his legs was twisted and mangled. The bones in it were jutting out from the deep gash. The skin looked nonexistent where it was torn. Blood was all over the rocks, splattered in several places. Dream was very much dead. The only consolation...it appeared to be quick. In the blink of an eye. Instant. No last thoughts. No last feelings. No memorable words right before impact. It was so fast. He was gone. Just like that.

Discord felt his whole body shake in horror at the gruesome sight before him. He dragged himself away from the ledge and vomited. He coughed and wretched, spewing out everything down stomach bile and blood. Tears poured from his eyes. Some of it was from the trauma. Some of it was out of sheer pain. And some of it was guilt. He had used his power. It was only to show Dream he was not going to take the suffering anymore. It was to save his life. But he still felt guilty. Discord knew he couldn't think about this now, though. He had to get back to the castle. Had to. However, everything was going dark. He felt like the world was spinning. He blinked slightly to try and make it stop, but the darkness won.

When the light returned, there wasn't much of it. In fact, it was the cold plop of rain that made Discord realize he was conscious again. He lay there in a pool of his own vomit and blood. The sun was nearly set by now, but the clouds made it hard to tell. He pushed up with his arms. They wobbled as he dug his claws into the ground, trying to push himself toward the trail. They sunk into the earth and he squeezed the dirt hard in pain until it disintegrated. Every muscle ached. Every bone throbbed. Seconds felt like years as he pushed himself across the ground. He moaned and winced with every push.

At long last, he reached the top of the mountain trail. He grabbed onto the rocks on the side, which made it easier to move. It started raining even harder, and every drop stung as it hit him. They felt like tiny knives stabbing him all over. As he pushed himself forward a little, Discord suddenly realized the dirt on the trail was now mud. He slid forward down the steep trail and came to an abrupt stop, hitting a rock at the bottom. He managed to brace himself with his arms, but it still hurt a lot. He was now covered in rain, blood, vomit, and mud. He figured he was probably unrecognizable now. This is what he was reduced to. Would he ever reach the castle? It wasn't looking good.

Discord pressed his throbbing head against the rock and started sobbing. He would die here in the mud alone. Dream was right. He wouldn't walk away. He would die. The world was going dark again. Everything was fading away. His body was shutting down. Was this what death felt like? It wasn't that bad. After all, his pain was subsiding. Perhaps it wasn't something to fear but to accept. As soon as Discord closed his eye, though, he could only think of Celestia again. No. He couldn't leave her. He would fight. This was the true battle and he would fight it out for her. His eye flew back open. At this point, he even managed to open his bad eye. He let out a cry and grabbed onto another rock, throwing himself forward again.

The pain surged through him again, but he ignored it. He repeated the motion over and over again. Inch by inch he slowly made his way down the trail. Soon, he could see the castle. It was still a ways off, but it was there. He was going to make it! Every nerve inside him was numb as he reached the bottom of the trail. Every bit of him was shaking. He threw himself onto the rock where he had put his backpack. That puddle was still there. He peered down at it, gasping for air and lapping up some of the water. His reflection was the most horrific sight he could've imagined. He shut his eyes. He couldn't bare it. At least his numbness took away some of the pain, but he was too weak now. He whimpered and moaned.

"Please..." he whispered. "Please, please, please let me live. Let them find me again." Shortly after he whispered this small, desperate prayer, he glanced up at the sound of voices. Two fuzzy figures were standing only a short distance away from him. One was yellow. One was dark blue. Solina and Orion! He could barely make them out. They were talking to each other with umbrellas on their saddles. Discord opened his mouth to call out to them. Shout. Scream. Yell. Anything. Any sound he could make. No sound came out. His throat closed up on him. His voice failed him.

'SPEAK!' he thought. 'SPEAK, YOU FOOL!' He pounded the earth with his fist and cursed inside his head. Why couldn't he speak?! Just then, when his fist hit the ground, the two alicorns turned their heads and saw him. Their eyes grew wide and their jaws dropped. Discord sighed and felt himself starting to cry again. He thought perhaps they were shouting his name and a lot of other things, but all sound was muffled to him now. Only their mouths moved. They galloped over to him. Discord's vision was failing him once again, but from what he saw, Queen Solina had trouble even looking at him. Tears trickled down her sickened face. Even King Orion had the pale look of shock and terror on his visage.

Discord kept blacking out. Reality was distorted. As he fell in and out of consciousness, he saw things he weren't sure were real. One scene showed Dream glaring at him from afar, which he realized was a hallucination. Another one showed the king and queen moving very fast with him resting on something that was moving. They looked at him earnestly, asking him what happened to Dream Catcher. He thought this was probably real. He felt his mouth move and he managed to answer, "Dead..." and blacked out again. One of the last scenes showed him and Celestia and Luna under a cotton candy cloud dancing in the chocolate rain. Inside, Discord hoped so much this one was real. It was too good to be true, however. This faded too. Finally, Discord saw a brief, fuzzy image of Celestia. She was sobbing over him and nuzzling him with her soft nose. And…kissing him. This was almost too perfect to be real, but something told Discord it was. He attempted a smile before his eyes shut again and everything faded away. The scene...his breathing...his heartbeat. Everything stood still. All he saw after that was a small light glowing softly at the end of a long, dark tunnel.

TO BE CONTINUED....

Continued Author's Note: Don't say I didn't warn you... ;)

Sorrow and Joy

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Chapter Twelve

"Sorrow and Joy"

It was said, a tear held a thousand emotions and a thousand words of sorrow, despite its small, inadequate state that dropped so silently and gently, disappearing in only seconds. Celestia almost wondered how many she had cried that day. She wasn't even sure how many hours they had poured from her eyes. She hadn't even really seen the waiting room; for the last couple hours her face was still buried in her mother's wing. Her eyes had remained closed, so she was in a world of darkness and sorrow. She would occasionally feel the comforting sensations of the feathers on her face and the warmth of Solina's soft fur around her. Celestia was certain she was so exhausted from crying, she had fallen asleep a few times. The tears still never ceased, though. She kept on crying even in her sleep. Finally, though, after she felt as if her eyes were swollen and completely raw, not able to shed anymore tears, she lifted her face, opened her eyes, and light seeped in. She blinked to adjust to it and gazed up at her mother. Solina looked down at her sympathetically. She stroked Celestia's pink mane out of her wet face with her hoof.

"I...I can't believe he's...gone..." Celestia said, her voice cracking into a barely audible whisper. Solina nodded and looked down at her with glossy eyes. There was a short silence. "I thought about marrying him, you know," Celestia continued. "Everything would've been wonderful. We could've...gotten...married...and..." Her voice failed her and she felt a couple more tears find their way out of her eyes.

"Shhh..." her mother whispered, embracing her. "I know...I know...shhh..." Celestia pulled herself away and glanced over at Luna and her father; both had sorrow in their eyes. She felt like Dream Catcher had just been ripped from her arms. He was gone. He was never coming back. This wasn't just a bad dream she would wake up from and forget. This was real. Things couldn't be changed. The past could not be altered. He was dead. Gone. Forever and ever. She couldn't accept it. She didn't feel as if she ever would. And now, here she was, holding on to a thread of hope. Discord.

She wouldn't lose him too. She couldn't. She'd rather die than be left alone like that. Celestia would rather die. She wondered how she could even think something so dark. So deep. But that is what she was feeling in this moment. She, a creature of Order...would die in an instant if it meant a creature of Chaos could live. She told herself she was mad. Delusional. Crazed. In a state of such shock and sorrow, she wasn't thinking straight. It would be impossible anyways. Besides, she had to have faith. The doctors were working. They were fixing him. They would make everything better. It was at that moment that the door opened and a unicorn doctor entered the room slowly. All four faces looked eagerly up at him. His face was very pale. Very grim.

'He's just serious...' Celestia told herself. 'Discord's okay. He has to be...HAS to be...' The doctor opened his mouth and rolled his tongue very slowly, trying to get the words out. Every second was like an eternity, waiting for the words to come out. At last, the dead silence in the room was penetrated by the most sickening, crushing, devastating sentence ever.

"Your majesties...should come say your final goodbyes; he doesn't have long...." Celestia felt her heart drop into her stomach and smash into a million pieces. The words reverberated inside her skull over and over again. She couldn't believe it. It wasn't true. She couldn't lose him. First Dream, who was already so very dear to her to begin with, and now...HE...her... What was he to her? Everything. He made her laugh, was always kind, so very generous, honest, and loyal. Now, in this moment time felt like it stopped. As swollen as her eyes felt from crying, somehow they filled back up with tears. She stood stiff as stone and stared ahead, no emotion really showing on her face. She felt frozen. In fact, she didn't even really notice when the doctor went back into the room. She fell into a daze when she felt her mother gently wrap her wing around her so they could enter the room. She glanced over at a sobbing Luna, who was being comforted by her father.

The doors opened, and, before she knew it, Celestia was in the room filled with doctors and equipment. She wondered if her legs even moved when she walked. Her knees were so weak, she could hardly feel them. It was the longest walk of her life as she approached the bed and the creature in the bed. Half way there, she felt her knees just give out. She practically collapsed on the floor and wept. Tears didn't come, but she whimpered and shook all over. She didn't even get a good look at him and it was too much to take. The doctors had done their best to patch him up, but he still looked so awful. Was it even him?! The irony of it all...he looked more discordant than he normally did. Celestia felt her mother and father rush to both sides of her to assist her back up. She heard them speaking gently to her, but nothing they said registered. She somehow got to her feet again and lifted her face up. Luna had not hesitated. She was already at Discord's bedside, crying and wrapping her hooves around his arm.

"Do you want to stay here right now?" Orion asked. Celestia nodded. Her parents approached the bed to join Luna. Last words. And would he even hear them? He was unconscious. Almost dead. Barely clinging to the thread of life. Luna, in her innocence, seemed confident that Discord could hear her.

"Dis...I know you have to leave. But...I don't want you to. I wish you could stay here with us forever. Please...don't go. You're the bestest friend ever..." said Luna. She sniffled, blinked back more tears, leaned in, and gave him a tiny, sweet kiss on his nose. Celestia felt her mind shut down. What could she say? She wanted to say exactly want Luna said, but she knew that it wasn't right. Her sister was still young, it was so natural for her to simply beg him to live. She, on the other hoof, was older. She knew better. But it wasn't fair. As immature as she felt it was to think these things, it just WASN'T. So much anger filled her heart in this moment. She was angry at herself. If she had just insisted in going with the two to the peak... Maybe nopony would've gotten hurt. Two precious lives wouldn't have ended so abruptly. Her world wouldn't have turned upside down. Solina and Orion were speaking to Discord now.

"We loved having you here with us..." Celestia heard her mother say.

"Everything changed when you came, because you added so much," said Orion. "We'll miss you, Discord." After this, they turned to look at Celestia. No. She couldn't. She wasn't ready. This was too soon. Everything was happening so fast. Before she could stop herself, she walked over to the bed. She was still in a daze. Nothing made sense. And her legs were still so numb and wobbly. She could feel her lips trembling and her red eyes aching from the new film of tears spreading over them. The world was spinning all around her. Everything in the background melted away. There was such a dead silence, she briefly wondered if everypony else in the room disappeared. This of course was illogical, but she wasn't using logic at this point. Everything was...chaotic. Oh, the irony.

Celestia only saw the creature resting peacefully before her now. She stood still right next to him. Her violet eyes didn't even look straight at him at first. She couldn't bear it. This was how she'd remember him. The last time she'd see him. Like this. The very thought turned her stomach upside down. And when he was gone...did she even have anything to remember him by? Would she only have this memory of here and now? Thinking of this made her chest ache in anxiety. He'd be gone. He'd vanish. And leave the biggest dent in her life. A hole in her heart. Heart.

She gasped and cried out a little in sudden realization. The heart! She still had that! In a flash, she teleported to her room in the castle for a split second. She spotted the paper sticking out of her book bag. Celestia levitated it to her and clutched it in her hooves like it was the greatest treasure she could ever posses. In another flash, she appeared in the same spot in the hospital room again. She took a deep breath and shifted her eyes to look at Discord again. She gently placed the paper beside him on the pillow and broke down. She dropped to her knees and wept over him. Every emotion filled her by the moment. Knots filled her stomach and a warmth she never experienced before filled her chest. Then, the words came. She poured out everything she felt and didn't hold back.

"Don't leave me..." she whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm so...so sorry. You were so good to me. How much you cared for me and...were always there. Always by my side. And I always overlooked it. And...and...to think...it took something like THIS to make me realize how wrong I was. How amazing you are. I'd give anything to dance in chocolate rain again..." She chuckled slightly when she said this. "I'd give anything to fix this. Just know you mean...so much to me. Don't leave me, Discord. I....I always..." Now her voice failed.

The words wouldn't come now. What was she trying to say? What was she feeling? It was something she never thought she felt. In the end, her actions spoke louder than her words. She leaned down and wrapped her hooves around his head. She rubbed his face gently with her nose. More tears somehow came, but they were different. They were warm with raw emotion. The pain was so much deeper now. It kept on stabbing her in the chest. Her face grew hot and her heart started beating rapidly with the intensity of this moment. A moment that would never come again. Ever again. She let her eyelids fall shut and pressed her lips against his cheek.

It wasn't enough. It would never be enough. More tears fell as she kissed him desperately over and over again. Somehow it felt right. But why? She lifted her eyelids slightly as her face hovered over his lips. She swallowed hard and trembled as realization hit her. What was this now? It was turning into something else entirely, with even the thought crossing her mind of...kissing his lips. The shock was unbearable, and she almost backed off. Then, suddenly, she saw Discord's eyes flutter open. She gasped and opened her mouth slightly in an attempt to speak. No words came. Tears still flowed down her face. When she looked at him again, she saw a very faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. She managed a sad smile too, amidst the genuine sorrow and grief she was feeling.

'Just kiss him...' she thought. 'One last moment. One last thing to share with him.' She had to. Just had to. And she did. She quickly leaned down, closed her eyes, and pressed her lips against his. She could feel his heart beating fast along with her own. Celestia was overwhelmed. She pulled away after only a few seconds. Why did it feel so right? It wasn't supposed to. She felt as if she were betraying Dream, even though he was gone. It was against everything she originally felt. He was her friend. Friend. Nothing more.

But deep inside her...a small flame was growing. And it added to the pain. It made it that much more difficult. Already, Discord's eyes were losing their color. His face was growing cold. Celestia felt his paw touch her cheek gently. She put her hoof on it and breathed in deeply. The end was near now. She felt his spirit fading away. His breath ceased. His eyes fell shut and his paw slowly dropped until it fell, lifelessly onto the bed. She could no longer feel the beating of his heart. Celestia dropped her hooves onto the ground and slowly backed away, shaking like a leave. A unicorn doctor approached Discord and examined him. She used magic to see an x-ray-vision image of his chest.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," she said. "He's gone." Celestia almost dropped to her knees again. All she heard was sobs all around her. The world closed in all around her. All of a sudden, she had an epiphany. Magic. Could it possibly bring him back? She whirled around and turned to her mother.

"Use your spell," she begged. Heal him! You can..."

"We already tried, Tia," her mother said gently. "The healing spells just weren't strong enough..."

"I'll...I'll heal him, then!" Celestia replied desperately. She started hyperventilating. She breathed hysterically, especially when the doctors were starting to pull the sheet over his head. "No! Stop! STOP!" she yelled. The doctors stared wide-eyed at her and obeyed her, dropping the sheet where it was. Celestia tried rushing back over to the bed, but her father put a magic force field in front of her to stop her. "I CAN HEAL HIM!" she screamed.

"Celestia!" said Orion a bit sternly. "Calm yourself."

"I WON'T!" she shouted defiantly. "I need to bring him back! I won't let him leave!"

"If we couldn't heal him, you certainly won't be able to, Tia," said Solina gently. Celestia hung her head when she realized this and stopped resisting her father's magic. The force field disappeared. Celestia started to cry again and sat down on the floor. "Dear," said her mother. "We're all in a state of grief. But there's nothing we can do. It's out of our hooves now. The best thing you can do is let him go."

"I....I can't...." Celestia replied, shaking some more. Luna came over to her to comfort her.

"Tia..." she said gently. It was only one word, but Celestia knew her sister was acting a lot more mature than she was right now. It was a way to say, "mother's right." And she was. But it was unacceptable. Celestia felt a wave of emotion come over her and three words slipped out. They were words that she never thought she'd say, but somehow her heart was speaking and not her mind. And they passed her lips before she could stop them.

"I LOVE HIM...." There was absolute, dead silence in the room. If a pin was dropped, it would've been loud. Celestia gasped a breath of air in complete, utter shock of what she just said. What was she thinking?! Why did she say that?! It...wasn't true...was it? Was that the flame developing inside her? Was that the very reason why she kissed him? Why she felt such guilt in it? It was against everything she always thought. What about Dream? What did she feel for him?! She thought that was love, but was it really? Did she really love Discord this whole time? Was she in denial? It was so confusing. Either way, why did she even announce it to her family? She hung her head to avoid the eyes staring at her.

"He's my friend..." she whispered as a recovery. Even if it was true, they couldn't know. SHE didn't even want to know. What did it matter? Her mother was right. He was gone and it was too late to save him.

"I know, dear..." said Solina gently. She, Orion, and Luna gathered around Celestia to comfort her. Then, she had another idea. She made her horn glow bright.

"Star Swirl!" she called out. "Please...help him!" Star Swirl did not appear, but his voice echoed in her mind.

"I cannot, child," he replied gently. "I had evaluated the situation and I knew there was nothing I could do."

"But you are so powerful," said Celestia pleadingly. "There must be a spell. There must be a way!"

"You have a strong heart, Princess," Star Swirl replied. "But you cannot put your faith in me. You must depend on yourself. There is a spell I have only witnessed once in my practice. It can bring Discord back, but the chances of it working are slim." A vision filled Celestia's mind. It showed a female unicorn using her magic on a dead colt. After the spell was cast, he came back to life. After the vision faded, Celestia knew what she needed to do.

"Do you think it will it work?" she asked hopefully.

"Do you, Princess?" Star Swirl replied.

"I have faith..." she replied. "I must hold on to one last hope. It's all I have now."

"You must have more than faith. I sense you have conflicting emotions deep within you, child. You must accept what you have ignored. You have love...the right power within you. Focus on that and it very well could bring him back and heal all wounds."

"I'll do it," she said confidently walking back over to the bed. The others in the room looked on, wondering what was going to happen. Celestia stopped at the foot of the bed. The vision made everything clear to her. And she promised herself she would make it work. She would beat the odds. She would bring him back. She took a deep breath and made her horn glow bright. She leaned her head forward, pointing her horn right over his chest. She breathed deeply again and poked her horn right into his chest. She heard Luna shriek a little in the background. The warmth in her horn increased and sparks flew off it. She closed her eyes and pleaded inside her head for it to work. She felt her stomach turning around and around. Her heart thudded in her chest. She held her breath, trying to force more magic into his heart, just even to make it beat again. She just needed him to breathe. To make the journey back to her.

But, as it would seem, Star Swirl was right. It wasn't working. Faith couldn't bring him back. Love could. But, what kind of love? He didn't specify. Either way, she loved him. He meant so much to her. Tears overflowed from her eyes as her strength started failing. No. She wouldn't quit. She wouldn't. She wouldn’t lose him. She backed up, lifting her horn out from his chest, and raised it high. It glowed so bright, the whole room was lit. It produced such a strong electric current; Celestia could feel it surging through her. It didn't hurt, though. Something was happening. She could feel it. It was working. She stretched out her wings. The current rebounded off them and covered Discord. She couldn't see much of what was happening now. There were so many colored bolts and lights flashing before her eyes. Then, one big ball of light appeared in the air, flashed and then just disappeared. She immediately felt relief. Had she really done it? Celestia approached the side of the bed and gazed down at Discord. Much to her amazement, he looked completely healed. Not a scratch anywhere. He looked like his normal self. She almost broke down crying again when his eyes fluttered back open and he breathed in deeply.

"He's alive!" she cried out, the most unspeakable joy filling her by the moment. Everypony rushed over to him in complete shock and happiness. Discord's eyes were fixed on Celestia. He smiled at her.

"You healed me..." he said softly. Celestia nodded and embraced him again. She kissed him on the cheek some more. He didn't say anything. Just smiled. "Don't you...EVER...leave me again," she said chuckling a little. In the midst of this blissful moment, she heard Star Swirl's voice again.

"You have done so well, Princess," he said. "But beware. His heart is rejuvenated, softened, and warmed by this spell, but a heart now this tender can easily break and become harder than stone. Watch that flame of darkness closely. It could grow. Beware."

"I will," Celestia whispered in reply. It didn't matter. As long as Discord was here with her, everything was all right. Here in his arms she felt the warmth returning to her chest. Her heart was light in this moment. She had him to cling to, even amidst these storms. She would miss Dream. He would stay in her heart, but at least she knew Discord would always be there for her. Always. And now...in this wonderful moment, more realizations hit her. The warmth grew even more inside her.

"You're the most amazing person...and...the most beautiful thing I will ever lay eyes on," she whispered, crying even more. And the flame grew too.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Author’s Note: I’m not crying. Romance just stings my eyes. :}

Confusion

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Chapter Thirteen

"Confusion"

Tears didn't fall from her eyes at Dream Catcher's funeral. Celestia knew she had shed all of them already. The pain was still tearing her apart inside, but as weeks went by, she managed to cope with life without him. She knew Discord was trying his very best to make sure she was doing all right. However, whenever the questions would arise of what exactly happened at Stargaze Peak, he never wanted to talk about it. Whatever happened was surely something that he wished to forget. She would see terror growing in his eyes whenever she asked about it. As more time passed, Celestia managed to gain bits and pieces of what happened. Dream slipped and fell to his death. She had gathered that much. Discord had regained his memories because a rock hit him in the head. How, he wouldn't tell her. As painful as she knew it would be to hear, Celestia wanted to hear the whole story. She couldn't even imagine why Discord kept most of it from her. The possibilities of what she thought might’ve happened scared her. She could only imagine the worst.

To make matters worse, rumors spread throughout Canterlot. It wasn't just the school-fillies whispering this time. It was everypony. And the gossip was all about Discord. As time went by, Celestia knew the other ponies' theory. And it was too dark for her taste. Dream's death was not an accident. To them, it seemed a bit suspicious that Discord and Dream were meeting at the peak. Considering everypony knew of the lovesick draconequus’s feelings toward the princess and his slight rivalry with Dream, the conspiracy theories unfolded in Canterlot.

Celestia tried her very best to avoid the gossip and stay focused on her studies, as she felt it would fade away in time. She was mainly interested in magic and what it could do. Sage Clover taught her many more spells and her mother stopped assisting her with the sun duties. Celestia found she was growing much stronger. Raising and lowering the grand morning star was effortless. When summer came again, she spent most of her precious free time with Discord, sometimes with Luna as well. The summer months seemed to fly by once again. However, as the leaves on the trees turned beautiful, warm shades of red, orange, and yellow, the talk amongst the other ponies never seemed to cease. Even though she attempted to keep herself preoccupied with different activities, it wasn’t long before she just couldn’t ignore it any more. There was something else she found she couldn’t ignore either. The incident in the hospital room when Discord almost died never left her mind. She constantly thought of that moment…of what she said. Of what she did. And her heart grew even more conflicted, confused, and troubled.

One particular day, Celestia found she couldn’t concentrate on her magic studies. Clover told her she needed to pull herself away from it for the rest of the day and week. She walked down the streets of Canterlot, eyeing the buildings that she passed. There were grand libraries, observatories, schools, and shops. Ponies of all kinds scurried around the town. Some of them paused to bow their heads at her. She would smile and nod sometimes. Other times, she would be too lost in her thoughts to respond. As she walked further toward the castle, a gentle gust of wind blew her hair around behind her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the gray and brown figure of Discord materialize there. He merrily greeted her and sighed.

“What?” she said chuckling at him as she fought to keep her curls out of her face.

“Oh, nothing!” he said crossing his arms. He turned his head and glanced over at a few other ponies. Their heads were turned toward each other and they were constantly glancing over their shoulder at them as they whispered away. Discord’s eyes narrowed and he sighed wearily.

“Umm…do you want to go to the lake?” Celestia asked quietly. Discord shook his head in response and his ears drooped. There was a short silence and the ponies scampered off.

“I’ll just…uh…” he said glancing off in a different direction. “I’ll see you later, Celestia.” Celestia nodded and he quickly left her by herself. Then, the realization hit her. This was going too far. The gossip. The talk. The humiliation. It had to end. How, though? She couldn’t single-hoofedly take care of this herself. She had to take this up with her parents. She entered the castle and walked down several corridors one-mindedly. Were her parents still in a political meeting at this hour? She didn’t care. This was important too. Besides, she had always wanted to sit through those important meetings one day. She approached the big doors leading to the private room where important meetings or plans for battle took place.

“Hello, Princess,” said one of the two guards in front of it.

“Hello. I’d like to go in, please,” said Celestia anxiously.

“Oh. Well…uhh…” said the other guard nervously. He glanced at the other one for help.

“Your parents are in a private meeting with the Sages, Princess,” the other replied. “It’s a closed meeting….”

“I know, but I’d like to go inside. There’s something important I hope to discuss with them,” Celestia replied impatiently. The guards shifted around nervously. “Am I your princess or aren’t I?” she said sighing, trying to be polite. She almost never exercised her power over the guards, but in a case like this, she felt like it was her duty to Discord to solve this issue. And that meant tackling it right now. Right here. Head on. No matter what she had to do. That statement made the guards instantly nod to her and slide to sides of the doors to let her in. She gently pushed the door open with her hoof and walked inside the room. The creaking of the big doors alerted the ponies in the room. They all glanced up from what they were doing and stared at her as she walked in. A pang of guilt suddenly overcame Celestia as she sheepishly entered the room. She figured they were irritated at her for interrupting them. However, much to her surprise, her father smiled at her welcomingly.

“Oh, hello, Tia,” he said gently. “Come to sit in on the meeting?”

“I…” Celestia replied nervously. She had never been so nervous speaking to her father. However, when he appeared in such a kingly position as now, it was a bit intimidating. “I wish to talk to you about something.”

“Oh, of course, dear…but…” King Orion replied looking around the room. “Can it wait a bit?” Celestia fidgeted and nodded reluctantly. She sighed and turned to leave.

“Stay if you want, Tia,” her mother said cheerfully. “I know you always talk about how interested you are in these things.” Celestia smiled a little and walked over to a seat right by her parents. Then, for the next few minutes, she listened to everything her parents and the Sages discussed. The topics seemed to run together, and in the end she wasn’t sure of who said what. However, at the time, it was quite boring…especially when she wasn’t even sure of what they were talking about half the time.

"What new information do we have on the zebras?"

"It appears they have come in from the southern lands, near the Everfree forest. Little is known about them...mostly stories."

"What sort of stories?"

"Some say they can perform strange incantations. Voodoo, some say."

"Hm...witch doctors? Sorcerers? Too dark for comfort. We should not trust them."

"Some have seen them coming and going from the Everfree. There are many dark, mysterious things there...creatures, plants. Perhaps they feel at home there."

"Hopefully more so than they do here."

"Keep an eye on them. However, we cannot jump to conclusions about anything."

"Agreed. What's next?"

"Ah...it would seem...after so many years, the water and fire dragons of the northern mountains have finally made peace." (See A/N #1)

"Huh! I should think it won't last too long..."

"I certainly never thought I'd see the day."

"Hard to believe...yes. However, they seem serious about it."

"If they are...it will be refreshing to someday see a water and fire dragon working together. Perhaps hatred has died away in them as well."

"We can hope!"

"Speaking of that...it appears that the gem dragons have become very useful. Star Swirl has taught us a ‘Fireline’ spell. We write a note and it will be sent through the magic fire of a gem dragon. Quite an easy and convenient method, I say!"

"Brilliant! That will go a long way!"

“A couple more things: the griffon colonies have made great progress in the eastern regions. And the wild buffalo herds are keeping their distance from us in the…western desert. They seem peaceful.”

“Good,” King Orion said nodding and smiling. “All seems to be going rather well. The stars have kept great correspondence with me. They are also twinkling brightly with happiness and harmony. There is peace in Equestria. I’d say…this meeting is adjourned.” The Sages nodded to him, got up, and left the room. The king and queen turned to Celestia. “Now, my Tia…this meeting is underway,” said Orion smiling. “What is it you wanted to talk to us about?”

“Well…it’s about Discord…” said Celestia , taking a deep breath. If she had been smarter, she would’ve planned what she wanted to say ahead of time while everypony was still talking. She paused a few seconds to think about the proper way to explain it. “After Dream Catcher…” Her voice trailed off and she hung her head a little. Her parents tilted their heads and their eyes grew soft with sympathy at the sudden wave of sadness that came over her due to the mention of his name. “Well…nopony knows what happened at Stargaze Peak except Discord. But…there has been talk in the town. Gossip. Hateful, glaring eyes. They think Dream’s death wasn’t an accident…and that Discord was responsible…and that I was cheating…and…and…” Celestia huffed in frustration and shook her head. “It isn’t fair!” She felt a bit like a little filly for saying that, but it was true. It wasn’t fair. The king and queen didn’t say anything but just nodded in understanding. “Have…have you heard the talk?” Celestia asked calmly.

“We’ve heard some things, yes…” Solina replied quietly.

“And we are not happy about what we are hearing,” said Orion. “This is not only concerning Discord but you as well.” Celestia nodded slowly. It was true, though she felt her friend was more important than she was at the moment. She was being made out as unfaithful to Dream before he died. What did the subjects see her as now? It painted a totally different picture of her.

“It’s gone too far now,” said Solina narrowing her eyes. “It has to stop.”

“That’s why I’m here…” Celestia replied quietly.

“This is the issue, Tia…” Orion said slowly. “Please don’t take this the wrong way. But…referring to what happened at the peak…we really don’t know what to believe at this point.” Celestia’s eyes grew wide.

“What are you saying?!” she said in surprise. “That you…you…believe the theories?!”

“Celestia, please…” said Orion patiently. “Just hear me out. We all love Discord. I think it highly unlikely he’d ever do anything intentionally to hurt Dream. But…just suppose for a moment…he snapped again. He had contained his power much more than before. Just think about it. Until he tells us what truly happened…we really can’t be sure of anything at this point.”

“But…” said Celestia standing up. “He wouldn’t! How could you say that? And how could you even consider the theories of a bunch of ignorant fools who don’t know him like we do?!” Orion sighed and looked down.

“Tia…we really just need Discord to tell us the whole story from beginning to end. It would bring a lot of closure. We could find a way to solve this problem and make things right again,” her mother said gently.

“It’s so painful for him to talk about…” said Celestia sighing. “Why make him do that? That would not be fair of you! You…you don’t even give him the benefit of a doubt.” Strange feelings of doubt and fear entered Celestia as she spoke. What if. What if it were true? What if something did happen at the peak that Discord would never tell her because it was he who caused it? Was that why there were no answers? Were hunches correct? Could the other ponies be smarter than they appeared? No. It couldn’t be. How could she think this way?! Was this how her parents were thinking at this point? It was probably unavoidable, but all the same, she wanted to beat herself up for thinking such things in this moment. He was her friend. He was also kin of Chaos. She very well knew there was a definite darkness inside him, but there was good too. And all she had always known was his good heart. She shook her head and looked at her parents in a look of disgust and anger. “Shame on you…” she said gruffly before she left the room.

She scurried down the hall as fast as she could. She knew she shouldn’t have said that and would most likely be punished for it, but it was almost necessary. She was saying it not only to her parents, but to herself. Friendship wasn’t easy, but it had to be fought for. She couldn’t doubt her friend. No matter what he was capable of. She knew him. She did. As she trotted down the corridors, not going in any particular direction, she almost ran into a certain purple alicorn who was prancing spiritedly along, not bothering to look where she was going, as her eyes were fixated on Discord who was walking beside her.

“Ooof! Oh…hehe…sorry, Tia,” Luna exclaimed sheepishly.

“What are you doing up, Luna?” Celestia asked seriously. “It’s late afternoon.”

“I couldn’t sleep,” said Luna annoyed. “So…I got up and found Discord because you had disappeared somewhere.”

“I was in an important meeting with mother and father, thank you,” said Celestia huffily. She was still on-edge.

“You all right?” Discord asked cocking his head.

“Yes…I’m just…uh….” Celestia replied sighing. Then, she told him and Luna what was happening and what the king and queen wanted of him. “This talk needs to end now, Dis,” she said calmly. “Everywhere we go…whenever we’re together…there’s always ponies talking. I wish it could go away…”

“So do I,” he replied sighing. His ears drooped again and he looked down sadly. “I’ll talk to your parents. I’ll tell them everything.”

“You don’t have to!” said Celestia surprised. “I know you don’t want to. I told them that they shouldn’t ask something like that of you.”

“No, I want to,” he said quickly leaving the room in a one-minded state. There was nothing she could say against this. She sighed and glanced at Luna.

“He’s very brave isn’t he?” said Luna smiling.

“I can’t believe he’s really going to talk to them,” said Celestia nervously.

“Maybe everything will get better now,” said Luna hopefully. She paused and looked intently at her sister. “Tia…” She gazed harder into her eyes. Celestia stared back quizzically. Just then, Luna’s face brightened and she grinned. “Aw…! You really, really LOVE-love him! You do, don’t you?! Just like at the hospital…when you admitted it.” She squealed and jumped up and down. Celestia looked at the ground and shifted around nervously. She had never really come to terms with her feelings. They were too confusing. In this moment, she felt the sharp prickle of a blush turn her cheeks a shade of pink.

“Luna…I…I don’t know…” she replied swallowing hard.

“Why not?” said Luna confused. “You said you did!”

“I…I was desperate. Delusional. I…I didn’t know what I was saying. It was all in the heat of the moment. I can’t expect you to understand, Luna,” she said quietly.

“I understand more than you think!” said Luna stamping her hoof. “Stop treating me like I’m a foal! Tia…you’re in denial! I can see it in your eyes how much you care for him. Stop trying to act like you don’t.” Celestia sighed and turned.

“I wonder what they will say…” she said in a desperate attempt to change the subject. After a split second of thought, she immediately started for the door. Luna galloped up behind her.

“Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?!” she said in shock.

“I need to hear it, Luna…” Celestia replied in determination. “I need to hear what happened.”

“Well! I never thought I’d ever see YOU do anything remotely wrong…” said Luna chuckling a little and rolling her eyes around. “But you still LOVE him…”

“Stop saying that…” said Celestia annoyed, feeling her face turning a deeper shade of pink and her heart beat faster.

“Nope!” Luna said defiantly strutting ahead of her, her head held high. “I’ll let the whole castle know! I’ll use the Royal Canterlot Voice! The whole kingdom will know!”

“DON’T YOU DARE!” growled Celestia.

“LET IT BE KNOWN…” Luna yelled in the booming, echoing voice that was used to address subjects. “LET EVERYPONY KNOW THE TURTH! TTTTIIIIIIIIAAAAAA LOVVEESSS DISCCOORRDDD…TTTIIIIIAAA…!” Celestia tackled Luna to the ground and placed her hooves firmly on her mouth to keep her from speaking anymore.

“Luna! I’m serious! Knock it off!” she said angrily. She felt her face turn redder when her eye caught some guards that were in the hallway let out a small chuckle. She figured a lot more heard it, though. Great. “Must you torment me like this?!” Luna rolled her eyes and squirmed around until she managed to flap her wings and break free from her sister’s hold.

“Come on, sister!” she said sighing. “It’s the truth. It is. And what’s stupid is that you’re the only one who can’t see it.”

“Think what you will,” said Celestia pushing the doors open with her hoof. “Just keep it to yourself.” Luna huffed and her lips flapped around like she was a deflating balloon.

“Fine…” she muttered as the two walked in the direction of the meeting room. The two alicorns paused outside the room and eagerly, (maybe a little too eagerly) put their ears up to the door to eavesdrop. The guards on either side of the door waited patiently without a word. They really couldn't reprimand them for it.

"Can you hear anything?" Celestia whispered.

"No," Luna answered smirking a little. "This is so wrong, you know." She glanced with sudden realization at the two guards. "You better not rat us out." She said making her horn and eyes glow. The guards nodded their heads vigorously and looked around the room nervously whistling and pretending they weren't there. Celestia pushed the doors open a tiny bit. Now she could hear voices.

"We know how hard this is, Discord..." That was Orion. "But...if you could just tell us from beginning to end exactly what happened with Dream Catcher, perhaps everything can get straightened out." There was a pause. Then, Discord spoke.

"I remember everything after that incident. I gained it all back. And now I remember who Dream always really was. He...he was never who anypony...not even Celestia thought he was." Then, the whole story poured out bit by bit. Celestia heard every word of it and it was not a happy tale. The picture Discord painted of Dream was NOT the Dream she knew. It was not the unicorn she'd known since foal-hood. It was not her boyfriend that she imagined marrying someday. It was a totally different person. A different soul. Who this pony was...was somepony...evil. There was no other word. Evil right down to the pit of his soul. Rotten to the core. And...HOW could that be Dream Catcher?! It wasn't possible. It couldn't be. The whole time, Celestia struggled to hold back tears of confusion, shock, disbelief, and anger. Discord bravely described in great detail what he endured at the peak and what happened to Dream. At one point, Celestia told Luna to leave because it was so graphic. Luna stood her ground, however. She was completely lost in the story as much as Celestia was. Very soon, the whole story had been told and it was over. There was a long, dead silence. The only sound Celestia heard for quite a while was muffled sobs she knew were her mother's. She was crying herself but tried not to make sound. Then, Orion cleared his throat.

"I knew that....Dream was never really kind to you, Discord. But...why do suppose he hated you that much?" There was another pause. Then, the last words Celestia ever expected to hear.

"Because I love your daughter, Sir." Celestia swallowed hard as she felt a warmth grow inside her and stomach start to fill with butterflies. She inhaled suddenly, almost a gasp and held her breath as she listened intently and worriedly to what her father would say to that.

"I see..." was the response. "Thank you, Discord. You may go now." Luna held her mouth open as she gazed with soft eyes at her sister.

"He admitted it...to father! He said it...so bravely!" she squealed. "You need to talk to him, Tia!"

"Shhh! He's coming...." Celestia spoke too late. The doors opened and Discord came into the hallway, looking sad. Celestia and Luna bowed their heads sheepishly.

"You heard?" he asked crossing his arms. They both nodded. He didn't look surprised or mad. Celestia shifted her eyes the floor, feeling sudden shame. Her face felt hot and she fidgeted around uneasily. She couldn't look him in the eye. Those bizarre eyes of his. Or...rather unique. After all, nopony else had a yellow tint to the whites of their eyes. Was this the first time she noticed them? That seemed unlikely. However, she felt as if she couldn't bear to look at them. She was certainly enthralled in them in this moment. Why? Were they that fascinating? This moment was just bizarre. No matter what she was feeling...she was sure of one thing: he was feeling the same thing because of how awkward this was. What to say? There was dead silence for a little bit.

"I'm sorry..." Celestia finally said quietly. "I had to know..." She swallowed hard.

"Now you know why I didn't want to tell you," Discord replied sighing. "And...I'm sorry too. I broke my promise. I used my powers at the peak...."

"Oh, Discord. Did I fail to mention that life or death situations that force you to use your powers really don't count as breaking your promise?" she replied chuckling a little to make the moment a little light-hearted. He smiled a little but still looked depressed about something.

"I'll...uh...see you later..." he said flapping wing wings. He flew low to the ground down the hallway. "Farwell!" he said, then left the room.

"Go after him!" Luna commanded sternly.

"No, Luna," Celestia replied sighing. She still felt so confused. She was feeling so many things in this moment.

"Why not?!" Luna demanded, stamping her hoof. "You love him. He loves you. Why can't you except it?!"

"I'm....confused," Celestia replied.

"You're stupid. As usual," said Luna gruffly. "You just don't get it, do you? You keep breaking his heart over and over again. All he's ever wanted is for you to take notice. To see past everything he is on the outside. To fall for him based upon his heart and everything he's done for us...for you! To love every part of him unconditionally in a way nopony else has ever been able to. And now...when you know all too well you're finally waking up out of your stupid, shallow trance...you don't even act upon it and go to him. Tia...it's meant to be. Don't you understand?! And I have to sit by and feel bad for Discord because he has to wait for you. A wait that will last forever...because of you!" Celestia stood still and stunned as Luna started crying and magic swirled around her. "The worst part is...he would never even consider somepony else. Not me. Never me. He's already given his heart and soul to you. Gift wrapped it and everything! I know...I know...that I'm too young and too...whatever. But it's still not fair. Because you don't even deserve him! If you're going to sit by like this blinded to the wonderful, amazing, special person I've always seen clearly behind all the chaos...then you really have a mental problem. Open your eyes, Tia! It truly isn't fair. Because it's YOU. It's always been YOU! It'll always be YOU!" Luna's eyes glowed a bright white and her appearance changed slightly. Her coat darkened into a deep midnight black. Her mane swirled around like smoke. She floated into the air as magic enveloped her.

"LUNA!" Celestia shouted in terror. "CALM DOWN! STOP IT! Please..." Luna let out a small whimper and all the darkness and power completely disappeared. Her eyes stopped glowing and she turned back to normal. She collapsed on the floor and sobbed quietly into her hooves. Celestia immediately rushed over to her sister and nuzzled her head. "Oh, little sister..." she whispered. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know you felt this way."

"I want to be like you so much because I look up to you," said Luna quietly. "I mean...you're the most beautiful filly in the world. And...you have the opportunity to have somepony special with you always. I wish you'd just go and make him happy. It would make me happy." Celestia smiled, kissed Luna's nose, and wiped away all the little alicorn's tears with her hoof.

"We'll see, okay?" she said softly. Luna sighed and nodded. "Luna...you mean a lot to me and mother and father and Discord. Don't forget that. You are very beautiful and special too. You'll have your time too. A nice, handsome colt will sweep you off your hooves. You are loved, Luna." Luna smiled brightly and hugged her sister.

"Thank you, Tia," she whispered. "But I'm still going to use the Royal Canterlot Voice and tell the whole kingdom about your undying love for Discord."

"All right, Luna. You may do that if you wish to experience instant death soon after," Celestia replied chuckling. Luna laughed.

"Come on! Promise me you'll talk to him about stuff and quit being confused soon. Promise," said Luna looking serious. Celestia sighed. She couldn't say no to those big eyes.

"All right. I promise." Luna smiled contently.

__________________________

"To all our loyal subjects. We are sending this decree to make this kingdom a better one. This decree states that ponies must not speak of what they do not know. We know that there is much hatred and distrust in this kingdom. But, this ends now. Starting tomorrow, anypony who is caught gossiping about somepony else by our guards will pay a fine of 5 bits! So, we suggest to only say what edifies others, not what brings them down...only so you can feel better about yourselves. We know you are better than this. And until we feel that this kingdom is kind and harmonious again, this decree is set in motion."
~King Orion and Queen Solina of Equestria

__________________________

Celestia galloped down the hall of stained glass windows with joy in her heart. A new law! She was so happy with the brilliant idea her parents had to solve their problem. It had only been put in place for a couple weeks now, but it had worked so well. Ponies held their tongues…as they wished to keep bits secured in their purses. Some were now calling this law The Talk Tax. Most complained about it, but Celestia thought it was a very good thing. She thought that ponies should not gossip to begin with. It only hurt others. Now, she had special plans for today. Plans to meet Discord by the lake.

She had a promise to keep to Luna. She had to sort out her feelings at last. She had to stop feeling confused. What to say, though? Her mind was drawing a blank. She galloped through the courtyard. The joy was still alive in her, even if she couldn’t decide what she should and should not say to him. In no time at all, she saw him sitting by the lake. It was nearing the time that the sun would set and her mother had given her the day off that day. She was glad for a break. Besides, she couldn’t truly appreciate the beauty of the sunset when she was in the process of causing it. Celestia trotted across the smooth green grass and approached the big weeping willow that arched over the lake. The green branches billowed slightly in a calm breeze. She inhaled the aromas of grass and clover and other sweet smells…the last smells of the dying summer.

“Hi,” she said gently as she paused right behind Discord.

“Hi,” he said turning his head. Celestia sat on the grass next to him and listened to the calming sounds of the water as it lapped at the edge of the bank. “What did you wish to talk to me about?” Celestia smiled and took a deep breath. She tried to appear cool and collected even though her heart was beating very rapidly.

“Things…are getting better, I think. Wouldn’t you say?” she said. Discord nodded slightly but his gaze was fixed on the water before them. He still had that sad look in his eyes. What was going through his mind these past few weeks? “There isn’t any more talk in town.”

“There are still glares,” he replied softly. She had to admit she never really noticed that as much as he probably did.

“Don’t let it get you down,” Celestia replied cheerfully. “Ponies can be mean.”

“Ponies are ignorant,” he said a little firmly. “No offense…” he then said smiling a tad. Celestia chuckled slightly and nodded her head. There was a short silence. Then Discord spoke some more. “Why do you still stick with me all the time, Celestia?”

“What do you mean?” Celestia asked raising an eyebrow and smiling. “I’m your best friend.”

“But…after everything…you don’t even mind….being seen with me?” he asked in disbelief.

“Of course not,” she replied laughingly. “Discord…no matter what happens I’ll always be true to you.” Discord smiled a little in response. There was another short silence. Celestia thought about if she should discuss…well…feelings with him at this point. What to say, though? It turned out, though she didn’t have to start the awkward conversation.

“Tia…” Discord said suddenly. “I know…that you heard what I said to your father. About…how I feel. And…well…I…”

“It’s okay,” Celestia replied quickly.

“No, it’s not,” Discord said. “Because I know you don’t feel the same way about me. I don’t want things to be awkward. I don’t want to ruin everything.”

“Don’t say that,” said Celestia putting her hoof on his paw. “It’s okay…”

“No,” Discord replied jerking away. “It wouldn’t even be right for you to love me. A creature of Order loving a creature of Chaos? That’s….well…ironically, the most discordant idea ever.”

“Well, maybe it is…” said Celestia shrugging. “But…it doesn’t matter. What if I told you…that…I think I feel the same way about you?”

“You’d be lying,” Discord replied. “You’d only be saying that to spare the inevitable: my heart being severely broken. It would be impossible for you to…”

“That’s not true,” Celestia replied. “Don’t say that…”

“Look…” said Discord pointing at the water. Celestia stared down at their reflections in the clear water. “Tia, if you had one wish…and you could have anything…what would you wish for?” Celestia paused a moment and then spoke.

“I don’t know, really. Maybe…I’d wish that…I could one day rule this land well and be loved by my subjects. What about you?”

“I’d wish that when I looked at my reflection…I’d see…” He paused. “Well…I wouldn’t see this.” Celestia was silent for a moment. She wanted to say something in response, but he started talking some more. “I don’t blame you, you know. No one can love this face. No one can love a monster…” At hearing those words, Celestia felt her heart completely melt. She felt her chest tighten in ache for him. Her eyes grew soft and filled with tears of sympathy and, yes, guilt. Luna was right. She was stupid. She was shallow. How could she have never even attempted to see passed his chaotic exterior? How could she have been so blind as to how incredible, amazing, and beautiful he was on the inside? Perhaps that one moment in the hospital when she told him he was beautiful was the only time in the whole three years she knew him that she truly was thinking straight. Now in this moment, she felt as if her eyes were more opened than ever before. She made her horn glow bright and shot a spark of magic into the water, disturbing it and distorting the reflection.

“Don’t talk like that,” she said emotionally in almost a whisper. “That is a lie. Don’t say such things about yourself. You’re not a monster. When you were dying in the hospital, you woke for a moment and I kissed you, remember? Afterward, I told those in the room that I loved you. I wasn’t even sure if I did at the time, but I didn’t want to lose you. No matter what kind of love I feel for you, it is love all the same. So, what you said is not true.”

“That doesn’t count,” Discord replied quietly. “You know what kind of love I mean. It’s not the same. Besides, you just didn’t want me to die. You’d never kiss me for real. Not because of love.” Celestia moved closer to him.

“You don’t think so?” she whispered. “Well…you’re wrong…” She gazed into his dewy eyes. The golden-orange glow of the sunset warmed their fur and shimmered off their faces. The light brightened their eyes and created such a warm, peaceful, alluring atmosphere. It made Celestia’s heart feel light. Her cheeks prickled with a blush as she leaned a bit closer to Discord.

“Don’t…” he whispered. “Not unless you truly mean it…” Celestia swallowed hard and her eyelids slowly started to flutter shut. She turned her head slightly and leaned forward some more. She could feel the breaths from his nostrils on her face. Her heart raced even faster and she could feel herself trembling slightly at the intensity of this moment. She was now excepting what she had always ignored…inching closer to what was perhaps…truly meant to be…

“Heeellloooo!” a voice called, making Celestia’s right ear twitch and her heart drop into her stomach. Her eyes shot open wide and she and Discord quickly turned their heads. “What are you guys up to?...” said an oblivious Luna, her eyes not exactly fixed on them until this very moment. Celestia felt her face turn a shade of red. She could see Discord turn red too out of the corner of her eye. Luna’s eyes grew a little wide in realization that she had unintentionally interrupted them. She blushed a little and chuckled a little sheepishly. “Beautiful sunset…isn’t it?” Celestia glared fiercely at Luna, shooting a killing look through her. Luna’s eyes grew big in an apologetic look that said “oops…”

TO BE CONTINUED…

(See A/N #1: That thing about fire and water dragons….yes…was a plug for my other story, “A Dragon’s Detour.” I couldn’t help myself but put a reference in there. ^_^ heheheh!)

A Night to Remember

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Chapter Fourteen

“A Night to Remember”

“Hold still, Luna!” Celestia exclaimed as performed a drying spell on her soaking wet sister.

“I can’t help it,” Luna squealed. “Tonight is the night! The night! The night!” She trembled in excitement as little droplets of water trickled down her fur. Celestia chuckled slightly as her horn glowed bright. The water lifted off of Luna and evaporated into the air. Luna’s fur and mane shined and shimmered in the light. The purple alicorn squirmed eagerly around in her chair in front of the mirror as Celestia gently stroked her mane with a brush.

“It certainly will be fun, won’t it?” said Celestia grinning ear to ear.

“Fun?” said Luna practically falling off the chair with her hyperactivity. “It will be amazing! It will be so…so…I don’t even know what! All sorts of ponies from all over the kingdom will be there and there will be dancing and music and food and…oh! It’s all so wonderful!”

“"Mother and Father officially called it The Grand Galloping Gala on all the invitations. Quite a catchy name."

"You're going to look so beautiful in your dress, Tia," said Luna dreamily.

"And so will you, Sister," Celestia replied. "I was a bit angry that Mother wouldn't show them to us ahead of time, but we will get to see them today, finally!"

"And wear them! And dance the night away!" Luna squealed. Her eyes opened wide. "Are you and Dis going to dance together? You better."

"Maybe," said Celestia smiling a little as a blush turned her cheeks pink. "If he asks me."

"Have you two talked at all about...you know what...ever since...eh...that moment by the lake...?" Luna asked growing sheepish as she mentioned it.

"No," said Celestia sighing. "I haven't really been focused on that. I'd like to get my studies out of the way."

"There's more to life than studying, Tia," said Luna rolling her eyes. "Didn't that 'more than friends' moment happen a while ago now? Like you two haven't had a moment alone since then."

"I try to avoid such moments now, Luna...since they will always probably get interrupted," said Celestia annoyed.

"Hey," said Luna drooping her ears. "I said I was sorry."

"Oh...no...I'm...I'm sorry, Luna," Celestia replied shaking her head and sighing. "I shouldn't blame you. I guess...I'm just..." She set the brush down on the vanity and turned away.

"What?" asked Luna turning around in her chair and setting her hooves of the back of it.

"I'm afraid," Celestia admitted.

"Of what?!" said Luna half laughing. "You both love each other. What's there to fear?"

"It's...complicated," replied Celestia turning back to her sister. "What if...it's not meant to be?"

"What do you mean?"

"Ever since that interruption, I've felt odd about even bringing the topic up again with him. Everything is back to normal. We're the best of friends. Closer than ever. But...perhaps we should stay happy that way. Stay...just friends."

"What?! No! Tia..." said Luna, practically falling off the chair.

"Listen to me, Luna," said Celestia sighing. "I'm afraid that...if we pursue a relationship...I...I don't know. I'm just worried. Star Swirl told me after I healed Discord in the hospital...that his heart could be broken easily because of that spell. What if something comes between us? What if it has to end? He'll be devastated. It won't be pretty, Luna. I have to consider the possibilities."

"But Tia..." said Luna. "You can't sit by and let a chance just slip passed you. There's no sense in not even trying when you don't know the future. You have to take risks. You can't worry. You have found true love. It's here...in this castle! Something like this doesn't happen every day." Celestia looked down and didn't respond. Then, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," she said turning her head and quickly forming a smile across her face. A guard entered the room.

"Your Highnesses...the Queen is ready with your gowns." The conversation the two had been having melted into oblivion when they heard that. They gave a gleeful look at one another and followed the guard briskly into the ballroom. Decorations were already being hung on all the walls, and the floor was being thoroughly swept and polished by busy servants. Queen Solina turned to Celestia and Luna as they trotted into the room.

“My daughters,” she said grinning. “I give you…your gowns.” She stepped to the side and behind her were a pair of the most beautiful dresses on pony mannequins that Celestia and Luna had ever laid eyes on. Luna’s dress was a beautiful baby pink. There was a sparkling, transparent covering over the skirt that was purple on the top and faded into a dark blue at the bottom. Diamonds lined the bottom of the dress and the shoes were clear, glasslike slippers. It took the little alicorn’s breath away. Her eyes widened and glistened in sheer surprise and bliss.

“Oh, mother! It…it looks like the sky when I begin to raise the moon at night!” she exclaimed. “It’s…so amazing!” Then, Celestia turned her gaze to her gown and her jaw dropped. Celestia’s dress was the color of the clear blue sky on a cloudless day. The skirt was long and wavy and it shimmered and sparkled at the bottom along with her shoes. It reminded her of times when she would gaze at the lake and see the sun as it was reflected on the water. Oh, how beautiful it was when it glistened across the lake. Magic had to be involved in capturing such beauty in a piece of fabric. She was completely speechless. Her mother smiled at her and Luna. No words were needed at this time. The visible emotions on their faces sustained the moment. It would be a night to remember. There was no doubt.

__________________________

Discord followed the guards into the ballroom in great anticipation. King Orion had summoned him into the ballroom. He assumed it was to show him the suit he’d be wearing that evening at the gala. On his way into the room, Celestia and Luna trotted by, squealing and giggling, probably in their girlish anticipation of the dance that night. Celestia briefly locked eyes with him as she passed him, which made his heart skip a beat. He was already imagining how she would look at the party that evening. Probably ten times more beautiful than she already was. He scurried behind the guards into the grand ball room. King Orion, in all his regal glory stood tall and proud before him, smiling down at the draconequus kindly.

“Hello, Discord,” he said cheerfully. “I have a gift for you.” He stepped aside to reveal a smart black and white tuxedo. It was equipped with a bowtie and some red accents in the front, along with coattails trailing along the back of it. It was certainly fit for a ball, and looked as if it were tailored specifically for Discord’s body shape. “This…is what I wore at my wedding,” Orion explained. Discord blinked in surprise.

“You want me to wear it?!” he said.

“Yes,” Orion replied. “I had it tailored for you. I believe it is your time to step out in the spotlight. This is your moment.”

“I…I don’t know what to say,” Discord stuttered. “Thank you, sir. I couldn’t possibly…”

“Under a king’s order…you’ll wear it,” said Orion winking. Discord beamed. He looked back at the outfit. It wasn’t meant for him. It was meant for someone as great as Orion. He didn’t deserve it. He had not once even considered wearing something such as this to look…handsome. He laughed a little inside. That word wasn’t even in his vocabulary. He looked down a little in defeat. He could never live up to something so great. He could never even impress Celestia. Was this truly his time, though? Was Orion correct when he said that? Could he put aside all his fears and conflicts and worries and insecurities for one night and take a chance with the girl he loved? Could she ever truly love him like he never believed she could? Orion seemed to almost read his mind, what with the saddened expression on his face.

“You know, Discord, life doesn’t make sense sometimes. In fact…the very life we think we creatures of Order understand becomes quite chaotic. Logic doesn’t always play a part in the choices we make and the dreams we pursue. I find…one of life’s greatest mysteries…or miracles is love. Love is discordant. Love is complicated. But it’s also worth it. Solina and I fell in love before we were betrothed because we decided, against all odds, we would be together, even though we were on opposite sides of the spectrum. It was risky. It was illogical. It was ridiculous. It was love.” Discord listened intently to the king’s wise words, thinking them over. “So, Discord…I understand you are in love with my Tia.” At this point, Discord looked down at the ground and winced. He had wished Orion wouldn’t have brought it up ever since he admitted it to him.

“Yes, sir…” he said in the most inaudible voice ever.

“As I said before, Discord. Tonight is your night. I must say, in the time we have gotten to know you, I have seen that you are a good, kind, caring friend to my girls…and are well deserving of my daughter. And tonight…my advice to you…is to follow your heart and see what happens.” Discord looked up in shock and blinked in surprise. King Orion smiled down at him. Discord was at a complete loss for words, so he leaned in and hugged Orion. The king chuckled and put his hoof around the draconequus affectionately. This truly would be a night to remember.

_________________________

Scores and scores of ponies were already pouring into the ballroom. The king and queen were greeting the guests. Meanwhile, Luna and Celestia were getting the finishing touches on their makeup.

“I want to get into my dress already!” said Luna impatiently. “I don’t want to go to the gala naked!”

“We walk around naked all the time, Luna,” said Celestia rolling her eyes.

“Well…good point,” said Luna sighing. “But still! This is very special. I’ve never done anything like this before!”

“Me neither,” said Celestia. “And we can share it together, sister!” She and Luna bumped hoofs.

“I won’t be the only one you’ll share it with,” Luna said in a teasing voice.

“I told you not to bring that up again,” said Celestia annoyed.

“I’m just saying…you need to stop worrying and just follow your heart,” said Luna shrugging.

“Drop it, Luna.”

_______________________

It was almost time for the princesses’ grand entrance. The crowd of ponies in the ballroom seemed to be growing impatient as they were waiting. Discord stood by Orion and Solina, growing very uncomfortable in his tuxedo. The many ponies crowded around the hot room were turning his outfit into a furnace. He sighed wearily and played with his bowtie in anticipation. Perhaps his perspiration was all due to his nerves, but he was almost thankful the amount of heat in the room covered for him. Solina smiled at him.

“You look so striking, Discord,” she said sweetly. “Orion was right to put you in that tuxedo. It fits you perfectly too!”

“They did a good job,” Orion commented. “Does he look nearly as good as I did at our wedding, Solina?” he said winking.

“Oh, stop, it, Orion,” said Solina chuckling. “You both are very handsome men. Now…I wonder where my beautiful girls are…”

“Does it really take them that long?” Orion questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course, dear,” said Solina incredulously. Discord and Orion looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

“Girls…” Discord muttered. At that moment, a servant stepped out from a hallway onto a platform with stairs at the bottom of it. A spotlight appeared over the pony and the whole ballroom immediately quieted down.

“Mares and gentlecolts, may I present to you…in our first ever Grand Galloping Gala…your princesses. Princess Luna!” The pony stepped backwards out of sight and there was a pause. Then, a purple alicorn stepped into the spotlight. She, however, was not the silly little Luna Discord knew. She was dressed in pink and purple and blue and sparkled all over. Her hair was wavy and pulled onto one side. A white flower was right below her ear. Her makeup made her look so much older. Everypony in the room was instantly whispering and stomping their hooves with how pretty she looked. Luna walked down the steps and joined her parents and Discord.

“Luna, you look beautiful,” said Solina nuzzling her.

“Thank you, mother! I love my dress so much,” Luna exclaimed.

“You are so pretty, my Lu,” said Orion sighing.

“Yeah, Luna. You look very, very pretty,” said Discord smiling. Luna grinned and fluttered her wings in excitement.

“Wait until you see Tia,” she responded. “She’ll be along…”

“And…Princess Celestia…” the announcer said. Once again, the room fell completely silent. Discord felt his heart leap out of his chest several times. He held his breath in great anticipation. They waited…and waited…and waited some more. Nothing happened. The announcer stepped back on stage again, an apparent look of confusion on his face. “Ahem…uh…may I present…Princess Celestia!...” More silence. More seconds went by with nothing happening, and each second felt like an eternity. The king and queen whispered to each other in confusion. Discord swallowed hard and more sweat appeared on his brow that he desperately tried to wipe away. After what felt like a million years of waiting, but was only a few seconds, a glimpse of a figure appeared. The white alicorn princess slowly…slowly and seemingly…shyly made her way into the center of the stage. By this time, all the ponies in the room weren’t watching the stage very intently and all turned their heads to look. As soon as they did, gasps were heard all around the room. Discord’s eyes grew wide and he felt his heart stop. Literally stop.

Princess Celestia…in true royal fashion was standing before him this very moment. And she was…beyond beautiful. Beyond regal. Beyond stunning. Beyond anything he could ever picture in his wildest dreams. She was an angel. She was perfect. Her coat seamed to glow as the light softly kissed it. Her shining pink mane was pulled up on the top of her head and curls flowed down onto her shoulders. Her violet eyes sparkled as she gazed at the crowd before her. Her dress shimmered like the lake did when the sun reflected off of it. Her wings raised up slightly, which made her look even more heavenly. Her cheeks flushed a pink. Even in a state of such unbreakable beauty, she was blushing humbly. And yet…she was perfect. Discord was in such a state of awe, he couldn’t be sure if the crowd applauded or not. His hearing failed him. His throat closed up on him. His vision could only see her…nothing else. The rest of his body turned numb and his insides turned to mush. Next thing he knew, she was walking up to him. Her lips moved slightly as she spoke to him. Wait…what did she say? Was this really Tia?! Was this his best friend?! He didn’t even recognize her. And he always thought she was amazing. Now she was beyond amazing! How that was even possible, he didn’t know.

“Wh…what?” he said, stuttering. He winced under his breath.

'Idiot!' he thought. Celestia giggled.

“I said…’you look very handsome, Discord,’” she repeated.

“Oh,” he said feeling his face turn red. “Th-thank you. You…you…look…so beautiful…uh! Princess Celestia…” he said bowing. Celestia raised an eyebrow at him.

“It’s just me, Dis,” she said chuckling. “Tia. Remember? You don’t have to be formal.”

“It’s a gala, isn’t it?” said Discord crossing his arms. “I believe that is customary in the presence of royalty.” Celestia giggled again. There was a silence. The two looked around the room nervously. In fact, they were pretending to look everywhere else but at each other. Actually, Celestia really did notice one thing.

“Luna,” she said, nudging her sister. “I see a colt over there who has his eye on you.”

“Really?” said Luna glancing over and grinning. “Should I go talk to him?”

“Well…” said Orion narrowing his eyes.

“Yes! Go on…” said Solina winking at her. Orion fidgeted and sighed. Luna trotted off. “Come, dear. I see the Sages wish to speak with us,” said Solina nudging Orion away. She winked at Celestia before they left. Discord could hear music starting to play. It was slow, soft music. Pony couples were heading out onto the dance floor already. Now was the time.

“Princess…” he said softly as he approached her. He sighed and took her hoof into his lion paw. He looked her in the eyes. His stomach twisted and turned into knots that almost made him want to throw up. Instead, the words came out. “May I have this dance?” A big smile spread across Celestia’s face.

“Of course…” she said quietly.

The music carried them away. Discord couldn’t remember much about the dance. All he knew was, it was nothing short of magical. There was no dialogue between him and Celestia, but actions spoke for themselves. At one point, she rested her head on his shoulder. He felt at ease here. It was a wonderful place. Even if it had to end…even if they never would be together truly…at least he knew he would always have this moment to keep in his heart. He held her in his arms…the one he always loved and would always love. Chaos and Order shared a waltz as the moon and stars came out over the Canterlot castle. When it was over, the two decided to go out on the balcony. The two stood in silence for a few minutes. They simply gazed at the stars. Discord saw a shooting star streak across the sky.

“They say that falling stars grant wishes,” said Celestia quietly. “Maybe we can have those wishes we made by the lake that day…” She was hinting. He knew it. They needed to talk about it. It was unavoidable.

“Maybe,” he said quietly.

“Do you still stand by your wish?” Celestia asked him, cocking her head. Discord didn’t answer. “I hope you don’t,” she said.

“If you were me…wouldn’t you?” he asked gently.

“Not if…I knew…” she replied.

“Knew what?”

“Not if I knew that I was loved the way I am…” said Celestia. “Not if I knew that somepony fell in love with me…for who I was on the inside and still loved and excepted how I was on the outside.”

“Don’t speak in riddles,” said Discord sighing.

“I thought you liked riddles,” said Celestia annoyed. “Considering that’s all you’ve ever been doing. At least that one time at the lake…I tried to make an effort to change things. You never did!”

“If you were a freak of nature you wouldn’t either!” Discord yelled at her. Celestia’s eyes welled up. She turned to him and approached him.

“Will you never believe me?” she whispered.

“It’s too good to be true…” he whispered back.

“What can I do than, Discord?” Celestia shouted, tears rolling down her cheeks. “What can I do to make you believe?!” There was silence. Discord looked down at the ground and his throat closed up again. He felt his heart breaking. Things could never change. They couldn’t. He couldn’t believe Orion anymore. It was all a lie. Love didn’t exist here. Not with him. It never would. He figured he should give up now. He shouldn’t cause her or anypony else anymore pain. It wasn’t worth it. He shifted his eyes up to look at her again. He would simply leave. Or should he say something? Either way, everything was crashing down around him again….

Suddenly, the most impossible thing happened. The last thing he ever expected occurred. Celestia, tears still pouring out of her eyes and stepped closer to him, and in one sift motion…kissed him on the lips. Discord felt his heart stop for the second time that evening. He blinked in surprise until his eyelids fell shut and stayed shut. He could never have described what the moment was like, but it was unlike anything else. The world slowed to a stop around them. It felt as if a warm current of energy flowed through them…almost magic…and maybe it was. But it was a kind of magic that could only be found in such a moment of passion. Discord was still in shock even now. Tears flowed from his eyes. It was…impossible. And yet…here she was…finally his. It had to be a dream. There was no denying it was. After a few seconds, the two pulled away. Celestia’s deep eyes sparkled like dew. Her tear-stained face gleamed in the moonlight.

“I love you…” she whispered. “And I don’t care what may happen. I don’t care what they say. I don’t care what you are or who you are or how chaotic you are. Discord…I love you. I want us to be together.”

“I love you too,” Discord replied, feeling his throat still quite choked up. “But you already knew that.” Celestia chuckled between tears of joy and nuzzled him. Everything was here. What more could he want now? It would take him forever just to realize it wasn’t a dream. Chaos and Order were together. It was a romance unlike any other the gods had witnessed. And it was far from over. For…that night as the two stood side by side on the balcony beneath the starry sky, the stars started speaking in hushed voices…and then fell silent altogether.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Forevermore

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Chapter Fifteen

“Forevermore”

A smile managed to creep its way across her face. It was a genuine smile that was accompanied by a brightened face and rosy cheeks. The memory was too sweet not to smile about. However, she smiled amidst the pain tightening inside her chest. Their first real kiss-how could she forget it? Her eyes fluttered shut in this moment, perhaps in an attempt to relive it…to savor the passion once again. However, it was all in a desperate attempt to ignore what occurred afterwards. Oh…how far from over this flood of memories was. It was only just beginning, for her. And what was to come…was nothing happy. Not in the least.

Celestia sighed and blinked her violet eyes. No tears. Not now. For a moment, her mind drifted away from the statue before her, containing the entity she loved, and it turned to somepony else…Luna. At this very moment in time, her little sister was in her chambers sleeping soundly without a care in the world. She was glad for this. At least Luna would be completely oblivious as to what would happen today and wouldn’t have to feel the pain she was now feeling.

Now, she silently recalled the next few years. She called them the magic years. The reason being, she and Discord were inseparable. Their relationship was stronger than ever. And, of course, they were officially boyfriend and girlfriend. Perhaps the subjects of the kingdom and the ponies in Canterlot were not particularly fond of their romance, but they learned to get used to it. Seeing them together became a very common thing, just like seeing the sun rise and set every day. This was another period of time that seemed to fly by in Celestia’s mind. Just like the three happy years she shared with Discord and Luna before the dark years, these were pretty uneventful when she looked back now. It seemed like times of bliss were the most unforgettable. This, of course, saddened her. But after all that had happened, times like that were not deemed as important in her memory.

“One thing I do remember…was…” she said aloud to the statue. “When we graduated from school, you got honors. That was such a big accomplishment for you and I was so proud of you. It was so nice to complete school with you right there by my side the entire time. Nothing in her mind could've made that time sweeter. Now, she could already feel more pain enter her chest. What happened after the magic years ended was what spawned all of this pain. Celestia knew it was not nearly as intense as the pain that the stiff, silent draconequus before her was feeling. As much as he probably would end up ignoring it today and find new ways to make their past a light-hearted joke, she knew better. Discord's heart continued to throb through the wall of stone. The time of his escape would be soon. She knew it. And it made her stomach twist into knots. Celestia sighed and shut her eyes tight again. The next full memory that crept into her mind was the day that should never have been.

"I remember it like it was yesterday," she said. "We had celebrated a few birthdays between you, me, and Luna. But...the day of my twentieth birthday was when everything changed and spiraled out of control. It may have been the best birthday ever...but in the end...it turned out to be the worst day ever. If I could go back..." Her voice wavered and she swallowed hard. "It would've been different. I didn't know...I didn't know..." The flood took over once again.

_________________________

The light seeped into the bedroom window and almost seemed to kiss her face. Celestia felt her body transition out of the blissful world of dreams. Her eyelids fluttered open and a smile instantaneously appeared on her face. The feeling of sleeping in…not having to worry about the sunrise was wonderful by itself, but the fact that she knew it was her birthday made it much sweeter. Twenty. It would be odd saying that number now, as it was odd saying a new number every year. What cheered her up the most about today was that she had no worries. There would be no big celebrations today. She had never been extremely comfortable at large gatherings centered on her. Even if she was a princess, she was still humble. Today would be a relaxing break. As much as she hated shirking responsibility, it was nice to not have to worry about her royal duties for one day out of the year.

Celestia climbed out of bed and stretched out her long limbs and wings. Her long, pink mane fell down one side of her neck, covering one eye. After she tackled the tangles with a brush, she left her chambers and trotted down the castle halls. Many a guard wished her a happy birthday along the way. She entered the dining room to find her family at the table. They instantly greeted her with smiles and birthday wishes.

“Twenty,” said Solina shaking her head. “Look at you. Tall as me now. Beautiful as ever. You’ve grown up into a lovely mare, my Tia.”

“Indeed, but you’ll always be my little pony,” said Orion nuzzling her cheek. Celestia smiled.

“Thank you, Mother. Thank you, Father. But please do not make such a big deal about today! It’s just another wonderful day.”

“Yeah. A wonderful day where you get presents!” Luna piped in, levitating a gift box up to her sister’s chest. Celestia smiled at her little sister. But then, she wasn’t so little anymore. She was fourteen now. Much taller. She had long legs just like all the other members of their family. Though, Celestia was sure Luna would never catch up to her in height and she was secretly glad for that. At least she had that to brag about. Luna had become very beautiful in the past four years. She was certainly not a little filly anymore. She was turning into a young mare every day, (much to Orion’s dismay.) Many a colt had their eye on her. Celestia used her magic to open the gift and smiled when she saw a beautiful necklace and matching shoes.

“Oh, Luna! These are beautiful! I love them!” she exclaimed. She immediately put them on. “They fit perfectly.”

“I made them,” said Luna beaming. “Are you sure the shoes fit?”

“They do,” said Celestia. “And I really love how they look. Is that why you’ve been staring at my hooves a lot lately?” she asked smirking and raising an eyebrow. Luna chuckled.

“It was very hard to get them just right. You don’t know how hard it is to measure somepony’s hooves when they’re asleep.” Everypony in the room laughed.

“Now, Celestia,” said Solina grinning. “Your father and I have a present for you, as well.”

“Mother!” said Celestia crossly. “I thought I made it clear I wasn’t going to accept gifts from you two. You’ve done enough for me already. I don’t need anything else.”

“We know, Tia, but we love you so much, and your birthday only comes once a year,” said Orion.

“Besides,” said her mother, levitating a box from behind her back. “I think it will be hard to refuse this one.” She set the box on the ground and it began to wiggle. Celestia cocked her head at it in confusion. There was a sharp “peep!” and a little head popped up out of the box, knocking the lid off. It was a baby phoenix! It was small and had red and gold feathers that seemed to glow like flames. Celestia gasped.

“Oh!” she exclaimed, gently nudging her hoof down to the small bird. The baby phoenix peeped again and hopped up onto her hoof, trying to flap its small wings to fly a little. Celestia was ecstatic. She didn’t know what to say.

“You should see your face!” said Luna chuckling.

“She’s all yours,” said Solina smiling. “We know how fascinated you are with the phoenix nests around here. This one fell out of its nest. Luna found the egg in the garden and we had the servants keep it warm and watch over it.”

“We all agreed you’d love to keep it when it hatched,” said Luna.

“And because your birthday was approaching, we thought it would be the perfect present,” said Orion.

“Oh! I had no idea! This is the best surprise ever!” Celestia said in bliss. She gazed with awe and adoration at the tiny bird looking up at her. “She’s perfect!”

“What will you name her?” Luna asked.

“Philomena,” said Celestia, nodding in certainty.

“That’s a lovely name,” said Solina.

“I’m sure you will love having her,” said Orion.

“Oh, I already do!” Celestia replied giggling as Philomena hopped up her leg and perched on her shoulder, affectionately rubbing her head against her neck. “Thank you so much.” The day was already off to an amazing start.

“Any special plans for today?” asked Luna winking.

“Oh, maybe…” said Celestia sighing. “Dizzy wants to do something special for me today. You know he insisted on it.”

“Diiiiizzzyyy????” said Luna rolling her eyes and turning a shade of green. “Oh….brother…”

____________________________

Perfect. Everything had to be perfect. No cutting corners. No cheating. Working hard would be the only way to make everything flawless. Today had to be the best day of her life. He planned on it. He had his heart set on making her truly feel like a princess. No…a queen. In this moment, Discord couldn’t help but tap his claws on the mahogany table before him. He just had to run his plans over in his mind once again. This was the easy part, for sure. A lunch date was nothing he couldn’t handle. However, cooking it. That was another story. And no chaos to speed things up. That didn’t make it easier for him. He wanted to do it on his own though. It would be worth it. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t ignore how much his heart was about to burst. And it was only early afternoon. He couldn’t think about anything else but now. He knew that. Today would be unforgettable. It would be the best. The absolute best.

________________________________

When Celestia came into the dining room again at exactly noon, she came into a very chaotic atmosphere. The disgruntled draconequus before her was desperately trying to fix their lunch and it wasn’t turning out as well as he had probably hoped. She couldn’t help but chuckle at him. He turned and looked at her and tried a sheepish smile.

“Hello, Darling,” he said sighing. “This…heh….did not turn out perfect…but…uh…” Celestia grinned and tried to hold back a smile as she stared down at the pink apron and oven mitts he had on. “Oh! These? These….” He said blushing. “Uh…this was all they had. I was…” He quickly removed them and narrowed his eyes. “They really need more masculine cooking supplies in there.” Celestia laughed and took a seat at the table. Discord set down a salad and a bowl of soup in front of her and set down a plate of partially burnt rolls in the middle of the table.

“Mmm! This looks…good,” she said smiling a little sadly.

“Oh. You are such a bad liar!” said Discord sighing. “I’m sorry, Tia. I really wanted this to be…”

“It’s fine, Dizzy,” she replied sweetly. “I love that you did all this for me. You’re too nice.”

“Well, Your Highness, might I wish you a very happy birthday indeed,” he said bowing low and kissing her hoof. The two ate and chatted a bit, laughed together, reminisced, and exchanged romantic dialogue. After their chaotic lunch was finished, the two got up and Celestia prepared to leave and take a walk through town. “I wish I could go with you, but I have quite a lot to do still,” said Discord gently stroking her hair with his paw.

“What are you up to?” said Celestia raising an eyebrow at him and smiling. Discord returned a sly smile. “You’ll find out later.” Celestia sighed and kissed him.

“I’ll see you later,” she said turning to the door.

“At the lake. Sunset. Don’t be late, now. You wouldn’t want to miss your own party,” he replied smiling at her, his eyes twinkling. Celestia smiled back and left the dining room. She felt like the luckiest mare in the world.

________________________

After she had taken a rejuvenating walk through the Canterlot streets, Celestia found herself resting contently on the balcony outside her chambers. She sighed as the bright sun caressed her fur. The warmth of it, almost like a hug from a dear friend, made her feel true joy. Her horn glowed slightly in response. She smiled as she remembered how friendly and respectful the subjects had been today. She loved being around them. She did. She knew they were looking up to her. And she knew that one day, she would rule the kingdom with Luna. Now that she was getting older, she had more responsibility. She was always glad to accept it, though. Her heart was always in everything she did and was instructed to do. Being a royal was not about the glamour to her. It was about the lives of all those ponies. In this moment, she realized even more how lucky she was.

Her eyes shifted to the grassy lawn below her. She spotted Discord scurrying along, up to something. Whatever he was doing, he looked determined. She watched him trudge up to the small cottage by the lake and disappear into it. He had built the small house a couple years ago. Though he lived in the castle, with so many ponies around all the time, he needed a place to be alone and think. Their favorite spot by the lake was the perfect place to build it. She chuckled under her breath as she watched him. Oh, how lucky she really was. Every day felt like a new adventure. Every moment with him by her side felt like a tranquil haven of peace, love, and happiness. He gave her so much. Really, what did she have to give in return? She could never be so amazing as he.

In fact, he always did too much. He truly wanted her to feel like royalty. He almost worshiped the ground she walked on. And…she? She certainly loved him unconditionally, but she began to realize in this moment, it could never truly compare to the love he had for her. It was certainly true. She silently recalled her doubts that one night four years ago at the Gala. If she hadn’t taken the plunge. If she hadn’t kissed him. Things would be so different now. What did she have to fear? Everything was perfect. There was no other word for it. Everything was so harmonious.

Celestia, in this warm, relaxing moment on the balcony, found herself in a state of calm serenity. It passed all understanding and made the very floor her hooves were on feel nonexistent. She had closed her eyes, taking in the sun and letting her magic out a little to keep calm and relieve any remaining tension. She inhaled deeply as all these thoughts and feelings enveloped her. An unspeakable joy came over her. Her eyes welled up with tears, even. The warmth in her chest continued to grow. She opened her eyes only slightly, not fully aware. Not noticing that something was happening to her. In too much of a trance to think about what was unfolding. Her eyes gazed into the burning sun. It seemed to shine directly at her. Her horn glowed brighter than it ever did before. Still not quite aware, Celestia noticed several orbs of colored lights floating around her. Orange, yellow, blue, white, pink, violet. The violet one was the brightest of them all.

It took a few moments for everything to sink in. She felt quite dazed in this moment. Things somehow didn’t feel out of the ordinary. It felt happy. Serene. Calm. It felt like all was right with the world. However, something was thrown into the mix. It was called fear. A giant wave of panic suddenly came over Celestia and her mind returned to her. She gasped as her eyes darted all around. The reason why she felt so light was because she was floating of the ground. Magic of all colors was swirling around her. The orbs were doing the same. A pinkish purple spot over her chest where her heart was started to glow as well. She didn’t know what was happening to her. This was unlike anything in magic she had ever experienced before.

The sparks of light began to swirl all around her body. Something was changing now. She could feel it. Suddenly, she was unable to move. She felt held in place by a force. She was still as a statue in midair. The magic continued its way around her. Her whole body felt like it was being pricked. Almost like pins and needles all over giving her a tingling sensation. The next feeling that came was scratchy. This hurt slightly, but it wasn’t bad. It almost felt good. Like the magic was scraping dead layers of skin and dust off of her and leaving her coat shiny and polished. This didn’t go on for too long. But the last step of this weird transformation was the most frightening. The light flashed before her eyes and she felt it enter her nose and mouth. It felt like breathing in a warm mist. However, after this, she felt an icy cold sensation in her chest. This scared her. She gasped slightly because she could almost feel like her throat was closing up on her. It only lasted a few seconds though and she inhaled deeply, feeling much better.

However, when she did inhale, it was unlike anything she had experienced. It felt as if she had never breathed before and she was now feasting on the oxygen around her. It felt like her whole being was new. Like a shell had been ripped off of her and now she was a new Celestia crawling out of it. The warm sparks left her. The lights faded away. She felt her hooves gently bring her to a landing. She gasped over and over again in an attempt to figure out what happened to her and why she was feeling this way. She turned her head every which way to examine herself. She was shocked to discover that the magic had altered her appearance. Her mane and tail were not just pink anymore. They had sparkling streaks of blue, violet, and a greenish color too. And they flowed and billowed like her parents’ hair did in a forever, ongoing breeze that wasn’t there. Her white coat seemed to glisten in the sunlight now. She always hated admitting when she looked pretty. But now she was not so ashamed to admit to herself that she looked beautiful. But…why? As she was trying to piece together what happened, a few minutes later, she heard a voice.

“Celestia.” That was her mother. It was a telepathic message. “Come to the throne room immediately. This is urgent.” She must know. Her mother must know what happened to her. Celestia teleported with ease into the throne room, confusion and worry already setting in. As soon as she materialized in the throne room, she immediately noticed the odd look in her parents’ eyes. It looked like a combination of things. Joy amidst sorrow. Surprise amidst grief. Celestia’s felt her heart sink. What was happening?

“Oh, dear,” said her father, his eyes widening when he saw her. “Oh, Tia. So…it is true.”

“It’s happened,” said her mother, tears filling her eyes.

“What’s happened?!” Celestia cried, her heart racing in fear. “Do you mean what happened to me? I look different! First thing, I was standing on the balcony and then magic enveloped me and then….then…I felt…so…” She couldn’t finish the sentence at first. She wasn’t even sure how to describe it. “Like I was…new.”

“Almost as if you were reborn,” said Solina nodding.

“Yes!” said Celestia approaching her. Solina turned her head to Orion and they exchanged a glance. At this moment, Luna teleported into the room.

“Mother…what is it? Why did you wake me up with telepathy?” wined Luna yawning. She glanced at her sister and her eyes grew wide. “Oh, Tia! Wh-what happened? You look amazing. Your hair….it’s…you’re…” There was silence. After a few moments, King Orion stepped toward Celestia and cleared his throat.

“Girls…” he said grimly. “Something has happened. And…we didn’t expect it to happen this quickly. And especially not today. Celestia…I….I’m not really sure how to tell you this, but in a way to congratulate you. You must understand how bittersweet this is. You….my dear…have gained Forevermore.”

“What?!” Celestia gasped, stunned. “You…you mean…?!”

“Yes,” said her mother sighing. “Today was your…last birthday, dear. You….are now immortal.” Celestia was speechless. The ground dropped out from underneath her. Immortal. How? It was impossible. It couldn’t be true, could it?

“But…I wasn’t even trying to gain Forevermore,” she replied, hysteria setting in. “I didn’t choose this! I didn’t actually think it was ever going to happen! I’m not as powerful as you! I…”

“But you are, Tia. You are very powerful now. In fact, so powerful, you have gained all potential of your power. Whether you meant to or not,” said her mother gently.

“I was just so happy,” said Celestia shaking her head. “I found beauty in everything around me. I found love. I found a kind of magic I’d never experienced before. It overcame me. These orbs of light….it….it was so….” She paused to swallow a lump forming in her throat. “It was…harmony.”

“And that peace…that…harmony…brought you the greatest power you could ever achieve,” said Orion.

“Does…this mean…you’re going to live forever?” said Luna, her eyes widening as a film of tears spread over them. “Oh…Tia.” One look at her little sister and Celestia knew very well what she was thinking of. She was thinking of her. Celestia would outlive all of their friends. All of the ones they were closest to. Perhaps even Luna herself if Forevermore never found her. Centuries would go by and they’d be nothing. Death would surround her and there would be no stopping it. This cruel reality set in for Celestia too and a pain developed in her chest. Forevermore. That word would have the bitterest taste on her tongue from this moment forward.

“Yes,” Celestia replied, feeling her whole body trembling. “It does.”

“That’s…not all, dear,” said Solina grimly. “When you gained Forevermore, your father and I sensed it. That is why we called you here. We didn’t know it would happen so soon. But…here is the bitter truth: three of us have immortality now. Three of us have ultimate power. Three…is too many. Your father and I…must leave now.” Celestia and Luna gasped.

“No!” Luna cried. “You can’t leave! Why can’t you stay?! I don’t understand!”

“There is too much power on earth now, Luna,” said Orion. “Your mother and I planned on this a long time ago. We planned on telling you two about this when the time came, but we didn’t know it would be now.”

“It was unexpected,” said Solina hanging her head. “I’m so sorry, girls.”

“But…the kingdom…!” cried Celestia in disbelief.

“Will now be ruled by you two,” said Solina. Celestia and Luna looked at each other with shock.

“We’re not ready!” said Celestia shaking her head.

“Luna may not be,” said Orion glancing at the purple alicorn. Luna shook her head vigorously.

“But can you?” asked Solina, gazing deep into her eldest daughter’s eyes. Celestia looked down at the floor. So much had happened in such a short time. This was so much to take in. Why did this have to happen? It was her birthday. Today was meant to be perfect. Happy. Not like this. Not so sudden. Yes, she loved this kingdom, though. She hated the feeling of everything being out of her hooves. Out of control.

“Not without help,” she replied sighing.

“I’ll help as best I can,” said Luna comfortingly.

“Star Swirl and the Sages can assist you as well,” said Orion. Celestia nodded. They were counting on her. She was new, now. She was immortal Celestia. This opened up a whole new door for her. This began a whole new chapter in her life. Things were changing rapidly. And now, the best thing she could do, was keep up. However…one more question lingered in her mind in this moment. She impulsively asked it, even if she shouldn’t have. Perhaps it wouldn’t have sparked even more pain if she’d kept it to herself. But the words slid passed her lips.

“What about Discord?” The entire room fell silent. A sudden wave of realization and sorrow hit the alicorns in the room. What about him?

“We can’t grant him immortality, Celestia,” said Orion quietly.

“I know,” she replied sighing. “Can the gods, though?”

“They would never see reason,” Solina replied. “The only other way is for him to gain Forevermore too. It is possible, considering his is a demigod too. However…he can’t use his power. It can’t be.” Celestia started breathing quicker in sorrow and panic.

“Then what do you expect me to do? Watch him die?!” she shouted, feeling tears flood her eyes. Her parents looked down and didn’t answer. Then, Luna approached her.

“He loves you, Tia. You love him. What should it matter?” she said, putting her hoof on her sister’s. She was right. This was another instance were Luna’s wisdom and maturity surpassed her own. Celestia found she could not begin to think of that in this moment in time. She drove it from her mind and turned to her parents.

“I’m sorry…” she said in a hoarse whisper. “I…will miss you so much.” She quickly embraced her parents and Luna did the same. Many tears were shed between the four. At long last, Queen Solina levitated her crown from her head. Celestia bowed and her mother gently placed the crown onto her head.

“We must go now,” said Solina gently. “But don’t fear. You’ll see us again. And if your father and I ever decide to give you two any brothers or sisters, they and their families will dwell with you. Perhaps you can build a big royal family here. In the meantime, Equestria will look to you both for guidance. Maintain harmony in this land.”

“The power to do so…lies within,” said Orion smiling at Celestia and Luna. Luna embraced them again, overflowing with emotion. Celestia stood still and tall, biting her lip, trying not to shed anymore tears. She simply gave a nod to her parents. They nodded back and smiled. Then, they gazed at each other and their horns glowed bright. There was a burst of colored light. A funnel of swirling lights materialized around them and a beam shot through the ceiling and into the bright sky. The king and queen glowed until they became nothing but an array of sparks and beams as they melted into the light. In a flash, the beam shot up into the sky and disappeared in a twinkling. Everything was quiet and as it should be. Luna immediately sobbed into her sister’s coat. Celestia closed her eyes, still attempting to process everything that had happened. Nothing could prepare her for what was to come.

________________________

Celestia was prompt as usual, though she looked a bit stressed as she appeared over the hill. By the soft glow of her horn, the sun was beginning to set slightly. It was a very perfect atmosphere and Discord had taken extra steps to ensure it was romantic enough. The blanket was spread evenly across the grass. He was already lounging a bit lazily on it when the white alicorn approached. When he looked her way and saw her more clearly, he had to do a double take. His love looked more radiant than she normally did. And he thought she could never become more perfect. Perfection was truly obtained. Perhaps this could be a continuing theme. If all went well. Everything truly would be perfect. Perfect.

___________________________

“Wow,” was the first thing he said when he saw her. Could he tell? Could he tell something was very different about her? Would he ask? What if he didn’t? How could she tell him? How could she say it? A million worries entered Celestia’s mind in this moment. “Did you do something to your hair? It looks beautiful!” So her hair was the only thing he noticed. Perhaps he would notice the change more as the evening progressed. The picnic was all ready, so Celestia tried to wipe all happenings of the day clean from her mind and just share a nice, romantic dinner with Discord. As the two lovers sat under the tree, eating and listening to the sounds of the lake, she found herself becoming more and more uneasy the more she tried to ignore what had happened. It appeared, the more she attempted to ignore it, the more she began to think about the inevitable. Casual conversation was exactly what she needed to distract her. “Did you have a good birthday, Princess?” he asked her after they were done eating.

“Oh…yes…it…it was great,” she replied sighing. Discord hugged her from behind and rested his head on her shoulder. He blinked at her and cocked his head.

“What’s the matter?” he asked stroking her cheek.

“It’s nothing,” Celestia replied, swallowing hard. She couldn’t tell him. Not yet. Everything happened so fast. It was too much to worry about in one day. Discord noticed the look on her face and started turning his head some more, using his powers only slightly to turn his head all the way around to make her smile. It didn’t work, though. She stared at her reflection in the lake.

“You’re grimmer than usual and that’s saying a lot. Something is wrong. Tell me,” he said, giving her neck a gently squeeze.

“I’m just really tired and…kind of stressed,” she replied sighing. “Something really big has come up…politically…and…I don’t really feel like talking about it right now.” She wasn’t lying. She knew she couldn’t avoid it forever, but she couldn’t solve all her problems in a few hours. He’d have to find out soon, just not on her birthday. Or what was her birthday. Discord seemed satisfied with this response so he nodded lifted her face up to kiss her.

“I know something that will cheer you up!” he said, jumping to his feet.

“What is it?” she asked getting up, as well.

“It’s called your birthday present,” he said winking. “Follow me.” Celestia followed Discord away from the lake until they came to the gardens. At this point, Discord told her to close her eyes and not peak. Reluctantly, she followed him blindly through the garden as he led her along to the correct spot. At long last he told her to stop. “All right! Open your eyes!” he said. Celestia blinked and saw an incredible sight before her. A giant hedge maze stood before her. It was beautiful. It did bring a smile to her face.

“Oh, Discord! This is wonderful! How did you do it?” she exclaimed.

“I had some help,” he said chuckling. “Especially from the palace guards.”

“Ohhh…so this is the reason why they kept telling me the garden was ‘under maintenance’ whenever I’d try to come here,” she said smirking.

“That’s correct! I call it contained chaos…in a way,” said Discord chuckling.

“I do love it. Thank you, Discord. You’ve done so much,” said Celestia sighing.

“Well,” Discord replied turning to her. “I’m not quite done. There is…one more thing.”

“Whatever could that be?!” Celestia exclaimed. “Enough with the gifts, already!” She chuckled. Discord sighed deeply and looked down.

“Tia…this…is a special gift. And I really hope you’ll like it. You see, I’ve been thinking a lot lately…of how I came here years ago and how we became the best of friends. I realized that…if my mother hadn’t left me here, I never would’ve been so happy as I am now. I believe Star Swirl now when he said good comes from bad sometimes. Fate is a funny thing. And…love is discordant. But…sometimes fate has a way of changing us and love has a way of making us someone better. You have made me feel wanted. Ever since the beginning, you’ve been there for me, Tia. I will never know how to repay that debt. But I may have one small way…” He paused. Celestia stood still, wondering what he was about to do. Her jaw dropped and her heart stopped and plummeted when he got down on one knee. He opened his paw a showed her a ring. It had a big, sparkling diamond on it, staring her down. The array of rainbows and shine pierced her eyes, making the stinging numbness she was feeling that much worse. “I have this ring,” Discord continued, shaking like a leaf as he spoke. “And I know I will have to get your father’s blessing…but I couldn’t wait any longer. I love you. I want to be with you always. I want to spend every moment of the rest of my life with you. Princess Celestia…” Not now. Not now. This wasn’t happening. It was unreal. She felt like her knees were about to give out from under her. Every word of the next question stabbed her in the heart. “…will you marry me?”

Marriage. Immortal. Forevermore. Nothing made sense now. In this moment, time stopped. There were no senses, except all the raw emotions surging inside her. But she couldn’t see, nor feel, nor hear, nor speak. Her heart felt like it was throbbing with every slow beat it took. The weight of the world seemed to drop down onto her like a ton of bricks. Was this a cruel joke?! Everything that had already happened today…her gaining Forevermore, her parents leaving, her gaining full responsibility for everything, and now…this. She should be happy. But the very thought of seeing him…dying…withering away to nothing, while she outlived him by eons terrified her. How could she deal with the grief? She couldn’t watch him die. The thought made her want to die herself. She wanted to grow old with him. Not to watch her love suffer while she remained at a state of perfection. How could this happen?! It was unfair. And the cruel reality set in, in this still moment. Empty her heart…and grief could not follow her. Celestia inhaled deeply, her mind echoing the question. She gazed deep into his eyes, opened her mouth and spoke the most hurtful, awful, unspeakable, heart-shattering word she could ever have said.

“No…”

_________________________

The ground crumbled out from beneath him. His heart stopped beating. He felt his lungs cease to take in anymore air. He felt his hand drop to the earth in shock and despair. No? The one word he never wanted to her. No: the two-lettered word that stung more than any knife would’ve if she’d stabbed him in the heart herself. So many questions flooded his mind. No? Tears blinded his view slightly, but he could see that she was tearing as well. Celestia hung her head and started shaking all over. She looked too distraught to speak, which was nothing compared to what he was feeling at the moment. Behind the film of tears, he watched her turn away from him and begin to speed off in the other direction. Again, so many questions flooded his mind. But he could only ask one.

“You don’t love me?” he said in a barely audible voice. It was enough to make her stop in her tracks. Celestia turned her head, all the color drained from her eyes.

“I can’t love you…” she replied hoarsely. That was it. She disappeared. Discord bowed his head low to the ground and clenched his fists tight on the earth. No? She…couldn’t love him? He needed no further explanation. He understood clear enough. And what a steep price he was paying for his own ignorance now. The muscles in his paw tightened around the ring he was holding. He felt his whole body tremble with a familiar energy he couldn’t ignore. Perhaps it was called rage. Whatever it was, it seemed to ease the pain that was decaying his heart. Discord sighed and lifted his head up. His eyes narrowed and his fist tightened around the ring. He watched in a teary gaze as the ring disintegrated in his fist. He let the remaining grains slide off of his paw and into the dirt below him. As he got to his feet and dragged himself toward the cottage by the lake, broken dreams and hopes in tow, his eyes started to change color. And the blacks of them began to turn red.

'So you truly can’t love a monster,' he thought as he walked. Dark clouds began to roll in and rain started to fall. But I will not be fooled again. 'This time…you’ll pay. You’ll all pay…'

END OF PART ONE

TO BE CONTINUED…

Author’s Note: Well, that’s it. I know I’ve just crushed all of you guys’s hearts. I iz sowy! :’(

It appears that all of the Dislestia fics I’ve read constantly display Celestia as the villain. Seriously…can’t there be a logical explanation of why she tore out Discord’s still-beating heart without being a shallow, stupid, cruel…. Uh… [inset nicer word here]? I figured: there had to be a reason why she’d reject him without simply judging him from the way he looked. So, yeah. That is my version of what could’ve happened.
Now we move into Part Two. How will this all unfold? Hmmm. :) I’ll update a soon as I can, but I am taking a short hiatus to prepare for Part Two. See you guys next time!
~Nrdygrl

Awake

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Author’s Note: UPDATE!! First chapter of Part Two! Are you excited? Cuz I’m excited. I’ve never been so excited! Except for the time when I went *Pinkie Pie GASP* But I mean really…. Okay, I’ll let you read now. :3

PART TWO:

Chapter Sixteen

"Awake"

Something about the cottage was remarkably unnerving. There was no real indication as to what was causing such an eerie atmosphere. Perhaps it was the growling thunder in the distance. Perhaps it was the pale light that slithered across the wood floor when he threw the door open. A flash of lightning illuminated the cabin, making the aura of the small house that much more eerie. Rain was pouring heavily out of the darkening sky by this time. It had come over very quickly, almost in an appropriate fashion, considering there was a strange sense of darkness in the air.

Discord managed to drag himself into the dry, dark cottage. He slammed the door behind him and gasped for air. The rain had down poured fast on him as he was making his way back to the lake. That was the least of his problems at the moment, though. His whole body shook and dropped down onto the floor. The only thing bracing him was the door, which kept his back and neck from simply collapsing onto the floor with the rest of him. Water dripped from his head and trickled along his serpentine figure. His fur was darkened and sopping. His skin was riddled with goosebumps as the water droplets left a trail of cold in their path before they dropped to the floor. They began to pool up around him, but like he cared. He shivered and shook like a leaf.

Both his claw and paw were still curled into fists. He glanced down and opened his paw, stretching out the tightened muscles in his fingers. He could still see a few tiny glittering specks of what used to be the ring. They'd never leave him, would they? Perhaps they'd be so tightly ingrained in his paw, he could never be rid of them. They'd haunt him forever. However, this wasn't the only thing. All along the walls of the cottage were pictures. They were drawings and paintings. Most of them were of her. She had been his whole world. And now… The many faces glared at him from the wall as the lightning flashed again. They seemed to smile almost sadistically at him. Almost humored by his pain. Perhaps somewhere his father was laughing at him.

It was pretty useless to hold back the tears. They poured out of Discord's eyes. They were streaming down in an almost never-ending waterfall. They warmed his face, because they had been heated by the anguish and anger he was feeling. Some trickled into the corners of his mouth, leaving a bitter, salty taste inside it. Those words. Those four words rang in his mind over and over again. They rattled around, pounding the sides of his skull, stabbing his heart over and over with each excruciating echo.

"I can't love you."

His hands recoiled into fists. He shut his eyes tight.

"I can't love you."

There were no more questions. No more mysteries yet to be solved. She couldn't love him. She NEVER loved him. He had been fooled. She had taken his heart and toyed with it in her own devious way. Ignorance had been bliss, but now the revelation stung more than anything.

“I can’t love you.”

That’s right. You can’t. Because no one can, he thought, more anger boiling up inside him. He glanced up at the wall and clenched his teeth together. He struggled to his feet and began trembling. The power that he had forced down deep inside him so well for so many years was now resurfacing. Why hold back now? What was the point? Promises? What promises? More like lies. All lies. He walked with heavy steps over to the wall. In a swift gesture, accomplished by anger-fueled strength, he lifted his arms up and tore the pictures off the wall. The many faces of his alicorn fluttered to the floor. They continued to stare at him, taunting him. Discord picked up a few and ripped them apart. Everything was pointless. His life held no meaning. Amongst the papers, he discovered the heart he had drawn for her years ago. He picked it up and tore it slowly down the middle.

You did this to me… he thought. He sighed and dropped down again. Perhaps he should just sit here in this cottage and wait until he died. Just let himself wither away and save the world from the freak that ruined their miserable lives. After all, they hated him for breathing, didn’t they? He lifted his throbbing head up to gaze at a mirror hanging on the wall. He noticed the centers of his eyes were a shade of red now. Was this to represent how infuriated he was? That darkness he had always fought so hard to hide away forever was surging through his veins. Much to his surprise, it made everything feel so much better. Though he was at the lowest of lows, his depressed thoughts completely turned on their heads. No. He couldn’t give those stupid equines the satisfaction of having him cease to exist. He wouldn’t just sit by and let them get away with everything they put him through. They should pay, shouldn’t they? He wouldn’t let them win. But really…how could he fight back?

Discord sighed as he felt his power returning to him. He felt he could use it now without restraint or fear. Though the lightning flashed around him occasionally, the cottage was still filled with darkness. He snapped his fingers and created glowing orbs. The orbs illuminated the house, spawning dark, disturbing shadows. They stared down at him from the wall. His own shadow loomed high above him. He stood up and stared blankly at his black, motionless, silent copy. A boom of thunder rattled the walls. After it faded, a whisper tickled his ear.

“Wake up…” Discord’s ear twitched and he turned his head. His eyes shifted around the cottage. He felt a breeze rush behind him, sending a chill down his spine. He stood up again and narrowed his eyes. He knew that whisper. It was a faint memory, but he knew it. “Wake up.”

“What do you mean, ‘wake up’?” Discord said in a hoarse voice. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement. His shadow was moving without him. It laughed and bared its teeth at him. Its voice echoed into haunting whispers.

“You know exactly what I mean. You’ve hit your lowest point. Rock bottom. Why sit around moping? Why think about revenge when you can carry it out?”

“Don’t try to trick me or lecture me…Father,” snapped Discord. “Let me be.”

“I am not your father,” the shadow replied, laughing. “But I am like him.”

“Who are you, then?” Discord asked, approaching the wall. The shadow flew out of sight. Discord whirled around to find where it went. The shadow grinned as it slithered under his feet and rose up in front of him.

“I’m you,” it replied. It hovered in front of the mirror and an image of Chaos appeared inside it. Discord felt more fury rise up inside him.

“I’m not like my father! And how can you be me? That’s…”

“Don’t say it’s impossible,” the shadow replied, hovering away from the mirror. “Nothing is impossible when you have power. And also when your sanity is slipping away.” The shadow laughed. “You can’t resist the lust of revenge. It’s already here. The more you defy me, the more your purpose in life will fade into nonexistence.” There was echoing laughter and thunder boomed once more. The orbs disappeared and Discord stood alone in the darkness. Was he truly losing his mind? Was all this heartbroken anguish making him mad? Perhaps revenge was not the answer. Perhaps she had a good reason for saying no…

No… he thought, shaking off all doubt. There is no justifying anything. I have a right to feel this way. She deserves to suffer as I am right now. They all do. He could feel his power surging through him even more now. Discord sucked a deep breath of air into his lungs and illuminated the cottage again with magic. He blinked his yellow and red eyes and let a smile creep across his face as the light danced off his fur. At that moment in time, a thought entered his mind. He approached a set of drawers on the opposite side of the room and opened the bottom drawer. Inside he found the gold locket his mother had given him. He had not once opened it. He was supposed to discover who he was. Was this the time? Had his mother known this moment would come? Had she known…this whole time…what would happen? That he would hate the equines? So he would have the heart for revenge? At this point, what she did to him seemed not quite as bad as what Celestia had done to him. He held the locket in his paw and opened it. A bright light flashed in front of him, he dropped the locket on the floor, and his mother’s voice echoed all around him.

'Discord, my son. You have opened the locket I gave you. This is a telepathic message I locked inside it before I gave it to you on the cliff side. Knowing the good boy you are, you obeyed my instructions and did not open it until you needed to. Now, I know you have opened this message because you have hit your lowest of lows. You have now learned just how awful and terrible these equines are, and you have learned to hate them as I do. Now, I must tell you your destiny. You are your father’s son. And you are and always will be Discord: spirit of chaos and disharmony alone. You are destined to use your powers to take over this land and watch these miserable creatures suffer. You will have to finish what I started, my son. Come to me. Come to the Everfree Forest and awake me from my slumber. I will show you what to do and what the alicorn’s weaknesses are. Then, do what you wish to make Equestria yours.'

Then, all was quiet in the house again. The locket glowed bright until it flashed and then disintegrated. A flaming heart-shaped ring was burned onto the floor where it had been. Discord turned and sighed, recoiling his hands into fists. Before he left the cottage, he sent a bolt at the remaining pictures on the opposite side of the room. The inside of the house quickly began to fill with flames and the ceiling began to heave. Discord, who was not touched by the fire, slowly exited the cottage, leaving the door open. The rain poured down on him again. The sorrow, the anguish, the heartbreak…was burning. And all that was left now…was the need for revenge. As he flew away from the inferno, another crazed smile appeared on his visage. Revenge was his new purpose…his new object of desire. And how sweet it would taste when he obtained it.

___________________________________

Something certainly didn’t feel right when Luna couldn’t sleep that day…but this was something she never expected. She stood in a pile of chard ruble, feeling absolutely confused and worried. The cottage that once was…now burned to the ground. She wasn’t sure what had happened between her sister and Discord the evening before, but something must’ve happened, because Celestia hadn’t left her room all day. And considering Discord was nowhere to be found, Luna was feeling more worried by the minute. Might it have had something to do with Celestia gaining Forevermore? Did she break off the relationship? Still, that didn’t explain why Discord had suddenly disappeared and why his cottage had mysteriously burned down, along with the many paintings of Celestia inside of it. Fear suddenly gripped Luna. Had Discord taken it harder than expected? She knew his heart was fragile, but…this….

And that’s when the sky turned red.

__________________________

Dark, eerie, mysterious; there were many words to describe Everfree. At this point in time, Discord could only think of one: home. In truth, a chaotic place like this was home. As he walked through, he saw many strange creatures and plants. Many a time during his trek, there was a rustle in the bushes, or a pair of eyes watching him. Soon, he arrived at a clearing and there was the old castle. Some brush and trees had started to grow around the area. He halted in front of the stone, ruined castle and spoke out.

“Eris! Awake!” There was rumbling all around him, especially beneath him. Animals screeched and birds flew in a panic overhead. A large, purple and black figure erupted from the stone castle and stretched her arms. She yawned and blinked, turning her head and looking around.

“Ohhh! Ten thousand years already?” she mumbled. Then, she glanced down at Discord and gasped. “Oh! Hello, Son! Got my message, I presume? Oh, how long has it been? Mmm…seven years already?! Oh, how time flies. And look at you! What a handsome devil you are! At least you look more like me and not your father…”

“Oh, shut up!” said Discord gruffly. “You must know why I’m here. I didn’t come here for a reunion, Mother.”

“Of course not,” said Eris sighing. “I suppose you probably still are angry at me for leaving you with those equines. It was strategic, Son…I assure you. You were given an opportunity to live amongst them, learn with them, befriend them…love them…” She paused and raised her eyebrows. “You loved the princess didn’t you? The one who would command the sun.” Discord pinned his ears back and made fists. “I knew you would. She was beautiful even then when I saw her. And still young. And right then, on that cliff side, when I pushed you in front of her, I sensed that little bloom of love already beginning. It was inevitable. Let me guess, she told you that she loved you, but…ended up breaking your heart.” Discord glared at the ground and tightened his jaw. “I thought so,” said Eris smiling. “But, you, see, you had to learn that equines cannot be befriended or loved or trusted. You had to end up despising them so much; you had to come to me! Some lessons must be learned the hard way. Now, good comes out of all of this, Son. Now you can have revenge on them. But especially her. You can crush her with your power, Discord.”

“No,” Discord replied quietly.

“No?!” said Eris raising an eyebrow.

“I don’t want to crush her,” said Discord smiling evilly. “I want to break her. Just like she broke me.” Eris laughed.

“Oh, how you’ve changed, my son,” she said. “And just how will you break her?”

“Show me how to take the kingdom,” said Discord. “I’ll break her heart.”

_______________________________-

Yes, indeed, those days are always so beautiful, so peaceful, so ordinary…before everything goes dark…before everything plunges into chaos, confusion, and everything evil and not understood. The scene before her was blurry. But even amidst the blurriness of her vision, it didn’t look right. Celestia wasn’t sure for a moment where she was. Had she fallen unconscious? She was lying on the ground. She tried her best to struggle to her feet. Her hooves came in contact with something that wasn’t grass. Looking down, she could see gray beneath her. Ash? Fire? Where was there fire? She shook her head and looked around. Dizziness continued to make her vision blurry. Faint screams reached her ears, but her hearing wasn’t all back yet. Her mind spun with thousands of questions. She stood still, waiting for things to make sense again, but they didn’t. All of a sudden, Luna was by her side. Her sister was in a panic. Her mouth moved but no words registered. Her teal eyes were wild with fear. Celestia could feel the world spinning again. Her head throbbed and sleep wanted to pull her under again. Her knees wobbled. The last thing she saw before everything went dark again was the castle floating upside down in the air, ash falling from clouds in the sky…and the sky itself which had turned a blood red.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Continued Author’s Note:

I forgot to mention this in the last chapter, but, it’s obviously my theory that Celestia’s pink hair turned to multi colors when she gained Forevermore. Well, The same theory applies to Luna. ??? Her mane turned all flowy in “Luna Eclipsed.” Maybe she became immortal and her appearance changed? That was my theory all along, actually. Lol. *shrugs* It’s a thought.

Anyways: I feel sad now. I want cotton candy now. :(((

Will update as soon as possible, as always. Oh! And btw: I’m on Youtube now! I’ve posted a couple pony vids on there. My name on there is Nrdygrl4Ever .

Look me up! Watch my vids. Like. Comment. Subscribe. Dislike…Be a meany head…or just don’t say or do anything…I dunno… lol.

Revelations

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Author’s Note: Hiya! Update! U happy? I hope so. :D hehe! Short chapter this time. But…hey…it’s something. Lol.

Chapter Seventeen

“Revelations”

When Celestia’s eyes fluttered opened again, she felt as if the world had crushed her skull in. She tried to lift her head up off the ground and it pounded. She furrowed her brow and moaned slightly, trying to shake the dizziness and confusion she was feeling. What had happened? Where was she? So many questions flooded her mind. She rubbed her head with her hoof and tried to recall what had happened to her. When the listlessness had worn off, she realized that all around her were walls of stone. She turned her sore, stiff neck when she heard a noise.

Hooves clopped on the rocks as Luna entered the mouth of the large cave. Her eyes had dark circles underneath them and she looked weak, lethargic, and in a state of shock. Her horn glowed as she levitated a pile of wood above her head. She dropped the wood onto the cave floor like she couldn’t hold it any longer and let out a sigh. She turned her head and saw that Celestia was sitting up, awake.

“Oh! Tia. You’re awake,” she said sighing again in relief. “I was worried about you.”

“Luna, wh…what happened?” asked Celestia, blinking, trying to be rid of the two purple alicorns staring back at her.

“You don’t remember?” Luna asked.

“I…I…remember I was in the castle sleeping,” Celestia replied. I didn’t want to leave my bed. My head hurt and I was feeling very sad because of yesterday. Then, the castle started shaking. The guards came in and told me they had to evacuate you and I to the caverns below the castle. They didn’t really know what was happening, but I went with them down some halls, and then…more shaking. Everything was just turning and falling. It was awful! I had to teleport a few times…and then something hit me and I think I blacked out. Then I remember ash and seeing a red sky. Then…I woke up here.” Luna nodded and looked down sadly.

“Tia…” she said hoarsely. “Discord attacked Canterlot. He did all that.” Celestia, felt like her heart stopped in place and she jerked out of her own body. She mouthed “what”, but no words came out. The words couldn’t even process through her brain. They bounced around inside it, but they couldn’t sink in.

“Come here,” said Luna. Celestia slowly followed her sister to the mouth of the cave. She looked out and saw the castle in the distance, except it was floating upside down. The sky was covered in dark clouds and brown-colored rain was pouring over Canterlot. “You can’t even see the sky anymore. And…the rain is all…chocolate milk…” said Luna grimly. “He took it all over so fast. I had to get us out of there. I don’t know what happened to all the guards, but, all I know is, I ended up alone amidst the chaos and found you unconscious. I teleported us to the nearby cliffs outside the city to escape. I….I…know it probably wasn’t right, Tia, and I didn’t want to leave all the subjects, but…you were unconscious. Mother and father are gone now. I didn’t know what else to do! I found this cave and…you’ve been out for all yesterday afternoon, night and today, up until now. I’ve been gathering food…wood for fire. The night was so cold and I didn’t sleep. I was worried when you didn’t wake up, Tia. I kept checking your heartbeat every hour and…” Luna was shaking and tears were pouring from her eyes.

“Oh, Luna,” said Celestia embracing her little sister. “Shhh. It’s all right. It’s all right. Don’t cry. Shhh. You did the right thing. You were so brave, Luna. Thank you. You saved my life. You saved us both.” In reality, Celestia was battling the temptation to sob. She pushed through it, sinking her teeth into her lip. She had to be strong for Luna. Luna was strong for her already. Now, she had to show courage.

“Tia…did…did something happen between you and Discord? Why would he do this to us? He loves us. He loves you.” Luna said, trembling. Celestia attempted to swallow the lump in her throat with no such luck. She looked down at the ground, shut her eyes and felt her spirit crumble.

“I said no…” she whispered.

“What?” Luna asked.

“He asked me to marry him…and I said no…” said Celestia, her voice cracking. Luna’s eyes grew wide and she didn’t respond. Celestia didn’t need to say why. Luna knew. There was a short silence. Just then, a realization hit Celestia like a ton of bricks. “I…I told him I couldn’t love him. But…I only meant because I can’t die. I knew his heart was fragile. I paid that price when I healed him. It made his heart too fragile. I shouldn’t have worded it that way. Oh, Luna! How could I have been so stupid?! This is all my fault! Just look at what he’s done now to get back at me. I broke him, Luna. I never intended to, but I turned him into a monster. It’s my fault…” At this point, Celestia turned and lay in the dark recesses of the cave to allow a few tears to slip from her eyes. After quite a while of silence, Celestia composed herself, rested her eyes a bit, and then turned to see Luna had started a fire on the pile of wood and was resting by it. It was dark out now, much to Celestia’s surprise.

“Tia, come lay with me, please.” Celestia lay down next to her sister, feeling the fire warm her fur. Luna leaned her head against her neck. “See how it got dark all of a sudden? He took control of the sun and moon too.”

“That’s why I feel so empty,” said Celestia. Luna nodded in agreement.

“It’s not your fault, Tia,” she said. “Please don’t blame yourself for what he’s done. You had no idea this was going to happen.”

“I have to fix this, Luna,” said Celestia. “Tomorrow. I need to see him. Talk to him. He may not listen, but I have to try. The kingdom needs me now.”

“I’ll go with you,” said Luna nodding.

“No,” said Celestia shaking her head. “You’re staying here. I need to do this myself.”

“But…” Luna said.

“No protesting, Luna,” said Celestia quickly. “Mother and Father aren’t here anymore, so I’m responsible for you now. You need to listen to me. Gods and goddesses know what Discord’s done to Canterlot. It could be dangerous. You need to stay here and rest.”

“But, Tia…”

“Luna, that’s my final word! I’m not loosing you too!” said Celestia raising her voice. She paused and shut her eyes as her throat tightened and tears threatened to return. “You’re all I have now, little sister…” she whispered. Luna hugged Celestia as she started to cry. So much for strength. “Don’t leave me alone…”

“I won’t,” said Luna. “I won’t, Tia. I’ll stay. I’ll stay.”

“You’re stronger than I am, Luna,” said Celestia, wiping her eyes. “You are. I need to be now, though. I owe them.”

“I don’t think so,” said Luna smiling. “I think you’re so brave and stuff, Tia. More than I ever will be. I only want to help.” Celestia smiled back and kissed Luna’s head.

“Sleep,” she replied. “Help me by getting some sleep.” Luna nodded and leaned against her sister’s wing. Eventually she fell asleep. Celestia did too and when she did, she dreamed of a happier time. She was dancing with Discord and Luna in the courtyard of the castle underneath a cotton candy cloud. Chocolate milk rain poured onto her white fur, making it feel sticky. She opened her mouth and tasted the sweetness of it. And there were no fears. No complications. No worries. There was only innocence, fun, and bliss. And in the midst of these childish fantasies, when Celestia was in between sleeping and just resting, her lips curled into a pleasant smile and a thought entered her mind. She may not have meant it. Or maybe deep down…she really did.

'I wouldn’t change a thing, Discord, she thought. Even after all we’ve been through. We still have that day. No; even if I could, I wouldn’t change a thing…'

_______________________

Empty? Well this made things easier for him. An empty throne room meant the king and queen weren’t even there. Where had they gone? He hadn’t the slightest idea. Probably fled when he turned the castle over. The princesses had left as well. They were probably all huddled together in hiding somewhere. Perhaps they truly were cowards like his mother said. At least now everything seemed much better. Upside down-right side up. Right-wrong. Unnatural-natural. Everything had changed. Discord sunk down into King Orion’s empty throne. It was resting on the ceiling now, of course. The chandelier was sitting up proudly before him. Ah, yes. Much better. Just then, a palace guard stumbled up to him.

“D…Discord? What have you done? Everything is…”

“Chaotic?” said Discord laughing. “Of course it is! What would you expect? Oh…and that’s King Discord to you now.”

“King?” said the guard confused. Discord snapped his fingers and a cotton candy cloud appeared over the pony’s head. Immediately rain poured on him and Discord smiled.

“Right. Now, you will be my court jester.” He snapped his fingers again and a jester hat appeared on the guard’s head. “Entertain me. I’m quite bored.”

“I’m not going to…” said the guard indignantly. Just then, Discord snapped his fingers again and puppet strings appeared on the pony’s hooves.

“Come now! Dance for me, jester!” he said laughing as he made the strings move on their own. The guard’s eyes grew wide.

“Are you doing that?! Stop that!” Discord laughed harder at the guard’s reaction. “Well. I’ve certainly missed out on quite a few things, haven’t I? You see, equine, things are going to be different around here. My whole life, I was under your strings. I was never accepted. I was taunted, rejected, and ridiculed for being me. But…now…it’s all in reverse. I’ve taken over Canterlot from those alicorns and that Celestia who dared play me. Two can play at this game, you see. Because soon…all of you will be under my strings. I will be in total control of Equestria. And I will watch Princess Celestia cower under me and I will break her by plunging everything good and orderly…what she loves most, you see…into sheer…perfect….wonderful chaos. My mother and father will be proud. I will finally cut the chords that held me back for so long and I will be the new puppet master. It’s all perfect,” he said sighing and making a glass of chocolate milk appear in his hand. He stared at the glass briefly. “Why be loved when you can be feared?” He grinned at the guard.

“W…well… can I at least stop dancing now?”

“Mmm……no,” Discord replied making banana peels appear under the guard’s hooves.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Continued Author’s Note: Poor guardy. *snickers under breath*. I’m evil. Speaking of evil: the evilness of school has started once again. :p (Major Spike NOOOOOO!) I may not be able to update as often as I’d like, but never fear, my people. Nrdygrl won’t fail you! I will follow this thing through! *epic battle music plays in the background.* I shall return! Peace.

True Discord

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Author’s Note: HECK YEAH! Nrdygrl has updated! Look out! XD lolz. I am accomplished btw. You pplz should know that I also created a new pmv! Any Hunger Games fans out there? It’s the song “Eyes Open” by Taylor Swift. I got this kickbutt new movie program called Corel 5 XPro so I had lots of fun and “wonderful headaches” making it this week. So yeah. A pmv AND a new chapter. I am on FIRE! If you guys want to see it, my Youtube username is Nrdygrl4Ever . kk? Kk. Ahem…onto chapter. And…if you read it…I’ll tell you guys something awesome at the end. NO SCROLLING. I’m watching you….

Chapter Eighteen

“True Discord”

As soon as Celestia teleported back into Canterlot and saw the scene before her, she inhaled a deep gasp of air, but could not even think of exhaling for the longest time. The beautiful city on a mountain top that Star Swirl and her parents built years ago was now in the most chaotic, unnatural, horrible state it could ever be in by the standards of earth and Order. The houses were floating in the air, some upside down. The ground was a shade of blue, while the grass had turned pink. The sky, or what could be seen of it, was still somewhat red. However, dark clouds spiraled around in a vortex-like pattern, covering most of it.

Celestia sighed to let her air out of her built up lungs. She almost forgot to breathe. How could this be happening? Was it just the other day she was sitting by the lake with Discord, attempting to enjoy a beautiful birthday picnic he took the time to prepare for her? It felt like a lifetime ago now. As she walked forward, she noticed her hooves caused the ground to change different colors. Every step she or another pony took left a glowing spot on the ground and then faded away. She had to admit, as chaotic as Discord made the land, he did it in a creative way. But, of course, the unanswered question of why still hung in the air. Yes, she knew she had completely screwed up with her poor choice of words before. That much was clear. However, a part of Celestia could never truly understand how Discord, so loving and kind could snap so much and so quickly. And a part of her needed an explanation…and more importantly, a resolution to his change.

“Princess Celestia!” a voice caught in her ears amidst her loud thoughts and the chaos around her. She turned her head and saw a group of panicked ponies galloping towards her. Their eyes were wild with fear and confusion, but there was a glint of hope lingering in them when they saw her walking straight into the used-to-be Canterlot. They almost threw themselves on the ground at her hooves.

“Princess, why is this all happening?” asked a green mare.

“Everything has changed!” said a brown colt. “Everything is…in chaos!”

“It was that Discord,” said an angry voice from the back of the group.

“Yeah! He caused all this,” said another.

“Please,” said Celestia, as calmly as she could. “Discord is in control of Canterlot now. And…the sun and moon. How he achieved such power in such a short time, I don’t know. But what I do know is, part of this is my fault. I will take full responsibility for everything that is happening here.”

“No, Princess!”

“You did nothing wrong!”

“It’s that creature!”

“We never should’ve trusted him!”

“Please, Your Highness. Please help us!”

“I will talk with Discord,” said Celestia. “There must be a way to reason with him.” She turned away from the crowd of ponies and trotted through the weird world that used to be her home. Animals grew long limbs or sprouted wings. Pink clouds of cotton candy appeared in the air at random. As she predicted, they would rain chocolate milk at random, as well. One even appeared over her head along her trek and the milk made her hair wet and sticky. At this point, Celestia felt so miserable, she didn’t care. Even so, there was a small flame of hope inside her when she saw the rotated castle. Perhaps, everything could be solved with just a talk. She shook the milk of her wings and flapped them until she reached the top of the castle and the door. Immediately after, she soared downward through the labyrinth of halls until she found the upside down throne room where she was sure Discord would be.

________________________

Perhaps he didn’t even notice her at first, what with how silently she entered the room. That, and the giant chandelier, which was in quite disarray, camouflaged her from his view when she entered on the ceiling. A silent chuckle managed to escape her lips went she recalled the time when they were young and innocent. When the castle was new. When everything was new. When he swung carelessly on the chandelier in that hall of the stained glass windows and then reversed the gravity of the room. Now, not quite a gravitational change, but everything still felt upside down…and broken. Nothing she couldn’t mend, though, right? She had to? As she made her way around the damaged chandelier, she saw Discord sitting lazily on her father’s throne eating bananas. When he was done with them, he was throwing them off to the side into a huge pile of peals. On top of the pile was a former guard who was wearing a jester’s hat. Obviously being controlled by a spell, sparkling puppet strings made him dance on the banana peals. Of course, this would make him trip.

“Your Chaosness? Please let me stop now.” The jester/guard pleaded in a weary voice. Discord yawned.

“No, I don’t think so. In fact, I don’t think you’re going fast enough,” he said, his claw glowing and the puppet strings making the guard dance at a blurry speed. Celestia immediately stepped forward and made her horn glow. Instantly, the puppet strings vanished and the jester collapsed onto his belly in relief.

“Princess Celestia!” he said in surprise. Discord turned his head and looked directly at her. Celestia swallowed hard and felt her heart stop beating. His eyes. They weren’t the same. Not dark and mysterious. Not sparkling and kind. Red. Red and stiff…and evil. They penetrated her like spears. That’s what made her knees tremble the most. That’s what hurt the most right now. Never mind anything that was going on outside. Oh, what had she done? What had she created?

“Discord,” she mouthed. She wasn’t sure if the actual word came out or just gurgles inside her throat erupted. She was too distracted by the changed draconequus’s eyes, she could barely hear herself.

“Well, look who it is,” he said sitting up straight on the throne. “I figured you, your sister and your parents would all be cowering in those crystalline caverns.” Celestia shifted her eyes downward. Ah, yes. She forgot about that. The secret caverns below the castle were only a place she, Luna, her parents, and Discord new about. Celestia herself, Luna and Discord discovered the caverns when they were playing together years ago. It was a somewhat fond memory she had easily overlooked. Her parents decided that it would be a place to hide when something terrible happened. A bunker of sorts. However, she couldn’t blame Luna for not thinking of that amidst the chaos. In fact, Celestia thought it better that they were out of the city and higher up in the mountains.

“My…my parents are gone,” she said quietly. She didn’t know why she told him that, but he would figure it out sooner or later. “They had to leave.”

“Really, now? Hm? Fleeing on you two?” said Discord smugly.

“They left the other day on my birthday, Discord,” said Celestia, raising her cracked voice. Her knees started shaking more and her blood started to grow hot within her veins. “Because I gained Forevermore. And there was too much power. And…And…I couldn’t marry you…..” Her voice trailed off.

“You’re immortal?” said Discord, his expression never changing. Celestia nodded. “And that was the perfect excuse to destroy what we had?”

“No,” said Celestia emotionally. “I didn’t want to destroy anything…I was so distraught. I….I didn’t know how to….I was wrong to say what I said. I didn’t mean it. It’s not that I can’t love you. I only meant…”

“Oh, don’t bother with this sad attempt to make accuses, Celestia,” said Discord teleporting directly in front of her. “You don’t have feelings for me and you never truly did. You used me. You pitied me. You could never really handle the stares. The gossip. The ridicule. And ultimately…you could never marry a monster. It really would’ve been too much for the Princess. And perhaps it slipped across your mind that if we ever had a child, you would look into his eyes and see me. You’d see a repulsive creature that the world should never lay eyes on.”

“Dis…” Celestia breathed, her eyes growing dewy. “That’s not true. I always pictured us having a happy life together…”

“That vision was always a false image. A painting you let me stare at and made me believe it was reality…” Discord’s eyes had fire in them. Celestia shook as a tear trickled down her cheek.

“What happened to you, Discord?” she whispered. “Who are you? This is not the Dis I know. Please come back….”

“What happened?” said Discord appearing behind her. He chuckled and chuckled until it turned into laughter. Crazy laughter. He wiped a tear from his eye after he was done and floated close to the white alicorn. Then, he gave her a toothy grin and whispered in her ear, “I woke up.” Celestia felt her blood boil and she shot a glare at him as he laughed some more and teleported back to his throne.

“You’re mad…” she said, trying to sound harsh. However, her voice ended up cracking several times, as her throat chocked up with emotion. “You’ve gone mad. You know better than this. How could you let this happen to yourself? You know how to fight it. You have your whole life. How could you embrace this darkness so easily? Why? Why? What has it done to you?! The promise you made…means nothing now. You’ve destroyed everything. And how could you bring yourself to….?”

“Don’t lecture me, Princess,” said Discord in a mocking tone. “Perhaps this is the real me. True Discord. Did that ever cross your mind? My mother thinks so.”

“You saw Eris?” said Celestia shocked. “She’s having you do her dirty work. Discord! She’s using you! You know that, right? She left you here for a reason! Why go to her?” Her anger welled up even more. Her tone grew louder and clearer. Her cheeks flushed and her ears were pinned back. However, the whole time, her eyes were blurred with the film of tears that never ceased to vanish into her violet irises. They lingered still, making her feel weaker by the moment.

“Of course I know that,” said Discord, almost sounding offended. “She’s horrible and I’ll always hate her. But she’s devious and I learned the basics of my power through her telepathic training. It was enough to take control of this place. And what a feeling! I can understand why she wanted to so long ago. Such power. Such control. Everything is beautiful and chaotic. It’s paradise, my dear. I belong and I rule. There is nothing more to say. I hope you can learn to enjoy it. It’s a shame you don’t. Equines are all the same. My mother was right, it seems,” he said sighing. “It’s a shame, Celestia. I really thought you were different. But…that’s when the knife slips into your heart. Right then when you least expect it. Lies were the blissful haven we lived in. And the truth…ah…the truth would’ve been better off never heard. But your guilt fed, didn’t it?” Celestia glared at him some more.

“Discord. I never lied to you. And I know that the real you would never truly say things like this. Perhaps there is a grain of truth in this…only out of spite and heartbreak. But I know you’re in there somewhere. Please…stop. Come back. Let go of all this hate. I’m sorry…”

“Oh…Oh-hoho! It’s FAR too late for apologies, My Sweetheart,” said Discord, standing up in furry, gritting his teeth in a crazed grin and his eyes wide and twitching slightly. “You broke me…so I decided to break you in the only way I know how! Take over your kingdom. And any attempts to fight against me…well…would be foolish on your part.”

“Would it?” shouted Celestia, her face turning red again. “Because maybe you don’t really know me either! I can fight if I have to!” She let a spark ignite from the tip of her horn when she said that.

“Of course,” said Discord smirking. “But there’s only one true way to end all this. And…I know you won’t kill me.” Celestia’s eyes grew wide and she felt her whole body deflate. “It’s true…isn’t it?” said Discord’s voice. Her ears twitched as she heard him appear behind her. “Maybe you don’t love me…but you’re too kind and weak like Mother says. You can’t just end my life. Not after everything. Even if love…and friendship…and harmony is all…meaningless. And…only causes pain and heartache.” Celestia’s eyes studied the floor and her heart fell to the pit of her stomach. “Am I right?” Celestia bit her lip hard. “I can’t hear you, Darling…” said Discord, stroking her chin with his claw and sending chills through her spine. She jerked her head away and closed her eyes.

“Yes,” she replied. “You’re right, Discord. I can’t kill you. I never will.”

“So then, we agree that your attempts to defeat me will be futile,” said Discord smiling in contentment. Celestia started walking towards the exit of the room and felt her eyes starting to overflow with tears as the fibers of her being were cracking and crumbling into nothingness. “Oh, cheer up, Celestia!” said the draconequus relaxing back on the throne. “You may learn to like it here. And I thought you had fun dancing in the rain…” Celestia paused at that last statement and felt a warm tear with warm memories wrapped inside it plummet to the floor.

_______________________________

Luna stirred when she heard a flash and the clopping of hooves on stone. She lifted her head to see Celestia entering the cave with a slower gait than usual. Immediately, the younger alicorn’s heart began to sink. Based upon the look on her sister’s face, she guessed things with Discord did not go so well. Her sister shifted her teary violet eyes to look at her. Something about them was so different. They looked drained. Drained of all hope and life. Celestia paused in the middle of the cave and stared at the ground.

“Tia…” said Luna softly. “What happened?”

“Nothing, Luna,” Celestia replied. “Go back to sleep.”

“Tia,” said Luna getting up. “Something happened. What is it?”

“Don’t worry about it,” said Celestia quietly.

“You talked to Discord?” said Luna.

“Yes,” Celestia replied closing her eyes. “He’s…he’s different now, Luna. It’s… Just….Just don’t worry about this, okay? There’s nothing we can do now….”

“What?” said Luna confused. “What do you mean? Nothing we can do? What are you talking about? You’re going to tell me! Please, Tia! I need to know why you’re so upset!”

“I AM NOT GOING TO KILL THE ONE I LOVE!” Celestia shouted emotionally. “He said something…that’s so true, Luna! Fighting him…is meaningless…because in the end I’ll have to kill him and I can’t do that! Don’t you see? We can’t fight. We can’t take back the kingdom. There is no hope. There is nothing left for us. True Discord is gone and he is never coming back! Everything is lost.”

“No,” said Luna quietly. “Don’t believe that, Tia. Please don’t. There’s always a way.”

“NO THERE ISN’T!” said Celestia, her eyes glowing and her hair aflame for a split-second. Luna fell backwards in shock. Her older sister collapsed onto the cave floor and wept. Luna had never seen her sister like this before. Something had happened. Something Discord must’ve done to her. Maybe to her mind. Luna was not convinced hope was gone, but it appeared to her that her sister was fully convinced. In fact, as the sun disappeared and the moon rose, Princess Celestia’s coat and mane changed color and faded. The splendor disappeared. The magic vanished. And all that was left were shades of gray.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Continued Author’s Note: Ok! Wanna hear the awesome thing! It’s awesome news! First: I saw on Equestria Daily that

Season 3 is gonna be in November! But that’s not all! Guess who is gonna be in it? Go on. Guess? Who could it be? They

revealed it at Comic Con. Hmmm…. :) There was speculation a while ago….. No…wishful thinkers they did not say Trixie (I d
on’t think), although that would be cool.

Alright. Come on, people. I’ve written this stupid fanfic for a good fangirlish reason. Gimme a break. If you couldn’t figure that one out….geeeezzzz…..

DISCORD’S COMING BACK IN SEASON 3 PRETTY MUCH 100% CONFIRMED PEOPLE. WAS THERE EVER ANY DOUBT? YOU DARE DOUBTED? DOUBTERS SHOULD BE TRAPPED IN STONE! OR SENT TO THE MOON! BUT PROBABLY STONE IS BETTTERRR. >:D Mwhaha. *Starts merrily chipping away at Discord statue with hammer*

I know most of you probably scrolled. Cheaters. I’m not stupid. *shakes head* Tsk, Tsk.
Eyeeyeyeyee….Anywho. This story’s moving along. Quicker than predicted, which is good. :) We’re getting there! Just wait….
Peace, people

Keeping Hope

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Author’s Note: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! DAT PREMIERE. O.O King Sombra was super menacing, was he not? Wish he talked more though. :/ However, DAT ENDING. Just…..Just………………. “There. Are. No. Words.” :O Watch my reaction video!! ( Reeeemindderrrr…[ Nrdygrl4ever ] is my username on Youtube. ‘Without the brackets of course.’ I got like…5 crapparific vids on there. Yup. Life’s good. X3
Look at all these reviews! Are you guys parasprites? Cuz you’re devouring my heart…. BAHA! XD <3 ILAMOL (Meaning: I Laugh At My Own Lameness.) Eeyup. So, this story is getting there. I have kind of gone off plan a little, but I’m glad it’s getting a least a TINY BIT closer to the end. Wait and see what shall happen…
>:)

Chapter Nineteen

“Keeping Hope”

“Keep going, Tia!” cheered Luna. “You have to try again. Please don’t give up now!”

“It’s no use, Lu,” said an exhausted, glossy-eyed Celestia. “I can’t pass this test. I’ll never get this spell to work.”

“Come on, Sister! Mother said she had so much faith in you! Please try! I know you’ll do it! Just try it one more time!” said Luna jumping up in down in encouragement, her little wings flitting out in excitement.

“Okay…One more try,” sighed Celestia. Her horn glowed a bright pink and her eyes turned white. Then she closed her eyes and furrowed her brow while beads of sweat collected on her forehead. Then, a burst of light and color revealed a giant rainbow floating above Luna’s head. Celestia opened her eyes and gasped. “I did it!” She grinned and giggled as she levitate the sparkling rainbow all around the room.

“I knew you could, Tia!” said Luna jumping up and down. “Wait until Mother sees it! It’s so beautiful!”

“Thanks for not giving up on me, Little Sister,” said Celestia, wrapping the warm rainbow around Luna, making her giggle.

__________________________

It was such a rare event that Celestia was the one that needed encouragement. When was she ever down in the dumps? Luna could only muster up little bits of memory like this one of whenever her older sister needed encouragement from her. Since Tia was older than her, she always solved her own problems. Always being six years apart, Luna never paid much attention to her sister’s “big filly” problems. However, now was a time where she felt like Celestia needed her help more than ever before in their whole lives. She could no longer ignore Celestia, who had secluded herself into a shadowy corner as if she were trying to hide from the light seeping in from the mouth of the cave.

“Sister, it’s been hours! Please won’t you tell me what’s going on?!” Luna demanded as she approached the end of the cave and watched her shadow envelop a gray, listless Celestia. “I know Discord said something to you. I know it. How is it that you’ll have to kill him?!”

“Luna…please. Let me be. I…I can’t tell you all what happened in there,” Celestia replied in a tone that was barely audible. Her voice was so cracked and faded. She barely shifted her eyes up to Luna. “It was good you stayed here. It’s too….too much. Our friend…is…he’s….a monster. There’s nothing we can do for him now. Did you not hear me before? It’s over. Over before it even began. I was willing to fight. To do anything to protect my kingdom, Luna. Mother and Father trusted me. It was my responsibility and I failed. I’ve failed them all. And why? Because I won’t be able to defeat him. He’s too powerful. He learned it all from Eris. He…was vulnerable. It was all her, Luna. She knew this was going to happen. She set it all in motion and…I only made things worse. I wasn’t ready. I….I’m not now….and I never will be. I’ll never be able to protect Equestria. I’ll never be the princess our parents wanted.”

“Tia, don’t say that,” said Luna. “It’s not true. Mother and Father new you were ready when you gained Forevermore! Yes, you turned Discord down and yes, he became evil and trained with Eris so he could rule Equestria. You couldn’t have known what would be. It doesn’t mean we can’t fix things now.”

“I wish I could go back,” said Celestia swallowing hard. “If there was a way to.”

“Maybe there is a way!” said Luna gasping and her body practically levitating off the stone floor due to her epiphany. “Star Swirl! He can help! I know he can! He’s done so much magic in the past before. He even taught you how to bring Discord back to life that one time. I know he can do something to help us fix all this chaos!”

“Oh…Luna. I…I don’t know…” said Celestia in an unsure voice. “What if he can’t?”

“It’s worth a shot, Tia!” Luna said pleadingly. “Why are you acting this way? You’ve never acted this way? You’ve always been eager to ask Star Swirl for help! That’s what he’s here for! He’s the most powerful unicorn in the land! He’s always assisted our parents and he’ll help us now!”

“I’m not sure even his magic can fix all the damage,” Celestia replied, sighing. “Everything is torn apart now.” Luna felt a hot rage building up inside her.

“Shut up, Tia!” she yelled, making Celestia jerk her head up. “I’m just as upset as you are that this had to happen. Probably not as much…but this is NOT the time to be acting this way! I don’t care what has happened to Discord or Equestria right now. There is ALWAYS a way to fix it. There is ALWAYS hope! You were the one who never gave up on him! You stuck by his side through thick and thin, even though times were hard. Even though he died you still didn’t give up on him and you brought him back to us. So no amount of chaos or darkness is ever going to take him away from you, Celestia. And True Discord…deep down in there somewhere would never want you to give up on him like this. He’d want you to get your flanks off this cave floor and come with me to find Star Swirl. I may be younger than you, Sister. And maybe you’re more powerful than me…and will always be more regal and more admired…but I know when you need help from me. You will always need help. That’s why I’m here. Tia….I’m here….” Luna leaned down in front of Celestia and saw her eyes and face brighten slightly.

“Okay, Luna,” Celestia replied calmly. “We’ll find Star Swirl. Perhaps there is something he can do.” Luna sighed and smiled as Celestia rose to her hooves. The sisters exited the cave and stepped out into the new world. Immediately they found that the weather conditions had changed dramatically. A blast of cold practically knocked Luna off her own feet. Violet clouds hovered above them and an icy, cold blue snow shot down from them. The two sister’s manes were violently blown back by the wind and their fur was almost ripped from their roots. Their bones rattled with the chill and they shut their eyes to protect them from the piercing cold.

“Discord’s control over the weather must be exceeding past Canterlot now,” Celestia yelled over the roaring winds. “The chaos is getting worse. It’s spreading fast.”

“It’ll be all right, Tia. We have to find Star Swirl! Use your telepathic spell!” Celestia gritted her teeth and made her horn glow.

“I can’t get a clear signal in all this wind and snow! We have to climb up higher!”

“Can you make the clouds go away?” Luna asked.

“I’ll try, but there’s so many of them,” said Celestia. She shot some magic beams at the purple clouds overhead, trying to destroy them. She took out several of them. However, they would regenerate immediately afterward. “It’s no use. They come right back. We’ll have to wait it out,” As soon as Celestia and Luna stepped back into the cave, however, the warm summer sun came out and the clouds disappeared.

“What?!” said Luna in annoyance. She stepped outside the cave again and the cold blasted her back inside the cave. “Is this a joke?!”

“It’s like the chaos has a mind of its own,” said Celestia sighing. “I’m afraid we don’t have a choice but to climb the mountain in that snowstorm.” The two darted out of the cave again and charged into the freezing storm of chaos. Luna tried her best to keep up with her sister as they trekked up the mountain. She even had to bite onto the end of her tail at one point to hold onto her. The snow was getting fiercer as they walked higher up the cliff. Shards of ice started collecting on the edges of her fur and hair and tears collected in her eyes and began flying off of them.

“Tiiiiiaaa….” Luna shouted out. “How much further do we have to go? I can’t feel my legs!”

“I’m trying to get a hold of him, Luna!” Celestia shouted back in annoyance. Her horn glowed on and off. “Come on! Come on!” she pleaded. Luna collapsed when they reached the top of the cliff.

“It’s no use,” said Celestia shaking her head. “I can’t get to him! Not in this weather.”

“You…have to try again, Tia! Please,” Luna begged. “One more time!”

Celestia sighed in exhaustion. She reared up and made her horn glow bright, trying to pierce the clouds at the same time of trying to use her telepathy spell. Then, she couldn’t hold it anymore. She collapsed on the ground too. All of a sudden, there was a giant flash and Star Swirl and the Sages appeared on the mountain top with them. Star Swirl made his horn glow bright and all the clouds disappeared. As soon as this happened, the sky was clear again and the day quickly turned into night again. Luna immediately felt the effects of his counter-spell. Her coat no longer felt frozen and feeling was being restored to her limbs. She and Celestia breathed a sigh of relief.

“Star Swirl!” they said in unison, jumping up.

“I came as soon as I got your message, Princess,” he said bowing.

“I was so worried about you. All of you!” said Celestia sighing in relief. “I’m so glad you’re all right. With all the chaos….I…”

“I knew you would want the Sages protected, Your Highness,” said Star Swirl.

“And he made sure we’d all be safe underground,” said Sage Clover.

“But when your Highnesses didn’t join us…” said Smart Cookie.

“We thought that Discord did something awful to all of you,” said Captain Hurricane. “We would’ve protected all of you! Fought him!”

“However….” Said Star Swirl clearing his throat. “I tapped into a memory spell to see what had happened. I…I apologize, Celestia. My magic can sometimes exceed what is…right, I suppose. I wasn’t sure if you were…still alive. Or your parents. I had to know. I know what happened. I saw your memories from your birthday and on. I regretted tapping into such magic and I understand how you shall never forgive me for it. I should think I’ll never practice magic again after this. However it was worth it knowing you princesses were safe here.

“It’s all right, Star Swirl,” said Celestia shaking her head. “You couldn’t have known what had happened. I’m glad you did. At least you knew we were okay. You must not beat yourself up for using that spell.”

“Thank you for understanding, Princess,” said Star Swirl. “Still, I shall burn that spell. It should not be used again. Such things can reveal dark things. Strong emotion. Secrets that never should be known. It is the ultimate invasion and violation. Such things should not be dabbled into.”

“In this case, I think we can make a justification,” Celestia replied, smiling.

“Star Swirl! A just wizard like you should know exactly how to fix everything,” said Luna. “You have so many spells. Isn’t there a way Tia could go back in time maybe?”

“Time travel?” said Sage Clover stunned. “Master, is that even possible?”

“I have discovered a spell that allows it, yes,” said Star Swirl nodding. “However, it is a tricky thing. You won’t be able to reverse what is already happened. You can go back to a certain point in time for a few seconds, but you would be your future self. And there would be a past you as well.”

“Two Celestias?” said Luna. “That’s confusing! Is there a way to…not have two Celestias?” Star Swirl shook his head.

“We are on one path. One…universe, if you will. While there is an alternate universe where there is no chaos occurring now. We can’t cross over or try to reset everything. Everything has already happened in our universe. And considering Celestia changes from moment to moment based upon thoughts, emotions, and ideas. Future versions of her are constantly changing opposed to her past selves. This could even be as much as a second difference. There would be no way to send her back in time and keep her current self and delete her past self. It’s impossible. Besides, that kind of study should also really never be dabbled with either.”

“Obviously!” said Luna, her head spinning. “I’m getting a headache just thinking about that!”

“Is there anything you can do, then Star Swirl?” Celestia asked grimly. “Anything at all? We’re stuck here. There’s no going back and changing anything without…possible dire consequences.”

“I can counter-act the chaos spells, as you saw,” said Star Swirl. “However, Discord’s power as a whole is far too strong for me to deal with. However, Your Highnesses, I may have a solution. As it is now night and won’t be for much longer, perhaps the stars can help us.”

“Yes!” Luna exclaimed! “The stars! I don’t even know why I didn’t think of that before! Tia, let’s try talking to them, please?”

“All right,” said Celestia seriously. She sighed and made her horn glow. Luna and Star Swirl did as well. “Keepers of the Night. Watchers of the World. Entities of Light. I beg you. listen to my plea. Our land is in danger. I have failed our people. Equestria will be doomed. At this rate, perhaps in only a matter of days. Then, it truly will be too late. If there really is a way to end all this. If there’s a way to defeat this villain that has ripped my Discord from me, please, tell me! Please speak!” Luna heard faint whispers beginning from the realm of stars through her magic. This gave her even more hope. They would help. They would. They had to.

“Princess Celestia. Daughter of the sun. Granddaughter of our great goddess Elianna: We hear you. We indeed are the keepers of all that is light and good. We have indeed seen that your mortal world has fallen into chaos and terrible darkness. Such things cannot exist in this land of ours,” several voices spoke at once. The two sisters and Star Swirl could hear the stars talking.

“I know,” Celestia replied. “I must do all I can to repair the damage.”

“You must destroy the chaos at its core, Daughter of the sun,” the stars said. “This creature. The son of Chaos is no longer who you once knew. We’ve watched you and seen how you grew feelings for this creature. It would have been best to ignore them, Princess. To have let him alone. A son of disharmony is born with darkness in him. There’s no hope for him.”

“You’re wrong!” Celestia shouted angrily. “We all have light and darkness in us, don’t we? Does that mean you’d give up on me if I turned on my people? Or…Luna? Your own Princess of the Night, Daughter of the moon? Do you even hear yourselves?”

“Regardless of what you may believe, Sun child, we know and you know there is only one way to destroy such evil. You must end the creature’s life with your magic. It is the only permissible way.”

“NO!” Celestia yelled in defiance. “I won’t! I can’t! I don’t care what you say and I don’t care if you help us! I will not end the life of someone who deserves a second chance! The only one I have ever and will ever love! Does that mean nothing to you?” There was silence for a few moments and then just low whispers as if the stars were talking amongst themselves.

“Tia, I think they’re deciding something,” Luna whispered hopefully.

“Very well, Princess Celestia. It seems, you’ve convinced us, Daughter of the sun,” said the stars after a minute or so. “You won’t have to kill your true love, as we can see it is a sincere love filled with a strong compassion and longing. You wish for him to seek redemption? Very well. Discord will get a chance.” A flash from the sky revealed six orbs of light. They glowed all different colors. They hovered around Celestia and Luna. “We are granting you two Princesses an ancient power that will be strong enough to defeat the chaos in this land. This is the most powerful magic in Ponydom. However, only we stars have ever used it through the ages until recently. When the Sages had to defeat Eris, Discord’s mother, we granted them the harmonious abilities to break her curse on the land.”

“I remember my parents telling me that story,” said Celestia. “And…it was you! You gave them the power. That’s how it happened. And these…orbs are just like the orbs I saw when I gained Forevermore!”

“We are responsible for bestowing the power on you. Your magic was at its maximum. We had done the same with your parents when they lived in the Heavens. However, we cannot bestow this power continuously any longer. We know the time has come for us to give it to the mortal land and trust it to your protection, Princesses. Equestria must be kept safe and harmony must be maintained. This is why we call these The Elements of Harmony.”

“The Elements of Harmony,” said Celestia watching the orbs float to the ground and turn to six crystalline balls. “How do they work?”

“They will become active when a spark is ignited. A spark of magic that lights the heart. Kindness, Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty, and Laughter are the elements that create a peaceful kingdom. And the final Element of Magic, the most sacred of all…must be kept a secret, Princess. We do not want to risk these falling into the wrong hooves.”

“I understand,” Celestia replied.

“So how will we defeat Discord with these?” Luna asked.

“When the spark is ignited and the Elements are awoken, the chaos will all become contained. At this point in time, he will have the choice to accept the harmony or fight it. If he chooses redemption, redemption it will be. And if not….all chaos must be contained. Which means. He will be turned to stone.”

“Turned to stone?” Celestia cried. “He’ll be dead! He’ll be a statue! If he doesn’t….”

“Fear not. He will only be contained inside the stone. His heart will still be beating, however. He will remain in suspended animation like this for a thousand years time. And after that, the spell will be broken…and he shall break free.” Celestia looked down at the ground and swallowed hard.

“I see…” she whispered quietly. “I see what we must do.”

“However,” said the stars suddenly. “For us to give you the Elements, you must grant us something in return, Daughter of the sun.”

“What do you want?” Celestia asked, glaring at the sky.

“We will tell you….when the time comes…” they replied. All of a sudden, Luna had a strange feeling inside. Sort of like a million eyes were turned on her at this moment. Did it have something to do with her? What could they want with her? After this, there were hushed whispers and then the stars were silent. The conversation was over. The message was clear. The mission was clear. With these Elements of Harmony, Luna knew she and her sister would have to battle against chaos, no matter what the cost or what the terrible outcome would be.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Continued Author’s Note: “Wishes Upon Stars” is for DISNEY. This is My Little Pony people! The stars aren’t twinkle-twinkle now, ARE THEY?! Nope.
On a side note: I’m super psyched for the rest of Season 3 so…. YYYEEEEEAAHHHHH! Ahem. Had to do that. ^_^

Solar Eclipse

View Online

Author’s Note:

Ahhhhh!!! I hath returned my lovely people. Nrdygrl is back in da game!! *Unexpectedly breaks out into Gangnam Style* XD Whoop! Season 3 is da bomb so far is it not? I absolutely loved “Magic Duel.” Zecora is Yoda. (in reference to my video spoof.) lol!! ;p Did anybody else think that “Sleepless in Ponyville” was also a seriously unexpectedly awesome ep?! I mean, I figured it would be good, but…LUNA! I mean, she was so sweet.
P.S. Be on the lookout for a reference to that in this chapter. Mwhahaha… >:)
New episode: “Wonderbolt Academy”! Me liked! :D Don’t worry, I won’t put spoilers in case you haven’t seen it yet. But there’s a return of the “YEEAAHHH” guy with the little baby wings. Lol! How does he fly??? That is like…impossible. Rotfl! Did anybody see Derpy? I think I heard somewhere she won’t be showing up in the background anymore! ? :’(( Tell me it’s a false rumor or I will be sad. Spitfire has a different voice I think. Does she? It’s not the same as last time she had dialogue. But she’s still BOSS all of a sudden. xD

So in other pony news, I’ve been constantly playing that Gameloft game on my phone. It’s so addicting. I got Octavia and DJ Pon3 finally! Super cute. :3 But…oh my gosh. Stupid Rarity. Ok well maybe she’s not stupid but…Why is she 90 gems?! RAWR! I’m cheating. Buying Fluttershy instead. Lol! Add me (on there I’m SuperNrdygrl) and send me hearts. I’ll gift baaaccckk. :3 I’m supposed to get Scootaloo but I might just say “meh. Screw Scoot. I want Zecora. I like her now. She’s Yoda.” LOL. xD
In boring news: I’ve been suffering with germs. Germs are not fun. They laugh at me. However, in this time of germieness, I’ve been coming up with some new ideas for Fanfics when this one’s done. I also might be posting some more stuff on Youtube soon. Keep an eye on me, Kay? At least one. ;)
Wow that was long. Lol. Ok. Just read the thing already. Guess what! 163 pages now! Longest Word Document I think I’ve ever had on here. LOL. Ok sorry….I’ll be quiet now… you can go ahead and reeeaaddd…. That’s cool. I’ll shut up now.

Chapter Twenty

“Solar Eclipse”

Oh, how sweet the view from the balcony was. Oh, how sweet was the new feeling of disarray and unrest that manifested into the air and entered into his lungs whenever he took a breath. Such a sick sweetness, he could not share with the world. An intoxication of power, a fantasy that would never end. It was a drug. But it was enjoyable, all the same. These things were noted, as Equestria’s new dictator, never mind the title of king, or anything else, stood at the foot of the balcony, relishing his creation. Chaos in all its glory. No…Discord in all his glory. Another big exhale in. And he was going in deeper. Drowning in something so beautifully horrible, he knew he would never leave. He took a drink from the glass in his claw, his dull eyes set at a torpid, almost depressed gaze. Even the something in the chocolate milk that ran down his throat had a slight bitter, sour quality to it, that could only have been produced by the musings in the back of his mind as he stood there, enveloped in all the disharmony. In this moment in time—he wasn’t sure why he chose this particular moment to think when he could be doing a lot more damage out in his new kingdom—he wondered why he wasn’t feeling as happy as he should’ve been.

I have everything now. I’m the puppet master. Today Canterlot, tomorrow, all of Equestria and then…maybe the world. Who knows. Celestia…Luna…once they realize they can’t defeat me, they’ll go away somewhere. Disappear with as many subjects as they can. Try their best to counter-act my spells and build their own little kingdom far away. They’ll give up eventually, but it will be to no avail. I’ll practice my chaos until I gain Forevermore. I’ll live for until eternity and beyond." A devious grin found its way across his muzzle as he thought all this.

“Aren’t you happy now?” a dark voice asked, tickling his ear. Discord blinked his red and yellow eyes and turned his head. There was a mirror hanging on the wall behind him. He glanced at it and saw a mismatched reflection. It was his mirror image, except it resembled the shadowy image he saw in the cottage. It was his outline, only black like Chaos with red, fiery eyes. It grinned at him. “You’ve finally become your father’s son, and now that you’ve accepted me, why the pangs of guilt? Don’t let that drag you back now.”

“What guilt?” said Discord narrowing his eyes and sipping more milk. “I took over an entire kingdom and crushed Celestia’s heart like she crushed mine. I extracted revenge. Where’s the guilt in all that?”

“Because there’s still part of you that regrets it,” the reflection replied.

“I have no regrets,” Discord retorted, glancing at the kingdom below again.

“You’re lying.” This voice was different. It sounded young and innocent. It had an ounce of impish bravery inside it wrapped around a coat of wild-eyed fear. Discord saw a second mirror suddenly materialize next to the other one. In this mirror was the exact replica of himself…only he was younger. He looked like he did when he first came to Equestria. “Don’t lie,” said the small voice. “You feel bad for all the evil you’ve done here. Why’d you listen to Mom? She left us. Don’t you remember how sad you felt? This was your true home. Now look at it! You destroyed everything you loved.”

“Haha. Oh, how amusing. So, this is this other side that comes to battle me?” said the shadow reflection. “Surely you no longer believe the childish ideas like this any longer.”

“Of course not,” Discord replied, glaring at the smaller version of him. “That part of me is dead now.”

“No I’m not,” the voice yelled. “Wake up and stop listening to this darkness! It’s controlling you! Can’t you see it? Celestia never wanted all this to happen. You know that! She told you it was all because she didn’t want you to die again. And you love her! We’ve always loved her, haven’t we? She was the one ray of sunlight in our dark lives that made us whole again. And you threw her away!”

“We basked in the sun and were burned,” the dark image growled. “You know this. We were fools to ever believe her web of lies.”

“I know you’re hurt!” said the small voice. “But you miss her. You can’t ever be satisfied here without her. That’s why you’re not happy.”

Discord squeezed the glass with his claw until a crack started to appear on it. He looked down at it and clenched his teeth together hard. He could feel the bones in his jaw ache with the pressure. What kind of mind game was this? Miss her? Did he? Did he miss the way the sunlight or moonlight would dance off of her coat and reflect off her eyes that were always much, much deeper than the lake and a crisper violet than the flowers that grew next to the lake? Did he miss how in those quiet wintertime nights, how the snow would fall down just as white as she and when she stretched her wings out in bliss to catch the snowflakes on her tongue, he was convinced she truly came from Heaven because of how angelic she truly looked, but yet she had no idea? Did he miss the soft, silky caresses of her mane whenever she would embrace him and did he miss how she always smelled like roses? Did he miss her laugh, like the song of a thousand meadowlarks that would be the greatest joy in the world to hear?

Another question, how couldn’t he? She was his world. But that world was the past. And that world was a delusion. He was a lovesick fool, and now…he had pushed that all behind him. Things could never return to the way they were. He had woken up from his dream. This was his cold, entropic reality. It would be the sweetest misery. Delicious torture. A place so pleasing to him, but yet so grossly lacking. And he could never leave it. And it was self inflicted. And behind all his pride, he knew it. And as the tightening in his chest grew, so did his grip on the glass.

“Don’t let such fantastic ideas cloud your judgment!” said the dark reflection. “Forget about her. Forget about all of it. If you increase your power, you’ll become like me. And then…” The reflection changed to Chaos. “You’ll be better than him. We’ll rule the world.”

“No!” shouted the smaller Discord. “Stop it! Stop it! You can’t do this!”

“SHUT UP!” Discord shouted in fury. “GET OUT OF MY HEAD!” He threw the glass directly at the mirrors. As soon as he did, both figures were no longer there and only one mirror was on the wall. The glass torpedoed against it and the collision made the mirror glass explode all over the floor. Chocolate milk trickled down the wall and pooled onto the floor. Discord glared at the tiny, crystalline shards eyeing him from the floor. He gave a sigh and ignored the mess. Head beginning to pound and a sour taste still resting on his tongue, he chuckled slightly in only a way a madman truly could and then trudged out of the room.

____________________________________

The cave’s entrance looked bleaker, darker than it did before. Celestia felt as if her knees were about to give way from the ache and stabbing pain that continued to surge through them with every step closer. It wasn’t her own weight that caused her such a burden, that much was apparent to her, or would have been apparent to anypony else. It was only the dark, horrible, unfortunate events of her world that could’ve caused such misery in even the simple task of walking. She stretched out her wings in order to brace herself slightly. Luna walked up beside her and nudged her as she almost tripped over her own hooves. Celestia blinked in disorientation and sighed, pausing to glance at her younger sister.

“Are you okay? Tia?” Luna asked.

“I don’t know,” Celestia replied. “I think I’m just tired. Help me get to the cave, Luna. I’m…I’m dizzy.” Luna nodded and herded Celestia past the cave’s shadowy threshold. Celestia welcomed the shadows as they enveloped her snowy coat and softened her dilated eyes. The muscles in her face relaxed, lacking the strain the seemed to carry before out in the sunlight. The six crystalline, almost stone-like balls containing the great magic the two alicorn sisters now possessed were being distributed equally between the two, three each. However, now, Luna levitated the three from Celestia and placed them all in a safe place near the back of the cave. Relieved, Celestia lowered herself onto the stone floor and flattened her wings out, feeling every nerve and fiber in her body begin to pulse in gratitude. At least she could rest. It had been such an exhausting couple days now. Was it only a couple days? It felt like weeks at this point. For all she knew, it could’ve been. The strain had taken its toll. She sighed and felt little beads of sweat collect on her fur. Luna walked over to her, a look of concern on her visage. She planted a hoof on her forehead.

“I think you’re burning up, Tia,” she said sympathetically. “Rest a bit, okay?”

“Not long,” Celestia murmured drowsily. “We have to use those…Elements. The Chaos is spreading.”

“I know,” said Luna. “You feel it a lot more than I do. I don’t feel very well either, but for you…I can see how it’s a lot worse. Sleep, okay?”

“And hour. Make a clock on the wall to time it,” said Celestia quietly. Luna nodded. Celestia let her eyelids droop and immediately felt all the dizziness melt into a deep sleep that felt like an eternal sleep. In the numbing world of dreams, she felt herself encased in a prison so cold and stiff. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t even breath. Looking around, there was only darkness and the icy cold hard walls wrapped around her. She was encased in stone. She was the prisoner. And she could hear Discord. She could hear him laughing and taunting. She could hear the screams of her people and the destruction. And she wanted to scream out herself, but her voice made no sound. No sooner had see felt the true shock of all these terrors surge through her like the sharpest knife and tried to thrash, kick, speak, whisper…anything to escape her asylum, Luna was nudging her awake.

“Tia. It hasn’t quite been an hour yet, but you were dreaming and it must have been awful. You were shaking and…oh, you’re covered in sweat. Let me try to dry you off with a spell.” Luna lowered her blue, shining horn over her sister’s body and disseminated the beads of sweat into the air.

“It’s okay,” said Celestia standing up. She glanced at the cave wall that Luna had produced the clock mirage on it. She breathed deeply and shuttered in remembrance of the nightmare.

“Someday, Tia, I’ll learn how to use my powers to protect dreams like Father did,” said Luna sympathetically. Do you want to tell me about it?”

“No,” said Celestia shaking her head. “It’s over.” She struggled to her feet. “Come on. We have to go…” Celestia immediately felt the cave spin all around her.

“Sister, please,” said Luna. “Settle down. You are not prepared to handle the battle against this chaos yet! You can’t even stand up straight!”

“I’m fine, Luna,” Celestia insisted, clenching her teeth and pressing her hoof against her head. “Some dizziness and a migraine headache is not going to stop me from….from…. saving Eque….stria….”

“All right,” sighed Luna. “At least let me carry the Elements for you!” She made her horn glow and lifted the orbs up. Celestia interrupted it with her own levitation and swiped them from Luna’s grasp.

“No! I can do it myself! You don’t need to do anything for me, Luna. I’m fine!” Celestia arched her neck up high and began walking out of the cave, the Elements floating all around her. She could already feel pins and needles jabbing her legs as she began walking. Her head pulsed with a pain that riveted through her. It was a different kind of pain. A different kind of sickness. Her stomach twisted in unspeakable nausea. As her mind went into a fog, thoughts and memories began flashing and blurring before her. She thought about Discord.

She thought about meeting him for the first time on that cliff-side, kissing him for the first time on the balcony, seeing that look on his face…when she broke his heart into a million pieces, the look in his eyes and the hate in his voice when she was talking to him in the castle. Then, the only thing she could think about was talking with him in the castle. She recalled the moment when her anger surfaced in their conversation and she told him how he should have resisted the darkness. She felt a burning inside her chest. It was true wasn’t it? The fault wasn’t all hers. She wasn’t the only one to blame.

Why should she hold onto all these heavy burdens that continued to plague and torment her heart? He was vulnerable to all that darkness to begin with. But when he stayed with them in the castle, they taught him right from wrong. He knew better! He did! And he should have to pay for all that he did. The more she thought about this, she felt as if her pain was being somewhat alleviated. These bitter thoughts that would once just leave the worst taste in her mouth were now making her feel empowered. However, the burning in her chest grew as these feelings grew. And the gray hues of her coat and hair faded just a shade darker.

___________________________________

The Princess of the night, daughter of the moon, had no inkling as to what was bothering her sister, but as the two made their journey back to Canterlot, she noticed Celestia was beginning to appear more restless and disoriented. At one point, she was going the wrong way and Luna nudged her.

“This way, Tia,” she said pointing her hoof. Confused, Celestia shook her head and glanced over with her dead eyes. Her face looked even more pale and sick than it did before.

“Oh. I…I’ve got it, Luna…” she said sighing in frustration, walking the right way. She was momentarily distracted by a row of chocolate milk clouds that were floating ahead. Celestia paused and glared at them. She let flares of light shoot from her horn and shot the clouds with a look of resentment in her eyes. They regenerated immediately afterward. This seemed to egg her on, angering her even more. She continued to try and eliminate them. They continued to appear. Luna cocked her head in confusion.

“Tia……Tia………..Celestia,” Luna said firmly. “They’ll just come back! Cut it out!” Celestia ignored her altogether, like she didn’t even hear her or understand and stamped her hoof defiantly on the earth, leaving a crack in the ground. She shot a huge blast at the clouds, knocking a section of rock off the side of the mountain. The rocks tumbled down the cliff-side, splitting into smaller rocks as they broke apart. They collapsed down in their direction, almost hitting Luna. “Ah! TIA!” Luna shouted angrily, levitating the rocks up over her head and tossing them to the side. Several smaller pebbles hit her on the shoulder and bounced off her cheek. She winced and felt the spot, already feeling it beginning to bruise. “What is wrong with you?!” she shouted at Celestia.

“Forgive me for trying to exterminate the chaos that’s plaguing our path!” Celestia shouted back.

“Well, throwing a tantrum when it doesn’t work is the PERFECT way to do that,” said Luna rolling her eyes.

“I didn’t see you coming up with any better ideas,” replied Celestia, scoffing. Luna narrowed her eyes.

“Somepony’s feeling better…” she muttered. Then she sighed. “Look. We just need to get to Canterlot. We’ll deal with the Chaos when we fight Discord, right?

“I suppose,” said Celestia, her face muscles tensing. “Just like you to want to appear smarter than I…as usual.”

“What?” said Luna raising an eyebrow. “That’s not…”

“Whatever. Let’s go,” said Celestia turning gruffly. Luna blinked in sheer confusion. Why was Celestia acting this way? Yes, she was under a lot of stress, but why was she taking it out on her? Perhaps after they defeated Discord, it would all go away. After all, Luna knew she could never imagine the pain her sister had been feeling these past days. She decided to change the subject. Perhaps talking more about the elements would change things. After all, Luna had been wrestling with something the stars talked about.

“Celestia, I was thinking. Remember how the stars said that if Discord refuses redemption from the Elements of Harmony, he’ll be turned to stone for a thousand years?”

“Yes.”

“Well…I was thinking about that. I don’t think they told us everything about that,” said Luna. “I think that part is only true if we just…defeat him. I feel like the Elements are connected to us. To our hearts. I feel them. I feel their magic reaching the magic inside me. I feel like when we use them, it’s more than just using a spell…it’s deeper. It’s something great. I can’t quite explain it, but I think…we almost have to will it to trap the chaos forever. I think if we truly unlock this potential…find this power within ourselves to defeat the disharmony, then it will keep a seal that won’t break! I think that’s what we have to do. But…Tia, I wanted to know how you feel about this. I wanted to avoid telling you, because I know how hard it is for you to even think of Dis trapped for a thousand years, let alone forever.”

“I doesn’t matter anymore, Luna,” Celestia replied quietly.

“What do you mean, ‘it doesn’t matter’?!” said Luna, stunned. “What if…what if we might be able to actually turn him back? Redeem him!”

“NO, Luna!” said Celestia sharply, whirling around. “No. There’s no redemption. There’s no second chances. There is no hope of him ever coming back to us. Don’t you understand?! If not, get it through your head…right now. The Discord we once knew is dead and he has been replaced by a sick, twisted, evil madman that is the face of evil and deserves this fate! We will trap him in that prison forever. We will use that power. We’ll find a way so that he never ruins our kingdom ever again. He’ll pay for all his crimes. He’ll pay for the pain he’s putting me through. I’ll never forgive him for this. Ever. I will destroy him and everything he lives and breathes for. The epitome of evil. The son of true darkness. The face of Chaos himself!” Luna’s eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open.

“Tia…” she whispered. “Do…do you even hear yourself? What did he do to you? Something is not right. You’re different.”

“Stop that,” said Celestia glaring at her. “You overanalyze everything, including me. I’m the older one, Luna. I should be making the decisions and not being criticized for what I do and how I act…by my little sister!”

“Tia,” said Luna, feeling her heart deflating. “I’m just trying to help…”

“Well, stop helping!” said Celestia gruffly, turning away. Luna stood in one place, frozen in shock, and in a newfound fear she had developing inside her. For the first time in her life, she was actually afraid of her sister. Perhaps she couldn’t even see it, but something was happening to the Princess of the sun. Something dark. Luna shivered. She could feel it in the air. It wasn’t right. Something like this just didn’t happen. Not to Celestia. Not to one who ruled the bright side of day. Luna always knew from her father that she and him were more vulnerable to dark thoughts and feelings, and could easily be turned into something evil. However, the sun, the daytime, so bright, so pure always…how could it be? How could a shadow touch her perfect sister or mother? They had no temptations of darkness. No inklings of shadowy thoughts creeping into the depths of their porcelain white hearts. Always, she thought of her sister and the errors that never were…the flawless good that she herself could never obtain, that only fed the dark monster of jealousy inside her.

But now, as she stood here, watching this apparition float away from her, deadened to the world, to anything she held onto so dearly once before, Luna could feel her heart breaking for her. The one time her sister was falling through the cracks and slipping away into a gray existence of hate and distrust, and overcome with a wild anger that surpassed any burning flame…the one time she actually wasn’t the snow white angel that could do no wrong, Luna felt absolutely heartbroken. In the midst of this revelation, she thought her reaction would have been some slight relief, perhaps a devilish sense of glee that her sister would become darkened and so hard-hearted. However, amidst the chaos that was riveting their world, and destroying their lives, she knew all too well, such feelings could never bubble to the surface at such a time. Canterlot was now in sight. Luna hadn’t even noticed she’d found the strength to continue walking. Celestia paused, glancing at the horrific city for a brief moment. By the look on her face, Luna almost thought Celestia could see Discord a ways off. Luna didn’t dare say a word. Her sister looked as if she were going to fire all her magic at the next thing that spoke to her.

Still distraught, Luna glanced up with a heavy heart into her sister’s blank face, trying to grasp an explanation for how she could become like this, Luna could only see her eyes shifting in color from a violet to a burning yellowish orange with some hues of magenta and red lingering on the outer rims of the irises. Her wide dark pupils shrunk to the smallest, blackest ovals. It was over. Celestia was changing before Luna’s sight. Those eyes were the most burning, fierce, hateful eyes Luna could ever have pictured. She didn’t look at them for too long. She kept her gaze on the ground, her heart in pieces, her stomach in knots. This couldn’t be happening. It was too surreal. It was a nightmare that would go away. It had to. Discord was gone. Celestia couldn’t just go either. It couldn’t be. She wouldn’t let it be. The elements had to fix everything. They had to. She couldn’t watch her sister stay this way. It frightened her down to her very core. She kept thinking to herself, as they walked into the city, everything would be fixed now. Everything would get better. Celestia had to snap out of it. They had to do this. Had to.

“Discord!” Celestia shouted in a voice that made Luna jump. The two walked into the town square. Luna’s legs wobbled as they walked on a slippery path made out of something pink and slimy. She looked down to examine the road when she almost fell.

“Watermelon?” she said cocking her head. She hadn’t seen Canterlot before now that Discord had taken over, but she certainly didn’t like what she saw. Watermelon roads that couldn’t even be walked on properly without tripping, a cloudy sky that constantly rained chocolate milk, grass that changed color, a lake filled with pudding, houses that defied gravity, buildings made out of food like cookies and other confections, and a mice, rabbits and other creatures that were now ten feet tall with their giant stilt-like legs. Luna looked up at a giant house of cards that was towering above her. A row of giant dominos was falling over and one almost fell on top of her. She shrieked and half ran half slid out of the way, collapsing onto the watermelon road and knocking Celestia over. As the two slid, a row of bowling pins mysteriously appeared in their path. They knocked the pins over at break-neck speed, causing them to fly in every direction. Luna saw stars and struggled to her feet, also helping her disoriented sister up. Immediately, they heard laughing. In a flash of light, Discord appeared right in front of them with a giant throne.

“That was hilarious!” he said wiping away a tear. “I wondered when you’d both show up so I could do that!”

“Discord!” said Celestia, jumping up, glaring at him, but then sliding back down again onto the watermelon ground. Discord laughed hard at her.

“Not so intimidating when you’re out of your element are we now?” he said smirking.

“SHUT UP!” she replied making her horn and eyes glow. She leaked a burst of electricity onto the ground, completely demolishing the watermelon around them. She and Luna stood up. Discord rolled his eyes.

“Fine then,” he said. “I suppose you’ve come here to act upon the silly notion of defeating me…”

“We most certainly have,” said Celestia grimily. “We have a power of our own now.”

“A power the stars gave us,” Luna added. “The Elements of Harmony. They’ll contain your chaos. And trap you in stone…”

“Oh, really, now? Is that what you think? Well, nopony’s stopping you. Go on if you think a few sparkles are going to destroy the power of chaos,” said Discord yawning. “But ummm….you might want to hurry it up now. You see, I never got to make soap roads to go along with the watermelon roads…oh, yes…and I would like to make pigs fly. I never got to do that. Oh, and I have this other idea called ‘popcorn’…”

“Oh, just stop it! Stop it right now!” said Celestia angrily. “If you doubt that we will have the power to defeat you, then you are sadly mistaken! You may have been right when you said I couldn’t kill you. But let me tell you something right now, Discord. When we trap you in stone forever and ever and ever…your heart will beat, your lungs will breath, and you will think, but it will all feel like a never-ending dream, and you will grow stiff, and you may even see the outside world….and I hope you do, so you can see everything you’ll never have. And when you can’t even move, or speak, or whisper a single word to anypony…you will be begging for the open gates of Tartarus and there you would feel like it was so much more gracious a punishment than what we’re going to do to you.” Luna felt her chest tighten. She watched Celestia’s eyes flare in a fury that could never be described. In that very moment, Luna could only think of would word to describe what was happening to her sister-eclipse. Celestia, the sun, the day, the bright one, was being shadowed by darkness. She was undergoing a solar eclipse. It was all too real now.

“Oh, ho-ho! So! It would seem you’ve finally snapped, hm?” said Discord grinning. “I didn’t think it would be that easy! Careful Celestia, you’re dark side’s showing.” Celestia glared at him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said gruffly. “But I will tell you this, you are responsible for everything that has happened here and I’ll never forgive you.”

“Mmhm. Go ahead. Blame it on the draconequus. Tell me, Celestia, you seem to have such a strong anger, even a hatred in your eyes right now as you look at me…I have to admit…it’s quite attractive on you. I think…that you’ve always hid it deep down. Think back, will you? Back on that cliff-side. Poor, little draconequus, lost, alone. You can’t tell me you didn’t sense my flame of darkness and despised it from the start. You let me believe your love. Perhaps you even believed it. True love though? I think not. Now that I’m…going to be trapped in stone for the better part of eternity, why don’t we confess some things? Hm? Why not fess up the truth to your dear friend, Discord? How do you really feel?”

“You want to know how I feel? You…” Celestia’s eyes flared again and she gave a smirk that showcased such darkness and such hate, Luna couldn’t bare it. She thought she’d faint in this very moment. How could she bare this any longer? Her sister was going mad! “Fine. I’ll tell you the truth, Discord.” Celestia approached him and held her head close to him, her lips curling in sheer anger and a fire of hate and vengeance burning through the yellowish-orange ring in her eyes, surrounding that black center, looking so much like an eclipsed sun now more than ever. “I never loved you. I pitied you.” Luna’s jaw dropped and her heart plummeted. Her whole body deflated and she shook her head in disbelief. Her eyes welled up in sheer confusion, fear, everything.

“Well, now,” said Discord quietly, nodding. “Now the truth comes out. I thought it would.” Luna looked up at him, seeing behind his smirking face, that his eyes softened and looked as if they almost welled up with the stab directly to the heart Celestia had just given him. Behind all that evil, it was apparent to her, her sister was wrong. Their Discord was still there somewhere. And he needed them now more than ever. There was so much pain there behind that smiling face. So much heartbreak.

“No!” she shouted stepping forward. Celestia turned her head, glaring at her. “Don’t listen to her, Discord! It’s not true! She doesn’t know what she’s saying! Tia…this chaos has affected you! It’s turning you into someone else just like it did to Discord. You can’t see it, but I can!”

“Shut up, Luna!” said Celestia glaring at her. “You don’t know anything! You’ve always been the weak link in this family!” Luna gasped and her eyes grew wide. She felt her whole body go numb. Celestia made her horn glow and pushed Luna to the side. Luna felt her body jerk sideways. She fell onto the ground and broke down, tears pouring from her eyes. She wrapped her muzzle in her hooves and felt a cold sensation creep over her body. Her purple coat faded into a sad blue-gray, leaving her feeling hopeless and distraught. “It’s time to end this now,” said Celestia firmly.

“Very well,” said Discord sighing. “Go on and fire when you’re good and ready, though I don’t see how it will matter.”

“We will,” said Celestia, levitating the Elements high above her head. “Luna! Get up!” Luna jumped when she shouted her name. She got to her feet and miserably dragged herself over to her glaring, bully of a sister, just wishing it was already over. She channeled all her energy into her horn and watched as Celestia made her horn and eyes glow bright. Her sister’s mane seemed to light ablaze as the elements glowed all around them. Luna noticed that they were both floating off the ground, without the use of their wings. The orbs shined bright and began swirling around them in array of colors. She could see Discord sitting lazily before them, yawning, not at all fazed by the scene before him. Luna stretched out her wings and felt the magic from the orbs riveting through her veins. She felt like the power was about to reach its peak, but just as it was about to and potentially trap all the chaos within it, something happened. Luna felt a jolt and saw Celestia react violently to the sudden rift. There was a bright flash and Luna and Celestia dropped onto the ground with a sudden thrust from the magic in the air. The Elements dropped all around them as well, rolling away in all directions.

“What? What happened?” said Luna in confusion. She struggled to her feet.

“It…it didn’t work,” said Celestia in shock. “I…I can’t believe it. It…didn’t work.”

“Oh, isn’t that just SUCH a shame,” said Discord smirking. “I didn’t expect that to happen…AT ALL.”

“This can’t be happening,” said Celestia shaking her head. “Luna!” she shouted. “Did you try your hardest? Promise me you did. There was something wrong with our magic…and if you didn’t absolutely do your best then I’ll know you messed it up, just like everything else!”

“It’s not me, Tia!” Luna pleaded, her eyes welling and throat closing up. “Stop that, please! I think something’s wrong with our magic…because of you…”

“What?!” Celestia shouted, her eyes flaring again.

“Please, Tia!” Luna begged. “Listen to me. You have to fight this. It’s taken you over like a disease and it’s made you dark and hateful. This isn’t the way to fight chaos. That’s why it didn’t work. Ignore all the lies, greed, and hate. Stay loyal and honest and true to who you are just like the what the Elements represent. You have to resist the darkness. I have to wake you up from this now, Tia. You’re stronger than this. You are. I know you and I know what my big sister is capable of. And I also know that have always loved Discord. You two are meant to be. So, fight for harmony and fight for love now! You can’t use the Elements out of hatred for him, but out of the things inside your heart that want him to be redeemed…that want our kingdom to be saved! There will always be that hope. I see it.” In this moment, Luna felt everything inside her grow strong and her original color returned in a flash of light. She looked directly into her sister’s eyes. She could see Celestia’s face soften slightly. Her eyes were not quite as a fierce shade as they had been. She looked at the ground in confusion.

“I….I…Luna. I don’t know…I…” said Celestia shaking her head. She put her hoof to her head and closed her eyes.

_____________________________

Could it be true? What was happening? Luna was standing before her, so sure, so adamant as to what was really happening. Was it true? She couldn’t even be sure of anything anymore, not even what was happening in front of her. Celestia felt like the world was spinning all around her. What was real? What wasn’t real? Was the anger she felt the true feelings or was it just clouding her judgment? Did the love never truly exist or did it but it was now being shadowed by all this hate? It was so confusing. It couldn’t come together in her mind. She couldn’t think. There was only pressure and pain inside her head, blocking any thoughts and any sense. Any…sanity, if there was any left. All of a sudden, in that minute, she heard a voice that broke her confusion. Her ears twitched and she opened her eyes in sudden revelation as to who the voice belonged to.

“Tia. My Tia…”

“Mother,” she whispered, her eyes growing wide. She could feel all her emotions pooling to the surface.

“Tia, dear. I only have a moment. I managed to send you this telepathic message. It’s hard to do it whereas we’re so far way now. The gods new there was something awful happening down below. They let me do this to help you. Tia, I know how much all this has hurt you. I know you feel betrayed and feel as if things can never return to normal. Your father and I wish so much we could be there for you and Luna in this time. Just know that there will always be a hope for change and that no one is too lost or too dark inside that they can’t be brought back into the light and made good again. Whatever you’re feeling now isn’t real. Find the truth that’s locked inside you. Find it with the elements now, Tia. Only with the Elements of Harmony with the power inside them and what they represent can change everything. Remember what they stand for, what you believe in and you’ll find yourself again, my Tia. Never forget these words: love, is the most powerful form of magic and the most powerful form of friendship. And friendship isn’t easy…but it’s worth fighting for.”

Her mother’s voice faded and Celestia’s eyes overflowed with tears as a big flood of beautiful memories entered her mind. Everything bad, everything that caused her pain left her mind now. She could only think of the good. The laughter, the simple times, the talks at the lake, the sweetest things that could never fade. And…the most beautiful memory of them all: that one day in the courtyard when they all three danced in the chocolate rain. Celestia felt life and love…everything returning to her, bringing the color back to her hair and eyes, Everything became clear at this very moment and the revelations opened her eyes anew to the world.

“Luna,” she said smiling. “I understand now. I heard mother’s voice. She spoke to me and I had to remember all the things…but…I broke that hold it had on me. It was so strong. I…I…it was like I couldn’t control my anger, my hate. But I’m back now. Luna…I’m so sorry.” Luna smiled in sheer joy. Tears filled her eyes and she embraced her sister.

“Tia. It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean any of it. I knew you’d break it! I just knew you were stronger than it was!”

“The Elements…” said Celestia. “I understand all of it now.” The joy of the moment was so great, it could not be comprehended.

“AHEM. Uh, hello? Yes, uh…I hate to interrupt. I’m sorry, but I unfortunately didn’t bring my violin for this touching little harps, sparkles, and rainbows sister reunion moment,” said Discord scowling.

Celestia sighed calmly and took a few steps forward. She paused momentarily and glanced up into the draconequus’s eyes. In these first moments of standing still, looking at him, she didn’t even know what to say. Not after everything. Her heart pounding in her chest as her thoughts swam in her mind, Celestia shifted her jaw and slowly opened her mouth to speak. In these last moments, perhaps the last moments that she would ever have to speak with him, she had to find the right words. Her own words. Not the words from the her that was shrouded in the darkness. And at last, after waiting a few seconds, she found them. She knew exactly what to say.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Continued Author’s Note:

With that, this story should not be too much longer. I can’t tell you guys for sure how many chapters are left. I can estimate 5 at the most. But I didn’t expect that one to be as long as that so it’s probably safe to say it’ll be less. I’ll probably make the next one a bit shorter to not make you guys’s eyes so raw. Lol. ;)
Thanks for sticking with me so long, guys! What I thought…was a dumb idea when I started this, actually ended up being fun to write and I was so surprised at how awesome everybody has been. I’ve gotten so many compliments and…it just blows my mind. Thanks for helping me see this through. I feel so proud now that it’s getting down to the wire. :) If I don’t get in another update by Christmas (or the end of the world ;D LOL) have a Merry Christmas/Happy Hearth’s Warming Eve, everypony! Haha! :D

And also…on a more solemn note—this is certainly not an easy thing to talk or think about. But I give my respects, condolences, prayers, everything I can to the families of the victims of the Connecticut shooting on Friday, December 14, 2012. Please do the same. ~R.I.P~

The Effigy

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Author’s Note: HEY GUYS! Sorry this update took FOREVER. Been as sick as a Diamond Dog. :p baha. Hope everypony had a great holidays! 2013 is going to be PONYEPIC! Is anybody else SUPER DUPER excited for “Keep Calm and Flutter On” OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG! I’m dying over here. *rocks back and forth and foams at the mouth.* Anywho… Da chap is a lot shorter than normal. Sorry about that. But I figure cuz of what happens it’ll make up for it hopefully. :3

Chapter Twenty-One

“The Effigy”

“Discord.” Celestia pushed the sound out of her throat as the words tumbled from her brain to her tongue. She felt compelled to step even closer forward now in this pause. As she did, more words came out. “I’m sorry. I truly am. I didn’t mean a word. “Perhaps there was a smidge of truth locked inside those words, but it was only because of my anger. I didn’t just pity you, Dis. You know that. After everything we’ve been through together, you know I could never just give up on you. You know I could never let you go. And…even if now, I have to put my kingdom’s best interest at heart, and let the stone take you from me forevermore…I want you to know, that I forgive you. Even after everything you’ve done here. After everything you’ve put me and Luna through. After the chaos you’ve brought here that brought out the worst in me and almost destroyed me. After everything. Discord…I want you to know that….”

Celestia paused, swallowed hard, and took the last few steps towards him, closing the remaining distance, allowing only a slight space between them. She felt the air from his nostrils brush her cheeks and could see the muscles on his face tensing up and his ears pulling back. He lowered his eyebrows at her, and seemed to wait for her to finish with a reproachful but yet slightly dewy look in his eyes. Celestia felt a long, glistening tear fall lightly and effortlessly out of her eye and trickle like a waterfall down her cheek. A smile crept across her bright face as those last words found their way off her tongue.

“I still love you. And I always will…” She gasped a breath in and blinked her eyes to let the remaining tears fall down her face so her vision of him would not be blurred. She attempted to swallow the sore lump in her throat to no avail. It would prevent any other words now. But it was all right. The words she’d said…were all she needed now. It was closure.

“Oh. Oh, I see how it is, Celestia,” Discord replied scoffing and chuckling slightly. “Come up to me with your teary-eyed apology to make up for everything. No. No, you see it’s not going to work this time. I will not be subject to your lies and twisted little mind games that you’ve played with me through these years over and over again just like you always do…..!” Celestia completely closed the rest of the distance separating them and locked her lips onto his, silencing him with the most passionate kiss. All her emotions just pooled to the surface. She felt her knees trembling and eyelids quivering over her teardrops. All the heaviness weighing on her heart in this moment and the love that she felt may never return just flowed through her veins like the deepest form of magic. It all poured out in that one kiss. It was a million words of passion never to be spoken out loud. It was all the Elements represented times a hundred and added to the deepest form of true love. A warmth spread through her, making her heart race and goosebumps travel up her spine. The moment only lasted a few seconds, but it took her back to their first kiss on that balcony. It was like time slowed down again. Then, she had to let him go. As hard as it was and as much as it broke her heart, she pulled away and opened her eyes. Looking into her Discord’s eyes, she could see them soften and turn dark for a split second. They looked just like they did when he wasn’t consumed in the darkness. It was for a moment, but it made Celestia’s heart skip a beat. She saw him again for just a moment. It meant more to her than anything in the world. It gave her a second of joy and peace in her heart. She wanted to hold onto him. Never let him get away from her. But as quickly as he appeared, he vanished away and his eyes returned to their reddened, hardened state.

'I’ll redeem you, my love,' she thought, her heart overwhelmed with a million emotions. 'If not now, someday. The Elements will work miracles for you. I know it. Even if the spell must be forever…I won’t let you stay this way forever. Because I need you. And no amount of Chaos can change how I feel.'

Celestia turned and walked back over to her sister. Luna was staring up at her with teary eyes due to the moment she had just witnessed. Celestia let her breath erupt into one final sigh and she nodded to Luna. It was time to try again. This time, she knew for a fact it would work, one way or another. This was it. She closed her eyes and let the magic flow through her again, feeling the familiar, natural warmth of the Elements’ glow inside her. At this moment in time, Celestia felt her mind slip into a daze. Everything blurred before her vision and felt like a dream. Was it a dream? She questioned everything as she and Luna floated above the ground and the Elements floated around them again. She felt as if everything around them were happening in slow motion. It was too surreal. For a moment, she felt as if time reversed and she was her young self looking down at a younger, good-hearted Discord once again.

The lights swirled around her body. Discord was looking up at her and Luna with widened eyes. The look in his eyes. She felt the moment almost pause. Time just….stopped. She was looking at him, one last time, maybe. She knew. The stone was wrapping around his legs. She felt more tears fall down her face. There was a hope lingering in her heart, however; almost a vision of the future. They were happy. He was redeemed. Like she wanted. And there was no fear of them ever being apart from each other ever again. It was perfect. Was it a true vision? Maybe just her wishful thinking. Either way, she had to let him go right now. Celestia…Princess Celestia had her duty to her people. To her friend. To her two loves. Discord and her kingdom. The bright light overtook her eyes, blinding her. Memories flashed before her eyes and then, a thought…

'You said…our love. It was discordant. You were wrong. It wasn’t discord. It was Harmony.'
Everything went dark.

___________________________

Her lips interrupted his speech and thoughts. Her lips quivered and wet drops gently fell down her face as she kissed him. The sparkling drops caught in the crevasses of her dark eyelashes and then dripped down her nose, touching his nose. The warmth from her lips and the cold from her tears brought a different sensation…a different feeling to Discord’s heart in this moment. He was frozen and numbed as emotions surged through him, confusing him. His mind was in a state of chaos, as ironic as that sounded. It almost made him chuckle. He himself was in a state of discord. Here, after everything he’d put Celestia through, just to have the satisfaction of revenge, she still loved him. And…he actually believed her now. It was like it used to be. For one simple moment, it was like the old times. And it was all he wanted. It really was, wasn’t it? To be loved. He felt tears welling up in his eyes. As the comfort of her lips left him, maybe forever, he felt like his heart was ripped in two parts. That dark whispering voice tickled his ear.

Don’t go back to her. She makes you weak. You know how powerful a weapon fear is. Love is nothing. It makes you nothing but a fool. Better to be feared than loved. Better to be feared than loved. Fight. Even if that stone takes you, fight. She won’t keep you in there forever. You can come back. Take over everything. Find a way to break the spell if need be. Do everything. Fight, you fool.

“Fight and make me proud.” His eyes grew wide. Chaos. It was like he was standing right behind him. “Son.” Discord’s eyes grew wide and he could feel that fire begin to burn inside him again. The rebellious fire that made him despise Order…love disorder…want to make life a miserable place for everypony in this kingdom, including the one he thought would be his love forever. It was that fire in him that made him want to fight this. He stood still and watched as Celestia and Luna’s horns glowed bright again and they floated effortlessly above him. Those six orbs of light surrounded them and glowed in six different colors. He felt a wind beginning to blow from the pure magic before him. It sent shivers up his spine. Celestia stared directly at him. The look she gave him. Her eyes. The world was crashing around him and a sudden burst of panic entered Discord’s heart. This couldn’t happen. He had to fight it. He tried to lift his paw and bring about a burst of chaos to counter-act the power, but he felt like a force was stopping him. He looked down in shock as his power was failing him. The wind picked up and twisted around his body into a tornado of light and color. It blinded him.

Suddenly, he felt the first stab. It was a sharp pain at his hooves. It was unlike any other pain. He knew what it was, but he looked down anyway. The stone licked at his feet, creating a pillar underneath him like he was going to be a simple statue, a monument standing alone for the world to stare at. It felt like teeth biting and gnawing the flesh off him. It felt like a million knives cutting away his pores one by one. It was excruciating. And it kept going up the curve of his body. Up his serpentine silhouette and almost touching the tips of his claws. Discord moved his paw up, fear gripping him as the rock continued to eat him away. He gritted his teeth as the rainbow of lights swirled around him. Tears entered his eyes as he watched images of the past spin in the whirlpool of magic. The shadowy image of himself continued to whisper to him in the back of his mind. In light of everything, revelations came to him. Fear made him who he was now. He’d always been afraid, hadn’t he? So others needed to fear him back. And that fear had its hold on him now. He could never give it up now. Not when that power gave him what it did. Someday, perhaps that feeling could return. He’d break free. He’d never let the world put him down ever again. He’d break free from all of it. The stone crept up his paw, pinning it to his body. He felt his heartbeat increase as the stone slowly but surely made its way over his chest. Discord felt his chest tighten and he shut his eyes. The last few moments…his clawed arm jerked up and he opened his mouth wide in a cry of pain as the last stabs reached his neck and face. All was dark. There was silence. No breath. No speech. No thoughts. Then, he gasped for air. He opened his eyes and all he saw was a wall of blackness. His body was nonexistent, almost spirit-like, and his mind felt like the world was a dreamland. No life. No death. Yes…maybe this would be the best prison for him. He’d sleep now. He’d rest now. He was an effigy. Forevermore? Maybe forevermore, as intended. He’d allow no such thing. Discord…son of Chaos…would find the way out. He’d break free. Someday he’d break free…

________________________

Celestia blinked her eyes and saw the fuzzy images before her. What had happened? She lifted her body off the ground in a disoriented state. Her mind tried to rewind everything. Looking around, Canterlot was perfectly normal again. Everything was how it should be. The houses were in proper order, the ponies were looking all around smiling. The sky was a pure blue. The sun was shining bright above her. It was home again. Then she remembered. And she almost wished she didn’t. She sighed and glanced at Luna who was getting up also.

“We did it, Tia,” her sister said smiling weakly. The two then glanced at the same time at the figure before them. Discord, in his new state. There were no words. Celestia stared at the effigy, a lump already forming in her throat. Based upon his position, she could tell…it had hurt. It had hurt him. She’d hurt him. It was over now, but there were still no words to be spoken. Just…tears. More tears. Luna approached her and the two embraced. Celestia smiled weakly as the sounds of her subjects cheers reached her ears. She glanced over at a nearby cliff, seeing the Sages and Star Swirl standing by. Star Swirl gave her a grim nod and she nodded back.
“Even if the spell is meant to last forever, I can’t let that happen,” she thought, sending the telepathic message to him.

“I know,” Star Swirl replied. “His heart was fragile, but not lost. I knew from the beginning you’d try and stop him from becoming his mother. The stars may not agree with us, but he’s not a lost cause, Princess.”

“I have faith in him,” Celestia replied smiling. “He’s going to break free, someday. You know what I really mean, don’t you?”

“Yes. From the darkness that is holding him captive. Not just the stone. I believe in you, Princess. He’ll break free. I believe it too.”

_________________________

“And you know what?” Celestia’s lips quivered into a sad smile. “I still believe it.” Her eyes returned back up to the statue as the flood of memories came to an end. No tears now. Now was the time to be strong. It was almost here. “I’ve waited so long for this. And now…it’s too terrible and too wonderful at the same time. My heart is with my little ponies. My kingdom. But…you know how I do feel about you. How I’ve still felt these thousand years. I’ve felt so alone, ever since Luna…” she paused and swallowed. “I thought I was alone when that happened. But I wasn’t. And now I have her back…and I’ll get you back too. And the friends I had will be with me again. It’s empty here…without you. But I can’t be selfish, Discord. I can’t have it both ways. My kingdom comes first. That’s why…I can’t let you stay. I know you’ll take over again. The Elements are no longer connected to me and Luna. So, the spell didn’t last forever after all. But they still exist. And I have faith in them now. I cannot fight you, Discord. Even if I wanted to. And…today, you’re an old foe of mine. Nothing more. For, I could never bare my heart to them. I must not appear weak to them. I must stand strong. Do as you wish…but they will stop you. And I’ll be waiting. And when it’s over…my heart will break again, just like a thousand years ago. But it will also be elated in the irony that time will never touch you when you are trapped in that stone. So in a way…I suppose I can keep you, like what I wanted…” Here one final tear trickled down Celestia’s cheek. She sighed and smiled, all the brightness returning to her features. “I suppose I shall see you later, then, Discord. Today is the day. You’re breaking free. Except your heart…from the darkness that binds you. But you already know that, don’t you? …” In the closing words of her speech, the Princess turned her head. Her ear twitched at the sound of voices coming from beyond the hedge. There was the sound of laughter and young squeals of foals, all led by a more mature tone.

“All right, my little ponies!”

Ah. Visitors, thought Celestia stepping away from the statues and out of the garden. She could hear the exited voices of the foals as they entered the sculpture garden and overheard a bit of arguing and commotion going on as the group stopped directly in front of the certain draconequus statue. Well, Discord. You’re getting a treat today, aren’t you? As she turned her head to look back at the group leaving the garden, she felt a shiver run up her spine and could’ve sworn she heard a certainly unmistakable, faint laugh echoing in her ear.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Continued Author’s Note: FINALLY we are getting down to the wire. Who knows how much longer now. I DON’T EVEN KNOW AND I’M WRITING THE DANG THING! That’s pretty bad. Lol! xD I’m gonna guess like…two chapters or something left. MAYBE three. It depends! OMG! I’m excited now. I shocked myself at how almost done I am. Eeeee!!! xD
I’ll try to update quicker next time so we can be done with this. Yes? :D
Until then, KEEP CALM AND FLUTTER ON, PEOPLE!! AHHHH!
~Nrdygrl

The Return of Disharmony

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Author’s Note: MY PEOPLE. I HATH RETURNED. *dramatic music* Tis I, your favorite author, no jk, but maybe I am I dunno lol. In the spirit of upcoming Hearts and Hooves Day, I have updated. :3 (I hate the human holiday of which I shall not say the name, most likely because Nrdygrl does not have a Very Special Somepony. *FOREVERALONE* *sniff* *sniff* *tear*) But I’m all for pony Hearts…and Hooves…and cute things such as this. Lol. So yes indeedy, I’ve updated my angsty, tragicly awfully sobbingly heart-wrenching story of Dislestia madness in the spirit of HHD! YAY! Lol. xD <3 Wow, I have just realized how deliciously stone-hearted and evil I am. I think I love myself sometimes. Now there’s irony. Hates love and loves self. Hm. ;D (jk lol) Sorry. I had caffeine today. This is what you get, people. ANYWHO…thanks for appreciating my random weirdness. Now…to DA CHAPTAR! MWHAHA. Let the pain flow through you. >:)
Oh and DO NOT WORRY about “Keep Calm and Flutter On.” I plan to stick to the episode. And yes…I know there was a certain line in that that may have…shot a very large bullet into my headcannon causing me to writhe around in the corner, talking to rocks for a few days, very much convinced that Discord was eating “Breaking Free” and not those reformation spells.
BUT…never fear, because Nrdygrl does have a plan. Just Keep Calm, my followers. I shant fail. Trust me. :) All right…now read!

Chapter Twenty-Two

“The Return of Disharmony”

"It's not Chaos, you Dodo!"

"Don't call me things I don't know the meaning of! And it is too Chaos!"

"Is not!"

"You're both wrong!"

The sounds of a quarrel and little voices engaged in a debate penetrated the walls of lonely, cold stone. Discord felt the vibrations of their tiny hooves stomping on the ground as they brawled and scuffled in front of the pedestal, all just to decide what he was. He let a smile curl across his numb features. His first smile in...gods and goddesses knew how long. Sweet disharmony. Represented by mere foals. He was represented here. His enjoyment by this little scuffle was short lived, as another pony broke up the fight and let them know what in fact the creature was.

"This statue represents 'Discord,' which means a lack of harmony among ponies," she said in a bubbly voice.

'So...some ponies out there know of what I am. But, Celestia, the true story is still a secret, I presume. They look at this statue and they see a freak of nature. And they can only wonder. Little do they know of my true power. Soon they'll gaze in awe, though. I can't keep them waiting too much longer, now can I? I do wish this stone would crack faster. Oh well. I have to admit...it's nice to hear other voices...other than yours, Celestia. Gets quite boring after a while.'

He continued to listen as the teacher pony reprimanded the young ones for fighting and led the group away. A slight pang of cool air reached his chest as the stone began to wither around him. He let out a chuckle that made the walls tremble. Oh what it would be like...to breathe, to feel, to touch again. Oh, chains be lifted. Chains that tried to bind the Son of Chaos but failed. Spells thought so strong in the arrogant minds of equines. The spells of Harmony... thought to be his defeat and demise. Not demise in the physical sense, no. The demise of himself. The death of his power and rein on this land. That's what they thought. They never thought he'd come back, did they? Those ponies from a millennia ago only had hope and trust in their princesses and the Elements. They would all turn over in their graves if they knew. If they could see what was going to happen.

And oh, those thousand years of mostly never-satisfying sleep and lonely meditation were accompanied by the occasional spirit-lifting tempo of hoof beets outside. It didn't even matter who they belonged to. The sensations of the sweet vibrations in the ground because of movement and the slightly muffled voices of ponies or chattering of creatures reminded him he wasn't alone. He could always recognize her step, though. When she'd come, she was always alone and almost never said anything. Today was so much different. For, she had stopped coming for a long time. But today she knew what would be.

And how he could almost taste her fear, her sorrows, down to the last fading memories of her quivering heart. That familiar bittersweet taste of having everything and loosing everything at the same time. It all played out before him once again. He'd let the fear in...let the love slip back into the cracks of his frozen heart. As much as Celestia believed otherwise deep down, even now, amidst the clouds that were shading her optimism, Discord told himself now that, that was one part of him that would never be breaking free. No. His heart would remain hardened and locked in this prison forevermore. Never redemption. Not for this one. Perhaps he'd left a mark here...but only one as an effigy long forgotten. And perhaps now was his chance to again leave a footprint in the sands of time and a dent in the dull scripts of Order. And this time would be different.

'Let us write a new story,' he thought smiling again.

"And let all Equestria read it..." said that voice. That same voice that accompanied him all this time. The voice of that shadowy extension of himself. His only companion now. And...having swam in a sea of shadows for so long, when the cracks of white light seeped into the prison, Discord's eyes were nearly blinded in the sweetest way. The rush of cold, stabbing air penetrated his features, creating a stabbing sensation, removing the numbness. He could almost feel like he was being put back together bit by bit. Little by little, he no longer felt like a spirit floating in a dark abyss, but an impatient baby dragon trying to break from its eggshell.

At last, after what felt like a thousand more years, it all fell apart and seemed to just disintegrated into nothing. The stone was gone. And it was only him. It took him a second to realize it. He breathed in deeply, savoring his first true breath of air in so long. He opened his eyes and saw only light. He squinted and looked around. His vision was a field of bright white with odd shapes around him. However, after blinking a bit, he adjusted to it all. The world felt so cold and sharp. The breeze felt like a knife cutting into his wheezing lungs. He shivered only slightly and stretched his numb muscles. His arms wobbled and his knees quivered in shock. They hadn't had mobility in a thousand years. The stiffness had become a norm. After a while of adjusting, Discord knew immediately his plan of action. First, set some chaotic chain reactions. Like time bombs. Little by little, they'd all go off.

He vanished into a floating, invisible spirit form, a much better adjustment, and looked down on the different Equestria. There was a new village with windmills and little thatched houses. It sat next to Everfree. He'd only known this as untouched countryside before. A lot had changed. In the distance there was a cloud city floating above it. As he continued to fly and listen in on the ponies and dig into their minds and memories of these places, he understood their purposes and origins.

'So, Cloudsdale and Ponyville, hmm?' he thought. 'Not very creative names if you ask me...' Looking down, Discord saw a blue pegasus flying by with a streak of rainbow colors behind her. A good time to add some chaos. Besides, there was something about this pegasus... He made a cotton candy cloud appear and she began chasing it in annoyance. He almost burst out laughing when he made it rain on her. He yawned and floated up higher, looking down on virtually all of Equestria. From his spirit point of view, it looked like a map.

"Let's see...frozen yogurt blizzard over here, cola storm in Cloudsdale. Mmm yes and ice cream flooding over in the deserts lands. As for here...I'll save this...Ponyville for my best works of art," he said. However much he attempted to enjoy himself with all this, that blue pegasus gave him an uneasy feeling. After he set off more "chaos bombs" to go off, he floated back down and followed that blue and rainbow pony around. When she met up with a few other ponies, that uneasy feeling turned into recognition. This feeling was the same feeling he had when the Princesses had the Elements of Harmony. Strange it was...somehow connected to these ponies now. Unless Celestia and Luna's magic were no longer connected to the Element magic and it found six different hosts for the spirits to reside. An interesting theory. Of course he had to find out if it was true. Better to be safe than sorry. After all, he couldn't lose this time. He began floating towards Canterlot and saw the full castle, beautiful and unchanged. He felt his weightless body move toward his former home with a slight bitter hesitation but also some sort of reminiscent affection. After all it was indeed the only true home he'd ever known.

The walls were quiet. Empty. The light breaking through the stained glass imagery shot beams of memories and feelings into the cracks of his heart; that made his chest tighten. And as best as he tried to ignore it, it only grew worse when his eyes gazed at the pictures before him. They were all ghosts to him now. Discord's past was hidden now...and was replaced by his victory and fall a thousand years ago. The stained glass images of Eris and the castle, all of that was gone now. Ripped from the walls. And all that was left was a cruel depiction of him...a one sided depiction obviously created by none other than Dear Tia herself. From new images before him, Discord could gather there had been a falling out between her and Luna at one point. Luna had become a dark version of herself and apparently was banished to the moon. However, one window caught him off guard. It was Luna surrounded by six ponies and those orbs of light. A shiver went up his spine. So his suspicions were correct. This falling out from the two caused a break in the Elements. The connection was broken. So these mere ponies were their new vessels. No matter. He'd read them all like books and find ways to crack them. And he'd have to find the Elements' corporal forms as well so he could hide them away. A lot to think about, but entertaining in the least. Why wouldn't this would be a fun little game for Discord, spirit of Chaos and disharmony alone? But then...everything changed slightly when those doors creaked open. All that sharpness returned to the epicenter of his chest. He almost thought he was trapped in stone again. He almost forgot he was invisible. He almost felt all that pressure erupt into his throat. He almost felt the backs of eyes fail to hold back the sudden deluge. He almost cried. When he saw her.

________________________

The sun had indeed grown paler. The once radiant, golden light that shown through those windows years ago was now replaced by the white bleak glow of her heart's slow decay in this hour. The princess of Equestria let her hooves slowly float across the red carpet. She floated like a lonely spirit, concern and nausea twisting her stomach in knots and a torpid daze washing the violet hue out of her eyes. It was already happening. The world felt smaller and empty. Cold icy sensations riveted her spine as she paced the floor. A lump surfaced in her throat as her nerves began tingling in paranoia. There was something in the air...no maybe even right here in this room that didn't feel right. Perhaps it was the way the windows stared down at her...his glass image and the way it seemed to stare at her. And just the realization and knowledge that Discord was free and out there somewhere reeking havoc made it worse. Celestia sighed and stopped in front of the window of Discord causing chaos. She let her eyelids fall shut and bent her head down in a moment of worry and defeat. How could her faith in Twilight, the one she chose to be her student, and destined for greatness just diminish in this hour. She and her friends worked a miracle with Luna. Even after everything...after the stars had betrayed them. It was, after all that bargain made on that mountain top that unleashed Nightmare Moon....

'I wish I'd never made that deal with them,' she thought. 'I should've known they wanted something I could not foresee. They would never betray their Princess of the Night. Not even when the darkness and the shadows consumed her.' That old prophecy written long ago by Star Swirl...a revelation and vision granted to him by the gods that she wished she paid attention to up until when she first noticed the signs...It rang in her mind.

"On the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about nighttime eternal."

Yes indeed. They could never see her trapped in the moon forever. That was their side of the bargain. How ironic a trade. They granted her a power that would not only contain Discord, but would one day send their own ruler to a lunar prison of night and then...they would not see the justification in such a punishment for all time. The past present and future was theirs, and it was said, ponies born under certain constellations where given great destinies. The stars cared not of what Luna would do, for perhaps, in their balance of things, the Elements would save her anyway. It was a twisted deal that angered Celestia when the truth was revealed and when she realized the stars would betray Equestria for Nightmare Moon, going against Celestia's better judgment for the kingdom. Even if it meant sealing away the one last bit of her that was still lingering near her-her very sister.

And now, after that last sacrifice, after the tears shed and years slipped away into the sands of time, she stood here in the spotlight, the rays of the pure white shadow of herself gleaming through the window. She almost wanted to crash her head against the glass. How could she think such selfish things? If that deal with the stars never took place, The Elements never would have been granted to them. The stars were loyal to the night until the bitter end, which very well explained why she despised them now. No matter how much the Elements' origins angered her, The only hope she had now were Twilight and her friends, the corporeal forms of Harmony. How could she doubt them? Well, they would be here soon. She opened her eyes as the room seemed to grow colder. She shivered slightly and swallowed. A gut-wrenching feeling told her she was being watched. There was no one there, but it felt almost spectral. As if...the ghost of everything she let herself relive earlier that morning was about to take a form and presence in the room and haunt her even more. Of course it must've been him. For what puffs of air, breathing, could make her cheeks feel warm while the rest of her was ice cold? And yet there was emptiness. That is what probably frightened her the most. Yes, she was afraid of him. Celestia felt like such a foolish coward when she called for the guards outside the door to the hall. They assured her there was nothing in the room, of course. They wanted to escort her to any other room If she wished, of course. She rejected the idea. If it truly was him there, she wanted to show no fear, even if she felt it. Guards on either side of her would be the image of a coward, hiding behind them.

At long last of the awful feeling penetrating her, she exited the room and headed for the throne room where Twilight and her friends would meet her. She'd have to go back to the hall. Perhaps he'd reveal himself the second time. It angered her...being watched like that. It turned her stomach. She'd make him turn visible if he was certainly there the next time. She'd have none of his games here. Celestia sighed and cooled her boiling blood. A smile did manage across her face. Luna was asleep. So, she'd thankfully no none of this. It wouldn't be right to wake her. She couldn't let her witness it...again...all the chaos. So, all that was left to do now, was wait for The Elements of Harmony to arrive and stop him. And as much as she hated to admit it, her faith in Twilight and the others was stronger than the faith she had in Discord. And that hurt her.

__________________________

In some odd way, he found elation in seeing her walk into the room. But of course mixed with pangs of hate. Why such an agonizing inferno was set ablaze inside him? A labyrinth he could never solve. All he should ever feel for her now is strong hatred. Seeing her now made things so strange though. Discord floated down closer to her. She was pacing around, looking so uneasy. At this point, when they were a couple, he would've done something to have cheered her up or made her laugh. Now, he just watched from above. He remembered walking down this hall with Celestia long ago and appearing in the window. Maybe he'd do that again. Or...maybe right now...he could just keep watching her, not reveal himself just yet. Maybe scare her a little. After all, spirits made rooms...cold, didn't they? He smiled and floated near her when she stopped walking. He floated in place, directly in front of her, only inches from her pale face. Celestia opened her eyes and looked around in fear. She could sense he was there. Her dewy eyes glistened in the sunlight. She was looking right at him and didn't even know it. Discord felt his heart beat faster. His emotions were rushing like when he first knew years ago that he was in love with her.

'You're my curse,' he thought. 'My curse is tied forever to you. And it can never be broken, can it?'

His eyelids fluttered. His lips were only inches from hers. Perhaps his breath was tickling her nose, for she turned her head away quickly and walked the other way. Discord sighed and hung his head. He pinned his ears back and felt a knot in his chest.

"Guards!" Celestia called. The guards came into the hall.

"Yes, Princess? What's wrong?" they asked.

"I think...he's here," Celestia replied. "Search for me?"

Discord smirked and darted up onto the ceiling. He twisted his body around the chandelier and gazed down at them. After a while, the guards approached Celestia.

"There's nopony here that we can see, Your Highness, but if you're certain, we can escort you around the castle for your safety."

Haha. Yes. Say yes, Celestia. Show me just how vulnerable you really are, Discord thought.

"No. That won't be necessary," she replied. "Please guard this room. He can't get hold of the Elements. Twilight and others will be here soon. I must inform them on this dire situation. I ask the protection remain here only, though. Understood?"

"Yes Your Highness."

"Good."

The guards left the room to guard it and Celestia slowly followed them with heavy steps. Discord noticed how slow and cautiously she walked. The fear was deliciously palpable. He could only grin at the thought of striking such feeling into the princess's heart. However, so much pain followed it. Discord himself couldn't ignore the whirlwind of emotion that was already keeping him off task. No matter. First thing to do, was see about these Elements. Two forms. Stealing them both...would be easy for the Son of Chaos.

_________________________

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight Sparkle’s voice rang out and echoed in the throne room as the big door opened to let the six ponies in. Her purple hooves ran across the red carpeting as she approached the steps. Celestia turned to her student, looking down at the young unicorn’s wide dark purple eyes. “We came as fast as we could!” she said out of breath, stopping at the foot of the platform.

“Thank you, Twilight. Thank you all,” Celestia said in a strained voice. She glanced down at the floor and bit her lip as she prepared herself for what she was going to say.

“Is this about the weather? And the animals’ weird behavior?” Twilight asked nervously. “What’s happening out there? Why isn’t my magic working? Is there…?” Celestia calmly put her hoof up to stop Twilight’s rapid questions. As much as she didn’t want to return to that hall, the best way to explain everything to them, was to show them.

“Follow me,” she said. The six ponies followed behind her with quizzical looks on their faces until they entered that hallway with the stained glass windows. Now, there was the matter of how to tell them the story. There was no easy way of doing this, but Celestia could not tell them the whole truth. Not the story surrounding her and Discord’s relationship. Just the idea of confessing the past to anypony, let alone her prized student and the other Elements made her cheeks blush with embarrassment. If they met Discord now, they could never understand how good he once was. How much she loved him at one time. How much she was willing to fight for him… “I’ve called you all here for a matter of great importance,” she began. “It seems an old foe of mine…someone I thought I had defeated long ago, has returned. His name…is Discord.” She then proceeded to tell them how he ruled Equestria and how she and Luna defeated them. Stretching the truth slightly? Calling him her foe? Yes. But it was true. What was he to her now? It pained her heart to say it…that she didn’t know what to call him now. Love? No. Friend? …no. So perhaps just foe was all that was left. He was merely somepony she used to know, and now….she only could see the shadows that clouded him from her.

After she explained this tale, she approached the door with the Element necklaces inside. She used her horn on the door, unlocking the chamber and levitating the chest over to the six ponies. Shock on horror was clearly written on all their faces when the chest was clearly empty. The room grew deathly quiet for a split second. After it was quite obvious that the Elemental necklaces were gone, Celestia turned and looked around the room, confusion setting in.

“That chamber is protected by a powerful spell that only I can break,” she said, half to herself. “This doesn’t make sense…” A wave of cold swept over the room and the echoing laughter made her shiver.

“Make sense? Oh, what fun is there in making sense?” Celestia’s eyes grew wide as she heard him echoing the words of his mother. Eris said those exact words on that cliff side years ago.

“Discord! Show yourself!” Celestia yelled angrily, her eyes narrowing as they darted around the room. She caught a spectral image out of the corner of her eye dart from one side of the room to another. Her heart began to race.

“Did you miss me, Celestia?” The voice echoed all around her. Her eyes glanced at the window for a split second as a flash of light appeared within it. Just like when they were young. Appearing in the window again. Her blood began to rush in anger. Her knees locked as she watched his image come to life. “I missed you. It’s quite lonely being encased in stone, but you wouldn’t know that would you, because I don’t turn ponies into stone,” Discord said, his picture floating from one window to another. He taunted her more by knocking his fist on one of the glass pictures of the Element stones.

'Guilt me if you will,' she thought, swallowing hard. 'It won’t work. I can’t regret what I did. As princess, I can’t. I may as your friend…as…whatever we once were, but now, you are nothing more than my enemy. So, I can’t regret. So your tricks won’t work on me!'

“Enough!” she shouted aloud, her blood boiling. She saw Twilight jump out of the corner of her eye. For, her student probably had never seen her mad like this. As much as she hated to show anger in front of her subjects, or ponies important to her, like Twilight, who was much more than her prized pupil, more like a sister to her, now was a time to let Discord now she was not about to take any of his trickery or chaotic ways. Not now. Not again. The shadow in her, the one that surfaced years ago when he first took over, could not come back now, for she never wanted to become dark like Luna. So…she had taken care of that part of her so it could never happen again. “What have you done with the Elements, Discord?”

“Oh I just barrowed them for a teensy little while…” he replied, obviously enjoying this.

“You’ll never get away with this, Discord,” Celestia replied stomping her hoof on the ground. Her veins pulsated and she clenched her teeth, trying her best to remain calm in front of the others. Besides, he was probably just bursting with delight inside over her palpable fury and the building tension in the room.

“Oh, I’ve forgotten how grim you can be, Celestia. It’s really quite boring,” he said looking down at his paw. Celestia glared at him, as he was clearly reminding her of when he told her she was “too grim” back when they first came into this room when they were young. And at this point, she almost wanted to smash the window in with some magic.

'Come on out here then…and look me in the eye if I’m so boring, Discord,' she thought. 'Quite hiding behind the glass, Son of Chaos.' Rainbow Dash darted up to the window, defending her for that insult, but then hit the window as Discord vanished and then began to be read by him when he appeared again. Celestia stood by and watched fearfully as he read all of Twilight’s friends. Their strengths, weaknesses, what Element they represented. Her fear quickly returned. If he could mind read like Eris could, he would know just how to make them weak, how to break the friendships apart. She could only hope with Twilight at the lead, all would be successful in the end. However, with power like Discord’s, her worry caused her fall silent for a few moments. Then, Discord proceeded to dance quite mockingly on top of window Twilight’s head. Pinkie Pie laughed at him and Twilight said her name and glared at her.

“Stop staling Discord,” said Celestia in annoyance. “What have you done with the Elements of Harmony?”

“Oh, so boring, Celestia,” said Discord half sighing in exasperation. “Really? Fine, I'll tell you, but I'll only tell you my way.” This could only mean some kind of riddle. Celestia knew him too well. He disappeared from the window and his picture grew larger. It floated all around the room from window to window, his voice echoing the strange rhyme. “To retrieve your missing Elements just make sense of this change of events. Twists and turns are my master plan. Then find the Elements back where you began.” He then returned to the window of him floating above ponies, causing chaos and his image returned to a simple stationary picture. His laughing voice faded away.

After confusion, Twilight and her friends talked about what the riddle could’ve meant. Twilight ventured to a window, saw the palace maze and concluded he hid the Elements there. Celestia nodded in agreement. It would make sense for Discord to hide them in a chaotic place he created. It was that last birthday present he gave her. She always kept there. More or less turned it into a sculpture garden so his statue would not be a solitary one, but one of many. And now the Elemental ponies would venture into it. She would go with them, of course, but what could she do? Her magic would be useless against him. Besides, the Elements were the only things that could contain him. There was nothing more she could do, as much as she hated that.

“Good luck, my little ponies,” she said, giving Twilight a knighting gesturing with her horn, as an act of encouragement. “The fate of Equestria is in your hooves.” As she watched them run out of the room, she heard Discord laugh again. It echoed off the ceiling, almost like it came from the chandelier. She looked up, but didn’t see anything. Slowly, she exited the room, finding the castle surprisingly empty and so deathly quiet. She passed a mirror down one hall and glanced at it out of the corner of her eye. Bipedal goat-like legs were standing behind her. She jumped and gasped, whirling around. Nopony was there. She angrily turned back to the mirror, finding it was only her reflection. He was probably laughing his head off at the moment. She was about to turn away, when she saw her reflection’s eyes turn yellow and red and smiling at her. She jerked her head back and glared at the mirror, finding it normal again.

“Stop that!” she growled. She paused and waited. Nothing happened. “I’m not crazy,” she said, half to herself. “I’m not just seeing you everywhere, just because…maybe I do feel guilty…maybe I don’t want to call you my foe…and maybe…maybe….” Tears formed in her eyes. “….I’ve missed you…” she whispered, hanging her head and drooping her ears. She slowly walked to her chambers, her wings falling to her sides, the white feathers dragging on the ground. She looked like a lonely white cloud, floating alone. Meanwhile, the face in the mirror formed into the figure of Discord. He stepped out of the mirror as if it were a sideways pool and watched her walk down the hall. He dropped his ears slightly, turned and disappeared.

“Maybe I miss you too…Tia…” he uttered before the light made him vanish. “But…I just want to forget…” The hall was empty.

Somewhere, a dark cloud loomed, casting its shadow over the earth. Chaos smiled and vanished.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Continued Author’s Note: Instead of writing these random things, I should just say… sup. New chap. Yeah. That’s wassup. I’m Nrdygrl. Yeah. Deal with it. Lol ^_^
ANNOUNCEMENT: Me and my pony OC, Wordy (who is just as diabolical and sarcastic as me, if not more,) is NOW ON INSTAGRAM. FOLLOW MEEEEEE THEEEREEEEE. Pwease? :3 I shall post fanart and OC art there, along with picture updates if a new chapter is posted. Sound good? My username on there is #Nrdygrl_Wordy :) K?
Sorry for slow updates. Life is crazy. Blahh. Next one may be slower than usual. I may be moving to [an undisclosed location lol]. So I plead the “parents are making me pack stuff up” amendment. Lol. Sheeya Laytaaa, Ppl!
BTW: HOW ABOUT THAT UPCOMING FINALE? I made a video about it. O.o I…just…don’t…know… uggghhhhhh…. O.O
Peace

Twists and Turns

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Author’s Note: HAI!!!! I know. It’s been a while. I really must thank you all for being so patient with me. I apologize for the long wait. I have had plenty of my own little dramas to deal with these months. I am now finally getting to finishing this chapter!!! UGH! Celestia help me. T_T In other news: I had a birthday. I’m 17 now. Lol. Just thought you’d all like to know that. :D Yay. OK! You came here to read, so READ. I wrote this FOR YOU. :3

Chapter Twenty-Three

“Twists and Turns”

Twilight Sparkle galloped through the bends of the maze with a sharp glow of determination in her heart that may have indeed been reminiscent of the princess she adored so dearly. Discord had to admit that to himself as he floated invisible above the maze and looked down on the six ponies inside it. She would be the toughest one of the six to crack, as with her allusive magic Element attached to her. First for his mission in separating these Elements, he would tackle Honesty. After all lies surrounded his life, this would be too easy. He grinned and flew down to where Applejack was. The orange mare followed his lure of moving apples and she galloped to the pool where he’d show her an image of the future. His apple puppets lured to her glance inside and the images of her and the other five ponies fighting horrified her. Her eyes swirled almost instantly after he recited something similar to what he’d told to Luna years ago.

“When all the truth does is make your heart ache. Sometimes a lie is easier to take…”

'Perhaps your truthfulness can crack just as quickly as your heart. Just as well; your so-called friends will lie to you always and before you know it, your life is a lie. Throw honesty away or suffer the pain later,' Discord thought.

Next, he entered another section of the maze and found the bubbly pink pony bouncing along. Discord smirked and created a plethora of balloons. Pinkie Pie’s eyes glistened and she merrily bounced into the balloon garden before tripping and falling into a chocolate milk puddle. Discord morphed into a balloon and made the other balloons with faces on them taunt her, turning laughter, her Element against her. It didn’t take long for the pink pony’s coat to turn a drab shade and her facial expression to a bitter and angry one.

'Trust me, I know exactly what it’s like to be laughed at. But see, it’s better this way?' thought Discord. 'Hate them all and have the revenge. How could your own Element betray you in such a cruel way? Happiness is so short-lived, my dear Pinkie Pie. Why do I laugh so much? Oh, mostly to find a sense of pleasure in the smallest things. Not happiness. No. That I do without. You are like me. We do not wear pain on our sleeves. We find smiles to be the best masks. However, in time, that dark cloud cannot stay hidden forever. Hm. So much hate in a sad little pony. Didn’t take much to bring it out now did it? Same I could say for a sad little draconequus I remember from years past. How time changes us.'

Next as he continued on through the maze, he came across Rarity, trotting and looking annoyed. He placed a dead end in her path and she marveled at the beautiful gems that glistened in her gaze. In a matter of moments, the simple little sparkling temptation spawned Rarity’s overwhelming lust for the treasure. Her greed, of course, as Discord had planned it, could only make her see the enormous diamond before her, which in reality was just a giant boulder planted there by the chaotic one himself, so to see her treasure hunting endeavors would prove to be futile, useless, and hilarious for him to watch. He turned invisible and laughed as the white unicorn lifted the heavy rock onto her back, all her greed and affection for the “diamond” blinding all reality.

'Now this is one I do so commend. Generosity. Well, it is commendable, isn’t it? It’s a service really. I should know. Wasn’t I the most generous, caring, trustworthy of them all? Well, SHE certainly thought so. And she’d always remind me of it. But in the end, how useless a service. Pitiful really. You give. You always give. Every bit of yourself and what’s inside you. You are commended, indeed. For, it truly is a commendable thing to be so generous. But then it becomes your downfall. Makes you naïve. Makes you believe others will give back. And they never do. Because it’s just you giving and never receiving. So why live on that end of the spectrum? I find greed to be such a harsh word. More like taking what is yours. Deserving it. For they never gave it to you. So take it from them. And then maybe they’ll finally be forced to give back. And you’ll have everything you ever wanted. Because you are the one calling the shots. And not being pushed around or stepped on any longer. So, greed? Only if you look at it that way. I don’t.' Discord thought.

Soon, the draconequus came across the ever timid Fluttershy. He used subtle tactics, butterflies, which were her cutie mark after all. A pony scared of her own shadow would be intimidated by him easily. So he had to take a less conspicuous approach. Of course speaking to her through the butterflies proved easy. However, convincing her to abandon her friends was not. This, of course was something the baffled draconequus could not understand. However the Element of Kindness was not budging against him. In the end, he had to use his own power to turn her, as he was growing too impatient.

“You’ve been kind for far too long, my dear. Time to be cruel! Arrivederci!” he said before disappearing again.

'Why be kind to ones who treat you as an outcast?' Discord mused. 'Those ponies think of her as helpless. She thinks of herself as helpless. She is still so naïve. I do wonder how many times they get annoyed with her cowardice and weakness? They will stab you in the back eventually. What did I do with my weaknesses? I turned them into energy against my enemies. I made myself more than what I could be. And being kind is tedious. But being cruel, negative, taunting, like second nature. To gain power. To become more. To not live life underneath somepony’s hooves. Even the innocent little Fluttershy will find it so much easier than she thinks.'

Lastly, in the labyrinth, he encountered Rainbow Dash. He stretched out on a cloud hammock and watched as she ran into the clearing. She jumped up, ready for a fight. Discord rolled his eyes slightly, removed the sunglasses he had on and created a false vision for her to chase after of Cloudsdale crumbling. A test of loyalty indeed. Making her choose between her roots or her friends in the maze. As soon as her wings were offered back, her choice was made. He smirked as he watched her fly away. Winning was such a wonderful feeling, even cutting corners to get the job done. Still such a rush.

'One thing I do not understand is the concept of loyalty, he thought. Perhaps because I never saw much of it, what with Mother leaving and Celestia…and what she did. To be loyal, oh, like signing an unwritten contract of the heart. It never dies. It’s always there. And you have to follow through with commitment. Oh, in some ways, I suppose that sounds blissful, or perhaps a high fee to pay, when freedom looks so pleasing and inviting. For freedom, to go away from it all and have no such commitments, is a life one most likely wishes for. In the end, when one heart is loyal while another isn’t, then everything is shattered. So then, what does loyalty truly mean, hm, Celestia?' He finished his thoughts by completely destroying the maze and ending the game.

______________________________

Terribly slowly and quietly she inched the door open with her hoof and stepped inside the quiet room of the cottage. The cold from the outside rushed in. All the snow and ice was still gripping the little delicate feathers of her wings. She couldn’t help but attempt to shake the mountainous cold off as she shut the door behind her. Celestia let her dark hood fall off her head and peered out with concerned eyes as Sage Clover greeted her.

“Oh, Princess! Thank you for coming on such short notice.” She glanced nervously at the other room.

“What happened?” Celestia asked worriedly. “His message didn’t say much but…it sounded like…he was…” Her voice cut off and Clover hung her head, her eyes growing sad.

“He cast a complicated spell,” she said. “And what happened was so unexpected and too terribly dark for him to handle. He’s hurt from it now. But…he’ll tell you everything when you see him.” Celestia nodded in response and sighed.

“How is he?” she asked quietly. Clover didn’t answer right away. Her eyes were downcast and welling up slightly, though it appeared as if she were trying to hide her emotion.

“He’s resting right now,” she replied. “Princess…he doesn’t have long. I’ve noticed his health has been failing him. That spell today...it’s done him in. I’ve…said my goodbyes already. He’s more than a mentor to me. He’s my friend. I only wish he understood what he means to me. He’s like a father to me. He really never understood what friendship means, Your Highness. He could never solve that spell he tired over for so long. I would take it up if I were half the unicorn he was. Oh…but now it’s all for nothing isn’t it? His work? I could never carry on such a legacy.”

“Please don’t fear, Clover,” Celestia replied sighing. “Star Swirl’s legacy won’t die. His memories will live on now for generations in the Canterlot Archives. Besides, I know he loves you in his own way. If you feel as if you are not ready to practice your magic alone, I will mentor you now. I have been meaning to teach magic for some time now. It was all about choosing a unicorn to teach.” Clover brightened up slightly.

“Thank you, Princess,” she replied. “Please. Go see him. He’s awake. I just brought him tea. I know he’s anxious to speak with you.” Celestia nodded and walked over to the partially closed door leading to Star Swirl’s bedroom. She nudged it gently with her hoof and peered inside to see the wizard lying in his bed, wrapped in a dark blue quilt with his long silvery-white beard resting gently on the top. He still had his hat on his head, almost as if he had forgotten to remove it; but in a way, he looked comfortable and almost natural, as if it would take away his identity for him to remove it. He glanced over at Celestia and gave her a weak smile. His face was very pale and wrinkled, especially under his eyes. And in the times that Celestia had seen Star Swirl, she had never truly noticed his wrinkles. However, she really did notice them now. He looked old. That was almost shocking to her. He actually looked old and tired.

“Hello, Princess,” he said sighing with relief. “Thank the stars you came.”

“What happened?” Celestia asked coming over to him. She looked down at him, noticing apparent scars and burn barks on his coat that did not come from any ordinary spell accident. “Star Swirl, what have you done? You’re hurt!”

“Oh, pay no mind, child,” he replied sipping his tea grimly. “I deserve it, the foal I am. I’ve cast my last spell. I only wished to assist you and Luna a few weeks ago when you were faced with trying times in The Crystal Empire. I wished to understand what turned that unicorn’s heart to dark evil. However, my studies led me back to a form of magic I never wished to understand. It is the very reason why I could never assist you when Discord took over Equestria…” Celestia sighed and nodded for him to go on. “I could never fully counter-act such dark power. However, I found a spell in this book of the ancient unicorns detailing how to contain the dark form of one’s inner power.” Star Swirl picked a black book up with his hooves, which of course was unlike him, as he would normally levitate items. He flipped to the page and showed Celestia as sketch of a necklace with an alicorn on it.

“An alicorn?” Celestia commented. “What is it?”

“The ancients wrote about it once here, calling it The Alicorn Amulet, because when their dark powers came alive, their inner selves were as powerful as the alicorn gods and goddesses. A group of the ancients found a way to create it and contain their inner power within it. However, after wearing the necklaces, they became corrupted, so all were destroyed. However, when I uncovered this, I found there was a way to not only contain the dark form of oneself, but also to separate it outside of oneself. And after tirelessly reading such dark materials, I only wished to abandon my inner shadow. So…I cast the spell, the one of a foreign tongue, a thousand tongues, all combined, all understood, and there he stood. I saw the shadow before me, the hideous creature, the darkness plaguing my soul. And his eyes gleamed a fierce green and his coat smoked and burnt like ash. And he was me, Princess. That shadow was Star Swirl the Bearded.”

“No!” Celestia breathed. “Star Swirl! Don’t say that. Please. That wasn’t you. It was only a part of you faded in the dark. You are a good wizard!”

“I only wish I could say this now,” the old unicorn replied. “I battled him, Princess. His powers were so strong and dark. At last, I managed to defeat him by containing him in this.” He slowly levitated a red and black necklace from under his hat. He also levitated a case from his dresser and put it inside. “Never let any unicorns wear this, Princess or it will corrupt them. Keep it hidden away. It can’t be destroyed or he will be re-released and could very well end the kingdom.” Celestia levitated the case from him and nodded.

“I will Star Swirl. You are brave to have done this. This shadow is inside us all, ready to corrupt.”

“This is the point I make, Princess,” Star Swirl said gravely. “It has to do with your sister. See, Discord was vulnerable to the shadow when his heart became fragile. I do believe his heart found it when it broke, Your Highness. He released his on his own. As for King Sombra, he and his shadow were both one in the same. He was purely evil and only a glimpse of light remained. Now…now this is important. As for Luna, I received a vision, Princess. The stars said to me ‘on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape and she will bring about nighttime eternal.’”

“What?!” Celestia replied. “Escape? Escape from what? A thousand years of what? Does this have to do with this deal I made with them when they granted us The Elements of Harmony?!”

“I don’t know,” Star Swirl said. “But I had to tell you before it was time…” Celestia sighed in confusion and nodded.

“Star Swirl,” she said quietly. “One thing haunts me…my inner shadow. It surfaced in me…when Discord took over. This spell you cast…could I re-write it? Can’t I contain my shadow in something else? Must it be the amulet?”
“The book states that the shadow must rest in a gem. The gem in the center of the amulet is where mine resides. Yours could reside in the amulet spawned from the spell, or an inconspicuous gem, I suppose. However, anyone could be tempted to be its user and destroying that would prove difficult.”

“I would do anything to avoid my shadow resurfacing again, Star Swirl. There must be a good use for this spell.”

“I beg you not to, Celestia,” Star Swirl replied. “This magic is the spawn of Chaos. He gloats in darkness. Look at the corruption he brought to his own kin. My dying wish now, as I feel the hour drawing ever near where the stars call me to their side…that you burn this book. Don’t let it be completed. Let it go unfinished. Oh, I know you won’t listen to me, child, but it was worth asking. I never did understand the complexities of contact, relationships, and love. Even in my youth I secluded myself. But oh, Princess, my magic was my love. I needed no other ways to feel happy. Though in a way, it truly was my downfall, wasn’t it? Your future prodigies will mimic me, won’t they? Make sure they know. Make sure they understand my flaws. I would never wish the same lonely life without them knowing…” The wizard sighed and slowly removed his hat from his head. “Oh, don’t be sad for me, Princess. I have lived long. I have done all I could to be a good wizard. I only wish I could say it. But I never will. But….but…now I say this to you…..Princess…” Here his voice began to fail him. He closed his eyes. “…I used to wonder…what friendship…..could…..be….” Star Swirl’s voice sighed and slowly faded like it floated from him into a different realm. His lips rested into a thin line and his hooves fell down to his sides gently. When Celestia heard his voice and breath fade, the snow from outside the window ceased and everything felt just a little warmer and calm. It wasn’t very surprising to her when she didn’t see his chest rise again, but all the same, still sorrowful.

“Star Swirl,” she murmured slightly after that moment. She waited with no response and closed her eyes in grief for the wizard. She levitated his hat up and rested it gently between his forelegs on his beard. She bowed her head to him and slowly turned out of the room to find Clover. “He is gone…” she whispered. Clover nodded, tears in her eyes.

“Thank you, Princess,” she said walking toward the room. “What did he give you?” she inquired, glancing at the case and the black book.

“Parting gifts…” Celestia replied stiffly. She opened the door to the snowy cold and exited the house.

'Thank you, Star Swirl,' she thought grimly. 'But I cannot abide by your wishes. If Discord returns, my shadow won’t.'

___________________________

Celestia's mind swung like a pendulum from one thing to another as she paced in her chambers. This memory of Star Swirl, though it seemed unrelated to anything else, was a pivotal moment. It of course not only provided a clearer picture to her of just how Discord fell into his enraged, darkened, crazed self, but also how the shadow could be conjured just as easily in someone like her. Or Luna. Oh, such corruption in even the purest hearts. How, darkness and light seemed to accompany one another so well. But now choices must be made, and Discord had the choice now to stay with his shadow in accompaniment with him or let The Elements bring back the light into his heart. Luna abandoned Nightmare Moon, and never would she turn to her evil ways, Celestia had this faith. Now, there was a glimmer of hope on this day, if anything. Twilight would never let her down. However, the Son of Chaos would have a bounty of tricks up his sleeve. The white alicorn shivered and let her body rest on the cousin on the floor right by her fireplace that she waited for letters from Spike's fireline by. What could she do now? She couldn't leave the castle, because Discord's magic sealed it off, trapping her inside.

She had already checked up on her sister. Luna was sound asleep in her room. The princess of the night had gained Forevermore in the time of her dream-traveling magic training after she was released from the moon. She had finally learned to go into dreams for the good of her subjects. So now, hopefully, the night would no longer be misunderstood, shunned, or be considered frightening. As a result, of her immortality her mane had turned deep and flowing like Celestia's, except in Celestia's opinion, a lot prettier than hers and she looked a lot like more like Father now. Like the night. When Celestia entered the room and saw her little sister fast asleep, looking so at peace, she made the decision not to wake her. She couldn’t burden her with this. When everything was over, she would tell her about it later. She needed sleep for her busy night and the strange moon-sun, day-night switching Discord was doing again would only mess her up.
Now, Celestia felt as useless as ever. She was just lying here, unable to help her subjects, all because the Chaos was a different kind of power that only The Elements would be able to contain. And now, all she could do was let her mind keep swinging like the pendulum it was from hopeful to hopeless. From indifferent to complacent. What was she even feeling?

'I am Princess Celestia.' She thought closing her eyes as the moonlight fell through the balcony. 'And I am afraid.' She sighed a levitated parchment, a bottle of ink and a quill to her. The urge to write to her student lingered. But could she possibly say that would help in any way? Confess the entire story to Twilight? Have her most faithful student never trust her ever again. No. She could never imagine the disappointment, the sorrow in Twilight's eyes. Celestia began to hate herself even more as the quill bled into the paper with no result. The thick black ink made a spot and no words. Suddenly, in a burst of anger, she wrote out all she was feeling at the moment in a quick gesture, not even taking the time to be neat.

"Dear Celestia,

You were a fool to have trusted Discord. Now you're paying the price. You and your subjects. Twilight must fix the mistakes you made. You are a disgrace. And you still love him, don't you....? Stop torturing yourself! He won't live forever. It can't be forever. So why love? You'll be alone forever. Let Twilight have the friends you couldn't keep but warn her about the dangers of Forevermore when she becomes an alicorn. She can't be cursed like you. Because you're already dead, Celestia. You're already dead..."

The tears ripped through the sclera of her eyes and burned to the surface. They fizzled and evaporated on her flushed, pink cheeks. Celestia clenched her teeth and flared her horn, sending the paper up in flames and ashes. She closed her eyes again and breathed deeply to calm herself down. She had never let her emotions pour out like this in a thousand years. Even after Luna had become Nightmare Moon. There was so much pain here. For a moment she felt a bit relieved to have just vented.

This slight calm was soon replaced by the ever familiar chill of HIS presence. She wasn't very surprised this time. In fact, she wasn't at all jumped when the deep red rose fell into the room through the balcony and hit her leg. She glanced at it indifferently and then moved her violet eyes upward to see Discord standing on the balcony railing with his claw pressed against the wall and one leg cocked over the other. He was somewhat back to her, looking out over Canterlot at his creation. He was just standing like this in silence for a few seconds. Then, he turned his head to look at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Hello, Princess," he said with a half smile; not a smirk like usual, but a half-hearted, almost sad smile. It almost disturbed her when she saw it. She had never seen that look before. It almost made her heart stop for a millisecond of grief for him. Just when she'd thought he'd come here to rub all this in her face some more...

"Why are you here, Discord?" she asked quietly. "Shouldn't you be out there making more changes to your new kingdom?"

"Yes, but a king can take a break to visit his favorite kill-joy, can't he?" Discord replied sighing and flopping down in a U shape on the curve of the railing and the wall. He put on hoof on the other and examined his paw.

"They will stop you, Dis," Celestia said sighing. "You can't win. Eris can't win, no matter how much she thinks she can."

"They'll have quite a hard time of it, considering those ponies of yours won't be finding the magic of friendship anytime soon," Discord replied chuckling.

"What?" Celestia said, her eyes widening. "What did you do to them?!"

"I'm not going to tell you that!"

"I'll assist them in any way possible, Discord. Even if I can't leave this castle!" Celestia replied gruffly.

"Of course! I would expect nothing less," Discord replied shrugging. He sighed and smiled at her. "You look so beautiful, Celestia. The moonlight truly accentuates your curves." Celestia blushed and glared at him.

"Stop it!" she retorted walking over to him. "You have no right to come in here and treat this like a big courting game! Dropping a rose in here. Talking about moonlight. You're not being fair! You think it was easy for me to just stand there and watch you stay in the stone day after day?! And now...do you really think it's any easier for me to watch my kingdom suffering?"

"Oh, you have such hatred in you, Celestia," said Discord standing up on the ledge in one motion. "Not like when you became so corrupted. No, this is different. You just seem to have this deep innate hatred for my chaos, as natural, but you love it so much also, it tears you apart. How does it feel to do nothing? Let King Discord do all the work? I can assure you, your subjects are in tip-top shape! And that whole day-night cycle comes and goes. Seasons will pass so quickly, they won't even have time to say 'Winter Wrap Up!'" He chuckled. "So really in this chaotic dreamland, is it truly your fantasy, Celestia? Do you deep down crave for chaos? You were always so content with order...but when I finally introduced the slightest taste of change and spontaneity, you opened up. So...I believe you said something along the lines of you wanting me to 'break free' of all this darkness you think I've shrouded myself in. But perhaps it is you, Tia that must break free from the chains of Order she's wrapped herself in..."

"Do not lecture me, Discord," Celestia replied looking down. "I will no longer fight with you. There may be a part of me that rejects chaos, but...I can't hate you. I sometimes wish I could, but I can't. I can no longer feel such strong hatred and darkness when I became corrupted. I sealed it away long ago. I determined that your shadow provoked my shadow. Therefore, I could not trust myself again. And I really do not miss that side of me."

"Oh you hate me, Celestia," Discord replied smiling. "But you also love me. You can't help it." Celestia narrowed her eyes again.

"Leave," she said. "I can't look at you now. As it truly does seem the one I loved is gone and replaced by this shadow. If you feel no sorrow and pain, but just wish to mock me and the past, then I have nothing more to say to you, Discord. So leave me alone and go have your chaos!" She held back the hot tears and clenched her teeth as she turned and faced the wall, dropping her wings to the floor in defeat. Focusing on the dark floor, she saw his shadow slowly approaching with the twisted horn and antler distinctly overlapping her own shadow, making them morph into what appeared to be quite a disturbing, Tartarus-like beast from first glance. She shifted nervously as she felt his presence pause behind her, not looming, but rather, calmer and almost comforting. That's what was upsetting her. As if she had eyes in the back of her head, Celestia could almost see or sense Discord's paw reaching out to touch her shoulder, perhaps inches away, when she snapped at him. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" She whirled around and burst into a dramatic, almost adolescent fit of sobbing. Behind the blanket of tears, she saw a flash of light. After blinking to clear the stinging veil, she saw nothing. He was gone. As she asked, he had left her alone. Celestia's lip trembled as she struggled to pull herself together. She rubbed her cheek with her knee to get rid of the evidence of her juvenile pain. She wasn't supposed to be crying like a stupid foal. She felt miserable and hopeless. And now, the worst part about all this, she feared Discord had already won....and he was right.

'No,' she thought. 'Even if he's separated the Elements, I can do something. I can protect my kingdom and help Twilight.' She searched the room in determination through all the scrolls Twilight had sent her for the studies of friendship. Equestria would be saved. There was hope yet. She could at least remind her student of all that Discord...and his shadow was trying to take away. Harmony would return here. 'And it appears I can no longer have that with you,' she thought, the pain throbbing in her chest as she choked through sending the letters and bottling the tears. 'It's torn. I can't win. I will never win. I can't have him. Because of the shadow. Because the past. Because of everything! It will never be. I will always be alone. It is my curse. My destiny. Equestria is my love and always will be. Luna will stand by me. My parents will watch me. But I want to live. Really LIVE. No wings, no magic, no royalty. What I would give to be a normal pony for one day. What I would give to feel mortal again. What I would give...to die. Will I? Could I die centuries or millennia from now...or have to leave and become one with the gods like my parents? I hate wondering. I would rather know. I really would rather know my days were numbered. Instead, I've stood still while my world died around me. I always lose. I just keep losing him over and over. He is gone. The Elements will only contain him again and that shadow will control him for all eternity. How can I let it be? How can I keep him that way for another thousand years? Either way I am alone.' Celestia tried writing on a blank piece of paper again after she was finished sending the scrolls. The strokes from her pen flowed free and easy. She would burn this too, but it was still the act of the pen's fluent movement across the parchment that gave her a peace she hadn't felt in years.

"I am Princess Celestia.
I live in a castle with my sister and 1,287 guards.
And I am alone.
Forevermore is my Nevermore.
A thousand years ago, I died.
And I love a monster.
Forevermore is my Nevermore.
Is there any hope left for the princess?
Is Harmony dead?
Is the magic gone?
The dark can't win but the light looks as dim as the blinking stars in my eyes.
I am Princess Celestia.
And I am already dead."

______________________________

Discord's black silhouette eclipsed the moon as he began flying quietly over the Canterlot garden. Everything here looked so different at night. The other statues that were his only company for the last millennium, for the most part looked so menacing in the dark now. Earlier today, they looked cheerful. Now they looked quite eerie. They almost looked like they were moving, staring at him. Discord landed in the spot where he spent all of his days for a thousand years. He glanced around and inhaled the fresh breeze of his clear, beautiful night. Not so long after, a guard pony statue a little ways in front of him gained the ever so interesting feature of glowing red eyes. Discord sighed in contempt as the dark cloud loomed high above the garden and smiled at him.

"Son." Chaos grinned. "Finally, the spell is broken. I quite like this kingdom. More frivolous than I would have done. But you are your own draconequus."

"Really now, Chaos." said Discord yawning. "I would much rather the skip father-son bonding session. What do you want?"

"I have a decent proposition for you, Discord," the god replied forming another cloud in the air that showed an image if Celestia in her chambers, writing and attempting to blink back tears. "Why did you go see her, just now? You feel a sense of satisfaction? Or are you still feeling that brokenness inside, watching her drift further away from you. Did you really think you’d just try to sweep her off her hooves like old times? Or were you trying to drive her away? She doesn’t love you. Not you now. Not this side of you. So, let me ask you something, this love is just ripping you apart, isn’t it? These memories. This form of weakness, rather…that you call love…” Discord pinned his ears back and glared at the smoky figure.

“Weakness?” he sneered. “You loved mother didn’t you?”

“Yes,” Chaos replied sighing. “Even gods have their weaknesses. Do you really think the god of disorder wished that on himself? When you came along, well…that was pretty strategic on her part. She had her heir for her plans, as did I. However, you were always never quite like I expected. I think you’re shaping up a lot better than the impish little pure-hearted urchin you once were that stood up to me on that cloud so many years ago. But oh this Princess Celestia still continues to cloud your judgment and your heart with poison. Try as you may, you can never shove her completely from your heart. She is your Aphrodite. Your curse. And now, you find the stalemate once again. You stand here without a path to travel to. And the one thing you want, is to have another shadow there on the ground next to yours. And you can’t have that. Because she too pure for your darkness. She is afraid of your shadow. And now, she is alone in the dark too. Such an interesting stalemate.”

“Then no amount of therapy will help this draconequus,” Discord scoffed. “What do you want, Dad? What’s this proposition? Do you really have one? Or have you just come here to analyze everything in riddles. I don’t have the time. I have a kingdom to keep under my paw,” he said looking at a newly existent watch on his wrist.

“I do indeed,” said Chaos nodding his head, if you could call it a head and blinking his many eyes. “If you truly feel the broken loneliness I know you do, I can purge it from you. I can make it all go away. I can make you forget about her.”

“You can?” Discord replied blinking and raising his eyebrows in surprise. “I’m listening…” He said looking back down and pinning his ears back again.

“This is what I can do…” said Chaos. “I may be a god, but even my power has limits. You are my kin. I can only do so much to you. So, the only way I’d be able to make you forget, is if you were turned back to stone. If these ponies take back Equestria and you fail, there is of course always room for another chance, and when that chance comes, you won’t remember much of the past. I say…much because I cannot remove everything. You’ll still know the princesses and you’ll still recognize places you’ve been in the kingdom. You’ll still remember me, your mother, and what I did for you. But you won’t remember Celestia and Luna as in all the years you spent with them. This is what I won’t take away though…I won’t remove that point that Celestia hurt you. Why? Because you have a reason to hate her. If I take away everything else…the love will be gone and all that’s left is hate. You will remember loving her, but that will feel faint to you, like a distant blip you can’t reach. You won’t feel like it was real. Most of it, if you recall it, will feel like a dream to you. Do you understand? This is my little proposition. I do this for you, if you manage to fail again. It’ll be a little incentive to try harder next time if these equines do manage to slip passed the traps you threw them into. I see now, that this love is holding you back. It’ll be the only way.”

“But I won’t fail,” Discord said glaring at him. “Just do it now and end my misery then. I’m going crazy without her. I do want to forget! I want to throw it away. I never want to feel this way ever again! I can’t even look at her without all the guilt and regret pouring back in. Then the voices fight again. Make it stop!”

“Prove to me that you can do this without it,” Chaos replied smirking. “You seem confident enough.” Discord glared at him and fidgeted.

“You…twisted my thinking with your own words!” he growled. “That’s not fair!”

“Hm. Like father like son,” Chaos replied grinning. “This little proposition of mine stands if you fail and only if you fail. Goodbye, Discord.” The god rose up, his smoky image clouding against the pale moon and then vanished like vapor into the sky as the blanket of stars unraveled to reveal blue sky and a yellow sun in its place. Discord sighed and let himself vanish away from the garden of statues to return to his kingdom.

Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle was on a mission he knew nothing about. And harmony was about to find its return.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Author's Notes:

Continued Author’s Note: Star Swirl needs and episode in Season 4. And a toy. And everything! Stah Swerel y u no have picures of yoserlf in yo own archives?!?! *shrugpony*

Anywho: (we can’t go through one of these updates without an “Anywho” from me. That’s why you must love me or perish in fire. Also, I have special eyes. O.O) Hope you liked my scribbles and pwease don’t leave me. I update with simulated cookies that you can eat with your mind. They come only once and a while. That’s why they are so SPECIAL. :3 Heeennhh? Yeeeaanhhh? Eehh? Seriously, don’t leave. I do try and write whenever possible.

But see I have an excuse because Discord keeps eating all my paper. And simulated Microsoft Word paper apparently tastes better than regular paper. So yeah.

Next update will be as good as I can make it as always. Again, trying to get down to the wire. As you can see I am dodging the bullet and making things canon at the same time. We’ll see how things develop. :)

Another thing: LEST YOU SHOULD FEAR: I will try my best to give a SATISFYING ending. This does not mean happy. This does not mean sad. You’ll have to read to find out what happens. But I’ll do my best to make it satisfying for you, readers. Ok? :)

In the meantime, FOLLOW ME ON MY OC PONY INSTAGRAM PAGE dedicated to my OC Wordy for pony art, cute Wordy stuff, story updates, and more! @nrdygrl_wordy

KEEP CALM AND WAIT FOR NRDYGRL TO UPDATE BREAKING FREE! ^_^

The Element of Redemption

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Author’s Note: Hey guys! *big sigh* Here we go. The final stretch. This chapter is a long one and then we’ve literally got ONE CHAPTER LEFT. Believe it?! I don’t!!??! 25 people! Celebrate with me, cuz I’ve hit the 200 page mark on this one!
A couple things:

First: Yes I am doing “Keep Calm and Flutter On” in THIS CHAPTER without my headcannon being interrupted. I can actually finish the story quite well. Never fear. Sorry for the confusion!

Second: I realize there may have been some confusion in the last chapter. I apologize for this. If you need to re-read, feel free. I must add too, the scene with Star Swirl had some references to my other fanfic “A Dragon’s Detour.” At the end of that fanfic there was a certain thing in that that Star Swirl referenced to in the last chapter. Celestia was involved in the other story as well. Not giving it away, but it was interesting to combine the two stories a little. I completely derp’d and forgot to mention that little tidbit. Feel free to re-read/read “A.D.D.,” ect… :)

Third: I know it may be frustrating to wait so long for chapter updates, but it must also be refreshing to now the end is nigh! The school year was rough for me and I tried to focus on that. Now that summer’s here, I can write. Unfortuneatly, I have depression and suffer from migrains. This haults my activities. I love MLP, though, as Pinkie Pie teaches me to smile. :) (which is among my favorite positive words) And I love that I’ve found a community that likes my work and is as obsessed and weird as me. Lol. X3 Thank you guys for keeping me going and making me smile. <3
The chapter is yours! :3

Chapter Twenty-Four

"The Element of Redemption"

When the fabrics of despair had at last seemed to finish weaving their web around Celestia's heart, squeezing it to a lifeless void of abandonment and draining the last few drops of joy and hope that lingered still, she lifted her head and set her gaze to the sun that shattered the short-lived night she had endured. And in this moment, even if she could not truly feel that warm connection to the sun at this point in time, she closed her eyes and tried to let her worries and sorrows disappear in the wind. Was it really so long ago when she and her mother went to the balcony and she almost raised the sun for the first time and saw her mother and father become her heroes when Eris attacked the old castle? Was it really so long ago that all this meant absolutely nothing? Was it really so long ago when Discord was just a name? Was it really a thousand years, of hundreds of hoof prints left in time, ten thousand cracks left in the stone, and a million tears shedding their lines....all leading back to when she had...a friend?

But time, of course is a fickle thing. Celestia knew this well. Sometimes a moment felt like a millennia. This was certainly one of them. However it felt pleasant compared to torture her mind had been going through the past few hours. In this calm, she could sense magic stirring amidst the chaos. A warm feeling began to return to her heart. Harmony was taking its hold and Twilight was trying her hardest to win. Perhaps her act of sending the letters paid off. Although she hadn't quite accounted for how Spike would take such a big delivery. This made Celestia chuckle slightly in sympathy for the little dragon. A smile. She sighed. She needed to smile for a little bit. It felt wonderful. Suddenly, her heart gave way to the most sudden burst of warmth she could ever feel and magic echoed its whispers through her ears. The telepathy came as a surprise but it still filled her with the most joy she could ascertain.

"Celestia, my daughter. The gods hear your sorrow, child. The stars heard your cries. I can speak for but a moment."

"Mother..." Celestia cried out loud. "It's been so long since I've heard your voice! It's all I can do to try and speak with father at night sometimes...or at least hope he hears me."

"I hear you, my daughter," King Orion said.

"Father! You too!" Celestia's eyes welled with joy.

"I may not always be able to respond, just like the stars, child. But I hear and I love you, Tia. Tell Lu the same. I hope I'll be able to speak to her too when this is all over. Even if we've transcended, it's not always easy to access the mortal world with our magic."

"We know Discord has returned, Celestia. It's all right. You've done all you can. We needed to talk to you about him, however, dear."

"Yes, I assumed perhaps that's why..." Celestia nodded and sighed.

"Tia," said Queen Solina, "Discord may not be the same now, but there is a part of you that will always love him. Your father and I never stopped loving Luna when she fell into the shadows and became Nightmare Moon. And I know you still love your sister despite all she did."

"Yes. Of course," Celestia said closing her eyes. "She's my sister.... But I told Discord I was sorry for breaking his heart. I wanted him to stop. He wouldn't. He won't. He's different..."

"But, Tia, you are friends aren't you? Sweat Heart, listen," said Orion, "when you two were young, why did I allow you to be with him? It's because Son of Chaos or no, I knew no other suitor could make you happier. Your mother is the light to counteract my darkness and look at us now. I see the same for you, Tia. I see a future for you. And I remember that young misunderstood draconequus that I took under my wing. He'll always be your love, your friend, Tia. Don't forget him. The real him. He can come back to you. Today? No. It may come in time."

"You have the Elements, Celestia," Solina said. "And they worked for Luna. You felt yourself perhaps there could be a miracle worked for him. There could be redemption." Celestia nodded quietly and listened intently, her eyes soft and wet, and her lips slighting curved in a smile at the very thought. "We know how hard it's been for you to see him like this, Tia," her mother continued. "But he isn't all gone. Your friend is still there. Because friendship...like what Star Swirl never could understand, is a form of love and magic that is eternal. Friendship, Tia...is forever." Celestia felt the sun reach her heart and her eyes felt opened, as if they'd been closed for a long while. How could she have been so blind to hope when it was so simple, and right in front of her the whole time. It could've spared her all the suffering. But the misery was a cloud to it. And the dark thoughts blocked out the light. Now, finally, the light was coming in. All despair had left her veins and was replaced by a feeling of levity and peace. Harmony.

After she was finished talking with her parents, she heard commotion outside and saw Twilight and her friends. Her student hadn't failed, just as she knew she wouldn't! Celestia stood close to the chaotic shield preventing her from leaving the balcony, and watched intently as Twilight and the others' necklaces began to glow. She glanced at Discord who was sitting lazily in his throne, but then suddenly appeared to become nervous about the beams coming from the necklaces. It wasn't hard for her to watch because her heart had found itself transfixed by the magic radiating from the Elements. And she felt determined to focus on, not what they couldn't do for him right now, but what they could do for him in the future...someday. Because she could never give up on him. How could she? This was Discord. The chaotic beast she loved. But she would never refer to him as evil or as a monster ever again, no matter his sins. His heart was pure inside. Behind the stone would always lay the light.

_________________________

The stone shrouded Discord as he gazed at the plethora of color. The rainbow, the harmonic prism blinded him and he had to shield his eyes from it before darkness quickly seeped in. The sensation of the stone was not so painful as when Celestia and Luna had turned him. This was different. It was quite a wonder to him that Twilight Sparkle actually did it. He had underestimated her and her little "friends"; that much was clear. Now what would happen? Chaos promised that if he failed, his memory would be erased. Did he want him to fail? Was he giving him an incentive to fail? Did he somehow assist Twilight Sparkle so he could? No maybe not that, but perhaps he had something else in mind. Chaos was a complex being.

'Why would he want to help me? Why erase my memory and have me fail the one task I was meant to do?' he thought in his prison. The voice came back.

"He wants to remove her from your heart. Remember? You don't seem to be doing such a great job at keeping yourself distant from her. You're too distracted for a true tyrant. That's why. He didn't like what you did so he wanted you to be defeated and try again without the princess as a crutch."

'Hm! I was doing fine. I hid the elements and confused that little unicorn....'

"But you also HELPED her!" the shadow snapped. Discord swallowed.

'Um...yes well...I was just playing around. The necklaces were the items. I split the ponies apart! I didn't think she'd actually....'

"You wanted to lose, didn't you? Even before your father came to you? Deep down, you expected it to happened. You wanted it to happened. Because you couldn't stand to see her that upset. It killed you inside. Especially when you were at the balcony. When you wanted to reach out and touch her and she told you to leave because she couldn't stand you to be near her anymore...because you disgust her...."

'STOP IT! STOP IT! GO AWAY!' Discord thought. 'Leave me alone!!!'

"How can I?”said the voice. “You'll always choose me. Why? Because you can't stand to be hurt by anyone except yourself. And as long as you have yourself, and I comfort you, no matter how much I hurt you, you find it easier to hate her." Discord stared into the wide, dark abyss. He thought maybe he heard far-off cheering. "Face it," said the shadow. "You are stuck with me forever. Because I'm pretty sure you'll always have a few cotton-candy-sticks-short-of-a-confection-stand up there...friend."

'No. Stop it. I did not want to lose!' Discord thought. 'As much as I would like to delete my memories, my father’s proposition was idiotic. I had my fun here. Don't worry! I have no regrets. I'll come back and it will be fine. And I'll never have to worry about her ever again.'

"You better hope Chaos keeps his word."

'Yes. He will.' Discord thought ushering in silence. Was he back in the garden? Wait. Hooves. Celestia.

"Hello, friend," she said.

'Friend?' he thought. 'Did? She just call me 'friend'? She hasn't called me that in...'

"I stopped by to let you know, I don't plan to keep you locked in here for another thousand years, if you can believe that. My entire outlook and attitude on this has changed. I have new hope and faith, Discord. I plan to release you someday soon when I believe the Elements of Harmony are ready to reform you to your good self. They did that with Luna. She turned too, you know.

'I'm not surprised,' he thought. He had always sensed a kindred darkness in her.

"Anyways, please know I will never give up on you. I know I said some things. But...I'm sorry. I didn't mean them. When we were on the balcony before and..." She paused. Discord heard her voice crack slightly. "I need you to know I love you. I was mad. But I'm not now. I've let it go. I know you can be good again. I know you can use your powers for good too. You're unique. And if they protect Equestria, perhaps chaos would be looked on as good at last. Well, that's all. Goodbye for now, friend." Discord listened to her walk away.

'What have I done?!' he thought. 'I might as well have made a deal with Hades himself! Did my father forsee this happening? He just wants to break me! He never wanted to cure me of her. Now…now…that she’s…she wants me again….she’s…not giving up on me….'

"Don't listen to her." Said the shadow. "She's manipulating you..."

'SHUT UP!' Discord thought. 'I have to get out of this somehow!' he could feel every wall around him. It was so cramped. He was floating, forever floating. He stretched out as the complex disembodied soul he was and pushed against the stone. And the prison felt even smaller and tighter. Up, down, side to side, front, all black void of solid nothing that held him. Not his body, but his consciousness, his spirit. He could think, see the void, hear the world, touch the stone, and feel the tightening grip on his heart as the wrenching reality set it. He would lose everything. And it was what he wanted. But now...after hearing what she said didn't that sound better? But it didn't matter now. Chaos would erase most of his memory. And even if he could be reformed, what good would it do?

He wouldn't love her anymore.

'She’s the only one who’s never given up on me…'

Discord felt the invisible tears come as he felt the final distant hoof beats disappear into the earth. It was all he could do to call out to her, or pretend he could reach out past time and pluck a few unwanted strings. If only the past could be changed, truly. Then, he wouldn’t be in this mess. As he cried and glared at the void before him, he suddenly heard a different voice than the shadow’s.

“Discord. Son of Chaos.” He blinked and felt a pulling sensation at his core. It felt cold. A flashback entered his mind of when he was in “Pandora’s Box” when he had momentarily died. It felt like being pulled back into it instead of out. In a split-second, whiplash sensation, Discord suddenly found himself floating in a void of colored lights. It wasn’t anything like the statue void he grew accustomed to. Here, he had somewhat of a body, accept it was translucent and bluish white and his tail streaked like a comet. He spotted another ghostly figure moving towards him. It was the owner of the voice. “Discord,” it said again.

“That’s me,” said Discord curiously. He floated closer. “Where am I?”

“I brought you here,” said the figure. He came more into focus. “It is a spiritual realm. You’re spirit is awake inside a statue, so why couldn’t it move between realms? I had to move you, though. You can’t move yourself.” Discord nodded and peered at the stranger. It was a pony, a unicorn…ghostly looking like him.

“Who are you?”

“What you don’t remember me? I’m Star Swirl the Bearded! Well…a part of him….” said the unicorn, now coming into full view. Now Discord did remember. The wizard that was always there just watching and waiting with advice and spells. He created that castle Discord lived in with the princesses, banished Eris to the Everfree forest, and helped Celestia save Discord’s life. Yes, he remembered.

“Did you…die…?” Discord wondered, noticing the wizard looked younger than he remembered him to be. “When I was in stone?”

“Yes I did,” Star Swirl replied. “A long time ago. But I left a piece of myself behind, as all good unicorn wizards should. That way, I can still travel between realms, even if I am dead in the physical realm. I am aware of happenings in the world. I keep an eye on that bright Twilight Sparkle, my lineage. She is my bloodline. Takes after her a-few-greats’ uncle, which I am, I suppose.”

“Hm. No wonder she’s such a tough nut to crack,” Discord mused. “But why did you bring me here?”

“I came to tell you something, Discord, Son of Chaos,” Star Swirl said solemnly. “It is true that your memories will be gone when you breach from the stone. Most of your past will be a blur. Some you may remember, some you may not. You won’t even remember this conversation. Will you remember Celestia? Yes. But only in the way Chaos wants you to. Now, listen, I know you won’t remember directly, but a part of you will retain it deep down. The way for you to reclaim yourself is to let go of the darkness you are hanging onto. Welcome in the feelings of hope, love, and friendship you so desperately need. Trust me when I say, there is no greater magic. And I am so sorry I never knew that in my life. I have watched you grow, draconequus. I have seen both sides of magic. And in you, I see plenty of light and dark shades. However, with that, I also have always had the intuition that the light would win. So let it. You’ll forget, but I have a faith in you. You’ll feel that flicker of good inside you, and when you do, you listen to its voice. Because that path you chose Discord, is the only way you can ever truly break free.” Discord listened intently, soaking in every word. He nodded to Star Swirl. The wizard smiled. “Good luck,” he said. Then Discord felt the sudden cold whiplash again and he was back in the stony void.

He was wrong. It seemed there was somepony else who had never given up on him.

____________________________

A Few Months Later...

___________________________

As far as ponies ran, there were few that had the meekest of spirits and the most caring of hearts; and even fewer that could handle themselves when situations got especially hairy. Of course, out of these particular ponies, there were even fewer that could attempt large feats all the while handling the smallest or greatest of beasts. And out of these, among the rest, the citizens of Ponyville recognized such talents, but with only one young mare. And her name was Fluttershy. It would seem from first glance that she would have no means of self defensive or any assertive behavior attached to her meek demeanor; however, ones that were quick to judge the yellow coated, pink-haired mare would find themselves mistaken in time. Fluttershy had her own method of combat: kindness. It was with kindness she won over the hearts of all who knew her. Was she a push-over? Naive? Perhaps. But she understood her weakness and planned to grow from them every day. Even the qualities some deemed as weakness, but she knew to be strengths, could be used to solve problems. Even now, she knew Applejack surely could stand to be a bit calmer with Mr. Beaverton Beaverteeth as they attempted to solve the issue with the dam at Sweet Apple Acres.

"Apologize?!" said the stubborn Applejack. "He's lucky I didn't call him a varmint!"

"Why Mr. Beaverton Beaverteeth!" Fluttershy exclaimed at the loud, chattering beaver. "Such language!" She glanced a bit wearily at Applejack, at least thankful she did not understand the beaver's profanity.

"Fine, I apologize," said Applejack sighing. The beaver blew a raspberry at her and she growled at it. Fluttershy was at least glad the problem was solved. "Thanks, Fluttershy. Don't know what I would've done without you."

"Glad I could help," Fluttershy replied smiling. The two were then interrupted by Rainbow Dash flying over to them.

"Hey slackers! Double time over to Ponyville would ya?! We're all waiting on you!" she shouted at them, impatiently flapping her wings. Fluttershy had forgotten all about Princess Celestia's visit to Ponyville.

"Oh dear," Fluttershy squeaked in fear. "Should...we wash up first...before we...um...?"

"No time for that!" Rainbow Dash shouted impatiently. "She's got a job for you!"

"Me...?" Fluttershy said blinking in surprise. "Did she bring Philomena?" she asked hopefully.

"Um...no. Someone else," said Rainbow Dash crossing her hooves. "You'll see. Now hurry up! She's waiting!" Rainbow flew off in a burst of prismatic light.

"What do ya think Princess Celestia wants you to do?" Applejack asked curiously.

"I have no idea," Fluttershy replied timidly. "Spike never gave me a letter from her about doing anything. Do you think I can do it...whatever it is?"

"Sure ya can, Sugarcube," said Applejack.

"I don't think she'd ask ya to do anything she didn't think ya couldn't do," said Applejack reassuringly as they trotted out of the damp, muddy ground. Fluttershy smelled the apples and could hear the birds calling to each other from tree to tree all around them as they walked. Little things like this gave her joy. And she liked walking to enjoy them. Her mind soon, drifted back to the princess, however as her teal eyes followed Rainbow's familiar flying figure up ahead. What could the princess want her to do? The thought made her nervous. She didn't want to fail. As she and Applejack came into the clearing and saw the others, she heard Applejack mutter something along the lines of, "What in tarnation?!"

She had to agree with only wide eyes to suffice. There before them was Princess Celestia, and...their visitor Rainbow Dash mentioned: Discord, in his stone prison! Fluttershy couldn't help but shriek and hide behind Applejack.

"It's alright," said Princess Celestia. "Fluttershy, I really need your help."

"M...me...?" said Fluttershy nervously cowering down at the princess’s hooves.

"You are The Element of Kindness. You have a pure quality that is all but contagious. I have faith that you are the one who can reform Discord."

"Reform him?" Fluttershy asked.

"The Elements reformed Luna when she turned into Nightmare Moon. It can be done," said Celestia nodding. "But he must be willing. It's not something we can force on him. That's why he's been turned to stone before. He didn't choose that path." Fluttershy looked up at the princess and wondered why she was having them do this? Did she believe that Discord was good on the inside? If that was true, maybe the best approach would be kindness. What would Discord do for the kingdom? Would he turn on them? Had the princess really thought this all through? She hoped so. She couldn't help but worry. She also couldn't help but notice the look in the princess's eyes. She was smiling at them slightly, but why did her eyes look so sad? Quiet and shy, Fluttershy could also be observant. It could give her time to think. How exactly does one handle a draconequus anyway? After Princess Celestia explained the full situation to Fluttershy and Applejack, she said: “I realize that this is a tall order, but I wouldn't ask if I weren't confident you could get him to use magic obediently of his own free will.”

“And…you really think I’ll know best how to do that?” said Fluttershy looking up at the majestic alicorn before her. The princess smiled and put her hoof on Fluttershy’s cheek.

“I do,” she replied smiling.

The yellow pegasus with the purest heart could still not help but notice the heartfelt look glimmering in the princess’s kind gaze. It was as if, all her hope and energy was now being poured into Fluttershy in this moment. A spec of sadness almost still seemed to be hidden behind it, but Fluttershy could tell in this look Princess Celestia trusted her completely. It seemed to be so much deeper then she’d let on. A sensitive creature like Fluttershy could sense that. In her heart she immediately promised the princess to not let her down. It humbled and flattered her beyond words that she was being chosen and trusted by her to do something that seemed very important to her. Fluttershy looked down and blushed at the thought of being important. Yes, she was Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness, but preferred Twilight and the others to be in the limelight. Now, she was being recognized for deeds she deemed natural to herself and the way life should work. “Care,” “sympathy,” and “love” were words she took to. Never had she dreamed the princess would ask this of her. It scared her, but it also made her excited at the same time. It was an adventure she’d just have to conquer for the princess. This promise had to be kept. She couldn’t let her down.

“Now,” said Princess Celestia entering her chariot. “I must return to Canterlot for Equestria’s royal summit. You may release Discord when ready.” Fluttershy watched as the chariot carried her away. There was no going back now.

___________________________

As the strong pegasi pulled the chariot into the clouds, Celestia breathed and let her lungs relax. The pressure in her head began to beat in time to her heart. This was the moment of truth. Fluttershy was the final piece of the puzzle, the last component in this complex equation that she so trusted and depended on.

“Your Highness,” said one of the guards turning his head slightly. “Pardon my observation, but you do know, that the royal summit isn’t until tomorrow, right?”

“I know,” said Celestia sheepishly. “Say what you must…”

“Pardon me, Princess,” he said. “But…why did you say you needed to return to Canterlot for it? Your schedule is clear, other than the meeting with Princess Luna.” Celestia looked down in silence. “I’m sorry, Princess,” said the pegasus nervously. “I won’t speak again…”

“No it’s fine,” said Celestia. “It was necessary. I never said when the summit actually was…” she smiled sheepishly again. “Besides, I need to leave them alone to do what they will. I should not interfere. The situation is too delicate. I trust them.” As much as she did not want to fib, she did really feel the need to let the Elements see it all through…or not.

________________________________

Nothing could’ve been more interesting in Discord’s mind than going to Fluttershy’s house. She was so hospitable and meek, but the more he added his lovely powers to the environment, he thought perhaps, that could bring out the worst in her. After all, this place needed changes. And her rabbit friend annoyed him to no end. He relaxed on the yellow pegasus’s couch which fit him perfectly, after of course eating those delicious reformation spells. Fluttershy told him she was going out, promised she’d be back and flew out of the cottage. Discord began mediating on the lovely events. That annoying Celestia thought he could be “reformed.” And oh how interesting it was whenever he tried to think of her it was a blur, but she was still annoying; admittedly she was interesting and maybe even pretty, but still annoying. He could very well remember her when he was young. She was there and still a pain. Who else was there? Luna was there. Strange how everything was so fuzzy. It seemed as if everything had been coherent just yesterday. But now, it was as if a cloud floated over all the yesterdays of his life. He could only peer through it, but never see the full image of the past. A flash of a smoky figure entered his mind. He couldn’t be sure who that was. One thing he remembered that still haunted him and confused him, however…he remembered being turned to stone. Celestia was there too. Most likely responsible. She did not appear to take a liking to chaos. After all, she wanted him “reformed.” The thought made Discord roll his eyes all the way back and then back around again. Perhaps Fluttershy could be fun to trick.

'Make her believe I’m considering being reformed,' he thought yawning and flicking Angel off the couch. 'Then I’ll have her wrapped around my claw.' Well, if he was to make himself at home, then, he should make all the changes that a creature of chaos desires, right? Just how much longer can Kindness be nice to chaos?

_____________________________

Luna allowed herself to soak in all that was happening in Ponyville at the moment. Her sister spoke slowly. The Princess of the Night yawned slightly and rubbed her eyes. Staying up all night and then being woken up for a meeting at three in the afternoon didn’t sit well with her.

“Sister,” she said tiredly. “Please. Are you sure this is best? What if they cannot reform him? What way can his powers be used for the good of our kingdom? Forgive me, but I’m not sure about this,”

“I understand you don’t have the faith I do, Lu,” said Celestia. “But I told you about what Mother and Father said those months ago. I can’t ignore that. I’ve waited for the right time. Now is the right time. Twilight is strong. Her path is certain. You and I know that. The Elements have grown stronger than perhaps even the Sages did in our time. Their hearts are the same in that the Elements are one with them. I have all the love and the faith for them. My heart is also so selfish, Luna. I’ll admit. When you were gone, when Discord was gone. That millennia, I was alone. I was lost. It has been so long since I have felt companionship. Now I am so happy to have you back, Luna. But our friend must come back to us. Don’t you feel that? Didn’t you feel as lonely as I did on the moon?” Luna looked down and nodded.

“I regretted every day of that, as I have with Discord.” Celestia continued, “But now perhaps the time has finally come for us all to reunite. We can go back to the way things once were! Twilight…she reminded me so much of you. And I knew she was the one. Her magic was of Star Swirl’s bloodline. I could sense that. But I wanted a different destiny for her. For like Star Swirl I ended up alone and felt already dead. I wanted her to experience the greatest of magic, as was his dying wish. I wanted her to live that through me. Because I could never have that. I will never allow her to become immortal, Luna. After she ascends, that will be it. She won’t be cursed like us. I don’t even care if Discord could never gain Forevermore. As long as he’s with me, I could cherish him. And…and….forgive me, sister. Forgive how selfish I am when I say this. But….maybe….I will never be truly alone…again….” Celestia’s eyes welled with tears and a sad smile curled across her face. Luna nuzzled her sister’s cheek and hugged her.

“I understand, Sister,” Luna said comfortingly. “I understand.”

The Princess of the Sun had the brightest smile facing her subjects, and the saddest heart underneath.

____________________________

'I’ve never really had a friend before.'

The words echoed through Discord’s brain even after he spoke them to Fluttershy and the other ponies at the dinner party that Fluttershy used to prove his reformation. Now the ponies were all but convinced he was anything but reformed what with his beautiful creation of evil beavers taking over Applejack’s farm. It wasn’t looking good for him in the fact that they might put him back in stone and convince Princess Celestia it was for the best. Fluttershy didn’t seem so eager. For she was convinced they were now friends. She wasn’t so bad. Sure she was a bit too sweet and naïve but she was nice. After all, she did let him spin her cottage around and didn’t seem to get angry, much to his great surprise. Perhaps this was the sort of counteracting soul he needed. She was so sugary sweet, perhaps she really could reform him. Either that, or perhaps he could use this friend thing against her. He smiled at the though. His fun wasn’t over.

'I’ve never really had a friend before.' That much seemed true. The cloud grew thicker in his mind the more he tried to counteract this thought. So it must’ve been true. Nopony ever seemed to take to him, a creature of chaos. The only things that appeared clearer than others were ponies picking on him, laughing at him. Was that why he was so angry? He looked down sadly. 'I’ve never really had a friend before. I don’t know what that means.' Simple things seemed massive now. Big things from his past were in that cloud.

Discord teleported to the dam which used to be Sweet Apple Acres filled with angry beavers. Fluttershy desperately tried to communicate with the beavers to no avail. Discord zapped onto the water and started waterskiing. Oh, now this was perfect. Fluttershy being “friends” with him would work out so much better than he thought. She confronted him about the water.

“As you can see,” she said. “There’s a big mess down here at Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Oh yes,” he replied. “Awful business, that. Mm…”

“It is awful,” Fluttershy continued. “This is Applejack’s home, and it’s being destroyed by innocent creatures who would never be acting this way if it weren’t for your reckless behavior. You need to fix this.”

“Oh, yes, very well, I will fix it,” Discord sighed. “I only ask one thing in return.” He was waiting for this. The plan was just setting itself in motion now.

“Yes?” Fluttershy asked.

“I ask that you never use your Element of Harmony against me. As a sign of our friendship.” Discord smiled. The other ponies looked on in horror.

“I will never use my Element of Harmony against you,” said Fluttershy at length, removing her necklace. Victory. How naïve she was.

“Excellent!” Discord cheered snapping his fingers. Immediately the water became ice. He skated around the rink, chuckling under his breath at the looks on the ponies’ faces. “I do prefer ice skating to water skiing! Don’t you?!”

“Discord! That’s not fixing it!” Fluttershy yelled. “Why, I oughta…”
“Where are you going?” Discord teased her as she slid away on the icy ground. “What’s wrong pal?”

“Don’t call me your pal!” Fluttershy snapped.

“Oh pffft, come skating with me, and we’ll let bygones be bygones,” said Discord dangling skates in front of her nose. The little dragon Spike offered the Element necklace back to her.

“Here you go Fluttershy,” he said. “Game on!”

“He fixes this or he goes back to being stone!” said Twilight. “Princess Celestia will understand!” Fluttershy looked down and paused.

“I made a promise not to use my element against him and I’m going to keep it,” she said reluctantly taking the skates in her mouth.

“Hahah! You see?” Discord said triumphantly. “She wants to have fun with me because we’re friends. She can’t use the Elements against me because we’re friends. I’m free forever!” He laughed at his victory over the little naïve pegasus who fell for his plan. Reformed? As if he needed that. He didn’t need anypony! The thought echoed when Fluttershy looked as if she snapped, threw the skates out of her mouth and yelled.

“… NOT. YOUR. FRIEND!” The skates flew across the ground, coming to a halt almost in the middle of the pond due to her rage. In the second of silence that gripped the environment, Discord looked on in slight surprise. That turned into slight anger of his own. The blur of emotions and cloud of memories pooled into something that made him spew out a train of words.

“WHO cares?!” he yelled arching his neck over her as she stormed off. “I can do whatever I want, whenever I want! I’m Discord! The master of chaos! You think you can boss Discord around?! You think I’m just going to turn all this back because YOU say so? Because if I don’t I’ll lose the one friend I ever had?! …..Oh….” He stopped and jerked his head back around. He understood just what was happening now. He was the one being pitted in a place he couldn’t get out of. Fluttershy had outsmarted him after all. He really couldn’t do whatever he wanted. He did need her after all. He didn’t want to be in stone again. It wasn’t just to the advantage of him. She really did know she’d trigger something in him, didn’t she? Now, he really didn’t want to be alone again. In stone, he was alone for years. In that cloud of memories, all he could remember was unkind words and empty feelings. Celestia wanted to use his powers for good? Well, maybe that would be better than having everything his way and being alone. A warmth grew in him. Discord felt coldness wash away from his bones, leaving him feeling almost new. He could vaguely remember a darkness that commanded his thoughts and taunted his heart. Somehow it felt like it wasn’t there anymore. Looking away from the skates lying inanimate on the ice, back at the yellow pegasus, his eyes welled with the beginnings of reformation that made him let go of everything else inside him. The thoughts of a friend, once again, a simple thing, became massive in his heart.

“….oh. Well played Fluttershy….well played….”

_____________________________

Ecstatic beyond words, Celestia saw Discord as he and Fluttershy approached her and the chariot. Her heart skipped a few beats as Discord walked up to her, smiling at her.

“So, Discord,” said Celestia. “Can you confirm to me that you are willing to use your powers for only good and not for evil?”

“Yes, Princess,” said Discord bowing. “I’m ready to use my magic for good instead of evil.” Celestia heard him say under his breath. “…most of the time…”

“Congratulations on your success, ponies,” Celestia said. “I definitely sense a big change in Discord.” She leaned forward to speak to Twilight. “I’ll leave the Elements of Harmony with you, Twilight. Just in case.” There was always that chance. She couldn’t be too careful. She’d keep an eye on him too. She glanced up at Discord to say this silently. Discord twitched his ear, overhearing this and raised his eyebrows at her.

“You were right when you said Fluttershy would be the one to find the way to reform Discord,” said Twilight. “By treating Discord as a friend, she got him to realize that friendship was actually important to him. And something that, once he had, he didn't want to lose.” Celestia smiled. Something so simple allowed Discord to crush the darkness inside him.

“Go on,” said Fluttershy nudging Discord. “Say it…”

“Alright,” Discord groaned. “Friendship is magic….” He said quickly. Celestia smiled.

“See?” said Fluttershy putting her yellow hoof on his lion paw. “He can be a real sweetheart once you get to know him.” The other ponies turned their heads and raised their eyebrows in doubt of the statement. Celestia turned her head nervously and looked away. The pool of emotions just couldn’t surface now. Fluttershy spoke the truth. It had been so long since Celestia saw the sweet, innocent, imp she knew when she was young. It was all she could do not to run to him and hug him.

“Where will I go now?” Discord inquired.

“To the castle,” Celestia said smiling at him. “And you can visit Fluttershy whenever you want.”

“That will be lovely!” said Fluttershy excitedly. “The other animals will love you!” Celestia smiled and nodded. Discord followed her to the chariot and he waved goodbye to Fluttershy and the others. The chariot took off into the sky. Celestia breathed a sigh of relief and glanced happily at Discord as he relaxed with his paw and claw behind his head and eyes closed.

“Fluttershy really grew on you,” said Celestia. “I knew she could do it.”

“I suppose she did, Your Highness…” said Discord yawning.

“’Your Highness?’” Celestia giggled. “No need to be formal now.”

“Princess,” Discord said shrugging. “Well, I’ve never…had a friend before, I guess…”

“What do you mean? Of course you have,” said Celestia smiling. Discord shook his head. “What about Luna and I?” Celestia asked confused.

“What about you?” said Discord. “I remember you two being there sometimes, but we were never really friends, I don’t think.” He looked down and studied his paw. Celestia blinked in shock.

“No…” she whispered. “You….you’ve…forgotten again. Who? No. Did HE do this?!”

“What?” Discord said confused. “Who did what?”

“Chaos!” said Celestia desperately. “You don’t remember me…or us. He did it! He must have.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Princess,” Discord said shrugging and leaning back again. Celestia turned back to look forward. She sat stiff and straight, her body completely rigid. The perfect world she envisioned was crumbling again. She had to see him. She had to confront the master of evil. She would confront Chaos. He would not take Discord away from her again. This time, she’d have her happy ending.

TO BE CONCLUDED…

The Final Word: Part One

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Author’s Note: Hey people! It’s me! I’m finally back! (please don’t look down. ^_^) I have toiled and strived so long, it’s not even funny anymore. But I have suffered all in the name of you beautiful people. You group of people are the most majestic, wonderful, attractive bunch of individuals behind a screen. Why am I buttering you up so much? (okaaayy look down. -_-) Yes, really. *sigh.* I know I said this would be the last chapter. I did NOT lie. It is. It’s just….Part one of the grand finale. Please don’t hate me. I’m sorry lol. I know how long I’ve kept you guys suffering for this. School has hit me hard so my time to write has been depleted to almost nothingness. So I just said “yeah screw it! I’m splitting this crap up.” Lol. In other news: BF has now officially hit 200 pages and as of August 1st, I believe, it has been on Fanfiction.net one whole year. YES. I can’t believe it either. AND IT’S STILL NOT DONE. Hahhahaaaa…. *cries quietly in a corner* T_T (not kidding about that part. *and clutches Discord plushie, weeping into the plushie.* WHY? Why… *imagines burning the plushie* lol) Seriously though, I say this a lot, but I never imagined people would like it. It was just an idea, an experiment, that turned into the biggest thing I’ve ever done ever. Thank you guys so much for sticking with me for a whole year. I have to like…bow to the ones that have; weep at their virtual hooves; bake them a virtual cake made out of Dream Catcher or something. LOL. ;) Hope you like part one guys. I PROMISE. PROMISE. PROMISE, I will write the second one as soon as I can. SO I CAN GET IT DONE. Yes? Ok? I know you’re still mad. Thinking I’m sitting here like “Hahaa. They thought this was gonna be over. Trollolol.” Anywho. There I said anywho. Fell better? It’s MEEE. :) PLEASE READ ON: T_T

Chapter 25

"The Final Word"

Part I:

Cold shards of thick black magic poured from the gaping arms of the monster before her. Celestia collapsed and faced her opponent with her horn on full fire. Tears began to pour from her eyes as the strength seeped from her veins. Everything seemed to cave in on her. Why? Why did it have to be this way? If she were to die here and now, he wouldn't even understand. Her worst fears were starting to be realized when Chaos, this hideous beast charged at him. Discord was helpless to defend himself. Celestia watched with terror.

"NO!" She shrieked. "You CAN'T take him away from me! I WON'T LET YOU!" Chaos stopped and turned to her. He paused and grinned.

"You are all so weak." He said laughing deeply, and holding out a long black claw under her chin. This love you have...it kills you..." And that's when she felt the sharp pain drive into her chest. Her mouth started filling with the taste of blood. Everything suddenly felt cold and light. She was beginning to feel weightless. And everything was going dark….

_____________________________

Hours Earlier...

The grand Canterlot castle and all its surroundings appeared so familiar to the draconequus. When the carriage ceased moving and landed on the grass, Discord stretched himself out and floated along the breeze of the late afternoon. It was such a peaceful day. After all that had happened, he needed a nap. He blinked his eyes curiously at the princess. He was sure she'd glare at him for use of his powers and floating. However, she seemed quite preoccupied and disgruntled about something. She had been rambling incessantly about him forgetting something. He couldn't be sure what she meant. What did she know that he didn't? His mind was in a bit of a haze ever since that stone chipped away from it. Could something have happened to him? He didn't want it to interrupt his carefree spirit. Everything seemed clear, especially when Fluttershy shined an extraordinarily bright ray into his stony heart. All he truly needed was a friend and purpose. He now seemed to have a friend in the yellow pegasus. Now all he needed was a new purpose. With the fog in his mind that disallowed rhyme or reason in his past, a purpose except chaos seemed out of the question before. Perhaps now a brighter future would be in sight; one not involving emptiness and cold stone. It was nice not knowing what was to happen the next day. Leaving everything to the princess meant, perhaps, he could relax for a while. Although his soul “rested” in stone, he couldn’t exactly “sleep” in it. So, he indeed felt the tiredness from it. Meanwhile, Princess Celestia was standing uneasily with a worried expression upon her white, pale visage. She was looking down with almost saddened eyes.

“So, Princess…” said Discord clearing his throat.

“Oh! Yes?” said Celestia quickly jerking her head up to him. It appeared she was trying her hardest to forget about the troubles plaguing her mind, for she attempted to smile.

“Where will I be sleeping? If you don’t mind? I mean…I can make myself a nice cloud hammock in a snap I suppose…” said Discord nonchalantly.

“Oh. Haha. No. That won’t be necessary. I can show you to your room now if you want. It was your old room. I…mean…you don’t remember, do you? You used to live here.”

“I did?” said Discord landing in front of her. He scratched his head with his claw. “It’s hard to remember things like that now. I’m not sure why. You seem to know a lot more about me than I do, Princess.”

“Please call me Celestia.” She said smiling a little. “Or…well..” she chuckled. “You used to call me Tia.”

“Oh? What did you call me?” Discord asked curiously.

“Well, when we were all younger, Luna and I just called you Dis for short. But then later on, I started calling you…umm…Dizzy.” Discord blinked at her and smiled a little. Then he started laughing. “I know. I know. Silly name.” Celestia said chuckling with him. “Luna always hated whenever I’d…” She cut herself off and frowned again. Her eyes fell. Just then Discord stopped in midair as a sudden thought popped into his head due to the expression she cast. He plopped onto the ground a bit slowly and glanced at her nervously.

“P-Princess, he said hesitantly. We weren’t a….um……? W…Were we a…?” He scratched his neck nervously and looked down. Celestia blinked and sighed a little. She swallowed hard and shuffled her hooves uncomfortably after understanding his unfinished question. Her cheeks flushed at the question and the gravity it seemed to have on her.

“Oh. Um…well,” she began clearing her throat. “It’s…it’s hard to…expl….”

“Oh no. Haha. Of course not,” said Discord waving the awkwardness away. “Wh-why would I think that? How silly of me.” He wrapped his lion arm around his neck and felt his blood starting to pulse in embarrassment. The princess most likely thought he was a fool. He’d rather stay on her good side. What would she think if she knew what he was thinking about her right now? She’d have a good laugh. She was an alicorn, though. Could she read his mind?! Just that thought made him even more nervous. His heart started pumping faster. “You, a princess. And you’re just so… And I’m so..” He felt his face turn red. He grinned and chuckled. “Ahem. Never mind. Just me…silly Discord rambling. Uh. You mentioned my room?”

“Oh. Yes! Please follow me.” Celestia took him through the castle doors and down the long hallways. The red carpeting felt so familiar under Discord’s hooves. The royal guards looked suspicious of him and he walked by them. He tried his best to smile at them but they held out their spears at him even more. “Don’t mind them,” Celestia whispered to him. “They aren’t used to you yet. Equestria will learn not to fear you in time.” All of a sudden, when they rounded a corner…

“Huzzah! It worked! It is you! It’s really you!” Discord could hardly brace himself when a flash of dark purple flew at him. “DisDisDisDisDisDisDis!!!! We missed you the last time thou were released! Is it true?! Art thou really reformed?! SSSSPPPPEEEEEEAAAAAAKKK! Oh.…sorry. Was that too loud? We…um…I are trying to lower…our…my volume.”

“Luna. Right?” Discord said grumbling and gasping for air from being smothered by the ecstatic alicorn. Luna cocked her head in confusion.

“Luna, may I speak with you for a moment?” Celestia asked quietly. Luna nodded in confusion and followed her sister around another corner. Discord stretched his ear to hear them whispering about him. He couldn’t really make out words though. He turned his head and glanced at the windows surrounding him on the walls. This place struck him. Looking at these stained glass pictures reminded him of so many flashes from the past. It was such a déjà vu moment now. He’d stood in this place…seen these windows so many times. Some of them were different before but still he could picture them…almost. The royal sisters broke his train of thought.

“Discord,” said Luna calmly. “We…ahem. I know you dost not remember a thing. However, the three of us were friends at one time.”

“Celestia told me the same,” Discord replied nodding. “I wish I could remember you both more.”

“Fear not! Tia will figure this out like she always does!” Luna said confidently. “Our magic has increased as well. It will be….”

“Luna,” Celestia interrupted. “Umm…I’ll catch up with you in a moment, all right? I’d like to speak with Discord alone for a moment.”

“Ohhh. Certainly, Sister.” said Luna smirking. “I’m quite sure you have plenty to discuss.” She chuckled and winked.

“Luna!” Celestia shouted narrowing her eyes. She blushed and glanced over at Discord’s eyes. “Quit acting like a foal!” Discord heard her whisper to her sister while she gripped her mane with her magic.

“Ow! Let go of my mane!” Luna whined.

“This is no matter for jokes and you know it!” Celestia growled under her breath. She sighed and looked back up at Discord again. She then motioned for him to follow her down another corridor past Canterlot Tower where they all were now. Luna waved goodbye to him and she magically teleported from the room. The royal halls finally led the pair to one locked room which the Sun Princess unlocked with a spell. Discord entered the room and looked around. It was his. He didn’t know it from looking at it, but he just felt it was his room. It was almost nostalgic. “This is your old room, Discord,” said Celestia. “I kept it just the way it was through enchantments. I hope you like the bed. Try it!” She smiled warmly at him. Discord jumped over to the fluffy cushion in the corner of the room. It was just long enough to fit him from his head to his tail. He bounced on it and stretched.

“Ah! It’s like a candy cloud, Princess. Lovely. Thank you.” Celestia giggled. Discord sat up and grinned at her.

“What?” she said raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, nothing,” said Discord. “I don’t remember you laughing a lot; you were always so grim. But when you did, like now, you just looked so….” He swallowed and looked down. “Never mind.” He got up and walked over to a small balcony that branched off the room.

“What?” said Celestia following him. “What were you going to say, Discord?”

“Something I imagine you’ve heard numerous times before, Princess,” said Discord waving it away. “A measly compliment. Nothing more. Words. Take them for what they’re worth.” He crossed his arms indifferently. The reality inside him was far more confusing than he imagined. He really hoped she wouldn’t pry more.

“And what are these words worth to you, Discord? Would you care to place a bet on your measly unsaid compliment? I doubt I’ve heard it as often as you’d think.” She smirked slightly as she spoke. “A Princess can make a wager.” She paused and looked down. “And I certainly am one to gamble aren’t I?...” Discord raised an eyebrow curiously at her when she looked down sadly and paused after that sentence. She was upset? About what? She was certainly referring to something he couldn’t understand anymore. Maybe it was something he used to understand but couldn’t anymore. It gave him a sting of sympathy inside. The reformation was already starting to creep inside, into the very depths of his heart. Instead of causing sorrow or distress, he did not want to see it. It caused him pain. Especially seeing it in her. He almost reached out with his paw, because it was an impulse. He wanted to touch her. Maybe it would make her feel better? No. She would never like to be, a royal like her. It would be insulting to her. Especially from one as beastly as him. The draconequus retracted his lion paw, too afraid to touch the snow-white Sun. And his words? They still beat like a drum in his head.

'When she laughs, she looks so beautiful, he thought. But not just that. She’s heard that before. She must know how beautiful she is. It’s more than that. When she laughs it’s how bright her face looks. When she laughs'....'’she doth teach the torches to burn bright.' (See AN #1.)

He was especially glad he was able to change the subject when he spotted something outside the balcony on the lawn.

“What’s that down by the lake?” he asked pointing. The princess smiled.

“That’s your surprise,” she said softly. In a flash of light from her horn she teleported them right in front of the lake and swaying trees. The sun made the water shimmer and gleam brighter than mountain diamonds. The surprise was a small wooden cottage with a thatched roof. “I recreated it with my magic,” Celestia continued. “Do you remember it?” Discord nodded slowly. In a way, a part of him did remember it, but most of it wasn’t good. Most of the faint memories were of hurt and destruction and a terrible shadow taunting him. He could scarcely remember a fire burning so high into the sky fueled by his rage. He hated that feeling. What did it all mean? Why did it hurt? “You might remember it being destroyed when you took over Equestria,” Celestia said slowly. “Before all that, you used to come here when you needed some time alone. We made it specifically for you so you could fill it with whatever you wanted. We feared that if you used your powers, it would turn you into a dark force we could not control. But we were wrong. I was wrong. Bottling all that up…was never a good thing. So now I know better. Discord, this cottage holds its true purpose now. You can come here whenever you like and blow off steam. Unleash the tiniest bit of chaos. Have a freedom to be yourself and do what makes you happy, but not so that it threatens anypony. Because here you are truly alone. I’ve enchanted this cottage so you can’t use your powers outside a force field that will form around it once you close the door.”

“Princess,” said Discord slowly. “I…I don’t know what to say.”

“Go inside,” said Celestia smiling. “Then thank me.” Discord smiled back and entered the cottage. Celestia lit a candle with her magic and it illuminated a cozy space with a table and chairs. “I kept it simple. I figured you’d want to change it up,” she said. Discord looked up at the wall and saw a picture frame containing a paper with a red heart drawn on it.

“What’s this?” Discord asked curiously.

“Oh. Wh…when we were young you gave it to me.”

“…I did?” Discord felt his cheeks turn red. He was thankful for the dark room.

“You never knew…I thought it was the sweetest thing…” said Celestia quietly. He twitched his ear as he heard her hooves on the wood floor approaching him from behind.

“You did?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” Discord shuffled nervously. “Why would you…?”

“Discord…” Celestia voice sounded cracked and desperate. “Please look at me….” The draconequus turned around to face the Sun. “I don’t know for sure what has happened with you. But I know you’re father must be involved. I know the laws of gods and ponies. This should not be. He’s caused this before but done it in a way so that it wasn’t by his own hand. Laws of this earth state clearly that any god cannot hurt his own flesh or ponykind flesh by the means of his powers directly from his hand. This would mean a god cannot physically harm by contact with the individual. This would be counted a such…unless…you were willing. If you are a willing party in the removal of certain memories, which would be considered harm to you, then…it is allowed. This must be the case, Discord. That dark part of you told you lies and he stole you away. But I won’t let that stop me. Because…look at that.” She motioned to the drawing. “That’s all I wanted back. Just the simple life I once had with my friend…who then became…my companion, my confidant, my always, even in the darkest time….my hero.” Discord blinked in surprise at the Princess’s words.

“But I’m none of those things anymore, Princess,” he said quietly. “I’m not…that Discord. I’m not a hero.”

“But you could be,” said Celestia smiling. “I’d wager that…any day…” She smiled softly and gently rested her head against his chest. Discord looked down at her and blushed as her soft white coat and silky mane hugged the textures of his own coat and neck. Her eyelashes blinked and ticked his neck and he could feel her heartbeat pulse like a warm star. She sighed and backed away, leaving him almost disappointed, feeling a bit empty and confused.

“Maybe, it really could be like old times…” he heard her mumble under her breath as she exited the cabin.

Did she truly understand him like she said? But how? She was the Princess of the Sun, demigoddess, descendant of gods, who were themselves, supreme beings over all lands, worlds, skies, and space; and she, herself, ruler of the great land of Equestria and guardian of the solar celestial body for which she was named and keeper of harmony, peace, tranquility and hope for all ponies who dwelled there. She lives. She will always live. She shines as the sun shines. She is Celestia. And he? He is Son of Chaos, demigod, descendant of a god one step above Hades himself, even from what he could remember, even from the pony lure still locked away in his mind. He himself was the keeper and spirit of disharmony and all that breaks down the barriers of logic and reason, frightening all mortals to their core, sending the world into mass panic, sowing the seeds of anarchy and war and destruction. He. Do they dare say his name? Even his father’s? His name rarely spoken. But he now, he, the monster. A significance held on such a label that he can remember. The beast of a thousand horrible atrocious nightmares, a montage of despair, confusion, and the breathing entity, energy, and soul of nature’s demise. The breath of evil itself. A glimpse into Tartarus itself. Isn’t that he? For he is. Discord.

So indeed, the Princess of the Sun and the Spirit of Chaos; how could it be? Then again, he was Discord. Who needed logic? It would seem, perhaps, somehow, beyond even the draconequus mind of anarchy where logic is not needed, he could not understand this. For perhaps it was friendship and love…the very thing, he simply could not fully comprehend.

____________________________

Everfree chirped and chattered with the little sounds of the life. Eyes watched the stony ruins begin to shift and rumble as the entity stirred from the ground. The dark forest’s soul lifted her head from the dust and opened her deep serpent-green eyes. Such a long time since she had seen the light of day. But who had dared approach her in such a time as this? Eris shifted her body up and stretched her black wings outward. Her yawn made Everfree shriek at its Lady’s awakening. She smoothed her raven feathers on one wing with her panther paw and adjusted her curled, centipede-like tail, letting her six insect legs file out on the ground. Moving her long muzzle down, she caught a glimpse of a shimmering below her.

“Hello? What is this now? Who has awoken me? I feel it’s been so long…since I’ve…” Eris paused upon closely examining the figure. “Who are you?”

“Hello Eris,” the figure replied. “You mean you don’t recognize me? It was me you said on that mountain top years ago…that…I’d be trouble. Or have you forgotten? Maybe your prophecies came true. But I assure you. My sister needs me now. And I will not back down from this fight.”

“Well. Well. Well,” said Eris chuckling. “If it isn’t the little Night Princess. Luna. I do remember you. My, you look remarkably different since we last met! And my how much power you have. More than your father ever dreamed of having.”

“That part of me is gone now Eris,” said Luna. “The dark power will not return to me.”

“You are so sure…” said Eris sighing and grinning.

“What does that mean?” said Luna narrowing her eyes.

“Oh. Nothing! It’s just…” said Eris floating up and flicking Luna’s hair with her claw. “A pretty little princess like you should have all the power in the world! Right? More than your sister, that’s for certain.”

“You are not going to manipulate me, Eris,” said Luna swatting her claw with her hoof. “I know better now. The Elements of Harmony took away our dark powers! We are free to…”

“Funny how you say ‘we,’” said Eris thoughtfully. “For if it were up to me, I’d suggest that this shadow is still clinging onto your soul, Princess Luna. Like a parasprite, it will feed and feed and multiply ‘till there’s nothing left but...darkness.”

“’Tis a lie!” Luna yelled. “You are…! Oh what is the point?! I knew I should not have come here! However…my sister and your son need my help! That is why I am here to face one such a foul as yourself, Eris! So no matter what you can say to me…it won’t divert us from helping our friends!” Luna’s eyes flashed threateningly. Eris sighed and rested back on a pillar.

“Please indulge me,” she yawned.

“Discord attempted to take over the kingdom one thousand years ago, but he failed, Eris. You failed. My sister and I trapped him in stone with the Elements of Harmony, a magic you will never know. We did it for our friend, Eris. For the friendship we lost. Celestia did it for the Discord she loved. A thousand years later, he escaped and the new Elements, the physical forms defeated him with their friendship, though he attempted to tear it and our kingdom apart. My sister wasn’t done with still trying to have him accept Harmony and gain reformation in his heart. It was now that she planned on letting these Elemental ponies, these friends, letting him find the goodness within himself. It has worked, Eris. He is good. This darkness he once had will not return. I did not sense it in him. However, this could be because of a specific reason: he doesn’t remember. Not just us, mostly anything that has happened to him. That is a significant thing, Eris! Did you do this to him? Did Chaos do this to him? Something happened and this has to end now! Tell me!”

“How could I be involved?!” Eris jumped up. “You must know as well as I do that for Chaos to do such a thing is a crime, unless Discord was willing!”

“I came to ask you if you could restore his memories,” Luna asked calmly. Eris paused and looked down at Luna.

“It matters not to me if he remembers you two or not. He is still his father’s son, Princess,” she said slowly. “No matter what you like to think of him, there will always be that shadow. Just like with you. Sad little pony. Sad little princess. That’s all you are, isn’t it?”

“S-stop that!” said Luna sharply. “It’s not like that anymore!”

“I think it is,” said Eris smirking. “She’s just so lonely. Nopony loves her. And I know what she fears the most. So much fear and darkness. Scared little pony. And your sister…she won’t love you if you turn again, sad little Moon.”

“That’s not true! Tia loves me…she always wi…”

“She’s scared of you,” Eris grinned.

“No! It’s not true! Not true!”

“She just might turn you into stone too.”

“NO!” Luna blasted magic at the she-draconequus only to watch her disappear and reappear behind her. Luna felt her knees wobble in rage and her eyes well.

“Luna,” said Eris softly. “I understand…”

“Y-you don’t understand me. Or anything. You don’t know…” Luna stuttered in rage, her tears boiling in her teal eyes like a cauldron.

“I know enough,” Eris patted her head with her paw. “Nopony understood Eris either. Why do you think Lady Eris turned on this kingdom to take control? She only wants what she rightfully deserves, yes? She was a dragon once. But if a dragon gets magic, that’s another story. You know all about magic don’t you? The darker the better, yes? The best kind of insanity, sickness, toxin to fill all voids in the black hole that was once your heart. Mmm, but it’s not enough when you can only have so much. You eventually, after failed gaining control, go to the ultimate source of dark power. Chaos. Or in your case, Darkness. And it does change you. And when you eventually become the twisted beast that you really are on the inside you murmur to yourself in your mind…is it truly worth it…?” At this Eris paused and looked down at the purple alicorn with her green shimmering eyes. Luna looked up at her and blinked a little at the last phrase from Eris’s mouth. After a brief moment, as if Eris herself were in a moment of thought, the she-draconequus smiled a toothy grin and chuckled manically. “Oh, but aren’t we all a little twisted in the end, Night Princess?” She paused letting the words sink into Luna’s mind. The dark purple alicorn never took her teal eyes off the cold green ones staring down at her. After a few moments, Eris spoke again. “Equestria could be yours, Luna. Join me; and my plans for domination of the kingdom can be fulfilled through you! I’m not going anywhere due to Star Swirl’s curse. You’ll be the one working all the magic out in the field. What say you, Night Princess?”

“Never!” said Luna immediately. “You’re mad, Eris. And I will not be somepony’s puppet or plaything! Especially not yours! You tried that with Discord. You won’t have me too.”

“I figured you’d say that,” said Eris smiling. “Simply like you. I understand how you hate being under somepony’s shadow, yes?” She chuckled. “But we can do this the hard way. My preferred way. Right, DEAR?” Luna felt the earth explode around her as a cold thick claw grabbed her. She screamed when she heard the deep roaring cackles of Chaos as he glared down at her with his many red eyes. Her blood pulsed through her veins as his hand entrapped her. She quickly began firing her horn, but Chaos immediately created a counter spell that shocked her through her body straight from her horn. Luna jolted feeling the stinging pain of his magic. She gasped and shook, trying to recover.

“It’s…you!” she growled. “Chaos! Discord’s father. You are the one who has done all these horrible crimes. You’ll pay for this. Harmony will never die. No matter what you tried to do, you won’t succeed. The love my sister and your son have for one another will always avenge itself no matter how hard you try to kill it!”

“Silence,” Chaos growled. “We’ll just see about killing that love now, little Night One. You can’t do anything to protect your sister now when she faces me.”

“When…she….f-faces you?” Luna asked stunned. “Is she mad?! She’s not powerful enough to…”

“Hahaha. It is so laughable how naïve you both are. And your destruction will begin,” said Chaos swinging his clawed arm down causing Luna to scream at the sudden drop. She plunged into a gaping black opening in the smoky ground and her screams died into nothingness. Chaos turned to Eris and suddenly she reared up to face him, her eyes ablaze.

“You fool! How did you think this was going to help?! You are so lucky I am such a decent enough actress. I convinced her I wasn’t fazed. But his memories, Chaos?! Are you insane?!”

“I knew it would spite you,” Chaos said sighing indifferently. “Eris. What difference does it make? I convinced him that she was the root of his weakness. And it’s true. He needs her out of his heart to make way for the shadows.”

“Oh yes. And apparently you did not account for the magic of friendship making way in his heart as well, Chaos!” Eris squawked. “This is where you were wrong. Without the memories of his love, he is nothing; because his heartbreak is what fueled his anger. And now, you’ve made him exactly the way he was before!”

“Our son was dark before, Eris,” Chaos retorted. “Was that not why you left him with the ponies? So he could hate them?”

“He doesn’t hate them now,” Eris growled.

“Eris,” said Chaos sighing. “Do you also know why I wanted to remove his love? Because of you. Because I loved you once. And you tricked me. You never loved me. I never wanted him suffering the same fates.”

“Of course,” said Eris rolling her eyes. “The only time you ever felt something. At least I am thinking about what our son can accomplish, Chaos. He was to hate them just as much as I do. Now, every moment he spends with the princess, he probably remembers more and more of her. If it’s the least you can do now, face her! This was your mistake, now fix it!”

“She wants to protect him? Ha! She is a fool. It blinds her. Her love is what kills her.” Chaos growled. “Her sister was no help to her either.”

“And what of Discord? Have we exhausted all recourses? Are you going to kill him?” said Eris.

“Oh, no,” said Chaos grinning. “I shall kill the princess. I have seen the future. And she will sacrifice herself for love. She will be the martyr she is destined to be for him. I will cause her demise in a loophole in the laws of ponies and gods. And after she is dead, the equines shall throw themselves into mass panic and I will watch as Equestria riots and overthrows itself and burns. And Discord will have no choice but to make home where there is already the greatest chaos. Equestria will be ours to rule. She will be gone forever. The moon and sun will be under our command. The living embodiments of these Elements of Harmony will be destroyed in the anarchy that ensues. Once paranoia ensues, they will be looked to as potential leaders…or traitors, wielding weapons that could only prolong this outbreak of devastation. And one by one…assassinated. Maybe even the Titans themselves would dare step hoof on this planet and rage war against us for the sake of Order, Harmony, and balance. But eventually, the Everfree forest would decay and all your creatures would be set into our beautiful new world to run amuck. And maybe…if the spell wore off…even you, my dear. All because two foolish creatures could never fully comprehend the consequences of what they thought to be true love. It’s an ideal world. It’s a vision of excellent, beautiful chaos that must be obtained, Eris. Equestria will be destroyed all by tweaking these threads. Oh, how funny everything falls together. The simple things. And huh….these two. Think of it, the Princess of the Sun, and my only son, spirit of Chaos and Disharmony, could create such a timeline of events after all they’ve been through together. Oh, but one won’t get to see it. I laugh to think. And you said deleting Dis’s memories would’ve been bad. Tsk. Tsk. My dear, I take everything I do to heart. My path in life is set now. This could be my finest moment. And why do I get so sad when I say it?….that for our little Discord and his Celestia, well, their story is coming to an end. Today, this story ends.”

TO BE CONCLUDED IN PART II…

Author's Notes:

Continued Author’s Note: (AN: #1): ’she doth teach the torches to burn bright.’ Is from William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliette.” Must of course give Mr. Shakespeare credit for that quote. I find it neat how throughout the play, particularly in the balcony scene, Juliette is described as the sun, and one time, that she is so lovely, the fire and lights of the torches learn how to burn from her. Even one quote from Romeo says for her to ‘rise and kill the envious moon.’ Hm. Interesting, yes? :) Mr. Shakespeare were’t thou a brony? ^_^

On other notes: our beloved ponies are galloping back into our lives November 23rd! Squeee! I can’t wait. :D

In other news: Due to me splitting up this chapter, an angry riot with a mob with those torches from up there ^ and pitchforks and everything has broken out outside my house. T_T I’m soororrryryyyy. *Giant anime kawaii eyes overflowing with tears, also creating a river of tears.* THIS STORY. THIS STORY. It causes ME such PAIN. But it’s all worth it for you beautiful people. :* <3

As always, follow me at Instagram: @Nrdygrl_Wordy and Youtube: Nrdygrl4Ever. Story qus or anything else, PM me. Brony on, Nrdlings! Ha. Nrdlings. I shall call you that. /)* KEEP CALM AND WAIT FOR PART TWO. Lol. Seeya guys. Luvz ya. :)

~Nrdygrl

The Final Word: Part Two

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Author’s Note: IT’S DONE. IT’S DONE. OMG IT’S DONE. NO TROLLS? THERE’S SOMETHING VERY WRONG. Yes. That in the tune to “What’s This?” from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Don’t judge me. I’m so freakin excited! XD lol. Yes I know it’s know it’s now 2014, and our epic new season is in full swing but just be thankful I’m finally done people! Lol. PLEASE NOTE: You may realize there was a full scene reveal during the premiere. And there of course are certain Discordy things regarding that flashback stoning scene obviously VERY different in this fanfic. Also, the premiere gave origins to the Elements and that was different to my theory as well. So after seeing that awesome episode, I cried in a corner for a little bit than sucked it up and decided I just had to make this story an Alternate Universe. Oh well. I can’t always be right. (Unless it’s in an AU…then I’m ALWAYS RIGHT.) >:) So the tags will immediately be changed on FiMfiction after this chapter is posted. Anyways…please enjoy!

Breaking Free

“The Final Word”

Part II

Consequences could be met by attempting to ease Discord's mind back to a perceptive state. Celestia feared much, especially the dramatic influence of recalling so much pain and hurt and the effect it would have on his psyche. She did indeed fear that should those memories return, the Discord that almost tore apart her kingdom would resurface and this heinous cycle might even begin again. She really couldn't let him go on like this though. There were such things as memory spells. The irony of this: her student, Twilight told her she used then on her friends when they were under Discord's enchantments. Now if Discord was truly under Chaos's spell, something that was agreed between the both of them, not even a memory spell could fix that.

Now, as they walked along to the edge of lake, the melancholy weeping willow drooped overhead, casting its arms over them. Celestia's violet eyes panned over to the water lapping gently against the bank. It was just enough for her to notice, mixed with the warmth in her horn, that told her evening was fast approaching and soon, the moon would touch the water with its glow. For now, at least, she could enjoy seeing the sun sparkling on the surface. It gave her a peace, like a contrast to the fires of worries and duties that burned in her like the sun burned in her since birth. Perhaps that was why she liked coming here so much, especially with Discord; because here, there were no worries or cares. In the years of their youth, time really did stand still here. Maybe it could again. Not in the eternal-life role she always put it in, but rather a joyful stop in time.

“Do you recognize it?” she asked cheerfully. “We used to just sit by here and talk all the time. That was why I had the liberty of having the cabin built by here years ago.” Discord smiled a little and cocked his head.

“It is nice here,” he replied. “Perfect for a waterskii-nnn…no?”

“No.”

“Aw. Come on!” Discord plopped on the bank and pouted. “Did we have ANY fun when we were kids or was fun restricted as well?”

“We had lots fun! Don’t make it sound like I spoiled everything, because I did not,” said Celestia sitting by him and chuckling.

“But I can tell you’ve always been stuffy,” said Discord sighing and leaning back in the grass.

“I was not!” said Celestia pushing him a little. “You don’t remember a thing. You couldn’t tell.”

“I remember some,” he replied yawning.

“Like what?”

“Like telling you…you were too grim,” said Discord poking Celestia’s nose. Celestia laughed and glared at him, still smiling as he floated above her head, disturbing the water with his paw.

“Well. Do you….remember the time in the court yard?” she asked playfully splashing water at him.

“No.” Discord said turning the water that got on him into an ice cream cone. He started licking it proudly.

“You can’t do that!” said Celestia trying to be authoritative but her giggling didn’t help that.

“I don’t see the ice cream hurting anypony,” said Discord swallowing the cone. He then winced and held his head. “Owww! Brain freeze!”

“Well now it is!” Celestia laughed. “Well anyway, you me and Luna! At the courtyard years ago all danced in the chocolate milk rain. It was our first day of school. It feels…” She paused and looked down. Discord paused and sank down to her level, never taking his eyes off her.

“What?” he said. “It feels…what?”

“It just feels like a lifetime ago…” said Celestia smiling sadly at him. “Back when things made sense and memories were intact and…you were you. Such an adventure. But still one I would never trade for the world if it means….” Discord looked at her intently.

“Princess…” he said calmly. “I may be reformed for now…”

“For now…?” she said sadly.

“Listen,” he said. “I don’t really think you can destroy evil. You can trap it. Make it go to sleep. But sooner or later, it wakes up again. It controls and it invades. So, what if it returns?”

“I don’t know…”

“The Elements of Harmony are with Twilight Sparkle. And she will use them if I rise up again.” Celestia’s face began to turn pale. “I understand, Princess. I don’t remember everything. But I feel as if I do somehow know you. And I understand. So promise me.”

“What?!” Celestia looked at him shocked. Discord moved closer to her.

“If ever the dark comes back in me, trap me in stone again. It’s all right.” He smiled. Celestia felt her stomach twist in horrible knots. She looked in his eyes and they glistened with a new light. This was not him. This could not be real. Was it? He was truly suggesting this. That for the better of everything else, everypony else, he go against what he was made for and be contained if he should try and use his powers for evil? And he was willing? Her mind raced.

“S-so if you use your powers against what I say and for evil…and you are dark again…you say now…turn you to stone? You-you…want me to promise you? That I won’t be hesitant to trap that darkness away again, should it arise.”

“Yes,” Discord replied sprawling out on the grass again. “What’s the problem? Of course I’m going to push the envelope, Princess. But you know as well as I do that I won’t do anything to take over. Trust me. That is the dark side of me. Just wanting power and control. But I am carefree and will continue to use my powers, as they really are neutral. And I will do as you say. But I will never, ever do anything to hurt you or anypony else, so long as I remain in my current reformed-minded state. Because taking over…getting turned to stone…forget about me…that would hurt you. I know it would. I can sense that. I don’t want that to happen. But I also don’t want you to have to make that decision. I’m making it for you.” Celestia smiled and nodded.

“Thank you, Discord,” she said softly. “I can’t believe you would say something like this. It doesn’t seem like you…”

“What? This is reformed Discord,” he replied zapping a blue suit, hat and monocle on himself. “See?” He sipped some tea that he also made appear. Celestia chuckled at his antics.

“Of course,” she said. “I can see you trying hard to push my buttons in the future. However, I have to ask why you’ve made such a decision so quickly? Such a change of heart…only from loss of memory…” She glanced down thoughtfully.

“You seem to know so much more about me than even I do,” Discord gestured to her. “If I did have a friend before, she’d know exactly what is right for me, right? She was no friend to the darkness, right? I understand now. I couldn’t have it all my way. Remember? This is why I made the conscious decision to obey Fluttershy. She is my friend and I cannot upset or hurt my friends. But…back then…the darkness had to be contained. The Princess knew what was right. Yes?”

“Right…” said Celestia quietly. She hung her head as the rush of emotions sailed its way into the forefront of her heart. She placed herself back right into that moment when she rejected him. When everything in her world collapsed into oblivion all because of her selfishness. Her shame stabbed her and could almost be seen weighing heavily on her snow-white face.

“Ugh. Again with being grim?” Discord poked her. “Very well. I have no choice.” He zapped and there appeared a wig identical to Celestia’s hair. “Who am I? Look. Look. Who am I?” He frowned overdramatically and twirled the end of the wig with his claw. “I’m Princess Celestia. I’m going to make a law against fun and smiling,” he said trying to make his voice high. “Bow to me. Bring me cake. My wings are so pretty. I’m going to turn everypony to stone if they don’t chew my cake for me.”

“Oh. YOU ARE DEAD!” Celestia shouted, bursting out laughing. Discord flew away and Celestia teleported in front of him, midair, deleting his wig.

“What will I do without my beautiful hair?” Discord mocked. Celestia darted towards him and he teleported away. He zapped behind her, teasing her.

“You are such a juvenile!” Celestia said smirking.

“Yet you laugh,” mocked Discord. “You can’t catch me.”

“I can turn you back to stone,” Celestia teased back.

“Oh, face it. You can’t live without me.”

“Why?”

“Because I make your life not so mundane and BORING.” Celestia sighed and rolled her eyes and landed back on the ground.

“Sometimes mundane isn’t always bad,” she said a little softer. “Sometimes that’s all we have to forget…”

“Forget?” he said landing beside her.

“Forget how wonderful everything was when carefree was a way of life. Forget how it vanished when time stopped. Forget how I broke you.”

“Broke me?” Discord asked confused. Celestia felt her entire being slowly deflate.

“Nothing,” she said quietly. “Forget I said that.” Discord glared at her and hovered over her.

“If we are to be friends again…perhaps that requires no secret keeping, dear Tia?” he said flicking her ear.

“Stop it!” Celestia said annoyed. “I can’t tell you. It was…a mistake. If…If you only knew. It’s why you turned. And it’s my fault. Luna said it wasn’t. But…but it was.”

“Would could you do to me that….?” Discord paused and looked down. Celestia stared wearily at the grass. “All right,” he said softly. “Don’t tell me. Whatever it was, I may remember it sometime. But…it doesn’t matter right now. Reformed Discord, remember?” Celestia smiled. Then she blinked and gasped a little in realization. She looked up at him in shock.

“You called me Tia…” she said quietly.

“What?” said Discord.

“A little while ago. You called me Tia.”

“I did?” said the confused draconequus. He scratched his neck. “I’m sorry, Princess. I didn’t…” Celestia leaned forward embracing him in jubilation.

“You always used to call me that,” she said quietly. “You remember…” She paused and looked up at him. “It’s okay if you do start to remember the bad things. Even if you never remember anything. I think…you really are still Discord. Even if you don’t really know me.”

“I think somehow, I already do know you, Princess,” Discord replied smiling. At that moment, one of the palace guards galloped at full speed to them.

“You’re Highness,” he shouted urgently, panting from his run. “I’m sorry to interrupt. It’s urgent!”

“Yes?” What is it?” Celestia immediately approached him.

“Princess Luna is missing. Her Royal Night Guards have even been searching everywhere. She’s vanished.

“Luna?!” Celestia shouted worriedly. “Where could she….” The realization hit her and twisted her stomach. “No.”

“What is it?!” Discord asked.

“It’s Chaos!” Celestia replied, the panic setting in. “It has to be. He’s taken her. He’s luring me in. He knew I wanted to confront him, Discord. Now he has Luna!”

“My father,” said Discord hanging his head. “I can remember some things about him. Most involve him being sinister and manipulative.”

“He’s nothing like you,” Celestia said narrowing her eyes. “You never wanted to be like him. Even when the darkness took you, your chaos was nothing like his or Eris’s. You may have learned to trick from him but you never caused chaos to hurt anypony. That’s the difference between you two. And he’s manipulated you for far too long. Come on. I think I may know how we can stop him, but I need your help.” With a glow from her horn, the two vanished.

___________________________

Lights shined a blue and green as Discord found himself surrounded by a vast empty space of nothingness. Celestia stepped forward and continued to let her horn glow amidst the hollow space. In a few moments, it became much easier to move.

“Princess? Where are we?” he asked.

“This is a pocket dimension created for the alicorns,” said Celestia. “The gods bestowed my parents, Luna and I with a place to look upon our kingdom with. The windows let us see that our subjects remain in harmony with one another. Some, we watch grow and learn as faithful and true as they are. We can guide and protect, see when enemies might come long in advance, look back on things we…” She paused.

“You think these ‘windows” would show the past? And show me everything that happened to me?” said Discord slowly.

“They would show me everything I remember,” Celestia explained. “But I didn’t want to overwhelm you.”

“I don’t think it matters if I remember or not,” said Discord. “Your idea about Chaos will still work.”

“I hope so,” said Celestia worriedly. The invisible plane beneath them erupted at that moment to unleash a great black pillar of smoke. Chaos charged above their heads and smiled widely, blinking all sets of red eyes and holding out his many arms making him look ten times bigger and stronger. His tail of his smoke looked substantially large and began whirling in a tornado-like motion.

“Well. Well. Like you, cowardly Princess to try and hide from me. Heheheh,” said Chaos, his voice sending an array of chills down Discord’s spine.

“I would never hide from you,” Celestia shouted back. “Merely trying to find the proper field to sort things out. We wouldn’t want anypony to get hurt, now would we?”

“Clever,” said Chaos looking around and blinking again. “But there aren’t any pathetic rules in a pocket dimension, earthly, or cosmic, binding mortal, demigod, or god. Anything goes. I could kill you, you realize.”

“I don’t care,” said Celestia gritting her teeth. “LUNA!” she shouted. “Where is she?! If you hurt her…”

“Fear not. I have her unharmed,” said Chaos smiling bigger. He reached into the black abyss he originated from and grabbed a gasping alicorn. Luna wriggled in his claw.

“Tia! Dis!” she shouted looking down at them in desperation. “LET ME GO!” she shouted angrily.

“Release my sister, Chaos,” said Celestia stomping her hoof. “You got me here, now let her go! I need to know she’s safe.”

“I won’t let you escape so easily, Princess. Besides, the little Night One shouldn't have meddled in this. She knows too much.”

“Scared I’ll tell our mother, Chaos?” Luna mocked. She sighed. “I’ll be fine, Tia. Please just think about what you’re doing!”

“Princess,” said Discord nervously to Celestia. “Please. Can we talk this over?! I despise having to talk some sense into you. It irks every fiber of my being. But I don’t see this ending well.” He turned to Chaos. “So help me, Chaos, if you hurt this fine lady, you will certainly receive a punishment so great, nothing can compare. As I have been reformed, I’d rather forget about this whole thing. So, let her sister go now!” The shadow of smoke laughed mockingly and grinned upon Discord. Discord felt a twinge inside him that surpassed understanding. It was a twinge of anger and fear and a seed of hate. It was a vine that seemed to twist into his throat.

"Father," he said sharply. A question, no, a statement; an immediate recognition of kin. A distance coming closer every second it seemed, just with a glance at his own flesh and blood. The glass was dim, yes, but the veil could be seen through still. It was an understanding of silence between to the two creatures for a split second, as if this were there first, second, thousandth, meeting. The recognition of chaos and disorder and the knowledge of blood ties that bound them forever.

"Yes. Hello, Son," Chaos beamed. "I see. You know me."

"Well enough I suppose," Discord replied analyzing the god before him.

"Discord," Celestia whispered "If I could help you to remember everything in this moment, I would. But we're running out of time! Chaos!" she shouted. "Luna has nothing to do with this! How dare you try to manipulate everything around me...take everything away from me to turn the world your way. I can assure you... THIS WON'T BE."

Celestia lunged forward, jumping headlong into the air, her magic afire. Chaos easily avoided her by splitting himself into duel clouds. Her figure sailed through them, landing with ease on top of the starry blue-green atmosphere. She unfolded her wings and charged forth on foot, cascading a great ball of energy from her horn. Chaos smirked and merely made the slightest flicking motion with one of his claws, Celestia shrieked with an electric shock that threw her back. Luna screamed.

"Tia! No!"

The sun princess sailed backwards into the sea-green abyss. Discord stared wide-eyed. He glanced up at the sets of gleaming red sclera staring down at him and impulsively began to float upward in a dramatic charge.

"Why?" He shouted tossing a cloud and bolt of purple lightening at the smoky god. Chaos barely flinched as it plummeted into his vapor core and exploded. "Why did you cause me to forget?! Why?"

"This is what you wanted, isn't it?" Chaos replied, cackling and sending another burst of magic Discord's way. "I know you've forgotten. But we made this deal. Oh, how fragile you've always been. Too bad. Perhaps you do make a better statue...son."

"Stop that!" Discord countered the magic with a flaming force field. "If I know one thing, father, I always knew you to be clever. Perhaps I took more from you than I'd hoped, though. You only wish to corrupt. You and mother both! I could scarcely recall these minor images of my younger years when mother would teach me the ways of my power. But you would teach every dark avenue you could." Chaos stared and blinked. He growled.

"I wanted you to become the earth, the wildfires, the raging hurricanes, the roaring seas,” Chaos shouted. “I wanted you to become avarice and hate and the embodiment of evil, writhing pain, spite, deception, lust, everything a puppeteer wishes to invoke. I wanted you to be the Next. You WERE the Next one. It was almost to be. You were to be great. A god, no less. Bah! Demigod? I expected more from my flesh and blood. Perhaps you could've become better; immortal, ascended beyond any laws of cosmic grounding and transcended beyond anything else, decaying the very universe and all universes in existence and...nonexistent. And in the rotting remains of those macrocosms, you'd create your own worlds, sending galaxies collapsing, dying, stars...the very stars themselves...dying, shrieking, burning, and imploding into nothing. And it’s all just you. Oh, it makes me so weak to think of such beauty; I cease to breathe. I expected so much from you, my son. But you surprised me. You did. You went against everything I expected, which in a way, I commend. You truly are Discord in the flesh. You sought more than the devastation I created. You became a light. I cannot comprehend such light. I knew it when I first laid my eyes on you, that you were not me, or your mother, or even the reflection, or the edge of the mirror, dimmed. You would be your own reflection. A demigod draconequus that would feel mortal things not even the gods could ascertain. My seed is so sickening and wonderful to me. I cannot bare it, son. You must understand my great dilemma. I cannot love what I cannot understand. I tried. But now, it is far too late. I erased most of your memories of your love. I feared it was choking you. I had to test you. Had to see if you could truly run on your own chaotic plans for Equestria before erasing your memories. But now, you, as my last hope for vengeance were gone. You have choked me too much. Now my weak little seed, I'm afraid you must be crushed."

Discord stared with contempt.

"Do anything to me, and you will receive your just reward, Chaos. In your demented mind, you might not see this world is not worth preserving. Is that it? I have seen things now that I still may not fully understand. But things you certainly can never obtain with your nature. What of companionship? Love? Did you really ever love mother? You don't. You can't. And I might prove it. She needs me to do this." He looked at Celestia." And I hate to do this. Let Princess Luna go free. Or we won't hurt you." Chaos blinked and then burst out laughing.

"What can you possibly do to ME?" He grinned. "You and I are flesh and blood. If we were to battle here...why we may destroy this place and a hole could be torn right through your precious universe. You've grown too soft on those ponies yes? You'd hate to see harm come to them. Besides, what could you do to me, really? You two demigods cannot withstand me."

"You can't be so sure, Chaos! Do not underestimate us," Celestia snapped, flaring her horn again.

"Ready for another meaningless round, Princess?" Chaos taunted. Celestia glared at him.

"Let my sister go, and stop playing these games. She has nothing you want. Leave her be!"

"Very well," said Chaos sighing. "He dropped Luna and she shrieked. Celestia immediately began to run to her but a force field suddenly threw her back. The dome entrapped Luna from all sides. Discord tried to penetrate it with his magic but was thrown back by the force as well. Luna stood helplessly, her hoof pressed against the clear field. "Nah-ah-ah!" said Chaos in a reprimanding tone. "You just asked for me to let her go. Not in what manner. If she has no part in this, then she has no part. It doesn't mean she's free, Princess. You're the one who wanted to face me. She was only attempting to help but now it's too late for that. Look where we are. Do you want Discord to have his memories back? Well, I can't give them back to him! It was a deal! It is so much deeper, though, Princess. I sense you just truly want to take revenge on me for all I've done to you. I can't say I blame you."

"You did. Is that what you want? and Honest fact? Here it is! You're destroying everything that made me happy, Chaos," Celestia snapped. "And yes. Maybe I do want revenge. Maybe I do want to fight you just for the fun of it! Maybe I don't care what happens!"

"Princess...?" Discord asked worriedly.

"Maybe I just want so badly to rip some sort of spell that could reverse everything bad that's happened straight from you're sick twisted brain! Maybe I do want to just see you die! Watch you die! Just watch you slowly wither away until there's nothing left but an empty shell like what you did to me!" There was deafening silence as Celestia paused. Chaos couldn't grin any wider. He floated closer to Celestia's ear and murmured.

"Oh, Princess. The sun still casts such a thick...dark...shadow."

"SILENCE!" Celestia roared as she turned and her eyes flashed yellow. The rims began to form around her pupils. Her sclera began to disappear and the violet, yellow, and orange colors of heat and rage were all melting together in her eyes. Her horn flared with enormous heat and her mane began whipping violently and glowing like fire itself, as if it had turned to flames. She began floating without her wings, but her wings were outstretched fully. Her voice became enormous, multiplied and echoing as she spoke. "I AM PRINCESS CELESTIA. I AM IN DIRECT POWER WITH THE SUN. I CONTROL IT. SO WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I CAN'T JUST COOK YOU WITH THE FIRE OF A THOUSAND SUNS, CHAOS?! YOU MADE ME THIS WAY! YOU DESERVE TO DIE! PERHAPS I DO HAVE SUCH POWER!"

"Sister," Luna chirped helplessly. "No. Please no. Not this. Not again. Do not let him get inside your head! Oh, Tia! Please. This is the eclipse of your nature, rearing its ugly head again, as Nightmare Moon would overshadow me. Do not let it rename you, sister. You may think you ripped it from you but it was still lingering. It gripped from the foundations of this brokenness you feel. Don't let it consume you! This isn't Celestia! The sun must warm the love in your heart, never the fire of your anger! Let it go. Let her fade as I had to. Please." Celestia's eyes burned momentarily. The fixed on Luna and seemed to drink in every word she spoke with malice. Two tears fell from her eyes and evaporated on her steaming coat of pure glowing white. It became white like a star, the most powerful comet, burning fiercer and greater than the greatest fires. An aura of cyan formed around Celestia's body, with the hotter the heat grew. Her mane became nothing but pure flame with every color fire could produce inside of it, embers flailing into the air like dust. If it hadn't been for the gravity of the moment, and the heaviness of her transformation, causing the very pocket dimension to tremble, she would've looked almost like a goddess. Chaos looked quite surprised by her appearance, but not phased. Discord kept a safe distance, for fear of getting scorched. That horrifyingly dead look in her eyes seemed a bit familiar to him, but he couldn't place it.

"Princess!" He shouted floating up. "I'm not sure this is the way. I know I’ve only just been reformed, but even I know, that we can't have this! Listen to your sister! She knows! If there was a way...for me to understand everything, I would. I don't care how bad things got. If you're mad at him, well. Why? Princess. It doesn't matter now. Whatever may have happened….I don't know. It's my fault. Be mad at me!"

"Discord!" Luna said exasperated.

"Ha!" Said Chaos smirking. "Fool!" Celestia looked at Discord and stared. She closed her eyes in deep thought.

"I cannot blame you," she said quietly. "What happened was my fault. I've spent so much time dwelling in that. In my misery. I made this. My own shadow has bound me. But I pleaded for your forgiveness, when it was I who should've been forgiving myself and accepting what had been with a sense of greater hope. I should've spent the times I've had, never wallowing in what I didn't have, but treasuring what I did. I should've never wasted a thousand years pining for company, but instead pouring myself into my work and then my students. I should've laughed more. I should've given everything, including time. I should've been dependable, a more trustworthy leader, a caring, loving sister, and a friend to all. I should've been a Princess. But I'm the shell of one. And I am broken. And I need to be fixed. And I can be." With that, Celestia landed on the plain and her colors returned to her. Her tears continued to run down her cheeks. She smiled and seemed brighter, like the world was finally off her shoulders forever. "And maybe there was a part of me that wished to fight. But you cannot force me into a battle I know I cannot win. So just let my sister go. You, Chaos, not even you deserve what we have planned if you refuse. A fate so terrible, I cannot say." Chaos cackled again.

"Go on then," he replied. "I'm not afraid of your sparks. Discord glanced nervously. For a moment, he locked eyes with Celestia. Perhaps Chaos would fight hard, but now was the time. He was asking for it. Discord began to make his move, feeling the force of power on his paw, when Chaos suddenly charged toward him, about to strike. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash of white as the princess flew, horn ablaze to intercept his attack. Chaos laughed and thick black magic pushed her. Celestia began charging her horn, light flowing freely from it, but the dark, vine-like black magic from Chaos began twisting around her hooves. Her strength was seeping fast. Tears began pouring out of her eyes as she collapsed onto the plain. Chaos ceased and chuckled. Discord began rushing over to her, midst the black vines, trying to pull her up. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chaos charging fully toward him, the black completely knocking him over.

"NO!" he heard Celestia shriek. "You CAN'T take him away from me! I WON'T LET YOU!" Chaos stopped and Discord saw him turn to her slowly. The magic died down. He paused and grinned.

"You are all so weak." He said laughing deeply, and holding out a long black claw under Celestia’s chin. This love you have...it kills you..." He murmured. In a split second, Chaos stabbed her with his claw. Discord felt his stomach drop. Blood began to pool in Celestia's mouth as she fell. Luna screamed in horror, her face contorting in the highest degree of anguish. She threw herself at the dome, letting the field slice the very hairs on the tops of her purple coat. Seeing this image, the pain in her eyes, how she could not reach her sister, Discord began charging like a bullet into the unearthly atmosphere.

"What have you done?!" He choked, looking with shock at the princess as she lay limp and without breath on the never-ending plain of stars. He glared into Chaos's red eyes, two inches from them.

"She got in my way," Chaos chuckled. "Oh don't feel bad. Take no pity in her, son. Not after all she's put you through."

"Wh? But you. You k--... She's...she..." Discord deflated and soared back to where the princess lay still. As soon as he touched her side, he knew the sun had left her. Everything was gone from her, drained completely. She was empty. She was gone. And it hurt. It cut him deeper than he could ascertain. There were sparks of floating memories somewhere in the distance calling to him, like dancing dreams from long ago that seemed only dreams. Maybe they were. Maybe everything he thought he knew about her and everything that maybe was were his distant dreams. Oh and perhaps all too appropriate that now the fogged mirrors of fantasies he wished could've been were all shattered in this one moment. He had the hope, with her, the mirrors would become clear and so would his future. But now everything was blank. It seemed it was all connected to her all along. Oh, was it truly that he couldn't exist without her order after all? His world could spiral now, anyway he wished. Perhaps, he didn't want that. Perhaps he did need the balance. Perhaps the ache was there for light to his dark, the ying to his yang. But the dreams, still there, a distant calling, couldn't be salvaged in this moment. As distant as they seemed, the impact was too great. And hurt. He could not yet comprehend the weight he felt when he looked upon her in this moment. It crushed him and made him clutch his chest. The fire from within him began to burn deep in his core. But it did not remain when he rose again and faced Chaos.

'It is not what she would want. If I am sure of anything right now. I have to be sure of this. I must think of what she wanted me to do,' he thought. 'Reformed Discord doesn't hurt. He helps. And for you, Princess. Even if he's my father, I know I what I have to do to end all this.'

"What now, my seed? What will it be? Do you choose the battle now?" Chaos uttered in the lowest tone. Discord sighed, feeling the fire evaporate from his lungs.

"This I do not see as a battle, but what must be," Discord replied, clenching his fists. He let himself float weightless into the atmosphere, level with Chaos's smoking black head. "And you have corrupted too much to be forgiven now, Chaos. You've tried. But you've failed. If there's one thing for sure, despite the tricks and mind games you caused me, all to make me forget what seems so important; you've failed to crush me. You've failed to weaken me. You've failed to watch me descend completely into darkness. Perhaps I'll forever be as mad as you. Never as twisted. For I've seen things the gods scoff at. I've witnessed what the stars call mortal fantasy. And for the son of Chaos? What do they think now? Do they sit in shock and silence at my transformation? They shouldn't. It was easy. It was. Easy. It was like candle lit from within the depths of some cold hard gravestone of a heart long forlorn by something forgotten and terrible. Try to take your grasp on me now. I'm free from anything that ever happened before. I always will be, Father. But you never will be." He felt the spell reach his palms and a white aura began glowing around him. His eyes glowed yellow as the spell charged his very core. Chaos reared up, eyes flaming the brightest blood red, his claws wielding a black orb that began to expand and suck the dimension into itself like a cosmic portal. The bright particles began vanishing within the black hole. Discord stretched his arms and extended a blast of white and yellow bolts to meet the blackness. They crashed together, sending rays blinding Luna as she watched helplessly from the dome.

Discord began focusing the beams on Chaos's center, but the smoky form was about to throw the black orb. Discord's energy became brighter and more concentrated, the rays hitting a spot on the god's chest that sent him groaning in pain. The fact that Discord could even injure him was an impossibility. The spell itself was only something he a creature of chaos could bestow on his kin. The beam became pure heat, singeing the draconequus’s fur as his palms fixed themselves in the air. His mind became a beacon, a one-track fixed point, signaling everything that commanded the charge of this spell to his enemy, the enemy that seemed to end all beginnings and begin all ends. And now the stop button was being pushed. It was over. The god's massive black orb began to disintegrate around his form, as with the rest of him. The smoke started to thin out with the brightness of the white light. The sets of red eyes blinked and morphed away. The arms began to disappear, fall apart and snap into the body, changing into something completely different. The light was doing its work with its draconequus vessel. In a matter of moments, Discord's arms weakened with the force of the transformation. The white orb enveloped what was once Chaos and all that could be heard was loud moans and screams. Discord breathed and lowered himself down, crushing the dome Luna was trapped in.

"What? Wh?" She asked.

"You'll see," said Discord, glancing back to the big bright white orb before them. "The Princess. She...she instructed me to..." Luna looked down and her ears dropped as she solemnly nuzzled Celestia. A great flash of light almost blinded the two, when before them stood two alicorns, one gold and one dark blue.

"Mother! Father!" Luna chirped, in disbelief. Without saying a word, Queen Solena solemnly stepped forward to Celestia and tapped a spark of her horn on hers. The Sun Princess gasped for air and opened her violet eyes. She shot up and color flushed to her face.

"What? What happened? Mother? Father?" She cried. "What? Did...did I? Was I...? I felt it. I was dead. I felt death. I died. But...it's not what I wanted..." She looked at Discord. "I never want to feel it again. To feel the detachment. I do want to live. No matter what now. I wish you only understood..."

"My daughter," said Solina nuzzling her. " Even in these pocket dimensions, where the stars and gods still rule, they also understand when rules are thrown out. He killed you. So we came.

"And you told Discord to use the certain spell only he could use on his flesh and blood," said Orion. "But in such a place as this, all this must've happened. You planned accordingly. You were indeed willing to sacrifice yourself to save Luna and defeat Chaos." Celestia nodded. "We are proud, Tia."

"Very proud," Solina smiled. “As a reward for this sacrifice, we were allowed to come and bring you back to us.”

"Discord, did the spell work?!" Celestia asked glancing at the glowing orb.

"I believe it did," said Discord. At that moment, the light died down and all that was left was a small black figure and another large floating black orb. Discord held his palms out and brought the orb closer with his magic.

"What is that? Luna asked. "What did you do to him?"

"The only way for a non-god to kill a god," said Celestia. "You have to rip out their soul."

"That's Chaos's soul?!" said Luna stunned. "It's so black and dark."

"Indeed," Discord replied. "And heavy. So heavy. I would never wish to bear one as this. When I preformed this spell, Princess, it wasn't very easy. Nopony can do this without feeling almost everything in the soul they are ripping. Because I am his son, I had to do it. And I would be the only one to handle the darkness in his heart. But I saw something else too." He positioned the hard looking orb another way to reveal a bright spec glowing underneath it. "Look at this," his said."

"What's that?" Celestia inquired.

"That's the good in him," Discord replied.

"It's so small," Luna marveled.

"But yet it's so bright," Celestia pointed out.

"We'll see if with it he can make a case for himself," said Discord. He turned to the curled up dark figure on the plain before them. The black head looked up to reveal two normal pony eyes with red irises and a frightened look in them. The figure was an aged black coated earth pony, feeble looking, especially when he stood up. His legs wobbled.

"He has no power now," said Celestia. "He is helpless."

"That's Chaos?!" Luna breathed stunned. "You reduced him from a god to an earth pony?!"

"And now this is what's killing him," Celestia explained. "Gods cannot live without their soul for more than only minutes. Their bodies are reduced to the most feeble state, a mortal earthling, ripped from flight or magic and all power when the soul is removed. They cannot handle it. Because...in truth they are no longer a god when this occurs. And the weight of it all crushes them."

"P-lease," a cracked voice muttered. "D-don't let me die. I can't bare the thought. P-lease." Chaos in his new form fell helplessly amidst his pleading. "S-end me to T-artarus. Yes? Orion? Solina?" King Orion narrowed his eyes and whispered to Solina. He flared his horn and communed with the stars briefly before turning back and clearing his throat.

"Very well. You've lost this fight, Chaos. And we could wait for your death. But we are too kind for such things. You don't deserve such luxuries beyond Hades, but you will be sent to Tartarus, as punishment, which could only be the next to worse prison you could be trapped in. You will be imprisoned there for as long as it can hold you. You have meddled in our affairs long enough."

"Be gone, Chaos! May your kin always be the purest of pure, and never like you," said Solina flaring her horn. The ground trembled and a wide gap exploded around Chaos's pony frame. Discord forced the dark orb back into the pony's chest and it glowed, causing his eyes to glow red. He transformed into Chaos's god form again, sighing, gasping and gripping at his chest. Titans and creatures from below began reaching up with claws and gusts of powerful black tornados began to pull Chaos into the pit of monsters. He started to laugh manically.

"I knew it. Your compassion. All of you. Would make you all so weak. It kills all of you. You'll never see the last of me. I'll live forever! And oh my little seed, perhaps I was so wrong. You may always be so unpredictable. Oh take some of my darkness! I can't feel it in you. I thirst to find it!" His claws scrapped the plain as his smoky frame was groped by the monstrous arms from the black spinning hole. He reached his claw out with thick smoke trickling toward Discord. Discord held up his paw.

"I thirst to find more than a spec of light in you, Father," said Discord chuckling. "A spec, yes. Oh but so significant it seems. And yet you still are blind. And the veil is a bit clearer. I almost seem to recall fearing myself. I feared seeing a reflection of you. However, I am new. I am whole. I am my own version of what I create. Memories or no, this is my world, my life. It will forever have its own wonderful chaos. But you will never be there to man any strings. I may be a part of you, but you are not a part of me. I'm free now. Whatever happens, whatever will happen, it doesn't matter, but only that I know...I am simply Discord. I wish to bear no other titles, but only the knowledge that I am not just reformed. From you, from what I might have been, I am free." He blinked his eyes and glanced at Celestia with a knowing in his heart. The truth in his words flowed forth, sending a sigh of relief from him. "I am free forever." With this, Chaos stared in silence for only a moment. Then, he chuckled quietly and then progressively louder as he struggled to fight off the arms pulling him into the pit. He said nothing more. He just laughed. Smoke billowed and twisted like a tornado as the last bit of him was dragged underneath and the laughs died down. It soon evaporated and there was only silence and the blue-green, starry empty space again.

"Everything's fine," Celestia sighed. "Luna." She embraced her sister as tears began flow.

"Tia," Luna cried, burying her face in her wings. "I thought I'd lost you."

"I'm here," said Celestia smiling. "I'll never leave you..." She approached Discord and leaned against him. "I think it may be over." She breathed.

"There is nothing we can do for his mind, Tia," said Solina calmly. "There is always an order, even with gods, and even when deception is involved. The stars would never let us. We did manage to convince them to let us bring you back, but this is different." Celestia nodded solemnly.

"It's all right, Princess," said Discord. "I'm looking forward to seeing all the new and grand things you might have in store for me." He smiled. Celestia chuckled.

"I had a few things in mind," she said nudging him."Just wait."

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A few weeks had flown by. Discord found himself in his usual resting place by the lake. Celestia gingerly made her way over the summer weeds on the lawn as she reached the bottom of the all too familiar hill. Plans for Twilight's coronation flooded her mind already. It was high time for a break, though, so she approached the draconequus as he took in the warm summer breeze.

"May I join you?" Her violet eyes focused on the crystal-clear waters as they lapped onto his goat-like hooves.

"Please." He smiled and yawned, stretching back. Celestia plopped beside him and watched the weeping willow swing in the breeze.

"We used to just sit and talk for hours here," she reminisced. She bent her head down in a bit of sadness. "I realize you don't recall. Forgive me. I talk about the past too much."

"No! It's fine, Princess," said Discord shaking his head. "I actually quite like it. It paints a lovely picture of a life with you I never knew or almost know. I can't explain it."

"Not all of it was good," she replied. "That's why I'd better not speak of things long gone."

"Or perhaps speaking of them is the only way," said Discord thoughtfully. Celestia glanced at him and raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" Discord jumped up and began floating. He extended his paw to her hoof. "We should take a walk," he said. Celestia took his paw and began walking near the garden.

"Where shall we go?" She inquired.

"Far," said Discord. "Take me into your mind, Princess. I want to know what happened. But I want to know everything. I don't want to be spared. I want to know the whole story and every story. I don’t want spells or magic windows. I want your thoughts. I want to know what you knew. I want to see everything the way you saw it. I want you to tell me my story. Your story. I suppose it’s…our story."

"It's quite a long story," said Celestia quietly. "Are you sure?"

"Sure! I'm free," said Discord smirking. So Celestia began talking and started at the very beginning. She told him everything. She spoke of all that she felt and saw and thought in this tragic tale. She told the story a long time, leading up until that very moment as they began walking near the cliffs where the stars came out. They paused on one of these cliffs. The sun began to cease shining. The Sun Princess let her magic rest it and Luna's moon began rising in the purple sky.

"What happens now?" Discord inquired, floating into the air.

"The future is whatever we make of it, I suppose," Celestia answered sighing. "For the first time, despite all that's happened, I don't have fear or worries. I only feel a tremendous sense of peace and freedom. I feel as if all this took place in someone else's life. I feel new. Perhaps I am reformed as well, Discord. I suppose there is more we can learn from each other." She smiled calmly, letting the evening breeze stroke her cheeks.

"Will you doubt me?" Discord asked quietly.

"What?" Celestia said.

"I know there's doubt, at least for some...perhaps for Princess Twilight Sparkle and The Elements there may be. But you? Would you trust me? Now that these battles seem to be over. Are we truly on the same ground?" Celestia hesitated. "It's all right. I understand. Upon hearing what I was like before all this, I understand. But you heard me. I have found the truth in my heart to know the difference. I may not fully trust that side of me, Princess. I don't think anypony can fully vanquish one side over the other. Chaos had good despite dark but he tried to find dark in me and was failing. It could be a spec like his. Perhaps we all have it. But we all have the choice to let it control us or to break out of those chains that bind. I pray you might not give up on me, Princess. I will vanquish your shadow of doubt even if it took me a thousand years. But I don't suppose I'd live that long? Oh, how would I know how to gain Forevermore? What good could I do?" He chuckled.

"You know..." Celestia replied. "You really didn't have to prove anything. Because I've always fought for you. I made you the promise when you were in stone. I'd never give up on you. It grew hard. It tore me apart to try so hard, but I had to believe in you. And now I know I'm back where I began. I can start over. Maybe...we can start over? I'd love to think you'd accept my friendship and my continuing to try and help you with your power. These weeks, I just see the old you again. I feel young again. It was a lifetime ago, but it feels real now. And that's all I want is now. All I worried about was you leaving me. And it doesn't matter anymore. Because I just want to keep telling these stories, and going to the lake, and dancing in the chocolate rain; and walk with you. And I don't care what tomorrow brings. Because we're both free, right? So let's just be free," she said beaming bright, tears welling in her eyes as she talked. Discord landed in front of her and cautiously embraced her. She laughed as happy tears rolled into his coat. He smiled and turned to gaze at the starry velvety sky. He swallowed and put his paw to his eye. "Are you crying too?" Celestia asked laughing some more.

"No," said Discord scowling. "I just have something in my eye."

"Okay," said Celestia winking. She gazed at the stars too, watching a shooting star and making a silent wish in her heart, feeling it fly as free as her spirit was tonight. "What should we do now?" She asked in a whisper after a moment of silence.

"Whatever you wish, Princess Celestia," said Discord. "But I guess we just keep on walking."

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CONCLUDES WITH EPILOGUE

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Epilogue

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Epilogue

The grass by the lake was soft and lush. The warm sun was golden and bright as it beamed on the pink and yellow flowers blooming on the spring soil. The weeping willow cast its branches over a small pony as she crawled through the grass. Her tiny frame slowly made its way over the ground as her glistening eyes analyzed a ladybug crawling on a tiny pink flower. The little filly flapped her tiny wings and squealed as she saw the ladybug land on her nose. An unfortunate sneeze blew the small insect off, however, and destroying the petals of the pink flower. However, the little filly was only sad momentarily. She closed her eyes and in a burst of light from her tiny horn, the flower regained its petals. The little alicorn started flapping her wings and hovered over the lake, sending magic onto the water and swirling it into the air in beautiful patterns. She began turning with joy in a little dance until she saw a white alicorn appear over the hill.

"Oh. Having fun are we?" said a gentle voice. Celestia approached the little alicorn. She was a light cyan with a dark pink and light yellow ethereal mane and tail. Her eyes shimmered like gems. One was a bright green. One was deep violet.

"Mama!" She chanted, floating along the breeze effortlessly over to Celestia. The Sun Princess embraced her daughter. "I learned water tricks! And a spell to make me teeny tiny like a little baby bug," the little filly gushed.

"Someone's had a busy afternoon!" Another voice chimed in.

"Auntie Luna!" The alicorn filly hugged her as well. "Am I going to see Auntie Twilie later too? And Cousin Cadence, Shining, and Skyla? They all love me!" Luna laughed.

"Oh yes, they do love you, my dear. All in good time. Perhaps you can show your favorite aunt what you've been working on for magic today?"

"Yeah!" the little filly squealed in enthusiasm.

"Oh, showing off magic without me? Now I'm so offended!" Another voice chimed in.

"Daddy!" The cyan alicorn galloped across the lawn and Discord embraced her. "I did water and shrink spells," she said proudly.

"Well now! That's an accomplishment, my Harmony," said Discord proudly. "But I must teach you the chocolate milk cloud spell. Your mother loves that one. Right over her," he murmured.

"Hm? Yes dear?" said Celestia smirking.

"Nothing, Tia!"

"Auntie Luna, are we going to the cliff where the stars talk tonight?" little Harmony asked.

"Of course! As long as your mom doesn't mind you staying up past your bedtime," said Luna smiling.

"Yes. I'll let it slide," said Celestia nodding.

"Yay!" Harmony squealed. The little cyan alicorn sat with her father by the lake as her mother and aunt stood a little ways from them talking about kingdom related things she could never begin to understand. Her hooves bore a slight resemblance to goat hooves. They thinned at the ends and the hair disappeared. They were also cloven. Her wings looked more like the delicate, translucent wings of a butterfly, collecting the sunlight in every little flap. She had small horns on the sides of her head, her ears were large and furry like a deer's, and she had one small fang protruding over her lip. All along her small soft back, she was speckled with faded white spots like an innocent fawn. The specs became freckles on her bright young face. Amidst her slight draconequus appearances, Harmony was as adorable and lovable as any young filly could come, if not more. Everypony around her instantly felt drawn to her, enamored by her pure laugh, smile, and love for everything around her. Discord reached over to tickle her with his paw. She laughed and rolled onto the grass, grasping his paw lovingly.

"You still need to show me your new magic, you silly filly," Discord said poking her nose.

"I'm too tired now," she replied yawning. "Mama says everyone was so proud the other day."

"It was a special day!" said Discord poking her flank. Harmony giggled. "Your cutie mark is a very special thing." Harmony glanced down at the symbol. It was a circle melted into two halves, white with a spec of black and black with a spec of white. It was the ying and yang symbol of the gods. It was the balance of the world, another thing she could never begin to understand.

"Tell me what it means again," she said raising her eyebrow. Discord chuckled.

"It means you are very special," he replied. "It means you are the middle."

"What's that mean?!" Harmony said expressing confusion. “Like the monkey in the middle? I’m not a monkey.”

"No, my silly filly. You are a balance between good and evil," said Discord. "You are our little Harmony. Your mother and I...we made up two sides of a coin for a long time. There was a push and pull. Chaos and Order. And it all fits. And now you are here to fill in any gap."

"That's very confusing," said Harmony sighing. She looked up and beamed. "Tell me the story about you and mom again!"

"Oh. You want to hear all about that again? There's a lot to tell," said Discord smiling.

"Please, Daddy?" Harmony pleaded, putting her little hooves on him.

"All right," said Discord. He laid back onto grass, letting her climb onto him and curl up on his furry chest. "It was a long time ago, way before you were born and your mother and I got married..." he said quietly. "It was a long, long, time ago, in fact. When, one day your mother and I met and became the best of friends. Now, so many wonderful things happened, but also terrible things. And soon, it would be that your dad would find his way into a very bad place."

"Is that why mommy had to put you in stone?" Harmony whispered, her eyes widening in intensity.

"Yes, my darling; that's why," said Discord patting her head.

"I don't like that part," she said sadly. "Or when you forget. But then Auntie Fluttershy helped you." she beamed again. "And mama told you the story so many times. And you got to know things again, right?"

"Right."

"And even if we have the chaos in us, we won't be like Grandpa and Grandma, right?" she asked.

"Yes," said Discord. "Because you are like me, my little Harmony. I'm reformed forever. And you are pure. The light shows in your eyes." Harmony grinned again.

"Will it always be like this?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes it will."

"I know you'll always be good, Daddy" she said hugging him."Because mommy never gave up on you, right?" Discord paused and smiled. He gazed into the little filly's eyes.

"That's right, Harmony," he said quietly. "She never did and she never will."

"And you will love mommy forever?"

"I will love her forever until time itself dies and the sun stops shining and the stars fall to the earth from the heavens themselves," Discord replied. "And she the same." Harmony yawned contently and closed her eyes, dozing off for a minute or so. The warm sun made her tiny cheeks glow. She awoke with a little jolt and tumbled down onto the grass onto her back, kicking her hooves into the air. She set her eyes on her mother, Princess of the Sun, as the sun itself seemed to set her mane ablaze as she stood by the shimmering water. Harmony's eyes glistened with joy and bliss at her beautiful young life.

"Daddy, will you and Mommy live happily ever after?" she asked in a tiny voice. She looked at Discord hopefully, with a serious look making its way across her face. Discord looked back and kept a moment of silence. He softened his gaze and began patting his little daughter's head with his paw once again. He smiled a little and his eyes softened even more.

"Yes, Harmony," he whispered softly. "We will live happily ever after." Harmony beamed and closed her eyes as Discord kissed her tiny head. Celestia smiled at him from across the lake and walked over to join him.

"She's sound asleep already?" she said chuckling. "You have a way with her, Dear."

"I was telling her a story," said Discord brushing Celestia. "...the most wonderful story.

"I'll take it from here," said Celestia smiling. Discord nodded and flew to the cottage by the lake. Celestia nuzzled Harmony as she twitched and snored softly. Celestia laid by her side, entranced in the moment, and having the revelation of how blessed she was.

"Forever," she whispered softly.

"Now and forever."

~THE END~

Author's Notes:

Author’s Note: T_T It’s over. I haz a sad nao

That ending was planned a long time ago, but it was hard for me to figure out how make it fit. I felt like this was a bit more risky rather than just stopping where the chapter ended. I didn’t want to leave everything up in there air. I knew you guys wanted a happy ending. ;) Since it’s now alternate universe, I figured I could still go for it. By the way, Skyla is referring to Princess Skyla, the rumored child of Cadence and Shining Armor. She’s not confirmed yet, but she looks a lot like Cadence. I think it would be cool. Of course this epilogue takes place years later. Also, you may be wondering about something else I kinda left up in the air. Did Discord gain Forevermore? Can he? Will he ever? Can Celestia train him in his good magic so they can all truly live happily ever after forever? I didn’t say. That’s totally up to you. Celestia did say that it didn’t matter to her. She wanted to focus on the present and not worry. However, what of the “forever” line at the end? Is it truly forever? The world may never know. Because I’m being a total troll about this one. MWHAHAHA. ;D It’s up to you to decide. Please be honest: what do you think about widdle Harmony? Picture almost a mini Woona in personality maybe. The idea of her was so adorable in my mind. Please tell me your thoughts on everything in the chapter. It took so long. And I can’t thank you guys enough. You’ll never believe “Breaking Free” ended with a grand total of 236 pages and almost 106,000 words!!! O_O I’ll say right now, I’ll never write a fanfic at least that long EVER EVER EVER again. Lololol. Will you see more stuff from me? Who knows. Maybe I’ll stick to some oneshots. Lol. Maybe keep an eye out for me on DeviantArt in the future too. Thank you guys so much. You give me such encouragement and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of it, and for seeing me through. Huggles all around! Seeya guys around! Brohoof and luvz. /)* Nrdygrl out! <3 :)

Breaking Free

by Nrdygrl

Prologue

Storm of Chaos

The Tale of Eris

Everfree

A New Beginning

Upside Down

Out of Order

The Breaking Point

Pandora's Box

Lost Memories

The Promise

The Fight

Sorrow and Joy

Confusion

A Night to Remember

Forevermore

Awake

Revelations

True Discord

Keeping Hope

Solar Eclipse

The Effigy

The Return of Disharmony

Twists and Turns

The Element of Redemption

The Final Word: Part One

The Final Word: Part Two

Epilogue