Of Things that Bind

by thegapinhumanity

Rating: mature
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Human, Romance, Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, Sex, Discord, Slice of Life
Length: 12761

With jealousy, responsibilities, and a secret, what holds three best friends together?

Human

Three one-shots as one story

Three souls, three best friends, three pieces that roll into one. Celestia, Luna, and Discord are childhood friends, but what in the world keeps them together? Certainly not jealousy and secrets... or does it?

Published 2014-01-17 04:30:04 UTC
Last updated 2014-01-17 04:30:04 UTC

Of Things that Bind

A Moment

Celestia had always been more the diplomat than her sister, and so, she traveled more often away from the castle, home not only to the celestial sisters, but also to the spirit of chaos.

The disorder channeler and the princess of the night were not unaccustomed to spending an evening together, with or without the sun mover present. They were all childhood friends, raised in the very castle they still called home.

It was on the afternoon of a particular of Celestia's ambassadorial leaves, that the two ventured to the private lands just beyond the dense of trees.

Duties were cast aside for the day, but it had been a slow month regardless. The two planned a picnic on their favorite spot, and talked about anything that came to their minds.

The trickster performed for his company, manipulating whatnots from their pack and conjuring up what hadn’t been present before. The moon child joined the act and transformed objects into this and that.

They ate a meal prepared by the chiefs and shared a dessert that wouldn’t have been missed by their absent third point. She preferred cake to most other things anyway.

It was nice spending time with someone who knew you so well, Discord and Luna thought. To know that they were your friend, and accepted you no matter what, was a true gift. It was even more so when that person truly cared for you, and not the wealth or power you possessed.

These friends, all three of them, had lived for a long time and had seen generations pass. The friends and faces the knew at a time were gone at another. The caretakers who ran their baths and tucked them in now slept beneath the soil. Still the three always had each other

From familiarity and proximity sprang affection and attraction. Even so, only one had known the sting of lost lovers.

Their triangle scalened as two points were closer together than one. The bringer of day and the confusion studier seemed fated in their love. The three got along well, though their dynamic was twisted at odd ends. One point refused to see the potential for damage in an uneven balance of affection. Another didn’t complain although insecurities crept in her mind. The last noticed and thought of one way to solve the problem.

The days when the sun was moved by its princess in another region, Discord found it fit to do more than just watch the clouds roll in sluggish trails or reminisce on older days.

He often held Luna’s hand as they strolled and kissed her quickly but kindly on the lips whenever he bid her farewell. Some days she was sad -sulking and keeping herself as far away from others as possible- and he would simply sit with her until she felt better. He knew that they had a deep bond all their own.

They shared secrets and dreams, but more than just friends would. One night he truly kissed her, timing it so well that she didn’t think to pull away. Not for a stretch of time, at least. When she finally jerked her head back she could only look into his eyes.

While she tried to read him, he read her like an unwound scroll. She wanted to do it again, so he kissed her again, and again, and again until all they could do was hold each other tight and sway to the rhythm in their hearts. When they woke up, clothes were gathered and bed heads were patted down.

There had been no awkwardness in the air, just the perfume of passion and revealed emotions.

They only joined themselves together once, because the guilt ate away at the younger sister like a candle at night. And she was the darkness.

But it didn’t stop her from allowing him to steal kisses while the sun’s eyes were turned, nor did it stop the electric looks that sent shivers down his back when he caught her staring from across the room. Darkness clung to the cracks and corners light could not lend its notice.

It seemed as though the Celestia was none the wiser. Then time passed, and the younger girl realized that if her sister did find out, their whole relationship would be ruined. The guilt clung to her like shadows and she realized they needed to stop.

The sun trailed lower and the sky above the open field painted the evening in a honey glow, yet the pair on the blanket hadn’t noticed the beauty.

“Discord…” She hummed. “Discord we can’t… You and,” she shuddered as he found her favorite spot on her neck, “'Tia-“

“You and me,” he corrected before continuing to press his lips along more of her pale skin.

“There can’t be you and me! You have 'Tia.” Luna pushed him away to clear her mind. Her eyes narrowed in frustration at his advances and her weakness.

“And you?”

She couldn’t look into his eyes. “What about me?”

He lifted her chin and forced her to look at him with a stern stare. “Who do you have?”

“'Tia loves you,” She tried weakly.

“And you?”

Such a hanging, lurking question.

She stood and walked a few paces away, her back now to him. She only heard him stand. “Why must you insist in always doing this, Discord? Why- Could we not just enjoy a moment together without all of this? Just once?”

“And why do you always do this, Luna? When will you stop lying to yourself? When will you stop trying to placate your big sister and do something that will make you happy?”

“By cheating?!” She swirled back around and scolded with incredulous, but didn’t move a step in his direction. “How could you think going behind her back with the one man she loves most in the world could make me happy?”

“Because,” he took a step forward, “she’s not the only one who’s in love.”

“You’re just full of yourself- you always have been- and greedy too. You can find no contentment with one princess so yo-“

There wasn’t much room separating them, but he was standing before her so quickly she had barely blinked. His grip was tight around her wrists which ended up trapped between their chests.

“Look at me Luna. Really look at me, then tell me that you don’t love me. And look and tell me I don’t honestly love you too.”

She was stuck staring into those blazing ruby eyes. Her breath came quickly and her expression was furrowed at her brows. Luna wanted to run, to fly far away, but his grip was too sturdy. She could only clench her fists.

“Let me go.”

“Answer me."

“Discord, let me go.”

“Luna.” He was determined to hold her there until she answered. Just as determined as he was to hold her until the end of time. He told her that through his eyes.

“Please, for everyone’s sake... let me go.” Her voice was quite, pained, as she spoke. It became too much to even hold her head up so she let her forehead rest against his chest.

“Never.” His tone was so gentle but so firm that Luna had to look back up. His lips found hers and she couldn’t back away.

They flew back to the castle in time for Luna to raise the moon.

_-_-_-_-_

They found themselves in her room, panting into each other’s ears as they came for the umpteenth time, catching their breath. His hands were tangled in her hair and her hands were wrapped around his back. Flesh pressed against flesh and sweat mingled with sweat. They were joined as one in an age old tie and natural as the moon and sun in the sky. He was on her, she was on him, they rolled on the bed lost in the other’s essences. They could taste each other in the air that was thick and consuming. His hips rose to meet her and her eyes saw nothing but his.

They collapsed, spent and comfily holding each other as timed ticked away by the count of their heartbeats.

“Do you know what my favorite time of day is?” Discord asked with a lock of Luna's periwinkle hair rolling around his fingers.

“What?” Luna asked softly.

“The night. When it has settled and the stars can be seen in their full glory against the dark purple canvas you layout.”

“Why?” She snuggled closer to him, listening to the sound of his heart through his bare chest.

His face drew to a pensive line, as always, while he took to explaining. “To a scholarly man, the night sky is an elegant assortment of fixed twinkling constellations. Mappable and constant in pattern and cycle. But, to a simple man, it is a random array of shimmering beauty. Immeasurable and humbling. Two perspectives of one opinion does not distract from the aesthetics and sentiment. The night is the most wonderful example of truly balanced chaos I can certainly think of.”

He felt her smile against him, and that was all the thanks he needed.

They listened to the rhythms that their bodies set. His inhale her exhale; his heart beat her pulse. They didn’t match, and they didn’t mind. They were two different people, bound by choice and love.

A Memory

The room had grown too warm for clothes so they removed them quickly. It had grown too warm for sheets so they were pushed haphazardly to the side. It had grown too warm for bodies to be pressed together, but that was one thing they didn’t mind.

His mouth fell on hers for the hundredth time since they rounded the corner and escaped the parole of the guards. Every step closer to the door of her room transformed the kiss in the way their demeanor changed: charming and measured to sloppy and excited.

She rolled them over, so that the spirit of chaos was on his back. He was the prince and the general of the entire national army, but the royal lineage flowed through her veins. As far as she was concerned it was her country, so she topped.

She kissed his strong jaw and neck, stopping to feel his pulse beat against her lips. She found his collar bone with her teeth and grazed his skin as she slipped down his chest, ever trimmed.

Her lips were searing in the already heated room, like licks of fire from the blazing sun she commanded. His heart hammered in his chest and she innocently placed her ear to it to listen to the tempo increase while her hands trailed a naughty southbound path.

His hand entwined in her long hair, pink like the cotton candy of his chocolate milk rain clouds. The other hand rubbed her shoulder and arm loving the smooth skin that radiated a golden glow in the candle lit room.

He groaned in approval when manicured nails gently scratched his hipbone, and his mouth made an O when her pampered fingers grasped his waiting member.

She looked up from his chest to catch his ruby eyes with her fiery purple. Her lips were smug as she simply held him in her hand. She continued the rest of her kissing journey down his firm chest and toned stomach. His hands fell away as she moved from his reach.

Sitting up on her knees the day bringer placed her free hand on her chest, moving her luscious hair away with a toss of her head. With the view unobstructed, she rolled her plush mound in her palm, then tweaked and pulled her stiff nipple in expert familiarity.

Her other hand didn’t leave the throbbing rod, nor did that smug look of mischief leave her lips. He sat up and watched her tease herself, enjoying the show set before him. Maybe he’d get a meal to go with it if he watched attentively.

She bit her lip as she looked at him, making sure he realized the performance was his. Her hand left her bosom to glide down her flat stomach. Her delicate hand drifted to her thighs and weaseled a finger in between them. It dipped quickly into her wetness. When it was taken away, she held it up for him to see the glistening proof of her desire.

He licked his lips, thirsting for the oasis she kept at a distance. He watched her lap open with a building yearning to bury his tongue. But he sat with patience, knowing there was more to come.

His member twitched in her hand, so she started a gentle rhythm that stroked him up and down. She knew, she could only expect good behavior for so long, but the interest in his eyes told her he wanted to see what more she had in store.

The wet finger was cleaned in her mouth, and she savored the flavor as though it were sweet frosting. She hummed in delight because he loved the sounds she made.

When she pulled it out, it made a wet pop. Her hand slide up a toned leg and ticked the inside with circled traces. She teased herself with her hand by pulling at her lower lips and puckering them to feel her hardened bud between. Her eyes closed but her smiled didn’t fade as she plunged her fingers in and out of her depth.

He wanted to touch her, to taste her, to listen the wet smacks against her backside as he thrust himself into her. But instead he waited, because this must have been a lesson. She was fond of teaching, after all. This must have been a lesson on self-restraint so he welcomed it as a challenge.

But he was sure she would need him eventually, and that thought made him take on a smugness of his own. She would be reminded of how much better she felt when she let his capable hands, amongst other things, handle her body.

He didn’t mind when her tempo speed up between her legs, or when she began to moan loudly. She was overdoing it anyway. He didn’t mind when her head rolled back or when her chest heaved to desired filled pants. But he did mind when her hand left him and the smirk changed to concentration.

She’d forgotten him to finish for herself.

Well, he could not have that- he would not have that. It didn’t occur to him that he was jealous of a few fingers. He was swift, pushing her to her back and pinning her arms to either side of her head in a flash. She didn’t open her eyes, but could feel him staring at her with his eyes narrowed.

Her face had shifted slightly from concentration to annoyance, and it didn’t even seem as though she was confused in the slightest.

What. She asked him with her eyes as she allowed them to open. She made it apparent that she was miffed as she tested his strength with an impatient tug of her wrists. What? His eyes flashed incredulous. It was apparent ‘what.’ She was going to finish without him, leave him hanging, in a sense. If anyone should be asking ‘what,’ it was him.

And then he saw the amusement in her eyes. She laughed at him with a grin, revealing to him that it was all a part of her plan. The trickster had been tricked! He sought his revenge with a heated kiss that stole her breath away.

He let most of his weight rest on his knees as he attacked her mercilessly with his mouth. She didn’t beam at him any longer, instead moaned in honest as he rubbed his stiffness against her slick slit. Her eyes fluttered to a close again.

Her legs wrapped around him, silently begging for his entrance. He pulled back and lined himself up without his hands. Then he waited.

Why hadn’t he pushed through? She opened her eyes to question when she felt him thrust in roughly to the hilt.

Her back arched reflexively while she grunted unabashed in an unprincess like manner.

He loved when she did that.

Now that he was in her, he gave himself to her. His length filled her and stretched her perfectly. His hips slammed into hers in a quick blur. She couldn’t simply moan or mewl as he hammered away inside of her, so she groaned and begged him to keep going.

She wanted to touch him again, but it was his turn to explore; he kept her hands pinned to the bed. He used his teeth to nip the sweaty skin of her chest, then he rubbed his face on each of her mountains and scraped his teeth between the valley. She loved his stubble.

He moved to bury his nose in her hair, sending shivers down her spine as he panted in her ear. He felt a twinge in his stomach and the clench of her slick cave. They were close so he bit her earlobe and growled.

Irregular thrusts slapped against her while her legs pulled him tighter to her quivering body, milking him as they came.

He went flaccid, still inside. Spent for the time being, he let her wrists go. She rolled them over, but stayed connected, just resting her head on his sweaty shoulder as they caught their breath. Neither fretted, their clans were so different their people could not reproduce together.

Time ticked and candle wax melted as they felt the other’s chest expand and collapse. Their rhythm didn’t match and that made the moment all the more personal. They were two different people, bound by choice and love.

She felt him growing hard again so she wriggled her hips. Ready to go? She asked with the motion. His reply was to throw his arms greedily around her back and roll them over once again.

And a story that may peice it all together.

Part 1

He was gone. Off on a military expedition in hopes of finding new land and meeting new kinds of people. They, the sisters, were sad that he was to be away for so long, but excited for his opportunity to traverse the wide wide world. As good friends, they smiled in the last moments he had with them, and brooded when he finally set off with the rest of the marching ensemble.

They mourned his absence in their own ways: Celestia rebounding into her work, studying more foreign policy and the principles of her magic; Luna withdrawing more from crowds, vying for a persona even more wry and aloof than usual.

Discord was their best friend, and while he wasn’t dead, without him, the castle seemed to lose a spark of magic -evident in its the old walls and corridors- from lack of smiles and laughter.

Ten years, what was that, a blink in the sight of their long lives? Ten years, he wouldn't be home with them gallivanting and causing troubles, for which Luna would surrender a laugh and Celestia would dutifully apologize while hiding a smile.

Even in the few hundred years they had been alive, even as they still felt young, sharp witted, and fresh in spirit, even as time often whipped by them in a blur, tossing them into new fads, friends, and foods, nothing seemed to drag on as slowly as those ten years.

They felt every single day without him.

The first two years were tough, little irregularities in daily routine, such as one less plate at meals, rudely reminded them that their trio was down to two. Denial was scattered everywhere the princesses stepped, not in missing him, but in how much it affected them.

Celestia missed her partner, her rambunctious lover, her husband if they’d ever see the point of doing extra paperwork.

Luna did the same, only she didn't have a sister to complain about it to.

The next five years were better received. The letters he sent still came regularly, but finally, after a night the sisters spent reading a (carefully selected) pile together, laughing at his terrible jokes and sardonic complaints of a few mates, then sobbing and laughing again, Celestia and Luna allowed themselves to smile a little more.

They even found a lesson in his absence: it's ok to seek the emotional support of others when you are feeling down. The two did just that, and strengthened the bond of their sisterhood all the more. They sought each other out when the subtle strokes of loneliness turned to slaps.

No group but that group had known each other from the time before adolescence began to sprout. They had other friends, but none as long lived as Discord.

Luna learned how perturbed by separation her sister was when Celestia asked if maybe sometimes on a few occasions would it not be too troubling to stay in her room at night. If ever Celestia had a shy side, it surfaced in that moment. Luna, for a change, found her sister to be the rather adorable one.

Of course, Luna had night court and dreamscape surveillance duties, but when she was free, Celestia spent many of her nights in her sister’s room. She was usually in the pocket of the chamber that served as the study. Luna didn't miss it though, her true study was in a separate room not far from the royal apartments wing.

The last three years improved significantly. While they could never completely fill the tune of a missing note in their chord, they were able to bring back a bit of music to not just themselves, but rest of the castle. The staff really did hate to see the sisters so gloomy.

Then the letter came. One. Addressed to both women.

The expedition was lengthened. Why? New settlements had to be secured, issues of malcontent amongst ranks needed to be resolved, someone held the map upside side and no one noticed. A myriad of reasons, but none of them helped console the aggravations of the princesses.

The welcome home party was canceled, the decorations stripped, the presents were returned, and there were many many apologies.

Celestia was furious. She'd spent too long being sad, so anger, apparently, was the next best thing. Behind spinel eyes was the building of a silent rage. Not as well hidden from the staff as it should have been. Everyone was one edge.

No one more so than Luna. Celestia was being petty, that's how the moon princess saw it, and all things considered, she didn't like their switching of roles. Celestia was supposed to be the calm understanding one, and Luna was supposed to pout and glare until she was over the whole thing. Annoyingly, Celestia was rather good in her new behavior.

For three days, she ranted in Luna’s ear, blaming every little thing for Discord’s drawn out stay. She even swore that he was the one who had done something to delay his return, another one of his pesky tricks on her behalf. For three days, she felt sorry for herself, complaining that she was so disappointed that her precious Discord wasn't returning right away.

"Enough, 'Tia!" Luna stood immediately in a great show of heralded annoyance. Some feather pens rustled in their container, which sat on the nightstand near her bed.

Celestia balked, but recovered quickly, resorting to folding her arms childishly. "I was only saying-"

"And I am saying enough! I've heard absolutely enough of your pity party. Poor me this and dumb luck that. Please come off it, already." She walked from the side of the bed to the bookshelf, acrimony in every step. There was no real intention to find anything, but the action was better than dealing with her sister at this point.

Celestia narrowed her eyes, looking for something to say that could justify herself, but then contemplated her sister for a moment.

"Luna," she called to her sister, and Luna's reply was to pull out a scroll and roughly slam in back into another open slot.

Celestia winced. Had she really been that bad? As if Luna heard her she repeated her action. She winced again.

The sun princess deflated, letting go of all the hot air that had been keeping her bad mood afloat for days. Discord was already miles away, she couldn't deal with distancing herself from her sister.

She’d been leaning next to the large wardrobe on the far wall, picking at the details of the deeply stained wood as she complained. Celestia crossed the room; she stopped behind her sister, a few cautious feet away, knowing Luna had a habit of whirling dramatically when she was upset.

The sun princess noticed immediately that Luna was making a point of keeping her back to her. Celestia frowned, then she heard it, and her frown deepened. Luna sniffled. But Luna wasn't one to be quick to tears. She was stubborn, her crying had to be a long time coming.

Celestia shortened the distance between them until she was less than an arm's length away. She tried to place a hand on her sister’s shoulder, but Luna shrugged it of, whipping her cheek while trying to make it seem as though she were reaching for another scroll.

"Lulu..." This time her voice was not only filled with inquisition but guilt for making her sister feel so terribly.

"No," the moon princess didn't whip around, but she kept her face hidden, speaking to the bookshelf instead. "I dont want to hear it. I've listened to you long enough, don’t you think?" Her ire was all the more biting through her tears.

"I'm sorry. I was being selfish-"

"Is that anything new?"

Celestia replaced a retort with a deep inhale, slowly closing her eyes. Swallowing her pride to make a sincere apology was always harder when dealing with her little sister.

"I don't mean to make you feel so upset. It's just difficult for me to be so far from him."

"And the same doesn't apply for me, then?"

Celestia could feel herself starting to get annoyed. "Well- yes, but not in the same way."

"And why is that?" Luna’s tears were angry, not sad, that much was apparent in her voice. It was bothering Celestia, as though those tears were out of place.

"Because, Luna, you don't love him the way I do."

That was it. That was enough to turn Luna around on her heels. Her face was red and puffed round her wet eyes, streaming with vexation.

Luna blinked, but remembered herself too late. She didn't have any right to be so upset. She wasn't supposed to love Discord the way Celestia did.

Her face crumbled from pique and her expression betrayed so many of her emotions: shock, fear, apology, to name a few.

"'Tia, I-" but there were no words in that moment to justify herself. Luna had never known if Celestia was suspicious, and even then she did not look confirmed. Her jaw was set and her eyes daggered deep into her sister’s, searching almost, but other than that she had a steely neutrality that made Luna increasingly uncomfortable.

Then she spoke. "How many times?" Her voice was so even and measured that her question sounded more of a statement.

"W-wha-" Luna wasn't sure if it was herself or the stare that cut her off, but she realized she knew what the question was referring to. Playing dumb, even unintentionally, would not fair well for her. "Twice." She wanted to look away, but she couldn’t pull her eyes from her sister’s, as though there was a silent command to look. She wanted to shrink, or shy away, but she was stuck between her sister and the bookshelf.

There was a long stretch of time in which nothing was said. Luna suddenly became aware of how much taller her sister was than herself. And how Celestia’s head had to tilt down to pin her gaze. And how her examining purple eyes could sear through her own teal ones. And how intimidating simply seeing the rise and fall of her sister’s even breathing through her peripheral vision was.

"Do you love him?"

How long had Celestia been good at suppressing her expressions, because Luna could not tell in the slightest what to expect from answering this question. She felt trapped and that any answer she gave would trip some wire and set her sister off. But Celestia did deserve an answer.

"I... yes."

Celestia didn’t believe her sister, not in denial, but because of the way her eyes betrayed her.

"Not as a friend, Luna, and not even as more than a friend. Do you truly love him?"

Luna frowned, more so then she was already doing, in thought and in confusion. “It's complicated," she finally conceded.

Celestia saw that there was more honesty in this. She sighed, which seemed to be the release Luna needed to drop her eyes like lead. "I'm sorry."

Instead of acknowledging her, Celestia turned her head to her right, looking out into the distance of the Everfree landscape framed through the open window. It was long after the empyrean bodies cycled. She could see the glimmering stars spread across the sky, lightening the twisting shadows that branched from the trees. Somewhere beyond those trees, he was out there.

Luna turned her eyes back upon her sister, not following her gaze but taking a turn in studying her features.

"Did..." Celestia paused, not liking the way she started off. "Are you lonely, Luna?" Her eyes stayed to the horizon.

A surprised expression crossed Luna's face for a moment, as if a personal secret was found out by a betrayal... again. Pursing her lips, she looked down not wanting to answer.

The silence was enough.

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

They were both looking at each other once more- Luna with an inquiring frown and Celestia with pensive sadness.

"It's my fault you feel that way. I didn’t want to think about it. But, I've always known how... unfair it was that I've always had him. We all get along so well that I... it didn't seem to bother you. And then I noticed the little things, tiny things you would say that you tried to shrug of with sarcasm or a wink, and I could hear how sad you are."

"'Tia-"

Celestia interrupted her with a light voice and a heavy question. "Why didn’t you tell me," instead of doing this? The thought trailed on, but she couldn’t have said it aloud. It just didn't fit and she honestly knew.

"Well," her lips trembled, "would you like a cliche or two?" She huffed a sad little laugh. "I didn't want to hurt you, I didn't want to ruin our friendship, I... thought I would have stopped it sooner, and the attention, I really did like the attention." She was looking at the ground again, sniffling every so often. "There was something about it being so wrong... that was so exciting."

"I've been ignoring it- you this whole time. I'm sorry, Luna." This time, when she reached out for her sister she wasn't shooed away. Her hand carefully found the side of Luna's face, instinctively rubbing her thumb along the smooth surface.

Luna closed her eyes but the tears had their own will to fall. She let herself lean into the touch, placing her own hand to rest atop Celestia’s. In the back of her mind, she was still working through how it was that Celestia became the one apologizing.

They stood there for a time, allowing the summer breeze to drift about them through the window, swaying fuchsia and periwinkle hair and the skirts of navy and white dresses.

"I never meant to make you feel alone, Lulu. You deserve better than that," Celestia said breaking the silence.

"But, aren’t you even upset with me?" Luna opened her eyes.

"I'm more upset about how I treated you."

Luna looked back to the ground. Finally separating herself from her sister, she sat on the edge of her bed. "It may not make a difference here, but that's why we did it."

"I don't-"

Luna patted a spot next to her, she continued once Celestia sat down.

"He noticed too- how lonely I was, that is. It wasn't... he wasn't using my weakness-" that word tasted bitter "-as an advantage, but when he came to me to talk one night, things... escalated. Nothing was done out of malice towards you. We're just..."

"Old," Celestia finished for her.

Luna was to about to ask what she meant, but a little thought told her she knew. "Yes," she said after a big sigh, "old."

"Old... and tired of being alone..."

"Yes," Luna agreed still looking down at her lap.

"And... occasionally needing a little physical contact..."

"...yes." Luna glanced up at the hinting her sister, who looked as though she were considering something for the both of them with the smallest smile on her lips.

"Well then, Lulu, I guess I have a confession of my own." When she saw her sister's eyes widen, she had her first decent laugh in days. "It's nothing as tide stirring as yours, believe me," she said through a chuckle as Luna cleared her throat, looking bashful. "But... I've missed having a warm body next to me in bed. I- Do you think, well if you're done with your night responsibilities... that maybe we could..."

"Have a sleepover?" Luna finished. It was her turn to laugh while Celestia turned away with red on her cheeks.

"Yes, please?"

They were both laughing now, leaping over the last bound of awkwardness and tension that had been rising for longer than just three days.

Celestia teleported out of the room to prepare for bed, and Luna did the same in the moments to spare.

How long had it been since they were in the same bed? Not just relaxing between one meeting and the next, but actually resting and enjoying the other's presence? Much too long. Luna realized she felt nervous, a sort of giddy nervousness. She popped into her bathroom to give her teeth a quick brush... to be considerate.

Her sister returned the same way she came, dressed now in her silvery-white nightgown similar to Luna’s light blue. With a wave of her hand all the candles were outed, letting the last ending hours of night gently darken the room.

Celestia settled in beside her sister, preferring to be closer to the door than the window. There was a bit of shuffling from their settling, but the room was filled with a noticeable silence.

Celestia straightened her leg.

Luna shifted against her pillow.

Celestia pulled the covers up.

Luna nudged the covers down.

More shuffling and screeching silence...

"Lulu..."

"Yes, 'Tia?"

"Are you tired?"

"Not really."

Celestia chuckled and her sister quickly followed suit, rolling over to face her. "When was the last time you slept."

"About two weeks ago, and you?"

"Last week actually," Luna pouted.

There was another pause, more friendly but still awkward.

"This isn't going quite like how I expected it to," Celestia replied.

At this, Luna laughed. "And how did you expect this to go?"

"Oh, well I don't know..." The sun princess trailed off as she rose to lean on one elbow. "I thought maybe..."

"Thought what...?"

"Well, it's been such a long time for both of us..."

Luna’s eyes narrowed, just a hair.

"And this is supposed to be a sleepover..."

"In which people sleep," she stated while her eyes narrowed just a bit more.

"Or have... tickle fights."

Luna blinked. "What?

Celestia grinned.

"'Tia, you can’t be serious."

Luna's eyes widened. "'Tia really..." In her voice there was a fear of the on coming. Celestia sat up.

"Don't-"

Her warning tone fell on deaf ears.

"'Tia! No!"

The sun princess was towering over her sister, letting her fingers fall in a frenzy against the moon princess. Luna tried to pry herself free of the prodding digits, but was reduced to a convulsing cackling mess.

"We're -ha- too old for this!"

"So old, Lulu!" her sister responded with her eyes ablaze.

Celestia was unrelenting, lost to her own laughter as well as her sister’s. Her oppugning fingers danced around every spot she could remember being a weakness.

She tickled her stomach, and Luna could only flail her legs. She tickled her sides, and Luna's eyes began watering. She tickled a particularly sensitive spot, her neck, and almost got her fingers stuck when Luna thrusted her jaw to her shoulder.

"'TiaH! Please- Celestia for- ha! the moon's sake I'll- snort." Luna’s eyes widened in terror.

There were tears in both their eyes, they were laughing so hard, but that ghastly noise finally collapsed the tickling terror.

That was the moment the moon princess needed. She neared her sister with revenge on her face.

"Wait. Let's be- ho- hm- reasonable about this-"

"Oh, she wants to be reasonable now," Luna said to no one, advancing slowly, like a predator.

"Lu- Lulu wait!" Celestia was still getting over her own laughter with a barring arm out stretched between them. "Wait, wait, wait!"

It was the sun princess' turn to suffer an attack of sensation assaulters. Being smaller held its advantage as Luna easily slipped out of her sister’s attempts at pulling her away, but soon Celestia fought with a different tactic.

"You're -snort- cheating!"

Celestia was returning fire, poking at her sides and stomach while Luna failed to both bat her away and continuing her charge.

"All's fair!" The sun princess cried.

They tumbled around the bed, pulling and tickling, pushing and tickling, and laughing so hard it hurt. Soon, their struggling turned into a contention of arm strength. Who could pull away whom in order to launch more attacks.

Being smaller wouldn't have had an advantage if it wasn’t for the leverage Luna gain by kneeling. Finally, after much grappling between the two, the moon princess secured the both wrists of her sister and pinned them above her on the mattress.

Celestia was strong, but determined to win -somewhere they both wondered when this turned into a competition- Luna pressed her advantage by throwing a leg over her sister to evenly lean into her hold.

"Ok... ok... I give, Luna..." Celestia panted, much to the grateful surprise of her sister. There was a smile on her face even as she took a breather. Luna was smiling too, little bouts of laughter still rolling through her. Their eyes twinkled with an exhilaration that'd been missing for years.

Celestia hadn't meant to do it. There was just so much going on in her mind: Discord’s arrival cancellation, finding out about him and Luna, forgiving quickly, this tickle fight, Luna being pressed so close to her, everything strung together in a haze of disjoint. And she was old, so old. Too old, as Luna put it, for any squabbling and cares that only mortals in their short lives needed to fear.

So why the tartarus not?

"Celestia!" Luna pulled back in shock when their lips met.

The sun princess remembered herself at the sound of her name, her full name. There was a blink shared between them where Luna coloured although her face drew into an unreadable expression, and Celestia thought something over.

Why the tartarus not?

"What was that Celestia?"

"A kiss."

"No," Luna said with a sudden sound of strained patience, "why did you do that?"

Celestia took a deep breath. "Because, I'm old."

The night princess frowned a little, but the blush didn't fade. "Celestia..."

"And tired of being alone..."

"Celestia, you can't just-"

"And occasionally... in need of a little physical contact..." Celestia tempted with another kiss aimed to the side of her mouth.

"Celestia, we can’t," Luna said after she pulled back with some hesitation, as though they had this conversation before. She tried to look away, but Celestia was giving her a very pleading look. It would have been easier to ignore if it wasn't so sincere.

Luna kept her head farther up this time, but Celestia pressed another kiss just under her jaw. "It's been a long time-"

"We're sisters," she hissed like a defanged snake. No bite.

"I must have forgotten," she whispered into Luna's skin.

Luna let her eyelids shut as her head lowered back down a degree, nevertheless feeling the tides of unease and excitement roll in tandem. "We can't... what about... him..."

"He owes me," she whispered into the corner of her lips again.

"So do I owe you too?" she asked quickly with a frown.

"No." Her lips found Luna’s chin.

"Then what?"

There was a passing beat where Celestia didn’t stir.

"Am I just a warm body then?" she whispered with incredulous lacing her words. She pulled away once more.

"No, Luna." Her was voice was as pronounced as the kiss that sent a fluttering searing feeling down the column of Luna's throat.

"Then what, Celestia?" She could feel her sister's mouth, tender and warm, pressed against as she swallowed. "Why?"

Luna gasped loudly when Celestia sat up despite the hold she still had on her wrists. In the back of her mind she accounted this to her distraction, and not to being allowed to win.

The duvet fell around them and their hair were wrangled messes of blue and pink. Luna couldn’t explain why, but she was panting. In her shock, she didn't lower her arms, so they sat there searching each other with their arms pulled away from themselves. Much too exposing, Luna realized; she opened her palms, letting her sister float her arms down.

"Just because," Celestia finally said as her hands gently landed on Luna's hips, her thumbs circling small caresses through the silky fabric.

Luna shut her eyes slowly, deliberation clear even in the scarcity of light.

Just because...

Why not...

After a long deep inhale... she chuckled.

Celestia made a noise of confusion while her brow furrowed, and Luna laughed all the more, a surrendered sort of thing incapable of being concealed despite the effort to do so. Celestia couldn’t even begin to think of anything to say. Perhaps she'd broken her sister?

Luna quickly took pity on her. "We're not just old, 'Tia," she said, fading back into her laughter.

"Then what are we?" Celestia asked with a small crack of a spreading smile.

"We are absolutely mad," she said as the bouncing of her shoulders doubled. Her mouth, widened to a broad grin, narrowed back as she dove into her sister’s mouth, her face falling from jubilant to clamant. Her fingers slid through her sister’s hair on either side of her face pressing herself into those lips she shouldn’t be enjoying.

Celestia was all too happy to oblige and kissed her back with the same clinging passion. Rolling onto her knees from her seat on her sister's lap, Luna moaned. She felt the hands that had landed on her sides like petals on a pond pull her forward with a tide of possession.

"This is wrong," Luna said with a frown of focus as she pulled away just long enough from her sister’s greedy lips to take a fast inhale of air.

"So wrong," Celestia absently nodded in agreement as she sought back out her sister’s embrace with a sense of urgency.

"Very wrong," Luna said again as she broke away once more to help her sister pull her blue night gown over her head.

"Yes, very." Celestia was already working on pulling off her own.

Luna reached behind to pull on the covers that had pooled around them. She pushed Celestia back down to the bed and bit her lip with her features dueling agog.

"So wrong..."

Luna fell over her sister, making the covers a pocket of protection for what was to be a long night.

"Mmm, 'Tia!"

Part 2

Thank the stars they hadn't the time to go to sleep, waking up after that to lift the sun could have been awkward and without a single cup or bottle to play scapegoat. But still cloaked in their decision, the day was set and even a shower was shared between the sisters without so much as a second thought.

As they walked to the small dining room together for breakfast, the patrolling guards and scurrying maids all noticed the immediate air of change that accompanied the sisters.

Celestia allowed her small but glowing smile to grace them as she walked by, and Luna's normally aloof countenance now hinted at her own subtle content.

Where was the tension? Where were the frowns? Where was the pestering sensation to give the princesses their space?

The sister's were absolutely pleasant. To some, the abrupt change was as unnerving as yesterday's hostility. Other's simply accepted it, embracing it, even, by moving on in the same way the princesses did. Smiling, of course.

Whose better lead to follow?

A young maid or two, brave and curious, would ask them throughout the day about the new mood they shared. Luna's lips would stretch just a bit more in a mysterious gesture of knowing greater than she shared.

"Just because."

Celestia's eyes twinkled with a laugh she kept hidden, acting so much like her recondite sister. An older maid or two, wise and watchful, would, after a moment, shoo the younger maids with their towels, apologizing when then the girls would pout at the cryptic response.

"They're old, leave them to their reasons," they would admonish in whispers, reminding the younger maids of their place while looking back at the princesses with their own curiosity.

_-_-_-_-_

Another letter came, and then another. One more following one more over the course of a few months, all pushing back the arrival date. They castle hands watched for the princesses' reaction, and while always deeply saddened, there was no more tense moods. They didn't know what kept them in such tolerable spirits. But all felt certain that whatever it was worked well.

A year and then another half rolled away, until finally, finally, the letter came. One. Addressed to both women.

Discord was returning home.

The welcome home party was organized, the decorations hung in the banquet hall, the presents were brought in by the dozens, and there were many many many invitations.

Obviously, not just Discord was returning, but the whole explorative brigade. The whole kingdom was excited for this memorable event.

They were coming home! Everyone, back to where they belonged, with families! And friends!

And loved ones!

And lovers!

And lover's sister...

And private issues that still needed to be discussed...

And, well, the princesses could only count on their trained public smiles. If everything went back to normal, then what was to happen to them?

Things couldn't completely return to normal, though. There would always be a tide of change. It was a lesson they were forced to repeat. Things did not stay constant. All things had their own end.

The princesses wondered with unspoken worry, which change would find them upon the arrival.

Perhaps they worried too much... or was it too little? It was already the night before the welcoming, yet there they were rounding the corner with conspiring whispers.

"Just one more night, 'Tia," Luna pleaded, stopping once again to beg a kiss from her sister with a look.

"We- we really shouldn't -mm- Lulu," Celestia managed as she found herself, yet again, pressed between a wall and impatient, but skilled, hands that run over her chest. She lamely pushed against her sister’s shoulders.

"But that doesn't mean we can't," she purred and her eyes flashed a wicked glint. Rising on her toes, she was just tall enough to nip at her sister’s ear. She felt Celestia failing to suppress her shudder.

"Luna... we have so much to do... in the morning." Those things were important, she knew, but she couldn't for the life of her remember why. She was far too busy sinking down against the wall to help Luna reach her neck better and enjoying her hips being massaged through her dress, right over her cutie mark, the way she liked it.

"And so much more to do tonight..." Luna grinned against the new plane of her reward. She hummed into it, knowing how much Celestia loved feeling the rolling vibrations. She felt the hands on her shoulders slid down to the small of her back.

"We need-" Whatever excuse was going to be offered next, Luna cut it off with a steep kiss, pulling Celestia's head with a hand buried in her cotton candy hair. She ground her hips into her sister, side to side, keeping her as pressed into the wall as she could, making her feel everything. Celestia groaned.

Luna gasped in surprise when she was pushed back roughly. Smoldering eyes peered from above, burning through her own- widened in surprise.

"Bedroom." Celestia took a wide step forward and Luna automatically took one back.

"Mine." Another firm planting of her feet on the imperial rug towards the evenly paced retreat of her sister amplified her heavy tone.

"Now."

Luna gasped again, running out of narrow hallway.

The moon princess bit her lip, hard, but it wasn’t enough to keep it from boarding with excitement. There was nothing but impatient anticipation written all over her.

Celestia brought her hand to eye level, turning her hungry expressing into a symbol of the ravishing to come. She smiled widely. She snapped.

There was a crack through the air, a flash of light, matter itself bent inwards like a bow pulled taut before release. Then the hall was empty save a twinkling sound and the quick fading of swirling magical residue.

Part 3

Insubordination, the lieutenant general probably would have blared, which would have woken up the camp and put everyone in a generally bad mood on the eve of their last day of marching on before being greeted home.

But that would only have happened if he left without making himself a double.

Which he did.

He would pop in -the recent letters said the princesses took to sharing Celestia’s room, though he didn't know why- give his girls one tartarus of a surprise, pop out and make it back in time for what was sure to be the parade of the century.

Was it fair, leaving the ranks early to see his best friends? No. But, was it fair to expect that after nearly twelve years of separation, that he would be fine simply waving up from the train of people as they chugged by the waving princesses? He certainly didn’t think so.

He'd been away for too long, and even kept his promise to be good -more times than even he expected, at least- he deserved to make his return something special. If not for his sake, then for his girls... the poor things probably pinning the nights away waiting for him, he thought. Maybe even more than he pinn-

Well, then, before Discord made some distance between himself and the camp, as teleporting such a length to the castle required a lot of force disturbance, he made sure his clone was all set, with explicit directions to be 'him'. Not too much him, as in never made a promise to behave, but just him enough to not look suspicious. His cloned rolled his eyes and patted him on the back. The poor chap was excited.

Snap

Certianly excited indeed.

"Discord?!"

There was an unbelievably indescribably insurmountable elapse of time in which there was nothing in the air but a daggering abundance of awkward.

Discord was bone stif-

Discord went ridg-

Discord stood absolutely still. Well most of him did. Other's... saluted.

He blinked. A lot.

The sisters were no less frozen.

Celestia was locked in place, parts of her mind telling her to cover up, the other parts reminding her that he'd already seen her, them, naked. Parts of her telling her to take her hand from in between her sister's legs, other parts of her hoping to avoid him noticing that her hand was between her sister's. Truly locked.

Luna, stuck under her sister until she decided to roll off, was blazingly red, though, half of that shade had already been there before Discord’s arrival.

"..." He tried. Really, he did, to find some quip, something fantastically smug from his repertoire of wit that would break the silence, but he found the sight before him much too curious.

There were too many thoughts going on in his mind (well that was always his case) and many of them were as expected, considering gender and whatnot, and admittedly, there were a few rather analytical. But all in point to say, Discord could not find the right thoughts to match up with words.

He was stunned.

Finally, someone moved. Celestia. Detangling from her sister, they were no longer pressed against each other, chest to chest and their knees between one another's. Oh, and she moved that hand that she didn't want to draw notice to, which she wiped on the sheets, long soiled with sweat and... such.

She sat up on her knees, not bothering to hide behind a pillow like her sister, who was also sitting up now.

"You shouldn't be here."

You shouldn't be naked with your sister. "Surprise...?"

"Lots..." Luna mumbled as she turned her head.

Discord stood there for a moment longer, really studying Celestia, then Luna, then back to Celestia- their eyes, of course.

"You found out." Immediately, his was voice sad, not sorry doing what he did, but apologetic for everything that had hurt Celestia.

"Yes," was all she afforded him for a moment, letting another silence cling to the air.

Tumbling on his words he took a half step forward, blurting "We weren't trying to hurt-"

She cut him off with a hand and the slow closing of her eyes. "Luna already explained it to me. I've already forgiven you." There seemed to be more on her mind to say, but she thought against it.

"Thank you." He looked to his left and then down at his shoes and then back to his left with a full sense of amused discomfort on his face. "So... what's this between you and Lu then?" It sounded more involved than he meant it.

"Oh, right, well, yes, well... Luna?" Apparently, now was the time for Celestia to lose her well practiced composure.

The night princess made a tight face, like tiptoeing through a minefield and every word was a step that could potentially set everything off. "Well it's... just... because...?" Even her shrug strained her expression.

Discord was having a blinking fit again.

"Just... because?"

Celestia glanced over to her sister and they shared a helpless bout of shame.

"And... we're old?" Celestia added.

Excuses always seem better when caught in the moment without the lights on.

Discord raised an eyebrow.

There was another strenuous break in talking.

Then the chaos embodier began to laugh. A very loud very abrupt cackling, as though there had never been anything funnier in the whole world. He fell back, floating in the air, leggings kicking and his hands holding his stomach.

The sisters stared at him.

"Is- is that what -haha- you told yourselves!"

The sister looked at each other.

"Ho! Who- who- who's idea was- thaHt?" As best he could between his tears, he looked between the princesses for an answer. Celestia’s face betrayed her.

"'TiaH ha ha!? And I suppose -hmhm- that you ah... said anything- about- physical contact? Oh no, you... you didn’t?!"

They looked at each other once more.

Discord was in a world all his own, laughing so hard he hadn't realized he was floating back until he bumped his head on the door, but he still couldn't stop.

The girls were completely flushed, embarrassed without a doubt, but slowly losing their patients. It wasn't that funny.

Floating back down to reality, Discord took a few breaths and sat on the floor. When he saw the rising anger on the women's faces, he held his hands up as a sign of peace. A few ticks of laughed quirked here and there.

"Are you finished?" Celestia asked with particular ire.

He cleared his throat. "Yes, sorry." His looked away sheepishly.

What now?

The silent question hung in the wait of an answer or action. But it looked as though they were back to being hush. This time it was thoughtful, for the chaos reigner, at least.

Maybe they were right, a part of him thought. The part that didn't just laugh away the world when he grew dreary of it.

Friends. Discord always had them when he wanted them, but he found that as time dragged on, mortals loved to complain about life being too short. He'd bit his tongue as they slapped him on the back, telling him he had the good life.

Good and long and always dragging on.

But, then he would think about the sisters because they were always there when he needed them. And while friends left after their seasons ended, he had in those two a family that he could lean on.

There were the last of their kind and he was the last of his. The three of them had been present when it was time for their seasons with their respective kin to end, as painful as it was. They understood each other and the loss they had all endured so young.

But here they were now, a good five hundred some-odd years on all of them. And here he was after over a decade, looking at his family not by blood, but by destiny and choice. What had really changed in them?

Nothing really? Nothing on the outside, not by a day. But on the inside? They were closer. Before he could laugh away the thought with an easy pun, it hit him that now the points to their triangle scalened a different way.

Realization, subtle but bulking, crashed around him. They were honest when he had only kept secrets amongst them. They had kept each other company when he was gone. They had moved on without him, not loving him less, but maybe loving each other more.

The thought saddened him. He was jealous, but so much more crestfallen.

There was vexation in their eyes when they turned to him, but upon seeing his expression theirs softened considerably, all the way to concern.

"Discord?" Celestia got off the bed to kneel beside him. "What’s wrong?" Holding is face with one hand she searched him with little pats by the other. When both hands found his cheeks, he watched her scour his eyes for signs of anything.

His hands found hers, holding them firmly to the scraggly surface of his shadowing skin.

"I missed you."

Her face melted to a sad smile while he quickly looked passed her. Luna felt the need to look away then, as though she were intruding, but he caught her just in time. "I missed you too, Luna. I missed both of you, a lot."

He tried to pull off the end of his sentence with a smile, but it came out so much sadder than he meant. The hug Celestia pulled him into was long over do. It made them both feel secure and comfortable, like reuniting a child with a blank fresh out of the dryer.

Then she kissed him, telling him how greatly had been missed. When they broke away, smiles on their tingling lips, he spoke again. "Not bad for our first kiss in eleven years."

She laughed as she agreed. "Yes and you know what? I think there's someone else who's waiting."

A playfulness shone in their eyes, and then both of their attentions turned to the princess sitting on the bed, not quite sure what to do with the new spotlight.

They stood, making their way to the bed until Discord was before one more best friend. They both had their turn to smile, and then Luna stood off the bed, pillow forgotten. When her arms flew around him, he leaned down the rest of the way.

Their hug was a long joyful one, the ones that would sway, break apart, then sway again once rejoined. Luna looked to her side, just long enough, to find her sister's beaming smile. She just needed one more bit of approval to know there would be no resentment between them. It was a tiny nod that sent an even brighter, thankful, expression on Luna's face before she found the disorder carrier's mouth.

He tensed for a moment, the sister of his second lover's presence wasn't lost to him, but it didn't take too long to realize that this wasn't a scheme to ruin him, so relaxed and returned the kiss.

When they broke away, before either of them had recovered, Discord was now painfully reminded of what had been so exciting about popping in. Celestia was her kissing sister in the same sloppy manner in which he had first seen them.

It was a delightfully interesting embrace that made his blood boil to observe them moaning in each other's arms, naked and flushed together.

The sun princess looked ready to lose herself in Luna’s big blue eyes and toss her on the bed, but she pulled away with force of will power. She was looking at Discord once more. "Shower."

"What?"

"Shower," she pointed to a door behind him. "You've been trekking through the stars knows where for who knows how long. If you want to join us, go clean up." With that, and the toss of a saucy hair flip, she did push a very eager sister back on the current nest she called a bed before commencing to attack her lips with her own.

Luna managed, through her own noises and Celestia assaults, to break away and say "Take your time if you -ah- like. I've kept her- preoccupied -hah, lower 'Tia, mhm- for this long."

He blinked and then ran to a shower quicker than he ever did in his life. He heard him them giggle and someone say 'teleport.'

Out of the shower, more fresh and still alert, he returned with a towel around his waist and a grin on his face.

Luna was laying to the side of her sister, drawing figure eights into the ticklish flesh of Celestia's hip just as lazily as their faces connected by a lackadaisical massage of lips, while Celestia stroked back the soft blue hair on Luna’s head.

Their embrace seemed more relaxed them dispassionate, as though there wasn't anything else to care about for a very long time but each other. He almost didn't want them to disjoin.

The same pang of exclusion found a tender spot in his gut to kick, but instead of doubling over, he did was he was accustomed to, he made it funny.

"The fire's out already? I can't even leave for ten minutes without you two already growing dull, hum?" He tried to compensate in his voice the lack of wit or comedy in his words.

Hearing him, they sat up again, breaking away from each other with a wet smack. It sounded like a strong branch bisecting in one snap because he jumped on it. He bit back his wince.

Celestia and Luna made room for him in the center. "We were waiting for you," the night setter said rolling her eyes. It should have difficult for him to feel so down when another part of him certainly was not. He couldn't make himself walk to the bed, invisible hands of buried feelings pulled on him, making any move forward capable topple him over.

"Discord, really, what is it?" Celestia asked as she noticed to hesitation to approach. "It is... is it Luna and I?"

She shouldn't have asked the question that way. He cast his gaze elsewhere. Answering or not, there would be a lie and a truth to it.

Celestia and Luna both looked to each other at a loss for what to do. Hadn't he just been ready to pounce.

"Discord... please, at least, talk to us. We're sorry to assume that you would-"

He halted Luna's words with his own. "That, well, this- you and Celestia- being together like this isn't the problem. But," he paused again running his hand threw his damp hair.

There was a wooden chair to the far end of the room, sitting under an impeccable bookshelf. He brought the seat over to him, moving as close as the nightstand before sitting.

What could he saw? He didn't want to talk about anything, he didn't want express his feelings. He'd been traversing the world through hot sticky weather and barren lands, which on many occasions hosted very aggressive monsters -never nice ones with cozies and a welcome mat.

He was separated from the two most desired women in the kingdom for eleven and a half years, who were now -or, at least, had been- offering him with implicit suggestion to join them in something that could turn said kingdom in a tizzy- if it were ever to found out.

He should be doing what any guy- tartarus, any person would be: going for the treasure of two princesses' trove.

Yet, here he was, sitting in a hard chair, in a wet towel, with worried friends, feeling sorry for himself because maybe, just maybe he really had been sort of lonely, and presently, jealous that Luna and Celestia had each other. It's funny, thinking about how even a little bit of time can change the things you think you are coming home to.

"Things change," he thought out loud.

"So, then... are you not interested in women at all?" Luna fished for an answer.

"What?" He jumped back to reality. "No no, not that kind of change," he said with a fond chuckle. "I meant in general. Things, in general, change."

"I thought you thrived on change, Discord?" Celestia asked.

He shook his head, little drops of water flew away until he was satisfied with the gesture. He sat hunched with either elbow on a knee. As he talked, a thoughtful scowl -the sisters were glad to see that hadn't changed- took up his face, and an arm would wheel about in its own demonstrative explanation, never disconnecting from his lap.

He thought on every word but was not pausing or slow, his mind much too quick for that. "Change is a constant and chaos is a whim. Change always comes no matter what, but the harder you look at chaos the more you see where the patterns align. And then the chaos is done, until it can be reborn."

"Please," Luna said with her own bit of laughter after a thoughtful minute. "You'll get her started on her idea of pets again."

They joined Luna in chuckling with their bouncing shoulders, until Celestia spoke up.

"So then, what's troubling you? Did something happen while you were gone?" There she went again, asking questions in just the right way to keep him answering honestly.

"Yes, you could say that."

"You're not injured, are you?" Luna asked focusing a frown at him, as though a new ailment failed to be seen before, would be cured with an upset glare.

He shook his head. He felt petty enough thinking it; he didn’t want to say it aloud, but their eyes were so pleading and every second he didn’t say it was another second their worry increased.

Why couldn't girls just glower and be done with in, instead of talking?

"You two did not, in fact, wait for me."

"You mean just now-"

"Neither of you waited for me. You moved on and found something in each other..."

Who would take that one? Who could take that one? The princesses shared their thoughts threw a look, not magical, just knowing. He continued without them.

His voice sounded more distant as he spoke, as if thinking personal thoughts too loudly but wanting them the hear it nevertheless.

"Couldn't this have been one more thing we dealt with together? I suppose it's my fault. If I hadn't... with Luna... but then none of this would have happened either... I... well, I should say I understand why Luna was so lonely. I'm feeling something of my own division from you both, and I don't like it.

"You may not see it -you might not have thought to see it- but there's a contentment between you both. This happiness that's taken away the nagging feeling that there's something wrong with you two, but... I wasn't there to be apart of it, to help it. Or if I did, it was only set up the tension-"

Luna made a sort of sad gasping noise, shaking her head, as she followed Discord's train of thought.

"-between you. Once I was out of your way, well I can see you two made peace." He was a bit bitter at the end, his eyes looking at his knees or something, to take the brunt of his dark stare.

Luna couldn’t hold her tongue any longer. "That's not true, Discord. We've made peace, yes, but it wasn't because we didn’t need you." He made to reply again, but she cut him off. "Whatever 'buts' you have to offer don't need to be entertained. They aren't true."

It was her turn to rise from the bed and be the comforting blanking, wrapping around him tightly. "You think they are, but they are not. You were gone, for so long. We ached, we missed you so terribly, and then things got out of hand -like us, really- and we're living all the happier, as you say, for it. But Discord, you're not alone, and you have never been forgotten. Not once in eleven years, seven months, and two days tomorrow, if you came home on time." She slapped him playfully, distracting from, for just a second, the steadfast voice that spoke with so much forbearance.

He held her back, burying his head in the crook of her neck while feeling the welcome of a warm body he had been, in truth, pinning.

"I love you, we both love you." Speaking a bit louder, to make sure they knew she was talking to everyone, she said "my biggest fear is that we'll all look around someday and find that we can't even communicate with one another. I don't want us to drift apart."

Luna broke away from Discord, just enough to look at her, teary eyed sister -who profusely tried to hide it by catching a blinking frenzy.

"Stars forbid, hmm, that one of us gets banished," she said, finding the thought laughable.

They all joined in, chuckling a surrendered thing they couldn't quite stop, "that wouldn't do us much good, would it? Who would smuggle cake for me from the chef or help shift the bodies." Celestia croaked, with her eyes still brimming with what was shifting into happier tears. "Don't you get any ideas Luna, I'm not picking up your slack."

"Well then, if ends up being me," Discord began, all too happy to join the levity, "have them banish me to a garden. You know how I love cultivating."

"A deal, then," Luna said as she took to standing full height. "I've always suspected you'd go first, though."

"Oh ho, a deal and a challenge." Discord took Luna's hand, rising as she bid him. They were all laughing now. Such silly thoughts between friends to look back on when grow older yet.

"Now, I really don't know sort of thing you have planned in regards to your men back at your camp,

"I suspect a double being involved-" Celestia threw in, giving a knowing eye to the chaos lord.

Luna looked between them, noticing the sudden colouring of her sister’s cheek, and squinted.

"Well, then... if you aren't in a hurry to leave, I think it would be nice to spend a moment of rest between us all."

With Luna's hands in his and Celestia’s welcoming smile, he couldn’t feel anything tugging him by the ankles. There were empty spots on the bed calling their names. They answered to it.

He kissed them, both, once he settled in the middle. Long, drawn out, kisses filled with years of yearning were shared between them. It felt good to have everything out in the open, but haggarding too.

"I feel like an old man." He sighed into the space between them all.

There was a spark in the moment that caught aflame in Luna and Celestia’s features.

"I suppose we're all old..." Celestia started.

"And tired of being alone..." Luna continued.

He narrowed his eyes at them, not quite catching on until,

"And in need of some physical contact..."

They all grinned a bit too big.

After all of that, they hadn't intended to do anything of the sort, but the kisses held too much fire in them, cleansing in their own rite, melting away what had been a long exchange of emotion and revelation.

Celestia leaned over Discord, while it was their turn kissing, to stroke Luna over the swell of hips and the between the meet of her legs. Luna purred into Discord’s skin where she grazed his ear, sliding a widened palm over his ever trim chest to tease the stiff flesh of her sister’s raisined nipple. Discord opened his mouth to them, sweeping them with his tongue and remembering with ease what respective somethings drove the women crazier than they all believed they already were.

Hadn't there been a towel around him? One of the princesses had made it clear that this was no longer the case.

They pressed into familiar spaces, finding nothing more splendid than earning moans and quivers when favorite spots were remembered, except for the explosive circumference of rediscovery.

Mmm

There were too many in one the bed now, if who made the sound no one was sure. Maybe they shared the sound. They had always found themselves sharing in their long lives. Perhaps it was inevitable. Maybe they rolled into one entity as they rolled as one against each other now.

Someone was in the middle until someone else would find their way there and then yet another replaced them. They wound and unwound and rewound into each other. A braided array of kisses and nips, sweet nothings and please to continue. Pink hair was pulled by long knobby fingers, which had been individually kissed by tender pouty lips.

Peppered kisses on heated flesh may have started from her ankle, shooting up to his head and then trembled warmth down her sister's body. Long dragging licks may have swept across his broad flat chest and may have swiveled over her heavy curvaceous chest, topped with a pucker on a nipple or two or so.

Then maybe he just watched as they ground their petals together, teasing the blossomed buds until a new intoxicating and captivating fragrance sprayed a sweet poison. His loins ablaze again. And seeking the damp depths of relief, maybe he relished as he sunk into the fire once more, finding as he lifted his head up, that there was a fountain in wait above him, patiently -but so impatiently- waiting for him to drink his fill while he filled her sister.

Sweat mingled with damp excitement, the air was heady and full of impassioned whimpers to give more and give more and give more... yes... And maybe a shuddering breath taking eye fluttering sheet gripping release tumbled through them all in an off beat rhythm that played up their chorus of moans all the better.

Panting, an odd waltz unfolded itself. They listened. As they all came off their high to their own heed of the fermata. They listened and breathed. One two three of them wrapped in each other, close enough to the other's heartbeat. In the decresendo of this peaceful pianissimo they smiled because they did not match. They were three different people bound by choice, by love, and well... just because~~~

Author's Note

This was once the story "What Binds," but is now remodeled and greatly extended upon. This is just a note, in case there is any confusions on why the first two parts look similar to something else.

-this is an experiment with new style of writing for myself, so feel free to comment, question, and critique-

Thanks for reading.