The Vow

by The Princess Rarity

Rating: teen
Tags: Sad, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Romance, Sex, Discord, Princess Celestia
Length: 9118

If our love is tragedy, why are you my remedy? If our love is insanity, why are you my clarity? We were strangers, starting out on a journey - never dreaming of what we'd have to go through...

Every time he asks, she refuses - yet she will forever love him, until the stars refuse to sparkle and the sun will no longer shine. How can that be? If she loved him as much as she said, wouldn't she marry him?

...well, perhaps Celestia has a new student in an entirely different lesson.

It seems that Discord will need to learn how to love again.

Published 2014-03-25 21:50:05 UTC
Last updated 2014-04-18 10:26:29 UTC

I'm still learning to love, just starting to crawl.

The Vow

by The Princess Rarity

"I'm still learning to love, just starting to crawl."

He lost count after five. It wasn't that he didn't care - he did, very much so - he just figured keeping track of all the refusals would make him lose any sort of hope he had left.

So he kept asking, not constantly, just every now and then. He'd slip it into a conversation as if it was a topic as simple as the weather, but every time, she would say no. She was never rude or annoyed with it, no matter how many times he persisted. She would give a small sweet smile, shake her head and keep postponing it.

She drove him crazy, and to be fair, this was not in a way he liked.

The first time hurt the worst, like a slap to the face and his heart felt like it had been crushed. It took a while, but she had assured him that she did love him, it was just that Equestria wasn't ready for a Prince of his stature so soon. Discord couldn't deny that - it was three thousand years ago - and they were still quite young at the time, even for immortal beings. Celestia had told him they had forever to be together anyway, and that marriage could wait.

The second time was more or less a joke, but that time around, it hurt the both of them. It was when he had gone mad with chaotic power, and she had done all in her power to stop him, but it was useless. His only trade to calm down was for her to become his Queen of Chaos, and she had refused. If Discord wasn't a heartless monster at the time, he would have apologized for making her cry the way she did back then. Never had he seen Celestia break down like that, but it seemed love was the worst sort of disharmony in all of the land.

The other three he counted were worthless compared to the others. They slightly hurt, but not as much as those two. They weren't memorable either.

...he just wished that the first two were worth remembering for a good reason.

But alas, life was far from perfect.

However, right now, in this current time frame, neither of them could deny the fact that for the first time in forever, things were content between them once again. They were happily in love, openly courting and finding joy. It was just like the storybook fairytales.

Though, despite this happiness, something inside of Celestia's mind kept itching at her.

This night was like any other - beautiful beyond words could describe, with the stars sparkling at their brightest and the moon at it's fullest - and the two lovers were in Celestia's bedroom chambers, intertwined on her bed, breathing heavily, basking in the afterglow of lovemaking. It was a wonderful moment, sweet and passionate...

-still, a little voice was whispering to Celestia's soul. It had been for quite some time, ever since Discord had returned and became reformed - the way he used to be before he went mad with chaotic power - and the voice refused to go away. It said unintelligible murmurs that made her feel uncomfortable, and almost doubtful. Before she had never felt this way, but love still swelled in her heart. It was a horrible paradox and she tried to ignore it, to just enjoy life and love for once, but something refused to fully allow it.

"Why is it that you always refuse?" Discord whispered.

"I beg your pardon?" Celestia murmured, as she felt a small smirk spread it's way across her expression. "Last I checked, you most definitely had my consent. More than enough of it, in fact."

He couldn't help but laugh at her statement, and he placed a soft kiss on her lips.

She pressed further into the kiss, wrapping her forelegs around his neck and pulling him in closer, to leave no space at all. Oh, how she adored this. They were two completely different species, souls intersecting, but hearts intertwined.

"Oh, Tia," Discord softly chuckled. "You know I love it when you tease me like that-" He traced a talon under her chin, slightly tickling her. "But I didn't mean it that way."

"Then pray tell what else you mean?" Celestia inquired.

A moment of silence passed, and he let out a sigh, looking into her sweet lavender eyes. "Why do you always say no to my proposals?" he asked. "Now, let me make this much clear, I'm not popping the question again, I just want to know why you always refuse it."

Celestia felt frozen in his embrace, and her gaze raked over him thoughtfully.

Twelve. That was exactly how many times he had asked. She always kept count. What with his being captured in stone for a thousand years, it delayed the number, but either way, it was a hefty number for proposing to the one you love. And every time, she said no.

Sometimes the proposals were extravagant, but most of the time, they were simple.

"Tia?"

"You know I love you, isn't that all that matters?" she finally managed. "Why do we need a piece of paper to confirm it? Besides, we both know I wouldn't want a big wedding or anything like that."

"How about a Las Pegasus drive-thru wedding?" he said, with a bit of a laugh.

Celestia's smile shifted, and she shook her head playfully. "Either way, understand that you are in my heart," she said simply. "Why do we need marriage if all we could ever have is right here?"

Discord pursed his lips, thinking hard as he ran his talons through her mane.

"You know, for a Princess, you're very simple," he observed.

"We're basically married," she continued. "All I'm lacking is the ring and a higher royal title."

He genuinely laughed. "Queen Celestia does sound so much more appealing than Princess," he mused. "Queen makes you sound like the mature, beautiful mare you are. Princess is so juvenile."

There it was.

The little scratchy muffled voice in the back of her brain.

Discord had said the same thing to her so long ago - she couldn't blame him for forgetting - but this shook her heartstrings.

"And King Discord sounds pretty neat, doesn't it?" he joked.

However, he noticed the sudden downfall in her expression.

"Something wrong?"

Celestia let out a sigh, and looked up for her gaze to meet his. Now was when she realized that it was not a voice in the back of her mind...

...it was the sound of muffled tears.

"Discord, how much do you remember of our past?" she asked shakily.

He shrugged. "Bits and pieces," he admitted. "Little fragments, just flashbacks more or less. Being encased in stone did a lot to my brain, you know. I would say that it had been destroyed during those years, but I lost my sanity long ago... not like I want to find it, anyhow."

She wanted to smile at his little joke - really, she did - but she couldn't.

"Then I want to tell you some of it," she declared. "Stop me if you recognize any of it."

Noticing her expression turning stern, Discord released a deep breath and nodded. He could be serious if he had to. For her, he would do anything.

"Alright," she murmured. "Do you remember our childhood?"

"Of course," he replied. "That's clear as crystal."

Celestia pursed her lips, and nodded. "What about our teenage years?" she inquired.

He moved his talons in a so-so motion, to signify that it was fuzzy to him.

"Well," she hesitated. "It all started at our first Gala..."

Author's Note

I know what you're all probably thinking - "Y U NO UPDATE RAY OF SUNSHINE?!" - well, my brain is stupid, that's why! This idea buried itself in my brain and refused to leave, so this is what happened. Don't ask when the next chapter will be up, 'cause I'm not so sure. I have a lot of stuff going in life, plus other fics, so... yeah. This is why I hate multi-chapters, but I write them to make you all smile, so there.

Anyway, please comment, fave, upvote and all of that crazy awesome stuff.

Things my heart used to know, things it yearns to remember.

"Things my heart used to know, things it yearns to remember."

It was like a scene out of a storybook or a priceless painting. Candles lit up the walkway to the Castle, which was shining brilliantly in the dark of the night. Tonight was certainly a memorable evening, and all of Equestria was buzzing. For once, the Royals and the Commoners would mingle together, as one nation. The event was the first of its' kind, called the Grand Galloping Gala.

The widowed Queen, Galactica, and her young daughters, Celestia and Luna had created the event to embrace the nation's uniqueness and equality.

"What are you so afraid of?" Celestia laughed as she looked to her younger sister.

Luna grimaced, and pouted. "I'm not afraid," she argued. "I just don't like crowds. Do we have to talk with everypony?"

"Need I remind you that this was your idea as much as it was mine?" Celestia pointed out.

With a huff, Luna rolled her eyes and stomped off. Celestia just simply ignored her, she was once a moody teenager at one time too, so she could understand her sister's frustration. To be fair, having to socialize and make time for every loyal subject did sound a bit daunting, but also very exciting and anticipating.

Ever since tragedy had struck the nation, it had been solemn, but this was a new beginning.

The gates of the Kingdom were now open, and Equestria could change for the better.

Celestia paraded out onto the balcony of the Castle, and she smiled as she overlooked the breathtaking scenery. Right outside the gates were citizens of the country, eagerly awaiting to meet the Royals - and she was just as anxious to meet them.

She breathed in the crisp air of the Springtime evening and turned around, startled at who she found herself face-to-face with.

"Must you always sneak in?" she sighed.

Discord let out a laugh that echoed off of the Castle walls and was heard from down below on the ground. "Oh, now, my dear, what fun would that be?" he countered. "Are you really expecting me to walk in every time, say hello to that bratty sister of yours and get strange looks from the Guards when I can just snap myself into your bedroom chambers?"

Celestia scoffed, and rolled her eyes, but couldn't deny the small smile on her expression.

"You're horrible sometimes," she murmured.

"Makes me wonder why you put up with me," he teased. "And let me take a wild guess, you're dragging me to this Gala, aren't you?"

Celestia gave a small half-hearted shrug. "I would enjoy it if you would accompany me," she admitted. "But I fear you'll try to entertain everypony and cause to scare them all with just your appearance."

Placing his talon on his chest and letting out a mock gasp, Discord looked away from her. "Why, Tia, I would never!" he said. "And to think, I thought we were close."

"Did I mention you can be a child from time to time as well?" she chuckled, leaning in and placing a small kiss on his lips. "I really must love you for your looks."

He laughed once more, with a smirk, pulling her in closer. The two lovers embraced in the early evening, frozen in time for a solid moment, just enjoying their passionate kiss and believing that there was nothing else in the world except for them.

However, nothing good lasts forever, and Celestia broke away, with a sweet smile.

"You're a lot more mischevious than you'd like to admit, you know that, don't you?" Discord murmured, not even bothering to wipe his usual smirk off of his expression.

"I learned from the best," she said simply.

Stepping back and giving a flourish bow, Discord extended his paw out and met her gaze. "Your Highness, would you allow me the honor of escorting you to the Gala this evening?" he asked.

Celestia smiled, and nodded. "I would love nothing more, my good sir," she laughed.

~ x o x o ~

The night had been absolutely wondrous. It had flowed along beautifully, with the commoners more than ecstatic to meet their rulers, and the previous rebellious hatred completely diminished. Happiness and joy radiated all around, while laughter and warm-spirited chatter echoed throughout the Castle area. It was a new beginning for Equestria, and this was indeed the perfect way to commemorate it.

Now, it had all finally died down. The Gala was over, the residents of the nations had left, and the land was settling down for the evening.

"Well, that was frightfully boring," Discord spoke up as he slithered out of the ballroom right behind Celestia, who gave a tired smile.

She chuckled, shaking her head playfully. "You think that every Royal event is boring," she countered. "To be fair, this was actually quite entertaining. I felt so flattered to finally meet my Loyal Subjects."

They stepped out of the Castle, and into the Gardens, where it was even more beautiful now that the hours of midnight had fallen upon it.

Celestia breathed deep, and twirled around, releasing a sigh of relief.

"I feel so... free," she murmured. "Like there is no longer a weight on my shoulders. For so long, I felt so isolated, but now-" She smiled a priceless sort of smile. "It's finally all falling into place."

"You're a Princess, Tia," Discord pointed out, taking her hoof and placing a kiss on it. "You should never be worried."

She slightly blushed, giving a somewhat bashful smile. "Wouldn't that be wonderful if it was the truth?" she mused. "If only royalty was as glamorous as everypony thought." Her smile faltered, and she looked up to the starlit sky. "To think, there are so many storybook fairytales out there, with happy endings and grand castles and treasures, but never is there the harsh reality of what being a Princess really is."

A silence echoed between the two of them for a solid moment.

While Celestia kept her gaze plastered up above, focusing on the twinkling stars, Discord couldn't tear his sight away from his Princess. In the moonlight, she was more beautiful than ever. Her snow white coat shined, her rosy mane cascaded down in waves, her lavender eyes sparkled, and her small bittersweet smile was adorable. He didn't even pay any attention to her sparkling silver tiara or extravagant golden Gala dress - they didn't mean anything. To him, Celestia could have been dirt poor and she would still be the most amazing creature in existence. No, it wasn't her royal status or any of those things that made him love her.

It was her.

Who she was, every little thing.

He could list all of the things he loved about her, but that would take thousands of years...

...and all he found himself saying was this-

"How would you react if I told you I could give you the storybook ending?" he asked.

Looking away from the sky and back to him, Celestia raised an eyebrow. "I have to say, I would be very interested," she admitted. "What's your offer?"

Discord smiled a different kind of grin for him.

It wasn't tricky or mischevious or comical, it was sincere and caring. He tangled his talons in her mane, and looked deep into her eyes.

"What if I was your Prince Charming?" he asked.

"Oh, that would be wonderful," she said, with a soft laugh. "Imagine the story we would be. The Princess who took time to love the misfit. We could be legendary." She pursed her lips. "But it isn't practical. I could never have that."

"But what if you could have something close to that?" Discord questioned.

"I'd take it, of course," Celestia declared.

"Then-" Discord swallowed, and gave a small half-hearted smile. "Why don't we do that?"

"I beg your pardon?" she inquired, as she tilted her head to the side in confusion.

He held her hooves in his mismatched grasp, never breaking his gaze away from hers. "We're immortal, so we would never have to fear about losing one another," he said. "And our love has never broken, from the day we met we've been inseparable. Best friends as children, and now grown-up, like you said, we are legendary. So why not seal the deal of it?"

Celestia shook with every breath. "So... what are you saying?" she managed to stammer out.

Discord couldn't believe what he was doing.

He was the epitome of chaos, and here he was, awestruck over a female who was close to his opposite, no less. Now, what he was going to say would change everything...

"Marry me?"

If a pin were to drop, everypony in Equestria would be able to hear it. The silence was absolutely deafening as Celestia tried to find words, but she came up with nothing but stuttering.

"Wh-what?" she rasped. "Discord, I'm only seventeen."

"You'll be eighteen in a few months," he said simply.

"Still," she stammered. "Then, I would have full duties. My mother and I have been talking - when I come of age, she's going to retire and I will share the throne with my sister. How could I ever find time to get married? And where would you fit in with all of it?"

A pause happened, only before Celestia shook her head.

"I'm sorry," she declared. "But I have to refuse."

She could've sworn that she saw his heart break, just by looking into his crimson eyes.

Celestia blinked slowly as she felt tears welling up in her eyes, and she held onto his grip. "Please, don't misunderstand me," she choked out. "I love you more than words could say. I really, truly do, and nothing would make me happier than to settle down, have you by my side for eternity, but there is no time for that. I couldn't marry you. For now, all you'll have to accept is my promise that my heart will belong to you only. Not a single soul could make you smile as you do. My world would be so dark without your light. I don't want to imagine what life without you would be like, nor do I ever want to experience it."

Discord's expression stayed emotionless, so she leaned in, and softly kissed him.

"Do you still love me?" she whispered.

He nodded, and kissed her back, wiping away one of her tears that had escaped.

His smile was broken as they parted. "Nothing could keep me away," he said.

-- PRESENT DAY --

Celestia hesitated, and let out a sigh. "It pained me so much to see you so hurt," she admitted.

Discord gave a small, nonchalant shrug. "I suppose it was for the better," he mused. "After all, you did have valid reason to say no. At least you never left me."

"And I stuck to my promise," she said slowly. "I never did love anypony else. A thousand years, I was brokenhearted, but I tried to heal myself. It worked for a bit, but your statue always haunted me. I don't know why I didn't move it."

Her gaze flickered up, and she noticed the conflicted emotion in his eyes.

He breathed deep, kissing her forehead. "You have more to tell, don't you?" he said.

She gave a small nod, and he beckoned her to go on.

"Do you remember the night you had to be encased in stone?" she said, almost inaudibly.

He shook his head, almost somberly.

Celestia felt her heartstrings tug. "Then it looks like I have another story to tell," she sighed.

Please don't look away when the morning breaks us.

"Please don't look away when the morning breaks us."

The world was being shook, literally. Equestria had always been a peaceful nation, but now, everything was completely out of whack. It wasn't heartbreaking news or war rampaging throughout the land. No, it was something so much worse.

Chaos, and disharmony.

It was pouring endless fear into the citizens of the land, who had run off to the farthest corners of Equestria to escape the storm.

But alas, no pony was safe.

Despite the Sisters' efforts to calm their nation down, nothing was working. Rebellion had struck, everypony had tried to fight, but this was one battle that not a single soul could fight, not even Celestia or Luna. After all, how could anypony fight a mysterious magic that was developing rapidly at each and every moment?

"Fix this!" Luna shrieked, as she barricaded the Castle balcony with a magic shield.

Celestia hesitated, and blinked slowly. "How?" she rasped.

Luna frowned. "You know him best," she argued. "Surely, there must something, anything, you could do to stop him." She took note of her sister's distraught expression and she frowned. "Are you the reason for this? Is he upset with you?"

"Of course not!" Celestia defended. "It has nothing to do with me whatsoever. He's gone mad and we both know it. I... I just don't know why."

A streak of rainbow colored lightning danced across the sky and exploded, turning everything within a one hundred mile radius into a colorful mess. Almost as if somepony dropped buckets of paint onto the outlands. And this wasn't the only thing - hybrid animals ran wild, screeching and attacking everything in sight. The clouds had been replaced with burly black blobs covered in thorns. The only thing that seemed in order was the sun, up at it's highest peak in the sky.

In the middle of this mess, was someone completely unexpected.

Always known as playful, kind, a goof, but more or less a child stuck in an adult's body...

"You will talk to him," Luna demanded. "This has gone too long."

"But-"

"Celestia, we could use the Elements we found. You have a choice - talk or violence."

Releasing an uneven breath, Celestia nodded. "Alright," she muttered.

She had many of the tales about the Elements of Harmony when she was a foal, but just now did she and Luna find them. They were meant for desperate measures only, and while this certainly did seem like the case, there was always a second chance, wasn't there?

Luna let out a sigh. "Good luck, my sister," she said softly. "You're going to need it."

Celestia's expression was frozen as she gave a small nod, and flew off of the balcony, heading for the highest mountain top in Equestria, where all of this chaos was coming from.

She couldn't believe she was doing this... nor did she want to.

In her heart, it didn't feel right, yet her conscience was about to bust down the door and take over. This was how it had to be, and she would simply have to deal with it.

Preparing herself, Celestia elegantly landed on the cliff, and looked up, horrified at what she saw.

Nothing in a thousand years could have made her ready for this.

"Oh, hello, 'Tia!" Discord laughed. "I must say, it's about time you joined me." He snapped his talons and a watch with a sundial instead of a clockface appeared on his wrist. "I would say you're late, but then again, you are a Princess, so I'll pardon you. So, what would you like to do fi-"

"-What's happened to you?" Celestia demanded. "You are not Discord."

A moment of silence passed, only before a wicked grin spread across his expression and he let out a chuckle that almost seemed dark.

He shook his head. "Don't you know, my dear?" he said. "This is me. Always has been. It's finally cracked. I held it in a cage for so long, but I am an animal. I can't be tamed, no matter how long you try to teach me how to roll over and keep me behind bars."

"No, it can't-"

"-yes, it can," Discord continued. "I am the living embodiment of disharmony, you of all ponies should know this well enough. I was not born, I was created. Or perhaps you forget that story? I highly doubt it, you know. You're quite an intelligent mare."

"I know your story," Celestia stammered. "You have no parents. Mine took you in. You were created due to the arguing between the three pony tribes on the first Hearth's Warming."

Discord snapped his talons and smiled. "Give the filly a prize!" he announced.

With a quick flash of light, her elegant golden regalia turned black and silver. Celestia felt so strange wearing it, a light shudder actually slipped out from her lips.

"Ooh, my, you look absolutely ravishing in that," he crooned, as his eyes raked over her.

Normally, Celestia would have blushed at that sort of comment from him, but now was not the time to fall victim to this sort of thing. This was not the Discord she knew and loved all these years.

But she couldn't dare believe what he said.

The Discord she knew wasn't an animal - he never had been, and he never would be...

...would he?

"Enough games, Discord," she declared, looking up and staring at him sternly.

For a minute, he looked genuinely frightened - but it didn't last long - and he quickly burst into laughter. "What are you going to do to me, Celestia?" he teased. "I have more power than you and Lulu combined. Nothing you two could conjure up would ever defeat me."

"We have the Elements of Harmony," Celestia announced.

Discord scoffed. "Oh, sure, when pigs fly," he said. "Actually-"

With a wave of his paw, a pig suddenly appeared in midair, and it sprouted wings, fluttering off.

"Now that's amusing," he chuckled. "But in all seriousness, you really think I'm a big enough fool to fall for an old mare's tale?"

"I wouldn't joke about something as serious as that," Celestia argued. "Now, surrender. Please."

"Did you really just use manners? Towards me?" Discord guffawed. "Oh, wow, you really are the perfect Princess, aren't you, 'Tia?" He let out a soft hum, and nodded thoughtfully. "I'm guessing you don't care for me like you used to, what with my whole taking over the world gig and all."

Celestia swallowed, and found the will to breath normally again. "I still care about you," she admitted. "I always have. And whatever is going on, I will not be hesitant to help you. But I beg of you, stop the act."

"I always wanted you to beg me for something," he mused. "Not this, mind you, but-" He noticed her blush and smirked. "Alright. Since you're pretty, and I'm feeling nice, I'll make you a deal."

"I appreciate it," Celestia replied. "So, what is it you want? A part of Equestria to rule on your own? Chests full of jewels? Or perhaps-"

Discord chuckled, and shook his head. "Well, they all sound very tempting, my dear, I will have to decline on all of those offers," he said. "Besides, this is my deal, not yours. I pick and choose, you take it or leave it."

Her body went rigid as she blinked slowly.

Before, she would never be afraid, but now... she wasn't so sure.

"Of course," Celestia murmured, with a somber nod.

"So, something I want," Discord said, as he stroked his beard in thought. "I have the ability to whip up the rarest of gems with a snap of my talons, and I've already taken over Equestria, so there's that. I can't really think of anything else I could need - and if I desire it sometime, I can always get it with my magic."

He looked all around, to his stolen land, and down to the vulnerable Princess before him.

A dark chuckle slipped past his lips as he slithered off of his throne, becoming face-to-face with Celestia, who was trying not to show her fear.

Discord held her beautiful face in his mismatched grasp, and his smirk was spine-chilling.

"Oh, but you are the perfect prize," he hissed.

"What are you going on about?" Celestia asked hesitantly.

He tapped her on the nose with a talon, and laughed. "Why didn't I think of it before?" he exclaimed. "Yes, I've got the whole world in my paw, but what good is it if I have nopony to share it with? And seeing how you care for this precious nation so much, I'll give us the best of both worlds, how's that?"

Celestia blinked slowly. "What are you implying?" she pressed.

"I'm not implying anything, 'Tia," Discord defended. "I'm making my deal. You let me rule with this wonderful chaos and in exchange, I'll give you your throne back, on one condition."

"And what might that be?"

His red-eyed gaze burned deep into her enchanting mauve eyes. "Princess is such an immature title for somepony like you," he said. "How about we take Equestria as ours? No longer will you have such a simple and petty title, but instead, this nation will be ruled by King Discord and Queen Celestia. Your little sister can be our court jester, how's that? We'll have our own little patch of heaven and I'll let you keep the ponies safe, but the land is all mine for the taking."

Celestia went pale - if that was possible.

Her expression was like a blank canvas, but it slowly contorted into pure horror.

"You must be joking," she muttered.

Discord shook his head. "I'm serious as a creator of chaos could be," he assured.

Her heart fell into her hooves.

This wasn't her Discord. This was not the sweet, shy and klutzy creature she had found outside the Castle all those years ago. Discord had grown up to become a lovable, kind, likable soul who made everypony laugh with his silly antics. Throughout all these years, Celestia felt a connection with him...

...but now, that bridge seemed to have burned down.

"Well, if it hasn't gotten through your head yet, I'll put it this way," Discord spoke up. "You and me could be living the fairytale life. Happy Ending for the Princess, yes? Now do you understand?"

Tears formed in Celestia's eyes, blurring her vision as she looked down to the ground.

Her normally iron will had crumbled, and she shook her head. "No," she mumbled.

Discord let out a groan. "Oh, for goodness' sake, 'Tia, I know how smart you are, just figure it out!" he argued. "Now, if you refuse my deal, just say so!" He rolled his eyes. "Honestly, females."

"I will not accept your so-called compromise," she spat.

He gave a wave of his lion's paw. "Your loss," he said breezily. "Now, I'm off to create a bit more chaos. Sayonara!" Then, with a snap of his talons, in a flash of light, Discord was gone.

Celestia was now alone up on the mountain top, and she let out an uneasy breath before she flapped her wings and began flying off to the Castle.

The sound of the Castle's front doors creaked open slowly, alerting the only soul inside the residence that a certain somepony had returned after so long.

"Celestia?" Luna said hesitantly.

The Sun Princess staggered along the hall, only before her knees buckled and she fell down onto the floor in a defeated heap. She was shaking with every breath, which summoned her sister to immediately rush over to her side.

"Celestia! Are you alright? What is it?"

There was no response, just a loud wail escaping from Celestia's lips.

It was a cry like no other, one of a pain that she had never experienced before...

...heartbreak.

Her feelings had been shattered, her emotion of love was broken and it felt as if somepony had taken out her heart and crushed it right before her own eyes.

Luna let out a sigh, and wrapped her forelegs around her sister, attempting to comfort her.

"Oh, Tia," she sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Celestia choked out. "I was dancing with the devil, it was only a matter of time before I fell down." She screwed her eyes shut and returned the embrace, continuing to cry.

Fury went ablaze in Luna's blue eyes. "He hurt you?! That monster," she hissed.

Celestia shook her head. "Not intentionally," she muttered. "I hurt myself, more or less. Discord did nothing. He used to love me, that is the only problem. If we hadn't been so close-" Her words fumbled around, and all that came out was another soft sob. "If only."

That night, the only thing that could be heard in the Castle was the anguished cries of a Princess.

-- PRESENT DAY --

"I locked myself in my room for days," Celestia muttered. "All I could do was cry and hope that you would return back to the way I knew you, but-"

Discord frowned. They both knew the answer to that question.

He swallowed, and placed a kiss on her forehead, gently twirling one of her voluminous curls around his talons. "I immediately regretted it all after you turned me to stone," he said softly.

"You saw it all, didn't you?" she rasped.

She knew that just because he was encased in stone didn't mean anything. He could hear and see all that was around him, and on that fateful night when everything had finally fallen apart for the both of them, heartbreak had overcome Celestia once more.

Never did Discord ever think he would see her cry like that - especially over him...

The second he was in his prison, the sound of her hysterical sobbing hurt more than the granite covering his mismatched form. It was then he wished that he could turn back time.

"I never thought you would forgive me, you know," he mused.

Celestia's smile was bittersweet. "I didn't think so either," she sighed.

With that said, the memory of his reformation from not so long ago suddenly filled their minds...

Author's Note

Oh, you guys thought it was over now? ...yeah, nope. We still have a few more events to go through before it all comes to a conclusion! These two deserve a properly written Happily Ever After, so I'm going to be sure to give it to them ;3.

Bittersweet & strange, finding you can change, learning you were wrong.

"Bittersweet & strange, finding you can change, learning you were wrong."

The nation of Equestria was in hysterics. The same creature who had ruined their world so many years ago was now supposedly reformed? And he was going to live among the citizens? What had happened to the Princesses? Was this one of his sick tricks?

Well, to give answers to all of these questions, Celestia had made an announcement.

Equestria Daily
January 23rd
Chaos Unleashed!

The rumors have been proven true, Princess Celestia has confirmed that she had Discord released from his stone prison and he is currently living in the Castle with the Royals. Celestia herself confirmed that he is indeed reformed and will no longer bring disharmony to Equestria. In fact, she has even invited all of the ponies in the nation to arrive at the Castle for a ball being held in Discord's honor to welcome him back. The event takes place this time next week. [See more on page 10].

"So, as you can see," Celestia declared, placing down the paper and sliding it across the dining room table. "I am trying to let everypony know you are good now."

"A ball? For me?" Discord said, placing a claw on his heart. "Why, Celestia, I'm flattered."

"It's nothing," she assured.

His smile was only the slightest bit mischevious, which was an upgrade. "But, might I ask why you're doing this?" he asked. "I mean, isn't your word enough to put trust in their souls?"

Celestia held back a sigh. "It is," she said simply. "I just found it proper to reassure them, and I thought it would be nice for you to meet everypony. But if you would rather not go through with it-"

"-oh, no, of course. It sounds wonderful, really. I assume I'm not allowed to entertain?"

A small smile spread across her expression. "Maybe," she mused.

She looked up, and froze when she caught him staring at her.

His glowing red eyes...

...red was the color of passion, power, love, and lust. Fitting how those emotions were very vital between the two of them. He had eventually grown a lust for power, while she still passionately loved him, no matter what. Life was funny that way.

"I'm off for work," Celestia spoke up. "The Prime Minister of Prance won't be happy if I'm late."

"Hmm, tell me, is Maris still known as the City of Love?" Discord inquired.

Celestia stopped for a minute.

Then again, she had to realize, this was Discord. He was messing with her head - he did that.

"Yes," she replied. "It is."

"Mind if I join you on your trip?" he questioned, getting up out of his seat and snapping his talons. In a flash of light, he was now wearing a blue and white striped long-sleeve shirt, and a red beret on his head. He also apparently had a thin curly mustache. "I have, how you say, nothing to do."

Raising an eyebrow, Celestia paid no mind to his request and she gave a nonchalant shrug.

"If you wish to tag along, fine by me," she said. "So long as you don't create any trouble."

"Moi? Trouble?" Discord drawled. "Never!"

A very un-Princess-like snort slipped past Celestia's lips. "If you say so," she said.

Stop, she thought as she tore her gaze away from him. Stop trying to make me laugh. You're winning, and it's the last thing I want. The only reason I let you out is because you can be an asset to Equestria. Don't make things harder than they have to be. Mess with anypony else's emotions, but not mine. You've already done that, and I don't want it to happen again. Just leave me alone. We'll try to be friends, if you'd like, but don't make me fall one more time, because I don't think I'll be able to get up after the crash.

How she wished that she could find the courage to say those words...

Celestia cleared her throat. "We leave at noon," she said simply.

And with that, she got up and left the room, with a heavy heart and tears brimming her eyes.

Days had passed, and Discord still insisted on following her around like a puppy. Celestia had done everything possible to get him to stay away - from assigning him petty quests, letting him file her paperwork and even locking him in a room with Luna so those two could play video games and yell at each other for a few hours.

Yet, despite all this, Discord clung onto Celestia.

Now, today was the evening of the ball.

Celestia let out a deep breath and looked across the room, out to the balcony.

In all honesty, she didn't feel like attending this event, but she knew that she had to. Not only would it be rude if she didn't, but it was expected of her. She was a Princess of Equestria, she had to attend.

"Sister?"

Celestia's gaze snapped over to the doorway. "Hello, Luna," she said softly. "Come in."

Luna stepped inside her sister's bedroom chambers, and bestowed a somewhat somber smile. "So, would you like to explain to me why you are holding this event?" she asked.

"I told you," Celestia replied. "It is to welcome Discord back."

"Just making sure," Luna mused. "I would hate to lose my bet with Twilight Sparkle."

"A bet? On what?" Celestia inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, nothing," Luna said quickly. "Speaking of Twilight, I ought to find her."

And with that, she flew off, leaving Celestia in a minor state of confusion. Nonetheless, she ignored and shook her head. Whatever it was, it certainly couldn't have been important.

Getting up from her seat, Celestia made her way over to the balcony and let out a sigh.

It felt like only yesterday, she was in this same spot. She was ready for her first Grand Galloping Gala, her mother was still alive, Luna was her adorable (and slightly bratty) teenage self, and right behind her was the love of her life...

...stop it, she told herself. Don't let yourself get trapped in the past.

Shaking her head to erase the flashback, she stepped back inside and headed over to her closet, opening it up.

As usual, she would go with her traditional regalia - simple gold with a few gems.

However, a certain something caught her eye.

It was an old gown, but with one glance, nopony could tell. Celestia remembered the last time she had worn that - her Coronation, when she promised to take over her late father's role as Ruler of the Sun. The jewels matched her eyes perfectly, and the soft yellow resembled the color of the star she had power over.

She hesitantly touched it, and a small smile spread across her expression as she looked at it.

What was a ball without a beautiful gown?

Soft classical music was echoing throughout the Castle as everypony mingled and conversed with one another. It was like any other high-class event, but this time around, it was actually a bit more festive. Despite his lack of magic, Discord was still livening up the place with simply his presence.

A few ponies were bold enough to try and befriend him, while others kept their distance.

Then again, he certainly couldn't blame them for avoiding him.

Fluttershy had told him to just act like his natural self, and that's exactly what he was doing.

For the most part, it seemed to do the trick...

"I see not much has changed," Discord mused.

Luna laughed, and rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm just as surprised as you are," she murmured. "I always kept my distance from these things as well."

Discord smirked. "Although, it seems that a certain somepony got busy," he observed as he nudged her and nodded over to Twilight Sparkle, who wasn't that far away, keeping her gaze locked on Luna.

A bright red blush crossed her expression, and she stomped on his alligator claw right before she shuffled off, embarrassed.

"Touchy," he muttered.

With an exasperated sigh, Discord was starting to feel bored.

Oh, what he wouldn't give for some kind of distraction...

-and then it hit him. He turned around, and his jaw nearly fell to the ground at what he saw.

There - at the top of the staircase, looking as regal as ever - was Celestia. Just with her usual appearance could make anypony fall to their knees, but this was something else. Wearing a beautiful cream and gold gown adorned with purple gems, her smile was sweeter than sugar and brighter than any sunrise. She was stunning.

She had looked beautiful plenty of times, but this moment could be placed in a top five list.

He could only watch as she made her way down, to mingle amongst the crowd, and before he knew it, she was standing right next to him.

"Good evening, Discord," she said. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

He held back a stammer by clearing his throat.

"Well, without the chaos, it's alright," he remarked.

Celestia's smile slightly faded, and she gave a nod.

"Have you made friends with anypony?" she asked.

Discord shrugged. "Somewhat," he said.

She hesitated, about to reply when a noble rudely interrupted them, pulling Celestia into a conversation about who knows what.

He released a deep breath, and snapped his talons, popping off in a flash of light and finding himself outside, in the Gardens, all alone, far away from the party. What was going on? He had been out of stone for only a few days, and his plan was not working. Damn her! She was cunning, and she didn't even know it.

Throughout this whole week, he had relentlessly tried to apologize, but nothing happened.

At this rate, he was never going to say sorry for the sins he had committed against his love - and to think, one would call him crazy for still thinking about the same mare who had trapped him.

The night didn't last long, most ponies left shortly after arrival and the Princesses decided to end it abruptly after everypony started complaining about how they let the master of Chaos out of his prison. Celestia realized that maybe this was a bad idea...

...but what else could she do?

Discord was a part of life now, and he seemed good for the most part, it wouldn't be right to place him back in stone if he hadn't done anything wrong.

As the Castle servants began cleaning up and the guests started filing out, Celestia slipped out of the palace and into the Gardens. She lightly shivered at the Winter air, but didn't let it bother her as she carefully made her way along the cobblestone walkway. Alabaster snow decorated the grass and she smiled as she noticed flakes falling from up above.

It was a picture perfect scene.

She stood still in the middle of the crosswalk, looking up at the sky. The stars just barely peeked out from the grey clouds and the scene of watching snowflakes fall was calming.

However, she was startled as a sudden mound of snow hit her right in the flank.

"Not the target I was going for, but we can't all be perfect," a voice said.

"Very funny, Discord," Celestia replied, as she rolled her eyes. She turned around, and couldn't help but return a smile as she noticed how mischevious he looked.

Just like when they were children...

In fact, something bloomed inside of Celestia. It was a spark, and rather impulsive of her, but before she knew it, she had a decent size amount of snow held in her magic and it was hurling towards Discord, who was taken by surprise as he was attacked by the snow.

"Well, 'Tia, looks like you still have an ounce of fun in you," he chuckled.

"Why wouldn't I?" she replied, with a raised eyebrow.

He shrugged. "A lot can change in a thousand years," he said simply.

She blinked slowly, taking a minute to contemplate his words. And even more could change in the blink of eye, she thought, as she looked at him. As eerie as it was, he seemed to be standing in the exact same spot his statue once stood.

Celestia cleared her throat. "Yes, but that doesn't mean I lose a sense of joy," she retorted.

Discord gave a small nod. "I suppose so," he mused.

"What exactly are you doing out here?" she asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" he said, with a rueful laugh. "That event was draining me. All of my wonderful, crazy, nonsense was just being squeezed out of me by those so-called nobles who have their noses so high up in the air, I wonder how they can walk properly." For emphasis, Discord suddenly fell to the ground and closed his eyes, playing dead. "See? This is me - with no chaos."

Celestia stifled a chuckle.

She missed this, but at the same time, she wished he wasn't here.

It was a horrible predicament.

"Better question is - why are you out here?" he asked.

"I was just looking for some fresh air, seeing how the ball is now over," she replied.

Discord nodded, as if he understood, and sat up, leaning against the wall of the Castle. He looked up at the stars and for a minute, Celestia was appalled at how calm he looked - especially for someone who was the living embodiment of chaos.

Then again, perhaps everyone could have a little bit of down time...

She hesitated, and stepped forward. "Would you mind if I joined you?" she asked.

No witty remark, no trickery... just a kind smile was his reply.

"I'd like that," he mused.

Returning the grin, Celestia gently sat down on the snow, next to him, and for a moment, the world stopped. Her thoughts danced together and morphed into one, and this point in time collided with memories from the past. It felt as if right here, right now, nothing bad had happened. Time had gone by, but Discord was his usual self - kind, yet mischevious. Cunning and caring. A trickster but in an enjoyable way.

...especially when he flicked his talons and made the stars up above dance in the night sky.

Luna's surprised shriek was heard from on a balcony nearby, and Discord burst into laughter, which made the stars cease in their erratic movements.

Celestia couldn't help it, and she let out a laugh as well.

She wasn't surprised when Discord looked at her, with a halfhearted smile.

"I haven't heard you laugh like that in a while," he said.

She fell silent, and unwillingly, a blush made it's way across her expression. Surprisingly, he didn't tease her for it and he just smiled, going back to stargazing.

Celestia hesitated.

This had to have been a trick.

Friendship was all she could ever dare to pursue with him, and she knew it.

Still, nonetheless, some small part of her caused her to reach out and take his paw in her hoof, holding it for a minute. Discord's eyes went wide for a minute, and even more so when Celestia leaned up against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

She would regret this, but maybe for a minute, they could pretend nothing had happened...

Hours had gone by, and together, they had laughed and smiled and talked rubbish until the twilight hours of the morning. It was clearly shown that Celestia was tired as she finally rose the Sun up and it drained the last of her energy. She was now completely exhausted from staying up all night, and Discord noticed this.

As she let out a yawn and got up from her seat, he stood up with her, taking her by the hoof so she wouldn't fall over from tiredness.

"May I escort you to your bedroom chambers, Your Highness?" he joked.

Celestia raised an eyebrow, but doubted he had any motive, and simply nodded.

She let out a light squeak of surprise as he lifted her up off the ground, holding her elegantly, and in a flash of white light, they were in her bedroom.

"I'm guessing you never laid off the cake over the years," Discord muttered, with his usual teasing smile as he placed her on the floor.

Rolling her eyes, Celestia lightly shoved him in the arm and let out a sigh.

"Thank you," she said softly. "Last night... was nice."

"All I did was keep you company and talk with you," he replied.

Her smile said it all. She hesitantly leaned forward, and placed a kiss on his cheek.

Discord popped out of the room quickly, but Celestia was entertained when she saw his face going red from blushing. She didn't even bother taking off her gown as she fell back on her bed, and stared up at the ceiling.

Life was sweet, for now.

Whether it was all a trick or not...

...well, it was a catch twenty-two. She was cursed if she did try and she would hate herself if she didn't. The odds weren't for her or against her. It was a stalemate.

Last night, Discord seemed reasonable, like the one she used to know.

Only time will tell, was the last thing that coursed through her train of thought before she finally fell victim to the spell of sleep.

-- PRESENT DAY --

"You can only imagine my surprise when you asked me out for dinner the next evening," Discord laughed. "I was beginning to think you were a changeling."

Celestia smirked. "Taking chances is a risky thing," she mused. "Maybe I was a fool to turn around so quickly, I had thought, but I figured I would be an even bigger fool if I never gave you a second chance. I considered the fact that you learned a lesson, and thank Heavens you did."

Discord pursed his lips and thought for a minute.

"I wouldn't say I learned anything," he said. "At least, not back then."

He noticed her intrigued expression and continued.

"All I wanted was for you to forgive me for what I did," he explained. "From the looks of it, you did. We were back the way we were and that was all I thought I needed. Now, I think I realize what was missing."

She raised an eyebrow. "And what was that?" she inquired.

A light surprised squeak escaped her as Discord suddenly kissed her, but she quickly melted into it, wrapping her forelegs around his neck and pulling him in closer. The kiss ended sooner than Celestia would have liked, but she couldn't hold back a smile as their eyes met.

"You made me truly remember why our love is so important to me," he whispered.

Her heart warmed at this statement.

"Every struggle we've had might have hurt, but it only brought us closer," she realized.

Discord didn't have to say anything else and neither did Celestia.

A shared smile of contentment was all they needed.

If they had gone through waiting for so long, yet had a love that was this powerful to last a thousand years and beyond, then who needed marriage? A simple promise - a vow - was all they needed to last, no matter what came their way.

~ la fin ~

Author's Note

And shockingly, we come to a close!

But, like I said before, Discord and Celestia deserve a happy ending - and I will most certainly give it to them, so what could this mean? You see, the flashbacks are over, but these two obviously have a relationship in the present timeline, so...

...

SEQUEL! :raritywink: Be on the lookout for Solar Eclipse of the Heart.