A New Perspective

With a final dab of Twilights quill the schedule was completed. With that they agreed that it was time for all to part ways. Discord, giving cautious waves to each of his new friends and following after the golden hair of his guide, took a moment to look out at the town from the hill again.  He quick stepped to catch up with Applejack and within minutes they had reached a road leading away from the quaint little town.

Around them the air seemed to become more clear, more crisp and refreshing the further they paced on. It wasn’t long before Discord found himself staring up at the stars again. His ear flicked in AppleJacks direction and he spoke. “Not that I mind a nice walk after…after eating, but how far is this place of yours?”

She looked up at him and her eyes seemed to pierce right through the blanket of night around them, almost shining with the stars above.  “Don’t yew even try ta lie ta me. Not ev’n a lie o’ omission. Ah know full-well that yew had somethin’ else on yer mind.” He almost decided to let the statement ring and remain silent but with another glance into Applejacks eyes he realized he would need to appease her or she would not give this up.

Internally he thought for a while about how he wanted to bring this up with someone who would likely never understand.  Applejack gave him another simmering look from the side and finally spoke after the silence had hung for a full minutes. “it’s only ah few miles outside ah town. Mind telling me what yew were gonna say parder?” Though the look she gave him spoke of slight impatience, the tone of her voice was sweet and inviting.  He simply forgot that that was what ‘friendly’ sounded like.

For the hundredth time he looked up at the sky and sighed, this time staring at the moon that was now cresting over a mountain in the distance. His eyes grew distant and his companion leaned closer, reaching out to comfort him, thinking she had said something wrong. Before Applejack had reached his arm, Discord spoke.

“I….I have been gone for a long time Applejack. Longer than your family has existed and before the plain this town sits on was worn by time and made fertile by nature.  I’ll try and make this simple but honestly I just wound up being far too full of myself. I thought with my heart and not my head. The princesses saw fit to put me in my place and in their infinite stupidity or kindness I suppose, they decided to spare me despite how far past the borders of sane I had pushed.”  He reached out and grasped her hoof in his taloned hand and gently squeezed.

“By far, the worst part is being trapped with yourself. I was insane…I probably still am. But to have the two sides warring inside my head when that was my only refuge? Madness was a reprieve I had been all too willing to accept, anger and hatred a welcome blanket against the frigid cold truths of my imprisonment.” He didn’t notice he had stopped walking until he shifted his vision to the dirt road they stood on.

Looking over he saw that Applejack no longer regarded him with the suspicion or even impatience that she had before. Instead they showed a look he hadn’t recognized in centuries, Compassion.  She moved from his grip and rested her arm on his shoulder before pulling him into a hug.  Even though it wasn’t a quick hug or fast by any means, the motion startled Discord. He was stiff as a board until he heard her soft whisper through his fur. “Ah don’t know what yew’ve been through Sugar, won’t ever pretend to neither, but yew ‘ave us now. Yer friends.  And we’ll never let yew go s’long as yew do the same fer us.”  She held her grip until he had relaxed and absently placed an arm around her in return of the embrace.

This was the first show of affection he had felt in centuries and it had come from the one thing he thought he would never have again…. A Friend. Parting from the small embrace he looked forward and they began their steady pace again.  In an almost offhand way Discord stated, “Thank you.” The sentiment was not lost on Applejack and she simply nodded and uttered a reassuring murmur. Nothing more need to be said.

Their journey down the long road gave way to more dirt paths and winding countryside views, sparking a conversation between the two of agriculture and soon leaking into the pool of their favorite things. Though he was by no means of the earth tribe entirely, he was always astounded by the works they could do with hard packed earth all around them. Applejack and her entire ancestry were a prime example of the earth pony. Soon they had glossed over the topic of innate magick and moved on to personnel topics. Discord skipped quite easily over his adolescence and to his great pleasure Applejack did not question him, catching on that that must have been the time when things took a turn for the worse with him.

While speaking about the different types of apples and why they become the different colors they do, Applejack interrupted herself with a serious question to him. “I know it’s a mite sensitive, but…. Have yew ever talked ta anyone ‘bout the bad memories yew have? It could do yer heart a mighty good deal.” Applejack reached up for a moment and gentle slid her grip across the edge of her hat.

With a lopsided grin Discord answered, “The princesses know of my struggles, in my time I spoke with them. “  The meager excuse wasn’t enough to dissuade her, “Well shucks, even ah speak to the princesses ‘round here every now and agin’, that don’t mean yew talked about what yew really wanted to.” She took a step closer and matched their continued pace through the outer orchards.

Discord followed his habit of looking to the sky before answering and answered with another sigh, “You know Applejack…I think you might be right. However, I just don’t think I’m ready to talk about it yet.”

The answer was enough for the cowpony “No pressure from me Sugar.”

During the rest of the stroll through the orchard proper discord was hardly walking straight or not shaking. It seemed that in his absence several new breeds of apple had popped up and though they couldn’t see the zap apples tonight as they were not in season for another three months, Applejack promised when the time came that he could help harvest them to see what it was like.  It wasn’t long afterwards that they both padded up the steps of the Apple Family homestead and stomped on a few mats to get dirt off.  Once in the threshold one could see a few dog brushes to the side, several pictures of prize winning stock or competitions the family members had been part of and once entering the living room Discord found the pictures practically quadrupled. He swore that if they rearranged a few pictures they could just make a family tree right there on their wall.

“I mean this in a kind way, but there is no way you live on this farm alone and tend to all these tasks by yourself Applejack.”

She smiled and allowed her eyes to fall on each of the many photos one at a time as she spoke “Ah course ah don’t. I have my younger sister, mah older brother, and mah granny ta help. As well as many members o’ mah family stop in every now and agin’.”

“So then, where is everyone now?”

She chuckled “Well, they went on a trip to the royal city, I volunteered ta watch over the farm since harvesting season is over, besides, ah wanted to spend yesterday with the girls.”

A Frown crossed Discords face “I’m sorry I interrupted your time with them.”

She closed the gap between them with another hug, ruffling his cinnamon hair with a grin. “Sugar, you made the day better. What could any of us ask for more than making a new friend?”

In truth the smile warmed him. He had been having second thoughts since reaching the orchard with all the temptation he had seen for chaotic opportunities. He hadn’t felt any urges thankfully, just the slight idea of ‘what if’ or ‘I wonder…”.  He rested the top of his head on hers for a moment and returned the hug before she grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the stars.  “It’s late, both of us need to get some rest. After all, as still need to show yew ‘round my neck o’ the woods in the morning afore ah hand yew off.”  With those words the weariness did set upon him and he felt the need for sleep, a bed sounding wonderful.

Allowing himself to be led into a large room and pushed lightly towards a bed he thought to himself ‘so this is what its like to feel accepted.’

“Well yew sure do look happy.” Stated Applejack as she threw a blanket over the top of him and moved for the door. “Ah’ll be across the hall if’n yew need anything.”

With a wistful  grin he replied “Thank you Applejack….Goodnight.”

With that she closed the door and was lost to tranquility of the quiet farmhouse.

--=====

He didn’t sleep long into the night after the farmhouse grew quiet. It didn’t take the moon long to be blazing its silvery veins through the window and into his once closed eyes.  Discord couldn’t remember if being woken up like this ever had bothered him in his lifetime, but at that moment he decided it never would again. The view he was afforded from the pillow was beautiful even if it was at treetop level in the orchards.

Though the flash that lit up the night time scenery was hard to miss as Discords attention was drawn immediately to it. Rising from the makeshift fort of sheets he had created from nothing he stepped towards the window and wondered what could have made the flash. It could have been the return of the Apple families other members but Discord didn’t remember seeing any unicorns in the family pictures making it highly unlikely.

Deciding it would be better to investigate than wake Applejack for some trick the stars played on his eyes, Discord floated down the stairs and opened the front door to the farmhouse to find himself a few strides from Celestia herself.

There were a few silent moments when their eyes met  as both of their expressions went blank. Celestia spoke first “How are you finding the Apple Family Homestead Discord?” It was a polite enough question but the clenching of his jaw told Celestia that he hadn’t bought it as legitimate for a minute. His response guaranteed it.

“As much as I’d love to play a game of beat around the bush Celestia, I’m not in the mood for games. Can we get to the point of this visit?” It was cold coming from Discords, straightforward and serious as she had ever seen.

After a moment she sighed and looked him in the eyes again “I’m sorry, I dropped in to check on you. We haven’t had any reports of anything strange going on and I have indeed granted you more power than previously. All we could tell was there was nothing but…” She makes a rolling motion with her hoof and the same with her eyes, “ … a bit of teleportation.”

Now breaking his stony expression, Discord unclenches his jaw to speak with anger in his eyes “And what business is it of yours what my travel methods are?” He raised a brow and showed a few teeth with his frown.

Celestia nodded to herself and took a deep breath “I am not trying to start a fight here Discord, I simply wished to check up on you and-“

“Why are you here?” he cut her off “ I have done nothing wrong unless you consider a hug a crime nowadays ‘oh purest one’.”

This time Celestia snorted and almost snapped, regaining her senses at the last moment she looked up at Discord with Pity in her eyes and his blood boiled before she even spoke.  “I understand why you treat me with such hostility and for that I am more sorry than I can say.”

He had turned away after his last remark but this new one caught him by surprise. The incredulous stare he returned to Celestia made her mouth snap shut in confusion and the sudden dread filled silence was broken by a single word filled with such hatred it brought flashbacks to Celestias mind.

“What?”  The word was like the fall of a guillotine, filling Celestia with the dread only the damned can know.

Slightly taken aback She stuttered out, “I-I said that I am sorr-“

The look on Discords face turned to a sickening grin “If you came here to apologize then leave.  I appreciate what you and your sister have done for me, but this new life is not a get out of past mistakes free card for you.  He snapped his fingers and the sounds of a long passed argument filled the air with ghostly whispers.

Celestia’s face grew hollow and she roared in the Royal voice “Will you just listen to Us for once in your life!”

He knew her shout likely woke Applejack and that fact added to his rising temper. He leapt forward off the patio and landed feet from Celestia,  The roar he gave was nothing like the being she had been speaking with before, his size had grown and he had taken on a much more feral glow. The normally dull or misplaced points of his horns and fangs for once razor sharp and his scales thick and now a sickly red, he looked more dragon than anything in that moment.

“First off Celestia, you may be the princess here but there are others in this world and you would do well to respect their times of rest. Secondly I’ve spent lifetimes listening to your wisdom and look where it led me? I’d rather not spend another moment listening to your micromanagement. Third and finally Celestia….”  At this moment his body shrunk down and he looked almost normal.

He took a step forward so that they were no less than a foot apart from each other, he slowly raised an arm and stroked her cheek despite the flinch she made at the soft contact.   It was heartbreaking the look in his eyes as he spoke, “ Why should I trust you when you were the one who turned me to stone?”

Celestia’s heart skipped a beat, a painful, necessary beat and she sat hard, her face falling away from Discords hand and pointing down to the earth.  He could see the clear beads reflecting midnight falling from her muzzle and remembered what compassion felt like. He saw flashes of Applejack from earlier that night and took a page straight from her book. He took a step forward and before Celestia could startle much more than spreading her wings in panic he embraced her around the neck and squeezed gently.

Celestia’s eyes wide with terror morphed to a look of surprise and the tears flowed freely. She sobbed and the damn broke, releasing with it a cascade of endless apologies.   At some point he patted the top of her head and she smiled at his antics. They broke away from each other and Discord smiled.

“It’s a new trick I learned, you can thank Applejack for that one.”

Celestia smiled and straightened herself up before looking at Discord again and speaking clearly “I really didn’t mean to sound so suspicious Discord, I was just worried…well, both me and Luna were worried about you.  I know it must be hard to believe right now but we are both so happy to have you back.” She sighes again but it’s a warm wistful one that speaks of summer days and well spent eve’s, “You know she really misses having someone to play with like back in the old days. Even if we were all so young then, she remembers it so well.”

Discord and Celestia both looked up at the moon, and so did Applejack from her bedroom window.

“If you don’t mind Celly, could you pass on a message to our dear Lu-Lu?”

She looks over and the smile from before is still there “Sure.”

“Could you tell her I’d like to talk to her sometime. If she isn’t too busy that is.”

“Sure thing Disco.”

He winced at the nickname but before he could gently retort, Celestia had vanished in a glowing ball of warm light.

The rest of the night was uneventful as Discord finally found sleep in his room of the Apple family farmhouse. In the morning, Applejack woke him and they shared breakfast while chatting about the late night conversation once Discord realized Applejack had been woken by Celestia’s shout.

“So, Disco hunh?” Applejack relentlessly teases him for his casual behavior with the princess last night but he enjoys the good humor and makes Apple puns, as terrible as most of them are, for the rest of the day. Applejack lead Discord across the farm and showed him each of the different fields, telling in great detail all the different techniques, procedures, and histories that were a part of cultivating the crops and fields. Of course, he listened in rapt attention and soaked in the information as quickly as she dished it out, he never knew when he might need this info again.

The weather was warm and a tad humid, something he loved. Every now and then he would pick an apple from a tree and slice it through with the one protruding fang that stuck out of his maw before eating the halves. All the while Applejack seemed to find his apple eating antics hilarious as she giggled whenever she noticed him nonchalantly eating one.

Walking back towards the farm house to enjoy an early lunch he stopped to pick up an apple and peg Applejack with it lightly, turning she stared in mock surprise before smirking and picking up another apple that had already fallen to throw back at him. Before he could rightly retaliate he found himself being pelted by apples of all sizes and shades.

The events of that battle would go down in history as one of the most ferocious apple fights to have ever taken place...if there had been anyone else there to witness it.

Both panting for air and hanging about each others shoulders they arrived back at the farmhouse to find that they had a guest waiting in the living room.

Discord smiled and addressed their guest "Ah, Fluttershy, you've come for me?"

She nodded in her usual soft way before looking to Applejack and Smiling.  Applejack returned the smile and she approached to greet him “It’s…” a soft clearing of her throat and she continues “Its good to see you are doing well Discord.” She finishes with a meek smile, batting her lashes and staring down at the floorboards.

Discord takes a moment to look her over before speaking. “well, I suppose I should get out of your place Applejack, don’t want to keep time from Fluttershy after all. Thank you for everything so far…”

As they began the walk towards Fluttershy’s forest cottage he yelled back “ And I still kicked your hide in the apple fight!!”

Applejack simply smiled and waved after them, heading back to the farmhouse to continue the days work.

Walking alongside his new companion he felt her eyes on him and watched as she examined each different part of his makeup. Discord could already tell that this was going to be an interesting day, after all, she looked ticklish.