The sight of Tartarus still lingered at the back of Celestia’s mind. She knew she’d see that place in her dreams tonight, no doubt. Usually, the excuse for such a nightmare would be because it was a terrifying experience, but not this time.
No, the only thing she felt at this moment was disappointment.
She wasn’t sure why she trusted him in the first place. Little time had passed since he returned, yet already she was willing to out such a responsibility in his hands?
Staring at the fire wasn’t helping. She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing out the tears that were forming; hopefully from eyesore.
Despite the flame that was crackling in front of her giving off warmth into the room, she couldn’t help but feel chilled to the bone. Whether he had changed for good or not was still beyond her, and even so, she wasn’t sure how to put her trust in him again. Did she even have the ability?
Of course she did. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
By this point, she had become used to the fire’s heat wrapping itself around her forelegs. It had become the norm… meaning it felt cold. She disliked it greatly, but she could do nothing about it.
However, there was someone who could.
Celestia let out an inaudible gasp as she felt a new warmth touch her. Though, this time, it wasn’t around the front of her body, instead it was her back.
She refused to turn her head around to see what or who was up against her, since she didn’t need to look to know the answer.
Of course, that answer made her shift her wings uncomfortably. She knew who it was, and she found it hard to not to flinch away from him.
Yet, at the same time, it was even more difficult to flinch away from him in the first place.
She gritted her teeth, breathing in through her nostrils rather than her mouth, then reversing the process as she began to speak,
“Discord,” she began, but she wasn’t sure what to say next.
“Yes?” she heard him reply, his voice sounding no more than a rasp.
Celestia bit her lip. The two of them stood back to back, the warmth of him dominating the lit fire. She tried to ignore the pleasure and happiness she felt from feeling his fur againsts her’s. She wasn’t about to let go of all the evil that he’d caused. He then opened his mouth again,
“Do you hate me now, Celestia?” Discord asked. She felt his eagle talon brush over some of her coat as he took hold of some of her translucent strands of hair. From the corner of her eye, Celestia could tell he had picked up no other colour than her pink tresses.
“I still remember ourselves when we were innocent and young,” he continued. She may be silent, but he had her full attention, “It saddens me a little, that the only thing that’s left from yourself in the past is a few strands of pink hair.”
The mare flicked her ear. Still she dismissed the urge to turn and face him eye to eye, however she found her words.
“I’m not the only one who has changed,” she mused. The draconequus shifted against her, as if he were as uncomfortable with the position they were in as she was.
“That may be so,” his tone grew more defensive, “but at least I’ve made an effort to fix that of the past.”
Celestia snorted, “Of course, that’s way you would betray us all the way that you did, isn’t it?” She could tell that he was gently playing with the strands of hair that he has claimed, wrapping the end around his finger like it were a toy. Her mane may be long, but he had picked it up from the shortest lengths, so holding lock in front of him would’ve meant he’d be pulling at her mane, unless she leaned her head backwards a little.
That last part may have not been true, though. She was leaning her head backwards, her ear tips to lightly stroke the back of his neck, but he may have been holding a rather long curl that didn’t require her to do such a thing in the first place.
“We all make mistakes,” he retorted, “and before you say anything, I do regret my actions.”
At this point, his neck was against hers; his bristly mane tangling with her ethereal.
“I never said that you didn’t,” she blinked her eyes closed, “but do you expect me to forgive you? Again?” An unwanted shiver shot down her spine as he began to comb the lock of pink hair with his talons.
“Well, not really, no,” a chuckle rumbled from his throat, even if it did sound rather forced, coming from him, “and if you’re not anything like you were in the past, then I’d expect you to ignore me altogether.”
Celestia scrunched up her muzzle. “You say it saddens you to see how much I’ve changed?”
“Quite, yes.” Finally, he let go of her mane, letting it flow back into its original place.
“Then I’m saddened to see how oblivious you still are.”
Discord, for a moment, didn’t respond, prompting Celestia to speak before he could think of anything.
“I’ve tried my luck with you, Discord. For once, I put my trust in you, and yet you still betray me, as if I don’t matter to you,” her tone grew more bitter with each word, “if I didn’t know any better, I’d say that I probably don’t. Not anymore. And that saddens me.”
She could feel his neck curling to the side, so she knew he was looking at her, however she would not look at him. Not yet.
“There was someone in you who I cared for, I just don’t know if she exists anymore.”
Her eyes shot open. She was unable to keep them closed for any longer.
“Then why are you here?”
Once again, he didn’t answer straight away. However, this time Celestia let him think up a reply before continuing to speak herself.
So the two of them, for a long time, sat there, their backs pressed against each other, both of them waiting for the other to say something.
And when neither of them did, Celestia finally found the strength to tilt her head to the side, peaking at Discord from the corner of her eye. She tried to be as subtle as she could, but even that one small action caused the two immortals to lock gazes.
“...Can you forgive me, Celestia?” he finally breathed.
Celestia felt her eyes begin to water. “I thought you said that I’d changed,” her voice shook a little, but she still kept her firm tone.
“I know,” he glanced at her pink strands of hair again, “like I said, I make mistakes.”
A smile threatened to appear on her lips. Instead of using words to respond, her head swiveled round fully, her cheek coming to gently touch his.
“If you let me, then yes,” she whispered to him.
Instead of backs against each other, the two were side-by-side. It’s something they hadn’t been able to experience for far too many years. With her new positioning of her her body, Celestia’s mane gracefully followed her sudden movement, flowing in the invisible breeze. She felt some of her tresses tickle her chest, as the came to hover in front of them both.
She gazed down, seeing both pink and pale blue locks of hair curling around her chest and towards the draconequus she was bundled next to. Discord then raised his lion paw and clasped the two different coloured strands in it.
“Some memories are worth holding onto,” he murmured, keeping hold of her pink mane, while letting go of her blue coloured curls as he said,
“...and some are better left forgotten.”
Author's Note
Damn, now hair's a metaphor.
Okay, so I had no idea where I was going with this (like most of my stories) I was just staring at the drawing this thing is based on while listening to depressing and emotional music and just writing down whatever came to mind.
...That's how most of my stories a born, anyway.
Also, if this gets a lot of dislikes because it's Discord/Celestia, I'm gonna laugh so hard ^-^
Either way, I think I'll stop spamming everyone with Discord/Celestia now.
...
In a universe far away from here.
