Discord and Starlight Glimmer are in a hall in Canterlot setting up in one of the multitude of rooms in the castle. While Starlight set up chairs, Discord popped about the room adjusting the decore, partly from nervous energy, partly to amuse Starlight. He focused on painting on the wall. He snapped and it transformed into a painting of Equestria. Looking unsatisfied, he snapped again and it transformed into a painting of a fierce looking dragon. Turning to Starlight he asked, “How about this?”Starlight Glimmer grimaced and shook her head. Discord snapped his claw again, this time turning the picture into the Mona Lisa. Discord reacting quickly, “Oh, no, that won't do.” He snapped again, finally settling on a stylized version of Equestria’s flag. Starlight nodded her approval.
Starlight asks, “ Discord, did you bring the cucumber sandwiches?”
“Oh silly me” he said, as he conjoured a kitchen and ingredients to make the sandwiches as he tied an apron about his waist.
“You’d better hurry” said Starlight. “Princess Luna could be here any second.” She said with some urgency.
“Oh if you insist” Discord said with feined exasperation as his sandwich preparation accelerated to impossible speeds.
As he finished, Starlight asked, “Did you cut yourself chopping so fast?”
Discord replied, holding up his paws with several apparent bandages, “Hardly a scratch.”
Starlight smiled as she sat down only to immediately stand once again as Princess Luna finally arrived.
Starlight gave a brief, but respectful bow greeting the princess, “ Princess Luna, I am glad you could join us!”
Discord gave Luna an obviously unexpected but not an unwelcome hug saying, “Luna, my dear, I am so glad you agreed to be a part of our little club.”
Luna, still visibly surprised from the hug Discord greeted her with gave them both a warm smile saying, “ It is my pleasure. My sister and I agree that it would be good for all of us to discuss our problems with those who might understand.”Luna then asked, “So, where shall we begin?”
The three sat there silently for what seemed like an eternity. None knowing where to start. Discord finally breaks the silence by saying, “So we are all here because we have all hurt ponies in the past and have since seen the error of our ways.”
“That is how Discord and I became such fast friends, because of our shared harmful history” said Starlight. “It was then we both realized how helpful having other ponies that can relate helped us move forward.”
“I must say I find it refreshing. Celestia certainly carries her own regets over what I did as Nightmare Moon, and what she had to do to stop me, but she does not carry the same guilt I do every day.” Luna added.
“I can really relate to that” said Starlight. “Before Discord and I started spending time together I had no one who really understood what I was going through. I felt alone in a sea of ponies I had wronged, ponies with little cause to ever trust me. I was worried that I could never trust myself again, let alone earn the trust of other ponies.” Starlight expanded.
Luna then asked “And the companionship of Discord changed that for you?”
“Yes” Starlight replied.
“How so?” Luna asked, as she began to nibble at a cucumber sandwich.
Starlight began, “ Discord, first showed me I wasn't alone. That helped alot. He also demonstrated that you can't let yourself get so caught up in what others think of you.”
Luna, sensing Discord’s impatients asked, “and how has Starlight’s friendship helped you, Discord?”, as she finished her first sandwich and eyed a second.
Discord cleared his throat, just now realizing the uncomfortableness of the conversation, “I… well, I actually believed I learned the opposite from Starlight Glimmer.”
Starlight and Luna exchanged a confused and skeptical look.
Discord continued, “It is probably no surprise to you ponies, that empathy is not exactly my strongest feature. In my newfound friendships I have realized that I have to take how other ponies perceive me into account if I am to be part of this Equestrian society. Fluttershy and her kind, caring nature is of course instrumental in helping me care for others. It was Starlight and her somewhat similar status that helped me understand what it really meant to be feared as the three of us sometimes are.” As Discord finished, he snapped his paw once again, and the plates for the sandwiches marched off as a fresh pot of tea floated into his claw and cups and saucers darted in front of his companions. “Enough about us now, Luna, lets hear from you. How might we help you continue to move forward?” Discord asked as the tea began to serve itself.
Luna waited until her cup was full and she took a sip so she could contemplate her answer. “The two of you each repented and changed of your own free wills. Discord you changed because of Fluttershy’s kindness and then again by Twilight's forgiveness. Starlight Glimmer, you saw the damage destroying Twilight's friendships could have wraught and made the leap to trust Twilight that there was a better way...I made no such choice.” The three sat silently sipping their tea for a moment before Luna continued, “It is not that I never had that chance, Celestia and Twilight both gave me opportunities. I never chose to repent. That is what haunts me. I feared I would fall back into those destructive ways for a long time. I even devised a way to torture myself in my own dreams to ensure that I didn't. Twilight and the others helped me trust myself again. But I don't think I will ever really rid myself of the guilt and doubt that drove me to such lengths. Especially since, unlike the two of you, I cannot look back and see when I made the choice to change.”
Discord interjected, “Difficult issues indeed. For me it is a continuing struggle.” Discord waved his talon and the tea service all waddled back towards him he snapped his fingers and the dishes transformed into a gaggle of puppies which he got up and distributed as he continued, “I must fight my nature to embrace pure caos in order to consider the implications of other ponies. That is why Tirek’s offer was so appealing. It meant I could be unencumbered once again, but friends are worth the effort of reining in my life destructive impulses.”
This made Starlight smile. As the three let the puppies Discord conjoured lighten their mood, Starlight began, “I find it reassuring not only to have friends like you who have dealt with these issues, but go have role models to follow. With you two in my life, I have even more hope that I can be the kind of Pony I want to be, the kind of pony with true friends by my side.”
Luna agreed, “ I feel the same. It feels good to have others with similar experiences to lean on and lend a sympathetic ear.”
Discord nodded in agreement and asked, “ Right, so can we all agree that our first meeting was a resounding success?”
Luna and Starlight both sides their assent. Luna asked, “Same time next week?”
“Of Course”, Starlight replied. “Oh, and would it be too much trouble to have it at Twilight's Castle next week. Sunset Shimmer is interested in joining us and we're working on a way for her to communicate from that world. Dimension hopping can have unforseen consequences, after all.”
Luna thought for a moment, “Let me get back to you. I may be able to help with that.”
Author's Note
Special thanks to Falken35