Prologue
“...Discord...are you sure this is what you want?” The alicorn’s pale magenta eyes gazed somberly at the draconequus. Discord stared at the ground for a moment as if considering, then looked up at the princess with unshakable determination.
“Yes. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” Celestia simply gazed at him. He had changed so much since her first encounter with the chaotic spirit. He was uncaring and destructive, and simply used other creatures for his own twisted entertainment. Now, he had learned how to love and care. He loved another creature so much he was willing to give up his magic for her. His chaos. His immortality. The sun princess offered him a small, knowing smile.
“Then I guess we must begin.” She turned to the small stone container, unlocked the latch with her magic, and lifted the lid. Discord looked at it hesitatingly.
“Are you sure this will be able to contain it?” he asked. Celestia turned back to him.
“As sure as I can be. The stone is laced with harmonic magic. It is not as strong as the Elements, but it will eventually weaken the effects of the chaotic magic.” Celestia closed her eyes and began to concentrate. It would take every ounce of her strength to force the chaotic magic into the box. She could sense the loud obnoxiousness of Discord’s magic signature, and began to push her magic towards it. As her magic began to envelope his, she could feel a strong migraine pulsing in her head. Discord could feel it too, as she heard him wince. Now she began to pull. The chaos magic seemed to screech in protest and Celestia could feel bouts of pain coursing through her body. She could feel Discord pushing, and it was obvious the strain was taking a toll on him as well. The magic did not want to be separated from the owner it had been attached to for so long. As the first half of the magic entered the box, the princess could feel the pain begin to lessen. Finally, forcing the last of her magic, she slammed the box shut and latched it tight. Her vision was hazy, and she felt nauseous. Bending down for a moment, she regained her composure.
Discord was collapsed on the ground, not unconscious, but visibly very weak. The feeling of emptiness and quiet was new to him. No longer did he have his magic constantly coursing through him with uncontrolled energy. No more was the constant noise that he had found comforting. In its place were a headache and sore muscles. Celestia slipped her front leg under him, and helped him to his feet. Even standing was a chore. The princess helped him over to a chair against the wall.
“It will be hard to walk. Your magic had helped you keep your balance and hold up your weight.”
“I’ll get use to it,” he said staidly. Celestia pulled a chair over beside him and sat down. She felt she should say something, but she wasn’t sure what. What was going through the draconequus’ mind?
“How did Fluttershy react when you told her?” she asked quietly. Discord lifted his head up a bit and sat back in his chair.
“She was shocked at first. She wanted to talk me out of it, but I convinced her this is what I wanted to do.”
“It’s a brave thing you did,” she said to him. “Something I would have never expected of you years earlier. You must love her so much.” Discord looked at her for a moment. He was never one to wear his heart on his sleeve, and he rarely shared how he felt with anypony but Fluttershy. But this was different.
“More than anything,” he simply said. Celestia smiled at him once more. The two entered another bought of silence. This was the most intimate conversation they had had with each other. Although he would never admit it, Discord had grown to respect Celestia over the years of his reformation. Celestia turned her head to look over at the small stone box. It had a purple aura around it, and she could still feel the signature of Discord's magic. If in the wrong hooves, his magic could devastate Equestria. Her harmonic magic would weaken the chaotic magic over the years, and eventually it will be of no harm to any creature. Still, the unpredictability of chaos lurked in the back of Celestia's mind. "So it will be destroyed?" Discord's voice broke her train of thought.
"Yes," she said softly. Discord stared at the box, his brows creased. He felt very odd. On one hoof, he was glad he gave up his magic. He couldn't bear outliving Fluttershy, and possibly their children. On the other, it was hard to give up chaos. It was something he loved. It would be a hard transition, but Discord was sure it would turn out well in the end.
“I suppose I should return to Ponyville,” he said suddenly, rising out of his chair. He grabbed the arm to steady himself. Celestia stood as well.
“You’ll have to wait for the next train,” she said. Discord visibly grimaced. A three hour train ride crushed in a cabin of wary ponies didn’t exactly sound pleasing to him.
“Oh, cheer up!” Celestia said jokingly. “It won’t be that bad.”
“Oh you're one to talk, Miss Prissy Princess,” he said sarcastically, his usual demeanor returning. “How many times have you ridden the train? Twice? You always have those guards flying you everywhere.” The princess laughed. She was glad the lack of magic hadn’t affected his humor.
“I’ll see you at your wedding then?” she said. Discord looked back at her.
“Yes. My wedding,” he said thoughtfully. Discord stood there for a moment, musing on something. Looking up once more, he said, “Celestia?”
“Yes?” she replied.
“Thank you.”
Author's Note
This will be my first multi-chapter fic. I would really appreciate critique especially concerning characterization. Thank you for taking the time to read my story! :3
Discord couldn’t think of a time of when he’d been more distressed than this. He paced the whitewash hallways, the boringness and simplicity of the design agitating him more. His brow was furrowed, and he nervously chewed on the claws of his lion paw. For what seemed like the hundredth time, he glanced at the clock to check the time. Only three minutes had passed since he had last checked. The longer Discord stared at the clock, the angrier he grew. It seemed to mock him, the red second hand ticking along as slow as possible. Tearing his attention away from the clock, he looked at the double metal doors that led to the operating theater. When it was decided that Fluttershy needed to go into surgery, they refused to let him stay by her side. The last time he had seen her, she was doing very badly. He prayed her condition hadn’t grown worse. He sat down in a chair by the doors, and began to recall what had led to this situation.
About three weeks after Discord had given up his magic, he and Fluttershy were married. The ceremony was held in the Canterlot gardens, a wedding gift from Princess Celestia. Discord smiled, and remembered that he and Fluttershy were practically inseparable that day. For a while, the couple was worried that they would be unable to conceive a child together, considering they were both of different species. But months after the wedding, they were delighted to discover that Fluttershy was pregnant. The pregnancy was rough on Fluttershy as she was much weaker than the average pony. It was five hours ago that Fluttershy had gone into labor. Discord had quickly scooped her up and rushed her to the local hospital. About an hour into the delivery process, the doctors could tell that something was very wrong. Despite Fluttershy’s pushes, the foal seemed as if it wasn’t going to budge. With every contraction, Fluttershy was growing weaker, and the doctors wondered if she was strong enough to deliver the baby. They decided to put her into surgery.
Once the procedure began, Discord was left entirely alone, with no information on how Fluttershy was doing. It was times like this when he wished he had his magic. He could have simply delivered the foal himself and spared Fluttershy all the suffering. Discord felt sick when the possibility he could lose Fluttershy and his child entered his mind. He fiddled with his wedding ring, trying to distract himself. Fluttershy meant the world to him. What he do if he lost her? And his foal...the realization that he would be an active father soon struck Discord. Feeling restless once more, he stood up and began to once again pace the hallways.
Suddenly, the creak of a door broke Discord out of his thoughts. “Mr. Discord, sir?”, a timid nurse said from the entrance. “We’re all finished with procedure. You can see your wife now.”
“How is she?”, Discord asked abruptly. The nurse smiled, familiar with these types of questions from nervous fathers.
“She and the foal are doing fine,” she replied. The nurse opened the door wider, and gestured for Discord to enter. Hesitantly, the draconequus bent down to enter the door. The operating room was dimmer than the hallway, and the brightest light came from the center of the room. An overhead lamp beamed directly onto the operating bed, clearly illuminating Fluttershy. Her mane was messy, the pink strands sticking to her face from the sweat. She had dark bags under her eyes, and she was noticeably weak. But despite all this, she had a small, peaceful smile on her face. Her eyes were fixed tenderly on a small bundle of blankets in her hooves. She held the bundle close to her chest, and was gently stroking the foal inside. Discord could spot a small paw gently grasping a lock of Fluttershy’s mane. The yellow mare seemed not to notice Discord, as she did not look up when he walked in. He slowly approached her, placing his paw on her shoulder. She looked up, and smiled happily at her husband.
“Hi Discord,” she whispered weakly. Discord smiled and bent down to kiss her.
“Hello,” he said tenderly. “How are you feeling?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” she replied. She held the bundle of blanks out towards him. Discord stared at it uncertainly, afraid of hurting the foal if he held it. Fluttershy silently encouraged him, and Discord gently took his baby into his arms. The foal was so small compared to Discord. It fit snug in the crook of his arm, and he cradled it protectively to his chest. It was a boy, a draconequus to be exact. His face was the same color as Discord’s, with a dark brown tuft of hair that came over his forehead. His irises were the same deep teal as Fluttershy’s, with his scaleras a being a paler yellow than Discord’s. A bit of fluff from his chest poked out from the blanket, and was the same chocolate brown as his mane. A yellow lion paw and a beaver’s claw were curled up near his tiny snout. The blanket obscured the rest of the child’s figure, but Discord didn’t mind. The deep love he felt in his heart for this little creature was indescribable. Discord had a teary smile on his face as the little one reached up its tiny paw to touch his father. Discord offered his own paw, and the foal curiously took one of the digits and stuck it in his mouth. Discord chuckled at his son’s antics and knelt beside Fluttershy.
“He’s wonderful,” he said quietly, feeling more tears began to well up.
“He is,” Fluttershy agreed, resting her head on her lover’s shoulder. “So what are we going to name our baby?” she asked? Discord looked down at the little foal, who was now content with batting at his father’s beard. Many names came to his mind, but none seemed to fit his first kin. One name broke through the recesses of his mind, and Discord knew it was perfect.
“How about Leo?” he said, turning to his wife. Fluttershy pondered for a bit, then smiled.
“I love it. Our little Leo.”
Author's Note
Sorry for taking so long to update, but anyway, here's the second chapter! Thanks continuing to read my story. :) I'd appreciate feedback and critique so I can know if you guys are enjoying the story, and what I can do to improve. Onto Chapter Three!