Ancient History

Canterlot mountain loomed high in the distant twilight. On one side of the verdant valley lay fields of lush grass and wildflowers, budding dirt roads criscrossing through the hills on their way to the Everfree Forest and the royal palace its branches contained, small bridges passing politely over brooklets. On the other lay a checkered pattern of purple and yellow that coated the earth like a blanket. Instead of trees there were houses of cards, cotton candy clouds rained chocolate milk, and small dogs floated through the air in porcelain teacups.

A clear line of influence separated the two. Hovering over the grass flew Princess Celestia and Luna, the great alicorn wings beating to keep them aloft, their jewelry glinting in the fading light as they glared at their foe. Across from them hovered Discord, his snakelike body worming through the air in a dizzying twist as he smirked at the two.

"Enough games, Discord," Luna barked at him. "You can't run forever!" She pointed her horn at him, shooting a deep blue laser at him. Yet it was all too easy for him to uncoil and dodge the blast.

"Are you kidding? I don't even have to run," Discord said. With a snap of his talons, another acre of land beneath the alicorns transformed into a layer of red and green stripes.

"You certainly cannot fight us," Celestia retorted. She fired a golden laser at him, but Discord simply stuck out his paw, blocking the magic with his palm like he was bored.

"Just because I'm outnumbered? Give me some credit," he grinned at them. "But I suppose you're right. I'm not much of a fighter am I?" Discord said with a flex of his arm, letting his bicep droop like a heavy rubber tube.

"Then flee like a coward, while you have the chance," Luna hissed.

Discord leaned toward them with a fiendish smile. "Then come and catch me."

He shot off into the air like a rocket, even leaving a trail of fire and smoke behind him. Celestia and Luna raced after him. He twisted and spiraled, dodging blasts of their lasers deftly. Discord would turn in flight to point finger-guns at the princesses, and with each bang, he changed their shoes into beach sandals, their crowns into dunce caps, and their jeweled collars into necklaces with giant, heavy stones.

Immediately, the sisters plummeted to the checkered ground with a thud. Discord hovered overtop them, snickering at the sight of the two lying in a heap. "My, it seems like things are off to a rocky start, aren't they?" His hands clapped over his stomach and eyes as he rolled in midair, howling with laughter.

"Very funny, Discord," Celestia spat.

"Oh come now, Celestia don't be so uptight. I'm just trying to get my rocks off!" Again, Discord convulsed with a fit of laughter.

Celestia growled. She jerked her neck to aim her horn at him, and as Discord laughed on, she managed to hit him square in the chest with a golden blast that blew him back. His body skidded into the dirt, tearing up the checkered pattern of the ground.

The princesses slipped their heads from out of the necklaces and removed the hats, flying over him. He was dazed, and he picked his head up, smoke still trailing up from his chest.

But before they could finish him off, Discord only grumbled, "Everyone's a critic." And with a quick snap of his fingers, he was gone.

Luna huffed in frustration, but Celestia sighed in relief. "This is pointless! He eludes us every time!" the younger sister waved her hooves in the air, kicking her sandals off.

"It is as you said, he cannot run forever. Soon, we will have the power to stop him. For now, we must only defy him wherever he appears," Celestia replied calmly.

Luna nodded begrudgingly. "This spirit of chaos, he treats the land like a game board, nay, reality itself. I cannot comprehend how a creature could be so cruel."

"I am certain he thinks us just as sick, for being so orderly," Celestia said.

Luna raised an eyebrow. "You sympathize with the creature."

The sun princess simply shook her head. "No. His will would rob our ponies of all their happiness for himself. But if we are to fight madness, we must come to understand madness."

Luna rolled her eyes. "You're starting to sound like Starswirl."

Celestia gave her sister a playfull cuff with her wing. "And you're starting to sound like mother. Come, let us undo Discord's spells. If we are quick, we may be back to the castle in time to raise the moon."

Luna nodded solemnly. They split up, letting their horns bathe the land, the air, and everything tainted by Discord's magic in a light glow. By the time the first stars were out to shine, the valley was once again lush and fertile, bathed in a dusky hue and limned in silver. The sisters left the land, and its peace was preserved.

Celestia always awoke early from her slumbers, while the moon was still up. Tonight, she was well-rested, yawning and stretching, languidly dressing herself in gold before leaving her bedchambers.

She met with Luna on the same balcony at the height of the tallest tower in the Castle of the Two Sisters each night. There, the smaller alicorn awaited her, her stern eyes fixated on the moon.

"How is the night, my sister?" Celestia greeted her.

Luna kept her face toward the glare of the moonlight. "Still, my sister."

Celestia nodded. "You must be tired. Especially after the fight with Discord."

"On the contrary, I find that the excitement of it all still has not left me. I wonder how you can sleep while he is still out there, surely wreaking havoc on our lands."

Celestia wrapped a parental wing around Luna. "Because even Discord must sleep. Try not to worry. We will free Equestria from his tyranny soon, and our ponies can then rest easy. And so can you."

"About that," Luna said. "Starswirl wishes to speak with you. He has much to explain about his discoveries regarding chaotic magic. He attempted to explain it all to me, but I hardly have a mind to listen to him go on. If you don't lend him your ear, I believe he'll explode."

Celestia had to chuckle. "He is a dear old stallion. You didn't give him a moment of your attention? There's hardly anything to do at night."

Luna's feathers ruffled at the comment. "He seems to think he's 'cracked it.' He plans to turn Discord's own magic against him somehow. Honestly, I don't have high hopes for his ideas."

"Starswirl would not be our royal wizard if his hairbrained ideas did not produce fruit. If he thinks he's close, then the hour of victory will be upon us soon," Celestia said.

"Good," Luna said flatly. "The sooner we are rid of Discord forever, the better. It will be a pleasure to scatter his ashes to the winds."

Celestia reeled a bit at her harsh words. "Luna, how could you say that? Discord is a villain, but even he has proven he is above killing. What sort of rulers would we be if we resorted to destroying our opposition so utterly?"

Luna finally turned to Celestia, the moon's glare in her eyes. "How could you defend him? He is a menace, Celestia. A wicked spirit. Equestria cannot rest while he still draws breath. To destroy him is to save our ponies, and to spare them is to continue to put them at risk. As rulers, we are charged with making these unpleasant decisions, but we should not avoid the best solutions because they are unpleasant."

Celestia closed her eyes, shaking her head solemnly. "No. Discord is a problem, but he is still a living being. All living things have good inside of them. I believe that someday he could be turned to good. Maybe not a noble, law-abiding citizen, but helpful all the same. Could you imagine what he could do for others with the power he wields? Our ponies could know an unprecedented era of prosperity if we could only convince him to see what we can offer him. It would be worth the years and effort spent to keep him in captivity."

"I can hardly believe my ears," Luna said. "You are too idealistic, Celestia. Discord is not a pony like you or me. He is a spirit. He is beyond kindness, incapable of honesty, devoid of any sort of love. All he knows is mayhem, and he rejoices in it, especially in the suffering of others. Could you imagine what he would do to you if you gave him the chance?"

Celestia's ears flattened. "Discord is hard-hearted, but he would never hurt-"

"Do not speak as if you know him," Luna said fiercely. "No pony does. That is entirely the point. He is unpredictable, uncontrollable, and totally unreasonable. I could not fathom what he would do to you if you offered him an ounce of compassion. So be sure that you do not."

Now Celestia drew herself up tall. "And you do not speak to me in such a way. I would never put the well being of my kingdom in jeopardy for the chance to spare Discord."

"Our kingdom," Luna corrected her.

There was a long silence. The two sisters locked eyes for a moment before turning away. The silence grew to fill the night air around them, and finally Celestia gave a tired sigh. "This night has drawn on for quite some time. You should have lowered the moon hours ago. It is summer."

"You were sleeping."

Luna closed her eyes, her horn radiating light. Gently, slowly, the moon slid down over the horizon, the last silver sliver disappearing completely into blackness. Celestia, in turn, ignited her horn, her wings expanding as she soared into the sky, and with her, the first golden glimmers of sunlight shone over the mountains.

Beneath the rainbow of colors and clouds, Celestia landed. "Rest, dear sister. You have earned it."

Luna didn't speak as she withdrew to her room. But Celestia retreated as well, flying high into the sky, off toward the Canterlot mountain. The rocky peaks were yet uninhabited, but there was a tranquil beauty about the falls and mossy cliffs that drew her. Her argument with Luna still simmered in her mind, but the closer she came, the quicker it all melted away. Her own private paradise, where she could cease to be Princess, and simply be Celestia.

"You're late," Discord said. He had perched himself near a spring on a narrow cliff, sitting in a leather armchair next to the waterfall, smoking a bubble pipe and reading the morning paper, each black-and-white picture of himself.

"My apologies," Celestia said as she landed. "Luna extended the night again. I must speak to her about being more prompt with time and the heavens. The ponies are going to become confused."

"And what's wrong with letting the night drag on a little longer?" Discord said, raising his eyebrow and lowering his gaze over a pair of reading glasses. "All sorts of fun, exciting things can happen at night. You've never wanted a night to drag on forever?"

Celestia shook her head with an amused smile. "You would take her side. Day and night should be a rhythm to which the world turns."

"It's a shame. Only you could take something as grand as control of the heavens and make it routine."

Discord stood, the chair, paper, pipe, and glasses disappearing as he plodded on the grass next to Celestia. He headed down the cliffside, and she fell into step beside him.

She let her wings stretch a bit, playfully pushing Discord against the cliff face as she sighed. "This mountain is so lovely. It's simply too beautiful to disturb. It's like a dream."

"Careful now," Discord said, elbowing her back. "Dreams are Luna's territory."

Celestia rolled her eyes. "Yes, as is our ultimatum concerning you. She actually wants to have you cremated."

"Heavens," Discord said with genuine shock.

"I know! It's simply barbaric."

"I know you two don't like my idea of fun, but it's not like I've hurt anypony! I detest these 'fights' we always seem to find ourselves in," he said, air quoting. "They're simply barbaric."

"I think you'd say they're 'not your style?'" Celestia said.

"Precisely. You know what they say. It's all fun and games until somepony gets hurt," he replied. Discord stopped suddenly. He stared at the cliff wall for a second, his eyes squinting, before he poofed a paintbrush into his hand. With a deep dark black, he painted a semicircle onto the rocks. "We should pass through here," he offered.

Discord and Celestia stepped into the dark, arched tunnel, light on both ends preventing them from being completely drowned in darkness. Celestia habitually lit her horn anyway. She shook her head, hardly missing a beat in the conversation. "I'm sorry. We're not supposed to talk about the war while we're together."

"We are on vacation, after all," Discord said. "But I wouldn't expect you to bottle up matters with your sister. It's better to get them off your chest."

"This is quite a brief vacation," Celestia commented.

"So keep the sun up while your sister sleeps. It's what she did to you."

"You know I can't do that." Celestia took another deep breath. "I'll only say one more thing on the matter. I do wish we didn't have to fight."

Discord groaned. "Don't try to sweet talk me, Princess. You can take the draconequus out of chaos, but you can't take chaos out of the draconequus."

"That doesn't make sense."

"Exactly." He crossed his arms at her. "But honestly, that's like me telling you to give up your kingdom so that we can spend time together."

"I don't think it's quite the same. I have a responsibility to my ponies."

"And I have a responsibility to chaos. After all, somepony has to keep things interesting around here. Everything's the same, day in and day out! I don't know how you stand it."

"I just worry about what will happen," Celestia said.

"You worry too much," Discord said.

The tunnel ended on the other side of the mountain, where another spring was situated. This one was much larger than the last, with a sandy rim around the edges giving a gradual slope into the crystal blue waters.

"Oh, how lovely," Celestia said. "How did you know this was here?"

"Because I'm me," was his only explanation, Discord rubbing his knuckles on his chest with pride.

"You truly are something else," Celestia said with awe. "I'm speechless."

"Well, I only have one word." Discord snapped his fingers, acquiring a pair of tropical swim trunks and shades, while Celestia's garments changed to a polka dotted bikini. "Canonball!"

Celestia examined her new outfit while Discord got a running start. He jumped right into the water, curling into a ball and making quite a splash. Celestia shielded herself with a wing. When his head broke the surface again, she raised an eyebrow. "I don't understand what you've put me in at all. It doesn't seem practical."

"Of course not," Discord replied. He lowered his shades and winked at her. "But it does look very fetching on you."

Celestia smiled. She tied her mane back and dove in, making sure to splash Discord good. For a while, the two only played in the spring, splashing and dunking one another, doing lazy laps, daring one another to dive over the edge to the waterfall below. They laughed enough for a whole day.

After some time, the two floated languidly next to each other, Discord reclining on a floating ring with his arms behind his head, and Celestia simply spread out on her back, her wings splayed, hooves on her stomach. She stared up at the sky. "I haven't been swimming in ages," she said. "There are a few natural pools in the Everfree Forest, but they're so overgrown. Luna and I haven't had time to travel to a beach since we took our thrones."

"I'm glad I could help you steal away then," Discord said. He smiled to himself. "I imagine you like to sunbathe?"

She frowned at him. "Do you think you're clever?"

"Oh, don't be that way." He snapped his fingers, and on the sandy shore a blanket, beach umbrella, and picnic basket appeared. The two climbed out of the water, and Discord made a point to shake himself dry on Celestia.

She laid herself down on the blanket, sinking her head into the ground, letting out a deep breath as she began to relax. Her eyes closed, but she continued to speak. "We're really not so different, you and me," she said.

The afternoon sun was at the right angle to shine down on Celestia's pristine body. Her white coat shimmered with lingering wetness, her body soft and supple. Discord's eyes lingered on her, tracing down her mane to the exposed parts of her back between her wings, and lower still to her wide hips. The swimsuit covered her bottom well, but Discord still devoured it with his gaze, her fit flanks and shapely thighs, the outlines of her form curving from one part to the next so gracefully.

"Oh?" he asked. He stared on unblinkingly, but Celestia was more than comfortable enough with him. He undid the strings of her bikini top, the humor of the useless article having worn off, leaving her bare back exposed to him, her shoulders and chest both dainty and tantalizing. From the picnic basket he retrieved a bottle of lotion. Squirting a hefty dose onto his palms, he rubbed them together before laying them on her shoulders.

Celestia nodded lightly. "We're immortal beings. We represent ideals as much as we're ponies. We have strict duties to those ideals."

"We both enjoy goofing off," Discord added. Celestia smiled, but she hummed as his palms rubbed over her shoulders. Discord couldn't deny how satisfying it was to dig his fingers into her back, to massage her tired, stressed muscles, to feel the beautiful mare beneath him relax under his touch. No pony had fingers like he did, and he worked her shoulders, moving down to the spaces between her wings, his slick palms easing the tension in her spine as he kneaded into her. Soon Celestia had unwound completely.

"I suppose I can't argue," Celestia said softly, even her voice at ease. "Mmm, heavens, you're good at this."

Discord didn't respond. He continued to work her body over, paying attention to her signals diligently, raking along her ribs with his fingers and using his palms to press into the meat of her lower back. Her body was soothing and warm to the touch, and he could feel the very core of her seeming to yield to him. As good as she felt, it was a pleasure of its own to run his fingers through her soft fur, to see her flesh move under his hands.

"Enjoying yourself?" Discord said, working to keep his voice even.

"You have no idea," Celestia sighed.

There was no denying it anymore. Discord could feel arousal pump through his very blood. Now that he had his hands all over Celestia, it only made him want more of her, to feel her incredible body even more intimately. But he could see the effect he had on her as well. Her tail, just above her swimsuit, swished a bit, and her legs seem to spread. But when her tail wasn't moving, it seemed to flag ever so slightly. Discord may not have been a pony, but he knew enough about them to know the signs of arousal, and he knew enough about females to know that a massage was essentially foreplay for them.

Every breath from Celestia was slow. Discord could see even her brow had relaxed. And as badly as his body told him that he needed her, it was clear that all Celestia needed was some time to unwind. She had spent half their time just talking about how stressed she was. Even if he believed fooling around would be a great source of relief for her, he knew that females didn't think the way that males did.

"This is divine," Celestia said. "Thank you. You're a good friend, Discord."

"My pleasure," he said. And despite the double entendre, he was sincere. So he kept his hands working over her hips, never straying down to her cutie mark. He was still dying to let his hands explore, but her words rang in his ears. He let out his own deep breaths, letting himself relax. "You're a good friend too."

"Oh?"

"Mm," he confirmed, slowly stroking her back. "I believe you're the only pony who willingly spends time with me. I enjoy company from time to time."

"No pony should be alone," Celestia said. "Even you. Perhaps especially you." Discord couldn't ask what she meant. She stretched, and he removed his hands from her. She opened her eyes, blinking at the sun, and frowned. "I should get back. Luna will be awake, and she's likely wondering where I've gone."

"Tell her you were negotiating with the enemy," Discord said.

"She'd have my head after yours," Celestia said. She rose to her hooves, and smiled at Discord, looking him in the eyes. "Thank you. This was wonderful. I owe you."

Discord smiled back, lowering his shades. "I'll hold you to that."

With a snap of his fingers, Discord redressed the princess. She trotted to the edge of the spring, and with a smile, waved goodbye with her wing before taking off. If she noticed the obvious tent he had pitched in his swim trunks, she was too polite to show it. He waved back, and she took off.

Discord groaned, flopping down onto the sand. "Mares," he grumbled. He was frustrated, but all the same, he somehow felt relaxed too. He had hardly thought about chaos in hours, he had been so wrapped up in his conversation with Celestia.

He let his mind lay blank, staring up at the same sky that had enchanted her all afternoon. But before long, he muttered to himself, "I should change some of these rivers to applesauce." And in a moment, he was off to do just that.

Princess Celestia alighted on the soft grass of her castle's garden. The Palace of the Two Sisters had a courtyard organized by tall hedges, and she noted their usefulness when it came to hiding and sneaking around. As much as she didn't want to hide, she thought that she should have a maze constructed out of them for such purposes someday.

She cast her gaze about the greenery, but all she saw were hedges, rose bushes, and the late afternoon sun. She exhaled with relief. It appeared she wasn't missed.

"There you are!" an elderly gray stallion dressed in a ridiculous blue hat and robe spangled with stars and golden bells announced his presence as she nearly trampled him. Starswirl the Bearded was hard to miss with his ridiculous attire and even more epic beard that stretched down to the bottom of his chest. How he had gotten the drop on Celestia, she had no idea. But, as she had come to expect, her eccentric teacher and court wizard was far too lost in his own ideas to notice the obvious fact that Celestia had been playing hooky. "Perfect timing. I've been working at cracking Discord's magic, and I think I've got just the thing to put a stop to him!"

"Yes, Luna mentioned you had something you were excited about," Celestia nodded at the quirky unicorn, falling into step and resuming her regal air.

"Is that all she told you?" he asked, raising a bushy eyebrow.

"I'm afraid so."

"Fah! That mare couldn't sit through a lecture if her kingdom depended on it!" Celestia winced at the harsh criticism of her sister. Even if Luna much preferred action to words, she wasn't stupid. Starswirl continued. "It's just as well. Luna can sit in on the briefing so I know you both will understand my plan. It's pure genius, if I do say so myself!"

"Starswirl, how did you ever become such a humble stallion?" Celestia asked in a dry tone.

"Don't get sassy with me, missy," he said in a tone that Celestia hadn't heard often since she was a filly.

The Palace didn't have much of a war room, given the Princesses' distaste for such conflict, but a large table with a map of Equestria unfurled over the heavy broad surface would suffice. The room itself was small, perched near Starswirl's laboratory and furnished with bookcases that mostly served as overflow for his study and lab. Celestia and Luna agreed that it was a good decision to place the war room so near to his lab. It made Starswirl fancy himself a general, and they knew any stallion would jump at the chance to service his ego by taking on such a responsibility, freeing them from the duty.

Luna was already seated at the table, idly moving some of the miniatures along the map in a mock battle with her magic, resting her head in her hoof. She straightened up quickly, some of the figurines falling over as she did so. Starswirl hardly noticed, but Celestia raised a knowing brow. Luna only gritted her teeth.

"Now, Your Highnesses, as I was saying," Starswirl took his seat, not even waiting to launch into his discovery. "I've been researching Discord's magic, looking for a way to break it."

"Discord can alter the very fabric of reality. How can any magic stop that?" Celestia asked.

"He cannot do anything," Luna pointed out. "Or else he would have won by now."

"Quite right you are Luna," Starswirl said. He began to stroke his beard astutely as he explained. "All magic has some sort of classification, an element - a color, if you will. Discord's magic is chaotic in nature, which naturally prevents him from using it to create order. He can't, for example, create something out of nothing, unless it's for humorous effect."

"But that is so subjective! It makes no sense!" Luna protested, waving her hooves around.

"Precisely," Starswirl replied. "But even that, in a way, is very telling about the nature of his power. He cannot do complicated spells like you two. He cannot maintain the order of this world, he can only throw it out of balance. Your powers are naturally opposed in that sense, doomed to a conflict of destiny."

Celestia disagreed, but chose not to voice her thoughts. Instead, she only asked, "So what is your discovery?"

"As I've said, I've been seeking a way to break his magic. Doing so would require its opposite, its complementary color, if you will. Naturally, this would be the magic of harmony, but without some sort of spirit of harmony to observe, it is difficult to imagine what harmonious magic would look like. Until I realized it was right in front of me all along." Starswirl opened up his hooves widely in front of him, his golden eyes glimmering. "Harmony is not a magic that can be inherent to any one being! It is the magic between beings, the power that brings ponies together, the magic that fuels the very cycles of our world! And you two are its spirits!"

"This is where you lost me last time," Luna said. Celestia could only wonder at what he was talking about.

"But don't you see, Your Highness?" Starswirl asked, his excitement building. "You two are alicorns! Ageless ponies gifted with power over the very fabric of our world! What could be more harmonious than the cycle of night and day, and the bond between two sisters? Once I realized that, I began to observe your relationship more closely."

"How closely?" Celestia asked keenly.

Starswirl avoided her pointed question. "Close enough to distill the magic of harmony to its very core!" From his robe, he dramatically levitated out six colored gems, swirling them in a circle as he spoke, his voice thundering like the royal herald. "Behold! These gemstones are the distilled essence of harmony! The very qualities that bind ponies together! Honesty! Loyalty! Generosity! Kindness! Laughter! And last, Magic! Together, I call them the Elements of Harmony!"

Even without Starswirl's grand introduction, the sister's could sense the massive amounts of power bundled into the tiny collection of perfectly polished gemstones. They leaned forward, taking in their faint gleam. "What are we to do with these?" Luna asked.

"They cannot be wielded by a single pony. Only ponies whose bond is strong enough to represent the magic within them can harness their power. But you two, you sisters, I believe you have what it takes. Together, the two of you can use these to stop Discord once and for all!"

Luna's eyes gleamed with hope, but Celestia gulped. In a small voice, she asked, "What will happen to Discord if we use these Elements against him?"

Starswirl's excitement faded as he slumped into his chair. He scratched at his beard and answered, "Well... I'm not sure. Seeing as how they are reverse-engineered from chaotic magic, and Discord is a chaotic being... It's certain that their power can break his for good, that these Elements can bring harmony to even his chaotic soul. They may very well turn him good."

Celestia's eyes flashed with hope, but Luna seemed less than impressed. However, even Celestia knew there was more. "But...?" she probed.

"But..." Starswirl postured with more beard-scratching. "They may do any number of things to him. Take away his magic, turn him into a pony... perhaps even kill him."

A heavy silence hung in the air. Celestia spoke firmly. "No. Discord must be stopped, but to kill him... I will not risk it."

"I was worried you would say that," Luna replied. She stood up from her seat, closing the distance to her sister. "Do not let your kindness become weakness. Discord must be stopped. You said so yourself. And here we have the chance to do just that. Do not forget that until we do that, Equestria cannot advance, cannot prosper. Discord controls this world and makes our country and its citizens his playthings. If you are a Princess of Equestria, there must be no hesitation. We must not allow them to suffer when we can act."

Celestia felt like her head was swimming, Luna's strong words in her ears drowning out her thoughts. "But... but-" she looked up at Luna with pleading eyes. "To kill him?"

For once, Luna's gaze softened. "It is not something I advocate lightly. I promise you that. But there is only a chance that the Elements will kill him, as Starswirl said. They very well may change him, may make him good. I do not understand why you show such sympathy toward him, but if your heart must be soft on him, isn't that chance also worth taking? To gain Discord as an ally?"

The princess's memories drifted back to earlier that day, to the sun on her back and his hands on her body, their playful banter filling the easy silence. She wished in that moment that they could spend time together as anything but enemies. She nodded. "You are right. I cannot let my fear get in the way of this chance for the greater good, to save him."

Luna nodded back. "Then let us not delay. I will search for him in my night, and find him by moonlight. Then, we end this at first light."

The night did come, and it brought Celestia no end of anxiety. From the first silver drop of moonlight, she tossed restlessly in her bed. Her thoughts warred in her brain, and all the possible outcomes that could stem from her one choice overwhelmed her. To resist the plan was to betray her feelings to her sister and Starswirl, and invite disaster for her family and her kingdom. But to go and fight the next morning was to invite disaster on one of the few close friends she could claim.

Even the silence of her room was oppressive. Not even the night air, still in the warm summer, could provide even a single gust of wind to drown out her mind and give her rest. This, she knew, was the price she paid for keeping secrets. Without Starswirl or Luna to share the burden of her worries, she could only carry them by herself, and even her sheets felt cool. It was at times like this that Celestia felt more alone than ever.

Her ears raised when she heard a small clatter. She looked toward her window to see what looked like the top rung of a ladder. A few moments later, Discord appeared, his dark hair done in a combed mop, and he even wore a garish, ugly sweater. "Hey Celestia," he announced himself as he stood at the top. "Do you think this reference is too dated?"

"Discord!" Celestia was panicking at the sight of him. "What are you doing here? You need to go before a guard sees you! Or worse, Luna!"

"Oh, calm down," Discord said, stepping into the room and removing the hair like it was a wig, tossing it out the window. "I was planning on kidnapping you anyway. There's a glade in the Everfree Forest that's teeming with fireflies. I thought you might like to catch them so we could roast marshmallows over them."

Celestia huffed an exasperated sigh. "Now is not the time for that. Things are getting serious, Discord!"

Discord took pause. "You're genuinely upset, aren't you?" He took a seat at the edge of her bed, beginning to awkwardly wriggle out of the sweater. "So what's wrong?"

"I... don't know if I can tell you."

Discord tossed the garment aside casually. "Oh, it's about the war, is it? I thought it was something really serious."

Celestia snapped at him. "It is serious, Discord! We..." She took a deep breath. But when she looked up at his goofy face, she knew she wouldn't sleep well at all if she didn't warn him, or give him a chance to surrender. "Starswirl's made a weapon against you. Created from your own magic."

"A weapon? Born of chaotic magic?" Discord only slithered closer to her, touching the tips of his paw and talons together excitedly. "Do tell me more. This sounds fascinating."

Celestia was becoming exasperated with his nonchalance. "Starswirl seems very confident it will be the end of you. Do you understand?"

"Oh, I understand," Discord said. He leaned back on the bed, reclining on her pillows. "If it's born of chaotic magic, then you don't really know what it'll do to me. All the more reason to try it out, eh? It's bound to be crazy."

"Did you hear me?" Celestia pled with him. "If we use the Elements of Harmony, you'll lose the war."

"For now, perhaps," he said with an offhanded wave.

"You could lose your powers."

"I don't need magic to cause chaos."

"You could be turned good."

"I wasn't aware I was ever evil. Last I checked, chaotic/good was a very feasible alignment."

"You could die!"

Discord was quiet. He turned his head to meet Celestia's concerned gaze, begging him to listen. The room was silent as he processed the information. "I see," was all he said for a while.

"Discord..." Celestia said, inching closer to him. "You must flee. Luna won't trust you enough to accept your surrender. She would only hold you prisoner for eternity, and I would have no grounds to stop her. Perhaps someday, you could return, but if you value your life, you will go."

Discord nodded, still thinking deeply. "And is that what you want?"

"...What?"

"Do you want me to leave?" he turned back toward her.

"No, of course not! I've always enjoyed our time together, even if you have proved a headache for my reign."

"Then do you want me to become good?"

Now Celestia had to pause. For years now, she had dreamed of a way to enjoy Discord's company without suffering his conflict. She looked at her hooves. "It's difficult to say... I don't want to have to fight you, but I don't want to change you, either. At the very least, you amuse me. I won't let you die, though."

Discord shook his head. "You don't know that's going to happen." He poofed off the bed to appear in the air above her, pantomiming boxing punches. "I'm certainly not going to surrender. A magical jail cell would be no fun at all. No, tomorrow we'll meet at the appointed time and trade our blows. Sure, I'll probably lose, if you're not bluffing that is. But after that, I guess we all get to see what really happens. Perhaps losing could be the best thing in the world for me. I like to keep my options open."

Celestia's mouth hung agape momentairily. "Why aren't you worried? Even if it's a slight chance, it could still happen!"

Discord floated down above her. "Allow me to answer your question with a question: why are you worried? It's only a slight chance, after all."

"I don't want to lose you!" she admitted. "You're... a good friend, Discord."

The draconequus grinned his trickster grin. He stroked Celestia's mane in a rare moment of tenderness, even with his fiendish, toothy smile. "And you're a good friend as well, Celestia. But I understand the odds and risks. I accept them. Do you?"

"I don't want to," she replied.

Discord clicked his tongue as he landed beside her. "Just like a Princess. You want to have it all, don't you?"

Normally, the taunt would have annoyed her. But instead, she just looked down at him. "And what do you want?"

He raised a brow. "Do you mean in the 'this could be your last night on earth' sense?"

"I... I suppose."

Discord stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I suppose I'd want to go out with a bang. Some sort of party."

"That sounds like you," Celestia chuckled. "What sort of a party would it be?"

"Something wild, naturally. Mares dancing provocatively, baring it all, flowing drink, croutons galore. Something to get the blood flowing, you know?"

Again, Celestia released an exhausted sigh. "You would certainly be caught. But to even think of such a thing at a time like this..." she shook her head. "You are such a male."

"Guilty," Discord said. But, seeing his opportunity, his brain hatching some of his most delicious ideas yet, he grinned wickedly at Celestia. "But I suppose some fun with the Princess could be a suitable alternative."

Celestia's face flushed redder than her morning sun. "Discord!"

"What?" he shrugged. "I said I wanted to go out with a bang. What did you think I meant? It could be my last night, after all."

"I- I would-" Celestia stammered, her thoughts and feelings completely derailed by the suggestion. "Why would you even think I would agree to such a thing?"

"Oh, you can't even take pity on a friend facing his end?" Discord said, sitting up, his hands at his hips. "Honestly, I knew you were pure as the driven snow, Celestia, but I didn't know you were this bad. I figured you could handle at least the mere suggestion. Unless you find the thought that repulsive."

Whether her face burned with embarrassment or fury was difficult to say. "How did you think I would react?"

"I knew you'd be shocked. We've been very polite with one another, and it was bold. But come now, we're both adults. We've both had our late nights in the sack, eh?"

"Maybe a lecherous snake like you," Celestia hissed. "But I don't know what you're talking about."

Discord's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Oh."

"What?" Celestia demanded.

"I- I didn't know. I figured after a few centuries you would have... well, you know." Now it was Discord's turn to blush as he began to gesture to explain himself.

"Know what?" Celestia pressed.

"You know! Gotten frisky with a guard or something! It only took me 'til junior prom with Amalthea, and I couldn't even get the condom on right..." he muttered.

"Well... I haven't." Celestia said sternly.

Discord nodded. "I'm sorry. I didn't know," he replied.

Celestia exhaled again, her burning embarrassment subsiding. "It's alright. Let's just... enjoy each other's company for now. While we can."

"Sure."

Discord poofed himself up a large cat bed on top of Celestia's sheets and made a show of curling up into it while Celestia watched with a raised brow. He watched her carefully, but she only shook her head, resisting a smile. "I don't find you repulsive, by the way," she mentioned.

"Well of course not. Me, with my chiseled physique and perfectly manicured facial hair?" he said, flexing a noodly arm and stroking his beard in turn. "Perish the thought."

Celestia's good mood was slowly returning to her. "Although I do find it hard to imagine you with a mare."

"Mares like a guy with a sense of humor, you know," Discord replied. "But I know what you mean."

"Nothing against you," she said.

"Oh, don't worry. It's been a while, but I think I'd still know how to give a mare a good time. The ones before were surprisingly impressed with my skills in the bedroom," he boasted, shooting a suggestive glance at Celestia.

Celestia was no fool. Discord had made it more than clear that he was interested in her, and it was obvious now that he was trying to seduce her. The circumstances of tomorrow only clouded her thoughts worse. Every comment he made only made her feel flushed and tied her tongue with embarrassment. "Discord, I'm flattered that you're interested in me. I really am. And as much as I would like to do something nice for you tonight, I am a Princess. I have my image and my subjects to consider. And Luna would be furious if she were to find out..."

Discord merely raised a paw. "I understand. If I win this war, one of the first things I'd change would be all these expectations of propriety. But I suppose I wouldn't find you so... oddly fascinating if you were more like me. In the end, I suppose we have to stick to our roots."

"I'm sorry," Celestia said, reaching a hoof out to touch his talons.

He shrugged. "No need to apologize. It wouldn't be fun if I forced you, or guilt-tripped you. I'm happy that I could see you again, and that you tried to warn me. I always wondered if I could really trust you or not. And sure enough, you're just as sweet and pure as you look. Almost too much so," he said with a pointed smirk.

"You're not disappointed?" Celestia asked.

"That would require me to have an expectation, my dear. And I'm not much for planning. If this is what you want, then that's fine with me." Discord snapped his fingers, appearing to wear a bright pink shirt and a green mud mask over his face. "A slumber party with Princess Celestia could be all sorts of fun. We can do each other's mane and eat pizza and talk about colts."

Celestia rolled her eyes, watching Discord make a show of painting his nails. "It rather defeats the purpose if you're a colt yourself, you know."

Discord inspected his pink talons without turning to her. "Doesn't that mean you can ask me all the questions you'd be too ashamed to ask otherwise?"

He did have a point. And after previous conversation, she was curious. "Do mares... like it?" she asked suddenly, yet quietly. Discord froze, his disguise poofing.

Discord knew exactly what she was asking. He laid on his back, looking up at her ceiling while he answered. "Well, yes, frankly. It takes two to tango, and they wouldn't agree to it if they didn't like it, I suppose."

"Does it... feel good?"

Discord chuckled. "Yes. Yes, it certainly does," he answered fondly.

Celestia was quiet for a long time, and Discord let her sort her thoughts. The inner turmoil was plain on her face, but she finally spoke up again, "Is there anything... we could try without... going 'all the way?'"

Discord raised his eyebrows at her. "What about your subjects? Your title? Your sister?" he asked.

Celestia groaned. "I know. I shouldn't, but..."

"You're curious," he said simply. She nodded. "It's normal," he assured her, rolling over to his stomach.

"I always have to be perfect. I always have to put my needs after those of my country's," Celestia admitted, guilt forming on her face just for saying such words. "I don't want to be selfish, but... every other mare gets to enjoy a stallion every once in a while. I want to know what I'm missing... Just for one night."

"And you want me to be that lucky stallion?" Discord asked incredulously.

Celestia offered a small smile. "I trust you more than anyone, I think. You don't care about anything enough to lie to me."

"That's not entirely accurate," he said, and Celestia felt her face flush when she understood his meaning.

"And you said you knew what you were doing..."

"I promise you, it would be quite a treat."

She turned to him with a grateful smile. "But are you sure about me? I am everything you stand against."

"It's just one night," he said nonchalantly. "Besides, if you're going to get down and dirty, it's better to be with someone you know."

"Truly? Why is that?" Celestia asked.

Discord grinned. "Because then you know better how to please them. And I think I know just the thing."

Celestia nodded with a gulp, steeling her nerves. "Alright. But we're not going to do anything too serious, right?"

Discord slithered up to her, until he was overtop her, his face hanging right in front of hers. "Why don't we start with a kiss, and see how serious you're feeling, hm?"

Discord waited for Celestia's timid nod, her bright eyes sparkling excitedly in the dim light, and he watched her lids draw them closed as he moved into her. Taking the back of her head gently in his paw, he gave her a chance to exhale, slowly, before he brought her to him, their lips meeting softly.

It was quiet between the two of them, warm and getting warmer. Celestia let herself fold into Discord's embrace, his beard tickling her chin as she felt her worries fly far away. Discord held her close and kissed her well, letting his lips hang on hers, giving her all the time she needed to savor the moment.

He eventually released her, quite pleased himself, but he waited to gauge Celestia's response. She exhaled, exhilarated. "My..."

"You like?" he teased.

Celestia nodded.

"Shall we continue?"

Celestia nodded.

Discord gripped her tighter and kissed her again, pressing into her, his lips bold against hers. He nibbled on her lip, his fang gently nipping into her soft skin, his kisses pushing her down onto the pillows. When her head landed on the cushion, Discord's forked tongue slipped past her teeth to brush against hers, and Celestia responded with a muffled moan. They kissed harder, Celestia returning Discord's enthusiasm, until the two were making out, passionate exchanges and hot breaths filling the still air of the room.

Even as the tension between them grew, Discord only broke the kiss to plant more along her neck, nibbling at the soft, smooth coat and traveling down to her shoulders and collarbone. Celestia felt breathless, even as her spine shivered. "Discord... I didn't expect you to be so commanding."

"Oh, Celestia," Discord said, placing a smooch on her tummy before looking up at her with lusty, gleaming eyes. "Wait until you see what I can really do with my tongue." His position, just above her thighs, was enough for her to get the picture, but the sight of that long tongue sliding out and dangling above her nethers sold her on the idea.

But Celestia's eternal modesty was a tough nut to crack. She held her hooves protectively over her body, clamping her thighs closed instinctively. "I really shouldn't..."

As frustrating as the back-and-forth was with Celestia, Discord knew that you had to be patient with some mares. "If that'th what you want," he said, tongue still hanging out before he returned it to his mouth. He began to slide out from his position overtop her.

"It's not that I don't... ugh!" Celestia huffed in aggravation. She blushed bright red even as she crossed her arms. "You won't think any less of me?"

"You're already the most predictable, un-chaotic mare in the world. I don't know how you could sink any lower," Discord answered.

Celestia used her magic to throw a pillow at him, and Discord could only laugh. But even as she averted her eyes, Discord saw her inhibitions fading. "Just... don't laugh," she said.

Discord watched with rapt attention as Celestia spread her milky white legs. Between her soft, plush thighs lay her pristine marehood. Her lower lips were neat and clean, just plump enough to cover her entrance, yet with her parted legs, that pink stripe and modest button were exposed, already glistening with clear, sticky juices that betrayed her desire. Discord's aloof façade broke for a moment, in awe that he was staring at what no pony dared to mention, and was not only privy to its sight, but that he would be soon be having his way with nothing short of the divine Princess pussy. "My..." he exhaled, then gulping hard. "Have you ever shown this to a stallion?"

"Not anyone," Celestia admitted.

"Well, then allow me to be the first to say that it looks positively..." Here, Discord paused to lick his lips. "Delicious."

Celestia's eyes widened. "Discord! Wait-!"

But it was too late. Celestia's words were cut off with a gasp as Discord plunged his muzzle between her thighs. His nose pressed into her folds, and he kissed the lips firmly, collecting some of the juice while summoning more. He took a deep whiff of her scent, as fresh and clean as he expected, with only a hint of salty musk, before sighing. "Now that's a smell I've missed," he said, his eyes rolling in their sockets.

Celestia's face only grew hotter. "You are such a pervert!" she shouted, unrestrained for once in her life.

Discord grinned at her. "I don't see you complaining." He returned his lips to her nethers, kissing them more romantically, feeling the heat pouring off of them. He had been with a needy mare in his day, but Celestia took the cake for the desperate throbbing he could feel in her lower lips. Her arousal was already spiking, juice flowing freely, and when the droplets began to stain his beard, he let his tongue out of his mouth and took a slow, long lick up her slot.

Celestia's legs jolted, her eyes widened, and she gasped again. That long, slender tongue parting her folds every so gently, it's wet heat sliding along her sensitive flesh, like a spark of magic. It never seemed to end, and by the time the forked tip caressed her burning clitoris, she couldn't hold back her moan. "Ohh! Ohh... my..."

Her syrupy wetness collected on Discord's tongue, and he savored the salty, musky juice like honey, letting it spread on his palate before swallowing, smacking his lips for good measure. "Mmm, you are a yummy mare, Celestia."

Celestia was quickly finding her drive to remain pure vanishing. "Well, don't stop!" she said, snapping her head up.

Discord was surprised by her shift in tone, but pleased at how quickly she had changed her tune. "As you wish, Princess." He dove back between her legs, lapping at the exterior of her folds, wetting her lips with the mixture of his saliva and her wetness.

Celestia gasped at the barrage of pleasure, but was even more surprised to feel Discord's serpentine tail wrapping around her belly, his red scales warm on her fur. She felt him squeeze, lifting her rump off the bed and into the air, positioning her marehood directly in front of his muzzle so that he could feast on her more easily. "Discord, what are you- Ahh!"

Her head tossed back into the pillows and her wings flared as Discord stuck his tongue in her, slipping between her lips and letting the appendage slither deep into her passage. Even with his thin tongue, he could feel how tight she was, fresh and unused, burning with need for a stallion. He tasted her, ate her out like a buffet, spreading his maw wide to lick deep within her, hitting her most sensitive spots that she hadn't even known existed.

"Discord! Ohh, Discord!" she moaned to the ceiling. Already, she could feel heat and pressure building deep in her loins, alight with a pleasure she wouldn't have been capable of imagining mere minutes before. Discord's tongue wormed inside her a thrashing tentacle that scrambled her marehood just as well as it did her thoughts. But what really took the sensation above and beyond was how his tongue worked in concert with his lips, nipping and stroking at her clitoris while he explored her depths. He gave it his all to thoroughly satisfy her, and it was obvious in the way her limbs trembled that he was doing a good job.

Discord didn't mind taking his time either. For the horny draconequus, that beautiful muff was a buffet, and he enjoyed every bit of it. The taste of her wet flesh was a treat he hadn't enjoyed in far too long, and the sound of her gasps and moans was music to his ears; the sound of an uptight pony giving herself to her wild, chaotic impulses. Plus, even if all of this was nothing short of rapturous for Celestia, it was merely foreplay for him. If his tongue was blowing her mind now, he couldn't wait to see her face when he was fucking her brains out. The promise of plunging himself balls-deep into Princess Celestia herself was worth hours of sloppy cunnilingus.

And sloppy it grew. Celestia's wetness stained his muzzle, soaked his beard, coated his lips and tongue, filling his mouth with the flavor of her arousal. The wet sounds of the Spirit of Chaos eating pussy filled the room with Celestia's voice, growing louder and louder as she neared her climax.

The alicorn's eyes shot open, and her pupils narrowed. "Discord! Something's happening!"

Discord raised his hand, showing a dummy shaped like him perched on his arm like a ventriloquist. While his lips and tongue slurped at Celestia's marehood, he made it say, "That's an orgasm, my dear. Just sit back, enjoy, and scream to the heavens."

Celestia couldn't help but do just that. "Oh! Oh, Discord! Yes! Yes! YES!"

Celestia's hips bucked as the first climactic spasm took her. Her eyes were wide and her mouth gaping as rapture ripped through her body. Her marehood clenched on Discord's tongue, yielding a gush of fresh juice for him to enjoy, soaking his beard and muzzle in her release. The princess was rendered speechless, her body wracked by the throes of her ecstasy, her hips and legs jerking while her back arched, every moment seemingly more intense than the last. Discord helped her ride out the finish, lightly stimulating her with small licks and kisses, watching her powerlessness in the face of the new world he had brought her into.

When the high had ended, Celestia was left breathless. She put her hoof over her chest to steady herself, shaking like an autumn leaf. Discord released her from the grip of his tail, letting her sink into her mattress as shudders continued to ripple through her body periodically, forcing tiny gasps from her. Discord could only grin.

"Well, Your Highness? What do you think of my skills in the bedroom now?" he asked, knowing full well what her answer would be.

Celestia took a moment to raise her head, her thoughts still hazy from the buzz of pleasure coursing through her. "I... sorely underestimated you, Discord," she admitted.

The compliment went straight to Discord's ego. "And just you wait. If you thought that was mind-blowing, wait until I've screwed you so thoroughly you forget how to raise the sun. All night long, indeed," he said, drawing a talon under her chin, gazing lecherously into her eyes.

Some of Celestia's modesty remained well intact. "Oh, my," she said, sinking deeper into the bed. "I... I don't know if I'm ready for that," she hesitated. "But... I'd like to... feel you."

Discord raised a brow. "Just what do you have in mind?"

Celestia smiled shyly, but sat up. "Why don't you lay down, and... spread your legs."

"Ooh, you want to see the goods, eh?" Discord said, waggling his eyebrows at her. He laid down on his back and spread his legs, but overtop his groin was a silver serving platter, with a concealing dish covering his genitals. "Feast your eyes, Princess," he said as he removed it.

Celestia had never seen a stallion out of his sheath before, but she had a good idea of what they were supposed to look like. This was nothing like what she imagined. Discord's shaft was almost completely blue - a bold, obnoxious azure that slowly faded toward a violet near his base. He wasn't shaped anything like a stallion either, possessing a sort of mushroom head instead of a flare, and a row of tiny ridges along the underside instead of a mid ring, not to mention a thick base that was almost a full-blown knot. His balls sat below in a fuzzy brown sack, about the size of a pair of plums.

"So? What do we think?" Discord asked.

"It's..." Celestia was intimidated by its strange form, but there was another aspect that intimidated her just as much. "...Very big..." She drew herself a little closer to it, and while at a glance, it didn't appear quite as large as a stallion's due to its odd shape, it was clear that Discord's member would fill the Princess's entire muzzle and then some, not to mention the hefty girth of the piece.

Discord's ego was soaring by now. "It wasn't just my skills the mares were impressed with, I can assure you."

Celestia looked away from the hardened member to Discord's face. "It looks very nice, but... I don't think I'm ready yet. To have a stallion... take me like that."

Discord couldn't be surprised, hearing that from Celestia of all ponies. "So what would you like?"

She thought for a moment, quietly considering her words. "I... still want you to be my first, but... could we merely... be together? Like on the mountain?"

Discord smiled warmly. "Say no more. Why don't you climb on top of me, take me in at your own pace, and we'll see how you feel?"

Celestia nodded, rising to her hooves to step over his body. Her flowing mane hung down like a curtain between them and the window, and her lavender eyes gazed deep into his red ones. Her muzzle was inches away from Discord's own, yet her rump was even closer to the tip of his erection. She could feel her well-eaten marehood throb for him, to be filled by that glorious stallionhood, and she was certain he wanted her just as badly, if not more.

"Slowly now," Discord advised her. "We have all the time in the world."

He couldn't have been more wrong, but his words felt true to Celestia. She nodded, and slowly bent her hindlegs, bringing herself to him. She gasped slightly when she felt his hard tip on her soft lips, pausing only to align her entrance with him. Discord bit his lip in anticipation, suspended in agony while Celestia took her sweet time. But soon, he was poised at her marehood, and she made the descent. Discord slipped inside her wet folds all too easily, and both groaned.

"That's it," Discord encouraged her, even as he squirmed in pleasure. "Nice and easy."

The ride down the draconequus member was a long and wonderful journey. Every inch was harder and thicker than the last, opening her wide, quenching her burning need. Likewise, her heat, her wetness, the soft caress of her nethers were even more a treat on Discord's pride than they were on his tongue. All he wanted was to shove himself into her, plant his flag and conquer her until she was hoarse with moans and praises for him, but he bit his tongue and reined in the thoughts stemming from his lower regions, letting Celestia take control.

The two gasped again when Celestia reached his base, enveloping him as completely as he filled her. She looked down at him, a light and bright joy rising in her, contagious as the soft smile spread from her to him. All she could feel was Discord, and it was all she needed. And at long last, Discord had Celestia all to himself, just as he wanted, and he would trade his horns to keep her.

Celestia laid on his chest, and Discord wrapped his arms around her. They said nothing, and they barely moved. The princess buried her head into his neck, letting his warmth surround her and fill her, every throb of his member as tender as his heartbeat. Discord stroked her mane, taking in her soft, sweet scent in deep, calming breaths. The intimacy of the moment was not lost on him, but resisting the urge to thrust his hips was not easy. His member was harder than ever, and after what felt like ages spent in soft, romantic stillness, he was certain he would be the first creature ever to die of sheer horniness. But the last thing he wanted would be to ruin things with Celestia, so he held his hips like a gentlecolt.

A part of Celestia wanted to cry, but she held her tears. She could feel now, just as surely as she felt him within her, that there was good in Discord. Certainly the Elements of Harmony would feel it too.

The princess had always had a faultless sense of time, but even she was surprised when she knew morning was coming. It seemed to approach so fast, yet she had no idea how long she and Discord had lain together. She had a sinking feeling it had been longer than she thought.

"Discord... I need to raise the sun..." she spoke up at last.

He only nodded solemnly. "So ends our night of fun... At least until next time," he said. He reached up and gave Celestia another soft kiss, which she returned as she got to her hooves, exhaling sharply as she felt Discord's stallionhood leave her empty. She went to her balcony, her legs wobbling and marehood still wet and warm, but when she lowered her tail she looked as pristine as ever.

Celestia, sighed, closed her eyes, and sighed. Her horn flared, and in moments, her face was limned in gold, a bud of sunlight growing on the horizon. Another beautiful day.

When she turned back to her room, she saw Discord nursing his balls with his paws, his erection still fierce and throbbing in the open air. "Are you... alright?" she asked.

He nodded with a grimace. "Just a little sore without any release."

She winced. "I'm so sorry."

"It's nothing," he said. "But you owe me a blowjob next time," he said, his wicked grin returning.

Celestia only rolled her eyes, but she knew 'next time' wasn't guaranteed. "Alright. If that's what you want, next time you can do as you like with me. I'll... even swallow." She couldn't imagine what a stallion's seed tasted like, let alone Discord's, but she had gathered that stallions liked the act quite a bit for some reason.

Discord's eyebrows raised so high he had to catch them and replace them on his forehead. "My, my, Celestia! That's quite an enticing offer. It'll certainly give me a lot to think about during my next 'me time' session,' he said, succeeding in making Celestia flush at the suggestion.

"Just..." she fought to regain her composure, "Promise you won't tell anypony. Especially Luna. Please?"

"A gentlecolt doesn't kiss and tell. And haven't I been a gentlecolt?" Discord said, looking at her with large, sweet eyes.

She nodded. "Yes. And I'm grateful for it... once again, you've been... such a dear friend to me. A... blowjob could only begin to express my gratitude. I'll treasure this night for a lifetime, I think."

Discord stood, towering over her, but his eyes glowed down on her, in a unique moment of sincerity. "And I will as well. Make no mistake of that."

Celestia nodded. She struggled to say her next words, knowing what would happen next. "...Luna will be looking for me soon... you should go..."

Discord nodded back, still smiling warmly at her. "Yes, I think I should. Quite a busy schedule for the day. I've got my little friend to deal with, chaos to unleash, and a couple of stuck-up princesses to fight. It seems I'm swamped."

He floated out Celestia's balcony toward the countryside, and Celestia followed him out. While he was still within reach, she stopped him. "Discord! One last thing..."

The draconequus twisted around midair to look at her. "Yes?"

Celestia summoned the last of her courage. "If this doesn't go well... I'm sorry."

Discord tucked her under the chin. "I know." Then, planting one last firm kiss on her lips, making Celestia's wings flutter and her back arch, he gave a final bow and poofed off.

In his topsy-turvy home, Discord perched himself on the couch on the ceiling. It certainly had been a night to remember, but he was still stiff with the lingering effects. It was as if he could still feel Celestia's warmth, enveloping him, her sun rays illuminating his very core. But he could worry about the twittermites in his heart later; he had been more than patient with his lover, but he would go sane if he had to wait one more moment to beat off. He snapped his fingers for a deluxe box of tissues, jumbo bottle of lube, his favorite issue of Teats, and sighed as he leaned back and began to take care of the morning's business.

Celestia returned to the throne room, and with every step that took her there, she felt less like Discord's secret lover and more like the Princess of the Sun. By the time she took her royal seat beside her sister, she was ready to do whatever it took to protect her country, and could think only of her citizens. Yet, she couldn't help but feel the wet spot beneath her from where she had been tied to Discord. She ignored her body's desires, just as she ignored the desires of her heart. Being a princess was about self-sacrifice.

That afternoon, Celestia and Luna challenged Discord at the original site of his warping of Equestria, Elements of Harmony in tow, and neither even so much as acknowledged the events prior.

The rest, as they say, is history.