Old Times Sake

by thatonecoffeemachine

Rating: teen
Tags: Princess Celestia, Discord, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Sad
Length: 2433

After having read a letter from her ex-student, she sent a letter to the Lord wishing for him to come out for once.

Upon receiving the eerie later of her ex-student, Celestia writes to Discord in hopes to see him well. She wouldn't know what to do with himself if he wasn't.

Published 2018-10-27 08:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2018-10-27 08:50:01 UTC

Promises Ever Kept

He seems lost.

Scared.

Empty.

He felt off.

Mixed feelings, especially feelings he had long before deserted, made him feel off.

He floated in the vast space of nothing, as he looked around he felt like he was punched in the stomach.

He was back in the beginning.

His dear home gone. Now, it's nothing but a meer void of darkness.

He felt like crying. He felt like he could jump off a cliff. He felt...empty.

First, his trust. Next, his friends. Now, his home. What else? His sanity?

He knew he wasn't considered the most 'sane' person, but he was still a person.

He never planned to hurt Twilight. He guessed she got the best of him.

But he didn't feel remorsed or ashamed. Nor guilty or saddened. She deserved it. She did this to him. Now he's.....here. Alone. Afraid. He's not afraid of her, rather what would come next.

Now he floats in a void. He was left to weep at his own misery.

He never thought that he would be crying at the thought of his lack of friends. He never thought that he would be crying for his home that he knew he could snap his talon to recreate.

But that didn't feel right. He is chaos. Recreating a place isn't really up to his standards.

It would also lack the love and, dare he say it, harmony that came from making it.

He remembered bringing Fluttershy here. Ask for her opinions and suggestions. His ideas were a bit.....over the top. Although that was his whole façade, he wanted to make it as perfect as possible. In his thoughts, everything is perfect in Fluttershy's mind. So making his home as how she would imagine is one way of making his home perfect.

He would also add a sense of 'Ponyville' to it. He said before, he had grew fond of the dear town.

That was also the main reason he didn't want to recreate his home. It reminded him too much of Fluttershy. How she would smile at the chocolate ducks in the town hall's chocolate fountain. How she would always lick her hooves at times after being on a cotton cloud. How she would always sniff the marshmallow flowers that laid all across town by the cracker pedestrian crossings.

Now that he knows he had dissapointed her, it felt weird. It felt uncomfortable. He had no real friends anymore. They're all gone. She's not his friend anymore, he knows that. Who would still want to befriend a creature that had literally mauled and threatened to kill their Princess?

He had put her through alot, and even then she had forgiven him. He remembered the pained look in her eyes as she cried during the Tirek incident. He gulped.

How was she still able to even look him in the eyes? She knows what he is capable of. He lies, alot. Deceiver at best. Simple to say, chaotic and childish as times.

But now, he was different. Maybe pulling a small 'ahh im'ma kill your princess' illusion would be more predictable of him. But this time, he was caught red handed, with Twilight in his claws and paw, choking her. This wasn't predictable of him. Well, at least, for Fluttershy it isn't.

But her friends had changed! They had! They accepted him already! He knows that as well as them. But..he knew doubt could always be on the watch. And so soon as well.

He floated in the emptiness as he was left to think for himself. As he thought, he felt a whimper coming up his throat. He felt as if nothing even mattered to him, cause he doesn't matter anyway now. Everypony might even be overjoyed that he was gone. Maybe. Hopefully.

He felt like he was about to cry again, but held it in. He was the Overlord of Chaos, for his own sake. He won't be lulled into a fountain of tears with nothing on his shoulders but thoughts.

But at the same time, he felt heavy. He felt overwhelmed with thoughts as he felt sick. A headache rose in his head as he couldn't contain himself but whimper.

He couldn't hold it back as he dropped tears.

Celestia walked from one corner of the throne room to another. With pace, she wore a look of worry and guilt for letting this situation happen.

"Twilight couldn't possibly..." she paused. Twilight.. There was nothing she wouldn't do nowadays. She was now unpredictable, even unbearable in a sense.

Celestia clutched onto the letter sent by the ex-student. Discord......

"I need to talk to him." she said to herself. She needs to know for herself whether he's alright or no. She felt devastated, knowing that Discord could be hurt. Twilight managed to kill off an army in the matter of a day, what is there that she couldn't do?

With quick pace, she summoned a scroll and a quill. She sat in her throne as she started writing a letter. She knew Discord, he wouldn't come unless there would be some sort of benefit for himself or any 'award' he'd receive. But this time is no time for jokes.

She specifically wrote 'urgent' in bold, underlined as well, at least trying to hint that it was actually an important matter.

She felt as if he didn't reply or anything, she'll shatter into a million pieces. She had hurt so many ponies, so many creatures, civilians, but why him? Not the most innocent out of everything, but he's tried his best through all these months. It's unacceptable to know that she had tried to put him back into a prison he had so dreaded. Treating him like an animal, like putting a bird into a cage when it has a family waiting for it by its nest.

Discord, she didn't want him to get hurt. He's changed, that's one reason. The other is that, he's her friend. They've been friends since childhood. Although it's been millennias, wars have been fought, lives destroyed and ruined, she still considered him as a friend. She knows him well. He's not evil, he's misunderstood. He's not evil enough to kill or sacrifice a living being.

Putting him into a state of misery so soon, after everything he had done to get to this position, after all the suffering he has endured in stone, grieving over guilt and sorrow, and then put him back into it after hard work that paid the sentence off.

Her chest was heavy as she continued to write, ands as she continued, drops of tears fell onto the scroll itself.

He doesn't deserve the misery Twilight wanted him to be in. Not for the whole of Equestria.

Her quill was shaking as she couldn't focus. Memories of childhood came to play. How he would make her laugh when she grew upset, how he would always be there when something went wrong, how he made her who she was today.

She dropped her quill and scroll as she cried. It was too bearing. She had put him into too much misery already. Now her student is walking in her hoofsteps.

But she had to stay strong. She had to stop crying. This was for him. The letter, is is for him. She had to calm down.

Repeating the thought in her head, she slowly tried to calm down as she lifted the quill and scroll with her magic again. Although shaky, she tried to focus.

She continued writing the letter. Do it for him, do it for him, do it for him..... She finished writing the letter. All that was needed was her signature. ...do it for me.

She rolled the scroll up, and then wiped her eyes with one hoof. She focused as a flame swallowed the letter, sending it to the draconequus.

She knew it'll take time. It'll take him a while to answer. But he was allowed to take his time. All she needed was an answer.

She still felt shaken up however. The letter she received. It made her headache. To know that her dear ex-student had sent it, the information in it. Sent chills down her spine.

But she doesn't plan to meet up with her soon. She knew it would make things worse if she decides to have a visit. For her ponies and her own sake.

She decided to ease her mind somewhere more peaceful. The castle seems to make her more agitated. She got off the throne she sat in as she walked towards the doors.

She was outside. On the castle rooftop. She used to love sitting up here during childhood years, with both her sister and her chaotic friend. Maybe light some fireworks or watch a show of colourful fireflies made by said chaotic friend.

The memories all made her smile, but made her chest grew heavier and heavier. She hasn't gotten a response yet. It worried her, to say the least. Is he okay?...

"Sister?" said Luna as she tapped on her sister's shoulder. She sat beside Celestia, comforting her. She had read the letter left in the throne room then went after Celestia. Despite the doubts of others, she was a sensitive mare. She was still a pony nontheless. "Don't be sad. Twilight will soon see the downfall of her own choices. Soon, I say."

Luna didn't know about the letter to Discord. So her mind only twisted on the fact that Twilight has stepped over the line. She didn't even mention anything about Discord, since in the inside, she herself too despise him. Although that's the case, she still had respect for him and his boundaries, and putting an 'innocent' soul in a stone prison that had brought it misery all those years are nothing but cruel.

Celestia knew that Luna didn't take him up as a 'friend' quite yet. But she knew that she at least acknowledged him and how the undeserved punishment was cruel, considering she had suffered hers not too long ago.

Celestia still frown as she gazed into the distance. Luna sighed but patted her sister's back. "I should get to my shift. Sweet dreams, sister." she said as she flew off and left.

Celestia was still sad. It was noon. She had sent the letter ages ago. Surely he got it....

Maybe he doesn't want to be bothered. Maybe the situation Twilight had put him in has put his mind in a state of frozen, not knowing what to do know. Maybe he's thinking about his choices, about the situation at hoof. Maybe...

Maybe he's gone.

Twilight....

She felt as if she would cry again. And the thought made her shakily smile. A leader, a Princess, an inspiration to many, is crying of the thought of losing a long 'foe'.

"Discord....I'm sorry...." she fell onto her stomach as she laid. "I'm sorry I didn't stop her earlier. I should've known something like this would happen. I just didn't know when." she sniffed.

"...hi." said a familiar voice from behind. She froze. The voice...

She raised her head and turned. Discord, standing on all fours by the edge of the roof, stared at her. No mischievous smirk or chuckle or laugh at how she's crying over her. Just the look of dread.

"...you wanted to see me?" he asked, his tone unsure.

"...Discord..." she let out. She wiped her eyes as she slowly got up. She walked towards him slowly, but was taken aback when she realised that he was backing up. "...I didn't call you here to hurt you! I just- oh...."

Discord looked at her with a look of worry, yet in his eyes was the look of distrust. It struck her in the heart.

"...I just want to talk. Please. Don't back up." she said as she walked closer. Discord remained his position, shaking.

He was afraid. After what had happened, he was afraid.

A touch of her hoof. She rubbed against his cheek as she trailed towards the side of his neck. He shivered at the touch. When she felt his shiver, she took her hoof away.

"..I'm sorry, Discord." she said.

"It wasn't your fault." he said finally.

"But I should've known! I know she was in a state of an unstable mind but I didn't stop her until she got this far. I knew that one day something like this would happen, I just-" she choked on her tears "...didn't know when..."

"You were my friend since childhood. You did everything for me. You helped me to claim the throne. You caught me when I fell. You..." she paused. "You were just being you. You weren't evil. You were misunderstood. I had already regretted putting you in stone. I should've just tried talking you out of it, instead I made you into a lawn ornament for all these years. And to think of you going back into that state even though you tried your best to get to this position and make amends....it doesn't feel right. I don't feel right! I just-"

Discord took her in for a hug. He was crying as well. He rubbed her back as he tried his best to comfort her. "Shhhh.....That's okay. What you did was obliged. I accepted it after. I knew what I did was wrong... I just couldn't get myself to admit it."

"Don't blame yourself. Please. I feel hopeless enough." he said as he hugged her tighter.

There, the princess and draconequus wept together. In each other's embrace.

As the sun went down, Discord fell into his own mind. He had forgotten. She was still his friend. As she promised before, they would never part.

"....hey." he said as he broke the embrace. Celestia looked up at him, her face covered in tears. Discord couldn't help but give a little smile. "..you don't mind if I stay here right?"

Celestia's ears perked.

"Twilight destroyed my universe. And an endless void kinda seems uncomfortable to sleep in. Heh, friendship hurts a little. Ouch."

Celestia stopped a gasp that escaped her lips, instead just gave a small chuckle. "....sure. Stay as long as you like. For old times sake."

They sat alone. Together. The sun went down as normal.

They had promised to be friends till the end of time. And the promised stayed. He still had her. A friend. But only one. And that's enough for now.

Author's Note

Hope you enjoy this. I almost cried myself. So ready a box of tissues....or is it too late for that now?