Discordantlyby ExtraSoapChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 1The draconequus surveyed his surroundings, taking in the scent of foliage that had taken over the ruins of what was once his castle. Well, he thought to himself, not entirely mine. The castle, once a massive structure that represented the power he and his Queen held in their respective limbs, was reduced to simple rubble, unable to stand against the relentless assault of his beautiful chaos. He stood in what was once the throne room, now missing a roof and the once-elegant stained glass windows were completely gone, with the shattered pieces scattered all over the cold stone floor. Only one throne remained, the other split in many parts, with the pieces thrown about the stairs leading up to the platform with the remaining throne. The imposing pillars that had held the weight of the ceiling were now either gone or in pieces, scattered about the room. Now, the Everfree Forest had taken over the majority of the castle. Vines and ferns were all over the throne room, with all but the centermost areas covered in foliage. Suddenly, Discord heard the ruffling of feathers and two thumps behind him, and the draconequus turned his head slowly towards the sound. He saw two ponies before him, both elegant and beautiful in their own right, but the white one before him brought a cocktail of emotions and memories to his mind. He strolled casually toward Celestia, a smirk of contempt on his face. “Good evening, my Queen, forgive me for not tidying up a bit, but you just didn’t give me the chance to-“ A white hoof flashed in front of him and struck his face, bringing him to one knee. Discord spat crimson on the ground, and got up from his kneeling position. Smiling devilishly, he locked eyes once again with the white alicorn in front of him. “I see you still bring pain wherever you go, Tia.” The white pony’s face hardened, betraying her thoughts to the draconequus. “My name is Queen Celestia, Discord. And I’m here to put an end to your rampage. You will pay for what you have done” The draconequus raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. “Oh? So I’m the only culprit? Have you even considered the role you played in the demise of your precious Harmony? And don’t you think we should at least tell little Lulu why this is happening?” He shifted his gaze to the dark-pelted pony beside Celestia. She was much younger than her older sister, if she wasn’t an alicorn, Discord would have mistaken her for a teenager. But he knew better. Luna stared back at him, white-hot fury burning in her eyes. “My name. is. Princess Luna.” she growled. The draconequus smiled down at the moon princess. “Oh, I know that my dear. But I don’t see the harm in using pet names.” The hate in Luna’s eyes only intensified. Queen Celestia put a hoof out in front of her sister, blocking her from Discord’s view. “Leave Luna out of this, Discord, our quarrel doesn’t concern her.” Discord looked at the Queen of Harmony quizzically, with an eyebrow raised. “Doesn’t it? She certainly looks like she wants to tear me limb from limb, but I can say the same thing about you, come to think about it. I mean, you’ve already torn my heart apart, so what left is there to tear?” He paused, relishing in the sweet joy of watching Luna’s face become shrouded with confusion and Celestia’s with a mix of rage, sorrow and contempt. “So tell me my Queen, does your little sister even know my side of our sad little tale?” Celestia’s face became shrouded in anger once more. “No, and she doesn’t need to, either. Your actions are inexcusable and you need to pay for what you’ve done!” Discord smirked, looking Celestia in the eyes. “I disagree.” And with unnatural, break-neck speed he lunged at Luna, and put the palm of his clawed paw on her forehead. Neither Celestia nor Luna had any time to react. Luna could only give out a yelp of surprise before the contact between the two beings brought a flood of images and emotions to her mind. It didn’t take her long to realize that they were memories, and none of them were hers. She passed out, unable to process all the feelings and emotions being transferred. Soon the images began to take shape, like a movie being played out in her head, except this movie was accompanied with feeling. She could not only see everything from Discord’s point of view, but she could feel everything. His emotions overwhelmed hers, and like a dream, the unconscious Luna watched Discord’s life being played out in her head. Chapter 2The King of Chaos leaned back lazily in his throne, admiring his throne room's décor. The throne room was split, one half decorated with banners and stained glass representing Discord's Chaos, the banners with purple flames, the stained glass representing different aspects of the Elements of Chaos. On the half of the room where Celestia sat, banners with the sun hung from the pillars, and stained glass windows represented the Elements of Harmony. He shifted his gaze over to his Queen, a beautiful alicorn with a pure white pelt and multicolored mane that waved lazily in a nonexistent breeze. The most striking part about her, however, was her eyes. As she turned her head toward him, they both locked eyes, and Discord seemed to get lost in them. As he stared into his Queen's eyes, a wave of perfect calm seemed to envelope him. Her eyes seemed to be portals into her very soul, the kindness she expressed outwardly was there, Discord could see it in them. Although he knew he wasn't exactly being subtle, he could not bring himself to look away, he had been doing this for a long time now, catching himself staring a little too often, watching her graceful demeanor, her lithe curves, and soaking in every word she said to him. Not only was she beautiful, but she was the kindest soul he knew. She would personally listen to anyone's concerns about the kingdom, be it an alicorn noble or a humble earth pony farmer. She treated no one unfairly, and Discord envied her patience and grace. She was an alicorn, the embodiment of grace and perfection, and he was a draconequus, a being simply of chaos, thrown hastily together by whatever god or higher power made the original design of the two races. He was a monster compared to her, and he knew it. He looked away from Celestia after what felt like an eternity lost in her eyes, he finally pulled himself away, a doubtful expression on his face. "Is something bothering you, Discord?" He looked back towards her, this time avoiding eye contact. "No, 'Tia, I was simply trying to remember whether we had any more business to attend to today." He inwardly grimaced at his statement, it sounded like a bad homework excuse a small foal would come up with. The corners of Celestia's mouth moved upwards into a knowing smile. "I don't believe we do, Discord, it is late, after all." Discord's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Had that much time really passed? He glanced toward the stained-glass windows, noticing there was no light filtering through them. He turned his head back toward Celestia, meeting her eyes this time. "Well, in that case I think I'm going to call it a night, my butt's falling asleep." As he began to get up from his sitting position, Celestia chuckled next to him, causing him to pause. "It's only six o'clock, Discord. Just because royal business is concluded doesn't mean the day is over. Walk with me." She got up from her throne, and once on her feet, locked eyes with the draconequus king to her left. "I must discuss something with you." Discord nodded in understanding, and followed her down the steps from their thrones. The two walked through the castle in silence, heading towards the castle gardens. Once outside, Discord paused, looking out upon the land surrounding the castle, where the city of Equilibrium lay. He remembered a time when the very same land was barren, a wasteland inhospitable to any life, made that way through centuries of warfare. The Great War had ravaged Equestria to within inches of total destruction, the very fabric of reality threatened. The only thing that had prevented the total annihilation of Equestria was the same alicorn that walked in front of him. Ponykind and the world was saved by Celestia, through the power of forgiveness. If only the same could be said about my race. Discord thought to himself with a pang of guilt. "Discord, what are you thinking?" The draconequus jumped in surprise, and looked towards Celestia sheepishly. He chastised himself for getting lost in his thoughts again. "Talk to me, Discord. You've been unusually serious lately, and with you that usually means something's on your mind. I am your friend now, and have been for the last century. You can confide in me." Discord sighed, defeated. "I miss my mate, Celestia. I miss being accepted. The ponies are afraid of me, after what my kind did. They don't see me as a ruler, they see me as a monster." He looked at the ground, ashamed. "It's hard being the last of your kind, Tia. Especially when you have to live with the demons of the past." A feeling of absolute loneliness washed over him, and tears began to form in his eyes. "I'm a monster, Celestia, I'm the personification of Chaos, and as essential as it is, all it brings is death and destruction. I remember looking at where Equilibrium is now and seeing a wasteland." He looked up at Celestia, now a white blur from the tears in his eyes. He wiped away the tears with his lion's paw and saw her beautiful face looking at him with concern. "Discord, You're not a monster. You're a draconequus. Draconequus's are supposed to be chaotic, and alicorns are supposed to be harmonized. Chaos may have negative effects, but it can bring so many good things. Love is a result of Chaos, there is nothing harmonious about love, it's seemingly random, and drives those who feel it to do things they would normally never do to achieve it." Celestia reached out her hoof, and patted Discord comfortingly. "Celestia, think about the negative effects of love. A love triangle always leaves somepony left out, feeling unwanted and alone. Love can be unrequited, which I wouldn't wish on anypony." He sat down in the grass, looking out over Equilibrium. Celestia lay down next to him, also surveying the city laid out in front of the pair. "Discord, do you remember how the War ended?" The draconquus sighed. "Celestia, I-" "Answer the question, Discord." "Yes, I remember." "Then you remember what I said?" "You told me that there was no point in fighting anymore. You realized that without Chaos the very fabric of reality would be torn apart." "Yes, but I also forgave you for what you did. And you forgave me. A monster does not forgive, Discord. And you forgave me. You are good at heart, but in your own way." She looked at him straight in the eyes, a serious expression on her face. "You just have to believe that for yourself." "I don't know if I can." Celestia smiled at him with her beautiful, comforting smile. "Time heals all wounds, Discord. And we have a shortage of neither pain nor time. This too, shall pass." The beginnings of a smile showed on the King of Chaos's face as he turned to face his Queen. "Thank you, Celestia, at least I have one friend." And with that, he stood up and walked back inside the castle, though he still felt the same inside. Chapter 3As Discord walked through the halls of the castle, he couldn't help but let his mind wander to the conversation he had shared with Celestia. He sighed to himself, unsure if he could really forgive anyone for what occurred during the War, including himself. Both had lost loved ones during the War, but Discord had lost everything. Celestia at least had a handful of other alicorns, including her own sister, Luna, to bring their race back from the brink of oblivion. Discord had no such comfort. Every last draconequus save for him was killed, and his race would never bounce back. Cruel fate had wiped out one of the most powerful beings in Equestria, and nearly obliterated the alicorns. Unfortunately for Discord, there would never be an escape. If he died, reality would be torn apart. As the last bearer of the Elements of Chaos, he helped bring stability by balancing the world with his Chaos, so that it would not be overpowered by Harmony. Balance was essential, and he and his Queen walked a fine line to keep that balance. It had been imbalance that brought on the War, and no one wanted that ever again. Lost in his thought, he bumped into a pillar in his throne room, jarring him back to reality. Feeling himself blush from embarrassment, he looked around to make sure no one had witnessed his embarrassing encounter with the stone pillar. He heard a childish giggle come from a dark corner of the throne room, and a small, innocent-looking alicorn stepped out of the darkness and into the brighter part of the throne room, smiling. Discord immediately recognized the dark-pelted filly as Celestia's younger sister, Luna. "You're funny, Discord." She giggled again, looking up at him with wide, childish eyes. Discord smiled back at her, admiring how she had kept her childish innocence throughout the trials of her life. By alicorn standards, she was extremely young, unable to fully use her magic yet. By regular pony standards, she was about eight years old. Even though the first years of her life were spent in terror during the war, she had maintained her ability to bring smiles to everyone she met with her shenanigans, always playing pranks of Discord and Celestia and finding the joy in life. The draconequus envied her, her youthful outlook on life made him think back to his own son. Immediately after remembering his family, Discord shoved the thought out of his mind. He knew nothing good could come from wallowing in the past. "Luna, You're up late! What would your sister say if she caught you wandering around the castle at this hour?" The little alicorn frowned, obviously displeased with the prospect of Celestia catching her. "That's why I was hiding! I was gonna jump out and scare her!" The frown was immediately replaced with a mischievous grin. "That would be fun!" The draconequus couldn't help but chuckle, the little filly in front of him never failed to bring a smile to his face. "I'm sure it would, Luna, but who's to say she would come into the throne room? Why don't you go wait in your room for when she goes in to check on you?" Luna's face lit up at the suggestion. "That's a great idea Discord! Thanks, I gotta go!" And with that, she galloped out of the throne room and down the long main hall of the castle, leaving the bemused draconequus alone with his thoughts once again. Now alone in the throne room, Discord walked up the stairs to the platform containing the thrones, and sat down heavily on his. The room was very dark, the minuscule amounts of light made by the moon barely getting through the stained glass windows. Thinking about his encounter with Luna, memories surfaced that he wasn't quite ready to face; images of his own son began to flood his mind. A wave of intense grief washed over him, bringing fresh tears to his eyes. The loneliness came back, and he began to weep silently, the shed tears rolling down his face and falling on the cold stone floor in front of his throne. Celestia had her sister, other alicorns, and the love of all the ponies. And what did he have? Nothing. His race wiped out, and the ponies all view him as a time-bomb, ready to go off again at any moment. He could see it in their eyes, a wariness that was always present. Especially the alicorn nobles. They made it a point to avoid all contact with him unless absolutely necessary. It wasn't fair. Why must he be considered evil? He had suffered just as much as Celestia, if not more. Everyone had lost a piece of themselves during the War, but Discord seemed to be the only one who couldn't make peace with his demons, and he had a bad feeling about the consequences if he didn't. He was already noticing changes in his behavior and moods, and the thoughts he had sometimes had scared him. He sometimes caught his mind drifting to what he would do if he could use Chaos on certain ponies who were rather outspoken with their opinions about the King of Chaos. Calling him a psycopathic murderer, schizophrenic, and other insults that didn't exactly make him feel too good. He just felt so alone. The loneliness of having no allies in this cruel world threatened to turn him into the monster everypony made him out to be. The pain from his past was close to breaking his mind, the torturous thoughts of his son and mate were always on his mind, and he worried about the consequences should he snap. As the King of Chaos, he could easily lay waste to the world if he descended into madness, which he had no intention of letting happen. He sighed, inwardly cursing fate for his luck. As he began to feel tired, he walked out of the throne room towards the west wing of the castle, towards his quarters. Celestia and Luna's quarters were along the way, and he could hear Celestia give a yelp as Luna jumped out a hiding spot in her room down the hall, scaring Celestia into dropping her calm demeanor. He smiled to himself, imagining the look upon Celestia's face as she jumped into the air. He walked past the door to Luna's room, hearing Celestia putting her sister to bed and murmuring a bedtime story. As he reached his room, he strolled in, feeling the pull of his bed as sleep tugged at him incessantly. He barely got to his plush bed, slipping off into sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Chapter 4Ladies and gentlecolts, I am very happy to say that I'm back. I sincerely apologize for the obscenely long wait, between school and life in general I'm up to my neck in annoying shit that needs to get done and leaves me no time for this. But, I recently had a surgery on my knee so most of the annoying shit is on hold. Thus, When I'm not doped up on painkillers I will work on this story! Again, I apologize for the wait. Discord was jolted awake by the sudden contact of a little ball of dark blue fluff with his body. He jerked upwards in bed, throwing the offending filly off of him and clear across the room. He caught her with a pulse of magic, and gently put her down on the foot of the bed. Upset at being awoken so unceremoniously, he shot Luna a stern look. "What was that for?" He inquired. Luna sat on her haunches and looked back at the draconequus with a huge smile. "It's time to get up Discord! Celly wants you for weekly court!" Upon hearing this, he slapped a paw to his forehead in frustration. He hated going to weekly court with every fiber of his being. It usually consisted of the Alicorn nobles whining about trivial things like taxes and land. When the nobles were particularly displeased, they made sure Discord knew it; they blatantly insulted him and showed their overall distaste for him. Not that he cared much about what the nobles thought, of course, the thing that he really hated about the weekly court was that it was just so boring. Nothing ever really got done, it was just a time for the nobles to complain. He begrudgingly got out of his bed and, with a snap of his fingers, teleported across the castle to the courtroom. Celestia was already seated, as were most of the nobles, most of whom nearly jumped out of their seats in surprise at his sudden appearance. The draconequus always got a sort of sadistic pleasure out of watching them squirm in his presence. He scared them, he knew, and he made sure to give them plenty of reason to be, making himself as unpredictable as possible for that sole purpose. With a contemptuous smirk, he took his seat next to Celestia. "The weekly court is now in session. We shall go with the usual proceedings." Celestia's voice boomed, reverberating off the stone pillars and and circular walls of the courtroom. With that, the first noble cleared his throat and spoke of increased Griffon presence in Stalliongrad. "It is imperative we bolster our forces in Stalliongrad, your Majesty. The Griffons could be planning something, and we need to deter them from trying anything underhanded." The other nobles nodded in approval. Celestia and Discord exchanged looks. Discord cleared his throat. "Baron, I highly doubt the Griffons are planning anything. The increased 'presence' you speak of is an influx of immigrants from Aquellia, most likely trying to escape the famine. And besides, Celestia and I have no control over Stalliongrad. Most of the North is ruled by She of the Wyrmstadt. The dragons control that area, and they would never let Ponies or Griffons gain the upper hand and destabilize their power. You should know that." The noble's face turned beet red as Discord said the last part of his response. Discord knew he would not like the subtle insult of his intelligence and would start an argument, but that was what Discord wanted. He had to spice things up somehow. "Now look here, you pathetic vermin! I will not take such a statement from you! We are economically tied to Stalliongrad, and if the Griffons try to sabotage our trade in some way, it could prove detrimental to our economy! We must at least notify She of the Wyrmstadt of the situation!" Discord raised an eyebrow and looked at the alicorn quizzically. "Well well, a little fired up today aren't we baron? I must warn you, I'm not in the best of moods today, so spewing insults at me doesn't bode well for you at the moment." The noble's jaw dropped at the draconequus's statement. It hung there for a few seconds, while the tension grew among the nobles. Discord had never made an outright threat to a noble before, and the shocked expressions on everypony's face told him he had done exactly wanted. Celestia glanced toward him, a surprised look on her face. She knew that he wouldn't do any legitimate harm to the noble, but the threat took her by surprise. For a few seconds, the tension in the room skyrocketed as everyone waited for the noble to recover from his shocked state. All eyes were on Discord, and he sat calmly in his chair, with a mocking smirk on his face as he stared at the shocked noble. The baron finally recovered and, upon doing so, made a few sputtering noises as he struggled to gain back his coherence. "I will speak to you however I want, you vile... creature! You have no power over me, no matter what the treaty says! I will not allow myself to be ruled by a being such as you! I will follow Celestia to the grave, but you we can all do without!" Discord threw his head back and let out a booming laugh that reverberated around the circular courtroom. The nobles were visibly unsettled by it, and began exchanging worried looks. When the draconequus finished, he looked back at the noble with a mocking smile on his face. "You can't be serious, baron. Let's get a reality check, shall we?" He snapped his fingers, and with a flash of light a scroll appeared in the center of the room, hovering a few feet above the floor. The scroll was obviously of great importance, it glowed from the plethora of enchantments placed on it to prevent any kind of changes being made to the text and other protective spells. He got up out his seat and walked casually toward the scroll, grabbed it, and unravelled it. He looked over the contents for a few seconds, letting the tension in the room rise once again. "Ah! Here it is!" He turned towards the baron and read from the scroll. "Discord, the last Draconequus and keeper of the Elements of Chaos, will rule all of Equestria alongside Queen Celestia, ruler of Ponykind and keeper of the Elements of Harmony, effectively ending the Great War. Both have equal power and answer to none other than each other. Their power is absolute and their word is law, as long as both rulers agree upon the terms. Any who challenge their power will be stripped of their status and will be banished from Equestria to ensure that balance between Chaos and Harmony is kept." He glanced up at the baron, walked over to his seat and placed the scroll in front of him on the large table. "Baron, I would recommend that you choose your words more carefully in the future, because I'm sure even Celestia would agree that your... comments were a direct challenge to the balance that must be kept." He glanced towards the Queen of Harmony for a confirmation, and she nodded. Upon seeing this, the baron slumped in his seat, and motioned that he no longer had the floor for debate. With a smirk and a chuckle to himself, Discord snapped his fingers once again, teleporting the scroll to the bowels of the castle and himself to his chair, where he leaned back lazily and smiled towards the assorted nobles innocently. Celestia cleared her throat. "Now that that is settled, we must move on. Any more topics that should be brought to my attention?" She surveyed the room, scanning the shocked faces of the nobles, looking for somepony to take the floor. When none did, she called the court to a close. ~~~ Discord settled into his throne, leaning back as far as possible as he rested his paw and talon on the armrests. Celestia did the same, but in a much more regal manner. The most obvious difference between the two rulers, other then them being different species, was that Discord cared little for trivialities such as looking good and proper, while Celestia meticulously observed every social rule. Discord glanced over at her regal form, his eyes taking in every detail in the brief glance. It was her serene grace that made her so attractive, not the physical traits, as good as they were. Her ability to soothe the worst pains, exorcise the darkest demons, and to give him a grip on his sanity. If it weren't for her, the Lord of Chaos would have gone insane long ago. Celestia, the Queen of Harmony, was his light at the end of the tunnel.
Chapter 1The draconequus surveyed his surroundings, taking in the scent of foliage that had taken over the ruins of what was once his castle. Well, he thought to himself, not entirely mine. The castle, once a massive structure that represented the power he and his Queen held in their respective limbs, was reduced to simple rubble, unable to stand against the relentless assault of his beautiful chaos. He stood in what was once the throne room, now missing a roof and the once-elegant stained glass windows were completely gone, with the shattered pieces scattered all over the cold stone floor. Only one throne remained, the other split in many parts, with the pieces thrown about the stairs leading up to the platform with the remaining throne. The imposing pillars that had held the weight of the ceiling were now either gone or in pieces, scattered about the room. Now, the Everfree Forest had taken over the majority of the castle. Vines and ferns were all over the throne room, with all but the centermost areas covered in foliage. Suddenly, Discord heard the ruffling of feathers and two thumps behind him, and the draconequus turned his head slowly towards the sound. He saw two ponies before him, both elegant and beautiful in their own right, but the white one before him brought a cocktail of emotions and memories to his mind. He strolled casually toward Celestia, a smirk of contempt on his face. “Good evening, my Queen, forgive me for not tidying up a bit, but you just didn’t give me the chance to-“ A white hoof flashed in front of him and struck his face, bringing him to one knee. Discord spat crimson on the ground, and got up from his kneeling position. Smiling devilishly, he locked eyes once again with the white alicorn in front of him. “I see you still bring pain wherever you go, Tia.” The white pony’s face hardened, betraying her thoughts to the draconequus. “My name is Queen Celestia, Discord. And I’m here to put an end to your rampage. You will pay for what you have done” The draconequus raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. “Oh? So I’m the only culprit? Have you even considered the role you played in the demise of your precious Harmony? And don’t you think we should at least tell little Lulu why this is happening?” He shifted his gaze to the dark-pelted pony beside Celestia. She was much younger than her older sister, if she wasn’t an alicorn, Discord would have mistaken her for a teenager. But he knew better. Luna stared back at him, white-hot fury burning in her eyes. “My name. is. Princess Luna.” she growled. The draconequus smiled down at the moon princess. “Oh, I know that my dear. But I don’t see the harm in using pet names.” The hate in Luna’s eyes only intensified. Queen Celestia put a hoof out in front of her sister, blocking her from Discord’s view. “Leave Luna out of this, Discord, our quarrel doesn’t concern her.” Discord looked at the Queen of Harmony quizzically, with an eyebrow raised. “Doesn’t it? She certainly looks like she wants to tear me limb from limb, but I can say the same thing about you, come to think about it. I mean, you’ve already torn my heart apart, so what left is there to tear?” He paused, relishing in the sweet joy of watching Luna’s face become shrouded with confusion and Celestia’s with a mix of rage, sorrow and contempt. “So tell me my Queen, does your little sister even know my side of our sad little tale?” Celestia’s face became shrouded in anger once more. “No, and she doesn’t need to, either. Your actions are inexcusable and you need to pay for what you’ve done!” Discord smirked, looking Celestia in the eyes. “I disagree.” And with unnatural, break-neck speed he lunged at Luna, and put the palm of his clawed paw on her forehead. Neither Celestia nor Luna had any time to react. Luna could only give out a yelp of surprise before the contact between the two beings brought a flood of images and emotions to her mind. It didn’t take her long to realize that they were memories, and none of them were hers. She passed out, unable to process all the feelings and emotions being transferred. Soon the images began to take shape, like a movie being played out in her head, except this movie was accompanied with feeling. She could not only see everything from Discord’s point of view, but she could feel everything. His emotions overwhelmed hers, and like a dream, the unconscious Luna watched Discord’s life being played out in her head.
Chapter 2The King of Chaos leaned back lazily in his throne, admiring his throne room's décor. The throne room was split, one half decorated with banners and stained glass representing Discord's Chaos, the banners with purple flames, the stained glass representing different aspects of the Elements of Chaos. On the half of the room where Celestia sat, banners with the sun hung from the pillars, and stained glass windows represented the Elements of Harmony. He shifted his gaze over to his Queen, a beautiful alicorn with a pure white pelt and multicolored mane that waved lazily in a nonexistent breeze. The most striking part about her, however, was her eyes. As she turned her head toward him, they both locked eyes, and Discord seemed to get lost in them. As he stared into his Queen's eyes, a wave of perfect calm seemed to envelope him. Her eyes seemed to be portals into her very soul, the kindness she expressed outwardly was there, Discord could see it in them. Although he knew he wasn't exactly being subtle, he could not bring himself to look away, he had been doing this for a long time now, catching himself staring a little too often, watching her graceful demeanor, her lithe curves, and soaking in every word she said to him. Not only was she beautiful, but she was the kindest soul he knew. She would personally listen to anyone's concerns about the kingdom, be it an alicorn noble or a humble earth pony farmer. She treated no one unfairly, and Discord envied her patience and grace. She was an alicorn, the embodiment of grace and perfection, and he was a draconequus, a being simply of chaos, thrown hastily together by whatever god or higher power made the original design of the two races. He was a monster compared to her, and he knew it. He looked away from Celestia after what felt like an eternity lost in her eyes, he finally pulled himself away, a doubtful expression on his face. "Is something bothering you, Discord?" He looked back towards her, this time avoiding eye contact. "No, 'Tia, I was simply trying to remember whether we had any more business to attend to today." He inwardly grimaced at his statement, it sounded like a bad homework excuse a small foal would come up with. The corners of Celestia's mouth moved upwards into a knowing smile. "I don't believe we do, Discord, it is late, after all." Discord's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Had that much time really passed? He glanced toward the stained-glass windows, noticing there was no light filtering through them. He turned his head back toward Celestia, meeting her eyes this time. "Well, in that case I think I'm going to call it a night, my butt's falling asleep." As he began to get up from his sitting position, Celestia chuckled next to him, causing him to pause. "It's only six o'clock, Discord. Just because royal business is concluded doesn't mean the day is over. Walk with me." She got up from her throne, and once on her feet, locked eyes with the draconequus king to her left. "I must discuss something with you." Discord nodded in understanding, and followed her down the steps from their thrones. The two walked through the castle in silence, heading towards the castle gardens. Once outside, Discord paused, looking out upon the land surrounding the castle, where the city of Equilibrium lay. He remembered a time when the very same land was barren, a wasteland inhospitable to any life, made that way through centuries of warfare. The Great War had ravaged Equestria to within inches of total destruction, the very fabric of reality threatened. The only thing that had prevented the total annihilation of Equestria was the same alicorn that walked in front of him. Ponykind and the world was saved by Celestia, through the power of forgiveness. If only the same could be said about my race. Discord thought to himself with a pang of guilt. "Discord, what are you thinking?" The draconequus jumped in surprise, and looked towards Celestia sheepishly. He chastised himself for getting lost in his thoughts again. "Talk to me, Discord. You've been unusually serious lately, and with you that usually means something's on your mind. I am your friend now, and have been for the last century. You can confide in me." Discord sighed, defeated. "I miss my mate, Celestia. I miss being accepted. The ponies are afraid of me, after what my kind did. They don't see me as a ruler, they see me as a monster." He looked at the ground, ashamed. "It's hard being the last of your kind, Tia. Especially when you have to live with the demons of the past." A feeling of absolute loneliness washed over him, and tears began to form in his eyes. "I'm a monster, Celestia, I'm the personification of Chaos, and as essential as it is, all it brings is death and destruction. I remember looking at where Equilibrium is now and seeing a wasteland." He looked up at Celestia, now a white blur from the tears in his eyes. He wiped away the tears with his lion's paw and saw her beautiful face looking at him with concern. "Discord, You're not a monster. You're a draconequus. Draconequus's are supposed to be chaotic, and alicorns are supposed to be harmonized. Chaos may have negative effects, but it can bring so many good things. Love is a result of Chaos, there is nothing harmonious about love, it's seemingly random, and drives those who feel it to do things they would normally never do to achieve it." Celestia reached out her hoof, and patted Discord comfortingly. "Celestia, think about the negative effects of love. A love triangle always leaves somepony left out, feeling unwanted and alone. Love can be unrequited, which I wouldn't wish on anypony." He sat down in the grass, looking out over Equilibrium. Celestia lay down next to him, also surveying the city laid out in front of the pair. "Discord, do you remember how the War ended?" The draconquus sighed. "Celestia, I-" "Answer the question, Discord." "Yes, I remember." "Then you remember what I said?" "You told me that there was no point in fighting anymore. You realized that without Chaos the very fabric of reality would be torn apart." "Yes, but I also forgave you for what you did. And you forgave me. A monster does not forgive, Discord. And you forgave me. You are good at heart, but in your own way." She looked at him straight in the eyes, a serious expression on her face. "You just have to believe that for yourself." "I don't know if I can." Celestia smiled at him with her beautiful, comforting smile. "Time heals all wounds, Discord. And we have a shortage of neither pain nor time. This too, shall pass." The beginnings of a smile showed on the King of Chaos's face as he turned to face his Queen. "Thank you, Celestia, at least I have one friend." And with that, he stood up and walked back inside the castle, though he still felt the same inside.
Chapter 3As Discord walked through the halls of the castle, he couldn't help but let his mind wander to the conversation he had shared with Celestia. He sighed to himself, unsure if he could really forgive anyone for what occurred during the War, including himself. Both had lost loved ones during the War, but Discord had lost everything. Celestia at least had a handful of other alicorns, including her own sister, Luna, to bring their race back from the brink of oblivion. Discord had no such comfort. Every last draconequus save for him was killed, and his race would never bounce back. Cruel fate had wiped out one of the most powerful beings in Equestria, and nearly obliterated the alicorns. Unfortunately for Discord, there would never be an escape. If he died, reality would be torn apart. As the last bearer of the Elements of Chaos, he helped bring stability by balancing the world with his Chaos, so that it would not be overpowered by Harmony. Balance was essential, and he and his Queen walked a fine line to keep that balance. It had been imbalance that brought on the War, and no one wanted that ever again. Lost in his thought, he bumped into a pillar in his throne room, jarring him back to reality. Feeling himself blush from embarrassment, he looked around to make sure no one had witnessed his embarrassing encounter with the stone pillar. He heard a childish giggle come from a dark corner of the throne room, and a small, innocent-looking alicorn stepped out of the darkness and into the brighter part of the throne room, smiling. Discord immediately recognized the dark-pelted filly as Celestia's younger sister, Luna. "You're funny, Discord." She giggled again, looking up at him with wide, childish eyes. Discord smiled back at her, admiring how she had kept her childish innocence throughout the trials of her life. By alicorn standards, she was extremely young, unable to fully use her magic yet. By regular pony standards, she was about eight years old. Even though the first years of her life were spent in terror during the war, she had maintained her ability to bring smiles to everyone she met with her shenanigans, always playing pranks of Discord and Celestia and finding the joy in life. The draconequus envied her, her youthful outlook on life made him think back to his own son. Immediately after remembering his family, Discord shoved the thought out of his mind. He knew nothing good could come from wallowing in the past. "Luna, You're up late! What would your sister say if she caught you wandering around the castle at this hour?" The little alicorn frowned, obviously displeased with the prospect of Celestia catching her. "That's why I was hiding! I was gonna jump out and scare her!" The frown was immediately replaced with a mischievous grin. "That would be fun!" The draconequus couldn't help but chuckle, the little filly in front of him never failed to bring a smile to his face. "I'm sure it would, Luna, but who's to say she would come into the throne room? Why don't you go wait in your room for when she goes in to check on you?" Luna's face lit up at the suggestion. "That's a great idea Discord! Thanks, I gotta go!" And with that, she galloped out of the throne room and down the long main hall of the castle, leaving the bemused draconequus alone with his thoughts once again. Now alone in the throne room, Discord walked up the stairs to the platform containing the thrones, and sat down heavily on his. The room was very dark, the minuscule amounts of light made by the moon barely getting through the stained glass windows. Thinking about his encounter with Luna, memories surfaced that he wasn't quite ready to face; images of his own son began to flood his mind. A wave of intense grief washed over him, bringing fresh tears to his eyes. The loneliness came back, and he began to weep silently, the shed tears rolling down his face and falling on the cold stone floor in front of his throne. Celestia had her sister, other alicorns, and the love of all the ponies. And what did he have? Nothing. His race wiped out, and the ponies all view him as a time-bomb, ready to go off again at any moment. He could see it in their eyes, a wariness that was always present. Especially the alicorn nobles. They made it a point to avoid all contact with him unless absolutely necessary. It wasn't fair. Why must he be considered evil? He had suffered just as much as Celestia, if not more. Everyone had lost a piece of themselves during the War, but Discord seemed to be the only one who couldn't make peace with his demons, and he had a bad feeling about the consequences if he didn't. He was already noticing changes in his behavior and moods, and the thoughts he had sometimes had scared him. He sometimes caught his mind drifting to what he would do if he could use Chaos on certain ponies who were rather outspoken with their opinions about the King of Chaos. Calling him a psycopathic murderer, schizophrenic, and other insults that didn't exactly make him feel too good. He just felt so alone. The loneliness of having no allies in this cruel world threatened to turn him into the monster everypony made him out to be. The pain from his past was close to breaking his mind, the torturous thoughts of his son and mate were always on his mind, and he worried about the consequences should he snap. As the King of Chaos, he could easily lay waste to the world if he descended into madness, which he had no intention of letting happen. He sighed, inwardly cursing fate for his luck. As he began to feel tired, he walked out of the throne room towards the west wing of the castle, towards his quarters. Celestia and Luna's quarters were along the way, and he could hear Celestia give a yelp as Luna jumped out a hiding spot in her room down the hall, scaring Celestia into dropping her calm demeanor. He smiled to himself, imagining the look upon Celestia's face as she jumped into the air. He walked past the door to Luna's room, hearing Celestia putting her sister to bed and murmuring a bedtime story. As he reached his room, he strolled in, feeling the pull of his bed as sleep tugged at him incessantly. He barely got to his plush bed, slipping off into sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
Chapter 4Ladies and gentlecolts, I am very happy to say that I'm back. I sincerely apologize for the obscenely long wait, between school and life in general I'm up to my neck in annoying shit that needs to get done and leaves me no time for this. But, I recently had a surgery on my knee so most of the annoying shit is on hold. Thus, When I'm not doped up on painkillers I will work on this story! Again, I apologize for the wait. Discord was jolted awake by the sudden contact of a little ball of dark blue fluff with his body. He jerked upwards in bed, throwing the offending filly off of him and clear across the room. He caught her with a pulse of magic, and gently put her down on the foot of the bed. Upset at being awoken so unceremoniously, he shot Luna a stern look. "What was that for?" He inquired. Luna sat on her haunches and looked back at the draconequus with a huge smile. "It's time to get up Discord! Celly wants you for weekly court!" Upon hearing this, he slapped a paw to his forehead in frustration. He hated going to weekly court with every fiber of his being. It usually consisted of the Alicorn nobles whining about trivial things like taxes and land. When the nobles were particularly displeased, they made sure Discord knew it; they blatantly insulted him and showed their overall distaste for him. Not that he cared much about what the nobles thought, of course, the thing that he really hated about the weekly court was that it was just so boring. Nothing ever really got done, it was just a time for the nobles to complain. He begrudgingly got out of his bed and, with a snap of his fingers, teleported across the castle to the courtroom. Celestia was already seated, as were most of the nobles, most of whom nearly jumped out of their seats in surprise at his sudden appearance. The draconequus always got a sort of sadistic pleasure out of watching them squirm in his presence. He scared them, he knew, and he made sure to give them plenty of reason to be, making himself as unpredictable as possible for that sole purpose. With a contemptuous smirk, he took his seat next to Celestia. "The weekly court is now in session. We shall go with the usual proceedings." Celestia's voice boomed, reverberating off the stone pillars and and circular walls of the courtroom. With that, the first noble cleared his throat and spoke of increased Griffon presence in Stalliongrad. "It is imperative we bolster our forces in Stalliongrad, your Majesty. The Griffons could be planning something, and we need to deter them from trying anything underhanded." The other nobles nodded in approval. Celestia and Discord exchanged looks. Discord cleared his throat. "Baron, I highly doubt the Griffons are planning anything. The increased 'presence' you speak of is an influx of immigrants from Aquellia, most likely trying to escape the famine. And besides, Celestia and I have no control over Stalliongrad. Most of the North is ruled by She of the Wyrmstadt. The dragons control that area, and they would never let Ponies or Griffons gain the upper hand and destabilize their power. You should know that." The noble's face turned beet red as Discord said the last part of his response. Discord knew he would not like the subtle insult of his intelligence and would start an argument, but that was what Discord wanted. He had to spice things up somehow. "Now look here, you pathetic vermin! I will not take such a statement from you! We are economically tied to Stalliongrad, and if the Griffons try to sabotage our trade in some way, it could prove detrimental to our economy! We must at least notify She of the Wyrmstadt of the situation!" Discord raised an eyebrow and looked at the alicorn quizzically. "Well well, a little fired up today aren't we baron? I must warn you, I'm not in the best of moods today, so spewing insults at me doesn't bode well for you at the moment." The noble's jaw dropped at the draconequus's statement. It hung there for a few seconds, while the tension grew among the nobles. Discord had never made an outright threat to a noble before, and the shocked expressions on everypony's face told him he had done exactly wanted. Celestia glanced toward him, a surprised look on her face. She knew that he wouldn't do any legitimate harm to the noble, but the threat took her by surprise. For a few seconds, the tension in the room skyrocketed as everyone waited for the noble to recover from his shocked state. All eyes were on Discord, and he sat calmly in his chair, with a mocking smirk on his face as he stared at the shocked noble. The baron finally recovered and, upon doing so, made a few sputtering noises as he struggled to gain back his coherence. "I will speak to you however I want, you vile... creature! You have no power over me, no matter what the treaty says! I will not allow myself to be ruled by a being such as you! I will follow Celestia to the grave, but you we can all do without!" Discord threw his head back and let out a booming laugh that reverberated around the circular courtroom. The nobles were visibly unsettled by it, and began exchanging worried looks. When the draconequus finished, he looked back at the noble with a mocking smile on his face. "You can't be serious, baron. Let's get a reality check, shall we?" He snapped his fingers, and with a flash of light a scroll appeared in the center of the room, hovering a few feet above the floor. The scroll was obviously of great importance, it glowed from the plethora of enchantments placed on it to prevent any kind of changes being made to the text and other protective spells. He got up out his seat and walked casually toward the scroll, grabbed it, and unravelled it. He looked over the contents for a few seconds, letting the tension in the room rise once again. "Ah! Here it is!" He turned towards the baron and read from the scroll. "Discord, the last Draconequus and keeper of the Elements of Chaos, will rule all of Equestria alongside Queen Celestia, ruler of Ponykind and keeper of the Elements of Harmony, effectively ending the Great War. Both have equal power and answer to none other than each other. Their power is absolute and their word is law, as long as both rulers agree upon the terms. Any who challenge their power will be stripped of their status and will be banished from Equestria to ensure that balance between Chaos and Harmony is kept." He glanced up at the baron, walked over to his seat and placed the scroll in front of him on the large table. "Baron, I would recommend that you choose your words more carefully in the future, because I'm sure even Celestia would agree that your... comments were a direct challenge to the balance that must be kept." He glanced towards the Queen of Harmony for a confirmation, and she nodded. Upon seeing this, the baron slumped in his seat, and motioned that he no longer had the floor for debate. With a smirk and a chuckle to himself, Discord snapped his fingers once again, teleporting the scroll to the bowels of the castle and himself to his chair, where he leaned back lazily and smiled towards the assorted nobles innocently. Celestia cleared her throat. "Now that that is settled, we must move on. Any more topics that should be brought to my attention?" She surveyed the room, scanning the shocked faces of the nobles, looking for somepony to take the floor. When none did, she called the court to a close. ~~~ Discord settled into his throne, leaning back as far as possible as he rested his paw and talon on the armrests. Celestia did the same, but in a much more regal manner. The most obvious difference between the two rulers, other then them being different species, was that Discord cared little for trivialities such as looking good and proper, while Celestia meticulously observed every social rule. Discord glanced over at her regal form, his eyes taking in every detail in the brief glance. It was her serene grace that made her so attractive, not the physical traits, as good as they were. Her ability to soothe the worst pains, exorcise the darkest demons, and to give him a grip on his sanity. If it weren't for her, the Lord of Chaos would have gone insane long ago. Celestia, the Queen of Harmony, was his light at the end of the tunnel.
