Celestia's New Life

Though it would have been easy for Discord to teleport himself and Celestia back to his homeland, he claimed it would be much more romantic to make the journey the long way. They went west, alternating between flying and going on foot, until at last they hit a forest that led to the bases of the Smokey Mountains.

“It's been a long time since I've been out this way,” Celestia said, gazing up at the tall peaks. “Vanhoover is to our northwest, is that where we're going?”

“No, my dear, or I would have had us go by train,” Discord replied. “This forest is our destination.”

“Are your people hidden here?”

“In a sense. Ssh, don't make me spoil the surprise!”

Celestia chuckled and kept walking next to him. She heard a low, rumbling coo from behind her and looked over her shoulder at the small cart she was pulling. Philomena chirped at her from her cage. “I know,” Celestia said gently to her. “I'll let you fly as soon as we stop. It must be getting cramped in there.”

Philomena ruffled her feathers and opened her wings. She had a decent bit of room in the cage but was nonetheless unable to spread her wings as far as they could go.

The forest was well-shaded by the tall trees and fairly cool. Celestia stuck close to Discord for his warmth as they walked, examining the plants around them and wondering how much further they had to go. It's already been a few days.

They reached the foothills of the mountains and Celestia began keeping her ears perked for bears, or worse, Ursa Minors and Ursa Majors. Nothing bothered them save for insects though, which she gently shooed away.

Discord finally stopped next to a cave. It had vines growing down from its opening and they could hear wind whistling through it. It seemed like the perfect habitat for a large critter, but Discord seemed prepared to go inside.

“Are we going in there?” Celestia asked curiously.

“Yes, this is the way,” he replied, giving her a reassuring pat and striding forward. She hesitated, as the cave didn't seem like it would go anywhere but underground, but she trusted him. The draconequus could likely hide their home anywhere with how much reality warping magic they had. So she moved the vines aside and followed him into the cave. Her cart briefly got stuck, but a few tugs and she got it rolling.

The cave was quite dark, and Celestia lit her horn up to see where they were going. It didn't branch off at all, tunneling ahead at a slight downward angle. It was strangely empty in here, seeming to lack spiders, bats, or any other creatures known to live in caves.

As they walked deeper, she began to feel a prickling of magic along her coat. Her fur stood on end and she froze as she suddenly felt a deep urge to turn and leave. “Discord?” she whispered.

“Hm?” He stopped and looked at her. “What's wrong?”

“Are you sure this is the right way? Being in here feels wrong, there's an ancient magic here.”

“Oh, I'm so sorry, I should have warned you!” He leaned down and clasped one of her forehooves, lifting it up and kissing it. “Since this is an entrance to our land, it has been enchanted to drive away all non-draconequus. It is meant to feel incredibly uncomfortable. Are you okay? Can you keep going?”

“I think so.” She pulled her hoof back and kept going. Though her senses seemed to scream at her to turn back, she just kept her head high and told herself everything was okay, she was allowed to be here. It was an ingenious deterrent, she had to admit. The longer she walked, the more her discomfort grew, until it was a nearly paralyzing fear. She began shaking, and Discord swept an arm around her.

“This enchantment was designed by several draconequus, but allow me to try and shield you from it.” He focused his magic, diverting the environmental magic away from her. It took effort, but he managed to hold it at bay, and she let out a sigh of relief.

“That's some spell,” she commented.

“It is. We're very particular about wanting to be left alone. But don't worry, the spell will end soon.”

Sure enough, they soon walked out of the area of effect. Discord stopped his magic and Celestia waited to see if the feeling returned, but it didn't.

“There. Now, it's not much further ahead,” Discord said.

It was still several more minutes of walking, though. It was hard to keep track of time without being able to watch the sky, but Celestia figured it had to be close to an hour since they entered the cave when she finally saw light at the other end. She walked faster, beginning to trot as she longed to feel sunlight again. Discord jogged next to her, and suddenly there they were, emerging from the cave and standing on an outcropping of rock looking down on a beautiful valley.

Mountains with snow-capped peaks rose on both sides, rolling down into hills of lush grass. There were diverse trees, some with green leaves and others with pink. Fantastic flowers grew in abundance wherever she looked, there were forests in the distance, and running right through the center of the valley was a crystal clear river.

There were houses too, spread out across both the valley floor and built partly up the mountains. Though they varied in size, they all had similar architecture with wooden beams, large windows, and bright colors. Stone paths seemed to connect the buildings, forming a sprawling but organized town.

“There's my old home,” Discord said as he pointed to the town. He took a slow breath, almost as though reassuring himself. Then he gave Celestia a grin and messed with her mane. “Come on, let's head down.” He led her over to the side of the outcropping, where wooden stairs led down. She followed him, noting that they were rather high on a mountain now.

She has never seen anything like this before. There were mountains, a clear sky above her, the Sun... yet all this was completely hidden from Equestria. Draconequus magic was astounding.

When they got down from the mountain, it was an easy walk toward the town. Celestia ran a hoof through the grass along the trail, amazed by how soft it was. And such a bright, lively green. She almost wanted to lean down and take a bite out of it. She did sniff many of the strange flowers they passed, finding that they were all pleasantly fragrant.

She began to identify the pink trees as cherry trees, many of which were in bloom. Some of the older, taller trees were filled with birds, with phoenixes among them. She's never seen so many phoenixes in one place.

They called out with their singsong voices. Philomena chirped back in turn, giving a few hops. Celestia was sure she would be able to make plenty of friends here.

There were many springs out this way, clouds of steam rising from the water, and she hoped to be able to take a bath in one of them. But she didn't see many people until they got closer to the town entrance. Walking the streets beyond were dozens of draconequus. Celestia had an idea of what to expect from being around Discord, but it didn't quite prepare her for the sight of them. They were all so tall, many having pony or goat-like heads, but there were other sorts of heads as well. To say nothing of the vast array of horns, limbs, and tails they had, with very little coordination to their parts. There were individuals with frog legs, tiger arms, insect wings, scorpion tails, massive ram horns or moose antlers, some limbs with scales and some with fur and some merely hide... they were all so different and unique.

But despite how much they differed from each other, they seemed to live in harmony, laughing and engaging in conversation, while the children entertained each other with displays of magical power.

Then, as Discord and Celestia walked through the entrance and entered the town proper, activity seemed to stop. All eyes turned to them and they stopped too, looking around nervously. Discord clenched and unclenched his fingers, offering a grin and trying to ignore that he was sweating bullets. Next to him, Celestia tensed all her legs, ready to take a stance and fight should something bad happen.

And then the tension disappeared and everyone around them called out happily and smiled, rushing in to surround them. Celestia heard several calls of Discord's name, the others clapping him on the back and shaking his hand, glad to have him back.

He let out a sigh of relief and found himself feeling emotional over the warm welcome. He hasn't seen them in so long, he hadn't exactly left on the best terms, but they didn't seem to hold anything against him. They were simply happy he was back. “Yes, thank you, everyone!” he said, blinking away tears and grinning at the others. He greeted who he could by name, amazed he still remembered so many of them despite how much time has passed. Though there were some young faces he didn't know yet. He would have to introduce himself.

But before he could, someone said, “Your parents will be thrilled to see you!”

“Oh, yes!” someone else chimed in. “Don't waste anymore time here, go see them!”

“Have they moved?” Discord asked as he was nearly pushed along by the crowd. “Or are they-”

“They're right where you left them,” he was assured. “Go on!”

“Well, I guess we're meeting my parents now,” he said gleefully to Celestia.

She smiled. “If they're anything like the rest of your people, it'll be a fun meeting.”

Discord led the way, the townspeople cheering him on as they went. He hadn't known he would miss home so much, but now that he was back, he was glad for this decision. Their destination wasn't too far away. They passed shops and restaurants, and Celestia tried to glance through the windows of every place they passed. Discord told her they would have plenty of time to explore and shop once they get settled in. She was looking forward to it.

Soon they were walking up the path to a fairly large house. Discord ran his hand along one of the beams as they stepped up onto the porch, Celestia unhooking the cart from herself as they did. She asked Philomena to please wait a while longer, then joined Discord at the door. He was examining the house, and explained to her, “They've remodeled since I lived here. I wonder how it looks inside.”

“Guess we should find out, hm?” She gestured to the door.

“Indeed.” He raised a fist, but didn't knock right away. Would his parents even want to see him again?

Celestia slipped a comforting foreleg around him, holding him close. “Go ahead. No matter what happens, I'm here for you.”

“I know.” He gave her a brief kiss, then knocked on the door.

A few moments passed before a female voice replied, “Come in!”

Discord felt nervous all over again as he recognized his mother's voice. This was really happening. He found the door to be unlocked. Of course, things were so peaceful no one really locked their doors. It was all coming back to him. He let himself in, his partner following right behind him. The floors were polished wood, and as he looked around, he saw that not much has changed. The furniture was newer, and rooms seemed to have been rearranged since he lived here, but it was recognizable as his culture's style.

While they were looking around the house, a draconequus mare came in from another room, politely asking, “What brings you here, honored guests...” Then she trailed off upon seeing Discord, eyes widening. “Discord?” She took a cautious step closer to him. “Is that really you?”

He offered her a bashful smile. Celestia has never seen him look so sheepish. “It's me. Mom.”

The other's eyes immediately filled with tears and she cried out, “Hades! Hades, dear, come here!”

“Persephone? What's wrong?” Another draconequus hurried in, this one a large stallion who at first seemed concerned for his wife, but he grew as shocked as her when he saw who was standing in front of her. “Son? Are you...?”

Discord nodded, first to his mother, and then to his father. “Mom. Dad. It's good to see you both.” For a moment, Celestia thought this was going to be a solemn affair. But then the three were bursting into tears and running to hug each other. Discord's parents were happily welcoming him home between sobs, their pain and relief so honest that it broke her heart. She was reminded of how much she had missed Luna after she was forced to banish her, and how happy she was to reunite with her once Nightmare Moon was defeated.

“I'm sorry, I never should have left,” Discord said, leaning back and wiping his eyes off. “I never thought about how much it would hurt you, I didn't care, I just...”

“It's alright,” Persephone said gently, reaching up to wipe tears from his cheek. “It's not your fault.”

“It was ours,” Hades agreed. “If we had just taken the time to listen, to understand you, maybe it wouldn't have happened. We've wanted to make it up to you ever since but you didn't come back for so long...”

“We're just glad you're alright,” Persephone finished. “You look healthy, and happy, we're just glad you're back.”

They wrapped each other in hugs again, wanting to make up for over a thousand years of missing each other. Celestia just waited, wondering what all happened between them but not wanting to pry. She was about to reach out to touch Discord's back when a third draconequus came to see what the commotion was. He looked to be about Discord's age, with a similar coat, though his limbs were more like his mother's. He gasped at the sight of Discord and shouted, “Hey, everyone! Discord's back!” He began running from room to room calling the news. “It's him, our brother, he's back!”

Far more draconequus than Celestia was expecting filled the room after that. They were all about Discord's age or younger, scrambling around so fast that it was hard to count them but she guessed there had to be close to eight. Somehow she just knew they were all siblings, and they crowded Discord, who stepped away from his parents and leaned down to hug each of them.

Celestia covered her mouth as she giggled, unused to seeing her partner so sociable. But he was greeting all of his young siblings happily, complimenting them on how much they've grown in the past thousand years, and he picked up the smallest of the bunch and gave her a few playful tosses in the air. “And who are you?”

“That's your newest little sister,” Hades laughed. “You left way before she was born. Her name's Fortune.”

“Fortune!” Discord nuzzled her and she pulled on his beard. “Wow, isn't she a feisty one!”

“She looks a lot like you,” Celestia remarked.

“Haha, yeah.” Discord put the foal down and she took one look at Celestia before backing away. It was then that the family really seemed to take notice of the alicorn standing in the room with them, giving her curious and slightly apprehensive looks. Seeing this, Discord went to his partner's side and said, “Everyone, please meet Celestia.”

Discord's parents were the first to approach her, their expressions carefully blank. They seemed to be looking her over, examining her closely, and she hoped they weren't angry about her being here. She didn't want to make a bad first impression on her future in laws. But then they smiled and greeted her cordially, holding out their hands to shake her hoof as they introduced themselves.

They also introduced their many kids, mentioning that they had more relatives living right next door as well. Celestia relaxed at how inviting they had become, doing her best to learn the names of all Discord's siblings. She had never realized draconequus families were so big.

Once introductions were exchanged, Discord went on to say, “She's my fiancee, we plan to marry and start our new life here.” It was an agreement they had come to during their walk, Celestia wishing to live with the draconequus. If they would have her, that is.

For a while, the family was silent, and Celestia began to worry that they wouldn't want her here, that the draconequus were too proud to allow an outsider in, that they would turn her away or make both of them leave...

But much like when she entered the town, her worries were alleviated. The family cheered, applauding and congratulating Discord on his engagement.

“That's wonderful!” Persephone exclaimed. Seeing Celestia's obvious relief, she smiled and went to touch her shoulder. “I know what you're thinking, and it's okay. We don't care that you're a pony, if Discord loves you, then we love you! You're welcome here in our home and in our village!”

“Yeah, we're just happy he's finally getting married,” Hades agreed, clapping his son hard on the back. “About time he got a move on.”

Discord chuckled and ducked out from under his hand. “I had too much going on to worry about marriage. But now, well...” He smiled. “I think I'm ready for it.”

“There'll be much to do,” Persephone commented. “We'll have to prepare the rite of passage ceremony for your fiancee if she wants to get married here, and prepare for the wedding itself... we have a lot to do! But oh, first things first, let's bring in your things.”

They went out to the cart, Discord's parents and siblings using their magic to lift luggage and other belongings out, though they were very careful when they got out Philomena's cage.

“A phoenix?” Persephone asked, taking the cage in her hands instead.

“Yes, she's been with me a very long time,” Celestia replied. “Her name is Philomena.”

“We have a phoenix who stays with us as well, though he comes and goes as he pleases, since he leads a tribe of phoenixes in the forest to our east,” Persephone explained, gesturing toward the woods not too far from the house. “Perhaps he would like to meet-”

A squawk interrupted her. Looking up, they saw a large phoenix with bright feathers perched on the house above them, turning one fiery eye to gaze down at them.

“Ah. He probably heard your lady,” Persephone laughed. Looking into the cage, they saw that Philomena was watching the male phoenix curiously. She pecked at the bars and gave Celestia a longing look. “You should let her go. I think she'll get along well with him.”

“You're right. She's been needing to stretch her wings anyway.” Celestia opened the cage with her magic and reached out a hoof. Philomena daintily stepped out and onto her foreleg, shaking her feathers from head to tail and puffing up for a moment before her feathers all slimmed back down. Then Celestia lifted her foreleg up high and Philomena took off, flying up to the top of the house to sit next to the handsome phoenix waiting for her.

They exchanged soft chirps to introduce themselves, Philomena a little nervous as she hasn't been around too many others of her kind, while the male seemed confident but also interested in her.

“Have fun, you two,” Celestia called, then helped the draconequus carry her stuff inside. Once everything was brought in, it was all taken to a guest room. A guest room that was apparently once Discord's room, which they offered to make his permanently again, but he respectfully declined as he would likely get his own place once he and Celestia married.

The couple settled in, soon joining Hades and Persephone out in the lounge to relax. They wanted to get to know Celestia, and she told them about her life and how she knew Discord. They seemed surprised that she was so close to him now after everything they had gone through in the past, but nodded in understanding when she explained that love was full of surprises. It was only when Discord embraced friendship and sought deeper relationships with his fellow creatures that she was able to fall for him, and the two of them couldn't be happier. Getting engaged had simply felt like the most natural thing in the world.

When she was done with her stories, Hades regaled her with tales of Discord's childhood, which Celestia found hilarious while Discord groaned with embarrassment. Apparently when he was first learning to teleport, he had a knack for teleporting himself into tight spaces and getting himself stuck, where he would yell for a family member to help him until someone finally teleported him back out or he managed to free himself. And while he may have excellent magic now, at one point he turned nearly everything he conjured into horribly misshapen blobs of material that barely resembled the object he desired. There was nothing quite like your son showing you a puddle of yellow goo that he very earnestly declared was a rubber duck.

After several minutes of trading stories, Persephone said she would like to take Celestia to the park and have a private discussion with her about something important, and Hades agreed, saying he wanted to catch up alone with Discord. Discord and Celestia weren't sure what either of them had in mind, but agreed to meet with them separately, figuring there was a good reason.

Celestia gave Discord a kiss goodbye and got up, following Persephone outside and toward a beautiful park in the center of the town. She wondered what this was about.