Celestia's New Life

It was a lovely day to visit the park but Celestia nonetheless felt slightly out of place as she followed Persephone down the trail. She was the only non-draconequus here and though she's had her fair share of experience interacting with different creatures and their cultures, she didn't know what to expect from Discord's people. The looks that came her way were more curious than anything, but she still wondered what they all thought of her being here.

“I thought it would be nice to tell you more about our people, since you will be joining us soon,” Persephone said, conjuring up a handful of birdseed to toss to a flock of birds playing nearby. They chased after the food, and the two paused for a few moments to watch them scurry about and peck the grass.

“I would love to hear about your ways,” Celestia replied.

“Life here for us is peaceful and we have a rich cultural history. We value art and philosophy highly, while encouraging magical exploration in those who are so inclined. We enjoy discovering new things, writing books on what we know, sharing knowledge with each other and helping our society flourish.” Persephone continued walking once the birds were done eating, Celestia at her side. “I understand that ponies have an egalitarian society?”

“That's right,” Celestia said. “All ponies are free to express themselves how they like and pursue their dreams without being subjected to certain expectations because of their genders.”

“And the ponies are happy with this?”

“Very happy. Don't get me wrong, there's the occasional bit of prejudice from both mares and stallions directed at each other, but it tends to be quickly stamped out. A pony should be judged by their actions, not their body.”

“I'm glad that your society is happy. But you should know, ours differs a fair bit from yours.”

“Oh? Tell me more.”

Persephone took her to a gazebo, inviting her to sit down at one of the benches. Once they were settled, Persephone explained, “Among the draconequus, the does and bucks have different roles in society. It's not anything we are forced into, it's merely what is comfortable for us.”

Celestia curiously took note of how the draconequus referred to their genders as does and bucks instead of mares and stallions, wanting to make sure she addressed them correctly in the future. Then she said, “What are these roles?”

“The bucks are often more comfortable as leaders and actors, enjoying the spotlight and entertaining the people. They also tend to be more adventurous and crave excitement, exploring the wild, canoeing, fishing with their friends, or playing sports wherever the mood strikes. I once saw my husband challenge our older sons to a game involving jumping across the rooftops!”

“Wow!” Celestia grinned at the mental image. “How exciting!”

“It was very exciting, but bucks are just like that, you see. Even their idea of downtime can be quite rowdy, as they like partying with their friends and going to bars. But it's good for them to get their energy out so they can come home and enjoy time with the family. This is how we live in balance. While charismatic bucks are seen as desirable in our culture, it's a down to earth and amicable doe that catches the eyes of our bucks. We often prefer a calmer lifestyle to balance out their adventurous one, pursuing such hobbies as gardening and decorating our homes, along with painting, weaving, and other art forms. I quite enjoy cooking personally. Again, these are not requirements of us. I know bucks who are happy house husbands, just as I know talented and bold does who love stunning audiences at the theater and can drink their husbands under the table. But we are very in tune with our natural instincts and so tend to fall into certain roles regardless.”

“I see.” Celestia nodded. “That's very interesting. Thank you for explaining it to me. I'm surprised Discord hasn't already been betrothed with how charismatic and adventurous he is.” She laughed lightly.

Persephone laughed too. “Oh, he was a rambunctious child. He's my oldest son and so enjoyed the privileges of lording over his younger siblings. He caused trouble everywhere he went, which is usual for a young draconequus learning to control their abilities. He had quite the charming smile and was very intelligent... but his recklessness caused most of the other kids to avoid him.”

“That's understandable.”

“He knocked down an old statue in the town square one day,” she said. “Got everyone's attention when it crashed down, we were so embarrassed... not him though, he just laughed about it.”

“Were you able to fix it?”

“Oh yes, but it was still the talk of the town for a while. He did silly things too, such as replacing windows with transparent rock candy and seeing how long it took for people to notice, or changing the phoenixes to have blue feathers. The flocks were in quite a tizzy that day.”

Celestia giggled, enjoying hearing about Discord's childhood antics.

“He had a knack for setting things on fire as well,” Persephone said. “We had to repair our furniture often. When he saw how easy that was for our magic, he became bolder in his pranks. He would melt the floor out from under people so they tripped and fell. He would wait for someone to fly before taking one of their wings off and throwing them off balance. He had very refined reality-warping abilities by the time he reached his teenage years, you see. There was nothing he couldn't do with his magic. We quickly realized that his jokes were beginning to hurt people. He was bored of peace and order, he claimed. He wanted to make things exciting. He encouraged us to push the limits of our chaos magic and do things no one has dared to do, it was so much more fun.” She sighed, rubbing her eyes as they glistened with tears. “His behavior scared many of us. It's one thing to use your magic to surprise and entertain, but his idea of entertainment bordered on cruelty. We tried to get him to settle down and use his talents in more constructive ways, but he didn't want to. He wanted to leave our valley and continue developing his chaos abilities, away from our laws. Hades finally gave him a painful choice. Either follow our laws or leave. He left.” Tears ran down her cheeks and Celestia hastily covered her hand. “He didn't even say goodbye. He just snapped his fingers and disappeared. I'll never forget that look in his eyes, the hurt and disappointment... we truly failed him.”

“There, there...” Celestia rubbed the other's arm as she cried. “You didn't fail him, you only wanted to keep the peace, I'm sure it felt like the right thing to say.”

“I wish we could have talked it out with him more, took the time to understand where he was coming from and find a safe outlet for him, but... he was just so set on wielding his power in dangerous, unpredictable ways and we were worried about the rest of our family, he could hurt the young ones who didn't know how to defend themselves yet, so we lashed out in fear.” Persephone leaned against Celestia as she sobbed harder. “We thought he would never come home after that, our house became so quiet, it was like part of us left with him...”

Celestia turned and lifted her forelegs to pull the other into a hug. “It's okay, it's in the past. He's home now, he wants to be part of your family again.”

Persephone slowly relaxed, sniffing and wiping her eyes off. “You're right. I'm glad he's home, but even nearly 1500 years later it still hurts remembering the day he left. Anything could have happened to him, he had barely come of age and he had never been outside the valley, but... well, anyway, he's safe and that's what matters.” She leaned back. “Sorry for getting so emotional.”

“It's okay,” Celestia assured her. “I know what it's like losing a loved one because I didn't give them the compassion they deserved. But things are better now between her and I, and things will be better between you and Discord as well.”

Persephone smiled. “Yes, you seem to have really brought out the best in him.”

“He has definitely relaxed since he left your town. Around ten years ago he was finally able to make a friend, somepony he trusted and never wanted to hurt, and it changed him for the better. He's still a chaotic prankster, but he makes an effort not to cause harm and he is truly remorseful for the wicked deeds of his past. I think he finally feels like he belongs here.”

The other nodded. “You have no idea how happy that makes me. Thank you. I truly believe Discord will be a great husband for you, and you a perfect wife for him.”

Celestia blushed. “I think so too.”

“On the topic of your upcoming marriage... there is a ceremony our teenagers go through when they come of age. This is required for later marriage, which is a goal for many of us does, as we find being housewives to be very relaxing.”

“Is it? I figured the work around the home would be a little stressful,” Celestia commented.

“Not at all! It's relaxing to us because it's routine. Magic helps as well, but I enjoy being able to listen to my favorite music and reflect on my life while I tidy up, and of course raising my children brings me joy every single day. It's hard at times, but seeing their happy faces and that of my husband makes it worthwhile.”

“It sounds like a cozy life,” Celestia said. She was amazed by how much she was learning about the draconequus culture.

“It is. Oh but don't think you have to be a housewife, you can have a job in town too if you like, dear.”

“I'll have to think about it, but after over a thousand years of ruling a kingdom, well...” Celestia chuckled, playing with her mane. “I think I would like to only worry about watching over a house.”

“Oh yes, this will definitely be a break compared to that. Well, if you want to get married here, it would honor us if you go through the ceremony.”

Celestia considered it. “What would I need to do?”

By way of answer, Persephone reached up to her head. She had pretty black locks of hair framing her face, but to Celestia's shock, she pulled the hair off, revealing it was a wig. The top of her head was entirely bald, save for a thin coat of gray fur that matched the rest of her face and neck.

“You will need to shave your head and tail,” Persephone explained.

The mental image of that made Celestia wince slightly. Imagining herself without her flowing mane and tail... it was such an odd sight, almost scary. She looked Persephone over in a whole new light now, eyes roaming down her body to her tail, where there was a puff of black fur similar to what Discord had. All she could think to say was, “And is your tail fluff... also a wig?”

Persephone chuckled at the question, seeming amused. “No, it's not a wig.” The fur came to life, detaching from her tail and hopping over to Celestia, doing a little dance along her shoulder before going back to the tail and reattaching.

The light teasing made Celestia relax a little, reminding her of how Discord would do a very similar trick with his own tail fluff. Like mother, like son.

“I can see you're surprised, so let me explain,” Persephone said gently. “I've been bald ever since my coming of age ceremony. When draconequus reach adulthood, we shave our hair to show that it is not our appearances that make an individual, but who we are inside. Us does shave both our heads and our tails. The bucks only shave their heads. At this point, we are also allowed to go without clothing.”

Thinking back, Celestia realized that the younger draconequus in Persephone's home had been clothed with plain garments around their hips, while the adults went without. She hadn't given it much thought at the time, just assuming it was another part of their society.

“We go through a ritual to purify and unlock our chaos magic,” Persephone continued. “We can use magic before, but chaos magic is especially complex and we are taught not to use it until we're ready. Discord, as you well know, took his to extremes.”

“Oh yes.”

“It was the purification that allowed him that level of control. I look forward to seeing how the ceremony affects your own magic.”

“Do you think it would allow me to use magic like a draconequus?” Celestia asked.

“It could. I've never heard of the ritual being done with a pony before. You already have tremendous magical power as an alicorn, it wouldn't surprise me if the ritual gives you access to our magic too.”

The thought was both exciting and nerve-wracking. A whole new field of magic to explore! She couldn't wait to tell Twilight and Luna about this. “Is there anything else I'll need to do?”

Persephone nodded. “Once the ceremony is done, there's a celebration welcoming the draconequus to adulthood. You are of course already an adult, so we'll instead celebrate welcoming you into our culture.”

“That sounds lovely.”

“Yes, it's a big event,” Persephone agreed. “And does are free to grow their hair back if they wish, though many of us find ourselves to be more beautiful without and our bucks very much agree. Our wigs are only really for fashion, or to prevent sunburn on especially hot days.”

“Is fashion big here?” Celestia wondered.

“Very big. Do you like jewelry?”

“Oh yes, I enjoy dressing up with jewelry when I get the chance.”

Persephone grinned. “You'll fit in around here, I would love to go shopping with you! We could do makeovers too!”

It sounded so comfortably domestic and Celestia couldn't help agreeing, looking forward to pampering herself. “Of course, I would love that.”

“We'll have to arrange a date. But for now, there's more to discuss. You may have noticed while passing through town, but does all walk with their tail raised high. You see, in our culture, it is considered a symbol of feminine beauty to show off your, oh how do ponies say it... marehood at all times.”

“My...?”

“Your pussy and anus, dear.” In response to Celestia's stunned stare, she continued, “I know, it must sound odd to you.”

“I'll need to... pardon me, ma'am, but my...” Celestia gestured downward, cheeks burning at the idea of even using that language, let alone actually walking around with no tail to cover herself, her backside on display for all to see. She didn't want to be disrespectful of the culture but she wasn't expecting anything like this.

Persephone seemed to know what she was thinking. “I apologize, my language must seem crass to a pony, but we take pride in our bodies and don't see any part of ourselves as shameful. Why not speak openly of that which brings new life into this world?”

Celestia couldn't really argue with that. If she had grown up in a place where that was normal, she wouldn't find any problem with it now. If every draconequus here simply saw it as a way of life, she would have to get used to it. “I hope I didn't offend,” Celestia said at last. “This is simply all so new to me. I have so much to learn.”

“It's alright. I'm here to teach you. Once you've been shaved and have become adept at walking with your tail up, you may complete the ritual to fully enter our society, and you and Discord may be wed.” It was a little frightening to think about, but Persephone assured her, “Discord will be the one to shave you, if that helps. And I believe you'll be even more beautiful once he does.”

After some thought, Celestia decided to go through with it. It would be a big change in her life, but she wanted to fully embrace her partner's culture and live as they did. She knew she could rely on Discord and her future in-laws to help her through everything. “Alright,” she said. “I'll talk to Discord about shaving me.”

Persephone's face lit up. “Excellent! Oh, I can't wait to see you on the big day. And not to get too ahead of ourselves, but have you two thought about children?”

“It's crossed my mind. I'm not sure if he and I can have children, but it would be nice to have one, perhaps...” Celestia rubbed her chin as she thought about it. She and Discord haven't really talked about kids much.

Persephone hummed, and lightly patted Celestia's knee. “You know, we have strong maternal instincts. We see mothers as one of the greatest things you can become and we simply adore children. That's why our families are so large and why we often have so many kids. The amount really depends on the person but it's normal for does to have eight to ten children, though the most I've ever heard of a single doe having is over fifty!”

“Wow, fifty!” Celestia was taken aback. She's never heard of a mare having that many foals. She wasn't sure it was even possible. Draconequus really had an unbelievable amount of pregnancies. “How many do you have?”

“I'm very well off with Hades being an opera singer, so I have thirty,” Persephone said brightly. “Discord is the oldest and sixteen of them are old enough to have moved out and started families of their own, though we all stay in close touch.”

Celestia could already tell that family was very important here. She began to think about starting her own with Discord. She loved kids, one of her favorite parts of running her school for gifted unicorns was being able to meet with the foals, passing on her knowledge to young fillies and colts so they could one day better Equestria. She had so much love to give and though she would have a lot to learn, she wanted to be a mother so she could raise foals of her own.

“Having a family would be nice,” she said at last.

“You'll be a great mother,” Persephone replied. She glanced up at the Sun and then stood, placing her wig back on and carefully arranging it. “Why don't we head back to the house? I have so much more to teach you.”

“Alright.” Celestia got up too, and this time as they walked, she glanced over to see Persephone carrying her tail the way she had mentioned earlier. After some thought, Celestia experimentally tried holding hers up that way. It felt lewd and it took conscious thought to keep it like that, but perhaps it will be easier once her dock is shaved and there's less weight on it.

For now, she just let her tail drift back down into its usual spot. She'll get used to it soon enough.