Tattoo of the Sun
"MAKE HASTE, SUBJECTS! THE SUN GROWS HIGHER WITH EACH PASSING MOMENT, AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE BACK IN CANTERLOT BEFORE THE TIME HAS COME TO RAISE THE MOON!"
The sun shined bright overhead. Tiny rays of its light peeked in through the cracks of the thick wilderness that was the Everfree Forest, as a team of chariot-hitched Pegasi cruised beneath the low treeline. In the seat of the chariot sat two noble Alicorns, the princesses of Equestria: Celestia and Luna. Celestia shook her head with a soft smile and turned to address her hollering sister.
"Honestly, Luna. I understand our time constraints, but is the yelling really necessary?"
Luna rolled her eyes, a slight blush rising in her cheeks. "Sister, I'm only addressing them in the Royal Canterlot Voice. What has gotten into you today?"
Celestia shrugged, taking a moment to lean her head to the side, narrowly dodging a stray branch.
"As I explained before, I just have a strange feeling about our old home. Like, we've left something behind there. Or rather, there's something there that requires our attention..." Celestia trailed off. The feeling she had was growing stronger with each second they drew closer to their destination.
"You know what I mean, Celeste. It's not just your sudden desire to return to a place we left behind decades ago, your entire disposition is off! It's as though your mood did a complete one-eighty while you slept! Did something happen last night I should know about?"
Celestia shook her head, her eyes scanning the wooded thicket for her family's ancestral home.
"Nothing has changed, it's just... I just think it's a little silly, that's all. The whole royal voice thing was their idea, not ours. Now that they're gone, I see no reason to continue using it. Just as I see no reason to have a fully armed escort for a simple trip outside of the city. Believe me, little sister, once you're a little older, you'll understand."
"Hmph. Say what you will, but had I asked your opinion on these things yesterday, that is not the answer you would have given me. And enough with this 'little sister' nonsense! You know that you're barely older than m- halt! HALT! HAAAAAAAALT!!!"
As the Pegasus guard attempted to bring the chariot to a stop, the back end of the vehicle lurched forward, flinging the Princesses out of their seats. Thankfully, with a quick unveiling of their wings and a couple gentle flaps, the duo managed to glide safely down onto the ground below. When the chariot finally came to a skidding stop beside them, Luna turned around and began to walk in the opposite direction from where they had landed, backtracking towards the clearing their guards had missed.
"GUARDS, TO US! STAY WITHIN OUR SIGHT!"
The squadron quickly retrieved their weapons from the chariot's storage space, and trotted along behind Luna.
Celestia walked with the group for a few minutes before gradually slowing her steps, preferring to follow behind at a more leisurely pace as she took in the scenery around her. It was no wonder the guards has missed the clearing towards their former castle, the vegetation had almost entirely eaten it up! It amazed Celestia just how much the landscape had changed since her family's departure from the area. She wondered how much more it would be overgrown, given a few years. Within a few short centuries, the area might become completely unrecognizable from the Everfree she had once known.
Using her magic to push away the low hanging branches and thorns, Celestia continued on. Finally, the great castle came in to sight. At the dawn of her and her sister's reign, it had been known as 'The Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters'. These days she heard it called by a slightly different name: 'The Former Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters'. With a grin, she wondered if in time it would graduate into 'The Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters', before fading away from memory entirely.
Eventually, she reached the front gate of the castle, where she found Luna and the guards waiting for her. As she walked towards the great entrance, Luna stepped aside, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Well, here we are. This was your idea, so I'll let you take charge. Tell me sister, what is it you want us to do?"
What did she want them to do? It was a fair question, but one that Celestia did not have an answer to. Still, she had drug them all out here, so she had to give them something. Using her powerful Alicorn magic, she slowly opened the gigantic wooden doors that blocked their way. She then cleared her throat and turned to face the Pegasi, addressing them in the traditional speak she had begun to detest so much.
"LOYAL SUBJECTS, I WANT US ALL TO SPLIT UP AND EACH SEARCH A SEPARATE PART OF THE CASTLE! I KNOW NOT WHAT WE LOOK FOR, BUT IF YOU SEE ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY, ANYTHING AT ALL, TELL US IMMEDIATELY! IF OUR SEARCH PROVES FRUITLESS, WE SHALL MEET BACK AT THE THRONE ROOM IN ONE HOUR!"
One of the four guards looked over to his fellow armed brethren, confused by the princess's request.
"But princess, what about-"
Celestia lifted one of her great wings, cutting the guard's concerns short.
"Relax, Spirit. Luna and I will be fine on our own. After all, we did grow up here. I don't expect to find anything, I just want to check around, that's all."
She offered him a warm smile and he nodded, trusting the word of his princess.
"NOW THAN, LET US MOVE!"
"YOU HEARD YOUR PRINCESS, OFF YOU GO, ALL OF YOU!" Luna cried, scattering the troops in different directions.
As Luna ushered the squad away, she turned to face Celestia once again. The obvious question of 'what exactly are you doing', showing in her eyes. Celestia could only offer another shrug for an answer before turning to go her own way into the castle's depths. After all, even she didn't know exactly what she was hoping to accomplish.
*****
Yards beyond the entrance of the castle, deep inside the dungeons below, a creature began to stir from its slumber. It rose from its sleep sluggish, groggy, unaware that the opening of the castle's gates had been the cause of its awakening. In fact, the beast that resided in the castle was completely oblivious to the six additional souls that had entered its domain. It tried to stand, only to have its legs buckle underneath it, throwing it back against the cold, stone floor with a dull thud. Disgruntled but unrelenting, it continued onward, crawling towards its desired location at the opposite end of the dungeon wall.
At last, the creature reached its destination, a small pool of dirty rainwater and ceiling drippings that had been collecting in a wide hole since the castle's abandonment. It dunked its head underneath the water and drank deeply, doing its best not to take anymore away from its only water source than it needed to. With the water came energy, and soon the creature was able to pick itself up off the ground, and stand on its two great legs. It gazed down into the pool, analyzing the state of its reflection.
The creature couldn't help but stare, captivated by the ragged sight of his body. His short mane was thinning, matted, in some areas missing in tufts. The fur that covered the majority of his body was in the same sorry shape. The scales that made up the rest of his hide were in bad shape as well: cracked and brittle, very few of them retained any of their former luster. His single hoof, claws, his fang, and horns, they too were all chipped with portions broken away. His wings had rips in them and were overall too weakened to carry his weight, and his eyes were bloodshot and wild. Even his body, tall and skinny by nature, was unnaturally thin. The longer he stared at himself, the less point there was in trying to deny the truth. Discord, the Draconequus resident of the Everfree Forest, was dying.
Discord brought his eyes to a slow close, unable to bear his reflection any longer.
"How long do you think you can continue living like this?"
Discord opened his eyes, and peered back into the pool.
A new face had taken the place of his own. It was still Draconequus, but its features differed slightly. It was skinnier than Discord, not skinnier than his face had become through his lack of nourishment, but skinnier than it would be if Discord had been healthy. This face's mane was longer than Discord's as well, and it lacked the goatee on the end of its chin. This reflection bore not the brilliant crimson eyes of Discord, but instead looked back with deep, sapphire pupils. The face that had taken the place of his own belonged to Eclipse, Discord's brother.
But Eclipse was more than just his brother. Eclipse was his best friend, his voice of reason, the only creature in the world that Discord had ever attempted to confide in. When Discord had been shunned and cast out of his home by his fellow Draconequus, Eclipse was the one who had left with him, following along side his brother without hesitation, wherever the road took him. Eclipse was the world to Discord, and more. Though, perhaps most important of all, Eclipse was dead.
He had been killed nearly four years ago, after his brother's exile had brought them into the land of dragons. There, Discord had gotten into a bit of trouble with a few of the race's own exiles, trouble that he hadn't been able to talk his way out of nor run away from. During their skirmish with the brutish folk, Eclipse's life had been claimed and Discord had been severely beaten. However, as Discord escaped the land and made his way into Equestria (where he at last took refuge within the castle of the Everfree Forest), he managed to take a little piece of Eclipse with him, metaphorically locking him away deep inside the unreachable fathoms of his mind. There Eclipse's spirit lived on, saving the remaining shred of Discord's sanity by keeping him company, and continuing to act as his brother's conscience.
"How long do you think you can continue living like this? Eclipse's reflection repeated, his eyes staring deep into Discord's.
"Every day you grow weaker. You can't keep this up any longer."
"Bah," Discord stated, turning his head away from the pool.
"I'm perfectly fine. Why, my future shines brighter with each passing day! Soon, I'll be strong enough to leave this hellish castle with style and continue my journey through this new land."
"And just how in the hell do you plan on getting stronger?! By eating the disease carrying rats that stalk the dungeon and drinking the filthy water that comes off the ceiling? Cause that's really been working wonders for you so far!
Discord grimaced, the truth of his fallen brother's words cutting deeper than any set of dragon claws ever could.
"It's time to stop lying to yourself and face the facts, Discord. Your wounds are as healed as they're ever going to get in this place, but you're not getting any stronger. Our kind may be hard to kill, but you don't have a lot of time left. If by some miracle you do somehow manage to survive in here until winter, I can guarantee you won't be around to see the following spring."
Eclipse was right. As much as Discord hated to admit it, there was no denying it. The past winter had been the harshest of the four he had spent in the dank dungeon. Even the fresh arrival of spring hadn't been enough to bring the bats and the rats and the other small creatures he typically trapped and ate back into his pathetic domain. By the time winter came again, there really wouldn't be anything for him to eat, and Discord knew he would starve.
"Maybe you're right," Discord sighed, his weak frame slumping over the pool. "Maybe it's time I try and take my chances out there..."
"Of course I am, brother. I know you're afraid, but I can't allow you to hide yourself away any longer."
Afraid. Afraid! Discord was not afraid! He was a regal Draconequus! His species had been around since the dawn of time! They were both ancient and powerful, and he himself had been cast out of his tribe for being too strong to control! Discord was a lot of things, but afraid was not one of them, and he was not about to let any creature claim that he was, brother or not!
"Maybe you're right," Discord began, a hateful wrath lacing his voice.
"And maybe you have no idea what the hell you're talking about! Maybe I don't need the precious advice of my younger brother!"
With an savage cry he sent his tail lashing into the pool of water, unconcerned with the waste of his life source as he banished his lost brother's reflection away.
For a time, Discord continued to stare into the pool, huffing in anger at his returned reflection. In his fit of rage, the sound of approaching hoof steps almost went unnoticed to his ears; almost.
Discord whipped around, caught off guard by the first unfamiliar sound he had heard in years. Standing roughly twenty yards away from him, still at the foot of the dungeon stairs, was a fully armored, spear wielding Pegasus pony. The two locked eyes for a single moment, before crying out.
*****
Up in the castle's second story, in the hallway that led to the princess's old room from a flight of stairs, Celestia walked on. Her thoughts were on her younger sister, and of her accusations against her attitude. Celestia understood how Luna could be confused by her sudden change of mood. After all, it really did appear to have occurred overnight. But in reality, Celestia had been harboring these feelings of negativity towards the way things were being run for quite some time. In the short time that their parents had ruled Equestria before handing the throne down to their daughters, they had established many many rules that, in Celestia's not so humble opinion, were just unnecessary.
Her and Luna had been in power for over three decades now, as far as Celestia was concerned, the time for a change had come. All the formalities, all the yelling, the distancing themselves from their subjects, it was time for it to come to an end. That kind of rule may work for a pony like Sombra, but it was not the way she intended her Equestria to be run. Yes, Celestia had made her decision. She was fed up with the old rules of monarchy, and she would be damned if she was going to continue to enforce them on her people.
As Celestia reached the decorated door that led to her former quarters, she was already thinking up ways to talk to Luna and begin formulating a plan on getting some new decrees in place. However, just before her hoof could reach the door's handle, a pair of piercing cries rang throughout the castle. They were faint, but just audible enough for Celestia to identify one of the voices. Its owner was Dewdrop, the youngest of the Pegasus guards they had brought with them to Everfree. The second she didn't recognize, but the sound of the fear in it gave her hope that Dew was still safe. Celestia spun around, charging down the corridor towards the stairs and back to a lower level of the castle, where she estimated the cries to be coming from.
Following the initial screaming, the sounds of a loud commotion continued to lead Celestia towards the source of the struggle. This, combined with the persisting cries of help from Dewdrop, helped her to determine his location. He was in the eastern dungeon, only a few hundred feet away from her.
At the start of the stair way leading into the castle depths, Celestia was joined by Luna and the rest of the Pegasus guard.
“Is he alright?” Celestia asked, a hushed tone taking her voice.
“I'm not sure, we arrived only just before you did,” Luna replied, apprehensively looking down the dungeon steps.
Celestia walked past her younger sister, sticking her head into the dark space in between them and the bottom floor.
“Dew! Dew, can you hear me?”
After a few painfully long seconds, the frightened soldier shouted back.
“Yes! There's something down here!”
“What is it Dewdrop? What's down there?” Celestia cried out again, her curiosity spiking.
“I-I don't know... Do you think you could just come down?!” The fear in his voice was rising.
Luna and Celestia turned and looked at each other, intrigued by Dew's answer. Finally, Celestia began to make the descent down the stone stairway, motioning for Luna and the others to follow.
Celestia didn't know what she had been expecting to find when they set out on their journey to her family's former home that day, but she certainly hadn't imagined it to be anything like the scene that awaited them in the dank dungeon. Dewdrop was flustered but unhurt, his unrelenting spear pointed towards a creature that sat huddled in a corner of the room. The creature was unlike anything any of them had ever seen before. It was so wiry, and looked to be composed of parts from four or more different creatures, all spliced together to make up some grotesque, unearthly body. As if this wasn't enough, the wild look of the creature made it all the more frightening.
As their hoof steps echoed off of the stone floor, Dew whipped around to confirm that it was friend that was joining him, before quickly refocusing his sight back on the creature. In the split second that Dew's eyes were off of it, the creature hissed and scurried to a more darkened corner of the room. After that, nopony said a thing, too taken by surprise to do much more than just watch the creature. Finally, Celestia broke the silence.
“The hell is that thing?” She asked, looking over to her sister.
“I have no idea... Never, not in any tomes I've ever encountered, nor in any of mother or father's stories, have I ever heard of any such creature that's description matches this one...”
“What do we do?” Celestia asked, her curiosity far outweighing her fear.
“Well, I for one think it would be most wise to strike before it has the chance to do the same.” With that, Luna's horn began to glow with a pale blue light as she took aim at the creature.
“No!” Celestia screamed, pushing her sister's head hard to the side with her own.
A stray bolt of energy was sent crashing into the dungeon wall, collapsing it in a flurry of dust and rock. The creature hissed again, backing up further into the corner it resided in.
“What in God's name are you doing?!” Celestia's eyes flared, bright and angry.
“Can't you see that its hurt?!” She snorted, mortified with her sister's quick solution of violence.
“No shit Celeste, but that doesn't mean that we should give it the chance to recover!” Luna cried in defense. “Furthermore, it's intruding on our land! We don't know anything about it, how do you know it's not dangerous!? For all we know, in good health, it would kill us where we stand!"
"Just because it may, doesn't mean it would!" Celestia argued, trying to sway her sister's opinion.
"Okay, fine. There is no guarantee that it would kill us given the chance, but there's no guarantee that the thing is friendly either." Luna snorted, rolling her eyes. "So what would you have us do, dear sister? You wanna take it with us, huh? Nurse it back to health, make it a resident of our home?"
"Umm..." Celestia looked down at her hooves, away from Luna's no nonsense gaze.
It was all the answer Luna needed.
"Oh my God, you can't be serious!" Luna brought a hoof up against her forehead, unable to find logic in her sister's reasoning.
"Whatever, you wanna take it in, be my guest. This is all on you, Celeste, I'm just here to keep up appearances."
Luna turned away, allowing her elder sister to have her way without any more argument.
"Um... Excuse me... Creature?" Celestia didn't know where to begin, never before had she had to deal with a situation like this one.
After an awkward pause, she swallowed, collecting herself so that she could address the creature in a manner fitting of a princess.
"Creature. you are intruding on the sacred land of my sister and I's ancestors, and I request that you leave this castle immediately." Celestia's voice was unwavering and strong, yet at the same time somehow very unconvincing.
A few more seconds of silence passed, broken by the amused scoff of Luna. Celestia glared at her, before turning back to address the creature.
"Do you understand the words I am saying, creature? Do you speak pony?"
"Discord."
The sudden break of the creature's silence took them by surprise. For a moment, Celestia was unable to believe that it had actually been the creature speaking.
"Excuse me?" She asked, confused by what she thought she had heard the creature say.
"Discord." it repeated. "My name is Discord, not 'creature'. And I've had my nest here for quite some time now, and not once have I seen any sign of others in the area."
His voice had a deep, smokey tone to it. It was surprisingly pleasant, a refreshing contrast to the creature's strange looks.
"I apologize, Discord. I am Princess Celestia, this is my sister, Princess Luna. I do not know if you are aware of it, but we are the rulers of this land. We have ruled over Equestria for some time now. This was the castle of our mother and father. We have since moved the location of our court to another location, but we do not wish to dishonor our family by letting someone take residence in it. Therefore, I must insist that you leave."
Discord stepped outside of the shadows. In better light, his gruesome appearance took on a whole new meaning of frightening.
"And what if I don't want to?" He asked, his voice laced with the slightest quiver.
Dammit! Alright, Celeste, nopony said this was gonna be easy. Time to try a different approach.
"I believe you misunderstand my meaning, Discord. We wish for you to leave, but we would not simply send you into the mercy of the wilderness. Instead, I offer an alternative. Please, join us, we wish to provide shelter for you at our new castle. Until your strength returns, that is."
For a brief moment, Celestia wondered if her choice of words had been poor. What if Discord was unaware of the shape he was in?
Impossible, you can't be on death's door and not know it.
Finally, he spoke again.
"She doesn't." He pointed at Luna, still refusing to draw too much farther away from the shadows.
"What?" Celestia asked, embarrassed that she was again unable to follow the meaning of his words.
"Your sister, Lunar. She doesn't want me to come. She tried to kill me."
Celestia looked over her shoulder, glaring at her sister. She mouthed the words 'what did I tell you' before turning back to address Discord.
"Princess Luna was hasty, but she apologizes. I assure you, we only wish to properly welcome you into our land. If you hail from bordering lands, as I suspect you do, we could treat you as an ambassador to our country. Provide you with food and shelter, until you recover."
Discord raised an eyebrow, taking another step forward. It was obvious that she had his attention.
"Food and shelter eh? Well, some fresh meat would be nice..."
"Meat..." The word fell out of her frowning lips. "Oh dear, you are... Carnivorous..." Celestia looked him over again, now that he was in better light.
"Of course you're carnivorous, you do appear to be part dragon after all... And, lion... And, is that an eagle claw? Huh..."
Celestia grew silent once more, finding herself captivated by Discord's strange appearance.
"Yes, I'm sure our chefs can find something suitable to your tastes. So, what do you say, Discord? Will you accept my offer?"
Celestia extended her hoof, waiting to see if Discord would take her offer. After a moment, Discord grinned, his single fang just visible past his lips. He stepped forward and put his paw against Celestia's hoof.
"I accept."
And with that, Celestia formally greeted the Draconequus, ready to lead him out of the decrepit dungeon of the castle, and welcome him properly into the land of Equestria.
Celestia woke early that morning, nearly an hour before she normally rose. Other than the early start, she approached the dawn as she always did: she washed, ate breakfast, and gathered her thoughts in preparation for the day ahead. Soon it would be time to raise the sun, and after that Celestia would go on to manage her kingdom. But first, she had a certain guest that she wanted to attend to.
Discord had been staying in Canterlot Castle for nearly a month, and an interesting month it had been. His arrival to the city had been... Rough, to say the least. One of the guards had suggested to keep the creature out of the public's sight and reveal his presence after Discord had been put up in the castle. A good idea, that had unfortunately come too late. By the time it was mentioned, the company had already made their way inside the city's limits. As the crowd of onlookers gathered, it became apparent that a reroute to the castle's back entrance would be impossible without drawing further suspicion. The ponies that managed to get a look at the dying Draconequus reacted with an understandable, confused horror, and the Pegasi guard's forceful attempts to make room for the princesses and their guest did little to quench the onlooker's curiosity.
When at last the castle was reached, the other guards and residents were just as frightened of Discord. Discord, being frightened as well and still on the defensive, didn't improve the situation with his frantic growls and hisses. Eventually, once everypony had a chance to calm down, Celestia was able to sit down with the castle's head doctor and assess his condition. The outlook wasn't good; Discord could be nursed back to an extent, but do to his limited knowledge on the species, Dr. Cross Stitch doubted he would succeed in getting the Draconequus back to perfect health.
Their time in the hospital wing had been the last amount Celestia was able to spend with Discord. After turning him over to the doctor she went to address the growing crowd of ponies that had gathered at the castle's gates, speaking of rumors regarding the horrible creature their princesses had drug into their city, while Luna went to prepare a room for him in one of the less populated towers of the castle. As the room was prepared, Celestia spoke with the castle's head chef and arranged for a meal to be brought to their guest. At the suggestion of the chef, Celestia began to make it a point to let as few ponies as possible know about his carnivorous eating habits. They also made plans to sneak as much vegetarian cuisine (also, though Discord's species appeared to be predominantly Draco, it seemed that he had no taste for gems) into his meals as possible in an attempt to gradually wean him away from his primal diet. Eventually, Discord was moved to his room where he did little but sleep for nearly a week.
Celestia replayed the day of their meeting in her head as she made her way towards Discord's tower. Up until now, Discord had more or less been too weak to have any real interaction with anypony, and she too busy with different matters of the kingdom. Supposedly, his condition had improved remarkably since his arrival and she wanted to check up on him. Celestia suddenly became aware of trotting hoof steps behind her. She turned to look at her pursuer.
"Good morning," Celestia greeted casually.
"You're up early... Why?" Luna asked.
Celestia didn't reply but turned back ahead, beginning to walk once more. Celestia knew that Luna understood why she was awake, and she didn't feel obligated to answer a rhetorical question. After it became apparent that she wouldn't get an answer, Luna spoke up again.
"You're not doing the creature any favors, keeping it here... It doesn't belong here. You don't owe it-"
"Not it, he," Celestia snapped, a tad harsher than intended.
Her annoyance wasn't completely unjustified, not in her mind at least. The entire time Discord had stayed under their roof, Luna had done little more than complain about him. Of course, she had still helped Celestia make accommodations for him, but she had managed to bitch about it every step of the way.
"I don't know why you're still on this Luna," Celestia continued as she walked on. "I get it, you don't like him, must you remind me every chance you get?"
Luna stopped, frowning at her sister, almost at a loss for words.
"I... I really don't understand you sometimes, Celestia. Ever since mother and father left us in charge, you want to act so superior to me, but completely ignore what's right in front of you face..."
"I do not," Celestia defended. "I've just started to see things differently! Once you're older you'll understand."
"Stop saying that! God, I hate it when do this! You know damn well why I don't want him here, I know you do, and yet you continue to play stupid! Why? Why, Celeste?!"
"I don't know what you're talking about..." Celestia muttered, stopping her walk.
Luna snorted, trying to contain her frustration.
"His energy, sis, I know you can feel it. He's powerful, unbelievably so! It doesn't feel like something he can harness at will, but I can feel a latent power with the potential to match either of ours! And it's not like our's, Celeste, it's cruel, uninhibited... Chaotic..."
Luna paused, closing her eyes as she pictured Discord. Recollecting the feelings being around his magic gave her.
"I know you can feel it, I know you can! Please, Celestia, get him out of here! Every second you keep him around, you're putting the kingdom in danger."
For a moment neither of them said a word, Luna even began to believe that her words had managed to sink into her hard-headed, elder sister.
"I know what I'm doing..." Celestia at last replied.
"So be it... When you lose control, don't come to me."
Luna turned around and began to walk, leaving Celestia to her intentions. It was early morning, just after a quarter to five.
*****
He gazed into the polished surface of the mirror, starring at his reflection, paying little mind to the one that did not belong to him. Discord lifted his left arm, the arm that ended in the claw of an eagle, and used a talon to tug at the side of his cheek, opening his mouth. As he examined his fang he noted that, like his horns, it had been completely restored to its former glory. Discord then lifted his right arm, this one the arm of a lion, and extended his claws, dragging one along the surface of the mirror. His claws were also healed, and cut into the mirror like a hot knife through butter. Not only were his lesser appendages better, but Discord's entire body had been transformed since his stay in Canterlot. For the first time in years, he stood at his full power, and it was good.
"You're thinking about leaving." The reflection that was not his own stated.
"Of course," Discord answered, turning away from himself and towards Eclipse.
"And why shouldn't I? There's nothing for me here."
"We've been on the road for some time now, and it hasn't done us any favors. It may not hurt to settle down for a bit. And besides, they did heal you," Eclipse reminded.
"I healed me," Discord responded. "They did nothing more than provide me with an environment I would not die in. I owe them nothing. I have no reason to stay."
"Well dismiss however you wish, but obviously they have no problem with you being around, or else they wouldn't have continued to leave you be for so long. Discord, you have no reason to be afra-"
"Don't you dare finish that." Discord responded, his brother's persistence once again wearing on his nerves. "Don't be mistaken, Eclipse. There is no 'they', that wants me around, just her. Their princess, Celestia..." He grimaced, as though something about saying the mare's name hurt him.
"Ohhhhh..." Eclipse remarked, putting a claw underneath his chin as his lips curled into a smile.
"What?" Discord asked, not knowing what his brother's tone meant but annoyed with it all the same.
"Maybe I am wrong. Perhaps it's not being shunned that's got you spooked. Perhaps what's scaring you is the possibility of having a reason to stay."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Discord growled, raising an eyebrow.
"You know perfectly well what I mean." Eclipse smirked.
"Bah..." Discord raised a claw in front of the mirror. The shiny, glass surface was slowly replaced by unreflecting brick. There was a knock at his chamber's door. He closed his eyes and felt for the bed that sat in the middle of the chamber. He felt the 'pull' that his magic created, and tugged with his mind. The next instant, when he opened his eyes, he was sitting at the end of his bed facing the door. "Enter," he called, and beckoned at the door with his index talon. Pull. The door swung inward. Celestia walked apprehensively into the room.
*****
Upon reaching the door to Discord's quarters, Celestia stopped herself from entering when she heard what sounded like the Draconequus speaking to someone. Though, that couldn't be right, could it? It was to her understanding that Discord hadn't made any effort at all to communicate with the guards or residents of the palace, and she doubted that anypony else had made much effort to talk with him either. And yet, he couldn't simply be talking to himself, because she could hear a second voice in the room. Not wanting to eavesdrop on her guest, Celestia prepared once again to knock on his door when something caused her to still her hoof.
It was magic. Celestia felt that Discord had used magic for some reason, and, just as Luna had predicated, it was terrifyingly powerful. Whatever spell he had cast had only lasted an instant, but it was enough. She had felt the depths of his power, tasted the unrefined skill of the hand that cast it, and glimpsed the potential that lay beneath. Before, Luna had told her that she felt that Discord had the ability to become just as strong as either of them, but she had only been able to draw conclusions from the constant stream of energy that surrounded the Draconequus. Now that Celestia had felt his magic firsthand, she knew the reality to be much worse. She knew that Discord's true potential could very well be a match to both her and her sister's combined efforts. The thought sent shivers down her spine. However, she was able to dismiss it as quickly as it had come, and rapped her hoof against the chamber's wooden door.
She caught another taste of his power as he cast another spell from behind the door. Discord called out to her, and she felt the power once again as his door opened itself for her. As Celestia walked into the room, she wondered if he was aware of the potential he possessed. It was difficult for some magical beings to gauge their own ability, and she wondered if he may be a creature that didn't know his own strength. Celestia also thought back to when she had taken him to the castle's doctor when he first arrived, when Discord had revealed himself to be a Draconequus. She wondered if all Draconequus were as powerful as he, and if action should be taken to put her kingdom in good standings with any others from his species that might be around.
Celestia did her best to push the thoughts out of her head, and concentrate on the situation at hand.
"Good morning, Discord." She said with a traditional bow of greeting.
"Morning," The creature replied, raising an eyebrow at the odd gesture. "You're speech is much quieter than what I've grown accustomed to."
Celestia blushed at his remark and felt like an idiot for it. Embarrassment was very unbecoming of both a princess and leader of a nation such as herself, especially when trying to appear regal in front of a guest in your country.
"Yes, well the 'Royal Canterlot Voice' is designed more for addressing our subjects than a single being. And it's more of my sister's thing anyway..."
"Ah yes, Princess Lunar, how is she this fine morning? Making way for you to raise the sun, I assume?"
Celestia was a little disarmed by his comment, not knowing when or how their duties of raising the sun and moon had been revealed to him. Then again, he had been in the castle for an entire month, she figured that it probably wasn't too hard for him to gather information about the princesses under whom's roof he dwelt. Celestia wondered if Discord had spied on her and Luna's conversation a few minutes ago as she had done with him and whoever he had been talking to. She pushed the thought out of her head and carried on.
"Luna is fine... And I must say that you're looking wonderful as well!"
It was true. As he stretched out along his bed, she noted that the 'remarkable recovery' she had heard about had been an understatement. The healing that had occurred in Discord since they first discovered him, was the single most miraculous thing she had ever seen. He looked so much different than the raggedy body they had first picked up. Discord's body now matched the power that lay deep within him. He looked spry, strong, and, dare she say, handsome? Celestia fought the urge to blush, as Discord answered her.
"Well thank you, Princess. Recovery from the brink of death appears to be a special talent of mine," he replied with a wink. Discord set up in his bed, before levitating his body into a midair sitting position. As he floated, he took a second to look the princess over, taking her in for the first time in almost a month.
Before, he had been injured and concerned with more pressing matters, but now, he could truly take a few moments to look the mare over. She stood a few hands higher than most of the other ponies in the land, with only her sister and large stallions coming close to her height. Her coat was pure as snow, and her mane just as beautifully unique. Her horn was polished and glorious, and her wings looked both strong and delicate, with not a single feather out of place. But what caught him most about her appearance was Celestia's eyes. Discord had heard once that the eyes were windows into the soul, and hers were kind, honest, with just a hint of carefree naivety that made her all the more approachable.
Discord also noted the tattoos of the sun that adorned both of Celestia's flanks. No, wait... Not tattoos, tattooing was a form of body modification practiced in the land he had come from. It was permanent, and painful, achieved by carving into one's flesh with any heated, sharp object, tipped with ink. No, these weren't tattoos, but 'cutie marks', something Discord had learned about since his stay in Canterlot Castle. And why they were permanent, they were not painful declarations of art, but natural occurrences that appeared at a critical moment in a pony's life. Discord found himself fascinated with them, and his gaze stayed on Celestia's cutie marks perhaps a tad longer than it should have, before he redirected it to meet the princess's own.
During his travels, Discord had encountered a few princesses of various lands, and he found the majority of the experiences to be disappointing. Most actual members of royalty were snobs, prudish bastards with their heads so far up their own asses it was hard to say if the light of day would ever reach them again. And the ones that could pass as decent folk, tended to be far from beautiful. Instead, they were slightly deformed, affected by generations of their bloodline trying to keep their mating tendencies 'in the family', as they say. However, occasionally one would find a true, good hearted queen, or a dashing, young prince, a strong, noble king, or even a beautiful, sweet princess. He liked to refer to them as 'storybook royalty', the kind that fairy tales and tomes from his youth had taught him and an infinite number of other once upon a time children to believe in. As he looked into Celestia's light magenta eyes, Discord suspected that he may have once again found a member of 'storybook royalty'.
The seconds began to drag on, with Celestia unsure of how to break the silence. She grew frustrated at herself again. Awkward pauses were also not permitted by her princess status, and she had to find a way out of it.
"Are-are you enjoying your stay here? I apologize for being unable to check up on your accommodations before now, but my duties keep me exceedingly busy..."
"I understand. Eh, it's bit dull compared to the vagabond lifestyle I've become so accustomed to, but I've stayed in worse places."
Discord smiled. At some point during the time they had spent looking at each other, Celestia had taken a couple shy steps backwards. So squeamish. She must be new to this, he thought.
"Do you travel a lot?" Celestia asked, trying hard to fuel the conversation in the most natural way possible.
"I've been on the road for many years." Discord replied.
"How many?"
He stroked at his thin goatee, pondering the question. After some quick calculations, he gave an answer.
"Ohhhh, five hundred, give or take a few decades."
"Five hundred?" She asked in disbelief.
"Yes, yes." He replied. "From what I've learned of these ponies, that's quite some time, though... Something tells me you and your sister's lifespans probably differ from the average mare, am I correct?"
Celestia nodded. "My sister and I are Alicorns, more magically gifted than typical Unicorns and possessing the ability of flight, the average lifespan of one of our kind is around three thousand years."
Discord nodded in a 'matter of fact sort of way' as his hunch was proven correct.
"Your kind huh?" He said. "Well you've got me beat, the average Draconequus croaks at anywhere from twenty two to twenty four hundred years old." He paused, then added. "Are there more Alicorns in this land?"
Celestia sat down on her haunches, becoming more comfortable as the conversation started to become more genuine.
"They've moved on. Most stay in a realm only others of our kind can get to. I've never met another though, only my mother, father, and Luna. Mother and Father liked this land, and lived in a castle, before Equestria became settled upon by foreign ponies."
Equestria. Discord had learned that this was the name of the country he now resided in a couple of weeks ago. He had been able to piece together its geography from various maps he had found in the castle's library. It seemed that its northern border ended at the foot of a great mountain range, and the eastern and western borders extended all the way to the sea. However, the southern end currently stopped at about the woods he had taken up residence in when he came into the land, just before the great desert country began. It was one of the smallest countries he had ever been in, but since it seemed that it had only belonged to two mighty Alicorns and their offspring before, it made sense.
"Foreign ponies, you speak of the ones that are not Alicorn?"
"Yes, they came into my mother and father's land nearly a century ago, from the frozen tundra up north. It seemed that they had exhausted their resources, and they needed a new place to call home."
"Your parents were awfully kind to allow so many strangers into their home." Discord remarked, having known many rulers that were much less generous.
"Yes, well, my family and the travelers remained unaware of each other for a couple decades. My mother and father were already spending the majority of their time in the Alicorn realm, and my sister and I were content to play within our castle." Celestia explained.
"The one you found me in?" Discord asked.
"The very same."
"Interesting..." Discord stroked his beard as he processed the information, still floating above the bed. This princess's history was a much greater tale than he had expected.
"So how did your family graduate from being mere residents of the land, to the rulers of a country?"
"You see, while the settlers had experienced few casualties upon arriving here, their lack of knowledge of the land had them running out of resources. When my mother and father discovered them, they were but a few seasons away from having no food left to support their settlements. So Mother and Father took it upon themselves to educate them on the land, and to show them how to survive in Equestria. This, coupled with the fact that my mother and father were the raisers of the sun and the moon, encouraged the pioneer ponies to establish them as their leaders." Celestia exhaled, her excitement from telling the story having caused her to take as few breaths as possible.
Discord continued to float, much more enthralled with the story than he let on. He had seen a lot of fantastic things in his travels, but never had he expected to find creatures that could raise the heavenly bodies themselves.
"So, if it was such an easy win for your folks, then why the yelling? And is your family the only ones with this gift, or is the raising of the sun and moon something every Alicorn can do?"
"It's just in our family," Celestia explained. "Though my sister and I have never beheld another of our species, apparently every Alicorn family has some special gift in their bloodline. The ability was passed from our parents to us, and we'll pass it to our offspring. As for the yelling... It's to my understanding that my father ruled over another kingdom many centuries ago, and that's simply his way of addressing the, as he calls them, 'lesser species'. Not that he had any animosity towards them, that's just what he referred to all non-Alicorn creatures as, and I guess they are, technically..." Celestia bit her lip. She still felt that the term was unnecessarily harsh.
"Interesting," Discord replied again, his levitating body beginning to spin in place. "Interesting, interesting, interesting..." He continued to watch Celestia, his body now upside down in the air. "So, ponies came into your land, your parents began to establish a new kingdom, and then left you and your sister in charge, while they went to some mystical realm for Alicorn retirement."
Celestia nodded. "In a nutshell, yes. After helping the country's new residents for a few decades and building the city of Canterlot, they left Luna and I in charge of Equestria. I believe this year marks our... Twenty ninth, as rulers?"
Discord was again sitting right side up, still very much intrigued by Celestia's story.
"Just under three decades eh? An impressive rule by a mere mortal's standards, but hardly a baby's breath into it as one such as yourself experiences time. By the way, hold old are you, Princess?"
"Oh, I'm two months shy of five hundred and sixty eight." She replied, smiling.
Discord looked at the princess, shocked.
"Really? I'm nearly twice your age?!"
Celestia was also shocked.
"You are? Goodness, I never thought I'd meet a creature older than myself! How old are you, Discord? That is, if you don't mind me asking."
Regaining his composure, Discord examined his claws nonchalantly.
"I know not my birth date, only that I've lived through twelve thousand, four hundred and twenty four cycles of the moon. Roughly a thousand an thirty five years." He thought for a second and added, "May I ask you a question, Princess?"
"Of course," Celestia replied.
"Do to our great life expectancy, my species matures at a much more decelerated rate than other species. If you take the average life expectancy, which in my travels I've concluded to be about seventy years old, and divide it by mine, it takes a Draconequus about thirty one years to mature a single, normal creature's year. While some creatures, such as dragons, have a much higher life expectancy than the average, they also mature much faster. I was curious as to what category you fall into?" Discord paused, waiting for her to answer.
"Well... It would seem that Alicorns are actually quite similar to Draconequus, except we take nearly 43 years to age a year."
Discord nodded. "I thought as much..."
For a few seconds neither of them said a word, Celestia appearing to be deep in thought. Finally she spoke.
"That makes you roughly thirty three years of age." She announced.
Discord nodded. "Impressive. Very quick calculating, princess."
"I've always enjoyed arithmetic," she explained. "In case you're wondering, I'm about thirteen and a quarter of a year, as far as my body's maturity goes. My sister is about twelve..."
Discord stopped floating and settled back down onto the bed.
"So young to be in charge of an entire country, and without the supervision of a loved one to guide you."
"Well, regardless of our maturity to age, we are still over five centuries old, and that's longer than any of the ponies in this land will see. There's not a lot who are going to accuse us of being too young to rule."
Celestia frowned. Like Luna, she did not like to be tossed to the side for being young. Not that anypony in the land knew of the rate Alicorns matured at anyway. As far as she knew, Discord was the now lone soul in the land that knew, besides her sister of course.
"And besides, I've got my advisers. They can help me with any problems I encounter along the way."
"I did not mean to offend, Princess. It was merely an observation." He grinned at Celestia and she frowned, his peculiar mood obviously confusing her.
"Alright..." She finally said. A thought came to her.
"You said you've been traveling for five hundred years. Have you no home or family to go to?"
Discord nodded, yawning as he prepared to explain his lot in life.
"The Draconequus are still around, but we are few in number. While we do possess some magical ability, none did to the extent that I do. When I was young I had quite a difficult time controlling it. This, combined with the fact that it generally unnerved the elders of my clan, resulted in my eventual expulsion from my tribe when I became a young adult. They didn't want me around, and I didn't need them hindering my growth anyway."
Discord didn't appear too upset or bitter as he told the story, but Celestia imagined that being cast out by one's own family must have been a very hurtful experience.
"I'm so sorry... Have you been alone, all this time?"
Discord shook his head, continuing on in the same lackadaisical tone.
"Don't be, there's nothing more empowering than the fresh air of the open road. My travels have led me all across the earth, and I quite prefer the life of a wanderer to that of a brain-dead, listless tribe dweller. And I haven't traveled alone for very long at all actually. My brother was my companion for many years."
Celestia nodded, her turn to now listen.
"That's good, was he elder or younger?"
"Younger, by about two hundred years. I really shouldn't criticize you and your sister for being so young, we were just children ourselves when Eclipse and I set out on our own."
Celestia laughed, nodding at Discord. Eclipse, she thought. A nice name. I wonder where he is now... For some reason, she found herself afraid to ask.
"I'm sure you two have had many great adventures," Celestia remarked.
"Of course," Discord grinned.
"How on earth did you ever manage to end up in the dungeons of our old castle?" Celestia asked.
"Well, it's quite a story," Discord confessed. "It begins in the land of the dragons, southeast of your country."
"I've got time," she said with a smile.
Discord closed his eyes, using his magic to teleport him on the floor in front of the sitting princess. He smiled and began his story.
*****
"Now, keep in mind, I've already won! Our fake die is in play, and theirs is long gone! I banished that bitch to another dimension! So, me and Eclipse are about to take our winnings from this trio of pissed off dragon outcasts, and oh yeah they were pissed, but willing to give up their coins none the less, when what should drop out of thin air and onto the floor in front of them? Their original die! And it didn't take them any time to piece together what had happened, no sir, they were already on it. They get this, I can't even describe, look of malice in their eyes! They are not pleased in the slightest! The place freezes, literally freezes! At this point you could hear a pin hit the floor in that quiet, and they all, without saying a word, stand up-"
Discord slithered and floated around the room, waving his arms and tail about as he reached the climax of his story. Celestia watched with amused interest, keeping a hoof over her mouth to stifle her giggles as Discord's expressional tale continued.
"And I want you to remember, these aren't your typical, run-of-the-mill, brute dragon bastards! These are dragon outcasts, thrown out of their clans for being too dangerous to live with their dragon brethren! Think about that for a second! That's like, that's like-"
Above his head appeared a bicorne, captain's hat, complete with a jolly roger insignia on the front. It floated down onto his head as an eye patch and a peg leg also appeared on Discord's body.
"That's like a pirate captain coming up to one of his crew mates and being like, 'yargggh matey, do ya have a moment?' And the crew members like... 'Yeah, what's up? Hell of a plunder today, cap'n.'"
Discord began to switch between his captain character and the crew mate as he talked. First appearing in one spot of the room with his pirate garb, and then in another without his accessories. Every time he used his magic, Celestia felt a tingle run down the back of her spine, but ignored it. Still enthralled with his story.
"Yar, hell of a plunder, that's kinda what I wanted to talk to ye about. Now, ye knows that I think yer a great pirate, and I really value yer services as a member of me crew."
Discord's Pirate Captain took on a very sincere tone, making it all the harder for Celestia to stifle her giggles.
"I know I can always count on ya to be the first to volunteer when we need someone to torture a captive to prove a point."
"Yes sir, cap'n. I do enjoy makin' em squirm."
"Right, right," The Discord Pirate Captain draped a hand over a non-existent shoulder. "And what pirate leaves the land with winches getting away unscathed? Not ye, that's for sure!"
His crew mate character nodded. "I do like me ladies..."
"Yar, of course ye do. And the way ye fed that man's children to him, that were a stroke of genius!"
"I just really like me job, cap'n, and I try to do me best..."
"Yar, I know ye do, and that's what makes this so hard..."
Discord's captain paused, taking a moment to remove his eye patch and dust it off, before putting it back over his eye.
"Ye see, matey, some o' the other crew members are feeling a little... Unsettled, by your... Tenacity, and well, I'm gonna have ta let ye go..."
Discord's apparel disappeared as he broke into a fit laughter, holding his belly as it passed.
"That's what that's like! Being an outcast dragon, is like being kicked out of a pirate crew, for being just, too fuckin' mean!"
Discord howled with laughter again, and Celestia began to laugh heartily as well. The two's unbroken laughs echoed throughout the corridor leading up to Discord's chamber for nearly a minute, before they finally began to recede into mild chuckles.
Celestia wiped a stray tear from her eye, able to speak properly at last.
"Discord, I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with some of your dialect. What does 'fuckin' mean?"
Discord looked at her for a moment, head tilted.
"It means... Fuckin'. It's just, fuck. You know, fuck, fucker, fucking, fucko, mother fucker, what do you not have swear words in Equestria?"
Celestia shook her head. "No, we do, just apparently not that one..."
"Oh..." Discord replied. "Well, maybe I can spread it around while I'm here."
Discord levitated himself off the ground, returning to a standing position; he exhaled. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so hard. It was perhaps the best feeling he had experienced in a decade.
"So how did you guys escape the renegade dragons?" Celestia asked, picking up their conversation.
Discord rubbed the back of his head and frowned, his mood taking on a somber tone.
"Escape... Well, we didn't, not really. When I finally got away, I had already been severely beaten, and I ran as far as I could, but did not know where I was going. I eventually made my way to that forest, and took refuge in the dungeon of your family's former castle. I remained there for four or five years, until you and your guards found me."
"Oh lord, that's horrible!" Celestia exclaimed.
"Eh, it happens..."
Discord didn't know why he had chosen to tell the story. His mind had known that it ended in tragedy, but his desire to provide a humorous recollection of his adventures in the dragon kingdom had overpowered his common sense. Unfortunately, it seemed the humorous parts of his exploits fell apart at the end.
"What about Eclipse?" Celestia asked.
"I escaped, he wasn't as lucky."
"Oh, Discord. I'm so sorry..."
"It happens." He replied with a stretch, resuming his casual demeanor.
Celestia thought of Luna, and of Discord's brother's fate. If she was in his position, if anything ever happened to her sister, she didn't know if she would be able to go on without her. Even when Luna wore on her nerves, she still loved her. Her sister was her best friend, and nothing could change that.
A long silence passed between the two of them. Celestia mentally kicked herself again, swearing that when she was older, pauses of this nature would not happen to her. She would be able to carry on a conversation like a proper princess should, and the only pauses would be ones that were needed. Brought on not by a lack of words, but by the wisdom of knowing when not to speak.
Finally, "It's almost time for me to go," she told the Draconequus.
"Ah yes, can't keep the sun from rising forever." Discord replied.
"I'll see if I can return this evening, but until then, have a wonderful day Discord..." She turned to walk away, but stopped as Discord called out to her.
"Wait, Celestia."
"Yes?" She turned around.
"I wanted to thank you, for saving my life. I appreciate it, I really do."
"It was nothing," she said with a smile. "Anypony else would have done the same in my position."
Discord smiled as well, shaking his head. "No, they wouldn't have."
They both knew it was true.
It was at this point that Discord realized something. He now understood why he had been able to tell Celestia of the events that had claimed his brother's life, and was in general so comfortable around her. He trusted her, plain and simple. Discord couldn't remember the last time he had trusted anyone (if indeed he ever had), and didn't know what to think of it. Surely it wasn't a good thing, and yet he found no reason it couldn't be. And just why did he trust her anyway? Discord couldn't put his finger on any particular reason. Perhaps there was no particular reason. Perhaps it was because of how unfrightened she was of him. Nervous, yes, but not genuinely afraid like so many other creatures he encountered had been. The way he himself had stayed frightened for the past few years. Perhaps he just did not know.
He put the thought out of his head, making plans to ponder the subject another time. All Discord knew for sure, was that he trusted her, believed her, believed in her. He knew this was the truth, and that was enough for now. Discord saw no reason to let Celestia know of his discovery, at least not now anyway. Perhaps not ever. Time would tell.
"Discord." Celestia began.
"Yes, Princess?"
"I have a favor I want to ask of you."
"Go ahead," He responded. "I need to show my gratitude for being allowed to reside in your kingdom anyway."
Celestia smiled. "I just realized that my council is without a foreign diplomat. Seeing as how you are a seasoned traveler, who has been through many different countries, I was wondering if you might like to fill the position, and help advise me as a part of my cabinet. You could help our land expand into new territories, or even establish a trade system with other countries."
Celestia had no idea what the duties of a foreign diplomat actually consisted of, and she suspected that Discord probably knew this. But it sounded good in her mind, and she also suspected that he wouldn't care if her definition was off.
She then added. "If you're not planning on leaving us anytime soon, that is."
Discord smiled, and Celestia was sure now, the creature was handsome.
"I suppose I could follow you around for a bit. Keep you on the right path, just in case you lose your way."
"I'd appreciate it greatly," She replied, still smiling.
Suddenly, the grandfather clock in Discord's room began to chime, signalling six a.m. It seemed the sun would be rising a tad late this morning.
"I really must be going now, Discord." The young princess apologized. "But I'll be back in the evening, and perhaps we can properly establish your post."
"Very well, I shall hold my breath until then." He responded and puffed out his cheeks. Celestia giggled and turned away, hurrying out of his room.
Discord watched her go until she was out of sight, and then watched the empty space of the corridor for a bit longer.
Finally, he let his magic shut the door and teleported onto his bed. He stretched out and gazed up at the ceiling, the shiny marble surface showing his reflection. The body of the reflection was his own, but the face was not.
"Looks like someone has found a reason to stay," Eclipse stated smugly.
Discord didn't respond but turned over on his side. He closed his eyes and slept.
