MLP:FiM belongs to Hasbro
The trio enter a grand hall, large windows adorning the walls and three red futon-type pieces of furniture at the end that remind me of makeshift thrones. Discord leads the way, having released Celestia's hoof, and turns around to face the sisters, a sly grin on his face.
"Welcome to my humble abode," he entices, his voice a combination of a purr and a mocking tone. "I had hoped you would join me, so I had the joiners fashion chairs for you as well. I figured that, while it was a small one, it would be seen as a thoughtful gesture, no?" Celestia nods absentmindedly, taking in the dreary appearance of the room.
"It's... lovely," she manages to whisper, nearly choking on the words. She turns to Luna, taking note of the bags under her eyes and the half hearted glare she is trying to direct at her sister. "Is there a place where Luna could rest? Somewhere quiet? If you wouldn't mind." She is fostering politeness to appeal to Discord, I can tell, but he assumes she is still completely sincere.
"Of course," he replies smoothly, beckoning to the sickly thin unicorn that stands beside the entrance. He rushes forward, bowing his head. "Lightning Spector? Please show the young alicorn to the tower chamber. And fetch her some blankets, as well. She should be as comfortable as possible." He turns to Celestia suddenly, holding up a hoof to stop Lightning Spector from acting on his orders. "Wait, it's almost nightfall. Shouldn't you two lower the sun and raise the moon right now? Wouldn't want any chaos would we?" Celestia grinds her teeth, nodding instead of speaking, and nods in the direction of her sister as she steps over to the window on the west side on the hall. The sun hangs in the sky, its yellow glow abnormally warm and bright, and, without even a moment's pause, Celestia bows her head slightly, gritting her teeth and closing her eyes as her horn begins to glow a blinding yellow. Luna mimics her actions, her horn glowing blue instead, and, within two minutes, the sky is dark, a crescent moon replacing the sun. Discord claps his hooves slowly for a few seconds before waving the thin unicorn off, silently instructing him to guide Luna, and he does so obediently. "You've been practicing, Celly."
"Of course," she responds simply. "Would you expect anything less... Cordy?" He grins, shaking his head. "Look, Discord, I—I want to apologize. I am so sorry we left you to lead this broken nation on your own. I'm sure we could have contributed something, but instead we left you to struggle. I can tell how much of a toll all of this has taken on you; you were never this... violent... before." He regards her with solemnity in his yellow eyes, remaining silent, a grim smile on his face. "But I forgive you for doing what you've done. Together, we can restore balance to this country. We can restore your reputation." Discord's smile slides off, and he turns away from Celestia, his wings extending with authority.
"No," he answers softly, catching Celestia by surprise. When she remains silent, he assumes it was because he was too quiet, so he repeats himself. "No. My reputation cannot be healed. I have done far too many things against this land for that to ever happen. No pony with common sense would ever forgive me." He takes a deep breath, turning around to face Celestia with a strange look in his eyes. "And I wouldn't want them to." Her brows furrow in confusion, and he grins slightly with amusement. "You wouldn't understand, Celly. Sure, the people fear me because of what I've done, but with fear comes power. I can do anything, make them do anything. It's fantastic! I know it sounds kind of cruel and maybe even maniacal, but this supremacy is so incredible. I never want to give it up." He turns away once more, staring out the window overlooking the little town a few miles away, and a flash of disgust appears on Celestia's face. However, she quickly masks it, swallowing every negative thing she thinks about Discord's new personality, and she sighs loudly, catching his attention and drawing his gaze back to her.
"Power... power is a good thing. It's necessary for a leader to have power over his or her people," Celestia replies slowly, thinking over her words carefully. "I respect your power, Cordy. More than you know. I think it's wonderful that you've grown accustomed to being a leader, but I hope you'll make room for my sister and I to rule with you. These people need more than just force ruling them. They need compassion and peace, too. Would... would you be willing to let us be rulers with you, just like we intended from the start?" Discord peers at her with his head tilted slightly. For a moment, he says nothing, simply staring at her intently, but, eventually, he nods with a small smile, seemingly implying that that had always been the plan. Celestia returns the grin, stepping forward so they are less than a foot apart. "Thank you. Cordy... I really wish I could tell you everything I'm feeling, but I'm not sure how to. I don't think it would come out right. I know I told you how I felt a few years ago, but it's different now. Not too much, just... different. Sorry. I'm not good at explaining this type of thing." She closes her eyes, inhaling as deeply as she can before reopening them. "I... I'll just show you." At this point, she takes a single step forward, and, with only a moment's hesitation, Celestia's lips press gently against Discord's.
I am shocked, needless to say. Has she forgotten that he killed her parents? How could she forgive him so quickly? However, those questions are erased from my mind as I focus back on the two interlocked in a soft yet passionate kiss. Their eyes are both closed, but there is something amiss, something strange for what is supposed to be such a romantic experience. Tears form in the corner of Celestia's eyes, and they quickly spill out from her closed eyelids, her eyes remaining shut as trails snake down her cheeks. Her horn begins to glow yellow, the spell she is casting unknown and currently doing nothing. They pull away after a minute or two, both breathing heavily, and Celestia wraps her front hooves around Discord's neck, enveloping him in a soft but restrictive hug. The embrace prevents him from seeing her horn and her eyes, excellent planning on her part. She bites her lip, fresh tears streaming from her now open eyes.
"Cordy, I am sorry," she whispers, her voice filled with despair. He tries to wrench away, but she tightens her hold, her strength far greater than her appearance suggests. "I can't let you do this. You've become cold and heartless. You're ruining the lives of all ponies, every race. Alicorns are supposed to be regal and refined, not sick and manipulative. It pains me to say this, but you are a disgrace to our race." The shock on his face is priceless, but, at this point, I do not believe he understands the true meaning of her words. "I love you. I always have and I always will no matter how much I deny it. But you are not of my kind, not in the psychological sense. You do not deserve to be an alicorn. From now on, every pony will see you as you really are, what you're like on the inside. A monster." He pushes away from her, noticing the combination of sorrow and longing on her face before the aura around her horn.
"Celestia, what are you—" he begins, but he does not get to finish his question. With an anguished cry, Celestia bows her head, a blinding beam of light erupting from her horn and blasting into Discord's chest, knocking him backwards through the air. He is unable to spread his wings in time to prevent his fall, and he crashes to the floor with a booming thud! As he struggles to right himself, his face a mask of both disbelief and fury, the light completely surrounds him, shielding his body from view even as he screams in pain. The light seems to be physically hurting him, and a single hind leg escapes the light, flailing desperately as it tries unsuccessfully to aid in his escape. Soon, it ceases movement, and Celestia, panting and obviously fatigued, drops the spell as she bows her head and closes her eyes, the light releasing Discord and sending him crashing to the ground once more. He does not rise. However, that is not what catches my attention and answers many of the questions that have been swirling in my mind relentlessly since I entered my memories.
Somehow, by some incomprehensible type of magic I assume is powered by emotions, Discord is no longer an alicorn. Instead, he is the chimera, the distorted draconequus he is in my day as a statue. Should I be asked to explain what had happened, I would be rendered speechless. This sort of magic... it is impossible. Yet, I just witnessed it in action. I am unable to wrap my head around it.
Celestia lifts her head, her breathing much more normal, and opens her eyes. Instantly, she gasps and stumbles back a few steps, taken aback, but, slowly, she steps forward as if to confirm her thoughts. Discord stirs, groaning as he attempts to rise on his front mismatched limbs, the appendages trembling with the absence of use.
"Oh, no. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I—I didn't know what would happen," Celestia babbles, mixed feelings and the overwhelming emotion of love controlling her mind. "I just wanted to make you look evil instead of magnificent as we've always said we were. I don't even know what I did. I'm sorry." He manages to push himself off the ground at this point, still resting on his hands and knees, and he groans once more, unable to open his eyes just yet. His head hangs toward the ground, his nose mere inches from the floor.
"Oh, Celly, what are you rambling on about now?" Discord asks, his voice lighthearted but tinged with agony. "Pulling pranks on me is not very wise, my dear. But why do I feel so different?" He flexes his front feet, his body tensing when each individual toe moves instead of a single hoof. "What did you do to m—" With those words, his eyes open, their yellow color the same as they had been not minutes earlier, but their pupils red instead of black. He inhales sharply when his eyes focus enough for him to make out what are now his hands, and, with energy from his surprise, he rises steadily to his feet, his body now towering over Celestia's. "What? What is this... this sorcery?" Celestia's lip quivers as she struggles to think of an answer, but she comes up empty.
"I'm sorry," she manages, her voice barely a whisper. His gaze narrows at this, and he strides over to the window, stumbling a few times on his unaccustomed legs. Discord leans forward, trying to make out his form. His reflection catches him by surprise, and a look of fear and disbelief appears on his face. He stretches his clawed hand toward the window, his expression morphing into one of disgust as the reflection mirrors his mish mash of animal parts. He bows his head, his eyes never leaving the window.
"Is this really who I am—was—on the inside?" he questions, speaking only to himself. "A disgrace? An abomination?" He turns his face away, curling his birdlike hand into a ball and closing his eyes, directing his next words at Celetia. "You saw me as this since long ago, even if you tried to renounce it. You saw me as a monster, so I became one." A single tear falls from his eye as Celestia tries to muffle a sob. "Don't try to deny it, either. You were right. I am a monster. You've made me what I was on the inside." He chuckles, the sound forced. "Just call me "The Spirit of Chaos" from now on, alright? That's what I fully intend on becoming. I might as well." Celestia steps forward, a look of horror on her face. "No. You can't stop me. This is my destiny, is it not? You and I both knew it all along. It's about time I accept my fate, don't you think?" He ignores the frantic whimpers she emits. "It's strange, Celly. I feel so much stronger. I feel like I can make anything happen. You will never understand how great it feels." He whips around to face her head on, his eyes wild. He spreads his mismatched wings, beating them against the stagnant air within the walls as if to test them out. "Just for the record, Celly... I love you too. I will never stop loving you. But we can never be together. It has to be that way. We have to be enemies. It's tragic, is it not? But what could you honestly do about it? Farewell, my dear. I anticipate seeing you again very soon." With one last longing glance, he launches himself out the window, the glass shattering on impact and breaking into a million miniscule pieces, snaking through the air at a speed even faster than before and disappearing from sight within seconds.
Celestia, still in shock, collapses onto the ground, covering her face as she sobs in silence. I can almost feel her sadness; there is a tugging in my chest unlike anything I have ever felt, a pain so great I wish I could curl up on the ground and do the same as she is. I know I cannot, however, not in a time where I must listen and watch as carefully as possible. The time is coming soon for Discord to be defeated, soon followed by Nightmare Moon, and I need to answer any lingering questions that are still lurking in my mind before that happens. I can only consciously remember the instant I sent Luna to the moon and all times after that; this means I do not actually know what caused her transformation. I need to know. After everything I have witnessed, I know that there has to be something huge, something besides selfishness, that leads Luna to change. I just need to find out what.
Even with my remaining questions, the fact that Celestia and Discord were basically star-crossed lovers both concerns me and enthralls me. I almost... almost wish that things could be different. It is as if the emotions are flooding back into me, but they are far too strong for my thousand-year old heart. I do not know what to make of it. If only things could have turned out differently... maybe there would not be as much chaos in my time. Maybe there would be peace nationwide.
Maybe I would actually be happy. Maybe.