Thread of Destiny

by Shenzy

A true true Friend

A true true Friend

Everypony was really nervous. A dozen of guards had escorted them trough the castle, through a majestic looking part which was bright and colorful, as light shined through big colorful windows, giving everything a touch of an rainbow.

Even Pinkie was impressed, despite what she had seen in Discords castle, when they got to the last door and once again, all guards got left and right into their pose.

The castle hold an entire army, without a doubt. Every single one of them was well trained and disciplined, tall as Applejack's brother, and fearless enough to charge in no matter what danger. Only the prime-royal guards been even better than that, which was also the one to pull the royal chariot.

All those guards, which been a few hundred of them - in fact didn't guard the princess at all.

Not once, she had told a single one, to do so.

Those guards had been here in order to protect everypony around them instead.

They should take care of her guests, take care of the castle and everypony in need of help.

They would spread out on her command in times of crisis, securing the area, bring the wounded out of danger and help to defeat, what ever evil is threatening Equestria.

This was the only reason for them being here and the princess was always thankful towards them.

The pony's stepped inside the throne room to find nothing else than pride elegance.

The room itself was beautiful and had the same soft touch of rainbow like, the others - shinning right onto the center which was a big golden throne, on which her royal highness- princess Celestia was sitting.

Her mane slowly waved like it was in a soft breeze, her wings slightly spread to welcome her new guest, giving the most enchanting smile you ever seen. Like a mother would, when she looked down on their beloved kids.

She gave everypony an elegant nod, as they slowly entered the room, unable to take their sigh of Celestia, like they had been bewitched.

Only Twilight seemed a little more used to it and could not help, to look onto the others instead. She thought back on her first time, meeting the princess and how she had the same expression on her face.

The princess shifted some of her attention to Twilight, which made a small motion towards the others, making the princess giggle a little.

Twilight sat left to the throne. The others lined up in front of it, only the two sisters stayed back some more, as well Fluttershy – hiding behind the group.

"You can come closer" she said with her warm voice and all of them obeyed, even Fluttershy found her hooves almost moving by them self, sitting down next to Rainbow, which put a wing around her.

The princess wore as usual her crone, as well the royal horse harness.

Nothing on her gave away the fight she had been in recently, despite the wounds she had received during it, which had healed completely. Also her battle armor was no where to be seen. Little did they know, the builders had been gathered to renew it to its former glory.

Of course those had not been the same ones, the real builders died centuries ago, but their grand children as well some new ones had proudly taken place, it was the biggest possible honor.

The little crack Discord had punched into it, would take at least one month to repair and costing amounts no pony else ever could pay, but what was the safety of every living being worth?

Her eyes wandered above every single one of them. They seemed to have nothing in common.

Earth-, pegasus and unicorn pony's sat close to each other, forming a picture of harmony.

"My dear Twilight told me, you all have encountered the spirit named Discord and wanted to tell me about it." her tone had not changed, but it was still somehow mournful. She sure loved everypony, no matter of disposition.

She got up and walked down the small path to the group, looking with her shimmering purple eyes for somepony to pick out.

Rarity took a breath, stretched out her chest and stepped forward "May i, your highness"

"Please."

The white mare gave a little wave towards her sister to get on her side, but struggled how to start.

"I... uhm..he... excuse me, i'm a little excited." she said, rubbing her hooves shyly.

"Take your time" Celestia assured her.

The mare started once more, but felt guilt right on her first line.

"I ... was at home, in my boutique... had been there for... well, i actually don't know and my sister..." giving her a glace "i had scared her away and felt really guilty about it, still do... but back than, it was in fact so bad i had not eaten for days..."

Until now Rarity had left out this part in order to spare Sweetie Belles feelings, but right now she had to come out with the full truth and hope she would understand.

"...this was when he came by. I guess.. i mean- i know he had saved my life back then." as she put her hoof onto her chest "He had brought me to rest and fed me after wards, but i mean ... actually he saved me later once more, from my stubborn self... he reminded me on what was really important..."

Rarity winked Sweetie Belle to her, putting her hoof tight around the young mare "...my little sister.”

It was the most generous thing ever a pony did to me." with this sad she could not help to tear up, as black lines run down her eyes.

Her little sister could not else than drop some tears on her own, being glad Rarity was still around for that matter. "I know he done evil things, but, i truly consider him a good friend of mine." giving the filly a cheerfully glance, trying to wipe off some of the make up.

"Me next!" the pink earth pony stepped forward, while the other two got back in line, Sweetie giving her sister some hold, since her leg was still hurt.

"I think we met" Celestia said "...and i see you found what makes you special".

Pinkie blushed a little, but got surprisingly serious "Yes i did ... and he had helped me! You see, i was run away from home and just wanted to go to a party, but everypony was really mean to me..." as she frowned on that memory "and then i found his castle and ... have you seen it from the inside? Its amazing... and then he showed up and he wasn't mad at me! No! He gave me cake and was really really nice... we played games! I won most of them" she grinned now "he didn't make fun of my blank flank once the entire time... he even liked me for it! Can you believe it!? I was so happy! It was the most fun i ever had... but then... well you took him away" once again her mood jumped back and her lip began to shiver a little "i'm not mad at you. I know he did something bad... but you know what he had said to me? I mean before you took him..." giving Celestia's big eyes.

"I don't, my child"

"He said to me, -i was the only pony who could had cheered him up- and i was ... i was so happy, i mean i was before, but than i knew what made me special! I felt like... like.... my heart had turned into cherry pie!" giving the biggest grin of her live. It was so contagious, everypony in the room had to join in "you see" giving a look around in the room like it would prove her every word. "He is my bestest friend for ever and ever".

Celestia nodded confirming at this, as Pinkie got back to her sister Maud, which smiled proud onto her sister, when she cuddle her self up onto her side.

"Guess we are next!" Rainbow declared and stepped forwards, just to turn around and pull the yellow pegasus with her.

The blue pegasus tried something like a curtsy, but used both hooves like somepony would do push ups, the yellow one managed this a lot more elegant, using a single hoof and bowing "Your highness".

The pegasus spread it wings far "I haven't spend to much time with him i guess, but the time we had together, was awesome!"

"He showed up on our show... i mean on her show..." pointing on Fluttershy "... you see, i'm uh, was her manger not long ago... and she was performing in Yanhoover, in the WingStarDome, you might heard off?"

"In fact, i did".

The pegasus grinned proudly, even the princess had heard about it – it was a dream come true.

"Uhm, Rainbow" Fluttershy, gave her a hint.

"OH, sorry... ye.. it actually was on our new big show, everything was great, you should have seen it, Fluttershy was brilliant and the crowd was stunned " rasing her hooves like she could grab the moment "but than, she, well she overdid it a little and lost control.

The shy pony spoke up "i tried a... a Sonic Rainboom, but my wings..." she stopped as she noticed Celestia looking at her closely, so Rainbow stepped in again "ye her wings – they gave in and she rushed towards earth like lighting strike to get crushed like a ant onto the ground" punching one hoof into the other to show the effect it would had done, making the yellow mare almost faint "but than that guy – i mean at first he was a pony, but he run like the devil... uhh. He wasn't a devil, i mean ... "

"He was fast" Fluttershy suggested.

"Yeah that's it" nodding towards her "i never seen anything move as fast as that and he caught her before ... you know... " making once more the crashing move "he probably had saved her life!"

"Yes, it was really kind of him..."

"He even saved the show" Rainbow mumbled, starting to rub the back of her head slowly "but, i then uhm, he was kinda awkward... he came back stage with Fluttershy, i mean he had searched her and then he got unconscious for no reason".

Rarity rose a hoof, like a child in class "may i ...?"

The others looked at her "he also asked me for all of you... in specific her" pointing hooves on Fluttershy.

"Me too, as well ma workers..." Applejack added.

Fluttershy was confused, nopony had told her about that.

"Hey, you should had seen his room! It was full of pictures from all of us... and a lot big ones of her" also pointing on Fluttershy "You are his wife, right!?"

At this the yellow mare almost got unconscious her self, when Rainbow hold her up, fan some air with her wings.

"Stop pointing at her, she doesn't know him! Also, i wasn't done!" giving everypony an angry glance.

The pony's around her got silent and waited for her to finish, before trying to solve the puzzle again.

"Okay, where was i ... ye.. later he woke up and he was really depressed. I mean, REALLY depressed... he snapped me into some mountains.

"What kind of mountains?" Maud asked

"Uhm... red ones?"

Maud just nodded like she exactly knew where she had been.

"But that's not the point!" waving off the comment "i mean it was cold there and i was almost freazing to death... he was there too, he had zapped the howl room there... and now comes the strange part, when i woke up: He had made some freaking castle to keep me warm! A freaking castle, can you believe!?" taking a look around to stare at a lot of confuse faces "thought so, could not believe it either" shrugging at this "that's why I kinda... accidentally .. jumped out of the window" trying to get past the embarrassing part quickly "but he caught me and then the most awesome thing ever happened – he repaired my broken wing!" once again proudly spreading her feathers "I couldn't fly since i was a filly! And he just fixed it like that and send me home! Just like that!" she just had to shake her head. It still sounded nuts, no matter how often she would tell the story, it would sound absolute unbelievable "best day ever!"

She crossed her hooves in front her chest "and that's why, we think we owe him a lot... he sure acted like a true friend - without hesitation!".

The yellow mare had managed to get up.

"L-like Rainbow said... he is our friend." Fluttershy added in her whispering tone.

"It sure is unusual behavior..." the princess said.

"don't you believe us?" Rainbow asked as snippy, as much she dared.

Celestia smiled at them "I do believe you two, but the Discord i got to know was different to the one you have encountered."

"Celestia" Twilight said informal "there is something really important i have to tell you too..."

"What is it, my dear?"

She took a deep breath to get into focus, like she always did before explaining something "In fact, its something everypony has to know and by that... i mean Equestria."

The other pony's had no idea what had to come and not even after those touching and strange story's, could had prepared them for the thing that would follow.

"Discord was the one, to restore the Crystal Empire."

Everypony's jaw dropped on this one and even Celestia could not help to be really surprised.

"You are sure, Discord had done this?"

Applejack came to Twilight's support "He sure did, i seen it too, with ma own eyes!"

The two briefly explained how he met the two... about the deal... and how it came he had restored balance. Twilight even had the book around he had given her, just in case they would not believe.

Celestia reached out to the book, touching carefully the cover "I recognize this book... once, i had the original - until it got destroyed a long time ago." she looked her straight into the eyes "Twilight this book holds unique magic within, please be careful with your studies."

"Don't worry, i sure am - and i already learned something!" she had to show her the trick she had learned as her horn glowed and she teleported across the room in an instant with an -pfuff pfuff- noise, from corner to corner to appear right in front of her again.

"Wuhhu!" Pinkie cheered at this funny trick, it was almost like when he had done it.

Celestia felt proud for the young mare, she was really talented. If she just had noticed earlier...

"Well, ther is one more thing" Applejack said. "Ya know, after we had our trip, i asked him not to hurt anypony... i mean, i don't know wa he blew up the city, but not a single pony got hurt, right?" as she felt really stupid "oh, sorry, i mean, except yu, ur highness,... sorry..."

"I know what you try to say and i agree. City's can be rebuild..."

"Yea, thad what i meant!" cheering up to much, just to apologize once more for the outburst.

"I may got no idea what made him so mad..." shaking he head a little sad "... but he sure hold on tho his word! And that's what friends are for, ain't that right Twi?"

"I think you are right" Twilight confirmed.

After hearing all of this, Celestia had to rethink her judgment about him, including the destruction of the city. She already had wondered, why he didn't bother to fight back right away or even had searched for her in the first place...

Last but not least, he had spared her life, just before he... vanished.

Just to add a last detail on all of that; he had surrendered without a fight or asking for any therms of surrender, in order to take his punishment.

The first time she had met him, he had fought like a lion until the end - destroying all of Equestria in the process... until she had discovered the Elements of Harmony, which had made her able to stop him for the past thousand years.

"I still think, Discord is a really dangerous being, for anypony around..." as the pony's already looked disappointed on those words "... but, hearing all of this – and in conclusion with my own experience, i'm willing to give him the benefit of a doubt."

Pinkie could not help to jump up and throw some left over confetti, she just had hold back for this very unlikely case. "YAAAAAYYYYYYY!" grabbing her sisters hooves to spin her along, while she jumped around her.

"Oh, could use a spa right now, don't you?" Rarity asked Sweetie Belle.

"Yeha!" the cowgirl said, throwing up her old cowboy hat.

Rainbow performed a triple back looping on this stunning news and even Fluttershy had to express her excitement with a really loud shout "........... yay........." - which was basically room voice level.

Twilight only allowed herself a little tripping on her hoof tips. "Thank you so much!"

As the others heard her say this they all stopped with what ever they just did and bowed down deep, even Rainbow made sure to get it right this time. "Thank you princess" they said in unity.

"Actually i have to thank all of you, showing to me, that even a being like Discord can change".

Some of them had to blink a phew times, when Celestia bowed down for them, to expressing her gratitude.

Rainbow leaned towards Pinkie "Ten?" - which just nodded slowly.

Author's Note:

I like Celestia... as well her sister Luna... (love how they got more screentime!)
but i absolute adore them whenever they do little "pranks"... or just giggle at something funny.
It makes me jump up and down on my seat every time. It´s just to cute to watch ^_^
At_All_Luna_Fans... i´m so so soooooooo sorry she doesn't have a bigger share in my story!
So i´m basically sorry for my self, but there was no way to "force her in"! :[

Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony

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Sometimes it doesn't take much to make new friends.
I´m surprised my self if i think about it... just pick one of your friends and think about it how it all started, you might be amazed...
One of my first friends "Marc" (in fact my rly first one) ... we traded "snickers" and "bounty" on our first school day...
it was great... ^_^ ... i got the snickers btw... pheaw... cocus.. what was my mother thinking?
omg! it just struck me... maybe... she did that on purpose!?... nah!
Still, a good idea for my kids (as soon i got some) +g+ hehehe