The Princess had decided to take a walk through the gardens today, without the company of her guards, of course. She hated how her security force wanted to follow her everywhere. She liked to constantly remind them that while she was a princess; she was certainly no school filly. Celestia had dealt with many horrors in the past, none of which will be found in the local gardens.

        “Honestly, sometimes they believe me to be the same little filly from my father’s rule. I am a grown mare, and can defend myself. I shouldn’t have such a wonderful day ruined by an overprotective ensemble.” Celestia took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of sweet flowers and fresh air. She was in the most wondrous section of the gardens. Celestia’s sister had commissioned this particular plot to be grown by the best gardeners in all Equestria. The flowers were actually planted to grow in colourful designs. There were pink Delilahs in the form of a magnificent butterfly, red roses that spelled out a beautiful poem, and the best of all, a patch of white daisies made to resemble Celestia herself.

        “Truly remarkable...Luna, you amaze me sometimes...” Celestia approached the large portrait of herself. “Though...was this really necessary? I mean...why me?” Celestia asked quietly to herself. A gentle, yet familiar voice answered.  

        “Because Tia, I think you’re gorgeous. Your beauty does this place wonders. It was so drab before I asked them to put that in...” Celestia grinned and started to chuckle softly.

        “Oh, how did I know you would follow me here Lulu?” A gentle breeze drifted through the gardens, producing a calming rustling sound through the flowers.

        “Celestia! I can’t believe you could even think that I would follow you. Honestly, I thought you were better than that...” Luna grinned deviously and picked one of the daisies that formed the solar Princess’ likeness.

        “Honestly Luna, I know you well enough to know that this is exactly the kind of thing you would do.” Luna snickered and reached up to place the flower into her sister’s mane.

        “You know me too well, sister.” 

Celestia turned to admire the floral patterns once more. “I wish you knew me well enough to know that I don’t...really like daisies.” Celestia smiled sheepishly as Luna sighed loudly.

        “Awww, Tia! I went through all this trouble, and you don’t even like it?” Luna pouted and turned her head to the side, doing her utmost to pull her sister into a guilt trip. Over the years, Luna had been able to discover exactly what makes her sister tick, all the way from the food she likes, to how to get her to say “yes” to just about anything.

        Celestia sighed and hugged her sister gently. “Come now, you know I love it. I’m just not a fan of daisies...I haven’t been for as long as I can remember.”

        Luna giggled and returned the embrace. “Yes, I know...I’m just teasing you Tia.”

        “You enjoy that too much, Lulu. It’s not right to tease your sister so much...” Celestia nuzzled Luna’s neck in playful manner.

        “It’s so fun though...Hey Celestia, can I ask you a question?”

        “Lulu you can always ask me anything. Now what it is...?” Luna grinned and tapped Celestia lightly with her hoof.

        “How fast can you run...? You’re it!” Luna took off towards the green hedges of the Canterlot maze gardens. “Come on Tia, catch me!” She called out to Celestia, who was standing dumbfounded by herself.

        “H-hey! No fair!” Celestia extended her wings and used them to propel herself towards her fleeing sister. She turned sharply into the maze’s entrance.

        The maze was made of huge, green hedges that seemed to reach towards the sky. Despite their huge size, they were perfectly maintained; they had not a single branch or twig sticking out of place. Much like the rest of the gardens, the maze was more a work of art than a garden.

        Celestia carefully maneuvered around tight corners, just barely following the dark blue trail her mischievous sister left behind. “You can’t get away from me that easily!” Celestia cried out through the maze, hoping to distract Luna just enough to catch up to her.

        “I think I can!” The powerful boom of Luna’s Royal Canterlot voice roared from in front of Celestia.

        “Sister! I told you, nopony speaks like that anymore!” Celestia realized her plan was working. She could see her sister’s trail becoming more and more distinct, signaling the distance was being closed. After another sharp turn she was finally able to see Luna. Her sister was running on her hooves, a great disadvantage to Celestia’s powerful wings. “Why is she running? It’s almost like the silly filly wants me to catch her...”

        Celestia continued to draw closer to Luna until, *Splat*, she ran headfirst into the rear end of the Lunar Princess, sending them both tumbling along the cool grass. They continued to roll, one over the other, casually giggling as they did so. They came to a stop in front of the remains of an ancient, petrified creature.

        “Luna! What are you doing!?” Luna giggled and used her back hooves to push Celestia off of her.

        “Oh Celly, you don’t know how to have fun anymore! You’re always in the court, or these silly gardens. Don’t get me wrong, they’re stunning to say the least...but you need to learn to be a little more sporadic.” Luna got back on her hooves, and aided her sister off the ground. “There’s nothing more sporadic than a game of good old fashioned tag, right?”

“Luna...sometimes I wonder how you and I are related.” Celestia chuckled and turned to the large statue behind them.

“You know we used to be a lot alike. When we were foals...”

Celestia stared up at the frozen image of the once proud Discord. The years had not been kind to the once gentle draconequus. Hate, lies, and deceit had corrupted the poor creature to the point he was no longer himself. He had been transformed into something menacing. Some knew him as the demon of chaos, others as the devil himself, but to Celestia, he had always been just Discord, the kind soul she met so many years ago.

“Well...a lot has changed Luna.”

~Flash Back~

Celestia casually waited outside the gates of the Everfree Castle. Today was the day her father was supposed to take her to meet with the Draconequus ambassador, Rashlah, and his son, Discord. It was the first step in coming to a continued diplomatic peace with the kingdom of the Draconequuii, and Celestia had been honoured with the opportunity to come along. If everything went as planned today, Equestria would be assured for maintain the calm they had struggled to hold over the years.

Celestia leaned against the large metal frame that made up the gate. She had been waiting for over half an hour, and her hooves were starting to get sore. If her father didn’t arrive soon, she would just have to go looking for him. “Fatthhherrrr!” She whined, “Where are you?”

A powerful, yet smooth voice answered her. “Calm down Celly, I’m right here. Sorry to keep you waiting dear, but you know how the maids can be sometimes.” Celestia laughed at her father’s joke. She knew it was probably true; it seemed as if whenever he went out for a diplomatic meeting, the servants would all of a sudden need all kinds of supplies.

Celestia raised an eyebrow as she searched around her father. “Where is Luna? Will she not be accompanying us today?” King Nightrend chuckled and nudged Celestia with his neck.

“She is still much to young to go on such missions. Your mother would kill me if I took her along. It was a hassle just to get her to let you come...you’re still just a filly after all.” Celestia shot her father an irritated glance and huffed.

“I am not a foal! I am a Princess, father!” Nightrend laughed and gently nuzzled his daughter’s face.

“Of course Celestia. Now come, I have arranged for a chariot to take us to the Draconequus’ castle.” Celestia grinned and started skipping towards the chariot. She had noticed it long before her father arrived, and had been waiting patiently. Celestia absolutely adored riding in the chariot. She loved how the wind flowed through her long, elegant, pink mane when they soared through the open sky. Celestia enjoyed it more than flying, which was nothing more than work to her.

Nightrend followed his daughter to the escort, and took a seat in the large cabin. One of the perks of being King was that luxury was in no shortage. He had the most exquisite forms of travel, ponies could hope to buy. It held only the finest materials: velvet seats, imported wines, and even a casting station, which unicorns could use to communicate with each other through telepathy.

Nightrend and Celestia were seated in the back of the cabin, eagerly discussing their plans for diplomacy with the Draconequus. “Father, do you think I can handle this...?”

“Celestia I don’t think I’ve ever heard you doubt yourself before...it’s almost frightening, really. While I know this is a big job for your first mission, I have full trust in you. I’ll be doing most of the talking anyway...”

Celestia hugged her father’s leg tightly. “Thank you daddy... it means a lot to me that you took me along.” Nightrend chuckled and ruffled Celestia’s mane.

“I know dear...now why don’t you go get some rest? It’s going to be a long flight...”

--------------------

After a long and boring flight the two finally made it to the land of the draconequus. When Celestia and Nightrend exited the chariot, they were greeted by an elderly male. Celestia figured him to be Rashlah. He was a tall, with a slender body, which appeared as if it was stitched together from a variety of different species. He had the tail of a dragon, the head of a pony, cheetah’s paws, and the body of a bear. A long, snow white beard hung from his masculine chin. “Ahhh, it is good to see you have made it alright. I hope your journey treated you well?”

Nightrend casually trotted over to Rashlah and extended a hoof in warm greeting. “Still a smooth-talker, I see.”

“As always, old friend. But please, let us not carry on out here in the cold. This mountain breeze can be unforgiving.” Nightrend searched his surroundings. He hated the mountains. He would avoid them as best he could, but the Draconequus’ demanded that the meeting be held in their home.

“I agree... I fear I don’t get along with the cold weather. I trust your castle is adequately heated?” Nightrend snickered and turned to the large castle. 

“Well...if it’s not, I hope you brought your thickest blankets.” The two older males shared a hearty laugh and proceeded to walk side by side towards the castle. Celestia lagged behind them, gagging at the dry humor of the old friends.

“Nightrend, my son will be at the door to greet us. I should warn you, he can be a tad...strange. But I assure you he’s harmless.”

Nightrend nodded and smiled gently. “I suppose I could say the same for my own daughter...” Celestia’s ears perked up. Truthfully she had not been listening since the lame joke about blankets, but she recognized her presence in the conversation and was now curious.

“I’m sure she’ll get along perfectly with young Discord then...” Nightrend shrugged and looked at Celestia with a cheery smile.

“I’m sure she’d love to meet him.”

---------

Discord sat on the royal throne, throwing a blue bouncing ball up in the air. Midway up, he would change it into something crazy, like a scorpion, and attempt to change it back before it fell onto him. It was a fun game he had invented after he learned of his abilities to alter reality. Discord’s father would often scold him for it; he often said that a draconequus’ ability should be only be used to better their community, not to amuse oneself. Not that Discord ever listened, he believed in fun, and he would do anything to entertain himself.

“This pathetic little meeting couldn’t pass quicker. Shouldn’t they at least be here by now?...ugh.” He threw the ball up high and turned it into a scorpion once again, only to be interrupted by the sound of the door swinging open. He turned his attention to the door and was instantly mesmerized. There in the doorway stood what could only be described as an angel. She had a shining white coat, with a glorious flowing pink mane. Discord couldn’t help but to examine every inch of her perfect form, his eyes caressing every curve on her body. He was in such a trance, he didn’t even notice when the scorpion failed to be transformed back into a ball and then proceeded to land on his head. All he could see was the beautiful creature standing before him.

“Um...son. You have a scorpion on your head.” Rashlah was eyeing his son, who appeared to be locked in a reverie of sorts.

“O-oh...my bad, father. I got a little distracted...” Discord grabbed the scorpion from his head and transformed it back into a ball. He twisted his body to sit upright, and began stroking his beard. It was frail in comparison to his fathers, but he was still a child and had much growing to do.

“Were you playing that ridiculous game again? What did I tell you about using your powers for entertainment?” Rashlah hissed. Discord sighed and laid back in the chair.

Celestia stayed behind her father, in awe at the castle the draconequuii took residence in. It was much different than the one she was used to. The castle was almost gloomy, being painted with a grim gray color. There were oddities hung all around, ranging from strange masks, to mysterious paintings. The room was also just a tad bit cool, adding to the ambiance.

“Well in a place like this I imagine one would have to find some way to have a bit of fun” Celestia whispered, still attempting to make herself look small behind her father.

Rashlah peered around Nightrend to give Celestia a curious look, while Discord burst out into a fit of laughter. “You know, I said the exact same thing! This place feels more like a morgue than a cast-”

Rashlah held up his large cheetah paw, issuing his son to be quiet. “Please, Discord. Trust me, by now you have told me numerous times about your dislike for our living quarters, you do not need to tell me again.”  Discord sighed and turned away from his father in protest.

        “Ahh yes, the rebellious youth strike again.” Nightrend joked, attempting to ease the awkwardness of family tension.

        “A fact us older folk understand all too well. Come, we have much to discuss. Discord, why don’t stay here and entertain Miss Celestia here?” Celestia and Discord both exclaimed “what” simultaneously.

“Father, you said I’d be by your side to help with the delegation!”

“Yeah! You said I’d be the front runner! Now I’m not even allowed in the room!?”

Rashlah sighed and grabbed Discord by the shoulder. “Look son, you know I love you...but I can’t leave the fate of two kingdoms in the hands of a child. You understand, right?”

Nightrend bend down on his front knees and hugged Celestia tightly. “Believe me, I wish you could be in there with me, but Mr. Rashlah believes this is a very delicate matter and should be handled by only us.”

        Celestia and Discord both scowled, but offered no further resistance. The two fathers had more in common then they thought, they were both immovable once they came to a decision. For now, this battle was lost for the both of them.

        “Good...Discord, just stay out here and socialize. It’ll do you good...perhaps you’ll make a friend for once.”

        Discord blushed slightly and coughed. “Right...I’ll do my best.” He had not thought of that, all this meant was that he could spend more time with the beautiful creature known as Celestia. He casually floated over towards Celestia and extended his paw out in greeting. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Celestia.”

        Celestia blushed slightly and placed her hoof in Discord’s paw. “The same...er...Discord?”

        “You two play nice now. If you need us we’ll be in the Grand Hall discussing civil matters. Have fun!” Nightrend and Rashlah exited the room in the direction of the Grand Hall.

        “So...wanna have some fun?” Discord said, with his arm around Celestia’s shoulders.

        “Um...what do you mean?” Discord chuckled and placed a finger on Celestia’s chest.

        “I mean why don’t we go out and do something fun. You said it yourself, this castle can be so boring. There’s this amazing spot up in the mountains where the fireflies literally dance all through the night. And guess what? The suns setting...”

        Celestia smiled slightly. “You consider fireflies to be fun? Come on now, I’m sure you can do better.”

        Discord exaggeratedly gasped, placing his paw over his mouth. “Oh my, dear Celestia...you obviously have never seen these magnificent creatures at night. It is truly a sight to behold.”

        “If it makes you happy, I’ll go see your little bugs...” Celestia said sarcastically.

        “Wonderful! Now, if you’ll follow me, I’ll be happy to be your guide on this beautiful evening.” Discord held his arm out, ushering Celestia to the door. “And do not worry about our fathers, they will be in there for a long time.”

        “That’s good to hear, I suppose. Father wouldn’t be too happy if he knew I was taking a little trip through the mountains. Speaking of which, this place isn’t too far away is it?” Celestia smiled and casually bumped into Discord’s side. “I can’t fly all that well, and not everypony can hover.”

        “Not at all, we should be able to get there in about thirty minutes. Putting us there right at sunset...amazing, huh?”

        “Let’s just go...” Celestia shook her head, smiling ever so slightly. “You’re so cheesy, you know that?”

------------

        After a short trek up a small cliff, Discord and Celestia finally reached the knoll. It was an open space, surrounded by a ring of perfect managed evergreen trees. They lined up at equal heights to form a perfect circle. The whole scene appeared as if it was from an old story, but Celestia was unimpressed.

        “I don’t see the big deal, why did you drag me all the way out here for some trees...?” Discord chuckled loudly as he pretended to swim through the air. Celestia looked at him quizzically as she watched the eager draconequus do a backstroke through mid air.

        “Come on, I told you I like to have fun didn’t I? Would I bring you out to a clearing if it wasn’t going to be amazing? Have some patience, Miss Celestia.” Discord flew through the air with a loop and landed right next to Celestia. “Look, the sun is going down! It won’t be long now, I promise.”

        “Fine...well, can we at least lie down now? My hooves hurt from all that climbing...” Celestia dangled her hoof in front of her and grimaced. Her hooves were all dirty and ruffled from the journey.

        “Certainly, certainly.” Discord snapped his fingers and a large, comfortable looking cotton blanket appeared on the ground before them. It was embroidered with a variety of flower designs. There was one that stood out the most to Celestia, a white flower with a large yellow center. It was so simplistic, yet unlike anything Celestia had seen in Equestria before. It appeared as if it could symbolize beauty itself.

        “Wh-...what is that one called? The white one?” Celestia asked, in awe at the overall beauty of a simply quilt.

        “The white one? That is a daisy, my fair lass. It is a flower native to my land. It is said that this flower was created from the tears of the Maker herself. That is why it can be so simple, yet hold extraordinary beauty...” Discord smiled as he carefully watched the alicorn stand in wonder at his creation. He had not made this with his power; no, he had crafted this by hand after the passing of his mother. She loved daisies, so Discord made it in honour of her memory. "But please, let us lie down. I understand your hooves need rest?"

        “I never picked you for a gentlestallion- er..draconequus.” Celestia laid down on the blanket, making sure to face the sunset. Discord did a back-flip and landed on his back so he was looking at Celestia upside down.

        “I can be when the time arises.” Discord rolled over and put his paw and claw under his chin. “Look...the sun is setting. Right after this you’ll see the magic.”

        The sun was just on the tip of the horizon, it’s orange glow laboring to surpass the mountain tops that threatened to overtake it. Rays of amber light poured in between the separate mountains, illuminating the cloud cover. Celestia had seen sunsets before, but this one was the most beautiful she had ever witnessed; it was so full of color and warmth. As the sun slowly retreated below the peaks, and it’s light vanished with it, Celestia was almost disheartened. She wanted to hold onto that moment forever, to cherish this beautiful sight she had been blessed to enjoy. But then something happened. A single bright yellow speck of light flickered through the darkness. Then another, and another, until there seemed to be an endless number floating around the night. Their elegant movement made them appear as if they were dancing all around her. Celestia had never seen so many fireflies in one place.

        “Wow...maybe I was wrong about this place. It has so many wonders I’ve never been able to see in Equestria...” Celestia’s mouth was agape as her eyes wandered around the clearing.

        “Yeah...fun, right?” Discord smiled and rolled over onto his back, placing his arms behind his head. “I know it’s not exactly our castle, but this place can be pretty cool.” Celestia giggled lightly and rolled over so she was looking at Discord. He noticed this and turned his head so he could look Celestia in the eyes.

        “Thank you for showing me this...” She whispered, “I really misjudged you earlier... I took you as more of a know it all jerk than...than this.”

        “Not many do know the true me...but hey, I’m not done yet!” Discord snapped his fingers and a single white daisy appeared in Celestia’s mane. “I figured you’d like to see one for yourself...the real thing, not an embroidery.”

        Celestia smiled and pulled the flower from her mane. She put her nose to it and gently inhaled, admiring the light, sweet scent it carried.

        “Be glad I picked that particular type of daisy. Some of them don’t exactly smell...pleasant.” said Discord with a chuckle.

        “It’s wonderful...thank you again. I didn’t expect to make a friend on this little trip...but you’re pretty amazing. It’s a shame I have to go back to Equestria after this.” Discord frowned. He forgot all about Celestia’s stay here. She would have to return home immediately after the conference.

        Discord did his best to smile, though was only able to put on a weak half-smile. “Yeah...then we should make the best of the time we do have together. I don’t exactly have many friends...but I really like you. But enough of that...it’s getting late, we should probably return to the castle, they’ll be done with their meeting soon.” Celestia attempted to say something, but Discord had already started making his way back towards the castle, slowly hovering down the cliff.

        “W-wait for me!” Celestia called out to Discord, but he was already out of range to hear her. She scampered to her hooves, and took off after him. “Discord, wait up!”

A/N: Well, here I am. Posting yet another story. But hey, this will be seen through till completion, you have my word. Also, hope you enjoy. This chapter is a little less attention grabbing than I would like, but the coming chapters will have you on the edge of your seats.