Discord drifted through the air, his face towards the ceiling. He had been in the castle for a month. And now he was out of things to do. Sure he could always try to prank Luna again, but she was starting to ignore him at Celestia's suggestion. Of all the times for her to start taking Celestia's advice!
He drifted around a corner and saw two guards walking by below. He was tempted, but the guards had ignored him from the beginning. He sighed to himself. "What to do?"

"You can come down here."

Discord stopped and turned over. Celestia was standing below looking up at him. Discord stood up and pretended to jump off a diving board. He landed in the carpet with a splash, his head surfacing after a second. "You called?"

Celestia turned away and began to walk. Discord began to swim after her. "Come now Celestia, don't make me guess. You weren't mad about me floating around, were you? Just because you never fly through the halls doesn't mean I can't."

Celestia entered her study. Discord climbed out of the carpet and pulled a towel out of the air. He walked after her, drying himself off as he went. "Won't you talk to me? You were never this silent when I was stone."

Celestia sat down and motioned for Discord to sit. "There is something we need to discuss."

Discord rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers. He reappeared in front of Celestia, lying across a couch. "It all started when I was a baby Spirit of Chaos-"

Celestia raised her hoof. "Discord. You've been sitting around this castle for far too long."

Discord sat up. "So your going to use me now? Just like you planned? What possible problem could there be that needs my magic over yours?"

Celestia smiled. "I don't need your magic. I need your heart."

Discord chuckled. "I'm flattered my dear, but you're not my type."

Celestia rolled her eyes. "I need your newly discovered understanding. Do you remember Startail?"

Discord froze. His eyes began to burn with anger. He stood up. "Never mention that name!" He snapped his fingers and disappeared.

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Discord sat in the middle of a tornado. The entire contents of his room were swirling around him. He took a deep breath, his eyes closed, and smiled. This was his natural state. Neverending chaos. Constantly going in a circle. That and it kept anypony, especially Celestia, from getting near him.

Startail.

Discord's eyes opened. He hadn't heard that name in centuries. No! He couldn't think about that! He closed his eyes again, willing the tornado to spin faster.

Startail.

The tornado began to slow down. Discord tried to hold it together.

Startail.

Everything dropped to the floor. Discord shuddered. What was wrong with him?

Startail.

"Stop it! STOP IT!!" He covered his ears. "I refuse to remember!"

And yet he did....

Discord stood in the shadow of a building. He looked around the village. Everything was peaceful. How perfectly horrid. He snapped his fingers and watched as the fountain in the village square started squirting passing ponies. The ponies looked at the fountain in shock. Of course doing so caused them to be squirted as well. Discord chuckled to himself.

Another snap of his fingers and he transformed himself into a pony. He pulled a mirror out of thin air and looked at his reflection. He was brown with a gray mane. Not bad for a pony. He smiled to himself and threw the mirror over his shoulder. He walked out into the square and admired his handy work. Ponies were beginning to avoid the fountain. Well that was no fun!

Wait... A mare was coming out of a shop. New prey! Discord watched as she walked across the square. And...

"AAHHH!!!!"

Discord couldn't help himself. He began to laugh. He watched as the mare looked at herself, soaked. She looked up at the fountain, the innocent-looking statue staring back. And she began to laugh. That shut Discord up. What?! She...liked it?

Discord began to walk towards the mare just as she stepped away from the fountain. "You're the first one to smile about being wet. Everypony that got hit by that water was angry."

The mare looked at him and smiled. "Did you do that?"

Discord froze. "Well...maybe."

The mare narrowed her eyes. Discord sighed. "Yes. It was me. So what?"

"It was funny. What's your special talent? Pranks?"

Discord found himself smiling. "I guess it kind of is."

The mare held out a hoof. "I'm Startail."

Discord shook her hoof and tried to think of a pony name. "I'm...Discord." Idiot!

Startail smiled. "I guess that goes with pranks in a way. Kind of a dark name isn't it? Not that I'm saying that's bad!"

Discord shook his head. "It isn't. It's a very good name for somepony like me."

Discord was brought back to the room by a knock on the door. He sat still, trying to regain his composure. It was harder than he realized. Another knock at the door got him to speak. "Who is it?"

The door opened and Twilight stuck her head in. "I thought I'd find you here." She walked into the room.

Discord groaned. "And what does the newest princess want from me?"

Twilight sat down in front of him. "I came to talk. Celestia thought you'd be more comfortable with me."

Discord shook his head. "If Celestia's the one who sent you, then no."

Twilight smiled. "I wanted to come for myself. You're friends with Fluttershy. That means that, by extension, you're my friend too. And I want to help you in any way that I can." She placed a hoof on his knee. "Please."

Discord looked at the young alicorn for a moment. She smiled up at him. He sighed. "Okay."

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

"Did Celestia say anything to you?"

Twilight shrugged. "Only that she wanted to talk to you about somepony named Startail."

Discord forced himself to take a deep breath before continuing. "I met her over a thousand years ago. I was causing some trouble in her village. She got caught in one of my more harmless jokes and actually liked it. That drew me to her. Nopony likes what I do." He noticed Twilight nodding at the last sentence. He narrowed his eyes. "You don't have to agree."

Twilight stopped nodding. "Sorry. Please, continue. What happened next?"

Discord looked down. "I fell in love with her."

"What?!"

He looked up at Twilight. "Believe me, I was just as shocked as you."

Twilight scooted closer. "What did you do?"

Discord didn't answer for a moment. Finally he continued. "I decided to win her affections. And I did it the old fashioned way. No magic. I wanted to know what the real thing was like. My original plan was to make her fall for me and then I would break her heart. What better form of chaos than a shattered love?"

Twilight stared at him in disgust. Discord shook his head. "You don't have to tell me what I was going to do was wrong. I know! And besides....it all changed when I actually fell for her myself."

Twilight slowly nodded. "Go on."

Discord shrugged. "That's it. We were together for a time. Eventually my nature took over and led me away from that village. I never returned."

Twilight closed her eyes. "So you did break her heart."

Discord stood at his full height. "I would never have done such a thing to her. You'd better understand this right now Princess. I loved her. And she loved me."

Twilight lowered her head. "I'm sorry. It's just....what happened when you left?"

Discord relaxed and sat down. "I told her who I really was. She had had her suspicions. And....she didn't care. I would have given it all up right then for her."

Twilight frowned. "But?"

Discord closed his eyes. "I had stayed so long in one place that Celestia had discovered my whereabouts. I had to run. Startail understood. So I left." He looked at Twilight. "And that's my unfortunate history."

Twilight smiled. "Thank you for sharing this with me."

"She visited you once."

Discord looked up.

Celestia was standing in the doorway. She smiled. "I saw her in front of your frozen form. I couldn't hear what she said, but she left a flower at your feet."

Discord nodded. "Yes. I remember. I may not have had eyes to see or a mouth to speak, but I could hear everything around me."

"Did she tell you?"

Discord looked at Celestia. "Tell me what?"

Celestia sighed and stood still for a moment. She looked into Discord's eyes. "She was pregnant."

Discord would have fallen over if he wasn't already sitting. "WHAT?!"