Marking the Generations – Part Two

by Glimbursts

Chapter Sixteen – Discussions

As Starlight stood before Runcord she couldn’t help feeling a little apprehensive. He’d said he wanted to talk, but she hadn’t expected that would mean walking into a space where there was seemingly no escape. She watched him carefully, slightly uneasy by the fact she couldn’t see where he was looking for his black mane which covered his eyes.

Suddenly Runcord smiled and spoke in a completely different voice to his own. “Now, now, Starlight. Why is it always threats with you?”

Starlight recognised the voice and gasped with surprise. She stared back at Runcord, mouth agape. “D…Discord?”

There was a sudden flash which caused Starlight to close her eyes. Then, as her vision cleared, instead of seeing the large Yak form of Runcord, Discord was standing before her with his arms held wide, a huge grin on his face.

“Ta daaaa,” Discord smiled. “Yes, Runcord is my alter ego. Do you like my hobby?”

“Hobby?” Starlight gasped. “What hobby?”

“Running the Night Market of course,” Discord beamed. “Oh, Twilight used to enjoy it so much here. I’ve saved so many lost and wondering creatures too. Like Whisper, or Adagio and her sisters. Did you know those three can’t return to Equestria?”

Starlight blinked with confusion, the continual battering of information making her quite disoriented. “Can’t return? But she’s a human?”

“Not originally, she’s one of the sirens that were banished from Equestria by Starswirl,” Discord explained. “Then, Sunset, Twilight, and their human friends defeated them back in the day. Now they’ve turned their lives around, just the same as you, I and Sunset.”

Starlight smirked, “Okay, so you brought me here to share that or is there something else?”

“What, straight down to business is it?” Discord replied with mock hurt. “No chit-chat or friendly banter?”

“I’d say this is our level of banter,” Starlight grinned. “You’ve clearly got something you’re desperate to tell me.”

“Oh, nothing specifically,” Discord replied with a wave of a paw. “More that I felt it was time for another pep talk now you’re back on your hoofs. Well done on finally getting the third tree established. It took you a while.”

“You do know that’s not something Sunset or I can do,” Starlight replied. “If you’re handing out praise, let’s get Sunny in here and get you introduced.”

“Oh nononono,” Discord replied shaking a pawed finger. “I told you, they’re not ready to meet me yet.”

“But they have,” Starlight replied simply. “You’ve spoken to them today. You’ve even played some of your games with Misty.”

“No, Runcord has,” Discord replied. “I’ll make my own introduction when it’s time. Sunny especially isn’t ready.”

Starlight frowned and looked puzzled, “Okay, so how is she not ready?”

“Well first of all she’s lost her powers,” Discord frowned. “Or has the fact she’s managed to get herself tangled up in a knot slipped your attention?”

“She’s just dealing with some personal issues,” Starlight replied. “However, what are we supposed to do about that if she’s not ready to face them?”

Discord crossed his arms and smirked. “And here I thought you were a Councillor. Maybe it’s time you did some counselling?”

“Headmare actually,” Starlight corrected. “Also, you cannot counsel somepony if they are not ready to accept it.”

Discord grunted with annoyance. “Look, she’s basically lower than level zero right now. She’s got to at least be level one before I can start helping her.”

Starlight's eyes widened. “Ha! Opaline is far from a level one enemy. Even Twilight couldn’t defeat her.”

“No, she couldn’t,” Discord agreed looking grave. “Twilight’s biggest regret was never finding a suitable successor like Celestia did. Each time she thought she had, something unexpected happened. She ruled Equestria for as long as she could, but even Alicorn Princesses don’t stay around forever.

"Opaline was a threat that appeared well after Twilight had passed her best. She had to make some very, very tough decisions that she’d never need to in your timeframe.”

Starlight sighed and looked down with realisation, “She...She didn’t have her friends....” She pondered those words before smiling with confidence. “She may have needed to make tough decisions but she’s still looking out for Equestria. Didn’t you make a promise?”

Discord frowned with confusion. “What?”

“Last time we spoke,” Starlight smiled sweetly. “You said you’d promised a mutual friend that you would help Sunny.”

“Yes, and I will,” Discord replied. “When she’s ready.”

“But maybe you’ve got it wrong,” Starlight grinned. “Maybe you’re not supposed to help her gain power or skills. Maybe you’re supposed to help her overcome her current issues.”

Discord looked back at Starlight with a dumbfounded expression. “Well, I….sort of….have an idea of what could be wrong,” he said as he scratched the back of his neck with his claw. “I have been watching her since birth. Seen her struggling to get her ideas of unity and friendship accepted by the Earth Ponies.”

“There you go then,” Starlight smiled triumphantly. “You assumed you needed to train her. Maybe that’s actually what Twilight sent Sunset and me here for.”

“Okay, okay fine,” Discord replied. “I’ll unknot her. However, I’m doing it my own way and you’re not allowed to get upset.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Starlight grinned. “So, anything else you want, or can I head back? I kind of don’t want to miss Sunset meeting this old enemy of hers.”

“Oh, I’m sure you won’t have missed it,” Discord replied knowingly. “All I’ve got left to say is you need to look at the trees more carefully. They’ll show the way to go.”

With that, Discord snapped his clawed fingers. Starlight gasped as she was suddenly enveloped in a blinding flash.

Blinking to clear her vision, Starlight suddenly found herself back in the middle of the market. “Oh, goodbye then, Discord,” she muttered. “See you later.”

Looking around, she walked a short way before spotting Sunny and the others with Adagio. They were right where they’d said they would meet. As she approached, she became acutely aware that Sunset wasn’t with them.

“There you are Starlight,” Hitch grinned. “Have a good chat with Runcord?”

“More importantly, have you seen Sunset?” Sunny asked.

“So, yes had a good chat with Runcord and no I’ve not seen Sunset,” Starlight replied with a hint of concern in her voice.

Suddenly, a gong rang out throughout the market and everypony looked at each other with confusion.

“That means it’s closing time,” Adagio explained. “When you see Sunset Shimmer, please do tell her that the Dazzlings send her our best. Explain that we’ve turned our lives around here in the Night Market.”

“Don't worry. we will,” Misty smiled. “Thank you for helping me again, Adagio.”

Adagio smiled. “It was no problem at all. Until the next market.”

With that, Adagio began walking away as other creatures began ushering the ponies towards the exits.

“Runcord hope ponies had a good time,” Runcord’s voice boomed out. “Please be exiting through portal you entered by. Then Ponies return to town they left. If wrong, you have long walk home.”

“Well, that’s easy then,” Pipp smiled brightly as they walked towards the portal. “We should either find Sunset on the other side of the portal or she’ll come out after we do.”

“As long as she gets the right one,” Izzy grinned before she gestured to the basket she was levitating. “Have you seen all these awesome supplies I found? I can’t wait to get even more creative.”

“They look brilliant,” Pipp grinned. “I’ve found loads of natural ingredients for my beauty lines too. I’m working on a new one currently. Potions by Pipp, oooh it’s going to be epiiic.”

One by one they headed through the portal to Maretime Bay and on the other side looked around expectedly.

Zipp frowned with annoyance. “Well, that's not worked. Sunset’s not here."

Pipp smirked and poked her sister with a hoof playfully. “Impatient much, I thought you were a detective. She's not here so we just wait for her to come out then."

However, Hitch looked around with concern. “Wait, where’s Sunny? I thought she was right in front of me?”

“She was,” Starlight confirmed. “I was behind you, Hitch. She walked through the portal just before you did.”

"So, where is she?" Misty asked worriedly.

They all looked back in shock as the pathways suddenly started to disappear. Runcord appeared in the golden portal and gave a quick wave of a hoof before retreating. The portal in the tree trunk disappeared immediately after.

As the others began panicking, Starlight couldn’t help frowning with annoyance.

Comments

[Comickook]

Well then. An excellent job on the dialogue, characterizations and future chapter set-up. REALLY liked the reveal that "Runcord" was Discord's Night Market alter ego as well as the chat with Starlight concerning helping Sunny in his own way as well as the mention of Opaline waiting until the rest of the Mane Six (and, by extension, the primary source of Twilight's strength) had passed away before she struck.

And, on another note, I wonder how Adult Spike is going to take meeting Discord when the time comes.

Anyway, really looking forward to the remaining parts of Part Two as well as Parts Three and Four in general.

[Phetiamwantip]

This new chapter was a nerve-wracking for me. And now Sunny and friends along with Sunset going missing?! Okay, this going to be even more nerve-wracking to me.

[Draco Dei]

Starlight recognised the voice and gasped with surprise. She stared back at Runcord, mouth agape. “D…Discord?”

Ah! I thought the name looked weird!