Discord's Family Reunion

by Mister E

Part 8

Part 8
Departures

As expected, neither Cordial, nor Harmony were at all happy with being left behind while their mother and Keil got to go off on an 'Adventure'.

“Adventure ye call it?” Summergale scoffed. “Months of nothing to see but empty ocean. Eating dried fruit every day laced with the smell o' sour fish. The tropical heat, the bugs, the unendin boredom. Not ta mention the fact that Keil probably wont be getting his sea legs till were halfway back. Adventure? More like torture!” she groused to her offspring.

“Mom, that would sound a whole lot more convincing if you were able to say it without smiling the whole time!” Harmony retorted.

“Faugh” Summergale says, throwing up her hooves before turning and trotting off, muttering to herself.

“This is so UNFAIR!” Harmony complains. “I could probably levitate that whole boat and fly it to that stupid island!”

“It's called a ship sis,” Cordial replies. “And I know what you mean. If I went along I could teleport us back, ship and all, as soon as they got finished. This is totally NOT pony!”

“Not pony?” Twilight inquires.

“Oh, that was young pony slang at the time. You'd say, um... not cool” Discord replies.

“Not pony...” Rainbow Dash says, trying out the expression. “I like it!” She says enthusiastically.“So if something is cool, you'd say it was pony?”

“Exactly,” Discord responds. “And if something was very cool you'd say it was 'Total Pony', or 'Totally Pony', if you were from the western coasts. Attractive ponies were either 'Total Mare's', or 'Total Stallion's'.”

“Out of curiosity,” Twilight interjects, “is there an expression for a situation getting totally out of hand beyond any chance to fix?”

“Ye-es”... Discord replies hesitantly, “but you wouldn't want to use it in polite company...” Looking around at the expectant faces he mutters to himself, “I should have known.” “Sigh...The expression you are looking for is 'Clopped up'. As in, 'some of the topics you ponies are interested in, are totally clopped up'.” Discord replies exasperatedly, as he fiddles with the remote yet again.

“Now I'll expect ye ta be on yer best behavior whilst yer on-board.” A quite enlarged Boots said from the comfort of her daybed. Mcginnus is an old friend o' mine. He was second mate on the ship ta Queen and I used ta sail. Not only that but I heard a lot of our old shipmates signed on with him, when he decided ta front a ship of his own. All that bein said, I want no son o' mine leavin a bad impression on em! Ya get me?”

“Yes mom.” Keil said, with a look of exasperation on his face. “I won't embarrass the family.”

“EMBARASS THE FAMILY?” a voice booms from the doorway, “HAH. YOU'LL HAVE TA GO A LONG WAY TA EMBARASS THIS FAMILY ME BOYO!” Summergale says as she enters the room. “Cor Boots, ye look like a manatee. What's Icarus been feedin ye?”

“Nothin I can say in front o' the colt.” Boots says with a wry grin. “Keil, if this loudmouth is here it must be getting close ta time ta go. Ye best be finishing packing and sayin yer goodbyes.”

“Okay mom, see you soon Auntie Summergale!” Keil says darting out the doorway.

“Auntie.” Summergale says with a shudder, “like I'm getting old or sumtin. So how goes the bakin? Bun about ready ta come out o' the oven?”

“It better be!” Boots replies in consternation. I'm thoroughly sick o waddlin about the place, me back is killin me, and it's beginning ta interfere with me...” Boots pauses for a second, “it's keepin me from getting about like I want to.” she finishes.

“Aye Boots, I understand. But isn't all that 'getting about' what landed ye in this mess in ta first place?” Summergale responds with a wry grin.

“Ah stow it yer 'highness'.” Boots replies, rising to the bait. “Like YOU are any better. Ye just wait, ye'll be as bloated as I am, in a few more months. Or did ye not already say yer goodbye's ta Justice?” Boots adds in a saucy tone.

Summergale assumes an expression of mock indignity, which crumbles as they both begin to laugh.

“Oh Boots, how'm I supposed ta go ta sea without ye?” Summergale asks stroking her friends mane. “We’ve seen it all done it all, and are still in the prime of our lives.”

“Speak for yerself captain.” Boots says patting her expansive girth.

“Well, that little issue aside. What I'm getting at is this. I love Justice more'n life itself. And bein Queen an all is a hoot. All that bowin an stuff gets old quick, but I got nice digs, an even got ta speak ta Zacherle herself. The Goddess Boots, we actually met an spoke ta the Goddess herself! Sure around here that's no big deal 'cause she lives here. But these ponies are spoiled. And ye never see anyone goin ta visit her! They all just avoid the place. Well except Stonewall. He's been goin over quite a bit lately. Ye don't suppose...” Summergale lets the thought trail off, waiting to see what her friends reaction will be.

After a moment Boots catches her captains meaning. “Ya cannot mean ta say it!” Boots blurts out incredulously, “Captain, shes a Goddess, surely ye can't be serious?”

“Aye Boots, she is a Goddess, and the Goddess is a she, an don't be callin me Shirley.” Summergale responds smugly. After I get back from this trip, I think I'll make some time ta go visit. These townsponies may be all skittish, but the way I see it, the answers ta all our questions is sittin right there in town. And no one seems ta have the stones ta ask her. I mean, what's the worst that can happen? She says no?”

“Nay, the worst that can happen is she blinks her eyes and turns ye in ta a codfish.” Boots responds. “Captain only you, who has everything a mare could want for the askin, only you would go askin for more. Ye just plan on goin up to her door, knockin and say your here for a neighborly visit?”

“Why not?” Her captain replies. “She be my neighbor after all. We can chat, do sum small talk, then when the mood is right ask her a few o' the bigger questions. 'Why are we here', 'Is there an afterlife', 'Where the bloody 'ell is the wreck of the 'Pony's Pride', ye know I've been after the treasure in that thing all me life!” Summergale exclaims.

“Aye captain,” Boots says with exasperation, shaking her head. “I figured it'd be somethin like that. So ye plan ta dazzle a Goddess with small talk?”

“Well, ye know, just causal stuff,” Summergale founders, “like any pony talks about... you know, like the weather fer example.”

“She makes the weather,” Boots responds deadpan.

“Or local gossip,” Summergale continues.

“She can read everyone’s minds,” Boots replies.

“Love life?” Summergale tries weakly.

“She invented love life,” Boots says in rebuttal.

“Fine.” The captain says, “But if she know what I'm thinkin, then she'll know why I've come ta visit her, so it wont make no nevermind anyway.” Proud of her logic, she returns to the topic that brought her here.

“Boots, ye know that yer more ta me than me first mate? You've always been like a sister ta me. Yer like me family.”

“A-Aye captain. I've always thought o' you the same. But why are you saying this now.”

“Well, I may have fudged the truth a wee bit ta Justice about the storm situation. Now don't be breakin yer water over it. It's not like I'm expectin any real trouble this early. But there might be a few rough patches ta get through. Nothing we haven't been through a hundred times before. And nothing Mcginnis and I are plannin ta try ta sail through. Worse case scenario, we may have to be at sea a bit longer ta avoid the worst of it. Thing is Boots, I don't want ta be puttin yer colt at risk. He's a good flyer, but he's a city pony as sure as all.”

Boot's snorts in derision. “Aye, he is. But do ye remember two young city fillies that snuck aboard a certain merchant ship on a dare? Do ye remember how it cast off, and were out ta sea before they could sneak back on deck and fly home? Ye remember the storms, an waves that threw the ship in the air? The terror of them feeling they were all goin ta die? The terror of the captain when he found out they were aboard? The terror of them thinking they were goin ta be put off on that deserted island hundreds o' miles from nowhere?”

“Aye Boots,” the her friend replies smiling at the memories.

“Well now, how could I deny me son a small taste o' that eh?” Boots says with a laugh, lightly swatting her friends shoulder with a hoof.

Summergale pauses a moment in thought. “Aye Boots,” she says with a warm smile, “it'd be criminal not ta give him a taste o' the sea. And whatever else can be said about us, we've certainly not EVER been accused o being criminals!” And when that, they both break into laughter.

Discord shifts the scene, and another series of goodbyes take place.

“This is completely unacceptable.” Harmony intones imperiously. Her serious tone somewhat ruined by her following it with. “I can't believe I don't get to go with you on that stupid boat just because I'm a princess! Just keep Cordial here, one heir to the throne should be enough.” She groused.

“Ship sister dear. And if either of us should go it should be me. I could teleport us all back as soon as they finished with their business.” Cordial responds moodily.

“You two think you have it so bad.” Keil snorts. “Oh look at us, we're royalty, we get whatever we want for the asking, but we are mad 'cause we can't go out to sea. Um, hello. I'll be the ONLY teenager on the whole ship. I'M the one who has to spend months at a time, trapped on a boat, with only OLD people around.”

The twins spend a few moments digesting that piece of news, and do not find the taste to their liking.

“Okay dude. You win. Trapped on a ship with old people.”Cordial shudders, “That is TOTALLY not pony!”

“Bwaahaha!” Rainbow Dash bursts out laughing. “Discord... as a teenager... using slang...” she trails off laughing to herself.

“NOT PONY,” Pinky declaims in Gothic tones of teenage angst.

“Totally!” Shining Armor chimes in.

“Hey!” Discord interjects. I'll have you know I was quite 'cool' back in the day.” (Several other pony's begin snickering). “It's true! I was quite the stud.” (Even Celestia and Luna join in the laughter at this point). “Why I'll have you know I was the most eligible bachelor in all of Equinity. Hundreds of fillies were after me on a daily basis. (By now the room is filled with laughter, except for one pony who doesn't seem at all amused.)

“Hundreds of fillies?!?” Fluttershy inquires in tones of steel.

Discord, noticing his wife's expression, back pedals quickly. “Well, hundreds may have been a slight exaggeration sweetheart. It was really no more than a dozen or so.”

“A DOZEN OR SO?!?” She says, her voice rising. “Well. I had no idea that the husband I married was such a-a … PLAYPONY!” she blurts out, crossing her front hooves and turning away from Discord.

“Sweetheart.” Discord begins. “Darling?” he tries again. “Listen. Those fillies meant nothing to me. They didn't care about who I really was. All that mattered to them was that I was the prince. Darling. Out of all the beings in Equestria, you were the only one who liked me for who I was inside. (Stern glares from all his other pony friends in the room). At first, I meant at first. You were the first pony to ever look past what I appeared to be, and see the real me inside. A me I didn't even know was still there. Honestly, in all of Equestria, you are the only one I see with my heart. The only one for me.”

“You- you really mean that?” Fluttershy asks tentatively.

Discord looks deeply into Fluttershy's eyes. “Oh, dearest do you even have to ask? Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” And with that the two embrace.

“Awww” several ponies say simultaneously.

“Aw stifle it!” Discord says as he forwards the remote.

Author's Note:

Parts 8 and 9 were originally going to be just one chapter called Arrivals & Departures. Several things occurred during the writing, including my computer going black and losing a chunk of what I was writing at the time. When I finally finished, it seemed a little heavy for one chapter so I split it into two. the first half is noticeably shorter, but this seemed the best place to stop.

Comments

[Pirate Pony]

So far I find this story totally pony.

[nebulaegalaxy]

5219631 Indeed

[Princess LightningChaser]

“Awww” several ponies say simultaneously.
“Aw stifle it!” Discord says as he forwards the remote.

lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol

[Princess LightningChaser]

5632411 ditto