The Narrows. Lovingly named, by every Flame Pony in the Ashen Fields, after the strip of residential stone huts built so close together that ponies must get up on their hind legs to squeeze through. The construction of these residential huts were made in great haste by Flame Ponies under the Mad King's rule, and not much care or thought was put into its overall design.
Many Flame Ponies were forced to walk the length of the Narrows every day to get to wherever they're going; only trying to squeeze between the huts if they are in a hurry. Living in such close proximity of one another, it created a very tense and aggressive atmosphere among many Flame Ponies. From noisy neighbors to encroachment of space, the Flame Ponies are about to turn on one another if the bitter taste of the Dark Marsh's roots don't drive them mad first. Pinkie Pie stood in the middle of the road leading into the Narrows, her eyes fixed with a steel gaze and her inner thoughts narrating like a plot to a movie.
"Ponyville has made me soft. The colors. The sweets. The friendship. A paradise compared to this place. Bland stone walls, grey ash coating everything in sight, the only thing that stands out is the tension that hangs in the air. A breeding ground for frowns and-"
"One side, coming through!" A Flame Pony bellowed pushing a stone car full of rocks towards her.
"Oops! Sorry Mr. Flame Pony!" Pinkie Pie shouted jumping to the side.
"Crazy ponies standing in the middle of the street, I tell ya." The Flame Pony muttered pushing his cart past her heading into the Narrows.
"Where was I?" Pinkie Pie asked herself.
"A breeding ground for frowns and mean words uttered by even meaner ponies. I alone have been asked to save this street, I alone will have to bring the laughs and the cheers, and I alone will show them the joy of eating sweets." Pinkie Pie thought to herself.
A lone Flame Pony sat at the edge of the street holding a small stone tablet that had the words 'Pink Pie' written on it. Ruby Simmer anxiously waited for the pony named 'Pink Pie' to show up, looking back and forth down the Narrows hoping to catch any sign of her. Ruby had a light black color to her hide, a very brilliant shade of red to her mane, and her cutie mark was that of a ruby bathed in fire.
Pinkie Pie bounced down the street. Ruby scrambled to get to her hooves holding up the sign to her. Pinkie Pie came to a sudden halt to read the sign.
"Are you Pink Pie?" Ruby asked curiously.
"Sorry, I'm Pinkie Pie." Pinkie Pie replied shaking her head and started bouncing away.
"Wait!" Ruby shouted scribbling on the sign.
Coming to a halt once more, Pinkie Pie turned back towards Ruby who held up the sign again. This time it had the letters 'ie' added the word pink.
"Hey! That's me!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed rushing over to her.
Pinkie Pie circled Ruby a few times, looking her over closely while Ruby stood frozen unsure of what she was doing.
"Where are you hiding the rest of the ponies?" Pinkie Pie asked curiously.
"I'm not hiding anything." Ruby replied.
"Wingston said there was a couple of Flame Ponies that wanted to learn how to bake waiting for me." Pinkie Pie explained lifting up the smallest of pebbles to see if any pony was hiding under it.
"All the other ponies… left." Ruby said sadly.
"Left?" Pinkie Pie asked sounding shocked.
"They said… they had better things to do…" Ruby mumbled feeling very anxious.
"Do you want to learn how to bake?" Pinkie Pie asked leaning in close to her.
"Yes! Yes I do!" Ruby replied quickly leaning away from her.
"Great! This is going to be so awesome! Just the two of us! I'm going to have so much more time to teach you some many more things because now I don't have to watch a bunch of Flame Ponies baking the same thing over and over again. It's just going to be you making the most delicious and sweetest treats the Ashen Fields have ever tasted!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed excitedly bouncing around circles.
"You're not upset?" Ruby asked sounding concerned.
"About what?" Pinkie Pie asked curiously.
"The other ponies leaving?" Ruby asked.
"I'm just happy that you decided to stay!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed with big smile.
Ruby felt herself smile back. It wasn't every day that a pony was happy to see her, especially in the Narrows where every pony seemed to be annoyed by every little thing.
"So where's your bakery?" Pinkie Pie asked raising her hood to her brow and scanning the buildings for a shop.
"We don't have a bakery." Ruby replied.
"What? No bakery!" Pinkie Pie gasped.
"We've been eating roots from the Dark Marsh for years, so they tore it down to make room for other buildings." Ruby explained feeling bad for delivering this news.
"How are we supposed to bake delicious treats without a bakery?" Pinkie Pie screamed into the air.
"Hey! Shut up out there!" A Flame Pony shouted from the second story window across the street.
"No!" Pinkie Pie shouted back.
"What'd you say?" The Flame Pony asked leaning out his window.
"I said, NO!" Pinkie Pie shouted even louder.
"Pinkie! Don't make him mad." Ruby hissed nervously.
"Don't you move… whatever your name is!" The Flame Pony shouted leaving his window.
"It's Pinkie!" Pinkie Pie shouted.
"Don't you move, Pinkie!" The Flame Pony came back to the window to shout.
Pinkie Pie didn't follow the Flame Pony's instructions and crossed the street to meet him; Ruby chasing after her. Coming up to the stone door where the Flame Pony was surely coming to be emerging from, Pinkie Pie waited patiently as Ruby begged her to run.
"Pinkie! We should go! He's really mad now!" Ruby pleaded, unable to touch Pinkie Pie in fear of burning her.
The hoof steps from the other side of the stone door grew louder as Ruby ducked behind Pinkie Pie. The stone door swung open revealing the Flame Pony from the window.
"Alright then, Pinkie-" The Flame Pony was cut short as a custard cream pie hit him right in the face.
Ruby watched in horror at what had just happened, witnessing Pinkie Pie burst into a fit of laughs, rolling around on the floor uncontrollably. The Flame Pony, now covered in custard, stood frozen on the spot with the pie pan still stuck to his face. Slowly the pie pan slide off, clanking to the floor and the wide eyed Flame Pony stood looking surprised. Tearing up from laughing so hard, Pinkie Pie took several deep breaths while Ruby looked paler then a ghost.
"This... this is really good." The Flame Pony muttered; licking his own face.
"It's a... custard... cream... pie." Pinkie Pie wheezed out.
"This is really really good!" The Flame Pony said rather excitedly.
The Flame Pony's tongue struggled to reach the far sides of his face, while he scooped globs of custard with his hooves into his mouth. Ruby watched in complete disbelief at the scary and mean Flame Pony's sudden transformation.
"Where did you get this?" The Flame Pony asked curiously.
"I made it." Pinkie Pie said proudly.
"Hey! Yo! Maxine! Get out here!" The Flame Pony shouted into the stone hut.
Seconds later a female Flame Pony appeared at the door looking very annoyed.
"What is it, Francis?" Maxine asked with a sigh.
"Do the thing." Francis the Flame Pony said looking at Pinkie Pie and pointing to Maxine.
Without hesitation, Pinkie Pie pulled out another pie from seemingly nowhere and threw it directly into Maxine's face. The color drained from Ruby's face, surely expecting a windfall of profanity and female Flame Pony wrath to befall them. Yet, another miracle had befallen the Narrows as Maxine's pie tin came sliding off her face and her tongue making quick work of the cream.
"This is really good!" Maxine said in amazement.
"What I tell ya, did I say it was good?" Francis asked nudging Maxine with his elbow.
"Where did you get this?" Maxine asked scraping custard off her face and eating off her hoof.
"This here Pinkie pony made it. She is some sort of cook or something." Francis said pointing to Pinkie Pie.
"You're really good at cooking these things." Maxine said still licking her hoof.
"Thank you! That's really nice of you to say!" Pinkie Pie replied.
"You got any more of those there pies?" Francis asked curiously looking her over.
"I could make more, but there isn't a shop for us to make them in." Pinkie Pie replied sadly hanging her head.
"You needs a shop or something? I work in construction, me and my guys just built this new place over in the shopping district. It's got a lot of space and it's looking for an owner." Francis said pointing towards the other end of the Narrows.
"Can we have it?" Pinkie Pie asked excitedly.
"I don't knows. You'll have to take it up with old Mr. Fleece. You talk about your cranky ponies, that pony has got a stick so far up his-" Francis was cut short by Maxine elbowing him in the side.
"What my husband is trying to say so delicately is that Mr. Fleece is going to need some serious convincing if you plan to ask him for that new shop." Maxine explained.
"I'll go talk with him right now! Thank you so much for all your help!" Pinkie Pie said.
Pinkie Pie started to bounce down the street leaving Ruby looking flabbergasted.
"Do you have any of those pies?" Francis asked her.
"No! Sorry!" Ruby said quickly before bolting off after Pinkie Pie.
"You scared her, Francis." Maxine said shaking her head and retreating inside.
"If only I could scare your mother like that whenever she came to visit." Francis said sadly closing the stone door.
Ruby eventually caught up to Pinkie Pie who was still just cheerfully bouncing down the street.
"How did you do that?" Ruby asked keeping pace with her.
"Do what?" Pinkie Pie asked curiously.
"Stop that pony from knocking your block off." Ruby said.
"Oh!" Pinkie Pie said suddenly stopping mid bounce and landing gently on the ground proceeding to walk alongside with Ruby.
"I was planning on making the pony laugh when I hit him with the pie, but I guess he was just more interested in the taste rather than the joke." Pinkie Pie explained.
"A joke? You risked your life for a joke?" Ruby asked sounding shocked.
"I wouldn't say I was risking my life, but I met his anger with a joke and everything turned out fine." Pinkie Pie said.
"I don't get it." Ruby mumbled looking very confused.
"The best way to break up any fight is with laughter. It's hard to stay mad when you're trying not to smile." Pinkie Pie explained.
Ruby's mind wrapped around that idea and it made a lot of sense to her. It was almost unbelievable to see a pony as happy and as energetic as Pinkie Pie was.
"Do you think you can teach me how to be… funny?" Ruby asked nervously.
"I thought you wanted to bake?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"I do! I… just want to be funny too." Ruby said slowly.
"A baker and a practical joker? You're going to be one busy pony, that's for sure!" Pinkie Pie said blowing a sharp whistle.
"Will you help me?" Ruby asked pleadingly.
"Of course I will! On one condition." Pinkie Pie said coming to a stop.
"Anything!" Ruby said quickly stepping in front of her.
"I want to know why." Pinkie Pie said simply.
"Why what?" Ruby asked feeling lost.
"Why do you want to be a baker and why you want to learn how to be funny? You're cutie mark doesn't match your interests." Pinkie Pie said nodding towards her flank.
"Well you see… I… uh…" Ruby stammered looking flustered. Turning a bright red, Ruby played with her hooves trying not to look at Pinkie Pie.
"Yes?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"I… want to make… friends." Ruby said feeling very embarrassed.
"You want to make friends?" Pinkie Pie asked looking surprised.
"I used to dig for gems with my parents. It was a lot of hard work and you don't really meet a lot of foals or fillies in the caves. My parents really didn't want me to live my life underground so they told me to find something that I wanted to do. I didn't really know any pony so when I saw that ponies wanted to learn how to bake I thought I could get to know a pony or two during your lessons. They all ended up leaving and I felt really bad if you showed up with no pony waiting for you." Ruby explained looking ashamed.
"Congratulations!" Pinkie Pie shouted throwing confetti into the air and blowing a party horn.
"What?" Ruby asked taken aback.
"You wanted to make a friend and you did!" Pinkie Pie cheered.
"I did?" Ruby asked looking surprised.
"Me silly!" Pinkie Pie shouted bouncing up and down.
"Oh no! You can't… I mean… you don't have to… I couldn't…" Ruby stammered looking embarrassed.
"I don't have to do anything, I want to be your friend Ruby and I am. So maybe your passion ends up being something else, but that shouldn't stop you from trying different things. I'm actually Ponyville's best part planner; I have my own party cannon and everything." Pinkie Pie explained.
"So you're not just a baker?" Ruby asked excitedly.
"Nope! Baking is just one of my many different things I like to do." Pinkie Pie replied.
"So I can still learn how to bake, tell jokers, and dig for gems?" Ruby asked.
"Of course!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
For the first time in a long time Ruby smiled a heart-felt smile. This is what it must be like to have a friend that believes in you and encourages you and Ruby could not believe it was happening to her.
Argo Fleece sat within his chamber inside Castle Char. It was a one of many rooms within the Castle allocated to Flame Pony officials as offices so that their work would not be impeded by the renovations going on within the Ashen Fields. Argo sat in a stone chair, working atop stone table with several stacks of gold coins and gems piled around. Endlessly writing upon stone tablets with bits of charcoal, Argo was engrossed in his work when there was a knock at his door.
"What?" Argo snapped not looking up from his desk.
"Sir, there are ponies here to speak with you." A voice came from the other side of the door.
"I'm busy." Argo said flatly continuing to focus on his work.
"Should I tell them to come back later?" The voice asked through the stone door.
"Don't bother, I will not being seeing any pony any time soon." Argo replied.
Argo dragged his hoof across the table, pushing a pile of gold coins and gems into a stone box. Getting up from his chair he walked over to a large wall filled with square shaped holes to slide these stone boxes into. Sliding the box in and etching a number onto the front of it, Argo returned to his desk and continued about his work.
"I'm sorry but Mr. Fleece isn't accepting any visitors today." The secretary said apologetically to Pinkie Pie and Ruby.
"Is it alright if we wait for him anyways?" Pinkie Pie asked looking at the door behind her.
"But… Mr. Fleece will be in there for several hours. It will be dark before he decides to go home for the night." The secretary said looking worried.
"No problem, I can wait." Pinkie Pie said cheerfully.
"Very well, then. I have no problems with it." The secretary said looking rather surprised by Pinkie Pie's attitude.
Pinkie Pie and Ruby sat in the hallway outside of Argo's stone door. It would be several hours before General Hearth came strolling down the hallway and noticing the two ponies sitting patiently.
"Can I help you two with anything?" General Hearth asked curiously stopping in front of them.
"We're just waiting until Mr. Fleece isn't so busy, sir." Ruby replied meekly.
"That is certainly going to be a long wait indeed." General Hearth said looking at the stone door.
"We want to ask him about the new building the Flame Ponies built in the shopping district; we want to turn it into a bakery." Pinkie Pie said cheerfully.
"That sounds like a great idea, let me see if I can't get you two an audience with the old pony." General Hearth said walking over to the stone door and knocking.
"Yes?" Argo's voice came from the other side.
"Fleece? It's Hearth, there is something we need to discuss." General Hearth replied.
"Come in." Argo's voice said.
General Hearth motioned for Ruby and Pinkie Pie to follow him as he opened the stone door. Argo looked up from his work to see General Hearth, but as well as two other ponies he was expecting.
"I thought you said you needed to speak with me?" Argo asked sounding annoyed.
"I did say we, and by we, I meant us." General Hearth said pointing to Ruby and Pinkie Pie.
"Just get on with it." Argo said continuing his work.
"These two ponies would like to turn that new building in the shopping district into a bakery." General Hearth explained.
"A bakery? I can think of ten better things to do with that building, and having it torn down before seeing it turn into a bakery is number one on my list." Argo said coldly.
"Come now Fleece, there are new buildings being finished with every passing day. One of those buildings will eventually become a bakery, so why not just get it out of the way?" General Hearth asked walking around the side of his table and speaking with him more directly.
"Requests come in everyday for things, Hearth. I cannot meet the demands of every pony just because it 'gets it out of the way'." Argo replied seemingly disinterested in continuing the conversation.
"Mr. Fleece?" Ruby spoke up.
General Hearth and Argo looked up over the table at her. Ruby immediately felt like taking it back but with a smile from Pinkie Pie she decided to at least try.
"The ponies in the Narrows are becoming very displeased with eating roots day after day. If we could have this building, we could serve something other than roots and really help boost their moral." Ruby said nervously.
"Happy ponies make for happy workers. Moral has been rather poor these last couple of weeks and production has slowed considerably." General Hearth added as Argo massaged his temple.
"How much?" Argo asked with a sigh.
"How much what?" Pinkie Pie asked curiously.
"How much coin do you need to build this bakery of yours?" Argo asked retrieving a new stone tablet.
"I… uh… um…" Ruby stammered.
"No coins!" Pinkie Pie declared much to the surprise of every pony.
"None? At all?" General Hearth asked.
"The ponies of Ponyville will be happy to donate the necessary things to get this bakery started." Pinkie Pie stated.
"They will, will they?" Argo said raising a brow to her.
"Really?" Ruby asked looking surprised.
"Then it's settled then, the building is yours. The Kingdom will take four percent of your annual profits and in the case of damage or accident that may befall your establishment that is directly related to the affairs of the Kingdom we will assist in its repairs. Sign here." Argo said pulling out another stone slab that had the contract already written out.
"Go ahead, Ruby." Pinkie Pie said.
"Me?" Ruby asked.
"Well I can't sign for it; I'm just here to teach you how to bake." Pinkie Pie said.
Ruby felt her stomach tighten into knots; she went from sitting on the street waiting to learn how to bake a pie to opening her own bakery. If not for Pinkie Pie's reassuring smile and support, Ruby would have refused to sign but she found herself signing her name on the tablet.
"This will be your deed to the property, sign here and we can be done this." Argo stated holding out another stone tablet to her.
"Busy day, Fleece?" General Hearth asked curiously.
"I've been receiving notice after notice from the Yaks about the party the King had promised them." Argo said pointing to a stack of unopened letters in the corner of the room.
"The King promised a party?" General Hearth asked.
"Originally it was a party to thank the Crystal Empire and Canterlot for their aide in the battle against the Mad King, but it has evolved into the coronation of our King and the party that would come afterwards where all of Equestria is to be invited." Argo said pointing to another stack of parchments in the opposite corner.
"Sounds like it's going to be one hay of a party." Genera Hearth remarked.
"With all of our renovations, rebuilding, and restructuring I cannot find the time to create a budget for this party." Argo said sounding very annoyed by the whole idea.
"I can do it!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed rushing to the table.
"What?" Argo asked looking dumbfounded.
"I Ponyville's best party planner! I can throw you Flame Ponies the best party you've ever seen!" Pinkie Pie explained excitedly.
"I will have to pass on that. This is not some birthday party, this is the coronation of our King and the every dignitary from all over Equestria will be here to attend this momentous occasion and expecting everything to be elegant and proper." Argo said shooing her away.
"I can also come in under the budget." Pinkie Pie said very smoothly narrowing her eyes.
General Hearth smiled in amusement as Argo's ears perked up.
"I'm listening." Argo said slowly.
"You just got yourself a new bakery, capable of catering this event if you give her a tax break for the rest of the year." Pinkie Pie stated.
"Go on." Argo said.
"Flame Pony culture is all but mystery to almost every pony in Equestria. Which means that however we present the coronation will be inferred as tradition rather than budget restrictions; saving us coin and time." Pinkie Pie continued.
"I'm starting to like this pony." Argo mumbled to General Hearth.
"The party itself will be catered to the guests, which means most of our budget will be put into the entertainment. The music can be outsourced to a band willing to play for a moderate price while getting Equestria wide exposure. Decorations will be a big factor; it will be the biggest portion of our budget. Then when the party is at its climax we set off the largest display of fireworks the Ashen Fields has ever seen, making said fireworks here rather than buying them." Pinkie Pie finished explaining.
"I've misjudged you pink pony. You're rather clever and shrewd." Argo said with a small grin forming at the corners of his lips.
"Do I get the job or not?" Pinkie Pie asked leaning over the table
"Just one question, what's in it for you? How much are you going to charge me for hiring you?" Argo asked suspiciously.
"I'll do it for free." Pinkie Pie said.
Argo laughed aloud.
"I'm serious." Pinkie Pie said sternly.
"Why?" Argo asked.
"Because Sparky's my friend and he deserves to have this party to show how much his friends and all of Equestria believes in him being King." Pinkie Pie said.
General Hearth seemed very impressed by Pinkie Pie, glancing at Argo he could see that he was struggling to disagree with her but kept silent.
"Alright pink pony, come up with an estimate on what you'll need for the party by tomorrow and I'll see that you get it. Welcome aboard." Argo said.
Pinkie Pie hoof pumped the air with a big smile before turning to Ruby who seemed equally as excited and yet nervous for her.
"Now if there isn't anything else to discuss I would like to get back to work." Argo said already getting back to work.
"No, thank you for your time Fleece." General Hearth said appreciatively escorting Pinkie Pie and Ruby out of the room.
"I can't believe it, we have our own bakery." Ruby said clutching the deed in her arm.
"I get to throw the Ashen Field's first party!" Pinkie Pie squealed in delight.
"I hope you ponies know what you're doing, Argo Fleece is not a pony you want to get on your bad side." General Hearth warned them.
"Bad side? He was mean to us when we first met him this morning." Pinkie Pie replied.
"Yeah, well, he's always like that." General Hearth said looking back at the stone doors.
"Why?" Ruby asked curiously.
General Hearth did not reply right away, he looked at each of them as if gauging them on whether or not he should respond.
"Every pony lost something during the reign of the Mad King, some of us lost little more than others." General Hearth said dancing around it.
Stepping to the side, General Hearth excused himself and started to walk away but Ruby stopped him short.
"What did he lose?" Ruby asked curiously.
General Hearth sighed. Looking up at the ceiling and back down at the ground.
"His family." General Hearth replied without turning around.
Discord walked while Wingston limped down the steps of the Main Hall and rounded the landing towards the dungeons where they walked down even more steps. It was dark in the dungeons and Discord snapped his claws creating a hovering flashlight for them.
"You could have just brought us here with a snap of your claws, you know." Wingston mumbled.
"You could use the exercise." Discord replied.
Wingston led Discord deeper into the dungeons; the walls were still made of rock and mortar and were much less dirty then the rest of the corridors. Eventually Wingston came to a stone door, pressing hard against it slowly began to move. Discord watch, amused at the strength that the little bat had. Soon enough the stone door was opened enough for them to get through.
"This is where I found the mirror." Wingston said trying to catch his breath.
"Interesting, it doesn't seem to be guarded at all." Discord said looking rather intrigued.
"Why would it be?" Wingston asked.
"I didn't mean now, I meant back then. Why have mirror that leads to the void in such an accessible room? Why not put it somewhere hard to get? Why not put up some traps to prevent ponies from getting to it? Why leave it out?" Discord asked flashing his flashlight across the room.
"I never I'd have to think about these sorts of questions until you brought it back here." Wingston replied.
"Alright, let's have it out. You don't like me do you?" Discord asked flashing the light on Wingston.
"Not particularly, no." Wingston said holding up his wing to block the light.
"Is it because of the mirror? Is it because I squeezed Smolder for information back in Canterlot? Is it my handsome features?" Discord asked curiously.
"It's your powers." Wingston said limping towards a stone box in the room.
"My powers? Are you jealous of them?" Discord asked slithering over to him.
"Yes." Wingston said lifting the stone lid with his staff and peering inside.
"It must have been very difficult for you to admit that." Discord said mockingly.
"It was." Wingston said closing the stone lid and limping to the next one.
"Tell me; is it my ability to create things out of thin air? Perhaps it is my ability to change into anything I desire? Or…" Discord trailed off.
Wingston noticed Discord floating over his, flapping his two different wings before him and snaking his way through the air.
"Is it that I can fly and you can't?" Discord asked amusingly.
"It's your ability to help ponies but choosing not to." Wingston stated sounding rather annoyed.
"I help ponies all that time!" Discord said in his defense.
"Without being asked?" Wingston asked him accusingly.
"Sometimes… maybe once or twice…" Discord said thinking about it.
Wingston opened the next stone chest with his staff, peering inside while Discord grumbled to himself.
"What's it to you on how I use my powers anyway?" Discord asked sounding rather annoyed.
"It's... it's because I'm useless." Wingston said quietly, lowering the lid.
"Useless? Did I hear that right?" Discord asked leaning over holding his paw to his ear.
"I didn't have the strength to protect Smolder's mother from the Last Orc, nor had the courage to stop his mother from entering the Void Mirror. I had allowed the Twins to revive the Mad King; I watched the Ashen Fields fall into ruin and almost got my friend killed." Wingston said sounding disappointed in himself.
"You're just a bat with a crippled wing, what more could you have done?" Discord asked, sounding a bit concerned.
"I wish I could do more, something more than just telling other ponies to do the things I can't do myself. I see you with limitless powers, capable of anything, and you choose torment my friend; I can't even stop you from doing that." Wingston said sadly. "I feel like I'm just a burden to Smolder."
Discord watched Wingston become very still for a while, surely contemplating his place in Equestria and how much he really mattered.
"Well if you really feel like you have nothing left to contribute then I can just send you somewhere with the snap of my claws. I mean, there are probably hundreds of other bats that have had a crippled wing, learned to read, write and speak our language. Learned to walk on his claws, study Flame Pony history, and become an influential and respected member of the King's Council." Discord said aloud.
Wingston's ears twitched beneath his hood at Discord's words.
"I'm sure any old bat could of raised Smolder the way you did, become like a father to him and be there when he needed it the most. Surely all the good that Smolder has done wasn't the direct result of the kindness you showed him all of these years." Discord concluded.
There was a short silence that followed. Discord pretended not to notice Wingston rubbing his eyes with his sleeve, before hearing him clear his throat.
"Perhaps we should check the adjoining rooms?" Wingston said limping towards the stone door.
"Yes I think that would be a wise idea." Discord said slithering towards the stone door and pulling it open for him.
"Thank you, Discord." Wingston said.