They Grow Up...

by overlord-flinx


Part 1: He Grew.

Pipsqueak... small, shrimp-esque, mini; the word by dictionary definition amounts it to nothing more than weak and insignificant. But if you swing that word around the pony-folk of Ponyville, you get a different definition. Brave, upbeat, a bit careless and clumsy at times, but all around a fairly upstanding lad. This, however, isn't based on the unspecific noun 'pip-squeak' but rather the given name to a once new colt from Trottingham, Pipsqueak. But he hasn't been called by his full name in a long, long time.


It now seems almost fitting that his arrival to Ponyville was based around the fall. He himself had grown like those newborn trees did all those years ago. As days turned to weeks, and those once bearing trees had grown and withered time and again, Pipsqueak gained footing in a new environment. It had been no surprise however that he tripped up along the way, as all new fillies and colts do. But as weeks turned to months, his fumbles began to be cushioned by friends, both young and old. In time though, those fumbles ceased, and he began to trot on his own terms like the stallion many knew he would undoubtedly become.

Leaves fell, snow melted, suns set. And Pipsqueak? He grew stronger, more courageous, of course taller, and most noticeably, more handsome. Though his youth became a thing of the past, his boyish cuteness turned to an almost roguish attraction. Fillies left and right swooned over the colt they once knew as the runt of all the schoolyard herds, albeit without his notice. To Pipsqueak, or Pip as he preferred to be called, his only interests had focused in on maps, history, and of course exploration, although, sadly, not pursuing the one thing that his friends and admirers wanted him to chase after. Even more so, what his guardians wanted for him...

A Special Somepony...


The air brushed through the open meadows of the outskirts of Ponyville, just like every other day; but that's what Pip loved about it. Much like the open seas, the meadow grass would waver about with the rushing winds, much like Pip's own scarf would do as he stood on the overlook of it all. Even knowing how much he adored the blowing grass, that wasn't why he was there. And as he felt the sudden foreign rush wind course behind him, he knew the reason was very close. When the sound of crunching grass came out from behind him, the young stallion smiled. "How ‘you doin’...?" Pip gave a simple glance behind him to meet the rather deranged yellow eyes of his guest, "...Cap'n."

Before another second could pass, Pip found himself hoisted up into the air with the familiar grasp of two very different arms and pressed tightly into the lengthy chest he had come to know. "Pippy, boy, it’s good to see you in one piece!" Pip could only let out a little chuckle as he fixed his mane to look up at his holder.

"Cap'n, I saw ya' yesterday." Slowly, Pip was placed back on the grassy knolls of the meadow.

The familiar friend of his drifted back down to the earth as well, sighing dramatically before lowering himself onto the grass, still with an overly dramatic tone. "Ohhh, yes. I remember now. Clumsy, forgetful, very stylish, me..." With a bat of his eyelashes and pout of his lips, Pip finally exploded into a fit of laughter.

Seeing that Pip was now immobilized in his fit of laughter, the draconequus slithered up onto his hind legs and towered over his pony comrade. Using his paw, he fixed Pip's scarf and smiled down at him. "How has your day been going? Busy? Slow? Maybe a little chaotic, hmm?" Pip slowly brought himself down from his laughing and cleared his throat for an answer.

"Busy, I'll admit... Gotta make a map o' the western moun'ains on commission for Miss Sparkle," he explained with clear honesty.

Sparkle. A name that this draconequus wasn't fond of, but for his Pip, he'd let it slide. "Western Mountains, huh?" In a single blink, the mix-matched beast disappeared before Pip's eyes and reappeared directly behind him in mid-air. "I could always snap you there and pick you up—"

The young pony quickly put a stop to that idea as he put a front hoof up against the muzzle of his friend. "Cap'n Discord? Are you 'posin' I skip out on an adventure there?" A teasing tone was heavy in Pip's voice; this alone filled the Lord of Chaos with pride.

"Me? Propose—noooo, no, no, no, no, no. Pippy... I'm wounded by the very idea." Discord shot a feigned puppy dog expression.

"Good," Pip lowered his hoof and took a step away from Discord, "Don't really want to get the idea my own guardian doesn't think I can't do a simple job like this."

In response, or for his own element of the unneeded, Discord shrugged before hooking himself around the grassy land surrounding Pip. The two remained there in some mild silence, the wind being the only interjection of that. But that silence didn't last long as Pip came to an idea, "Why’d ya' call me out here, exactly?"

Recollection! Discord could have slapped his own forehead, but he'd save that for later when nopony was looking. "Of course, small talk is nice, but I have some real fat to chew with you.” Ignoring the slightly ill face Pip gave him, he continued on, "I can guess your school work and internship is going well... But I've been having... worries..."

"Worries?" Pip found himself sitting his flank against the soft grass as he listened to what Discord had to say.

"Worries. You see—and this isn't me talking." Instantly, Pip knew exactly where this was going, and a smile came across his face. Discord quickly noticed it and smirked. "Don't make that face. Queenie's just been putting it in my head that you need to be a bit more in-touch with the pony-folk... Namely the females."

"Cap'n..."

"I'm just saying..." Discord threw his hands up playfully before scooting up close to Pip, "Just between you and me... Is there a lil' filly that gets you going?"

Instead of answering, Pip simply stood up onto all four of his limbs and stepped over Discord's coiled body. "I'll see ya' at dinner, Cap'n..." Pip chuckled as he trotted away down the sloped meadow towards Ponyville.

Sighing with his 'great defeat', Discord sprang to his back legs. "...Phooey..." was all that he managed to say before he snapped his fingers and disappeared in a brief spark of light.


It's written in many of the Equestrian-Philosophy books that "If the direct route does not work the first time, the most precise route is indeed the imprecise means". Words written by Star Swirl the Bearded... However, this single passage could easily be interpreted in many different ways.