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 smiled. “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?”
“She’s one of the sirens that were banished from Equestria,” Discord smiled. “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.”
“Okay, so you brought me here to share that or something else?” Starlight smirked.
“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.”
“Okay, so how is she not ready?” Starlight questioned.
“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?”
“I thought you were a Councillor,” Discord frowned. “Maybe it’s time you did some counselling?”
“Headmare actually,” Starlight replied. “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.”
“Ha, Opaline is far from a level one enemy,” Starlight replied. “Even Twilight couldn’t defeat her.”
“No, she couldn’t,” Discord agreed. “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.”
“She didn’t have her friends,” Starlight sighed as 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?”
“What?” Discord frowned.
“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 replied. “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 I 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,” 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 a hint of concern in her voice.
Suddenly a gong rang out throughout the market. “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.”
“We will do,” Misty replied. “Thank you for helping me again.”
“It was no problem at all,” Adagio smiled. “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 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 as 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, on the other side they looked around expectedly.
“Sunset’s not here,” Zipp frowned.
“So, we wait for her to come out then,” Pipp smiled.
“Wait, where’s Sunny?” Hitch asked. “I thought she was right in front of me?”
“She was,” Starlight replied. “I was behind you Hitch. She walked through the portal just before you did.”
They 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.