Like father and son

by Castok the Shadow


I've always been proud of you

Tonight, father and son will reunite for the first time in ages.

To most, this would be time to rejoice and celebrate. But not for one.

One of them was Discord. He stood on the steps entering Cantorlot castle with his claw and paw behind his back. Where he could see the residents of Cantorlot heading towards safety from the incoming threat they faced before. No one was in Cantorlot, not a single soul apart from Discord's. Why? Because he needed to. For he needed to see him.

Discord knew that he was coming because of the sign he sent to them a few hours ago. A magical chin wrist and a royal guard's helmet with blood on it. To others like princess Celestia or Twilight, this would look like someone had declared war upon them. But to Discord. It was a message, a threat... A warning. This warning was something he didn't want to see for a long while. But time goes fast when you're having fun with your friends. Discord told the princesses and the mare six about him and the relation between him and Discord himself. They were shock about the truth between Discord and this threat heading their where. Discord told them to leave Cantorlot and find a safer place until Discord has taking care of this incoming enemy. Most agreed part from Fluttershy. Who she wanted Discord to come with them. But Discord told her that this is needed to be done, he has to face him here and now, or the whole of Equestria could be in great danger. Soon enough with the help of friends. Fluttershy went with them to find safety. Although she gave him a huge hug before leaving him.

Now. Discord stood there, with his claw and paw behind his back. Waiting for the threat to arrive on the doorstep of Cantorlot castle. He knew this had to be done, but still he wished it never would. He closed his eyes slowly like an autumn leaf, falling from it's branch by the autumn breezes. In doing this, he heard a sound of something landing in front of him. Discord opened his eyes with no expression on his face. He was now staring into the eyes of the threat he wished he would never face.

A few steps down from where Discord stood. Was a tall biped creature around the same height as Discord. Wearing nothing but a black robe that covered most of his body parts and had a hood that covered the top of his head. He wore a mask that hold one expression: Betrayal. All Discord could see behind his mask was two dark blue eyes packed with pain, lost and power in it. Discord had multiple feelings when he looked into his eyes. Lost, anger, regret, pain and... Love. Yes, Discord did felt love in seeing this being. For he had a long and for most parts, happy life with him. Discord wouldn't want to change that past. But yet that past was long gone. Suddenly, the being began to bow down to Discord respectably.

"I have come home, father" The being spoke with no emotion to his words. His voice echoed for how much power was in this being, a power Discord knows to well.

"This is no longer your home" Discord answered bluntly. "And it pains me for hearing that last word"

The being looked up to Discord "Yes, you have seem to of moved on haven't you?" The being replied. He looked around for a bit "So where is this 'Fluttershy' eh?" He asked, then chuckled "Is she behind you?"

"She is gone to somewhere safe, Anhrefn" Discord growled at how 'Anhrefn' would talk about Fluttershy in his very face. "Somewhere safe from you"

"Like your backside" Anhrefn laughed.

"You leave her out of this!" Discord yelled at him in anger. This however made Anhrefn laugh even more.

"You've gone soft for these play things" Anhrefn laughed harder "I remember a father who taught me that all of existence was to be our playground and all of life our toys and games" He then looked back at where everyone was heading to. "And do you think that I'm just here for a strawberry milkshake, Father?" Anhrefn turned his head to face Discord. "Or I'm just dropping by to see how everything has changed the last time I was here!?"

Discord fell silent. He has never seen Anhrefn this angry since that day. Discord closed his eyes once more for a short while, gathering his thoughts. He opened his eyes and gave a sigh.

"What happened in the past, stays in the past" Discord responded.

"Like me?" Anhrefn hissed at Discord.

"No" Discord defended "I never want to-"

"Shut it, father!" Anhrefn bellowed at Discord in mid way of his sentence. "You should of thought of that, years ago!"

Discord lowered his head in defeat. There's no changing his mind. "Then this is where our chat ends" Discord informed Anhrefn.

Anhrefn looked at Discord for a second. "So" He said as he turned around to face the open city "That's how it's going to be?"

"I'm afraid so, Anhrefn" Discord answered as he readied himself in a battle stance. Anhrefn turned his head to see what Discord was up to. Then as quick as a flash. Anhrefn jumped high up in the air while Discord looked up to see where he was going. Anhrefn then casted a ball of chaotic energy straight towards Discord. Discord had enough time to dodged the blast as the blast hit the ground where Discord one stood, completely destroying it in the process. Discord looked up again to Anhrefn, only to find out that he wasn't in the sky. Rather he landed on where the blast hit and was now charging straight towards Discord. Discord quickly saw Anhrefn charging but it was too late to act. Instead Anhrefn hit Discord in the chest, causing Discord to fly back into the castle and into the throne room. Discord managed to get up on his feet and return to his battle stance while Anhrefn flew in after him.

"I rotted in a cell" Anhrefn yelled furiously "For eighteen hundred years because of your failure!"

"Killing innocents was not my failure!" Discord yelled back at Anhrefn.

"You told me" Anhrefn snarled "You told me that all of life was beneath us! like we were gods. So when I destroyed a few of our 'subjects' for fun, what did you do?"

Discord didn't answered.

"WHAT DID YOU DO!?!" Anhrefn screamed in outrage. "You threw me in Tartarus!"

"Killing innocents was not the way of chaos lords Anhrefn!" Discord tried to reason with him in fury "That was not my fault!"

"Not your fault!?" Anhrefn repeated Discord's last words while walking up to him with chaos magic flowing through his fingers. "Who taught me about who was on top of the world!?" He shouted while shooting out chaos blasts at Discord, who dodged each one of them.

Anhrefn then blasted a window, leaving thousands of small, sharp shards on the floor. Anhrefn then lifted them all up with his magic. "Who was the one telling me that all who stand against us was our enemies!?" Anhrefn shouted in rage as he threw all of the shards straight at Discord. Discord opened a portal to a different world to let the shards fly through the portal.

Anhrefn then jumped in the air while yelling "WHO TOLD ME ALL OF THOSE THINGS!?!?!" As soon as he landed. He bashed his fists on the ground, making a wave of chaos flames heading right towards Discord. Discord created a jelly dome that surrounded him entirely. The flames passed around the dome but the heat for Discord was almost unbearable. After the flames passed the jelly dome, Discord came out of it like it was no big deal. Only to find a roaring Anhrefn with fire around his hands coming straight to Discord. Discord just had enough time to defend himself.

"All of those things I did!" Anhrefn cried out in enmity at the same time punching Discord with his flaming fists. "I did to make you proud and to show you how much I learned from the best teacher I've ever had!" Every punch that Anhrefn did, made Discord more weaker from the flames surrounding his fists.

"Tell me how proud you are, father!" Grunted Anhrefn "Tell me!' He said one more time while Discord was getting weaker and getting more hits around his head.

Then all of a sudden, Anhrefn snapped "DAMN IT, TELL ME!!!!" After shouting that, Anhrefn used both of his flaming fists to blast Discord all the way to the throne and made him hit his back on the the throne, causing amount of pain in the process. Discord tried to get up but the pain was to great. Anhrefn flicked his wrists that put out the fire on his fists. Anhrefn then started to walked towards the throne where Discord laid in pain.

"I've always been proud of you" Whispered Discord in agony. This made Anhrefn stopped, right where he was at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the throne. "From the first moment I was proud of you. From the day I found you alone in the forest to the days I was teaching you the Chaos magic."

Anhrefn returned climbing up the stairs. "I loved you too much to see you into this" Discord continued to talk to Anhrefn "What I was turing you into and for that I'm...I'm sorry"

Anhrefn was now at the throne where he was looking down at his injured father. Discord could see Anhrefn's eyes and saw something. He saw that Anhrefn's dark blue eyes was slowly turning into a shade of purple and yellow. Discord didn't know why his eyes was doing that. But still, Anhrefn kept staring at Discord and for the first time in a long time. Discord could see hope and not anger instead. But soon a chaotic ball of fire came out of his right hand and Anhrefn lifted up into the air with rage.

"Farewell, father" Anhrefn spoke in a soulless tone of voice. He then threw the fire ball down while Discord closed his eyes, readying himself for death from Anhrefn. The ball of fire hit the ground with complete heat and flame the like of which had never seen. But however, Discord didn't felt like he just died. If he had then it must of been a painless one. Discord opened his eyes and saw that he was still in the throne room, without Anhrefn anywhere to be seen. Discord looked around to see where he could of gone to. Nothing. That was until he looked down on the ground.

There in a pile of ash was the mask that Anhrefn wore. Instead of a face of betrayal, it was a face that looked like it was in a deep sleep. Discord gasped in disbelief at to what he was looking at. He then picked up the mask from the ground and found a photo under it. Discord then picked up the photo to see what it was. In the photo was a little boy riding on Discord's shoulders with the biggest smile on his face and so was Discord while he was making some houses turn upside down.

A single tear escaped Discord's eye as he held the photo and the mask closed to him. "Goodbye, my son" He whispered softly.