Chapter Two: Growing Pains
A few moons later…
The warmth from the evening sun soaked into Discord’s tired joints and bones as he laid in the field of wildflowers, trying to get some well needed rest and relaxation whilst thinking about their next moves. The last few moons had been spent travelling across Equestria, heading east into the wild lands. It was mostly uninhabited here; Azreal’s guards focused more on the major towns and cities. It had been a few months now since they last saw a guard, providing a well deserved break and allowing for Argyle to be the rambunctious pre-teen he needed to be.
Discord found solstice in silence, while the younger pony played nearby. He had allowed the young prince to wander off -not too far off, though - giving Argyle a sense of independence, knowing he wasn’t going to be able to shelter him forever. But just as he went to stretch out again, his peace was disturbed by four hooves digging into his back.
“I just thought of something!” Argyle giggled, trying to climb up over the faux stallion’s head. “So you know how you told me I was made from the stars and the elements of harmony? Well-” He tried to balance himself but instead found himself falling over Discord’s head, landing right in the crook between his front legs, laughing and tilting his head up at his less-than-amused mentor. “-how are other ponies made?”
Discord snorted. “Young Prince, certainly you have other thoughts going on inside that head of yours?” He nudged the colt up, helping him back onto his hooves. “Go and scamper off some more, hmm? I’m not sure how much longer we will be able to freely enjoy ourselves like this.” He sighed. Work some of that energy off; you sleep so much faster that way…
“But I do have other thoughts! And so many more questions!”
“Of course you do--” Discord crossed his front legs, rolling his eyes.
Argyle felt Discord pushing his rump before he turned back around and laid across the elder’s back. “Like, why do you and mom call me Argyle? But the other ponies of Canterlot called me Kilmarnock?”
“Kilmarnock is a synonym of Argyle. Your mother was very creative with her names. She took inspiration from another world she visited in her youth a few times. Kilmarnock is a burgh inside a country called Scotland in that other world, which is located in a county called Aryshire, located in what used to be called-'' However when he just saw Argyle tilting his head, looking confused, he let out another sigh. “-Argyle is just a lot easier to say than Kilmarnock. Think of it like your royal name, while Argyle is more of a personal name you use with your friends and family.”
“Well, now I have even more questions! Like, what's a syn-on-ym? Isn’t that the spice you put on deserts? And what’s a Scotland and what’s a burgh? Isn’t that a place where bunnies sleep?” He climbed up fully onto Discord’s back again.
“I’m sure you have many, many, many questions and will for moons to come, but do you mind asking them somewhere other than my flank?” He stood up, the colt plopping back onto the ground, giggling and kicking up some of the flowerbeds as he restood. Twilight, this is worse punishment than that stone statue I was held in, I can assure you.
“Sooo...how are other ponies made?” Argyle flicked his ears.
Discord flushed. “I’ll answer any other questions besides that one. We will save that for when you’re a little older, hm?”
Argyle went to open his mouth to ask another question, but stopped as a kaleidoscope of butterflies engulfed around them, perching themselves on the flowers and weeds. The young alicorn stood, prancing and giggling about as they danced around him, a bright yellow and pink one landing softly on his muzzle.
“Discord, look!” he whispered quietly. “Is this one Fluttershy, too?” He looked up at the elder, the butterfly opening and shutting its wings in the process.
The crotchety old looking stallion’s eyes lit up, his head lifting in turn, a blush on his face.
“But of course it is!” He reached his own muzzle down towards Argyle, the butterfly fluttering onto his face instead, Discord chuckling as it tickled his nose. “What sort of foolish questions is that? Hello, my darling~”
“Do you think one of them might be mom?” Argyle watched as flew more fluttered by, all bright with various colors but none of them even a tinge of purple. The young alicorn wilted, laying in a heap on the ground, setting his face inside his front hooves.
Discord’s face turned to see the wilted prince, paying no mind to the bounds of butterflies surrounding him as he felt the one on his muzzle take off to join the others. His ears fell onto his neck, frowning. Parenting wasn’t something he was good at. There had been so many challenges in raising Argyle without Twilight or even Fluttershy there to guide him. Sure, he took what he had learned from helping his beloved with the sanctuary all those moons ago, but he could never amount to the love and care she provided. But if it was one thing he was certain of, it was his words and wisdom; he could manage fairly well with those. After all, he wasn’t Twilight’s royal consultant for all those moons for nothing.
His head turned up to the sky, dusk falling on another quiet day in this strange new world, the faintest of stars startling to sparkle as the sun set off the horizon and the moon prepared to take her place high in the sky. Turning back to Argyle, he laid beside him, nuzzling his cheek and lifting the young one's head.
“Your mother is always with you, Argyle.” He gave the boy a soft smile, turning back up to the sky. “She’s not only a part of you, but she’s in the stars, just as Celestia and Luna are in the sun and the moon.” Discord chuckled softly. “Pinkie Pie is in every laugh, Rarity in every gift even given, Rainbow Dash in the very loyalty I have for you and your mother.” He gave the prince another soft nuzzle. “Fluttershy, as you know, in the spirit of every creature around you, and Applejack in the very words I’m saying to you now--all honest and true.” He lowered his head a bit. “I can’t tell you what the future holds, but I do know you are the embodiment of each of the elements, the hope Equestria needs, and Prince of Harmony. Your mother and all the elements will be there to guide you. As long as you live, magic will never die and neither will the spirit of Twilight Sparkle and her friends.”
There were no words that would bring his mother back, but Argyle found some comfort in them nonetheless. He looked up at Discord, seeing that the stallion was trying for one of the few times on their whole trip, and for his sake, he nodded. “R-right..”
“That wasn’t very convincing, Young Prince.” He frowned softly, nudging Argyle gently with the side of his muzzle again, getting a small headbutt back from the colt. “I know it’s a lot to understand, more than either of us bargained for, but we’re going to be okay. You’ll bring the world back to its former glory one day, you’ll see.”
Argyle swallowed thickly. That was a lot of responsibility to think about. However, he’d liked to think that Discord wouldn’t leave him be, not if he was as loyal as he’d always been. He nodded again, pressing into the older one's muzzle once more, this time with more gumption.
“One day, for mom’s sake…” He shut his eyes a moment, missing her cuddles before feeling another soft tap on his nose. Argyle’s eyes flickered open, noticing another butterfly resting on his nose. The young colt smiled. “I think Fluttershy lives in you too, if that means anything at all.” He leaned up, helping the little flying creature onto Discord’s face before laying his head down in the flower beds, feeling very sleepy.
Discord chuckled softly, allowing the boy to rest as he watched the little yellow butterfly take off into the sky, feeling the evening breeze through his mane and coat.
“That means more than you know coming from you, my Prince.” He lifted his gaze back to the stars and the moon, sighing softly. Without magic, he no longer had control of chaos. All he could do was watch as it consumed everything around him, all while the only hope for the world laid beside him.
Also LikedSimilarAuthor
- MasaStormyPonez · 2.2k words · 27 1 · 1.1k views
- Kit Wolfkat · 4k words · 28 12 · 332 views
Stats
Page generated in 0.144 seconds
Total duration
794 users online
645,539 hits today, 2,156,967 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
This is a very sweet and funny, yet touching chapter. I think you got the humor and the sobering reality balanced quite nicely. I did love Discord's little pep talk, and how he brought in the Elements. I think that was my favorite part of this.
Ah, and Discord trying to avoid the dreaded TALK was funny! Nice to know some things never change, even as your world crumbles and falls around you.
Also, are moons referring to months or years in this story? Because depending on the story, I've seen it go either way.
11035652
Moons are years in this story :3
And as always your feedback is always so awesome! ;w; I really enjoyed when we RPd this part and enjoyed rewriting it.
Again I apologize for how short it was ^^;
11036165
Cool, thanks for that clarification.
I enjoyed the chapter, even if it was short.
This is so INTERESTING! As depressing as it was to watch Twilight die, I’m so excited to see where this goes!
11036832
Thank you so much my friend
Updates every Monday!! ^w^
11036865
I’m looking forward to it!
It's either that she went to the human world aka (Equestria girls) to visit other countries okay cool
So it looks like Discord and Argyle are on the run but it looks like they take a break after running so long and having the kid to play around they even saw a couple of butterflies even one butterfly looks like Fluttershy's cutie mark which Discord Miss so much and he did pretty good job of giving him some comfort that everything will be okay despite how Bleak it is right now that one day maybe Harmony will come back so I wonder what's going to happen next I guess we'll find out next time
11037083
which I thought was a neat nod! Also Twilight would name her son something rather extravagant we figured. XD
That's what Discord was implying, her adventures in EG
11037294
Yeah that always makes me so sad that Both Bambi and littlefoot's mother making the ultimate sacrifice to save their child even Simba's father 😭
interesting, discord as a dad? I want to see how this continues, How will they find out that he is discord?
11037427
Well he's more or less a mentor to Argyle, royal Regent. He's not Twilight's love interest or anything like that if that's what you mean
11038627
I was not referring to love interest, rather I feel that Argyle will see him as a father figure in one way or another rather haha and how that may affect (?) I don't know, I just look forward to new chapters