Next stop on Scorpan’s reforming lessons, Twilight takes him to Fluttershy’s for some tea.
“Of course I will tell you all about the time I reformed Discord, Scorpan!” Fluttershy said to Scorpan.
“That’s great! I really appreciate this, Fluttershy!” Scorpan said gratefully. “I’ve seen you reform him in my visions, but I couldn’t get too much detail out of it.”
“Please, join us for some tea!” Fluttershy offered as she flies over to her table with four chairs and some tea ready to go. “Discord should be here any minute now! Please, make yourselves comfortable while I get some treats!” Scorpan and Twilight both sit down on the table as Angel hops on the table.
“Ah, a bunny!” Scorpan said as he spots Angel. “How cute!” Angel looks at Scorpan confusingly.
“He sure is!” Twilight said as he pets Angel’s ears, causing Angel to happily thump his foot. “This is Angel, one of Fluttershy’s first animal friends!”
“He’s really cute!” Scorpan said.
“You want to pet him?” Twilight asked.
“Don’t mind if I do!” Scorpan accepts as he lifts his claw to give Angel a pet, but as Angel spots Scorpan’s huge sharp claws, he screams and runs away. “What? Was it something I said?”
Just then, Discord teleports into the cottage with a covered tray of hors d’oeuvres. “Oh Fluttershy!” He calls out. “I’m here for our weekly tea, and I brought some hors d’oeuvres!” Discord opens the tray to reveal some live crabs that are shaped like cookies. “I hope you like crab cookies! You can say they’re just little hermits living by themselves!” He chuckles. Once he turns around, he confusingly says, “You’re not Fluttershy.” He observes Scorpan. “Hmm. Ah, you must be Fluttershy’s brother! Pleasure to meet you! You’re exactly as I pictured you!” Discord shows Scorpan a drawing he made of crayon that is shaped to look like Scorpan but has green lines, horns, his arms and legs made to look like sticks, and blonde muffin-shaped hair, and his eyes were derped in the picture, and his mouth was like a huge O.
“Uh, Discord, we met over a thousand years ago; and even if you don’t remember, we met again couple of days ago. You know me.” Scorpan reminded him.
“Oh, I can’t tell the difference between those I meet sometimes.” Discord said as he poofs himself to look like an old man in a golf uniform while carrying a walker. “My poor old mind isn’t what it used to be, sonny-boy.” He then starts coughing.
“Uh, Discord, we’re here because we want you and Fluttershy to discuss the time when you were reformed.” Twilight informs him.
“Hmm… was I reformed?” Discord asks as he deforms himself to make himself look like Picasso’s art. “Was this what I looked like back then?” Scorpan and Twilight both look at each other awkwardly.
“Uh, we’re talking about you were evil.” Twilight corrects him.
As Discord fixes his look as he then explains, “Ah, ah, ah. I was never evil. I was chaotic. Don’t you remember? If I was evil I would’ve actually hurt ponies. But I wouldn’t hurt a fly!” Discord starts petting a giant fly.
“You did hurt my friends and I pretty badly before.” Twilight informed him.
“Mentally, but not physically.” Discord corrected her. “I was only trying to bring you girls apart so you wouldn’t use the elements against me. It was nothing personal whatsoever.”
“Uh huh, if you say so.” Twilight just went with it.
“I have the treats ready!” Fluttershy said as she brings in some snacks. She spots Discord and smiles with glee. “Oh, Discord! You’re here! I see you got well acquainted with Scorpan!”
“Oh yes, we’re the best of friends now. We’re practically brothers!” Discord teases, but Scorpan just glares at him.
“So, Fluttershy, you think you can tell us a little bit about how you reformed Discord?” Twilight asked.
“Oh it wasn’t easy!” Fluttershy said. “I didn’t think I could do it at first! But Princess Celestia really trusted my judgment, so I decided to give us a chance.”
“To be quite honest, Celestia really has grown to be really bold for her age.” Discord said as he puts sugar and a bunch of random items into his tea. “She wasn’t always this smart, you know. For example: did you know, a long time ago, that she used the Elements of Harmony to turn me into stone? I mean, who does that? Even I know there is such a thing as overkill.” He takes a sip from his tea.
“That’s when I thought the best way to reform him is to give him a friend!” Fluttershy said as she hugs him. “I know some can be grouchy if they’re all alone.”
“Oh trust me; I have a friend that’s had experience in that field!” Twilight said.
“When Discord pushed me too hard and I decided not to be his friend anymore, he just lost it.” Fluttershy explains.
“Uh, for the record, I did have a moment of weakness there, but that doesn’t mean I ‘lost it’.” Discord corrects her in denial.
“So he decided to change his ways, and we’ve been the best of friends ever since!” Fluttershy concludes her story.
“Gotta hand it to Fluttershy!” Discord admits. “She may be soft on the outside, but hardcore as a diamond on the inside. I like that in a friend!” Fluttershy giggles.
“So, to reform Tirek, I have to be his friend again?” Scorpan asked.
“You just have to show him that you care!” Fluttershy said. “If he doesn’t believe you, maybe you can ask somepony else to be friends with him as well! The more the merrier!”
“Well, maybe Spike and him might get along well!” Scorpan suggests.
“Uh, no!” Twilight shuts him down immediately. “I don’t want Spike to get even near Tirek until I know he can be trusted!”
“But Twilight, he’s old enough to make his own decisions.” Scorpan reminds him.
“I don’t care, I forbid him to be in any part of that.” Twilight demands. “If you want to use a new friend, you’ll have to use somepony else.”
“How about you, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked.
“He DESTROYED my library, and drained the magic out of my friends! The chances of me being friends with him are way below zero!” Twilight said angrily. “No offense, Scorpan.”
“None taken, Twilight.” He said.
“Well maybe I would be friends with him, just as soon as I get an apology out of him.” Discord orders. “I do not take kindly to those who break their word. Also if he gets me a new jetski.”
“Can’t you just make one?” Fluttershy asked.
“You know I’m quite picky, Fluttershy. Have you JUST met me?” Discord complained.
“Well this was certainly an experience.” Scorpan comments.
Meanwhile, the CMCs begin on helping Spike find what he’s looking for in life, and they start off by taking him to their school. “Here are, Spike! The Ponyville School House! Perhaps your destiny is in there!” Apple Bloom said.
“Uh, Apple Bloom, I’m not really sure where you’re getting at.” Spike said, feeling confused.
“You’re smart, right?” Apple Bloom asked.
“I’ve hung out with Twilight for so long.” Spike said. “You tend to learn a thing or two when you’re helping her study.”
“Exactly! So why don’t you help Cheerilee out? Be her… helper teacher?” Sweetie Belle suggests.
“You mean be her assistant?” Spike asked.
“Yeah, why not? You’re already good at that!” Scootaloo said.
“Um… ok, I can give it a shot.” Spike went with it.
The four of them enter the school while Cheerilee was fast asleep leaning back on her chair with her hind legs stacked on her desk. She was snoring really loud with a book covering her face. The crusaders yell out, “Hi, Miss Cheerilee!” Cheerilee jumps as she wakes up being startled by the crusaders’ yelling.
“AAH, where’s the fire? Manticore attack?!” Cheerilee yells. She then rubs her eyes and spots her unexpected guests. “Oh, hey girls! You’re early! You’re early by a…” Cheerilee checks her clock. “…by an hour! I thought only one of my students did that?” She points over and the crusaders looked in that general direction to see Truffle Shuffle as he waves at the crusaders.
“Teacher’s pet.” Scootaloo mumbles.
“Mornin’, Miss Cheerilee!” Apple Bloom greeted her. “We can tell you need some help with classes.”
“Uh… I never said that.” Cheerilee corrects her.
“No, but you did look like it,” Scootaloo said. “and we have you an assistant! Ta da!”
“Hey, Cheerilee!” Spike greeted.
“Hey, Spike!” Cheerilee said. “Now what was that about assistants?”
“Spike’s going to help you out with classes!” Sweetie Belle said. “He’s looking for a special purpose in life, so he’s helping you out! Maybe he can be your… apprentice!”
“So my destiny is to be a teacher?” Spike asked.
“Ain’t Twilight a teacher?” Apple Bloom asks. “You should know a thing or two of how it works!”
“I know all about being a teacher, but I never knew I’d actually do it.” Spike said. “Besides, Cheerilee here looks really busy, so, maybe I should just-“
“Actually, that doesn’t like a bad idea, Spike!” Cheerilee said.
“It doesn’t?” Spike asked.
“Of course not!” Cheerilee said. “Teaching alone has been hectic, and I teach multiple classes per day.”
“We’re in the morning class!” Sweetie Belle said.
“Once we’re teenagers, we can go to her night class!” Scootaloo said.
“Ooo, I don’t like the sound of that.” Sweetie Belle said, feeling frightened. “The night class does sound… scary.”
“So this is really convenient!” Cheerilee said. “You can help me grade papers and help out other students! I’ll give you 6 bits an hour!”
“Oh I don’t need your bits!” Spike declined. “I live with a rich princess, and I get a share, so I got more money than all the gems I could buy!”
“If you say so!” Cheerilee said. “I got these grades to finish up before tonight. Teenagers are smart if they actually listen and would stop passing messages in class.”
“Cool! I’m down with that!” Spike thumbs up.
“Looks like our work here is done!” Apple Bloom said.
“Unless you girls want to help out as well?” Cheerilee offers.
“See you in class, Cheerilee! Bye!” Apple Bloom said quickly as all three of them run off.
So Spike starts helping Cheerilee grade papers, and much to Cheerilee’s surprise, Spike’s been grading papers fairly quickly. “Wow, Spike! Slow down!” Cheerilee requests. “By grading papers, I actually mean looking at the answers and making sure they’re correct.”
“I am.” Spike said.
“Are you sure?” Cheerilee asks as she checks out one of the papers Spike graded. “Pardon my language, but sweet Celestia! These are tough questions answered by ponies who are a bit older than you. How did you know these?”
“When Twilight was in Celestia’s school, she taught me how to study with her; and by studying with her, I actually learned a lot! Way more than a young dragon like me has ever done! You can say I’m the smartest dragon in all of the land, because you don’t normally see dragons be able to answer questions like these!”
“Well I have to hand it to you, Spike! I made the right choice in hiring you as my assistant!” Cheerilee said.
“Hey since you looked at one of mine, can I look at one of yours so we’re even?” Spike asks.
Cheerilee giggles and says, “Sure! Knock yourself out!” Cheerilee gives Spike one of her graded papers, and he immediately frowns. Spike picks up a red marker and changes Cheerilee’s correction to one of the teens’ papers. “What are you doing? I already have that one graded.” She said.
“This isn’t correct.” Spike points out.
“Yeah it is.” Cheerilee corrects him.
“No it isn’t. Now allow me to explain it to you.” Spike starts.
Just then, Spike angrily marches out of the school house, and just before the classmates even got to the school grounds, Spike yells out to Cheerilee, “AND ANOTHER THING: OTHER SCHOOLS HAVE MULTIPLE TEACHERS WHO DON’T CARE WHO’S SMARTER THAN THE OTHER! BE LUCKY YOU’RE THE ONLY TEACHER IN PONYVILLE!” The students all awkwardly saw Spike yell out at Cheerilee, and just stood there looking at him. “What are all of you looking at?” All except the crusaders walk inside the school house.
The crusaders walk up to him and Apple Bloom asks, “Uh, everythin” alright over there?”
“Yeah, I don’t think I’m much of a teacher’s assistant.” Spike said. “I corrected Cheerilee on a correction she had wrong, and she just got mad! She obviously doesn’t like it when others are smarter than her.”
“We’re sorry it had to be like that, Spike.” Scootaloo said.
“Also, didn’t I say I should have a destiny that involves me doing something on my own, and NOT being an assistant?” Spike reminded them.
“Right.” The crusaders all said, feeling guilty.
“Well, it’s alright!” Sweetie Belle says with optimism. “We’ll help him find a new destiny! We can’t give up just because one failed! I mean we ARE the Cutie Mark Crusaders!”
“Yeah! We never fail!” Scootaloo adds.
“Alright, Spike!” Apple Bloom said. “Come and meet us at the club house after class, and we’ll discuss what else you might have a purpose in!”
“Sounds good to me!” Spike thumbs up.