The school wasn’t too far at this point, You just trotted along with Scootaloo, keeping pace as other foals were already entering the building. But Scootaloo stopped after a moment when the last foal could be seen going in, as if she noticed something wrong. “That’s weird.”
You slow to a stop, wondering what was on her mind. “What is?”
“The bell, it didn’t ring. It's weird, since we’re late.” Scootaloo said as she moved her helmet to scratch at her head.
You shrug. “I dunno, maybe somepony forgot to ring it? Why is it a big deal?”
“I’ve never heard the bell being rung late before, huh. And I know we have school today. Oh, maybe Miss Cheerilee got sick or something. That makes sense, right?” Scootaloo asked as she began to slowly scoot over to the school again, you following.
“I guess? What’s wrong, Scoots? You seemed pretty spooked all of a sudden.” Why was she suddenly on edge? Not like having a substitute or school being cancelled for a day would be that big of a deal. Hell, Cheerilee probably forgot to ring the damn thing.
“I got a bad feeling, that’s all.” Scootaloo said as she parked her scooter next to the door. “Like, a feeling that I’m only feeling because it has something to do with you. No offense or anything, it’s just there’s always usually something, y’know?”
“Yeah, but I really doubt anything is going to happen in class.” You tell her as you began to make your way inside.
“What? Anon, something ALWAYS happens when you’re at school. Well, sometimes always, like it’s some sort of law or something that something happens most of the time. Hmmm…” Scootaloo peers inside. Everyone was in their seats, and it looked like Miss Cheerilee was at her desk, she could see her mane, but her face was covered by a giant newspaper she was reading. This somehow triggered something in Scootaloo as she gulped, as if she had learned something by being around you so much. “Ah, nuts. Anon, I think your Dad is here.”
“How do you… Oh geez, can he be any more obvious?” You looked through the door next to Scootaloo, spotting the ‘silent teacher’ reading her paper as the other students began to feel a little nervous, some even raising their hooves to try to catch ‘her’ attention. “What does he even want? Like, Scoots, trust me when I say this, I have no clue.”
“That kind of makes things scary, Anon. Last time he decided to teach a lesson, things went really wrong… Sorta. I mean, we all learned something, but it was like, crazy real on how he did it. I can’t even think... Wait, what did he do with Miss Cheerilee then?!” Scootaloo said, backing up in shock.
“I’m really hoping she’s just sleeping somewhere. Look, whatever, we can deal with this. If he tries anything, I’ll just tell him off, ok?” Like seriously, you don’t mind Discord most of the time, but when it comes to school, he’s always causing a ruckus. “Let’s just go in casually, and see what he wants.”
“Mnnn... “ Scootaloo didn’t really answer as she continued to look on. She was pondering on something, and just like that, she calmed down. “Maybe… it won’t be so bad. I mean, that whole thing that happened at the wedding, and the fact we’re supposed to be friendly with each other because of Four. Maybe he just wants a chance to teach a lesson before you go away. Maybe this won’t be as bad as we think.”
Hm? Well, that was a sudden change of heart. “You suddenly aren’t worried? I dunno, Scoots. The deepest most emotional thing can happen to him and he can still be a jerk when he wants to be.”
“Except to your Aunt. And since we’re all here, and we had good memories with his clones, I just think maybe I was overthinking things. Think about it, sure he probably put Miss Cheerilee somewhere dumb, but would he really just decide to be a jerk to me and the girls, and even Diamond? We’re all supposed to be friends, so, yeah, maybe he just wants to teach us something cool.” Scootaloo, why was she trying to rationalize this? Then again, why are you doubting it? Diamond is here, and when it comes to her, he seems to show her a lot of respect. Weird, but he does it. Maybe Scootaloo was right.
“I dunno, still kind of weird, but it makes sense. Can’t really think of a reason for Dad to be a jerk all of a sudden anyway, me and him have been really tight lately. Plus, given this is in front of everypony, I don’t think he’d want my Aunt finding out he did anything bad.” You said.
Huh, Scoots was really making sense now that you thought about it. Discord really had no reason at all to be an ass today.
“Alright! Let’s go! I’m kind of excited to see what he’s got planned!” Scootaloo, becoming more positive as she thought of what Discord could do, went inside and took her seat.
You didn’t really reply, you just walked in. Many of the ponies inside began to gaze at you as you took your seat. All except Snips, who seemed more caught up with talking to Snails about something.
“Miss Cheerilee? We’re all here now.” Pip spoke out “You’ve been awfully silent, is there something in the paper that’s part of today’s lesson?”
And it happened, Discord, with a wig matching Cheerilee’s mane, tosses the paper away as he looks upon the class. He was donned in eyeglasses and a blue vest with a red tie and white undershirt. “No, but I can assure you that today’s lessons will be quite interesting.” Discord said with a malicious smile. And while you expected some or all of the class to rise up, scream in terror, and run… None of them did, both to you and Discord’s surprise. “Aren’t any of you going to yell my name or try to jump out the window? I have them all set to have you drop right in from another window and I will not have them being unused.”
Pip just blinked, and continued to speak with a smile. “Mr. Discord? Oh hello, erm, why would we do that? You’re the ‘Hero Colt’s’ father! You’re amazing!”
“... Uh huh, despite the last time being the exact opposite of that? And the rest of you, you’re all fine with me teaching today?” Discord asked, only further confused by the class’s reaction.
“I mean, I’m ready to run if anything crazy happens, I also know I’m just gonna use the door if it does.” Rumble says, not really minding, but ready to bolt on the word go.
“Ahrm, what he means to say is that we don’t mind you teaching us today. This is Anon’s last day, after all, so of course we’d be prepared to learn from somepony as great as you.” Diamond answered, already brown nosing.
Discord blinked silently, then looked over to the CMC specifically. “And you three, not even suspicious?”
“Well, I’m not, especially since we know deep down you like us now.” Scootaloo told Discord, grinning genuinely at him with a warm smile.
“He does? Scootaloo…” Sweetie moved over and whispered in her ear “Did you forget that this is still Discord, and that Miss Cheerilee is missing?”
Scootaloo leans over, and whispers back. “Yeah, but she’s probably fine. Plus, remember, me and him are supposed to be friends. I’m willing to give him a chance, so how about you two?”
“Ah guess.” Applebloom whispered, leaning in to join the conversation “But do you really think he has all of them memories?”
“You know I can hear the three of you, right? You’re right there. What makes you think I’m even here to teach an actual lesson? For all you know, I could be here to do something crazy and involve everypony in something scary and dangerous.” Discord retorts, not at all enjoying how everyone is being so accepting of his presence. “Do you really think a couple of memories can keep me from having my fun?”
“Um, maybe not, but you like enough of us here to maybe not do those things. Plus, if you were going to do something like that, you wouldn’t tell us you were going to.” Scootaloo says, smashing Discord’s ‘malicious’ position with logic.
Discord just stares at Scootaloo for a long moment, silently, before shifting himself and pointing at Silver Spoon. “And you, you’re not worried about what I’m going to do?”
“U-ummm, i-if Diamond isn’t scared, then I’m not scared.” Silver Spoon said, adjusting her glasses from her shaking, and slowly ducking her head as her ears folded.
Discord raised a claw to try to tell her that she was dead wrong, but then he looked into Diamond’s eager smile, and stopped himself. “I see… and-” And suddenly, there was a pony cutting him off with a fearful scream. “Finally, now who is that scream-OOPH!” Discord, as powerful as he is, is actually shoved aside as Snips rushes through him to get to you.
Snips just looks at you frantically, shaking, and says with a shout. “THIS IS YOUR LAST DAY?! WHY DIDN’T ANYPONY TELL ME YOU WERE MOVING AWAY FROM PONYVILLE?!”
“I, uh, what? I thought… Why? What? I’m not even moving away from Ponyville, I’m just going to Twilight’s school, that’s all. I technically don't even live in Ponyville anyway. Why does tha-” But Snips just hops on you, and starts crying as he squeezes you tightly, enough that you could barely breathe.
“Noooo! You can’t go! I’ll be alone in my dream to become an extraordinary pony!” Snips cried out, still squeezing as tightly as he can. “Snails gets to be a famous Buckball player, you’re the Hero Colt, and I’m nothing! You have to let me be your sidekick now, you just have to!”
Gyah! Geez! How could he still be on this?! You fall backwards and do your best to shake him off as you try to gain breath. “Snips! Geez! Snips, get off! Get off!”
“I can’t! What else am I supposed to do to become super wicked cool!” Snips cried out. “You can’t just go! I neeeed youAGHH!” Suddenly, Snips is grabbed by the tail and pulled back. Discord, annoyed that he was interrupted, holds Snips at eye level and stares him down.
“Excuse me, but I do believe class is in session.” Discord said, disgruntled, and simply wanting to move on.
Snips just furrows his eyebrows, starts to yell, and points at Discord. “This is your fault! You’re the reason Anon is going away!”
“What?! Me?!” Discord says, shocked, bringing a paw to his chest. “I don’t actually think he should go there! Or maybe I do? Who knows, depends on the potential of fun at this point. Anyhoo, who are you to challenge I? I am the lord of all things chaos and current teacher for the day. I am Discord! And I will have respect from ALL my students, capiche?”
“Then make me Anon’s partner, now!” Snips demanded.
“How dare you… Hmmm.” For a moment, Discord stopped to consider it, his eyes slowly trailing towards you as he gave you a wicked smile.
Oh hell no! “You better not! I swear, it’s over between us if that happens! Why is this even a thing, why doesn’t he become Snail’s agent or something?! That’s a thing, isn’t it?”
“Oh… Wait, that’s a good idea!” Snips said, as if a light bulb went off in his head. While still hanging upside down, he placed a hoof on Discord and pushes to spin himself so he’s facing Snails, who was sitting in the back of the class. “Hey Snails, you don’t mind, do ya, pal?”
Snails just shrugs, and gives him a goofy smile. “Ok”
“Well, what a boring outcome that was.” Discord said with an eye roll as he lets go of Snips, letting him drop to the floor with a thud. He crawls back to his seat as Discord snaps his talons, producing a blackboard. “In any case. Today’s le-” But once again, Discord is interrupted, this time by Applebloom.
“Now ya hold on, Discord. Where is Miss Cheerilee anyway? Ya better not have done anything bad to her, or else we ain’t your friend no more either.” Applebloom said, the other CMC joining in with a nod.
“Are you accusing me of sending her into a horrid dimension, full of beasts and monsters who could tear apart a pony in seconds, a place in which escape is impossible? Surely you’re not suggesting that.” Discord said as he leaned into the blackboard, crossing his arms as he looked to the CMC with an aggravated glare.
“What?!” Sweetie Belle yelled out. “Is that where you sent her?! What kind of monster are you?!”
“A mish mash of many things, thank you for asking.” Discord said with a chuckle.
“Discord, we’re serious! We’ll go get Twilight if that is where you seriously sent Miss Cheerilee! We’ll get Twilight and Fluttershy, you hear me!” Scootaloo said as she stood up on her hindlegs and slammed for hooves onto her desk. She was willing to give him a chance, but that was way too far.
“Ugh, this is why I asked if you were accusing me of it. I actually sent her to an island paradise. Has coconuts, shade, sun, and of course, the beach! Shame on you three for accusing me of something so horrid. I think she deserves the vacation I gave her, if only for the one day she’ll get it. Look!” Discord spins the blackboard to reveal a window. He opens it to reveal Cheerilee, who was on a beach, running for her dear life from islander ponies throwing spears at her. “There see? Look at how… Oh…” Discord looks back at the class, in which now all of them, even Diamond, was giving him a stink eye. “Oh don’t look at me like that. This was merely an accident, I actually meant to send her here.” Discord snaps again, and Cheerilee finds herself being instantly transported to what looked like an actual beach resort. Too bad she was sent right on top of a high dive plank, mid frantic run, as she found herself screaming, plummeting down into a pool. Discord closes the window and flips the blackboard back to its original form. “There, are you all happy now? That is a five star resort. If you don’t think she deserves that then you are truly an ungrateful bunch.”
Diamond, it seemed, didn’t like the way Discord was acting. She stepped off from her seat, and walked right up to him, looking at him with a scowl. “You know, you’re not being very nice right now.”
Finally, you would have stood up to Discord, but you were still trying to regain your composure from Snips squeeze attack.
“You should at least make sure that Miss Cheerilee has all she needs for her vacation from Barnyard Bargains. Making sure you also leave bits equal to what you take, and putting it in the register.” Diamond says with a wink.
Gyah! What in the?!
Discord just chuckles and snaps his talons. “Done. Now, please take your seat, Diamond. Today’s lesson will be something I’m sure you’ll be interested in.”
“Ok! And thank you for your business, ahrm, Discord.” Diamond keeps things formal as she does a curtsy, and returns to her seat. She then shoots you a smile, and winks. God, you just put your face down on your desk. You couldn’t believe he was getting away with this. So embarrassing, so goddamn embarrassing, how can this get any worse?
“What is the lesson? You haven’t even told us yet.” Scootaloo asked, still skeptical of Cheerilee’s safety, but feeling that if Discord is true to his word, then she might actually be having a good time.
“Chaos, of course.” Discord says as he has a piece of chalk with bat wings write that very word onto the blackboard, with the word ‘magic’ added to it. “Or to be exact, chaos magic. I thought, given we have fans and friends of my boy here, that it’d be very interesting to learn how chaos magic works, affects the typical creature not well versed in chaos, and even some of the nuances of Anon’s horn. Now, before the unicorns in the class get all too excited, this isn’t a lesson on how to actually use it or how it is performed. Such things are reserved for masters such as myself… And only myself. I trust there are at least a few here interested in this lesson? I think it’d be a chance of a lifetime to learn something as amazing and mysterious as chaos magic. Wouldn’t you agree? Random student I am now pointing at.” Discord said as he pointed to a clone of himself, sitting on a randomly produced desk, with a little propeller cap on his head.
“Oh yes! I think that would be amazing, Mr. Discord! Please, show us!” The clone excitingly replied.
“Actually, that does sound rather spiffy. I’d love a chance to learn about it myself. I think, after witnessing Anon’s amazing feats, that learning how chaos magic can be used for good would be a great lesson indeed.” Replied Pip, already ready to take notes on the subject.
“It’s not going to hurt, is it?” Said Twist, who seemed a little fearful of Discord’s presence.
“No, I don’t think Discord would go THAT far. As for the lesson, well, I have been learning more about magic myself, I think it might actually be neat to learn a little chaos stuff.” Sweetie says, curious as to see what Discord had planned. “As long as he isn’t going to pull a trick on us or anything.”
Holy crap, everyone was just falling into it hook, line, and sinker. Then again, getting a refresher on chaos magic may not be too bad. It's not like... Wait, he also said how your horn works, didn’t he? Oh holy shit! This petty little fuck! He literally took over the entire class and pulled off this entire charade because he wants a chance to explain that STUPID power up or whatever with the horn! That was it, wasn’t it!? This was all fluff so he could finally sit you down and explain it to you! You rise up from your seat and point directly at Discord, pissed, and not willing to take that shit. “Really?! This is all over that thing, isn’t it?! I told you before, I don’t need it, and I don’t want your stupid explanation! You're just a freaking jerk!”
Discord suddenly began to slowly crack, literally, even his glasses broke as he seemed to feel a sting in his heart. “Ngh, Anon. I-I see. I-I….I suppose I had overstepped myself. Not asking your teacher to teach, barging in without asking, creating a lesson that would not go over well with many a pony. I can see why you’re upset with me, your father.” Discord sniffed as he began to cry. He looked upon the rest of the class, as he did a pathetic little bow. “I apologize, fillies and gentlecolts, for my intrusion. I shouldn’t have done what I did. Please, enjoy your advanced math lessons your teacher had planned for the day. I shall just snap my talons and-” But Discord is interrupted by nearly every foal in the room. All of them crying out for him to stay, that he’s fun, and that they want to learn about chaos magic. Obviously, none of them wanted to do math if they could just see something cool like chaos magic.
Diamond just slowly peered over to you. Her tone of a domineering sort. “Anon, what gives? Why are you being so mean to your father all of a sudden? I hope you wouldn’t treat me like that, so you better apologize to him right now or I won’t talk to you ever again.”
WHAT?! “Diamond!” You whisper loudly to her “Are you serious?! It’s not even about the lesson, it’s just… Diamond, agh, c’mon…” But she wasn’t listening, she just looked away with a ‘Hmph’, refusing to even look you in the eye. In fact, as you looked around, other classmates were kind of looking at you as if you did something bad or something. One even speaking up, asking you why you, the hero colt, would say something so mean. U-ugh, agh… You then look to Discord. Oh yeah, behind those tears, he was laughing hard, that asshole. “S-sorry, Dad, I was just. I dunno, you know...ngh.”
“Indeed, I do know. Forgive him, my students, he’s just been having a rough couple of days.” Discord said as he suddenly fixed himself, everything about himself reverting to his usual jovial self. “Now then, let us begin the lesson!”