//------------------------------// // (The Talk: According to Applebloom) // Story: Mr. Disc // by CrackedInkWell //------------------------------// Ah stepped into the classroom where Discor- Mr. Disc singled me over to the chair in front of Ms. Cherliee’s desk. Don’t know where the chair came from come ta think of it, maybe he made it appear or somethin’. “Before you say anything,” he said. “The answer is ‘no’, you’re not in trouble in the slightest. I just want to talk.” Ah hopped right onto the chair askin’, “Um, about what?” “Tell me something, is this the first time Diamond has ever called you that?” Oh no, please don’t tell me he heard it. “Y-You mean ya heard all of that?” “Not all, but just enough. So is this the first time she’d ever picked on you or… (what were those names?) Uh, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo right?” “Well… not exactly. Her and Silver Spoon as well. She’d been pickin’ on us for a good long while now. Mostly over because the three of us don’t have our cutie marks yet.” “A what?” Ah admit Ah was a little taken aback at first, but then Ah had ta remind myself that this isn’t exactly the Discord we knew. “Well, a cutie mark tells ya what your special talent is, and what makes you stand out from everypony else. It always appears on our flanks when we’d get them.” He tilted his head to the side. Ah sighed, “On our rumps.” Ah clarified. “So why there?” he asked. “I don’t really get it. Why there? Why not on your chest or on your sides or something but I should probably stop now I’m getting sidetracked aren’t I?” Ah nodded. “So this is indeed the very first time that Diamond has ever called you… Filly-Fooler, right?” Oh, sweet tap-dancin’-Luna-givin’-a-show-and-dinner-and-kissing-me-good-night, he heard! Ah, think he saw that Ah was beginin’ to sweat or somethin’, because he said: “Applebloom, calm down, if you want, I’ll make sure that this will stay only between us. I won’t tell if you don’t want me to.” Ah looked at him in the eye and asked, “Really?” He nodded. “If you’re anything like the Applebloom that I know, you would know that I won’t ever betray your trust, or either of your friends for that matter.” “The Applebloom that you know?” He sighed, “Yes. Where I’m from, there is another Applebloom, another Sweetie Belle and yes, another Scootaloo. With the exception of Fluttershy, I owe you, girls, a huge debt for what you’ve done for me.” Ah blinked, “Pardon?” “Yeah. Fluttershy may have helped me get my job back as a teacher. But it was you three, or should I say, a version of you three, gave me a reason to continue my job.” “And why’s that Mr. Disc?” “When I first met you three, you were so eager to listen to me when the three of you were trying to figure out what you’re good at. I remember that you three came to me because I can think up random ideas that none of you had ever tired. Even when some of them were questionably dangerous you took them nonetheless.” This does sound familiar. “Although I do admit, it was pretty stressful trying to find something that you were all good at. From golf car racing to private detectives and everything in-between.” “Y’all know, this sounds just like what our Discord did for us. Ah remember that he tried helpin’ us gettin’ our cutie marks one time. He’d seemed to be gettin’ upset each time we failed at somethin’. But in the end, we told him that we really do appreciate that he’s workin’ hard to help us. That havin’ no cutie marks makes us feel like we’re not like anyone else. Like-” “Like no one can really understand us?” Ah looked up, I saw Mr. D had tears in his eyes. “You alright?” He nodded, whippin’ away those tears from his eyes. “Yes. It’s just that… On that day, for the first time since who-knows-when, I truly felt accepted somewhere. That you three looked at me beyond seeing me like a madman and saw that I just wanted to broaden your minds to ideas that have never been thought up before. You and your friends were willing to try new things, to discover new ideas that hardly anyone was interested in. Even when those ideas were coming from a weird little man like me.” Ah blinked, “Wow, never saw it like that befor’.” “The point here I’m trying to make here Applebloom is that I stood up for you because I know exactly what it’s like being different from most, especially getting picked on because of that.” Ah smiled, “Thanks Mr. D, you really are a good friend.” We stood there in silence for a moment when a question popped in mah head. “Say, mind if I ask ya somethin’?” “Go ahead.” “You said that you prefer to call yourself Mr. Disc right? Usually, that would mean that usin’ mister would mean sayin’ your last name right?” He nodded, “So what’s your first name?” “Oh…” He paused for a moment. Lookin’ away, he added: “I don’t know if I should say. I don’t really go by my first name, to be honest. It doesn’t really fit me very well.” “But doesn’t that get confusin’ sometimes? Especially when it comes to family-” “What family?” Disc snapped back to me, “I’m… I’m so sorry about that.” “No. You don’t have ta say you’re sorry ta me. Truth be told, I lost some of mah family as well.” “Oh Applebloom, forgive me, I didn’t mean-” “Nah, your all fine. Ah was only a baby when mine Ma and Pa passed away. But Ah guess it’s okay though, Ah still got ma Granny. As well as ma big brother and sister too… Mr. D, do you remember your family?” Mr. Disc was awfully quiet for a good long while. But he’d responded eventually. “Just my mother Applebloom. To be honest, remembering her is like putting a jigsaw puzzle together when the pieces are missing. And the sad thing is, I don’t know what happened to her. I don’t even know where she is.” Ouch. Y’all know, in ma whole life, Ah was always taught that family was everythin’. Ah couldn’t imagine life without Granny Smith, or Big Mac and even ma sister even. But not havin’ a family at all… Ah wouldn’t even wish that on anypony, even if it’s Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Ah got up from the chair and hopped on the desk so Ah could hug him. He’d seemed to be almost shocked by it, but he’d welcomed it. Ah know that because he’d hugged me back. As Ah was steppin’ out the door, plainin’ to spend the rest of rescues with ma friends when Mr. Disc said, “Julius.” Ah turned around, “Wha?” “You asked me what my first name was. Well, my official name is Julius Disc. Just so you know. And Applebloom, thanks for talking with me.” “No problem Mr. D.” And with that, Ah stepped out of the door.