"Gather around, listeners! Let me tell you all a very special story that is sure to tug at your heartstrings and bring tears to your eyes. Whether those tears will be those of joy or sadness. . . well. . . you'll find out in good time. . ."
"This is the story of a young creature who believed that in order to win the approval of another, she had to change what, and therefore, who she was. This is a belief that has been held by many a creature throughout time. However, no creature that held to this believe ever found happiness. Why? Because to hide or change one's own identity just to please someone else is foolishness, as that other creature clearly doesn't have the first creature's best interests at heart. At the same time, those who truly do care would be turned away by the sight of their friend twisting and corrupting their identity, and thus would their friendship die."
"This is the tale of a young creature who learned this lesson the hard way. . . It is a tale of love."
Once upon a time, there was a young yak named Yona who went to Princess Twilight Sparkle's School of Friendship. Her five best friends were- oh, you all already know all of the details, don't you? Well then, let's move on then.
One day, Princess Twilight announced that an old Ponyville tradition, the Fetlock Fete, was coming to the School of Friendship as the Amnity Ball. It would be a dance for creatures of all kinds. There would be a potluck dinner, as well as the Pony Pal Contest, where an award would be given to best dance couple in the ball.
Much to Yona's surprise, her friend Sandbar asked for her to be his pony pal for the ball. Yona wasn't sure that she could do this, seeing as she was a yak, not a pony. However, Sandbar insisted that they should be partners for the dance, and promised that they would have fun together.
And so, driven by a warm feeling in her heart, Yona decided that she would do whatever it took to be the best pony pal ever for Sandbar.
First, Yona went to Rarity so she could learn how to speak and dress like a pony.
Then, Yona went to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy to learn how to dance like a pony.
Last, Yona went to Pinkie Pie and Applejack to learn how to make food like a pony.
Unfortunately, Yona pretty much failed at every attempt. No matter how hard the yak tried, she simply could not become a good enough pony. And so, the young yak wandered off at the edge of the lake and stared sadly at her reflection. She was certain that she would let Sandbar down at the dance, and he would hate her for the rest of her life.
. . . A little melodramatic, but who's gonna fault her for it?
Yona sighed as she poked her reflection's nose with her right forehoof.
"Yona wishes that she were a good pony," she said sadly.
As her reflection was distorted by the ripples, it suddenly warped and twisted into the face of a certain handsome draconequus.
"Boo," he said.
Yona gasped and jumped backwards as Discord slowly rose out of the water, a grin on his face and his hands clasped behind his back.
"So, you wish you were a pony, do you?" Discord asked as he eyed the yak.
Yona stared up at Discord, then nodded, "Um, yes. Yona want to be good pony pal for Sandbar. . ." She then eyed Discord suspiciously and asked, "Why Discord interested? Why Discord spying on Yona?"
Discord quickly took off the pair of night vision goggles he was suddenly wearing and tossed them over his shoulder. "Spying? Me?" Discord said incredulously, "Why, what would ever give you such an idea! I was just going for a relaxing swim when I noticed a poor Yakyakistanian that was down on her luck. A poor Yakyakistanian that I am willing to help."
Discord teleported to Yona's side, wearing a trench coat, hat, and glasses as he whispered to her, "Don't worry, girl. I got you."
Yona fearfully stepped away from him and said loudly, "What Discord want from Yona? Is Discord going to send another monster after Yona like last time he was at School of Friendship?"
Discord's getup vanished and he shook his head and said, "Oh, no-no-no-no-no! Perish the thought, my dear Yona! Those days are over. Right now, I'm here to help you. You see, I can very easily make this The Best Night Ever for you and Sandbar."
"How Discord do that?" Yona asked.
"By turning you into a pony, of course," Discord replied as if it were obvious.
Yona's eyes widened, and she said, "Really?"
"Of course!" Discord said, and made a large mirror appear and held it in front of the yak.
Yona looked into the mirror, and to her amazement, looking back at her was a pony that vaguely resembled her.
"Just think of it," Discord said in her ear, "You'll look like a pony, talk like a pony, dance like a pony, and act like a pony. You'll be the perfect pony pal for Sandbar, and the two of you will win the Pony Pal Contest for sure!"
Yona shook Discord out of her ear, and he rolled onto the ground and promptly grew back to his normal size. He then snapped his fingers, and the mirror disappeared. Yona turned to look up at the smiling draconequus.
"Will Discord really do that for Yona?" she asked hopefully.
"I sure will!" Discord said with a smile, "But first, we have to discuss the subject of payment."
Yona's hopefully gaze fell slightly. "Oh. . . well, Yona doesn't-."
"I'm not asking much," Discord said as he leaned on a golden trident he was suddenly holding, "Just a token really, a trifle! What I want from you is. . ." Discord leaned in close to Yona and said with a wicked smile, ". . .Your voice."
Yona's eyes widened with alarm. "Yona's voice! But why-!"
Discord suddenly burst out laughing as the golden trident exploded into confetti. "Oh-hahahahaha! The look on your face! Priceless!" he said as he wiped a tear of mirth from his eye, "Of course I'm not gonna take away your voice! Hahahaha!"
Discord calmed down a bit and said, "But, seriously, I really don't need or want anything from you in return. Sure, the old Discord might have made you his personal court jester for all eternity or something . . ."
Discord reached out and seemingly pulled an invisible window shade up in the fabric of time and space, revealing a scene of another Discord dressed as a king and riding a unicycle after a Celestia and Luna who were dressed as clowns. He the pulled the shade back down and the bizarre scene disappeared.
". . . but, now I'm the new, improved, reformed Discord! Besides, I'm sure Fluttershy would want me to do this for free. That's how Kindness works, after all. So!"
Discord flicked his lion paw, and a scroll materialized in it, and he unrolled it. the scroll was long enough to reach from Discord's middle down to Yona's eyelevel. Discord then snapped the fingers of his eagle claw, and a pad of ink appeared next to the bottom of the scroll.
"All you have to do is put your legally binding hoofprint onto this contract, and as soon as you step through those doors and into the Amnity Ball. . . POOF! You will not only become a pony, but the perfect pony pal for dear old Sandbar! I'll even throw in a dress of Rarity's standards, a few accessories, a better understanding of Ponish, and lucky pot for that potluck dinner thing. So, do we have a deal?"
Yona stared at the scroll, her mind reeling from this opportunity granted to her. However, she was still conflicted. She truly neither liked nor fully trusted the Discord after everything he did when he showed up at the School of Friendship just to make things difficult for Starlight Glimmer, her favorite Guidance Counselor. But then she started to remember all of those failed attempts to act more like a pony. Yona recalled Rarity struggling to get her to speak properly, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy failing to keep Yona from tripping over her own hooves as Angel Bunny mocked her, and Pinkie Pie and Applejack struggling to get Yona to combined ingredients in other ways besides smashing them.
Then, Yona recalled Sandbar. She remembered how he had asked her to be his pony pal. She remembered how eager he was to get her to dance with him. She remembered that warm feeling she felt in her heart, and then she realized that it wasn't a memory. She was feeling it again, right then and there.
Yona smashed the ink pad with her right forehoof, and then she smacked the ink coated hoof right onto the space marked X on the contract.