//------------------------------// // Chapter V: Just Friendly Friends // Story: My Chemistry Teacher. (Fluttercord AU) // by MinionsFanatic //------------------------------// At Sugar Cube Corner, at noon most of the young students hanged out before they went to class. Twilight and Rarity were sitten together, talking about homework and presentations they work together; Rainbow Dash and Applejack were playing with their cell phones a multiplayer game, and Pinkie Pie was trying a "few" samples of every flavor of ice-cream. "So, are you ready for tomorrow's exam Rarity?" Twilight asked her friend. "Mrs. Mallorie said it will be 60% of our mid-year grade. And, even though I know you love literature, it is about the laws of all the states." "Don't worry darling. With your notes and my acting skills, this exam will be like answering an interview." Rarity answered with elegance. "Well, I'm sure you will. We all have different ways of learning after all. I had to read all the books the Letter of Independence and it's history." Twilight said excitedly. "Best 168 hours of my life!" "Man, you really love to read." Rainbow Dash said annoyed while playing on her phone. "And what about ya Rainbow?" Applejack asked while also playing. "Did ya study for Science Communications? It's important if you're gonna travel around the world as a soccer player." "Ugh, that class stinks! I thought it would be more Communication, but it involves boring facts and dumb history too." Rainbow replied. "So, I'll take that as a NO." Applejack said, smirking. "Quit it! I'm trying to beat you!" Rainbow replied. Pinkie came to their desk, with her mouth full of ice-cream flavors. "My Goodness, Pinkie! How much ice-cream did you have?!" Rarity asked. "Not much." Pinkie murmured. Then, she swallowed all the flavors and had a Brain-Freeze. "AAHHHHHH! COLD!!!! SO COLD!!!!" "I told you that'd happen." Twilight said, rolling her eyes. After a few seconds, Pinkie stopped trembling and let out a satisfying sigh. "Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh... Now, that's better." Pinkie Pie said. "I'm gonna go try again!" "NO!" the girls yelled. "Okay, geez." Pinkie replied. Right after that, Fluttershy came into the shop and spotted her friends. She smiled relieved and walked towards them. "Hi girls. Sorry for taking too long. Hope I didn't keep you waiting." Fluttershy said worriedly. "Don't worry, darling. We would never eat our weekly desserts without you." Rarity said. "Of course, that didn't stop Pinkie into trying every flavor." "Hey, at least I finally know which flavor I want!" Pinkie replied. "It's okay, Pinkie. Let's order up everybody." Fluttershy said. All the girls sat down and order a 'Banana Slipt JUMBO'. As they waited, they started talking about what they've done all week. "And that's why Mrs. Photo Finnish said my new "summer style" project is the best one she has ever seen!" Rarity said excitedly. "Her review will certainly get me into the International Fashion Program next year!" "That's great Rarity! Now, all you need is to publish your project online and you'll be on your way!" Twilight said. "Oh goodness, no! The first rule in the fashion world is to never publish your work halfway done, or else someone else will steal your idea and publish it as their own." Rarity replied. "First I have to finish it and then, after graduation, it'll be published. One should never rush success." "That's what I always say, except I always mean about that and hard-work" Applejack commented proudly. "We get it, AJ. Your life will always be your 'family farm'." Rainbow said in a mocking tone, rolling her eyes. "Well, yeah, and to work in the Agriculture Industry." AJ replied. "Don't forget that." "And what about you, Fluttershy?" Pinkie asked her friend. "You sure have spent a lot of time with the animals in the pound and the vet. Oh no... Is Angel sick?!" "Oh no. He is just fine. Don't worry, Pinkie." Fluttershy replied calmly. "I've just been going to the vet for extra credit. I have to get as many of those as I can." "Flutters, you have got to stop worrying about that! You're gonna be an awesome veterinarian! It's been your dream ever since we were kids!" Rainbow said to her. "I'm telling you, you GOT this!" The girls agreed, making Fluttershy blush a little. "Thank you, girls. It really means a lot to me." Fluttershy said warmly. "Sure Fluttershy! Besides, we are all gonna get better grades in Chemistry thanks to the new teacher! And that's exactly what you need!" Pinkie said excitedly. "Profesor Discord so funny!" "Yeah, I guess he's alright. I mean, he has an odd way of explaining that science stuff, but I actually get to understand it!" Rainbow said, before groaning. "But his jokes are really bad. I mean, What would you call a clown in jail? Silicon. That's... that's just wrong." "Hehehe, Silicon. That's a good one!" Pinkie laughed. Right at that moment, their order came up, with a glass of water for each one of them. They thanked the barista and started to dig in with their spoons. "Even so, he is really helping all the students to learn about this subject. I've seen the record of the weekly grade, we've all got our grades increased at least 20%!" Twilight said excitedly. "When I told Dean Celestia, Mrs. Luna almost fainted!" "Well, he does have some spirit during class." Applejack said. "If he's that whirlwind at work, I can only imagine the madhouse his daily life must be. Sure makes ya wonder how he acts outside class." "I know, right? I'm so glad that he accepted my invitation to my club." Fluttershy said while drinking her water. Her friends looked at her, frozen and shocked with their eyes widened. Silence surrounded them, making Fluttershy look up to them, with a confused look. "What? Is there something in my mouth?" Fluttershy said, checking her teeth. "I... I'm so sorry, darling. I think we heard you wrong." Rarity said. "Could... could you repeat that last part again, please?" "Oh, I said that I invited Profesor Discord to my Tea-party Club." Fluttershy replied. "And he said yes." "WHAT?!" all of them; except Applejack; yelled, scaring Fluttershy. "Profesor Discord?! To you Tea-party Club?! Are you out of your mind?!" Rainbow yelled. "We hardly know him!" "And he is... well... WEIRD!" Rarity yelled too. "Besides, he just got here as a teacher! Literally, a week ago!" Twilight said. "Jerry the janitor has been wanting to join the club for months! How come he's still NOT a member?!" Pinkie yelled as well. "But... you all just said how great he is as a teacher. And how he's helped us increase our grades. And how well he explains the class!" Fluttershy asked, nervously. "Why... why all of a sudden you talk bad about him?" "Alright y'all, calm down!"Applejack said firmly. "Fluttershy is right! Y'all bein' hypocrites! Profesor Discord is a good teacher, and y'all talking about him like he's a freak!" The other girls looked at each other and looked down shamefully. Applejack took a deep breath and sat close to Fluttershy. "Now, sugarcube. We know that it is in your nature to be kind and compassionate with every living being in the world. And we love you for that. It's who you are and we would never want you to change that." Fluttershy looked up to her and smiled warmly. "But, you've got to be careful with this "kind" acts of yours." AJ replied. "Not everybody may respond nicely. We've talked about some people taking advantage of your sweet attitude. And even though we know you've learned to defend and manage yourself, this is a teacher we're talking about. A much older person. A person with authority here, none of the less." "But... but, I've invited other teachers to the club! And we all get along." Fluttershy said. "We know that." Applejack replied. "But we've known those teachers for a long time. Ever since we started college, you've always gotten along well with them. We know who they are, where they taught before, and their other jobs. We know nothing about Profesor Discord. All we know is that he and Dean Celestia know each other. He might be a good teacher, but we don't know how he is as a person." Fluttershy stood there, worried. Could they be right? Has it been a bad idea to invite Prosefor Discord to her Club? She just wanted to be friendly. She has done this with every new student and teacher in college. It makes them feel welcome and included. She knows better than anyone how feeling like an outcast and being alone must be. She felt that way in high-school and she didn't want anyone to feel that way. If it wasn't because of her friends, she never would have gained the confidence to be herself. If she back down now, she would be betraying the very thing she has always fought for. Fluttershy took a deep breath and looked at her friends. "Listen, girls. I understand that you're all worried. I really do. Years ago, I would have never even considered creating this Club. But I really feel that this is the right thing to do. If I don't invite him as I do with the other teachers, it would make him feel bad and made me feel terrible." Fluttershy said. "You all taught me to defend myself and be confident about my decisions. Now that I've made one, you're telling me to be afraid and worried about what might happen, making me feel insecure again." The girls looked at each other, looking away in embarrassment and looking down feeling guilty. "You're right. We don't know him, yet. That's the whole reason I invited him in the first place, to know who he is and make him feel welcome here like we all do." Fluttershy said calmly. "Who knows? He might surprise us." The girls stood there, thinking about what their friend just said. After a few seconds, Applejack took a deep breath and looked at her. "You're absolutely right, sugarcube." she said warmly. "We're really sorry. We just worried about you. But you've come a long way since high-school, we know you can handle yourself." "Yeah, sorry Flutters. I was just being over-protective like I was in elementary school." Rainbow said too. "Besides, your club has been really amazing for new students and teachers. We shouldn't have tried to stop spreading kindness as you have always done." Twilight said. "You can always count on us, darling. Never forget that." Rarity said. "Yeah! And besides, he might be even funnier when he's not on 'teacher duty'!" Pinkie said. Fluttershy and the girls giggled at her comment. "Thank you, girls. It means a lot to me you feel okay with this. You're one of the most important people in my life." she said, kindly. "And you are important to us, Fluttershy." Twilight said. The girls at each other smiled warmly and continued to enjoy their giant dessert. Usually, at 5 pm, Discord would be at his classroom, going over the next assignments for the students. But, since it was Friday, he had three hours to do anything else but be in the classroom, since it was being clean. Discord wasn't sure where to go. Even though he studied in that college, everything was different since last time he was there, not to mention he's only been teaching there for a week. He didn't know anybody or anyplace to just sit down and pass the time. Lost in his thoughts, he almost didn't notice a certain flier in the wall as he was walking by the cafeteria. "Tea Party Club. Every Friday. From 8 am to 6 pm.". Discord's eyes widened. "Oh, dang it! That is today!" Discord exclaimed looking at the flyer. He looked at his hand watch, indicating it was 5:05 pm. He could make it! He tried to remember what that girl told him. "Right around the cafeteria, two rooms ahead, first door to the left. Got it!" Discord said. He started to look around for the Club's room. Not a lot of people were walking around the cafeteria since at the hour most students left or had work to do. Discord kept walking around until he found a door with the same flyer. The room didn't look so big, just a simple room on the corner of the hallway. He stared at it for a few seconds and then nervously knocked on the door. "Comin! It's open!" a sweet voice said from inside. Discord opened the door and was shocked to see the inside of the room. There was a medium but soft green sofa; some comfortable furniture; a tea table with cookies and muffins on it; a jar of juice and water; some pillows with decorating stamps and a little desk with a little boom box on it and some papers. A little further, there was a closet, and next to it, another door. Discord couldn't believe it. This room was like a living room, with a really welcome vibe. He was so stunned by the room, that he didn't even hear the other door opening. He turned his head to the side and saw the new favorite student coming into the room. Fluttershy looked up and smiled widely to see her new teacher. "Oh! Profesor Discord! Welcome! I'm so glad you decided to come." she said. "I was just cleaning some things, but I'm happy you're free at this time. Not a lot of people come around 5 pm." "Yes. I...um... I just remembered about this Club you told me about." Discord said, still looking around the room. "Um, I'm sorry but, how... how did you make this? The room? The stuff? How... Did Celestia let you do this?!" "Oh, yes. When I first arrived here, with the help of my friends, I talked to Dean Celestia about having a Tea Party Club and she was delighted with the idea." Fluttershy replied. "She was more than willing to help me with donations for all these things, to make the club comfortable for everyone." "Woah. I would have never imagined it. This was just an empty storage room when I was studying here. Now, it looks amazing!" Discord said. "Oh, T-thank you." Fluttershy said, blushing a little and smiling. Discord also smiled, looking at her. Then, he cleared his throat, remembering the reason he was there. "So, uh..." Discord said, composing himself. "Where is everybody else? I thought this place was for people to get to 'sit down and talk about their day'." Fluttershy giggled at his mocking tone. "Well, there is a schedule for every person that comes in to talk and have tea," Fluttershy explained. "Since some teachers and students have different classes, the room is open to every one according to their available hours. On Fridays, it's mostly empty after 3 pm. And since it closes at 6 pm, I mostly spend my time cleaning everything for Monday." "And... you do this. By yourself?" Discord asked, surprised by her commitment. "Well, yes. Someone has to. And I love the fact that people enjoy coming here." she replied. "It's the reason I created this club." "That... that is incredible." he said amazed. "R-really?" she asked, fluttered. "Of course! I mean, this place is really calming and relaxing! I wish we had this idea when I was studying here!" Discord exclaimed. "Just to think all the classes I would have missed!" Fluttershy chuckled at his "not-so" joke. "T-thank you, Profesor Discord," she said. She cleared her throat and looked at him curiously. "So, um. would you like a cup of tea?" "Oh, it's happening? That whole 'tea party club" thing?" he asked, joking. "W-well, I mean. Only if you want to. I understand if you want to leave..." she said sadly. "No, no! I was just joking around! " he said, nervously. "I.. I would love a cup of tea. I haven't drink it in a while, actually." "R-really? But... but I thought you'd be... disappointed. Since, you know, no one is here." Fluttershy said shyly. "You're here..." Discord replied, a little shy. "Besides, you said it so yourself. This club is a chance for me to get to know people." "I did say that," she said. "But, wouldn't you prefer... I mean... wouldn't it be best... if you tried with another teacher first?" "Last time I recall, teachers are boring. Except me, of course." Discord said. "Besides, who best to help me than my favorite student?" Fluttershy blushed. "Am... am I really... your favorite student?" she asked, still blushing. Discord realized what he said and cleared his throat quickly. "Um... well. Yeah. You're the only student that asked me to join a club. That says something, right?" he answered, with an awkward laugh. Fluttershy looked at him and then smiled warmly. She walked to the closet, opened it, and took out a tea set. She walked to and sat down on the sofa, patting the seat next to her, looking at him. Discord stood stunned for a few seconds, slowly approached the sofa, and sat down next to her. She took the teapot and served tea in a cup. "Sugarcube?" she asked sweetly. Discord looked at her for a few seconds. Her friendly smile, her sweet voice, her calming tone. No one has ever shown hi this amount of kindness to him before. He smiled warmly back at her. "Yes, please. Thank you," he replied warmly. "Fluttershy, right?" She looked at him, surprised but also glad that he remembered her name. "Yes. That's right," she said, smiling. Then, she got back preparing the tea. As she was serving it, Discord felt something he hasn't felt in a long time: Peace. Maybe this Tea Party Club wasn't such a weird idea. He actually liked the company of someone he could talk to, besides his dog. Smooze was a great listener but didn't give to much to talk back. And even though he was 'okay' with Celestia and Luna now, there wasn't much to talk about that wouldn't make him cringe about his past actions. But now, a new job, a new chance, and even maybe a new friend. Sure, he was still a teacher, but that didn't mean they couldn't hang out and talk about things. There was nothing weird about that; that's why this club is for! As they were drinking their tea, both Discord and Fluttershy felt that this was the beginning of an unusual and beautiful friendship.