Friday morning.
Rummaging through his stuff, Discord found a nice suit that he was going to wear for the party tonight. He looked at it and admired its class. Rarity may be quite annoying at times, but she’s got talent in fashion, he’ll give her that!
“Pretty nice, ay? She had enough time to make a suit for you, as for us; we had to buy our own dresses since she was short on time.” Sunset said
“Yeah, yeah, it’s very nice. Now, could you please get out of the bathroom? I’m going to change right now.”
Changing always takes a long time for the old man, which Sunset attributed to Discord simply not being used to doing it physically. You do become quite lazy when you rely on magic to do literally everything.
Thursday afternoon.
“Goodness gracious, Discord! You’re not seriously going to wear these crummy clothes to the party?”
Rarity looked shocked and appalled at the mere words that the ex-draconequus said.
“What’s wrong with them?”
Rarity’s eyes went from top to bottom, examining every detail of his attire before saying “You’ve been wearing them for the whole week. How are they not stinky?”
Sunset raised a hand. “I... took care of them.”
“Well, as a fashion designer, I can’t allow you to show up to such an important event without some stylish clothes to show off.”
Discord sighed. “Fine, go ahead but don’t make it obnoxious to wear. I know that you like to overdo it sometimes.”
Rarity smiled. “Alright then, off to Carousel Boutique.”
Fluttershy awkwardly inched herself closer to her friend. “Um, would you mind if come with you two? I need to get myself something for tomorrow... just like Discord.”
The fashion designer giggled. “But of course, darling! I’d be happy to help you!”
“And to help me too?” Discord asked, pointing a finger at himself.
“O-Oh, yes! You too, Discord.”
After a short trip on foot, the trio arrived at Carousel Boutique just in time for Rarity’s shift. After she was done preparing herself for her work, she came back to greet her two friends. “Well, who should I start with first?”
Fluttershy briefly glanced around the boutique, then at Discord. “Um, I believe I should let Discord get his attire first.”
“I believe Fluttershy should get a nice dress before you do anything for me, dear.”
Discord and Fluttershy looked at each other in surprise. Clearly, the young girl didn’t expect this response from him which made sense considering how he acted throughout the entire week. That level of friendliness and respect was nowhere to be seen whenever she wasn’t around.
The teacher scratched his head. “You don’t have to feel guilty about going in first; I won’t mind if you do.”
“N-No thanks; you should go first. I had all the time to think about buying a new dress while you only learned about the party this week. The fault is on me.”
“No Fluttershy, I insist you go first. I’m sure you care more about this party than I do since you’ve known these girls for years unlike me. I-”
Rarity groaned, unable to take this awkward exchange any longer. “Oh my gosh, just come with me, Discord! I need to get your measurements before I can make you a fancy suit for tomorrow!”
The fashionista grabbed him by the arm and pulled the old man away to a more private area. There, she immediately pulled out a ruler and began to measure his proportions. “Ah, let’s see here... Oh! That shouldn’t be too hard to make.”
She lifted his arms up, got him to stretch his back and much more in such a short amount of time that Discord felt disoriented with how quickly things were going.
“Are you done fondling me, Rarity?”
“Why yes! I have to get to work immediately! You’re going to adore this suit!”
After a while, the fashionista was done with her newest creation. Discord was very pleased by how it looked and thought to take a picture with Fluttershy once they got dressed up.
“So? Are you done changing up? I’d like to see how it looks on you, if you don’t mind.”
Sunset said as she waited in front of the bathroom’s door.
“I’m done and now, it’s time for admiration.” The door opened and Discord proudly stepped out of the bathroom, striking a fancy pose for extra points. The tuxedo Rarity made was exceptionally good, with just the right amount of flair to not look too over-the-top.
“Wow! Rarity was right when she said you’ll look amazing!”
“Heh, normally I’m not a big fan of dressing up, in fact I only do it for the sake of a joke but... I just can’t wait to see what Fluttershy will think of this attire!” The old man had an unusually cute look on his face when he mentioned the name of his closest friend, something that Sunset found simply adorable.
“Oh my, aren’t you quite the teddy bear when she’s around.” she jokingly replied.
This time, the attention Discord received as he walked down the school’s corridors was different. Students were no longer talking about the strange rumours regarding him and the Rainbooms but instead, they were talking about his sick tuxedo.
“Woah, dude. This guy’s got some serious drip!” a student pointed out.
“I heard he’s gonna hit the most serious griddy tonight at the party.” another student said.
Discord raised an eyebrow, perplexed at just what in the hay they were saying. Is... this supposed to be good? I honestly can’t quite tell. I guess human speech must be vastly different to pony speech.
He was, after all, an outsider just like Sunset Shimmer was. Sunset Shimmer... Oh yeah, Sunset! She should know what stuff like “drip” and “griddy” means. He should ask her about these during recess but first; he’s got a class to give and once again, it was the one with both Fluttershy and Trixie in it. This should be interesting... or maybe awful, who knows.
“Good morning everypo-everybody!” he joyfully said as he watched the students slowly pouring in. These students were still icky about the whole “helping a student cheat at an exam” incident but Discord knew he could make up for his screw up.
Nobody looked like they wanted to be here but that’s pretty common amongst high school students. Thus, it wasn’t a bad sign for the ex-draconequus who was confident in his performance as a teacher since he added some flair and showbiz for today’s lesson. Of course, the goal wasn’t to make a comedy show but some jokes here and there would do wonders to keep his class’ attention.
Discord began his routine like he was making a sketch or something and quickly realised that being a joker was a step in the right direction. Students were paying more attention to him and thus, he decided to start reciting today’s lesson while keeping the same tone as before. I’m getting the hang of it. Hey! This isn’t as hard as I thought it would be!
Throughout the class, Fluttershy couldn’t help but notice that she was getting extra attention from the teacher. He would of course, look at every student to maintain their attention but he often made eye contact with her. The more it went on, the more Fluttershy hid her face behind her hair, looking down at the ground so her face would be as hidden as possible.
Trixie also noticed this extra attention Fluttershy was getting and thus, the magician was wincing at Discord, letting the old teacher know that she has her eyes on him. At this point, it became a strange game of trying to sneak a quick peek at Fluttershy all the while avoiding Trixie’s ire. Discord didn’t mind this, oh, quite the contrary; he loved it!
The other students were completely in the dark as to what was going on. All they saw was an old man bizarrely throwing side eyes at a specific portion of the class. It became funny to some, forcing them to hold in their laughter.
Finally, the bell rang and the students left, except for Fluttershy who remained as still as a statue. Discord walked up to her with a proud look on his face. “So Flutters; how did you like today’s class? I’d say I got much better at teaching.”
Fluttershy muttered something, but it was barely audible.
“Hm?” Discord leaned closer, moving his head to the side so he could hear better.
“Um, g-good...” Now, he could hear her, but it was still difficult to make out her words.
“That’s great to hear, Fluttershy! I’ve put more thought into my job and I see it paid off! Oh, I can’t wait to tell the other Fluttershy that I've finally got a job just like she always wanted! I now know about responsibility!” But... does he though? I guess we’ll find out if we move along.
Fluttershy sat outside, basking in the sunlight and enjoying the company of the many critters roaming around the school.
With her friends, she’s far less nervous than usual but it’s still not enough to calm down her anxiety. It ain’t easy for someone like her to stay inside a building that’s usually filled to the brim with people, so getting some fresh air away from everybody was a necessity for her.
During this time, she doesn’t mind being with a friend just as long as she remains in an area that’s not overcrowded. Thus, Twi came to sit by her side alongside Spike the dog. The tech-savvy girl arrived with an over cumbered backpack as always since her pet filled a lot of space in it. Tired, she quickly placed it down and ushered Spike to jump out.
“Wooh! Finally some fresh air for me!” exclaimed the puppy as he danced around the field.
“Just don’t go too far, Spike! We only have 15 minutes, remember?” Twi shouted as her dog ran into nearby bushes.
“Don’t have to worry this time!”
After the frame of the puppy vanished behind the bushes, the two girls were now alone in a comfy place. Fluttershy was practically covered in critters as they really liked to cling onto her for these animals remembered her various acts of kindness, which mainly involved giving them food. Nobody can say no to a free food dispenser!
“So... how was Discord’s class? Did he stir up another drama or was it fine?” Twi quickly asked, too curious to wait a few more seconds.
Fluttershy took some time to answer for she didn’t expect her friend to immediately ask her a question the very second Spike left their view. “Oh, um, it was alright. I didn’t quite like the extra attention he brought on me.”
“Extra attention? What did he do this time?” Twi followed up.
“He glanced at me on multiple occasions. It wasn’t anything terrible, but I feel like it got other people to stare at me too... and that made me very nervous.” Fluttershy responded, shuddering at the thought of having the entire class’ gaze upon her.
“Oh, that’s not so bad. I honestly expected worse.” Twi said, almost sounding disappointed at how underwhelming this was.
“There is worse.” Fluttershy continued. “He took a picture when we were both dressed in our clothes for the party and sent it on social media. Now everybody think we are somehow hooking up but that’s just not true! Everyone believes I'm a weirdo that is dating an old man!” she said, shuddering at the judgemental looks she’d be receiving for the rest of her high school days thanks to one awful rumour.
Twi took out an apple from her lunchbox and took a bite. “Oh, yeah; this is bad. Well, you could just tell him to dial it down with the special treatment if you’re not comfortable with it. I’m sure the rumours will die down afterward.”
“Yeah, I know but it’s just that... he really seems to appreciate the pony me to the point that he already views me as his best friend even though I don’t know him. You see, I just don’t want to hurt his feelings.” Fluttershy explained, sinking her face deeper into her crossed arms.
Twi swallowed her bite, taking another one from her lunchbox to offer it to her shy friend. “I’m sure you’ll hurt him more if you keep your honest feelings to yourself. You should tell him; I'm certain he’ll understand since he seems to be really good friend with the other you.”
Fluttershy took the apple and thanked Twi. It was so clean that she could see her reflection in it. Staring at it for a while, she finally made her decision. “You’re right, Twilight. I should let him know. After all, I don’t think he’s going to give up on being my friend even if I end up hurting his feelings.”
“I think he’s going to be monitoring the cafeteria again. That’ll be a good time, don’t you agree?”
The birds that were perched on her shoulders sang to her in their lovely voices, causing her to giggle. “Even the birds agree with you, Twilight! All right, at lunch time, I’ll say it no matter what and if I struggle to; give me a little push, got it?”
“Sure! Though I’m sure you won’t need that little push, I just know you can do it!”
Later that day, Fluttershy and Twi searched around the school for Discord. The two girls eventually found him talking to Sunset Shimmer next to her locker.
“No, seriously Sunset; what does ‘hitting the griddy means’? I constantly hear people talking about how I'm going to ‘hit the griddy tonight’ and I don’t know if I should find this concerning or not.” asked the old man.
“I believe it just means they think you’re gonna bust some sick dance moves during the party. You honestly look like you’re secretly good at dancing.” she explained as she picked up some stuff from her locker.
Discord’s mouth contorted into a proud smile. “Ha! When it comes down to entertainment; I can do no wrong. I’ll be a real crowd pleaser tonight!”
Behind them, Fluttershy and Twi watched as they talked. The shy girl had to muster up some courage to confront Discord about his uncomfortable behavior and her lavender friend’s help was very much needed right now.
“D’oh... I don’t know if I can actually do it. He seems so nice and innocent; I can’t hurt an old person’s feeling.” Fluttershy admitted as she looked down at the ground, letting her hair cover most of her face.
Twi scratched her head, perplexed at this sudden shift in confidence. “Why old people specifically?”
“Because old people are the greatest. They’re full of wisdom and experience.”
This statement is Granny Smith approved by the way.
“Well, if he’s so full of wisdom and experience, then I’m sure he’ll take it well! Come on Flutters, you have no reason to be nervous. I’ll stay behind to give you moral support just in case.”
Fluttershy sulked in place for a bit but eventually found some confidence to finally have an important discussion with Discord.
She awkwardly walked up to the two talking, taking a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak but atlas, a little monkey wrench was thrown in her plan; Trixie. Her locker was close to Sunset Shimmer, and just so happened to be between Fluttershy and Discord. The magician gave the teacher the stink eye while the latter crossed his arms and winced.
“Am I disturbing you, oh great and powerful Trrrixie?” he said spitefully.
Trixie flipped her hair and opened her locker while she avoided making any eye contact. “I’m inclined to say yes, but you’re always disturbing me so I feel like it's pointless to say it out loud.”
“But if you’re so great and powerful then why are you bothered by me? Shouldn’t I be so beneath you that you wouldn’t even want to care about my very presence?”
Fluttershy awkwardly stayed behind and watched their heated conversation taking place. It would be rude to interrupt them now, wouldn’t it? At the same time, she had something important to say but now was probably not the best time. Maybe if she waited until they were done...
Trixie finished taking her stuff out and slammed her door shut, turning around to finally face Discord. “Because you always make a show of yourself but what interesting qualities do you have compared to me? I’m a Great and Powerful magician while you’re just a boomer who’s desperate to stay hip.”
Sunset rolled her eyes at this. These two just wouldn’t let it go even after the cheating incident was resolved. “Uh guys? Can’t you just call it even and move on? This is starting to get old.”
“He’s starting to get old and senile!” Trixie barked.
“And she’s starting to sound like a hysterical old lady!” Discord retorted.
Sunset Shimmer face palmed before moving away from this confrontation. “Suit yourselves. I’m going to do something productive in the meantime while you two continue your Twitter debate.”
Fluttershy started to feel nervous. She turned around to look at Twi who motioned at her to do something. At this rate, they’d have to go back to their class before the shy girl could tell Discord what was on her mind.
Understanding this, Fluttershy took a few steps forward and tried to gain their attention. “Um, excuse me, guys. I ha-”
It was no use; these two were stuck in their own worlds at this point. Although, Discord did give her a few quick glances to indicate that he is aware of her presence. It’s just that he’s perhaps a little too busy arguing with a teenage girl to hear her out.
“Tonight’s party, I’ll make you eat your words, Discord.”
“With what? A disappearing finger trick? Oh please, I can do so much better than you!”
No luck, the bell rang after a few minutes and these two bickered during all this time which meant that Fluttershy would tell him later that day. She walked back to Twi in defeat, looking distraught at her failure.
Twi placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Now that was plain unlucky, but, uh, you still have the rest of the day to tell him, right? Don’t beat yourself over it, Flutters.”
“But I should be quick to do it, otherwise the rumours will grow to be even meaner and nastier. I’m scared to know what people are currently thinking of me.” Fluttershy sulked, burying her face even further behind her hair.
“You did save the school at least three times already, plus we saved Camp Evergreen together so I'm sure the school’s perception of you is mostly favorable. One bad rumour isn’t going to wash it all away, they’ll forever remember all your exploits.”
Feeling more reassured, Fluttershy headed over to her class with Twi, now more determined than ever to best these pesky rumours as well as the uncomfortable kindness that characterise her current relationship with Discord.
Inside the gymnasium, Applejack and Pinkie Pie were working hard to prepare the place for the party that was scheduled to start this afternoon. It was something they were quite used to doing alongside Big Macintosh who always volunteered to offer a helping hand. During this time, Fluttershy went to check on their progress, bringing food and drinks for them as well.
“Mighty appreciate your kind help, Flutters. We couldn’t have gotten this much done without ya.” Applejack said as she reached out for some apple juice. “Hm! And this juice’s pretty darn good!”
“Oh, thanks Applejack. I made all the snacks myself, even the juice.” Fluttershy affirmed right as Pinkie Pie lunged into the plate and took a lot of the snacks just for herself. Applejack snatched some of the snacks right out of her hands.
“Heya! Might wanna leave some for us too, Pinkie!”
“He he he! Sorry, it’s just that I'm so hungry! My stomach is practically starting to sound like a dinosaur; just listen!” Her stomach growled with such intensity that it made the two of them briefly uncomfortable. “Now it’s bity bite time!”
Applejack’s phone vibrated and she took it out of her pocket to check what was up. It was a notification about her social media account. Looking at it, she groaned and quickly put her phone away in exasperation.
“What’s wrong?” Fluttershy asked.
“Ugh, it’s just more of them nasty rumours slandering all seven of us and Discord too.” Applejack answered before chugging down her glass of apple juice in mere seconds.
“Oh, not these rumours again...” She lowered her head, almost causing her hair to slip into the glasses of apple juice.
“They even made memes about us! Here, just look at this. This one’s called Fluttercord.” The country girl showed her friend a meme posted on Twitter depicting a photo of a wedding, but with Fluttershy and Discord’s faces photoshopped on the bride and the groom.
“Oh dear...”
“E-yup. Pretty bad.” said Big Macintosh as he passed by them.
“And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, I'm afraid. There’s one for all of us.” She scrolled further, showing more memes about Discord and the girls, each depicting them in a romantic kind of situation. “And there’s dumb stuff alongside it saying somethin’ like ‘Discord and the Rainbooms be like’. It’s not just embarrassing at this point; it’s slander!”
Pinkie Pie stared at the memes and laughed at each one of them. Applejack grew somewhat annoyed by her nonchalant attitude and thus, showed one with her on it.
“Ha ha h- oh... It’s not as funny anymore.”
“It never was to begin with, Pinkie.”
Now Fluttershy knew that it wasn’t just about her feelings of being uncomfortable near Discord anymore; it was about saving all of their reputation, including the old man since he didn’t do much wrong. A little bit of wrong, but still redeemable, which is quite hilarious to say since he’s supposed to be reformed already.
“I’ll try to disprove these rumours, first by talking with Discord about his behavior.” Fluttershy affirmed but the country girl wasn’t sure it would work.
Pinkie Pie, however, believed that it was going to fix everything. “Yeah! And once people see that there’s nothing romantic nor is there any harem stuff going on, they’ll leave us alone with these rumours!”
“I think ya might be livin’ in an ideal world where all our problems can just be snapped away. It’ll take some time even after we disproved them rumours.”
The party was fast approaching and all students and teachers were quite feverish for the upcoming event. There was only a mere hour left before all Tartarus could break loose on the school. Discord sure was excited to finally leave his post and party hard as he was teaching Sunset’s class. Most of the students there were staring at the clock occasionally, wishing that it would all come to an end soon.
“Oh dear, I can’t last another hour. I just want to party for this Friday night...” Sunset said as her head slowly lied down on her desk.
Twi heard her friend’s cry for help (that’s kind of the vibe Sunset was emanating) and said: “While I do have a lot of fun learning, I gotta admit that partying with my friends does sound a lot more fun. But atlas, it’s no reason to be not paying attention, Sunset.”
Discord grew tired of his boring lesson and simply tossed his notebook to the side. “Oh whatever, it’s not like any of you care. How about we do something fun before the party?”
“Oh come on...” Twi muttered.
Bulk Biceps raised his hand up and waved it excitedly. “I heard you were going to hit the griddy tonight! Is that really true?”
Discord smiled since he now knew what that expression meant. “Of course it’s true! Just because I’m old doesn’t mean that I can’t bust out some cool moves.”
“Does that mean you’re going to join the dance competition too?” Lyra asked.
“A dance competition? Sure, I’ll join. It sounds fun. Though I'm going to win this one by a landslide since I'm also secretly a great dancer.” Discord was very confident in himself, especially since his current body doesn’t move all that differently from his old draconequus one. He should probably practice just in case.
Disappointed at the sudden turn, Twi rested her head on her arms. “I guess nobody sees the fun in learning anymore... Although, I get why they’re more excited for the party. The amount of dopamine secreted by the hypothalamus gives them a feeling of pleasure, which occurs more frequently for activities that requires less thinking and mental investment. Thus, they are more likely to-”
Discord slammed his hands on her desk with a bored expression. “Gee, Twilight; you’re such. A nerd. Just relax and watch me hit the griddy already.”
"Hey! What gives you any rights to talk down to students like that?"
"I've got 27 million power-"