Within You

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle didn’t stay near Asher for long before they trotted back over to Discord. Even Diamond Tiara went with them, despite not being somepony who liked getting into fights very much anymore. No creature was gonna make their friend cry and get away with it.

They didn’t even need to talk it over; they were all gonna give it to that… thing. Whatever that thing was. It made sense why Celestia wanted it to be taught friendship! It clearly didn’t know anything about it.

“Hey!” Scootaloo took the lead, yelling for Discord’s attention as soon as they got within earshot of him. The four of them marched side by side, all wearing glowering expressions. Twilight Sparkle was already in the middle of saying something about not changing ponies into different things without their consent when they got up to him.

The draconequus looked down at them with a curious expression, tilting his head as he waited for them to speak. Scootaloo started again, “You can’t just make our friend cry and not say sorry!”

“Yeah! Who do ya think you are!” Apple Bloom spoke just as loudly, with just as much anger in her voice. “That’s a mean thing ta do, like mah big brother always says!”

“Eeyup.”

“I can’t say I know who you’re referring to, little fillies,” Discord mused. He looked up to the sky before summoning a pair of glasses on his face, as well as papers to look down at, pretending to be deep in thought. “What brother would you have that speaks more than two words? Because this big red palooka here certainly wouldn’t.”

“Hey! Don’t call mah brother a big palooka!”

“What the heck even is a palooka?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“As for your friend,” Discord continued, “I believe you four just heard me tell her I was teaching her a lesson, unless you have ears full of beeswax.” He stuck a claw into his own ear and pulled out a golden fluid he quickly slurped up. “Mine seem to have honey in them! But in any case, I won’t apologize for something I’m not sorry for. It’s a matter of principle. Even if she is making me feel quite terrible with all that crying. It’s giving me a headache, even from this distance.”

“Well then you’re just a mean bully!” Scootaloo scolded. “I can see why Celestia made you a stupid stone statue! She should’ve kept you in there!”

“Now that’s a mean thing to say,” Discord replied, pretending to be upset. “Stupid? Please! As the God of Chaos, I make sure to keep up to date on all of my current studies! I graduated from Chaos Academy with straight As!”

“Well that’s what you are!” Scootaloo doubled down, fluttering her wings in anger.

Discord bit his lip and let out a long breath. “You know, there are many, many cruel things I could say, but I will simply keep them to myself. I don’t want to make a habit of belittling fillies, even if you do feel like I did that to Asher. As well, I am currently in friendship lessons, and it’s very tough for me. Isn’t that right, Fluttershy?”

He didn’t wait for her to answer, continuing, “I will admit, perhaps there could’ve been a better way to teach my lesson to her, however, I still say it wasn’t cruel, because it’s an important lesson. No different than you doing… well, I don’t know exactly what it is foals do. But still.”

“Well if ya make him cry again, yer gonna get it from all of us!” Apple Bloom threatened, raising a hoof to him. Three shouts of agreement echoed beside her, along with a small, squeaky voice calling him a big palooka. All four glared at him for a long moment afterward.

“I assure you, with such violent threats from her friends, I will keep myself in line. I wouldn’t want to end up like the Smooze did! That would certainly make me a terrible guest at parties!”

“Yeah, well we mean it, so stop acting like a stupid bully!” Sweetie Belle demanded.

Then the four of them marched away, Diamond Tiara subtly directing the other three to hold their chins high in a haughty manner. The draconequus stuck his tongue out and put his fingers in his ears behind their backs, and Fluttershy touched a wing to his side.

“This is why Celestia wants us to reform you,” the pegasus said. “That really was a mean thing to do, and you shouldn’t talk to ponies that way, even if they’re yelling at you or you’re trying to teach them something. I know you can do better.”

“Yeah, that’s definitely something we’re gonna have to work on with you… unfortunately,” Twilight added.

“That whole incident didn’t earn me an extra lesson in friendship, did it?” Discord asked. His six teachers of friendship only rolled their eyes.

Silver Spoon hugged me tight as the rest of our friends left us behind. I didn't cry nearly as much as I did a few years ago, but it was still easier to get to me now than it was as a human.

“It'll be alright, Asher,” she said kindly as we got up to Golden Oaks library and sat at the table. “I'm here for you. We all are.”

“I'm just…” My voice cracked, and I told her, “I thought I moved past this! I was doing fine until that thing gave me what I wanted and then stole it back from me! For no reason!” How many other ponies did he do that to? The entire world? If only Caramel remained changed, I didn't know if that was more or less messed up than picking on me specifically.

“I know,” Silver Spoon nodded, then finally let go and looked away. “You know though,” she said. “I'm not saying he's right, but you also really could do it yourself. Or at least find somepony who could. Twilight Sparkle knows a lot of magic, after all.”

“Yeah? Maybe…” I trailed off tearfully, wiping my eyes. “I don't know. I wish. I don't know what to do.” I could feel my lip still trembling, and took deep breaths to try and stop it. Silver Spoon hugged me again.

“Maybe he's right and I'm just pathetic…”

“You're not pathetic, Asher,” she told me, almost with a sigh. “You're one of the smartest ponies I know. It's just like you used to always say before though. You're not from here, so Princess Celestia and Discord—”

“I don't wanna bring that up,” I interrupted, finally starting to calm back down. “I don't wanna give her a reason to make things harder.” I brushed myself off and stood back up, trying to give her a small smile. “But thank you. It helps to hear. I'm glad you're there for me.”

She smiled and blushed lightly in response. “You're… I think my best friend. You don't even have to say anything.”

“Over me? Wow, I can't believe he took my spot!” an approaching Diamond Tiara said in mock surprise. She had a smile on her face as she shook her head, continuing, “I never would've guessed. It's a complete surprise.”

“I– I meant one of them!” Silver Spoon tried to deny, the light pinkness on her silver face becoming a bit more prominent. “You're all my best friends, obviously!”

“Suuuure we are,” Diamond teased with a laugh. “I'm sure it has nothing to do with you liking him.”

“You're all my best friends,” I said quickly, moving past the uncomfortable topic. “I didn't think I'd say that when I first got here, but you really are. Maybe better than any I had on Earth.”

“Well we told that mean monster for you,” Scootaloo said, puffing her chest out in pride. “And we said we'd make him pay if he did that to you again!”

“I don't know how we will though…” Sweetie Belle chimed in, a bit nervously. Then the confidence entered her voice too as she confirmed, “But we will! We don't even need Rainbow Dash’s help!”

“But we'll still ask her anyway though.”

I felt my mood quickly improving as a smile formed on my face. They really were my best friends, strangely enough. Of course, on Earth people would go to bat for me if I needed it, but they were definitely one of the brightest spots about living in Equestria, hard as it could be at times. I had to thank God silently for putting me in Ponyville with them and not someplace else.

“Thank you,” I told all five of them genuinely. “I really appreciate it, and would do the same for you. But since I can't right now… I can make up for it by paying for ice cream for us?”

“That sounds fair,” Scootaloo grinned. “You're on!”

And after that, Celestia, I thought silently. I need to write her a letter about that. One hundred percent, she had some hoof in that.

And Discord, too. He was clearly trying to tell me something, or figure something out, but what, I didn't know. Beyond obviously hitting on what Silver Spoon told me about ‘taking matters into my own hooves’. And in the absolutely worse way possible.

And so many other things beyond that. I was managing so, so well, at least I thought. But I also hadn't got that awful, intensely anxious feeling about God not existing since I first met Celestia. He was definitely throwing it in my face, but why now? This was gonna turn me back into a mess again.

I tried not to worry about it right then though. I had how much free time to try to study and go crazy over it? Right then, I took a breath to ground myself, and then moved to lead my friends to buy strawberry ice cream for the five of us.

It helped take my mind off things for a while.