To Nerd A Bird

Ocellus was originally worried about how well their friends could handle the idea, but they were pleasantly surprised with the plans that each of them had in mind for Operation: Nerd Bird.

Despite how long they fantasized about the idea, it was great to receive outside input from others. A lot of discussions had to be made amongst all of them, including agreeing to certain white-lies or working together to effectively gaslight the gryphon. Ocellus almost felt bad for how giddy their friends were getting from the idea, but at the same time they couldn’t have been more excited. Gallus might be a great friend to all of them, but they couldn’t deny how adorable he’d look as a little geek~

By the time Gallus awoke the next morning, he didn’t seem to be the slightest bit aware of his friends’ shared agreement; of course, given what they were planning to do, it was probably for the best that he was left to himself. All of them acted just as they had before, but it was clear from Ocellus’ smile that they were all thinking the same thing. All the while, Gallus just ate from his bowl of cereal like nothing was amiss, not noticing the peculiar stares that each of his friends were giving him when he wasn’t looking. Fortunately, since the gryphon was in such high spirits after such a gratifying rest, he didn’t notice anything being different when he and the others returned to town after breakfast.

“Aaahhhhhhh~” Gallus was the first to land back in Ponyville’s town square, and made a big stretch with his back arched inward like a housecat. Meanwhile, Smolder and Silverstream helped escort Ocellus down to the ground safely while they were shifted into the form of a massive wingless dragon; Yona and Sandbar were riding on the changeling’s back, and were quick to get off as soon as they were back on the ground. Ocellus shifted back to their regular form before gasping with a strong shudder. “Mnnnnghhhh… J-Jeeze, I keep forgetting how much size-alteration takes out of me…”

“Hey, you’re getting better at it, though.” Smolder patted Ocellus’ back with a claw while smiling warmly. “You even got the scale patterns along the back right this time! I’m impressed.”

“Hmph, t-thanks…” Ocellus blushed through their sheepish smile, and took a moment to look back at Gallus. The gryphon was polishing his claws against the tuft of his chest-fur, before blowing the talons with his beak to see how well they shine. Ocellus took that moment to glance back at the others for a split-second, who were all smirking with cheeky stares back at the gryphon. Ocellus took that opportunity to take a quick breath before asking Gallus, “Hey, uhhh… Would you mind coming with me around town for a few errands? I’d rather not be all alone after the magic leaves me that light-headed.”

“Oh, sure thing!” Gallus smiled with a carefree nod. “Yeah, I don’t have much planned for today anyway, so it’s totally fine.”

“Oh, great!~” Oellus’ wings buzzed the tiniest bit in excitement, but they settled down in a second to only show a thankful smile. “Well, ummm… I was meaning to visit the optometrist to see if my prescription is filled out. A-Are you alright with coming with me?”

Gallus just shrugged and said, “Uhhh, sure. I don’t see why not…”

After he and Ocellus gave a quick goodbye to their friends, Gallus followed the changeling before he could notice anything feeling slightly amiss. Ocellus took the lead with the gryphon close behind, and beamed excitedly when they saw the clinic at the end of the block. Much to their excitable glee, the sign hanging from the shop’s front window read in bold letters, “Bring a Friend for a Free Consultation.”

“Hmph~” Ocellus already knew exactly what to do, but they had to keep from smirking too devilishly. They kept a casual demeanor when they opened the door for Gallus, and let him walk inside the shop first.

“Oh, there you are, Ocellus!” The chipper receptionist behind the front desk waved Ocellus and Gallus inside with a smile. Gallus walked over to one of the seats in the waiting room, and began to browse through an old magazine and get himself comfortable. Meanwhile, Ocellus walked up to the counter to fill out the sign-in form. “I’ll just tell the doctor you’re here so your prescription can be refilled.”

“Alright, thank you.” After filling out their signature on the form, Ocellus hummed to themself and glanced back at Gallus. The gryphon was already glossing through an issue of ‘Equestrian News Weekly’ from at least a year or two ago, so he likely wasn’t paying attention to whatever they were doing. Ocellus took a second to admire him before smirking to themself for a second. They then turned back to the receptionist, just as she was about to find the doctor, and quickly added, “Oh, I was meaning to ask: Is that free consultation deal still available?”

“As a matter of fact, it is.” She looked back at Ocellus curiously, and then over at the gryphon they came in with. “Hmmm… Is this for him?”

Gallus didn’t even have enough time to perk his head up when he heard Ocellus say with a nod, “Yes, I’d like for my friend Gallus to get a free checkup.”

“Wait, what?!”

“Hnnnghhhh…”

Even though he just agreed to go with Ocellus to pick up some contacts, Gallus somehow found himself inside one of the private rooms to get a consultation himself. He tried to assure both Ocellus and the receptionist that his eyesight was just fine, but it was near-impossible to convince them after admitting he never got an official test done. He knew that Ocellus was just looking out for him as a friend, especially since he mentioned not having any health insurance a while back. But now with the changeling out in the waiting room, Gallus was starting to worry when he found himself struggling to read some text across the room.

“Uhhhhh… ‘M’... ‘B’, no that’s a ‘P’... wait, is it?” Gallus wasn’t sure what was going on, but he was finding it difficult to read even the largest letters on the chart before him. He wasn’t sure what the heck could’ve happened recently, since he clearly recalled reading words much smaller from the chalkboard in classes with ease. Although, the reversed colors may have been doing something to his vision to make the letters appear blurrier in this well-lit room.

“Ummm… ‘Q’... ‘X?’” Gallus narrowed his eyes even more, while the doctor standing beside him merely shook his head. The older unicorn was reading through a chart and sucking some air through his teeth. Gallus tried not to cringe, but he knew he was worried when he noticed he was only on the third row on the chart. The gryphon hung his head and tried not to look up at him. “Jeeze, what the heck is going on…”

“Hmmm… Well, sometimes it can be difficult for someone to realize they have a vision problem…” The stallion jotted down some notes with the pen floating in his aura, but turned off his horn after moving the clipboard to the nearby counter. “But I have to say, I’m very glad you were sent to me for this checkup. Looking through the test results, there’s no doubt in my mind that you need glasses.”

“Ugh!” Gallus threw down his head with a pained sigh. He covered his eyes with a claw and struggled not to wince too painfully. “Well, that’s just great…”

“Well, if it helps…” The Doctor kept a warm smile when he trotted over to a large glass display on the wall, which was full of glasses in various styles and frame-colors. “I happen to have these starter pairs for ponies, free of charge.” After double-checking the prescription numbers, he went to one of the shelf’s lower rows and studiously scrolled through the pairs available.

Gallus actually breathed out with his eyes closed, grateful to hear that last part. “Oh, thank goodness… I’m not gonna lie, I was worried about how much I’d have to pay.”

“That’s what these free consultations are all about…” He smiled when he lit up his horn and floated out a large, blocky pair of square-rimmed glasses. The frames were ridiculously thick, looking more like something medical-grade than any glasses a pony would voluntarily wear. The glass in the lenses was nearly half an inch thick, but the brace holding the two eye-pieces together was a little too thin to be trusted. Before Gallus could reel back or complain about the type selected, the glasses were floated over to rest right atop the gryphon’s beak. “Alright, just a moment and… there!”

Gallus blinked a couple times, with his blinking lids magnified through the lenses. He looked back at the board across the room, and gasped when he saw all the letters clear as day. What used to be a bunch of blurry partial-shapes, were now crystal-clear from top to bottom. Gallus pointed right at it and blurted out, “Ohh! That’s it! ‘G, V, W, C, T, Y, L!’”

“Aha! You got the whole bottom row!” The stallion smiled happily, and took the board off the wall so Gallus could look at it himself. The gryphon was staring at the chart all mesmerized, not even caring that he was still wearing those obnoxiously thick glasses over his face. The Doctor smiled at how happy Gallus was looking, and took that moment to subtly hide the other board he had replaced from the wall earlier. Unlike the chart Gallus was currently holding, the one that had previously been hanging was purposely blurred beyond comprehension, and tucked behind the wastebin so the gryphon couldn’t see it.

“Holy… W-Wow…” Gallus put down the board, and turned to look over at a nearby mirror. He jolted with a shocked gasp, and his beak tightened immensely when he saw the blocky square glasses over his eyes. His pupils were expanded out through the lenses, making him appear more bug-eyed than expected. He groaned and tried to look away, but was met with the expectant smile from the Doctor standing in wait.

“I know it might be a big thing to adjust to, but I’m really grateful to help you with your eyesight, Mister Gallus.” He looked the gryphon up and down, and gave a light shrug before admitting, “And to be perfectly honest, I think the glasses suit you quite well~”

“Uhhh… really?” He turned back to his reflection, and his head reeled back again like his body was rejecting the image he was seeing. He reached up and cautiously adjusted the black, blocky frame against the bridge of his beak. He still winced, but could only breathe out in trepidation and hope for the best. After all, it wasn’t like he could afford new glasses right now, and this was better than flying around half-blind. So with a reluctant shrug, all he could do was say, “Ummm… I-If you say so…”

Gallus may have not had the same opinion as the Doctor, but he tried his best to handle his new head-wear without too much woe. He blushed a little when he opened his beak, and tried to give a smile to his reflection. But alas, as soon as he saw his teeth for a second, he quickly clamped his beak back shut and grimaced. His glasses made him look like such a dork when he smiled, although pouting didn’t really help either.

“Hmmm, one moment, Gallus… The Doctor walked around to the gryphon’s front, and tilted his head with a concerned hum. “Huh… Young man, could you show me your teeth again?”

“Uhhhh… Gallus blushed even heavier, and averted his eyes while keeping his beak shut.

The Doctor took only a moment before asking flatly, “Gallus… Have you ever been to a dentist before?”

The gryphon sighed with his eyes closed, and guiltily shook his head.

“Well, if that’s the case, I’ll schedule you for an emergency dental checkup with Minuette. And don’t worry about payment, I’ll make sure she takes a look at you for free. Just wait for me out in the waiting room, and I’ll get Ocellus for you.”

Gallus tried to nod, but he was too embarrassed about that admission to say anything in defense. Not wanting to turn down a free dentist, Gallus merely followed the Doctor out of the office with his new pair of glasses. After a meager thanks, the gryphon went down the hall with a grimaced beak, and his eyes darting back and forth within those bulky frames.

The door to the office slowly closed back shut, and the knob locked just before the “Doctor” could sigh in relief. “Oh, thank Celestia he bought that~”

The “stallion” quickly ignited up in bright-green flames, and returned back to Ocellus’ regular form. The changeling quickly went to work, and tossed the botched vision-chart into the paper-shredder before the real doctor could find it. They also tossed the papers they had tucked in the clipboard, which were just a couple doodles of Gallus in Ocellus’ dream-outfit for later on. All of the “documents” and “tests” related to Gallus’ vision were destroyed in a matter of seconds, leaving no paper-trail of the gryphon’s visit or consultation. Even the glasses taken from the display case were an obvious plant, since there were no missing pairs from any of the shelves now. “Okay, that should do it…”

Ocellus double-checked everything before unlocking the door, and walking back out into the hallway. It was at that moment that the real Doctor emerged from the back-room with Ocellus’ bag of contacts in his aura. He greeted Ocellus happily enough, but there wasn’t anything much to be said aside from confirming Ocellus’ next prescription. And since the receptionist had just went out to lunch during Gallus’ “appointment”, there was no need to remind the Doctor of anything before leaving with the gryphon out front.

“Ooooohhh~” Ocellus’ face lit up with glee when they saw Gallus standing outside the clinic with his new nerdy glasses still on. He tried not to look back at her antsy grin, and just grumbled under his breath. The changeling was quick to get in front of him and admire the glasses up close. “Wow, are those your new glasses, Gallus? They look nice~”

“Mnnnghhh…” He tried lowering his head, but nearly dropped his glasses when they slipped off his beak. He groaned and quickly put them back on, just barely catching them before they could shatter on the ground. Ocellus bit their lip, and made a mental note to buy some masking tape for Gallus’ glasses before they inevitably break. In the meantime, they kept a sincerely warm smile while Gallus avoided making eye-contact. “Ummm… Wh… What did the Doctor tell you?” he asked in a weak and embarrassed voice.

“Well…” Ocellus made sure to pause briefly enough to appear casual, but they already knew exactly what to say to Gallus in that moment. “He mentioned that it would be best to wear those glasses at all times, or until your vision improves. Also, you have a dentist appointment later this afternoon with Minuette.”

“Well, that’s something, I guess…” Gallus scratched the back of his neck with an impressed shrug. “Heh, I wouldn’t have guessed I’d be doing so mu--Wait, this afternoon!? You mean TODAY!?”

“Oh dear…”

The minty-blue unicorn winced and stared down at the gryphon with sympathy. Gallus cringed while seated in the dentist’s chair, immediately regretting opening his beak. He tried to keep himself silent on the matter, but he couldn’t help lowering his head to mutter a weak, “S-Sorry…”

“Oh, don’t apologize!” Minuette instantly waved her hoof apologetically. “Trust me, it’s not your fault. Ocellus explained everything to me outside, and I’m not judging at all. I’m just glad I was able to get your teeth looked at now before it got more serious.”

Gallus looked even more worried with how the dentist was explaining things, but he knew better than to speak up against a professional. Not to mention, he couldn’t really say much when he never visited a dentist back in the Gryphon Kingdom. He knew he had a few cavities here and there, and a couple of them were slightly crooked, but none of those things ever affected him in his daily life. Nevertheless, he tried to be grateful that Ocellus arranged this emergency checkup on the optometrist’s behalf.

Unlike the previous errand meant for Gallus, Ocellus remained out of the office entirely and focused on getting the appointment covered by the School of Friendship’s insurance. Medical checkups may have been financially covered by the school for all students, but dental plans were quite the bitch to work around. Fortunately, Ocellus had more than enough paperwork and certification to ensure Gallus wouldn’t need to pay a single bit for this necessity. It also helped that behind his beak, the gryphon actually had teeth in bad enough condition for this checkup to be a legitimate emergency; Ocellus didn’t plan for that, but they chalked that up to a sign that this was meant to be.

Back in the office, Gallus gulped after hearing the bad news. “S-Seriously?!”

“I’m afraid so…” Minuette pointed to the X-Ray chart on the wall, which gave a prime view of the gryphon’s dental work. He squinted his eyes through his massive glasses, but he could still see the irregular symmetry in his teeth all over. He winced from how badly it looked compared to other examples posted up on the nearby wall. She took a moment to let him see the charts before speaking bluntly. “I’m sorry, Gallus. I really am, but in my professional opinion, you absolutely need braces to help repair those teeth.”

Gallus groaned and lowered his head, which nearly slipped his glasses off his beak. He frantically held them against his head and tried to sputter out, “B-But I don’t have health insurance! Lady, you have to understand, I can’t pay for something that exp--”

“Oh, no no no!” She quickly threw her hooves up and shook her head to stop his pleading. “Oh, don’t worry, this won’t be charged to you. My receptionist is getting the paperwork confirmed with Ocellus right now, and this certainly qualifies as an ‘Emergency’ situation for my own assessment. I promise you, these braces will be paid by the school. Not by you.”

That seemed to settle his nerves a bit, and he sighed in slight relief. Still, his face was rather blushed from the thought of something so sudden and noticeable for his own face. “Uhhh, so… H-How long will this actually take?”

“Well, if it helps, you’ll be put under for the whole duration…” Minuette used her magic to float out a large canister of gas meant to incapacitate patients. “But with my magic, I can easily get your teeth repaired, straightened, and locked in braces in under an hour.”

Despite that surprisingly fast estimate, Gallus still looked rightfully nervous. “And uhhh… h-how long would I need to wear them for?”

“Oh, well…” She couldn’t hide the discomfort from such a question, and she looked away before answering truthfully. “Realistically, I would say… at least six months under perfect circumstances, but… in your case it might be longer than a year, or even two…”

Gallus’ beak dropped. “WHAT?!”

“Which is why we need to have this handled sooner than later.” Minuette could sympathize with his reaction, and was quick to state, “Think of it like this: If you wear braces now, you’ll likely be able to graduate with perfect teeth. I think that’s a fairly good goal to work for, don’t you think?”

Gallus wanted to say something, but froze after opening his beak. After a moment, he reluctantly sighed and shrugged his head. “Ehhh… I guess so…”

“All you need to do is sign this form…” Minuette floated over a clipboard and pen so he could sign the disclosure statement. “This is just so I have permission to use gas and have you asleep for the procedure. Is that alright?”

“Yeah, I suppose…” Gallus read through the paperwork, and reluctantly signed the bottom of the form. This all felt a bit sudden for him, but he wasn’t going to question a procedure this pricey if it’s being given for free. Besides, he really didn’t want to graduate with busted-up teeth. After handing the clipboard back, Gallus hesitantly asked, “So, ummm… these braces won’t be that noticeable, will they?”

Minuette tried to keep a smile, but it was far too strained for Gallus to find comfort from it. Instead of answering his question, she just awkwardly left the office with the paperwork. “Uhhh… Lemme go check on Ocellus’ forms for a second…”

As soon as she left him alone, the gryphon just gulped worriedly. “... uh oh…”

One Hour Later

Ocellus sat in the waiting room patiently, smiling contentedly in anticipatory silence. They were told that Minuette finished the procedure a while ago, but they were sure Gallus needed some time to wake up from the gas. They were also sure that he needed to process what he was wearing, since his dental health warranted something more heavy-duty than basic retainers. In most circumstances, Ocellus would feel really bad for someone being forced into something so obscene and unavoidable. But in Gallus’ case, all they could do was control their breathing while their heart thundered in their chest.

“Uhhh… O-Othellus?”

His voice came out weak from behind the corner, hidden in the hallway off from the waiting room. Ocellus quickly sprung up and stood with a smile they tried their hardest to maintain. “Oh, h-hey there! I ummm… I hope everything went alright.”

“Uhhh… I uhhhh… I don’t think tho…” As if that lisp wasn’t telling enough, Ocellus could see the results clear as day when he slowly walked into view. Even with his head hung low, the thick metal ring strapped to his head wrapped all around from his beak to the back of his neck. He tried his hardest not to look at them while his beak was slightly open. When he breathed in, his beak opened enough for Ocellus to see the thick metal braces that covered every single one of his teeth. The braces and headgear were more than a little overkill, but they absolutely matched Gallus’ blocky glasses in Ocellus’ eyes.

“Oh… Oh, w-wow…” They breathed out shakily with a heavy blush, nearly swooning from the new appearance their friend was sporting. They were grateful Gallus was looking away from them, not noticing how much they loved it. He huffed and closed his eyes, which were magnetized through the lens. Ocellus breathed out well enough to ask casually, “Are… Are you going to be alright?”

“M… M-Maybe?” He breathed out hoarsely and pulled his head up, wincing from the feel of all that metal in his beak. “Mmphhh… Th… The dentitht thaid that… That I have to wear brathes for a leath a year or two…”

“Oh… d-dear…” Ocellus was grateful to give that response as quickly as they did, despite their hesitance. They reached out and placed a hoof on his shoulder for support. “Hey, it’ll be alright… I promise, I won’t make fun of you at all. And neither will any of the others.”

Gallus seemed far less than confident in that response. He stared back at them flatly for a moment, but he wasn’t able to close his beak all the way with his headgear in place. Because of that, even the faintest breath was slightly wheezy, and was yet another side-effect of the braces to match his new lisp. Those ailments, combined with his glasses, made the gryphon struggle to believe the changeling’s giddy smile. “Uhhh… A-Are you thure, Othelluth?”

“Yes, Gallus,” they said with utmost confidence, which easily hid the adoration in Ocellus’ eyes. “I’m absolutely sure that things will be just fine~”

It was hard enough for them to stay composed with the newly dorkified gryphon right there, so they were quick to escort Gallus out of the building after the forms were signed. A lot of time may have passed already, but there was still plenty for them and the others to do before Gallus’ transformation is complete. Fortunately, Ocellus already knew what each of their friends were planning to do to better prepare their friend over the weekend; and since the glasses and braces were the hardest parts, they couldn’t wait to see how the others contributed…