History Recap / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS8E14AMatterOfPrincipals

* {{Fainting}}: Rarity is her usual DramaQueen self and faints (into Fluttershy's arms) at the prospect of leaving in the middle of her friendship quilting class.

* TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: Discord's "substitute" teachers are Iron Will, Cranky Doodle Donkey... and a tree. Starlight's reaction sells it.

* KarmaHoudini: Discord spends the whole episode making Starlight's life miserable and walks off scot-free. Though he does end up losing his position as "vice-headmare", which he only had for a few seconds, once the Mane Six get back from their bogus friendship mission, making his entire plan a ShaggyDogStory for him.

* {{Fainting}}: Rarity is her usual DramaQueen and faints (into Fluttershy's arms) at the prospect of leaving in the middle of her friendship quilting class.

As the Mane Six depart, Starlight and Spike find Discord is there too. Discord is upset that Twilight didn't ask him to help run the school, but before he can take over, Starlight asserts she's going to follow the lists that Twilight left, as she doesn't want to let Twilight down. Discord seems to accept this, but Spike knows that Discord will likely cause a ruckus. The next day, they find Discord has hired temporary staff, all ill-fit for their teaching duties, such as Iron Will for friendship lessons. Starlight reprimands Discord, tells him to leave her alone, and replaces his hires with competent ponies. However, Discord still manages to cause disruption in the classes with his chaos. Starlight approaches Discord, but he refutes to recognize Starlight as the headmare, leading Starlight to hit him with powerful magic that permanently banishes him from the school.

[[caption-width-right:350:''"You're a good leader and an expert in friendship. I trust you to run this school exactly as I would."'']]
--> Written by Nicole Dubuc

** One of the "substitute teachers" Discord gets is [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS5E10PrincessSpike a dragonsneeze tree]]. Smolder has the same allergic reaction to it that Spike did, sneezing uncontrollably and blasting fire everywhere.

** One of the artefacts is the crown of [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS5E8TheLostTreasureOfGriffonstone Grover, first king of Griffonstone]]. Another is a shell formerly owned by Knuckerbocker, a dragon from the Daring Do book ''Daring Do and the Eternal Flower''.

Twilight Sparkle is preparing the students for a scavenger hunt, to locate six artifacts from the various Equestrian species she will hide around the school, when her cutie mark starts glowing. She meets the other Mane Six at the cutie map, all to find them summoned by the map to a far-distance location outside Equestria. Twilight realizes that this will leave the school with no teachers, and institutes a backup plan -- putting Startlight Glimmer as the temporary headmare, with Spike's help, to run the school in their absence.

The next day, Starlight is prepared to start the scavenger hunt, assigning the students in pairs. As the students look for the artifacts, Discord, in a more ghostly form, still manages to cause havoc by appearing to make the school haunted and scaring the students. Starlight witnesses all this from observing the students and realizes she was far too harsh on Discord. Before he can cause more trouble, Starlight returns his body to him, apologizes, and offers to make him the vice-principal for the school so that he can help. Just as Discord is ready to start, the Mane Six return, having discovered that Discord purposely tricked them away from the school for a few days. After assuring that all is well, Twilight tells Starlight she did a good job even with dealing with Discord.

* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Played with. When Starlight blasts Discord with a huge magic beam, the students clearly think that Starlight's killed him, but she reassures them that she only banished him from school grounds. However, Starlight's banishment spell only affects Discord's body, not his spirit nor his powers. As such, [[LoopholeAbuse he revisits the school as a spirit instead]]. According to WordOfGod, Discord also ''let'' her to do.

* {{Fainting}}: Rarity is her usual DramaQueen and faints (into Fluttershy's arms) at the prospect of leaving in the middle of my friendship quilting class.

** Discord at one point appears among the students in a outfit based on the ''Series/ThirtyRock'' meme involving Creator/SteveBuscemi appearing to try to look cool among school kids, and repeats a similar line: "How do you do, fellow creatures?"

* VisualPun: When Starlight says to Discord that she needs him to leave, the trickster quite naturally shapechanges into a huge tree leave with eyes.

* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Played with. When Starlight blasts Discord with a huge magic beam, the students clearly think that Starlight's killed him, but she reassures them that she only banished him from school grounds. However, Starlight's banishment spell only affects Discord's body, not his spirit nor his powers. As such, [[LoopholeAbuse he revisits the school as a spirit instead]].

* TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: Discord's "substitute" teachers are Iron Will, Cranky Doodle Donkey... and a tree. Starlight's reaction sells it.
-->'''Starlight Glimmer:''' You hired a '''''tree''''' as a teacher?!
-->'''Discord:''' It's schedule was free.

** The sticky staircase brings ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet'''s movies to mind.

* PrimalChestPound: After bursting through a wall, Yona pounds her chest while yelling Iron Will's lesson.