Chapter Eleven
Scootastic History Tour
In Canterlot, Twilight Sparkle is taking a short break from her reading, against Princess Celestia's wishes, she's still pulling all nighters and is sending herself into period of insanity since Hearth's Warming is in three months, she knows that Skylight would want her daughter back before then, even though she's not truly alone anymore, Rainbow Dash has been hanging out with her, and the two have formed a nice friendship, all six mares have agreed to spend their Hearth's Warming feast together in the Ponyville Library and have invited Skylight and Scootaloo into the mix. So Twilight's imposing a self-set deadline on when to discover the spell that will enable her to go to Springfield.
By afternoon, she's taken a small power nap, but Spike, who she's also inadvertently been working to death is still sleeping like a log. Just as a new letter from Springfield arrives.
Upon opening the letter, Twilight takes a quick skim through the contents of the letter. Discovering that it's worthy of being read to the Princess and her friends.
“Ooh. This is about Springfield History. I'll bet that everypony will want to hear about this.”
Later in the evening, a group had gathered in the main meeting room of Canterlot Castle, gathered was most of the ponies who were clued in to the situation with Scootaloo, the roll featured, both Princesses, one white, one navy blue, all six elements of harmony comprised of Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy – longtime friend of Rainbow Dash and caretaker of the animals in Ponyville, and Pinkie Pie – Sugar Factory and Party Extraordinaire, also invited was the mother of the stranded pony in question, Skylight.
“So, my faithful student, what is it that you called us here to hear?” asks the solar princess.
“I got a letter from Scootaloo this morning.” says Twilight.
“Oh. I hope she's doing alright” replies Fluttershy.
“She's doing well actually. But today she sent me something that I think is worth us all knowing.”
“And what would that be Twilight Sparkle.” says the Lunar Princess.
“The history of Springfield. Scootaloo's been living there for two weeks now, and we still don't know anything about the town. I've only skimmed this letter so far, so all the details will be a surprise to me too.”
“Very well Twilight, any information about Springfield will be useful.” Says Princess Celestia. “Continue”
Twilight clears her throat as she beings to read.
Dear Mom, Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia
I'm sure Marge has told you that I've started school today at Springfield Elementary with Bart and Lisa. The school is okay, larger than the schoolhouse in Ponyville that's for sure, though a bit run-down, classes are bigger in Springfield, instead of only twelve foals, there's about 30 kids in each class here. I'm sharing the same class as Lisa so at least I know a familiar face in the room, there's this one kid who seems on the dim side, always eating paste and making obvious remarks about his cat, saying that it's breath always smells of cat food or it's name happens to be “Mittens.”
I'm writing to let you know on what I learned. Princess, this is not a friendship report, I don't know if you'd want me to send one, but it's probably a little too soon for that anyway. I'm sure that this'll shock you, but I've always had a strange interest in History, I can't really explain why. Something about the past fascinates me.
“She's always had an interest in History? I wonder why she never asked me about checking out some history books from the library. Skylight, did you always know about this?” comments Twilight, turning to Skylight.
“Indeed. I did know. History was the only subject in school that she never needed help with.” Skylight notes. “As for not asking you for books, I'd say that's because of her self-perceived reputation. She thinks checking out books would make her look like an 'egghead' so she says.”
Twilight sends a glare at Rainbow Dash.
“What are you looking at me for?” says Rainbow Dash, “I never said that to her.”
“Maybe not, you did believe the same thing yourself.” says Rarity.
Princess Celestia laughs.
“Seems that Scootaloo is more like you than you thought Rainbow Dash!” she comments. “Twilight, please continue”
“Right.”
From what I got out of the lesson in class, Springfield was founded by a person called “Jebadiah Springfield” in a secret uncovered by Lisa, his name was actually “Hans Sprungfeld” who was a murderous pirate and an enemy of “George Washington” the first President of this country, “America” that I'm currently living in.
Lisa tells me that she once researched into Jebadiah Springfield for a history project of her own, exposing him as Hans Sprungfeld, exposing him as a fraud, but was given an F for it and called a “PC Thug”. She also tells me that Bart once sawed off the head of Jebadiah from the statue that's in the center of town, and the entire town was angry at him because of it.
Lisa was going to expose the truth behind Jebadiah but decided not to, as she thought that the myth despite it being a sham was something worth preserving and meant a lot to a lot of people in the town.
“That sounds like what Twilight did with the myth of the Mare in the Moon.” blurts Pinkie Pie. “She proved those myths true.”
An orange hoof is forced across Pinkie's mouth to stop her talking as Applejack looks over to Princess Luna who is looking more down than usual.
“Ignore her your highness, Pinkie simply doesn't know when she needs to keep quiet sometimes!”
“'Tis fine Applejack. 'Tis understandable.”
Apparently the town was founded when Jebadiah Springfield and a friend Shelbyville Manhattan were traveling to found a new town, Jebadiah wanted to found the town based on chastity while Shelbyville wanted to found the town so that the citizens could marry their cousins, Lisa tells me simply because “they're so attractive.” I don't really see that as much of an excuse myself, this has resulting a long standing rivalry between Springfield and the Neighbouring town, Shelbyville.
One of the other things I learned was that the town has a motto, the motto is “A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man.” I sort of get the idea, but I have never heard of the word “embiggen” until I came to Springfield, when I asked Miss. Hoover about it, Lisa's teacher (by the way Miss. Hoover shows no real interest in teaching unlike Miss. Cheerilee) she said that it was a perfectly “cromulent” word. Which I don't get either. Lisa told me that “Cromulent” meant something that was acceptable, but could never give me a clear meaning on “embiggen.”
“Oh great, even the Springfieldians make up words!” grunts Rainbow Dash with a facehoof, “though at least these words sound like words, unlike those Pinkie makes!”
“What are you talking about Rainbow Dash, my words are very cromulent!” blurts Pinkie Pie.
“Uh... moving on...” says Twilight.
Springfield has had many traditions, most are vastly different from Equestria's, Winter Wrap-up is non-existent here, the weather just does what it wants, there's nobody who controls it, I must admit that takes some getting used to. Hearts and Hooves Day, Hearths Warming Eve and Nightmare Night all exist here, but go under different names.
There are some traditions they have that we don't, such as “Whacking Day”, it's been abolished given the pointless nature of it, but it was the hunting and killing of as many snakes in town as possible, mostly with wooden clubs.
“WHAT?” yells Fluttershy, out of character for her actually, “h-how could they do that! Beating the poor defenseless snakes like that”
“There's more Fluttershy,” Twilight says, quickly skimming ahead “Ooh, you'll like this bit”
The tradition started again, with Jebadiah Springfield where he killed the first snake in 1775, but Bart exposed that as a sham too. The tradition actually had nothing to do with Jebadiah, instead it was established in 1922 as an excuse to beat up the Irish, (the Irish being the people who come from a country called Ireland). The tradition was abolished after Bart and Lisa banded together to try and save the snakes, and pointed out that they had no right to turn on the snakes after all they had done for them.
“See Fluttershy,” says Twilight, “Bart and Lisa were able to fix things”
“Thank Goodness!” she replies.
Anyway, I'm telling you this because I don't doubt that you would all be interested in knowing a little more about Springfield and the kind of place it is.
Scootaloo
“So, um... what do we do now?” asks Twilight.
“We're not going to do anything.” says Princess Celestia.
“We're not?” says Skylight.
“No. We still don't know too many details about Springfield and the world it's in. The Simpsons have proven themselves to be trustworthy. But we don't have enough information about the world beyond the towns borders.”
“Then why don't we ask Scootaloo for more information, or we could ask the Simpsons themselves?” says Twilight.
“Yes. Surely they would answer any questions we have” says Rarity.
“That would be true, they might.” says the Princess, but turns to Twilight with a sly look, “if we did that, I wouldn't want Twilight to postpone her studies for a cross-dimension portal for learning about Springfield. Hehe.”
Twilight turns her head away from her mentor, inside she knows that's totally what she would do.
“Don't be discouraged Twilight,” the Princess says “I'm sure Scootaloo will write to us anyway. Why don't you take a break from everything here, spend a couple of days in Ponyville and get some rest, spend some time with your friends. I think you've earned it”
“Yeah! We can totally have a 'Welcome Twilight back to Ponyville for a little while' party!” says Pinkie Pie, jumping up and down.
“Uh, sugarcube, she's taking a break, a party isn't going to help.” says Applejack.
“Actually. I'd like a Pinkie Party.” Says Twilight.
“Say what?” says Rainbow Dash surprised that it was Twilight that said that.
“Are you feeling alright Twahlight?” comments Applejack, thinking the same thing.
“ALRIGHT!” jumps Pinkie Pie, “I knew you'd see it my way!”
“Heheh. I think we can call this meeting adjourned.” says Princess Celestia.
Everypony but Twilight bows to their princesses and then turns to walk out the door.
“Don't get me wrong, I don't want a big one. Just us in the library. Kind of like a Slumber Party” Twilight comments as they walk and talk, “This'll have to be better than the last one. Right Applejack, Rarity?”
“Of course, darling,” says Rarity, “Slumber Parties are much more fun with all your friends.”
“I reckon so.” says Applejack. “It'll make a nice treat for Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle as well, they can have a slumber party of their own at Sweet Apple Acres. What'd you say Rarity?”
“That sounds like a lovely idea,” comments the white unicorn.
Twilight turns to Skylight who is walking shyly alongside them, feeling a bit out of place amongst the six friends.
“Why don't you join us Skylight?” asks Twilight.
“Huh-” Skylight notices that she's being addressed. “Heh, oh no thank you Twilight. I'm a little old for slumber parties. I'd be out of place.” she says.
“Nonsense!” exclaims Pinkie Pie appearing from... somewhere. “You're never too old for a slumber party!”
Twilight felt like keeping the trip a traditional one rather than making a bunch of portals, so instead they took the train from Canterlot back to Ponyville. At least it gave Pinkie Pie plenty of time to work out a list of activities for the slumber party on the train.