Janus, empirically there, smiling duel—unease and ease, tears of joy and sorrow.
Dancing little virtues, hail to thee!
Princes of the Carolinas—
Call upon the rows of ponykind; offer them salvation.
Legions stand at attention, whores and voyeurs.
A transferred lecturer and pegasus, heiresses, with some coin in hand—a deed freshly printed in their purse.
“Think your folks would approve?”
“Rainbow, the whole state of Massachusetts frowns upon us.”
“You’re shaking, nervous—”
“—only half as much.”
“So what are we looking for?”
“Ones with strong legs.”
“Right…”
“The job is a good offer; they need someone to build up the new department.”
“Indeed,” she said, putting down her teacup.
“I’ll write a few letters—an old friend of mine knows of an estate that just got put up.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Crepuscola, sei sicuro che questo è ciò che si vuole ?"
“No, Cadenza, non mi*”
She shook her head, eyes downcast.
I spotted an orange dirt pony with a blond mane, eyes despaired. I glanced at Rainbow, she tried a reassuring glean.
“Hello, um… what is your name?”
She paused and looked up, but only for a second.
“Apple Jack,” she said, her voice strained.
With my aura, I titled her head up—her eyes were shot, red.
“Um… Apple Jack… ah, what did you do previously?”
“I… I’h worked on a peach plantation.”
“Did you buck the trees?”
She nodded; cast a nervous glimpse behind her.
“Your family?” I asked, eyeing for a moment the three behind her.
“Can they also buck.”
“Could… can… will… but Granny…”
“Shh… don’t worry,” I patted her head, “I need house ponies too.”
I did not know what to think; cruelty of circumstance and I have never seen more grateful eyes.
~*~
Ah scrubbed mahself cleaner than ah had been in a long, long time. Somethin bout all this stuff said that ah ought be presentable—
ah wonder where that pink earthgro is from? If she’s the mastas’ guest then—
Professor always hinted that she liked dirt ponies, ah mean she takes good nough care of us considerin…
did she buy her? No, slaves don’t ride in carts, or—
well if she’s at that fancy school—
if she is—
can earth ponies go to school?
neva felt this confused, ah like masta—
not what this is about myself ain’t relevant when lookin at this here
didn’t feel so confused bout Sweetie and me…
but… but… ain’t got
so—who
“You done Bloom?”
“Yea,” ah dried off some.
My sista gave me a white tunic and a ribbon to put mah hair up into. She said mastas wanted us to look nice.
~*~
I try to never pick favorites, but, I confess, at times this virtue is above me. Fluttershy was never my top student, but hardly matters. She was willing to put up with my… we’ll call them shenanigans… and that means a great deal. Harvard can be so stuffy, so… dull. I more than once looked forward to the dean chastising me; at least I could raise my voice to someone then. Ahh… but alas, I find that we are both mellowing, she either doesn’t care or I don’t have it in me anymore.
Oh well.
Twilight was Cadenza’s student, but I am the department chair, so she was inevitably mine. And while I never disliked her—we never got along as famously as I and Fluttershy.
I could show all of this—recount a great story that exemplifies what I am saying, but, as I said before, I no longer have the fortitude. I can play upon the devil’s winds, but not much else.
I hope that I can meet that one earth pony student Fluttershy mentions in her letters, she sounds like a treat—Twilight hammered sort of treat—given that mare’s habits—that’s quite a bit.
I still correspond with Crepuscola from time to time; I suppose I am the only one who is willing to look her in her mind’s eye and—well never mind that now… last I heard she had invited that earth pony student of Fluttershy’s to speak at her school. I can’t imagine that will go well… hmm… I might have to disappoint the dean and thrill my student’s by taking a bit of jaunt down there—oh, the look on Twilight’s face.
It will be priceless.
~*~
“Thank you Mac!” I blurped as we stopped in front of the—house, mansion? it was pretty big, but not as big as some of them cattlemen, of course they got more space than they could ever know what to do—
“You’re welcome, Ma’am,” he replied.
“Indeed, much appreciated,” said Fluttershy, he nodded.
“Mac!” a portly old earth pony said, coming to the door.
“Hum?”
“Mastas said you’se gotta go get cleaned up, gonna be helpin inside tonight.”
He shrugged, “Okay.”
“And you are?”
“Milly, ma’am.”
“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Milly, I’m Fluttershy and this is my former student Pinkiamena.”
“They let eartgros go to school?”
“Up where we’re form!” I chimed.
“Hugh… crazy, mastas said they was gonna be a free earth pony commin over, but never thought thought—”
“Are they here, Milly?”
“Yes Professor.”
A purple unicorn dressed in a suede smoking jacket followed by a rather colorful pegasus in a equally colorful ball gown approached.
“Go help Granny with the cooking.”
“Yes Professor.”
“Fluttershy, dear,” she said, hugging her, turning to me “and you must be Pinkamena.”
“Yeppers!” I said, shaking her hand.
She has a silly type of grin; I’ll bet she’s nervous; I don’t blame her; I’d be too given her background and where we are all now—
“And this beautiful mare is my wife, Rainbow Dash.”
“Miss Dash it is a pleasure to meet you.”
“Indeed—nice to make your acquaintance, you go to Harvard too?”
“Hehe, nice to meet you both as well, and no, Pinkie, I went to Radcliffe.”
“Shall we go inside; I’ve got quite the treat for everyone.”