//------------------------------//
// 4 
// Story: Tales of a Brighton Phoenix 
// by The Stainmore Phoenix 
//------------------------------//

	Classes were nothing short of difficult. The improvisation Theatre class was fun. Our instructor, a Moth Pony Colt named Boom taught us how in one of the most interesting way-by letting us put the lesson into action.

Our other teachers (barring four) were nightmares. Mrs. Algorithm, our Lunar and Solar Calculus class loved to role out 20 hours of homework every Monday. I hated the Wine red pegasus with a black mane, because she took a dislike to me because I asked too many questions.

Mr. Invisible Ink, our writing teacher, was even worse. The silverish gray unicorn loved assigning us homework without teaching us. It made every assignment ten times harder and all he did was give us pop quizzes on everything we had to read in the textbook.

Ms. Fume Hood, our Chemistry teacher, gave us a pop quiz on the first day of class, in which the entire class failed because it was on material we hadn't covered. She and Skyla always went round and round about safety and the proper way to do things.

Mr. Framerate, our Film instructor, was actually really damn forgiving. The Vampire Changeling assigned no homework and any projects we took home, he wanted them as perfect as we could make them, so he didn't care if the project took six weeks or longer. Every project my team turned out was gold.

Mr. Sharp Arrow, a former Changeling King of the Crystal Hive, who taught Biology of Love, didn't mind questions. In fact, he was fond of saying “If you are ashamed of asking questions, you are ashamed of learning”

Our shops teacher, Mrs. Diamond Blade, a salmon pink colored dragon winged pony told us whether we were doing things wrong or right. The Earth Pony mare was one who preferred safety to dangerous stunts. She cared for her students and made sure the rules were followed. 

Ms. Potters Wheel, our ceramics teacher, was known to just leave us to our devices after teaching, which worked for me. It allowed me time to perfect my projects. That also gave me great props for my projects form Mr. Framerate's class. That Unicorn was nothing short of special

Mrs. Sawdust, a dragon winged changeling, was unbearable. If the wood wasn't properly ripped, she made you do it over and over until she got it right. I swear she's gotta be Stanley Kubrick's ponyized. Sometimes she made me or one of the class mates rip the wood at least 127 times.

The last teacher, Mrs. Tectonic Plate, a thestral who taught geology, was one of those who didn't give two damns if you showed up or ditched halfway through the class. You better show up for the midterm and final or your grades get screwed.

The classes ran Monday through Wednesday, leaving Thursday through Sunday free to study and get things done. The college apparently had Celestia as a student and she aced all her classes and was even in many after college activities. Somehow, I doubted that but on to the most uneventful thing ever.

It was Monday and we were in Biology of Love, our class before lunch. Mr. Sharp Arrow was smiling as he entered with Cadence and Shining Armor, who were going to help him demonstrate natural love vs love that has magical interference. I felt myself going down to the size of a mouse. Skyla, sitting next to me, saw me going into a notebook to write down everything said.

“You okay?” she whispered in my ear.

I saved my response and waited until the bell rang and departed as fast as I dare go with the class all filing out around me. Once clear, I looked at her.

“Sky, do you think I want to be around when....” I began but cut it off when Cadence appeared.

Once again, feeling tiny, I walked alongside her and Shining Armor as we made our way to the commons. At the last minute, Sharp Arrow came up.

“Princess Cadence, Captain Shining Armor, care to join me in a private dining room, where the three of us can talk?” he asked.

“Can the students of “Crystal Weave Room 4” join us?” she asked.

“Not to be rude, but may I ask why?” he quizzed.

She whispered something into his ear, getting him to stand straight as a ramrod.

“You don't say,” he said. “While it is a private dining room, for me and my guests, I can make this exception.”

She thanked him and we joined them. Once inside, he faced me and Skyla.

“So you two are Cadence's soon to be adopted son and daughter eh?”

That got a rise out of Inkwell and the two thestrals. Skyla nodded in affirmation while I stayed silent. I could feel Shining's glare melting into my cranium. Sharp Arrow chuckled.

“I guess this took him by surprise,” the Changeling said. “I'd react the same way if I was in his place.”

“True,” Cadence said. 

Over lunch; we talked about the classes, the teachers, all the homework, how we were handling ourselves, all the comedy and even talked about the upcoming events. Cadence had to roll her eyes at hearing about the other instructors who were absolute pricks.

“Anyway, what's your next plan of attack?” Shining Armor asked.

“Get through this hell and them move onto looking for a job,” I said. “Unless something absolutely strange comes up.”

“Like what?” Western Brass asked.

“Nightmare Moon returns, has a small army of ponies, comes to our dorm room and whisks us away to be used in her army and then give us the oh so simple task of kidnapping Celestia so Nightmare can banish the solar princess to the moon forever more,” I said. “Then again, that happening is a shot in the dark.”

That got them to laugh. After lunch, we split up and went off to class while Cadence and Shining Armor disappeared home. Of course, our secret was well kept and no pony was any the wiser. Classes continues much the same and when finals came, we were eager to get them done with and get our grades.

Let's just say, I never worked harder for two D's, one F, two B's and five A's. All the others got straight A's or A's B's and C's. At least I can say, being an Alicorn isn't all it's cracked up to be. At least our next term would be easier than ever or so we thought.