• Published 22nd Feb 2015
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Lessons in quirks - Mike84



When a student from Fillydelphia appears in Ponyville to continue his studies on the field of cutie marks there at the recommendation of Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle and her friends are in for another adventure.

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Chapter VII

Rarity's reaction when she opened her door for Twilight and Frank was every bit the reaction Twilight had expected. The delighted expression that appeared on her face at the sight of Twilight froze the moment her look fell on Frank. Twilight doubted her words of introduction reached Rarity's mind as her look fell on the worn out, bulging saddle-bags undoubtedly registering every loose thread, crack and makeshift repair. As her look wandered past the spotless but threadbare wrap-around her eyes widened while her pupils and irides narrowed and by the time her look fell on Frank's headgear it turned into an expression of horror comparable to one Rarity had sported in paralyzing moments of mortal peril. Her lower jaw sagging a little. When Frank drew the felt oddity from his head in the same elegant motion he had performed in the morning, but taking no risk of entanglement this time by putting it back onto his head rather than attaching it to his saddle-bag, Rarity's eyes followed the hat as if in mesmerized trance. Her acceptance of the hoofshake offered came mechanical rather than by a deliberate decision.

Some moments of silence passed after Twilight and Frank had both completed their words of introduction. When Rarity snapped out of her state she confirmed both, Twilight's suspicion that Pinkie Pie had been here and that Rarity hadn't absorbed a word of the introduction at all by saying: "Pleased to make your acquaintance. If you will excuse us for a moment Mr. Please I got something I must show to Twilight."
Before Twilight could say or do anything, Rarity grabbed her and dragged her to the opposite end of the Boutique and behind a movable screen set up there. No new fashion design, dress or anything at all that Rarity could have shown to Twilight was to be seen beyond the screen.
"Darling dear, what happened?" Rarity asked in a hushed voice that would not be heard by somepony standing in front of the albeit open door of the boutique. Rarity grabbed Twilight's shoulders as if she either thought that Twilight was unable to stand on her own or as if she was about to either hug or shake her.

"When Pinkie told there was a colt at your place I already assumed some kind of pestering fan-pony had intruded into your home and I was going to come to your assistance. But Pinkie had not impressed upon me what kind of ruffian this Mr. Please was, or else I would have most assuredly rushed to your aid right away."
"Blanket", Twilight said dryly, though hushing up her voice same as Rarity did to spare both her and Frank the embarrassment.
"What?"
"As I just said, his name is Frank Blanket."
Twilight couldn't help feeling a stab of hurt pride because Rarity seemed convinced that she couldn't handle an importunate fan-pony on her own. She reminded herself that Rarity was talking out of honest concern, care and friendship, but if confronting an intruder Twilight had little doubt that with her magic she would be able to cope with it without any help. Luckily, the fear of such intruders which some of her friends, Rarity in particular, had expressed since Twilight's coronation had so far proven unnecessary.

Rarity seemed to be a little distracted by Twilight's correcting her about Frank's name.
"What does this... pony, do here?" she put a stress on the word pony that made it sound like an insult.
Twilight was getting annoyed. She had expected Rarity's reaction at the sight of Frank to be less than enthusiastic, but this was over the top even by Rarity's standards and Twilight felt uncomfortably reminded of the prejudiced attitude shown towards the zebra Zecora before the others had gotten to know her. Little as she knew about Frank herself, she was not going to let Rarity act like he was some kind of crook because he didn't meet her fashion standards.

"He was sent here from Canterlot by Princess Celestia herself and upon my personal invitation", Twilight said justifying this name-dropping to herself with the probability that Rarity would not question Princess Celestia as readily as Frank or herself.
"But why?" Rarity asked with an air of desperation as if all the world was betraying her.
"Not so loud" Twilight whispered since Rarity's last words had come out so loud they would probably be audible, if not intelligible, from the door. "He is a postgraduate student from Fillydelphia focusing on the study of cutie marks."
"But these old... rags, these tattered stuffed bags and this... thing on his head. He does not look like a student, he looks like... a hobo."

"Ahem..."
Twilight and Rarity twitched, whirled around and peeked past the opposite ends of the screen.
Frank was standing where they had left him in front of the door.
"By all definition I am, Miss Rarity. You are quite correct about that."
"What?" Twilight called wondering at the same time how the hay Frank had apparently been able to follow their conversation from that distance as well as how many more odd or quirky surprises that colt was going to come up with.
He removed the hat from his head and twisted it around one hoof while looking rather abashed. But looking directly at Rarity, he asked: "May I enter?"
His tone was one of such irrefutable humility that it left Rarity, who seemed as embarrassed about her words as Frank appeared about having heard them, no other choice but to nod. He used the doormat even though his hooves had not been particularly soiled on the dry ground and stepped in.

"What do you mean you are?" Twilight snapped. "A hobo? You told everypony you were a postgraduate student!"
"I am, I did and I am." Frank took a deep breath. "I studied and passed in Fillydelphia. I am a postgraduate student. I am studying cutie marks. For quite a while I have been wandering about, my home being wherever I happened to be at the time rather than at some fixed place. I guess one could say that this makes me a hobo."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Twilight asked angrily.
"You didn't ask. And what does it have to do with anything at all?"
"You misled everypony."
"But I didn't. I never told you or the other Princesses anything untrue."

Twilight was frowning and suddenly Frank returned the frown and while he kept his voice calm there was a very slight tremble in it suggesting that it was taking some effort for him.
"Nor did I try to pretend anything! Has not Miss Rarity pointed out just now that I am looking like a hobo? Did I not say that I rarely go anywhere without all my stuff when I picked up my bags at your place? Did I not tell Applejack that I've been on the road for a while? Did I make any attempt to deny it just now? Had you asked I would not have claimed otherwise."

For the second time today Twilight took notice of the fact that Frank seemed to have a good memory for everything that had been said, but when he had said it the context sure enough had allowed for his statements to be interpreted differently.
"What would you have me do? Introduce me as a hobo first and then as a student? Would it have earned me more of the surprise I got for being an earth pony? Would you have sent me away for not having a home unfoldable? Would you have me appear like a beggar rather than a student?"

Twilight was at a loss for words. Just how exactly had this pony managed to turn the tables the way he had?
Rarity too appeared to be utterly at a loss, but looking at her face Twilight could tell that she, the very one whose harsh words had actually set off this whole argument, was sympathizing with the homeless colt whom she had debased just moments ago. And how else could the representative of the Element of Generosity possibly be expected to act? It was enough to drive a pony crazy.

Frank however seemed to deflate and suddenly looked tired as if the calm but irritated words had worn him out. "I beg your pardon. I never meant to impose myself."
He took a little bow. "Miss Rarity, I'm sorry to..."
Rarity stepped out from behind the screen. She looked positively overcharged and of course she didn't have any idea what Twilight and Frank had or hadn't talked about before, but the calmness in spite of an undertone of hurt pride in combination with Franks eloquence and display of manners were enough to make her feel sorry for her earlier words.
"Oh please... I mean... Mr. Blanket, is it? I did not mean to... and uhm... why did you come here in the first place?"
Rarity was looking back, seeking help from Twilight who too came forth from the cover of the screen.

She had calmed down and was determined to postpone any further sorting out of things until after they left the boutique.
"As I was saying, Mr. Blanket... I mean Frank here is studying cutie marks. He would therefore like to talk to us about when you and the others had their cutie marks switched."
"Oh my; of course I always want to help... it just comes so suddenly."
Twilight had expected for Rarity to be least eager among her friends to discuss a matter she probably had experienced as degrading and the way this meeting had gotten off on the wrong hoof was certainly not helping matters.

It was Frank who answered and his tone was that of the perfect gentle-colt as whom Twilight had gotten to know him in the morning: "Miss Rarity, I apologize for barging in like this. I arrived here on way too short a notice and I am afraid my enthusiasm ever since Princess Celestia suggested I should visit Ponyville and contact Princess Twilight and the Elements of Harmony has made me officious. I didn't mean to be so inconsiderate. If you feel at ease about supporting my studies I would be most obliged to you. But I would not want to inconvenience you or pester you for any decision or any answers now. And if you do not want to talk about about cutie marks and the incident Princess Twilight named, I shall never bother you about it again."

Rarity was speechless. This had clearly not been the kind of speech she would have expected from the mouth of a hobo.
The silence began to get uneasy and it was Twilight who turned to Frank:
"I think we should go and visit Fluttershy."
"Uhm... are you sure? I really shouldn't be barging in like this and—"
"Just for introductions", Twilight said. "Since Pinkie Pie has spread word anyway and possibly some confusion I think it is for the best if the others get to know you."

The colt nodded, but Rarity contradicted: "Oh Twilight, I think you really shouldn't visit Fluttershy at this time."
Twilight gave her a surprised look. "Why not?"
"Fluttershy passed by here earlier this morning and she told me that her... special friend just arrived at her place for a visit."
Twilight wasn't sure she had heard correctly, gaped at Rarity and wondered how many more surprises one single day could bring: "Come again?"

"Her antlered, goat horned, fanged, snake-tongued, goat-bearded, polymorphic friend", Rarity specified.
"Discord", Twilight muttered flatly. She groaned silently. The draconequus and master of chaos was really all she needed to make her day.
Frank however looked up with visible surprise and... was that delight?
"Discord?" he asked. "Here?"
Twilight nodded: "Reformed now... we think."
"Princess Celestia mentioned this. I would be really interested to meet him."
The colt seemed to be exhilarated and Twilight heard him mumbling to himself: "Princesses, a dragon, the representatives of the Elements of Harmony, a dragonequus... this must be the most interesting day ever!"
Twilight suppressed a sigh, wondering how many more interesting things and quirks she could handle in one day.

Author's Note:

Last edited on December 6th 2015.

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