Twilight Sparkle's School of Harmony

by Venates

Registration

Spike marched down a long, narrow hallway. The same long, narrow hallway he'd been patrolling all day. Things were mostly quiet at the moment, much in the same way a newborn babe may take breaths between shrieks of discomfort. As he turned to begin his pace anew, he jerked backwards at the sight of four purple legs standing where they were not a second before.

"Hi, Spike!" said Twilight Sparkle in a far higher voice than usual.

"Um... hi?" Spike gathered his senses and focused on lowering his heart rate. "Do you need something, Twilight?"

Twilight crooked her head at a ninety-degree angle. "I need a hammer!" she said with more enthusiasm than anyone in need of a hammer ever said.

"O... kay?" Spike scratched his head, utterly perplexed by Twilight's strange behavior. "What do you need a hammer for?" he asked.

"It's for my head!" Twilight stated matter-of-factly.

Spike winced. "Um..." He took Twilight by the hoof and guided her to a nearby doorway. "I think you need to sit down for a bit," said Spike as he opened a door. "Maybe get some water."

"Good idea, Spike!" answered Twilight. She trotted into the room in a daze. With the door open, Spike couldn't help but overhear Fluttershy sobbing. He peered in to see a frazzled Rarity comforting her, Rainbow Dash rubbing her temples by the windowsill, and Applejack sitting at a table, staring at her hat as though eating it could solve world hunger. From down the hall he could hear Pinkie Pie yelling in a manner entirely uncommon to her.

Spike shook his head and closed the door behind him, continuing his patrol.

"This school was a terrible idea," he muttered to himself.

---

A few weeks earlier

Ponyville is, ordinarily, a rather small and quiet town. However, that hasn't stopped it from seeing a few events in its time: an annual race, the opening of cider season, regular appearances by rampaging monsters several stories high, and the Ponyville Days Festival, just to name a few. Perhaps the most striking thing about it is the tall, crystalline castle that stands on the outskirts of town. On this day, five ponies make their trek towards the castle, their visit by no means an uncommon occurrence. They still can't help but be curious about the reason behind their summoning.

Applejack adjusted her favorite hat after a small spring breeze set it rather uncomfortably. "What do you think she's got this time, y'all?" asked Applejack of her companions.

"Maybe there's a monster attack going on in Manehattan!" suggested Rainbow Dash excitedly, somehow under the assumption that such things happen in other towns. She mimed a few martial art moves mid-flight above her friends.

"Oh, I hope not," Fluttershy said timidly. Her blue eyes showed the wear of the pony relied on to try talking to creatures first.

"Maybe it's a cake!" suggested Pinkie Pie, despite her bouncing stride showing no sign of a sugar deficit. "One with lots of frosting!"

"I pray not," said Rarity, her elegant gait barely keeping pace with the others. "I've been doing so well on my diet, and even a nibble could completely knock me off track." Her voice lowered to a point few could hear it. "Good grace, I hope there's cake."

Applejack smirked and came close to making a comment, but cut herself off when a familiar pony came into view. "Howdy, Twilight!" she said instead, greeting their sixth friend.

"Hey, girls!" Twilight said, beaming. Fluttershy's composure relaxed seeing her friend's smiling face. Rainbow Dash gave a small pout. Twilight waved a hoof, signaling them to follow her into her castle. "C'mon! I've got some exciting news!"

---

Twilight's castle was unique in that its throne room contained not one, not two, but seven chairs within, all seated in a circle around a table that served as a map of their country. A baby dragon sat in the smallest of these seats, and waved happily as his friends entered.

"Hi, guys!" Spike said to them. The others gave cheerful greetings back as they each took their own seats around the table. Almost as soon as they did, however, Spike hopped up from his own and made for the door.

"Aren't you staying, Spike?" asked Rainbow Dash.

Spike shook his head as he placed a claw on the exit's door handle. "Nah," he answered, "I was just trying to see if I could watch a hoofball game on the map." He sighed. "No luck." He opened the door, but before he left, he finished with, "Besides, this is more for you guys anyway, and I've got a cake in the oven. I'll bring you some when I'm done!"

As the door closed, Pinkie's smile threatened her eyebrows. Rarity's expression was indiscernible.

"Now that you're all here," Twilight began, bringing the attention in the room back to the center, "there's something I need to discuss with all of you." Her horn lit in a purple aura, and a recently penned letter floated into view. It was met with five curious faces.

"I just received this letter from Princess Celestia," said Twilight. She floated the parchment closer to read its words. "To keep things brief, she's asking if the six of us would like to start a school where we would teach young minds about the elements of harmony."

"The Elements?" said Rainbow Dash incredulously. She leaned forward and pointed towards a point on the map deep in the forest on Ponyville's border. "We put those into the Tree of Harmony! How are we supposed to teach about them if we can't get them back?"

Twilight shook her head. "No, not the actual Elements," she explained. "This is more about the foundation of harmony. Its aspects." She tapped a hoof on the table. "Think about how most academies have pillars they use to represent their core ideals and what they strive to excel in. For us, that would be our elements!"

Fluttershy's quiet voice spoke up as she shifted in her seat. "So, um, you mean we'd be teaching little fillies and colts about harmony? About magic, and kindness, and... um... the rest?"

Rainbow Dash looked indignant, as though Fluttershy forgot to mention something of importance, but didn't say anything.

"That's right!" answered Twilight. "Six pillars, six teachers..." She motioned a hoof around the room. "Six of us!"

Applejack shook her head. "I don't know about this, Twilight," she said. "I mean, the six of us? Running a whole school? Heck, I'd be missing more days than I'd be teaching trying to keep the farm in shape!"

Rarity nodded and shifted her gaze from Applejack to Twilight. "I'm inclined to agree with Applejack," said Rarity. "I already have quite the backlog of orders to fill, and I can't imagine spending almost every day of the year away from my work."

A few agreeing hums echoed in the wake of Rarity and Applejack's words.

Twilight shook her head and smiled. "It's not a traditional school," she explained. "It would be more like a one-day camp than a customary class structure. Students arrive in the morning, learn all they need to know through the day, then head home again in the evening." The others exchanged looks. Twilight continued, "And with us only needing to worry about one day at a time, I'm sure we could find days that works for all six of us!"

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie looked at one another. "That... might actually work," said Rainbow.

Rarity scratched her chin. After a beat, Applejack gave the table a cordial slap. "Well, shoot, Twilight," Applejack said, "I think it's a terrific idea!"

Still scratching her chin, Rarity's eyes focused on nothing in particular as she thought. "I have to admit, the idea of shaping young minds is a rather endearing opportunity," she said.

"Count me in!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash. She leaned back and put her hind legs on the table. "I kinda like the idea of getting a bunch of little me's running around!"

"Me too!" said Pinkie, mimicking Rainbow's actions. Rainbow's expression faltered a hair.

The group of ponies turned their attention to and leaned towards their one member yet to vocally sign on. Fluttershy flinched under their collective gaze. "I... uh..."

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Twilight said to Fluttershy from across the table. Her eyes were kind and sincere. "But we do need all of us in agreement if we're going to do this."

"Um... I... um..."

Fluttershy looked around the room. Each face and each expression were slightly different, but at their core were the words and emotions they always used to get her to tag along on their adventures. When she next spoke, Fluttershy's word would have gone unnoticed by any other than the five trained to hear it.

"Okay."

"Great!" Twilight exclaimed. She leaned back in her chair, and the others did the same. Pinkie had to take several paces to get off the table and back to her seat. Twilight continued, "I'll let Princess Celestia know that we're willing to do it. Sounds like we'll have a few weeks to find a location, build the school, and prepare our classes." Then, clapping her hooves together, she said. "This is so exciting!" Twilight propped herself up on the table. "Spike!" she called. "Spike, can you take a letter?"

"Sure thing!" said a voice from the other side of the room's doors. Just then, the doors lurched forward, revealing two stubby purple legs underneath a mountain of cake and frosting at least three times taller than the dragon carrying it. "Cake's ready!" he said, announcing the obvious.

Six pairs of eyes widened. Rarity moaned in anticipation. The others glanced back at her, Spike looking particularly agitated.