One normal day in the city of Canterlot an ambitious pony and his friend start a educational project in Ponyville. Applejack signs in to be a teacher after being told by Rarity she doesn't meet the standards of such a fine institution, but what Applejack didn't sign for is the academic and cultural plan that will change the face of Equestria from its delicate base. The children.
One gloomy night in a seemingly deserted mansion in Canterlot there were two ponies, the first one with a sharp mind and sharper suit, and another with a blue hoodie put on and nothing better to do but help his partner for life.
“So, what are we doing tonight?”
His friend ignored him and hid his ears further inside his hood. Showing anger the formal wearer asked again in a more fitting manner.
“HELLOOOO?! Any pony home? … I’m talking to you Clan!”
His friend woke up with the eyes of a murderer on his face, and an expression that turned scarier by the shadow his hood provided.
“… How can I help you my dear friend?”
The nice tone on his voice made his mane stand on end. His particular smile didn’t render the situation any less frightening. Never minding it, the ambitious pony gained his composure back and asked again.
“Well Clandestine, you don’t really think we can spend the whole night sleeping in the house, right?”
“You rather sleep in a dumper?”
With this sentence Clan dived off his face in a pillow and pretended to sleep.
“Is that it? I demand you to wake up and help me start my … our project”
He added more kindness in the last two words. Fixing his tie he stomped on the floor loudly. Clan raised his head and motioned a migraine with his hooves.
“‘Sigh’ Most Obnoxious Pony Ever!”
“Well what are you waiting for? Come along we don’t have all night!”
“Now hold on, what exactly are we going to do?”
His well dressed friend smiled for the first time in the night. He walked towards the window and looked through the glass.
“Our society has a problem, a silent and invisible one, but one that for sure will be felt throughout the ages!”
“…”
Cutting the drama he started over. He turned to face his friend.
“Clan, you know I love our society and I want to help it grow, therefore we must do what we have never done before!” “Why don’t you try going to a gay bar?”
He was obviously mocking, but it didn’t sound like it. His friend hoof slapped himself and talked him over.
“You know we don’t have those in Canterlot, no pony has ever requested them here”
“Then why don’t you go make your own? I think you would like it”
The tuxedo wearer hoof slapped himself again, and returned a reproaching stare.
“You know I am not into that sort of thing. WHY ARE WE EVEN TALKING ABOUT THIS?!”
“Because it’s fun. Oh no? Then why do you spend so much time with me? And LIVE with me? Not to mention I haven’t seen you mingling with many mares recently”
“THAT… ‘Clears throat’ that does not matter, look will you assist me or not?”
“The real matter here is will you ever show your true colors?” His friend angered more. Clan fought a terrible spasm in his ribs to avoid laughing “Would you someday come out of the closet!?” His friend was now boiling red and steam came out of his breathing. “AHAHAHA easy Conqui, am just messing with you”
“Listen well you snake tongue, my name is Land Conquistador, not Conqui”
“Conqui is shorter, besides Conquistador sounds silly. You going to tell me that every time I call you Conqui? Like you always do?”
Land fell down to his knees and asked him defeated.
“Will you please listen to me now?” He finally spoke Clan’s language.
“Speak” Clan is aware his friend has power and wants to make great changes in Equestria, he also insisted in having him as a partner. Land has a dream of transforming every pony alive into beings more like him. Or at least increase their intellect and reduce and/or eliminate their ignorance. Not for his sake, but for the sake of the gods he believes in, the gods named Logic and Discipline.
“Okay, listen well. I have this project funded by me, and all the specifications are in this letter” He brandished a golden envelop and handed it to Clan. “Take it and do not lose it, in case the princess refuses to sign it, just persuade her. That’s your most important part in this Job” Clan smiled with confidence, he seemed to enjoy a challenge. “When the princess signs the letter then phase two will begin, and I will selected the best teachers for this” The environment changed from a casual conversation to a dead serious dialogue. Land’s eyes locked on Clan and motioned him to complete the mission.
“Is that it?”
Land nodded. Clan tightened the letter and readied his body.
“Consider it done, Conquistador!”
Clan revealed his wings and galloped towards the closest window, with deft hooves he opened the window’s lock and soared his way out with a single flap.
Are you a grown pony? Are you interested in forming part of the educational project that will change the future of Equestria? Are you an expert or amateur of any known science or useful knowledge? If you are any of this please assist to the sign-in office next to the city hall and sign yourself for a brief and beneficial test to examine if you meet the standards of our institution. Please inform of the contents of this brochure to friends, family or any known pony that could be considered to meet our standards and even surpass them! Help us forge the future of our foals, by our foals and for our foals!
Sign in requirements:
1. Currently be 20 years old or more, or be healthily developed physically and mentally 2. Have a birth certificate (please bring us a copy) 3. Have any kind of expertise that can be considered beneficial to our society 4. Know how to read, write and know basic mathematics and language 5. Be willing to take on a psychological and emotional test 6. Be herbivorous
Note:
Being a pony is NOT a requirement, we are willing to impart knowledge from any intelligent species that comply the necessities above.
Second Note:
Every teacher will receive a total of 70 bits for every successful week of imparted classes.
It is a sunny day on the Ponyville market where two ponies stopped to read the distributed brochures. Applejack enhanced her skimming into a deep reading on the last sentence. She liked what she read at the end.
“Ho-oly hay that’s a lot of bits over there!”
Rarity was reading alongside, she happened to also like that number at the end.
“I like what I read too, but I think they have the highest of standards to be willing to pay a salary that big, weekly” Rarity consoled Applejack by patting her on the shoulder. Applejack shoved her hoof away and turned around to face her.
“Hold on a sec, what’s that supposed to mean?!”
“Oh Applejack, you don’t believe that …” Applejack cuts her off.
“I don’t believe what?!”
“Would you let me finish?” Applejack backed off a few hoof steps, she rolled her eyes and relaxed her stance. “As I was saying, I think you miss a few requirements’, those being number 3 and 4”
Applejack contained her limbs from strangling Rarity. She breathed deeply, counted to 10 and spoke back.
“You don’t know a thing about me dress maker… I JUST READ THE DARNED-DOO DLEE-DAMNED BROCHURE RIGHT NEXT TO YA!!!”
“Okay, but what about your language? You sure like miss some words quite often” Applejack was trying really hard now, but she was aware Rarity had a point. “darned-doo dlee-damned? Right next to ya? Language is not made up, it has rules … you know what are rules?” It was obvious Rarity was just trying to piss her off now, her face showed the satisfaction of messing with Applejack. “And tell me this, how much math do you know?” Applejack fixed her hat and stare right to Rarity’s eyes.
“I know all the basics and beyond” She says this proudly with a smile. “Addition, subtraction, multiplications, divisions, square roots, exponentiation, fractions, Algebra, equations, you name it!” Applejack smiles even wider, she didn’t know she knew so much math. “And for your information its mathematics! Not math”
“How could an earth p… I mean farmer know all of that?” Rarity still attempts to get in Applejack’s nerves.
“Do you think building a barn is easy? I do all the numbers and values when it comes to work” Applejack has good argument and solid proof. “I am pretty much the only female engineer in Ponyville!” Rarity stood silent and with an irritating confident smile. Applejack fixed her hat again and finished the conversation.
“That’s it! I am signing in” Applejack picked off the goods she bought in the market and trotted away. “I can’t wait to erase that smile of ya … I mean off your face!” Applejack galloped towards her home to prepare for the signing, she would need some time in order to ready herself to meet the standards of a very fine institution, and she would need to make a plan and a good night of sleep. She turned her head a few meters away to look a Rarity. Rarity had the same smile with innocent eyes. “‘Sign’ Or maybe I will erase that smile with a nice buck, right in between the nose!” she whispered to herself.
The hooded Pegasus flew inside the mansion, his friend receive him with a tense look expecting the worst.
“Okay, here we go. Clandestine, hit me!”
Clan closed his wings and put himself comfortable in the same bed he was last night.
“The fact that my head is still attached to my body should be enough evidence things went better than I expected” Land nodded and motioned him to go on. “There were a lot of royal losers that refuse to let me see the princess, they said they didn’t trust my aspect” The letter was to be given directly to the princess, the royal guards may dictate the letter to be unsafe and may damage it or completely break it. “So I flew to the main tower myself, avoiding being detected of course, I picked the lock to princess Celestia’s chambers and went inside” Land was hysterically biting his hoof nails now, he also shivered unnaturally. “The princess said she wasn’t expecting any visitors and asked me the meaning of my intrusion”
“You forced your way to the princess?! Are you insane?!” Land lost control and almost started to cry. “Where is your common SENSE?!”
“I said I lock picked it, so calm down freak show!” Land did as told and settled on a couch facing the bed. “I bowed to the princess and asked her to take my deepest apologies. She took it well and decided to hear me up. I gave her the envelop which she levitated and opened after a while of checking it” Clan chuckled under his breath “I also said that was a proposal sent to her days ago, and it turns out she was the one apologizing now!” The princess was embarrassed for ignoring her royal duties so irresponsibly.
“So you lied to the princess?”
“Shut up you mule! I am the one who risked his leather for your bloody project!” Land apologized and told him to go to the point already. “The princess read for a while and … she loved it! She considers that the best education possible is exactly what all the ponies need”
Land yelled in excitement and jumped on the bed to plant a kiss on Clan’s cheek. Land covered his mouth in embarrassment and apologized to his friend. “Never mind that, this means the princess accepted my proposal then?”
Clan nodded. “She ordered the distribution of the brochures to be done tomorrow morning right in front of me” Clan added “She also said the first sign in station will be in Ponyville because she considers it to be the most needed at the moment” Clan concluded. “She even accepted to provide all the equipment the letter requested and you will be able to select educators tomorrow, you will also get extra money from her royal accounts to pay the teachers”
Land cried in happiness after listening his project will be done after all. “Wait, right tomorrow? They can build the signing station so quick?”
“They are as we speak”
Land inserted his hooves in his mane and took it all in. His project was starting tomorrow and he could be able to pick teachers tomorrow so he can start the impartation of classes very soon. The princess accepted to cover all the expenses so the situation was against failure. He relaxed a little and thought about it, why not pick his first teacher right now? He eyed Clan and asked him with a hoof under his chin.
The day started fresh and sunny at Sweet Apple Acres. Our country orange filly awakes calmly and lifts a hoof to tap her early yawns. Applejack cleared her eyes and slowly gained consciousness. The signing is today and she will follow the plan she elaborated last night. Applejack got off bed and headed to the bathroom to ready up. She brushed her teeth twice as hard, she took a shower with a special soap made of honey and almonds, to improve the smoothness on her coat, courtesy of Granny Smith.
“Today we are kicking some diamond flanks!”
Once Applejack was done with her hot shower she went down stairs and met with a feast of pancakes and jars of zap apple jelly, accompanied with a jar filled with recently made apple juice. The breakfast was courtesy of Big Macintosh and Applebloom.
“Gee thanks Big Mac and Applebloom! This was faaantastic!”
With a satisfied belly, Applejack carried on with the last step. Granny Smith and Applebloom were waiting in her bedroom with a case full of makeup. Granny applied lash growth to make her eyelashes look longer and more appealing, while Applebloom powdered Applejack’s nose and the eyelids, she also hid every freckle on her face. Finally they brushed Applejack’s mane and organized it into a pouf manestyle with one red flower as ornamentation. Applejack looked herself in the mirror and gasped with happiness.
“I look beautiful! Thank y’all!”
“Don’t mention it sweetie, just make sure to bring ‘s those 70 bits weekly!”
Applejack smiled a little embarrassed and went to hug Granny, then she lowered and patted Applebloom on the head.
“I will do my best Granny, I promise!”
Big Mac cleared his throat loudly as if calling for some attention too. With this heard she hugs Big Mac and kisses him in the cheek, she didn’t want to degrade his help or anything of the sort.
“Of course I haven’t forgotten ya mah big brother!”
“Eeyup!”
Big Macintosh smiled with pride and motioned her to leave already. Applejack grabbed the annotations she made while studying last night and fitted them in a saddlebag. Now she is all set to apply for the job as an educator. Not only she looks wonderful and possesses a professional looking manestyle, she is good with youngsters of all ages and she is knowledgeable enough for the job. With this being a reality, she galloped towards the sign-in station.
As she traveled she considered and re-considered the signing. She was going for a job in a very fine institution that hires their employees for their intelligence and every pony will most likely try to apply to the job too. And they will select Applejack among every pony…
“I ain’t too sure to be ready for this…”
Applejack looks over her body uncertainly. She looks great, she can be the most experienced young one in Ponyville, but experienced enough to be a teacher? Not any teacher but a professional educator.
“What was I thinking? We are talking about ponies of the level of Twilight!” Applejack shook her head violently when the thought of Rarity popped in “I remember I went to begin a sophisticated life in Manehattan as a young filly” Applejack remembered her few days in the big city, how different and fast it was from her current life. “Uncle and Aunt Orange taught me the basics of high society and educated me, but …”
Doubt hits Applejack. She slowed her pace until she stopped completely. She wasn’t sure if she should turn back or keep going. Her heart pushed her to keep going but her brain said the opposite, losing to Rarity was an unconceivable event and she must avoid it at all cost. Applejack fought the urge to turn back home and delay the signing for a couple of days, she didn’t need the damn job anyway. But this isn’t her, the reason she didn’t turn back is because of her perseverance. She is an Apple, a brave Apple.
“I’ll be damned if I turn back on my family naw, I just promised to Granny Smith!”
Not even once she turned down a promise, what is left to do is go to the signing and kick Rarity's flanks, or take defeat with honor and suppress the need to choke Rarity. Applejack resumed her plan and trotted towards the station, never looking back again or doubting.
When Applejack was about to arrive, the sound of an uproar and a glimpse of the situation ahead made her drop her jaw to chest level.
“What in TARNATION?!”
It was difficult for her to explain what the motive of her surprise was. It could have been this new huge building that wasn’t there yesterday or the line of a hundred ponies that were prying the double doors. Applejack eyed the place, she took a deep breath and let her mind naturally say something about the situation.
Land Conquistador is excited and rejuvenated with his new title as headmaster, just looking outside chisels a wide smile on his face. Land took a moment to admire his surroundings. A fine wood desk, a mini library with books of all subjects, a magical coffee maker, a regal rug, a synthetic triple couch, and that is just his office. Out of these doors there is a crowd of ponies waiting to be tested.
The chaotic line outside had his heart jolly beating and his brain running on caffeine. He admired how varied was the line of ponies interested to be teachers. To his doorstep there were pegasus, unicorns and earth ponies of different colors, gender and physicals.
“Just look at all those potential educators!”
There wasn’t a single combination of traits missing in the line below. Land was having fun, but it’s time to get to business, he opened the highest drawer in his fancy desk and took a quill and paper. He checked every little box in the document, checking for the equipment and things he will be needing to perform the exams.
“Checked, checked, checked … Clan, are the employees prepared to take on the flock?”
The hooded pony tilted his ears in Land’s direction and nodded twice.
“Good, we can begin then! Please, can you give the order to open the main doors?” His friend frowned and formally answered.
“Why don’t you ask your bloody secretary?”
Land blinked for his rudeness, his eyes suddenly widened after he discerned the last word. A secretary, this just increased Land’s already enormous happiness, the princess agreed to all the specifications in the letter and beyond.
“An- and how do I call her?” Clan pointed to a golden reception bell over his desk. Land stared at it for a while unsure, Clan motioned him to subtly tap it with his hoof. Land thought about it.……
“For the love of …” Clan hoof slapped his face and stood from the couch, he violently crushed the bell causing Land to bring his hooves to his mouth and gravelly squeak. Immediately the door of the office opened bringing a professional looking mare inside. The mare came in ready for orders, but her expression changed to a confused embarrassed frown after seeing the headmaster coupled with some pony on the floor. Her mind ignored the reception bell they were struggling for and decided to think the worst. Her face lit red and softly apologized.
“Headmaster? I … I am sorry, I’ll be back later…”
“Wait!”
Land got up and fixed his tie, he approached her secretary and gave her an assuring smile.
“Pardon me, welcome to our fine institution miss … umm” Land looked on her secretary for any ID with her name on.
“Rose”
“Yes, Rose, welcome” Land fixed his tie again uncertain of what to say. “Could you please open the main doors and invite the ponies to come in?” Rose nodded and before she could turn Land added. “And please, provide some beverage and treats to the ponies while they wait”
“Of course headmaster” With this Rose slowly turned and headed out of the office. Clan provocatively whistled after the mare closed the door.
“I would ride those rosy flanks” Land frowned at his friend in disapproval.
“That’s it! You have done enough damage for a day, now go and hook up with any mares you find in your way and then bite them, strangle them, I don’t care. Just don’t mess with my employees!” Land finished his line while pointing at the window.
“Very well” Clan eventually got up the floor. He approached the window and took one last look back before flying out. “You might regret it” He launched his body into the air.
Land exhaustively sighed and went back to business.
Applejack looked in terror at the number of ponies present in the main doors. Each single one of them reduced her chances to beat Rarity today. Unfortunately she already made up her mind, she will go and take the test like every pony else, and she will do her best to succeed. Or she would fail and hopefully die in it. Applejack mustered all the courage the apples could provide and walked to the back of the disorganized line ahead. With her sight she recognized the first pony to go into the building. It is her friend Twilight, not surprising Twilight was the first in the line. Knowing her she probably was in line before the brochures were made.
“Great, naw I am competing for a job as a teacher against Twilight” Applejack thought the situation could not render any worse.
“Good day AJ!” Rarity suddenly showed behind and added more wrinkles on Applejack’s expression.
“Oh howdy, just the pony I wanted to see! (Insert thoughts too offensive to write down)” Rarity read Applejack’s face and backed off for safety. She shrugged it off and forcibly started a conversation.
“And to what reason you grant your presence in here today?” Applejack bit her cheeks and suppressed a reflex of attacking Rarity. She breathed deeply for about 5 seconds and muttered with a smile.
“I am here to sign as an educator. And to kick your ass if you don’t shut up!”
“I already knew that, I was messing with you, you can be so silly sometimes!”Rarity’s smile boiled in Applejack’s blood.
“I’ll mess that face of yours! Oh really? I will go inside now and you know, take the exam!” The line lost size very quickly, it allowed Applejack and Rarity to head inside. It needed very little to make Applejack’s mane to erupt as a volcano, fortunately she got a chance to part ways with Rarity when she headed inside.
Now that the moment was quieter, Applejack finally was able to see the building more clearly. It was a cylindrical structure being around ten feet tall. It had the flags of the three species waving on its top. Applejack looked at the flags with fear. She considers she has little chances against all these ponies. She shrugged it off, gulped and walked in.
“Let’s get this over with”
Applejack went in. The first thing she spotted was a crowd all talking at the same time, few words were understood that time. A mare with rose flanks came and silenced the crowd. She explained they would undergo a simple emotional and general knowledge test. She motioned with a hoof the first pony to come in. Twilight looks uneasy, but she did as told and walked to the testing room. Applejack imagined what exactly she would have to go through. Her legs trembled and she had a tiny panic attack. She decided to go for a slice of pie on the table nearby. “Yeah, food is the best right naw” It isn’t the best moment to eat, but Applejack needed something to calm her haunches, she could not take an emotional exam in that state. With time some ponies went inside and others came out, some with a confident expression and others with the common ‘I so flunked!’ face. Applejack’s nerves settled down and allowed her to think clearly, her turn will come very soon and she had to be ready. She isn’t giving up, she is giving a fight instead and will do her best to get the job and prove Rarity some personal things. Applejack realized her turn wouldn’t come so soon, after all she is the last in the line. She decided she will patiently wait. . . . After 4 cups of coffee, it was Rarity’s turn. Applejack watched how Rarity gave her a devious look and walked in. Applejack’s expression faded, it was her turn right after hers. She patted her chest and refused to drink more coffee, she would take the exam like a real mare. After 5 minutes, Rose called for Applejack’s name. Applejack breathed deeply and walked in.
“Let the best mare win …” She whispered.
The testing room looked sort of like a school nursery, a friendly looking stallion received her.
“Welcome, please rest your back here”
Applejack lied on a cushioned examination table. The stallion proceeds to check her heart beat with a stethoscope. He tested her reflexes, checked the inside of her ears with an unknown apparatus and tested her vision. He placed the stethoscope on her chest to check her respiration. He levitated a quill and paper and wrote down notes of it afterwards. He then gently added pressure in her muscles from the top of her head to the bottom, his hooves where searching for any anomaly in her anatomy. While he was examining her haunches, Applejack blushed and complained when he pushed a little too hard.
“Whoa, easy there fella!” The doctor looked at her surprised.
“Oh I am sorry, sometimes I forget about my patient! … Never mind it, we are almost over” Once the doctor finished with that, he used his magic to levitate a sphygmomanometer (Blood pressure gauge), he placed the cuff smoothly and snugly on Applejack’s upper foreleg and pumped the gauge with magic.
“You have a healthy blood pressure!” With his expertise the doctor knew how to speak friendly to his patients in order to ease them down. Behind Applejack’s head an air horn blasted loudly. Applejack was startled instantly by it and turned around to face it. The doctor had it levitating on her back and she frowned at him asking for an explanation “I am sorry, but is part of the emotional test” Applejack could see now why they are offering 70 bits for a week of work and what they meant with emotional test.
“Just be careful al’right Doc!” Doc nodded and proceeded to remove the sphygmomanometer. He levitated 4 electrodes coming from an electrocardiograph nearby. He located one in her neck, one in the chest and the rest on her wrists. Doc told her to lie down and stay still. Applejack did as told and relaxed on the examination table.
With the seconds passing, the room became so silent she could hear her heartbeats in the machine. Beep, beep, beep, beep, BAAANG!!!
Applejack jumped off from the bed and her eyes almost came out of her sockets, the electrodes sure did take off. Doc used the air horn again from which he apologized, but this time he was fighting a smile.
“I am sorry again, is for the emotional …” Doc had to hold his breath to avoid laughing. “Never mind, we are done here”
Applejack gave him a menacing look and walked towards the next room without taking her eyes of him.
The next room was a fine looking room with antique wood ornamentation on the walls, it didn’t fit the air conditioning vents in the ceiling very well. The room was filled with ponies sitting on desks and they were seemingly taking a test on paper. Some of them seemed desperate and others looked too confident with the test. Twilight Sparkle had a VERY messy mane and a maniac look on, she was writing incredibly fast and adding more pages to a bunch of 50 sheets she made.
“Test on paper? That just ain’t fair!”
Before Applejack could react she was given a pencil and an exam, courtesy of Rose.
“Please Applejack take a sit”
“Quick Rose, what’s this about?!” Rose explained the last part of the testing is a paper test.
“Easy Applejack, is not a hard test, you just have to write down your general knowledge about not very specific topics and any degree and mastery you own!”
Applejack was hit by panic again. She doesn’t possess very spectacular degrees, unless farming was considered a degree. She raised her head and looked into Rose’s eyes. They were assuring and sincere, she couldn’t really help her here. Applejack sighed loudly and went to take a sit. When she first saw the exam a feeling of relief calmed her haunches. It contained mostly yes/no questions and ‘select different answer’ questions. The last question was a particular one.
Write down any expertise you posses and any general knowledge that is considered productive.
“Now I see why the heck Twilight is writing so much, this question is way too big!”
Applejack held her pencil tight and began to write.
For her convenience she finished this test much faster than the examination with Doc, also this one didn’t include any unpleasant surprises, at least for her ears. She handed the exam to Rose as if it were to burn her. All she could do now was to wait for her pending failure and be humiliated in front of Rarity. She thought she didn’t have to show up here tomorrow to hear the results. She headed towards the exit.
“Applejack wher’you going? The results will be announced right now!”
“Ri-right now!?” Applejack almost fainted
Rose destroyed any hope of escape for Applejack when she said this. Applejack didn’t become a prey of panic, she will see the results and be ready to stand Rarity, besides, worst thing possible is that Rarity passed the test and Applejack didn’t. Her legs started shaking uncontrollably.
“Oh dear Celestia giv’ me strength!”
The crowd was informed to return to the main hall and wait for the results. Rose said she will mark with an X only the ponies that were accepted in the institution, the rest will take a leave with a short diagnosis obtained from Doc. In the main hall the tables with beverages were removed and there was a big white vertical board on the wall with the names of every pony written on it. The anticipation was killing the crowd, some ponies waited quietly while others resorted to violently shiver, bite their hoof nails and pray to Luna. After 5 long minutes, Rose came back from the headmaster’s office with a sheet of paper. She grabbed a green marker and began marking X’s on the board from top to bottom. Giant wails were heard in the crowd while very few yells of excitements muttered in the choleric noise.
Applejack opened her eyes and looked at Rarity. She was complaining angrily and shouting plenty of cussing. A smile expanded in Applejack’s face, now Rarity couldn’t brag about it. The ponies that were not accepted took their free diagnosis and gradually left after they were done whining. Less than ten ponies were now teachers and they stood victorious in the hall.
“Congratulations Applejack!” Twilight came forth out of nowhere and forcibly hugged her.
Applejack raised an eyebrow and asked in disbelief. “fo’ what? … No way!” Applejack galloped towards the board and searched for her name. Basically the last name on the board and it had a big green X in the square adjacent to it. Applejack had no words for this. She was picked over hundreds of ponies that were probably more experienced that she is.
A feeling of victory warmed her body and she knew what she had to do. She trotted to talk to Rarity. “Yo Rarity, nothing personal but IN YOUR FACE!” Rarity gave her a reproaching look.
Rose cut in their conversation and announced every pony that passed to head towards the headmaster’s office for a brief talk. He will receive them one by one. Applejack made sure to show Rarity her tongue before leaving as a universal sign of mockery. Rarity infuriated and without thinking it much she forced her way into the headmaster’s office. She stomped a hoof in his desk and demanded his attention.
“How dare you not accept moi? There isn’t most elegant pony in Ponyville!”
Headmaster land took his time and understood the situation.
“P-Pardon me?”
“Don’t fool me! Why wouldn’t you accept Rarity?!”
“Rarity?” Land searched in the documents present on his desk for a pony named Rarity. When he found it he put on his reading glasses and read the reason of failure. “Shows hypertension, is easily annoyed, doesn’t listen to others, possesses poor self control, poor objectivity, shows clear signs of materialism, wrong notions of life, not a productive degree for teaching nor any useful knowledge for the same act, should I go on?”
Rarity gasped and spoke dramatically “What? But, but you accepted her!”She pointed at Applejack. Applejack didn’t like to be introduced in such tense talking, especially with her new boss.
“Ah Applejack! She demonstrated very nice traits to be an educator. She is one of a kind!”
Applejack smiled and blushed with embarrassment. Rarity kept pushing and giving baseless reasons of why she was up to the task. Land slowly took off his glasses and looked at her menacingly, he was not enjoying this unreasonable conversation and he opted to end it.
“Miss Rarity, the fact that you are still discussing with me is a clear sign that you lack discipline” Land talked once and he didn’t need to talk again. Rarity’s face saddened, she turned around and slowly walked her way out. Applejack couldn’t help but feel pity for her.
“... Nah, buck it! I said I was kicking some diamond flanks today!” Applejack thought with apathy.
The sun was brightly setting from land’s window. He looked outside from his office and smiled with the memories of teachers he selected today. He covered history, math, language, science of nature, magic school and chemistry in a single day, but he still needs a couch for physical education, one for flight school and a teacher for sexual education. The last one is a delicate one. The sound of the lock of the window opening startled him. He quickly turned to face Clan entering with his unnecessary clothing looking wasted.
“But look who’s here!” Land faked emotion. He then faced the paper in his desk and asked indirectly and uninterested “And how was your promiscuous pilgrimage?”
“Outstanding!”
“Oh yes? How many casualties exactly”
“Just one, a big one”
Land didn’t like the sound of it. Clan just went to mingle and re-mingle the mares in Ponyville, how could he possibly do any damage.
“And for curiosity only, who may that be?”
“The mayor”
Land giggled and asked him just in case. “Hahaha, but you don’t mean Mayor Mare, like the one in the city hall?”
“Hmmm … she had a grayish mane, blue eyes and her cutiemark looked like a toilet paper?”
“That’s a dammed ivory scroll you fool!” Land raised his hooves to his mane and scratched his head in frustration “Clandestine look at me, I cannot have a teacher in my institution while he is having sex with the mayor!”
“Calm down, what’s the worst that can happen?” Clan gave Land an assuring smile. Land rubbed his temples in circles and talked him over. He explained how delicate the situation was and how a mare with power can damage his institution or completely close it. He realized these words were entering in one ear and coming out the other, so he opted to speak in another matter.
“You better don’t fuck this up!” His temple veins looked about to pop. Clan gave him full attention and promised not to reveal he is a teacher in here or his address, or pretty much anything about him.
“Relax, bloody mare doesn’t even now my name!”
Land didn't trust him in this circumstances, but how he was already a couple with the mayor he can only leave it in Clan's hooves. Land breathed for a while and he let it go. “Whatever, let me inform you we can begin classes very soon” Land shifted his face to a happy smile. This face rapidly vanished giving room to a worried one. “But we have a little problem in our hooves, named Cheerilee”
It is a cloudy day in Ponyville. The weather constantly threatens heavy rain under its dark shadow. Rose serves coffee in the headmaster’s office, and readies her ears for any upcoming command from her boss. It’s been a few days since she witnessed that incident in this office and every time she thinks about it a stream of blood lights her face.
“Stop thinking about it!” She couldn’t allow any distractions in this demanding job, especially any misunderstandings with her boss “No, I clearly saw how headmaster tried to strip the clothes of that other stallion!” It didn’t matter what he was trying to do that day, headmaster’s relations aren’t her business and she better behave if she wants to keep such a great job.
“Umm Rose?”
Rose finds out she spilled coffee by overfilling headmaster’s cup. She instantly wakes up from her daydreaming and apologizes.
“Oh I am so sorry headmaster! Please let me fix it!”
“It’s all right, just be more careful next time”
Headmaster Land gave her an assuring smile. Rose smiled too and blushed again “Only if he knew what I was thinking, I would be so fired!” Land took her smile well and proceeded to continue his conversation with his ‘friend’.
“Now now, like I was saying. You do remember what I need you here for today Clan?” His pegasus friend put a hoof under his chin and thought about it …
“Because you said I have a pretty butt” Land frowned upon him and didn’t laugh an ounce of his joke. Rose smiled wider and accidentally dropped a jar coming from the magical coffee maker, for her luck the jar was already empty and the rug cushioned the fall.
Land decided this conversation was better had with some privacy and ordered Rose to leave them alone. Rose carried on her duties and headed outside with a tiny guilty smile on her face. “I am so telling every pony!”
Once Rose was outside, Land spoke again. “Clan that was just awkward” Clan quitted laughing until he only had a wide smile in his face. Land waited patiently until he could speak again. “’Sigh’ anyway, a few days ago I mentioned a pony named Cheerilee” Clan stopped smiling and paid more attention to him. Land took a document from a drawer in his desk an put on his reading glasses “I had Cheerilee taking the exam two days ago and the results coming from her were just sad” Land shifted the document vertically into a more comfortable stance, revealing a picture of Cheerilee on it “According to this, she DOES NOT qualify to be a professional educator, which in my opinion she doesn’t deserve to educate at all. In the psychological aspect she lacks proper attention to students and is easily distracted, not to mention she doesn’t teach the students any science at all!”
Clan took the word “What about the time she got love poisoned by three of her students and she didn’t even scold them about it?”
“What?” Clan explained one time he was outside having a date with the mayor, he met this three fillies that named themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders (CMC), they filled him with gossip from the whole town and he couldn’t find the time to tell them to not speak of others like that because it wasn’t right, but he did not because he didn’t give a damn at all.
“They impolitely disturbed my date alleging I was new in town, therefore they found someone they haven’t told yet” Land listened with his jaw dropped on the desk. “They once had a newspaper running, and they posted very embarrassing news of every pony they could, even if the info was false, including Celestia herself!” Clan giggled loudly while Land refused to believe it.
“My dear Celestia! Why and how they did that?!”
“Well … they mentioned one day Cheerilee imparted a class about cutie marks, it was the day they had the idea of creating CMC, and they spread shameful news that time to get their cutie marks. You do the math”
“Still, how they got the equipment to do that?” Clan raised an eyebrow and pointed at the picture in the document. Land infuriated and tightened the paper in his hooves “She even supported this immature act? This is unacceptable!” Land has twice the reasons than before to not accept Cheerilee. And it is true that leaving kids in charge of the press wasn't very responsible in the first place “We are practically ready to impart classes and take in students, but Cheerilee still stands in the way” With this said he resorted to listen to Clan.
“Then don’t hire her” Clan shrugged off
Land hoof slapped himself in frustration and added “That’s the problem! She is known as the only teacher in Ponyville, until we came in” Land lowered his voice and sipped some coffee “Not hiring her will be equal to firing her, after all, Celestia took down the Ponyville house school to put me in charge of the education” Land took out his reading glasses and leaned forward from his office chair “That will bring us very bad publicity and we can’t afford that in this delicate state” They both understood the situation. If they allow Cheerilee in, she may mislead the kids and cause another incident like the one of CMC, which they still happen to cause mayhem. This institution will only impart the best education to kids from the most qualified educators. If they fire Cheerilee from being a teacher the town will frown upon them and not send their children to them. “Yes, your job is to solve the problem” Land said with serious eyes.
“I know what to do” Clan drew a hidden blade making a slippery metallic noise.
“No! Not like that!” Land panicked and motioned with his hooves to hide that thing. Clan did as ordered and sheathed it making the same noise. “’Sigh’ Look, I want you to persuade her to stop being a teacher herself”
“And if she refuses?” Clan ads
Land fixed his tie and spoke firmly “Listen, you will not hurt a single particle of any pony unless I request it, is that clear?!” Clan crossed his hooves and nodded once. Land continues “If she refuses … you find any alternate method to keep her out of my institution without lowering our popularity and without causing any harm”
Clan crossed his hooves tighter and brought a hoof under his chin “You are putting me in a hard spot here Conquistador”
Land relaxed in his chair and provocatively spoke “Can’t do it?”
Clan tilted his head backwards and locked his vision on Land. He was smiling mockingly, daring him to take the challenge. Clan grinned widely and pulled his hoodie over his mane and head. He slowly stood up the couch. He stretched his limbs and flexed his wings, popping joints in each of them. “… Very well” He reached the window and launched himself out flying upwards to the clouds.
Land observed as Clan went out to give more support to this institution “Clearing one obstacle at a time!” His view grew distant until it disappeared in the clouds. Land’s face changed to a worried one and he began scratching his head “That pony always brings me a bad feeling” Heavy rain started falling from Ponyville’ sky.
Applejack stared at the rain through the window from the teacher’s quarters. As a teacher she now has her own sit and the educator’s room. The room is filled with books of so many subjects Applejack didn’t even know they existed. The middle was occupied by a round wooden table and it was surrounded by eight cushioned chairs corresponding to each teacher.
“Pretty fancy for a teach’r, I bet Cheerilee never seen such fine wood!” Applejack knocked on the wooden table testing its texture and hardness. Hard as iron and smooth as silk, she dared to believe it was Unicorn Magic craft from Canterlot.
Applejack’s daydreaming was interrupted by Rose’s entrance. She had an overwhelming happy smile on.
“AJ, Twilight, I have the best gossip just for you two!” Applejack was so entertain with the table she didn’t notice twilight sitting in her spot reading an algebra book. Twilight kept her head down and wondered what news could there be more interesting than algebra. “It’s about headmaster!” That was good enough. Twilight stopped her reading to listen to Rose’s gossip.
“Well what’re you waiting for? This book was very interesting until you talked!”
Rose wondered how an Algebra book can contain anything remotely interesting. Shrugging it off, she lets the gossip out “Headmaster has a very special pony!”
Applejack says confused “Umm, okay, he doesn’t look the type, but it isn’t that weird considering …” Rose cuts her off.
“I am not done!” Rose turns her head undignified and resumes the story “His very special pony is that hooded weirdo that’s sometimes runs errant for him”
Twilight added “His name is Clan Clandestine by the way” Rose and Applejack ignored her comment. After a mildly awkward silence a light bulb flashed with a spark in Applejack’s brain.
“Wait a sec … They are both Stallions!” She could see it now. That was kind or interesting. Applejack scratched her mane in confusion. “I dunno Rose, how are you sure they are like that?”
Rose smiled like a little devil and spoke “Number one: I’ve seen headmaster trying to strip his clothes off of him” Applejack and Twilight shrugged it off. No pony wears clothes anyway “Number two: Headmaster asked him why is he here and Clan said because I have a pretty butt!”
Applejack and Twilight widened their eyes in surprise. Twilight took the word “Umm … well that is quite questionable”
“Rose, you completely sure of what you saw and heard?”
Rose placed a hoof in her chest and solemnly nodded three times.
Twilight ads “Who would have thought the power of love was so strong! … and so incorruptible” Twilight closed her book and decided to join in the conversation. It is more interesting than a book she can read later.
Rose was satisfied with her friend’s reactions and opted to change the topic and talk about their work. “Oh my, we will talk about it later, okay?” She searched in a saddlebag she carried and lifted a hat out of it. “According to headmaster, this will be the uniform for the students”
Applejack was officially a teacher now, but she happened to be so excited about it she forgot she will be imparting classes eventually. She observed the uniform, a blue beret with a white stripe crossing in the middle. “Uniform? Fo’what?”
Before Rose could reply, Twilight stood in middle and let out a dramatic argument “Uniforms are very important! It brings a feeling of equality, it brings honor and union, a uniform will maintain any organization united and will improve its efficiency and the same of its members!” Applejack and Rose stared a Twilight with surprise, they did not see that coming. “I like to see the headmaster will implement such a great change! A uniform will make school like I always wanted it and it also looks so cute!”
Applejack agreed. This beret would look real cute on Applebloom. “Wow, never seen uniform in school before, I wonder how that might turn …”
Rose trailed in “Yes like I was saying before you two didn’t let me talk. I am supposed to take this sample of the uniform to a tailor so she can mass produce it” Rose handed the Beret to Applejack and added “I think you should take this to Rarity!”
Applejack complained “Why me? You are the secretary”
“AJ, see it as an opportunity to make peace with Rarity” Applejack thought about it. Rarity and she had quite a tense dialogue last time they talked, they are rivals but before that they are friends, best friends. And what best peace offering than giving her a job that she is really good at, it will also show the headmaster how capable Rarity is.
“Hmm, deal” Applejack found out Rose was just trying to take a job off her back. Rose smiled embarrassed and let go of the beret. “Now Rose I have a question for you, how you winded up as a secretary here?”
Rose smirked “Well … One morning this building was here out of nowhere so I came to check it out. The staff said they were hiring employees so I signed in” Rose raised her shoulders shrugging it off “I like selling flowers but hey, this job pays four times more” This was explanatory enough for both of them. With this Rose grabbed a document from her saddlebag and handed it to Applejack. “This is your class schedule for the moment, and until we receive students”
Applejack took the folder wary and opened it. She slowly passed pages and skimmed the document. “One class of two hours, five days a week, not shabby at all. History? I’m going to be a history teacher?”Even if she was surprised, this subject was the one she would pick out of all subjects. She sure knows Equestria’s back history like the tip of her hoof.
“Ah ha, headmaster said you look just like a country pony, and you are the pony most up to the task to teach some folklore!”
Applejack smiled with pride. That is true. “Oh goody! Whatever folklore is” Applejack cocked her head sideways and asked another question “Say Rose, is there any discounts for teachers in here?” Applejack already made plans of moving Applebloom in here. She could now give her little sister a sophisticated education without going too far.
Rose turned around and approached a wooden shelve containing books of the same topic, norm books. She picked a big blue one with the name ‘Equestria Educating System’. She opened and fiddled the pages for a short time, she bumped her hoof into the section destined to teacher’s economical advantages “… Sure, it says here you have a 25% discount for every class you impart, but only if the young ones are related personally to you” Applejack threw her hat into the air and released an Appleloosian yell of joy. “I think that means Twilight has a 75% off!”
“Say ‘gain?”
Twilight’s eyes flashed with an uncontrollable need to tell her achievements. “Well Applejack, I will be imparting three different subjects! Those being Math, Language and Theory of Magic”
“She also gets paid thrice as much!” Rose showed happiness for every pony’s success.
Applejack’s jaw fell to her front knees. 210 bits weekly should be the biggest salary in Ponyville. Twilight smiled and gritted her teeth in order to not brag about it. She opened her eyes and brought a hoof under her chin. “And about the discount … I am thinking of setting Spike in school too!” Rose made a worried face and replied to Twilight.
“This book says nothing about students that aren’t ponies, I am afraid you will have to talk it over with headmaster” Twilight nodded and Applejack resumed the conversation.
“We all got something important to do, but none will be done until it stops raining” They all agreed, they would talk until the rains stops.
The mares kept talking about the future uses of their money, the future of their jobs and how they would roll in class. Their laughter echoed in the wet air outside, and their cheeks blushed with amusement while oblivious to their eyes the grey clouds slowly dispersed giving birth to a mighty yellow sun.
The heavy rain is long gone and an orange sun sets under the plain. Land finished his day at the Equestria Educational Center and now rests warm in his home. The Daring Do series and a smoking pipe while sitting on a cloud sofa make a great treat for a pony of his age. A phonograph played a subtle classical chorus, it filled the environment with a sensation of peace and comfort. A fireplace warmed the house, the sounds of burning wood were more than pleasant. After a tiring day of work this pony deserves this.
The front door of his refined house suddenly opened letting cool chills of autumn. It remained opened for an interval long enough for a pony to sneak in, then it splattered closed as quick as it opened. Sliding in slowly, thick, white fog covered the purple double rug. Its temperature completely differed with the heat his fireplace provided. An unnatural current of ice cold air shivered his body and aimed to light off the fire. Darkness dominated in the sofa room and it was too dim for his eyes to tell the walls apart from empty corridors.
Land wondered who might have entered his home like this. It is too odd for any pony to get to a house and not knock, and much rarer for it to enter forcibly. Land scratches his head trying to think what is the meaning of this intrusion, it couldn’t be a pony visiting, or anyone looking for him. It seemed like whoever it is, is trying to keep a low profile. That only happens in crimes, like when a thief doesn’t want any pony to know. But Land is there and his presence is more than evident from outside due to the light of the fire. That only meant one thing, an assassination.
“Now now, calm down. That is just ridiculous … Or is it not?”
Land felt insecure. The thought of a killer was just redundant, but the lack of evidence against it didn’t render the situation any less scary. There was some pony with him right now in his home, with unknown intentions and unknown face. Land backed off and crouched in a corner. He is prey of the darkness and is unable to see the tiniest spot in his hooves.
In the dead silence hooves steps are heard, and they are not from land. Land attempted to keep it together “A killer, Ha!” The hooves steps become more consistent “I have read many horror stories” They become louder and increase their pace “It only happens in horror stories!” Two hooves stopped with a loud bang, less than a meter from Land “AAGH DON’T KILL ME!” The lights went on revealing Clan placing a hoof on the light switch.
“What are you doing?”
Land opened his eyes and lifted his frightened stance from the floor. He tried to fix his tie but he had none to fix in the first place. He is completely nude.
“Nothing … How is the trouble with Cheerilee?”
“She is in the Crystal Empire, many miles away from your institution” There was amusement in his voice.
Land was surprised. He ignored the details, but Cheerilee should not be a problem now. “You did not hurt her and/or any, right?” Clan nodded once not very proud of it. “Okay, give me details. I have to know all the damage you caused”
Clan briefly explained how he politely asked Cheerilee to change her vocation “After a few tries, she asked me if I was on happy dust” Cheerilee was determined to get those 70 bits weekly. “So I gave her some sleeping pills and put her in a train to the Crystal Empire, as luggage!” Land discerned he may have violated a few main rights to the ponies, but nothing irreparable. He also ignored how she drank the sleeping pills.
“And …?”
“I said to the locals Cheerilee is related to the purple Unicorn that defeated Sombra not very long ago, a local school in the empire hired her immediately” Bending the truth for his convenience and amusement.
“Auh poor kids!” Land raised a hoof to his forehead and pretended to faint. “Wait … Is she happy?”
“You can see she hasn’t came back yet, you solve the equation”
Land smiled with triumph, the problem was legally solved and he could run the institution any day. The only thing he needs is a good shipment of uniforms. He slings a hoof over Clan’s shoulder and points dramatically at the sky.
“My friend, we are almost set to begin the third and last phase!”
Rainbow Dash sleeps cozily on a cloud bed. Her dreams vary from defeating lightnings in a race to obtaining admiration from the Wonderbolts. Her unconscious body rests completely undisturbed. Not the sunshine coming in from the windows, nor her supernatural loud snores disrupt her sleep. "Yeah 'snorts' You better give up lightning!" It wasn't very late, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a good time for a nap.
A banging noise wakes her from her dreams. Rainbow Dash cleared some drool in her mouth and slowly stands up. She stretched her wings and limbs while she tapped a yawn with the other hoof. She blinked numerous times, taking the sunlight in, and fell backwards on her bed to resume resting. The banging noise sounds again and Rainbow Dash discerns its some Pegasus knocking in her cloud door. At this height, its impossible for a non-flying pony to get up to her cloud house.
Rainbow Dash stands again and decides to get the door and tell any visitor to come back later, preferably never. Once Rainbow Dash opens the door she instantly changes her mind, she always has time for a stallion. Before she could speak the Pegasus took the word.
"Greetings"
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow in confusion and greeted him with a smile. The Pegasus had the upper half of his face hidden by a hood.
"Hey handsome! I never seen you around here"
The Pegasus smiled as well and explained the purpose of his visit.
"Miss Rainbow Dash, today I come to you with gift and a proposal" Rainbow Dash was impressed how straight forward this guy is. He handed an small white box, Rainbow opened it without hesitation. Inside it contained a spotless whistle. She grabbed it, when she blew it Rainbow found out it was enchanted. It whistled with a sound pleasant to her ears but definitely painful for others that weren't the wielder. The hooded pony fell to his knees and covered his ears with a clear expression of pain.
"Oh, sorry dude"
"Its okay, no harm done"
Rainbow Dash leans closer to him, whatever he attempts, is working "Say, its your proposal a date or something? You know, to know each other better!"
"No, but please let me introduce myself first" He opted for a noble stance "My name is Clan Clandestine, and I come to you with this proposal" He handed an golden envelop. Inside is a sheet of paper with seemingly the best looking calligraphy in Ponyville. Rainbow Dash held the paper with disappoint and read the letter.
Salutations Rainbow Dash:
We request your service for the Equestria Educational Center (EEC) to be the coach of our institution. More details will be explained with your presence in EEC. We also will grant you a salary of 70 bits for week. Please help us forge the future of out foals, by our foals and for our foals!
We sincere thoughts: Headmaster Land Conquistador.
Once Rainbow was done reading she widened her eyes and looked at Clan. He solemnly brought a hoof under his torso and lowered his head. "We eagerly expect your agreement"
Rainbow brings a hoof under her chin and says "Let me get this clear, you want me to work at a school?" Clan nodded and smiled for her "Hell no!" His smile disappeared faster than it came. Rainbow Dash slings the whistle over her neck "I am keeping the whistle" She smirked provocatively "... and I'm still up for a date" Clan tries an alternate tactic.
"Please?"
"Nope"
"Dammit!" Clan thought of all the things he could attempt to convince Rainbow Dash to become a coach. Number one: Persuasion "I insist"
"No"
Number two: Bribe: "You do realize you get paid a bloody ton of bits for a week?"
"Yeah, I don't care"
Number three: Begging: "Pretty please?"
"Not a chance"
Clan frowned at her. He decided he would try a more interactive strategy. "Say, what about if we race for it?" Rainbow Dash swallowed her negation. She was seriously thinking about it. Racing this slowpoke should be easy she thought, but a challenge isn't a challenge without a prize.
"And what is it for me?"
"That depends of what you want"
Rainbow Dash lifted a hoof under her chin "If I win ... you will ... make out with a Stallion!" Clan didn't see that coming. He thought if he looses it would be a quick kiss at worst "And no quick kisses! Its 5 full minutes of smooching!" He scratched his head with indecision, backing out looked very tempting, but he wasn't returning with empty hooves.
"I ignore how you will find an stallion willing to do that with me, but I accept"
"Alright!" Rainbow Dash took flight with excitement and pointed at a lonely cloud over the plain "We will fly until we reach the cloud mass over there, any objections?" Clan took flight and ascended to flutter beside her. He shook his head sideways "In that case, in three, two. one ..."
Both Pegasus darted south. Rainbow Dash rapidly took the lead with easy, she propelled her body with all the wing power she could generate. While flying at her maximum in a straight line towards the finish, she forgot the pony she was racing against. She looked back and laughed with surprised when she didn't spot him anywhere. "Wow, he is slower than Fluttershy!" Rainbow eased her pace and flew with more calm. Now at only a 200 meters from the finish line, she turned back again to check on him. He was nowhere to be seen. "The outcome was never in doubt!" She told to herself.
Before she could reach the mass of clouds, a spinning cloud projectile came out of nowhere and splattered on Rainbow Dash. She bounced the opposite direction and spun uncontrollably towards the ground. After a hundred back flips, Rainbow Dash stopped in midair and alleviated her head from the contusion the spinning caused. Her eyes finally stopped spinning and fixed her sight to the mass of clouds. She flew urgently towards it. "Oh no ..."
For her surprise and fear, she spotted Clan sitting over the clouds with a smirk on.
"What took you so long? eh Dashie?" Rainbow Dash gave him disapproving frown.
"Not fair! A cloud hit me!"
"Gotta watch out for speeding clouds at all times, aka not my problem"
Rainbow Dash lowered her eyes and hated herself for losing again. "I hate losing ..." She is angry, but her racing partner didn't give her the time to alleviate her anger. He put a sport cap over head and said with a smile.
"Welcome aboard coach"
"You are awful"
Clan smiled triumphant. He watched how Rainbow sat on her haunches, her sad expression made him feel some guilt for winning the race, so he opted to console her. "Come on, don't be sad" Rainbow ignored his words "Being a coach is awesome! You tell every pony what to do" She raised her head "And they do it!"
"Its not that, I just don't like losing"
Clan heard her out. He decided to distract her from the recent race. "'sigh' Still want to date me?" Rainbow Dash raised and eyebrow and cleared the tears from her eyes.
"Hmm, sure why not?"
"Okay, lets go anywhere but near the city hall"
"Okay ... follow me then!"
Clan did as told and flies after Rainbow dash, he considers himself the luckiest alive for not missing with the cloud.
“I made them with magical enhanced silk, for more durability”
Rarity arrogantly explains the details of the school uniform. Headmaster Land seems surprised for Rarity’s contribution for his school. He leans forwards from his office chair and grabs one completely new beret from a box. He turns it examining the delicate borders and feels their texture, is from quite a fine fabric. “All I can say is that I’m impressed” Land stretched the beret and put it back in the box. “Thank you”
“Don’t mention it” Rarity seems to not mean it at all “This will teach you who I am, mule” Rarity fought a smile and looks away from land’s eyes. Land raised an eyebrow and thought in what to say next. He already accepted the uniforms and thanked her, but she is still standing in his office.
“… So, you said you are donating this?”
“Absolutely”
Land scratched his head in confusion. He didn’t want to offend Rarity by asking her to leave, but she is standing in his office with a smirk in her face, and he isn’t sure how to proceed.
“You got mail! ‘Smack’” A grey Pegasus with derped yellow eyes smacked her face in the window. Derpy Hooves shook her head and smiled widely after recovering from the hit. Land raised both eyebrows and approached the window to open it, Derpy handed him a bunch of letter envelops all destined to his institution. Derpy hoof saluted him and flew out lowering her head in time to avoid hitting the window frame.
Land looked at her with a smile. “Mail to my window? That is a brilliant mare!” Rarity frowned at him with a disgusted face. She was waiting for an apology from headmaster for not accepting her, but witnessing how he called Derpy brilliant just heated the blood in her arteries.
Rarity smoothly turns slapping him in the face with her tail, and leaves his office. She hissed complains all the way out. “I am surrounded by idiots! Brilliant, Ha! Unbelievable …”
Land recoiled backwards from the slap and gestured in confusion “What just happened?”
“Oh boy, I always wanted to study at a school!” Spike said with enthusiasm.
Twilight Sparkle waits nervously in the waiting corridor just next headmaster’s office. She brought Spike with her and she is unsure of what Land’s reaction will be. She has Rose supporting her right next to her sit. “Calm down Twilight, Spike is a wonderful dragon, I am sure headmaster will accept him!” Twilight smiled but her moral didn’t go up any more, she knew allowing a dragon in a school is rather unthinkable for some ponies.
“I just … doubt headmaster will accept you Spike” Spike looked at twilight with assuring eyes.
“Don’t worry Twilight, I will show him my most refined self! He can’t give me a ‘no’ for an answer” Twilight smiled at Spike and caressed his head.
The door leading to the office opened letting some angry pony out. Twilight panicked and stood from her sit and attempted to back away “Oh no, I think we should do this another day”
“No way, I wanna talk to him! I always wanted to be a student!”
“You are just a baby, you can’t say you always wanted something!” She overpowered Spike’s useless attempt to stop her, but Rose stood in the exit door frame.
“Wait, chill out Twilight!” Twilight tried to get out with her, but Rose replied thoughtfully “If you don’t tell him now, then when?”
“Another day, I don’t know, we still have plenty of time!” Twilight desperately tried to exit the corridor and take Spike out of the school before any pony saw them. Spike broke from her grasp and Rose tried to reason with Twilight but she was pushing very hard and not caring if she could break something.
“Twilight stop! Just think about Spike!” Twilight ignored her and proceeded to levitate Spike with magic.
“Let me out! Spike doesn’t need school anyway!”
“But …” Spike tried to discuss but her magic rendered him unable to fight back.
“Twilight get a hold of yourself!” Rose watched worried how Twilight lost it.
Twilight is so disturbed her horn sparkled violently. Involuntarily she casted spells around turning small things into plant pots, ash piles and setting tiny fires in the wall paper. In the corridor formed a mini tornado that swerved papers and chairs around, fortunately the fire was put out by it. “I can’t! I DON’T WANT TO LOSE THIS JOB!”
Rose stepped back and slapped twilight in the face, Twilight blinked and recoiled from the hit. The tornado vanished. All the furniture and paper fell to the ground at once. Spike fell to the ground as well after being shook aggressively by Twilight’s magic, he was intact thanks to his natural dragon armor. Rose apologized “I am sorry, but are you doing this for you, or for him?” Rose pointed at Spike which is close to tears.
Twilight came to her senses “I …” She Inhaled loudly, she is close to tears as well “I am sorry, I just … couldn’t control my emotions, this hardly happens to me … it’s just … deep inside … ‘sigh’ I always wanted to be a teacher” Twilight raised her eyes apologetically, single tears slid down from them. “After being Celestia’s protégé, being a teacher was my most wanted thing, that’s why I signed up here the very first day” Twilight reveals she always wanted to teach, instead of being a student taking classes, she wanted to switch places with her educators.
Spike cleared the tears from his eyes and spoke submissive to Twilight “Well … if that’s the case …”
“No Spike, I was selfish just now … very selfish” Twilight pointed at the mess in the corridor. “Seriously, you are not a slave! I should let you do stuff more often” Twilight smiled and tenderly leaned a hoof under his chin “I have dreams, but I cannot let my dreams crush the ones of others like this, especially yours Spike” She kissed Spike in his forehead.
Spike smiled from the heart. With watery eyes he hugged Twilight “… Thank you Twi” Twilight hugged him back and promised to never react like that again. She and Spike shared quite a touching moment, but that didn’t stop time from passing. Ponies stood around jaw dropped and staring at the chaos in the room.
“Miss Twilight, what happened in here?!” Headmaster Land came out of his office to see the mess heard from there. He suspected from her disorganized mane and tail she could be the cause of this. “Twilight Sparkle, please, into my office” Twilight did as told and motioned Spike to follow her inside. Twilight took the chance to fix her mane with a simple spell. Spike hesitated at first, but he took a deep breath of courage and walked inside with an inflated chest. Headmaster closed the door and asked them to take a sit. Both Twilight and Spike sat in short cushioned red chairs. He looked at both of them for a while, tapping his hoof in the desk and thinking what to say. “Clearly …”
“I did it!” Twilight jumped in
“I know, I feel lucky such an incident didn’t happen while we were imparting classes. Some foal could get hurt or worse” Headmaster lectured Twilight. “I am counting on your advance unicorn magic not only to teach it, but to keep this institution safe and sound” He really lamented hiring Twilight now, such intellect often comes balanced with poor sanity. Headmaster looked at some papers in his desk, he fiddled in them and talked over to Twilight trying to sound the fairest possible “I will forget this incident today, but if such a thing happens again I am afraid I would have no other choice …” He raised his eyes to meet hers, twilight got the message and nodded to him.
“I promise I will make it up! No salary this month and I will never let that happen again!”
It is much more than what headmaster would have agreed to, but saving some money for his personal account wouldn’t hurt “Hmm deal!” Twilight noticed a suspicious tone in his voice. Headmaster smiled at her and felt certain she would not cause any more trouble. “Well, off you go! See you tomorrow morning for your first day as a teacher!” Twilight felt goose bumps in her back and she wanted to ignore what she had to do. But her subconscious wouldn’t let her. She was very close to lose her job and she is going to risk it another time.
“Headmaster Land, I have a request …” Twilight looked away and rubbed her elbow uneasily.
“I am listening” He smiled brightly trying to make her feel more comfortable.
“I want to put my youngling in here”
“I didn’t know you were a mother!” Headmaster said concerned about it.
“No I’m not, Spike is more of …” A bright idea illuminated her mind “Well yeah, I am a mother, because Spike is adopted!” Spike felt like objecting, but Twilight patted him in the head so hard he bit his own tongue. Spike is Twilight’s personal assistant since he was born. This circumstance is inconvenient if she wants Spike to be a student like any other, besides its time Spike receives a more proper treatment from Twilight. It just came to her mind to see the world from his eyes. Living every day and not doing things a normal kid would do: cleaning, cooking, writing letters, running errands, working, rarely playing and at the end of the day, sleeping in a doggy basket next to her bed “… Never saw it from that perspective” His entertainment is inside a library “Because he doesn’t know any better” Twilight‘s genius was so deep inside the books she didn’t pay attention to her pride “And yet he doesn’t complain” She looked concerned to Spike. Spike returned a questioning look “Just look at you, so young and … resilient”
“Adopted eh? So where is he?” Headmaster broke up her realizing of things just in time. Twilight turned her head to face him, she was decided “I will be more than happy to get him a seat in this institution!” Headmaster continued talking and felt eager to meet her pride.
“He is right here, next to me. Say hello Spike” Time to settle this.
Spike got down his seat and leaned over the desk, he politely shook Land’s hoof. “Nice to meet you headmaster Land!” Land shook Spike back and stopped a few seconds to take it all in.
“… So the adopted youngling you want to put in my school, is a dragon?” Twilight nodded and felt a relief after seeing his smile “Hahaha, You are joking, right?” Twilight got back to be worried, not that she was surprised by his answer. Land's smile slowly fade, he saw in Twilight's eyes she wasn't kidding. He found himself in a odd situation and replied how he thought appropriate with clear words "I cant do that"
“But, why?!” Spike complained
“Because…”He pointed at his hoof “You breathe fire, fire is dangerous” He pointed at his other hoof “You are a carnivorous being” running out of hooves to point at, he got to the point. “I cannot allow you in here. You are a flammable menace, the most dangerous of predators. You are a dragon!”
Twilight got in “But he is just a baby dragon and he has never, ever, ever, ever, ever attacked any pony!” Land looked at her surprised, she may be a little more insane than he thought.
“Still, dragons grow and they get very greedy, and then they burn things, kill things!”Land sighed “And yet you ask me to allow one in this school, I am disappointed Twilight”
“Spike is different, he has never harmed anything on purpose … He knows the value of others and the value they give to things!”
“A dragon that understands the importance of others? What is he a philosopher?” Land asked in disbelief. Spike put his claws over his desk and tried to prove him.
“Here look, I can write!” Land watched with a gesture of confusion and surprise. “I know good manners and I only eat gems and candy, I am not a savage!” Spike chews a butter mint from a bowl on his desk. Land put a hoof under his chin.
“You are not like other dragons … indeed” He is analyzing the situation. Accepting a dragon may closure his whole project, one day goes wrong and a student gets burned, and things get increasingly harder. And what for? Letting a lonely dragon educate himself “Look Spike, education is a gift we all deserve to obtain …” He sighs deeply, this situation is growing him white hairs over his already grayish mane. He rubs the skin in between the eyes and speaks back. “I cannot have you as a student here, you look promising but you are danger to my institution”
Spike frowned very disappointed. He understands the risk headmaster didn’t want to take, a dragon is always dangerous. He walked to stand next to Twilight “Well … we tried, it’s time to go home”
Twilight felt very sad to see Spike fail in what he wanted. She would not stand and let this go on. She stood in front of his desk “Headmaster! He proved to you he is harmless!
Land’s face wrinkled, he took his decision and yet some pony dared to oppose to it. “Miss Twilight! I said it’s not safe!”
“Not safe? You are treating Spike like he was a walking bomb! Just look at him!” Land looked at Twilight with surprised, she was not taking his verdict. “A harmless, tiny, baby dragon!”
“Twilight Sparkle, you have spoken enough!” Headmaster raised his voice “Don’t forget what is your place in here!” Twilight felt him speaking with authority, trying to show the power of being her boss. Twilight shrugged it off, if he knew to what pony he was speaking to, he wouldn’t be speaking with that tone. “I will NOT accept a dragon!”
Spike accepted his verdict and tried to push Twilight out of the office “Come on Twilight, he clearly does not want me here and you are going to get in trouble!”
Twilight turned her head “Fine, then I don’t want to work here”
A bioelectric signal produced a spasm in Land’s face “… Wait, what?” He observed how Twilight turned around to leave his office. If she just were any teacher of his he will be all right with her quitting, but she imparted math and magic, the two hardest subject to obtain a good teacher for them. And Twilight is probably the best magician out there. Land is walking in a minefield now, one bad step and he may lose great opportunities to enhance his institution. “Wait a second, please” Twilight stopped and fought a smile of triumph “Are you saying that if I don’t take Spike in, you are quitting?”
“Well … yes, that’s right”
Land scratched his mane in frustration “You can’t do this”
“Try me” Twilight found it easy to stand to him, basically nothing compared to what she has stood against. Time passed.
“Classes suppose to start tomorrow” Land said bitterly
“I know” Not part of her plan, but the odds worked for her wonderfully.
Having no other choice, headmaster Land agreed to her terms on one condition “You will sign this document that specifies you have complete responsibility on the actions of this dragon!”
“Don’t worry headmaster, you won’t regret it!” Twilight smiled brightly, quite opposite to Land’s bitter frown.
Spike half smiled. He wanted to study in a school not only because that’s what every pony does, but because he wanted to grow wiser, and years of living in the library showed him the unlimited power and joy of knowledge. The only thing he wishes now is that he signed-in this institution with a less aggressive argument. “Well, good things are hard to get, aren’t they headmaster?” Land said nothing and thought if Twilight was the real dragon in this pair.
“Bring it above your head and pull it down a tad to the left, now pull it down another tad to the right and a good looking hat is all that is left!”
Spike lit his morning with a joyful song praising his new hat. Being part in EEC awarded him an obligatory beret the students must wear while receiving classes or while being present in the same institution, if his subconscious was not wrong it is named uniform. Accompanying his beret was special breakfast, or at least the most special it could be since Twilight‘s attempts to make him sparkly pancakes almost turned into a explosive emergency. Spike had to resort to use his secret stock of precious stones, he proceed to add them into a balanced cookie mass and merged them together with grace unlike of any dragon. When he gave form to them, his claws held a measuring cup and glazed them with ultra pulverized sugar. Since it was a special day, probably the most important of his life, it is tradition to start days like this with a breakfast of the same category. Finally the cookies received a constant soft flame from spike’s breath, and they quickly baked above a silver plate with no scorches to be seen. Twilight insisted in assisting with his breakfast, but the recent incident with the spell her horn casted on the pancakes made Spike change his mind.
“Spike, I know what went wrong. I can do it right this time!”
“Wait, never thought that baking just isn’t your thing?”
Twilight gave him a reproaching look and lit her horn brightly. The cookies released a blinding flash which disabled Spike’s eyes for the few seconds to come. Once the shine vanished, Spike slowly opened his eyelids and witnessed the power of magic. The cookies looked unnaturally delicious, the rubies in them were spotless beyond believe and the emeralds dispersed the sunlight like a powerful prism. They kept a perfect temperature hot enough to be freely eaten and enjoyed, but quite cool so would never burn your tongue. Spike brought a claw over the silver plate and felt their unique texture. The skin of every cookie was so splendid it surpassed the touch of polished glass. “Cooking may not be my fort, but magic is definitely my strongest”
“Indeefd!” Spike unintentionally muffled his voice with several bites to his breakfast. Done with the most important meal, Spike took hold of a backpack filled with notebooks and scholar tools that will be of his assist. He did half a spin to face Twilight and gestured he was ready to depart to school.
“Not going to wash your hands after eating?” Spike instantly did as implied. Twilight smiled and headed towards the front door, when she brought a hoof on the doorknob, she turned her head and noticed Spike wasn’t following. Twilight immediately asked the matter “What is it? Did you forget something?”
“… No” Twilight cocked her head upon hearing the particular tone of his ‘no’. She is rather suspecting of him.
“Then let’s go”
“Well … yeah, I guess there’s nothing to wait now …” Twilight frowned at Spike’s present stance. His even shivers agitated his body too violently for them to be casual. More strange was his uneven pace towards the door, giving soft steps, similar to a sneak.
“Spike, are you scared?”
“Nonsense!” Spike said this with conviction, but he is aware he isn't fooling anyone. It took him a time but he resigned to stop pretending. He deeply sighed. “I can’t even act for bits” Spike lowered his eyes from Twilight’s. She took as her job to take care of Spike years ago, just after he hatched from the egg. She put her hoof over Spike’s shoulders and gave him a consoling hug. There is not better cure for fear than a reassuring gesture of love.
“Come on, it will be fine! Here, you can ride in my back”
Spike slowly rolled his eyes. Indeed feeling better, he hopped on her back and sat comfy. He took this chance to explain the reason of his hesitance. “You know, being in a school taking classes and learning is very awesome” He sighed deeply “But when you are the only one that walks on two legs and spits fire, I may look like a freak to others”
“Now that is nonsense, every pony that ever met you loves you! Are you mistaking ponies with some other inexistent being that discriminates others for any reason?”
Spike thought about it, he never received a single insult nor complaint from any pony he knows, not even headmaster, even thought he stated he feels more comfortable with Spike living in another town. “Twilight, you are absolutely right! We can go now”
“But we are already here”
“… Really?!”
Spike demonstrated to be capable of losing the notion of time and the motion of life with extraordinary ease. He looked over the big cylindrical building, Twilight walked in the double doors and Spike took this opportunity to gulp as hard as he could.
Applejack begins her first day as a teacher in an agitated stance. Having iron guts for fighting does not mean they are as solid when facing children. Even with her notes memorized, she could not possibly feel anymore insecure.
At morning she entered the institution and received a warm salutation from Rose. Applejack returned the greeting with a delayed wave and swiftly headed towards the Teacher’s room. For her Surprise she found the doctor that examined her the other day, Applejack tried to say ‘hi’ in a normal manner but her voice got choked by a involuntary gasp.
“Doc! What are yo doing here?!” The blue Unicorn stopped sipping his cup and fixed his eyes on her.
“Umm, I just came for coffee?” His cup presented forward for appreciation of Applejack’s eyes. The slightest twitch on her face summoned Doc’s Attention and his professionalism and concern for others readied an informative question. “Miss Applejack, is everything all right?” He was already running a diagnosis as it is his duty to maintain the general health of the population of this institution, a duty he did not take lightly.
“Al’right? Of course of course! No’t scared nor … scared nor nervous …” hyperventilation, transpiration, dilated eyes, mild tremors. All this symptoms lingered in Doc’s mind, they are clear signs of stress and insecurity. He opted for a subtle question to determine what was causing them.
“Can I assist you with something? Miss Apple?” Doc avoided using the full name to gain some trust with the patience. Applejack considered talking with him was currently very tiring and attempted to end the conversation, but she lacked a proper way to do it. Hoping Doc would give up, she looked away and approached the magical coffee maker for some caffeine.
While filling a cup she discerned her own sweat uncontrollably flowing down her face, this only happened in overwhelming situations. “I’m just going to teach some darn classes! Why is that so hard?!” Applejack is under emotional and mental fatigue, her eyes squinted as the bright light of a lamp was too overwhelming for them. Her eyes widened after a warm liquid made contact with her hoof, the coffee overflowed the cup which bathed her limb with the bitter substance.
A gentle hoof slid hers from the draining switch of the coffee maker. Applejack slowly turned her eyes locking them on Doc’s hoof and then on his yellow eyes. He let go of her foreleg and spoke with a soothing tone. “I know there is something troubling you”
Unable to continue pretending, Applejack decided to trust Doc on this one, he may not be a close friend but he was a compelling fella. Besides it was too obvious now “It’s okay Doc, I am just nervous for my first day …” Applejack didn’t waste any word. She had a hard time speaking with this stress.
“Applejack, I am here to help with any kind of problem you have” By problems he meant everything physiological and physical, but he shortened the sentence for her comfort. He brought a reassuring hoof under her chin and motioned her to take a seat. Applejack resigned to his whim and explained her state.
“Doc, I feel terrible!” Doc nodded, levitated a quill and paper and took notes “I feel fine, clean, with energy but I feel as unsafe as a limp cow next to a gian’ dragon!”
“Okay, are you scared the child dragon the school is admitting will hurt you?”
“What Spike? Hay no he is a lovely midget!”
Doc ripped a page from his notes and told her to go on.
“It’s just, ‘Sigh’ I got hired in this fancy buildin’ recently and I just can’t believe the level of this institution”
“So?”
“So?! This is a big responsibility! ‘Big sigh’ I like the money but I don’t know if I can keep up” Applejack felt a big weight get off her back, unfortunately a frown grew on her face as she considered herself incapable of rolling as a teacher.
Doc took his glasses off and softly chuckled under his breath. “I see you are experiencing a mini panic attack, an exaggerated period considering your calm nature and solid mentality”
“Say again?”
“Worry not! It is certainly produced by short term causes” Doc glanced at the coffee mug “Which coffee won’t help decrease it, but will instead stimulate it”
Applejack stared at him in confusion. She had it clear taking the caffeine won’t help, but she wasn’t sure of what to do next. She scratched her mane and came at Doc “Okay … what should I take Doc?”
“Miss Apple, what you need is a minor Psychological treatment such as breathing exercises or a slight distraction” Doc disposed of the cup of coffee no pony will be needing. The trashcan paints with the splattered liquid “I will be staying in the nursery in case you need me. Try talking to some pony and clarify your doubts” With this said, Doc headed towards the exit and added right before departing “After all, you weren’t chosen among hundreds just because”
A tiny smirk awakened in AJ’s mouth, she was not being arrogant but instead she was realistic. Compare to things she faced in the past this was child play. Teaching didn’t look so complicated now.
“Wait Doc!”
Doc’s ears twitched and his head turned back. Their eyes locked for a second. Applejack stared at his disinterest eyes as silence filled the environment. She sought to thank him for his support, after all he comforted her like a true friend and made her look in a mirror and remember who she really is and what she is capable of. She prompted to end the silence.
“… Thanks” Doc returned a smile and finally walked away.
Applejack was all set, her papers were readied up and there were no doubts left. Feeling very relieved she held a glass from a fine looking cupboard and approached the crazy new water cooler. Whilst filling the glass she read the information for the user located to one side of the machine.
Magical water cooling craft. Its mechanism uses a safe non noxious material that basically “divests” water from all its temperature.
“Heh, what crazed machinery are they building next?” Upon the glass being filled, its holder proceeds to lift it and drink the water. The liquid was fresh to the taste and it flowed down her throat with much ease. With one eye mid opened she got to discern the room trough the glass, objects outside from the middle like the chairs got a rounded deformed shape but everything in the circle looked straight, just like the wall clock. According to it and her schedule she was 5 minutes late for her class.
A minimum of droplets of water slipped in her lungs causing cautious coughs in order to clear the airways. She simply choked while instantly getting ready to impart her classes and running towards her destined classroom. She got quite the curious looks on her while galloping her way here, but not that it matters to her knowing she is late for her first day of work.
Once inside she receives more curious looks, but these are fully innocent gazes from all the students. Each one comfortably sitting in their favorite spot among 6 rows of seats, Applejack recognized her little sister sitting with her one of her best friends. The mandatory beret on their heads made them look completely harmless, not that she expected them to misbehave.
“Oh sweet lords of Celestia, what di’ I just got into” Applejack stared at nothing as she fought to keep it together. Her instinct felt cornered and rushed AJ to run away, but consciousness overcame her instinct the very first day her heart started beating. She raised her chest and proceeds to introduce herself.
“Mah na …” She backed an informal introduction just in time. Her most important role as a teacher is to teach proper mannerism. Applejack cleared her throat loudly, looking for the attention of the students and allowing her voice the appropriate volume.
“Welcome students to General History!” Her salute brought a minimum of attention from the occupied seats. Sweetie Belle yawned, action which made her emphasize among the innocent faces. “No, don’t let it get you Applejack!” Applejack fought off the tempting justifications of paranoia, just that yawn released a whole conspiracy plot on her class. Then again, it was all inside her mind. Not giving more spins to the subject, Applejack continued her introduction. “First thing, everyp…” She opted to change the word, since Spike was in the class, it was more appropriate. “Everyone will tell their names and a little about themselves starting by me! My name is Applejack and I like …”
“Apples?!” The kids guessed at unison. Applejack looked at them a tad embarrassed, also relieved to see the kids finally resigned to say something.
“Whoa, is it that obvious?”
She proceeded to write her name and add the info adjacent to it. Unlike Cheerilee’s usual green boards, this boards didn’t require chalk, nor were they green. This boards are light white and seamless, at least to the pony eye.
To write Applejack used a sophisticated looking rod with a beamy end, it was small so it is easy to handle. She was quite familiar with it, since Rose used it to mark the “chosens” in the big vertical board. It worked the same way chalk did, except for the annoying dust and the infinity of its “Ink”. Applejack gave a closer look to the marker, upon feeling the many gazes on her back she forgot the tool and runs the class. “This is really cool, but I got to keep it professional”
Applejack likes apples reads in the board, a simple but never outdated method to first day a class. Not wasting any time she faced the board and began writing each name with regular speed. From left to right, from front to back. In that order the students revealed their appellation and information. From now Applejack got all the attention.
The class proceeded peacefully, no misbehave nor bad circumstances were encountered.
“I am impressed how easy this is! No pony asks you questions you don’t know, but instead you can ask them and no pony can do a buck about it!”
After the presentation of each student it was time for historical lessons.
“Now that we know each other we can more comfortably work together!”
The kids showed little cheer about, not that it was her job to make them constantly smile. A lone shaking hoof drew Applejack’s attention. She looked at its owner and questioned the distress.
“Miss Applejack, I need to go to the bathroom now!” Little adorableness was in her voice considering what her figure implied. Of course it was Filthy Rich’s kid, only her rogue would state it rather than ask for the permission. Applejack thought about denying it, but she got a better idea.
“Stop right there Lady!” Diamond Tiara glanced at Applejack, her eyes wishing to ignore but the current distribution of power was completely against her.
“The General code for students gives me the right to assist to the restroom at least once per class!”
“Sure! But you aren’t going anywhere unless you ask like an educated, cute filly!” Laughter thundered in the classroom as D. Tiara lowered her head in embarrassment. She stared at Applejack with the intention of adding a comeback. Not that she used to have a change against AJ, but right now she couldn’t but summit to AJ’s command and ask for permission like a cute, little filly.
“’Sigh’ Can I please go to the bathroom?”
“Please Miss …?” Applejack asked with a guilty tiny smirk.
“Augh! … Miss Applejack”
“Of course Tiara! Now you don’t have to address me, but when you do I will appreciate if y’all call me Miss” She allowed small informality in this sentence hoping the students wouldn’t abuse of it. But then again, kids always say first exactly what you don’t want them to say. Applejack considered for a moment how just saying “y’all” could go like a word and comeback as a shark and bite her on the ass.
Once Diamond Tiara grumped her way out, Applejack proceeds to put a hoof on the board and requests for the attention of the class.
“You all pay attention now, because you are about to see historical facts”
With deft hooves she wrote down a sentence, showing one of the most important moments of the pony history. The foals knew much of that particular situation on the time frame. They did since the theater show cased it for the entertainment of everyone. It was also a sad event since for very little all the pony species almost starved and froze to death, and it would have been the case if it wasn’t for the union of all the 3 races.
“Just like the board says, The alliance of the 3 races is irrefutably the most important event of our history! Because we wouldn’t be here right now and there’s no telling where we would be” The air in the classroom felt heavier as Applejack revived the coldest times of the pony history, when their very beings were divided by race and by hatred. Applejack softly closed her eyes as to give understanding of the gravity of the said situation.
“We could possibly not even be here!”
A flock of foals gasped upon hearing this. Scared faces looked at their friends and muttered undecipherable complains. A group of fillies sat closer, tighter and embraced while listening. AJ’s sis, Applebloom rather showed confusion.
“Huh? What do yo mean?”
AJ slapped her face in frustration “It means we could be DEAD!”
In the chorus were heard squeals, the faces passed from being mildly scared to terrified. The least courageous sought shelter under their seats, some colts trying to apparent bravery only looked away and gestured awkward faces.
“Ouch!” Applebloom said.
“Yeah, ouch” Sweetie belle supports her statement.
Spike brings a claw under his chin and adds to the class “Actually, you guys wouldn’t be dead because you wouldn't even be born!”
“Nice one Spike! We wouldn’t be born because I don’t expect our ancestors to prosper in hatred” Applejack brings and emphasizes a very important lesson. No pony can thrive in hatred. AJ notices uncomfortable stances among the class so she cools down the topic a little.
“Take it easy kids. We were done with that matter thousands of years ago!”
The tense environment on the class lightens until it becomes average. Applejack smiles with her group of students successfully learning and having a happy status at the same time. Teaching does not work on foals that are distracted or unhinged by something.
AJ clears her throat loudly, when it gets the attention she relies this important message.
“Now now, the main reason you get history is to remember those bad moments of the past and stop them from happening again! Never forget that”
Multiple foals nod.
The class goes on with no disturb. Some kids feel the treasure of learning whilst most are only interested in knowing tricks they can use to live more easily, therefore getting as much juice they can from school. The class undergoes deeper debating of historical events, Applejack periodically indicates to take notes of the most important dates and occasions, also causes and consequences, those two being fundamental for the main reason to impart this class.
After several minutes the time runs out for AJ’s class, normally the kids already know what to do when a class is over. Applejack decides to give away a gift.
“Hold on! For being your first day with me, yo will be homework free today! I don’t have any homework ready anyway” After the common chorus, the foals quickly depart the classroom and enjoy their short recess before their next class.
Spike enjoys himself more that it would be considered natural for any youngster, he always showed tolerance and maturity than you only see on remarkable grownups, united with intelligence higher than the average, all of this content coated by a silly baby that loses his capacity of reasoning when given gifts or offered candy. How can all of these traits be inside the same being is a mystery, just like how he was born out of a spell.
Spike chills on bench while he should be enjoying his last recess of the day. Instead dictates to take a schedule from his backpack and check his taken classes.
“Okay; History checked, Science of nature or more commonly known as Biology checked, Math checked, Sex ed checked, Gym checked. Just one to go!” Spike looks closer for the last subject “Wait a sec … Orientation?!” In his mind ponders how said class will develop, since to his knowledge there are many known types of orientation.
The town didn’t have a big size, so whenever there is recess students can hop real quickly to their houses and pick forgotten tools or pass the recess there. Spike preferred to sit on a park bench near school and feast in remaining cookies from the breakfast. He was slightly annoyed of the shouts and gossip the fillies had in recess. In the classroom he merged with ease but in the recess grounds Spike could not see where to fit in but near Twilight. Anyway, why should he try to fit in? For his approval the school bell rings with all its might indicating it was twelve a’ clock and it was time for the students to enter inside and take their last class of the day. Spike did as supposed to and walked to the next classroom.
According to the schedule the classroom number was 666, due to the classroom being in the sixth floor, sixth row and sixth door in the row.
“I don’t remember this building having 6 floors … whatever” Spike swiftly joined a crowd of around ten students all heading towards the indicated classroom, with their saddlepacks on and the relief of being so close to finish the first day and head home. Unlike the other floors, floor six was pitching black except for an inexplicable illuminated door at the end of very long corridor, which happened to be room 666.
“Well, I guess this floor has a problem with the lights”
“How in tarnation? Tha lights are fueled by magic!” Applebloom says unwilling to go into the darkness
“There is a reason the lights are out” Spike said going with an analytical analysis. “Perhaps they work with light sensitive stuff up here?”
The crowd of ponies and Spike discussed the matter, they were also determined to not cross such dark hall. Sweetie Belle walked to the front with her horn pointing upward.
“I don’t know why the lights are out but I am not staying here all day!”
Clearly sick of classes Sweetie closed her eyes and concentrated all she could in an attempt to cast magic. The first seconds were a showing of jammed veins and teeth greeting accompanied with the stare of a disbelieving Applebloom.
“Sweetie Belle, you ain’t doing magic …”
Sweetie took a breath from the exhausting effort and turned to face Applebloom.
“I’m not done yet!”
Sweetie pointed at the darkness again. She doubled her efforts and groans but the darkness only seemed to increase.
“You almost popped yo head ther’!” Applebloom laughed heartily alongside some fillies and Spike. Sweetie Belle blushed heavily both from the effort and the shame. Being the first to stop laughing, Spike brandished a pocket watch from his backpack checked the time.
“Guys! We are late, what if the teacher is there?!”
“Umm … We missed some classes?”
Spike’s eyes widened, and involuntarily rushed his feet towards the dark corridor.
“Hey wait!”
Applebloom and the rest of the group instantly followed behind her tail. Inside the pitch blackness not even friendly shapes could be seen and the ponies were forced to guide themselves by sound. With the lack of vision, bodies bump and bounce of others which identity the could not tell apart.
“Guys I’m here, I made it!” Spike shouts triumphal to the darkness.
“Wha’? How you made it?”
“… just follow the door”
Applebloom turned her head and noticed how the door 666 was slightly illuminated. It was shining compared to the swarthy corridor.
“Oh …”
Applebloom’s head materialized in the light, and she brought some ponies behind her tail, from their look they received the quite the scare. Spike took command of the group and ran a list for any missing members.
“Okay, are we all here?”
All the foals in front of him nodded certain of it.
“Great I think we are all here! Oh wait …”
It didn’t take him long to realize the missing cannot tell if they are here, at least they can’t with gestures.
“I know! Who isn’t here, scream like hell!”
A screech painful to the ears came from the darkness. Its sound fitted a saw cutting titanium. Since no pony alive but one could scream that loud they immediately knew it was Sweetie Belle.
“Sweetie dumb! Follow the light!”
“But that goes to the fifth floor!”
“The other light!”
“…!”
Taking her several seconds Sweetie Belle came forth to the door.
“Well that was easy”
Applebloom gave her a reproaching frown and gentle knead her ears for alleviation from the recent noise. Spike decided it was safe to uncover his ears and no losing any time he opened the door. The inside of the classroom was just like any other, same educator’s desk, same boards and same quantity of seats. But it differs with the illumination being poor, good enough to see the seats but it was hard to read a book in it. The students sit and do the only thing they could, wait for the teacher. Since it was 10 minutes past the initiating hour, Spike suspected there may be a mistake with the classroom. To support his theory the lights of the sixth floor were turn off.
“I think we been indicated the wrong room …” Spike rechecked his schedule.
“My dear, you are in the right classroom”
An adult voice was heard. Everyone looked sideways searching for the owner of the voice.
“Oh no, it’s a monster!”
“Sweetie Belle don’t be ridiculous”
For his surprise, two scarlet orbs about the size of an eye took place over the desk. They lolled still for the first seconds. Spike gulped and stood paralyzed in front of the unknown entity. When the foals were aware of them, instinct dictated it was better not to do sudden movements nor loud noises. Unfortunately the foals didn’t feel that way and made a chaotic mini panic event. Their screams and spasmodic reflexes will have the attention of the whole town in no time. Undisturbed by the uproar the supposed monster moved his flying orbs towards one side of the classroom. A hanging twine was pulled down and huge curtains allowed sunlight inside the room.
It took few seconds for the students to stop screaming. Since there was not an actual threat at all, Spike came from under a seat and talked to the figure near the window.
“Umm, Sir?”
The foals stopped any noise at unison and stared at the owner of the flying orbs. A tan hooded Pegasus with a disapproving look on returned a gaze to the kids.
“You look like you just saw a ghost”
“I think that was the case …” Spike whispered bending a sweat.
The students slowly pick themselves up, fix their saddlepacks and avoid looking at the teacher due to the shameful situation he witnessed. An awkward air hovers in the classroom magnified by the educator’s silence and rigid glare. “Sir, you scared us! And what were you doing anyway?!”
Some pony like Sweetie didn’t feel like owning an apology to a certain teacher.
“I was sleeping”
Her jaw dropped dead after hearing his answer. Applebloom has a question too but she was not going to ask until finding her assigned beret, which unfortunately flew off her head as the panic event took place.
“And why ar’all the lights off?”
Several students supported her question with nods and questioning looks meant for the oldest Pegasus in the room. He took a second to scratch his mane and calmly speak.
“ ’cause there is still daylight outside?”
He held the twine again and gave a demonstration of the functioning curtains. The kids thought for a while. Spike concluded all of this reasons justify all the weird stuff they’ve seen in the sixth floor. It was dark because the curtains were well shut and the lights were off because it was still daylight. Nothing odd is yet waiting to be explained. For the other side, some foals found the matter quite troublesome to figure out so they simply forgot it and didn’t need any more explanations to proceed.
The big Pegasus considered no more questions needed to be answered, judging by the lack of disorientation in their innocent faces. He opted to begin the teaching already.
“Welcome students … My name is Clan, aaaandd…” A persistent yawn distorted his voice while presenting himself.
“I’m sorry for that, still a little snoozy”
Clan opened a light folder over his desk. Searching for specific information, a lone hoof passes pages until his eyes reached the wanted paper. His eyeballs lifted from the document and moved onto the students, a rather childish grin morphed in his mouth revealing and upper and lower row of spotless teeth.
“Hello there dragon child! Welcome to Orientation class”
Clan was the first one today to remark the fact Spike is dragon. Spike often liked being the epicenter of attention, except for those occasions where no good could come from the current situation. The look of this teacher on Spike originated goose bumps, for his eyes constantly reminded him of the reason he almost didn’t make it inside this institution. They were judging and looking for an opening to discriminate at any second. For the other side considering how warm his welcome was, it deserved to re-consider his intentions since they were inside a fine organization dedicated to prepare and form kids into intelligent adults. Spike momentarily forgot the progress of time as he recovered, his subconscious suggested him to rush return his salutations with a formal sentence.
“Ooh, thanks Sir! I’m looking forward to learn loads from you!”
Maybe he over did it with that but it did not matter now. Maybe this guy looks at Spike funny because he thought it was awesome this place has a dragon taking classes, or perhaps he is a racist bastard that will make hell of his life. Regardless of which one, Spike won’t misbehave.
“Heh, me too”
He drives his body and eyes to one side of the classroom. With an aptitude willing to impart some classes, he grabs a marker and writes the name of the subject.
“On with this, I will be teaching Orientation as I stated before”
“But what kind of Orientation is this?!” Spike couldn’t resist asking.
Clan smiled softly as he found amusement on the curiosity of Spike.
“Mental orientation”
There was suspecting mutterings around the numerous seats. Quickly after they are done discussing, Applebloom ventures to raise a hoof. The Pony in charge of the class motions her to tell the problem.
“What’s mental horientaion?”
“Itsss … A function of the mind” Applebloom’s left eye narrows upon the overwhelming confusion. “’Sigh’ In other words we will see most of the functions of the mind, so you can have a better understanding of it and apprehend philosophical concepts such as objectivity, cognition, imagination, self awareness, what is right, what is wrong, what is and what isn’t …” Every pony only looked like not understanding any further. Unlike the rest, Spike got every word and he had an opinion for the resolution of his partners.
“Man, they are more lost than in Twilight’s class”
Clan raises an eyebrow and tries to simplify the term to the minimum.
“My class will help you know all the truths of life. Is that clear enough?”
Seconds after, one by one head flickers upon getting the usefulness of this subject. Indeed the brain was an intriguing organ, not only capable of collection so much data but also simulating consciousness. The foals begin a chorus about the possibilities of this class, and more than one agrees this could the most interesting class of all.
Clan looks over the wall designated clock.
“Hey kiddos, class is over. We reached the finishing time”
Soon after the school bell rings as usual, sending the message all over Ponyville. Instead of the expected yell of excitement the foals slowly discern they must be on their way home, a phenomenon cause by the excellence of the teachers upon imparting a successful class both educative and entertaining. Spike slowly stands from his seat and settles to reunite with Twilight outside the building. Everything was going too quick, Spike had so many complains about this class and it ends as sudden as it begins.
“First it was dark scary, teacher was late, teacher was sleeping, I thought he may have a problem with me, then when things are looking good bell rings and we just go home like nothing happened?!” Spike did think this out loud.
Clan, the educator designated to this class overheard what Spike had to say. Clan brought a hoof over his head and knocked it playfully. Spike looked at him with confused eyes.
“Don’t worry kid. Tomorrow, same hour, same classroom”
He walked down to the fifth floor and disappeared from Spike’s sight. Spike scratched his head intrigued.
“Is that Stallion constantly changing mood or it’s just me?”
Standing in the middle of the dark hallway would not take Spike very far. He held his backpack and walked until he met with Twilight outside. A beautiful sight was met instead.
Dozens of foals were walking out the institution with excitement of reuniting with their perspective parents and relatives. Family ponies and mothers received their Children happily, first hugging them and second asking how their day was or if they were hungry. Of course many students revealed how much they liked the magical obligatory berets and how cool the teachers imparted classes, especially since they didn’t leave any homework for them. Pegasus families landed one after another to greet their daughters and sons, and shortly fly up with them back to their cloud city. It looked like a gigantic meeting of glory where the only thing to see was parents rejoicing to see their kids.
Spike looked down a little tired. Seeing so much smiles and attention being distributed triggered a thought of his parents. Who were they? Where are they? Are they still alive? They were probably 2 savage beasts that parted ways the very first day the mated. Even thought that thinking made him feel less nostalgic of them, it didn’t guarantee their true nature. Loneliness stroked like heavy rain, Cold, uncomfortably wet and the feeling you just couldn’t keep it from soaking your whole.
Before tears of sorrow could slide on his face, a warm hoof patted him on his shoulder, spreading pleasant heat across his body and drying away all the loathsome ‘salty water’.
“Hello Spike! How was your day?”
Spike looked up to see a face so bright it obscured to sun to his eyes. Matched with a voice so soothing that no matter the situation, he was all right.
Spike smiled softly and immediately hugged her, wanting more of that energy that washes loneliness away. Perhaps it was called love, but it was different love. It was cherish, the feeling that someone will love you and still love no matter what. Even if you failed them they would still love you and never harm you and hold you dear until their impeding deaths, and do everything they can to make sure you are the last to forget.
“Huh? Spike, are you all right? Wait … did you set something on fire?!”
Twilight reacted pretty much opposite to how he expected.
“No, I am just happy to see you!”
Twilight calmed her haunches. After telling herself no fire alarms were heard throughout the whole day, she motioned Spike to hop in her back so they could both go home.
“You didn’t tell me how your day was”
“It was fine. History was fun, biology was the same, in math you overdid it a little, you can’t just show us advanced equations the very first day”
“Hahaha, I promise I will go easier next time!”
“You better. About Gym, Rainbow Dash made me run the whole field over and over! She got to understand I got two legs, not four!”
Twilight giggles heartily as if hearing a funny healthy joke.
“Sexual Education was just disgusting, even more for me since I’m not even a pony. And finally, Orientation”
“Did something interesting happen? I know the teacher is very close to the headmaster and he wears clothes even when the weather is hot!”
“No wonder he avoids the sun”
Spike remembered all the randomness and adventure that went on for that single hour. How he crossed a pitch black hallway and could swear he saw a monster or ghost. Also how he was revealed the nature of said class, which was perfect to develop the minds of every pony.
“Yeah he sure is odd. But nothing odd happened, just orientation class, nothing else to see”
He didn’t wish to mention the silliness he went through. Passing by the Sugar cube corner, Twilight offers to go buy chocolate shakes for both of them. Spike instantly agrees and wonders if he can have some diamond dust powered in his instead of sugar. But he discarded this because diamond is too darn expensive. So he reluctantly accepts the shake and enjoys yet another moment with the only pony he could maybe one day call Mom.
