The playground was covered with colts and fillies, all running and playing and laughing, sliding, swinging, merry-go-rounding, seesawing, that it made me a little dizzy to look at. Which didn’t help how scared I felt.
“This is so exciting,” Momma looked so proud as we walked towards the school. Auntie Velvy, Shining Armor, and Twilight were with us too. Twilight was snoozing in her mom’s foal-carrier (lucky filly) while my mom looked so happy.
“My little colt is starting his first day of school!”
“What’s with you, Midnight?” Shining asked me, while I was giving my hooves a lot of attention. “You’re finally coming to school with me!”
“No I’m not…” I whispered, not wanting Momma or Auntie Velvet to hear. “I have to go to kindergarten and you’re in first grade. I wanted to be in the same class as you.”
“Well, you gotta start at the beginning, just like I did, Midnight,” Shining shrugged but he smiled at me. “But even if we’re not in the same class together, we can still play together during recess.”
“But-but what if the teacher asks me something and I don’t know the answer?” I worried, feeling my heart thumping in my chest. “What if I do something dumb and everypony laughs at me?!”
“Midnight…” Shining tried to say but I was too worked up.
“WHAT IF I LOSE MY HALL PASS?!” I screamed so loud that Shining grabbed my shoulders.
“Down, boy, down!” he insisted and I shut up because of the look he gave me.
“Boys, is something wrong?”
We looked and saw Auntie Velvy and Mom, and I felt bad as Twilight whined and started waking up. Auntie started rocking her to calm her down while Mom came over to me, and I couldn’t hide how worried I was in front of her.
“Shiny, could you help your mom?” she asked, and Shining got the idea, as did I. Mom wanted to talk to me in private. I looked down, feeling silly and a little ashamed, when Mom brushed her hoof against my mane.
“You’re gonna be just fine.”
“Do I have to go…?” I asked, even though I knew the answer.
“Oh baby, you’re gonna have so much fun!” she sounded so sure. “You’re gonna learn so much, and it’ll all be okay!”
“But… what if everypony’s mean?” I whined, trying to hold back the tears, feeling like a big chicken. “Why can’t I go with dad and he can teach me stuff?”
“Well, Midnight, your dad’s super busy already being the Captain of the Royal Guard that he just wouldn’t have time to teach you,” Mom explained, “and because you’re much too young to even think of being a guard.”
“I don’t really care about being a guard,” I admitted, “I just… I love learning stuff from you and Dad, and Uncle Night Light and Aunt Velvet!”
Mom smiled and pulled me into a hug, which I was happy to bury myself in, if only to hide from everything else around us. Momma’s hugs are always so warm and make me feel safe. She then held me at foreleg’s length, her hooves on my shoulders, and smiled softly as she said, “Midnight, you are a very special little colt and one day you will do amazing things and help a lot of ponies.
“Every time I look at you and see you smiling and happy I can’t help but feel like you’re going to do things that will help ponies so they can smile and be happy. But before you do amazing things you have to learn amazing things. So chin up, sweetheart, because you’re gonna have fun, learn a lot, and you’re gonna make new friends as fun and good to you as Shining Armor.”
The way Momma spoke and sounded so sure, it made me feel less afraid and more excited! I looked away from her and towards the school. It was tall but felt welcoming, almost like a big pony inviting us in for a hug. And all the other colts and fillies laughing and having fun, I started to want to go out there and have fun with them.
I looked at Momma and in her eyes I saw something that made me feel brave, and I smiled back before giving her a hug. As she held me, she whispered, “That’s my big boy.”
*Ding-dong-ding-dong.... Ding-dong-ding-dong*
“Uh-oh! Class is about to start,” Shining Armor got hot hooves, as he gave his mom and sister a kiss and hurried off, saying, “See you later, everypony!”
I was about to follow but felt Momma gently stop me and say, “No, no, Midnight. We need to go to the front office and take care of a few things before you go to class.”
“Okay,” I nodded before stepping over to Auntie Velvet and Twilight. “See you soon, Auntie, and you too, Twily!”
“Have fun and learn lots, Midnight,” Auntie Velvet gave me a hug and Twily giggled at me, making me smile and I waved to them before following Momma into the school.
All the other colts and fillies were already heading for their classrooms when we stepped in, Momma saying, “Stay close to me, dear, and come along.”
I had no problem with that, as I walked right next to Momma, feeling not as brave as I was before we came inside. I saw Shining Armor for a bit but he disappeared among all the other colts and fillies as he was going to class.
Soon the hall wasn’t so crowded, and Momma said, “Let’s see… Where’s the school office, it should be right around the entrance.”
“Pardon me, ma’am.”
I went “YIPE” and spun around to see a BIG earth pony walking towards us, his hoofsteps kinda loud or maybe I was imagining it. He had a coat brown like Dad’s coffee, his mane was orange like the poppies in Aunt Velvet’s garden, and his cutie-mark looked like a big old key with a rolled up scroll fitting through the hole in the key’s handle. He also wore a funny hat, like those spiffy unicorn nobles that liked to show off their looks.
“Oh, sorry there, lil’ guv’nor,” the earth pony chuckled before he talked to Momma while holing out his hoof, “allow me to introduce myself. Chiron Lodestar, at yor service, Miss…”
Momma smiled as she shook his hoof, “Faerie Tail, and this is my son, Midnight Blaze. He’s starting his first day of school, although things got a little mixed up and… I only found out yesterday that school began a few days ago, so I was looking for the school office to speak with the principal?”
“Oh, you won’ be speakin’ t’ any principal anytime soon, Miss Tail,” Mr. Lodestar sighed, “see, our school principal, well… `E’s a fine chap an’ all, but… `e `as this strange standards `bout `is morning coffee, likes to tweak `is recipe an-”
*KABLOOSH*
“AUGH!” I dove under Momma, and she sounded worried too.
“My word! Whatever was that?”
“That would be Principal Archimedes and yet anotha’ attempt to serve tha’ mornin’ coffee recipe o’ his in th’ teacher’s lounge,” Mr. Lodestar chuckled but sounded weary.
“Seein’ as `ow he’s likely busy, I’ll be glad t’ `elp you get yor son settled in fer `is first day! I take it tha’ means `e’s startin’ kindergarten?”
“Well, ahem, yes,” Momma cleared her throat as she coaxed me out from under her, “and like I said before, I realize he’s few days late, but, well! Better late than never!”
“Ain’t no buggah, Miss Tail,” Mr. Lodestar said to Momma, “all’s you need’s fer th’ lad is a few school supplies fer next week when the real learnin’ begins. First week’s about settlin’ in to a new routine for th’ foals an’ gettin’ used to their class. If you’ll both kindly follow yours truly!”
Mr. Lodestar turned around and trotted down the hall, Momma smiling at me as she gestured we follow.
First Mr. Lodestar showed Momma and me the school office (really boring place) where he had Momma sign some papers. He showed us around, pointing out places like the lunchroom, the gym, the indoor pool, the theater stage, the nurse’s office, and the main hallway that helps you know where you are, as well as how it leads you out to the playground.
Momma asked questions, like what kind of clubs or activ… viddies? Whatever, what kind of stuff the students get to do besides schoolwork. Mr. Lodestar said there was the drama club (Momma explained it’s where students learn to act and do plays when she noticed the look on my face), the sports club where students who wanna take up sports after school (…mmmaybe soccer…), a chess club (BORING), and other clubs.
None of them really sounded all that fun, but I just shrugged or nodded whenever Momma or Mr. Lodestar suggested them, like I was saying maybe.
“Sweet Mother of Celestia, look at the time!”
“Yipe!” I felt like such a scaredy-pony today, ugh…
Mr. Lodestar was looking at a clock in the hall, “My apologies, Mrs. Tail, I got so wrapped un the tour I let the time get away from me. Let’s pop on over to the office, you fill out some forms, and I take my new little pony to `is classroom!”
“Oh, so then you’re going to be Midnight’s teacher?” Momma asked, and I hoped Mr. Lodestar said-
“Indeed I am!” he smiled proudly. Ugh…
“To be honest, I was on my way back to my class when I bumped into you. I left a teaching assistant in charge but she’s due back in the office. Oh bugger, am I gonna get an earful about this later.”
I gave Momma a look and she shrugged with a smile when Mr. Lodestar said, “Right then, tally ho, a paper-signing we’ll go!”
After Momma signed some papers, it was time. I looked up at her, pleading with my eyes for her not to g, but she just smiled at me so warmly, I couldn’t help but smile back a little. She gave me a hug, and whispered, “Make me proud, my big boy…”
“Okay, Momma, I’ll do it for you…” I whispered back.
When we let go, she said, “I’ll be here to pick you up after school, and then we can go out for pizza!”
That made me smile hopefully but I felt my smile go away as Momma then said, “Bye-bye, sweetie! Have fun!”
Watching her leave down the hall, I felt nervous and sad when Mr. Lodestar patted my head, “No need to worry, lil’ guvnor! You’re gonna `ave th’ time o’ yor life here or bob’s your uncle!”
“Uh, actually, my uncle’s name is Joe-” I tried to say only for Mr. Lodestar to get all excited.
“Right then! To the classroom!” He picked me up, placed me on his back and took off, me yelping and wondering, Isn’t there some rule that says no running in the halls?
“Alright, me little buggahs! Settle down, th’ lot o’ you!” Mr. Lodestar had taken me to his classroom. There were lots of other colts and fillies, most of them were unicorns, several others were pegasi and earth ponies too.
The classroom had rows of desks with the tops you lift, there was a corner of the room with a table covered with arts & crafts stuff, cubby-holes on the far side of the room, below the windows, at the front to one side was Mr. Lodestar’s desk, and of course a big chalkboard he and I were standing in front of.
Everypony had been talking or laughing or playing with toys they’d brought with them, the teaching asis… assit… the teacher’s helper Mr. Lodestar had already left, and now everypony was looking at him and me.
“We’ve got us `ere another classmate for you, go on, lad! Introduce yourself and say anything you wanna tell us.”
“Mmm…” I whimpered a bit, looking from Mr. Lodestar, his big funny smile, then to the class, everypony looking at me, and I felt so small.
“I… um… My name… is Midnight Blaze. My dad’s the captain of the guard and my momma’s a librarian. I, uh… I like reading and playing and looking at the moon.”
“C’mon, everypony, let’s give a nice big `ello to our new friend here,” Mr. Lodestar waved his hoof.
“Hi Midnight!” everypony said altogether, and I felt a little better.
“Now, lad, take a seat over theres, right next to Bright Side,” Mr. Lodestar pointed to the only empty desk left, next to an earth pony colt with a yellow coat and a funny brown mane, and… did he have stripes too?
I did as he asked and sat down in my new desk, and then Mr. Lodestar started talking but I wasn’t listening. I was peering at the colt next to me. Bright Side was… chubby. I don’t think that to be mean, I mean he’s cubby in a… teddy bear sort of way. But it was his stripes that stuck out. They were faint but still noticeable, a soft golden brown almost invisible on his yellow coat. He noticed me looking and squirmed in his seat, and I felt bad. I didn’t mean to make him feel uncomfortable!
“Um…” He looked at me as I tried to find the right words. “You, uh… your stripes are kinda cool!”
That caused Bright to give me a confused look, his eyes were golden brown and seemed to be more curious than nervous now. I held out my hoof to him, saying with a nervous smile, “You already heard me but… I’m Midnight! Nice to meet’cha!”
Bright looked at me and my hoof… before he smiled back and shook hooves with me, “Y-You too… I’m Bright Side!”