"No, that's ridiculous." I stated, laughing. "There's no way they would be doing something like that."
Blue looked up at the sky with a smile and let out a breath. We had been walking down a dirt path towards Ponyville for the past 10 minutes. "So you're saying that a mechanical robo-pony spy is not a viable option for the department?" He said as a gust of wind swept through the valley, carrying some fallen leaves with it.
"They couldn't even afford a reasonably sized house within walking distance of the school for us." I laughed. "And you think they can afford an army robot spies?" I asked incredulously.
"Well, obviously not. That'd be ridiculous." Blue said, waving a hoof. "But what about two armies of robot spies?"
I shook my head, smiling. "We should probably get some details straight before we get too close to the town. Less ponies to hear us out here and all."
Blue looked around. There were only a handful of houses out here, scattered across the landscape and each isolated by shrubs or farm land. The houses that were visible now seemed to show signs of life, light spilling out of the windows and silhouettes moving about in the house. One house had a unicorn shaking out their door mat while another was grabbing the mail. No one was on the trail but them.
"I know just about as much as you do on this case." Blue said, glancing at me. "The case is open and the pony responsible is still active. The ponies that come back don't say a word. They have a thousand mile stare for the first week, then they're back to being your typical kid." He finished with a sigh, hanging his head. "Not like this is anything new for us that is. Having a detective go under cover like this is cool and new though."
"We've gone undercover before though." I said, pausing to scan our surroundings. "Not recently, but we've done it before."
A gust of wind shot through the clearing, causing us to close our eyes. After a moment, Blue continued. "Yes, but those were short term. This deployment could take a while. We know nothing about who's doing it, but we're suspecting the faculty members."
"At the very least, this is very exciting." I smiled. "This is my first time being sent out for something like this on my own. I'm feeling kind of like a secret agent or something!" I finished, doing a little skip.
"You still have me for this one though."
"Well yeah, but it's not like we'll both be in the school all the time. I'm saying this is the first time it'd mainly just be me."
"I get what you mean, Flora." Blue started. "While that is definitely a plus, don't let your excitement distract you from what we're here for." He explained, glancing at me briefly. "What you're doing for the department is risky, but you'll helping a lot of ponies here."
"I understand." I said with a nod. "We'll find them, whoever they may be."
"I know."
We were passing over the crest of a hill overlooking Ponyville. The sun, now above the horizon, cast long shadows across the small village. From where we were, we could see dozens of houses and shop fronts; most of which had their lights on. A few small groups of fillies and colts were seen laughing and walking towards the far end of the village.
"That's where the school is, right?" I said, pointing a leg.
"Yep." Blue nodded. "Or at least it looks like it. Come on, let's go."
I walked next to Blue, but not quite even with him. About a step or two back. My heart was beating faster than I expected it to be. The department trained us for stuff like this, but I don't think they accounted for the fear of going back to school. Well, either that or it was what we were getting into and how much of it relied on me and my ability to not fuck it up.
I hope they made the right choice to choose me for this.
The buildings around us were a mixture between stores and houses. The ground that we walked on was made of cobblestone, making a distinctive noise every time we took a step. We rounded a corner, the school now within sight. It was made of bricks and was showing signs of age and wear. It was two stories tall and had windows evenly spaced across the front side. The building was elevated slightly, needing a staircase to get to the front door.
Surrounding the front of the school was a crowd that was beginning to form. There were dozens of young ponies chatting among themselves with some of them laughing. Despite the upbeat nature of these ponies, you could still tell that they didn't want to be here. The crowd was growing as time went on, a slow trickle of new faces being guided by their parents at the edges.
There was a stir in the crowd and everyone fell quiet as the front door to the school opened, a tall unicorn stepped out. He stayed at the top of the staircase and addressed the crowd.
"Fillies and gentlecolts." He began. "My name is Fresh Ink and I will be your principle for this year. There are some old faces here and I can see some new ones too. I hope that the friendships I have made in the past continue into this year and that I can get to know some of you a little better as well."
Blue leaned over to whisper to me. "Anyone stand out as odd to you yet?"
I shook my head. "No, not yet. It's a bit early to be speculating or pointing blame."
"Oh, and before I forget." Blue said, grabbing something from his pocket. "You'll need this." He handed me a piece of paper. I glanced at the contents briefly before putting it away.
"Thanks."
Fresh Ink continued his speech. "Due to recent happenings in our school system, I will endeavor to ensure that our school is a safe and fun place for learning for all flocks of life." He cleared his throat. "And with this, I welcome this year's class to Ponyville Primary School." He finished, opening up the doors to the school and stepping to the side to let us through.
There were grumbles and groans throughout the crowd, but they begrudgingly submitted to their fate of standardized public education and slowly trudged towards the school's entrance. Looking at the other students, I did my best to mimic their expressions.
Blue stayed behind, letting me join the crowd. "Good luck on your first day, Flora!" He said loudly, waving. "Love you!"
I rolled my eyes and let out a groan, channeling my inner angsty teen. I hung my head and joined the collective. I scanned the crowd trying to spot any ponies that looked friendly; someone I could befriend and blend in with. One pony that caught my eye was a pastel-yellow earth pony with a red mane and no cutie mark.
The walls around me were made of brick and painted white. Sounds of murmurs and clopping of hooves on the tile floor surrounded me. Taking in a breath, the smell of the building brought back memories. Doors were evenly spaced on either side of the hallways. Each door had a blue placard with a number on it.
Remembering something, I reached into my pocket and took out the piece of paper that Blue had given me. On the paper was a number. Following the flow of the crowd, I paid attention to the placards until I found the one that matched the number on the paper.
...
There it was. I maneuvered my way through the sea of ponies and towards the open door. A mare was standing next to the door, a smile on her face. She waved me in.
I crossed the threshold into the room and I blinked. Several young ponies were already in the room, desks were placed in a grid. Most of them were sitting in their desks and bags next to their seats. Windows on the far end of the room provided light.
I stopped in my tracks, my mind flooded with memories of when I was still in school. Long lectures, rainy days, heartbreak, time with friends, and grueling nights.
I teared up a little, but I wasn't sure why.
Wiping my tears, I made my way to my seat.