Equus Milo - Equestria - Canterlot - Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns
Ever since Chancellor had returned to Equestria from seemingly nowhere, whispers of her legendary wisdom had spread. This led to a one Twilight Sparkle to get curious. The lavender Princess of Friendship investigated the ancient earth pony leader and did not like what she found. Twilight sought out the Puddinghead with her concerns.
"Why did you run away after they elected you to represent them to the three tribes?" Twilight asked Puddinghead.
The Chancellor held her tongue, which frustrated the alicorn.
After getting no answers for several more of her questions, Twilight seethed. She practiced her breathing exercises. "Why won't you answer me?" the Princess wondered when she calmed down.
Puddinghead rubbed her chin at the question and then grinned mischievously. "In my day, we earth ponies had something called a boast. I boast that after a week of teaching, I will have the most popular class in this whole school. You are welcome to compete against me, of course, since I made the boast to you."
Twilight had never heard of the custom before, but she agreed nonetheless. The Princess wanted answers and hoped that by defeating the Chancellor in a boast, she would get those answers.
'This will be a breeze. I was the most gifted unicorn at this school when I attended and ponies will flock to me due to my fame as a princess,' the alicorn proudly concluded.
The first day of the boast began, and Puddinghead's class was fairly small. The only ones who attended were those curious about the ancient earth pony. Most went to Twilight's class immediately after it was announced.
"Does anypony know what I am going to teach today?" the Chancellor asked the class.
They all shook their heads.
"Well, there is no point in teaching you if nopony knows," the teacher concluded and dismissed the class.
The next day, the class had increased in number as rumors of the bizarre dismissal had spread. What would the Chancellor say today? they all wondered.
"Does anypony know what I am going to teach today?" Puddinghead asked the class again.
They all knew what she said last time, so all of them nodded instead.
"Well, there is no point in teaching you if everypony knows," the guest lecturer concluded and dismissed the class once again.
The third day, the students had taken every possible chair. Everypony wanted to know how to crack Puddinghead's puzzle.
"Does anypony know what I am going to teach today?" she asked for the third time.
Half of the class nodded and the other shook their head.
"Well then, the half that knows what I am going to say would you please explain to the other half what I am going to teach? Thanks," Puddinghead commanded and dismissed the class.
The fourth and final day, the students had completely filled the room. Even Twilight Sparkle had cancelled her class so that she could see what was going on. The Princess couldn't get a seat as the students had long claimed them before the class began.
"Does anypony know what I am going to teach today?" she asked for the fourth time.
None of the students, who were all unicorns, moved an inch. They kept their silence. A pony could hear a pin drop.
After ten almost unbearable seconds, Puddinghead smiled. "Ah, so you have finally learned my first lesson: sometime there aren't any good answers. Now let us move onto my next one."
Everypony leaned forward in the chairs in order to hear better.
"Why is our history silent about what happened earth ponies' self-governance?" she declared as she walked up to the chalkboard and spent the rest of the evening explaining what occurred long ago during a period she called the 'silencing' of earth ponies.
Twilight lost the boast but got her answer. She didn't know that winning a boast didn't dictate any conditions. The ancient custom, which was meant just for fun, only lived on in a displaced mare.