The beautiful crystal like structure of the school could be seen from the hilltop on which a stallion was observing the surrounding landscape. "So the stories are true. 'Tis a thing of beauty to behold!" The stallion thought to himself. "Which makes it the ideal place for a fellow like me to go."
The stallion (armed only with an old, worn shovel) rushed down the hill in a mad sprint to the school! Of course, he was polite about it the whole way. "Excuse me! Pardon me! Coming through! So sorry, miss!" He apologized.
Twilight was in the middle of organizing her lesson plans and storing them in a secure cabinet, protected by a magical look. After the incident with Friendship U, she was taking no chances. No one else was going to gain access to her lesson plans and copy them if she could help it.
So focused was the headmare on this task, that she almost didn't notice when the door to her office swung wide open! Luckily, she was quick to snatch up her lesson plans with her magic before they could scatter onto the floor! "What is it?!" She cried out. "Haven't you heard of knocking?!"
"Sorry to frighten ya, Princess, but I needed to talk to ya as soon as possible." A familiar, sturdy voice called out.
Twilight looked up, quickly locking eyes with none other than the legend himself: Rockhoof! "Oh, it's just you, Rockhoof. I'm sorry, where are my manners?"
"It's alright, didn't mean to cause a commotion," Rockhoof apologized. "But I've got a proposition for ya. One that I think you'll be very interested in hearing."
"Yes?" Twilight innocently asked the pillar.
Rockhoof cleared his throat. "Seeing as you're the headmare of this establishment, I figured you were the pony to talk to see about getting a job at this school. I want to lend my services to you and the students, and make myself useful."
Twilight smiled. "I'd be honored, Rockhoof. But may I ask what brings you here? Didn't you want to see what became of your village?"
At that, Rockhoof's mood changed and became sorrowful. "I did. It was the first thing I did after being set free from limbo and helping to rescue Stygian, who I hear has become a fine author," Then he cleared his throat. "Anyway, to get back to the subject at hoof, I paid a visit to my old village. But nothing is as I remember it. Everyone I knew and loved either moved away long ago, or has passed on. And sadly, now my village is little more than an archaeological dig sight. Not much use for a fossil like me in a place like that."
The alicorn let out a gasp! "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry to hear that, Rockhoof!"
Rockhoof shook his head. "Don't be, you couldn't have known. I guess I should've expected it, being gone for over a thousand years and all," Then he added. "The other pillars have all moved on with their lives and found work elsewhere. So I figured it's time I did the same. Professor Fossil, the head archaeologist at the dig sight, suggested I try my luck here at this school. And when I heard you were looking for a more long term gym teacher, I figured I'd found my calling in the world as I now know it."
Spike (who had been silently listening to everything up to this point, he'd been busying helping Twilight re-organize some of the higher shelves that she couldn't access without a ladder) flew down and commented. "We could certainly use a permanent gym teacher, Rockhoof. Right now, gym only gets taught whenever Rainbow Dash or Applejack can find time in their busy schedules to hold it. It's always on the chopping block, because Rainbow's a Wonderbolt and Applejack has to tend the fields while her brother goes to see his special somepony. To say nothing of the times the map calls them away."
"Then I hereby submit myself as a candidate for the office!" Rockhoof firmly declared.
Twilight pulled out some files from her desk. "Very well then," She placed the appropriate documents on top of her desk and offered Rockhoof a quill. "Read the documents carefully and then sign your name. It'll be an honor to have you on the staff, Rockhoof!" And the princess would turn out to be right in more ways than she could've imagined.
The hiring process didn't take long. Soon, Rockhoof was officially brought on as the new gym teacher. "Hope ya don't mind me carrying me trusty shovel with me," Rockhoof said to Twilight. "We ain't ever parted ways since getting back from limbo. And we make a fine pair."
Twilight nodded. "You're welcome to hold onto that shovel since it means so much to you. Just be careful not to hit anypony with it."
"Not a problem. Now, I'd best be getting to the gym so I can get all set up. Can't wait to meet all the wee ones and tell 'em my stories." Rockhoof declared to Twilight and then departed her office without another word.
The very next day, word had already gotten out that there was a new gym teacher at the school. But no one knew who it was just yet. That detail had been kept a secret. But it wouldn't be a secret for much longer.
Sandbar (who always got good grades in gym) was leading the pack that consisted of his friends as they exited Fluttershy's class involving rare and exotic animals currently residing at her sanctuary. "Come on, guys!" He encouraged. "They're finally holding gym class again! Headmare Twilight says she's finally somepony who can teach it all semester long!"
"Does that mean nomore substitutes?" Gallus questioned. "My wings are still sore from the last substitute. I gotta say, I take back all the jokes I made about Professor Egghead. If she can endure a workout like that on a daily basis, she must be tougher than she looks."
"I give the new guy or gal three weeks tops!" Smolder declared. "Gym class has always been taught by either Professor Rainbow Dash or Professor Applejack. And usually it means helping them work on their buckball game. The new teacher's gonna have their work cut out for them trying to teach so many students all at once."
Silverstream just grinned. "Ooh! Maybe we'll get to play some other sports! There's so many I haven't gotten to try yet. Like baseball, and soccer, and hoofball!"
Sandbar grinned at the hippogriff. "Well you'll never find out if you don't pick up the slack! Come on, slow pokes! Professor Pinkie Pie always says it's important to make a good first impression when meeting someone new. So let's try to do that for the new gym teacher."
The students all filed into the gym a short time later. They were surprised to be greeted by a lumbering earth pony stallion who was a pale, light cyanish gray in color. He had a mane, tail, and beard that was a moderate orange in color with a light gold stripe down the center, grayish blue eyes, and a cutie mark depicting a strange symbol no one had ever seen before (it looked to be three triangles overlapping with one another). Most unusual of all though, was the huge shovel that currently lay across his shoulders.
"Greetings to ya all, lads and lassies," The stallion spoke in a thick accent. "The name's Rockhoof, proud member of the Mighty Helm. And I'm gonna be your gym teacher."
Sandbar and Ocellus were immediately filled with admiration, they knew who Rockhoof was! "You're one of the pillars of old! You're a legend and a hero!" Ocellus gushed.
Rockhoof laughed. "Oh, I don't know about that hero bit, lassie. I like to think I've done some pretty heroic things in my time, but that does not automatically make one a hero in my book. A hero has to be full of virtue, wisdom, and most of all a sense to do the right thing no matter what the cost may be. And being a hero is not a full time job, you never wake up or go to bed a hero. Heroes come and go as they are needed."
"But you're still famous! I used to hear stories about you and the Mighty Helm all the time!" Sandbar happily exclaimed as he offered a hoof. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Rockhoof! I'm Sandbar!" He proceeded to introduce his friends one by one. "And this is Ocellus, Gallus, Smolder, Silverstream, and Yona. They're my friends."
"Ah, it's good to see a young lad like you making friends at such an age," Rockhoof commented as he returned the hoofshake. "My teammates in the Mighty Helm weren't really my friends until long after I grew this beard and beefed myself up. And it took me even longer than that to realize just how much of a difference friendship can make in an individual's life. But I'm getting ahead of myself, that's a story for another time. Right now, I'm got a gym class to teach, and plenty of students to learn the names of," He blew the whistle he'd been given as part of his gym teacher responsibilities. "Alright now, first order of business is role call. When I call your name please raise a hoof, or claw, or whatever extremitie you've got. And once role call's done, we're gonna play some dodge ball. It's a great way to learn about teamwork and trust."
In no time at all, Rockhoof had learned the names of each of the students in his care, and watched them as they were pitted against one another in a game of dodge ball. The two team captains were Sandbar on the red team and Yona on the blue team.
During a lull in the activity, Yona took the opportunity to start gushing about her new found fascination for the mighty Rockhoof. "He is just like yak!" Yona proudly declared to all who would listen. "He is strong, like yak. Brave, like yak. And like yak he loves to make new friends. Rockhoof is now best gym teacher!"
"He sure is fond of those stories," Smolder commented. "I'm not sure what this 'Mighty Helm' is he keeps talking about though."
Sandbar grinned. "They're probably like the royal guards or the Wonderbolts. I hear Headmare Twilight's brother serves as Captain of the Royal Guard."
"Isn't he also the one who's married to that princess and lives in that empire made of crystal?" Smolder questioned. "One of these days we should totally go see it. I hear Spike's a big hero there for some reason."
Meanwhile, Yona was insisting. "Yak going to base her paper on Rockhoof. Yona get A plus for sure! Day cannot possibly get better!"
Just then there came the sharp cry of an alarm. The students knew what that meant, it was time for a fire drill. Many of them groaned, the drills were always so boring.
But Rockhoof seemed to be treating the whole thing as if it were real. "Alright, lads and lassies, I'm to take you all outside and call roll. Let's move it, double time!"
"Actually," Gallus commented in reply. "Some of us were thinking of just staying here 'til the drill is over. It's just a drill, we get these all the time."
Rockhoof wouldn't take no for an answer though. "Doesn't matter. We in the Mighty Helm were trained to take any and all drills seriously. I'm getting you all out of here one way or another, now come on!" He proceed to unholster his shovel and use it to pick up Yona.
Yona beamed with pride! "Day just got better!" She happily exclaimed.
Using his shovel and his strength, Rockhoof quickly opened the doors and tossed all the students out on the lawn one by one. Then he rushed out behind them and called out their names to make sure he hadn't left anyone behind. He hadn't. "Good thing you wee ones had me around. If that had been a real emergency and you wanted to stay, you'd have probably burnt to a crisp," And he was quick to advise. "You may find these drills silly and a waste of time. But if it ever became real, you'd be thankful we practiced so often. That way you'd know by heart what to do and where to go. Because I won't always be there to carry you out," Then he set his trusty shovel back on his shoulders. "Though you're lucky the worst you have to worry about is fire. In my village, we lived in constant fear that the volcano would erupt and wipe us all out. We had to constantly dig trenches at the slightest hint that it might blow its top. 'Better safe than sorry', my captain always said."
Yona found herself amazed! Rockhoof was fast becoming her new hero and idol.
The next day, Yona was the one most looking forward to gym class. In fact it was all she thought about all day, until at last it arrived.
"I've never seen Yona this excited before," SIlverstream commented to the others. "Usually that's my department."
Sandbar chuckled. "She's just excited because she's got someone at this school she can relate to. Not to mention somepony she can base that paper on."
"The one about a pony who inspires us and why that is so? That's one difficult because there's so many ponies to choose from." Ocellus commented.
"Well at least the paper isn't due for another week or so," Gallus remarked. "I'll probably just pick a random pony from the history books and hope for a passing grade."
All the while, Yona was eagerly rushing down the halls to the gymnasium. "Yona can't wait to hear more of Rockhoof's stories! Stories make for good paper! And Yona show paper to Rockhoof when finished."
The students all filed into the gymnasium a moment later, and Rockhoof was there to greet them. "Splendid to see all you young ones on time again. Punctuality is an important value to develop," Then he smiled. "I took the liberty of setting up an obstacle course just like the one used to train members of the Mighty Helm. Of course, I had to improvise none of you wee ones are looking to join the helm and the helm's course was much harder. Even yours truly struggled with it. So I scaled back on some of the tougher stuff. Other than that though, it's a spot on replica. A splendid if I do say so myself."
Gallus groaned. "Great, it's back to boot camp." He sarcastically remarked, looking around at the rope walls, nets, and hurdles. It all seemed like overkill to him.
Sandbar quickly explained to Rockhoof. "Our last substitute was Captain Spitfire of the Wonderbolts. She made us do laps around the track until some of us were ready to collapse. And some of us still have lingering wounds from that time."
Rockhoof nodded. "I understand how that feels. The first workout's always the toughest, especially when you don't expect it. Not to worry, though. I ain't one of those 'Work ya 'til you drop' kind of coaches. Still, what good is gym class if you're not getting a good workout out of it? Now you all line up in single file. When one of you completes the course, the next in line goes. And we'll keep going until each of you's taken a turn. If any of you get stuck, just give a holler and I'll come running," Then he asked. "So, do we have any volunteers?"
Yona shot up a hoof. "I'll do it! Yona do anything for best teacher!"
"Very well then, Yona," Rockhoof smiled as he blew his whistle. "Everyone line up behind Yona in alphabetical order! Remember, one at a time. The course ain't meant for more than one. And this ain't a contest, just do your best," Then he instructed. "Go, Yona!"
The young yak took off with a sprint! She seemed to be almost on autopilot for the whole length of the obstacle course, nothing slowed her down even the slightest. It wasn't long before she had scaled the rope wall, climbed down the other side, and shouted. "Yona done!"
The massive stallion smiled anew. "And in record time too. Now that's just the kind of motivation I like to see, you wee ones could learn a lot from Yona. All in good time of course," And he blew his whistle again. "Next!"
As the next student in line started running through the course, Yona made her way back to where Rockhoof stood at attention. She was really curious about the massive stallion. From what little she remembered of what Sandbar and Ocellus had mentioned, Rockhoof was a legend of old that had once protected Equestria. And he was also the Pillar of Strength, whatever that meant. But what was a pony with those kinds of titles doing at Twilight's school? That was what she was hoping to find out.
Yona made eye contact with the stallion. "Professor Rockhoof?"
"Just Rockhoof will do, thank you. I like to think of myself as your pal first and your teacher second," Rockhoof declared with a light laugh. "What can I do for you, Yona?"
The yak innocently inquired. "Rockhoof not from Ponyville, right? Rockhoof from somewhere else."
Rockhoof nodded. "Aye, I am. Though to be fair, this ain't my first job in Ponyville. After I got out of limbo, the first thing I did was go back to my village. But when I saw what was left of it, I figured there wasn't much of a need for a shovel pony like myself anymore."
"What is limbo?" Yona asked. "Sandbar and Ocellus mention limbo and pillars when talking about Rockhoof, but Yona not know what they mean."
The mighty stallion gave a hearty laugh. "I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around all of that myself, lassie. Pillars are what they called ponies like myself and Starswirl to describe our greatest virtues. They're what eventually became the Elements of Harmony. Strength was my virtue, my element you could say. And as for limbo, it's a gateway between worlds. Least, that's how Starswirl put it."
"What did pony do after getting out of limbo?" Yona questioned Rockhoof.
Rockhoof put a hoof to his chin, stroking his beard. "Like I said, the first thing I did was go back to my village. Didn't stay long though, wasn't much left of it. And what little there was was being dug up and inspected by all these archaeologists. So I came here, hoping to find work somewhere. Tried a couple of different professions, but none worked out."
"When was all this? Yak not remember seeing Rockhoof around before." Yona questioned.
The stallion chuckled. "It was before this school ever got started. Tried being a mail pony first, but I didn't know my way around time. Got all the letters and packages sent to the wrong addresses, including something that was supposed to go to a Mr. Cranky Doodle Donkey. So next I tried the spa. Thought maybe I could try my luck at being a spa masseuse." He started to flash back to that day.
Rockhoof had only just started work, the spa outfit he was wearing was still fresh. The first customer that came up to his station, was a buff pegasus stallion with a snow white coat and red eyes. "So, what's your name, lad?" Rockhoof asked.
"Bulk Biceps!" Bulk Biceps shouted. "Hope you can help me. My back's a bit stiff."
Rockhoof grinned. "Well, laddie, we'll soon fix that up. You just lay down on the mat and let me handle the rest. Okay?"
"Yeah!" Bulk Biceps roared as he did just that.
Rockhoof carefully warmed up his hooves, hovering them over his customer's back. "Ready?" Bulk Biceps gave a nod. "Alright. Now just let me know if this is too much pressure!"
There was a sharp crunching sound, and Bulk Biceps let out an incredibly high-pitched scream.
"Turns out Bulk Biceps was the one who gave killer massages so to speak," Rockhoof finished his story to Yona. "The spa told me they didn't need another. Guess sometimes I really don't know my own strength, feel just like a bull in a china shop."
"So Rockhoof is clumsy too, just like yak," Yona thought to herself. "We have more in common than Yona thought!"
"I also tried my hoof at helpin' out a Miss. Zecora with carrying her stuff. But I brought her a lot more than she needed," Rockhoof admitted with a blush. "Once, I brought her a whole tree not realizing it had a bee's nest in it. After she chased off the bees she had to whip up something to treat the stings. Both on her and on myself."
Yona giggled. "Bees no bother Yona. Yak fur is too thick for silly bees to penetrate."
"Well I hope you don't intentionally make bees angry, Yona," Rockhoof commented in reply. "Anyway, I tried a couple more jobs in and around Ponyville. Dug ditches, worked in a saw mill, anything that I thought I might be good at. Some of the jobs were nice but none of them were a permanent replacement for what I'd lost. So eventually I decided to go on the road, see if my talents were needed elsewhere."
"And Rockhoof stay on road until school need gym?" Yona concluded.
Rockhoof nervously answered. "Well, sort of. There's actually a whole 'nother story about that," Just then, the bell rang to signal the end of class. "But it looks our time together is up. You've got classes elsewhere and I wouldn't wanna make you wait," He ushered Yona to the door. "Go on, go be with your friends."
"But... but..." Yona didn't want to leave just yet. She still needed some more details before she could write that paper. Plus, she was very intrigued by what Rockhoof had to say.
Rockhoof just gave a wink. "If you wanna hear the rest of my story, you come 'round here after school's done for the day and I'll tell it to you. How's that sound?"
"It is deal! Yona come back after class to hear story! Yona can't wait!" Yona proudly declared. "Rockhoof is more than best teacher, Rockhoof is fast becoming Yona's friend!"
Rockhoof smiled again. "Well as your friend, I wouldn't want to make you late. So get going, lassie!" And he watched as Yona trotted away with the five other creatures she considered her friends. "Always warms my heart to see the next generation interested in what the previous generation has to say," He thought to himself. "A shame there aren't more like Yona who are eager to listen. Oh well. An audience is an audience, no matter how small."
With the promise to Rockhoof at the very forefront of her mind, Yona found it difficult to concentrate on anything or anyone else. It didn't help that the day seemed to tick by agonizingly slowly for her.
But at long last her patience was rewarded when the bell rang one final time, and classes were done for the day. "Goodbye, everyone," Twilight called as she waved a hoof. "Remember, your papers on a pony who inspires you are due at the end of the week. It'll be here before you know it."
"Hey, Yona," Sandbar called. "We're gonna go to Sugarcube Corner for milkshakes. Wanna join us?"
Yona shook her head. "Can't. Yak has somewhere important she needs to be. Go on without yak!" And she ran off without waiting for a reply.
Rushing down the halls of the school at a tremendous rate, Yona's destination was clear in mind. It didn't take her long to reach the now empty gymnasium. Bursting through the doors, she saw Rockhoof hard at work taking down the obstacle course so it could be stored away. Still, he had promised her. And Yona wasn't about to let him back out of such a promise. "Rockhoof!" She called in excitement, informing him of her arrival.
Rockhoof briefly appeared to be startled, before his eyes locked onto the familiar figure of Yona and he breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, it's just you, Yona. You're lucky I recognized you, or I might have given ya a taste of me trusty shovel. Packs quite the wallop it does," He trotted over to her. "I suppose you're here to learn about the rest of my story. About what I did after I left Ponyville and before I came back to serve as the gym teacher at this school."
Yona eagerly nodded. "Yak ready to learn! Tell yak everything!"
"Alright, Yona. But fair warning, it gets pretty heavy towards the end." Rockhoof advised. And then he began to tell the rest of his story to his audience of one.
Rockhoof had left Ponyville with directions from Twilight on where he could find his fellow pillars. Flash Magnus had taken up residency in Canterlot.
Despite having only briefly seen the city twice before, the high ranking member of the Mighty Helm was still both amazed and saddened by what he saw. "Even Canterlot looks different from the old days. Guess it's to be expected, though. Should've figured this'd be the place where Flash Magnus would reside."
Just then, Flash Magnus came trotting down the street with several members of the royal guard. Accompanying him was Shining Armor, who was joining Flash Magnus in barking out orders. "Trot, two, three, four! Trot, two, three, four! Keep it lively, rookies! Visitors on site!"
Flash Magnus gave the order. "Company, halt!" He smiled as he extended a hoof to Rockhoof. "Rockhoof, you old ditch-digger you! So nice to see you again, old pal."
Rockhoof returned the hoofshake. "Flash Magnus, as I live and breathe! Is this your new squadron?"
"Nah, it belongs to Captain Armor over here," Flash Magnus gestured a wing to Shining Armor. "He's just letting me borrow them for a while. These recruits are always eager to learn from the master, and I'm happy to teach 'em," Then he told Rockhoof. "After we got out of limbo, I went looking for work for a pony with experience in the Royal Legion. Once a soldier, always a soldier."
Shining Armor smiled. "Princess Celestia was happy to find a new drill sergeant for her guard! Flash Magnus hasn't been with us for too long but already our morale is through the roof! The next time some evil force rears its ugly head, we'll be ready for it! You can be sure of that."
Rockhoof's mouth dropped open in shock! "She really put you in a job that big so soon?" He asked Flash Magnus.
"Well, considering she let my great grand-nephew get a high ranking position as a guard in the Crystal Empire, of course the princess was all too happy to have me join," Flash Magnus replied. "Sorry we don't have any openings for you at the moment though. If you're looking for something to do, you should go see what Mistmane is up to."
As it turned out, Mistmane was working in the Crystal Empire. More specifically in the palace gardens. Princess Cadence and Flurry Heart were watching her silently doing her work.
And when Rockhoof showed up to see his old friend even he was impressed by how well she seemed to be fitting in. "They made you the royal landscape artist for the Crystal Empire, huh, Mistmane?"
Mistmane nodded. "I've never worked with crystal before, but in my heart, I know I'm where I belong. Plus, it gives me a chance to make some new friends. Everypony in my village that's still there today doesn't know who I am, they all think I'm a ghost."
"Honestly, I wish I was a ghost right about now. Might be better off as one," Rockhoof glumly admitted. "You always could find the beauty in things. But there's not much demand for shovel ponies like me nowadays. And it doesn't seem like I've got a whole lot of other options."
"You're welcome to stay here for a while if you need to figure out your path in life," Cadence offered. "Perhaps you could use your skills with a shovel to help Mistmane plant new seedlings that'll one day grow into fine flowers."
Rockhoof shook his head. "Don't know the first thing about flowers or crystals, I'm afraid I won't be of much help on that."
Mistmane simply smiled, pulling Rockhoof close. "I know what you're going through, Rockhoof. Adjusting to this modern world was difficult for many of us. Perhaps you just haven't met the right pony yet. But don't give up hope. You should see Somnambula. I'm sure she'll help you find your purpose."
Somnambula still lived in her village and seemed to have adapted well to the changes that had occurred in her absence. "The descendants of Prince Hisan were kind enough to take me in," Somnambula explained to Rockhoof. "And I have discovered that my positive outlook can be quite helpful to many others. I am now a motivational speaker."
"Interesting, but we never had a need for them back in my village I'm afraid," Rockhoof admitted. "Ponies knew what to do with their lives."
But Somnambula was quick to suggest. "At the least you should give one of my sessions a try. It may be just the thing to take your mind off your troubles before you journey again."
"Alright, anything for a friend, I suppose," Rockhoof commented. "So, how does this work?"
"Assume the meditative position and close your eyes," Somnambula instructed and waited until Rockhoof had done so. "Splendid. Now then, focus on my voice and feel yourself unlock your potential. Breath in, breath out," She promptly inhaled deeply and then exhaled slowly. "Rockhoof, imagine everything that currently troubles you as one big cloud. Now simply let it float away. You are relaxed. Free to do anything you wish."
When Somnambula opened her eyes, however, she found that Rockhoof had fallen asleep. "I guess he wished he could take a nap," She thought to herself. "Well, when he is rested perhaps I shall direct him to Meadowbrook and she will be help to him. After all she knew him better than anyone else."
But that could wait. For the time being she simply carried (with the greatest of effort) the slumbering Rockhoof to the Get On Inn.
Somnambula did just as she thought she would. Though Rockhoof really wouldn't have needed help to find Meadowbrook, Hayseed Swamp wasn't a very populated area to begin with.
The stallion found himself envious of the fact that Meadowbrook's home looked just as she'd left it. Why couldn't that sort of luck happened to him?
Meadowbrook smiled innocently when she saw Rockhoof. "Ah, Rockhoof. It's been too long, hasn't it? Come on in, have a look around. Wish I could introduce ya to Cattail, but he's out collectin' ingredients for my many potions. They don't fill themselves you know."
Rockhoof let out a sigh. "Meadowbrook, your home looks just the same as the old days. Wish I could say the same for mine."
"Mistmane and Somnambula felt the same way when they saw their villages. Time unfortunately doesn't stand still," Meadowbrook commented. "Besides, my home's not exactly how I left it. I've had to expand my clinic a bit. Many creatures need healin' in this modern world," She put a hoof to Rockhoof's forehead. "Aww. Looks like you could use some healin' too. What's got you heartsick, Rockhoof? I may know somethin' that'll ease the pain."
But Rockhoof took one look at the bottles and immediately knew none of them would be of any help to him. "Thing is, Meadowbrook, it's me who's the problem. I can't do my old job in a new way like Flash Magnus. Or adapt my skills like Mistmane. Or succeed at something new like Somnambula. Or go home, like you."
"Give it time. Even Star Swirl's still learnin' about friendship," Meadowbrook sweetly replied. "Last I heard, he's been travelin' all around Equestria and learnin' somethin' new every day."
"What about Stygian? Haven't heard a peep out of him since he got out of limbo and we freed him." Rockhoof questioned, hoping that maybe the two of them could work something out.
Now it was Meadowbrook's turn to look unhappy, as she produced a book that depicted Stygian and the Pony of Shadows. It read: Before The Darkness. "He said he wanted to be a writer, and it looks like he's found inspiration. I'm sorry you had to find out about this now."
Rockhoof shook his head. "It's alright, I couldn't ask ya to lie to me. Thanks any, Meadowbrook. But I need to get going. Tell Cattail I said 'Hello' though."
"So just like that, I realized I was on my own again. All my friends had moved on and found a new calling for themselves," Rockhoof explained to Yona. "Meanwhile, the most I had were stories and tales of the pony I used to be. But they did me no good in a village where nopony remembered me. Yet it seemed like that was the only place that was left for me, archaeological sight or not."
"So, what Rockhoof do when Rockhoof return to village?" Yona asked.
But Rockhoof glanced out the window, noticing the changing reflecting glow of the sun. "I'd love to tell you, lassie. But I've kept you here longer than necessary as it is. I'm sure you've got friends waiting on ya, so don't be keeping them waiting. Me and my stories aren't going anywhere."
"But-" Yona protested as she ushered to the back door.
Rockhoof just gave a hearty laugh. "Go on, Yona. Go out and have fun. I'll be glad to tell ya the rest of the story tomorrow before class," He lightly shooed her away while he chuckled to himself. "She sure is a curious one. Reminds me of myself when I was a wee lad."
The next day, Yona came to the School of Friendship bright and early and made an immediate beeline for the gymnasium to talk to Rockhoof! But when she burst open the doors to the gym, she found the whole place deserted. The obstacle course had been taken down and had yet to be put back up. And there was not a sign of Rockhoof anywhere.
"Hey, Yona." Spike called, attracting the young yak's attention.
Yona immediately turned to face the dragon. "Where Professor Rockhoof? He supposed to teach gym class."
Spike commented. "I'm afraid Rockhoof's not gonna be teaching for a while now. Last night there was a small fire near the school. Rockhoof jumped in to help out, but he got a twisted leg for his troubles."
"No!" Yona exclaimed in horror.
"Relax, it'll heal in time," Spike reassured Yona. "Rockhoof's a fighter through and through. In the meantime, we're going to see if Rainbow Dash can take over gym class until Rockhoof's back on his hooves."
Yona rushed up and tackled Spike, demanding of the dragon! "Where is Rockhoof?! Yona must see him!"
"He's at Twilight's castle, recovering in the guest bedroom!" Spike answered. "Now please, get off of me! You're crushing my wings!"
Yona obliged and ran off, though not before shouting. "Sorry, Spike!"
Spike just stood up and dusted himself off. "Thank you, dragon scales. You've saved my skin yet again!"
While it took her a while to find the guest bedroom Spike had mentioned, Yona still reached her destination before long. "Professor Rockhoof!" She happily exclaimed!
Rockhoof turned his head, his back left leg wrapped up in a cast. "Yona! Guess you've come to hear the end of my story about how I came to teach at your school. Sorry about my current state, but no one ever said doing the right thing didn't hurt."
However, Yona shook her head. "Yak no need to hear rest of story, yak know it have happy ending. Pony eventually come to terms and decide to try his luck at teaching," Then she cleared her throat. "Yona have story she wish to share. Story about how pony at school inspire her: 'When Yona come to pony school, Yona not fit in at all. Pony ways strange and confusing. But Yona not give up! Yona find friends! Yona meet Professor Rockhoof! Pony brave and strong like yak! Not afraid! Hero! When Yona grow up, Yona want to be just like Professor Rockhoof!' That is end of yak's story!"
"You put all that together just on the spot, Yona?" Rockhoof asked. "You might be a fine storyteller when you grow up."
Yona massaged the back of her neck. "Yona not make up story. Story is assignment from different class. Yona need to pick pony or other creature that inspire her, and write paper explaining why. Yona just thought it best if Professor Rockhoof hear it as story. That way, Yona give something back to him."
"Very impressive, Yona. If that's what your report is like, I'll have no trouble giving it an A plus," The familiar voice of Twilight called, clapping her hooves. "It always warms my heart to see a student take an assignment and personalize it. That's the best way to learn about friendship," Then she turned to Rockhoof. "You know how at one point you told me there wasn't anything in this time you were good at?"
Rockhoof nodded. "Aye. But now it seems I'm good for something besides spinning tall tales and tales of glory in the old days."
Twilight nodded back. "You are a living record of our history. Your stories can inspire and teach generations to come. And it seems you've really made a difference in the life of at least one student. Keep this up and I think you'll be a candidate for teacher of the month."
Yona, meanwhile, hugged Rockhoof and told him. "Rockhoof Yona's friend. So Rockhoof belongs!"
Rockhoof chuckled. "You know... That reminds me of another story. Once, there was a small yak that knew more than a great hero. I'll tell to you once I'm back on my hooves though. Because for right now, Yona, you should probably be in school."
Twilight smiled. "My thoughts exactly. Come along, Yona. No need to make everyone worry," But as she departed the guest bedroom she briefly turned to Rockhoof. "Not bad for a pony who used to wonder what his purpose was. It seems Yona taught you just as much as you taught her."