One fine Summer day, two unicorns approached Twilight Sparkle’s crystalline tree castle at a dignified yet hurried pace. The first unicorn was Rarity, a rising star in the fashion industry and Bearer of the Element of Generosity. The other was Ashen Blaze, professional mercenary hero from another universe and bearer of a damaged horn encased in a cast made of teal crystal. As the pair reached the doors of the castle, Rarity noticed Ash’s breathing seemed a little strained and she stopped to put a hoof on his shoulder. “Are you quite sure you’re feeling alright, darling?” she asked.
Ash waved a hoof dismissively. “It doesn’t hurt,” he said. “I’m just not happy about the doctor’s prognosis, but I can deal with it. It’s what I do: deal with it.”
“Well,” Rarity said, “if you’re sure...” She pushed the doors open with her magic and led the way inside. They trotted briskly through the halls until they came to the great room containing the thrones of the Element Bearers and the large, round, and currently active Cutie Map. The other Element Bearers – Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Fluttershy – were already in the room, as were Starlight Glimmer and Spike. “So sorry we’re late,” Rarity said. “Ash was in the middle of his check-up when your summons reached us, Twilight.”
“No worries, Rares,” Applejack said. “We all just arrived ourselves. How’d the doctor visit go, Ash?”
Ash blew out a frustrated sigh. “It appears that when Tempest Shadow’s magic exploded in my face, it created an internal longitudinal crack through most of the already broken-off part of my horn,” he said. “The first break would’ve healed up just fine in about a month with this nifty cast from the Crystal Empire, but the second crack’s complicated that. Best case scenario is full recovery in a year, and I’m restricted from any magic more strenuous than lifting a spoon until further notice.”
“That stinks,” Rainbow Dash said. “At least you’re not confined to a hospital bed until it’s healed, like I was when I broke my wing.”
“Good point, Dash,” Ash said, smiling faintly. “Enough about me, though. What’s the emergency with the Map?”
“It’s not an emergency,” Twilight said, “just something Starlight noticed when she came in here this morning that I thought everypony needed to see.”
Rarity, Ash, and the rest turned their full attention to the table, and it was Rarity who noticed the curious matter first. “Is the Map larger than it was before?” she asked
“Sure looks like it,” AJ said, pointing, “and it’s showing more of the world than it usually does, ‘specially all the places we went to while lookin’ for the Hippogriffs.”
“Yes,” Rarity said with faint distaste as she spotted and went over to a model of a ramshackle-looking town built on the edge of a desert cliff. “There’s that horrid town where we were almost enslaved!”
“And the sky pirates!” Rainbow exclaimed, pointing out an airship in a sea of clouds past the town.
“There’s Mount Aeris!” Pinkie said, pointing to a mountain rising from the sea near the edge of the table.
“I take it this is an unusual scope for the Map?” Ash said.
Starlight nodded. “I’ve only seen it show anything outside the kingdom of Equestria once before,” she said, “when it prompted us to build the portal mirror to your world, Ash. I wonder, could this mean the Map’s going to start sending us out even farther for Friendship missions now?”
“Oh, I hope not,” Fluttershy said. “I for one have had quite enough of life-threatening adventures, thank you very much.”
Ash smirked sardonically. “I just hope it takes my handicap into account when selecting the team rosters.”
Pinkie Pie, having acquired a yellow hardhat and a tool belt from somewhere while nopony was watching, approached the Map again and stretched a measuring tape toward it. “I wonder how many Friendship missions we’ll have to take before we need to expand the throne room.”
Twilight looked contemplatively at the Map. “I don’t think we can do it alone,” she mused.
“Sure we can!” Pinkie declared, rushing over to one of the walls. “We just take out this wall, get some paint-”
“That’s not what I meant, Pinkie,” Twilight said patiently. “All these lands, all the creatures living out there that don’t know about the Magic of Friendship… I think it’s time to spread it beyond this land, to teach every creature about Friendship. And we’re going to need a lot of help.”
“Hmph,” Ash grunted, amused, then held up a hoof placatingly as Twilight and the others all gave him looks. “Sorry,” he said. “Far be it for me to second-guess the Princess of Friendship regarding her own domain, but I find it a slightly ridiculous thought that you Equestrians are the only culture in this entire world that has the concept of friendship.”
“I’m not talking about the ordinary everyday ‘you and I enjoy spending time together’ friendship, Ash,” Twilight said. “I mean the Capital-F, Elements of Harmony, world-and-life-changing Magic of Friendship. The thing that has kept Equestria from falling to darkness or destruction-”
“Ok, ok, I get the point, thank you,” Ash sputtered. “Getting more of that out into the world is something I can get behind. Heck, Equestriaalone could probably stand to have more of it.”
“Agreed,” Rarity said firmly. “But, where does one go to learn about Friendship?”
Twilight walked around the Map until she could reach out a hoof and point to Ponyville. “Here,” she declared. “They can all go here! We’re going to open a school!”
There was a long moment of silence as everypony exchanged glances and processed Twilight’s announcement. Finally, Rainbow flew up a little higher and said, “Ok, hooves up, who’s not surprised the egghead Princess wants to start a school?”
“Rainbow,” Twilight grumbled as first Spike, then Starlight, and then everyone else raised their hooves.
“Hey now,” Applejack said, “nopony said it was a bad idea, Twi. Just...” She twirled her hoof looking for the right words.
“It’s just perfectly in-character for you, darling” Rarity supplied. “I think you’d do a wonderful job as headmare of a school for Friendship.”
“I agree!” Pinkie exclaimed. The rest of the room quickly echoed their own support of the idea.
“Thank you, everypony,” Twilight said, looking relieved. “I’m glad you’re all behind this idea, because I’m going to need all of you to make this work.”
“And that’s my cue to get out of your manes and let you start planning,” Ash said, turning and heading for the door. He reached for the handles with a hoof, only to find them held fast by a magenta aura of magic.
“Where are you going, Ash?” Twilight asked. “I said all of you.”
Ash turned back around with a perplexed look on his face. “You’re seriously including me in this project?” he asked. “What in the multiverse could I possibly have to contribute? I’m not a Bearer of an Element of Harmony, nor am I your Number One Assistant or first-ever Friendship student. I don’t really understand ‘Capital-F Friendship’ the way all of you do. I’m a skvetchte mercenary mage-soldier, and not even a functional one at the moment. Heck, I never even had a formal education as you’d define it.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Ash,” Twilight said. “You’re a very smart pony with tons of experience handling individuals who are… stubborn about holding to their unfriendly attitudes.”
“Usually by breaking them down physically and then emotionally beating them into submission,” Ash deadpanned.
Twilight pursed her lips for a second and then countered with, “You have a strong sense of justice, a sharp mind for details, and a knack for persuasive argument.”
“Which I employ almost exclusively for the afore-mentioned emotional beat-downs,” Ash said, taking a few steps closer to Twilight, a smile starting to form on his lips. “I am not a nice pony, Twilight Sparkle. I am a blunt, harsh-tongued critic of all I survey, far better suited to yelling at fresh troops at boot camp than instructing young minds in the niceties of polite, friendly society.”
Twilight also took a couple steps closer and smiled a bigger, softer smile than Ash. “Our students will need to learn how to deal with harsh tongues, among other unpleasant things, when they go to teach Friendship in places like Kludge Town and the Dragon Lands. I also know that that abrasive exterior of yours comes from being uncompromisingly supportive and protective towards those you care for, and you don’t hesitate to extend that care toward new acquaintances. Such as students.”
Ash opened his mouth, but found no retort at the ready, so he just closed it again and looked away from Twilight. “I don’t know...” he finally said.
Twilight permitted herself to look smug for a second before smiling kindly at Ash again. “You said your horn is going to take at least a year to heal, right?” she asked. “Do you have any plans for what to do with yourself in the meantime? Go back home to Taryn, perhaps?”
“Skvetch, no!” Ash said, looking horrified. “Do you know how this wound might be translated onto a humanoid form? How it might impact my ability to use magic there? I don’t, and I don’t want to know. I am staying right here in this universe and… Bah,” he lowered his head and looked up at Twilight, “I have no idea how to keep myself occupied. Kalbarandt. Fine, I’ll consider being part of your school, but I’m not committing to it until you give me some kind of plan for what I’ll be teaching.”
“That’s fair,” Twilight said. “I’m going to Canterlot and ask Celestia for advice on how to get started,” she said to the room at large. “I should have a basic plan ready in a couple of days. I want all of you to think of some ideas for the curriculum and activities in the meantime, ok?”