//------------------------------//
// 39-Prepping 
// Story: The Life of a Non-Brony 
// by BronyWriter 
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I love sleep. I don't get enough of it. Being a nocturnal pony in the day means that my sleep schedule is way off of what it should be, but I've had to adjust. Once I get my job, whatever that is, I'll try to find something where there is a night shift that I can take. I am a bat pony! I am the night!

Right now I have to be the morning when Dad knocks on my door to get me up. Blegh. 

"Comet? Rise and shine, sleepyhead. We've got a big day ahead of us. Early bird gets the worm, and all that."

Yeah, well, the second mouse gets the cheese.

I poke my head out from under the covers and glare at the door. This is the worst part of the day, for sure. Why can't I stop time and just sleep as long as I want?! That would be the best superpower ever. Unfortunately, I don't actually have that superpower, so there's nothing I can do when Dad knocks on the door one more time before cracking it open and poking his head in. 

"Comet? Time to get up. I want you to have breakfast before we head out to your advisement meeting."

I groan and slowly slide out from underneath my wonderful, warm, dark comforter. I don't know how Dad can be so awake. My clock says that it's six-thirty in the morning! Six-thirty in the morning! I'll bet Discord or somebody like that made that time. It wouldn't be the worst to stay up until six-thirty, but waking up? Yucky. When I'm out on my own then I'm never going to bed when it's dark out ever. I'm a bat pony, for Luna's sake! Praise the darkness!

"Hey, Comet, did you sleep well?" Dad asks, stepping aside so that I can leave the room. I just grumble in response and trudge in the direction of the bathroom for my shower, glancing in the direction of Oswald's room. Dumb bird gets to sleep in. "I'll take that as a no, then. Well, you've gotta at least be excited for today, right? Advisement for your high school career path is pretty exciting! Back on Earth, they just threw us in and let us figure it out as we went along."

"Wonderful," I grumble as I go into the bathroom and lock the door behind me. "And you're sure that they don't do high school at night?"

Dad chuckles. "No, not in Ponyville, I'm afraid. But hey, it's not going to be so bad." I open up the door to give Dad my best bleary look before closing it and turning on the shower. "Fair enough. In any case, breakfast should be ready by the time you're ready, so you don't have to worry about that."

I grumble something under my breath and slide into the shower once it's warm enough. Thank Luna there's something good about the morning, or else I might just go completely off my rocker here. Dad still keeps in shape after the stuff with the changelings, but he's not as buff as he was when him and Mom adopted me. He's got more of a wiry strength instead of muscle. Either way, I'm too strong for him to actually drag out of my room now. But then I'd get in trouble and my academic career would whatever I don't care right now. Shower warm. 

Unfortunately, I can't stay in the shower forever, so I finish up and get out, drying myself off before trudging down the stairs to the kitchen where Dad is at the table reading a newspaper while Mom has eggs going. I walk over to the cabinet for a bowl for cereal.

"Excited, Comet?" Mom asks as she mixes cheese into the eggs. "This is a big moment for you."

"Uh-huh," I grunt, pouring the cereal. "Yeah, really excited."

"You up late last night?" Dad asks with a disapproving frown. "You knew you had to get up early today."

I groan and plunk the spoon into the bowl. "I wasn't up too late, Dad! Jeez, just get off of my case, alright? I'm a friggin' bat pony! We kind of like the night."

"I got that, and I'm a night owl myself, but you're going to be working on, what, five hours of sleep?"

Three, but why let them know that? 

"Yeah, yeah, I'll get to bed earlier tomorrow." I take a bite of cereal as Mom puts a plate of eggs in front of me.

"You nervous, Comet?" Mom asks as she sits down next to me and pours me a cup of coffee. I instantly snatch it and down the whole thing, causing Mom to give me a flat look. I put the cup back down and start on the eggs. 

"Yeah, I guess," I reply. "Not like she's gonna be mean, though, right?"

"Nah, I'm sure she's really good at what she does," Dad replies. "You wanna go somewhere to celebrate once the day is over, Comet? I'm sure Pinkie Pie has some good stuff at Sugarcube Corner."

My ears actually perk up at that. If there's one thing that hasn't changed since I was a filly, it's my sweet tooth. Back at the orphanage, we didn't get candy or sugary things all that often, so when we did get them, they were coveted. They were like dirty magazines and cigarettes in prison. If a filly stole some of somepony else's candy, it meant a bitch was about to get shanked. Metaphorically speaking. Mostly. They were also good betting materials, since we didn't really have bits. It's one of the big reasons that we tended to ask to go get ice cream when we met up with prospective parents. In any case, a trip to Sugarcube Corner wasn't anything to just turn down. I actually managed a smile. 

"Yeah, I guess that sounds like a good idea."

"Sugarcube Corner it is," Dad replies with a knowing smile. Ugh. It's not as cool when I know that Dad only brought it up because he knows me too well and is using psychology on me and stuff. 

We finish up breakfast and I head upstairs to brush my teeth before we head out. Mom and Dad are already ready to go once I grab my small saddlebag and make it downstairs. Dad opened up the door for the two of us, then we headed out. Since it was early, all of the stalls for the market were still being set up and Miss Derpy was in the middle of her rounds. She'd somehow gotten a little more coordinated and better at delivering mail to the right house as she got older. Don't ask me how. I always thought that it would go the other way. 

The air isn't too chilly as the three of us walk in the direction of Ponyville High. Mom and Dad try talking to me, but I don't really respond with any thing substantial. I'm not going to admit it to them, but I'm a little nervous about this. My school experience was a little wonky since I spent a lot of time in the orphanage's educational system with various she groups, then homeschooling from Mom after I got adopted, so actually going to a school where I'd be for four years with children around my age is odd to me. Guess it's my last chance to actually make friends for a long time. 

I flinch back a bit when I see that we've turned down the street for Ponyville High. It's actually kind of imposing. Dad was telling me that a lot of high schools back on Earth look like they were designed by people who also designed prisons, but this isn't quite that bad. It's not as quaint and friendly as Mom's schoolhouse, especially since it's, like, twenty times that size or something, but at least it isn't gray concrete. It's still made out of brick, but the color isn't quite as warm as the rest of Ponyville. It's painted green and gold, but it's not as vibrant. It sticks out like a sore thumb, as Dad would put it. 

It doesn't look very welcoming.

As we get closer, I can see that there are a lot of ponies going into the school. I'm gathering that they're all parents and freshmares like me. Out of a vain sense of hope, I scan the crowd to see if there's maybe another bat pony in the crowd, but, surprise, surprise, nothing. All day ponies. Well, what else is new?

When we finally make it in, we're directed toward a large gym and given a number. Mom, Dad and I sit on the bleachers and just kind of pony watch. A lot of the fillies and colts look as nervous as I feel. Their parents are probably talking to them about how they're gonna do great, and they'll be straight-A students and make valedictorian and all that. Wonder how many are going to be D-minus students who end up living in their parents' basement for years. 

"Number five-five-nine!" a stallion close to us calls out. "Number five-five-nine!" 

I look down at the paper in my hooves. Five-six-zero. Oh boy.

"Looks like you're next," Mom says, wrapping a foreleg around my shoulders. "You'll do fine. I'm sure they're all nice ponies here."

"Yeah? Were all of your teachers and faculty nice at your high school?" I ask. Mom and Dad both pointedly look away from me. Yeah, that's what I thought. I huff and look back down at the paper. "Right. Whatever. I'm sure you're right."

"And even if one or two of them aren't that great, I'm sure that they'll be the minority," Dad chimes in. "Most of my teachers in high school were perfectly nice. My advice is to sit in the front of the class, do your homework, as awful as it is, and ask questions. It'll show them that you're actually there to learn and not just try to coast through every thing with a C average."

I sigh and roll my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," I grumble. "Not sure if I want to do that for every class, especially if the teacher is a co--" I stop myself just in time. "Uh, a pony who isn't as nice."

"And no swearing," Mom says, narrowing her eyes at me. "Especially not in front of the teachers. They're not going to like that."

"Grmph. I'm gonna be--"

"Number Five-six-zero!" the stallion calls out, causing me to squeak and jump a little. I get up fast enough that I almost trip over my hooves and smack Mom and Dad in the face with my wings, but I save myself just in time to not crash and make the whole gym look and probably point and laugh. I hop down to the floor and walk up to the stallion, hoofing him my paper. 

"Uh, I'm five-six-zero."

The stallion nods and motions to the double doors leading out of the gym. "Alright. If you'll follow me, I'll take you to Miss Mind."

"Okay," I whisper as I begin following him. 

"You'll do great!" Mom calls out after me. 

"We believe in you!" Dad adds. 

Ugh, come on, guys! You're embarrassing me! In any case, I try to console myself with the thought that the other ponies probably didn't hear Mom and Dad, and follow the stallion down a few hallways to the councilor's office. I want to ask him about how the process works, but my nerves get the better of me and I stay quiet. There are enough ponies around me that he might not hear my anyway, which I guess is fine. It's not a long trip anyway.

We reach the row of doors and the stallion pushes one at the very end open before stepping aside to let me enter.

"Miss Mind? I have Miss Powell here for you."

I take a deep breath and walk up to the door, keeping my head high to make her think that I'm not as nervous as I actually am. When I walk in, I see a kindly looking earth pony mare sitting behind a desk. She doesn't look that much older than Mom. Few years, maybe. She smiles when she sees me and motions to a chair in front of her desk. 

"Of course, of course, come in Miss Powell!" I nod back and sit down at the offered chair as the stallion closes the door behind me. Miss Mind flips through a few folders before finding one that's probably mine. She flips it open and places it on the desk in front of her. "Now, introductions are in order. I'm Bright Mind. I'm one of the guidance councilors at Ponyville High. You are Miss Comet Screech Powell, correct?"

"Yeah, that's me. You can call me Comet," I reply.

"Comet it is, then. Now, then..." She puts a pen down on the table and steeples her hooves. "Your cutie mark is a nightshade flower, if my information is accurate."

"Yeah, that's right," I say. "Got it when I was seven. Usual age, I guess. One of the colts at the orphanage got into some cleaning chemicals and I smelled them on him, which told the caretakers what he'd gotten in to."

"Interesting. So, do you have any ideas of what career paths you want to pursue, then? There are several opportunities for a pony with a talent like that."

"Uh, I dunno," I reply with a shrug. "Maybe medicine something?"

"The medical field would certainly be benefited by somepony with your talents. Toxicology might be an interesting avenue to explore." Miss Mind grabbed a sheet from a set of stacks on her desk. "So you have a good sense of smell, then?"

"Oh yeah," I say with a smile. "Smell, hearing and vision. I can use echolocation if I really want to, but..." I shrug again. "I'm awake during the day for the most part, so I don't have to all that often. But yeah, good smell, too." I sniff the air around us. "So the filly in here before me uses a coconut-based shampoo. A little too much of it, based on what I'm getting here." I give Miss Mind a slight smirk. I love doing this. It both impresses ponies and freaks them out a little bit. "And you switched conditioners a few days back, right?"

Miss Mind's jaw dropped open slightly and she blinked owlishly at me. "Er... yes, that's true. Quite remarkable. Quite remarkable indeed. No wonder you managed to smell the chemicals on your classmate."

"Yeah, it's pretty neat." I lean back in my chair a bit. This isn't so bad. Not sure why I was worried. "So is there anything other than medical? I mean, I could work for Princess Luna as an assassin, or something!"

"Eheh, I'm not sure about that portion of it," Miss Mind says with a wry smile. "However, the guard is certainly an option as well, both the Lunar and Solar. Forgive me if I'm not..." Miss Mind spins her hoof. "Intimately familiar with the relationship between thestrals and Princess Luna."

"You can just call us bat ponies," I reply with a roll of my eyes. "I don't care about being PC. Anyway, yeah, I guess we're a little closer to her than Celestia. We don't worship her or anything for the most part. Some ponies do because we were created by her night magic, but on the whole we just see her as the better princess."

"I see."

"Yeah, it's pretty neat, I guess." I clear my throat and motion back to the folder. "So should I, like, take a couple of classes in each, then?"

"You can certainly do that," Miss Mind says with a nod. "Of course, I am not here to demand that you do anything. I'm merely here to advise you, nothing more. You can take whatever classes you desire. You're not limited in any way."

"Right, right. Makes sense. Might as well give it a go, then. You have a list, or something?"

"I do," Miss Mind confirms, picking up a set of papers stapled together and hoofing them over to me. "The freshmare classes are on the first three pages. Front and back. On top of any classes you will be taking for your potential career options, there are also the general education requirements of Ponish, social studies, math and sciences."

I stick out my tongue as I begin flipping through the lists. Never been one for math or Ponish classes. Not really wild about social studies either, but science can be kind of interesting if you get the right classes. From what I can see, most of the freshmare core classes are pretty standard. Not a lot of variation, except for the science ones, which have three or four options. Miss Mind hoofs me a form for my classes, and I start filling it out with the ones that look interesting, including a medical class and a gym class to keep me in shape in case I want to go the guard route. The rest are those doubtlessly boring gen ed classes. I try to pick the ones that sound the most interesting, but "Intro to Physics" can't possibly be any good. 

Blegh. 

Out of random curiosity, I flip to the back pages to see what kind of classes the juniors and seniors can take. A "Sports and Relaxation" class catches my eye. Dang. Why can't that be for everypony?! In any case, I've filled out the form after about fifteen minutes with some advising from Miss Mind. Once I'm done, I slide the form back to her.

"Well, I hope you enjoy all of your classes, Comet," Miss Mind says as she stands up, prompting me to do the same. "As I said: I'm not here to tell you what your high school path should be, so if you don't feel called toward the medical field or the guard, feel free to come meet with me and we can discuss whatever you need. I'm here to help you."

I smile back at her and nod. "Yeah, sounds good. I'll let you know. Thanks a lot for your help."

"Any time, Comet. Any time."

As she closes the door behind her, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in. It wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be, but I had two very different career options before me unless I wanted to be an army medic, or something. Not too sure about that. In either case, it was at least good that I didn't have to pick one today. That would have been way too stressful. 

I make it back to the gym where Mom and Dad are still sitting on the bleachers talking to each other. Mom notices me first, and the two of them stand up and smile when they see me coming up to them. 

"Hey, Comet! How was it?" Mom asks. 

"Uh, yeah, it was good," I reply. "Got one of each gen ed classes, a gym class, and a medical course."

"Medical class, huh?" Dad says. "You thinking you'd enjoy being a doctor?"

"Well, she suggested toxicologist because of my cutie mark and stuff, which does sound interesting. The gym one is in case I wanted to be one of Princess Luna's guards or something."

"Huh. Well, I hope you enjoy all of your classes, at any rate," Dad says. "It's gonna be a big change, that's for sure."

"Yeah, yeah," I mutter with a roll of my eyes. "Not sure why I have to take four years of Ponish. I speak it just fine!"

"Part of high school, I'm afraid," Dad says. "I myself couldn't stand the math or science classes, but I got through most of them okay. However, now that we have all of that out of the way, who's up for that trip to Sugarcube Corner?"

Me!