Perfect Rose was intimidated.
There were so many ponies and she had never seen so many colours before. The colours were all moving around her and she was scared, though Fluffy was telling her to be brave, so she would! Though she was secretly still kinda nervous, but she wouldn’t tell Fluffy that. It was her secret.
There were so many though…
Perfect Rose cowered between her mother’s legs as they stood on the street outside of the kindergarten, her manticore companion held tightly in her embrace as she examined all the unfamiliar sights and sounds assaulting her senses. Ebony did her best to shield her daughter protectively, starting to somewhat reconsider the idea of sending her to school altogether.
‘Maybe we could home school her?’ she thought to herself. ‘Hire a tutor? Maybe…’
No, that wouldn’t be right. She deserved the chance to make some friends, to make her mark as much as any other foal. That was why they ultimately decided to send her to the same school as the rest of the nobility’s children, she couldn’t back down now…
Still, the maternal instinct in her was telling her to scoop Perfect Rose up, run away, and give her all the cuddles she could ever want.
But on this occasion, the head had to win out over the heart.
“Well, this is it…” Cash Counter noted with his own nervousness barely hidden from view. “No going back now, I suppose. Still, she’ll do fine…”
A vindictive part of Ebony wanted to point out that he was the one arguing against this particular school a short time ago, but she kept herself in check. Their daughter didn’t need to see another ‘debate’ like that ever again.
“I hope this ‘Caring Hoof’ is as good a teacher as her reputation suggests,” the unicorn mare muttered.
“Well, she’s not from Canterlot, but Ponyville. Most ponies from there seem to be a good sort,” Cash mused. “Moved here to act as a nanny to a noble’s newborn son some years back. Loves children. Later became a schoolteacher at this very kindergarten.”
“Obviously.”
“Just trying to put your mind at ease, dear,” he defended. “We’ll have a quiet word with her before class starts.”
“Yes. We will,” his wife confirmed. “Rose, are you ready?”
“Why are they all looking at us?” her daughter asked.
Ebony bit her lip. They were already getting a few stares, thought often a glare back dissuaded the curious. She had been rather hoping that Perfect Rose hadn’t taken notice, though, seeing as she was utterly petrified as it was.
“They just think Fluffy is really cool. I’m kinda jealous I don’t have my own manticore friend,” Cash swiftly and smoothly explained. “Who could ask for a better protector?”
“Fluffy is nice…” Perfect Rose said in agreement. “I suppose that’s okay then. I can show her off! She’s really excited now!”
“I’m glad to hear it, kiddo!”
Perfect Rose gave off a happy chirp, though one that gave way to another bought of nervousness as she looked up at the building ahead. It looked like a lot of the other buildings in the rich Canterlot street; though it had several colourful banners set up with smiley faces welcoming all the new children attending.
They were pretty to the young griffon’s eyes, but…
“Do I have to go?” she asked with a low whine. “What if you come too? We can do stuff together!”
“Been there already, honey,” Cash informed her. “I’m afraid we can’t.”
“But we’ll come back for you in a couple of hours. And we’ll have Time Catcher prepare some of your ‘yums’ for when you get home.”
Yums were nice, but she didn’t want them to go. They never left her before, so why were they now? It was silly and mean and she didn’t like it. She didn’t like it so much that now her eyes were feeling wet and she wanted to go home.
“Oh, Rose…” Ebony addressed sadly, crouching down to face her daughter as the child started to cry. “I promise that you will like it and make lots of new friends! And we won’t be far, okay? We’ll always be close by, you won’t be alone.”
“Fluffy will make sure of it,” Cash quickly added.
Ebony nodded. “Yes, that too. So… hug?”
Perfect Rose didn’t need asking twice, jumping into her mother’s waiting hooves and holding on tight. Ebony Rose too held on as warmly as she could, holding her close if only so that she could feel safe and secure.
But the moment had to end when the mare’s husband gave a cough.
“The others are starting to go inside,” he informed them. “We should go too.”
“Alright…” Ebony replied, slowly pulling away from her daughter as the griffon sniffed and wiped away her tears. “You ready?”
She gave a slow nod, placing her plush doll onto her back safely between her wings before moving between her parents. With Perfect Rose now in tow, both started to move towards the school building and slipped inside behind another couple with their own foal, though theirs was more bouncing like an excitable ball of sugar than existing in a state of anxiety.
Still, they made it inside safe and sound. The interior space was a large classroom with a wholly friendly and welcoming décor, drawings from previous students and other such childish things lined the walls amidst the bright colours and other such warm designs. One corner seemed to be for reading, several bean bags dotted around with children’s books tucked neatly into a shelf. Another had a chest filled with toys, along with several small mats that seemed intended for nap time. The rest of the classroom was filled with tables surrounded by foal sized chairs, the front of the classroom containing a blackboard and the teacher’s desk.
Behind the latter sat Caring Hoof herself, a dark pink mare with a lighter pink mane. Her cutie mark was that of a smiling face surrounded by flowers, the horn on her head lit up as she glanced over some notes.
“Let’s have a quick chat,” Cash directed, leading his family over towards the teacher.
She saw them coming, giving them a bright and welcoming smile as they approached.
“Hi there!” she started. “Oh dear, you must be Mr Cash Counter and Mrs Ebony Rose! Why I was just reading up on griffon young, and might I say that I’ve sufficiently prepared myself to look after your child!”
“Um… thanks…?” Ebony blinked at the mare’s blunt enthusiasm. “Uh…”
“Oh, did I come off too strong?” she asked worriedly. “I’m so sorry! I’ve just never encountered a griffon before, let alone one so young, and I’m excited and- Oh! Hi there! Perfect Roes, right?”
Perfect Rose tilted her head at the silly pony, nodding along in confirmation.
“Wonderful! I’m Caring Hoof, I’ll be your teacher! I hope you have a wonderful- Oh! Who have you got there?”
“Her name is Fluffy!” Perfect Rose announced, cheering up significantly as she proudly presented the manticore. “She’s pretty and my friend!”
“Oh, she most certainly is! Guess I’ll have two new student,” Caring Hoof noted with a chuckle.
“Um… Miss…?” Cash tried to get her attention.
“Oh! Sorry! I’ve been told I need to let other ponies get a word in and I’m working on it but- Ahem, you were saying?”
Ebony rolled her eyes. “Well, we just wanted to have a quiet word before class started. We’re just a little concerned…”
Caring’s ears folded back. “Concerned? Is something the matter…?”
“Not with you, no!” Cash quickly explained. “Just…”
“Some of the others might not be so… ‘enthused’ by something so different. You know how it is here, I’m sure. Especially with what some of the other kids may have been told.”
“Ah,” Caring Hoof said in understanding. “Don’t worry, this classroom won’t tolerate that kind of thing. I’ll keep an eye on her, by my honour as a Ponyvillian!”
“We appreciate it.”
“Fluffy likes her. She’s funny,” Perfect Rose remarked.
Caring smiled happily. “D’awww….”
“Well, seems she’s in good hooves,” Cash commented. “So now all that’s left is…”
“Right,” Ebony stated, dreading this moment. “Alright, Rose… We have to go now.”
The griffon lost her smile, looking up at her parents sadly.
“But we’ll be back soon, remember that!” Cash added. “We love you, kiddo. So have fun!”
“Okay…” Rose muttered, sharing one last hug and some kisses with her parents before they started to depart. The child watched as they moved across the classroom, both parties trying to keep sight of the other for as long as possible.
“Come on…” Cash whispered into his wife’s ear. “She will be safe here. Let’s go home.”
Ebony only replied with a hum of half-hearted agreement, feeling sick to her stomach as she prepared to be without her child for the first time since she arrived. But with little choice left, she accompanied her husband as they exited out of the building and into the street.
Leaving Perfect Rose alone in kindergarten for the first time.
“Why don’t you meet some of the other kids, hm?” Caring Hoof suggested softly. “I’ll be along shortly. You’ll do great!”
“O-okay…” Rose mumbled, looking around the room in trepidation.
So many small ponies, and more than a few big ones still dotted about. She could still see a few of them staring at her, but she wasn’t really sure why. She knew Fluffy was cool, but it was a little weird at just how many were doing it. She didn’t like it.
Fluffy sat silently on her back.
“You’re right, this is just another adventure…” she agreed. “Uh… but I don’t know how to do this. I wish Mum and Dad were still here, they always know how to do everything.”
Fluffy shifted slightly as a result of a small movement from Perfect Rose.
“That one? Okay… Friends, we’ll be best friends with cookies and stuff. Right…?”
Slowly, one nervous step at a time, the griffon started to move towards the crowd of fillies and colts. Her eyes were set on one oddly familiar golden coloured colt that was presently hiding underneath a table. His blue eyes were darting about in terror, seemingly trying to make himself as small as possible.
He was clearly sad about something. Fluffy would make him feel better!
“Hi!” Perfect Rose stated, getting a yelp from the colt as he seemed to retreat further into a scrunched-up ball of fur. “I’m Perfect Rose! This is Fluffy! We can be friends and then you won’t feel sad! So, friends?”
He blinked. “Uh…”
“See! Fluffy is nice!” she continued, retrieving the manticore from her back and placing it in front of the young pony. “You can hug her if you want, she likes hugs. So do I! But you need hugs, it always makes me feel better, so it will work for you too!”
“I…” He shifted uncomfortably. “It’s really loud and there’s a lot of other kids.”
She tilted her head. So, she wasn’t the only one feeling like that?
“There is a lot…” she agreed. “But Fluffy makes things safe.”
“Fluffy, huh?” he questioned, though didn’t move from his shelter. “I… I don’t have something like that. Mama says they’re silly and undig- undigna- silly.”
Perfect Rose frowned. Why would his parents say something like that? That’s mean. His parents were weird and odd and stupid.
“P- Perfect Rose…?” he then asked. “I- I’m not supposed to speak to you.”
“Huh? Why? That’s silly.”
“I was told…” he muttered. “I just want to be left alone…”
He scrunched up further, causing Perfect Rose to wilt like a sunflower in winter. Why was he so scared of everything? That made her feel sad. Maybe she could make him feel better if-
“Wow! Feathers!”
Now it was Perfect Rose’s turn to yelp at the sudden outburst, jumping in surprise and quickly turning to find a lime green colt with a darker green mane that had a big dumb grin plastered onto his face.
“And a beak!”
“Uh… Fluffy?”
Fluffy was silent.
“Traitor.”
“Oh! Does your thing speak and stuff?” he asked eagerly. “That’s uber coolness! Like the feathers!”
Well, she would consider this a good start.
“I’m Perfect Rose!” she greeted. “She’s Fluffy! And yeah she talks! Can’t you hear her?”
He tilted his head. “Uh, no?”
Huh. That was weird, maybe he was deaf.
“I’m Bright Spark! I’m going to be a wizard!”
“A… wizard?”
“Yeah! Like magic and things!” he claimed, pointing at his horn. “I’m going to make things go pop and bang and boom!”
This colt was weird. She was oddly okay with this.
“Hey, uh, do you know the pony under the table?” she asked, turning around to face him and try and make even more friends.
But he wasn’t there anymore, apparently having scampered away while she’d been distracted by Bright Spark.
“Oh, him? Yeah, I saw him,” he confirmed. “I heard his name is Goldenblood. He’s a prince or something. I prefer wizards.”
“Fluffy heard you the first time,” she deadpanned. Still, Prince? That’s like important or something, wasn’t it? Like Princess Celestia or Caden-whatsit?
If he is a prince, why was he so scared? It seemed weird and strange.
Something for later, she decided.
“So, wanna be friends?” Bright Spark asked.
“Sure!” Perfect Rose chirped in return. “Fluffy does too!”
“Cool! So, uh… where you wanna sit?”
“GAH!?”
Perfect Rose was getting a little bored of sudden shouts making her jump. It was no fair!
She turned this time to see a small pale-yellow filly with a red mane that had several dark pinks stripes flowing through it. She was as still as a statue, her eyes wide with pure fear as she stared directly at Perfect Rose.
The griffon was confused.
“Hey, Fluffy isn’t that scary!” she protested, holding the manticore protectively close. “She’s nice!”
The filly just looked confused amidst her terror, before turning to bolt off into the crowd of foals.
“Huh,” Bright Spark spoke up. “That was weird.”
Very. And once again Perfect Rose found herself not liking it.
A short while later, Bright Spark and Perfect Rose were both sat on a table in the corner of the classroom. They were the only ones here; the other foals seemingly having gathered around tables away from the duo. Goldenblood, meanwhile, could be spotted by himself hiding in the reading corner amongst the beanbags. Caring Hoof had tried to coax him out, but she ultimately decided to leave him be until he was more comfortable being among other foals.
Perfect Rose couldn’t help but feel really bad for him. As nervous as she had been coming into kindergarten, this colt brought shyness to a whole new level.
Still, not much she could do about it at that moment. Miss Caring Hoof was currently going through the ABCs.
“Why are there so many letters…” the griffon complained quietly. “My head hurts…”
“Yeah…” Bright Spark agreed. “Looks like the scaredy pony likes it, though.”
Sure enough, looking across the classroom to the filly that had been really weird earlier, she was reciting the alphabet alongside a few others in the class flawlessly.
“A, B, C, D…”
“There’s like a million billion of them!” the colt continued. “I just wanna learn how to make things sparkle…”
“How do you do that?” Perfect Rose asked him, pointing at his horn.
“Huh? Wadda you mean?”
“Be all sparkly and floaty?” she continued. “Mum and Dad always are silly about it. I wanna do it too!”
“Uh…” He looked a little confused. “I don’t know? I have a horn, Dad says it’s what makes the sparkles. But you don’t. But you’re a feather filly, so I don’t get it.”
She blinked. “Feather what?”
“Feather filly. You have feathers.”
Fluffy was still.
“You’re right. He’s weird,” Perfect Rose agreed.
“Well done, Sundance,” Caring Hoof said to the pale-yellow filly. “You’re really getting those ABCs!”
Sundance clapped her hooves together happily, a bright smile gracing her face.
“For those of you struggling, no worries! We’ll all get there with lots of fun and practice!” the teacher claimed. “But let’s have a little break first, hm? Toys are in that corner, books in the other, have fun!”
There was a resounding cheer and general excitableness around the class at the word ‘toy’, the foals jumping from their seats and stampeding to get the ones they desired.
Perfect Rose and Bright Spark remained seated, meanwhile.
“So, what do you wanna do?” Bright Spark asked. “Tag? Uh… book fort?”
“Book fort?”
“I heard about it from some of the others,” he explained. “One of the other colts said a weird purple filly made one in the castle.”
The part of her that liked adventures was intrigued, while the part of her getting a headache from letters and words was less than impressed with the idea.
Crash.
The two had their attention diverted towards the sound of a huge calamity in progress, turning to see an overturned chair and a wailing colt spread out on his back with a brand-new bump or two, apparently having tripped and fell over the chair somehow.
Caring Hoof was already on the case, leaping into action and rushing to the foal’s side to whisper assurances and make sure they were alright.
But with the teacher suddenly occupied, a couple of other foals glanced at one another before trotting over to Rose’s table.
“Hi!” Perfect Rose greeted instantly. “I’m Perfect Rose! This is Bright Spark and Fluffy. Fluffy wants to be friends!”
The lead colt, a grey pony with a white mane, snorted.
“It’s a stupid doll! It doesn’t talk!”
Perfect Rose was instantly offended. “It does too! You’ve upset her now!”
“Does not!”
“Does too!”
“Does not!”
“Yeah, Ice Shard! She totally can!” Bright Spark remarked.
“Liar!” one of Ice Shard’s compatriots accused.
“Nuh-uh!”
“Uh-huh!”
“My Dad says you’re bad!” Ice Shard then said to Perfect Rose. “That you shouldn’t be here.”
Perfect Rose shrunk back. “Huh? Why?”
“That’s stupid!” Bright defended his friend.
“He says she’s a freak and that she’s not supposed to be anywhere near us, that she’s useless!” the colt pressed further. “You should come with us. You might get in trouble being with the freak!”
Perfect Rose shrunk down further, started to whimper as she realised that the filly from earlier… She hadn’t been scared of Fluffy, she’d been scared of her.
Why didn’t they like her? She just wanted to be friends!
The griffon could see that filly watching from a short distance away, just watching on. She probably thought she was mean and a freak, but she didn’t want to be! She just wanted to be nice…
She wanted to go home.
“You’re mean!” Bright Spark shot back, seeing his new friend start to cry. “Go away!”
“Freak lover!”
“Meanie!”
“Crybaby!” Ice Shard directed at the tearful Perfect Rose, his horn lighting up and snagging onto Fluffy. “I’m gonna- GACK!”
He was cut off, Fluffy dropping back onto the table when he was suddenly jumped on by a yellow blur. He was suddenly on the floor, struggling against an unexpectedly interfering filly as she pushed all her weight onto him.
“Don’t be mean!” Sundance shouted out. “Meanie!”
“Sundance!” Caring Hoof called out hurriedly, rushing over to quell the commotion. “Get off of him this instant!”
“B- but…”
“She hurt me!” Ice Shard complained. “She’s the meanie!”
Bright Spark saw Sundance sag, her lip quivering as she faced down Caring Hoof’s disappointed glare. He jumped from his seat, standing at her side.
“Nuh-uh! He was the meanie!” he blurted out. “He made Rose cry! He tried to steal Fluffy!”
Caring’s expression softened, her gaze settling onto the still tearful Perfect Rose as she reached out for Fluffy and held the stuffed animal for all it was worth.
“Is this true, Perfect Rose?” the teacher asked.
The griffon slowly nodded.
“She’s a liar! Dad says griffons are freaks and-”
“Ice Shard!” Caring Hoof stopped the colt in his tracks. “Naughty corner, now!”
“But-”
“Now, Mister!”
He bowed his head, his friends sheepishly backing off as the colt begrudgingly started to head off towards a corner by the teacher’s desk marked as the prior mentioned ‘naughty corner’. With that dealt with, fully intent on speaking with both him and his parents, Caring Hoof turned back to Sundance.
“It’s sweet of you to help your friend, dear. But you can’t jump on other foals like that,” she gently chided. “Please, don’t do it again. Come get me instead.”
Her ears folded back. “Y-yes, Miss…”
“Are you okay, Perfect Rose?” the mare then asked with concern.
She nodded slowly, trying to wipe away some of her tears.
“Well… okay. I’ll be back over in a moment to check on you. But I need to have a talk with Ice Shard, alright?”
“Okay…”
The teacher nodded, biting her lip in concern. She then moved off, however, setting her disappointed sights on the offending colt once more.
“That was awesome!” Bright Spark suddenly splurged once Caring Hoof was gone. “You were like BAM and he was like GAAAAH and it was so cool!”
“Um… yeah…” Sundance replied bashfully. “He was mean. I didn’t like it.”
“Thanks…” Perfect Rose muttered quietly.
The filly looked guiltily up to her. “Sorry I was mean… I heard bad things, but you’re not bad. You’re nice. And I like your Fluffy. She’s cute.”
The griffon blinked, perking herself up. “She’s not cute. She’s pretty!”
“She’s pretty and cute.”
“Better!”
Sundance giggled, taking a seat at the table. “I’m Sundance, nice to meet you!”
“Perfect Rose.”
“Bright Spark the Wizard!”
Sundance looked at him oddly. “You are not!”
“Am too!”
Perfect Rose watched in amusement as her two new friends started to bicker over what qualified as being a wizard, smiling to herself as she continued to hold Fluffy close.
Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all…