Perfect Rose was bored.
Learning how to do their ABCs was one thing, but what was with this counting stuff? She could count to five! Most of the time! Beyond that was silly, why do grownups need to do numbers so high? They’re weird.
And, oh yes, boring.
She preferred playtime. Then Fluffy could tell her exactly how many toys were sitting on the front teacher’s desk. The answer was ‘a lot’. See! Who needs numbers?
“Twenty!” Sundance gave the real answer with a happy grin.
“Very good, Sundance,” Caring Hoof complimented. “Twenty toys are on my desk. And if I added another five it would be-”
“Twenty-five!” she answered smartly. “And two plus two is four. Five plus five is…”
‘Bookhorse,’ Rose mentally grumbled as her friend continued to show off. Looking at Bright Spark, his head in his hooves, he seemed to share her thoughts.
And they’d been at lessons like these for almost a year. To be fair, a lot of it HAD been playtime. But basic counting and additions had been added as the days went by. But now that the end of the school year was rapidly approaching, promises of even more advanced learning had drifted around the class. More like warnings, descriptions of how playtime would be lessened, and the numbers would be higher.
Fluffy thought it was silly. And Perfect Rose had to agree.
“I think we get the idea, thank you, Sundance,” the teacher cut off her tirade of additions. “Consider yourself the proud owner of yet another gold star.”
“Yee!” she squeed happily.
“Now, I know these things may seem a little pointless at your young ages,” Caring Hoof noted knowingly, a raised eyebrow at Bright Spark getting him to sheepishly rise on out of his hooves. “But trust me when I say these things will be very important next year. There won’t be as much playing as there will be learning.”
Oh no, the rumours were true! The horror!
“Soooo it’s a good thing I’ll be with you to make the transition a smooth one.”
Perfect Rose blinked.
“I’ve enjoyed teaching you all so much that I’ve decided to stick with your class. Good thing I’m qualified,” she announced. “I look forward to seeing you all grow into the wonderful young ponies, and griffon, I know you’ll be. But we’ve still got a while left yet, but not today. So enough of my emotional ramblings, home time!”
There was a resounding cheer around the class at that.
Now that was music to her ears. No more numbers, more Fluffy adventures! That was more like it!
So, with that in mind, Perfect Rose jumped down from her seat and made sure to grab the said stuffed manticore doll and the rest of her things. Her friends did the same, along with the rest of the class, the ambience and general noise rising as chatter broke out amongst the fillies and colts as they prepared to escape their educational confines and flee on home.
“I hope she teaches us magic lasers next year!” Bright Spark remarked. “I wanna do more than float things!”
“Maybe if you didn’t nap so much…” Sundance teased.
The colt stuck his tongue out at her. “I happen to like nap time! Nap time is awesome!”
“Not when we’re meant to be listening.”
“Who needs listening? I want lasers!”
“You’re the worst.”
“Am not!”
“Are too!”
“Are too and not!” Perfect Rose quipped.
They both gave her an odd look.
“What does that even mean?” Bright Spark asked in confusion.
“Yes.”
“You’re weird,” Sundance shot back.
“Yup!” she replied proudly. “It’s Fluffy’s fault.”
“Don’t blame her!”
“She says it’s okay!”
“Fluffy is silly!”
Perfect Rose gasped in shock. “Take that back!”
The filly shook her head in defiance. “Nope.”
The young griffon’s feathers bristled, a sharp huff being released as she pulled on her saddlebag and prepared to head towards the door. Her friends seemed somewhat amused by this, giggling to themselves as they too gathered their belongings and followed on.
“Oh! Perfect Rose! Hold on a moment,” Caring Hoof interrupted, trotting over to the troublesome trio. “I received a message from your butler, Time Catcher. He says that he and your parents are all going to be late picking you up, so you’ll have to stay with me another ten or twenty minutes.”
“Whaaat!?” Rose moaned in turn.
“I’m afraid so. It’s just some errand they needed to run I’m sure,” the pink mare assured her.
“Maybe we can wait with you?” Bright Spark suggested.
“I’m afraid both of your parents are already waiting outside.”
“Awwww,” Sundance complained.
“I’m sorry, but you don’t want to keep them waiting,” Caring apologised. “She’ll be alright with me. Go on.”
“See you tomorrow, Rose,” the colt then said to his friend. “Good luck being stuck in school.”
“Thanks…” Rose uttered sarcastically.
“Hey! School is fun!” Sundance protested. “Anyway, bye. Have fun!”
“Yeah. Bye, guys…” Rose said sadly, watching, as Caring Hoof herded them out.
“Do you mind waiting here while I make sure the others leave safely?” the teacher then asked as she glanced back at Perfect Rose.
She shook her head.
“Alright then. Be back in a tick!”
She departed from sight, leaving Rose alone amongst the remaining crowd of children as they all made to pile out of the classroom. The griffon looked amongst them, trying to see if there was anypony new she could speak with in the meantime. She always hung out with her two friends, so maybe making more wouldn’t hurt.
But they were all leaving as quickly as they could. None stopped to so much as look at her beyond the usual occasional odd glance.
…Except for one golden exception.
“Hey, Goldenblood!” Perfect Rose called out, walking over to the colt sitting uncomfortably by the reading corner. “Wanna talk?”
The unicorn shifted uncomfortably. He was always shy, he never talked to anyone else. That made Rose feel a little sad for him, he never had friend adventures like she and the others did. He never spoke to the other foals, he just sat in that very spot and did his own thing. Alone.
She’d tried to talk to him several times, but he always slipped away into the crowd the first moment he could. He was like that with everypony. Most of the other foals were actually a little intimidated due to him being a prince as well as ‘technically’ being Princess Celestia’s nephew. Which was weird, because she’d heard adults saying that Celestia didn’t have any real family. Which was sad. But that was also weird that she had nieces and nephews anyway. It didn’t make much sense to her young mind. Something about a Queen Plate-numb?
Princess Cadenza said she was adopted. So maybe Celestia adopted loads of family so she wasn’t so lonely?
She didn’t really know, but she did know one thing. Most of the other foals were leaving, so he had no crowd to run away into! This time she would be his friend, and nothing could stop her!
“Uh…” he muttered, glancing from side to side looking for an escape.
“Are you waiting for your parents? I am too.”
“T-the staff usually pick me up,” he replied timidly. “Mama and Papa are usually too busy.”
Rose tilted her head. “Huh? That’s weird. Mum and Dad pick me up most of the time. Time Catcher sometimes if they’re busy.
“That’s… nice…”
“Why don’t we wait together? It could be fun!”
He shrunk down a little. “I- I don’t know, I’m not sure how and I… Uh…”
“Here! Have a Fluffy!” she chirped, handing over her toy into the hooves of a marginally bewildered Goldenblood. “She is nice and helps me whenever I’m scared. She can help you too!”
He blinked, looking down at the doll strangely. “You… You’re letting me hold her? I see how much you love her…”
“Well, yeah! She’s friendly!” Rose claimed. “See! She likes you!”
“She… does…?”
“Yeah! I think you’re a nice pony. And I wanna be friends!”
Goldenblood paused, shifting around where he sat. He studied the manticore carefully, hesitating a moment before seemingly building up the courage to say something.
“I… Would you like to-”
“Goldenblood? Ugh, where is that brother of mine?”
Goldenblood gave a ‘yeep’ of surprise at the shout, both he and Perfect Rose turning to see a pony who looked to be a pre-teen cantering in with an expression of annoyance and boredom in equal measures.
“Oh! Prince Blueblood, your Highness!” Caring Hoof remarked in surprise. “Here for your brother? It’s so nice of you to-”
“Father is in Manehatten and Mother is having her mane done. The servants, meanwhile, have other tasks at hoof that cannot wait. There is a gathering at the estate tonight, you see,” he explained dismissively. “So Mother sent me to pick up the rodent.”
“…Alone?” Caring Hoof enquired carefully. “Don’t you think you should have somepony with you?”
“Do you take me for an imbecile?” the colt asked.
“Not at all, but you aren’t an adult who-”
“Ms Caring Hoof, can I have a word?” a parent of one of the other foals asked, entering the classroom with their bemused child in tow.
“Oh, excuse me for a moment,” Caring Hoof said to the Prince apologetically, turning to face the newcomer.
Blueblood gave a ‘tsk’ of disapproval, trotting further into the room as he finally laid eyes on a rapidly shrinking Goldenblood.
“Ah, there you- Brother! What do you think you are doing!?”
“Uh…” he replied awkwardly, still holding Fluffy.
“Give me that!” the older unicorn said, his magic taking hold of the manticore doll and throwing it aside. “Why are you interacting with this creature?”
“Hey!” Perfect Rose protested. “That’s mean! Say sorry to Fluffy!”
“It speaks. How novel,” the colt remarked rudely. “But you should that mouth shut! My mother could get you in a lot of trouble!”
“You’re mean! I don’t like you!”
Goldenblood scuffed the ground with a hoof. “Blueblood, she was just-”
“Not a word! Mother will be livid to hear you are interacting with something so far below our station!” Blueblood rebuffed. “Have you not listened to a word she’s said?”
Perfect Rose sniffed. “I just wanted to be friends…”
Blueblood snorted. “Friends? You griffons are getting brave. I know all about you people! Mother says you belong in the dirt. That you were weaselled into that ‘family’ of yours without earning it! And I think a non-pony being here is completely insane!”
“Blueblood…” Goldenblood lamely protested.
“And you! You’ve been told not to speak with this thing!”
“Y-you can’t tell him what to do. You’re just a kid too,” Perfect Rose tried to refute.
“I’ve been raised with dignity and integrity, I am well above what you could ever hope to be,” he retorted. “Come on, brother. It is irritating enough that I have to collect you, but now you’ve forced me to lower myself by speaking with it. And now I have to tell Mother too. Ugh!”
The colt went wide-eyed, panicked. “No! Please!”
“Too late. Come on, I don’t have all day,” the Prince concluded, turning and walking away with the expectation that his younger sibling would follow on.
And Goldenblood did. His head lowered, unable to look at Perfect Rose, he followed on as Caring Hoof looked up from her chat with the parent as the brothers approached.
“I’ll be a moment more, I’m just- Wha-!?”
The mare stopped in surprise as Blueblood stormed past, clearly irritated, with a solemn Goldenblood trying to keep up behind him and a tearful Perfect Rose further back. The griffon sniffed as tears silently fell down her face, Fluffy discarded as she just… sat there.
Caring Hoof blinked, the math running through her head as she watched Blueblood vanish through the door and out of the classroom. A scowl appeared on her face, a passionate fire of disdain raging in her chest directed at the unicorn who had just barged out without another word.
But with that in mind, stifling it for the moment, she turned and gave a quick apology to the parent she’d been talking to. And then, without any further prompting, she quickly rushed to the griffon’s side as she tried to think of exactly what she’d be telling her parents.
“I’m going to kill them!”
“Knives or magic explosions?”
“BOTH!”
“Kill them, Cash! I really want to!” Ebony raved, storming down the street as several other ponies looked on with shock and horror. “How… How dare they!”
“I know,” Cash agreed, his hatred of the higher nobility a storm in his mind as he only kept it from detonating entirely due to his wife’s own barely controlled rage. “But let’s leave the crimes for another day. An apology would be a start.”
“A BIG one! BIG!
“A darned good one.”
They had a few number of things in mind for when they arrived late to pick up Perfect Rose alongside Time Catcher. Her playing with her friends to pass the time? Her sitting by herself in the corner bored, maybe? Something along those lines.
What they were not expecting was her to be horrifically silent. She hadn’t said a word. Not when they’d arrived, not when they sent her back to the house with Time accompanying her. Just a silence accompanied by rolling tears and clinging to Fluffy for all the doll was worth.
It had been an alarming and confusing sight… until Caring Hoof had spilled the beans.
And now they were on their way to the estate of Prince Blueblood Sr. for a little chat. The family patriarch might have been out of the city for a while, but the matriarch and the offending son were certainly still present. And they had more than a few things to say.
“Where does that brat think he gets off? Saying something so… horrible!” Ebony continued to rage. “We’ve had our fair shares of trouble, but this is above and beyond! Did you see our daughter? Catatonic! I’m amazed Caring managed to get anything out of her about what happened!”
“I know. I was there,” Cash pointed out. “I’m just amazed at how one pony can become so sour. He’s not even that old, not really. Blueblood, the older one, he’s never been a particular opposer of Perfect Rose. How could the rest of them be so… typically ‘noble’.”
“Oh, he’s always away, isn’t he!” Ebony remarked. “That Social Grace is the big driving force in the lives of those children! And now our daughter… You know she’d heard the grumblings, right? She never said anything. Of course she didn’t, she’s three! She doesn’t know how to process things like this. But I knew.”
“I know.”
“But this? She shouldn’t have to face it this close. Not like that. I… Oh, Celestia. You were right, Cash.”
Cash Counter stopped, turning to stare at his wife. “What do you mean?”
“We never should have put her in that school. She wouldn’t have had to meet that colt had we just put her into a different school.”
Her husband hesitated, looking off to the side as he mulled over things in his head. But then he shook his head, turning back to Ebony with a determined look.
“No, I wasn’t.”
“W-what?”
He placed a hoof on her shoulder. “YOU were right, honey. I mean, if we placed her elsewhere, she wouldn’t have found those two friends of hers. There’s no guarantee somepony wouldn’t have said something cruel to her no matter where she went to school. But all we can do now is deal with the repercussions however we can.”
The mare took in a deep breath, holding it a moment before letting it out in a steady stream. “Yes, you’re right. Of course. I… Let’s get to the estate. I want this over as quickly as possible.”
The couple continued on in their journey, passing the largest of Canterlot’s rich estates as, closest to the castle itself, the Blueblood estate finally came into view. The home of all of Platinum’s descendants… Or at least the primary family line. And, right now, the home to those who had earned the ire of the two ponies.
They proceeded right up to the gate, horn’s lighting up and opening them without much of a second thought. They then proceeded to march up the path and towards the front door of the mansion, several gardeners glancing at them curiously while another servant saw them arrive and moved to intercept them.
“Excuse me, Sir and Ma’am,” the pony spoke up. “The gathering isn’t due to start for-”
“Get me Social Grace!” Ebony Rose barked.
The pony blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“I want to see your boss. Now.”
“I don’t believe I-”
“We’re not leaving until we’ve seen her, buddy,” Cash warned. “Besides, wouldn’t the esteemed Duchess Social Grace want to know that she has guests?
The servant hesitated, but then bowed. “I’ll… inform her right away.”
He scurried off, leading the two into the entrance hall before leaving them there and proceeding up the stairs. This left them alone, examining the hallway they hadn’t witnessed since the party they’d brought Perfect Rose to nearly four years prior.
But they didn’t have to wait long, the servant returning to the top of the staircase with a flustered expression on his face. Following behind him was Social Grace herself, looking rather annoyed at the interruption.
“Cash Counter. Ebony Rose. Might I ask what I owe the pleasure of this visit?”
“Nothing pleasurable, I assure you,” Cash remarked. “Quite the opposite.”
“I see,” she replied evenly. “Then can it not wait? I have had a most unfortunate conversation with my youngest and I cannot fathom how this day could get more annoying than it already is.”
“Actually, it’d be super easy. Barely an inconvenience,” he quipped in turn. “You clearly already know what happened at the school. So, here we are.”
“Does your son not know the meaning of ‘subtlety’ or ‘decorum’, Social Grave?” Ebony sneered. “Unbecoming is an understatement.”
Social Grace snarled. “I beg your pardon?”
“You know what he did! He left our child in tears and, frankly, made her out to be nothing more than a common beast!”
The noble huffed. “I do admit what he did was poor timing on his part. And a poor locale. I have already let him know that we shall be going over holding his temper better. His teenage years are upon him soon, I’m afraid.”
“Poor timing? He demeaned her! Called her ‘it’ rather than ‘she’. It was cruel, nothing more and nothing less.”
“Cruelty would indicate what he said wasn’t without a point.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You took on the street rat expecting, what? Applause? You knew there would be repercussions. It is unfortunate that my son, in all his youthful arrogance, chose that moment to voice that truth. But timing aside, it is the truth. You’d be better off taking her away from here and living your days in some dirt pony town like Ponyville.”
Cash scoffed. “And this isn’t arrogant and lacking in subtilty?”
“This is my home. Here, while my husband is away, my word is all but law.”
“Alright, well, let me put it in simple terms so her Highness may comprehend them…” Cash Counter mocked. “Stay away from our daughter or we will do whatever we need to in order to protect her. After all, I’m sure it wouldn’t do your social status much good for the Princess to know all about how you wilfully encourage the discrimination of a child in public, would it?”
Social Grace narrowed her eyes. “Is that a threat?”
“More like a reading suggestion.”
“Indeed. Well, let me make one in turn,” the mare scoffed. “Keep your pet away from my son. Goldenblood’s meekness is trouble enough without diluting his blood with such a cursed ‘friendship’. Do that and you won’t have any trouble from me and my sizably superior influence in this city. We’re willing to let her, and you, fail in this experiment on your own terms.”
“Listen here, hag!” Ebony blurted out. “She’s our child! And she’s a person! If you think you get to hold any measure of high ground just because she’s not a pony then you can shove your-”
“I think we’re done here,” Social interrupted. “Keep the griffon away from my son. And now, leave.”
“Just like that?”
“Must I call the guard to have you removed for trespassing?” she asked, holding a smug grin on her face.
Cash grit his teeth. “No. I can see we’ll make no progress for an apology here.”
“Apologise? How about one for bringing in an impure element as recklessly as you did?” she remarked. “Alas, it is not to be. Servant, remove them. If they continue making a fuss, have them detained.”
“Yes, Madame,” the pony dutifully replied, trotting down the stairs and confronting the couple. “If you would follow me.”
The two glanced at one another, each one bristling with anger at her undeserved sense of superiority. But they knew when they were trying their luck, so turned to leave. Besides, they had a child to check up on. If they wanted their two families to remain as far from one another as they could, on that they would be happy to oblige.
“Ta ta. Do have a good day,” Social Grace called as they exited, sarcasm dripping in her tone.
“Hag,” Ebony repeated to herself.