//------------------------------// // Roll Call // Story: Assassination Classroom- Pony Time // by Dragonfire2lm //------------------------------// The cool breeze and melting snow didn't make the climb up the forested mountain any easier for the teenaged pegasus with an orange coat, messy purple mane and underdeveloped wings as she trudged up the path to the building that would serve as her classroom for the foreseeable future. her saddlebags, filled with textbooks, notebooks and other school supplies served to weigh her down and make the trek even more unbearable. "What I wouldn't give for my scooter right now.."she muttered and focused on putting one hoof in front of the other Ahead of her, a yellow furred, red maned Earth Pony around the same age as her casually walked backwards up the path, smiling encouragingly at her. "You can do it Scootaloo! Almost there!" the other pony called out and the pegasus rolled her eyes with a huff. "Easy for you to say Apple Bloom, you've had three months to get used to the climb!" Scootaloo shouted back. Something flew overhead and the two looked up to see a blue furred griffin whiz by them carrying his school supplies in satchel, smirking as he looked down at them. "Welcome to E Class shrimp! Better get used to it 'cause that's what you'\ll be doing for the next three years." the griffon stated cheekily. "Dude, Gallus cut her some slack man. We were all like that once." Another student, an earth pony with fur that was somewhere between green and yellow, with a two toned green mane that sorely looked like "bed head" was it's natural state of being, saddlebags lazily slung over his back and threatening to come off with every step. Gallus flew back slightly to fly alongside the green maned pony colt and grinned. "Ok, yeah I remember you complaining about it being too early to start school for like, your entire first week." "Yeah see, we all start of not used to things!" the pony said brightly, the implied jab either unnoticed or ignored as he walked up to Scootaloo and offered a hoof in greeting. "Hey, I'm Sandbar, nice to meet you!" Scootaloo smiled and bumped her hoof against his. "I'm Scootaloo, glad to see not everyone here is a bunch of jerks." "Gallus is a nice guy once you get to know him, he has just too much self confidence." Sandbar replied and grinned at as the griffin sighed. "You can't tell her I'm nice! That goes against my rep. If word gets out-" "Aw come on Gallus, you scared about the new kids pickin' on yah?" Apple Bloom asked, humor evident in her voice. "Suurre, imagine what my gramps would say if he heard I was nice, he'd chuck me out on the street as soon as I graduated." Gallus snarkily replied. "I thought being tough was a dragon thing?" Scootaloo asked and Gallus shrugged. "Sorta, dragons are tough, griffins are mean, it's kind of our thing you know?" "Kinda like how ponies are nice and friendly right?" Apple Bloom retorted. "Are you asking for another prank war Apple Pony? Because I can start another one." Gallus threatened and a sigh from behind the group caused all four of them to stop and turn around. Walking behind them, and looking none too pleased by their antics, was a white furred unicorn filly with a two toned pink and purple mane done up in long curls. Walking beside her was a light blue insect like pony with a single horn, a pair of wings concealed beneth a red bettle like shell, a hard carparace instead of fur, large, dark green, bulbous eyes and pink , glittery fins instead of a pony's mane and tail. "Can you guys knock it off? I don't want us to be late on the first day of class!"the unicorn stated seriously. "We have plenty of time Sweetie Belle, it;'s only 7 'O clock. School doesn't start for another half an hour." the bug like pony said reassuringly. "Who are you and what have done with Ocellus?" Gallus flatly stated. "You're always worried about being late, for anything." "I'm trying to follow Queen Chrysalis' advice about keeping calm in stressful situations." Ocellius stated with a smile. "Huh so you actually took Miss Yukimura's advice? Did it help?" Sandbar asked and Ocellus nodded. "Yeah, talking things out with the queen helped a lot. Sometimes it's hrd to remeber that us changelings need to care bout ourselves as well s others." Sunlight momentarily blinded the group as the reached the end of the path and out of the shade of the trees lining the path. As her eyes adjusted, Scootaloo took a look at the wooden building before her. it was old,a few roof tiles were missing and there were small holes in the thin paper and wood sliding door that served as the main entrance. The steps leading up to the door loked well worn, as did the overgrown, weed infested courtyard in front of the place. "This is the E Class campus?" she exclaimed. "It's looks like dump." "Yeah but it has its charm, you know?"Sandbar said as he walked past. "Maybe as a bunch of firewood and scrap metal" Gallus retorted. "It could be worse?" Apple Bloom suggested as the rest of them headed inside and made their way to their classroom. Scootaloo wasn't sure what to expect when she walked into E Class. The clean, if slightly worn down wooden floor, twenty or so outdated wooden desks and chairs, matching teachers desk and large blackboard on the front wall was certainly a far cry from the polished marble floors, state of the art furniture and tech that was the pride and joy of the main campus. She saw a few seats were already occupied as she walked in, a dragon, a couple of humans wearing the gray jumper, pants and white undershirt that acted as the uniform for the humans in the school, a unicorn colt hunched over a large book but the bundle of thick brown fur with horns and a face was something that immediately took her by surprise. "Yona? I thought you got expelled?" Scootloo asked. "Principal wanted to expel Yona but Principal does not know Yak way so Yona end up here!" the young yak cheerfully replied but paused, looking curious. "But why is Scoot Pony here? Did you smash classroom too?" Scootaloo's wings tensed, pressing her back as she chuckled nervously. "N-no but I just, failed last year's end of year exam..." Several of her classmates winced in sympathy, a fair skinned human with blue hair tied up into two messy bunches atop their head looked up at Scootaloo from their seat near a window. "You too, huh?" "Don't sweat the small stuff right?"A friendly, green haired human girl spoke from her seat in the next row over. "Even you did fail there's always this year." "Kaede's right, you still have a chance to get back onto the main campus if you get high enough scores in the mid year exams." Ocellus added. Scootaloo slung her saddlebags off her and let them rest on the back of her seat as she sat down. "i guess, but what about you guys? Why are you all here?" Sitting in the back row, an orange dragon with purple spines and a pair of horns atop her head laughed. "Man, where to start? Sandbar here got punted down to E after he showed up late for class twice in a row." "Smolder! Wasn't my fault my alarm clock died on me." he protested protested. "Maybe if you remembered to change the batteries." Gallus snickered. "Gallus is the guy that got caught pickpocketing on the first week of term last year." Smolder stated, much to the griffin's annoyance. "I was just having an off day!" "Anyway's, you know Yona broke an entire classroom during PE last year, Apple Bloom, Ocellus and the blue haired kid, Nagisa, bombed exams, same as you," Smolder explained and grinned, her sharp teeth giving her a shark like smile as she looked over Sweetie Belle. "The marshmallow has the best reason to be here if you ask me." "I thought I told you to quit calling me that?"Sweetie Belle huffed. "Whatever." Smolder replied with a shrug. "How did Sweetie Belle end up in E Class?" Scootaloo asked and the dragon's grin only got wider. "Little miss perfect here thought she could incite some kind of change, get rid of the E Class system and have everyone be treated as equals," the dragon said with an eye roll. "she got transferred here faster than you can say "Friendship is Magic". The principal really doesn't like it when someone argues against the system." "A lot of this seems kind of harsh..." Scootaloo stated. "There's no way the government tolerates this, right?" It wasn't Smolder who answered but a bespectacled, lanky, orange furred, unicorn colt with a darker orange mane and tail and the beginnings of a goatee growing on his chin. "A-actually with the amount of revenue the school makes from tuition fees and it's connections to various companies and governments, almost every world leader is willing to turn a blind eye if it means results." The conversation was abruptly interrupted when a pink, feathery creature a mix between a pony and a grifiin, a hippogriff, flew into the classroom, a bright smile on her face. "Good morning everyone!" she cheerfully singsonged. "Morning Silverstream." Ocellus politely replied and Silverstream beamed. "Guess what? I was on my way to class when I saw this really stern guy in fancy business clothes walking up here! he was all frowny-face and serious!" Silverstream excitedly said. Gallus waved a talon in dismissal. "probably some big shot from the school board or the government-" "Which government? There's like, several." Smolder pointed out. "He was human! Maybe the president of Manland has super secret orders for us!" Silverstream gasped. "Yeah right, and I'll become captain of the Griffonian guard." Gallus replied sarcastically. "You could if you wanted to!" Silverstream happily replied. "He might be from the International Defense Force," Nagisa suggested. "Humans are resistant to magic so a lot of us end up joining when we're old enough." "Was there anyone with him?" Scootaloo asked. "I haven't"seen our teacher yet, maybe here's holding her up?" Silverstream gasped, recollection clear on her face as she plopped into her seat. "That's right! you guys will never believe who I saw with him." "Our teacher?" Smolder asked mockingly. "Even more unbelievable! I saw...A Sea Pony!" Silverstream squealed. The class was silent, some looking at the hippogriff in confusion, others as if she were crazy. Scootaloo was firmly in the first camp. "What's a Sea Pony?" she asked. "Ah think they're ponies that live underwter?" Apple Bloom suggested "I thought they were only an old foal's tale." Sweetie Belle admitted. "They were real, until the end of the Dragon War." Smolder stated and turned to the orange furred colt. "Hey Sunburst, isn't this kind of thing you're always reading about? Old stories and junk?" Sunburst sighed in irritation. "You just said Sea Ponies were real, how can they be old stories?" "I dunno, you tell me. You're the history nerd." "So...?" Scootaloo assked, motioning for the unicorn to explain and the rest of the class looking on. Clearly not anything to be a part of whatever the discussion was turning into, Sunburst ran a hoof through his unkempt mane and began to explain. "Sea ponies are a hybrid between a pony and a water dragon, they vary in appearance but generally they have the ody of a pony and the wings, tail and horns of a water dragon." "So, fish pony." Smolder stated. "That's accurate but insulting," Sunburst admitted. "Sea ponies made up about seventy percent of the population of Pearl Island, the home territory of water dragons and domain of the goddess of the sea, The Dragon Lord of Water. During the Dragon War the water dragons remained neutral when the fire and shadow dragons formed an alliance to conquer humanity while the earth and wind dragons sided with humans-" "Blah blah blah, earth dragons went into hiding, wind dragons died stopping the Dragon Lord of Fire- we know all this already! Stick to the Sea Pony stuff." Smolder interrupted. "I was getting to that!" Sunburst replied. "The International Defense Force knew the shadow dragons were going to attack Pearl Island to draw out and capture the Dragon Lord of Water, since her power was needed for their ultimate goal of ruling the world under a new Dragon King and...used the Island to set a trap." "The trap worked but, the Sea Ponies and water dragons were wiped out as a result, that enraged the Dragon Lord of Water and she went on a rampage, killing the shadow dragons and forcing the fire dragons to surrender which ended the war," Sunburst explained. "No one has seen her or a Sea Pony ever since." "Maybe they were in hiding, like the earth dragons?" Sweetie Belle suggested. "Pfft, could just be a new student, a changeling that wants us to think they're cool." Gallus quipped. "What if they really are a Sea Pony?" Sandbar asked. The speculation was cut short as a pair of footsteps and a set of hoof steps could be heard down the hall and approaching the classroom. The man that walked in had spiky black hair, dark eyes and a serious, no nonsense expression that fit the black business suit with a white undershirt he was wearing. Scootaloo could almost feel the tension in air as this intimidating man stood at the front of the classroom. "My name is Tadaomi Karasuma, from the International Defense Force," he stated. "I know you've all just gotten here and the school year is due to start today but I am here with an important announcement." "What you're about to hear is classified information, known only by the world leaders and the higher ups over at the Force, so listen up!" he ordered and once he was sure he had everyone's attention, he resumed. "You've all seen or heard about the incident regarding the damage to Princess Luna's moon correct? About a month ago the Force managed to track down and capture the one responsible or rather, he let himself be captured." "Aren't you guys like, the best soldiers in the world or something?" Gallus asked. "How could you not capture the guy who blew up the moon?" "Nuhuhuhuhu, an excellent question!" a new, much more cheerful voice replied. There was a rush of displaced wind and suddenly, there was something else standing beside Tadaomi Karasuma. The individual's height, towering over them and a head taller than the strict military man was what caught Scootaloo's attention first, the fact that it was yellow was followed by the large round head with a pair of beady eyes and a grin so wide it she wasn't sure if it was rel or not. Then there were the tentacles, two long ones acted as it's arms and end with two strange feeler like fingers on the end of them and several round tipped tentacles keeping it upright. the creature was garbed in some sort of teachers robe, complete with a little square hat and a black necktie with a yellow crescent moon adorning the front resting against its chest. Whatever this thing was, it looked much someone had shoved an octopus sports mascot into a teachers attire and called it a day. "Um, not to sound rude but... what is that?" Sweetie Belle asked and pointed a hoof at the large yellow thing now standing in their classroom. "While that was rude, I am well aware of how my appurtenance looks to others the first time around," the voice from before stated and it took Scootaloo a second to realize it was coming from the giant yellow octopus. "I, boys and girls, am the one responsible for blowing up the moon." "This is a joke right?" Gallus deadpanned and the creature's grin shifted ever so slightly as it looked over at the griffin. "Now why would I joke about such a thing? I'll have you know Princess Luna was very upset with me when she found out," it said, still as calm and cheerful as ever and paused, head tilted to one side in contemplation. "Perhaps you'd believe me if I offered some proof to back my claim?" "Like you could prove you blew up the moon." Smolder chimed in. "H-he's telling the truth." Ocellus blurted, looking very much like a deer caught in headlights as she looked at the creature.In response, the octopus, moving faster than any of them could see was right beside her desk and he looked to smiling at her in appreciation. "Ah, a changeling! I take you could sense the that I wasn't lying?" he asked and Ocellus nodded shakily. Silence befell E Class as the information sunk in. Fear began to grip Scootaloo and she could see she wasn't the only afraid as they realized that something powerful enough to destroy a good portion of the moon was in the same room as them. "Now, now students, there;'s no need to be afraid. I'm not going to harm any of you," the Octopus stated and in a blink he was back in front of the class. "In fact, you'l be the ones going to harm me!" Karasuma took that as an opportunity to clarify. "We've spent a month working with people around from the world to find out what this creature is and what he's capable of. We've discovered that this thing is what dragons call a Fledgling Dragon King, in two years he will have gained enough magic to garner the attention of the Dragon Lords, beings so powerful they're akin to gods and in three he will be powerful enough to control every once of magic on the entire planet." "Governments the world over fear that he could start another war if he managed to ascend into a real Dragon King, while the Equestrian Princesses believe he could be reasoned with so that's where you all come in," he continued. "Princess Celestia and Luna managed to negotiate with this creature to buy us time to either kill him or track down the Dragon Lords for information on how to safely nullify his magic and all of you are part of the agreement." "In return for allowing me to be your new teacher, I'm letting both the International Defense Force and the Global Preservation Guild study me for a solution to the danger I pose to the world at large." the octopus stated. "Furthermore, the Force added it's own conditions to the agreement, they don't to take any chances with this. He can teach this class until you all graduate on the condition that you students be allowed to make attempts to solve the problem yourselves, either by killing him outright or working with Lady Pearl of the Preservation Guild." Karasuma explained and motioned for someone to enter the room. The pony that entered was a young mare, with fur that was primarily white with orange splotches on her torso and legs and it reminded Scootaloo of some species of exotic fish she had once seen in an advertisement. the mares long serpentine tail ending in flowing while fin and large, almost cloth like fins in place of wings further emphasized the fish like qualities of the pony before her. The mare's white mane rested in soft waves against her neck and a pair of pink coral like horns adorned with blue tear shaped jewels grew out of the top of her head. Around her neck was a flower patterned bandanna adorned with a cream colored pin shaped like a kite shield bearing the international symbol of medicine, a red cross. Ruby red eyes looked out over the class nervously as the mare smiled and waved in greeting. The quiet moment was soon broken however. "See! I told you guys I saw a Sea Pony!" Silverstream exclaimed and excitedly gestured at the mare, who blinked in surprise. "Alright settle down," Karasuma stated before the class could voice their excitement. "Pearl here was found under the care of Princes Luna and after hearing what was planned for all of you, the princess herself requested that Pearl be brought on as a member of faculty to see to your well being. She'll be providing you with your meals and will be available for you here on campus to talk to should you have any concerns." "So we gotta kill our teacher and a Sea Pony is what, our babysitter?" Smolder asked. "Pearl is here to monitor you and the creature, her job is aid and protect you kids in ny way she can," Karasum explained. "As for killing your teacher, that's entirely up to you. This isn't the army, as far as the legalese goes, you're all volunteers, you can back out at any time and your teacher, the target in question, has agreed not to harm any of you during his time as your teacher. If he breaks those terms of agreement then we have full authorization to lock him up in a lab somewhere and continue our research that way." "Then why not just do that then?" Apple Bloom asked and she got stunned the entire class. "Even if we wanted to, we can't. He can reach up to speeds of mach twenty, is extremely intelligent and no modern day weaponry can even lay a scratch on him, he claims to be unkillable and so far he appears to have the power to match his claim," Karasuma stated. "We only got him because he came to us under the promise of negotiation from the Equestrian Dirachy, if weren't for the princesses, he'd be goddess knows where by now and he knows it." He motioned to the octopus, who's head now sported green stripes going across his face. "Something else we've learned is that he can change color based on his emotions, the most common one we've encountered are these green stripes. He's feeling cocky that he got his way with his demands and knows full well that none of us have the power to stop him." "Granted, You children may not be a threat now, but I assure you once I'm done teaching you all, every single one of you will be a force to be reckoned with!" The octopus stated and green stripes grew even more vibrant as he grinned smugly. "Enough to take me on though? We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?" "Why us though? You have the best the world has to offer over on the min campus." Sweetie pointed out. "Well, I am a matter of international security, can't have the public finding out and panicking now, can we?" replied the octopus, his stripes quickly fading as he spoke. "And you could also say I wanted a bit of challenge, this is my first teaching job you see so why not cut my teeth on the underdogs of this academy and prove my worth as a teacher by helping the bottom rung students climb to the very top!" "Good for you and all, but what do we get out of it?" Gallus asked. "Due to the danger this thing poses, the International Defense Force has placed a bounty of ten thousand bits on him, backed by a majority of major world governments with an identical bounty being offered by the Global Preservation Guild. If one of you kids are successful in killing him or find a way to non lethally take him out of the equation, you'll claim the bounty. Simple as that." Karasuma explained. Scootaloo's eyes went wide at the amount of money the man just casually mentioned was now up for grabs. "That's- that's a lot of bits." Gallus said, voicing everyone's opinion. "As I stated before, this is a volunteer job, if anyone wants to back out, now's your chance." Karasuma stated. "Are you kidding, with that much money at stake? I'm in!" Smolder said. "Oh yeah, definitely in." Gallus added. "We kill him and we save the world right? Sounds like a no-brainer to me." Sandbar said. "We don't even have to kill him! If we make it so he can't control all the world's magic then we still win!" Sweetie Belle added. "I'm kind of glad there's a peaceful option, I uh don't think I'd be able to kill anyone to be honest." Ocellus admitted, clearly relieved at being given a choice. "Remember, I'm both your teacher and you target, I expect you to be taking your academics just as seriously as your attempts to deal with me regardless of which option you choose," their new teacher stated and gestured over to Pearl. "Miss Pearl will be here to assist you at her discretion, while she won't take part in trying to kill me, she will make sure that everyone here is as safe and happy as possible." "I've been instructed to remain on site as a member of E Class faculty for your protection," Karasuma added. "From Tomorrow, I'll be your new PE teacher as well as supplying you with the anti-creature weapons needed for assassinations and the knowledge on how to use them. until then, today is just a regular school day." The bell rang, signalling the beginning of the new school year. Karasuma and Pearl left the classroom and The Octopus pulled out an attendance book from the teachers desk, smile ever present. "Alright I know you're all excited but settle down now and answer calmly and clearly when I call your name..."