//------------------------------// // Chapter 26. // Story: Embrace of Light and Dark // by Knight of Crows //------------------------------// Cassiel POV "So did I pass the test?" I asked again, finally bringing them back to reality. "Ye-yes... I believe I speak for us all when I say you passed with flying colors! Welcome to the most prestigious school in Canterlot! I personally expect great things from you." One of the judges said, the other two in agreement, and Shade just quietly left the room. "In that case, who do I talk to for my schedule?" I asked. "We should be with you on that within 15 minutes, give or take, unless you want to choose your classes that is. We apologize for the wait, but we prefer to get the student before making their schedule." The judge answered. "In the mean time, one of us can give you a tour if you'd like?" He offered. "I'll be fine as long as the rooms all have the right numbers with the schedule." I declined. "As for the classes, just put me in the necessary ones, surprise me. Though if it will take that long, then I'll just excuse myself and listen to some music. Just get my attention when you're done." I pulled out my earbuds and ipod (still amazed they work after everything they had to have gone through). (I should note that it is possible I'm breaking a fimfic rule regarding the music. I believe it's the rule against songs with copyrighted lyrics, a rule that is at least to me, open to interpretation. A rule that either no one cares for, or if one of my interpretations are right, I can name a few authors on this site that have broken it and still to my knowledge, suffered no consequences, more than one have had their stories featured, so there's no way they went unnoticed by fimfic staff. No, I am not going to rat anyone out if they have given these circumstances.) First by Coheed and Cambria: Second by Demon Hunter: One of them waved for me, so I put it all away and retrieved the schedule. History 1 Room 120 Magic Control 4 Room 210 P.E. Chemistry 2 Room 220 Lunch Music/ Music Theory 1 Room 150 Math 2 Room 230 Equestrian 3 Room 122 I really hope those lower level classes are high for them. 7 classes then, Give me a textbook and I'll remember enough history to get by, I guess one art class is mandatory, never cared for chemistry, and knowing them, basic math. Not looking forward to all the stairs though. "Is this satisfactory?" One of the judges asked. "It'll do. First period?" I asked. "Yes, you shouldn't have missed much." Another judge answered. "Here's a hall pass, and we are aware of your... Condition... If there is trouble regarding the mask and cloak, please bring it to the attention of us or the headmaster." "Noted." Well I'm already on the second floor at least. Taking my leave, a hall monitor pointed me in the right direction. Entering the class, the teacher didn't look pleased. "Yes, what is it? Cant you see I'm in the middle of something?" He asked impatiently. "In the order of what you'll likely ask: New student, Cassiel, I have a pass from the judges, if there's a problem with me violating the dress code, take it up with those judges, the headmaster, or your princess. There are no open seats, so I'll just make my own." I used the wingblades of Dawn and Nightfall to make a chair and used my binder as a makeshift desk., getting various reactions from the other students. "Hmph! Who can tell me about how the three tribes were united?" He asked the class. 4 ponies raised their hands. He pointed to a light blue filly with a teal mane. "Yes, Azure Light?" "The events of Hearths Warming!" She answered. "I'll need more to go on than that. I'll settle for a summary." He said. "Sorry, Mr. Analysis." Really? That's the best your parents could come up with? "After years of each tribe fulfilling their roles, they began to hate each other and brought the wendigos." This is actual history? The fuck do cannibals have anything to do with this? "Each tribe blamed the other and left their homes for new land, but the wendigos followed them, and then Clover, Smart Cookie, and Private Pansy banished them with the power of friendship!" This is their history? None of that makes sense! Of all the things to deal with one of the most dangerous Native American myths, they used friendship??? I'm probably going to fail this class for all the wrong reasons. (Fast forward to just before Equestrian 3. 7th period) I'm already tired of all these stairs. Not that it affects me as much as others, but why do I even have P.E. when I have to go up and down these stairs a total of 7 times on a good day? Now I'm just complaining over stupid shit. Turning around the corner, I bumped into a few ponies from earlier. "Well well, what do we have here?" Swift asked, menacingly, his friends surrounding me. "Well I have many answers for both of us if you'd like to hear." I responded, getting slammed and pinned by the neck to the wall after, also drawing a crowd. Or rather, he thinks I'm pinned. "I bet you're real ugly behind that mask. Maybe I should take it off and show everypony what you really look like before I decide what to do with you!" He threatened. His friends sucking up to him. "Even if I'm ugly by your standards, it won't change the fact that when I look in the mirror, I just see the face of someone I hate. I won't deny that. When I look at you, I see someone who had to have lost a fight to a cheese grater." The crowd around us started going 'ooh' and one said something about needing burn cream. He slammed my head against the wall and punched me in the gut. "I think I'll just turn you into a mutt and drown you after I pummel you." "Hahahahahahaha....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Oh this is just precious! I don't even know what's funnier!" I'm shaking, I WANT THIS! "What's so funny??!! You're in no position to laugh!" Swift said angrily. "He might just have a few screws loose. Maybe you can fix'em by beating him to a pulp?" One of his friends said. "I don't know what's funnier. The fact you cowards are so weak and still think you're a threat. The fact it takes 5 of you and your... Equally dickless friends to pin one guy to the wall. Or the fact you think you scare me. I can't tell what's funnier, can you?" His friends joined in on the beatings, they even started using magic and hitting me with magic bolts. After a minute, they stopped. The crowd watching intensely. "Had enough?" Swift asked as if he just won. "Let me tell you a little bit about myself. There's nothing you can do to me that hasn't already been done for more petty reasons, while can hurt you more than anything this world has in store. You see, you haven't actually hurt me, I've been letting you get all those free hits. There are two secrets to pain. Knowing how not to feel it, and knowing how to properly inflict it." I held Fire in one hand. "Welcome to my Nightmare." I grabbed his shirt's collar and pulled him closer to me before latching onto his face with the hand holding fire, blowing up in his face after two seconds and then I kicked him between the legs. "Cura." I healed him while he was screaming in agony, cant have an attempted murder charge if there are no injuries to prove it. One of his friends tried to shoot me with magic. Key word 'tried'. "Reflect!" 1 down, 1 probably about to get up, 3 to go. One of his friends grabbed me from behind. "Aero!" I propelled us backward and slammed him into the wall behind me. After he let go, I grabbed his mane and positioned him just right. "Aero!" I launched him towards another of his friends. 3 down, 1 might get back up, 1 left. This one was a true genius because he didn't learn from the others. He tried to use magic as well. "Stop!" I've probably only got two or three more spells left. I walked up to him. "Blizzard." I froze his horn and punched him in the face multiple times before kicking him in both his shins and giving a nice uppercut to the chin. Swift got back up with blood shot eyes as his friend rejoined time. "I'LL KILL YOU!" He shouted. "You'll die trying." I said, taunting him. I let him charge up his magic. I could feel the hate and rage in this spell, see it too. I just crossed my arms and waited for it. Once he shot it, I did the most reasonable thing anyone in my position could do in this situation. "Reflect." I said, bored. The spell went right back at him, lauching him back into a wall and... Oh... He might... He will need the ER. "What in the name of Celestia is going on!?" Headmaster Shade shouted having finally arrived. He paused at the scene, looked at me, and now he's furious. "Somepony get a doctor!" The other students did as he said and scrambled away as he stomped over to me. "I told you I will not, and I repeat, will NOT allow this kind of behavior in MY school, you hear me! This institution was built with the blood and sweat of some of the greatest mind in pony history. I will not have its reputation tarnished by the likes of you! I don't care Celestia herself enrolled you here, when I'm done writing a letter to her you'll be lucky if you'll get into any school in this city!" "I would highly recommend against that." I warned. "Is th-" "A threat? No. Expelling me is going to hurt you and the school's reputation a lot more. What do you think will hurt more? Expelling a new student, enrolled by Celestia herself on his first day for defending himself after several minutes of being assaulted by several upperclassmen with no help on scene? You ignoring said student's complaints and warnings about the attackers in question? The fact no one stepped in until after one of the attackers threatened and tried to kill the new student who reflected the spell back at him? How about the fact that the new student who isn't even a unicorn beat all those upperclassmen?" I asked. "I saw and I know what I need to know. You're out of here, end of story!" He shouted. "And rather than helping the student who looks like he needs the ER, you're instead arguing with a student. Shows where your priorities are I suppose. You can only prove I'm the last one standing which means nothing considering no one would pick a fight with 5 other students, all of whom should be above me as far as the school is concerned. You can't prove I started the fight, only that I finished it. If you intend to expel me for preserving my own safety, my own life , both are legal last I checked, then it's only fair all of them go to prison. Harassment, assault and battery, maliciously abusing magic, pretty sure gangbanging isn't just a sexual term, and attempted murder. You would ignore all of this, but you would expel the victim of all these crimes because he defended himself?" "I didn't see or hear it happen, there's nothing I can do about it." Of course you'd pull that card. "If you didn't see or hear it happen, then why am I being punished? You just said you couldn't do anything, yet by seeing the aftermath, you can do something? You won't even expel them, but you'll expel me? You're contradicting yourself and backing yourself even further into a corner. Besides, there were PLENTY of witnesses and rather than ask any of them what happened, you sent them all away and passed judgement based on the aftermath of the incident. You had a chance to get more than enough testimonies of what really went down and you sent them all away. You did the equivalent of a judge kicking out the lawyer for being present and immediately judging the defendant to be guilty because the one person that could prove his innocence wasn't there to defend him!" His eyes shot open as he realized the implications of that decision. I removed my mask and looked him dead in the eye as help finally arrived. "YOU have made a critical error in judgement. Are you absolutely certain you want to expel me after YOU and the rest of the staff failed to protect me like you were SUPPOSED to? YOU failed to prevent this. YOU failed to stop this from getting out of hand. YOU failed to protect me, and you would punish ME for saving my own life, but not punish the ones who endangered it? I'm to pay the price for YOUR incompetence? I'm to pay the price for YOUR failure?" 'I fucked up' is all over his face. "I can't wait to tell Celestia about this. Imagine her reaction when she learns things like this are happening in HER school. Imagine her reaction when she finds out how you play favorites with the more wealthy families, and even let their children get away with crimes like murder." I walked past him and put my mask back on. "I would expect a lot of lawsuits from families and former students if I were you. I would also expect this school's reputation to plummet. Have fun rebuilding that reputation after destroying it just now." And with that, I continued to my final class for the day. It's amazing how many student related problems and legal issues schools could avoid if they actually did their jobs right.