//------------------------------// // Flounder to the Finish. Part 1 // Story: Twilight Gets a Puppy, Season 4 // by TDR //------------------------------// Twilight Gets a Puppy Season 4 By TDR Flounder to the Finish. Part 1 [Ponyville School House, late summer, first week of school, Friday.] [ Charlie.] [Not this again.] “….. So are all the schools in Equestria submitting ideas like this ?” Spike asked looking up at Miss Harshwhinny. “Yes. Each school district shall have their own team and bear the flag their district or town.” Harshwhinny sighed.”Due to... Royal favoritism....Ponyville is counted as it's own district for these purposes despite being part of the Canterlot school district.” “Were we in the same meeting? Cause if I recall Ponyville was made it's own district due to the growth spurt we had the last two years, that made it's population and the number of incoming students reach well above the minimum needed to form a new school district. Not to mention being one of the most diverse towns in Equestria we needed our own district as our curriculum will need to be build from scratch to cover everything and become suitable for everyone. I mean we have ponies of all three tribes, an alicorn, Equss' only Moon Dog and Witch Wolf, plus a dragon, the first self revealed changelings, some griffons, a number of nox-cal of all three tribes, whatever Pinkie Pie is, the largest pack of peaceful Diamond Dogs on this side of the zebra lands, a bunch of zebras, a couple of mules, some cows, a buffalo family, some crystal ponies, heck we've even got a kitsune running Lee-ho -foxs. Not bad for a town that started as an earth pony settlement only about a hundred or so years ago huh?” Cheerilee, Harshwinny, and all the students stared at Dash who was playing with a bit of chalk in a distracted manner. “What?” Dash asked noting all the silence and stares.” I read the notes! …. Mostly...” “District dividing aside, at the moment the students here are the only ones in this district participating in this contest. You will be judged on a number of things in regards to a complicated system which I will go over now....” “Boring. Tell um the important stuff.” Dash offered.” Like who's the schools coach for the event.” “I hardly see how that is more important than knowing the rules.“ Harshwhinny frowned further somehow. “Pfft are you kidding, it's super important. And I sat through the reading of the judging rules, you had to wake me up fifteen times,while that's nothing really you had to wake Twilight up twice. TWICE. That mare would make a list of her favorite lists for fun!” “She has.” Spike added. “You really think any of these guys can pay that much attention?” Dash continued. “Ugh, I suppose you have a point.” “Any way. The coach for the school to help you all out with what you need to know about the empire or help with your set ups is … drum roll..” Rainbow Dash began. Scootaloo started hammering on her desk in time much to Harshwhinny's annoyance. “Spike!” Dash pointed out. ”What?” Spike asked looking up, not really having been paying much attention as he had had all this information, including the rules guidelines, hammered into his head by his sister. He had only fallen asleep three times. In either case he was sick of it. “You're the coach.... didn't Twilight tell you?” Rainbow Dash questioned as the rest of the class room looked at him. “Of course she did.” Spike yawned. “It's not a big deal. I just help everyone with the information they need, what's allowed and not allowed as well as offer to guide them in a direction that doesn't involve massive property damage. Everyone in the class room looked at the Crusaders. “Why is every one looking at us?” “That lake was on fire when we got there.” “Due to legal concerns ah am not authorized to talk about tha incident.” “Anyway.” Spike offered. “Due to my connection to the judges and the Empire itself I'm not allowed to do more than help out with guidance.” “Who is judging?” Dinky asked. “Empress Cadence, Emperor Shining Armor, Queen Chrysalis, myself and Rahs Sparkle.” Harshwhinny offered not seeming too thrilled with the last. “They'll be checking for heart, order, emotion, adherence to the rules, and style respectively.” Rainbow Dash offered. “Due to the nature of the class we will be composing teams of three, mostly to cordon off the damage....” The class looked at the CMC. “They're looking at us again.” “I keep telling you we were trying to fix the water main it was already busted.” “By royal order 629 ah am not allowed to answer questions pertaining to any of the events of last Tuesday.” “ Yeah... well... good luck Spike.” Rainbow Dash offered. “Also class keep in mind that this will also be a graded project for your civics course this first semester. So you do have to participate.” Cherrilee added to a collection of groans. “So we just need to come up with the perfect routine to win this thing.” Scootaloo considered as she trotted out the front door. “Sounds like a plan tah me. Pity we can't get Spike tah help, bet he knows a whole bunch about the Crystal Empire.” Applebloom offered. “I don't think it matters how much we know about the Empire, I think it matters more about what we can put together to impress the judges. Only three of them are from the Empire and if we don't score high enough with all five in terms of points it won't matter if we only super impress one or two.” Sweetiebelle stated. “Well at least we know Rahs should be easy to impress, the more theatrical we make it the better. Miss Harshwhinny's gonna be the problem. You saw her in there, she seems to hate everything.” Scootaloo huffed. “Still we need to come up with a plan.” Applebloom offered. “What shows what's special about Ponyville?” “Hmmm.” the trio hummed in thought. The few ponies that saw the trio thinking like this suddenly realized that it would be best if they were else where before they decided to do something, particularly since they didn't see Spike around to reign them in. “I got it. Rainbow Dash gave me the hint too!” Scootaloo yelped suddenly. “Be awesome?” Sweetiebelle stated. “Sleep all day?” Applebloom suggested before considering, ”Well that might get points from Rahs.” “No... well yes on the first one, but no. She said Ponyville was diverse in who lived here. We could put something together to show how in Ponyville every one is a friend no matter who or what they are.” Scootaloo stated. “I think that's mostly Pinkie Pie.”Sweetiebelle considered. “You have a better idea?” Scootaloo demanded. “Nope.” Sweetiebelle shrugged. “If that's the best idea you have, then your entry is going to be even more of a hilarious failure than I thought.” The trio turned with a mix of frowns and glares as Diamond Tiara sneered at them while she trotted up, with Silver Spoon right behind her. Behind them was one of the new students who's family had moved out of the Crystal Empire. She was a silvery crystal pony with a white mane and tail named Sterling Silver. Her cutie mark was an antique looking silver tea pot, that at the time she got her mark was considered new. Her cutie mark was almost invisible on her coat unless she pointed it out, or you were looking close. Evidently she was an ancestor of Silver Spoon some where down the line and the pair of them had been hanging out most of the summer. The Crusaders thought she was alright, but given she followed along with Silver Spoon every where, that mean that she was unfortunately part of the Diamond Tiara circle despite simply staying back and not contributing to the bullying. Applebloom didn't like her much because of how flirty she was around Spike. Spike never noticed. “We already have the best plan that will absolutely crush, and I do mean crush the competition.” Diamond Tiara offered. “It is quite good.” Sterling Silver offered quietly. “Yeah, well we have a great plan as well, and it's gonna be perfect!” Scootaloo growled. “Yeah? But you know what you don't have?” Diamond Tiara grinned. “Bad hygiene?” Sweetiebelle suggested. “Daddy issues?” Applebloom offered. “A lack of spacial awareness?” Scootaloo added looking back behind the pair. “What, no, Cutiemarks you blank flanks!” Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara chimed pointing at the Sweetiebelle's rear as they chanted their primary insult in a sing songy tone. “There's no way any pony is going to chose some stupid fillies with no cutie marks to represent Ponyville.” Diamond Tiara laughed. “And why would that matter in the slightest?” a deep voice asked from behind the pair of bullies. Scootaloo grinned as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon whirled around to see who spoke. Sterling Silver had already noticed and was gone in a eye blink, tearing down the road at a speed that would have made Rainbow Dash pause with a scream that made most of the canines she passed howl. Behind the pair was a tall, dark gray unicorn stallion with a reddish curved horn sprouting from a mass of black hair that seemed to wave and shift on it's own, his red eyes stared down at the fillies and he was currently sporting what amounted to an eggshell white and dark blue trimmed suit top. Rarity had some how gotten him into it and it wasn't a surprise to see him wearing something completely different each time he left the boutique. “I hardly see why having a mark on your flank means anything in terms of what your skills. Too many focus on it soly and what they think it means for it to really mean anything.”Sombra continued. “Better to have no mark and be able to choose your own fate than have it splashed garishly across your rump and have your destiny decided for you. And what are your cutie marks even supposed to mean?” Sombra raised an eyebrow looking down at the two fillies. “Oh, well my family deals heavily in tea and ceremonies such as that. We provide at least seventy percent of all the tea used in Canterlot Castle by the Princess.” Silver Spoon offered.”My mark represents my skill in that field and following my family line into the tea business.” Sombra nodded slightly his gaze turning to the pink filly. “And yours some sort of frost pattern on glass?” “IT'S A CROWN!!” Diamond Tiara shrieked before realizing that who she just yelled at was not Spike this time. “Really? Fancy yourself royalty then? Well most of the nobility and royalty when I grew up tended to do a lot of infighting and backstabbing to gain favor with the ones who were really in charge. Some pony with a cutie mark like yours tended to be murdered in their sleep by jealous rivals before they turned ten in order to remove some pony who might curry favor from their mark alone.” Sombra explained. He then looked thoughtful for a moment before narrowing his eyes at Diamond Tiara. “How old are you again?” Diamond Tiara's eyes widened at the story and the dead pan look Sombra was giving her before she took off like a shot screaming, with a slightly less panicked Silver Spoon right behind her. “Hmmm.” Sombra offered watching the pair run off. “Hey Mister Sombra what brings you out here?” Sweetiebelle squeaked acting as if the conversation had not just taken place. “Your sister sent me to collect you. It seems your parents have left on another vacation.”Sombra growled. “And your sister refused to let me have a word with them about leaving their foal behind so often.” “Oh alright. Did she say if she just wanted me?” Sweetiebelle asked. “We need to work on our project.” “If you three can distract her from using me as a clothes horse the moment we get back, I wouldn't care if you brought the whole school with you.” Sombra snarled before he looked around again. “Where is the dragon?” “He has to stay after to talk to the event coordinators Dash and Miss Harshwhinny. “Applebloom offered. ”We'll see him this weekend ah'm sure.” “Very well. Come along then.” Sombra stated turning to walk away as if to leave them, though the three followed along simply chatting plans around him as if he was part of their group. Admission to their little club might have been forced, though Sombra took interest in the three for a different reason that the missing cutie marks. Scootaloo's parents couldn't be there for her all the time, but they tried to be there as much as they could. Sombra was not thrilled with it, but he gave it a pass as she was, while not happy, at least content with the set up. Applebloom's parents were dead. And one could not blame corpses for their absence. Often it was worse if the corpses were there. Sweetiebelle's and by extension Rarity's parents however, irked him something fierce. The sisters might have accepted it, but Sombra was angry at the way their parents had started leaving Sweetiebelle to be watched by Rarity so often after she had her own place. Neither of the siblings were too thrilled at the multitude of trips their parents took, be it for work or pleasure, and it was more often the latter, but they had gotten used to it. Having come from a situation like that himself Sombra found himself sympathizing with the trio. That they thought he was just the largest member of their Crusaders mattered little to him. It mattered even less to him what the dragon thought of him. Spike did not trust him in the slightest, much like the rest of the town, the pink one still threw things at him when she saw him in fact. Despite this Sombra still he put forth the effort to try and at least be there if the three needed some pony for something. It was not as if he had figured out anything else to do yet anyway.