//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: First day, new impressions. 
// Story: MoonRacer: The land of misfits. 
// by NicLove 
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The group of 16 students made their way to the cafeteria, where a continental breakfast was set up for them. There were Pancakes, Waffles, PrenchToast, Croissants, Fruits, Scrambled Eggs, and several dishes that Twilight wasn’t entirely familiar with…

“Dig in!” Bubbly told Twilight as she took a big helping of high-fiber Pancakes and high protein Scrambled Eggs. Rarity only took a bowl of fruit-salad, wanting to watch her figure. Flash took some chocolate Waffles & Croissants and had fun with them.

Twilight was nervous as she felt overwhelmed by this extensive selection, but then her eyes caught a glimmer of something that she rarely got to snack on. Gems. Twilight was instantly excited as she found a tray of pancakes with actual gems in them. She quickly piled some on her plate as she followed the others to their seats.

Twilight sat between Light Heart and Sleipnir, across from Flash. “What are you having, Light?”

The guys quickly saw that Light had a large pile of food in front of him, including PrenchToast, yogurt, apples, bananas, pancakes, and a few other treats. “Just a light breakfast.” Light said as he started to dig in amazement to everyone else.

“You... You know that if you want to be like my dad, you don’t have to eat as much as he does.” Sleipnir told Light.

“There is a funny thing about alicorns that me and Twi learned about. They can eat like nobody's business. They burn through sugar like it’s nothing.” Spike explained with a chuckle as he had some pancakes and yogurt.

“Oh...” Flash said. “Ooohh...” He said once more when he realized it. “How long have you been one now?” He asked Light.

“A few years now.” Light said, not being rather specific due to him wanting to eat.

“Oh boy, that must have cost your parents a lot to feed you,” Flash said, basing that on Light calling this just a light breakfast.

“This is a usual breakfast for him. He always makes it a point to say that it’s a light meal to joke around with people. And Celestia took him into the school right after he became an alicorn, so it’s the school who has to pay to feed him.” Twilight explained as she started savoring her gem-pancakes.

“Oh...” Flash’s ear flopped. “That’s not funny, Light.” He said, recalling a starving family that had arrived here.

Pinkie pie was giggling as she was covering her pancakes in syrup. “I think it’s a matter of opinion. He meant it as a joke.”

“Well, I don’t think that’s funny. Remember that starving family that came here.” Flash asked Pinky. “They were so hungry that they couldn’t even enjoy your party. They were too busy stuffing their faces with food just to attempt to quell their hunger.

Pinkie paused in sadness, recalling their attitude when they first came there.

“Most citizens believe that other countries have a food shortage,” Flash said.

“Like Light would know a thing like that? He’s joking about his appetite, not making fun of hungry ponies. Lighten up.” Dash told Flash with a shrug as Light suddenly found it hard to eat.

“Well, He’s not the first alicorn to go through the school. There is Princess Cadence.” Spike pointed out.

“Exactly. Some races have extra needs.” Twilight added. “And Light always makes that joke. He didn’t mean anything bad, right?” Twilight turned to see that Light had already left the table and was walking into the restroom. “Awe, man!” She muttered as she lowered her head.

“So much for that joke. Here comes the guilt drive.” Spike said as if he had seen this before.

Flash was also feeling bad. He always had a problem with the world, still not perfect and still having problems that seemed to have an easy answer that could solve everything. “I... I need to go talk to Light.” Flash said, getting up and leaving his food behind as he ran off after Light.

Applejack looked concerned as she looked at Twilight and Spike. “What is the guilt drive?”

“When some pony is critical about Light, and then Light thinks, he has a point; he will start beating himself up over it. He stops making jokes, becomes more distant, depressed, and does something dumb to punish himself.” Spike explained. “When the train starts, it’s hard to get it to stop unless you can derail it.” He said as he looked at Flash running after his friend.

Flash was right on Light’s tail, and if he was fast enough, he could stop Light before he entered another room. “Light... Wait, I’m... I’m sorry for yelling.” He said, trying to apologize.

“I… I’m sorry… I’ll just… quit eating too much…” Light said as he was trying not to look at him.

“No, no, eat as much as you want. We have enough food to feed us all!” Flash said before wincing at what he had just said. “I... I mean…”

“Just let me be alone…” Light said before he ran into a rather large pony.

“No, you’re still hurt by what I said, and I shou…” Flash stopped when he saw who Light crashed into.

“Are you alright?” The large pony asked in a very kind voice.

“I… I’m sorry… I… I was just being dumb…” Light said as he was fighting the urge to cry.

“Oh... there there, it’s not your fault.” The large pony said before picking up Light and placing him back up. “I wasn’t looking where I was going either.” He admitted.

“I… I just made a dumb joke… It was supposed to be funny…” Light said as he wiped his eyes.

“Oh... um... It couldn’t be that bad.” The large pony said.

“I… I just eat a lot… because of my dumb body, and I keep calling my meals a light one.” Light said between sniffles.

“Oh... well... What’s the problem?” The large pony asked.

“I… It wasn’t funny… not with hungry ponies…” Light explained as he was still trying not to make eye contact.

The large pony nodded, finely understanding. “I understand.” He said before sitting down next to Light. “We all often take what we have for granted, forgetting that there are many that are not as fortunate as we are.” He continued by petting Light’s back. “But we must not be vain, nor should we let that prevent us from enjoying what we have. The only thing we can do is to help them to be able to have the same luxuries that we have.” He finished. “Do you understand?”

Light nodded softly as he slowly started heading back to the table. “Yes, sir. I’ll try to keep quiet from now on.”

The large pony nodded before going off to his destination.

Flash walked with Light, keeping his head down. “Light... I… I…” He was trying to find the words.

“No… I’ll just keep quiet.” Light said as he sat back down at the table, not bothering to touch the rest of his food, leaving Spike and Twilight cringing as they tried to think about a way to help him.

Flash was mentally killing himself, trying to find a way to fix this.

“Um, hey, Light! I still have to show you and the others the pool. Let’s do that in the last free period. It’ll give you some time before the groups start looking for new members.” Shark offered, thinking that something fun might be able to fix the alicorn.

“Ya... sure, whatever.” Light said.

Flash couldn’t let Light’s first day at his new school to start like this. Anyone he meets will believe that he’s a downer. “Light, I was wrong for yelling at you for just having naive fun,” Flash told him. “I shouldn’t force everyone to keep up with a standard that I wish the world was at. We are all flawed creatures with desires to enjoy what we can have. I shouldn’t put everyone else down with the problems I wish were already solved.”

Light could only wipe his eyes as he was breathing heavily. “I… It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not,” Flash said. “You just got here, and I yelled at you for something that isn’t your fault.” He looked down. “I was hoping that you would want to consider me, your friend.”

Spike and Twilight quickly moved next to Light to hug him as Fluttershy walked over to Flash and whispered to him. “Um, we may want to take it easy with them. It is their first day, and they are still getting used to being accepted despite their oddities.” Fluttershy said softly. “I… I can look over Twilight’s… eagerness if you can look over Light’s humor.”

Flash put his head down. “I... I will.”

Fluttershy gave a small smile as she hugged him. “It’s alright. A little kindness always helps.”

Flutter always had the warmest hugs. “Thanks, Flutter.” He told her before hugging back.

As the group started to calm down, Twilight turned to Sleipnir. “So, what is it like being adopted by the king? I know Spike is Celestia’s adopted son, but I wanted to compare notes.”

“Umm... well, I wouldn’t know how to compare,” Sleipnir admitted. “Kirouac often eats while surrounded by the average citizen, just like anyone else. And... no one treats me differently for being the king's kid, not that I can see.” He said before looking at the rest of the group, waiting to hear them say something that he wouldn’t have noticed.

Spike was the only one who muttered anything. “Lucky.”

“Lucky? How so?” Sleipnir asked.

“Sometimes, attention isn’t a good thing. I often have ponies asking why I’m like this and why Celestia would have taken me in. It usually ends in arguments, especially when I’m also sticking up for the others. Sometimes it’s better to not be noticed at all.” Spike explained somberly.

Sleipnir nodded. “Yes, and some can do it much better than others.” He said while lifting 5 of his hooves.

“Well, you all can relax. Dragon ponies and alicorns hardly stand out at all around here. Heck, Light will constantly be considered a pegacorn due to the body type.” Dash said light-heartedly.

Flash nodded while thinking about it.

“Yeah, don’t fret nothing. Yall will be as safe as a kitten when you are with us.” Applejack assured the group. “And that’s the truth.”

Twilight turned to look at Pinkie. “A... are you sure?”

Pinkie nodded. “Of course! Applejack is the most honest person here. But just in case… Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” Pinkie promised as she made the motions of her promise.

Light tried to say something, “Y.. you…promise?”

“I Pinkie promise and nopony breaks a Pinkie promise.” The puppy-like pony explained.

Light turned to Flash and saw him nodded. “It’s true, and you don’t want to see what happens if you do,” he said with a shiver.

Light gulped before nodding back.

Twilight was checking her schedule and looked confused. “Strange, King Kirouac was supposed to be speaking this morning, and he should have been on stage by now. Well according to my calculations anyways.” She said while looking at the small stage at one end of the cafeteria.

Spike shrugged. “Not everypony runs on a precise schedule.”

“Maybe he wanted to meet the new students in person first?” Shark suggested.

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen anypony fitting Kirouac’s description yet.” Twilight said as she was once again looking around the room. “But then again, it’s hard to tell with everybody moving around so much.”

“Should we go look in the back for him?” Spike suggested.

“I don’t think so. As a king, he’s probably really busy, so we should let him meet us when he is ready.

Sliepnir turned to look at Twilight. “A king is never too busy to meet his subjects. Is your Princess, Celestia, too busy for you?”

Spike shook his head. “This isn’t Equestria. She’s got multiple large cities that need constant monitoring. Celestia tries to spend an hour or two with us every day, but sometimes she has to head out of town due to her duties. With how big Equestria is, she’s very busy.”

Sliepnir nodded. “It is true that a ruler must keep the peace of the larger picture. But they should never forget the little things and moments.”

Spike nodded as he thought back on his life. “Maybe that’s why she picks pupils to teach and orphans to adopt?”

“A trait that Kirouac takes to heart,” Sleipnir said while making his way to the back.

The others were already wrapping up with their food while having to deal with Light’s unfinished plate making Flash stomach tighten out of guilt.

“Let’s go find him.” Pinkie said before bouncing off.

The new students looked nervous at the idea of meeting him, but the others in their group helped lead them on.

"Don't worry, he's not going to bite." Pinkie told them. "We can ask him to Pinkie-promise if you want."

“It’s not that. It’s just… he’s a king, and we don’t want to give the wrong first impression.” Twilight explained.

Flash nodded. “Ya... the first impression... You’ll be stuck as that being your best one,” he said, his tear hidden behind his sunglasses.

“I find him to be a very calm and understanding guy.” Flutter said.

“Very formal and regal,” Rarity added.

“He’s a hard worker.” Applejack pointed out.

“And he can be very fun to be around.” Pinkie said as she kept bouncing next to the group.

“I can see why he became your ruler,” Spike said.

“Yeah, he’s a lovable guy,” Dash said with a nod.

The group made their way to the stage, climbed on it, and then went to the door at the back and knocked on it.

“Should we really be disturbing him? I don’t want to be a pain on my first day.” Light said as he was feeling tempted to walk away.

The door opened without any of them twisting the doorknob. “Come in!” A voice that Light recognized spoke out.

“Wait, who was the guy I ran into in the hall?” Light asked himself as the group walked into the room.

“Why don’t you ask him?” Flash said while walking in.

The group passed by some carts of fruits and vegetables before finding a dest where a large blue creature that looked similar to Twilight  was looking over his platter. ‘Should I start with how we all may look different, but we are also all the same? Though life may seem weird and unfair, we shouldn’t let it get between us.’ He said to himself, thinking out loud between bites of food.

Light’s eyes widened as he finally realized who the pony was that helped calm him down earlier. “Oh… Celestia, have mercy on me.” Light muttered to himself quietly while Twilight was looking in awe at this pony.

Kirouac looked up. “Oh... hello there!” He said before putting his paper down, getting up, and walking to them. “Hello, I’m Kirouac.” He told her before extending his claw to Twilight.

Twilight was shocked as she slowly shook Kirouac’s claw, something she didn’t see on a lot of ponies. “I… It’s nice to meet you… your highness...”

Kirouac stopped her before she could bow. “Please, only call me that when I have the crown on.” He said before looking at his crown that was on the table. “I think that you are fond of my claws!?” He asked her while seeing how nervously yet tightly she was holding it.

“Y… yeah… they’re like mine,” Twilight said as she looked at them closely. “I… I never thought I’d see anypony with hands like mine.”

Kirouac tilted his head. “What about your... Father and brother?” He asked her.

“My dad’s claws are smaller because he’s completely a dragon, and my brother’s traits don’t show physically. My… Our claws are part pony, part dragon.” Twilight explained as she was still looking at the claws.

Kirouac nodded. “Some like to say that I have the best of both worlds. I prefer to think that I am the only one that it shows.”

“So... wait! Your brother's dragon traits don't show?” Dash asked in shock. “Wow... that must have been a relief when he was born and a shock when you were.”

“Celestia helped sweep it under the rug, and when Cadence and Shining started dating, nopony cared about his race and focused more on the relationship. Of course, only Light’s brother found Shining’s gem stash, and he ended up questioning Light about it, so he’s one of the few ponies who knows the secret.” Twilight said as she started analyzing the rest of Kirouac’s body.

“Wouldn’t it have been known that your older brother is also half dragon?” Dash asked.

Twilight shook her head. “Most people thought that he was my half-brother.”

“Do you want my medical file as well?” Kirouac asked while blushing.

“Um, that’s not necessary. The others already told me about your bloodline.” Twilight said as she looked carefully at his wings.

“So, you can understand why I shouldn't seem better than any other fellow citizens,” Kirouac told her.

“Wow. You are very humble. Most other nobles tend to be jerks.” Spike pointed out.

“It’s clear that they should all go and live life as a peasant for at least a year,” Sleipnir told them

“Good thinking. I’ll be one for a few decades before I let ponies try to call me a prince.” Light mumbled to himself, looking rather embarrassed.

“Oh... and here I was planning to make you my successor,” Spike told Light.

“Good, you’ll be a prince until then.” Light said, not looking as playful as he usually is when they are talking about being royalty.

Dash looked a bit confused. “How does it work? Why is your ruler called a princess and now a queen? And... what does that make Spike?” she asked.

“Maybe a prince, but I don’t know. I don’t know why mom refuses to be called a queen, but she has been firm about it. Nobody knows why.” Spike explained.

Dash nodded before turning back to Twilight, who was holding Kirouac's wings in her claws. “Jealous?” Dash asked her as she saw her looking at Kirouac’s feathers.

“More like curious, since I don’t tend to use my wings.” Twilight explained.

“What’s wrong with them?” Kirouac asked with worry and hoped that it wasn’t a sore nor touching setback for her.

“Nothing. We just never bothered trying to learn, and scientifically speaking, my wings aren’t like normal wings.” Twilight explained as she was carefully examining how the wings and scales mixed.

“Well, normal for a dragon,” Kirouac told her. “I’m the one with the odd ones.” He said while craning his head back to look at his wings with Twilight. “It's amazing how they perfectly blend together.

“It’s incredible. It’s like the best of both worlds.” Twilight said as she was amazed by the scientific possibilities of this.

“You and CottonRose should share notes.” Kirouac suggested.

“Who is that?” Twilight asked curiously.

“The first mare that grabbed my wings for the same reason as you are doing.” He told her.

“Oh, I guess I’d better look into it.” Twilight agreed as she climbed off of Kirouac.

Kirouac smiled before his horn glowed, and he “combed” his feathers back into place. “Should I go outside for my speech?” He asked them.

“Um... of course. Sorry if I bothered you.” Light said he was slowly walking out of the room, not wanting to be any more of a nuisance.

“None of you are a nuisance.” Kirouac let them know as he followed them outside.

Flash was looking down, still feeling ashamed of the pain that he caused Light. He almost jumped off when he felt Kirouac pet his back.

“Flash, I know that you aren’t the only one who has had to handle being autistic. Right now, I can see how these choices have hurt you both. Out of everybody here, I think that you can connect to him the best.” Kirouac explained to the earth pony.

Flash looked away to the side. “But... I don’t think he wants to be my friend anymore.” He said out of shame. “I... yelled at him, for just a stupid, stupid joke he said.” He said while hitting himself as he walked. “Just because I can’t get over the injustice suffering in the world.” He said before taking his glasses off to wipe his eyes, then putting them back.

“Some ponies react to pain that way. Making light of one's flaws and problems can help numb the pain of such thoughts of self-doubt and anxiety. Pinkie tends to do this to help comfort others while helping with these needs. Maybe this alicorn uses jokes about himself to try to not hate himself.” Kirouac explained as he petted Flash’s head.

“I suppose... But… what if he wants to change rooms?” Flash asked.

“I doubt he’d do it. He’d know that he’d be putting some pony out of a room that they may like, so he’d probably keep to himself. Right now, I think you need to try and help him get comfortable in this new place.” Kirouac suggested.

“I’ll... I’ll try! Kirouac.” Flash said. “So... nervous for your speech?”

“I’ve made plenty of speeches before,” Kirouac said as he tried to look confident. “What makes this one different?”

“That it’s the first time in front of our new students?” Flash said. “That they aren’t used to seeing you and talking to you. Well... maybe seeing you... Since Twilight is like you.”

“Awe, I see everypony as equals,” Kirouac explained as he was trying to hide the source of his nervousness.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure that even if you give only 1%, your speech would still be flawless.” Flash admitted.

“Nothing is perfect, and everybody is flawed. Always remember that Flash.” Kirouac said as he tried to be comforting before checking the time. “Ouch! I should have been on stage ten minutes ago. I’ll see about stopping by your hall sometime soon.”

Flash waved Kirouac off. “Bye.”

Kirouac passed the other students, stopped at the door before placing his crown on. “You may kneel now if you want.” He said jokingly before opening the door.

The new kids took this seriously as they all kneeled at the same time.

Kirouac tried to hold back his laughter before walking out onto the stage.

Sleipnir placed a hoof on each of their backs before whispering into their ear. “You... know he was just having fun!?”

“We just met him. None of us know his sarcasm voice yet.” Spike explained as he was the first one to get back up.

Sleipnir petted them. “Don’t worry. You'll figure it out.” He said before looking back at Flash. “We all will.”

Kirouac could see that at least half the students had come to see and hear his speech. He gulped, taking a glance back to see the kid’s group sneaking their way into the crowd.

“Wow… this is quite a crowd.” Light said nervously as he thought about the day he’d have to address a crowd.

“That’s nothing. You should see when he had to talk to the whole country!” Helsa said casually, not relishing how nervous that made Light feel.

“Yeah… great...” Light said with a gulp as he turned away from the group.

Spike petted Light’s shoulder, both nervous of what the future may ask of them.

“Shhh. Let’s listen.” Twilight hushed the group as she was eager to listen to what Kirouac had to say.

“My fellow students.” Kirouac started. “Today, I want to remind you all that what makes us different is something to feel proud of and not ashamed of. That even if the world isn’t what we wish to be, it should not stop us, nor discourage us from doing the right thing, or to help out, and forgive our fellow pony & none-pony, and to stand strong in the face of adversity and trouble. We shouldn’t let one mistake we made ruin any good future that we may stand for. The most important thing is to try to be better than who we were yesterday. Never stop improving and never stop helping others.” He told them all.

Twilight was amazed by Kirouac’s level of confidence, along with the words he said. She hadn’t seen anypony who can be as caring and inspiring as Celestia. She started to see why Celestia trusted her in his care. He was like her in some ways.

Light and Flash both felt like he was talking to both of them as they both felt rather embarrassed and somewhat nervous about each other.

Before they could each say something to each other, the soft sound of a peaceful bell rang, while the light changed color.

“What the hay?” Light asked curiously.

“Oh... we have to go to class now.” Flash said. “It’s the class bell.” He explained.

Spike smiled at this gentler approach to letting kids know the schedule. “Wow! Now we don’t have to cover Light’s ears every time the alarm goes off.”

“We do have more than one student that has AS!” Flash pointed out. “How many were there at your school?”

“You have to either be hoof picked or pass a high-grade magic test.” Light explained. “I did the former, so I got picked. I am the first autistic kid who got in the school.”

“Oh...” Flash said nervously. “Are... are you sure?”

“No, but we have a loud bell, and my hearing is sensitive. I am the only pony in school who seems to have this problem.” Light explained bashfully.

“Oof...” Flash said before stopping at the circle of classroom doors. “I guess this is where to split for now. See you at the least after class.” He said before walking off.

“So… I guess we are on our own.” Twilight said as she got out the list of schedules. “So… what happens if we get split up?”

“Let’s ask that pony with a sign,” Spike said as he started walking towards somebody.

An E.A. was standing in the middle of the room with a sign that said. ‘New students from Equestria’

“Hello... Are... are you looking for us?” Spike asked.

“Are you the new students?” He asked them.

They all nodded. “Yes, and who are you?” Twilight asked somewhat nervously.

“Yes, I’m HelpfulHoof; I’m one of the many Educational-Assistants here to help you. I was told to give you this.” He said while handing them their class schedules. “They were set up to be as close to the old schedule you are used to when living in Equestria. You can ask for some changes if you want.”

“Oh, thank you, sir. This makes things a lot easier for us.” Twilight said as she looked at the schedules.

“Mhm... well at least we will be together for the first class,” Spike said. “Then in the second one I’ll be without you two. Third class will be with Light, and then fourth 4th with Twilight. Then we have gym class together after lunch, and then we reunite at the group study room at the end. The rest of the day, we get to find groups to join for sports and stuff like that.” He finished.

“Wow, that’s a lot of stuff, and we won’t be together for all of it.” Light said as he looked at his schedule.

“At least your first three are all with at least one of us,” Twilight said while looking at the science class.

“Yeah… At least that one is math, so I shouldn’t die quickly.” Light said as he nervously thought about the worst-case scenarios.

HelpfulHoof coughed a bit as she tried to keep them from getting off track. “Shall we go?” He asked them.

“Um, of course,” Twilight said with a nod.

HelpfulHoof nodded before guiding them to the yellow door of the history class. “Here you are.” He said before walking in and taking his seat next to the door with the other EA.

The three new kids all felt awkward as they could tell that the class already started. The other students didn’t seem to give them any mind; they were too engrossed in the teacher's lesson.Twilight tried leading the others to some empty seats in the back, not wanting to make a scene.

“Now, class, can you tell me which buffalo tribe united with each pony town to become the beginning of what we would call MoonRacer?” The teacher asked.

Twilight was instantly taken off guard, having been used to just learning about Equestrian history. This was a whole new kind of history for her.

“Anyone?” The teacher asked while seeing Twilight and the other new students. “The pony town was considered to have mysteriously disappeared.” She said, trying to help Twilight to figure it out.

Twilight tried to recall. “Let me think, the town was called Lavender dream, and there were two tribes in the area of the town, so my guess is…” Twilight slowly raised her clawhoof in the air.

“Yes... Twilight, was it?” the teacher asked nicely.

“Um, yes. Is the answer Platypus?” Twilight asked nervously.

The teacher nodded nicely. “That’s correct!” She said with a smile. “And the town that used to be part of Equestria before splitting off to join the Platypus to find MoonRacer?” She asked

“Um, Lavender Dream?” Twilight asked.

The teacher smiled. “Yes, now beside the ponies with birthmarks and the ones that ever love a pony of a different race or same-sex, what was the other small town of LavenderDream know for?”

Spike raised his hoof as he recognized the subject. “Thestrials.”

“That’s correct! Now, who can tell us the reason for the thestral’s departure from the rest of pony society?”

Light was the one to raise his hoof this time. “Well, most ponies believe that it’s mainly due to appearance and the rumors of them being “vampire ponies.” However, around a thousand years ago, some event caused the other races to wage war against the thestrals. The thestrals ended up fleeing, and most of them haven’t been seen again in fear of persecution. Of course, there is a legend that aligns with it, but it’s an old pony’s tale.” Light explained, looking more and more uncomfortable as he talked.

Twilight sighed as he brought up that old tale. “It’s not verifiable.” She whispered.

“Well… I think the class would like to hear it.” The teacher said, not familiar with Equestria’s side of the legend. “Go ahead.”

Light gulped as all eyes were on him. “Well, according to the legend, there was a princess of the night who directly ruled over the thestrals. Stories claim that she was born of an angel and a demon, but she supposedly ruled in ancient Equestria. According to the legend, she grew envious of the day, and her anger waxed hot against the ponies. So, her demon side took over, turning her into a monster of the night, Nightmare Moon.”

The ponies all looked confused by the old descriptions of this pony, but the teacher cleared her throat as she tried to control the class. “What happened to her?”

Twilight sighed as she helped Light finish the story. “They said that she was banished to the moon, never to be seen again.”

Spike raised an eyebrow at that simplification. “Wasn’t there the part where they said that the stars would one-day aid in her escape?”

“It’s superstition and rumors. Old pony’s tales with no facts behind it.” Twilight tried to insist.

“Maybe, but such a description shows the roots of hatred and racism against the thestrian race. However, all stories have lessons to be learned from, like how any pony is capable of violence.” The teacher tried to explain to the students.

A small bat-changeling named Anchovies nodded to what her teacher said, but admittedly she didn’t like the story one bit.

“I just know the legend. I didn’t write it.” Light explained. “I believe that a lot of the depictions in this story were just racism, and if the legend is true, a way to demonize the “villain” of the story.” Light explained before sitting down. “I’m sorry if I offended anybody.”

“Well, we have a different side of the story.” Anchovies replied out loud, wanting to try and put him in his place.

Light looked interested in it. “May I hear that version? I always wanted to know the truth about it.” Light asked eagerly.

Twilight leaned to Light and whispered. “If you wanted to know, maybe we should have asked the only one who was there at the time.”

“You know as well as I do that, she never talks about it.” Light whispered back, knowing that Celestia always danced around the question.

“That’s an excellent idea.” The teacher told Light before turning to Anchovies. “Maybe you nicely tell the class about our side of the legend.” She suggested.

“I will.” Anchovies said before getting up, letting the class say the princess-inspired school dress that she was wearing. She made her way to the front before starting. “Long ago, the great and beautiful princess who took us all in when others wanted to just throw us out. She took us literally and figuratively under her wing and took care of us in our time of need. Then an attack by a cruel and evil mob led by a witch stole our beloved princess from us, and deprived her in her domain, hoping that this would break our spirit and will. But did we falter? Did we let her down? No! We want out, living, far, far away from their evil, far where they couldn’t hurt us anymore.” She said triumphantly.

Light looked rather curious by this interpretation, trying to understand how these stories contrast so much. “So, the thestrials blame the equestrians for the loss of their queen, and the Equestrians call the thestrial’s queen a monster. How can these two stories differ so much? Is it even real?” Light thought to himself.

“The story is written from two different points of view.” Twilight pointed out. “Both sides would want to write themselves as the good pony, while the other as the tyrant.”

A pony that seemed to be the mix of a zebra and a buffalo leaned to them and whispered. ‘Sorry about that. She's a bit of a fan of our first ruler, and she exaggerated how bad the other side was.’ Salami said. “It’s more like our princess wants Equestria to make a peace treaty, and the next thing we know, she’s on the moon, and there is a mob coming to lynch us.” She explained. “We don’t know what happened to her.”

“But this was almost a thousand years ago.” Light pointed out. “Surely, both versions of our stories would have been battered by the storm of time.”

“That’s what I think too,” Salami said. “We really don’t have a way to have an unbiased version of this story.”

“Yeah… pity…” Twilight said as she admitted that she would like to know the true story, but the only possible eyewitness refuses to talk about the legend.

“You know a medium?” Salami asked.

“A what?” Spike asked.

“Ghost talker,” Salami said.

“I knew a short one that ended up… no… I shouldn’t say the joke…” Light said as he stopped himself.

“Say it,” Salami said before pushing her taped on glasses closer to her face.

“Um… Will you not judge me for it?” Light said as he looked extremely nervous.

“Just say it,” Salami asked.

“Okay… I knew a short psychic that robbed a bank and was on the run for a while. It was the first time I heard of a small medium at large.” Light said as he was scared about the feedback.

“Oh... ha,” Salami didn’t show any sign of laughter as she turned back to the teacher.

Light moaned as he lowered his head onto his desk. “I’m going to die here.” Light whimpered regretfully.

“Oh, don’t mind her; my sister just doesn’t have a sense of humor.” Oregano said with a giggle. “Oh... by the way, that was a good joke!” The bat-buffalo said before laughing.

“You’re just saying that.” Light moaned before Twilight looked at the bat-buffalo

“Say, the last girl seemed to know the one who told the story, and you are related to her… but none of your traits say what blend of races tie you together. Are you related to the mare who told the story?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Yap, I’m their half-sister of both Salami and Anchovies.” Oregano told them. “And Jalapeño is my other side,” She said before laughing.

“Jalapeno?” Spike asked curiously. “And I thought Light had a big family.”

“Oh, how many sisters do you have?” Oregano asked. “10... 15?”

“Um… Three, one of them being brand new.” Light explained curiously. “Why such high numbers?”

“Oh... well, I have 20 sisters,” Oregano said. “Apparently, they don’t know what heater is, nor how to turn off the A.C.”

“T… twenty?!?” Light said in shock as his head jerked up.

“Oh… I pity your mom.” Twilight said with a cringe. “I bet she loves your dad to death with all of the kids he gives her.”

“Oh... no, I have seven moms, no fathers.” Oregano started to explain. “And they each have a child with one of them.”

Twilight’s eyes widened at this. “S… seven moms… and no dads… one with each of them?”

Salami nodded, having come back to chat, “If you have seven times six divided by 2, then take all of them and then take out one, you get 20 sisters.”

“No, we did the math. It’s the science we’re trying to figure out.” Spike explained as the group looked baffled.

“What?” Salami side. “One zebra, one buffalo, one thestrial, one pegasus, one unicorn, one changeling, and one earth-pony.” She told them not understanding what they were truly asking.

“All mares, no males, something’s missing in this equation.” Spike pointed out, trying to understand what was going on with this family.

“Yes, you forgot to carry the two.” Oregano said before laughing, even making her nerdy sister Salami to laugh. “If you are asking about the Y, there is none; that’s why we don’t have any brothers.”

“Um… I don’t mean to be offensive, but technically, there shouldn’t be you without a Y. How is this scientifically possible?” Twilight asked as she was trying to accept this impossibility.

“Well, you take a little bit of the DNA of one of the moms, make it into a seed, and then plant it in the garden of the second one, and some month later, you have a Cabbage,” Salami said, not knowing how far their parents went when they told them about the Birds & Bees.

Twilight sighed as she lowered her head on the desk. “Forget it. I’m going to have to do a lot of research.”

“Don’t worry, one day, your parents will take you aside and tell you where babies come from,” Salami told her.

“I know how babies are made,” Twilight said with a hint of annoyance.

“We don’t.” Spike and Light both admitted at the same time.

Twilight raised her head. “Are you asking me to tell you where they come from?” she asked. “Didn’t your mom tell you when she was having one of your four younger siblings?”

“She… didn’t bother to explain it… Dad said that we could talk about it when I’m ready.” Light explained with a blush.

“Ask the biology teacher. It should be the next class,” Twilight said, not really wanting to give them the talk.

Spike nodded. “I’ll do it when I get the time.”

“I’ll do it when I’m ready.” Light admitted.

“And I read about it when somepony was pestering me about how I’m an impossibility,” Twilight admitted.

“Yeah… Celestia has tried to tell me, but she has had some struggles doing it.” Spike admitted.

“Well... maybe she’s trying to figure out if she should add the unicorn part or just keep it to what earth-ponies normally have.” Twilight suggested.

“What do you mean by…” Before Spike could finish, the soft bell rang again as the lights changed color.

“Oh... either the classes ended, or we are having a funky dance here.” Oregano said before chuckling, thinking about one of her siblings. “Asiago would love that.”

“Alright, I want everybody to work on studying up on the different buffalo tribes and where they come from. I’ll see you all in two days.” The teacher said as the kids gathered their books.

The entire class nodded before walking out of class in a single file.

“So, I guess this is where we start splitting up,” Spike said as the trio looked at each other.

Twilight nodded. “I hope that you’ll be ok without us.” She said before hugging Spike.

“I’ll be fine. I’m a tough little guy.” Spike said with a chuckle.

“I... I know.” Twilight said while wiping her eyes.

Spike smiled as he hugged Twilight. “Relax, sis. It’s Light that you need to keep an eye on. If you can do that, then we’ll be fine.”

“I’ll... we should go, and make sure that we can find a seat next to one and other,” Twilight said before running off to the other class with Light.

Spike took a deep breath as he watched his closest friends go off to their next class without him for the first time. A part of him felt like he was leaving them vulnerable, but he knew that they had to grow independently. In the end, it was a matter of trust.





Twilight and Light managed to find a seat next to each other for biology. Their teacher, this time, was a changeling.

“So… Do you think Spike will be okay?” Twilight asked nervously. “We haven’t been split from each other in school since one of us called in sick.”

“I’m sure that if you are okay, he’ll be ok.” Light said. “He can pass as normal better than us.”

“Normal is relative.” Twilight and Light jumped as Pinkie popped up between them.

“Pinkie... Where... where did you come from?” Twilight asked as she tried to look for where she could have popped up from.

“Well... my parents.” She said. “We lived on a rock farm.”

“A rock farm?” Light asked, looking confused.

“Oh... you don’t know what a rock is!?” Pinkie asked them. “A rock is an aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its chemical composition ...”

Twilight stopped her. “He means a rock farm.” She tried to explain calmly.

“Oh... how silly of me, you would have rocks in Equestria.” Pinkie said with a carefree giggle. “It's an area of land and its buildings used for growing crops and rearing animals, typically under the control of one owner or manager.”

“So… your farm handles… rocks?” Light asked in confusion.

“Ya, yes silly, if we handled dirt, then we would call it a dirt farm,” Pinkie said. “And that would be weird.”

Light closed his eyes as he tried to think about it. “Forget I asked.”

“So, are you excited?” Pinkie said as she was bouncing around the two winged ponies.

“About what?” Twilight asked curiously.

“The class, silly!” Pinkie said before jumping up in joy.

“You’re asking me about a subject that I’m struggling in.” Light said with a disheartened sigh.

“Oh... don’t worry, it’s just going to be charts!” Pinkie said. “Too bad they’re not going to be my last name.” She said with a giggle.

Twilight to pet Light’s back before turning her attention to the teacher.

“Oh... class, who here can tell me the difference between our Dominant Gene and Recessive Gene?”

“Oh! Is it the brand of fabric that changes the types of genes?” Pinkie asked, making Light stifle a laugh.

“No, and you're the second to have told me this.” The teacher said with a calm demeanor, clearly used to her antics.

“My mistake.” Pinkie said with a smile as she sat back down, beaming brightly as she accomplished her goal of getting a smile on Light’s face.

“Anyone else?” The teacher asked.

Twilight raised her claw-hoof, being rather comfortable in biology, namely due to her trying to understand her own body. “Dominant genes are the part of a chromosome that masks and overrides other parts of the specific part of the genes. Recessive genes are easily masked and usually require the parents to have the same trait for it to be visible.” Twilight explained.

The teacher nodded. “Yes, now can one tell me which is more dominant? Pony U-hoof, Dragon-claw, griffin-claws, and buffalo-cloven hoofs?”

Twilight knew a lot about dragon and pony traits due to her studies on herself and Shining, which was easy for her. “Dragon is the most dominant, with the pony genes being the most recessive.”

The teacher nodded. “Yes, and between those 2 are griffin, second, and buffalo for 3rd.” He explained before drawing a three by three grid with the top left one cut in half. “Now, let's say that we have one pony parent and one dragon that is the carrier of a pony recessive; what is the percent that the child would look like a pony dragon?”

Twilight wanted to answer, but she figured that another pony should have the chance to answer.

A yellow zebracorn with orange straps, wearing a pink scarf, lifted her hove. “50% for both pony dragon, and just looking like a none-dragon pony.”

The teacher nodded again. “Now, who can tell me the irony about kids that are half zebra and a half pony?”

Twilight was more in the dark with this, but then she noticed that Fluttershy was sitting on the side of the room. She heard that most zebras were black and white, but Fluttershy, even part kirin, was yellow and pink.

Flutter lifted her hoof up.

“Yes, Flutter?” The teacher asked quietly.

Flutter softly got up. “The irony is that each parent carries both a dominant & a recessive gene, the zebra the dominant stripes gene but the recessive colorless gene, while the pony has the dominant color gene but the recessive stripeless.”

Twilight looked impressed about Fluttershy’s knowledge of such genetics.

“She likes learning about animals, and she says that their ways of passing genes are similar to ours.” Pinkie whispered to her, almost like she read her mind.

“That’s correct. And it’s also similar to thestrals and pegasus,” The teacher said.

Twilight was confused by this new information. “Um, how so?”

“Thestrals naturally don’t have wings, having both recessive no wings, while also having dominant leather-wing genes.” Broccoli, a thestrals with lever-wings but normal pony eyes said.

Twilight was surprised by this. “Wow… amazing…”

The teacher nodded before saying. “Now... what’s the paradox with unicorn and pegasus kids?”

“Oh…” Light was silent for most of the class, but he remembered hearing about stuff like that when they tried to tell if he was an actual alicorn.

“Anyone?” The teacher said while looking at Light expectantly.

Light gulped as he slowly spoke up. “Well… the males tend to carry the more dominant genes, and the pony's genes are rather similar despite the pony races. So you normally get a larger chance of just having the traits of one race, or if both parents have a recessive gene, then there is the chance of the children taking on those traits. So it’s a battle of the dominant genes, making mixed races between ponies rare.” Light tried to explain, hoping that this is what she was talking about.

The teacher paused a bit. “Umm.. well... Even though there is, on average, a slight change that would happen between a 100% unicorn and a 100% pegasus parent, what you said isn’t 100% correct.”

“Oh…” Light mumbled as he started to wish he was invisible. “Sorry…”

“Can anyone say what’s wrong with what he said?” The teacher asked the class.

Light sunk further into his seat when he heard her ask the question in that way.

A red pegacorn wearing a leather jacket and sunglasses lifted her hove up.

“Yes, Tomato!?” The teacher asked.

Tomato smirked before getting up. “Even though both unicorn horns and having pegasus wings are both dominant. Because they are both controlled by almost the same part of the brain. They, most of the time, don't show at the same time on the same pony.” She said with confidence. “But like you can all see, 1% of the time, it happens.” She said before doing some hoof-guns with her hooves and pointing them to Light.

Light groaned softly as he sunk further into his seat.

Twilight petted Light’s back as she looked at this pegacorn curiously. “Who is she talking about? Herself or Light,” She thought to herself, not knowing this pony’s actual race.

The teacher nodded. “Thank you, Tomato, but please stop embarrassing the new student.” He said as he continued with the lesson. “Now, besides the obvious, like horns, wings, and stripes, what other slight traits can we find between the other races?”

Light instantly thought about his older brother when she brought that up. “Eyes.” Light whispered to himself.

“Yes, Light?” The teacher asked him, almost not hearing him.

Light blushed as everybody was staring at him again. A few were snickering a bit as well. “Um… I don’t want to mess up again…”

“It’s going to be ok.” The teacher said, giving the other students a stern glance.

“Well… from what I know, earth ponies are naturally tougher with more defined muscles, unicorns have weaker bodies while being more sensitive to magical auras. Pegasi have all kinds of tricks, from hollow bones to be lighter, stronger lungs and more adjustable eyes. I also read that thestrials have more sensitive hearing and problems with bright lights, and… I don’t know much about zebras…” Light said, not wanting to bring up his brother and being embarrassed.

The teacher nodded. “That’s all 100% correct. Some soft clapping, please.” He said before softly starting to clap, the class joining softly.

Light didn’t know if he was being praised or insulted as he started sinking into his seat again.

The teacher stopped the class. “W.. what’s wrong, Light?” He asked with worry.

“I… I just… I don't want to… keep acting… dumb.” Light whimpered nervously.

One of the Educational assistants that were in the classroom went to Light and sat next to him. “Hey, you’re not acting dumb. You just have a few things to learn. We weren’t even criticizing you. We were trying to congratulate you without starling you.”

Pinkie nodded. “Yeah, it’s the main reason why I didn’t pull out my party cannon.” She said as she held the cannon that made Light freak out last night. “I need to find a way to quiet this down.”

Light sniffled a little before looking at the cannon. “Well, It’s rather loud, so I don’t know if…” Light paused as he started thinking about it.

Fluttershy looked concerned as she turned to the other pupil. “Um, will he be okay?”

“I think so. I think Pinkie has him thinking about some crazy idea.” Twilight said with a small grin.

“C... Idea?” Fluttershy asked nervously, intimidated by what she meant by that.

Twilight nodded. “Spike comes up with practical ideas, often through working. He has an… unnatural memory when it comes to my constant reorganizing and can find anything quickly, sometimes before I need it. I come up with uses for magical spells and sometimes try to tweak them a little. It’s mainly due to my love of studying. Light… he used to make toys, so he loves to tinker with things. We’re all creative in our own crazy ways.”

“Now that’s what I like to hear! Everypony is crazy in their own way.” Pinkie said as she hugged Light. “Just don’t break my precious cannon, and I’ll let you figure out how to tame it.”

“Oh… Okay… but I’ll have to do it tonight… and I’ll need some tools.” Light said as he examined the cannon. “It may be easier to make a new one, just so I don’t damage the original one. I will need some tools to do it, along with materials and an understanding of how this works.”

“Ya!” Pinkie said, about to hug Light, but then stopped herself and just did a soft pat on the table.

“Um, what is that for?” Light asked curiously.

“Well... I didn’t know if you are ok with me giving you a big Pinkie Pie hug, so… I…” Pinkie said

Light looked a little confused. “Well, Twilight has hugged me many times, so I guess it’s okay…”

“Ya!” Pinkie said before wrapping her paws around Light. “Let me know if you want me to let you go?”

“Oh… I’m okay with this.” Light said with a deep blush as he felt the soft puppy pony hugging him tightly.

“Good.” Pinkie said, rubbing her soft cotton mane on Light.

“So… is there anything else we should go over?” Twilight asked. “It seems like there’s a lot of questions being asked today.”

The teacher snapped back to reality. “Oh.. ya.” He got his paper out. “This was a bit of a recap talk before I give you the work.” He explained before starting to hand the work to each of the students. “Take one paper, and give the rest behind you.”

Twilight nodded as she took a paper and looked at the homework.

The Educational Assistants stained next to Light just in case he was needed.

Pinkie giggled as she patted Light’s back. “Just relax. You’ll be fine.”

Light needed before reading the paper ‘question 1: a half Dragons-Buffalo had four kids with a ZebraCorn if they each have kids, is one of each possibility:

“What would be their race? And what “hoof” would each kid have?

Bonus: what about the parents’ “hoofs”?

Light gulped as he looked at the chart. “Oh, boy.” He tried to look at Twilight for comfort, but she had already finished her paper and was turning the page over.

“Draw it out,” the Educational Assistants told him.

Light took a deep breath as he tried to work on his paper, noticing that Twilight was writing many notes on the back of the paper, probably going for extreme credit. She always did her best when studying.

“Take a deep breath.. and stop thinking about your friend.” The Educational Assistants asked Light.

Light looked stressed as he tried to remember the facts they went over. “Okay… dominant genes… four kids… none the same… oh boy…”

“Start by making a chart,” The Educational Assistants suggested.

Light nodded as he went to work, taking longer than the other students to figure out this problem. He was able to guess their races rather easily, but then there was the hoof part of the problem. At first, he was going to panic because he didn’t know if zebra hooves were dominant, but then he decided to guess that they were the same as unicorn hooves. He managed to finish the test, but he didn’t feel confident in it and was also the last one to turn his paper in.

The teacher thanked the students. “You can use the remainder of the time to read pages 3 to 5 in your Biology books.”

Twilight’s face brightened up before remembering something. “Um… teacher… Light and I didn’t get any books.”

“Oh.. didn’t you get the box?” The teacher said. “I think I have at least five extra copies.” He said before taking them out. “Looked under the bed that was given to you.”

“Oh… am I allowed to go get my box? I’ll be quick.” Twilight offered eagerly. “It’ll take less than a minute.”

The teacher looked at the clock. “Ok, and Light can go as well, and don't you have another student?”

“There’s no need. I’ve got it.” Twilight said as her horn glowed before she teleported out of the room.

Light took a deep breath as he was trying to calm down from the test. “It’s okay. She’s the best teleporter, I know.”

The Educational Assistants leaned towards Light. “Are you fine with her going into your room?”

Light nodded. “We lived in the same house along with Spike. It’s cool, as long as our roommates don’t mind.”

“That is something that I learned most ponies are not ok with.” Pinkie said before turning to the others. “Well, without permission. I learned to send cards in advance.”

“Were they in the room at the time and without consent?” Light asked.

“Yes & No and... Did you ask without asking to come in? Yes.” Pinkie said.

“Yeah, it’s mainly the consent thing. Twilight has mine, and she should be back by…”

Twilight suddenly teleported into the room with two boxes. “Sorry, it took me a minute. I had to give Spike his box.” She explained as she handed Light his box.

Light took it and found that there was a different school bag with his colors. He turned to look at Twilight and saw that she could put everything in just one of them.

“Ya, there’s a... Pocket… dimension... thing that lets you do that.” Pinkie explained with a blush. “I don’t really know the science behind it.”

Twilight seemed fascinated by her bag as she was sticking her hoof into it. “Amazing… how is this possible? It’s beyond our knowledge of technology.”

“Well, most ponies look at either magic or tech for the future. We learned that the way to the future isn’t founded in just one of those methods, but in a hybrid of the two.” The teacher explained to the new students. “Of course, the methods behind some of these advancements are lost to me. I’m merely a biology teacher.”

Twilight eagerly nodded as she reached in and grabbed a book out of the bag so she could start studying. “I’ll figure it out someday, but I’ll work on my homework for now.”

Light had a small grin on his face as he opened his own book. “Expect her to have read the whole book in a week or two.”

Twilight looked at how thick the book was. “I’m not a slow reader!” She said before puffing her cheeks.

“I wanted to give you an extra week since there are a lot of new books and a giant library for you to go through.” Light pointed out.

“Oh, yes... the library,” Twilight said with a Sparkle in her eyes

Pinkie grinned as she motioned for Fluttershy to come and join them. “So Twi, what was it like growing up in Canterlot?”

“Stressful,” Twilight admitted with a shudder. “I was lucky that Celestia decided to take me in as a pupil. She’s been like a role model to me. However, it’s not easy for a pony like me to be accepted. So I decided to put my time into studying. Spike and Light were the only friends I could make, so I decided to stick with them and not worry about other ponies.”

“Were those kids that bad?” Pinkie asked with some concern.

“They made tormenting me a hobby. It’s the main reason why I perfected my teleportation. It gave them fewer opportunities.” Twilight explained.

Fluttershy gasped when she heard that. “Oh my! That sounds horrible.”

“Well, that’s how most half breeds get treated. Light’s just unlucky to be autistic.” Twilight explained before turning to Fluttershy. “Haven’t you been out there?”

Fluttershy blushed as she turned away. “No… I’ve never left MoonRacer. I was born and raised here. I heard about some of the bad things that happen out there… so I never wanted to leave this place.” She explained before turning to Pinkie Pie. “She has been out there a lot longer than most of us.”

Twilight looked confused as this happy puppy pony didn’t seem like the type to have been in Equestria for a long time. “Really?”

Pinkie nodded with a shrug. “Yeah, but that’s the thing about the rock farm. Nopony really cares about what goes on out there. We were great farmers, and it was my dad’s farm, so we never really dealt with angry ponies.” She explained.

“Then.. why leave?” Light asked curiously. “You were safe with your family; why would you leave that safe haven?”

Pinkie smiled a little as she leaned back. “Because every pony deserves to be happy. I was tired of staying on the sidelines while so many other ponies were angry at scared hybrids. I explained it to my parents, and they allowed me to come here to learn more about how we can all get along.”

Twilight looked around the classroom. “Either they don’t need their help, or you really did a good job in the... How many years have you been here?” She asked.

Pinkie thought about it for a moment before answering. “About three. I try to get to know everypony here and help them have reasons to smile, namely through parties and little bits of fun, but I don’t want to stop at MoonRacer. I want to spread across Equestria and help bridge this racial gap so we can all get along.”

“If you do that, you should probably start with a petting-zoo.” Flutter said while blushing and holding back her laughter.

“I do like getting petted.” Pinkie quipped, earning a giggle from the shy pony. “See? I even get Flutter to laugh every now and then.” Pinkie said with a bright smile. “Just relax. You all have nothing to worry about here.”

“Except for the dread that is the school.” Light said while placing his hooves on his head. “I already have to walk on eggshells with my jokes.”

“Oh, Flash just takes things too literally. He’s a pony with a certain sense of humor. I’m sure that someday you'll get a laugh from him. Just take my advice and never touch his hat or glasses. If you do that, he will blow up at you.” Pinkie said with a slight shudder. “I learned from experience.”

“Well... Flash has already had his fill of me.” Light said as he hugged himself.

“Look.” Pinkie put her paw on Light’s shoulder. “We can’t control how others will react to our jokes; that’s half of the fun of it. We also can’t tell what would be a touchy subject for them, trust me. The only thing we can do after is to ask for forgiveness and hope they forgive back.”

“R...really?” Light asked nervously.

“And if all else fails, you can try to throw him a party!” Pinkie told him.

Light looked concerned by that idea. “I’m not the best at setting up stuff like that. It’s too many choices and things to organize.”

“Well… you are a toymaker, right?” Pinkie asked him.

Light nodded. “It’s my talent, even if the wings and horn suggest something grandeur.”

“Well, how about we work together? I have a ton of ponies I throw parties for, but I’m not too good at assembling toys. Perhaps you can help me out with making presents?” Pinkie offered, extending her hoof to the alicorn.

“Oh… um… I’ll need to get the stuff to make toys first, and also get the new canon made.” Light said as he had Pinkie staring at him eagerly.

“Is this the start of a new friendship?” Pinkie asked him.

Light gulped a bit as he looked at her. “Is that alright?”

Pinkie smiled before nodding. “You see, if a noisy pony can become a friend with a noise-sensitive toymaker like you, then you and Flash can fix your friendship!”

Light took a deep breath before looking at her. “Will you promise not to scare me with the cannon until I make a suppressed version?”

“Do you promise to go and fix your friendship with Flash?” Pinkie asked, a bit more serious.

Light’s eyes widened as he realized that this was the first time he saw her looking serious about something. “Um, I can try to…”

“Then, of course, I can wait.” Pinkie said.

“Okay… then I guess we’re friends now.” Light said somewhat nervously.

“Ya!” Pink hugged Light and then went back to her seat.

Fluttershy smiled before whispering to Twilight. “Pinkie is always trying to make friends with other ponies, especially the ones who she thinks needs it the most. She can be hyper at times, but she is always happy to help at the drop of a hat.”

Twilight smiled. “Maybe I should study her.”

“If it’s to understand her, then it’ll only be a headache. Trust me.” Fluttershy whispered before walking back to her seat.

Twilight looked confused. “Why would that...” Before she could finish, she heard the bell ring again as this class was now over. “Aww, man! It feels like these classes are going by so fast!”

“Time flies when you have fun!” Pinkie said while walking away on only her back hooves.

Twilight looked confused at her difficult feat that she seemed to do with ease. “There is something more to her than meets the eye.”

“That’s our Pinkie Pie.” Flutter said.

“So… I guess I get to meet up with Spike while you are on your own.” Light said as he put his backpack on.

Twilight nodded. “Don’t worry about me; I'll be fine.”

“Twi, you are the one mare who is never fine when you’re alone.” Light tried to point out before starting to think about it. “Of course, those times you usually end up getting bullied… and I don’t see many of those around here…”

“We have a zero bully tolerance policy here.” The Educational Assistant said. “We sit down with any student and have a small chat, or longer if it’s needed.”

“Um… okay. I’ll see if I can find my way to my next class.” Light said as he hugged Twilight. “Good luck.”

Twilight nodded before figuratively flying off to her next class.

As Light was getting ready to head to his next class, he was cut off by Tomato. “Um, may I help you?” Light asked as he backed up defensively.

“So.. you’re the new pegacorn here?” Tomato asked him, still wearing her leather jacket and sunglasses.

Light looked a little shocked as he tried to speak. “Well… I…”

Tomato stopped him. “The fellow ponies like us want to personally welcome you to MoonRacer!” Before giving him a card that had the time the school ends and one of the extra rooms in this school, she said before giving him a card. “Please don’t be late.” she was about to run off to her other classes but turned around to say one last thing. “Oh, and we have cookies and juice, no need to bring anything.”

Before Light could try to explain who he was, she ran off, leaving Light speechless as he had no clue what to do.





Twilight entered her next class finding the room filled with beakers, flasks, and even pipettes.

“Wow! They are having a lot of science classes today. First biology, now chemistry!” Twilight said in excitement.

“Yee.. ya…” Twilight turned to look at the owner of the familiar voice.

“Oh… Hi Dash.” Twilight said as she saw the griffon/pony carelessly holding a beaker. “Um, you may want to be careful with that.”

“Whatever,” Dash said before putting it down. “So... you’re stuck as well here?”

“Yeah, but I guess I have the extra science classes since they wanted to make sure I have some extra science to keep my mind working.” Twilight explained.

“Or maybe it’s just a coincidence.” Pinkie called out from outside the class.

Twilight’s eyes widened as she turned to the door. “How does she do that?!?”

“It’s Pinkie, so don’t question it,” Dash said.

Twilight looked a little frustrated by that explanation, but she nodded before turning to Dash. “So, do we work in pairs, or how does this class work?”

“Pair,” Dash said. “If you can find one.”

“Oh…” Twilight said before bashfully turning to the flyer. “Would you like to pair up? I promise that I am good at this.”

Dash thought about it before smirking. “Ok, but you have to make it look like I, somehow, did some of the work.” She explained with some excitement and worry.

“Okay, I’ll try to help as much as I can,” Twilight said as she turned to the teacher.

A griffin looking teacher, with dog paw on his back, flapping ears, and a dog tail on his behind, cleared his throat. “Ok, who can tell me what NaHCO3 is?”

Twilight quickly raised her hoof in the air. “Sodium hydrogen carbonate!”

The teacher nodded. “Yes, better known as?”

“Baking powder!” Twilight said happily, glad that she is in a subject that she thrives in.

“Ok, what about Acetic acid?” The teacher asked.

“CH₃COOH. It’s the main component in vinegar.” Twilight answered.

“Ok, ok, please let your partner answer some of them.” The teacher asked Twilight.

“Oh.. yes, ma’am. I’m sorry.” Twilight said as she bashfully stepped down.

“Now.. what happens if you mix them.” The teacher asked.

Twilight turned to Dash, who actually looked nervous as she looked more like a deer in the spotlight than a confident athlete.

Dash was genuinely nervous at this point. She knew that the teachers would normally let the new kids answer many questions on their first day to help them build confidence. Still, Twilight was too far into her element with this subject, meaning that either the teacher would pick other students or the ones who struggle with this subject.

Meaning Dash. “Umm… boom!?” She said as her head hit the table.

The teacher gave a soft sigh. “Not exactly, Dash. Why don’t we do this test practically so we can all see up close?”

Dash nodded to that. “Yes, let’s.”

As the teacher started giving the instructions, Twilight started getting out the components.

“One balloon, one bottle, a funnel, some baking powder, and vinegar.” Twilight listed off.

“H… have you done this before?” Dash asked in confusion as she was watching Twilight do this rather easily.

“Celestia did these experiments with me and the others often. She said that it was more fun than just talking about it.” Twilight said before turning to Dash. “Would you like me to talk you through it?”

Dash nodded, being confused about everything in this class.

“Okay, first you are going to pour some vinegar into the beaker…” Twilight said as she was carefully instructing Dash.

Dash nodded once more, following Twilight’s instructions to a T.

“Now, when you put the baking soda in the balloon, then cover the bottle with the balloon as fast as you can, ready?” Twilight asked.

Dash nodded, trying to feel the balloon with as much baking soda she could.

“Don’t worry. That should be enough.” Twilight said as she used her magic to put some safety goggles on Dash.

“Why am I… was I right?” Dash asked Twilight.

“No. This combination doesn’t blow up, but it has a different effect, and we don’t want any of this in your eyes.” Twilight explained as she motioned Dash to put the balloon on the bottle.”

“ok... “ Dash said, raising an eyebrow.

As Dash covered the bottle and spilled the powder into the vinegar, the reaction started bubbling and fizzing a lot, making the balloon inflate.

Dash looked at it and then grabbed the bottle. “Wow..!”

“Be careful. The balloon can slip off if you don’t keep it secured.” Twilight warned her.

“Ya, ya..” Dash waved her off, amazed by what was going on.

“D... Dash... LOOK OUT!!!” Twilight yelped before the balloon shot off of the bottle, spraying the mixture all over their work area.

Dash yelped and got some of the mixtures into her mouth.

Twilight panicked before her horn glowed brightly, making the mixture and balloon freeze in place as she tried to fix the mess. “Dash, are you okay?” Twilight asked, noticing that her partner was trying to spit the fizzy liquid in her mouth.

“That.. was... So… AWESOME!” Dash said.

Twilight smiles nervously as she managed to get the mess under control and clear off their station. “I’m... glad you liked it, but please try to be careful next time.”

“Ya, ya. What’s next?” Dash asked, excited for this class.

“Well… I’m glad that you now know that this combination has an extreme bubbling and fizzing effect, but may you please try not to make as much of a mess?” The teacher asked, making Twilight and Dash realize that everybody was staring at them.

Dash tried to think of something. “A wise teacher once said, Take chances, make mistakes, and get Messy.”

The teacher grinned as he knew Dash had him there. “Good point, but she’s also safe, so try not to eat any further mixtures. They may leave more than a bad taste in your mouth. Now, what specifically causes this reaction with the baking powder?”

“Oh.. oh.” Dash lifted her claw up. “They both don’t like each other, so they fight.” She said.

The teacher shook his head. “Not exactly. There is a specific thing in the vinegar that causes the reaction with the alkaline compound in the baking soda.”

One random student lifted her hove up. “They exchange atoms,” she said. “The acid in the vinegar makes the reaction.”

“Exactly. The acid in the vinegar makes this reaction that releases gas, allowing the baking soda to transform into water and carbon dioxide. Now, do you think that other things can be used to make this reaction without vinegar?” The teacher asked with a grin.

“Um.. pop-drinks?” Dash asked Twilight.

“No… it has to have acid.” Twilight explained.

“Pop-drink is an acid.” Dash insisted.

“She’s actually right.” The teacher pointed out as he pulled on his glasses and grabbed a bottle of soda. “Now, Soda has a fiz, but baking soda adds a little extra fiz and a bad flavor.” The teacher explained as he poured the baking soda in.

“Is it still going to be drink-able?” Dash asked while watching what the teacher was doing.

“It won’t taste well if you try.” The teacher said as the soda fizzed out.

“No..” Dash said while falling on her knees. “Why?”

“In the name of science.” The teacher explained as he got out a small container of yogurt. “Now, how about this? What are the odds of this getting a reaction?”

“None from me,” Dash said while crossing her arms.

The teacher grinned at the peeved student. “Okay, then I will get rid of the rest of the baking soda.” He said as he poured the last bit of the baking soda into the yogurt, causing the breakfast food to start fizzing.

Dash was shocked. “What the…?”

The teacher grinned as he turned to his class. “Acids are an amazing compound, and for your homework this week, I want you all to find five acids that we didn’t list today and then pick your favorite so we can work on a new project that we will be working on this week.”

“I.. Ummm…” Dash turned to Twilight.

Before Twilight could respond, the bell went off again. As Dash and Twilight got their stuff together, the teacher called out to them. “Dash, Twilight, may you two, please come here?”

Dash gulped before walking in front of the class. “Y.. yes?” She nervously asked.

The teacher sighed as he waited for a few stragglers to leave the class. “Dash, you have been struggling in my class quite a bit, and it’s taking a hit on your grades.” The teacher started to explain.

“Um… ya,” Dash asked while rubbing her arm.

“I don’t want you to miss out on your after school sports, so I think you need a permanent lab partner to help you out with your studies until further notice.” The teacher explained.

Dash nodded before turning to Twilight.

Twilight blushed at the thought of being given such an opportunity. “Well, I think I could try to help her. I am pretty ahead in chemistry in my old school, at least.”

“I hope so.” The teacher said as he turned to Dash. “From what I’ve been told, Twilight excels in this subject. A couple of ponies above my “paygrade” suggested letting me allow her to be your tutor, and since Twilight is a grade A student, this is the best option to help you with your failing grades. According to Flash, Spike and Light are doing the same for another one of our students. This will allow you two to get along while studying with each other. Now, are there any problems?”

“Yes, I have one! This isn’t going to change me into an egghead, right!?” Dash asked, legitimately worried.

“That’s a childish insult, not an actual condition. I, at least, want you to be able to pass your tests. That won’t make you into an egghead.” The teacher explained, realizing how awkward Twilight was probably feeling with being called an egghead.

“Sorry,” Dash said, now wanting to get out of here. “Sh.. shouldn't I be going to my next class? Wouldn’t want to be late.”

“Go ahead, and don’t try to avoid her. If your grades keep falling, you will have to be pulled from the sports team.” The teacher warned her.

“N... No, anything but that.” Dash blurted out in a rush.

“It’s the rules. Sorry. You have two weeks to improve your grades before we are forced to take action.” The teacher explained as he allowed the two students to leave.

Twilight gulped as she turned to Dash. “I… I’m sorry if I put you into a hard spot, but I can help you as much as I can.”

Dash turned to Twilight. “We’re doing an all-nighter!” She declared.

“Oh… well… I guess that can help… but we can also spend some time after school working on it. What subjects are you struggling with?” Twilight asked, wondering if it’s just chemistry she’s struggling with.

“Math and biology!” Dash admitted.

“Ah… I think I can help… and I may see about joining Spike and Light in our study time.” Twilight explained.

“Good, our room or his room?” Dash asked while looking at the clock.

“Well, I think the library may be the best.” Twilight explained.

Dash was about to gasp but held herself to try and keep from having an outburst. “fine.”

“Alright. We'll meet fifteen minutes after the assigned group time. If the others want to meet up elsewhere, then we can move it after the library.” Twilight explained as she noticed that Dash looked rather anxious. “Um, what’s the rush? We have a little time.”

“I have flying studies now!” Dash admitted.

“Oh, they have extra gym class… oh, wait… there are racial studies.” Twilight said as she realized that there were extra classes to help with pony's racial traits, like magic and flying.

“Ya.. and I don’t want to miss that,” Dash admitted while opening her wings.

“Okay, I have Ponish class with Spike. I’ll see you later.” Twilight said as she started walking down the hallway.

“K, good luck with that,” Dash said before flying off.

Twilight took a deep breath as she was walking towards the class. “Well, everything has been running… somewhat smoothly so far.”

“You can say that again,” Spike said from behind Twilight.

“Oh, hi, Spike. Did Light do alright with you? He’s been having a rough day from my perspective.” Twilight inquired while adjusting her school bag.

“Yes, apparently animal handling is something that he finds relaxing,” Spike told Twilight. “His next class is math, so he should be fine. How’s the school treating you?”

“Fairly well, but it looks like I’m going to have to help Dash out in her studies.” Twilight explained.

“Oh, the day isn’t over yet, and you already got yourself a study buddy,” Spike said as a joke.

“Well, I may have offered to allow you and Light to be in our study group. Is that alright?” Twilight asked somewhat nervously.

Spike paused before asking. “W.. what? Why? Which class?”

“Biology and math.” Twilight explained. “If she keeps failing, she won’t be able to stay in the sports teams.”

“Oh no, and if she can’t be on the sports team, they can’t win the big tournament, and then they can't confess their love to the cheerleaders,” Spike said melodramatically.

“Very funny,” Twilight said as she rolled her eyes.

“But then she realized that the nerdy mare that was pining over him the whole story is beautiful after she takes her glasses off.” He continued to mock as he walked to their class.

“Hey, it’s Rarity!” Twilight said as she pointed down a hall.

“Wait, where?” Spike said while trying to comb his mane.

Twilight giggled as she playfully shoved him. “Awe, somepony is in love.” She said in a somewhat teasing tone.

“Well... I.. She reminds me of…” Spike tried to speak but was too flustered.

Twilight giggled. “It’s alright. Your secret is safe with me, and I won’t give you a hard time about it.”

Spike nodded. “Though... you do share a room with her..” He said while leaning to her ear. “Let me know if you hear her say anything about a handsome purple earth pony with a short green mane.”

Twilight gave a soft giggle. “Oh dear… you’re head over hooves for her.”

“Well, she is the first unicorn that isn’t your mom that was fine with how we are.” Spike pointed out.

“Yeah… I guess…” Twilight said as she felt like there was something off about her.

“Is there something wrong?” Spike asked, stopping in front of the door for their class.

“Well… I think there is something more to her than meets the eye. The other students called her a hypocrite the other night.” Twilight explained.

Spike shrugged. “Maybe it’s just jealousy!? She looked like she could fit in in Canterlot.”

“No, a hypocrite is somebody who doesn’t live up to what they say. Is there something about her looks that she’s hiding?” Twilight asked herself.

“Maybe she has a facial birthmark or scar that she is ashamed of and hides behind makeup,” Spike said, hoping it was something like that.

“I don’t know, but I think we should leave that topic alone for now,” Twilight said as they walked into the classroom.