//------------------------------// // Another Day Of Jitters // Story: FOE: The Lost Archives of Stable 36 // by Hiddenfaithy //------------------------------// Another Day Of Jitters "She's a bit different, isn't she?" “For the last time Draftystorm, we’re a family of soldiers. She’ll fit right in,” Irontail commented quietly, glancing up from the paper he was reading to me.   “I… Shining Arrow and Lightingbreeze fit in because they have leadership qualities, they rallied their classmates by the second week. Lightingbreeze practically had a gang beating up a colt when he made fun of her name,” I murmured back, nibbling on my mane.   The chair screeched back, and before I could look up Irontail had his hooves around me, giving me a rare hug of affection. I caught a glance of purple eyes as soft as the smile on his face. “She’s got Lumia blood in her, I’m sure she’ll be fine. Now it’s about time to go get her and take her to class. I’ll make sure Lightningbreeze and Shining Arrow go to their studies… also if you’re late tell them General Irontail wanted to make sure his daughter made it to work.” He smiled and pushed my cap over my blue mane, brushing it out of my face like he liked to. Squirming softly at the affection, I stole a quick kiss from him. Irontail let out a soft squeak, always unprepared for the return of love. Leaving him, I found our youngest little filly playing with some gears and a screwdriver, making them spin. Little Skyfire.  “Skyfire dear,” I started, suppressing a smile as she stopped instantly and looked up with a cheerful smile, holding the gear up to me. “Momma! Looky what I can do!” She’d giggle out, twisting the first gear, causing the rest to start spinning. “Isn’t that cool how this can make the others spin!” She asked, her eyes wide with glee as she turned to put them back into the toy she had been taking apart. “Ooh, sweetie that’s quite amazing, just wait till the rest of the things you’ll get to see at school!” I laughed as she gasped and jumped up into my hooves. Skyfire grinned widely before adjusting to move her mane out of her face. It was just under the regulation limit, and she was quite adamant about how she liked her mane long and flowing, just like the princesses in our pictures and statues showed. “Will I get to play with more toys and take them apart?” She asked, giving the best smile she could. “Ooh one day, but for now you’re going to learn the basics, some of the stuff I’ve taught you already like reading and writing. You’re going to learn a lot of wonderful things that’ll help you for the rest of your life.”  “But Moooommmma! I want to take things apart-” Skyfire started with a whine before I booped her mouth shut with a hoof, the little filly squeaking. “One day my sweet little Skyfire you will be able to.” “Promise?” “Yes, my sweetie.” Skyfire calmed down at that, gave a soft smile, leaned up to kiss my nose, and giggled before whispering, “Can I walk to class, Mom? I don’t want others to think I’m weird.” I let her down and smiled, brushing out her mane with a nod. “I think that’s just fine, though I can carry you around still when we’re home. Good job on keeping your uniform nice and presentable. We always want to try and make the best first impression. Remember that, you only get a first impression once.” “But what if we have a bad first impression?” Skyfire asked. She looked rather nervous at the thought. “Well hard work and honest talking can help correct a bad first impression, but it’s always best to try and make your best first impression, " I remarked with a smile as we left our quaint little home. The trip into the education district was fairly quiet, and I think I found myself the more nervous of the two as we walked into the school. I knew my two older children had done well in class, but I was a nervous wreck walking them both to school, and some things never changed. Skyfire was smiling, her eyes wandering around before she squeaked out as a ball of teal feathers and blue mane bowled her over, hugging her tightly. “Jolts! Where are your manners? Skyfire may be your friend, but it’s the first day of school!” Came the melodious voice of Sweetpea, a longtime friend, and the mother of Skyfire’s filly-friend Jolts.  I leaned down and helped both of them up, dusting off their uniforms quietly, and giggling. “She’s right you know, you can do that… after school, as a celebration for making it through your first day!” I winked and Jolts looked up at me with a knowing smile. “That sounds great! Thanks, Mrs. Lumia!” Jolts shouted up at me, mimicking a very sloppy salute with a wing. He fell over backward at that point, much to his mother’s scoffing as she steered both Jolts and Skyfire toward the door. “Make sure you two do your best salute, you’ll get a freebie the first few days, but they’ll help you with that,” I called out, following both of them to the door. I leaned in to see Quick Gale, the same teacher who had taught my other children. She looked up and smiled, walking over to offer a hoof to shake. “Another one of yours joins my flock?” She asked with a laugh, “Don’t look so pale, the first two were wonderful! And I see she has Irontail’s mane, such a deep red.” Quick Gale quickly hugged me and nodded to Sweetpea. “Why don’t you take her to the lounge Sweetpea, I’m sure Command would understand her needing a moment, and maybe a drink to calm her nerves. Maybe she should take the day off.” “Like she did when she dropped off Lightningbreeze?” SweetPea winked before tugging at my hooves, hooves that I realized had been gripping the door tightly. I didn't know why the first day was so hard. It just felt hard to let go, to let them go off into the world. Before I knew it she would have a cutie mark like Lightningbreeze and Shining Arrow….. And before I knew it they’ll be off raising their own families. My little foals, all grown up. “Come now DraftyStorms, you’ve got the day off apparently,” Sweetpea smirked a little, tugging gently on my shoulder. I’d let go of the door and nodded rigidly. “Did Irontail schedule that?” I asked quietly. “Well of course," she lied, "He knows how much these days rattle you, so… let’s go see what is going on in the lounge!” Sweetpea beamed at me, squeezing my cheek and causing me to let out a sigh before I shook my head. “Hey now, not the face!” I protested, a small smile forming on my face as I started following her. I glanced back one last time to see Skyfire through the open door. She was leaning up against the board, writing her name in chalk the best she could. She glanced over in my direction and paused to wave, beaming out that lovely smile of hers that I loved so much before a student would walk over to shut the door, giving me a parting view of her smile as she kept waving till we couldn’t see each other. With a sigh, I looked back and yelped as I nearly walked into a wall. “Okay, you definitely need something in you to relax.” Sweetpea giggled, tugging me away to help my thoughts fade from anxiety.