//------------------------------// // Chapter 17 // Story: Beginning Anew // by Goldfur //------------------------------// The evening had been a lot different from what Caleb had in mind. He should have been a little bit more suspicious when Vex had insisted on a particular venue. He could hardly blame the changeling for his part in the surprise party that Pinkie Pie had arranged for the human at Sugarcube Corner. Caleb learned that the party planner was a bit more laidback than she used to be – a claim that he had serious doubts about after the events of the night. However, he was reliably informed that the pink mare used to slap these affairs together within hours of a newcomer’s arrival. He would have hated to have been subjected to that at the time. Thankfully, Pinkie had mellowed somewhat after getting married and having a foal and was thus more aware of suitable timing. Her parties were still outrageously good fun though. Caleb had been introduced to many new friends and made to feel welcome in his new hometown. In particular, the human found a kindred musical soul in the DJ, who gleefully answered his challenge to pump up the bass. He, Willow, and Vex headed home after an evening of good food, plenty of drinks, and lots of games. The man thanked his pal for helping make the day so memorable before the changeling parted ways with the man and the mare. The two then cleaned their teeth and went to bed. Tomorrow was the first day for the trade school and they both needed to be well-rested. Because Willow took more time to dry after her morning shower, Caleb let the mare have hers first while he prepared breakfast. “I’ll invest in a drying booth as soon as I can afford it,” Willow promised. “Can the plumber install that when they modify the shower?” Caleb asked as he served up eggs Florentine and a fruit cocktail. The mare eyed the meal with a smile and a nicker before replying. “Yes, but as I said, I need to put aside the money for it first.” “I can pay for it. I’ve still got plenty of bits left over from my advance,” he reminded her. “Yes, but you shouldn’t have to pay for improvements for my home that only benefit me.” “Well, since we’re going to be roomies for the foreseeable future and your long shower times do affect me, I don’t believe that you’re the sole beneficiary. However, if it makes you feel better, you can consider it a loan which you can pay back at your leisure.” “I… think I can live with that. Thanks, Caleb.” “I’ll have a word with Vectrix today. He should have time to organize those for us.” The two ate their breakfast before Caleb went to have his shower while Willow groomed her damp coat and mane. Vectrix turned up at their place when they were almost ready. To their surprise, she was in her Butterfly Sky identity. Except… “Aren’t you supposed to be a pegasus?” “I’m still workshopping this identity,” the earth pony mare replied. “I figured wings weren’t needed for office work. “I thought you were going to run the office as Vex?” Caleb queried. “I reconsidered and I reckon that Butterfly would be a better fit. Ponies are used to mares being in charge of schools and I didn’t think this needed to be an exception. I made myself a cutie mark for the occasion.” She turned around to better show off her hindquarters where an open ledger was displayed. “Like it?” “It looks good,” Willow commented. “It’s certainly appropriate,” Caleb admitted. “Okay, Ms. Sky, you have the job.” They had the time for a leisurely walk from the cottage to the school. The man and mare explained their plumbing needs to the changeling along the way and she promised to look into getting it done. They arrived at about half-past seven – well before the scheduled eight o’clock start for the first day. There were already several creatures waiting outside the doors – students eager to begin their training. Coiled Steel gave the human a nod and tossed her head toward the school. “Nikos is gettin’ all the vittles out. I got the stations all prepped an’ ready to go.” “Thanks, Coiled.” Caleb stepped up to the gathered beings to address them. “Good morning, everyone. I assume that you’re all students enrolled in the welding course?” Upon affirming chirps, grunts, and head nods, he continued. “I’ll be starting lessons promptly at eight. Meanwhile, head up to the tea room where you will find various refreshments that you are welcome to have before we start. That will serve as a meeting room for lectures too. Coiled Steel will show you where to go.” He pointed to the earth pony mare who waved a hoof. Caleb then opened the door to the building and went inside. He, Willow, and Butterfly headed upstairs to the admin area. There was an outer office with a doorway that led to another office, the latter being Caleb’s while the former would be Butterfly’s. There, they found all the equipment bought on Earth had been set up, ready to go to work. Fortunately, both desks had computers and monitors, something that Caleb realized belatedly that they would need rather than just the one for himself. “Whose idea was it to get a second computer?” Caleb asked. “I pointed out the need to Mister Martine and he agreed,” Butterfly replied. The man nodded. “Good idea. There will be times when we both will want to use a computer. Wait! How are you going to operate the keyboard? It’s designed for fingers and you can’t use unicorn magic in that form.” “Easy!” Butterfly replied before green magic fire flared. A moment later, Butterfly stood there in anthro form. To Caleb’s relief, she was clothed in an office-suitable jacket and skirt as well as open-hoofed sandals. She held up a hand and wiggled her fingers. “See?” Caleb gave her a flat look. “You were just waiting to do that to me, weren’t you?” Butterfly giggled. “When I said I was going to be Butterfly as your admin officer, I may have neglected to mention that it would be as my anthro form. Besides, it was easier to show off my new cutie mark as a pony. Otherwise, I would have to do this!” She inclined a hip towards Caleb and hiked up the skirt on that side, revealing the cutie mark… and not much else. Caleb wondered if the omission of underwear was deliberate before shaking his head. Of course, it was! These ponies, changeling or otherwise, loved to tease him. “Okay, Ms. Sky, I assume you know how to use a computer?” She nodded. “We have them in the hive. Prince Mark and Princess Twilight have them too although they’re kept out of public view.” “Right. Since you think that’s your most suitable identity, stick to it. No changing forms at the school unless it’s an emergency. And just to make sure we don’t identify you as the mare I arrived with today, we’re going to call you Sky from now on. Butterfly will be your four-legged name.” Sky smiled. “That’s always a practical idea for changelings when dealing with alternative alter egos. Now, shall we get set up for today's class?” “I’ll go join the other students,” Willow said. “Good luck with your first day, Caleb.” “Thanks, Willow.” Sky and Caleb spent some time familiarizing themselves with the office setup. The man was shocked to find that he had access to the internet. Sky explained that a mini-portal had been put in place especially to make a permanent connection to Earth. “The link goes through the Harmonic Composites corporate server and several sites are blocked, but otherwise you have pretty free access.” “You have been busy,” Caleb murmured. Sky heard the comment and smiled to herself. A few minutes before the class was due to start, they headed for the tea room. There were considerably more beings there now and Caleb looked them over while he made a mug of coffee for himself. More than half of them were ponies of the various tribes, but he saw two dragons, a kirin, three griffons, a hippogriff, two bipedal catlike beings, a parrot-like male with gaudy plumage, and another minotaur besides Nikos. Including the foremare and the smith, he had an even two dozen students. He suspected that some of them could be changelings but he didn’t care that they chose to maintain alter egos. The clock on the wall chimed the hour and Caleb placed his mug and a notepad on the lectern located on one side of the room where a blackboard had been set up on the wall. “Good morning, everyone. My name is Caleb Awad and I will be teaching you electric arc welding. This is Ms. Sky, my administrative assistant. You will see her for any problems not related to the lessons. Most of you will probably not recognize my species. We are called humans and I came from a different world where the engineering sciences are far more advanced. Ponyville is my home now though and it is my goal to send you all back to yours with a complete and thorough education in the techniques and applications of the various forms of arc welding.” “Now that I have introduced myself, I’d like to get to know all my students. Could you come forward one by one and introduce yourselves to us. I hope you’ll forgive me if I forget any of your names later but I assure you that I am utterly unbiased – I forget everyone’s equally!” There was a chuckle all-around before one of the older earth pony mares stepped up. “I am Sturdy Build and I’ve been working in the construction industry for twenty years. I’m looking forward to learning some advanced skills.” A male dragon swaggered forward. “Rock Crusher is the name. Call me Crusher. I’ve been looking for a career to challenge me and this is just the thing.” One of the felines was next – the female. “I’m Sasha. Have you ever seen Abyssinian construction work? It sucks. Me and my brother Topper intend to build a business based on what we learn here and make our fortunes.” A teenage unicorn colt stepped up. “I’m Smooth Fit and I’m a first-year apprentice. When I was choosing my career, this new field had just come available and I want to be in on the ground floor.” The anthropomorphic parrot introduced himself as Fernando. “My goal is to construct things of strength and beauty!” A lithe griffon cock stepped up, stroking his thin, curled mustache. The bald patches and scars all over his body did nothing to detract from his confident attitude. “My name is Gaston. My destiny is to create timeless artwork with metal, so I would greatly appreciate if everyone would save their scraps and castoffs for me. I have hundreds of creations in my head waiting to be born into this world!” Caleb perked up. “An artist! There are many metalworkers on my homeworld in that profession. Tell me, do you have a patron who sponsors your work?” Gaston sagged. “Tragically, no. I fear I must learn the practical art first so that I may continue to eat.” “I’ll tell you what. Impress me with your work ethic…” He glanced over the griffon’s scarred form. “…and your dedication to proper safety protocol and I’ll put in a word with Prince Mark. In a year’s time, you could be teaching a class to other budding artists.” The griffon bowed low. “I shall impress you with my dedication and passion, exalted teacher.” Caleb smiled. “If you like, I can ask Mark’s friend Phil for books on the metal art of his world.” Gaston held up a clawed hand. “Non. First, I must create a personal style by developing my own skills. I shall not become a poor imitation of more experienced artists.” “An excellent attitude.” The man turned to the rest of his students. “Next?” The kirin mare hopped on her hooves and her smile practically beamed. “Hi! I’m Marigold. I’m so happy to see and work and learn and have grrrrreat times with everypony!” Her smile fell. “Just… don’t make me upset.” The students nearest to her scrambled away, except for Crusher who rolled his eyes. Marigold caught fire, her coat turning from white to black. Blue and red flames replaced her green mane and tail. “Nopony likes me when I’m upset!” To Caleb’s shock, this alarming display was met with laughter, applause, and hoof stomps. He had been told by both Willow and Vectrix that Ponyville was the epicenter of odd happenings in Equestria. Maybe this was just another flaming example of exactly that. Regardless, he had to take charge of the class again. “Very impressive, Marigold. Keep in mind that in either of your forms, you’ll need to use PPE like everyone else.” The nirik’s snarl cut off abruptly. Marigold returned to her previous form with a pop. “What’s PPE?” “Personal Protection Equipment. That will be the first lesson for today.” Her bright smile returned. “Ok! Sounds like a grrreat plan!” A red changeling marched forward two steps and saluted. “Sir! I am a Lieutenant in the Red Hive armed forces. My name translates to Blood of Vigilance. My goal is to fashion lightweight combat armor to augment our troops against projectile weapons. Sir!” Caleb nodded. “Commendable. However, I think you’ll find the skill of welding applies better to other aspects of the military: tanks, armored personnel carriers, munition containers, maybe even entrenching tools.” “Ah... I see, sir.” “Yep. Welded metal plates are just too heavy for the job. The most advanced body armor in our world uses ceramics inside clothing woven from high-tensile strength fibers.” The changeling’s voice lost all trace of a precise, clipped tone. “Whoa. Really?” “That’s right. Who’s next?” A pink earth pony mare with a somewhat clumpy yellow mane and tail gave the human a big smile. “Cherry Berry. I’ve taken wood and cloth heavier-than-air craft about as far as they can go. Any time your plane leaves an important piece behind because you pushed the envelope just a bit too far, there’s too much of a chance to have a Bad Day. I calculate that a steel frame and skin will let me go faster than sound and maybe all the way to space.” The man nodded. “It might, but you’ll probably need to use titanium or at least a titanium alloy for spaceflight.” The mare’s ears pointed directly at Caleb and her eyes sparkled. “You don’t saaaaaay.” “I do. The temperatures generated on reentry are extremely high. Next!” Each of the remaining students continued to step up until everyone had been introduced and perhaps adding a personal note. Caleb put down the pen that he’d been using to write down the names and comments before looking up at the students. No sign of a smile was left on his face. “Before we get started on the lessons – safety! I’m not up to speed with every safety procedure in the various industries and countries that you come from but I assure you that I will not tolerate anything less than full compliance with all of the safety procedures that I set here. Horseplay… uh… messing around and pranking each other will not be tolerated, even once. Ms. Sky will post a full list of the safety procedures later but I will go over them now. First of all – protective clothing and equipment. Some of you will have experience with them before but more are required for this profession. I don’t care what you have considered adequate before but I will require you all to wear specified overalls, head protection, and footwear for this course. That is why you were required to send in sizes along with your applications to the school. Yes, Crusher?” The dragon who had held up his talons said, “Our hides are tougher than any possible clothing short of magically enhanced material. Do we dragons need to wear overalls? They would only hinder us.” Caleb frowned. “I hear that your species likes to bathe in lava. Is this true or just an exaggeration?” “It’s true, sir. It’s good for dealing with parasites and muscle aches. It’s very relaxing too. I had a lava bath last night.” “Very well, in your case, overalls might be more of a liability than a benefit, so I will leave that as an option for you two dragons. However, you will still be required to wear a high-vis vest. No exceptions!” Caleb continued when Crusher sat down. “Now let’s see a show of hands… hooves, or whatever other body parts you can hold up.” Caleb pulled a small screwdriver from a pants pocket. “You’ll notice the four-pointed tip on the end of this tool. How many of you have skin or scales tough enough to shrug off a blow from the pointy end if it flew into you at the speed of a pegasus?” Both dragons and two of the changelings grinned and raised a limb. “And how many feel the same way if it struck you square in the eye?” Slowly, both the raised arms and forelegs fell, along with the grins. The man nodded. “That’s exactly why everyone here will be wearing eye protection at all times equipment is in use. My assistants Coiled Steel, Nikos, and I will adjust the fit of your goggles before we start. Keep in mind that the goggles are not designed to cut down the blinding light generated by arc welding. There is additional eye protection for that.” “Next – you will need to familiarize yourselves with this facility. Learn where all the exits are, the locations of the fire-fighting equipment, the circuit-breakers for the electrical devices, and so forth. While Coiled Steel will be learning to weld too, she is still the foremare of this facility and very familiar with its layout and capabilities. When we leave here, she will give you a tour of the workshop and point out everything that you will need to know. In all other situations, you will be expected to keep to best practices where safety is concerned. You will not be responsible for just yourself but for everyone who is in this school with you. Am I clear?” There was a chorus of assent. Caleb nodded. “Good. After the orientation, I will introduce you to the various equipment that you will be learning to use. Every student will have their own set of equipment which they will be expected to maintain in peak condition. Doing so will be part of the lesson. Hopefully, the modifications done to suit each species will work for you. If you have any problems, see me about them. We want to spend our time learning and practicing, not wrestling with incompatible equipment.” The man then pointed to the corner of the room where cardboard boxes had been neatly stacked up. “In those boxes is all the protective gear that you will require for this course. They have been marked with your names. Please find yours and put it on now.” The students shuffled over there. The first, not finding theirs on top, called out the names and passed the boxes out until they got to theirs. They then switched out with another who did the same until everyone had their safety gear. By that time, some of them were fully dressed while others were still figuring out what to do with some of it. The dragons had been provided with overalls but Caleb allowed them to settle for just the footwear, goggles, and high-vis vests as promised. When everyone was ready, Caleb said, “You will have noticed that you have been provided with two sets of overalls as you will be expected to launder one while using the other. Some of the safety gear will need to be replaced regularly due to wear and some daily. General replacements will be kept readily available to be taken as needed from a shelf in the stores' area that Coiled Steel will show you during orientation. If you need to replace hoof or footwear, see Ms. Sky about procuring new ones. Alright, let’s get the orientation started. Coiled, they’re all yours.” The earth pony took the students on a tour of the entire workplace before bringing them to an open area central to all the workstations which is where Caleb resumed control of the class. He smiled at them and said, “Now, if no one has any questions, let’s get started on learning your new skills.” Caleb threw himself onto the new sofa with a sigh of relief. Willow climbed up next to him while Sky settled down on the other side. The man put an arm around each and said, “Well, ladies, I think that went pretty well for our first day. I truly believe this is going to work out great.” Willow replied, “Of course it will! You’re a born teacher. Even with my head start, I learned so much more today.” “You know your subject and you’re good at passing that knowledge on to the students,” Sky said. “I would have liked to have watched more but I had a few tasks to complete elsewhere.” The man looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “Did you manage to get a plumber lined up?” “Yes. She had Wednesday afternoon free and I’ve arranged to have her provide the dryer that Willow needs.” “Awesome!” the man replied. “By the way, are you intending to stay in that anthro form?” “As long as you keep that arm around me, I am,” she replied with a sly smile. Willow giggled and Caleb smirked. “Fair enough. So – what are our dinner plans? I don’t know about you two, but I’ve worked up an appetite.” “We can’t keep going out to eat – that gets expensive real fast,” Willow said. “And you’ve been spending your advance prolifically,” Sky pointed out. “Since I didn’t have to do too much today, I volunteer to cook dinner.” “You can cook too?” Caleb asked before turning to Willow. “Can we keep her?” The earth pony giggled again. “Just remember who’s the number one mare in this house!” she replied with a grin. “Although I’m reluctant to leave this comfortable position, I’d better get started.” Sky leaned forward and slid out of Caleb’s embrace. The man noted the odd texture of the clothing and that reminded him of something. “When you arrived here, you weren’t wearing anything, but you were when you changed to anthro form. Did you magic those up somehow?” Sky grinned. “Oh, no – I can’t do dimensional pockets like a unicorn. These clothes are a part of me – copies of the real ones I bought from Rarity.” “Part of you? I don’t understand.” The anthro mare leaned over the man and pulled open her jacket to reveal a black bra restraining her bust. Then green magic fire burned the bra away just like it did when the changeling transformed, revealing her naked boobs. Caleb stared at them as Sky continued talking. “They’re a part of me like my wings and mane, only reshaped for the purpose of this identity.” She then stood up straight and closed the jacket. Sky walked to the kitchen with a sway to her hips. “Technically, I’m still nude.” Caleb gulped. She might have had to take a crash course in what human males like, but she sure was learning fast! # # # # # # # # #