Starlight:
Sweet Celestia, today’s the big day! I am really excited and nervous, all at once! My rider is still sleeping, so I will give him a few minutes to get up and prepare. In the meantime, I rise out of my bed and get dressed. I have a rather quaint and plain outfit to wear today for the school’s grand opening. Rarity made me a rose-colored dress, with lilac trimmings to wear today. It fits perfectly for my body type!
I quickly don the colorful outfit and look at myself in the mirror. I am a bit biased, of course, but I think I look great! Cracking a genial smile, I move on to my next task of the day: waking up Noah. I quickly flop back onto my bed, and I light up my horn. Its warm, lilac glow quickly removes the covers from my bed. This sends a cool draft of wind going up against his legs, quickly waking him up! He quickly reorients himself and smiles at me.
“Morning, cuddle pony. How are you doing this fine day?” He asks me, quickly climbing out of bed, looking for a pair of pants to put on. I smile at his cutesy comment and blow him a kiss.
“All’s good. I liked cuddling with you last night. You kept me warm and lowered my nerves. I really appreciate it! Are you excited for today’s grand opening?” I ask him, once he’s finally dressed and ready. He nods, before using some magic to rummage through my pantry looking for a quick bite to eat.
“Darn it, Glimmy, are we out of granola bars, already?” He sighs, quickly making his way back to my bedroom, where he takes a look at my outfit more carefully. He smiles and quickly taps me on the wing. “You look lovely, “my princess”. He coos, quickly embracing me. He’s a cutie, indeed. I zap my horn, and two oats n honey granola bars spawn in front of us. I giggle, and give one to my rider.“I have a secret stash, cute stuff. Eat up!” I say, quickly munching on my own granola bar. Noah eats his rather quickly, before looking out my window.
Pointing to the right, he can see a schoolhouse a few miles out. The building for the School of Friendship is spotted in the distance! It’s a rather homey building, with state-of-the-art facilities for academics and for Friendship. While I wasn’t involved at all in its design or construction, I have faith Twilight did her due diligence when commissioning the school. Sneaking up behind him, I put my hoof over his hand, and squeeze it. “There you go, stud. That’s your new job. You’re going to learn and teach. Won’t that be fun?!” I chuckle, quickly tapping him on the shoulder.
“Can you go get my gear, Noah?” I ask him, as I redirect his head towards the coatrack at the front of the flat. Noah chuckles, before briskly walking towards the coat rack to get my saddle and bridle. I teleport the two of us outside, and I grin.
“We’re going to trot today. I want to act like everypony else, for once. Do you mind?” I ask him. He shrugs and smiles. “I don’t care how we go, Starlight. I care that I go with you.” He’s so cute! I love it. Noah takes an extra few minutes to properly equip my riding gear. He’s a bit jittery today, probably because he’s nervous about the School of Friendship opening today. I appreciate that he’s still taking his time bridling me!
“All done, Starlight.” He says. I hug my rider and peck him on the cheek. “Thank you, Noah. I appreciate it. Now, hop on! We have a school to open!” I chuckle. Noah moves behind me and puts his foot in the stirrup. With one swift motion, my student is astride his mare. I’ll give him credit for learning how to ride me properly over time. The first few times, it was clumsy for both of us. Once Noah is steadily astride me, he grabs my reins and smiles.
“Alrighty. Remind me where the School is, again?” He asks, quickly spurring me into a canter. “You’re going the right way, Noah. Just keep going east, alrighty?” I reassure him. He nods and pats me on the neck. “Good to know. No giddy-up today, Glimmy. I want to take my time getting there. I need the time to compose myself.” He says, somewhat upset we can’t ride fast.
“I was going to say the same thing, Noah. Slow and steady wins the race. Just enjoy Ponyville. It’s a sunny day today!” I remind him, pointing towards the other ponies who are trotting along their merry ways. I am so excited to inaugurate the school today, and Noah can’t wait to help me. I feel like I am on the right track! It’s an amazing feeling.
***
Noah:
Well, it’s the moment everycreature’s been waiting for. Today is the day we open the School of Friendship! Starlight has been chewing my ear off about how excited she is, and I don’t blame her. If this goes smoothly, her administrative job will not only eclipse all of her misdeeds but potentially be her magnum opus! Twilight too, by the way. Starlight’s only the #2 pony in this operation.
I am slightly disappointed Starlight won’t fly me to the school, since I am slightly addicted to flying in the air with her. I have a feeling she knows this, and she wants to toy with me a bit. Right?
“Bingo. If I fly with you every day, it wouldn’t be as special, no?” She says, taking advantage of our soul link to answer my inner thoughts. I thought I told her that reading my mind was off-limits? I want my own mind to myself, thank you very much. “Starlight. Please keep your hooves off my brain, unless my life is in danger?” I ask, slightly cross with my marefriend’s privacy violation. She chuckles and bumps me an inch back atop her.
“Remember who’s in charge here, Noah.” She says sarcastically. “I thought we’re equal, aren’t we?” I quickly retort, using my pony’s own words against her. She chuckles, before turning her head around and sticking her tongue out at me “Retorting gets you extra Friendship homework today, Noah!” She boasts, quickly turning her head forward so we can travel safely. Another few minutes of this playful back-and-forth come and go, and by the time I am finally done “owning” her with “facts and logic”, we finally arrive at the School of Friendship.
Starlight was right, this building is quite large, but it’s probably a bit smaller on the inside. Sometimes, buildings give off the feeling of size, when it’s an illusion. Starlight comes to a complete stop in the school’s courtyard, before lifting me off her back with magic. Another zap of her horn and her riding gear is back in the apartment.
“And we’re here! Go look around, Noah, and see if you can find anycreature you know. We got here a bit early, so feel free to look around!” Starlight says, sitting down on a bench next to us. She spawns a notebook and quickly goes over some remarks. I think she’s giving another address today at the school’s inauguration, but I don’t remember. My mind is racing all over the place.
I don’t see anybody, and I wonder where my mom and sister are. I know my sister and Trixie have become inseparable over the past few weeks, so I’ll probably see the two of them together sometime today. Well, what do you know? I see a blue unicorn galloping this way, carrying my sister with her!
“TRIXIE’S HERE! IF THE GREATEST AND POWERFUL PONY IS HERE, THEN WE’RE ALL SET!”
My sister spurs Trixie to shut her up, and the two of them come to a stop near our bench. Trixie lets my sister climb down, and she sighs.
“Trixie was only trying to be funny, Rebecca.” The showmare says, giggling at my sister. She removes Trixie’s bridle, and Trixie blows in Rebecca’s hair, slightly cross with her rider.
“HEY!” Rebecca says, sticking her tongue out at the blue unicorn. I quickly go in between them and put one hand in front of each creature. “No fighting, please! Today’s Glimmy’s big day, and I don’t want her to be in a sour mood. I am sure you two would agree with me, no?” I say, trying to find some common ground. Trixie’s horn lights up, and she shoves me aside, plopping me back on the bench next to Starlight.
“Thank you for the help, Noah. Trixie gets it. She really does. Now, Rebecca, what’s the plan for the nonpony students?” Trixie asks my sister, who quickly opens her phone, and checks her data.
“Everycreature should be on their way as we speak. I think the Mirror Portals are online, and the human students are coming in a few minutes. In the meantime, I am curious as to where Lyra, Bon Bon, my mom, and Anastasia are. Noah, any ideas?”
Both Starlight and I shrug, not knowing where they are. “Beats me, kid. Trixie, daily brief!” Starlight says, quickly drawing the showmare’s attention. Trixie gives a playful salute, before transmitting data to Starlight via UniPhone. What I would give to learn how to use this uncanny magical technology! Once Starlight is done receiving and downloading her data, she smiles at Trixie.
“Thank you, Trixie. I am very pleased to know that the hippogriffs will sign on, as well. I wonder how their kids will handle going from two worlds to school. I hope it won’t be a hassle!” Starlight says, confusing the hell out of me.
“Two worlds?!” I pipe in, not sure what she’s referring to. Starlight sighs and puts a hoof on my shoulder. “You have a lot left to learn, Noah. It’s okay. Learning is good. I’ll get to hippogriff and seapony nuance later, in the meantime, we should wait for your mom, and for Twilight! It’s not like her to be tardy.”Starlight’s correct. It’s absolutely not like the Princess of Friendship to be tardy, so there must be a legitimate problem, or maybe she’s overtired? Eh, I think she’s overreacting.
I see a purple streak in the sky, being followed by a rainbow and yellow-colored one next to her. Starlight groans in annoyance. “Great, the “Mane Six” are going to steal the show today. Expect three more annoying ponies in a few moments.” Starlight says, clearly annoyed by this. Trixie nods in agreement.
“Trixie understands where you are coming from, but the “Mane Six” are cool. Trust Trixie!” She chuckles.
Well, I never met all six of them at once. How does their Friendship chemistry work? Time to find out!
***
Princess Twilight Sparkle
I’m thrilled today! Not only am I inaugurating my very own School of Friendship, but all five of my friends are going to be here today! This is an outstanding example to set for all of my future students. Fluttershy and Dashie are flying next to me, and Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and AJ are going to rendezvous at the school itself. I told them yesterday.
“Hey egghead, how many ponies and creatures are going to be in attendance at the ceremony?” Rainbow asks me in her usual, blunt manner.
“Dashie’s right. Will it be a big party, or will it be something more manageable for the kind of crowd we’re going to teach?” Fluttershy pipes in, asking a follow-up question.
I take a minute to consider the question my two friends asked me, before coming up with a suitable response. I don’t want to say anything that’s not objective, so I have to proceed with caution. “Well, there are twenty-five human students, and twenty-five other students; five for each race. I made more slots for humans because they are literally a world apart! It’s only fair. Fifty students for the inaugural class seems like a reasonable amount, right?” I reply.
Dashie takes a minute to think about my answer, before nodding and bolting down, towards the school.
“Sounds cool. Meet ya on the ground!” She says, leaving Fluttershy and I above her, both baffled.
“Dashie always wants to put on a show,” Fluttershy whispers into my ear, as we both descend towards the ground. I see my student Starlight going over her notes on a park bench, and her student is talking with Trixie about something? I don’t see Rarity, AJ, and Pinkie yet, but I am sure they’re all on their way. As Fluttershy and I finally have our hooves on solid ground, I make my way over to Starlight.
“Congrats, Starlight!” I say, wings emoting my glee. She is caught off guard and quickly smiles at me. “Thanks, Princess Twilight. Did your other three friends make their way here yet?” Starlight asks me, as Noah points over the hill behind us. I see Pinkie bouncing along!”
“HELLO EVERYPONY! AJ AND RARITY ARE BEHIND ME!” Pinkie shouts, leaping ahead and looking at everypony gathered here today. Just like she said, AJ and Rarity were following her flank, and all six of us quickly meet up and exchange greetings. Rarity sees Noah’s sister for the first time and guffaws.
“Hello, Darling! You look lovely in that dress!” She says, quickly going over to shake hooves with Rebecca. She chuckles and smiles at the unicorn in front of her.
“You must be Rarity. I’ve heard a lot about you, only good things, I might add!” She says, shaking hooves with my entrepreneurial friend. Rarity smiles at the compliment.
“Thank you, darling. I can thankfully say the same about you. Being Twilight Sparkle’s own secretary must seem like a daunting endeavor.”
Rebecca would have replied to that query, had Applejack not tapped Trixie on the shoulder.
“Showpony, I’d take a gander at the skies above us.” She says. We all look above us, and a delegation of griffons lands in front of the school. I see Gilda from a few years ago, and she has a brother? Since when? Dashie gives the she-griffon a death stare, but Gilda didn’t notice. Who else is going to show up, today?