//------------------------------//
// #13 - Honesty & Laughter 
// Story: The "Season 11" Project! -- Camp Harmony! (And What Is Patriotism?) 
// by starponys87 
//------------------------------//

Section #1:

In another big lecture hall, 100 students sat in the benches surrounding the teaching area. Again, ten of them were Royal Guards. There were six gryphons, six dragons (including Clump, the fat brown dragon boy), six changelings, one kirin, six yaks, and six hippogriffs. There were also one deer, two buffalo, and one Breezie.

In total, there were 36 non-pony students, including Yapper (the little dog boy). For the moment, however, Yapper was not in the scene.

Flim and Flam sat in the back, between a dragon and a gryphon.

"So, brother," said Flim, "I hope this honesty stuff isn't as hard as it looks."

"I hope so, too," replied Flam. "After we tried to scam students with our friendship university, we started cheating each other. We had never done much of that before."

Ocellus's baby sister ("Shelly") was flying around, feeling warm with love.

"Of all ponies," added Flim, "I thought I could trust you. But I cheated you first. I hate feeling there's not one single creature I can count on."

"Same with me," responded Flam.

"I feel lonely without you."

"So do I!"

Flim gave his brother a hug. Flam hugged him back.

Just then, Shelly entered the scene, hovering over the two brothers. She seemed to be attracted by the brotherly love. Shelly landed on Flam's lap and gave him a hug.

With an awkward smile, Flam said, "Hello there ... little bugpony."

Shelly fluttered onto Flim's lap and hugged him, too.

Flim also smiled awkwardly, laughing nervously.

Just then, there was a loud smashing sound. Half the class yelped, including Flim and Flam.

Yona had just smashed through the door. Lying on the floor, the door was now broken into pieces, with Yona standing on top of it. The doorframe was also in pieces.

"Good morning, friends!" shouted Yona, with a great big smile. "Today, Yona teach you to be honest. And tell the truth!"

Rumble flew in right behind Yona, with Yapper (the little dog boy) running alongside. Both of them were laughing, though Rumble was kind of cringing.

"Yona best teacher!" called the six yaks.

"Yaks best at honesty!" called a small yak boy (named "Chuckie Khan"). "But Yona bestest!"

Yona blushed, not being accustomed to being on a pedestal like this.

Rumble now hovered in front of Yona. "Professor Yona, why did you smash through the door?"

"Door locked. And Yona lost key. And Yona not be late for class!"

"Nice way to make an entrance! But I don't think Professor Applejack will be happy about this."

"No problem!" declared Yona. "Yona tell Professor Jack what happened! Yona honest! Open and honest!" 

Yapper barked with excitement, jumping in front of Yona. "I wish I could smash doors like Yona!"

"Yapper smash lots of stuff today!" declared Yona. "Whole class learn to smash! Like yaks!"

The yaks cheered, jumping on their seats -- smashing the seats in the process.

Clump was sitting between the yaks and two of the dragons. Yelping, he flew out of the way before he could get smashed by mistake. A number of the non-yak students ran or flew out of the way.

"Pony classroom perfect for yaks to smash!" shouted a small yak girl (named "Amarjargal", or "Amar" for short).

One of the pony students laughed ("Gifted Schoolpony" from "A Royal Problem", light yellow unicorn filly with reddish brown hair and violet eyes; whom we'll call "Angelica"). "What isn't perfect for yaks to smash?"

A unicorn colt next to her (also from "A Royal Problem", light bluish green with cyan-blue hair and pinkish ruby-colored eyes; whom we'll call "Hornigan") whispered, "Please, Angelica! Don't give them any ideas!"

"Class no smash classroom today," said Yona.

The six yaks sighed, along three of the dragons (Clump along with a small boy and girl), six of the Royal Guards, and a third of the other students.

"Instead," said Rumble, "we have a whole bunch of junk that needs to be broken up!" He turned his head back to the doorway. "Big Mac! Come on in!"

Big Mac pulled in a great big wagon -- with a mountain of old and beaten-up stuff. The old items included furniture, appliances, kitchenware, storage containers, toys, and much more. The doorway was just barely wide enough to bring it in.

Unfortunately, the junk was piled a little too high, and it got caught by the doorframe. Big Mac pulled a little harder. Finally, he got the wagon inside. In doing so, though, the top of the pile got knocked off by the doorframe, causing a little more damage to the doorframe. A chair, a chest, and a lamp crashed down onto the floor, along with some dishes, a toaster, some cups, and a chest of drawers.

A third of the students cheered. The yak students jumped with joy. In their excitement, three of the dragons (including Clump) blew great big flames of fire.

"That's not all, students!" said Rumble. "We have one more load. Rockhoof! Bring it in!"

Outside the classroom, there was the sound of loud hoofsteps. The ground rumbled a little.

Just then, Rockhoof burst through the doorway. His wagon was much bigger and wider than Big Mac’s. And his pile of junk was much taller. His wagon destroyed the doorframe and left a great big hole where the doorway used to be.

The six yak students cheered. So did Clump and two other dragons, along with a third of the other students.

“Big pony make honorary yak!” called Enkhtuya, a teenage yak girl.

“Tuya,” said Batbayar, a teenage yak boy, “only Prince Rutherford can do that. And Princess Ember would have to approve it.”

“Dragon Lord!” said Clump.

“Red pony! Big blue-green pony!” said Yona to Big Mac and Rockhoof. “Help us take stuff off wagon and put it on ground!”

Big Mac detached himself from his wagon. He climbed on top of the pile of stuff. With his head and hooves, he started to push stuff onto the floor, a little at a time.

Rockhoof also detached himself from his own wagon. He went to the side of his wagon — and bucked it. The wagon fell over — and the giant pile of junk came crashing down!

Rumble yelped and flew out of the way. Students in the front seats screamed. Those who could fly leapt off the ground. Some others ducked and covered. Others jumped over their seats and landed on the students sitting behind them.

Big Mac was knocked over, and so was his wagon.

“Nope! Nope! Nope!” he cried.

As Big Mac's wagon turned over, his pile of junk also crashed onto the floor.

The teaching area was now covered with old, broken, and worn-out stuff. It was like a giant sandbox of garbage!

The pile of junk included old furniture, such as wooden chairs, kitchen tables, desks, couches, coffee tables, beds, shelves, cabinets, coat racks, and chests. There was also old kitchen stuff, such as plates, cups, toasters, blenders, refrigerators, stoves, counters, pots, pans, bowls, microwaves, and coffee makers. Other stuff included lamps, toys, ceiling fans, sinks, toilets, wheels, and storage containers. Also scattered around were old parts from vehicles, buildings, and machines. There were also old books, along with various other stuff.

Then the students gasped.

"Where's Professor Yona!" cried Hornigan.

"And the little doggy boy?" cried Angelica.

Yona popped out from under the pile of junk.

"Students!" called Yona. "Time for students to smash!"

Yapper also popped out from under the pile of junk. In his mouth, he was carrying what looked like a stuffed Rarity. Playfully, he was growling and shaking the toy around (much like what a dog might do with a squirrel).

"Look at this cute little toy I've found!" called Yapper, dropping the toy from his mouth. "Do I have to smash it? I really just want to play with it."

"Doggy don't have to smash if he don't want," assured Yona.

"Thank you, Professor Yona!" With his mouth, Yapper picked the toy back up. Playfully growling again, he got back to shaking his "new" toy. He started chewing on it a little.

"That toy looks a lot like Professor Rarity," remarked Flim.

"Eeyup!" remarked Big Mac. "Reminds me of a toy my friend Spike once had. He made it himself!"

"That's a beautiful makeup table!" remarked Angelica. She pointed to a fancy makeup table half-buried within the junk. It was kind of beaten up, but it was mostly intact.

"Rarity has a table that looks a lot like that," replied Rumble, who was now standing on the pile of junk.

"Can I have it?" asked Angelica.

"Yak smash table!" called another teenage yak boy (named Elbek). He leapt into the air, making a great big jump. Landing right on top of the makeup table, he crushed it like a pile of twigs. 

Angelica's eyes watered up a little.

"This is great!" exclaimed Hornigan, using his magic to float his way down to the teaching area. "Finally, I can break a lamp -- and be praised for doing so!"

Hornigan noticed a pretty-looking lamp. It had butterfly patterns on both the main part of the lamp and the lampshade. With his hooves, he flung it onto the floor. The lamp shattered into little pieces.

"Fluttershy's got a lamp kinda like that," remarked Big Daddy McColt.

Flam whispered to Flim. "Somethin' strange is goin' on. Some o' that stuff doesn't look like trash to me."

"I hear you," whispered Flim.

"Everycreature!" called Rumble, hovering again. "Find something to smash! But if there's something you wanna keep, just let us know!"

The remaining five yaks rushed down to the teaching area, smashing the seats in their path. Some students got trampled on by accident. Fortunately, none seemed to have more than bruises and minor scrapes. Three of the dragons, including Clump, also hurried down (but used their wings).

In their hurry to get down, one third of the students were tripping over one another. The remaining two thirds were in no hurry. Many of them were actually nervous about joining the wild scene.

Big Mac, who wasn't very interested in smashing stuff, backed out of the way. He now stood just outside the lecture hall. Rockhoof, on the other hand, was playing with the yaks and the children.

Chuckie Khan (the small yak boy) smashed up some old wooden chairs. Amar (the small yak girl) smashed up some beat-up tables. Enkhtuya (teenage yak girl) destroyed an old beat-up couch.

A small dragon boy grabbed some chipped vases and picture frames. He flung them onto the floor and into some of the beat-up furniture. A small dragon girl (named Pyromania) burned some old books with her fire.

Rumble swooped down with a pail of water. He dumped it onto the fire.

"Pyromania," he said, "we're supposed to smash things -- not burn them."

With a nasty grin, Pyro grabbed a plate and flung it at his head. Rumble yelped as it shattered on his head, but he was more surprised than anything else.

"Pyro," said Rumble, "we're not supposed to hit creatures, either."

Pyro laughed. Rumble pretended he didn't hear. Slowly, he flew off to join Yona.

With his "tail ball", Clump was breaking up an old refrigerator. Some of the kids stood around him just to enjoy the show (including some ponies, a kirin, a deer, and a changeling.)

Meanwhile, Rockhoof was entertaining another group of kids (including some ponies, a changeling, a hippogriff, and a gryphon). In front of them, he smashed an old Skee-Ball machine like a pile of twigs. The kids cheered.

Then Rockhoof kicked apart a video arcade machine. Some of the pieces flew into Clump's face, knocking him over. Some of the pieces also hit the face of one of the yaks (a teenage girl named Bayarmaa). The kids watching Rockhoof and Clump cheered even louder, some of them clapping their hands or hooves.

Rumble and Yona stood beside each other.

"Well, Professor Yona!" said Rumble. "It looks like they're having a smashing good time!"

"Yaks best at having fun!" boasted Yona. "Ponies and yaks make new friends!"


Section #2:

In a performance hall, 100 students sat in the seats. Again, ten of them were Royal Guards. There were six gryphons, seven dragons (including Prominence [the lavender dragon girl] and Fizzle [the white dragon boy with the red-pink crest]), six changelings, three kirins, six yaks, and six hippogriffs. There were also two deer, one buffalo, and two Breezies. In total, there were 40 non-pony students, including Hydroplane (the little kelpie boy).

"Good morning, class!" called a voice from above.

The students all looked up.

"Are you ready to have fun!?"

Turning their heads, the students continued to look around the ceiling.

"Professor Scootaloo?" asked Petunia Paleo (from "The Fault in Our Cutie Marks"), raising her hoof. "Is that you?"

"I hope you are!" continued Scootaloo. "Because this is Camp Laughter!"

Finally, the students noticed Scootaloo. They gasped with surprise and worry.

Wearing a helmet, Scootaloo was standing at the edge of an air duct near the ceiling. In this great big room, the ceiling was three stories above the floor.

"Scootaloo!" exclaimed Cheerilee. "What are you doing!"

Suddenly, Scootaloo jumped headfirst -- diving toward the stage!

Many of the students gasped. Some screamed. Cheerilee was also scared.

"Scootaloo!" cried a greenish blue colt with blue hair (earth pony from "On Your Marks", whom we'll call "Red Skies"). "You can't fly!"

Just before Scootaloo could hit the stage floor, Silverstream swooped down and grabbed her.

"Don't worry, students!" called Silverstream. "It was all part of the plan!"

The students sighed with relief.

"What do you mean?" asked Red Skies, raising his hoof.

Hovering just above the stage, Silverstream was holding Scootaloo in her arms.

"I guess you're all wondering why I would skydive without a parachute," said Scootaloo. "It's because I knew that Silverstream would catch me!"

"So, Professor Scoots," asked Blossom Burst (darkish gray kirin mare with blond mane), raising her hoof, "you mean you have wings -- but you can't fly?"

"Doesn't that make you cry?" asked a little kirin boy ("Gentle Storm").

"Not really," said Scootaloo. "Not anymore. Because I've learned to appreciate what makes every creature special!"

As Scootaloo talked, Silverstream landed back on the stage. She put Scootaloo back down.

Scootaloo continued, "You, see, students -- everycreature has their strengths and limitations. If I were an earth pony, then nocreature would call me handicapped. And since I'm not a unicorn, nocreature expects me to cast spells. It's only because I have wings that anyone expects me to fly. You know what I'm saying?"

Many of the students scratched their heads.

"So," asked Fizzle, raising his hand, "you mean that if you're a dragon, then you're handicapped if you can't breathe fire? But if you're a pony, then you're not?"

"We'll talk more later," said Scootaloo. "Let's get on with today's lesson!"

Silverstream leapt back into the air. "Today, my students -- we're gonna learn acrobatics!"

Silverstream started to dance in the air. "Acrobatics -- it's the art of dancing in the sky. And you don't even need wings to do it!" In the air, she performed pirouettes, loops, and backflips.

"That's right!" said a voice from above. "Today, we will teach you how to do the flying trapeze!"

Some of the students gasped with surprise again. All the students looked back up toward the ceiling.

An earth pony was sitting on what looked like a giant swing. "I'm Professor Lighthoof! And there's my partner Shimmy Shake!" She pointed to the opposite side of the lecture hall.

"Hello, students!" greeted Shimmy Shake, waving her hoof.

Lighthoof and Shimmy Shake were sitting on what looked like two giant swings, on opposites sides of the lecture hall. These were the trapezes. (These two earth ponies were the pair of cheerleaders from "2, 4, 6, Greaaat". Lighthoof was teal, and Shimmy Shake was orange.) The pair of cheerleaders were sporting their cheerleader outfits.

"Wow!" exclaimed Berry Bliss (background earth pony mare at the School of Friendship). "I didn't know you two could do dangerous stunts!"

Lighthoof and Shimmy stood up. Standing on the trapezes, they started to swing.

"We're not just cheerleaders!" said Lighthoof, as she built momentum.

"We're acrobats!" said Shimmy Shake, as she flung herself off. Doing a big flip, she landed on a platform hanging in the middle.

"And stuntsmares!" Lighthoof also flung herself off -- doing a double flip.

Shimmy stood on her hind legs, facing away from Lighthoof. As Lighthoof fell toward the platform, Shimmy reached up with her front hooves (while still facing the opposite direction). Lighthoof's back hooves landed squarely on Shimmy's front hooves!

The two cheerleaders stood proudly together -- Shimmy standing on the platform and Lighthoof standing on Shimmy's front hooves!

Then Shimmy lowered her left hoof. Now on one leg, Lighthoof was balancing on Shimmy's right hoof!

Most of the students clapped their hands or hooves. Many of them cheered -- especially the ponies. The yaks bounced and stomped with delight, accidentally smashing their seats and knocking over surrounding students.

"Cheerleaders teach yaks how to fly!?" exclaimed one of the yaks.

"It's not really flying," said Shimmy Shake.

"It's falling with style!" said Lighthoof.

"Falling without getting hurt!" Then Shimmy lifted her right hoof -- and flung Lighthoof off the platform!

Many of the students gasped again. But Lighthoof had no worries, and neither did Shimmy. Silverstream swooped down and caught Lighthoof, just before she could hit the stage floor.

Red Skies fidgeted nervously. "I don't think I wanna be up so high. What if I fall and no one catches me?"

Hovering in the air, Silverstream was holding Lighthoof in her arms.

"The flying trapeze is all about trust," said Lighthoof. "It is literally about catching you when you fall."

The students sat silent.

A red-pink filly with purple hair (earth pony from "On Your Marks") raised her hoof. "D-don't you think you should have a ... s-safety net or something ... ?"

"Come on, little girl!" said Dumb-Bell, who was sitting next to her. "Safety nets are for losers!"

"Why don't we clip your wings?" teased Red Skies. "I think wings are for losers, too!"

All the earth ponies laughed, along with other flightless creatures. Dumb-Bell sulked in silence.

"Actually," said Scootaloo, using a weather balloon to float back up, "we do have a safety net. But it's invisible."

With her wings, Scootaloo steered herself onto the platform between the two trapezes. She detached herself from the balloon, deflated it, and tossed it back down.

Chip Mint (background pegasus colt from "A Friend in Deed") was also sitting next to Dumb-Bell. "So, Mr. Bell, what brings you to the School of Friendship?"

Under his breath, Dumb-Bell said, "I didn't wanna go to this stupid school. But Mom threatened to disown me."

"What do you mean, Professor Scoots?" asked Chirpy Hooves (background pegasus filly from "Trade Ya!").

"A special friend of ours is using some of his magic," said Scootaloo -- "to make sure that no creature gets hurt if something goes wrong."

"Who's this friend?" asked Chirpy.

"I can't tell you. It's a secret."

As Scootaloo was talking, Silverstream returned Lighthoof and Shimmy Shake to the trapezes where they'd been sitting before. The pink hippogriff now landed on the platform between the trapezes.

"Students!" called Silverstream. "It's time for the main event!"

Silverstream picked Scootaloo back up. Scootaloo was now balancing on the palms of Silverstream’s hands. She was facing the second trapeze.

"Silverstream, Lighthoof, and Shimmy Shake!" called Scootaloo. "Let's show them how it's done!"

"Here you go!" shouted Silverstream. She flung Scootaloo high into the air, in Lighthoof's direction.

As Scootaloo sailed through the air, she performed a big flip.

On the trapeze, Lighthoof was swinging upside down. Swinging forward, she caught Scootaloo just in time.

Lighthoof was now holding Scootaloo by her front hooves. Scootaloo was hanging right side up and facing the wall, while Lighthoof was facing the platform.

As Lighthoof swung backward, she built up more energy. She swung forward again, rising higher than before. As she swung back up, she released Scootaloo, flinging Scootaloo back toward the platform.

As Scootaloo sailed through the air again, she made a big backflip.

Holding out her left hand, Silverstream caught Scootaloo. This time, Scootaloo was balancing, on one leg, on the palm of Silverstream's left hand!

The class gasped with amazement. Some of the students were nervous, but most were really enjoying the show.

With her arm, Silverstream flung Scootaloo back toward Lighthoof. This time, Scootaloo flipped two times! Once again, Lighthoof caught Scootaloo by the front hooves.

This time, Lighthoof did not return Scootaloo to the platform. Instead, as she swung back toward the platform, she turned herself right side up and sat on the trapeze. In doing so, she gave Scootaloo a big flip -- and now Scootaloo was sitting on her lap!

The two girls were now sitting with their backs facing the platform. As the trapeze continued to swing, Lighthoof hung back upside down -- but now Scootaloo stood on the trapeze. Lighthoof was now facing the platform again. Scootaloo continued to face the wall.

As she swung back up, Lighthoof flung herself above the platform. Silverstream ducked.

Many of the students gasped nervously. But they shouldn't have worried. Doing three somersaults in the air, Lighthoof was caught by Shimmy Shake -- who was swinging upside down on the other trapeze. Shimmy was now holding Lighthoof by her front hooves.

As she swung back up toward the platform, Shimmy turned herself right side up and sat on the trapeze. As she did so, she gave Lighthoof a big flip. Now Lighthoof was sitting next to her! Both were facing away from the platform now.

As the trapeze continued to swing, Lighthoof and Shimmy Shake both stood up. They turned around to face the platform again.

"Show us more!" cheered Berry Bliss.

On the first trapeze, Scootaloo was still facing the wall. Giving herself a big swing, she jumped off the trapeze. Sailing through the air, she performed three backflips! Silverstream, still on the platform, reached out her hands. Once again, Scootaloo landed back on the palms of Silverstream's hands.

On the second trapeze, Lighthoof and Shimmy gave themselves another big swing. This time, Shimmy jumped off the trapeze. Doing three backflips in the air, she, too, fell toward Silverstream.

Silverstream turned to catch Shimmy Shake. She held out her left hand. Once more, Scootaloo had to balance on one leg -- this time on Silverstream's right hand. Shimmy landed on Silverstream's left hand. She, too, now balanced on one leg.

With one more big swing, Lighthoof jumped off the trapeze, too. With a big backflip, she fell toward the platform. Scootaloo and Shimmy Shake reached out their hooves.

Lighthoof landed ... balancing herself on Shimmy's and Scootaloo's hooves!

The crowd went wild, cheering and whistling. They clapped their hands and hooves, and the yaks jumped and stomped with delight.

"Wow, girls!" exclaimed Cheerilee. "It's like the best of the circus and cheerleading all rolled into one!"

"It's like an interpretive dance," remarked Twist -- "about catching your friends when you fall!"

"That's the whole idea!" replied Scootaloo.

Silverstream flew back down, carrying Scootaloo and the two cheerleaders. With great concentration, the ponies continued to keep their balance. For a moment, it seemed they might all fall ... but they held strong! (Admittedly, Scootaloo had to flap her wings.)

Gently, the hippogriff landed on the stage. From there, Lighthoof jumped off, landing gracefully on the floor. Shimmy Shake did the same. Flapping her wings, Scootaloo fluttered down.

"Professor Scootaloo," asked Red Skies, raising his hoof, "did you feel scared?"

"A little bit," admitted Scootaloo. "Yet I also feel safe and warm. I knew my partners wouldn't let me down!"

Red Skies laughed.

"So, class," asked Silverstream -- "did we make you laugh!"

"I don't think 'laugh' is quite the right word," responded Twist. "But you made us all happy just the same!"

"And isn't that what laughter's all about!" said Cheerilee.

Silverstream laughed. "I guess it is!"

Scootaloo and the two cheerleaders also laughed, along with Cheerilee, Twist, and most of the students.


Section #3:

Back in Yona's classroom, many of the students were still smashing old junk. It remained a loud and noisy scene.

The two deer and the buffalo were playing Monkey in the Middle with an old soccer ball. Finally, the buffalo (Springfield) caught it and jumped on it. The ball exploded!

A hippogriff (Skywaters) was popping old sports balls with her finger claws. She popped a football, a basketball, and a volleyball. Then she found a dodgeball and poked her finger into it, too. But this time, it didn't pop -- rather, a changeling popped into the scene! Skywaters jumped with surprise. The changeling was pretending to be a ball, and now he was laughing!

Three Royal Guards were smashing a washing machine, kicking and stomping on it. Three others were smashing a dryer. Three unicorn guards were blasting their horns at a kitchen stove. The tenth guard and another teenage yak girl (Tümen-Jargal) were smashing old school desks and old office desks.

Just then, Starlight, Trixie, and Sunburst walked into the lecture hall. Starlight gasped, along with Sunburst.

Starlight stopped and stared. One third of the students were laughing and having a good time smashing stuff up. Unfortunately, some of them were throwing things, and many of them were reckless about flying debris. Some were even throwing stuff at one another.

Meanwhile, Yona and Yapper were breaking up an old bed. Yona was jumping on it, and Yapper was tearing up the sheets with his teeth. Rumble was smashing mugs, glass cups, dishes, and lamps. Hornigan was learning to use his magic to blow stuff up. Angelica was smashing old action figures.

With great effort, the Breezie (Hurricane) was flapping her wings to pick up teacups and small dishes. One by one, she let them crash onto the floor.

Trixie started to laugh. But Starlight and Sunburst were not amused. They were both unnerved that their new teachers would be encouraging such destructive activity. They also noticed that two thirds of the students seemed to be scared to join in. 

With her horn, Starlight teleported a whistle into the scene. It hung on a lanyard, now hanging around her neck. Using her horn again, she put the whistle into her mouth and blew it.

The ear-piercing noise stopped everycreature in their tracks.

"Yona! Rumble!" called Starlight. "This activity is not appropriate!"

Yona was confused. "Headmare Star! Yona just sharing yak culture with pony friends!"

Rumble was kind of nervous. "Yes -- yes, Headmare Starlight. What she said!"

Sunburst whispered to Starlight. "Star, we must be very careful. We don't want to insult Yona's culture."

Nervously, Starlight tried to think of what to say next.

"Wow, Yona!" exclaimed Trixie, continuing to laugh. "Trixie wishes she'd had this much fun back when she was in school!"

"Trixie!" exclaimed Starlight. Then Starlight gasped and covered her mouth.

Suddenly, Yona seemed a little angry. Looking Starlight in the eyes, she said, "Headmare, does purple pony have problem with yak culture? Tell me truth!"

Starlight was speechless. For a moment, her lips quivered. Then she exploded.

"Yona! How dare you talk to your headmare like that! If you want to stay in the School of Friendship, then you'd better respect me like a friend would!"

Now Yona was speechless. Then she lashed back. "Yona just speaking what's on Yona's mind! Yona just saying how Yona feels!"

"Well, I'm telling you how I feel!"

For a couple moments, Yona and Starlight stared at each other, both of them showing a sense of tranquil fury.

Suddenly, they laughed.

"Yona honest -- and so is Headmare!"

"You love to share your culture -- and I respect that. It's just that pony culture is a little different."

"Next time," suggested Sunburst, "why don't you smash stuff outside? And let's keep the junk in the garbage dump."

"That's right!" said Starlight. "The garbage dump could use some help from a big yak like you!"

Yona jumped with excitement. "Can Yona take class to garbage dump?"

"Not today," replied Starlight. "But when we let you, we need to establish some rules. Your fun activity got far too loud and noisy. And most of the students were afraid to join in. I think they were afraid that they would get smashed."

Yona sighed, feeling embarrassed and disappointed. The six yak students walked next to Yona.

"Thanks, Headmare, for being honest," said Chuckie (the little boy), with a smile.

"Yaks can have hard time handling truth, too," admitted Amar (the little girl), also smiling. "Yaks speak their mind. But yaks also fight a lot."

"I've had my share of fights, too," replied Starlight. "Especially with Counselor Trixie."

Hornigan laughed. "You get into fights with the school counselor? Isn't she, like, supposed to be the one who stops fights?"

Starlight laughed again. "Ironically ... one of my worst fights with her was back when I was the counselor!"

The students were confused.

"How can you be good counselors if you also have friendship problems?" asked Angelica.

"Every time we fight," answered Trixie, "we learn more about what makes us different. We can't be mad at each other for too long ... before we start to miss each other and feel bad for each other."

As she said this, she sneaked up behind Starlight. Putting her in a headlock, Trixie gave Starlight a big noogie and rubbed her face against Starlight's.

At first, Starlight was annoyed. But then she laughed. Starlight popped out of Trixie's headlock and gave her a noogie as well, also rubbing her face. Trixie also laughed.

"Headmare," asked Hornigan, "how's your friendship with your other assistant?"

"You mean the Vice-Headmare?" asked Starlight.

"Yeah, the one with the odd glasses who never likes to show his cutie mark."

Sunburst blushed with embarrassment.

"Well," said Starlight ... "he was the first friend I ever had. And he was a boy! ... We used to love doing everything together. ... And that's what we're trying to do again!"

Starlight hugged Sunburst and rubbed her face against his. Sunburst laughed nervously. Then he returned the favor.

"Do you and Sunburst get into fights?" asked Angelica.

"Actually," said Starlight, "I think Sunburst is a little too afraid of conflict."

Sunburst cringed with embarrassment. "Starlight! You're embarrassing me again -- and not in a good way!"

Starlight laughed, and so did Angelica, Hornigan, and Trixie. Some of the other students also giggled.

"So," said Yona, "is it okay that yaks fight? As long as we friends?"

"Yes," said Starlight. "Friends can fight -- as long as they don't become enemies."

Trixie added, "As long as you still care about each other's happiness, fighting can be a healthy way to work through your differences. And it can help both of you let out your true feelings."

"Sometimes," admitted Sunburst, "when we try too hard to avoid conflict, we end up drifting away from each other -- losing the friendship we thought we were protecting. The anger may build up inside until it finally explodes. Or we may simply be so afraid of rejection that we never get to enjoy having someone we can trust."

Yona sighed again. "Yona thought she was best at honesty. But can Yona teach students how to fight and not lose friends?"

"You've had some fights with your best friends, haven't you, Yona?" asked Trixie.

Yona scratched her chin. "Yes! Yona and friends had big fight one Hearth's Warming Eve. And we had big fight when building memorial for Tree of Harmony! For short time, Yona thought she lost friends. But Yona no want to lose friends, and neither do friends!"

"You've lived and learned!" praised Trixie, hugging Yona. "Why don't you spend the rest of the class telling your stories about you and your best friends? And the struggles you've all had to overcome to love one another."

"That's right," said Starlight Glimmer. "Even as we try to teach friendship, we find ourselves struggling with friendship lessons, too. Our students need to know this."

Sunburst added, "It's easy to feel that you must put on a perfect face. More and more, I realize we should admit our true struggles in building healthy relationships. If we're to teach friendship to our students, then we must be open and honest the way a friend should be. Our students have to feel that we're their best friends!"

"Aw, Hornigan!" said Angelica. "Isn't it cute how our teachers fight and then make up?"

"That's some stuff I'd love to read about!" remarked Hornigan.

"How much time left for class?" asked Yona.

"Fifteen more minutes," replied Sunburst, pulling out a watch.

Yona turned back to face the class. "Hey, class! Yona tell you stories now! Stories about Yona and her best friends! And how friends can fight and still be friends!"

Hornigan and Angelica laughed. So did some of the other students.

As Yona continued to talk, she walked back to the center of the teaching area. By this time, all the students were back in their seats.

"Yona start with story about how she met best friends! And how she met special pony named Sandbar! ..."

Starlight, Trixie, and Sunburst also laughed.


Section #4:

In the teachers' lounge, the Student 6 were having lunch. Smolder was sitting between Gallus and Ocellus. Yona was sitting between Sandbar and Silverstream.

The teacher's lounge was built to hold a large number of teachers. It was like a small cafeteria. It was also divided into several dining rooms, for more quiet conversation. The Student 6 were in one of these dining rooms.

Silverstream was leaning back in her chair, with her hooves on the table. On her lap was a plate with two hayburgers.

"So, Yona," asked Silverstream -- "how did your class go today! Did they have lots of fun telling the truth!"

Silverstream tossed a hayburger into her mouth. Chewing it three times, she swallowed the whole thing. Meanwhile, Yona had a whole pile of hayburgers on a big plate.

"Class had lots of fun!" said Yona. "But Yona and Rumble also get in trouble. Guess we had too much fun."

"How can you have too much fun?" asked Gallus, who was eating a bowl of dumplings. "Until I came here, I never had enough!"

Yona gulped down one of her hayburgers. "As Yona's friends know, yaks best at honesty. So Yona thought she introduce students to yak culture! And yaks love to smash! So ..."

"... you turned the classroom into a junkyard," said Smolder -- "and tried to give the students a smashing good time?"

Yona sighed. "But now Yona disappointed. Headmare say many students were scared. They thought they get smashed, too." Yona put another hayburger into her mouth. She chewed it three times and swallowed it.

Silverstream took a big bite out of another hayburger. "Don't take it too hard, Yona! Headmare Glimmer wasn't very happy with me, either." Silverstream swallowed and took another bite.

"Let me guess, Silver," said Smolder -- "you also had too much fun?"

Silverstream swallowed the bite still in her mouth. She sat back upright in her chair, taking her hooves off the table and putting her plate back on the table.

"Some of the students were really scared to do circus acrobatics," admitted Silverstream. "But I kept pushing it on them."

"You mean like Professor Pinkie Pie?" asked Ocellus.

Gallus and Smolder laughed, and so did Sandbar.

"Well," said Silverstream, "it's not entirely my fault. I'm afraid Discord gave me some bad advice."

Just then, a portal opened up. Discord stuck his neck out through it. "Professor Hippogriff, I can't believe you. I give your students an invisible safety net, and this is the thanks I get?"

"The safety net was great, Discord!" said Silverstream. "But I wish we hadn't forced students to do things they were scared to do."

"Hmph!" Discord crossed his arms, feeling a little disgusted and frustrated. "I was only trying to help them face their fears."

"It's just that ... I think many of the students are scared of you now. So every time they go to school ... they have to hope you've taken the day off ... if they come back at all. ... Is that what you want?"

Discord continued to give Silverstream a dirty look. Then he sighed. "No ... it's not. Fluttershy won't be happy with me."

"I'm certainly not," said a familiar voice. "But I know that you want someone to love you. And you want someone you can love. I know you can be a bully sometimes. But I know that you also care about me and my friends. I believe in you!"

Fluttershy was standing next to him, her neck also sticking through the portal.

"Fluttershy!" Discord looked toward her. "How did you get here?"

"You might say ... if our love can move mountains, then it can open up new dimensions!"

Discord blushed, laughing nervously.

"I think it's time for a vacation from school," said Fluttershy -- "and do a little homeschooling with me!"

"Sounds ... sounds great!" said Discord. "I think I've done enough favors for now anyway."

Discord snapped his fingers. The portal disappeared along with him and Fluttershy.

Silverstream started to laugh now. "It's ironic ... I was teaching my class the flying trapeze ... because I wanted them to learn the value of trust and loyalty. But ... but ... I broke their trust when I let Discord use his powers to force everyone to participate." As she said that last sentence, she tried to restrain herself.

Yona also laughed. "Yona wanted to show how fun yak culture is. But ponies not yaks. They not like same things. And ponies more fragile than yaks."

"So tell me, girls," said Gallus, taking another bite of his dumplings, "what Elements are you teaching again?"

"Honesty!" said Yona.

"Laughter!" said Silverstream.

"Well, Yona," said Gallus, "it seems you did a better job teaching Silverstream's class -- and Silverstream did a better job teaching yours."

Yona and Silverstream scratched their heads. The two laughed again.

"I guess we did!" said Silverstream.

"But not very well," said Yona.

The two girls laughed again. The rest of the Student 6 also laughed.