//------------------------------// // Day 2 Part 3: Lessons learnt. // Story: St Trineighans School for Fillies // by SamuelK28 //------------------------------// By the time Scootaloo reached the top of the stairs to the third floor nearly an hour later she wanted nothing more than a shower, some dinner and then her bed, falling asleep with the novel Screwloose had provided her with in her hooves. Instead, she was greeted by a loud wailing and immediately threw back her head in resignation. “Is it so much just to ask for a nice quiet finish to the night?” she muttered to herself rolling back her eyes as she approached the dormitory she shared with her friends, only to see it slam open and a furious looking Rarity storm out. “Woah, what’s wrong? Is it Sweetie?” Scootaloo queried blocking the enraged unicorn’s path. “I’m going to stick their heads on a pike and see how they like it,” Rarity growled pushing Scootaloo aside and continuing back down the corridor that Scootaloo had just come up. “Shit, she’s mad,” Scootaloo said to herself reaching the doorway to her dorm. “Hey, anyone know what’s up with…” She stopped mid-sentence. Even for St Trineighans this was too far. The whole room had been gutted and the walls had been graffitied with words such as “spastics” “idiots” “retards” and many more derogatory slurs whilst in the centre was the only object that remained, a spike with the head of a plush toy Scootaloo knew only too well. It had been Sweetie’s prize possession, a plush pony dragon hybrid called Nirik from an ancient legend Rarity had told her many a time as she recovered from the accident that had robbed her of her parents, her voice and ultimately her confidence. It was one of the few things Sweetie had been happy to strain her magic to talk to Scootaloo about. It was a beautifully handcrafted plush her sister had gifted her for her fifth birthday as she lay in a hospital bed desperately trying not to recall what she heard and saw that fateful night. And now its head had been ripped clean off and left as a message for them almost certainly by two fillies who hadn’t bothered to show up to any classes since P.E. A desolate Sweetie sat in one corner holding the body of her prized possession as Screwball and Fluttershy tried desperately to console her. Standing a little way off, heads down, were Apple Bloom and Ruby. Without a word Scootaloo trotted over and, as Ruby looked up to see who the newcomer was, Scootaloo smacked her hard across the face with a hoof. “What’s the worst they could do?” Scootaloo growled pointing a hoof at Sweetie. “She did fucking nothing but because of your stupidity she’s now suffering the consequences. I’ve a good mind turning you to stone and leaving you that way for the rest of the week but feel this is much better. Look at her. Look at the pain your actions have indirectly caused. All because you couldn’t just turn the other cheek and ignore them like Apple Bloom. Did you not think for even a moment that they wouldn’t retaliate or that they’d target all of us in doing so? Oh wait, sorry, you never do think, do you? You’re just a stupid brain-dead werewolf with an oversized ego who’s trying desperately not to follow in her mother’s drunken hoofsteps yet failing miserably at doing so,” Scootaloo spat the final sentence out like it was poison. Silence engulfed the room. Even Fluttershy and Screwball had turned their attentions away from Sweetie in total shock at the outburst. Tears welled in Ruby’s eyes. “I-I-I,” she started to stammer before her eyes turned red and she attempted to lunge at Scootaloo. Scootaloo didn’t even blink as the werewolf got within millimetres of her face before turning to stone and falling to the floor with a loud thump. “Exactly what I thought.” And with a sorry sigh she turned away and headed back the way she had come. Without looking back, she called to Apple Bloom. “I’m going to help Rarity sort out this mess, you coming?” Apple Bloom took one further look at Ruby on the floor, gulped, and then hesitantly followed Scootaloo. * By the time they’d reached Diamond and Silver’s dorm Rarity was already pounding on the door demanding the two girls open up as two startled older fillies looked on. Slowly a hatch slid back on the door and a calm and collected Diamond Tiara replied, “Yes? Anything we can help you with. Sorry for the security measures but even in our short time here we’ve learned that it’s better to be safe than sorry.” “This is Miss Rarity Belle, your Textiles teacher and head of year one. I’ve just come to ensure everything is all right as apparently neither of you turned up to any of your classes today after Physical Education? Now, I understand classes are not mandatory but it is vital for first-years to turn up to them to see where they would like to focus their studies in future.” Rarity explained gruffly. “If you wouldn’t mind letting me in so that we may discuss the matter further in pony rather than through a door.” “Yeah, no thanks,” Diamond replied nonchalantly. “We’re fine and will be back in class tomorrow. We just had a little accident with some glue and feathers today that needed to be sorted, nothing major.” “Okay, well that’s a relief. Might I ask though why you are refusing to let one of your dormmates in and left all of her belongings out in the hall?” Rarity continued, barely holding back the anger in her voice. Scootaloo could tell the older mare wanted to do nothing more than rip the door of at that moment in time and tear Diamond and Silver apart. “I don’t know what you mean Miss. My daddy specifically paid extra so that me and Silver could have our own dorm all to ourselves. We haven’t evicted anypony,” Diamond replied equally as nonchalantly. “There was a mistake initially and we did have to share our dorm with a couple of ponies for a few nights but they’ve been relocated now. Just ask Principal Moon.” “Oh really?” Rarity replied disbelievingly. “Well, that is news to me. I’ll have to ask her about it in due course. For now, I’ve only one more thing to ask. One of the dorms of your fellow first-years has been callously vandalised whilst they were in lessons. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that or could explain your whereabouts tonight when you should’ve been in lessons?” “Oh dear, I’m sorry to hear that but we didn’t hear or see anything I’m afraid. Hope nothing valuable was taken?” Diamond replied with clearly feigned surprise. Rarity sighed and took a deep breath. “Thankfully they were careful enough not to leave anything truly valuable lying around.” “Well that is…” “Except,” Rarity cut in. “It was my sister’s dorm and something of serious sentimental value to her was heartlessly vandalised. In short, when she was four, she was involved in a house fire and witnessed the demise of our parents. Physically she’s fine but mentally she’s never truly recovered, especially considering the cutie mark she received as a result. During her time recovering in the hospital there was a certain fable that she greatly enjoyed and as a result I spent countless hours making her the perfect physical replica of her favourite character for her fifth birthday. Now, I’m going to ask you one more time, do you know anything about the vandalism, because if you do and you don’t tell me now, the repercussions will be a lot, lot worse. That I can assure you.” “I’m sorry,” Diamond replied, “We’ve been in here quietly reading and playing cards most of the day and haven’t heard anything suspicious, have we Silver?” “No,” Silver Spoon replied. “Maybe the occasional bump and bang but we thought nothing of it at the time.” Rarity took another deep breath. “I see. Well, if you do remember anything that might be of use please come and find me. My sister has done absolutely no harm on purpose to anyone nor would she mean to. Nevertheless, have a great rest of the night and I expect you to be in classes tomorrow or face serious consequences, understood?” “Yes Miss Belle,” Diamond swiftly replied before slamming the hatch shut. It was as Rarity turned that she finally became aware of Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. “That’s it?” Scootaloo growled angrily. “They’re clearly guilty.” “Do you have any proof regarding the matter at hand?” Rarity sighed with the air of a defeated mare, having seemingly expended all of the anger that had bubbled up inside of her. “Well, no but who else had the opportunity and motif to strip our room bare!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “Not to mention what they did to poor Sweetie’s stuffed toy.” Rarity involuntarily twitched as she leant in and whispered to the two fillies, “No matter how guilty somepony may be without evidence there is no case, especially when the families of the fillies involved have donated so much money to the school. That does not mean I cannot make the next six years a living Tartarus for them within reason.” Scootaloo wilted as she saw the glint in Rarity’s eye as a crazed smile crossed the older mare’s face. It was only there for a split second but Scootaloo caught it. Damn she wouldn’t like to be in Diamond’s hooves right now. “Now, come along, girls; we’ve a lot of work to do to refurbish your room before the night is over. I feel lots of pillows and blankets are in order. We’ll have to repaint as well but we’ll save that for later in the week. I’m also going to need Ruby’s help in particular as well on a certain project; where is that rascal by the way?” Rarity said with a warm smile as she turned and began heading back to Scootaloo and Apple Bloom’s dorm. Scootaloo suddenly looked like she’d been hit by a train. Rarity was going to be so mad at her for what she’d done. “W-we kind of had a fight. Some words were said and I ended up turning her to stone,” Scootaloo awkwardly admitted. “I see,” Rarity responded slowing just a tad. Scootaloo immediately took her response as a cue for her to continue. “I kind of called her a stupid brain-dead werewolf with an oversized ego who’s trying desperately not to follow in her mother’s drunken hoofsteps yet failing miserably at doing so,” Rarity stopped in her tracks and turned her head back to face Scootaloo. “And did you mean that?” “No,” Scootaloo confessed, head drooping. “I was just super mad with her for not listening to me again and how her actions had indirectly hurt Sweetie.” Rarity sighed. “What did Fluttershy tell you to do in such situations?” “To take a deep breath and count to ten,” Scootaloo murmured, head still down. “Precisely. And what about if you forget that and say something you regret?” Rarity went on. “Apologise and ask for their forgiveness.” “Well, what’re we waiting for then?” Rarity questioned as she began trotting to the fillies’ dormitory once more. * The last thing Ruby expected when one of the teachers inevitably got a hold of Scootaloo and forced her to turn her back into a fully living being was for the other filly to proceed to throw her forehooves around her neck and blubber into her chest like an infant. Yeah, Ruby was still mad at Scootaloo for what she said and for turning her to stone but honestly, why what her friend had said had struck a nerve was because, in all honesty, it was true. She was too impulsive and she definitely did drink too much. “I-I’m so sorry,” Scootaloo blubbered into Ruby’s chest. “I-I w-was a-angry and u-upset. I-I didn’t m-mean what I said. Y-you’re a great friend Rubes a-and…” she paused as Ruby placed her head atop her own. “Hey, you don’t owe me an apology. Being turned to stone gave me some time to think. I fucked up massively and deserved to be told a few home truths for doing so. Still, I did not appreciate being turned to stone.” She lifted a paw and raked a claw down Scootaloo’s back. Scootaloo twitched momentarily but did nothing to stop her friend. “Werewolf code?” “Werewolf code. That’ll leave a nice scar for you to tell stories about in the future. How the great cockatrice master fended of a whole pack of werewolves single hooved,” Ruby chuckled. Scootaloo returned the chuckle as she slowly released her friend from the bear hug. “So, still friends?” she asked wiping away the tears from her face. “Of course, dunderhead,” Ruby replied. “Now, how can I make it up to Sweetie?”