//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Hopes and Dreams at Canterlot High // by Rainbow Sparkle //------------------------------// The practice went on for another hour and a half, before some students started heading home on their own or with their parents. Frisk got to know quite a few of them making a few new friends alongside that of Applejack and Rainbow Dash, whom they were helping put away the soccer gear they’d been making use of. Frisk had made a pretty good impression on all of them, they felt. They’d done tolerably enough in the various positions, though where they seemed to shine was as goalie. Still, they’d been able to keep up with most of the other players, and had had a blast getting to play a sport they’d not played in a while. Of course, there was something that Frisk knew was going to come up before too long. If not today, some other day when they were hanging out with these two or any of her new friends. That being… “Hey uh, Frisk? Can I ask a uh, personal question?” Applejack began as they placed the last of the gear back inside the athletics shed. Frisk couldn’t help but smirk a bit, having a very good idea of just what the cowgirl was about to ask. “By all means, go right ahead AJ.” “Thank ya kindly.” Applejack replied, then just launched on into it. “So uh, I noticed that some of the others referred to ya as a boy, or a girl, and uh, you didn’t bat an eye at either.” Rainbow Dash perked up. “Oh yeah, I noticed that too. Ya seemed pretty chill about it. Made me kind of wonder but eh, not really my business.” “W-Well I uh, don’t wanna be rude and use the wrong word and all… So uh, I guess what I’m trying to ask is-” Applejack began, only for Frisk to turn and face them both, raising their hands up with a smirk on their face. “If you’re trying to ask if I’ve got dangly bits between my legs, the answer is yes.” Applejack’s face went as red as an apple, and her mouth just flapped open and shut a few times. Rainbow Dash in the meantime let out a whoop and a holler, having to brace herself against the door as she started laughing her ass off. Frisk could only contain their own mirth for a couple more seconds before they started chortling as well. “Always love answering it like that.” Frisk said as they walked over and gave Applejack a soft shake to the shoulder. She managed to clamp her jaw shut at that as Frisk explained a bit further. “Born a guy, but I’ve always liked girly stuff. My Uncle, before he passed, used to describe me as more of a tomboy than anything. And plenty of folks have called me a girl before.” Frisk shrugged their shoulders as they said, “I really don’t mind either way. Guy, Girl, he, she, they… whatever someone is most comfortable with is what I usually say.” “Ah, I uh, gotcha. I uh, I think I’ll just use they then.” Applejack mumbled, tipping her hat down to cover her blushing as Rainbow Dash continued to giggle and chuckle. “Hooo man… You’ve sure got attitude, Frisk. Just full of surprises. You’re gonna fit in real well here.” She said, wiping some tears from her eyes as she managed to collect herself. “Hehe, glad you think so.” Frisk said, then rubbed the back of their head sheepishly as they said, “And uh, if ya both could do me a huge favor and not tell my Mom I described it like that? She’s uh, not all that happy when I talk about things in such a crude manner.” Rainbow Dash made a zipping motion over her lips. “She won’t hear a thing from me.” “I think I’d be too embarrassed to repeat it.” Applejack mumbled, the blush on her cheeks finally starting to settle down as she just shook her head, leading the way back over to Principal Celestia. However, she and Rainbow Dash both stopped dead in their tracks when they saw who the Principal was speaking with. Frisk however, smiled and dashed forward, throwing their arms out and practically glomping the tall Boss Monster as they exclaimed, “Mom~! How’d the interview go~? Did it go well? Are you going to be a teacher here?” Toriel chuckled, scooping Frisk up in a tight embrace of her own, then set the eager teen down as she said, “Relax my child. Yes, it went well, and as the Principal here was just telling me, it's quite likely I’ll at least be a faculty member of some sort.” Celestia nodded. “There are several qualified individuals who’ve applied before Toriel here had expressed interest. However, Luna and I both think having her working with the school in some capacity would be of value to all of our students.” “Principal Celestia was suggesting perhaps a role as Guidance Counselor, or a Human-Monster Relations officer.” Toriel remarked, earning a quirk of an eyebrow from Frisk. “Isn’t that my job as Ambassador for the Monster Kingdom?” Toriel nodded. “Yes, but while the King has given such a role to you, it doesn’t really have any official power or influence outside of the Monster community, at least right now. To many, it is likely you’d just be seen as another student. Whereas if I’m a member of the School faculty…” Frisk had already dipped their head as they considered such. “You’d have administrative backing and legitimacy.” They grinned as they turned their gaze back up to Toriel. “That makes sense, and sounds like a good idea!” “They’re quite quick to catch onto these things, aren’t they?” Celestia asked with a chuckle. Toriel just beamed and gave Frisk a squeeze as she pulled her to her side, patting their head. “Frisk is quite the smart and wise child. Sometimes I forget they are as young as they are.” Crossing their arms, Frisk pouted and said, “Hey, I’m not that young. I’m 14.” “Even by Human standards, that is still young.” Toriel remarked with a chuckle, before glancing to the slowly approaching forms of Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Their expressions were both colored with some surprise, but Rainbow Dash seemed more excited. Especially as she wrapped an arm around Frisk and gave them a noogie and a poke to the chest. “I knew I’d seen and heard of ya before! I just couldn’t put my finger on it!” Rainbow Dash said before letting go. “You’re the kid that helped free all those Monsters from that magical prison under a mountain a year ago!” “Doesn’t that sort of make them a hero of sorts?” Applejack asked, which caused Frisk to blush and dip their head sheepishly… Though only for a moment as memories of the last year bubbled up. “Not if you ask most folks back in Ebott.” They replied through gritted teeth, earning winces from Rainbow Dash and Applejack alike. Toriel gently rubbed at their head, which helped Frisk push such feelings away. “Yer not exactly what I’d think of when someone says ‘Monster’.” Applejack remarked, tilting their head this way and that a bit. “Ya look a bit more like a goat or a cow to me.” Toriel chuckled at that. “You are not the first to say that. And I doubt you will be the last. Still, it is what I am. There are others like me, but many Monsters are quite varied in shape and form. Which you will see in time as more of us get settled here in this lovely city.” Her gaze grew a bit firm as she added,  “Just remember, no matter what any of us may look like, we’re just people wanting to enjoy and live out our lives in peace.” She smiled, as did Frisk, as both girls gave nods of affirmation. “We’ll remember.” They both said, then Rainbow Dash squirmed about a bit, drawing curious looks from the others. It took a moment more of shy, almost embarrassed squirming before Rainbow Dash spoke up. “This might be a bit of a weird question… but uh… Can I give you a hug?” She blushed at the look of surprise from AJ and bemusement from Celestia and stammered out, “W-What?! I-It’s just… I-I wanna see how soft her fur is! C-C’mon, she looks like she could easily be a soft life size plushie!” Toriel and Frisk couldn’t keep themselves from giggling and chortling at that, respectively. Thankfully for Rainbow Dash, she didn’t have to deal with their amusement for long as Toriel went ahead and pulled RD into a gentle hug. Which she nearly melted into even as her cheeks turned brighter and she closed her eyes, returning it and nuzzling into Toriel’s middle. “It is alright child. I quite enjoy giving out hugs to those who want them, young and old alike.” Applejack looked at the rather content look on Rainbow Dash’s face, rubbed her arm a bit, then chuckled a bit as she came over and joined it with an “Ah heck, might as well.” Frisk happily joined in, chuckling as they nuzzled into Toriel’s side as Toriel gave the three of them a squeeze, nuzzling each of their heads. “Super fluffy and huggable, isn’t she~?” Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s responses were muffled, as they were both snuggling into her middle. Frisk and Toriel both shared a look, Toriel beaming as she said, “Just like the first time you gave me a hug, my child.” Frisk smiled and nodded, smirking as they saw the tinge of pink come to their friends faces as they reluctantly pulled away. It was good timing for such as well, as a pair of voices called out from the sidewalk, drawing everyone’s attention. An older lady and a middle aged man with rainbow hair were waving towards the group, curiosity in their eyes as they spotted Toriel. “Hehe, guess it's time we skedaddled.” Applejack said with a chuckle, rubbing the back of her head briefly as Rainbow Dash waved to what Frisk could only assume was her father. “We’ll see ya’ll around, alright Frisk?” “Sure thing! Oh, but first!” Frisk replied, quickly pulling out their cell phone as they tapped a few buttons. They then showed their number to RD and AJ as they said, “Why don’t we exchange numbers, that way we can get together again before school starts.” “Hehe, not a bad idea. I definitely wanna hear more about all ya did in the Underground~! It sounds like it was a crazy awesome adventure!” Rainbow Dash said, hastily spitting out her number before bidding a “See ya~!” as she dashed over to her dad.  Applejack just shook her head, and happily supplied RD’s number alongside her own before heading off to her grandmother. Leaving Toriel and Frisk by themselves with Principal Celestia. “Probably a good time for the two of you to head on home, since not much else is going on right now here. My Sister and I will be heading home soon ourselves.” Celestia remarked, earning a nod from Toriel. “One of us will get in touch once we know whether we’ll be taking you on as a teacher or just a member of the faculty.” “Of course. There is no rush.” Toriel remarked, before looking at Frisk as she asked, “Shall we head home then, or did you want to look around the neighborhood some more.” Frisk looked at the time on their phone. “It’s nearly six o’clock, should probably head home so we can get dinner going. We have to wake up early tomorrow, so we can help as more Monsters arrive to get settled in.” “That we do.” Toriel said, giving Celestia a nod and a bow. “Be seeing you around Principal Celestia.” “Take care!” She said with a nod, heading back into the school as Toriel took Frisk’s hand and they made their way back home. All along the way, Frisk told Toriel about the many new friends they’d made during the practice, and even before they got home, Frisk was already getting texts from Applejack and Rainbow Dash wanting to try and meet up later this coming week. “I’m so happy to know you’re already making so many friends.” Toriel said as they arrived home and walked into the kitchen. “I shouldn’t be surprised, given how easily you made friends in the Underground, but after the last year…” Frisk waved such off. “That’s just because of all those rude parents in Ebott. Had a few folks back there try to stay friends with me, but well…” Frisk shrugged, but grinned. “After a day here though, I’ve got a great feeling about this city.” “As do I. Let us keep our hopes high that such feelings bear out over the next year.” Toriel remarked as she opened the fridge. “Now then, on a different note, why don’t you come help this old lady figure out what we’re eating tonight?” “As long as it’s not snails, I think I can do that.” Frisk said with a laugh, chortling at the mock pout their mother gave them before joining in their mirth as Frisk hurried on over to take a peek with her. -*- The next two and a half weeks went by very much in a busy blur for Frisk. There wasn’t a single day where Frisk wasn’t doing something, be it at home, around the neighborhood, or anywhere else in Canterlot. Much of the first week was taken up assisting with the resettlement of Monsters from Ebott. Even with the help and friendliness of the city, after the treatment from Ebott quite a few Monsters needed reassuring at times. Something Frisk was more than happy to help with, alongside helping a fair few get their things moved in. When they weren’t helping with that, Frisk was exploring the city, often with the assistance of Sans or Papyrus who were working to get the lay of the town themselves. Sans, unsurprisingly, seemed to already know quite a bit of where everything was, much to Papyrus’s annoyance. Frisk just chalked it up as another thing of “Sans being Sans” and carried on as they were. During the second week, Frisk got more of an opportunity to meet and hang out with their two newest friends, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, and to introduce them to their many friends they had made in the Underground. They got along rather well with everyone, with Rainbow Dash and Undyne getting along exceptionally well. It was then that the two told Frisk that they both had some mutual friends they’d love to bring over, allowing Frisk and company a chance to meet three other girls that would be among Frisk’s many classmates in the coming school year.  There was Rarity, a girl obsessed with fashion and design but also with a rather generous spirit. And Fluttershy, a meek and timid girl who was quite a bit startled at first when meeting the others, especially the boisterous Papyrus. But she had quite a kind heart, and the pet rabbit she had with her seemed to take a liking to Sans, much to her surprise. Then there was, well… Pinkie Pie. With her name being used by the other four as the best descriptor that could be given. She got along great with everyone, but seemed to enjoy the company of the skele-bros above all else.  She was rather eccentric, as much as Sans could be, and from what the others told Frisk, she absolutely loved throwing parties. And pranks, jokes, gags, capers and japes. Oh, and much to the joy of Sans and Toriel (and the annoyance of Papyrus) she was also a lover of puns. As happy as they were to make more friends, things were still quite busy. Even with the reluctant help from Ebott, there were still more Monsters needing to resettle. And if Alphys’s count was right, it wouldn’t be until the middle of the next month or so that all of them had made it over. Fortunately, all five of them turned out to be more than willing to volunteer to help Frisk out with giving tours of the city and doing what they could to make the Monsters of the Underground as welcome as they could.  Their interest, eagerness, and compassion was well received, and Frisk found themselves already growing rather fond of them. They were a bit of an odd group, not the sort you would have expected to form such a circle of friends, but they all just seemed to sort of… click together.  Much as Frisk had with the Monsters, now that they thought about it. Maybe it was one of those whims of fate sort of things their Uncle had liked to talk about. Regardless, by the end of the second week, it was time to focus on something different. Specifically, getting enrolled at Canterlot High, something which Frisk was rather looking forward to. Especially once Toriel shared with them that she would in fact get to be the new literature teacher, as the former teacher quit after eloping and skipping town with an old college flame. The school was bustling with activity as Frisk and Toriel arrived, many students of all ages and years talking excitedly with one another. Some went quiet as they saw them both, but many became even more animated. Quite a few girls, and even some guys, rushed over to ask all sorts of questions… the biggest two of which were, unsurprisingly, if they could feel Toriel’s fur or give her a hug. Bemused, the pair slowly made their way into the school and headed towards the gymnasium where enrollment was taking place. The lines for each year were full of students and parents alike. Frisk and Toriel quickly found the line for the freshmen year and joined it, with Frisk smiling as they saw Applejack and her older brother, Big Mac, in the line with their grandmother. As soon as Applejack spotted them, she waved and murmured something to Granny Smith, who just nodded and gave her a pat on the head. Applejack quickly hurried over, beaming at them both and giving each a quick hug. “Heya you two~! Heard word on the grapevine that you’re gonna be one of the new teachers this year.” She said to Toriel, who quirked her eyes before smiling as realization dawned on her. “Doubtless heard such from your grandmother.” At Applejack’s nod, Toriel gave a nod. “You’ve heard right. I do trust you’re not going to expect preferential treatment since you are one of our friends.” Applejack snickered at that. “I ain’t the sort to have such expectations ma’am. I always aim to do my best in every class honestly. Rainbow Dash on the other hand.. Well, she might have slightly different expectations.” “I heard that!” RD said as she strolled over, a duffle bag slung over one shoulder. “You know me AJ, I never cheat at anything.” “Yeah, ya just bend the rules a bit sometimes is all!” Quipped Pinkie Pie as she hopped on over, a plethora of pony headbands, tails, and other school spirit items bursting from a box she was balancing rather precariously on her head. Rainbow Dash glared at her a bit, while Fluttershy and Rarity walked on over to join them. “A-Are you excited about starting school here Frisk?” Fluttershy asked softly, to which Frisk gave a firm nod. “Of course they are darling~!” Rarity said with flair, draping an arm over Frisk’s shoulder as she added, “Especially once they see the set of outfits I’ve started working on for them.” Frisk blushed and rubbed the back of their head sheepishly. “Rarity, I told you you don’t have to do that for me…” Rarity smirked. “Yes, but I want to. Besides, your wardrobe needs a bit of variety to it.” “Nothing wrong with wanting to keep outfits simple.” Applejack chimed in, earning a snort of amusement from the fashionista. “I can agree with that to a point. But even you have more variety than Frisk does. Heck, Rainbow Dash has more variety than they do. Even if she rarely shows such.” RD snickered a bit at that as she rubbed her own head sheepishly, while Frisk could only blush more, shifting a bit into Toriel’s side as their mother just smiled and ruffled their hair. “Relax my child. A few new outfits won’t do any harm.” “I know… just used to what I prefer is all.” Frisk replied, earning a soft smile from Rarity. “You’ll be pleased to know I’ve kept your preferred colors in mind. I’m even including some flexibility in how you want to wear them too~” Rarity replied as she and the others moved along with them as the line shifted forward. “Hey uh, you do know ya don’t have to stand in line with your Mom for enrollment right?” Rainbow Dash asked, earning a nod from Frisk. “I already talked over the electives and stuff, but I want to go over it all the same. Why’d ya ask?” Pinkie Pie sprung forward, pulling Frisk into a tight hug as she said, “Because we were thinking we could give you our own special tour of the school! And the sooner we do, the sooner we can get to the party~!” “Party?” Frisk asked, looking at the other girls. Fluttershy was the first to respond. “I-It’s b-become a sort of tradition for the senior class to host a party during enrollment. To c-celebrate their final year and to welcome the new students becoming freshmen.” Applejack nodded. “We couldn’t go last year because it’s for freshmen and up, but Pinkie here, being the party girl she is, knows all about it and has been itching to check it out.” Frisk couldn’t help but smile at that, looking up to Toriel as they asked, “Think it’d be okay if I joined them?” Toriel, who had been listening to the exchange with one ear as she gave her cell phone a quick check, nodded. “Of course my child. Though I would like to ask them to be patient and wait til we’ve finished your enrollment. After that, I need to attend a meeting with some of the other faculty, so I’ll likely be preoccupied for a time anyways.” The girls and Frisk nodded their heads at that, with Rarity saying they’d be waiting out in the hallway for Frisk when they were done. Frisk turned their attention to the line, soon getting a bit antsy as it seemed like it was taking forever for their line to inch forward. But soon enough, they were at the table and Frisk was going over the form and filling everything out with Toriel’s rare bit of help. There weren’t a lot of electives available for freshmen, but Frisk had decided they wanted to try their hand at the Art and Drama classes. With that sorted and situated, Frisk gave Toriel a hug as they left the gym, then made their way over to their waiting friends as they asked, “So, this tour gonna be the same as the one some of the teachers and principal are giving, or…?” Pinkie popped up besides Frisk with a wide grin that should have been practically impossible. “Nope, we’re gonna show ya all our favorite hangout spots too~! And swap some stories about our life along the way!” “Hehe, sounds fun. Alright girls, lead on!” Frisk said, pointing a finger forward as they just chuckled in turn, AJ and RD soon taking the lead alongside Pinkie Pie as Rarity and Fluttershy walked alongside them. Together, they went through the school, the girls pointing out all the classrooms and giving commentary on the subjects they did and didn’t like. Along the way, they shared stories of some of the hijinks they’d gotten into over the years since leaving Elementary School.  They shared some low points as well, such as a time when Rarity was getting ‘gently’ nudged towards trying to be more athletic and sporty by her dad. Frisk went ahead and told them some of their own stories from their time in school. They’d been the sort that nearly everyone was friends with, at least before they came back down Mt. Ebott when the Monsters had been freed.  When they mentioned that the last year had been one where they were mostly homeschooled by their mom, which led to all the girls asking a bit more about Toriel herself. Most of it seemed to be trying to gauge what to expect when they were in her class, but Pinkie Pie and Rarity seemed more inclined to learn a bit more about her as a person. As for the hangout spots, they had quite a few. The two most popular ones were the bleachers by the soccer field, and one of the rooms reserved for music practice. It was then that Frisk learned that all of them were at least somewhat musically inclined, the five of them knowing how to play at least one instrument. Frisk wasn’t exactly sure what to make of the short, impromptu music number that followed this revelation. Or the fact that even they joined in a little bit. The fact none of them seemed all that fazed about it left Frisk to assume it was a common enough occurrence between them, so best to just go with the flow and not think about it. The tour took only about an hour, and ended with Pinkie taking the lead out to the party going on. Though well, with the booths and stuff set up all over the football field, Frisk was more inclined to call it a festival. Still, whatever it was called, plenty of folks were having lots of fun. “Folks really seem to like this school, don’t they?” Frisk asked the others as Pinkie Pie quickly vanished into the crowd, dragging Rainbow Dash along with her. “Eyup!” AJ remarked with a grin, looping an arm around Frisk as she added, “Course, it is still school, so it's not all fun and games, but Principal Celestia works hard to try and encourage students and teachers alike to make school as enjoyable as possible for everyone.” Frisk could only nod, tagging along after the others. Though not for long as it would turn out. A soft ‘ding-a-ling’ from their phone drew their attention. Pulling it out, they found a text from their mother waiting for them. ‘Meeting finished, and just finished a call with Asgore. There’s a big dinner the Mayor is hosting tonight to celebrate how smoothly the resettlement is going, and we’ve both been invited. It’s not for another few hours, but I figure heading home now will ensure we have plenty of time to be ready.’ Frisk quickly typed out an affirmative and a ‘be out front soon’ right back as they turned back to AJ and the others. “Sorry girls, looks like I have to skip out a bit early. Mom and I have been invited to a formal dinner with the Mayor, and she wants to head home now.” “Oh my, that sounds absolutely lovely.” Rarity said, a hint of envy in her voice as Frisk just shrugged. “I’ve only been to a few. Things like this are usually boring. But well, I am the Ambassador to the Monster Kingdom… and even divorced, Mom’s still the Queen, so I have to get used to this sort of thing. “ They smiled though, giving the three of them a quick hug as they said, “I’ll be sure to share anything interesting that happens with all of ya tonight!” They happily returned the hugs and bid them farewell, Frisk turning and heading back inside the school. They’d thought about going around the school, since Toriel had parked on the sidewalk, but decided going through would be faster. As Frisk reached the courtyard, they spotted Toriel standing off by the car. She gave an expectant nod as Frisk moved to hurry over… Only to stop as they heard a strange, rippling sound from behind them. Followed almost immediately by a feminine yelp and a thud, as well as a sound like tinkling glass. Toriel had heard it as well, and was hurrying over even as Frisk turned around to look for the source. Wait… where’d it even come from? No one was out here… At first, they didn’t spot anyone or anything. Then they saw what looked like a decent sized gemstone of a bright, vibrant green hue roll from the back of the statue occupying the center of the courtyard. They also heard a groan, and so Frisk hurried around and found… A girl, on her side. There was a bump already forming on her head where her face had met the walkway, and next to her was a bag that had spilled some of its contents open. Contents which were now strewn about a bit over the ground nearby, and which only aroused more curiosity from Frisk. Gemstones, two books with writing she didn’t recognize… and gold coins that looked rather like the kind the Monsters used. As confused as they were, Frisk recognized someone in need of some help and hurried over. They helped gather the things and put them back in the bag, then as the girl started to push herself up, Frisk smiled as they reached a hand out. “Hey, you alright?” The girl’s eyes instantly shot open. Surprise and confusion was clear on her face as she took Frisk in, and Frisk got the intense suspicion that they weren’t what the girl had expected to see. The girl’s confusion only seemed to grow as she looked herself over, bringing her hand before her and looking at it as if she was seeing it for the first time in her life. “I’m uh… fine.” She offered in a moment, adding, “I just tripped is all.” Somehow, Frisk didn’t quite buy that, but didn’t contest it as she tried to get up again on her own. When she nearly fell flat on her face again, she hesitantly looked to Frisk’s outstretched hand and moved to take it. “T-Thanks, I uh, guess.” She said as Frisk helped her up, reaching for her bag back when Frisk held it out to her. Then her eyes went wide as Toriel came around the corner, concern on her face as she asked, “Is everything alright my child?” “Well I-” Frisk began, only to watch as the girl’s eye twitched. She let out a sound that sounded distinctly… equine. Then promptly crumpled to the ground as she went clean unconscious. “I think I’ll take that as a no?” Toriel offered, looking now just as confused as the girl had. Frisk however looked at the bag they were holding, then at the area around where they’d found the girl. Who very much had not been there when they’d passed by it. They gave the statue base nearby a frown. Something about it seemed rather… off. It almost looked like it was shimmering slightly, the way some stone would when the sun hit it just right. Except right now, it was in the shade. So it shouldn’t be shimmering. Something didn’t add up. And the only one who could give any immediate answers was conked out on the sidewalk before them. A determined glint appeared in their eye as they glanced over to Toriel and said, “Slight change of plans Mom. We’re not going straight home… We’re swinging by Alphys’s place. I need to ask her a few things.”   Handing Toriel the girl’s bag, they moved over and with a grunt, hefted the young lass up. “And she’s coming with us.”