I look around the locker room, now that silence has fallen between myself, the Wonderbolts - sans Spitfire, and Rainbow Dash’s parents.
Bow is the first to break the silence. “Aita, Windy and I wanted to thank you for showing us that we could be rational about our daughter. I think we have a few things in the halls and that memento room to throw away. We’ll still be her biggest fans, but we’ll also only show it when it counts. Who knows what we would’ve done if you didn’t intervene so early.”
“And now that this is done,” Windy says. “Maybe it’s finally time to get going on your project. No more friendship missions or decisive dilemmas stopping you now.”
“Ooh hoo, yeah.”
Rainbow Dash blinks. “Oh and when you get back to Ponyville, Aita, you might see me with my jacket. I’m gonna see if Rarity can replace the tag to represent my actual name.”
“Why don’t you just get it tailored here?” Soarin’ asks. “That’s what I’m gonna do.”
“Nah, my friend owns a business for that. I’ll do her instead.”
“Well Wonderbolts, it’s been nice talking to you, but now I have to finish my report on the most inspirational pony in my life.”
“Oh, that does remind me,” Rainbow Dash replies to me. “Are you gonna need help with that?”
“No one knows Twilight like I do. If anypony can help me, it’s her.”
The day of me and Scootaloo’s presentations is the day before the Grand Galloping Gala, which happens to take place around the autumnal equinox, at least back in my homeworld. Currently, Scootaloo is wrapping up her presentation.
“...and that’s why Rainbow Dash is my most inspirational pony in my life,” Scootaloo announces for her presentation in school. The class taps their desks in applause.
“Thank you, Scootaloo,” happily says Cheerilee. “Very well researched. You got just the right amount of pictures, and your presentation was fantastic. ‘A’ for you. Now, who’s next?”
Scootaloo runs back to our seat as I raise my hoof.
“Alright Aita, looks like you get to come up next.”
I open my desk and take the scrapbook out, then walk to the front of the classroom. I set the scrapbook on the teacher’s board. I take a deep breath to brace myself.
“Alright, so this was going to be a toss up between Chrysalis and Twilight, but who’s the one with the local castle? Well, we all know why Princess Twilight is inspirational to all of us, but I have relatively personal reasons. See, before Twilight, I lived around humans different from the ones in Canterlot High School. They’re more detailed, but have less skin tone diversity. When I ended up having to leave my homeworld last Hearth’s Warming, Twilight took me in so that I could readily see one of my new peers, Trace Light.
“Ever since, I’ve been in a living heaven. Twilight enrolled me here at this wonderful school, and we know how that turned out. She was the pony who found me in the Everfree Forest so many years ago after running away from my homeworld. She was the one who brainstormed a new game for me. She was also the one, along with Spike and Starlight Glimmer, to find and comfort me after I had to walk out on my own birthday party.
“Not only that, but how could I forget all that she’s done for Equestria. Twilight represents the element of harmony known as magic. She’s helped put so many figures in their place: Nightmare Moon, Discord, King Sombra, Tirek, …Queen Chrysalis-” I blush when I have to mention Chrysalis in such an unflattering way. I’m really hoping she never hears that. Starlight wouldn’t be impressed if I kept going. “Twilight also had a hoof in thrusting Rainbow Dash onto the Wonderbolts reserves, a position that can only be entered through a history test.
“Now, Twilight has a castle rooted from the tree of harmony with a map that calls various ponies to solve a variety of friendship problems, including me. She already has a graduate in the name of Starlight Glimmer, and all of THAT is why Princess Twilight Sparkle is the most inspirational pony I know. WHEW!”
As I give the report, I sprinkle in some pictures, one each from every instance I recap or mention.
At that last stretch, I accumulate a little sweat from all the talking, which I wipe off at the end. My classmates cheer at the report, Cheerilee approaching me to review it.
“Aita… Aita! What an amazing report! Perfect photographic placement, clear and concise recitation, thorough research! Only thing I recommend is to work a bit on the impartiality, but it was otherwise perfect! ‘A plus’! And with that, all the reports are graded; the coveted ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala goes to… Aita!”
The class cheers again as I go back to my seat, floating the ticket I earned into my desk.
“Wow Aita,” Scootaloo remarks as she gets up and offers a hoof bump. “Bow Hothoof actually helped you get a near perfect grade, AND a ticket to the liveliest, fanciest party in Equestria!”
I nod at Scootaloo, then look to the still-cheering crowd. “Thanks everypony. Choosing the subject originated from the recommendations of Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles, the parents of the official Wonderbolt, Rainbow Dash.”
I sit back down on my desk as the crowd of fillies settles down, then I turn to Sweetie Belle. “Who’re you going to take as your plus one, Aita?”
“Huh. I don’t know. I’ll have to see who else has a ticket before I choose that.”
The bell rings, which means class is over. After a long week of parents, map quests and the Wonderbolts, I think it’s time to get a little R ‘n R. I could finally play my DS back at the castle, and for a moment, no care in the world whatsoever.
When the friendship problem was solved, I had collected an experience I never would’ve known I ended up getting. What I learned is that it’s good to stop and breathe so you can think more clearly before things get out of control, that way we can save others as much as trouble as we can. I learned it after my accidental lie, and Bow and Windy learned it when I got them to raise a stink about the outdated policy, that has since been abolished.