//------------------------------//
// Chapter 11 (Pt 2) 
// Story: Your Friends From Across Time 
// by EquestrianKnight97 
//------------------------------//

You walked down a familiar hallway of the school, surrounded by students who were heading in the same direction as you. Just a minute ago or so, a female creature using the school's ceiling speakers announced that the emergency meeting in the main hallway was starting in less than ten minutes, though you were already out of your room by then. 

Hours ago, you were in the dorm bathroom cleaning out the remaining confetti from your mane, before returning back to your room to enjoy some of the snacks that Pumpkin and the others had brought you. While you had your lunch, you listened in on the radio in your room to any updates about the monster attacks. According to the emergency broadcast channel, a few towns, villages, and hamlets were attacked, but most of the damage occurred in central cities such as Chicoltgo, Des Manes, Springfilly, and Lincolt. 

Canterlot, as you expected, received the worst of it.

The death toll was high all around in the major cities, but there were occasional reports that updated the number of survivors and wounded found. In addition, rescue workers from all corners of the kingdom came to the central region to help out the best they could. While the rural areas were left --- mostly --- the same, there were refugee camps situated throughout the hit cities within less than two days, with most citizens leaving their homes to escape the firestorms caused by the explosions. Weather pegasi from cloud cities such as Santa Foal, Cloudsdale, and Las Pegasus offered their assistance through the use of rain clouds. 

All the while, you waited for them to list the names of those who were dead or missing, though you knew the likelihood of hearing such things was low. You at the very least hoped that the survivors in the cities would want to release their names, races, and professions out to the public, in order to placate the fears of their distant relatives and confirm that they were indeed safe from harm. But as the hours went by, all you got was casualty tolls and updates on sections of the cities that were about to catch on fire.

By the time you realized that there were nearly fifteen minutes left until one o'clock PM arrived, you reluctantly turned off the radio and headed out of your room, making your way through the dorms until you finally made it to the main building of the school. You just hoped that you did not miss anything of importance on the radio once you returned.

With another turn to the right, you entered another hallway, and through the opening up ahead you could see rows of creatures sitting in chairs within the main hallway. You were almost there, and you assumed that whatever the headmare had to say would be quick enough for there to be extra time between you and the radio.

But as you got closer to the exit of the hallway, you knew from the sight ahead that you might have to wait a while to get to your seat.

"[Y/N]!" Luster Dawn shouted. 

The mare, wasting no time, trotted over to meet you head-on, and right on her tail were Gallop, Georgia, River Song, Yelena, and Garrick. All six of them held a look of worry on their face, which made your upcoming situation a bit more complicated than you wanted it to be.

"[Y/N]! Are you okay?" the pink unicorn asked. Soon, her friends were by her side with their own comments.

"Yeah, dude. Are you alright?" Gallop asked. "I'm real sorry that we didn't come to help you and Lust, but with everycreature running around trying to get away from that beast, there was too much stuff going on."

You sighed. "It's okay, guys. Really, I'm---"

"No, it's not okay!" River Song interrupted. "That monster almost got the two of you, just like it did with a lot of other creatures before Discord came! And then to make it worse, you got trapped in that magical curse until the headmare got you out of it."

"Yelena was very frightened seeing friend unconscious," Yelena admitted. "We thought the worst when your eyes wouldn't close."

Garrick gave a very audible gulp. "It was really scary seeing you like that. But I'm also really glad that you're okay now."

"Thank you, Garrick," you said plainly. "But I don't think I---"

"So did you really go into the future?" asked River, innocently. "I mean, I know your body was still here, but your mind must have been somewhere else, right? Is it true what Luster said? That the pony races are going to separate later on down the road? What does that mean for Equestria?"

"River, stop it," Georgia admonished. "We don't know if that's the case. It's likely that it's just an illusion curse, like the ones Professor Philosophy talks about."

"But still, why did it happen?" asked Gallop. "What you've been through wasn't the same as what the other creatures went through. [Y/N], did something strange go on before that trance kicked in? I mean, besides from the monster."

You sighed again. "Other than the lightning sparks, I don't have a good idea of why that all happened to me."

"Guys, please," interjected Luster. "I'm pretty sure that they don't want to be bombarded with so many questions." She turned to face you. "But still --- are you okay? Are you sure that you want to be up right now?"

"I'm not really tired anymore. Professor Bloom helped me wake up, and she mentioned how I don't have any injuries. I'll be okay."

"Well, that's good to know," Georgia commented. 

"Yes, very good," Yelena added in.

A sharp chime rang through the hallway, followed by a loud female voice.

"Attention students and staff. The emergency meeting will commence in about five minutes. Please head to the main hallway if you have not done so already."

Gallop spoke up. "I guess that's our call to get going."

Just as you were about to head into the main hallway, Luster stopped you with an extended foreleg in your path. "You guys go on ahead. There's something I need to tell, [Y/N]."

River raised a curious eyebrow. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine. It's just a private thing between the two of us."

"Well... okay, then."

The other five went on their way to their seats, while you looked at the pink unicorn with a light scowl.

"Can I ask what that was all about?"

Luster put her leg down once the others were out of earshot. "I'm sorry about that. But... I just need to ask, especially with what happened before you passed out."

With little effort, you knew what she was going to ask, and that added more fuel to your irritation. "I'm fine. I meant what I said," you declared strongly.

"[Y/N], please. I haven't even told the others. They still don't know where you come from. But there should be at least one creature you should talk to about what happened to your home. And if not me, at least somecreature like Counselor Trixie."

Luster's pleading words, accompanied by her sincere amber eyes, did nothing to shake your conviction.

"There's no reason for me to talk to anycreature about Canterlot, because as far as I know the worst hasn't happened. The radios haven't even revealed the names of the dead yet, Luster. For all I know, I could be lucky, and everycreature from home that I know is okay."

"But, if---"

"No." Stressed, you brought a hoof to your temple. "I'm sure you think you have good intentions, but I don't need some therapist or someone like Counselor Trixie giving me hugs and a teddy bear. Alright?"

If she had another response, you did not wait for it. Once you said what you said, that was the end of the conversation for you. You walked right past her and headed over to the seats. 

The main hallway, as it was known throughout the school, was by far the largest hall in the building. Aside from being the place where the main entrance was, the hallway also included elegant pillars, cold statues, and fancy paintings, and just perpendicular to the hallway were the stairs leading to the headmare's office. Though your interests in this school were non-existent, you had to admit that you were set aback by the architecture of the hallway, which was made mostly of marble, crystal, and stone, when you first arrived for freshmen orientation --- though technically you entered as a sophomore.

The overall design of the school was probably a reason why it received so many tourists every year, some of whom you encountered while on your way to classes.

But today was different. There were no classes to go to, and there would be no more visitors for probably the rest of the year. Today, something big was about to be announced, but you doubt that whatever it was could top what has been happening for the past two days.

Amongst the rows of seats, you chose one in the back that was a bit more isolated from the other students. Sitting down, you looked around at all the other creatures around you. Given the seriousness of recent events, it made sense only a few students here were freely conversing with each other, while the rest were mostly in sober silence. But it was the ones that were more cumbersome, the ones displaying the most serious traits of fear, uncertainty, and anxiety that got your attention.

A few souls gazed off at the ceiling or floor with pained or lost expressions. Some nervously bounced their legs against the floor, and some bit on their thumb, fingers, or forehooves. Others were either holding off tears or letting them flow freely, though nocreature was distressed enough to break down into sobs in public. Those who were fortunate enough to be near a friend or pitying person may have found comfort through a hug or gentle words, but there was no real telling if that would stop their condition. The younger students, and even those around your own age, seemed to be hit the hardest by what had been going on, as they could barely hide their vulnerability. 

The creatures stuck within their grief and despair were of various species, but despite how thick the crowd was, most seemed to be ponies from your observation. For you, that made sense. Ponyville was not the only place attacked by such a horrible monster. Some of these ponies must have come from various places within the center of the kingdom, and there was no doubt that many came from the sites of the explosions and attacks.

As far as you were aware, there had been no mention from the school about parents and guardians wanting the younger students to come home, nor anything about the relatives of the older students reaching out to let them know that they were okay. For all they knew, their loved ones were one of the many unfortunate victims lost to the flames and monsters. 

The scene all around you was nauseating --- it was as if you were onboard a small boat lost in a storming sea, and the turbulence was becoming too much for you, You got up out of your seat and walked through a small vertical space in the hallway that divided the rows of chairs into two different groups. Eventually, you made your way to the very first row on your right and took a vacant seat. You had no immediate neighbors to your right, but there was one student to your left side. Nonetheless, at least you were spared from having to witness the anguish going on in the room.

But now you had another view of something else. Before you, above the stairs leading to the headmare's office, were the staff of the school in their own chairs, who were split on opposite ends of a podium with the school's crest. You recognized your own teachers amongst them. Professors Ocellus, Smolder, and Silverstream sat on the right side of the podium, while professors Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were on the left. 

You could even call out teachers whose classes you did not take, just by their reputation throughout the school and Equestria alone. To the left was Professor Maud Pie, a sister of Pinkie Pie who taught geology and generosity. Though polite, you were always a bit unnerved by the grey earth pony mare's constant deadpan expression. Also to the left was Professor Mudbriar, a grey earth pony stallion with a short brown mane, who taught honesty and the study of sticks --- the formal name of which you could not recollect. You definitely thought that honesty was the best subject for him to teach, as he often, to most creatures' chagrin, corrected them whenever they said something incorrect in his eyes --- usually by starting the sentence with the word 'technically', though he had been trying for many years to erase that habit.

To the right was Professor Coloratura, a blueish-grey earth pony mare who taught music and honesty. She was perhaps one of the more famous teachers in the school, due to her past history as the popstar singer Countess Coloratura. Not too far from Professor Coloratura was a light indigo pegasus mare named Wind Sprint, a former buckball athlete who recently came to the school to teach loyalty and athletics. 

Turning your attention back to the left side of the podium, you spotted two more teachers that you knew. Apollo Mustang, a white pegasus stallion with a long black mane with a grey streak, was a loyalty professor as well as an athletics teacher, but he was best known as a former member of the Sojourners, a group of adventurers of all species types that went around the world helping creatures in need. 

And then there was Sonnet Philosophy, a grey unicorn stallion with glasses who had a curly, greying black mane. Known as the Apostle of Friendship, due to the stories you heard about him from foalhood, Philosophy was also a former Sojourner and was known for his battles against the group of pony supremacists called Zealots. Aside from being a professor of kindness, the stallion also taught a special class known as Magical Defenses, which was taken by all sorts of creatures.

There were also other staff members that you recognized, with most of them being maintenance, library, and dining workers that you would cross from time to time. All of the staff at the top of the stairs, both familiar and unfamiliar, held a solemn look, even when conversing with each other. There was not a single light of joy within the crowd in front of you, and you knew exactly what had snuffed it out.

You saw something shifting in the distance between the two groups of staff members, and soon realized that it was the door to the headmare's office opening. From out of the room came three ponies --- one was Headmare Glimmer, the other was Vice Principal Sunburst, and the last was the main guidance counselor, Trixie Lulamoon, a light blue unicorn mare with a whiteish-blue mane who wore her signature purple dress with yellow and blue stars stitched on. 

The latter two made their way to their own spots with the other staff, while the headmare went forward to the podium. Standing on her hindlegs, Starlight placed her forehooves on the top of the podium near the microphone, and soon enough a metallic scraping sound vibrated throughout the hallway. At once, any talking from the staff and students ceased as everyone delivered their attention to the purple mare.

"Hello and good afternoon, everycreature," she started off saying. "I am pleased that you are all here with me today, and I will assure you all that this meeting will not be long."

A silence fell over the room as the mare stared down at her hooves, which was uncomfortable enough for you to nearly squirm in your seat. Even with her refusing to speak, no other creature in the hallway uttered even a peep. Everyone was in anticipation of what Headmare Glimmer had to say, even if they already had a good guess of what it was.

"I won't try to deny it. I know that everycreature has been scared and uncertain for the past few days --- me included. Several students and staff were injured and cursed by that monster, and it hurts me deeply to know that I can't do much to help them. And worst of all, many towns and cities throughout central Equestria have suffered even worse than Ponyville, and I know that many of you here are from such places and are worrying about your loved ones."

A few sniffles arose from the crowd.

"But please, be assured that there are creatures out there that are working on fixing the damages, and who are also working to ensure that the causes of these tragedies are discovered. Despite the devastation that Canterlot has faced, Princess Twilight is safe and is doing her best to oversee this task. And though it may not change what has happened, from a report last night all of the monsters have been either dealt with or detained and sent to Tartarus. 

"Though the monsters are no longer a problem, in the event that such a time arises that there will be more incidents like the previous days, it is best to know about the nature of these monsters, even if the information we have now is limited. The beasts come in all shapes and sizes, with the largest one being reported as nearly ten meters in height. Nearly all of them have represented some twisted form of an animal, such as a dog, a bear, and even aquatic lifeforms. 

"But the most important thing to know is that these monsters, while aggressive and will hurt those in their path, do not eat or maim their victims. Rather, through their mouth or eyes they perform some type of magical spell that strips away a creature's sense of preservation and social interaction, leaving them mentally impaired. 

"As for the victims at the festival, they are all being watched over at the town's hospital, but soon those who have been cursed will be sent to a specialized psych ward in Fillydelphia where the princess has her main mages and scientists at. They will do all they can to give them efficient treatment and uncover a way to revert their condition. Though there is no certainty that this will happen again, Princess Twilight is not taking any chances. As of this morning, she has ordered that at least one thousand guards be sent to every major city center in the kingdom in the event that more monsters appear. Because Canterlot has taken significant damage, Ponyville will receive said soldiers in less than a day.

"But as principal of this school, there is one more matter that I need to address, and that is what to do with the students under my care. While the world outside of these walls handles its own problems, I must ensure the safety and well-being of all of you here today. For those underage students whose caregivers are still in contact with the school, they will have to return to said caregivers sometime this week upon their request. Those of you who are of age can stay here or leave at your own discretion, but please come to Counselor Trixie's office before making your choice official.

"For underage students whose caregivers the school is unable to contact, they will be allowed to stay on school grounds until further notice. As for the academic semester, it is thus suspended until Princess Twilight has declared the situation solved. However, it would be greatly appreciated if the students who are staying will assist the incoming refugees from Canterlot who will arrive tomorrow. 

"That is all I have to say on the matter for now, but please be on the lookout for further updates. You are all allowed to resume trips to Ponyville, but curfew will remain the same for the minor students. And please remember, despite the present dangers and potential ones ahead, you all have staff members here who are dedicated to protecting you. You are all dismissed."

Another high-pitch rang out as Headmare Glimmer touched the microphone controls. Once she left the podium, both students and staff alike began to get out of their chairs and headed toward their own destinations. You got up from your seat as well, deciding to stretch all of your legs despite the short meeting. You turned right and began to head for your dorm room when you stopped. Ahead of you, and beyond a small crowd, were Luster, Gallop, and the others. They all stood near the hallway that you needed to go through to get to your room.

You bit your bottom lip as a wave of negativity washed over you. Was it best to avoid them and hope that they would not notice you slipping past them? Or should you go another, albeit longer, way around the school to get to the dorms? Either way, the sight of Luster did not make you feel good at all, yet you knew that it was not because Luster would do anything harmful to you. So why were you hesitating to see her?

"[Y/N]?"

You turned around to see Vice-Principal Sunburst staring at you from the stairs above, his face looking concerned, yet not anxious.

"Yes, Vice-Principal?"

"Headmare Glimmer would like to see you in her office. It's very important, and it can't wait."

You looked over to Luster again, thinking about how convenient it was for you to receive a way out of having to converse with her just as you were hoping for one. But as you walked up the stairs behind the vice-principal, you began to wonder if whatever the headmare had in store for you would be truly preferrable to a simple talk with your kindness classmate.