//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Lost Tales of Equestria: Solitude // by MetalSlimeEater //------------------------------// "Good morning, class!" Even standing outside of the classroom, the stallion could hear the shrill voice of the teacher on the other side of the oak door beside him. From what the EEA had told him, the teacher inside the was a Ms. G'nome, an older mare and was a rather highly regarded expert on the subject of chemistry. She had apparently asked for him by name to help open up the topic to her students...though why she decided to waste her talents simply teaching students and not making advancements in science was a mystery to the stallion. Maybe she did try to follow that path, and met enough resistance to where she settled for less? The stallion pondered, adjusting the collar of his labcoat as he tried push that particular thought out of his mind as he heard the old mare speak up again, her voice somehow getting higher pitched. "As you all know, our subject this week was on the topic of inebration and it's diverse effect on different creatures. Today, I called in a expert in this field to help you all understand why this subject was recently added into your curriculum alongside your regular lessons." That would be my cue then... The unicorn straightened the coat around his body and opened the door, walking into the class just as G'nome introduced him. "Welcome in Dr. Alcol, the leading scientist in Alcohology and the guest speaker for todays class." The mare, sporting (In the doctors opinion) a rather sickly green shade of coat and a pale white mane that barely reacher her neck, took a seat by her desk and allowed Alcol to take center stage. "Greetings everyone, how are you all today?" Alcol began, and as expected most of the class seemed taken aback from the baritone voice that emerged from the navy blue unicorn in front of them, allowing the doctor a moment to scan his audience and see what he was working with. As expected, mostly unicorns in this course, with the exception of a couple earth ponies in the back. His eyes quickly shifted from specifics among each student to a general glance at the class as a whole. And only one stallion in a class thirty-two strong? A shame more stallions don't appreciate the finer arts of a higher education. A yellow hoof went up in the front row, and Alcol motioned to it with a nod as two ember eyes interlocked with his silvery irises. "What exactly are you explaining to us, Sir?" The young mare asked in a voice that wavered in and out of maturity. Alcol made note of the rather large amount of note taking materials on her desk compared to the other classmates, and couldn't help but smile. She must one of the more studious among the others here, yet she seems a few years younger than the other students...another prodigy unicorn in one decade? "I'm glad you asked." The doctor replied, and pulled a bottle of Applejack DanielsTM (Paid for at quite the low price from a farm in ponyville, in which the farm mare had given him a 50% discount alongside a mailing address he never planned on writing back to) and let it levitate beside him with a touch of pale-white magic. "This, as most of you probably know, is Alcohol. Now, when a pony consumes a certain amount of this beverage they can find themselves under a myraid of possible side effects depending on multiple factors such as age, gender, or even your race." Glancing at several faces in the crowd to make sure the majority of them were following along, and seeing that they were, the doctor continued. "Now, who could list off a few of these effects for me? Don't be shy, now." "Loss of orientation and stability during flight for Pegasi!" An eager mare in the back of the class called out before realizng how loud she had been and hunkering down in a red-faced ponypile of embarrassment on her desk, refusing to look the doctor in the eye as some of her classmates giggled at the outburst. "Unpredictable and uncontrollable magic surges in unicorns and their attempts at spells." A quieter, yet even moreso detached mare answered as well, seeming to be interested in writing in her notepad than paying much attention to the doctor. "A-A severed connection from the land for earth ponies, alongside losing the ability to control their natural strength." The lone stallion among the class spoke up, though his gaze seemed to darken somewhat, making the doctor wonder if his answer came from experiencing the effects somehow. "All correct answers, alongside the general effects of being inebrated such as an impaired mental ability and decision making and the rather horrible hangover the next day." With a quick flash of his horn, the bottle floating next to him began to do a small spin as the Alcol continued his lecture. "Now, what unique effects does inebration do to a griffon? Or perhaps a changeling, if they can even get drunk at all?" The class was collectively quieter now, and their rather obvious lack of knowledge on the subject at hand was exactly why Alcol had began his research in this subject to begin with. "I have noticed no one seems as eager to respond to these questions, and that is why I am here." The spinning bottle stops as it drops right into an outstreched hoof by the doctor and safely placed back on the inside of his lab coat. "As you all know, a few weeks ago the Elements of Harmony and a solid portion of creatures from around the world banded together to turn a group of rampaging villians to stone. After which, the princess of friendship officially opened our borders to all species that seeked friendship and harmony, thereby ending any ideals and previous connotations of a harmony for ponies only." Taking a second to clear his throat and gauge the room once more, finding he now had everponies attention, the doctor smile grew ever slightly wider. "Of course, with such an act, the princess has managed to cause a massive upheavel of the education system, especially when it comes to both biological, historical and economical studies of these new creatures that are now an active part of our community. Which is why its important that you all not only know what inebration does to your fellow ponies, but to our new fellow creatures as well." Rolling his neck and hearing a delightful pop (one that left a few ponies shaken, to the doctors amusement) Alcol motioned to the chalkboard behind him depicting what looked like a blunt syllabus for the semester with a hoof. "In fact, from here on out expect quite a few changes to all of your classes to better educate both yourselves and your fellow students on the inner workings of our new friends." Turing back to the class, Alcol let his smile drop as his demeanor switched to business mode, dropping all pretenses of making this lesson about fun and games. "Now, be ready to copy down what I say next..." "I must thank you for sticking around and speaking to each of my classes, Doctor." G'nome exclaimed joyfully as she cleaned off her chalkboard and turned to Alcol with a beaming smile. "I knew I made a right choice in asking for you, your reputation precedes you well." Giving the mare a simple nod, Alcol waved away the praise as he put his lab coat back on. Over the course of the classes he had agreed to lecture, it had slowly gotten hotter in the building, forcing the doctor to leave his coat off for the last two classes that day. Multiple of the students had quite the reaction when walking in on a sweaty stallion undressing in front of their professor... It had taken half the class period to stop the gossip train from leaving that particular station. "Speak nothing of it, Professor. Any chance to help better educate others in my research is a gem that regretfully doesn't happen too often." Of course, he'd rather do it with other scientists than a bunch of greenhorns, but the good doctor decided to keep that to himself. "And what a necessary subject as well. With all these new creatures and their health and dietary needs to account for, the last thing we need is for something dreadful to happen to somepony due to somepony's ignorance." For a brief moment, the doctor froze as his gaze hardened. Standing in place for a second, he shook the stupor off long enough to give the elderly professor in front of him a curt nod. "...Right, well take care Ms. G'nome." Alcol replied before teleporting out of the room in a white flash, leaving a rather confused mare in his wake. "Oh dear, was it somthing I said?" The mare asked aloud, unaware that a couple blocks away another flash of light illuminated Alcols return to his office, though the doctor barely registered this fact as his thoughts were elsewhere. "Somepony's ingorance, huh?" Alcol whispered as he glanced at a picture on the desk in front of him that was laying face down, and had done so for several years. "Why do old ponies have to be so good at pressing buttons." Sitting down in his desk chair, a rather nice velvet seat with little wheels on the bottom to allow for random bursts of fun in the office, the doctor laid his head on the desk and took in the oh so familiarity of his second home. Each wall that didn't have a window or a bookshelf blocking it was lined with pictures and achievements Alcol had massed over a near decade of working in Alcohology. He still found it apalling that he had been the first of ponykind to try and study what other creatures effects from achohol were, even back then when the idea of a inclusive harmony would get you laughed out of Canterlot. Pulling that same bottle of Applejack Daniels from his coat, Alcols thoughts kept drifting back to what that mare had said, something said so nonchalantly with no intention of summoning the skeletons in his closet but had done so regardless. "It's been almost a decade since then...I've pushed the limits of modern day science and alcohol studies to the brink and back, and I STILL can't get you out of my head!?!" Slamming the bottle against the doorway across from the doctor, Alcol let out a frustrated yell as he slammed the previously full hoof on the desk, splintering the section and sending little wood chips in various directions. "Sir?" Shooting up quickly, Alcol looked up and noticed a red coated colt looking back, having taken cover and narrowly avoided the glass bottle and its shards. The poor colt looked worried, as he usually did when something like this happened. "Ah, Skystar. My apologies for the...mess." Alcol responded as he watched the colt charge his horn and make the glass and stain disappear in a neon flash before turning back with a small smile. "No problem, Doctor! We all have a few inner demons that get to us now and then, even the Alicorns aren't immune to those sort of problems." Skystar exclaimed with a chuckle before he gave the doctor a concerned stare. "But the memories are hauntin you still?" A nod from the doctor was all Skystar needed to prance over and give the blue unicorn a hug. He may had orignally signed on to the doctors assistant for the perks and the scholarship opportunities, but Skystar had quickly learned that Dr. Ethyl Alcol (He hated that first name with a passion, though the colt hasn't managed to worm it out of the stallion as to why, let alone what type of secrets the good doctor was hiding) was quite the unique researcher. Though he could come off as snide and dispassionate at times, he genuinally had a caring heart and his focus of study proved that. "It's ok, Sir. I don't know what ghosts your fighting, but you have my complete and absolute support." The colt smiled slyly and elbowed the doctor, getting a grunt in return. "Unless your finally going to open up to your loyal assistant at last?" Suppressing a snort, Alcol pushed himself away from the colt via wheelie chair, fixing him with a level stare as he fought with his face to not smile. "Loyal my flanks, weren't you late to work three days ago due to your futile efforts to woo the doctor three doors down from mine?" Skystar gasped dramatically, and pointed an accusing hoof at Alcol, who now had adopted an oh so annoying smug grin. "I thought we agreed to never speak of that again, you mule! How was I supposed to know she was dating Ted from accounting?" For a moment silence reigned over the room as the two stallions stared each other down...before laughter began to replace the once dreary atmosphere the room held. "Honestly, Skystar, I am quite surprised you haven't already moved on from working for me and started your own career yourself. I've seen the grades you get at Celestia's school for Gifted Unicorns and you could easily make waves among the best of us in biological studies if you tried." Alcol admitted, causing his assistant to look at him in adverse shock. "You really think I've got that much potential, Sir?" Skystar asked before shaking his head. "I dont know about that, though. For now, I'm content with being your lab assistant. You've taught me so much, and I'm not quite ready to leave the nest yet so to speak." Seeing the now bashful teen look so unsure didn't sit right with the doctor, especially with so much raw knowledge untapped withen the colts cranium. However, Alcol barely surpressed a smirk when an idea came to the forefront of his mind, something that may help spark Skystars flame. "Actually, there's something I've been setting up for a few months, involving my studies into other species effects with alcohol." Alcol stated, opening up a cabinet nearby and pulling out a file with a hoof-full of names and descriptions inside. "I managed to finally convince the crown to let me give some questionably reasonable amounts of alcohol to some of the more aggressive species on this list, and I'm going to need a hand in catalouging the data during the tests...in a safe location of course." The good doctor added on at last second, making sure he didn't scare off the colt from the project. However, Skystars eyes went wide as he jumped up from his desk and clapped his hooves merrily, erasing any worry from Alcols thoughts. "Are you asking me to take part in an ACTUAL experiment? Like the one the science books say you did with the princess Luna's Night Guard?" Eyes widening at the forced recollection of THAT particular experiment, Alcol had to force out a cough to hide his reddening face at the memories resurfacing from that eventful night. Thestrals really know how to consume their liquor...among other things. "Y-Yes, though this experiment won't need to be censored by the press." The doctor stated, getting up from his chair and motioning for Skystar to follow. "Now come, before we get to the fun bits we must prepare the lab for our visitors tomorrow, as well as make sure everything is in place for the experiment." Groaning to himself, Skystar followed along with the doctor, knowing full well these 'preperations would take the rest of the day and perhaps even the night as well. "Can we at least get some take-out before we start? There's this noodle shop that recently opened up that supposed to be great!"