//------------------------------// // First Day of School // Story: Life in Allspark Wells // by The FraudulentBrit //------------------------------// Life in Allspark Wells Part 1; First Day of School As the sun began to shine its rays of light across the land that was the home to the town of Allspark Wells, every living thing began to stir from their slumber and prepare for the day. Birds let out caws, crows, and chirps as they tended to their chicks before flying off to hunt for food. Small mammals crawled out of their burrows, sniffing the air for their breakfast. And in every house that made up the small town, people began to rise from their beds (however groggily) and prepare for everything the day had in store for them. And in one of these houses, or to be more specific, a two-story building that housed both a commercial garage and living quarters for a decently sized family, a teenaged girl with yellow skin and burgundy died hair, began to wake from her slumber. Letting out a loud yawn as she stretched her arms, Apple Bloom rose from her bed as she thought to herself, ‘Alright. First day of school, here Ah come!’ Indeed, today would be the first day of high school, or rather, her first day of school at Iacon High. That detail reminded the former farm girl of just how she’d gotten here. Taking a deep breath, Apple Bloom whispered to herself, “Heh. Feels like a lifetime ago.” Indeed, almost one year earlier, she had roped her friends into an admittedly poorly thought-out plan to frame their sisters’ new friend, former bully Sunset Shimmer, for posting hurtful and embarrassing personal information on the internet. No sooner had the trio been caught than they were all punished, including Apple Bloom. Fast forward nearly seven months, one summer, countless misadventures, and one unpleasant reunion with her sister, and Apple Bloom had found that her life had significantly changed for the better. As she thought back on everything she’d been through, the former farm girl couldn’t help but allow a smile to form across her lips as fond memories made with her new friends flashed in front of her eyes. Whether it was tap dancing with her boyfriend Tender Taps and his sister Double Shuffle, Learning about dinosaurs from Marble Pie, Helping Rattrap with his garden, or providing a comforting shoulder for her new adopted sister Sideswipe, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but remark to herself, “Guess Ah’ve had quite the impact on everyone ‘round these parts.” Her daydreaming was interrupted when her bedroom door was opened, followed by a familiar raspy voice calling out, “Rise and shine young lady! Mr. Bossman wants you up and at ‘em five minutes ago!” Apple Bloom turned to the door, only to be greeted by the familiar sight of a gray skinned man with black hair that extended to his upper lip via friendly mutton chops, a white jumpsuit with red and green stripes, circular glasses, and who held a hammer and trash can lid in his hands. Before the enthusiastic man could bang his instruments together, Apple Bloom raised her hands as she called out, “Alright, Ah’m up Wheeljack. Ah’ll be down in a minute.” She then let out a sigh as she added, “Just give me a few minutes to get ready and Ah’ll be down, alright?” Sighing to himself, Wheeljack relented with a defeated, “Alright. Get dressed in quiet like a square.” He then slinked off, leaving Apple Bloom to quip to herself, “Why does he always have to be such a smartass?” After a few minutes, the former farm girl slipped into what she felt would be an appropriate outfit for the day; a dark blue pair of overalls, a red and white striped tee shirt, and a pair of black boots. She’d done her hair up in braided pigtails, the style she’d adopted since she first came to Allspark Wells. Throwing in just enough make up to touch up any major imperfections (save for the unfortunate gap where one of her teeth had once rested), and the burgundy haired girl felt that she could take on the world. “Alright.” Apple Bloom said as she took a deep breath. “Let’s do this.” The Kitchen… Sliding down the stairwell and leaping into the kitchen, Apple Bloom cheerfully greeted, “Mornin’ everyone!” Already, she found herself greeted by her aunt Chromia; the older woman was setting the table as she replied, “My, looks like someone got on the right side of the bed this morning.” As the gray skinned woman made her way to her niece, she asked, “You feeling ready for your first day of school?” Nodding, Apple Bloom replied, “You bet, or at least as ready as Ah think Ah can be.” She then grasped her arm with her hand as she added, “Though, if Ah’m bein’ honest, Ah’m kinda nervous. Ah haven’t been in school since the start of the last semester.” The former farm girl took a deep breath and finished, “Maybe Ah’m just overthinking everything.” From behind her, Apple Bloom heard the familiar sound of a teenaged girl’s voice practically shout, “You bet your ass you are!” The burgundy haired girl shot up and let out a surprised, “Gah!” Turning around, she found herself staring at a familiar girl with pale white skin, black hair, and wearing a black sleeveless shirt, a red denim vest and pants, and a pair of black biker boots. Letting out an obnoxious snort and chuckle, Sideswipe quipped, “Oh man, you should see the look on your face!” Apple Bloom rolled her eyes as she groaned, “That wasn’t funny Sideswipe.” However, the pale biker simply finished her fit of laughter as she replied, “It was too.” Chromia then interrupted the siblings’ squabble with a stern, “Sideswipe, that wasn’t nice, and you know how I feel about swearing.” Sighing in resignation, Sideswipe conceded defeat and apologized, “Sorry about that Apple Bloom. You forgive me?” Pondering over whether to actually forgive her adopted sister, Apple Bloom relented and, with a small smile forming across her lips, replied, “Ah forgive you Sideswipe.” She then pulled the pale biker into a tight hug, one which Sideswipe happily reciprocated. At that moment, the kitchen door opened, revealing a very familiar gray skinned man wearing a red plaid shirt, gray pants with suspenders, and a general sense of warmth and safety off him. Walking into the room, he playfully called out, “Well, if it isn’t my three favorite ladies.” Apple Bloom immediately bolted over to the older man and wrapped her arms around him as she enthusiastically greeted, “Mornin’ uncle Ironhide!” Hugging his niece (and as far as was concerned, his daughter) back, Ironhide let out a playful, “I take it this means you slept well?” The former farm girl released her uncle as she replied, “Ah did, even if Wheeljack was plannin’ on givin’ me a rude awakening.” “Heh, remind me to put Wheeljack on latrine duty today.” Ironhide cheekily ordered Chromia. He then turned his attention to Sideswipe and asked, “What about you kid? You sleep well?” Sideswipe shrugged as she replied, “Pretty much. No nightmares, so I guess I can’t complain.” Ironhide let out a gentle chuckle as he “That’s good.” He then paused for a moment as he inspected the pale biker’s shoulder and inquired, “You sure that shirt meets the school’s dress code?” Sideswipe groaned and bent her head backwards as she replied, “I checked the school’s dress code last night, and trust me, this shirt should work.” Ironhide relented, but quickly added, “Alright then. But just in case, pack an extra tee shirt, ok?” The pale biker simply nodded and replied with a simple, “Yes sir.” Before anyone could say anything else, Chromia interrupted, “I do hate to interfere, but we should probably finish getting breakfast ready, or else you’re gonna be late dropping the girls off at school.” Apple Bloom then added, “And Ah don’t know about you, but Ah’m kinda hungry.” Ironhide relented, “Alright. I’ll finish everything up.” He then turned to Chromia and requested, “You mind keeping an eye on Wheeljack and Wreck-Gar while I take the girls?” Chromia nodded as she replied, “You’ve got it. I’ll make sure that knuckle head doesn’t do anything stupid.” And so, the little family began to finish up preparations for breakfast, hopeful there would still be plenty of time for Ironhide to drive the girls to school. Ironhide’s Van… As the red van made its way down the road, Apple Bloom allowed her eyes to drift off, taking in the sights of Allspark Wells around her. Making a mental note of every building they passed, the former farm girl found her thought to herself, ‘Alright, we make a left turn here, then we go past three lights and past the drug store and Hot Rod’s diner.’ She was distracted from her mental map making when Ironhide asked, “You ok there kid?” Turning to face her uncle, Apple Bloom admitted, “Ah think so.” She then took a deep breath before continuing, “Guess Ah’m just nervous.” As the van pulled up to a red light, Ironhide turned to face his daughter and reassured her, “Don’t worry kid, you’ll do fine.” From across the van, Sideswipe complimented, “Yeah, who wouldn’t love you?” Apple Bloom let out a sigh of relief as she replied, “Thanks.” The pale biker then added, “Besides, you’ve got an easier job than me. I have to deal with teachers who might remember me.” Ironhide immediately added, “And I want you on best behavior young lady.” Groaning, Sideswipe replied, “I will, unless someone else draws first blood.” Once the light turned green, Ironhide accelerated the van closer towards its destination, leaving Apple Bloom to think, ‘Maybe things won’t be so bad.’ A Few Minutes Later… To say Apple Bloom was impressed by the building before her would be an understatement. There, on the other side of the car door, rested a grand, two-story building with the same golden colored exterior as almost every other building in Allspark Wells. Near the far end of the building sat a glass atrium where Apple Bloom could see tables where she would almost certainly be eating lunch in several hours. All in all, it seemed like a warm and inviting building. Ironhide interrupted his daughter’s trance with a gentle, “Come on girls, you better head on in. I gotta get back to the chop shop before Wheeljack does something stupid.” Sideswipe scooped up her backpack and said, “Alright. See you Ironhide.” The family patriarch bade farewell with a gentle, “Stay out of trouble. Love you.” Starting to blush with embarrassment, the pale biker replied, “I love you too.” Taking a Deep breath, Apple Bloom picked up her messenger bag as she turned to her uncle and said, “See ya Uncle Ironhide.” The older man gave a gentle nod as he reassured her, “See you kid. And don’t worry, I’m not gonna shout something embarrassing as you and Sideswipe are heading inside.” The former farm girl let out a gentle giggle as she responded with a simple, “Thanks. Ah love you.” The older man replied with a soft, “I love you too. Now go out there and give it your best shot.” With that, Apple Bloom took a deep breath, unbuckled her seat belt, opened the van door, and stepped outside. True to his word, Ironhide didn’t lower the window and say anything cheesy or corny. Instead, he gave the two girls a reassuring nod and drove off back to the chop shop. Once the family’s red van had disappeared into the horizon, Sideswipe called out to her sister, “Come on, we gotta find our homeroom!” Apple Bloom turned to face the pale biker as she replied, “Alright! Wait for me.” With that, she followed her sister up to the school’s front door. Once both girls had closed the distance, Sideswipe asked, “So, you ready?” Taking a deep breath, Apple Bloom replied, “Ah’m ready.” Hallways of Iacon High… As both girls walked down the hallway, Apple Bloom was overcome with the reality of one thing she hadn’t missed since the Anon-A-Miss disaster; the fact that school hallways are, more often than not, congested quagmires filled to the brim with other people. Both girls found themselves struggling to stay together as they dealt with the scores of other students, all making their way from one classroom to the next. Struggling to keep up with her sister, the former farm girl couldn’t help but quip, “Ah don’t think Canterlot High was ever this busy.” But as the two teenagers continued their trek through the crowd, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but notice something incredibly odd; Some of the other students were staring at her. ‘Something’s not quite right.’ The former farm girl thought to herself. It would have been one thing if it were the occasional stray eye, but this was different. With every step, it seemed that more and more eyes were focusing on her. Deciding to try and break the growing sense of tension, Apple Bloom approached one of the many people watching her, a purple teenaged girl with blue hair in a green dress, and asked, “Howdy! Ah’m Apple Bloom. Who are you?” The purple teen didn’t say anything, instead glaring right at the former farm girl before strutting away in a huff. As Apple Bloom processed this, Sideswipe folded her arms and quipped, “Well that’s just rude.” Turning to her sister, Apple Bloom asked, “You think she knows about…. You know….” Sideswipe shrugged as she answered, “I dunno. I mean it’s not like you can ignore it completely.” All the former farm girl could do was sigh as she replied, “Ah guess you’re right.” After all, given how Wheeljack had (drunkenly) blurted out what she’d done when she first arrived in Allspark Wells all those months ago, as well as the fact that even Sideswipe found out about Apple Bloom’s past before even meeting the former farm girl, it wasn’t a far stretch to say that at least a good few people already knew both who Apple Bloom was as well as what she’d done. Sighing to herself, the former farm girl could only defeatedly remark, “Guess that answers mah question.” Sideswipe immediately rested her hand on Apple Bloom’s shoulder as she tried to reassure her with a gentle, “Hey, today hasn’t even started yet. I’m sure she was just being a bitch.” Even Apple Bloom couldn’t help but giggle at her sister’s use of profanity. Once she finished laughing, Apple Bloom allowed the smile to remain on her face as she said, “We better pick up the pace and try to find our homeroom.” Sideswipe nodded as she replied, “I guess you’re right.” With that, the pale biker began to lead her adopted sister through the congested hallways. A Few Minutes Later…. “Here we are.” Sideswipe said with a sigh of relief. “This looks like the place. Room 212.” It had taken several minutes, one flight of stairs, and a wrong turn leading to a supplies closet, but both girls had made it to what would be their homeroom for the next school year. Folding her arms confidently, the pale biker bragged, “See? I told you I could get us here.” Playfully rolling her eyes, Apple Bloom replied, “Whatever you say captain Sideswipe. Ah just hope it was worth the scenic route” The older girl stuck her tongue out at her sister as she complained, “Oh please. I got us here before the bell rang, didn’t I?” Shrugging, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but answer, “Eh. You got a point.” Opening the door, Apple Bloom was greeted by the pleasant sight of several rows of desks, each one with name tags that designated who was assigned to what desk. The walls were painted a dark blue and were covered with maps of various countries all over the world. At one end of the room sat a white board with several markers and erasers resting gently on the extended tray beneath it, and nestled in one of the corners sat a teacher’s desk covered in stacks of paper and even a small globe. All in all, Apple Bloom felt that this would be the sort of classroom she would be more than comfortable in. It also didn’t hurt that, at this particular moment, there were only a handful of other students. ‘Phew. At least we got ourselves a few minutes.’ The former farm girl thought to herself. As she tentatively made her way into the classroom, she wondered, ‘Wonder which seat is mine?’ It didn’t take long for Apple Bloom to find which desk had been assigned to her; the nametag with her name on it was right at the far end of the front row. In fact, it was actually the closest seat to the teacher’s desk. As she walked up to it, the former farm girl thought to herself, ‘Huh. Wonder if this is because they wanna keep an eye on me?’ Shaking her head, Apple Bloom whispered to herself, “It’s just a coincidence. Ah’m sure you just got the short straw for the closest seat to the teacher is all.” Apple Bloom was distracted from her internal doubt by the sound of someone calling out, “Excuse me?” Turning to see who it was, the former farm girl was greeted by the sight of a light blue teenaged girl with black hair, and bangs that covered her left eye, all while not obscuring the beauty mark that sat comfortably over her left cheek bone. She wore a pink dress that Apple Bloom figured was probably sleeveless, a black leather jacket, and black boots that had a small but noticeable heel. Perhaps what was most surprising was the dark eyeliner and black lipstick that adorned her face. All in all, this mystery girl seemed somewhat intimidating, but also kind of inviting. Scooting into the desk next to her, the mystery goth girl extended her hand and rather sheepishly said, “Hi. It’s nice to meet you.” The first thing that went through Apple Bloom’s mind was ‘Huh. Her voice sounds kinda deep.’ Indeed, the blue girl’s voice wasn’t exactly as low as the bass singer of a barbershop quartet, but it was deeper than the former farm girl expected. Still, Apple Bloom knew that people’s voices came in all shapes and sizes, so she decided not to pay it too much attention. Instead, the burgundy haired girl extended her own hand and shook the other girl’s as she replied, “Nice to meet you too. Ah’m Apple Bloom.” Smiling, the blue girl introduced herself with, “I’m Pastel Goth.” Once both girls finished their handshake, Pastel began to scratch the back of her neck as she nervously asked, “So, if you’re Apple Bloom, is it true that you…. You know…” Before she even realized what she was doing, Apple Bloom sighed in resignation and frustration. Realizing she’d struck a nerve, Pastel Goth tried to apologize, “Oh Primus, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to….” The former farm girl raised her hand and reassured her new acquaintance, “It’s alright.” She then paused for a moment before, “Guess there was no point in hopin’ people wouldn’t know.” Smiling, Pastel Goth replied, “If it’s too much, I won’t pry anything from you.” When Apple Bloom gave a confused look, the blue girl continued, “I know a thing or two about keeping things under wraps.” Taken by surprise by this new girl’s friendliness, the former farm girl could only reply with a gentle, “Thanks.” Pastel replied with a friendly, “You’re welcome.” At that moment, a new sound caught Apple Bloom’s ears; the sound of someone playing a recorder. Turning to see who it was, the former farm girl was surprised to see that it the small instrument was not being played by a hipster student, but by a gray skinned man with dark black hair, a blue button shirt with a crooked bowtie, a black suit coat that was clearly a size or two too big, gray plaid pants, dark brown pixie boots. As he walked towards the teacher’s desk, Apple Bloom thought to herself, ‘Ah got a feelin’ this guy must be our teacher.’ Sure enough, the mystery man finished his little diddy, laid his recorder on the desk, and began rubbing his hands together as he turned his attention to the now mostly full classroom and began, “Ha ha ha. Well now, what do we have here?” His inviting voice and British accent intrigued Apple Bloom, Sideswipe, Pastel Goth, and everyone else as he continued, “So many faces here. Some brand new, some familiar. Some here for the first time, some possibly for the last.” As Apple Bloom found herself hanging on his every word, the teacher caught himself as he stated, “Oh, but where are my manners? I’m Doctor Pennywhistle, and I’m your homeroom teacher. To some of you, I might even be your history teacher as well.” The former farm girl thought to herself, ‘Doctor Pennywhistle. Huh, Ah’ve never had a doctor as a teacher before.’ Rubbing his hands together again, Doctor Pennywhistle began, “Now then, since we will all be together for the school year, I want everyone to get to know each other a little better. Thus, everyone is going to introduce themselves and reveal something about themselves.” The moment Apple Bloom heard that, she found herself instinctively giving a massive gulp of fear. ‘Oh no.’ The burgundy haired girl thought to herself. ‘Please don’t start with me. Please don’t start with me!’ Thankfully, Doctor Pennywhistle made his way to the opposite end of the classroom and, turning to an orange skinned boy, asked, “Why don’t we start with you?” The unfamiliar boy stood up and introduced himself with, “Okay, my name is Sandstorm, and I raise rattlesnakes.” As the rest of the class let out “oohs” and “ahs,” Apple Bloom let out sighed in relief as she whispered to herself, “Ok. You got a few moments. Gotta think of somethin’ that doesn’t directly link back to what happened back home.’ After a few moments, Sideswipe stood up and introduced herself with, “’Sup everyone. I’m Sideswipe and I own a motorcycle.” Pastel Goth immediately let out an excited, “No way. Really?” The pale biker struck a confident pose as she answered, “You bet.” Dr. Pennywhistle then turned to his cerulean student and asked, “How about you tell us a little about yourself?” Letting out a gentle chuckle as she straightened her jacket and answered, “Well, Uh… I’m Pastel Goth and….” Struggling to think of something herself, gave an interesting piece of information about herself. “My older brother is Blaster.” As Apple Bloom found herself somewhat confused at that revelation, one of the other students, a caramel skinned girl blurted out, “No way! Your brother is that radio DJ guy?” Pastel Goth nervously scratched the back of her neck as she replied, “Yeah. He’s a pretty cool guy.” Doctor Pennywhistle then said, “Now then, that leaves one student left.” Turning to a certain former farm girl, the gray teacher continued, “It’s your turn.” Despite having spent the entire time trying to think of something to say, however, Apple Bloom still didn’t know what to say about herself. Starting to internally panic, she thought to herself, ‘Oh no. What do Ah do?’ She was further interrupted by her teacher inquiring, “Everything alright?” Thinking on the fly, she introduced herself with, “Ah’m Apple Bloom and Ah was actually born in Canterlot City.” For a few moments, Apple Bloom felt herself breathe a sigh of relief. After all, given that it was only a state away, and people moved between cities all the time. However, the brief moment of hope was dashed when the former farm girl was distracted by the sound of someone snickering, clearly trying to hold laughter. ‘Please don’t tell me it’s what Ah think it is.’ The burgundy haired girl thought to herself. At that moment, Doctor Pennywhistle turned to the same caramel colored girl from before and sternly ordered, “Alright now Caramel Syrup. What is it that’s so funny to you?” Standing up from her desk, Syrup pointed to Apple Bloom and cruelly replied, “If she really wanted to share something juicy, she should have just said that she was Anon-A-Miss!” Almost immediately, several other students began to chat amongst themselves. While some like Sandstone were more surprised, saying, “No way! That’s her?”, others, such as a girl seated next to Caramel Syrup, indignantly complained, “No way. We have homeroom with that manipulative bitch?” Even Sideswipe giving her a furious glare couldn’t help Apple Bloom feel any better. Doctor Pennywhistle soon spoke up, demanding, “That will do everyone! I want everyone to quiet down now.” As the rest of the class simmered down, the gray teacher began to explain something that Apple Bloom figured would be important at some point. But right now, that didn’t matter. All that Apple Bloom really cared about right now was that, just like when she first arrived in Allspark Wells, everyone knew what she’d done. The only thing the former farm girl could do was slump down and rest her head on her desk in defeat, hoping she could pay attention to whatever Doctor Pennywhistle was talking about. First Period… After an otherwise uneventful homeroom, Apple Bloom trudged to her first period class. Pulling out her schedule from her messenger bag, she read out, “Mr. Compost, room 131.” Taking a deep breath, she said to herself, “Alright, let’s get this over with.” Entering the new classroom, she found the walls were covered with informative posters and displays of biology, botany, and other aspects of organic life. And rather than singular desks, there were several long, black tables that multiple students would sit at. As for those students, it seemed that Apple Bloom was among, if not the last student to arrive. Letting out a small sigh of relief, the former farm girl lamented to herself, “Well, at least Ah’m not late.” Sure enough, no sooner than she took another step forward did the loud ringing of a school bell drowned out all other noise. The moment the bell finished ringing, Apple Bloom heard the sound of an unfamiliar man’s voice calling out, “Alright now students. Quiet down.” Turning to see who it was, the burgundy haired girl found herself staring at a rather homely man with sickly green skin, long dirty brown hair that was clearly showing signs of balding, simple and, if her eye weren’t deceiving her, dirty clothes, and an all-around air of smug confidence surrounding him. Staring at his new pupil, the older man folded his arms as he sternly asked, “So, you must be Apple Bloom?” Nervously nodding, the former farm girl answered, “Yeah.” Almost immediately, the teacher turned his attention to the class as he continued, “Now that we’re all here, greetings fellow citizens of the world. I’m Mr. Compost, and I will be your biology teacher this semester.” He then turned his attention to Apple Bloom and, in a surprisingly stern tone, stated, “And I assure you, if you try anything like what you did in Canterlot City, I guarantee you’ll fail this class!” Under normal circumstances, any other student would protest a teacher acting in such an intimidating or rude manner, but Apple Bloom, already worn down by her day so far, simply sighed and replied, “Ah understand sir.” Seeming content, Mr. Compost as he pointed to the only remaining empty seat as he said, “Take your seat Apple Bloom.” As Apple Bloom sat down, she heard yet more students snickering and whispering to each other, cementing the fact that they knew who she was. All the former farm girl could do was sigh and let her head collapse straight down onto the desk and mutter to herself, “Ah hate this.” The Cafeteria, Later That Day…. Seated at a far-off table in the cafeteria, Apple Bloom glumly ate her lunch, specifically a slice of acceptable but otherwise bland pizza. After swallowing a bit, she sighed as she dejectedly said to herself, “So, one homeroom one biology class, and one English class, and all of them know everythin’ about me.” Reaching for her milk, the former farm girl sighed as she lamented, “So much for a fresh start ‘round here.” Still, it wasn’t entirely surprising to the former farm girl. As she dejectedly picked up her slice of pizza, Apple Bloom chastised herself with, “Ah guess Ah shouldn’t have expected everyone to just run up to me, beggin’ to be mah friend.” After all, given that the entire town knew about the whole Anon-A-Miss incident, it wasn’t like her new school would be any different. And as someone who knew quite a fair bit about manipulating people, Apple Bloom knew just how nasty high schoolers could be. Apple Bloom was distracted from her little pity party by the very familiar sound a certain boy’s voice asking, “Excuse me? Is this seat taken?” Immediately lighting up, the former farm girl said to herself, “That sounds like Tender Taps!” Sure enough, she turned around to see her boyfriend, dressed in a purple button shirt over a dark gray tee shirt, purple pants, and black shoes. As he placed his own lunch down on the table, the former farm girl did the only thing she could think of. She leapt up from her table and wrapped her boyfriend in a tight hug. Hugging his girlfriend back, Tender Taps happily replied, “Glad to see you too!” As Apple Bloom released him, she sheepishly admitted, “Sorry for jumpin’ you. It’s kinda been a lousy day.” The orange dancer inquired, “What’s wrong?” Sighing, the former farm girl answered, “Let’s just say that just about everyone around here knows.” Sighing, Tender Taps asked, “And let me guess, more than a few people have addressed you about it?” Apple Bloom nodded as she replied, “Not only that, mah biology teacher, Mr. Compost, just up and outs me before class can even begin!” Sitting back down in defeat, the former farm girl lamented, “Guess Ah brought it on mahself though.” To her delight, Tender Taps sat down, wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and reassured her, “Look on the bright side, at least we have the same lunch period.” Apple Bloom couldn’t help but allow herself to smile and let out a gentle chuckle as she replied, “That is a good plus side.” She then asked, “So tell me, how’s your day been?” Lighting up at the fact that his girlfriend was feeling just a bit better, Tender Taps began, “Well, my homeroom teacher is Mrs. Allegra, and she’s the drama and chorus teacher, and she….” With that, Apple Bloom refocused her attention to her boyfriend, happy that, at least for a few moments, she could forget everything that had happened so far that day. A Short While Later… Once again finding herself taking a deep breath in anticipation, Apple Bloom found herself entering the art room. Though her lunch period had been a nice break, the former farm girl once again found herself going once more into the fray. Sighing, Apple Bloom straightened her messenger bag as she pepped herself up with, “Let’s get this over with.” Entering her next class, Apple Bloom was pleasantly greeted by the sight of the art room. Rather than posters or safety instructions, the walls were covered with cabinets and shelves filled with art supplies and the occasional past project of students long gone. And instead of simple school desks, there were long desks for multiple students, all arranged in a square ring around the center. Thankfully, there weren’t that many other students present. There were a few other kids, some unfamiliar, and some the burgundy haired girl remembered from the halls or other classes. However, there was one student that made Apple Bloom feel just a little bit better. Seated at the end of one of the desks sat Pastel Goth, who called out, “Hey Apple Bloom! Over here!” Letting out a sigh of relief, Apple Bloom called out to her new friend, “Ah’m commin’.” As the burgundy haired girl sat down next to the cerulean girl, Pastel inquired, “How’s your day been?” Apple Bloom let out a gentle sigh as she replied, “Honestly, not too great. Guess people have been, you know….” Before she could finish, Apple Bloom was interrupted by an unfamiliar voice mockingly stating, “That you’re, like, the reason Canterlot High tore itself apart?” Turning to see who it was, the two girls were greeted by the sight of a purple girl with yellow hair, her arms pressed condescendingly on her hips as she continued, “You better not try anything you little bitch.” She then strutted off, satisfied she’d made her point. Motioning to the purple teen, Apple Bloom defeatedly explained, “That’s been happening all day.” Sighing in defeat, the former farm girl continued, “Maybe it’s just karma.” As slumped down yet again, Apple Bloom finished, “Ah mean, you knew about me, right?” Nodding, Pastel Goth replied, “Yeah. I did.” She then, to Apple Bloom’s Surprise, rested an arm around her and said, “But, you know, I remember my brother Blaster telling me that, “We all fuck up, and it’s what you do next that counts.” Confused but touched, Apple Bloom asked, “But, now forgive me if this comes off as rude, we only met earlier today.” The cerulean goth girl shrugged as she replied, “Yeah, but….” Pausing for a moment, Pastel finished with, “Well, I guess I just took a leap of faith.” Feeling just a bit better, Apple Bloom let out a gentle chuckle as she admitted, “Guess Ah did to when Ah got here.” Pastel began to laugh herself as she asked, “So does this mean we’re friends?” Allowing herself to feel excited and optimistic for the future, Apple Bloom pulled the cerulean goth into a tight hug as she happily squealed, “Friends.” And she was happily surprised when Pastel Goth returned the gesture just as tightly. Dr. Pennywhistle’s Room. Once again entering her homeroom, Apple Bloom reassured herself, “Just one more class.” Indeed, her final class of the day would be world history with her homeroom teacher, Doctor Pennywhistle. Making her way back into the now familiar classroom, the former farm girl was greeted by the sight of several other students. However, this time, she was greeted by a surprisingly familiar face. Seated at a desk in the front row sat a gray girl in a turtleneck sweater, dark gray kilt, black boots, and a black leather jacket. Running up to her friend, Apple Bloom practically squealed, “Marble?! What are you doin’ here?” As the two friends hugged each other, the gray geologist replied, “Mr. Beachcomber enrolled me here so I could improve my people skills.” She then held her arm as she sighed, “This place is crowded.” Nodding, Apple Bloom replied, “Ah know. It’s kinda overwhelmin’.” Thankfully, Marble allowed a small smile to form on her face as she added, “At least I have English class with Sideswipe.” She then began to blush, clearly recalling the warm and safe feeling of being in the same class as her awesome girlfriend. The joyous reunion was ended when Doctor Pennywhistle called out, “Alright everyone, take your seats.” As the bell rang and everyone sat down at a desk (with Apple Bloom sitting down next to Marble), the history teacher enthusiastically continued, “Now then my friends, welcome to world history 101.” Taking a deep breath of anticipation, Doctor Pennywhistle asked his class, “But first, do any of you know what history is?” As confusion rang through the class, one of the students nervously replied with, “Uh… it’s all the stuff that happened in the past?” Doctor Pennywhistle let out an amused chuckle as he replied, “In some ways, that is true. However, history is more than that.” After a few moments, Apple Bloom raised her hand as she asked, “Then what is history if it isn’t just everythin’ that’s happened.” Lighting up at his student’s curiosity, Doctor Pennywhistle rubbed his hands together as he elaborated, “You see, all throughout humanity’s history, we’ve all been interconnected to each other. Every decision influences both our own future and everyone else’s.” Pausing for a moment, he added, “Maybe not quite that wound tightly together, but the fact is that we are all here because of the decisions and actions made by those in the past, and they were where they were because of those before them.” He then paused before finishing, “And that’s what we’re here for this semester.” And as Doctor Pennywhistle continued, Apple Bloom found herself entirely enraptured by her teacher’s words, feeling so entranced that she didn’t think about how bad the rest of the day had been. A Short While Later… “And that should do it for today.” Doctor Pennywhistle said as several other students began to get up and make their way out of the classroom. As they left, the gray teacher continued, “We’ll pick up from here tomorrow.” Getting up from her desk, Marble bade Apple Bloom farewell with a gentle, “See you Apple Bloom.” Letting out a relieved sigh, the burgundy haired girl replied, “Take care Marble. And if you see Sideswipe, don’t get too distracted.” As Marble left the classroom (and struggled to control her growing blush), Apple Bloom was caught off guard by the sound of Doctor Pennywhistle calling out for her. “Apple Bloom? May I have a word with you please?” Gulping in fear, the former farm girl began to feel sweat starting to drip down her forehead. ‘Oh no.’ She thought to herself. ‘He’s gonna chew into mah ass about everythin’. Ah just know it.’ Sighing to herself in resignation, the former farm girl lamented, “Alright. Let’s just get this over with.” Approaching her teacher’s desk, Apple Bloom nervously asked, “You wanted to see me Doctor Pennywhistle?” Setting the paper he was looking over down, the gray teacher said something that surprised the former farm girl. “It seems I owe you an apology Apple Bloom.” For a few moments, both student and teacher stood and sat there, the former confused and surprised at what the latter had said. Finally regaining herself, Apple Bloom inquired, “Apology?” Nodding, Doctor Pennywhistle explained, “I’ve heard from some of my colleagues that your first day has not been the best.” Standing up, he continued, “And I take it homeroom was not the only time people brought attention to that little incident back in Canterlot City?” Nodding in resignation, Apple Bloom lamented, “Ah guess it’s no secret, is it?” Allowing a somber expression to consume his face, Doctor Pennywhistle replied, “Normally I wouldn’t have this sort of conversation with students, but I’ve been hearing others gossiping about it and….” He then paused for a moment before finishing, “I was instructed by the principal to mitigate the situation.” Confused, Apple Bloom could only say, “Uh, you lost me.” As the other students of the homeroom class made their way into the classroom, Doctor Pennywhistle reassured the former farm girl, “Don’t worry, I think I can mitigate some of it. Now, go back to your desk.” Apple Bloom decided to just roll with it and made her way back to her desk. Once she was back at her desk, Pastel Goth asked, “Hey Apple Bloom, what was that all about?” Shrugging, Apple Bloom replied, “Ah don’t know.” As the last students made their way into the classroom, Doctor Pennywhistle made his way to the front of the class and cleared his throat, and it was then that he made a small speech. “Now then, earlier today I heard some of you making rather rude remarks about one of your fellow classmates.” He paused for a moment before continuing, “I won’t name names, but I want it made sure that I will not allow such behavior in my class!” Crossing his arms, Doctor Pennywhistle finished with a gentle but firm, “If you absolutely must engage in such gossip, then save it for when you get home, or at least for later.” As for Apple Bloom, she found herself overcome by a sense of relief. ‘Guess it would be too good to make people stop altogether.’ The former farm girl thought to herself. ‘But at least Ah don’t have to worry about it in homeroom. Or history class, hopefully.’ Having finished, Doctor Pennywhistle finished with, “Now then, since I’m sure you’ve all had a busy day so far, I will leave the rest of our little get together for a study period. If any of you have any questions, feel free to ask me about.” With that, he returned to his desk, leaving his students to study or otherwise wait for the final bell to ring for the day. Pastel Goth immediately took the opportunity to ask, “Hey Apple Bloom? Can I ask something?” Pulling out her notebook from biology class, Apple Bloom replied, “Ask away.” Taking a deep breath, the cerulean girl asked, “What happened to your tooth?” ‘Of course, she’d ask that.’ Apple Bloom thought to herself. Before she could even reply, Pastel quickly added, “I mean, if it’s not too much for you.” Raising her hand to reassure her new friend, the burgundy haired girl replied, “It’s not. It’s just….” Pausing for a moment, Apple Bloom decided to tell Pastel what happened. “It sorta started a few weeks back when Ah went home to Canterlot City for a visit…..” School Entrance, A Short While Later… “No way! You’re a tap dancer too?” Pastel Goth enthusiastically exclaimed as she, Apple Bloom, and Sideswipe made their way to the school’s front door. Before the former farm girl could reply, Sideswipe interrupted with a cocky, “Actually, we both are.” It was only once she finished that Apple Bloom answered, “But yeah. Ah started not long after Ah arrived here.” Letting out a gentle chuckle, Pastel Goth continued, “I started dancing when I was younger, and tap was always something I excelled in. Guess I’m just a musical kinda gal.” Smiling, Apple Bloom rested her arm on her friend as she reassured her, “And there ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.” It was at this point that Pastel began to giggle as she quipped, “Whatever you say cowgirl.” Before either girl could say anything else, Sideswipe tapped Apple Bloom’s shoulder as she warned, “Red van at twelve o’ clock.” Sure enough, the former farm girl followed her sister’s extended arm to see that Ironhide had arrived to pick his daughters up. Sighing in resignation, the former farm girl lamented, “Guess we’ll see you tomorrow?” She was pleasantly surprised when Pastel Goth pulled her into a hug as she replied, “See you tomorrow cowgirl.” Hugging her back, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but admit, “You know, Ah kinda like “cowgirl.” See ya tomorrow.” With that, Apple Bloom and Sideswipe departed, Leaving Pastel Goth, neither girl knowing that they had quickly become the cerulean goth’s first friends in a long time. Once the two were in their guardian’s van, they were pleasantly surprised to see both Ironhide and Chromia there with him. The family matriarch enthusiastically inquired, “Hello girls. How was your first day of school?” Sideswipe immediately groaned, “Not too bad, except for my chemistry teacher. That prick is a cocksucker.” Chromia immediately chastised her daughter, “Hey, watch your language young lady!” While mother and daughter quibbled over profanity, Ironhide, already driving back home, looked to Apple Bloom through the rear-view mirror and inquired, “What about you kid? How was your day?” For a few moments, the former farm girl didn’t quite know how to respond. Sure, there was the fact that, just as she feared, nearly everyone knew about her past. But on the other hand, at least one teacher was sympathetic to her, and that didn’t even include her new friend Pastel Goth. Shrugging, Apple Bloom simply answered, “Ah think today went by pretty well.” And so, as the van continued its journey home to the Chop Shop, Apple Bloom looked out the window and thought to herself, ‘Ah got a feelin’ this year might not be so bad after all.’ After all, what better way to start a new school year than in Allspark Wells, the place where new futures were forged?