Twilight Sparkle trotted into the door after saying goodbye to her mom. Today marked her second week at the kindergarten as well as Ponyville. It was exciting. But...the kindergarten was very empty. Suspishi...suspishoos...suspicious? Suspicious. Twilight steeled her nerves and took a step, then paused immediately. This was too scary! She could feel tears building up and was this close to crying.
"Twilit!"
"AH!"
"SHHHHHH!" Twilight looked around frantically, scared out of her mind. Then, she saw a pink head behind a cupboard. "Come here, Twilit! Is not safe!"
With nothing else to do, not to mention very frightened, she scampered to her friend. Pinkie Pie grabbed her before she could make it all the way and dragged her into hiding. After overcoming her surprise, Twilight looked around and noticed her other friends also hiding.
"What's happening?"
"Shhh, dawling. Like Pinkie says, is not safe." Rarity stared at the front door.
"Yessum, they's right." Applejack crouched behind a pillow, her big hat giving her away.
"Ummm..." Twilight got shushed by everypony there. She sighed and then dropped her voice. "Why are we hiding?"
"Your mom not tell you?" Rainbow Dash asked, suddenly next to her. "Miss Celestia is gone. We has a sub."
"...what about Miss Luna?"
"Huh? Oh...yeah. I thinks she gone too?"
"That's not nice." Twilight pouted. Just because she hasn't been seen a lot doesn't mean she doesn't exist. At least, she thinks that's how it works. "Well, what about the sub? What's wrong about that?"
"She scary." Fluttershy whispered, her hiding spot seemed to be sandwiched between two large shark plushies.
"Everything is scary to you, though."
"No! Fwuttershy is right. Miss Zecowa is scary. I even thinks she evil." Pinkie exclaimed.
"No no, I knows she evil." Rainbow said.
"Ah dunno if she evil, all ah know is she bad. Mah baby sister was sick, then Zecora came. After ah gets back from farmin', she gone and mah sister fine! Thas bad." Applejack said, darkly. Twilight was confused.
"...isn't that good?"
"No, dawling! Thas not good. You don't has a baby sister, you can't's understand." Rarity had a weird look. "A baby sister cries. A sick baby sister, does not cry. You get it, dawling?"
"...no..."
"Is okay, Twilit." Pinkie patted her on her back. "Yous donot has to knows everything."
"Wha?"
"Oh, she's he..."
"She's here! Everypony, hide!" Rainbow ducked immediately after that, and everypony followed. Still confused, Twilight did the same.
From her hiding spot, she was able to see the front door easily. Her heart was pounding so much, she was scared it was going to run away. That would be bad. Then the door opened. And Twilight stopped breathing. Was Miss Zecora a dragon? Or one of those scary monsters!? A...a...a hydree? Was it a hydree! Those are scary. Then a pony trotted in and Twilight breathed a huge sigh of relief.
"Girls, what was..." She found several hooves had been shoved into her mouth, shushing her.
"Twilit! Dids you not hear what we just said?" Pinkie basically shouted. "Miss Zecora is eviiiil."
"Pinkie, that's dumb." At least, that's what she tried to say.
"No no no, you still donot understand! Look. She has striiiiipes." Pinkie grabbed Twilight's face and made her turn to look at the substitute. And yes, there were stripes.
"So what?" Hooves out of her mouth never felt so good.
"Thats eviiiiil."
"..." Twilight sighed. "Okay."
"Hello, my little ponies, I am the substitute. I am Miss Zecora, I tell tales that sure to give a hoot." The zebra, because now Twilight knew what she was, grinned to the empty classroom.
"Seeeee? She rhymes. Thas bad."
"Pinkie, you are not making any sense."
"And to make it all the sweeter, I hope you all are eaters." Miss Zecora whipped out a bowl and carefully placed it on the teacher's desk.
"Thas her evil brew! So eviiiil."
"For your continued silence, I must be congratulatory, now, let this game be over, it's time for a story."
And with that, the whole kindergarten burst into action, dozens of foals charged towards the zebra with joyful expressions. Twilight's friends included, leaving her most baffled.
"Oh, what is this? A new foal is nothing to dismiss. Come, come." Miss Zecora waved Twilight forward with a kindly smile. "What is your name? Do not worry, there is no shame."
"Twi...Twilight Sparkle."
"A name that is very neat, have a treat." She gestured to the bowl which turned out to have cookies. Twilight quickly grabbed one and shuffled away. After everypony got themselves a cookie, Zecora cleared her throat and asked what story everypony wanted to hear.
"The jokes! The jokes!"
"Yeah!"
"Miss Zecora is the best!"
"Best stories, you mean!"
"Yeaaaah!"
"Alright, alright." Miss Zecora chuckled before clearing her throat again. "There is this flower called Poison Joke. It contains a secret it hides like a cloak..."
***
"How was school, Twilight?" Twilight's mom asked after picking her up from the kindergarten.
"It was very fun! The substitute is very nice."
"Oh yeah? What was her name?"
"Miss Zecora!"
"She has the best stories, doesn't she?"
"Yeah!" Twilight giggled, then paused. "Wait, how do you know that?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
"I would!" Twilight stomped a hoof. When she didn't get an answer, she charged after her mom. "Heeeeey! Tell meeeeeeee!"