Chapter 2
Cheerilee and her class were studying a statue of the ancient Commander Hurricane, wings stretched and garbed in full military apparel, when Luna returned. "You might remember her from the plays held each year on Hearth's Warming Eve," Cheerilee smiled at the memory of last year's performance. "Quite a hothead."
Luna dropped down from the sky behind her, two wicker baskets floating magically at either side. "ACTUALLY, THE CONCEPTION OF COMMANDER HURRICANE AS AN IRATE AND IMBECILIC WARMONGER IS SOMETHING OF A MODERN FOLK CONSTRUCTION," Luna began, causing some ponies, including Cheerilee, to physically jump in surprise. "HISTORY TELLS US THAT COMMANDER HURRICANE WAS ACTUALLY A COLD, POLITE, AND BRILLIANT MILITARY STRATEGIST. SHE MAY HAVE BEEN SOMETHING OF A SOCIOPATH AS WELL. WE STUDIED SOME OF HER TACTICS IN OUR YOUTH, AND FOUND A BRUTAL EFFICENCY, EASY WILLINGNESS TO SACRIFICE, AND ABSOLUTELY NO ROOM LEFT FOR MERCY ON THE BATTLEFIELD. REGARDLESS, HOW WOULDST THOU FANCY BREAKING FAST WITH US?"
Luna once again found herself being stared at. Frowning, she laid down her two baskets and awkwardly opened them to expose a variety of rolls, fruits, and vegetables.
"Oh, of course we'll have breakfast with you princess," Cheerilee said upon coming to her wits. "Thank you for your hospitality." Cheerilee helped Luna roll out the two picnic blankets, decorated in ornate patterns of blue and white and gold, but she supposed that was rather austere for royalty. They began to unpack the makings of a mini-banquet. There were shelled walnuts, and pomegranate, and thick butter for rolls of dark rye bread. There were sliced pears, canters of fresh squeezed juices, and two steaming golden vegetable pies. It was the perfect picnic for an early autumn morning such as this.
The children kept their distance. Snips and Snails were peeking out suspiciously from behind either side of Commander Hurricane, while Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara had their heads so close together in gossip they might as well be one pony. The cutie mark crusaders had the tact to at least pretend they were studying a nearby statue, but they were betrayed by the constant peaks they kept stealing at the night princess. Frazzle maned Twist had initially kept her distance as well, but she was lured over when Luna began to pull out the pastries coated in sugar dust.
"Come on everypony, it's time to eat," Cheerilee called out to her class. They approached very reluctantly and very cautiously. Except for Twist who was happily munching on a candied apple between Luna and herself, all of Cheerilee's students had chosen to crowd around the far end of the other picnic blanket, the end away from Princess Luna. They looked suspiciously upon the gorgeous spread the princess had generously provided as if it were poison, pawing and sniffing at it without taking a bite. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were crumbling apart a slice of vegetable pie to discern its contents while Apple Bloom had a slice of apple up to her eye, appraising whether it was truly the same kind of fruit as was grown on her family's farm.
Cheerilee shot a chastening look at her students for their rudeness, but unfortunately, she was not the only one who had noticed. A somber shadow was cast upon Princess Luna's features. "FEAST CHILDREN FEAST! THY PRINCESS IMPLORES THEE EAT!" she announced. They were all quick to shove something in their faces after that. Snails, who had been examining a plate of condiment, found himself with a mouth full of butter. And porcelain.
Satisfied, Luna summoned and undid the lid of a small silver thermos with her magic, and filled for herself a cup of black, black coffee. "SO CHILDREN TELL US, WHAT HATH BEEN THY FAVORITE STATUE THUS FAR?" she asked.
Cheerilee answered for them when none spoke up, "Those three were having a spirited debate about your Draconequus." She said, designating Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle huddled towards the back. The three smiled nervously.
Luna did not answer immediately. She took a drink of the steaming hot coffee, a long drink, and when she did eventually speak it was not even loud enough to rupture anypony's eardrums. "We are not overly fond of that one personally."
There was a thick silence after that, but it didn't last long. It's hard for anypony to remember to be silent when there is steaming food below them, singing birds above, and good friends all around. Cheerilee's class slowly forgot their fears and were talking, eating, and laughing with each other. Cheerilee herself had struck up a fascinating conversation about history with Princess Luna who, forgetting some of her formality, managed to keep her voice down to a dull roar. Cheerilee thought she might have even heard her accidentally let slip an "I" or a "you" now and then. Her students began to slowly but certainly inch towards Luna. The braver among them even addressed the occasional question or comment to her, which made the princess very happy.
All was well for a while until it was ended by a blood curdling scream. It was Diamond Tiara. The little pink filly was backing away from the split role she had been nibbling at, and it was soon apparent why. Out from the underside of the roll came crawling a fat, green, slimy slug. It left a mucus trail right over Diamond Tiara's teeth marks.
"YOU!" Diamond Tiara hissed, pointing an accusing hoof at Snails, "So that's your special talent? Putting bugs on other ponies' food?" The lanky yellow colt stared confusedly.
"Hey!" Snips said, coming to the defense of his friend. "You can't go blaming Snails just because you're too dumb to watch your food. Would you go blaming Silver Spoon if you found a spoon in your soup? And besides, Snails' cutie mark is a snail, not a slug. Duh."
"Spoons are supposed to go in soup stupid," Diamond Tiara sniffed. "And a snail is a dumb cutie mark, almost as dumb as scissors!"
Snips gasped. That was going too far. "Well at least scissors can do something besides sit on your head and your butt!"
"Now now," Cheerilee said, "It was just an accident, nothing to get upset over, and certainly nothing to fight over. Slugs get hungry too you know."
"Miss Cheerilee's right," Apple Bloom said walking forward to put herself between Diamond Tiara and Snips. "We're disrespecting Miss Luna and this lovely meal she's prepared for-" Apple Bloom tripped and landed face first in the vegetable pie. She rose up slowly, broccoli and tomato sliding down her face. "Scootaloo, why'd you trip me?"
"Hey, wasn't me." Scootaloo said. "It was either Sweetie Belle or your big stupid feet."
"HEY!" Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom screamed in unison. As the cutie mark crusaders began to squabble, Apple Bloom shook off the vegetable pie stuck on her face, and as if by some magic, each piece that left her seemed to hit either Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon.
"Watch what you're doing Apple Bum!" Silver Spoon screeched as she and Diamond Tiara joined the quarrel.
"Ow! Who kicked me?" Snips yelped, and soon Snails and he were arguing as well. The dispute quickly lost any sembelence of reasonableness and was soon devolved into a melee of pushing and name calling.
"Oh dear," Cheerilee frowned, getting up from her seat next to Princess Luna. She hovered around the quarreling ponies, offering consoling words that went unheard. Luna looked on with drooped ears as the arguing got louder and fiercer. She had not imagined the first day with her young scholars going like this.
"Excuth me Princeth Luna." Luna looked down to see Twist, the only one refrained from the fighting, nudging at her foreleg. Her thick lensed spectacles amplified the creases of worry sprouting up on her young face.
"What is it child?"
"Isth there sthomething wrong with that statue?" She pointed over towards the singing Draconequus a little distance away.
Luna looked past the fighting and saw the statue of Discord crumbling. Horror filled her.