//------------------------------//
// Learning Experience. 
// Story: Father of the Night 
// by Mandroid 
//------------------------------//

	You sat at Twilight's table silently munching on your gorilla brand cereal while you read the newspaper.
"Hmm. A symposium on localized magical anomalies?"
Twilight nods. "Mhmm! There were a few events of localized animation in the royal library and it made the city news, it wasn't long after that that they threw the whole thing together."
Magic was always something interesting to you, you were lucky to have such an expert here with you.
"Facinating."
Mister Anonymous shuffles out of the room you shared. "Hey Bruce..." he says barely awake.
"Hello sir."
He sits down at the table and starts eating. "Excited about your first day at school?" You swallow your food and answer without looking up.
"It should be a nice new experience."
You close your eyes for e moment and calm your heart rate. It was alright...you could do this. It was just meeting new ponies, right? You've done that. You did that a bit in Goatham back in the day. Twilight smiles. "I'm sure Miss Cheerilee will be happy to have a smart colt like you in her class."
You force a laugh. "Hehe, yes..."
Breakfast proceeds without incident and Anonymous goes into your room to change.
"You ready to go, Bruce?" he asks as he comes out.
You adjust your tie and lapel in the mirror one last time.
"Yes, I believe so."
Spike chuckles "Aren't you a bit overdressed, Bruce?"
Anonymous walks over to the door and cracks it open. "C'mon Spike, you know all the girls are crazy for sharp dressed men."
You throw your saddlebags on and walk over to Anonymous.  "Hopefully not too crazy, I've schooling to do."

The schoolhouse was standard affair. A single building with a bell tower at the top of a small hill. Other children, fillies and colts alike run around out front and play while the adult you figure to be your new teacher Miss Cheerilee watches from the doorway.
"I'll pick you up after school, alright Bruce?" Anonymous says.
"Understood."
You amble over to group of children and stand at the outskirts of their group.
...How are you supposed to do this?
You look to each of their faces, each engrossed in their private conversation, and there you were the outsider trying to step in. Well...the direct method works.
You clear your throat as loud as you can, drawing the attention of everyone on the lawn. They all stop their conversations and turn to stare at you, all wondering what the large boy with the tie wants.
"Hello, everypony." you say with a wave. "My name is Bruce Mane. I am nine. I am going to be in your class from now on."
They all continue to stare, a few exchange glances.
Yes...well...
"That is all! Carry on."
You about face and walk over to a nearby bush where you sit down.
"That could have gone better, yes."
You sit by yourself contemplating how that went for a few minutes before three fillies approach you, one that you know.
"Hey there, Bruce!" the one in the lead says with her familiar drawl.
"Hello Applebloom."
You look to her two compatriots: A white unicorn with a candy colored mane and an orange pegasus with a purple mane.
"Who are these two?"
The unicorn steps forward "I'm Sweetie Belle and this is Scootaloo." Scootaloo throws off a wave. "Are you new in town?" she asks.
"Uhhhh..."
You glance between the three girls and think about your time out at night. 
"Yyyyes...I'm new-ish."
Applebloom gives you a small wink. Good, she would not say a word. Scootaloo eyes your neck.
"Uhm....yes?"
"What's with the tie?" she asks.
Your eyes shoot between your tie and Scootaloo. 
"Uh...I wished to be presentable?"
The girls all exchange looks like you just told them that Celestia didn't move the sun.
"Uhg, back off losers." comes a voice.
The four of you turn your heads and see a pair of fillies coming towards you, one pink and the other a muted grey.
"Not that I would expect those blank flanks to know how to talk to someone." the grey one says.
"Uhh..." You tilt your head to the side. "Hello?"
The pink one comes closer. "Bruce Mane...Bruce Mane...I remember the Mane's from some of the parties daddy took me to. You were the boy off in the corner, weren't you?"
Father's parties...you remember them. The constant forest of people that they were. Luckily, there weren't that many other children there.
"Yes, Miss...Tiara?"
Her grin widens. "Glad you remember me."
Well, half remember.
The bell at the top of the school chimes three times and Miss Cheerilee begins waving the other children in.
"Well...time to go."

"And can anyone tell me the year of the collapse of Eternity's Bridge?" Miss Cheerilee asks.
You raise your hoof high over your head.
"Yes Bruce?" she asks.
"584 BL."
"Very good, Bruce! Your first day is proving to be very good indeed."
You lower your hoof and continue to pay attention to your lesson. Miss Cheerilee continues to lecture about the ancient architects of Stableside. You take the time to look around the room at the others. Your possible new friends, the fillies who called themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders sat near the front of the class while those other fillies, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon you found out, sat off to the side.
Cheerilee turns back. "Now, can anyone tell me where Eternity's Bridge connects to in Cervidas?"
You raise your hand, but a grey colt in the center of the room beats you to it.
"Yes Rumble?"
"Seaddle." he answers.
"Very good! It seems we have two bright little boys here today."
Cheerilee goes back to teaching and Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon turn around and sneer at Rumble.
"Look at the smartest little Blank Flank around!" Diamond Tiara whispers.
Rumble sighs and casts his gaze downward.
"Hmph..."

Recess came after your history lesson. You first stood a bit dumbfounded at first at all the possibilities, but luckily Applebloom came up to you and asked if you wanted to play hide and seek.
You were now sequestered in your element, hiding under the school itself after you found a loose plank that you removed. The shadows underneath the schoolhouse conceal you just as well the night itself does.
Here you were hidden. Here none could find you. Here you would win hide and s-
"Found you Bruce!"
"YAHGRABLGRABL!"
"Hahahaha! Scared you good, didn't I?" she laughs.
"Y-yes, Scootaloo."
She stares at you for a few seconds. "You gonna come down?"
You let go of the pipe you were gripping and drop to the ground.  "Yes, my apologies."
Scootaloo chuckles. "It's no problem."
"How did you find me? I thought that place would serve me well."
"Heh. Somepony always hides under the school."
You stop and blink a few times. "Oh."
On your way back to Applebloom and the others, you hear something. "Are you so smart because you're trying to get your cutie mark, Rumble? I don't think it's working."
Over your shoulder Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon following a frustrated looking Rumble around cackling. You watch as they follow him making jabs and as Rumble is forced into nonresistance.
That...shouldn't happen.
You turn back to your friends and utter a quick "Pardon me, girls." before marching over there.
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon continue to laugh as you get closer. "I'm not really sure what's more pathetic, the fact that he's this old and -doesn't- have his cutie mark or the fact that he's trying so hard to be a little know-it-all egghead."
Silver Spoon chuckles as you step between the girls and Rumble. "Still better than his worthless brother and his "featherfl-"
"Stop."
The two girls don't finish their sentences and glance at each other, then to you.
"I want you to stop."
Diamond Tiara scoffs. "You think just because you're new and rich you can boss us around?"
Silver Spoon glances behind you. "You know how it goes Diamond Tiara, these blank flanks have to stick up for each other."
"Stop."
"Not just too blank flanks! Two know-it-all's too!"
"I said stop!"
"Can you think of anything MORE pathetic than not having your cutie mark at their ag-"
"STOP."
The two fillies mouths snap shut, their eyes go wide, the jabs stop. That voice worked against muggers, it would work against these two.
"I'll not stand idly by while two girls of at best questionable moral upbringing mock somep0ny else for simply being less lucky than they were. Rumble's intelligence should not be stifled, it should be nurtured."
You take a few steps towards them "The lack of or presence of a cutie mark does not indicate maturity or superiority, as you both have shown."
You return to Rumble and lead him by his shoulder to the others. "And we do not have to take it."

School releases you at exactly 3:00 pm. You bid farewell to the Crusaders and Rumble as you walk outside and see Mister Anonymous standing by a tree.
"Hey squirt. Have a good day?" he asks.
You walk with him and talk at the same time.
"It was...eventful. I made some new friends, possibly some new enemies."
"Sounds eventful, yeah. I saw you talking to Bloom on your way out."
"Yes, I met her friends. She was kind enough not to reveal any of the more exciting aspects of my life to them."
"Well that was nice of her."
"That it was, yes."
You glance up onto the nearby hill where construction equipment is massing. "Work's getting started, won't be too long now." Anonymous says.
You nod. "That it won't."
Anonymous lets you into Twilight's library and follows you into your room.
"So how bout it Bruce, is school the same as fighting crime?" she asks.
You remove your tie and lapel as you think back to what you did on the playground, how easily stepping to Rumble's aid against those girls came to you. "It's...close enough."