Chapter 1 – And only for a change
The outside world has taken on a post winter biss as Celestia's sun begins to move over the town of Ponyville; the glowing orb of fiery orange and yellow plays as a triumph to awaken the wild flowers of the rolling hills that surround the quite town. For spring now has taken it's first steps to the world as the last bit of Winter Wrap up snow melts to the awaiting thirsty ground.
But just because nature has a little spring to it doesn't mean everything has awoken bright eyed and fluffy tails. Especially for the foals that trot towards the loud and ear pounding school bell of Ponyville's school.
This sound particularly hits one filly the hardest, as her morning that started much earlier than most foals trails on. The continuing chime of the bell sparks a comment to herself as she gives an early morning groan, "Oh...I hate wake'n up early." The pale yellow and dull red maned filly gives a slight yawn as she adjust her hooves not too steep on the strap that dangles down from her school satchel she throw on to not be late for school.
The filly's eyes holds there wanting sleep as the bell to the school stops and the foals that have the luxury of living close to it being to just walk in, with the same spring filled bright faces as the world.
"Hey AppleBloom!"
A slightly tomboyish voice rings from behind Apple Bloom as she stops her trot and turns her head. Sure enough the light orange pegasus filly walks up to her with her wings sprawled out and wielding an awake face.
As Scootaloo gets closer the filly squints to her friend as she lets out a slight laugh, "What's up with those eyes?" From her closing gap she brings her right hoof up as she nudges Apple Bloom, "..Don't you get up this early with Applejack anyways?"
"Well of course I do! But I ain't got to walk half across Ponyville every day."
The response’s tone causes the light orange filly to blink in confusion as her voice comes back, "Whoa, let me guess Applejack wake you up extra early to not be late."
Apple Bloom gives her friend a hard stare for a moment before she turns back to the dirt road, "Yep, she think I'm gonna sleep in on the first day back, I mean really it was only a week break for Winter Wrap up."
"YA, but at least we got to try snow cleaning this time." A smile comes over the filly's face as she stares to her friend.
Apple Bloom taps her hoof to her mouth as she pauses for a moment, "Come to think of it, maybe shovels on are flanks would not have been the best thing...you know?"
Scootaloo blinks to the comment but immediately nods her as it sinks in, "Ya..." Her excitement comes back to her as a loud gasp stems from her, "OH I know! Next time lets try-..."
"HeY." A loudish squeal of a voice breaks the light filly's concentration as the two ponys turn to the rapidly approaching white filly.
Sweetie Belle ends her slight gallop as her perfectly matching school satchel swings in front of her, "Oh good i'm not late..."
Scootaloo rolls her eyes to the comment as she holds her gaze behind her friend towards the empty road, "Pff, ya like your sister would arrive any where late...Hey, where is Rarity?"
The white filly regains her slightly panted voice as she speaks up, "Rarity didn't walk me today, she was busy with some dress for Twilight-."
"Girls! Its time for class."
The three filly's turn there heads back to the purple mare standing at the school house's doors as they start there gallop up towards them, "Sorry Miss.Cheerilee."
It only takes the fillies a moment to bring themselves into the class as the normal chatter of the inclosed room takes over the quiet and open air of the world outside.
"Ugh...I hate the smell of school wood after a week." Scootaloo looks to the ponies beside her for her comment's approval as they tort towards the normal seats.
But before a reaction can be met the sound of Miss.Cheerilee's hooves coming back to the room followed by her voice being too quiet the room stop any comments, "Alright everypony..."
The room of foals simmers for a moment as there eyes begin to pin to the purple mare trotting in front of the blank chalkboard with a warming smile, "How was everypony's Winter Wrap up break?" Her voice comes back with an encouraging tone as it sparks a mixed reactions from the foals around the room as they all speak their minds. "GoOd,ShORt,coLd....
Even though the foal's responses where to smashed together to understand Miss.Cheerilee runs through a pre-recorded response as her tort ends for a brief moment to shoot a smile towards her students, "Great, now I hope you're all ready to get back into learning, because I think we'll start your first day back with a short story."
The room sparks back with another mixed response, although this one has a little bit more audible as it runs like a crashing wave around the room, "AWWwww...."
Miss.Cheerilee cocks her head to the class as she speaks up a little confused, "Aww? It's just a story?"
"Becauseshuth, every time you read we have to do shuth-ting after." Twist's lispy voice comes back to room as a few other ponies speak up from somewhere in the class, "Ya."
Miss.Cheerilee blinks to the light cream coated and red curly mane filly's comment as she rolls her hoof with a little giggle, her confident voice holds as she trots towards her desk to where a book sits, "Oh, you ponies don't even know what book it is."
"HA..." A magenta pink filly sitting towards the middle of the class speaks up with a snooty laugh as she continues, "...Books are stupid." Dimana Tiara's high pitched girly voice sparks the pony in front of her to respond as Apple Bloom turns back towards her, "Oh come on, not all all books are bad."
The pale magenta filly rolls her eyes as she crosses her front hooves, "Whatever..."
Miss.Cheerilee's voice comes over the room before Apple Bloom can speak up again, causing the light yellow filly to abandoned her comments to the pony behind her, "Actually everypony I think you all will enjoy this story, even you Diamond Tiara."
Diamond pays no attention to the words as Miss.Cheerilee torts towards the moves teacher's podium in front of the blank chalkboard, the book in her hold comes to sit on it as she turns to the board now with a piece of chalk in hoof.
CREEEKKKK
The ear slamming board's cause most of the ponies in the front two rows to drop their ears back as Miss.Cheerilee lets out an embarrassed laugh, "Whoops, looks like the board got really dry from the weather while we were gone ha-ha..." She clears her throat as she starts to write to the board again..
It only takes a few moments for the tap-tap of the chalk to stop as the purple mare steps aside from the book, "Here we go."
Scootaloo is the first to speak up in an audible voice as she squints to the words, "H-Harness Hoofing Way??"
"Yes, he's the author of the book we're about to read..." A smile comes over Miss.Cheerilee's face as she looks around the room, "Can anypony tell me who this stallion is?"
A cricket killing silence descends over the room as every pony just stares to the mare, Miss.Cheerilee looks around the room one last time as she starts to talk, "Ok wel-..oh yes?"
Her hoof comes to point to a greyish colt in the back as his boyish voice comes up, "He's dead."
The comment sparks a snickering laugh from the colts beside him as Miss.Cheerilee just rolls her eyes to the comment, "Rumble, saying something every time we read a book doesn't make it funny...Now then lets start shall we, and after we will go over this story."
Around the room the foals get settled into their wood seats as most start to slump to the desk while the purple mare starts to open the book and clear her throat.
"Sir.Bubble Gum and the quest for the magical broccoli..."
The first few words spark a laugh around the room as Miss.Cheerilee looks up from the book with a smile, "Oh so now we are all interested?"
No real answer comes from the class as the purple mare turns back to the pages.
" The path is hard, and the ground is rocky. But for a certain white coated and bright pink maned pegasus the rough and tough ground feels like soft and easy clouds; Sir.Bubble Gum, holds his head up high as the stallion trots down the path, only holding his concern to the quest he has been tasked with.
A deep inhale comes over the stallion as he takes a whiff of the mountain air around him, "Ahh the smell of morning dew-..."
A laugh comes from the back of the room as a faceless colt repeats the words, "poo!"
Miss.Cheerilee holds her unamusement to the slight childish laugh around the room as she starts back up with the same sentence.
"...Ahhh the smell of morning DEW, oh how I have long to smell thee again." Said Sir.Bubble Gum as he turns his head around the path beside him.
As he does this he realizes he's still traveling alone, but the lonely feeling the brave stallion has only dwells in him for a moment as he picks his head back up, "Ah yes, correct you are Sir.Bubble Gum, it does smell as sweet as Princess Impudente's lavish mane..."
The stallion's own comment brings a smile to himself as he nods his head, continuing to talk to himself, "Quite right me...And a lovely mane she does have, a mane I hope to one day know as I know the sun's warmth on my face."...
"Umm Miss.Cheerilee, what does that mean?" Sweetie Belle's voice comes to the quiet classroom as the purple mare raises her eyes to her.
"Good question, and we will go over all questions at the end ok?" A smile comes over Miss.Cheerilee's face as the white filly nods her head..."Alright...where were we...ah."
"...Sir.Bubble Gum gets a smile to his words as he pushes along the trail set in front of him.
But as he does he notices a small village coming into view, the stallion's once self induced smile now turns to a wider joyous grin as he picks his trot up.
The village that now lays only a few hooves away from the stallion is nothing more than a few simple house mixed into the farms that lay behind or beside most of them, really just simple mostly wood made houses.
As Sir.Bubble Gum gets closer he notices an older stallion standing in front of one of the houses, to the new face Sir.Bubble Gum perks his head up as he now directs his trot to him, "Hello fine sir, could you tell me of where I am?"
The older earth stallion has a dull brown coat with equally earthy toned mane that drops a little in front of his wrinkled face, "What you say?" Said the earth pony as he spits towards the ground beside himself.
Sir.Bubble Gum holds his head up high as he nods and repeats himself with an unfazed tone, "What town be this?"
"OH, this here is Amichevole..."
The words spark a smile to the white pegasus as he looks around, "Ah this is the wonderful town in which I seek." Said Sir.Bubble Gum in an excited voice as he looks around the simple and dull wood houses.
The older earth stallion squints his eyebrows together as he looks over the bright stallion, "What brings you by uh..."
"Sir.Bubble Gum is my name, and I am here to fulfill my quest of the golden seed from Alto Rock." Said Sir.Bubble Gum in a chipper voice.
"A-Alto Rock?! Y-you sure you're feeling well?" Said the old stallion as he stares to the white coated pegasus in front of him.
"But of course, I am Sir.Bubble Gum, I must complete the quest bestowed upon me..." Sir.Bubble Gum's smile falters as he looks to the stallion, "Could you direct me to it's location?"
The old stallion blinks to the request as he stammers, "Not many ponies know of the route, and I am far too old to take you."
Sir.Bubble Gum lose a bit of his confidence as he nods, "Oh...I see."
"But...I do know another who knows the path." Said the old pony.
"Perfect! Who?" Said Sir.Bubble Gum as he turns to looks around the empty path around him.
"Minty!" The old stallion turns back towards the house behind him as his old voice runs around the mountain village, "...Minty, you are needed."
The slightly slanted door to the house comes open as the words end to the world while a pale red coated and gold maned earth pony mare comes from the building, and speaks up in a sweet tone, "Yes?..." Her voice is brought to a halt as her eyes turn to the strange bright maned pony in the path.
"Minty, we have another fool who wishes to travel the Alto path, would you mind showing him the way?" A faint cough comes from the old stallion as he trots past the mare and towards the house.
Sir.Bubble Gum blinks to his words but pays no mind to them as the mare sheepishly trots towards him, "Um...you wish to travel to Alto Rock?"
"Yes." Sir.Bubble Gum's wings sprawl out as he nods, "I have been tasked by King Avidità himself."
Minty nods her head as she looks over the stallion's sprawled out wings with a slight bit of amazement, “You have?" Her voice loses the baffled tone as she trails on and brings her eyes to meet the stallion's joy filled gaze, "But so many have already failed...why would you come? Surely you know of this?"
Sir.Bubble Gum cocks his head as he talks, "No, I don't believe I have heard of failures...they do not really interest me." The stallion brings his hoof up as he points down the path, "This way correct?"
The mare hesitates for a moment before she trots in front of him, "If you truly wish to seek out the golden seed, then follow me steed."
Sir.Bubble Gum doesn't pick up on her comment as he holds to the first part, "Perfect, lead the way."..
Miss.Cheerilee gives a little sigh as she looks up to the class, "Don't worry my little ponies, there is only a few more chapters." Strangely to her surprise no pony gives an Alright or a Sweet, instead she looks over her class's mixed emotions of confusion and wonder.
With a slight throat clearing Miss.Cheerilee starts up again,
"Chapter 2."
Sir.Bubble Gum and Minty have traveled deep into the mountains woods that laid at the end of the path. The rocky and slight hard road beneath them have come back, but the incline of the trail has lead Sir.Bubble Gum to believe his quest will soon be complete.
A smile crosses the road of the white stallion's lips as he holds his gaze to what looks like an opening to a cave at the end of the winding dirt path.
The mare beside him brings his thoughts to truth her voice comes up, "That is the entrance to Alto Rock Sir.Bubble Gum...A-are you sure you wish to proceed?"
"Of course, why would I not?" Said Sir.Bubble Gum as he turns a questioning eye to the mare.
"Well no pony has ever returned...doesn't that scare you?" Says Minty as she stare to the stallion.
Sir.Bubble Gum is silent for a moment but his voice comes back without a change as he brings his trot up, "Why yes, it does, but I have already taken this quest and can not leave it."
Without another moment of hesitation the stallion's hooves bring him further and further from the mare behind him..."Wait..."
Sir.Bubble Gum's trot is halted as he cocks his eye to the mare as her voice runs from her with a new more confident tone, "I have never seen the inside of the cave...may I accompany you?" ...
The words that were just read spark a response around the class as the fouls start to hold their own side conversations. Miss.Cheerilee doesn't stop the chatter as she just holds a smile to the now awake classroom as she continues on.
"...The two ponies trot there way towards the cave's entrance as the straight backed white stallion takes his first steps to the dimly lit room.
As they continue through the cave's entrance the light of the world behind them becomes more scarce and the mare's mind begins to wonder, "Perhaps we should have brought a light?"
Sir.Bubble Gum nods to the comment but before he can speak up his eyes see a light towards the end of the slightly winding and narrowing cave, "Maybe not..."
It only takes a few moments for the two ponies to grow closer to the light source...only being drawn like moths may not have been the best thing for them as they look over the now lit room to a figure neither want to see.
"Helloo." A voice purr's around the room as the two ponies look to a ragged wooden table with three turned over metal comes on it...But there eyes lock to a flicking tail that sit underneath the table, and as they trace the brownish grey tail up, sure enough a figure of a cat comes clear.
The mare beside Sir.Bubble Gum freezes as she sets eyes to the large mountain lion, but Sir.Bubble Gum brings his voice up as he puffs his chest out, "I am Sir.Bubble Gum, and I have come for the golden seed you have stolen."
"He-hee-hee, have you?" Purrs the cat as it turns its head to a slight tilt just moving its eyes over the stallion in front of it.
"Yes." Said Sir.Bubble Gum.
"He-hee-hee, then will you play my game for it?" A sly smile comes over the thooty cat as it nods its eyes to the table.
Sir.Bubble Gum is silent as he looks the table over, "I have nothing to wager." Said Sir.Bubble Gum.
"He-hee-hee, you can wager food." The cat licks its lips for a moment as it looks to the stallion in a new light.
Sir.Bubble Gum blinks to the beast but holds his own as he talks, "I have no food..."
"He-hee-hee, you are food my puny pony." The cat tail beneath the tail flicks hungry as Sir.Bubble Gum thinks over the comment.
"...What is your game?" Said Sir.Bubble Gum.
"Simple." Replies the mountain lion, "You will pick from one of my three cups, pick correct and you shall leave with your seed...pick wrong and He-hee-hee..."
The white stallion puffs his chest out as he steps forward, "...I-I accept beast...."
A slight gasp rolls around the room of foals as Miss.Cheerilee stops her words to another ponies voice.
"That's crazy! No way is this guy about to do that!" Scootaloo's wings flare out as she holds her hoof to the purple pony behind the podium.
Miss.Cheerilee just giggles as another young colt's voice comes up from the back of the room, "Hey I thought this was about broccoli?"
Another light giggle comes over the purple mare as she waves her hoof to the class, "I'm only reading what's on the page...Should I continue?"
The class goes silent as the majority of ponies nod there heads.
Miss.Cheerilee clears her throat as she starts back up,
"...Minty holds a confused stare to the stallion's confident...or arrogance. But she's silent as the stallion stares to the furred beast.
"Take a good look pony, you can only pick once." The cat smiles as it raises a cup to reveal a small gold glowing seed.
But the sight of Sir.Bubble Gum's prize is only for a moment as the cup quickly comes back to the table. Without a second breath the cups begin to move rapidly and separately, this way and that way, circular, oval, rectangle, all over the table the metal cups clang and clack as the paws of the cat run through there prearranged motion.
Sir.Bubble Gum squints hard to the three identical cups just trying to find a flaw or something to set them apart...But his time is up as the cat's purring voice comes up, "You have but one pick He-hee-hee."
The white stallion gallops as he moves his hoof from the ground, but he pauses it there as he stares to the table unsure of his next motion as he swings his head around.
The mare beside him swings her eyes back and forth as she feels her heart galloping to her chest. But her stare of the table is blindsided as a shining light hits her.
Minty darts her eyes down as she notices the mountain lion's tail swaying, but each time the lion sways to the right a gold glowing speck hits the mare's eyes, and she gasp to the sight.
Sir.Bubble Gum extends his hoof as the cat's smile widens, "NOO!" Screams Minty as she thrust her hoof to cut Sir.Bubble Gum's off, "This is a trick! The seed has fallen through the crack of the table! Look!"
The cat's smile fades to a dread filled pause as Sir.Bubble Gum brings his eyes down to the floor, and sure enough he sees it, the gold glow of the seed, "You have tricked me?"
Silence falls over the beast as it's take stops its flicking, "...." However the quiet of the cave doesn't last long as a slightly hungry growl runs from the cat, "You will pick a cup, or you lose Sir.Bubble Gum..."
The stallion squints his eyes between the tail and the cups as he hooves towards the cup above the tail. Without hesitation the cat's paw moves the cup revealing nothing but the ragged wooden table, "OH no...you've lost."
In a blink of an eye the lion has leaped from the behind the table with a lion like roar towards the white stallion. Luckily for Sir.Bubble Gum his quick and nimble wings send him to the top of the cave just narrowly avoiding the claws of the jumped lion.
The beast eyes go wide as it hits the back of the cave head on, a low purr comes over the cat as it raises its paw to its head too dazed to move.
"RUN!" Yells Sir.Bubble Gum.
The mare quickly springs to her hooves as she darts from the cave's room, Sir.Bubble Gum doesn't follow her however as he dashes to the ground scooping the seed up into his hooves with a little bit of dirt. But the mountain lion is unable to move as Sir.Bubble Gum darts past it towards the entrance of the cave as fast as his beating wings can carry him.
The bright light to the cave comes clear as the now slightly dirt covered stallion burst into the sun's rays with the mare next to the opening of the stone grey cave in a heavy pant.
"HA-HA I have got it Minty! I have the-..." Sir.Bubble Gum's voice is cut off as the sound of a roar from inside the cave sends the stallion's wings to another hard flap as he tucks his hooves tightly together, firmly holding the dirt and seed to himself.
"Come Minty, we must move quickly!" Sir.Bubble Gum holds his hoovering spot in the air as the mare takes a lead ahead of him.
The trees above the overgrown path make flying, even for the most experienced of pegasus strainouse. But as the town nears the two pony's eyes a wave of relief beings to crash over them as Sir.Bubble Gum lands himself next to the slowing stopping panting mare.
"I...I...Owe you Minty." Said Sir.Bubble Gum as he catches his breath.
The mare blinks to his words as they're tired hooves move towards the town, "I would say you do Sir.Bubble Gum...We should be save, the beast of Alto Rock never leaves the forest."
Sir.Bubble Gum nods his head to the words as he catches his breath and regains his usually sure self, "Then I must return."
"So soon? Surely you must rest?" Said Minty.
"No, King Avidità is expecting me...I must go." Sir.Bubble Gum's tort that has lead him to the town picks up a little as the stallion shows no sign of stopping.
The mare pauses in the road as she comes near the wooden house from earlier..."
"Oh come on!" Sweetie Belle's voice break's Miss.Cheerilee's words as the white filly holds an almost angry and confused stare, "Thats iT?" Her cracking high pitched voice brings a similar response around the room as another filly speaks up, "Ya, that was too fast."
Miss.Cheerilee nods her head left and right as she thinks up a response to the awaiting class, "Well...this is a young foals book and it was written a long time ago, some details were skipped back then....Although its not over yet."
"Ohhhhh" The class shares the same response as Miss.Cheerilee looks back to the book.
"...However Sir.Bubble Gum is only able to go a few hooves before a voice from behind him stirs him around, "Wait!"
Sir.Bubble Gum watches the pale red mare with gold mane galloping over to him as she speaks up in a slight shaky voice, "Um, may I come with you Sir.Bubble Gum? I have never seen the world beyond my village...a-and you are a sky pony..." A giggle comes from the mare as she sways a little, "I have never met somepony such as yourself...the sky- its something that no earth pony can touch."
Sir.Bubble Gum doesn't pay attention to the mare's deeply emotional driven words as he smiles, "A companion? Why yes! That would be perfect!"
The mare gets a wide smile as she looks over the white stallion.
"...Now Princess Impudente is sure to marry me once she sees I am a true hero with a following!" Sir.Bubble Gum holds a joyous smile as he looks to the mare.
But Minty loses hers as she repeats him, "O-oh...you are to be mar-..."
Sir.Bubble Gum pulls the mare along behind him as he cuts her sentence short, "Come Minty I shall show you the world you wish to see."
The mare's smile doesn't come back but the stallion's touch has sparked a new found spring to her step as she tries to keep pace with the stallion...
"Pfff, its so obvious, that Minty mare likes Sir.Bubble Gum." Scootaloo points to Miss.Cheerilee as she looks around the room for some kind of approval.
But nothing but a few nods come to her, Miss.Cheerilee on the other hoof speaks up with a joyous tone as she turns her head from the pages, "OH, i'm glad you're enjoying the story Scootaloo."
The comment shrinks the filly into her seat as she tries to play it cool, "Its alright...I guess."
The purple mare holds a smile as she starts her voice up again.
"Chapter 3 – Story's end
The trek back to Avidità's castle was nothing less then strenuous, but the hard dirt paths and rocky ways felt a little softer to the white stallion as his usually comments were able to speak to somepony for a change.
As the two ponies near the doors to the castle a unicorn next to them speaks up, "Halt." Said the gatekeeper, "Who goes there?"
Sir.Bubble Gum quickly springs from the mare's side as he speaks up, "Why it is I, Sir.Bubble Gum. I have returned from King Avidità's quest and I am here to return the king's rightful possession."
"Sir.Bubble Gum?" Said the gatekeeper, still holding an unfazed stare to the two ponies. "You look nor smell nothing of Sir.Bubble Gum...you smell of sweat and look of dirt."
"But this is true, he is Sir.Bubble Gum, the braves, pony to fall from the sky! " Said Minty as she holds her hoof to the unicorn guard.
The gatekeeper blinks his eyes a little stunned to the earth mare's raised hoof, "Who are you-..."
Before the gatekeeper's words can finish the white stallion has moved his hoof to his folded back wings as he takes the tucked away gold glowing seed to his front hoof. "Behold."
"The seed!" Said the gatekeeper, “you must takes this to the king!"
Without a moment's hesitation the gatekeeper opens the doors as Minty and Sir.Bubble Gum follow in after the stallion.
The two ponies are lead through the castle as there brought into the throne room. And that's where the white stallion with burned pink mane and dirty dirt covered hooves sees her...Princess Impudente, the most beautiful mare that this stallion has ever laid his eyes on. Her mane has a sandy color only the softest sands of HorseShoe bay could compare to...and her coat the most lavish of caramel that would make a dipped sweet apple turn bitter.
But the stallion's gaze of the mare is brought to an end as a deep voice comes to the room from the elegant throne next to the mare of Sir.Bubble Gum's desire, "What is the meaning of this-this dirty excuse of a stallion."
Sir.Bubble Gum bows to the slightly raised voice as he speaks up, "My King Avidità, I have returned with your quest completed and I have come for a reward."
The white stallion holds the bright seed towards the setted pony as he begins to go wide eyed, "Sir.Bubble Gum! You have returned! And you have defeated the beast I see!...Forgive me for not noticing you, why you look like a commen..." The stallion stops his words as he notices the mare beside the pegasus, "Um, yes well what be your reward brave quester?"
The seed is taken from the stallion's hoof as he puffs his chest out and just stares to the princess in the throne next to King Avidità. The king doesn't pay attention to the stallion though as he begins to gawk to the shiny seed that now is held in his hoof. "Now I can grow golden broccoli and eat like a real king!" Says the stallion with a slight laugh.
Sir.Bubble Gum smiles to the stallion's joy as he speaks up, "I would like the hoof of Princess Impudente as a reward..."
The Princess blinks astonished to the words, however the comment do bring a reaction from the mare beside Sir.Bubble Gum and the king, but Minty's face drops to the floor as the mare just listens quitly.
"MY Princess's hoof?" The king stops his intrigue of the seed as he turns his head to the caramel mare beside him, "My dearest daughter, what are your thoughts?"
The mare is silent for a moment as she turns between the two stallions, "Me? Her ear piercing and annoying high pitched feminine voice runs through the room giving every creature a slight shiver to their backs and ears...All but Sir.Bubble Gum as he listens to what his mind has portrayed as an angel's song continue to sing, "...You wish for me to decide?"
A nod comes from King Avidità.
"Hmm." Princess Impudente looks over the dirtied stallion, with a little whiff of her nose she shrinks back to her seat, "Ugh, Sir.Bubble Gum you smell of sweat? What happen to your sweet scent?"
The stallion blinks to her words as his usually confident and brave voice falters a little, "It shall return."
"...And what of your coat? Your coat has changed, you-you are more dull?" Said Princess Impudente.
"It will return with a simple wash-..." Sir.Bubble Gum's voice is cut off as the Princess shakes her head, "No, you are not the stallion for me, I need a brave and good looking stallion."
Sir.Bubble Gum is silent to the mare's words as King Avidità speaks up, "Then it is settled...My daughter has said no." The king waves his hoof to Sir.Bubble Gum as he continues, "You may go, unless you have more treasure to bestow upon me."
Minty perks her ears up as she turns her head to the white stallion next to her as his trot starts to bring his disappointed face around.
But before he can leave the throne room Princess Impudente giggles her voice comes up, "Oh Sir.Bubble Gum."
The stallion quickly turns his head back around, "Yes?" He says.
"If you wish to ask again bring us back the magical clam." A smile comes from the mare as King Avidità shakes his head, "Yes, the clam of magic was stolen! By a beast in the clouds, you must bring it back!"
Sir.Bubble Gum's eyes light up as he nods his head, "A quest?!"
King Avidità nods his head as he continues, "Yes, a quest only fit for a brave pony."
Sir.Bubble Gum's wings flair out a little as he speaks up in a brave and arrogant voice, "I am a brave pony! Consider this quest complete my King!"
King Avidità smiles as the mare next to him waves her hoof in a regal goodbye.
Sir.Bubble Gum slightly tugs on the mare next to him as he tries to pull her along, "Come now Minty, we have another quest to please King Avidità with!"
"Oh yes but Sir.Bubble Gum..." The mare's words halt the stallion for a second as he nods to her, "Yes?"
She gives a faint laugh as she talks, "I have not introduce myself properly, I am Minty Rose." Her hoof extends towards the stallion.
A smile comes over the stallion as he takes her hoof, "Hello Minty Rose, I am Sir.Bubble Gum..." No sweet moment follows as the white stallion pulls the mare along, "Come Minty, we have a quest!"
The mare follows after Sir.Bubble Gum as the two ponies set off out of the castle and into the fading day's sun.
"End..." Miss.Cheerilee turns her head up as she blows a little, "Well that was not as long as most stories, but at least its something to start with...any questions?"
Her smile comes around the room as she see most of her student's hooves fly up to the air, "Yes?" She points to a dull blue filly in the front of the class as the filly's voice comes up, "Why did the mountain lion have a table?"
"YA and why did it talk? Animal don't talk." Another comment rings from the back of the room as the filly's ends.
Miss.Cheerilee taps her hoof to her mouth as she think, "Well Harness Hoofing Way always had hidden meanings in the story but-..."
A colt to the right of the classroom with bluish mane and tan coat speaks up in a slightly nerdy voice as he listens to the mare, "Maybe the table meant life and the seed was everypony...And the hole the seed fell through was just like when a pony does something bad, and uh...Minty was supposed to be the idea that the pony that fell through the crack can be helped if they have somepony close to them."
The class goes silent as Miss.Cheerilee looks to the book, "Hm...Well I guess its what ever you wa-..."
Diamond Tiara speaks up as she blows to the earlier colt's comment, "Duh the meaning of the story was simple, the king and the princess just use Bubble to get things, that's why when he got back they told him another thing gotten stolen. It's just supposed to show that nothing was ever stolen...The king is just using ponies for his own gain." The magenta filly stares to her hoof as she lets out a light laugh, "Obviously Bubble was just too dumb of a pony to realize it."
The comment sparks the filly in front of her as she turns around giving the blunt of her southern tone to the pampered filly, "Well I think the story was about never given up, you know cuz Bubble got a second chance at marry'n the princess after another quest."
"HA ya right!" Scootaloo waves her hoof to her friend's comment as she runs through her own, "The whole story was about Minty and how somepony has to do a lot of dumb things to be with somepony...right Miss.Cheerilee?"
The purple pony bluish a little as she stutters, "Oh well I don-..."
"WaiT, then what did the cave mean?" Sweetie Belle's voice comes back as the filly holds her ear to dropped position to confused to really think.
Another voice comes from the back of the classroom as it rings through the building noise, "What about the old guy, what was that for?"
The chatter in the school house starts to build again as Miss.Cheerilee blinks her eyes around the room, "Ugh, why is it every time we come back from a break no pony wants to just have a classroom discussion...Oh I know!" The class settles for a moment as the pony's eyes turn to the purple mare, "...Let do a short little homework assignment on what you think the story means-..."
"AWWWWW!!"
Miss.Cheerilee blinks to the reaction as she takes the book ot her hoof and begins to trot back to her desk, "I don't understand, you all had them?" She sets the book down as she looks to the clock, "Well we still have time for some math prob-...."
"Oh come on!"
End of chapter 1