//------------------------------// // Back in Session // Story: The Alicorn Academy // by kudzuhaiku //------------------------------// Minerva froze as she trotted down the hall, causing Hoodwink to bump into her backside. Minerva stood, a look of terror and sorrow on her face, staring, her gaze focused on a large sooty black spot on the wall. “Come on Minerva,” Brimstone said, “don’t fall apart now. We have to hold each other together.” Minerva swallowed a few times, her eyes wide, her ears back against her head. “I can see a pony…” she gasped, “I can see a pony.” Her companions looked at the black spot on the wall. After a moment of looking, they each saw what Minerva saw. In the center of the sooty smear was the outline of a pony in profile. Head, neck, body, legs, even a horn was visible. Minerva began to cry again, something she had been doing a lot of lately. Her backside fell to the floor with a thump. Hoodwink sat down on one side, Brimstone sitting on the other, with Ivy sitting in front of her and hugging her. Getting to class on time didn’t seem important. The four companions sat there for some time, with Hoodwink also breaking down into tears, all staring at the sooty black smear on the wall. Time lost all meaning as the companions thought about the events that had taken place. “Shouldn’t you be in class?” Said a familiar voice behind them. All four of them jumped. Time had slipped away. “There’s a pony.” Minerva said in a pain filled monotone. Twilight Sparkle looked at the black spot on the wall for a few minutes, finally seeing the pony, the faint outline becoming visible. She let out an audible gasp. “There is a lot to clean up.” Twilight said. “I’m sorry you saw this. I’m sure it is very painful for you.” “This shouldn’t be cleaned up.” Minerva said. “This should be left alone. Ponies should see this. Lots of ponies died. You can’t clean that up. You can’t just make it go away. Ponies need to remember what happened. It should be sealed off and have glass put over it or something to make sure that it is left the way it is.” Twilight went over and took a sit with the foals, gazing at the image. She wrapped a wing around them, sitting next to Hoodwink. Five of them sat in silence, reflecting on those lost. Not much was said, or could be said. Class was forgotten, and the many important things that Twilight Sparkle had to do were momentarily brushed aside. Eventually, Ivy let go of Minerva and clung to her godmother, her teacher. An hour passed in near silence. “So this is where my students have gone.” Said a gentle voice, calm and soothing. Twilight suddenly felt guilty. She knew the consequences for missing class. She cringed at Celestia’s voice. “There must be something that you see.” Celestia said. “Yes,” said Minerva, “there is a pony there.” Celestia looked at the image, and, like the others, eventually saw the heart wrenching outline. “Minerva believes that this shouldn’t be cleaned up. And I agree. It should be sealed up and a display made. To remind us all of what has taken place. A memorial. I don’t know if the pony who made the outline was friend or foe. Nor do I care.” Twilight said, her voice thoughtful. “I agree Minerva. I will take steps to make sure that this place of reflection is preserved.” Celestia took a deep breath. “I take it that the special class that Twilight Sparkle called into order here was productive?” “I’ve learned something...” said Hoodwink, nodding. “Would you mind telling me?” Hoodwink squirmed uncomfortably. “Please tell me Hoodwink. I value your insight. You may be young, but that does not make your views upon the world any less valid or meaningful. Do tell me.” Celestia smiled, her eyes gentle and encouraging, as always. The Princess of the Day was an eternal well of hope. “I’ve learned Minerva sees things that I don’t. I would have just walked past this and never noticed. And it makes me feel sad that I know I would do that. And I feel bad because I should feel something about the pony on the wall, but all I can think about is my self and how I would have walked past it if Minerva hadn’t stopped me. I can’t think of anything for the pony on the wall. I’ve been sitting here for an hour and I can’t think of anything. Other than being thankful for Minerva.” “Isn’t that enough?” Asked Celestia, gazing once again at the pony on the wall. “No.” Hoodwink said. “I should feel something. Somepony has died here. And all I can think about was how I was going to keep walking. I feel bad.” “Hoodwink, my student,” said Celestia, “you are missing something of vital importance here.” Hoodwink buried her face into Twilight’s neck. Celestia brushed Hoodwink’s back with a wing. “Hoodwink, what is important here is that you stopped to consider your friend’s point of view and took some time to see what she saw. This is something that will probably have a profound impact on your life, even if you cannot realise it now. You took time to listen, to look, and you still have time to learn.” Hoodwink raised her head, looking forward at the pony on the wall. “We all leave our mark upon the world.” Hoodwink said thoughtfully. “This image left a mark on Minerva, and now Minerva has left a mark on me.” Hoodwink struggled, trying to grasp a difficult concept. “We all leave behind images upon one another, things that we can go back and study later as we grow. I may not be able to think about what this means now, but thanks to Minerva I can think about it later when I have more understanding and maybe get something from it then.” “Very profound.” Brimstone said, finally saying something. “Usually I am the one to elucidate upon a subject. I’ve been lost this whole time. I haven’t been sure what to say.” “You are a very good teacher Twilight Sparkle, having session in this hall.” Celestia said, a faint teasing tone in her voice. “I merely stopped to listen to my students.” Twilight said. “I know,” agreed Celestia, “and that is why you are an excellent teacher Twilight.” Twilight Sparkle felt a hot flush run through her body, up into her cheeks, and down through her wings. “What do you think about when you see the pony Twilight?” Ivy croaked, her voice little more than a raspy whisper. Brimstone flinched upon hearing it, a look of obvious pain clouding his features. “Oh, no, I couldn’t talk about it.” Twilight stammered. “Why not?” Minerva asked. “Yes Twilight, why not?” Celestia questioned, sitting down upon her haunches next to Brimstone, becoming the sixth pony in the hall. Twilight began to chew her lip. Ivy tugged gently on Twilight’s mane. “When I look at the image all I can think about are selfish things. What I want in life. Before I die. How much things have changed in such a short time. All of my perspectives turned upside down. I used to think I knew what I wanted from life. Recently, that has changed. And now I see death looming before me and I am hoping that I have enough time to make some changes.” Twilight looked down at Ivy and smiled weakly. “There is always time for change.” Minerva said, with all the innocence of youth. “Yes Minerva, but if I make these changes, it means giving up other things. Things I want. Things I had hoped to do. There may be time to make changes, but they come at a price.” Twilight looked again at the pony on the wall. “Everything costs something.” Said Brimstone, looking at Ivy thoughtfully. “When I thought I had lost my friend, I did something horrible. I did something bad. I did something that ponies shouldn’t do. I still have my friend, and I am very grateful for that, but I have to pay the price for what I have done.” Ivy let go of Twilight and turned her affection upon Brimstone, clinging to him. “I know what Brimstone is talking about.” Hoodwink said. “I feel awful for what I did. And I feel even worse because I know that if my friends were threatened, I would do it again.” Hoodwink shuddered, remembering the bloody statues. “You two must not punish yourselves.” Celestia said, her voice stern. “You both will have much to deal with, but take solace in knowing that your actions saved the lives of many others. And those you love.” She turned her head and looked at her nephew meaningfully, and then her student. “Hoodwink Lulamoon, you ended that battle in the hallway. Your actions saved many students, all of whom I hold very dear to my heart. You saved many teachers. I know that what you did is troubling you, but you are going to have to accept that there is a price for great power. You must temper it with always remembering what took place here today, and taking these lessons to heart. It is going to weigh heavily upon your mind, but you took those first few brave steps towards serving others. The needs of others outweighed the needs of your own, and you rose to the challenge. Take comfort in that, little ones.” “I cannot.” Brimstone said. “I didn’t do what I did to save others. I lost my temper and bad things happened. It was only lucky coincidence that Ivy was immune to the gas. I could have killed her as well. I could have lost one of my best friends and I would be responsible.” “And you are taking responsibility for it now Brimstone. Which makes you a good pony, recognising that you could have done better. But that does not change one very simple fact. You saved Ivy, and then carried her to safety. You took a serious risk in doing so. And then when confronted with others that you didn’t know, you tried to warn them in a moment of compassion rather than rushing headlong into danger and potentially taking more lives. You took your ability to do harm seriously and took steps to prevent more lives lost.” Brimstone hung his head, silent. Ivy’s forelegs were wrapped around his neck. “And I was finally a damsel in distress,” Ivy whispered, “and my prince saved me.” No one laughed. Ivy resumed her silence sulkily. “Twilight?” Minerva asked. “Yes Minerva?” Twilight replied. “What is it that you want?” Minerva asked. “I want to believe in ghosts now.” Twilight said cryptically, her face relaxing somewhat, ears perking forward. “But we saw ghosts Twilight. Real ones.” Minerva said. “Palus Somni.” Brimstone said. Twilight made an odd gurgling sound in her throat. “Ooh…” said Minerva, gaining some understanding. “Don’t worry Twilight. Colts don’t actually have cooties. Although they do smell. Sometimes. Sorry Brimstone.” Brimstone shrugged. “I have a question,” said Minerva, looking up at Celestia, “what is it that you want?” Celestia squirmed visibly, her wings fluttering, a look of honest surprise on her face. Nopony had asked her that in any sort of meaningful way for a long time. “Well?” Said Minerva impatiently. “I want Equestria safe. I want my sister happy. I want my students safe, secure, and happy. I want Canterlot rebuilt…” “Whoah!” Minerva interrupted. Celestia paused, not used to students interrupting her. “Those are all things you want for other ponies. What do you want for your self?” Minerva demanded. Celestia felt somewhat infuriated about being put on the spot, but held it deep down inside. She thought for several moments. “I suppose that I want for Twilight Sparkle to believe in ghosts.” She said finally. “That’s still for another pony.” Minerva protested. “But it would make me very happy.” Celestia responded after a moment. Minerva scowled, unsatisfied. Brimstone cleared his throat. “I suspect that my aunt desires to experience motherhood vicariously through Twilight Sparkle. Luna has me. Celestia has her students but probably desires something more.” He said, avoiding Celestia’s gaze.