A muggy day in Ponyville. That was the general feel of the entire scenario.
Applebloom sat in her assigned seat, head on the desk facing the window. Sweetie Belle also held this position, feeling mutually as Applebloom did.
Staring beyond the walls of the schoolhouse was the only reminder that she wasn't in prison, and was likely to be free soon... likely.
Ms. Cheerilee herself spoke enthusiastically, though still found herself gazing longingly out the window. Heat was the thing that was really on everypony's mind. Heat, and their clever schemes to cool off once they were released from this oven of a school.
Nopony was listening to Ms. Cheerilee ramble on about the founding of Equestria, which really only served as a depressing reminder that it was not Winter, and the lot of them were suffering through the last few, humid weeks of school.
Yes, nopony, likely not even Cheerilee herself, was paying the lesson any real attention. Nopony, save Scootaloo.
Scootaloo was by no means Ms. Cheerilee's star student. Having hardly paid attention all year and favoring focus on obtaining her cutie mark, Scootaloo's was the last hoof Ms. Cheerilee expected to see shoot anxiously into the air.
Startled at first, Ms. Cheerilee had to resume her focus on the lesson and her classroom. Seeing that it was Scootaloo, and she was waving her hoof like no other, she disinterestedly dismissed her.
"Yes, Scootaloo. You may 'Use it' as you are so fond of saying."
"No no no," Scootaloo declined, "I had a question!"
This was not the sort of reply she was expecting, though she gladly welcomed it. (Though she was sure not to get her hopes up too high, as Scootaloo was also fond of cracking jokes during class time.)
"Oh! Well in that case, go right ahead, Ms. Scootaloo!"
"Thank you! I was wondering, what about war?"
This seemed to gain the attention of the entire class, mostly gathering looks of concern as apposed to interest. Ms. Cheerilee nervously fumbled over her words, not entirely sure how to interpret this question.
"I'm sorry. Can you please elaborate on your question, Scootaloo?" Asked Cheerilee, praying that she didn't mean war when she said "war".
"You know," Scootaloo explained, "ponies fighting. Battles for territory and glory, fighting to decide who was better. And I mean wars, not little slap fights between the sisters. Like, real war."
Ponies were beginning to get upset now, and Ms. Cheerilee certainly didn't need that on her list of things to deal with while she fought for the strength to reach Summer.
Ms. Cheerilee was a clever mare, however, so she didn't take long to, at the very least, post-pone the answer to Scootaloo's awkward question.
"Um, Scootaloo, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to ask you to see me after class, if you really want the answer to that question."
There, thought the clever Ms. Cheerilee, hopefully she'll forget she ever asked, and if she doesn't... well if she doesn't I suppose she asked, and as one of my students she deserves to get the answers to the questions she asks.
And so the day carried out in relative normalcy, nopony making any more scenes, and the rest of Cheerilee's boring lecture going off without a hitch. Scootaloo sat, patiently. She asked a question, she needed to know the answer, so she would get it. Yes, she would.