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// Valedictorian 
// Story: Instant Teenager 
// by SeasonTheWiccan 
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Summer had come to an end, and now, Cue's final year of school had already begun. It was now Fall, almost to Winter, the air was chilling and the leaves had already fallen. Diamond Tiara would be in jail until that Summer so it was an easier ride for Cue, Dandelion and Autumn Leaves.

Today, it was a particularly hard day for Cue, she beat her record of cloud shaping her past record was 50, but today, she beat it by another 50! 100 clouds that day and as soon as she got home she collapsed on the couch and meant to close her eyes for 5 minutes, but it turned into 4 hours. On workdays, she had to wake up at 4 AM and got off of work at 7AM, so she had time for school and that was from noon to 6 then she had to go back to work until 9. So when she get's home, she's burned out. She was woken up by her mother, who let her know that her friends were here to take her to school.

This woke her up, "Oh sweet Celestia!"

She quickly flew up to her room and Rainbow was laughing while Cue was scrambling through her room, trying to find her saddlebags. She felt all over her room but couldn't find them, "Mom! Have you seen my - " she began to call but was interrupted by her Mom's response.

"Under your bed Cue!"

She felt under her bed and there it was, "Oh!"

"Thanks Mom!"

Rainbow shook her head smiling as Cue flew downstairs and past her Mom, "See you at 9!" she said when she got to the door.

"I'll have dinner for ya!"

"Thanks!" 

She then left the house to her Mom.

"Hey, ready to go?" Autumn asked when Cue flew down from her house, Autumn's flank now sported an Autumn leaf with an acoustic guitar next to it. After the talent show, he realized that his special talent centered around making music. Though he only enjoyed playing acoustic guitar because he liked simple music inspired by the world around him and he thought, 'What better way to represent nature in your music than the acoustic guitar?'

"Yeah, though I'm a bit exhausted."

"How come?"

"Cloud Shaping took a huge toll on me today."

"Mr. Donkey will understand if you need to take a day or two off...you know that," said Dandelion.

"No, it's fine...really, it's fine. It's just that...this is our last year! Dandy, you're going to Pony University in Fillydelphia next year for college and Autumn's going to Manehattan for his music career. I'm not going to go to college because, well, can you imagine me on a college campus with an escort wherever I go? No thanks!"

"So what's your point?" Autumn asked.

"We don't have that much time left together."

The two friends realized that she was right, their time together was running out.

"Well, now that you put it THAT way..." said Dandelion.

"That's why I want to spend as much time with you guys as possible."

Autumn smiled, he still hadn't gotten over his affections for Cumulus, maybe this could be the year he'd finally tell her his true feelings.

'She's so beautiful,' he thought to himself blushing. He had told Dandelion of his affections toward Cumulus and she promised not to tell, she was the one to poke him in the side to wake him up. 

"Ow!"

"Wake up buddy boy!" she said with a knowing grin.

Autumn only glared at her.

"Come on, let's go to the restaurant and get some lunch, and I'm buying," Cue offered. 

Cue, Dandelion and Autumn walked together to the local restaurant; once there Cue ordered a Daisy Sandwich, Dandelion a Grilled Cheese and Parsley Sandwich, and Autumn got a Salad with Ranch Dressing. They laughed and talked about the things they got into as kids, things they did over the summer plus what classes Dandelion and Autumn would be taking in college. Then after they had their fill there and when the clock said so, they left for school. The way school works in the small towns of Equestria is that the older students from 13 to 18 (sometimes 19 depending on when they were born) had school in the afternoon and had a different teacher than those in the morning which were the students from 4 to 12. The older student's teacher was, in fact, Cranky Doodle Donkey! He preferred to be called Mr. Donkey and the kids actually got a detention if he was called Mr. Doodle. The only highlight of this class was the blind mare named Cumulus and her two friends who were the only ones out of the entire class who respected him. The rest of the class complained often about him, 'He gives out too much homework!'

'He's so mean!'

'No wonder he's called Cranky!'

They also managed to say things about Cumulus and her friends as well, like calling them 'Teacher's Pets' and other things. Well, Cue showed them when she had trouble with her Statistics lessons and stayed after school for private tutoring and she turned out having the best grade on her final exam last year. 

"Being a what you call 'Teacher's Pet' gets your grades up, maybe you should follow an example," she told them.

This quieted them quickly and they never brought it up again, but Cue continued to get straight A's and Rainbow couldn't be more proud.

The three friends entered the all too familiar school house and Cranky lit up when he saw his 3 favorite students, in fact, he had a special announcement for the class that was going to impact Cumulus.

"Alright everypony! Take your seats!" 

Everypony obeyed within the course of 1 minute, he then continued, "Okay, well..it seems that this is the last year for a majority of you, some will be going to college, some will be joining the Royal Guard for either Canterlot or the Crystal Empire. But, one of you in this year's graduating class will be in the spotlight, and that is...the Valedictorian."

Sparkling Gem, Cumulus, Dandelion and Autumn's mortal enemy since Kindergarten beamed, thinking it was going to be her. Shiny Bit, Sparkling Gem's coltfriend since 2nd grade was beaming as well, thinking it was going to be him, Autumn and Dandelion looked at them both in disgust. 

"Now, as you all know it's tradition that Ponyville's Valedictorian chooses where the graduation ceremony is going to be; this includes the ceremony and the dinner afterwards. So, without further ado...your Valedictorian for this year's graduating class is...Cumulus Dash."

Cue's eyes widened, "Huh...what?"

She heard everypony in the class turn to face her, she heard a lot of them applauding her and these were some of the underclassponies and some of the nicer ponies in her grade but the others were either jealous or Shiny Bit and Sparkling Gem. Cue on the other hoof, was blushing like mad.

"Alright class, let's get to learning shall we? Please get your copies of Twelfth Night by Shakespony and open them to where we left off last time."

Cumulus, still shaking from the big announcement, got her Braille copy of Twelfth Night and opened it to where she marked it. She enjoyed the story so far, though she admitted this to her teacher, she wanted to know what happened next and finished it before the rest of the class did. Cranky didn't mention this to the class out of consideration for her, because he was aware of how some of the other students would treat her. So, he told her to just re-read along with the class and he recommended other titles by Shakespony that he thought she might enjoy, which she finished within the next week. She was undoubtedly a very smart mare, such a shame that she wasn't going to college.


As the 3 friends were about to leave the school house, Cue said, "Wait for me outside..."

They nodded and went outside to wait for her as Cue approached Cranky's desk, where he was grading papers, "Umm..Mr. Donkey?"

He looked up at her over his glasses, "Yes Cumulus? How can I help you?"

"I just wanted to ask...why me?"

"For Valedictorian?"

"Yes, I don't think I'm THAT qualified..."

He took off his glasses with a sigh, "I know this is a giant responsibility for you and you have work and everything, but there are reasons why I chose you...you have been on the Honor Roll since Kindergarten for one, you're a straight A student, and you've shown that you can both work on the clouds and your studies...this is why I believe you can do it."

Cue had to admit, her confidence was boosting up, but she also had to admit, any other classmate would've sufficed. Like Sparkling Gem, even though Cue hated her guts, she had to admit that she was very intelligent and that's what got Cue in gear in the first place, she wanted to show her that she was useful. But by the time Cue had risen to the top of the class, it had become habit.

"But Sparkling Gem..."

"Cumulus...you can do this...I know that this is a tall order. But I know you can find a place for the ceremony and you'll be able to make a speech at the ceremony."

Cue's pupils dilated, a speech?! She felt like she was going to be sick.

"Cumulus, it can't be that much different than you performing in front of royalty at the Summer Sun Celebration."

"But, that was different, if you mess up you can just make it look like it was all part of the act when you're flying."

"Cumulus I wouldn't ask anypony else if I weren't confident you could do this."

She took a deep breath, seeing that she wasn't going to sway him, "Okay...I'll do my best."

"I know you will."

He replaced his glasses and went back to work as Cumulus turned to leave.

When Cue exited the schoolhouse, she was greeted by an exited hug from Dandelion.

"Our own Cue-mew! Valedictorian! Valedictorian for pony's sake!!!" she exclaimed.

"We're so proud of you!" Autumn exclaimed turning it into a group hug.

They then heard the snobbish voice of Sparkling Gem say, "Yeah Cumulus...congrats on Valedictorian."

Cumulus was surprised as Dandelion and Autumn let go.

"Yeah, congrats," said Shiny Bit who was standing next to her.

Cumulus knew them better than that, "Gem, Bit...don't say things you don't mean."

Their smug grins were now gone as the three friends walked past them.

When they were a few yards away, Dandelion asked, "So how are you gonna tell your Mom?"

"I honestly have no clue."

"I know she'll be proud of you," Autumn offered.

"That's not the problem....she'll be talking to me about college and everything."

"Oh..." said Dandelion.

"Look, I'll figure it out but I've gotta fly out of here...gotta work."

As she took off, Dandelion called after her, "Don't burn yourself out!"

"I'll try not to!" she called back.

Dandelion shook her head laughing as she and Autumn left.

"So...what are we gonna do to get you and Cue together? Hm?"

Autumn blushed, "I...uh...what?"

"Autumn, this has been going on since Kindergarten, she can't see your expressions and you've been using that to your advantage long enough. If you don't tell her...I will!"

Autumn's pupils were the size of pinheads as he glared at her, "You wouldn't!"

"I would."

She then got into his face as if to dare him, "And I will! You've just got to tell her yourself and I wont."

"Okay, okay, I'll tell her by the graduation beach party in Las Pegasus."

"Fine, if you don't tell her by then, I will."

She then spit into her hoof and Autumn did the same they then put their hooves together sealing the deal.