It was a glorious day when Apple Bloom walked to school that morning, not only was the sun out without a cloud in the sky but Apple Bloom had just received information that would make taking care of Goggles a little easier. When she and Goggles came down for breakfast that morning, Applejack explained that her friends Fluttershy and Princess Twilight had come by the house the previous night and told her of what they found out about the new arrival in Ponyville.
“So you’re called a Gizmonk huh?” she said to the animal on her back as she walked down the road towards the schoolhouse. “Have to admit, ah never heard of something like that before.”
Goggles merely shrugged at that. As the two continued on down the road Apple Bloom couldn’t help but ponder more on the events of yesterday, if Goggles was as smart as Twilight said he was then there was a definite chance the HE was the one who fixed the wagon. And the fact that he was able to make his own bed in seconds only confirmed that in Apple Bloom’s eyes. Suddenly her train of thought was interrupted by a pair of familiar voices.
“Hey Apple Bloom!” one called.
“Over here!” said the other.
Apple Bloom then looked up and saw a pair of other fillies just a few yards ahead, one a white Unicorn, and the other and orange Pegasus, otherwise known as her friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.
“Hey girls!” Apple Bloom said as she ran up to them.
“What the heck is that thing on your back Apple Bloom?” Scootaloo asked, noticing Goggles instantly.
“Whatever it is, it’s adorable,” Sweetie Belle added.
Goggles couldn’t help but blush as Apple Bloom proceeded to explain.
“This here is Goggles,” she said. “Ah found him injured in the Everfree Forest a couple of days ago, and after ah brought him to Fluttershy he insisted on coming home with me.”
“But WHAT is he?” Scootaloo repeated.
“He’s something called a Gizmonk,” Apple Bloom explained. “Twilight said it was some kind of monkey from the Far East.”
“I never heard of a Gizmonk before,” Sweetie Belle stated. “Have you, Scootaloo?”
Scootaloo shook her head in response.
“Well either way, ah’m taking him to school today for Show and Tell,” Apple Bloom continued. “Thought it’d be good way to introduce him to every pony.”
“Aw man, and all I brought was my scooter,” Scootaloo pouted, knowing that everyone in the class was obviously going to like Goggles better.
“Come on girls,” Sweetie Belles said. “We better get going before we’re late.”
And with that the three friends quickly made their way down the road. By the time they had reached the Ponyville schoolhouse, fillies and colts were already beginning to enter the building, suddenly Apple Bloom stopped.
“Sorry to ask this Goggles,” she said, addressing the Gizmonk on her back. “But do you think you could uh…”
But Apple Bloom didn’t even need to finish her sentence, because at that moment Goggles gave another thumbs-up and slid off her back and into her school bag, causing a slight bulge in the fabric. Seeing the confused looks on her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders Apple Bloom proceeded to explain.
“Ah don’t want anyone seeing him before ah show him to the class,” she said. “Especially Diamond Tiara.”
Suddenly as though her very words became an animal call for her, the filly she spoke of stepped forward from the crowd of fillies and approached the three friends.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the Cutie Mark Catastrophes,” Diamond Tiara said, her friend and lackey, Silver Spoon standing at her side. “So what have YOU got for Show and Tell?”
“Probably something lame,” Silver Spoon added. “Like maybe that old piece of junk Scootaloo calls a sweet ride,”
Scootaloo growled at this, she NEVER like anyone insulting her scooter.
“What we got ain’t none of your business, Diamond Tiara!” Apple Bloom snapped, making sure Goggles was still out of sight.
“Yeah, so why don’t you get lost!” Sweetie Belle added.
At those words, both Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon scoffed and proceeded to turn away.
“Fine, if you’re going to be so rude, they we’ll leave you Cutie Mark Failures to your business,” Diamond Tiara said as she and Silver Spoon walked away. “See you in class Blank-Flanks.”
As soon as the two bullies were gone, Goggles popped his head out of Apple Bloom’s bag and growled ferociously.
“Glad to know that Gizmonk’s a good judge of character,” Scootaloo commented, noticing Goggles’ anger.
“I just can’t stand her sometimes,” Sweetie Belle said in frustration. “I know we don’t have our Cutie Marks but that doesn’t give her the right to treat us like this.”
“Ah know what you mean,” Apple Bloom added, stroking Goggles’ head, trying to calm him down. “Come on, we better get inside.”
#
It was a regular school day as far as every filly and colt was concerned, as Cheerilee walked into the classroom, everyone greeted her same way they normally do and she proceeded with her teachings. Today they were learning history, particularly about the first gentle snowfall, according to history it began in Cloudsdale when a young filly presented a piece of snow that was shaped like a star, to Princess Luna and Princess Celestia.
“Now can anyone tell me what that filly’s name was?” Cheerilee asked the class.
In response several fillies and colts put their hooves up, thinking they knew the answer.
“Yes, Silver Spoon,” Cheerilee said, pointing towards the grey filly in designer glasses.
“It was Snowdrop Miss Cheerilee,” Silver Spoon responded, all smugly.
“Correct,” Cheerilee said with a smile. “Now this particular filly was slightly different from all the other Pegasi in her class, can anyone tell me how?”
Again, several hooves went up, but this time Cheerilee decided on picking Apple Bloom to answer this question.
“She…” Apple Bloom began, trying her best to remember the answer. “…had poor eyesight.”
“Close enough,” Cheerilee giggled, pleased that Apple Bloom was at least on the right track. “But actually, Snowdrop didn’t really have poor eyesight, in fact she was completely blind. And she had created the first gentle snowflake by listening to the twinkles of the stars above her. After she had presented it to the princesses, from that day on snows were always gentle. Well, aside from the occasional blizzard off course. And as for Snowdrop, she grew up to be in charge of the whole production of gentle snow, in fact the day she let that first flake fall was the day she got her Cutie Mark.”
This intrigued the Cutie Mark Crusaders a great amount as they listened to their teacher’s words, maybe they can try getting their Cutie Marks doing something like that. However their mood was spoilt by the snide whispers from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.
“No chance of THEM doing something like that,” Diamond Tiara whispered.
“Yeah, that Pegasus can’t even get off the ground, much less create snow.” Silver Spoon whispered back.
Of course, the three friends decided to ignore them and continued to listen to Cheerilee.
“Now as you know, today we are having Show and Tell,” she said as she walked up toward the blackboard. “Now before we begin, I’d like to ask every pony to hold back any comments or questions until the filly or colt presenting is ready to take them, ok?”
She received a series of positive murmurs at that.
“Alright then,” Cheerilee continued with a smile. “When I call your name, you are to come up to the blackboard and present your piece…”
After that, the rest of the morning was spent with all the fillies and colts presenting whatever they brought in for Show and Tell. It began with a young Pegasus named Featherweight showing off his new camera, after that was Silver Spoon and her mother’s priceless earrings, then was Snip and Snails who both presented a farm of earthworms, finally it was Apple Bloom’s turn. As she walked up to the blackboard, her hooves clasped on her school bag, a drop of sweat ran down her brow, she couldn’t help but wonder what the class’s reaction was going to be.
“So what have you brought today Apple Bloom?” Cheerilee asked as she took notes.
“Well…” Apple Bloom began as she cleared her throat. “First of all, it’s not a what, it’s a who. And WHO it is, is my new friend… Goggles.”
At that word, Apple Bloom opened up her bag, allowing Goggles to jump out and onto Cheerilee’s desk. Needless to say everyone aside from Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were shocked to see this.
“Oh… oh my,” Cheerilee stuttered, trying to regain her composure as Goggles gave her a polite bow. “And what IS Goggles exactly?”
“Well he is called a Gizmonk,” Apple Bloom explained as Goggles turned himself in a circle so that everyone could see him. “And from what ah know, he is a rare animal that comes from the Far East, ah heard about it from my sister.”
“I see,” Cheerilee said, looking over the strange, yet adorable creature on her desk. “Does any pony have a question?”
Instantaneously every hoof in the room shot up, curious to know more about the animal before them.
“Where did you get him?” a unicorn named Dinky asked.
“Ah found him in the Everfree Forest,” Apple Bloom answered. “He was badly hurt so ah brought him back to Ponyville to get patched up, after that he came home with me.”
“Does he do any tricks?” Snips asked.
“Yeah, does he?” Snails added.
That was a question that Apple Bloom couldn’t find the right words to answer with.
“Well uh…”
Suddenly Goggles once again answered her prayers and started writing something on the blackboard, which read:
HELLO, MY NAME IS GOGGLES. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
The class reacted with awe at Goggles’ display of intelligence, causing Apple Bloom to smile with glee.
“As y’all can see,” she said. “Goggles is VERY smart.”
“So is that ALL he can do?” Diamond Tiara asked snidely, causing Apple Bloom to growl with irritation."
Goggles on the other hand twitched his eye with anger and snapped the piece of chalk in his grip, he obviously didn’t like being undermined by this filly, suddenly the orb at the end of his tail lit up once again, showing that he had an idea. In the blink of an eye, Goggles rubbed off what he wrote on the blackboard and started to draw something else, and he drew it so quickly that by the time he was done, both the chalk and the blackboard had little steams of smoke producing from it. What Goggles had created this time astounded every pony even more, even Apple Bloom was surprised this time, on the blackboard he drew what appeared to be a side-view of some kind of toy train. Suddenly Goggles jumped of Cheerilee’s desk and limped outside, only to come back a few seconds later with a bunch of large sticks in his arms.
“Uh, Apple Bloom?” Cheerilee said with a curious look in her eye. “What is he doing now?”
“Ah… ah don’t really know,” Apple Bloom admitted.
Suddenly Goggles opened up his little vest to revel several small tools clinging onto holders sown into the fabric, he then took out a small out a few of his chosen tools and proceeded to attack the pile of wood with the ferocity of a Tasmanian Devil. By the time the smoke cleared a few seconds later, the pile of wooden sticks was replaced by what appeared to be an exact replica of the diagram Goggles had drawn on the blackboard. Goggle then blew the steam off the screwdriver he was holding and crossed in arms in a smug manner, enjoying every second of the dumbfounded look on Diamond Tiara’s face.
“By Celestia!” Cheerilee finally said, trying to adjust herself to the display before her eyes. “That was incredible!”
“That’s got to be the best Show and Tell ever!” Snips added.
It was then the whole class apart from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon murmured in agreement and clapped their hooves in applause, as Apple Bloom smiled and took Goggles and his creation back to her desk, she couldn’t help but feel fantastic at rubbing the smirk off Diamond Tiara’s face. As Show and Tell continued on almost every pony in the class remained fixated on Goggles, even the rest of the ponies presenting their own projects had lost all interest as long as he was in the room, which in turn infuriated Diamond Tiara even more. Throughout the rest of the day Goggles had become the most popular thing in class, which in turn made Apple Bloom that much more popular. However even as her fellow classmates continued to badger her with questions and comments about her new pet, Apple Bloom’s mind was fixated on other things, mainly the way Goggles had designed and created a toy train with such speed and detail. Not only did this prove without a doubt that HE was the one who fixed the wagon yesterday, but it also showed a little bit more about Goggles than he let on at first. What was this Gizmonk?