It was nearing the end of the year. It was the end of spring and a heat wave had rushed in, but Canterlot still had a nice breeze floating through the mountains, so it was tolerable compared to the towns below it. The river and scenic waterfalls often attracted the denizens after nightfall, where a lights display would cause the falls to change color as it careened down into the valley. Classes would officially end at the beginning of summer, where the students would witness the Sun Celebration, and then take a few trips before being taken to Manehattan for the airship back home. There was celebration in the air, but also sadness. Despite initial reservations, the Saddle Arabians had branched out to form friendships with their pony classmates. They had also, probably to the dismay of their parents, discovered a taste for Canterlot’s expensive restaurants and tea parlors. The new coffee shop, though, was often the favorite hangout. Even the donkey, normally wary and pessimistic, could be seen there on occasion. He didn’t really drink coffee, but found it was a good place to sit and read, or study. Sometimes Dusty would join him, but the lab beckoned the unicorn more and more, with work on the duplication spell continuing fruitlessly. Apparently, some of the higher ups were under the assumption that a certain number of unicorns had to supply magic simultaneously, so the poor junior researchers were called for long stints. Despite this, the unicorn seemed to regain his old scholastic rigor, though any conversations about alternate magic were avoided. Cyrus sensed a bit of resentment if it was brought up, and learned to veer conversation away from it. He was still interested, but instead focused his energies on studies. They were fairly easy, though his favorite was chemistry. It was something that, unlike military studies, he could actually hope to pursue.
Equestrian education systems were very odd. They prized academic excellence, sometimes to the point of pedantry, but there were no finals. This was no surprise, as it was outlined in the syllabi from the beginning, but it was still a shock to the Saddle Arabians. Grades were simply a culmination of the past work, apparently finals caused students in the past too much stress.
“It’s the effort that counts. What you learned is not measured in one moment, but how it enriches the rest of your life” said the philosophy professor when Amir questioned the rationale of the no finals policy.
“But sir, I heard from the staff that you used to do finals not too long ago. Why the sudden change in structure?”
“Oh yes, well, you see, unicorns can have trouble controlling their magic when they are emotionally compromised, especially young ones. This one filly, poor thing, when she got worked up, had a nasty habit of accidentally turning ponies into plants. We usually managed to set things right in the end though” said the stallion, scratching some leaves from his mane. The class looked at each other, sharing an expression of surprise and amusement. Amir even looked to the donkey with a grin, apparently forgetting about his inability to transmit thoughts. It was nice to be noticed, even if, by the looks of it, it was probably a corny joke. Cyrus smiled politely. It would soon be time to leave. After school, grades would be given, and the students would move, with the rest of the city, to the park where the all night Summer sun Celebration. He was rather looking forward to it. The city had quite grown on him, and he was a bit sad to leave its spiraling towers and beautiful greenery behind. But that fresh summer air, warm and calming but not yet humid, had an effect of lightening everyone’s moods and causing a stirring. He did not hear much of what the professor had to say, he probably got off track anyway. He was in a summer daze when the class got out, and they headed down to the main lobby, where assistants were handing out folders with grades printed out, as well as a copied note from the head of the school, thanking them for their hard work, wishing them well in the future, and other meaningless sayings. Cyrus grabbed it with his tail and was pleasantly surprised. He had never quite felt at place, and feared his grades might suffer for it, especially during the Jarir incident. But he actually passed everything, with high marks in chemistry and history. He smiled and trotted off to meet Dusty after dropping off his grades at his room. They never did give him another roommate, and that was fine.
Canterlot was also beautiful at night. Cyrus even found himself chuckling at his previous fear. The residents had turned off all the lights, save for the park, so the stars, arrayed in a magnificent display, were splayed across the velvet sky. He saw Dusty waiting, and, without saying a word, they made their way to the park. He lit his horn, glowing a soft gray to match his eyes. He had a grin normally reserved for recounting pedantic tales. Cyrus followed, not wanting to break the tranquil spell. The soft quiet as they walked the moonlit streets was hypnotic, the streets painted in softer shades of grey. His ears twitched as he heard movement. Other ponies, mostly unicorns, had joined the silent walk, the multitude of colored auras bouncing like fireflies. A soft whoosh as the pegasi flew overhead, joined by batponies. Everypony seemed drawn to the park, united in their admiration of the night’s beauty. Cyrus felt calm, the nights tranquility finally soothing his nerves. He felt natural, a part of this landscape. It was the dawn of a new sun, a time to relax the mind and let go of past regrets. They approached the park, where rides and vendors blasted their colorful sights and sounds into the gentle night. Cyrus had not been on any of these types of rides, so Dusty, ever eager to be the guide, took him on all of them at east twice. They would have gone on the spinning teacups another time, but a grey mare had somehow broken it just by sitting in one of the cups. Finally, it was time for the ceremony. The royal guard appeared and announced the arrival of the two Royal sisters. The ponies were in awe, but the Saddle Arabians were absolutely dazzled. Cyrus found himself transfixed on their impossible manes. The excitement was almost physical as the ceremony saw the introduction of Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, and her sonic boom to ring in the summer sun. Everypony was cheering, as giddy as foals. It was certainly very infectious. Cyrus didn’t even notice when Dusty was nudging him, didn’t hear the words being yelled over the multitude. He did notice when a grey aura tugged on his tail, and realized he had to get going.
“I wish we had something like that back, home. I don’t know how you all manage to keep things so festive, and yet so safe.”
“ Well, they learned the hard way not to sell cider in public places, especially in huge events. I don’t know if you realized, but ponies tend to get panicky easily, and cider doesn’t help.”
“You ponies never cease to amaze me” said Cyrus, with a slight hint of sarcasm in his voice. If the unicorn did pick it up, he did not let on. The train whistle blew, signaling the passengers to get ready.
“You know, you don’t have to come all the way, its quite a long trip.”
“That’s alright, I actually have the day off. Besides, I haven’t been to Manehatten in a long time. No need to worry about me.” They started walking towards the train platform, as the conductor shouted his last warning call. They got in the car with the Saddle Arabians, who were waving goodbye to the ponies on the platform as it filled with steam, the engine starting. The unicorn and the donkey settled down in a seat in the back, enjoying the last view of the magnificent city before it disappeared behind the mountains.