//------------------------------//
// 3 
// Story: Tales of a Brighton Phoenix 
// by The Stainmore Phoenix 
//------------------------------//

	Okay, if you ever get sucked into Equestria, make sure to ask the royalty if they have plans before they say so. If you do, you'll stump them. It was a mistake I made to let them say they have plans for me and my friends until our jobs were sorted-Braysburg Community College. Of course, us not having money meant that the royalty paid our tuition, which was cheap.

Now, Braysburg Community College is stranger than most human community colleges were. It's mainstay class rooms were focused around the campus courtyard while the others were some distance away. The main office was out some 650 yards from the main campus. Looking at it, it was a massive structure.

Cadence was walking with us to make sure the papers were properly signed. After signing the papers and getting our classes solidified, we went to get our books. That proved to be the fun task as the classes we had had seven books each. Cadence chuckled at our displeasure.

“Don't panic,” she said. “It'll work out in the end.”

We agreed and walked into the bookstore and looked around. I went ahead and found all the books we needed and as I was carrying them up, I felt something bump into me and two more things crash down over me. I could hear my sister give a groan while the others were laughing. Cadence was a little more concerned and pulled the ponies off me.

Once I got to my hooves, I looked at the ponies. One was a dark blue pegasus stallion with a jet black mane and an ink quill and paper Cutie Mark. The other two were thestrals. One was a normal thestral, dark gray coat, midnight blue mane and a cutie mark of a full moon covered by two clouds. The other one was of a volcanic red with a dark ashen gray mane and a cutie mark of a volcano.

“Oh, sorry, distracted with classwork and books,” the pegasus said. “I'm Inkwell Prose.”

“Brighton,” I said.

“Strange name,” one of the thestrals commented.

I ignored that and waited for them to tell me their names. They just stared back. I cleared my throat politely.

“Yes?” they asked.

“Names?” I asked

“I'm Echo,” the dark gray thestral said.

“I'm Volcanis,” said the volcanic red thestral.

“Pleasure,” I said.

“What brings you here to this college?” Inkwell asked.

“Well, until we can find proper jobs,” I said. “The ponies we're staying with wanted us to get an education and even get certain types of education like Business ethics, pottery and whatever can be taught in a classroom.”

Cadence chuckled. After purchasing our books, we ambled down to the dormitories. Yes, Equestrian Community Colleges have dormitories so the students don't have to travel unless they live in the town.

The room we had was a fairly large room for all of us with spare beds for up to five extra ponies. Of course, we let our new acquaintances stay with us because they knew the campus better than us. Talk about convenient placement of aide and help.

“Thank you, Cadence,” I said.

“No problem. When you have your half terms and vacations, come back, we'll be waiting,” she said and left, leaving us to settle in.

As we organized our desks and got ready for the first day of school, I heard Echo ask Skyla how we knew Cadence.

“It's that we were long time family friends of Cadence,” She said, lying to cover our sorry flanks.

As I set my first day's books out along with notebooks, pens and a small bookbag, I felt something close to my rear flank. Glancing back, I saw Volcanis inspecting my flanks with a meticulous detail.

“Where in Celestia's sun is your cutie mark?” she demanded.

“Don't have one,” I said.

“Why not?” she asked.

“Just was unlucky,” I said, indifferently.

“That isn't fair,” Echo squeaked, overhearing the whole conversation.

“It is,” I said.

I heard Skyla chuckling.

“He's still himself,” she said.

The others agreed and went back to finish our preparations. Once that was done, I checked the drawer, where I kept my books for the classes not needed and saw a pair of jars full of bits with the words “Emergency funds”.

“She's always one step ahead,” I said under my breath.

After shutting the drawer, we walked down to explore the campus. I felt that something was going to go wrong, but I didn't know when, where or even how.