//------------------------------// // Leaving Canterlot for Ponyville // Story: The Lost Lesson // by PFT //------------------------------// A lone spider crawled across the dark, metallic floor of the locker. A few old crumpled up pieces of paper sat in one corner, and an old Wonderbolts flyer hung at the back, carefully laminated to prevent it from falling apart. The colors remained as vivid as the day that he had first made that. Sure, he’d made more since that one, since it was for the 2000 season, but he felt the greatest pride with this one. Carefully, he set it in his binder, in a special folder. Frank looked at what remained in his locker. It had been his since shortly after he had started attending school. Normally, he wouldn’t have had a locker for this long, but since he had been placed in Celestia’s care before he got it… they saw no reason for him to have to give it up. This was common for students placed in his position. Though it was quite tiring to get to these lockers, it was well worth it. Not only was it safe and secure, but it also had a great view of Canterlot and the hills around. Plus, there was usually a tray of assorted baked goodies, piping hot right out of the oven in the mornings, and there was usually a pitcher of Apple Cider and a large container of Hot Chocolate along with the treats. And just like any other morning, it stood there. Frank picked up the crumpled pieces of paper, and then tossed them into the recycling bin next to him. When he closed the locker, he was surprised to find Cheerilee there. “Hi! What brings you up here?” “Not much… a little birdie told me that you’re graduating.” “Hmm. That wouldn’t happen to be a certain Applebloom, would it?” “Well, there’s that, and the fact that I still talk to my former employer.” Cheerilee was sent to Ponyville in 2002, a smaller town of maybe 2,000 ponies, where she taught at the local grade school. “How is Ponyville?” “Well, it does make a change from Canterlot. It’s much smaller and quieter.” “I’ll have to come visit someday.” “That you will. How’re you doing?” “Well, the horn’s still broken, and I don’t have my mark yet, but otherwise, good.” The graduation went on without a problem. Frank had been chosen as Valedictorian, and he had made a short speech on his time at Magic School. Granted, he was graduating in 6 years, 2 years less than most of his class, so it was to be expected. After the ceremony, the graduates went to their respective rooms to pick their stuff up and head to their next stop in life. Not Frank, however. He and the other graduates in Celestia’s care were going to head back up to the room, where they would have their own party together. The pony in charge of this was Cheerilee. She’d gone all the way with this party, from hanging the streamers and balloons, to putting together an embarrassing slide show of the group, and even to getting Ponyville’s local bakery, Sugarcube Corner, to provide food for the event. In one corner, the Apples (minus Applejack) were meeting the Stablehauses for the first time. They were definitely enjoying their conversation. Big Macintosh had even had to leave for a short period as he just couldn’t stop laughing. In another was Celestia talking with Cheerilee, but it looked like they were having a serious conversation, as Cheerilee’s normal smile had become a concentrated frown, and Celestia And in a third, was Applebloom, getting bigger and bigger. Wait… she’s not getting bigger. She’s getting closer. And… she’s heading right for me. Applebloom had gone straight for the legs, hoping to tackle him. Frank, on the other hand, knew of this tactic, and instead, dropped suddenly. Applebloom ended up sprawled on his back. “How’d ya know I was doin’ that?” “Unoriginality on your part,” replied Frank. “Drat.” Applebloom, now 4, was still as rambunctious as the day Frank had met her. “Yeh figure out what yer gonna do, now that yer outta school?” Frank paused for a minute. “I’m going to see Equestria. I’ll go from Manehattan’s skyscrapers to the Whitetail Woods, and then, when I’m done, I’m going to go to the Moon and meet the Mare in the Moon. Then, maybe if there’s time, I’ll come back and write about everything I did.” Applebloom’s eyes lit up. “Really? That’s so cool! But how are yeh gonna get to the Moon?” “I’m not sure yet. To be honest, I’m not even fully sure what’s going to happen.” Yet, two weeks later, Frank had decided to see Ponyville, like Cheerilee had suggested. Part of this was from his idea to see Equestria, but it was mostly because he was still searching for the full cure to his broken horn. Yes, the book had remedies to make using magic less painful, but his problem was that his magic had weakened since the accident. If he could get it to work by using the normal passages without any problems again, then he’d be back to his normal self. As he entered Ponyville, Frank had the strange feeling that he was being watched by a good number of them. But, he kept on trotting, past the crowds in the square. He knew that they’d probably be talking about the strange colt magically drawing a large suitcase. And he knew that they’d talk about how his horn was shooting sparks as he entered. Unknown to him, a stall in the square was manned by a familiar face. “Well, well, well. Looks like somepony’s back, an’ I presume fer an extended visit.” Frank had gone to the local real estate agent, and he was looking to buy a place near the square. Luckily for him, one of the lots on the main square had been vacant for over a year, and the place was going to need to be torn down in the near future. And due to its disrepair (and the negative effect on local land values), the agent was willing to sell it cheaply. Without hesitating, Frank bought it, and the agent handed over the keys to the property. Upon entering the house, Frank found it unlivable. Sure, the front façade was in good shape, but when the stairway is a waterfall, carting plaster, wood and dirt down to the basement… you’ve got problems. It’s even worse when the roof is an open-air skylight. He exited the house, shutting the door gently behind himself. At the bottom of the steps leading from the house stood Big Macintosh. Behind him was a cart, and it held the stand, several empty barrels, and a barrel of unsold apples. Also sitting in the back was Applebloom, who was curled up and happily napping. Frank guessed that it had been a long day for her, even though the sun still stood reasonably high in the sky. “When were ya plannin’ on tellin’ us you was comin’ back to Ponyville?” Frank, smiling, replied, “It was a bit of an off-the-hoof decision. Yeah, I was planning on finding a house somewhere and living there for a bit, but then I found…” Frank looked back at the house with a grimace on his face. He’d just spent half of his life savings on a plot of land in a good location, but with a dangerous structure that had to be torn down faster than anyone realized. And it left a sour taste in his mouth. “…this.” Big Macintosh was surprised. “You bought this place?” “Yeah. I thought that it would be livable, but I guess I’m wrong on that.” “Where are ya stayin’ ‘till ya gotta place to stay?” “I’ll probably camp out near Whitetail Woods.” “Do you realize how long something like this takes?” Frank shook his head, causing Big Macintosh to nearly swallow the straw hanging from his mouth. “You could easily spend months! At least a week just to tear down the structure, and another just to get the debris out of Ponyville!” Big Macintosh shook his head. “C’mon. We can get you a place to stay until you can move into your own place."