//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 
// Story: It's Okay to be Different 
// by 3 Unicorns in Trenchcoat 
//------------------------------//

	Claire and Rarity were trotting through the streets of Canterlot. Ponies were going both ways on the congested sidewalks, cafes were busy with ponies ordering coffee and their morning breakfast while on the go. Meanwhile, Claire was holding tight to her mother for she felt anxious around these massive crowds and was still afraid of her being judged by others and being humiliated. As she was keeping close to her mother, she looked around to make sure she was safe with her mother and was not in any danger. She spotted through the legs of ponies a brown pony picking up a pear and taking a bite into and having a disgusted look on his face and nodded his head in disapproval. Along with it she spotted a pair of ponies, one of them having a trench coat on and having curly, black, hair and was accompanied by another one but she didn't get a glimpse at the other one. She then spotted a small filly who appeared to have a cyan coating and appeared to be one of the upper class children of Canterlot. This brought a smile to her face and gave her the fact that she was the not the only young one, but this feeling of not being alone would come back again. The pony gave a glare and what appeared to be a snarl destroyed Claire's sense of not being alone. She then spoke to her mother, "Mother, I really don't want to go to school now."
"Why is that darling?" she replied.
"I feel as if the ponies are going to keep me out of their friend groups," told Claire
"Those ponies are just big fat meanies if they do that, they are just jealous of what you are!"
"Thanks, mother," Claire let out a sigh and put her head down towards the ground and mumbled, "Hopefully they'll treat me nice today at least. It won't happen at all."
She looked up and saw the school building in the distance and she saw many ponies starting to enter the building and it was at this moment, Claire knew that there was no going back home and this is what the rest of year was going to be (and her life). As the two were approaching the doors of the school, a young stallion helped open the doors for the two and were greeted and were guided to the auditorium of the school. Many ponies swarmed the auditorium to get a seat among the chaos filled room, and Claire didn't like the situations of where there were large crowds of ponies. 
"Claire, darling, you're going have to be a big filly and sit up at the front with all of your classmates," Rarity said.
"But motherr-" 
"I'm sorry, but you're going to do that can you keep that promise," cutting off Claire
"Claw promise?" Claire replied
"I Claw promise darling," she said and began to lift up Claire's claws and said "I promise you that you will be fine up front and you'll be a big filly!" 
This brought a smile to Claire's face for in her simple mind, a "Claw promise" meant that whoever vowed the promise was with her all the way to the end. She began to walk over the front row seats to see many young ponies sitting in their seats socializing with each other and showing off their their jewelry or their newest toy they got. With all of the seats taken there was only one seat that Claire could see and it was right next to a black haired young stallion with a coal black body. She looked back at her mother who smiled and motioned her to go on, and she did sitting next to the pony and the pony immediately started to talk to her when she sat down.
"What's your name?" the voice was high-pitched and enthusiastic and what really toke Claire off guard was the fact somepony other than her mother or her father was socializing with her.
"M-my name is Crystal Clarity," she said in a soft voice filled with shyness.
"Crystal Clarity! That's cool! My name is Coal!" the young stallion eagerly exclaimed 
"Just call me me Claire," Claire was starting to get more and more comfortable with the pony she was socializing with but as soon as she was about to speak again, a loud single "tap" noise filled her ears and her attention turned towards the stage and her conversation was cut off
"Could I please have your attention?" the voice filled the room with a booming sound of a brown coated stallion of whom was at the stage and the room suddenly went quiet. "Thank you parents and foals, as of now, your child has entered the school of Canterlot-Elementary-School and we are happy for their presence within the school for they will learn many new lessons including math, science, and Engli-"
The words of the stallion became blurry and hazier as Claire started to fall asleep for she was still tired and did not wake up properly this morning for her. As the world became just a mere shade of black covering her eyes she fell asleep. After a while she started to feel movement on her body and somebody was pushing lightly at her to wake up from her sleep and it was no less than her mother who was trying to wake her up. Words began as blurs of sound and were unable to be translated but then she finally gained a sense on the words.
"-ling, I know your sleepy and all but you're going to have to go class right now," Rarity spoke while nudging her to get up.
"huh?" Claire replied
"You're going to have to go to class."
'AH! I'm late! I don't want to make my teacher mad!" she exclaimed.
"Hold on darling!" Rarity tugged Claire backwards and turned her towards herself. "Remember what I said about those who are big fat meanies?"
"They're jealous of who I am!" right as Claire said that she puffed up her chest to appear strong and powerful dragon and this triggered a giggle from Rarity.
"That's my girl! Now go get 'em and have a great day at school!" she yelled to Claire who made a distance between her and her mother. 
"Okay mother!" she turned away and had no idea of where to go and looked around for where to go and she heard her name coming for a young mare.
"Crystal Clarity over here please!" said a young mare who had a light gold fur coating and a silver mane that was well prepared for today and was in front of a line of her peers. She looked at the line and did not see her new friend Coal though, but this didn't stop her from getting into line. She looked behind her to see her mother smiling and waving back at her, but her attention was turned forward when her teacher began to talk.
"Hello everypony, I am Ms. Silvershire and i'll be your teacher this year!" her voice was enthusiastic and comforting for her new students. "Follow me everypony and I will lead us to our classroom!" she then began walking and the line then followed her and so did Claire. 
Claire looked behind her to see her mother leaving the auditorium and knew that she wasn't going to see her anytime soon (which is 30 minutes for her). As they were walking to their classroom she began to think "What does 'jealous' mean?" and without this word to define and use the day would ensue to be an interesting one for all who became involved.