//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: First Day of School // Story: The Pony of the Mind // by Crazy-Eyed Sharpshooter //------------------------------// Chapter 2: First Day of School Psi took a deep breath as he stood atop the skyscraper, the winds blowing rather quickly through his hair. He gazed down the side of the building to see the ponies walking through the streets, appearing as tiny as ants to him. The grey colt smiled brightly. He loved being here. being on top of the city. He never wanted to go back down. Suddenly, he heard a large roar, forcing Psi to turn around. His pupils shrunk as he gaze witness to the thing he feared most. The beast that has plagued his dreams for as long as he could remember having dreams. A large transparent dragon began flying towards the skyscraper Psi stood on. He panicked, backing up quickly as the gargantuan creature came closer and closer to its target. It opened its large maw. PSI ONYX "No! No no no!" Psi exclaimed as he continued to run back. "No no- Woah!" The young colt suddenly fell back as he plummeted down into the streets at breakneck speeds. "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!" He looked down, seeing the ground getting closer and closer. He looked back up. The dragon was also getting closer and closer. What do I do?? Psi thought. Think, Psi! Think!! Psi closed his eyes, focusing on his possible strategies. Unbeknownst to him, his eyes began to radiate with a smooth, circular, and dark grey energy. The energy poured out in ripples, causing the entire scene to slow down to a crawl. The dragon came inches from consuming his prey when Psi's forehead suddenly began to glow. A single eye cracked open, and the entire scene vanished in a flash. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sun cracked through the window of Psi's room, Celestia's rays bathing the colt in a flowing, warm light. His eyelid twitched a moment before letting out a yawn and opening his eyes and shielding his vision. Both his brain and his heart were pounding as he thought about his nightmare. That dragon... he thought. I hate that dragon... "Psi!!" He heard his mother called. "Time for breakfast!!" He rubbed his face, taking a deep breath before slipping out of bed. "Psi, did you hear me?" "Yes, mom! I'll be there!!" He called out as he opened his door. He wandered down the hall and descended to the first floor, where the warm smell of eggs and hay was ever present. Psi turned to the dining hall, where the rest of his family were eating their meals with relative happiness. He took a seat at the end of the rectangular table , and a plate with cooked stripes of hay and two sunny-side-up eggs. Without saying a word, he began to dig into the meal, though to him, it was just sustenance entering his body. He didn't taste anything in the meal. Ob looked at his son with a straight face before speaking in his deep, gruff voice. "Son, yesterday your mother enrolled you in school. Today will be your first day of class." Psi stopped shoveling eggs into his mouth to look up, his mouth still filled with breakfast. "Hmm?" Clair stepped in. "I know you aren't particularly happy about it, but we figured that perhaps you would fit in more here than at your... Old school. The mention of Psi's previous school sent unpleasant thoughts through his head. He swallowed the food in his mouth. "Are you... Sure I have to go?" "Forget it, squirt," High Price intercepted. "They're making me get a job, too. We don't have a choice." Psi let out a little groan. "Okay... When's school?" "In about two hours," Clair stated. "I'll give you directions." As she finished her plate, she got up and walked over to her son, her horn glowing. Closing his eyes, Psi allowed his mother to place her horn on his forehead to send the information directly into his mind. He blinked. "Wow, it's a bit far," he mused. "I should probably get ready." Once he cleared his plate, he went over to the kitchen sink and placed his dishes in before running off to do his daily routine. Once he brushed his teeth and his black bedhead of a mane, he grabbed his saddlebags and his goggles and headed out the door. "Bye Mom! Bye Dad!" "Wait!" Psi turned around, seeing his mother holding a tin lunchbox. "Oh, thanks mom!" He said, taking the lunchbox and placing it in his saddlebag before running off to his first day of school. "Goodbye, son!" His mom and dad waved. "Stay safe!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Psi Onyx reached the school just as the young ponies were entering the schoolhouse. Some came alone, just as he had, while others had come with older ponies, possibly older siblings or even parents. Since his brain was back to full awareness, Psi could once again hear every thought that was within his range. I hope he has a good day at school... I can't wait to show Pipsqueak the new toy I got!! I wonder if I have enough pencils? Wait... Is that Psi? He's going to school with us? Psi blinked. He recognized that last one. Was that... he began thinking, trying to remember the name of the pony he saved yesterday. Sweetie Belle? I don't think he's noticed us. Maybe we can surprise him! He began to look around, trying to pinpoint Sweetie Belle's location. Suddenly, through the corner of his eye, he spotted not just her, but Apple Bloom and Scootaloo as well, all heading towards him. Psi gave a small smile. "Hey, guys! You all go to school here to?" Sweetie Belle smiled as she nodded. "Yep! Though..." She looked at Psi. "How did you know hear us coming? We were trying to be super quiet." Psi blinked, his facial expression remaining cool and collected, yet inside he was starting to panic a bit. "O-Oh? I don't know, I... I guess I just had a hunch." "Uh-huh," Apple Bloom gave a playful smirk, nudging him. "Was that 'hunch' how you saved Sweetie Belle?" Psi began to feel flushed as he quickly looked away. "W-W-What do you mean? I have no idea what you're talking about..." Scootaloo smiled. "Oh c'mon. I thought that was some cool magic you did! How do you do it?" Psi said nothing in response. He looked down at the ground for an extended period of time, letting the petering flow of voices fill his mind. Should I tell them?... Is it... Safe? At this point, the three's smiles were wiped away and replaced with a look of concern. Sweetie Belle was the first to intercede. "You don't... Have to tell us. We were just curious." At that moment, the stone grey colt looked at them with a rather serious look. "How about this? If you three can promise not to say anything about what happened yesterday for the day... I'll explain the deal with the magic. Okay?" The three exchanged a look that would've been like basic confirmation to the three, though Psi already knew what they were thinking. The three of them nodded in unison. "Deal!" The young colt nodded. "Alright." He turned towards the schoolhouse, saying "See you guys in class," before trotting away into the school. Apple Bloom placed her hoof on her chin. "Somethin's fishy here. What's he hiding?" Scootaloo shrugged. "We'll find out after class." Sweetie Belle said nothing, but instead simply stared as she watched her newest friend enter the small building. He's really... Interesting... And... Cool... "You okay, Sweetie Belle?" She blinked. "Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. Just... Thinking." "Oh yeah?" Scootaloo smiled. "Thinking about Psi?" "N-No!!" Sweetie Belle blushed. "S-Shut it!" With that, the white unicorn bolted into the building, Sccotaloo giggling and yelling, "Wait, wait! I'm sorry!! I was just kidding!!" Apple Bloom rolled her eyes and followed closely behind, thinking that today may be a strange day. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Psi's fist day of school started off rather slow. After being introduced to the class, he took a seat behind Sweetie Belle. The class's lessons consisted of learning of some math, some writing, and a portion of it was devoted to science, which he especially found cool. By the time lunch had come around, though, the colt was too focused on his ever-growing hunger to fully remember everything that he had just learned. Taking out his shiny tin lunchbox, he flipped open the switches to see what was inside. He saw an alfalfa-and-tomato sandwich cut diagonally, apple slices wrapped in a cloth to preserve it, a box of orange juice, and a small thermos. He took the thermos and opened it. I hope it's... he looked inside and smelled the warm fragrance of tomatoes and oregano. Yes! Tomato soup! Thank you, mom!! He poured a small amount into the thermos lid and began to dig into his meal. As he did, his memory of the classes were a bit more clear. Multiply 12 by 12... Get 144... Cursive writing connects letters... Gravity hurts. he thought as he voraciously ate his meal. I forgot how much learning makes me hungry. Guess I haven't been learning much lately. As he punched his straw into his juice box and sip from it, he heard the flow of thoughts entering his mind once more. He let out a sigh, wishing there was just one moment where he could both be full and have a clear head. Nevertheless, he continued to drink from his juice, he listened to the thoughts of his classmates. It was the usual thoughts fillies and colts would have, so he didn't pay it much mind. That was, until he found a thought that was directed towards him. Wow, that new kid is super weird! He eats like a pig and he keeps looking at other ponies!! Searching for its source, he soon found an earth pony with both a small diamond crown and matching cutie mark eyeing him through her peripherals. She was a slightly richer strain of pink from his mother, with lavender and white hair and light blue eyes. She whispered to (presumably) her friend, a fellow earth pony with a grey coat, silver hair, and a similarly snobbish demeanor. Although he couldn't hear what they were talking about, their thoughts were open to Psi, who quickly gathered their names, their personalities (which, to Psi's expectation, was very basic), and who was in charge. He smirked. Sometimes, there are benefits to having a big, big brain. He pat his own head. Thank you brain. The Crusaders approached the desk of their newest friend, Apple Bloom saying. "Hey, Psi!! Wanna go hang out?" Psi looked at them, slurping down the remnants of his juice. "Ahh..." he said in relief. "Sure. I guess you guys can fill me in." Apple Bloom blinked. "What do you mean?" "You know, names of people, what they do... That kind of thing." "Oh! Well... I guess we can do that." "... There's no real order in this school, is there?" "Nnno..." Apple Bloom shook her head. "Is that... Bad?" Psi said nothing, entering his train of thought. No order... Freedom from everything... From... the Food Chain... "Uhh, Psi... You're spacing out again. You okay?" "Yes!!" he shouted, throwing off not only the CMC, but for anyone in earshot. He started to run outside. "C'mon, let's do something fun!!" The three simply blinked and giggled, following closely behind. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "So, your school had a bully problem?" Apple Bloom inquired as she passed their pink-and-white ball to Psi. "Well..." he muttered as he kicked it to Scootaloo. "Bully is being nice. They were monsters. See, the teachers weren't around a lot, so the... Bullies all came together and made a group that took over the school... They even had a name... The..." he shivered a bit. "Food Chain." Sweetie Belle looked at her new companion and, seeing the distress in his eyes by the sheer mention of this "Food Chain", gave him a smile. "Well, you can be happy knowing that there isn't anypony like that in our school!!" Psi looked up hopeful, but a call from the distance twisted his face into a sort of grimace. "Hey, losers!!" Oh Celestia, not her again... Oh Celestia, not her again... Oh Celestia, not her again... He turned to see the two ponies from lunch approaching the group, an arrogant air surrounding their tiny forms. Psi adjusted his hair and turned his back on the group, pushing his goggles to his eyes. Ponies getting close, he thought, rubbing his chin a bit. Should try to play it cool until they take the bait. "So, I see you have another blank flank to keep you dorks company!" the pink filly known as Diamond Tiara proclaimed. "Too bad, he could have been one of the cool foals!" "Go away, Tiara," Apple Bloom said, looking at her. "Blank flank isn't even a good insult anymore." "Pfft, whatever," the bratty filly rolled her eyes as she began to approach the new colt. "I guess it really stinks that you're already stuck with these losers, when you could have been with us!!" Psi had remained silent the whole time, head towards the ground as if he were looking very intensely for something. The three fillies watched as he picked up his head and said, "Diamond Tiara. Silver Spoon." The two brats blinked. "Uh... Yeah?" "Thought so. Both your family's very rich. I think that's why you both are so bratty." "Excuse me?!?" Diamond Tiara huffed, moving closer to the brash colt. "Who do you think you are, saying stuff like that to me?!?" Psi turned his head slowly towards her, his goggles being the only means of obscuring his eyes to Diamond Tiara. "Oh? You think I'm wrong? You two probably think you're so great, thinking money and class are everything. Well, let me tell you..." He slowly removed his goggles, revealing two eyes as black as coal, but as shiny as well polished pearls. They began to spill out a minimal amount of his energy, which gave the appearance that his eyes were smoking. Diamond was either not phased, nor didn't notice the small energy leak. "You two are awful excuses for ponies. Oh, and you..." Psi gave Silver Spoon, who had noticed the energy and had a look of distress on her face, a look which caused her to flinch back a bit. "You could do so much better than this loser." Diamond Tiara growled and tried to move forward, but a hoof stopped her from going any further. Silver Spoon looked at her friend, saying, "Don't do this, Diamond. He's not worth it." Diamond growled. Seriously, Silver? I want to hit this colt!! Psi smiled, but then looked at her tiara. Looking at the shine from it made him feel a bit... Lethargic. He quickly turned away, not noticing the energy spilling was slowly dissipating and causing his appearance to be normal. "Leave us alone. Now." After a few moments, he turned back and saw them trotting away. He let out a breath, rubbing his head. That was intense... What was up with that crown thingy...? Shaking his head to clear his mind of the light fog that had rolled in his mind, he looked at the CMC, who looked at Psi both impressed and a bit concerned. "Are ya'll alright, Psi?" Apple Bloom asked. "Ya look like you got a headache." "Yeah..." he muttered. "I do, but... Ugh, It's fine. I'm okay." "You didn't have to worry about her," Sweetie Belle said, "She's a bully, but if you ignore her, she's not a problem." "Thanks..." Psi muttered. "I'll... Keep that in mind." Psi looked back at the filly who was previously taunting him. His headache faded as she went farther from him. Suddenly, she stopped, turning to him and giving him a look of hatred and malice. Psi did not respond, but simply secured his goggles back onto his eyes. Her eyes... So angry, but... She seems a bit sad... The sound of the school bell diverted his attention, as Ms. Cheerilee stood in front of the door. "Time for class children!!" she shouted, which had caused the fillies and colts to move towards the school. The four foals moved along with the groups. The grey colt entered the building, determined to keep his eye on this Diamond Tiara and learn some more about her besides the fact that she's a rich bully. Just try to keep yourself calm, Psi... An outburst might land me in a pile of horse apples... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The school day ended as uneventfully as it had started. With just a few lessons that Psi had only focused half of his attention on, the time went by rather quickly as soon, all of the school children left for their homes. Psi sighed, adjusting the goggles on his forehead and looking up at the sky. The sun's rays beat on his face, giving him a feeling of refreshment and inner happiness. It's time to tell them. The Cutie Mark Crusaders ran up to the colt, each of them with a big smile on their faces. Psi looked at them for several moments before giving them a smile back, though one of comparatively smaller length. "So... You all want to know about yesterday, huh?" The three nodded. "Hmm... Walk with me to my house, and I'll tell you." He turned and started walking towards the town. They exchanged a look before following closely. For a little while, Psi said nothing, instead looking straight ahead at the road, every once in a while, slowing down and looking around. Eventually, he made a full stop and took a deep breath before turning around and speaking four words. "I am a psychic." The three looked in shock as Psi pushed his goggles back on his eyes and began to focus. Two disembodied grey-transparent dragon claws began to form out of of nothing, floating in the air as if by magic. Psi moved his head from side to side, the dragon claws soaring around his head. Eventually, the claws vanished, and Psi took several deep breaths. Okay, they said nothing... he thought, sliding his goggles upward. I hope this didn't freak them-. "That was awesome!!" Out. He looked at Scootaloo. "Y-You really think so?..." Apple Bloom jumped up. "Yeah!! How do you do that??" "Well..." Psi rubbed his head. "I don't... Really know..." They looked confused. "See, I've had these powers since I was a little foal," he chuckled, moving back towards town. "The doctors say it's because I got the brain of a unicorn, or something... It never really makes sense." Psi walked up a small bridge peering down the creek. "It's nothing really. All I can really do is make those dragon claws and read ponies' minds." Sweetie Belle blinked. "You can... Read other ponies' minds?..." He nodded. "Mhmm. It's how I knew who Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were. But... I can't really control that. I keep hearing every brain around me. It..." he let out a tiny sigh. "It can get annoying." Sweetie Belle looked at the stony colt. At one point, she was kind of envious of his cool powers that she didn't even have. On the other hand, she thought about how much of a pain it would be to always hear voices nonstop. Placing a hoof on his shoulder, she said, "Maybe you can learn to control it. There are a lot of ponies here." Suddenly a thought came to mind as she turned to her friends. "Ooo, maybe he can ask Princess Twilight!!" The other two looked at each other, nodding in excitement, while Psi looked in confusion. "Princess Twilight? DO you mean the Princess of Friendship? She lives here?" "Yeah!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. "She helped teach us stuff! Maybe if you ask, she can help you." Psi thought about it, giving a small shrug. "I guess... But she might be very busy... I wouldn't want to bother her." "Aww, don't worry about that!!" Apple Bloom wrapped her hoof around the colt. "She's always willing to help a pony in need!!" He looked at the three as he reached the home stretch of his home. These girls really think Princess Twilight can help me... Maybe I can give it a shot later... As the group reached Psi's house, he stopped dead in his tracks, his pupils shrinking as he felt something very familiar in his house. That... That energy... It's back!! He turned to the girls. "Okay, don't panic, but there is a huge amount of energy in my house right now, and I think my family might be in trouble." They looked at him with looks of fear and worry. Psi continued. "I'm going inside. If you hear screaming, get help." Apple Bloom shook her head. "We ain't leaving ya here alone!" "You don't understand, psychic energy is very dangerous. It can be worse than unicorn magic-." "We don't care!" Sweetie Belle said. "You're our friend. And we won't let you fight alone." "Yeah!" Scootaloo held out her hoof. "The Cutie Mark Crusaders never leave anypony behind!!" The other two placed their hooves out. "You guys..." Psi said with a smile, putting his hoof out. "Okay. Just... Be careful." They all nodded and followed closely behind as Psi moved slowly towards the door. He opened the door only to see pitch darkness. The energy was getting bigger and bigger until Psi found the light switch and flipped it on. "SURPRISE!!" Psi blinked. His house was filled with ponies of all ages, his house decorated head-to-toe with balloons, streamers, and various party supplies. "Well..." Psi confessed. "I have to admit. I didn't see this coming."