Schoolhouse Shenanigans!

by Dragonborne Fox

Chapter II- Gathering

The group of parents and children were in the streets of Ponyville once more, all taking note the bustling seemed to have calmed for the time being. The less crowded the street was, the better it was to keep an eye on one's children.

"Whose house do we hold the meeting at?" Natalie asked, making sure her most recent child was safely secured in its stroller.

"Well, whose house has a dining room for half the town?" Replied Blake.

"Mine does. Mainly because I have a freaking army." Lance answered with a sigh as he rubbed his hand in Nick's hair, making it quite frazzled.

"It's settled!" Matt chimed, "To Lance's house it is!"

~~~~~~~~~~

"This food is great!" Katie called as she stabbed a fillet of salmon with fork and knife, "Who cooked this?!"

Anna gave a nervous chuckle, sweat forming on the back of her head.

Fenrir was busy downing many crescent rolls. It had been way too long since he had them, and they tasted best with beef and veal. Sweet, buttery morsels...how they sang to him about their delicate taste.

"Save some for everyone else!" Natalie snapped, using a BBQ fork to take one for herself.

"Natalie, there's more coming our way. Chill." Anna said, motioning to the mage with her hand. Natalie turned away from the archer as a man in a waiter outfit had a mountain of the rolls headed their way.

"More rolls, anyone?" The waiter asked in a gentlemanly tone.

"YES, PLEASE!" Cried everyone in unison as he put the rolls in the center of the table. "Help yourselves, and call me if needed."

The butler left the room with a smile all the while Anna took more rolls for her mashed potatoes.

Iron Will helped himself to steamed vegetables while Azure sat there with a satisfied grin on her muzzle.

Matt was eating steak complete with gravy.

Coryza had insisted on ravioli in ranch dressing. She was busy chowing down five bowls of the stuff.

The children were eating their vegetables without whining. In fact, unlike the so-called normal child, they adored vegetables. They also had sweet teeth, but those were regulated--candy was saved for either desert or rewards on an achievement of sorts.

"So," Lance said after he cleaned his plate, casting a glance on Fenrir, "What do we talk about? We've been silent unless someone eats all the rolls."

"Perhaps we should discuss the issue at hand." Iron called, wiping a napkin on his muzzle.

"Those meanies who pulled my hair?" Alexis asked in despair.

"Yeah, them." Iron sighed in defeat.

"Mommy!" Called Wing-Gale.

"Yes?" Katie asked, confused.

"Why are there meanies in the world?" Wing-Gale bluntly stated.

Katie's ears perked, her heart skipped a beat. "Come again?" She asked.

"Why are there mean people?" Matt translated.

Katie nodded before turning to Wing. "Humans, demons....even ponies by nature can be very mean indeed. Now, to defend oneself is understandable--but to let that part of nature take over and act savage? Nope, you can't get away with that and not expect consequences. Is that understood?"

Wing nodded. So did everyone else.

"But why do they attack us?" Blue Horn called, slamming holey hooves onto the table and causing her plate to clatter a bit, "It's not like we did anything to them!"

"I was getting to that. Chill." Katie scoffed before sipping on her glass of tea.

"Yes, ma'am..." Sighed Blue as she slumped down into her chair again with a forlorn look on her face.

"Anyway," Ranted the fox, "There's another reason--well, a few-- that they attack. Either one of three things, all of which are of dire importance, are happening as we speak. One, and this applies to Blake and me especially--and I hope you don't take offense when I say this--it's because we're very different. We're so different the others thought we broke the rules by existing, for crying out loud! Two, they simply are too bored and have nothing better to do. Three, and this is the most likely out of all of them, they themselves have been...tormented by the ones that are supposed to love them, and as such, take their rage out on others. They don't want to, more often than not, but that's how they were raised. They simply know no different and the only way out for them at that point is tossing them into a foster home. However, not everyone recovers from this and they can grow into abusive adults who carry on this vicious cycle of abuse. It's a sad reality, even here, and it happens on planets where civilizations are present. Furthermore, it may be an ancestral curse--that is to say, going on for generations. Only very few choose to break free of the curse and they get ridiculed and even hunted down like a stag for it! Should they survive, it's the best choice one can make in this horrid predicament. Do all the children present understand what I am getting at?"

The children nodded. They understood her message loud and clear.

"Alright. Now, we had better not be catching you picking on the bullies. That makes you stoop down to their level." Katie sighed before downing her tea in one fell swoop.

"Let's talk about some happy things, please. I'm reminded of Legion already..." Natalie shuddered at the very thought.

"Sure, why not? We need to get off this topic anyway!" Fenrir chimed.

"I think Mr. Rhodes would make a fine teacher." Lance called with a grin, elbows on the table with his chin resting on his closed hands.

"I know, right?" Anna exclaimed before shoving another roll into her mouth.

"But all teachers have a bad side." Iron pointed out.

"He's right. But it shouldn't be too bad." Natalie smiled.

Coryza, again, held the 'no comment' sign in her hand. She looked fairly unamused.

"Yeah. The only ones to anger him were the bullies." Matt chimed.

"Why is this house a mansion?" Blake asked.

"I have an army, remember? But instead of manning the Valkyrie and all that, it's pretty much an army of man-maids." Answered the Nazi.

Katie fell onto the ground still sitting in her chair, holding her hands over her mouth and breaking out into hysterical laughter.

Everyone else had at least a chuckle at the remark.