Choose Your Own Adventure: Maud's Education

by Palm Palette

(28)

“I'm going to make a dress that incorporates the instability of a landslide,” Maud said.

“Uh... how does that work?” Suri scrunched up her face in confusion.

“It's like a dress, but it has rocks on it.”

“Er, rocks?”

“Lots of rocks.”

“A dress with a pile of rocks on it?”

“Yes. They're piled up really high.”

Suri sat there in contemplation. “Oh, now I get it! Fashion's about getting attention so if ponies are worried that your dress is going to fall on them then they're bound to pay attention to you. That's kind of clever, actually.”

Maud ignored the brightly colored fabric rolls and pulled out a gray one. “Do you think this is a good color?” she asked. The room was strangely empty. “Suri? Suri?”

No response.

Maud shrugged and got back to work. The dress she made was a bit crude with rough seams and slightly lopsided sleeves. It wound up being harder to make than she'd expected, but it wasn't an outright atrocity, yet.

For the next step, she had to go outside to gather rocks for what she wanted. Oddly enough, the ground was already picked clean in many places. Somepony else here must really love rocks too. When she felt she had enough, she carried them inside and started stacking.

Each rock had to fit into the pile exactly right so as to hold the weight of the rocks that would go on top of it. One false placement and the whole pile could come crashing down. It was such a relaxing activity for Maud that she'd forgotten about Suri by the time she'd finished stacking them. The pile was stacked so high that it nearly reached the ceiling. She could have gone higher, but had to cut it short so it could fit through the door.

Carefully, slowly, Maud loaded her top-heavy dress onto a cart and pushed it out into the hall.

“Make way, coming through!” Suri shouted as she rolled past Maud with a cart of her own. Suri had three dresses on hers, all of which were stacked with wobbling, unstable piles of rocks. Maud backed off as Suri kicked open the door.

“Oh, Zirconia~, I've got this wonderful new fashion line that I designed all by myself. It'll totally knock your–” After pushing her cart in quickly, Suri stopped a bit too fast. The rocks didn't. “–wha? Oh no!”

“Rocks!? Aaaaa!” Zirconia tried to dodge but she wasn't fast enough. The dangerous fashion statement moved in like a landslide and pinned her beheath a pile of rocks. It also busted up some of the benches in the classroom.“Bah!”

“Oh no, sorry! Sorry!” Suri rushed up to help but Zirconia kicked the rocks off like they were made of foam. One crashed into a mannequin, breaking it.

Maud glanced at her dangerous dress and nonchalantly pushed her cart towards Suri's pile with her back hoof. She edged away from it.

Zirconia dusted herself off and looked at the wreckage of her classroom. She pointed a hoof at Suri. “Oh, sorry you will be, because your time here is history!”

“What!? No!”

“I don't know what you were thinking, Suri Polomare, but I know what I am; I want you out of my hair!”

Suri pointed a hoof at Maud. “It wasn't my fault. It was hers. She set me up for this. Blame her!”

“You expect me to believe this novice girl had a plot against you to unfurl?”

“Well, yes. The dresses were her idea.”

Zirconia raised an eyebrow and looked at Maud. “Is that true? Did you design that bugaboo?”

“Er, no,” Maud said.

“What!? You liar! You can't do this to me!”

“I know which pony's earned my revulsion, the one to whom I'm giving an expulsion.” Zirconia snorted and loomed over Suri. “Leave. Now.”

Suri bolted and knocked over the last dress on the way out. “I'll get you for this—both of you!”

Maud and Zirconia glanced at each other. “I think I better go,” Maud said.

Yikes, Maud's attempt at fashion was so awful that it got her roommate expelled? It'd probably be best if she looked into another subject.

Oh well.

Go back to orientation?

Comments

[Jack Hamataro Kamiya]

The choose your own adventure stories were never quite my thing. From a technical point of view this is rather impressive since you obviously had to plan this all out and it was fun reading. Good job.

[Librarian]

Needs deeper branching. It's just 3 linears stories so far. And it's sad that it says the story is complete.

Also what's with "secret" chapters (4) and (5)?

[JC]

I used to read choose-your-own-adventure stories all the freaking time. I got the best ending on my second try, so I reckon I've still got the skills.

That was pretty hilarious, so thanks for putting it together!

[insertfootinmouth]

Perfect.

[Earthen Forge]

Could not get Maud a fashion minor no matter how hard I tried.

[Sparkletop Rainbows]

I love this story! Very entertaining.