Student of Friendship

by zalla661

Tiny Stars Adventures: Plotting

As the class went along many ponies lost their momentum by the third period. Math was always a difficult subject but this was particularly hard today. Cherliee had prepared the class for complex equations such as the following: (a+10)5=c What is a, if c is equal to 100? Starlight all the while smiled and happily answered whenever she was asked but felt bad when she realized she was possibly the smartest in the entire class. Sure her age was regressed and maybe a bit of her emotions, but she still retained everything she'd learned through all her years of self taught studying.

Most of the class, mainly the colts, gawked at her brilliance which was rivaled only by Silver Spoon, while the fillies most glared at her. While Miss Cherliee went over the details of how to solve the equation she turned to Rumble and called on him.

"Rumble? If c is equal to 100, what does that make the values of a?" she asked him.

"That would be 10, Miss Cherliee." he said with a bob of his head.

"And how is that done my little pony?"

Rumble got out of his seat and flew up to the board and wrote as he spoke. "Well, first you need to replace c with 100. Then the first step it to divide both sides by 5 making the equation a + 10 = 20." he said writing the equation out.

(a + 10) 5 = 100

5 5

a + 10 = 20

a = 10

"He then wrote saying, "Next we subtract 10 from both sides to get, a = 10, which then makes the equation twenty multiplied by five is equal to one hundred. Multiply five by twenty gets one hundred is equal to one hundred."

"Very good Rumble." the mare cheered patting his back gently. "I see you worked very hard on this."

The grey colt blushed rubbing his arm and flew back to his seat landing right on it. Cheerliee then went to the next question she had written on the board beside the first one. This one however made everypony groan. It was possibly the worst kind of math problem the young generation, or rather any generation, had to suffer though. Word problems.

Unaware, or simply ignoring her classes groaning, she walked over to the left side of her desk and pointed to the problem and read aloud, "Buddy and Abe are going to pay their rent for their apartment. They owe 13 bits over a seven week period. How much do they owe?" she glanced around the room and was surprised to see Button's arm up in the air waving for her attention. Feeling good about his enthusiasm she called on the brown colt. "Yes Button?"

Thee colt grinned saying, "The rent owed is 28 bits Miss Cherliee!"

"..."

"..."

"......"

"......"

"...... Moron." a filly said from behind him.

"Button, I'm sorry but that was not the correct answer." she said sounding disappointed.

The class chuckled and snickered at him making him try to hide his embarrassment by covering his head with his hooves. Sweetie Belle rubbed his back trying to comfort her friend. Starlight felt bad for him and quickly scribbled something down. Cherliee cleared her throat to get the classes attention.

"I'm sorry, Button it was a good try. Why don't you explain how you came up with that answer and maybe you can get the right one-"

"Miss Cherliee?" Starlight's pink hoof rose up int the air waving frantically.

"Um, yes Starlight?" the teacher said acknowledging the filly. "What's wrong?"

"Actually Button is correct. The answer IS 28." she said, matter of factually.

Everypony in the class 'oohed' at the filly as the teacher gave her a dangerously unamused stare. "Miss Glimmer, I know you're not use to being in a classroom, but I won't tolerate such disruptions in my class for your amusement."

"OK, but I'm telling you he isn't wrong." Starlight said smugly.

The class 'oohed' again. Cherliee looked at the filly clearly upset by her behavior. "The problem says the ponies owe 7 bits over a 13 week period and that happens to be a lot more than 28 bits, Starlight Glimmer."

"Well, Miss Cherliee that can't be right cause it's equal to 28."

"How is that possible?" the mare asked looking at the filly.

"It's easy," she said flying up to the board taking the chalk in her magical aura. "To start I'm gonna make a 7 and divide it into 28."

She drew the following: 7 /28/

"Now, 7 into 2?" she asked the mare who shook her head. "7 won't go into 2, right?" she asked.

The educator shook her head again. "No it will not."

Starlight giggled pointing to the seven. "That's right that 7 won't fit into that tiny 2. So I'll keep that 2 for now and hold onto it for abit." she said pointing to the 8. "Now 7 will go into 8 once, so I'll put a 1 over here."

7 /28/ 1
1

"Now then," she said still flying by the board but flew to the right side of the equation pointing at it. "I'm going to take the 2 and drop it down."

7 28/ 1
21

"Then I take the 7 and divide it into 21 and that equals?" she asked looking at the mare.

"It's 3." Cherliee said rubbing her chin.

Starlight nodded and wrote a 3 beside the 1 making it: 7 /28/ 13

21

3

"See Miss Cherliee? 7 into 28 is 13 therefore 7 bits at 13 weeks is equal to 28 bits." she said looking proud of herself.

The student's looked amazed at the filly as the mare racked her brain at what she just saw. But she couldn't deny this was fun. She felt bad wasting the classes time but she had to admit the class but there was only three minutes left until recess so she indulged the filly. After all it wasn't every day somepony as young as her could prove her wrong. Cherliee hated being wrong. She then quickly stepped in front of the filly.

"OK, Miss Glimmer. There is one sure way to prove this and that is with multiplication." she said pointing to the board. "I want you to write 13 and multiply them." she ordered the filly.

The unicorn flew over to a clean portion of the board and wrote the problem down. "Yes miss Cherliee."

13
x7

"now then. 7 times 3 is 21." she said writing it down.

13
x7
21

"7 times 1 is 7."

"Right." the teacher pony said and the class sat on it's seats edges watching in anticipation.

13
x7
21
+7

"Now, "Starlight said pointing to the board. "7 and 1?"

"8." Miss Cherliee said looking at the problem. "And 2 is....."

"28!"

13
x7
21
7
28

The class gasped cheering at the answer as the filly bowed to them. Cherliee smiled feeling her competitive nature kicking in. She was sure this'd be it. She had an idea to debunk the filly once and for all, but decided to place a wager on it as well.

"OK, Miss Glimmer. There is only one sure way to prove that 7 into 13 isn't 28 and hat is with addition." she said pointing to the board. Starlight was about to go to it but was held back by a mulberry hoof. "However! If you can't do this then I will be seeing you in detention for the next week AND I'll write to the Princess for your disruption."

"And if I win?" the filly asked giving her own competitive glare back to the teacher.

Cherliee so sure of herself said without thinking. "Prove me wrong and I will remove this math problem from the math test I was going to give the class, better yet! I will give it as extra credit to anypony who can recite on paper what you have done without taking note!" she added seeing the fillies and colts break out their notebooks. Cherliee then smiled smugly at the filly. "Do we have a deal?" she asked giving her hoof out to her.

Starlight grinned taking hold of the hoof and shook it. "DEAL! Prepare to have your mind blown."

Quickly the filly wrote on the board the number 13 seven times one over the other like so.

13
13
1 3
1 3
1 3
1 3
13

In doing so she spread the 1 and 3's out more and more as she went along making Cherliee stop her at the end. "Wait wait! What's the idea of spreading them out like that Miss Glimmer?"

The pink unicorn giggled pointing at the 3's. "I thought after I started it looked like a flock of seagulls flying into a building!" The class laughed at her joke and Cherliee felt herself chuckle.

"Alright then, heh, heh, Miss Glimmer."

"Now let's add. 3, 6, 9, 12-'

"Wait now, I'll add them and then I'll show you it's not possible for this to add to 28." the mulberry pony said, pointing to the calk. "May I?"

Starlight nodded breaking the chalk in two and gave half the chalk to the mare and floated over to the desk and watched. The older mare started by counting all the 3's pointing at each as she went up the row, "3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21!"

Starlight then quickly flew over to the chalkboard with her half of the white chalk and counted the 1's after the teacher pony counted the 3's. "22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28! See 13 and 7 do make 28!"

13
13
1 3
1 3
1 3
1 3
+1 3
28

The class gasped while Cherliee looked like she was about to burst. Her mane had stands poking out her eyes dilated, and she counted several times completely blown away. Sure it was not traditional math but it was not agreed they had to use it to solve this problem, and even though she wasted only about three minutes on this she couldn't help but crack a smile at the brilliant minded filly.

She ran her hoof through her mane and smiled at Starlight as the bell rang. Normally the class would have ran out the door to go to recess, but this time they waited behind to watch what Cherliee was going to do. To their surprise the older mare smiled saying, "Well, done Miss Glimmer. You have amused me greatly and I will honor our deal. Class this question will be extra credit on the upcoming test IF you can recite what, Miss Glimmer did on paper without notes. Now have a good recess and I'll see all of you afterwards."

The class cheered and ran out to the school yard, greeting the filly as they passed. Some even high hoofed her. As the pink unicorn began to walk out with the rest of her class Cherliee stopped her and patted her head.

"You amazed me Starlight. I really didn't think you cold prove me wrong." she said proudly.

"Thanks Miss Cherliee. But if I may ask, why'd you agree to my challenge? I half expected you to say, no."

Cherliee giggled giving her a sly look. "I have been known to cause trouble back in my youth. Let's just say you have a kindred spirit with me." she rubbed the filly's head making her laugh. "But I'm warning you now young lady. You had your fun but I will not allow this kind of disruption again. Understand?"

She nodded back to the mare. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Now run along Miss Glimmer." the mare said nudging her gently out he door with her nose.

"See you afterwards Miss Cherliee, and sorry for being a pain." she said.

"It's fine Miss Glimmer. Just be sure not to do it again please."

"Yes, Miss Cherliee."

Running along Starlight was greeted by several foals who wanted to play with her or compliment her but she declined and decided to go sit by herself for a while under a tree by the swing set. Once under the tree she laid down on the soft grass and watched the others play and eat their lunches.

She frowned remembering she didn't have a lunch of her own. She then thought about flying back to the castle to get one but she didn't know how long, 'recess' was and if she had enough time to do that. Instead she'd have to wait it out until dinner most likely. Just then a half a sandwich entered her view, held out by a brown hoof. She looked over to the pony holding it realizing it was th colt Button.

"Hey, want some?" he asked.

"Huh? But what about you?"

The colt shrugged. "Eh, I had a big breakfast." he said offering her the half a sandwich again. "So, you want it?"

She smiled taking the sandwich in her magical glow and inspected it.

"Thanks Button." she said earning a smile from the colt.

"Heh, no problem. I had a huge breakfast anyway so I'm not too hungry." he said eating his half of the sandwich.

Starlight felt relieved she didn't have to wait all day to eat something now thanks to the colt. She glanced at the sandwich and realized it was a PB&J and took a big bite out of it. The moment she tasted it she was in a sweet heavenly high of flavors. Grape jelly mixed with the peanut butter and banana assaulted her taste buds in a perfect amount of sweetness that only a god could comprehend. Perhaps an over exaggeration but she loved it all the same, that and she loved bananas.

After finishing the sandwich Starlight licked her hooves and leaned back against the tree she was under. Button imitated her leaning back and stretched his legs out. He looked over to her and asked, "So, do you live in Ponyville?"

"Yes." she replied. "I'm not originally from here, but I live in the castle with Twilight Sparkle."

The colt gasped covering his mouth. "No way! You live with the Princess?!"

"Actually I'm her student too."

"Wow! That's so cool! So you get to see her all the time?"

"Yup." Starlight saw the twinkle in his eye. She could tell he was a fancolt of Twilight. Leaning close and looking around to make sure nopony could hear she whispered into his ear, "Do you want to meet her?" She asked him

*GASP!* "You can do that?"

"Sure the Princess loves meeting new ponies." Starlight said. "If you'd like I can take you to meet her sometime. I just need to make sure it's fine with her."

"Wow you are awesome Starlight Glimmer! Thanks." he paused leaning over and nuzzled her cheek, making her blush. "And thanks for helping to prove me right. You didn't have to do that."

"NO it was fine." she said looking away from the colt. "I enjoyed it and so did Miss Cherliee. Just don't do what I did. She warned me not to do it again."

"Yeah I saw that." he said rubbing his arm. "That was pretty cool though. You're cool."

Starlight nudged his shoulder with her elbow playfully at his remark. "Hey you're gonna make me blush silly! Hey I know let's go play tag!"

"Yeah! I love that game..." The colt grinned deviously at her. "oh by the way, Starlight?"

"Hmm?"

*Bop!* "TAG YOU'RE IT!"

It took Starlight over two seconds to realize what happened. She then giggled chasing after the colt with great mirth. "Hey! That's playing dirty you cheater!"

The two chased each other around the yard happy in their game of tag. So into their game were they that they were unaware of the angry look they were receiving from a white unicorn filly from the other end of the playground. The filly was gripping a stick in her hooves bending it several ways as she thought of how 'flexible' the new filly's horn was.

"That harpy! How dare she come into our school and steal Button away from me!" She growled snapping the stick and lighting it on fire before smothering it's ashes under her hoof. "I'll show you, Miss Starlight Glimmer. Button is mine and I won't allow you to steal him from me."

Her promise of revenge was cut short by the bell ringing signalling the end of recess. All the foals gathered back into the class, the last of which were Button and Starlight who walked side by side. Even though she wore a happy mask on her face, deep down Starlight felt conflicted with herself. Here she was a grown mare in a foal body having fun with a colt who she was old enough to be his sister.

Deep down she knew this was going to be short lived, but deep down she liked being a foal and having a friend like Button. So now this left her conflicted with her feelings. She never got the chance to grow up but this was her golden opportunity. This was no longer a matter of her making friends.

She now realized just how much she missed growing up the way she did. No friends. No family. Just a home and books to fill her time with. All that changed when she left her home town and set off to create her own utopia of equality. Now she wanted to take in everyday to grow up and relearn what it meant to be a child, but was it right of her to do this?

She would have to talk to Twilight about this and get some advice. After all it was her life so it should be her choice, but if she took the chance to grow up again was it really good for her or was she just being selfish? She knew Twilight would have the answer. being close to her new friend helped her go on through the rest of class until the day came to an end.

After a brief good bye to Button Starlight walked home to the castle alone. Along the way she ran into Thunderclap who grunted at her in her usual mannerism but allowed the filly to pass unhindered. She waved to the older mare who waved back. She then used her magic to fly up and into the castle where she made her way to the library for her after school studies.

Author's Note:

Sorry for the shitty quick update everyone. But I'm in a sour mood after the game and I really had a lot of trouble with the chapter. Don't worry it'll get better once I make a few revisions. For now hope you guys and gals like this quirky chapter!

Comments

[pleadies]

13 x 7 = 91

[zalla661]

6916602 Nah silly! It's 28!

[Texus]

Nice math stuff, I have to take my time to actually see what you did there, if it really works like that too.

Well nice chapter overall.

[zalla661]

6916602
6922352 Alright class time to learn old math!