Canterlot's Newest Star

by BudCharles

Boringest School EVER

Scootaloo frantically searched through her schoolbag a fifth time, contorting herself into positions she never thought possible as she scanned every nook and cranny.

“Calm down Scoots, I’m sure you’ve got everything” Rainbow Dash attempted to reason with her.

“But what if I show up without my pencil case, or without lunch, or without my Daring Do action figure? Everypony’s going to think I’m totally lame!”

“Whoa, hold on to your feathers there, who would think the coolest filly in Ponyville was lame?”

“Someone who isn’t from Ponyville! I have to make a good first impression!”

“Hey, just be yourself squirt, everything will be fine” Dash assured Scootaloo, giving her another affectionate noogie. “Now, I really better get going, or Spitfire’s gonna take away my lunch breaks for the next week. See ya round, okay? Good luck.”

“I’m gonna need it” Scootaloo muttered to herself as her sister dashed out of the door.

--✈--

Scootaloo trekked towards the schoolhouse with an ever-increasing dread. Crossing the road felt like walking halfway to the Badlands as she approached the sounds of laughter and chatter from a hundred or so complete strangers.

In her head, she went through everything that could possibly go wrong. She might drop her lunch on the floor, in front of everypony - or she might get a super easy question wrong, in front of the whole class - they might even find out she couldn’t fly, then what would she do?

The schoolhouse itself, like Ponyville’s, was one building, but that’s where the similarities ended. Rather than a playground, there was a huge garden out the front. As pretty as it was, it looked like the opposite of fun - not a swing set or teeter totter in sight.

As if the garden wasn’t off-putting enough, the inside of the building was a complicated labyrinth of corridors going every which way. Scootaloo knew she was in room “B3”, but in Ponyville there were only three classrooms. Here, there were at least thirty - all hidden somewhere in the bizarre mess of hallways and meaningless signs.

After ten minutes of searching, she finally found the right place, only to find that the door was locked. She was late.

Scootaloo took a deep breath, before knocking on the door.

A few, painful, seconds later, the door swung open.

“Hello, sorry I’m l-”

“You must be the filly from Ponyville!” the teacher said with a smile. “I’m Miss Rosette, nice to meet you.”

Her kind demeanour reminded Scootaloo of Cheerilee, except with a fancy outfit and a refined Canterlot accent. She couldn’t help but feel a little comforted by the sense of familiarity.

“Would you like to introduce yourself to the class?”

Any sense of comfort drifted away as Scootaloo nervously stepped into the classroom and turned to face the impatient eyes of about twenty foals.

She gave a quick glance around the room. About half the class were unicorns, many of whom were wearing fancy hats or bowties. A group of rough-looking pegasi could be seen to one side of the room - they had shifted the desks so they could all sit together. A few earth ponies were mingled among the various groups. Finally, up the back, there was a single, quiet changeling, studying a textbook intently, with a puzzled but determined expression on his face.

“I-I’m Scootaloo, n-nice to meet you” she finally spoke up.

No response.

“Where are your manners?” Miss Rosette complained. “You’re representing Canterlot, and I expect you to be on your best behaviour.”

Reluctantly, a few of the ponies up the front, out of time with each other, said “good morning Scootaloo”.

This seemed to be enough to satisfy the teacher, who walked up to the chalkboard and began writing a maths question.

Scootaloo quietly found her way to a table in the middle of the room and hoped for the day to be over. She wanted to hang out in Canterlot with her awesome sister, not in a totally un-awesome classroom.

--✈--

Maths class was boring, but nothing went particularly badly. In fact, Scootaloo learned about a new type of maths called long division - she couldn’t wait to tell Twilight about it when she got back to Ponyville.

English was just as dull - the class were part-way through reading Sir Bridle and the Dragon - it was like a super lame version of Daring Do, where the characters spent half the time sitting around using fancy words instead of actually fighting the awesome dragon.

Finally, the class was cut short by the bell ringing across the school. Scootaloo jumped to her hooves, ready to bolt out the door.

“Sit down please,” Miss Rosette instructed, “I would like the front row to leave first, then the rest of the class in an orderly fashion.”

Scootaloo sat down.

Great, she’d managed to break a school rule before lunchtime even started.

One by one, each group of friends in the class made their way out.

“Excuse me, could I stay with you -” Scootaloo tried to ask as one group left.

“Would it be alright if I -” she asked another.

Eventually, she and the changeling were the only ones left.

“Hey,” Scootaloo asked, turning to the changeling, “what’s your name?”

“Me?” the changeling replied, surprised. “I-I’m Pupa.”

“Would you mind if I hang out with you for lunch?”

Pupa’s eyes lit up, and he jumped out of his chair happily, causing it to go tumbling over. “Really, you wanna spend lunchtime with me?”

“Sure, I guess.”

“You don’t mind that I’m all, uh, changelingy?”

“Nah, you seem cool, changeling or not.”

Pupa’s wings buzzed happily and he gave Scootaloo the tightest hug of her life.

“Pupa,” the teacher interrupted, “are you going to pick that chair up?”

“Oh, right,” Pupa giggled, embarrassed, as he released Scootaloo and skipped over to the chair, carefully placing it back in its original position.

Author's Note:

Oh gosh, you guys are gonna start shipping Pupaloo aren't you? What have I done? XD

Anyway yeah, still building tension here, main conflict hasn't started yet. And you get your re-introduction to Pupa, the physical incarnation of adorableness from My Enemy's Enemy XD

It's hard keeping the pace slow and keeping the descriptive language up but I think I can do it XD

I use 'XD' too much XD

Comments

[Cross Lament]

Pupaloo OTP!

[BudCharles]

6963074 What have I done? XD

[TimeSpawn]

You know, I kind of like the idea of having a changeling fall in love with a pony, or vice versa, or both. Even if that is not what you intended, I can tell that Pupa and Scootaloo are going to be great friends!

Anyway, 5 comments other than this on so far, 88 views, and---! A DARK BAR WITH NEITHER A LIKE NOR A DISLIKE IN SIGHT! WHAT THE HECK?! TIME TO START FILLING THAT BAR UP, PEOPLE!

HERE! TAKE A THUMBS UP! I ALREADY LIKE IT!

No, seriously, I do!

...---! WHAT THE HECK?! WHY CAN'T I LIKE IT?! IT'S FROZEN! COME OOOOOONNN!
AAARRRRGH!

...Oh wait, there it is!

[BudCharles]

6978274 Thanks so much x3 I think it's maybe because I didn't put it in enough groups? Or maybe it just didn't catch on? I dunno XD But I'm glad you like the story so far :3

I don't think I should write romance because it'd be about as subtle as a nuclear meltdown, so I'll just stick with friendshipping for now XD Plus Scootaloo and Pupa are too young for that kind of thing anyway XD Friendship it is! :P

[Razzy]

6984587 Hmm, nuclear romance.

... Somehow, the mental image of Pupa sitting at a school desk, nose buried in a book, all concentrated, is even more adorable.

[DualKitsune]

I have an issue with this teacher. She is violating the FIRST and MOST IMPORTANT rule of teaching: NEVER LET FRIENDS SIT THAT CLOSE TO EACH OTHER!!!

Or in the words of the Offspring; "Gotta keep'em separated"

Seriously though, I have never seen a teacher who let that many cliques form in class.

[9543]

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE