Order of Eclipse

by Comrade Bagel Muffin

Solar Knight Ditzy Doo Whooves

Ditzy watched as Celestia slowly lowered the orange sun down to the horizon. The birds chirped, and the fireflies had begun to appear in the yard. Her two fillies were still playing on the soft green grass as the day waned into twilight. Her smile broadened as her left eye tracked her husband as he walked out of the Blue Barn, to her side. He took his seat next to her and watched.

"The perfect end to the perfect day," he said as he gazed out at his adopted family.

"It's not over yet, we still get to have dinner together." She turned her head even with her messed up eyes she was able to completely focus on him.

"I'm sure it will be spectacular Muffin." He lost himself in the magic of her yellow eyes.

"Are mommy and daddy going to kiss?" Dinky asked riding on her sisters back.

"A kiss is good, and maybe more later on tonight," Doctor Whooves said as leaned in. "All the good I've done and I still haven't come close to deserving this," He said kissing his wife's red cheeks. "What's he doing here?" Ditzy's right eye focused on the gate of their yard.

"Let's find out. Amethyst please go inside and set the table with your sister your father and I will be right in." Amethyst nodded and trotted in to the modest house her sister still riding on her back.

"Greeting Mr. and Mrs. Whooves I do hope that I am not interrupting anything." The elderly black unicorn looks from Ditzy to the Doctor and back again. "If it's bad time."

"Of course not High Paladin Golden Comet."

"Oh please, we're not in a meeting Doctor you and you wife can just call me Goldie." The old unicorn laughed.

"Would you like to come in for dinner Goldie?" Ditzy asked not skipping a beat. "For dessert we're having some MMM."

"Ah marzipan one of my few weaknesses, but I'm afraid that I'll have to put a rain check on that." He frowned a bit. "I hate to be all business, but I have to ask the two of you a favor."

"Certainly, what do you need."

"Two actually. First, Black Wing and I would like to know how things are progressing with Screw Ball."

"Oh well according to Dinky, Screw Ball has been a lot more fun this past week and her happiness seems to be a bit contagious. She wants to have her over for a sleep over next week." Golden Comet smiled at the news.

"I am glad to hear that she's doing well, I always had, what was it that Black Wing calls it, Pony Hero Complex." The old unicorn chuckled to himself. "Second, is Order business actually. Solar Squire Button Mash will be returning to Ponyville next week. While we have been assured that nopony will remember to much about him. I would like it if we didn't have to resort to ripping memories out of ponies heads. Please keep an eye on him could you."

"Of course you needn't ask," Doctor Whooves answered.

"Oh good I can always count on the two of you can't I. Please do save me a bit of that MMM. I'll be back for it but I do have other dinner plans made tonight. See you two later and please enjoy your evening." Then in a flash white light he teleported away.

***

Cheerilee waited patiently at Screw Ball's door, which had become a daily routine over the past two weeks. She admittedly enjoyed the talking to the spiral eyed filly, who when she wasn't trying to fit in with the other fillies and colts, could carry on conversations that would have Twilight Sparkle taking notes. I really need to talk to her parents letting a filly live by themselves is a little to hooves off even for this part of Equestria. She thought as she waited keeping an eye on the trees. A second later Screw Ball bounced out of the door.

"Hello Ms. Cheerilee how are you today?" she asked as she stepped into the early morning mist. Her eyes spun with her hat's propeller, as her mane frizzed and in an instant went back to the way it was. I wish I knew how that trick worked.

"I'm fine, today is going to be an interesting day." Cheerilee made a show of making sure that they were alone before continuing in a whisper. "Don't tell anypony, but we're getting two new ponies in our school today."

"Are they pirates, or ninjas, or space ponies, or pirate ninja space pony spies?" she asked her eyes spinning.

"No not that I know of." Cheerilee laughed. "One of them is an old student of mine, he was lived in Ponyville till a few years ago when his family moved. Well they've moved back, he's in a different class though, so unless you stay after your class lets out I don't think you'll meet him."

"But the other one is a pirate ninja space pony spy who's disguised as a griffon circus acrobatic with a peg leg and hook. Right."

"No but you do get to meet him. He's going to be teaching-"

"Oh no they fired you. They can't fire you, you're the best most kindest ponies ever."

"Screw Ball you know that using most and kindest is a redundancy."

"You see your still teaching ponies stuff even when not in class. They can't fire you I won't let them."

"Calm down Screw Ball. I'm not being fired. Ponyville has more colts and fillies now, so the minister of education in Canterlot has okayed a second teacher. I'll be working with the new teacher the two of us will be teaching classes and dividing up the work load."

"Oh but you'll still be teaching my class right."

"Most of the time yes," Cheerilee said as the school house came into sight. "But on the days that I'm not I would like you to help him like you help me, I want to make him fill welcomed in Ponyville. Okay?" The spiral eyed filly nodded. "Thank you Screw Ball I knew that I could count on you; now let's get the school house ready to greet our new friends."

"Is the purple pony with the blue mane one our new friends."

"Wait he isn't suppose to be here yet."

"Just kidding he's still on the train here their just making it past Appleloosa, and with a team of train ponies should be in ponyville in two hours and fifteen minutes." Screw Ball laughed. "Unless one of them sneezes in the canyon and causes a rock slide then he won't get here till my class is half way over."

"Screw Ball after two weeks I still don't know how you do it."

"I'm just that good." She laughed.

The day went by without a hitch. Except for the new teacher showing up late due to a rock slide which was caused by a sneeze. Screw Ball stayed late to get to know the new teacher, at Cheerilee's request. And also to see one of Cheerilee's old students, the older colts and fillies where going to be learning pre-calculous. Cheerilee asked her politely not to blurt out the answers or get in a fight with Diamond. Stupid Tiara started it but that wasn't a reason to try and buck them in the face. At least according to Cheerilee anyway. Doctor Whooves Dinky's adopted dad was staying close to the school house which was weird, but hey he was weird too, him and his talking blue barn.

"Hello everypony I'd like you to meet Mr. Star Gazer." Cheerilee introduced the Purple unicorn. After his introduction was complete she walked over to the door I'd also like everypony to welcome back an old friend of ours who has recently returned to Ponyville. Button Mash." A brown colt walked in to the school house.

"Hi, my name is Button Mash and I'm 16 years old." Screw Ball could have sworn that a rainbow halo circled around Sweetie Belle's eyes and she blushed as the colt made eye contact.

"I was concerned about that." The phantasm said appearing next to the Doctor.

"What was that?"

"That was all my hard work going out the window. I'll be working all night to fix this."

Author's Note:

So the age of Button Mash is t 6 years added to the most general average age of the CMC. due to the time line of this what I can only liberally call a story.