CMC's versus the Truancy Pony

by Glen Gorewood

Princess of Pranks

Celestia had ended the meeting quickly after that feeling came. As she hurried down the grand hallway leading from the audience chambers, she nibbled on the cake held in her magic. It had to be a nonsensical, stress triggered feeling. After all she hadn’t been in actual school since at least one Millennia ago. Even when she had attended the cram school a few thousand years ago, and the other with her sister shortly before her fall, there was no way that “thing” could still be alive.

“It’s imposshible” she said through cake filled cheeks. Chewing quickly, and swallowing the delectably light so she could speak properly the princess of the sun continued her train of thought.

“There is no way a single pony could survive that long, besides the original Truancy “Kill joy von cake hater” Officer wasn’t even a pony. It was a rather tall Kirin, or at least I think it was. Nobody could really tell because of that armor.”

As Celestia talks to herself her hooves pick up the pace, bringing her safely to her room which she promptly darts into slamming the door behind her. Leaning back against it she ponders that feeling from before. The best way to describe it would be like that feeling a foal who has gotten away with stealing cookies to long gets when they know the law is catching up to them. It had been over a thousand years since she attended school last. The more she thought about it, the more she started to feel a sense of dread she had barely noticed grow inside her psyche.

“But if that thing wasn’t the same Truancy Officer…” She says while recalling a memory of her school days a millennia ago.

---

Celestia was known for her pranks and mischief now as a Princess, but back in her foal years she had been in the undisputed and never captured Princess of Pranks. The Truancy Pony, or Officer as they called it back then, had never been able to catch her and bring her in. Oh those were the days, the sweet sundae mega slide in the hallways. The day of a million puddings, oh and who could forget the Great Pastry War. The entire school was never truly able to find where all the pastries had gotten to, and a few may have gotten free and run off to the wilds.

She had replaced ink with invisible ink that create mini disco balls when the right light was used. Her glorious illustrations of Principal Glory had caused a scandal or thirty. Her constant class skipping, re arranging of lockers, not to mention how many times she had completely altered the reality of the school grounds. Well Discord had helped, anything was better than sitting through “Theories on Lost Histories and Methods of Magical Research” with the other students.

Not to mention the wild chases she would lead the Truancy Officer on, and win every time. That thing would never stop the Princess of Pranks!

---

In the present Princess Celestia digs her hooves into the door and starts to hyper ventilate a little.
“Then how did it know about everything all those years later..”

---

One thing had bothered her after she had returned to school the first time. It was the cram school to relearn history after years of exploration with with her sister. Because despite having never been caught, and hundreds of thousands of years having passed since then; one creature seemed to have an eerily accurate memory.

During one particular incident she had skipped class to try to get lunch early, it was dessert pastry day after all. If she wasn’t early she couldn’t choose the best of the delicious assortment of treats as her own. Celestia had just finished filling her platter when an unusual pastry had caught her eye. It was a rainbow fruit and electiberry trifle turnover, which was in fact one of her favorite treats to have ever existed.

However there was one tiny problem. Rainbow fruit were endangered and no longer harvested for food, and delectiberries had been extinct for over three hundred thousand years. This particular trifle turnover could not have been made today for this lunch. Nor could it have been made at any point in the last three hundred thousand years. The last time such a treat had been made, and in fact the last time this particular style of turnover known as a “Celestibomb Supreme” had been made at all; had been during the Great Pastry War.

The Princess of the Sun looked left and right in fear, feeling a sense of dread fill her being as her eyes settled upon a figure on the far side of the cafeteria. That metallic killer of fun, the feared entity that had never caught her; stood in the doorway leading out of the lunch room staring at her. From across the room she could hear it’s voice, what it sad sent shivers down her spine,

“Well well well, the Princess of Pranks has finally returned to school. I had been hoping you would do something to warrant my appearance Celestia. But this? This is too perfect. What do you think of this little treat from your past great Princess of Pranks?”

Celestia searches wildly for an exit, her magic still holding onto the pastries; panic rising as she realizes that this is impossible. There is no way any pony alive outside her sister could know of what happened so long ago. It just wasn’t possible!

Her voice tinged with something akin to fear she screeches “Where did you find that? There is no way it could survive so long. It’s impossible, no pony alive besides my sister even knows those ever existed. There is no way that..”

She is interrupted by a gruff and powerful voice emanating from the Truancy Pony as it walks towards her like a lion approaching it’s prey.

“No way that I could know what you did Celestia? No way I could have preserved one of those treats from that day for all this time? Is that what you want to say may dear Princess of Pranks? If so I must inform you that one of the many reasons I have this job is because I,” the Truancy Pony points at itself with a armored hoof. “I never forget, I never forgive, and I always catch my marks. No matter how long it takes, or how far they run. I always get my rebels and misbehaving students, and make sure the endure punishment for their crimes.”

As it says this Celestia has backed up to a wall beneath a grand cathedral style window. The scene depicted is a perfect re enactment of the Great Pastry War, though with different ponies in place of her and Luna. Her eyes focus in on the great terror and kill joy that gets closer with every word from nowhere that emanates from it.

The Truancy Pony stood before her now, only one table away. She can almost see it’s eyes, and what she sees terrifies her. As those great blue orbs stare into her soul that thing says the words that will haunt her forever.

“Celestia, you are overdue for punishment for your crimes. I am here to take you into custody, so you may pay for all your pranks and truancy you have committed. Including those from almost a million years ago, now you may come quietly if you choo..”

The Truancy Pony is interrupted by a great burst of heat that batters it’s body. The source of this power is Celestia herself, her terror making itself known with a mini solar flare. Yet somehow the pastries remain unharmed. The princess of pranks takes advantage of this unforeseen bodily reaction and launches into the air, and heads straight towards the cathedral window.

“You will never catch me you monster, for I am”, with a crash Princess Celestia smashes the window to pieces and takes off towards the far off mountains; pastries still held in her magic. As the Truancy Pony somehow manages to get to the empty window frame and stare at the retreating princess; her voice echoes back to it’s ears.

“The Princess of Pranks!” echoes Celestia’s voice from afar.

The Truancy Pony merely stands still, eyes narrowed as it watches it’s quarry escape again.
“Mark my words Princess,” it promises to the wind and a princess too far away to hear “ you will learn one day you cannot have your cake and eat it too! I will catch you no matter how long it takes me! I swear this on my soul, as I did so long ago; I will bring you to justice Princess Celestia!”

---

Back in the present Celestia has pressed her back up against the door and cast just about every lock spell known pony kind, as well as a few only known to dragons. Her eyes are wide in terror as her mane flies all over the place, frantic to escape this sudden realization.

“That thing, it knew me. It remembered everything, and then when I went to cram school again; it still remembered me. That monster somehow remembered and knew all of my antics, and even though I managed to complete school that time it stalked me until the end. Like it was waiting for me to mess up…”

The Princess now moves away from the door, backing away from it like it's a fiend from the dark eras of pony history. The only way the Truancy Pony could possibly still be around was if it somehow defied all the rules of nature, harmony, chaos, and existence. And this feeling of dread, it was just like the one she had felt as it stalked her in cram school last time.

There was only one explanation for this feeling of impending doom.

“Oh dear Faust, some foal has gone and skipped school! Some foal has done something to let that monster loose upon Equestria again. There is only thing I can do now!”

With a blur of motion Celestia, Princess of the Sun and Pranks flies around her room grabbing her favorites books, treats, and plushies before diving under her royal bed and crafting a near impenetrable pillow and blanket fort. Using her magic to reinforce it she begins to hastily write a letter to her sister, as she chews on her treats to try to calm down in this harrowing hour.

Dear Luna,
I hereby give you all my duties for the rest of the day due to an impending terror that I must dutifully face with all the powers I hold. This is a grave hour my little sister, but I have the utmost faith in you and your capability to run this castle and nation. Do not worry, when the clock strikes six pm I shall return victorious.

Your loving sister,
Celestia.

Ps: If a strange pony in armor and a gruff voice with blue eyes comes calling, please tell them I am out. Whatever you do, don’t let them into the castle.

With that done, Celestia uses her magic to send the letter to her sister; who hopefully will be so happy to have all of those duties that she doesn’t suspect a thing. Still filled with fear, Celestia grabs her childhood teddy Mr Brilliantshirt and hugs him close as she shows more cake.

“Don’t worry Mr Brilliantshirt, that monster won’t find us here. It’s going to be fine, we are safe, we are safe, we are safe here..”

As the princess repeats this mantra over and over while bravely cowering under her bed, outside the castle and far away in Ponyville her ancient nemesis smiles.

Truancy Pony - Ponyville

While staring after the trail of destruction it’s current quarry has made, the Truancy Pony chuckles a bit. It sounds like a beast laughing, and the poor pony still standing with it’s camera in hand takes the opportunity to quickly move away from the terrible creature before it. As it’s short chuckle quiets the truancy pony’s face once more takes on it’s stern visage. Eyes honing in on clues and hints as to where it’s prey is heading, it can’t help but whisper to itself in a low growl.

“Indeed, no pony ever escapes the Truancy Pony. I always get my prey, no matter how long it takes.”

Author's Note:

I am in desperate need of cover art aren't I?

Anyway this is the long awaited next chapter in CMC's VS the Truancy Pony. In case you have figured out who the Truancy Pony is by now, do not say anything. It's supposed to be a secret till the end.

Also in this universe Celestia is about 1.2 million years old or so, and for better or worse she is the only pony the Truancy Pony has never brought to justice for her actions. Now thanks to the CMC's, not only are they being chased by the law enforcing juggernaut that is the Truancy Pony; but the Princess of the Sun is now in danger of discipline as well.

So of course she does the most logical thing in this situation, considering the Truancy Pony is apparently some insanely powerful reality defying being. She hides and hopes it stays far far away from Canterlot.

Well so long as the CMC's can keep it busy she should have a chance right?
Anyway the next update for this story will be on Tuesday of next week. This chapter does come into play throughout the story though, it isn't just humorous filler.

Glen Gorewood