From Under the Love Seat

by Lightstruck

Educating Your Foal Pt. 2

Fillies and colts start to move around seemingly unaware of the changeling. He looks around a little perturbed by all the motion.

“May I have Midnight Moon and Chitter come to the front of the room?” Mr. Blackboard asks aloud.

Everyone in the room froze and talking ceased as two of them had already been singled out. Chitter did as he was told although he was hesitant about being in front of the entire class. He saw Midi was almost as scared about being called out. Worst was he could feel her anxiety in the air. It was a sour emotion he didn’t like one bit.

They both walked up to Mr. Blackboard and he motioned for them to face the class. “Ok little ponies. We have a lot of introductions to do so let’s get some things out of the way.” He leans down to the two ponies on either side of him. “When I say your name wave at the class, ok?” They both nod quietly.

He clears his throat, “First, we have Midnight Moon with us. She is a Thestral all the way from Thestralshire. Let’s make her feel at home in a new city!” Many foals just looked confused about what she was. Mr. Blackboard motioned to Chitter now. “Now everyone keep calm, This is Chitter. Chitter is a changeling.”

Not a sound was heard till a pencil box slipped out of a set of hooves and clattered on the floor. From the back of the room one filly's voice was heard, “What a changeling?”
“A changeling can mimic almost anything their size and sometimes bigger.” He sighs internally, ‘At least they aren’t yelling.’ “Go ahead Chitter, show them.”

He was really weirded out by all the stares but being in disguise sounded wonderful. He looked out over the crowd choosing his copy target. Instead he had an idea. Green flames raced across his body as he changed. When he finished he looked exactly like Midnight Moon. “Midi watch.”

She started to forget about the other foals and let a smile slowly spread across her face. Chitter started to mimic her every move like a living mirror. Now she was having fun making faces and random moves.

The rest of the fillies and colts ooh'd and aah'd. Even Mr. Blackboard was taken aback by the actions. “Alright you two, now go take those seats.” He said pointing at two separate seats.

Chitter felt better now that Midnight wasn’t so anxious and afraid. He dropped the disguise before making his way to his seat and saw a sheet of decorative paper in the center of his desk. He sits down with his bag next to his desk.

“Okay class, now does everyone have their crayons?” He was answered by a series of yes then a single almost unheard no. “Who doesn’t?”

A colt in the desk next to Chitter’s raised a hoof. “Me.”

“Momma got big box! Want some?” Chitter asks.

The colt looked at him and started shaking. “N-n-n-n-o-o-o-o.” He stuttered.

Chitter could practically smell the anxiety coming off of this colt. “It ok, I no bite.” The colt wouldn’t respond, instead just leaning away from him.

Mr. Blackboard comes over with a box of crayons. “It’s alright Slick Brush, we have extra. Thank Chitter for offering to share.”

This rather scrawny grey earth pony apparently named Slick Brush didn’t seem to want to look at him. He tried to hide behind his black long cut mane just to avoid eye contact.

“No that will not do, we thank ponies for their kindness. Tell him thank you.”

“Thns…” It vaguely sounded like a thanks but Chitter wasn’t sure.

“Very good! Now, what do we say back?”

“You’re welcome!” He excitedly replied.

“Good job, now I want everyone to draw you and your family on the paper in front of you. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look exact that’s alright.”

Chitter looked down at his own paper wondering how to start. It came to him if he wanted to draw momma why not be momma? He changed into his version of his mother.

......

Willow tags the front gate as the clear winner of their impromptu race home. “Oh yeah, Momma’s still got some fight left!” She sat back on her rump and raised her hooves up. “WHOOT WHOOT!”

Shield finally catches up, panting. “Alright, alright, you win!”

“Kicked your flank is what I did Mister Royal Guard.”

“Former Mister Royal Guard hon, I haven’t been in that kind of shape in years. In fact I think I’ve seen a bit of chub edging in on those flanks of yours too.” He teases playfully.

Willow’s entire demeanor changed instantaneously, “Am I starting to get fat?! NONONONONO! I’ll have to start a diet and start taking Chitter with me on walks with more often!”

“Hon calm down, what’s wrong with your mom bod? You are a mother aren’t you?”

“But I’m getting fat!”

“You are not, a little chub is attractive.”

“Really?” She asked almost desperately.

“Yes hon, has anyone besides me called you fat?”

“You did!”

Shield rolls his eyes, “As a joke I did. But has anypony else said anything about your weight?”

“No.”

“See, you’re not fat. Now haven’t we been planning something since Chitter was accepted into school?”

“You called me fat!”

“So? Who did Chit draw with a big belly on the wall, certainly wasn’t you. Hon you look great, I swear.”

“Am I really getting fat?”

“Willow, we both know that Red is jealous of your figure to this day.”

“Hay yeah she is, and Momma’s looking good!”

‘Mares.’ Shield mutters internally. “Come on you crazy mare. We’ve got plans and only a few hours till Chitter comes home.”

Willow takes of into the house, “Race ya!”

With another roll of his eyes he meanders inside. He heads to their room and sees Willow pulling some hair ties out. “Good to see you letting your hair down again.”

“Yeah well Chit's been having me run around all week when I’m home.”

“And now we have some time to relax.”
Shield pushes her gently to the bed. “We’ve been waiting for school to start and I’m not going to miss a moment of time we have.”

“Yeah I’ll admit to that. I have been waiting for this too.”

“Shall we?” Shield nods to the bed.

“Of course my handsome stallion.” They both climb up on the bed and immediately fall deeply asleep, exactly as planned.

......

Chitter struggles to get the picture to come out as he wants. ‘Mr. Blackboard said I couldn't change at school anymore. Don’t like it.’ He keeps going based on memory though and tries his best.

He looks up from his drawings at his classmates. Some are keeping to themselves drawing, some are talking to each other, others are looking around as he is, and a couple were fighting over a crayon one dropped. He caught sight of Midnight Moon at her desk.

She looked like she was possibly having a hard time or being given one. Just like at his table group, they weren’t talking to her either. She was being ignored so she just drew with a sad look. He looks back to his paper.

Chitter finds it’s kind of hard to think here. Too many emotions, most of them not even a particular one. Some were scared of being away from home, some of Midnight, and quite a few were afraid of himself. Foals were happy, excited, scared, bored, and a few other emotions he hadn’t learned yet. He couldn’t really get a good read on anyone other than the colt next to him.

He was afraid.

“Why scared?” Chitter asks. “I no bite.”

The colt just looks at him then goes back to staring at his blank paper. He sniffles a bit, “Want go back.”

“No color?”

“No home for color…” He stares at his desk.

‘No home? But everypony has a home!’ Chitter thought to himself. “Where you mommy and daddy live?”

The grey colt’s eyes started to water as his lip quivered. “No family.”

Chitter watched as the poor colt began to cry. He tries to pick apart the emotions surrounding this colt, ‘No family, so he's very sad and has no love at all in him.’ A line Momma tells him comes to mind. “How about friend?”

He sniffles, “No pony but Miss Tear.” Chitter stares at him through his good eye, trying to figure out what this meant. “I alone.”

Now that was something he could work with. ‘Momma said it’s good to make friends. Be kind, listen, and look past flaws.’ Chitter knows he can listen but only one of his eyes work, so it will be hard to look past flaws. Whatever that means. “Why no friends?”

“Don’t know how.”

“Want to?!”

Slick Brush was hesitant, after all; What could a changeling know about friends? “Owww! I bith ma thongue.” He watched the cross eyed changeling fan his burning tongue. At first there was a chuckle that turned into a laugh.

Chitter watched with his tongue hanging out as Slick Brush laughed at his misfortune. In that moment though, he learned a new thing; getting laughed at wasn’t always bad. It made this lonely colt feel better and that made him feel better, literally! He pulled his tongue back and laughed with him.

Once they stopped laughing Chitter offered his hoof. “My name Chitter, you?”

The grey colt trembled slightly before shakily raising his own hoof to bump together. “I’m Slick Brush.”

“Cool name!”

“Y-yeah?”

Chitter starts adding to the stick family he’d been drawing. With broad strokes of the blue crayon he adds the sky. “I like blue,” he says mostly to himself.

“R-red…” Slick mumbles.

“Silly blue no red.”

“I l-like red.”

“Cool!” Chit keeps coloring, continuously coloring over previous drawings.

“B-black crayon?”

“Crayon?”

“Can have?”

“Ok!” He rolls over the black crayon. “Momma pesus, daddy corn, me chaneling!” He scribbles some more colors and shapes.

“Ok everypony! Put down your crayons and come sit over here on the mat.” Mr. Blackboard called out.

The foals all made unhappy noises about having to stop drawing, but went to the indicated area. Once they all gathered Chitter found Midnight and sat next to her. Surprisingly, Slick sat next to him.

“Okay, so who knows all their ABC’S?” Quite a few hooves were raised. “Well, who can tell me what this is?” He tapped a guitar in its stand next to him.

Chitter wasn’t really sure what it was. Mom and dad didn’t have one and he wasn’t sure if he’d even seen the stringed object. But a filly towards the front yelled out, “Guitar!”

“Good job Glitter Glaze!” Mr. Blackboard picked up the guitar and strummed across its strings letting the notes ring. “Alright! Now let’s sing our ABC’s!” With each letter he strummed, “A B C D E F G, H I J K LMNOP, Q R S, T U V, W X, Y and Z. Now I know my ABC’s next time won’t you sing with me?” He looks over all the foals, “Wanna sing again?” The roar of yes was deafening. “Well alright, here we go!”

Author's Note:

It's a short chapter but I needed to complete it to move on. As always , I hope you like what I have written for you all!

Comments

[FirewaspRambo]

Aww, so cute. Keep it up.

[Sparda_killer_247]

great, now I have to wait for more heart melting adventures of Chitter... yay.

[harts fire]

a grate chapter , awesome slice of life.

[Morphy]

Chitter shouldn't have any problems here since kids that young have no preconceptions. It's the older grades that things will probably turn sour... much like how the CMC would get teased by Tiara.

[AF FireFly]

“Of course my handsome stallion.” They both climb up on the bed and immediately fall deeply asleep, exactly as planned.

Sounds about right.

[tsaukpaetra]

Trouble averted! The emotion soup was filtered and adapted. Social support structure in progress...