Chapter 71 - Schooling
At the Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse on Monday afternoon, a long white sheet of paper with four different drawings in the form of a list was tacked onto the wall. Sweetie Belle magically held a red colored pencil. Apple Bloom paced in a circle. Scootaloo sat near a window, thoughtfully tapping her chin.
Apple Bloom stopped walking and spoke. "Okay, we've tried shirking chores, pestering, disguises, and fighting."
Sweetie Belle checked off each item as Apple Bloom said them and held her hoof to her chin in thought like Scootaloo did.
A familiar knock rapped at their door. Sweetie opened it with magic. They made sure it was Rainbow Dash before all three bowed together to say in unison, "Master Rainbow Dash."
"My dear Awesome Crusaders," Rainbow greeted with a smile and a bow of her head. She looked at the visible list still on the wall. "What's that?"
"We're trying to figure out how to get into Twilight's school," Sweetie Belle freely admitted to her. "I don't suppose you can help us out with that?" she looked up with a hopeful smile.
"Please Master," Scootaloo held her two front hooves together.
"Yes. Please!" Apple Bloom copied Scootaloo's gesture.
Rainbow Dash blinked curiously before pausing to think for a moment. "Why can't you go?"
"Twilight told us we can't," Scootaloo explained. "That's why I sneaked into your class today."
The other two fillies nodded.
"She says we don't need them," Apple Bloom explained.
"Really?" asked a confused Rainbow Dash.
They nodded.
"And what do your parents and guardians say?" Rainbow prodded.
All three of them blushed.
"We haven't actually asked any of them, but I kinda doubt Applejack would let me if Twilight says no," Apple Bloom said.
"And we're all kinda assuming that's your answer too," Scootaloo admitted regretfully.
"Well, it certainly isn't my decision," Rainbow agreed. "But seriously, talk to them first. Applejack's not your only guardian, Apple Bloom. Granny Smith and Big Mac have a say in looking after you too, don't they?"
Apple Bloom nodded.
"You really think they'd let us?" Scootaloo asked. "I mean, Twilight might still refuse."
"I suppose you have a point there. Let's go talk to her, all four of us," Rainbow offered.
The Crusaders collectively lit up with huge smiles at that.
"I told them they can't go because they already know everything about helping others in need and being there for each other," Twilight Sparkle said from behind her desk at the school.
"Is that how you screen all of the other students?" Rainbow asked. "Do you give them some kind of entrance exam and if the score is too high, they can't attend here?"
"Well...no," Twilight admitted.
"I know for a fact that you let a filly their age named Cozy Glow transfer in this morning. If the girls talk to their parents and guardians, and they say yes, are you still going to refuse them?" Rainbow Dash pried further.
"You put that idea into their heads, didn't you?" Twilight realized with a dry expression.
"We haven't asked yet," Apple Bloom said. "We're doing this as respectfully as our master wishes us too. Promise."
"They may be my servants now, but they are still magical creatures who can ask for help from a master mev," Rainbow Dash explained.
Twilight sighed. "Rainbow Dash, they don't need these classes."
"So? They want to be here, and they'd be great students. They could tutor other students or help out teachers if you want to level them up or something," the sky blue pegasus argued. "I'm sorry Twilight, but the lack of necessity is not a good reason to refuse admitting them here when you don't do that to anyone else, especially if they do get permission from the proper channels."
The three fillies looked up at the alicorn headmare hopefully.
Twilight sighed again and took a moment to think it over. "You four wait here."
In a flash she was gone and in another flash she returned with Starlight Glimmer. Twilight then went on to explain the entire situation. "So, as our guidance counselor, could you guide us into what is best for these three?"
Starlight tapped her chin in thought. "I think you're both right. These three would make better teachers than students here. Tutoring would be a good idea, but Twilight, you do teach things about magic in your class that they won't learn anywhere else and might not actually know. Everything is so hooves-on at this school, it would actually be a good experience for them. I say combine the ideas. Have them talk to their parents and guardians with the offer of an internship. All three already assist Master in some form. They'll be our assistants at the school, so they can be learning and helping."
"Like one day we would actually be teachers here?" asked a very interested Apple Bloom.
"Is that a career you three want?" Twilight asked. "You already have your crusading, both for cutie marks and now for Team Awesome."
"Master's managing with all her jobs and is very accommodating to all our schedules. If our parents and guardians say yes, it's just a switch of our current school with this one," Sweetie Belle pointed out.
"We are totally ready for an upgrade," added an enthusiastic Scootaloo.
Rainbow Dash glanced slyly at Twilight Sparkle.
"It does make more sense the more I think about it," Twilight realized, thoughtfully tapping a hoof to her chin like Starlight did a moment earlier. "Alright, girls, here's what we'll do. I'm going to write you a letter of acceptance for this internship to make the offer Starlight said. You still need actual permission from your parents and guardians to be enrolled as interns."
"We're on it," Apple Bloom said happily.
"Can I talk to my parents before we go to your house?" Sweetie Belle asked Rainbow Dash. "You could just wait in a different room. Then we can work on tomorrow's agenda."
"That's fine," Rainbow agreed.
"Let's find out Sweetie's parents' answer before we talk to our guardians," Apple Bloom suggested to Scootaloo. "We can guard Master in the meantime." She looked at Rainbow Dash, who nodded in quiet approval.
"Alright, sure," Scootaloo agreed.
Twilight was able to quickly draft the letters magically giving one to each of the fillies.
With the letter of acceptance, the Crusaders did not have to wait long for an answer from Sweetie Belle's parents. They were quite proud of their younger daughter for receiving one. They wished the other two fillies luck.
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo grinned with eager hope, and the four ponies left.
"Well, I better get to talking to my family then," Apple Bloom said.
"I'll go with you," Scootaloo offered. She looked at Rainbow Dash. "If we finish before sunset, we'll stop by to tell you two the news," she offered.
"That's fine, Little Sister," Rainbow Dash consented with a friendly nod and wave.
At Rainbow Dash's cloud house, Sweetie Belle stared out a window between checking her notes to present to Rainbow. She eventually caught of two galloping figures, and she smiled brightly to run to Rainbow Dash, who was already swooping in to grab the unicorn filly and take them down to meet the others.
"Well?" Sweetie Belle asked.
Both the other two fillies grinned. "They said yes!" the two said at the same time.
"We're all going to Twilight's school together as interns!" the fillies declared together and hoof bumped as a trio.
Then they smiled upward at Rainbow Dash, who hovered nearby. The sky blue pegasus gave each of them a congratulatory hoof bump one at a time. "Make me proud for this job, Crusaders."
They giggled.
"Of course, Master," Apple Bloom replied with a proud smile.
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom waved good-bye. Rainbow Dash and Sweetie Belle returned to the house.
After the sun set, Rainbow Dash paced back and forth in the air in her dragon form. Sweetie gathered her notes and spoke. "Alright, so since the last meeting, we found out on Wednesday that the fledglings get a little boost early for Nightmare Night, then we of course did the actual Nightmare Night show. On Friday, Apple Bloom officially became a servant of yours. On Saturday, we visited with Princess Cadance, showed her Amara, found out about Pearl." The unicorn filly paused. "Have you uh...done anything for that yet?"
"I had Rexa eat her magic last night since she was the fledgling with me for that mission. She went as support when we got Pearl. I offered to give Pearl a new name, but she declined. She's quite friendly like both Princess Skystar and Silverstream," Rainbow Dash noted. Sweetie Belle scribbled in that piece of news for Sunday in her recap.
"Your fledglings were there with us to be named the Awesome Crusaders as a group in service to you," Sweetie smiled as she noted that part.
"Awesome indeed," the master mev agreed.
"How'd it go yesterday with Tirek?" Sweetie Belle wondered.
"About as well as can be expected. Since you weren't with me, I've assigned Starlight with noting the details. She'll help me go over them tomorrow night."
The Rhezenda nodded. "School for today?" she asked.
"I guess it was technically a short job, and it affects everyone but Discord there," Rainbow said. She paused in thought.
"Is something wrong?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"We've never invited Discord to see the school," Rainbow realized with a worried tone.
"I-is that bad thing?" the unicorn filly grew concerned as well.
Rainbow Dash frowned. "It's certainly not something I'm proud of. I'll have to talk to Twilight about that on my own later—hopefully before the pack meeting."
Sweetie Belle pulled out a small piece of paper and magically wrote down a reminder she would give to Rainbow once their current meeting was over.
"Are we back to traveling this weekend?" Sweetie Belle inquired.
"Yes. Bigger crowd than past trips now that I have three filly servants, assuming all of you can make it, and I'm bringing one more fledgling than usual," Rainbow noted.
"Oh, we can all make it. We've been wishing for another trip the three of us can take together since Mount Aris," Sweetie Belle assured her master.
"Great. We're going to the Changeling Kingdom. You three, plus Fluttershy, Starlight and Pinkie Pie, making us a party of seven this time around," Rainbow said.
"No Spike?" Sweetie asked.
"No Spike. Starlight will serve in a similar role to what he's been doing for us. She and Thorax helped save Equestria, and she even visited the place with just her and Trixie. Most of what I know about the Changeling Kingdom is actually what she's told me from that experience," Rainbow explained. "Pinkie Pie hasn't been on any trips, and while I wanted everyone to go at least once, we're now in a position where I could actually have everyone go at least twice. To do that, I have to bring Pinkie Pie this time."
"Are there any interesting magical objects there?" the unicorn filly wondered.
"We'll get a better sense for that when we get there," Rainbow replied, "but I would say don't get any hopes up on anypony getting any powers. That phase for us is done."
Sweetie Belle nodded. "Is there a next phase?"
Rainbow shrugged. "I honestly don't know, Rhezenda. I wouldn't expect it, but I can't say with certainty."
"Okay," the filly noted with acceptance.
"So, this is the School of Friendship." Discord spread his arms wide with a big smile as several pony students stopped to stare at him in curiosity while he walked down a hallway with his closest friend hovering at his side.
"Yes," Fluttershy said happily. "We're so very sorry we didn't invite you before. Rainbow Dash had to remind Twilight," she noted sullenly.
"I was a little hurt," Discord admitted, "but that's neither here nor there nor anywhere. I'm here now. Show me. Tell me. What sort of magical things are taught here?"
"Oh, that's mainly Twilight's class if you mean magic besides friendship magic. A lot of our students aren't unicorns after all," Fluttershy explained.
"Well, yes, but you have a master mev who teaches here," Discord replied openly. "She could make all of them unicorns in the framework of the school for a class or a day."
Fluttershy giggled at that. "That may well be, but that's not the sort of thing we teach here, even if they do know what Rainbow is after Nightmare Night."
"So be it," Discord sounded disappointed. "Still, lead on dear Fluttershy."
The canary-colored pegasus smiled sweetly and continued with her tour as a substitute for their usual Tuesday tea in the afternoon.
The door of the CMC clubhouse opened to show a young peach-colored pegasus filly that looked mildly familiar to Rainbow Dash.
"Professor Rainbow Dash," the Crusaders greeted her, and their eyes collectively darted to their guest for why they did not use the usual title.
"Oh Professor Rainbow Dash," the other filly followed suit. "What are you doing here?"
"Cozy Glow, right?" Rainbow inquired.
The filly nodded. "I just transferred here yesterday."
"Twilight is already having us tutor one of the students at the school," Scootaloo eagerly explained. "We'll officially transfer over soon and can still help out Cozy in the meantime."
"I'm really struggling after just my first day," Cozy said in a cutesy sad voice. "But these three have helped me so much already, I just know I'll get better."
"Right on, Crusaders." The pegasus teacher grinned and offered a hoof they all bumped. "Are you ready Sweetie Belle?"
"Yes, I am," Sweetie said with a smile, magically grabbing her saddlebags. "We'll see you three later." She waved at the others.
After they left, Cozy looked at Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. "Where are they going?" the filly wondered.
"Sweetie helps out Professor Dash as an assistant for one of her other jobs," Apple Bloom explained.
"Other jobs?" Cozy blinked with innocent curiosity.
Apple Bloom smiled warmly back at her. "Yeah, Rainbow Dash is a busy mare."
"What other jobs? I mean, I know she's a Wonderbolt and professor at the school," Cozy told them.
"Err..." Apple Bloom paused and glanced at Scootaloo.
Scootaloo bashfully rubbed at the back of her neck. "It's kinda hard to explain, and we're not supposed to go around blabbing everything about it."
"True enough," Apple Bloom agreed with a nod. "She's kinda like a special diplomat, I guess you might say. I hope that will do."
Scootaloo chuckled. "Yeah, I think that works."
Cozy Glow glanced from one crusader to the other, and they looked at her with hopeful smiles. "Oh...okay then. Does it have a title?"
"'Master,'" they both said together at the same time.
The other filly was slightly taken aback because it seemed instinctual from them.
"Just 'Master'?" Cozy asked.
"Well, I guess she's also still in charge of the weather for Ponyville," Scootaloo remarked thoughtfully.
"We best get back to studying," Apple Bloom advised.
Scootaloo nodded in full agreement. "Let's do that."
Cozy Glow knew she could not wrangle anything else from them so continued on with the lesson, filing the curiosity away into the back of her mind.
On Tuesday night right after the sun fully set, Rainbow Dash and Starlight stood together in Starlight's bedroom.
"Are you ready, Primeva?" a fanged Rainbow Dash asked.
"Yes, Master," Starlight replied sweetly.
Two magenta eyes flickered red-on-yellow, and Starlight grew two bat wings onto her unicorn body. She flew upward and darted about her room before spreading them in a near embrace of her master.
Rainbow kissed Starlight's neck for a short while before she bit in to the lilac fledgling's neck. Starlight bit back, and eventually her wings whisked away completely. Rainbow's own feathered wings turned to bat flaps and embraced Starlight instead. The two mevs stood locked together for several seconds.
"Is my Primeva satisfied?" Rainbow asked.
"You know I am," Starlight whispered. "And you, Master? What of your pleasure?"
The still bat-winged master mev smiled. "Mmm, yes. It is right where I want it to be."
The two released their embrace, and Rainbow Dash reverted to a fanged pegasus form. They made their way to the throne room together.
Stats
Page generated in 0.028 seconds
Total duration
1,025 users online
1,334,667 hits today, 1,822,946 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Great chapter!
Is Cozy Glow going to play a big part in this part of the story?
11056186
Thanks!
11056186
11056239
I'm really not seeing how to address either of these comments without giving away spoilers but okay.
Spoiler 1 to "Is Cozy Glow going to play a big part in this part of the story?"
She will play a pivotal role to the events in the finale.
Spoiler 2 was here and has been removed.
11056280
You’re welcome!
Thanks for answering!
11056490
Well, okay then. I have removed the spoilers.