• Published 24th Mar 2022
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St Trineighans School for Fillies - SamuelK28



Instead of being sent to the moon, Luna is given a school to teach her subjects the importance of the night

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Love Hurts

Apple Bloom yawned as she slowly opened her eyes to a set of extremely pointy white teeth. To her enormous credit, she somehow didn’t scream the place down and jump to the ceiling.

Gradually her vision cleared and she recognised Sweetie’s face looming over her, a beaming, if somewhat unnerving, smile, plastered across her muzzle.

Oh right, now she remembered. Shortly after acquiring a ridiculous amount of ice cream and returning to their dorm, Sweetie had tried to force her to bite her by shoving a hoof in her muzzle. Apple Bloom had managed to resist the temptation much to Sweetie’s frustration and the pouting filly had been pulled away by Moon to be given a lecture on how becoming a werewolf was more of a curse than a blessing but the filly was not to be put off, or rather, Lightning had snuck up behind Sweetie and bitten one of her hind legs to, quote, “piss off Miss High and Mighty”, aka Rarity. Lightning may have somehow already had several bottles of vodka by this point and also used Moon’s words against her, apologising for her actions but then stating she was a “bird-brain” after all.

Moon had reacted to this by guzzling down way more ice cream than was healthy whilst cackling like a loon and mumbling that she was, “Surrounded by idiot minions who would accidentally bring about the end of Equestria through their incompetence.” There may have also been a few tears involved before she’d fallen into an ice cream induced coma with Ruby trying to comfort her.

Meanwhile, Lightning and the rest of the Crazy Mark Crusaders who were present, all aside Scootaloo, had spent the time discussing the advantages and disadvantages to being a werewolf, seen who could howl the loudest (To everypony’s surprise it had been Sweetie), eaten tons of ice cream and drunk litres upon litres of alcohol (in Lightning’s case. Apple Bloom had refused to let herself or either Sweetie or Screwball have a drop), had a pillow fight that turned into a wrestling match, bemoaned the life of a werewolf once more, then finally snuggled up with Ruby and Moon after one final group howl and fallen asleep.

“Eugh, what time is it?” Apple Bloom groaned pushing a still snoring Lighting’s leg off of her as she rose to her hooves.

Sweetie shrugged, not having any idea what the time was and pointed up at a clock Rarity had hung up for them on the still graffiti-stained walls. 15:35 Apple Bloom swiftly realised, plenty of time until breakfast. As if to remind her she’d had nothing but Moon’s flank and ice cream since lunch last night, her stomach grumbled ravenously.

“Yeah, yeah, I know you’re hungry but you’ll just have to wait a little while longer,” she told her stomach only for it to grumble once more. Ignoring it, Apple Bloom turned to address Sweetie. “I’m going for a shower whilst everyone else is asleep; try not to set anything on fire whilst I’m gone.”

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes as Sweetie simply gave her a toothy grin in reply and headed for the bathroom.

*

Apple Bloom pushed open the door to the bathroom twenty minutes later fully refreshed from her shower and ready to start another school night. She didn’t even bat an eyelid at what greeted her back in the dormitory. An incensed Rarity was trying desperately to free herself from Ruby’s and Moon’s combined magical power and get her hooves on a laughing Lightning whilst Sweetie and Screwball stood to one side sharing a bag of popcorn.

“I’LL SKIN YOU ALIVE AND TURN YOU INTO A DRESS FOR WHAT YOU’VE DONE!” Rarity roared from where she floated in the centre of the dormitory.

“Ahh, diddums, does Miss Prim and Proper not like the improvement I made to her sister?” Lightning mocked not fazed in the slightest by the unicorn’s anger. “She wanted to be a werewolf; so, I granted her that wish,” she teased with a toothy smile bringing her face right up to the orb of magic that imprisoned Rarity.

“LET ME AT HER! LET ME AT HER!” Rarity roared once more, slamming her hooves against the orb. “AS YOUR TEACHER, I ORDER YOU TO LET ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!”

“Yeah, no. Sorry Miss Belle but I can’t have you harming one of my subjects no matter how much of a bird brain they might be,” Moon deadpanned.

“Yeah, you heard the Princess. Anyway, thanks for the awesome party girls but I gotta shoot and get ready for classes. See you in the hall for dodgeball later and I’m glad you’ve no regrets being a werewolf, Sweetie,” Lightning said smugly, trotting to the door as she did so. Once there, she paused for a moment, turned, and then blew a kiss in Rarity’s direction that only angered the unicorn even more. “Call me,” she taunted the restrained unicorn one final time before departing the dorm.

Several extremely awkward minutes passed until Moon let out a sigh and spoke. “Okay, we’re going to let you free if you promise not to go chasing after Lightning. Understood?”

Rarity, who in the past few minutes had gone from pounding desperately on her magical prison to sitting down and sulking, turned and gave Moon a look that if it could, would have killed the newly ascended alicorn.

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Apple Bloom enquired.

“Not at all but what other choice do we have? We can’t keep her in their forever,” Moon explained.

“Fair point,” Apple Bloom replied as Moon turned back to Rarity who still had her unwavering eyes locked upon her.

“So, do you promise not to hurt Lightning or any of us for that matter if we let you go?” Moon asked hopefully.

“No,” Rarity replied flatly.

“Pretty please,” Moon tried again.

“No,” Rarity replied flatly once more.

Moon gave the fashionista her best puppy dog eye expression.

“No,” was Rarity’s reply for the third time.

This time tears crept into Moon’s vision.

“That still won’t work with…” Rarity commenced.

“MUM!” Moon interrupted at the top of her lungs, “Rarity’s being mean to me!”

“You little minx,” Rarity said with another scowl as in an instant a puff of navy-blue smoke had appeared and then reformed into Nightmare Moon.

“Is something…” Nightmare started before catching sight of Sweetie’s new look. “Sweet Luna, not another one,” she exclaimed before noticing Rarity in the magical bubble. “Let me guess, one of you had a few to many drinks and bit Sweetie?” she said with a resigned sigh whilst popping the bubble and sending Rarity tumbling onto the cushions that adorned the floor.

“Not exactly.” It was Apple Bloom who had stepped forward to explain the situation. “You see, Sweetie was afraid of being left out because she wasn’t a werewolf so tried to get me to bite her. I refused and Moon and I took her aside to talk her out of it, explaining how being a werewolf wasn’t a choice to make lightly and that she needed to take her time to think about it along with trying to reassure her that no matter what choice she made, she would still be our friend. Well, that’s what we would have said if Lightning hadn’t downed two bottles of vodka and decided… oh,” Apple Bloom paused unsure how to phrase that final part as a few vital pieces of information clicked together in her brain.

“What?” Nightmare enquired nonchalantly as Rarity’s stern gaze rested on Apple Bloom.

“I don’t think the alcohol played any part in Miss Dust’s decision,” Apple Bloom admitted.

“And what makes you say that?” Nightmare replied equally as nonchalantly.

“The fact she told us so,” Apple Bloom deadpanned in reply.

“Then what, may I ask, were her reasons for doing so?” Nightmare pressed.

“Rarity,” Apple Bloom said pointing a hoof in said unicorn’s direction only to find she was gone. “Uh oh, that can’t be good.”

“I think I get the picture but can you please clarify for me,” Nightmare sighed.

“She apologised for biting Sweetie and admitted she’d only done so to get back at her sister for knocking her back…” Apple Bloom explained, “…two-hundred and seventeen times over the past four years.”

Nightmare Moon closed her eyes and shook her head. She knew Lightning had a crush on Rarity as the latter had made several complaints about the former’s unwanted attentions that had led to several verbal warnings being issued to the Pegasus about her conduct although a lack of evidence had prevented Nightmare from being able to take things any further. This though, was too far. She needed to find Lightning before Rarity did.

And that was, of course, when Lightning’s head came flying through the door.

“Fuck me she’s pissed,” the Pegasus groaned from where her head now protruded through the door. “And not the good kind,” she added before the door swung open violently.

Nightmare grimaced as the Pegasus cum werewolf’s head met solid stone wall.

Rarity stepped in spinning a ball with her magic on a forehoof. “Anypony seen Miss Dust?” she queried, ignoring said pony’s rump that was sticking out the back of the door. “Seeing as she said she would be teaching dodgeball today I thought I’d give her a few pointers, as I am a keen player myself. For some reason though she didn’t seem that pleased to see me and ran off,” the unicorn clarified.

“So, you have no idea how she became wedged in the fillies’ dormitory door?” Nightmare deadpanned looking less than pleased.

“Oh, so there you are. Come along, let’s head to the hall so I can demonstrate to you the optimal technique to maximise both the speed and accuracy of your shot.” Rarity said casually as she dropped the ball momentarily and focused her magic on forcing Lightning from the door. The Pegasus was out for the count and couldn’t resist even if she most certainly would have wanted to.

“Rarity, you know I can’t let you beat her senseless with a dodgeball no matter how much you want to,” Nightmare sighed.

Rarity paused in the doorway. “Well, are you going to fire her for turning my sister into a werewolf?” she inquired, turning her head back to look at the Princess of the Night.

Nightmare Moon could literally see the fire burning behind the incensed mare’s eyes. She looked away momentarily and across at Sweetie, who was now munching on a bag of something called Maltesers alongside her friends. “Sweetie, did you want to become a werewolf and are you happy being one?”

The filly immediately nodded her head rapidly in reply. Nightmare turned back to Rarity. “My hooves are tied. It quite clearly states in the school rules that a werewolf must not bite other students or staff that do not wish to become werewolves or will be severely reprimanded, up to expulsion from the school. She’s happy being a werewolf so, as stated previously, my hooves are tied. But I’m guessing you already knew that.”

Rarity’s eyes became like daggers. “Well then, I guess my hooves are also tied. I’m technically doing nothing wrong. You know very well from my time at the school of my skill in the art of dodgeball. I’m only being a good pony passing what I know onto Miss Dust, even if she may not remember most of it.”

Nightmare shuddered remembering Rarity’s time at the school. The mare had hated Physical Education with a passion, arguing that it was uncouth for a lady to participate in such primitive activities and had tried to get out of the lesson whenever she could in her first year. Then, one night, Mr. Waddle, the old P.E. teacher, had decided to teach them dodgeball. Rarity had, as per the norm, tried everything to avoid participating only for an earth pony named Bon Bon to finally have enough of her whining and fire a ball with all her earth pony strength straight into Rarity’s face. Rarity had come away with a black eye, most her classmates on the other hoof had spent several nights in the infirmary and Mr. Waddle had finally had enough and retired to Las Pegasus on the spot. Still, Nightmare’s alter ego Luna had managed to twist the whole situation in her favour, incorporating dodgeball into the annual Royal School Games between her school and Celestia’s. Her sister had laughed when only a pint sized first year had stepped onto the court to take on her team of six foals. Less than a minute later her jaw had practically hit the floor and the price of her cakes had doubled for the next year. It was supposed to be a best of three contest; none of Celestia’s team had got up after the first game. The feat had then been repeated the following five years although most the time the foals on Celestia’s team took themselves out to save themselves significant injuries from the “Alabaster Assassin” as Rarity had been dubbed.

“Miss Belle, as your boss I’m ordering you to stop. Miss Dust clearly needs medical attention,” Nightmare ordered only for Lightning to reply from where she was now draped across Rarity’s back.

“I’m fine,” the mare grunted. “Just a bloody muzzle, that’s all. I’ve had crashes way worse. Miss Frou Frou here throws like a ten-year-old filly,” Lightning goaded before dropping the bait. “If you’re that desperate to get rid of me how about a little wager? Three on three dodgeball, best of three games. I’ll take the Apple one and Berry’s filly, you take your sister and the insane one. The alicorns can be the judges to ensure no pony cheats. If you win, I’ll step down from my post at the school immediately.”

“And in the unlikely event you win?” Rarity sneered, already knowing the answer.

“You have to finally go on a date with me,” Lightning replied smugly.

“Seriously? You will never give up, will you? Even in spite of however many times I tell you I’m not interested,” Rarity grumbled.

“We got a deal or not?” Lightning replied sharply, before she was unceremoniously dumped onto the floor.

“See you in the gymnasium in fifteen. Sweetie, Screwball, with me please. We’ve a gameplan to devise.” And without waiting for a response Rarity left, swiftly followed by her sister who pulled a floating Screwball along with her.

“Erm, what just happened?” Apple Bloom queried after Rarity and two of her friends had disappeared.

“I think we just got sucked into a lover’s tiff,” Ruby replied. “You even played dodgeball before?”

“As mah brother would say, 'Nnnnnope',” Apple Bloom replied.

“Great. Well, I guess I’ve fifteen minutes to teach you the basics. C’mon, I’ll tell you on the way,” Ruby sighed as she got to her hooves.

*

“Okay,” Nightmare reluctantly said looking across at the two teams.

Behind her, a large crowd of students had gathered. How they had heard about the bet she didn’t know but it didn’t surprise her in the least. All it takes is one pony to leak the news and it spreads like wildfire. Some were even taking bets on how long Lightning would survive. So far, she hadn’t heard anything longer than fifteen seconds. Nightmare felt that was being generous.

“You each see three balls in the centre of the court. Your task is to get to that ball before your opponent and then throw it at them to knock them out. Magic may be used to enhance your attack but cannot be used for defence otherwise you will be eliminated. You can either dodge the ball, block it with another ball or catch it. If you do miraculously catch it the opposing player is eliminated instead. Finally, you may not leave the court otherwise you are out of the game. Any balls that go out of bounds shall be returned by Moon to the point they exited the court. The winning team is the one that eliminates all the opposition players first, understood? Good,” Nightmare finished not waiting for a response. “Then go.”

Things went bad from the start for Team Dust. Apple Bloom easily outstripped Sweetie for pace and then, not knowing her own strength and with adrenaline pumping through her veins, she sent the unicorn flying into a wall with the ball she’d claimed. Staring slack jawed at what she’d unwittingly done, a furious Rarity had practically taken her jaw off with the ball she’d nabbed just ahead of Lightning. Ruby didn’t fare much better, ending up under a pile of balls delivered by a gigging Screwball despite the crazy filly having only initially grabbed the one. Lightning, trying to seize her chance, dove for the massive pile of balls and grabbed one before throwing with all her might at Rarity. The unicorn didn’t even flinch as she stood on her hind hooves and plucked the ball out of the air with ease with her forehooves. The game hadn’t even lasted fifteen seconds.

Lightning stared in disbelief at what the unicorn had done. “Oh c’mon; that’s just ridiculous.”

“Game. Team Belle, prepare for game two,” Nightmare Moon replied uninterested in the Pegasus’s complaint.

Lightning muttered to herself as she got back into position for round two. Apple Bloom meanwhile was trying to help Sweetie back to her hooves but Zecora, who somepony had been smart enough to wake, shook her head.

“I’m afraid that I must insist that you do not persist. You gambled and now her brains are scrambled.”

Apple Bloom looked at the zebra and scratched her head.

“Your thrust has left her concussed,” the zebra tried to explain for a second time.

“Hello little firefly, come to say hello, have we?” Sweetie giggled as if to emphasise a point looking at nothing in particular of interest before her head slumped and she continued to giggle.

“Miss Bloom, back to your position please,” Nightmare Moon bellowed.

Apple Bloom took one final look at Sweetie as Zecora set to work, then raced back to the court where she found Moon had been pushed into service in place of Sweetie.

“And it looks like we’ve a substitution for game two, Moon Moon replaces the concussed Sweetie Belle,” Nightmare explained before counting down. “3…2…1, go.”

Although Moon did not suffer as bad a fate as Sweetie now that Apple Bloom had realised her own strength, the alicorn simply couldn’t match the earth pony’s fitness levels and her attempt at dodging was worse than embarrassing as she slipped and went barrelling into Rarity as the shot from Apple Bloom clipped one of her forelegs.

“Moon Moon, eliminated,” Nightmare yelled.

As fate would have it, Moon’s slip caused a ripple effect that totally changed the course of game two. Rarity, who a moment ago had been about to dispatch Lightning, dropped the ball she was holding, whilst a diving Ruby managed to beat Screwball to their ball, knocking it straight into the path of Lightning who showed Rarity no mercy.

“Rarity, to my great surprise, eliminated,” Nightmare yelled for a second time before swiftly adding, “Again with the pile of balls trick Screwball? Ruby, eliminated.”

Unfortunately for Screwball, the balls she’d piled atop Ruby had proceeded to roll everywhere, one of which landed straight at the hooves of Apple Bloom, who, like Lightning, showed the opposition no mercy.

“Well, there’s a turn up for the books. Game, Team Dust,” Nightmare announced with genuine surprise.

Murmurs immediately started up behind Nightmare amongst the audience of students as the players returned to their positions for the deciding game only for Rarity to make a bold announcement.

“Thanks for the support fillies but I’ll take it from here. You take a break,” she told Moon and Screwball.

Moon wanted to argue but remembering her disastrous first game thought better of it, Screwball just shrugged her shoulders and wandered off to the side humming a little tune that was stuck in her head.

“Uh oh,” Nightmare gulped seeing the look that had crossed Rarity’s eyes.

“Wow Rarity, I didn’t realise you’d changed your mind and want to finally go on that date?” Lightning chuckled, “Or have your teammates just had enough of your obnoxious attitude already?”

“I work better alone,” Rarity deadpanned in reply.

“Suit yourself,” Lightning replied as she returned to her starting position alongside Apple Bloom and Ruby.

Nightmare thought for a moment about warning Lightning and then thought it was best for her to learn from first hoof experience. “Everypony in position? Excellent, 3…2…1, go!”

Rarity didn’t even make an attempt to go for the balls.

“Wow, this is almost too easy,” Lightning mocked. “Altogether girls on three. 1, 2, 3” Lightning roared.

Rarity didn’t even flinch as the three dodgeballs hurtled simultaneously through the air towards her before she plucked Apple Bloom’s out of the air, blocked Lightning’s with the ball she was holding and then did similar with Ruby’s, except she sent the filly’s ball high into the air as she did so. Calmly she placed the ball she was holding on the floor and then, as Ruby’s ball fell from the heavens, plucked it out of the air.

“Oh fuck,” Lightning gulped as the ball was returned with interest.

*

“You can’t be serious!” Rarity exclaimed. “She went out of bounds!” the unicorn argued.

“Did she not catch the ball first?” Nightmare replied in an uninterested tone.

“Yes but…” Rarity attempted to argue her case only to be cut off by Nightmare.

“And am I not the judge?”

“Yes but…”

“Then my decision is that Miss Dust caught the ball before going out of bounds. Therefore, Miss Belle was eliminated first and as such Team Dust wins,” Nightmare said before leaning over and whispering wickedly into Rarity’s ear, “Enjoy your date.”

Rarity’s right eye twitched. In that instant two things became clear in her mind. Firstly, she knew for a fact that Nightmare knew she was right, that the fact that her shot had sent Lightning cartwheeling head over hooves out of play made the other mare’s somehow successful catch redundant. Secondly, Nightmare didn’t care and wanted to see Rarity suffer for her own amusement because, after all, she was a villain.

Rarity slumped onto her rump in defeat as a hoof settled on her back. Turning her head to see who it was she was startled to find a pair of lips locking onto her own!

Swiftly thrusting her hooves out, she pushed herself away from whoever had the audacity to invade her personal space in such a way.

“Nailed, it,” Lightning chuckled as Rarity desperately tried to get the awful taste of the Pegasus from her lips. “So, when’s the date?” she proceeded to ask before one of the dodgeballs slammed into the side of her face. “Still totally worth it,” she groaned from where she now resided on the floor as Rarity attempted to leave only to be stopped by Nightmare.

“I believe after dinner today will suit the both of you. I’ll arrange everything and collect you both from Rarity’s classroom when ready.”

Rarity wanted to continue arguing but knew it was futile. “Eugh, fine,” she conceded with a harrumph of dissatisfaction. “Can I go now? I need to have a chat with my sister, shower and then prepare myself for tonight’s lessons."

“Of course,” Nightmare replied, moving to one side to let the unicorn through.

“See you later Prissy Pants,” Lightning called after Rarity before swiftly ducking as another dodgeball hurtled her way. “Hah, nice try, can’t catch the infamous Lightning Dust out twice!” she claimed only for a mountain of dodgeballs to fall atop her.

Off to one side, Screwball whistled innocently as Ruby turned to Apple Bloom.

“Five bits says those two end up together by the end of the year.”