Mark Atlas: Future Explorer!

by The Real Mark Atlas

Chapter 6: A new class of explorer

Having met a good number of new friends, Mark happily spent the rest of his summer with them. He built models with Gemini and listened to his guitar playing, helped Rarity with her sewing projects, competing in all manner of games with Rainbow Dash, heard Halo recite the poetry she was always writing, and of course, went around tending to the animals around the woods with Fluttershy.

Had anypony told him on his last day of the school year that he he would have spent his summer like this, he would have thought them crazy, and yet he couldn't think of anything else that he would have wanted to do more. Sure, there's always exploring and making maps, but there will always be time for that. He knew that friendship was something worth making time for.

Shortly after the day Mark made Fluttershy her parachute cloth (or paracloth as he called it for short), Scorch was no longer grounded, so Mark was understandably on edge, but with how often he was at the clubhouse on the outskirts of Ponyville, Scorch hardly ever saw him.

When Scorch did see him, however, he gave Mark a stare, signaling his desire for revenge. He was just standing there... menacingly. But Mark knew that he was relatively safe. After getting punished so heavily last time, if Scorch acted up again, he would be in massive trouble. Still, to be on the safe side, he kept being anywhere around where Scorch normally was to a minimum.

But although his summer time adventures were fun, all summers must end to make way for the fall, and that meant that it was time to start a new school year.

Not that Mark minded one bit. Given the fact that Gemini and Rarity will be in class with him, and their friendship formed over the summer, it won't be nearly as lonely as last year. Who knows? Maybe he could make even more new friends this time.

"Pencils, notebooks, highlighter pen, erasers, flash cards, check!" Mark listed off the items one by one, zipping up his saddlebag with all his freshly stocked school supplies lined neatly inside.

"You know, Mark, it's really amazed me how much you've grown in just one summer," Saga said, ruffling her son's mane a little. "I think you're going to do great at school this year."

"I think so too, Mom. And you know what year this is, don't you?" Mark said with a wide-eyed smile.

"I sure do. And I'm going to make sure it happens, just like I promised you when you got your cutie mark," She said in a matter-of-fact way, now patting him on the head.

"Woohoo! I'll see you and Dad after school. Love you, Mom!"

"Love you too, sweetie," Saga said before kissing him on the forehead.

With a delighted swagger in his step, Mark left out the door and into the streets of Ponyville, his destination set for school. He didn't need to bring any of his trusty maps for this trip. He knew it all by heart.

The Atlas Files: Entry ♧♡◇A

With summer brought to a close, my explorations will need to be put on hold. I have an even greater mission ahead of me. I am now faced with another gauntlet of academic challenges, designed to prepare me for the much more difficult adventures that await when I become the famous explorer I know I'll be. I'm more excited for what awaits me than ever before, especially because this is my last--

"Mark! Mark! Up here!" The voice of Fluttershy could be heard as Mark looked up, and saw her slowly descending down to the ground on her paracloth.

The Atlas Files: Entry ♧♡◇B

Hold that thought.

MUSIC: https://youtu.be/sLSShtQ42cg

"Hey, Fluttershy! What are you doing here?" Mark shouted back as he waved hello to her.

Fluttershy landed on her hooves and folded up her paracloth onto her back. "My school in cloudsdale is opening a little late today. Can I come with you, please?" She asked while giving him the puppy dog eyes.

"Of course, Fluttershy!" Mark accepted without hesitation and hopped forward on his way to school with his best friend beside him. "How's the paracloth working for you, by the way?"

"It's worked out well," Fluttershy said while putting it away in her saddlebag and walked in tandem. "I haven't needed it that much, but I like using it anyway, because it reminds me of you and my other friends. It feels like you're with me when I fly." She blushed and hid her face behind her name when she noticed how that sounded.

Mark thought it was a sweet sentiment, though, so he smiled as he trotted along. "Well, I can't really join you when you fly, so it's good to know I'm with you in spirit at least. I still really wish I could fly, though."

"It's not all it's made out to be, but Rainbow Dash would probably disagree with me on that," Said Fluttershy, not being able to reset giving a little chuckle.

"Yeah. She probably would have some choice words if she heard you say that," Mark agreed, the two foals having a good laugh.

Meanwhile, in Cloudsdale, Rainbow Dash feels a dark shiver run down her spine.

Back in Ponyville, Mark continued to gallop to school through the streets alongside Fluttershy. Many ponies that saw the two had their hearts race with how the two looked together, side by side, traveling in sync and having so much fun talking with one another, getting several reactions from random passersby.

"Is that Mark? Looks like the little guy's got a cute little filly friend now! Isn't that sweet?"

"Oh my gosh! Those two are sooooo cute!"

"Awwww! Just look at how happy they are!"

"They're too precious! My heart can't take it!"

Mark and Fluttershy didn't even notice the reactions, though, as they were having too much fun talking to each other.

Continuing on their way, Mark went on to talk about the special reason he was so excited for school.

"This isn't just any first day of school. This is the last school year I'll attend at this school before I'm old enough to join the Equestrian Exploration Committee. I'm so excited!"

"Equestrian... Exploration Committee? What's that?" Fluttershy asked.

"The Equestrian Exploration Committee is essentially a guild for explorers, and a training institution for new explorers! Once I have my 9th birthday later this fall, I'll be able to join them as a junior explorer! My mom promised me I could go! She and Dad are going to fill out the paperwork to transfer me and everything! I can't believe it! I'm so excited! I'm going to be a famous explorer one day, and the first part of my journey is going to start soon!"

Mark didn't even realize he was prancing from the sheer joy, and Fluttershy didn't notice she was copying Mark's movments and prancing as well.

"You're really going to start being an explorer? And this year? That's amazing! You're going to live your dream! Yay," Fluttershy cheered, rejoicing with her friend. "And I have more good news, too."

"Oh?" Mark's ears quickly perked up. "What would that be?"

"My parents are coming over to your house to meet yours while we're at school today. They're going to see about me coming over to your house after school," Said Fluttershy, still prancing along.

"You mean..." Mark replied with his eyes wide open and his mouth wide open, soon turning into a massive smile.

"We're having our very first playdate!" Mark and Fluttershy each said at the exact same time.

"Wow! We did that thing again! And again! Flying capybaras! Double-layer midnight pudding! Ooh eee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang!" The two foals just kept shouting the most random things they could think of, then laughing so hard at how they managed to say the same thing simultaneously every time.

[END OF MUSIC]

---

Meanwhile, at Mark's house, Pen and Saga were taking care of some house work, Pen sorting out his work ties and Saga dusting the living room, when they heard a knock on their door.

"Oh, I'll get it, honey!" Saga declared to her husband as he put down her duster and sprang up into action to answer the knock, revealing two ponies on the other side.

One was a yellowish cream color mare with a red mane and tail, wearing a pair of green, square glasses, and having a cutie mark with three flowers, one yellow, one red, and one pink.

The other was a minty green stallion with a white mane, tail, and mustache, wearing a white sleeveless vest, and having three clouds as a cutie mark.

"Hello. Are you Mrs. Atlas?" The stallion said in a very calm, quiet voice.

"Why, yes I am. Did you need me?" Saga asked, tilting her head and pondering what these two ponies she's never met could possibly want with her.

"I was hoping to speak to you and your husband, if that's okay. I'm Nimbus, and this is my wife, Posey," The stallion said just as calmly, Posey giving a shy little wave. "We're... Fluttershy's parents."

Saga's mouth instantly went agape as she stared blankly in disbelief.

"Would you... excuse me for a second? I will be right back with my husband to let you in," Saga told the two, closing the door, and sprinting into their bedroom.

There Pen was, holding a tecktie up and folding it, when his wife grabbed a hold of him and turned him around, making his tie drop to the floor as his wife held him by the shoulders and shook him vigorously.

"Whoa! Hey, babe, what are you doing?!" Pen asked in shock while he was sent rocking back and forth.

"Honey! Come quick! Fluttershy's parents are at the door!"

"No kidding?!" Pen shouted with equal excitement, finally pulling his wife off of him. "Well, let's bring 'em in!"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Saga cheered, bouncing up and down like a filly that was just asked out by the most popular colt in school.

Soon, Mark and Fluttershy's parents were each sitting in the living room together with freshly brewed cups of coffee, Mark's parents on the couch, and Saga's on the adjacent loveseat.

"We have been dying to meet your daughter all summer. Our son just won't stop talking about her," Saga said before blowing on her coffee a little.

"It's like a tape recorder, Fluttershy, Fluttershy, Fluttershy, night and day!" Pen chimed in with his wife. "He's not exactly a social colt, so seeing him like this was a real eye-opener, that's for sure."

"Oh, I know, I know. As soon as our Fluttershy got back from camp, she was just absolutely gushing about your son," Posey said, then taking a sip, as her coffee was still hot. "If I didn't know any better, which I do, I'd say she's smitten with him."

"Oh? You hear that, sugar?" Saga nudged Pen on the side. "Our baby's got a filly that likes him!"

"Knew it," Pen said with a smirk. "Mark is still innocent as ever, though. He gets all grossed out when he sees Saga and I kiss. He still probably believes in cooties! Darn, puberty is gonna hit our boy like a train, ain't it?"

The four of them all laugh in unison, having to wipe their eyes which watered from their own laughter.

"Honestly, with how much Fluttershy has said about your son, our own son Zephyr was a little jealous," Posey commented.

"Oh wow, you have two children?! Mark should have a playdate with your foals!" Saga proposed excitedly.

"That's... sort of what we had in mind," Nimbus replied, drinking a gulp of his now cooled coffee and placing it down. "We were hoping that Fluttershy could come here after school today. If it goes well, we can arrange another playdate for later and let Zephyr come along. If that's okay with you two, of course."

"Are you kidding me? Of course it's okay, right, sugar?" Saga motioned Pen while holding him, begging internally for a yes.

"Well duh!" Pen simply replied. "I wouldn't miss kind of chance for anything! Bring her right on over after school."

"Well, I suppose it's settled then," Nimbus said with a nod.

"Oooohhh! I've got to get to cooking sweets for the two of them now," Saga said while clopping her hooves together in excitement.

---

Back in the streets of Ponyville, Mark and Fluttershy traversed the town through the roadways and finally arrived at the school, several ponies all gathered there already and making quite a bit of noise.

"Well, here we are, Fluttershy. The school," Mark said pointing his hoof.

"Oh... Oh my. It looks lovely, but... so many ponies," Fluttershy noted before giving a little "eep" and hiding behind Mark. "So many ponies... watching us... judging us... smelling us..."

"Ah, don't worry, Shy," He said, giving her a pat on the head and letting her hide behind him. "I know you don't normally like large groups of ponies, and normally, neither do I. But for once, I'm actually excited about it. I wanted to set a goal for myself, and with so many here, I figure this is an optimal chance to do that."

"A goal? Wh-What kind of goal?" Fluttershy asked, taking a little peek out from behind him at the bustling crowd of students.

"You see, I didn't really have any friends last year, but after I met you this summer, I made a whole bunch of them. Now, I want to see if I can make one new friend on my first day." Mark explained his issued challenge to himself.

"Wow... You're so brave..." Fluttershy said while starry-eyed, wishing she could have as much courage as Mark has gathered.

"Well, I don't know about that. But thank you. That's a compliment I've never gotten. I was such a nervous wreck before I met you. But knowing you and the others like me so much, I feel like I can put myself out there. I guess if I am brave now, I owe it all to you," Mark offered her a return compliment, giving a flattered and modest smile.

Fluttershy's heart started feeling tingly and she blushed. He's so humble. So modest. He could have taken that compliment all for himself, but he gave me all the credit! He never passes any chance given to him to make me feel special! I could hug him right now if so many ponies weren't here to see it!

"Well, I guess it's now or never, right? Let's examine my options," Mark said, looking around in all directions, observing the various ponies that have gotten to here already. He recognized many in class already, like Cheerliee and Derpy Hooves. Both could be good potential picks.

Who else? Mark thought, looking around the area, until his gaze stumbled upon something that made his blood run cold. Suddenly, the confidence he had displayed before seemed to be gone.

"Fluttershy, look out!" He ordered to her before grabbing her by the hoof and jumping with her into a nearby bush.

"Ah! Wh-what's going on?! Wh-Why are we hiding?" Fluttershy whispered.

"Over there," Mark whispered back, putting his hoof out of the bush and pointing at a nearby pony.

Standing there, right in front, leaning on the wall of the building, was the bane of Mark's existence, Scorch Blackburn. He had a vengeful look in his eye, with fiery pupils burning with hatred, malice, evil, wickedness, nefariousness, and... other bad stuff, to use the technical terminology. Point is, he was there. And that was bad.

"He's just waiting to mess with me the second I show up," Mark assessed.

"Who... Who is that?" Fluttershy asked, keeping her voice down, which was easy for her.

"That's Scorch. He's that bully that's always giving me trouble," Mark explained quietly, watching him from within the bush like a hawk (because watching him like a pony was an insufficient form of watching). "He's still mad at me for telling on him last summer, and now he wants revenge. I'm sure of it."

"Why is he always so mean to you?" Asked Fluttershy, taking another peek and then retreating back into hiding.

"I don't know. Nopony knows," Whispered Mark, his eyes never leaving Scorch. "Some say he was once a regular foal that was corrupted by dark magic and molded into a life form that knows only vengeance. Others say he's a robot from the future, wanting to wipe out all of Equestria by going back and preventing the heroes that could stop him from ever being born!"

"He... He couldn't be a robot, could he? He looks so real." Fluttershy remarked, although she wasn't exactly getting the best look at him to be perfectly certain of that.

"I can't say one way or the other. Honestly, I don't know what to believe about him," Mark continued to explain his intricate lore of Scorch. "But whatever his backstory may be, one thing is certain. His wickedness knows no bounds. He's so evil, he broke my sextant last summer for no reason!"

Fluttershy gasped.

"He's so evil, he threw my favorite ball into into the woods, just to laugh at me for being too chicken to go get it!"

Fluttershy gasped again.

"He's so evil, he made Easter Sunday come out on a Tuesday!"

Fluttershy gasped once more, but then a record scratch sound effect played somewhere. "Wait... What does that mean?"

Mark put his hoof up to his chin. "You know, I'm... not exactly sure. But bottom line, he's no good! We're going to have to stake out here while we watch him."

"Uh... O-Okay," Fluttershy whispered and nodded, not exactly wanting to be stuck in this bush, but it's worse than being exposed to such an awful bully, and Mark made him out to be something truly terrifying.

Mark, meanwhile, quickly took his journal out of his saddlebag and started writing in it.

The Atlas Files: Entry ♧♡◇C

I had almost reached my destination, fully primed and ready for action, when all of a sudden, the most horrible beast in all the land had appeared right in front of it! I couldn't stand a chance against his raging fire breath, and I still don't know if he has retractable claws yet, so hiding is my only option. I can only hope that this monstrous creature doesn't have heat-seeking vision, or I would stick out like a sore hoof. But if it doesn't, I'm safe. Hidden with the confines of this conveniently placed shrubbery, I am completely out of view.

"Hey. What's up, Mark? Why are you in that bush?" Mark and Fluttershy's heart both skipped a beat from the surprise, but they were quickly alleviated when they recognized whose voice it was.

"Gemini! Rarity!" Fluttershy exclaimed, stepping out of the bush to greet them, Mark stepping out himself to join her, the two both forgetting about their prior predicament.

"Fluttershy, you aren't going to school here, are you?" Asked Rarity, remembering that she still lives in Cloudsdale.

"Oh, no. I was just, um... walking to... well..." Fluttershy said as she bashfully dug at the ground, too embarrassed to say.

Mark, however, quickly chimed in, not detecting her shyness about the situation from his obliviousness to her crush on him. "She wanted to walk to school with me before going to her own school. Would be pretty neat if she did go to school here, though."

"Y-Yes... What... What he said," Said Fluttershy as her blush deepened, and Rarity giggled to herself seeing it.

"Oh, Fluttershy, that is rather nice of you," Praised Rarity. "I was just on my way here with Gemini myself. I had a feeling we would bump into you, Mark."

Gemini nodded in agreement. "The new school year starts now. And now that I can play guitar, I'm going to enter the talent show this year for sure!"

"Whoa there, buddy. Let's not do anything irrational. You've still got so much to live for!" Mark joked to the laughter of all four foals, knowing Mark was taking a jab at his own fear of public performance.

"Wait... I almost forgot to ask. What are you doing here in this bush?" Asked Gemini, getting back on track.

Mark and Fluttershy's eyes both snapped open in realization, their gaze turning back over to the schoolhouse, revealing Scorch still lurking by the entrance.

"Oh... Well, Scorch is over there, and he's looking pretty angry," Mark explained, his hooves shivering a bit. "That guy still really scares me."

"Understandable, darling. He can be... unpleasant," Said Rarity, looking back over at Scorch, who still seemed even more furious than usual.

"Hey. How about you go in with me and Rarity?" Gemini offered.

"A splendid idea," Rarity agreed and nodded. "That Scorch is quite the brute, but he's a coward. He wouldn't try anything when we're together."

Mark smiled widely at the offer. "Really? You mean it? Thanks, Gem. Thanks, Rares. You're the best!"

Mark simultaneously wrapped the two in a hug, each with a foreleg.

"Well, Mark. It's been really fun walking with you, but I have to go now. I'll see you after school, okay?" Said Fluttershy, who promptly joined in on the hug. "Hopefully our parents will let me come over."

Breaking the hug, Fluttershy tied her paracloth around her and ascended into the air with a wave goodbye.

"Bye, Fluttershy! See you after school!" Mark shouted back with a wave as Fluttershy became more of a little speck in the sky.

"Did I hear this correctly? Is Fluttershy coming over to visit you today?" Asked Rarity with a grin and a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah! She's never been over before! Can you believe it?!" Mark cheered, earning a giggle from Rarity, though he was too excited to notice.

The three of them then walked to the schoolhouse together, Mark being in the middle, and Gemini and Rarity to his left and right.

With the two on either side of him, Scorch almost didn't notice when they showed up. Shocked to see Mark not all alone and easy to mess with, Scorch was about to say something when he was interrupted.

"Hi, Scorch. Bye, Scorch," Gemini said waving a wing at him as they walked, Mark and Rarity laughing at just how shamelessly Gemini passed him by.

As soon as they went inside, Scorch gritted his teeth, striking the wall hith a forehoof. "So, the little twoip's got some lackeys now, does he? Well, we'll see what they can do once I get my hooves on ya sorry little..."

Scorch just noticed that his outburst attracted the attention of many other foals, as well as their parents, who were now staring at him.

"What?! I'm monologin', heah!"

---

Later, in the classroom, Mark had taken his seat early, getting used to the new space. He was lucky enough to have gotten a seat next to Gemini and in front of Rarity. The three of them were casually chatting before class began, and telling each other their plans for the school year, when Mark's goal for his first day came up into conversation.

"You want to make a friend on your first day? Darn. That's a pretty bold move. Don't do anything reckless! You've got so much to live for!" Gemini teasingly nudged Mark as he returned his joke from before right back at him.

Mark just laughed. "Okay, okay, that's totally fair. But I still want to give it a try. I think I'm ready. The real question is... who should it be?" Mark asked aloud as he looked around the room.

Rarity and Gemini turned to see who he might pick. Mark examined his options, just like outside before. He saw Cheerliee and Derpy sitting next to each other, Derpy accidentally breaking Cheerliee's pencil.

"Oops. Sorry," Said Derpy with a shameful expression, Cheerliee just looking disappointed in response.

Hmm... maybe one of those two. Cheerliee is friendly enough, and Derpy is... well-meaning, despite her frequent mishaps. Mark continued, looking at the various ponies either up in their hooves or sitting at their desks.

Turning aside, his classmate, a purple earth pony filly named Berry Punch came into view sipping from a juice box. She's always drinking juice, I've noticed. She likes cran grape, so she's clearly enlightened.

Looking further, he saw Vinyl Scratch, a white unicorn filly with a blue mane, bobbing her head with headphones plugged into a small cassette player. She seems cool, but I don't know if I could get her attention away from that music.

Then, in the far corner of the room, he saw an orange earth pony filly with a blonde mane tied up in a ponytail, head on her desk with her eyes wide open. Her hind legs down to the floor, her cutie mark was revealed on her flank; three red apples.

"Hey, what about her?" Mark asked Rarity and Gemini, leaning in to whisper. "I've seen her in class before, but I don't know her name."

"Oh, I would stay clear of that one. That's Applejack," Rarity whispered back.

"Why? What's wrong with her?" Mark inquired further, eyes darting back to Applejack with concern.

"Well first of all, she lives at Sweet Apple Acres. She's a farm pony. She's always dirty and sweaty. And she stinks," Rarity argued, holding her muzzle for emphasis.

"But I smell like dirt and sweat, and you put up with me," Mark replied jokingly.

"Heh. He's got you there, Rare," Gemini joined in.

Rarity chuckled. She knew they were right. "Okay, point duly taken. But still, I think it might be a better idea to try somepony else. Besides that, she also has a certain... reputation."

"Reputation? What kind of a reputation?" Asked Mark, glancing back curiously, though being quick about it so Applejack wouldn't see.

Gemini leaned in and whispered as well. "She has a track record of being a liar. You can never trust her to tell the truth. Last year, I let her borrow my Edward the Express Train book, and she never gave it back, always making excuses. She said that aliens beamed it to their home planet. Turns out she dropped it in the mud at the farm. I feel bad about saying it, but she's really not fun to be around for me."

"Oh, don't feel bad, darling. I agree. Nopony likes a dirty, smelly, liar." Said Rarity, giving him a pat on the back, then turning to face Mark again.

"You're much more pleasant to be around, Mark. You're a dirty, smelly truth-teller," Rarity said, giving a teasing grin.

Mark had to cover his mouth with a hoof to prevent himself from erupting into laughter.

"Ah know yer talkin' about me!" Applejack suddenly yelled from across the room, making the entire room go silent as they all stared at her for several seconds.

"Forget it," Said Applejack, making a shooing motion with her hooves, before pouting and looking at the wall.

"What's with her?" Gemini asked with a shrug.

"My mom says ponies don't like it when you talk about them behind their backs. It's supposed to be rude," Answered Mark.

"Well, it's true," Argued Gemini. "And since she lies all the time, it's only fair that I owe you a warning."

"I guess that makes sense," Mark conceded, bringing his attention away from her.

"Good day, class," The voice of the teacher unexpectedly brought their conversation to a halt, everypony's attention being brought to her. The teacher was a lavender earth pony mare, wearing pink glasses and her light blue mane up in a bun. Her cutie mark was a bottle of spray perfume next to a purple flower.

"I'm excited to have you again. I hope you all had a wonderful summer, and I intend to make this year even more fun than the last," She said with a warm smile before writing her name on the board. "For those of you who are new, I'm Mrs. Iris."

"Hello, Mrs. Iris!" The entire class said simultaneously, except for Scorch in the other back corner away from Applejack, who was simply mouthing the words in a mocking manner.

"I can see that you haven't changed at all over the summer, Scorch. Please mind your manners," She called him out in front of the whole class.

Scorch just grunted, and the students all snickered at him.

"Alright, so for our first lesson of the day, I think we will start with a simple one to get you all readjusted. Today, we will be going over sentence structure, and how to avoid improper use of prepositions and conjunctions. This will be useful to make well written essays later this year. Now, you will see here that..."

---

Class had went relatively well for Mark. He always was known for getting high grades, but his newfound confidence after making friends made it all the more enjoyable. He even did something he never would have dreamed of doing last year; raising his hoof and stepping up to the board to answer questions.

Mrs. Iris knew how shy Mark was, so last year, she always made it a point not to single him out unless it was necessary. This, however, made it absolutely shocking for her when he, of all her students, wanted to come up and work out several of the word problems that she had arranged.

While Mrs. Iris was always sure that he could solve them, the pressure of doing it in front of everypony was a completely different beast for the Mark she knew last year. But this Mark, he was different. He solved the problems without any issue, being front and center not seeming to faze him.

When Mark was finished with them, the class was left in awe and applauded him, all except for Scorch which gave a bitter, unamused look, and Applejack, which was doing more or less the same.

"Very good, Mark. I'm surprised that you decided to come up here, and impressed you managed to answer all of these problems so articulately." Mrs. Iris congratulated him, giving him a pat on the back.

"Thank you, Mrs. Iris. It was a pleasure," He said before giving a polite bow and taking his seat again.

Mark's classmates all stared at him in amazement, making him a little embarrassed, but he still tolerated the attention. It did feel kind of nice for his study efforts to be acknowledged.

"Hpmh. Yer all actin' a fool," Applejack said out of nowhere, attracting the attention of the class. "Ah coulda solved that problem without even thinkin'! Anypony coulda figured it out! Mark ain't that special, alright?!"

Soon, the other foals were all whispering to themselves, but they were quickly brought to silence when Mrs. Iris walked down the class, stopping when she reached Applejack, looking at her with a stern expression. "Is that so? Well, Miss Applejack, if you're so certain it's that easy, then surely you wouldn't have a problem with coming up here and trying one yourself?"

Applejack gulped nervously. "Uh... ah would, but... uh..." She stammered, the pressure of everyone watching getting to her, before she spoke up again. "Ah had a head injury on mah way to school! Mah big brother accidentally slammed a two-by-four into me, and ah can't think straight fer a spell. Otherwise, ah'd do it."

Applejack tried to maintain a look of confidence, to no avail, some of the students groaning at her bold-faced lie.

Mrs. Iris wasn't having any of that. "To the board. Now, young lady."

Applejack grumbled to herself and went up to the board, taking a piece of chalk into her mouth. Though she talked a big game, she couldn't for the life of her solve the next problem that Mrs. Iris had written down. If she wrote down an answer, she knew it was only an incredibly small chance she would be lucky and get it right by chance.

"Well, Miss Applejack? We're all waiting." Mrs. Iris said as she watched.

Frustrated, and not having the confidence to try and make that lucky guess, Applejack spat out the chalk onto the floor. "Alright! Ah can't do it!" She admitted, giving Mark an angry look. "But Mark can't even do it, either! Mark cheated! He said before class started he was gonna cheat! Ah heard 'im mahself!"

Mark's mouth was left wife open and he was left speechless. I never said anything like that! Gemini and Rarity were right about her! But why is she accusing me of something I didn't do?

Mrs. Iris glared daggers at Applejack now. "Miss Applejack, that's enough! You go back to your desk, and I don't want to hear another word from you. I'll see you after class!" She ordered, pointing a hoof back to Applejack's desk.

Applejack pouted and went back to her seat, looking displeased, but not saying anything else.

"There she goes. The liar strikes again," One foal remarked.

---

When lunch came around, Mark was sitting next to Gemini and Rarity outside, several other foals in class approaching him and wanting to sit by him.

"Whoa, Mark! I knew you were supppsed to be some kind of brainiac, but sheesh! You make it look so easy! You sure showed Applejack a thing or two, didn't you?" A colt said to him.

"Hehe... Thanks I think," Mark replied, still a little embarrassed from being praised in public.

"I'm having, like, the hardest time ever with long division. Mark, would you, like, tutor me, or something? I'll be, like, literally your best friend!" A filly offered to him.

Mark's ears perked up at those words.

"Oh, you hear that? It looks like you've got that friend you were trying for," commented Rarity, poking him on the side.

"She's not the only one," Mark noted, looking around the lunch table and seeing other fillies and colts were now sitting by him. "I think it's fair to assume I have many."

Mark had to hide the blush on his face with his hooves from all the attention he was getting. He never thought that ponies would like him if he put himself out there, yet here they were.

Frankly, Mark didn't understand what the big deal was. He was just a little smart from reading and studying. Is that really worthy of so much attention? He figured it would have gotten him a reputation as a geek if anything. On the ither hoof, showing up Applejack, one of the most hated foals in the class, appeared to play some part in that.

That led him to think. He couldn't help but feel bad for Applejack. She had lied and falsely accused him of cheating. He would have been humiliated and punished if she even had a shred of credibility left, but it just didn't feel right to be angry at her.

Mark's attention drifted across the yard where they were having lunch, seeing that Applejack was by the fence all by herself holding her lunchbox, and Scorch was sitting by himself on the far side of the schoolyard, watching Mark with an aggravated look.

"Don't mind him, buddy. He's just jealous," Said Gemini, taking note of Scorch's bitter attitude. Well, more bitter than usual, anyway. "Just like Applejack is jealous that you're smart, Scorch is jealous because you have friends."

Mark's gaze left him, and Scorch got up, clenching his hooves. "Agh, that slimy little twoip's got a whole ahmy ta hide behind now! What's next, a royal chariot?! What I'd give fah five minutes alone with him. Then I'd show him!"

Scorch aggressively kicked at the ground, desperate for some way to vent out all his frustrations. His eyes starting to wander, he noticed Applejack by the fence. An evil grin forming on his face, he steps over to her, Applejack not realizing he was there until he was right in front of her.

All at once, Scorch swung his hooves forward and swiped Applejack's lunchbox away from her. "Thanks fah the grub, losah!" Scorch bellowed.

"Hey! That's mine! Get yer own!" Applejack quickly reacted, grabbing the lunchbox with her mouth and trying to pull it back.

"Sorry, but lookin' at yah ugly mug is makin' me need ta stress-eat," He jerked right back, the two both fighting over it.

Mark very quickly noticed the arising skirmish. "Hey! He's trying to take Applejack's lunch from her! We need to do something!"

However, the other foals looked away, not paying it any heed.

"I'm not helping her. She's a jerk," One filly commented.

"She's always lying through her teeth. It serves her right," A colt remarked.

"Rarity... Gemini... Even you?" Mark looked at the two, which showing equal indifference. It saddened him to see that even his own friends weren't interested in helping Applejack.

"With all due respect, Mark, you saw the way she treated you," Argued Rarity.

"Yeah. If it were any other pony, I'd probably help, but not her," Gemini agreed.

Mark was annoyed that his friends wouldn't even do anything and just let Scorch push Applejack around. But seeing as how Applejack has wronged them both in the past, he could understand why. He couldn't have known what Applejack had put them through.

Watching the fight over the lunchbox between Scorch and Applejack continue, Mark was done waiting around, and got up on his hooves. I'm not going to let Scorch treat somepony else the way he treated me. I'm going in.

Without warning, Mark charged up towards Scorch and Applejack, the other foals in class watching closely, surprised that Mark would get involved like this.

"What's he doing? He's crazy!"

"That liar Applejack isn't worth it! What is he thinking?!"

"Some smart guy he turned out to be!"

The foals all had such exchanges amongst each other, but Gemini and Rarity stayed silent, hoping that their friend would be okay.

Mark ran up to Scorch and intervened, aiding Applejack and pulling the lunchbox away from him with his teeth. Unable to handle the combined force of the two ponies working together, Scorch stumbled back and the lunchbox was secured back to its rightful owner.

Applejack took it out of her mouth and placed it in her hooves, looking over at Mark with a guilty expression. The pony she was mean to, insulted, and faslely accused was helping her. She couldn't help but be ashamed of the way she acted.

"Wha... Why'd ya help me?" Asked Applejack.

"I don't care if you were mean to me. You needed my help," Answered Mark.

Applejack blushed. "Ah didn't need your help! Ah coulda taken 'im mahself!" She insisted.

Mark was about to respond when Scorch got back on his hooves, now boiling mad. "Big mistake, twoip! Yah done messed up!"

As Scorch stepped forward, Mark stood up in front of him. "You're completely pathetic, you know that? You went after Applejack because she was all alone, just like I used to be! As soon as I surrounded myself with friends and became a harder target, you sought a new victim! Your actions are so reprehensible, I can't even fathom how you aren't disgraced by the sight of yourself in the mirror!"

Scorch didn't even realize that he was backing up nervously as Mark was stepping toward him. Mark's sudden outburst had threw him for a loop, never having seen Mark this way and standing up to him.

At this point, the class was no longer watching Mark with confusion, but with awe. Scorch was a pretty big colt, and Mark was actually intimidating him!

"Whoa... Mark's actually kinda cool," One colt said aloud.

"If you want an outlet for all of your unchecked aggression, a rational pony would learn to play sports or something, but no, deliberately targeting the pony that's easiest for you to mess with is just such brilliant move in your eyes, huh? Just leave Applejack and everypony else alone!" Mark continued his angry rant, walking forward while Scorch kept backing up.

This continued until Scorch suddenly stopped, snapping out of it. "Hey, wait a dahn minute! What am I doin'? You're just a wimp! I ain't afraid of yah!"

Scorch retaliated by shoving Mark, almost knocking off his glasses before falling on his flanks.

"Mark!" Rarity called out. "That's it. I'm doing something about this."

"Me, too. This has gone on long enough!" Gemini backed up his friend, both charging in to assist their friend, and getting right in between the two colts.

"Stop this madness right now, you... you ruffian!" Rarity snapped at him.

"Uh... Yeah... What she said," Gemini backed her up, quivering a little noticing Scorch's height up close.

Scorch grabbed a hold of the two of them by the neck with his hooves, making Rarity yelp, and Gemini put a hoof over her for protection and support. "Oh, yeah, little pansy goil and her runty noid friend? Whatta yahs gonna do about it?"

"Uh... we might have a few things to say about it," A voice came from behind Scorch.

Turning around, Scorch and the others saw that the voice was coming from Cheerliee, who was joined by the entire class.

"You leave our friends alone!" Cheerliee demanded.

"YEAH!" Everypony shouted at once.

"Ya gotta be kiddin' me! All of yahs?!" Scorch bellowed in astonishment.

Suddenly, the tough pony Scorch presented himself as wasn't so sure of himself anymore. He looked around for some way to escape, but the other foals had him cornered and surrounded at all sides. There was nowhere to run.

"What in Equestria is going on here?!" The voice of Mrs. Iris was heard across the schoolyard, the foals all looking off to see her approach them and clearing the way, revealing Mark, Scorch, Gemini, Rarity, and Applejack.

Scorch was the first to speak up. "It was awful, Mrs. Iris! All of 'em were being mean ta me fah nothin'!" He even pretended to cry to sell the act.

"That ain't what happened! You were tryin' ta steal mah lunch, and then Mark came, and--" Applejack started going off before being interrupted.

"Stop, stop, stop! I do not want to hear it from either of you!" Mrs. Iris demanded, stomping her hoof. "Mark, you're an honest colt I can rely on. Can you tell me what happened here?"

With that, Mark took the time in detail to explain everything. Scorch tried to interrupted him to cover his own flank a couple of times, but he ultimately shut up when pressed my Mrs. Iris.

After a few minutes, their teacher had been brought up to speed, and the other foals, barring Scorch, backed up his story.

"Hmm..." Mrs. Iris pondered the situation, piecing everything together, and turning Mark. "Mr. Atlas, I have to say that I am pleased with you. You selflessly came to the aid of a pony that needed it, even one that treated you unfairly."

Applejack frowned when she said that, reminded of what she did in class.

"And not only that, your courage also inspired your fellow classmates to do the same. I think everypony here learned something today because of you," Mrs. Iris congratulated him, patting him on the head, and several ponies all nodding or giving a quick uh-huh in agreement with their teacher.

"And what about you, Miss Applejack? What do you have to say to Mr. Atlas here for the way you treated him?" Mrs. Iris asked her.

"Ah... Ah'm mighty sorry. It's just... ah wanted everypony not ta think ah was dumb, and everypony always talked about how ya were some progidee or somethin', and when ya came up to the board this mornin'... ah was jealous of ya," Applejack confessed, still hanging her head down shamefully.

"But ah know that ain't no excuse fer lyin' like that. It's somethin' ah've gotten used to, and ah know that ah shouldn't. It's... been hard ever since mah parents passed. Granny sent me to Camp Friendship last summer, hopin' ah could get in good spirits again. Ah made a new friend when ah was there, but ah don't know if ah'll ever see her again, and ah don't have any other friends ah can talk to, because I can't stop lyin', 'cept mah big brother. When the truth hurts, ah just can't help it sometimes. Ah know it ain't right. Mah baby sister might even start lyin' if she sees me do it," Applejack started tearing up, the shame of how she acted setting in.

Suddenly, Mark locked her in a warm and friendly hug. "I'll be your friend, Applejack. Try not to lie, though, but if you do in a moment of weakness, I'll forgive you. No hard feelings," Mark assured her during the hug.

"Wh-wha... ya mean it?" Applejack asked in complete bewilderment, a similar reaction shared by the other students who were whispering to each other again.

Rarity went "awww" from Mark's offer, him showing kindness towards others, even ones who weren't nice to him, always being a wholesome sight to her.

Mark, however, realizing that he was hugging a filly in front of the entire student body, ended the hug, blushing intensely, a few giggles and snickers coming from the crowd.

"Ah, c'mon, gimme a break! You expect us to believe ya little sob story? Ah bet ya parents aren't even dead!" Scorch accused, pointing a hoof at Applejack, the crowd of student's whispers getting louder.

Applejack's tears started to build up at Scorch's accusation, the memories of what happened already hard to take as it was.

"Actually, I can say for certain that this much is true. Applejack's family had an... incident early last summer, shortly after their third child was born," Mrs. Iris explained, but not pressing any further, as she knew the death of family members was almost always a sensitive subject. She placed a hoof on Applejack's back to offer a little emotional support.

"Well, Miss Applejack, it seems that you understand your mistake. I doubt there's anything a day in detention will teach you beyond this, so I will forego your punishment just this once."

"Really, teach? Just like that?" Applejack asked as she beamed, sniffling and wiping away her tears.

"Yes. But only this time. Any more lies, and I will not be so lenient," Warned Mrs. Iris sternly.

"Alright, teach! Ah promise ah'll never... uh, ah mean, I'll try mah best not to," Applejack corrected herself, not wanting to make a promise she couldn't keep.

"Good. Now, as for you, Mr. Blackburn," Mrs. Iris continued, turning to face Scorch. "What do you have to say to Applejack after what you have done?"

Scorch mumbled quietly to himself while pouting, not saying anything comprehensible.

"Well?" Mrs. Iris pressed him.

The other students listened closely, hoping to hear what Scorch was saying, to no avail.

"Whatta I have to say?!" Scorch yelled out breaking the silence, sticking his tongue out and blowing a raspberry at Applejack, which grossed her out as she wiped her face clean of his saliva.

Mrs. Iris simply shook her head. "Well, I believe I know somepony else who's getting detention today. Also, your mother will be hearing of this, Mr. Blackburn."

"What?! C'mon! Do ya need to tell my mothah about this?!"

"Yes, and you're going to spend recess in class, writing a 200 word essay on what you learned!" Mrs. Iris demanded.

"Mahk, ya little twoip! Ya dead as soon as I get my hooves on ya doity face!" Threatened Scorch, his face burning red from anger.

"For that little remark, make that 300 words," Mrs. Iris asserted.

Scorch griped and complained some more, but after a minute or so (and pushing his essay up to 400 and his detention up to a week), he had given up and begrudgingly followed her.

When they were gone, everypony all gathered around Mark again, Gemini, Rarity, and Applejack each being in the middle as well.

"I have to apologize. To both of you," Rarity spoke up. "Applejack, I held a grudge against you for all the times you lied to me, that I refused to help you when you needed me. And Mark, I am sorry I let you go off and face Scorch alone. While I did step in later, I should have been with you from the beginning."

"I'm sorry. I should have, too. I was being petty. That book of mine you lost last year wasn't worth seeing both of you be bullied," Said Gemini. "Can you forgive us?"

Mark and Applejack both nodded simultaneously.

"Three cheers for Mark!" Cheerilee yelled out, the crowd of students all picking up Mark in a celebratory fashion.

The Atlas Files: Entry ♧♡◇D

This day, after narrowly escaping the jaws of the fearsome beast that halted my progression before, I had another encounter with it when I saw it terrorize one of the villagers. Striking at the victim's source of sustenance, this monster was unusually intelligent to employ a scorched earth battle strategy. Uh... pun not intended. Happy accident. Anyways, not wanting to sit by and watch another pony suffer, I charged in to slay the bloodthirsty behemoth. While I had little success at first, my bravery brought up the morale of the entire village, rallying them to my cause. With our increased numbers, we surrounded the beast, and at the moment of truth, the village leader arrived to deliver the finishing blow! Having securely captured the savage beast, the village celebrates my heroic act. Truly, I do not deserve this praise. The courage belongs to us all. I just had to be the first domino in line. Seeing that they marched in out of loyalty to me, I have learned today that friendship and can be a great inspiration for others, and there is power in numbers. Your enemies will always try to convince you you're weak and insignificant, but as a group, you're anything but. The power of friendship is astounding! I mean, it's not like it can allow you to fire magical rainbow lasers at your foes to one-shot them or anything, but friendship's power speaks for itself. And this... this is only the beginning for me. At this rate, who knows what I'll see throughout the rest of the year?

"HIP HIP, HOORAY!"

"HIP HIP, HOORAY!"

"HIP HIP..."

"Hooraaaaaay..." Scorch said sarcastically while starting to write his essay in the classroom.

"No sass, Mr. Blackburn!" Snapped Mrs. Iris.

---

After school, Mark had exited the schoolhouse, and the other students had left, several saying goodbye to Mark as they went off. Scattering about, they could be heard screaming and hollering as they went home or to go play games with their friends.

When the mass of foals had cleared up, Mark saw a sight that brightened his day even more. Right by the school was his best friend, Fluttershy, who had come back to school to see him just as she said, and next to her were a mare and stallion. Mark had never seem them before, but seeing how they were pegasi like her, he figured they must be her parents.

"Fluttershy!" Mark cheered excitedly as he ran up to the three ponies.

"H-Hi, Mark," Fluttershy said quietly while waving her hoof. "I... I want you to meet my mom and dad."

"So you're Mark, are you? Well, it's very nice to meet the colt our Fluttershy has been spending so much time with," Her mother said with a heartful smile.

"Th-Thank you, Mrs. Shy. It's very nice to meet you, too. And you, too, Mr. Shy," Replied Mark, bowing politely to each of them.

"Goodness, you're so polite. Such good manners," Praised Posey, making Mark blush a little.

"Fluttershy may have told you already, but I want to tell you the good news," Said Fluttershy's dad, Nimbus, Mark's eyes sparkling with joy as he said that, confirming to him that Mark knew where this was going. "Our daughter wants to have a playdate with you at your house today. We can go there together right now, and you two can play until sundown. If that's okay with you, that is."

"Is it okay? Of course it is! Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Shy!" Mark was so happy that he was prancing, just like earlier that morning. "Fluttershy is my best friend, and we have so so so so SO much fun together!

"Well, it's really sweet that our Fluttershy has found a friend that like spending time with her so much," Said Posey, petting her daughter's mane.

Mark came right along with them, the four walking to Mark's house together. Fluttershy's parents took this time to get more acquainted with Mark, talking as they went and asking him questions. His hobbies, his favorite foods, his favorite games, all of that. Mark earned a laugh from the two of them when Mark mentioned "bunny attack", a "game", as they call it, that Fluttershy always wins.

Mr. and Mrs. Shy took note of all that he said, happily hearing him out and getting to know the colt her daughter had grown so fond of.

Upon arriving at Mark's house, Nimbus knocked on the door, and Pen and Saga both answered it.

"Awwww! You must be Fluttershy! Hi, sweetie! We've heard so much about you" Saga chirped with delight, crouching down to Fluttershy's height.

Fluttershy shivered in place a bit, hiding her face being her mane. She always was nervous around meeting new ponies, especially adults, but especially so about meeting Mark's parents. "H-H-H-Hi... M-M-Muh-Muh-Mrs. A-A-Atlas..." She was blushing and gave a little "eep" as she closed her eyes and looked away, her dad placing a hoof on her back to make her feel less afraid.

"Oh, it's okay, baby. I know you're shy. It's in your name, after all," Saga said with a little giggle. "How about you just come inside and play with Mark?" She stepped aside, pointing a hoof invitingly into the house.

"Yeah, come on in. We grownups are just gonna talk for a while so you two have fun," Pen declared, clearing the way for the four to enter.

"O-O-Okay..." Fluttershy replied, smiling lightly that it went well, and also relieved that they weren't immediately demanding a lot of attention.

"C'mon, Fluttershy! Let's play!" Mark hopped joyfully beside her as the two went in, Fluttershy soon eagerly joining him.

Mark had brought down his toys, games, and action figures from his room to the living room, and the two were playing in no time. Mark and Fluttershy's parents were watching, but she was having so much fun that she barely noticed or cared.

Later, Mark and Fluttershy were playing with Mark's castle made of Peg-A building blocks.

"Oh, dear me! I'm just a poor, defenseless princess! Who's going to saaaave meeee?" Fluttershy dramatically pretend-cried, holding a princess figure up at the castle tower.

"Hold on, your highness! I'm Mark Atlas, the greatest explorer in the entire universe! And I'm here to slay that nefarious dragon and restore your freedom!" Mark pretend-yelled back, having his figure holding a sword up to a dragon plushie placed by the castle tower.

"Yay," Fluttershy cheered.

"You'll never save her, Mark Atlas! I'm too big and scary, and you're too puny!" Mark spoke in the voice of the dragon.

"And that's why I brought... the entire village to help me!" Mark got out his other figures, all ganging up on the beast and toppling it over.

"Nooooo!!!!!" Mark pretended to be the dragon in its dying breath.

"Oh my gosh, they're adorable!" Saga squealed from the other side of the room, watching them from the couch.

"And your son shares his toys? That's so sweet," Said Posey, seeing the foals have the time of their lives playing with one another.

"I was hoping this would go well, and it looks like it is. We should arrange our son to come next time, don't you think?" Suggested Nimbus.

"I'm up for it. Mark proably wouldn't complain about another colt to play with," Pen added, leaning in to wrap a foreleg around his wife. "Heh. But don't you think those two look just like we did, sweetheart?"

"Oh, I doubt we were this cute," Saga said leaning into him. "But I do think we should get the camera out. We need to get this on film."

"Right behind ya, babe," Pen snapped into action, pulling out his instant no-flash camera, ready to capture this moment forever.

On the other side of the room, Mark and Fluttershy were still playing, Mark having slayed the dragon plushie and rescuing the princess. Thankfully, she wasn't in another castle.

"Oh, thank you, brave Mark! You're my hero!" Said Fluttershy in the princess's voice, Mark completely unaware that Fluttershy was pondering over the idea of being swept off her hooves by Mark like this is real life. She blushed heavily, still having fun but embarrassed to be acting out a scenario where her crush rescues her.

Being none the wiser, Mark plays along, too. "All in a day's work for Mark Atlas, Master Explorer!"

The Atlas Files: Entry ♧♡◇E

Had the day ended upon my last entry, I would have categorized it upon my greatest of days and the most fruitful of ventures, but through means beyond even my understanding, the day somehow managed to surpass even that! After my great adventure today, I had gotten the opportunity to reenact the epic battle against the beast with my dearest of friends. Let it be known that when I become a famous explorer, this reenactment will be coming to a theater near you!

Note: Creative liberties may or may or may not have been taken.

Author's Note:

Mrs. Iris is an OC created by me. Also, I'm surprised that this chapter turned out to be so long, but I thought of so much material to put into it. Hope you have enjoyed it. This chapter was an absolute blast to write at nearly every point.