A Test for Aita

by AizakkuHorooee

Chapter IV

Back up in the library, I can immediately tell Cozy Glow is waiting for the students, so I bolt up on top of one of the bookshelves to hide before she can see me.

“You’re alright!” she exclaims with relief. “I came back with my notes and saw this and didn’t know WHAT to think!”

“We’re better than alright!” the ponygrif cheers. “We just got tested by the tree of harmony! And we totally passed!” She comes up nose to nose with Cozy momentarily.

Cozy pauses for a second. “The tree of harmony? Here?”

“Yeah! Well, below here, under the school! We met a dream walker, and found this, and went down, and met the tree, and Gallus was all ‘friendship is not in our nature’, and the tree and the dream walker were like ‘WHAT?!?’, and the tree tested us!”

The ponygrif’s explanation about our adventure makes me laugh on the inside. Honestly, the only tests I at least heard about were Sandbar’s and Gallus’.

Smoulder joins the ponygrif’s side. “Long story short, friendship is in our nature; the tree said so.”

“I guess we should tell somepony there’s a giant magical whole in the lib'ary,” says Ocellus, at least before a root closes the grate as everyone watches. “Or maybe just the dream walker in our school.”

All eyes are all on Ocellus, except for Sandbar, who raises his head back up. “We have to tell our professors about this. They won’t believe that-”

“YOU CAN’T!” Cozy interrupts. I’m not sure whether it’s because of the cave, me, or both, but she’s panicked at the thought of our adventure catching wind.

“Why no?” asks Yona.

“Because it’s my fault!” Cozy sits down and droops her wings as everyone looks at her before her explanation mirrors the tone of mine from my test. “You were all getting along so well and I felt left out. I was jealous, and it upset you so much the tree of harmony had to test ALL of you! Oh! I’m gonna get expelled for sure!” She now covers her eyes as she cries briefly. “Please don’t tell anypony about this, especially the professors! Please, please, ple-”

Smoulder shoves her claw in Cozy’s face. “Okay!” she yawns. “I’m actually too tired to do anything right now.”

“Yeah,” agrees Sandbar. “But we can’t go to sleep; we’ll miss the test.”

Following a yawn of his own, Gallus’ eyes widen. “The test! I almost forgot!”

Ocellus sighs as one by one, she and her friends begin to lay on the floor and fall asleep. “We’re all gonna fail.”

I look to Cozy, who taps her chin with her hoof, which then lands back on the ground as her irises shrink momentarily. “What if I tell Prof. Sparkle I needed help organizing these books and you were kind enough to pitch in? I’ll get you an extension!”

That would be a lie.

Sandbar raises his head to a potent yawn, the last to lie down with his friends. “Thanks, Cozy. That’s nice of you.”

And they’re gonna accept that? I understand covering for someone - I did it with the meeting with Amber and Tight Knit, but for a simple test extension… that feels wrong, especially if she was the source of those students’ doubt. Then again, that is probably something Cozy would’ve done without meeting me and Chrysalis. Better safe than sorry though; there’s a better way to go to Twilight.

---

When I enter the headmare’s office, Twilight is glued to the scroll she’s reading. So, I stay at the door and knock, diverting her attention to me.

“Good morning! You’re the headmare right?” I ask Twilight, although I already know from Sandbar mistaking the tree for her.

“Oh, hello,” Twilight awkwardly says. “Are you a new student here?”

“Well, no. But I did get wrapped up in an adventure with some of your students, and they got exhausted. Sandbar and his friends? They fell asleep in the library.”

Twilight’s lips and irises shrink from my explanation for why I’m in front of her. “What? You mean all the non-ponies attending the school? Are any of them gonna make it to the test?”

I sigh. “Afraid not. Do you think you could give them an extension?”

Twilight quietly chuckles as she takes a paper and quill out of her desk. “Of course I can. I’ll just need one thing about you. What’s your name?”

“Aita… Aita Bagley-Handy.”

Twilight is left perplexed at the name. “Really? Quite an unusual name for a changeling,” she comments. “But I don’t think anypony would’ve made something up like that on a whim.”

I hover and watch as Twilight signs my name on the extension form.

Our dear student, ________________,

An examination extension has been granted at the request of Aita Bagley Handy, effective upon recipiency. Review this form and specify the day below within the next week you wish to reschedule your exam. Please return the form to the headmare’s office when filled out.

You may also visit said office for any questions you have.

Yours truly,
Headmare & Professor Twilight Sparkle.

__ Monday
__ Tuesday
__ Wednesday
__ Thursday
__ Friday

Twilight takes the form and makes five copies so that she can write the names of those who went through their tests by the tree of harmony. When she finishes, she tucks the forms under her wing, making her way out of the office.

“Thank you for informing me, Aita. I’ll have to swing by the library before I make it to my classroom.”

I nod to Twilight as she vanishes from view. I think about leaving the headmare’s office as well, but stop when something surprising comes to my mind.

“I think I’m getting pretty good at this. I just out-Cozy-Glow’d Cozy Glow, and the one with her attitude from before I moved to Ponyville! Just wait until Chrysalis hears about this!”

I giggle and make my way out of the headmare’s office. So while the tree of harmony only specifically said to stop Cozy Glow if she’s out of line with her past self, nothing stops me from intervening if it tickles my ideals like it did earlier. But nothing could prepare me for what the dream realm version of Cozy would go on to do.