Behind Stone Walls
The pandemic in the land of Equestria has gotten worse and worse over the past year. Vaccines have been tested and approved for use, and yet it wasn’t enough to make everypony one hundred percent virus free. Everypony in Ponyville, including creatures from other lands were forced to stay under strict quarantine rules to prevent any creature from getting the virus. But even with no other options, anyone who loves their job, isn’t able to handle quarantine for that long before they start to go a bit crazy with boredom.
Inside the School Of Friendship, no student had stepped inside for over a year since the pandemic took full effect. Every classroom remained untouched with nothing but dust occupying them, almost like the whole school felt like an abandoned building that hadn’t been taken down yet. In the main office, the principal of the school sat on her chair with her desk in front of her. She had zero paperwork, no students she can help, and not one instance where she learned something out of it.
She only comes to her school once in a while to remind herself how wonderful it felt to see students experience friendship over time. This was the third time over the past year she entered through the doors to see the hallways of the school she ran since the day she became the principal after Twilight ascended to the throne to rule over all of Equestria.
“I can’t stay in here forever.” Starlight spoke to herself. “There has to be a way for this whole pandemic thing to be resolved eventually.”
Starlight would normally head to Canterlot to work things out with her best friend and teacher Twilight, but the quarantine rules are highly restricted and adhered to in Canterlot, to the point there are only three essential shops open, while the rest were shut down.
“But I can’t take any pony or creature inside, potentially putting themselves in danger.” She stood up from her desk while heading out the door. In the hallways, there was not a sound other than her hoofsteps. It only made her more depressed that there’s no one she can talk to. Once she entered the main hallway, she tried to imagine many students heading to their classrooms, while being healthy and full of joy.
Just when she closed her eyes, she opened them with an idea that came up. She knows she can’t take any student inside, especially the other teachers, but she found a way to do one of the classrooms by herself, no matter the odds against her.
In Applejack’s classroom, Starlight used her magic to make cardboard cutouts of the students. It was one of the easiest spells she could do, but making a magical replica of one single pony would potentially hurt her, and she’d rather not take the risk.
With the cardboards behind their desks, Starlight put on Applejack’s hat while delivering the class by herself. “Alright students, it’s great to finally be back with the pandemic behind us.” She wanted to make an impression of a cowboy, but she knew it just wouldn’t be the same without the real students with her. This was the best she can do for herself and it wasn’t even close to what she wanted.
“Now I would give all of you an assignment, but since we have new students here,” She gave the cardboards from the back an introduction. “We should probably start over on our cooking lessons.”
Starlight never forgot the times she baked a recipe with Applejack in the past. She drew on the chalkboard of the ingredients for making a blueberry pie. She knows anyone can’t help her, so she uses her telekinesis to move one of the cutouts to reenact them making the pies.
“Since we only have one oven right now, we’re gonna share the pie together.” She then noticed there's more cardboard students than she thought. “Umm, we’re probably gonna have to cut them into really small pieces.”
“No problem!” She mimicked a pony’s voice from the front row.
The next class Starlight is running is Fluttershy’s class where there are no plants whatsoever. Since the day the pandemic took effect, Fluttershy took all of her plants and took them to her sanctuary where she could take care of them much better. All what’s left were several unused pots along with potting mixtures on the shelf that haven't expired yet.
“Now mother nature didn’t stop the virus from growing beautiful plants in any garden, but it won’t stop us from growing some fresh new plants.”
Just when she’s about to make the first announcement, she acts like one of the cardboard students raised their hoof up. “Umm, shouldn’t we do some research before we began growing our plants?” He asked.
“Yeah, just because we’re all back, doesn't mean we remember everything from where we left off.” Another student asked.
“I know, it’s just we should get back to our roots of...making Equestria having more plants.” Starlight smiled, not long until she sighed.
She couldn’t find a way to make a counter argument, because she missed the students so much. “Are you feeling alright, Ms Glimmer?” The student from the back called.
“Not one bit.” Starlight answered.
In Rarity’s classroom, she tried to figure out how to make an outfit of what Rarity would make. However it was a lot more difficult after forgetting most of the fabric ideas after her lessons from long ago. Quarantine is what caused her to miss her best friends doing activities together.
“Um, maybe you should take a break, Ms Glimmer.” A student called from the middle row.
“No! No! It’s fine, school is back in business, we shouldn’t take a break after a full year of no friendship learning!” Starlight shouted in stress and anxiety. She couldn’t even make the cardboard students too convincing while trying to do her job as an impromptu fashion designer, because she isn’t one. Not only that, she also remembers she’s not a pegasus like Rainbow Dash and even if she could turn into one, she’ll mess something up without any flying lessons.
She stopped herself while placing both of her hooves on Rarity’s desk. Aside from making the cardboard students do what she wanted them to do, she just couldn’t take the loneliness and boredom anymore. She spends nearly the last hour and a half using her telekinesis by taking all the cutouts into another classroom everytime she finishes a class.
“Okay.” She turned to her students with her hair getting messier by the second. “I’m sure a break is required, since it’s been a long time since teachers didn’t do anything when they were in lockdown.”
She then sat on her chair while giving herself a break. Even after nearly two hours, she felt exhausted. Everything was happening way too fast, with her trying to do everything by herself. Her unicorn powers continue to hurt her to the point she couldn’t concentrate on doing her job, as a teacher in front of the cardboard cutouts she created.
During the next thirty minutes, it was time for Starlight to take the cutouts to the next classroom in the School of Friendship. When she got out of Rarity’s classroom, she got slower and slower. She couldn’t even think of the positives when all of this is leading nowhere for her.
“Just...one hallway...to get to Pinkie Pie’s...classroom to...have a...reunion party...” Upon entering the main hallway, she fell on the ground with the cardboard landing just behind her. At this point, it was during the afternoon, only a few classes left, but Starlight couldn’t bother to do it. She can’t even make the cutouts realistic enough to make anything better for herself.
She then heard the front doors of the School of Friendship opening and her ear perked up. Upon looking at the entrance, it wasn’t a student, all she saw was Twilight witnessing the cardboard all across the floor all the while her friend was laying on the ground, wallowing in her sadness and depression. She placed her hoof on her face, thinking there was an outbreak getting out of hand, but she was wrong.
“You just couldn’t take it anymore, could you?” Twilight asked.
“Pretty much.” Starlight replied.
They both sat together in the office after helping restore the energy Starlight had used. It was lucky for her she didn’t pass out, but she was still in a lot of pain, almost to the point of heading to the emergency room, while the healing process of her horn became temporary.
“So you used a spell to make cardboard cutouts of students while you're trying to do the teaching all by yourself?” Twilight asked again.
“I couldn’t even last a full day, to act like I’m running the School of Friendship on my own.” Starlight answered in depression.
Twilight wanted to cheer her friend up, but she made the rule to have everypony under quarantine in any circumstances. “Starlight, I didn’t reopen the school, because even if you kept the students further away from each other, the outbreaks would only get worse.”
“But I’ve been in the castle for so long, it’s draining me from what I love the most.” Starlight looked at her desk she sat behind this morning. “I haven't even met Trixie since last Hearth’s Warming, because of the pandemic.”
“Starlight, I can’t control the virus, and the vaccines are still a work in progress. This is far more important to where Celestia and Luna can’t even stop it, even if they didn’t retire.”
The ruler of Equestria noticed the tears coming down on Starlight’s face. The truth may hurt, but for how many ponies have died because of the virus, even the survivors can’t feel good when their closest friends or family haven’t died yet.
“Do you really blame me?” Starlight sobbed. “This is the third time I’ve come into this school. This building is five years old and it’s starting to feel abandoned.”
Twilight couldn’t agree more on that statement. “You’re right, but on the other hand, doing the classes with cardboard students, I wouldn’t even last twenty minutes carrying the whole school on my own.”
This only causes Starlight to break down and slump onto the ground. With her friend telling her the honest truth, she just couldn’t face the odds. “I can’t even bother to entertain myself. Every day seems like a prison more than a lockdown. Behind Stone Walls...is the last thing I wanted to do right now.”
Twilight felt sad about her friend breaking down. She needed to curb the spread of the virus while making sure the vaccines are one hundred percent effective, but her friend needed help that didn’t require a vaccine. “Do you wanna move into my castle when this pandemic is over?” She offered. “You can talk to other ponies who are vaccinated.”
“Maybe you're right, even if Canterlot is too highly restricted, I might do something for myself.”
“Hey, it’s not easy for those vaccines to be transferred. Doing this school with little creatures doesn’t feel accurate.” Twilight helping her friend getting on her hooves. “And if that’s not enough, I might ask Trixie if she's willing to move in.”
“You're sure we’re gonna be safe in the castle?”
“As long as you do what you did over the past year, other than meeting healthier ponies, we’ll work it out eventually.”
Starlight gave Twilight a hug, she didn’t feel much better, but it was all she had from the ruler. Making bits is one thing to buy groceries and accessories, but not doing what you love the most is what’s holding her back. And the sad thing is, it wasn’t her fault, it was the virus that caused it. And she’ll never know how long it will last and for how much worse it could get.
“Those vaccines have to be a turning point in life.” Starlight said, breaking the hug.
“Hopefully when the time is right, they will. We can only hope.” Twilight finished.