Chapter 1
Version: 3
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Hector was probably the most average human who ever called himself average. He had brown hair, brown eyes, pale skin, and he dressed in unremarkable jeans and t-shirts. He was also one of the hardest working students at Twilight's School for Human Integration.
But what truly set him apart from the crowd was the sheer amount of trouble he was in. Hector was certain he was going to be expelled today.
The human had turned off his computer and was slumped over his desk, hands covering his face. Sweat coated his head. Tremors of fear and embarrassment came in waves. How could he have done something so stupid? It was the kind of mistake that would cost even the most well-connected politician his career. Hector sat up in his chair and took a very deep calming breath. It didn't help at all, but he wasn't sure what else to do. The man stared at the ceiling in hopeless desperation. Maybe some higher being from the Great Beyond would strike him down now and save him from the upcoming torture. Though with every passing moment that prayer seemed less and less likely to come true.
Hector sighed, resigning to his demise at the hooves of Miss Cheerilee. Yup, she was going to kill him today. Even if she didn't intend to. Just talking to her about his mistake was going to make his very soul melt. But he had no other choice. When a teacher asks you to come back to their classroom for a "chat" there really isn't an alternative option.
Instead of submitting the homework his teacher had assigned for the week, Hector had accidentally sent the mare a folder full of porn. And it wasn't just any porn. It was pony porn.
Hector stood from his desk and lazily pushed the chair in. He rubbed the back of his neck for a moment. He paused, feeling numb for a while. He really had to get moving. The man was just stalling for a miracle at this point.
The human regarded the rest of his dorm room with a sad squint. It was all open space and excessively roomy. The place could have fit a mid-sized house, but the dorm was lacking in much furniture. There was a "bedroom" area in one corner. Nothing more than a basic bed and dresser there. There was a "kitchen" area in the opposite corner. Really it was just a fridge and some cabinets. There was his "work" area in the third corner. All he had there was his desk, computer, and a shelf for his school books. Then there was the bathroom. Which was the only corner that was walled off to make an actual separate room.
The rest of his dorm was empty space. Vast, unused, empty space. All for him. Hector's "room".
The man grabbed his keys and made for the exit. It was a bit of a walk. Closing and locking it behind him, he barely acknowledged the number on the large wooden door: 225-C. His home for the past four months. Hector eyed the rows upon rows of other dorm rooms as he made his way to the train station. They were all stacked on top of each other like a large prison complex. Complete with catwalks and staircases leading to the various floors. To his right was a guardrail that prevented him from falling an entire story to his... not death probably, but certainly crippling accident. Hector was grateful he lived on the second floor and not the tenth like some other unfortunate human students. He was pretty sure there was an elevator to the higher floors somewhere, but he'd never needed it so he wasn't sure what hallway it was tucked into.
The dorms were all made of sturdy wood. In fact, they were just crates that had been converted into living spaces for humans like Hector. Some of the other students felt insulted by it. They seemed so cheap. And getting furniture, or any kind of decoration, pretty much cost an arm and a leg. But Hector sort of understood. Although their arrangements seemed stingy, they were actually just about the best pony crafters could do. Building anything this precise was really an incredible accomplishment.
Because humans were a lot smaller than ponies. What was the measurement again? The average pony was almost 100 meters (330 feet) tall?
The numbers didn't do them justice. Ponies were simply huge. As tall as any skyscraper. A single hoof filled half a basketball court. Talking to one felt like having a discussion with a mountain. They were naturally loud, but had hearing fine-tuned enough to actually detect the tiny voices of humans. It was strangely convenient. They could be scary to interact with, but Hector had yet to meet a threatening pony.
Hector strolled into the train station with hunched shoulders and his hands buried in his jean pockets. There weren't a lot of other students walking around right now, seeing as class was over for the day, but Hector still felt like they were all looking at him. Judging him. Would Cheerilee keep this between them? Would he simply be expelled and no one ever know why? That was about the best outcome he could hope for.
One of the boxy trains pulled into the station with a squeak of its wheels. There was no ticket booth and no charge to ride. The school trains were completely free and completely automated. They ran 24/7 too. In case you had to get to an extracurricular activity or because you were busy in a meeting with a teacher. Ambassador Twilight may have overlooked a few details when designing the Human Integration Program, but she was adamant that humans should never have to walk between their dorms and their classes. Having the trains run constantly was a small price to pay to ensure no human was ever left stranded.
Hector found a seat quickly and stared out the window the entire way. Though he wasn't sure why the trains even had windows. The only time they weren't in a tunnel was when the train entered a station. So the only thing you could see was a wall zipping by, interrupted by regular brakes and automated announcements of what classroom the train had stopped for. So Hector stared at nothing while he waited for his doom.
Then he arrived.
Hector sighed again before standing up and waddling off the train. No one else got off. No one else was going to see Miss Cheerilee. That was good. At least no one else would be there to overhear the angry ranting the mare was about to dump on him. His footsteps on the tile floor echoed off the smooth stone walls as he approached the elevator. The lights above his head were too bright and it was far too quiet. Like the deathly silence before the executioner dropped his axe. Hector swallowed nervously as he reached the elevator.
The man gazed one last time back at the train as it began to pull away. Then the silver doors of the elevator closed and he felt his stomach drop. Nausea slammed into him. This was it. Whatever happened next was completely out of his control. He was helpless. Like a leaf caught in a tornado.
There was an electronic ding and the doors parted for Hector. His shoes felt like they were made of lead as he marched onto the catwalk and almost fell against the railing that faced outward to a pony sized classroom. The true floor was far far below. A drop from this height would definitely be fatal. If an average sized equine stood right next to this balcony a human could simply hop the barrier and onto their back. Every classroom in the school had been outfitted with catwalks like this one specifically to keep humans up off the floors and away from the pounding hooves of careless ponies.
Though it hadn't been intended, the balconies also gave the human students quite the view. Looking out at a room sized for living mountains. It was always an unreal and humbling sight. And Hector was stunned by it like he always was.
The classroom was as normal looking as any on Earth. The desks were common. The tile was plain. Even the chalkboard screamed of traditional education. However, the scale was all wrong. An entire city could have fit comfortably in here. An eraser was larger than a couch. A pencil as long as a bus. If a pony were to pull out a chair the screech would be louder than an airplane taking off. It was a sight that inspired both nostalgia for familiar old classrooms and the awe normally reserved for famous landscapes like the Grand Canyon. It was a bizarre blend of emotions.
A polite cough snatched Hector's attention away from it all.
Miss Cheerilee. She was an earth mare with emerald eyes and grape purple fur. Her mane was striped with two shades of pink, one light pastel and the other dark bubblegum. Like the rest of the pony teachers at the school she always wore clothing appropriate to human standards. Even now she was dressed in a simple white button top with long sleeves and, though he couldn't see it from this angle, she was also wearing a black business skirt and stockings.
And she was the size of a skyscraper.
For a moment the two stared at each other. Hector couldn't read her expression at all. It was neutral. She was just sitting there at her desk, hooves folded on top of each other, calm as could be. A picture of professionalism.
"Please, come to my desk Mr. Uso. We need to talk," the huge equine instructed politely. Hector gulped. Then he did as he was told. Silently.
Down the catwalk he marched to his doom. It wasn't common to have to go to the teacher's desk. Normally humans used the first off-ramp which led to the other large table in the classroom. A plateau that held a group of human sized desks and chairs where they could sit and listen to the teacher's lesson in comfort. The second off-ramp led to the surface of Miss Cheerilee's desk. Her space. Where he would be judged. And her gaze followed him the whole way there.
Hector made his way down and stepped onto her desk. There he paused. A short distance ahead of him was a human sized chair. So he could sit for whatever verbal thrashing Miss Cheerilee was going to give him. His body trembled. He couldn't afford to be expelled. He needed this education. Would his mistake cost him his entire future? Go on his record and get him marked as some kind of pervert? Was everything he'd worked for until now about to disintegrate before his eyes? His life. Was. Over.
"Please, Mr. Uso, have a seat," Miss Cheerilee prompted him flatly.
Hector's movements were sluggish. It was stupid. He was only delaying the inevitable. Yet he couldn't find the will to go any faster. He could feel her eyes on him. The attention of a higher power. He was being crushed by it.
Hector fell into the boring wooden chair with a grunt. Then he looked up. He didn't say anything.
Neither did Miss Cheerilee for a few seconds.
"Mr. Uso," the mare began, her voice lacking any emotion. "Why did you send me that folder?"
Hector swallowed. "I... I didn't mean to. It was an accident. I swear!"
Those huge eyes studied him. "So you didn't send that file to embarrass me?"
"No ma'am," Hector asserted. "I swear it was an accident. Please don't expel me!"
"Did you do the homework that I assigned?" she questioned with a threatening hike of her brow.
"Of course I did!"
"How come you didn't submit it?"
Hector felt some frustration rise in his chest, but he stomped it down. Explaining himself was his only hope. As small as that hope was. "I didn't realize I had submitted the wrong thing until you emailed me about it. And by then I couldn't. The program only lets me submit one file per assignment."
"You sent me an entire gallery," Cheerilee challenged.
Ponies were pretty new to computers. They could be annoyingly ignorant to some of their quirks. "The program only lets me submit one 'item' per assignment and it treats individual files and folders the same."
Cheerilee stared at him for a moment. "How could you have mistakenly sent me an entire folder instead of one essay?"
Hector cringed. "It was late. I had just finished the paper and I was tired. I was only thinking about bed at that point. You can check the timestamp of my submission. I'm not lying!" he pleaded.
Cheerilee hummed in thought. "Where did that folder full of..." she hesitated for a few seconds. "Where did that porn come from then?"
His mouth felt like it was full of sand. "It's mine."
"It's your... personal collection?" the mare asked as the tiniest hint of a smirk appeared on her lips.
"Yeah..." was all Hector managed.
For the next minute neither of them spoke. It was incredibly awkward. And tense. What would Cheerilee's judgment be? Expulsion now or tomorrow? Would she tell the principle? Send him to a disciplinary hearing?
Then the mare closed her eyes and heaved a heavy sigh. She scratched the top of her muzzle with a hoof and blinked tiredly at Hector on her desk. "Alright Mr. Uso. Considering your excellent grades so far and your attitude just now, I am going to accept your explanation."
Hector felt lightheaded. Like he had slipped into another plane of reality and nothing was real. The relief that washed over him was so thick he could have eaten it like pudding. In that moment he practically melted in his seat. "Thank you," he somehow mumbled.
Cheerilee snorted with amusement. "Your welcome Mr. Uso. I'll reopen the assignment for you and I expect you to submit that essay immediately. And it better be grade A material. Understood?"
Hector quickly pulled himself together, sitting upright and proper. "Yes ma'am! I'll turn it in as soon as I get back to my room."
There was another awkward pause. As though both of them had something more they wanted to say but weren't sure how to phrase it.
"Uhm, Miss Cheerilee?" Hector began.
"Yes?"
"Thanks for being so understanding. I thought you'd... lose it... considering what I sent you."
The mare sighed and glanced away. "I taught foals for ten years Mr. Uso. Believe me, I know that accidents happen. Being a teacher isn't just about being smart or being in charge. It's about fairness, listening, and being reasonable."
The man rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, but I don't think little kids ever screwed up like... I did."
Cheerilee giggled. "I don't know if you've noticed, Mr. Uso, but I'm an adult too. I've seen porn before. I can handle it. I just wasn't sure if you sent that to embarrass me. Like you were trying to hurt me in some way."
Hector choked up. The thought that Cheerilee looked at porn herself had never crossed his mind. She was always so sweet and innocent. And professional. And smart. And dressed. The man shook his head. "Right. You're an adult, I'm an adult. We've both seen things. Got it."
The mare struggled to hold back another giggle. Then she cleared her throat. "There is one thing I am curious about however. If you aren't too flustered to explain it to me, that is."
"Explain what?" the man asked without thinking.
"Well..." Cheerilee droned off and tapped her hooves together. "You said that was your 'personal collection', right? So does that mean you find ponies... attractive?"
Hector felt the blood drain from his face. Miss Cheerilee, his teacher, wanted to discuss porn? The man wasn't sure if he should simply say no and bolt or if he should entertain her curiosity. Though he couldn't deny he was himself dying to know what a pony might think of humans.
Hector took a deep breath before answering. "Yeah. Well, kind of? It's complicated."
"Complicated just means it takes a lot of words to explain," Cheerilee commented with a touch of sass.
"I don't know why I like ponies," the man grumbled. "I grew up in one of the refugee camps. All I've ever known is that Earth is a mess right now and towering ponies were the ones who took care of us. So I guess I just developed a soft spot for your kind."
Cheerilee nodded. "Did I ever tell you why I switched from teaching foals to teaching humans?"
Hector thought for a moment, but couldn't recall her ever getting that personal with the class. "No, I don't think you did. Though you did mention that you've been a teacher for a while."
"That's true. I taught foals for just over ten years. Now, don't get me wrong, I love them with all my heart, but the antics and... immaturity... do wear a mare down. It wasn't so much that I wanted to teach humans as much as it was I wanted to teach an older group. But at the same time I started to feel that way, Twilight sent me a letter inviting me into the Human Integration Program." Cheerilee shrugged. "So I took the opportunity. Now I'm teaching college level courses to you adorable little humans," she giggled. "It's really the best of both worlds."
"Best of both worlds?" Hector echoed.
The mare leaned forward, hovering over him with a loving smile. "You and the rest of my human students are adults who don't get up to the same nonsense as my young pony students did. Yet, you are still so cute," she squealed.
Hector blushed. "Please Miss Cheerilee, calling me cute is embarrassing."
The mare eased back into her seat and laughed. "Sorry, that's just how I feel."
The man scoffed quietly, yet also found himself smiling. Talking to Cheerilee as an equal felt good. Right now she wasn't his teacher, she was a person. He decided to be bold. "But I doubt you have a bunch of human porn lying around."
Cheerilee made a sound like a hiccup and her cheeks went bright red. Then she coughed. "Well, no. But..." she droned off bashfully. "I have entertained a few... fantasies myself... now and then..."
Hector's more rational side was screaming at him to back off, but the mare hadn't acted offended. "You got a look at my fetish. So I think it's only fair you share yours."
Cheerilee's blush deepened and she looked away. Her expression was mixed. Something between shame and... excitement? "You are right Mr. Uso. You must have been horribly embarrassed once you realized what you sent me. So now it's my turn." She took a deep breath. "I've always wanted to... strip..."
Hector's heart raced. This was spicy as hell. "But ponies don't normally wear clothes," he pointed out teasingly.
The mare puffed out her cheeks and glared at him. "We wear clothing for formal occasions. There are only so many ways to style a mane or tail after all. So clothing is another way ponies throughout history have flaunted their wealth and power. Cloth was often used to exaggerate the size of some ponies who thought they were short or lacking in other physical traits."
Only a teacher could so effortlessly transition into a history lesson. Hector chuckled. "You know I kind of expected you to have a 'naughty teacher' fetish."
Cheerilee rolled her eyes. "Pretending to be a 'naughty teacher' is not that appealing to an actual teacher. I do enough talking for my day job and I don't need more of it in the bedroom. What I never got enough of was ponies who admired my body," she mumbled sadly. "Foals might say I have a pretty smile, but that's far from a stallion who looks at my... well, me," she finished timidly.
Hector felt a bit bad for her. "Hey, I think you look good."
"Well aren't you a gentleman. Throwing out compliments for an old mare like me," Cheerilee gushed while hiding her muzzle behind a hoof.
"Oh come on, you're not even 40 yet," Hector countered, more confident now that she was returning the witty banter.
The mare looked thoughtful at that. "That's true, I suppose."
"We humans call sexy single women, who might be a little older, cougars."
Cheerilee raised a brow. "Really? That's weird."
"Well ponies are weird too," Hector huffed.
The mare snorted and rolled her eyes. "So, Mr. Uso, do you think I'm a 'cougar'?" she asked with a playful whisper.
Hector started to feel very warm under the collar, but decided to keep playing along. He raised a thumb and grinned. "Definitely!" he declared. However, a realization hit him a moment after and he found himself mumbling his thoughts aloud. "Though I've never actually seen you without clothes on."
Cheerilee's eyes suddenly went wide and her lips squeezed together. She blinked. "Mr. Uso... are we... flirting?"
The man chuckled stiffly. "I... think so."
"Is that... appropriate?"
"We're both adults, right?" Hector offered uncertainly.
"True," she agreed carefully.
"We can do whatever we want."
Cheerilee looked off to the side and silently nodded at that. She licked her lips. She fidgeted. She thought. Then she eyed Hector on the desk. The mare leaned forward until her muzzle was very close. Close enough that the man's hair was ruffled by her breathing.
"Hector?" she began a bit huskily. "Do you really think I'm... attractive?"
Now it was his turn to fidget. "I do."
"Are you... really sure?"
Hector felt his chest tighten. He had a strong suspicion where this was going, but he didn't want to get ahead of himself. Was Cheerilee really implying what he thought? He focused as hard as he could on trying to read the mare. He looked into those enormous green eyes of hers and saw... lust. In that moment all his doubts vanished. She wanted this to keep going. And he did too.
"Miss Cheerilee, I can't say you are beautiful until I've seen you," Hector explained. "All of you," he added quickly after that.
The mare stared. Slowly, a coy smile began to spread across her muzzle and she gave the room a rapid once over to make sure they were alone. "Hector, would you like to come by my place tonight?"
To be continued...