Pacing the office, a bay-colored unicorn stallion with a mane that shone every shade of violet, save for the azure ends looked to his assistant, levitating a paper in front of her for what seems like the hundredth time, "How am I expected to tell her THIS?!". He took a deep breath to calm himself. "I'll just adjust the grade, nopony needs to know. Right? We could even reorganize the class structure.".
Sighing, the assistant, a sandy colored unicorn mare with a wavy verdant mane brushes aside the paper with a forehoof, "It will do the student a terrible disservice to lie about his aptitude. If he's to get a proper education he needs a proper start.". Her reply is the Dean affixing a blank stare, at a blank wall where his mind's eye sees a picture of himself pilloried. The assistant takes the Dean's face in her fore hooves and stares down the stallion, "Dean Auburn Skye! Are you listening to me?". Once she is sure she has the Dean's attention she lectures, "You are the Dean of Canterlot primary academy. You insist on the highest standards of integrity and excellence from our students, even under duress and adversity. You owe them no less. Now sally forth! Make us proud!"
Dean Auburn Skye is goaded out the door by a firm strike on his haunches. The door slams behind him. Princess Celestia watches the Dean from behind his desk, a poker smile on her face that' she has practiced for centuries. Willing his perspiration back, the Dean sits opposite of the Princess, "Your majesty, I have the result of his royal highness' aptitude exam." He announces, then coughs a few times, and takes a sip from the teacup on his desk stalling for time to collect his thoughts, "Considering your son's chronological age, his intellectual development is phenomenal. However, we must use the standards for this primary school to place him in a class. We of course have his highness' best interests in mind when we came to this decision.".
Celestia's serene stature never wavers as she hears the Dean craft his carefully chosen excuses. She cuts to the chase, "Of course, Dean Auburn Skye. Which class grade is my son going to attend?". Nopony knows Celestia's son better than Celestia herself, there is little the Dean could say about her son that would surprise her.
After being called to the truth by the princess, Dean Skye, lays out the results paper in front of Celestia, "He lacks the skill to read and write. So we needed to administer the placement exam orally. Illiteracy disqualifies him automatically from class 1-A. His scores in arithmetic are wanting. His knowledge of grammar and vocabulary are below the 50th percentile for the six year old age group. I'm afraid we will need to give your son remedial lessons. His majesty would be best served starting in class 1-D.". He braces for the Princess' reprisal.
Celestia takes a long moment to look over the test, canting her head to the side. She takes a long breath in through her nose, flaring her nostrils before speaking, "I tend to agree, Dean Skye. I understand my son hasn't had the opportunity to develop intellectually, and he is at the emotional age where he needs to learn how to make friends. When can he start?".
A manilla document envelope is presented to the Celestia, "The beginning of next week. These will need to be filled out. Of course you can ignore the financial portion of the packet. School uniform requirements are also clearly spelled out. We look forward to meeting the Prince next week.". Dean Skye smiles demurely, making a faint 'squee' sound as his sigh of relief sings through his teeth. He'd managed to get through this without the worst happening: Offending the princess.
The next week was a flurry of activity for the young Prince. He was measured by the royal tailor for his uniform, a white short sleeve buttoned shirt with a powder blue collar, plain red clip on necktie, and tartan sweater-vest. After the fittings came a trip to the doctors to get a series of vaccinations. Soul Strider clung to his mother as he endured the half dozen small pinches from a needle. His trip to the dentist was a bit better, as the fluoride gel tasted like cotton candy. Since he'd never had cotton candy before, any subsequent cotton candy would taste like fluoride gel.
Morning broke on Soul Strider's first day of school. Celestia took the time to dress and groom her foal for school. She had even packed his lunch, a peanut butter and daisy sandwich, with an apple and carrot sticks to snack on. She accompanied Soul Strider to the courtyard where a royal carriage awaited to take the foal the 12 furlong distance to school. Pausing in front of the open carriage, Soul Strider looked up at his mother, "Do I really hafta go?" he asks, a whine in his voice.
Celestia bowed her head down, nuzzling the foal, "You will be glad you did once you meet the other foals and start making friends." she says to comfort him. "You'll also have the opportunity to learn lots of things as well.". She nudged him onto the carriage, closing the door. "I'll see you at 3 o'clock.". With a wave from the Princess, Soul Strider's carriage left the guarded confines of Canterlot castle.
In the yard of Canterlot primary academy at 8am sharp, bells chimed the chorus of the Equestrian anthem, signaling the start of the school day. Standing before eight chattering students, an orange unicorn stallion dressed in a shirt and tie similar to the students, but his sweater was solid red, sleeved, and had the school crest embroidered over the left breast. His brown cropped and spiked mane was frosted by gray hairs, the wages of late middle age. On his flank was book titled with a pentacle. Clearing his throat deliberately, the teacher tries in vain to quiet his class. Only after sounding the brass bell on his desk does the teacher finally quiet his students.
"Good morning, class. Before we begin today's lesson I have an announcement. We have a new student today. He's a member of the royal family.". The bell on the desk had to be sounded again to stop the students from whispering amongst themselves. "As I was saying: Our new student is Prince Soul Strider, the son of Princess Celestia.". Looking to the door, the teacher beckons, "Please come in, and be introduced, young master.".
Soul Strider pushed open the sliding door and walked to the teacher's desk. Standing before the class, he timidly recites the greeting the Dean helped him rehearse, "Greetings. I'm- I'm Soul Strider. I'm happy to meet you all."
Nine pairs of eyes stared at the unipeg before them, their silence deafening. It was the teacher that finally spoke up, "I am your teacher, Providence. You may address me as Mr. Providence, teacher, or sir." Addressing the class Providence says, "Now each of you stand, and introduce yourselves.".
Starting from the front left corner each foal stood and introduced themselves, first was a white earth pony colt with a bright yellow mane that refused to keep any styling applied to it. He stood and introduced himself cheerfully, "Hello! I'm Flash Memory, good to meet ya!.".
Next, a red unicorn filly with a long forest green mane stood up, one eye half open, the other covered by her low hanging bangs. She looked generally disinterested. Her loose, apathetically tied necktie showing it wasn't just the new student she didn't give a flying ponyfeather on a rolling muffin about. "Crimson Clover... Welcome, or something." She sat back down, having achieved the bare minimum introduction that was required.
Standing up next a zebra colt stands, obviously an exchange student, "Whaappen, pony bruddah. I be Twain, respek." The striped pony thumps his chest once, and sits back down. About the only part of the Zebra's patois the prince understood that the odd colt's name was Twain.
From the second row, a shorter, teal furred chubby, bespectacled unicorn stood up, his red mane looked like it was styled with an overturned bowl. His voice was nasal, and stuffy, making his 'd' and 'm' sound like 'b' as if he had a head cold that never goes away, "Hi, I'm Ginger Snap. Welcome to -Achsnah!- Class -Ahhpblblplt!-" Ginger Snap finishes his sneezing fit, and spends the next few minutes wiping his nose. Judging by the stack of tissue boxes nearby and his own wastepaper basket, his sneezing fits are commonplace.
Next to Ginger Snap was an empty desk. The desk after that was occupied by an ice blue pegasus filly with a snowy mane. She seemed to be enthralled by whatever was going on outside the window she was seated next to. Providence took the liberty of making the introduction, "She is Winterborn. You'll have to excuse her, she doesn't talk and her attention tends to wander." As the filly hears her name called, her attention returns to the teacher. She nods once, her attention staying with the teacher and the new student for half a moment before she looks back out the window.
In the first seat of the back row, a jet black unicorn colt with matching silver unicorn and mane stands, "Zap Thunderchild." He introduces before addressing Providence, "We don't have to call him 'Your majesty', do we?" he asks, shooting a disapproving glare at the foal that would be prince.
Providence sighs, shaking his head, "In this class you are all my students before anything else. Outside of class I expect you all to use proper tact and respect no matter whomever the pony is.".
With Providence's instruction over, the student next to Zap stands. He's a royal blue earth pony colt, his mane just a shade darker than his fur. What stands out most about this pony colt is, this pony standing. He's taller and bulkier than any pony in his grade as well as any pony in next three grades. "I'm Cobalt. Hi, umm..." He tries to think of something else to say, something clever, or welcoming, or nice, but his brain gives him nothing, "Uhh, yeah. Hi.". Cobalt sits back down quickly, his cheeks purple from the embarrassment of his wit failing him yet again.
In the far rear corner sits an orange pegasus colt with short cropped strawberry blonde mane. Standing up shakily, his eyes wide open he greets, "Jumble Peg am I. Meeting you, I am glad. Having your...Fun.". He sighs, knowing that was all wrong. A blush roses his cheeks as he elicits giggles from the other students and a taunting laugh from Zap.
` Providence sounds the bell, calling for quiet, "That's enough, class. Jumble, take a deep breath and try it again. One word at a time."
Jumble closes his eyes, and takes a deep breath. Putting his thoughts in order was always difficult. He tries his greeting again, though a bit abbreviated, "Hi, I'm Jumble Peg.". He quickly sits back down before he says something else stupid.
The introductions complete, Providence went back to his desk, "Soul Strider, you are assigned the desk next to Ginger Snap. Now everyone settle in and open your math readers to chapter two; addition.". Providence levitated a piece of chalk to the board, writing out several single digit addition problems while lecturing the class.
After going over a few single digit addition problems, Providence posed the question, "Now class, who can tell me what two-plus-two is?".
Flash Memory's hoof shot up, waving enthusiastically. Providence waited a moment to see any other volunteers came forward. Seeing none, he called, "Flash Mem-" he was cut off by the foal exclaiming his answer, "Four!".
"Correct, but please wait for me to finish calling your name before answering.". Providence called out another problem, "Now, two-plus five.". Flash's hoof, and only Flash's hoof went up again. Providence decided he needed to hear from... "Cobalt, please tell the class what two-plus-five equals.".
Sitting up straight, Cobalt stared blankly at the front of the class, having no idea how to answer the question, "I-I dunno, sir." he answers, hoping the teacher will just ask somepony else.
"Nonsense. Count it out. 1, 2 and what's five more?" Providence instructs. He gives Cobalt time to mull it over. The blue pony foal clopped his fore hoof on his desk five times.
"Seven?" Cobalt answers, unsure of the accuracy of his figuring.
"Correct. I hope the rest of you were paying attention to how Cobalt came about his answer. For homework I would like each of you to do the twenty addition problems in page five of your workbooks." Providence's assignment elicited a collective groan from the class.
Once the math lesson ended, came the reading lesson, which was far more interesting as the teacher read a story out of the reader to the class while they followed along. The teacher occasionally asked for volunteers to read a few sentences about Colt and Filly running, the only volunteer to read was Ginger Snap. He managed to sniffle his way through a paragraph fairly well.
Once reading was over came recess. Providence led the children single file out of class to the playground where he left them in the care of the playground monitors. Afterward he went back in for a cup of tea, and a break.
Soul Strider wandered the playground, it seemed to have everything. He watched Cobalt pulling a sled weighed down with concrete blocks, then go back and put more concrete blocks on and pull them again. Jumble Peg and Flash Memory were taking a spin on the merry-go-round propelled by Jumble Peg's wing power. Winterborn was on the highest level of the pipe maze, on a small balcony, looking off in the distance. Crimson clover couldn't be found as she'd secluded herself somewhere deep within the pipe maze. Zap was off in the sandbox, extorting milk money from Twain who just found it easier to bring extra bits to pay off the bully rather than to get beaten up again.
Soul Strider eventually stopped at the swing set. The swing itself was a platform large enough to stand or lie down on, hanging from ropes attached from the beam high above to the corners of the platform. He stood watching Ginger Snap swaying back and forth. Eventually Ginger took notice, he looked down at the little prince, the Prince watched him back.
"You can use the one next to me.". Ginger Snap still sounded stuffy.
Soul Strider walked behind the swing, placing his fore-hooves on the platform, he stumbles forward as the platform swings forward until it goes too far. The foal's fore hooves slip off causing him to face-plant on the grass with his rump in the air. It only took a moment for the swing to come back, striking Soul Strider in the rump. To Soul Strider's credit, he didn't immediately start crying.
Ginger Snap could be heard chuckling and snorting as he passed back and forth in front of the downed prince, "You gotta jump a little bit and get your hind legs on the swing.".
Soul Strider gave the swing another go, this time jumping onto the platform. He landed on his belly in an ungraceful sprawl, but it took only a moment to get his legs folded under him. Being his first time on a swing, he shifted his weight around clumsily to keep balance. All of the shifting causing the swing to take a slight lateral motion.
"No, no. Lean back when you go back, lean forward when you go forward." the ginger unicorn demonstrated by exaggerating the shifting of his weight. His swing, and his belly fat swung with his motion. (More like rolled for the belly fat.).
It didn't take long for the unipeg prince to get the hang of swinging. After a minute of exaggerated leaning and asynchronous motion he was keeping time with Ginger Snap.
Ginger laughed as he watched prince make his mistakes, but was surprised how quickly he caught on. "Not bad. You seem pretty bright. Too bright to be in the dummy class, with us.".
"Dummy class?". Asked Soul Strider. "What's a dummy class? What's a dummy?". Apparently the Prince's insult language skills weren't developed with the rest. Insults didn't come naturally.
"We're the dummies." Came the blunt reply from Ginger Snap, "I'm not gonna say anything about the other foals in class, but I get sick all the time, 'cause I'm allergic to dust, pollen, cats, dander, shellfish, milk, peanuts, almonds, wheat gluten. You know, everything. When I get sick with allergies I miss class. I missed so many days last year I stayed back a grade." He explains. "And dummy class is us. Class 1-D, the D is for 'DUH'".
"Oh... Well, I don't think you're a dummy. You could read that story by yourself. I don't even know what sounds the letters are supposed to make." Soul Strider admits. "Mama says I'll learn how to read an' stuff here.".
Ginger snap nods in confirmation, "Yep, I think you will. You don't seem dumb, you just don't know a lot.". Ginger pauses, thinking he might have just insulted the prince accidentally. "Anyway thanks for saying I'm not a dummy.".
Soul Strider opened his mouth to object, but he realized there was a lot he didn't know, even things he thought he should know. He couldn't quite figure out why he thought he should know some things. Thinking about it all made him a little dizzy, so he just nodded in agreement with Ginger Snap.
They both swung quietly for a moment before Ginger Snap spoke up again, "What's it like being a prince, anyway? Is it cool?".
Shrugging, the young prince now just added another item to the list of things he didn't know. "I dunno. What's it like NOT being a prince?.". He retorted, honestly expecting an answer, but not getting one as the bell rang, calling for the end of recess.
Ginger Snap leaped off of his swing, landing with a thud and grunt, "Ugh. Time for art class. Hey, wanna sit next to me in lunch? I can show you how to sound out the words while we eat." he offers.
Leaping off of his own swing, the prince instinctively starts flapping his wing fast and clumsily. Soul Strider fails to fly but succeeds in resembling a hummingbird after taking an extended sip out of a whiskey bottle. He lands slightly less gracefully than he would have had he just allowed himself to plummet. Recovering from his landing, he smiled at Ginger, "Sure! See you at lunch.". They returned to class, cantering shoulder to shoulder.
Art class came and went with only a few minor incidents, mostly the teacher having to keep reminding Cobalt to not eat the paper mâché paste. Soul Strider and Ginger Snap spent their art class with crayons, trying in vain to keep the color inside the lines of a tracing of a Nightmare Moon storybook page. Soul Strider took a long look at the tracing, staring at the picture of Nightmare Moon rearing up, "That kinda looks like auntie Luna." Soul Strider finally notices.
"That's 'cause it is. Pass the black, please?" Ginger Snap replies. "You never heard the story of Nightmare Moon? It's all about your mom and aunt. I think they woulda told you the story at least once. We'll have to read that, sometime.". Ginger continued coloring in Nightmare Moon.
The prince shook his head, watching the tracing of his aunt being colored in black, her sinister eyes azure, with the pupil narrowed to thin feline slit . He noticed the other ponies in the picture cowering in terror. He knew picture was of his aunt, but it wasn't the aunt he knew. Not the aunt that saved him from the curtain, or read to him with mama, or seemed to be around to offer her affections when mama couldn't... And he yelled at her for it. "Yeah." Soul Strider found something else to add to the list of things he needed to know about.
The lunch bell sounded just as the scene was colored in. Soul Strider kept the colored page in his desk, planning on taking it home to show mama, and ask about Nightmare Moon and aunt Luna.
Providence lined up the students single file, and walked them past the cubbyholes where the students kept their lunches, coats and outside shoes if they were inclined to wear them. All the students took up their lunchboxes or bags. In the case of Ginger Snap, something that looked more like a large first aid kit, rather than a lunch box.
It was a short, silent walk to the cafeteria as all the foals were gripping their various lunch containers in their mouths. It was a rather plain looking cafeteria. Polished pinewood floors, white walls, and a counter at the rear where a quartet of lunch-mares dished out low-budget prepared lunches. Once there, the teacher left the children to sit wherever they wished.
Soul Strider followed Ginger Snap to one of the many plain wooden tables, and set down his box. As they set out their lunches, the young prince asks, "Why is the story of Nightmare Moon about my aunt? She's couldn't really be Nightmare Moon, could she?" the Prince takes a bite out of his peanut butter and daisy sandwich as he awaits his answer.
Ginger Snap snuffles quietly into his napkin, wiping his nose, catching a strong whiff of peanut butter on the prince's breath. "Nightmare Moon is Princess Luna. A thousand years ago she raised and lowered... The moon.". The ginger pony's breathing becomes more difficult, a wheeze sings along with his labored breath. "...She... Got mad. Because ponies slept all night.". Ginger's face and eyes began to look puffy.
The young prince set down his sandwich, leaning closer, accidentally blowing more peanut butter breath onto his distressed friend, "Are you ok?" he asks, noticing Ginger Snap's swollen, bloodshot eyes, wheezing and red blotchy spots tinting his teal fur.
"I need...My inhaler!" Ginger Snap wheezed, his voice not much louder than a whisper. The teal unicorn plants his fore hooves on the table, stretching out his body in a vain attempt to coax more air through swollen breathing tubes what have nearly shut. He fights for breath like a drowning pony being forced to breathe through a hollow coffee stirrer.
Soul Strider looks around desperately, having no idea what to do. He can only watch his new friend struggle to breathe, having no idea why he'd fallen ill. "Teacher! Teacher!" he cries out.
Silence befalls the cafeteria until one of the cafeteria attendants snaps to attention, "Code blue! Code blue! Where's the auto injector?!" the adult cafeteria attendant shouts.
Events started to blend one into another for the young prince. He was ushered back and out of the way by one of the lunch-mares. Soul Strider stood in front of the crowd of students as he watched as the table was swept clean and Ginger Snap was hefted onto it and then stuck in the rump with a long pin with a small liquid filled glass bulb on the end of it. The little prince could hear the crowd of students make comments "Did the fat one have another allergy attack?" "What did it this time, too much air in the air?" "Did chubby eat another peanut?".
Once Ginger Snap took a few deep breaths when his bronchial tubes relax and let the air back into his lungs. With the excitement over, the crowd of students began to disperse. Soul Strider stood by his new friend as the attendants went to fetch a gurney to take Ginger to the nurse for a more thorough examination. While waiting, the remaining attendant noticed the lunches that were swept onto the floor to make room for the ailing student. Discovering the peanut butter and daisy sandwich, the attendant knew she found the culprit.
"Is this your sandwich, isn't it?" the attendant asks, Soul Strider nods, not making the connection. "That explains it..." She collects the lunch from the floor, discarding it, "We'll bring you a new lunch when we get him to the nurse.".
At this point, Soul Strider didn't care much about lunch, the whole ordeal put him off it. "Is Ginger gonna be ok? It was me, wasn't it? My lunch made him sick." he declares morosely.
"Oh, it wasn't your fault, you couldn't have known. But we will have to send you home with a note for your mother. I'm sure he'll be fine, we deal with this sort of thing a few times a year." the attendant explains.
Soul Strider spent the rest of the lunch period in the nurses office sitting next to Ginger, getting a lesson about allergies, anaphylaxis and handling emergencies. However, hearing that his friend could have died from his own peanut butter breath didn't help with the knot of guilt the prince had in his stomach in place of lunch. Once the lunch period was over Soul Strider returned to class alone as Ginger Snap's mother was due to retrieve him so he could relax for the rest of the day.
It was difficult for the Prince to concentrate During the last period his mind was as far away from class as Winterborn's was, the history lesson largely lost upon him. Soul Strider thought more about the more recent history, the ruckus at lunch.
At the end of the day Soul Strider was given the scroll to be delivered to his mother, and sent out for the carriage ride home. When the carriage door was opened he was greeted by his mother.
"Hello dear! How was school? Did you make any new friends, today?" Celestia asked cheerfully, expecting a happy little tale.
Soul Strider broke down, he looked up at his mother, his eyes welling up and his bottom lip aflutter, "Yes." he whines, then presents the note to his mother before lying down, facing the corner of the carriage.
Celestia levitates the scroll before her, unraveling it. She was confused as her son's answer didn't fit the reaction she received. It wasn't until she read the note he brought home did she understand...
Dear Princess Celestia,
Today one of your son's friend and classmate Ginger Snap took ill stricken with a case of anaphylaxis. The cause of which was determined to be an ingredient of Prince Soul Strider's lunch.
We assure you that Ginger Snap is well and will be in class tomorrow, but we respectfully request any future packed lunches are hypoallergenic. We have included a list of ingredients we humbly ask not be included in future packed lunches.
If this is inconvenient, we also have available prepared lunches for our students which will be, of course, provided free of charge for your son.
Your faithful subject,
Accoucheuse APRN.
"Oh! Ohhh..." Celestia exclaims as the accompanying list unravels, the scroll rolling away like a dropped roll of toilet paper...