Chapter Five

Schoolyard Games

Miss Cheerilee smiled down at the wiggling mass of fillies, "I see that you all have been jumping rope," she gave a little giggle.

"Jumping and tangling," Scootaloo held up her hooves wrapped in rope.

Miss Cheerilee tried once more to hold back her giggles, "Need some help girls… oh…," she took notice Trinny, "Sorry," she started to pull on one end, "Didn't notice you there."

"That's fine," Trinny smiled as she blew her mane out of her face, "That is the way it goes… or maybe it goes that way?" she pulled at the ropes.

Every pony started to pull at the ropes, but they only seemed to make it tighter. They tried pulling at other parts, but made it worse. Miss Cheerilee even tried to pull and unwrap the tightening ropes, but still they wouldn't release the young fillies and mare.

"Well this is a fine mess my horn has gotten every pony into," Trinny frowned up at it.

"It's not your fault," Miss Cheerilee tried pulling once more, "Lots of Unicorns have problems jumping rope."

"Hmm…," Apple Bloom suddenly had a thought, "Hey Trinny," she looked up to her, "If your horn got us into this… couldn't it get us out of it."

A light bulb seemed to go off inside her head, "Right….," she blushed a little, "I could just… yeah…," her horn started to glow, "Hold on every pony."

There was a loud pop as the rope disappeared in a red flash. Fillies fell from each other and tumbled across the grass. They landed on their bellies or back, but were happy to final be free. Release a sigh of relieve, then a fit of giggles, they stood up and checked to make sure that they were in one piece.

"Everyone okay?" Miss Cheerilee looked them over.

"Yup," Apple Bloom checked with everyone.

"Oh good," she seemed relieved, "That was a tight situation," she smiled with a giggle.

"We were in quite a bind," Scootaloo snickered.

"Yeah, that rope had a real squeeze on us," Sweetie Belle joined in.

Apple Bloom looked back to Trinny, seeing that she hadn't gotten up yet, "You okay?" she went to help.

"Oh yes," Trinny quickly rolled onto her belly.

She noticed something as Trinny got onto her hooves. Or maybe it was something that she didn't notice. For just a moment, her blanket slipped from her hind quarters. Where the black was starting to fade into white… where there should have been something… she saw nothing.

"Huh?" Apple Bloom cocked her head.

"What's wrong cuz?" Babs noticed her confusion.

Apple Bloom shook her head, "It's nothing…"

Surely she had to be seeing things or not. Every pony has a Cutie Mark. That is what she was always told. Every mare and stallion had a Cutie Mark since they were fillies and colts. Trinny had to have a mark; Apple Bloom must have not seen it.

"Hey," Twist looked around, "Where did my rope go?"

"Mine too," Archer looked about.

"Umm… Excuse me?" a familiar voice called to them, "Do these belong to anyone?" Twilight Sparkle trotted down the path, "They just appeared as we were making our way here."

"Yeah," Spike hopped from Twilight's back, "We were just minding our own business and POP!" he exaggerated, "They landed on top of us and nearly tangled us up. Woke me up anyway," he gave a small snort as he crossed his arms.

"I'm so sorry Spike," Trinny stepped forward, "My magic is not what it use to be and sometimes I can't always control where things go when I teleport them. I am sorry for waking you," she apologized, "I know how important sleep is to a growing dragon."

Spike blushed, "It's okay. It was an accident. Twilight was nagging me to wake up anyway."

"You only had been sleeping since breakfast," Twilight rolled her eyes, "and it is already two."

"Like she said," Spike motioned to Trinny, "Sleep is important to a growing dragon like me."

Twilight could only sigh and was about to say something, but Trinny interrupted her.

"So Miss Twilight, how do you like it here in Ponyville? I see that you and Spike have grown a little since I last saw you," Trinny smiled.

"Oh… well… umm…," Twilight wasn't quite sure who she was.

"This is Trinny," Miss Cheerilee introduced.

"She knows every pony," Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle sounded off together.

"Wow," Spike looked up to her, "You must have a lot of friends."

Trinny only smiled, "So what brings you here on such a lovely day?"

"Oh that's right," Miss Cheerilee remembered, "I knew how bored everyone was, so I asked Miss Twilight to come and read a story."

Twilight started to bring a multitude of thick bound books from her satchel, "Oh yes. I brought some of the books I liked to read when I was your age."

Spike rolled his eyes as he watched the books float by. They were all books about the theories of magic and ways to keep one's room organized. There was even one on how to organize a sock drawer by the day of the week. Twilight always had an 'interesting' taste in books. The fillies seemed to know this too.

It wasn't the first time that she had come by at the request of Miss Cheerilee to read a story. Twilight would come with her bag full of books that were as long as they were boring. They were always about cleaning, correct ways to polish silverware or worse… how to properly arrange one's breakfast before it is eaten. She would stand at the front of the class and start to read from her selection in a monotone voice, but a smile on her face. By the time she got half way through the 'story', most of the class would be asleep. Sometimes even Miss Cheerilee would be nodding off. It was only when Twilight would clap the book shut would the fillies and colts be jolted awake. Not knowing what was going on, they would clap groggily. Miss Cheerilee would quickly look around and wonder for a moment where she was. Seeing that she was in the school house, she would politely clap and thank Twilight for her time.

They all tried to hide their shuttering, save for Babs who didn't know the utter boredom that lurked inside Twilight's bag.

"Oh!" Twilight became excited, "This one was one of my favorites!"

The cover of the book read The Unabridged History of Equestria.

There was silent groan.

"Hmm…," Trinny looked at the book, "History is an excellent subject my dear, but," she looked to Twilight's bag, "I think that you might have overlooked one that would both informative and pleasurable."

"Huh?" Twilight looked at her in confusion, "I thought I took them all out."

Spike stared to rummage through the thought to be empty bag, "What's this?" he pulled out an old leather bound book with gold lettering on it, "The Time before Time…? I don't recall this book in the library," he held it up to Twilight.

"I don't either," she started to look through the pages.

"What is it about?" the girls asked.

"Umm…," Twilight quickly looked at the table on contents, "Looks like a bunch of stories from before Equestria was established…"

"Wow!" Scootaloo grew excited, "Are there stories about the first Pegasus cloud warriors?"

"Or maybe there are some stories about the undying love between a handsome prince and his beautiful princess," Sweetie Belle dreamed.

"Nah," Babs shook her head, "There's got to be a story about a brave young filly that goes against the odds and saves the day."

The others had to agree that that kind of story sounded the best.

"What do you think?" Trinny looked down to Apple Bloom.

"Huh?" she was lost in thought, "Whatever sounds good to everyone else…"

The girls looked to one another and nodded in agreement, "A filly against the odds!"

Twilight smiled, "Let me see," she carefully read each chapter, "Oh...," she found one that fit the bill, "I think this one will do nicely," she turned to the page, "It is called The Fillies that found their Destiny."

"Oooohhh," this title enticed the girls' interest.

"Make yourselves comfortable girls," Miss Cheerilee laid down under the shade of an old oak tree.

They all joined her and made a half circle around Twilight whom had sat down with the book in front of her.

"Come on Apple Bloom," Trinny pushed her along.

Apple Bloom was having a hard time concentrating. Her mind was lingering back to what she had noticed about Trinny's flank. She knew that she didn't see a Cutie Mark. That was impossible though. She shook her head once more as she sat down next to her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders. Trinny laid down behind them. They are looked up to Twilight, waiting for the words to roll off her lips and into ears.

Twilight cleared her throat, "I know that it may sound hard to believe, but…," she started to read from the worn pages.