Chapter 13: Marks for Effort
It was a peaceful day at the School of Friendship, and in the School's courtyard. The Crusaders were on top of each other as Apple Bloom had Scootaloo on top as the pegasus filly reached for a ledge.
"Almost... there." Scootaloo said, reaching for the ledge.
She finally grabs the ledge, and the three are balanced.
"Ah! I can't wait!" Apple Bloom exclaimed excitedly. "Twilight and Chase's school is supposed to be amazin' inside!"
"Rarity says there's never been a school like it!" Said Sweetie Belle before she squealed excitedly. "I can't wait to see my cutie there!"
"Will you quit it already about your boyfriend?!" Scootaloo asked annoyingly, making Sweetie Belle turn to her with a glare as the orange pegasus smiled excitedly. "I heard the students get to do tons of awesome stuff."
Scootaloo then tried pulling up straight while her friends helped her to keep her steady.
"Do ya see anything yet?" Apple Bloom asked as Scootaloo looks inside of a closet.
"Uh, yeah. It looks like a broom! And a dustpan and some buckets." Scootaloo replied back while looking at the closet.
"That sounds like a closet." Sweetie Belle said with a skeptical look.
"Try another window." Applebloom suggested.
Then they tilted over to the next window showing Pinkie's class.
"Whoa." Scootaloo whispered in awe.
"Whooooo's ready for cupcakes?!" Pinkie called excitedly.
She bounced around the class giving cupcakes to the students as Scootaloo watches from the window with an excited smile. Gallus licked his lips and opens his mouth in an attempt to bite the cupcake, but Pinkie bounced on his head to stop him.
"Oh, they're not for you, silly. They're for sharing!" Pinkie said with a smile. She then bounced off Gallus and landed on the ground. "First, say something nice like this." She then approached Ocellus, "You are a great listener!" She then handed another cupcake to her. "Now you can keep one cupcake and share one with another creature."
Ocellus nodded and turns to Yona.
"Yona, you're really strong!" Ocellus said kindly with a smile as Yona smiled in reply.
She then tossed a cupcake to Yona, who caught it in her mouth. But she lands on top of Pinkie as the tray is flown at Scootaloo, who dodges it.
The impact, however, caused her and her friends to wobble a bit as they fell into a bush. The Crusaders looked up, and then saw Butterflies as they saw that Fluttershy's class was above them.
"All right, students!" Fluttershy called to the students who turned to her. "It's time to meet some new friends!"
The students chatter in excitement, and Korra had a butterfly landing on her stretched out left front hoof as she smiled with a giggle.
"Well done, Korra." Fluttershy said as she approached Korra with an impressed smile. "You've been taking your teachings wisely in this classroom."
"Thank you, Professor Fluttershy." Korra said, thanking her teacher as Silverstream zooms through a heart of butterflies in the middle as they followed her.
"Ahh!" The Cutie Mark Crusaders said as they watched the last of the butterflies following the hippogriff.
"Incomin'!" Applejack's voice called.
The Crusaders rushed over to Applejack and Clay's class as the Earth Pony couple and their class played buckball. And the ball was pass over to each student before Smolder tosses it into the bucket.
"That's friendship in action, y'all!" Said Applejack.
"And with a lot of teamwork too to get the job done!" Clay added as he and Applejack smiled with the students as they cheered while the Cutie Mark Crusaders watched from the background before they went out of the classroom.
"Let's go see what Chase's classroom is like!" Scootaloo said as some karate grunting was heard and the three fillies rushed over to the school's dojo where they saw Chase and his family training the students in the way of mind and body.
"Concentrate, everypony!" Chase instructed as he walked through the sidelines. "To learn the mind and body of the ninja, you must adapt to your surroundings carefully and practice the art of invisibility."
The students nodded as they continued to perfect their katas as Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom gazed at the commotion in surprise.
"Whoa!" The three fillies said together in unison before they left to go back to the school courtyard.
"Wow! And I thought our school was fun!" Said Sweetie Belle. "And Chase's dojo is so big!"
"Yeah! Ms. Cheerilee never lets us play buckball in class." Scootaloo said in disappointment. "I know. I've tried. And she never has a dojo in the classroom."
"Hey! Why don't we go here instead?" Applebloom said with a smile. "It's still school, right?"
The three then high hoofed each other as they cheered and headed off.
Alpplebloom sighs happily.
"What could be better than learnin' friendship with your best friends?" Apple Bloom asked her friends with a smile when Pinkie Pie pops her head out with a smile as if she heard them.
"Learning friendship with your best friends... and cake!" Pinkie said happily and slams her face into a tray of cupcakes as she ate them.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders laughed.
*Main theme*
In Twilight's classroom, Twilight clears her throat, getting the students' attention.
"Good morning, class." Twilight said with a smile with Nyx standing beside her mother. "Today, we're going to learn about friendship through the ages." She then turns to Spike. "Spike, slide one, please."
Spike turns on the projector.
"Back in the days of Chancellor Puddinghead..." Twilight said, but was cut off when she saw a wing shaped shadow blocking the picture. "Uh, Spike?"
"Huh?" Spike said as he turns to her, and notice his wing open before he pulled it away. "Sorry, Twilight. Still getting used to my new wings. They're pretty great, huh?"
Twilight and Nyx just smiled amusingly, not noticing that Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom were sitting in the three empty desks.
"Yeah, Spike. We're very amazed with how you've gotten your wings so fast. Now let's get back on track." Nyx said as she clapped her hooves professionally as Twilight giggled at her daughter's tone.
"Yes, Spike. As I was saying..." Twilight said, but then she and Nyx noticed the Cutie Mark Crusaders in the empty desks with happy smiles. She was surprised to see them here in the school. "Huh? What are you three doing here?"
"And why are you guys at Miss Cheerliee's school?" Nyx asked curiously.
"We wanna go to your school!" Apple Bloom explained excitedly.
"But why?" Twilight asked them with a curious look.
"We wanna learn friendship!" Sweetie Belle explained as she smiled.
"And play buckball!" Scootaloo added with a flap of her wings.
"Uh, everypony here plays some sports besides buckball." Nyx said.
"I see." Twilight said with a smile. "Why don't three come with me and Nyx? Spike, you're in charge."
"Yes!" Spike excitedly.
Twilight, Nyx, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders stepped outside just as Starlight appeared.
"Hi, Twilight and Nyx!" Starlight greeted the alicorn mother and daughter as she noticed the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Looks like you could use a guidance counselor's help! Hint, hint."
"No thanks, Starlight." Twilight assured Starlight with a smile. "We've got this."
"Great." Starlight said sadly. "Well, I'll just... go dust my office for the 70th time."
She then walks away with a glum look on her face..
When she was gone, Twilight and Nyx turn back to the Crusaders.
"I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but... you can't be my students." Twilight said to the three fillies.
"Why not?" Sweetie Belle asked sadly and gestured to Nyx. "Nyx goes here too to help out."
"Isn't this place for everycreature?" Scootaloo asked with a motion wave of her hoof.
"Guys, it's not that simple. Whether you like it or not, this is where students learn the most important value of friendship." Nyx explained firmly. "And just because I come here to help my parents out doesn't mean I have to do stuff for fun all of the time. It takes a lot of responsibility to become a teacher.
"Nyx is right, and we teach friendship lessons here." Twilight added in agreement with her daughter. "You already know all about helping ponies in need and being there for each other."
"Can't you just give us a chance?" Sweetie Belle asked. "And maybe at least see Chase do some of his cool element techniques just this once?"
"Pleeeeeeeeeeaaaase?" The three fillies begged with huge toothy smiles.
"No." Nyx said with a giggle and stopped. "Besides, seeing Daddy do all of his element powers with our family is cool, but we still need to learn about being open minded for all of the students."
"Nyx is right. You need Cheerilee's classes, not mine." Said Twilight in agreement as she and Nyx approached their classroom door. "Hurry up. You don't want late marks on your permanent record."
Twilight then opens the door, but she and Nyx find Spike teaching the class some kind of dragon announcement.
"O dragon! My dragon!" The students chorused together
"Spike?!" Twilight asked worriedly as Nyx glared at the baby dragon firmly. "What did you do?"
"What did I tell you about using dragon announcements?" Nyx asked with a deadpan look she shared with her mother.
Spike lands and laughs nervously as the alicorn mother and daughter approached him while Twilight closed the door.
Meanwhile, the Crusaders walked down the hallway as they felt disappointed.
"Well, I'm not giving up!" Scootaloo said firmly. "I know we can prove we belong in this school!"
"Yeah!" Sweetie Belle said with a smile, but felt confused. "Um... how?"
"By showin' Twilight and Chase we've still got lots to learn about friendship." Said Applebloom. "And I know just where to start."
(Scene changes)
At Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack and Clay were at the field having a nice quiet walk together.
"Ah, a nice day for a walk around the farm. Right, honey?" Clay asked Applejack as his wife turned to him with a smile.
"Ah know what you mean, sugarcube." Applejack said in agreement, but then she stepped in something. "What in tarnation?"
The Earth Pony mare lifts her hoof up that was covered with a smashed apple that was in a broken barrel.
"Who left this stuff here?" Clay asked in surprise as she and Applejack saw most of the place a complete mess.
They then noticed Apple Bloom reading by a tree nearby. They glared at her suspiciously before they went over to her to find her reading a book in the shade of the tree.
"Apple Bloom!" Applejack said sternly as she and Clay stopped behind her. "You know better than to leave our good tools out like that! And aren't you supposed to be on harvest duty?"
"What do you think you're doing leaving the place a mess like that?!" Clay asked crossly. "You know Granny Smith is gonna be pretty steamed with you if you don't get your chores done."
"Eh, it's not like the apples are goin' anywhere." Applebloom said in a deadpan expression, shocking her older sister and brother-in-law in the process.
"What?!" Clay asked as Applejack stammered with a few shakes of her head.
"What's gotten into you? Those chores are your responsibility! Farm work is family work!" Applejack protested with a firm hoof stomp.
"Sorry, Applejack and Clay." Apple Bloom turned to her. "Maybe if I went to Twilight and Chase's school, I'd learn to be better at helpin' the family."
She smiled innocently and fluttered her eyelashes. Applejack and Clay realized what she was up to as they shared a smirk with each other.
"Ahhh. So that's what this is all about." Applejack said with a fake smile. "Well, if it's learnin' you want, I'd be happy to give you a private lesson right now…" She then glared at her sister. "... Startin' with cleanin' up all this equipment!"
Then she and Clay began to walk away as Apple Bloom followed them with a disappointed look on her face.
"Hmph!" Apple Bloom grunted for being outsmarted.
(Scene changes)
Meanwhile, Rarity was working on a hat design at her home while she was upstairs. She carefully placed the pin in place.
"Please can I go to Twilight's school?!" Sweetie asked as she suddenly appeared behind her sister.
Rarity jumped from that with surprise yelp and jabs the pin into the model's head.
Rarity sighs and then heads over to her supply bin, but then Sweetie Belle holds on to her back right hoof.
"Please?" Sweetie Belle begged pleadingly.
Rarity soon shakes her sister off, and goes to her bin to get some wrap when some of them moved from the inside.
"Please?!" Sweetie Belle asked again with a smile as she popped out.
"I'm going to call you "Reapeatie Belle"!" Rarity shouted angrily, losing her patience with her and grabbed Sweetie Belle by the cheeks. "We've been through this! Please let me concentrate!"
Rarity then turned away.
"How 'bout now?!" Sweetie Belle asked again as she appeared in front of her older sister.
At this point, Rarity is now losing her patience with her younger sister.
(Scene changes)
Meanwhile, Rainbow was telling her class a story.
"So there I was, leading the Wonderbolt formation into a super dangerous Sundown Spiral, when suddenly..." She then flew around making whooshing sounds. "There was a huge storm cloud in your way!"
"What happened?" Asked a student.
"My genius happened!" Rainbow answered. "I changed the routine on the fly! And because my crew are such tight friends, they followed me!"
"What did you do?" A student gasped.
"Yeah, what happen?" Bolin asked excitedly.
"Only the coolest thing ever!" Rainbow said. "I flew up and-"
"Did a super-amazing half-twist into a backflip sonic rainboom?!" Scootaloo shouted excitedly, wearing a pair of goofy glasses as a disguise.
Everypony turned to her.
"How'd you know that?" Mako asked curiously.
"Hey! I never told that story to my students before." Rainbow said as she approached and removed Scootaloo's glasses. "Scootaloo!"
Scootaloo laughs nervously.
"Never met her." Scootaloo said meekly and sheepishly.
"Way to ruin the excitement, Scoot." Korra said with a glare.
Rainbow then gestures to Scootaloo to leave as she sighs and leaves.
(Scene changes)
Later, The Crusaders regrouped for another attempt. And soon, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie appeared.
"They're coming!" Sweetie Belle called. "Get ready!"
Scootaloo moves into position on her scooter, and Applebloom placed a bucket of apples on her head. Once they were close enough, Sweetie Belle singles Scootaloo. And she rushes, and Sweetie Belle singles Applebloom. And she headed out.
"Look out!" Scootaloo yelled.
"Look out!" Applebloom yelled stiltedly.
But they were only near each other slowly, and then they passed each other as Apple Bloom purposely dropped the bucket. Scootaloo just got on the ground as Fluttershy and Pinkie turn to them.
"Hey! Watch where you are going!" Scootaloo said stiltedly.
"I was watching!" Applebloom said stiltedly. "Watching you drive like a crazy pony!"
"Well, maybe if you did not drop apples all over the street, I would not have to!" Scootaloo said stiltedly.
"Ooh. I've never seen Applebloom and Scootaloo argue like this." Fluttershy said in concern.
"Yeah." Pinkie said, agreeing with her. "They usually go together like candy canes and stripes."
Scootaloo then glanced at Sweetie Belle and winked, singaling to her. She stepped out, and purposely tripped on Scootaloo's scooter and fell.
"My apples?" Applebloom asked stiltedly. "This is all your fault, Scootaloo!"
"Hey, Sweetie Belle is the clumsy one!" Scootaloo said stiltedly.
"I'm not talking to either one of you ever again!" Sweetie Belle shouted stiltedly.
The three then turned away from each other.
"Goodness. They seem really upset." Fluttershy said with worry, falling for their act.
"It's almost like they forgot they're friends." Pinkie agreed.
Then the Crusaders glance at each other.
"I think it's working!" Scootaloo said quietly.
"You are so careless!" Sweetie Belle said as she continued stiltedly. "Good plan, Apple Bloom!"
"Careless!" Apple Bloom said stiltedly. "I will show you who is the careless! And great acting Sweetie Belle!"
"We're an awesome team!" Scootaloo said and they got in a group hug.
"All right!" Apple Bloom shouted happily.
"Yay!" Pinkie cheered.
"Oops." Apple Bloom said as she realized they celebrated too early.
"You're friends again!" Pinkie cheered. "I knew you would be! Candy cane stripes forever!"
The Cutie Mark Crusaders sighed in disappointment.
"Now they'll never let us into Twilight's school." Scootaloo sadly as they looked down sadly.
(Scene changes)
Later, they were at the clubhouse trying to think of a new plan.
"Okay, we've tried shirkin' chores, pesterin', disguises, fightin'," Apple Bloom said.
"Hmmm... We need to do something new. Something unexpected!" Sweetie Belle suggested.
They were suddenly interrupted by the sound of crying.
"Great idea, Scootaloo! We haven't tried cryin' yet," Apple Bloom said.
"Yeah! It always works for Rarity," Sweetie Belle added.
"I wasn't crying. I think it's coming from outside," Scootaloo replied.
They looked out the window and noticed a filly crying. She had pinkish gray fur, a curly pale light grayish arctic blue and light arctic bluish gray striped mane and tail with sandy white ribbons, moderate scarlet eyes, and her flank had a cutie mark of a chess rook.
"Aww. She looks so sad. We better go see what's wrong," Sweetie Belle said, and then they walked over to the filly, as she continued to cry.
"Hey. Are you okay?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Oh. Thank you for asking. But no. I'm having real trouble with..." She replied until she sniffled. "...the School of Friendship."
"Twilight and Chase won't let you go either, huh?" Scootaloo asked.
"Well, I'm in Twilight's class, just not in Chase's, but..." She explained and sniffed again. "...it's too hard!"
She then cried again.
"Really?" Sweetie Belle asked in surprise.
"I just moved here to go to school, but everything's so new and different. I don't know anypony," the filly replied.
"Well, now you do. I'm Apple Bloom. This is Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders," Apple Bloom said as the three fillies smiled and the filly sniffled.
"I'm Cozy Glow." Cozy Glow introduced herself with a smile. "It's very nice to meet you, but I don't know if I'll stay long. I'll probably flunk out. I'm having so much trouble with my friendship lessons."
Cozy became sad again as the Cutie Mark Crusaders gasped and then came up with an idea.
"We can help with those!" Sweetie Belle said.
"We know all about friendship!" Scootaloo added.
"And studyin' with you would be almost as good as bein' in class!" Apple Bloom finished.
"But why would you help me? What's in it for you?" Cozy Glow asked.
"That's how friendship works. When you give from your heart, you don't expect anything back," Sweetie Belle replied to Cozy Glow.
"Well, golly, if you really mean it..." Cozy Glow said.
"Uh-huh!" The three kids said in unison.
"I could use some help with my homework. I have to do something nice for each of these ponies. But I don't know anything about them, and it's so hard to talk to ponies you've never met," Cozy Glow said.
"Well, you're in luck, 'cause we know all of those ponies!" Apple Bloom replied.
"Get ready for a friendship A-plus!" Scootaloo added, making Cozy Glow smile in joy.
(Scene changes)
Later, Bon Bon was at the plant booths to pick up some flowers when there was a zoom. But she soon thought it was nothing.
"That's Bon Bon. If you wanna do something nice for her, first you gotta figure out what she needs," Scootaloo said.
"Well, how am I supposed to do that?" Cozy Glow asked.
"Just pay attention. Friendship is about listening to others," Scootaloo replied.
A pony named Roseluck gave a cactus in a gift bag to Bon Bon, and as she was starting to walk home with it, the cactus started poking her face.
"Ow. Ow." Bon Bon said with her teeth holding the bag and makes her way home, but the spines of the cactus were poking her face each time she took a step as the bag swung.
"Uh-oh. That cactus keeps pricking her every step she takes. Hmm, if only there was something to protect her from those spines," Scootaloo said.
Cozy looked around, and saw Scootaloo's helmet and had an idea. She grab it and flew over to Bon Bon.
Bon Bon placed the bag down, and rubbed her cheek from being poked so much.
"It looks like you need help carrying your cactus, so here's a safe way to take it home." Cozy said as she placed the helmet on top of the cactus and laughed nervously.
"Thank you!" Bon Bon said. "That's so thoughtful."
Cozy left and Bon Bon picked up the bag as she headed home.
"I did it!" Cozy said cheerfully, meeting back with Scootaloo.
"Good job!" Said Scootaloo before she added with a smirk. "But, uh, next time, maybe don't give away my helmet."
"Oopsie." Cozy said sheepishly, realizing her mistake.
(Scene changes)
Next at Sugarcube Corner, Sweetie Belle helped Cozy with Mrs. Cake by sorting out different colored sprinkles.
"Green, purple, yellow. And one more purple. Whew. Sorting all those took longer than I thought," Sweetie Belle said after finishing the last of the rainbow sprinkles as Cozy then placed the shakers in a box.
"You really think Mrs. Cake will like these new sprinkle shakers?" Cozy Glow asked.
"Mm-hmm. Now she won't have to just use rainbow sprinkles all the time. She can just pick the color she wants!" Sweetie Belle said, until the bell rang.
"Ooh! I'm sorry, I was out to lunch. Were you waiting for me long?" Mrs. Cake asked, coming back from a lunch break.
"No. Um, these are for you!" Cozy Glow said, giving the baker mare the sprinkle shakers.
"Oh, well, what a lovely surprise! I can't wait to try them out!" Mrs. Cake said as she sprinkled the sprinkles on the cake, "Look! I made rainbow sprinkles! Aren't they wonderful?"
"But... she... I..." Cozy Glow said before she groaned in frustration.
"At least she likes her present?" Sweetie Belle asked with a meek smile.
(Scene changes)
Later, Big Mac was at the field gathering apples. He bucked a few trees, but suddenly no apples fell down, until he looked and saw the Apple Bloom and Cozy Glow with the buckets full of apples, until he smiled with a nod and walked away.
"Golly. How'd you know that would make him so happy?" Cozy Glow asked.
"Friendship means pitchin' in to help others' chores go faster. 'Specially when their special somepony's waitin' for 'em," Apple Bloom said, as they saw Big Mac walking past them with a respectful nod as he approached Sugar Belle before they nuzzled each other cheek to cheek.
(Scene changes)
Sometime later, the school bell rang and students ran outside.
But the Cutie Mark Crusaders looked bored as if they had gone through another boring lesson in class today.
"That class was so boring!" Scootaloo said as she groaned.
"Not even Ms. Cheerilee can make the history of radishes exciting." Sweetie Belle grumbled a bit.
"I bet they don't have to learn about that stuff at Twilight and Chase's school." Apple Bloom added as well.
As they headed out, suddenly a flash crashed into them.
"Guess what!" Cozy said excitedly. "I got an A on my homework!"
She brought her sheet with an A as the Cutie Mark Crusaders then lifted her cheerfully as they cheered for her.
"Nice goin'!" Apple Bloom replied.
"And I never could have done it without your help!" Cozy said as she flew down.
"No problem!" Said Sweetie Belle.
"We just wish we could have done more." Said Scootaloo.
"Actually, you can." Cozy said with a smile. "Headmare Twilight is giving us a big test at the end of the week, and I could really use your help studying."
"We wanted to go to Twilight's school more than anything." Said Apple Bloom. "But helpin' you has been even more fun! You can count on us!"
(Scene changes)
Later on, the four young ones went to the park for a picnic, and then set up a few baskets full of apples and carrots, until Cozy Glow found Angel eating a carrot. Sweetie Belle showed a flash card of Rarity's cutie mark.
"Um… intelligence?" Cozy Glow asked meekly as the Cutie Mark Crusaders glanced at each other, knowing she has a lot to learn.
(Scene changes)
The Crusaders and Cozy Glow were painting Applejack's barn. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Cozy high five each other. But Cozy accidentally bucked the ladder that Scootaloo is on. Then her bucket of paint fell and left the three covered in red paint.
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom started laughing as Cozy glance up to Scootaloo. The orange pegasus filly showed a card with Pinkie's cutie mark and Cozy laughed as well.
(Scene changes)
Later, they helped Fluttershy and Sokka in their cottage as they were helping the pegasus couple with the animals.
Cozy was swiping the floor, and accidentally knocked over a bag of bird seeds. She lifted it up and there were still a bit of seeds on the floor. Not wanting to get in trouble, she hid the seeds under the rug. But the Apple Bloom appeared and brought out a card with Applejack's mark.
Soon Cozy uncovers the seeds as a red bird and a Bluejay appears, starting to feed on the seeds.
And the fillies giggled.
(Scene changes)
Later, they were back at the clubhouse helping Cozy make out the Elements of Harmony.
"Laughter?" Cozy guested.
"Yes!" Sweetie Belle said.
The she points to the Element of Magic and the Element of Bravery.
"Is it... control and delusion?" Cozy guested.
Sweetie Belle shook her head with a disappointed look on her face.
(Scene changes)
Sometime later, Pipsqueak was trying to get his kite out from a tree, but it was too high up.
Soon, the Crusaders and Cozy appeared as they saw the problem. Suddenly Cozy flew up, retrieved the kite and handed it to Pipsqueak.
Suddenly there was a gust of wind. And the kite was blown out of his hoof, and Cozy went after it.
Cozy soon got the kite back for him.
(Scene changes)
The other Crusaders then showed Cozy Glow the elements his mother and the others represent. Cozy Glow then remembered.
"Kindness! Loyalty! Honesty! Generosity! Laughter! Magic! Bravery" Cozy said with a bold smile on her face.
The young ones then cheered for Cozy's excellence.
(Scene changes)
Later, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were waiting outside of the School of Friendship. And soon, the students came out. But then, Cozy came out and for some reason looked sad.
"How'd the test go?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Were there essay questions?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Did you remember what we taught you?" Scootaloo asked.
"I... failed!" Cozy Glow replied, before running off crying.
"But how could Cozy Glow fail her friendship test?" Apple Bloom asked.
Then they heard somepony clear her throat as they turned to see Twilight and Chase giving them a very angry look on their faces.
"We would like to see you three in our office!" Twilight said sternly as she and Chase marched inside to their office while the Cutie Mark Crusaders glanced at each other worriedly.
(Scene changes)
Soon they were with Twilight and Chase in their office as Nyx was beside her parents, giving the Cutie Mark Crusaders an angry look as well. At the moment, the alicorn couple were looking at a sheet.
"I know we wanted to be invited inside, but it kinda went different in my head." Scootaloo said quietly to her friends nervously just as Twilight lowered the test onto her desk as she and Chase gave the fillies a stern glare.
"We can't believe you'd do something like this!" Twilight said furiously as the three fillies gave each other a nervous glance before they looked at the royal couple.
"Like what?" Apple Bloom asked.
"You are Cozy Glow's tutors, aren't you?" Twilight asked as she, Nyx, and Chase approached them.
"We've been working with her for days!" Scootaloo replied.
"That's what she told us," Twilight said crossly. "So you've been setting her up to fail?"
"What/How?" The three asked as they got confused.
"I know you're upset that I won't let you come to our school, but to teach Cozy all the wrong things out of spite... That's just cruel!" Said Twilight.
"Are you sure that you taught her the right things?" Chase asked firmly.
"We're absolutely sure," Sweetie Belle replied.
"Well, what we're you thinking, you guys? I didn't like it before you pulled a lot of stunts to embarrass yourselves, but atleast that was a naïve mistake!" Chase furiously and severely said while he scolded the three fillies as they flinched from his attitude. "You know that teaching students holds great responsibility, but you never seem to learn from them! How could you girls do something so stupid?!"
"But we have been teaching Cozy Glow with responsibility, Chase!" Sweetie Belle said as she tried to defend herself and her friends. "We swear that she's been getting all of the correct answers well!"
"Then how do you explain these friendship test answers?" Twilight asked sternly and then read the test. "'What are the seven Elements of Harmony?' Five turtlenecks, a shark's tooth, and a cheese grater? 'Who is the Princess of Friendship?' Your mom? 'Who is the Jiu Jitsu Master?' Your dad?"
"All of those don't sound like good answers, you guys! Those sound like they were all excuses!" Chase said sternly.
"Ah… Ah don't understand." Apple Bloom said in depression.
"Us neither. I never thought you three would pull such a mean prank." Twilight said as she got to the door and opened it. "I'm afraid we're gonna have to ask you to stay away from our school. And our students."
"Also, let's also just say you won't go anywhere near our family or me for a very long time." Chase added firmly.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked at Nyx for help, but by the look she were giving them it was clear that she was very disappointed in them.
"I tried to warn you guys. I told you having to teach somepony was a lot of responsibility." Nyx said disappointedly yet sympathetically.
Seeing that there was no way to talk out of it, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo left the room to leave with sad and ashamed looks, not seeing that the alicorn family gave them a sad look, feeling sorry for themselves as well.
Hiding behind a pillar, Cozy watched them leave.
"Oh, no!" Cozy cried out before she went offscreen somewhere else.
(Scene changes)
Meanwhile, Starlight was arranging her books on her shelf.
"Yay." Starlight said to herself dryly. "Now I'll alphabetize them in reserve order." She sighs. "Not much need for a guidance counselor at a school of friendship."
Then there was a throat clearing sound, making Starlight jump in surprise as she fell off over the stool and Cozy winced.
"How much of that did you hear?!" Starlight asked in surprise while getting up. "Uh, never mind."
She then teleports to her desk, and sets the stool up with an embarrassed smile.
"Welcome!" Starlight said as she laughed nervously. "Can I get you a comfort pillow? Security blanket? Empathy cocoa?"
Cozy went up to her desk and removes the blanket off.
"Uh, I just need some advice." Cozy said.
"Oh! Well, I have plenty of that!" Starlight said. "Anecdotes, insights, midnight confessions... I'm babbling." She then clears her throat. "Go ahead. I'm listening."
"I think I got my friends in trouble." Cozy explained sadly. "They helped me study for my friendship test, and I failed it... on purpose."
"Why would you do that?" Starlight asked. "Uh, sorry. Listening."
She then had a sip of her cocoa.
"Well, the Cutie Mark Crusaders wanted to go to this school more than anything. So I thought if I showed Headmare Twilight and Headstallion Chase they're bad at friendship, she'd let them come here with me."
"That's devious." Starlight said, feeling impressed before she remembered. "I-I mean, I see."
She then had another sir of her cocoa and had a weird kind of stern look on her face.
"I guess I still have a lot to learn about friendship." Said Cozy.
"Actually, I think you're doing it all right." Starlight said as she approached Cozy. "Sure, that was really, really bad way to try to help your friends, but what matters is you wanted to. The reason the Cutie Mark Crusaders don't go to this school is because they'd make better teachers than students."
"So you do have a place for them?" Cozy asked with a hopeful smile
"Hmmm..." Starlight pondered with a thoughtful look.
(Scene changes)
Meanwhile, in Miss Cheerilee's class, the students were cleaning up the classroom as Apple Bloom was scraping gum under the desks.
"I bet there's no "Wondering World of Cleaning" lesson at Twilight and Chase's school." Apple Bloom said as she groaned miserably and annoyingly.
"We'll never find out now." Sweetie Belle said as she continued on cleaning the chalkboard after she coughed a bit from the smoke.
"I still don't get how Cozy failed her test after all that studying?" Scootaloo said as she was on trash duty.
"Or how Twilight, Chase, and Nyx could blame us for it!" Sweetie Belle said sadly.
"Or how gum can be so sticky!" Apple Bloom said in annoyance with some gum stick to her hooves.
Then there was a knock as Starlight came in.
"Sorry to interrupt, Miss Cheerilee." Starlight said as Miss Cheerilee turned to the lilac unicorn. "But can I burrow Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo?"
The three fillies rose their heads from behind the desk with nervous looks.
(Scene changes)
Next thing they knew, they were in Twilight and Chase's office.
Sokka, Clay, Jade, Sunray, Trini, Antonio, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie, Rainbow and Applejack came in. Then Twilight and Chase appeared with a slight spin from their chairs as they faced the three fillies while Darkshine and Nyx appeared next to the alicorn couple as well.
"We didn't do anything wrong! We promise!" Scootaloo shouted with worry, giving out suddenly.
"We know that." Twilight said with a gentle smile. "Now. Which is why we wanted to talk to you."
"And this time, it's a lot different than you kids think. We were wrong to ban you like that." Chase added with a smile.
"Wait. so we're not in trouble?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Just the opposite." Said Starlight as she turned to Cozy. "Cozy Glow, is there something you'd like to say?"
"This is all my fault." Cozy explained with guilt in her voice. "I messed up my test on purpose so we could go to school together. I'm sorry."
"Thank you, Cozy Glow." Said Twilight as she and Chase approached the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Honesty is one of the pillars of friendship." She then turn to Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo. "But you already know that. Which is why we'd like to give you these."
Spike then approaches them, holding a pillow with scrolls. But then he trips and falls as the scrolls landed in front of the Crusaders.
"Smooth move, Spike." Sunray said to the baby dragon with a smirk as Spike smiled at him sheepishly.
They're honorary diplomas, makin' y'all official graduates of this here school!" Applejack said as she took her hat off with a proud smile she sent to Apple Bloom, who smiled in reply.
"You've more than earned them," Rarity added as she placed a hoof on Sweetie Belle and she smiled at her sister.
"Without even having to study!" Rainbow finished as she and Scootaloo shared a hoof bump.
Pinkie cheered for them as the three friends had grad caps placed on their heads thanks to Fluttershy and Sokka's birds.
"We are graduates! We are graduates! We are graduates!" The CMC chanted.
The others just smiled at them as Darkshine chuckled in amusement.
"Now, now, you three. If you want to help us out, you might as well sign up for the worksheets too." Darkshine said as the Cutie Mark Crusaders smiled at him in reply with excitement.
"What are we waitin' for? Let's get tutorin'! Come on, Cozy!" Apple Bloom said as she, Sweetie Belle, Cozy Glow, and Scootaloo exit the office.
That's when Cozy remembered something.
"Oh, golly! Uh, I actually have to be somewhere else right! But I'll catch up with you three later. Okay?" Cozy asked her friends with an over the top smile.
"Oh, sure! No problem! See ya later!" Apple Bloom said as she and her friends exited the office.
"And that's why this school needs you as our guidance counselor," Twilight told Starlight as she smiled with a slight blush, feeling touched.
Nyx, however, felt something was off about Cozy Glow.
"Mommy? When Cozy Glow first came at this school, didn't you and Daddy find it suspicious that she enrolled herself? Assuming that she didn't have a parent or a guardian to enroll her," Nyx asked her parents as they turned to her.
"Maybe, why do you ask?" Twilight answered.
"That seems suspicious to me, since it's almost impossible for a foal to enroll at any school by themselves, don't you think?" Nyx said with concern.
"I admit that it does seem kinda odd, but we're happy to have her as a student," Chase replied before he looked to the window as he saw the four fillies leaving the school happily while his family and friends went out of the office, leaving the alicorn master alone. Something about her though makes him wonder. "Did Cozy really fail her test on purpose? What if she's hiding something she doesn't want us to find out?"
(Scene changes)
A little while later, Cozy Glow flew into the Everfree Forest and landed on the ground. Walking around a pine tree, she looks around with a glare to see if anyone was going to be here with her. She stops in the middle of a pathway, looking around with a small glare.
Then there was a growl as appearing from behind the trees slowly were a group of Pyroquin and Protoquin soldiers, making her turn slowly to face them.
Suddenly, a dark figure circles her. It was Kai.
"Why are you here? Student." Kai said to Cozy as she turned to him.
"There's been a miracle." Cozy said with a devious smirk as Tai Lung and Lightning Dust appeared next to Kai. "The artifacts are located in the chest Twilight and Chase have made for protection and they've ridiculously thought they were safe. It won't be easy to get them, but if we can, we can finally have the vortex ready to drain all of the magic so that the Elite Ninja won't get any idea of what's going to happen."
As she explained, Kai circled around her with a firm glare with his arms behind his back.
"Our Quinkan will have unlimited power and you will have your revenge on Chase Young." Kai said to Cozy as he stopped in front of the pegasus filly.
"Equestria will be ours once the magic is sucked to the Netherworld." Cozy said with a sinister smile as Kai smirked in reply.
"Then the hour of our time to get a hold on those artifacts is at hand. We must ensure that Chase does not get in the way." Kai said with a sinister smile. "And that's where you come in. And I am certain that you easily framed those three pathetic fillies as well?"
"Yes. Don't worry, Kai. It was totally easy before I had to stomach those words. The sooner that we have Chase framed and banished to the Wasteland far away from here, we'll have everything ready." Cozy Glow said to her master reassuringly.
Kai nods.
"Good. Now I want you to make sure those ponies won't get any idea of what will happen at the school." Kai instructed his student. "Since you have mastered the Dark Arts of Deception and Manipulation, it will be the perfect opportunity to fool those pathetic heroes for good."
"Ohhh, I can't wait to make sure Chase knows where his place is at." Cozy said with a sinister smile before she glared at the direction on where the School of Friendship was at. "Now that he's almost falling for my trick, I'm going to make sure he gets what he deserves soon enough. Revenge is so bittersweet."
Cozy Glow then chuckled with a manic grin on her face.
