What Ifby LightningTuneChaptersThat's MISS Sparkle To YouAgoraphobiaDresses and Dogs Part 1Dresses and Dogs Part 2Pinkie's Super Stupendous Balloon StandThat's MISS Sparkle To YouTwilight arranged the things on her desk in a neat little row. "Pens and pencils on the far left, papers on the far right, my mid-morning snack in the middle, and my mid-afternoon snack next to my beige coffee cup on the end table." She said to herself with a proud smile on her face. "An organized desk is an organized mind!" She thought. A neat and orderly workplace was one of her few pleasures in life, and she loved it that way. "U-uh Ms. S-Sparkle? Can I come in p-please?" Twilight looked up from her work, "Oh, Springwings, hello! Yes, come in." Springwings slowly shuffled to her seat in the front row of the classroom. Then she got out her baby-blue notebook, the same color as her coat, and copied the agenda on the board to her notebook. Twilight smiled to herself and resumed her work. "Such a good student," she thought, Comes in, does her work, and leaves. Unlike her peers. As if on queue, five other ponies trotted into the room. "...And then I said, Pretty Petals, if you cut your mane yourself, you might as well be as poor as Raggedy Rugs!" The other four students laughed in unison, as their leader, Golden Peaches, flipped her mane proudly at the juicy gossip she just shared. "Ohhh, look at the dweeb sitting all alone!" Creamdream snickered. "Yeah, she always gets here early, 'cause she doesn't talk to anyone!" Basketball Blitz whispered. Twilight could hear every word, but she made a promise to herself to never get involved in, "immature squabbles". So she simply whipped off her hooves with a cloth, and approached the board to write the daily response question. Springwings could also hear every mean word, and could feel a lump materializing in her throat. But she forbid herself from crying. One mare from the group came up to Springwings and sneered, "Where do you get your mane cut, dweeb?" "Me?...W-well, actually, my c-cousin F-flutter-" " I was just kidding! I don't care about your stupid excuse for a mane!" Springwings agitator injected. Springwings whimpered in response, and the mare went back to her group, who was now crowding around Basketball Blitz's desk in the back of the room. Twilight cleared her throat and called for the classes attention, as now almost all the rows of desks in the classroom were occupied with students. The group of troublemakers rolled their eyes and went off to their own desks. "Welcome back from spring break class," Twilight began, "We've got a lot to cover, so sit up straight, and answer the response question on the board, 'If two Pegasi were traveling at 20 miles per hour for three hours, but one started flying seven minutes before the other one, how many yards did that pegasus travel?'" After about six minutes of silent voices and the sounds of pencils scratching paper, one student raised their hand. "Yes, AppleCider?" "How do you spell "traveling", Mrs. Sparkle? "Ask another student, and it's MISS Sparkle, AppleCider." Twilight sighed. She loved her job...really, she did. But Twilight sometimes wished she had pursued a different career than lecturing a group of ungrateful teenage delinquents who didn't know how to spell!...B-but she loved her job...really. She could remember the very day she applied for a teaching position at Canterlot High... Twilight's legs were shaking so hard she could have sworn it wasn't her and there was and actual earthquake under her feet. "I can't do this. I can't do this. I really can't do this." Twilight thought. "...NO! Nono...no,I can do this?...I can do this! I can, and I will, because I have worked too hard! I have worked too hard for this job and I must and I will!" Twilight was so caught up in motivating herself that she failed to notice that she had completely stopped walking and was now still as a statue in the middle of the school entrance. A pure white unicorn with a purple mane walked by her, and considered saying something to her, but she was late to get home to her daughter, and she was not one for being late. Twilight finally snapped out of her daze and walked up to the entrance. The hallway was dimly lit as she walked to the front office. She was expecting cold, hard eyes, asking her questions she didn't know the answer to. Instead, she was greeted by a friendly secretary, and a few minutes after that, a friendly stallion in a blazer and tie. "Thank you for coming so early in the morning, Miss Sparkle! I'm CheerBolt! I'm in charge of the job interviews, now if you'll just follow me," They walked in silence until they reached the office. Twilight sat down in a chair, and CheerBolt began, "So Miss Sparkle, do you have any previous job experience?" "Um, I-no" "Hmm, okay, do you have any foals in high school right now?" "No." " What made you interested in becoming a teacher?" " Well, I...I think its important to teach young minds what they need to know." Twilight was also going to say that she was a great speaker, and that people enjoyed her teaching, but those would be lies, because she didn't know if she was capable of being a great speaker, and she didn't really have any friends that enjoyed her teaching. Her friends mostly liked to drink tea at The Sugar House, formally known as "Sugarcube Corner", and talk about how lousy the weather was. After the job interview, Cheerbolt said he would call her in a day or so, but Twilight knew she shouldn't get too hopeful. After all, she wasn't very experienced, its not like she was some sort of prodigy, or genius. But soon enough, she got a call the next day. That was the best day of her life. Whenever Twilight felt lonely, she thought of that wonderful memory. "See?" She would tell herself," You don't need "real" friends. Your students are nice enough, your apartment is clean, and you enjoy your job." It never occurred to her that five other ponies all scattered across Equestria, were thinking a similar thought. Author's Note Well, there it is, my first chapter. I'm a newbie at this, so I know the format is probably shabby, but please, feel free to comment on this chapter, and all the ones after it. But seriously, no mean stuff. That never does any good for anyone. Agoraphobia"Okay Angel, go check the house for me." Angel rolled his eyes. Not this again! He thought. Every single day, he would go to each and every room. Make sure there were no intruders. Then came the part he hated the most. He checked every window, all 15 of them. Made sure they were locked. Made sure the blinds covered them. Then the doors. The three doors leading to the outside. All of them had to be locked. Angel hopped to Fluttershy's bedroom to let her know the house was secure. He gave a small nod and Fluttershy slowly walked downstairs. She let out a relaxed sigh and picked up the newspaper. "Angel, look at this!", Search For Elements of Harmony Suspended, Researchers at a Dead End Millions of bits spent on search for the Elements have gone to waste as researchers at Canterlot University state that they have no possible lead at this point. "The only way we could possibly find any evidence that they even exist would take a miracle!" Dr. Sprints of Canterlot Center for History and Artifacts states. "Hm, well that's a shame." Suddenly Angel stomped his feet in annoyance. "Goodness Angel, it's not the end of the world! What's gotten into you?" The tiny bunny just stuck his tongue out at the pegasus, that would show her for being so naive. Just then, there was a knock at the door. And Mt. Fluttershy erupted. "Angel?! Angel did you lock the doors? Tell me you locked the doors Angel Bunny!" Fluttershy started taking heaving breathes. The walls were closing in. Fluttershy hoped and prayed that whoever or whatever was knocking would go away. That they would just leave. But they knocked again, three times. It wasn't a monster or any intruder of any kind. It was just the mail pony, well the regular mail pony was sick, so this one didn't know any better. He had no idea to just leave the package on the doorstep, Fluttershy needed to sign it. "Hello? Anybody home? I've got a package here that needs your signature!" "J-just go away! Please. Please just l-leave it on the porch!" "But-" "Leave or I swear to Celestia, I will call the police!" "Mam, it's just a package! Says here it's from a, "Mrs. Potion Perfection". Fluttershy gasped. Potion Perfection was an old friend of hers. Her only old friend, as a matter of fact. She used to be her therapist, but Fluttershy stopped visiting after she was too afraid to even step foot outside her house. Why would she send her a gift now? "Well, if you really don't want to come out, I'll leave it here." With that, the mail pony left to finish his job. Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief. She slowly approached the door, hooves shaking, and turned the handle.The sunlight made Fluttershy's eyes throb, but she didn't give them time to adjust as she quickly grabbed the present and dashed quickly back into her home. Her heart was still racing, she would never get used to opening that door. Angel grabbed the scissors and started cutting open the top of the box. "What do you think it is Angel? I can't imagine what she could possibly want to send me." Angel just shrugged. He wasn't the talkative type. Fluttershy peered into the box. It was still covered in bubble wrap and packing peanuts, but she could see a glint of something, jewelry, maybe? All of a sudden, Fluttershy felt a gust of wind on her back, she turned around. The door had been left open! Leaves, and dirt, and dust, and all things dangerous to poor Fluttershy invaded her home. This was crossing the line. Fluttershy's heart couldn't take it. She blacked out. "How is she doctor?" "Oh she'll be okay. This isn't the first time she's done this you know." Fluttershy's eyes flickered open, and she immediately felt a sharp pain in her forehead. "What happened?" Fluttershy whispered, her throat dry. "Well Fluttershy, it looks like you had another panic attack. But you're safe now." "Where's Angel Bunny?" "You're rabbit? Well funny story, he actually called an ambulance, and of course we couldn't understand him, but it sounded like something was wrong, so the paramedics arrived and you were passed out on the kitchen floor. He's in the visitors center." "Oh, why does my head hurt so much?" "You banged your head on the counter as you fell probably. Don't worry, we stitched it up, but it'll leave a nasty bump." Fluttershy didn't ask anymore questions. She knew the routine. They would call a psychiatrist, talk about what was wrong with her, suggest some kind of therapy or medication, and all would be well until a month later, when the prescription medication needed a refill and she couldn't leave her house. But suddenly Fluttershy remembered something. "Wait, what about my package, I-I was opening it, and I never got to-" "Don't worry about that, your house stays locked up until you return, you can open it then." The doctor said. Fluttershy felt mildly better, but she was still anxious about the package. What was it? Oh well, she would find out as soon as she got home, but for now, she would rest. Author's Note No, Fluttershy isn't a vampire no matter how much you want her to be.;-] Hope you guys didn't feel like this update took too long! And happy valentines day! P.S- I'm currently working on a new story so keep an eye out for that too! Dresses and Dogs Part 1"Darling, this color is simply magnificent on you!" Rarity gushed. "Really, I can't express how darling you look, darling!" Rarity just knew that this particular fashion show was going to be absolutely smashing. She had already called all her friends and coworkers and invited them to come. She had even got a hold of someone who knew a mare, who knew a mare, who knew a stallion, who knew a cousin of Fancy Pants. This fashion show was going to be the highlight of her year! "Oh, please don't eat that! No! Not the glitter! Oh, Fluffy! What would the animal shelter say if they saw you acting up like this?!" Of course, she would need to train the dogs a little more. But she would manage. She always does. "Mommy, can I hold Wags?" "No, Velvet Silk! Wags is going to be dewormed in a few minutes." "Okay.....mommy?" "Yes, Velvet?" Rarity sighed. "Will we ever get a pet?" "Oh, I don't think so, darling." "But all the ponys watching the animal shows get to adopt the animals! Why can't we?" "I told you Velvet, it's the fashion shows. And mommy is just too busy to actually take care of these pets. It's much easier to just have the animal shelter do it." "Okay, but what about a fish or something? Those are easy to take care of, right?" Rarity looked into her daughter's huge, green eyes. Her purple mane would need to be curled soon, and her ruby-red coat was filthy! "...Mommy?" " I think you need to get a manecut soon, Velvet." "Are you even listening?" "I told you no, darling! Now help me clean up Fluffy's mess." *************************************************************** The project was almost complete. Rarity just needed to speak with a few more important ponies. Unfortunately, those important ponies wanted to meet with Rarity at the exact same time as her daughter's ballet recital. Oh well, it would have to wait. The recital, that is. How do you tell your daughter that you are too busy to come to the most important night of her life?, Rarity thought. While she was mulling the thought over, she didn't even realize that her filly had come back from school and seen the calender on the kitchen table, with the ballet recital crossed-out in red pen. Unfortunately her filly was not very happy about that. "Mommy?" "...Oh! Welcome home, Velvet. Did you have a nice da-" "What's this?" The filly injected. "What's what, darling?" Velvet Silk shoved the calender in her mother's face, as if to exclaim, "that's what". "Get that out of my face! Goodness gracious, Velvet!" Rarity exclaimed. "Why is my recital scribbled-out? I thought you said you were going!" "Darling, I-" "You are still going, aren't you?" Velvet Silk asked. Rarity quickly turned on "Mommy-Mode". "Darling, mommy has to go talk to some special ponies, so they can sponsor the fashion show, so mommy can get money, so mommy won't lose her job!" After those last few words, Rarity took a deep breath and gave her daughter her best, "you understand, right?" smile. Unfortunately Velvet Silk was a very smart 7-year-old, and as such did not fall for that crap. "Mommy, that's cheap. Don't you care about me more than some job?" No, actually. I care about you and this job equally, is what Rarity felt tempted to say, but of course she wouldn't dare say that out-loud. Now, it's not that Rarity didn't care about her daughter. On the contrary, Rarity cared about her daughter very, very, very much. But she also cared about her job very, very, very much. So they were equally important to her. Some might say that that's not good enough, and that Rarity should have loved her daughter much more than her job. But Rarity disagreed. If she loved and cared about her daughter very, very, very much, than shouldn't that be enough? Shouldn't it not matter if she cared about her job equally? Well, that's what Rarity thought. But what she said was, "Yes, darling. I care about you much more than some silly job!" "Then go to my ballet recital instead! Show me that you care more, mommy!" "Darling, I can't do that." "Why?!" "I just can't! And that's final!" "Rrrrrrggg! I hate you! I hate you!" "Velvet-!" Velvet Silk stared into her mother's eyes with rage. "I wish I could go live with daddy! 'Cause he's better than you!" Velvet ran out of the kitchen before her mother could even blink. Rarity could hear her stomping up the stairs as her tears softly hit the kitchen counter. Dresses and Dogs Part 2So what if Velvet Silk hates my guts right now? I can manage. She'll get over it, right? Right! Of course she will, Rarity! She's only seven, and fillies her age get over stuff quickly. Pause. Shouldn't I...like, maybe...talk to her...maybe? "Ms. Rarity?" What if she doesn't want to talk to me, and it just makes her even more upset? "Ms. Rarity." But she might just be even more upset if I don't... "Ms. Rarity!" "Hm? Yes, darling?" "Please call me Mister Manager, Ms. Rarity." Rarity couldn't help but wonder who would actually name their foal, "Mister Manager." What did it say on the birth certificate? First Name: Mister, Last Name: Manager? "Ms. Rarity, will you please try to pay attention?" Seriously, what was up with that? Didn't his parents love him enough to at least- "Ms. Rarity if you don't start taking this meeting seriously, I'm afraid I have to-" "Ah! Sorry, sorry! My mind has been elsewhere lately." "Now then, I would like to discuss the funding of the pet fashion show this weekend." "Of course, darling-oh! Er, Mister Manager." "Now, my company's statistics rate," Blah, blah, blah. Numbers. Blah, blarg, funding. Business business numbers business statistics blah. Rarity didn't care. What she did care about what thinking about what to say to her distraught daughter at home. But, finally, Rarity faked through the meeting and somehow got funding for the fashion show. As she was walking out of the building, she passed by a very worried-looking purple unicorn. She was going to say something to her, but she was late. She needed to get home to her precious little filly. She looked at her watch as she walked home. It was six 'o clock, so the recital should've been done by then. Velvet would have walked home and be waiting for her mother in the kitchen. When Rarity got home, she opened the door to find that Velvet wasn't in the kitchen. Or the living room. Or the bathroom, bedrooms, or laundry room. Rarity panicked. "Yes, officer. She's about 3 feet and 5 inches tall. Yes, okay. Appearance? Well, she's got a red coat, and a purple mane. Green eyes, and freckles.", "No, no cutie mark." After a few minutes of talking on the phone, Rarity said goodbye and decided that she should call the school. But unfortunately they had not seen her either. Velvet's teacher said that she saw her leave after the performance to walk home. Rarity thanked her for the information and hung up. How am I going to do this?, Rarity thought. She called the school, she called the police station, she had even called the neighbors. Where was she? Suddenly it dawned on her, Rarity knew where she was. And she was not happy. Not happy at all. Rarity got out of the carriage and tipped the driver. She slowly turned to look at the scene as the driver trotted away. She had always hated the sight of Sweet Apple Acres. Rarity stepped up to the porch, and hesitated before knocking at the oak door. After waiting for what seemed like forever, the door creaked open. "Hello?" Big Mac asked. Rarity tried to keep herself calm and sophisticated, but it was no use. "H-hello, Macintosh." She cringed. "Here to get Velvet?" He asked. They stared at each other, stone-faced [or at least, Big Mac was] until Rarity cleared her throat and answered him. "Y-yes. Yes I am." She let herself in the doorway, "Velvet, darling? It's mommy!" Apple Bloom, who seemed much taller than Rarity remembered, trotted down the stairs and smiled at Rarity. "Hey, Rarity! Wanna see mah new cutie mark?" Apple Bloom asked. Rarity was still trying to process the fact that Apple Bloom was no longer eight years old. It hadn't been that long since they saw each other, right? Apple Bloom turned to the side to show off her cutie mark. It was a paintbrush painting a picture of an apple. "T-that's wonderful, darling. Tell me, have you seen Velvet?" Apple Bloom looked down at her hooves for a second, then up at Big Mac. He nodded his head. "She's hiding up in mah room." She said. Rarity calmly trotted up the stairs, and started past the rooms. She glanced at one boarded-up room. That must have been Apple Bloom's sister's room. Rarity had heard her mention her before, but they had never met. When Rarity came to Apple Bloom's door, she could hear it being locked from the inside. She sighed and knocked on the door. "Velvet, please come out! I'm sorry, do you want to talk about it?" "No, mommy!" She could hear from the other side. "Why, Velvet?" There was a pause. "'Cause I want to stay with daddy forever!" "Velvet, you don't mean that." Rarity said. It sounded as if she was reassuring herself rather than her daughter. "Mommy, I don't lie! Lying's bad! I really love daddy-maybe even more than you!" Velvet Silk answered. That was poor Rarity's breaking point. The entire stress of the day had piled up like a mountain of gasoline-soaked lumber and Velvet's remark was the match. Rarity broke-down into tears. Apple Bloom and Big Mac appeared at the top of the stairs and watched Rarity cry at Apple Bloom's door. Neither of them knew whether to comfort her or not. "Velvet-darling, I'm so, so s-sorry! I try so hard to be a good mother, but I-I just-it's so hard! Please don't hate me! I love you! I really, really do!" Rarity sobbed. After a few moments of Rarity's crying, Velvet slowly opened the door. She looked down at her mother and gave her the biggest hug a seven-year-old filly could. Rarity hugged her daughter back and nuzzled her nose. "Mommy?" "Yes, darling?" Rarity sniffed. "When I said I don't lie, that was a lie. I think I do lie, mommy. I'm sorry for lying." Rarity smiled and looked at Velvet Silk in the eyes. "It's okay, Velvet. You didn't mean it." "I know, mommy." Big Mac approached them and gave a half-hearted smile. "Ah think it's time for y'all to go." Rarity looked at her ex-husband and then at her child. She stood up and left, with Velvet at her side. They called a carriage and began the trip home. When they turned into their street, Velvet Silk suddenly gasped. "What is it, darling?" Rarity asked. "Mommy, look! All the pets!" Sure enough, all the 'fashion show' animals had broken free of the fence that had imprisoned them and were now running around freely. To add insult-to-injury, the volunteer pet show inspectors had decided that right then would be a good time to check on how the show was coming along. When Rarity rushed out of the car, she was greeted by a group of angry ponies, who gave Rarity an angry lecture and a truck-load of cold glares. The show was officially canceled. After the inspectors left and the animals were all taken back to their original place, Rarity and Velvet finally settled down and went to bed. In the middle of the night, Rarity awoke to her door opening and two green eyes poking into her room. "Mommy?" Velvet whispered. "Yes, darling?" Rarity sat up on the edge of the bed, and Velvet hopped up next to her. "What are you going to do now? The pet show's canceled, mommy." "I know, Velvet. I think I might just do something else for a while. You know, I could always try and make some clothes out of the scraps I saved for the pet show." Rarity said. "Really? Do you think I could help?" Velvet asked, staring into her mother's eyes. Rarity started to say no, but then she saw the look of pure hope in her daughter's eyes. She kissed Velvet on her forehead and said, "I think that would be wonderful, Velvet." "Wow! You're serious? Yay! Thanks mommy!" Velvet seemed to ponder something for a moment, and then said, "Mommy, maybe I'll even get my cutie mark! Do you think it'll be like yours?" Rarity smiled, "Maybe it will, darling." Author's Note Yeah! I'm back, female dogs! And you all thought I had given up on this story! Shame! Actually, I couldn't blame you, I almost gave up on it myself, but I was like, y'know what? Rarity and Velvet need to get their crap sorted out, so- BAM! Pinkie's Super Stupendous Balloon Stand"Pinkie Pie, are we there yet?" "Not yet silly-billy! It will be at least a half-hour before we get to Ponyville, Gummy!" Gummy slowly blinked his eyes at the pink mare. Pinkie Pie knew Gummy didn't actually talk to her, but it was fun to move his mouth like a puppet, and pretend he was. "But soon I'll get to talk to some ponies! In just a bit, me and 'ole Gummy here will be in a real town!" Pinkie thought. It excited her to know that she wouldn't be hauling her balloon cart around the Everfree forest much longer. In fact, she couldn't wait to spread some cheer! She sure could use some herself, she mumbled. "Gummy, Gummy look look lookie!!! There it is thereitisthereitisthereitisthereitis!" She screamed as she took off running for the village. But then she realized that she left her cart, and her best friend, still in the forest. She turned around and walked back, a huge smile still plastered on her face. "Woopsie! Come on, follow me! Let's go sell some balloons to these nice ponies!" ***************************************** Pinkie Pie and Gummy were exhausted already, and they weren't even halfway through Ponyville. Pinkie started to begin to feel very depressed. Again. But then something caught her eye, "Excuse me, do you need help?" Pinkie Pie called to a couple standing outside a bright, candy-themed shop. "No, we-we just..." A yellow coated stallion started, but began to sob uncontrollably. "We just closed down our bakery, SugarCube Corner. We don't need any help, but thank you for asking." A mare holding two crying foals said. "Oh..." Pinkie said, trying to sound disappointed, when in reality, she was hoping they would say that. She had a lot of ground to cover, and it would be hard to help them and still get done in time. So she hopped along, until she came to a big, dome shaped building. Wow! she thought, What a super-duper looking place! I'll bet there are lots of customers in there! She trotted up to the entrance of the building, and she now could clearly read the sign that read, Rainbow Dash's Awesome Flying School. Pinkie Pie and Gummy walked inside, and Pinkie was amazed at all the pegasi flying about. Soon, little colts and fillies crowded around the balloon stand, trying to get a better look at all the colorful knickknacks. "Don't worry little foals, there are plenty of balloons for all of ya!" Pinkie began. "Hey! What did I tell you guys about taking unnecessary breaks?" A rainbow-maned pegasus shouted at the foals. "We just-" "And don't talk back to me Wind Skimmer!" " Yes coach..." "Now everypony, back to your stations!" Pinkie Pie guessed that this place wasn't going to be much fun, so she turned around and started back outside. "Hey you, the one with the alligator!" She turned around to address whoever called to her, and met eyes with the coach. "Y-yes?" "Don't come here to sell your stupid balloons anymore!" "Okay." Pinkie's hair layed flat, as she sulked away. Suddenly, a familiar voice in her head greeted her, She can't talk to you like that, make her pay, make them all pay. Turn around! Hit her, kick her, bite her! She deserves it! Do it now! Now! No! I won't! Maybe shes a little grumpy, but I'm sure she's just having a bad da- Be quiet and listen to meeeeee! You've gone soft! You think you're funny don't you? Well, you're just weak! And useless! Now listen! Listen- "Hey! I told you to scram!" The now very angry pegasus instructor snarled. Pinkie Pie slowly breathed in and out, just like her therapist told her to. She calmly left the building, and her mean voice in her head subsided.Finally...peace. She thought. But what if the meanie voice comes back? I don't like it! I really don't! Well...right now...I think me and Gummy have more important things to worry about... Pinkie said to herself as she glanced up at the sky. It was now night and she could see black storm clouds rolling in. She knew she had to find shelter, and fast. "Come on Gummy, let's go find a place to set up camp!" "Yay!" Gummy replied? They searched and searched, and finally came to a cute little inn, and though Pinkie didn't have enough bits to pay for the room, the clerk told them that Pinkie could pay it back a day from tomorrow. See? Pinkie told herself, Everything is going great! You have a place to stay for the night, the mean voice is gone, and most importantly, You have Gummy! What more could she possibly need?
That's MISS Sparkle To YouTwilight arranged the things on her desk in a neat little row. "Pens and pencils on the far left, papers on the far right, my mid-morning snack in the middle, and my mid-afternoon snack next to my beige coffee cup on the end table." She said to herself with a proud smile on her face. "An organized desk is an organized mind!" She thought. A neat and orderly workplace was one of her few pleasures in life, and she loved it that way. "U-uh Ms. S-Sparkle? Can I come in p-please?" Twilight looked up from her work, "Oh, Springwings, hello! Yes, come in." Springwings slowly shuffled to her seat in the front row of the classroom. Then she got out her baby-blue notebook, the same color as her coat, and copied the agenda on the board to her notebook. Twilight smiled to herself and resumed her work. "Such a good student," she thought, Comes in, does her work, and leaves. Unlike her peers. As if on queue, five other ponies trotted into the room. "...And then I said, Pretty Petals, if you cut your mane yourself, you might as well be as poor as Raggedy Rugs!" The other four students laughed in unison, as their leader, Golden Peaches, flipped her mane proudly at the juicy gossip she just shared. "Ohhh, look at the dweeb sitting all alone!" Creamdream snickered. "Yeah, she always gets here early, 'cause she doesn't talk to anyone!" Basketball Blitz whispered. Twilight could hear every word, but she made a promise to herself to never get involved in, "immature squabbles". So she simply whipped off her hooves with a cloth, and approached the board to write the daily response question. Springwings could also hear every mean word, and could feel a lump materializing in her throat. But she forbid herself from crying. One mare from the group came up to Springwings and sneered, "Where do you get your mane cut, dweeb?" "Me?...W-well, actually, my c-cousin F-flutter-" " I was just kidding! I don't care about your stupid excuse for a mane!" Springwings agitator injected. Springwings whimpered in response, and the mare went back to her group, who was now crowding around Basketball Blitz's desk in the back of the room. Twilight cleared her throat and called for the classes attention, as now almost all the rows of desks in the classroom were occupied with students. The group of troublemakers rolled their eyes and went off to their own desks. "Welcome back from spring break class," Twilight began, "We've got a lot to cover, so sit up straight, and answer the response question on the board, 'If two Pegasi were traveling at 20 miles per hour for three hours, but one started flying seven minutes before the other one, how many yards did that pegasus travel?'" After about six minutes of silent voices and the sounds of pencils scratching paper, one student raised their hand. "Yes, AppleCider?" "How do you spell "traveling", Mrs. Sparkle? "Ask another student, and it's MISS Sparkle, AppleCider." Twilight sighed. She loved her job...really, she did. But Twilight sometimes wished she had pursued a different career than lecturing a group of ungrateful teenage delinquents who didn't know how to spell!...B-but she loved her job...really. She could remember the very day she applied for a teaching position at Canterlot High... Twilight's legs were shaking so hard she could have sworn it wasn't her and there was and actual earthquake under her feet. "I can't do this. I can't do this. I really can't do this." Twilight thought. "...NO! Nono...no,I can do this?...I can do this! I can, and I will, because I have worked too hard! I have worked too hard for this job and I must and I will!" Twilight was so caught up in motivating herself that she failed to notice that she had completely stopped walking and was now still as a statue in the middle of the school entrance. A pure white unicorn with a purple mane walked by her, and considered saying something to her, but she was late to get home to her daughter, and she was not one for being late. Twilight finally snapped out of her daze and walked up to the entrance. The hallway was dimly lit as she walked to the front office. She was expecting cold, hard eyes, asking her questions she didn't know the answer to. Instead, she was greeted by a friendly secretary, and a few minutes after that, a friendly stallion in a blazer and tie. "Thank you for coming so early in the morning, Miss Sparkle! I'm CheerBolt! I'm in charge of the job interviews, now if you'll just follow me," They walked in silence until they reached the office. Twilight sat down in a chair, and CheerBolt began, "So Miss Sparkle, do you have any previous job experience?" "Um, I-no" "Hmm, okay, do you have any foals in high school right now?" "No." " What made you interested in becoming a teacher?" " Well, I...I think its important to teach young minds what they need to know." Twilight was also going to say that she was a great speaker, and that people enjoyed her teaching, but those would be lies, because she didn't know if she was capable of being a great speaker, and she didn't really have any friends that enjoyed her teaching. Her friends mostly liked to drink tea at The Sugar House, formally known as "Sugarcube Corner", and talk about how lousy the weather was. After the job interview, Cheerbolt said he would call her in a day or so, but Twilight knew she shouldn't get too hopeful. After all, she wasn't very experienced, its not like she was some sort of prodigy, or genius. But soon enough, she got a call the next day. That was the best day of her life. Whenever Twilight felt lonely, she thought of that wonderful memory. "See?" She would tell herself," You don't need "real" friends. Your students are nice enough, your apartment is clean, and you enjoy your job." It never occurred to her that five other ponies all scattered across Equestria, were thinking a similar thought. Author's Note Well, there it is, my first chapter. I'm a newbie at this, so I know the format is probably shabby, but please, feel free to comment on this chapter, and all the ones after it. But seriously, no mean stuff. That never does any good for anyone.
Agoraphobia"Okay Angel, go check the house for me." Angel rolled his eyes. Not this again! He thought. Every single day, he would go to each and every room. Make sure there were no intruders. Then came the part he hated the most. He checked every window, all 15 of them. Made sure they were locked. Made sure the blinds covered them. Then the doors. The three doors leading to the outside. All of them had to be locked. Angel hopped to Fluttershy's bedroom to let her know the house was secure. He gave a small nod and Fluttershy slowly walked downstairs. She let out a relaxed sigh and picked up the newspaper. "Angel, look at this!", Search For Elements of Harmony Suspended, Researchers at a Dead End Millions of bits spent on search for the Elements have gone to waste as researchers at Canterlot University state that they have no possible lead at this point. "The only way we could possibly find any evidence that they even exist would take a miracle!" Dr. Sprints of Canterlot Center for History and Artifacts states. "Hm, well that's a shame." Suddenly Angel stomped his feet in annoyance. "Goodness Angel, it's not the end of the world! What's gotten into you?" The tiny bunny just stuck his tongue out at the pegasus, that would show her for being so naive. Just then, there was a knock at the door. And Mt. Fluttershy erupted. "Angel?! Angel did you lock the doors? Tell me you locked the doors Angel Bunny!" Fluttershy started taking heaving breathes. The walls were closing in. Fluttershy hoped and prayed that whoever or whatever was knocking would go away. That they would just leave. But they knocked again, three times. It wasn't a monster or any intruder of any kind. It was just the mail pony, well the regular mail pony was sick, so this one didn't know any better. He had no idea to just leave the package on the doorstep, Fluttershy needed to sign it. "Hello? Anybody home? I've got a package here that needs your signature!" "J-just go away! Please. Please just l-leave it on the porch!" "But-" "Leave or I swear to Celestia, I will call the police!" "Mam, it's just a package! Says here it's from a, "Mrs. Potion Perfection". Fluttershy gasped. Potion Perfection was an old friend of hers. Her only old friend, as a matter of fact. She used to be her therapist, but Fluttershy stopped visiting after she was too afraid to even step foot outside her house. Why would she send her a gift now? "Well, if you really don't want to come out, I'll leave it here." With that, the mail pony left to finish his job. Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief. She slowly approached the door, hooves shaking, and turned the handle.The sunlight made Fluttershy's eyes throb, but she didn't give them time to adjust as she quickly grabbed the present and dashed quickly back into her home. Her heart was still racing, she would never get used to opening that door. Angel grabbed the scissors and started cutting open the top of the box. "What do you think it is Angel? I can't imagine what she could possibly want to send me." Angel just shrugged. He wasn't the talkative type. Fluttershy peered into the box. It was still covered in bubble wrap and packing peanuts, but she could see a glint of something, jewelry, maybe? All of a sudden, Fluttershy felt a gust of wind on her back, she turned around. The door had been left open! Leaves, and dirt, and dust, and all things dangerous to poor Fluttershy invaded her home. This was crossing the line. Fluttershy's heart couldn't take it. She blacked out. "How is she doctor?" "Oh she'll be okay. This isn't the first time she's done this you know." Fluttershy's eyes flickered open, and she immediately felt a sharp pain in her forehead. "What happened?" Fluttershy whispered, her throat dry. "Well Fluttershy, it looks like you had another panic attack. But you're safe now." "Where's Angel Bunny?" "You're rabbit? Well funny story, he actually called an ambulance, and of course we couldn't understand him, but it sounded like something was wrong, so the paramedics arrived and you were passed out on the kitchen floor. He's in the visitors center." "Oh, why does my head hurt so much?" "You banged your head on the counter as you fell probably. Don't worry, we stitched it up, but it'll leave a nasty bump." Fluttershy didn't ask anymore questions. She knew the routine. They would call a psychiatrist, talk about what was wrong with her, suggest some kind of therapy or medication, and all would be well until a month later, when the prescription medication needed a refill and she couldn't leave her house. But suddenly Fluttershy remembered something. "Wait, what about my package, I-I was opening it, and I never got to-" "Don't worry about that, your house stays locked up until you return, you can open it then." The doctor said. Fluttershy felt mildly better, but she was still anxious about the package. What was it? Oh well, she would find out as soon as she got home, but for now, she would rest. Author's Note No, Fluttershy isn't a vampire no matter how much you want her to be.;-] Hope you guys didn't feel like this update took too long! And happy valentines day! P.S- I'm currently working on a new story so keep an eye out for that too!
Dresses and Dogs Part 1"Darling, this color is simply magnificent on you!" Rarity gushed. "Really, I can't express how darling you look, darling!" Rarity just knew that this particular fashion show was going to be absolutely smashing. She had already called all her friends and coworkers and invited them to come. She had even got a hold of someone who knew a mare, who knew a mare, who knew a stallion, who knew a cousin of Fancy Pants. This fashion show was going to be the highlight of her year! "Oh, please don't eat that! No! Not the glitter! Oh, Fluffy! What would the animal shelter say if they saw you acting up like this?!" Of course, she would need to train the dogs a little more. But she would manage. She always does. "Mommy, can I hold Wags?" "No, Velvet Silk! Wags is going to be dewormed in a few minutes." "Okay.....mommy?" "Yes, Velvet?" Rarity sighed. "Will we ever get a pet?" "Oh, I don't think so, darling." "But all the ponys watching the animal shows get to adopt the animals! Why can't we?" "I told you Velvet, it's the fashion shows. And mommy is just too busy to actually take care of these pets. It's much easier to just have the animal shelter do it." "Okay, but what about a fish or something? Those are easy to take care of, right?" Rarity looked into her daughter's huge, green eyes. Her purple mane would need to be curled soon, and her ruby-red coat was filthy! "...Mommy?" " I think you need to get a manecut soon, Velvet." "Are you even listening?" "I told you no, darling! Now help me clean up Fluffy's mess." *************************************************************** The project was almost complete. Rarity just needed to speak with a few more important ponies. Unfortunately, those important ponies wanted to meet with Rarity at the exact same time as her daughter's ballet recital. Oh well, it would have to wait. The recital, that is. How do you tell your daughter that you are too busy to come to the most important night of her life?, Rarity thought. While she was mulling the thought over, she didn't even realize that her filly had come back from school and seen the calender on the kitchen table, with the ballet recital crossed-out in red pen. Unfortunately her filly was not very happy about that. "Mommy?" "...Oh! Welcome home, Velvet. Did you have a nice da-" "What's this?" The filly injected. "What's what, darling?" Velvet Silk shoved the calender in her mother's face, as if to exclaim, "that's what". "Get that out of my face! Goodness gracious, Velvet!" Rarity exclaimed. "Why is my recital scribbled-out? I thought you said you were going!" "Darling, I-" "You are still going, aren't you?" Velvet Silk asked. Rarity quickly turned on "Mommy-Mode". "Darling, mommy has to go talk to some special ponies, so they can sponsor the fashion show, so mommy can get money, so mommy won't lose her job!" After those last few words, Rarity took a deep breath and gave her daughter her best, "you understand, right?" smile. Unfortunately Velvet Silk was a very smart 7-year-old, and as such did not fall for that crap. "Mommy, that's cheap. Don't you care about me more than some job?" No, actually. I care about you and this job equally, is what Rarity felt tempted to say, but of course she wouldn't dare say that out-loud. Now, it's not that Rarity didn't care about her daughter. On the contrary, Rarity cared about her daughter very, very, very much. But she also cared about her job very, very, very much. So they were equally important to her. Some might say that that's not good enough, and that Rarity should have loved her daughter much more than her job. But Rarity disagreed. If she loved and cared about her daughter very, very, very much, than shouldn't that be enough? Shouldn't it not matter if she cared about her job equally? Well, that's what Rarity thought. But what she said was, "Yes, darling. I care about you much more than some silly job!" "Then go to my ballet recital instead! Show me that you care more, mommy!" "Darling, I can't do that." "Why?!" "I just can't! And that's final!" "Rrrrrrggg! I hate you! I hate you!" "Velvet-!" Velvet Silk stared into her mother's eyes with rage. "I wish I could go live with daddy! 'Cause he's better than you!" Velvet ran out of the kitchen before her mother could even blink. Rarity could hear her stomping up the stairs as her tears softly hit the kitchen counter.
Dresses and Dogs Part 2So what if Velvet Silk hates my guts right now? I can manage. She'll get over it, right? Right! Of course she will, Rarity! She's only seven, and fillies her age get over stuff quickly. Pause. Shouldn't I...like, maybe...talk to her...maybe? "Ms. Rarity?" What if she doesn't want to talk to me, and it just makes her even more upset? "Ms. Rarity." But she might just be even more upset if I don't... "Ms. Rarity!" "Hm? Yes, darling?" "Please call me Mister Manager, Ms. Rarity." Rarity couldn't help but wonder who would actually name their foal, "Mister Manager." What did it say on the birth certificate? First Name: Mister, Last Name: Manager? "Ms. Rarity, will you please try to pay attention?" Seriously, what was up with that? Didn't his parents love him enough to at least- "Ms. Rarity if you don't start taking this meeting seriously, I'm afraid I have to-" "Ah! Sorry, sorry! My mind has been elsewhere lately." "Now then, I would like to discuss the funding of the pet fashion show this weekend." "Of course, darling-oh! Er, Mister Manager." "Now, my company's statistics rate," Blah, blah, blah. Numbers. Blah, blarg, funding. Business business numbers business statistics blah. Rarity didn't care. What she did care about what thinking about what to say to her distraught daughter at home. But, finally, Rarity faked through the meeting and somehow got funding for the fashion show. As she was walking out of the building, she passed by a very worried-looking purple unicorn. She was going to say something to her, but she was late. She needed to get home to her precious little filly. She looked at her watch as she walked home. It was six 'o clock, so the recital should've been done by then. Velvet would have walked home and be waiting for her mother in the kitchen. When Rarity got home, she opened the door to find that Velvet wasn't in the kitchen. Or the living room. Or the bathroom, bedrooms, or laundry room. Rarity panicked. "Yes, officer. She's about 3 feet and 5 inches tall. Yes, okay. Appearance? Well, she's got a red coat, and a purple mane. Green eyes, and freckles.", "No, no cutie mark." After a few minutes of talking on the phone, Rarity said goodbye and decided that she should call the school. But unfortunately they had not seen her either. Velvet's teacher said that she saw her leave after the performance to walk home. Rarity thanked her for the information and hung up. How am I going to do this?, Rarity thought. She called the school, she called the police station, she had even called the neighbors. Where was she? Suddenly it dawned on her, Rarity knew where she was. And she was not happy. Not happy at all. Rarity got out of the carriage and tipped the driver. She slowly turned to look at the scene as the driver trotted away. She had always hated the sight of Sweet Apple Acres. Rarity stepped up to the porch, and hesitated before knocking at the oak door. After waiting for what seemed like forever, the door creaked open. "Hello?" Big Mac asked. Rarity tried to keep herself calm and sophisticated, but it was no use. "H-hello, Macintosh." She cringed. "Here to get Velvet?" He asked. They stared at each other, stone-faced [or at least, Big Mac was] until Rarity cleared her throat and answered him. "Y-yes. Yes I am." She let herself in the doorway, "Velvet, darling? It's mommy!" Apple Bloom, who seemed much taller than Rarity remembered, trotted down the stairs and smiled at Rarity. "Hey, Rarity! Wanna see mah new cutie mark?" Apple Bloom asked. Rarity was still trying to process the fact that Apple Bloom was no longer eight years old. It hadn't been that long since they saw each other, right? Apple Bloom turned to the side to show off her cutie mark. It was a paintbrush painting a picture of an apple. "T-that's wonderful, darling. Tell me, have you seen Velvet?" Apple Bloom looked down at her hooves for a second, then up at Big Mac. He nodded his head. "She's hiding up in mah room." She said. Rarity calmly trotted up the stairs, and started past the rooms. She glanced at one boarded-up room. That must have been Apple Bloom's sister's room. Rarity had heard her mention her before, but they had never met. When Rarity came to Apple Bloom's door, she could hear it being locked from the inside. She sighed and knocked on the door. "Velvet, please come out! I'm sorry, do you want to talk about it?" "No, mommy!" She could hear from the other side. "Why, Velvet?" There was a pause. "'Cause I want to stay with daddy forever!" "Velvet, you don't mean that." Rarity said. It sounded as if she was reassuring herself rather than her daughter. "Mommy, I don't lie! Lying's bad! I really love daddy-maybe even more than you!" Velvet Silk answered. That was poor Rarity's breaking point. The entire stress of the day had piled up like a mountain of gasoline-soaked lumber and Velvet's remark was the match. Rarity broke-down into tears. Apple Bloom and Big Mac appeared at the top of the stairs and watched Rarity cry at Apple Bloom's door. Neither of them knew whether to comfort her or not. "Velvet-darling, I'm so, so s-sorry! I try so hard to be a good mother, but I-I just-it's so hard! Please don't hate me! I love you! I really, really do!" Rarity sobbed. After a few moments of Rarity's crying, Velvet slowly opened the door. She looked down at her mother and gave her the biggest hug a seven-year-old filly could. Rarity hugged her daughter back and nuzzled her nose. "Mommy?" "Yes, darling?" Rarity sniffed. "When I said I don't lie, that was a lie. I think I do lie, mommy. I'm sorry for lying." Rarity smiled and looked at Velvet Silk in the eyes. "It's okay, Velvet. You didn't mean it." "I know, mommy." Big Mac approached them and gave a half-hearted smile. "Ah think it's time for y'all to go." Rarity looked at her ex-husband and then at her child. She stood up and left, with Velvet at her side. They called a carriage and began the trip home. When they turned into their street, Velvet Silk suddenly gasped. "What is it, darling?" Rarity asked. "Mommy, look! All the pets!" Sure enough, all the 'fashion show' animals had broken free of the fence that had imprisoned them and were now running around freely. To add insult-to-injury, the volunteer pet show inspectors had decided that right then would be a good time to check on how the show was coming along. When Rarity rushed out of the car, she was greeted by a group of angry ponies, who gave Rarity an angry lecture and a truck-load of cold glares. The show was officially canceled. After the inspectors left and the animals were all taken back to their original place, Rarity and Velvet finally settled down and went to bed. In the middle of the night, Rarity awoke to her door opening and two green eyes poking into her room. "Mommy?" Velvet whispered. "Yes, darling?" Rarity sat up on the edge of the bed, and Velvet hopped up next to her. "What are you going to do now? The pet show's canceled, mommy." "I know, Velvet. I think I might just do something else for a while. You know, I could always try and make some clothes out of the scraps I saved for the pet show." Rarity said. "Really? Do you think I could help?" Velvet asked, staring into her mother's eyes. Rarity started to say no, but then she saw the look of pure hope in her daughter's eyes. She kissed Velvet on her forehead and said, "I think that would be wonderful, Velvet." "Wow! You're serious? Yay! Thanks mommy!" Velvet seemed to ponder something for a moment, and then said, "Mommy, maybe I'll even get my cutie mark! Do you think it'll be like yours?" Rarity smiled, "Maybe it will, darling." Author's Note Yeah! I'm back, female dogs! And you all thought I had given up on this story! Shame! Actually, I couldn't blame you, I almost gave up on it myself, but I was like, y'know what? Rarity and Velvet need to get their crap sorted out, so- BAM!
Pinkie's Super Stupendous Balloon Stand"Pinkie Pie, are we there yet?" "Not yet silly-billy! It will be at least a half-hour before we get to Ponyville, Gummy!" Gummy slowly blinked his eyes at the pink mare. Pinkie Pie knew Gummy didn't actually talk to her, but it was fun to move his mouth like a puppet, and pretend he was. "But soon I'll get to talk to some ponies! In just a bit, me and 'ole Gummy here will be in a real town!" Pinkie thought. It excited her to know that she wouldn't be hauling her balloon cart around the Everfree forest much longer. In fact, she couldn't wait to spread some cheer! She sure could use some herself, she mumbled. "Gummy, Gummy look look lookie!!! There it is thereitisthereitisthereitisthereitis!" She screamed as she took off running for the village. But then she realized that she left her cart, and her best friend, still in the forest. She turned around and walked back, a huge smile still plastered on her face. "Woopsie! Come on, follow me! Let's go sell some balloons to these nice ponies!" ***************************************** Pinkie Pie and Gummy were exhausted already, and they weren't even halfway through Ponyville. Pinkie started to begin to feel very depressed. Again. But then something caught her eye, "Excuse me, do you need help?" Pinkie Pie called to a couple standing outside a bright, candy-themed shop. "No, we-we just..." A yellow coated stallion started, but began to sob uncontrollably. "We just closed down our bakery, SugarCube Corner. We don't need any help, but thank you for asking." A mare holding two crying foals said. "Oh..." Pinkie said, trying to sound disappointed, when in reality, she was hoping they would say that. She had a lot of ground to cover, and it would be hard to help them and still get done in time. So she hopped along, until she came to a big, dome shaped building. Wow! she thought, What a super-duper looking place! I'll bet there are lots of customers in there! She trotted up to the entrance of the building, and she now could clearly read the sign that read, Rainbow Dash's Awesome Flying School. Pinkie Pie and Gummy walked inside, and Pinkie was amazed at all the pegasi flying about. Soon, little colts and fillies crowded around the balloon stand, trying to get a better look at all the colorful knickknacks. "Don't worry little foals, there are plenty of balloons for all of ya!" Pinkie began. "Hey! What did I tell you guys about taking unnecessary breaks?" A rainbow-maned pegasus shouted at the foals. "We just-" "And don't talk back to me Wind Skimmer!" " Yes coach..." "Now everypony, back to your stations!" Pinkie Pie guessed that this place wasn't going to be much fun, so she turned around and started back outside. "Hey you, the one with the alligator!" She turned around to address whoever called to her, and met eyes with the coach. "Y-yes?" "Don't come here to sell your stupid balloons anymore!" "Okay." Pinkie's hair layed flat, as she sulked away. Suddenly, a familiar voice in her head greeted her, She can't talk to you like that, make her pay, make them all pay. Turn around! Hit her, kick her, bite her! She deserves it! Do it now! Now! No! I won't! Maybe shes a little grumpy, but I'm sure she's just having a bad da- Be quiet and listen to meeeeee! You've gone soft! You think you're funny don't you? Well, you're just weak! And useless! Now listen! Listen- "Hey! I told you to scram!" The now very angry pegasus instructor snarled. Pinkie Pie slowly breathed in and out, just like her therapist told her to. She calmly left the building, and her mean voice in her head subsided.Finally...peace. She thought. But what if the meanie voice comes back? I don't like it! I really don't! Well...right now...I think me and Gummy have more important things to worry about... Pinkie said to herself as she glanced up at the sky. It was now night and she could see black storm clouds rolling in. She knew she had to find shelter, and fast. "Come on Gummy, let's go find a place to set up camp!" "Yay!" Gummy replied? They searched and searched, and finally came to a cute little inn, and though Pinkie didn't have enough bits to pay for the room, the clerk told them that Pinkie could pay it back a day from tomorrow. See? Pinkie told herself, Everything is going great! You have a place to stay for the night, the mean voice is gone, and most importantly, You have Gummy! What more could she possibly need?
