Grave Matters

"Take that fillies!" Wake yelled from atop his mighty Snow castle, it had battlements that would have made any guard give a tear of pride to just be on its walls. The rebuts shot high into the sky, along with the soaring towers and other cathedral like structures.

"Men! Fire the snow-apults!" Upon Wakes command, hundreds of Snow Golems let loose their mighty Snow-apults and launched thousands of snowballs into the air, right at a mass of mares and fillies on the far side of his castles moat.

The Mares and Fillies were soon covered in about three feet of snow. The Golems and Wake cheered for their victory over the cooty horde!

"Yeah! We did it Wake! WAKE! WAKE!"  the cheers of his men became higher and higher pitched until eventually their voices were replaced by the sounding of a ringing bell…..

______________________________________________________________________________

Wake twitched under his sheets as his alarm clock went off, the chiming bell ripping him from a comfortable dream of hurling snowballs at passing fillies. Groaning, he clumsily slammed his hoof into his alarm clock and pushed it behind his night stand.

Sighing happily, he burrowed back into the warm cocoon of his blankets his eyes slowly drifting closed.

“Wakey wakey, Wake!” a shrill voice a voice cried as a Filly shaped projectile slammed him out of his bed, sending him and his giggling attacker to the floor in a pile of blankets and thrashing limbs.

“Go ‘way,” came the muffled reply as he began crawling back to his bed, heedless of the unholy terror that was his twin sister as she clung to blankets he dragged behind him. ”Is Sunday.” Wake continued, as he plopped face first into his mattress before he slowly wrapping himself back in his blankets. A happy smile on his face as he once again began drifting off. “Sleep.”

“Nuh uh” came the indignant reply as a pair of tiny hooves pushed into his side, trying once more to push him from the warm sanctuary that was his bed. “Mom said you have to wake up,” the tiny voice grunted as she pushed once more into her brother’s side. “she said you have to catch the train.”

Wakes smile evaporated like an ice cube in a kiln.

“She said that if you don’t get up now you won’t have time for breakfast!” The filly continued as she began bodily hurling herself into him. “ Dad is making waffles...so...get,”

“I’m going ..I’m going,” Wake mumbled as he began peeling of the blankets

“...UP!”

Pain lanced through Wakes side as his sister turned and slammed her rear hooves into him, bucking him from his bed.

He opened his eyes in time to see a off white tail fleeing the room with his blankets in tow.

Rolling to his hooves Wake stumbled out of the tiny room and into the kitchen, eventually finding his way to his seat, heedless of his parents as they rushed to and fro, checking lists and packing his bags.

“Morning dear,” his mother greeted as she rushed past him a pair of suitcases levitating behind her, “Eat up your train leaves in an hour.” He nodded his head glumly, earning himself a consoling nuzzle. “Oh don't be like,” that she continued. “I’m sure you'll have lots of fun and make new friends in Canterlot. Besides you like learning magic don’t you?” Wake nodded again not looking up from the blow of cereal he was idly stirring.

“But why can’t you teach me?” he asked as he turned to his mother feeling his eyes sting with oncoming tears. “I'll work really hard and …. and I’ll clean my room every day… and I’ll help you at work…”

“Wake,” His mother began, setting down the luggage and sitting next to him.

“I’ll water the flowers and... and mow the lawn...” He whined, tears streaming down his face unashamedly.

“WAKE!” his mother said firmly as he broke down into full blown tears.

“I don’t want to leave!” he blubbered, wrapping his hooves as far around his mother’s barrel as he could and sobbing into her shoulder. “please don’t send me away!”

His sobbing abated slightly as he felt his mother return his embrace.

“It’s only for a few months sweetie,” She reassured as she levitated a tissue to dab at his nose, ignoring the sizable patch of tears and mucous left over on her coat. ”The campus is closed during Hearth’s warming and you can come visit then... Okay?”

He only held on tighter. Sighing to herself the mare wrapped him in magic and gently pried him off.

Finding his luggage now joining him in his orbit around his mother, Wake went limp and sulked as he was taken to the living room where his father waited with his sister sitting on his back.

“Not to eager to leave I see.” The stallion quipped as Wake was deposited in front of him. “Don't worry sport; your old stallion had a great time at the academy. Sports, parties...fillies, everything a growing colt needs!

Wake made disgusted noises as he was lifted onto his father back and carried out the door into the busy Manehattan street.

He lapsed into a depressed silence as his father hailed a passing taxi. Tearfully observing the familiar scenery as the family made its way towards the train station.

“Why isn't Vigil coming?” Wake asked as they arrived at the train station.

“We’ve been over this squirt,” His father sighed “Your sister is an earth pony, she can't do magic.” The stallion rubbed Wake’s head. “ I know you're scared, and you will be a little lonely at first, but you'll make lots of friends I promise.”

The Manhattan train station was a busy affair with at least half a dozen terminals servicing hundreds of ponies.

Wake’s father paused a moment as he scanned the crowd.

“Mr. Cenotaph!” a voice shouted over the dull roar of the crowd. Wake turned to examine the speaker.

The Unicorn stallion was wearing a blue sweater over his own tawny coat, a pair of grey eyes started haughtily down at Wake as he approached.

“Mr. Sunbeam  a pleasure to finally meet you in pony.” Wake’s father greeted as he reached out a hoof.

“Professor Sunbeam,actually.” The teacher corrected as he shook the offered hoof with a slight grimace. “I have come to collect Wake.”

Wake gulped and began backing away from the strange stallion, only to collide with his mother’s blocking hoof. He sank to his

stomach and folded his ears, staring piteously at the assembled adults.

His father merely smiled and rubbed his mane again before depositing his sister next to him.

“Say goodbye to your brother Vigil.” He instructed, as the pale brown filly walked towards her brother.

“Bye Wake,” She have him a quick hug. “I’m taking your room.”

The adults chuckled as Wake sunk lower to the ground the expression on his face becoming increasingly pathetic.

Wake turned to his mother, preparing to once more tearfully request to stay when he was cut off by the trains whistle.

“All aboard!” A Stallions voice shouted as Wake was swept up in a grey aura by Professor Sunbeam.

Wake thrashed madly against the older unicorn’s magic as he was taken aboard the train, and away from his waving parents.

******************

Wake found himself dumped in a private car with a half dozen other unicorn foals. the other students chatting easily with each other or reading books. Professor Sunbeam sat in a corner a book in hoof though his eyes would occasionally dart up to examine his charges.

He scares me. Wake thought to himself as he took a position as far away as he could from the stallion and the other foals.I want to go home. He felt tears welling in his eyes as he clutched his suitcase tighter to himself.

“What’s your problem?” A voice suddenly asked, making him jump in his seat. He whirled around to see a dark orange filly wearing a knit cap staring down at him contemptuously. “You missing your mommy?”

“No,” Wake retorted as he scrubbed his face with a dark grey forelimb.” I just have something in my eye.”

The filly rolled her amber eyes before vaulting over the seat and settling next to him. “Names Autumn Leaves.” The filly said as she extended her forehoof towards him. “What’s your name?”

“Wake,” he replied as he shrank away from the filly’s hoof, curling into a ball on the far edge of the seat.

“Didn’t your mother teach you any manners?” The Filly asked indignantly as she shook her hoof at the cowering colt. “When someone offers you their hoof you shake it.”

Wake shook his head and did his best to become an even smaller target. “I don’t wanna” he squeaked as he pulled his suitcase between himself and the filly, hiding behind it like a shield.

“Why not?” she asked tilting her head to the side in a manner that reminded Wake of a dog he had seen on a walk with his mother.

“You have cooties,” He whispered, averting his eyes and examining a very interesting flower painted on the wall.

“Say again?” Autumn asked, leaning in closer and cupping a peaked ear with a hoof. “ I didn't catch that.”

“You have cooties,” He mumbled as he shrank even further behind his brief case shield, wondering whether or not he would be able to slip under the seat before the filly came even closer.

“I cant hear you~”,

“YOU HAVE COOTIES!” Wake screeched as he dove under the seat.

The car immediately erupted into screams as the foals heard that one of their number had that most dastardly of diseases. Each began racing around screaming their heads off and generally making a mess of things as Wake cowered under his seat.

“I do not have Cooties,” Autumn shrieked as she dove under the seat after Wake,crawling towards the colt with a look in her eyes that he did not like... at all.

His refuge violated, Wake abandoned his brief case and clambered up the seat behind it, Autumn in swift pursuit behind him.

“Yes, you do!” he called back as he shoved aside a particularly chubby colt, “You’re a filly, all fillies have cooties!”

The other colts in the car immediately stopped and stared wide eyed as they found themselves surrounded on all sides by Cootie carriers.

The Fillies on the other hand glared with all the venom their sex provided at the small grey colt standing on top of a seat, their cheeks reddening in anger at the accusation that they to have cooties.

“We do not!” A Mint green filly with golden eyes shouted as she hurled a stuffed bear at the colt, the furry projectile catching Wake in the chest, knocking him off his perch and into the pair of fillies who were sitting in the seat below him.

“Yeah!” A blue filly with a white and blue mane that reminded Wake of toothpaste cried as she began beating on him with her own stuffed companion, raining blow after blow on his head.

“Apologize!” Autumn shrieked as she dove down into the pile of Fillies pummeling Wake, only to be caught in a grey field of magic inches away from the battered colt.

All eyes turned to Professor Sunbeam, who adopted an expression so cold that even those foals who had not participated in the melee adopted a guilty expression.

“Every pony returns to your seats…..now.” Sunbeam hissed the last word, his tone sending the foals scurrying back to their seats.

Reunited with his luggage Wake watched wide eyed as the sweater wearing stallion marched to the front of the car, he shivered when those cold grey eyes met his own.

“Now,” Sunbeam began, glaring at each foal in turn “I don't know who started this..”

A half dozen hooves pointed at Wake, who made himself as small as possible.

“And I don’t care. Henceforth I expect all of you to conduct yourself in a manner befitting students at her majesties academy, Do I make myself clear?”

The Foals nodded their heads, with the exception of the Mint green filly that raised a hoof questioningly.

“Yes, Ms. Heartstrings?”

“What does hensfork mean?”

Sunbeam sighed and rubbed the bridge of his snout with a hoof.

“From now on, Ms. Heartstrings… And its pronounced henceforth. Any other questions?”

Sunbeam sighed again as more hooves shot in the air.

He does that a lot. Wake thought as he made himself comfortable. Clutching his suitcase to his chest, as he watched the increasingly resigned professor answer question after question.

“Now if there are any other questions?” The Wake scanned the room, but the other foals hooves remained firmly at their sides, with the exception of the one chubby colt who had one firmly lodged up his nose.

Gross.

Continuing his observation, he noted the filly who was chasing him earlier was still glaring at him. With a glow of her horn she brought a straw to her mouth and…

Wake flinched as something damp and sticky launched itself at his face, lodging itself to his horn. Reaching up with a hoof he grimaced in distaste as he felt the slimy substance. Shuddering he attempted to pull his hoof away only to find it firmly stuck to his horn.

“Mr. Sunbeam!” the mint green filly suddenly shouted as she pointed a hoof at Wake.

“That’s Professor… Sweet Celestia boy! Have you no shame?” Sunbeam stomped over to loom angrily over Wake. “That is a disgusting habit, and to do it in public no less! I demand you remove your hoof immediately!.”

Wake frantically began tugging away at his horn, but it remained stuck fast. His movements succeeding only in jerking his head back and forth, this only seemed to upset Professor Sunbeam further.

The Stallion quickly magically seized the object of his ire with his and pulled Wake into the air, shaking him back and forth in an attempt to remove his hoof.

“Fine,” he spat after a few moments of fruitless shaking. “If your so set on such deplorable behavior you can do it in the cargo car. Alone!”

Wake was once again lifted from his seat as he was carried to the back of the car. The rest of the foals laughing at his misfortune as Sunbeam slid the door to the next car open, none to gently placing him in the new dank smelling car.

“Perhaps some time alone will let you think on your actions. And both your councilor and your parents will be hearing of your...perversion.” Sunbeam turned up his nose and walked away. Closing and locking the door behind him.

 Leaving Wake in the dark.

Alone.