The Exile

Clockwyrkke was one week early. He purposely chose so in order to have ample opportunities to familiarise himself with the topography of the academy. Fortunately, only a few students were on campus at the time, more would be arriving within the next few days. After receiving directions from a grumpy but well-mannered matron, setting up his room was fairly easy as his room mate had yet to arrived, much to his relief. He scanned the courtyards, checked out the labs, visited the canteen, surveyed the classrooms, and many more areas of direct interest to him. However, he made it a point to himself to avoid the Western Wing - where the female students of the academy were housed. Ponies were separated by gender, which helped eased some of his personal tensions. Rejection in high school did nothing to aid his self-esteem. He was determined to not make the same mistakes here.

It was a peaceful day. The sun shone with its brilliance and a cool breeze blew through the corridors, made all the more cooler by the geometry of the place. The sound of the wind was eerily relaxing, Clockwyrkke finding comfort in his new environment from the solace it offered. He stretched himself out as he lay on the lawn within the Central Courtyard. The feeling of well-maintained grass against his coat was soothing to him and he could not help but roll about. Square in the middle of the courtyard was a large stone sundial. Its positioning was in such a way that it told perfect time when the sun was high. A small bird was watching the solitary pony with interest, tilting its head slightly now and again. But his peace was not meant to last.

Before he could stop himself, two mares walked up to him at a slow pace from the opposite direction he came from. Even from afar, one could easily tell that they were from the upper class of society; the nobility of Canterlot. The leader of the duo, a cream coloured earth pony with a long, flowing pink mane wore a silver pendant with a garnet the size of a an apple as the centrepiece around her neck. It was a family heirloom which her mother had gifted her on her 17th birthday. Her companion was not as outstanding as herself, but still fairly attractive. With a coat of a darker purple hue than Clockwyrkke's own, harlequin green mane tied behind her head in a ponytail while a pair of cute blue spectacles rested on her muzzle, the unicorn seemed more like a librarian than an engineer. One thing they both had in common was the same sophisticated air about them. Seeing the lone stallion frolicking amid on the ground amused them greatly and they just had to poke their noses in his business.

"Hey, country pony." The cream mare called out as her friend hid a giggle behind a hoof. Their gleeful expressions and oh-so superior tone seemed to irk young Clocks, and he stood up brusquely, dusting himself down in the process. He prepared himself for the worse, acid tongue held ready. "What in Equestria were you doing? Rolling in the grass?"

"So, what is it you? What a /country/ pony does should be of no direct concern to the likes of you."

His words were laced with a hidden venom. Even if it was noticed by the duo, they choose to ignore it. The same pony who called out to him extended her right hoof towards him. This action caught Clockwyrkke completely off-guard. He could merely gape at her for a few seconds before taking her offer in a tentative shake.

"Hi, my name's Amber Rose. And she is Platinum." The purple pony waved shyly at Clocks as she was introduced, earning a slight blush from him in return. Normally, he would never receive any attention from the opposite sex. An awkward silence ensued, the stallions's brain frozen at the audacity of the situation.

"Cl-Clockwyrkke." Was all he could say, the slight blush still very much apparent on his cheeks. "I must apologise for my rude manners earlier. I had no idea-"

"That a couple of pretty-looking mares would bother themselves in taking up a conversation with one such as yourself?" Amber prodded his chest as she finished his sentence for him. Her actions earned her a confused look from him which made her laugh a little. While this exchange was happening, Platinum used her magic to pull out three bottles of apple cider from her saddlebags. She passed one to each pony and opened her own.

"Look, Clockwyrkke, I can tell you're new here. So are we. Let's not start off on the wrong hoof. I understand country ponies have a stereotypic view of the nobility. Indeed we are haughty and proud, but we can be amiable and warm as well. For starters, let's just chat, alright?"

Clocks nodded, amazed at the civility of the two mares before him. Platinum didn't speak and seemed quite shy around him, but she was attentive throughout the conversation. Amber was a natural-born leader and was able to "read" a pony's mind rather well. He pointed to a set of benches shaded by a large oak tree nearby. Once they were seated and comfortable, Clockwyrkke seized his courage and began inquiring about the two. He noticed that they both shared a rather odd Cutie Mark. Amber's was the head-half of a wrench while Platinum's was the rear-end. It was almost as if their Cutie Marks were linked.

"Our Cutie Marks? Yes, they can be considered "linked". Long story short, we were made for each other."

That sounds so wrong... Clockwyrkke thought to himself. Couldn't she phrase it differently?

"Yes, Clockwyrkke. We love each other." Platinum had spoken aloud for the first time and her horn was ablaze. As she finished her sentence, she and Amber held hooves in a manner much like true lovers would. This caused the pale onyx pony to spew what cider he had nearly swallowed through his nose at an incredible force. It stung terribly, and he had to hold pressure on his aching snout with both hooves.

"We're not lesbians. Rather bisexual. Do you have a problem with that?" Platinum leaned closer to him, emphasising her siding about the question with a slightly unnerving stare.

He hurriedly shook his head from side to side. He would gladly put aside his distaste for ponies who had "odd" sexual orientations instead of alienating his only friends. He would just have to live with the fact. The world is a strange place...

"Indeed it is. You still have a lot of learning to do, innocent one."

"Please, stop reading my mind. Or at least tell me in advance before you do so."

"I can't help it, you have an interesting mind. By the way, Amber, Clockwyrkke here finds your flank very... Attractive." At the mention of her sleek rear, Amber puts on a coy display which ends with a sultry smirk at the very embarrassed stallion. He can only hiccup and pull away as the two mares tease him with more suggestive jokes.

Sweet Celestia, please, please, please strike me down. Make a beam of pure solar energy vaporise me from this life... From this instant...

Fortunately for him, Platinum had extinguished her magic, far too busy laughing with Amber at his many awkward expressions about their current discussion topic.