Author's Note
Rarity and her class are a few years younger than the CMC in this story.
Rarity Tackles Somepony
"Are you ready for school, dear?" Pearl asked Rarity. Rarity fastened her bag onto her back.
"I'm ready!" She replied enthusiastically. Pearl beamed.
"Excellent, dear. Be careful!"
"Bye, Mom!" Rarity called as she skipped out the door. Today was the first time Rarity was allowed to walk to school on her own!
"I'm on my way to school, I'm on my way to school!" She sang as she skipped along the road.
"Hi!" She called to a pony across the street. "I'm walking to school on my own today!" The stallion tipped his hat. Rarity continued skipping. She was so excited!
Ponyville seemed so big now that her mom wasn't walking right beside her. Rarity just noticed the flower shop on the other side of the street. Ponies bustled about, on their way to morning activities. Rarity didn't feel the least bit scared.
"I'm grown-up!" She yelled to a younger filly in a nearby window. The filly stuck her tounge out.
"No no no!" Rarity stomped her hoof. "You can't stick your tounge out at me! I'm grown-up! I can walk to school on my own!" Rarity stuck her nose in the air and continued skipping.
When she got to school, Rarity saw Fruit Basket waving goodbye to her dad.
"Hi Rarity!" Fruit Basket exclaimed.
"Hi Fruit Basket!" Rarity replied excitedly. "Guess what!"
"What?" Fruit Basket asked. Rarity looked around, and then leaned in close.
"I got to walk to school on my own!" She whispered. Fruit Basket widened her eyes.
""My mom and dad would never let me do that!" Rarity giggled.
"Don't tell anypony, though. I'm gonna surprise them all at recess," she added. Fruit Basket nodded.
"Don't worry, I won't!" She promised. Rarity smiled.
"Thanks, Fruit Basket," she answered. "Come on." The two fillies entered the schoolhouse together.
At recess, Rarity was the first foal out on the playground. She climbed to the top of the slide.
"Guess what I got to do! Guess!" She cried. Her classmates gathered under her.
"Did you meet Princess Celestia?" A colt asked. Rarity shook her head.
"Did you go to the Everfree Forest?"
"Did you have breakfast for dinner?"
"Did you get a pet chicken?"
Rarity shook her head at each guess.
I got to walk to school - all on my own!" She announced proudly. The foals gasped.
"Was it scary?" One filly asked. Rarity shook her head.
"Why did you get to walk by yourself?" Another pegasus filly asked.
"Because Mommy felt I was ready," Rarity answered.
"It's not that big a deal," somepony in the back commented. The filling parted to reveal, Cheerilee, a magenta earth pony.
"Oh yeah?" Rarity asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Yeah," Cheerilee replied. "I've been walking by myself for months." The foals' attention was immediately diverted to Cheerilee.
"You've been going by yourself for months?"
"You must be really brave!"
As her former audience asked more questions, Rarity flushed. She was mad.
"Stop stealing them! They were listening to me!" She yelled. Rarity jumped off the slide and charged towards Cheerilee.
"Hey!" Cheerilee yelped as Rarity jumped on her. Rarity pulled on Cheerilee's mane. Cheerilee kicked in return.
"Stop!" Cried their teacher, Ms. Play Write, rushing up. She pried Rarity off Cheerilee.
"What happened?" She asked the schoolponies.
"Rarity tackled Cheerilee!" A colt spoke up. "It was epic!"
"Yeah!" Agreed his from.
"Rarity, I am quite disappointed in you," Ms. Play Write said sternly, looking down at Rarity through her glasses. "Say you're sorry to Cheerilee." Rarity looked at her front hooves.
"Sorry," she muttered. Ms. Play Write sighed,
"Alright, Rarity. Let's go inside. The rest of you, play nicely."
"Yes, ma'am," the remaining foals replied in unison. Rarity followed her teacher inside, casting a long glance at the foals playing without her.
"Now, Rarity, we cannot tolerate tackling, or hitting, or anything bad like that," Ms. Play Write explained.
"She started it!" Rarity exclaimed forcefully. "She was trying to steal the attention." Ms. Play Write took off her glasses, rubbed, and repositioned them on her muzzle.
"Nevertheless, I think you should stay in here and write down why it's bad to tackle other ponies. Can you do that?" Rarity nodded. She took out her quill and started writing.
"'Tackling is bad,'" Rarity read to the class, "'because then you could get hurt. That's why the Colts shouldn't play rough and dirty games like football. Also, tackling is the reason you have to write an essay during recess. So, don't tackle, and you will be safe and you won't have to sit inside and write.'" The ponies clapped politely when she finished.
"Well, that was interesting," Ms. Play Write commented after a moment of silence. "Now, let's start a lesson of science, shall we?" The whole class, including Rarity, groaned. Ms. Play Write suppressed a smile.
When Rarity came home, her mom asked, "Did you have any trouble getting to and from school today, sweetie?" Rarity shook her head.
"It was so easy, Mom!" She exclaimed. "Can I do it tomorrow, too?" Her mom nodded. Then a frown passed over her face.
"Did you get in trouble at school today?" Pearl asked. Rarity blushed.
"Well, yeah," she admitted. Pearl shook her head.
"I think I have to walk with you tomorrow. If you get in trouble when you walk to school by yourself, then- wait, what did you do to get in trouble?"
"I tackled Cheerilee," Rarity replied.
