Heart Of The Pit (A Hearth's Warming Tale)

December 24

Pony View

"You, get in here, I'd like a word with you." My boss stuck his fat neck out of his carpeted and painted drywall lair. His veins were pumping liquid hatred making his face look uglier that usual. I hate all these shitty meetings; I mean for Celestia's sake, it's Hearts Warming Eve: nopony should be workin' still and I just finished a pointless three hour meeting about drugs. Drugs. The buck? Who the hell's gonna do drugs in middle school?

I thought in a split second.

I walked inside the dragon's lair. I took a seat and that pony's ugly face turned from angry to somber without loosing the same intensity.

"Mr. Little Liner, I realize that you're finished with all your meetings today?"

"Yes." I wasn't going to explain shit to him.

"It's almost twelve, Mr. Liner, but if you don't mind... a favor?"

I almost said no, but something in his face slowed my tongue down. "What do you need?"

"You do not have to do this, Mr. Liner, and, of course, I wouldn't think any less of you if you don't accept." My boss, Mr. Beamer, shot me a seedy look, his eyes lit up with a strange glow, and his mouth unfurled into a genuine, toothy grin.

"What is it?"

"I need you to sub." His face lost a bit of power, but he still held it.

SIGH

"I know... it's been a long three hours... don't get me wrong, it's not long at all... but it is on Hearts Warming Eve. But I need you to sub for an elementary teacher in Galloping Gar Barracks School for Mrs. Nyckolah Neighs... she's hit with the flu and her students're probably trashing the place."

I could only imagine little fillies and colts forming into a pony hurricane, ripping out every last nail and wire. Those little shits hold untapped destructive energy.

But this was bullshit. It was bad enough that I was going to sub for an elementary teacher on Hearts Warming Eve. But. Galloping Gar Barracks sits on the epicenter of The Pit: the exact opposite kind of place from where I teach middle school.

"What do you say?" full power returned back to Mr. Beamer's face. It was still ugly.

"No."

"Very well then, I hope your holidays'll be filled with many gifts and merry part-"

"Actually, I'll do it. Some kid in that group's gonna be beat down without a teacher there... I can just feel it."

"...Hurry down there then. I appreciate it. But."

"What."

"I'm not making you do anything or trying to convince you one way or the other. I think it's insane that you're doing this."

"I know..." I sighed, "I guess I'll see you on the 26th when school starts again."

Mr. Beamer didn't say anything but still held his merry smile on his ugly face. I really hated doing this. I guess since I didn't have to sub I could just drive away... but the more I thought about the whole thing, the more I though that this... well, this was my duty.

The concrete steps exploded when my hooves touched the ground as I walked down to the parking lot. The elevator was out of order. Of course. I trotted over to my new jet black Folks-Wagon car, imported straight from the Southeast. I had to drive to the pit in this thing, I'll get mugged when I get out. Oh well.

I drove out of the garage and onto the highway going East to the pit making my wheels scream. As I was driving, I thought that nopony from the wealthier neighborhoods ever accepted a job in The Pit before now... but really anything could happen in Manehattan.

...

Omnicorn View

"Whoa dude, look at that ride."

The other zebra turned his neck around and shot lasers at the high-end black Folks-Wagon car pulling into the campus. "Who the buck can afford that shit?"

"Ain't no rich flanks go here. No rich flanks be stopin' here."

"So what the buck man?"

"Bet he's dealin'."

"In The Pit? That motherbucker's retarded as buck."

"He gettin' mugged." The two zebras heckled as they lumbered to where the car was headed.

The pit in Manehattan was chocked full of zebras... sure it was full of gangs and drug dealing. But, hey, it was full of kind souls of zebras... and earth ponies... and unicorns... and the most destitute of all the equines.

The flightless pegasi.

Pony view

I triple checked to make sure all of my electronics were hidden and that the windows were tinted. I even parked behind a back wall so nopony or nozebra could see it very easily. The infamous Belle-Noir High School was just up the hill and everypony knows that its just one gigantic contraband black market. No pony from-

"Hey, 'you Little Liner?"

"Yeah." I found my face uncomfortably close to the face of a harsh-looking zebra mare after I walked around into a darker corner by the back door. She must've been Mrs. Nyckolah Neighs.

"You be subin' for me?"

"Yes." I said a bit more confidently.

"You be teachin' 'entire rest 'year, you hear?"

"What?"

"I'm done w'all my shit, y'know." I didn't have any time to respond this time- she moved even closer to my face. "You take care 'my students 'hear?"

I can't teach here for the rest of the year. She's full of shit.

"Your principle appointed me as your sub, I'm not supposed to replace you al-"

"I don't care what that stallion says, I leavin', I can't do this shit no more. Stay here forever, 'be my guest." And with that, she walked around to where my car was parked. It didn't matter, she already knew I was wealthy. Just by the way I talk.

I slithered through the back door and trotted down the plain white tiled floor, my hooves sounding like a worn out claves player. I thought about all the shit that happened to me... but one thought eventually prevailed: it's gonna suck for the kids after today.

I found the room and pushed open the composite wood door expecting the worse.

The colts and fillies ran around as if they drugged themselves with injected coffee; luckily they haven't broken anything. They spazzed until one noticed I had walked in.

"Hey, it's our substitute teacher!" A tiny little filly yelled with a big slur.

The entire class took notice and yelled in a beautifully out of tune chorus.

Sub

Sub

Sub

As I walked over to Mrs. Nyckolah Neighs' desk, I reveled in the sound of the little children. They were so happy and they lived in the pit. I felt like a giant weight had been lifted up from my shoulders. I noticed a few of the colts in the back of the room were still jumping with all the other students already taken their seats.

"Oh, you wouldn't want to do multiplication like the big ponies do, would you?"

Most of them sat down at this but one just had to resist.

"What if I do?" Sometimes they were as smart as middle school ponies.

I thought on my hooves, "What is twelve times twelve?"

The colt let out an embarrassed whinny and slowly sunk in his desk near the back.

"Role." I shouted; some of the children moaned but most shot up and paid attention... not what I expected from the students in the pit.

Electric Cloud

Here.

Fatisha

Hi.

Jewel Jumper

Hello.

Katt Lavender

...

Absent

Apple Mulberry

Howdy.

Den Noir

Hey.

Viola Prose

Hello.

Rilly

Hey.

Scootaloo

Hey.

Crush Tide

Sup.

Mosey Zecorus

Hi.

"Hello class, my name is Mr. Little Liner and I'm subbing for Mrs. Nyckie." I said as I saw a picture with the shortened name on her desk. That may or may not be a lie... but I plan not to stay any longer than today.

"Hello Mr. Liner." They all said in unison.

"So... who knows about tonight?"

The ponies got quieter... but I could hear the excitement in their little breaths. One of the fillies rose their hooves, "Pony clause comes." Katt said rather deeply.

"Who can tell me more about Pony Claus? Come on, don't be shy."

"He rides a sleigh full of presants." Rilly boomed.

"Who pulles the sleigh?" I asked in a clearly implying voice.

"I hear its from Magical Reindeer... they can fly and they don't even have to have wings." Jewel Jumper remarked softly. The class got excited again... but I heard a sigh from somewhere.

"How does he get all those toys?"

"Little elf-ponies make them." Viola Prose remarked sweetly.

"Who knows the legend of Hearts Warming Day?"

The students all nodded.

"You may not know all of it."

The students collectively drew a breath and they seemingly huddled together.

I talked in the voice of telling a story, "A long time ago, you knew there were six ponies, two from each pony tribe who bickered and argued until the frost from the evil

Windigoes froze the legs and bodies of the six. Only when they cared for each other did the evil ice melt. Well, there was still the problem of the snow and the famine."

The students sat completely still.

"A jolly old stallion gave gifts to the children in all of his village on the ground. He was not fazed by the snow or the famine, no. The other big ponies got mad at him because he didn't have any food, only toys. But he kept giving toys to the children anyway and soon the mood just had to lighten. He wished that he could bring toys to the other two ponies: the unicorns, and the pegasi. Celestia granted him the ability to fly really fast in a sleigh and give presents to all the little colts and fillies so as long as they were nice."

Some of the students started to rustle.

"So you better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I'm telling you why: Pony Claus is coming to town. He knows when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake, he knows when you've been bad or good so be good for go-"

"-Why does Pony Claus hate me?" The little orange filly with the purple mane interrupted the song... and all life just slowed to a stop. I glanced at my role sheet: her name was Scootaloo. I felt a weight descending on my shoulders again.

There was no way I could say she was a bad filly, there's just no way that her parents could with hold presents like that. But I knew the answer... well no... but it was on the tip of my tongue.

"Mr. Liner, why does Pony Claus hate me?"

"He doesn't." I responded quickly.

"But I don't ever get anything... but I'm not bad, I promise... I take care of my mom and dad. Why don't I get anything?"

The rest of the class was loosing attention... probably because they didn't understand Scootaloo's case. "Class dismissed, have a very merry Hearts Warming Eve."

The class flooded out into the hallways, it wasn't even One o'clock. Scootaloo stayed behind.

"There are some little fillies and colts just like you... it's not that Pony Claus doesn't visit you and give you presents... it's that he can't. When you're older, you'll understand why. But Scootaloo, sometimes the greatest gifts of all aren't toys... maybe it's your friends or your family."

But at this, Scootaloo started to cry. Her scenario was plain to see: She had an a neglecting family.

"Well, I'll have to leave. I wish nothing but the biggest pile of gifts for you." Scootaloo smiled a bit until it faded forever. I walked out with Scootaloo still crying with her head on her hooves. I turned off the lights and locked the door from the outside giving her all the time she needs. I walked towards my car parked in the back and I thought to myself.

That was cheep. It was like saying 'You'll find out when you're older that you're hopelessly poor and your parents hate you'. The buck was I thinking.

But as I approached my car, I found it was broken into, every single last bit of loose articles was stolen, and every single window was smashed. All I had was my keys and my car. I brushed the glass onto the weed infested concrete at just sat... not caring that I was dead meat in the middle of the pit. My day was finally over, I could just drive out of this shit hole.

But this Scootaloo filly would haunt me forever.

...