"Hey there, are you here to learn about FRIENDSHIP?" Twilight Sparkle's mane is a mess, her irises dilated.
"No? What's that? You want to hear about how I became so paranoid?" Twilight sighs. "I guess I can't put this off forever."
"It would be easiest to show you my memories. Close your eyes..."
*-*-*-*
"Twilight Sparkle!"
The sound of Celestia's stern voice caused me to wince and draw back a bit. I'd just been through a bit of a rough day, after i'd let loose a spell to attract everypony greedily to my old doll from childhood. I knew what was coming.
"I'm very disappointed in you, Twilight Sparkle! Your task was simple, why couldn't you follow it? One letter on friendship a week!"
I felt like sinking into the ground. my head hung low, and I was almost whimpering from the scolding. "I-I'm sorry Princess, I tried! Nothing went wrong to be learned from this week..."
The Princess gave me a still more stern look than she already was. "Nothing went wrong except what YOU caused, Twilight. On top of failing to upkeep your task here, you even went so far as to cause an uproar that threatened the wellbeing of Ponyville! What do you have to say for yourself?"
I lowered MY head further, ears flat against the sides of MY head. "N.....nothing...." I could barely get the word through my lips.
Celestia stood up at full height now. "As I thought. I'm ashamed to have considered you my prized student. You don't seem to have a grasp on... even the most basic principles of magic, if you had the idiocy to create uproar like that. I'm afraid there can only be one remedy..."
I gulped. I knew what Celestia was about to say.
"Magic kindergarten."
*-*-*-*
"...and this is where you'll be staying, Twilight Sparkle. I hope you don't mind living on-campus."
"Oh, it's fine, just fine! Hehehehe nothing wrong with living on campus, it'll be just like college, right?" I gave a nervous, clearly fake smile. The pony who had just finished giving me an evening tour of the school raised a brow, but decided not to press the matter, and took her leave.
I sighed, dropping the act. "Whew. Finally, peace and quiet." I then frowned. "Oh, I miss my friends already! Ergh, come on Twilight, calm down before you start talking to yourself... what will the fillies and foals think seeing me in their class?"
The door began to open, and I looked up. "Princess?"
A chuckle came from the orange pony as she entered, but her look turned serious when she saw me. "Gee Twi', you look worse 'n ever. You sure yer alrigh'?"
"Oh, better than ever, don't worry about me..." The smile, again fake, on my face felt like it did nothing to hide the mare's nervousness.
Applejack gave me a worried look. "Y'sure?"
"Yep."
"Positive?"
"Absolutely."
Applejack thought for a second before deciding to accept my words. "Well, if y' ever need me, you can always gimme a call." She reached a hoof over to give me a reassuring pat on the shoulder before turning and walking out.
*-*-*-*
"Foals and fillies, foals and fillies!"
The teacher's words quickly hushed the noisy kindergarten classroom. I was standing beside her, looking at the young ponies nervously. A few strands of hair stuck out from my mane and tail, I was sure, though I'd done her best to brush my hair that morning.
"Foals and fillies, I'd like to introduce you to a new addition to the class, Twilight Sparkle!" This was met with confused looks from all the students, one of whom spoke up.
"New student? But she's like, at least twenty years old!"
"Yes, I know, she's older than the rest of you, but I want you all to treat her as one of your own. Is that clear?"
"You're not a filly and you're in kindergarten? Hehe you must be really dumb!" At this the class roared in laughter, many of the students pointing at me mockingly.
I frowned. This was going to be torture.
*-*-*-*
I examined myself in the mirror. Over the last few days, my hair had been steadily growing more stubborn and now looked like an uncombed mess. Stray hairs stuck out in random places, though I'd brushed and brushed for the last hour.
I sighed. The fillies and foals in my 'class'—if it could be called such a civil thing—had pestered me with teasing and insulting questions since I'd been introduced to them. But there was nothing to worry about. Some day...
My thoughts were interrupted by the opening of my bedroom door. I looked to the door through my mirror. "Yes?"
"I heard you... oh mah, Twi'!" Applejack came up beside me, worried now more than ever. "You look like you been stressin' out too much! What's on yer mind, cowgirl?"
"No—nothing!" I looked at my forehooves. "Okay, yeah. The students here keep making fun of me. They call me stupid and dumb and.... other mean things, some things little ponies shouldn't say." I looked at my orange friend with sadness.
"Gosh, Twi', I wish I could get yah outta here, I really do. Them ponies don't know what they're doin', trust me."
"I'm afraid of what I might do to them..."
Applejack cocked a brow. "Uhh, pardon?"
"Oh, nothing, Applejack. Don't worry about it."
Applejack blinked. "Riiight.... well, I guess I'll see you in a week, Twi'. Don't get yerself into no trouble, yah hear?"
I smiled. "I won't."
With that, Applejack left the room. A few minutes later, I grasped my backpack with my magic and walked out after, on my way to class.
*-*-*-*
They were dead.
All of them. I killed them. When the teacher had gone outside for a minute I had shut and locked the door.
I looked at my work, looked about the room. Some ponies lay still in there desks, having been the rather more fortunate targets of a spell I started with. Others were on the floor, heads and ribs bashed in, the brutal work of my rear hooves. Still more were huddled in a bloody mess in the corner, pencils jutting out through bloody entrance wounds, the result of still more magic. All my doing. All of them deserved it, after laughing at me so much.
I heard a whimper in the bloodbathed corner, and snapped my gaze to the mass of bodies. One of them was moving, shivering. I levitated the filly, who began to squirm desperately, and held her down before me with magic.
The filly was clearly scared out of her wits, struggling against the magic holding her down. Tears covered her cheeks, the occasional sniffle coming out. "Let me go! I don't wanna die!"
I looked down at the filly, then at the blood on my hooves, then back to the filly.
"You.... why did you do this?"
"I had to... I have to...."
The filly began to struggle more earnestly as a piece of chalk floated near her face.
"Open up, sweetheart! Hahaha!"
Suddenly the door shattered to bits, catching me off gaurd and releasing the filly from my grasp. She ran off behind the teacher's desk as several unicorns and pegasi in black suits tackled me to the ground.
*-*-*-*
I looked through the one window in her padded cell. I could just barely make out the words of the two ponies conversing outside.
"How long has she been in here?"
"A long, long time."
"Really? When's she gunna be let out?"
"Doesn't matter now. Ponyville's gone to hell. She'll be sent back soon enough."
They're always watching me...
*-*-*-*
Twilight looks away, tears falling from her cheeks. "I don't want to remember any more than that... Go, please."
