My Little Pony: Forever Stranger

It was late afternoon in a full classroom. Ms. Marble Scroll stood at the chalkboard, talking about everything and about nothing. He went between listening to her, and watching the amber unicorn on his left annoy her other neighbors.

As far as anypony was concerned, class was over, and the semester along with it. That didn't stop Marigold from turning her notebook into a volcano, however. As she took notes on who-knows-what, ink and sparks flew from her horn and broken quill, spraying desks in every direction. He and her had been blushing and smiling at each other- in her case, from behind a pair of glasses- all semester. So even though his left hoof now looked like a cow's, he wasn't annoyed in the slightest. What a shocker.

He wiped off his hoof, his ears fixed on Marigold's scribbling. Thought she didn't know it, she was playing melody over the ticks of the clock, and somepony's hoof tapping the alabaster tile. No sweeter lullaby for sleeping with your eyes open.

Ms. Scroll turned to write on the board, and he slowly twisted his head back. Way in the last row, the three other cadets had surrendered. Their navy-blue button-ups were undone, while their yellow sashes sagged or swung from their necks. The three slouched- in one case, snored- in their chairs, finishing the semester as they had started. No wonder the royal guard instructors were wary letting cadets take extra classes at the Princess's School for Gifted Unicorns; afraid the recruits might use class time as vacation.

The very idea. He rolled his eyes, wondering again how the three lumps got here in the first place, then faced forward. With three seconds left on the clock, his horn glowed and tightened his sash for the fifth and final time today.

The bell cheered. Ms. Scroll clasped her hooves together and begged everypony to study hard for finals as they rushed out. She smiled and nodded as he stopped before her desk. He gave her the same, then stood at attention and saluted- habit this semester.

Ms. Scroll lowered her glasses. "Semester hasn't been too boring, I hope, Gale?"

His hoof dropped. "Never, ma'am. I really enjoyed your class."

"And it's been a definitive pleasure teaching you." She leaned forward and whispered, "Good luck Friday!"

"It's gonna be that bad, huh?"

"Not for somepony as hardworking as you."

"I don't know about that." He grinned. "Thanks."

She reset her glasses. "And Gale? No matter where you go or what you do, always remember: it's not the knowledge itself that matters. It's what you do once you have it."

He nodded. "I will."

Day now done, he returned to his room to study.

***

The colts' dormitory sat tucked away in a green courtyard between school and the castle. The barracks-like building, flat and rectangular, had a pointed roof and cobble brick walls, rather than the vanilla marble which candy-coated most of Canterlot. The morning after Ms. Scroll's last class, Gale was up with the sun outside the front door. His uniform draped evenly over the bench he lay on, and his head tilted against it as pages of dates, names and places flipped idly before him.

A robin's gurgled chirp spun his eyes upward, and he began scanning the tree line frill of the courtyard. At ten o' clock, some twenty meters away, a brown-orange puff ball was skipping on pipe cleaner legs across the lawn. Lodged on its top beak was a blueberry the size of a walnut. Purple syrup trailed down its chest, and the little thing shook its head like a foal with brain freeze. It twirled round like a ballerina for a second, until the plump counterweight sent both rolling end over end on the grass. Gale cupped his mouth and chuckled quietly to himself. That's when three grumbling colts came marching and yawning through the door: Starshell, unicorn; Astrolabe, earth; and Beveled Edge, pegasus.

"Oh boy," Edge droned, "it's Bearing Gale, the greatest thing in Equestria since sliced bread."

"Morning, gents."

"We see how it is, Gale," yawned Astrolabe. "Too good to study in the dorm with everypony else?"

Gale beamed. "Yep. You know, because you all are so beneath me. Buncha cud-chewing rubes."

"Look who's talking, Ponyville."

Edge butted in, "Ok, maybe Shell and Astro are duckheads-"

"Suck a lemon, Edge."

"- but I'm not the one who wasted the best semester of his life." The pegasus shook his head. "You got to go to the castle every day, Gale. Half the ponies in your class were girls, and you didn't sneak off to their dining hall once? Not even for what's-her-name?"

Astrolabe yawned as he jumped in, "Called it. Chef put a spell on the food so we'd miss eating garbage every meal."

Gale's stowed the books as the familiar insults and complaints were tossed around. In truth, all four of them knew what had stood between him and 'what's-her-name.' Snoring on a date was impolite. So was bringing textbooks. Then there was the unspoken rule that the instructors would turn you into a rug if they caught you smiling. Gale rubbed his neck. Should've tried harder to find Marigold yesterday. Maybe, if he finished his exam at the same time-

Edge broke into a slack-jawed impression of Chef, and the four hollered as if hearing it for the first time. The last weeks made everypony slaphappy, and twitchy and baggy-eyed to boot.

Starshell's laugh still wasn't done when he asked, "So what's your guys' schedule this week?"

Astrolabe rolled his shoulders. "Well, we've got topology on Wednesday. Gale's history on Tuesday. Edge?"

"Done 'til Friday, remember?"

"Lazy jerk," said Starshell.

"Hey, at least you guys don't have to face Spitfire for your fitness tests," said Edge, scratching his scalp. "Buckler told me she's worse than the instructors."

"She is a Wonderbolt," Astrolabe pointed out.

"Yeah, but still...seriously though, how do they expect you guys to train and study this week?" Edge yawned, then looked at his watch. "Y'all wanna get to breakfast early? I don't feel like waiting in line."

"I'm in..." said Starshell. He started to say something else, then quickly spat out, "Gale. Uniform. Now." He jerked his head in the direction of the castle. A maple unicorn in full armor was cutting across the lawn, beelining towards the dorm.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Gale snatched his shirt. He wrenched it down over him, and his horn scraped it like a cat claw. Luck held the wool long enough to let his head slip through.

"What the hay's Smoke Jumper doing here?" Edge wondered as the four of them lined up.

Out the side of his mouth Starshell whispered, "Come on, Edge. You steal another cider keg?"

"'Course not, I would've framed you by now."

"Tench-hut!" bellowed Astrolabe.

Smoke Jumper slowed down, horseshoes munching the gravel as she began pacing their line. She slowed her steps further, ashy mane bobbing slowly, then she spun around and strolled in front of their muzzles again. When she finally halted, her armor clattered like an explosion, and the four young stallions flinched.

"Good morning, Gentlecolts!" she barked.

"Good morning, Ma'am!" they barked back.

The emerald in Smoke Jumper's eyes doused. She cocked her head and smiled. "Relax, guys. I'm not here to pick on you. No horror shows from us until Friday." She turned to Gale, far right. "It's your lucky day, Gale. We've got an audience with the Princess. Right now."

Gale blinked. He tried to be scared, then excited, but neither reaction fit. He blinked again.

Smoke Jumper filled in, "I haven't a clue, Gale. So fix your baldric and let's go."

He bit his bottom lip as he followed Smoke Jumper, and dropped his chin to straighten his sash for the first time today. A quick glance behind showed Astrolabe and Starshell nodding in approval, while Edge threw him a lazy salute. As the courtyard wall came between Gale and them, the last thing he noticed was the flag hoisted above the dorm, waving at him.