The Harmony Initiative

Chapters

PART ONE - Chapter One
PART ONE - Chapter Two
PART ONE - Introduction

PART ONE - Chapter One

THE HARMONY INITIATIVE
Part One: Integration
Chapter One

"You called me, Tia?"

"Luna." The pastel-haired woman turned from her window to face her sister, smiling at her. "I know you want to get to bed, but…" She faltered, shifting her lavender eyes away from the younger woman in front of her. Her gaze settled on the large window that enveloped her office in early morning light. "What if it doesn't work?" she asked, hating herself for the question. Hating herself for the way she asked it—that rare pathetic voice of hers. The one that she only let slip around Luna. Nowadays, anyway.

Luna met her sister's uncertainty with confidence. "Come on, it'll be fine!" she assured her. "We've planned for years for this. This was what we told Equestria we would do. And, besides, it was an initiative. Not exactly a royal decree. We didn't do anything until the people brought it before us."

"Yes," Celestia added. "The small group of integrationists. It seemes that everyone else hates us for this."

Luna shook her head, coming to sit down in one of the chairs across from Celestia's desk. "We just have to make everyone else see why it's important. But they love you as a leader, you know that."

Celestia looked back at her younger sister, raising an eyebrow. "They love peace. They love living without fear from our foreign neighbors. But internal harmony?"

"What do you mean?"

"I just got the newest edition of the Canterlot Chronicle," Celestia explained. She and Luna had to put up with a lot of the Royal Clan's nonsense living in Canterlot, and its "high-class" publications were certainly nonsense. All the clans published newspapers and magazines that at times poked fun at the other clans, but the Royal Times and the Canterlot Chronicle were the most vocal. The recent issues had focused on Celestia and Luna's plans of fostering integration between the clans. While none of the Royal Clan would ever come out and speak against the royal family, its sugarcoated insults of their new plan annoyed Celestia.

"Oh," Luna said. "Well, how bad is it?"

"The front page has a picture of Ponyville High School. The title?" Celestia picked up the paper and handed it to Luna.

"Sin-tegration Academy: 'Why We Shouldn't Mix Clans.' Oh. That's pretty bad. At least they put it in quotes."

"Yes, and I'm sure they were the editor's words. Here. Read this part," Celestia told her sister, pointing at one passage.

"'The main focus of the princesses' new Harmony Initiative is the integrated academy, which would bring children of all clans together under one roof. Experts have pointed out the unrealistic nature of this endeavor, which would cease to provide Directed Training toward Clan members. Royal Clan members would no longer be specifically taught in schools about politics and governance. Similarly, Sky Clan members would not receive a military and strategics background, and Earth Clan members would be forced to learn about agricultural practices from their families alone. One Canterlot woman voiced her worries that, if sent to an integrated academy, her children would not be raised knowing the importance of being Royal Clan members. Additionally, she was concerned that being educated among Earth and Sky Clans might have a negative impact on their behavior. "What if they came home like those Sky hooligans? Or shoveling dirt like the Earth hillbillies?"' ...Yes, that is pretty awful, Tia."

"Continue."

"'A recent study at Canterlot University showed that a Sky Clan member has 120% more of the so-called 'aggression hormone' than an ordinary member of the Royal Clan. Furthermore, the same study measured IQ scores of Royal Clan versus Earth Clan. Unsurprisingly, Royal Clan's average is more than 60 intelligence points over Earth Clan's average. Using this data, it is not hard to see the concern raised among Royal Clan members.' This is nothing we have not heard before. Well, those numbers are new. I wonder how legitimate they are."

"Probably not very. Go on. The next part."

"'It is with dread that some Canterlot parents send their children to school today. Those families who were not selected to send their children to school alongside Earth and Sky Clans heave a sigh of relief that their 'invitations' were not simply lost in the mail. The attitude is reminiscent of the Darkest Days of the war, when Sky Clan's underpopulation crisis coupled with a necessary escalation of war efforts led to Royal and Earth Clan members being drafted. As remembered by all Equestria, this move produced unspeakable consequences. Canterlot parents today send their children into a warzone—a warzone fraught with uneducated and aggressive enemies.'" Luna paused for a moment. "You're right. That is bad. The war? The non-Sky draft? How could they even compare that with integration?" Luna shook her head, throwing the newspaper down on the desk. "Listen, Tia, you can't take that seriously. You just see what happens in a year from now. What that school accomplishes."

"We didn't even send that many Canterlot children to Ponyville," Celestia said defensively, though her tone was low. There are already Royal Clan members living in the town, and they have been integrating the school there for years now. But it was too small of a minority."

"I know, Tia," Luna said, her voice gentle. "We wanted equal percentages of all Clans. And we needed to send students to show that we were really integrating the school, not just allowing Ponyville Royal Clan members to go to school alongside Earth. Besides, Canterlot Royal Clan members view Ponyville Royals as… er, more on the Earth Clan side anyway."

Celestia finally sat back, looking at her sister. "I'm sorry, Luna. You really do need to get to sleep. You've had a long night. Now it's my turn to deal with the problem." She gave her a small smile. "Don't take all this the wrong way. It's just my nerves speaking, I think. I'm certainly excited to see what happens. I just wish someone would write an article about the positive side to integration."

"Ban Clan newspapers and print a national one instead?" Luna offered with a wry smile.

"Don't tempt me."

Luna laughed and stood up. "Good luck," she offered Celestia. "Let me know how it goes as soon as I wake up!"

Celestia nodded.

"Oh, and you have lots of Royal Clan parents to see. They all made appointments for the morning. It's strange how everyone else does business during the day, isn't it?" Luna added.

Celestia groaned.

"Twilight! Honey! It's time to wake up! The sun is shining and the birds are singing and it's a beauuuutiful day!"

Twilight mumbled something from below her comforter.

"What was that, dear?"

"A beautiful day to go to Ponyville," came the response, clearer this time.

The overhead light flicked on and Twilight let out a yelp, hiding beneath the covers again. Her mother crossed her arms, frowning at her daughter. Ms. Sparkle was a tall, stately woman with all the air of Canterlot royalty—even if she only worked in the palace as an aide. "I've had just about enough of this Ponyville attitude," she replied. "It may be a little bit more... pastoral than you're used to, but I trust the princesses. Don't you?"

Well, when she put it that way... "Yes, mother." Of course she did. Her whole family had close ties to the princesses, and unlike some of the more pretentious Royal Clan members, Twilight actually knew them quite well. Particularly Princess Celestia, who joked that Twilight's organizational habits made her the princess's protégée. She'd even awarded Twilight the Equestrian Scholar of the Year Award, placing her under the princess's direct guidance for the next year! Of course, that didn't go to Twilight's head. Not at all. Even if it meant she had to go to Ponyville as part of the award. She'd be reporting back to the princess herself on the integration process at Ponyville High School.

Twilight slowly peeled back the covers, sitting up stiffly in her bed. She resembled her mother in height, though her willowy limbs were thinner and her complexion much paler than Ms. Sparkle. The tall, skinny build was characteristic for Royal Clan members. Her room was cluttered with boxes fresh from the move. The fact that Twilight hadn't organized anything yet was one of the many clues that told Ms. Sparkle Ponyville wasn't so welcome to her.

"I just… I don't understand!" Twilight said for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Her mother didn't have much patience for this anymore. "Twilight. Please. You understand everything. Just be a good sport about this, will you?"

"Shi got to go to high school in Canterlot," Twilight muttered.

Ms. Sparkle sighed. "Honey. He's graduated now. The Harmony Initiative wasn't around back then. This is what the princess wants for you. And, to be honest, it's what I want for you, too. I'm so proud that you're going to be part of this."

Well, she couldn't argue with that, no matter how much she wanted to. Twilight sighed. It was bad enough that she had to go to school in dinky little Ponyville. But she didn't even know any of the other Royal Clan members going to the school. Her mother's old friend had one daughter going, but apparently the daughter had been in Ponyville her whole life. As a Royal Clan member, too! After living in Canterlot, Twilight could hardly believe that kind of attitude existed among Royal Clan members.

Although she wouldn't admit it, Twilight knew that there was really nothing for her here in Canterlot anyway. She didn't have any friends except her older brother. And he no longer lived at home. But she would miss the city, and being able to spend all her time at the palace library. Sure, she'd still be living there, but with an hour train ride in each direction? There went a good chunk of her reading time.

And speaking of the train:

"Twilight, you're going to be late," her mother pressed.

If there was one thing Twilight hated, it was being late. "Fine," she snapped, pulling herself out of bed.

"Cheer up, sweetie! It's going to be a great day."

"School bus, school bus, we're waiting for the school bus!" sang a girl around Twilight's age, while hopping side to side at the bus stop. Her large pink hair hopped along with her, clashing entirely with her mismatched wardrobe: pink dress, bright blue sweater, polka-dot pink and purple tights, and bright red shoes with large bows. On her wrist she sported the green band of the Earth Clan, complete with silver leaf-shaped crest.

"I can't believe you're excited to go to school, Pinkie," her younger sister Inkie sighed. It was her first day of middle school, and her appearance was more sedate than Pinkie's. Her straight black hair fell over one eye, and her black dress-black tights-black shoes look went along well.

"Well, of course, silly! The first day of school is always the best. New friends! And we never do real work on the first day! And they make extra special good cafeteria food!"

"I'm glad we're starting, too," replied the youngest, gray-haired Blinkie, clad in a light blue t-shirt and black jeans. She smiled, though no grin could match Pinkie's. "Though we won't get to help Mom and Dad as much."

Pinkie shrugged. "Oh well!" That was fine with her. Her family ran a rock farm, and though her sisters seemed to never tire of work there, Pinkie could hardly stand it. She spent most of her time daydreaming or playing pranks, neither of which were entirely productive. Her family was all about productivity. That was the Earth Clan way, after all.

"I just… I wish there were more farm kids who went to my school," Inkie said quietly.

"There's me!" Blinkie replied.

"You'll be on the other side of the school with the elementary kids still. I mean in my grade. Other ponies tease me for it."

Pinkie's eyes narrowed. "Oh yeah? Like who?" she demanded. "I demand vengeance!"

"Oh… Just… Nobody!" Inkie said quickly.

"Just don't listen to them," Blinkie advised. "People are gonna say stuff, no matter who you are. Just don't get bothered by it, and make real friends!"

"Yeah, what she said!" Pinkie agreed. "But if you want vengeance…"

"Pinkie," Blinkie warned, shaking her head. Although she was the youngest, she was often the voice of reason.

"Right! Okay! Anyway, there are plenty of country kids who go to school in Ponyville. You just have to find them."

Inkie frowned, looking even more worried. "But… didn't you say that you don't like the country kids?"

Pinkie thought for a moment, trying to remember. Did she? "Well… just that one, I guess." Applejack. But she wasn't sure how much she could dislike someone, really. Still, she had been a meanie-meanie-pants shithead party pooper for their middle school's government. Applejack had been president with Pinkie as vice. Pinkie had tried to throw a big end-of-year party two years ago, but Applejack had insisted they focus on more important things, like using that time to study for finals. Ha! How boring! Applejack had claimed she didn't have much time for studying back at the farm. Well, Pinkie lived on a farm, too. And she couldn't exactly throw parties there! Not anymore. Her parents had made that pretty clear. At least Applejack was a year older than Pinkie. Once she was gone, Pinkie had one whole more year. And at the end of that year, Pinkie had thrown a huge party. Take that, Applejack!

"Just be yourself," Blinkie was saying. "You'll make lots of friends in no time!"

"Lots and lots of friends!" Pinkie agreed. "And then invite them over! We can throw a huge party! Especially with the new integra-whattchit students!"

"They're only at Ponyville High," Blinkie reminded her. "We won't be getting any."

"Here comes the bus," Inkie replied, pulling on her hair nervously.

"School bus, school bus, yay!" Pinkie sang.

"Fucking shit, I'm going to be late!" yelled Rainbow Dash, slapping her alarm silent. Fuck. It. All. She'd set her alarm to go off with enough time to get to Cloudsdale High, but—until the second she woke up, she'd completely forgotten that she wasn't going there anymore.

The princesses had 'invited' her to go to the new integrated school down in Ponyville. Dash had been to the hick town once, maybe twice in her whole life. It wasn't that long of a drive, but nearly everyone in Cloudsdale looked down on Ponyville. Literally. Cloudsdale was atop a mountain peak that leveled out to a grand plateau. It had a better view of the rest of Equestria than Canterlot did, but it wasn't exactly a metropolis. It was more of a military base masquerading as a city. Sure, people outside Sky Clan lived there. Like one Earth Clan family that did mining in one section of the mountain. And the Royal Clan scientists who worked at the observatory. Other than that, it was mainly the Air Force and other Sky Clan members.

Rainbow Dash was a military brat; her parents had both served in the Royal Equestrian Air Force. Her father had been one of the first members of the Wonderbolts, a special forces unit that performed aerobatics shows during peacetime. Dash's mom was more sedate, preferring to focus on military tactics. Now her mom worked closely with the other military heads in Canterlot, controlling national security from capital war rooms. Her dad remained a powerful air force general, but now during peacetime he mainly traveled, working on organizational strategies at other bases. Dash's hilltop mansion was elegant and spacious, if a bit lonely at times. Not that she'd ever admit that. Besides, she liked her freedom.

As Rainbow Dash dressed—baggy black pants, blue tanktop and olive green jacket—she wolfed down a cold slice of pizza. Hate cooking, have money from guiltily absent rich parents? Get pizza every night. Not all parents would trust their fifteen year old daughter to fend for herself, but her grandmother lived in town and came by often. And, as Dash's parents told her constantly, their numerous family friends were always there for her. They invited her to dinners nearly every week. She mostly turned them down, and they'd learned. Except one pesky family.

Dash would have been much happier had she never known the Swift family.

Machelle Swift was the Chief Defense Secretary of the Royal Equestrian Air Force. And, thus, Dash's mom's boss. Machelle's husband, Peregrine, was mayor of Cloudsdale. And their daughter Fluttershy was Dash's classmate. Despite her parents' badass jobs, Fluttershy was… kind of a wimp. And that was being nice.

If only going to school down in Ponyville was the last Dash would see of Fluttershy.

But, no. Because Fluttershy had been sent, too. And she was ecstatic. Ponyville was the nearest town in the flatlands, where she could be with the farmlands and baby bunnies and whatever else it was the flower child longed for that didn't exist at the top of a mountain. Worse, Dash was expected to carpool with the dweeb. Carpool! As if that girl could even buckle a seatbelt without getting motion sickness. With Dash's driving, and their late start, there'd be puke all over the car.

As if reading her mind, Rainbow Dash's cell phone buzzed. She'd left it in the kitchen overnight. Sixteen missed calls? Really? She picked up the phone as she hunted for her car keys. "What?" she snapped into it.

"Oh! Um, I was calling for Rainbow Dash."

"Yeah. It's Dash."

"Oh. Okay. Um, Dash. Yes, I was calling for Dash."

The rainbow-haired girl rolled her eyes. "Could this be Fluttershy?"

"Yes! Yes, this is Fluttershy."

Another pause. Dash suddenly saw a glint of metal on the dining table and swept off the pizza box to find her keys.

"Um, Rainbow Dash? I mean, Dash? Are you still there?"

"Yes…"

"Oh. Okay."

"Fluttershy, you called me. What's up?" Dash barked impatiently. It was almost impossible to talk on the phone and put on her boots at the same time.

"Oh, right! Well, my dad is just getting worried about the time and everything, and I wanted to make sure you were still picking me up? If that's okay?"

"Yep. On my way." Dash hung up the phone, tied her boots and ran out the door.

"I can't believe you didn't fix the car in time for school!" Applejack complained to her big brother. "You know, it's kind of important we get Apple Bloom to school on time. And us!"

"Eeyup. Sorry, AJ," replied Big Macintosh with a sigh.

AJ shook her head. "Sorry doesn't cut it, mister! Bloom's school is far away, and this is your first day of senior year. Don't you wanna make a good impression?"

Big Mac shrugged. "I guess I'll fix it this weekend. Got lots of work on the farm." He didn't have anything more to say on the subject, but then again he never was the most talkative guy.

AJ leaned back in the bus seat. At least they'd been able to find a last minute carpool for Apple Bloom before catching the school bus to Ponyville High. They'd made the bus on time, but punctuality was important to Applejack, and she needed to know they'd be able to get to school on time from now on.

Still, she knew her brother's worries about the farm all too well. There was a lot of work, and even with the hired help, Big Mac and AJ were doing most of it. Granny Smith was the expert, of course, but neither of them wanted to let her work too hard. It annoyed her, but after she'd developed arthritis in her hands she couldn't protest much. It was nearly harvest season now, and they'd be needing to deal with that. But it was a long process, and school always got in the way.

"You know, I could always—"

"Stop right there," AJ interrupted Big Mac. "I know what you're going to say, and hell no. You're not dropping out of school just to work on the farm. We'll make ends meet. We always have before with you in school." Not without Granny Smith, though, but she didn't say that. Both of them were thinking it.

Big Mac shrugged. He was agreeable, but AJ knew that when he got an idea in his head he could be stubborn as a mule. She had to make sure it didn't become like that with this idea.

"So what kinda people you think are gonna be at school today?" AJ asked with a smirk. "Uppity Crownies? Adrenaline-junkie Cloudheads?"

Big Mac shook his head. "Probably a lot of both. I just worry we can't all fit."

"Well, they've been working on the expansion for years now. And the princesses got it all under control, I guess. Think we'll have to show our bands to get in?" AJ joked, referring to the bands each citizen of Equestria wore around their wrist. Green for Earth Clan members, with a silver leaf crest. Blue for Sky Clan, with a tiny wing. And Purple for Royal, with a crown. These were given at birth and impossible to remove except by the three Clanleaders.

"I was thinking they might just get rid of them," Big Mac replied. "Since the point is for us all to be the same, right? Maybe the princesses are gonna do away with bands next."

AJ frowned. She hoped that wouldn't be the case. As much as she resented being looked down upon by the other Clans, she had to admit it was fun to do the same to the others. Or at least the ones who lived up to the stereotype. And she was proud of her Earth Clan heritage. It was what made her hard work so rewarding. She was working for a greater goal, as part of a community.

Still, she was sure there would be some kids from other Clans she'd like. Just as she didn't like some of the kids from Earth Clan. It didn't work like that, and it wouldn't have made sense for it to have worked like that.

Applejack leaned back in the bus seat, her head rolling back impatiently. "Can't this thing go any faster?" she griped.

"D-do you have to go so fast?"

"What was that?"

"Do you have to go so fast?" The plaintive question was asked by a cringing pink-haired girl in the passenger seat of Rainbow Dash's old Firebird convertible. She was clutching the armrest, terror in her teal eyes. Fluttershy was not a fan of the ride down the mountain. She was finding that she was even less of a fan when Rainbow Dash was driving.

"Can't hear you above the wind, sorry!" Dash shot back.

"That's okay," Fluttershy replied.

"What?"

"That's okay!"

Fluttershy had been so excited to start over anew at Ponyville High School. Being down with Earth Clan members would be great! She'd learn all sorts of things from them about how to take care of the earth, and to grow a garden, and to help little animals… Her whole family was so Sky-entrenched that it was expected for her to be, too. Sometimes Fluttershy worried that the teasing she got from her classmates was true: she was really an Earth Clan member in a Sky body. There was no worse shame than someone who fit another Clan over his or her own. But she just found the things the Earth Clan did to be so much more interesting than all that military and meteorology business…

She admitted, she was even excited to be carpooling with Rainbow Dash. Or, as she preferred to be called now, just Dash. They'd been friends when they were younger and had gone to summer camp together every year. But slowly they'd grown apart—Dash had become more independent, more into Sky Clan things. Until, in the end, she'd even turned against Fluttershy. Fluttershy, the baby Earth-wannabe. Losing her friend had been hard on such a sensitive girl. And making friends was even harder thanks to her near-crippling timidity. For awhile, Fluttershy's only friends had been the birds that lived atop the mountain. She took care of them, built them little houses, bought them birdseed. And gradually they'd begun to trust her.

If she was going to be honest with herself, they were still really her only friends. But now maybe Rainbow Dash would like her again. Neither of them enjoyed huge popularity—for vastly different reasons, of course—and Fluttershy didn't think Dash had any friends at Ponyville High. It was a chance to be friends all over again!

And then, as they reached the flatlands, the wind died down. Fluttershy heaved a sigh of relief. She still couldn't hold a conversation due to the top being down, but it no longer felt like the car was going to be pushed over the edge of the cliff road. If only she hadn't worn her favorite yellow dress, prone to wrinkles, she may have turned up at school looking all right. If only she'd brought a brush with her, her pink hair wouldn't have turned into a mess.

Oh well. So much for making an impression. At least, she hoped, nobody would be judging her on her appearance.

"Dear Celestia, our classmates are like unwashed yokels!"

"They… they don't look so bad," replied Twilight Sparkle diplomatically, though she didn't seem so sure.

The first speaker, wearing a pristine white tennis dress, diamond earrings, and small purple heels that matched her Royal Clan band perfectly, gave a light shrug. "They look much worse than last year to me," she said darkly. Her makeup was immaculate, her plum-colored hair perfectly curled around her face.

"So, Rarity?" asked Twilight.

"Yes, darling?" Rarity asked, though her blue eyes surveyed the crowd. Where were her friends? She wanted to introduce Twilight to them! Rarity knew that Twilight was going to be her new best friend. They'd go to Canterlot together on shopping trips and Rarity would meet the princesses. In fact—Twilight lived in Canterlot! Rarity could actually have a sleepover in Canterlot! Of all the best things that could happen, this was the. Best. Possible. Thing!

"When do I find out where my locker is?" Twilight was asking.

Oh, what a reasonable question. "We'll get our schedules and our locker numbers will be printed on them. I must warn you, though, I'm sure they're nothing compared to Canterlot."

"A locker is a locker," Twilight laughed. She seemed uneasy.

Uneasy? Why? Rarity was stunned. If anything she was being overly welcoming to Twilight. She didn't know how she could give her any better of a welcome! Well, perhaps if she'd had time to give her a teensy little makeover before they'd gotten to school. Twilight and her mom had shown up at Rarity's house, their mothers being old friends, and Rarity had escorted Twilight to school for her first day. Rarity's father, who taught at Ponyville High, had offered a ride, but Rarity had nearly screeched a no. "And don't even bring it up in front of Twilight!" Rarity had her own car, and there was no reason for her to show up with her dad, who was probably planning on wearing one of his Hawaiian shirts to school.

But it turned out Twilight was not much more fashion-aware. The Canterlot girl's wardrobe was certainly not Canterlot couture. She didn't look frumpy, but she wasn't exactly sporting designer brands. Rarity would have called her purple plaid skirt, purple vest over white collared shirt, black flats and sensible glasses "schoolgirl chic," but there wasn't much "chic" to it. It was painfully... well, Ponyville. Maybe that was the look she was going for? Trying to fit in? That must have been it! And she was doing a fabulous job! Probably all the new students thought Rarity was the Canterlot girl, not Twilight. For that purpose, she tried to look a little lost, turning her head slightly back and forth, as if trying to take it all in.

"So, Rarity?"

"Yes?"

"Where do we get our schedules, then?" Twilight asked.

"Oh, dear. Right this way! I'm sorry, I was just… looking for some friends."

"Oh, you can wait for them if you want to. If you give me directions, I'm sure I can figure it out."

Now she'd gone and made the poor girl feel unwelcome, as if Rarity didn't want her there! "Oh, no, darling," she reassured her. "I'll take you there in an instant! Come with me!" She was going to have to work harder to be Twilight's friend—after all, it wasn't every day such high class ponies came from Canterlot!

Navigating through a group of Sky Clan kids speaking in that annoying Cloudsdale vernacular, Rarity couldn't help but giggle to herself. She was familiar with Canterlot and Ponyville accents, but she'd never been to Cloudsdale and had never really talked to anyone from there. Though, she supposed, that was about to change.

Once Rarity and Twilight had reached the school's front entrance, they stepped inside. "The main office is straight to the left," Rarity instructed. "There's bound to be a long line, but you can get your schedule and locker there."

"Don't you have to wait too?" Twilight asked. Finally! Rarity smiled. Twilight was trying to spend time with her!

"No, I'm a continuing student so I signed up for classes at the end of last year and was already given my schedule. And I have the same locker this year, unfortunately. Shall I wait with you? I can show you to your first class. I'm not sure how they're doing things this year, but homeroom is ordinarily separated by Clan. Naturally, there are more Earth Clan homerooms than the others, but being part of an elite community has its perks, too," Rarity told her.

Twilight was nodding slowly. "Yeah... I guess so... Um, that's nice of you, but I'll be fine on my own. Really! But thank you." She smiled back.

Rarity was a bit disappointed, but it would be best not to smother her too quickly. Oh well. Time to go see if she could find some of her other friends, or get to her locker! "All right then. Perhaps I'll see you at lunch? My friends and I always sit at the nicest table. It's kind of our thing, I suppose. You have no idea what wonders it does for your reputation to sit with us. And you're invited!"

Twilight stared at her for a moment. "Oh... thanks," she said. "That's nice of you." Rarity could tell she was trying to be gracious but didn't really see the point.

It wasn't exactly the reaction she'd been hoping for. Oh well. She was probably just overwhelmed with all the new changes. "Of course, dear! I'll see you then!" Without giving Twilight a chance to react, Rarity added, "Well, good luck, darling!" With that, she turned and walked down the hall. It was time for her to tell her friends all about her brush with near-royalty.

Celestia was exhausted after dealing with all these Canterlot parents. They were all so angry. They'd all been making a fuss over the integrated academy the whole summer, but evidently had believed their whining would make Celestia call off the whole plan. It hadn't, and they were there to complain some more.

After one particularly emotional mother had left, wiping her mascara-lined face as she exited, Celestia called in an aide. Ms. Sparkle hurried in, and Celestia gave her a weak smile. At least there was one parent who didn't complain about her child being sent to Ponyville High.

"I don't think things are going very well," Celestia admitted.

"What should we do, your majesty?"

Celestia hesitated. "Perhaps it is time for Luna and I to meet with the Clanleaders. Diplomacy never hurt anyone."

"But last time—"

"I know," Celestia interrupted. "Last time we met with them they only started bickering. That's how it has always been with them. The only time they can ever agree is when they come against the Harmony Initiative. But we will try again."

"I'll have someone contact them," Ms. Sparkle replied with a nod.

"Thank you." Celestia smiled at her aide as she left the office. After years of the Clanleaders trying to stop integration, Celestia and Luna had finally ignored their complaints and gone ahead with the Harmony Initiative. It was not the best move, but it seemed the only way they could get the gears turning. The princesses knew very well that it was impossible for this to happen, though, without the Clanleaders. They controlled popular support. They were, in some ways, mightier than the princesses themselves.

Celestia's hand went to her neckline, and she pulled a gold chain out of her collar. Attached was a tiny gold key, and she used this to unlock the top drawer in her desk. The princess pulled it open, staring down into its contents. Letters. The entire drawer was filled with letters. Suddenly, there was a knock at her door and she quickly slid the drawer shut.

"Come in."

The door opened and another one of her aides entered. She was a bit shorter than Ms. Sparkle, with straight brown hair. "I have a letter for you, your majesty," she announced, crossing the room and placing it on her desk.

Celestia picked up the letter. "Thank you," she said. The princess waited for her aide to leave before she looked down at the envelope. It was the same as all the others. That stark white paper.

She reached for her letter opener and tore the seal, pulling the letter out. Her eyes scanned it quickly, skimming between words and phrases. She saw why haven't you replied? and really use a drink and tyrant and one line, that stopped her. You'll never win over the Clanleaders this way.

Celestia stopped herself from reading any more. She folded up the letter tightly, then opened her drawer again. The letter was added to the pile, and then she shut the drawer tightly, locking it again. She couldn't ignore the letters forever but she could try.

PART ONE - Chapter Two

The Harmony Initiative
Part One: Integration
Chapter Two

“Hi there, Royal Clan students! Welcome to your homeroom!” The friendly greeting came from the man at the head of the classroom. Who happened to be wearing a Hawaiian shirt.

The students sitting before him stared back at him with varying expressions, most of them with the slightest sense of disapproval. One light-blue-haired girl looked positively scornful as she clutched her purple Royal Clan band. Tall and skinny, like Twilight and Rarity, the majority of the students exuded a kind of graceful boredom. It was not hard to tell the Ponyville students from the Canterlot ones. A simple untucked garment tag, cuffed jeans or plain sneakers, for example, marked the Ponyvillians, who seemed to be grouped together near the front.

“You can all call me Magnum,” the teacher continued. “I’m not much for formalities.” He chuckled, but the students remained silent. “Now, I’m not sure how many of you are from Canterlot, but I want to give you all a very warm welcome to your new school and to Ponyville as well. But, wait! You’re all freshmen here! So let me welcome everyone to Ponyville High!”

Silence would have followed yet again if the door hadn’t burst open, revealing a frazzled-looking Twilight Sparkle. “I’m so sorry I’m late!” she exclaimed, gripping a huge binder in front of her like a battle shield. “I went to the wrong room. I didn’t know there was more than one first-year-Royal-Clan homeroom and I somehow misread my schedule and went to B-42, not D-42, and then I had to run all the way... Mr. Belle?” she asked, squinting at the teacher in confusion. “Are you my teacher?” Twilight was unaware of the snorts she’d earned from her frantic behavior. A few kids rolled their eyes, mouthing, not her again.

“Magnum, please! Call me Magnum!” their teacher replied with a grin. “And yep, I sure am. Saw you on the list, Twilight Sparkle. And don’t worry about it. Go ahead and sit down.”

Twilight nodded, still unsure why nobody had told her that Rarity’s father was a teacher at the high school. His daughter certainly hadn’t mentioned it. Neither had they gone along with Magnum to school. And Twilight’s own mother had kept the fact from her.

Twilight moved through the rows of desks, spotting an empty one near the back. Sitting down in the chair gratefully, she pushed her backpack onto the floor and opened her binder on her desk. To make a note, she pulled out her pink highlighter—the one used for helpful reminders, but not urgent ones—and circled the location of her homeroom on her schedule.

“Now, as I was getting to. The way homeroom’s gonna work here is that it’s divided into three categories: Clan, grade and room. So everyone has a homeroom with some of their grade members and some of their Clan members.”

Silence.

“Duh,” one girl whispered, not loud enough for Magnum to hear.

“Homeroom’s a short class and we only have it three times a week. It’s just kind of a way to check in with everyone and see how everything is going. You know, with school and everything. High school is gonna be different from middle school. And, I guess some of you might see the Clan integration as a big change. So we can all work with that. Any questions?”

Several hands shot up, obviously surprising Magnum.

The first girl he called on was the blue-haired one right next to Twilight—the one who had been glowering at Magnum so fiercely before. “So all our other classes are going to be with Sky and Earth Clan?” she demanded.

“Yes, this is your only class that’s not integrated. And, here’s the most exciting part!”

Everyone waited.

“You’ll be split up into small Harmony Groups! They’ll be made up of all Clans and all genders. They’ll be mixed by grades, but only to group upperclassmen and lowerclassmen together. So you’ll make lots of friends outside your Clan and grade!”

Apparently that was not exciting enough for the Royal Clan freshmen. “What about specialization?” another student wanted to know. “Like when do we learn about how to run, you know, the government? Like important things?”

“Well, we can talk about that in here. And the princesses have set up some very helpful after-school and lunchtime clubs to focus on that kind of stuff—”

“Do we have to use the same bathrooms or are there Royal Clan bathrooms?”

Magnum frowned. “Well, the only way the bathrooms are split up are between boys and girls,” he answered with a bit of a nervous laugh. There were a few gasps in response, and Twilight heard a few scattered bits of conversation:

“But my mother said...!”

“...Earth Clan, ew, ew!”

“...desanitizer with me...”

“You know Sky Clan will just deface everything!” The last came from the girl sitting beside Twilight. She made no attempt to be quiet. “And that Earth Clan will just... ugh, I don’t even know! Dirty things up. Do they even have plumbing?”

Twilight turned towards her. “Are you serious?” she asked, unable to help herself anymore. The girl directed her glare at Twilight, and the purple-haired girl instantly backed down. Her neighbor’s intensity was scary.

“Yes, I am serious!” she replied. “Of course. This whole thing is serious! We have to share facilities with those... others. You know they have different kinds of diseases and mannerisms, and I don’t want to get sick from Earth Clan’s bad hygiene or have to deal with some High Clan member in my bathroom, facedown in her own vomit! We have rights too!” Her face was getting redder, and she was progressively getting closer and closer to Twilight. “We all know we got the worst end of the stick. Sky Clan and Earth Clan will only improve under our influence. But what if we end up like them?! Tricks... I don’t want that to happen! Not to tricks me! It’s an outrage!”

Twilight could barely follow what she was saying, or why she suddenly began to add the word “tricks” to her diatribe as it got more and more heated. But luckily Magnum stepped in before Twilight could be completely melted under the fierce girl’s glare.

“Okay, okay!” he said. “Look, we’ll figure this all out. There are rules for common courtesy bathroom usage, and you’ll be glad to know that teenagers make school bathrooms messy by nature. Whatever Clan you’re in doesn’t really matter.”

“Are you even in Royal Clan?” the girl next to Twilight shot at their teacher.

There was a pause. “Yes. Yes, I am,” Magnum answered. He held up his band as proof. “Royal Clan member for more years than I’d care to say, as a matter of fact,” he replied calmly. “I’d like to think I’ve learned some about being in the Clan, and how to coexist with the other Clans. So hopefully you all can come to me if you have any issues doing so.” Magnum looked at the students for a moment, and if Twilight hadn’t know him better she would have sworn he was daring them to ask any more questions. “Well, now. The point of the homeroom is to have a small community.” The earnest smile had appeared back on Magnum’s face. “So why don’t we all introduce ourselves? Who wants to go first?”

Twilight raised her hand immediately. Rising from her desk, although unprompted by Magnum, she looked around the room. “Hi, everyone. I see some people I recognize, and a lot of new faces.”

“What is she doing, giving a speech?” hissed a girl a few desks away.

Twilight’s face reddened, but she continued: “My name is Twilight Sparkle and I’m from Canterlot.”

“What. Really? In that outfit?” the vocal girl next to Twilight muttered.

“I’m the recipient of Princess Celestia’s Equestrian Scholar of the Year Award and will be reporting back to her on how integration is proceeding,” Twilight added. There. Maybe that would shut them up.

“You?!” the girl next to her suddenly gasped. “It’s not possible!”

Twilight couldn’t help but glance towards her. “Why not?”

“Because... because...”

“Would you just shut up?” came a request from a girl across the room. She had minty green hair with a white streak, and she looked irritated. “All you Canterlot snobs feel so entitled to speak whenever you want. Just let the girl finish speaking, why don’t you?”

“I...I’m done,” Twilight replied, sitting back down.

“Thanks, Twilight! How about you go next, then?” Magnum said, nodding towards Twilight’s annoying neighbor.

The silvery-blue-haired girl stood, fists on her hips. “I’m Trixie. Trixie Lulamoon. I’m also from Canterlot. And I’m the runner-up to Princess Celestia’s award.” She paused, looking down at Twilight. “But I suppose we can’t all be the daughters of palace aides.”

Twilight stared back at her, shocked into silence. How did she know that?

“Well, it looks like we have some very talented students in this class!” laughed Magnum. “I can’t wait to hear about all of your achievements!”

As Trixie sat down, she ripped out a page from her notebook and scribbled something on it. She crumpled it up and tossed it onto Twilight’s desk. The dark-haired girl unfolded it slowly as the next student, someone Twilight didn’t know, stood and introduced himself. But she wasn’t listening. Twilight was reading the angrily-scrawled message in purple ink: Enjoy the award while you can, palace brat. It’s the last time you’ll win anything around here. The GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie will make sure of that! Anything you can do, I CAN DO BETTER.

Not only had Twilight been the laughingstock of the entire class so far, but she’d also made a snooty, and possibly insane enemy. All in the first half hour of school. Ponyville was shaping up to be absolutely fantastic.

Applejack wasn’t exactly nosy, but even she was curious to see how the new students were. But when she entered her chemistry class—the first integrated class she would be taking—she noticed something strange. She recognized almost every face.

“Hi, AJ!” came a friendly greeting from Bon Bon, a pink-and-blue-haired girl Applejack had always had in her classes.

Applejack smiled and sat down next to her. “Hey, Bon Bon. How was your summer?”

“It was great! Lyra and I went to Canterlot to visit her grandma. So I got to do lots of new shopping!” That was true. If Applejack hadn’t known better, or couldn’t see the green band around Bon Bon’s wrist, she would have thought she was a Royal Clan member from her fancy dress. “How about yours?”

“Oh, y'know. The usual,” Applejack replied with a laugh. She’d learned enough by now that she shouldn’t go off on tangents about the farm anymore. A few sentences about tractors and pest control and trouble with the wholesale markets and most peoples’ eyes glazed over. AJ took another look around the room. “Don’t seem to be many new students here, huh?”

Bon Bon shook her head. “Nope. Except...” she pointed at a girl sitting near the front of the classroom, headphones over her ears. Her spiky electric blue hair seemed more of a Sky Clan fad, but her wristband was clearly purple.

The classroom door opened, and all heads turned to see. This must be another new student, AJ thought. But it was just Rarity, followed by her two friends Aloe and Lotus. Although Rarity was a Royal Clan member, she was from Ponyville—Applejack had been in the same class with her nearly her whole life. They’d never really gotten along, though. Rarity spent most of her time doing... well, girly things. Shopping. Going to the spa. Flirting with guys. Aloe and Lotus trailed after her, the twin sisters enamored by Rarity’s charm and popularity. She was a nice person. But she was so fussy about certain things. And Applejack had never seen her work for anything in her life. Like a lot of the Royal Clan members in Ponyville, Rarity was from a wealthier family that had left Canterlot and other Royal Clan-populated places for a country home and a simpler way of life. But for Applejack, the countryside wasn’t a simple way of life, it was the only way of life. And it was sure tough.

It appeared Rarity had spotted the new student right away. She immediately went to the girl’s side and stuck out her hand. “Hello, you must be new! So nice to meet you. My name is Rarity.”

AJ couldn’t help but smirk to herself. Rarity was always pretending to be a bigshot from Canterlot; she wondered how she’d react to real Canterlot kids.

“What?” came the response from the girl. She removed her headphones, letting them rest around her neck. She turned towards Rarity and AJ saw that she was wearing large sunglasses.

“I said, I’m Rarity. It’s nice to meet you!”

The girl nodded with a smile. “Oh. Yeah, you too! My name’s Vinyl.”

“Vinyl. Exquisite. So, do you come from the capital?” Rarity asked, seating herself beside Vinyl. Aloe and Lotus immediately sat down in the two seats behind them. Everyone else in the class, curious about the new additions to their school, watched the exchange as if Vinyl were some kind of exotic creature in a zoo.

“Yep. Born and bred in Canterrot.”

Rarity stared at her for a moment. “Beg pardon?”

“Oh, you don’t call it that here?” Vinyl asked with a grin. “Canterrot. The joke is that nothing rots there cause all the plants are fake, and people don’t let themselves grow old.”

Rarity continued to stare blankly at Vinyl.

“Plastic surgery?” the blue-head tried.

Still nothing.

“Oh. Well, anyway, it’s also because the politicians are rotten and the Royal Clan kids are spoiled rotten. So it works both ways. There are lots of names for Canterlot,” Vinyl explained slowly. “Can’t-a-lot. That one’s for the politicians too, cause they veto stuff. Or Can’t-allot. Get it, like—”

“Are all the names derogatory?” Rarity asked, smile faltering.

“Most, yeah.”

There was a silence in the room. Everyone else knew how Rarity idolized Canterlot. She’d made that very clear. And now to hear it bashed by a Canterlot native—

“Well, I suppose we have names for Ponyville too!” Rarity replied, smile returning, if a bit forced. “And there are names for Cloudsdale. And names for people in each Clan. But it’s all just silly, isn’t it?”

Applejack turned back to Bon Bon. “If that girl was any other Clan, Rarity would hate her. I guess she can befriend anyone who has enough cash,” she joked quietly.

But apparently not quietly enough. Rarity suddenly cleared her throat, and AJ looked up towards her. The girl must have supersonic hearing. She was staring towards AJ, and instead of looking angry, she actually appeared a bit... hurt? Before Applejack could try to figure that one out, the bell rang and the teacher came rushing into the room. She’d heard the expression “saved by the bell” before, but she’d never known quite how true it was until now.

It was lunchtime. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Rainbow Dash! I didn’t mean to crash into you like that.” Rainbow Dash was in line for food, craning her neck to see if Ponyville cafeteria food was going to be any better than Cloudsdale’s. “Oops. I dropped my lunch money.” She thought it might—after all, this was right down on the ground where the food was actually grown. “I’m sorry, please let me know if I’m bothering you.” So far, Dash’s day had been all right. A few Sky Clan members she knew in her classes, but no one she really liked. Fluttershy was omniscient. She was in her homeroom and two of her other classes—including the one right before lunch. Like an insect buzzing in her ear, Fluttershy had followed her straight to the cafeteria, trying to make some kind of small talk about classes and weather and other random shit Dash didn’t care about. “Rainbow Dash?” And now she was standing right behind Dash in line, trying to talk to her, her sweet little voice grating into Dash’s brain. “Rainbow Dash? Are you okay?”

“What?” Dash finally demanded, turning around to face her.

Fluttershy looked startled. “Um, I just... you weren’t answering... I just wanted... I’m sorry!”

Dash sighed, rolling her eyes. “It’s fine. But what do you want?”

“Um... You mean to eat?”

“No, I meant why do you keep saying my name? What is it?”

Fluttershy thought for a moment. “Um, I don’t know. I was worried you couldn’t hear me anymore.”

“Why would I not be able to hear you anymore?” Dash asked, impatient.

“Because you weren’t answering.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head, turning away from Fluttershy. She was next in line to order food, and she wanted to figure out what there was.

“I’m sorry if I’m bothering you. Am I bothering you?”

“What’ll you have?” the lunch lady asked Dash. It was her turn, and she didn’t even know her options. Stupid Fluttershy. Didn’t she know how serious Dash took food?

“Potatoes. And... some meat.” It didn’t really matter what her choices were—Dash was on her caveman diet. The food would help her on her run later. Or kill her. It was always one way or another.

“Next,” the lunch lady said, handing the food to her and shooing her along.

“And chocolate milk!” Dash added suddenly.

“Next,” the lady repeated. “You there. Pink-head. Start talking.”

Fluttershy blinked. “Um, well, I think she wants—”

“Who’s she? I’m talking to you. You want meat and potatoes too?”

“N-no! No, I don’t eat meat. Um, I’ll take a salad and one of those Portobello sandwiches? And... a chocolate milk?”

“Here you go,” the woman said, handing Fluttershy her tray. “Next.”

Dash sighed, giving up. She would get enough protein from the gray meat thing, whatever it was. And next time she would bring her own lunch to school. Complete with chocolate milk. She moved ahead in line to the cashier and bought her food. As soon as she made it past the cash register, she took off at a quick walk, making her way to the back of the cafeteria. She neared a table where a lofty-sounding purple-haired girl was eating with a collection of other kids, mostly girls, hanging on her every word. All of a sudden, Dash realized she had no idea where she was going to sit. Fuck, she thought. Without Gilda or anyone here I’m like a walking teen movie. The cafeteria dilemma. Oh well. As long as she didn’t have to put up with Fluttershy, she was fine. She scanned the room quickly and found an empty table. Just as she was heading towards it, she heard a small, familiar voice at her side.

“Here you go.”

Dash turned. It was Fluttershy, holding out her chocolate milk.

“What?” Dash asked, taken aback.

“You didn’t get it. So I got one for you.”

“But... you paid for it,” Dash said.

“I know. It’s fine.”

“I’ll pay you back.”

“No, it’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. I’ll pay you back.”

“It’s really fine...”

Dash frowned. This must be something Fluttershy’s parents had told her to do. Poor little Rainbow Dash, 90% orphan and victim of the world – “I told you I’ll pay you back!”

“It’s really not necessary...”

“Hey, Spitfire! Over here!” came a voice all too familiar. Spitfire? Dash looked towards it immediately with a sharp intake of breath. It couldn’t be... Soarin? There he was, sitting at a nearby table, surrounded by other Sky Clan members. And there was Spitfire, heading towards the table with her usual confident air. One of the girls at the table, the only other one wearing a Cloudbolt jacket, turned to greet Spitfire and Dash saw that it was Fleetfoot.

Holy crap. The princesses had actually sent some of the Cloudbolts to Ponyville.

And they were right. There. Just a few measly feet away.

The Cloudbolts were a kind of junior version of the Wonderbolts. If one wanted to join the elite special forces squad, the easiest way was through one of the youth divisions—Cloudbolts hailing, of course, from Cloudsdale. But more than just a way to get noticed by the Wonderbolts, the Cloudbolts were a team. They were all-out athletes who competed against other Wonderbolt youth divisions from cities and bases all around Equestria. The most important Wonderbolt training, claimed the captain of the special forces troop, was physical training and teamwork. Learning to fly jets and do the aerobatics shows would come at the Royal Equestrian Air Force Academy.

Spitfire, the Cloudbolt’s own captain, was kind of Rainbow Dash’s hero. Same went for Soarin, Fleetfoot, Misty, Surprise, Blaze... any of them. They were all older than her by one or two years and she’d never really talked to them. In fact, she’d almost given up on being invited to join the Cloudbolts after she found out she’d been transferred to Ponyville. But maybe there was a way. After all, Spitfire was here.

Wait’ll Gilda hears about this! Dash thought to herself with a smirk. She’ll be begging to be transferred to Ponyville.

“Rainbow Dash?” came the annoying voice of Fluttershy, bringing Dash back out of her ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh moment.

“What?” snapped Dash.

Fluttershy was still holding out the milk carton. Dash remembered what was going on. The Swift family's charity for poor Rainbow Dash. What if the Cloudbolts saw? How humiliating.

“So what is this? You don’t think I have enough money to pay for a fucking milk carton?” Dash demanded. Loudly. She was getting more and more irritated by this girl by the second. Couldn’t she just leave her to drool over her idols in peace? Or, better yet, leave her to make a good impression on them? Dash was already thinking her way to the Cloudbolts’ table. It wasn’t something that was really done in Cloudsdale, but there were less Cloudbolt-hopefuls here in Ponyville. It might just be okay... But first Dash had Fluttershy to deal with.

“N-no, I just—”

“Well then, what?”

“I... was... trying to be nice...”

“Well, don’t. I don’t know why you are. We’re not even friends! You’ve been clinging on to me all day and I’m sick of it!”

Fluttershy stared at her, eyes wide. Oh, fuck, was she starting to cry? Was this really going to happen? Why was she so pathetic?

“I just... I thought maybe...” Her voice was coming out mostly in squeaks now.

Rainbow Dash couldn’t tell if she felt sorry for Fluttershy, or just more annoyed. Maybe both. Either way, she didn’t want to spend a single second with the girl any longer. And, luckily, she didn’t have to. All of a sudden, Dash’s dreams came true.

Spitfire and Soarin appeared at her side. Almost like magic. If magic came in the form of two perfect Sky Clan members with awesome hair and Cloudbolts jackets.

“Hey,” came Spitfire’s purr. “Is this chick bothering you?”

Dash was so amazed that she couldn’t respond for a few seconds. Come on, don’t be an idiot! she told herself. “A-actually, yeah. Kinda,” she stammered.

Spitfire’s amber eyes narrowed slightly. “I wasn’t talking to you,” she replied coolly.

Excuse me?

“Fluttershy, right?” Soarin asked. The timid pink-haired girl nodded slightly. “I’m Soarin. Wanna eat with us?”

Fluttershy stared at him, wordless.

Soarin took her silence as hesitation and jokingly added, “We have pie. Or at least I do. I’m willing to share.”

“Um... well... yes! I mean, I would like that...”

“Awesome. Come on,” he replied, putting his hand on her back and steering her to the table gently.

What. Just. Happened.

Spitfire remained, eyebrow raised at Rainbow Dash. “You’re Raincloud, right?”

Not only did Dash’s heroes think Fluttershy was more worth their time than she was, they didn’t even know her name. She’d been one of the best on Cloudsdale High’s sports teams! Soccer in the fall. Track and field in the winter. Swimming and diving for spring. Okay, so she was only JV, but she’d only been at CHS for a year. There were rumors of her as potential JV captain this year, or even advanced to varsity—rare for a second-year student. Fluttershy didn’t play sports. She didn’t get academic awards. She didn’t throw parties. She didn’t even go to parties. In fact, she didn’t even speak in an audible voice. So why did they know her name, of all people’s, and not Dash’s?! Who the hell was Raincloud?

“Rainbow Dash,” came the sophomore’s dejected correction.

Spitfire smirked. “Oh. Sorry. Rainbow Dash,” she repeated, mocking Dash’s tone. “I don’t know who you think you are, but there’s no need to be such a bitch. You should be careful how you treat your friends or you won’t have any anymore.” She tilted her head slightly. “Oh, wait. Looks like you’re all alone.”

Dash stared at her, unable to think of anything to say.

“See you, Rainbow Dash.” Spitfire turned and walked back towards her table. Fluttershy sat there between Soarin and Fleetfoot, red-faced but nevertheless looking cheerful.

She couldn’t believe it. In a state of shock, Dash did the only thing she could think of doing. She set her sights on an empty table and made her way towards it.

“I call this first meeting of the party club to order!”

All heads turned to face Pinkie as she thwacked a textbook down on her desk.

It was after school, and Pinkie had decided she was going to do what she did best: organize parties! When she’d seen the flier for the club that morning, she knew she would love being part of it. She didn’t know anyone in it, but that wasn’t really a problem. Pinkie made friends everywhere she went. In fact, she’d made a lot of friends that day! There was that really cute boy who had smiled gallantly at her in the hall. And there was that girl she’d always seen around with the weirdly colorful green and pink mane who she’d finally talked to. Pinkie was sure she’d make all sorts of friends with all her fellow partiers!

“This is not a party club,” corrected one snooty-sounding girl. She had dark hair and violet eyes and seemed to look down her nose at Pinkie. “I don’t know who advertised it as such. This is Ponyville High’s Event Planning and Organizational Committee. We are part of student government and are allocated funds directly from the treasurer herself.” She paused for a moment. “I am the treasurer,” she added.

"Treasurer hopeful!" came a warm addition from a light-pink-haired girl. "Remember, everyone, vote Octavia!"

"Treasurer hopeful and incumbent,"

“Hell, it’s not a party club? I thought we were throwing parties,” came the retort of a magenta-haired girl. Pinkie watched with glee as she actually pulled out a flask and took a quick drink of something. Now this was the kind of friend she wanted!

Octavia's friend laughed a little bit to herself. “I may have made more than just one flier. The plain ones you wanted, and a few... well, fun ones.”

Octavia stepped forward towards the girl. “Cheerilee.” She sighed. “Fine. Show me.” She held out her hand.

Cheerilee pulled a spare flier from her bag and handed it to Octavia. It was a bright piece of paper, and Cheerilee had printed them in all neon colors of the rainbow. The flier read:

PARTY!
Like parties? Want to meet friends who like parties? And throw parties?
WHILE PARTICIPATING IN AN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY?!
Then come to the Party Club*!
After school today in B142

* (Event Planning and Organizational Committee)

As Octavia read, her nose began to wrinkle with disgust. "What is..." All of a sudden, the door was thrown open.

“Hey! Sorry I’m late! Is this the party club?” A blue-haired girl with sunglasses was standing in the doorway.

Octavia took one look at her and sent a heated glare towards Cheerilee, who was looking more and more uncomfortable by the minute. “Is anyone actually here for the Event Planning and Organizational Committee?!”

Cheerilee raised her hand after a moment, when it became clear nobody else was going to. She gave a bit of a nervous laugh.

The dark-haired girl stared at the classroom before her. “So why are you all here, then?”

“I need an extracurricular,” said one light-blue-haired boy boredly.

“Getting into college for partying? Um, yes please!” came the excited voice of a Sky Clan girl with a large bow in her hair.

“PARTIES!” Pinkie added.

“Hoped I could help out with the music,” said the girl at the door with a grin.

Octavia looked up from her death glare at Cheerilee, raising an eyebrow. “Really?” she asked, sounding genuinely interested. “Are you a musician?”

The girl shrugged. “I guess you could say that.”

“Me, too. I'm in Advanced Symphonic this year. What do you play?”

“Uh... everything, I guess,” began the girl. “I’m—”

“So are we throwing a homecoming party or not?” the flask girl interrupted.

Octavia sighed. “I suppose we’ll have to take a vote on it. Hold on a moment while I write the information on the board.”

The blue-haired girl came in and took a seat. Pinkie smiled at her. “In the meantime, let’s all introduce ourselves! I’m Pinkie!” She leaned over to the flask girl’s desk. “By the way! Whatcha drinking there?”

“Berry punch,” replied the girl.

“Wow, classy! What’s your name?”

“Berry Punch,” she repeated.

Pinkie stared at her for a moment. “Wow!”

“Vinyl,” the blue-haired girl went next.

“I’m Braeburn,” came a strawberry-blonde Earth Clan boy.

“Well, as long as we’re all doing introductions, I’m Flitter!” announced the girl with the bow in her hair. “I can’t wait to throw tons of parties!”

Pinkie grinned. “Yeah! That’s the spirit!” She turned to the guy sitting next to her—the one with blue hair. “Your turn!”

He stared at her for a moment before offering his name. “Pokey.”

“Pokey! Like the pokey little puppy!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“No.”

“Pokey Pierce, right?” came Vinyl’s question. She grinned at him. “I remember you from middle school.”

“And I have no idea who you are,” Pokey replied. He looked back at her, bored. “But apparently you’re quite the creep.”

Vinyl laughed, unoffended. “I remember all your stunts you pulled when you were a sixth grader. You were pretty famous back then. Even famous enough to get noticed by an eighth grader.”

“Then my life goal is complete,” he muttered.

“Okay, enough!” came Octavia’s voice. “Here is the information needed to vote. Please only vote once. You may come up to the board and draw a line under either option.” She narrowed her eyes. “Do we need to make this a silent vote or are you all mature enough not to judge each other?”

“Mature, no! Not judgey, yes!” Pinkie replied.

“Fine. I’ll go first.” Octavia turned back to the board and drew a single line beneath the option “Yes for homecoming dance—musically-themed party following homecoming game.”

In the end, there was only one vote underneath “No for homecoming party.” Unsurprisingly, it was Pokey’s. He didn’t look too pleased that he’d lost. Pinkie wondered why he would have joined the party club if he didn’t even want to throw parties anyway. Oh well! Maybe he was just shy. Lots of people were shy. And Pinkie was great at bringing them out of their shells! Everyone else seemed nice, anyway. Even Octavia. Maybe.

“Does anyone have any ideas for theme?” the leader was asking.

“Under the sea!” someone offered.

“A star-studded event!”

“Luau?”

“Anything that serves alcohol.”

“How about a hoe-down?”

“Candy!” came Pinkie’s contribution. “No, wait! Harmony!” They turned to look at her. “Harmony,” Pinkie explained. “Because this will be our first dance as an integrated school.”

“We could have a theme that kind of honors all clans,” Cheerilee added.

“Show everyone how well integration works!” Flitter said with a smile.

“Wait, wait.” Pokey was shaking his head. “This is the first day of school. Does anyone actually know how well integration works?”

“Well... I’m from Sky Clan,” Flitter said. “But I live in Ponyville. And I love it here. So, I already know it works. It’s everyone from outside that we have to convince!”

“I’m not so sure, either,” said Braeburn. “I might not have it as hard as kids brought in from Sky and Royal Clans, but the princess brought me from Appleloosa.”

Pokey snorted. “Two-bit dirt town,” he muttered.

Braeburn glared at Pokey. “Which means I’m not having the best time getting along with all the kids from other Clans. Especially snooty Royal Clan kids. Frankly, I’m just not sure if it’ll work.”

“But it will! Just wait and see!” Pinkie argued. “I’m from Ponyville too. I have lots of friends from all clans. You’ll see!”

“Please. Your Cloudhead there is more of a Dirtclod," Pokey sneered, pointing at Flitter. "Anyone becomes Earthy after living in an Earth Clan place for so long."

“It’s not an Earth Clan place. It’s an everyone place!”

“Okay, okay,” Octavia interjected. “We’ll come back to our theme next time we meet. For now, it’s important that we get used to the way our school is now.”

As Pinkie leaned back in her chair, she glared at Pokey. How dare he say such mean things about Ponyville! And the other clans! And Flitter! Pinkie hated all those derogatory names for clans. But she would take the high road. After all, she didn’t say anything about Royal Clan.

PART ONE - Introduction

THE HARMONY INITIATIVE
Part One: Integration
Introduction
Google Doc version

“‘Once upon a time, there was a beautiful country named Equestria. It was a peaceful place where there was always enough for everyone. All the people of Equestria lived together, surviving off the plentiful land.

“‘Until the drought. There was a horrible famine. Everyone had to move to the places that were still producing food. They parceled it off, dividing it between families. With careful work, the Equestrians were able to grow their own food on what became farms. Again, there was enough for all.

“‘Until the land disputes. Families turned against their neighbors, claiming land they thought was their own. To stop this from happening, a group of land moderators was established. As the drought ended and Equestrians were able to spread out and turn new land into farms, the need for moderators grew. They gradually turned into overseers for the whole country. Under their watchful eyes, Equestria returned to peace.

“‘Until the invasion. Our northern neighbors, from the Griffin Kingdom, attacked Equestria with powerful raiding groups. The strongest and fastest Equestrians were chosen to defend our country, and were able to dispel the invaders from our borders. To secure the rest of Equestria, the warriors and their families were sent around the borders. The great physical need drew more and more into the armies. With their protection, Equestria was safe.’”

“Wow! But I thought the Griffins were our friends?”

“They are, now. This was a long time ago. Should I continue?”

“Okay. Sorry.”

“‘The groups grew until roughly the entire population was split in thirds. The land moderators and overseers moved atop a giant bluff to better look over the country. Likewise, the armies mainly stayed on mountaintops or around waterways. The farmers stayed in the fertile flatlands.

“‘As time went on, and more formal government was founded by the overseers, there became Clans. The overseers called themselves Royal Clan, as they worked with the royal family and continued to be involved greatly in politics. The armies became Sky Clan, as they developed aerial protection and eventually a powerful Air Force. The farmers became Earth Clan, and supplied food and resources to the other Clans. Each Clan had one leader, and once a season the Clanleaders would meet to discuss matters of the country. Along with the royal family, the Clanleaders helped rule over the people of Equestria.

“‘Today, Equestria remains dependent on the Clan system. Every person is born into the Clan his or her ancestors chose. Each and every Equestrian has an important role to fulfill, and a long family history, in their Clan.’”

“Wait—”

“I’m almost done. ‘Clan culture is what makes Equestria so special and unique, and truly the greatest country in the world.’”

“Wait, I don’t get it. It says everyone is born into a Clan?”

“Yes.”

“And it shows that picture of everyone with those bracelet things.”

“Bands. Those are their Clan wristbands.”

“But I don’t have one.”

“That’s right.”

“You don’t have one either. Neither does Daddy.”

“Yes.”

“What Clan are we in?”

“We aren’t in a Clan.”

“It says everyone is in one! ‘Each and every Equestrian.’ See? ‘An impor-tant role to... fulful, and a long family...hiss-tory... in their Clan.’”

“Yes, that’s true. Everyone does have an important role for their Clan. But our family is different. We don’t belong to one Clan. We’re a part of every Clan.”

“Huh?”

“I know it’s confusing. But as the royal family, we have a duty to serve all the Clans. Not just Royal Clan, who we see the most. Not just Sky Clan, who protects the palace. Not just Earth Clan, who sends us food and jewels and clothing. But everyone.”

“Hmm.”

“Clan members only really have a duty to their Clans. They trade with others, of course, but that’s just how trade works. Each Clan is dependent on the other two.”

“They don’t like each other?”

“Hmm, I suppose not always. There is a sense of community, or family, within Clans. Outside there isn’t that.”

“Hmm.”

“What are you thinking?”

“Well, why can’t everyone just not be in one? Then they’d like everyone else and have a duty to everyone else. Right?”

“That’s a smart question. But it’s just not possible. Clans have been a part of Equestria since it was founded. You’ll understand when you’re older. This is just the way things have to work.”

“Hmm.”

“Don’t think about it too hard. You don’t have to be in charge just yet, little Tia.”