The true story.... Of Little Cloud.

Little Cloud was lightly shoved towards the school entrance by the guard. It was quite clear to Little Cloud that the guard wasn't  going to hurt him at this point.  But what was a school? Was it some sort of jail? Little Cloud was worried, no knowing what was to happen.

"Come on kid, you're going inside first." The guard said once they were at the base of the building.  Little Cloud stepped in, immediately seeing a rather large number of  colts and fillies. He was speechless. Not any more than he already had been, the imposing presence of the guard still terrifying him.

The guard soon stepped in after him, and spoke to the magenta, pink maned mare  in the front of the class. " Found ya a new student, Cheerilee. He was trying to skip class or something of the sort, but I caught him in the dirty little act."

The mare, whom Little Cloud had assumed as Cheerilee, looked at him. " Well come on, introduce yourself to the other students! Don't be nervous!" She said, with no hints of malice in her voice.  Little Cloud could easily sense emotions, and Cheerilee actually seemed... Friendly... and Little Cloud saw no reason not to return the emotion.

He made a smile, though not a wide one, before walking to the front of the class.  He turned to the students, but it was then he remembered why he was so nervous upon entering the classroom. What was this 'school', and why was it filled with young ponies?

He didn't have time to wonder what the answer was. He was supposed to speak. He was standing at the front so that he could introduce himself to the children. He  took a deep breath, calming  himself.

"...Hello, every... pony," he began, remembering the term from hearing it at the market. " My name is.... Little Cloud, and..... I guess that I'm... New here?" He said, looking to the class, hoping for approval.

Little Cloud looked around the class nervously, before recognizing the filly and colt from the night before, in the back row. Sweet Rain and Swift Wind, if he remembered correctly.

Didn't that mare say they were going to have some sort of punishment? he thought, and began to feel terror rising in him once again. So it WAS a sort of jail for young ponies! He was a prisoner here, and...

Wait, no..., Little Cloud thought. He had not done anything wrong in his current form, and he made sure no pony was around when he first shifted.  Not to mention the friendly disposition given off by Cheerille, and in fact, even the guard wasn't hostile towards Little Cloud, except only slightly when confronting him about 'skipping school'.

"Well Little Cloud," Cheerilee said, causing him to turn around and look at her. "You may take a seat in the class. "

Little Cloud looked around the class. He spotted a seat in the third row,  between a white earth pony filly, with a green mane that had a yellow split running down the middle. The other pony was a young, Lilac colored unicorn filly, with a  Cream mane.

As Little Cloud made his way  to his seat, he caught a few glances from the other ponies..... but particularly the unicorn, as Little Cloud sat down, looked at him with great, and evident suspicion... and it made Little Cloud very nervous. She knew something was different about Little Cloud, and Little Cloud could sense her caution....

"Hi there, Little Cloud!"  A voice to his right exclaimed. As Little Cloud turned, he saw it was the white earth filly that he also was sitting next to. "My names Green Tree! Nice to meet you!" She said, extending a hoof towards him.

Little Cloud knew this greeting, and met her hoof with his own, following along with the arm movement afterwards.  "Well.... Hi there, Green Tree..." He said, returning the greeting. Some other students in front and behind him waved to him, and he returned them with waves of his own.

"Alright class," Cheerilee began. "You have all had ample time to meet our new student! Now Little Cloud,  I'm sure you've heard by now, but I am Cheerilee, your teacher in class. It's a pleasure meeting you!"

Teacher? But that was just a casual term for.... instructor.... Like at the hive... So that meant a school was... A school was a place of learning for young children, just like the instruction chambers were for young changelings! He smiled, having many questions answered. "Thank you, Miss Cheerilee."  He said, happy to know he wasn't exactly in danger.

"Alright class, it's time to start on our history." Cheerilee said, and Little Cloud snapped to attention. He needed to know this information, it would be essential to his blending in.

Cheerilee began talking about how the princesses Luna and Celestia founded Equestria, and she mentioned the tale of Nightmare Moons corruption, banishment, return, and how the Elements of Harmony were able to bring Luna back from her hatred. Those were the most important things Little Cloud picked up on.

・・・Later that day・・・

The bell rang. "Alright class, time to go outside for recess!" Cheerilee said, as all the students rushed out the door towards the  small fortification seen from the back window. Little Cloud simply followed in suit, not knowing what the term meant.

As he made his way out, Little Cloud saw the fillies and colts running around the very poorly made fortification. He saw a rather large group of them, and assumed it was the attacking force.  He wanted to join them, so he made his way towards them.

Before he could reach them, however,  he felt a rather strong magic pull him up, by the tail that is, away from all the other kids. After falling forward, he found himself upside down, and face to face with the unicorn he sat next to in class. The same unicorn he had sensed suspicion in when he first arrived in class...

Little Cloud's heart raced in fear once again, staring at the eminent danger that was in front of him. Not only did this unicorn acknowledge that he was different, but she was proficient in magic as well! A very bad combination for Little Cloud....

His fears were only confirmed and made word when the young unicorn spoke.  "You fear me, changeling?  I can tell what you are, and you won't deny it, will you?" She said, releasing him from her magic.

Little Cloud got up, but not fully. He stayed in a kneeled position of submission, nodding the unicorn. She had specifically drew him away from the other ponies, so there was no use lying to her when she already knew of him. Time spent denying her claim was time spent allowing other ponies to get closer, and hear their conversation. It was a dead end for Little Cloud, and he knew it.

The unicorn spoke again. "I want you to calm yourself. I sense no malice within you, and I have never heard of a pony named 'Little Cloud'. Therefore, I am inclined to believe you did not hurt anypony to get here. But you are still a changeling, so I want you to explain yourself to me. Immediatly."

Little Cloud sat down, and told the unicorn what had happened to him so far. He didn't omit or exaggerate any details. When he was finished, he sensed a new feeling coming from the unicorn. Sympathy, and understanding. She didn't harbor feelings of suspicion towards him.

The unicorn nodded. " I see. Well, it's about time I introduced myself." She began. "My name is Righteous Vision, and I'm from Canterlot.  Currently I'm living with my uncle and aunt. My father is the current leader of the Canterlot Royal Guard, and my mother is a researcher in its library. I'm here in Ponyville due to my mother finding something. A black gem of powerful magical radiance. She had to figure what it was. She sent me here, and well, my uncle sent me here. I would guess that's an equivalent amount of information equal to yours?"  She

finished, smiling to Little Cloud.

All Little Cloud could do was nod. Suddenly the bell rang, and all the young ponies went inside.  Righteous Vision went in before Little Cloud, and took her seat. Little Cloud hesitated,  knowing that Righteous could at any moment shout his secret for the room to hear. And based on what she told him, they would all have no reason to believe she was lying. It would certainly spark investigation.

He shook his head. That wasn't going to be the case. He was only letting his fears get to him again. Righteous Vision had welcomed him, and accepted him. If she was going to reveal him, he wouldn't be feeling such a friendly  attitude from her. He walked over to the seat to he chose, between Green Tree and Righteous Vision.

And he would stay there, unafraid, until school had let up.

・・・After a ringing bell・・・

Little cloud got up, as well as every other student before exiting the building. He had no where to go, so he figured he'd go back to the forest, when Righteous Vision stopped him.

" I assume that you have no where to stay, Little Cloud?" She asked, prompting him to turn around.

He shrugged in uncertainty. " I was planning on going back to the Forest, don't really have a place in Ponyville." He said, before awaiting a response.

Righteous Vision look surprised. "The Everfree a Forest? It's dangerous there, even for you, Little Cloud. Why don't you come home with me? I'd be interested in learning more about a changeling."

Now it was Little Cloud's turn to look confused. She put that much trust in him? If so, Righteous Vision was the one who was being dangerous. Not that Little Cloud wanted to attack or hurt the daughter of 'the current leader of ghe royal guard'. He would be stupid to even contemplate it. Not to mention she was being friendly to him so far.

And she probably is strong enough to kill me on her own if she wanted....he thought to himself, remembering the strong pull of magic from recess. He nodded his head, accepting the offer.

Righteous Vision smiled, and Little cloud could feel the emotion coming off from her. It wasn't love, nothing that strong, yet still much stronger than between simple acquaintances.

Righteous Vision tilted her head, beckoning Little Cloud to follow her, and so he did.

He wondered about the irony of it. His first friend was also related to the leader of his most numerous and dangerous enemy... Unless he counted the hive from which he was exiled. But they were no longer after him, so that was out of the picture..

Right?