A Very Special Canterlot High Holiday.

Streams of tinsel were strung together between the tops of the lockers, from those streams, gold and silver baubles reflected the fluorescent lights onto the student's faces. The classroom doors had all kinds of designs on them. From Ms. Harshwhinny's done up to resemble a" reindeer stable" complete with felt reindeer, to Dr. hooves and his atomic models with atoms being ornaments and candy canes. Truly Christmas time was in the air.

Twilight Sparkle looked into her locker, her Equestrian counterpart had taped many photos of the time with her friends (sparse as they had been) to the inside. Along with posters for old sci-fi movies and even one of L Ron Hubbard, strictly as a fan of his books, not the OTHER thing he created. "Ahhh this time of the year just makes a girl look around and get all bubbly inside." She said hugging herself tightly and squeeing like a hyper fangirl.

"Feels like being back home in some ways don't it?" A familiar voice said opening the locker beside her's. Sunset Shimmer took a very old looking picture from the back of her locker and smiled at it. The Photo Finish print was of a young unicorn class gathered around Princess Celestia, at her school for gifted unicorns. Sunset had been a blank flank filly then, and she looked so...innocent.

no hatred, jealousy or anger in the eyes of her filly self, no power hungry egomaniacal intent in her big soft filly eyes. Notthat the eyes looking back into the photo were. any different...now. "Oh...Im sorry I forgot, you're the other Twilight, the one from around here.

"It's not like I don't know about you or the world you come from." Twilight (with nerd glasses) saod as they made their way to class. "Hearthswarming, is not exactly the same as Christmastime in this world isn't it? I mean you'd think the equestrian equivalent would be the royal sister's birthdays or the seasonal solstice, though I've heard Equestria does celebrate that too." She said quite happily as if it was the most exciting thing in the world to learn about the universe parallel to your own in the spokes of the Macroverse. Whatever your reason for celebration, whatever you believe in be it twin allicorn princesses or divinity running all existence from the center of a universal wheel, there were some time things about this time of the year Sunset wished she'd had been more attentive to in the past.

"So twilight." She said feeling a bit awkward given this wasn't exactly the same Twilight she knew before. "What are you doing for the holidays?" As they took their seats in class and waited for their teacher to arrive.

"Oh I don't know, maybe just spent time at home, do some gift shopping for my friends, and just enjoy the fine things in life. Sunset would have loved it if the friends she's come to know could be together for this season. The chatter came to a hault as Ms. Cherrilee entered, her usual happy go lucky self complimented by her green dress, it coupled with the red and blue orbs that had been crocheted into it, made her look like a walking Christmas tree,

"Good morning my students, I hope you're all looking forward to that vacation in a few weeks." She looked from the eyes of her students...in some respects they where her children. They looked so...glum, so unhappy, why? "What's wrong everyone? This is the most wonderful time of the year and your all sulking like it's the end of the world, do you think the teachers are going to be assigning you all homework over the break?" Her question was met with grumbles and a few mutters that sounded like, ehhh a little.

"Hey now I know what might cheer you guys up," she said trying not to sound like she was talking to a bunch of five year olds. "I have something for you all, something I brought for us to enjoy.

"A sex tape you made with Principal Celestia?" Someone said making them laugh out loud. Ms. Cherrilee couldn't get mad at whoever said it, she knew that her students were good "kids," young adults yes but it just felt like right in its own little way.

"No, I mean this." And with that she took a box from sugar cube corner out, the box was off white with checkerboard patterns and the top had a smiling picture of Mrs. Cakes on it, and a quote on the bottom. "Our treats are sweeter when you share them."

"What did you bring from Sugar Cube Corner Ms. Cherrilee?" Sunset asked without bothering to raise her hand.

"A few sweet potato pies dearie, and I think a little lesson before we chow down is order." Her statement made her class collectively groan. "Oh come know, I promise it'll be easy and once we fnish, it'll be sweet, buttery crust, sweet tasty sweet potato pie for everyone, all I need is a few questions to be answered." They agreed as she drew a few pie graphs on the board and the pi symbol. "Okay first, what is the value of pi?"

"Uhhhmmm is it...three seventy five?" Snails said before giving a blissfully ignorant grin.

"No snails not the price of these pies, the mathematical concept of P.I. pi." Twilight raised her hand to save their chances at getting pie without Ms.Cherrilee thinking they were all complete idiots, but she was stopped by...Snips, who chimed in with this little wisdom.

"3.14 with variable values due to irrational concepts." When he said this everyone's jaws hit the floor, especially Ms. Cherrilee's.

"What? I'm not just a one dimensional idiot ALL the time you know!" Snips snapped his fingers and took his seat.

"Okay then....uhhh second question, pop tarts the first conventional" hand pies" were introduced in the year?" Even Twilight the egghead didn't know that little bit of trivia, again the answer came from a very unexpected place. Bulk said with his usual deep and macho voice.

"1964 Ms. Cherrilee they were originally unfrosted." They were all legitimately surprised at the answer came from a muscle bound meat head like him.

"That's correct Bulk, you kids are...really impressing me today." Ms. Cherrilee drew a few more diagrams and as she did Sunset turned to Bulk and asked him.

"Bulk how'd you know that was the year pop tarts were introduced?" Sunset said twirling her firey orange and yellow hair playfully.

"I looked up all events that year because it's the year Earl Maynard won the Mr. Universe pageant." It was bulk's dream to be a body building champion.

"Now just one more and then I promise we'll all get to enjoy Mrs. Cakes' delicious and savory sweet potato pies."..."Now, if one pie varies from six to eight slices, how many pies would I need to have bought for us all? And will there be any remainders?" Now it was Twilight's turn to show her skill, sure everyone could figure it out no problem, but Twilight could (and was) envisioning the pie graphs and numbers floating in front of her face as they calculated and computed. The gears and clockwork springs and sprockets turning at maximum speed in her mind. Finally she raised her hand and spoke.

"Ms. Cherrilee? If you have six slice pies it'd require four pies for nineteen slices, for us plus one for you leaving four extra slices, but with eight slices you'd only need three pies for enough slices with the same results, twenty slices for the class of nineteenth students plus one teacher with a remainder of four." Twilight said grinning smugly at her ingenuity with numbers.

"That would be correct Twilight, if I had either of that many pie slices with me!" She said grinning back as she took six boxes of sweet potato pie from a big carry out tote bag. "Forty eight slices, two for everyone, with nine going to the top nine students in my class, now now before any grumbles, you'll all get two slices of pie, but the lucky nine get the extra for their hard work and diligence in their academic endeavours, perhaps seeing how hard work gets its rewards the less fortunate who didn't get extra pie, will be encouraged to work and try harder."

So they sat the entire period in near slience enjoying sweet potato pie, it was the holidays, after all, not much to worry about but looking back on the past, and foreword to the future, Sunset and Twilight being the first two to receive their extra slices just as the bell rang, but both girls noticed as the class was dismissed, that Snips and Snails, with some pie filling on their chins, where looking sadly at the their empty plates as they tossed them away. You see, Sugar Cube Corner sweet potato pies were so darned good! From their sweet marshmallow, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and a hint of vanilla extract filling, to that light, flaky and buttery bottom and crust. Mrs. Cakes knew how to make one mother of a tasty pie.

Twilight looked at the leftover slice in the box Ms. Cherrilee had given her and Sunset the extra slices in. Then to the down and glum looks on Snips and Snails faces, Twilight placed a hand Snips shoulder and turned him around. "Here Snips, you can have my extra slice." Snips was...speechless as Twilight placed her boxed pie in his hands, the thought that one of the cutest and smartest girls in school was giving him somethimg she earned?

"Twilight...I...I can't accept that, you worked hard for this pie."

"Yeah, so we gotta treat you right because you work hard for the...pie...wait" Snails retorted in his...admitably delightful stupidity. Twilight giggled at them and practically forced the box into Snips hands.

"Fellas, I worked hard for good grades in class, not some sweet confection, besides Mrs. Cakes says it herself."

"My pies are always sweeter when you share them." A sweet and friendly woman's voice called behind them, making all four of them startled because for a second it felt like the Mrs. Cakes on the box had come to life and said that! Though in reality, Mrs. Cakes was behind them wheeling a cart of muffins down the hall.

"Mrs. Cakes what are you doing here?" Snips said grinning.

"Oh just dropping off a shipment of muffins, it's muffin Monday you know!" She said cheerfully as she continued on her merry way down the hall, as a blonde girl with a doofy derping eyes followed her closely. Twilight gave Snips her boxed pie and was also on her way.

"Here Snails," Sunset said. "It's just a pie, you take this one too okay?" She handed Snails the box of pie and Snails was equally amazed, his and Snips old..."boss" so to speak, the grade A alpha bitch queen bee of C.H.S. being nice to him? Of course Sunset had changed considerably in the time since, but still.

"Hit the cafeteria and stuff our faces with pie and muffins?" Snails asked smiling wide.

"Fuck yes let's do that!" Snips replied, not caring he said that in earshot of Mr. Cranky who would have given the boys flack for cussing. Alas they were too quick and Cranky needed a coffee break.