The Truth is a Harsh Mistress

The sound of birds chirping outside my open window woke me from my sleep. I rolled out of my bed onto the floor, hoping the impact would make me more alert, but was only rewarded with a dull thud and an “Ow.” So much for that idea. I held onto the bedpost for support as I stood on shaking legs, then let go and started my trot along the Green Mile which led to the coffee machine. I took my time, wincing as each step caused pain from the early morning’s bruises. Groggily, I reached for - and missed - the coffee grounds once, twice, three times before I finally reached and grabbed it with both hooves, trying hard to balance on two legs.

I really don’t get what’s up with ponies and their fascination with bipedal stances. They make absolutely no sense and lack balance.

I poured them into the machine, started it up, and waited for a few minutes. Oddly it appeared to be a lighter color than usual - much lighter, in fact. I shook my head and cursed whoever invented mornings then took a sip of my UGH NOT COFFEE. I scowled and looked back over at the counter top where I had placed my not-coffee grinds and realized I had used sugary cereal. Disgusting. Although, thinking about it, I realized it might make for a decent April Foals’ Day prank.

I decided to take another shower instead, since I wasn’t going to wake up without sending my poor intestines into shock with that accursed sugary concoction. I mindlessly started the shower and stepped into the ice-cold stream. While it did make me freezing cold I felt my morning mood washing away along with my headache. I had already washed my mane and tail earlier that morning, and bedhead wasn’t going to make either worse - one of the benefits of a messy mane is that you can get right up out of bed in the morning, comb it down a bit, and get on with your day. Fussing over it would only make it look less natural. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to scrub down after my test, so I set to work. A few minutes later I got out of the shower and toweled off in front of the mirror, and as I dried I checked myself for any ticks or annoying seeds.

I tried to keep my steel-blue coat trimmed since weather was normally on the hotter end in Canterlot, so I didn’t have much trouble checking it. My gray mane was messy, sure, but with a bit of magic I was able to scour my head quickly, and I came up clean. My tail was another story - I liked it longer than my mane so it trailed close to the ground. I found a few seeds but no insects and promptly combed out the offending plants. I finished toweling off and looked myself in the face as I set down the towel. My field glowed the same color as my eyes, a vibrant yet darker green shade, and I levitated my glasses onto my face. I frowned as they framed my freckles that I had (apparently) inherited from my mother.

I hadn’t gotten to know my parents - well, parent - when I was younger. I was told my mom had me out of wedlock and struggled to take care of the both of us when I was just a newborn. Foal Protection Services told me she had died in a household accident and I had been taken into the closest orphanage - that would be Moonlight’s Haven, the one adjoining the old Canterlot Castle. The other children and I owed Princess Luna, well, everything really. She oversaw our affairs and ensured that we all had food, a warm bed, toys, and an education. That’s actually how I came to be a student at Sparkle’s School for Gifted Students - I spent so much time at their library reading anything I could get my hooves or magic on (no mouths, I learned - ink tastes horrible) that when I finally graduated from Magic Kindergarten-

I shuddered at that thought and started over.

When I finally graduated from… you-know-where… I scored high on the placement test and was sent to “The School”. On my first day of class I took notes, asked questions, and raised my hoof to answer practically everything. I had so much fun doing it that I ended up feeling that distinctive tingle and looked back to see my Cutie Mark appear. An open book, signifying the joy I get out of learning new things. I was teased for a couple weeks after that - “Teacher’s pet” or “Bookworm”, they called me - but I didn’t really pay any attention and the rude remarks stopped. I figure they realized that teasing a kid for being a nerd at the most prestigious school in Equestria wouldn’t actually work.

I’d lived just down the road at Moonlight’s Haven for eighteen years before I was finally able to move into a dorm room at the School. I really missed my caretakers, but I made sure to visit every week and I could still see Princess Luna every once in awhile at her Night Court. Her stargazing sessions were absolutely fascinating, and I had learned to appreciate the night as a young colt.

I walked back out to the kitchen and noticed my meal still waiting for me - I’m so glad I learned that spell, reheated food just isn’t the same - so I sat down at the table and ate my meal absentmindedly while I double-checked the thesis paper I was turning in later today. Though I was only 20 years old and much younger than the other seniors I had graduated from high school a couple  years early. My Talent for learning coupled with diligence had kept me on the fast track in education and I was already submitting my final paper for Advanced Divination to Doctor Discerning Gaze, my teacher of six years and one of the brightest minds at the School. After double and triple-checking it - what? I like to be thorough - I hastily finished my meal and grabbed my saddlebags and bandoliers. It wouldn’t do to be unprepared for my Alchemy exam, after all.

On the way downstairs I noted the students rushing around from one class to another and shook my head. Everypony seems to think consolidating your class times is a good idea, but I’ve seen enough ponies breaking down under stress to know that spacing them out a bit is usually for the best. I made my way through the crowded halls, ducking underneath the odd pegasus’ wing or scooting around a big earth pony, and as I turned into the next hallway I saw a mare with glasses I recognized instantly.

Cloud Cover. That pegasus’ yellow coat and short purple mane and tail were easily distinguishable in just about any crowd. We’ve had most of the same classes in the past few years and I had tried to strike up a conversation but found her willingness to cooperate… lacking. So I let her be, and every now and then we’d get paired up in class and finish our assignment early, but while I’d stick around to ask a question or two she’d leave without so much as a nod my way. I guess not everypony is sociable.

I made my way into class and sat down at my desk. Our teacher, a zebra named Ms. Fareha, was demonstrating one of her signature creations for those who got to class on time. She had the lights turned out and struck a rod against her hoof, causing it to ignite and light up the room without giving off any heat.

“Four of these are enough to burn for a whole day at this level. Watch closely, I will show you but I will not slow down for you. I take my marenesium and phoshorsus, place them in the crucible like so, add water and mix, then take the resulting substance and coat the tip of this wood handle with it like a paste. Wrap the tip in a flammable bandage, you won’t want to lose it.” By the time she had said this it was already finished and she demonstrated again by striking it across her hoof, momentarily blinding a couple of the students who had just walked in. She turned to me and winked then said “Those of you who were late can see why you ought to show up on time. Or, perhaps, you can’t.” That got a laugh out of the class. “Now then, I want you all to check the list of items on the board and choose four of them. You may take this time in class to make them. Bring them to me and demonstrate - I will grade their performance and then you may leave for the day.”

Everyone started writing formulas furiously, but I knew better than to start just yet. “Dusty Tome! Cloud Cover! I have another list for you two. You may use the lab next door - some of the things you’ll be making could produce noxious gas, strong acids, or even explode if you do them wrong. Take your time! Be safe about it!” I smiled as I stood up and met Cloud Cover at the front of the classroom - I knew she’d have an alternate exam for the two of us. We had attended one of her elective courses last semester and knew how to speed things up - creating that sunrod would take ten minutes for everyone else, but for the two of us it would take a matter of seconds. That is, if we could stop it from blowing up in our faces.

I checked the list - hybridized flasks, bottled lightning, fireworks, deodorizer, antitoxin, invisible ink - Ms. Fareha certainly wasn’t kidding. Some of these would actually take time to complete. I was very interested in the hybridized flasks - I had used flasks of fire, ice, and acid to great effect during the morning’s test, and if I could combine them it would give me an edge in combat. I glanced over at Cloud Cover - the lab only had one set of tools, so we’d just have to work together. She seemed to come to the same conclusion, although she looked less than happy about it.

“Ahem… so, uh, looks like we’re-”

“Let’s do the bottled lightning first. I have high shock resistance and can handle it directly so we’re more likely to get a satisfactory result.”

I decided to cut the pleasantries and just work, like she was. Why did I bother trying to talk to her anyway? I knew she didn’t want to chat. She never wanted to chat. Then again, I couldn’t deny results - Cloud was the only one in the class who could keep up with Ms. Fareha and me - hay, sometimes it was me keeping up with her. It was pretty impressive.

“Alright. I’ll get the bottle coated. Got the lightning?” She nodded, flashing the barest hint of a smile as she extended her wings - arcs of electricity started jumping between them and she grasped it between her hooves, shaping it into a ball. Welp. I took a look at her cutie mark - a thundercloud with purple lightning. Figures. I lit my horn and started applying the solution to the inside and outside of the bottle - fail to get an even coating and I could polarize it. That would be bad.

A couple minutes later I said “Alright, ready! I got the cap!” and Cloud took the ball of electricity and shoved it into the bottle. The moment she let go it started jumping back towards the entrance into open air, but I was faster and slipped the lid in place. With nowhere to go the “lightning” sparked and jumped around the bottle as if alive. Normal lightning burns out quickly, but the bottles used are enchanted by the School’s craftsman to hold the charge indefinitely. Fancy stuff.

The rest of our exam continued in much the same way, and we soon fell into wordless cooperation. Cloud was a dutiful lab partner and stayed on task the entire time, which was all I could ask for. I tried not to start any conversations and respected her space. When we finished a half-hour later I glanced over at her and opened my mouth to say something, but when I met her eyes I saw something in them and caught my breath. She was the very picture of composure, of a diligent student with no time to waste, but her eyes were like fire given life.

I realized that I was staring and turned away, blushing slightly, and mumbled an apology. Cloud said nothing, picked up her things, and walked back to the classroom, leaving me to catch up.

As Cloud and I walked in Ms. Fareha saw us then leaned over to her aide and whispered something - I couldn’t hear very well but I’m pretty sure she said “Pay up.” The poor guy slipped a small pouch to her under the table. I wondered what they were betting on - maybe it was how fast we’d finish? Or perhaps he thought we’d make something blow up? Whatever it was, she certainly wouldn’t be paying for dinner tonight. Lucky.

Ms. Fareha waited for us to hand over our creations and inspected them with a keen eye, searching for any kind of defect. She checked our bottled lightning jars first, grabbed a bottle from under the desk marked “For High Voltage” and chugged it, and told her aide to cast a containment shield to make sure it wouldn't hit the students if it bounced. She took a piece of chalk and marked the blackboard with an X then stepped a few paces back, turned, and uncapped my bottle.

The lightning struck true, hitting just right of the center. Apparently her room was specially-designed to take this sort of punishment, as rather than charring the board or bouncing it appeared to diffuse into the blackboard. The chalk was still burnt away though, and when she walked back up to draw a new one Ms. Fareha held her breath. I bet it didn’t smell great. She took a look at Cloud’s bottle again like she was searching for something, then told the aide to increase power to his shield and put the second X a little higher up. She took a couple deep breaths, stepped back further than she had with mine, and uncapped the bottle.

The lightning left the bottle and struck the X dead-center almost immediately, but unlike the first this one bounced. Fortunately Ms. Fareha seemed to know what was going to happen beforehand and had set the target on an angle to prevent the reflected bolt from striking her directly. She dove to the side just after opening the bottle and I watched in two parts shock and one part amazement as it bounced around the containment shield rapidly. When it finally hit our teacher she gasped and the lightning dissipated.

As soon as the aide dropped his shield I ran towards her, but Cloud got there first and tapped Ms. Fareha on the head. The zebra just laughed and raised a single hoof into the air, sparks jumping between her mane which was comically standing on end. “Don’t worry, class, I’ve had far worse. That’s what safety equipment is for. Miss Cloud, that was very impressive work! I’ll get the repair ponies up here to recast the diffusion enchantment on the board.” She stood up on shaky legs and looked at her class, who had stopped working at the display. Ms. Fareha shot them a disapproving look and said “Well now, the rest of you must be ready to turn your projects in if you’ve stopped working!” I saw more than one student blanch as everyone got back to their exam.

The rest of our grading process went by without incident, or at least their explosions were much less impressive. Cloud and I both ended up scoring in the top percentile - the rest of my creations scored evenly or higher, but Ms. Fareha gave her extra credit on her bottled lightning so we both finished with top marks. Cloud left suddenly, but I caught the door as she left and followed her into the hallway. She was already halfway down the hall when I called after her.

“Hey, uh, Cloud! That lightning was really impressive!”

She slowed down and sighed, then turned around. “Look, I don’t know why you can’t take a hint. I’m not interested in talking to you. Leave me alone.”

Wow, harsh. Cloud scowled and I realized I had heard myself say those words out loud. “S-s-sorry! I-I mean, I don’t understand. Did I do something wrong?”

Her teeth clenched together giving her the appearance of a snarling beast. “No, but now you are.”

Aw, horseapples, I was making it worse. “I just wanted to-”

She was in my face immediately. “I’ve seen your grades! How can you be so dense?!” I backed up in fear and she kept moving towards me, hoofsteps echoing loudly in the empty hall. “I don’t want to talk! I don’t want to get to know you! I don’t want to be your friend!” Sparks flew from her wings and she got inches from my face as I bumped into a locker behind me. Nowhere to flee. “So leave me alone, and go! Buck! Yourself!” She punctuated her sentence with stomps that I swore could’ve broke the tiled floor.

I felt a primal fear surging in my chest as I looked into her eyes again. That same fire as before was directed my way as if a glance alone could set me ablaze.“I-I- ah, o-okay. Sorry.” I shrunk down as far as I could, trying to find safety through submission.

One moment she had death in her eyes and the next she started and flinched back, then looked around and back down to my huddling form. “Oh, buck me. L-look, kid, I-”

I barely heard the galloping before something barreled into her, knocking her back a good five feet. I looked up again and saw a welcome sight - a light-brown earth pony mare with long messy green hair and a tangled tail, standing a head shorter than Cloud and just taller than myself, snorted in rage and stomped the ground. “Who the buck d'ya think you are?! Back off! NOW!”

Cloud had landed on her hooves, looking no worse for wear, and shot back daggers with her eyes at the mare who interrupted us. “Did you seriously just do that?! He was the one-”

“Huddled in a corner tryin' to hide from you! I don’t care who ya are, ‘cuz right now you’re nothin' more than a bully! So what’s it gonna be, huh?! You an' me, right here? Either I tan your hide, or you do the smart thing and leave.” Damn. She seriously does not back down.

Cloud looked over the new mare’s shoulder and I followed her glance - doors were opening down the hall. It looked like someone else was coming to check what all the commotion was. She took a deep breath and stood up straight, then snapped “Dusty!” I flinched back again but met her gaze. Her normally stern and disciplined face softened momentarily. She said something softly then turned and ran down the hall away from us. I didn’t realize until she was already out of sight that she had said “Sorry.”

She walked through the forest at a brisk trot, foal in tow. She did not need a light to see for her field shone more than bright enough. Terrifying creatures roamed these lands, giving pause to most travelers, but this mare did not stop for she did not fear the forest. The foal's laughter echoed through the trees and drew more than one hungry predator, but each one's appetite was forgotten the moment they laid eyes on the mare carrying him. She made her way along the forgotten trail as swiftly as one could while distracted by a foal. Even when the path begun to vanish completely she pressed forward unwavering. She remembered each and every detail of the expansive forest intimately from the years spent in solitude there - she knew these lands, and the lands knew her.

The longer she trotted onward the more resolute she grew in purpose and the faster her pace became. The underbrush parted for her as she broke into a gallop. She had just hit breakneck speeds when she entered a clearing bathed in moonlight. She stopped, confused, just before her eyes caught sight of Princess Twilight Sparkle's castle looming in the distance above the treetops. The mare fell back on her haunches and stared at those crystalline towers which pierced the sky. She considered turning around, but one more coo from the foal was all she needed to get back up on her hooves and make her way towards Ponyville.

It had been far too long since the last time.