RRRIIINNNGGG the school bell called, signaling that it was time for recess. As the students filed out of the school and gravitated towards the playground, a blue unicorn foal could be seen remaining near the school's entrance.
"Aren't you going to go and play with your classmates, Easy Venture?"
The young colt jumped at the voice, spinning round as soon as his hooves touched the ground. His head turned up to see his teacher looking back down at him. Great, now he would have to explain himself, something he didn't much care to do.
"I um.... well you see," he stammered out in a barely audible tone. "The other foals tease me for, well...." Turning to the side so she could see his flank, he nodded over to it then let his head droop.
"Because you don't have a cutie mark," she stated, understanding filling her voice. "I can see why you might not want to go join them." The dark pink mare regarded the blue foal with wise eyes. Easy noticed wrinkles forming on Cheerilee's face as she closed her eyes in thought. What was she thinking about? She wasn't going to make him join his classmates, was she? Oh but the the bullies would start teasing him again and...
"Easy, what do you do for fun?
Snapped out of his internal monologue, he looked surprised at her odd question. "Uhhh I mean, I hang out with my friend Star Racer," he replied, not knowing what that had to do with recess. His teacher looked like she was waiting for more. He ran his hoof through his mane, ruffling it just a bit. "I also collect things.
"Such as?" Cheerilee inquired.
"Mage: the Quest cards, comic books, postcards, and -" Easy peered down, shoving dirt around with his hoof, "- uummm romance novels. I prefer the ones with dragons in them.
"That sounds like a lot of fun. I'll bet it's hard keeping it all organized." Cheerilee grinned at the colt. She had been working with young ponies for the better part of 30 years now and knew just how to nudge them in just the right direction.
His head shot up at her and he had the cutest, happiest look on his face. "Oh not at all," the colt beamed. I smile plastered his face so wide it should have hurt. "Everything has a proper place and it's all nice and neat. I even keep track of everything i have on lists.
"Quite the little Twilight aren't you.
"Yes I...." Easy stopped, frowning for a moment in confusion. What did Princess Twilight have to do with this. He didn't think he could possibly have much in common with the Princess of Friendship for his teacher to confuse them. For starters, he had only one friend. Could it be his collections, or maybe the mention of novels? Cheerilee could see the apparent bewilderment of the fledgling and decided to clarify her statement. But first, a small quiz.
"Easy, how much do you know" - He looked up, drawn from his own mind - "about Princess Twilight Sparkle and how she became a Princess?" The question lingered in his brain as he considered the few history books he had read that even mention the Princess. Her ascension to royalty hadn't been that long ago, if the books were to be believed. Gathering his thoughts, he spoke.
"I... I don't know much, just what I've read. Princess Twilight Sparkle used to be a unicorn, and the apprentice of Princess Celestia herself, before she became an alicorn. She was a resident of Ponyville who lived in the town library and acted as its librarian. After the battle with Tirek she was gifted a castle by Princess Celestia and began her rule as the Princess of Friendship, even though she stays at the Canterlot Castle now.
"That's all mostly true, though not exactly what I meant." The unicorn tilted his head, a bit baffled. Cheerilee gazed out into the distance, nostalgia welling up inside.
"I knew Twilight well, back when she was just a unicorn. Just another normal pony. She was always so organized, schedules and facts and figures. She was Ponyville's resident know-it-all," she laughed at her own words. "Everything had an order to it, so many lists. Twilight once organized an Equestria wide 'future proofing', believe it or not. She became the reason so many events went without a hitch. The reason I'm telling you this is because you seem to have the same knack for it that she does." The mare wore a glazed expression and the colt began to wonder if his teacher was okay as she had not blinked for several long seconds.
"Umm, Miss Cheerilee? Are you okay?
The mare was brought out of her reverie, the voice of her student penetrating her swirling memories. "I'm sorry Easy, I got a bit distracted for a moment." She opened her mouth to speak again but before words could roll from it the school bell rang out. Recess was over. "Back inside my little ponies!" she shouted so the rest of her students could hear her. Satisfied that they were all making their way back inside, she turned to regard the blue foal once more. "Easy, i want you to come see me after school. I have a bit of... let's call it extra credit for you," she said with a smile before tuning to head inside.
Easy shuffled his hooves. Extra credit, he thought to himself. Great. By standing here and talking to his teacher, all he had done was garner more homework. His mood soured a bit at the thought, pondering what possible torture she had planned for him. He didn't have time to dwell on it though as the majority of his classmates had already passed him by and were in their seats. He nervously watched the clock as he plopped down into his desk, idly counting down the minutes until the school day would end.
"... and don't forget to read chapter 6 of The Secret Garden by Monday," Cheerilee called as her students began to leave. The school bell had been rung a final time to signal the end of the school day. Easy, trying to avoid getting more homework for the weekend, attempted to sneak out behind a few of his classmates. "Easy Venture, could you come here please?" No such luck. The colt spun around quickly, sporting a very sheepish grin. He had been caught in his escape, might as well get this over with.
"Yes Miss Cheerilee?" he whispered anxiously.
"For your extra credit assignment," - here it comes - " I want you to," - what is it - "write down each thing that you collect, how you organize that item, and how you feel after you finish organizing. Can you do that for me?
The young colt looked up at his teacher, eyes wide in surprise. Had he heard her correctly? She wanted him to catalog his entire collection. That's it? No extra reading, or worksheet, or anything unpleasant? It sounded to good to be true. But then again Easy wasn't about to second guess his teacher, only for her to change her mind.
"Ye... Yes Miss Cheerilee, I can do that." The teacher smiled at him as he galloped towards the door, only stopping to smile at her from the doorway before heading home.
"Hey Easy, did you finish takin' inventory o' all those shipments?" his boss asked, waking him from his daydream. Shaking his head a moment, he looked down at the clipboard that held his inventory checklist. Giving it a final once-over he hollered back, " Yes sir. That's the rest of today's imports."
The graying stallion grinned at the blue unicorn and drew out a small bag of bits. "Catch!" And then he threw it.
Easy managed to turn around just in time to see the brown pouch coming, now only a meter from his face. He quickly caught it in his magic, his horn glowing a soft shade of yellow, and he brought it to him and opened it. There had to be at least 50 bits in there. Confused, the stallion gazed up at his boss who was beaming at him. Noticing the sincerely lost look on his employee's face he chuckled.
"You been doin' such a swell job ever since you started workin' for me. Think of it as a bonus. Believe you me, soon enough you gonna be runnin' dis joint. Now git on outta here. You look beat."
"Thank you sir," he managed to stammer out. He was indeed tired. "I'll see you tomorrow." Easy put away his clipboard on the shelf beneath the register and headed out the door. He trotted out the door, the last thing to disappear being a blue flank adorned with the image of a quill and a scroll and if you looked close enough you could see a checklist seared upon it all those years ago.