Chapter 1: Ranger School, Part 1
The class was a chatter about news that a new student was joining them today.
“I wonder if they’re going to be a Ranger Cadet,” said a girl with purple eyes, and short purple hair that actually made her look more like a boy. She wore the standard Ranger School uniform of a green jacket over a blue dress shirt and yellow tie, and denim shorts, but also had on fingerless gloves and roller skates with retractable wheels instead of boots. There was also a bandage on one of her cheeks.
“I’m sure they’ll be an Operator,” said a second girl with curly pink and purple hair, and green eyes. She wore the same uniform, except hers had a skirt instead of pants.
“I bet they’ll be a Mechanic, like me,” said a third girl with red hair and amber eyes. She had some tools in the pockets of her uniform.
“How much you want to bet?” asked the tomboy.
“How does three days worth of chocolate chip muffins sound?” asked the girly girl.
“Ah’ll take that action,” said the redhead.
Just then the three students’ teacher walked into the room.
“Good morning, class,” she said. The teacher was tall, with two-tone pink hair, and green eyes. She wore a green blouse and a white skirt.
“Good morning, Ms. Cheerilee,” replied the class.
“Now, I assume you’ve all heard that we have a new student joining us today?” she asked, to which all the students nodded.
“What’s their name?” asked a female student.
“Are they a Cadet, Op, or Mechie?” asked a male student.
The class started asking a whole bunch of questions.
“Quiet please, class,” said Ms. Cheerilee. “Why don’t we let them introduce themself?”
Into the room walked a boy with green hair and green eyes. And it goes without saying that he wore a school uniform as well... yet I said it anyway for some reason.
“Hi, I’m Spike Sparkle,” said the boy, “I’m a Ranger Cadet.”
The tomboy quietly pumped her fist beneath her desk.
“So, Spike, why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself,” said Ms. Cheerilee.
“Alright. Um, I was adopted from an orphanage in Canterlot, my sister is the Leader of the Ranger Base there, and I’ve come here to follow in her footsteps.”
“Very good. Now, why don’t you have a seat in the open desk right there.” Ms. Cheerilee pointed to an open desk right next to where the girly girl sat.
Once Spike took his seat, Cheerilee continued, “Now, class, I’ll leave you to your own devices for now. Feel free to do whatever you’d like (within reason). Sweetie Belle?”
“Yes, Ms. Cheerilee?” asked the girly girl.
“Could give Spike a tour of the school?”
“Yes, ma’am!” Sweetie said, enthusiastically.
“Good. Now, if you need me, I’ll be in the main office.”
Ms. Cheerilee left the room. Almost immediately, the class began to chatter again.
Spike turned in his chair to face Sweetie Belle, and was greeted by two more faces; the tomboy and the redhead.
“Hi, I’m Sweetie. And I’m an Operator in-training.”
“I’m Scootaloo. I’m a Ranger Cadet too,” said the tomboy.
“And Ah’m Apple Bloom,” said the redhead. “Ah’m a Mechanic in-training.”
“It’s nice to meet you all,” said Spike. “So, about that tour...”
“Oh, right. Let’s go!” said Sweetie, heading to the door.
Spike, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom followed Sweetie into the hall.
“There really isn’t much to see of this school,” said Scootaloo, pressing the buttons on her skates to equip the wheels. She began to slowly skate alongside as they walked. “Sure, there’s a library, and a few classrooms, and the office, and the cafeteria, and the dorms upstairs, but that’s about it.”
“Don’t forget ‘bout Crusader Rock,” added Apple Bloom.
“Crusader Rock?” asked Spike.
“Yeah, it’s this statue right outside the school,” said Sweetie. “Come on, we’ll show you!”
The four students made their way out the building, and down a path leading to a big statue on the front lawn. The statue was made of marble and carved into the shapes of three Rangers, one male and two female, and three Pokemon at their feet; an Espeon, an Umbreon, and a Sableye.
“Oh, this thing,” said Spike. “I saw this when I arrived. What’s a statue of?”
“The first three Top Rangers in Equestria and their Partner Pokémon, who else?” said Scootaloo. “They are the pinnacle that all Rangers strive to be. And someday, I hope to have a statue of me standing nearby.”
“And Ah’m sure ya will be, Scoots. You too, Spike,” said Apple Bloom.
Suddenly, the bell rang from the school’s clock tower.
“Oh, there’s the bell. We better get back to class!” Sweetie said, before darting back inside. Spike, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo followed suit.
That night…
Spike was in the boys’ dorm, writing a letter to his sister. It read, “Dear Twilight, today was my first day at Ponyville Ranger Academy, and I think I made a good first impression. I also made three new friends; Apple Bloom, a farm girl from right here in Ponyville training to be a Mechanic; Sweetie Belle, a really pretty girl training to be an Operator; and Scootaloo, a tomboy who is a Ranger Cadet and a huge daredevil. They showed me around the school and even welcomed me into their club. I really think I’m gonna like it here. Love, Spike.”
Chapter 2: Ranger School, Part 2
Spike finished writing his letter. Putting in an envelope, he placed it in the nightstand next to his bed so he wouldn’t forget to mail it out in the morning.
Noticing the letter, his roommate, Tender Taps asked, “Who’s that for?”
“My sister,” Spike answered. “I promised her I’d write to her whenever something big happened.”
“Cool.” Tender looked to his alarm clock and almost panicked. “Huh oh!”
“What is it?”
“It’s almost time for a club meeting. Come on, we don’t want to be late!”
The two roommates rushed out of their room to get to the dorm commons as quickly as possible.
When they got there, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle were there waiting for them.
“Their y’all are. We were jest ‘bout ta start without ya,” said Apple Bloom.
“Sorry we’re almost late,” said Tender. “Lost track of time.”
“That’s okay, bro,” said Scootaloo. “The important thing is that we’re all here now.”
“Let’s git right down ta business,” said Apple Bloom. “Spike, tonight is yer initiation, which meets y’all have to pass a test of courage.”
“What kind of “test of courage”?” Spike asked.
“Simple, just collect four capture styles, which have all been hidden somewhere downstairs,” explained Sweetie. “You can also request someone to go with you to give you hints if you’d like.”
“Sounds easy enough,” said Spike. “Challenge accepted. So, who’s going to help me?”
“That would be me,” said Sweetie. “We played Rock, Paper, Scissors to see who’d have to help you if you needed it, and guess who lost.”
“Just get going, you two! We’ll be up here silently rooting for you!” said Scootaloo.
Spike and Sweetie descended the stairs into the dark halls below. When they reached the ground floor, Sweetie pulled a flashlight out of her pocket and handed it to Spike.
“Here, you’ll need this,” she said.
“Thanks.” He flicked on the light.
Suddenly there was a sound coming from the darkness.
“What was that?” Sweetie asked panicking, clinging to Spike’s arm in fear.
“Relax, it was just a Bidoof,” he said, flashing the light down the hall to where a Bidoof wondered.
“Oh, sorry.” Sweetie blushed, embarrassed for being scared by a silly little Bidoof. Still, for that brief second where she didn’t know it was a Bidoof, clinging to Spike like that made her feel safe. But why? She barely knew him. Why did he make her feel like she had known him for years?
And how did a Bidoof even get inside the school?
Anyway, Spike and Sweetie continued on and made their way to their classroom. Inside they found there was a box that weren’t there earlier.
Sweetie shivered. “Even our classroom is creepy at night.”
“So, where’s the first styler?” asked Spike.
“It should be right in here. Though I have no idea where this box came from. It’s probably inside of there.”
Spike walked over to the nearest box and tried to open it. “It won’t open.”
“Well, you could capture that Bidoof in the hall and use it to break the box.”
“Great idea.” The two rushed out into the hall again.
“Here, Bidoofy-doofy-doof,” said Spike.
The Bidoof cried out from the darkness and attacked Spike. “Capture on!”
Spike pulled out his capture styler and started directing the little top around the Bidoof, leaving a trail of light which closed in on the wild Pokemon every time it made a loop. Within a few loops, the Bidoof became docile. “Capture complete!”
Sweetie knelt down and patted the Bidoof on the head. “You know, I always found Bidoof to be adorable. I don’t get why don’t seem to like them.”
“Who cares? They also say Cubone is somehow related to Kangaskhan. People can be weird.”
“Anyway, now you can break the boxes in our classroom.”
Spike and Sweetie ran back into the classroom.
“Alright Bidoof, break that box,” said Spike. The Bidoof promptly used Tackle on the box, reducing it to splinters in a loud crack. However, it wasn’t a capture styler that was inside, but a Zubat.
“How did a Zubat get in here?” asked Spike.
“Who cares? Just capture it! It’s attacking!” shouted Sweetie in panic.
“Capture on!” Spike looped his capture styler around the wild bat Pokemon and within a few loops caught it. “Capture complete!”
“Great. Now let’s get out of here! I’m afraid someone might have heard us!”
The two students ran back up to the dorms.
“You’ve got to be kidding me! That was just a prank?” asked Spike.
“Yep!” laughed Scootaloo.
“Seriously? Why didn’t you tell me about it?” asked Sweetie.
“You didn’t ask.”
“You realized you entire plan hinged solely on Sweetie losing a game of chance, right?”
“Not really. Sweetie always chooses paper.”
“What if I’d chosen rock that time?”
“You wouldn’t have.”
Spike massaged his temple. “So you let those wild Pokemon into the school, then.”
“Actually, I have no idea how they got in. Rather convenient, though, wouldn’t you say?”
Spike sighed. He could tell this was going to be an eventful year, and boy was he right.
Author's Note
Yes, Tender Taps is Scootaloo's brother in this. It's my headcanon.
