"Miss Cheerilee?"
Twilight's voice caused the teacher to turn, and while she was at first happy to see Ponyville's newest resident, her smile soon faded as she gave a brief nod.
"Twilight. Thank you for coming."
Twilight, after entering the Ponyville schoolhouse, looked past Cheerilee, and soon looked upon the one she'd been called here about; Spike. Though he was not alone here today, as he was sitting at a desk next to three fillies that Twilight had only recently become aware of. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. The newly-dubbed Cutie Mark Crusaders. None of the four youths looked especially happy right now, and doubly so when Twilight was soon joined by both Applejack and Rarity, who entered in behind her.
"Apple Bloom?" Applejack enquired.
"Sweetie Belle?" Rarity added.
The two respective fillies hung their heads in shame at the mention of their names, and it was here when Twilight noticed a very clear absence from this gathering.
"Say...where are Scootaloo's parents?"
Cheerilee walked beside her and whispered.
"They're out-of-town a lot, so she's under the care of her Aunts usually."
Twilight nodded, then looked to Spike.
"So...what happened?"
Cheerilee sighed.
"Well, these four were playing over by Old Stallion Hooferton's home earlier today, and despite the presence of a 'keep off the grass' sign, they decided that it wasn't a warning worth taking seriously."
The children winced at the description of events, but Cheerilee nevertheless continued.
"One thing led to another, and the four of them stumbled together. When they landed, they ended up breaking a brand new sprinkler that Mr Hooferton had installed just yesterday."
Twilight grimaced, knowing full well where this was heading. Yet she still looked to the teacher.
"How did you get involved in this?"
Cheerilee gestured to herself.
"Oh, I was out getting some groceries and happened to be passing by when it happened. Mr Hooferton was about as upset as you could imagine, but I was able to intervene. I told him I'd take the children and speak to those responsible for them about this."
Rarity swept aside some of her mane.
"Hmph! I imagine you were more delicate about the matter than an uncouth type like Mr Hooferton?"
Cheerilee nodded.
"I pacified him, but he's still incensed about the whole mess."
She looked to the still-silent children.
"I imagine you will wish to speak with them now?"
Twilight stood silent for a time, but inevitably nodded.
"Yes. Thank you, Miss Cheerilee. I'm grateful you were able to help them."
Cheerilee nodded back to her, and then to Rarity and Applejack, before finally making her way out of the door. She gave them their privacy, closing the aforementioned door, leaving only the children and their respective carers in the classroom. Twilight stepped forward, looking to Spike in particular.
"So is there anything else you'd like to add to this story, Spike?"
The young dragon hesitated, but soon looked his lifelong friend in the eye.
"It's my fault, Twilight."
Immediately, the other fillies snapped their eyes to him.
"No it's not!" Scootaloo protested.
"We're all to blame here!" Sweetie added.
Rarity frowned to her sister.
"Oh, I assure you, dear sister, there is no question that you are in a great deal of trouble in this!"
Sweetie again hung her head, and Twilight once more looked to Spike, though it was the latter who spoke.
"I knew we weren't supposed to be there. The sign was right there, but...I guess I just didn't care enough to say anything to them."
Scootaloo looked to him.
"We all saw it, Spike. You're not responsible for us."
Applejack adjusted her hat.
"No, but we are! Y'all know it's wrong ta go an' jus' cause a ruckus in somepony's yard like that! And ya broke somethin' too! Somethin' new!"
Shame was clear on all the children's faces, and Twilight soon looked over to Rarity.
"This new sprinkler of his...was it expensive?"
Rarity's face said it all, and her answer confirmed it.
"I'm afraid so, darling. We're talking a hundred bits, if not more."
Twilight frowned as she looked back to Spike.
"You know we'll have to pay Mr Hooferton for this, Spike."
Spike stared down at the desk he was sitting at, but Twilight said nothing further, instead looking to Applejack as the latter placed her hoof on her shoulder.
"We'll all chip in with it."
Twilight smiled, grateful for the offer. But the smile disappeared again as she walked over to her young dragon companion. She saw the genuinely remorseful way he was continuing to twiddle his thumbs, and hooves in the case of the Crusaders. They knew they'd done something silly, something wrong, and they were all feeling bad about it right now. It was something Applejack and Rarity sensed also, and soon all three mares relaxed and softened in their expressions. Twilight reached forward, putting her hoof on Spike's shoulder in a manner not dissimilar to what Applejack had done with her moments earlier. Spike looked to her, though hesitant at first, and awaited what she was about to say. When Twilight finally spoke, it was with unexpected softness.
"Spike...I know that, sometimes, we might look at rules as something bothersome. We see them as something restrictive. Maybe the work of some grouchy person who just likes to tell others what to do."
She looked him right in the eye.
"But you and I both know that rules exist for a reason. They're not there just to get on our nerves, but to serve a purpose. And an important purpose at that."
Spike didn't respond, instead watching as Twilight glanced over to Scootaloo.
"Scootaloo, you love riding on that scooter of yours, yes?"
Scootaloo, though still silent, nodded, prompting Twilight to continue.
"And you wear a helmet every time you ride it, yes?"
Another nod from the filly.
"Why?" Twilight asked.
The filly hesitated, then started to speak.
"Well...I like to go really fast. And if I trip on something in the street while I'm riding it, I could really hurt myself if I wasn't wearing the helmet."
Twilight nodded, smiling at the fact that she understood. Rarity followed her friend's example, walking over to her sister and speaking as calmly as possible.
"Sweetie. You remember when I told you about a year ago that my sewing equipment wasn't to be used by anypony other than me?"
Sweetie looked away, but still nodded.
"And do you also remember what happened when you ignored that rule and tried making a dress yourself?" Rarity asked further.
Sweetie sighed.
"Yeah...I got my hoof caught in it. It really hurt."
Rarity nodded, placing her own hoof over Sweetie's. Perhaps the same hoof that had been hurt in that story. But the fashion-loving mare soon smiled to her all the same.
"I know you wanted to try and do what I do, but that machinery is dangerous if you don't know how to use them. That's why I said you weren't to go near them."
Sweetie didn't smile, but still looked to her sister. Applejack now walked over to Apple Bloom, and the filly almost quivered when she looked on, anticipating harsh words. But as angry as Applejack had been before, now she spoke in a more measure way.
"Bloom...Granny's always goin' on about the right time ta pick this or that apple on our farm, right?"
Apple Bloom nodded, and her sister continued.
"Pick em at the wrong time, and it eats mighty sour. Sometimes a pony might even get sick if they eat em like that."
She narrowed her eyes a little.
"Like what a certain filly tried ta do a few months back?"
Apple Bloom blushed, looking away from her. Twilight, realising that all four of the youths were getting the message, took a deep breath, before finally addressing them all.
"Rules might not make us happy to consider, but they're there to keep you safe. To keep ponies from doing the wrong thing, or from getting hurt. If you'd followed the rule you broke today, instead of ignoring it, Mr Hooferton's sprinkler wouldn't be broken right now. And we wouldn't be having this discussion."
Spike had been hanging his head for a while, but now looked up to her, speaking in a genuinely apologetic way.
"We're sorry, Twilight! We'll do what we can to make up for it!"
"Yeah! We all will!" Apple Bloom chimed in.
The other two fillies nodded enthusiastically, showing their agreement. Twilight, Rarity and Applejack looked to one another, smiling in the satisfaction they felt that their message had gotten across to the kids. But now Twilight cleared her throat, speaking more seriously.
"Well then, as we've already established, the three of us, as well as Scootaloo's Aunts, are probably going to have to pay Mr Hooferton for the damage. After that, I suggest you four go to him and offer to help him with whatever chores he needs help with. And to keep offering until he feels you've paid your debt for breaking his important rule."
The four nodded.
"We'll go right away!" Spike offered.
Twilight smiled to him.
"We'll all go. It might go over better if we're there to help explain things."
Rarity grimaced.
"Ugh! I do not look forward to having to speak to that stallion. Especially after he pooh-poohed the hat I made last week."
Applejack rolled her eyes to that, then chuckled as she again walked to her sister.
"Well then, let's get to it, Bloom."
Both Apple Bloom and her three friends hopped off their desks, walking alongside their elders and beginning to finally leave the schoolhouse. As they left, however, Spike looked up to Twilight, still looking apologetic.
"Twilight? I'm...I'm still sorry we did that today."
But Twilight, in contrast to what Spike had expected, smiled, holding him close.
"Don't worry, Spike. You're not the first person to break a rule. And you definitely won't be the last."
Author's Note
I thought I'd try my hand at writing a short story with the kind of lesson or message we might have been given back in the days of season one. Hope you like it 
