The harsh shriek of the train grinding to a halt made the shy mare sit bolt upright in her seat. Quickly, she stowed her cat plush back inside her saddle bag as she hurried the other passengers, who were already spilling out onto the platform outside. As ever, the passengers were speaking loudly and excitedly, but what caught our mare's attention was when the group's leader, speaking in over the voices of the others, said "Look everyone! There it is! The School of Friendship!" to a chorus of excited ooh's
Our mare glanced in the direction the group leader had indicated. Sure enough, in the distance the School of Friendship could be seen, glittering in all its glory in the bright sunshine. The waterfalls behind it shimmered in the light of day, and even from here, students of all shapes, colors and sizes could be seen gathering outside of it.
Without realizing it, our mare was shaking. Rather reluctantly, she descended the platform steps and began making her way towards the school. Despite the fact every instinct of her being was telling her that coming here was a bad idea, our mare trudged miserably onward. However, as the residents of the town continued to smile and wave at her, she began to feel a bit more relaxed.
This isn't so bad, she thought. At least I haven't had to speak with anyone yet.
"HI THERE!!!"
The sudden shout startled the mare so badly that she jumped three feet in the air, twisting to find the culprit as she came back down to Earth. Before her stood a mare with a wild pink mane, bright pink fur and bright blue eyes. She was smiling brightly.
"Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie! Sorry if I startled you, I've just never met you before! Are you new here? Ooh, are you a new student at the School of Friendship?" she said all this very quickly.
Our mare said nothing. She stood staring at this pink mare, one hoof slightly raised off the ground, as ponies sometimes do when they are considering or not to flee a frightening situation. You see, our mare had never encountered such a loud or chatty individual as dear Pinkie Pie, and the effect was quite terrifying. Then, as Pinkie opened her mouth to say something else, she was stopped in her tracks as the mare turned an ran, disappearing in a cloud of dust as she sprinted at full speed away from Pinkie Pie.
"Wait!" Pinkie yelled, taking off in pursuit. "Wait, come back!"
But it was too late. The mare was gone. Pinkie came to a halt, gazing around in confusion. It was hard to believe, but it seemed that the hyperactive Pink mare had met her match- that is to say, she had met a pony who could move with incredible speed- when properly motivated, of course. Frowning, she turned and trotted away.
Meanwhile, our mare was peering out from around a building, watching Pinkie anxiously. Seeing that Pinkie had turned away, she pressed her back against the wall and gave a sigh of relief. Looking around, she suddenly realized that she had lost all track of where she was. But after a few moments, she realized that she was in the part of the town where ponies ran their shops. For example, the building she was hiding behind happened to be the Ponyville Spa. As she sat there trying to figure out how to find her way to the school from here, her ears twitched at the sounds of conversation that drifted through the air towards her.
"That was such a rejuvenating experience, wasn't it?" came a unicorn's voice.
"It sure was," came the softer voice of a pegasus. "So, we're heading to the school, now?"
"Of course!" the first voice answered. "Our students are waiting!"
"Oh, I can't wait to get started! I have this friendship lesson planned today that involves the students bringing their pets for an activity."
That was all that our mare needed to hear. Quickly she stood up and followed the ponies the voices belonged to- a yellow pegasus with a long pink mane and her companion- a white unicorn with an elegantly styled mane. From the sound of things, these ponies were teachers at the school, so following them might be the safest bet in getting there.
....
After a fair bit of walking, they had reached the School of Friendship. Up close, the students all seemed much louder- and, in some cases, they were much bigger. Quietly our mare slipped in amongst the others, hoping not to be noticed in the crowd.
Again she needn't have worried, for after a few minutes of chattering, the group fell silent as the doors to the school opened, and Princess Twilight Sparkle strode out into the sunlight.
"Hello everyone," she said, smiling as she addressed the group. "Welcome back for another wonderful year at the School of Friendship!"
While Twilight continued addressing the crowd, our mare kept glancing around, feeling uneasy. She didn't know why, but there was a feeling on the back of her neck like someone was watching her. But although she glanced around, she could see that there was no one staring at her. Everyone's focus was on what Princess Twilight was saying.
"Now, if all new students will kindly follow me inside, I'll tell you all which rooms you'll be staying in. Everyone else, please follow the teachers for your next activities and lessons!"
Soon after, the groups dispersed. Realizing that she was mean to follow the princess, our mare swallowed nervously and followed her and a dozen other students inside the school. As they all headed inside, a male hippogriff held the door open for everyone else. Each student thanked him in turn, and as our mare drew close, he smiled at her as well. Nervously, she returned the smile, and walked a bit faster to catch up with the group. As they entered the library, they saw Twilight seated at a small table, handing out papers which she levitated with her magic.
"These are the lists of the students you'll all be sharing dorms with. If you have any complaints, please let me or one of the teachers know so that proper adjustments can't be made. Does everyone understand?" Twilight said with a smile.
"Yes, Princess!"
The mare walked over to the table, and levitated a piece of paper in front of her face. On it was a detailed and organized list of which students would stay in the same room. Scanning the paper, it was a moment before our mare found her own name listed in a group of three in this order: Primrose Dawn, Speckles, and Keanu.
Each name was accompanied by a small picture of the individual, or, in the case of ponies, their Cutie Marks represented them instead. Looking at the pictures, Primrose realized that Speckles was the nice hippogriff who had held the door for everyone. Looking over at him, she saw him and a dark-feathered gryphon who could only be Keanu heading over to her.
"Hi," Speckles said happily. His voice was rather low, but he seemed so friendly that Primrose didn't mind. "Guess we're roommates, huh?"
"Yup," said Keanu.
"So let's get the proper introductions done," Speckles said. "I'm Speckles."
"Charmed," said Keanu. "I'm Keanu."
"So you must be Primrose then, huh?" said Speckles, looking at Primrose.
Primrose nodded silently.
"You don't talk much, do you?" said Speckles.
Primrose shook her head, shrugging.
"Probably just as well," said Keanu. "You wouldn't be able to get a word in edgewise with Speckles. He's a real chatterbox."
"Oh ha ha," Speckles retorted with an amused expression, aiming a playful swipe at Keanu.
"Hey, just telling it like it is, brother." Keanu grinned, his deep green eyes shining.
Primrose smiled, and put a hoof against her mouth to stifle a quiet giggle.
"Hey look at that, I made ya laugh!" Speckles said. "Victory at last!"
"She's not the only one!" snorted Keanu. "You're such a goof!"
.....
Later that evening, after the students had all settled into their rooms, Primrose found herself sitting on their room's balcony, gazing at the sunset as the first stars began appearing in the night sky. It was a beautiful night, and a cool breeze was blowing steadily, carrying with it the scent of distant flowers.
It was hard for Primrose to believe that earlier that same day, she'd been so anxious. But now, as the sun gradually sank lower, she felt no anxiety, but instead excitement. She didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but she couldn't wait to experience it with Speckles and Keanu, both of whom she had quickly taken a liking to.
All would be well- she was sure of it.
Chapter 2: The Next Morning
The following morning, Primrose was up at sunrise. She hadn't meant to wake so early- the anticipation of what today would bring was just too intense. But she was hopeful. If the individuals here were anything like Keanu and Speckles, then surely she had nothing to worry about.
Having that said, Primrose was finding hard to dismiss the uneasy feeling that soon settled in her stomach. For as long as she could remember, forming lasting friendships with ponies had never been easy. She had tried, but sooner or later, ponies whom she thought liked her had stopped speaking with Primrose entirely. When she tried to confront them, they would always act uncomfortable and would refuse to answer her questions or even make eye contact. As a result, Primrose spent her childhood virtually friendless. In the end, she simply gave up on the idea.
However, while Primrose accepted that she would probably spend her life alone, the opinion was not shared by her parents. They insisted that was time that Primrose experienced friendship- whether she wanted to or not. So they enrolled her at the school. That may have seemed a bit much from an outsider's perspective, but it wasn't. Not really. While Primrose herself had been reluctant, she understood that her parents only wanted the best for her.
Still lost in thought about her parents, Primrose finished brushing her mane and tail. Stowing the brush back in her saddlebag, she went back to her bed and levitated her cat plush over to her. Holding it in one forehoof, she quietly tiptoed out of her room. Moments later she stepped out onto the balcony, and breathed in the fresh morning air. Seating herself on one of the cushions, she looked out over the town. It would be another hour until the residents were awake, and for now all was calm and quiet. For Primrose, it was a welcome change to to the loud and busy life she had known in Canterlot.
Primrose's gaze shifted to the horizon. She thought of her mother and father, who were no doubt already up and about at this time. They were most likely opening the flower shop by now. Her mother would be helping the customers find what they needed, while her father would work the register.
Primrose sighed. Normally, she would help her mother care for and maintain the plants and flowers they kept- but now she couldn't. No- now she was stuck miles away at this school. She sighed.
Well, at least the change wouldn't be permanent. She only had to stay here until she understood what friendship was. Then she could go home.
"Oh, I wasn't expecting to find you here."
Primrose turned her head in surprise. Standing in the doorway was Speckles, looking a little awkward. Primrose, feeling a bit flustered suddenly, blinked and then smiled. She motioned for Speckles to sit with her.
Speckles seemed relieved at the invitation as he took the seat next to her.
"I'm guessing you couldn't sleep much, either?"
Primrose shook her head and smiled sympathetically.
"Hey, I meant to ask you this yesterday, but with how busy things were I forgot."
Primrose said nothing.
Speckles cleared his throat. "What I meant to ask was, where are you from?"
Primrose opened her mouth, then closed it again. Holding up both hooves to signal Speckles to remain seated, she darted back to her dorm room. Moments later she reappeared with a small chalkboard. Sitting beside Speckles, she quickly scribbled her answer before turning it to face him. There, neatly written with chalk, was the word Canterlot.
"Oh, that makes sense," Speckles said, though he looked confused. "Most unicorns are, right?"
Primrose nodded. After quickly erasing the board, she wrote Yeah, it's a lovely place to grow up. Although maybe not the best for making friends.
"Oh really?" Speckles said. "I take it you haven't had the best luck?"
No. Mutes like me don't make for interesting conversation if you know what I mean.
"I don't think so," Speckles answered with a smile. "I've known you for less than two days and I think you're very interesting."
Stunned by these kind words, Primrose blinked and smiled sheepishly.
Thanks, she wrote on the chalk board. That's one of the nicest things I've ever heard from anyone.
"Hey, what are friends for?" Speckles answered. Then his smile faded. "In any case, we seem to have something in common."
Really? was Primrose's response. How so?
"You know Keanu?" Speckles said. "Well, he's not just a friend of mine. He's my oldest brother, too."
Primrose gasped. How in Equestria did that happen?
"I honestly don't know," Speckles said. "It's strange. My memory is all fuzzy when I try to remember it."
What happened? Primrose wondered.
"That's just it. I don't really know, actually. But Ma and Da said that they found me staggering around in a forest when they visited Equestria with my brothers and sisters on vacation years ago." Speckles was quiet for a moment. "They decided to take me in while they tried to find my parents, but they never succeeded." He smiled slightly. "I'm not complaining though, Ma and Da have been wonderful, and my siblings love me too, but I've never really fit in." Speckles sighed. "So you see, we're both outcasts. Ponies judge you because of your mutism, and the gryphons I grew up with judged me because I wasn't one of them.
That's why Ma and Da signed me up for this school. They figured that maybe here, I could find people that would accept me regardless of my species. They hated the idea that I might end up alone."
Primrose nodded with an empathetic look. My parents are the same way, she wrote on her chalkboard. They know I've always struggled to fit in, and watching me spend my life alone was heart breaking to them. So they sent me here.
"I guess we might have more in common than we first thought," Speckles said.
Primrose nodded. Then, as Speckles opened his mouth to speak they both heard a familiar voice.
"There you two are," Keanu said, walking out onto the balcony. Glancing at Primrose, he raised an eyebrow at the inclusion of her stuffed kitten and chalkboard. "What's with the chalkboard?" he said.
"Oh, Primrose when I were just having a conversation," said Speckles.
"Really?" said Keanu. "That's good. My brother hasn't been boring you has he?" he added teasingly to Primrose.
Primrose shook her head, and scribbled her answer on the board. No, not at all, it's been quite nice. Also, I'm mute, hence this chalkboard.
"Oh," Keanu said. "Okay. I thought it was a bit odd you didn't say much yesterday. Ah well. All good here."
Was there something you needed to tell us? Primrose wrote with a polite smile and tilt of the head.
"Yes, in fact," said Keanu. "I wanted to inform you lovebirds that they'll be serving breakfast soon in the Great Hall. We'd better get going."
"All right, let's go," said Speckles. "You want to come too, Primrose?"
Primrose nodded, though she was quietly flustered about the fact Keanu had referred to them as lovebirds. Come on, she thought. We just met! I hope Keanu's not making assumptions. Then, as the trio set off, Primrose shook her head slightly. I'm sure he was just joking around, she thought. I mean, a hippogriff and a unicorn? What are the odds of that working out?
Still, there was something about the notion that made her blush a little. She shook herself mentally. Don't be so naive! she thought. Sure, Speckles is a nice guy, but you didn't come here to waste time on this sort of thing. You are friends! Just friends!
The sky was gloomy with rainclouds as a mare stood waiting on a train platform. Amidst a group of chattering ponies, she did her best not to make eye contact or stand too close to any of them- out of fear of possibly being invited in conversation. The mare need not have concerned herself, however, as everyone was far too preoccupied with their own discussions to notice her. So she stood quietly off to one side, a lonely stranger amidst this group of friends.
With a sigh, the mare walked over to one of the benches on the platform and sat down, wondering how long it would take before the train arrived.
As she sat alone, the mare thought miserably of the conversation that had taken place earlier that morning with her parents. She felt her mouth twitch in a weak attempt at a smile as she anticipated what was to come. Maybe going to this Friendship School wouldn't be so bad, she thought. I need to learn how to make friends somehow. Even though the very thought scares me. The mare swallowed hard- and nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the ear-grating screech of the train as it slowly came to a halt in front of her. Leaping to her hooves, the mare headed over to it at once- and was promptly shoved aside as the other waiting passengers eagerly forced their way in ahead of her. In their eagerness to board, one of the mares- an elderly one who was talking to her granddaughter and not paying attention to where she was going- stepped hard on our mare's foot, causing her to let out a sharp squeak of indignity and pain. The old mare never even looked at her. Instead, she continued on to her granddaughter inside the train. Now limping, our mare limped onto the train, her eyes watering slightly.
Casting a glance around her, the mare's heart sank. Nearly every seat was now occupied with these mares, who were still gossiping loudly to one another. None of them acknowledged the shy mare as she passed. At the rear of the compartment, there was a row of seats that were mercifully empty. Moving to a seat beside the window, our mare sat down and sighed. Reaching into her saddle bag, she extracted a small, ginger tabby plush. Hugging it to her chest, she bowed her head slightly and gazed out the window as the train began to move again.
The rain was falling heavier now. The mare watched as the raindrops struck the glass, the voices of the other passengers fading into the background as she watched the rain fall. Then, as a fork of brilliant lightning split the sky, the droplets of rain seemed to shine like a thousand stars. It lasted only for a second, but it was enough. The mare smiled, feeling a sense of peace in her own heart. Closing her eyes, she was soon fast asleep.
