The Faculty Lot

Vice Principal Luna led the humanized Princess Luna out into the hallway and down past a number of students. The bell had just sounded, signaling the transition from one class into another. The visiting royal was not particularly impressed with the ringing, as she was not a fan of sharp noises. Plus, her sister’s school had a rather calm noise activated by a magic mechanism whenever students needed to change classes. It was loud enough so everypony could hear, but it was not so loud that it caused them to forget everything they’d learned in a mad dash to get their things and move on to the next subject of study.

“Tell me, why do you need such a raucous noise to let students know that it’s time to switch classes?” She asked.

“Well, if we didn’t, then most of them would probably sleep right through it,” Vice Principal Luna said with a chuckle.

“Your students slumber during their courses? That doesn’t seem very…educational.”

“Don’t worry, Princess,” the faculty member responded reassuringly, “our teachers do an excellent job of curbing our students’ desire to sleep during class.”

They walked down a long hallway, and Princess Luna noticed the huge abundance of lockers present. She was curious as to these “storage and containment units,” as she called them, because they were not available in her sister’s school. Everypony just kind of magically carried everything they needed to around with them. Some of them still brought saddlebags, but that was only for unnecessary items. Everything else floated above them in a curious, yet rather amusing, menagerie of books, paper, and pencils. Here, in the human world, they did not seem to possess such qualities.

Perhaps magic is a luxury only attuned to our world, the Princess thought, perhaps…I have been abusive of my power.

“So the students put all their belongings inside of those units, and then when they need them, they just come and get them?” She asked.

Vice Principal Luna nodded. “Yep, that’s pretty much how it works. They’re handy little inventions. It saves room inside a student’s backpack. That way, they don’t have to haul around every last little item that they need for school. I mean, they’re here from 8-3, and each class lasts for an hour with the same time taken off for lunch. With six classes to attend, I’d say the lockers save valuable time and space.”

“Yes, but what happens if a student forgets the combination to his lock?” The princess asked.

“Well, then they have to pay the consequences of being late to class because they have to come tell us and we have to unlock it for them.”

The royal was intrigued by the strict way they enforced these interesting little locks. There were combination locks back in Equestria, but most of them were bound to a certain spell that only one or two ponies knew. Once again, her mind turned to asking herself whether or not she was taking her magical properties for granted. She certainly had used a number of magic locks to help confine her most private of belongings, such as her diary, her library, and the one spire in the castle that was set aside for her own usage. She would very often take her stallion friends up there for beautiful visages of the night. But she never thought that a species would have to commit an entire numerical combination to memory.

“Now, then, Princess, here’s one of our classrooms,” Vice Principal Luna said as she showed her into a room.

The Princess was taken aback by the fact that class had already begun and the teacher, a middle-aged man, was busily giving a lecture on something called the Civil War. She was intrigued by the subject matter, as she remembered the Equestrian Civil War fought between all three pony tribes many thousands of years before. It had happened right after the first Hearth’s Warming, when the races weren’t able to agree on just how to divide the land amongst themselves. They had fought bitterly over the holdings, and the Windigoes had threatened them again. But they came to their senses, stopped the endless slaughter, and managed to peaceably and fairly make provisions for everypony.

“…and so it was that General Grant, owing to the fact that the Union had not been able to make any significant advances in the state of Virginia, began what many refer to as the War of Attrition.” The teacher said. “Any questions?”

A yellow hand shot up.

“Yes, Sunset?”

A girl with the same complexion arose from her seat, and the Princess recognized her instantly. She was wearing a leather jacket, with an orange shirt emblazoned with something oddly resembling a cutie mark, and a dark purple skirt. Black boots completed her look. She also had a very friendly air about her, much like she had when she had returned to Equestria a few months before.

She turned towards Vice Principal Luna and the visiting royal and smiled. “Well, it’s not much of a question, but I couldn’t help but notice the new presence in the room. It’s wonderful to see you again, Princess Luna.”

The students all gasped. They had been busily taking notes and listening when the two Lunas entered, so they had not noticed. But now, they definitely did, and they were all engrossed with the idea that their Vice Principal had a twin for the day. Their mouths collectively dropped through the floor, and they could do nothing but stare. They just couldn’t help it. It was such a rarity that someone from Equestria visited them anymore. They had gotten used to the odd bit of magic popping through every now and again, because Sunset and her friends always took care of it. But this? This was different.

An aquamarine hand suddenly shot up.

“Yes, Lyra?” Vice Principal Luna asked.

“Is…is that…you from Equestria?”

“Well, yes it is. Everyone, this is Princess Luna, and she has been gracious enough to grace our school with her presence today.”

The princess smiled and gingerly waved a hand. “Please, dispense of all formality when you’re in my presence,” she said grandly, “I wish to be known simply as Luna. There is no need for any trifling with ‘Your Majesty’ or anything like that. I’d like to get to know you all as friends and human allies with the nation of Equestria.”

The students cheered at her announcement, and her smile grew wider. She did not realize that this queer species would be so kind to her. She felt like one of the humans, and that was just the way she wanted it. She shut her eyes and blushed a little bit at their adoration. She also couldn’t help but notice a few of the male students eyeing her with a bit of affection. This made her blush even deeper, because she knew that she was much too old for any of them.

“Thank you, everyone,” Vice Principal Luna said, “now, please, resume your studies.”

The two Lunas left the room and turned a corner, heading down another hallway. Princess Luna continued to blush as some of the young men had left quite an impression on her. She rolled her eyes at this prospect, and chuckled.

“Is something the matter, Princess?” VP Luna asked.

“Well, no, but…some of the males in that room were giving me the same look that a lot of stallions do back home.”

“Oh, it’s just hormones,” the faculty member said, “I’ll get a bouquet of roses every now and then from an affectionate student, and on Valentine’s Day, I’ll typically get more than ten. But it’s simply a matter of letting them down gently and reminding them that there are plenty of fish in the school their age.”

“Ha, school of fish. Fish humor,” Princess Luna chuckled. “By the way, where are we going now?”

“The place that you claim has great power,” VP Luna responded, “the faculty parking lot.”