The Chains of Command

Chapters

Burdens of Authority
Burdens of Responsibility
On Mission
The Art of Friendship

Burdens of Authority

A shrill whistle cut through the chorus of shouting and frenzied activity that sprawled across the western edge of the School of Friendship's athletic field. Looping around for over a quarter of a mile, a class of students was strung out across various portions of a series of walls, ropes, barrels, hurdles, and other obstacles. None were even to the halfway point in the course when they all heaved to a stop at the whistle's command. A squat hedgehog in a gray tracksuit blew his whistle again before letting it fall from his lips and shouting, "Time's up!" His breath puffed into barely visible vapor as he waved his arms, beckoning the students over. "Everyone bring it in!"

Unable to offer more than a collective groan of acceptance, the gaggle of students scrambled over and collapsed into a leaning heap against one another. A small cloud of vapor condensed around the panting group of students as they struggled to catch their collective breath. Pacing in front of them, clad in a black and white striped jersey, a maroon unicorn mare eyed each of her charges as she passed, carefully inspecting their composure and outward condition.

"That'll be enough for today," Fizzlepop announced. A weak cheer rose up from a few of the students. "I'm going to skip the usual debrief because I think you all understand what you're doing wrong and what needs to happen when you tackle the course again next week. Don't worry. I'm going to give you time to recover before you get to try again. Now go get washed up and on to your next class."

Without complaint or further comment, the students shuffled off toward the safety and sanitation of the gym. Many panted heavily during the walk back while the others stretched various sore muscles and ligaments. Fizzlepop kept a keen eye on each of them, watching for signs of severe fatigue or injury, as she held out her hoof to Grubber expectantly.

Grubber passed a clipboard full of notes on student performance to her with a sheepish grin. The mare's face remained impassive as she scanned the caricatures, doodles, and scant few actual entries near each student's name. Her lips pressed into a thin line upon reading the words "It's cold" under a section titled General Observations.

"Sorry," Grubber said, chuckling nervously when he saw the look in Fizzlepop's eyes. "I got kinda distracted." He exhaled through his nose and swatted at the vapor cloud.

Shaking her head, Fizzlepop sighed. "Your own lack of performance aside, that could have gone better." She swept a hoof over the obstacle course that lay before them.

"It also could have been worse," Grubber commented. "You can't expect any of them to make it on their first try. I mean, wasn't that the point? None of them could have made it through without getting help from each other, let alone on the first try."

Fizzlepop sighed, pinching the bridge of her snout. She motioned for Grubber to follow and started back toward their office in the gym. "You and I understand the purpose of the exercise, but I'm not as sure that all of the students do." She flipped through some of her older notes and grimaced. "As a whole, they work well together, at least within their own circles of friends. And they work well among their own kind. But once they begin to struggle, they often revert back to looking out mostly for themselves instead of the group."

Grubber nodded sagely but then pursed his lips. "They're still just kids, Boss. Remember your first semester and the problems with your, um... style of teaching?"

"You're right on that account, but that’s no excuse for them to slack off," Fizzlepop countered. "I'm trying to temper my expectations, but sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who is pushing them to excel." By this time, they had entered the gym and reached Fizzlepop's office. It was a small room that had once been an equipment storage shed, but the two of them had transformed it into a functional and somewhat cozy workspace.

Grubber was the first to notice a small yellow slip of paper stuck to Fizzlepop's desk. "Hey, check this out. Looks like a staff note."

Fizzlepop frowned. "Let me see that."

Grubber handed the paper over to her. "What's it say?" he asked impatiently.

Fizzlepop read the words on the slip of paper. Her eyes widened and she backtracked to the beginning of the note, rereading it. Groaning, she then crumpled the message, threw it into the trash, and kicked out at one of her file drawers, muttering darkly under her breath. It sprang open, and she began to pick through its contents.

"Help me gather the student profiles from the past year. And make a pot of coffee. Strong. I'm going to need all the ammunition I can get."

"What's up?" the hedgehog asked timidly.

Fizzlepop cracked a stiff joint in her neck and growled. "The parents are coming."

~~*~~

Dark liquid burned a bitter, invigorating trail across Fizzlepop's tongue and seared a path down her throat, settling in her stomach like a bank of embers. With a sigh of contentment, the mare took another draught of coffee and let the heavy scent from her mug tickle her nostrils. Heavy, smoky notes with a hint of nutmeg danced around her tongue and persisted even after being swallowed. Drawing a hoof across the words Buck Your Sensitivity printed on the mug, she smiled, wholly enveloped in a haze of roasted aromas and earthy flavors. The perpetually tense hairs in her mane relaxed, and she let them droop down across her head in a limp cascade of rosy color. The warmth from her belly spread its comforting tendrils throughout her barrel and chest, trickling down to her legs as she reclined in her chair. And then, her office door swung open.

Fizzlepop and her mane jolted into a standing position. She set her cup aside as a pair of ponies, a mare and stallion, marched inside without knocking. The long-legged earth pony stallion, his coat a grassy green and sporting a wavy mane, surveyed the room with haughty eyes. At his side stood a pudgy earth pony mare who took a moment to smooth out a ruffle in her flaxen coat and primp her short, curly mane.

"Good afternoon," Fizzlepop greeted. "You must be Mr. and Mrs. Nettle." She extended her hoof. "I'm Fizzlepop Berrytwist."

The stallion shook the proffered hoof and glanced about the office. He took note of the large brown and gold container sitting near the steaming cup on Fizzlepop's desk, and his gaze settled harshly on the words Yubuck Coffee printed across its label before flicking to the words on her cup."Coffee?" he scoffed, his eyes meeting Fizzlepop's own. "I hope you're not exposing our Pinecone to that stuff."

Fizzlepop did not have time to answer before the mare, acutely alarmed at the notion of her child being subjected to the beverage, asked, "Doesn't that stuff stunt a child's growth? My little Pinecone can't be around anything that might hinder his development."

Standing almost a full head taller than the couple, Fizzlepop rolled her eyes. "You don’t have to worry about me making your son drink coffee. Of that, you have my assurance." She gestured to the pair of chairs in front of her desk. "Why don't we have a seat."

"Is this your whole office?" Mrs. Nettle asked once everypony was seated, seeming to take measurements of the small workspace.

"It’s not much, but it serves its purpose," Fizzlepop replied, retrieving a thin manila folder from a drawer. She shut the drawer with just enough force to rattle her coffee cup. "Most of my budget goes toward new athletic gear, fitness programs, and outdoor field trips." She took a seat at the table. "I don't spend too much time here, anyway. Most of my work is done outdoors."

"Minimalists," Mr. Nettle grumbled, eyeing the quarters with distaste. "Seems to be a running theme around here when it comes to quality extracurricular activities."

Fizzlepop frowned, and she cleared her throat, forcing the rising retort back down into her gut. She flipped through her dossier of Pinecone's performance and attendance. "Your son is doing well. He is achieving standard marks and working well at a pace that is average among the other students. You'll be pleased to hear that tardiness has not been an issue. Occasional coaxing has been necessary to get him past some reluctance to perform above the minimum standard, but it's nothing excessive or out of the ordinary for colts of his age group."

"Average?" Mrs. Nettled gasped.

"Ordinary?" Mr. Nettle scoffed.

Fizzlepop ground her teeth as she watched the couple exchange a frustrated glance, and she reached again for her coffee mug.

"Miss Berrytwist," Mrs. Nettle began, "you seem to be under the misguided notion that our Piney is somehow not special."

"I'm not sure I follow," Fizzlepop grunted after taking a long swallow from her mug, making no effort to conceal its slogan.

"I thought as much, given your unfortunate mischaracterization of our son. Pinecone is going to do great things after he graduates. He's special and already has the qualities necessary to make him a runaway success." Mrs. Nettle grinned smugly.

"We're concerned that he's being held back from rising to his full potential," Mr. Nettle added.

"Elaborate," Fizzlepop deadpanned, steepling her hooves.

The stallion tilted his chin up to look down his snout. "You're not challenging him enough by keeping him from leadership positions. You're not giving him enough opportunities to shine."

"Mr. Nettle," Fizzlepop began, "every student in every class I teach has an equal chance to practice their skills and reinforce good habits. No student falls through the cracks. Not in my program." She indicated the file drawers full of dossiers. "Successes are rewarded. Failures are dissected and reviewed so they can be mitigated in the future."

"‘Failures?’ " Mrs. Nettle gasped. "Our son does not fail. He simply chooses non-traditional paths, ones that somepony too stiffly invested in practices learned in someplace as brutish as the Storm King's army could never appreciate."

Fizzlepop felt her lips curl back, and her teeth begin to show in what was rapidly turning into a feral sneer. She bit her tongue until the moment of anger passed and cleared her throat before speaking. "How else would you describe when a student does not achieve a class objective other than a failure?" she icily said.

Mrs. Nettle sprang from her chair. "If you've hurt our Piney's feelings by calling him a—"

An orchid hoof sliced through the air in a chopping motion, and Mrs. Nettle froze in mid-sentence. "Mr. and Mrs. Nettle, we can argue about semantics and their impact, or lack of impact given correct upbringing, on students all day. I keep detailed profiles of all of my students. Their strengths, weaknesses, and overall performance," she listed. "Attendance, willingness to work in a team, future potential." Fizzlepop leaned back in her chair.

"Pinecone is not failing my class. He is meeting my standard, but he has plateaued. He seems to suffer from a general lack of direction and occasional inattention, but neither is uncommon at his age. I have no real issue with his performance or behavior, but I believe he could use some additional guidance at home between semesters. Discipline, for starters. I fear he may have had too many things given to him without having to earn anything. Facing a little adversity now and again outside of one of my classes might give him the push to begin moving up in the students' ranks."

Mr. and Mrs. Nettle stared at Fizzlepop with mouths agape for several moments. "I... I can't believe what I'm... oh!" Mrs. Nettle sputtered when she found her voice. "Our son is not one of your brutes from the army to be categorized and belittled, and we'll not have you insult our parenting methods, either."

Fizzlepop rubbed her temples. "If you were offended by what I said—"

"No," Mr. Nettle huffed. "We are through here. Good day, Miss Berrytwist." He ushered his wife out of the room and slammed the door behind him hard enough to rattle the hinges.

In one smooth motion, Fizzlepop swiped her coffee mug from her desk and drained the remaining liquid in two gulps. The hot, bitter dregs seared a trail down her throat, and she gritted her teeth until the heat settled in her stomach. Then she tossed the mug into a corner and listened to it clatter into a corner. Growling to herself, Fizzlepop stared at the door, imagining all the things she used to do to those that insulted her abilities. Finally, she sighed and leaned back in her desk chair.

"Why is it that fighting ponies was always so much easier than having to talk to them?"

~~*~~

The combined faculty lounge and lunchroom was a modest affair. It was a roughly square room with half a dozen tables able to accommodate four or five occupants each, shelf and storage space for small appliances, and a nook that housed a pair of sofas and plush chairs that looked out over the school courtyard. Even at half capacity, the room would have felt cozy, but at the moment, there seemed to be an invisible wall that bisected the room. On one side were various rookie staff and new hires. On the other side of the divide, sitting alone at a table, was Fizzlepop.

On the table in front of her rested a large tureen of ice cream concealed by a dizzying mound of sugary toppings. Fizzlepop stared at the small mountain of sweets, her eyes occasionally flicking to the untouched spoon that sat next to her bowl. The sound of approaching hoofsteps pulled her attention away from the slowly melting mass, and she looked up to find Starlight Glimmer inspecting her and her dessert with an amused smirk.

"Judging by the size of that bowl," Starlight began, eyeing the mountain of sweets, "I'd say you just met Pinecone’s parents. Charming pair, don’t you think?"

"Pinkie Pie once told me this would make me feel better," Fizzlepop explained, eyeing the bowl doubtfully.

"It may not be good for the body," Starlight intoned sagely, "but it sure is good for the soul." She slid into the chair opposite from Fizzlepop. "Go on and spill it. Pinkie doesn't recommend her Six Scoop Sad Pony Sundae Surprise unless there's a good reason."

Fizzlepop picked up her spoon and scooped a small bit of ice cream into her mouth. She let the cream and sugar roil around on her tongue and swallowed before answering. "No one warned me that meeting with parents would be like having to explain a failed mission to the Storm King."

Starlight plucked one of the dozen cherries from the top of the sundae and munched on it thoughtfully. "Getting the Nettles for your first parent-teacher meeting is like tossing a foal into the deep end of a pool. Twilight must have thought you could handle them if she placed them at the head of your schedule."

"I take it that they’re a famous pair?"

"Infamous is a better term," Starlight corrected. "Thankfully, Pinecone doesn't seem to have inherited any of his parents’ more prickly qualities." She twirled the cherry stem around with her magic. "They're good parents, just lousy with tact and too free with their criticisms."

Fizzlepop snorted. "I guess I can relate to that point."

"Prickly comments aside, how did your other meetings go?"

Spooning another bite of ice cream into her mouth, Fizzlepop stalled until she had swallowed. "I've heard more reasonable complaints from recruits digging latrines. Many parents think their kid is the star's gift to Equestria. If there's a problem, it must be with the teacher and never their own child or parenting." She set the spoon aside. "My reputation isn't helping either. A couple of the families can look past what I didto see what I'm doing, but many of them can't see anyone except who I once was." Fizzlepop glanced around the room. "Same goes for the new staff, too. I would have thought that everyone that was brought onboard over the summer would have been briefed that I am a more permanent part of the team now."

"You're on the faculty roster for everyone to see," Starlight commented. "No one thought to add you as a specific warning." She turned and glanced around the room. "But I see what you mean. Seems like most of our new hires still think of you as—"

"Yeah," Fizzlepop interrupted. Her ears folded back against her head, and she fidgeted in her chair.

"I'm sorry."

Fizzlepop shook her head. "Don't be. I had my hopes, but I knew that this was going to happen."

Starlight perked up. "If it helps, Trixie helped us defeat the changelings the second time they attacked, and many ponies still don't care for her much." She offered a Cheshire grin and was rewarded by a snorted laugh from her friend.

"I don't know if that's supposed to make me feel better or not."

"Think about it, Fizzy," Starlight continued. "Who outside of the school grounds, the Princesses, and your hometown understands what you've been through, or how you've changed?"

"Please stop making good points," Fizzlepop groaned. Her attention wandered to one of the windows that looked over the school grounds. "In hindsight, my new obstacle course might not be helping with my image, either." She pushed the melting bowl of ice cream away from her.

"What's it going to take? Am I going to have to put posters up everywhere with a list of all that I have done to atone for my mistakes with 'Fizzlepop's Great Apology Tour' plastered across the front? I already kind of did that after leaving Ponyville."

"Maybe you and Trixie should talk that one through. A 'great apology tour' sounds like something she could dig her hooves into, provided she gets to headline all the banners."

Fizzlepop eyed her friend with good-natured suspicion. "You want Trixie and I spend time together. On purpose. Are you trying to set me up to violate the school's no violence policy?"

Starlight chuckled. "Only a suggestion." She turned around in her chair and waved. "Speaking of Trixie..."

Fizzlepop's eyes snapped up to the lunchroom door as a powder blue unicorn mare waltzed over the threshold. "Oh, goodie." Trixie noticed Starlight and moved with purpose in her direction, cutting off a pair of staff trying to exit as she approached.

"Starlight," Trixie called out. "There you are." She marched right up to Starlight, a grin on her face, and tapped her hooves together. "Listen, Trixie has the greatest and most amazing—" She paused, her smile faltering for a moment when she noticed the other occupant at the table. "Oh, hello, Miss Berrytwist. Can Trixie assume that you're here because you're trying to join the team?"

Fizzlepop's tail swished, and she tilted her head. "Team?"

"Oh, not this again," Starlight groaned, dropping her head into her hooves.

"Yes!" Trixie announced with a flourish of her hat and cape. "The Great and Powerful Trixie's League of Extraordinary Reformed Ponies."

"The what?" Fizzlepop deadpanned.

"The L.E.R.P. A magnificently brilliant group of only the greatest and most worthy former 'villains' ever assembled." Trixie took a seat next to Starlight and smugly grinned. "It's a rebranding. So far, it's just the two of us."

"Aren't you forgetting someone rather important?" a deep, silky voice said.

Trixie tapped her chin. "Well, Trixie supposes she could take that under consideration." She looked Fizzlepop up and down with appraising eyes. "But there is an application form."

Fizzlepop's eyes locked onto something that was clinging to Trixie's hat. "Um, that wasn't me."

Trixie's own gaze followed Fizzlepop's, where they met a mismatched pair of red and yellow eyes that glared disapprovingly at all seated at the table. "Gah!" she cried and tossed her hat onto the table. From its interior, the snaggletoothed visage of a draconequus pouted.

"Frankly," Discord huffed, "after all we've been through together, the very notion that you'd fail to include moi in your little ensemble is insulting." A miniature version of Discord, this one with a sickly green hue and sporting a large pair of metal bolts sticking out from either side of its neck, clambered over the rim of Trixie's hat. He jumped down onto the table and shook his lion's paw in the air at Trixie with vehemence.

"Rrrr," the miniature moaned and then gestured emphatically. "Rrrr!"

"And Frank here," the larger Discord continued, "as you can see, does not like to be insulted."

"Get out of Trixie's hat," the unicorn demanded. "Can't you act like an ordinary... creature for just one day?"

"What is ordinary except the average pony's way of trying to define those of us who are..." He paused and cast a sly glance at Fizzlepop. "Extraordinary." He snapped his griffin talon, and Frank vanished with a burst of green sparks.

"You must be Discord," Fizzlepop said.

Discord pulled himself out of Trixie's hat and, standing on the table, bowed to Fizzlepop. "If I must be, then I can't think of a better me to be. Then again, why should I be who everyone thinks I should, hmm?" He grinned, and everyone at the table leaned away. "Have you ever considered that your life might be more interesting as, oh say..." He snapped his talons. "Swizzlefizz?"

Fizzlepop felt an odd sensation along her scalp and neck. She looked over to see Starlight and Trixie repressing a fit of giggles and heard several staff members in other parts of the cafeteria snicker. Fizzlepop reached up and froze.

"Turn me back," Fizzlepop growled in warning.

Donning a general's cap and brandishing a baton pulled from his beard, Discord paced along the table's surface. "But you said yourself that all anyone sees is Commander Tempest, leader of the Storm's King's legions. No one will be thinking that with your new style." He paused and produced a hand mirror from beneath one of his wings and held it up for Fizzlepop to inspect his handiwork. Her rose-colored mohawk had been replaced by a spiraling beehive cut of layered colors that put a rainbow to shame.

"Turn me back," Fizzlepop growled again. Sparks ignited from her horn, and a few landed on the tabletop, singeing the wood. "Now."

"Oh, pish-posh," Discord grumbled. "You haven't even taken your new doo out for a spin." A flick of his wrist created a spinning pinwheel where Fizzlepop's horn would have been. The unicorn's eyes began to flash with barely contained ire, and a tiny wisp of smoke wafted from the rotating plastic blades. Discord did not seem to notice. Turning the mirror to himself, Discord's reflection asked, "Why is it that everypony's self-image is always so wrapped up in what others think about them?"

"Tough talk from the guy who reformed because Fluttershy batted her eyes at him," Trixie goaded.

Discord crossed his arms and looked away dismissively. "I simply decided that the life I wanted wasn't compatible with some of my old ways." Meanwhile, Fizzlepop's pinwheel horn simmered under increasingly dense wisps of smoke, and the plastic stick was beginning to soften and droop.

"Come on, Discord," Starlight chuckled nervously, glancing from Fizzlepop's pinwheel horn to the draconequus. "Stop picking on the new girl."

Discord sighed, and his shoulders slumped. "Very well, but only on one condition." He vanished and reappeared, now in a dashingly svelte suit and cape of black material, in the seat across from Trixie. He twirled an outlandishly long mustache around his lion's paw. "I want to be recognized for my contributions to Equestria by being invited into this little club of misfits."

"Misfits?!" Trixie bristled. "How—grr. Impossible." She shook her head. "It's the Great and Powerful Trixie's League of Extraordinary Reformed Ponies." She pointed an accusing hoof at his un-ponylike features, smirking. "You don't qualify."

"Speciesism? In this day and time? How unprogressive of you," Discord accused. He pulled on his mustache for a moment, yanking it off. "I know! How about a compromise? If we change the name from that self-absorbed earsore, then everyone is happy. How about the Dashingly Infamous and Spectacular Cohort of Obviously Reformed Denizens?"

There was stunned silence at the table until Fizzlepop said through clenched teeth, "That just spells out Discord."

“Even better!” Discord exclaimed. “And you’ll be pleased to know I’ve already got the t-shirts for each of us,” he said, pulling a tower of shirts out from behind his back. When he dropped them on the table, he stroked his beard pensively. “Though I’m not sure there’s a size large enough for our great and powerful showboat's head.”

Before Trixie could do something regrettable with one of the plastic utensils Fizzlepop happened to slide in her direction, Starlight loudly cleared her throat.

"Ahem," Starlight interjected. "Get with the snapping and making Fizzy normal again, and I'm sure Trixie will let you into her secret club."

Trixie gasped and threw a withering glare at her friend. It was reciprocated until Trixie sighed in defeat. "Fine," she sulked and leveled a hoof at Starlight. "But this is going to cost you your invitation to the L.E.R.P. Board of Directors Hearth's Warming ski vacation."

Discord crossed his arms. "That didn't sound like an invitation to me."

Trixie bristled, but with a grimace from Starlight, she rolled her eyes and sighed. "Discord, it would please Trixie ever so much if you would join the team."

Discord clapped. "Wonderful! I accept. We can work out the details of the name later, but a deal is a deal. Never let it be said that Discord does not keep his promises. Out with the new and in with the edgy." He snapped his talons, and in a flash of light, Fizzlepop found her usual rose mohawk back where it should be.

"Now," Discord continued, "if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see if Spike and Big Mac are all set up for this week’s dungeon crawl." An olive green soldier's helmet appeared on his head, and he saluted Fizzlepop. "By your leave, Commander." And with a flash, he disappeared.

"Sorry about that," Starlight apologized with a grateful sigh. "I forgot you hadn't met Discord yet."

"Is he always that obnoxious?" Fizzlepop asked, taking several deep breaths to calm herself.

Trixie swiped her hat from off the table and inspected its interior before fitting it back onto her head. "He's a menace is what he is."

Starlight shrugged. "I'd use the term ‘acquired taste.’ "

With an annoyed snort, Fizzlepop nudged her collapsed mountain of ice cream. "I think my taste for him would match my fondness for this mountain of sadness."

"For a fellow L.E.R.P. member, Trixie will gladly render assistance," the unicorn announced, reaching for the remaining cherries.

“Maybe Discord was right about the name,” Fizzlepop muttered.

Pretending not to hear her, Trixie said, “Trixie believes this first meeting to have been quite the success,” between bites.

Fizzlepop rolled her eyes. "Trixie's attempt to organize a franchise of former antagonists and Discord apparently just being himself aside, I'm still no closer to figuring out what to do about the students’ parents and the staff who still see me as Commander Tempest."

"Dealing with parents and colleagues is like dealing with students," Starlight began. "Remember our talks about meeting others on their level? Adjusting your approach so what you're trying to say makes it across without sounding…” she chewed on her cheek for a moment before settling on a word, “...insensitive?"

"But these are adults," Fizzlepop argued. "Why should I have to cater to their whims like children?"

"Not everyone has your thick hide, Fizzy."

"Trixie agrees with Fizzlepop," she said in between bites of a cherry. "Trixie would have had a much easier time if others just understood that Trixie's comments weren't personal." She twirled a hoof idly. "Well, usually."

Starlight waved her friend off. "We'll get to your issues some other time, Trixie. Right now, we're working on Fizzy."

"No," Fizzlepop sighed, glancing at a wall clock. "You two go ahead and enjoy the rest of your time. You're welcome to the ice cream." She pushed back from the table and stood. "I'm going to be late for my next appointment if I don't leave now."

"Come by later if you want to talk some more," Starlight offered with a genuine smile.

Fizzlepop returned the smile with a small one of her own and nodded. "Will do." She dipped her head to Trixie, who had already laid claim to the bowl of half-melted delight. "Always a pleasure." Then Fizzlepop marched out of the cafeteria, wary and curious eyes from many new staffers following her till she was out of sight.

Burdens of Responsibility

Grubber, standing tall and rigid on a chair in front of Fizzlepop's desk, saluted with a fist over his heart. He brandished a small roll of crumpled papers in his other fist as though they were a sword, held aloft for teeming masses of conquering soldiers to cheer. "And that's how sponge cake was made," he declared triumphantly. Eyes closed, he bowed with a flourish. "The end." He waited, but there was no cheering or clapping. After a few silent heartbeats, he cracked open an eye and instead found a frowning, unimpressed Fizzlepop.

She sat in her chair unblinking with her front legs crossed atop the desk. "Grubber," she sighed, pinching the bridge of her snout, "not only was all of that incorrect on a culinary level, but the exile of Princess Luna did not result in a dessert-driven conflict. Neither would that have ever led to the creation of your favorite snack. Not in this or in any alternate universe."

"Never underestimate the power of cake," Grubber countered lightheartedly. "Besides, my version is a lot more fun." He climbed down from the chair and handed his paper over to the mare. "So, Boss, was that an A+ report or what?"

"The purpose of the assignment was to present a report on an event of historical significance." Fizzlepop snatched the assignment from the hedgehog. "It was not to create embellished nonsense." She tossed the paper onto her desk with a derisive snort.

Grubber, still wearing a confident grin, waved aside the criticism. "I prefer the term revisionist history. I found that in a dictionary. That counts for extra credit, right?"

"Where did you—never mind. Just... Let's table this mistake till later. Show me your math homework."

With another flourish, Grubber produced a single sheet of paper from under his shirt. He deposited it in front of Fizzlepop. "Right here, coach." He calmly inspected his paws and chuckled. "I think you're going to like what I did with the part on fractions."

With a suspicious grumble, Fizzlepop scanned the page. A single spark popped off of her horn, and her mohawk bristled. "This isn't art class, Grubber." She turned the paper over and shoved it into Grubber's nose. Sprawled across the page, numerators and denominators were locked in an epic battle while the mixed numbers looked on, somehow, with haughty disdain. "Why aren't you taking this seriously?"

Pushing the homework away from him, Grubber finally lost his smile. He leveled an accusing finger at Fizzlepop. "Why are you taking this so seriously? It's just school." He waved a dismissive paw at his assignments. "You and me, we've gotten along just fine without all this book stuff."

Fizzlepop put the pages aside and sank into her chair. "That was then. You didn't need standardized skills and knowledge to make announcements through a megaphone. Those days in the King's army are gone." She leaned forward, and her stern gaze bored into Grubber's eyes. "If we're going to succeed in Equestria, specifically, if you're going to succeed, you need the basics of an education." She sighed, looking away from her assistant. "The kind of education you were never afforded as my sidekick."

Grubber's ears flattened, and he kicked at a speck of dust on the floor. "Look, Tempest—" Fizzlepop shot him a cautioning glare. "Sorry. Fizzlepop." He grimaced at the name and shook his head. "Sheesh, you look nothing like a fizzle or a pop. What were your parents thinking?"

"Grubber," Fizzlepop warned.

"Right." He cleared his throat. "I know what you're trying to do, and it's nice." He sat down in the chair he had been standing on. "Not as nice as the whole not yelling and throwing things at me anymore, but I get it. It's just not for me. I'm happy just being your assistant and helping out with the kids. That's all. I don't care about this other stuff." He snorted. "You know, the Storm King's army wasn't exactly the kind of place where you got to hang loose. I want to have fun for once."

"This isn't about what you want," the mare insisted. "It's about what you need." She gestured to the pair of assignments. "And this needs to be done correctly."

"But, I've gotten along fine without it," Grubber whined, crossing his arms.

"Only because you rode on my back the whole way," Fizzlepop snarled. Grubber leaned away, a shocked look on his face, but the unicorn did not seem to notice and continued. "I did all the hard work, all the planning and coordination." She rose from her seat and began to pace, chin lowered and eyes sparkling with frustration. "Every idea, every battle plan and the restless nights those entailed were my creations." She halted and leveled an accusatory glare at Grubber. "At least the parts that worked out." She returned to pacing. "Sure, you handled the mundane tasks that I didn't have the time or energy to handle myself, but all the real work had to be directed by my hoof.” Bitterly, Fizzlepop said, “What I’m doing here isn’t about ‘having fun’ or slaking off."

"Is that why you asked me to come work here with you?" Grubber asked quietly, wringing his hands in his lap. "To be your little errand hog again?"

Fizzlepop halted again, but her sneer was gone. In its place sat a look of surprised worry. "I...no," she said. "No, it's not like that at all."

The hedgehog hopped off his chair and sniffed. "Sounds to me like that's exactly what you want. And I don’t need some fancy education to figure that out." He turned and headed for the door.

Fizzlepop rounded the desk and moved to intercept him. "Grubber, I—"

Grubber stopped and turned, scowling as he put his hands on his hips. "Tell you what, Fizzlepop. I'm going to go find the dessert line in the student cafeteria, and then I'm going to check out this ‘tetherball’ thing I heard some of them talking about." He turned and grasped the doorknob. "You won’t have to worry about me ruining your oh-so precious plans anymore." He opened the door and trundled out into the mostly empty gym. Nearer the far side, a trio of young unicorns was using their telekinesis to toss a ball back and forth between them, their delighted shrieks and laughs echoing in the cavernous space.

Fizzlepop followed behind Grubber at a short distance but did not try to stop him from leaving. "If it weren't for me," she called out to him, "you'd have been hauling trash in some mess tent." She stopped at the half-court position and raised her voice to Grubber's back. "So if you’re gonna give up like you always do, then fine! See how far you get without me!"

Grubber tossed up his hands as he reached the gym exit, slamming the door shut behind him.

Grinding her teeth, Fizzlepop kicked at the gym floor, scratching the wooden planks. "Why can't he see that I'm trying to help him," she growled under her breath. "That ungrateful little—"

"Heads up!" a young, feminine voice called out. Fizzlepop twisted around, pivoting on her rear hooves in time to see a dandelion yellow sphere moments from impacting her face. Her pupils shrank, and a tingle ran up the back of her neck. Within a heartbeat, the jagged edges of her horn crackled with arcs of raw magic, and a twisting lash of prismatic energy whipped out and deflected the ball, charring the surface. Its smoldering, deflated remains flopped to the floor. Smoke curled up from the peeled surface and licked at Fizzlepop’s nose.

"Our ball!" three little voices cried out.

Fizzlepop paled at what she saw. The three fillies had ceased playing and stood in disheartened silence, their eyes flitted from Fizzlepop to the charred husk of their ball. In their eyes, the mare saw an all too familiar mix of emotions: Shock. Sadness. Fear.

In her ears, Fizzlepop could hear the faint laughter of three fillies enjoying an afternoon of tossing a yellow ball back and forth. The laughter was quickly drowned out by a fearsome roar. Then, there were no sounds of laughter—only silence.

"I... I'm. Oh," Fizzlepop stumbled. She picked up the remains of the ball in her teeth. "I'm so sorry, children. Let me get you a new one."

"Um, th-that's okay, Miss Fizzlepop," the first filly said, her coat like that of a green opal.

"Yeah," the second, a child with a sky blue coat, added. “We’re, uh, glad we didn’t bean you in the face, I guess...”

The third, her coat a shade of lighter maroon, spoke up as the trio hurriedly departed. "We need… to get to our next class." With no other explanation or words, the students ran for the nearest door.

"But classes don't start for another half hour," Fizzlepop called out to them, but the three had already exited.

The gym doors swung back and clattered shut, the snap of the latch bolt echoing in the silence that followed. Fizzlepop dropped the remains of the toy ball, and her rump was the next thing to hit the floor. Her breaths came quick and shallow, and her eyes were wide and unblinking, as though seeing some image far beyond the confines of the school's gymnasium—something in the distant past.

"Not again," she whispered, hugging her forelegs around her barrel. "Not again."

~~*~~

Starlight's office was as eclectic as it had been since Fizzlepop was asked to stay on full time. She admired how the décor of Starlight's office had evolved since first setting hoof in the room to receive both a berating for her teaching methods and advice on how to improve. Kites of various styles and colors still floated overhead, suspended from the ceiling by strings, as though engaged in an aerial ballet. New pictures and a couple of scenic watercolors had been added to the wall's collection of frames and documents, their haphazard placement creating a collage of memories. Her ever-present curio cabinet had gathered a few extra souvenirs and keepsakes, crowding the already overstocked shelves. Finally, the well-used, overstuffed filing cabinet, whose contents of loosely rolled scrolls were always in danger of spilling onto the floor, had also been joined by an identical, and similarly stuffed, model.

Nestled within her own domain, a princess cocooned by her own work and evocative collections, Starlight Glimmer had her rear hooves kicked up onto her desk as she leaned back in her chair.

"These little talks of ours are becoming an almost weekly event, Fizzy," she remarked with good-natured humor.

"Maybe I just enjoy your company," Fizzlepop riposted with a smirk.

Starlight tipped the chair forward and settled into a more attentive pose, forelegs crossed in front of her on the desk. "So, what's up? Last week's PTA meetings still rubbing you the wrong way?"

"Ugh," Fizzlepop sighed with an explosive exhalation. "I could go on all day about entitled and delusional parents, but that's not what's bothering me right now." She rubbed her temples with a hoof and started slowly. "You know that navigating social niceties is not my strong suit. I'm good at navigating airships, training recruits—"

"Subduing nations," Starlight interjected with a snicker. "Though that last one has an iffy track record." She only giggled at Fizzlepop's unamused stare. "Sorry. Go on."

"As you could imagine, it turns out that my ability to deal with students who refuse to cooperate ranks around the same as my ability to deal with annoying parents." She cleared her throat. "Especially when a certain counselor always reminds me that I'm not allowed to coerce them with suitable disciplinary action."

Starlight shook her head. "Threatening to bury rowdy students up to their heads in the ground and spray them with a water hose while they chant cadences about being a bad bunch of brussels sprouts is not a proper motivational method."

"It worked on my troops," Fizzlepop countered with a mildly mischievous smile that quickly vanished. "I owe it to our students to make sure we aren’t wasting any of their time. Tiptoeing around instead of dropping the hammer on nails that stick out is wasting that time. And mine."

"Not the point," Starlight warned with a tiny smile. "Even if that same counselor agreed with you on very rare occasions. But let's get back to the point. Which students are giving you problems?"

"Not students," Fizzlepop corrected. "Just one. It's Grubber."

"Grubber?" Starlight asked, nonplussed. "I haven't seen him in any of the classes." She turned and began to sift through her filing drawers. "When did he enroll?"

"He hasn't enrolled. After school hours, I've been tutoring him on basic topics, and a few of the friendship lessons from the Headmare's curriculum. While he's cleaning up at the end of the day, I get homework from the other professors and guide him through the assignments."

"You're homeschooling Grubber?" Starlight's small grin broadened. "I'm impressed, Fizzy. That's really sweet of you." She clucked her tongue. "Looks like all my advice is working its magic on you after all."

Fizzlepop rolled her eyes at Starlight's gentle bragging. "I owe him as much for taking away his chance at a normal life." She lifted her chin. "Though in my defense, it was his idea to become my evil sidekick. I did what I could to discourage him, but he can be annoyingly stubborn." Her chin drifted down slightly as she continued. "But that doesn't excuse what I did a couple of days ago. I..." She cast her gaze at the floor. "I lost my temper and said some things that really upset him. And not only that, but there was a small incident immediately afterward in the gym."

Starlight's earlier levity vanished. "What kind of incident?" she demanded.

"No one got hurt or anything," Fizzlepop quickly amended. "At least, no living thing. I fried a hoofball when some younger students accidentally threw it in my direction. I didn't see it coming. It would have hit me, but I reacted on instinct." Her tail twitched, and she swallowed. "Starlight, it was just like when I was a filly. I did the same time trying to play with my old friends after my fight with the Ursa. I owe those students an apology and a new ball, but I haven't seen them around. They're probably avoiding me. I would if I were them."

Silence reigned for several moments when Starlight did not immediately respond. Her eyes probed Fizzlepop's demeanor as the other unicorn glanced around the office, uncomfortably searching for something to focus on. Neither mare said anything until Starlight leaned forward again. Her lavender gaze probed Fizzlepop's when they met.

"We'll come back to Grubber and the hoofball, but I want to talk about something else first."

Fizzlepop swallowed. "I don't like it when you get that look in your eyes."

"I've noticed that you seem to owe a lot to others, especially when you realize that you've been hard on them. As you obviously have been on Grubber. Otherwise, you wouldn't be in here right now." Starlight steepled her hooves. "Let's talk about that for a little while."

Blinking rapidly, Fizzlepop looked away and snorted. "I can already see where you're going to take that observation, so I'm going to save us both from another overly emotional discussion. I owe a lot because I don't like being indebted to anyone." She glanced back at her friend. "Being indebted is partially how I ended up working for the Storm King."

"Steal all the alicorn magic, and you'll get your horn back," Starlight muttered. "Got it. But that's not what's going on right now."

"If only everyone were so cavalier about my past," Fizzlepop commented. "But, they're not." She squared her shoulders and steadied her gaze. "I try every day to repay the debt I incurred to whoever seems to have been affected by my past actions." Her shoulders slumped a little. "But the effort is starting to wear down my patience. I don't feel like ponies, or anyone, even cares that I'm trying." Fizzlepop gritted her teeth and looked away. "And if I can't convince them that I'm not some unfeeling monster..." Her ears flattened against her head. "Then maybe I don't belong here after all."

Starlight thought for a moment and then rose from her chair. She rounded the desk that separated her from those who visited, be they student, staff, or friend, and pulled Fizzlepop to her hooves. The other mare allowed herself to be guided to a couch wedged into the office's front corner, and Starlight sat her down. Then, she hugged her friend.

Fizzlepop tensed. The touch was not unwelcome, but it was still a foreign sensation to her. For several heartbeats, she did not move, but after several deep breaths, she leaned into the embrace and allowed herself a moment of comfort. The two friends held each other for several long seconds before Fizzlepop gently separated herself.

"You're ridiculous, Fizzy," Starlight gently chided. "Of course you belong here. If you weren't making a difference, the majority of our students wouldn't have accepted you. Past mistakes and all." She tittered. "Even when you do give them an impossible obstacle course to conquer together."

"It's not impossible!" Fizzlepop declared with a small sniff. "They just have to work together and see the bigger picture. One of them has to take the reins as a leader and organize them into cohesive groups."

"But surely they should have been able to accomplish such a simple task by now," Starlight prodded.

"Of course not. It's a necessary lesson, but not something that happens overnight."

"And?" Starlight pointed out. "Who else on the staff would have thought of that except somepony who subconsciously knows that improvement takes time?"

Fizzlepop shook her head. "Oh, for Celestia's sake. Right. I get it, Starlight." She wrung her hooves. "But it's been nearly a year since I started working here. I had expected more progress by now."

"I think you're letting the opinions of others define you when you should be the one taking control of your own image." Starlight laid a hoof over Fizzlepop's." You're hung up on yesterday's mistakes, Fizzy, and it shows. If you can't get past your own mistakes, others will pick up on that, and they're going to have a hard time seeing past the image you're projecting. That, in turn, makes you feel worse about what you did, and the cycle keeps going."

"How did you manage to overcome your past?" Fizzlepop asked with genuine interest. "It seems like everything you needed for ponies to forgive and forget just dropped into your lap."

Starlight took a deep breath and sat back. "I got lucky. Really lucky. Falling in with Twilight and her friends did a lot of the work. Ponies accepted me a lot quicker than they accepted you after what I did, but that was circumstance more than anything." She held up her hooves when Fizzlepop opened her mouth to comment.

"Everyone is different, so you can't judge your own progress against that of others. Especially not myself. I still had to work at repairing my image and my self-confidence, but everyone's own story is different." Starlight tapped her chin in through. "You know, maybe Twilight could introduce you to a long-distance pen pal that had to work through problems very similar to yours. I bet you two would have a lot you could talk about."

"Long-distance pen pal?" Fizzlepop questioned. "Are we talking about Griffinstone or the zebra homeland?"

"Not quite," Starlight chuckled. "I met her once on a trip through a mirror, but we can talk about that later. So, feelings of inadequacy and troubles with Grubber aside, is there anything else bothering you?"

"Know any good remedies for trouble sleeping?" Fizzlepop answered with a bitter laugh.

"Exercise?" Starlight offered cheekily. "No coffee after lunch? Mediation before bedtime?"

Fizzlepop's face blanked. "Not helpful."

Starlight thought for a moment. "Well, Spike makes a great chamomile tea blended with passionflower and valerian root. I've used it a few times myself."

"The Hibernation Helper," Fizzlepop said, nodding. "Tried it. It helped, but it gave me weird dreams."

"If this is about bad dreams, I could send a letter to Princess Luna on your behalf."

"Is there any other kind of dream?" Fizzlepop opined quietly. She shook her head. "Thank you, but no. I don't need Princess Luna prying into my mind every night."

"Okay," Starlight agreed hesitantly. "The offer stands, and my door is always open. But let's get back to talking about your troubles with Grubber's tutoring."

Fizzlepop's quiet contemplation was abruptly replaced with a simmering irritation. "He refuses to take his assignments seriously!"

"Are you more upset that he's not taking his schoolwork seriously or that he's not responding to your tutoring efforts like you had hoped?" Starlight asked sagely.

Fizzlepop buried her face in her hooves. "Sometimes, I really hate that you're the counselor here, Starlight."

"That's it, Fizzy," Starlight giggled. "Take your time and let it all out because today is your lucky day." She made a show of scrutinizing the calendar on her back wall from the couch and then kicked back on the sofa. "I literally have all day."

On Mission

The afternoon sky was clear, but the brightness belied the sharp autumn nip carried on the slight breeze. Far off on the horizon, clouds hung over the Everfree Forest. Overhead, a wedge formation of birds strove southward, periodically calling out to one another. Even the grass had relinquished its former soft emerald, having faded into a delicate shade of wheat that crunched underhoof.

Beneath a tree, the only tree on a small rise just outside the school grounds, sat a single unicorn mare. The leaves on this tree had long since shed their verdant greens and adopted a vibrant assortment of reds, yellows, oranges, and browns. Even the bark of the trunk felt rougher and coarser. Fizzlepop sat with her back against the tree and thought about the bark's rugged texture that scratched at her coat. It was armor, protection against the elements, and whatever would seek to do it harm. A shield stopping everything on the outside from getting to its heartwood.

Fizzlepop sighed and reached for her rugged, worn saddlebag leaning against the tree trunk, its fabric the color of a fresh bruise. She pulled from it a small bag and carefully undid the twine that kept it closed, spreading a few pieces of fruit, a canteen of water, and a purple pansy sandwich with lettuce out in front of her. She drank from the canteen and nibbled on a pear, letting her eyes unfocus and consider something intangible beyond the hills and horizon as she chewed.

Her ears swiveled as her somber reverie was abruptly interrupted by the sound of approaching voices. Familiar voices. Fizzlepop continued eating her pear while her ears tracked their movement and picked up the looming sounds of hooves and claws on the brittle grass. They were drawing nearer on the other side of the tree, and Fizzlepop made no effort to alert the six distinct voices she heard as they approached the low rise.

"My beak feels sore. Can you even get a sore beak from exercise?" a tired feminine voice said, one who Fizzlepop usually knew to be energetic and peppy.

"As much as you talk sometimes," a slightly snarky male voice responded, "I'm wondering why you haven't had one in the past."

"Gallus, be nice to Silverstream," a rougher female voice chided. "Yona's back sore from holding up friends. Don't need sore ears from listening to complaints, too."

The voices and steps halted on the other side of the tree. Fizzlepop kept silent and continued to listen as a second, smoother male voice added its thoughts to the conversation.

"It's just an obstacle course," the voice said. "Miss Fizzle told us we'd all need to work together and that everyone had to cross the finish line to complete the course. We just have to work to do better next time."

"Well said, Sandbar," Fizzlepop finally said, eliciting a series of surprised yelps from the group of newcomers. She offered a welcoming smile to the six friends that rounded the trunk to greet her.

"Good afternoon, Miss Fizzle," Ocellus chirped.

"Good afternoon, students." Fizzlepop set her lunch aside as Yona gave her a confused look.

"Why professor eat alone?" Yona asked.

"Yeah," Smolder added. "Cafeteria’s plenty big and fancy from what I recall for you guys, isn’t it?"

"I hear you have a full ice cream buffet with every kind of topping imaginable," Silverstream gushed, squeezing her face between her paws. "I love ice cream!."

Fizzlepop suppressed a groan at the thought of ice cream and scratched at the back of her mane. "I... prefer the quiet when I eat. The staff lunchroom is far too cramped." She laid down and folded her front hooves. "And, if you recall some of our previous lessons," Fizzlepop declared, "I like being outside."

Smolder snapped her talons and shook her head. "I don't believe that for a second, coach." The dragon folded her arms across her chest.

"Oh! I know," Silverstream announced excitedly. "It's because some of us students and staff are still scared of you." She glanced at her friends for concurrence.

"Silverstream!" Ocellus cried. She moved to sit near the unicorn, her surprised face mimicking that of Sandbar and Yona. "We're not, Miss Fizzle. Scared of you, that is."

"It's okay," Fizzlepop said, reassuring Ocellus and the others.

"No, not 'us' us," Silverstream hurriedly corrected. "I mean some of the parents.” She tapped her beak, a thoughtful look crossing her face. “And new students... and teachers..." She stopped when she noticed the look everyone was giving her, blushing and squeaking out a small, “Sorry!”

"Yeah," Gallus added. "I bet they're still not quite over the whole invasion of Canterlot and enslavement of other races under the Storm King's banner thing."

Fizzlepop's ears sagged, and she fought to keep her chin from drifting downward. "Yes." She coughed politely. "That. And, you could say that I'm not exactly the easiest pony to approach."

The six students all looked at the ground and held their tongues for a few moments. Then, Gallus nudged Sandbar. "Ask her."

With a sidelong glance, Sandbar cleared his throat. "We, um, also heard that you were arguing with Mr. Grubber the other day too."

"And vaporized a hoofball," Smolder added, to the shocked and alarmed glares of her friends. “What? She did!”

Fizzlepop could not entirely suppress the growl that escaped her lips, and she looked away. She hid the scowl fighting against her calm demeanor, and it took too many heartbeats to steel her emotions and turn to face the students again.

"Is everything okay, Miss Fizzle?" Sandbar asked.

Fizzlepop did not immediately answer. She stalled, taking a bite of her sandwich. The students did not, as she had hoped, lose their interest. Swallowing, Fizzlepop sighed and took a drink from her canteen. And still, they remained.

"My altercation with Mr. Grubber and the incident with the hoofball are separate issues," she finally answered. "There are some things I'm good at when it comes to providing instruction, but..." Fizzlepop frowned at the thought of her actions that day. "I seem to be consistently failing in other areas." She shook her head and attempted to smile. "My apologies, children. I shouldn't be setting any this on your shoulders."

"When I need to unwind, it's always helped to have friends who are willing to listen," Silverstream said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "If I didn't have someone to listen to me when I needed to talk, I'd just end up keeping everything locked up inside and going crazy."

"And Counselor Starlight says that's never the solution," Ocellus added. She looked around at each of her friends. "I think we've all had times when we just want to forget about what's bothering us, but if we do that, then there's no way we could fix whatever it is that's wrong."

Fizzlepop nodded, the corners of her mouth turning up very slightly as she imagined Ocellus's words in Starlight's voice. "Good advice, to be sure. I suppose you could say that I'm frustrated with the way certain individuals are behaving. That, and I'm doubting my ability to deal with these individuals."

"So, what teacher's plan?" Yona asked immediately. Every head turned to regard the yak.

"Excuse me?" Fizzlepop said.

"Teacher Fizzle's plan. Teacher has a problem, so teacher needs plan."

"That's right," Sandbar added, backing up Yona's assertion. "Since day one, you've drilled into the class that we all need a plan before you tackle a big problem. You know, a plan A, B, and C. That's what you're always telling us. Whenever you're trying to deal with an issue, you have a plan, backup plan, and a backup to the backup." He hoofbumped Yona.

"So, what's your plan?" Gallus asked.

"Stay away from everyone so I don't make them nervous and worried?" Fizzlepop said with a casual flick of her hoof. She surveyed the unamused expressions evident on every student's face. "How about I stop trying to do more, like socializing, and just go back to what worked when I was just a substitute teacher?"

"Tsk," Smolder scolded. "Those are terrible plans."

"Yeah," Gallus added. "Besides, that only counts as one plan."

"I’m glad our lessons have made an impression on you, but this situation is different."

"How is lesson different?" Yona asked, genuinely perplexed. "Yona see no difference."

"It turns out that problems with ponies and other creatures can't simply be attacked head-on. Or so I'm constantly reminded. It takes time. It takes different approaches. I was never trained for this sort of situation." Fizzlepop slapped a hoof against the brittle grass, spraying a few khaki blades across her lunch. “You come at something head-on, and if you encounter a wall, you knock it down. And it's really frustrating. Why can't others just get over their issues and work with me?"

"That's not how friendship works," Ocellus said plainly. "Like you said, it takes time and effort, but there's also an investment. You have to be invested in others, and they, in return, have to want to be invested in you."

"You have to pay attention and compromise," Sandbar continued for his friend. "It's a two-way road. Both you and they have to meet each other somewhere in the middle." He shrugged. "And if they don't try, it's really up to you to decide if you want their friendship, or at least their acceptance, enough to do the work for both of you."

"Yona never taught how to be good friend. Just learned to be one from good friends." The yak struck a proud pose. "Professor Rarity calls it on-the-job training."

The pose, which Fizzlepop found to be very reminiscent of those she had seen Rarity strike during her many moments of something the fashionista called "fabulosity," and she laughed aloud. "I thought you all were supposed to be the students here, not me."

Gallus smirked and inspected his talons. "Well, we wouldn't be getting this whole friendship student thing right if we hadn't learned something."

"Some of us are better eggheads than others," Smolder quipped, nudging Gallus with her elbow. The griffin nudged her back, and the two tousled for a moment in a good-natured shoving match before laughing.

"Heh," Fizzlepop chuckled. "Thank you all." She repacked the remains of her lunch, stood, and strapped on the saddlebag. "You six go on and enjoy the rest of your lunch break before your next class." She started down the short hill toward the school.

"Where are you going?" Ocellus called out.

“To finish up some work.” Fizzlepop stopped and looked back over her shoulder. The six friends watched her with looks of mild concern and no small amount of hope. "And then I think I’ll have a cup of tea." She paused and offered the students a warm and genuine smile. "From the staff lunchroom. I will see you all in class tomorrow."

~~*~~

By the late afternoon, the faculty cafeteria and lounge were beginning to fill up as teachers and staff shuffled in and sat at the tables and couches with cups of tea and tales of the day's work. The conversations were lively and the air hummed with pleasant tones. Then, Fizzlepop walked through the door. The occupants of several tables eyed her arrival with anxious hesitation, quieting into hushed murmurs.

Fizzlepop sighed and fought against the scowl that was threatening to bubble to the surface. She ducked her head, avoiding eye contact, and headed straight for the long, low counter that held everything needed to make teas, coffees, and cocoas. Fizzlepop sniffed the lukewarm pot of coffee sitting at the far end and grimaced at the stale, bitter smell. She prepared a strong cup of earl grey for herself instead. Scanning the room for available tables, she found one with a single, familiar occupant. All of the others were occupied by small clusters. The table’s resident looked up at her as she approached.

"Hello, Fizzlepop," Trixie said dismissively. "If you're looking for Starlight, she's busy being a counselor again." She sighed and pouted. "The fragility of these students is beginning to rob Starlight of her chances to spend her free time with her best friend."

"Hello, Trixie. May I join you?" Trixie's eyebrows shot up, and she froze with a stalk of celery, laden with peanut butter and raisins, halfway to her mouth. She recovered quickly and gestured to an empty chair. Fizzlepop sat one seat away and looked into her tea for a moment. She cleared her throat. "H-How are you doing today?"

"Trixie is perfect as always, but thankful for her decision to bring her own snack today." She indicated the spread of peanut butter, raisins, crackers, and celery in front of her. Then she whispered, "If you want some advice, avoid the three-bean salad they brought in from the student cafeteria." Her voice dropped into a harsh whisper. "I think I saw a yak hair on one of the plates."

"Noted." Fizzlepop sipped at her tea in silence while Trixie took note of the cafeteria's newly subdued atmosphere.

"Trixie wonders if you've ever tried just talking to them."

"Of course I have."

"Starlight has said many, many times that an apology, or simply talking, can go a long way when trying to get others to hate you less." She twirled a fresh celery stalk in her magic. "Trixie still has reservations, but it does seem to help."

"Fine advice, I think," Frizzlepop grumbled. "But my track record with apologies and strangers is severely lacking."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Watch." Fizzlepop pushed her mug of tea aside and climbed on top of her chair. She cleared her throat, and every creature in the room fell silent, their attention entirely on the unicorn now. "Excuse me, everyone," she began. "This will only take a moment."

Simultaneously, every new staff and faculty member dropped to the floor. Bags of bits slid across the floor and bumped up against the legs of Fizzlepop's chair. A few of the older faculty that had not shown any concern over Fizzlepop’s arrival slowly edged away from the scene, small grins on their faces as though sharing in a private joke, while a chorus of voices called out from under the tables.

"This is it. The coup is starting!"

"I don't want to be turned into a black crystal!"

"That's all the lunch money I have. I'll bring more tomorrow, I swear!"

Fizzlepop glanced down at Trixie with a weary sigh. "See?"

The showmare chuckled. "Trixie is impressed," she said, eyeing the bags of bits. "She requests that you show her how you did that so she can use it in her next performance."

Sparks blossomed from Fizzlepop's horn like an angry firework display, and all movement and cries for mercy ceased. Trixie grumbled something about lighting display trademark infringement but was drowned out by Fizzlepop's raised voice.

"Perhaps I could have announced myself differently," she said to the cowering ponies. "I promise, no one is going to be turned into a crystal, and there is not going to be a coup. Unless the Princesses become tyrannical despots that require removal for the sake of all of Equestria." Somewhere outside, a rather loud cricket chirped. "That was supposed to be a joke," Fizzlepop added quickly.

When no one laughed, she shook her head. "Nevermind. It seems you all remember I used to be Tempest Shadow, Commander of the Storm Legions. I'd like to reintroduce myself as who I am: Fizzlepop Berrytwist, a fellow teacher. I came here to the School of Friendship a year ago as a substitute while Headmare Twilight Sparkle and her friends attended an important task. When the school needed a fitness instructor, I was invited to return. During that time, I made some of your acquaintances, but I also made a few mistakes. Very big mistakes."

"I'll say," Trixie mumbled around a mouthful of crackers.

"Shut up, Trixie," Fizzlepop growled. She softened her expression and readdressed the crowd. "Perhaps my biggest mistake was assuming that everyone would simply learn to eventually accept me despite my past. I thought that my actions alone would be enough, but I never did take the time to use my words as well. So, first of all, I want to apologize. For all the pain and suffering I've caused, I'm truly sorry."

Those who had taken refuge under the tables poked their heads out, wearing expressions of wary curiosity instead of alarm. Fizzlepop took the opportunity to step down and kick the bags of bits that rested nearby back to their owners.

"I abandoned friendship when I was still a foal because I thought that friendship had abandoned me. I surrounded myself with what I believed was strength and power.” She paused for a heartbeat. “But ultimately I was only deluding myself." Fizzlepop hesitated and swallowed hard. "I’m having to relearn a lot about fitting in with normal society, but I am trying. You don't have to be afraid of me. The pony that brought strife to Canterlot is gone, but her memory remains. That's a memory that I hope, one day, I can replace. And in place of Tempest will just be me, Fizzlepop." She took a deep breath and offered the room a small, lopsided smile.

There was no applause or heartwarming musical notes to mark the close of Fizzlepop's speech. She waited, and was rewarded with a few pensive glances sprinkled in amongst the bewildered, whispered conversations that started back up.

"Give them time," Trixie remarked. "Starlight says that reputations take time to establish." She grinned knowingly. "Or to reverse."

"No one is scrambling to leave the room anymore or begging for mercy. That's a win, I guess," Fizzlepop said wryly. "I suppose patience is a virtue I could practice more often. Which reminds me. I have a question for you." She took a seat across from Trixie and leveled a quizzical gaze at her. "I see you eating in here all the time. What exactly do you do at the School?"

"Trixie provides a much-needed dose of pizzaz and flair, of course." When Fizzlepop's gaze did not waver, Trixie snorted. "How do you think ponies who listen to the problems of everyone else cope with all that chatter? Even Starlight needs someone to vent to now and again. She also needs help sometimes when she gets overwhelmed." Trixie gave the other mare a magnanimous nod of her head. "Trixie could even see if she could fit you into her busy schedule, if you ever need advice from a great and powerful, um...are we friends?"

Fizzlepop gave Trixie a small, hesitant grin. "I suppose we could give it a shot. Just don't pull that great and powerful stuff on me." Her face lit up suddenly. "There was one other thing I needed to talk to you about."

Pushing her food to the side, Trixie folded her hooves on the tabletop and smirked. "Trixie supposes that if we're going to try to be friends, then snacks can wait a little longer."

"I want to get Starlight something for Hearth's Warming. Something to say thank you for all her time and effort." Her gaze softened as though looking back upon a treasured memory." I don't think I would have survived the past year here without her advice and friendship. She and I don't often talk about her interests, which I need to work on. I was hoping you might have an idea."

"Well," Trixie mused, "as her GMPBFF—"

"Her what?" Fizzlepop interrupted with puzzled amusement.

Trixie rolled her eyes. "Her Greatest and Most Powerful Best Friend Forever, of course." She popped another peanut butter-laden stick of celery into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "As Starlight's best friend, you've come to the right mare." She levitated a glass of water to her lips and took a long sip. "So, Fizzlepop," Trixie began with a knowing grin, "how much do you know about kites?"

The Art of Friendship

The crispness of autumn had recently given way to the bite of winter. The fields, woods, and hills surrounding the School of Friendship lay blanketed by a thin coat of freshly fallen snow, and the delicate flakes drifting down from the laden clouds overhead were just beginning to let up for the day.

"All of you be safe and enjoy your break," Fizzlepop called to the rapidly dwindling forms of her students. She waved to them as the last one escaped from the gym at full gallop, eager to join their friends and family. "Don't fill up on too many sweets unless you want me to help you burn them all off when you return."

"Bye, Miss Fizzle!" the students cried back together, their conversations already turning to the copious amounts of holiday treats upon which they planned to indulge.

Fizzlepop adjusted her winter jacket's collar and stood just outside the gym, hooves stirring up the frost-crusted ground. She watched the last of the students canter out of earshot and sighed. Her vaporous breath hung in the still air like a fog, only dissipating when the unicorn turned from the wintery vista and moved back inside. She had crossed the center of the indoor court when Grubber came ambling out of the locker room. Fizzlepop halted and pawed at the floor, her tail flicking back and forth.

Grubber said nothing as he headed for the exit, crossing the gym floor near Fizzlepop. The unicorn tried to catch his gaze with her own, but the hedgehog kept his eyes forward. He had strolled past Fizzlepop when she took a deep breath and turned to face him.

"Grubber," she began. "Do… Do you have someplace to go for Hearth's Warming?" Grubber stopped, saying nothing in response. "I know it's still a little ways away," Fizzlepop continued, "but I just wanted to know if you were going to be staying here."

Grubber's shoulders slumped, and he muttered something under his breath. Then he straightened his posture and turned to Fizzlpeop. "I didn't really have anything planned," he said nonchalantly. "I thought I'd go check out the marketplace and the town square. You know. See what a pony winter is all about." He smacked his lips. "I hear they make great cakes for that Heart's Warning thing."

"Hearth’s Warming,” Fizzlepop corrected. “And that sounds nice.” She smiled awkwardly, but the smile quickly faded when Grubber's expression remained neutral.

"Did you want me to bring you something back?" he asked.

"No, thank you. I..." Fizzlepop shook her head and stomped a hoof. "I'm being a coward." She marched up to her assistant, who took a single step back, and laid a hoof on his shoulder. "I need to—no, I want to apologize for how I've been acting towards you, and not just during your recent lessons.

Grubber crossed his arms and looked at Fizzlepop with mild suspicion, but a hint of hope broke through his bearing. "Really?"

"Yes." Fizzlepop sat down so she could bring her head down to her assistant's height. "You deserve better, and I need to stop treating you like you're still my subordinate. If I'm going to help you, provided you even want my help at all, then I'm going to have to accept that our relationship has changed. I was used to ordering you around all the time, but it's been unfair to you to expect you to have the same goals that I do."

"Yeah. You've been kinda awful lately," Grubber said bluntly.

Fizzlepop visibly flinched but nodded in agreement. "I know. I let my temper get the better of me too often."

"Look, I get it. You're a soldier." Fizzlepop opened her mouth to disagree, but Grubber forestalled her with a raised paw. "You're always going to be a warrior, Boss. That's just how you are. Normal life is tough when you can't be, well, like you used to be. For what it's worth, I don't think you're a bad pony. You just have some stuff to work on, like all the rest of us."

"Thanks." The pair stood together in silence, both searching for something more to say.

"Heh. Remember back when I was always bugging you to let me be your number one evil sidekick?" Grubber finally offered.

"Like it was every single day for months a few years ago." Fizzlepop gratefully chuckled. "How many times was it that I told you to get lost?"

"At least twice a day. But you eventually said yes."

"I did, and your track record for actually accomplishing the tasks I gave you properly was abysmal. But you usually did manage to come through for me whenever dessert was on the line." Fizzlepop's eyes lit up, and she rubbed her chin. "Hmm. Maybe we could try a different approach after the holidays. What if, for every correct homework assignment, I bring you something that Pinkie Pie bakes for the professors."

"So your solution is to give me treats like a dog?" Grubber asked ruefully.

"Oh!" Fizzlepop gasped. She shook her head vehemently. "No, I didn't mean it like that at all."

"Ha!" Grubbe cackled. "I'm just messing with you. For treats baked by Pinkie, I'll do all the homework you want."

The pair shared an easy laugh together, and Fizzlepop felt her earlier reluctance melting away. "I want you to know that I push you so hard because I want you to succeed."

"And that's cool, but I'm not a kid. I appreciate what you're trying to do, and if you're going to treat me like your friend, then I'll try harder. Just take it easy with the angry voice and stuff. Okay?"

Fizzlepop nodded. "I can do that. I'll work harder to be more reasonable, and in return, I'd like you to work harder on your schoolwork. Sweet treat or not." She held out her hoof to Grubber, and he shook it eagerly.

"You got yourself a deal, Boss."

"Call me Fizzy if you want. I'm not really the ‘Boss’ anymore. Maybe we can start over after the holiday season."

"Works for me." Grubber jerked his thumb towards the exit. "I'm going to go and find a few barrels of hot chocolate. I'll see you around, Fizzy." He made for the door, and as he opened it, Fizzlepop called out.

"One last thing, Grubber." He stopped and turned. "I want you to remember..." She hesitated, searching for the right words, and then chuckled to herself. "Remember to take a jacket with you. It's cold outside."

Grubber tossed her a quick salute before the door slowly shut behind him, leaving Fizzlepop by herself in the gym once more. She sighed and meandered back to her office. Leaving her office door open, Fizzlepop picked up her coffee pot and grabbed the brown and gold tin of Yubuck coffee. She paused and stared at the container for several heartbeats. With a shake of her head, she put the pot back down and put the tin away.

"Not if I want to get some sleep tonight," she said to herself. "It’s going to be quiet for a while. Might as well get some extra work done." Pulling a few folders from a file drawer, Fizzlepop pulled out her desk chair. In the seat was a small flat package wrapped in red paper. She set the folders aside and turned the box over on her hoof. "What's this?"

She ripped off one end of the wrapping paper with a deft flick and pulled out a framed picture. Fizzlepop felt something warm spark in her chest, and she covered her mouth with a hoof, sniffing back a tiny laugh. In her hoof, she held a picture of all of her students posing as a group. They were dirty, sweating, and visibly exhausted, but every one of them was grinning from ear to ear next to the finish line of the obstacle course. And standing behind them all, looking as pleased as a victorious commander, was Fizzlepop. She turned the picture over and found the back crowded with signatures and short words of thanks and warm holiday wishes.

"Those little brats," she whispered, smiling.

"More trouble, Fizzy?"

Fizzlepop turned and found Starlight in the doorway. "No, no trouble at all." She set the picture down on her desk and rubbed her nose.

Starlight moved to the desk and looked down at the picture. "You should try it more often." Fizzlepop looked at her questioningly, getting a grin in return. “Opening up. It’s a good look for you.”

Huffing out a laugh, Fizzlepop said, "No, thanks. I think Equestria has enough of that already,” as she fought to choke down her embarrassment. She cleared her throat. “Not that I don't enjoy having you visit my office instead of the usual other way around, but what are you still doing here? The students have all left for their holiday break."

"I was going to ask you the same question." Both mares sat, and Starlight idly twirled the tip of her mane. "A few students are sticking around through the break, and I'll be staying to watch out for them. What's your excuse?"

"I'm..." Fizzlepop glanced around her office and made a show of straightening the folders she had retrieved from the file cabinet. "I'm getting a headstart on some new ideas and topics for next year."

Starlight leaned in and rested her front hooves on the desk. "Are you ever going to go home for the holidays? I heard your trip around Equestria and to the Crystal Empire went well. And your little rendezvous with Glitter Drops didn’t go terribly either. I have to believe that your home would be just as understanding. You might be pleasantly surprised." She smiled wistfully. "I know I was when I returned to visit my old town."

"One day maybe," Fizzlepop relented. "I don't know. I want to, but not yet."

Starlight nodded. "If you think you might be up to it, I'm going to be throwing a little party with a few friends back in the castle on Hearth's Warming Eve. Think you could make room in your schedule to join us?"

Fizzlepop did not answer immediately, and she chewed on her lip with indecision. Starlight abruptly lunged across the desk, catching her friend by surprise, and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Come on!" Starlight pleaded. She held Fizzlepop tighter as the startled mare tensed. "Please?" Starlight pulled back, giggling when Fizzlepop leaned away despite the small smile on her face. "I'll even give you first whack at the windigo piñata."

"Are piñatas a thing on Hearth's Warming Eve?" Fizzlepop asked, recovering from the sudden friendship assault.

"I don't see why not." Starlight lowered her voice to a conspiratorial volume. "Plus, you can pretend it's Pinecone's parents. You know, for just a second or two. I won't tell anyone."

Fizzlepop hemmed and hawed while Starlight watched with growing anticipation and mild exasperation until Fizzlepop slowly nodded. "I think I could get behind that. You have yourself a deal." Starlight clapped, but Fizzlepop held up a hoof. "But only on three conditions."

"Three?" Starlight canted her head and rubbed her chin. "Consider me intrigued. Go on."

"I want to invite Grubber," Fizzlepop said immediately. "He doesn't have anywhere to spend the holiday."

Starlight nodded, a warm, knowing smile spreading across her face. "Of course. Next?"

“Second.” Reaching under her desk, Fizzlepop pulled out a small box wrapped in green paper with a red ribbon and bow. "That you accept this as a thank-you for all your help."

"Fizzlepop!" Starlight gasped. She immediately grasped the gift in her magic. "You didn't have to." She shook the box vigorously and listened to the shuffling within. Starlight raised an eyebrow. "It isn't socks, is it?"

"Maybe," she snickered. "Don't open it till Hearth's Warming. And if you don't like it, blame Trixie. As your 'Greatest and Most Powerful Best Friend Forever,' it was her suggestion."

Starlight shook the package again, more furiously than before, and shrugged. "Alright, then. Keep your secrets." She paused to shake her present one more time, casting an inquisitorial eye at Fizzlepop. The other mare stood silently, wearing a knowing smirk on her face.

"What's the last condition?" Starlight asked.

Fizzlepop, still smirking, sent a pulse of magic through the jagged core of her horn. It ignited with a flickering flourish of multicolored sparks. "Do Hearth's Warming parties traditionally include fireworks?"

"You know what?" Starlight chuckled. With her gift secured in her telekinesis's cyan aura, she stood and threw a hoof over Fizzlepop's shoulders, embracing her friend again. Starlight grinned broadly. "I've always thought they should. Come one, let's go get some hot cocoa before your assistant empties every barrel in Ponyville."

Matching her friend’s smile, Fizzlepop let herself be guided out of the office. "I'd like that, Starlight."