Pearl Rose sighed as she flopped onto her dorm room bed. "I don't think this is working."
Cozy Glow, her roommate, gave her a worried look. "Golly. What's wrong? I thought you liked the School of Friendship?"
Pearl nodded. "I do. Everyone's been so nice to me. It's actually nice to be able to go to school and know not just about everyone has it out for you. For just about every dumb reason you can think of."
"But?" Cozy prodded, knowing there was more to it than that.
Pearl buried her head in her pillow. Darn it, she was good. Must have been spending so much time with Princess Twilight. "I got scolded by Professor Applejack earlier. Said I needed to learn when not to be so honest." She snorted. "Her. The Element of Honesty. Telling me not to be so honest? I'd almost say she'd been replaced by Professor Pinkie."
Cozy giggled. "Well. You have ruffled more than a few feathers since you moved here a few months ago, Pearl. Even Princess Twilight is worried about how you're fitting in."
Pearl rolled her eyes. "Why would the princess care about little old me? I'm just a regular old Pegasus." She smiled a little. "I'm almost jealous that you and she are so close."
Cozy waived this off. "Golly. We're not that close. I love what I've done with her, and I wouldn't change it for anything. But I'm not even officially her assistant. Spike is. You know I could put in a good word for you if you want? I think the princess is looking for a new Personal Student. Why not you?"
Pearl giggled. "Thanks, but no thanks, Cozy. She wouldn't pick me if I was the only one in the lineup. I mean look at me," she gestured at herself. "I just moved here, I've gotten scolded by most of the Elements of Harmony at least once. You're the closest thing to a friend I have, and I..." She sniffed. "I..."
Cozy watched as Pearl wrapped her hooves around her pillow and held it tight as her tears came at last.
"Goddess above, I miss my friends, I miss all the stupid stuff we used to do. I miss girl's night out every week." She looked up at Cozy with red eyes. "I didn't even wanna move to this stupid town. And now look at me." She sniffed. "I just wanna go home."
Cozy wasn't sure what she should say, as she rushed over and pulled Pearl into a hug. That was all it took it seemed, as Pearl sobbed into her shoulder. Cozy didn't say anything about it, letting her do so, wondering what she could do to help.
The next morning, Pearl yawned as she made her way to her first class. As much as she liked to complain, she always looked forward to Professor Fluttershy's class. There was just something about the Pegasus that put her at ease. Plus, even when she'd had to pull her aside, Fluttershy had never been annoyed or mad at her. No matter what.
Maybe putting up with Discord all the time had taught her patience. Pearl didn't know, but she was thankful for it all the same.
"Well look what the cat dragged in," a voice in her ears made Pearl groan and stop to look at the pony in question. The unicorn colt had a smug look on his face, as did his two cronies.
Pearl put on her best fake smile. "What do you want, Thunder? I'm going to be late for class if I don't hurry."
Thunder's smile grew as he threw a hoof around her shoulders. "Oh don't be like that, Pearl. I thought we were friends?"
Pearl shrugged him off. "We are not friends. And what did I say about touching me?"
Thunder only smirked. "What are you gonna do about, Rosie? You talk a big talk. But we all know you won't back it up. Heard you got in trouble with Professor Applejack yesterday. Maybe I should teach you a thing or two about friendship. You're going to get expelled at the rate you're going."
Pearl laughed as she turned away. "If it's a pick between listening to you or getting kicked out, I'll take my chances by myself. At least with Applejack, she has a point. You just like to hear yourself talk."
Thunder frowned as he walked in front of her. "Big talk from such a small pony. It will get you in trouble one of these days."
Pearl smirked, before unfurling a wing and aiming for his head. Thunder's eyes widened as the feathers came within an inch of his eyes before stopping.
"You don't know the meaning of the word trouble, Thunder. I've seen your kind before. All talk, but when the time comes, they fold like paper," Pearl said with a smile, flicking his chin with her wing. "One of these days, you will get what's coming to you. I just hope I get to see it happen."
At that moment, the school bell rang, giving the five-minute warning to get to class.
Pearl's smile grew as she pranced off. "Now. I don't know about you. But I don't want to be late for class. Professor Rainbow would have my head if I was."
Thunder watched her go with an angry scowl. "Nopony says no to me, Pearl Rose. You had your chance. Now we do this the hard way."
"Do ya want us to teach her a lesson?" One of his friends asked with an evil smirk.
Thunder shook his head. "Not yet. I have a better idea. Whose she close with around here?"
"Cloud Dancer and Red Light," the other colt said. "Don't know if you'd call them all friends though. But Pearl hangs out with those two a lot. Oh, and Cozy Glow, but she's her roommate."
Thunder smirked. "Good. Go after the first two. We bring Cozy into this, and she'll go to Princess Twilight with it. We don't need that. Mess those two up, real good. That will teach that featherbrain to say no to me."
Pearl groaned as she all but drug herself away from Gym class. "If I wanted a workout this badly, dad still knows a thing or two that would make Professor Rainbow's head spin."
Silverstream giggled as she followed along beside her. "Ah come on, Pearl. It's not that bad! I feel tougher all ready!"
Pear couldn't help but giggle. While she wasn't super close with the hippogriff, Silverstream's bubbly personality was just too infectious. She could make anyone's day in any number of ways just by being herself. She was almost like Professor Pinkie in that regard.
Silverstream blinked as something occurred to her. "How would your dad teach you something Professor Rainbow can't? She's a sports nut! And I'm being generous too!"
Pearl rolled her eyes. "Dad worked his way up from the very bottom at the docks. Moving all that cargo gave him more muscles than most Pegasi I know, and he had to be inventive sometimes to be able to move it. And then he learned a thing or two in bar fights. Not all of them nice."
Silverstream gave a worried look. "Your mom never said anything?"
Pearl shrugged. "He always came home no matter what and he always left the worst behind in the city. Mom always said the worst she'd seen him was with a black eye after a night out on the town after she announced she was pregnant with me. She never did say how he got it. But dad was never in a fight unless he felt he needed to be."
Silverstream didn't seem convinced, but even after months of living in Equestria, there were still things about ponies she didn't understand. Maybe this was normal?
Pearl saw the look in the hippogriff's eyes. She was used to this reaction. At first, it had annoyed her a bit, but by now she no longer cared. "Mom and dad didn't want me to end up like that. I had a habit of beating up anypony who said anything bad about me or my friends. Badly too. I made some of my best friends that way, by standing up for them. So we moved here to Ponyville."
Silverstream smiled widely. "You miss them, don't you?"
Pearl's eyes twitched. Was she really that transparent? "Yeah. Don't get me wrong, Ponyville is great. But I miss my friends and my old home. I didn't want to leave so much that I hid out at a friend's house, refusing to leave. Mom and dad had to drag me kicking and screaming out."
That got a giggling snort out of Silverstream, which also got Pearl laughing as well. Goddess, she missed having these kinds of talks. So what if she and Silverstream weren't super close. It was just nice to be able to say things like this. There weren't many she could do it with.
Well. That wasn't entirely true, Pearl thought as her ears lowered somewhat. There were two others as well. Cloud Dancer and Red Light were two of the first to really welcome her to Ponyville and had made genuine efforts to be friends with her. And Pearl was more than happy about it. They were all the same age, liked almost the same things, and basically had the same ideas about boys: Yuck.
Pearl, though, wasn't sure if she would call them her friends though. As much as she loved hanging out with them, part of her still held back, remembering past betrayals by those who she had thought were her friends. She couldn't take another one.
Any other thoughts were put on hold, as her ears picked up a commotion ahead of them. A lot of students seemed interested in whatever it was. "What's going? Did I miss something?"
Silverstream shook her head. She couldn't see much even being taller as she was. "I don't think so."
Pushing her way through the crowds that seemed to be gathering around something, Pearl felt her blood boil at what she saw.
A bright red earth pony filly was pushed up against a nearby wall by a couple of colts that she knew, both wearing sickening smirks. Red Light certainly lived up to her name, her bright blue eyes showing fear as she tried to get away to no avail. As she got closer, Pearl could hear part of what was being said.
"What did I ever do to you two?" Red asked.
"Nothing, sweet lips. But the boss wants you messed up," one colt replied.
"Yeah. Don't know why. Guess you hanging out with that red-headed slut got you on his bad side."
Red had a good idea of who they were talking about, and her ears shrank even more. "What does Pearl have to do with this?"
"Everything," Thunder said as he joined the trio. "This is a warning to her. Cloud Dancer will get what's coming to her soon enough. That'll teach that featherbrain to say no to me."
Pearl looked around. To her shock, nopony was rushing in to help. Silverstream was already rushing off to find help, but she wouldn't get back here in time. And as Thunder pushed Red up against the wall so hard she winced, it was all Pearl could take.
"Hey, asshats!" she shouted as she rushed over and put herself between Red and the trio. "Nopony talks to my friends like that!"
Thunder smirked. "Well, look what the seapony drug in. I was going to wait and deal with you later, Pearl. But I guess we'll do this now. And you kiss your mother with that mouth?"
Pearl smirked. "At least I know my mom. You three idiots couldn't pick them out if they were the only ponies in the room."
One of the colts just about blew his temper as he put his hooves on her. "Did you just call my slut?"
Pearl only smiled. "Want me to say it again, Boulder? Deaf and stupid. And I suggest you take your hooves off of me before I shove them down your throat."
"Big talk from such a small pony," Thunder said as he walked around her backside, running his hooves along her spine as he did. "You know what they say about you, Pearl? You're one blow-up away from getting expelled, that even Princess Twilight herself is considering kicking you out. You've cheesed off all of the Elements of Harmony at least once. All because you can't keep that big mouth of yours shut."
"Princess Twilight would never do that. She's too nice," Red whispered, coming to stand next to Pearl.
Thunder frowned as he threw her violently against the wall. "Stay out of this. Your turn will come later."
Pearl watched in horror as the earth pony slid to the ground, the wind knocked out of her. Something finally snapped. "That was a big mistake, asshole." Before Thunder could respond, Pearl had slugged him as hard as she could, sending blood and a few teeth flying.
It was all Pearl could do before she felt herself be grabbed and thrown against the wall, her wings held in place as Thunder's goons held her tight. "That was for everything you've ever done," she growled.
Thunder growled as he got to his feet, his horn glowing, spreading Pearl's rear legs. "I'm going to enjoy this, you red-headed slut. Maybe this will finally shut you up."
Pearl's eyes widened in horror. "And here I thought you couldn't be any more of a slimebag. Rape, during school, is a new low for colts everywhere."
He chuckled. "Oh, I'm not going to take your virginity, Pearl. No, that would be too good for you. I'm going to take something else from you. That will teach you."
Before he could do anything, however, a commanding voice cut through it all. "What is going on here?!"
Thunder's eyes widened, even as his goons dropped the Pegasus in a heap on the floor.
Pearl looked up, and her heart dropped like a rock, as a light pink unicorn pushed her way through the crowd. Her expression was not one that put a lot of confidence in anypony's heart.
"All of you. My office. Now," Starlight Glimmer said with barely contained fury.
Pearl sniffed, barely holding back tears, as she sat outside the Headmare's Office. She couldn't hear what was being said inside. But from the smug looks she had gotten from Thunder and his cronies, it wasn't good.
This was it. She was done. It was three against two, and while Red Light was on her side, Thunder's father was a major backer of the school. It was his word against theirs. He'd gotten away with a lot because of it.
She sniffed again, tears now beginning to fall. Where had it all gone wrong? This was supposed to be a fresh start for her, a chance to make new friends in a much friendlier environment. And she'd thrown it all away. Pearl knew what ponies said about her. That she was always one blow-up away from being expelled from the school. She'd peeved off all of the teachers at least once.
Her parents were going to kill her. Forget being grounded. She'd be lucky not to get banished to the Nine Hells for this.
The door opened, and Red Light came out, giving Pearl a worried look as she went off to her next class. Starlight was right behind, watching her go for a moment before turning to look at her. "Come inside, Pearl. We need to talk."
Pearl gulped, wiping away her tears as she followed the unicorn inside. It was all she could do not to shiver as she sat down before Starlight's desk.
Starlight put on her best Guidance Counselor smile as she took a seat. "Pearl, relax. You look like you're about to be led to your execution."
That got a small smile out of the Pegasus. "How much trouble am I in?"
Starlight shook her head. "That depends. Thunder and his friends said you attacked them without provocation while they were only trying to have a nice talk with Red Light. Red says they were bullying her for no apparent reason, and that you stood up for her. Which one is it?"
Pearl's smile dropped. "I stood up for her, obviously. I don't know what started it with them, but I wasn't going to let those three boneheads hurt my friends. I only punched Thunder because I couldn't reach any lower. I would have gelded him otherwise."
Starlight sighed. "Pearl. You can't geld somepony just because you don't like them. Thunder held you in place until I showed up." She held up her hooves as Pearl opened her mouth. "I don't know if that's the truth or not, but that is what it looks like to me. And I am sorry to say. Enough is enough."
Pearl's ears fell. "What do you mean?"
Starlight sighed as she pulled out a file. "Pearl. You know how much thin ice you are on. You've picked fights with other creatures, you've flat out told the staff they're full of horseapples, and not worthy of their Elements on more than one occasion. You've got a reputation as somepony who can't keep her big mouth shut, and who doesn't bother to think before she lets her hot-bloodedness do all the talking for her."
Pearl threw her hooves up in disgust. "What do you want me to do. Lie? I thought the seven of you were better than that. Guess I was wrong."
Starlight's eyes twitched. "And that right there, Pearl, is the problem. One that we can no longer accept here at the School of Friendship. I will take you back to your dorm room. Your parents will be by in a little while to pick you up. In the morning, do not bother coming to school. I will talk with your teachers so they can work their classes out. As of this moment, you are expelled from the School of Friendship."
And just like that, Pearl's head fell, no longer bothering to hold back her tears. That was it then. She was done, and all because she couldn't keep a lid on her temper.
Starlight's ears fell. It tore her up inside to do this and to see Pearl so broken. The filly was genuinely a good pony and had made true friends at the school. Ones that would last forever. But this had gone on too long. All the way back to Pearl's old school it seemed, for the Pegasus had a long history of fighting other students for any number of reasons.
Even Twilight was becoming involved now and had asked about Pearl more than once. Why was beyond the unicorn.
"Come now, Starlight. Don't you think you're overreacting just a little?" A new voice said with a chuckle. A voice that made Pearl's head swim, as she turned around.
Princess Twilight Sparkle stood behind her, dressed in her full regalia. A warm smile was on her face as she looked at the young Pegasus.
Pearl could only meep in shock, while Starlight rolled her eyes. "Really, Twilight? Have you heard what happened?"
Twilight nodded. "Yes, Starlight. I have. And I for one am delighted to see somepony stand up for her friends as Pearl did. Plus for a rather nice punch as well," she winked down at Pearl, who could only blush from the praise.
Starlight, though, was not buying it. "Twilight. Do you want to reward bad behavior? You know what's happened before with our friends and some of the students."
Instead of replying, Twilight lowered herself down so she and Pearl were eye to eye. "Tell me, Pearl. Do you regret anything you've done? Or to who it might have been?"
Pearl shook her head. "No. You guys might've saved Equestria a bunch of times. But you've sprouted a bunch of horseapples too. Somepony needs to call you out. Might as well be me. I still remember the whole Friendship Journal debacle."
Twilight giggled. "I think I have heard all I needed to. Cozy Glow has always said good things about you, Pearl. After today, I truly believe her. But I think there needs to be a change. The School of Friendship is not working for you. I see that now."
Starlight sighed in relief. "So you do agree with me then."
Twilight shook her head. "I never said that, Starlight." She looked Pearl dead in the eyes before her smile softened. "Pearl Rose. You have a big heart, and it's in the right place. I foresee it taking you big places. But you must learn to temper it."
Pearl blinked. "How?"
Twilight's smile grew. "Pearl Rose. I want to make you my Personal Student. It's clear now that you have nothing left to learn that the school can teach. But I feel you can learn so much more if I teach you myself. Will you accept?"
Pearl blinked, waiting for the punch line. But none ever came. The honesty and love in the princess's eyes showed she spoke the truth. "But why me, Princess Twilight? I'm nothing special. Definitely not special enough to be your student."
Twilight shook her head. "Never say that, Pearl. Everyone is special in their own. You've proven that today. I will not force you into this, however. It must be your choice."
Pearl took all of ten seconds to make up her mind before she threw her hooves in the air. "YES! When do I start?!"
Twilight giggled. "At least in the morning. I still have much to speak about to your parents about." She winked. "Now. I believe you have the rest of the day off. I am sure Cozy would love to hear about this."
Pearl nodded excitedly before rushing out of the door, leaving a red wake behind her.
Twilight chuckled as she saw the sour look she was getting from Starlight. "Oh don't give me that look, Starlight. Thunder and his friends had this coming. I'm just glad Red Light is okay."
Starlight groaned. Twilight was right of course. She always was. "His father won't be happy about this. He has connections among the Canterlot Elite."
Twilight rolled her eyes. "They can kiss my flank, Starlight. I don't answer to them. I proved that when I moved my Throne to Ponyville. If they don't like it? Too bad for them."
That got a giggle out of the unicorn, which soon got Twilight giggling as well. Soon the two were laughing as if nothing in the world was the matter.
Pearl laughed as she bobbed and weaved her way back to her room, doing a few loop de loops on her way. "HA! Thunder can suck on it now! Mom and dad are gonna flip!"
Her. Princess Twilight's Personal Student! Never in a billion years had she ever dreamed of this. She didn't even think the princess knew that she existed. And now? Only a very few had ever been in this spot before. None of them had ever been a Pegasus. Pearl took a lot of pride in the thought.
Prancing in mid-air, Pearl giggled helplessly as she came to her dorm room. "You know what? I think this is the start of something wonderful and beautiful."
Author's Note
So, yes. This is the official prequel for A Twilight Rose Love. Felt that this needed to be shown at some point. Why not now? And, yes. I have Pearl as Cozy Glow's roommate. I couldn't think of anyone else she could go with.
