Clouds

Chapter 3

"First Day"

It was another sunny morning, the birds were singing and thee was a slight breeze in the air that flowed through Mornings’ mane as she sipped from her coffee, she had to ready today the weather team was scheduled to put a thunderstorm over Ponyville, and thunderstorms were hard enough to hand without her team leader shouting at her to get it done faster. She sighed at the thought, Storm clouds are incredibly fragile and it’s hard enough to push them without them bursting and shocking the Pegasus trying to move them.

“Does that Rainbow mare ever take?” She thought to herself as she took another sip, she then looked at the clock its was six o clock time to wake up Starlight for her first day of school. She put down her cup and lifted herself from the chair as she walked over to Stars room she smiled as she saw the small filly curled up in her blankets and her head buried in her pillow which had several stars and constellations stitched into them. She slowly walked over to Star and softly shook her a little breaks

“Star it’s time to get up, it’s your first day of school you don’t want to be late”

The little foal simply responded with a groan and covered herself with her blankets. Now Morning shook a little harder

“Dear don’t tell me you don’t want to go to school” Star poked her head out from under the covers and had a worried look on her face.

“But mom there are gonna be so many other ponies I don’t know what if they don’t like me”

Morning now ran her hoof over Stars mane and gave her a small reassuring smile as she began to explain.

“Starlight Storm, you are a strong and beautiful young mare, you are kind and polite to everyone you meet I don’t know what anypony could not like about you”

“But what if I embarrass myself, what if they laugh at me”

“Then laugh with them, Anypony who can laugh at themselves for something silly is a good pony it’s good to laugh at yourself sometimes don’t worry I think you’ll have a blast once you get there” A smile almost instantly appeared on Stars face as she jumped out from under the covers and stretched.

“Now what do you want for breakfast, I was thinking....oh I don’t perhaps…waffles”

“YES” Star now was to her old self again bouncing around in circles as her mother walked into the kitchen to make some waffles.

After she left Star hopped up on her stool and looked at herself in the mirror, She thought about the day ahead as she slowly brushed her golden mane, she wondered who her teacher would be and who all she would meet, all these ideas floated around in her mind as she finished brushing her mane, she then looked in her bag making sure she had all she needed, pencils, paper, notebooks, erasers, and so on, she smiled as she took in the aroma of fresh waffles that lingered in the air. Star quickly grabbed her bag and walked out of her room into the kitchen where a pair of golden waffle coated in powdered sugar eagerly awaited her.

Once breakfast was eaten and the two had finished preparing for the day, it was finally time, time to go to school. Morning carried Star on her back as Star continuously asked question s about what school was like for her mother, after a little while they finally reached the school. It was a brick building with a large field outside and a playground on the windows were a bunch of pictures drawn by students who also went to the school and out front stood all the parents and their foals as the waited for the school to open. Star slowly hid behind her Mother, nervous around all these unfamiliar ponies. After a few moments The door to the school opened, and an Beige colored mare with an amber mane every fell silent as she cleared her throat an prepared to speak.

"Welcome everypony, I am your teacher Ms. Amber Stone and I just want to say I am very excited to ge to know all of the new little fillies and colts who will be attending this year and I would like to welcome back all of my students from last year. I am very eager to see all of you grow and mature as I teach all you about the world we live in. So how about we get today started, I will give you all a few minutes to say farewell before you leave the children here."

Star looked up at her mother with that said both “Don’t leave me here” and “I can’t wait to get started”. Morning gave Star a kiss on the forehead and gave her a warm embrace.

"I'll be here to pick you up when school's over Okay?"

Star nodded gave one last hug, and then quickly ran to the door. Morning smiled and waved as she watched her little filly take another great step forward in life.

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Starlight looked around her classroom it was a wide room on one side was a large shelf covered with books on a variety of topics. And on th other was the chalkboard and Ms.Amberstones desk, Which reminded her she needed to find a desk. Starlight looked around for an open desk and soon found one she sat herself down . She looked around, behind sat a pair of colts who to be quite honest didn’t look to friendly, they seemed rather unfriendly this just showed on their faces, and then she looked to her left, next to her sat a another filly who had a lime coat and a pink mane. To her left sat a colt with a maroon coat and a dark orange mane, he had a big smile on his face and appeared to feel very sure of himself. She turned her attention to the front when she heard Ms. Amberstones voice call out to them.

Now let’s take attendance I’m going to callout your names and when you do I want you all to raise your hoof and say “here” are we clear, all the students nodded in unison. She took in a breath and started calling out names.

Angel Heart?

Here! A small white filly with a bright golden mane raised her hoof.

Sierra?

Here said a small dark grey colt from the otherside of the classroom

Bubblegum?

Here! Ms. Amber said the green and pink filly sitting next to Star

Firecracker?

Here said the colt to her left as he raised his hoof as high as he could.

Horace?

The disgruntled colt with a brown coat and grey spiked mane simply raised his hoof.

After a few more names were called, she finally came to Starlight.

Starlight almost hesitated as everyone else seemed to be looking for her

H-here. She stammered. Ms.Amberstone then checked her name off the list and put the clipboard back on her desk and removed glasses as she walked over to the chalkboard.

Starlight was getting absorbed into what Ms.AmberStone was saying when all of the sudden a small wet sticky piece of paper landed in her mane she shot back a glance to find Horace trying to act innocent as possible, she didn’t believe he was worth the air so she pulled the spit wad out of her mane and focused back on the teacher not even a minute later though another…no two spit wads landed in her mane! Starlight wanted to give him a piece of her mind, when a she felt a hoof touch her shoulder. She looked to her left to see the maroon colt, shake his head.

Don’t argue with him, he’ll drag you down to his level, and beat you with his experience, and don’t rat him out, first that’ll give him more to work with and it’ll take all the fun out of the event he embarrasses himself. He said with a with a cracked smile on his face. Star glared back at Horace, and sighed as she shook off what just chuckled a little as she thought about what the colt next to her said, just then he spoke again.

“Hey the names Firecracker by the way, sorry but I didn’t quite get yours”

“Starlight” she said with a smile. She looked over the colt sitting next to her, he seemed to quite strong for his age, and it looked like his wings were already developing nicely, she then noticed a pair of dog tags wrapped around his neck.

What are those for? She asked pointing to his shining dog tags.

“These are my dad’s old tags, he wore these when he was still an enlisted man in the army.

Starlight gave a puzzled look as she didn’t get a word of what he said, Firecracker noticed this and explained again.

“These are my dad’s dog tags, all soldiers wear a pair, I wear them because my dad’s out their fighting the rebels in Stalliongrad” Firecracker smiled as he began to show off the tags that dangled from his neck.

Star smiled again, as she looked back to the board, as she did another spit wad hit her. She cringed as she pulled it out of her mane, just then she heard Horace take a deep breath as he prepared to launch another, quickly Star lowered her head as the spit wad missed her and flew past her, all the ponies gasped as they saw a small piece of spi drenched paper, land directly in between Ms. AmberStone’s eyes. The last few minutes before lunch were spent with Firecracker rolling on the floor nearly dying of laughter, Ms. AmberStone, freaking out from the spitball and how disgusting it was while she yelled at Horace, and Starlight grinning at Horace as he buried himself in his seat.

Once the lunch bell rang, Star rushed over to her locker, pulled out her lunch box. She trotted out to the playground, she looked around for a place to sit, she soon spotted a table where two filly were seated chatting away. Star briskly trotted over to them.

“ I’m sorry would you mind if I sat with you?” she asked politely.

The white filly looked back and smiled “ Not at all, please join us” she patted on a spot next to her.

Star obliged as she jumped up and opened up her lunch box, inside was a daffodil sandwich, a corn cake, and some cucumbers. Starlight dug in, she was interrupted when the pink pony in front of her spoke up.

“I’m Bubblegum, what’s your name” she asked with a bright smile on her face as she fumbled with her bright green and purple mane.

Starlight. She said , she looked to her side, as the white filly introduced herself.

My names Angel Heart, she smiled as she took a bite from a carrot. Starlight looked back at Bubblegum.

“I saw what Horace did, what a meanie, someone should teach him a lesson” she said as she pulled out a pack of gum, “ you want a piece” she asked offering it to the two ponies across from her.

Starlight took one and began to chew, the two continued to chat for a while, after which they all headed over to the sandbox and played there for a while, little did Star notice though that Horace just got released outside, as he trotted over to her.

“Hey girly” He shouted as she turned she got a face full of sand. She spat trying to get the sand out of her mouth which unpleasantly mixed with the gum.

“Thanks to you I had to stay in for half of recess” Im gonna have to teach you a lesson for that” Horace grinned as he looked down at the little blue filly whose face was now covered in sand. While all this was going on nobody noticed that Firecracker who had previously been swinging was now trotting over to Horace, and the look on his face didn’t look friendly at all.

Horace frowned as Firecracker walked right up Horace and glared at him.

“What do you want puny” He said as he spit at Firecrackers hooves.

With those words Firecracker, shot spit at Horace’s face, as Horace tried to wipe the spit of his face he didn’t see Firecracker rear up as he prepared to kick, in in the blink of an eye Firecracker sent a kick flying into Horace’s side which sent him tumbling to the ground. Horace gasped for air as he tried to piece together what just occurred, just then Firecracker got real close to Horace, he had a rage on his face that was incredibly powerful.

“How dare you” he spat as he glared at Horace who was started to back away with fear.

“ You think you’re so tough, you think you can bully anyone you want just because your big, and you shouldn’t blame her for something you did you idiot. You deserved what you got. Now if I ever catch you harassing her or her friends again, getting caught by the teacher will be the least of your worries, we square?” Horace nodded quickly as he backed away as fast as he could. Firecracker turned to Star and helped her up. He helped wipe some of the sand.

“Are you okay” He asked

“Yeah I’ll be OK” She responded spitting out some more sand.

“He’s such a bully, I’m gonna go tell Ms. AmberStone” with that Bubblegum ran off to get the teacher.

Starlight finished brushing herself off. “ Thanks for the help, but aren’t you worried he’ll tell on YOU”

“Not in the least, I don’t care if I get in trouble, but mess with my friends, and you got something highly unpleasant heading your way.” Starlight gave him a smirk.

“What, a pony can’t be loyal to his friends”

Starlight just laughed at this as she picked up her lunch box, the two continued to chat away for the rest of the day.

After another few hours of class, school was finally over and everypony was ready to go home. Starlight was practically beaming as she thought back to all the events of what happened tha day except of course the few rough patches it had. She giggled as she remembered how bubblegum blew a huge bubble that when it pooped it nearly covered her entire head, and she blushed a little as she thought of how Firecracker stood up for her in her time of need. Overall it had been a good day, and Starlight couldn’t wait to tell her mother about it all, as she ran over to mother, who arrived just in time and awaited her daughter with open hooves.

“So was it that bad after all”

" I LOVE SCHOOL" Star said beaming.

Starlight who practically seemed supercharged full of energy as she got ready to give her mom an ear full of all that happened that day. At that moment she thought she smelt something smoky, or burnt, she brushed that off, as she walked home with her mother happy as can be.