"Hello." A mare stood at their doorstep with a hopeful smile.

Maple inclined her head slowly. "Ah... remember you! Yer the schoolmarm!"

"That's me." She pointed past the protective parents at the foals playing inside. "And ah've been tryin' somethin' new. Call it a 'pre' school. We keep an eye on the little ones, too little fer proper school, an' we teach 'em while we're at it. Gentle lessons for growin' minds. It gives them a headstart when they get to real school. 'Least, that's the idea. We've only had one year of it so far, but it worked so well." She leaned in a bit past the door. "It also gives the parents a break each day, since they're with me."

Winter lifted an ear. "But..." He frowned. "My break will end soon... I will have to work." And that meant less eyes and hooves around to keep their foals safe and happy. "Why can't being a father be a job?"

Summer rubbed along his side. "It is a job. A job so big we call in backup, like this teacher here."

The teacher smiled brightly at that. "Exactly. It takes a whole town to raise a child right. I'm just another part of that town. This isn't me forcin' the matter none. You get to decide. But... The foals that came last year are doin' do much better. You want the very best fer yer little ones, hm?"

All three parents looked guilty, eyes wandering the room, then settling on the foals in question, playing joyfully.

Maple smiled gently at the play. "Ah don't want to stop them from playing and learnin' each other as much as any book learnin' you might give 'em."

The teacher nodded kindly, following Maple's gaze to where the foals frolicked. "Oh don't you worry none, they'll have plenty of playtime with their little herd."

She smiled wistfully. "Truth be told, letting them socialize is half the reason for my little 'pre-school.' Gets them used to bein' 'round other young'uns before they join up in the big schoolhouse."

Maple glanced uncertainly at Winter and Summer. As much as her protective mother's intuition hated the thought of separation during Spruce's precious early years, the teacher's words resonated.

Summer laid a sympathetic hoof on Maple's shoulder. "Ain't like we'd be alone neither. This one here will be goin' back to the orchard 'fore long." Maple sighed but couldn't argue; they'd discussed her return to work many times.

"Very true!" The teacher clapped her hooves eagerly. "Why, they'd have a parent or dotin' auntie facin' them when they got home each day. Plus two whole years of gentle schoolin' ahead before the full-day program starts."

Maple still wavered, anguishing over disrupting the young ones' carefree existence.

Sensing her turmoil, the teacher added gently, "How's about I give you a trial week? If it don't suit the little pumpkins or you parents, nopony's forcin' you to stay on. Just see how it goes."

The new parents exchanged anxious but hopeful looks. "Reckon one week couldn't hurt none..." Summer said. She knew this was part of equine life; still, releasing her babies felt unnatural so soon.

But the teacher's warm confidence was contagious. If this gave their foals a leg up while still allowing family time, they owed it to try.

"Alright, Miss Teacher," Maple relented with a quavering grin, "you got yerself three new students fer a trial spell."

The foals cheered, responding only to their parents' evident excitement. But soon, the teacher mused privately, her little academy would captivate those receptive young minds, heart and soul.

She wandered off with a content smile on her face.

Winter's horn glowed along its stripes as he willed the door shut. "I didn't catch her name."

Summer blinked softly. "Oh! Silly me. So many of us went to school under her, 'just about everyone calls her 'teacher', but she does have a name besides that. Not very fair to just keep calling her what her job is..." She frowned with thought. "Now what was it..." She turned to Maple.

Maple squeaked. "Put the pressure on me! Ah see how it is, hm. Wasn't she Miss Acorn?" She smiled gently. "Like her mark, a nice hatchin' acorn, reachin' up tall."

Summer sat to clop her hooves. "That's it! Miss Acorn."

"Miss Acorn it is," Winter affirmed with an approving nod. Her gentle patience and hopeful demeanor suited the name well; he could easily picture her flourishing students like tender oak saplings.

He turned a thoughtful gaze towards where the foals still romped and squealed, oblivious to the prospect of encountering Miss Acorn's kindly guidance soon.

"Do you suppose she really can prepare them that much better before real school starts?" He kept his tone light, not wishing to add further weight to the mares' obvious unease over this pending transition.

Summer scuffed a hoof across the floorboards, eyebrows knitted. "I reckon there's some sense to gettin' them acquainted with learnin' their ABC's and numbers aforehoof..."

She offered Winter a wavering grin. "Plus they oughta get comfortable bein' apart from us now an' again. Can't baby them forever, much as I wanna."

Maple moved to stand beside the crib, her bittersweet smile belying watery eyes as she took in their wriggling trio. "Our little trailblazers are growin' quicker than grass in springtime..."

She swallowed hard, giving their tiny hooves and sprouting manes a tender stroke. When she turned to face Winter though, fresh resolve lifted her expression.

"If Miss Acorn can give even one of ours a boost on their path, that's enough fer me. We'll make sure these precious hearts know home's always their true school."

Winter hugged Maple close, blinking past the lump in his own throat. Through all seasons ahead, their steadfast care would light the young ones' way. But a thought occured with a jump. "Maybe it isn't about the school learning at all." The mares looked at him with confusion. "Didn't she mention it? This is a chance for them to meet their schoolmates, and get used to being around them. This isn't about learning really fast, but getting used to all of it. It's an advanced..." Winter smiled gently. "An advanced friendship lesson."

Summer let out a happy sigh at that. "Well! Who am I to deny my little ones a friendship lesson? Ah'll just hope they make more friends than they can even count."

Maple hiked a brow at that. "They ain't good at countin' just yet. Pretty sure even one friend'll beat that out." She giggled gently. "But it'd be nice either way. Now, ah'm gonna cook up somethin' fer ya, what'll it be?"

Winter's eyes shined with thoughts of sweetened Maple offerings. Nothing she cooked avoided a little touch of sugar, often in the form of maple. "Bring on the oats and some veggies. That is what I want today."

"You got it." Maple trotted off with lunch on her mind.

As Maple's hoofbeats faded towards the kitchen, Winter turned a thoughtful gaze back to the roughhousing foals. "Hard to believe how quickly they're sprouting up, isn't it?"

He chuckled softly. "Why Dusk nearly reaches my knee now when he stands on those gangly matchsticks of his. And don't their coats seem shinier by the day?"

Summer clicked her tongue in mock dismay even as pride shone through her expression. "Next thing ya know he'll be racin' circles 'round us instead of the other way 'round."

She sidled up to affectionately nuzzle first Winter then each foal in turn. "But ya know...much as I wanna keep 'em tiny, safe and near forever, it gladdens me to watch 'em stretch their little wings."

Placing a hoof gently upon Dawn's back as the filly scrambled atop a mound of blocks, Summer felt her throat tighten.

"They'll be ready and eager to take those first brave steps outside our door if we give 'em strong roots to stand sturdy."

She turned watery eyes up to meet Winter's understanding gaze. "And knowin' they got good souls like Miss Acorn lookin' out for 'em too...well, reckon no harm lettin' 'em spread their branches a bit."

Winter enfolded Summer close, blinking back similarly misty emotion. To nurture their saplings wherever they strove towards sunlight - it was every parent's honor and adventure. "Yeah," he sighed out, nuzzling back at her gently. "An adventure, for them, and for us. Let's be at least half as brave."

"At least," she giggled out. "Look at 'em. They're not worried about this." She reached in and scooped up Dusk. "Those other foals better not pick on you..." He was the oddest of them all, with his kirin horn and cloven little hooves. In a class full of ponies, one would be a kirin. "Ah... suppose that's why this helps. They'll all get to meet before proper class class."

The day seemed to arrive all too quickly. They went to the schoolhouse, little foals balancing on each of their backs, one to a loving parent each. The schoolyard had nothing but the smallest foals, ranging from the youngest, about the same age as Dusk, Dawn, and Spruce, ranging up to the foals that looked just about ready for real school.

Miss Acorn was there, smiling brightly at the newest parents approached. "There you are! Ah'll admit, some parents get cold hooves. Ah was a little scared you might not make it." She pat at the ground near her. "Put down those little ones. Time for them to play and meet their newest friends.

Timid uncertainty flickered across Dusk’s bright eyes as he observed strange new fillies and colts tumbling across the yard. Instinctively he nestled closer against his mother's sturdy back, tiny hooves gripping tighter. His littermates mirrored his hesitation, shrinking against their parents with tentative curiosity.

Miss Acorn offered the anxious trio an encouraging smile. “No need for nerves, little sprouts! All your new chums felt the same first day. Why, some of their mommies and daddies had a harder time leavin’ them than they did stayin’!”

A few parents within earshot chuckled ruefully at the truth of it.

Crouching down, Miss Acorn extended a patient hoof towards the new arrivals. “How ‘bouts we start nice and slow, hm? I’m Miss Acorn and I already can tell we’re gonna be good friends.”

At the familiar name, Spruce perked up first. Sliding off Maple’s back, he took a wary step forward to sniff the teacher’s hoof before glancing back at his mother. Maple’s trembling yet proud smile fortified his courage.

Miss Acorn’s eyes crinkled joyfully. “Thatta boy, Spruce! What a polite gentlecolt you are.” She looked expectantly to Dawn and Dusk as other foals began wandering over to assess the new playmates. “Who wants to say hello to Spruce’s new school buddies next?”

Bolstered by Spruce’s boldness, tiny Dawn scrambled after her brother, stumbling a little in the grass. No way would her brothers leave her behind! Dusk followed suit a moment later as the twins took up curious yet shy posts just behind Spruce.

Miss Acorn nodded in satisfaction, gently nudging the two groups of foals closer. “There now, that wasn’t so hard was it? Let’s all get to know each other while your folks settle in.” The teacher guided the new parents towards the waiting semi-circle of mothers and fathers exchanging solidarity and sympathy. This small academy was rooted equally in scholastic learning and emotional growth after all.

And someday those little saplings would stand tall as proud partners, but first came that delicate dance of trust.

One familiar face was there among the parents. "Maple!" Sandy Shores hugged her briefly. "Feels like forever since we ran into each other." He looked off to where Spruce had run into the colt they had met that day, Dust Storm, and were already joyfully playing. "And they remember each other, right away. Aw..."

"Aw," joined Maple, watching the playing with just as warm a smile. "I should have thought of you being here, but it skipped my mind!" She turned to Winter and Summer, eagerly introducing the father she had run into.

Preschool was a fine time for parents to meet each other too. The whole family had a chance to grow together.

Author's Note

Welcome to school! But this is preschool, and pony preschool at that. Expect a lot of playtime.

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