Hush Now

Star Gazer turned over and groaned as the Junior Speedsters bugle thundered into his bunker. He wasn’t in the mood for today. He was never in the mood for the day if it meant another day at Junior Speedsters. As the bugle sounded again, and the other colts could be heard getting up and into the queue for the bathroom, Star Gazer covered his navy blue head with his pillow and tried to return to his dream. He was dreaming that he had escaped his Flight School for gifted wings and that he was exploring the mysterious land below.

Any Pegasus families that had been known to fly down and live on land were seen as rejects and weak-willed. Star-Gazer could remember his neighbour Mrs Doo flying down to land to search for a new life with her earth pony husband. The Gazers knew for sure that she wouldn’t be welcomed back if she changed her mind. Star Gazer never admitted it, but he had always envied the earth dwellers. It seemed like there was so much STUFF down there. Young pegusi weren’t allowed down to land until they were seen as old enough to be trusted. There was still a prejudice against non-flying equines in Cloudsdale. Not that anypony ever spoke of it.

"GAZER!" A deep growly voice echoed through the now empty bunker, causing Star Gazer to fall off his bunk. "GET YOUR PLOT OUT OF BED AND GET INTO RANK. UNLESS YOU'RE SOME DUMB EARTH PONY!" As Star sat up, rubbing away a migraine, he received a harsh kick in the rump from the owner of the voice, Mr Thunder. It wasn’t anything new. Star Gazer was always getting kicked about by the teachers here. Any slackers were treated like scum by everypony in the school. That was him. Scum.

Star Gazer quickly ran into his place in the assembly in the courtyard. The school was effectively a square exercise yard surrounded by harsh icy buildings that the students lived in, full of sinister looking assault courses and hard-bitten teachers with steel-toed horse shoes that were only a wrong look away from burying themselves into your side. It was a cold and windy place, kept like that all year round to toughen up the flyers. Assemblies were always arranged the same, girls on the left and boys on the right. Best ponies at the front and other creatures at the back,along with the slackers or social rejects. As Star Gazer kept his eyes down as to not cause himself more trouble with the instructors, he waited for the morning announcements and the ridiculous anthem to be over. At least during flying exercises, he could fly fast enough to not get beaten for being too slow without trying to hard.

As the assembly filed out and the classes separated for the day,  Star Gazer looked around at the glaring faces of his fellow pupils. He would have made an effort to talk to them, but he knew that they would be punished for not isolating him, so why bother?

"Alright Soldiers" Mr Thunder yelled. "I managed to convince the Principal to let us take a little field trip today. We're going outside the walls."

Star looked around at the alarmed faces in his class, surprised himself. Outside of the four walls wasn't allowed, because the Cloudsdale school inspectors had declared that practice outside of the campus was too dangerous.

"We're using my favourite old assalut course for you today." Thunder sniggered. A cocky smirk accross his face.

Star Gazer gulped, dreading what was to come...