Rosy's School Days

Rosy felt much more confident this time after walking inside the schoolhouse. Once she had gotten some friends, in the first day, she might add, she was now used to the environment filled with foals.

She was lucky enough to get the front seat in the classroom and sat there patiently. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were on her left and right, while Scootaloo was a row behind them. She waved at them, then switched her attention to the front of the class as Ms. Cheerilee entered the room.

After her greeting, she said, “Since we didn’t have enough time to learn about her today, Rosy will tell us a little bit of her history this morning before we start. Rosy, come up to the front, please.”

Rosy’s happiness drained from her face, turning her blood to ice, and her heart thudded faster. She couldn’t speak in front of ponies, much less ponies her age. Her rear planted roots inside the chair, and she couldn’t move. Again. This was the third time.

But, with Ms. Cheerilee’s pleading smile and eyes, Rosy sighed and slowly scuttled to the front and turned around. Huge, unblinking eyes haunted her every move, and she gulped.

“You can speak when ready,” Cheerilee said, breaking Rosy out of her stare. She shook her head, trying to ignore Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, then cleared her throat and thought of something to say without making a fool of herself.

“Um...” she stammered. “My name i-is Rosy Cheeks, I-I’m 11 years old, and I live in Ponyville Apartments.” To her relief, none of the ponies laughed at the last part, and Rosy straightened up some and continued. “My mother is named Sweet Cheeks, and my father was Crimson Rose. I know how to do all kinds of magic, too.”

Cheerilee raised an eyebrow at this. “Already you can do magic?” she asked. “Such a young age. Perhaps you can show us some magic?”

Rosy grinned. “I’d be happy to.” A plethora of ideas and options ran through her brain, and she focused her mind on Diamond Tiara’s crown. She lit up her horn to a blue spark, picked up her tiara, and put it on her own head. Diamond Tiara gasped.

“I’ll give it back,” Rosy said, smiling at her enemy’s misfortune. It was a sight for sore eyes to see her blubbering like an idiot. Cheerilee, on the other hoof, was happy to see this. Other foals agreed and stomped their hooves, hooting with awe.

Cheerilee said, “That was great, Rosy!” Then she saw poor Diamond Tiara’s face and said, “Now return her tiara, please.” It was obvious that the teacher couldn’t hide her amusement, though.

Rosy’s disappointment was pure. “Alright,” she sighed, then brought the crown back to her. Diamond Tiara huffed and faced the other direction.

“Anything else you would like to add?” Cheerilee said.

“I have my cutie mark, which is a heart-shaped rosebud, and-”

Someone’s hoof shot into the air and waggled around. Rosy pointed at the teal colt and said, ”You with the... eyebrows.” She really had nothing else to call him, and he seemed not to take offence from her comment.

“What does your cutie mark mean?” he asked, blinked black eyes at her.

Rosy shrugged. “I care for ponies really well, I guess...”

Another pony said, “So you’re, like, a foalsitter or something?”

“Well, no, I’m too young for that.”

“Then what do you do?” the same filly questioned.

Rosy groaned, “I just said that I care for ponies and their feelings really well...”

“Are you a psychiatrist?” To Rosy’s bit of surprise, it was Sweetie Belle. She shook her head.

“No, I’m not, now stop asking-”

“Can you put a spell on ponies so that they can fall in love with you?” said a young, tan colt.

Giving up on answering her classmates altogether, Rosy sighed and walked back to her desk, not caring to talk to them anymore.

Cheerilee was smiling, and Rosy felt for a split second like wiping the smile off of her muzzle, but she refrained from that and listened to the lesson. There were ponies asking multiple questions again, and Rosy wondered if they ever really learned anything from the school.

Finally, when what felt like a week passed, the bell screamed and it was time for recess. Rosy charged out the door and was one of the first to get out.

She was about to debate on either the teeter totter or the slide, but Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were approaching her. Rosy began panicking, not knowing if she should run or not. If she ran, they could probably catch up to her. If she stayed, Celestia knows what would happen.

Before her mind was set, Diamond Tiara stood in front of her. “Hello,” she said. Her voice wasn’t as nasty as it was the other day. It was as if she was... happy to see her? Somehow it seemed forced, though, so Rosy was doubtful. “How’s your day been?”

“Uh,” she said quietly. “Good, I guess.”

Her smile seemed to widen a mile. “That’s great! Hey, wanna know a secret?”

“A secret?” Rosy repeated. Diamond Tiara nodded. “Well, I don’t like keeping secrets from other ponies-”

“Great!” the prissy filly said, then wrapped a hoof around her neck and pulled her closer. “Okay, you have to promise to never tell Ms. Cheerilee this. Ever.”

Rosy cast a worried glance over at Silver Spoon, who was shaking her head to agree with her friend. She sighed, then whispered, “Fine.”

“Alright. So, you know the Cutie Mark Crusaders, right?”

“Yeah...” she murmured, nodding.

Her smile widening, she continued, “They tried to hurt me this morning.”

Rosy gasped. She tried to pull away, but Diamond Tiara had quite the tight grip. “Seriously?”

“Seriously. They were closing up on me like hyenas. I barely escaped without a scratch, but it was very close. Do you know how much trouble you’d be in if you were caught with them, knowing of their terrible, hidden personalities?” Diamond Tiara hissed.

Rosy suddenly felt like she had committed murder. Somehow she was falling for it. But should she believe them or not? “I wouldn’t want that...” she said, totally unsure about this. “What can I do, then?”

“You can either be a tattle-tail,” she said in mock thought. “Or, you could join us so you don’t get in any trouble. What do you say?”

Rosy sighed, thinking about the consequences. And, for the most part, there were none. “O-okay,” she said.

Diamond Tiara got up, smiled then walked away, her steps in perfect rhythm with Silver Spoon’s. She looked back with glaring blue eyes, expecting her to follow. Rosy, not sure of what else to do, got up and followed until she was in sync as well, yet not as perfect.

Behind them, out of earshot, the Cutie Mark Crusaders stared in awe and silence. Finally, Apple Bloom spoke up.

“What... just... happened?”

Scootaloo frowned and answered, “I think Rosy just went to the dark side...”