Hey everypony, I'm so glad you all liked my last chapter.

I'd like to thank you all for sticking by me through the story so far.

By the way, I decided to have Matt and Twilight's wedding in Ponyville. I got a lot of people saying they would like to see it there.

I know a lot of you said Canterlot and that it's a romantic place for a wedding, I understand that and they were all very good points. But a Ponyville wedding is a different turn, don't you think?

Chapter 31: School's not out

It's been 3 days since Luna confessed her feelings to me. The day after she did, Me and Twilight went over to her castle to check on her.

We had a good long conversation about it and Luna seemed very calm about it, she kept saying that she was fine and that she had already moved on.

Once she made it clear to us, we left her castle and went back to Ponyville. We were glad Luna felt better, now we could stop worrying and focus on our wedding

Ponyville Library

Me and Twilight were in the front room of the library. We were both sitting by the table, we sat beside each other as we tried to plan our wedding.

There was a sheet of paper lying in front of us on the table; we were using it to write down the plans. Twilight used her magic to hover a pencil over the paper before she read out what we'd written so far.

"Alright, so we've already booked the gazebo for our altar, the outside of town hall for our reception party area, and Princess Celestia was kind enough to give us a room at her castle for our honeymoon. Isn't this great?" Twilight asked me with a large smile.

I smiled back as I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's coming to together nicely. Just think, Twilight! Soon we'll be like a big whole family. You, me, Spike, Jeff and Peewee."

Twilight gave me a sweet smile. "Matt, we're already a family, and that includes you." she said sweetly.

I smiled warmly at her. "Thanks, Twi…I love you."

"I love you too, Matt. And I always will, no matter what." Twilight said.

We then leaned in closer to each other before we kissed passionately; we were so lost in our kiss that we didn't hear the door on the other side of the room open. Spike then walked in to see us kissing.

He then quickly placed his hands over his eyes. "Ahh…look, I'm really happy for you two. But can you please do that somewhere else!" he said.

Me and Twilight heard him; causing us to snap out of our trace. We then broke the kiss before we looked over to Spike. "Sorry, Spike. We were just having a moment." I said as I smiled sheepishly at him.

Spike then removed his hands from his eyes before he walked over to us. Once he reached us, he looked at the sheet of paper on the table "What're you guys doing anyway?" he asked.

"Oh, we were just going over our plans for the wedding. We've made a lot of progress with them." Twilight told him.

Spike smiled. "That's great, Twilight. I'm glad it's going well. Anyway, I just came in to remind a certain somepony about his certain job." He said as he looked at me with a raised eye brow.

I gave him a confused look. "Why is he looking at me like that? And is he talking about my job with Applejack?...wait a minute!" I thought as I became worried.

"What time is it?" I asked out loud before I looked up at the clock on the wall, I then saw that it was nearly 12PM.

"DAMN, I'm nearly late. I've been so busy with the wedding planning that I forgot all about it, I have to go." I quickly said before I rushed past the table and up the stairs.

I then grabbed my saddle bag with my mouth before I threw it onto my back. I then rushed back down the stairs and up to Twilight.

"Sorry that I have to go like this, but I'm gonna be late. I'll see you later, love ya." I quickly said before I gave Twilight a quick peck on the lips before I galloped towards the front door.

"Love you too, Matt. Have a nice day!" Twilight called as she watched me gallop across the room.

"I'll try." I responded before I finally reached the front door. I then used one of my front hooves to grab the doorknob before I quickly opened the door and galloped out the library.

As I galloped farther away from the library, I started to flap my wings before I took off into the air and flew in the direction towards Sweet Apple Arches.

Meanwhile, Twilight and Spike watched me fly away from the doorway. Spike then turned his head to look up at Twilight.

"Huh, you two are the perfect match alright; he freaks out when he's late just like you." Spike said before he walked back into the library.

Twilight just rolled her eyes and she followed him as she closed the front door with her magic.

Sweet Apple Arches

After a short flight, I landed in front of Sweet Apple Arches and galloped into the farm land.

Up ahead, I saw Applejack in front of the barn with my delivery cart beside her.

As I got closer to her, Applejack noticed me. "There ya are, I was startin' to wonder if ya'all were comin'." She said.

I then stopped in front of her and panted from exhaustion. "…Sorry, Applejack…I was a bit busy and I…kinda lost track of time…" I said between breaths.

Applejack raised her eye brow. "What were ya doin'?" she asked.

After I caught my breath, I answered her. "I was busy with Twilight, we were planning our wedding and I got a little caught up with it." I said.

Applejack then smiled. "I understand, plannin' a weddin' takes a lot of thinkin'. Besides, ya made it on time, so there's no need to worry. Now, let's get'cha strapped up and ready to go!" she said.

I nodded before I turned around to let her strap the cart onto me.

Applejack then grabbed the shafts of the cart before she pulled it over to me; she then attached the shafts onto my back. Now I was ready to go.

"Alright, ya'all set. I'll see ya when ya get back." Applejack said.

I turned my head to face her. "Thanks, Applejack. See ya later." I said before I started walking towards the farms exit while pulling the cart along behind me.

Applejack waved me off as she watched me walk away.

Once I made it out of the farm, I headed towards town to begin my deliveries.

Later: Ponyville Schoolhouse

After making a number of deliveries, I finally came to my last delivery at the Schoolhouse.

I pulled my cart up to the school before I unfastened the straps so the carts shafts weren't attached to my back anymore; causing the cart to tilt forward until the shafts touched the ground.

I then walked around to the cart before I reached my head into it and pulled out a large sack of apples, which was heavy. "Damn, how many apples do these kids need?" I thought.

I dragged the sack over to the front door of the school before I let go of the sack and knocked on the door.

After a few minutes, the door opened to reveal Miss Cheerilee behind it. Once she saw it was me, she smiled. "Why hello, Matthew. What brings you by?" she asked kindly.

I used all my strength to lift the sack up before I placed it down in front of her. "I've brought your lunch deliveries, Miss Cheerilee." I answered.

Cheerilee looked down at the sack and smiled. "Oh yes, of course. Just bring it in and I'll get your pay." She said.

I nodded. "Sure thing." I said before I grabbed the top of the sack with my mouth and Cheerilee walked back into the school with me following behind while dragging the sack with me.

As I entered the Schoolhouse, I looked around at the class room, it was much bigger then it was on the show. I then looked at the fillies and colts; they were each sitting on wooden stools in front of a wooden desk talking amongst each other.

There were a few kids I recognized, like Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Sips, Snails, and unfortunately Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

Cheerilee then stopped in front of her desk which was in front of the chalk board before she turned around to face me. "Wait there and I'll get your pay from my desk." She said.

I then placed the sack down in front of me so I could speak. "Alright." I said before Cheerilee walked around behind her desk and started searching through the drawers.

As I waited for Cheerilee to find the money, Applebloom noticed me and smiled. "Hey, it's Matt." she said; catching the attention of Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo before they looked over to me.

The three fillies then jumped off from their stools before they walked over to me. Once they were close enough, I noticed them and smiled down at them. "Hey girls, I haven't seen you in a while. How've ya been?" I asked.

"We've been fine." Scootaloo answered.

I then looked at Sweetie Belle. "Hey, Sweetie. I'm glad to see you're feeling better. I was worried about you for a while." I said as I tussled Sweetie's mane with my hoof.

I then removed my hoof before she smiled up at me. "Thanks, Matt. But I don't think I'll be cooking my own food for a while. Ooooh…I can still taste them." she groaned as she held her stomach.

Even though it was a while ago now, I still felt bad for her. "Yeah, sorry you got sick." I said.

Sweetie Belle gave me a sweet smile. "It's ok, I'm much better now."

I gave her a warm smile "I'm glad to hear that. Anyway, any luck gettin' your cutie marks?" I asked.

Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo then looked down at the floor. "No." they all said in disappointment at the same time.

I gave then a small smile. "Aww its ok, girls. You'll get your cutie marks eventually."

They then looked back up at me. "Well, enough about us! I hear you're gonna marry Twilight, is it true?" Sweetie Belle asked.

I nodded. "Yep, I can't wait. Soon we'll be together forever." I said.

"Awwww." Applebloom and Sweetie Belle said with large smiles, Scootaloo just pointed her hoof in her mouth in disgust.

Meanwhile, Snips was listening in on our conversation. "Did she say 'Matt'?...as in, Matthew?" he asked himself.

Snips didn't take his eyes away as he reached his hoof over to the next desk where Snails was sitting. "Snails!...Snails! Did you hear what she said that guy's name was?" he asked.

Snips didn't get an answer; instead he got the sound of snoring. He looked over to Snails' desk to see him sleeping with his head lying on the desk.

"SNAILS!" Snips yelled in a winey voice, causing Snails to wake up and shoot his head up off the desk.

"DAH, oh, I'm awake." Snails said as he sifted his eye back and forth.

Snips rolled his eyes. "Never mind that! Look over there!" he said in excitement as he pointed at me.

Snail's the looked over to me, but his attention was suddenly taken by the sack of apples behind me. "Mmm…food." He said as he drooled slightly.

Snips face-hooved himself. "Not the sack, the delivery-pony. I think that's Matthew."

Snails then turned his attention to me. "No way." He said in amazement.

At that moment, Snips and Snails jumped up off the stools and walked over to me and the girls.

Once they reached us, they looked up at me. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my GOSH. Are you Matthew? As in, the one who saved Canterlot?" Snips asked in excitement.

I gave him a small smile. "Err…yeah, that's me." I answered.

Snips and Snails then looked at each other in excitement before they looked back up at me. "Oh, this is so cool. I can't believe we're actually meeting you." Snips said.

"Yeah, you were awesome when you fought that Thorn guy up in Canterlot. What was the fight like? Did he nearly kill you?" Snails asked.

I looked down at them with a raised eye. "The fight was the darkest, nastiest experience of my life….and yes, he nearly killed me, but the sun rose up before he could do it." I said.

Snips and Snails stared at me with the mouths open in amazement. "…Awesome." They both said at the same time.

I was slightly confused by this attention from them. "Err…thanks, but it's not that big of a deal anymore, it was just something that'll likely be forgotten eventually." I stated.

Snips and Snails then gasped loudly with their eyes wide opened. "Likely be forgotten? There's not a pony in Ponyville who'd forget that battle." Snips said.

Applebloom nodded. "Yeah, even Granny Smith wouldn't forget somethin' like that. And that's sayin' somethin'." She said.

"That battle was legendary; no one ever expected a pony like you to defeat a pony as evil as Thorn. Snails stated.

I still didn't understand, but I decided to just go along with it. "Well, you know…I was just doing what was right, I guess."

"Yeah, one of the parts of the battle I liked was when you grabbed Thorn by his horn before you spun around and bucked him right in the jaw." Snips said.

I then grew slightly worried. "You haven't been doing that to other ponies, have you?" I asked.

Snips quickly shook his head. "No, I'd never do that. But…can you show me how you did a buck like that? I've been trying to do it, but it doesn't feel right."

Snips then bent his hind-legs up before he bucked then out; it looked kinda slow and weak. "See, I don't think I'm doing it right." He said.

I wasn't sure if I should teach him a move like that, but he said he wouldn't use it in a fight. "If I show you how to do it, will you promise not to use it to hurt anypony?" I said in a firm voice.

Snips quickly nodded in excitement.

"Alright, what you need to do is add a little more thrust to it. Imagine you're trying to knock down an entire tree and you need to use all the strength you got to do it." I said before I bent my hind-legs up.

"Once you've got in position, you focus all your strength into your legs. Before you release them in one…big…BUCK." I said before I shot my hind-legs out.

Unknown to me, the sack of apples were still behind me. My strong buck accidently pushed the sack over and the apples spilled out onto the floor. I heard to sound of the apples falling before I placed my hind-legs back on the floor and looked behind me to see the mess I made.

"…Oops." Was all I said.

Just then, Cheerilee brought her head up from out of her desk drawers with a small brown bag in her mouth. She then started to walk back around the desk to reach me.

"Here you are, Matthew." Cheerilee muffled.

Suddenly, she stepped on one of the apples on the floor and started to lose her balance. As she started wobbling around, her other hoof stepped on another apple. Soon enough, she was wobbling around the spot like there was no floor for her to stand on.

Eventually, Cheerilee slipped over and the apples splattered underneath her as she landed on them. However, it was not over for her. The apple gunk underneath her was slippery, eventually causing her to slide towards the kids desks.

The other kids watched her with shocked faces as Cheerilee slid passed them with great speed, until she crashed against the back wall with a loud crash and smash sound.

Me, the girls, Snips and Snails just stood there with our eyes wide and our mouths hanging. We were all stunned.

"…Oooh…that's gonna leave a mark." Scootaloo stated.

Moments later

Apparently, the crash had broken one of Cheerilee's hind-legs. We managed to get a medical-carriage to take her to the hospital. I felt so guilty about this.

Two medical ponies carried Cheerilee out of the school on a Stretcher. Which was on wheels because they couldn't carry it, instead they pushed it along with their heads.

As they stopped behind the carriage, I walked up beside Cheerilee and looked down at her as she lay on the Stretcher. "Miss Cheerilee, I'm so sorry. It was all my fault, I didn't mean for that to happen." I said.

Cheerilee lifted her head up and smiled. "It's ok, Matt. I know it was an accident, but I guess I won't be teaching today." She said.

Cheerilee then turned her head to face all the kids who were standing outside the school. "Alright, my little ponies. I'm afraid school will have to be cancelled for today." She announced.

Even though they didn't react, I knew they were thrilled about this news.

I looked back down at Cheerilee. "Cheerilee, if there's anything you want me to do while you're gone, just let me know!"

"Well…there is one thing." Cheerilee said.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Oh, it's nothing. It'll be too much to place on you." Cheerilee stated.

"Miss Cheerilee, please! I want to help you, just tell me what you want me to do!" I said calmly.

"Well you see, I won't be able to teach for a while, and I need someone to fill in for me…so…do you think you could do it?" Cheerilee asked.

My eyes then widened before my left one twitched slightly. "W-W-What?" I stuttered.

"Please, it's only for a few days. Besides, you're the only pony I can get at such short notice. Please, Matthew." Cheerilee begged.

I looked into her eyes to see that she was really desperate, and I just couldn't say no to a cry-for-help like that. "(Sigh)…fine." I groaned.

Cheerilee smiled in delight. "Oh, thank you, Matthew. You don't know how much this means to me."

"Yeah, well…I'll do my best." I said in an unexcited tone.

At that moment, the two medical ponies managed to use their front hooves to lift the Cheerilee's Stretcher up before they placed her in the back of the carriage.

"Thanks again, Matthew. I appreciate this very much." Cheerilee said.

The medical ponies then climbed into the carriage with her before they closed the back doors, the pony in front of the carriage then started pulled it away before taking it down the path that lead to the hospital; leaving me alone with all the kids.

There was a moment silence, until. "School's out early." Snails cheered before the rest of the kids galloped into the town while cheering.

I looked behind me to see that only Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were still here. I gave them a small smile. "Come on, girls! I'll walk you all home." I said.

I then started to walk into town with the three fillies following behind. However, I couldn't help but think about what I was going to do tomorrow. "What am I going to do? I can't teach these kids, I don't have any experience as a teacher. Plus, I hate school, I always have. The last thing I want to do is be a teacher." I thought with worry.

My thoughts kept bothering me as I took Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to each of their homes.

The next day: Library

We soon got a message from the hospital about Cheerilee's condition; it said that she wouldn't be able to teach the school for a few weeks, which kinda made things harder for me.

I was sitting in front of Twilight's large mirror with Twilight standing behind me while using her magic to try and tie a small black bow-tie around my neck.

"Twilight, I don't know if I can do this." I said nervously.

"Well, what can we do, Matt? Miss Cheerilee can't teach until her leg heals, and somepony needs to step in for her." Twilight said before she finished tying the bow-tie.

I got up and turned around to face her. "Oooh, why can't you do it? I mean, you are smarter than me. Imagine what you could teach these kids!" I said.

Twilight gave me a small smile. "Matt, its sweet of you to think that. But Miss Cheerilee asked you to do it, and it's kinda your fault she's hurt in the first place, so you basically owe her." She said.

"It was an accident; you know I didn't mean to hurt her." I argued.

Twilight then placed her hoof on my shoulder. "Of course I do, but she left the school in your hooves. Besides, it's just for a few weeks. You can cope until then, right?"

"But what about my job working for Applejack? I can't deliver her supplies if I'm teaching at the Schoolhouse." I said.

Twilight then removed her hoof from my shoulder. "Don't worry about that! I told Applejack about what happened and she's agreed to let you stay off while you're filling in for Miss Cheerilee. She said that Big Macintosh is more than willing to deliver the supplies while you're gone."

I let out a small groan as I hung my head slightly; Twilight then placed her hoof under my chin before she slowly lifted my head up to look in my eyes. She gave me a sweet smile. "You'll be fine, Matt. I think what you're doing is a great thing."

I gave her a small smile before I took a quiet deep breath and exhaled. "Ok…I'm ready." I said.

Me and Twilight then walked down stairs and up towards the front door of the library. Once we reached it, I turned my head to face Twilight beside me.

"See ya, Twi. I love you." I said before we shared a small kiss on the lips.

"Love you too, Matt." Twilight said sweetly before she used her magic to open the front door, I then walked out of the library.

"Good luck." I heard Twilight say kindly before she closed the door behind me.

I let out a small sigh before I walked into town and started heading to the Schoolhouse.

Later: Schoolhouse

It was early in the day and I had already set myself behind Cheerilee's desk.

All the kids were outside on the playground while they were waiting for the bell to ring which will tell them to come inside to start the day.

I was so nervous; I tried to calm myself by focusing on something else. For the last few minutes, I was trying to balance a pencil on the palm of my hoof, which wasn't as easy as it sounded.

Yet, I was still nervous. Every time I dropped the pencil, I was reminded where I was and what I was about to do. I picked up the pencil in my mouth before I placed it down on the desk. "Damn, I'm so nervous. I just know I'm gonna do something wrong." I thought.

I then noticed a red apple sitting on the left side of the desk; I managed to pick it up with my hoof as I looked at it. "Why doesn't Cheerilee ever eat these things? Maybe this will calm my nerves." I thought.

"Hold up, this is Cheerilee's apple, should I take it?" I asked myself. I gave it some thought before I made my decision.

"Ehh, I can get her another one. I do work for Applejack after all." I said.

I then took a bite out of the apple and I thought calming thoughts as I tasted the flavour.

Suddenly, there was a loud ringing noise which caused me to flinch in fright. I then recognized the sound as the school bell ringing, I knew it just a few seconds before the kids would come in and I'd have to start the lesson.

I placed the apple back down on the desk before I stroked my hoof though my mane to make it look a little better. I then put on a fake smile.

At that moment, the front door opened and the kids came in. I was relieved to see that Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had come in; I know they would help me if I mess up.

After all the fillies and colts sat down behind each of their desks, I got up and walked around the desk so I could start. "Ok, umm…good morning, kids. My name is Matthew and I'll be your substitute-teacher until Miss Cheerilee comes back."

At that moment, I saw a small pink hoof rise up. I looked to see it belonged to Diamond Tiara. "Err, yes, Diamond Tiara?" I asked.

Diamond Tiara lowered her hoof. "Aren't you the pony who caused Miss Cheerilee to break her leg in the first place?" she asked with a raised eye brow.

My fake smile then faded. "Well…yeah, but it was an accident. Plus, she asked me to fill in for her." I answered.

I then turned my attention to the rest of the kids. "I guess we should get started, huh? So, can anypony tell me where-"

I was interrupted my Diamond Tiara raising her hoof again. "Diamond Tiara?" I asked.

Diamond Tiara lowered her hoof back down. "I've heard of you, and I have a question….do you have any teaching experience?" she asked.

I began to sweat slightly before my fake smile returned. "Yeah, sure I do. I wouldn't be here if I didn't." I lied.

I once again turned to the rest of the kids. "Anyway, can anypony tell me where Miss Cheerilee left you off before…emm, the incident?"

"Oh, Miss Cheerilee was gonna let us go out into the playground and let us learn about…errr…air and stuff." Snips said in a suspicious voice.

I knew very well that he was trying to trick me. "Riiiiight."

I then turned to the other kids. "Anypony I can trust?" I asked; Snips groaned in failure.

Some of the kids all raised their hooves; I looked around until I saw Sweetie Belle. "Sweetie Belle!" I said as I pointed my hoof at her.

Sweetie Belle then lowered her hoof. "Miss Cheerilee was teaching us about geography, we have to read these textbooks." She said as she pointed to a big blue book on her desk.

I looked around to see that the other kids had the same type of book on their desks. "…Oh, ok then." I said.

I then walked back around behind my desk before I sat down, I looked down to see a blue book in front of me, it was the same type of book as the kids had.

I picked it up with my hooves before I opened it, the kids then did the same. "Alright, kids. Turn to page….errr." I said in confusion.

I flipped through the pages and didn't understand any of it; geography was never my best subject. In fact, I hated it all together.

I then decided to take things in a different direction.

"Alright, new plan. This is too hard, throw the books away." I said before I tossed the book behind me and it hit the chalkboard

The kids just sat there while staring at me with their books still in their hooves. "Go on, throw them away!" I said.

All the kids then did as I said and tossed the books behind them, the books all piled up in the back of the room.

I then walked back around to the front of my desk. "Alright, did Miss Cheerilee leave you any other kind of work to do?" I asked.

The room was silent before Applebloom raised her hoof. "Yeah, Applebloom?" I asked.

Applebloom then lowered her hoof. "Well…we did start readin' up on Pony History once before, but we never got around to finishin' it." she said.

I smiled. "Oh good, you guys do that and I'll see what I can do back here." I said before I started searching around my desk for something to work on.

As the kids jumped off the stools to get their history books, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon started whispering to each other.

"This guy is so lame, he can't even think up a subject for us to learn." Diamond Tiara said with a cold smirk.

"I know. This guy may be a hero, but he's certainly not teacher material. I'll give him at least three days before he cracks and runs home crying." Silver Spoon said with a mean smile.

"Three days? I'll give him the next ten minutes." Diamond Tiara said before they both snickered.

Unknown to them, Applebloom, Sweetie Bella and Scootaloo were listening in on them. They glared sharply at the mean fillies before Scootaloo let out a small grunt through her nostrils.

One hour later

While the kids read their history books quietly, I leaned back as far as I could go on my chair while staring up at the ceiling. I was bored out of my mind.

Even though this started an hour ago, it felt like forever. The only sound in the room was the ticking of the clock hanging up on the wall.

"When is that damn bell gonna ring? I hate all this waiting." I thought before I placed my hooves over my eyes in frustration. I then tried to entertain myself by looking through Cheerilee's desk drawers.

There were a lot of sheets of paper in one of them, so I decided to leave that one and shut the drawer. I then opened one of the other ones to see a first-aid kit, I figured Cheerilee kept it here in case any of the kids got hurt. I then closed that drawer.

I opened the next one to see a clip-board, and the last one was empty. Now that I think about it, it wasn't very entertaining after all. I then closed the drawers before I resumed leaning back on my chair and looking up at the ceiling in boredom.

After a few short minutes, the bell rang and all the kids placed their books down. I looked up at the clock and smiled in delight. "Finally." I said under my breath.

I walked back around to the front of my desk as I looked at the kids. "Alright, kids. Time for recess, have fun!" I said.

All the kids then jumped off their stools before they walked towards the front door. Once they reached it, they all walked outside into the playground. I then followed them.

Once I got settled on the playground, I sat quietly on the grass as I watched the kids play in the yard.

Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were sitting by the bench as they wrote down new ideas on how they could get their cutie marks.

Snips and Snails were playing hide-and-seek with some of the other kids. However, Snails wasn't a good hider. He was hiding his head in the ground like an Ostrich.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were just reading their magazines that they brought in their saddlebags.

I got a little board of just sitting there, so I got up and walked over towards Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to see what they had thought up to get their cutie marks.

Once I reached them, I hovered my head over them and looked down at their notes. "…What'cha doing, girls?" I asked; causing the girls to jump with fright.

Once they saw it was me, they calmed down. "Matt…ya done went and scared the daylights out of me." Applebloom said.

I smiled sheepishly. "Sorry…so, have you three thought up any ideas on how to get your cutie marks?" I asked.

The girls smiled before Scootaloo picked up their note-pad and showed it to me.

"Yeah, we've got tons of new ideas. First, we're gonna go over to the lake to see if we're good a scuba-diving. If that doesn't work, we're gonna try to be chimney-sweeps. And if that doesn't work, we're gonna-" Scootaloo said before I interrupted.

"That's all very good, girls. But this is recess, you should be having fun." I said before I got an idea.

"Hey maybe if you play some kind of game, you might find you have a talent in it." I suggested.

The girls then looked at each other before they looked back up to me. "Do you think that'll work?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Could do, you won't know unless you find out." I said.

Scootaloo then grew a smirk on her face. "Ok, Matt. we'll play something…how about…tag?"

At that moment, Scootaloo quickly poked my chest with her hoof. "Tag, you're it." she called before she, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle galloped off in different directions.

I was surprised by the sudden act. "They want me to play with them? Didn't see that coming." I thought.

I then smirked as I let out a small chuckle. "Alright then, I'll play along." I said before I galloped off after Sweetie Belle.

I was inches away from her; she was fast for a little filly. Once I got close enough, I touched her back with my hoof. "You're it." I called.

I then turned around and galloped away from Sweetie Belle, she giggled before she started galloping after me. Sweetie Belle found it a bit hard to keep up with me, so she went after Scootaloo.

I watched as Scootaloo galloped as fast as she could away from Sweetie Belle, who was getting closer to her. Sweetie Belle then tagged Scootaloo before they changed positions. Now Scootaloo was chasing Sweetie Belle.

The funny thing is, I don't really like games like tag. But there was something about these three fillies that made me actually want to do it.

It was as if I was like a father who wanted to play with his daughters just to see them smile.

Sweetie Belle was actually out-running Scootaloo, Scootaloo was starting to tire out until she saw Applebloom. She grinned before she stopped chasing Sweetie Belle and went after Applebloom.

Applebloom noticed her before she started galloping faster, it wasn't long before Scootaloo reached her and tagged her. Now Applebloom was chasing Scootaloo.

However, Scootaloo was a fast runner. Applebloom put all her strength and effort into her own running, now they were running really fast…a little too fast.

I began to grow concerned for them. "Err…girls, you might want to slow down a bit. You're both going a bit too fast." I said as I watched them gallop past me.

As she ran as fast as she could, Applebloom looked back at me. "Don't worry, Matt! I run around the farm all the time and not once did I ever fa-AHHH."

Applebloom couldn't finish her sentence as she tripped over and hit the grass covered ground with a hard thud, I gasped before I galloped over to her.

Once I reached her, I gave her a concerned look as she slowly got up. "Applebloom, are you alright?" I asked in worry.

Applebloom then sat on the ground before she looked at the knee of her left leg; it had a small cut with dirt covering around it. Applebloom held her knee with her front hooves.

As Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo came over to us, I looked at her injury before I looked at the sadness in Applebloom's eyes. "It's alright, Applebloom, It's just a scratch. Come on! I'll take you back inside to get that patched up." I said sweetly.

I then lowered my body down to her level so she could climb up onto my back. Once she was on, I headed back inside to take care of her; leaving Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo watching us with concern.

Once inside, Applebloom was sitting on a stool while continuing to hold her knee in pain. I walked round to the back of my desk and opened the drawer which had the first-aid kit in it.

I took it out with my mouth and placed in on my desk before I opened it; revealing all sorts of medical things.

I then saw wet-wipes in a small plastic bag; I knew I could use those to clean the dirt from her knee. I opened the bag before I took one out with my mouth and walked over to Applebloom.

Once I was in front of her, I lifted my hoof and placed the wet-wipe on it so I could talk. "Ok, Applebloom. Just hold still so I can clean your knee!" I said.

Applebloom then removed her hooves from her knee before I slowly moved the wet-wipe towards it. I gently touched her knee with the wet-wipe before I slowly rubbed it; causing Applebloom to make a small whimpering sound.

I knew it must sting a little, but I could see that the dirt and the tiny amount of blood were clearing away as I wiped her knee.

Once her knee was clean, I pulled the dirty wet-wipe away from her. I then threw the wet-wipe in the bin next to the desk before I walked back to the open first-aid kit. I then saw a bottle of disinfectant and a small plastic bag of cotton-buds.

I knew it was going to sting her, but I didn't want her to get ill either. So I opened the bag and took out a cotton-bud, I then opened the disinfectant lid with my mouth before I held the cotton-bud on top of the bottle with my hoof.

I then managed the grab the bottle with my other hoof before I tipped the bottle over while still holding the cotton-bud on the top; I shook the bottle a few times to get some of the disinfectant onto the cotton-bud.

Once I knew it absorbed some, I stood the bottle back up before I walked back over to Applebloom while holding the cotton-bud on the palm of my hoof.

I gave her an honest look. "Ok, Applebloom. This might sting a bit, but it'll help." I said calmly.

Applebloom remained silent as she nodded; she then closed her eyes tight and prepared to feel whatever was coming.

I slowly moved the damp cotton-bud towards her injured knee before I carefully started dabbing the disinfectant on her wound.

Applebloom held her breath as she flinched slightly. "It's alright, Applebloom. Just relax and it'll be done before you know it." I said trying to calm her down.

Applebloom looked at me before she exhaled her breath, she then relaxed her leg; allowing me to continue, which I did.

After I few more dabs with the cotton-bud, I was done and her injury was covered with runny liquid. I gave her a proud smile. "See, that wasn't so bad. Now I'll just put a band-aid on it and we'll be done." I said.

I then threw the cotton-bud in the bin before I looked back into the first aid kit. I easily saw the box of band-aids and I took one out with my mouth before I walked back over to Applebloom.

Once I reached her, I held the band-aid on my hoof as I used my mouth to peel off the peelings before I moved it towards Applebloom's knee.

I stuck the band-aid carefully over Applebloom's wound before I gave it a gentle pat to make sure it was stuck on right. "All done." I said.

Applebloom then looked at her knee and smiled, something I really wanted to see from her at this point. She then looked at me with a sweet smile. "Thanks, Matt. I feel kinda better now." She said before she wrapped her small arms around my neck and gave me a soft hug.

I was surprised by this sudden embrace; I then smiled warmly before I hugged her back. "It's alright, Applebloom." I said quietly as I stroked the back of her head with my hoof.

The hug felt soft and warm, I began to realise why Cheerilee liked her job so much. She didn't do it just to teach kids, she did it so she could spend time with them and make them happy. I felt as though…I now wanted to be here with all these kids.

Me and Applebloom then broke the hug before I smiled down at her. "Hey, there's still a few minutes of recess left. Wanna go back outside?" I asked.

Applebloom nodded. "Yeah, I'll probably take things a little slower this time." She said before she walked past me.

I chuckled. "Yeah, that may be the best idea." I joked before I followed her back out into the playground.

Many minutes later

Once again, all the kids were quietly reading their history books while I was sitting behind my desk waiting for the next bell to ring.

I was also bored again. "This is starting to get dull…(bored sigh)…what can I do to pass the time?" I thought.

I then looked over to the book-shelf across the room and I grew curious. "Hmm…maybe there's an interesting book I can read." I said to myself before I got up and walked towards the book-shelf.

Once I reached the book-shelf, I looked threw the row of books to see if there were any I might like. I then saw a book that said the words Myths & Legends on the spine, I then shrugged. "I always did like these kind of books." I said.

I then grabbed the book with my mouth before I pulled it out from the row of books and brought it back to my desk. I placed it down on my desk before I sat back down behind it.

I then grabbed the book with my hooves before I opened it and started flipping through the pages.

See how this world already contained mythical creatures, there wasn't much about them in the book. It was more about lands and cities that may or may-not be real. Some creatures were mentioned, but I've never heard of creatures like them.

As I continued flipping, I found a page with a picture of a giant, shiny, blue castle. "Oh, what's this?" I asked myself.

I read the title of the page and gave it a confused look. "The Crystal Empire?" I said before I read through it, though I wasn't taking much interest.

"Let's see!...Crystal Ponies…blah, blah, blah…evil king…blah, blah, blah…mysteriously disappeared and hasn't been seen for at least a thousand years." I read.

I then smiled in amusement. "Yeah right, what's next? Atlantis?" I joked before I turned over to the next page.

As I turned threw many pages, I found one which had a picture of a dark scary looking mountain. I then read the title of the page. "Mount Forbidden…well, this is more like it." I said before I started reading the story.

"For many, many years, even before Celestia and Luna claimed their thrones, a giant mountain has casted a dark shadow in Equestria. Ponies would only talk of the mountain is whispers, because they believed it was the only dark point in the land at that time. All ponies where forbidden to go into the land for their safety, hence the name.

The mountain is surrounded by dead land covered in sharp rocks and deep trenches, which also have sharp rocks at the bottom.

There is a cloud of thick fog that spreads a bit beyond the lands edge; ponies who have gone in the fog have claimed to have heard whispers in it, voices crying out for help and mercy. Mercy from what, we do not know.

Nopony has ever dared to climb or even go near the dead lands; even the birds don't fly over it. If any pony has attempted to explore the darkened land, they have never returned to tell of their discoveries. Ever they've fallen to the sharp rocks that cover the land, had got stuck and died there, or they have been devoured by any kind of creature that would live there. But nopony has the slightest idea what kind of creature would even want to live there.

The land is uninhabited, though ponies who live near the mountain have claimed to have seen a mysterious green glow coming from the caves inside the mountain at night. It is uncertain if this confirms any intelligent life living within the walls of the mountain, but many are willing to believe.

Some call it Cursed, some call it The Underworld Come to Life, but most ponies call it…The Land of Evil."

*RIIIIIIIIIIING*

I jumped back on my stool in fright as the lunch bell rang; my frightened act attracted the attention of the kids. "Matt, are you ok?" Scootaloo asked.

I looked at her before I placed the book down. "Huh? Oh…yeah, I'm alright. Time for lunch, everypony." I said.

As the kids all went outside to eat in the warm sun, I looked down at the book. "Whow…that's a powerful book, I actually have chills." I chuckled.

I then took the book back to the book-shelf before I placed it back; I then headed towards the door to join the kids.

Once I reached the doorway, I felt a cold shiver down my spine as I thought about what I just read. I looked back at the book-shelf and gave the book a surreptitious look. I then decided to forget about it and I continued walking into the playground.

The kids were all sat by benches as they ate their lunch which Big Macintosh brought before, looks like he really is filling in for me. I was eating alone in silent as I ate my apples.

I tried to block it out, but the thought of the story in that book kept creeping up in my mind. "That story was kinda creepy, all the dark stuff it said about that place, it sounded like hell. Oh, what am I thinking? It was a book about myths and legends, they're not all real, most of the stories in that book are probably make-believe." I thought.

Just then, I felt a hoof tap my right side. I turned my head to see a small white colt with large light brown spots on his coat; he had an apple in his mouth. "What's up, little fella?" I asked.

The young colt placed his apple down on the ground before he spoke. "Excuse me, Mr Matthew! But can I sit next to you while I eat? There's no room left on the benches." He said in a British voice, which surprised me.

After hearing the sound of his voice, I knew straight away that he was Pipsqueak. I just didn't recognize him without the pirate costume.

I smiled down at him. "Ok then." I said before I moved over across the bench to give him some room to sit beside me, I then took a bite out of my apple.

Pipsqueak then picked up his apple before he sat beside me; he then started to eat his apple. As we both ate, I looked down at him before I swallowed a chewed up chuck of my apple. "So…you're British too, huh?" I said.

Pip looked at me before he swallowed his chuck of apple. "I guess so, but your British voice sounds different to mine."

"Oh, that's because I'm from the North-West of Britain, your voice sounds more like…Cockney." I said.

"Oh." Pip said before we both went back to eating, it didn't last long before Pip turned his head back to face me.

"So, are you really the pony who fought Thorn and saved Canterlot?" Pip asked curiously.

I then looked down at him before I swallowed the chuck of apple. "Yeah, I am." I answered.

Pip smiled in amazement. "Wow, you saved Princess Luna that night. She's my favourite Princess ever."

I chuckled. "Believe me, Pip. I know." I said.

Pip gave me a confused look. "How do you know my name?" he asked.

My eyes widened slightly. "Errr…my fiancé, Twilight, told me about you. She said that you dressed up like a pirate for Nightmare Night last year." I said hoping he'd believe me.

Pip then smiled again. "Oh, alright then." He said before we both went back to eating our apples once again.

Once again, Pip looked up at me. "Thanks, by the way, for letting me sit with you. Sometimes, nopony would let me sit next to them."

I looked down at him with a raised eye brow. "Why, can't you sit with those friends who were with you on Nightmare Night?"

"Yeah, but all the seats on their bench are taken." Pip said.

"Well, don't worry! When you have nowhere to sit, you can sit next to me." I stated with a smile.

Pip smiled warmly up at me. "Thanks, Mr Matthew." He said.

We then continued eating for the rest of lunch.

Many minutes later

It was finally getting to that time; it'll be time for the kids to go home any minute now.

As I sat behind my desk, I looked up at the tickling clock to see it wasn't long before the bell would ring; the kids were spending these last few minutes talking amongst each other.

I then got up off my stool and walked around to the front of my desk so I was in front of the kids. I then cleared my throat. "Emm…excuse me, kids! Can I say somethin'?" I said.

The kids then went silent as they looked at me. Once I saw that all the kids were looking at me, I spoke. "Ok, I just want to say that…I've really enjoyed being your teacher today. I really proud of all of you for being so good with me, you all really made my first day easy. Thank you."

All the kids had proud smiles on their faces, except for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon who both had unsatisfied looks on their faces with their arms crossed.

I looked back up at the clock to see that it was a minute away before they bell; I then looked back at the kids. "Well, it's been a good day. Again, I'm very proud of you all and I hope you've enjoyed today."

"Yeah right." Diamond Tiara said under her breath before I continued.

"So, get all your things, put them in your saddle bags and I'll see you all tomorrow…bye." I said with a small wave.

"Wait, Matt? What about the campin' trip?" Applebloom asked out loud.

I gave her a confused look. "Camping trip? What camping trip?" I asked curiously.

"Miss Cheerilee was gonna take us on a camping trip in two weeks, she said it would be a good way to learn about nature and how to survive in it." Sweetie Belle explained.

"Well…what do you want me to say about it?" I asked.

"You're supposed to tell us what to bring for the trip. You know, stuff like that." Scootaloo said.

I got the idea now, and I quickly thought up something. "Oh right…errr…bring your own sleeping-bag or tent, whatever fits you! Bring a flashlight…err…you know, things you might need when you're camping. Can everypony do that?" I asked.

At that moment, all the kids nodded. I was glad they could all bring their own things; I wouldn't have any idea on how to get the things for them. Suddenly, the bell rang.

"Ok, I guess we're all settled with the camping thing. Enjoy the rest of your day! I hope to see you all tomorrow." I said.

With that, all the kids jumped off their stools before they grabbed their saddle bags and headed towards the exit. I was the first one to walk out.

I stood by the schools entrance as I watched the kids walked past me. Snips and Snails came out and stopped before they looked up at me. "Hey Matt, that was a really easy day. Why can't all school days be like this?" Snips asked.

I shrugged. "It's school, it's supposed to be boring." I joked before we both shared a chuckle.

"See you tomorrow, Matt." Snails said before he and Snails continued to walk out of the school.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon came out next and looked up at me. "Those lessons were a waste of time; all we did was sit at our desks while reading history books." Diamond Tiara complained.

"It's my first day, what did you expect? Plus, they were history books, so you technically learned something." I stated.

Diamond Tiara let out a loud groan before she and Silver Spoon continued to walk away.

Pipsqueak then came out. "Thanks for today, Mr Matthew. And thanks for letting me sit with you during lunch." He said kindly.

I smiled warmly down at him. "No problem, Pip. Maybe you can sit next to me tomorrow."

Pip grew a large smile. "Really?" he said in excitement.

I chuckled. "Really, kid." I said before I tussled his mane with my hoof. Pip then also continued to walk away.

After the other fillies and colts left, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were the last ones out. They smiled up at me. "Not bad for your first day, Matt." Scootaloo said with a smirk.

"Thanks, Scootaloo. Was I really good? I'm not so sure." I said with an unsure look on my face.

"Trust us! You were fine. It'll take a few days to get the hang of it, but you'll get there." Sweetie Belle said with confidence.

As Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle left, Applebloom walked up to me with a sweet smile. "Thanks for fixin' my knee before, Matt. I owe ya one." She stated.

I smiled down at her. "You don't owe me anything; just take it easy when you're playing rough! Ok?"

"Don't worry! I will. See ya tomorrow, Matt." Applebloom said as she walked away to follow the others.

Once the kids were out of sight, I locked up the school and started making my way to the library.

"Well, today went better than I thought. It might get harder eventually, but I think I'll manage somehow. I might go see Cheerilee and ask if she has some pointers on how to do this job right. I'll see her sometime later, right now I just want to get home to Twilight and rest." I thought as I walked into the streets of Ponyville.

That night: Library

We all had already gone to bed and were asleep, everyone except me.

I was sitting up on the bed with a book in my hooves; I had the bed-side table lamp on so I could see. I couldn't believe it really, I was up reading while Twilight was sleeping, crazy.

I was reading up on how to camp, I never when camping that much back in England.

Just then, Twilight rolled her body over to face me. The glow from the lamp caused Twilight to slowly wake up to see me reading. She leaned up slightly and rubbed one of her eye with her hoof.

"Matt…(yawn)…it's the middle of the night, don't you think you should stop reading and go to sleep?" Twilight asked.

An awkward look then came on her face. "Wow, that sounded wired coming from me. Anyway, why are you reading so late?"

I turned my head to face Twilight before I showed her the cover so she could see the title; it said 'How to camp in the wilderness'.

"I have to know how to camp before the camping trip with the kids; Cheerilee was apparently going to take them out camping to learn about nature and stuff." I explained.

"Matt, I'm glad you feel more confinable about this teaching thing, and I'm glad you're taking an interest in what you're doing with them, but do you really need to read the book now? I mean, when is this camping trip anyway?" Twilight asked.

"Err…two weeks." I answered with a sheepish smile, Twilight then looked at me with narrow eyes.

"Fine, I'll read it tomorrow." I said groaned before I closed the book and placed it down on the counter beside the lamp, I then turned the lamp off.

I gave Twilight a small kiss on the cheek before I laid down on the bed and rested my head on the pillow. Twilight then rested her head on her pillow before she closed her eyes. "Goodnight, Matt."

"Goodnight, Twilight." I said quietly before I closed my eyes to sleep.

Meanwhile: Mount Forbidden

The leader alicorn was sitting in front of the large green pool; he had his eyes closed as he breathed silently through his nose. He looked like he was in deep thought.

At that moment, Zelga came into the room.

Without her even saying a word, the alicorn growled as he slowly opened his blood red eyes. "Zelga…this had better be important, I was trying to find some peace." He said.

Zelga bowed her head. "Apologies, brother. But I have news about our little puppet." She said with a devious grin.

The alicorn slowly turned his head to face her. "You have given Luna the potion scroll?" he asked.

"…Yes, brother." Zelga answered.

The alicorn chuckled darkly. "And…she's plans to make it and use it on Matthew?"

Zelga hesitated for a second before she answered. "She…hasn't decided yet." She admitted.

The alicorn's grin then faded. "That's disappointing; maybe your plan isn't as good as you thought." he said in a cold voice.

"N-No, brother. I-It will work, I promise you." Zelga said in a slightly frightened voice.

"It had better, because if it doesn't…I won't be pleased." He growled with a snarl.

"Trust me, brother!...Luna's in a mid-life crises right now, she's miserable. Her only option to help herself is to use the potion." Zelga stated.

The alicorn grinned as he stood up on his hooves, his wings made a sound that sounded like bits of metal tapping together as he stood.

"Hahaha. Soon...Luna will make the potion; Matthew will drink it and fall deeply in love with her. Little does the dear Princess know is that the love potion is very strong. Once Matthew drinks it, he will be so in love with Luna that he won't care what happens to Ponyville or Canterlot, he won't even notice us as we destroy the very town he loves." Zelga said with a wicked smile.

"And when the potion wares off, he will see all the destruction that he let happen, He'll be so ashamed with himself. I wouldn't be surprised if he ended his own life to get away from the pain. Haha." The alicorn laughed with a dark voice.

The alicorn then walked up to Zelga as if he was going to walk pasted her. He stopped beside her and turned his head to face her.

"Pray she doesn't disappoint me, Zelga! Because if she does, you fail me. And nopony fails me…and lives." He threatened before he continued walking past her; leaving Zelga in a frighten stun.

As the leader alicorn walked out of the room, the other male alicorn came out from the shadows and walked up to Zelga.

His mane and tail were formed completely out of red flames.

"Why do we let him do this? We're his siblings and he treats us like useless filth. Why, if I was in-charge I'd-" the alicorn said before he was interrupted.

"Be dead in a few days, there's a reason he's the leader and you are not. We do exactly as he says, no arguments!" Zelga stated in a growl.

The alicorn growled with his teeth bearing. "Why can't you admit our brother is unfit to be leader? Thorn is dead because he decided Thorn should go through with his plan alone. We should have done it together."

"You seem to forget who our brother is and what he can do, do you really desire to disagree with his rule over this mountain? With his orders?" Zelga asked with a glare.

"…N-No…" the alicorn growled while looking down at the floor.

Zelga nodded. "Good…now be a good boy and listen to your superiors! I need to attend to our little…secret weapon." She said in a sly voice as she rubbed the alicorn's chin with her hoof.

Zelga then removed her hoof before she turned and walked towards the exit that lead to the stone hallway; leaving the alicorn alone.

He glared sharply before he walked over to the green pool; he looked at his reflection as the water bubbled.

"Very well, stay in our brother's shadow! But mark my words, dear sister! His rule…will come to an end…and when it does, mine will begin." He said deviously under his breath.

He grinned as he chuckled, his chuckle soon turned into a loudly evil laugh.

The water from the green pool started to glow brighter and brighter every second; creating a green glow that could be see through-out the caves of the mountain along with the sound of the evil laughter.

Hope you liked the chapter.

I'm so excited for the first episode of season 3 on November 10th. Let's look at the summary again, shall we?

"A magical empire has suddenly appeared in the arctic north of Equestria, and Princess Celestia needs Twilight Sparkle and her friends to find a way to protect it. While her friends try to keep the Crystal Ponies occupied at the Crystal Fair, Twilight Sparkle searches for the hidden Crystal Heart that is the key to keeping their empire safe from harm."

Awesome stuff XD

Anyway, I want to know how you're gonna watch it. So I've set up a vote on my profile.

The choices are.

:I'm watching it on the day it airs.

Or :I have to watch it on YouTube.

Also, I wouldn't expect my next chapter to come out before the episode airs, I'm gonna focus on that right now. Don't worry! This story will continue.

The next chapter might come out before then, depends on how fast it's done.

Please remember to review!

Next chapter will be up in November or sooner.

Happy Nightmare Night, everypony.