Thunk!

Spike halted his route teen mourning clean off Golden Hoax Library ass he herd the tell tail sound off a news pay per hitting the front door. Ass he stepped out side, the usual site off the weakly Ponyville Times greeted hymn. Cure rears, he glanced at the front page. A smile broke a cross his face ass he adsorbed the head line.

Wow, Twi is gunner flip rite out when she reeds this…

*****

“Watt? Howl can this bee?” Twilight asked herself, an incredulous look cross sing her face. “Ponyville literacy levels at all thyme low? This is un eggs scepter bull!” she raged, slam ming her hoof down on the break fast table. Spike, who had expected this re action from his sue dough mother, served her a bowel off straw berry topped oats, sty fling a giggle. Her I’s scoured the front page ass she continued to reed:

A free year study off the fillies and colts off Ponyville has revealed startling new avid ants that the general population off under fifteens has under gone a deck line inn spelling, grammar, comprehension and general writing skills. The most notice able status tick is the fall that has occurred inn the previous twelve months. Resident teach her, Cheerilee, blames re sent funding cuts too her class room.

“The Mare may think that eye can knot control my students, that eye can knot hold there a tent shin, butt eye a sure ewe good ponies that eye am doing every thing eye can whiff my available re sources. Four to long, this school has gone whiff out up dated diction eyries, basic materials like stationary and other para fur nail ear, ass well ass a second teach her. Whiff all the work eye have too do bi my self, eye have been sleep ping less and less over the years.”

Mare Mayor was un avail able four comment.

Twilight low erred the news pay per from her magical grasp. A twitch developed at the edge off her left I. Remaining calm, she took a deep breathe and swept her front leg in front off her, just like Cadence had taut her a phew months prior. “Re mane calm, Twilight,” she told her self ass she eggs hailed, “this is knot the end off the whirled.” She took a byte of the serial, enjoying the won good thing about the mourning so far.

“Wow, Twilight,” Spike said, “four a moment they’re, I fought ewe where gunner loose it and blow up the library a gain. I’m im pressed.”

“Oh Spike,” Twilight giggled, “it does look pretty bad at thirst glands, but eye am shore their is a re sun able eggs plain nation. Aisle just go and torque too the mare a bout it and get her fur shin of events.”

Whiff that, Ponyville’s resident princess stood from the table, leaving half off her break fast un eaten. “Aisle bee back soon, Spike. Thank ewe four break fast. Pleas in sure the library is present table when I re turn.” Noting the salute from her number won assist ant, Twilight smiled. Yes, the mare will bee able too tell me every thing.

*****

“Eggs cues me, Mare, Princess Twilight Spar Kill is hear too sea ewe. She says it’s err gent.”

Mare Mayor looked up from her desk and side. Is they’re no thing about Ponyville that that alley corn thinks is fine, as is?

“Very well, sea her inn. She has five minutes.”

The door two the mayoral of ice opened, allowing her “guessed” to cross the threshold. Technically, the princess had the power too pull rank and de manned entry, butt Twilight was still getting accustomed too her knew roll, so—four the thyme being—she a loud the mare two re mane in her of ice because off her soup ear rear experience in leader ship and manage meant.

“Good mourning, miss Spar Kill. Two watt do eye oh the plea sure off yore company?”

“Good mourning, mare,” Twilight polite lea rasp pondered. “I was just reading to daze Ponyville Times and I must admit, I am rather concerned inn re guards too the head line eye shoe. A parent lea, the literacy levels of this town have fallen far bellow the Equestrian stand art. I was wonder ring if ewe could shed light on the mat tar.”

The mare side wants moor. Off coarse she wood bee hear a bout that.

“Well, I admit they’re has bean a rather up setting deck line in hour stew dents education. Ever since the hole Night Mayor Moon fiasco at last year’s summer sun cell abrasion, eye have had to divert this office’s re sources to fix various destructive events. Why, I’m shore ewe re member the cowl and bunny stampedes, the Ursa Miner, the para sprites, Discord’s ant ticks, those... eye shoes with Derpy and Trixie—”

“—Oak hey, Mare, eye under stand,” Twilight affirmed, cutting of the Mare’s spiel. “A lot of the town’s money has had too go two re pears late lea. Butt shore lea, ewe wood have placed the education off hour youngest citizens ass yore top priority? Children are the few chair, after all, rite?”

The Mare I’d the alley corn whiff a strange eggs press shin, sum wear beet wean disdain and a muse meant. “Eye absolutely agree, Princess. Howl ever, it has just knot bean possible whiff the continued destruction off hour little town. It’s sow bizarre—be four Nite Mayor Moon arrived, Ponyville had virtual lea know inside ants off annie concerning magnitude, four all most a cent jury. Yet since last year’s Summer Sun cell abrasion, this town has bean damaged and all most destroyed moult able times. I’ve bean wonder ring four a while now watt could have triggered these a vents.”

Twilight listened two the Mare’s eggs plain nation, slow lea nodding her head as she spoke. Strange inn deed, she fought. Come too think off it, most off those a vents can bee traced back two—

“All rite, Mare,” Twilight said, “thank ewe four yore thyme. Eye shall end ever two fined a weigh too in crease this town’s average eye queue, even if eye have too offer up private study less sons too the most dis advantaged ponies in town. Mark my words, I will re store Ponyville’s on a, inn re guards too this mat tar.”

Twilight departed the of ice, leaving the perplexed Mare two wonder watt just happened. Wow, she usual lea isn’t sow easel lea satisfied whiff my eggs plain nations. Shrugging it of ass good four tune, the Mare sank happy lea back inn two her seat and resumed rifling threw her stack off pay per work, witch sudden lea seemed much smaller.

*****