After our protagonists spent the night in the family housing-tower of Noblesse Oblige, the group headed for home. Everyone would've taken a two hour train raid back to Ponyville, but the group was surprised to find that the lord's staff had been to given orders to take everyone back to Ponyville. This caused Applejack to only grow more suspicious, though she kept silent.

Rarity was approached by Aloe and Lotus a hour later in her boutique. It was hard to miss the royal carriage swooping down into town square to take the exalted Ponies to the capital, meaning nearly everypony knew that they had missed out on the town wide celebration. Aloe and Lotus came to offer Rarity and her friends an on-the-house session of grooming at their spa, it was only fair since the Ponies who had been most deserving of a free day had missed out on it.

It was at the Spa where the Elements of Harmony were at now. Spike would have come, but the Maretonian twins didn't know how to pamper a Dragon without the magical gems that natural grew in the Equestrian soil and were cultivated in Equestria's 'Rock Farms.' While the Crusaders would've not only enjoyed the grooming session but the free time spent with their idols, the Crusaders had to attend school that day.

“So tell us about this stallion that you've arranged for us to meet,” Rainbow Dash had arranged to meet some of her friends from the weather team at the Spa today, and Rarity's imagination went wild when she learned that one of said friends was a stallion.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes the her high society wannabe, “It's not like that Rarity. Hay, I'm not even sure that Thunderlane is even in to mares.”

“Ah will admit, it's not everyday you find a stallion wanting to be groomed like this, outside of them hoity-toity types in Canterlot 'er Manehattan,” While Applejack had nothing against Ponies who swung that way, she wasn't sure what to think. If the captain of the town guard was gay, it wasn't a big deal. But Applejack was practically praying to the sun and moon that he wasn't an arrogant hotshot, like Equestria's stuck up nobleponies.

“Why did your friend want to come here then?” Rarity had pretty much dismissed Rainbow Dash's comment. Though if Thunderlane was into this kind of thing, he might be willing to model for her. It was very rare that she could find a colt or stallion that was willing to model for her fashion designs.

“His brother graduated Flight School a couple of days ago, with the highest grades of anypony who had ever graduated I might add. So Thunderlane decided to take him, and his favorite foalsitters here to celebrate,” Explained Rainbow Dash.

“Why are your friends coming so late? We've already been here for twenty minutes,” Twilight hated it when Ponies were late to anything, it also antagonized her that one of the Ponies in question was in charge of Ponyville's town guard.

“'Lord' Noblesse Oblige” Rainbow Dash started giggling. After having such a fun time with the colt, she thought it was hilarious he was apart of a group of Ponies that was stereotypically arrogant, “called for meeting with relevant members of the Town Council. Apparently there are some issues he needed to hammer out urgently, and Thunderlane being the local guard captain, is most relevant to what ever Noblesse's concerns are. So he, Flitter, Could Chaser, and Rumble are coming by later.”

The bell affixed to the to top of the door in and out of the Spa started ringing, indicating that somepony had just entered the Spa. Rainbow Dash turned her head to see who it was, “Speaking of the Draconequus, hey Thunderlane! Over here!” Called out Rainbow Dash.

A group of three adult Ponies and a light gray filly came into view of the rest of the group. The Stallion was fairly easy to pick out. Unlike his companions, Thunderlane had a deep gray coat with a strike light blue and white mane and tail with a thunder cloud and lightning Cutie Mark. The older of the two mares, albeit only slightly, had a bluish gray coat and shared her mane and tail color with Thunderlane. The older mare also had an unique Cutie Mark, a sun shining through a cloud. The younger Mare had a coat a shade lighter than her sister's with her mane and tail being a slightly darker blue color than her sister's, with three dragon flies in an upside down v-formation on her flanks. The filly was a 'blank flank' with a gray coat so light it was almost white, though still clearly gray. Her mane and tail were darker than Thunderlane's coat, and nopony could tell if it was a dark gray or if her mane and tail were actually black in color.

“Hi everypony!” Pinkie was about to greet their new guests, but the younger mare beat her to it, “My name is Flitter, a pleasure to meet you,” she was clearly the most energetic of her group, though nowhere near Pinkie Pie's reality bending joy.

“Easy there Flitter,” the older mare who was apparently Cloud Chaser lectured, “I'm sorry about my sister.”

“Ha!” Exclaimed Rainbow Dash, “We're friends with Pinkie Pie of all Ponies, Flits is practically dead compared to her,” The three mare started to laugh at Rainbow's joke as the stallion and the filly were giggling, apparently being able to keep better control over themselves than their friends.

“Hi everypony, My name is Thunderlane. It's a honor to meet you all,” Thunderlane bowed his head.

“Rainbow said that ya were bringing yer brother, who's this little filly?” Asked Applejack, confused as to why a filly would be here if Thunderlane was supposed to be congratulating his brother.

“I am Thunderlane's brother,” Said the foal in a voice too deep to belong to a filly. Though as opposed to being insulted at Applejack's mistake like most colts would be, Rumble seemed to be amused.

Everypony started laughing at Applejack's expense, even Ponies who weren't weren't of their group.

“Oh, uh, sorry 'bout that Rumble,” Applejack apologized with an embarrassed blush and a sheepish smile on her face.

“Think nothing of it miss Applejack, you are not the first Pony to make that mistake,” said Rumble, waving a dismissive hoof at Applejack's error.

“My my, modest, polite, and adorable!” Squeaked Rarity, “I would love to work on a gentlecolt such as yourself.”

“I would love that too miss Rarity,” Rumble had a wide smile on his face, “Though you'll have to pay me for any dresses you put me in.”

Thunderlane playfully whacked his brother's head with his wing as he rolled his eyes, “As you can see, my brother really doesn't care about what anypony thinks of him.”

“Oh leave him alone Thunder, modeling could get him a lot of bits,” said Cloud Chaser.

“Yeah! Besides, I would probably look better in miss Rarity's clothes than any filly would,” Rumble playfully raised his snout in the air, mimicking the very ponies that Applejack feared Thunderlane would be like.

Rainbow Dash would've fallen to the ground laughing, had she not been standing on the edge of one of the mineral baths, and above of Pinkie.

The shouts of the two mares were drowned out by the splash that Rainbow made, and the whole Spa filled with laughter. Even Aloe and Lotus, who made a point of being absolutely professionally at all times during business hours, couldn't keep in the laughter at the absurdity of the situation at hoof.

“Ha ha ha! I svear! You Ponies are a viot!” Aloe started to pound one of the counter tops with her hoof.

Rarity spoke when she got a hold of herself, though she was still giggling at the whimsy of her new friends, “You all are great fun! Though there's no reason to call me 'miss,' it makes me sound old.”

Rumble went up to Rarity with foalish mischief plastered all over his face, he whispered so nopony else could hear him, “I was serious about the dresses, though I'd do suits for free,” Rumble playfully winked at Rarity.

Rarity started giggling at the colt as she sent him back to his brother, though she was tempted by his offer.

“Excuse me, Captain?” Twilight would have continued to ask her question, but Thunderlane interrupted.

“There's no reason to hold formality with me, not after everything you girls have done for Equestria. Dame Twilight Sparkle,”

Twilight gave a sheepish smile as she laughed, “Alright, Thunderlane, Rainbow Dash said that she knew you from the Weather Team, but also said that you were in charge of the town guard. Can you explain how that works?” When Shining Armor became head of the Royal Guard, she of course studied how Equestria's pseudo-military worked. Though those studies only gave her insight on the Royal Guard itself and a general overview of the smaller town guard organizations, so when Twilight learned that this Pegasus worked two jobs that were supposed to be very demanding, her curiosity ate at her as it did whenever she heard of a topic that she was previously ignorant of.

Thunderlane slid himself into a mud bath and put cucumber slices over his eyes before he answered Twilight's question, “The occupation of Guard Captain is entirely a desk job, and the paper work I have to do is generated by arrests, investigations, etcetera. So with Ponyville's almost non-existent crime rate, there's nothing for me to do in the office. This means that I have an incredible amount of free time, time that I'd rather spend being useful. And the extra bits certainly don't hurt when you have a family of four.”

“Oh, so you and Rumble live with your parents then?” Rarity's question wasn't that odd. Though she was surprised when she saw her new friends wince at her question.

“Uh no...” Rumble trailed off as Aloe started to message him, rendering him unable to talk.

“There's me, Rumble, and the sisters,” Thunderlane gestured in the general direction of Flitter and Cloud Chaser. He tried to at least, you could only be so accurate when you have pieces of plants blinding you to your surroundings.

“So you all 'er siblings?” Applejack asked confused. While she didn't care about a Pony's sexual orientation, it was rare that siblings stayed in the same home when they got older and moved out of their parents' house, she was also raised to believe that one should only love a single Pony romantically.

“Not by blood, but we're close enooouu-” Flitter trailed off as Lotus started on her message with a number of pops.

“Meine Gotter! Vhat did you do to yourself?” It had been a long time since a Pony needed messaging this badly.

“Flitter is a gymnast. So she has to hold and move herself in odd and unnatural positions for long periods of time,” Cloud Chaser knew there more to her sister's back problems, but she didn't want to give away Flitter's medical history to Ponies who were still basically strangers. Cloud Chaser also couldn't remember everything her sister had shared with her about the down sides to her job.

“Vumble, you must tell me how you make yourself look so good,” Aloe said trying to make conversation with one of the new Ponies she hoped would become regulars, if only for the antics that seemed to follow them.

“Don't get me started on that!” Exclaimed Thunderlane, agitated by the topic at hoof, “I spend three hours every day to make sure my mane, tail, and coat are perfect. My little brother here, gets up two and half hours later than me, gets in the shower, dries off, and looks perfect for the rest of the day. And it drives me crazy,” Flitter, Cloud Chaser, and Rumble couldn't keep themselves from laughing at the gray stallion's expense.

“Um, Rumble?” Fluttershy had finally managed to gather the courage to speak in spite of the number of strangers currently in the room, “Would you mind telling us if you'll start to go to school here? If that's okay with you.”

Rumble nodded in the affirmative as he got off the message table, “Yeah, I do. But I technically just transferred from Cloudsdale's Flight School, so I don't start until next Monday.

After spending Thursday night in Canterlot, courtesy of Noblesse Oblige, the Crusaders had to go back to school on Friday. Today was different however, instead of Ms. Cheerilee teaching today, it was a new stallion named Limitless Potential. Mr. Potential was an emerald green stallion with a dark gray mane and tail. His Cutie Mark appeared to be a ruler tapping against a whiteboard, said whiteboard had an exponential graph drawn on it.

At the beginning of the day Mr. Potential addressed the foals' confusion and explained that the lord had brought him here to deal with the influx in school age foals that was to come.

If Mr. Potential was to be believed, then Noblesse Oblige had gotten permission from Celestia and Luna to use the Castle of the Royal Pony sisters as the seat of provincial government as well as his new home. This was relevant because of all of the serving staff that Noblesse was bringing with him, and much of his personal had foals of their own that needed to go to school. In all, there would simply be to many foals for Ms. Cheerilee to deal with on her own.

Most foals dreaded Fridays at the Ponyville Foalhood Education Center as it was science day. Ms. Cheerilee had divided the four main subjects into the five day school period with Monday being a free study day, for the sake of foals who were still adjusting after the weekends.

Apple Bloom was probably the only foal in the noon time class that enjoyed science day. She had always been fascinated at how things worked on the material level as opposed to the magical level. This reflected itself in the private potion sessions she had with Twilight and Zecora as well as the vast blueprints she had made for constructs she planned to use for her friends 'Crusades.'

Today however, Apple Bloom did not feel good. She was still adjusting to the new teacher, but her current discomfort came from the regular school bullies. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had been giddy to the point of being called out on by Mr. Potential for disrupting class. That wasn't unusual as the two were always excited when they thought they wouldn't have to do as much work as usual, but what was strange was that they were shooting Apple Bloom jovial looks like they couldn't wait to share something with her. Apple Bloom couldn't rid herself of the sense of dread that the two rich fillies forced upon her soul.

The school bell ringed to let out for recess. The school day was almost over, after recess the teacher would usually do a review of everything that the class covered that day. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle were about to discuss what game to play, when a familiar voice called out to them and the rest of the class like hoofs on a chalkboard.

“Hey everypony! Gather 'round for we have to story to tell!” The excitement in Diamond Tiara's voice only reenforced the dread that hung over Apple Bloom.

Limitless Potential was grading papers when he heard Diamond Tiara's voice. As Mr. Potential was new to Ponyville, he did not know who was and was not to be watched with a close eye. He and Ms. Cheerilee did not have the chance to talk about the student group dynamic, meaning that Mr. Potential could not accurate read the signs that calamity was about to strike.

“What do you want Diamond Tiara?” Asked Scootaloo agitated that her friends' tormenter was successfully keeping everypony their recess, despite the fact that they had all day before class and all of the time afterwards to play.

“We need to tell everypony about the tale of the story between one you blank flanks and a young mare named Sugar Cookie,” Said Silver Spoon with a vicious smile on her face.

Apple Bloom froze at the mention of the mare's name. Sugar Cookie was the name of her late mother, “Ya didn't,” was all that Apple Bloom muttered as she realized how bad this was about to turn out.

“You see, Sugar Cookie was Apple Bloom's mother,” Explained Diamond Tiara, “I say was because unfortunately, she's dead.”

The gather foals were muttering among themselves at this point as Limitless Potential exited the building and started walking towards the group of foals.

Though Limitless Potential was ignorant to the reputation of these two fillies, he knew that no good come out of mention another foal's parents.

“She died giving birth to this worthless hayseed,” Diamond Tiara's tone was casual and dismissive tone of voice. Her 'news' was so shocking that everypony stopped, even Limitless Potential halted his advance in lieu of the news.

“So not only can you not get your Cutie Mark or speak correctly, but you are also the reason your mommy's dead,” Silver Spoon advanced towards Apple Bloom while talking loud enough for everypony to hear.

“What do you have to say for yourself blank flank?” Diamond Tiara was just waiting for the rivers to flow from her nemesis' eyes.

Apple Bloom quickly formed tears in her eyes as she turned and ran. She knocked into Scootaloo as ran out of the school yard and into the distance.

“Apple Bloom!” Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo yelled as they ran after their crestfallen friend.

All the while, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were laughing at the heart broken filly, “Ha ha ha, what a cry-” Silver Spoon was interrupted by a furious stallion's booming voice.

“Diamond Tiara! Silver Spoon!” The class turn to see their new teacher marching towards them with unspeakable anger plastered on his face.

Ponies could fuse with their magic whenever they felt strongly enough. Luna become one with her angst and became Nightmare Moon. Unicorns could become so furious that their coats turned white as scolding metal and their manes and tails literally became tongues of flames. Pegasi could cause other creatures to become paralyzed in fear at their gaze.

Earth Pony magic revolved around building up life and promoting plant growth. So Limitless Potential caused the ground beneath him to tremble at his disdain. The grass died at his hoofs, turning into an ugly brown color from their once vibrant green. And his muscles put themselves on full display as his pure disgust weighed down on the two fillies.

“Inside now, and don't you dare come out until I say you can leave,” Mr. Potential's voice was at an inside voice, though it was still filled with fury and hostile magic waiting to be unleashed.

As the two fillies ran off in fear, Limitless Potential gathered his thoughts, “Class, we will not be having the post-recess discussion to day. Archer, Sky High, front and center.”

The two Pegasi quickly moved in front of their teacher, afraid of what would happen if they further upset him, “Archer, go to the guard station. Sky High, go to Sweet Apple Acres, and tell the Ponies there what happened today. Class dismissed!” Limitless Potential turned back to the schoolhouse fully intending to yell at the two bullies as harshly as he could. The fewer Ponies that heard the exact words that he was going to use, the better.