The Second day of school. The day some classes start giving notes, most others still let you adjust. I had a hard time focusing. I kept thinking about the end of school, to get to go back to Equestria. I wasn’t entirely sure why I was, but something about being in Equestria just felt… calming. I looked up to the clock. Ten Fifteen. Nearly the middle of the day, I need to start focusing.

“And so class.” The teacher said, snapping me out of my thoughts. “As of today, it will be known that every friday will be a testing day, a practice test will be given every wednesday, as homework, and turned in thursday. Notebooks will be turned into me before the test begins, and yes I will be grading you on your notes. They will be graded on organization, clarity, and every new set of notes must be titled and dated or points will be deducted.

“Now, I know what you all are thinking, and no I have not lost my mind and I am not the worst teacher ever, this is for your benefit. I’ve had students pass my classes by the bare minimum because they took good notes. I will give you every opportunity to pass my class, it’s up to you if you wish to take advantage of it. I don’t want to hear any ‘But Mr. Grade Point…’, simply put, you are all only four years from becoming legal adults, so you’ll have to start acting like adults. You all didn’t get put in my Advanced Mathematics class for being lazy. I expect the best from you class.”

The bell rang and we all left. I haven’t let my journal out of my sight since last night. Hope wrote to me before school started, asking me when I’d be over. I haven’t been able to reply yet, plus by now she’s at work and busy. I’m not actually going to Equestria til an hour or so after school ends, so nobody will see me and I can get all my homework done. Yes, second day of school and I already have homework.

Next class was History, maybe I can sneak a message to- “Ack.” I said as I was suddenly thrown against the hallway wall.

“Well if it isn’t the golden boy of the school.” Fuck this asshole. “Been a while Dazz.”

I looked towards the source of the voice. Guild. Neon green, purple haired jack has been messing with me since we were kids. “Thought you got sent to juvy?” I say. I noticed he was wearing a blue jeans jacket over his shirt, that’s new from the last time I saw him.

“Judge looked over the files and since there’s was no solid evidence of my involvement in the graffiti I got off scot free.” He grabbed me by the arm. “So what’s my good pal been up to?”

“Stuff a neanderthal like you can’t understand.” I ducked down as Guild’s fist swung at me. His fist hit the wall, taking advantage of his shock, and obvious pain, I bolted.

“You prick!”

He always falls for that trick. Every. Single. Time. My moms know about him and they are the only ones he’s actually afraid of. Why that is is beyond me. Then again, given the light upon their darker pasts I think they might have done something to him.

“You're a dead man!” He yelled at me as I jumped down the staircase to the cafeteria and ran into the kitchen.

I hid behind one of the giant ovens in the kitchen. The kitchen door burst open. “Come on out Dazz, we both know I’ll find you eventually.” His footsteps were way on the other side of the room. “Just make this easy and- Gah!” THUD.

“Now, what did I tell y’all about messing with your cousin like that, Apple Guild?” Aunt Applejack’s voice sounded, cueing me to reveal myself. She had Guild face planted on the floor, sitting on his back. Oh yeah, I didn’t mention that Guild is my cousin. Applejack’s brother Big Mac and my aunt Aria got married not long after my moms did. Guild and I were born a month apart. “It’s like you enjoy spending your weekends and free time after school doing extra chores around the orchard. Oh, hi Dazz.”

“Thanks aunt Applejack.”

“What’s family for if not help’n? I’ll be sure to tell his mom, dad, and big sis about this one.” Applejack got close to Guild’s ear. And yelled. “Ya darn idjit! You barely got out of doing juvie time and ya pull a stunt like this! You’re an Apple! WE AIN”T CRIMINALS! Dazz, you scoot along now, alright.”

“Thanks Aunty.” I walked out of there with a smile on my face. Ever since aunt AJ decided to work other jobs after aunt Applebloom took over Sweet Apple Acres and made it a mass production farm, my time dealing with my ass of a cousin has been sooooo easy.

“I SAID CALL ME GUILD AUNT-” Wack! “GAH!” Soooooo much easier.

The rest of the day was rather uneventful. Other than seeing Guild working with aunt Applejack serving lunch, hairnet with an apron to match. Gotta say, he sure can make a good milkshake. I made sure he was gone when school let out, thank you aunt AJ for being handy with a lasso.

I’m just finishing up my homework in the library now, my mom Adagio looking up at me from the computer every so often. “So,” She said. “Applejack told me about Apple Guild.”

“Why do you think I ran to the cafeteria?” I say, smiling.

Mom just chuckled. “I swear, I think he’s the first bad apple in the Apple Family.”

“I think you might be right about that.”

“Maybe we should have gotten him tested too.”

“Say what?” I say, all attention on my work now gone.

“Remember when we told you about how you have dark magic in you that might affect you under circumstances?” I nodded. “Well, when Aria was having Apple Guild, we figured we didn’t need to test him with how Silver Dust turned out, we did test Sonata’s kids and they were clean. I’m just glad we decided to keep Equestria a secret from him.”

“Good idea. God know’s what he could do with magic.”

“Oh, don’t worry. He’s not a unicorn.”

“Wait, what? How do you know that?”

“Aria in Equestria is a Pegasus, Big Mac’s counterpart over there is an earth pony. Both their families are pure blooded of their respective races. He can only be an Earth Pony or a Pegasus.”

“So I took after mamma Sunset in the race department?”

“Yes, it’s also why you’re so smart. Unicorns, and this is fact, not a stereotype, are known for being above average in intelligence, save the few… two percent that sometimes come out… less than average.”

“Oh. So what about The Pegasus or Earth Ponies?”

“Pegasus, they tend to be thinner and smaller than other ponies. Lets them be faster and much more aerodynamic when flying. Earth ponies are much stronger than others, even if they don’t look it.”

“Like aunt AJ?”

“Exactly.”

“Huh. Good to know.” Looking back at my homework, I was glad to see only one problem was left… except for the fact that I’m not that good at history.

What was Columbus’s three ship called?

Crap… Well, least I’m in the library… I wonder. “Mom?”

“Yes?”

“You’re… over a thousand years old, right?”

“Yes, why? Thinking of how many candles for my birthday cake?”

“Ha. No, um… how many events in history did you… live through?”

“Regrettably Aria, Sonata and I did cause some major historical events, but when we first got banished here the year was, well, today people call it six hundred BC.” I looked at her in complete shock. My mom’s HOW OLD!? “Dark magic has very few benefits Dazz. Never aging is one of them.”

“Alright… First off that’s a lot of candles, secondly, did you know Christopher Columbus?”

“Psst. That smug bastard owed me money and never payed me back. Back then Aria, Sonata and I managed to acquire a large wealth and lived among royals. Besides the crown paying the journey, several royals paid him in either supplies or gold. Gave that S-O-B thousands.”

“Why didn’t he pay you back?”

“His family got into some court issues that lasted generations. Man we had money back then… I actually wonder if any of my stashes are still around?”

“Stashes?”

“We knew we’d outlive everyone around us, meaning we’d have to move away for at least a hundred years, before returning there, and we’d still be moving during that century. So we never needed to beg, or steal, we hid gold and other valuables before we’d move. Among other things we figured be worth something after so long. Back then we only needed to sing a little, cause a ruckus somewhere and feed off the negativity. But we had to keep an appearance as normal, we’de dig up enough to keep us my til we got jobs, then collect a few more things over the years to bury with the rest of the stash in that area.”

“Wow, speaking of Christopher Columbus, what were the names of his ships?”

“The Nina, The Pinta and The Santa Maria. Why?” I quickly jotted down the names under the question. Shoved my things into my bag and got up and hugged my mom.

“Thaksmombebacksoon!” I said, rather blurted, then ran for the portal. I stopped just in front of it before running in. I placed a hand through it and it went in. Good, does work. And jumped in.

I flew out of the other end of the portal, almost slamming into the wall in front of me. Trodeal was there waiting for me. “Took your time alien boy.”

“Har, har. What are you doing here?”

“I was reassigned to keep watch her til you came through. Hope’s at work, but she’s getting off around now so you better hoof it. And remember, treat her right or I’ll break your legs.”

“We're just friends dude.”