More students arrived shortly after. They each greeted Mr. Solil as seasoned students, before settling down in whatever seat they wished. The chair to Artifex’s right remained empty for the moment. But he did not mind; it gave him a little more time to talk with Rainbow Dash.

It was simple talk. They hadn’t quite been able to introduce each other the day before. She had already expressed her happiness at seeing him again, and he likewise.

Their conversation, as well as the conversation of others, dwindled when the morning announcements came on. After a low ding, the voice of Principal Celestia could be heard in every speaker in the school.

“Good morning, students of Canterlot High! Welcome to another year at our school. We sincerely hope that you all enjoy your time here, as we walk together towards a brighter future. Work hard, and remember: we may all seem very different, but on the inside, we’re more similar than you may think. If you remember that, I’m sure you’ll all do great this year, and for all the years to come.”

The ding came again, before switching back over to the announcement music. Mr. Solil picked up a remote from his desk and turned off the sound. There was a frown on his face.

“You know, I’m fairly certain last year’s speech was much better,” he commented, eliciting a few laughs from the class. “Then again,” he mused, “maybe it was because she actually wrote the speech, instead of having a graduating student do it.”

Rainbow leaned over. “Hey, Artifex. Do you think you could write a better speech?”

“I’m fairly certain any one of us could.”

“But you could do better! Right?”

“I don’t know…”

Mr. Solil harrumphed, making the both of them quiet themselves, but he seemed not to have caught their side conversation. His eyes scanned the classroom, searching for something, before they landed on the desk to Artifex’s right.

“Are we missing someone?” he asked aloud. He looked back at his attendance sheet. “Hmm. It actually looks like we’ll have someone late on the second day of school.”

“First time for anything,” said one student, causing more laughs to ring out.

“Yes, yes, how humorous, I’m sure,” Mr. Solil responded. But that did not hide his slightly-upturned lips. “I suppose,” he continued after a brief pause, “we can start class without this student. Unless, of course, by some miracle, he shows up at the door—”

He stopped to check his watch. “In three… two… one…”

“Gah! I’m sorry I’m late! Uh… this is Mr. Solil’s class, right?”

In the doorway, just as the teacher had predicted, stood a gasping young man. His skin was a tannish-yellow, with powder-blue hair covering his head. Sweat dripped down his face, and he squinted through salmon-pink eyes at the teacher. He wore simple, blue jeans and a grey-and-white striped polo. On the side, Artifex saw what appeared to be a key insignia.

Appearances aside, the class didn’t seem too surprised to see him. But he, on the other hand, was shocked.

“Wait… are you serious? I’m this late?”

“Yes, it would appear so,” said Mr. Solil. “But, you’ll be thankful that you hadn’t missed the start of first period. So please, if you would, take that seat right by Mr. Frost over there, thank you.”

The newcomer gave an apologetic smile to the teacher, and hobbled over to Artifex. “Uh… hey,” he said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “Mind if I sit here?”

“Not particularly. Mr. Solil practically ordered you to, after all.”

“Thanks, dude.” The boy slid into the seat with a soft sigh, which was drowned out by returning conversations. Artifex glanced up at the teacher’s desk, seeing Mr. Solil quickly and swiftly go over the attendance sheet.

“Right, well, with that out of the way. Class, good morning!” Mr. Solil greeted, standing suddenly up. The class echoed back his words with slight vigor. “What, second day of school and already tired? Hmph.”

Rainbow was one of the students who rolled her eyes. Artifex glanced at her. “Is he always like this?” he asked her.

“Dunno. Haven’t had him before. But Soul has.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“Uh, should you guys really be talking?” the boy beside Artifex asked them. They both clambered up, returning to letting the teacher speak.

Mr. Solil, it seemed, could not keep quite still. He paced across the front of the room, his hands behind his back, body slightly arched. “Now, some of you might have had me last year. Some, this will be the first year you’ll have me. Maybe the only one, if you’re lucky.”

He turned around, then stopped right in front of his desk, resting his palms on the wooden furniture. There was a wild glint in his eyes. “Regardless, though, I would like to reiterate my mission statement to you all.”

Mission statement? What’s that? Artifex thought. He frowned. What kind of questions were those? Wouldn’t Mr. Solil answer them either way?

“Those who have had me, have undoubtedly heard this before. But I like to think that it’s a good statement. Maybe one you’ll understand when you’re older. You can’t quite use it, though, because I have it written down and copyrighted and you can bet your ass I’ll sue for whatever money I can get. Teacher’s salary, after all.” He said this in a sharp tone that one might have taken offense towards, but judging by the laughter that followed, Artifex guessed that it was all in good fun.

Maybe half fun, really. He was probably somewhat serious.

Mr. Solil continued his speech. “As you take this class, you will come to learn several things. Not necessarily language arts related, but that is a big part of this class. Just not… my class.” He leaned slightly forward on his desk. “My class is different. Rather than a singular course, it is a winding and twisting road, where you will be confronted with harsh truths at points, and soft falsities in others. You will traverse this road with courage and hope, but also with a bit of hesitation. You will walk your own path in time, but I will guide you down the first crossroads, and perhaps further if you think you need me to.

“As your teacher, I promise you three things. One: You will, by the end of this course, understand what makes you all similar than what makes you different. Two: You will come to learn that you are never alone in your endeavors. And three: You will come to appreciate the three big L’s: Life, Love, and Learning.

“Some of you may not last that long. You’ll have other things to do; other indulgences, perhaps. Maybe relationships will get in the way, or personal dilemmas. Problems will arise, and you will be forced to decide between this class or your future. Know that your choice is always, and has always been, yours, and I expect you to choose the best choice for you.”

It suddenly occurred to Artifex that the entire room had gone silent. Unfamiliar as he was with most of the student body, he had initially assumed that some would have fallen asleep by now. Yet as he looked around, he saw the opposite. The tall to the small, the heavy to the light, jocks to nerds, were all engrossed in this teacher’s speech. Even Rainbow Dash, a person whom he had thought would have at least taken the liberty to look somewhat bored, had a contemplative frown on her face as she listened.

“Ultimately, I am here to give to, to the best of my ability, the information necessary for you to graduate Canterlot High. I warn you, it won’t be easy. Junior year is the time when some of you will need to really crack open those dusty, old, and heavy textbooks just to get by with a C+. But, how you will obtain the knowledge necessary to do well in life… well, I leave that up to you.

“Education doesn’t end with the books, boys and girls, men and women. Education doesn’t end for any of us. You’ll find you can learn a thing or two outside of school. That thing may come from your sports, your teammates, your classmates, your friends, or your family. It may even come from yourself. That, class, is what I aim to teach you throughout this school year. To learn from me, from others, and most importantly, from what you yourself are able to accomplish.”

As he lowered his hands, everyone in the class—Artifex included—began to clap. A few students even let out “Hoorah’s!” and several “Whoo’s!” that combined with their enthusiastic shouts. Mr. Solil raised one hand, with the faint trace of a smile on his lips. “Thank you, thank you. Well, at least I know what to say to get you all awake.”

He then clapped his other hand to the raised one. “Right! So, with that out of the way, let us transition to our first order of business. Now, most of you know each other well enough, but today, we have with us two new students.

“Mr. Frost and Mr. Clue, would you both stand up for us?”

As Artifex did so, to his surprise, the boy next to him followed. He paused; what were the chances?

“Excellent, excellent. Would you like to introduce yourselves to the class?”

For a moment, Artifex was nervous. But after glancing down at Rainbow and seeing her flash him a supportive grin, he managed to calm his nerves. He cleared his throat. “Hello. I’m Artifex Frost.”

The class chorused a series of “Hello, Artifex,” while one student asked, “Artifex? That’s a weird name.”

“It means ‘author’ in Latin,” he explained calmly.

“Whoa,” said a young-looking girl from the back, “that’s so cool! Are you from Latinania?”

Artifex smirked. “Well, that would be impossible, because that isn’t a country, and Latin isn’t a place.” He gave a side glance to the girl, but found that she had not been offended, even as the class laughed.

“So where are you from?” asked another student.

“I’m actually from Manehattan. Westside,” he added, giving a knowing glance at Mr. Solil. “I lived there for most of my life, before moving here over last summer.”

“Last summer? You mean you’ve been here for a year? Why haven’t we seen you before?” asked a curious junior.

Briefly, trouble flickered across Frost’s brow. He managed to respond, “There were some complications with moving in. That’s all.”

That, and… I wasn’t quite comfortable yet. His eyes looked to his covered wrists, then back up at the room.

“‘Author,’ huh?” Mr. Solil commented. “I’d imagine that means you’re quite the writer.”

“Maybe,” said Frost with a shrug. “My parents always liked the sound of the name, though I can’t really say it means I’ll be an author when I’m older. But I do write when I can.”

“Really?” asked a female student. “What do you write about?”

“That’s… surprisingly difficult to answer. It’s mostly journal stuff. Personal stuff,” he added, a bit lowly. Rainbow gave him a sympathetic look.

He could have sworn someone muttered something along the lines of “weak,” but he wasn’t sure that he had heard anything.

“Why don’t you tell us about your family?” Mr. Solil asked.

“Well, my father is an accountant and works with a fairly successful company. My mother is a defense attorney, though most of her cases are not as dramatic as you might think.”

“Seems you’re pretty well off,” said another student. Artifex turned to the source. This one was a little older than Frost, and much bigger at that. “You got any siblings?”

He hesitated. “I’ve… a sister…”

“Really? Older or younger?”

“Older…”

“Haven’t seen her around. She good-looking?” At that, the student let out a guffaw, high-fiving several other people around him.

Artifex’s heart raced. He nervously rubbed his left thumb on his right wrist. This was not what he was expecting to face already. “I… well, I… I hadn’t given that much thought…”

“Really? Aw, c’mon, dude. You gotta tell me something good!” He laughed, as did some of the other students, but the rest were staring at Artifex oddly.

“I don’t even know you,” he replied, a bit coldly.

His tone gave enough reason for the student to pause, and he looked at Artifex with something resembling hesitance. “Well… I mean, I guess I could introduce myself—”

“Mr. Solil?” Rainbow suddenly spoke up. She had a nasty frown on her face, coupled with a deeply furrowed forehead. “I think Artifex has said enough, don’t you think? Why not let the other new student introduce himself?”

Mr. Solil nodded, and Artifex got the feeling he had caught on. “That sounds reasonable, Miss Dash. Alright, Artifex. Take your seat. Mr. Clue? Introduce yourself, would you?”

Frost let out a silent sigh of relief as he slid back into his desk. “Thank you,” he mumbled under his breath.

Rainbow nodded slowly. “No problem, dude. You looked like you needed my help anyway.”

Artifex nodded back, before placing his hands back on top of his legs in a neutral position. His heart was beginning to resume a normal pattern of beating, but a light layer of apprehension still clung to him.

Maybe what this new student will be able to take my mind off of the matter?

“And what’s your full name?” asked Mr. Solil.

“No Clue,” replied the student. A good amount of the class laughed, and he rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. “Eh heh heh, you laugh now, but trust me, that is my real name. Well, I mean, it’s the short version, but—”

“Short version?” interrupted a male student. “What’s the long version, then?”

No Clue sighed. “It was my grandma’s idea. She wanted me to have a powerful, awe-inspiring name. So my parents, or really my mom, followed her wishes and called me Nostradamus Clue, of the Clue family.”

“Nostradamus? So, you can predict the future?” asked Rainbow.

“Nope! Hence why I thought it fitting to be called ‘No Clue!’” he replied cheerfully.

The class laughed at his jibe. Even Artfiex gave a light chuckle.

“Well, No Clue, let’s hope that name doesn’t apply directly to your academics,” said Mr. Solil.

“Maybe in the case of arriving on time, but don’t worry, sir!” No Clue gave a mock salute. “I’m not completely awful at this stuff, y’know!” Another round of laughter followed.

“Good to know. What else can you tell us about yourself?” asked Mr. Solil.

“Well, I’m originally from Coltorado, but my parents moved a lot due to my dad’s work. We stayed for some time in Detrot—wouldn’t really recommend it—then for a bit in Baltimare, before coming here and settling down.”

“What do your parents do for a living?”

“Much like Artifex’s dad, my dad works in accounting. But he also works another job as an advisor on the Board of Health. My mom, on the other hand, is an interior designer. She buys, like, a lot of furniture for our house. I honestly sometimes have no idea where the money comes from.”

“Have any guesses?” asked some other student.

“Just one. We lived in Coltorado, remember? And that’s where marijuana is legal.” He smirked. “Guess that’s my only ‘clue.’”

The class collectively groaned and laughed at that. Artifex shook his head, not quite in disdain, but not quite in mirth.

Mr. Solil had a mixture of an amused frown and a disapproving smile. “Be forewarned, young man; puns are looked down upon in this class.”

“You got it, sir! I won’t let you down!” Clue repeated his mock salute, but his grin showed that he hardly cared.

“Very well. You may sit down.” Once No Clue had done so, Mr. Solil looked around. “Well, now, since that’s out of the way, I suppose we ought to start class officially. Unless there are any objections?”

Right on cue, several students raised their hands to voice their protests. Mr. Solil rolled his eyes. “Luckily for you, your opinions don’t matter to the school board. The first person in each row, please come up and take these sheets of paper. We’re going to do a little reading comprehension to see how well you each can analyze…”

When Artifex was still young and his sister was still around to give him advice, she would often encourage him to learn something new everyday. Initially, he had thought she meant go out and read a new entry in the encyclopedia, or ask questions of the local librarian. He had believed it was her own type of “schooling.”

She was nevertheless impressed by his will to do as she had asked. He’d come home with a textbook’s worth of new facts and ideas, learned either in his free time or in school. Each time, she’d reward him with something sweet. A piece of gum, before he had grown to dislike the taste; other times, she’d secretly hand him her portion of dessert, even if he protested against it. They were small gestures, but to him, they were worth every hour spent ruminating over books and words.

He figured it was a good line of thought to follow. If you learned something new everyday, then you’d be much more prepared for tomorrow. A mild curiosity at present could lead to beneficial results in the future.

This was not the case in Mr. Solil’s class.

Artfiex could write a decent essay, but reading comprehension was surprisingly difficult, and he had no idea why. His confusion matched Rainbow’s boredom and No Clue’s—well, no-clueness, to the point where they were stuck scratching their heads by the time they had finished.

Mr. Solil didn’t seem surprised. “It’s not the easiest skill in the world to master,” he said, “and I expect it to be difficult for a good amount of you.” Looking over the papers, he added quietly, “Just not this much.”

Thankfully, due to the teacher’s heartened speech and Artifex’s and Clue’s introductions, class time was shorter than usual. Artifex ran a hand through his icy-blue hair, breathing a sigh of relief. “That,” he said to Rainbow and Clue as they were packing up, “was more painful than I had thought it would be.”

“You said it,” Rainbow replied, shaking her head. “Soul said this class was supposed to be easy! Guess he lied. Jerk…”

Clue’s only response was a low groan.

“It’s not hard,” Artifex said. “But it’s not easy, either. A rightful challenge, I suppose.”

“Well, that’s not a good thing,” Clue said. “If you’re having trouble, the rest of us are gonna sink faster than an anchor in the Pacific Ocean!”

“Cliche similes aside, what do you mean by that?”

“Well, aren’t you some sort of genius?”

Artifex frowned and cocked his head slightly. “I didn’t say I was.”

“Oh…” No Clue rubbed the back of his head. “You just kinda come off as being one, I guess.” A smirk developed on his face. “I guess I had ‘no—’”

“Say it and I’ll smack you one,” Rainbow moaned. She turned to Artifex. “I’ve got math next, so that is gonna suck. Any tips?”

“Listen to the teacher, and if all else fails, bluff.”

“That seems more in tune to advice used in law, Artifex,” commented Clue.

“You never know when you might need it elsewhere.” He shrugged. “Sorry, Rainbow. Even if I do look like some sort of genius, I don’t have the grades to prove it.”

“S’fine.” Rainbow bat her hand. “By the way, what’s your next class?”

He checked his schedule. “Science class, it seems. Physics with Mr. Turner.”

“Oh, right. You seemed interested in that class. Who knows? Maybe you’ll have better luck there.”

“Maybe. We can only hope.” He hesitated, as if unsure how to continue the conversation. After a moment’s pause, he turned to No Clue. “What about you, Clue? What’s your next class?”

The tannish-yellow boy squinted at his own schedule. “It says here I have gym… great.”

“What, you don’t like gym?” Rainbow smirked. “C’mon, I’m sure you’ll be good at it.”

“R-really? You think?” Clue looked away, his cheeks flushing. Artifex raised an eyebrow, already making his conclusions.

“The gym is on the same floor as my physics room,” the young man said. “I suppose we can walk together.”

“Mine’s on the first floor,” Rainbow said, a bit solemn. “Guess we’ll see each other at lunch, huh, Artifex?”

He looked at her, confused. “Lunch?”

“What? Fluttershy invited you to lunch yesterday. I figured you’d be willing to accept the offer.”

He thought for a bit, before nodding. “Yeah. I’d like that. Thanks, Rainbow.”

“No problem. What are friends for?”

The bell rang, and Artifex pulled the door open, letting them all out. “I guess we’ll go our separate ways,” he said, once he, Rainbow, and Clue were out. “So… lunch?”

“Lunch it is,” Rainbow affirmed. She then looked at Clue. “Oh, and you can come too, Clue. If you want, that is.”

“Yeah! Sure, I mean, if you don’t mind.”

“Why would I invite you if I did?” She suddenly pushed forward and gave Artifex a hug. “It was good to see you again, Artifex!”

“Likewise,” he said back, after his surprise had faded.

“Alright. See you all later!” She grabbed her belongings and made a mad dash for the stairs, rainbow hair being the only sign of her in the crowd.

Artifex and No Clue took the opposite route, heading for the school’s right wing. While the former walked relatively calmly, the other boy was completely wide-eyed. Clue looked at the other boy with awe.

“You’re friends with Rainbow Dash?” he asked midway through their walk.

Artifex gave him a sidelong glance. “Well, I’ve only known her for a day. But yes, I suppose I am.”

“Like, best friends?”

“I wouldn’t say that. But friends nonetheless.”

“Are you two dating?”

“Are we—”

Artifex stopped in the middle of the hallway. He stared at No Clue, incredulous. “What on earth made you think that?”

“I-I-well, I mean, it’s just, you know. She hugged you, and you looked really happy, and—” Clue tapped his pointer fingers together, suddenly awkward. “I-I mean, there’s nothing wrong with that, but—”

“Clue, if I’ve known Rainbow Dash for but a day, how would I even be in a relationship with her?”

“I don’t know! I’m not really an expert on these kinds of things!”

Artifex stared at Clue for a moment longer, before a knowing smile came across him. “Oh. You like her, don’t you?”

“W-what? No! I’m just… surprised she even complimented me! I mean, we’d only just met, so—and not many girls compliment me, y’know.”

“I understand.” His grin only slightly faded. They resumed walking, albeit with Artifex quietly chuckling to himself at Clue’s embarrassment.

Soon they arrived in the hall with both the gym and the physics classroom. Thanks to Artifex’s swift steps, they had arrived sooner than expected and sooner than everyone else. Students were, nonetheless, beginning to catch up, so Artifex reasoned that now was a good time to say farewell.

He pointed a finger down the hall. “Down there will be the gym, No Clue. You’d better get there fast before you’re overrun.”

“Okay, cool, thanks!” the boy initially responded, cheerful, but his smile noticeably faded as Artifex turned around.

“Is something the matter?” Frost asked.

“Nah, it’s just… well, are you okay?”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“I mean, I noticed that while we were walking, you had a limp… and back in the classroom, you were acting kinda cold to that guy. Granted,” he added, “I think he was going beyond his boundaries, but still.”

Artifex frowned. What could he say? He hardly knew No Clue, and while he seemed nice enough, was that reason to tell him anything?

He pondered his options as fast as he could, bearing in mind the rapidly approaching throng of students. What could he say in such a small amount of time?

“It’s…” He paused, considering his words, before continuing: “It’s something personal.”

“Oh… okay.” The answer seemed to satisfy No Clue, who offered a nod. “Well, I guess I’d better get going. See you at lunch?”

“Yeah. See you.”

Clue dashed past him without another word, making Artifex feel he had said something wrong. The most he could do was shrug, confused and slightly worried, before rotating on his heel and walking towards his class.

With any luck, he’d survive the next few classes without incident.