“Noot, noot. Noot, noot.”

Snails groaned and rolled over, hoof thumping the alarm clock. “Just 5 more minutes!”

“Noot, noot. Noot, noot.”

Groaning again, Snails bashed the alarm a few times in rapid succession, “I had a hard time at cadet training! Sleep is good for a growing colt.”

“Noot, noot. Noot, noot.”

Sitting up, Snails grumbled at his alarm clock, then at Gisa, who was sitting on the floor with a clipboard. She grinned, tilting her head menacingly, “Noot, noot. Noot, noot.”

“Gee, thanks.” Yawning, Snails reached over with one hoof and tapped Gisa on the head, “Off.”

“Bee boop.” Ducking her head with the tap, Gisa giggled softly, “Ok, you have classes as normal today. Did you get all of your homework done?”

Snails slumped out of bed and walked to the shower, “Yes and no.” Snails turned on the water with a soft squeak, and started washing herself.

“No?” Giza asked, sitting at the door, “What’s no?”

“Well, I kind of skipped doing the Telekinesis practice, and that whole thing on the history of Metamorphic spells was so boring.”

“Ugg, you need to do this stuff!” Gisa stomped her fore-claw before she peeped in alarm as Escargot wrapped her in magic and dragged her towards the water, “EEEP! Okay okay! TK practice done!”

Dropping Gisa a hair's breadth from the shower, Escargot quickly dried off, “Thanks, Gisa.”

Picking up the school bag, Escargot trotted through the doorway and into the dorm hall. Gisa quickly flipped pages on her clipboard, speaking out for the whole hallway to hear, “Also, at 12:10, you have tea with Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna would like to see you this evening around 6:30.” Escargot wilted as all eyes in the hall turned towards her. Several other fillies started whispering to each other. Galaxy narrowed her eyes at Escargot.

“Have I told you I hate you recently?”

Escargot mewed softly and shuffled towards the cafeteria, head low, his face hidden behind his long flowing mane in a very Fluttershy-esque manner. Gisa shook her head, and with a cheerful “Nope.”, she thumped the door closed with her hip.

“I’m so excited!” Noi exclaimed, bouncing up beside Escargot.

Prancing up on the other side, Dinky giggled, “Noi, you’re always excited. Sleep well, Escargot?”

Escargot gave a sleepy nod and collected food from the table- banana pancakes with peanut butter seemed like a safe choice, with some juice and fruit. He was more interested in sleep than a big breakfast this morning. Apple Bloom sat on the other side of the table between Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, who rested her head on the table.

“She didn’t want to wake up this morning.” Sweetie noted.

“I’m awake, I’m just resting. Pegasi need their rest- just look at Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo said, eyes closed and head down. Sweetie Belle looked at Dinky, then at Escargot, sighing,

“Okay, we need to do something about you.” Nodding at Escargot, Sweetie smiled, “You need a fun day.”

“Whatcha mean?” Apple Bloom blinked in confusion, “There’s so much fun here! Potions class, shopping, dress up... a filly could have fun here forever.”

Shaking her head a little Dinky smiled, “That’s our fun. Escargot needs a real stress breaker!”

“I don’t need anything special,” Escargot said, “I just… I don’t know, I just…”

Lifting a wing, Scootaloo piped up, “You just need to be dumb, or to do something dumb. To have fun without thinking!”

“Hey, that’s not nice,” Noi stomped at Scootaloo. “Escargot’s not dumb!”

“No, dumb fun is a pegasi thing! It means like, not studying, not practicing, just doing something and having fun with it.” putting her wing down, Scootaloo smiled, “Like soccer in the mud. Rainbow Dash is all about stuff like that- flying just to fly, sledding down hills... She says it’s good for a pony not to think about stuff sometimes.”

“I hate the mud,” Sweetie Belle said, puffing out her cheeks, “But for Escargot, three on three?”

“Recess soccer match!” Dinky called out, holding a hoof high. A moment later, her hoof was joined by five others.

Escargot sighed as she walked to class, “I hate this, classes are so hard, its all so…”

Dinky smiled at Escargot, “I know! It’s bad for me and Sweetie Belle too. I really miss my mom, but we couldn’t let you go through this alone.” Taking a seat, Escargot heard some of the other students chatting. As she opened the study book, Escargot flicked an ear, listening.

“His color was just perfect.”

“What was it like?”

Looking over, Escargot saw Galaxy talking with some of the other fillies, going on in almost a dreamy voice, “Oh, it was this wonderful amber color, and he has a scruffy turquoise mane and short cropped tail. Can you picture how that would look in crystal form?”

Escargot cringed, ‘No, they can’t be talking about…’

“He’s a cadet at the academy,” She went on, “He looked so cute in his uniform!”

Escargot groaned, head hitting the desk, ‘I really didn’t need this, just no…’

Trying to ignore the girls, Escargot only half concentrated on the classwork. It was summer! He didn’t want to sit in class, but at the same time, he had three princesses with expectations. All of the other students were here on hard work, chosen because they were special. And he was just…

Escargot to jumped slightly as the bell went off. Putting the books in her bag, he watched Dinky and Sweetie Belle hurrying to get their things together. Escargot trotted out to put her things in her locker before heading out side. Scootaloo was standing on the field, bouncing a hoofball on her head while Applebloom and Noi talked with each other. All three perked up as Escargot walked over.

“Three on three,” Scoots called out, “Me, Bloom and Belle, against you Noi, and Dinky. No magic.”

Pawing the ground nervously, Belle looked down, “Well, it doesn’t look that bad…”

“Not like the mud pits we set up for the sisterhooves social,” Apple Bloom said, “It’s just a little muddy in the center.”

“Ponyville power!” Noi said, holding a hoof up.

Laughing, all six of the girls reached up, clapping hooves together above their heads, “Let’s do this!”

With Dinky and Scootaloo taking goalie, Escargot and Belle faced off on the center line, “Aw, come on, she’s got longer legs than me!” Laughing softly, Escargot crouched down to Belle’s level, and the game began. The girls galloped back and forth up and down the field. It wasn’t about the score, it wasn’t about the game, it was just about having fun. Sliding across the field trying to kick the ball, the girls laughed and shouted. Before they knew it, the end-of-recess bell was ringing.

Heading for the school building, Scootaloo smiled, “See, fun! And Sweetie Belle even got her cutie mark!”

Blinking in shock, Sweetie Belle squeaked, “What?!” She turned to look at her flank and huffed, “That’s just mud.” With an annoyed glance at Scootaloo, she wiped it off.

Applebloom laughed cheerfully, “Given the amount of times we get muddy on our cutie mark quests? Sometimes ah think mud might end up being one of our marks.”

“Oh, don’t joke about that.” Sweetie Belle said and puffed out her cheeks, only to be met by Noi and Escargot’s giggles. In high spirits, they picked up their bags and turned towards their classrooms, only to be met by Galaxy and their teacher.

“See, I told you, just like common ponies, all dirty,” Galaxy remarked smugly.

“I am aware that the standards of Ponyville might be a tad lower, but here, we do try and maintain a level of
cleanliness and decorum.” The teacher said, adjusting her glasses.

Escargot lowered his head, “Sorry ma’am.”

Galaxy huffed, “They smell almost as bad as boys.”

“Hey!” Sweetie Belle scowled at Galaxy.

Noi and Apple Bloom moved in between Escargot and the teacher. “Sorry ma’am, but Escargot needed to play. She’s been under so much pressure here, that she needed something fun.”

“I see,” Shaking her head, Mrs. Hackney pointed to the gym, “Shower first, then class, and I’ll expect to see you three after class, to make up the missed time.”

Looking at each other, the girls blinked, then sighed in unison, “Yes, Ma’am.”

Blinking, Escargot gulped as he walked towards the girl’s shower room, “Why me?”