Author's Notes:

Finally, made an update! Enjoy!

A few more days have passed since then. Iridia and I were trying to come up with a reasonable and relatively easy to execute plan to start the band, for once. However, most of our days still consisted of a rather simple routine of waking up, going to school, studying and stuff, maybe later playing with Blueblood and such, and then rest back at home. On a side note, I should mention that Celestia declared a proposition – remove the obligatory homework altogether from the curriculum. At first, I couldn't believe my ears – remove the homework? That's something I'd never expect to hear anywhere. It aroused (and I would've made a joke here but I won't), well... a reaction of 'What?' from pretty much everyone. However, the explanation proved to be really interesting.

"I know you are wondering why it's done, but I have very good reasons to believe that it will be better for everyone in our school," the princess told us, "I have consulted various academicians, pulled up different researches, analyzed them, and came to an interesting conclusion..." she paused for a moment, "There might not be a substantial benefit from homework. In fact, the researches found out the negative correlation between the amount of homework and academic performance. So, from now on, I'm going to test whether making the homework option will improve the performance and the well-being of students. And I can already see smiles on your faces as I say it. Perhaps, your well-being has already improved," she smiled.

She gave us some time to discuss it among ourselves, too. So, for the next half an hour, my friends and I had a discussion about it. Some other ponies joined in, too.

"Homework never bothered me too much," I admitted, "It's never been that hard for me."

"I think it's good we don't have to do it anymore," Moonshine said, a bright smile on her face, "Means more time for us to do what we want, right?"

"Yeah, that doesn't seem bad," Night Breeze agreed as Iridia and I nodded, "I can relax a bit more now. I've been growing more tired with each day..." she looked at me, and I felt uncomfortable right away. I sure know why she might be feeling... off. Noticing my expression, the unicorn giggled girlishly, "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"Hey guys, what'dya think?" a colt interjected, saving me from being, uh, awkward, "I think it's good thing. More free time!"

"You really should study more, you know," someone else turned to us as well, "You're not doing so good, especially in Commonlang."

"I'll be fine, shush," the colt waved dismissively, "Ya know... If I don't do stuff right in school, you think it's good at home?"

"This school is for gifted unicorns, not for unicorns who can't spell 'schedule' right," the second one rolled her eyes.

"I can't spell it right?" the colt buffed his chest.

"C'mon, spell it, then."

"Easy as pie-makin'! It's es, see... uh... eich, ay..."

"It's ee, dummy, not ay," the filly laughed, "Told you, you don't know how to spell it!"

"As if ya can," he replied grumpily, "You know what I can that ya can't? Teleport far-, fur-, furthererst than ya!"

As they continued to throw words at each other (can't call it any other way), the four of us sat aside and tried to stifle our laughter. I noticed Celestia had her ears aimed at us, corners of her lips up as she listened. As she saw me looking, she winked at me before letting out the slightest giggle I've heard in my life. Well, well, well... seems the Princess of the Day herself likes joking around. Or, at the very least, getting fun from listening to others being stupid.

In any case, once the bell rang, we had to go to the next classroom and resume learning. After all, the absence of homework didn't mean that we wouldn't have to work at all, now did it?

As the day went on, I didn't notice anything else that would be unusual. The classes just had no homework to give, but otherwise, the load's still the same, and we're progressing as usual. Although, obviously, some progress quicker than others. And, as it can be easily guessed... I'm one of them because I'm an alicorn.

Let me explain. Each class has certain things we need to do, but we don't have tight time constraints like on Earth. For example, we can take longer to learn a specific thing. One might learn it in one class, and others struggle to understand it in five. Celestia's very patient with them and tries her best to help them personally. Then there are ponies like me who rarely if ever need any assistance. And, as a result, when it comes to exams, each of us has to go to Celestia personally when it comes to magic. The exams aren't like traditional exams. Instead of answering standardized questions, we simply show what we can do. We're not given any grades, we're just observed and then told whether we need to improve something or not.

"So, teleportation?" Celestia nodded after I approached her about the thing, "Very well, then. We shall test your precision, stamina, and concentration. Now, here is a nail," she teleported it in front of her, letting it hang in the air, "Look at the board across the room."

Alright, here it is. It's a simple wooden board hanging on a wall. Rather small, maybe about five by five centimeters. Hm, I think I know what will be asked of me...

"Try teleporting the nail exactly where I'm pointing at," the princess continued. Her horn then ignited, and a tiny, barely visible golden dot appeared on the board.

I lit my horn and concentrated, the sounds of other students around me fading. In the corner of my eye, I noticed Moonshine watching me with interest as she stopped her exercise. She hadn't achieved as much as I had in teleportation, but she's still pretty good at it. Anyway, I need to focus on my task.

The nail needs to be in the board, it needs to appear exactly where Celestia is showing. That tiny golden dot... so tiny it'd be easy to miss with such a thin and small-cap nail. However, if I do it just right... I can see it with my eyes, which makes the whole thing much easier. Now, I can feel the nail in my grasp. Its shape, its metallic texture, its temperature, even its weight... And all I need to do is lightly tap it. Not like a hammer, but a gentle and yet firm pressure...

My vision zoomed in, the board appearing so much closer. I could see the pattern of the wood, and... is it spruce? There are a few cracks running along, too... And the dot, it's much bigger now. Much easier to hit.

*Zzz-zap!*

And right in the bullseye! Not sure that's correct to say in Equestria, though – I heard cows and bulls are intelligent. But still... right on the thing!

"Very good," Celestia smiled at me, "Now, turn around, and try to do the same thing with this one," she handed me another nail, "You won't be able to see my dot directly."

Now, that's interesting. I turned away from the board, now facing the princess as she ignited her horn again. Now, I need to concentrate...

"Don't close your eyes," she told me, and I nodded. Closing my eyes would've made it a bit easier, but I can manage.

Slowly but surely, the image of the board appeared in front of my eyes, fading into what I could see. The board wasn't there in front of me, but I could see it almost clearly. It was blurry, unfocused, as was the new dot on it. I could see the previous nail I placed into the board nearby. I just need to concentrate a tiny bit more... Aha, here is a clear picture! Now, all I need to do is...

*Zzz-zap!*

I turned around to see my result, and oh yes, perfect! Haven't missed it by a millimeter.

"Very, very good," Celestia told me, "How are you feeling now?"

"Everything's fine, I suppose," I replied.

"Alright, then let's move to something more practical. On average, unicorns who are able to teleport do so rarely, only around four times a day on average, not counting small teleportations across the rooms. So, you're living in the dormitory, correct?" I nodded, "Very well, then teleport there and back here four times. You can also do it more than four times if you wish."

I nodded and then prepared the spell. Considering that I can teleport from Ponyville to Canterlot, it'll be no trouble for me to teleport pretty much anywhere inside the city many times. My stamina's great in pretty much every aspect, so...

*ZZZ-ZAP!*

Here I am in my room. Hm, I probably should clean up a bit. Some stuff's lying around that should be placed somewhere else. Wait a moment... I can hear someone! I swiftly looked around and noticed a couple of small things. First of all, the beds have been moved. The entrance door is ajar, and the door to the bathroom is also cracked open. And someone's in there. Without taking a step closer, I swung the door open, revealing two ponies in masks and cloaks. As soon as I saw them, they dashed forward, but I knocked them down using magic. I saw one of them was a unicorn, and he or she or whatever lit their horn.

Teleportation? No, I'm not gonna let them escape so easily. So, I slapped them across the face, breaking their concentration. Then slapped again for good measure. I inhaled deeply in preparation for a call.

"Thieves!" I shouted as loud as I could, and I soon heard hoofsteps coming from downstairs. I looked out the window just to make sure there's not anything else I should worry about, and...

Without having time to think, I teleported outside, grabbed the third suspicious figure and teleported us both back to the apartment. The third one had long, rectangular boxes attached to their saddlebags, and... Oh fucking hell, they were after the instruments! I slapped this one as well, cutting the ropes with my magic and setting the boxes aside. Let's count them... yeah, seems I got everything back.

Using the same ropes, I bound the three thieves together before they could run away. They started to struggle, and then I slapped them again, making sure they couldn't concentrate enough. I sure hope their ears are ringing!

I swiftly took off their masks, and... well, can't recognize any of them, unfortunately. They're unremarkable ponies: two stallions and one mare, all relatively young.

"Relax, dude-" the mare started to say before I slapped her across the face. What? I'm all for equality – everyone gets a slap, no matter their gender or sexual preference or whatever.

"Shut the fuck up," I told her, "Relax? Oh no, you don't try to steal my stuff and tell me to relax when I find you out!"

"Look, we'll tell you who hired us but you'll have to let us go," the mare offered a deal. So, I did what I do best, apparently – slapped her yet again, "Hey, stop it!" Slap! "C'mo-" Slap!

"You won't get away with this sort of stuff, bitch," I told her, raising my voice. I'm in no mood for any jokes, that's for sure. I don't care for her reasons, the money she and her friends were paid to steal stuff from me or any of that shit. No one, and I say no one can touch my instruments. If I were back in the US, the thieves would have to think twice before ever dashing towards me. Thankfully, I lived in a state that allows people to shoot thieves on sight. Or something along those lines... In any case, she and her friends are lucky, very lucky.

"Is there a problem?" a pair of guards appeared in my doorway.

"Yeah, a big one," I replied and then gestured at the thieves, "These sacks of crap tried to steal my instruments!"

A sudden bright flash blinded me for a short while, and Princess Celestia appeared in the middle of the room.

"Is everything al-" she began but then saw the scene. Everyone stood in place, and the eyes of the thieves were wide open. A long pause ensued as the princess looked over the room, taking in the situation. Well, if the thieves weren't fucked before, they are now, Once Celestia concluded her thoughts, she turned to me and asked, "I see... Tell me, Flame Metal, did you subdue these three by yourself?"

"Yes, I did. I had to catch the third one as he was running away on the street," I explained, "Had to teleport to him and then back here," I chuckled as a thought appeared in my head, so I asked, "Heh, did I pass the test?"

"As a matter of fact, I think you have done it excellently," she went along with my joke, the corners of her mouth rising, "I'd say you've done more than the test required. Not only that, but you apprehended... troublesome individuals," her gaze shifted to the thieves, "Well, then, who might you be?"

"They told me they'd give me a name of who hired them to steal my stuff if I let them go," I added. I think it was quite stupid of them to say that, but eh... I guess they really didn't want to get caught. At the very least, they're now knee-deep in shit and they have no way of running away from this. Especially not after Celestia got involved.

"A-and we can still do the same..." the mare thief said. This time, I didn't slap her, not knowing what the princess would think of that. Luna might've slapped her, but Celestia seems... calmer?

"We do not negotiate with criminals," she replied sternly, "To put it simply, you have broken into this building and apartment, tried to steal valuable things, and you admit to being paid for it... You do not get to negotiate anything. Instead, you shall be punished in full, for it was your choice to commit the crime. Unless, of course, you can prove that you were coerced into it. However, this is a private discussion, and I shall tend to it after the classes are over," she turned to the guards, "As for you, I'm disappointed. This dormitory is supposed to be the safest in the country, and yet three unidentified individuals managed to break in without raising any alarms. The security was compromised, and it warrants a full, thorough investigation," and finally, she returned to me, "Do you feel alright, Flame Metal? Would you like to return to the classes or rest instead?"

"Once I clean everything up, I'll be back in the class," I promised, "I don't want to return here to find the same mess."

"Very well, then I shall be waiting for you back at the school," she nodded and then turned to the guards, "Take the thieves to the dungeons and not let anyone visit them before I do. I suppose I don't need to remind of the consequences of letting them free, do I?"

"We will not fail you, your majesty," the guards bowed.

"I definitely hope you won't," she nodded with a frown on her face and then turned to me once again, "One last thing before I go... Perhaps, you should join a fighting club or attend some self-defense classes. You have the potential."

"I'll think about it," I nodded. To be honest, doesn't sound like a bad idea. Kicking ass, becoming more muscular and stuff? Why not? That's one of the most metal things a guy can do, after all.

Phew, what a day... And if I didn't appear in my apartment in time, my instruments would be gone. Not only that, but the guitar Moonshine commissioned specifically for me would be gone as well, and that's way more personal than just any instrument. I have no idea what the three intended to do with the instruments or who hired them, but I have my suspicions, and they're not good...

But all that comes later. First of all, I need to fix the mess they made.