A fair week had passed since our first encounter with Charge, and yet none of my questions had been answered. Nothing out of Charge’s mouth, nothing out of any old books or scrolls I came across. Nothing.

Zero-zip-zilch-nada-NOTHING! Kill happily sang, tormenting me with every synonym for “nothing” he could imagine.

Nevertheless, it was a new day, another opportunity to get my answers. I knew we could just ask Charge, but... I was still a bit too creeped out by the guy to give it a serious try. It seemed as if he was skirting around the topic anyway. If he didn’t want to keep something like that a secret, he’d probably blatantly talk to himself all the time, right? It’s not like I’m talking to Kill and Joy out loud in public. I had always get them a secret, my proof being that, nopony actually knew that I had them... Okay, I lie. The only three that did know were Pinkie Pie, maybe Charge, and one other pony.

On top of everything else, I was going to figure this thing out. I vowed to myself that I would not rest or sleep for an instant, until I found out about these weird new types of ponies. Roan wasn’t built in a day, and these ponies must have been around for some time. Things don’t just pop out at rando--

“Shiya, Graze!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, popping up out of nowhere. How does somepony so loud move so quietly? Especially on these floorboards?! That doesn’t make any sense!

“Oh shit!” I exclaimed, stumbling backwards from the mare. “Give me a heart attack, why don’tcha!?” I sat on my haunches, holding a hoof to my chest as I hyperventilated.

“Hehehe! Whoops, sorry,” she chuckled apologetically, lending me a hoof.

“Don’t worry, Pinks!” I waved off her apology as if it was nothing. Standing up on all fours with her aid, I dusted off my clothes as I balanced on the remaining three. I was certain that Kill and Joy had taken control of my body to get me over to Pinkie.

Hearing the two smack their hooves in success, I glared at them, disappointed in Kill and especially Joy that he actually had a part to play in this little scheme.

Hey, it’s harder than you think trying to actually move your fat ass. Give us some props once in a while, Kill scolded, trying to look all big and macho in front of Pinkamena.

Sorry, Graze, Joy whispered close to my ears, his eyes straying to Surprise and Pinkamena.

It’s fine, I know you two haven’t really talked to anypony but each other in a while. Go enjoy yourselves while I stay with Pinkie, I said, freeing the two ponies to do as they wished. Okay, maybe I should be specific and say “as Joy wished,” because Kill’s end goal was drastically different.

Watching the two pairs of consciences gather, I was surprised that Kill was using his hooves rather than his wings to travel towards the pink-maned, earthbound pony. I couldn’t be any more proud of him. Why? Because, it is the gentlecolts way that you travel as your mare did... not that Pinkie was my mare, but I’m sure Kill had wanted to impress.

“So, Graze, where ya heading?” Pinkie Pie asked. Having met the pink pony halfway there, we began our trot together in the same general direction I was heading.

As she hopped alongside with me, it seemed as if she was dancing to a tune unheard by everypony’s ears but hers. I just couldn’t help but catch her happiness like a pathogenic disease. Just the sight of her brought smiles and sunshine everywhere, brightening everypony’s day as she did so. Was this the magic of Pinkie? Surprise was the only pony that I knew who could’ve matched Pinkie in this game. And I’m not just saying that because she’s a fragment of her.

Keeping this smile down was very hard, bordering on impossible. You just couldn’t do it. No amount of willpower could break this curse. “We were just heading for some breakfast,” I answered, pointing to the swinging cherrywood doors of the cafeteria without ever dropping my smile. Damn, my face hurts.

I suppose my actual reason to smile was seeing the four consciences happily interacting with each other. Since Pinkie and I are so used to just living out our lives with them on the sidelines, I guess we didn’t notice until now how hard it must have been on them not to know anypony else but each other.

Seeing Kill and Joy so happy with Pinkamena and Surprise led me to wonder... can consciences fall in love? Or do their romantic choices rely on those of their “vessel?” I highly doubt the second option, since they have their own mindset and will... but can they make love? Like, reproduce?

No, Graze, that’s just stupid, Kill said, hearing my thoughts even from that distance. We may be of free will, but we can’t have foals. Whose head would they even GO in? he pointed out, which might I add was very confusing indeed.

Of course he had a point, but it probably wasn’t the right point. Then again, trying to figure him out could be like trying to figure Pinkie out. Arguing with their logic was futile... I wonder what Joy’s say on this was.

That’s messed up, Joy moaned. You guys are giving my thoughts cancer just trying to wrap my head around this. Please, stop.

Oh oh! I know how this works! Surprise chimed, hyperactively flapping her wings as she temporarily hovered between my two eyes. When a mare eats lots of candy and gets filled up with lots of love, happiness and sugar, she can’t hold in all the excitement, so POOF! A foal is created.

Complete. Utter. Silence.

What... the... buck, Joy, myself and Kill said respectively. Right there and then, I doubted even Pinkie could figure Surprise out. Surprise was the essence of Pinkie’s innocence, but this was just way too much innocence. Going back to Conscience 101, if Surprise was that innocent, and Pinkamena allowed her to handle most of the work, that could only mean one thing: Pinkamena knew things that would scar most sane ponies for life.

For Kill’s sake, and most importantly, mine, I pray he doesn’t screw this up in any way possible.

It seems that just when you think you’ve finally figured out Pinkie -BOOM!- something else pops up that sets you right back to square one. When that happens, even when you think you’re on the verge of understanding her, there’s no choice but to dump all your research and just go, “Buck this.”

She wasn’t actually a threat, once you keep in mind that Pinkamena doesn’t do any of the work. But, like Kill and Joy, there must be a time where she comes out, and when she does, I want to be two cities away.

There was somewhat less entertainment on this stroll for Pinkie and I compared to the four mini-us’ in the background. I guess with Surprise otherwise occupied, Pinkie toned down just by an itty-bitty-little-wittle-teensy-weensy-itsy-bitsy amount.

“So, what do we have first?” I asked, trotting towards the cafeteria doors.

“We have Mr. Charge, duh! Hehehe! Things don’t change in a week, Graze!” she chuckled, brushing my mane with a hoof as if I was some sort of foal while maintaining her bounce.

Still hyperactive. Check.

Since I was too tired to use up any actual energy and catch up with her, I allowed the mare to burst through the cafeteria doors ahead of me, ready to fill the entire room with sunshine and smiles. “C’mon Pinkamena and Surprise! Time for breakfast!” she exclaimed from the other side as I watched the cafeteria doors sway lifelessly back and forth.

With the pink parade gone, Kill and Joy returned, with Kill resting in my mane and Joy on my shoulder.

So, how was it, guys? I asked out of curiosity.

The two glanced at each other and back to me, replying in unison, Good.

Good? That’s it?

Yeah, you know, just fine, goo- Joy tried to respond, but was quickly interrupted by his other half.

IT WAS SO AWESOME! Kill squealed in delight. Peering past my ear, he shot a glance at Joy, whose hoof was firmly covering his face. Ahem! Kill cleared his throat and coughed. I mean, yeah, it was fine... good.

ALRIGHT! Breakfast time! Joy declared, hoping to change the subject. You should get your food and find Ditzy and Vine before class starts.

Kill opened his mouth to give some sort of second opinion, but the sound of my stomach growling told him I was going to follow Joy’s advice regardless. I picked up a decent-sized stack of pancakes and a glass of milk and made my way through the cafeteria, hoping I wasn’t too late to find-

“Graze! Over here!” Vine beckoned from nearly halfway across the cafeteria. By some miracle, I made my way through the crowd of hungry, tired ponies, reaching her table, which also seated Ditzy and-

“GRAZE!” Pinkie shouted, energetically waving her hoof. “You’re just in time! I knew you’d be a little while longer, so I found your other friends and saved a table for them so we can all hang out together! Isn’t this great or what?”

For a time, all I could do was stare slack-jawed at the pink mare, amazed that she’d go through all that trouble. Eventually, though, I found my words again. “Well. That was... that was very nice of you. I’m gonna go ahead and assume you three already know each other.”

“We’re all in the same physics class,” Vine remarked, rolling her eyes. “We don’t have an erratically changing class roster. We’re dealing with the same ponies for that class all semester, probably even all year. Of course we’re going to get to know each other to some degree.”

“Hello to you too, Vine,” I greeted, sitting down. Hopefully she’ll be a bit less of a smartass once she gets some caffeine in her system.

---

Was today only going to be about talking? First the quartet of consciences, and now the trio of mares...for the past half hour. I need some guy friends, you know, to just hang out with.

With my new plan in mind, I lazily scanned every corner of the cafeteria, looking for a single stallion.

I didn’t think being this homoerotic was physically possible, Kill commented.

I swear that he will be the bad side of me, forever. Like with any other conscience that tells you wrong, you go right. All you really gotta do is ignore. Shouldn’t be too hard, right?

Deeply engaged in their morning conversation, the mares didn’t even notice how quietly I left. To them, I was like a ghost. They knew I was there, but they didn’t pay me any mind. I’m a pony, not a ghost! I crave love and attention too!

“Hey!” Vinetion called out, actually noticing that I was leaving. I take back everything I said about being a ghost. She noticed that I was leaving. Taking time out of her conversation for her best buddy, Gr-

“-aze! Can you get me some sugar for my coffee when you come back? Thank you!” She ordered without my consent.

I take back taking everything back. Getting my hopes up and leaving them to die, alone and unloved without anyone to leave its will to, is terrible. Rightly agitated and snorting hot air from my snout, I continued my search for friends that are males. Notice how I didn’t say “coltfriends.”

Over the course of this last week and the last two years, I knew the names of plenty of the other students. Soarin’ was with Spitfire, but I still couldn’t tell if they were together or not... should I add that to my list of mysteries to solve?

Big Macintosh was at a table with Applejack, which I believe was her name since Pinkie spoke non-stop about her friends. I think I overheard them discussing getting jobs at the apple orchard located at the rear of the campus.

“It ain’t nearly as big as the one back home, but we can manage. Right, Big Mac?”

“Eeyup!”

Returning my focus to the search, I saw the Cider brothers, Flim and Flam, who Pinkie said had a slightly strained relationship with the Apple family. Braeburn... everypony wanted him. Hoity Toity... too uptight.

I stood there looking, not moving from my position about a yard away from the mares’ table, but there was not a single pony inside this cafe that suited my taste... except for one.

“What is he staring at?” Vinetion asked the two other mares, all three of them focusing on me.

There was that one lone stallion again. His dark red shades that glared through his portable darkness, following him like a dog and its master. I was always told not to judge a book by its cover. Not even a tabloid paper saying the apocalypse was coming the following week. Grim being the tabloid of course.

Trotting a few steps from the table, I tried to seem as pleasant as I could. The pony seemed so alone... and seemingly dead. He was there, yet he wasn’t there...like a ghost.

Hey, you guys have something in common! Kill laughed.

Oh, shut up, Kill, Joy said. Graze, just say hello. The worst thing that can happen is that he says “no.”

This sounds so much like you’re giving him advice to date a mare. What is wrong with you two!? Kill asked and sighed. Ugh, just try and act like Pinkie Pie, that seems to work for her.

Act like Pinkie, huh? I guess I could give that a try.

Glancing back at Pinkie, I saw her wave cheerfully to me, oblivious to my intentions. I guess she wanted to wish me good luck... somehow... or maybe it was just a random act of kindness.

Inevitably smiling back at her, I ventured forward to the lonely stallion with hops, skips and jumps as I bounced to a tune only I could hear. Everything was so perfect with this random burst of happiness, so perfect that I allowed it to flow through every inch of my body as it guided me. I just felt so free with each skip, a cool wind blowing through my mane, calling out to me, guiding me. I trusted that wind, that undying glee, and closed my eyes.

THUD! I crashed into somepony and fell onto my back. And like that, the magic was gone.

“Dumbbell! You okay?!” I heard a nasally stallion’s voice shout. I opened my eyes to see a trio of pegasi stallions of varying sizes. Something you’d see in a fast food restaurant where all the cups are neatly stacked in order by size. In ascending order, we had Score, Dumbbell and Hoops.

Ugh, not these guys again, Joy sighed, rolling his eyes. Unfortunately, sharing classes with these ponies everyday didn’t seem like enough time spent with them; they had to come find me.

“Well, if it isn’t Gayze,” Dumbbell teased, dusting himself off between Hoops and Score.

“Morning to you too, Dumbballs,” I countered his morning greetings.

“It’s Dumbbell,” he corrected.

“I don’t think I stuttered, now did I?”

“We can deal with him right now, Dumbbell,” the larger orange pegasus, Hoops offered.

“Yeah, just give us the word--” Score was quickly interrupted by the chocolate brown pegasus’ hoof.

“So Gayze, why don’t you let us have those three mares? You were heading for Grim, weren’t you?” he taunted, raising a brow and laughing among his friends. “One for each of us, right boys?!”

“Hahahaha, yeah! Oh wait, the green one is a filly fooler,” Score laughed, snorting as he pointed at Vine.

Strike one, Kill counted.

Keep it together, Kill, Joy warned.

“And who would do a mare with the mind of a little filly?” Hoops laughed, pointing at Pinkie.

Strike two! Kill exclaimed.

Keep. Calm!

“I don’t know, why don’t we find out?” Dumbbell suggested, as he trotted alongside his friends. Purposely nudging me before they passed, I spread out both wings, obstructing their path, preventing them from doing so.

“Listen here buddy,” Dumbbell pushed me back with a hoof, catching the attention of my friends as well as, the entire cafeteria.

“HEY! LEAVE HIM ALONE!” Vinetion shouted, her words echoing through the silence.

“Yeah, stop being meanies and go eat your breakfast, or something!” Pinkie Pie shouted, her voice rattling as she stood with her hooves on the table to support her weight.

“Come on, Graze, just walk away and join us. Leave them alone,” Ditzy advised.

Okay... you have to do SOMETHING, Joy told me. I really hoped this wouldn’t turn violent, but I get the impression that these three aren’t going to listen to reason, not from you and not from our friends. And I don’t see any of the staff here, so, unless they think this will somehow magically resolve itself...I hate to say it, I honestly do, but... we just might have to make this resolve itself. The absolute last thing we need is for them to get hurt... or worse.

Wow. Encouragement of violence from Joy, reluctant or otherwise, never happened. But I still had another conscience to hear from before I could make a decision.

WASTE THEM! Kill shouted, gritting his teeth with a smirk.

Fair enough.

“Yes, Graze, listen to that walleyed ditz,” Dumbbell said, leaning over to my ear and whispering to me. “Who knows? Maybe if we do her hard enough, I can fix those eyes.”

Folding my wings back to my sides, I looked straight through Dumbbell as he allowed the two stallions to pass. I dared them to pass me. Any one of them.

“Don’t do it, Graze,” Ditzy murmured under her breath.

It was Score who made the first move to pass me, as I heard Kill shout, NOW! In that instant, I threw my hoof forward, unfurling my wings mid-gallop.

I smiled evilly, knowing what was going to happen, but suddenly realized I was at a complete halt. My wings were at the necks of Score and Hoops, and Dumbbell’s eyes were crossed, staring at my hoof. It stood mere inches away from his face, and it was surrounded by a magical green aura.

“And what do you think you four are doing?” A hollow voice filled the air, coming from behind Dumbbell. “Just let them go, Graze, you’ve already lost.”

“What do you mean, lost? I have them right where I want them!” I exclaimed, watching as Grim gestured for the three ponies to leave while they could.

“Not lost in terms of this fight. You lost because you gave into those three nitwits. You’re not much better than they are.”

“And what makes you all high and mighty, huh?!” I questioned the unicorn, paused in mid-flight. “Who says you can’t last two minutes longer than these idiots?”

“Nopony, but, if you’d like to find out, I’d be more than happy to show you. Meet me in front of the main building at an hour after we’re released from Mr. Charge’s class, if your lust for battle hasn’t been calmed by then. Do you accept?” He offered, raising his right brow.

DEAL! Kill shouted.

NO DEAL! Joy shouted.

Sorry, Joy. I couldn’t bring myself to refuse. “Deal.”

“Good,” Grim said, walking beside me. “Now, this spell has done nothing to relieve the momentum of your flight. I cannot and will not hold you for much longer, so when I release it, you will shoot forward and crash into that wall,” he explained.

“Okay, sure,” I rolled my eyes, not really taking heed of his warning. “Wait, what?!” Realization had hit me as he released his spell, sending me into a spiral, crashing into the wall. Grim simply walked away and left me to my headache.

My eyes spinning in their sockets from the crash, I laid on the floor just waiting for my headache to stop.

Ugh, I can’t believe I was going to befriend that douche! Kill lamented. And my plan was perfect! He never expected us to use our wings!

Honestly, Grim is right. I do take responsibility for my actions, Joy admitted. Sorry, Graze.

You can be such a kiss-ass sometimes! Kill shouted, fighting off Joy. Supporting the other side of the argument, he decided to take it up with the pony in charge, me. My eyes fixated on the smaller stallion as he made his way to my snout. Please tell me we aren’t backing out.

It’d be wrong of us if we did, I replied. I already accepted.

“Uh... Graze?” Ditzy inquired, bringing my attention away from my consciences. “You’ve been staring at that wall for nearly two minutes. Just how hard did you hit your head?”

RIIINNGGG! The school’s bell sounded on its usual schedule before I was allowed to answer.

Lending out both her hooves, Ditzy pulled me back up to all my fours. “C’mon, Graze,” she said, smiling. “We don’t want to be late for Mr. Charge’s class.”

Now, that’s what I wished had happened. Instead, it was more like this:

“Are you insane!? What were you thinking going up against those three ponies!” Ditzy scolded after she had so kindly assisted me in getting back up. With a heavy sigh, she watched me in the eyes and continued, “Graze, I know you meant well, but they can’t do anything to us, okay?” Well, her tone calmed down a bit. Can’t say that I didn’t expect this. “I just don’t want to see you get hu--”

“OHMYGOSH! DID YOU GUYS SEE THAT?!” Pinkie shouted, popping up out of nowhere as she interrupted Ditzy’s sentence. “Graze was AMAZING out there! Those meanies were all like ‘Grrrr, we’re gonna be mean to those fillies!’ And he was all like ‘You have to get through me first!’ and then WHOOSH! He charged right at them! And then Grim stopped him before he could land a hit on any of them but it was still SO COOL! I just wish I had something with me that could’ve recorded it so I could watch it again and again and again without even stopping, it was that supercalifragilisticexpialidocious super special awesome-”

“IIII think that’s enough, Pinkie,” Vinetion said, her hoof firmly placed in Pinkie’s mouth as the pink mare continued to mumble. “You guys go on without us, Pinkie and I will meet you there.”

“Come on, Graze, the bell just rang,” Ditzy urged as she forcefully dragged me away from Pinkie and down the halls. “I don’t want to be late for class. Especially, Charge’s.”

If there was one thing Dumbbell was right about, even though I’d hate to admit that we was right, it was that my life was controlled by mares... and to some extent, I loved it.

---

Seated in my row between Vine and Ditzy, I rested my head on the flat wooden surface of my desk, eyes facing forward as Charge wrote on the board. Technically, I wasn’t watching him, but the clock above him. Each passing second, a the clock ticked as a reminder of how slow time was moving.

C’mon, move faster, dammit! It’s so boring! Kill complained, dragging his hooves down his face. Somepony do something, quick!”

“Alright class--”

YES! Kill exclaimed with a pump of his hoof, celebrating this small victory out of boredom.

“--today, you will learn about the Sonic Rainboom,” Silent Charge said, causing the class to go through a minimal fit of murmurs, mumbles and whispers. “Settle down, settle down,” he calmly instructed. His words may have been calm and collected, but they were also law, and as such, the class obeyed. “Now, the ‘Sonic Rainboom’ as you know can only be done by a pegasus such as--.”

“Me!” A cyan pegasus mare stood up, apparently playing to the crowd. “Yes, yes, thank you, thank you, hold your applause,” she gloated in a show of pride. Well, from Pinkie’s famous speeches about her friends, and with the sight of her mane and tail casting out any doubt, she had to be none other than Rainbow Dash.

“Take your seat, Ms. Dash, I will not have my class disrupted for a minute of fame,” Charge scolded. With a roll of her eyes and a flicker of her tail, the mare forcefully took her seat, being corrected by the teacher. Something tells me she was the kind of mare that tended to show off to stand out.

Charge took his usual stance in front of the class, towering over the students at the front as he begun his trot back and forth. “While it is true the ‘Sonic Rainboom’ can only be performed by you, it doesn’t mean that a pony can’t perform their own version of a sonic boom.”

“WHAT?! THAT’S MY MOVE! NOPONY HAS DONE IT BUT ME!” The enraged mare shouted, slamming her hooves on the desk. “The Sonic Rainboom is my move, MINE!”

“Yes, Ms. Dash, I commend you on the effort and training you must have endured to perform such a move, but just because you were the only pegasus to perform a ‘Sonic Rainboom’ doesn’t mean that others can’t perform the regular sonic boom. So please, once again I would ask, take your seat and listen to what I’m about to say,” Charge ordered once more, his voice growing stern and impatient as the two locked eyes and shot venomous glares at each other.

“C’mon, Rainbow, just take your seat and listen to what Mr. Charge is trying to teach,” a purple mare begged.

No, Twilight. You stay out of this! Kill demanded, wanting the little bit of drama.

Joy facehoof'd at the display. Stop trying to cause trouble. It’s not like you can affect anything anyway, so why even try?

Regardless of the unheard encouragement, Rainbow heeded Twilight’s words and returned to her seated position, but never tore her gaze from the teacher.

“Thank you for pacifying your friend, Ms. Sparkle,” Charge said, to which Twilight responded with a sheepish smile. “Now, continuing where I left off, the sonic boom is a technique which is doable in theory, but virtually impossible in execution. In order to even come close to performing it, a pegasus would have to reach a velocity that would shatter the bodies of most living creatures. And I have never heard of an instance where it was executed by a pony with temporary wings, which I accredit to their lack of flight experience.” Mr. Charge then turned his attention specifically to the unicorns. “Why do I say this? Because I know there is a spell which grants flight for three days to flightless ponies, and I have no doubt that if I don’t put out this warning, somepony will go out and kill themselves with this technique.”

The class of unicorns and earth alike gulped in unison as one image was displayed in their mind. Something I’m pretty sure sounds a bit like this: Whoooosh-KER-SPLAT!

“By the way, this lesson will NOT be an excuse for earth ponies and unicorns to nod off. You will see this material on future tests.” At those words, everypony who had been focusing on anything but the lesson instantly began taking notes.

“As I covered last week, pegasi have magical ability that is primarily used for atmospheric manipulation. This comes into play during the performance of the sonic boom. During normal flight, or basically everywhere around us, you’re surrounded by air. Seventy-eight percent nitrogen, twenty-one percent oxygen and the remaining percent other gases, basic knowledge, and all that other crap, right?” He rhetorically asked the class, their silence answering for them. “Water vapor is part of the air we breathe, as well as, the atmosphere we pegasi can control. Hence how we make, sit on and alter clouds as we please,” he continued.

Twilight Sparkle rose her hoof, curiosity and excitement seeming to get the better of her. “What does this have anything to do with the sound barrier then?”

“That’s exactly my point! It has nothing to do with the Mach cone. The cone you see as the ‘sound barrier’ is merely concentrated water vapor, forming around the pegasus as it nose dives,” he said excitedly, seeing that class was actually participating. “Okay class, what happens when you buck a cumulonimbus cloud?”

Ooh! Ooh! I know this one! Kill exclaimed. May I? he asked Joy.

It’d be your pleasure, Joy insisted, taking the first step, raising his hoof as he did mine.

“Yes, Graze!” Charge exclaimed, pointing a hoof at me as I dumbfoundedly stood up to the call.

Okay, okay, don’t panic, Graze... let’s see if I still remember, Kill said, unsure if he did, in fact, remember. How could I NOT panic?! They put me in the spotlight and don’t even bucking know what they’re going to say?!

Keep calm, and let me handle this! Kill exclaimed, manipulating my voice to answer the question.

“When a cloud is bucked, concentrated, unstable magical energy is transferred and released as raw energy such as lightning and sound energy such as thunder,” I answered, breathing deeply since apparently Kill doesn’t know anything about oxygen.

“Hmph, correct, Mr. Graze,” Charge congratulated, slowly stomping his hooves against the floor as I sat down. Maybe I should have more faith in Kill... maybe. “But, do you know how all of this plays out in the sonic boom?” he curiously asked, watching not only me, but the entire class as he did so. He leaned forward from his right side, probably his good ear, to hear the expected response.

“No, sir,” I answered as I shook my head, feeling that it was my jurisdiction to answer, since I was the last to respond.

“You see, at first, the cone is colorless and transparent. That is the water vapor collecting around the pegasus’ hooves and being forcefully displaced. Upon breaking through the sound barrier, the water vapor disperses through the air, widening in diameter as the sun rays reflect off it, providing you with your usual rainbow spectrum--”

“AHA! YES!” Rainbow Dash bursted out, jumping from her seat and pumping her hoof in the air.

“HOWEVER!” Charge shouted, making the pegasus and every student around her (mostly her) cower behind their desks. “The color of your sonic boom is based primarily upon your mane and tail,” he finished his explanation, staring at the pony who countlessly interrupted his class. “Ms. Dash, is there anything you’d like to say?”

“Hmph,” she snorted hot air from her nostrils like an enraged bull. “I’m still the only one who has performed the Sonic Rainboom.”

“And there were many before you, and there will be many after you,” Charge quoted, serious as he has ever been, trotting towards the mare as his shadow eclipsed her. He knelt down close to her as she shivered in fear, ensuring the entire class could hear him. “There are many successes, but infinitely more failures before them, Ms. Dash. And to master a move such as that, you must also have suffered many failures.” Holy shit, that was harsh.

Apply cold water to the burn, Kill said, wiping his hooves.

The entire class, myself included, watched as Charge and Dash stood perfectly motionless, staring each other down and waiting for either to make a single move or sound.

RIIIINNNGG! The school’s bell chimed on schedule for the second time that morning. It cleared the still air of the tension of the scene. Rainbow displayed her pride in what may have been the greatest accomplishment of her life... and Charge just mercilessly shattered it. “Stubbornness and pride is a common downfall for any society, and you would be wise to keep it in control,” he warned, his cold, rough voice filling the air.

Without an answer from the mare, silence filled the atmosphere once more, almost becoming breathable as we patiently awaited the next move between both ponies. “Do you understand, Ms. Dash?” Charge made his second move in a row, ensuring she had understood.

“Yes sir,” she faintly said, accepting her defeat.

“Good. Class dismissed,” Charge said, turning away as he slowly trotted to the class’ exit, opening the door. He watched as each pony quietly passed through, the class’ ‘teachings’ still sinking in.

Ditzy and Vinetion being one of the very few to leave, I decided to stay and watch from the backgrounds as Dash quietly walked away at a slower pace. Her friends, matching her speed and trailing alongside her, they tried their best to cheer her up, with Pinkie, of course, who had nuzzled her by the neck.

“Leave me alone, Pinkie!”I heard Dash’s raspy voice a bit faintly once she passed the door. To see fighting spirit die that quickly is really and truly a discouraging sight. Charge basically broke her.

I still had questions I’d wanted Charge to answer, but for now, they would have to wait.

Packing my saddlebags with pens, pencils and notes, I finally decided to leave the class. I couldn’t help but notice that Charge had his head laid on the desk, probably from the stress of having to deal with a student. I wanted to help, but, everypony needed their time to cool down.

Everyone had their problems today, but mine was that one student who always stayed back after everypony else had left. Grim.

“Getting a little over-excited for our fight, are we?” Grim asked from his seat to the furthest end of the class, taking notice that I acknowledged his faint presence. “I said an hour after class, and I meant an hour after class. No amount of waiting around for me will make me change my mind.”

Without a response, I turned my back, averting to my usual course and outside the classroom.

“Hmph, so smug, but for how long?” Grim asked himself as he teleported from the scene.

Charge’s ears cocked up at the pingof Grim’s teleportation through his green haze. Now alone in the classroom, the teacher rose up with a hoof to his chin and said to himself, “A fight, huh? Haven’t seen one of those in a long time. Best I call Chaser for this one.”

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