//------------------------------// // First Day // Story: Descendants of the Isle // by Melody Song //------------------------------// “Welcome kids!” Rising Dawn said as they entered the open area classroom. Sandbar and Yona were beside her. “Oh, Tempest, would you be so kind as to remove your hood? I need to know you’re paying attention.” “O-oh... no, I’ll be listening…” Tempest said “Please Miss Shadow.” Rising Dawn said “Unless you’re keeping secrets…” Yona said slyly Tempest sighed. “I don’t want to.” “Tempest, please.” Sandbar said Tempest muttered something under her breath and then, a crackling, electric blue aura surrounded her hood. “She’s a unicorn?” Yona whispered. The hood was pulled down to reveal a scar on her eye, a mohawk styled magenta mane, and a broken, jagged horn. “Y-your…” Yona stammered “Yeah, her horn’s broken, so what?!” Pharynx snarled, baring his fangs. “It... may be a struggle to teach her…” Yona said, smirking slightly “Of course it won’t be.” Rising Dawn objected. “Let’s get to work. Sandbar, Yona, it’s about time for class, off you go.” The two headed out, Yona giving a smug look to the four while Sandbar looked sympathetic. Remedial Goodness class started, and Rising Dawn began asking them questions. “You find a crying baby. Do you A: curse it. B: lock it in a tower. C: give it a bottle, or D: carve out it’s heart?” Rising Dawn asked, and Luna raised her hoof. “Luna?” “...What was the second option?” Luna asked “Okay... anyone else?” she looked at Tempest, who was sketching a crown. “Tempest?” she got the filly’s attention. “C: give it a bottle.” Tempest replied, looking up. “Correct again!” Rising Dawn said eagerly. “Good job Tempest.” “Wow, you’re on fire Temp.” Gallus said, looking over at her. “It’s easy.” Tempest rolled her eyes. “Just pick the one that doesn’t sound like any fun.” “Oh.” Gallus said “That makes so much sense.” Luna said Suddenly a white coated, teenage alicorn filly came trotting into the room. She had a short pink mane and pink-purple eyes. The filly was holding papers in a golden aura. She rustled her wings nervously as she walked past them. “Oh, hello sweetie!” Rising Dawn greeted “Y-you need to sign off on early dismissal for the coronation.” the filly said, and as Rising Dawn lifted the papers she wrapped a wing over the filly. “Now, everyone, this is my daughter Celestia.” “Mom, no!” Celestia ducked her head bashfully and made her way out. “I-I’m going to go… as you were.” she said, and as she passed them, Tempest noted that she was a blank flank. “She doesn’t have a cutie mark?” Tempest asked as the filly left. “Oh, I’m afraid not. She’s been trying for years, one day I know she’s going to get one.” Rising Dawn said “Like someone else we know.” Pharynx murmured under his breath as he gazed down at his paper, where he’d drawn a sketch of Tempest without her cloak on. “Ahem. Let’s continue.” Rising Dawn levitated her pointer to gesture to the next question on the board “You find the Alicorn Amulet. Do you, A: put it around the neck of your enemy. B: use it to cast eternal night-” “Hey, ‘s you.” Gallus whispered, leaning over to Luna. She smiled, giggling and nodding. “Or C: turn it over to the proper authorities?” Rising Dawn finished. Gallus raised his claw, but Pharynx jabbed him in the side and stood taller, lifting his hole-covered hoof. Rising Dawn watched the two climb over each other before choosing one. “Pharynx.” “C. You turn it over to the proper authorities.” Pharynx replied, and Rising Dawn nodded. “I was gonna say that.” Gallus muttered “But I said it first, c’mere!” Pharynx tackled Gallus onto the table and they began tussling. Luna and Tempest just watched calmly. “Ow!” “Who said it first, huh? Who said it?” “Ow! Stop, ah! I’m not your brother, I can’t take it, ah!” Gallus cried “Boys. Boys!” Rising Dawn got their attention. “I’m going to encourage you to take this energy to the Blitzball field.” “Oh... no, no that’s okay. Whatever that is, we’ll pass.” Gallus said from where Pharynx was pinning him. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The coach, a pegasus named Jet Stream, flipped through a clipboard held in his wing. Pharynx stood between a unicorn and Sandbar, both were wearing uniforms. Pharynx groaned as he picked at the blue jersey with red stripes that he wore, then slid on the blue helmet, which had a red visor and a gap for his horn. “Alright, Pharynx, Sandbar, you’re offense. Blueblood, defense. Tambourine, you’re shooter.” “Yes coach!” the unicorn; apparently named Tambourine; headed off, followed by the others. “Right, Pharynx, was it? All you gotta do is get the ball to the other side, got it?” Jet Stream said, and Pharynx nodded, smirking slightly. He then raised his voice as they headed out. “And you, griff-boy! Get out of the kill zone and put your helmet on!” “Kill zone?” Gallus echoed, pulling his helmet onto his head. Coach Jet Stream blew his whistle and they started. “Get the ball to the other side, huh? Just like stealing. I’ve got this.” Pharynx grinned, lavender eyes narrowing in concentration. Pharynx grabbed the ball in his magic and ran, tossed it, then shouldered into another player, knocking him away. This game was fun! The cheerleaders nearby, which included Yona, were stomping their hooves and cheering him on. He ran and shouldered another player away, then spun on his back hooves and thrust his hind legs against a third player, which might have been Sandbar, sending him flying. Pharynx grinned, let out a war cry like his mother had taught him, and charged. He knocked another to the ground, then a large object shot past him. Tambourine was firing weighted sacks across the field. Pharynx smirked and easily dodged them all, flipping into the air, hovering just above the ground. He twirled and spun, then grabbed the blitzball, which had been thrown nearby. Pharynx then charged at Gallus, who was hesitating near the goal. He grinned harder, rushing at the frightened griffon. “Ph-Phar, it’s me, it’s Gallus!” Gallus yelled, but Pharynx ignored him. “Wait! Stop Phar, stop!” Pharynx ran at him, the ball held up in his magic. Gallus yelped. “No no no no no!” Gallus screamed. Gallus dropped down into a small ball and extended his wing to cover his side as protection. Pharynx ran up his wing and hurled the ball, sending it flying through the goalposts. He then ran at the goalposts, sending the goalie flying to the side. Pharynx pulled off his helmet and slammed it to the ground, whooping in victory as the cheerleaders-except Yona this time-cheered for him. He spun around in excitement, this was even more fun than par-kour back on the Isle. A whistle punctuated his eagerness, bringing his dance to a halt. “You!” Coach Jet Stream yelled “Get over here!” Pharynx lifted up his helmet in his magic and it trailed behind him as he walked to the stallion. “What do you call that?” Coach Jet Stream asked, and Pharynx hesitated. “Because I call it raw talent!” He clapped Pharynx on the shoulder with his wing. “You’re on the team. Come see me later, I’ll show you something you haven’t seen before-it’s called a rulebook.” Pharynx grinned. That was amazing, and he was on the team! This was definitely something to live in Equus for. Gallus and Sandbar walked up with the rest of the team, and Coach Jet Stream looked at Gallus. “You ever thought about band?” Coach Jet Stream asked him. Gallus looked away, ashamed at his poor performance. Pharynx began laughing, looking at his friend with a teasing glint in his pupil-less eyes. Sandbar saw the disappointment in the young griffon’s expression and placed a hoof on his shoulder. “I’ll work with him, coach.” Sandbar said, and Gallus glanced at the colt, who smiled back. “Alright.” Coach Jet Stream said, smiling now. “Let’s run that again!” he announced to the team as a whole. “Don’t worry, we’ll get you ready to win the game.” Sandbar said, and Gallus blushed slightly. “You really think I can be that good?” “Of course Gallus.” Sandbar replied “You’re amazing. I-I mean, you can be amazing. A-at the game.” he blushed as well, reaching to brush his mane out of his eyes. As the griffon and colt walked back out onto the field, oblivious to the others, Pharynx noticed the look a unicorn he’d tackled was giving him. Clearly Pharynx had taken the spot of best player from the colt. Pharynx smirked and shouldered up against him. The unicorn glared at him, but once the changeling colt had left, he winced and rubbed his shoulder.