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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
Safe
Apple Bloom was almost done with her art project when the sirens began wailing. The other kids immediately began making noise: several cheering loudly, one flighty filly in the back of the schoolroom letting out a terrified shriek. Bloom added a groan of her own to the chaos.
It was just annoying. She had really been in the zone. Halfway through the best apple tree she had ever drawn, and she had drawn a lot of apple trees. She considered taking the paper and pencil with her, but she wouldn't have the room or light to continue.
Besides, she had a job to do, as dumb as it was. She hopped up, trotting to the back of the room as Miss Cheerilee valiantly tried to get everyone else to calm down. The trapdoor sat in a weird place in the corner of the room, and it took all her strength to heave the heavy panel open. She peered down into the darkness for a moment before Miss Cheerilee caught her attention and she glanced up to nod.
The other ponies pushed and shoved as they formed a loose line, more out of natural rambunctiousness than any real worry. Except for Alula in the very front, her wings twitching as she hyperventilated.
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “One,” she muttered as Alula dived past her into the darkness of the basement. The next ponies took it slower. “Two. Three. Four.”
Sweetie Belle was number eight, and she and Apple Bloom shared a quick look of exasperation. The colts were all excited about getting out of doing schoolwork. Most of them were too dumb to realize that recess was in another ten minutes, and that they’d miss most of that instead.
“Twelve. Thirteen. Four— What?”
Silver Spoon stopped right in front of the entrance, her eyes wide. “Where’s DT? Is she inside already? I didn’t see her!”
Apple Bloom exhaled. “Yeah, sure. She’s down there. Just go already.”
Silver Spoon bit her lip, looking back over her shoulder one more time before climbing down.
“Fourteen,” Apple Bloom said, wrinkling her nose. “Fifteen. Sixteen.”
Miss Cheerilee stood at the back of the line, herding the last stragglers past Apple Bloom. “Is that everyone?” she asked.
Apple Bloom frowned. Twenty, including herself. There were supposed to be twenty-one. Had she seen Diamond Tiara? She didn’t remember any blank-flank-related insults.
...Come to think of it, hadn’t Diamond gone to the bathroom a few minutes before the sirens? Apple Bloom was struck by a devious idea.
“Twenty-one.” Bloom smiled widely. “That’s everyone.”
It would serve her right to come back to find everypony gone all of a sudden. Apple Bloom’s only regret was that she wouldn’t be able to see the look on Diamond Tiara’s face when she freaked out.
“Very good,” Cheerilee said, shooing Apple Bloom into the musty dark. Cheerilee came in behind her and the heavy trapdoor slammed shut with a rattling bang, leaving them in total darkness.
At least until the shield spell activated, encasing the tiny chamber in a purple bubble. The wan light revealed a room far smaller than the classroom above in here, hardly enough room for all the kids. It didn’t help that they had lost all sense of order. Everypony knew that with the shield spell they were completely locked in for a good half-hour. Colts were roughhousing and wrestling in the dust, while other ponies tried to stake out their own parts of the room to sit and talk in. Over in one corner, Alula had curled up in a tiny ball.
“Have you seen Scootaloo?” Sweetie asked, sidling up to her.
Apple Bloom shrugged. “She’s here somewhere. Boy, I’m sure sick of all these emergency drills, aren’t you?”
Sweetie nodded. “For sure. But…”
Apple Bloom’s eyes narrowed as she caught sight of Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara seated on the floor side-by-side, whispering and giggling with one another. “Hm?”
“Didn't we have one of these last week?” Sweetie said. “I thought they only tested the alarms like once a month.”
Apple Bloom blinked. Her eyes slowly trailed up to look at the ceiling, at the glow of the impenetrable shielding spell and the heavy trapdoor right past it. When she looked down, she noticed Cheerilee staring upwards as well, her face pale. Their eyes met for an instant, and then Cheerilee put on her best reassuring smile.
“Don’t worry,” Cheerilee said. “Everypony in here is perfectly safe.”
It was just annoying. She had really been in the zone. Halfway through the best apple tree she had ever drawn, and she had drawn a lot of apple trees. She considered taking the paper and pencil with her, but she wouldn't have the room or light to continue.
Besides, she had a job to do, as dumb as it was. She hopped up, trotting to the back of the room as Miss Cheerilee valiantly tried to get everyone else to calm down. The trapdoor sat in a weird place in the corner of the room, and it took all her strength to heave the heavy panel open. She peered down into the darkness for a moment before Miss Cheerilee caught her attention and she glanced up to nod.
The other ponies pushed and shoved as they formed a loose line, more out of natural rambunctiousness than any real worry. Except for Alula in the very front, her wings twitching as she hyperventilated.
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “One,” she muttered as Alula dived past her into the darkness of the basement. The next ponies took it slower. “Two. Three. Four.”
Sweetie Belle was number eight, and she and Apple Bloom shared a quick look of exasperation. The colts were all excited about getting out of doing schoolwork. Most of them were too dumb to realize that recess was in another ten minutes, and that they’d miss most of that instead.
“Twelve. Thirteen. Four— What?”
Silver Spoon stopped right in front of the entrance, her eyes wide. “Where’s DT? Is she inside already? I didn’t see her!”
Apple Bloom exhaled. “Yeah, sure. She’s down there. Just go already.”
Silver Spoon bit her lip, looking back over her shoulder one more time before climbing down.
“Fourteen,” Apple Bloom said, wrinkling her nose. “Fifteen. Sixteen.”
Miss Cheerilee stood at the back of the line, herding the last stragglers past Apple Bloom. “Is that everyone?” she asked.
Apple Bloom frowned. Twenty, including herself. There were supposed to be twenty-one. Had she seen Diamond Tiara? She didn’t remember any blank-flank-related insults.
...Come to think of it, hadn’t Diamond gone to the bathroom a few minutes before the sirens? Apple Bloom was struck by a devious idea.
“Twenty-one.” Bloom smiled widely. “That’s everyone.”
It would serve her right to come back to find everypony gone all of a sudden. Apple Bloom’s only regret was that she wouldn’t be able to see the look on Diamond Tiara’s face when she freaked out.
“Very good,” Cheerilee said, shooing Apple Bloom into the musty dark. Cheerilee came in behind her and the heavy trapdoor slammed shut with a rattling bang, leaving them in total darkness.
At least until the shield spell activated, encasing the tiny chamber in a purple bubble. The wan light revealed a room far smaller than the classroom above in here, hardly enough room for all the kids. It didn’t help that they had lost all sense of order. Everypony knew that with the shield spell they were completely locked in for a good half-hour. Colts were roughhousing and wrestling in the dust, while other ponies tried to stake out their own parts of the room to sit and talk in. Over in one corner, Alula had curled up in a tiny ball.
“Have you seen Scootaloo?” Sweetie asked, sidling up to her.
Apple Bloom shrugged. “She’s here somewhere. Boy, I’m sure sick of all these emergency drills, aren’t you?”
Sweetie nodded. “For sure. But…”
Apple Bloom’s eyes narrowed as she caught sight of Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara seated on the floor side-by-side, whispering and giggling with one another. “Hm?”
“Didn't we have one of these last week?” Sweetie said. “I thought they only tested the alarms like once a month.”
Apple Bloom blinked. Her eyes slowly trailed up to look at the ceiling, at the glow of the impenetrable shielding spell and the heavy trapdoor right past it. When she looked down, she noticed Cheerilee staring upwards as well, her face pale. Their eyes met for an instant, and then Cheerilee put on her best reassuring smile.
“Don’t worry,” Cheerilee said. “Everypony in here is perfectly safe.”