Doodle let a smile adorn her lips, gentle as it always was when thinking back on easier times. How innocent they had been back then, the troubles they had were small and insignificant. They made friends and remained at each other’s side through the middle school. Through thick and thin, neither got any coltfriends nor marefriends at all during those years, after all, they had each other in a way.
She closed her eyes and began to tie her mane up in a bun, experienced hoofs gathering it all up quickly. The sun had almost given in completely to twilight, and it approached the time when they were to meet. Her heart began to beat slightly faster, but yet a calmness veiled her mind. Remembering the past together with Savant let her insecurities over tonight skitter away like it was a scared critter; and she welcomed it like she did when the last rays of the sun kissed her cheeks goodbye for the day.
She took a deep breath and made for the door, the steps coming like a fleeting motion. The sound of hoof upon wood was barely noticeable, and before she made note of it the door clicked behind her. The calm breeze whiffed up smells from around her, the rain this morning made it all smell strongly. She tied her dress up so it did not touch the ground, very un-lady like, but it would have to do until she reached her destination.
The sound of gravel crumbling came bidding to her, pressuring forth a sense of recognition. It had been like this before, her walking alone down the road soon to be engulfed by the night’s magic; to meet him. Before like friends… now, perhaps something else?
*~*~*~*~*
Doodle walked forward with a fast pace, a brown hood covering her head. It seemed out of place together with her black gown and the blue shaded outlines with stars spread over it. Her tail swept after her, brushing over the leafy ground. The moment she saw somepony else approach her, she slinked her head down, making sure to hide her face. She didn’t mind how odd it looked at first, as long as they went away shortly after.
Hearing their steps becoming distant again, she looked up and sighed. She did not wish to go today, the prom was supposed to be someplace she would feel great in a brand new dress. To be happy, to laugh together with her date, she couldn’t see how she would manage that now, not tonight. Just the thought of what happened yesterday made her chest sink, and the frustration of it almost brought tears to her eyes. How could she have been so foolish to allow herself to set her mane on fire, just two days before one of the most important nights of her teen life? Her mother had managed to save a little of it, but she still looked like a stallion, she thought to herself.
She scrunched her lips upon seeing the first poster about the ball hung up on a house wall. She knew her date wouldn’t care much, after all they did go as friends, and only that. Both being looked at as slight outcasts of the class due to being the only pegasi there had made it hard for them to get a date otherwise, for nopony wanted to relate to any of them now that they had reached their teen years. It didn’t bother her that much, as long as she had some pony to dance with, for she did love to dance from time to time.
She did want to cancel tonight, and did send Savant a message, however, he had refused to accept it and had stormed to her home to get an explanation. Only after he had almost begged her to open the door did he understand why. Yet he managed to convince her to come, if only with a promise that no pony would care for her mane in a mess like it was. She didn’t believe him at the start, but agreed to keep her promise to him; he felt so confident about the whole ordeal. But what hope was there for that actually happening? Even Savant struggled not to laugh when he saw her short mane. Granted, she thought, when he saw her the brown and blue of her mane was covered in sooth and charred tips, along with puffy eyes from her the frustration of that day. After several showers it did come out better, but still…
Her heart skipped slightly, between the soothing streetlights she saw ponies from her class walk towards the school. As the girlish laughter of the mares in the group echoed to her she froze, and again uncertainty came to her. She quickly hid in the shadows till they had gone away, then slowly emerged out onto the cobbles of the road.
Just a bit further she saw the school around the corner. She swallowed hard. Round paper lights marked the entrance like a path of fireflies. A white banner hung over the door, welcoming the students to a night of festivities. All over the red walls hung small electric lights, from a distance it could remind of stars hanging low. She knew it was meant to be festive, but for her it seemed like an approaching terror.
Again as the laughter of her classmates hit her, she froze. Her mind was in shambles, very much unable to push her forward to meet Savant. It took everything she had to not turn and run home, she was sure Savant would forgive her if she did, for he was far too kind like that.
“Doodles, everything alright?” Came a kind, familiar voice in front of her, making her jump in place. It was only one pony that called her that.
Savant looked at her with a worried frown, his black tuxedo clinging sharply to his body, a red rose in his front pocket and a silver scarf hanging from his neck. A black hood was draped over him, perfectly covering his mane. Within the ever enclosing dark that fell over the town, only his icy blue eyes became clearly visible, standing out like two pristine opals in a clutter of gray stones. And in one of his hoofs a blue rose was tied, matching his eyes perfectly.
She blinked, taking deep breaths to calm herself down, surely her heart would pop out of her chest if she didn’t. Only now did she see how dark it had become, and how no more of her classmates walked towards the school. How long had she stood here? Unable to act, it must have been a long time for Savant to come out and get her. Even now she wanted to bolt away, run far from this place and hide till her mane could be shown again.
As he sensed her body trembling, Savant smiled slightly at her. “Didn’t I tell you that you wouldn’t need to worry tonight?”
Her ears flopped back instinctively underneath her hood, “Yeah, but what will they think when they see me?” even as she said it, she knew it might seem like such a trivial thing to fuss over for him, but to her it was important.
“I can assure you that if they look towards us, it will not be because of your mane.” He reassured with a confidence rarely seen in him.
His smile did in fact reassure her for some odd reason she couldn’t explain, and a smile came to her quickly as well. Feeling slightly better about what was to come, he reached forward and took hold of her hood, then stopped as she flinched. He knew how she disliked any pony touching her mane, and did not move further before she nodded to him. She was fine with it when she knew the one touching it, and it wasn’t sudden.
As he removed her hood, the cold night winds touched upon her in areas they rarely did, her blemished mane left her fur open underneath. He leaned forward and placed something above her ear, gently touching the short hair, and smiled again. “Trust me, you don’t look bad, it’s just unfamiliar to see, but that blue rose does help, you’re pretty as ever.” He reassured then took a stance next to her, offering her a hoof to hold onto. “Shall we?” he said and smiled at her, the hood still covering his head.
Out of habit her hoof rose to pull at her mane, as she always did when nervous, and frowned when she touched nothing. She took hold of the offered hoof and nodded, determined to make the best out of the night regardless of her state, after all, Savant did deserve it.
“Close your eyes, would you?” He said as they approached the school. “Don’t worry, just hold onto my hoof, I’ll guide you.”
She cocked her head slightly, uncertain of what he had planned. Taking place closer to him, she did as he asked. There was no reason for her not to, of all the ponies she knew, Savant was the only one she trusted completely without fault. As the world turned black she heard the shuffling of cloth, then they began to walk.
Doodle walked as best she could, as she occasionally stumbled a few times, thankful as Savant caught her. Once she felt the wooden floor underneath her hoofs her heart beat furiously and her whole body tingled. From everywhere she heard gasps, and some them snickered. It was just this she feared, the ridicule of her class, and now her eyes began to burn as she tried her best to keep her composure. What a fool she had been for letting Savant talk her to come.
“Doodles, open your eyes.” He said and let go of her side.
Hesitant, she once more did as he asked, she guessed no more harm could be done tonight. Savant stood still in front of her, turning towards her, a big grin was upon his face. As she looked around the room she saw ponies looking towards them from all parts of the room. But it was not at her at all.
Savant had dyed his silvery mane crash pink, it stood out against his black fur like a beam of light in darkness. She was unsure whether to laugh or not at the sight. Before she could compose herself enough he took hold of her and pulled her in, carefully putting a hoof around her neck and began to move together with her in the dance they had been taught. Each step carefully trodden, both of them had a deep concentrated frown at the start, but soon it vanished as they got into rhythm. It allowed her to once more focus her attention on the crash pink wonder she clung tightly too.
“What did you do?” she asked, immediately feeling stupid for asking, but it was the first thing that popped out of her.
“I told you, it will not be you they look oddly at today.” He answered with a warm smile.
“B-b-but…” she stammered.
“Let’s have a fun night, alright?”
They continued to move in circles, and eventually the eyes that had frozen on them moved away, finding other objects to look upon. After the first song ended, so did their dance, and they both went out to get some fresh air. They ended up on a bench located behind the school, and each time light came from the windows, the pink of his mane lit up. Tears came unbidden to her eyes, earning her a worried frown from him.
“What’s wrong?” he immediately asked, his hoof barely touching her shoulder.
Shaking her head, she blinked the moisture away. “Nothing… nothing at all, thank you.” She said and quickly hugged him.
Savant took her at hoofs length and smiled again, “Hey, what are friends for?” he said as he rose from the bench, again offering his hoof to her. “Shall we go in and dance again?”
Doodle nodded and rose, taking the hoof offered, “Yeah, let’s.”
For some reason unknown to her, she kissed him on his cheek. He turned to her, cheeks quite red against his black fur. She offered no explanation and just smiled.