Chapter 2
Your tour through the campus could have easily taken a mere fifteen minutes to show every important building that a new student needed to know to successfully navigate college life. With Moonflower, the time stretched out to an hour as the two of you walked slowly around the greenway, pausing at each building to talk about what classes were inside and the professors who taught there. It didn’t matter to you as it felt like time and anything else happening around you meant nothing as long as you were with her. Her very presence, voice, and smile pulled you away from the world and beckoned you to stay with her. Moonflower certainly didn’t seem to mind being with you either as she listened to what you had to say.
There was something strange about your companion the more time you spent showing her the campus. It was as if she seemed to know more about the college that she was letting on. Perhaps she saw the campus before while on one of the many Open House times where new and transferring students visited. Maybe this request to see the campus was just her way to meet somepony. You could understand this as you remembered your first semester at college, how although you were still in the same city you grew up in you felt alone sometimes. That was until you met and made several friends. Still this felt like something different from the time that you met your friends, although you couldn’t tell why.
“Uh…are you ok?” Moonflower’s sweet voice could be heard, “You went silent all of a sudden and were standing there kind of weird.”
“Oh… sorry, I was just thinking about something.”
“About what?”
“Do you ever get the feeling when seeing a pony that you were meant to meet them?”
“Like love at first sight?”
“Kind of, but instead of love it’s like you were meant to meet them.”
“Oh I get it I think. You mean that somepony was meant to meet another pony, like as friends, right?”
“Right.”
“And that’s what you think happened just now, you saw me and I met you and now were walking around campus together?”
“Uh…yeah.”
“Well, actually, I was kind of looking for somepony to meet, but up until meeting you I didn’t have much. Oh several ponies said hello to me and all but everypony was so busy moving in and saying hello to their other friends. The truth is, I haven’t had much luck with making friends.”
“Oh I’m sure you have some friends, right?”
“Well, I have my older sister who’s out of college, but that doesn’t count I guess.”
“Yeah, I meant like non-family friends. Surely you have those.”
She didn’t need to say anything as Moonflower head dropped to look away, her pale blue cheeks red with embarrassment. All signs point to the painful truth: she was alone here, and aside from her sister maybe even alone in the world.
“Moonflower, I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to make you upset like that.”
“No, you’re ok. No need to apologize. I did have friends in Manehattan once in school, but only a few. After high school they just moved away and that was the last I heard from them. As for making new friends, it just…never worked out for me.”
Again there was something that she wasn’t telling you about her life, like there was a reason for not having friends beyond it “not working out.” You dared not probe further into her life, especially as she looked like on the brink of crying.
“I don’t want to upset you. It’s just I’m surprised that’s all.”
“Why?”
“You’re smart, kind, funny, and beautiful. I’d think that ponies would love to be your friend!”
“Y…you think I’m beautiful?” she said looking up at you and blushing.
“Well… uh… yeah,” you said fumbling the right thing to say. It was true she was like a dream walking, and saying anything but that would be a lie. Still you didn’t want to make it sound like you met her just to hit on her. You didn’t think of her as a marefriend, right?
“It’s ok,” Moonflower said noticing how you tripped over your words, “I know you meant that to make me feel better, and I thank you for that.”
“Sure, what are friends for?”
“Really?” she said surprised, “You want to be my friend even though you only met me a few hours ago?”
“Of course I do!”
“Oh thank you,” she said as she hugged you, almost tackling you in the process. It felt somehow right her embracing you like this, like you could get used to this. Your thoughts though lingered even after she let go, but were suddenly broken by a loud growl coming not from you, but Moonflower.
“Oops…” she said blushing again, “Guess I’m ore hungry than I thought. How about we take a tour of the cafeteria?”
“Sound great, I could use some food myself.”
“Alright then, lead me there sir!” she said with a giggle as she bowed to you like you were a prince before the two of you journeyed towards the student center glowing in the distance from its lights in the large windows.