Flowers were in bloom. The sun was shining, hanging at a cloudless azure sky. Short-sleeved shirts and stockings free legs under the skirts of the uniforms were displayed proudly on the green lawns of the schoolyard. Rainbow Dash had allergies because of pollen.
No doubt, Spring had settled down and wasn’t about to leave. With it, the last petals of the eleventh grade were withering, and no one complained… Not even Twilight. At least, she was going to be able to read all the books she bought almost compulsively each time she stepped into a bookshop and that she had to put aside in order to completely focus on her lessons.
But before being able to have a taste of freedom, none could escape the dreaded ordeal that happened before holidays could begin. In Canterlot High, like in all the schools of the country, grades of the year of each student were pinned on the main information board, where, before the Internet era, were announced absences from a teacher.
Only those feeding the hope to integrate the Guiding Class, the class gathering the top students, were in a hurry about reading the results. The others went there shuffling over, knowing the worst elements would be obliged to come to school twice a week for one more month.
Unfortunately for the small gang of friends, Twilight was a part of those for whom the ranking was particularly important. It was the moment of truth. Either she had maintained her level of excellency, either this half-point less had defeated her pedestal.
In such circumstances, any of her friends would have gone to the board backwards, shaking, and begging one of the girls to look for her instead. Twilight, conversely, walking determined with her chin up, rushed straight towards the knot of students clumped together in the schoolyard.
In reality, the inside of her body was curled up, her stomach in a knot, begging her to turn around, her head in a daze. If she listened to her, she would react exactly like a child who had done a stupid thing in school and who’d be afraid to go back home and to meet face to face with their parents. The day when she’d tried to get away from her friends had taught her it did no good to listen to yourself. That was why she decided to laugh in the face of her fears, and to push the door of the house open.
“Sorry, sorry, excuse me”, she said, trying to make her way through the students.
Behind her, her friends were joining her but none was particularly in a hurry to discover whether the year had been a disaster or a success.
Yet, each of them were now in front of the board, trying to catch their names among the list. It wasn’t about learning their position in the ranking. Twilight was the only one likely to go to this class made of the top students, not because the others were stupid or didn’t care about studies (although…), but because they didn’t put in as big an effort as the blue-haired student. They simply tried to do their best (although…), where their friend was looking for academic distinction.
Sunset Shimmer was surprised of her results, clearly above the passing grade. With what had happened with her former bunch of friends, the community services she had to do during many months, she really had thought her year would be more than mediocre, if not that she’d be obliged to be held back.
As far as Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were concerned, since they also had been through their share of mishaps, they were glad the result was the same. In spite of everything, and despite the fact Pinkie Pie often chose to have fun rather than doing her homework, they all could get to the next grade, and with encouragements for both Applejack and Fluttershy. The young curly-haired woman took her two friends in her arms in order to congratulate them, in a suffocating embrace that made them laugh from embarrassment.
“Hey! Look! I’m over the passing grade, that’s cool!” Rainbow Dash stated with enthusiasm, before sneezing in a tissue – for the umpteenth time of the morning.
“Uh? Ya? But ya always do your homework at the last minute!” Applejack claimed pointing finger at her.
“Yeah, but I’m unbeatable at the race, at soccer, at field hockey, at badminton… Oh, and even at gym class and at pommel horse!”
“Rainbow Dash, you’re a genius of sports”, Fluttershy told her gently.
“She got the luck of the devil, I say!”
“Hush, she’s going to be jinx, now!” Pinkie Pie yelled, covering Rainbow Dash’s ears.
And she wasn’t the only one who wished she could have her ears protected from the racket caused by their bunch… A lot were complaining, like often, that they were the only ones making such commotions, while being fond of spying on them in order to know everything about each of them.
For a lot of them also, Rainbow Dash’s gift for all sorts of sports, even the ones she objected in practicing, like gym, was a source of critics as well as of praises. Because sports had a very important place in the Equestrian culture and that good grades in sports were an incredible asset for the future, everyone wasn’t born under the same lucky star of equality.
It allowed all those excelling in a sporting discipline of any kind, especially those who were part of a team, to do with a very honorable grade, without a lot of efforts. Nevertheless, admission to universities didn’t only depend on the results of pass semesters, but also on the results of the finale exam, which could set the record straight.
The fact remained that the teenage girl was going to be in twelfth grade next year, and would not be parted from her bunch of friends, and this was one of the rare wish she could make with certainty.
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” Twilight cried, jumping with her fist in the air.
It was rare to see her in such a state of excitement she forgot about all kind of restraint. That was why a lot of the students stared at her with incomprehension… But it didn’t really matter.
The whole bunch joined her to know what put her in such a sunny mood, though they had doubts.
“I’m still number one of the ranking”, she stated proudly.
“Oh, have you catch your half-point less back?” Fluttershy asked.
“I didn’t. But the second one also has a half-point less than last year, so I keep my position. I’m so happy.”
“Does that mean you’ll be in the Guiding Class, Twilie?”
“Pinkie Pie, frankly, what dya want it to mean else to be the number one?”
“You never know”, the young woman replied with a confident smile.
“Congratulations anyway, Twilight”, Sunset Shimmer told her, rubbing her shoulder.
“Yeah, congratulations. You see, there was no need to stress everyone out.”
After this, Rainbow Dash sneezed again… What a luck Rarity wasn’t here. She would probably had spray the young woman with disinfectant at each occasion. In fact, when she did her allergies to pollen, she was forbidden to put a foot in the Carousel Boutique. Her environment had to be germ-free.
As if she could choose…
The crowd of students suddenly parted, and the bunch then saw coming their way a student they all knew about, even those from a different class. Along with always being behind Twilight in the ranking (and behind Rainbow Dash in sports), she was easy to notice thanks to various eccentricities, like talking about herself at the third person, and using ninth grade kids as slaves at her mercy.
“Make, make a way through for the Great and Powerful Trixie.”
Like each time she intervened, Applejack rolled her eyes. No one knew why she was great and above all, powerful, although her grades were quite remarkable, but no one dared contradicting her neither, since they all knew since ages that there was no need to argue with her.
Her swaggering side was a level above Rainbow Dash’s, which partly was a shield against her own insecurities, in the sense that Trixie believe in everything she said with a stunning enthusiasm.
“Well, congratulations, Twilight. You’re still at the top of the ranking.”
“Well… Thanks. Congratulations to you as well. Looks like we’ll be in the same class next year.”
“Yes, indeed. That’s where the war will be won. And I’ll show you how the Great and Powerful Trixie is superior to you.”
“Err… Alright?”
The obvious bad faith of the young woman didn’t escape to Applejack, who told it to Rainbow Dash. Saying you were superior to someone who systematically beats you every year wasn’t only stupid, it also was nonsensical. As an answer, her friend sneezed once again.
It was about time for her to take those allergy pills…
Trixie got away, her chin up and walking theatrically, the way she always did, letting behind her the fragrances of a sugary-smelling perfume which she sprayed herself with every morning before going to school. Probably a way to make sure she wouldn’t be forgotten too soon… As if it was possible to pass her by and not to notice her.
Her coming to nag Twilight this way was nothing surprising or new. The most intriguing detail was the congratulations. She had never displayed the least spirit of fair play in anything, convinced her so-called superiority gave her every rights. There probably was nothing to worry about, since they all thought she was a smooth talker but harmless, which didn’t stop Applejack from thinking it would be better to keep an eye on her.
----------------------------------------------
At the same time, the seven girls put their glass of milkshake in the air, and made the rim tint together.
There were many coffee shops and tearooms in downtown Canterlot. If they always stopped by Sugarcube Corner, even when they celebrated something important, it was first of all for a matter of comfort. They almost felt like home there. And, thanks to Pinkie Pie, they sometimes had the chance to have free drinks or pastries.
Sitting at the largest table near the window, their favorite one, they were here to celebrate Twilight’s success. Now it was confirmed she was going to be part of the Guiding Class the next year, the gang knew her dream to get a Royal Scholarship like her brother did was within her reach. Of course, she still had win her spurs, but no one had doubts about the young woman’s potential.
Conversely to what was commonly believed, Twilight didn’t owe her good grades only to the fact of being a hard working student. She always had leanings. Her rationality, the way she saw the world and the way she reasoned also were factors of her success.
However, she had been taught modesty was a high quality, so she was doing her best not to boast about it.
In this matter, it would’ve been difficult to beat Rainbow Dash or worse, Trixie. Of course, but sometimes an outpouring of self-confidence could also burn her, and make her appear condescending. Even knowing how hard she was working, some didn’t like her much because of this.
As long as her own friends were able to go past this flaw, she was happy. After all, they were the persons she loved the most, along with her family and maybe even the sisters Celestia and Luna… And in view of the smiles pinned upon their faces, and their enthusiasm about the year to come, Twilight had no doubt about it. They would be there no matter what.
She watched them taking a picture of their gigantic snack for their Instamare accounts, and thought about the chance she had to have them in her life. She often had a small grudge against herself each time she thought she had tried to give up on them when the chopper about her grades had struck her. What would she have done without them? They all were precious and necessary to her life, with their flaws and also with their great qualities.
Of course, things weren’t always a bed of roses between them. There had been arguments, and there still will be. Sometimes, their different characters created sparks that blew down the roof. It was nothing extraordinary, and she knew that they always come back to each other. And most importantly, when one of them was in trouble, she could rely on the group to keep going, to get encouragements, and to make sure she wouldn’t be lost for too long.
“Come on, Twilie, you have to make a speech, now”, Pinkie Pie said, slapping her hands enthusiastically.
“Oh, well… I don’t really know what to say.”
“No need to do a speech, don’t ya listen to her, do what ya want.”
“I hate speeches. You have to speak in front of everyone.”
“I don’t care at all. I can speak to anyone”, Rainbow Dash answered, swallowing an anti-allergy pill. “But do as you please, Twilight.”
She swept her eyes across the table. Even Rarity was here, with a bag from a clothes boutique at her feet that she couldn’t stop checking. They were here for her… Surely, it was a matter of course when people were friends like they were friends, yet Twilight was feeling endlessly grateful for this.
And since she wanted to become a scientist and a lecturer, she couldn’t refuse to say a few words.
“I want to thank you for being here for me, and for not giving up on our friendship, even in the moments of doubts and distress. It maybe is nothing special for you, but it’s really dear to my heart. Thanks for being the wonderful and completely crazy persons that you are.”
“Darling, that’s so touching”, Rarity confessed while stroking her hair.
“I offer that we once again rise our drinks”, Sunset Shimmer intervene. “To our friend, Twilight.”
“To Twilight”, they said in unison, glasses in the air.
They toasted a second time, before bringing their drinking straws to their lips. This time again, the young woman swept her eyes across the table, and felt them about to be filled with tears. She never had the chance to have a sister, but she knew at this very moment how it felt like to love persons the same way.
She wanted to take them in her arms, and to hold them tight but she feared this celebration would take a sappy turn.
“Perfect”, Rarity said, putting down her glass. “It’s about time to stop this suspense.”
“Which suspense?” Fluttershy asked softly.
“Ha, Ha.”
All the girls looked at each other one by one, and answered shrugging. Twilight herself didn’t know what this was all about.
It was logical, since this was a surprise.
Well, alright, Rarity had taken the risk that if her friend had failed – though the possibility appeared to be difficult to picture – her gift would seem to be of bad taste. Smart, she had thought that in the case something like this would happen, she could still pretend this was in order to comfort her.
She leaned over and grabbed the handles of the bag she had kept blocked between her high-heel pumps. Putting it on the table, she ordered Twilight to close her eyes.
“But, why?”
“Why, she says”, Applejack mocked. “So it won’t spoil the surprise, eh!”
Rarity answered with a soft smile, and waited for her friend to close her eyes.
The sound of plastic resounded, along with the sound of material, and right after, Twilight heard each of her friends sighing from ravishment at the same time. Then, she been told to open her eyes again.
And at the same time, she opened her mouth wide. Not because the surprise itself was very unexpected… Coming from Rarity, it even was quite common. But because, like each time it happened, the dress she had created for her was a marvel.
With short sleeves and a square neck trimmed with a delicate frill that also was on the bottom of the skirt, it was made out of the most divine of materials, soft and frothy, and seemed to be floating like a light cloud of the same color than the sky. The seams looked so thin they were almost invisible, and each of the final touches were that of a professional – what their friend was, in fact.
“Wow, Rarity, it’s… gorgeous. I don’t know what else to say.”
“Well, don’t say anything, then. If you like it, then I’m happy.”
“It’s beautiful. I can’t wait until the weather’s hotter to wear it.”
“Do you really believe we’re going to wait ‘til summer to see you in?” Sunset Shimmer told her.
“Oh yes, Twilie, put it on now, so everybody will see how pretty you are.”
“But the place’s crowded, and…”
With a sigh, she took back her dress, and got up of her chair. There was no need to quarrel for hours. She knew if she started something like this, Fluttershy would be the only one on her side, since she became redder than a poppy each time she had to do something in front of an audience.
The idea of making a spectacle of herself didn’t particularly put her at ease, but she also knew it pleased her friends and she didn’t want to disappoint them.
In the toilets, she took off her uniform and slipped the dress on. The material was pleasant against her skin, and when she looked at herself in the mirror, she couldn’t recognize herself, yet she still worn the same discreet makeup and had the same blue hair with strands of purple and pink tied in a bun.
Rarity had often told her the envelop was as important as what was inside, and she always thought it was of an incredible superficiality. Now she understood what her friend meant. When a reflection was self-appreciated, it gave self-confidence which helped to discover who we really were inside. It wasn’t even about being dressed like at a Royal Gala. It was about feeling in harmony with a whole, inside and outside.
After she took back her clothes that she kept hanging on her arms, Twilight quickly went out of the toilets, aware without being sure of why that someone else was waiting outside. And indeed, there truly was someone waiting outside… The teenage girl bumped hard into his shoulder in her rush.
The shock made her go a few steps back, and she heard a click behind her, as if something was pinging.
“Oh boy! Are you okay? I wasn’t looking, I am sorry.”
“Yes, yes, I’m fine. Thank you. No harm done.”
After this, she passed him by and met her friends at their table. The boy behind her, blue hair brushed in spikes and eyes of the same color, with a small face and high-cheekbones, dressed in a tee-shirt, jeans and a leather jacket, reminded her of someone, but she wasn’t sure where she’d seen him before. All she hoped was that he wasn’t looking at her while she got away, and most importantly, that her friends wouldn’t tease her with this unexpected encounter.
As soon as she appeared in their field of vision, the six girls started to clap their hands and to whistle. Her cheeks colored red, she span around like asked, hoping this would stop soon. The whole tearoom was looking at her and she was feeling all those eyes on her… Suddenly, though she never was scared to talk in public, she understood the way Fluttershy was feeling. The latter, in fact, only smiled and tried not to be noisy.
“If you girls don’t mind, I’m going to wear my uniform back”, she said after her friend had watered her with the most beautiful of compliments.
“How pity you won’t stay dressed like this”, Rarity answered with a wink.
“Hem, excuse me…”
The girls all raised their heads, while Twilight turned around. The boy she had bumped into a few minutes ago was standing in front of her. Immediately, she felt her blood going back to her face, suddenly taken over by hot flashes.
“You dropped this earlier”, he told her, her smartphone between his hands.
It probably was the sound she had heard after her forehead got in a violent touch with his shoulder. Thankfully, her screen was undamaged. It probably had fallen on the side of the protection.
“Oh, I haven’t realized I did. Thanks a lot.”
“My pleasure.”
When she got back the phone from his hands, one of her fingers brushed the skin of his palm. It was barely a caress, quicker than a snap of fingers, yet it was enough to accelerate the beat of her heart. It was stupid… She didn’t even know his name. This kind of things were good for dreamers. She was a scientist, with her feet firmly planted on the ground. She wasn’t herself for reacting as such a fool.
And, her friends missed nothing of their exchange, and Twilight knew what would happen at the second when the young man would leave.
“By the way, I’m Flash Sentry. You’re Twilight Sparkle, aren’t you?”
“How do you know?” she asked, blinking.
“We’re in the same school”, he answered chuckling.
“Ah.”
To be honest, if she hadn’t noticed him until now, it was because she focused too much on her friends and didn’t really pay attention to the others, except them and the students of her own class (and Trixie, of course)…
Flash kept on smiling to her. Undoubtedly he could guess how she would react since he knew her name – as if someone from CHS couldn’t know her name…
“Well, I’m not going to bother you more. Maybe I’ll see you later. Bye.”
“Well… Yes, bye.”
Just like she’d suspected, as soon as she turned to her bunch of friends, they all displayed a half-smile saying a lot.
Twilight chose to act as if nothing had happened, forgetting at the same time to put her uniform back on. She only put it on her laps and thought she could still wear it back before leaving Sugarcube Corner.
“So, is this guy turning you on?” Rainbow Dash immediately dealt.
“What makes you think that?”
“Darling, don’t tell me you thought we wouldn’t notice.”
“Ah haven’t seen you blushing this way since ages”, Applejack replied, shaking her head.
“It’s not at all what you think. Just that I…”
The whole gang burst out laughing, except Fluttershy who rubbed Twilight’s shoulders gently. It was truly obvious she fancied the young man. Maybe she could lie to herself, but she couldn’t conceal anything to her friends.
They all had been in love or had crushes, they all knew how it felt like. Everything in Twilight’s attitude proved she was at least feeling attracted… They knew her by heart and also knew her reactions by heart.
However, they also knew their friend had other goals on her mind, and didn’t position romance on top of her wish list. She had books, lessons and first of all aspired to make herself a future.
That also was the case of the rest of them. For all that, they didn’t deny it felt good to have someone to love, even when regarding friendship or career as more important. After all, Rainbow Dash, who was the most impervious to love stories out of all of them, had found somebody, and she seemed to be very happy.
So, in the secret of her room, once back home, and for the first time of her life, Twilight started to think about how it would feel like to have someone to love, to whom she could give some of her time in a different way. Why not with some guy with blue hair and a leather jacket? She also had the right to dream, after all…