Chapter 3: That’s The Newest WHAT?!
Sweetie Belle sighed as she walked through the halls of the Canterlot High. As much as she welcomed the new year, not having Button around was far more depressing than she initially realized. But what was weighing on her even more was not having Scootaloo around as well. Dinky was a nice fill in for her, but even Apple Bloom agreed that it just wasn’t the same. Silver also tried to fill in when she could, but all she could do was little against the missing hole that was Scootaloo.
Still, Sweetie made the better of the first day. And what a first day it was; the school was intact, everyone seemed to be in a far friendlier mood than they had been at the start of last year, and the best thing of all was no more Diamond Tiara! After the defeat she suffered at Silver’s defection, Diamond’s empire effectively collapsed. She lost all credibility within CHS, and even more so when Filthy Rich found out of Diamond’s misdeeds he transferred her out apparently to teach her a lesson.
With that done, the NLAC became nothing more than an open secret within the school, known to most who wanted to and unknown to those who shouldn’t. And thanks to Silver Spoon’s help, the paperwork to renew the club was finished in time and everything was in place for Principal Celestia to approve it next week.
Sweetie smiled as she walked through the halls, enjoying the fact that the AC was on full blast! The heat and humidity of the outside world was where it belonged and the interior was completely comfortable. So much so that Sweetie wouldn’t catch a chill if she hung out nude.
And that was something that was high on her to-do list on the start of the semester, especially since she had to go to the Student Union Center to make sure everything was in ship shape. But first there came homeroom. Miss Cheerilee wasn’t her homeroom teacher this year which was a slight bummer, but none the less Sweetie Belle had Mister Time Turner as her homeroom professor.
After homeroom came science, and then after that was her first free period. Like last year she had two free periods however unlike last year they weren’t back to back. Yet she didn’t gripe or complain about that, it was just the way her cookie crumbled. Still when her free period did finally arrive Sweetie wasted no time in racing to the NLAC Student Union Center.
Thanks to the summer parties, it had remained mostly clean throughout July and August so that meant very little work for Sweetie to do. Upon arrival, Sweetie gave the Student Center a quick once over. Sure enough everything was near spotless and ready for when club activities resumed within a week. So with little work to do Sweetie now had more time to just hang out and relax.
In a routine she had almost mastered, her clothes came off in a flash. Once she had them neatly folded and placed in a safe locker, Sweetie made her way to the game room to play a round on the arcade games left behind from video game night. At first she reveled in the fact that she was once again naked, but quickly the revelry turned to boredom.
So she stopped playing the arcade game and went over to the billiard room to play some pool, but that too became boring. Again Sweetie stopped playing and tried to play a set in the bowling room, but again that became boring. Sensing a pattern, Sweetie stopped before trying a lap in the swimming pool.
“This can’t be happening,” she said aloud to no one in the center, “I can’t be bored.”
But she was. For the first time ever, nudity had become boring. But why was she bored? She had been naked in the center before and had a good time, even when she was doing nothing so what changed? The answer was deceptively simple: her friends weren’t with her.
Quickly Sweetie raced to her locker and grabbed her phone. But her good sense took over. Miss Cheerilee was teaching a class right now, one that Apple Bloom was in, and Dinky was out of reach in gym class. Silver Spoon also was out of question, as she was in history class with Mirror Gem.
“Curse you scheduling!” Sweetie swore.
With a groan and a sigh, Sweetie flopped onto the floor in the middle of the lobby. No matter how much she wanted to, she was going to be bored. Thankfully, her constant efforts to entertain herself had made the free period pass harmlessly so when the bell rang she got dressed and headed off to her next class. The class was algebra with Miss Cheerilee so there was one upside there.
Problem was, when Sweetie got to the class, Miss Cheerilee wasn’t there. So the best opening day in a long time had finally devolved into a normal day at Canterlot High pre-NLAC, filled with disappointments. Sweetie swallowed back a mournful sigh and took her seat at the window aisle near the back of the class.
In no time at all the bell rang and the class had begun, except Miss Cheerilee still hadn’t shown up.
“Maybe she isn’t here.” A student asked.
Sweetie dismissed that mentally, Miss Cheerilee was here that much she knew. Then Miss Cheerilee’s figure appeared outside the door. She seemed to be talking to someone none of the class could see. After a moment, she walked into the class and turned to her students.
“Class, we have a new student joining us this year. She’s very shy, so I would like all of you to try your best to empathize with her… unique situation.” Miss Cheerilee paused for a moment, “Please welcome Miss Breezy Kite.”
The person Miss Cheerilee was referring to walked in, and while most of the class remained composed there was an inaudible gasp from many. Sweetie turned pale at the sight, while it wasn’t scary in the normal sense what she saw was very unnerving.
The girl, at least Sweetie assumed from the name, was covered head to toe in dark clothing, complete with a hood that went over her head. But the creepiest part of her outfit was the mask she wore. It was the same white mask that looked down at Sweetie when she passed the Smith’s old house.
“Now class,” Miss Cheerilee spoke up sensing the class’s disposition, “Breezy’s just a little… different, that’s all. Please treat her the same way as your fellow classmates.”
Easier said than done, Sweetie found herself thinking. She quickly dismissed the thought, but it was difficult to get over the sheer creepiness of Breezy. Sweetie's mind ran through every possible reason why the transfer student would cover up her entire body like that. But before she could nail down a reason, Miss Cheerilee spoke up again.
“Breezy, we have a seat right over there. Why don’t you take it and we can begin the class.” Miss Cheerilee said pointing to a seat right next to Sweetie Belle.
Sweetie swallowed a lump in her throat as Breezy Kite awkwardly limped over to her seat. Slowly, the masked girl slid into her chair and Sweetie experienced an emotion she wasn’t prepared for. She was terrified of Breezy Kite. Recoiling in her seat, Sweetie tried to keep her terror in check, but every time she caught a glimpse of Breezy, it returned in force.
Her heart beat heavily despite every effort to quell it. So great was her emotional turmoil, that Sweetie could barely focus on the lesson.
Even though it was scary for her, it was also somewhat embarrassing. Being a practitioner and advocate of naturism, Sweetie knew that she had absolutely no right to judge Breezy's lifestyle choices.
Maybe she was wearing the mask, and covering her entire body because her immune system was extremely weak? Sweetie suddenly caught a glimpse of Breezy’s hands when she began to write down notes. Her eyes widened with horror as she caught a glimpse of the rough, magenta skin on Breezy’s hands.
What sick person would do that to her hands? Sweetie thought.
When the bell rang and the class was dismissed, Sweetie wasted no time in racing out of the classroom. The moment she was out of sight of that girl, Sweetie collapsed onto a hall bench and began hyperventilating. She needed to find someone, anyone, to talk to about what just happened; someone to get the warning out to.
Dinky, Sweetie thought before racing off to find Dinky Hooves.
It wasn’t until her lunch time that Sweetie was able to locate Dinky, who thankfully shared the same lunch. Sweetie found Dinky swimming around in the pool, with a bathing suit covering her body. While the pool room was empty, a gym class was due next period and it posed a risk to being caught.
That meant that if Sweetie was going to join Dinky, she’d have to wear a suit. Unfortunately, she didn’t happen to have one at the moment. Instead, she simply pulled up her pants and rested her legs in the water while she explained everything to Dinky.
But when she got to the sight of Breezy’s hands, Dinky’s expression turned from curiosity to almost anger.
“Uhh Sweetie… I don't think she's a masochist. She’s a burn victim.” Dinky explained.
Sweetie’s face went pale, “Wait... what?!”
“Yeah. Didn’t Miss Cheerilee tell you?” Dinky asked.
“No, she kinda skipped out on that detail!” Sweetie snapped back.
“Probably because she didn't want to make Breezy feel even more uncomfortable than she already was,” Dinky sighed, her expression calming, “Understandable I guess.”
“What do you know for sure?” Sweetie asked, now mortified about her thought process earlier.
“Not much. No one's been able to get remotely close to her to figure anything out for sure.” Dinky responded, “Though, I did have one of my agents hack the mainframe to find out.”
“Wait, why would you do that?” Sweetie asked.
“Call it preemptive protection,” Dinky answered, “And what he found is really tragic. Those burns cover most of her body, and she's even got leg damage from the fire as well. I guess that’s why she was using a cane.”
“Damn,” Sweetie whispered, her body now shuddering at the thought of what this girl went through. She then felt pangs of guilt over having even considered the horrific notion that Breezy would’ve intentionally harmed herself the way she did. A new thought and determination entered Sweetie’s head.
“I’ve got to help her.” Sweetie responded getting up from the pool edge.
“How are you going to do that?” Dinky asked.
“By being her first friend here,” Sweetie responded.
“I’m sure Pinkie Pie would have you beat on that front,” Dinky laughed, “If she got close enough.”
Sweetie had to concede that point, “Alrighty then, by being her second friend here, nothing wrong with second place.”
But before she could lower her pants and put her shoes on, Dinky raised up out of the water, “Sweetie. If you do manage to get close to her, be careful. People who act that way don't lower their guard easily.”
“If there’s one thing I've gotten good at Dinky,” Sweetie answered, “It’s breaking down barriers. This girl’s been through a lot of torment, maybe it’s time to offer her genuine friendship.”
“Just be prepared if she says no.” Dinky responded as Sweetie put her shoes back on.
Instead of responding with a comment, Sweetie just nodded and left. Dinky had a point; rejection was very much a part of friendship and socializing. Some handled it well, others not so much. Regardless, Sweetie owed it to herself and to Breezy to at least make the concerted attempt. There was also the added bonus of one thing, Sweetie’s lifestyle.
While Sweetie’s experiences and time as a nudist were very profound on her, regardless of its briefness, she definitely wasn’t going to introduce herself to Breezy Kite naked. There was no immediate intention of suggesting she join the club, she would need to make that decision for herself. Sweetie was, however, earnest in her resolve to offer Breezy her friendship.
Finding Breezy was a lot more difficult that Sweetie would’ve imagined. But soon enough, the duo met again.
Sweetie walked into the gymnasium, checking the last possible place Breezy could possibly be. As she walked in however, she noticed that it was actually empty. Possibly the gym classes were meeting outside today. This meant that she could’ve actually skinny dipped with Dinky, but that was beside the point.
She looked around for a moment just to confirm that no one was actually there, but when she was about to leave she heard singing. It was a sharp mezzo, almost near soprano voice that seemed both powerful and vulnerable at the same time.
At first, Sweetie thought the voice was coming from the support beams near the roof. Yet upon closing her eyes and focusing on the voice she realized it was wafting in from beneath the bleachers.
♫Like a song through the trees♫
♫You came to love me.♫
♫You’d always have a smile♫
♫To greet the day.♫
Sweetie slowly walked over to the East side bleachers. She couldn’t see anyone there first, but her eyes did lock onto an object resting on the bottom seat. At first she thought she was looking at a piece of paper. She focused in on it.
♫But when the flames came♫
♫To torment me♫
♫Like a leaf on a breeze♫
♫You flew away!♫
Once she got close enough, Sweetie realized exactly what it was: a white mask. Breezy had placed her mask upon the bottom seat. Unlike when it was on Breezy’s face, the mask this time did not look intimidating or scary. It looked hollow, like nothing more than a piece of cloth discarded into the wash.
Sweetie picked up the mask and looked it over. Surprisingly, it was much sturdier than she had initially thought, as it looked like plastic. Yet it was flexible while still being strong and supportive. There was no doubt it was a protective mask that burn victims may wear. As she inspected it, Sweetie's guilt deepened.
♫I always wondered♫
♫What you’d come to be ♫
♫Yet behind this mask♫
♫I am blind to see♫
Sweetie looked up from the mask as she heard Breezy’s voice from behind the seats. Slowly, she walked behind the seats and then focused on the song. Despite Breezy only humming the tune, from what Sweetie heard it was very mournful, very somber, and very balladic. If she focused on it, it might have made Sweetie cry.
♫Behind the mask, so far away.♫
♫Behind the mask, so safely encased♫
♫Behind the mask, I serve my sentence♫
♫Behind the mask, I am locked away♫
Breezy was just standing there, her back turned to Sweetie Belle, head cocked back slightly as she sang her mournful song. At first Sweetie wasn’t sure if she should disturb her or not, but then Breezy brought her song to a gentle close for some reason so Sweetie’s hand was forced.
“Um…excuse me?” Sweetie spoke up after a moment of silence.
What happened next caught Sweetie Belle completely off guard. Instead of turning around to acknowledge her presence, Breezy gave an almost Fluttershy-like squeak before dropping into a fetal crouch, hands rushing to cover her face. The maneuver was so shocking that it made Sweetie step back.
She gulped hard, “Um…I…I found your…”
“My mask,” Breezy snapped her voice barely above a whisper, “Give it to me, please…!” Without turning around, Breezy reached behind her with her left hand.
Again Sweetie Belle swallowed hard. Tentatively, she stepped forward with the mask in hand. Part of her wanted to cross in front of Breezy just to see what exactly she was hiding. Then again, Breezy was hiding her face for a reason and Sweetie was trying to be friendly. Going against something like that would probably enrage or push Breezy away.
So she held out the mask and, when she was close enough, placed it into Breezy’s hand. After Breezy got a good hold of her mask, Sweetie let go and stepped back. Quick as a flash, and keeping her hood up, Breezy put the mask back on. Slowly she rose back up to full height and partially turned around.
Breezy was at least five inches taller than Sweetie Belle, which made her a somewhat imposing figure. And once again, the haunting impression that masked face gave Sweetie the willies. Yet this time, Sweetie buried those feelings.
“Now,” Breezy spoke softly, her voice slightly louder, “What do you want?”
“I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m Sweetie Belle. We share the same Algebra class.” Sweetie said with forced smile.
Breezy remained silent for a moment before politely responding, “I’m Breezy Kite.”
“Nice to meet you,” Sweetie beamed, trying to pull off her best Pinkie Pie impression, “I hope we can be friends.”
“I'm afraid that's just not possible.” Breezy said firmly.
Sweetie felt like she'd be kicked in the gut. She stood there gaping at Breezy for a moment in a shocked silence.
Breezy then lowered her head before saying, “Excuse me.” And then she picked up her cane and quickly made her exit leaving Sweetie Belle standing there trying to recount the events.