-February-
Dazzle couldn’t help but snicker at how flustered Napoleon got every time Vertigo talked.
They were at lunch, where Dazzle enjoyed a little bit of stir-fry, a standard dish from Coco, but still, very good.
It seemed as that horrible event was just a nightmare now. Dazzle had no sign of any scar nor scratch left from the incident. The only relic left of it was Bling. Bling had joined their table for a week or two now. It took Napoleon a while to get used to, but after a couple days of silence, he finally went back to normal. To them, Bling was a sign that things were changing. A sign that ponies could change. He occasionally would disappear, but when he showed up, he always sat at their table. Marigold must've been having a hard time keeping up with her career, that usually explained the toll it took on her son.
“Hey Napoleon! Do you wanna see me fly?” Vertigo was obviously giddy to get outside and fly to her heart’s content.
Napoleon stayed silent. His snout stayed glued to a book. One hoof stuck in his lunchbox, and the other flipped the page.
Dazzle facehoofed. Why did he do this today of all days? Today she planned to pass out Zap-Zang candies to the whole class. Hearts and Hooves day.
“Hey Napoleon?” Dazzle asked, trying to get his attention.
“What? Huh?” He snapped out of his daze and pulled his hoof out of his lunch box. Immediately, the book he levitated in his magic clonked him in the head. “Youch! I mean Sorry! I mean, yes Dazzle?”
“Will you to continue your talk about Carbon Monoxide you started yesterday?” Dazzle asked. It might’ve come off as an odd fascination, but she wanted out out-of-the-box ideas to give Yttrium.
“Oh yes! Carbon Monoxide is so dangerous is that you have to introduce a load of oxygen to break the bond between it and your hemoglobin…” he started.
Dazzle noticed that Napoleon was acting strange. Usually, he could talk your ear off about Chemistry if you asked the right question. Instead, his enthusiasm for the subject was missing from the picture.
“How does it bind your hemoglobin?” Dazzle asked.
“Oh, there is an iron center in your hemoglobin. and the shape of the molecule, the oxygen being bigger and stronger because it has more electrons, the iron doesn’t let go until you tip the scales toward the oxygen side!”
“I know iron turns red in water… what about gold?” Bling asked.
“I need to check my sources on this, but it actually turns purple, depending on the oxidation.” Napoleon said, scratching his chin.
While Bling had Napoleon distracted, Dazzle finished up her stir fry.
“Hey, do you guys want to see a new trick I learned?” Vertigo asked, now trying again.
Vertigo took this as the prime opportunity since Napoleon had snapped out of his book. Dazzle knew that when an opportunity arose, Vertigo would be the first to snatch it. At least she thought she caught Vertigo squirming in her seat, ready to leap into action when she got the chance.
Dazzle chuckled. Normally, Vertigo’s tricks only consisted of basic loops and corkscrews. However, Dazzle wouldn’t pass up a good show. Dazzle wanted to see what she came up with. However, she looked to Napoleon, who seemed to call the shots when it came to Vertigo.
Napoleon closed his book and put his-half-eaten sandwich in his lunchbox and popped the latches back in place. “I can finish lunch later.” He sighed and closed the book “I should stop reading this for now.” He stuffed it in his pack.
They proceeded out the doors and into the courtyard. Dazzle couldn’t help but chuckle. She struggled past recesses to get him to put down whatever book he had for the day, but now, he was acting strange- strange in a good way. Something about his demeanor today made him more sociable, and talk less about his interests.
…Of course, it could’ve been all Vertigo.
Dazzle slipped on her coat.
Not waiting any second more, Vertigo zipped into the air, and shouted. “Watch closely!”
Dazzle, Bling, and Napoleon looked up as she climbed in altitude towards the barrier. Dazzle learned that they put a barrier at the very top to keep Pegasai from climbing onto the roof or even ditching school. Although invisible and impenetrable, it contained an extra enchantment to let snow and rain in.
They watched Vertigo do the usual tricks, a loop following a corkscrew, and then vice-versa. Dazzle’s tension skyrocketed as she saw her friend about to pancake into the wall.
Napoleon called out. “Look out!”
Dazzle felt the tension in her shoulders loosen as Vertigo ricocheted off the wall, then skyrocket towards the sky faster than she did with flapping her wings.
…Only to crash into the barrier, then freefall to the ground.
“Sweet Celestia!” Napoleon cried as he ran towards where she was falling.
Suddenly, Vertigo’s wings fluttered open, and she glided back down. On her way down, a cushion appeared. She landed and did a somersault on the cushion before it disappeared.
Dazzle caught up with Napoleon. His pace slowed down as he slowly approached Vertigo.
“How was that?” She asked excitedly.
“You scared me half to death!” Napoleon shouted.
“Where did the other half go?” Vertigo said, tilting her head slightly
“Wh-Wh- that’s not how it works!” Napoleon stuttered.
Vertigo playfully stuck her tongue out at Napoleon.
“I’m impressed.” Dazzle said. “How did you not get your cutie mark from that?” She asked. She could’ve sworn she seen a light thread out of Vertigo’s flank as she flew upward.
“If that happened, I would’ve got it a week ago.” Vertigo giggled. She looked to her flank and shook her head. “I’m in no hurry to get it though. Showing off what I can do in front of my new friends is fun too!”
Bling raised his wings up. “Can you teach me how to do that?”
“Sure!” Vertigo chirped. “Who knows? I might get my cutie mark in teaching!”
Vertigo took to the sky and Bling started flapping upward slowly.
Dazzle tilted her head. “First time he asked…”
Napoleon sighed.
Dazzle turned towards him “You okay?”
“Yeah… just…” He started. “Sometimes I wish I could join her.”
“I feel like that too, wondering how it is to fly.” Dazzle said. “But I’m okay here on the ground.”
Napoleon sighed again. He pulled out a book from his pack and started to read.
Dazzle snickered. Some things never change.
Dazzle rolled up her jacket, the snow she got on it was melting.
Napoleon cleared his throat loudly.
“You need something, Napoleon?” Dazzle asked.
Napoleon shifted his eyes and sighed. “Hey Vertigo, I want to give you this.” Napoleon said, reaching into his lunchbox. He pulled out a huge chocolate heart and gave it to Vertigo.
Vertigo accepted it with a smile. “Thank you.”
“It’s about time I do something brave.” Napoleon scratched the back of his head. “Besides, I heard chocolate boosts endorphins, which means you can have a flyer’s high when practicing your tricks.”
“I’ll make sure I eat it before I fly then!” Vertigo leaped into the air. “Thanks a lot!” She wrapped her wings around Napoleon, who froze as stiff as a board.
Vertigo flew off to class.
Still frozen in place, Napoleon could only blink his eyes.
“Well, gotta go… with… er… her!” Bling scooted away. He waved back as soon as he started to trot away. He glanced back quickly at Napoleon, bobbing his eyebrows up and down after gesturing to Vertigo’s… hindquarters.
Napoleon squinted. “Stop that. Be mature.”
“Always gotta give you a hard time, Napoleon.” Bling chuckled.
The end of the day came quickly. Now was the time to start passing candy and cards, then get picked up by parents after.
“Okay, we are going to pass out candy now.” Ms. Paprika took a seat on her desk. “Get ready. I will take a couple seconds to make announcements.” She picked up a paper on her desk
“The Science Fair is at the End of March. Entries are due by the 15th.” Ms. Paprika read aloud. “If anypony wants to join choir, there is still a vacancy.”
Dazzle got out her bag of goodies and started putting them on respective desks. Each Candy was wrapped nicely with a design Coco picked out. Together, they were able to package the Zap-Zangs nicely.
She made a special effort to get one to her teacher, and then one to Napoleon. As she passed more out, she caught a colt popping it into his mouth. Suddenly, his eyes went wide. “Little Cookie!” He called out to one of his friends. “Eat the Rainbow Candy, they are amazing!”
The friend from the corner popped one into her mouth and she nodded in delight. “You’re right!”
The classmates next to her gave into their curiosity.
Then, before she knew it… the whole class had their first introductions to Zap-Zangs. Napoleon came up to Dazzle and smiled. “Can I, uh, have one more? I want to save one for Vertigo…”
Dazzle chuckled and gave him a hoof-ful.
“Wow, Dazzle! Really?” Napoleon asked.
“I have plenty.” Dazzle said. “Besides. Coco doesn’t want me to get a cavity.” She added with a giggle.
Some of the classmates overheard her and came up to her. “Can I have some more?” Jade Tail asked.
Dazzle held her Saddlebags open. “Just don’t eat too much of it.” She instructed.
More and more classmates gathered around her. Good thing she brought a surplus of it! She looked around. Her teacher sat on her desk, swinging her legs hanging off the edge. She thanked every student who passed by to drop a candy into her pouch.
Out of the corner of her eye, Dazzle noticed Babs, Dark Style, and Fancy Gem sitting quietly at their desks. Babs just frowned, with folded hooves. Dark Style looked from Babs, then back to Fancy Gem. Dazzle noticed candy wrappers littering his desk. It seemed that he wanted more, but when he tried to get up, Babs and Fancy Gem shook their heads and told him to sit back down. Dazzle made a note to herself to toss a couple to Dark Style on her way out.
Ms. Paprika snickered. “What type of candy is that, Dazzle?”
“It’s a special from Ponyville.” Dazzle said. “The Apples harvested a surplus of zap-apples, and then gave them to Pinkie’s Bakery. After experimenting, they made these.” She held one out to her teacher. “I really like them. However, Coco suggested I share some, and now I see why.”
After trying it, Ms. Paprika hopped off her desk. “May I have a couple more? Those are good!”
Dazzle nodded. “Take a hoof-ful.”
Ms. Paprika turned back to her desk and popped another Zap-Zang in her mouth.
The whole room smelled sweet, like that of an apple, but sharper, like the whole air was tingling with electricity. Must’ve been the particular scent of Zap apples. She wondered if the apples ever got dizzy from the sweetness in the air.
Soon, the first parents started to show up. Luckily, the candy had been passed out and the wave of ponies begging Dazzle for more candy died down. Just in the nick of time too, her supply was running low.
The filly named Little Cookie was picked up first. The colt that told her to eat the candy earlier waved goodbye.
Dazzle took another glance into her saddlebags, only about a dozen remained. She smiled as an idea came to mind. She took her saddlebags up to the teacher and whispered. “Ms. Paprika? Can you do me a favor?”
“Yes. What do you need?” Ms. Paprika asked in a smile.
Dazzle motioned for Ms. Paprika to lend an ear. Ms. Paprika bent down and Dazzle whispered in her ear. “Can you give the rest of the candy to Dark Style? In private? He’s seems a little too shy to come up to me.”
“I can do that.” Ms. Paprika winked. Dazzle held out the bag wide open where Ms. Paprika scooped up the rest of the Zap-Zangs. Dazzle then put her saddlebags back on and trotted back to her seat.
Out of the corner of her eye, Montresor and Florin came into the classroom.
“You’re a little early.” Dazzle stated. They usually came when most of the kids in the room had gone home.
“We are going to linger for a little bit.” Florin pulled up a chair and took a seat next to Napoleon. “How was your Heart and Hooves to-day, Napoleon?” Dazzle noticed Florin’s eyes dart toward her for a split second.
“Very good.” Napoleon replied.
Dazzle watched closely as each filly and colt got picked up and went home. As she looked, half tempted to pass the time with chatter, she noticed everypony busy doing homework, or already engaged in conversation. She learned the hard way that it was rude to interrupt both.
In a moment of pure boredom, Coco trotted in. She smiled and mouthed ‘hello’ to Dazzle as she approached. “How was Hearts and Hooves day?” Coco asked, holding out a foreleg for a hug.
Dazzle embraced her. “Great. I hardly could keep the Zap-Zangs to myself!”
“That’s good.” Coco said.
“Hey, Coco! So, Florin and I wanted to go somewhere with you and Dazzle.” Montresor interjected.
“Where?” Coco asked. “I still have a pattern to finish. That’s why I was late picking up Dazzle.” She turned to Dazzle. “Sorry for keeping you waiting.”
“Mare-pire state building?” Montresor suggested. “Marigold will be joining us.”
“I’m not entirely sure about that, Montresor.” Coco patted Dazzle’s head. “I’m very busy with the line right now, and I need to help Dazzle with homework.”
“Napoleon told us that the homework isn’t too bad.” Florin insisted. “C’mon! those things can wait! You probably need a breather anyways… Live Transparent!”
“Okay then…” Coco sighed.