Chapter Five “Rich in Kindness”
“It’s been a few weeks since we last talked. I was beginning to grow worried,” Blueblood stated, leaning against the nearest wall with his arms crossed. The corner of his lips steadily curled into a warm smile as he straightened his posture, eyeing the settings of the tea shop they currently stood in. “For all intents and purposes, I thought you didn’t like me anymore. You could still check your social media every now and then.”
Peter huffed, shaking his head while alternating his gaze between the taller male and the girl behind the register. “Sorry, Blue. Things have just been pretty crazy for me these past few weeks. I’m still trying to adjust from the move. Plus, I have a pair of jobs after school.” His eyes softened as he glanced to the side. “It’s no excuse. I could have taken a few seconds to call or text.”
The blonde waved a hand dismissively before patting Peter over the shoulder assuredly. “Don’t take it so personally. I’m just giving you a hard time. Your Aunt has already filled me in on why you’ve been out of sorts.”
“You’ve been speaking with Aunt May?” Peter questioned, blinking.
Nodding, Blueblood raised a finger objectively. “Of course. My parents are funding FEAST, and my parents love to check on their investments. Besides…” he trailed off, glancing to the side as the temperature in his face rose mildly. “My mother loves Mrs. May’s company. She’s always going on about sharing recipes and making time for a yoga session together.”
Peter grinned. “Your mom’s always super nice. I’ll see if I can come crash at your pad again soon.”
“Speaking of, I did manage to order you a Playstation Five. I just wanted to give it to you personally,” Blueblood nonchalantly stated, furrowing his brow. “I’ll need your address before long.”
Slack-jawed, Peter stared wildly at the taller male. “Dude, are you serious?! Those things are pricey and rare! I can’t repay you for something like that! They cost between seven-hundred to a thousand bucks, if you’re lucky! How’d you even get it?!”
Blueblood shrugged, brushing his hand over his forearm bashfully. “My father has connections. Besides, I ordered two, so I can have someone to play with.”
Peter hummed, slapping the back of Blueblood’s shoulder playfully. “Really? You’re such a softie! I mean, I really wish you didn’t spend your money on me. I’ll pay you back! I swear!” He nervously chuckled, clearing his throat. “After I take out a loan and sell my kidney.”
The notion seemed to have thrilled the blonde, evident by his wide smile. “Oh, please. It’s a gift. For a friend. This is exactly why I’ve missed you, old chum. If anything, Crystal Prep has just been boring without you.” Chuckling under his breath, Blueblood smirked while sliding his hands into his pockets. “From what I saw back in the gymnasium, you clearly haven’t lost your magnetic charm.”
Rolling his eyes, Peter shot the taller male a bemused glare. “Story of my life. I don’t even know what I did on both ends.”
“Allow me to educate you on the Crystal Prep end. Whether you like it or not, you became Principal Cinch’s favorite prodigy,” Blueblood declared, shrugging while walking to the door, “You set the standard for the rest of us. Granted, Twilight Sparkle had already done that, but since your immediate departure, Principal Cinch has really doubled down on everyone in terms of maintaining that academic excellence you set.”
Inhaling deeply before sighing, Peter paused to scratch the back of his head. “That’s part of the reason I left. She was so obsessed with the reputation that it felt like nothing else mattered.” A saddened gaze filled the young man’s eyes as he lowered his wallet. “I didn’t think my choice to leave would cause everyone else so much trouble. It might even explain why Twilight hates me. If anyone’s gotten it bad, it’s her… being right under Cinch’s thumb.”
Blueblood walked back up to Peter with a furrowed brow. “Stop taking everything so personally. It’s more of an annoyance than anything else for most of us.” He trailed off, frowning upon seeing the wallet in Peter’s grasp. “What are you doing?”
Blinking, Peter retrieved a few bills while extending it to the girl patiently waiting behind the register. “I’m paying for our tea.”
Reaching a hand out, Blueblood shoved Peter to the side before easing into his place. “Oh, please. I’ve got this.”
“Double B, it’s my treat. I don’t mind,” Peter interjected, attempting to step back into place, but the taller male remained firm, smacking the back of his hand with a light tap. Grumbling, Peter pressed his hand against Blueblood’s face. The pair wrestled in place, each trying to remain in front of the register. The girl watched blankly as they squirmed, blinking before the taller of the two eventually prevailed, with his arm wrapped around the smaller one in a headlock. Peter strained, grumbling under his breath. “Really? You have to resort to brute force on the nerd? That hardly seems fair.”
Unknowingly to Peter, a somber gaze filled Blueblood’s blue irises as a warm smile graced his features. “You’ve forced my hand, nerd.” Once Blueblood offered the girl payment, he relinquished his hold and eased his wallet back into his pocket. “Everyone is either trying to get something from me or having me pay without my consent. You’re the only person who doesn’t like for me to spend money on them, and it’s refreshing, in spite of how meniscal it is. The gesture alone speaks volumes.”
Peter dumbly lifted a finger. “So, can I pay next time?”
Faster than he could react, Blueblood reapplied his headlock with added force, and a vein throbbed over his forehead as Peter struggled. “No. So, stop asking and accept my generosity.”
Eventually, the girl filled a pair of cups with a liquid substance before handing it to Peter. Blueblood watched as his friend downed his drink in a few sips, a satisfied sigh escaping from his lips. They soon walked outside, pausing to glance at the darkened sky. Eventually, Peter offered the second cup to Blueblood and smiled upon glancing up at his taller frame.
“Try this,” he stated, holding it mere inches from his face. “Boba tea is super satisfying, and I know how much you like your mango. You’ll get a kick out of the mango milk tea flavor!”
Taken aback, Blueblood’s eyes widened at the gesture. “I appreciate it, but you know Mother has me on a stringent diet. There’s so many unnatural ingredients in our food.”
Peter placed the cup into his hands, raising a finger afterward. “Dude, you have to live a little. Just consider this a cheat day.” As Blueblood eyed the treat with a furrowed brow, Peter grinned. “At least take a sip. If you don’t like it, I’ll drink the rest. You owe me that much, since you paid for it and choked me out to do it.”
Slow to respond, Blueblood mock-frowned at the demand before shrugging his shoulders in a defeated manner. Pressing his lips against the straw, the young male inhaled lightly with a small sip. Blueblood paused as the sweet substance filled his senses. Soon, his eyes widened before he repeated the process, nodding his approval. Peter smiled triumphantly, gesturing a thumbs up while his friend sighed contently mid-sip.
“Trust me. I don’t always bat a thousand, but when it comes to junk food, I’m your guy,” Peter stated, finding a table before easing into a seat.
Blueblood soon mirrored his actions, sitting across from Peter’s position with his drink still in hand. “Even a broken clock is right twice a day,” he muttered, grinning upon receiving a blank glare from his compatriot as his brow twitched violently. A bead of sweat trailed down his cheek afterward. “Oh, my. That’s a nice look on you.”
Snorting, Peter rolled his eyes. “Well, knock it off. I get enough sass from a couple of my other friends as is.”
Arching a brow, Blueblood folded his arms. “And I was worried that you were without friends. What are they like?”
Peter shook his head and huffed, blanketing the majority of his face with a hand. “We’re not really a popular lot. Some would say we’re the bottom of the barrel on the social ladder. There’s Trixie, Aria, Ditzy, Eris, and Sunset.”
Blueblood whistled, nodding firmly. “You dolt. You’re swimming in estrogen and don’t know it. I bet they’re all quite gorgeous, too, and you have no idea what even to do with it all.”
Oblivious, Peter seemingly missed Blueblood’s comment before raising a finger and twirling it around playfully. “We’re dubbed the Loser Brigade.”
“Who was the genius that came up with that?” Blueblood scoffed, taking a sip from his cup. Once he glanced over, finding Peter with his hand sheepishly raised, Blueblood could only grumble under his breath. “Of course you’d call yourself something so self-deprecating.” Once the pair shared a laugh, the taller male involuntarily jumped as something vibrated within his pocket, and he quickly retrieved his phone, peeking at its screen. “Well, if you are friends with them, I’d imagine they are quite charming.”
Forcing a cough, Peter cleared his throat and nervously glanced to the side. “Charming is probably the last word I’d use. Ego-centric? Clumsy? Chaotic? Dry? Fiery? Dorky? By our powers combined, we are the Loser Brigade.”
Blueblood huffed, snorting involuntarily. “Really? Captain Planet? Well, at least you didn’t slander the Power Rangers.”
“Super Sentai,” Peter matter-of-factly stated, earning a blank glare from the blonde. He nodded, folding his arms. “I prefer Gekirangers, personally.”
Scoffing, Blueblood rolled his eyes. “Anyway. All the more reason I’d love to make their acquaintance. I could use a change of pace.” He scrolled through the walls of text, pausing upon catching the headline. “Oh, it looks like Crystal Prep won the first event: the academic decathlon, and it was very close. It came down to Twilight Sparkle and your friend, Sunset.” Pausing, Blueblood arched a brow at Peter. “That’s surprising. It’s usually never close. Which begs the question, why did you not want to participate? You would have swept the competition, if your GPA is anything to go off of.”
“It’s not really my thing. Besides, you saw how everyone treated me. Why would I want to get involved when both sides hate me?” Peter questioned, tapping a finger against his forearm impatiently.
Blueblood simply nodded before taking another sip of his drink, smirking devilishly. “How on earth did you manage that? I mean, at least Sugarcoat still has a soft spot for you. I think she really likes you.”
Peter waved a hand dismissively and scoffed. “Yeah, right. No one’s that direct. We both know she’s just teasing.”
Arching a brow, Blueblood could only shrug. “Maybe you’re right. My point is that I do my best to keep people at arm’s length, and I’m still more popular than you. I mean, having money helps.” He glanced to the side, blinking upon catching sight of Peter’s brow twitching once more. Raising a hand defensively, Blueblood chuckled. “My point is that you have a knack for rubbing people the wrong way without trying, so I fully understand why you wouldn’t want to participate.”
Sobering, Peter shrugged. “It’s not just that, Blue. Even if I did compete, I wouldn’t do any good in the grand scheme of things. I nail the academic section? Great, but what about the physical stuff? You know I don’t have a single athletic bone in my body. It just wouldn’t work.”
“That’s fair. I got pulled into the games myself. They require at least one male to participate, and I’m representing Crystal Prep this year. I can’t say I would have enjoyed being forced to compete against my only friend,” Blueblood declared, his firm voice diminishing to a whisper.
Peter managed a smile, relaxing his shoulders. “Come on, I can’t be your only friend. You’re way too cool to just have one friend.”
Pursing his lips, Blueblood frowned. “You give me and everyone I’ve ever interacted with too much credit. You actually see me as a person. Everyone else just sees me as an opportunity… or a blank check.” As if catching his thoughts, the blonde cleared his throat and waved a hand dismissively. Peter opened his mouth to question him further, but Blueblood furrowed his brow upon glancing back at his phone. “Anyway, I’m solely competing because my mother would really like it. Looks like someone named Flash Thompson will be representing Canterlot.”
Sobering, Peter’s eyes widened. “That’s not surprising. The dude’s a meathead, but he’s one of the best athletes in the nation. You’ll have your work cut out, Double B.”
“It’s okay. If I’m lucky, the girls will give me enough of a lead to work with,” Blueblood stated, standing from his seat before stretching his limbs high overhead. “It was fun catching up, Peter. Now that I know where you are, I fully expect us to maintain contact this time.” He extended his closed fist to his friend. “Will you be at the games tomorrow? As a spectator, of course.”
Peter simply shrugged, chuckling before bumping his fist against Blueblood’s. “Fine. I’ll root for you, but I may be forced to cheer for Canterlot if my friends are nearby.”
The pair eased closer, shifting their fistbump into a firm handshake before pulling apart to wiggle the back of their fingers in a rhythmic motion. Blueblood soon gestured a wave, departing the scene after grabbing his tea. Peter soon did the same, watching his friend leave the vicinity. He readied to do the same, inhaling deeply before sighing.
However, his cranium buzzed, yet it didn’t blare. It simply hummed as if cooing, causing Peter to lift his gaze skyward until the sensation ceased. Blinking upon failing to locate the source, the young man walked out of the area, but he paused momentarily, taking one final look back before resuming his path. Meanwhile, a bearded individual watched from a rooftop with his arms crossed, and he smirked, placing a hand over his humming temple. Afterward, he extended it out and eyed his fingers with a narrowed gaze.
“I can’t say I don’t miss this. It’s been so long,” the man whispered, shaking the thoughts from his head. With a deep huff, he broke into a sprint before leaping high into the air, wind coursing through his short gray and brown hair. “Enough with the nostalgia. I know who and what the kid is. I’ll just watch him from afar… for now.”
The sun beamed, giving light to the land under its wake, and Spider-Man flipped gracefully through the air before landing upon a vantage point near the top of a clocktower. He lowered into a squat, easing onto his bottom. Students steadily gathered around the field, filling the stands as the Friendship Games athletic decathlon was set to begin soon. Peter raised the lower portion of his mask, revealing only his mouth, before retrieving a bagel from his paper bag.
“The one day I wish for crime to run rampant turns out to be one of the slowest. I could really use the excuse to miss these stupid games,” he muttered, taking a chomp out of his pastry. A pigeon soon landed next to his position, tilting its head to the side. Spider-Man’s masked eyes arched at the sight before he broke off a piece of the bagel, placing it by the bird. “What do you think, pal? Should I stick around?” With a simple and aloof gaze, the pigeon seemingly nodded before pecking away at the treat. Peter could only exhale, tossing the remnants in his mouth. “You’re right. I’ll just stop complaining and go watch. I’m only doing this for Sunset, Blue, and Trixie. This day can’t end soon enough.”
Just as he pulled himself to a standing position, Spider-Man pulled his mask back down over his face and eyed the land beneath his position. Aiming his hand to the side, a strand of webbing fired off and latched onto the side of a building. He readied to dive into a swing, pausing upon catching a glimpse of pink isolated behind a trail of bushes. His masked eyes narrowed, widening upon recognizing the fair and yellow skin the individual bore as they lowered to a sitting position.
“Oh, hey. It’s that Fluttershy girl. Geez, the metaphorical names in this town are still weird to me, but I do call myself Spider-Man. So, who am I to judge?” he whispered, never averting his gaze for what seemed like an eternity. “Maybe I should stop and say ‘hey’? It wouldn’t be too weird? I mean, she did say that she isn’t scared of me, and we had a pretty good talk the first time. Granted, that was for Spider-Man, and I have no idea how she feels about Peter Parker. I mean, she was really nice to be around. She’s one of the folks who seems to actually like Spider-Man, but what’s to say she doesn’t want anything to do with me personally?”
He paused, folding his arms while tapping his foot against the ground impatiently. “Heck, when her friends were hounding me, she was the only one to defend me. So, maybe? Agh! What would I even say?”
Peter’s foot rapidly beat against the stone, sending mild tremors through the clock tower’s upper structure. The pigeon flapped its wings in response, ascending until it landed on Spider-Man’s shoulder. Freeing himself from his self-induced trance, Peter shared a glance with the bird and ceased his tapping. He exhaled after the bird cooed attentively, and a defeated sigh escaped from the young man’s mouth once he traced a finger over the pigeon’s head.
“Don’t overthink it and go say hi already? You make a good argument. Oh, and tell Howard I’ll see him around,” he whispered, conceding with a nod.
Meanwhile, Fluttershy eased herself behind the school’s hoof monument and concealed herself within the surrounding bushes. She paused, alternating her gaze about before taking her backpack in hand. Once certain her surroundings were clear, the girl managed a smile while pulling the bag’s zipper back, and a small kitten poked its head free, meowing happily. Suddenly, Spider-Man soared onto the scene, landing and perching himself on the hoof monument in a kneeling stance. Upon glancing at the shadow peering over her, Fluttershy’s expression morphed into that of the biggest smile.
Gesturing a wave, Spider-Man quickly leapt from his position and landed a few feet away from the girl before anyone could hope to see him. “Excuse me for dropping in, but I was just in the neighborhood.”
Fluttershy waved eagerly as the temperature in her face rose, evident by the pink staining her cheeks. “Hi.”
Slow to respond, Spider-Man cleared his throat after an awkward amount of time. “Um. Hi. Uh, this is actually kind of weird. I mean, I usually tend to surprise people with the sudden landing thing.”
“I have a pet tarantula named Harvey. He’s always doing the same thing, so I’m used to it,” Fluttershy gently replied.
“...Harvey?” Peter trailed off, pointing a thumb behind his position after freeing loose thoughts from his cranium. “I know this looks weird. Usually, when someone hides in the bushes, it means they don’t want to be disturbed. I can leave you to it if you’d like. Uh… whatever it is you were doing. I won’t pry or make assumptions.”
“Oh, no! I’m happy that you came. I, uh, was just thinking about you,” Fluttershy meekly declared, holding her warm gaze on the man. She rubbed the head of the kitten, earning a soft purr in response. Suddenly, the kitten leapt from the backpack and pranced over to Spider-Man. The pair seemingly stared at each other intently for what seemed like minutes, but the cat simply meowed, brushing its side against the man’s leg affectionately. Fluttershy smiled once Spider-Man scratched its backside. “I knew you weren’t a bad person. First the doggies, and now, this.”
Taken aback, Spider-Man’s masked eyes widened before they furrowed. “Well, I’m just glad to be on someone’s good side.”
Fluttershy tilted her head to the side. “I know it’s hard for you. Spiders are always misunderstood. They are actually very helpful to people, but they are so afraid of human contact. Like now? I’ve noticed you’ve been more twitchy than usual. It’s just in their nature. It’s kind of like how you are: always saving the day, yet everyone’s scared of you.”
Chuckling under his breath, Spider-Man scooped the kitten into his grasp and offered it back to the girl gently. “Thank you, but you’re giving me too much credit. I’m just not good with people. I either creep them out or offend everyone. Sometimes both.”
“Give them time. You have a growing fanclub! I, uh, think I mentioned that before?” she questioned sheepishly, managing a smile while accepting the kitten. Blinking, the girl’s eyes widened when a realization came into mind. “Um, if you don’t mind me asking, I’ve noticed you are usually around Canterlot High. Are you a student?”
Spider-Man glanced to the side, twitching. “N-No. Why would you think that? I mean, most of the weird hijinks that happen in this city always occur here.” He raised a finger defensively. “Sunset Shimmer turned into a demon before I even got here, right? Plus, those sirens were also at a concert here. The Juggernaut started a fight in the courtyard of this school.” Folding his arms, Spider-Man’s masked eyes closed as he nodded in an exaggerated fashion. “Yeah. I may as well station myself here. This school is a magnet for trouble. You’re just lucky that I happen to be in the neighborhood.”
Fluttershy’s brow arched as a knowing smile graced her features. “Sure.” Slow to respond, a thought steadily entered her mind, and blinked, tilting her head to the side. “Um, how do you know about Sunset Shimmer? No one really talks about it outside of the school, unless…”
An awkward silence filled the area as Spider-Man stood awkwardly, his muscles and brain ceasing to function. He quickly glanced to the side, dramatically pointing in the distance. “Oh, I think I hear police sirens. I’d better get on that! I’ll catch you later. Good luck at the Friendship Games– Crap!”
Spider-Man shot out a strand of webbing to the side without looking, latching a strand of gossamer to the side of a car, and once he yanked the line, the vehicle’s door snapped off the hinges. The pair watched as the car’s siren went off after the door skidded to a halt. A student soon walked into the vicinity, slack-jawed as he eyed the car.
“Spider-Man just ruined somebody’s car!” he cried, angrily pointing at the costumed vigilante.
Clearing his throat sheepishly, Spider-Man hastily fired a second strand towards the nearest building. Fortunately, it managed to latch onto the nearest building this time, and Spider-Man babbled incoherently, pulling himself into a swing. Fluttershy could only watch as he took flight, swinging into the distance, and she blinked upon watching the angered civilian give chase with his phone in hand, falling behind miserably.
“Stupid!” Spider-Man exclaimed, narrowly avoiding a street light upon his daring escape.
Fluttershy’s mouth curled into a smile after a brief duration. “So, he is around my age, and we go to the same school.” She clapped her hands together, releasing a happy squeal from her mouth.
Suddenly, Twilight stumbled through the bushes and into the vicinity with her spectrometer in hand. “Energy readings are spiking!” She peeked up after straightening her glasses, catching sight of Spider-Man turning around the corner in the distance. A growl escaped from the girl as she clenched her free hand into a fist. “I just missed him! Agh!” Blinking, Twilight lowered her gaze and upon sharing a glance with Fluttershy, her demeanor softened. “Oh.”
Managing a smile, Fluttershy held out the kitten. “Do you want to give her a treat?”
Twilight’s gaze lowered momentarily before she shared a smile, taking a seat next to the pink-haired girl before removing her backpack. “Looks like I’m not the only one smuggling their pet into school grounds.” Once she unzipped the bag open, Spike reared his head out and happily panted. Twilight raised her gaze, blinking dumbly once Fluttershy opened her bag further and allowed a hamster, bunny, and bird to free themselves. “Wow! Uh… all I have is Spike.”
Fluttershy gently reached out and pulled the dog from the bag. “The resemblance is uncanny! Does he talk?”
Her glasses fell at the question, but Twilight managed to straighten them with a finger, all while sheepishly shrugging. “Not that I’m aware of.”
The animals steadily surrounded Fluttershy as she rubbed Spike’s belly. “Congratulations on winning yesterday.” The girl paused, allowing the bird to perch onto her finger, and she faced Twilight with a softened gaze. “You were great, but it really didn’t seem like your teammates were happy about it.”
Glancing to the side, Twilight inhaled deeply before sighing. “No one at my school gets excited about anything they didn’t do for themselves. There was one, but he left a few weeks ago.” She brushed a hand over her aching eyes before turning away shamefully. “I can’t blame him. It sounds silly, but I’m just upset that he didn’t take me with him. I figured if he had planned on transferring, he would have told me in advance. We talked all the time. We were friends. He actually made Crystal Prep… fun for me.” Inhaling deeply, the girl let out a desolate sigh. “But no. He always kept his secrets, and I found out about the transfer when everyone else did. He even had the nerve to act like it surprised him, too.”
“That sounds awful. You must have been really hurt by it,” Fluttershy whispered, frowning. She held out a hand. “Did you like him?”
Twilight narrowed her gaze, as if contemplating the girl’s words, and she soon nodded, brushing a hand through her curly hair. “It took me a while to realize it, but yes, I did. Sure, he was lazy and acted irresponsibly, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy his company. Compared to everyone else at Crystal Prep, he had something no one else did.”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “Really? What was that?”
The temperature in her face rose as what seemed to have resembled a faint smile formed on her face. “A soul. He was brilliant, and whenever he actually focused on something, you could see how much of a humanitarian he was. He always stood against Principal Cinch, never sacrificing his beliefs. I guess that’s also why he infuriates me to no end. He’s wasting his potential, yet he’s braver than I can ever be… when he’s motivated.” Shaking the thoughts free from her mind, Twilight returned her gaze to the pink-haired girl. “Sorry. You’re really easy to talk to. I don’t even know your name. I’m Twilight.”
“It’s Fluttershy, and don’t mention it,” she sweetly declared, managing to smile upon spotting something of interest. Before Twilight could react, Fluttershy gently offered the bunny to her. “Here, hold him. It will also help.”
Taken aback, Twilight hesitantly accepted the gesture. “Um… why?”
Fluttershy closed her eyes and continued to smile reassuringly. “Hugging animals always helps me feel better.”
Shaking her head, Twilight frowned. “Well, that doesn’t sound…” she trailed off once the bunny nudged its head against her cheek. Soon, the girl’s demeanor softened as she leaned into the creature’s fuzzy touch. Slowly but surely, the girl placed a hand on the back of the bunny’s head and embraced its warmth fully. “Oh. It actually kind of works.” Her eyes widened at a realization before she faced Fluttershy with a softened gaze. “You’re on the other team, and you just lost. Why are you being so nice to me?”
Fluttershy knelt next to the girl, simply nodding. “You look like you needed it.”
Suddenly, magical energies enveloped Fluttershy’s form and levitated her from the ground. A pair of ears, wings, and a tail sprouted from her body, sparkling into existence. Twilight snapped to her feet with her mouth agape, staring at the phenomenon. Soon, her spectrometer hovered from her neck and flipped open. The energies surrounding Fluttershy spiraled into the glowing orb at the center. Before long, several dark portals materialized into existence around the girls.
Spike staggered back, falling into one of the pathways, and he fell through another, stopping in place once he landed between the energies flowing from Fluttershy and the spectrometer. The pink-haired girl weakly fell to the ground, managing to capture the dog before collapsing to the ground. Twilight snapped the spectrometer shut, causing the surrounding portals to dissolve from sight instantaneously, and Fluttershy rolled onto her stomach, peeking up at the girl while her magical appendages vanished.
Twilight rushed towards the pair, lifting the dog into her grasp. “Spike! Are you okay?!”
Shaking his head, the dog nodded before sharing a glance with his owner. “Yeah. I’m fine.” The gears in Twilight’s head slowly churned, pausing before spinning off the wheels. A loud shriek escaped from the girl’s mouth as she broke into a sprint, retreating into the school not before dropping her dog. Spike landed awkwardly on his bottom and immediately gave chase, never averting his gaze from the direction his owner sped towards. “Twilight! Wait!”
Fluttershy attempted to push herself back to her feet, but she failed, weakly gesturing to a wave as she remained prone on the grass. “Uh… bye.”
Meanwhile, Spike managed to close the gap between himself and his owner. “Twilight! Wait for me!” The girl skidded to a halt upon reaching a corner, and she pressed her back against the wall, holding a widened gaze on the dog. Oblivious, Spike’s expression softened. “Why did you run off like that?”
Twilight paused, holding her hands out before throwing them high over her head. “Oh, I don’t know! There was the glowing girl who was suddenly flying! Then, there were the space portals! Now, my dog is talking!” Inhaling deeply before sighing, the girl lowered to her knees and gently cupped her dog’s face into her hands. “How do you feel? Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?”
Spike dropped to his bottom, scratching the back of his ear with a hindleg. “I don’t know. This is weird for me, too. I fell into that portal and landed in a forest. Before I knew it, I took another step back and fell into that nice girl’s arms. Suddenly, I could talk and understand you. Not sure why I couldn’t talk before.”
“Twilight!” a voice called out from behind, prompting the girl to instinctively shove Spike into the nearest locker. Principal Cinch soon reached her position, crossing her arms. “Who were you talking to?”
Clearing her throat, Twilight shrank in place and pulled at some strands of her hair. “Oh! Myself! It’s a nervous habit. Sorry.”
Cinch arched a brow, staring intently at the girl, but she soon shook her head, placing a hand over her shoulder. “Don’t apologize, child. I’ve noticed it’s a habit those with brilliant minds share. Otto would prattle to himself for hours.”
Twilight let out a relieved sigh, managing to share a glance with the older woman. “Were you looking for me?”
Nodding, Cinch straightened her posture. “Indeed, I was. It is quite the coincidence that the same Canterlot High students moving onto the next event are the same nice girls that were so interested in you. Don’t you agree?”
“I’m not sure,” Twilight muttered, her gaze lowering.
The woman walked to the side, glancing down the hallway. “Perhaps you should get to know them after all.”
Slow to respond, Twilight furrowed her brow. “But I thought you wanted me to avoid them.”
“Let’s just say that I’m covering my bases. Canterlot High is truly inspired this year, and we’re fortunate that Mister Parker refuses to participate,” Cinch stated, her expression brightening momentarily. “We simply must take advantage of the situation. The other students informed me of what happened in the gymnasium. It seems young Peter is rather ostracized here, and those girls are the catalysts. Who knows? With them sharing such an interest in you, perhaps you can learn the secret of Canterlot High’s newfound success and even tempt those girls to push Mister Parker back into our waiting arms?”
Twilight’s expression stiffened at the mention of Peter’s name, but she shook her head, placing a hand over her chest. “I don’t know. Spying feels wrong, and I don’t want to see Parker get hurt.”
“It’s not to hurt him. It’s to simply… push him back in the right direction. It wouldn’t be fair for me to lose both my best students in such a short time span.” Cinch huffed, stealing a glance at the ceiling before placing both hands over the girl’s shoulders. However, Twilight avoided eye contact, and Cinch frowned at the act, relinquishing her hold. The older woman steadily turned and departed. “It’s your decision. It’s not as if your application to Everton hangs in the balance.” She stopped in her tracks, coldly glaring at Twilight from the side of her eye. “Wait a second. Yes, it does.”
Once the woman exited the vicinity, Twilight simply leaned against the locker and pulled her knees to her chest. Spike freed himself from his space and joined her side, leaning his head against her hip.
To be continued…
