//------------------------------// // Wenesday Part 2 - Black Out // Story: Equestria Girl. Wait, What's Equestria? // by Bysen //------------------------------// “Now that everyone is settled...” the grey old Maya said as she began towards the first desk, sheets of paper in hand. “This is a reading list. As a group choose one of the books on this list. You have three weeks to read it at which point you will be given you first group assessment. You won’t know what the assessment is until then.” by that point she had reached Twilight’s group and placed four lists on Zecora’s table. “For the rest of this lesson I want you to get to know the rest of your group and we’ll begin our first real lesson on Friday.” “I will read just about anything. You may choose so we can begin.” Zecora said, passing the sheets to the other three. Dash didn’t care too much about the choice either. “So… I guess we should introduce ourselves then. I’m Rainbow Dash. This is AJ. Twilight. Aaaand Zecora, right?” “Ya know my name ain’t just ‘AJ’ right?” Applejack remarked. “And you know, you don’t actually know me, remember?” Twilight added “Right you are. Glad ta meetcha Twilight. My name’s Applejack. Nice ta meet you too Zecora.” she said, extending a hand to Zecora who gladly took it and shook it. “Yeah, same here.” added Dash, extending to left hand to Twilight and her right hand to Zecora across the desks. Once more Zecora shook the hand. Twilight however tried to but couldn’t quite figure out how to shake a left hand. Ultimately she just ending up grabbing the back of RD’s hand with her own and shook that. Applejack let out a muffled chuckle at the action. Eventually they got past the greetings and Twilight was relieved that these two were nothing like Pinkie Pie. They were being kind but they were speaking more with each other than the equal amounts with herself and Zecora. Not just forcing up a conversation with her. Out of the four of them only Applejack and Twilight really cared what they were reading and came to an agreement on ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ mostly because Twilight had heard a lot about it but never read it. It was near the end of the lesson when Applejack spoke up about something that had been bugging her this whole time. “So Zecora, you mind if ah ask you a bit of a personal question?” “If you must know, do not hold back. I have been asked many times why I am so black.” Zecora replied. “Applejack…” Twilight groaned. “You can’t just ask someone why they’re black!” “Wha?... no, that’s not what I wanted to ask. And why can’t ah?” Applejack replied. In a world of technicolour humans, why can’t you ask why someone is black? “It is alright, I will let you know. I have a disease called re-vitiligo.” “Oh, my brother has that. Well he has the opposite: vitiligo. So does my Uncle Ruckus.” Applejack replied. “What’s vitiligo?” Dash asked. She’d met Big Mac and had no idea what this was. “It prevents the skin from pigmenting.” Twilight answered for Applejack. “So if you have the reverse of it I guess that would send the pigmenting into overdrive. Resulting in a heavily darkened skin.” “How’d you know that Twi?” AJ asked. “Because it’s what the greatest musician ever, of all time, has.” “Dead Pon1 has vertilo-whatever it’s called?” Dash asked. Getting a death stare from both Twilight and Zecora. Apparently Dash liked wubstep. Translation: Twilight and her were NEVER going to be friends. “Applejackson.” Twilight answered and turned to Applejack. “No relation I assume?” though she really hoped there was. “No.” damn… not a surprise though. Applejack just stayed silent for a few seconds before she was sure this bad joke was dead and she could move on to the next bad joke. “Now what ah were goin’ ta ask before were ah noticed you only seem ta talk in rhymes. Mind if ah ask why?” “Actually, I’d like to know that too, if you don’t mind me asking of course.” Twilight added. “This I am asked often too, unfortunately. It is a mental-speech disability. Because if the rhymes cannot find a way. Then the words I cannot say.” Zecora told them. It was nearly lunch time by this point so Dash offered “Hey Zecora, I got some extra lunch. Want an orange?” “No thank you, I will pass on that orange. I…” and Zecora stopped. It was clear she was trying to make another word, moving her mouth but nothing was coming out. She started to strain and gulp. She wasn't’ short on breath or anything, she was just mentally breaking. Zecora quickly stopped though and looked away. Dash tried to hold back a laugh but a small bit of it got out as Applejack shot her yet another death-glare. Nothing rhymes with orange. Then, in a miniscule voice, quieter than even Fluttershy could manage, Zecora whispered, just barely managing to force it out. “That was... very mean.” Aside from the chatter of everyone else in the class, the table fell into an awkward dead silence. AJ kept her eyes trained, glaring at Rainbow Dash, but Dash didn’t even notice. That was until AJ kicked her under the table and finally got her attention. Dash turned to her about to say something but AJ quickly tilted her head twice towards Zecora. “Oh uh, right. Hehe, sorry about that Zecora. I uh… just wanted to… you know...” “It is alright, you are forgiven. But please, do not do that again.” Zecora replied. A few more moments passed as both Dash and Zecora felt horrible. Twilight didn’t want to say anything and Applejack just didn’t know what to say. But it ended soon enough as the bell rang. The class ended and everyone was out the door. Dash was the first though and seemed edgy as she waited for her friends to hurry up and meet her outside. Once they finally packed up and left, they found her slightly jogging on the spot as she said “I gotta get to the field. Still gotta scout out the best team for tomorrow!” “Ya know that tomorrow’s only the first sports day right? The whole pointa it’s ta pick the teams then.” Applejack replied. It was like this every year… “Yeah, but apparently I can’t be captain for all our teams this year and I gotta let others take the lead. I can only choose ONE team to lead and damned if I’m gonna let Spitfire or Soarin’ have a better season! Enough talk, time is team members!” and with that she ran off. Leaving Twilight, Applejack and Zecora behind. “Ya know Twi, you should try out for the soccer team.” AJ said with a smirk. It was met by only an annoyed/nervous shrug from Twilight though. “So where ya headin’, mind if ah tag along with ya?” “Applejack.” Twilight replied sternly. “Why do you wanna hang out with me?” AJ just looked at Twilight with an odd smile. “Well ta be honest, it IS kinda cause’a the old you if that’s what you’re askin’. But that don’t mean we can’t hang out does it? ‘Course ah ain’t gonna pull a Pinkie Pie on ya neither. You want me gone, just say the word. Ah don’t wanna out stay ma welcome wichya.” “Thank you Applejack. I appreciate you telling me the truth.” at least Applejack wasn’t flat out lying. Not that Pinkie Pie had either, but Applejack just seemed more forthcoming with it. Rather than forcing herself on her. “I’m just going to walk around, look for someone, and try to memorize the school.” she said before adding with slightly more apprehension “You can come if you want… I guess.” “S’alright Twi. Ah can tell when ah ain’t wanted.” AJ replied. It was obvious to her that Twilight was just inviting her to avoid being rude. Despite what she may say, Twilight and the other Twilight weren't that different deep down. “Even if we ain’t best friends, ah’d still like to consider us friends nonetheless. And if you need any help with anything, don’t you hesitate ta ask me. That goes fer you too Zecora.” “Oh um… did you want to come Zecora?” Twilight asked, forgetting there had been a third person in this conversation that whole time. Zecora just shook her head and said “No thank you, another time I assume. But for now, I’m heading to lunch with my new friend: Applebloom.” before waving and turning to leave. Both Twilight and Applejack waved inturn as she did. “Well a’right then you two. Ah’ll catch y… wait, ‘Applebloom’?” Applejack said before walking off too after Zecora, finally leaving Twilight by herself. She stood there for a moment, just outside of the classroom, and just thought. What Applejack had said all rang true. Even if they weren't the best of friends she got the feeling that Applejack would help her with just about anything. And that she offered that to Zecora and not just Twilight made her think she had been completely honest. Shortly after they departed, Twilight began off too. She did only have twenty minutes for this first lunch after all.