The Twilight to a New Dawn

by Zeroxdoom

One Step at a Time

In a dark alleyway, Fluttershy was desperately running for her life while trying to figure a way out of her situation. She knocked over some trash cans along the way, hoping that it would slow down whatever it was coming after her. Panting heavily and running out of stamina, Fluttershy was almost at the other end of the alley and gave a weak smile as she thought she was free.

Unfortunately, she was cut off by a large robot chimera. It has a three heads, one of them being a lion, the other being a gorilla, and the last being a dragon. Its arms looked like it belonged to the gorilla while the rest of its body was that of the lion with the exception of the dragon wings on its back. Fluttershy jumped back in fear as she began to tremble. She turned around and saw that her attempt to back out the alleyway was pointless as several more robot chimeras jumped out from the shadows and moved closer to Fluttershy. She started tearing up and hugged her knees as she felt completely helpless.

“S-s-somebody please, help!!” she cried out in desperation.

Just before the beasts pounced at her, a shadowy figure dived down from the full moon and slashed one of the chimeras in half. Fluttershy looked over in awe as the figure stood by her. She saw it was Zero in a long black trench coat, wielding a claymore in his hand as he spoke in a cool tone.

“So, you beasts wanna hurt my beloved?” he said while shielding Fluttershy. “Well, I wanna protect every fiber of her being. So, let's compromise.”

The robotic monstrosities let out a fierce roar as they rushed at Zero. He only closed his eyes and within an instant, he was behind the chimeras and all of them stopped moving. The moment he sheathed his blade and opened his eyes, the chimeras fell into pieces. Zero walked over to Fluttershy with a small grin and helped her up.

“Are you alright, my beloved?” he asked.

“I am now.” Fluttershy smiled back with a blush as she stood up. “Thank you, Zero. You're so incredible.”

“I’d do anything for you, Fluttershy,” Zero replied. As the sun started to come out and shine on them, Sunset and her gang rushed over and saw the battle that had taken place. However, Sunset, AJ, Pinkie were in playboy bunny outfit

“That was so chivalrous, darling!” Rarity commented.

“Yeah, you were totally badass! I wish I was that cool!” Rainbow added with some obvious jealousy.

“Hehehe, maybe you can be my knight in shining armor sometime?” Pinkie flirted with a bright blush as she got closer to Zero.

“Hmhmhm, perhaps, my sexy little bunny.” Zero smirked. “But it's no big deal really.”

“Here! We've prepared a feast for you, bro!”

Zero turned and Swift was pushing over a tray of food with the rest of the guys. With one quick sniff, Zero was already licking his lips in joy as he gave an excited smile.

“Aww, you guys are the best, you know that? Come Fluttershy, let us eat with our friends and plan our future together!” Zero exclaimed.

Everyone smiled happily as they started cheering for their hero. However, the more they chanted his name, the more distorted it sounded.

In reality, Zero was fast asleep in Algebra two class as he enjoyed his little fantasy land. Minuette, who was sitting next to him, kept nudging him and whispering his name to wake him up. Unluckily for him, Ms. Cheerilee noticed him and walked over to his desk. She stopped for a moment and glanced at a girl with ivory skin and long pink hair. She wore thick black stockings, a dark yellow shirt, a dark blue skirt and blue boots.

“Excuse me, Twinkleshine,” Cheerilee said as she picked up the textbook on her desk. She turned to her sleeping neighbor and dropped it flat on Zero's desk with a loud clap, scaring him awake.

“GHA!! Robot Chimeras!!” Zero shouted while trying to grab his make-believe claymore, quickly realizing he was free from his dream and looked at Cheerilee.

“If you can’t even be bothered to pretend to write notes, then you can battle your chimeras in Principal Celestia's office,” Cheerilee lectured as she gave Twinkleshine her book back.

“Sorry, I guess I’m low on energy today.” Zero scratched his head in a bit of shame.

“Well, you can’t refuel here in class. Either pay attention or go to the nurse's office.” Cheerilee went back to the front of the room and got ready to erase the equation on the board.

Zero looked over at the chalkboard and raised his hand. “Ms. Cheerilee?”

Cheerilee sighed. “No Zero, you can’t go to the bathroom. You’ll just disappear for the next half hour.”

“Actually, I was going to ask if I missed any notes while I was asleep?”

Half of the class turned their heads towards Zero as a few of them gasped. They were completely flabbergasted. They were used to someone asking if they missed any notes after going to the bathroom or if they were absent or asleep, but never did anyone expect Zero of all people to ask this question.

However, Cheerilee looked at Zero with an annoyed scowl. “Yes Zero, you missed some notes, and I took note that this is the twenty seventh time you’ve fallen asleep and missed something important.”

Zero was a bit taken aback by the response. “Sorry about that, I don’t really remember much when you read out the text to the whole class … and you read a little too slow. So I tried reading it myself and I dozed off without realizing it. My bad.”

“I see. I appreciate you at least trying to stay on task for once, but I think you might want to ask your neighbor about that one,” Cheerilee answered, losing the scowl. “But we’re about to work on some questions in the textbook today, so try and stay awake if you can.”

Zero nodded as he opened his notebook and turned to Minuette. “Mind if I borrow your notes, Minty?”

Minuette slid her notebook to him and place some sugar-free gum on it. “Chewing gum is helpful for keeping people awake,” she whispered to him. “Also, Robot Chimeras?”

Zero smirked as he popped the gum in his mouth and chewed on it. “I was trying to be original. Plus, it looked fierce in my head.”

“Well, too bad you can’t copyright it, cause that’s an idea I just might ‘borrow’ for English later on.” Twinkleshine gave evil grin as she took note of the idea.

“I don’t fully remember what copyright means, but you’d better credit me!”

Minuette was about to say something but shook her head with a smile and decided to just change the subject. “So, what trick are you scheming today? Having a bet with Trixie or one of the guys? Getting a prank ready? No, no, wait. Your ninja training paid off and you're a clone while the real you is goofing off somewhere else?”

Zero gasped dramatically. “Impossible! How could you tell I was a clone?”

“Fool! Because you just admitted it!” Twinkleshine chimed in as she whispered.

“No, I’m such a foolish fool with foolish plans!” Zero put his head down.

Twinkleshine got closer to Zero and whispered in his ear. “Maybe a foolish boy like you could use a whipping on that foolish booty.”

Zero and Minuette covered their mouths as they tried to hold back their laughter at the sudden and kinky comment from her. A full minute later, Zero looked at Twinkleshine and replied back to her with a smile. “I didn’t think you’d get my reference. You play Phoenix Wright too?”

“Just the first four. I never really got into the spin-off one or the 3DS games.”

“I never saw you as a gamer.” Zero wrote his notes down as he chatted.

“Well, I guess you don’t know us as well as you think, Sleeping Beauty,” Minuette pointed out.

“Does that mean I can rely on you to wake me up with a kiss if I fall asleep again?” Zero smirked as he looked at her.

“Maybe not. But I’d gladly scare you awake like Ms. Cheerilee again.”

“Ugh, I don’t need another heart attack,” Zero groaned as he finished writing notes and slid Minuette her notebook back.

Minuette giggled as she took her notebook. “All kidding aside, why the sudden care for notes?” Minuette tilted her head. “You hate math especially.”

Zero smirked and sat up straight. “The old me would’ve just made a snarky comment, pull out a manga and daydreamed for the rest of class. But I won’t stoop to that level anymore…. Well, not often, at least. I’m better than that now, so watch me rise to the top and pass with flying colors, Minty. You too, Twinkle.”

“Are you kidding? You’re hopeless.” Twinkleshine waved off. “I bet you can't even solve the first ten questions for a brand new Coloratura album I managed to snag.”

“Don't you dare spout your trickery and lies while speaking of such an angel,” Zero whispered as he pointed at her. “The new album doesn't come out for the next two wee—”

Zero had silenced himself as he saw Twinkleshine slowly take out the CD from her backpack.

“Ten questions by the end of class or two painful weeks of waiting,” Twinkleshine bargained. “Tick tock, you're on the clock. And show your work while you're at it.”

Zero had already started scanning through his notes as if his life depended on it. Twinkleshine only snickered as her plan worked perfectly.

“Well, looks like you learned something from Twilight after all, Twinkle,” Minuette said a bit surprised at how persistently Zero worked.

“I can make him do my bidding just like how you make Night do whatever you want just by saying ‘root canal.’” Twinkleshine smirked.

“I do not making him do what I want…. I just like to tease him with it.”

Zero flinched as he stopped writing. “Wait, Twilight tutored you too, Twinkle?”

“Oh yeah!” Twinkleshine beamed. “We’ve known each other since elementary school.”

“Seriously?!” Zero exclaimed a little too loudly, making Ms. Cheerilee shush him. “Sorry!”

Twinkleshine nodded confidently as she whispered. “Yep, from first grade all the way up to now. She was usually in at least half of our classes. Always working on her notes, passing her tests, and being the biggest brainiac along with Moony.”

Taken in by this revelation, Zero saw this as a chance to learn a little more about his tutor. “What made her so quiet in the first place? You guys were friends with her, right?”

“Well, not really,” Minuette chimed in to the discussion. “She’s always had her nose in the books, was studying, or if anyone asked, she’d give them a little advice on a subject. If anything, we only got her to hang out with us when we all studied together, and even then, she wasn’t enthusiastic about each session. The only people she really talked to often were Dean Cadance and Moondancer.”

“Hell, Moondancer tried harder than any of us to be her friend and actually grew attached to her,” Twinkleshine explained as she looked saddened. “But she’s the only one who wanted to stay in Crystal Prep with her brother. And ever since we all came here, she turned down every offer to hang out. And Crystal Prep isn’t the friendliest place in the world either, so….”

Zero frowned. “Sounds like your circle of friends isn’t what it use to be. Maybe I can at least get Twilight to start talking to you guys again.”

Minuette shook her head with a smile. “That’s really sweet of you, but I think this is a good chance for her to make some real friends for now. If she doesn’t wanna hang out, we won’t take it personally. So don’t stress it too much.”

“But if you do manage to get her on board, let me know and I’ll set up the operation. We'll call it Operation: The Girls’ Spectacular Get-Together!” Twinkleshine beamed as she winked at Zero, making him chuckle.

“Heh, I'll get it memorized.”

Minuette looked at Zero’s answers for the assignment. “And maybe while you're at it, you should do better at memorizing notes. You got the first three questions wrong.”

“Huh?!” Zero looked through his work. “But I thought x equaled 9!”

“Not with what you did. Here, let me show you.” Minuette pulled the paper over. “On the bright side, you got half of them right. But this one is a bit tricky, so don’t hurt yourself over it. So let’s cut down on the chatter and focus. You ready?”

Zero nodded and smiled as he was bit happy knowing his friends could make class time a lot more bearable without dreaming. “I’m all ears Minty.”

---

After class ended, Zero caught himself humming a tune as he was still wrapping his brain around the math problems he tried in class a minute ago while scanning through the homework they were given. Sure, he managed to get his hands on the new Coloratura album from Twinkleshine and felt completely ecstatic, but it was only through Minuette’s help that he got it. Technically, it was cheating even if Twinkleshine didn’t make any rules, but Minuette looked at it as a loophole, and he blessed her magnificent soul for it. However, he still felt bad that he couldn’t do it himself after memorizing his notes over and over.

Just as he was losing patience in trying to wrap his brain around the worksheet, he noticed Trixie was putting some things away in her locker. He was tempted to just hurry on by before she said something and broke his concentration. But as he tried, a thought occurred to him.

Oh yeah, I never apologized to her about my crappy mood the other day. And she left early this morning too. Even if she’s a bit annoying, she’s not a bully or really rotten. So I guess saying sorry wouldn’t kill me … hopefully.

Zero walked over to Trixie and took a brief sigh before speaking up. “Hey.”

“Trixie heard that sigh,” Trixie said as she closed her locker and looked at Zero with an unimpressed look. “Still in a bad mood, she sees. Well, Trixie doesn’t plan on having it this early in the week. Especially when she’s about to have her favorite snack, the magnificent peanut butter crackers!” She held them up in front of Zero before putting them away. “Now go on, shoo shoo.”

Zero rolled his eyes. “Look, I didn’t come here to make witty banter with you. I was just on my way lunch and thought I’d tell you something.”

“Well then, get to the point,” Trixie rushed as she crossed her arms.

Zero scratched the back of his head. “I’m sorry for being a little meaner than normal on Friday morning. A lot was going on with me and stuff and I didn’t really feel like talking about it. So yeah, I just hope I didn’t hurt your feelings.”

Trixie huffed. “Trixie wasn’t too bothered by your attitude, but she appreciates the apology nonetheless.”

“Great, cool, glad we got that out of the way.” Zero nonchalantly went back to looking at his homework. “Smell ya later.”

Trixie took note of his attitude once more and narrowed her eyes. “Now what’s the matter with you?”

Zero groaned in frustration as he turned to her. “It’s just my dumb homework. Don’t worry about it.”

Before he could head off, Trixie snatched the paper from him and examined it herself, irritating Zero even more so.

“Can you not snatch stuff from me?!” Zero exclaimed as he took it back. “Geez, were you just born rude right off the bat?”

“Algebra two is a bit frustrating at times,” Trixie began as she lost her arrogant tone. “If you don’t wanna look up the answers like most people, then just go to your teacher during lunch and ask her or him for some assistance. Or even your tutor.”

Zero was taken aback by the sudden advice, and from Trixie of all people. He gathered his thoughts before responding in a bit of an uneasy tone. “The last person I want help from is Twilight. Even if she’s my tutor, I wanna surprise her with the sudden improvement and show her how much of her efforts are paying off.”

Trixie sighed and shook her head. “Listen, I’m gonna tell you a little secret about myself. So don’t tell anyone and listen carefully!”

“Last I heard, Magicians aren't suppose to reveal secrets. And since when does the Great and Powerful Trixie speak in first person?” Zero retorted with a small smile, only to realize Trixie had kept a straight face and wasn't amused. “Sorry. I'll hush.”

“Anyways, I was gonna say that.” Trixie glanced around to make sure the coast was clear. “Even the Great and Powerful Trixie makes mistakes from time to time.”

Zero looked uninterested right off the bat. But nevertheless, he listened carefully.

“Even though I’m currently a master magician, I did have a rocky start and had problems with some of the more difficult tricks. It frustrated me to no end and people only laughed at me! But in the end, all I could really do was keep practicing and practicing until I started to get the hang of it—even stooping so low as to … ask for help from professionals.” Trixie expressed a bit of annoyance at the last part until she mellowed out. “But in the end, I started to finally improve and become the amazing girl You see before your very eyes! The point I’m trying to get at is you have to continue struggling. In my opinion, it's one of the more appealing stepping stones.”

“Struggling is an appealing stepping stone?” Zero said curiously. “How so?”

“Because it feels all the more exhilarating once you achieve what you're after, only to look back at all the hard work you went through and smile and laugh in victory, knowing it all paid off. Heck, even being a delinquent in everyone’s eyes is a perk at times, because once you accomplish something incredible, you’ll blow all of their minds since they’ll never see it coming. Like a neat hat trick. In the end, what's a path to glory without a few bumps in the road. Hmmm?”

Zero stayed silent as he looked at Trixie, completely confounded. He tried to say something clever, but he was baffled. “Wow … you’re actually trying to cheer me up…. Correction, you did cheer me up. Since when did you start to worry over me?”

“Trixie only said all that so your depressing mood doesn’t continue any further and affects Trixie in return. Nothing more, nothing less.” Trixie waved off with a small smile. “Plus, she appreciates your apology, so think of her speech as a thank you.”

Zero smiled and put his paper away. He gave a toothy grin. “I don’t know about powerful, but you are pretty great after all, Trixie. Thanks.”

Trixie smiled back. “Not a problem. Now if you would excuse me, Trixie has places to be. Ta ta.” She turned and headed off down the hallway. Once Zero watched her go, he put his hands in his pockets and ventured off to the lunchroom, only to feel something in his jacket. He slowly took it out and saw it was a package of peanut butter crackers. He was about to question it but only smirked once he put the pieces together in his head. He opened it up and started eating.

Even with their secret revealed, a magician can be full of surprises.

---

Inside the huge bustle of the cafeteria, Twilight found herself sitting alone at her table once again while eating the lunch her father made for her: A peeled orange, a fresh bottle of milk, some french fries, and a homemade cheeseburger. By now, she would’ve been halfway into the burger as she had a bit of a carving for her father’s cooking, but she was a bit distracted at the moment. She was currently looking over at the table where Fluttershy and the other girls were sitting as they talked and laughed. Twilight just contemplated the idea of actually going over there for a change. She even had flashcard notes for greetings and what to talk about in her pocket as she had spent most of the previous morning working on them and even did a bit of practicing later that night.

She wasn’t lying when she told Zero she wanted to at least try to talk to the girls. And part of her wanted to get to know them, but she wasn’t ready for any possible rejections. It’s possible they only talked to her at the roller rink because Zero asked them to be nice. Or maybe they wouldn’t like her once they got to know her. The more she thought about it, the more nervous she started to feel.

Just then, Zero sat down next to her with his food. “Hey there, egghead. Or should I say boiled egg head ‘cause you’re sweating a little bit,” he commented. “You gonna be okay?”

Twilight snapped out of it and turned to him. “H-Huh?! Oh, it’s you.” She took a few deep breaths. “Yeah, I’m fine. I was thinking about sitting with Fluttershy and the others. I’m just a bit apprehensive.”

“ … ”

“Scared something bad will happen.”

“Ooooh.” Zero nodded as he understood.

“Remind me that we need to work on your vocabulary. And to get you a pocket dictionary,” Twilight commented in a deadpan manner.

“Hey, I’m trying my best here!” Zero exclaimed with a huff. “Why don’t I ban you from using big words I don’t understand?!”

“You can’t ban me from using big words!!” Twilight argued back.

“Well, whatever then. Don’t blame me if I don’t understand half of what you say!” Zero crossed his arms. “Anyways, you need to go over there and try be sociable.”

“Again. Introverted. It’s not that simple for us,” Twilight reminded as she looked over to the girls and gave a more timid expression. Or maybe I’m just overthinking everything. They always tried to befriend me before. And Friday was really nice up until those Diamond Dogs came at me. Twilight took a big gulp. At this point there weren’t really any arguments left that she could use as an excuse. She could only chalk it down to her being scared.

But Zero let out a sigh and patted her shoulder. “You don’t have to do it today if you're not ready. Just stay with me.”

Twilight turned to him. “But you said—”

“That I would help you make friends, not force all of this on you and then carry you to the nurse's office for having panic attack.” Zero explained. “I want you to go when you're completely ready for that big step. And I’ll root for you the whole time!”

Twilight gave a small smile as she started to breathe more easily. “You really are too determined to help me make friends, you know that?”

“It’s because your happiness matters to me.” Zero took one of her fries and ate it. “Minuette and the others told me you were always sticking your nose in your books, hardly talking to anyone and such. And that’s all fine and stuff, but you need to remember that there are things you can’t learn in a book. There’s a whole world out there for you to explore and see with all five of your senses. You just need to get up, take a chance, and go. This isn’t Crystal Prep anymore.” He smiled. “You're in an awe-inspiring school with tons of cool and nice people. It’s the first school that I actually love, and I want you to understand why and how. And in truth, it’s painful seeing you eat all alone. So to quote an author I love: ‘Even when our eyes are closed there’s a whole world out there that exists outside ourselves and our dreams.’ You got it memorized?”

Twilight absorbed his words and took a deep breath. She admitted he was right through and through, and she couldn’t dawdle on the idea forever. “I’ll go when I’m ready.”

“That’s the spirit!” Zero beamed with a fist pump, but in the process his leg kicked Twilight’s backpack slightly and a small yelp came from it. “Shoot, my b—Did your bag just make a yelp?”

“U-Uh, no, no. You're just imagining things.” Twilight gave a nervous smile.

Zero looked down at her bag and patted it a few times. He heard a quiet bark and his curious face slowly evolved into a giddy smile as he looked at Twilight. “You brought Spike to school!”

Twilight panicked and hastefully hushed him as Spike gently poked his head out the bag. He gently licked Zero, making him giggle like a little kid.

“I don’t like to leave him home. Honestly, I don’t go anywhere without him nowadays.” Twilight smiled as she petted him.

“I’ll just chalk it down that you’re a dog lover.” Zero bent over and nuzzled him. “Besides, who knew the goody-two-shoes Twilight Sparkle could be a rule breaker?”

“Excuse me?” Twilight raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t really care to remember the school rules for the most part, but if I recall right, Fluttershy said that pets aren’t allowed on school grounds.” Zero gave her a sly grin.

“Spike’s not a pet,” Twilight clarified. “He’s the focus of my personal research project: Human-Canine Cohabitation, Effects and Implications!” she beamed.

“Whatever gets you through the day, Egghead.” Zero petted Spike one last time before Twilight zipped up the bag so Spike was hidden but could still breathe. Zero picked up his food and looked at Twilight. “And with that, I bid you sayonara.”

“You’re not going to stay here?” Twilight asked with a hint of disappointment.

A little surprised, Zero turned and gave Twilight an inquisitive look. “I would, but I can’t keep my friends waiting. Why do you want me to stay?”

“Well, you eased my nerves and gave me some confidence,” Twilight admitted as she sounded a bit grateful. “It was really sweet of you to do that, so … I wouldn’t mind if you stayed with me a little longer.”

Zero could only give a warm smile as he witnessed Twilight starting to warm up to him a little bit. “Last time I checked, we were just acquaintances. What happened to that, hm?”

“Acquaintances can sit with each other too.”

Zero pouted. “And the sweet moment is gone. But I’ve gotta sit with my bros, so good luck, alright?”

Twilight nodded with a smile and Zero headed off to his table with Swift and the others. He let out a small yawn. “Yo fellas.”

“Hey Zero,” Soul greeted with a curious look. “You look tired.”

“Yeah, but just a little bit,” Zero agreed as he sat down in his spot. “I fell asleep in Ms. Cheerilee’s class by mistake this time. But I had this awesome dream too.”

“What kind of dream?” Swift wondered.

“I was killing these awesome robot chimeras under the full moon while I saved Fluttershy's life. Then the girls showed up and Pinkie and Sunset and AJ were in Playboy Bunny outfits. And you guys made me a huge feast as you cheered for me. Heh, crazy huh?” Zero laughed.

There was a brief silence until Soul did a double take. “Wait, hold on, what was that about Sunset in a Playboy Bunny outfit?”

“Pinkie and Sunset were in Playboy Bunny outfits,” Zero explained once more while eating his mac and cheese. “Oddly enough, AJ too.”

“Why did you dream of them in bunny outfits?”

“Well,” Zero scratched his head as his gathered his thoughts. “Pinkie’s really cute, AJ’s hot and Sunset … I dunno, I guess I thought she might look good in it.”

Night raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t mention Rarity or Rainbow though.”

“Because I don’t think Rainbow is that pretty. Awesome? Definitely. Pretty? Not really. And after that switcheroo incident, I’m not risking another fantasy with Rarity and have it come true. That, and she’s dating Clyde,” Zero dismissed in a nonchalant tone.

Before Rivet and Clyde could say anything, Soul intervened. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, what do you mean Sunset might look good in it? Are you trying to say something about her?”

“I’m saying I didn’t add her in a suit on purpose!”

Rivet thought for a moment. “But from what I remember you telling me, you have lucid dreams for the most part. So you must’ve been able to dream up everything on purpose. Right?”

“Not everything! It was just tossed in!” Zero said defensively. “Plus, I’m not into her like that! Yeah, she’s pretty, but she’s not on my radar.”

Soul narrowed his eyes and motioned his hands to let Zero know he was watching him. “You’d better watch yourself, Zero. I called dibs on Sunset waaaaaaay before any of you guys did … I think … you know what I mean!”

Zero just crossed his arms and huffed until he hatched an idea and whispered to Soul. “I could draw a picture of what she looked like and give it to you.”

Soul tapped his chin. “You are forgiven.”

Clyde sighed. “You two are something else sometimes.”

Zero snickered until he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He dropped the entire conversation as he turned around and watched carefully. The others tilted their heads and tried to see what he was so fixated on.

“What’s wrong?” Swift asked curiously.

Zero smiled happily and he pointed over to Twilight, who was walking over to the girls’ table. “Someone is gonna make some friends.”

---

It’s no big deal, Twilight. You can talk to them, Twilight told herself as she walked towards the table where Sunset and the others were sitting. Although her own little table wasn’t too far from the others, it felt like she’d been walking for minutes on end, constantly predicting how everything would go down. The possibilities ranged from complete failure and rejection … to a fresh new step into something new in her life.

The more I think about it, the more likely it is they’ll let me sit with them. Twilight started to calm down. They invited me to sit with them on multiple occasions over the past month, not to mention how well things went at the roller skating rink. And if my calculations are right, there’s an eighty-eight percent chance that they’ll allow me sit with them while simultaneously becoming accepted as a new member of their group…. Unless that twenty-two percent chance occurs and they turn me down out of a lack of patience and they lose all interest in me. Twilight started to panic bit by bit. My chances are looking well enough, but the possibility is still there! And what if my flashcards aren’t enough? Heck, I don’t even know what they all like! Maybe I’d better wait another day and gather my thoughts again—”

“Twilight?”

Twilight snapped out of her inner world of ramblings and noticed that she was standing in front of the girls’ table. All of the girls were staring at her with a mixture of raised eyebrows and confused glances, with the exception of Pinkie who was smiling brightly. Twilight suspected that Pinkie had already guessed why she was over there, and it made her chances look brighter.

“Hellooooo, earth to Twilight.” Rainbow waved her hand to get her attention. “You doing okay?”

“I-I-I’m fine! I’m good!” Twilight assured as she tried to remain calm. “I came over here because … because I—”

“You finally wanna sit with us because you had a blast at the roller rink and wanna be friends with us?” Pinkie analyzed perfectly.

Twilight blinked at her before nodding. “Yes, exactly. If that’s okay, that is…. If not, I can go back to my table and leave you be.”

“It’s okay, Twilight.” Fluttershy scooted over to make room as she gave a kind smile, not wasting any time with the decision. “I’d love for you to join us … if that’s okay with you.”

“I’m with Fluttershy,” Rainbow added with a smirk. “It’s about time you came around and joined us. I couldn’t stand seeing you looking all mopey over there!”

Applejack snickered. “Yeah, and we’d be happy to be your friends, and I’m plenty sure that the rest of y’all feel the same way, right gals?”

Rarity gave a firm nod. “The feeling is indeed mutual, yes Applejack.” She then looked to Twilight with an excited smile. “Please, do sit!”

Twilight returned the smile as her fears had subsided with one hurl. She sat down next to Fluttershy. “I appreciate this. Thank you girls so much.”

“Of course!” Pinkie chimed in. “We’re lucky to have you join the Roundtable of Friendship!!”

Sunset giggled a little. “Pinkie, the table isn’t even round. Plus, you don’t have to make it anything official like that.”

Rainbow rubbed her chin. “Maaaaaaybe we could try something like that. We could have a fancy table reserved for us and everything.”

Applejack cocked an eyebrow as she looked unamused. “Y’know, we don’t need to put ourselves on any kind of pedestal, right? We’re great and all, but there’s no need to sho—”

“Every party needs a pooper, that’s why they invited you,” Rainbow sang playfully as she wagged her finger back and forth to the rhythm of the song. “Party pooooper, party poooper.”

Applejack gave her an annoyed glare while Pinkie just giggled. Twilight took this time to take out some flashcards on how to join in the conversation. Luckily, she found one. “So, um … how about this lunch? Delicious right?”

“It is quite alright in my opinion,” Rarity said while eating her salad. “But from what I heard, Crystal Prep has more professional chefs, correct? What’s the food like?”

“It’s toothsome.” Twilight said while reading off her cards. “The chefs prepare their dishes primarily around five-thirty A.M. for breakfast and have everything ready by approximately seven-thirty, giving us hash browns, sausages, muffins, and many others. And they do the same with lunch as they start cooking two hours before our lunch period, so—”

“Darling, I appreciate the finer details, but you don’t need to give me so much info,” Rarity commented.

“Sorry, sorry!” Twilight panicked as she went through her flashcards again as the others gave perplexed looks. Before one of them could cross-examine her, Twilight spoke up once more. “Is anyone struggling with any subjects in class lately?”

“I’m actually pretty good,” Sunset assured happily. “I was having a hard time in Spanish for about a month, but I managed to get through just alright with a bit of studying.”

“Ugh, don’t ask me,” Rainbow groaned as she drank her milk. “Geometry and History are just mind-numbing. Like, I can get geometry, but why do we need to learn history? How is it gonna help us in the real world outside of a museum or something?”

“For one, those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it,” Sunset quoted. “And two, come on Rainbow, you can stomach a little shapes and angles. I can even incorporate it in a way you can understand. After all, who are you to run from a challenge?”

Rainbow smirked a little. “You know, I get you’re egging me on. But you’ve made your point. After school, your place!”

“Sounds like a plan. Just don’t fall asleep on my couch again,” Sunset mentioned.

“Can I come too?” Pinkie asked as she raised her hand. “I could use teeny tiny help in drawing!”

“You wouldn’t happen to be interested in joining just so you can sleep over, now would you?” Rarity gave Pinkie suspicious look. “Because you’re drawing seem just fine.”

“Why so nosy, Detective Rarity?” Applejack jested. “Just leave the girl to her thing.”

“I was merely curious. That’s all.”

Fluttershy stayed quiet as she didn’t have anything to add to the conversation. She looked over at Twilight as she was skimming through her flashcards again. She tapped her shoulder gently. “Um, why do you have flashcards, Twilight? Are you studying?”

Twilight jumped a little. “Um … yep! Just studying for the next calculus test!” she lied through her forced smile. The girls gave a look of disbelief as Fluttershy spoke to the break the ice.

“Are they actually flashcards to study for?” Fluttershy asked. “Because from the looks of it, they seem like flashcards to help keep the conversation going.”

Twilight’s composure instantly broke and she lost her train of thought completely. She looked back and forth between the cards and the girls as she wasn’t sure what to say. But seeing as she was already halfway through the rabbit hole and they’ve accepted her as a friend. She nodded her head in defeat. On the bright side, It wasn’t a total crash and burn so hopefully things can only go up from here….hopefully being the keyword.

“I wasn’t sure what to talk about once I sat down with you all.” Twilight confessed as she put the cards down. “So, I looked into a guide regarding human behavior and psychology, on top of a book on conversations in order to conjure up conversation starters in order to ensure my acceptance into the group and assimilate each of you better….”

“You don’t need flashcards to talk to us, silly!” Pinkie took the flashcards away from her. “Just say whatever’s on your mind and go with the flow!”

“Exactly.” Fluttershy patted Twilight’s shoulder. “I was same way when I first met all of them, except, well, I didn’t have flashcards or books to help me out. I just stayed quiet until I was comfortable around everyone and opened up one step at a time.”

“Besides,” Sunset swallowed the last of her fries as she grabbed Twilight’s attention, “friendship takes time to forge, and just as you worry about what we think of you, we worry about what you think of us. We all want things to work out and right there is the first sign of a good friendship.”

“H-how so?” Twilight asked.

“Dude, you wrote down like a hundred flashcards to start and keep a conversation going.” Rainbow lightly punched Twilight’s shoulder. “That shows how badly you wanted everything to work out and that you cared enough to try.”

“Hear, hear.” Rarity clasped her hands together. “So, why not start a new discussion without assistance from the flashcards, dear?”

Twilight gave a small smile as she was indeed starting to feel comfortable. She gave a nod as she took the flashcards back and put them away. I guess there wasn’t anything to worry about after all. Thank goodness, Twilight thought as she pondered for a moment. “Okay, so, what should we talk about next?”

“Well, I have been wondering how you're enjoying your time in CHS so far,” Fluttershy asked curiously.

“Well, I can say this school is louder,” Twilight commented. “But overall it’s much friendlier and has a nice atmosphere here and more interesting characters lurking about. So I’m satisfied … or rather, I’m actually enjoying my time here more than Crystal Prep.”

“From what I hear, they’re a tad bit rough over there,” AJ stated. “With their strict attitude and determination to be the best. Though I can see Rarity going there.”

“I beg your pardon?” Rarity leaned back, seemingly offended.

“Well, yeah. Private school, uniforms, the whole shebang,” AJ pointed out. “I think it’d actually fit you aside from their bad attitude. What say you, Twilight?”

“U-um….” Twilight shifted in her chair for a moment as she was afraid to speak her next comment. “N-not all of the Crystal Prep students are as bad as you make them out to be … so could you not….”

“Oops!” Applejack flinched at her rude comment. “Sorry about that Twi. I’ll watch my mouth next time.”

“Apology accepted,” Twilight said before pondering Applejack’s other comment for a moment as she tried to imagine Rarity in the uniform and chose her words carefully. “In a sense, yes. But I think she’d look really nice in it.”

“Do you mean that?” Rarity simmered down as she took some time to ponder the idea, smiling a little as each second went by. “Now that you mention it, I could imagine myself in such an attire. Perhaps I could use it to daze—”

“Your sweet darling Clyde,” Rainbow mocked as she clasped her hands together and made a kissy face. “We know.”

“I can see Dash going to Crystal Prep,” Sunset commented, holding in a smirk as she was ready for a reaction.

“What?!”

AJ laughed. “I mean, come on, who else has plenty of determination to win?”

“Not at all costs, mind!!” Rainbow argued. “Fluttershy, back me up here!”

Fluttershy only looked away and drank the last of her orange juice as she played no part in the discussion. Everyone else laughed at the sudden betrayal.

“TRAITORS!!” Rainbow yelled in a bit of anger, not taking kindly to the joke.

Even Twilight herself was laughing as she was enjoying herself. For a brief moment, she felt a lot of joy being there with the rest of the girls. It was an interesting change of pace for her, and she not only made friends with Fluttershy, but with all of the other girls too. Twilight thought it would be one great hurdle to get over, but the issue was far smaller than she ever anticipated and she felt a bit more comfortable as a result. Even more than that, she felt … a lot happier than she imagined, like when she found a book she hadn’t read yet or discovered something so fascinating. Or when her father cooks instead of her mother.

Guess there is something to hanging out with other people for a change. It’s too early to tell, but I think … I think I could get used to this, Twilight thought as she finished her lunch and continued to talk to the girls. Thanks Zero.

At this time, Principal Celestia was peeking into the cafeteria as she observed the students. Seeing everything as peaceful as usual put her heart at ease. Though she was happy to see that Twilight was socializing with Sunset Shimmer and her friends as she seemed to be enjoying herself a lot. She glanced over and saw that Zero was with his friends, but he was so busy studying with them that he had hardly even touched his food. Celestia only nodded as she headed back to her office and left everyone to their lunch period, leaving her to her thoughts.

Now that they’ve rubbed off on each other and learned something fresh, those two are finally moving in the right direction.

Comments

[Krovgor Warhawk]

[Zeroxdoom]

8543210
Why?!

[CosmicAlchemist24]

Zero is literally one on the many reasons I remain in this group. This was great.

[Nonsense]

The more I think about it, the more likely it is they’ll let me sit with them. Twilight started to calm down. They invited me to sit with them on multiple occasions over the past month, not to mention how well things went at the roller skating rink. And if my calculations are right, there’s an eighty-eight percent chance that they’ll allow me sit with them while simultaneously becoming accepted as a new member of their group…. Unless that twenty-two percent chance occurs and they turn me down out of a lack of patience and they lose all interest in me. Twilight started to panic bit by bit. My chances are looking well enough, but the possibility is still there! And what if my flashcards aren’t enough? Heck, I don’t even know what they all like! Maybe I’d better wait another day and gather my thoughts again—”

TWILIGHT MADE AN INCORRECT CALCULATION EVERYONE!!!
88% + 22% = 110%
TAKE THAT TWILIGHT!!! SHE CAN'T DO MATH!!! I FEEL VICTORIOUS!!!