The Twilight to a New Dawn

by Zeroxdoom

One Step Forward, Two Steps back

Staring out her window at the setting sun, Fluttershy couldn’t help but relax as she listened to the gentle soundtrack on her phone through her headphones. Having just finished her homework and worked on some song lyrics for the Rainbooms, she wanted to try and get her mind off of things. Sure, the dance was coming up and she didn’t have a date yet, not to mention she had no idea what Twilight and Applejack were going to do, but her mind just kept rolling back to the elephant in the room.

The date yesterday.

It was the first romantic date in her life so far. And honestly, almost from start to finish it was incredible and wondrous. Sure, it wasn’t like she was swept off her feet, but her heart felt a flutter and she couldn’t stop smiling and laughing from start to finish. Even though she’d been to the zoo over a hundred times now, both by herself and with the girls, Fluttershy couldn’t help but think of the date as one of the most special memories she had at the zoo. Seeing the way Zero smiled at everything, the way he smiled at her, the way he felt about her.

And the kiss….

Fluttershy blushed as she remembered the unexpected moment, placing her fingers gently upon her lips as she recalled the warmth she felt from when he planted his lips on her. Everything in her body just felt alive, like the sorrow she felt from rejecting him had just evaporated completely and was replaced with him trying to say a thousand wonderful words that just made her blissful, all in just a few short seconds. If the kiss were to last a second longer then maybe she would’ve….

No … even though I loved it, it wouldn’t have changed anything, Fluttershy admitted before looking at her phone to stop the music. Even though the date was wonderful, she wondered if Zero was really okay as she spent the whole day contemplating whether or not to text him. Over the course of the morning, however, Applejack, Pinkie, Twilight, and Sunset asked for details regarding the date. Though no text from Rainbow or Rarity, surprisingly. But regardless, she just texted them that she enjoyed herself and that she’d tell them all the details at school tomorrow and felt easier that way instead of going back and forth messaging them.

At the moment, Fluttershy stared at the small selfie she and Zero took by the riverbank where they ate their sundaes in peace yesterday before the date ended. In the picture, Fluttershy gave a cute surprised expression as Zero messed with her and put a small dash of vanilla on her nose at the last second with a playful grin. With a sigh, she went to the private chat between herself and Zero as she got ready to message him.

“Is he really okay though?” Fluttershy mumbled. “I know he doesn’t mind me bothering him, but….” she hesitated before thinking more deeply. She remembered how Zero told her that he lost a friend sometime ago and that another one of his close friends was in a detention center. Even though he said he didn’t feel all that bothered by it anymore, she couldn’t help but wonder. Then after the rejection, she took note of how depressed he looked up until she started crying. He just snapped out of it and waved it off. So she came up with a small theory.

Was Zero only pretending to be strong just to cheer her up?

Rainbow does that sometimes. She gets a little insecure about her feelings and pretends nothing is wrong … and she’s not that good at hiding it. And Zero always valued my thoughts and feelings more than his own most of the time. Fluttershy stared at her phone and started to ponder the possibility. At this rate, she wasn’t getting anywhere with theories and speculations. Deciding to find out for herself, Fluttershy began texting on her phone.

“Yo, yo, big sister.” A young man with pale goldish gray hair in an unkept bun opened Fluttershy’s bedroom door. He had pale aquamarine skin and cerise eyes and wore a hippy vest and a gold necklace that resembled a feather in the wind. He also had bead bracelets on each of his arms, and his pants and loafers looked worn out. “You’ve been in your room most of the day and I wanted to see if you had the flu or something.”

Fluttershy stopped midway and looked at her brother. “I’m fine Zephyr. Just trying to relax at the moment.”

Zephyr sat down on the edge of the bed with a smirk. “It wouldn’t have to do with that little date you had yesterday, now would it? I saw the way you fancied yourself up and figured you were doing something special.”

With a sigh, Fluttershy put her phone down. “The date went great. I was just thinking about my friend is all. He … asked me to be his girlfriend and I turned him down.”

Zephyr rubbed his small beard as he tried to think of who she went with. “You mean that punk-looking boy with the spiky hair that walks you home on some weekends when you both hand out flyers? I’m not too surprised, honestly. He looked like a troublemaker trying to get on your good side since he probably thought you were easy. You turned him down like a boss, am I right?” He laughed, but this quickly got on Fluttershy’s nerves.

“No,” Fluttershy fumed as she glared at Zephyr, killing his laughter. “I turned him down because I only look up to him, not love him. He’s a sweet guy with a great heart, so don’t act like you know the first thing about him.”

“Geez sis…. Sorry.” Zephyr flinched.

Fluttershy sighed and shook her head. “I didn’t mean to snap at you like that, sorry. I’m just a little annoyed at myself because I can’t tell if the rejection hurt him as much as I feared. He said he’d be okay and can find someone else to go to the dance with, but I think he’s putting on a brave face.”

“Ooooh.” Zephyr nodded as he quickly grasped the situation. “What makes you think he’s feeling blue about it?”

“He couldn’t accept it at first,” Fluttershy lamented at the memory. “He said a lot of sweet things to me and gave a lot of implications of what he wanted our future to be like. He said he loved me and was completely serious about it.”

“Sounds kinda like how Rainbow feels about me.” Zephyr smiled at the thought. “Of course she’s just playing hard to get.” He chuckled until he saw Fluttershy wasn’t interested in the change of topic. “Eh, sorry, sorry. Go on.”

“Then when I started crying for feeling bad, he was quick to suck it up and just accept the rejection. Then he kissed me and cheered me up as he wanted to just be good friends. I didn’t think about it too much at first, but knowing him … I just have a strong feeling that he’s still hurt.” Fluttershy looked at her phone and gripped it tightly. “I’m going to call him.”

Just before she could attempt to call Zero’s number, Zephyr snatched the phone from her hand. “Woah now, little sister. I think you’re in need of a chill pill right now. There’s no need to do all that.”

“What do you mean?” Fluttershy questioned glumly.

“Think about it,” Zephyr began to console her. “If you know this guy as well as you say, then think about it from his perspective. Sure, he’s probably trying to hold it together for your sake, but you shouldn’t bother him about it. He needs time to process this more and think of a way to move on. Probably listen to a sad song, play some video games, watch some porn, and he’ll feel a little bit better.”

“I suppose so, but still….” Fluttershy sighed. “I want to make sure he’s okay.”

“Then check on him tomorrow.” Zephyr gave her back the phone and patted her shoulder. “It’s late anyways, and the both of you need some down time. If I were him, I wouldn’t want you to worry about me. I’d want you to be happy and think about what you’re gonna do from here.”

Fluttershy briefly thought about her brother’s words and she had to admit that he made a good point. Every muscle in her body wanted to contact Zero and discover how he was feeling. But seeing as how it was slowly shifting into nighttime, it would be best to just let everything go until tomorrow and talk about it in person. She looked up at Zephyr and smiled. “Okay Zephyr. I’ll talk to him tomorrow and relax for the night. Thank you.”

Zephyr gave a confident grin. “No problem big sis. Leave it to Zephyr Breeze: The Love Guru, to fix all your needs.”

Fluttershy giggled. “Now if only the ‘Love Guru’ can find himself another girl other than Rainbow Dash to fawn over.”

“Oh please, as if any girl can compete with Rainbow. She just needs to accept her feelings for me and quit being so shy.” He hummed to himself and quickly exited the room.

More like you need to accept that she’s not into you, Fluttershy thought to herself before looking back at her phone. She decided to turn on her TV and play a heartwarming movie for the rest of the night as she was going to put aside her worries and have a nice evening. Though she did realize that she was without any partner to the dance. Knowing Rarity and Rainbow, they’d probably try to make her meet someone. Thankfully, it wouldn’t come to that as she already had someone in mind. She just hoped he’ll say yes.

Even if Zero was afraid or down, he was still attempting to move forward as fast as he could. But now, Fluttershy was ready to do the same and catch up with him.

---

Once the regular family dinner concluded, Twilight normally would have retreated back to her room that night as she got ready to organize her clothes for tomorrow morning and prepare for bed. But her favorite babysitter and soon-to-be sister-in-law Cadance came over for dinner and made the night all the more interesting for the Sparkle family. And since she was in the vicinity, Twilight decided to borrow a page out of her tutee’s book and do something rebellious with Cadance.

Twilight decided to stay up an hour past her approximate bedtime and play some chess with her.

In her mind, she felt a little naughty at the idea and a tad bit anxious for breaking her habit, but it was quickly suppressed by her conversation with Cadence as it had been a little while since they’d last chatted one-on-one.

Twilight moved her knight in and captured Cadance’s rook. “Are you positive Shining will okay once he moves in with you? It’s not that I don’t trust you or anything, I just—”

“It’ll be fine Twilight,” Cadance reassured as she planned her next move. “I know how much you’ll miss him, but we’re not so far away, you know. We’re only in the city.”

“Knowing him, he’s definitely ecstatic since now he’s closer to the comic book shop,” Twilight said with a small smile. “He has as many comics as I have books, and that’s nothing to scoff at.”

Cadance smirked. “What can I say?” She moved one of her pawns forward. “He likes to support the official releases, the big nerd. And knowing him, he’s gonna try to pop into Crystal Prep more often just to come see me and our little girl.” She rubbed her round belly.

Twilight paused before making her next move as something crossed her mind. “How is Crystal Prep doing nowadays?”

Tapping her chin, Cadance collected her thoughts on how the semester had been so far. “It’s not the same without you. At least for me.”

“Has anyone asked for me? Anyone at all?” Twilight asked with a curious expression, hoping someone other than Cadance had missed her.

“Well, I know Quill misses you,” Cadance confirmed. “He was a little heartbroken when you changed schools and looked a little lonely at first. You, he, and Moondancer used to be in the book club together and really brought it to life in there. It was kinda adorable seeing him interact with you, Moondancer, Minuette and the other girls at lunch. I felt bad when all of you transferred out. But get this: he actually found himself a girlfriend a few weeks ago!”

Twilight’s eyes widened slightly. “R-Really? Who? Do I know her?”

“You recall a girl named Lemon Zest? Wild hair and usually listens to music?”

“Her?” Twilight raised an eyebrow as she was both confused and shocked by this information. “I’ve seen her around, but I wouldn’t have expected Quill to have an endearment towards someone like her. Guess it goes to show how much I’ve been missing. And how about Moondancer?”

“She transferred into the independent study program,” Cadance explained. “I haven’t really heard from her ever since, but from what Quill told me, she’s doing okay.”

Twilight nodded as she spaced out for a moment. Looking back, she regretted leaving the two on their own. If she could, she’d try inviting both of them to CHS. At this point however, Quill was doing fine from the looks of it, and Moondancer was doing who knows what. Sure, she hadn’t viewed them as friends at the time, but if only she had been a bit more open-minded on the idea in the past then things could’ve been different.

“Twilight, do you miss Crystal Prep?” Cadance asked.

Twilight didn’t respond. Rather, she focused on her next move and moved her bishop into the middle of the board. “Just a little. However, I’m happy to be where I am now,” she spoke up, feeling a bit more blissful as she thought about CHS. “The friends I’ve made, the atmosphere. It feels nice to be in an environment where a lot of people care about you and the things they’d do for you.”

Cadance smiled. “You mean like how Zero went out of his way to find your address to apologize for his previous behavior, give you the assignments you missed that Friday, check on you and invite you out to skate?”

“Exactly.” Twilight gave a warm smile.

“Speaking of which, how is he doing now?” Cadance moved her knight near Twilight’s bishop as she threatened to take it.

“A lot better, actually.” Twilight smirked as she guarded her bishop with a pawn. “We cooperated in making his tutoring sessions more interesting. He remembers the books he reads a lot better if he reads them out loud like a play and brings out the emotion of the characters. And if his sister is home, she provides sound effects, like a dramatic reading session. And for science, anything he doesn’t understand I wholeheartedly demonstrate for him. Funny you bring it up too, as he has a math test tomorrow that I’m sure he’ll pass!”

“Sounds like he’s in good hands from the looks of it. Then again, he does have the best tutor in Canterlot,” said Cadance proudly.

“I planned on rewarding him for his efforts if he does well and for introducing me to the girls, but I….” Twilight sighed as she seemingly got lost in thought.

“What is it?” Cadance halted her next move as she noticed Twilight trailing off.

“I … thought about doing something nice for him and asking him to the dance, possibly even taking him somewhere to eat, wherever he wants. But he’s trying to go with one of my friends. And the more I think about it, the more ridiculous my idea seems to begin with.” Twilight turned away from her as she frowned. “Fluttershy is kind and so sweet, understands him better than I do, and is good-looking. The majority of the girls in school have unique charms to them. Even some of the girls in Crystal Prep have something that can get a guy's attention, whether it’s class, personality, or personal features. They each have something appealing to them and I don’t. Even if by some miracle I go with Zero, he’s more than likely going to be bored and envious of other people dancing with the girls he likes that I might ruin the whole dance for him.”

“Why would you think something like that?” Cadance wondered.

Twilight took a deep breath as she collected herself. “I just feel a little insecure. It’s just that … most of my life, you already know I didn’t care much for people trying to get to know me and vice versa. But once I met Zero, sure, he was a little insensitive, but it didn’t take long for him to be interested in me and give me a push in a different direction. And because of that, I met the girls and it opened a new point of view that I never explored before. Now I have friends that want to learn more about me just as much as I want to learn about them and from them. But now it almost feels like he’s ready to move on. If his grades get decent enough, he probably doesn’t need me anymore or will have any reason to talk to me now that he helped me find friends. Sure, the girls give me all the attention I need. Plus, Minuette, Quill and the others at Crystal Prep did what they could to stick with me, but it felt so nice of him to go out of his way for me. A nobody like me, who is the complete opposite of him, and yet he was almost invested in me. I already lost what little friendship I had with everyone from Crystal Prep, and being here at CHS…. I don’t want to lose any more bonds I still have, and I hope he still cares enough about me.”

“You really are Shining’s little sister.” Cadance smiled a little.

“What do you mean?” Twilight looked back at her.

“I think you recall that when your brother and I went to Crystal Prep back in the day, I was one of the most popular girls in school and Shining was one of the dorkiest of kids … and he still is,” Cadance giggled.

“Yeah. He won your heart at the Fall Formal after you rejected one of the school’s biggest jerks,” Twilight recalled. “You two even won Fall Formal King and Queen that time.”

Cadance nodded. “Exactly, but beforehand he always admired me from afar and figured someone like me would never be interested in a geek like him. We’re practically worlds apart in basically everything. Like, our compatibility was below zero. Much to his surprise,” she smiled before she moved her bishop to capture Twilight’s rook, “I thought he was the most adorkable guy in school. He helps people with his homework, walks some of the students’ little brothers and sisters to school sometimes, and was overall a nice guy. But not a lot of people bothered to really get to know him, and anytime I spoke up about what I thought of him, people would often tell me there’s someone cuter or more interesting than some nerd who gets excited over a new comic issue. Even the, admittedly, hottest guy in school hit on me, but I didn’t care or was interested. Any guy who interrupts a halftime show during a football game with a grand gesture of singing a crazy musical number about me is a winner in my book.”

“I don’t remember him telling me about that part,” Twilight said in a bit of shock. “He actually did that for you?”

“I know, I couldn’t believe it myself!” Cadance beamed at the memory. “I was moved to tears and cheered … but the moment was ruined when everyone called him and his friends dorks and laughed at them.” She pouted before shaking her head. “Anyways, my point is, if you think your bonds are in jeopardy or they might not be interested in you, take the leap and do something about it. Talk to him. It’s not over yet, and the odds are, he still thinks about you.”

Twilight thought about her words and recalled what Zero told her in the library on Friday. “He did say some nice things about me just the other day, so you’re more than likely right. I was being a little irrational.”

Cadance placed a hand on her shoulder and gave Twilight a reassuring smile. “It happens to everyone. We get a little self-conscious at times. But don’t let your negative thoughts cloud your head or let how different you are from each other bother you. At the end of the day you care about each other. And if you really feel this strongly about it, that can only mean that you see him as your friend too, right?”

Twilight hesitated. She had to admit that she was being a little stubborn regarding her relationship with Zero. But considering their current interactions and her concerns over what he thinks of her now, it stood to reason that she indeed was darting around the obvious since it was clear to everyone else. She nodded.

“Yes.” Twilight smiled. “He’s my friend … an important one at that, too.”

“I thought so,” said Cadence. “So if you want to do something as a thank you, just do it for him. And tomorrow, just talk to him, okay?”

“Thanks Cadance,” Twilight thanked before looking down at the game. Now that her mind was unclouded and clear, she could wrap this game up and prepare for bed. Looking for an opening, Twilight gave a confident grin and moved her queen near Cadance’s king as he was cornered.

“Check.”

---

“The Great and Powerful Trixie demands you to come with her!”

“Well, the annoyed and moody Zero said no!”

The next day, Zero, Wind and Trixie were walking to school together as they had their early morning bickering as usual. After Zero had joined the role playing club, half of the mornings comprised of having discussions over the dungeons they created and had plans for or thinking about some fun ideas like watching some fantasy movies together as a group to get some inspiration. Wind, on the other hand, just gave her two cents every now and again as she was the third party in the conversations.

But today had been quieter than usual until Trixie demanded a favor.

“Trixie only wants you to come into the Sweet Shoppe for three minutes just to see what they have on their new menu today!” Trixie huffed as she crossed her arms.

“First off, there’s no new menu today! I just texted Pinkie about it and she confirmed it for me!” Zero argued. “Plus, I know exactly what you’re planning. You’re just gonna put on a show of trying to buy something only to conveniently be out of money so that I buy it for you!”

“That’s completely absurd!” Trixie bickered. “Trixie would never be so shallow as to do such a thing!”

“You’ve done it six times before!”

“Wind, tell your brother to come with me!”

Wind gave a little chuckle as she looked away. “I think maybe you two should try and compromise.”

“Tch. Fine!” Trixie pouted. “Trixie didn’t want anymore choco tacos anyways….” she mumbled.

Zero rolled his eyes. “I’m broke, anyways. Besides, if you keep stuffing your face with ice cream and sweets like that, you’re gonna get fat and ug—”

Trixie immediately shot a glance at Zero and stomped on his foot.

“OW!” Zero winced as he glared at Trixie, who turned away with another huff. “Geez, I’m just saying, I didn’t want you to look bad by eating too much.”

“Then word it more like a gentleman, you dunce,” Trixie replied before looking back at him.

“Of course, your highness,” Zero hissed at her. “I feel bad for whoever you take to the dance. They’re gonna have their hands full. Speaking of which, who are you going with anyways?”

Trixie hesitated for a moment before smirking. “Trixie wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise. But she can say that it’s not Snips or Snails, despite their constant begging, pleading, and gift-giving.”

“With an attitude like that, I’m a little surprised they still follow you.” Zero said in a lamented tone.

“Yeah, they really like you so why not just do something nice for them? I feel like you’re being a little mean,” Wind worried a little.

“Hmm, maybe Trixie can throw them a bone as they do appreciate her greatness, but we’ll have to see. But since we’re on the topic, who do you two intend to go with?” Trixie raised an eyebrow at them.

“I’m thinking about going with Button Mash,” Wind confessed. “I was gonna go with the Crusaders, but it seems like nobody is gonna ask him and … he’s a sweetheart.” She blushed as she scratched her cheek.

Trixie smiled a little at this. “Seems like someone has a crush.”

“I do not!” Wind immediately objected before covering her cheeks.

“Don’t be in denial now.” Trixie chuckled before looking at Zero. “And you?”

“Errr….” Zero scratched the back of his head. “I’m not really thinking about it right now. I asked Fluttershy, but things didn’t go the way I wanted to. But I have the rest of the week to think about it and see. Plus, I’m more focused on my math test today.”

“Something other than girls on your mind, and it’s a test no less? That’s a first,” Trixie teased. “But seriously though, it’s understandable. Trixie thinks you can find a date. Although—”

“Wait, I got an idea!” Wind perked up as she snapped her finger. “What if you go with Twilight! Since she’s been helping you study non-stop, once you pass the test and show her how well you did, you can take her as a token of gratitude for all the time and effort she put in to help you.”

Zero thought about it and immediately grinned at this idea. “Wind, you’re a genius! Even though it sucks that I can’t ask out the other pretty available girls, but this is is more important. After all, nobody is probably gonna ask her if Rarity doesn’t set her up. So I make this dance special, just for her.”

Trixie tilted her head in a hint of confusion. “Couldn’t you just get her a cute gift or something like a new novel?”

Zero shook his head with a grin. “Maybe as a bonus, but nah. After everything she’s done to help me, I can’t half-ass this. So I’m gonna show her how much she’s helped me once I demolish that math test. Besides, it’s my third worst enemy, so it’s only fitting.”

“Third?” Trixie and Wind asked simultaneously.

“Math is third, history is second, and first is parent teacher conferences,” Zero said as he shivered at the last one. “The moment I get home from those, Mom is so terrifying that I’d rather fight Wolverine than be in the same room as her.”

The girls giggled at the imagery as all three of them arrived at the school together and went their separate ways as Wind went to go meet up with the Crusaders and Trixie joined up with her bandmates to discuss some new songs. Zero was about to walk past his locker to go meet up with the guys to tell them the news, but he spotted Fluttershy waiting for him there. His heart skipped a beat once she spotted him and it looked like she had been waiting there for a while.

“G-Good morning Zero,” Fluttershy greeted a little more nervously than normal. “How are you feeling today?”

“A little nervous about my test coming up for once, but I’m confident about it,” Zero admitted as he smiled brightly. “What’cha waiting by my locker for? You need some help?”

“N-no. I’m not handing out flyers today or anything.” Fluttershy didn’t meet his gaze as she looked at anything but Zero. “I was just … um … seeing how you’re doing is all. I was worried about you.”

“Worried? About wh—” Zero quickly realized what she meant and it was his turn to look away for a moment before shaking his head. He took a deep breath and looked at Fluttershy. “Oh. That. Look, I told you that it wasn’t a big deal. It’s not like anything will change, okay?”

“I’m still really sorry about everything,” Fluttershy apologized as she gave him a brief hug. “Nobody’s ever said something so impactful and yet so wonderful to me. And I feel horrible for pushing it away. You just seem too okay with things that … I worry that you’re trying too hard to be strong for me. At least, that’s what I believe.”

Zero hugged her back gently before sighing. “Either I’m too easy to read or you know me too well. But you have a point, regardless.” He pulled away and put his hands in his pocket as he finally made eye contact. “I’m not as broken up about it, but it was just discouraging, y’know? Having the biggest crush of your life just turn you down just brings down the mood. It just … wasn’t fair, honestly. I did so many things for you, not expecting anything back. But for once, I just asked for one thing and yet I couldn’t even get that…. But I guess that’s how life is: cool one moment and a jerk the next. Not much we can do about it now.”

“Oh, Zero,” Fluttershy frowned.

“But I managed to keep my chin up because no matter what, I like spending time with you, and I know that we can keep spending time together.”

“Mmhmm!” Fluttershy agreed with a smile. “Besides, you still got one thing out of all of your efforts and kindness. I’m still right here, by your side, and I always will be. Because that’s what great friends are for.”

“Heh, you’re absolutely right.” Zero nodded as he smiled back. “You know, I was scared that you didn’t wanna hang out with me anymore. But there you are worrying about the exact same thing looking like I hurt you instead. I pushed my problems aside because I always consider my friends’ problems and worries more of an issue. I tried to make sure you didn’t have any more worries on your shoulders than you already do.”

“That’s understandable and sweet, but … it’s not good for you to keep your problems to yourself like that. You’re strong, but nobody is invincible. You ought to know that by now based on how many of those comics and cartoons you read,” Fluttershy giggled with a nudge.

“Darn, you really got me there,” Zero admitted with laugh. “How could I be so naive?”

“It happens to the best of us when we’re down.” Fluttershy patted his shoulder. “But next time you have a problem or you’re not feeling yourself, let me be there for you, like the times you were there for me!”

Zero gave a toothy grin and blushed a little. “Sure thing! Guess my brain isn’t feeling super pumped today since I stayed home all day yesterday studying for the math test. It was such a pain.” Zero groaned. “But overall, I’m okay. Thanks for checking on me this morning. It means a lot.”

“You’re welcome Zero!” Fluttershy beamed a little before hurrying off. “I have to get ready for my test in first period, so d-do your best!”

Zero smiled a little as he gave her a thumbs up before opening his locker. Is it just me, or is she becoming more Flutterbold than Fluttershy? Talk about an interesting morning.

---

Later on that school day in Ms. Cheerilee’s class, Zero sat next to Minuette and Twinkleshine as he had finished taking his math test. While the teacher was grading the tests, the students quietly conversed with each other, though the young delinquent himself was very quiet and uncharacteristically anxious. For the first time in forever, he was anxious to see the test results. It was the first math test wherein he didn’t have to cheat or use his notes if it was an open-book exam, which was very generous of them.

This time though, he was proud of himself for persevering through the test. It wasn’t long, but the short answer questions made him a bit tense. But he was confident in what he’d learned over the past couple of weeks from Twilight so that most of his anxiety was overshadowed by his excitement to see his grade. His eagerness kept his eyes locked on Ms. Cheerilee as she scored everything.

“Hey Spiky, you okay?” Twinkleshine asked curiously as she poked his shoulder. “You awake? You’re not being very chatty today, even for a Monday.”

“Don’t tell me the test wore you down too,” Minuette said half jokingly. “Barely even survived it myself. Sometimes I feel like tests want to give you anxiety. And it doesn’t help that I have another one after lunch.”

Zero gave a impatient groan. “I just wanna know the results. I tried my hardest this time around and I wanna show off how much I’ve grown.”

Twinkleshine leaned over from her seat and placed a hand on Zero’s forehead, making him raise an eyebrow at her. “What are you doing Twinkle?”

“Making sure you’re feeling okay,” Twinkleshine explained a giggle. “Did you stay up all night again watching anime or something, or did you eat a bad breakfast? It’s not like Mr. Tall, Dark, and Spiky to give a damn about grades.”

Zero flicked her arm away and stuck her tongue out at her. “What, you’re my doctor now? I’d rather pull the life support.”

Twinkleshine smirked a little before patting his shoulder. “Whoa, calm down sassy pants, I’m only kidding. I know you’ve been working your butt off, so you’ve got this in the bag my man!”

Minuette nodded with a smile. “Yeah, I’m honestly more curious about your grade than mine. I hope my notes helped you out a little.”

“They helped plenty!” Zero confirmed. “But Twilight was giving me a quick review first period and I did pretty well. She was almost as bouncy as Pinkie thinking how well I might do. Even Ms. Harshwhinny told her to chill.” He chuckled at the memory. “She’s so adorkable like that.”

“You can say that again,” Twinkleshine laughed.

Just then, Ms. Cheerilee stood up with all the test papers. “Alright, everyone settle down. I’m handing back your test results.”

Everyone in the classroom quieted down as Ms. Cheerilee started walking around and placing everyone’s test face down on their desks. Some students sighed in relief, and a few groaned in frustration as they looked at their grades. Zero crossed his fingers as his heart started to race while his stomach felt like a swarm of butterflies. The wait didn’t last very long as Cheerilee walked over and placed Twinkleshine’s test down, then Zero’s, then Minuette’s. The girls didn’t bother lifting up their tests and turned to Zero.

“And the results are….” Zero took a deep breath and swiftly flipped the paper up and looked at his grade at the top.

A sixty eight percent, resulting in a D+.

“W-What?” Zero’s heart sank and he felt like all the noise in the room was muted. He tried to wrap his brain around this and figure out what went wrong. He examined the questions on the front of the test and saw he got a decent amount of them right. But as the test went on, he start to slip up on the some of the harder questions as certain formulas threw him off. He had thought he’d figured them out but made some small errors. And he answered the short answer questions wrong by only focusing on what it was asking of him, missing some of the smaller details of the questions that were needed.

“Ouch,” Twinkleshine winced at the sight of Zero’s grade and spirit. “Sorry Zero. Least it’s better than an F, right?”

“Even so….” said Zero in a glum tone as he stared at his test with a defeated gaze. “All those hours of studying, all that hard work, and this is what I have to show for it? Not even a C.” The more he thought about it, the more Zero’s spirit felt like it was breaking apart. Not only was it because he was ashamed of himself for not pushing himself harder, but mainly because the grade was also a reflection of Twilight’s efforts and tutoring methods. “No matter how you look at it, it feels like Twilight failed too. How I can I ask her to the dance now? I can’t just say, ‘hey, thanks for tutoring me even though I’ve barely improved! Wanna go to the dance as a sign of my appreciation and a way for us to celebrate?’”

“Zero….” Minuette said with a sigh. She glanced at her test and put it away in her book bag. If by any chance she passed, it more than likely would bring down the mood. And given the events of yesterday, she wasn’t really in her best mood either. “Guess we both don’t get what we really want sometimes,” she mumbled to herself.

Twinkleshine looked at the both of them and groaned in frustration. Since they were in class, she couldn’t really tickle Minuette out of her depression without getting in trouble or think of what to say to Zero at the moment to cheer him up. Caring less for her grade at the moment, she just stuffed her paper in her bag and sat down as the three of them sat in silence for the rest of class.

Once the period ended and everyone exited the classroom, it didn’t take long for Zero to see Twilight standing by the door with an excited expression, only to perk up even more once she spotted her tutee.

“Soooo, how’d you do?” Twilight grinned, trying very little to hide her excitement as she reached out her hands. Looking away from her, Zero gave her the paper and a moment of silent went by. “Oh … D+.”

“Twilight, I’m—”

“It’s fine,” Twilight halted him, giving back the paper in the process. “You’ve got some tests coming up as the week goes on, right? You’ll more than likely do better on those than math, given it was your weakest subject. And besides, you’ve almost got a C. Just use this as a means to try even harder as we go!”

Zero blinked at her as he hesitated to respond. Is Fluttershy’s boldness contagious or something? When did Twilight start feeling more confident? Next thing you know, Swift might finally ask out Pinkie. Eh, maybe at the end of the week, he thought as he put his hands in his pocket. “Maybe you’re right, but … I wanted to make you proud and show you how much I’ve grown and learned, only for that hard work to go down the drain. So you’ll have to excuse me if I feel a bit demoralized and a failure at the given moment. That, or my stomach is itching for some food!” Zero gave a weak chuckle before turning away.

Twilight frowned a little. “Zero….”

“Say, I’m a little tapped out from studying all night,” Zero began. “Is it okay we take a break today and maybe study tomorrow?”

“Well, you haven’t had a break yet, so I suppose it’s okay,” Twilight agreed as she looked down a little.

“Great. See ya.” With a quick wave, Zero headed off to the lunchroom, gripping the test paper tightly tightly. His mood started to worsen as time went on, given the small upset of Fluttershy turning him down and now the gut-wrenching feeling of letting Twilight down. Now he couldn’t dare to ask her to the dance with him. He didn’t have the right to in his mind. He’d make it up to her by trying harder in the upcoming tests, but given that he didn’t have to study as hard as this one, would passing them really amount to a proper thank you? Shaking his head, he concluded that worrying about it now was only making him more anxious. Thankfully, lunch was here and he’d be free of worries for the rest of the day as far as he could tell.

---

“Wait, what?!” Zero exclaimed in complete shock as he sat with all of his friends at the lunch table. They were quick to detect his sour nature and Zero didn’t shy away from explaining his day so far. But when asking about everyone else’s plans, he came to a bit of a discovery. “You’ve all got dates to the dance already?!”

Night shrugged with a small chuckle. “To be honest, I didn’t think I’d see myself prepping for a little country dancing with AJ. But It’s happening.”

“Mine just … kinda happened after I was helping Pinkie babysit,” Swift explained before looking away. “Still, sorry things didn’t work out between you and Fluttershy. But you’re really not gonna ask Twilight?”

Zero shook his head. “I can’t ask her. Honestly, I feel almost ashamed to even look at her. She spent all that time, effort, and hard work getting someone like me to do better in school, not to mention save me from attending a bootcamp!” He sighed as he played with his food. “And I still failed that test.”

“Don’t you think you’re being a little hard on yourself?” Rivet patted his shoulder. “It wasn’t a total waste. She got you to take your studies a little more seriously since you actually got upset over a bad grade. Usually you just crumple up your work and play paper basketball or football with Twinkleshine in study hall when Mr. Cranky Doodle is reading a newspaper.”

“Yeah.” Clyde sipped a bottle of water he brought. “I understand how you feel, but you shouldn’t punish yourself like that. Just go as friends or something. It’s not like you to be so moody and depressed.”

“I’ll think it over.” Zero sighed. “But more than likely, Rarity might have even found a date for her, so I might as well just see if anyone else is available.”

“You could go and try asking the Dazzlings!” Soul offered. “I hear that they’re actually looking for guys to ask them out, so you could possibly go with one of them!”

Zero looked up a little at Soul. “Really? Well, I guess it’s worth a try. I did always wanna find a way to hang out with Aria or Sonata.”

“Why not Adagio?” Swift wondered.

“She’s … probably the only pretty girl I’d say no to almost all the time,” Zero said as he shivered. “I want a girl to be all over me, but she’s someone who I feel like might make a good time alone into a night of regrets.”

“I … guess?” Swift said, unsure of the innuendo.

Getting up, Zero started making his way to the Dazzlings table until he took note of something. He saw three lines of guys in the direction by their table and it made him raise an eyebrow. Ignoring the line and commotion, he walked around it till he saw Adagio, Aria, and Sonata as each of them were conversing with a guy with each line leading to one of the girls. An alarm went off from each of the Dazzlings’ phones and each of the guys had to leave, giving the next guys a chance to sit down and speak to them quickly before the girls reset their clocks. However, he noticed Sonata looked uninterested and crestfallen. Raising an eyebrow, Zero moved in to investigate.

“What’s going on here?” Zero asked curiously.

“Speed dating,” Aria explained just as the alarm went off and she shooed the boy in front of her away. “Go dance with that nobody Wallflower, I heard nobodies go well together.” Adagio and Sonata waved their guys off as well as all of them looked down and headed off.

“Geez, throwing shade at Wallflower much?” Zero cringed at Aria’s attitude.

“I’m picky about the guys I’m into,” Aria argued before all three of the girls halted the next guys in line to talk to Zero. “Anyways, what do you want loser? If you want to go with one of us, acquaintances don’t get special passes. Even if you make reading class less boring for me.”

“I was just wondering what the line is for. You gals are looking for dates to the dance as well?” Zero wondered.

“We’ve been getting asked from half of the boys in the student body to go to the dance with us,” Adagio explained. “Notes in our lockers, cupcakes and pies baked for each of us, it was a little much, even for us. So, we came up with a speed dating process to let each boy talk to us for about a minute and see if we like them or not.”

“Isn’t it a little crazy how so many guys wanna ask you out even though you can’t really control people anymore with your singing? And the fact you tried to enslave people and everyone’s not bitter about it?” Zero wondered as he felt skeptical.

“We’re still very much attractive and, compared to Sunset, we didn’t really bully anyone or ruin any relationships,” Adagio explained. “Plus, some boys are dumb and only care about our looks and don’t wanna feel lonely during the dance.”

“Or hiding in their basement while watching porn or something all alone.” Aria shrugged. “Or whatever it is you guys do when you’re lonely.”

Geez, they really like to tear guys apart. Zero winced a little from the comment before glancing at Sonata, who wasn’t really paying him any mind. “And what’s wrong with Ms. Sunshine and Junk Food here?”

“She’s just upset that Soul asked out Sunset and not her,” Aria said while rolling her eyes, making Sonata sigh. “So we’re trying to help her find a guy that she’ll fall for and actually notice her.”

“Another case of heartbreak, huh?” Zero said before patting Sonata’s shoulder. “I was just there myself, so I can get your point. But there’s plenty of cute guys for you to with. You don’t wanna go all alone, do you?”

“No, but … I really wanted to go with Soul,” Sonata whined as she looked at Soul where she sat. “He’s so nice and dorky and cute … and one of the few guys to really talk to me.”

“Well, you’ve got a whole line of guys who’d like to talk to you. And me included!” Zero smiled. “In fact, I’d love to go to the dance with you or even Aria.”

“Aww, that’s so sweet of you Zero!” Sonata perked up a little with a small smile. “But you’d have to join the line!”

“Actually no, you’ve already had your minute with us. Frankly, I liked you more as a bad boy, but you’re too nice for my taste,” Aria said while checking her clock. “Next!”

“What?!” Zero exclaimed. “But that’s not fair! I was jus—”

Adagio snapped her fingers. “Security.”

“Security?” Zero raised an eyebrow before getting grabbed from behind and lifted off the ground. He peeked behind him. “Bulk? You’re their security?!”

“Sorry!” Bulk apologized as he carried Zero back to his table and sat him down with the others. “But um … Adagio promised me a dance if I became security, so … no hard feelings bro?”

Zero sighed. “None whatsoever.”

Bulk nodded with a smile before heading back to the Dazzlings. Zero groaned in frustration as he put his head down on the table.

“So, I take it went well?” Soul joked.

Zero only glared at Soul once before grabbing an orange and squeezing the juice in Soul’s eye, making him cover his eyes and scream as it burned. “No, but that made me feel better.”

Meanwhile over at the Rainbooms’ table, Fluttershy had finished explaining what had happened during her date with Zero on Saturday, taking a moment to process everything. Shortly afterwards, Sunset nodded in understanding.

“No matter how you slice it, I’m just glad you had a good time.” Sunset smiled. “And that you and Zero still have your friendship intact.”

“Honestly, I gotta give him credit. I thought he’d be the type to lash out in anger since he’s been crushing on you since day one,” Rainbow admitted. “But he took the friendzoning pretty well. Can’t say that for most folks, though.” She suddenly winced as Rarity elbowed her side. “OW!”

“I wouldn’t make such a comment if I were you,” Rarity whispered. “Especially when our pink friend hasn’t exactly had much luck with boys lately.”

“Psst, I can hear you,” Pinkie said as she leaned across the table to whisper to the two before giggling. “And it’s cooleo, no need to worry anymore! Cause I’m going to the Fall Formal with Swifty!”

“For real?!” Rainbow exclaimed happily. “That’s awesome!! Good on you, Pinkie! I actually got Rivet to go with me! Now the other boys don’t have to bug me about the dance anymore.”

“I’m happy for you both, darlings. But some of us still need to find a date, like Applejack, Fluttershy and Twilight,” Rarity explained.

“Um … actually, ah did find a date over the weekend,” Applejack said with a faint blush. The others turned their heads at her as they raised an eyebrow. “He insisted on going with me, so ah decided ‘what the heck’ and said sure.”

“Dang. Didn’t think Night would’ve been ballsy enough to ask you,” Rainbow chuckled.

“Did ya pressure the boy in asking me, Dash?” Applejack crossed her arms.

“Well, I did suggest the idea to him, but I didn’t know if he was interested or not,” Rainbow confessed with an weak chuckle. “Besides, I wanted to give him a little nudge. It takes some confidence to ask girls like you out!”

“Ah should’ve figured.” Shaking her head, Applejack frowned in a bit of disapproval before she sighed. “But either way, he did seem like he was genuinely interested, so I’m not gonna turn my back on him.”

“And I actually am planning on going with somebody.” Fluttershy raised her hand.

“Already? But if not Zero, then who do you have in mind?” Twilight questioned.

Fluttershy giggled. “Well, I actually want to keep it as a surprise … if that’s alright with you girls.”

“Ooooh. Keeping secrets now, are we?” Sunset said with a playful grin. “Now I can’t wait to see what happens this weekend.”

“Is it someone we know? Is it a boy or girl? Come on, spill it!” Pinkie barraged Fluttershy with questions as she could barely contain her curiosity. But Fluttershy just shook her head with a grin.

“Sorry Pinkie, you’re just going to have to wait till Saturday,” Fluttershy replied. “Besides, you do like surprises, and were would be the fun in telling you now?”

Pinkie paused before sitting back down and tapping her chin as she thought about this. “You make a good argument. I concede.”

Fluttershy nodded before turning to Twilight. “What about you, Twilight? Did you find a date yet?”

“No, but since we’re on the topic….” Twilight took a deep breath. “If it’s okay with you, Fluttershy … I want to try asking out Zero.”

“Y-You do?” Fluttershy questioned as she came to a realization. “Did … you think about asking him before I went on that date?! I didn’t think yo—”

“No, no, no. It’s alright.” Twilight waved it off. “If you had said yes to Zero, I wouldn’t have been hurt, I promise. But the other day, I realized that it’s thanks to him I came out of my shell and became friends with all of you. Now I know what it’s like to have such amazing friends, so I want to show him how much I appreciate his help and maybe even go out ot eat.”

“Like a—”

“Not like a date!” Twilight immediately repudiated. “Just buying him whatever he wants to eat … or possibly a gift.”

“I think it sounds like a great idea, Twilight.” Sunset smiled. “And knowing him, I wouldn’t be surprised if he has something planned for you as thanks for helping him improve his grades.”

Twilight frowned a little. “Well, he got a D on his math test today and wasn’t too happy about it. But maybe he’ll cheer up if he does well on his others tests.”

“Well if I know Zero, he’s not going to give up so easily!” Fluttershy proclaimed with a hopeful smile. “We just have to have a little faith.”

Twilight looked at Fluttershy and nodded in agreement as she returned the smile. Soon enough, the bell rang and everyone started picking up their trays and headed out of the lunchroom. Twilight felt a little more confident and wondered when she should try asking out Zero. Given his mood from earlier, it’d probably be best to just let him simmer for now and find him at the end of the day.

---

As the day came to a close, Zero was walking up to his locker as he rubbed his chin, pondering to himself who else he could ask.

I can’t believe Twinkleshine, Minuette, and Lemon Hearts said no, too! I mean, I get that they wanna go together as friends, so I shouldn’t be too mad. Still, who else is there? Cloud Kicker is hot, but she’s going with Thunderlane. Maybe Derpy? Hmmm … I’ll put a pin in it. Oh, Wallflower Blush isn’t seeing anyone … or talking to really anybody. I really should try hanging out with her too. Stray dogs should never really be alone.

As Zero opened his locker, he saw a note on top of one of his books along with a present. His eyes widened before getting a little excited, knowing it’d have to be a secret admirer.

Someone has a crush on me! Zero smiled brightly as he did an air guitar in celebration before looking around for a moment. He didn’t see anyone right away, but he slowly picked up the note and opened it as he read it quietly.

“From the day we met, I knew a bond was created.

From the conversations and exchanges, this could even be fated.

You prevent most days from looking gray,

Like the weightlessness that floats my worries away.

“You’re like a sun that shines ever so bright,

Or the moon and stars at the dusk of night.

I want us to be one, strong and undefeated,

Ignoring those who see us as flawed or conceited.

“So turn around and you will see,

Come to the dance with….”

Zero trailed off at the last bit as he was shocked and taken aback, not only from the spirling, yet powerful emotions he felt thanks to the poem, but from who actually wrote it. He turned around slowly to face his admirer as she stood there with a gleeful, yet pure grin.

“.....Trixie?”

Comments

[Wanderer312]

I'm gonna say it too: TRIXIE?!

Ok, I admit I saw it coming at the beginning of the chapter. It's actually really sweet of her to write such a kind poem for Zero. But poor Twilight, when she finds out...

Also great to see a new chapter Zeroxdoom. It gave me the motivation to continue writing my chapter after I got a serious writer's block. But back to you, I enjoyed the chapter a lot. Zero has grown into a better young man. Keep up the good work. I love it.

[Alexei the Dark Dragon]

Finally a New chapter!!

[DragonMaster24921]

Tis be another good chapter Zero keep up the good work friend.

.... Also I'm noticing a lot of love being pushed to Trixie now, and i am fine with this

[Krovgor Warhawk]

So many twists and triangles with poor Zero.