Crystal Prep Academy is a school where good students go to become great, and great students go to become the best. To bad they only become great by using the people around them as stepping stones. Is this really a good place for Heavenly Quill?
Heavenly Quill is the new student At Crystal Prep Academy, a place where success means crushing anyone in your way. Quill is nervous to be going to a school like this but, could the friendship and possible love of a certain green haired rocker girl give him the confidence he needs, or is it all just a lie ?
It was early in the morning, and a young man with faded green skin and hair as white as the clouds outside was getting ready for his first day at the renowned private school Crystal Prep Academy. Heavenly Quill looked at his reflection in his bathroom mirror; he straightened his tie, fixed his collar and buttoned his uniform up.
He looked at his reddish-purple uniform and he smiled. “Blazer is buttoned and freshly ironed, undershirt is neat and in order, tie is tied comfortably, slacks are smooth and the perfect dark blue, and most important, the shadowbolt logo is proudly displayed on your personalized book and quill pin……. I look perfect, but why am I so nervous?!” Quill said to himself as he rested his head against the mirror.
“Maybe it's those stupid rumors about the students there. I’m sure they can’t be that bad…. right?”
A masculine voice spoke from his bathroom door. “Son, you should stop talking to yourself and get ready to go. School starts in 2 hours and you know you like to be early.”
Quill jumped at the sudden voice and turned to see his father Cold Steel looking at him. Cold Steel was an older and more muscular version of his son with the same faded green skin and baby blue eyes.
Quill was about to tell his father to knock before he entered when his words registered in his mind. “T...Two hours!? The bus ride there is an hour, and I still need to get a tour of the place!” He ran past his dad, grabbed his backpack and hurried downstairs for the door. He didn’t notice that he forgot to brush his hair.
Standing at the door was a short, light blue skinned woman with the same white hair as Quill. This was Quill’s mother, Soft Breeze. She held her son still and fixed his long white hair, brushing it back and letting it fall down to his neck. “Sweetie, let me cut your hair! It's too long for a boy!”
“Mom I told you before, no one cares how long your hair is anymore!”
Soft Breeze sighed and held up a pair of glasses. The lenses were tinted black to hide his eyes. “I hate that you insist on wearing these, Quill. There's nothing wrong with your eyes!” she said, looking at his baby blue eyes which had no irises.
“Mom, I’m the new kid, I only got in the school by the skin of my teeth, and I’m probably the only kid that has to take the public bus there! I don’t need to give them any more material to make fun of!” He put the glasses on and headed out the door. “Bye mom, I love you!”
The door shut behind him and Soft Breeze sighed. “That boy needs to get some self-confidence.”
“No, he needs to get a better memory. He forgot his wallet with his lunch money.” Cold Steel said as he walked downstairs, holding up Quill’s wallet.
Quill waited at the bus stop, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. He pulled his bus pass out from his backpack and smiled. “I got you, I got my school supplies, and I got my…” He dug around in his pockets. He pulled out his iPod and headphones. He hit his head against the bus stop sign. “I forgot my wallet…...I forgot my wallet…..” He groaned and closed his eyes. “The bus is going to be here any minute now…. I guess I’m just not gonna eat today!” He sighed and opened his eyes. “This day can’t get any worse…..”
The bus pulled up to the stop and he looked to it. “At least it’s on time…” He walked onto the bus and showed his bus pass to the driver. He looked out at the seats, trying to find an empty one. His eyes widened a little when he spotted another person wearing the Crystal Prep uniform. It was a girl and she had pinkish skin with bright green and yellow hair. She wore the Crystal Prep girls uniform, a reddish purple blazer buttoned up and with Shadowbolts on the pockets, a dark purple bow tie , a white undershirt with the collar raised up a little, and a purple bladed skirt with small blue lines going down the frills. She wore dark purple knee socks and shoes with crystal hearts on the laces. She had headphones on and he could hear her music from the front of the bus. She seemed to be lost in the music, so she didn't notice him when he sheepishly sat next to her.
Lemon Zest had her eyes closed and she bobbed her head to her loud rock music. She felt something brush up against her arm, so she opened an eye and looked to the person sitting next to her. She was about to tell him to find somewhere else to sit when she saw his uniform was for Crystal Prep. She hung her headphones around her neck and she smirked. “Nice uniform. You the new kid Cinch was talking about?”
The kid jumped at the sound of her voice and Lemon Zest smirked as he stuttered out.
“Y.. yeah that’s me… My name is Heavenly Quill.”
Lemon Zest laughed. “You're the shy type, aren't you?”
The kid, Quill, looked down and nodded slowly. “Y..yep that's me.”
Lemon Zest smiled and took her headphones off, putting them over Quill’s head. “Tell you what, if ya like my music, I’ll be your friend.” She smirked. No one she knew liked the same kind of loud rock music she did. So her eyes widened when Quill started smiling and bobbing his head to the music.
Quill looked to Lemon Zest and he smiled. “I like it!”
She looked at him with a slight smile. “Well then, looks like we’re friends. I’m Lemon Zest.” She took her headphones back. “If you got your own headphone, I’ll let you listen with me.”
Quill looked to Lemon Zest and he smiled as he put his headphones on. She connected her iPod to them and they listened to music together on the bus ride to Crystal Prep. Neither of them noticed as the bus passed by Canterlot High and a group of guys hanging out around the front statue. Quill was instead looking at Lemon Zest and thinking that maybe the day wasn't going to be so bad after all.
The bus pulled out in front of Crystal Prep, and Zest led Quill off the bus. “So welcome to Crystal Prep Academy! Home of the Shadowbolts and the best athletes ever!”
Quill looked around at all of the different students heading towards the large shining school. He smiled as he looked up at its crystalline beauty. “S...so what are the people like here?”
“Everyone is looking out for themselves. You're not really worth much if you can’t get things done on your own. The only time you see any of us together is during school events, dances, sports stuff. We like to stick to ourselves.”
“D..doesn’t that get lonely after a while?”
“Lonely? Hell no. Boring, however, yeah. That's why I found a few people who can take my loud music and hang around them. If you're lucky they might let you join us. If you're not, well….Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet are probably gonna make you run off crying,” she said as she looked around for her “friends.”
Quill closed his eyes and he sighed. “This is what I get for being hopeful….” he said under his breath.
Zest looked back at him. “Oh yeah, I should probably take you to Principal Cinch. Usually that’s Sour Sweet’s job, but she's probably off with Sugarcoat in the land of denial.”
“W..What?”
“They try and play it like they don't like each other, but it's so obvious they want each other. You can tell just from the way they act around each other,” Zest said with a slight smirk. “I totally caught them making out behind the school last week. They made me swear not to tell anyone…. Oops, looks like I did. Oh well! You won’t tell anyone else, will ya music buddy?”
Quill just stood there dumbfounded with how mean spirited the girl in front of him was. “N.. no I won't tell anyone….”
Zest smiled. “Good, ‘cause if you did, I’d have to kill ya, and you're the only one around here who loves my music, so.. try not to get on my bad side, ok?”
Quill nodded slowly. “O..Ok Lemon Zest.”
She smiled and looked towards the doors of the school. “Oh look, there's Principal Cinch and Dean Cadance now. Looks like I don’t have to do anything!”
Quill looked ahead and saw the two women. One of them looked tall with light gray skin. Her hair was a mix of different shades of purple tied up in a bun with with a small curl in the front. She wore a dark blue blazer with a matching long dress skirt. She had purple stockings on along with high heels. Around her neck was a small pendant necklace. She reminded Quill of an old witch. The woman beside her looked much kinder. She had light pink skin and long purple, yellow and red hair ending in curls. She wore a lighter version of the blazer that the witchy woman wore. She also wore a long light blue dress with a gold necklace around her neck. It was the witchy-looking woman who spoke first.
“You are the new student, Heavenly Quill?” Her voice was rigid and cold.
Quill nodded quickly. “Y..yes ma’am!”
The woman looked down at him. “I am Principal Cinch. This is Dean Cadance. She will be showing you to my office while I have a talk with Lemon Zest. Is that understood?”
Quill nodded and followed Dean Cadance. She smiled down at him. “Welcome to Crystal Prep, Heavenly Quill.” Her voice was soft and kind. Quill smiled as he was led into the school.
Principal Cinch watched Dean Cadance and the new boy enter her school before turning to Lemon Zest. “I saw you speaking to him. Does it look like he’s worthy of staying here?”
Lemon Zest shrugged. “I dunno, we only talked for a few minutes before jamming out to my music! He’s the only other kid here who likes my stuff.”
Principal Cinch crossed her arms. “That’s not what I asked you, Ms. Zest. The only reason that boy is in my school is because Cadance allowed him in based on his test scores. Since you seem to be so close to him, you may have the honor of getting to know him and making sure he won't ruin my reputation. Understood?” she asked coldly as she looked down at her student.
Lemon Zest gulped and nodded. “Y..yes ma'am! The other shadows and I will find out all we can from him.”
Principal Cinch gave her a slight nod. “Good. I want a response by the end of the week. Today is Monday. You have five days, Ms. Zest. Do not disappoint me.” She turned and walked back to the doors of her school to meet up with Quill and give him his class schedule.
Lemon Zest sighed as she watched Principal Cinch head off into the school. She got out her phone and texted her friends. “Cinch wants us to cozy up to the new kid and see if he's useful or not. I say we put him through the Shadowbolt initiation. If he survives that, he might be worthwhile. What do you girls think?”
She received four replies within seconds of each other.
Sour Sweet: “Yeah it sounds fun! Fun to watch him fail.”
Sugarcoat: “Whoever he is, he won’t make it.
Indigo Zap: “Whoo! Another chance to mess with the Wonderdolts again!”
Sunny Flare: “Sounds wonderful darling.”
Lemon Zest smirked as she read her friends’ replies. “Quill, I hope you're ready. You're gonna go through hell!” She wore a sinister smile on her face, laughing as she walked into the school while listening to her deafeningly loud rock music.
In Principal Cinch’s office, Quill received his schedule and was sent off to his first class. He was scared of what Lemon Zest had told him, but he still had a little vain hope that things could get better. He had no idea how wrong he was as he read his first class.
Quill quickly found out what kind of class archery was—his favorite! The bow felt so natural in his hands, and his aim was good. His arrows came to the second ring from the bullseye. Each time he took a shot, he wore a happy smile on his face. His class’s instructor, a tall man with a purple crystal prep jacket on and hair that stuck out and resembled small horns, smiled slightly at the sight of one of his students enjoying the class for once.
Quill handed the bow off to the student behind him for their turn to shoot and headed to the back of the line. The instructor held him back. “You’re new here, yet your skills are well above average for a freshman. You must’ve taken lessons before now, right?”
Quill shook his head and he smiled. “No sir, Coach Aspen, this is my first time picking up a bow. I guess it’s just beginner’s luck.”
Aspen raised an eyebrow before tapping the frame of his glasses. “Are these prescription?”
“N..no sir, t...they’re just for show,” Quill said, looking away from Aspen.
“You should consider taking them off when shooting. The curve of the lense is throwing off your aim. That is all the criticism I have for you Heavenly Quill. Head to the back of the line and consider my advice.”
Quill nodded and headed to the back. At the front of the line, a girl with pale yellow skin and purple hair in a large pony tail with a blue band going down the middle stood with her bow in her hand. She notched three arrows at once and let them fly, one arrow stabbing directly under the bullseye, one directly above it, and one in the dead center. She tossed the bow at the student behind her and walked to the back behind Quill. “You are really good, but you’ll never be better than me,” she said, going from a happy tone to a very angry and cocky one.
Quill just looked at the girl before slowly turning to face the front of the line. He did not want to make any enemies on the first day, especially not enemies with mood swings. Quill tried to ignore the girl’s cocky stare burning a hole in the back of his head as he stepped back up to shoot. He glanced around to make sure no one would see his eye before raising his glasses over his head. He notched an arrow and let it fly right into the bull’s eye. He notched a second and shot it right into the first ring around the bull’s eye. As he prepared to fire the third, the girl behind him let out a fake sneeze, throwing off Quill’s shot and sending it into the grass.
Aspen glared at the girl who just shrugged at him.
“Sorry Coach, I guess it's allergy season!” she said with a kind smile.
Aspen sighed and shook his head. “Sour Sweet, you can collect the arrows and put the bows away when class ends.” He turned to Quill, who had quickly put his glasses back over his eyes. “Quill, if you are not busy at the end of school, I hope you will consider joining the archery club here.” He looked out to the rest of the students. “Good day everyone. Pack up and go change back for your next class.”
Quill walked by Sour Sweet as she picked the arrows out of the targets and out of the ground. She glared at him and Quill quickly backed away from her. He nearly ran into the locker room. He changed out of his purple gym uniform and pulled on his normal uniform. He collected his stuff and straightened his glasses. “Ok, class number one done. I made an enemy, but I’m sure she'll get over it,” he said to himself as he walked out of the locker room and down the hall.
Lemon Zest sat in Principal Cinch’s office with a wide smile on her face. “So that’s our plan ma’am. If he can pass the Shadow initiation, he’ll be worth keeping around.”
Cinch looked at her student and raised an eyebrow. “And how will this initiation prove that he is worthy?”
“He’ll need to be quick, smart, and strong to get by the Wonderdolt jocks, and he’ll have to bring his A-Game to get through the initiation trials. The only obstacle is his motivation to do it, but the girls and I already have a way to fix that.”
“And what will this reason be?” Cinch asked as she looked down at Lemon Zest.
“He’s new to the school, so he needs a group to fit in with. With a little smooth talking and some empty promises, he’ll do whatever it takes to join us. We’ll have a new Shadow and a new player in the games.”
Cinch pondered this for a moment before giving her student a slight nod. “Make it so Ms. Zest, but do know this: If your little initiation fails and something happens that ruins my school’s reputation, you and your friends will be punished. Is that understood?” she said in her cold voice.
Lemon Zest’s smile left her face and she nodded. “Y...yes ma’am understood!”
“Good, now get to it Ms. Zest. I expect results by the end of the day.”
“You won’t be disappointed ma’am, that's a promise.” She stood up and headed out while looking up at the clock. It was nearly lunch time. “Nearly time for things to kick off,” she said to herself as she left Cinch’s office.
Quill’s next class had been history, a subject that was one of the hardest at Crystal Prep. Even the best students struggled with remembering every little date, name, and historical site that was needed for the class. Quill had finished his work early and was allowed to spend the rest of class in the library. He smiled as he walked up and down the rows of books, fiction and nonfiction, action and adventure, mystery and horror. Quill felt at home around all of the new reading material. He closed his eyes and ran his hands over the books. He grabbed one and pulled it down. He opened his eyes and smiled when he found a Daring Do book in his hand. “Ohhh this one is new. ‘Daring Do and The Dark Ones.’” He turned the book around and frowned. The back of the book didn't have a story synopsis like it should.
A voice spoke up behind him, making him jump. “Could you please move over?”
Quill turned around to see a girl with violet hair and a dark purple and light pink streak. He moved aside and watched her take the Daring Do book that came after the one he was holding. He smiled a little. “You like Daring Do?”
The girl looked at him and she nodded slightly. “Yes I do. T..the book you’re holding is a good one too,” she said a little awkwardly, like she wasn’t used to talking to people.
Quill looked down at his book and he smiled. “Can you tell me what it's about? Without any spoilers, of course.”
“Daring Do has just met a man who's an adventurer like she is. Deciding that an adventure with someone would be a nice change, they go together on an expedition to a hidden temple, but the man isn’t all that he appears. Is the man as kind as he seems, or is there something dark under his kind words?” she said with a slight smile. “I’ve read all the books at least six times. I wrote a summary for all of them when I had a little down time.”
Quill just stared at the girl for a few moments before speaking. “You read and wrote a summary for all 25 books in the series?”
The girl nodded and looked at the book in her hands. “I really like reading. It's a big hobby of mine.”
Quill smiled and he held out his hand. “Same here. I’m Heavenly Quill. It's nice to meet someone who loves books as much as me.”
Twilight looked down at his hand and blushed slightly in embarrassment before she shook it briefly. “M.. my name is Twilight Sparkle. It's nice to meet you too, Heavenly Quill.” She looked down at her book. “I... I have to go and get some work done so.....bye!” she said before hurrying off.
Quill blinked in confusion at the girl before shrugging it off. “She must be shy. At least I know there's someone here who reads the same books as me.” He checked the book out and headed out to lunch.
Lemon Zest, who was also headed to the cafeteria after her talk with Cinch, noticed him in the hallway and hurried over. “Yo! Quill wait up!”
Quill turned and he smiled a little. “Hey Lemon Zest, what do you need?”
“You actually. You’re the new kid here, so we have to put you through the initiation.”
“What initiation?”
“Well, all new Shadowbolts have to do it. I did it when I came here. It's not that hard. Come with me. I’ll explain everything on the way.”
“But…. it’s lunch ti—” Quill remembered that he forgot his wallet and his lunch money. “Never mind, lead the way Lemon Zest,” he said,following behind her with a sigh.
Quill was led to a room occupied by four girls all in the standard girl’s uniform. Lemon Zest walked over to them and smirked. “Quill, I’d like you to meet my friends. They're some of the smartest and most athletic girls in Crystal Prep. Their names ar-”
“Thank you for bringing him here, but we can introduce ourselves.”
Quill looked to the girl that had cut Lemon Zest off. She was the girl from his archery class, Sour Sweet.
Sour Sweet smiled kindly at him. “I’m Sour Sweet! We met this morning, when you made me look bad in front of everyone!” she said, her smile turning into an angry glare halfway through.
“Excuse her, darling, she’s like that to everyone. I’m Sunny Flare, Crystal Prep resident fashionista! I make all of the sports teams’ uniforms,” she said, looking very prideful. She had light purple hair with pink streaks cut short in the back and long bangs,
Quill turned his head to her and he nodded a little. Other than looking a bit too proud for his liking, she seemed normal enough.
The girl next to her rolled her eyes. “She means that her sewing club makes the uniforms while she sits around ‘supervising.’” She had long hair brushed back in a wave-like style. It was multiple different shades of blue, and a bit of it stuck up under the orange goggles she wore over her head. “I’m Indigo Zap, captain of the track team, and best athlete this school has ever seen!”
The last girl rolled her eyes and spoke bluntly. “Coach Aspen competed in the Olympics, and you only do track, so you can’t talk about the other sports.”
Indigo glared at her and crossed her arms. “Shut up Sugarcoat!”
The girl, Sugarcoat, had white hair styled in three large ponytails with two on the side and one in the back. Quill wondered how long her hair was without the ponytails and smiled slightly at the image of her hair completely hiding her body.
“Well, it's the truth, deal with it,” Sugarcoat said with a bored look.
Lemon Zest cleared her throat. “Anyway, like I said, we’re some of the best here. People like to call us the Shadow 5. We’ve seen your old test scores and your skills with the bow, so we think you have what it takes to party with us.”
Indigo walked over to Quill with a smirk. “All you gotta do is pass the initiation.”
Quill nodded slowly as he smiled. A chance to become friends with the best of the best in the school on the first day? This was better than anything he could’ve expected. “W.. what do I have to do?”
“Head over to Canterlot High and plant these,” she held up a large sticker with the school’s Shadowbolt logo, “On every locker in the school. They’re all on the bottom floor, so you should be good. Oh, and you have to write ‘Shadowbolts rule!’ in big purple letters on their statue.”
Quill frowned and he looked up at Indigo. “Wouldn’t that get me in a lot of trouble?”
Sunny Flare shook her head. “There's an agreement between our schools about these kinds of things. As long as it's not permanent and no one gets hurt, we’re free to pull as many ‘friendly pranks’ as we want.”
Quill raised an eyebrow. “A..are you sure about that?”
Indigo smirked. “Of course we are! The pranks are like a tradition!”
Quill looked down and thought about what he was just asked to do. Lemon Zest walked over to him and smiled. “Look Quill, it’s not that hard, just a few stickers on their lockers and paint on a statue. Do that and you can be one of us. Your first day and you’ll already be a part of our group!”
“I...I don’t know, it still sounds weird to me.”
Lemon Zest looked back at the girls. All of them motioned for her to continue.
“Well, we wouldn’t ask you to do it if the Wonderdolts hadn’t started messing with us first!”
“W..what do you mean?” Quill said, looking up at her.
Indigo spoke up. “Yeah, ever since our school won the first Friendship Games, the Wonderdolts have been messing with us. They’re such sore losers!”
Sour Sweet nodded. “Yeah, it’s so mean! All we did was royally beat them at everything! It’s not our fault we’re good at the games.”
“The last time they pranked us, they defaced our precious Crystal Heart! They painted it black so it couldn’t shine in the sun like it usually does.”
Quill looked at the girls, each of them with a sad and depressed look on their face. Quill felt something inside him click. “I..If that’s the case, then I’ll do it! You don't deserve to be bullied like that just for winning some game.”
Indigo smiled and slapped him on the back in a playful and slightly painful way. “There we go! That's the kinda thing we’re lookin’ for in a Shadowbolt! The Wonderdolts should be having lunch by now, so most of them will be in the cafeteria. Lemon Zest can drive you there. If you're quick, you can be there and back before you know it!”
“Not unless he runs into Rainbow Crash or that idiot Zero,” Sugarcoat said with an eyeroll.
“Oh yeah…. them. If you meet up with these two, you better hope you can run like hell. They’re fast—not as fast as me of course, but still—and they’re dead set on stopping any of our good-natured pranks.” Indigo held up her phone and showed Quill a photo of a tall, black-haired boy standing beside a girl about a head shorter than him with brightly colored rainbow hair. Both were in what looked like Wonderbolt track uniforms. The boy wore a third place ribbon, and the girl had a second place ribbon. “I took this the day our school beat theirs in the last track meet we had, so be ready, Quill.”
Quill looked at the picture and he nodded. “She’s smaller than he is, so she could probably move a lot quicker than him. He looks fast, but I’m sure I can outsmart them both if I need to.”
Lemon Zest looked surprised and smiled. “Well, if you're so confident, let's go!”
Quill nodded and took the box of Shadowbolt logo stickers and spray paint cans. “Lead the way.”
Lemon Zest let Quill out first before looking to the girls. “We got him good. If he actually gets this done, bonus asset for us. If not, he gets sent off and no harm done!” She laughed before leaving with Quill.
Indigo watched them go and smirked. “Can’t believe the idiot bought all that!”
“Even if he does manage to pass the initiation, he's still not smart enough to see when he's being lied to,” Sugarcoat said with a small smile.
Sunny Flare shrugged. “Then we just make him do what we want. We are some of the smartest girls in the school. Well….most of us are.”
Lemon Zest sneezed as she drove Quill over to Canterlot High in the lime green Camaro her dad bought her. “Ah, someone’s talking about me.”
“Bless you. Oh, and if you have your own car, why did you take the bus to school this morning?”
“I let Sour Sweet borrow the car yesterday so she could take Sugarcoat out, but then she decided that I didn’t need my car to get to school and drove it there herself!”
“Judging from that and what I saw of her this morning, she seems like a….a bad friend.”
“She seems like that, I know, but sometimes I think she's the only one out of the girls that's actually my friend. I’ve known her since kindergarten.”
“You’re lucky then. I never had a lot of friends growing up.” He sighed and looked down at the box in his lap. “You were my first real friend, Lemon Zest.”
Lemon Zest glanced at Quill for a moment. She felt…..sorry for him. She had never felt bad for anyone before. She sighed and reached over to pat his shoulder. “Don’t get all mushy on me, ok? After you're done with this, you’ll have the rest of the 5 as your friends.” As she spoke, she began to feel even worse. She knew she was lying to him; it was the plan to begin with. Cinch told her to test him...so why did she suddenly feel bad for this guy she just met?
They pulled up in front of Canterlot High and Lemon Zest forced a smile on her face. “We’re here Quill. I’ll be down here waiting for you to get out, ok?”
Quill smiled as he got out of the car. “Just wondering. I’ll try and be as quick as I can.” He looked around the courtyard before running into the school.
Lemon Zest watched him go off and sighed. “Why do I feel guilty?”
Quill encountered a problem as soon as he walked in: He could hear someone heading towards the front doors from a nearby hallway. He looked around and hid himself beside a set of lockers and waited for them to pass by. When they did, Quill saw that it was a guy and a girl. The guy wore a grey t-shirt with a basketball and a music note on it. On top of that, he wore a grey hoodie and matching jeans. He was holding hands with a girl with dark purple hair in a blue blouse and a purple skirt with a trio of diamonds on it. She wore a golden bracelet on both hands and she smiled at the guy.
“I hope you brought your appetite darling, because I spent all morning making a wonderful lunch for us!” the purple-haired girl said.
“If it’s your cooking, I’ll always have an appetite, Rarity,” the grey guy said.
“Oh, you're so sweet Clyde. Come on, let's go eat out on the grass. It’ll be much more romantic.”
Quill watched them go before he left his hiding spot. “Huh, must’ve been a couple.” He hurried and began placing the stickers on the lockers. As he moved into a new hallway, he heard another set of voices and he ducked into a janitor’s closet. “So much for everyone being at lunch,” he mumbled to himself.
“Ok, so I would be a Jedi Knight, you would be a former Inquisitor, and we would totally kick Vader’s ass together.”
“You chose me to be an Inquisitor to have a reason to put me in a leather uniform, didn’t you?”
“No…..maybe…...yes.”
Quill smiled slightly from the exchange and he opened the closet door just enough to see a guy with white hair, a grey collared jacket, white undershirt and grey jeans walk by with a girl with red and yellow hair that resembled bacon. She was wearing a dress with a purple top and an orange skirt with a purple and yellow stripe going down the side. She had a sun symbol on the chest of her top. All this was underneath a black leather jacket. She wore odd-looking high-heeled boots with a purple flame pattern.
As Quill walked out of his hiding place, he could hear the white-haired guy’s voice from down the hall.
“Who put all of these Shadowbolt stickers here!?”
“Another one of the Shadowbolts must’ve snuck in and put them here. They still might be here! We should tell the others before things get out of hand like last time,” the bacon-haired girl said.
“I know. I still can’t believe they stole our poor mascot.”
Quill’s eyes widened and he hurried to complete his task. It was not long before he had nearly all the lockers done when he heard a loud voice behind him.
“Hey Shadowbolt! Quit putting your stupid logo on our lockers!”
Quill spun around to see the source of the voice and came nearly face to face with an angry-looking boy with black hair, blue skin, and a white shirt under a blue jacket.
Quill slowly backed away from the boy, but before he could say anything, a very strong sweet smell came to his nose. He looked back to the source of the smell to find a girl with bright pink fluffy hair. She wore a white shirt with blue sleeves and a heart over her large pink chest. Her pink skirt had a pattern with three balloons on it. She was in the process of slipping a brown dye pack into his pants when he quickly grabbed her arm, took the pack out of her hand, and tossed it at the blue-skinned boy.
It burst on impact and stained the boy’s face and clothes in brown dye. Quill took a spray paint can from the sticker box and dropped the rest of the stickers and the box on the pink girl’s head and sprinted away toward the front doors as quickly as he could.
The boy wiped his eyes free of the dye and he called out, “SOMEONE GRAB THE SHADOWBOLT!”
The pink girl took the box off her head and frowned. “He caught me! No one ever catches me!”
Quill ran down the hallway, passing another student in a bright red shirt with burgundy hair and dark purple skin. Behind him was a girl with pale yellow skin and light pink hair. she wore a white dress with a green skirt with a trio of butterflies on it.
The burgundy-haired student watched as Quill ran by. “Who the hell was that?”
The yellow-skinned girl hid behind him. “I...I don’t know, and I'm to afraid to ask.”
Quill looked back to see if he was being followed. Before he could look forwards, he slammed right into someone. They both fell to the ground.
The person grunted as they hit the ground. “O...ow, hey man, ever heard of slowing down in the hallway?”
Quill pushed himself up and quickly put on his glasses that had fallen off. He looked to the other person and saw another boy with brown hair and tanned skin. He work a dark green jacket over a grey t-shirt with a white cog in the middle and grey jeans.
“Sorry, in a hurry!” Quill said as he scrambled out the front door. He made a beeline to the statue and climbed up. He found himself standing beside the stone horse’s flank.
“Hey! What do you think you're doing?!” said a young man’s voice.
Quill turned around and his eyes widened. Standing at the door were the two people he was told to watch out for, Rainbow and Zero.
“Are you the one who put all those stickers on all the lockers?!” Rainbow shouted.
Quill held the can in his hand and he slowly backed into a better position to paint over the stone horse’s stomach.. “Y...Yeah I am, just a harmless prank.”
“True, but you’ve got a lot of nerve coming here,” Zero replied while crossing his arms. “Besides, you should have been smart and just come after hours so you wouldn’t get caught.”
Quill glanced at the statue, then back at the duo before an idea popped into his head. “True yourself, but if I did that and got caught, then I’d be in even more trouble,” he said with a smile. “That should be obvious, right?”
“Not really,” Rainbow added. “The school’s security isn’t exactly high class, y’know. Anyways, now that you’re caught red-handed, why don’t you take the nearest bus back to where you came from or you’ll have to deal with me.”
He looked to Rainbow and sighed. “Well, I would go back to where I came from, but my family is originally from Saddle Arabia, and that's on another continent, so it’ll be hard to take a bus there. Unless you’d be kind enough to pay for a plane ticket,” he said as his right hand moved against the stone horse’s stomach, taking the time he had gained by distracting them to paint the statue like he was told.
“Quit being a smartass, I mean Crystal Prep. But I’ll gladly kick you there if you don’t beat it in the next ten seconds.”
Quill glanced at his work on the statue to see he was only halfway done. He needed more time. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m surprised you can count to ten, judging from what i’ve heard about you…..Rainbow Crash,” he said, trying to hold a cocky smirk.
“That’s it!” Rainbow charged at him.
Quill looked to the statue quickly. He had just finished tagging ‘SHADOWBOLTS RULE’ on the statue. He didn’t expect someone as short as Rainbow to jump up and grab him so easily.
“I’ll give you one last chance to walk away, NOW!” Rainbow growled.
Quill had never been in a hostile situation like this before. His arms moved before he could register what he was doing and he accidently shoved Rainbow off the statue. She landed hard on her back, and Quill’s eyes widened in fear and concern for her. He jumped down to check on her when he heard someone charging towards him.
“YOU PUNK!” Zero shouted while grabbing Quill by the shirt and pushed him against the statue’s base. “What the hell did you do that for!”
The student that Quill had run into earlier ran over to Rainbow to see if she was ok. “You ok, Rainbow!?”
“Y...yeah, just hurt like hell.”
Quill looked at Zero. He was shaking badly. “I..It was just an accident! I.. I didn’t mean to push her!”
Zero furrowed his brow as he tightened his grip on him before shoving him to the side. “You’re lucky she didn’t fall far, or that it wasn’t Fluttershy or Pinkie. Otherwise I wouldn’t let you off so easily. Now beat it before you really piss me off.”
Quill bolted for Lemon Zest’s car, which was parked a little down the road to hide it from view. Quill got in quickly. “D...drive!”
Lemon Zest had been listening to music when Quill got in. She took her headphones off and looked to him. “Did you have an-...are you crying?” she said with a serious look on her face.
Quill wiped his eyes and he nodded. “I...It went bad! Very bad!.... I accidently pushed Rainbow off the statue!..a..and Zero pinned me to the statue…” Quill looked at her, his iris-less baby blue eyes shined with his tears. Lemon Zest found herself blushing at the sight of them. She seemed to get lost in them.
“Y...you lost your glasses.”
Quill’s eyes widened when he finally realized he wasn't seeing the world through green tinted lenses. “T….they must’ve fell off.. I.. I need those!”
Lemon Zest put her hand on his shoulder. “Whoa, calm down, ok? I’ll get you a new pair, ok? We’ll go get them right now. S..so cheer up! You did it! You're a Shadowbolt now! You have the Shadow 5 with you now, ok?”
Quill looked down to hide his eyes. “...P...promise?”
Lemon reached out and ruffled his hair. “Yeah man, you're one of us. Now…, stop crying, ok?” she said in a surprisingly warm tone. She started up her engine and headed back to Crystal Prep. She put her headphones on Quill's head and let him lose himself in the beat. As she drove she glanced at him and felt her cheeks get warm.
“Those eyes, the way he talks, how nice he is...a..am I really feeling sorry for the new guy?” she asked herself as they drove to Crystal Prep. She felt guilty again. She knew that they would end up using him when they got back. She was a part of it, but now…. now….she wanted to get to know Quill. For the first time since she met Sour Sweet, she felt like she actually met a real friend.
The car ride was silent as Quill was listening to music to calm his nerves after the events at Canterlot High. Lemon Zest glanced at Quill from time to time trying to think of something to say. She sighed before reaching over and taking the headphones off his head. “Can we talk for a sec Quill?”
Quill looked to Lemon Zest with his blue, iris-less eyes. They were still wet from his crying. When he spoke it came out in a nervous stutter. “ O … of c … course L-Lemon Zest.”
“Ok, first, stop using my whole name. We’re friends now, so you can just use my last name like everyone else. Second … g-good job with the initiation. You got it down quicker than I thought you would.” She gave him a small smile.
“B-but I messed it up, Rainbow caught me … and I hurt her … then Zero shoved me against the statue. It scared me, so i don’t feel like I passed at all,” he said while looked down with his head hung in shame.
Lemon Zest shook her head and he laughed. “Jeez Quill, you're beating yourself up for nothing. The main point of the initiation was to plant the stickers and tag the statue, which you did! No one got seriously hurt, and you were pretty clever with the way you distracted the Wonderdolts. So Quill, listen when I say this: you passed the test. Welcome to the Shadowbolts!”
Quill looked to Zest and he slowly smiled. “T … thank you Zest. T…-that means a lot.”
“We have to work on your confidence; that stutter is starting to get annoying.”
“Sor—”
“No more sorrys either! Don’t apologize for every little thing. You don’t need to and it gets annoying. The last thing you want to do is be annoying at Crystal Prep. It’s not a good feeling,” she said as they pulled into the parking lot of Crystal Prep. Once parked, Zest opened her glove compartment and took out a pair of purple framed sunglasses. The lenses were tinted blue, the same shade of blue as the spires in front of the school. “Here, to replace the ones you lost.”
Quill looked to the sunglasses and slowly took them. He held them in his hands for a moment before smiling softly. “ Thanks Lem … Thanks Zest. They’re perfect!” He slid them on and smiled as he looked around at his surroundings through new blue tinting.
Lemon Zest found herself smiling at Quill’s joy of the glasses. Before she could say anything though, she heard the bell go off and she sighed. “Damn it, too late for lunch. Sorry Quill, I guess we were gone longer than I thought.”
Quill shook his head. “It's my fault for taking so long Zest, so let me make it up to you later. I know there’s a little cafe in town. As a thank you for letting me into the group, how about I treat us to a late lunch after school?””
Zest thought about the offer for a moment. “The others got to eat lunch, so how about you treat me and we’ll call it even? Sound good?”
“Well, that does make more sense. Are you sure the others would be okay with it?”
Zest smirked. “They won’t care in the slightest. I’ll meet you here after school, alright?”
Quill nodded and smiled. “Sounds like a plan. See you then, Zest!” Quill got out and hurried to his next class.
Zest sat in her car for a few moments as she just realized something. “I … I’ve never apologized to anyone before….”
Zest entered the school and headed straight to Principal Cinch’s office. “E … excuse me Principal. Quill just finished with our test and he passed. The itiation went off … without a hitch.”
Cinch looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “So you’re telling me you believe that Heavenly Quill is a useful asset to the school?”
Zest nodded nervously. “Y-yes ma’am, I’m sure that Quill will be useful to us … especially in the games.”
“I’m going to believe you Lemon Zest, but if he slips up, if he proves to be a liability to my reputation, you and your friends will be severely punished. Is that understood?”
Zest gave another nervous nod. “Y-yes ma’am, I understand.”
“Good, now head to class Ms. Zest. I have other matters to attend to.” She dismissed Zest with a wave of her hand.
Zest nodded and headed out of the room. Once she was sure she was out of earshot she sighed and shook her head. “What is wrong with me? I lied to Principle Cinch for a guy I just met. W-what are the others going to think if they find out?” She shook her head and headed to class. “They won’t find out. I’ll see them after school and tell them what happened before I head off with Quill.”
It was the end of the school day and Zest was waiting outside for her friends. Sour Sweet was the first to see her. “Hey Lemon Zest! How did the idiot’s initiation go?”
Lemon Zest rolled her eyes. “He’s not an idiot, and it went fine. I already reported to Cinch that he’ll be an asset to us.”
Another voice spoke up from behind Zest. “Asset? That’s a fancy word for you, Lemon Zest.”
Zest turned and saw Sunny Flare smirking behind her. She rolled her eyes. “Whatever, Flare, I did my part of the initiation. I got him there and I got him back. Now it's up to you all to get him up to Shadow 5 standards.”
“If he's worth anything then we’d be the Shadow 6. You should know that Lemon Zest. It’s simple counting,” Sugarcoat said as she walked up to the group.
Zest’s eye began to twitch from annoyance. “I meant that he's not technically one of us yet, Sugarcoat. I know how to count!”
Indigo walked over smirking. “Well looks like we’re all here! Are we talking about the new guy? Did he fail like I thought he would?”
“Nope. According to Lemon Zest here, he passed the initiation perfectly!” Sunny Flare said with a smirk.
“Really? Well damn, I might have to give the guy some credit. I didn’t think he’d be able to do it,” she said with a smile. “I think I might be impressed.”
Lemon Zest looked at Indigo for a moment. “Really?” she asked.
“Yeah, I can give credit when it's due. I’ll have to take him under my wing first, see how athletic I can get him before the games. If he could slip in and out of Canterlot High without Rainbow or Zero catching him, he might be worth something.”
Zest felt nervous and gave a shaky nod. “Y… yeah, he's definitely worth something. I watched him tag the statue. Zero and Rainbow did see him … but he got away no problem!”
“So he escaped them!? Damn! I gotta go meet this kid. That's impressive!” Indigo said with a happy smile.
“Indigo, you think anyone who can run quickly is impressive, calm down,” Sunny Flare said with a roll of her eyes.
“If Lemon Zest said he's good, I believe her, because she knows better than to lie to me again,” Sour Sweet said with a slight glare to Lemon Zest.
“Thank you Sweet, you know I don’t lie to you,” she said, feeling a guilty pain in her gut.
Sour Sweet smiled and hugged Lemon Zest. “I know, and that's why we're friends. Now I need to head home and practice up on my archery; I will not let the newbie show me up!” She hurried off to her dad’s car that had just pulled up.
Sunny Flare looked at Lemon Zest for a moment before heading off as well. “I need to work on a few designs I have in mind for the Friendship Games.”
“I have homework I need to do. Later,” Sugarcoat said simply before walking off to her car.
Indigo looked at Lemon Zest. “I got nothing better to do. Wanna hang out?”
“W-well, I already made plans with someone else. Sorry Indigo. Maybe next time.”
“Oh come on, Zest! We never hang out and I’m bored! What plans do you have anyway?”
As if on cue, Quill walked over, smiling. “ Z-Zest, are you ready to go?”
Indigo looked from Quill to Zest and her eyes widened. “A … are you two dat—”
“NO WE ARE NOT!” Zest yelled before blinking and blushing. “W … we’re just friends.”
Quill, with a blush of his own, nodded. “I … I felt bad that she missed lunch while she was waiting for me to finish the initiation. So I invited her to a late lunch after school.”
Indigo looked to the two of them again before smiling. “Sure, I get it. I hope you two have fun. Before you go, Zest, I wanna talk to you.” She pulled Zest away and smirked. “You're a genius! Letting him treat you to a free meal. You get food and a chance to see what makes him tick! I didn't think you had it in you! Nice job, girl!”
Zest blinked and she nodded slowly. “Y-yeah, that was the plan! J … just keep it between us, though. You know how the others can be, they'll jump to stupid conclusions.”
“I hear loud and clear, Zest. I won't say a word. Now go on and go with him,” Indigo said with a smile.
Zest nodded and went back over to Quill. “Let's head out, Quill.”
Quill nodded. “Oh, I remembered something too. Could we stop by my house? I need to pick up my wallet. I kinda forgot it this morning. Is that ok?”
Zest nodded as they got into her car. “Sure, don’t see why not. You just gotta tell me where to go.”
Quill nodded and gave her the directions as they pulled out of the parking lot and got on the road. Quill and Zest sat in silence for a while before Quill spoke up. “You know, Zest, I was scared that today was going to be a terrible first day. B … but I liked it. I liked it a lot. Coach Aspen asked me to join the archery team this morning. I plan on talking to him about it tomorrow … a-and I got to meet you and the others. T-the initiation was a bad moment, but I'm glad I did it. I got to prove myself to you and the others. A-and I got to see what the Wondercolts were like. I believe what you told me…. They’re mean people. Though I do feel bad for what I did to Rainbow. I … I need to apologize for that eventually.
Zest glanced at Quill and smiled a little. “Well, I’m glad your first day here was a good one. I'm sure they’ll keep being good now that you’re a Shadowbolt,” she said, adding another lie to the growing list. She felt horrible inside lying to her old friends and now to this new, genuinely kind person. “D … don’t worry about Rainbow, she's built like a tank and hits like one too. You don't need to apologize to her. Right now, all you have to do is worry about me eating you broke.”
Quill smiled a little and laughed. “Oh! Actually, I forgot, after we got to school, I did get the time to talk to another person there. I think we hit it off well enough to call her a new friend.”
“Really now? What’s her name?” Zest asked, looking to Quill. She couldn't think of very many girls at the school who would like someone like Quill. Well, except maybe one, but she was such a loser Zest doubted she would have the nerve to talk to anyone.
Quill smiled. “Her name is Twilight Sparkle.”
Zest looked to Quill with wide eyes. “Really? You got her to talk? I didn't think that lose— that girl had the nerve to talk to anyone.”
“Well, she was shy at first, but we found out we were in the same science class. We started talking about how much we loved the subject and it kinda just went from there. She's not shy at all when she starts talking about school-related things, I think.”
“I … I guess that makes sense. I’ve never really thought about her … at all.” Unless i'm copying off her test, Zest thought to herself with a sigh. “I don’t really talk to anyone outside of the Shadows. I’ve never needed a reason to.”
“Why would you need a reason to talk to them, Zest? B … being friendly is all the reason you need, right?” Quill asked, looking at Zest with confusion.
“Look Quill, talking to people is a little hard for me. Most of the people I know aren't really all that nice,” she said as a clear mental image of Sunny Flare popped into her mind. “I have a few trust issues with people.”
“Well, you’re friends with me, right?”
“Yeah … I am … but you're the exception. The only exception. This is your house up ahead, right?” Zest asked as she pulled up to Quill’s house. It was a bit bigger than she expected from someone who rode the public bus to school.
Quill got out of the car and he looked at Zest. “Y … you could come in with me if you’d like. I’m sure my parents would love to see that I actually made a friend!”
“Isn’t it a little too early to be introducing me to the folks? You know we’re just friends, right?” Zest said with a slight smirk.
Quill’s face turned red and he shook his head. “ N-not like that! I just want them to know t-that you’re real … and that I'm not just making you up so they feel better.”
“Oh come on, I doubt they would think I’m fake. You’ve had other friends before me, right?”
“ N-no … I … I never really talked to anyone before. I always focused on my schooling. I never had time for friends until my parents told me that high school would be the perfect chance to make friends since it was a fresh new start.”
Zest looked shocked for a moment before sighing. “Fine, let's go meet your folks. But I'm warning you now if one of them makes a dating joke, I'm not gonna let you live it down.”
Quill smiled and nodded happily before leading Zest over to his house. He opened the door and smiled happily. “Mom! Dad! I’m home, and I brought a friend!”
Soft Breeze poked her head out from the kitchen and looked down the hall at Quill. “Oh, wonderful! Come on into the kitchen, I'll make some snacks for you and your fri—.” Her eyes widened when she finally registered that Zest was a girl. She couldn't believe that her son had brought home a girl! “Both of you come in! I want to hear all about how you met!”
Quill could see in his mother’s eyes that she already misunderstood the situation. Before he could open his mouth to correct her, Zest had already walked forward. She flashed him a smirk and with a groan he followed behind her.
Soft Breeze pushed them over to the kitchen table and sat them down. She quickly placed a bowl of chips and a soda in front of Quill and Zest before taking a seat and smiling brightly at the two kids. “So how did you two meet?
Zest smiled as she ate a handful of chips. “We met on the bus and he got one look at me before rushing over to my seat.”
Quill shook his head. “ No! It was an empty seat! … And you looked nice, so I thought it would be ok!”
“So you admit you sat next to me because of my looks?”
“T-that's not what I meant at all!”
“Sure it isn’t.”
Soft Breeze smiled happily at the bickering kids. “Ah, young love. I remember being that way with Cold Steel when we first met. I'm happy my Quilly could fine a nice girl to be with!”
Zest smirked at Quill.
“Mom! We’re not dating! And you haven't even stopped to get to know her! As a matter of fact, we’re still getting to know each other!”
Zest nodded. “That's why he's taking me out to dinner tonight.”
Soft Breeze went around the table and hugged Quill tightly. “Oh Quilly, your first date! I wish your father didn't have to work so he could be here for this! I’ll call him right away!”
Soft Breeze hurried away to the phone.
Zest bursted out laughing. “Oh my god, your mom is amazing!”
Quill set his red, blushing face on the table in defeat.
Zest looked to Quill and smiled a bit. The newbie was honestly fun to hang around with. She never expected to have as much fun as she was having just talking to his mother. She reached out and patted his back. She thought to herself, Huh, this … this could actually be worthwhile. If this is how his mother acts, I bet meeting his dad will be amazing. I might actually like being this loser’s friend.
Quill sighed as his mother entered the kitchen after getting off the phone with his father. She sighed and shook her head. “Your father said he couldn’t make it in time to meet Zest, but he’s happy that you have a girlfriend, Quilly!”
“Mom, she’s not my girlfriend! She is a friend who happens to be a girl, that’s it!”
Zest smiled and waved her hand dismissively at Quill’s words. “He’s just too shy to admit it, ma’am.”
Soft Breeze nodded and smiled. “He was always a shy boy. Now, don’t let me keep you two here any longer! Go out and have fun! Though, I do want you back home before nine, Quill. Is that understood?”
Having given up on trying to convince his mother, Quill just nodded as he headed for the door. Zest followed closely behind him. “Thanks for having me, Mrs. Breeze! It was really fun!” she said as she shut the door behind her. She looked over to Quill and playfully hit his shoulder. “Cheer up, Quill. I’m just messing with you.”
Quill looked to Zest and slowly smiled. “Okay, okay …. Want to head out now?”
“Oh yeah, I need some food in my belly. Where did you say you wanted to go?” Zest asked as the two got into her car.
“The S-Sugarcube Diner. I’ve e-eaten there before and they have the best food I’ve ever had. O-other than my mom’s c-cooking, of course,” he added with a blush.
“Hmm. You know the Wonderdolts like to go there too, right?”
“Well, we can put aside that rivalry long enough to eat, right? They can’t be bad enough to start something outside of school, right?”
Zest thought for a moment and looked to Quill. “Fine, but if that Rainbow Crash is there, we’re leaving. The last thing we need is for her to chase you down. Got it?”
Quill nodded quickly and he smiled a little. “ T-thanks f-for the concern.”
Zest returned the smile as the two took off down the road. “Anytime, buddy.”
Inside Sugarcube Diner, two students from Canterlot High were happily enjoying a small date together. The two students—a young man with white hair who was wearing a grey jacket, a white t-shirt and jeans, and a young woman with red hair and yellow streaks who was wearing jeans and a light blue dress under a leather jacket—happily smiled at each other as they enjoyed their treats.
The young man with white hair smiled happily as he took a long sip from his milkshake. He looked to his girlfriend and asked, “How are you enjoying your shake, Sunset?”
The girl smiled. “It’s really good, Soul!”
Soul leaned over and gave Sunset a sly smile. “I’ll have to have a taste of it then.” He kissed Sunset on the lips and smiled at the taste of her drink on them. “Mmhh, delicious!”
Quill and Zest walked into the diner, passing the two and taking a seat at a booth nearby. As Quill sat down, he nervously thought to himself, Eyes down and hope no one sees you.
Zest glanced back at the Wonderbolt couple and smirked a bit. She knew she could get them riled up enough to get them kicked out. But then the thought of how Quill just wanted to hang out and get some food crossed her mind. She held herself back and attempted to ignore them.
Soul smiled. “Having a good time, my sweet bacon girl?”
Sunset kissed his cheek and nodded. “I always have a good time with you!”
Zest held back a laugh. Oh god, who the hell says that!? ‘My sweet bacon girl?’ They’re making it hard to contain myself.
As Soul sipped his milkshake, he thought back to the day’s events. “So, what do you think about what happened to that Shadowbolt guy? That was just crazy.”
Zest looked over at the two of them and sighed. Maybe Quill wouldn’t mind if I just made a small jo—wait, what did he just say? Zest leaned over and listened in on what the couple was saying.
Sunset shook her head. “Ugh … terrible. I heard rumors about the Shadowbolts, but I didn’t think one would go so far as to push Rainbow.”
Soul nodded. “Yeah, I mean, what gives? Only a prick would push a girl for no reason.”
Zest’s eyes narrowed and she glanced at Quill. Her eyes widened as she watched Quill try to hide that he was crying. She felt her anger building up. She shot out her seat and marched over to the Wonderbolt couple’s table. “It was an accident, Wonderdolts!”
Soul looked at the shouting woman. “Say wha? What’s your—Wait a minute ….” He looked at her uniform for a moment. “You’re a Shadowbolt?”
“Oh wow, what gave it away? Was it the dark purple? Or the fact that I’m wearing an actual uniform and you’re wearing cheap thrift store clothes?” Zest said angrily.
Soul rolled his eyes “Oh, thanks! That’s exactly what I was going for,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Look, how about you keep Quill out of your conversation, okay? He doesn’t need some wannabe biker talking crap about him.”
Quill’s eyes widened and he looked at Zest. “S-she’s defending me,” he said quietly to himself.
Soul frowned. “Hey, I am a biker!” He pointed over to his bike parked outside. “So zip it! And as for the other part, we saw him push her down! It was no accident!”
Sunset nodded. “You have no place in this conversation. We saw him do it!”
“You saw it from one point of view! None of you even bothered to ask Quill!”
Sunset crossed her arms. “I don’t remember him talking to Rainbow about it, either.”
Zest glared at Sunset. “He never had the chance to! Your idiot friend Zero jumped him!”
Soul spoke up. “What proof do you have? Were you even there?”
Quill slowly walked over to Zest’s side. “S-she picked m-me up a-a-after the a-accident,” he said, keeping his eyes on the ground.
Sunset looked over at Quill. “I-It’s you! You hurt Rainbow!”
Soul looked between Quill and Zest. “I did not see that coming.”
Zest looked to Soul and raised an eyebrow. “See what coming?”
Soul looked at Quill. “Seeing him here. I mean, it’s just random.”
Quill shook his head. “I-I-I like t-t-the food here.”
Sunset looked at Quill for a moment. He seems so nervous, she thought to herself.
Zest pointed at Quill. “See!? Does this look like a guy that would hurt someone on purpose?”
Soul thought for a moment before shaking his head, “Now that you mention it, not really.”
Zest smirked. “Glad to see that you Wonderdolts have some level of intelligence!”
Sunset glared at Zest and stood up, facing her. “Will you quit saying that? There’s no reason to call us dolts!”
Soul nodded. “Yeah! Besides, I’m more of the pretty boy of our group. No, wait, someone else has that. I’m like the average guy! Wait, no, someone has that too ….”
The two girls ignored Soul and returned to bickering with one another. “I’ll call you whatever I want!” Zest shouted at Sunset.
Sunset shook her head and sighed. “Listen, Shadowbolt, I can tell you right now that that mentality won’t help you at all in life.”
Zest rolled her eyes. “Oh, what do you know, bacon hair?”
Soul glared at Zest. “Hey! Speak for yourself, broccoli girl!”
Zest looked at Soul. “That the best you got? Keep trying, I’ve heard worse.”
Sunset got between them and looked Zest in the eye. “I’ve been you before!”
Zest got in Sunset’s face. “Listen here, leather queen. You’re not me, okay? You will never be me. You have no idea what I go through, and you never will. Wanna know why?”
Sunset didn’t flinch as Zest got in her face. “Depends. Do you constantly belittle the Wonderbolts just to make yourself feel bigger? To make yourself feel higher and ignore the idea no one likes you? I’ve been through that!”
Zest spoke angrily. “I do it because you Wonderdolts took my little sister!”
Soul’s eyes widened with shock. “W-What?”
Sunset looked at Zest in surprise and confusion. “Huh!?”
Quill looked at Zest, to afraid to say anything.
Zest looked Sunset in the eyes, her own eyes beginning to water a little. “My little sister could’ve gone to the best private school in the city! But no … no, she had to follow her stupid Wonderdolt friend into Canterlot High!”
Sunset could feel her anger building to its breaking point. “That’s why you’re angry with the school!? Just because your sister wanted to go somewhere where she has friends!?”
Soul laughed and shook his head. “That’s the dumbest thing I have ever heard in my entire life! And I’ve said some dumb things!”
Zest began shaking with anger. “Friends aren’t going to get her a good future! Hard work and discipline will! She should’ve been at Crystal Prep!”
Soul blinked in confusion. “Well, I’m pretty sure she can have a future if she attends our school. I mean, there have been a few famous people that once attended our school.”
Zest glared into Soul’s eyes, shutting him up. “Well, whatever! You Wonderdolts ruin everything you touch! So how about you just shut up and accept the fact that you’re all second class compared to the Shadowbolts? And when you’re done with that, try and keep our names out of your mouths!
Sunset shook her head. “I definitely see why your sister went to Canterlot.”
Soul nodded in agreement.“Yeah, it’s because she’s just nuts.”
Sunset looked at Zest. “No, it’s not that. Listen, Shadowbolt, if I had the choice to go to a school that isn’t as prestigious with a good friend or a school with a great reputation but has students as toxic as you, I’d choose the school with my friends in a heartbeat. Hard work and discipline will take you far in life, but so will encouragement and time with friends. Can your sister get either of those from the Shadowbolts?”
Zest stomped her feet in frustration. “I’m the only friend she needs! And being a Shadowbolt gets you connections with some of the biggest names in business!”
“Okay, well, ask yourself then: Would your sister even like the school? Or would she hate it?” Sunset said, her tone getting calmer.
Zest shouted at Sunset. “Look, sometimes you have to do things you don’t like to get ahead in life! If school is one of them, then so be it!”
Sunset laughed. “Keep telling yourself that. But if I were you, instead of taking needless anger out on a school and all of its residents you don’t know, how about you choose to support your sister in her choices and forget your hate? That’ll be much better for your sister, and for your health.”
Zest looked Sunset in the eyes for a moment. “You don’t know anything … Wonderdolt! Come on, Quill, we’re leaving!”
Quill looked at Zest, still afraid to talk, but managed to get out a question: “W-what?”
Zest grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the café.
Soul watched the two walk out of the café. “Man, that was nuts.”
Sunset nodded in agreement. “She needs to get her act together, or her life will be filled with anger and hate. I don’t want that for anyone. But still, I wonder who her sister is.”
Soul shrugged. “Who knows? Probably someone just as whiny and crazy as her.”
She smiled a little. “Probably, but if she has to deal with that girl every day, I feel sorry for her.”
Soul nodded. “Still, it would be kinda cool to see who her sister is.”
Outside the diner, Zest and Quill sat in Zest’s car, both not talking until Quill tried opening his mouth. “Z-Zest ….”
Zest shook her head. “Save it, Quill. I know I messed up in there, but those Wonderdolts piss me off! Accusing you of hurting one of those idiots on purpose without even talking to you. They’re just as bad as they say we are.”
“I-I was g-g-going t-to thank y-you for d-d-defending me,” Quill said slowly.
Zest looked to Quill with wide eyes. “Y-you’re not mad?”
“Y-you could’ve h-handled that b-better, but … n-no, I’m not m-mad.”
“I know you wanted to hang out and get a bite to eat, so what if we went to my place?”
Quill smiled a little. “I-I’d like that. W-would it b-be o-okay with t-them?”
Zest nodded and smiled. “Heck yeah, they won’t mind!” As she started the car, a thought crossed her mind and she muttered under her breath, “I hope.”
Quill sat beside her, looking out the window and smiling until Zest’s words dawned on him. She talked like having friends was a bad thing. Does that mean she’s not really my friend? Quill asked himself silently, his concern building. No, she just said it in a moment of anger. She’s never given me any reason to not trust her, and she seems nice enough. She’s even inviting me over to eat! She must be my friend, Quill said to himself hopefully, though not fully convinced.
He didn’t have much more time to think as Zest soon pulled up to a large mansion gate with two golden dollar signs for handles. “Welcome to my home, Quill! Filthy Rich Estates!’
“T-t-t-the businessman?! H-h-he’s t-the richest m-man in M-M-Manehattan!”
Zest smiled with pride. “I know, and if we’re lucky, my little sister will be back home. Then you can see I’m not the monster that bacon-haired, leather-loving bitch said I was. I do love my little sister. She means the world to me. But, erm … I need a favor Quill. You can’t tell any of the others I have a sister. Only you and Sour Sweet know about her, okay? S-Sour Sweet has been my friend since we were kids, s-so I trust her. But t-the others might not be too happy to learn I have a Wonderdolt sister. They’ll think I’m a traitor or something.”
Quill looked at Zest and nodded slowly. “I-if it means t-that much t…-t-to you, I-I w-won’t say a-anything.” Quill looked down. If the others would really think that way, they might not be real friends at all. Quill shook his head, not wanting to get depressed again. He needed to be happy and polite. He was about to meet the wealthiest man in the city and his family. He needed to make a good first impression so as not to embarrass Zest. Okay Quill, you’re about to meet the richest family in the city. Don’t mess this up.
As Zest drove through the front gate, Quill could see Filthy Rich Estates in its full glory. It was a large modern mansion-style home. Just from the outside, Quill could it was three stories and he could count at least three bedroom balconies just from the front side of the house. He could only imagine how many were in the back end. He could see the front door was behind large, pillared columns supporting the second story balcony above the door. Quill could also see the landscape around the house was dotted with large decorative trees and bushes leading up to the driveway of the house.
“I-it’s amazing,” Quill said with his eyes wide.
“No, it’s the front lawn. Wait until you see the backyard, and inside, of course,” Zest said with a smile. “Can’t lie to you. I’m kinda excited to show off my house to someone new!” She parked in the driveway and got out of the car, stretching as she did. “Come on, Quill!”
Quill nodded and quickly followed behind her wordlessly as he continued to take in the presence of the house.
“Oh no … Dad is waiting for me. Why is dad waiting for me?”
Quill looked to the front door and saw a man with light brown skin in a blue business suit with shining black hair combed straight back. He wore a white shirt under his suit as well as a red tie and a belt with a golden belt buckle; on his suit he also wore a pin of three money bags. He had his arms crossed as he looked at Zest. When he spoke, he spoke with a slight southern accent in his voice. “Lemon Zest, school ended three hours ago. Where have you been? I told you to call if you do things outside of school!”
Lemon Zest looked away. “I was … busy, dad. I was just hanging out with some friends and … I forgot to call,” she said sheepishly.
Filthy Rich shook his head. “Lemon Zest, you are my daughter. This makes you more of a target for people who want to take advantage of you. I told you to call because I need to know where you are so if something happens, I can be there without trouble.”
“I was just hanging out with a new friend, dad. No big deal.”
“Your safety i—” Filthy Rich had taken notice of Quill. “Who the heck are you?”
Filthy Rich looked down at the boy. “And what are you doing here with my little girl?”
Zest got in between them. “This is my new friend, dad. I invited him over for dinner since … the diner we went to was closed.”
Filthy Rich looked at Quill and narrowed his eyes. “You go to her school, boy?”
Quill nodded. “Y-yes sir!”
“New kid?” Filthy asked.
Quill nodded again, “Y-yes.”
“They make you do the initiation?”
Quill nodded slowly. “Yes.”
“Did it go well, boy?”
Zest spoke up. “Better than you’d think, dad. He was pretty good.”
Filthy Rich smiled a bit. “Well, in that case, come on in, boy. If my daughter seems to think you’re good, I think I can provide a good meal. Let’s see if you’re worth keeping around, though. Zest, you’re off the hook for now, but don’t let it happen again.” FIlthy Rich walked inside the house.
Zest looked at Quill and smiled. “Well, he didn’t sic the dogs on you. I think that means he likes you!”
Quill gulped nervously. “D-dogs?”
Zest waved her hand as she walked in. “Two pit bulls, but they’re friendly as long as you don’t make my dad mad.”
I’m going to die, Quill thought nervously to himself.
Quill looked around the foyer. Quill could see walls lined with portraits of the family at various stages of their lives. One of them had what could only be Zest and her parents when Zest was a child. She had her hair tied in pigtails and had a large smile on her face, showing a little gap in her front teeth. The one beside it showed what looked to be a 12-year-old Zest holding a toddler in her arms. This Zest had a wide smile with braces on her teeth. The baby in her arms looked annoyed that it was being held. Before Quill could look at the next one he felt a nudge against his arm. He looked over to Zest who pointed ahead.
“Welcome to the dining room, Quill!” She smiled as they entered a rather small-looking room compared to the rest of the house. A large round table with six places set on it stood in the middle of the room. The walls surrounding the table were adorned with pictures of the smiling faces of Zest’s family.
“It’s so … cozy.”
Filthy Rich looked to Quill. “Family dinners are personal, boy. You should always feel happy and warm when you eat with family. Did you expect one of those long tables from the movies?”
Quill looked down awkwardly and nodded.
Zest patted his shoulder. “We can’t blame him, dad. We do still live in a mansion.”
Filthy Rich thought for a moment before giving a nod in agreement. “Fair enough. Take your seats.”
Zest looked at her father. “Where are Mother and Tiara?”
“They’re on their way. Your sister had a school function to attend and your mother is napping in our room. I expect our guest to be on his best behavior in front of them,” he said, giving an almost cold glance at Quill.
Quill gave a quick nod before taking a seat beside Zest. “W-why a-are there s-six places s-set sir?”
“In my line of work, it’s not an odd occurrence to have to entertain investors or business partners that come by. So we keep prepared,” he said as he took his own seat.
Before long, two people walked into the room, one of them a taller woman wearing a blue blouse with a gold necklace around her neck. She had on a matching blue skirt with black leggings. Her hair was long and flowing with purple curls, one of her bangs styled so that it hung loose from the rest of her style.
The other was a young girl who looked very similar to her mother, wearing a black blouse and a white skirt with the same black leggings. Over her blouse she wore a yellow jacket along with matching yellow shoes. Around her neck was a purple gem necklace, with matching studs in her ears.
Filthy Rich smiled happily. “Boy, meet my lovely wife Spoiled Rich, and my darling daughter Diamond Tiara,” he said while gesturing to the two women.
Spoiled Rich looked to Quill and a raised brow. “And who, pray tell, are you?”
Zest spoke up. “This is my … new friend from school, and the newest Shadowbolt!”
Diamond Tiara looked to Quill. “Why is he wearing sunglasses inside? That’s so lame.”
Quill blushed in embarrassment and removed his glasses, showing his eyes.
“Whoa … that’s kinda cool-looking,” Diamond Tiara said with a slight smile.
Spoiled Rich looked to Quill for a moment. “I know a woman from the spa with those exact same eyes. Tell me boy, do you know a woman named Soft Breeze?”
Quill suddenly smiled happily. “Y-yeah! S-she’s my mom!”
Spoiled Rich returned the smile. “Oh, your mother is by far my favorite at the spa. No one knows how to style my hair and paint my nails better than her.,” she said as she took a seat beside her husband. Diamond Tiara took a seat on Zest’s other side. She looked over at Quill.
“So are you dating my sister?”
Quill and Zest both choked on air before they shook their heads and spoke at the same time
“No, we’re just friends!”
“No, we’re just friends!”
They then looked at each other before looking away.
Diamond Tiara smiled before laughing. “T-the look on your face was priceless, Zest!”
“Just remember that next time you need a ride, twerp.”
Diamond Tiara stuck her tongue out at Zest.
Soon a group of butlers brought out plates for everyone.
One of them spoke up. “Tonight we’ve prepared Fettuccine alla Carbonara.”
Quill looked down at his plate and saw noodles that appeared to be sprinkled with pepper and bacon with a white sauce.
“It’s Fettuccine noodles tossed with a creamy Alfredo sauce, prosciutto, and bacon. One of my favorite recipes,” Spoiled Rich said with a smile at Quill’s confused look.
“I-I’m a … a vegetarian.”
The butler took his plate. “One moment sir.” He hurried into the kitchen.
Filthy Rich looked to Quill. “No meat all?”
Quill shook his head. “N-no s-sir. I-I’ve b-been a vegetarian e-ever since I-I learned w-what a slaughterhouse w-was.”
“Hmm. I can agree with that; a few of my business friends are vegetarians too.”
The butler soon came back with a new plate without any bacon.
“T-thank you.”
“No thanks is needed, sir,” he said as wine glasses were set at Filthy and Spoiled Rich’s sides while glasses of sparkling cider were placed by Quill, Zest, and Tiara’s. The same butler bowed.
“Enjoy your meals, sirs and madams.” He and the others went back into the kitchen.
Filthy Rich raised his glass. “To family and new friends.”
Zest, her mother, and her sister raised their glasses. “To family and new friends.”
Quill nervously raised his glass and repeated the toast.
“Now dig in everyone before it gets cold,” Filthy Rich said as he began to eat. The others at the table did as well. Quill looked down at his food as he took a small bite. His eyes lit up as he tasted the creamy noodles and peppers. He smiled happily.
“Heh, it’s always funny to see how poor people react to our food,” Tiara said with a smirk.
FIlthy Rich frowned. “Diamond Dazzle Tiara, that is not how you talk around guests. We do not judge by how much money they have; we judge on their actions. I’ve told you that time and time again.”
Spoiled Rich patted her head. “It was a slip of the tongue dear, but you do need to apologize to uh…. I’m sorry, what was your name?”
Filthy Rich nodded. “It’s okay sweetie, just don’t do it again.” He looked to Quill.
“That aside boy, I hope you enjoy dinner. And I want to talk with you privately when we’re done, okay?”
Quil nodded nervously as he ate. He still felt hurt from Tiara’s comment, but he also didn’t want the girl to get into any more trouble, so he stayed silent as the family around him chatted about their days happily. Quill just nervously wondered what Filthy Rich wanted to talk to him about. He shook the thought off and tried to stay positive. Can’t let nerves get to me. Everything will be okay. Just need to play it cool and be honest. It has to go right. I’ve never been this close to having friends before.
At Quill’s house, a cab had just pulled up and a tall girl with very light yellow skin and red hair with a light purple and dark purple streak going through it stepped out. She wore black leggings and a purple skirt with a matching purple and black hoodie. She pushed her glasses up and smiled as she looked at the house. “Finally home!” She held two suitcases as she hurried up to the door. She took out a key from around her neck and unlocked the door. She walked in and called out, “Mom! Dad! I’m home!”
A dish dropping could be heard as Soft Breeze hurried out into the hall. When she saw the girl, she hugged her tightly. “Y-you didn’t call us!”
The girl smiled and hugged her mother tightly. “I wanted to surprise you, Mom. Is Dad home?”
Cold Steel walked in from the living room and hugged them both tightly. “You just missed Quill, sweetie. He was here an hour ago with a new girl he met!”
The girl’s eyes widened. “H-he got a girlfriend!? Before I got one!? Oh, that is so not fair. I go away to study for a few months and he gets a girl. Oh, he is so getting an earful when he gets back.”
Cold Steel smiled as he ruffled his daughter’s hair. “Easy, Moondancer, let him have this. At least for … two hours after he gets home.”
Moondancer smirked a bit. “No promises, Dad. Heh.”
Quill nervously ate dinner with his eyes glued to the plate, afraid that any small glance or action would upset his wealthy hosts. It was actually working until he heard Mrs. Rich.
“So tell us Quill, what do your parents do? Aside from the spa work of course.”
“O-oh, well, my father is a foreman for the Canterlot Construction Company. His crew is the one that helped fix the damage to Canterlot High after that car swerved into it.”
Diamond Tiara looked at Quill for a moment before shaking her head and going back to her food. “Telling him is Sunset Shimmer’s business, not mine,” she thought to herself.
“My mom … erm … a-actually owns the spa,” Quill said, hoping that it didn't sound like he was bragging.
Zest’s eyes widened a little. “Whoa, that's pretty cool. But those are some high-paying jobs. Why do you take the public bus to school? You could afford a car I'm sure, and … didn’t you get into the school just on your grades? You could’ve bought your way in.”
Filthy Rich looked to Quill. “Indeed, boy, why not default on the money?”
Quill looked up at Filthy Rich. “I want to get through life using as little of my parents’ money as possible. It's not my money. I didn't do anything to earn it. I want to be recognized by my hard work and not by my parents’ money.”
Filthy Rich looked at Quill for a few moments. He could see that Quill’s demeanor had changed when he spoke. He actually made eye contact and he wasn't slouching. A smile formed on the man’s face. “That is admirable, boy. My entire family fortune was built on hard work since the moment our ancestors set foot on this land. Every penny was earned, not given. That's the way things should work.”
Diamond Tiara spoke up. “That’s why I’m going to Canterlot High instead of Crystal Prep. Or, it is now.”
Zest and Mrs. Rich both looked at Diamond Tiara as she spoke.
The girl went on. “I used to throw my parents’ name and money around to make myself look good in front of everyone, and it worked for a while … until I tried to run for class president. I found out that people respect effort more than money. See, a little while ago our class had an election for class president. I ran against another boy in our class called Pipsqueak. He promised that he would have the school improve all of the playground equipment we had. Of course I thought I could easily win by throwing my money and social status in people’s faces. When that didn't work, I tried bribery and blackmail. When we were told the results … no one voted for me. Not even my best friend Silver Spoon. That's when it dawned on me that I was doing things all wrong. I ran off in tears, but then these three girls that I always used to pick on came to help me even though I was so mean to them in the past. They talked me into going back and apologizing to everyone. It took a while to convince me, but I did, and when I did I found out that Pipsqueak couldn't keep his promises because the school didn't have the money to repair and improve all the playground equipment like he wanted. So … that when i decided to help him!”
Mrs. Rich smiled. “As it turns out, my little girl is a wonderful leader! She even asked us to donate money to help rebuild the playground and gym equipment. After we saw how much work she was putting in to help her friends, we donated what she needed that day. It was a very proud moment for us,” she said as she gave her daughter a hug.
Quill found himself smiling too. “That’s pretty cool that you did all that in such a short time. Not many people can turn themselves around like that.”
“Well, it wasn't all me. These three girls helped me out a lot. Even after I had been so mean to them, they still helped me learn. We’re all friends now and I’m glad people actually like me now for me,” she said with a proud smile.
A smile that was echoed on her father’s face. “We were too. I had heard what she was doing, but I’d always hoped she could learn the lesson herself. I've never been more proud of her.”
Diamond Tiara looked at Quill. “Sorry again … for that money comment. I'm still getting used to the whole ‘being nice’ thing. I didn’t know about all of what you said. If I did, I probably wouldn't have opened my mouth.”
“Don't beat yourself up about it Diamond Tiara. Really, it's okay. All is forgiven,” Quill said with a kind smile.
Filthy Rich smirked a bit. “Seems like we know what it takes to get you to drop that stutter, boy, I don't think you've spoken this clearly since you walked in. That’s what sharing common ground can do.”
Quill’s eyes widened as it dawned on him. He usually wasn't this comfortable around people outside of his house. He found himself looking back down nervously.
“Hey, no, none of that now. If you’re going to make a life of your own, you need to learn to look people in the eye and carry yourself with confidence, boy,” Filthy Rich said.
Quill straightened up quickly, afraid of upsetting Mr. Rich. “Y-yes sir!”
Filthy Rich smiled before looking over to Zest. “Is something wrong, sweetie? You haven’t said anything at all.”
Zest hadn’t made eye contact with anyone since Diamond Tiara began her story. She stood up from her chair. “It's getting late. I should take Quill home, dad.”
Filthy Rich frowned. “Don't tell me it’s the nonsense about Diamond Tiara staying at Canterlot High again. I thought we were past all of that.”
“I just don’t want his parents to worry, okay!?”
Diamond Tiara looked down sadly. Quill glanced at her. “This is just like back at the diner. Is this something that happens a lot here?” he thought to himself as he watched things unfold.
Mrs. Rich hugged her again as she looked at Zest with a clear look of concern.
Filthy Rich’s eyes narrowed at his daughter. “Fine, but this isn’t over, Lemon Zest. We will talk about this when you get back.”
Zest went over to Quill and pulled him out with her.
“AH! T-thanks for the food and t-the talk! I-I hope we can do this again sometime!”
Filthy Rich gave a small smile. “I think we will, boy.”
Zest got in her car and hit her head against the steering wheel in frustration.
Quill looked at her nervously. “I-is that something that happens a lot?”
“Why is she so obsessed with the friend bullshit! She could put all that work into Crystal Prep and make connections that’ll get her ahead of everyone! But no, she wastes her time at that stupid school with her ‘friends.’”
Quill looked down at her words.
Zest looked over. “No, that’s…. Ahh! Damn it!” She hit her head on the steering wheel again. “This was just supposed to be a stupid family dinner to make up for the diner stuff and now you’ve seen all that happen.”
“I'm not going to tell anyone what happened if that's what you mean. I would never do that to … a friend … if that's what we are.”
Zest looked at Quill with wide eyes. She could see the hurt on his face, the way his eyes began to tear up. “W-we are friends, Quill. I promise you that. I'm just … look, at Crystal Prep … it's all about knowing the right people to get ahead. Sometimes you have to work hard to get on their good graces, sometimes you get in through money, but either way it's so much easier to get a better life there than at Canterlot High. I want my little sister to live a good life like me, and that would be a lot easier at Crystal Prep. Her name would help her get ahead a lot easier.”
“Zest, that's not the point. She wants to make a name for herself … not ride on the fame of your father’s name. I can really respect that. I know that knowing the right people can get you ahead in life … but what if you don't want to default on other people helping you because of your name alone? What … what if you want to know they have your back because of what you’ve done and all the work you’ve done? I … I think I’d rather have a close friend than an indirect acquaintance. I mean, that’s why you hang out with the other Shadows, right?”
Zest looked at Quill for a solid few moments as she let his words sink in. Was that why she hung out with the others? Sour Sweet had been her best friend since they were kids, but the others? She shook her head and started up her car. “All you need to know is that we are friends Quill, okay?” She gave him a kind smile.
“O-okay Zest. I … I trust you.” He returned her smile as she drove back to his house. She was right, it was getting dark.
An hour later, Zest dropped Quill off in front of his house. “Here we go, see you tomorrow Quill,” she said as Quill got out of the car. As he did, she spoke up. “Tonight was fun, but next time you’re treating me to a meal, got it?” she said with a smirk.
Quill smiled and nodded. “Whenever you want to, I-I’ll make sure it's ready for you.”
“Well then, it's a date!” she said as she drove off, her face turning bright red at her words.
Quill watched her car drive off and his own face turned bright red. “D-date?” he asked himself as he headed inside his house. The moment he walked in he was almost knocked over as someone embraced him in a hug.
“Hey little brother!” Moondancer said as she looked at Quill. “Who was that girl? Your girlfriend? Dad said you were out with her.”
“Moondancer! I didn't know you were coming back today!” He looked away from her. “F-for the record … she’s just a new friend i made. Nothing more, nothing less!”
Moondancer ignored him and ruffled his hair. “My little brother coming out of his shell. And here I thought you’d have to do what I did and travel abroad to open up.”
Quill rolled his eyes before smiling. “Are you gonna tell me what you did while you were gone?”
“I will tomorrow. I just got back and i got a lot of jet lag to sleep off. I’ll fill you all in after you get back from school.”
“Can you at least tell me if Morning Roast is doing okay?”
“Hmm…. Well, she owns her own coffee chain in Phillydelphia, so there's that. There's also the fact she's opening one up here too. Buuuuut that’s for tomorrow!”
“That's not something you should make us wait to hear! She's my big sister too!”
“Yeah, but like I said, jet lag, I’m tired, and it's more fun this way. Plus, Mom and Dad are asleep already.” She hugged Quill again before giving him a warm smile. “I'm glad to be back, and I can’t wait to hear about your new school. Tomorrow we’ll catch up, I swear.”
Quill smiled a little and hugged her back. “I'm glad to have you back Moony.”
“Good night Snow White.”
The two siblings shared a laugh before heading to their rooms.
Meanwhile at the Canterlot Royal Airport, a tall woman with dark brown skin and cream white hair walked off a plane. She wore a light brown pant suit over a white dress shirt, both unbuttoned a bit to accommodate her large bust. She pushed her glasses over her light brown eyes and smiled as she headed into the airport. “Back at home at last. I can’t wait to see everyone again,” she said as she checked her phone. “Too late to just pop in at home. I suppose I can wait until tomorrow. Mother did say Quill started school. I'm sure it’ll be a wonderful surprise when he comes home and sees me!” she said to herself, getting odd looks from the people around her—looks that she paid no mind to as she collected her luggage and headed out to find a hotel. “Oh, these people are going to love my cafes! Probably won't take more than a few months to buy out all the competition and rake in all the money. This’ll be my easiest city yet!”
Zest laid her head on her pillow as she sighed. “Well, you just had dinner with a guy you just met with your family. I’m sure that's not going to raise any eyebrows when the girls find out.” She ran her hands through her hair before looking up at the ceiling. “I’ll … just make sure they don't find out. Yeah, that's it! It won't be that hard to get Quill to stay quiet about it. While I'm at it, I bet Quill could be an actual asset to us. Sure, he needs a little grooming to be a real Shadowbolt, but with enough time I won't even need to worry about the girls finding out about it.” She smiled to herself as she closed her eyes. “When I’m done he’ll be the perfect Shadowbolt. Right in time for the Friendship Games. Heh, right in time to crush those Wonderdolts.” She drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face.
