> Second Chance
>  by Bolt Blazer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

One more year, let’s do this.

My name is Bolt Blazer. I’m 18 years old going into my senior year of high school at Canterlot High. Meanwhile, my little sister, Midnight, is starting junior year, but seems to be pretty confident (then again what else do I expect from her?) In the three years I’ve been at this school, a LOT of things happened. From magical flying creatures to talking animals, I've seen some crazy stuff and I’m pretty sure that not too many people can say that and expect people to believe them.

It was the day before the start of the school year and the students were invited to a fair for the senior class, after all, it seems like a nice way to send us off. 

It was going to start at 1:00 PM so I couldn’t sleep in today. So after waking up at 11:00, grabbing a quick shower, getting dressed, and getting cleaned up, I was ready to go.

However, Midnight stopped me.

“Y’know Bolt?” She asked.

“Huh?” I replied, confused.

“You’re so lucky to be going to this. You get to see everyone today and I have to stay home. It almost seems unfair.” Midnight said with a hint a jealousy.

I chuckled. “Hey don’t worry Midnight. I’ll make sure that you can say hello to everyone sooner.”

“Lemme guess; your phone?” She asked quizzically.

“…yes.” I replied in a deadpan voice.

Midnight rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Its fine, it’s just I wanted to see them in person.”

“I know the feeling. This summer seemed to have gone by way to fast and in some ways, a little too long.” I said.

“And not enough meet-ups with everyone.” Midnight added.

“In everyone’s defense, they did have things to do.” I said.

They did though. Our friends (Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack, Twilight and Sunset Shimmer) had things to do over the summer.

Rarity was with her family in Las Pegasus to be with some family, Rainbow Dash had a summer-long soccer tournament (to which she won, to nobody’s surprise.) Applejack had to help out the family business selling cider (and for good reason, that cider is so damn delicious.) Twilight and Sunset were busy trying to figure out the “Equestrian Magic” solution. It seemed like they were crazy at first, but it was later to be proven true and it’s always interesting to hear about it. Fluttershy volunteered to be a part of a wildlife rescue program to ensure that the habitats that the animals live in are safe and not polluted and Pinkie Pie went to Germaney for the summer with her family (she never stopped posting about it.)

It was kind of a boring summer for the two of us, except for the family going to a beach house near our hometown of Fillydelphia. It was nice, but no family members came so the usual family chaos (the good kind not the bad) didn’t happen. 

After that I said good-bye to Midnight and left.

It didn’t take too long to get to school, it's like a 10 minute walk from my house, and the party had just begun. 

It was a rather big crowd, but I could recognize about everyone there. I saw people I saw regularly and ones I haven’t seen in a while. It didn’t take too long to find the girls.

“HI BOLT!!!!”

Only one person can have a voice like that.

“Hey Pinkie.”

“HOWWASYOURSUMMERIHADAGREATONEAN-“

“Pinkie, ah think you had too much caffeine today.” Applejack chuckled.

I rolled my eyes, this was usual Pinkie Pie Behavior. I’ve known her and the others since freshman year, even after their little fights (thankfully they were able to make up.)
Even back when Sunset was evil, while I was scared of her, I kinda did have a crush on her. It’s faded now and she’s one of my best friends. 

Soon, we were caught up in the festivities. From bobbing for apples to belching contests (I want to know who in the hell thought of that,) it was a very fun time. By around 5:00, people started going home. I was ready to head home when..

“Hey Bolty!”

Oh god, how I dreaded that nickname.

Ever since I was little I’ve been called that name by my mother. Soon, it caught on to my friends and sister. They KNOW how much it annoys me, but they love doing it anyway.

After an annoyed groan I replied, “Yes Pinkie?”

“I’m gonna have a party to celebrate school tomorrow! Wanna come?” Pinkie asked.

In case you didn’t know, her parties, are always the bomb and quite a bit of people show up to them. Then Pinkie said; “It’ll only be the 8 of us, I hope that’s not problem.”

A party with only friends? That’s not really a bad thing, but whatever.

“I don’t mind. I’d love to come,” I replied with a smile.

Next thing I knew, I was tossed into a bear hug by Pinkie. “YAY! OHMIGOSH this is going to be SOOOOOO much fun!”

Someone seems to have had a little too much sugar today.

“Um, Pinkie? You’re kinda crushing my lungs,” I said between breaths.
“Oopsies, my bad,” Pinkie said with a nervous laugh. “Come on! Let’s go guys!” They started off, but I decided to stay a bit.

“Hey, are you coming?” asked Rainbow.

“Oh yeah, I’m coming. I just need a few minutes,” I replied.

“Okay! See ya there!”

Soon I was all alone and I decided to walk around campus. Shivers went down my spine as I walked through the halls. With all the memories coming back, I felt nostalgic and pretty happy. This place had a lot of memories, both good and bad. Overall, it was a very enjoyable time. From getting my first kiss (from Rainbow but that was through a dare,) to learning to play guitar, it’s been a hell of a ride. 

Passing by the empty classrooms and looking at the pictures hung up on the walls over the years, it felt like leaving the world to go to heaven. It’s going to feel weird when we all graduate in June.

After about 30 minutes of walking around campus, I decided to head to Pinkie’s. They were probably waiting for me anyway. As I walked past the statue, I happened to notice something at the corner of my eye. I turned to see what it was, but nothing was there. 

“Who’s there? I asked. 

For a good 10 seconds, I heard nothing until I asked again. 

“Who’s there? Show yourself!”

I then heard a rustling sound from the bushes, and walked towards it, wondering what it was. I got there to find….a rabbit. “Well, that’s odd, I was sure I saw someone or something.” I then shrugged it off. For about 5 seconds. That’s when I saw the same thing at the corner of my eye again, this time I caught a quick glimpse of who it was before they hid behind a corner.

“Who’s there?” I asked with a serious tone.

“Please don’t hurt me,” the voice said with concern.

“Huh?” I asked confused.

As I turned the corner to see who it was, my mouth hung agape when I saw who it was.

“Adagio?”

> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I could not believe what I was seeing. I had not seen Adagio since the battle of the bands, about 9 months ago. She normally had an intimidating presence, making you feel fear but can sing like an angel. However, instead of intimidation in her eyes, I saw….regret. This surprised me and made me concerned, but the big question was, “What are you doing here?” I asked.

She stayed quiet for about a minute or two, it seemed like something was bothering her.

“Is something wrong?” I asked with concern.

“Why should I tell you?” She snapped.

While I was taken aback, I responded with; “You seem like something pretty serious is on your mind.”

She went silent again. Then I couldn’t help but notice something was missing, or rather, some people were missing.

“Where are Sonata and Aria?” I asked again.

She slid down the wall and sat down, then I heard her weeping. I looked at her with a rather shocked expression. Adagio did not look like the kind of person who would cry, but then again, it could be anyone. I sat down next to her and placed my hand on her shoulder. She lifted her head up and looked at me with a tear-stained face. 

“What are you doing?" she asked

“I want to help you,” I responded.

She gave me a shocked look. “Why? Why would you want to help me?” tears started welling up in her eyes as she said that. “I almost killed your friends and wanted to enslave the people of this world. Now you’re trying to help me out?”

I smiled at her and simply said, “Everybody needs a second chance, y’know.”

She looked at me in disbelief. Yes, what she did was pretty terrible, but from the way she was acting, she looked like she was in a deep hole and needed some help getting out of it. I know I know. It sounds bat-shit crazy for me to forgive someone just like that after they did something. However, I was a pretty forgiving person and I’m a sucker for second chances. While Adagio looked shocked and confused, she did eventually accept my offer to help her. She sighed and said softly, “They left me….”

“Who left you?” I asked.

Adagio had a look that seemed as if her dam walls were going to burst, she did manage to find the strength to speak. “Aria and Sonata left me.” The second she finished her sentence, the dam burst. She clung to my arm and began sobbing into my shoulder, letting out everything she had been holding inside for what seemed like months. While I was surprised by her sudden embrace, I returned the favor and hugged her as she cried.

“They said that it was my fault. They said our failure at the band competition was all my fault and that they wished they had never met me and then left me without a trace,” she said in-between her sobs. “Now all I’m left with the guilt of losing the only friends I ever had in this world. Honestly, I am not sure how much longer I’ll be able to last in this world until I break.” She kept sobbing into my shoulder for a few more minutes before her sobbing subsided. She let go of me and was now looking down at her feet in sadness and shame. It broke my heart to see her in this bad of shape. She was feeling absolutely horrible for what happened and looked like she wanted to make amends with everyone she affected. She needed someone, more importantly, a friend to help her out.

“Hey, I’m your friend," I said.

She looked at me in disbelief again, her mouth slightly agape. “Y-you’re m-my friend?” She asked, her voice a mixture of shocked and happiness.

"Of course you are,” I replied, smiling, “I’m here for you, that’s what friends are for Adagio.” She then pulled me into a tight hug, catching me by surprise. Her tears had returned, but these tears were not ones of sadness, but ones of joy.

“Thank you. Thank you so much Bolt,” she said in-between sobs.

“Anytime,” I replied. After what seemed like eternity, she let me go from her embrace.

“I think your friends are waiting for you,” she said calmly. 

“Oh crap!” I exclaimed. I almost forgot about Pinkie’s party. I guess I was too caught up in helping out Adagio to remember that. Oh well, it was worth it. Adagio was my friend too, so I had to help. “Thanks for reminding me.”

Adagio giggled a little bit. “It’s quite alright,” she chuckled. “Go have fun with them, I’ll see you around,” she said with a warm smile.

“Alright, I figured you have to head back to your place anyway,” I replied.

Way to go Bolt, you dip-shit. Way to open your big mouth.

Adagios smile disappeared and her look of sadness returned. “Adagio?” I asked with a tone of concern. 

She was silent for a minute, but soon spoke again. “I don’t have a home,” she responded softly. “Ever since Aria and Sonata left me, I’ve been roaming the streets trying to find a way to survive. I don’t know how I’ve been able to go this far to be honest…” I had felt sorry for her before, but now I couldn’t help but feel even worse for her. She had been through hell the past few months and I wanted to help pull her out from that pit.

“You know, you could always stay at my place,” I offered.

Her eyes suddenly lit up. “Y-you mean it?” She asked hopefully.

“Absolutely,” I replied. “I’m always looking for my friends, so I thought I’d help you out. I think the couch is open if you wa-.” I was cut off again by another tight hug she pulled me into. 

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” She exclaimed. “It’s been so long since I’ve been able to find a place to call home. I can’t thank you enough Bolt.” I couldn’t help but smile like an idiot, and I returned her embrace. I soon realized how dark it was becoming.

“I think we should get back to my place before it gets too dark,” I said. The sun had just begun to set over the horizon and it’d be a lot darker by the time I get to my place and head to Pinkie’s for her party. 

"You’re right,” she replied. She looked at me with a compassionate smile and grabbed hold of my hand. “Lead the way Bolt,” she said. 

So I did.

> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	We arrived at my home with some light in the evening skies, then again it was around 6:00 so it wasn’t that dark. I opened the door and walked into the living room to see my mom who seemed to be very deep in a book. I figured I’d see Midnight or my dad somewhere, but they weren’t there. Then again, my dad is probably doing some work and Midnight could be God knows where (she’s a shifty one.)

“Hey mom,” I said.

She heard my voice and a smile broke across her face. “Welcome home Bol-.” She stopped when she saw Adagio standing next to me and was pretty surprised. “Bolt? Who is this?” She asked.

“This is my friend Adagio. We met a while ago, but didn’t get off on the right foot but she’s been riding on some tough times right now. She’s been roaming the streets for some time now and needs a place to stay. I know it seems weird for me to be asking this when you just met her, but I just want to help her out,” I explained.

Mom pondered about what I said for what seemed like forever. Adagio and I were just standing there, anxiously anticipating her answer. We looked at each other nervously, hoping for the response we were hoping for. Eventually, she stood up from her seat and spoke. 

“Bolt, you’re going be a senior in high school soon and it is a big step forward in your life. Your father and I are so very proud of you because of it. You’ve made friends that will last a life time because of your kindness and maturity. You’ve proven to your father and me what kind of great young man you’re becoming.”

I’ve probably heard that saying about a thousand times now, however, it was still nice to hear her say that to give me a little bit of a confidence boost.

“You helping out your friend is just more proof of who you are. So I will say yes to allow her to stay. It’ll be tough having another mouth to feed, but it should be a fun experience for everyone,” she said with a bright smile.

I hugged my mom tight. She may drive me nuts sometimes, but I mean, it’s a mother’s job am I right? As we pulled away, she drew her attention to Adagio, who was on the verge of tears and had a very wide smile plastered on her face. Mom walked over to her with a warm smile and put a hand on her shoulder.

It’s okay sweetie. You can let it out,” she said warmly. Adagio did and hugged my mom tight. Her tears of joy flowed onto my mom’s shoulder. My heart melted just seeing it. It was great to see Adagio smile and that her worries seemed to have been lifted off her shoulders. Her sobbing lasted about five minutes before she pulled away from my mom’s embrace.

“I can’t thank you enough Mrs.….um....I’m sorry, what is your name?” Adagio asked.

“Oh! Where are my manners? My name is Sunflower,” she said somewhat embarrassed. “I apologize but, what is your name again sweetie?”

“Adagio,” she replied with a smile.

“My my, what a beautiful name,” Mom replied. Adagio’s face turned a little red at this compliment. “I guess Bolt finally found the right girl.”

Wait, what? Did not see that coming. Mine and Adagio’s faces went as red as an apple. “Mom, Adagio is not my-. “

Mom started to giggle. “Oh settle down Bolt, I’m just kidding. You make it too easy sometimes,” she said with a wink towards me.

I should’ve known she’d do that. She loves to mess with me and Midnight like this all the time. Midnight said one time that if mom didn’t hold down a job as manager of the local gardening store, she could be a damn good entertainer. Pretty good idea, but I’m sure she wouldn’t.

Speaking of Midnight, “Where’s Midnight?” I asked.

“Oh, she left a few minutes ago to go to Pinkie’s house for a party celebrating the new school year. Are you asking me if you can go?” she asked.

“It’s a possib- yes,” I replied.

With a chuckle, she said, “Yes, you can go. But, I want you and Midnight back by 10:00 because you two have to get ready for school tomorrow and I don’t want to deal with two groggy kids in the morning. I don’t want you two to start the new school year on the wrong foot.”

“Alright, I understand. Thanks mom,” I said. As I opened the door, I looked back at Adagio and gave her a friendly smile and wave, to which she returned while mouthing “thank you.” Then, I set off to Pinkie’s for the party.

Her house wasn’t too far from where I lived, but when I arrived at her house, the sun was gone and the moon shone in the pitch-black skies. I knocked on the front door and within five seconds, the door was flung open and there stood Pinkie Pie. 

“Oh goodie you made it! Come on in! The party is just getting started!” she said with her usual bouncy voice chock-full of energy.

I walked inside, made my way to the living room and saw the girls were having fun times of their own. Rainbow and Applejack had just finished a cupcake eating contest (Applejack won), Rarity and Fluttershy were looking at new clothes to wear for the school year in a magazine and Sunset and Twilight were talking about Equestrian magic, as usual. The first person to see me from the group was Rainbow dash, who walked over with a smile on her face.

“Well, look who it is,” Rainbow said happily. “What took ya so long?”

Oh this was going to be odd. I had to think of something to say. I mean, what are they going to say if I told them that I was helping out Adagio? Yeah, I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t go over too well with them. So I came up with something. “I had to discuss something with my mom about the school year really.” It wasn’t really a lie, but at the same time, it was. I was just wondering how long it’d take for someone to figure it out. Thankfully, Rainbow bought it.

“Ah, gotcha. Family does come first,” Rainbow replied with a chuckle. “Well, c’mon, we’ve still got a lot of time left to party.”

I grabbed a cupcake and a cookie and sat down on the couch and observed the party. I’m not really someone who’s always active in a party, but I’m still there. Not too long after I sat down, I saw Midnight and when she saw me, she gave a little smile and wave, to which I returned. She was in a game of Card’s Against Humanity with Rainbow, Pinkie and Rarity (oh lord, that’s not going to end well.) They we’re having a lot of fun with the game, despite Rarity being disgusted by some of the results (then again, that’s expected.) However, there were smiles all around and it was great to see them on their faces. It made me happy to know that people were enjoying their lives at that moment. There were a few things going through my mind at the time, music from my favorite bands, predictions of what would happen during the school year and who would pull the fire alarm first. Then, out of nowhere, something, or rather, someone popped into my mind; Adagio. I have no idea why she came to mind, but for whatever reason, she did and I could not stop thinking about her. It made me a little concerned, but then my train of thought was derailed when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to find Applejack looking at me with a concerned look. 

“Hey, whatcha thinkin’ about partner?” she asked with a hint of concern in her voice.

“Nothing,” I replied.

Applejack didn’t buy it. That girl could see through a lie no matter how good it was covered up. She knew I was thinking about something pretty deeply and she wanted to know just what it was and why. “You think I could talk to you in private for a minute?” she asked.

I was concerned, but I accepted. We went into Pinkie’s kitchen (thankfully no one was there) and the first thing I really saw was Applejack giving me a rather stern look. 

“What’s on your mind sugarcube?” she asked, “It looks pretty important from the looks of it.”

“Applejack, it’s nothing. Really,” I said.

She didn’t buy it.

“Bolt you don’t have to lie to me, you can tell me, I’m your friend,” she assured with a soothing tone. She was one of my best friends and we talked about almost everything and I knew I couldn’t keep secrets from her because one way or another, she’d find out the truth.

I sighed and said, “Alright I’ll tell you. But promise me this; regardless of what I say, you’ll still be my friend?”

She gave a little smile and said, “Of course sugarcube. You’re one of my best friends. So, what’s on your mind?”

I took a deep breath and told her everything. I told her about Adagio, how I found her, what she told me and how I offered her a place to live. While she was surprised, she was all ears. When I had finished my explanation, I awaited an angry response, maybe even a slap to the face. Instead, I was given a hug. It last for about a minute or two and after that, Applejack looked at me with a compassionate smile. 

“Bolt, you’re doing a good deed. I’m sure if I found her like that, I’d probably do the same thing. From what you described, she seemed to be going through Hell and you pulled her out of it. This just shows what kind of person you are. You should be proud of that, “she said with her trademark smile.

I smiled like an idiot but I didn’t care. I was just so thankful that I had a great friend who understood. Then, we heard a collective “Aww” coming from behind me. The girls were eavesdropping on our conversation and from the looks of it, they had heard everything.

“How long have you guys been standing there?” I asked.

“Long enough,” Sunset replied. She, of all people, knows first-hand what it’s like to go through Hell, but she was able to pull herself out of it and now she’s one of the nicest people at school. “Don’t worry Bolt, We’re all behind you. We’ll help out Adagio in any way possible.”

My smile went wide again, so wide, in fact, I thought I’d turn into The Joker. Wiping away a small tear, I said, “Thank you all. I couldn't ask for better friends, I’m truly lucky to know you guys.” We were then pulled into a group hug by Pinkie. It lasted for about two minutes before Pinkie broke it. 

Applejack chimed in my saying; “Friends stay together ‘til the end, no matter what.” A mutual nod came from everyone.

Soon, the party was in full swing again. Unfortunately, it went by way too fast and before we knew it, it was over and we had to go home. We all said our good-byes and went our separate ways for now. Midnight and I arrived about ten minutes earlier than we had promised and we knew we’d have some time to get ready for tomorrow. We then noticed the kitchen light was on as we entered the house. We suspected that it was mom making some lunches for tomorrow. When we walked into the kitchen, however, we didn’t see mom making lunches, it was Adagio.

“Adagio?” I asked.

She jumped a little bit when I spoke, guess she didn’t hear us come in. “Oh my goodness, you two scared me, “she said startled.

“Sorry about that. What are you doing in here?” I asked.

“I volunteered to make lunches for you guys, but I don’t know what to do and how to prepare it,” she said with a defeated tone. 

Midnight and I looked at each other for about ten seconds, but we knew what we were thinking the same thing and nodded. Midnight walked over to Adagio and said with a warm smile, “We can help you Adagio.”


“Really?” She asked with some joy and relief in her voice.

“Absolutely,” Midnight replied. “Now, let’s get started.”

Good ol’ Midnight.

It took about a half hour, but soon the lunches were made and put in the fridge so they could remain fresh for tomorrow. We were all tired after that and were ready to go to sleep.


“I’m gonna hit the hay. I’ll see you guys in the morning,” Midnight said slightly yawning.

“Alright Midnight, see ya tomorrow,” I replied.

She went upstairs and left me and Adagio alone, but we were both pretty tired after a long, yet pretty eventful day.

“I think I’m gonna call it a day too, I’ll see you tomorrow Adagio,” I said.

“Right. Big day tomorrow,” she said with a slight chuckle.

I chuckled a little bit and walked towards the stairs. As I was about to start walking up them, something grabbed hold of my hand. I turned to see that Adagio was holding onto it. She then pulled me into a soft hug and I returned her embrace. 

“Thank you again Bolt. You’ve really helped me out in my time of need. I don’t how I’ll be able to repay you for what you’ve done for me,” she said with her voice cracking every now and then.

“Your friendship is good enough for me, “I replied softly.

She then looked at me with a small smile and her pink eyes staring deep into mine. God, it looked cute. After that, she let me go, said goodnight and went to the couch to sleep. I walked up the stairs to my room, got dressed for bed, brushed my teeth and climbed into bed. Needless to say, I had a good night’s sleep.

This was going to be a school year to remember.

> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I woke up to the annoying sound of my alarm clock. Groggily, I hit the snooze button and checked to see what time it was. 5:50 AM. That’s usually the time I get up for school anyway. Then, I noticed something. The house was almost dead quiet. Usually on a school day, the house is filled with the sounds of food being cooked, people brushing their teeth and the occasional shower. It almost seemed as if I feel asleep in someone else’s house.

I then got out of bed and got into the clothes I wanted to wear (A Korn shirt and dark jeans) and made my way downstairs as quietly as I could. As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I saw Midnight silently eating a bowl of cereal and mom was silently making herself something to eat. Mom looked at me and smiled. I returned her smile. She then nodded her head towards the couch. I turned and realized why everything was so quiet, Adagio was still asleep.

“I think it’d be best if she got some sleep for now, she probably hasn’t had a good night’s sleep for a long time,” mom said.

“That’s true. She’s been on the streets for quite some time,” I replied.

I silently made my way into the kitchen and got myself an apple, some juice and a breakfast bar and sat next to Midnight. The two of us ate in silence for what seemed like forever (when in reality, was only ten minutes) until she decided to speak up.

“What are you going to do about her now?” Midnight asked, her voice slightly above a whisper. “Giving her a place to live is a great thing Bolt, but if I know you, you can’t stop there.”

“I’ll think of something, don’t worry,” I replied.

I hadn’t come up with a plan of what I’d do next, but I knew that I’d discuss it with the girls a little later. For the moment, this was good enough. 

We finished out breakfast and went to our bathrooms to get ready. School didn’t start until 7:25, but we did like to get there early so that we could see our friends or finish any work we didn’t complete the night before. Within ten minutes, we were ready and, as quietly as we could, we made our way out the door with a kiss good-bye by mom. 

“Have a great first day you two,” mom whispered.

After we said our good-byes, we set off for school. It was about 6:35 and the sun was beginning to shine on the horizon. It was still pretty warm, probably because it was still technically summer, but even so, it was still tolerable. We arrived at school and it looked as if it was abandoned, until we saw people standing around at the front of the building. It wasn’t long until we saw the first member of our little group of friends.

“Hey Pinkie,” Midnight said.

“Good morning Midnight! Good morning Bolt!” She replied.

“Morning Pinkie,” I replied. 

Pinkie then took a seat next to me and waited for the rest of the group to wait show up. The wait wasn’t long, soon the girls started showing up, some in new clothes for the new school year and some in the regular clothes. Soon, the courtyard was packed with students, both new and familiar.

“Man, I hope we all have a class together this year,” Rainbow said.

“That would definitely be a great way to end our time here,” Fluttershy said.

We were going to have our schedules handed to us at the annual “Beginning of the School Year” meeting in the gym. There was a bit of anticipation from a lot of people, and it’s understandable. We all want to be in a class with some, if not all, of our friends. Soon, the bell rang, alerting everyone it was time to go.

“All students, please report to the gymnasium for the Beginning of the School Year meeting,” Principal Celestia said over the announcement.

Everyone then started piling into the hallways to get to the gym, we were all able to find a seats near each other so that we could all still talk during the meeting. The meeting is usually insanely boring, pretty much explaining what the rules were and all that jazz.

“Good morning Students!” Principal Celestia said with some excitement in her voice. “Welcome to Canterlot High School! First and foremost, I would like for everyone to give a round of applause for the graduating class.”

There was soon a roar of cheers and applause, mainly done by the freshmen and sophomores. There were some Juniors clapping and cheering, but not everyone was doing it.

“Well, that was a bigger response than last year,” Principal Celestia said with happiness and surprise in her voice.

Soon the meeting began, not a lot of people really paid attention to it. We had all been told about this for the past four years now, so I’m pretty sure a lot of people knew what to do and what not to do. Unless some students were high, then they’d have no idea what the hell was going on. Then as soon as the meeting had begun, it ended and people were being handed out their schedules as they headed out the doors to go to class. There was a ten minute break between the meeting and first period so that the students could have time finding their class. The girls and I were getting our schedules when we were stopped by Celestia.

“I would like to have a word with you Bolt,” Celestia said.

Everyone looked at me rather confused. They weren’t the only ones confused though.

“Wait, why?” I asked.

“Just follow me Bolt, I’ll explain when we get there,” she said.

“I’ll see you guys in class, I promise this won’t take long….I hope,” I said.

As I followed her to her office, I had all sorts of thoughts running through my head just wondering why I was being brought o her office. On the first day of school no less. We soon arrived at her office and I sat down in the chair in front of her desk. She then took her seat on in the chair behind her desk.

“Thank you for coming Bolt,” Celestia said.

“Um, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but why am I here exactly?” I asked with concern. 

She took a deep breath and then began to speak. “I couldn’t help but notice that you had stayed behind for a while after the festivities were done yesterday. Now I don’t really have a problem with that. However, I did happen to see you comforting a friend of yours. Someone we haven’t seen since the Battle of The Bands competition last year.”

Looks like she had seen and heard everything.

“Yeah, I ran into Adagio, she’s been falling on tough times, her sisters abandoned her and she’s been roaming the streets for months. I didn’t want to leave her like that so I decided to-“

“Give her another chance and a place to stay?” She asked.

I just sat there in shock and my jaw hanging agape. “How did you know about that?” I asked, stunned.

She chuckled a little before standing up and walking to the front of her desk. “Bolt, I know you. I’m sure that you’ve been told this many times before but, you just that kind of person. You’re a great example to set for the freshmen,” she said smiling.

I smiled sheepishly, I mean, it’s not every day that your principal gives you those kinds of compliments.

“Also your mother told me,” she added.

No surprise there.

Principal Celestia and my mother have known each other for a few years now, but they act like they’ve known each other forever. So if there happens to be anything relating to me or Midnight, she lets Celestia know, just in case.

“Now, run along to class Bolt, wouldn’t want to start the new year off on the wrong foot now would we?” she asked as she gave me my schedule. 

“Thank you Celestia, have a good day,” I said with a smile. I started to walk out of her office when she spoke up.

“Oh, I almost forgot, I’ll call you down here a little later today,” she called to me.

“Why?”

“You’ll see,” She said with a small wink.

With that she closed her door and I made my way to first period. On the way there, I could not stop thinking of why she said that she’d call me back to her office. Would it be an award? Would it be something else? I don’t know. I’m just telling the story as it is. I’m getting sidetracked, lets continue.

I decided to put those thoughts aside for the moment because I had to focus on first period, which was English. I walked in through the door just as the bell rang to begin the class period.

“Hello Bolt,” said a familiar female voice.

“Hello Cheerilee,” I replied.

“Cutting it close on the first day, eh?” she said jokingly.

I rolled my eyes and laughed sarcastically.

She chuckled and said, “Just don’t make it a habit, alright?”

“I won’t, I promise,” I replied with a smile.

As I made my way to my seat, I saw that I had a seat with Rainbow to the left of me and Rarity to the right. Talk about hell yeah!

“Flirting with Cheerilee again?” Rainbow asked in a playful manner.

“You know it,” I said in a sarcastic manner as I took my seat.

“Rainbow Dash, now is not the time to be joking around,” Rarity said sternly.

Rainbow rolled her eyes and the lesson began.

Class went by rather quickly but I’m not complaining. Second period was World History (which is my favorite subject just FYI) and I shared that class with Twilight, Sunset, AJ and Fluttershy. Third Period was Theater and I shared that class with Rarity and Trixie. To no one’s surprise, Trixie went on and on and on about how “Great and Powerful” she is. It was to a point where I wanted to pull my hair out. Thankfully, lunch came.

It didn’t take long for everyone to find each other and a place to sit. Soon everyone was in a discussion about their classes, the teachers and some of the students they had to share the class with. While they were all chattering away, I just sat there looking off into the distance, still thinking of what Celestia said. I was still curious as to why she wanted to call me down again today.

“Is something wrong Bolt?”

My train of thought was run off the rails and I saw that the girls were looking at me rather concerned.

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” I replied.

“You sure? You look like something is bothering you,” Twilight said.

“Twilight, everything is fi-“

“Bolt Blazer, please report to Principal Celestia’s office,” Principal Luna said over the loudspeaker.

The girls looked at me suspiciously, again. I think this is a record.

“Bolt, did you do something or?” Sunset asked.

“No, I didn’t do anything. Celestia said that she’d call me down to her office later today. When I asked why she was going to call me down again she just told me ‘You’ll see,” I said.

“That seems a little odd,” Twilight said. “You will tell us what happens, right Bolt?”

“Don’t worry Twilight, I will,” I replied.

I gathered my things and made my way from the cafeteria to Principal Celestia’s office, still wondering why she was calling me down. I soon found my way back to her office and knocked on her door.

“Come on in Bolt, “Celestia said.

I opened the door to see not only Celestia and Luna, buy I also saw that my mother was there as well.

“Mom? What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I wanted to discuss this with you when you got home, but I decided to talk to you about this here with Celestia and Luna,” she said.

“Wait, talk about what? I’ve had all sorts of questions running through my head about what could be talked about,” I said, rubbing the back of my head a little.

“Maybe we should let her explain,” mom said.

“Who?” I asked.

The chair next to mom turned and there sat…

“Adagio?”
> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I woke up at around 6:10 (give or take) to the sound of water running and plates clicking together. I slowly sat up on the couch I slept on and turn to find the source of the noise, it was Bolt’s mother washing some dishes. When I saw her, I got concerned as to why she was doing the dishes so early in the morning.

“Midnight, you almost finished in there?”

Oh, how stupid of me. I almost forgot that Bolt and Midnight had school today. What? It’s early in the morning, cut me some slack here.

I decided to try and get some more sleep but, I wasn’t able to and it wasn’t because of the noise that rang throughout the house. I was able to drown that out, no problem. For whatever reason, a stray thought flew into my mind; I think I should go back to CHS. Why? Again, I have no clue. Either way, it kept me from falling back asleep. A few minutes had gone by before I heard the door open, heard good-byes from Bolt and Midnight and vice versa and then the door closing. I laid down on the couch for a few more minutes before I got up. I gave myself a good stretch before sitting back down on the couch.

“Good morning Adagio.”

That about scared me out of my skin. I turned to see that it was Bolt’s Mother, Sunflower. I did not expect her to be there and…..with food?

“I’m sorry if I startled you, but I saw you look at me from the corner of my eye a little bit earlier and thought I’d make you a little something. I hope you enjoy it,” she said in a sweet tone.

“It’s alright, and thank you very much,” I replied with a little smile. 

Sunflower handed me my food which consisted of eggs, toast, half of an apple and a glass of milk. I stared at it for a little bit, because it was the first real breakfast I’ve had in ages, I just felt so grateful that Bolt and his family are giving me so much support. I stopped staring at my food and dug in and can I just say, Sunflower is one hell of a cook, either that or I’m just enjoying my first real meal in what feels like forever. Either way, I enjoyed what I was given and finished it rather quickly. When I finished my food, I took it to the kitchen where I washed off my plate and silverware and put it in the dishwasher.

“Enjoy breakfast?” Sunflower asked, who was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee.

“Yes, Very much so, thank you,” I replied. I turned to the clock to see what time it was, it was 6:55. Still relatively early, but hey, I’m not going to complain. Then the thought of my wanting to return to CHS came to my mind again. My little smile faded a little bit and I think Sunflower took notice of this because she saw my expression change a looked concerned.

“Is something on your mind Adagio?” she asked.

“Kinda,” I replied.

“Would you like to talk about it Hun?” she asked.

I can see where Bolt gets his ability to be helpful to his friends and caring nature from. Sunflower genuinely looked concerned for my well-being and wanted to help me out. “Yes, I would like that,” I replied as I took a seat next to her. “So I woke up this morning to Bolt and Midnight getting ready for school and I tried to get back to sleep but for whatever reason a random thought flew into my mind and kept me from falling back asleep.”

“What was that random thought?” she asked.

I hesitated for a few seconds before responding, “I think I should go back to CHS.”

She raised her eyebrows a little bit, but she kept the same facial expression. “Well, do you want to?” she asked.

While I kinda expected a question like that, I also didn’t expect it too. “Well, it could be a way for me to try and make up for all the mistakes that I’ve made a while back. Bolt told me that Sunset did the same thing and, while it was tough to do so, she ended up being one of the nicest and most approachable person in the entire school,” I said.

Sunflower looked at me with a look of understanding and said, “Well, Adagio, if you are willing to try and patch things up with everyone, then by all means, go for it.”

“I do want to prove to everyone that I am not the person I was before. It’ll seem sudden and crazy to a lot of the students there, but I want to show them that I am not the Adagio from before, it’s a new me,” I replied.

Sunflower gave me a little smile and put her hand on my shoulder. “Then we’ll get you back to CHS as soon as possible. We can talk about this with Bolt when her gets home, ok?” she asked.

I nodded and agreed, then she got up from her table and walked into the living room. It felt amazing to know to be able to talk to someone who is willing to help me out with become a better me. I can tell where Bolt gets it from. I sat in the kitchen for a few minutes just looking at the early morning sky as it glowed a beautiful array of orange, pink and blue with a few clouds clashing against the sky. Then I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to find Sunflower standing next to me and she looked like she had something on her mind.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

“No not at all,” she replied. “I just want to ask a quick question.”

“Sure, what is it?” I replied.

“Do you want to discuss going back to CHS with bolt at CHS a little later today?” she asked.

Alright, did not see that question coming.

“At CHS?” I asked surprised. 

“Yes, I talked to Principal Celestia about it and she said, if you’d like to, come in during lunch time to talk about it,” she said.

I had to think about it for a minute or two. While, yes, I did want to talk about it with Bolt, the last place I thought I would discuss going back to CHS be at CHS. Even so, I replied, “Yes I would.

Sunflower smiled. “Perfect. We don’t have to leave until noon, so we’ll have plenty of time to relax and get ready.”

“Alright,” I responded with a nod. “Now I have a question.”

“What is it?” she asked.

“What made you decide to go to CHS to discuss this?” I asked.

She gave me a little smile and wasted no time with her reply. “What I’ve learned in my experiences, Bolt has done this as well, is if you truly want to solve a problem or concern, then you must go to the source of the problem and take it head-on. It shouldn’t matter what everyone thinks about you, if they still think of you as the Adagio from the past, then that’s their problem. Those people haven’t be taught how to forgive and to forget. The past is the past and we should make sure it stays that way.”

“Wow,” I responded, stunned. “I never thought about it that way….thank you Sunflower.”

“Anytime hun,” she replied.

There was still a lot of time before we had to leave, so I decided to take a little nap so I’d be ready for when it was time to go. I woke up at around 10:30, about an hour and a half before we had to leave. I decided to get myself ready. I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth and got dressed. It was quarter to noon by the time I was ready to go, so I decided to wait on the couch until Sunflower was ready. That wait lasted about ten minutes because Sunflower came down the stairs, dressed and ready to go.

“Ready Adagio?” she asked.

I nodded in reply and then we started out little walk towards the school. It didn’t take long until the school came into view, there weren’t any students in the courtyard, but from the faint sound of commotion, I could tell that lunch was in full swing. As we walked into the school, all sorts of memories came flying back to me, most of which I’d rather forget. Eventually, we found our way to Celestia’s office and Sunflower knocked on the door. Within seconds, Principal Celestia opened the door and smiled when she saw Sunflower.

“Hello Sunflower,” Celestia said.

“Hello Celestia,” Sunflower replied.

After they said their hellos, Celestia turned her attention to me. “Long time no see Adagio,” she said with a smile. There was no hint of anger or sarcasm in her voice, so I knew it was sincere.

“Hello Celestia,” I replied.

“Come on in, Vice Principal Luna will call down Bolt momentarily,” Celestia said as we walked into her office. Luna was standing next to Celestia’s desk and as she closed the door, she gave Luna a thumbs up. Immediately after, Luna said into the intercom, “Bolt Blazer, please report to Principal Celestia’s office.”

“Please take a seat girls,” Celestia said kindly, “bolt will be here momentarily.”

I took a seat that covered me from behind and facing away from the door and could spin around. Sunflower took a regular seat that was tilted at an angle which faced the door in a way. Soon, we heard a knock on the door.

“Come on in Bolt,” Celestia said.

The door then opened and then, what sounded like a book bag, was placed on the ground.

“Mom?” What are you doing here?” Bolt asked in a rather confused tone.

“I wanted to discuss this with you when you got home, but I decided to talk to you about this here with Celestia and Luna,” Sunflower said.

“Wait, talk about what? I’ve had all sorts of questions running through my head about what could be talked about,” he said, obviously sounding a bit stressed out.

“Maybe we should let her explain,” Sunflower said with her hand somewhat going in my general direction.

“Who?” Bolt asked.

I turned my chair around and faced Bolt, who looked pretty shocked to see me.

“Adagio?” Bolt asked, surprised.

“Hello Bolt,” I replied.

“Why are you here?” He asked.

“Please take a seat Bolt and we’ll explain,” Celestia said.

With that, Bolt took a seat next to me and the meeting began.

> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The meeting was soon over and I was on my way to my last class of the day, Math (oh dear sweet Jesus help me.) While I was on my way, I could not get what was said at the meeting out of my mind. I must’ve been thinking about it too much, because I didn’t see where I was going and I ran right into a door.

Nice going ol’ Bolty Boy.

“Oh my goodness! Are you alright Bolt?” asked a familiar voice.

Good ol’ Fluttershy.

“Yeah, I’m alright Fluttershy,” I replied, rubbing my head.

“How did you run into the door?” she asked.

“I wasn’t looking where I was and ran into the door, not one of my better moments,” I replied with a nervous chuckle.

“It’s alright,” she said with a smile. “Hey, what class are you going to next?”

“I have to go to math with Mr. Turner, do you happen to know where that is?” I asked.

“Oh yes I do,” she replied.

“Sweet, where is it?” I asked.

“Right here,” she said with a slight giggle as she pointed to the door that read “Math, Mr. Time Turner.”

“Huh, what are the odds?”

“I’m have the same class, but, if I were you, I’d get in here quickly before the bell rings,” she said.

I agreed and walked in, there was about a minute before the bell rings so we found our seats and I noticed that Applejack was sitting right behind me. When she saw me, she gave me a warm, yet concerned smile. I returned her smile with a little smirk and took my seat.

The bell rang and Mr. Turner walked into the room and began the lesson. It went by rather quickly (thank God) and the bell soon rang throughout the school, signifying the end of the school day. In a matter of seconds, students were flooding the school halls. Applejack, Fluttershy and I were able to maneuver our way through the crowd, get our things and walk towards the front doors of the school. We then took a seat in front of the statue, which has seen better days. The statue was still in need of repair after what happened at the Friendship Games, but Celestia said, at some point this year, the statue would be fixed. I just hope it happens as soon as possible and I think there’s a lot of students who will agree with me. 

The three of us eventually found our spots near the statue and waited for everyone else to emerge from the school. The wait didn’t last very long because within five minutes, the girls emerged from the doors and walked towards us, waving. 

It didn’t take long until conversations about the day were underway. With conversations ranging from annoying new students (most likely freshmen trying way too hard to fit in,) new staff, people whose bad habits haven’t changed (some things never change I guess,) and other silly things. While the girls were in their conversations, I found myself lost in my own thoughts, especially what was talked about in the meeting earlier. 

“You alright there partner?”

That brought me back to reality and I turned to see Applejack looking at me rather concerned.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine,” I replied.

“What were ya thinkin’ about?” she asked.

“N-nothing,” I lied.

“Uh huh, sure you weren’t,” she replied. She clearly did not believe a damn thing I said. “Wait….I forgot to ask,” she began.

Heaven help me.

“Why did you get called down to Principal Celestia’s office earlier?” she asked. After she said that, the girls turned their heads towards me. It almost looked like I had committed bloody murder based on the way they were staring at me. I remained quiet for a few seconds, but from the stares, it felt like forever.

“It was a meeting with me, my mom and…” I began.

“And?” Applejack asked.

I hesitantly replied, “Adagio.”

“Why was she there?” Applejack asked.

“……..She wants to come back to CHS,” I replied.

The girls’ eyes looked like they got wide, they looked about as shocked as I was when I found out about it.

“She wants to come back? Why?” asked Midnight.

I took a deep breath and explained. “She wants to make up with everyone here after what happened in the past. She also wants to show that she’s a new person and not the Adagio we knew back then. She’s planning on coming back tomorrow and she seems a little nervous about it. We need to help her out in any way possible to help her prove that she has changed.”

The girls all looked at each other for a few seconds before smiling at each other and then at me.

“Bolt, remember what I said yesterday?” Sunset asked. “Friends stick together no matter what and if we need to help you help her out, we’ll be there always. The past is the past and it’s time we should put it behind us.”

I gave them a big grin. These girls are, without a doubt, the greatest friends anyone could have and I’m so lucky to be their friend.

“Thank you guys, this will mean so much to her,” I said.

“We will make sure that she feels right at home here and if anyone has a problem with it, well then that’s their petty issue,” Rarity said.

I chuckled at that, then we heard a car horn and turned around to see who it was. It was mom, waiting for me and Midnight to finish talking to everyone. Midnight and I got our things, said our good-bye’s and walked towards mom’s car. 

“So how was school today?” she asked.

“It was pretty good,” I replied.

“Same ol’ same ol’,” Midnight said.

Should’ve known she’d say that.

Mom rolled her eyes as she unlocked the car doors and let us get in. Within five minutes, we arrived back home. As soon as mom turned off the car, we got our things and walked inside. Thankfully, since it was the first day, we didn’t have any homework except for our parents to sign a syllabus for our classes. So it was time to relax for the rest of the day. I walked into my room, hung up my backpack on the back of my door, put on some Amaranthe and just laid back.

For a few minutes.

After about two or three songs, I heard a knock at my door. I got up and turned off my music and opened the door and saw Adagio standing in front of me.

“Hey Bolt,” she said.

“Hey Adagio. What’s up?” I asked. 

“Not much really. Your mother told me that you were talking to the girls about something,” she said.

“Yeah I was,” I replied.

“What were you all talking about?” she asked.

“They asked me what happened when I was called down to Celestia’s office,” I replied.

“What did they say?” she asked.

“Well after explaining what you said, they told me that they are more than happy to help you out when you come back to CHS,” I replied with a smile.

Adagio went wide-eyes, guess she didn’t expect the girls would be willing to help her out.

“Th-they want to help me? After all I did?” she asked, hopefully and surprised.

“Yes, they did,” I replied. “Adagio, what happened is in the past, should stay in the past and we shouldn’t always live in it. The best thing to do is leave it behind and look to the future.”

Adagio was able to form a small smile, but I could visibly tell that she was elated about what I had told her.

“Thank you Bolt, I know I’ll be safe at CHS thanks to you and the other’s support,” she said softly.

“Anytime Adagio, I’m always willing to help you out, no matter what. If you ever need help or need to talk about something, do not hesitate to come talk to me,” I replied with a little smirk.

She pulled me into a soft hug, to which I happily returned. It might not have lasted long, but I savored the little embrace we shared. She soon let go of me, said “thank you” one last time and walked away. I could not have felt happier than I was at that moment. I then closed my door, turned the music back on and laid down on my bed. I couldn’t have felt happier than I was knowing I was helping out a pretty girl like her.

Wait….what did I just say?

> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morning came with no warning.

After my little conversation with Adagio, the rest of the day went by pretty quickly. Soon, it was time to get my ass out of bed and get ready for school again. Unlike yesterday morning, today the house was full of noise of people getting ready for the day. After laying down in my bed for an extra five minutes, I got up, got myself dressed and went downstairs to fix myself some breakfast. When I got down there, I saw Adagio sitting alone on the couch. She looked worried about something and it got me concerned. 

“Adagio?” I asked.

She turned her head towards me and asked, “Yes?”

“Is everything alright?”

“A little…” she said softly.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m just….worried is all.”

“About what?”

“Going back. Don’t get me wrong, I am a little excited to go back and try to make amends with everyone there. However, I’m just not sure how the students will react to me returning. I know it sounds stupid to say, but I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night because of it.”

I sat next to her on the couch and gave her a look of understanding. She was staring at her feet, still holding a worried look on her face.

I took a deep breath and spoke.

“Adagio, I understand your concerns, I do. I don’t know how the students will react, but just remember, you have me, my sister and the girls to go to if you need to talk about something. We’re here for you Adagio, no matter what.”

She looked up from her feet and looked back at me. “What if it’s about something really stupid?” she asked.

“We don’t give a shit if it’s small, if it’s an issue that’s bothering you, we’re here to listen and help you out,” I replied. 

She turned her head away from me, took a deep breath and gave a little smile. It looked like her spirits were lifted a little bit. It might not last long, but hey, it’s good for now. She knew that something will be said about her at some point, but she knew she had to prepare for that moment when something is said. She turned her head back to me and gave a small “thank you.”

I knew it would take some time for her to prove to everyone that she has changed for the better, but no one ever said this kind of thing would be easy. Thankfully, we have an entire school year to do so.

I pulled her into a soft hug, to which she returned, while it didn’t last long, it was still nice.

“Aw, a little bonding moment with Bolty and Adagio?”

God damn it Midnight.

“You ruined the moment,” I said grumpily.

“I know,” she replied with a smug grin on her face.

Adagio just giggled at our sibling quarrel, and soon, Midnight and I joined in on the giggle-fest.

“Alright you three. I know you’re having fun over there, but we need to get ready for school,” Mom said, chiming into the conversation from the second floor.

We all giggled one more time before going into the kitchen and fixing ourselves some breakfast. Once we finished, we freshened ourselves up. I let the girls go first, so they could get it done and over with. Thankfully, it didn’t take too long and they were soon done. Then they went downstairs and waited for me to finish freshening myself up. I was almost done when my phone rang, I picked it up to see who was calling and then answered the phone.

“Hey dad.”

My dad travels a lot, mainly because of business, but it helps put food on the table so it’s all worth it by the end of the day. 

“How’s it going?” I asked.

“Pretty good. Hey, I wanted to talk to you about something real quick, ok?”

What is it?”

“It’s about your friend that you brought in. Her name is…Angela right?”

“Adagio,” I corrected.

“Adagio, thank you,” he replied with a chuckle. “I just wanted to say best of lick to you, Midnight and your friends in your efforts to help her out. I can’t wait to meet her when I get home. She sounds like a very nice girl.”

“She is, I think you’ll really like her,” I replied with a smile.

“Oh and one more thing before I go,” he said.

“Ok, what is it?” I asked.

“When do you plan to ask her out?” he asked jokingly.

“WH-what?” I asked shocked.

Dad just started laughing on the other line. It was about thirty seconds before he finally stopped laughing. “I’m only kidding Bolt.”

Should’ve known the cheeky bastard would’ve done that.

“Seriously though, best of luck and hope you have a good day today. I love ya bud.”

“Love you too Dad.”

With that, the call ended and I left the bathroom to gather my things.

As I made my way down the stairs, Midnight was looking at me. “Who were you talking to?” she asked.

“Dad,” I replied. 

“About what?”

“Not much, just checking in and wishing us a good day.”

“Oh, cool,” she replied.

Soon, it was time to go. We said our good-byes to mom and started our walk to school. For whatever reason, the walk felt longer than usual today. I don’t know why, but it just felt like it for some reason. Eventually, the school came into view and we could see some students who were already there. As we walked onto campus, some of them greeted us with smiles and waves.

Until they saw Adagio.

Those friendly faces then turned to ones of malice and then whispers were being said.

“What is SHE doing here?”

“I can’t believe she has the guts to show her face around here after the shit she pulled.”

“I bet she won’t last a day.”

Jesus Christ. I knew this kind of thing was expected but even so, I was baffled at the student’s comments about Adagio. I looked at Adagio and saw that her little smile had disappeared. Guess she also heard what the student’s had said about her. I signed and thought to myself, “This is going to be a LONG year.”

Then a voice called our names and said, “Over here!”

We all turned to see who called us and when we saw who it was, a smile came across my face. The girls were waiting for us on the bleachers next to the soccer field. 

“Are you three just going to stand there all day or come over here and say hi?” Rainbow shouted.

“We’re coming!” I shouted back.

We made our way over to the bleachers to a warm welcoming from the girls. Once they had finished greeting us, they turned their attention towards Adagio, who was looking incredibly nervous.

“H-hello,” she said softly.

“Wow and I thought I was shy,” whispered Fluttershy to Rainbow Dash.

I rolled my eyes.

The looks on the girls faces were kind and sympathetic, better than what the other students had given us, that’s for sure. Sunset got up from where she was sitting and walked towards Adagio.

“Long time no see Adagio,” Sunset said with a smile.

“Heh, you can say that again,” Adagio replied.

“Long time no-“

“I didn’t mean literally.”

“I’m just messing with ya,” Sunset said, chuckling. 

Adagio just rolled her eyes, but still kept her smile on her face. Sunset pulled her into a friendly hug, to which she returned. When they finished their friendly embrace, Adagio said, “Thank you all for wanting to help me out.”

“It’s no problem at all Adagio. Anything for a friend,” Sunset replied.

The look on Adagio’s face looked as if a giant weight had been taken off of her shoulders and it just made me smile like a dolt. Eventually, the bell rang signaling that school was going to begin soon. We all gathered our things and made our ways to our classes. Unfortunately, none of us were in Adagio’s classes. The only class that any of us had that was close to her was math next to my last class.

I decided to walk Adagio to her first class, just in case she got lost (I mean come on, this school is fucking huge.) She did get some nasty glances as we walked through the halls and while she did look a bit upset by it all, she tried to look confident and make sure that they didn’t affect her in some way. We arrived at her first class relatively early, so neither one of us would be late. Gotta leave a good impression.

“You ready?” I asked.

“A little bit, just a little nervous,” she replied.

“Try to soldier through this for now, and I’ll see you at lunch, ok?”

Adagio took a deep breath and replied with, “I’ll do my best.”

“Alright, see you at lunch,” I said with a smile. She pulled me into a soft hug and said “good-bye.”

As she entered her classroom, I made my way towards my first class of the day. As I was walking I thought to myself, “Best of luck Adagio.”

I hope things will go well for her. 

At Lunch

The first three periods came and went and soon, it was lunch time. The girls and I had already found a table to sit at and soon, conversations about what went down while we were away from each other were underway. However, Adagio hadn’t shown up yet. It was only ten minutes into lunch, but even so, it made me very concerned. Eventually, Adagio walked into the cafeteria, with a rather upset look on her face. The second she stepped into the cafeteria, some conversations by people at other tables stopped and they began to talk badly about Adagio. Adagio gave a heavy sigh and made her way towards our table. She took a seat next to me and just laid her arms on the table, with her head on top of them. The conversations at our table stopped almost immediately when every saw how upset Adagio was. 

“You alright sugarcube?” Applejack asked.

Adagio didn’t speak, she just shook her head and buried her face in her arms.

I put my hand on her back and rubbed it to try and soothe her. It might not do much, but at the moment, it’s something. The girls wore faces of concern and sorrow, then the next thing I saw was Sunset on her phone typing away. When she had finished typing her message, she put her phone down. Two seconds later, my phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out. Sunset sent me a text that read, “Will you try to talk to her later?” I looked back at Sunset and nodded my head to which she nodded back. For the remainder of lunch, I just did my best to comfort Adagio while the girls just sat in silence. They did not return to their conversations because I’m sure they didn’t want to see rude and act like nothing was wrong. 

Seemed appropriate.

Eventually, lunch came to an end and it was time to go to our last classes of the day. Good-byes were said and hugs were exchanged and then Applejack, Fluttershy, Adagio and I made our way to our class. Adagio still adorned a sad look on her face, which made me worry about her even more. When we got near our classes, I just stopped walking and the girls just looked at me confused.

“You alright Bolt?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah, I’m alright,” I replied. 

“Why did you stop then?” Fluttershy asked.

“You two go on into class, I’ll join you in a minute. I want to talk to Adagio,” I replied. 

Adagio looked at me confused and Applejack and Fluttershy nodded.

“Alright, just don’t be too long sugarcube,” Applejack said as she and Fluttershy walked into class.

“What did you want to ask me?” Adagio asked.

It’s more of a request if anything, but could you meet me on the roof after school?” I asked.

She seemed hesitant to answer but she eventually nodded her head.

“Alright, I’ll see you then,” I said. I gave her a quick hug and then we both went into our respective classrooms. I didn’t pay much attention to the lesson, my mind was focused on Adagio.

Poor thing.

After School

Class went by quickly and the bell rang to end school for the day. As soon as the bell rang, I made my way to the stairwell to get to the roof top. It was an easy journey though, there were students pouring from classes to go home, and the stairs were the worst. Eventually, I made it to the roof in one piece. Thank God. I found a place to sit in the middle of the roof and waited for Adagio to arrive. I sent a quick text to my mom that Adagio and I would be home a little late. She replied about a minute later saying that it was alright but asked why. I replied with “just for a talk.” Her response was, “Alright, let me know how it goes, k?” Good ol’ mom. About five minutes later, the door to the roof opened and shut. I turned my head to see who had come through. It was Adagio and she was walking towards me, still looking upset.

“Hey,” I said as she got closer to me.

“Hey, she replied sadly.

We exchanged a quick hug and sat down. Adagio was looking down at her hands, which were placed in her lap. I looked at her with worry and wanted to know just what was going on.

So I asked, “Adagio, what happened today?”

She just sighed and turned to look at me, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

“I know that you said to try and soldier through today the best I could, but it’s not easy with constant stares, insults and death threats coming your way. One person looked at me like they wanted to beat the shit out of me. I’m just…..scared,” she said he voice breaking every few words.

She grabbed my shoulder and wept into it. I put my arm around her and just rubbed her back to try and calm her down. We sat there in silence (except for the sound of soft weeping) for what seemed like forever, then the door to the roof opened again and I turned my head to see Midnight stepping out from behind the door.

“I had a feeling I’d find you two here,” she said. She looked at Adagio with a sorrowful look on her face, she then turned to me and asked, “How’s she doing?”

“She’s been better,” I replied sadly. 

Midnight just nodded her head and sat down next to her and comforted her with me. After a few minutes, Adagio’s weeping ceased and placed her hands back in her lap. Midnight and I just looked at each other and then back at Adagio. I then felt my phone buzzing in my pocket and I pulled it out to see that mom was calling me. I answered and the first thing she asked was, “could you three come home soon? It’s almost 3:00.”

“Yeah, we’ll be home in a few minutes,” I replied.

“Thank you, I’ll see you when you guys get here.”

“Alright, love you mom.”

“Love you too sweetie.”

When I ended the call, I went to go pick up my things. Adagio and Midnight picked up on what I did and they picked up their things as well. We were able to get out of the school in about five minutes, which felt like two considering how long it took just to get on the roof. On our way out, we said good-bye to some friends and teachers we knew and made our way through the courtyard and towards home. At some point during the walk, I felt something grab hold of my hand. I looked and found Adagio’s hand interlaced with mine. She still looked very upset, but not as bad as it was beforehand. I didn’t make an effort to let go of her hand and held it until we made it home.

God, I hope Midnight didn’t notice.

As soon as we stepped into the living room, Adagio made her way to the couch to take a nap. After today and what she had to endure today, it’s completely understandable. Midnight and I went upstairs, greeted mom and went into our rooms to relax and do our homework.

I managed to finish my homework around 6:00, so I decided to go downstairs and check on Adagio. She was still on the couch, but had woken up from her nap, but had a blanket wrapped around her. Mom must’ve given it to her. 

“Hey,” I said as I made my way over to her.

She turned her head towards me, flashed a very faint smile and gave a soft “hello.”

“Feeling any better?” I asked.

“A little,” she replied, “Not a ton, but a little bit.”

“It’s a bit of progress I guess,” I said with a slight chuckle.

She gave a little chuckle as well. I walked over to her and took a seat next to her. She just gave a little sigh, still holding her faint smile and said, “I hope things get better soon. I nodded in agreement.

Everything else that happened the rest of the evening went by quickly. I didn’t leave the couch. Instead, I just stayed with Adagio and comforted her. We just watched TV and talked about whatever random thought came to mind. It was nice to talk about other things with her. Kept our minds off of what might happen later. Eventually, I found myself beginning to get drowsy. I was trying my best to stay awake, but it was no use. At around 9:30 (give or take), things began to get dark and soon enough, I was on a first class ticket on the sleep train.

Choo choo.

A few hours later…

I was woken up by the sound of stifled laughter. It was a sudden awakening, but initially, I dismissed as something that was on TV. However, it began to get a little louder. So I opened my eyes to see who was making the noise and I saw Midnight, who was trying her hardest not to laugh her ass off. I looked at her in confusion for a few seconds before my eyes saw why she was laughing.

Adagio and I had fallen asleep on each other.

My face went as red as an apple when I saw it was her. Thankfully, Adagio was still fast asleep.

“Enjoy your slumber love birds?” Midnight whispered mockingly.

I rolled my eyes and mouthed “fuck off” to her.

She rolled her eyes in response.

“What time is it?” I asked quietly.

It’s midnight,” she replied.

Oh the irony.

“Sorry for disturbing you guys, I came down to get some water. I’ll leave you be so you can go back to sleep,” she said.

“Thanks,” I replied.

She got her water, said good night and went upstairs to her room. 

I diverted my gaze towards Adagio, who was still fast asleep and I smiled at her. She looked very much at peace. It was a very refreshing sight after seeing her so depressed earlier today. Also, I never realized how soft Adagio’s hair was. It was like I was sleeping on a giant pillow. Eventually, I began to get sleepy again but this time, I didn’t fight it. A few minutes later dreamland greeted me warmly.
> Chapter 8
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“He he he he”

That was my wake up call. I shifted slightly and turned to the source of the giggling.

“Did you have a good night's sleep?” Adagio asked in a teasing tone.

“Oh hush,” I replied sleepily.

“Oh come now Bolt, I know you liked the fact we slept together,” she said smugly.

“Wh-what!? No I didn’t! I snapped back with a small blush on my face.

Adagio started to snicker and then began laughing, “I’m just messing around with you Bolt, no need to get all flustered about it.”

I rolled my eyes and smiled back before giving a slight chuckle. There was a small silence before Adagio broke the silence. 

“Hey, thank you for talking to me for a bit yesterday. I really needed that,” she said with a small smile.

“My pleasure. If you ever need someone to vent to for any reason, just let me know and I’ll listen,” I replied with a smirk.

“I suppose every road to recovery starts off rocky in the beginning,” Adagio said.

“And we’re going to see how that path is carved, regardless is it’s easy as pie or as hard as Hell,” I said as I got up from the couch.

It didn’t take much longer for everyone else in the household to wake up and get ready for the day. Breakfast came and went, then we got all freshened up and dressed for the day and soon enough, we were on our way to school. Just like the day before, the walk felt longer than it usually did, but it didn’t seem like the girls cared because they looked like they were enjoying the walk and it was nice to see. Especially for Adagio. She had a much more confident and content look on her, which was a very refreshing sight. I gave her a small smile and she noticed me smiling at her and gave me a playful wink. I gave a slight chuckle and she giggled a little bit.

“What’s so funny you two?” Midnight asked.

“He he he, nothing,” Adagio replied with a smirk.

“Alright,” Midnight said rolling her eyes.

Soon enough, we arrived at school and, as expected, there were some glares and some malicious whispers from the students. I was worried that it might ruin Adagio’s newfound confidence would get ruined by this but, low and behold, she kept that confident look on her face and continued on. Eventually, we found the others hanging around the soccer field again and they waved when they saw us approaching and we returned the gesture. Sunset then turned her attention to Adagio.

“Feeling any better today Adagio?” Sunset asked.

“I’m feeling a bit better, yeah,” Adagio replied. “It’s going to be a bit more difficult than I thought, but the best I can do is try to make the best of it.”

“That’s great to hear,” Sunset replied.

Eventually, the bell rang and everyone made to their respective classes. As expected, as we walked, we got stares and heard more malicious whispers from other students. I saw a tiny smile on Adagio’s face, however, her eyes showed her hidden sadness. We reached Adagio’s class, said our goodbyes for now and went on our ways. It seemed like an average high school day, aside from the odd stares by some people aimed at me. I decided to not pay much attention to it and focused on my work instead. I was able to ignore the stares and awkward glances, at least until theater ended that is. As the bell rang and we gathered our things and walked out of class, I got tapped on my shoulder. I turned to see who it was to find Trixie standing there.

“What do you want Trixie? I need to get to my friends,” I asked, annoyed. 

“This will only take a minute, Trixie just needs to ask you something,” she replied matter-of-factly.

“Fine, I’ll bite. What is it?” I asked.

“Why are you spending time with her?” she asked.

“Who? Adagio?” 

“Yes! Why in the world would you be hanging out with her?!” she said angrily.

“Why the hell are you so concerned with who I surround myself with?” I snapped back.

“You know damn well what she did to all of us. Everybody knows what happened! I just don’t understand why you would be hanging around someone like her!” she shouted.

“There is this little phrase called “forgive and forget” Trixie. It might not be easy to do, but you should probably take a moment to learn it,” I replied, getting angrier with every passing second.

“Oh please! After the stunt she pulled, Trixie is just flabbergasted that you’re anywhere near her!”

“Well, guess I’m just odd that way, eh?” I replied. and walked off, severely ticked off.

I entered the cafeteria a few minutes later and found the girls after getting some food, sitting down almost immediately and everyone took notice at how quickly I sat down and said nothing.

“Is something the matter darling?” Rarity asked.

“Yup,” I replied.

“Well what’ got ya in a slump sugarcube?” asked Applejack.

“Let’s just say that Trixie got on my nerves again, basically saying I had no right or need to be around Adagio after what happened,” I replied, as Adagio looked down, obviously feeling guilty about it.

“Unfortunately that’s Trixie for ya,” Rainbow Dash chimed in.

“I really should’ve expected that from her, but I didn’t,” I said.

“Yeah, probably because you dated her for a while,” Pinkie said.

“Ugh,” I groaned and then slammed my face into the table. “Don’t remind me of that please.”

“Oopsie, my bad,” Pinkie apologized.

“Wait, you dated her?” Adagio asked, stunned.

“Yeah, thankfully it didn’t last too long,” I replied.

“I know you don’t like being reminded of it, but how did it all come crashing down?” Adagio asked.

“Basically, as cliche as this is gonna sound to everyone, she started out as this super quirky and fun girl to be around who did some fun party tricks. As time went on, however, she became a lot more conceited and started to really only care about herself and her desires and put others, myself included second. To put it bluntly, she turned into a bitch.”

“I see, I won’t push any further,” Adagio replied.

And not much was said after that. I hate bringing up my past with Trixie and even though I like to forgive and forget, she’s an exception to that, so yeah. 

Lunch was soon over and the school day followed soon afterwards. The rest of the dschool day was rather uneventful; homework was completed, dinner was made and eaten, and people went about their business. Right now, I was just laying on my bed, just browsing through social media seeing what everyone was up to. Same old thing as usual, and nothing that surprising anymore. I wasn’t listening to music at the moment because I just wanted to be alone with my own thoughts, which can be needed some days.

At some point, I heard an acoustic guitar playing faintly. I got up to see if Midnight was playing (as she does every now and then) but when I went to tell her to tone it down a bit, I saw she was taking a nap and her guitar was in her case. The guitars music was still flowing through the house. I followed the noise as I got closer and closer to the source of the music. I eventually followed the music to the garage and opened it to hear the guitar, while slightly out of tune, slightly louder than when I had heard it before. I opened the door to find Adagio strumming the guitar. She was playing fine, but also looked like she was struggling a bit. I made my presence known by chuckling a little bit.

“Not too shabby,” I said.

She almost whipped her head around in surprise, upon hearing my voice.

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you,” I said.

“It’s fine, I just didn’t hear you come in,” she replied a little embarrassed.

I shrugged my shoulders. “Interesting how you heard my voice but not the garage door opening,” I said.

“I was probably playing a little loudly at that point in time, so maybe that’s why,” she replied.

“I guess that makes sense,” I said. 

She just shrugged with a small smirk.

“Also, I didn’t know you were interested in playing guitar,” I said.

“I just found it laying in that open case and just wanted to try it out. I’m obviously not a tremendous player,” she said.

“Every great musician started out as an amateur, but the more you spend time with it, the more you grow and get better at it,” I said, smiling.

Adagio looked back at the guitar for a few seconds looking it over a bit more and then turned to me and asked, “You think you could help me with getting better?”

I kept my smile and replied, “Sure thing, I’m not the greatest teacher ever, but I’d be willing to help out.”

“Thank you Bolt,” she said with a small grin.

“No prob,” I replied as I turned to leave. “Would you want to meet in the music room after school tomorrow?”

“That sounds ideal, sure,” she replied. 

“Sweet. Night Dagi,” I said.

She giggled a bit and replied, “ Sweet dreams Bolt.” I then left to have her to strum to her heart's desire.

I closed the door to the garage and turned to walk towards the stairs to find Midnight standing a few feet away from me.

“How long have you been standing there?” I asked.

“Long enough,” she said cheekily.

I just shook my head and walked away while Midnight kept a smug look on her face.

After School
The school day came and went and eventually, it was time to meet up with Adagio in the music room. I mentioned that I would be staying late to be doing this with Adagio, to which she was fine with. I got to the room at around 2:50 and found that it was just me in the room, so I set my guitar case down, pulled my guitar out and warmed up for a few minutes before Adagio walked in carrying a guitar case.

“What took ya so long?” I asked jokingly.

“Well, I had to ask Sunset where the music room was. Even though I was here before, I never got too familiar with the school grounds,” Adagio said.

“Yeah, that makes sense,” I replied.

Adagio pulled out a chair, put her case down, opened it and pulled out the guitar that was inside it.

“So Midnight let you borrow her guitar?” I asked.

“Yes, she apparently overheard us talking last night and gave it to me sometime after I woke up this morning,” she said.

“Gotcha,” I replied. 

“So, what should we start on?” Adagio asked.

So for about an hour or two, I was able to show her a few warm-up techniques and some simple chords, to which she seemed to pick up rather quickly. It was obvious that she was a fast learner and that made it less like a lesson and more like a fun jam session. She looked like she was having the time of her life as the session went on and we kept playing little songs here and there. She looked like she was getting that spring in her step back and becoming a lot happier. We had finished playing a few chords before I noticed how orange the sky looked and saw the time.

“Hey Dagi, it’s starting to get dark, I think it’s time we head back home,” I said.

Adagio saw the sky as well and nodded. “Alright, let’s head out.” We packed up out guitars and headed towards the exit of the school. There were a few students still lingering around, but mainly it was from some clubs and some athletic teams and a few people just hanging around. As we went out the front doors, Adagio spoke up.

“That was really fun. A little painful in the fingers, but fun nonetheless,” she said cheerfully.

“It’s gonna hurt for a while, but you’ll get used to it once the calluses build up,” I replied.

“I have a good feeling I will,” she replied.

As we continued our walk, I looked towards the skies and couldn’t keep my eyes off of it. The late summer skies were shining brightly with some clouds in the sky adding some pink to the blue and orange combination that was lingering in the sky. It was almost looking like it was coming from a fantasy world because it just looked unbelievable. I noticed Adagio couldn’t take her eyes off of the sky either and she got lost in it’s radiance.

“You know, in all my time being in this world, I never really got to take the time to look at this world in this way but, it’s really breathtaking,” she said calmly.

“Sure is. Sometimes you need to just slow down, forget all the bullshit and take in these beautiful pieces of art that the world gives us. I know it sounds like some Hippie Island Love Shack stuff, but it’s true,” I said.

Adagio chuckled. “Well, someone’s been watching a lot material on that internet thing that everyone uses.”

“Welcome to the modern era toots,” I replied cheekily.

“Huh, that’s a phrase I haven’t heard in quite some time,” she chuckled again and I shook my head a little with a smirk on my face. We eventually made it back home to where we took care of homework, conversed about the day and relaxed for the rest of the evening as we prepared for the last day of the first school week and the weekend would be upon us and the plan to help Adagio more would now commence.