> Live Up To Myself
>  by HazelGems
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Barely Tolerant
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A nearly pitch black room was illuminated by the bright glow of a computer screen. It was nearly midnight and Moondancer was just finishing up an essay. It wasn’t due for a whole week, but she liked to be well prepared, and all that free time can be spent proofreading. The entirety of her Saturday night was spent on this, but it’ll be all worth it to keep up her perfect grade. There was nothing that can distract her on these last few paragraphs.

Of course, the universe loved to fuck with her, as the front door of the dorm slammed open. Her roommate was back, and Moondancer was filled with dread. Did her party seriously end already? It was hard to concentrate with all the noisy shuffling back and forth of footsteps. Who the hell did she bring with her? The rules explicitly stated no overnight visitors! This wouldn’t be the first time that her roommate flagrantly broke the code of conduct, but this time may be the final straw.

It’ll need to wait for tomorrow; this essay required as much of her full attention as possible. Well, as much as her attention as possible. What could they be doing, going back and forth this much? Her concentration was constantly being interrupted with a door closing or a floor creak. At one point, she heard the shower running. Thankfully her fears of it lasting all night were relieved. The noise stopped before 1pm, giving Moondancer the focus needed to finish her assignment. In the morning, she’ll give her roommate a piece of her mind.

When it came to bedtime, her mind was hard to keep quiet. Fears and anxieties kept her mind racing, but she was used to it by now. She would eventually drift off to sleep.

She woke up at 6 am sharp. Her body was hard wired to wake up at just the right moment. As soon as her eyes opened she started on her daily routine. Check her computer for emails and messages, choose her outfit for the day, take her meds and get her morning coffee. The last one is tricky since it involves leaving her room. There was no telling what the thrashing wonder did on the other side. Moondancer gathered her courage and peeked through.

The living room seemed okay, save for the futon in use. From her angle, it was hard to tell who was sleeping on it. She didn’t want to think about it, instead opening the door and heading right for the kitchen, not even bothering to look. The coffee pot was already full and waiting for her, so she quickly looked for the cream and sugar in the drawers. By the time she took out her personalized mug, she heard some rustling behind her.

“Morning ‘Dancer.” Rainbow Dash greeted her with, a hint of grogginess in her voice.

She attempted to ignore that and proceed with pouring her coffee. That nickname that Rainbow Dash gave her was irksome.

“Y’know, one of these days you’ll say good morning back.” Rainbow continued.

If there’s anything that can be said about the jock, it would be persistence. She would have to give in and do something dreadful. Have a conversation.

“Why are you on the futon?” She asked, not even bothering to make eye contact.

“Cuz I felt like it.” Was her short response.

“And who’s sleeping in your bed?”

“Just a friend.”

Moondancer was done crafting her blend, and turned around to have a good look at her roommate. Rainbow was sitting up on the makeshift bed, wearing only a tank top and underwear, her usual bed time attire, she noted. The bed hair was ruffled up in all manner of directions.

“You do understand that by bringing in a visitor to sleep over, you have violated over a dozen rules, right?” She accused.

“Yeah, but the dean doesn’t really give a shit about that stuff anyways. Probably the only good thing about that old bastard.” Rainbow said with a frown.

“Okay, and what if I were to test that theory, Ms. Dash? I happen to have a meeting with him on Monday.”

“Hey, if I go, then the wifi goes with me.” The colorful girl said with a shrug.

Moondancer raised her finger in silent protest, but lowered it in utter defeat. Every argument she lined up in her mind the night before has been torn down with a single utterance. How could she have forgotten her roommate paid that precious utility?!

There was nothing left to do but to grumble and go back to her room. At least she had the rest of Sunday to work on her essay. On the way to her room, Moondancer could have sworn she saw a violet eye peek through a crack on Rainbow’s bedroom door.



As soon as the scary girl went back to her room, Sonata quietly came out. She snuck her way into the living room, the nice girl in the kitchen making eggs. It would be so easy to just leave through the front door and no longer be a bother. As soon as she peeked her head out, she was found out.

“Hey Sonata, you hungry?” Dash asked.

“Uh, yes?”

“Then take a seat. I hope you don’t mind them being scrambled, those are the only kind of eggs I can make,” she chuckled. “I bet you could do a better job making sunny side up than I could.”

“I’ve never cooked before….”

The nice girl paused, giving a glance back at her. Sonata was beginning to feel self-conscious of her looks. She slept in some borrowed pajamas for bed, but put on her messed clothes before attempting to head out.

“Gilda’s a cook, she’ll help you on that. Unless you want to do baking, otherwise you’re pretty much fucked. She never quite got the hang of baking.”

Sonata sat down, wondering how hard making her favorite foods would be. The kitchen was about half the size of her shack, the table seemingly big enough for just two people to eat on.

“Did that other girl eat already?” Sonata asked, reprehensive.

‘Moondancer? She eats in her room. She’s always in her room. I’ve tried so many things just to get her out and have a conversation and junk, but no luck.”

“I don’t think she wants me here…”

“Hey, don’t pay attention to her. She doesn’t get what it means to stick up for someone other than herself!”

Sonata just sat at the table in silence. She didn’t mind being forced to leave, if it meant causing people less trouble.

A plate of scrambled eggs and toast was served to her, along with a glass of orange juice.

“Thank you, um…”

“It’s Rainbow Dash.”

“Thank you Rainbow Dash.” Sonata said with a smile.

She took a few bites out of the yummy food, then realized something.

“Hey, how do you know my name?” she asked.

“Well, you and your sisters were registered in the school, so your names were put out by the news after the whole brainwashing incident, along with a warrant out for your arrest. Technically you’re still wanted.”

Sonata’s eyes were showing pure terror, dropping her fork. She hadn’t thought about the situation she was in!

“Hey hey, calm down, you have nothing to worry about. It’s not like you’re the first person I know who’s had problems with the law. I’ll defend you if something comes up. That’s what friends are for.”

“Friend?”

“Right.”

Sonata felt happy.

This girl is very nice.
> Never Stood A Chance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As soon as the professor dismissed the class, Moondancer quickly made her way across the campus. Today was the day she should finally have the results she was promised in the dean’s office. She scurried up several flights of stairs in the main building to reach the office. She wondered if it was intentional or coincidental that this man resided in the highest point in the university. He certainly seemed just the right amount of egotistical for that.

There wasn’t a secretary to greet her as soon she reached the floor. Of the many times she visited, the desk had remained empty. It makes sense though. You’d honestly have to be crazy to work with this man. Works for her though. Cuts out the middle man. Moondancer just let herself in like she always did.

The dean was inside, seemingly browsing on his computer. He was likely in his 50’s, his hair stark white, slick back into a ponytail, plus a goatee. He was wearing his usual tan suit with a dark red tie. The office itself was kind of weird. She noticed early on that there weren’t any photos in the room at all. Everything interesting this man owned was clustered on his desk, leaving the walls bare. There was a plant in the corner that was practically petrified. The first thing that really draws your attention though was the nameplate forged with fool’s gold.


Dean Discord


When she stepped in, the dean took noticed, clearly not happy.

“Ah, Ms. Dancer, my least favorite student. Here for the same thing you’ve bothered me for the last three months?” He said with a smug smile.

“Did you get the results or not, sir?” She replied curtly.

“You know, most colleges don’t even have a valedictorian. Its literally a useless status symbol that I’m sure you wanted purely for your ego. I just would like to make that clear.”

“Did you get them or not?” Moondancer said more assertively.

“Yes, I was just looking through it just now. I personally enjoyed these results. Would you like to hear them?”

“Of course!”

She sounded a little too excited for this, but she can’t help it. This will finally give her the recognition she rightfully deserved.

“Now, with regards to grades, you clearly stand out. Your GPA is practically perfect in every which way. Enough to make the most hard-ass of fathers proud.”

Finally, the praise she truly wanted. Granted, it’s from a completely reviled piece of garbage, but still! A genuine smile grew on her face.

“However, grades alone aren’t going to completely give you this position.”

And then the smile was gone.

“You see, Ms. Dancer, you had a bit of competition with another student. One who matched you in grades, but also worked with the local community and is highly regarded by many at this school. This person has proven to go above and beyond in their station to prove themselves as the model student.”

“S-seriously? Who?” Moondancer was afraid.

“Treehugger.”

It was as if her entire perception of reality had shattered. She just lost it.

“Are you FUCKING kidding me?!” She blurted out.

“Please Ms. Dancer, refrain from being profane.”

“Its MOONdancer! One word! And she’s a criminal! Don’t you know that she sells weed?!”

“Nice.”

“IT’S NOT NICE!”

She was breathing heavily and on the brink of hyperventilating. Her fists were clenched. She forced herself to control her breathing.

“Have you calmed down yet?” The dean asked monotonously.

“Not exactly.” She replied through clenched teeth. “Did you mess with the results?”

“Me? Granted, I absolutely would’ve given the chance, but I wasn’t the one who made the list. I asked an unbiased academic from another college to do this for me since I knew that would’ve been an issue. You are a picky person, after all. I even have his information so you can find him and question them yourself.”

This was unbelievable. This bastard covered all his bases as if he knew this would happen. All the effort she made since starting college was all for nothing. She wasn’t feeling well. Everything felt floaty.

“I-I need to leave. I think I need to lay down.” Moondancer said with a wavering voice.

“Yes, please do. The leaving part that is. I already need to figure out how to give the good news to Treehugger as it is.” The dean returned his attention to his desktop.

There was no point in staying any longer. She got up and shuffled her way out the door.



Sonata never really ‘hung out’ before. The only people she ever really had any connection to were her sisters, and they treated her like crap. When Rainbow Dash started making this thing called ‘small talk’ she was completely lost. She didn’t really have ‘interests’ she could think of aside from food.

“Wow, I guess there’s a lot I have to teach you, huh?” Dash told her.

It was true though, as embarrassing as it was to admit. It was easier to just follow along, to not have to think too deeply on anything and to leave that to others. When she got abandoned however, it was terrifying in the beginning, trying to survive with nothing at all. Sonata wished someone was willing to teach her things like Rainbow was back then. And turns out it was actually fun to learn!

“Wow, I didn’t know you could even do that!” Sonata exclaimed when she was shown that turning the tab of a soda around becomes a straw holder.

“Yup, my dad taught me that at a picnic once.” Dash said triumphantly.

Sonata had only been living with Rainbow and Moondancer for a bit more than a day, but so much has changed for her, and she didn’t want to stop.

“Okay okay, you gotta teach me how magnets work next! It has to be magic, right?”

Rainbow was happy to explain how everyday things functioned, with the help of the internet of course. Teaching Sonata the concept of the internet was honestly the hardest subject itself. On Monday afternoon, Fluttershy had come over to help out. It was kinda funny to Dash that Sonata was nervous around Fluttershy. It didn’t last long though, since she was fascinated with Flutters talking about animal facts.

“With it being the only mammal that can lay eggs, and its venomous foot spurs, a platypus truly is the strangest creature in nature.” Fluttershy ended her lecture with.

“Wooowwww.” Was all Sonata could muster.

All in all, it was a really fun and productive time for everyone. The girls were starting to discuss the process for Sonata to become a recognized citizen when Moondancer walked in. When they all turn, she had a confused look on her face. Her eyes were visibly puffy and red.

“What the hell is going on?” Dancer said, a hint of irritation in her voice.

“We’re planning out Sonata here’s future.” Dash said, likely not noticing that something was wrong with her.

“Is she still going to be staying here?”

“Yup, got a problem with it?”

“Whatever…” She said with resignation. There was no point in any further arguing. “I’m going to be in my room… don’t bother me with anything.”

Moondancer did as she told, slamming the door.

“Did you need to be so tough with her, Dashie?” Fluttershy asked.

“Kinda, yeah. She pretty much threatened me yesterday morning. I needed to draw the line.” Rainbow explained.

“She looked kinda sad.” Sonata said, a little quietly.

“She did?” Dash said, slight regret showing on her face. “Well, I doubt she’d tell us about her problems anytime soon. She locks everything up inside her.”

Sonata just nodded. It seems like this girl isn’t as scary as she thought. Maybe that girl was hurting in the same way she was.
> Melancholy Trip
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The alarm sounded, but Moondancer was already awake. In fact, she hadn’t slept at all. Her anxieties and doubts had kept her up all night. She just turned it off and stayed in bed. She had some classes that day, but who cares? Nothing she was gonna do from now on will matter. Not to her and especially not to anyone else.

What was the point of keeping up with the world if she never goes out? What’s the point of looking nice if nobody ever pays attention to her? The only thing she bothered to do was take her meds. No use in tacking on any more anxiety and imbalances onto the pile of crap she’s currently experiencing.

She just laid there under the covers, completely motionless, staring at the ceiling. Maybe if she stayed like this she could die in peace. Of course, the universe liked to fuck with her, because there was knocking on the door.

“Hey? Moondancer? Are you in there?” Her roommate called out from the hall.

There was no use in keeping quiet. The jock was always persistent.

“Yes!” She shouted at her.

“You okay? I realized that you hadn’t gotten your morning coffee. I don’t think you even set it up last night.”

“I didn’t. And I don’t plan on anymore.”

“Well okay? I’m going to soccer practice so Sonata is gonna stay behind, alright.”

Rainbow left without getting a reply. She wasn’t going to get one anyways. At least the dorm room was mostly quiet, aside from the tv being on. That vagrant at least had manners.

Moondancer eventually started flipping through her phone, nothing changing from the same old stories. There wasn’t anything that caught her interest, aside from one thing. A news update from the prestigious Antares University regarding its two star students. They had apparently captured a beast that resembled a chimera rampaging about.

That sort of news wasn’t surprising anymore. Cryptids have been popping up all over the country the last few years, and these students have been breaking ground on studying them. As she read through the article, she immediately regret doing so, since there was an imbedded picture. It showed the two girls that caught the monster, with said beast in the background. Moondancer personally knew the girl on the left, Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight and her were so similar growing up. Same interests, same education, same friend group, same aspirations and even the same speech patterns. Twilight went on to Crystal Prep while she decided on home school in hopes of surpassing the standard curriculum. And look at her now. Wallowing in misery while Twilight is practically a celebrity. It probably would’ve made her cry if she wasn’t so angry at the other girl.

How the hell did Sunset Shimmer of all people get into A.U.? She literally had a criminal record! Extortion, assault, coercion and attempted murder! All these are publicly known about her. Her life and aspirations should be over and done with, but she still got picked as one of the annual new students! Sunset’s the happy and successful one and it pissed her off to no end.

There was the sound of something breaking, forcing Moondancer up. Now what? She forced herself out of bed and practically stomped her way to the living area. In the kitchen was Sonata holding a whisk, with broken ceramic on the floor.

“What the hell are you doing?” Dancer pointed at her.

“Ah! I’m sorry! I just needed a plate and I grabbed one but I didn’t notice the smaller one on top and it slipped off and it fell and I’m really sorry!” Sonata blurt out.

Moondancer noticed that the counter was full of a mishmash of ingredients. In fact, it looked like all the cooking ingredients were taken out.

“What are you even trying to make?” She asked.

“Rainbow needed to leave early and I said I could make breakfast on my own, but there aren’t any eggs so I found all these things and I thought maybe I could make some pancakes?” The vagrant said timidly.

“So, Sonata, right?” The girl nodded back to her.” Sonata, we don’t have any pancake mix. None of these things here can possibly make pancakes. If you made something resembling pancakes out of all this stuff, I guarantee it would kill you.”

Sonata just clutched onto the whisk she had, looking downtrodden. Moondancer didn’t like this feeling she was getting. Was it guilt? She shouldn’t be feeling guilty, she just stated a fact. So why can’t she look directly into her eyes?

“We could go buy some instead.” Dancer slipped out. Fuck, why did she go and do that?

“We can!? Let’s go right now!” Sonata exclaimed, a smile back on her face.

“H-hey, calm down, I need to get dressed first.” She said, going back to her room.

As soon as the door closed behind her, she immediately felt like banging her head against a wall. There was absolutely no reason for her to do any of this! Then again, she couldn’t leave that girl completely on her own. She’d burn the whole building down! That’s the reason she decided to be so nice right now. Self-preservation.  Moondancer got a clean change of clothes, quickly brushing her hair into a knot and grabbed her keys.

Sonata was just sitting silently, looking at some history show about ancient structures.

“You don’t really make a lot of noise, do you?” Dancer observed.

“My sisters kinda taught me to stay quiet around people in charge.” She replied.

“Oh, where are your sisters right now?”

Sonata just shrugged at her. She was sorry she asked.

“Well come on, we’re going in my car.” Dancer said, leading her out.

They lived on the second floor, so getting to the parking lot was quick. When Moondancer stopped by her car to unlock it, she jumped in shock when the other girl squealed:

“Oh my goooooosh it’s so tinyyyyyyy!”

Dancer knelt down to pick up the keys she dropped.

“Well yeah, I don’t really need anything big with unnecessary space.”

She didn’t expect her small car to actually impress anybody. Moondancer proceeded to unlock the doors, letting the other girl in. It only had two seats, ran on solar energy and had enough trunk space for a week’s worth of groceries. The very model of efficiency.

True to her word, the ride to the supermarket was incredibly silent. Sonata didn’t say anything to her because she didn’t start a conversation. More like she couldn’t start one. The longer it went, the more awkward it got. She thought she would’ve enjoyed it, but it was actually uncomfortable. She had no choice. She turned on the radio.

“Do you like any particular music Sonata?” Dancer asked.

“Any is fine. I like all music.” She replied with a smile.

What’s up with this girl? Moondancer just left it on some pop channel after a little bit of fiddling. To be honest, she personally never found any music she truly liked, which is why the radio was untouched.

“Oh, I love this song!” Sonata said just a few seconds into a song.

“You heard this one before?”

“Nope.”

That smile of hers didn’t falter with that response. This girl literally has nothing going for her yet she rarely lost that smile since moving in.

Thankfully it was noon on a weekday so the parking lot of the supermarket was nearly empty. A nice perk of living in a small town.

“Um, where are we?” Sonata dared to ask.

“The one store that has the most of anything; Junes.”

As soon as they went inside, the siren was in awe. It was normal as far as supermarkets are concerned, but the sheer amount of colorful promotions and advertisements when you step in must be a lot for someone with child-like wonderment.

It took a lot of effort on Moondancer’s part to keep the two of them together, since Sonata kept straying behind ogling whatever random thing caught her eye.

“Hey, what’s this thingy?” The curious girl asked.

“It’s a vacuum cleaner. We don’t need one because we have a hardwood floor.”

“But isn’t all wood hard?”

She shouldn’t be mad, but that somehow made her mad.

They were able to get the pancake mix quickly, as well as some other groceries, including eggs. It was a bit annoying that Sonata kept grabbing a sugary snack with colorful packaging or an appealing animal mascot and asking to have them. Moondancer eventually caved and let her have a couple of cupcakes with a penguin on it.

After paying for the food and leaving the supermarket, Sonata spoke up.

“Do you think we could come back here again?”

“I come here about once a week, so sure.” Why did she keep doing this? Why can't she flat out say no? If she could physically kick herself she would.

“Are we friends?”

Moondancer was about to put the key into the ignition, but paused. This was something that she needed to legitimately think about and carefully pick her answer.

“I don’t know.” She lied.

Dancer didn’t check to see Sonata’s reaction to the answer, afraid to see how she took it. The car ride back was just as quiet, save for the music from the radio. Moondancer’s mind was also having trouble keeping quiet. This whole experience made her question some things about herself.

Arriving at the dorms, they were able to carry all the groceries in one go. Rainbow Dash was already back from soccer practice; her hair still damp from a recent showering.

“Sonata! I figured you went with Dancer somewhere. Bet you had to force her.” Rainbow told them as they set the groceries on the counter.

“Nope! She offered. It was super nice of her too!”

Without even looking, Moondancer knew she was being pointed at as she quickly put away the produce.

“She even said we can do it again.” Sonata continued.

“Wow.” Dash mustered, probably surprised that she showed any compassion. Dancer was already on her way to the room.

“But what about you? Did you have any fun?” Rainbow asked her.

Moondancer turned around, her hand on the handle. It could’ve been easy to just blow her off.

“I did.” She said, closing the door gently.
> Refuse to Admit Defeat
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few days passed since the whole shopping spectacle, yet Moondancer still had trouble coming out of her room save for meals. Each time she barely said much to her roommates. At the very least they were respecting her privacy and not prying.

By Friday afternoon she was finally starting to feel stir crazy, and got herself made up to go out. Perhaps some time relaxing in the local coffee shop can set her at ease. If she got a chair by the corner, maybe nobody will try to talk to her too. As she was getting ready, she heard some giggling from the living room. It definitely sounded like more than 2 people out there, but she tried not to let that bother her.

Of course, it did regardless. Was Rainbow Dash having another of her damn sleepovers with that quiet girl? It was about to be 4pm, so it was probably early for that shit to be starting. Then again, it’s not like she’s currently worried about being kept up, since she still had trouble sleeping.

Now that she put herself together, she once again dread leaving the room and seeing the state of the dorm outside. Stepping out of the hall, she noticed Rainbow Dash, Sonata Dusk and that pink haired girl, Fluttershy, talking to each other while holding books. The last one was the first to notice her.

“Hello there Moondancer. How have you been doing?” The kind girl asked.

“Horribly.” Dancer answered truthfully. “What book is that?”

“Only the best book series of all time,” Dash interjected, holding it up. “Daring Do!”

Moondancer snorted. “You know those books are practically for kids, right? At most you’d need the reading comprehension of a 12-year-old.”

“Pssh, as if that matters.” She said a little defensively. “Besides the best art transcends age.”

Dancer couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“And these books helped me overcome my dyslexia, so I thought maybe we could use these to teach Sonata how to read.” Rainbow continued to explain.

“Wait, you don’t know how to read!?” Dancer exclaimed.

“N-nobody really ever took the time to teach me…” Sonata squeaked out from being singled out so suddenly.

She sort of felt bad for this girl. What went on in Sonata’s past that brought her to this point?

“Well… maybe I could help too?” Moondancer suggested. There was literally no reason for her to help, but knowing Rainbow Dash, she’d fuck it up somehow for this poor girl.

Oh, we would love for you to help, wouldn’t we Dashie?” Fluttershy directed at her friend. Rainbow tilted her head in a concerned look.

“S-sure?” Was her answer.

At least she had some semblance of approval.

There was a stack of about a dozen more books on the coffee table to choose from, and despite her criticisms they were all lengthy. Definitely not for someone who has never read.

“Hey, I don’t know if it’s a good idea for her to start off with these. Why not get some books for toddlers to start with?” Moondancer suggested.

“Whaddya mean? She’s read several pages already.” Rainbow said.

“Wait what in the hell?”

“Us sirens are natural fast learners,” Sonata popped in with. “It’s an evolution thingy so that we could easily integrate ourselves into any society to hunt for prey.”

Dancer was utterly dumbfounded. All along this girl had an incredible gift.

“But wait, if you could do that, then it’s practically intentional that you don’t know a single thing!”

“It was intentional, but not on her part,” Fluttershy said. “Her sisters made an effort to not teach her much, probably so she could stay obedient.”

Fluttershy was patting Sonata’s back while she was looking to the side. It looks like any mention of her sisters gets a negative reaction.

“That’s shitty…” Was all Moondancer could think of saying. She wouldn’t be surprised that Sonata may be harboring some form of trauma over the abandonment.

“So… um… what book are you reading there?” she asked.

“Oh, this one is called ‘Daring Do and the Mausoleum of Misery’. Rainbow said this was the best one to start off with.”

“And it totally is!” Rainbow said jumping on the couch. “Even though it’s the third book in the series it’s still considered the best so far for bringing a more serious tone for later stories! Especially the movie adaptation, which everyone loved FYI”

“I like it so far, even though I don’t know what every word means. But that’s what my friends are for.” Sonata said, looking at Dash and Flutters, then back to her.

Moondancer’s heart genuinely felt touched with being included. Then the door swung open.

“’Sup guys I’m back with the snacks.” Said a certain red head with dreads.

“Piiiizzzzaaaaaa!” Exclaimed Sonata like an overexcited child.

Treehugger was in the same room as her, setting boxes of pizza on the counter. The stoner looked back and realized there was a new person in the room.

“Hey dude, you’re Dash’s roommate, right?” She asked nonchalantly.

Moondancer didn’t reply, scowling instead.

“Oof, I can feel those intense feelings. No worries, ‘cuz pizza can fix that.” Treehugger cheerily said, bringing in a pair of chairs from the kitchen. “Wanna take a seat?”

Moondancer begrudgingly sat down near the coffee table as Rainbow gathered a handful of plates to hand to the girls.

“So, why are you even here?” She asked matter-of-factly.

“Dancer, come on.” Rainbow snapped at her.

“It’s okay guys, chill.” Treehugger said assuredly. “Flutters told me about how Sonata wants to learn about things and I volunteered to help since yesterday.”

“Tree was named valedictorian earlier this week too. Even she didn’t know she was qualified for the title. I thought if anyone was best at teaching, it’d be her.” Fluttershy chimed in with.

This was literally the last thing Moondancer wanted to hear. How can this druggie possibly be a better teacher than her? She probably hasn’t crafted a perfectly curated curriculum!

“Well, that isn’t necessary now that I’m here. With my help, Sonata will be a fully functioning member of society in no time.” Dancer stated.

“That’s the plan man.” Treehugger said, grabbing a slice. “Ideally we were going to study for a GED so that this lady can grab one and hopefully apply here.”

“Seriously? The next semester is 4 months from now. Even I couldn’t cram 12 years’ worth of education in that amount of time. You would practically deserve a reward for doing something like th---“

Wait a minute.

“What time is it?” Moondancer blurted out.

“It’s 4:45. Why does that matter?” Rainbow asked.

“Oh crap its almost closing!” She shouted, grabbing Sonata by the arm. “Come on, we gotta hurry!”

“But I didn’t get pizza yeeeeeee--!” was all Sonata let out before being forced out of the dorm.

“W-wait what are you doing?!” Rainbow shouted, rushing out as well.

The only ones left in the dorm were Fluttershy and Treehugger.

“Um, do you think we should go follow them too?” Flutters asked.

“Nah, it’s a problem that needs to be settled between them only, and I’m pretty sure they’ll get back soon enough. We can just watch the place for them and chill.” Treehugger said, laid-back.

“Alright then… Can you hand me a slice?”



Moondancer was dragging Sonata behind her at the beginning, but thankfully she stopped resisting when they left the building, instead jogging alongside her.

“Where are we going?” Sonata eventually asked.

“The dean’s office. I have an idea that could help the both of us.”

The two of them barely made it out of the parking lot when Rainbow Dash went past them and blocked their path.

“Where the hell are you taking her?” Rainbow directed at Dancer.

“The dean’s office!” Sonata said in a helpful tone.

“You son of a— “

“Wait wait wait it’s not like that!” Moondancer interrupted with. “I need you to trust me on this but I have a plan that’ll be mutually beneficial for all of us.”

“What is it then?” She asked, arms crossed.

“Okay, I need to be honest, I’m still forming it as we speak.” Dash took a step forward. “B-b-b-but it’s going to be a good one! You need to believe in me.”

Rainbow paused for a second, thinking for a bit.

“Sonata, are you okay with this? She asked.

The siren looked back and forth between them, then nodded. “I believe in her.”

“Good enough for me, but I’m coming along, got it?”

“Of course! But we need to hurry, the office hours are almost up!” Dancer said, breaking into a run once again.

As the three of them hurried themselves to the office, Moondancer knew what was waiting for them would help get her life back on track.
> Let's Make a Deal
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Dean was gathering his papers to leave for the day. He completely loathed having to stay in the office when most of the day’s work is done before noon. Of course, the higher ups don’t give a damn, rather having the façade of professionalism instead of efficiency. Good thing it was five minutes ‘til 5pm, and he was home free. The moment his belongings were put together, he heard the door swung open behind him, causing Discord to grimace.

“I’m in a bit of a hurry so it needs to be---,” When he turned, he realized who it was. “Ah, it’s you.”

Moondancer was once again in his office, here to complain most likely. Took her long enough.

“Ms. Dancer if you are here to file a complaint, I suggest you do it when I’m not nearly out the door, now if you have no other business.”

“Wait, I’m actually here to make a deal.” The young girl said.

That piqued his interest enough to give him pause.

“Go on.” Discord said, sitting back down on his desk. Dancer stepped back to open the door.

“Okay, you can come in.” She said, motioning to somebody.

Two girls walked in, one of them he knew for sure.

“Oh, Ms. Rainbow Dash, our star athlete. You are doing this school an excellent service by kicking those balls into nets and keeping interest of Cloudsdale U high.” The dean greeted her with.

“Um, thanks?” She said, a little confused by his praise.

“What I have in mind doesn’t include her, it involves my, uh, friend here.” Moondancer explained motioning to the mystery girl.

“What is your name, dear?” He asked.

“I-i-its Sonata Dusk…” The girl said meekly.

It must’ve been the eyes.  His piercing, red and yellow eyes can make just about anyone uncomfortable. They worked wonders in his job though.

“So! What was this deal that you’re proposing? It better be a good one.”

“Well, as we both know, I still believe that Treehugger was wrongfully given the title of valedictorian— “

“Which goes against empirical fact, but please, do go on.” Discord interrupted with. Moondancer gave him a scorned look, and it delighted him.

“As I was saying, a mistake was made, but I have a plan to prove my worth. And it involves her.” She said pointing to Sonata. “This young woman has had no formal education whatsoever, is homeless and quite certainly in a hopeless situation. But here’s where I come in! I’m graciously offering my skills to mentor this fine person.”

Rainbow just rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“Is it true? You have no credentials whatsoever?” The dean asked the wayward girl.

“Are those the plastic cards people buy things with?” Sonata said, unsure.

That’s all he needed to know.

“And what, Ms. Dancer, does this have to do with me, or even this school?” Discord asked.

“I’m going to get her to successfully enroll in this school, complete with GED, by the next semester.” She proposed bluntly.

Things are getting interesting again.

“And I’m going to accomplish that in three weeks.”

Moondancer fully had the dean’s attention. That statement was enough to make Dash surprised too.

“That would be quite impressive.” Discord admitted. “If you could do it, that is.”

“I’m 100% certain that I can, sir.”

“Ah, well this is all fine and dandy, but what do I possibly gain if, and this is a pretty small if, you were to fail?” He said with a nasty smile.

“I will never step a foot in this office unless you ask me to.”

“We have ourselves a deal!” The dean said hopping up from his seat and shaking Moondancer’s hand. “Hell, I will even accept her free charge and give a dorm in the same building as you as part of the deal.”

“Oh wow! I’ll have my own bed and not sleep on Rainbow’s couch anymore.” Sonata said happily.

“Wait what was that last part?” Discord said, stopping his handshake.

“It was nothing, nothing at all!” Moondancer said to try and distract him. “I’m glad you accept my proposal and will be leaving immediately! Come on let’s go!”

Dancer was already urgently pushing her friends through the door after that slip up.

“We’ll both be back here before a month passes, I guarantee it.” Moondancer said.

“Oh I don’t doubt that. I don’t believe it’ll be for a good reason though.” The dean said with a sneer.

Dancer pouted her face before closing the door behind her.



The three friends walked their way back to the dorms in complete silence for most of the journey. That is, until Rainbow brought up a point that was bothering her.

“I remember you specifically saying that even you couldn’t teach someone everything in 4 months.”

“Yeah well, doing it in one sounded a lot more impressive. And of course I can do it if I’m completely focused on it.” Moondancer said as a matter of fact.

“And what are you going to tell Treehugger about stealing something that she’s earned?”

“It’s not stealing if I’m doing it legit. And she’s so laid back that she probably wouldn’t even notice it’s gone! She wouldn’t even appreciate it like I would!”

“That’s not the fucking point! Just when I thought you were acting like a decent person and you go and do some shady shit like this?”

“Please don’t fight!” Sonata shouted at them both.

It surprised the both of them that it stopped all of them in their tracks.

“I’m… I’m sorry, I just didn’t want you two to keep yelling…”

“Sonata, you don’t have to apologize,” Rainbow said, trying to console her. “Come on, pizza should still be in the dorm. If we hurry up it’ll still be warm.”

Sonata nodded as Dash shepherded her friend away from the spat, leaving Moondancer behind in the middle of the courtyard.

To her it didn’t feel like she was doing something bad, no matter what Rainbow Dash said. Bringing Sonata into college as early as possible is clearly a good thing. It didn’t matter how it’s done as long as it’s done. So what if Moondancer personally benefited from it? There’s no rule that says friends can’t do that with each other, and Sonata considers her a friend. It would literally be a win-win!

So why was she feeling guilty?  606091413�^�
> Study Buddies
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The days were getting chillier and the decorations mildly spookier as Nightmare Night was approaching by months end. The campus library that Moondancer frequented was participating in the festivities with a few bat and cob web decorations here and there. It seemed like they borrowed a display skeleton from the science labs to complete the ensemble.

“This university barely has a budget as it is, and they still spend it on this junk?” Dancer commented.

“I think it’s cute.” Sonata said, defending the googly eyed witch doll on the table they’re studying on. “It reminds me of what the ponies did back home.”

“The version from your world at least was about fearing a demonic princess that’s actually real. Ours is just some made up, pieced together crap about a witch named Tantabus that nobody agrees existed or not. Every story has her described differently each time too.”

“I think it’s interesting…” She trailed off.

“Whatever, Nightmare Night won’t be included in any history questions on the test regardless. If they were, I would have some complaints. Here, I brought the algebra textbook we’ll be reviewing.”

For about a week and a half Sonata was studying hard under Moondancer, already going through everything she would’ve learned during elementary school.

“Um, are you sure this is right?” Sonata asked. “It’s telling me to solve for ‘x’, but that’s a letter, not a number.”

As quickly as Sonata is able to learn, critical thinking was the hardest for her to grasp. Cold hard facts are easily memorized, but the moment she had to think for herself, she floundered. Moondancer was dreading having to go through the middle and high school curriculum, which she knew required a lot of comprehension.

“Look, even though it’s a letter you need to imagine it’s a number that you don’t know yet, hence the solving part.”

In all honesty, despite Sonata occasionally going off on her tangents, Moondancer was actually enjoying the time they were spending together. Sonata isn’t a dumb person like others would assume, just curious. It’s that curiosity that Dancer liked feeding into. She’s for sure appreciating this better than Treehugger ever would’ve.

“Well ain’t this cute.” A raspy voice said from behind them.

A frown grew on Moondancer’s face as she saw it was Gilda speaking to them, followed by Rainbow Dash. It looked like they just got done with soccer practice.

“Hiiiiiiii!” Sonata yelled as she got up to hug them both.

The librarian shot them all a dirty look, shushing them.

“S-sorry.” Dusk apologized.

“What are you guys even doing here?” Dancer said accusingly.

“Gee, friendly much?” Gilda said. “We were walking by this building and Dash said you’d be here right now, so we wanted to say hey.”

“Hey Sonata, if you’re being held against your will here, blink twice.” Rainbow joked.

She stared at them both, unblinking and unflinching.

“Uhhhh, you can start blinking again.”

The siren immediately shut and rubbed her eyes.

“Hey don’t touch that!” Moondancer shouted at Gilda, who was picking up one of the textbooks. The librarian shushed them again.

“Algebra huh? These are some fine school memories this is conjuring up.”

“Y’know it was a miracle that you passed every single math class with a D+.” Rainbow said with a sly grin.

“You bet your ass it was!” Gilda boasted, earning another shush. Not like she cared though. “Sonny, if you want some tips on how to cheese it with this math junk, just hit me up.”

“Thanks but no thanks.” Said Moondancer, answering for her. “We’re going to pass the GED as legitimately as possible. Now if you don’t mind leaving, we have a lot of work to cover. And that includes the foreseeable future as well.”

“Actually, that’s another reason why I’m here. Sonata won’t be able to study with you tomorrow.” Dash said.

“Excuse me? What could possibly be more important than this?” Dancer retorted. She looked to Sonata for a possible answer, but the girl was avoiding eye contact.

“Yeah, I had a feeling she wouldn’t tell you. Sunset and Twilight are gonna be in town tomorrow, and they’re gonna help us make Sonata a legal citizen of this very dimension.” Rainbow explained.

“B-b-but— “

“If we don’t do this then your plan completely fails.” Rainbow said seriously.

Moondancer crossed her arms and pouted in defeat.

“Alright, well, see you later in the dorm Sonata. Take it easy.” Dash said, taking hers and Gilda’s leave.

The siren waved them goodbye, and once they were gone, opened the textbook back to the last page they were on. The two of them didn’t really say anything for a while. The little comment that Rainbow gave her made her think about what she was doing. Again. And the guilt was starting to creep in. Again. Sonata was doing a problem, but she had to speak up or it would eat her up through the entire day.

“Hey, Sonata?”

“Sorry, am I doing it wrong?” Sonata said, worried.

“No, it’s fine. But, you already heard from Rainbow several times about how I’m probably taking advantage of you, right?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“So why do you keep doing this with me? You’ve technically known Rainbow longer than you do me, and there’s plenty of other qualified people who could help with this. Why me?”

“Oh, because I know you like me, and I don’t think you would help me unless you did. That’s what I think!” Sonata said cheerily.

It made her smile, knowing how much she was trusting her.

“By the way, I like you too.” Sonata continued. Moondancer blushed. She knew full well what the context was supposed to be, but it still gave her pause.

“Ahem, well, we’re going to skip ahead to the Pythagorean Theorem. I know it’ll seem confusing at first, but if you solved one triangle, you’ll solve them all.”

The teaching continued for the remainder of the day. Neither of them noticed how close they were sitting next each other by the end.
> Giving It A Chance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Early in the morning Sonata went off to gain her citizenship, Moondancer stayed behind. Since Sunset Shimmer was going to be there. She didn’t want to risk her saying anything that would escalate things. Dancer also knew things would be awkward between her and Twilight. They spoke once when she came once to visit Rainbow out of the blue, but it was a stilted conversation. Maybe if she knew her and Rainbow were connected it would’ve gone better, but at the time it was a nasty surprise.

Instead of dwelling on the fun they would possibly be having without her, she instead put her thoughts on the curriculum. They’ve gotten through 7 years in about half the time, but the learning curve was worrying. The focus would have to be on core knowledge while trimming the fat at this rate. After all, who really needed to know about those extra states of matter anyways?

One thing that caught her attention was that Nightmare Night was five days from now. Sonata did express her desire to partake in this frivolous holiday. What would be the point in spending so much money on a costume that’ll only be worn for a few hours in one night? Then again, it does have its charms.

I wonder what Sonata would wear?


On Nightmare Night she scheduled them to study history, but started to scratch it off. Maybe they could have fun together that day.



Even as a kid, Moondancer didn’t celebrate Nightmare Night. Her parents didn’t bother to take her around as a child, and she didn’t really have friends to go out with either. Maybe her disinterest had to do with never really getting to experience it at all? Now’s as good a time as any to try it out. Good thing there was a seasonal store in the mall just for this occasion.

 This was her first time being in a costume shop looking for one of her own, and the choices were overwhelming. Well, if you cut out all the costumes that are scanty and revealing that is. Basically, all the costumes that were prefaced with the word ‘sexy’ were a complete nope. She started to eye a fluffy bat costume that was modest and non-restrictive.

“Uh, hello?” Called out a very low, feminine voice.

Behind her was Fluttershy by her lonesome, wearing a pastel pink hoodie and white beanie. She smiled and waved when they met eyes.

“Hi?” Dancer said, taken aback by the surprise. “You’re not with someone?”

“Oh no, everyone I know already picked out their costumes. I haven’t yet because some of the masks here kinda scare me a little, especially the ones with the fake blood. I’m fine today though. I had no idea you liked to dress up around this time. I assumed you wouldn’t like to.”

“W-well you would correct in that assessment, eheh, but I felt experimental. But not that kind of experimental! I mean like a social experiment! Please forget every single thing I just said.”

Now Fluttershy was giggling at her. Her face was getting hot and now she just wanted to leave ASAP.

“I’m so sorry,” She said inbetween small laughs. “It’s just that you’re acting the same way Twilight did when we were all together on her first Nightmare Night.”

“I am…?” Moondancer muttered, looking at the floor.

Normally she felt bad being compared at all Twilight, but it didn’t really sting in this instance. Almost like they weren’t so vastly different like they were in her head.

“You were looking at this bat costume, right? I think it’ll look adorable on you.”

“Thank you.” Dancer said, picking it up from the rack. “Did you get anything yet?”

“I was looking for a werewolf costume. I thought it’d be a tad funny since I’m good with animals and I would sort of look like an animal. Do you want to help me look?”

“Yeah, of course I will.” She said, and actually meant it.

It was weird at first hanging out with an actual sociable person for once.

The two of them didn’t take long to find the other costume, though Fluttershy closed her eyes and needed her hand held when they came across the wall of masks. When they finished paying, Flutters suggested they get something to eat in the food court. Moondancer got a cheap burger while Fluttershy got the only vegetarian friendly meal available: bland salad.

“Rainbow just got done texting me that Sonata got approved. Isn’t that great?” Fluttershy informed her.

“Of course it is. If I was less inhibited, I’d be jumping for joy like a moron.”

“Why didn’t you go with them then, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Dancer did in fact mind, but she might as well talk it out with someone.

“It’s a little personal. I was kinda not looking forward to seeing Twilight and Sunset. I don’t feel like… I’m ready to see them yet? Does that make sense?”

“I think so. Twilight told us about how you both used to be friends as kids. She’s actually been wanting to hang out with you, but things have been busy with her school work.”

“Gee, I didn’t know.” Dancer said sardonically. “It’s probably for the best if nothing happens between us anymore. I’m just some person from her past and it should stay that way.”

Fluttershy didn’t have an answer for that, instead picking at her food in the silence. They made some small talk while finishing their meals before awkwardly going their own ways.

When she got back to her dorm, Rainbow and Sonata were already home, both in good spirits.

“Dancer! Dancer look at this!” Sonata shouted, practically shoving some documents in her face. “I’m a real-life person now!”

“That’s pretty great, I’m proud of you.” Moondancer told her with a smile.

“So you are capable of being a nice person. It’s a miracle.” Rainbow teased.

“Shut up.”

Sonata was practically beaming looking at her papers, and thanks to her education, she could probably understand everything on it. Dancer then realized she was still holding onto her bag, and remembered an important question.

“So, umm, are you guys doing anything on Nightmare Night?” She asked.

“We’re gonna go trick and treating!” Sonata said full of energy.

“She means trick OR treating. Sonny never done it before so we thought we could give it a shot.” Rainbow explained.

“But she’s kinda old for that, isn’t she?” Dancer brought up.

“The worst that’s gonna happen is an adult says no or a dirty look. There’s literally no reason not to try. Besides, look at her, what person can possibly say no to all of this.” She said, motioning to the girl on the couch.

Sonata was swinging her legs, moving her body to a song that only she could hear with a wide smile. Dancer had to admit, this girl had a child-like charm.

“Why are you even asking? Is it—Oh my gods you can’t be serious!” Rainbow blurted, lunging at the shopping bag, snatching it from the bookworm’s grasp before she could react.

“H-hey! Give that back!” Dancer shouted to no avail. Rainbow was the taller girl.

Dash was able to shake off her flailing long enough to peek inside the bag.

“I was right! I didn’t think you had it in you but this is legit.”

Rainbow took out the costume to show. Moondancer was beet red.

“Aww, it’s a bat costume. I love bats!” Sonata praised.

Dancer’s face got even redder.

“You know what, this was stupid. It was a stupid idea and I’m leaving.” She said

“Hold on, I’m sorry, I went a little far.” Rainbow told her, giving her the bag back. “You can come with us on Nightmare Night. It’ll probably look great on you too.”

“Do you mean it? You’re not gonna prank me or anything?” Moondancer said with hesitation.

“Cross my heart or hope to fly.” Dash declared, doing some silly hand gesture.

“Okay, I’ll come with you guys.”


“Oh my goodness, we gonna have tons of fun!” Sonata exclaimed, hopping onto Dancer.



The sun was gonna set on the final day of October, and the girls were all putting the finishing touches on their costumes for the night. The bat costume turned out to be pretty snug, but it completely covered her body with some slight furriness, which was a godsend given how cold it turned out to be. In a flight of whimsy, Dancer even put a little paint on her noise to complete the get-up. Adding the ears and wings as accessories and it was complete.

She got done earlier than the others, so she waited on the couch, anticipating the results. Rainbow Dash came out next, wearing metallic looking armor and a clear purple-tinted visor.

“What’s this supposed to be?”

“I’m going as the hero from my favorite action franchise, Explodabot. Specifically, his look from Explodabot 2: Anatomy of Explosions.” Rainbow explained, doing a pose that would probably mean something to fans.

“It’s unnecessarily over the top and needlessly flashy, so it perfectly fits you.” Dancer said, giving a chuckle.

“Laugh it up fuzzball, at least I put up more of an effort in my costume than you did.”

She was about to make up a comeback, but Sonata came in. She was dressed as a witch, complete with a large brimmed hat and broom. In fact, that was the broom they owned!

“How do I look?” Sonata asked the two of them.

“You, uh, y-you, you look, uh…”

“You look gorgeous as fuck.” Rainbow told her, cutting through Dancer’s stuttering.

“Awww, thank you! I brought my candy cauldron and I’m super ready to go trick is treating.”

“Someday you’ll get it right. Let’s get going then so we could meet up with Fluttershy. You’re coming, right?” Rainbow asked, opening the door.

“Oh, me, y-yeah, wait for me.” Moondancer told them, strolling out of the dorm.

After double checking her belongings, Rainbow turned of the lights and closed the door behind them.
> Lacking Confidence
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nightmare Night turned out to be pretty fun. Only around half of the houses rejected Sonata, (one of them being very belligerent about it) but she got enough candy to fill her toy cauldron. She was nice enough to share it with the rest of the girls. When the trick or treating was done, Moondancer treated everyone to a movie afterward, since it wasn’t too late into the night. Nothing scary though, three out of four of the girls were not into horror movies.

When the fun was done, Fluttershy went back to her dorm while the rest went back to theirs. As soon as her futon was set up, Sonata slept nearly immediately, still in her costume. The two adults, however, rushed to clean up the kitchen first before it would start to reek overnight.

“Has she ever stayed up past ten?” Moondancer wondered, making small talk.

“She wakes up really early though. It’s probably a habit from her old lifestyle.” Rainbow speculated. “But if you two succeed in that bet with the dean, she won’t ever have to worry about going back to that shit. So, uh… thank you.”

Dancer immediately stopped sweeping to comprehend what was said.

“You really mean that, don’t you?”

“Well yeah, at first I thought you were in it for yourself, and it was completely justified, but any other person would’ve given up already. I’m confident that you actually do care about her.”

It was true, there was an inordinate amount of affection between her and Sonata. They have spent far more time together than she has with anyone else her age, and that’s only rivaled by her time with Twilight.

“You’re also gonna hate that I’m bringing this up, but I think that it goes a little beyond from caring, don’t it?” Rainbow said in an interrogating tone.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, where did that come from!?” Moondancer practically yelled, getting highly defensive.

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe it was a few hours ago when your brain was completely fried from seeing her in a costume? And keep your voice down.”

“That is not what that was about! I was merely taken aback at how well her clothing came together! I was stammering from appreciation!” Dancer quietly yelled.

“Whatever you say, but lemme tell you this. I’m fine with it as long as you know what you’d be getting into. But I swear to the heavens if you ever take advantage of her, I’m coming for ya.”

“Sheesh, I got the message the first five times. And why am I the one accused of having a crush? You practically smother her!” Dancer threw at her.

“Cuz it’s more of a big sister kind of relationship. I have a knack for them. Besides, she’s not really my type to be honest. I like girls who are a little more chill and low energy. Sort of down to earth and nice?”

Gee, I wonder who fits that description.

“I don’t feel comfortable talking about this anymore, okay? I’m just gonna sleep and pretend this conversation was part of a horrible nightmare.” Dancer said, resigning herself to her room.

What did Rainbow know anyways? It’s not like she was some kind of romance expert or whatever. So what if Sonata was pretty and cute and nice? There are plenty of girls just like that! Moondancer couldn’t think of any at the time, but that’s beside the point! Rainbow’s words kept bothering her past midnight. Sleep proved to be harder than she anticipated, and she was starting to get thirsty.

Dancer creaked her bedroom door open, tiptoeing through the dark hall. It looked like a lamp was dimly lit in the corner of the living room, leaving her enough light to get herself some water. When she poured herself a cup and looked around, she nearly jumped when she saw a shadowy figure on the futon moving. Good thing she recognized it was Sonata.

“Oh, uh, did something happen Sonata? Do you need anything?” Dancer asked, concerned why she’d be awake at this hour.

“No, it’s okay, I’m just thinking.” She answered a bit tersely.

Not too long ago Moondancer would’ve took that at face value and would leave, but that version of her never applies to this girl.

“Tell me about it.” Dancer said as she sat down on a kitchen chair.

“Well, I’m a little scared. I feel like even with all of your help I’m going to screw up on the test and you’ll get mad at me.” Sonata confessed.

Dancer couldn’t help but sigh. It was true that she could be intimidating sometimes, but this was the last person she ever wanted to feel that way about her.

“Look, I’m never going to get mad at you, Sonata. I promise. If anything, I’d be mad at myself for not doing a good enough job tutoring you.”

“Please don’t! You did the best job possible, and I’m super thankful for that.”

“That’s sweet of you. You’re gonna do great. I just know it, so don’t worry about it.”

Dancer got up and was going to get some sleep, but Sonata got up too.

“Oh, was there someth---“

Sonata just hugged her tightly. Moondancer didn’t know how to react to this. Was she supposed to say something? Where do her hands go? What do normal people do in situations like this!?

“You mean so much to me.” Sonata told her softly.

Dancer’s mind was racing with hundreds of possible actions to take next, none of them seeming right or appropriate. Good thing the siren was the next to take action, letting go and stepping back. Even in the dim light, she could see such a genuine smile on her face.

“Okay, ummm, I’m, uh, gonna catch some ‘z’s now if you don’t mind. ‘Night.” Why the fuck did she say that.

“Pleasant dreams!” She cheerfully said, hopping back on the futon.

Yeah, she’s definitely not going to sleep after this.
> Have Faith
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The last few days before the test were a whirlwind of cramming. As much as she hates to admit it, Moondancer was taking it easier with Sonata recently, which went against the study plan she set out in the beginning. Now they were paying the price for that lax attitude by being behind.

In the last two days they resigned themselves to scrambling for all the basic knowledge they could try to memorize in short notice. Sonata didn’t seem to notice that Dancer was growing more and more frayed knowing how badly she messed up.

On the day of the GED test, Gilda offered to give the three of them a ride to the building it took place in.

“Okay Sonata, tell me three things I taught you this week.”

“With every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, and the sun is a deadly laser.”

“That last one sounded a little off, but I’ll take it.”

“Now name three things that I taught you this week.” Rainbow told her.

“Lefty loosey, righty tighty; all cops are bastards, and always keep it 100.”

“That’s my girl! You’re gonna rock this test!”

They pulled up the building to drop off their friend, saying their byes. Since it was the morning and the test was only gonna take a bit over an hour the rest of them decided to get breakfast at a nearby restaurant.

“What’re you gonna order?” Gilda asked the rest of them, looking over the menu.

“Since you’re paying, it’s going to be the most expensive and ridiculous thing I can find here. I probably won’t even like it.”

“You’ve wounded me Dash. I’m utterly destroyed by this broken trust.” Gilda said with a megaton amount of sarcasm. “What about you nerd?”

“Oh, me? I don’t know, I don’t feel hungry right now. Thanks.”

“You sure?” Rainbow questioned. “I don’t think you even ate last night either.”

“And your knees haven’t stopped moving since you sat down. Did you take somethin’?” Gilda grilled her with.

“Of course not! I’m just… I’m worried about Sonata is all.”

“I am too, but you gotta be confident in her. You did the best you could. Granted, you were the one who put the time limit yourself, but yeah.” Rainbow assured her.

“You don’t get it. If she fails, then that meant I failed her. I’ll be the one who ultimately fucked up because of my fucking stupid pride and wanting to do this in a month!” Moondancer shouted.

It was loud enough that people started staring in hushed murmur. This just made her feel even worse! She sighed and laid her head on the table. She didn’t bother lifting up even when the waitress came to take their orders. Gilda graciously ordered pancakes for her, but there was no point in that gesture.

“Why am I so bad at life?” Dancer wondered in a muffled voice.

“Bad? You’re one of the smartest girls I know. Hell, you’re practically the smartest in school.”

“I’m the second smartest…”

“And that matters because?” Gilda questioned, not lifting her eyes from her phone.

“Because it does!” She shouted right at her. The chatter of the crowd completely disappeared, and people began to stare. Moondancer ran out of the restaurant in embarrassment.

“Wow, what the fuck was that about?”

“She’s hurting from something.” Rainbow said. “I’m going to see what’s wrong. Can you take care of our food when it gets here?”

“Nope.” She answered, looking back at her phone.

“Fair enough.”

Dash looked up and down the street for any sign of Moondancer, finding her sitting on a bus stop bench, sitting with her legs up to her chest on the verge of tears. Rainbow didn’t say anything, sitting beside her. After a minute, Dancer finally said something.

“Aren’t you going to give some sort of dumb pep talk? Wasn’t that something generic you and your friends used to do?”

“I’m not the one who needs to do the talking. It seems like you’re holding some stuff in that needs to be let it out.”

“And? What good will talking about my shitty life will do? It’s not like it’ll make any difference.”

“Try me.” Rainbow said with a smile.

“Fuck it. I’m not feeling well because I banked everything on Sonata helping me get the title for valedictorian because without it there isn’t anything to me. Nothing. There.”

“Seriously? Why does it matter so much that you need to prove you’re the smartest person at the school?”

“Because if I’m not the best at this crappy college than what the hell am I? Garbage, that’s what. Just some nameless refuse that nobody cares about.”

“Okay, I admit, Cloudsdale isn’t exactly the best, but it’s still decent. My old man got his soccer career started there.”

“That was 30 years ago! Right now it’s a dumpster fire that people only go to if they’re poor or as a last resort… like me. I was supposed to be accepted into Antares University, but I didn’t so I’m stuck here. I’m trapped in a failure of my own machinations because I didn’t have a backup plan in case I got rejected. My life is over because I was an overconfident dumbass!”

Moondancer put her legs back on the floor. She let a lot out in anger, and she honestly did feel a little better after venting. Only a little.

“Could I ask you one thing?” Rainbow queried.

“What’s that?”

“Do you hate Treehugger?”

This gave her pause.

“I did, at first. I was jealous that there was someone better than me at something. I was even thinking of ways to get back at her. I eventually let it go, though.”

“Because of Sonata, huh.”

“Well… yeah. I sort of focused on her succeeding than I did about myself getting ahead. If doing this makes her happy, then… I’ll be happy too.”

When she said it out loud, it almost felt like a revelation.

“I told ya you’re in love. You’re getting closer to being a human every day.”

“Shut up. But… thanks, for the other stuff. I guess I really did need to vent it out to feel better. I suppose whether or not Sonata passes, it won’t matter because we’ll try again.”

“Come on then, let’s go back and eat before the food gets cold. You are hungry now, right?”

“Oh, I suppose I am.”

“Then hurry! Get those legs moving!” Rainbow commanded, running down the street.

Even though running wasn’t her thing, Moondancer felt compelled to try and catch up with her friend.
> Our Future is Bright
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Things were seemingly normal after the test. It took a lot longer than they expected to finish it, but the results were going to be posted the same day. Sonata didn’t really say much on the ride home, and was quiet in the dorm too. Looks like the nervousness passed on to someone else. Rainbow tried to get her talking about getting her furniture for the dorm she’s totally going to have soon, but it was one sided. She was just silent, save for a few grunts and nods.

It was almost 5pm, when the results were approximately going to be emailed.

“Sonata, you do remember the password to the email we made together, right?” Moondancer asked.

“I do, but aren’t you going to be here for it?” Sonata said, a little frightened.

“I’m sorry, but I’m going to see the dean. There’s something I want to talk to him about. But I’ll be back soon. I promise.”

As she left, Dancer felt the sadness radiating from her friend, but this was something she had to do.

                At a brisk pace, she was able to make it to the office before he left. She didn’t bother knocking on the door, letting herself in. Like last time, Discord was quickly putting away files into his briefcase, pausing the moment she came in. He shot her a disdainful look, but what else was new?

                “I was hoping you would forget about this whole meaningless title thing by this point, but hey, life still continues to prove me wrong.” The dean said, taking a seat. “Now Ms. Dancer, I assume you’re here to gloat about succeeding, or to beg for a second chance. I’m personally hoping for option two.”

                “It’s neither. I wanted to talk about Sonata. I don’t care about ‘winning’ right now; I want to focus on what happens to my friend and whether or not she gets to have that scholarship.”

“Do my ears deceive me? Are you doing something selfless for once? Isn’t this what people call a miracle?” He said with a devilish grin.

“Please, I’m being serious. I want a guarantee that my friend gets to come here. I’ll do anything it takes.”

“Anything? Even something completely ridiculous and demeaning?” Discord chuckled. He was completely enjoying this like an asshole.

“Yes.”

They looked each other in the eyes. As much as he stared right through her, she didn’t waiver. His smile faded, and he looked serious for once.

“Well then, what are her test scores? I want to know what I’ll be working with.” He genuinely asked.

“Oh, um, I don’t know them yet. They’re supposed to be posted at five.”

“Then I’ll be staying a little longer.”

Discord stood up and motioned for her to use his computer. She hesitantly got up to take up his offer. This had to be some kind of new mind fuck he was trying out, and she was the guinea pig. There was no way he would ever be this lenient.

Moondancer logged into the email account it would be coming in, waiting patiently for 5pm. It was a very uncomfortable wait; having an older man looking over your shoulder would do that to you. She eventually resorted to refreshing the page just begging for the results to come in.

And then they did.

All the fear and anxiety she had earlier came rushing back in the moment she saw it. Dancer had to practically force herself to open it, if not for her sake, then for the dean. As soon as she clicked it, she looked away with eyes closed. Discord however did see the results.

“Interesting.”

Interesting!? What the fuck does interesting mean right now!? There was no point in delaying the inevitable, opening her eyes. There was a flurry of words and numbers to skim through, but it became clear. She passed. Not only did she pass, but it was a perfect score.

“Oh my goddess.” Dancer whispered to herself.

“Well, it seems you were as good of a tutor as you said. I’m rightfully impressed by these results. I fully expect Ms. Dusk to enroll in this school as soon as she can.”

“You really mean it?”

“Surprising as it may be, I am a man of my word. I assume you still want me to name you valedictorian?”

“Well… no, I’m just happy that me and her will be going to the same college together, but I appreciate.”

“Hm, very well then, I believe this concludes our business. I’ll let you know what else needs to be done for enrollment, but for now I’ll be leaving.”

She didn’t need to be told twice, practically jumping up and running out the door. She had to hurry and see the look on Sonata’s face! The motivation of seeing the girl that matters the most to her being so happy helped her to ignore how tired all this running was making her. To see that smile that makes her feel warm. She was so happy she could practically…

Moondancer stopped right outside of the door into the dormitory. Why did it take her this long to admit it to herself? She was in love. The problem now was what the hell to do with it? Why did Rainbow had to be right? There wasn’t anything she could do about it just standing around, finally going in and climbing the stairs. She could tell she was getting closer because there was loud, happy yelling.

This was it. The moment she walks through that door, everything in her life was going to be drastically different. And that was great. She opened the door, and Sonata was jumping up and down the couch. Fluttershy and Treehugger were here too, enjoying the celebration.

“Dancer! I did it! I did it I did it I did it!” Sonata shouted joyfully, hopping down.

“I know, I was in the dean’s office showing him the results. You’re gonna enroll this coming semester.” Moondancer explained. “Congrats on passing.”

“Wow, I’m very glad all of this worked out in the end.” Fluttershy said.

“Yeah, we gotta celebrate an’ junk.” Treehugger suggested. “Lemme order some food to pick up.”

“Good idea, I’m gonna get some movies from my room we can watch.” Fluttershy told them.

“Make sure you get enough food for six, I’m gonna pick up Gilda from work right now.” Rainbow said to Tree.

All three of them left together, leaving her behind with Sonata. Looks like she had to sort her feelings sooner than expected. Well, there’s no time like the present.

“So, Sonata, there’s something I would like to confess. You see, when you spend a lot of time together with a very kind, beautiful person, you start to— “

Dancer was cut off by Sonata rushing to her side and kissing her. It completely caught her by surprise. It couldn’t have lasted more than 2 seconds, but it felt like forever before she pulled away.

“Gosh, I’ve been wanting to do that for a while.” Sonata said happily.

“But, but…” Dancer stammered.

“That’s what you wanted right?”

“Yes! But you didn’t let me finish! I had a whole monologue planned for this moment!”

“Ooops, do you wanna finish it then?”

“W-well, there’s no point to it now…” She mumbled, her face growing red, probably both from excitement and embarrassment. “Soooo, I don’t really know what to do now, honestly.”

“I know that girlfriends hold hands, kiss and send flowers and chocolates to each other, but I don’t know much more than that.” Sonata explained. “I never had a girlfriend before.”

“Um… do you want to figure it out together?”

“I’d love that. And… I love you.”

“I love you too!” Moondancer practically shouted. She’s never said that sentence before and wanted the first one to count. Maybe she overdid it.

The two of them sat down and talked for a bit, about their wants and needs, their aspirations and what’s next in their relationship. Soon all their friends came back, and they both broke the news to them toghether. Treehugger made a point that they had to celebrate twice as hard now. The rest of the night was just all of them talking, watching movies and eating take out.

The fun had to end eventually. Fluttershy and Treehugger left first since Flutters had to get up early in the morning. Gilda was last since her and Rainbow kept going on about what they have planned for the next game. She did leave eventually, and the three of them had to pick up the dorm afterwards.

Sonata did the sweeping while she and Rainbow had the kitchen.

“So, what was it about me reading too into things and probably being wrong?” Dash said snidely, wiping down the counters.

“Shut up, you were right once.”

Once cleaning was done, Rainbow headed straight to bed, and Sonata started setting up the futon. Moondancer lingered behind.

“Um, you know, you don’t have to sleep on this tonight.” Dancer said, a little sheepishly.

“I don’t? Where else could I sleep?”

“Well, uh, my room has a bed in it, and it’s not exactly small.”

“Oh?” Sonata said, a little confused. Then her eyes widened. “Oh! Duh! Yeah I wanna see your room.”

“Oh no, that’s true. I haven’t let you in it before.” She said a little mournfully.

“But now you can make up for it!” Sonata said with a little giggle.

Dancer nodded. “I guess we have a lot to make up for, but I have nothing but time for you.”

She motions for Dusk to come in, placing an index finger up to her mouth, pointing at Rainbow’s room. They quietly went inside, the door silently closing behind them.