Fateful Encounter

It's really strange from time to time just how fate and destiny will work out at times. How no-one under no circumstances ever knows for sure by what method they're gonna play out or if they're working at all or even exist. Although a number of people for sure life was still only a matter of free will and the choices you make. Not anything to do with something as vague and silly as luck, chance or even so-called fate or destiny.

Others truly believe everyone had a destiny that was theirs alone and they just had to hope to figure it out as fate made it play out in the manner of its choosing. There was also a small group who believe it's a bit of both. That yes life had both fate and destiny but also you did have the choices and free will mixed into it as well.

It was mostly likely the ones who believed in both that were the most correct. For that seemed to be the most truth for many people. Yet it was still up for debate for a lot of people as well, this would be one that no side would ever truly win over the masses as it was still really a personal opinion and belief.

At the moment Twilight Sparkle wasn't thinking about any of those things. She wasn't thinking about fate or destiny or anything of that nature. What she was thinking about was she was gonna be late to her biology class. Somehow she had taken a wrong turn and ended up on the wrong side of the school and now was racing to get to her classroom.

The other girls couldn't help her at the moment. As after they'd gotten done with their lunch and gotten their books for the rest of the afternoon everyone had took off so fast as they didn't want be late either.

Sunset surely didn't want to be late for her English test. She was the only one heading off to English. Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity were heading off to Family Studies and they had a test unknowingly await them in that too. Rainbow Dash and Applejack had to get to Art Class and they'd their own unexpected test to do there. It'd appeared Twilight's sixth sense when it came to pop quizzes had never been wrong yet as it looked like all the teachers were surprising everyone with pop quizzes today!

So she was racing as fast as she could to find the right classroom for biology before the final bell rang. Yet she wasn't the only one running late and that was when fate seemed to make itself known as fate and Twilight collided literally.

She wasn't looking where she was going and neither was the young man hurrying down the corridor from the opposite direction. He wasn't looking at all and then BAM AND SMACK!

Both Twilight and the boy hit each other full force and knocked each other out for approximately 35 seconds. Both groaned and moaned as they tried to get their wits about them.

All around them both the contents of their backpacks and all that they'd been carrying was spewed all over the place and Twilight's glasses were knocked right off her face and Spike had been thrown from his hiding place and was trying to regain his own wits. Also some of Twilight's hair was falling out of its bun.

It was the boy who regained his wits first. "Oh! I'm so sorry for running you down, milady! Here let me help you up," he apologized swiftly as he helped her up but she couldn't see him at all being blind as a bat without her glasses.

"My glasses! I can't see! Oh, I cannot afford a new pair if they're broken!"

"Don't worry, it looks like your doggy has them. Here boy. Thanks, good boy," the boy said as he petted Spike who made a happy sound while wagging his tail. "Here you go," he said as he handed them back to which Twilight put them on and let out a gasp.

She was looking at Fledge Dreamwings for the first time and he was looking at her for the first time. He had met just about everyone else already in this school but knew he'd not seen this girl before. He smiled politely and while blushing a bit he bent down and started to pick up everything she'd dropped.

"Oh, there no need to do that. I can get it myself," she stammered as he finished getting everything and handed it back to her with her new bookbag.

"No its better manners for a gentlemen to help a young lady out. I should've watched where I was going, but I was running late for class. I'm new here and well I just started this morning actually and to be honest? I've never really been out too much in the real world. So this is a strange new world to me," he chuckled embarrassingly as he played with his bronze ponytail.

"I'm new here too. I just started today myself. I just transferred here from Crystal Prep. My whole family always attended Crystal Prep, but umm… the events during the Friendship Games…um…well they just made me want to come here instead. I was going to go originally to an independent study program. Though now I want to learn something I wouldn't have learned by myself and that's friendship."

"Well, no-one should be a loner whether it's willingly or unwillingly. My only friend up till now, Helena who's actually is my family's personal assistant, always told me people need people and no-one should have to suffer the undesirable fate of being alone, especially when it's such an avoidable one."

Twilight looked at him curiously at the same time she was fixing her hair bun. "I guess I did willingly chose to be alone, but as my only friend at my old school Dean Cadence said, it's not a bad thing to be around people. It's really how you learn the most about yourself."

"Yeah, I didn't chose to be alone willingly, but it was mostly for the reason that of my overprotective mother, Strawberry. She's a good affectionate mom and all, don't get me wrong, I love her very much. On the other hand, her fears are so irrational at times, it's ugh! Just convincing her to let me attend Canterlot High was next to impossible!"

"I can relate somewhat to that. I mean my big brother Shining Armor is very protective of me and he actually said this morning when he dropped me off before heading to orientation at Golden Dreamstone College. He just got accepted into it just after the Friendship Games ended. The point is he said he rather me be safer here at Canterlot then stay at Crystal Prep. So I understand having a family member that only looks out for your best interests, but every now and then it feels like they're not letting you breath."

Both of them laughed a bit at that and then smiled pleasantly at each other. "You're such a sweet and nice girl. Oh, where are my manners? My name is Fledge Dreamwings. Who do I have the honor of making the acquaintance of?" he inquired in an inquisitive nonetheless polite manner as he bowed respectfully and held out his hand to shake and she took it.

"My name is Twilight Sparkle and this little guy down here is Spike my dog. He seems to like you and he's always been a pretty good judge of character. Nice to meet you, Fledge."

"Nice to meet you, Twilight."

For a moment the two just looked at each other with a strange look and Spike couldn't figure out what that look meant, but ducked quickly back into the bookbag as the door to the classroom next them opened and the teacher came out.

"Uh mm. I know you're both new here and I don't doubt you both got a little lost on your way to my classroom, but the bell did ring two seconds ago. Though I won't mark you tardy or anything.

So if you Mr. Dreamwings and you Ms. Sparkle would please come into the classroom and sit down that will be fine. We're having a pop quiz today and I'd like to see how you both do with something not scheduled. So please come in?" the woman whose pink hair was in a high braided ponytail and dressed in nice canary yellow top and ebony black skirt requested politely to the two teenagers who still seemed lost in each other eyes.

For a second it looked like the spell wouldn't be broken, yet Spike managed to kick Twilight who stumbled forward into Fledge's arms unexpectedly. It was this unexpected action that woke up him up and out of the trance just from her touch.

Both of them began to blush intensely and quickly pulled out of the unforeseen embrace and smiled apologetically to their new teacher while still looking very awkwardly at each other.

"Oh, sorry, Ms. Destine, we did get a little turned around. We're sorry for being late. It won't happen again, we promise."

"It's perfectly okay with me, Mr. Dreamwings, I except it for the first week when a new student starts, still I'd like to pass out the pop quiz so if you two will take a seat at the last table on the left side so we can start that be really good of both of you."

"Yes, of course, Ms. Destine. Right away." Twilight said as she started to trip over her own tongue whilst still blushing as pink as the stripe in her hair as she and Fledge made their way to their assigned table.

As they hurried swiftly to get to their worktable one and all they passed gave Fledge another lovesick look, however he didn't seem too noticed this time at all. He was just slightly blushing as he and Twilight sat down at their table and glanced at each other quickly then looked away.

Ms. Destine was now standing in front of her class and clapped her hands in a certain rhythm and everyone clapped back and seemed to be at attention. Smiling the teacher began to talk.

"Well, as I just told our newest Wondercolts a moment ago before they came in, today we're are having a pop quiz," and everyone moaned loudly at this, the teacher merely smiled and carried on.

"Now, now, my Wondercolts, how can we be sure you're paying attention and learning anything if we don't occasionally surprise you? You can cram greatly the night before, but does it stick with you? I don't think so many times. So let's see what you've paid attention too.

The test here is four pages long and each page covers a different subject matter we've been studying this year. First page covers what we learned about human anatomy, second page cover ecology, third page is on genetics and finally the four page is on evolution. You've till the end of the class to finish the test. I will not tell you though if this will or will not count for your grade," she said as she finished passing out the tests to everyone who looked nervous.

Twilight felt calm and relaxed about the test, taking tests never bother her or made her have any panic or worry. On the other hand, today something was very different as she couldn't help but feel her heart fluttered a bit when Fledge handed her, her copy of the test. It felt in that the split second it took to hand her the test she felt she might've a heart attack from how fast her heart was going. Trying to calm down she tried to focus on the test and not how crazy her heart was behaving.

Once everyone had their tests and Ms. Destine was back at the front of the class she looked up at the clock and said, "You can start in five, four, three, two, one, NOW!" and then everyone was immediately busy trying to take the test and hope they passed it.

The next forty-five minutes may've lasted a very long time to other students but too Twilight it seemed to only last a few minutes. She of course was the first one done in the whole class and felt pretty confident that she was gonna get an A+ for sure on this test.

Because she finished first she had about ten minutes to look around and see how the other students seem to be faring. Everyone seem to have a lot of anxiety and just handling the pop quiz differently. One table at front of the class on the right side of teacher's desk caught her attention the most for some unknown reason.

One student in particular, a girl who always referred to herself in the third person as "The Great and Powerful Trixie", looked to be struggling the most as were the other two girls at her table. A girl with a crossed eyed look known as Derpy and the other girl at the table a redhead girl with hearts on her skirt who Twilight later learned her name was Rose Heart.

The three of them seemed to be struggling a lot with each a different page. Though it was fair to say everyone but herself seemed to be freaked out by a pop quiz. Therefore she assumed that they didn't get them as often here as they did at her old school of Crystal Prep.

She glanced quickly at Fledge on her right who seemed to be handling the stress well and not having a problem taking a test when he'd not ever been in a school of any kind before. She looked quickly away before he noticed her looking into those soulful beautiful copper eyes of his.

Finally time was up and Ms. Destine collected the papers and released the students so they could go to their next class. Twilight was very slow on getting her things and was the last one to leave and she found the door was being hold open by Fledge.

"Thank you. You do seem to be very much a gentleman as a few of my new friends told me at lunch."

"I may not have a lot of experience in what you may refer to the real world, but good manners are very important. Especially when you're dealing with the kind of people that come to my house daily."

"I guess it can't be easy for you, being from such a wealthy and famous family. My new friends told me a bit about your family, not that I was really paying much attention to it to be honest. I was a bit more concerned about biology then paying attention."

"It's actually nice that you say that."

"Why?"

"I've been getting nothing but all day all girls in this school giving me a lovesick grins and the guys asking me for tips to get girls and I know by now the whole school knows who my parents are. Yet you're treating me like just a normal guy. It's actually nice to have someone treat you like a person and not just like you for your looks or how much you may have in the bank."

"Well, I've actually gone pretty unnoticed for almost my whole life to be honest. No-one before my new friends here ever talked to me or really noticed me. I was just invisible and ignored. Or when people at my old school did looked they looked at me as if something was wrong. Like I was a just some pariah that shouldn't have been allowed to walk the hallow halls of Crystal Prep. That's really how it was.

All because I wasn't so intensely into winning like the rest of them. I actually preferred learning things over winning them. Like being the one to think was something wrong," she told him sadly as they walked slowly down the hallway together to their next class which they'd both be in again.

"So I'm being noticed for my good looks, charm and money, and you're unnoticed because you're not this ostentations and glamorous young woman? There's nothing wrong with being smart and not trying to show all you've got.

I mean I think it's important to look and feel good and just let yourself shine, but you don't have to go overboard."

"I'm never been one to really think about how I look given again I've been so overlooked I've never even thought about how I might change how I look to be noticed if I wanted too."

"Well, I guess we both want to be noticed and accepted for who we are and I'm positive, Twilight if you just tried, you could be so much more beautiful than you think you are. You're surely not ugly at all, you're really quite nice, so there's no reason to stay in the cocoon any longer. So why not let the butterfly come out and be free?"

"Umm…we're here at computer class now. I think we should focus on the binary and codes now and not about things of that nature," she spoke fast as she hurried into the computer lab and took a seat in the far back.

Fledge still chose to sit next to her which only made her feel even funnier on the inside. She was grateful when she saw all the other girls file into the room. Though by now the classroom was so full that all her friends were way in the front and didn't seem to see her in the last row as they're all in the front row.

In fact it was only Sunset who noticed Twilight at all. She was the last one into classroom five seconds before the bell rang. She tripped as she came running into the room and slammed into the computer desk and barely managed not to yell out in pain. It was when she was holding back screaming she noticed Twilight sitting in the back for some reason. The other girls hadn't noticed that Twilight was by herself, nor did they become aware at the fact that the new boy was sitting right next to her.

Still before Sunset could tell the girls or if they could rearrange seats their teacher came in and then the class was busy with learning how to set up pretend websites for advertising and other things of that nature.

Yet again Sunset seemed to know a lot already about how to use a computer to set up websites and about advertising in general. Like their Languages teacher had praised her before, so did their computer teacher.

It wasn't till the computer teacher took interest in how well Twilight was doing as well that any of the other girls noticed her at all. Though it looked like Twilight was just as proficient as Sunset was with computers.

When class finally ended the other girls rushed over to Twilight to talk to her about how she'd been since lunch.

"How you doing right now, sugarcube? We've ain't seen you since lunch. I reckon though you're right about a pop quiz though? Since it seemed like as far we all can tell every single class after lunch had a quiz or test of some kind." Applejack drawled as they walked pass the school library and on their way to study hall.

"It'd seem you do have a bit of an uncanny sense about surprise testing, darling. Aside from Sunset here, none of us knew that the teachers were all in the mood to spring a pop quiz on the entire student body. Oh, how I was so unprepared to take a test to know if I remembered the difference between babies and toddlers! It was so umm…"

"It was like a bad surprise party that was for sure! The teachers sure were meanies today to give everyone after lunchtime something to upset their tummies! Oh it was so not worth laughing about at all." Pinkie Pie bemoaned as she seemed to have lost the spring in her step from that unexpected test.

"I think that's why it's called a pop quiz, girls. So we don't know what's coming. It wouldn't be a pop quiz if it wasn't a pop or a surprise would it?" Fluttershy said in a bit of a timid voice.

"Well even if that's true, Fluttershy it was so un-awesome and like what does a star athlete like myself really need to know about some long dead and dumb finger painters from like a zillion years ago! Like who cares who Monty, Doggy, Pizzeria or Pistachio are?" Rainbow Dash muttered disgustedly.

"You mean, Rainbow Dash, Monet, Degas, Pissarro, and Picasso who were all famous painters. The first three were Impressionists and the first one has a work of art in New York City's Museum of Modern Art that holds his canvas of water lilies…." Sunset started to correct her then stopped as everyone was looking at her again weirded out by some of the things she seemed to really know, but how she knew them so well they didn't know.

"How in tarnation do you know all this stuff, Sunset? Like I reckon you and Twilight are pretty darn smart, you both are probably the smartest people to ever walk the halls of Canterlot High. Yet you've done I reckon alone today more impressive things that we thought we see from Twilight here then what we expected from you, is all I'm saying he-uh?"

Now Sunset looked as awkward and as uncomfortable as Twilight been feeling for the last two hours. Coming to Sunset's rescue Twilight spoke up. "You know it's not exactly hard for some people to learn things. I mean look we did just past the library and there is the whole Internet.

Some things come easier to other people then they do others. I mean you all did tell me Sunset here is one of the brightest students here at Canterlot High. So is it really that shocking that she knows a lot of things? You already said you knew she was gifted in things such as math, science and computers. Why is the fact she knows about artists or is just got a knack for languages that unusual?

Especially given what really is consider unusually when you all get pony ears, tails and some of you wings? So what's so freaky about Sunset being knowledgeable about other subjects?" Twilight pointed out in a small voice.

She still wasn't that good at talking to others yet and it wasn't helping her heart was still pounding from spending the last two hours sitting next to the new boy. Why was her body acting like this? She couldn't figure out the logical reason as to why she was feeling so funny around a boy who was just being nice to her as she was nice to him.

Sunset Shimmer looked very grateful at Twilight whose logical reasons had gotten her out of explaining for now where some of her talent and knowledge was really coming from. There were other reasons for her knowledge and talent in much of today's classes, though she was determined never to let anyone at Canterlot High know all her secrets. She'd rather die or go back to being a blank flank in Equestria before letting anyone of this world know her secrets.

With the matter settled for the moment the girls hurried off to their last period of the day which was study hall. Just before they entered the classroom where their study hall was to be, Sunset caught Twilight's left wrist and pulled her aside for a moment.

"Thank you so much for helping me a moment ago, Twilight. I really owe you big time for the rescue. You have no idea how you just saved me a moment ago," she whispered urgently at the same time glancing around to make sure they're not overheard.

"I'm not sure how I saved you, Sunset Shimmer, I only know what it's like to be uncomfortable and put it a position you really don't want to talk about something. Or you've got something you wish to keep private. I'm not sure again what I just did but you're welcomed all the same."

"Well, still, Twilight, thanks, so if I can do anything to help save you in a jam I'll do it. So let's get the rest of the school day over with, shall we?" as they walked into study hall and all the girls were soon happily gossiping and of course also quizzing each other on all of today's classes. No-one noticed that watching them all out of the corner of his copper eyes was Fledge.

He was right now at the other end of the study hall room and some of the other guys including his assigned buddy Flash Sentry were busy helping him. He was at least glad for now that it seemed that everyone at least by day's end had gotten over the initial shock of him and hopefully by the end of the first week he could walk the halls without all the girls swooning over him.

Till that day hopefully came he was just watching the Mane Seven and still looking intensely at Twilight. When he looked at her he felt emotions, sensations and feelings he had surely never felt before either. Just looking at her made his heart beat so fast he thought it would burst out of his chest or come out his throat. Not sure which one would happen first.

Finally the last bell rang and everyone was eager to get out of school have a few hours to goof off before going home to eat dinner then do their homework. Everyone was moving so fast to get out the door Fledge almost for a second thought he miss his chance.

He was acting on an impulse, though he felt that he'd never get another chance to do what he was setting himself to do even if was like the scariest thing he'd ever done.

He hurried to the main entrance and watched as Twilight said goodbye to her new friends. He got close enough to hear all the other girls except Sunset Shimmer were going straight home and they be there tomorrow for their new friend as well. With one final group hug the girls parted ways. He watched as five of the girls parted ways and headed to their respective homes. The girl Sunset just headed over to the Wondercolt statute and began writing in a journal.

Twilight sighed and seemed to remember at the moment she had left something in her locker and hurried to go get it. He was hoping to get her alone. He quickly found her struggling to get her new locker open. Taking a deep breath he seized his chance.

"Hey, Twilight! Need a little help?" he called out and she nearly fell over again from being surprised by his sudden appearance.

"Fledge! Umm, yeah….never had much luck with lockers I'm afraid. I think they hate me for some reason. Shouldn't you be outside waiting to be picked up? I mean school just ended and you did say how your mom's a bit of a worrywart…" she said nervously as he walked over and worked magic on her locker lock.

"Don't worry about my mom at the moment, Twilight. She and my Dad are gonna be busy for the rest of the day trying to chat over the computer to both Paris and London at the same time.

They're doing this project to gather some of items to represent culture knowledge of some of Europe's most famous cities as part of one of their philanthropy projects. They'll be so busy with it all week I don't have to worry too much.

Beside Helena will most likely give me about twenty extra minutes to just chill after my first day of high school before finally getting me. She knows my mom may have a cow, but she also knows that Mom needs to be shown I'll fine in the real world. Got it!" he said as he got the combination lock on the locker to open.

"Thanks, Fledge! I just needed to grab a few books and then go outside and call my brother. I know he's not gonna get back from the college till after 5:45 and its only 3: 25 now. I'm sure I'll be fine just waiting for him or maybe I'll just hang out with Sunset till he comes to get me."

"Sounds good. Um… can I ask you something?" he asked nervously as he was blushing intensely and tugging at his long ponytail again.

"Um sure….what do you want to ask me?" she asked in her own nervousness.

"I was wondering if…." He mumbled the last part and she gave him a look.

"Um pardon me? What did you just say? I couldn't hear you."

"I was asking if you'd might like to hang out this Saturday night? You know we could I don't know go see a movie together and might go get something to eat as well? You know just sorta hang out for a few hours?" he asked nervously and know Twilight was speechless not believing what was just happening.

"Umm…are you asking me out? Like on a …" gulping… "A DATE?!"

"Yes, I guess that's what I'm doing. Though I'm not sure I'm doing it exactly right…" he chuckled nervously. "But would you please go out with me this Saturday night?"

Twilight was frozen for a few moments and even Spike still hiding in her backpack was quiet and just listened with baited breath before she managed to squeak out.

"Yes. I mean yes I'll go out with you this Saturday night."

"Great! I'll pick you up at your place around six-thirty?"

"Yes. That's fine."

"Great! Well…see you then, Twilight! I've got to get going. Helena should be waiting now for me! See you later! Bye!" and he dashed down the hall leaving Twilight standing alone in the empty school hallways just frozen in shock.

"Twilight? You okay? Twilight?" Spike asked as he poked his head out of the bag but Twilight at the moment was too stunned to speak and then he had to jump out of the bag as she fainted onto the hallway floor completely out cold.

"Twilight! Twilight! Wake up! Oh, boy! This is something else! C'mon, Twilight! Wake up!" Spike tried in vain to wake up his owner but he most likely wasn't gonna arouse her for several minutes.

For the impossible for Twilight had just happened. SHE HAD JUST BEEN ASKED OUT ON HER VERY FIRST DATE! OH BOY! WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN NOW?!