Johannes hasn't come to Equestria to get away from his past, just take a break from it, and find himself in the process. A new relationship is the furthest thing from his mind right now. But life has a way of surprising us, for better and for worse.
One night, on Hearth's Warming, Diamond Tiara returned to her hometown of Ponyville. She'd hoped that some things might have changed. She didn't expect somepony to change so much.
"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me." If you squint hard enough, that sort of sounds like a green light to insult your friends and establish dominance. Dash is really good at squinting.