One morning at Fluttershy's cottage, the pegasus was fixing some breakfast, as Anton came downstairs dressed and washed up.
"Morning, Fluttershy." he greeted.
"And good morning to you too, Anton. Did you sleep well?" she asked.
"Like a log." he stretched, before going to the table.
"I'm glad. Well, eat up. Today's your first day at school, and you don't wanna be late."
"I know." Anton nodded, as he ate his flapjacks.
After breakfast, Fluttershy was walking Anton the the school house. Upon arrival, Anton saw various fillies and colts from his welcome party go inside.
"Ok, Anton, this is it."
"Yeah. New school in a different universe."
"Scared?"
"Truthfully a tad." he admitted.
"Don't worry. I promise you will be fine." Fluttershy nuzzled him.
"Fluttershy!"
The two saw the CMC trotting over, "Oh, good morning, girls."
"Good morning, Anton." the three greeted the boy.
"Good morning to you too." he replied.
"You excited for your first day?" Applebloom asked.
"Sort of."
"Sort of?" Scootaloo wondered.
"In case you don't realize I will be sticking out among the other students."
"Don't worry about it,we'll show you the ropes and you'll fit in just fine." Sweetie Belle promised.
"You three make sure he doesn't get into trouble." Fluttershy instructed them.
"You got it, Fluttershy." Applebloom replied.
"Come on, Anton." Sweetie Belle said, as the three pushed Anton forward to the school.
"Bye, Anton!" Fluttershy said.
"Bye, Fluttershy." he called, as he entered the building.
Fluttershy watched him go in, while feeling a burst of joy like a mother feels when watching their child go to school for the first time. She eventually fluttered off.
Inside the school, Anton and the CMC headed for the classroom before stopping to see their teacher, "Good morning, Ms. Cheerilee." the three fillies greeted her.
"Good morning, girls. And how're we this morning?"
"Very good." Sweetie Belle answered.
"Ms. Cheerilee, this is Anton the boy Fluttershy just enrolled here." Scootaloo introduced.
"And, Anton, this is Ms. Cheerilee the schools' teacher." Applebloom added.
Cheerilee smiled remembering Anton from the party Pinkie held him, "It's nice to meet you, Anton."
"And nice to meet you too, ma'am." Anton greeted her respectively.
"It's so nice to have another student at school. Especially one as unique as you."
"Really?"
Cheerilee nodded, "I know it'll seem hard for you, but if you ever have any problems don't be afraid to come to me."
"And you can tell us about your problems too." Applebloom added.
"Thanks, girls. I'll be sure to do that." Anton smiled.
"Good. Well, run along you four. Class will be starting soon."
"Yes, Ms. Cheerilee." the four said before heading for class.
Inside the classroom, the kids were taking the seats at their desks while Anton took an empty one around the middle. As he sat many of the kids looked at him in wonder, while Anton himself just acted casually.
Cheerilee approached the front of the class, "Good morning, everypony."
"Good morning, Ms. Cheerilee." the students greeted her back.
"Before we begin our lesson, I'd like you all to join me in welcoming a new student who will be joining us from this point on. Anton, would you please come up here?"
Anton got up and walked in front of the class and looked out at them, "Now introduce yourself." Cheerilee instructed, as Anton nodded and spoke up.
"Hello. My name's Anton MacLeod. It's very nice to meet you all."
The students knowing what to do, spoke up, "Hello, Anton."
"Very good class. And thank you, Anton." Cheerilee said, as Anton went back to his seat.
To his right was a colt who looked to be the smallest among the ponies who offered his hoof.
"Nice to meetcha, Anton. My name's Pipsqueak. But call me Pip."
Anton shook it, "Nice to meet you too, Pip."
"As Pony class president, allow me to be the first to welcome you to our school."
"Thanks." Anton smiled seeing how this was turning out to be good so far, while unaware of an earth colt was watching him from back of class giving him a bitter look.
As class went on, Anton was enjoying the lessons Cheerilee was giving about the basic mathematical problems, as well as pony history and what not.
As Anton listened to the lectures, he thought, 'This class does feel like a grade below what I take, but hey if I work at it with my own pace I could get skipped ahead if I'm lucky enough.'
When recess came, the kids went to their playground to have some fun. Anton and the CMC were the last few out of the school.
They walked around, as Applebloom spoke, "So Anton. What do you think of school so far?"
"It's nice. A little small, but nice." he admitted.
"Hey, girls." came a voice, as Diamond Tiara, former school bully turned friend approached with Silver Spoon who also turned over a new leaf.
"Hey, Diamond Tiara. Silver Spoon." Sweetie Belle greeted them.
"What's going on?" Scootaloo asked.
"We just wanted to see the new kid." Silver answered.
"Sure thing." Applebloom replied, giving their two new friends some space with Anton.
"Nice to meet you, Anton. My name's Diamond Tiara."
"And I'm Silver Spoon."
"Nice to meet you, girls, and... Whoa!" Anton gasped as more of the students gathered around him and bombarding him with questions.
'This is so uncomfortable.' he thought.
Diamond Tiara broke them up, "Everypony, calm down. Acting like a mob around our new student won't get us anywhere with knowing more about him. Now I suggest we all calm down and take it one at a time."
And so the ponies calmed down and started asking their questions in turns with one filly asking first, "Where did you originally come from?"
"From a place called Kansas City Missouri. A place very far from here."
A pegasi colt spoke up, "My name's Rumble, and I'd like to know if you have any hobbies?"
"Actually, yes. I like to draw and paint. I'm very passionate about art."
"Just how passionate?" a filly unicorn asked.
"Enough to know that art is all around us. Even we ourselves are a form of art."
"Uh, how can we be works of art?" Applebloom asked in confusion.
"It's simple, the way we look, the way we act. Everything about us is art in some form," Anton explained, "For example, the ribbon in your hair brings out your innocent charm."
"It does?" Applebloom asked feeling a little sheepish.
"Uh-huh," Anton turned to Diamond Tiara, "The tiara on your head shows your commanding authority."
Diamond Tiara smiled, "You already know me so well."
Anton then went to Silver Spoon and looked her in the eyes, "And the lenses of your glasses frame your eyes perfectly." Silver Spoon chuckled sheepishly, while feeling flustered.
"I brought my sketchbook with me in case any of you wants to see some of my works." he offered.
"I'd like to see that." Sweetie Belle admitted.
"Me too." Scootaloo agreed.
"Me three." Featherweight added.
"Boring!" came a voice.
The little ponies gasped, as they looked and saw standing before them was a school boy colt. He had a royal blue colored coat, amber colored eyes, his mane and tail were a lighter shade of blue, and his cutie mark was a pair of boxing gloves.
Anton looked at him and the scowling look on the colts face spelled trouble, "What did you say?"
"I said 'boring'."
"How can it be boring if you haven't even seen it yet?" Scootaloo called him out.
"I'm just prepared to say it for when he does show them." the colt replied, as Anton frowned at his mocking.
"Nopony's saying you have to stay and see with us, Uppercut." Diamond Tiara noted, as the other ponies agreed.
The colt known as Uppercut stuck his head up, "Whatever, have fun with his so called art." he left the group.
"Now what's his damage?" Anton asked the group.
"Uppercut, a former pony from Manehattan," Sweetie Belle explained, "He was the new student here until you showed up."
"Guess he doesn't like being the flavor of last week." Scootaloo guessed.
Anton looked in Uppercut's direction and spoke, "Looks like his flavor just turned sour."
"Don't worry about him," Diamond Tiara said, "I'd love to see your artwork now."
"Yeah, Anton, show us." a filly pleaded.
"Ok, ok." Anton calmed them as he opened up his sketchbook and began showing the kids his various sketches and artworks of landscapes and fan made characters.
The kids looked amazed and intrigued at how carefully detailed each of his drawings were, as if it were done by a real artist.
After showing them his artwork, Anton joined the kids for a little playtime from the tether ball, the see saw, and several other fun games until it was time to go back to class.
After classes ended, the kids were taking their leave, as Anton was saying goodbye to just about all his new classmates.
"Bye, Twist, and thanks again for the peppermint sticks. Rumble, Featherweight, I'll catch you two later." Anton bid his friends farewell, as he walked down the steps of the school.
"Anton, wait up!" Applebloom called, as the CMC, D.T, and S.S caught up to him.
"Hey, girls."
"So what did ya think of your first day?" Scootaloo inquired.
"You know, I actually enjoyed it." Anton admitted.
"Really?" Applebloom asked hopefully.
"Yeah. Ms. Cheerilee was nice, and everyone here was very welcoming."
"Out of my way." came the voice of Uppercut and he pushed his way through some of the kids.
"Well, almost everyone." Anton muttered.
"Hey, Two Legs!" Uppercut called Anton out.
"Me?"
"No, your granny. Yes, you." Uppercut answered.
"Two Legs? Seriously? That's the best you got?" Anton asked in disbelief.
"Don't think just because you're new here or a different species you're anything special." the colt began.
"Thought never occurred to me." Anton answered.
"Good, because you're not so special." Uppercut ridiculed him.
"Uppercut, why don't you cut him a break?" Diamond Tiara asked, getting fed up with his rudeness as were the others.
"Butt out, Tiara." he replied, "I don't even know why anypony bother to let this 'thing' into school anyway."
"Thing?" Anton asked in shock.
"Yeah. I mean you're not even a pony."
"Well, nobody's perfect."
"You're probably only here because Princess Twilight took pity on you. Because it's her duty as a princess to be nice. If I was the one to make the call you should've been sent to a zoo or better yet a circus!" Uppercut mocked him.
Anton who had kept his cool up to this point was frowning at how much Uppercut reminded him of his cousin Rodney. And his mocking was only making it worse for the human boy. Finally Anton couldn't take it anymore and lashed out at the colt surprising him.
"SHUT UP!" he shouted at Uppercut, surprising the five fillies, "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" he glared at Uppercut, "You don't know anything about me! So don't act like you have any right to write me off how you see fit! I just escaped from a veritable place you all know as Tartarus but I sure as heck don't want you to make this place feel the same way, you selfish jerk!" he ran away hiding his tears.
"Anton!" Sweetie Belle and Silver Spoon called out, but he wasn't coming back.
The fillies looked at Uppercut with anger and Scootaloo called him out, "You're nothing but a real creep!"
"Come on, girls." Applebloom said, as the five took off after Anton.
Uppercut was taken aback by Anton's outburst, but shook it off, "Whatever. I'm out of here." he was prepared to leave only to bump into Cheerilee who had a stern look on her face.
"Uppercut." she said firmly.
"Hi, Ms. Cheerilee." he acted innocent.
"Don't act so innocent with me. I saw what you said to Anton, and I do not tolerate that behavior around my school during or after class," she held him close, "You'll be staying afterward until your parents come. I'm sure they'd be more than interested to hear what you told Anton."
"But, Ms. Cheerilee." he pleaded.
"No buts. Now come along." she escorted Uppercut back into the school.
Meanwhile the five fillies frantically looked around in search of their new friend, but with no such luck, "Did you find him?" Applebloom asked hopefully.
"I got nothing." Sweetie Belle answered.
"Me neither." Scootaloo added.
"No luck with us either." Diamond Tiara answered with shame.
"I can't believe Uppercut would say that," Silver Spoon said in shock, "I mean sure he acts like a jerk, but to have said something like that?"
"I know. And to Anton of everypony." Applebloom sighed.
"We've got find him and make sure he's ok." Sweetie Belle said.
"But how? We don't even know where he is." Scootaloo replied.
"Girls?" came Fluttershy as she fluttered over.
"Fluttershy!" they cried and gathered around her.
"We're so glad we caught you." Diamond Tiara said.
"You all look so worried. Is something wrong?"
"It's Anton." Applebloom began.
"Anton?" Fluttershy gasped, "I was jut on my way to pick him up. What's the matter, is he all right?"
"I'm afraid he had a falling out with one of our classmates." Sweetie Belle explained.
"He said some terrible things about Anton. He snapped back and ran off." Silver Spoon added.
Fluttershy had suddenly gone into her worried mode, "Oh, dear. Oh, dear. We have to find him. He could be lost, scared, hungry. Oh, I'm so nervous I can't even begin to think about it."
"Fluttershy, calm down." Applebloom said, as she and the CMC calmed her.
"Hey, down there!" Rainbow Dash called from above, before coming down, "What's going on, guys?"
"Rainbow Dash, you're just who we've been looking for. We need your help." Scootaloo pleaded.
"Calm down, squirt. Now what's the problem only I can help with?"
"It's awful, Rainbow Dash. Anton's gone missing." Fluttershy cried.
"What?!" Rainbow gasped, "What happened?"
"It's a long story," Applebloom said, "Think you can search the sky and see if you can spot him?"
"Say no more, I'm on it." Rainbow zipped off.
"We better go get Twilight and the others." Sweetie Belle suggested."
"Right. Let's go!" Fluttershy said, as she and the five fillies hurried off to round up the others.