The Summerbug Factor

by Natsumushi

Chapter 6- Welcome to Ponyville!

Summerbug factor chapter 6: "Welcome to Ponyville!"

Summerbug awoke with a start to a sudden, loud rapping upon his hotel room door. As he sat in the bed, he took a few deep and calming breathes before making his way to the door. However the impatient voice of Rainbow Dash could be heard clearly through the door.

"Hey! Heeey! Summerbug! Hurry and open up the door! It's almost party time! C'mon! Hurry up and let me in!"

Groggily he meandered over to the door and opened it up, revealing the anxious Rainbow maned pegasus with some sort of package under her wing.

"Now what? Wha-what's going on now Dash?" He asked through a yawn whilst rubbing the sleep dirt from out of his eyes.

"Were you asleep? How can you sleep knowing you have a party for you happening this afternoon?" She exclaimed.

"I was actually kind of hoping that was all just a dream..." He confessed.

"...Truth is that I've never been invited to a party; ever. I never had any friends really, and I was never really popular either. Not that I minded really. As a matter of fact I was all but unknown in Rockhaven, so I was even less popular there than in Cloudsdale technically." He blurted out thoughtlessly. Then he caught a reaction out of Rainbow Dash he didn't expect. It was as if she realized something, then began to contort her face into a semi-angry one.

"Wait a minute, you...were in Rockhaven, that rock farming town in the middle of nowhere...this whole time!" She mildly seethed, confusing Summerbug.

"Yeah, why? Why do you seem so angry now?" He questioned.

Rainbow Dash tromped her way into his room, bucking the door shut and started to advance on him.

"Do you have any idea how your friends from Cloudsdale felt after you vanished that day? How hard they had it?" She began.

"What in Equestria are you going about? I had to move away! If my mom and I hadn't, we'd've been homeless and at the mercy of my worthless, abusive father!" He snapped back, not realizing that he shared more about his family life than he cared too. He started fighting back tears from resurfacing memories. This caught Rainbow off guard, and her demeanor began to shift to one of sympathy.

"So you don't know then, about the rumors." She replied apologetically.

Wiping the tears forming at the corners of his eyes, he asked, "What rumors?"

"After you suddenly left, a rumor began that you had died in a freak accident that destroyed your old home and that your dad was rushed to the hospital. Fluttershy tracked the whole thing and knows more about the details then I do. But the thing is that the whole school thought you had been killed in the accident or something. It's really far-fetched looking back on it now, but everypony was talking about it. So it was just a freaky coincidence that your place was destroyed the same day you moved away then." She acknowledged.

"I'm sorry, I was just upset. After everything that happened this morning and seeing you again and remembering stuff from back then, especially that, and then hearing that you lived in Pinkie's old neighborhood when everypony thought the worst had happened, it just was a bit of an overload. I'm not even sure why I even got so worked up about it." She explained, fidgeting a bit nervously.
For what seemed like hours the two sat there in awkward silence before Summerbug decided to look at her again. The expression she wore seemed like one of confusion and uncertainty.

"Was there anything else you felt I need to know." He asked timidly. When Dash looked to him as he spoke, something about his demeanor made her blush ever so slightly.

"Well, the thing is...Fluttershy was really hurt by the whole ordeal. It really hurt me seeing her hurt. I care a lot about her, and well, some of it made me really mad inside. I don't like seeing her feeling so much sadness." Dash added, feeling her face heat up more just for thinking about Fluttershy.

After a few more moments had passed, Summerbug decided it was his time to talk.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you, it was unintentional. Like you had said earlier, seeing everypony I know from Cloudsdale again after all this time has put me on edge too. It's like I'm being forced to face my demons. When I was first offered this job, I jumped at the opportunity and was so excited to show off my talents. But I never imagined that it would turn into a trip down memory lane. It's all so overwhelmingly stressful to me and it's only been half a day." He replied, throwing his hooves up in frustration.

"So you never had any friends or been to a party? And you never really had a normal life either?" She asked.

"Right, so I haven't got a clue on how to even go about making friends. Truthfully, I never really cared much to have any. My only real passions were art, video games and books. Having friends seemed like nothing more than a distraction from what truly made me happy." He confessed, now feeling terrible about how that must have sounded.

"I can get that, but you should still have a small group of friends who you'll really trust! I'm the same way when I comes to my training and stunts, but if I didn't have my best friends to cheer me on and support me, I probably never would have won the young flyer's competition or even get into the Wonderbolts Academy. And I'm sure if you'd talk to Twilight or Rarity, they could help you learn how to not act weird around other ponies." Dash told Summerbug.

"You mean like, social cues?" He questioned. Dash just shrugged and said, "I guess, whatever that means."

Summerbug face-hoved.

"Come to think of it, you and Twilight might actually have a lot to talk about, since you read stuff too."

"Speaking of which, did you manage to get in your 'fly time'?" He asked.

"Oh yeah! It was great, but she still has a lot to learn before she can be half as awesome as me!" She boasted.

"And speaking of being awesome, here, I got something for you." She said as she hoofed the package to Summerbug, but held her gaze on him. Summerbug felt his face grow warm under the pressure of her gaze as he, now gingerly, accepted the package.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" He asked nervously.

"I may not be a fashion buff like Rarity, but you need a bit of a makeover. You need to be...twenty percent cooler." She replied bluntly.

"So why did you give me a package? What's it for?" He asked as a faint blush crept across Rainbow's cheeks.

"Because I wanted to! Besides, you look so plain and boring. You need something to help define you, to kinda give you that...edgy, artsy, cool guy kind of look. So there...from me...t-to you." She stammered as she looked everywhere else but to Summerbug.

"Thanks, I guess." He replied with uncertainty. Slowly he began to unwrap the package revealing a horseshoe box.

"Umm-"

"Look inside you doofus!" She answered awkwardly.

"Okay..."

As he opened the shoebox and looked inside, Dash watched in anticipation, as if to gauge a reaction. Inside was a wide leather bracelet with custom art etched into it of neighsian dragons intertwined in either combat or something else entirely, he couldn't be sure. There was also a silver chain necklace and a new, top-of-the-line, brand name Dj-pon3 portable music player, complete with equally high end headphones.

Summerbug was speechless. These gifts were outrageous!

"Th-these? I can't! I just can't...they're way, way too expensive! I'm not sure I can accept these, the music player alone runs about 500 bits!" He stammered. As he went to give them back, the box of accessories was shoved back into his chest.

"Dude, relax. Keep them, I want you to have them, they're gifts. And not to brag, but I'm loaded. This was chump change. I really don't let a lot of ponies know that because I don't wanna be treated differently because I have money, but for who I am. And what I am, is awesome. So strap on your new gear and let's get to that party!"

***

About fifteen minutes later the two were on their way to Sugarcube Corner. Dash made it a point to muss up Summerbug's mane with a small amount of gel to give it a semi-wild look.

As they drew closer to the shop, Summerbug noticed the bubbly pink mare, called Pinkie Pie, chatting with a couple by the looks of it. She was bouncing up and down whilst pantomiming what appeared to be a very entertaining story. As Summerbug drew nearer, he caught a glimpse of the couple, and his jaw dropped.

"Hey Pinkie! The party guest is hear and...Oh my Celestia..." Rainbow began, then noticed that the gorgeous blond mare with a steel grey coat was actually Derpy! She felt heat across her cheeks as she stood dumbfounded at the glorious mare. Summerbug was likewise in a similar state of shock, but not only because of how beautiful Derpy was, but also because of the colt she was with. He was a very androgynous colt, and if it weren't for that unmistakable fuchsia scarf, fancy glasses and that definitive cutie mark, Summerbug might have even thought he WAS a mare. His age-old, long-forgotten friend; Silver-Stitch.

Everything seemed to slow in that very moment, as if time itself chose to be absent. Pinkie turned around as a huge smile began to spread across her face as Dash and Bug approached the would-be couple.

***

Silver-Stitch could hardly believe his eyes. His beloved had grown into one of the most handsome stallions he had ever laid eyes upon, and his face grew warm as Summerbug drew ever closer. He felt a tear well in one of his eyes, and in an instant he dashed over to him and gave him a hug with fifteen years worth of love.

"S-Summerbug! Oh sweet Celestia how I missed you!" He cried holding on tightly to his old friend, and to his utter shock and surprise, received an embrace in kind.

"I...I missed you too Silver-Stitch. I'm so very, very sorry how everything went down the last time we saw each other. Can you ever forgive me?" Summerbug repented, tears also swelling within his own eyes as he nuzzled Silver's neck in an attempt to hide his tears from onlookers.

Silver-Stitch could not believe what was happening, it was as if a dream had come true. He never expected to see Summerbug again, nor would he have ever imagined how much more open he was being. The old Summerbug would NEVER have returned an embrace or even consider nuzzling another pony, let alone a colt. It was like Summerbug was an entirely different pegasus.

After a few moments Summerbug broke free of the hug. Silver-Stitch, however, was very well aware of some of the looks they were garnishing. With an awkward cough and return of his regal demeanor, he said, "Yes, well, umm...Hello again! Old friend."

Comments

[Moongaze14]

Glad to see that this story is back. Hope to see another chapter soon to see Shy and Rarity's reaction to Summerbug's new look.

[Natsumushi]

6156039 I've got the next chapter well under way. I'm hoping that, along with the next chapter of darkness within will be out sooner than the past few.