Bait

by ChaosDragoon

Day One

The classroom was filled with fillies and colts as many discussed their weekend adventures. While a group of colts had moved their desks together and where playing a card game.

"I'll play Pony Cannon to destroy your furious griffin," one of the colts said before tapping four more cards and took out another card from his hoof and added, "Then I'll play Hive Factory. Each turn I'm allowed to play a changeling token." One of the colts sighed before he placed his hoof to his face and stared at the cards in his hoof. It looked like he was torn between playing a card or not.

"I'm done," the colt said. Another colt nodded and untapped all the cards on his side of the table before drawing a card and his eyes widened before he began to count the cards closest to him. His smile faded as he sighed and placed the card with the other in his hoof.

Cheerilee cheerfully walked into the classroom. Behind her was a small earth pony colt with a brown coat, green mane and tail, and ruby red eyes. She cleared her throat to get her students attention. They quickly left their friends and went to their desks. The group of colts playing the card game quickly picked up their cards and dice and moved their desks to their proper places.

"Before we begin I'd like to introduce you to a new student," Cheerilee said as she pointed over to the colt standing in the front of the room before she added, "This is Timber Hoof, please give him a warm welcome." Timber Hoof scanned the classroom before he saw an empty desk and wondered over to it. He climbed into the seat and looked to his left. Next to him was a gamboge colored Pegasus with a purple mane. On the other side was a colt unicorn who wasn't paying any attention to Cheerilee's lecture as he stared at the cards on his desk trying to figure out how to add them into the deck at the corner of his desk.

The morning went on as usual for the class as Cheerilee lectured about the history of Ponyville. Why Canterlot over looks Ponyville and the sort before the bell rang indicating it was time for recess. The class poured out of the room and out into the school yard. The group of colts pulled their desks together and once again started to play their card game.

The playground was filled with fillies and colts playing. Some played tag as they ran around the equipment trying to avoid the one that was it. Others hid in the equipment or in bushes as another leaned against a tree counting before reaching ten a and opening his eyes and looking around for those who were hiding. Another group of fillies and colts played a game of kickball.

Timber Hoof sat under a large tree watching all the fillies and colts at play. He sighed before he heard a voice behind him, "Hey!" he turned to see the Pegasus filly with a purple mane standing next to him with two other fillies. To her left was an earth pony with a pale olive coat, a rose colored mane, and a big pink bow in her mane. On her right was a unicorn with a light grey coat, a grayish mulberry mane with pale light grayish rose streaks.

"Um-hello," Timber Hoof said feeling a little uncomfortable as the fillies stared at him like an exotic animal in a cage.

"You wanna play kickball?" the unicorn asked before she added, "We need a fourth player on our team."

"S-Sure," Timber Hoof said before he got up and followed them to the kickball diamond.

"By the way, names Scootaloo and these are my friends Apple Bloom," Scootaloo said as she nodded towards the earth pony before adding, "And this is Sweetie Belle." She then nodded to the unicorn. The four reached the diamond as another group of fillies waited for them.

"It's about time," a pale magenta filly snorted as a grey filly mimicked her reaction.

"Cool your jets Diamond Tiara, it's not like we took that long," Scootaloo said.

"Five minutes, you wasted five minutes of our time," the grey filly stated.

"Let's just start the game," Sweetie Belle said.

"We'll kick first since you wasted our time," Diamond Tiara said as she walked over to home plate before she turned to the grey filly and said, "Come on Silver Spoon." Silver spoon quickly ran towards her friend as two more colts went with them.

"What's wrong with them?" Timber Hoof asked.

"Don't worry about them, they're just stuck up rich fillies. I'm pretty sure the two they have with them where paid off to play on their team," Scootaloo said.

"Now, now Scootaloo, Applejack says if you ain't got anything nice to say. You shouldn't say anything at all," Apple Bloom said.

"Tell them that," Sweetie Belle said.

"Are we going to play or are we going to have social hour?" Diamond Tiara yelled from home plate.

"I wonder how much trouble I'd get into if I aimed for her head," Scootaloo said. Apple Bloom placed a hoof on her shoulder and shook her head.

"Don't stoop to her level," Apple Bloom said. Scootaloo just sighed before rolling the ball on the ground towards Diamond Tiara who kicked it. The ball flew through the air and as it did Timber Hoof's eyes widened before he bolted towards it. He jumped into the air and grabbed the ball in his mouth and violently shook his head back and forth like a dog with a toy. He suddenly stopped and looked at all the ponies that where staring at him. He chucked before he placed the ball on the ground and slowly back away.

"Out!" Sweetie Belle yelled.

"Oh come on, he nearly mulled the ball! That has to be a penalty of some kind," Diamond Tiara cried.

"He caught it though, it doesn't matter how he caught it," one of the colts on Diamond Tiara's team said.

"You're supposed to be on my side!" Diamond Tiara yelled.

"You're paying me to play not to cheat," the colt said. Diamond Tiara snarled at him before she slowly walked back towards her team.

"See, I was right," Scootaloo said to Apple Bloom who just rolled her eyes and sighed.

The game continued and each time one of Diamond Tiara's team kicked the ball into the air Timber Hoof seemed to just zone out and go after the ball like a ravenous dog.

Both teams changed line ups as Diamond Tiara took the ball into her hooves and violently threw the ball towards Scootaloo. It bounced on the ground a few times before Scootaloo kicked it. She winced as it hit the upper part of her leg but still was able to fly into the out felid as she galloped towards first, then second, before stopping on third. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom cheering as Scootaloo wiped the sweat from her face.

After Apple Bloom kicked the ball into the waiting hooves of a colt. Timber Hoof stepped up to the plate. A sly smile formed on Diamond Tiara's face before she called time out. Her and her team convened on the mound before they dispersed. She lifted up the ball and aimed it towards Timber Hoof. Time to put this dog down she thought before she used all her strength to throw the ball towards Timber Hoof. The ball violently bounced on the ground and as it drew closer. Timber Hoof took a deep breath and kicked the ball as it came down to the ground. It flew through the air and slammed into Diamond Tiara's face as she fell to the ground. Every Pony stood still for a while before Silver Spoon walked over to Diamond Tiara to see she was knocked out.

"I'm telling Cheerilee," she said before running towards the school house. The two colts bolted away from the group as Scootaloo walked up to Timber Hoof.

"That was Awesome!" she yelled.

"Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle yelled before she added, "She could be seriously hurt" she walked over to Diamond Tiara to see her face was red from where the ball had hit her. A small trickle of blood dripped from her right nostril and her Tiara had fallen into a mud puddle next to her.

"Is she going to be ok?" Apple Bloom asked as she walked up next to Sweetie Belle.

"I think so. She's still breathing," Sweetie Belle said as she pointed to her rising and falling chest before she added, "she might have a head ache when she wakes up." The four looked up when they herd Hooves running towards them. They saw a smiling Silver Spoon running behind a worried Cheerilee.

"Are you all alright?" Cheerilee asked.

"Yeah, we're fine, but," Apple Bloom said before she looked back over at Diamond Tiara. Cheerilee walked over to Diamond Tiara and examined her. Timber Hoof walked up next to her. His head lowered.

"I'm sorry, I may have kicked the ball a little too hard," he said.

"You see, he and his little blank flank friends should be punished," Silver Spoon said. Cheerilee picked up Diamond Tiara and gently placed her on her back.

"It was an accident Sliver Spoon; I hardly think he intentionally wanted to hurt her," Cheerilee said before she walked back to the school house as Diamond Tiara groaned on the back of Cheerilee.

"B-but," Silver Spoon said before she glared at Timber Hoof and followed Cheerilee.

"I think I just went to the top of their shit list," Timber Hoof said. The three filly's mouths gapped open at his words as they stared at him in shock before he said, "What?"

"I can't believe you just said that!" Scootaloo said.

"Yeah, if Big Mac or Applejack herd me say that they'd wash my mouth out with soap," Apple Bloom said.

"Rarity would probably faint then punish me after she woke up," Sweetie Belle said.

The four walked back towards the school house to see Applejack and Rarity waiting for them.

"I'll see y'all tomorrow," Apple Bloom said before she ran towards Applejack. Sweetie Belle met Rarity before she began to lecture her in making her wait. Scootaloo ran into the school house before she ran out with her scooter before riding it home. Timber Hoof stood in front of the school as a golden chariot quickly drove up. An earth pony with three sacks of money for a cutie mark ran into the school house. He stared at the chariot and smiled before he turned towards the forest and walked home.