//------------------------------// // Chapter XII - First Day Part II // Story: The Kobold of Ponyville // by Mr101 //------------------------------// The Kobold of Ponyville Chapter XII - First Day Part II “Oh, I can’t wait to take some photos of him going into his class for the first time!” “Maybe tone down the pics, Flutters. Don’t wanna embarrass the lil guy,” Rainbow snicekred. Fluttershy blushed but giggled in a silly way as the four made their way through the market towards the school talking to one another. A short while after Tak and the crusaders had left Fluttershy’s cottage, the mares had realized they had gone and quickly followed after them, quickly making their way through the marketplace and towards the school house. It didn’t take long before they arrived at the building only to see a crowd of ponies gathering around something that was going on. As they got closer and closer, they could hear two distinct voices raised at one another. One belonged to their friend Miss Cheerilee and the other to a pony they all knew too well and hated. Spoiled Rich. “Mrs Rich—!” “Enough! I have made up my mind, as long as you dare entertain the idea that this freakish lizard attends here I will pull out all of my funding to your school and send my daughter to a proper, highly classed school for her education.” Fluttershy gasped, instantly knowing that the mare was clearly talking about Tak, as did the other three. They quickened their pace, gently pushing past the crowd as Cheerilee responded to Spoiled’s remark. “Then take your filthy money, we can find funding elsewhere!” the teacher replied as she sneered at the mare, “I will not abandoning my principles of teaching anypony or kobold who wishes to learn here!” As the crowd cheered around them, Spoiled glared angrily at Miss Cheerilee. “Why I never—!” “What’s goin on here?” Applejack asked as she and the other three entered the middle of the crowd. Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Rarity looked visibly irritated to see that it was Spoiled Rich who was in the centre of the commotion. Fluttershy, however looked eerily calm with a neutral expression on her face as they approached,. “Nothing that concerns you, farm—You!” Spoiled snarled as she stomped up to Fluttershy who was taken by surprise by the mare’s sudden movements and her ears flat and her eyes went wide as she shrunk a little, the rich mare’s sudden gaze and attention on her somewhat intimidating her.. “I demand to know just why you insist on that little lizard monster be in the classroom! Let alone keep it!” “W-Well, my little T-Tak is,” Fluttershy swallowed a lump in her throat as she slowly found her courage, “is helping the relation between the kobolds and ponies, with the blessing of the Princess’ and—” “T-The Princess’ approved of this mind boggling nonsense?!” Spoiled spluttered out in disbelief, “Rubbish! Utter nonsense! I have never in all my days heard the most ridiculous thing ever. The Princess’ would never allow something like this!” “Well, sorry to break it to you, lady. But they did, so get over it!” Dash replied. Spoiled snorted as she turned her head away, “I still don’t believe you, the day the Princess’ allow a horrible monster into our society is the day I become ruler of Tartarus!” “Didn’t that already happen?” Applejack replied with a smirk. Spoiled snarled at the apple farmer as the crowd snickered at the remark, Dash barely containing her laughter as Rarity’s lip wobbled as she refrained from joining in. Spoiled looked around at the crowd instantly silencing them before she turned her attention back to the mares. “Now you listen here! I don’t give a flying flitter that you are friends with the Princess’ irritating student. I will not stand for this and neither will others! I will not rest till that freak is thrown back to its own disgusting kind!” Fluttershy gritted her teeth as she felt her body shake a little, not with fear, but with anger as Spoiled Rich spoke. A strange sound rang through her ears as she started to see red in her vision. She was about to speak when Applejack took a step forward to address Spoiled. “Now just a darn—” “Wait, where’s Tak?” Applebloom suddenly said, interrupting Fluttershy. Everyone looked around to see that the kobold somehow managed to slip away and vanish during the commotion without anyone noticing. As the crowd muttered and began to look around them to try and see him, Fluttershy’s ears laid flat on the back of her head as she bit her lip. “Oh no…” she whispered, about to take flight to try and find him. “Good,” Spoiled Rich sneered, “Hopefully the little abomination has run away back to its own vermin like a good little freak.” “Why I oughta!” Applejack growled as she and Rainbow Dash made a move towards the rich Mare. Miss cheerilee, Rarity and some of the crowd were about to speak when there was a loud and sudden smack followed by a scream of pain as the body of Spoil Rich felt to the floor hard and gasped as she held her hoof to her face, looking at it confused as a few droplets of blood ran down her nose. Applejack ,Rainbow Dash, Rarity and the others all stared with open mouths as Fluttershy stood above the rich mare panting fiercely with her hoof in the air and visibly shaking, her eyes filled with rage as she glared down at the mare, finally having had enough of the rich mare’s insulting attitude. “Don’t you dare call my Tak an abomination! You hear me?! You so much as ever come near us again so help me I will make you wish you were in Tartarus!” “How dare you, you—!” Spoiled was interrupted as she felt her eyes shrink to pin pricks as she was met with the terrifying staring eyes of Fluttershy looking down at her. Her body went ice cold as she felt herself clam up as her body trembled a little. “What? What were you going to say? Huh?!” Fluttershy continued as she brought her face close to Spoiled’s, “Finish your sentence, I dare you…” Spoiled swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat, she tried to speak but the words wouldn’t come as she continued to cower slightly under Fluttershy’s stare. Fluttershy was about to speak again when she felt a hoof on her back and looked out the corner of her eye to see Dash beside her. “Flutters? T-That’s enough… she isn’t worth it,” Rainbow Dash said. The mare noticed that Rainbow Dash was looking at her with a seriously concerned look, as were Rarity and Applejack and other ponies in the crowd. Some of them looked shocked and a couple seemed to show some small look of fear. Fluttershy panted softly as she took all the faces in before she looked at her own hoof and then back down to Spoiled who was still in a state of utter shock. With a soft gasp, Fluttershy went to try and help the mare to her hooves. “O-Oh my gosh! I-I’m so sorry, I don’t know what—!” “G-Get your filthy hooves off me, you animal!” Spoiled shrieked in rage as she got to her hooves herself, “You will regret laying a hoof on me you, you brute!” Fluttershy winced as the mare stormed past her and made her way through the crowd leaving the ponies to mutter to one another. “Mother…?” Diamond asked, the filly confused as to what had just happened. Fluttershy looked around at the crowd who were looking at her with their mixed expressions and felt her heart racing before a hoof gently rested on her back. She looked to her side to see Applejack giving her a reassuring smile. “Come on, Fluttershy… we need to go and find Tak.” Fluttershy nodded softly,  “You’re right, let’s go.” “Were coming too! Tak needs us,” Scootaloo spoke up. “Alright, but stick with us alright?” Applejack replied, “We won’t be too long, Miss Cheerilee. You understand? The teacher blinked and shook her head out of her shock as she realized she was being spoken to, “T-That’s alright, I’ll get the others in the classroom and we will wait for you to come back.” Fluttershy then took off into the sky followed closely by Rainbow Dash Rarity and Applejack as well as the three crusaders. As they left, Miss Cheerilee ushered the rest of the fillies and colts inside as she watched the mares leave. Tak panted as he ran past one of the many houses before finally stopping as he leant against the wall. During the argument, the kobold had lost his nerve and had seen an opportunity to get away and had slipped through the distracted crowd he had slipped away from the crowd, getting away from the mare as fast as he could. Tak put a clawed hand on his chest and felt his heart rapidly beat as sweat formed on his brow. The kobold had been on the receiving end of harsh words and hate filled glares from ponies, and other beings, beforehand during his time with his tribe. And each time he just shrugged it off or laughed alongside his brothers. Even when he attended his party, he was still able to shrug off some of the looks her was given, albeit he was still a little nervous and scared. But with this mare, it was different. Tak was no stranger to fear, from the cokatrice to being in a new environment, he had experienced it a lot. But with Spoiled he truly felt afraid to the point he thought his life was in jeopardy. You will never be accepted… Tak hugged himself as he gritted his teeth and clenched his eyes tightly as the mare’s harsh words rang over and over in his head. Why did they hurt so much? He knew she was lying, she had to be. Everything pointed to that outcome. But then why did a small part of him feel like she was telling the truth? “Maybe… maybe scary pony was telling the truth?” Tak asked himself softly. The kobold shook his head as he slumped down and held his head, “No! It has to be a lie! Why would they treat Tak like that if they didn’t care for Tak?!” Tak felt some tears form in the corner of his eyes as he tried to force Spoiled Rich’s words out of his head, to remove the vision of her hatred filled eyes glaring down at him like he was nothing. So caught up in his head, he didn’t notice someone walking in front of him as he let out a strangled sob. “Tak?” The kobold lifted his head to see Spike standing a few feet away, looking at him confused with a pile of books in his claws. “What’re you doing over there? I thought you’d be super psyched to—” Spike stopped when he notrioced that Tak’s eyes were a little puffy and he had tears in the corners of his eyes. “Tak, you okay, bud?” “T-Tak is fine,” he replied, wiping his eyes quickly and giving Spike a grin filled with fake confidence, quickly standing to his feet and putting his hands on his hips “Tak is just… playing a game! With Scootaloo and the others!” Spike set the books down gently as he chuckled, “Dude, you’re a horrible liar, you know that right?” Tak snorted as he looked away before he finally let out a long sigh and slumped down the wall a little, sniffling. “Scary pony said things…” “Scary pony?” Spike asked. Tak nodded, “Other ponies called her Spoiled...” “Ah, that scary pony,” Spike said faking a retching motion,  “Not a fan of her. So, what did she say?” Tak mumbled something as he looked away again, causing Spike to smile and shake his shoulder a little, “I may be an awesome dragon, but even I don’t have super hearing, Tak. Gotta speak up.” The kobold refused to look at Spike. There was a moment of silence before the kobold felt the dragon’s hand on his shoulder and looked back a little to see Spike smiling softly at him. “Talk to me, Tak.” the dragon said softly. “She said stuff about Tak… about you  guys.” Tak sniffled as Spike wrapped his arm fully around the kobold and pulled him a bit closer. “So what did she say exactly?” There was a brief silence between the two before Tak spoke in a quiet, hushed tone. “She said Tak don’t belong… with you guys, that Tak is a freak and that… that m-mother doesn’t… doesn’t...” Spike frowned as Tak held back a sob and pulled his knees up to his chest before he continued to talk. “T-Tak’s heard mean things before from ponies captured back with Tak’s tribe, Tak’s even had threats and hate-filled looks given to Tak before, you know? But this pony… s-something just…” Tak mumbled off as Spike rubbed his shoulder reassuringly. “You know what, Tak?” “W-what?” “Spoiled is talking out her flank.” “W-what do you mean? Do ponies have another mouth out of their flanks?” Tak asked with a sniffle. Spike chuckled and shook his head, “No, forget I said that. What I meant was, she’s just talking utter rubbish.” Tak sniffed and looked up properly at the dragon as Spike continued. “Me and the others and the guys you made friends with at the party. We all care about you, dude. Who cares if you’re different? I’m different as well remember?” Tak nodded as Spike smiled. “You’re going to get ponies that will look at you differently like Spoiled Rich. But hey, wanna know something?” “What?” Tak asked. “Ponies did the same to me when I first came to Ponyville with Twilight. Some still do.” The kobold nodded as Spike continued. “And you know what else?” “What?” tak asked again with a sniffle. “I don’t care. Because I have some of the greatest friends I never thought I would meet here in Ponyville. And even better still, I have a new best bro who is the basically the same as me!” “Who’s that? Is there another dragon?” Tak asked him with a tilt of his head. Spike laughed and shook his head, “I’m talking about you, Tak. We’re more than buds or cousins, we’re like brothers, you know?” Tak sniffled and smiled as Spike smiled back. “It’s still early days, Tak. But as early days go you have made some new friends who I know will always care for you. Me, Twilight the cutie mark crusaders and the others, we all care for you.” Tak felt the corners of his mouth form into a small smile as he wiped his snout with his arm. “And wanna know something?” “What’s that?” “Fluttershy doesn’t just care about you, she loves you. None of us have ever seen her act the way she does around with you. In a short few days you’ve made a massive impact on her life even more than Twilight did when she and the girls defeated Nightmare Moon. And it shows, Tak.” Tak felt his smile grow larger as he looked to Spike who smiled back at him. “So don’t ever think for a moment she doesn’t care about you because believe me she does and will always care for you. She adopted you for pete’s sake!” Tak wiped his snout one more time before he grinned at the dragon, “Thanks… Spike.” Spike returned the grin, “Don’t mention it, Tak. We are all here for you when you need us. And if anypony gives you more trouble, you send them to your bro Spike! I’ll soon set them straight!” Tak laughed as Spike brought his fists up in a fisticuff manner and pretended to punch the air, as Spike continued to fight the air a voice above them caught their attention. “I found him!” They both looked up just as Rainbow Dash landed onto the ground soon being followed by Fluttershy. “Oh, Tak. There you are!” Fluttershy exclaimed as she dashed over to him and scooped him up into her hooves. “My poor baby, are you alright?” Tak smiled as Applejack, Rarity and the crusaders came round the corner and joined the group, “Tak is now. Spike made Tak feel better.” Fluttershy smiled as Applejack, Rarity and the crusaders came round the corner and joined the group, “Thank you, Spike.” “Ah, shucks. It was nothing, just looking out for my bro Tak.” The mares smiles as the two reptilians gave one another a thumbs up. “Well that was very good of you, Spikey,” Rarity cooed as she gently ruffled his spine, making him sigh happily. The others snickered as Fluttershy placed the kobold down on the ground and smiled gently, “You ready to go back?” Tak nodded as he grinned up at Fluttershy, “Tak is more than ready!” “Come on then,” Fluttershy giggled as she let him climb onto her back, “Miss Cheerilee is waiting.” As Fluttershy, Tak and the cutie mark crusaders began walking off in the direction of the school, Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked to one another before speaking in a hushed tone. “What was that about earlier?” Dash asked. “Beats me, Dash… but ah think we need to inform Twi’ about this, ah’ve never seen Fluttershy act like that before, let alone hit a pony.” Applejack replied. “I agree… that was not like her at all.” Rarity added. “What was not like her?” Spike asked as he picked up his books, looking to the mares with a tilted head. The three mares looked between one another before Rarity stepped forward with a warm smile and ruffled the spines on Spike’s head once more. “Oh nothing, Spikey. Now be a good drake and run along now. I will be sure to tell Twilight just how good of a friend you were to Tak today,” Rarity replied. Spike smiled goofily as he sighed happily and waddled away, humming happily to himself as the three mares began to walk after Fluttershy and the others.