ACT TWO
Silver picked her ears, “Um… I don’t think I heard you just right there.”
“No, you heard me right!” growled Rumble “I DON’T want any friends!”
More gasps followed.
“Wow! That’s harsh, even for me.” said Gallus.
“Why don’t you want any friends?” asked Ocellus.
“Because,” grumbled Rumble “Friendship is useless! All friends do is hold you back, and in the end all it ever does it upset you! I prefer to be alone, by myself, without any PALS slowing me down.
So, just leave me alone! Got it?!”
And with that, he took off into the sky and was gone, leaving the Young Six shocked and appalled by the things he had said. “Friendship… useless?” said Silverstream “That’s like saying food isn’t for eating. Or games aren’t for playing”
“Think one of us should tell Professor Twilight?” asked Gallus “I mean, Rumble could be a problem child.”
Twilight was already well aware, so were all her friends.
Twilight had called a meeting in her office. She had read to them the assignment Rumble had written in her class which contained everything rumble had just said-- How he felt friendship was no good, he didn’t want any friends, and didn’t even want to be at the school at all.
“Wow! Talk about a pony with issues.” said Spike.
“This is horrible!” cried Pinkie “Not wanting any friends is like not wanting to breath… and I LOVE BREATHING!” she took in a huge breath and then panted softly.
“I suspected he’d act like this,” said Starlight “I know how he feels, because I felt like that once.”
“And it would certainly explain his alienating himself from anything to do with Friendship all day.” agreed Rarity.
“Well, sounds to me like we got a real problem case here.” said Applejack, “What do you recommend, Twilight?”
Twilight felt, “Well, it was only his first day, but I think Rumble’s heading down a dangerous road. Maybe if we give him a few days, he’ll be bound to open up. Every pony does when they come here eventually.”
The others all agreed, “But what if he doesn’t open up?” asked Fluttershy “What if he really doesn’t want to make friends at all?”
“Well, we’ll worry about that when and if it comes.” said Rainbow.
Twilight agreed.
However, Rumble didn’t show up for any classes the next day. He didn’t come to school at all. Some of the students found that to be a relief.
“We don’t have to put up with his scowling.” said Gallus.
“Or his grouchy voice.” added Smolder.
Twilight scorned her students “Shame on you all. What have you learned here in this school: You should learn to get to know some pony before you really judge them.”
The students agreed, but Ocellus raised her hand, “But you also taught us… sometimes the one you’re trying to befriend should make the first move.”
Twilight wanted to argue, but she couldn’t. “Yes… I did teach you that.”
Regardless, she wondered where Rumble was, and wrote a letter to his home address telling of his skipping class that day.
The next day, Rumble was dropped off at school personally by his elder brother Thunderlane. “I don’t want to go!” whined Rumbled.
“Well too bad.” said the mighty Wonderbolt “You’ve been getting to be a real sourpuss ever since we moved here to Ponyville, and you need to learn to open up to others and make some new friends. That’s why mom and dad paid you to be here in the first place.”
“I’d rather be training to be a Wonderbolt.”
Thunderlane felt a little flattered, “That’s no excuse. I don’t want to hear of you skipping school again. Understand?”
“Fine!” growled Rumble and he stomped off away from his brother.
Thunderlane sighed and hung his head low, but then a whole bunch of other students began to huddle around him.
“It’s Thunderlane!”
“I can’t believe he’s here!”
“He is so cool!”
Thunderlane stuck around a few minutes to soak up his admiration, which Rumble saw and it annoyed him greatly.
Twilight decided to have Pinkie Pie teach Rumble all day in special courses. If any-pony knew how to be a friend, or help those open up. She did.
She kept him to herself, all day…
“Come on, Rumble. Give us a smile.” she said pulling on his cheeks, but that didn’t work a bit. “Did they interview you personally when you took this job?” he wondered to himself.
Nonetheless, Pinkie gave Rumble lectures on how to be a good friend, what friends were good for.
“A friend can cheer you up when you’re down. Share things with you too, or just be there whether you need them or not.
I should know I have friends almost everywhere.”
Rumble still looked completely uninterested.
Pinkie could see she wasn’t getting very far.
Then it was lunch time and Pinkie had an idea.
She had gathered all the members of the Young Six to eat with her and Rumble under the shade of the same tree from the other day.
“Isn’t this wonderful?” Pinkie asked with glee “Just a bunch of friends sitting and having lunch together.”
Everyone turned to face Rumble, whom was still acting all crabby and sour.
“Sooooo… what did every-creature learn today?” asked Pinkie.
“Yona learn to share interests.” said Yona.
“I learned to talk about problems with others.” said Gallus “Don’t see how it helps, but I’m learning about it.”
Rumble seemed to take no interest in what any-creature had to say.
“Soooo… what did you learn today, Rumble?” Silverstream asked, trying to open up to him.
“Nothing really.” replied Rumble.
“That’s not true.” said Pinkie “You’ve learned--??
Um… that is, I taught you… er?”
Rumble smirked cheekily “You still think Friendship is all that great, huh?”
The Young Six felt struck again. “We think it’s awesome.” said Smolder “Sure, it took us a while to realize that, but, we learned to accept it.”
“Ha!” scoffed Rumble “You make it sound like friendship is the only thing in the world. Well, guess what… It isn’t!”
Twilight and Starlight witnessed the whole thing from Twilight’s office window, and Twilight shook her head in dismay “How can some-pony be so upset and resentful towards friendship?”
Starlight then offered “Why don’t you let me try and talk to him. Maybe he’ll understand some-pony who was like him once.”
Twilight hesitated, “Okay, you have your chance.”
Starlight nodded and went off to find the young troubled student.