"I was just being jealous."
Apple Bloom's eyes widened comically. Diamond nearly stopped there but Rose nudged the purple-ish pink earth pony with her knee.
They were in the great hall. All the long tables had been removed and round ones had been placed in a checker board pattern. There was one long table in front of the teachers table, with plates and plates of food. The Headmistress told them to sit anywhere after getting a meal from the buffet.
The Ponyville foals and their new friends had eagerly claimed one... Albus was with them, but so was that Malfoy child. A boy Rose's father insisted she hate due to the fact he had a playground feud with his father in school. Seemed kinda petty to Rose. Albus didn't seem to give a damn what their family thought as he sat right next to the pale blonde boy... teaching him how to play a muggle trading card game, with a little wizard magic thrown in. As illusions of the monsters came to life on the card once it was laid down.
Rose had to nudge Diamond again as the filly still wasn't saying anything.
Diamond sighed. "You just had everything, Apple Bloom. A loving family, friends that aren't chosen for you."
AB frowned. "What about your dad? He seems pretty cool.”
"Daddy is great but he is usually out of the house, running the family business... I don't get to see him often... and mom... mom raised me to be exceptional, at everything. Anything that doesn't reach perfect is a shame to my family." Diamond gulped. "You... you have gotten me in a lot of trouble over the years. My mom keeps making snide comments about how I am 'second best' in class. And you never even noticed! For years I tried to beat you in class and you never cared that you beat me everytime! You didn't even know my name until I... until I started picking on you..." Diamond made circles with her hoof, "I'm sorry, Applebloom. I was just so jealous."
"It's okay." Applebloom surprised the other crusaders. "I forgive you."
Sweetie Belle stiffened. Scootaloo, on the other hoof, looked enraged. "Well I don't!!!" Scoot snapped, banging her hoof on the table. "Do you remember what she did during the flag carrying tryouts?"
Diamonds ears pinned. "I'm really sorry for that too, Scootaloo," she insisted. "I shouldn't have teased you for being a late bloomer."
Scootaloo scuffed and looked away. Applebloom recaptured her attention and inclined her head to Diamond, as if giving Scoot a silent order.
"Fine." Scootaloo's wings buzzed. "You can sit with us but you're on probation!" Then both the Crusaders looked at their final member.
Sweetie Belle sighed. She didn't say anything but scooted over to let all three girls fit. Eagerly they sat at the table and looked around at the odd mix of creatures. Most of them were human or pony, but there was also an orc and a tiefling.
"Sindle!" Applebloom suddenly called as she saw a high elf walking away from the buffet, with the most neatly organized plate ever.
The elf smiled and started walking towards them. The orc immediately stiffened... then so did the elf when he caught sight of her. The creature made of graceful gold immediately turned on his heels and walked away.
"Sindle!" Applebloom gaped. She instantly got up and ran after him, not understanding what just happened.
Her friends stayed behind.
"Where ya going Sid?" Applebloom asked once she caught up to him. "Didn't you see us?"
The elf remained tense. "I saw you," he admitted.
"Then why ya goin' the other way?" asked Applebloom. "Don't you want to eat breakfast with us?"
"You honestly expect me to break bread with, with, THAT THING!!!" The entire hall went quiet as they heard, for probably the first time in any of their lives, as a high elf raised his voice. The elf spoke with clear venom and scorn.
"What thing?" Applebloom tilted her head, not understanding just how big a deal this was. She just thought he was a little upset over something. "Whatcha talkin' 'bout?"
The elf sneered, a truly ugly expression on his beautiful face. "Innocence really is just another word for ignorance."
Applebloom's eyes began to tear up. "Why are you being so mean? I ain't done nothing to you? We spent all night talking, 'member."
The elf's face tried to twist back into something polite and formal, but he couldn't do it. "You're the one that chose that orc filth over me." He tried to keep his voice calm, but it still dripped with rage and hurt.
"I ain't choose nothing over nobody!" Applebloom glared, her eyes still misty. "You're the one leaving!"
An arm suddenly thrust between the two and a teacher dressed in formal Hufflepuff robes stood over them. "Why don't you two cool off for a bit? Sire Gransonsin, feel free to eat in the common room.”
The elven boy nodded and stormed off.
The teacher then turned to Applebloom, "Lady Apple a moment please." He directed the earth pony out of the hall as well.
Before she knew it, Applebloom was sitting in an office, with her food magically teleported to her, from her friends' table.
The human sat at his desk, eating his own food while drinking a glass of red wine. There was a plaque on his desk reading "Professor Ernest Macmillan, Head of Hufflepuff."
"You will have to excuse Sindle." The human teacher assured. "I imagine it was just a bit of a shock for him."
"But why?" Applebloom sniffled as she looked down at her plate. "Did I just lose a friend?"
"I doubt it," the teacher assured. "Sindle is in Hufflepuff for a reason. I doubt he will let this ruin your friendship. He is just a little upset."
"But why?"
The teacher frowned. "There was a dark lord soon after your kind broke contact with our world. He captured many high elves and tortured them, corrupted them with dark magicks down to their very souls. He created orcs as his own personal slave army. The physical power of a high elf, pushed to their very limits and beyond, complemented by a warrior's instincts and an unflinching loyalty. I'm a little shocked she wasn't a Hufflepuff, honestly. Orcs are known for their hard work and devotion but I guess the 'warrior instincts' won out for her. Probably for the best. An orc and a high elf in the same house together? They probably would have caused a cave in."
Applebloom sat there, thinking. "So all of this is over some dark lord from a thousand years ago?"
The teacher smiled. "What can I say? Elves know how to hold a grudge."
Applebloom shook her head. "But that ain't right! It's not their fault how they were born."
"No it isn't, but raiding elven villages and murdering and kidnapping elven children to make more of them is. They don't do things like that now but they were at war with the whole of the magical world for hundreds of years. Articles of war where written up solely based on the atrocities orcs were willing to do. They still get some flack for that, especially from the various elven races, high elves in particular.
"High elves look at orcs and see themselves, corrupted and twisted. Orcs look at high elves and see what they used to be, weak and snobbish. It hurts for them to look at each other. The reason wizards approached the orcs at all was because we hoped they could relate to us. They should understand... about wanting forgiveness for sins their ancestors, not themselves, performed...
"You shouldn't involve yourself, little pony. Even if you do, by some miracle, get them to tolerate one another they would likely be disowned by their families for the scandal. I know ponies want everyone to be friends but if you try to do that here, you will likely ruin their lives."
###
"That's just STUPID!!!" Scootaloo insisted as she walked to class with her new friends, and Rumble.
Ghak just finished explaining why the elf acted like that at the idea of sitting with her.
"They can't actually blame you for something your great great great great great prandmother did like a billion years ago!"
"924," Ghak corrected. "And elves are weak in ALL ways, especially character. They bred a slave race with their magics, then get mad at wizards for using them."
"What's a slave?" Scootaloo blinked. She bet Applebloom would know.
Ghak sneered. "Creature's forced to work without money.”
Scootaloo tilted her head. "Why would they want to do that?"
"They don't have a choice," Ghak explained, "they are beaten or killed if they disobey."
Scoot tilted her head to the other side. "You're having me on," she said, using a phrase she heard the Humans use in their dorm.
Ghak looked at the small pony... and sighed. "I forgot what I was talking to for a moment. I doubt you can even comprehend such evil."
Scootaloo tilted her head again and thought hard on it. "I think Sombra did something like that to the Crystal ponies. He made them fight for him or he would hurt them and... kill them." Scootaloo shuddered. "We heard about it in history class but we never had a word for it... slave."
Ghak looked over at Scorpius. "I think I just corrupted one of the purist creatures in existence."
"Yep, you're going to hell." Malfoy grinned teasingly.
"What's hell?" Rumble asked.
"Yep." Scorpius nodded. "Definitely hell bound."
Ghak rolled her eyes well Rumble pouted, figuring he wasn't going to get an explanation.
"But honestly." Scorpius oh so subtly backtracked the conversation. "I think people have more reason to hate me then you," he told Ghak. "It wasn't that long ago my father was working for a more current dark lord."
Ghak nodded with sympathy.
"Seriously hope that doesn't follow my family line for a thousand years." Scorpius sighed and Ghak patted his shoulder.
"It shouldn't," Scootaloo insisted. "Neither of you should be blamed for something your ancestors did."
Scorpius smirked. "My dad is very much alive, thank you."
Scootaloo rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue. Thoroughly distracted from the notion of hell, if only accidentally.
Scorpius looked over at Rumble. "So are you one of those Cutie Mark Crusaders Scoot was telling us about last night."
Rumble snorted. "No. Way. I got better things to do then worry about some butt sticker."
Scootaloo grinned. "Rumble just doesn't want to risk earning a Cutie Mark that isn't about flying fast."
Rumble glared. "Least I got standards. You'll see, Scootaloo. I'm going to work my wings off until I can fly as good as my brother. Then I'll be accepted into the Wonderbolts, just like him, and we will be a famous sibling team!"
"You don't need a cutie mark in flying to be a Wonderbolt," Scootaloo pointed out. "They accept anypony, as long as they're good enough."
"I won't just be good enough." Rumble puffed up his chest. "You'll see. I'll be the best! You should really join me and my brother during training instead of doing all those crazy cutie mark adventures. My brother used to teach at Flying Camp before he joined the Wonderbolts."
"As a reserve," Scootaloo snarked under her breath, unfortunately Rumble heard her.
Rumble glared. "Dash is only a reserve too! Bet she would skin your hide for talking like that is a bad thing. You know what. You're uninvited to flying practice."
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "I can't even fly!"
"I was GOING to show you some wing training exercises, to strengthen your wing muscles and get your magic flowing better." Scootaloo's eyes widened as Rumble held up his head, snootily. "But I guess not."
"Come on, Rumble!" Scootaloo bounced in front of him, "You got to show me!!!"
"Why should I?" Rumble huffed. "You wouldn't be interested anyway. My brother taught me the exercises and he is only a reserve."
Scootaloo blinked. These were Wonderbolt exercises? Why hadn't Dash taught them to her? Ignoring that for a moment. "Come on Rumble, I didn't mean anything by it! You're not really going to not help me over a joke are ya."
Rumble glared at her. "You haven't even said sorry yet."
"Sorry sorry sorry." Scootaloo held her hooves together, with her head bowed, "Please teach me oh great and powerful master of the air."
Rumble looked considerate, until he got whacked upside the head by the orc, "Hay what gives!?" Rumble glared.
"Only the weak feel the need to make others grovel." Ghak glared with her arms crossed.
Rumble blushed. "I was only teasing!" he insisted, then looked back at Scootaloo. "Of course I'll help you."
Scootaloo hugged him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!"
"After class!" Rumble made clear, "My parents threatened me with bottom-ly harm if I don't get good grades."
Scoot snorted and let go of him. "Maybe we will get cutie marks in spell casting!!! Can you imagine how valuable you'll be to the Wonderbolts then!?" she squealed.
Rumble looked considerate but shook his head. A flying cutie mark was the only way to go.
###
"RD," Twilight called as she stepped inside the blue Pegasus' home, a cloud mansion floating in the cloud district of Ponyville.
"Huh?" Rainbow blinked as she sat on a couch reading the latest Daring Do comic. Spike got her into these. They weren't as good as the books but they were still an interesting spinoff. They were written by a third party so basically only the characters were the same, but the new author kept true to them and was a clear fan of Daring Do.
Twilight calmly walked over, with a big suspicious smile that screamed. "I'm going to meddle in something that doesn't concern me."
All the girls had spare keys to each others places, and stopped by unannounced all the time. No, it was that smile that worried Dash.
"What you do?" Dash immediately accused, folding a page corner to bookmark her spot and putting the comic down.
"Why do you assume I did something!?" Twilight looked offended.
"Okay," Dash tried again. "What are you GOING to do?"
Twilight huffed. "Nothing, if that's your attitude."
"Thank Celestia." RD picked her comic back up.
Suddenly a folder slipped in front of it, glowing in purple light... a folder... from Ponyville Orphanage...
"Why didn't you tell me you were trying to adopt Scootaloo!" Twilight squealed with delight, clearly not asking.
"Because it doesn't concern you!" RD stood up and stormed into the kitchen, unfortunately Twilight followed.
"That's where your wrong," Twilight half sang. "I can use my pull as Princess to move things along. I realize they rejected you but with MY endorsement they will be sure to-"
"Don't you get it, Twilight!?!" RD screamed. "They rejected me! I went in there and they told me I don't have the means to take care of a foal with special needs! It isn't just my barely above minimum wage salary, although that certainly didn't help. Look at my house! I live in a bucking CLOUD. A cloud house for a Pegasus that can't fly!!! How did I even think that could work!?"
"You could just get a new house," Twilight spoke as if it was so easy. "Selling this one would result in a good few bits for a nice house on the ground."
RD was just staring at Twilight, eerily calm. "This was my Grandfather's house. He left it for me, after he..." She couldn't get it out. "It's all I have left of him." She looked away.
Twilight felt her throat dry, and took a gulp to wetten it. "I didn't know."
"Didn't you ever wonder how I could afford a place as nice as this on my salary?" RD asked.
"I kinda just assumed you were in debt up to your eyeballs." Twilight gave a light smile.
Dash took a moment to share in it, then sighed. "I was given a choice between my Grandfather's house and giving a lonely orphan a home... Love Tap was right... I'm not good enough for Scootaloo..."