Waking up early, Defensive Flight stood up on the roof of the house in which Axton lived in. They were currently sharing Axton’s room (Axton slept as usual in his bed, while Defensive slept in a sleeping bag upon the floor). A thought flashed through his mind ‘Still, it’s more comfortable than the floor of a cave, and beggars can’t be choosers’. Getting up on the roof had been an easy matter, as his powerful wings had gotten him up to the roof easily within a matter of seconds. He watched the sun rise over Ponyville as far as the eye could see, a beacon of hope, radiance and beauty, giving a glow to all the surrounding houses, which glimmered like jewels under the glory that was the sun. The place upon the roof that Defensive had perched himself upon was also bathed in the light, which moved up his body slowly to bathe him in the golden glow, warming his body and wings, making him much more relaxed.
A little while later, he heard the household waking up, (being a dragon pony hybrid, he had more awakened senses than the average pony). Remembering he had school, not that he was enthusiastic about it, he flew down back into Axton’s room to get ready.
The small group of ponies reached the school within a matter of minutes, while Defensive trailed behind the group nervously looking from his new friends and then back to his leathery wings. Unlike the other ponies, he didn’t mix well at schools, due to the fact that he stood out like a sore hoof in crowds, and thus always attracted the wrong kind of attention to himself. The last school he had been in had every kind of bully going; from the small incompetent ones, to the huge, muscled thug and brutes that patrolled the corridors like bandits, lurking around and preying on the weaker students with their over-sized cronies; predators of the school. Of course, attracting the wrong kind of attention also meant he got into a lot of fights which mainly always ended with the bullies ending up on the floor moaning. Then they made up stupidly impossible stories about how he was the bully. It was a living hell, and one of the main reasons he had stayed away from society for so long.
Before long, he was broken out of his train of thought by Scootaloo waving her hoof in front of his face.
“Equestria to Defensive, do you read me?” giggling a little, Scootaloo stopped waving her hoof in Defensive’s face, knowing that she had his attention.
“Huh? Oh, sorry Scoots, I zoned out for a bit there” Smiling lightly, the ponies made their way into the schoolhouse before the bell rung, sitting down at their desk. Well, apart from Defensive, who was met outside the classroom by the teacher, Miss Cheerilee, who promptly introduced herself.
“Hello, Defensive, on behalf of the rest of the class I would like to welcome you to Ponyville. You may call me Cheerilee, as Miss Cheerilee is too formal for my liking. There’s no need to be nervous, as we’re a friendly bunch, so you can make your way inside and choose your seat.” She said this with a smile, and led the way into the classroom, with Axton following nervously.
Introducing him to the rest of the class, Cheerilee announced “Class, I would like you to meet Defensive Flight, who will be here for quite a long time. I ask all of you, yes that means you two as well” at this comment, she gave a distrusting glance at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, and then carried on “to make Defensive feel welcome at this school. I hope I make myself clear?” She questioned, casting a long look around the room, receiving a chorus of ‘Yes Miss’ from the rest of the class.
Trotting to his seat, which was fortunately placed on Axton’s left, he looked down at his text book and exercise book that he had gotten from the school the previous day, and wrote down what was on the board as the lesson began.
Before long, a spit ball hit the back of his head, followed by a series of titters from the back desk. Looking round, Defensive saw two ponies sitting and leaning back on their chairs with straws in their mouths and a bag of ripped up and small spit balls stashed in their desks. However, he was not the only one annoyed by the two bullies’ behaviour.
Sitting next to Defensive, Axton had noticed that his friend was getting picked on, and he wasn’t going to let it go that easily. Focusing on the location of both Diamond Tiara’s and Silver Spoon’s back chair legs, he focused his aura to be invisible before his eyes briefly flashed grey; the effect that he had cast upon the two bully’s chair legs was instantaneous. Under the two ponies’ weight, the back chair legs crumpled and folded in, causing both of the malicious girls to fall back on their flanks, stunned.
The class erupted into laughter, and even Cheerilee couldn’t hold back a small smile as justice was served upon the two bullies, and they were sent outside the class to get a stern talking to. Before heading out of the classroom, Cheerilee turned to Axton to give a small nod, letting him know that she appreciated his actions, even if they were a little unorthodox.
The next couple of minutes passed quickly within the classroom as Defensive turned to Axton, still in his seat.
“Was that you? Y’know, saving my flank from those bullies.” Defensive asked Axton, who replied with a mischievous grin upon his face.
“Yes... and yes!” Axton said with a small chuckle, evidently pleased to get one back on the bullies “I weakened the metal within their chairs, making it fold beneath them. And man, did it feel good!”
“Well, I guess it showed those two bullies whose boss, right? Anyway, if Ax hadn’t done anything I would’ve.” Scootaloo mentioned, looking at Defensive, before looking away with a pink tinge on her cheeks.
“Yeah, Axton, that was pretty cool! Well, ah thought so.” Apple Bloom stated with impressed voice. It was Axton’s cheeks which went a little pink this time.
Sweetie Belle, on the other hand, simply nodded curtly to Axton, before continuing with her work, and doodling now and then in the back of her books. The rest of the class looked suitably baffled as to what had transpired within those few minutes, but were happy nonetheless at the bullies who got a taste of their own medicine.
As the bell for the end of school rung, Axton was about to make his way home when Apple Bloom caught up with him, slightly out of breath.
“Hey... Axton?” Apple Bloom inquired with a small smile and blush upon her face “Ah was wonderin’ whether or not you wanted to come to round mah place sometime. We’re having a small bonfire night, with all them fancy fireworks and everything!” By this time Apple Bloom was going all out to impress Axton, the blush in her face growing slightly more crimson by the minute.
“Sure, Apple Bloom, I would love to go to this celebration.” Axton replied simply with small smile on his face, glad to get the hang of what Apple Bloom was asking.
Without warning, Apple Bloom’s reaction to Axton’s reply was that she grinned hugely, before rushing up to him and giving him a quick peck on the cheek before blushing profusely and dashing off towards the direction of the converted barn house, the residency of the Apple Family.
Axton looked stunned, amazed and glad all at the same time before thinking ‘Didn’t see that one coming.’