Axton walked outside into the noisy but nonetheless friendly playground of Ponyville Schoolhouse, with Silver Spoon close behind. As they neared the CMC clique, they got a few strange looks from the bullies, who glared down upon them beneath the shade of a tree Silver Spoon shifting nervously under their predatory gaze.
Before long, the duo had reached the area where the CMC were hanging out, a lunch table bench where the young ponies were eagerly chowing down on their lunches. Axton cleared his throat, getting everypony’s attention before speaking.
“Alright everypony, I’d like you to welcome Silver Spoon to our little group. Even though she has her cutie mark, and yes, even though she was a bully, I would like you to welcome her as a friend. She is no longer the bully you remember as she has, one could say ‘turned a new leaf’. I hope I make myself clear when I say that under no circumstances should you try to exact any type of revenge upon her for past actions.” He looked around at the group, all of them nodding in assent to his conditions, before returning to their lunches.
Three fillies came over from the opposite side of the bench to talk to Axton, curious looks on their faces. Scootaloo looked at him, and then glanced over at Silver Spoon suspiciously before speaking.
“Axton, you sure we can trust her? I mean, I know you do and don’t get me wrong, I trust you and all, but it’s... Well, Silver Spoon!” She exclaimed exasperatedly, gesturing dramatically at Silver Spoon who was sitting at the lunch table, getting along with the others and making the odd joke which earned a few laughs.
“Look, Scoots. She told me everything I needed to know. How she hated bullying in the first place, she just wanted to be cool and all that. Just trust me on this one. Anyway, I think Diamond Tiara was a really bad influence on her.” He glanced analytically at the bullies, who were STILL glaring at them.
One of them caught his sight though. Bolt was the only one out of the trio of bullies who weren’t glaring at the CMC. Instead, he held a twinkle of interest in his eyes, but apart from that, his face remained impassive as always. Before Axton could say ‘horseapples’, he found that Bolt was staring straight at him, yellow eyes boring into his almost seeing through him. Axton finally managed to rip his gaze from the steely one that was the young griffon’s, shuddering involuntarily as he did so.
Scootaloo hesitated for a moment, before shrugging and going to sit back at the lunch table, making sure to sit close to Defensive. Defensive, noticing Scootaloo resting her head on him, blushing a little before beginning to talk to her. Sweetie Belle simply smiled at Axton, agreeing with him before going to join Pipsqueak at the lunch table.
Apple Bloom smiled at Axton, motioning for him to follow her to a more private area of the schoolhouse. Axton, curious about what was she was going to ask, followed her.
Finally finding a more secluded spot of the playground, Apple Bloom turned to Axton, who raised an eyebrow in question. She gave him a reassuring smile to tell him it was nothing bad before speaking.
“Are y’ alright? I saw y’ lookin’ at that Bolt fella, and shudderin’. He seems the shifty type, doesn’t he?” She shuddered, remembering the griffin’s cold gaze.
Before she could say any more, she had heard the play ground had grown an eerily quiet. She looked worriedly at Axton before speaking “Uh, Axton? We should go check what’s happening.” She had a little fear in her voice as she ran off towards the playground with Axton in tow.
Silver Spoon stood facing Bolt, seemingly in a debate with him; others gathered around, too fearful of what Bolt would do if they interrupted. Axton arrived and managed to catch on to the conversation.
“Why are you hanging out with these dweebs? They’re losers and totally uncool!” Bolt snarled, sneering at the rest of the crowd.
“These ‘dweebs’ are my friends, Bolt. If you knew any better, you wouldn't follow Diamond Tiara and Jackhammer like a lapdog.” Silver Spoon looked at Bolt coldly, replying in a leveled tone.
Before she could react any more, she was sent sprawling to the floor by a cruel backhanded hit from Bolt, who hawked and spat on the ground near her before snorting a little and saying “That’s right, dweeb. Know your pl-“He was interrupted mid-sentence by a rather large cog hitting him square in the face, dazing him for a second before recovering and bellowing “ALL RIGHT! WHICH ONE OF YOU DWEEBS DID THAT!?”
He was about to lash out randomly at the crowd, when a hoof tapped him on the shoulder. A strangely cold and smooth one at that. Bolt turned around to find himself facing a very familiar colt. ‘Him! Why does it have to be him?!’ Bolt thought, before he found himself being hit full force in the beak, sending him flying backwards into a tree trunk. Picking himself up, he managed a few seconds reprieve before the metallic colt pinned him up against the trunk with a terrifying amount of strength. Then, Axton spoke, his voice cold and merciless.
“Stay away from my friends, Bolt. You will regret your existence if you try to hurt any of them again. Do I make myself clear?” Axton’s voice grated against everyponys ears as everyone stood and stared at the scene he was making. Bolt, turning blue in the face due to lack of oxygen, nodded frantically before being dropped to the floor, gasping for breath.
Axton looked down at the floor as he turned back to normal, his gaze blurring before refocusing once more. He looked at himself and realized what he had just done as even though his friends looked at him in awe, he caught the look of Bolt who was staring at him in fear. A single thought passed through his head ‘I’m a monster! Why did I do that..?’.
His eyes blurred with tears as he ran full pelt away from the schoolhouse trying to get away from his act of violence, disgusted with himself. As he ran, Apple Bloom went after him, calling his name, begging for him to come back.