//------------------------------// // Meeting New Friends // Story: The New Colt // by The JGBrony1875 //------------------------------// After a few hours of learning and sitting in class, the lunch bell had finally rung and all the foals in the classroom immediately got up from their seats and exited through the classroom. Rumble was the last one to exit out the door. He was hoping that he would make one friend in his first day. He doesn't want to sit in a table with nopony to talk to. He followed the other foals into an area that had tables for them to eat their lunch, they sat down on the tables next to their friends. Rumble looked around to find an empty bench, since he didn't have friends yet. He shortly spotted an empty table and slowly walked towards it, that was the only bench available for him while the rest had foals eating their lunch. He made it to the empty table and right before he was going to sit down, "Hey, Rumble!" a voice called, Rumble's ear twitched as he heard his name, he quickly glances around him to look for who called his name. "Over here!" another voice called and Rumble looked towards the right direction from where it came from and spotted two colts sitting together in a table. There was a brown-spotted colt and a cream-Pegasus colt, they were both gesturing him to come to their table. Rumble had a confused look on his face, he was wondering why they are calling him. He slowly turned from the empty table and walked towards the two colts. "Come sit with us, Rumble!" shouted the cream-Pegasus colt. "Okay," he blankly replied, and he did what they told him to do and sat next to the cream-colored Pegasus colt. Both of the colts had grins on their faces, and Rumble simply had a confused look. "Hey there, my name is Pipsqueak," greeted the small, brown-spotted colt, . "And I'm Featherweight," greeted the cream-Pegasus colt "Do you want to hang out with us?" he offered, Rumble instantly cracked a smile as he heard what he was offered and he nodded his head fiercely. "Sure! I would love to!" Rumble exclaimed, "I was hoping to myself that I would make at least one friend today on my first day in this school." Rumble replied, he was relieved that he made two friends at school on his first day. Thunderlane was right, it was easy to make friends in this town. Rumble takes out his lunch from his saddlebag and sets it on the table. "So, can you tell us some of the things you like to do in your life?" asked Pipsqueak, Rumble turned from his lunch and glances at Pipsqueak. "Well, I like to fly, my dream is to become a Wonderbolt when I grow up. I've been practicing flying stunts with my older brother every weekend." Rumble said while his friends gave interested looks. "Who is your older brother?" Featherweight asked with a curious look. "His name is Thunderlane, he is a part of the weather team." Rumble slightly tilted his head with a curious look, "Why do you ask?" "Oh nothing, I was just curious." Featherweight shrugged his shoulders. "So what do you plan when you grow up, Featherweight? Since you're a Pegasus just like I am, do you want to become a Wonderbolt too in the future?" asked Rumble with curious look. Featherweight shook his head, "No, I don't really care much about that. I've been focusing on photography all my life, I'm the Editor of the Foal Free Press." Featherweight replied as he continued on eating his lunch. "Oh," was all Rumble can say. Pipsqueak noticed that Rumble has no cutie mark on his flank, "Hey, I see that you're a blank flank too." Pipsqueak grinned as Rumble immediately turned his attention towards Pipsqueak with a confused look. "What do you mean by that? Is it a bad thing that I don't have a cutie mark?" Rumble raised his eyebrow in confusion. Pipsqueak shook his head and said, "No it's not, I'm a blank flank too. There are three fillies that goes to this school that will help you find your own special talent, they are called the Cutie Mark Crusaders." he continued, Rumble is certainly interested about these three fillies that Pipsqueak is mentioning. "Yeah, they have an interesting past together," — Featherweight pointed towards another table where three fillies sat in — "they're sitting over there." Featherweights said, Rumble looks at the direction where Featherweight is pointing at, and he spotted three fillies sitting at a table not too far from their table. One was a yellow- earth pony wearing a bow on her head, the next is a white-unicorn, and last an orange-Pegasus that Rumble recognized. He sees the fillies giggling and talking about certain things, he turns his attention back to his friends. "Hey, I know that orange one, her name is Scootaloo, she sits next to me in class." Rumble grinned as he glances back to look at Scootaloo. Something feels different about her than the other fillies, one that he couldn't put his hoof on. "And the other two are Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle." Pipsqueak added. "Yeah," a smirk grew on Featherweight's face, "Apple Bloom is the filly that Pipsqueak has been chasing lately." Pipsqueak had grown a small blush on his cheeks. "You want her to be your special somepony, right?" Featherweight teased, Pipsqueak's face turned from embarrassment to irritation. "Stop it, you're changing the subject. " he retorted. "Anyways," Featherweight shrugged as he went back to the subject, "Did you take a look at their cutie marks? They all have almost the same exact cutie marks." Featherweight said, Rumble made a look of disbelief. "Really?" he said in disbelief and glances back at the trio of fillies and noticed that their cutie marks are almost, exactly the same. After a short amount of time looking at their cutie marks, he turned his head back towards his friends. "Do they have the same talent or something?" Rumble said with a look of confusion, Featherweight shook his head. "No, they each have their own special talent, it shows it in their cutie marks. They have similar cutie marks because of how strong their friendship is, I assume." Featherweight replied while Rumble looks at the fillies with interest. "Yeah, they'll eventually try to help you figure out what your special talent is, including myself." Pipsqueak cracked a smile, Rumble's face turned into excitement. "That's awesome! I hope my talent has something to do with flying or the Wonderbolts." Rumble said enthusiastically. "Well, before the Cutie Mark Crusaders got their cutie marks, they were always going on crusading and such things to earn their cutie marks, they desperately wanted their cutie marks in no time. Especially Apple Bloom, she was the most impatient one out of the three. They'll even do dangerous things to even achieve their cutie marks, even if it almost kills them. But they always seem to fail on doing so." Featherweight continued the story to Rumble who had a look of interest. "They also used to get bullied all the time by two other fillies. Not just them, all of us were bullied too." Pipsqueak stated, his ears flattened as he thinks about the horrible memories when he used to be bullied. "There are bullies here?" Rumble asked as he raised an eyebrow. "Their names are Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, they used to be total jerks to us all, thinking they're better than everypony else just because they are rich. They used to make fun of everypony who don't have cutie marks by calling them 'blank flanks', and they tell us what to do all the time. " Featherweight scowled at the thought of the memories when he was bullied and picked on almost everyday. "But they're not like that anymore, they're cool now. They're even friends with the Cutie Mark Crusaders now." Pipsqueak said as he continues to eat his lunch. After a few minutes of silence, Featherweight glances over the table around him for a moment and soon realizes that somepony is missing from their table, "Pipsqueak, have you seen Button Mash anywhere? I thought I saw him in class earlier," he asked Pipsqueak who shook his head for an answer, Featherweights quickly glances all around him to look for a certain colt. "Who's Button Mash?" Rumble asked with confusion in his voice. Featherweight instantly turns his attention directly at Rumble. "Only the greatest gamer in all of Ponyville." he responded, "He is a cool colt, he always invites us at his house to play video games with him every Friday. He's a cool guy but sometimes he can be a whiner and makes a big deal out of things that are not. He's probably sitting under a tree playing his Joyboy." Featherweight rolled his eyes. "Hey guys!" a voice heard, and it catches the group's attention. They turned from their lunch and they spotted a brown-earth pony colt quickly walking towards their table. He wore a propeller hat on his head. The colt had joined their table by sitting next to Pipsqueak. "Button, where have you been?" Pipsqueak retorted with an irritated look, Button chuckled nervously. "Sorry guys, I got distracted while I was playing my Joyboy." Button said before he glanced at Rumble with a curious look for a moment, "Hey is this the new kid?" Button asked as he looked at Pipsqueak with an eyebrow raised. "Yes he is, he's our new friend." he replied with a smile. "Cool!" Button exclaimed and quickly turned back to Rumble, "Hey what's up, I'm Button Mash." he said as he reach his hoof towards him to shake his hoof, which Rumble accepted as he grasped Button's hoof and shakes it firmly. "My name's Rumble, nice to meet you." he said with a smile. "You too." Button replied. After minutes of Rumble talking to his new friends, the lunch bell rang and lunch time has come to an end. It is now Recess time, all the foals immediately bounced off from their table, and they all eagerly ran towards the school playground. Rumble and his new friends all walked towards the playground. "Hey, Button," Featherweight called and he grew a menacing smile on his face, "Are you finally going to ask Sweetie Belle out today?" he teased as he walked besides Button who had a light shade of red spreading across his cheeks. "Uh, w-why would I do that?" Button stammered, trying his best to shrug it off to move on to a different subject. Rumble snickered, Pipsqueak cracked a smile and Featherweight's smirk has grew more menacing. "It's obvious that you like her. Every time you're with her, you couldn't keep your eyes off of her." Featherweight retorted and now Button's blush has grown darker. "I-I don't stare at her," Button retorted as he couldn't find the right words to say. "You invite her to your house, I always see her there when you invite us to your house on Fridays. I think that shows proof to why you like her." he replied. "Uh...I-uh," Button's face has been growing a darker shade of red each second. "Just admit it, stop making a big deal out of a simple crush." Featherweight said calmly and Button had given up on trying to hide his secret. His heart was racing, he didn't want to be embarrassed about having a crush. "Fine! I admit it! I have a crush on Sweetie Belle!" he shouted, "Are you happy now?" he said sarcastically, but he didn't realize that he said it out loud, which catches the attention of all the foals in the playground, and they all stared directly at Button. Featherweight, Pipsqueak, and Rumble notices the attention Button is getting. "Uh, Button," Pipsqueak whispered. "What," he replied calmly. "I think you've said it too loud, I think every foal in the school knows your secret." Pipsqueak whispered and Button looked around him, his eyes widened and pupils shrunk, and a large blush appeared on his cheeks. What if Sweetie Belle knows it now? He sees all the foals giggling and whispering to each other. Some of them are swooning, giggling, and some had smirks on their faces. This is a position that Button never wanted to be in. "Does Sweetie know how I feel about her?" he thought to himself as he looks through the playground to look for Sweetie Belle, but he couldn't find her anywhere there, but he saw her and the other crusaders in the distance. And to his relief they were too far to here him scream. "OH THANK CELESTIA!" he shouted in relief as he places his hoof over his heart, which his friends gave him confused looks. "What!? Everypony knows your secret, I thought you would be embarrassed." Rumble said in shocked and Button nodded his head. "I am embarrassed, its just that Sweetie didn't hear me. If she did, it would make this moment far more awkward and embarrassing." Button replied, still in relief. Rumble sees two earth pony fillies approaching the group, one was pink-coated who wore a crown on her head, and one gray-coated who wore glasses and jewelry. They approached the group, the pink filly had a playful smirk on her face. The group notices them approaching the group, they are known as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Button became even more nervous now, he knew Diamond Tiara could be a loud mouth and could accidentally tell Sweetie Belle his secret. He wanted to hit himself in the face for all the attention he is getting. "So you have a crush on Sweetie Belle all this time, and you didn't even tell us about it?" said Diamond Tiara with a smirk on her face. Button's face had a faint blush, panic was all over his face. "Please don't tell her!? Please!" he pleaded as he got down on his knees. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with us." Silver Spoon grinned and Button sighed in relief. "Thank Celestia," he mumbled under his breath. "So when are you going to ask her out? Today or are you going to wait until Hearts & Hooves day?" Featherweight asked as he puts his hoof around button's neck. "I don't know," Button shrugged, "How am I supposed to know?" "It's better if you ask her out right now." Diamond Tiara suggested, but Button shook his head. "What if she doesn't like me back? What if she already has her eye on another colt?" Button panicked, Diamond Tiara rolls her eyes and begins to hold Button's head and forces him to turn towards her, their muzzles are inches apart. "Stop doubting yourself!" Diamond Tiara exclaimed, "Are you going to be a stallion and ask her out, or are you going to be a wimp and hide your feelings from her?" she shouted in his face, Button's eyes widened and tries to think of a way to get out of this. "Uh-" he was cut off as Diamond Tiara places her hoof over his mouth. "No excuses!" Diamond Tiara points over to Sweetie Belle who is playing with the other crusaders, "She right over there, if you don't tell her how you feel, then its going to hurt you." she said and the rest of the group nodded their heads in agreement. "You won't regret it," Featherweight added, Button knew he was right, there is no way for him to run now. "I would ask her out, but I don't think I'm ready right now." Button answered and both Featherweight and Diamond Tiara gave him stares of disbelief and confusion. "What!?" they both shouted in unison. "Come on Diamond and Featherweight, I think your pushing him too hard on this. How would you feel if somepony forces you to ask somepony out on a date? Just let him build his own courage by himself, he can do it." Silver Spoon scowled at Featherweight and Diamond, they both looked down in guilt. "I'll do it some other day okay, I didn't plan anything yet, this situation just came out of nowhere and I think I came unprepared." Button said, and then he looked at the Crusaders playing with each other in the distance. "We're sorry, Button. I promise that I will never do that again." Featherweight said in guilt, Button cracked a joyful smile. "Yeah me too," Diamond added, "I'm still not used to being nice to everypony." she continued. "That's okay. But if you excuse me, I have a game to beat on my Joyboy. If you need me, I'll sit over their under that tree." Button grabbed his Joyboy out from his saddlebag and waved his friends good-bye as he quickly trots out from the playground towards a tree in the distance. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon notices the gray-Pegasus colt, "Hey aren't you the new colt in our school?" Diamond said which catches Rumble's ear to twitch. "Uh, yeah," he replied as he looks directly at them. "Okay, I would like to introduce ourselves to you," Diamond Tiara clears her throat, "I'm Diamond Tiara." greeted the pink-earth pony filly. "And I'm Silver Spoon," greeted the gray-earth pony filly. "Hey aren't you two the bullies that Pipsqueak and Featherweight were talking about earlier?" Rumble mentioned, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were dumbfounded that he already knows who they were. The two former bullies glanced at each other with guilt in their faces for a moment, and they glanced back at Rumble. "We're not bullies anymore, we changed. I was basically walking on my mother's path this whole time, we are still making things up to everypony for all the things we have done to them." Diamond Tiara explained to him with guilt in her expression, Silver nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we regretted it. But that's all in the past now. We've been helping other ponies lately, and we've been doing so much things to make up for." Silver Spoon grinned, Rumble grinned back. "What was your name again?" ask Diamond Tiara with a curious look. "Rumble," he replied blankly, "So does this mean we are friends now that we are talking?" he asked with an eyebrow raised. "Well if you would like to be friends with us," Silver Spoon replied. "Sure, that's fine by me." he said as he beamed a smile, the two fillies smiled back. "That's cool, I've noticed that you don't have a cutie mark yet," Silver Spoon said, "The old me would've made fun of you right now." she joked, the group giggled. "So would you mind if you tell us the things about yourself and what you do in your life?" Diamond Tiara asked with a grin on her face, Rumble nodded his head. "Sure, why not?" he replied. Rumble tells everything about himself to the group, including his family and his dream career. They all listened to him carefully, including Pipsqueak and Featherweight. Rumble told them that he was once bullied when he was in Cloudsdale, but that came to an end when he moved here in Ponyville. "Oh so you used to be bullied?" Pipsqueak asked, and Rumble nodded his head. "Those colts were annoying, there were saying that I don't have what it takes to be a Wonderbolt and that I'm untalented. But I did have good friends in Cloudsdale that believe I do." he said as he scowled at the thought of those bullies, but he still cared for his friends back in Cloudsdale. "Did you ignore them?" Silver Spoon ask with an eyebrow raised. "At first I was saying things back, but then later on I decided to ignore them. I didn't believe a word they said to me, I really think they were jealous." "Well they weren't as bad as Silver Spoon and I when we were bullies, we messed with everypony's lives. We were spoiled, we were bragging to everypony about how rich we are, and we were causing trouble." Diamond Tiara commented, Featherweight had irritation spread on his face. "Yeah, you two were really annoying back then, I couldn't stand you two. We had to deal with your name calling, bragging about being rich, and tormenting us almost everyday." he said, the two former bullies hung their heads. Pipsqueak and Rumble glared angrily at Featherweight. "It's the past now, Featherweight. Put it behind you, they are our friends now. They both now know the important meanings of friendship." he said, Featherweight's face softened and he sighed heavily. "I know," he replied. Meanwhile, the Cutie Mark Crusaders are talking about who should they help to discover their special talent. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were arguing about who they should help to find their special talent first. "Come on," Sweetie Belle began, " We should help Button Mash first." she said, Apple Bloom disagrees by shaking her head. "No, we should help Pipsqueak first," she argued, "Button Mash doesn't care much about gettin' his cutie mark fer some reason." Scootaloo was getting irritated with her friends arguing, "Uh, guys I don't really care who we help first. Could we just stop arguing now, it's starting to annoy me." they ignored her words and continues to argue, "We don't have to help the ponies that you guys have crushes on. There are many other blank flanks out there that needs help too you know." she stated but her friends still ignored her. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom just stood glaring angrily into each other's eyes. "Button is much more cuter." Sweetie Belle squeaked as she glowers at Apple Bloom, "Some ponies may call him a dork or a weirdo, but in my eyes he is adorable, he's sweet, and very funny. Plus, he has really cool hobbies." Sweetie Belle argued. "Cool hobbies?" Apple Bloom pouted, "All he does is sit around an' play video games everyday. That is a cool hobby? Seriously?" "That's not all that he does." Sweetie Belle replied, she turns towards Scootaloo, "Scoots, who should we help first? Button Mash or Pipsqueak?" she asks, Scootaloo gave a frustrated grunt. "I really don't care who should we help first. I had to sit here for three minutes and watch you two arguing over something that isn't important. You two want to help them because you want to spend more time with them." Scootaloo said in frustration. "Ya' would do the same thing if you have a crush too ya know." Apple Bloom stated, Scootaloo gave her a disappointed look. "Well I don't at the moment, and probably not sooner or later." she replied, "We can help Button Mash and Pipsqueak later. Lets focus on somepony else." she stated, the three fillies went deep in thought on who they should help to discover their talent. Suddenly Apple Bloom's eyes lit up, "Ah' think I know who we could help get his cutie mark!" she exclaimed which instantly catches Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle's attention. "Who?" they said in unison. "What do ya'll think 'bout that new colt who moved in Ponyville?" she suggested, but she puts her hoof on the back of her head, "Ah' forgot his name." "Rumble?" Scootaloo guessed. "Yeah him!" she quickly replied, "Ah noticed that he doesn't have a cutie mark when we were in class. We can help him find his special talent!" she exclaimed, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo beamed smiles on their faces. "That's a great idea!" Sweetie exclaimed and Scootaloo nodded in agreement. "Well girls, what are ya'll waitin' for? Lets go find him." she exclaimed, the three young fillies quickly trotted into the playground to search for the new colt.