Chapter 10 Meeting New Faces
Chapter 10
Meeting New Faces
It was like being dragged by your tail for three hours. Between Ms.Austere's lecturing, her habitual hoof washing, and the rate at which most of the children answered questions, the time went by painfully. With the morning recess being devoured up by 'unruly' behavior, it wasn't till midday till you were able to peel yourself out of the desk.
Despite your own eagerness, you were the last one out of the room. As you stepped out into the sun you were momentarily blinded at the change in light level. The noon sun shined bright overhead, a wave of summer heat was already beginning to creep into the air. You breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that in less then month you wouldn't need to attend this hovel of boredom, at least for three months, anyways.
Your now adjusted eyes, scanned the yard before you. Groups of foals sat together at benches and tables, their various conversations lofting about the yard. You spotted the Crusaders at a bench not far from the swing set, munching away at their various lunches, laughing with their mouths wide open. They hadn't spotted you and at first you felt compelled to sit with them. 'Don't be stupid.' you berated yourself and instead found a nice semi isolated grove of trees to sit under where you could be as you wanted; alone.
Shifting through your back pack you found the sack lunch Cozy made. You examined the contents. Carrots sticks, peanut butter and Jelly (grape, of course), juice box, some crackers, and a note:
"Have a great first day, I love you very much. -Mom"
You snorted at the scribbled sentiment, crumpled it up and was about to throw it off into the bushes when you heard a strange sound coming a little further in the small circle of trees you were sitting in.
"Give it back!" A higher pitched female voice begged. The request was only met with laughter.
You peered around the tree and took in the scene before you. The "Terrors" it seemed had already found their prey. Diamond Tiara cradled a book in one hoof and simultaneously held a smaller unicorn filly back with the other. The unicorn must of been a year or two younger, if her puny size was anything to go on. Her mane and tail were blonde in color and her coat a grayish blue. From here you could see that she lacked a cutie mark, and her forelegs had been recently muddied, a testament no doubt to the duo initial attack.
With a careless toss Diamond Tiara sent the book flying to her bespectacled cohort. Silver Spoon caught the book and began going through it.
"What are you trying to do these spells for?" Tiara said in clear mockery. "Everypony knows that you got a dud-horn." Ignoring the clear insult, the little filly proceed to rush Silver and get her book back. A valiant effort, but once again her smaller bulk was held back by one half hearted grey hoof, as the older filly looked through the book, seemingly bored.
"My sissy gave me that book." The filly said pushing further into grey hoof barrier. "Please, give it back to me." She said as her voice broke, as she desperately reach for her treasured possession.
'You had no business here. The strong survive. The weak don't. That was what you lived by for a millennia. It was harsh, but ultimately, kinder. You should walk away now.' So why weren't you?
"Oh really?" Silver said glancing down at the blonde unicorn. "Your 'sissy'?" She said in a mocking tone for the term that you could only assume was the fillies 'sister'.
-SHRRRRIIIIP-
The little unicorn gasped in wide eyed horror as one page was torn from the book.
"Oops." Said Silver Spoon with a chuckle, as the page in question was tossed over her shoulder.
"What was that page about?" Said Diamond Tiara grinning at friend.
"Levitation spells." Silver impishly beamed back, tossing the book over the now still unicorn's head.
"Oh she won't need that." Tiara said in a tone of blissful condescension. "Won't need this one either."
-SHRRRIIIP-
Another page fell.
"Or this one."
-SHRRIIIP-
"Nope."
-SHRIIP-
The two were now having a grand time defacing the spell book. The little filly no longer tried to stop them, she just stood their. You could see that she was shaking, her ears low, eyes scrunched shut.
'Walk away.' You told yourself 'Who cares?'
-SHRIPP-
"Teleportation? Definitely not for you little Dinky." Said Diamond as another page settle into the grass.
To her credit, 'Dinky', if that was her name, didn't sob out loud, but she was crying, you could now see tears streaming down her face, wincing each time another page was ripped from her sister's book.
'WALK AWAY.' Your mind screamed at you.
"You know? Really this whole thing should go." Diamond Tiara raised her hoof back and prepared to lob the book down the small hill behind her that led to little more then a patch of shallow water and mud. The cruel grin on her face quickly turned to confusion as her hoof refused to move forward. Something was clamped down on it. She looked back to the foreleg in question, to find...your own was attached to it.
You felt a look of surprise wash on your face as you glared at her. You don't know when or how you had got where you are now. but, like it or not, you were a part of this now. Quickly stirring yourself, you narrowed your gaze and violently yanked the tattered book from her grip.
"HEY!" The pink filly scowled and reared on you as you took her plaything from her.
You tossed the book to the young unicorn fillies' hooves. She quickly picked it up and held it to her chest, all the while her teary eyes not leaving you or Diamond Tiara. Your focus was fixed on Diamond, waiting for her to throw a punch or lunge at you. Instead, she merely glanced you up and down and gave you a look of disgust, punctuating it with a puff at your perceived impudence. Meanwhile, Silver Spoon looked to the book you just returned, then to her friend.
"You mind?" Tiara finally spoke, her voice full of annoyance toward you.
When you felt nothing interesting was gonna happen you turned back to your spot. 'Done my good deed for the century.' You thought, washing your hooves of the affair.
"Hey!! I'm talking to you!" She said, running ahead to cut you off. You stopped and narrowed your eyes at her in annoyance. She walked up to you, getting in your personal space. "So what? You some sorta 'tough guy'?" She poked you in the chest with a pink hoof.
Your eyes went down to the perpetrating hoof, recalling ways you could break it.
"Let me clue you in, 'Lint boy'," she said pushing further into you with a hoof you were now thinking of removing completely. "My Daddy, owns this town. Whatever "dirt trap" you live in, odds are, he owns it."
You looked up and met her self righteous expression, it wavered for a moment, then focused back on you.
"You would do well not to forget it, you muddy little grease ball ." She grinned imperiously at you.
Now you just wanted to spit in her face, sadly you were rather parched, your thoughts going back to your juice box, but you doubted she would let you-
"Look out!" A small voice squeaked behind you.
Your attention had been too focused on the one 'terror' that you failed to notice the other creeping up on you, and now it was too late. As you turned, Silver and Tiara both shoved you down the small hill. You fell sideways down the decline, scraping tree roots and dirt trying to get a hoof hold. Your descent ended with a plop as you came splashing down in a mud hole at the bottom. The sound of the duo's laughter retreating from above. You could feel the mud seep all around your body. Your face was splattered with the sludge as you lifted yourself out of it.
"Welcome to Ponyville." Said Diamond Tiara with one final knock to your current situation, their cackles growing more distant.
Their at the bottom of that hill, in the mud, you stood. The great Dragon King. You remained their frozen, as you came to terms with what just happened. Your eyes falling on your reflection in the shallow puddle of water and mud.
----------------
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon passed her by. Making a conscious effort to step on the discarded pages of her sister's gift to her, laughing all the while. When they were gone, Dinky Hooves stepped forward.
She was always small, from the day she was born, that's what her name meant. Her Mommy and Daddy always made it seem like it was ok, after all, she was their "little muffin". Even her big sister called her 'squirt' and would mess up her mane and carry her around. When they did it, it was ok, but deep down, she hated it. She had wanted to do magic since she was two years old, so she could learn a spell to make her big. When she got a little older she just wanted to learn magic so that ponies would notice her, like Princess Twilight.
The little unicorn was entranced by Twilight's story; regular Unicorn, like her, becoming a great scholar, eventually becoming a hero and then... a princess. She dreamed that one day she would be good enough to be Twilight's student, like Twilight had been Princess Celestia's. Someday, she would learn great magic, go on great adventures and make friends all over the world.
After finding out she had an 'inverted horn', a birth defect that made spell casting far more difficult, even painful, that dream was almost snuffed out. How she cried, how she wanted to just give up, but as her daddy would say 'Hooves never give in.' So she worked even harder, pushed through the pain and the tears. It took a while but with sissy's help she was getting stronger every day, and by practicing at recess she felt more and more confident in herself.
All that came crashing down when Tiara and Silver followed her in here today, and to make matters worse, they hurt somepony else, because of her, because she was too little to help.
She wiped her tears away, 'Be strong,' she thought to herself 'gotta be strong.'
Dinky took a deep breath, and mustered her courage. She peered over the edge of the drop off. Their at the bottom sat the colt who had tried to help her. She had tried to warn him when she saw Silver Spoon sneak up on him but she was too late, and she felt worse for that.
"A-are you okay?" She said timidly to the colt below.
He didn't answer. In fact, he seemed frozen, his expression was blank and fixed on the pool of water he was sitting in. Occasionally, his ear would twitch, that was the only real sign that he wasn't a statue.
"Hey, um-Flint?" She said, remembering that was his name from this morning. Her first impression of him then was that he was grumpy and unfriendly. 'Ponies from the big city could be like that at first' mommy said. But the fact that he had come to her rescue showed that he was a good pony, and she would show him that so was she.
She called to him again. Still nothing. Putting the book to the side, she inched a little closer down the slope. Already she could feel the soil get a little wetter on her hooves. "Flint?" She called to him and yet again he didn't answer. He didn't even hear her it seemed. He was oddly transfixed on his reflection in the water. She took another step when she heard multiple hoof steps behind her.
---------
'You had that coming you know.' You thought to yourself. 'It had nothing to do with you, not a ashen thing." Your eyes were locked with the murky reflection, just making out your old icy blue eyes and your silhouetted horns. 'Now they are probably gonna give you grief from here on in. And not just them.' You grinned grimly at your situation. 'Their is blood in the air, your blood.'
"Flint?"
You recalled back to what you had once said about sentiment, those many centuries ago. You had forgotten your own words and now you payed the price.
'Stupid, so stupid'.
"Are you hurt?"
True you don't know what came over you when you stepped in, but that was no excuse.
'You were played again, by children no less.' You thought bitterly. 'And for what? To stop some worthless runt from being picked on?' You cursed your own stupidity. 'You failed at that too!'
"Flint, dude, can you hear me?"
'No, your the worthless runt'. You continue, 'You pathetic weakling.'
"HEY!!!"
-------------
A hoof on your shoulder snaps you out of your thoughts like a cannon, your anger white hot as you lunge at the owner.
"WHOA! WHOA! STOP!!!!" A familiar voice screams in panic, falling to his back as you pounced on top of him, your teeth bared.
After several tense seconds and cleansing breaths your mind cleared, and you were met with recently acquainted set of light purple eyes that were looking up at you in nervous uncertainty.
"Oh good, your ok." Rumble said sheepishly, grinning up at you. You eventually lowered your hoof. It was then you noticed a tightness had been gripped round your chest and stomach. Looking down you saw a pair of muddy yellow hooves had been attempting to restrain you. Looking behind you and met with the worried orange eyes of another acquaintance.
"It's okay," Applebloom cooed sympathetically. "Y'ur alright." You allowed yourself to un-tense a little more, you could feel her chest pressed against your back, her heart was still pounding hard but slowed when you sat down. She took a breath and sat with you, her hooves loosening but remaining in a embrace.
"You can let go." She looked up at you when you spoke. You looked back at her hooves then to her eyes with brow raised.
"Oh! Sorry." She said quickly removing her hooves a bright red blush appearing on her freckled face. "W-we didn't know where you were and came lookin' for ya." She said motioning to the other foal who now had caught his own breath.
"Dinky told us what happened." He said with a puff, grabbing his neck where your hoof had been threatening to crush just moments before. "We thought you were hurt, went down to help you."
"Hope you learned your lesson" you said dryly as you began walking up the incline.
You came to the top where you found Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle helping Dinky gather up and organize the pages in her book. The blonde filly looked to you with an appreciative smile.
"...you okay?" She said looking at you worriedly.
"I'm fine." you said rubbing your face with your only clean foreleg. For paused for a moment when you felt something warm around your eyes. You quickly wiped that garbage out before any of them could notice, though you got the sinking feeling they already had.
"It's not like it's the first time I've been beat up." You said rubbing your withers, already you could feel the skin underneath your fur was scraped up. 'Granted this was the first time a girl had bested me' but you chose to keep that fact to yourself.
Rumble and Applebloom came up the hill after you, kicking the dirt off their legs as they reached the dry grass.
"Girls," Applebloom said coming to the middle of the thicket, a look of mischief about her. "I think Operation: "Sticky Hoof", has been given a green light.
The other two Crusaders gave an equally roguish look. The other three ponies, yourself included, could only look on in confusion.
"We could use some extra help." Said Sweetie Belle, giving a sly look to you and the others.
"I'm in." Said Rumble rubbing his hooves together.
"Me too!" Said Dinky eagerly.
"I have no idea what you all are talking about." You said turning away from the group, "But, I've had my fill of dealing you ponies for one day." Turning your back you shake a little more mud off and proceed to leave the clearing.
"Oh ok, so I guess that means you wouldn't be interested in a little revenge against Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon." You halted your steps at the sound of Scootaloo's proposal.
You turned to meet her gaze, a smug smile and knowing look about her face.
"I live for revenge." You said allowing a small grin to grace your muzzle.
"Then huddle up, everypony." She said as the others formed a circle that you found yourself reluctantly joining.
"Alright." Said The bow wearing mastermind. "Let's get an inventory check." She said glancing to Sweetie, who pulled a convenient saddlebag from the bushes. She opened it to reveal an assortment of items you wouldn't traditionally find in a school.
"Water Balloons?" Asked Applebloom, in her element, it seemed.
"Check." Said Sweetie producing an extra large bag of said rubber novelty items.
"Elastic?"
"Check." Responded Sweetie producing to large bands of stretchy material that were clearly taken from a piece of clothing.
"Funnels?"
"Check." Once again the unicorn pulled three funnels from the bag.
"That's it?" You said rather unimpressed. "Your going to hit them with water balloons?"
"Not 'water' balloons." Said Applebloom coming to your side, a sly smile on her face. "Like mah Granny always says, 'Revenge is best served with, Maple Syrup!" She punctuated the odd expression by producing a large gallon jug of syrup from the bag.
You were still confused by what that even meant outside of this situation, but as the huddle once again pulled in, the voices were more hushed, and the plan was laid out, you couldn't help but grin a little at this plan. Your method would of been going in head on, hooves swinging, but this ? This was...different.
---------------------------
Six little ponies came out of the Ponyville school house, their heads lowered and contrite, having just spent an hour after school in detention.
Ms.Austere, came out on the steps, a serious look if she ever had one. Two other fillies came out behind her, their fur matted with syrup and various bits of grass and twigs. When the substitute teacher's eyes fell to them they had a look of absolute innocence and hurt. Once her back was turned this expression snapped to a look that spoke of wrath and bodily harm toward the six ponies that stood before them.
"I hope you have all learned your lesson." She said to the group before her. "I will be sending letter home to your families and you will have to explain your actions to them."
Some heads hung a little lower.
"And YOU!" She said motioning to the male earth pony in the back. "I don't know, how they speak in the big city. But we do not use such vulgarity in Ponyville!" She said staring the colt down. "I hope YOUR punishment has made that point abundantly clear?"
The Colt merely bared his teeth in a hollow grin, a residue of soap suds escaping his mouth, a remnant of what was done to wash his 'filthy' mouth.
'That one is a little monster, no doubt about it.' Austere Manner thought to herself. Still, she had done what the school system would allow her to do, and she had to find a way to clean up her niece and Diamond Tiara. With a sigh she turned and bid the girls to follow.
The syrup covered duo followed close behind their disheveled manes and coats only adding to their expressions of anger toward the departing groups of foals.
------------------
All stayed quiet the walk down the beaten path away from the school house. However their was a sense that any moment someone was gonna burst open with their laughter, but they knew they had to keep it contained, lest they dig a bigger hole for themselves. As the groups of ponies rounded the corner and the school house was no longer in sight, it was young Dinky who broke the silence.
"That. Was. So. FUNNY!" She said between bouts of giggles. Prancing within the group with excitement.
The rest of the school ponies followed suit and breathed a sigh of release followed by laughter.
"I know! When the first ballon hit Tiara, I thought I was gonna die!" Said Rumble his young wings fluttering with his hysteria.
"Oh! Oh! That squeal she made?" Chortled Scootaloo. "Priceless! Absolutely Priceless!"
"HOO-WEE! It'll be almost worth the extra chores Applejack is gunna give me when ah saw them get stuck to each other!" Yipped Applebloom wiping a tear away with the back of her foreleg.
"Did any pony else see that a trail of ants was following them inside?" Chuckled Sweetie Belle sending another wave of laughter through the group.
You tried to resist. It was juvenile, lacked the real solution you were used to. But, you had to admit that despite your initial doubts, maple syrup had never been used so sweetly. A smile betrayed your usual composed demeanor, even a few chuckles escaped, as you and the troop of ponies made their way into town, laughing, telling, and retelling the 'grand caper' that the six of you had put into action so smoothly. Sure you all got caught, sure you all would have to face some form of punishment from your various parents, but the moment was truly sweet and victory was yours.
It wasn't long till You saw your house come into view and you veered off from the group toward your door.
"So, Flint?" The crusader ringleader said getting your attention. You turned back and saw the group of foals look at you with smile and bright (huge) eyes. "Not bad for y'ur first day, huh?"
You hesitated, the day was out of the ordinary for sure. Usually you would begin and start your days alone, and that's how you wanted it to be. Sure their was Cozy and Sparks, but that was probably biological. But other ponies were, dumb, insignificant, pieces of hair and bone, that were as fleeting and numerous as the falling leaves. You hated them, you hated that you had to live as one of them. But as much as you tried to fight it, and you really were trying, you couldn't bring yourself to hate these ponies. You pondered this for a moment before you answered.
"Look, this was...." You trailed off trying to think of a word you had only reserved in a sarcastic tone.
"...fun?" Asked Dinky, looking at you curiously.
"...yeah, alright, it was...that." You said, trying now not to look at the group. "I'm used to doing things on my own. This afternoon was a one time thing." You said solemnly, yet apart of you didn't want to say it.
"Aww come on, Flint." Said Rumble coming to your side and placing a hoof on your shoulder, clearly not remembering what happened when he did that last time. "No need to be a tough guy, we're your friends." He said with a smile motioning to the group who beamed at you warmly.
"W-what?" 'Something was wrong with you. You shouldn't be acting like this.'
"We're your friends, you can lighten up!" Rumble said coming closer and giving you hug as the others proceeded closer.
"I-I've never had..." 'GET OUT OF THERE! YOU STUPID LITTLE CRETIN!!!'
"You can always be y'urself around us" said Applebloom giving you a little nuzzle.
'DONT LET THEM TOUCH YOU!!! RUN!!!' "I-I have... to go."
You pulled away from the group and full blown ran for your door. You could hear their voices protest, but you needed to get away, you couldn't breathe, the world was spinning, and nothing made sense. You fumbled with the door your hooves trembling with the knob.
"Flint? What's wrong?" Asked Sweetie Belle, worry in her voice. You looked up and caught her reflection in the window. Next to her was Scootaloo, abandoning her scooter to get close to you. Dinky was closer still, her repaired book slung over her back, a hoof to her mouth. Applebloom and Rumble were the closest each was reaching toward you. Lastly You saw the sixth one, and unlike the rest he had terror on his face as he struggled to open the door, but you had never seen his face before in your life.
You finally get open the door and pull yourself inside, you heart racing, your head spinning, you slammed the door behind you.
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The even longer wait for the next chapter
6302663 Hey now! Not wasn't that long between chapters.
I can imagine how poison joke,would affect him. He would either become a super adorable filly, or return to his dragon king form.
Another chapter from a story I am most anxiously awaiting? This pleases me...
Seriously though, you're doing an awesome job, keep it up!
Well...... there was only one response to this: it was totally worth it!
That's better! Something happened! FINALLY.
Other than some spelling mistakes, I liked this chapter, hopefully more come in the future.
6303003 thanks! Glad to your liking it so far!
6304404 Alright alright, I had that coming! To be honest I wrote this chapter with your words in mind, that's why it's so much longer.
I hope to move things along more briskly and bring the story to a close.
Flint is going native and has a hard time adjusting, I see. I suppose it's only good news the Crusaders made their plot in time, since I can see Flint's own idea of vengeance being a lot more violent.
Although
That's not quite true! But that's something he would keep to himself as well.
I'm completely expecting he'll build himself a new 'horde' in the form of a harem of mares
6309744 Well the thought did cross my mind
I feel like Flint's mark means that he will protect all he holds dear with all the fury and might of a dragon. Hell I can even see him being a kind of earth pony mage, being able to call upon the magma that resides inside the world to bathe his enemies in fire.
6387283 Oooh! That's an avenue! Still gotta get past that whole ' I hate ponies thing'.
That's for the feedback!
6394676 We shall see, in the next few chapter fer sure.
BOOM! Fatality! (Poor Flint, sucking up that pony mentality)
Well then, that happened. School Yard bullies can be mean, man. Seriously. It was good to see the kids at least keeping Flint from going violent on them. The chosen avenue of revenge was far more amusing.
And the whammy, seeing his own face. Mind you, terror isn't the best for first intentions, but hey, more memorable?
He is definitely changing