//------------------------------// // Newbie // Story: High Hopes // by Honey_Crisp //------------------------------// A gray colt soared above the ground, flapping his wings ever so often. He glanced downwards, looking over the town he had only just moved to today. He was checking out the scenery while his older brother, Thunderlane, moved the furniture to his liking, it was his brother's house after all. Rumble really never knew his parents, but heard great stories about them from Thunderlane, and also one he didn't like to remember... Rumble didn't remember this story, but he had been alive when it had happened. Only 5 moons old at the time. Tunderlane explained this story carefully to Rumble when he was old enough, in fear that the colt would break down and try to run away, thinking that he wasn't wanted. Why Thunderlane thought that, he didn't know, because their parents loved them dearly and would never give them up no matter what, but in this story, they were forced to. They would have fought to the death for their two precious foals, which they basically did... "Oh cool, there's the school I'll be going to!" Rumble suddenly burst out, talking to himself and nopony else in particular. Looking down upon the little red school-house that resembled a barn quite a bit. He let a smile slip onto his snout, and he decided that he'd go check out the scene, since nopony was there, it was Sunday, right? He took in one deep breath before he slowly glided over towards a fluffy light gray cloud and touched down on it, then leaped off that one to the next closest cloud, and then the next, and the next, and then... the next. As easy as it was to get up, it wasn't so easy to get down. Well to him, anyways. When he finally felt himself leap onto the soft earth, little droplets from the dew covered grass soaked into his fur-covered hooves and he breathed out a sigh. Not a sad sigh, a relaxed one, he enjoyed the feel of earth under his hooves, but he also loved the feel of wind blowing through your mane and rush of adrenaline you got while flying. Rumble, after relaxing for a moment, took a step towards the school-house before a dazzling magenta mare gleefully bounded out of the school to greet the newcomer. When she reached him she offered him her hoof as part of her greeting, then she stated, "Hello little one, that was some exemplary flying! You must be Rumble, correct? Well I'm going to be your teacher, Miss Cheerilee!" Rumble's brain clicked when she said her name was Cheerilee. He returned the gesture of the hoofshake and smiled, "Yep, I'm Rumble. Nice to meet you Miss Cheerilee." He said politely and gave a slight nod to her, almost like a bow. "Ohohohohoh! We have a little gentlecolt now! Don't we?" She asked in a kidding voice and pulled her hoof back, then placed it back on the ground. She noticed that after she said this, Rumble had blushed a bit and rubbed a hoof behind his neck with embarrassment. She gave a small giggle and then said, "I'll see you tomorrow, Rumble!" Before turning and slowly trotting back into the school-house. Now Rumble, left blushing in the school yard, stood there for a few moments just speechless. When he finally collected himself, he gulped and felt the blush leave his face, Cleastia, that was embarrassing... He thought and then speedily began to trot home, wanting to feel the earth beneath him instead of feeling the wind in his mane. When Rumble got home, he noticed Thunderlane couldn't have been home yet, since the door wasn't unlocked. He shrugged it off and wondered if Flitter and Cloudchaser were home yet, they had said he could come over whenever he liked, so what was he gona do? Go over there house! If they were home... Which of course, they weren't when he got there. He sighed and walked back over to his house, looking a bit miserable the whole way, when suddenly a pink mare bumped into him, knocking him over. "Oopsies! Sorry about that let me-" She cut herself off and covered her mouth with her hooves, gasping, then as soon as she was there, she was gone. Rumble cocked his head to the side when he had come to his senses again, and simply figured that she had been a figment of his imagination and shrugged it off. He got back onto his hooves and continued on his merry way to... somewhere. He looked around and tried to spot some colts that he could play with while he waited for Flitter and Cloud, or his brother. And it was good that he was looking for some, because soon he spotted a small group of colts, seemingly his age. He trotted over with a peppy bounce in his step, and when he reached them, he gave a smile, "Hey, I'm Rumble." He declared and extended a hoof to none of them in particular, as soon as he did, a light cream colt with a pure dark brown mane and tail, returned the hoofshake and replied, "Hey! I'm Featherweight." This new colt was actually quite shy, but wasn't when it came to the opportunity to make a new friend. That was a colt, of course. Rumble smiled brightly, then turned to look towards the other two, one a slender dark gold unicorn with a teal mane, and the other a complete opposite of the other. The slender one was the first to speak, "Well ehh, I'm Snails." He said with his blank stare, and light smile. Then the stout unicorn next to him spoke up, "And I'm Snips!" He said in the most annoying voice nopony could ever imagine. It was squeaky, yet deep and... it was just indescribable. Though, Rumble didn't mind it, he was just glad to be making some new friends. Rumble scanned over the colts, then noticed that Snails had something at his hooves. It was a bright red ball, shining brilliantly in the sun that covered the land. He cocked his head to the side, and motioned towards the ball, "What's that-" He was cut off by a brown and orange blur, streaking past him with the ball now rolling at his side as he tapped it harshly every so often. To Rumble's surprise, Featherweight streaked after the thief in an instant, fluttering his cream wings to give him a boost. Snails stood dumbfounded for a moment before chasing after them with Snips at his heels. "Hey!" Featherweight had shrieked, with a hidden giggle as soon as the brown and orange blur had stolen the ball right from under Snail's snout. Suddenly, the blur stopped dead in his tracks, making dust fly up behind him as he came to a stop. The blur was a pony, also his age, who was a dark chocolate brown, and had an orange mane, with streaks of darker orange mixed into it. And now that he had stopped, the others who had been pursuing him, collided with him, making a loud CRASH. When the dust cleared from around the jumble of ponies who were piled into a heap, the dark brown and orange pony at the bottom, the new pony spoke, "Hey, I'm Button Mash." He said coolly, with a sly smile spread slickly onto his face, "Why aren't cha playing 'Capture' with us?" He asked simply, now shaking the other ponies off himself. Rumble looked at the shimmering ball that was the supposed target of this game and made himself keep a straight face. Then dived for it, the game finally clicking in his brain.