What Matters Most

Hope had woken up from her short slumber, since she had trouble sleeping again, and trotted off to school with her brother.  She spotted her friends by the steps, sitting and chatting away until Miss Cherilee would call all the foals in for class. Hope walked up to her friends and decided, last night while trying to sleep, telling them about the strange colt she met yesterday. Should I even call him that? The filly still didnt know what to think of him, so she decided to look to her friends and see what they thought. She already felt discouraged when her friends noticed her arrival. Hope even had mentally prepared what to say all night and this morning yet all of a sudden she felt like she just couldn't say a word. What do I do? I already feel nervous again. They probably don't even want to hear what I have to say.

"Hi Hopester. How's it going?" Radiant asked smilling.

"Hi Hope." Mush Mush said with a radiant buzz.

"Wassup?" Lilly Pad also asked.

So many smiles. Hope thought. "Oh, it's going really good. I met this guy, he was really nice. He goes to middle school." Hope was already panicking over what to say next. She almost began hyperventilating on what to say next and more importantly, what her friends thought.

Her friends exchanged looks, their smiles all retreating. Mush Mush began to trot towards Hope with a glare. "A guy from middle school, huh? You shouldn't trust older colts like that. They tend to be, well, jerks. Come on, you know better than to hang around with them. That's really bad of you to do. He'll probably just bully you. He's probably a phony anyway." Mush Mush had said.

"Yea, a big, fat phony!" Radiant concurred.

Hope, didn't even know what to say. Her day had already started terribly. So she just backed out of the conversation, again. What was I thinking? She started crying, but this time just on the inside. She had gotten very used to keeping it all in lately. She didn't like it when ponies saw her cry. She didn't want them to feel sorry for her. Or worse.

A short yet loud giggle made Hope return her attention back to her friends. "I'm soooo nervous for middle school guys, it's a whole different work load! I'm really looking forward to the field trips though. They're field trips are so awesome!" Radiant said, in her usual super hyper tone bearing her oh so radiant smile.

Now those thoughts made Hope smile as well. She was always nervoucited for middle school. Especially for the field trips. Hope's brothers and sister would tell her the amazing trips they did. Like when her sister, Glistening Silver, visited the Manehatten Museum of Art, or when her two brothers witnessed the natural wonder of The Rainbow Falls. "Yea, I'm looking forward to going to the sixth grade dunes trip, we actually get to stay there for three days! And the graduation cruise, that's also gonna be a blast!" Hope said, and very proud for speaking, "Whats the thing your excited for Mushy?" She asked. Mush Mush placed a hoof to her chin beginning to think before the bell rang, cause the foals to flock into the classroom.

Later in the day during lunch Hope just finished her apple and PB and J sandwich. What her friend had said about the colt still lingered in the front of her mind. I know that I shouldn't have trusted a stranger, especially one that's older than me. But he seemed so nice. It was only Mush Mush that had said it, but the looks on her friends were clearly showing that what she said was pure fact. When Hope walked laps around the park to kill time, she noticed a younger earth filly on the swings, trying vigorously to push herself. She looked sad and lonely, her eyes seemed to water every time she failed. Hope pictured the little one as herself and her heart immediately went out to her.

Hope couldn't watch her any longer and decided to help the poor girl. She sauntered toward the swing and sat sat on her haunches so she can gently push the filly with her hooves. The child immeadiatly jumped and squeaked as soon as she felt the touch of Hope's hooves and tensed.  The beige filly eventually got enough momentum to push herself and began to relax. Hope couldn't help but smile at foal's occasional giggles as she pushed herself again and again. Hope Chaser was proud of herself knowing that she finally did something right. Actions speak louder than words He couldn't have been more right.

A couple minutes passed before the filly stopped and exited the swing. "I'm sorry", she said as she began to turn around, "I never really thought about thank-" She stopped mid-sentance after looking over the pony that helped. The filly made a look that Hope was unfortunately familiar with. No It was the look of fear. Please Celestia, not again The filly began to whimper and double back as Hope moved closer and tried hard to put on a friendly face. The younger child only gave a small cry and began running toward the schoolhouse. Hope wanted to chase after the filly, but she knew what would happen, what the others would think. She began to well up with tears. "Wait!", she pleaded, "Please wait! I only wanted to help this time!" Her cries fell on deaf ears.

Hope couldn't control herself and let her legs carry her to the only safe place she knew. As she was running she began to sob louder. Her muzzle being nearly covered with tears, and sense the of loniless coming back to her. It was all happening again, evrerytime she would try to fix something she would get turned away or driven out.  Hope thought he advice she got from that stupid colt would work, but no. Everything was still business as usual. Nothing could help her now.

Hope Chaser had lost all hope.

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       It was nearly the end of sixth period. Darius checked his watch for what seemed like the millionth time. This time the hands were exactly where they wanted to be, with the big one on the two the and the little one on the three. 2:15 Come on time, speed it up a little he thought. His classmates around him were already packed up and conversing with peers or reading their book to pass the last few minutes of the school day. The teacher, Mr. Thesis, never seemed to mind and was seen talking with his student aid. After looking at the same posters of Princess Twilight reading a book and plays Darius never heard of, the school bell finally rang and all the colts and fillies began to flock out of the school.

Unlike the old elementary school, the children at the junior high usually walked or flew home on their own or meet their friends at hang out spots like Sugarcube Corner or even the Carousel Boutique. Since Darius didn't have any homework today  Thank Celestia, he trotted his way down the familiar roads that lead to the park.

He would usually be accompanied with somepony else, but that somepony wasn't hear today, which made Darius a little melancholy. He was always a little sad when he didnt get to talk to Lazlo. She was a blue earth pony with a more dark blue mane and blue eyes almost exactly like the filly from yesterday, although Lazlo had a darker shade. The colors for her were quite similar to his, except for the fact that he's green and she was blue. Her real name was Lapis Lazuli, but he decided to call her Lazlo instead. He was a little surprised to see her giggle when she heard it and said that he should call her that from now on, and they became friends ever since. Darius never told this to anypony but Lazlo was the first real friend he ever had, and to him and his Dad, this was a large step for him.

Probably not as large as what happened yesterday actually. He began to ponder. To other ponies, cheering a foal up and teaching them a lesson was just kindness. To a "different" pony like Darius, this was something he never thought he would ever have the guts to do. Yet when he saw that sad little filly, alone and feeling unwanted, it was like a mirror. A magic mirror that showed the pony's self in the past if they looked in it. He needed to help her.

"But... What if I was wrong" he mumbled to himself. "I mean, sure I could've explained it better, but I thought it was enough for her."

After mumbling his own thoughts to himself some more, he arrived to his destination. Normally he would just wander through the paths and daydream or read one of his graphic novels until his Father would come home from work and he needed to go home. Today was different. Today he wanted to find that filly, and hopefully make another friend today.

He kept searching and searching, he honestly didn't mind though. Since he always finished a very good amount of his homework during his free period, he didn't have to worry about it after school. Then it finally clicked. The tree! He thought. He was really hoping he was right. He trotted toward the tree in which he and the filly had met. But she wasn't there. Darius felt just a little discouraged, until he saw her, trotting away from the school campus. There she is. He thought with relief. Quickly, he ran after her, not too fast though. He didn't want to weird her out.

When he finally caught up, he quickly said the first thing that came to his mind. "Hey, how's it going?" When Hope had heard his voice, she felt a wave of warmth and fear cross over her. "Oh, I'm so sorry for scaring you."