A Young Bond Builds

by HeartBeat

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Sad, Romance, Original Character, Derpy Hooves
Length: 7204

Bright Valor, our protagonist, meets a cute pony in his school who is being bullied, while he himself is being abused. When Bright helps her frown turn upside down, their friendship moves on to something more.

Bright Valor, a colt who seems to carry the burden of depression, lives in Ponyville with his family. Being a young colt has it's struggles. His grades are horrible, he doesn't talk much, and to top it off, the poor colt is constantly bullied for his weak heart and body. But when he meets his classmate, the young filly named Ditzy Doo, or Derpy Hooves, his life flips upside down. They both have similar struggles, so it's no wonder how the get along. They both are taken down by bullies, but together, their bond can overcome it all.

Published 2015-11-12 22:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-11-14 16:43:21 UTC

The Beginning

The school bell rings loudly, children pouring from every door for lunch. Some ponies eat or play happily with their friends. But as for our young protagonist, Bright Valor, his story is different...

"S-Stop... C'mon guys, please!" The struggling colt groaned, his body pinned up against the fence behind a large tree in the playground. The three bullies, Arid, Zoom, and Buzz had been treating him like dirt ever since he showed weakness. Bright Valor never stood up to anyone, never spoke out, or even tried to stop the abuse. He was weak; always weak... As strong as he wanted to be at times, the poor colt never had the strength to push back.

"What? What did you say, wimp?" Arid, he 'leader' of the bullies, asked with a sly grin.

"Stop it! It hurts!" He whined out, wincing as the fence began to bruise his side.

"Oh! Well let me help you!" Arid said with a sarcastic voice and pushed him down into the dirt, away from the gate.

Bright hit the ground hard, rolling a few feet before coming to a stop. He stumbled to his hooves with tears filling in his eyes which glared at the three bullies with hate. He kept silent and stood at the gate, cornered by them. They began to get closer and laugh. Buzz grabbed his saddle bags and threw it's contents in the dirt. Zoom shoved Bright against the gate again. The weak, young pony closed his eyes and just let it happen.

"C'mon, shrimp! Fight back!" Zoom laughed pushing him again.

"Whatever, guys. The baby, here, has a mess to clean up." Said Arid, trotting away. The other two followed close and laughed as they trotted towards the playground.

Bright looked at his books and scattered papers that were thrown out in the dirt. He picked them up and slid them back into his bags. Bright threw the bags on his back and hung his head low and began to trot to the tree to eat his lunch alone. He sat down under the tree and looked at himself in a puddle of water next to him. His eyes held dark rings under them. His lips seemed to be sealed shut, because they rarely move to speak. His black and cyan mane covered one of his eyes. He sighed and closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the tree. He heard the bullies laughing and he looked over to see the group messing with the new pony. Bright watched from a distance as they hit the muffin out of her hands. She looked down at the pastry and watched as the bullies trot by and kick dirt on the muffin. He felt his heart crumble, even more than it was already. He waited for the bullies to leave her and he began to make his approach. The gray mare gazed at the brown muffin as it laid in the mud with tears in her eyes. Bright move closer to her and sat down on the bench next to her. He reached into his lunch bags and pulled out a cookie. She glanced at the cookie and then back to the only pony who, in her eyes, seemed to care for her. He held an innocent smile on his face as he held out his lunch's treat. She smiled and brushed the tears from her eyes.

"Thank you," She said gently taking the cookie from his hoof. "Nopony has really been generous to me."

"You're welcome. They mess with me too..." He said looking down to the dirt.

"I'm Ditzy Doo." She said holding out a hoof.

"My name's Bright Valor." He said, smiling and taking her hoof.

They sat together and enjoyed each other's company. Bright never really talked to anypony, because he is afraid if he messes up, no pony will like him. But with Ditzy, he felt calm and free to speak his mind. They would laugh at their jokes and told each other stories. The bell rang again, and the ponies began making their way back into the schoolhouse.

Bright and Ditzy trotting back into their class and sat down next to each other. Mrs. Cheerilee handed everyone a piece of paper and some colored pencils. Bright's mind wondered as he drew. He thought back on how comfortable and safe he felt around Ditzy at lunch. The young pony looked over to Ditzy, who was calling his name. She held up her paper and showed a tube of bubbles and small muffins around the paper. Bright held up his paper and Ditzy began to giggle. He raised an eyebrow and looked at the paper, not realizing that he subconsciously drew Ditzy sitting with him on the bench while he thought. He set the paper down on his desk and began to blush.

"I think it looks pretty good." Ditzy said looking over his hooves to see the drawing again.

"Your drawing is good, too!" Bright said leaning over to see her paper aagin.

Later the bell rang and everypony turned in their drawings. Bright packed his books in his bags and threw the bags on his back. He trotted out the door and saw Ditzy in the hall.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Ditzy!" He said as he trotted by her.

"See ya!" She said waving to her new friend.

The colt smiled and began his walk to his home. He felt his heart was warmer than ever. As he thought back on that mare, his cheeks felt warm and light headed. A smile stayed on his face all the way home. The house came into view and he trotted to the door and opened it.

"I'm home! Anypony here?" He said with a large smile on his face.

"I'm in the living room, and your father is still at work!" Called his mother from across the house. He trotted by her with a grin on his face.

"Well! Hello, Mr. Happy! Did you make a new friend or something?" Diamond asked following him up the stairs.

"Yeah.. I guess I did." He said with a smile glued on his face.

"Oh! So, what's his name?" She asked walking to the door to his room.

"Her name is Ditzy." He said to his mom.

"Ooooh... Is she cute? Is she going to be your mare-friend?" She teased.

"Aww, c'mon mom!" He said shutting his door. He heard his mother laughing as she went back downstairs. He looked at himself in his mirror. He saw that the dark rings around his eyes had began to fade to his normal light-blue color. He smiled and thought back on his time with her. He was excited to know Ditzy, and loved being friends with her.

Taking the Fall

Bright left his house feeling excited to see Ditzy again. He saw the schoolhouse coming into view he began to smile. Entering the classroom, he saw the three bullies sitting in the corner of the room. They were laughing and glaring right at Bright . He turned his head away and saw Ditzy waving to him. He felt his heart warm again. A smile grew and he waved back. As he trotted to his seat next to her, she greeted him.

"Hey, buddy! How's it going?" She asked smiling at him.

"I'm doing alright." He responded.

They talked together for a while and Miss Cheerilee greeted her class and began her lesson. Bright listened as she began to talk about Heart's and Hooves Day. The thought of having a love brought a weird feeling in his stomach. He didn't like the thought of having to go through the trouble of love. But he just shrugged off the feeling in his stomach and continued to listen. After a while of the lesson, the lunch bell rang. Bright grabbed his lunch bag and followed Ditzy outside.

"Hey, want to sit in the shade, or the bench again?" The colt asked her.

"Shade would be great!" she said, holding her bag with her mouth.

They went to the corner of the playground where a large tree kept them away from the sun. Bright would only come there to hide from the bullies, and he had hoped that they wouldn't find them there.

Ditzy stuck her hoof in her bag and pulled out a small muffin. She looked at it and licked her lips. She took a bite and her wings fluttered as she giggled.

"That's really cute." He thought to himself. Than his eyes shot open at what he just thought. "W-What! I just said THAT? No way..." He began to scramble in his thoughts. The feeling returned to his stomach. Brightlooked at the apple in his hoof and stuck it back into his bag. And leaned back against the tree, letting out a sigh.

"What's the matter?" Ditzy asked, with a mouthful of muffin.

"I'm not that hungry." He explained, patting his hoof to his stomach.

"Aww, that stinks," She said putting her hoof in her bag again. "Because I brought you something."

Bright looked at what was in her hoof. She was holding out a tiny muffin, small enough to be bite size. He looked back up to Ditzy, she was smiling at him and staring into his eyes. The feeling in his stomach went away as he grabbed the small muffin.

"Well... I guess I have room for one!" Bright said with a smile on his face. He popped the muffin in his mouth and began to chew it. The flavor of berries filled his mouth and he swallowed it down.

"Ditzy, that was great tasting! Where did you get them?" He said leaning in towards Ditzy.

"I made them." She said with a smile.

"Wow! You're a really good baker!" He said to her.

"Thank you, I have more at my house. Maybe your mom can let you come over to play? I live a few housed down from Sugar Cube Corner." She said smiling back at him.

"I'll ask my mom today and then come to your house." He said, feeling strange again.

"Yay! We'll have a lot of fun!" Ditzy said letting her wings flutter again.

A few hours passed and school was finished for the day. Ditzy and Bright trotted outside. Before they passed the playground, the three bullies jumped out from hiding. Ditzy jumped and his heart sank.

"Well, well, well..." Arid said circling the two. "Looks like we got a pair of love-birds!" He laughed.

"Ha! Yeah, love birds!" Buzz said from behind Arid.

"Don't you know that there is a price to pay us when you pass through our playground after school?" Arid said confronting them.

"I see that neither of you have any bits, but that can be replaced." He said with an evil smile. Arid dug his dirt in the ground and leaned forward, pointing right at Ditzy.

From the corner of his eye, Bright saw Ditzy crawl into a small ball and began to tremble. A shadow covered her as Bright was now standing between Arid and Ditzy.

"You can take me, but Ditzy leaves unharmed." He demanded.

"Aww, lover boy wants to protect the retard!" Zoom laughed.

"B-Bright... what are you doing?" Ditzy whispered from the below her hero.

"It's okay." He whispered back. A smile grew on his face, assuring everything will be fine.

"Okay. She can go, but you get it double, since your taking her place." Arid said leaving a clearing for Ditzy to escape.

"Go." He said to her still smiling at her.

Ditzy let out a small whimper and she picked her bags up. She began to make a fast retreat to the gates. She stopped at the open gate and turned around. She saw Bright being circled by the bullies. She noticed his head was down and his mane covered both of his eyes. She could still see the smile on his face. A tear hit the dirt below Ditzy as she went to go get Miss Cheerilee.

Another hoof his his head and to the dirt he went with a thud. All three of the bullies hit him at least once. They began to get closer to him. Suddenly they stopped as the door to the schoolhouse swung open.

"You three! Get inside RIGHT NOW!" Miss Cheerliee yelled to them. The three bullies droppe their heads, knowing they were busted. The three slowly trotted into her class and Ditzy began sprinting right to Bright.

She stopped a few feet from his breathing body. He laid in the dirt with a smile stil on his face. He opened his eyes and looked up to the mare.

"Hey, there..." He whispered.

"Why?" she asked with tears in her eyes. "Why did you take my place?"

"I couldn't... I wouldn't let them hurt you." He said getting up to his hooves.

"Why?" She asked sitting in front of her hero.

"I'm not sure... I felt like I had to do something about it. I would never let it go if they hurt you too." He tried to explain.

"We need should get you home." she said to him.

Ditzy helped him get back to his house. She rang the bell and Diamond answered the door. And she gasped as she saw her son in this state.

"Hey mom." Bright said looking up at her, grinning nervously with small bruises on his cheeks

"Oh my! What happened!" Diamond said holding his mane out of the way to see the bruise that covered his right eye.

"Bullies did this!" Ditzy said to her.

"Bullies? Oh, well you should come inside and explain it to me." She said opening the door to the house.

Ditzy explained the thing that the bullies did. They would occasionally just knock thing out of their hooves and call them names. But they seemed to go too far, they began punching and beating. Diamond looked at his bruise and scrape. After he was tended to, Diamond took Ditzy to her home. And Brightwas heading up to his room.

"Hey, son..." Heart called from the open door to the balcony. Bright's heart sank.

He sighed and prepared himself for the long lecture from his dad. He stepped out onto the balcony and sat in front of him.

"Take a seat." He said pointing to the empty space on the bench next to him.

"What is it dad?" The young colt said as he climbed onto the bench.

"I heard about what happened." Heart said pouring liquor into a small glass of ice.

"Yeah. Kinda got rough." Bright said looking down at the floor.

"You protected her didn't you?" His father said, taking a sip from the glass.

"How did you know that?" Bright asked looking up to him.

"I heard her say that she was there. But when I saw her, she didn't have a single scratch on her." His dad explained.

"I would have fought back. I'm just too weak." Brightsaid letting his ears drop.

"There is no such thing as a weak pony, Bright. You'll understand sometime." Heart said, beginning his lecture for his son. "Just having muscles wont help much. You have bravery and the will to take the pain for Ditzy. If you just had the muscles, you wouldn't even think about taking the beating. You would go headfirst into a fight, just thinking of your strength. But what you did, you understood your position, and had the will for Ditzy's safety to protect her. And having that, means a hell of a lot more than strength. Do you understand?"

"I think I do." Bright responded. "I just wish I didn't have to take their beatings and just fight back, for myself."

"Fighting for yourself wont help much. But you will know when the time is right to fight back. The moment will present itself, and when it does, you'll feel like you have all the strength in the world." Heart said placing his hoof on his son's shoulder.

"Thanks dad... I'm going to go lay down." He said moving back into his room.

"Alright goodnight, Bright." Heart said taking another sip from the glass with a proud smile on his face

Bright crawled in his bed and relaxed his sore muscles. He felt a sudden feeling of tiredness in him. He closed his eyes and fell asleep with a smile on his face.

A Shoulder to Cry On

Bright Valor woke the next morning to a brand new day, excited that the weekend was finally here. This meant that he could go to Ditzy's house or the first time. He hopped out of bed and began to hum to himself.

A quick shower woke him from his tiredness that made his eyes heavy and he brushed his mane the way he always would. One looked at himself in the mirror and saw that there was no more blackness around his eyes. He brushed his mane up and over, out of the way of his left eye, and he smiled at how his reflection looked.

He grabbed a piece of toast and a plate of eggs his parents made for him. At the table, Heart was sipping a glass of orange juice and reading the newspaper. Diamond was eating an apple and looking at a magazine.

"Hey, mom?" Bright said, with a mouth full of toast.

"Yes, dear?" Diamond answered, flipping the page.

"Can I go to Ditzy's today?" Bright asked taking a spoonful of eggs and popping it in his mouth.

"If it's okay with her parents." Diamond said smiling at her son.

"Okay, I'll head over there later." The colt said, finishing his glass of juice.

"Thats, fine. Just be nice around her parents." Diamond said, sounding motherly.

"Okay, mom." He said putting his plate and glass in the sink.

Hours had passed since breakfast, and Bright had been doing his regular chores around the house. He cleaned his room up, and made sure that all of his homework had been completed. Looking at the clock, he noticed it was a little past noon. A smile grew on his face as he couldn't wait anymore. Brightgrabbed his jacket and put his head and hooves through. The door to his room opened and he trotted though to the front door.

"I'm going to Ditzy's house!" He called opening the door.

"Alright, be home by dark!" Heart responded from upstairs.

Bright stepped out to the chilly day and closed the door behind him. The road kicked up dust as he trotted to Sugar Cube Corner. He looked at the houses as he passed. A small gray bolted into a house and slammed the door shut. Bright thought that must have been Ditzy, so he trotted to the door and knocked on it with a hoof.

A white mare answered the door. Her mane was yellow, but brighter than Ditzy's.

"Hello ma'am, does Ditzy live here?" Bright asked the mare.

"Yes she does, and she has had enough of you three!" She said slamming the door in his face.

"Huh? What do you mean!" He said, loud enough to sound through the door. Again the door swung open, but faster and the mare looked angry.

"You bullies had made it rough on her, and she has had enough!" She yelled to Bright Valor. His heart sank as he thought of what he had done to her.

"I-I'm very sorry to hear that... But I'm no bully, though. The three... They have messed me up too." He said feeling the bruise on his head.

"Wait... What is your name?" She asked opening the door a little wider.

"I'm Bright Valor. I met Ditzy a while ago, and we made plans to hang out today... I'd like to see her, but if I need to leave I-" Bright was cut off by the motherly mare.

"Oh! She told me about you." The mare said with a sheepish smile on her face. Bright blushed, thinking of what Ditzy may have told her mother. "Her room is the first door on the right." She said pointing a hoof to a hallway.

"Thank you." Bright said stepping into the house and the door closing behind him.

He slowly approached her door and let a small knock on it. He listened and heard sniffling from inside and movenment. After a minute, he knocked again.

"Go away, mom! I don't want to talk right now!" She yelled from inside.

"It's me... Bright." He said softly from the hallway.

He heard hoof-steps and the door opened. He stepped inside and the door closed behind him. He turned to Ditzy, noticing the redness in her eyes and the streams of tears on her face.

"What did they do to you?" He whispered, feeling a sharp pain in his heart as he looked at her.

"They pushed me around. Called me names like cross-eyed retard and dumb-flank." She said lowering her head and ears flopped agains the side of her head.

Bright saw a tear hit the floor and her mane covered her eyes. He sat down in front of her and sighed. He gathered his words in his head, and his stomach ached again. A sigh sounded from him again and he leaned close to her. He brushed the golden mane that covered her eyes. She looked up at him with her gold eyes. The beautiful gold orbs were scorched red from crying. A smile grew on his face as he wiped a tear from her face. She smiled back as his hoof rested on her shoulder.

"I know their words hurt. But you know what? They don't have what we have, the will to take all of their words and hate. We can overcome this together, Ditzy. You're even stronger than I am Ditzy." Bright said smiling at her.

"How is that." She said sniffling and looking at Bright's warm, welcoming eyes.

"I get punched and beaten by them. Sure it hurts, but the pain goes away. Scars and bruises soon heal. But words aren't like a scar. They stick to you and begin to eat away at you. But you take their words and can overcome them. They have words as their weapon, but you have the upper hoof. You have this." Bright patted his hoof on Ditzy's chest.

"A heart, and not just any heart. A heart that can withstand any painful words. I see that you are sad right now, but I also see the bravest set of eyes in the world. That is why you are stronger than me." He set his hoof back down as he finished talking.

"Then I can't be stronger than you!" Ditzy spoke, a grin on her face. "Because you have a heart too... Nopony has shown me this much care, Bright." The young mare said, holding a hoof to his chest as well.

She smiled and looked at him in the eyes. She wrapped her hooves around his back and pulled him close to her. She rested her head on the back of his neck and she sighed. Bright began to heat up and his heart pounded in his chest. His wings gave a small flutter as he smiled again. He set his head down and nuzzled it agains the back of Ditzy's neck. The embrace made the whole world melt away around them. Thousands of burdens lifted off his shoulders as he felt the warmth surround him.

"Thank you." Ditzy whispered as she nuzzled him back.

"Its okay... Nopony deserves to take as much as you do." Bright said patting her back.

"Why do you like to help me so much?" She said, pulling away from their embrace.

"Well..." He began to gather his words again in his mind.

"I'm not going to lie. But ever since I saw you getting bullied, I though it was the worst thing I ever witnessed. Something inside me made me approach you and help you cheer up. But when I sat with you and talked with you. I felt strange, and I was so comfortable around you. When I see you so torn apart, I feel like my world doesn't matter anymore. All I feel is to help you. And to be honest, I like being around you, and helping you be happy." The ache in his stomach returned and he waited for her reaction.

She smiled as she understood what he meant. A tear streamed down her cheek, and a frown appeared on Bright's face.

"What's wrong?" He said concerned.

"Thank you. That means alot, and its nice to know how you feel." She said wiping the tear from her eye.

"Well, I guess you want to be alone, so I'll see you later, okay?" He said making his way to her door.

"Um... Okay, I'll come by your house when I can hang out, okay?" She said stopping him from leaving.

"That sounds great! I can't wait to see you!" Bright said leaving the house.

He passed through the gates to the house and turned back. Ditzy held happiness in her eyes again as she smiled at him. Bright waved goodbye and she returned the gesture. He felt so light and care free again. He heard laughter and he looked around the street. He saw the three bullies laughing together and sitting on a bench. He took a step in their direction, but his fathers words rang in his head.

"Not yet..." He said to himself, continuing to his house.

He entered the door and greeted his father as he trotted up to the stairs to his room. He sat at his desk and pulled out his notebook for homework and set it on his desk. A knock filled the room and the door opened. Heart trotted into the room and sat on his bed.

"Your jacket is wet." Heart said, pointing out the small wet-spot.

"Oh, Ditzy was a little upset. I talked to her and let her have some time to herself." Brght explained leaning back into his chair.

"Bullies?" Heart asked looking out the window.

"Yeah." He said, turning back to his desk.

"And you were the one who held her... Right?" Heart said approaching his son.

"Yeah! I guess I was." He said looking up from the paper, remembering the time they shared today.

"That's my boy." Heart said with a grin on his face, patting his son on the head. "So, what are you working on now?"

"Just boring stuff... Learning how to multiply fractions. Stupid math..." Bright turned to his dad. He was looking out the window with a smile on his face. He chuckled and gave a strug.

"You got me there son... I don't like math either!" His dad said with a laugh, standing up from the bed.

"You're really good at protecting someone you love, keep it up, and you'll be a great pony someday." He said trotting to the door.

"Thanks, dad." He said, finishing up the first problem. "Wait, what?... LOVE?!" Bright exclaimed, hearing his dad laugh from the hallway.

Moments had passed and the sun began to set, his room illuminated by the sun from the horizon. Bright closed his notebook and put it back in his backs, looking out and smiling towards the sky.

"Bright! Ditzy is here to see you!" Diamond called from downstairs.

The colt left his room and quickly. His dad told him to be back by dark again as he patted his back. Bright trotted downstairs went to the door. He saw Ditzy sitting at the doorway with her bags.

"Hey! What would you like to do?" Bright said closing the door behind him.

"Follow me." Ditzy said spreading her wings.

She flapped hard and took off. Bright hasn't flown in a while and he stretched his wings through the openings his jacket. Air began to blow from underneath him as flapped his wings harder. He got a few feet off the ground and followed close behind Ditzy. They flew together to a hill with a single apple tree near the edge. They landed and Ditzy sat under the tree reaching into her bags.

"I would always come here to get away from things." She said pulling out a small bottle. "Watch this."

She opened the cap to the bottle and dipped the stick in the liquid. She held out the stick and waved it around. Bubbles began to form in the air and shone in the light of the setting sun. As each bubble crossed the sun, each beam shone through, making an array of colors fill the shade of the tree. The reflections shudder and sway from the bubbles. Ditzy and Bright watched as the beautiful orbs danced in the light.

"They're so beautiful. No wonder bubbles are your cutie-mark. You turned something so simple, into a beautiful piece of art." Bright said looking at Ditzy, who was blushing.

Bright suddenly felt something warm on his shoulder. He looked down to see Ditzy resting her head on his shoulder. He turned his gaze back to the sky and watched the sun on the horizon.

"Hey Bright ..." Ditzy whispered moving her head.

"Hmm?" He mumbled looking down to her.

Ditzy's face was blushed red as stretched her neck up to him, and landed a kiss on the cheek. His eyes spread wide as he turned beat red and his wings let out a small flutter. His heart ponded again and he felt like flying to Luna's moon and back. His stomach flipped as he smiled at her.

"Thank you... For being there for me." She said resting her head back on his shoulder.

That warm peck on his cheek set his heart aflutter. His eyes darted open as his face got hotter than Celestia's sun. He felt so tranquil with her by his side. All of the hate and pain left from his mind. He felt freed from a trap that he has been stuck in for years. Ever since he met Ditzy, his heart was so broken, but now its warm and full again. He will protect Ditzy forever and be there to let her cry on his shoulder.

"Anytime, Ditzy." He said wrapping a hoof around her shoulder.

Fighting Back

Bright sat in his chair the next morning, looking out the window to the sun shining brightly into the room. He smiled and got up to eat breakfast. Bright moved downstairs to see a note. He picked it up and began to read.

Bright,

Your father and I are going to be gone for a while, we are going to shop in town and will be back around dark. Be safe and don't burn the house down if you want to cook something.
-Mom

The writing changed from his mothers, to what was his father's.

P.S.

If Ditzy comes by and she needs you, you be there for her. I give you permission to leave the house for her. Be responsible.
-Dad

He set the note back down on the table. His dad really appreciated how he was protecting Ditzy, and began to build trust in his son. Bright was never allowed to leave the house when they aren't there.

Bright entered the kitchen and grabbed a box of cereal and milk. He filled the bowl and sat down and began to eat with a spoon. The sweet corn flakes tingled on his tongue and the sugar woke him a little.

Later, a few knocks sounded from the front door. The door opened and Bright saw Ditzy wearing her saddle bags on her back.

"Hey, good morning!" Bright said closing the door behind him.

"Morning? Its almost 2." Ditzy said laughing.

"Oh, well whats up?" Bright said sitting down.

"I was wondering if you would like to go to the park today?" Ditzy said with a bug grin.

"Sure, lead the way!" Bright said fluttering his wings.

Ditzy trotted down the road with her gold mane swaying in the wind. Bright followed close by as he watched all the joy in this mare.

They arrived at the park and sat under a tree. Ditzy pulled out two muffins and she handed one to Bright smiling. He picked up the warm muffin and brought it to his mouth. The taste of berries and cinnamon exploded on his tongue.

"Ditzy, you are an amazing baker! Please never stop baking!" He said savoring the sweet baked good.

"Thanks, I won't." Ditzy said sheepishly, and blushing.

After they ate their muffins, they sat next to each other and leaned on the tree. The clouds above morphed and slowly flowed in the sky. Suddenly the colt felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Tag! You're it!" Ditzy said running away.

"No way! Get back here!" Bright yelled laughing and chasing after her.

Bright tagged her back and turned the other way. He hid behind a tree and looked for Ditzy, she wasn't in site. Than Ditzy jumped from behind a bush and tackled Bright and rolled down the hill. They laughed as they held on to each other and tumbled down. As they reached the bottom of the hill, Ditzy laid on top of the colt in the grass.

"Tag! You're it!" Ditzy said, laughing.

They both laughed for a while, Ditzy still on top of him. Their laughing calmed and turned to silence. Bright gazed into the golden eyes of Ditzy and she smiled down at him. A blush appeared over Ditzy's face as it became a little awkward. She hopped off the young pony and he got to his hooves to sit next to Ditzy in the grass.

"Hey, do you want to come to my house?" Bright asked breaking the silence.

"Sure!" She said with a smile growing on her face.

Together, they trotted along in the park to leave. The followed the path to an underpass of a bridge.

As they entered the shadow of the underpass, an extended hoof tripped Bright making him land on his chin. A pair of hooves held him down as he frantically began to look around. Ditzy was being pinned against the wall by Buzz. He looked up to see Zoom holding him down. Arid was laughing as he entered from around the corner of the path.

"Well, aren't you two just a great couple." He said looking at the two terrorized ponies.

"Let her go!" Bright roared, getting his face shoved into the dirt in return for speaking out.

"Oh, no. Not this time. You see, because of her, we were landed in a month of detention. And our parents have grounded us for quite some time. So she isn't going anywhere. And you get to watch her get what she deserves."

"Don't you dare hurt her!" Bright yelled, anger growing in his voice.

"Or what? You can't do anything! You're pinned down, and are too weak do even stand up." Arid laughed.

"Don't test me! Now let her go. But if you dare harm a hair on her body, I will BUCK YOU UP!" Bright groaned out, gritting his teeth as his heart began to pound. A hoof drove into his nose from above, causing it to bleed.

"Yeah, what ever brat! But she is such a beautiful thing." Arid said brushing his hoof down her cheek.

Ditzy returned his gesture by spitting in his face. Arid grabbed her and threw her to the ground. Her saddle bags spilled out and something red landed in front of Bright. It was a note in the shape of a heart. The top of the letter read:

To: Bright
From: Ditzy

That's when he looked up to Ditzy, finding that she was on the ground, crying out. Arid stood on top of her and brought his hoof up in the air. Brights eye's darted open, gasping as he saw that hoof come down, a loud smack echoing in the bridge's underpass. His ears ached from the sound of her squeaks and cries. The hoof came back up again, and Bright felt his heart pound out of his chest, narrowing his brow in anger.

Suddenly, time slowed down. Bright's body felt like it were on fire, his muscles tensing as he saw that hoof rear back again. His father's words rang in his head. "You'll know when it's time..."

Bright's muscles bulged as he forced himself up off the ground. The force of a thousand stallions pushed him up off the ground. He reared up his legs and bucked Zoom agains the wall. Arid's hoof stopped in motion, and looked at Bright in shock. Buzz came charging at him, but was quickly dodged. Buzz was confused by how fast he was and suddenly got a heavy buck to the side. Buzz rolled into the light out of the small underpass, laying on the ground. Slowly approaching Arid, his nostrils flared, heavy steam blew out as he got closer and closer. Arid grinned and came straight for the heroic pony. Yet Bright didn't stop him, letting him pin him an the floor. Arid brought a hoof across his face, making him bleed from the mouth as his lip was busted. Bright looked back up at Arid, quickly pushing off the bully with his hind legs, getting up and standing his ground. Bright used his front hooves and drove Arid into the wall. By his neck, the large colt was pinned, struggling as he trembled in the sight of Bright.

"H-Hey! Lemme g-go you f-"

"Shut up." Bright interrupted. "Do you see what will can do? What strength can d? Look at this!" Breeze spat on the ground, drops of blood hit the floor and Arid glared down at it, his stomach forming in knots in the sight.

"That's blood. We all have it. Nothing makes us different. We are all the same. Just ponies living our lives. But then there are ponies like you. Little arrogant bullies who just think they are more powerful than others. But you know what? We are all stronger than you! We take your beating and your words. What have you taken? Nothing! And if you so much as dare confront Ditzy again, you will be in a hospital.... And you better hope that you wont see me again. You want to deal with Ditzy? You better deal with me first, because I am her shield! And I will break you if you touch her again." Bright stared into the frightened eyes of Arid.

He pushed the trembling colt to the ground, and Arid went to his friends who held their and rubbed at their bruises. Gathered up, Arid almost look like he was going to cry, and soon they ran away. Bright watched as they sprinted far away from him. Than he turned to Ditzy who was looking up at him with shock in her eyes. She laid in the dirt with tears in her eyes, a large red hoof-print on her cheek.

"I... I'm sorry." He said. leaning against the brick wall. He slowly move over to Ditzy. "Are... you okay?" Bright spoke, still in daze from the adrenaline. He held out a hoof to help her up. She grabbed it and he pulled her up.

"I shouldn't have done that..." Bright said letting tears flow down his cheeks as he saw that print on her cheek, touching it softly and making her wince in pain.

"Its okay, Bright. You were doing what you thought was right." She said picking up her things. Bright watched as she picked up the red letter and quickly placed it in her bags. "And... I'm glad you were there for me... S-so don't apologize! I don't know what would have happened if you didn't stopped them..."

"Okay... Let's get some ice on that bruise, okay?" Bright suggested, turning and holding out a hoof for her to follow with him. Yet she stood there, wide eyed.

"Um... Bright?" Ditzy said stepping closer to him.

"Hmm?" He hummed, raising a brow at what had her surprised.

"Look!" She said pointing at his flank, a large grin on her face.

He turned to see a blue shield with a red heart in the center. His cutie-mark appeared and it had shocked him! Bright had thought it would have to do with something like a hobby, but this was so much better in his eyes. The talent was protection, giving it to whom he held close to him.

"Awesome!" Bright said getting a little happier from the suprise. "I think we should get something to clean us up." He said noticing the dirt and blood on his nose.

Ditzy nodded her head and they went back to Bright's house and cleaned up. Ditzy had a small bruise on her face and shoulder, but that was pretty much it. Bright had a bruise where he was hit, and a busted lip. They went upstairs and Bright brought her up to his bed, where they laid down to relax. Of course, they weren't cuddling, but Bright was blushing at the thought of it. As they laid there, he spoke out, holding a hoof to Ditzy's

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that." Bright said looking up at the ceiling of his room.

"It's okay. Thank you for protecting me." She said leaning against him, her head on his shoulder.

She kissed him on the cheek again and giggled. Bright's face turned beat red, grinning as he could never get over the feeling of her soft lips against his cheek. He looked to Ditzy, she had a coy smile and was blushing. She told Bright that it was best that she would go home. Leading her out of his home, Bright gave her a hug goodbye.

"I'll see you at school tomorrow!" She said dashing out the door.

"See you there!" Bright yelled as she went back to her house.

Bright went upstairs and sat at his desk. That same red letter from before was lying on his stacks of school paper. He picked it up and unfolded it, smirking as he began to read the letter, as if it were in her voice.

Bright,

When I met you, I couldn't control myself. I tried to stay calm, but I was so nervous. You didn't seem to notice that thought. When I'm around you you make me feel so free and protected. I kissed you the other day, because I felt like it was right. Im sorry if you thought it was awkward, but know that I like you a lot. So will you be my special somepony?

-Ditzy

Bright laid the letter on the desk and leaned back in his chair. His heart was pounding out of his chest. The thought of having Derpy as his special somepony felt so right. This is what he was feeling the entire time, a bond. At such a young age of 13 he has his first mare-friend, and the best one in the world. Bright folded the letter and pinned it on his board next to his desk. Looking out his window to see the setting sun in the distance, he smiled, ear to ear.

"Yes, Ditzy. I'd love to."