Under the Blue Moon

Chapter 8 – Blue Moon Rumors

After yesterday’s events, Tidal decided to walk to school with Lyra and Bonbon instead of driving with Celestia or Luna.  He decided to give them a chance, after all that he’s gone through.  The girls decided to ask him things that they could compare to, either with them or the others that he’s met.

“So Tidal, is there anything you like to do for fun?” asked Bonbon.

“Well, I do like to swim during the summer, but nothing like my mother.  Floating is how I like it.  Just trying to clear my head.”

“Then what do you do when you can’t swim?” asked Bonbon.  “Go see movies?  Play video games?”

“Video games.  I like to play role-playing games.  Most of them are on my computer.  And they’re more of the older titles that my parents grew up on, just re-mastered.  The current ones can be too complex to work on.”

“Any games in particular?” asked Lyra.

“Final Fantasy.  I’ve played most of the series and its related games.  You can play them on the computer.  But I have to go with the ROM versions at times on games that have yet to be released.”

“So you like to play emulated games?” asked Lyra.  Tidal nodded.  “We learned about that from a classmate who’s big on computer programs.  His name is Micro Chip.  He’s in our Computer Science class.”

“Well, my parents kept their 8-bit and 16-bit systems and several good games, but they wouldn’t let me bring them.  That’s where I learned about some of the games worth playing,” explained Tidal.

“Ever played racing games?” asked Lyra.

“A couple of them.  It depends on the type of game,” replied Tidal.

“Just be careful when playing with either Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie.  They are that good in those,” explained Lyra.

“You might just get owned,” added Bonbon.

“Noted.”

As they arrived at the school and went inside, they noticed some of the students placing some looks at the trio ad whispering with each other.  This made all three of them curious.  When they arrived at their locker to put away their coats and make sure they have their select books for class, they were greeted by Clyde and Rarity.

“Well, you three look fine today,” said Rarity.

“That’s because we finally had a normal conversation with Tidal for once,” replied Lyra.

“Oh.  And what was it about?” asked Rarity.

“Video games,” replied Bonbon.

“That’s good.  Maybe you should discuss it with Rainbow Dash,” said Clyde.

“How’s she doing, by the way,” asked Tidal.

“Somewhat better,” replied Clyde.  “She’s still focused on the team, so that’s good.”

“What about Rivet?” he asked.

“I’ll know once I see him in class,” replied Clyde.

Rarity looked around and noticed the quick stares and whispers being displayed.

“Gosh.  I wonder what everyone’s talking about?”

“We noticed that as well,” said Bonbon.

Another guy walked up to the group.  He had light orange skin and blue slick hair.  He was wearing a white shirt with a crest and lightning bolt, blue jeans, black shoes, and a black jacket.

“Hello Rarity, Clyde, Lyra, Bonbon.”

“Hello Flash.  What brings you here?” asked Rarity.

“Well, I wanted to meet the brave Tidal Blue who was able to help us out,” replied Flash.

“Brave?  What are you talking about?” asked Rarity.

“Word has it that he was able to help out Rainbow Dash in stopping a troublemaker that hurt her,” replied Flash.

“Where did you hear about this?” asked Bonbon.

“It’s been all over social media this morning,” replied Flash.

Tidal started to worry and slammed his head on the open door of the locker.  Lyra started to get mad.

“If that girl is responsible for this, I swear…”

Just then, Rainbow Dash came rushing up to them.

“Guys.  I need your help.  Everyone’s coming up to me and asking me if I was OK, and I tried to keep calm, but…”

Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Sunset Shimmer came running up to the rest of the group.

“Rainbow Dash, stop running off in a panic when we’re trying to talk to you,” said Applejack.

“I can’t!  Everyone won’t stop asking me about it.  I just want to put that scene behind me,” explained Rainbow Dash.

“Yea, we just found out,” said Bonbon.

“Sunset Shimmer, did you tell the school about what happen over the weekend with Tidal and Rainbow?” asked Lyra.

Sunset was in shock.  “ME???  Why are you pointing the blame on me?  I’m trying to help him just the same as you are.”

“Because you always stir up trouble when it comes up,” replied Lyra.

“Now, now.  Let’s not point fingers at anyone until we find out where they are getting this info,” said Applejack.

Rarity looked at Flash and asked, “Do you know where online you found this info?”

Flash scratched the back of his head.  “Hard to say.  It’s just going around.”

“OHMYGOSH!!!  IT’S EVERYWHERE!!!” Pinkie Pie screamed and she was rapidly searching on her cell phone.  “I CAN’T EVEN FIND THE SOURCE!!!”

Tidal let out a sigh and said, “Why does this always happen.”

“I’m guessing that we weren’t suppose to know about this?” asked Flash.  Everyone else nodded.

“Look, we’ll deal with whoever telling the school this,” said Applejack.  “Lyra, Bonbon.  You go with Tidal and make sure it doesn’t get carried away around him.”

“Let’s just hope that Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna don’t find out about this,” said Rarity.

“HOW CAN YOU LET THIS HAPPEN!!!”

Those was the words coming from Vice Principal Luna’s office between classes as she was talking to Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Sunset Shimmer after learning about the story going around that involved Tidal from over the weekend.  When Sunset Shimmer went to see Celestia and Luna yesterday to make her confession, the other five girls decided to go with her to explain what they learned and promised to keep it private in order to help Tidal adept to his surroundings.

“All six of you promised to keep it secret,” said Luna.

“We didn’t just promise, we pinkie promise, and no one breaks a pinkie promise,” explained Pinkie Pie.

“I can understand that, Pinkie, but everyone’s talking about it.  How do you think Tidal’s handling it?”

“Hey, I have to deal with this as well,” yelled Rainbow Dash.

“Forgive me.  I forgot how hard it must be to be reminded about it,” said Luna.

“Look, we’ll find out who’s doing this and get them to stop it,” said Applejack.

“We just noticed Tidal showing some improvement.  And we hate for him to go back to his old self,” said Rarity.

“If you can find them, bring them here.  I want to have a stern talk with whoever done this.”

In the hallways of CHS, a girl with blue skin and streaks of blue and white hair, wearing her purple dress and blue jacket and blue boots, was walking to a snack machine.  She put some money in the machine and chose some peanut butter and cracker as her snack.  Little did she know was that she was about to have some company.

“Hello!” Pinkie Pie said as she popped out of nowhere, surprising the girl in front of her.

“How dare you surprised the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

“I doubt that being “Great and Powerful” is a reason for causing trouble,” said Applejack, who was now behind her.

Trixie looked at Applejack and saw Rarity and Fluttershy next to her.  She looked back at Pinkie Pie and saw Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer.

“Seriously?  What makes you thing that Trixie is causing trouble?  That’s a job for Miss Shimmer.”

“Trouble?” replied Sunset.  “I know too well that you’re one who likes to spread rumors around when you’re looking for an advantage.”

“If you are talking about that boy, Tidal, you are hardly mistaken,” replied Trixie.

Rainbow Dash went up to Trixie’s face and said, “Listen, do you know how much suffering I had to go through this morning.  How it feels like to relive the same painful memories again, having to be pushed down to the ground, or even have a gun to you forehead?  TELL ME!!!”

“I don’t know.  I’ve heard the same story that’s been going around that everyone else has been talking about,” Trixie replied in panic.  This confused everyone in her change of tone.

Rarity pinched the bridge of her nose, let out a sigh, and said, “She’s telling the truth.”  The other girls looked at her for an explanation.  “It’s rare for Trixie to talk this way unless she means what she says.”

“You were always one to know what someone is playing their part when they feel like it,” replied Trixie.  “But why are you concern about Tidal anyway?”

“He’s had it rough at his old school,” replied Rarity.  “We just got him to open up about his problems, and now we feel like this rumor is going to shut us out once again.”

Trixie placed her hand on her chin and thought for a moment.  “Sunset Shimmer.  When was the last time you talked to Snips and Snails?”

“Not since the Fall Formal,” she replied.  “Why?”

“I went to the library to check out some books, and they were there acting very strange at one of the computers.  They couldn’t keep quiet that Miss Cheerilee kept shushing at them.”

“You don’t think they were looking for some payback, trying to point the rumor blame at you?” asked Applejack.

“If they haven’t talked to me since then, then it is possible,” replied Sunset.

“They must have been listening behind the door to the nurse’s office after we dragged him over there,” explained Applejack.  “How much do you want to bet that they will be there during lunch today?”

“Only one way to find out,” replied Rainbow Dash.

“Thank you for your help, Trixie,” said Rarity.

“Trixie is glad to help.  And Rainbow Dash, Trixie hopes you stay strong through this.  It’s not easy to recover from such a tragedy like that.”

Rainbow Dash responded with a smile.

The girls went to the library doors during lunch to see if they were there.  And without a doubt, they could make out a slim boy with green hair and a short boy with orange hair, sitting in front of a computer, working on one of the social media sites.

“There they are,” whispered Rarity.

“So how do we bring them over here?” whispered Rainbow Dash.

“Good question,” whispered Applejack.

“I know,” whispered Pinkie Pie.  She looked at Fluttershy, who noticed that look.

“You don’t mean…me?” whispered Fluttershy.

At that moment, Pinkie Pie shoved Fluttershy into the library.  She looked back and saw the girls telling her with their hands to go on.  Fluttershy nervously walked up to them.

“Um, excuse me.”  Snips and Snails turned off the monitor and looked at Fluttershy.

“Y-y-yes Fluttershy,” replied Snips.

“Can you, um, help me with, um, something that I need, well, help on?”

“Oh we-we be happy to help,” replied Snails.

As they walked with Fluttershy out of the library, the other girls were waiting for them to walk past the doors.  Once they did, Applejack and Rainbow Dash placed their hands on the boys’ mouths and dragged them away from the library and straight to the darken hallway where Sunset hangs out.

As the two girls removed their hands from the boys’ mouths, they saw all six girls and were shocked when they saw one they wanted to avoid.

“S-S-S-Sunset Shimmer.  What a, um, pleasant surprise,” said Snips.

“Y-y-yea.  It’s been a while,” said Snails.

Sunset slammed her hand on the lockers, jolting the boys as she stared at them.

“Don’t play nice with me.  I know you’ve been spreading rumors about Tidal.”

“Us?” replied Snails.  “We haven’t been-”

“HEY!!!”  Rainbow Dash cut them off.  “Do you know what it feel like having everyone come up to you, asking the same thing you want to just forget?”  They both shrugged their shoulders.  “It feels like hell, that’s what.”

“Tell me, have you ever known what it feels like to get shot?” asked Sunset.  They shook their head.  “Well, that’s what Tidal has to go through each and every day.  And he will have to relive it whenever someone has to bring it up.”

“But we were just-”

“Trying to get back at me?” Sunset said, cutting off Snips.  Both of them nodded.  “I’ve already had it rough since that day, and if you want to share in my pain, I’ll be happy to do so.”

“So you are going to explain this to Vice Principal Luna and find a way to clear this up,” said Applejack.

As school was coming to an end, Sunset Shimmer brought Snips and Snails to Vice Principal Luna’s office to explain everything that they did.

“So, you listened in to what Tidal went through over the weekend and decided to post it on a false profile to be spread to everyone else?”  Snips and Snails nodded.  “And you were hoping that Sunset would take the blame in this?”  They nodded again.  “And you didn’t even think about Tidal’s or Rainbow’s well being from what happened then?”  They nodded a third time.  Before she continued, a knock came from the door.  Luna went over to see who it was and recognized whom it was.  “Then perhaps you can explain it to him.”  She opened the door wide to show Rarity with Tidal with her.

Tidal walked in, with Rarity behind him, closing the door.  He started at both of them before he spoke.  “I had my share of bullies at my old school, but to deal with a pair of cyberbullies, if you want to call it that, is a first for me.  And I’m not happy with it.”

“I’m sure Tidal would want to do some kind of harm in this,” said Sunset, “but I think it’s best that VP Luna handle this.”

“Agreed,” added Tidal.

“Then the two of you will stay after school so I can see to it that you clean up this mess,” said Luna.  “And you can serve the rest of this week with after school detention.”  Snips and Snails groaned.  “Would you like another week of detention?”

Both of them replied.  “No Vice Principal Luna.”

“Then go to the library and get started.  I’ll be there shortly,” said Luna.

“I’ll make sure they get there until you arrive.”  Sunset took Snips and Snails out of the room.

“Tidal, we’re sorry that you had to go through all this again,” said Rarity.

“I know,” replied Tidal.  “Lyra and Bonbon said there would be days like this.  And as long as I have friends around to get me through this, I guess I can live with it.”

“That’s what friends are for,” replied Rarity.