The Kids From Equestria

Rainbow Blitz dribbled the ball against the pavement and grinned. "Hey Rarity, how do you like having Butterscotch on your team, huh?"

"Stop being mean," Rarity scoffed and she folded her arms, sitting on one hip.

"What Blitz meant to say was..." AJ cleared his throat and cupped his hands to his mouth. "Pinkie Pie! Butterscotch! Get back in the real world!" Rarity wheeled around to see Pinkie hopping up and down on one foot and Butterscotch turned around in the other direction.

"Pinkie, what are you doing," Rarity questioned, and the curly haired girl grinned up at her.

"I'm seeing how long I can hop on the same spot!"

"Well, you're the master of jumping around, Candy Crush, so I don't think you're going to miss that spot very soon. Butterscotch, dear, what's the matter?" The tall, shy boy turned back around, cradling a raccoon in his arms. "Put that thing down, it's a wild animal!"

Butterscotch gasped and looked up at her before he went back to the critter. "She didn't mean it, she's just an angry person."

"I am not an angry person!" Blitz laughed at the top of his lungs and Rarity turned her head, letting her bouncy, purple ponytail fall over her shoulder. "Excuse me, are you laughing at me?"

"Rare-Bear needs anger management classes," Blitz teased her as he spiked the ball over their makeshift net of Mrs. Cake's clothesline and two poles on either side of the street of Butterscotch's neighborhood.

"Hey, isn't that a new guy," Pinkie Pie whispered as she grabbed the ball in her hands. They all turned around to see a boy that they had never met, with a purple bowl cut and a boring purple sweater vest over a white button down. His skinny legs were covered in khakis and he wore dress shoes, even though he couldn't have been over seventeen like the rest of them.

"I think so, but don't stare," Rarity sighed, pulling down her booty shorts, since they had ridden up her legs.

"He was staring first."

"Hello," AJ shouted to the boy who was spying on them, who immediately went back to burying his nose in his book.

"I guess he's shy," Butterscotch offered, taking the ball from Pinkie. They shook it off and AJ hunched up.

"Ya sure you can spike, Butter?"

"Yes," Butterscotch whispered confidently. Last time he had spiked, he was too scared to hit the ball, in fear that he might hurt it. "I've been practicing some..."

"Alright, then spike!" Butterscotch took a deep breath and threw the ball in the air before jumping up and hitting the ball as hard as he could. It soared into Blitz's chest and made him fall back onto the ground, coughing to try and regain his breath. "Who the hell did you get volleyball lessons from, bears?"

"Yes, actually," Butterscotch explained, "they were too tall for the net we weaved out of flowers, so I had to jump for them to reach."

"Well, Snow White, we aren't bears," Blitz retaliated, making Butterscotch blush and look down. The purple hair boy was interested again and he stood up with his book under his arm, ever so slowly creeping up to their conversation. "Why would you make a bunch of bears teach you how to play a sport, anyways? Get a falcon to do it!"

"Oh, I'm sorry to tell you, but falcons don't have paws, but talons."

"Then get some bunnies!"

"Their paws are too tiny!"

"You think my hand is as big as a damn bear paw?"

"No, but -"

"But nothing! If you wanted volleyball lessons, you should've just invited me over!"

"Well, there's an issue with that," Butterscotch whispered, his face blushing even more.

"You let me go to your house all the time," Rarity noted, and Butterscotch tried to wipe the redness off of his face.

"Excuse me," the purple haired boy spoke up and they all read over him.

"Let me guess, you have a great personality," Blitz muttered, picking himself up off of the ground.

"Stop being rude," Rarity squealed, before she smoothed out her flowing white tanktop and she reached her hand out for the new boy to shake. "My name is Rarity, it's a pleasure meeting you."

"Right," the boy hesitantly mumbled, shaking her hand slowly, "I'm Dusk Shine. Anyways, uh, I heard you talking about bears teaching you how to play sports?" Butterscotch put his head down and nodded softly, digging his toe into the ground shyly.

"Oh, yeah, he can talk to animals, it's pretty freakin' weird," Blitz spoke up again.

"What are you talking about?"

"Did you move from out of Equestria," Rarity asked and Dusk Shine nodded.

"Yo, everyone here has a special talent -"

"- that they get when they're little," AJ finished, elbowing Blitz in the stomach. "Everyone in the whole wide world has one, but nobody else puts any thought into theirs."

"I see..."

"Well, what's your special talent," Pinkie asked loudly, jumping up and down on her pogo stick.

"I wouldn't have a clue in the world. What's yours?"

"I like throwing parties for people and making them happy," the pink haired girl giggled.

"I'm an apple farmer," AJ spoke up.

"I design clothes," Rarity added.

"I'm the fastest runner on the track team, dude," Blitz bragged, wrapping his arm around Dusk's shoulders. "Ditch those books if you wanna fit in and hang out with us for a change!"

"Well, you don't have to ditch the books," Rarity sighed, "but it would be nice if you joined our volleyball games sometime -"

"What in tarnation is that," AJ interrupted, looking over the hill. It was a familiar sight on the television to him, but while the others refused to care, Rarity gasped.

"Is that... Is that..."

"Princess Celestia," Blitz mumbled and they all stood up to the golden carriage that stopped in front of the kids. They looked in awe at the bronze skinned princess, who's smile was as radiant as the sun itself and who's long blue, pink and green curls spiraled down her back.

"Sorry, we'll move," AJ spat out after a second and he began to take down the clothesline, but the princess laughed.

"Do not fret, AJ."

"How do you know my name?"

"I know everybody around here," the princess explained as she stepped down from her carriage to the ground. Her white dress billowed around her tall frame like a goddess and her golden heels clicked gently on the asphalt. The kids took a while before they bowed on one knee and she shook her head. "Do not worry, you may rise." They all awkwardly stood back up and she surveyed the kids. "Dusk Shine? Come with me, please."

Dusk's eyes widened and he nervously took her open hand as she led him around a corner to speak confidentially with him.