Being Brave Part I

The next morning, Cory awoke to the welcoming rays of the sun which trickled into Applejacks room, and arose to the smell of freshly cooked eggs and buttered toast. It was the best sleep he ever had in so long. He couldn't even remember the last time he felt so relaxed.

"Mornin Cory." Said Applejack as she hopped out of her bed. "Did you have a good sleep?

Cory nodded while trying to make her bed.

"You know, you don't need to make my bed for me, I can do it myself?" Said Applejack

Cory then walked downstairs, sat at the table and helped himself to the ready made breakfast Granny Smith had batched up. Just then, the cutie mark crusaders came running in with backpacks around their waists.

"Hey Cory." asked Sweetie Belle who tapped him on the leg. "Can we ask you something?'

Cory turned and nodded with his mouth full of scrambled eggs.

"It's show and tell day today over at our school, and we were wondering if we could use you as our presentation." Said Scootaloo.

Cory gulped down his food at the sound of this. "Presentation? M-me?" he asked

All three of them nodded with hopeful smiles.

Now the one thing that really made him choke, it was presenting himself in front of a group. Every time he was ordered to read an essay out loud, or recite an equation in front of the whole class, or even so much as climb a rope where everyone was watching, he would almost always sweat profusely, uncontrollably shake his body, and would be unable to get any words out of his mouth, thus causing him to almost collapse from stage fright and become a laughing stock in front of his peers.

"I don't know...I.."

"Aw Cmon Cory it'll be fun." Said Applebloom.

"Yeah, plus we'd love to have you as our new classmate." added Scootaloo.

"Classmate?" asked Cory worriedly with a gulp of fear.

The three nodded again in unison.

Rather than pass up on an opportunity to make more friends, Cory did the first thing that came to his mind and nodded. Before he know it, he found himself being escorted by the three fillies to the local Ponyville School.

Upon arrival, he was intrigued by its exterior texture, which looked like a finely sewed red veil on top of a valentines card. The color scheme of deep red and meloncholy magenta gave it a very welcoming feel, as if luring the students into an education epicenter. The overall design of it was a cross between a presbyterian church and a colonial schoolhouse. To its left was what was obviously the school playground and to its left was a flagpole with a pony statue on top. The entrance sign was a simple picture of an open book, leaving him to wonder whether the residents use letters or symbols as signs to certain buildings. His heart turned warm as he saw the young filly students rush inside at the sound of the bell, talking to each other, laughing, playing around and having a hopeful glint in their eyes. As he peered in, he noticed how welcoming the school was on the inside, with books laid over to left and right and a classic chalkboard in front a class filled with students eager to learn. At that moment, he had wished his school was like this: no fear, no worry, no strict discipline of any sort. Just growth and learning with your whole life ahead of you and an exciting future to look forward to with endless possibilities. But regardless, this did not help him overcome his fear of introducing himself in front of the class. After all, he had only been here for about 3 weeks.

"Alright class, settle down." Said Miss Cherilee as everypony took their seats.

"Today, as you all may know, is show and tell day. So I hope you all have found something you're very eager to share with the class."

At that moment, Miss Cherilee noticed Cory taking a seat in the back of the class, trying his best not to make a scene.

"Oh, I almost forgot." She said. "Today we have a new student that will be joining us. So lets all give a warm Ponyville welcome to Cory Agees."

Cory clutched at his desk at the sound of his name. No one had ever formally introduced him in front of a group, not even in a classroom. He slunk down in his chair as everypony started looking at him curiously.

"Well come on up, don't be shy." Said Miss Cherilee. But Cory remained seated, shaking and sweating.

"We just want you to say hello." She said.

Finally, Cory stood up from his seat. He never felt so nervous in all his life as a large group of fillies and colts looked in his direction with large curious eyes. He opened his mouth as if about to say something, but nothing came out. It was like a forcefield had been tapped against his lips, preventing him from saying any words.

"I...I'm.....it's a....I'm very..." Cory mumbled. But it was no use. Nothing could come out of his mouth. Finally he gave in and went back to his seat with his head bowed down, much to everypony else's confusion. He heard a snicker from two snobby looking fillies as his cheeks turned red in embarrassment .

"Now you two." Said Miss Cherilee sternly as she approached them. "There's no need to be ashamed or embarrassed for having a speech impediment." The two stopped laughing as their eyes rolled in frustration.

"Alright, Lets start with you two over there."

From out of the class came two comical looking colts that looked like something out of a Laurel and Hardy short. Their presentation was a weird looking rock they found underneath their house. Next came a filly with thick glasses, a frizzy red mane and a lisp that could melt the hardest of hearts. Her presentation was a box of cupcakes she made last night to which everypony in the classroom took a sample of. As the CMC's turn grew closer and closer, Cory's hands became clammy and his legs started shaking uncontrollably. He thought that maybe he could just sneak behind the classroom and out the backdoor. But before he could make his escape plan, it was his turn.

Scootaloo grabbed him by the arm as the three of them brought him up to the front of the teacher. He then looked at the fillies and colts as they looked back at him. No other time than than that moment would he wish that he was somewhere else.

"And what do you have for show and tell today girls?" Asked Miss Cherilee.

Sweetie Belle cleared his throat. "This is Cory. He is a human, which is a creature from a world Princess Twilight Sparkle visited once."

Several Colts and Fillies stared in awe at the site of his physical structure.

Then Applebloom stepped in. "We found him in the town junkyard and is currently working as our stable colt down in sweet apple acres."

A few classmates laughed at this as Cory's cheeks turned red with embarrassment.

"He's also working as my sister Rarity's personal chauffeur." Added Sweetie Belle.

"But that's not all he's good at." Said Scootaloo. "Show em Cory."

Cory didn't understand what she was signaling until she pointed towards a trashcan of crumpled up paper. He reached in the can, picked a few scraps and started melding them together. Everypony became engaged as his craftsmanship started to kick in. With every cut, tear and fold of the papers, a beautiful form started to take shape. Then he took some markers and started to color on top of it. When in finished, in exactly 60 seconds flat, he presented to the class what looked like a multicolored paper rose with leaves sprouting at it's sides. He promptly placed it on Miss Cherilee's desk and quickly sat back down. Everypony gasped in amazement at how he was able to make a finely precision work of art in such a short time. At that moment the bell rang.

"Alright class I will see you all after recess." Said Miss Cherilee as everyone gleefully ran outside to the playground. That is everyone but Cory, who was attentively folding another piece of paper at this desk.

"Cory, don't you want to go outside?" Asked Miss Cherilee as she approached him. But Cory paid no attention to her as he kept his eyes fixed on his work.

"There's a lot of young ponies out there who would want to meet you." She added.

He quietly put down the paper and stepped outside onto the school playground. Everypony was enjoying the sunshine as it glistened on the green lawn while they participated in various playful activities. This was totally different from the school he attended. His school never had a playground. The principal thought it would lead would lead to chaos and anarchy. Apparently this wasn't the case for these young fillies and colts. They looked like they had their whole life ahead of them, ready to take on the next daily challenge that lay ahead. As Cory walked into the crowd, a young colt approached him.

"Hey I know you." The colt said with a cockney British accent. "You're the one who made that necklace out of copper wire for me mum."

"He made a mirror frame out of tires and branches for my mommy and daddy's living room." Said another Filly.

"Cory?" asked the filly with a lisp from before. "You wanna play with us?"

He looked down at their big eyes and cute smiles and wished for that moment he had this kind of childhood. With the exception of his five friends, no one ever asked him to play with them. Back home, it would even be a surprise if someone picked up a pencil for him. At his old school, it was forbidden to play a game or even joke around, with punishment of immediate expulsion. However, looking at his current circumstances, Cory nodded and was escorted to the playground. After all, this was a great opportunity for him to have some fun.

Some of the activities included jump rope, hopscotch, swing set, slides, seesaw and other exertions one would expect on a playground. Although Cory failed miserably in these games, nopony seemed to really mind. In fact, they seemed to enjoy his company as they stared in awe at his unique human body structure. That is except for the two spoiled fillies from before.

"Is that really all you're good at?" Said Silver Spoon as they laughed at him.

"Taking a piece of junk and turning it into more junk?" added Diamond Tiara

The CMC looked at them distastefully as they approached the scene. They we're perhaps the most posh looking ponies he laid eyes on. It was as if they had popped right out of a snobby couple from "Fabulous Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous."

"Leave him alone Diamond Tiara." Said Applebloom sternly as she approached them.

"It's no wonder you chose this human as your show and tell project." Said Diamond Tiara "You found someone who was just as little talent as you three blank flanks put together. "

"What's a blank flank?" asked Cory.

"Oh, that would be you." replied Silver Spoon as he flicked him on the forehead with her hoof.

"It's somepony with no skill, no flavor, and nothing to look forward to." Added Diamond Tiara.

"And you're certainly not gonna find anything to look forward to with making junk." Added Silver Spoon as Cory tried to hold back his tears.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Asked Sweetie Belle

"Don't listen to them Cory." Said Scootaloo as she looked at Diamond and Silver scornfully. " C'mon. Lets go play somewhere else."

"Mind if we join?' Said Silver Spoon with a taunting voice.

"We'd love to see how he's able to walk on two legs without tripping?' Added Diamond Tiara.

Cory tried his best to ignore them. But they were following him like bees on a flower. It was even harder now since the CMC led him to a game of tether ball, a game he had too many bad memories of. As Sweetie Belle took the first swing, Cory ducked for cover as the flew around the four of them. Scootaloo then kicked it into his direction, pathetically blocking his face from the balls impact. After a few swings back and forth, Applebloom tried to pass it the direction of Sweetie Belle, when Diamond Tiara, being the bully she is, casually kicked her from the behind, causing her to accidentally push the ball in the other direction and slam Cory right in the face at full speed. He flew back eight or ten feet and hit his head hard on the ground with a bloody nose and a black eye. He overheard a combination of both snickering laughter and concerned murmur.

"Oh my gosh!" Said Applebloom as she ran up to him. "I'm so sorry! Are you OK!?"

"O.K. as in OVER KILL?" Said Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara who laughed maniacally at the scene.

"What did you do to him?" Asked Sweetie Belle to the two of them.

"What we did?" Asked Diamond Tiara "I think it's what's you three did."

"What do you mean?" Asked Scootaloo.

"I mean isn't it obvious." added Silver Spoon. "He's already 15 years old and he still hasn't got anything to show it for."

"Yea he does." Added Applebloom.

"Oh no he doesn't." Said Diamond Tiara as he approached him. "I mean look at him. Does he even have a family?"

Cory tried so desperately to hold back his tears, almost to no avail.

"The way we see it." Said Silver Speoon. "He's peaked. Nothing is ever gonna get any better than this."

"I can already imagine his grave stone." Added Diamond Tiara. "Here lies Cory Agees. The little loser with nothing to show but turning junk into junk!"

This was the last straw for Cory as he got up to his feet, shoved through the crowd of young ponies and started to run off.

"Wait Cory, come Back!!" Shouted AppleBloom "They didn't know what they we're saying! Cory!! Cory!!!"

But he didn't hear her. All he could hear in the back was Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara chanting. "Run little Un-Cory-dinated, Run!" and their snickering laughter.

Cory ran over the hills, right through the edge of town and into a nearby pine tree forest. The sun was setting it's last glimmer of the day by the time he approached the edge of the woods. It was dark, thick and secluded within the trees. The sound of wolves and owls could be heard everywhere. A cold mist breezed against his fragile body causing his teeth to chatter. He was alone again, just like the day he arrived in Equestria. At least here Maybe he would be able to make a living without being judged. But where could he find food against this dense habitat. He had no idea how to capture an animal, and who knows what bacteria lurks in the nearby stream. What was he to do?