Second Chances II: Love and Courage

Second Chances II: Love and Courage
By Hero541
Chapter 5: A Nice Little Chat

Josh and Vinyl sat in the now empty classroom with Cheerilee. Vinyl was silently seething with anger at what Diamond Tiara had said about her coltfriend, while Josh was taking a much more stoic approach to the whole thing. When he told her about the conference Cheerilee would hold to talk to Diamond Tiara's father, she insisted on showing up herself. She had claimed it would be to keep Josh level if things got heated, but the human had a feeling he'd be the one who had to keep her off both the filly and her father in that kind of scenario.

"Where is he?" asked Cheerilee, looking to the clock on the wall, "He's usually more poignant than this."

"He'll come." said Josh, looking to the door, "I insulted him. If he has any kind of pride, he'll show up."

As soon as the words left the human's mouth, the door opened and Diamond Tiara sauntered in. Behind her was a brown stallion with a black slicked back mane. Around his neck was a collar from a business suit complete with a red tie that had a dollar sign on it. He wore a stern look as he entered the schoolhouse.

"Filthy Rich," said Cheerilee, standing to greet the stallion, "I'm glad you could make it. Please, take a seat."

Filthy Rich sat on his haunches in front of Cheerilee's desk, his daughter next to him. Cheerilee returned to her seat and looked towards Josh and Vinyl nearby before speaking.

"Mr. Rich," she began, placing her hooves together in front of her on her desk, "We had a bit of an... issue with Diamond Tiara today."

"What exactly happened?" he asked, peering down at his daughter, "I only got her side of the story."

"One of our students brought Josh here in for her show and tell project." said Cheerilee, gesturing to Josh, "Everything was going fairly well till I called on your daughter to ask her question. She then proceeded to mention how you've been saying that Josh doesn't deserve to be here and be in a relationship with Vinyl Scratch."

"Well, I apologize for any sort of disturbance she may have caused in your class, Miss Cheerilee." he said, scowling at his daughter, "I should watch what I say around her a little more. It's a well known fact that children can be quite... easily influenced."

"Well, I appreciate your apology," said the teacher, glancing uneasily towards Josh once more, "however, I must admit, I'm sort of disturbed that you would say such things around her. Is that what you really feel about Josh?"

Filthy said nothing to that, instead looking to Josh, who glared back at him.

"I'm afraid that is how I feel." he replied simply, looking back to Cheerilee.

"What did I ever do to you?" asked Josh finally, unable to remain quiet anymore.

"Not a thing." said Filthy, looking back to the human, "However, I am entitled to my own opinions."

"That may be true," said Josh, standing up and walking over to the stallion, "but you barely even know me! How can you say that I don't belong here?"

"Equestria was founded by ponies, for ponies." said Filthy, standing as well and glaring up at Josh, "Any other creatures that happen to be here are simply a coincidence."

"You worthless bigot!" shouted Vinyl from her seat, jumping up and standing next to her coltfriend, "Just because Josh isn't a pony, you think he doesn't have the right to be happy?"

"I never said that." he replied, glancing at the enraged unicorn, "He's more than entitled to happiness. In his own world, where he can't taint the purity of ours."

"So that's it." said Josh, continuing to glare at Filthy as anger rose up in his chest, "You think I'm some kind of pockmark here?"

"I know for a fact that the princess chose you for some kind of divine experiment she concocted." replied Filthy, "To take somepony whose life was so far down the tubes and see if the 'magic of friendship' could change them."

"How could you possibly know that?" asked Josh, now worried about what this stallion might know.

"I have powerful connections even in the royal court." he replied, smirking at Josh, "They overheard the princesses talking about bringing somepony from another world here for their test." he looked to Vinyl, "Do you have any idea of the things he did before he came here, my dear?"

"Of course I do!" she spat, venom coating her words, "Josh told me everything. How could I judge him for something he did before he met me that he hasn't done since?"

"If I recall, didn't he just up and abandon you one day?"

Vinyl was taken aback, remembering the day Josh left Equestria and her in tears. She remembered the feeling of hopelessness she'd had as she cried that entire day, thinking she was never going to see the one thing she loved more than anything in the world.

"He came back, didn't he?" she shot back, "He loved me too much to stay gone for long."

"That may be true," said Filthy, pacing back and forth in front of Josh and Vinyl now, "but how long till he tires of you once again and he decides to leave once more?"

"How dare you!" shouted Josh, advancing on the stallion, "I love Vinyl more than anything! Who're you to say that I'd ever leave her again?"

Josh stood over the stallion now, glaring down at him. Though Josh was three feet taller than him and probably outweighed him by about 50 pounds, Filthy didn't flinch at his sudden movement towards him. Instead, he smirked back up at the human.

"You may be able to intimidate everpony else here with your size," he said, glaring into Josh's eyes, "but don't plan on me being one of those whose scared of you."

"You ought to be." said Josh simply.

"If you say so."

"Filthy," said Cheerilee, drawing the attention of both Josh and the stallion, "I would appreciate it if you not say such things around Diamond Tiara again. If she hears it, more than likely, she will repeat it here."

"I'm most sorry for that, Miss Cheerilee." he said once more, "I'll make sure to watch myself more closely."

"What about us?" said Josh, watching as Filthy turned to leave, "You're not gonna apologize to us for spreading hate speech about me?"

Filthy turned back to Josh, another smirk on his face.

"I'm sorry you were so smitten with this place that you decided to pretend you're one of us and stick around here."

Vinyl prepared to launch herself at Filthy, rage consuming her every thought. Josh grabbed her as she began her advance, however, holding her back.

"Lemme go, Josh!" she shouted, trying to wriggle her way out of his grasp without hurting him, "This jackass needs to be taught a lesson!"

"Vinyl, baby," said Josh, struggling to contain his enraged marefriend, "calm down. It's not gonna do us any good to attack him."

"How can you just stand there and do nothing?!" shouted Vinyl, her voice beginning to shake as tears formed in her eyes.

"Because it's not worth it." replied Josh, finally letting her go as Filthy made his way out the door with Diamond Tiara in tow.

Vinyl turned back to look at Josh, tears in her eyes. Josh held out his arms wide, inviting her to come into their comforting grasp. She shook her head and turned back to the door, rushing out as she began to cry. Josh felt his heart sink as he watched her cream colored form angrily sprinting away from him and the schoolhouse.

"Are you gonna be alright, Josh?" asked Cheerilee finally as Josh got up from the floor.

"Eventually." he replied, preparing to follow Vinyl out the door, "But, I don't know about Vinyl."

"I'm so sorry, Josh." said the teacher, stepping out from behind her desk and approaching the human, "You deserve better than to have to deal with all this."

"I know." he said, heading out the door.

He had to get home soon. Vinyl would undoubtedly be upset a him for his seeming lack of care for what Filthy said to them, and he needed to be there to comfort her. That, and he had a show to prepare for in two weeks.