The door to the modest one-room schoolhouse opened and a young colt shuffled in. He raised a dark blue hoof to push up his light blue glasses. He hated the fact that he needed the stupid glasses. They just made him the object of ridicule. Realizing he was first in the glass, he blushed, and took a seat in the back. As eager as the young'un was to learn, he was so afraid of being made fun of that he always sat in the back and tried to go unnoticed. It was his second week at Ponyville Elementary School, and he hated it. The foals were jerks, as per usual in any school he went to. He tugged his blood red scarf tighter around his neck and pulled his binder out of his saddlebags. The binder was dark green, containing his five-subject notebook and a few worksheets. "Hello, Lunar!" his teacher, Miss Cheerilee, greeted warmly.

"Hi," he responded quietly. His real name was Lunar Moon, but most ponies just called him Lunar. "How are you, ma'am?"

"I'm good, thanks," Miss Cheerilee said. "You're here bright and early, aren't you?"

"Yes, ma'am," Lunar answered, still quiet. "I am." He looked down at his shiny brown desk. In the far corner, some stupid foal had carved, "AB + DT = LOVE" into the desk. He wasn't quite sure who "AB" was, but he knew who this "DT" was. DT was Diamond Tiara, the snobbiest filly at the school. She was constantly flanked by her little crony, Silver Spoon. He shook his head in disgust.

"I have to go outside real quick, hon," Miss Cheerilee said. "I've got to run down the road to make some copies at the post office. I would normally send you home to wait, but I can trust you, can't I?"

Lunar Moon nodded, and listened to her trotting out the door. He had never been in a schoolhouse alone. It was quiet and peaceful, but a little bit sad, as if it missed being full of fillies and colts. Suddenly, the door burst open and a sobbing filly ran in, slamming it shut and locking it. "AH HATE YOU ALL!" she screamed at the door, and then collapsed in a crying heap.

Lunar Moon stared intensely at his desk. He had absolutely no idea what to do. Slowly, he trotted over to the windows and silently pulled the shades down, so nopony could peek in and see the weeping filly. He knew he'd be ashamed if somepony saw him like this. Not that he ever would be, of course. He pushed up his glasses and tightened his scarf; a nervous tick some called it. He trotted over to the sobbing filly and patted her on the back. "It's okay," he whispered.

The filly looked up, hiccupping. "Who're you?" she sniffed.

"I'm Lunar. Lunar Moon," Luna sighed, knowing that nopony remembered his name but the ones who made fun of him.

"Ah remember you. Yer the new colt. Ya just fade into the background," the filly drawled.

Lunar nodded, satisfied. This filly seemed smart. "Who're you?" he asked softly.

"Ap-Ap-Applebloom," the filly stammered. "And ah HATE everypony outside."

"That's a lot of ponies to hate," Lunar remarked.

"They… they said ah liked Diamond Tiara!" Apple Bloom sobbed. "Ah do not! Ah like colts! Not fillies!"

So that's what the desk carving meant! Lunar nodded to himself, thinking about this. "So… who are these foals?" he asked in his quiet voice.

"They… they're…" Apple Bloom couldn't finish her sentence she was crying so hard.

"It doesn't matter," Lunar said with conviction.
"Why?"

"Because you've got me. And I'm your friend. Nothing bad will happen to you as long as you're with me, alright? As I said, I'm your friend. I know what it feels like to be made fun of. Chin up, 'kay?" He put his hoof under her chin and lifted her face. "Don't show them weakness. Ignore those jerks."

Apple Bloom stood up and wiped her tears away. "Yep," she confirmed with a thoughtful nod.

"What?"

"Ah definitely know ah like colts."

Lunar just blushed, tightening his scarf and pushing up his glasses.