Author's note: Hi all. I'm so so sorry about the delay. I tried really hard to get this chapter up sooner but it seems like all my courses decided to put the majority of their assessment in the last four weeks of classes :/. I've been struggling to get everything in on time, let alone post a chapter. That said, your reviews have been amazing :). I can't believe I've gotten so many and it's because of all of you that this was the first thing I did when I got the free time. Thank you for all your support and I hope this chapter was worth the wait.

The year passed in much a similar manner for Rumble. Klive and his friends continued to target him and he in turn continued to retaliate, causing them continued humiliation. This only enraged them more, but Rumble didn't care; they weren't going to stop harassing him so he saw no reason to go down without a fight.

This was not without its drawbacks: as a result of the bullying, Rumble found himself withdrawing more and more from his class mates. Instead he found solace in the city's junkyards, spending whatever free time he could tinkering with the junk. His room was littered with small mechanical toys he'd built from scratch, a true prodigy when it came to machines.

His parents, amazed by his talent, did their best to nurture it but it wasn't an easy task. Due to his quick mind he often found himself bored in class, finding the work easy and the topics boring. That coupled with the bullying caused a rapid dislike of school in general and he began to make up all sorts of excuses to get out of going.

It worried his parents. Yordles, by their very nature, needed social interaction as their mental health primarily relied on the company they kept. Any yordle that became isolated (particularly from other yordles) or exposed to too much negative interaction would begin to withdraw into themselves and the stability of their mental state would begin to deteriorate. There were even known cases of yordles being isolated for so long they went insane. While rare, some of the twisted shells of the former benevolent beings had caused so much damage that the consequences of such insanity had etched a deep fear in every rational yordle alive. Even today, with some of the best minds looking into it, it was unknown if such a condition could be reversed.

To have their son, at such a critical age, already showing some of these antisocial behaviours it didn't just worry Rosalyn and Chuck, it terrified them. If something didn't change they would lose their son: either to insanity or the increasingly violent beat downs.

Thankfully, change was just around the corner.

It was two weeks into the new school year and Tristana, Teemo and Ziggs were walking home from school as usual. At the front of the group Ziggs was walking backwards, focusing on his animated argument with Teemo rather than where he was going. Tristana just knew he'd end up tripping over something or someone again. Honestly, she reckoned his clumsiness was more due to his lack of attention than anything else.

"I'm telling you, Heimerdinger is the coolest yordle in history. Not only has he made huge contributions to yordle and human societies he's actually still alive, not some ancient long-dead tale," Ziggs argued.

Teemo crossed his arms over his chest, "Naha. Thomas Tenderfoot is way better than that. He was actually the yordle that founded Bandle City. You can't get much cooler than that. Plus he also spent the rest of his years exploring and mapping the areas around us. It's because of him that we know so much about where we live."

"Yeah well…"

Tristana started to zone off at that point, for once not really interested in the topic of discussion. After all, in her opinion, you couldn't really beat Megling. Her daring exploits and harrowing adventures were the stuff of legends; when Tristana was older she was going to be just like her.

Instead, Tristana found herself observing the scenery. Even though they walked this way all the time, she'd never really payed much attention to it; usually more involved in the company of her friends. Now though she took the time to examine the earthy, school brick wall rising beside them along with the overhang of trees separating them from the road. For such a small race their cities were some of the most spacious in all of Valoran. It was the wide open spaces and rustic buildings that gave Bandle City such a homely feel; and as the years went by it would always be the thing they missed the most when they were away.

As she was admiring the purple jacaranda trees in bloom, something in the corner of Tristana's eye caught her attention causing her to pause. Noticing her sudden absence, Ziggs and Teemo turned back, curiously trailing her as she back tracked to the alley they'd just passed.

While Tristana suspected she'd seen a few yordlings, when she got a proper look at the scene in front of her she felt her blood begin to boil. At the end of the alley three sixth graders had a younger yordle pinned to the wall. Despite how badly he was outnumbered and outgunned, the small kit continued to struggle in the largest boy's grip, the determination in his amber eyes making it clear that he wasn't going to give them an inch without a fight. The bloody nose and black eye he sported, however, testified just how little good it was doing him.

Now one did not need to know Tristana long to know that along with a wide stubborn streak, she had a very strong moral compass. Once she had set her mind on something, nothing was going to change it. So it was no big surprise that she immediately and without much thought to the situation marched towards the four, commanding at the top of her voice, "Hey! Leave him alone!"

Four surprised faces immediately turned towards her, the shock of her appearance and her demand stalling any comebacks.

From his position suspended above the ground Rumble blinked at the petite girl; shock and another unidentified emotion swirling within him. No one had ever stood up for him before. Honestly, he wasn't sure what to make of it.

Beside him Klive dumbly looked between her and the alley entrance where her two friends stood in confusion before the shock wore off and he burst into scornful laughter. His friends joined him, all three finding mirth at the lunacy of her audacity. Even as he looked, taking in her young age and diminutive size, his disbelief grew. What could she do to him of all people? "Oh yeah," he sneered, "And if we don't?"

Tristana didn't back down, "I'll make you."

Her answer just caused them to laugh harder. "As if that's supposed to intimidate us," Klive hooted. "Get lost kid, while you still have the chance."

Her fists tightened as her body shifted into a better fighting stance, "Don't underestimate me. I'm stronger than I look. Now. Put. Him. Down."

Klive passed Rumble off to his friend before stepping up to her, "I don't have to listen to you. Now get lost!" And he slapped her.

The next instant Teemo and Ziggs were upon him, their momentum pushing him to the ground.

"You leave her alone!" Teemo shouted, punching him in the face.

"Yeah," Ziggs added, kicking him in the stomach. "Cause when you mess with one, you mess with all of us!"

Growling, Klive tried to push them off but they continued to cling on tight, throwing punches and kicks for all their worth. "Ahh! Don't just stand there," he yelled to his friends, "help me!"

The one on his left, the ginger kit with cat-like ears, reared his arm back in an attempt to punch Teemo. But before he could land a hit Tristana, who'd just found her feet, bull rushed him, slamming into his knees and toppling him over.

With her attention focused on cat-face she didn't see the last one swinging for her but Rumble did. Still dangling above the action, he felt a protective fury well up within him at the sight of his rescuer in danger. "Hey watch out!" he called out to her then with all his might he bit down on his captor's hand. The bully howled in pain, dropping the boy and bending over his hand just in time for Tristana's reactive uppercut.

While the two sixth graders reorientated themselves, Tristana took the time to pull the yordling to his feet. "You alright?" she asked the blue furred boy.

"Yeah." His reply was slightly shaky but his face was set with determination.

"Good," Tristana nodded. "I need you to watch my back."

"Right," this time his voice didn't waver as she turned back to back with him, readying herself as cat-face came at her again.

In the end the teachers heard the commotion and had to pull the four of them off the three bigger boys where upon all seven of them were sent to the principal's office.

Sitting in the administration office waiting for their parents to pick them up, Tristana turned to the smaller boy beside her, completely ignoring the glares from the three seated across the room. Now that she had the chance to get a better look at him she recognised him from her class. He was always the one that had stood out to her for seeming so distant. He never interacted with the others and instead spent most of his time sketching away in his book or looking out the window, when he bothered to show up at all that is. Tristana had always found it weird; now at least she had a bit of an explanation for it.

"Hi," she smiled, "I don't think we've met properly yet. I'm Tristana. My friends are Teemo and Ziggs."

The boy looked at her apprehensively before shyly mumbling, "Rumble."

An awkward silence rose up after that while Tristana tried to work out what to say next. Unexpectedly however, before she could, Rumble spoke up again, "I'm sorry for getting you into trouble."

While he wasn't sure exactly how they'd react, he had not been expecting Ziggs to start laughing. He looked up in surprise as the boy waved his hand. "Don't worry about it. We get into trouble all the time."

"First time we've ended up in the principal's office though," Teemo added contemplatively, "Usually we can talk our way out of it."

Ziggs nodded sagely before grinning cheekily, "Must be the new guy's fault."

Rumble flinched slightly as, at the same time, Tristana wacked her friend lightly. Rolling her eyes she reassured Rumble, "Ignore him. He thinks he's funny."

"Hey!" Ziggs shouted.

Cracking a slight smile Rumble asked, "So, what do you guys do to get into trouble normally?"

They all chuckled at that. "Where do we start?" Teemo rolled his eyes.

"Well," Tristana contemplated, leaning forward in her chair, "there was that one last week when we got mud all over the floor in front of the teacher's office trying to carry it to the front of the school."

Ziggs and Teemo laughed hard at that, and even Rumble grinned, his eyes lighting up in interest. "Oh!" Ziggs exclaimed. "What about that one at the end of last year when our catapult misfired and hit Miss Pringer instead. Her face was classic!"

Teemo nodded through his giggles, "She came stomping up to us, her hair dripping wet and stuck to her face with the fiercest scowl. I was so sure she was going to give us detention for weeks."

"She probably would have if it hadn't been for Mr Ranger," Tristana agreed. "We're lucky he was around to talk to her."

Rumble made a face, "Miss Pringer's horrible. She gave me a week's worth of detention once for hitting her with my egg shooter."

The other three burst out laughing as the distinct image of their uptight Vice Principal covered in egg came to mind. "Oh I'd have loved to see that," Ziggs grinned, his eyes alighting with mischief, "You should do it again."

Teemo shook his head, "That's just asking for trouble. I don't know why you'd even aim for her in the first place Rumble."

Rumble shrugged. "I wasn't," he said quietly. "I was trying to get Klive back for the bloody nose he gave me."

The laughter subdued at his statement, the other three exchanging glances over his bowed head.

"Don't worry," Tristana took charge, throwing her arm around his shoulders. "They'll think twice about messing with you now that we're around."

Rumble's head shot up at that, disbelief written across his face. "You want to be friends? With me?"

Teemo and Ziggs exchanged confused shrugs before Teemo turned to him. "Why wouldn't we want to?" he asked genuinely.

Rumble turned away, unsure where to even begin with that question. But before he even had the chance to say anything, Ziggs continued. "Yeah. You seem pretty cool. I'm sure you'd fit right in. I mean, we have a catapult, you have an egg shooter. Hey! Where'd you get that from anyway?"

Rumble shrugged, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that they wanted to be friends with him. "I built it," he said off hand.

At the silence he looked up just in time to see Ziggs' face change from shocked to excited. "No way! You built it? Wow! You have to show me!"

Even Tristana looked impressed. "Could you bring it to school tomorrow?" she asked.

Rumble shook his head sadly, "Miss Pringer said she'd confiscate it if I brought it to school again." He watched them apprehensively, worried they wouldn't want to be friends with him because of his refusal.

While Ziggs and Tristana seemed a little disappointed at that Teemo just shrugged. "Maybe he could bring it on Friday?" he suggested.

Immediately Tristana and Ziggs brightened. "Oh yeah!"

Rumble, however, looked on confused. Upon seeing this Tristana explained, "Every Friday night Ziggs and Teemo stay over my place. Did you want to come? You could bring your egg shooter and we could show you our catapult. It'll be fun." She asked the last bit shyly, nervous that he'd reject the whole idea.

After the initial shock wore off however Rumble smiled. "Yeah. That would be great. I mean, if that's okay with your parents and all."

Tristana beamed, "I'm sure they'll be fine with it. But I'll ask them when they get here."

As if on cue the office door opened and an elegant woman flew in. Somehow managing to make frantic look prim and proper, the blue skinned lady strutted across the room, ignoring the others as she pulled Tristana into her arms. "Oh baby I heard what happened. Are you alright? Did you get hurt? On a scale of one to ten, how bad is the pain?"

"I'm fine mum," Tristana's muffled voice emerged from her squished position as she glared at the snickering Ziggs and Teemo. "I got a couple of scratches that's all."

"That's all?" If Tristana thought that would calm her mother down she was sorely mistaken. Instead, her voice seemed to go up an octave as she continued, "Let me see! I need to know how bad it is!"

"Calm down Pearl and let her breathe," the steady voice of the white furred yordle following drew her attention.

"Calm down? How can I calm down? Look at what happened to my baby girl!" Gently she wiped the blood from Tristana's grazed cheek – the one she'd hit when Klive had slapped her – ignoring the way the girl tried to wriggle out of her grip. "I knew that riffraff would be a bad influence on you."

Tristana pulled back with a glare, "Don't say that! Teemo and Ziggs backed me up when I stood up for Rumble." She gestured to him, "He's our new friend."

Pearl's gaze followed her hand, the distain evident when it landed on his small form. Undeterred Rumble narrowed his eyes right back at her. "Oh," was all she said.

"That's an admirable thing to do Tristana," her father stepped forward, stopping the conversation from any further deterioration. He knelt down in front of her, "Just be careful to think before jumping in like that. You don't want to bite off more than you can chew."

"Yes father," she nodded. Pushing her luck, she asked, "So, can Rumble come over Friday with Ziggs and Teemo?"

Looking at the boy he smiled, "I don't see why not. If it's alright with his parents he's more than welcome to come over."

The four yordlings looked elated at that. Pearl, however, did not. "After what she just got herself into? Charlie, you can't just let-"

"You're right," he cut her off. "But here is not the sort of place to discuss it. We will talk about this more at home. Come on Tristana."

"Yes father," Tristana sighed. She waved to the others "Bye Ziggs. Bye Teemo. Bye Rumble. See you tomorrow. Hopefully," she added under her breath.

After Tristana left Rumble continued to talk to Teemo and Ziggs until, one by one, the others were picked up. Finally, after twenty minute sitting by himself, his parents rushed in. Unfortunately, neither of them had been able to get off work any earlier. At the sight of him injured and alone, Rosalyn knelt worriedly next to him. "Are you alright?" she asked gently.

He looked up at her with a genuine smile. "Yeah," he said. "I'm great."

Things should settle down now. I've still got exams but nothing too hectic anymore. Finger's crossed the next chapter should be up in two weeks.