We are back with the first part of the third chapter to RF&L! This time, Fictionary's in the spotlight with the Cutie Mark Crusaders and two new characters! If you're wondering who First Base is, he's the colt seen in Pinkie Pride and Twilight Time. He was popularized a character by dm29 on DeviantArt. At this point, Flash and First Base do not know either of them are brothers.

Okay, so let's get reading!

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Chapter III: A Thirst for Appreciation

Written by Zack Wanzer and James Riddle

Part 1: Start of a New School Year

Autumn had come to Equestria. The leaves on trees were turning from green to shades of orange and yellow, and at Sweet Apple Acres, apples were bucked off of their trees to prepare for a cold, harsh winter. The autumn season meant the Running of the Leaves was soon take place and school was starting once again.

On that particular September morning, Fictionary was walking towards the Ponyville schoolhouse with the Cutie Mark Crusaders and a colt they'd never met before. He was a light brilliant orange Earth pony with a moderate azure mane and tail and moderate cornflower blue eyes, a color scheme not dissimilar to Flash Sentry. His cutie mark was a baseball bat and ball.

At the moment, the orange colt – his name First Base – was telling the four fillies how he came to Ponyville with his mother.

"…we used to live in Manehattan," he said, "but after mom lost her job, we had to move here."

"If you live with your mom," said Sweetie Belle, "then what happened to your dad?"

"I dunno," said First Base, "I never asked her. She'd probably get upset if I do. It's a question that's bugged me since I was a baby."

"Ah'm sorry to hear that," said Apple Bloom.

"It's fine," said First Base, "still, it's nice to change your scenery every now and then."

"I can agree with that," said Fictionary, "I mean, I've been living with my big brother for the past few years; we traveled Equestria before winding up in Liverhoof, and then six to eight months later, here we are!"

"Sometimes I wish I could go to different places," said Scootaloo, "but then, I'd miss my friends here in Ponyville."

"We went to the Crystal Empire a few times," Sweetie Belle pointed out, "don't you remember?"

"Oh yeah," said Scootaloo, "but we were still together."

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Presently, the five foals arrived at the schoolhouse. They could see their teacher Miss Cheerilee waiting to greet them.

"Hi, Miss Cheerilee," the Cutie Mark Crusaders called, waving.

"Morning, Miss Cheerilee," said Fictionary.

"Morning, girls," Cheerilee said in a sunny voice. Then she spotted First Base. "You're First Base, correct?"

"Yes I am, Miss Cheerilee," the light orange colt replied.

"Then wonderful. Welcome, First Base."

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The foals followed Cheerilee into the schoolhouse and took their seats.

"Good morning, students," she said, going behind her desk, "and welcome to another school year. We've got three new students who'll be attending this year."

"Three?" asked Apple Bloom in confusion.

"We thought it was just First Base," added Scootaloo.

"Yes, he is one of the new students," explained Cheerilee, "but the other two come from Trottingham. Would you two come forward please?"

From the back of the classroom stepped two young Pegasi colts that nopony had seen before. The older of the two was dark orange with a green mane and tail, deep yellow eyes, and his cutie mark was a storm cloud. The younger one was a very pale yellow with an orange mane and tail, and his cutie mark was three butterscotch sweets. His right eye was a light green, and his left eye a very pale shade of blue, almost white.

What was very startling about the younger Pegasi was that he had a scar over his left eye, his left wing was partly missing, as was part of his left ear, but the most shocking about his appearance was that his right hind leg seemed to end below the hock, the left had half a gaskin, and he was on a wheelchair.

A lot of the students were in shock and surprise by this colt's appearance.

"Class," Cheerilee went on, "say hello to Boomer and Butterscotch."

"Um, hi," Butterscotch said in a soft voice.

"How's it going?" said Boomer.

"Well, hello there, handsome," Diamond Tiara said, scooting closer to Boomer. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were shocked; was this Diamond Tiara? Why was she, of all ponies, going from bullying "blank flanks" to flirting with a new student?

"Would you like to sit in the seat next to me?" Diamond Tiara continued.

"Don't mind if I do," said Boomer, taking his seat.

"So who can I sit next to?" asked Butterscotch.

No one said a word for a moment or two.

"You can sit by me," Fictionary spoke up.

Butterscotch wheeled himself over to the desk next to the light blue filly's.

"Thanks," he said quietly, but loud enough so she could hear him.

"Oh, and by the way, I'm Fictionary."

"Nice to meet you," muttered Butterscotch. But before Fictionary could say more, the class began.

"Okay, class, our first lesson for the day…"

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Some time later, it was time for recess.

"Hey, DT," said Silver Spoon, "wanna play hopscotch?"

But the pink earth filly was too busy talking to Boomer to notice her one and only best friend.

"Hello?" Silver Spoon waved her front hooves around, hoping to get her friend's attention, but it didn't work.

"So Boomer," said Diamond Tiara, still fixated on the colt, "why don't you tell me a little about yourself?"

"Well, when I was little," began Boomer, "my mother died giving birth to Butterscotch, my little brother. Tragically, he was born half-formed which explains his appearance to this day. He obtained the scar after startling our neighbor's cat."

Unknown to them, Fictionary had been listening in on the conversation.

"Did that really happen?" she said to herself, "Poor Butterscotch."

Speaking of whom, the pale yellow colt sat by himself staring sadly at the ground in front of him. Upon seeing his sad state, Fictionary decided to go up to him.

"Hi, there," she said cheerfully.

"Oh, hi," Butterscotch looked up in surprise.

"What are you doing out here all by yourself?" asked Fictionary.

"Nopony else wants to hang out with me," said Butterscotch sadly, "so I thought I'd sit around by myself."

"Well, would it feel better if I hung out with you?" asked Fictionary.

"No thanks," said Butterscotch, "I prefer to be alone."

"Oh, okay."

Disappointed, Fictionary decided to talk to the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

"What do you think is wrong with Butterscotch?" she asked.

"I don't know," said Sweetie Belle.

"Why don't you three talk to him?"

"I'm not sure," said Scootaloo.

"Why ever not?" Fictionary couldn't understand why her best friends were reluctant to meet him in pony.

"It's nothing personal," said Apple Bloom, "but he's just… well, different."

"Differences aren't everything," said Fictionary, "he's a foal like you and me. Plus, you don't like it when Diamond Tiara thinks you're, ahem, 'different' just for not having cutie marks. Why should it be any different, so to speak?"

Without a word, but understanding where their friend was coming from, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle went over to Butterscotch to see if they could talk to him.

"Uh, hi there," said Apple Bloom.

"It's… nice to meet you," added Scootaloo. Seeing that Sweetie Belle hadn't said anything, the orange Pegaus filly elbowed her friend to get her to speak.

"How's it going?" the white unicorn filly squeaked.

"Hi," Butterscotch said in a quiet voice.

"So," asked Apple Bloom, "do you wanna play?"

"N-no thanks," said Butterscotch shyly.

"Why not?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"I… just feel like being by myself," said Butterscotch.

"Alright then," said Scootaloo. She, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle went back to Fictionary.

"He just wants to be by himself for some reason," said Sweetie Belle.

"Hmm," said Fictionary, "maybe he's just shy. Maybe give him a few days; perhaps his confidence will grow."

"What if it doesn't?" asked Apple Bloom.

"I… don't know how to answer that," said Fictionary. She could feel that something wasn't right about Butterscotch. She wanted to know what it was so she could help.

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Meanwhile, at the same time, First Base was playing kickball with three other colts. One of them was a very skinny light yellowish gray Pegasus with a moderate orange mane and tail with a lighter streak, moderate gamboge eyes, and a feather for a cutie mark; his name is Featherweight. The other Pegasus colt was light bluish gray with his mane and tail in two shades of dark grayish sapphire blue, grayish purple eyes, and no cutie mark; his name is Rumble, Thunderlane's younger brother. The last colt was a tiny white Earth pony with grayish brown spots (making him a pinto pony), a dark tangelo mane and tail with lighter streaks, and very deep reddish brown eyes; his name is Pipsqueak.

"Thanks for inviting me to play, guys," said First Base.

"Hey, no sweat," said Rumble.

"It's not very often that I get invited to play in games," the orange colt continued.

"Why not?" Pipsqueak asked in his youthful, Coltney accent.

"Well, I didn't really have anypony to play with," replied First Base.

"Well, you do now," said Featherweight.

At that moment, Pipsqueak rolled the ball down the lane and Rumble kicked it a little too hard, causing the ball to fly high into the air.

"I'll get it!" cried First Base.

"Look out!" cried Featherweight.

"Why?" asked First Base, racing in the ball's direction.

CRASH!

When the dust settled, First Base looked and saw he bumped into a pale, light grayish violet unicorn filly named Dinky Doo.

"Sorry about that," he said, helping Dinky up, "I'm First Base."

"Name's Dinky Doo," replied the unicorn filly, "but call me Dinky for short."

"Wanna play, Dinky?" asked First Base.

"Sure," said Dinky.

---

Meanwhile, Silver Spoon was still trying to get Diamond Tiara's attention.

Maybe falling from this tree will help, she thought. So she began to climb up the tree, not an easy task if you're a pony. At that moment, Scootaloo spotted her.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Not that it's any of your business," said Silver Spoon, "but I'm trying to get Diamond's attention."

Scootaloo didn't understand; usually Silver Spoon would be mocking her, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle just for being "blank flanks" alongside Diamond Tiara. It was not very often that one of hem would be without the other, and this was one of those cases.

"This has got to do with one of the new students, Boomer, doesn't it?" asked Fictionary, walking up.

"Well, duh," the light gray filly retorted, pointing to the two foals.

"And by the way," Diamond Tiara was saying, "I'm so rich I have a pool and a butler to do my bidding. Ever want to come over some time?"

"That would be a fun idea," said Boomer.

"You see what I mean?" said Silver Spoon.

"I suppose we do," said Scootaloo.

"Why were y'all climbin' that tree?" asked Apple Bloom.

"I was trying to get Diamond Tiara's attention," said Silver Spoon, sighing with exasperation.

"But you haven't got wings," said Sweetie Belle, "I don't think you'd do good at flying."

"Well, neither do you or Apple Bloom," retorted Silver Spoon.

"Plus you could have gotten yourself hurt," added Fictionary.

"You want us to help you?" offered Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom looked at their friend with indignation; helping one of the fillies who often mocked them for not having cutie marks? How absurd! Even Fictionary could not believe her ears.

"Oh, alright," Silver Spoon said with reluctance.

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Back with First Base, he and his group were still in a game of kickball.

"So all your life, you've lived with a single mother?" asked Dinky.

"Yep," replied First Base.

"Did you ask her about your dad?" Dinky asked.

"Not once," replied First Base.

"Why not? You have a right to know who he was."

"Maybe, but then, mom would be upset if I asked her."

"How do you know?" asked Dinky.

"I dunno, I just do," First Base shrugged, "anyway, why don't you tell me about yourself?"

"I live with my parents Golden Harvest and Written Script," began Dinky, "dad's a playwright and mommy runs her own carrot farm."

"Do you have any siblings?" asked First Base.

"Two sisters," replied Dinky, "Tootsie Flute is my twin; she was born minutes before I was from what mommy told me. Amethyst Star is our oldest sister. What about you? Do you have any siblings?"

"Nope, none," said First Base, "I'm an only foal."

"Doesn't it bother you?" asked Dinky.

"A little," First Base admitted, "but I at least get to spend more time with mom. Plus, being an only foal saves her a lot of stress, if you take my meaning."

Before Dinky or any of the three colts could respond, the school's bell began ringing, indicating it was time for classes to resume.

"Back inside, everypony," called Cheerilee.

The foals began going back inside the schoolhouse. Some were rather in a hurry as to not be late, which caused Fictionary and First Base to bump into each other.

"Oof! Sorry," groaned First Base, getting back on his hooves.

"That's alright," said Fictionary.

Before either could continue to the schoolhouse, they heard a cry, and then a thud. They turned to see Butterscotch off his wheelchair.

"Butterscotch!" Fictionary ran over to him. "What happened?"

"Someone kicked at my wheelchair and I fell off," he sulked.

Must've been Diamond Tiara, Fictionary thought grimly, doesn't she know to respect the disabled?

The blue unicorn filly turn turned around and could swear she barely saw Boomer looking back and giving a mean-spirited smirk.

Then again, thought Fictionary, it might as well be Boomer. Either way, I'll be confronting that prissy pink ball of fur later.

She then snapped out of her thoughts and helped First Base in getting Butterscotch back on his wheelchair once again.

"Thanks," said Butterscotch, "although I may need help getting up the stairs."

Fictionary got one side of Butterscotch and First Base on the other. Both of them lifted the wheelchair up and got over the steps, with Butterscotch using his front hooves to climb over them.

"Thanks again," said Butterscotch.

"Oh, it's no problem," smiled Fictionary. As they went inside, the light blue unicorn filly thought she could see Boomer giving an annoyed look at the sight of his brother being helped…

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Well, it looks like things are starting to slowly heat up. Golden Harvest and Written Script are Dinky's parents as Derpy being her mother is really overdone. The First Base and Dinky scenes might seem like filler, but there's more to them than what meets the eye.

Expect the next parts soon!