It was noon at Ponyville Elementary and the sun was shining brightly. Groups of fillies and colts were playing together across the schoolyard, Connie, Plumeria and a colt named Milo were tossing a ball to each other during recess, laughing joyfully. Connie tossed the ball just a little too far beyond Plume’s reach, and it bounced down the lawn.
 
“Ill get it!” She giggled and skipped to the ball. She knelt down to pick it up in her mouth, but noticed Larkspur sitting in the grass a ways away, collecting mushrooms in a pile. She tilted her head, and turned back to her friends.
 
“Hey, should we invite Larkspur to play?”
 
Milo shook their head, and Connie sneered, “Heck no! He’ll spoil it!”
 
Plumeria looked back at the draconequus sympathetically, “We should give him a chance. It’s no fun being alone, even if you’re grumpy all the time.” She trotted down to him, ignoring the whispered “no no no!” from Connie. The little earth pony facehoofed with a groan.
 
“Hey, Larkspur, do you wanna play with us?” She asked with a smile.
 
Larkspur glared at her, “No.” He picked up a funny-looking toadstool and added it to his pile.
 
Plumeria tried again, “Are you sure?”
 
Annoyed, Larkspur growled, “Did I stutter? No, I don’t want to play your stupid game.”
 
Slightly hurt, Plumeria persisted, “Well you’re all alone out here, so I just wanted to ask~~”
 
“Look, get it through your skull you halfwit! Nobody, not even an naive idiot like you, wants to play with me! You’re just asking because you feel bad for me. So take your dumb ball and leave me alone!” In his anger, he shoved the small filly down to the muddied ground.
 
Dirty and bruised, she stared up at him, terrified and hurt with tears in her eyes. “I-I’m telling Cheerilee…you BIG BULLY~~”
 
Larkspur pinned her down, “What? You gonna cry now? Go ahead, then everyone will know you’re just a big, fat cowar~~”
 
Connie slammed into Larkspur’s side, knocking him down. “Leave my sister alone!!” By the grace of catching him by surprise, Connie had Larkspur pinned for a moment. They struck Larkspur’s muzzle wildly, most certainly giving him a black eye.
 
Larkspur snarled, “Get off of me, freak!” Connie did not comply. Larkspur’s paws sparked with green flame. He snatched one of Connie’s legs as it swung to strike him again. As they came into contact, Connie’s entire body was engulfed in terrible green flame. Connie just watched themselves dissolve with a silenced horror. Larkspur watched as Connie disappeared into a puff of smoke, leaving nothing behind but…
 
…wait, is that…is that a rabbit?
 
A small bunny sat crouched in the grass in front of him, shocked and confused. Slowly it looked at its paws, and jumped into the air with a shriek.
 
Plumeria yelped, “C-Connie?? Is that you?” She rushed to the rabbit, which was seeming to panic. It squeaked, and heaved with sobs, although, of course, rabbits could not cry. “What has he done to you?” She began to cry with the rabbit, making an oddly comedic but simultaneously tragic scene.
 
“What’s going on?” A mare’s voice called across the yard. Miss Cheerilee stared at the weeping pair, and then at Larkspur. “Larkspur? What~~?”
 
“H-He turned C-Connie i-into a rabbiiiit~~!” Plumeria stammered between sobs, eyes gushing with tears.
 
Larkspur just looked at his paws in wonder. “I didn’t know I could do that…” He murmured to himself.
 
Cheerilee ran to rabbit-Connie and Plumeria. “Don’t panic! Princess Twilight will know what to do! If you’ll come with me, we’ll fix this.” She picked up the distraught bunny, and turned to glare at Larkspur. “You. Stay here, and we’ll figure out your punishment for this later.”
 
Larkspur folded his ears back, “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean~~” But they trotted away before he could finish. He clutched his paws with fury, and decided to distract himself by casually transforming other things with the fire, delighted when one of his mushrooms transformed into a warm, chocolate chip cookie with macadamia nuts.
 
“I may have a black eye and everyone hates me now, but at least I have you, cookie.” He smiled mirthlessly and took a bite out of the cookie. He immediately spat it out, as it tasted of soot and mildew, and the cookie crumbled into black dust before his eyes. His heart sank when he thought of Connie. Will Connie turn to dust too? For a moment he felt inclined to spring up and run after Cheerilee to make sure they would be okay, but on second thought…it’s their own fault for attacking me like that. And Plumeria’s for bugging me. Besides, Miss Cheerilee told me to stay put. Not my fault for following the rules.
 
Larkspur laid in the grass contemplatively, picking blades of grass.  

 
“It’s called Chaos Fire, at least according to Princess Twilight.” Miss Cheerilee explained wearily at her desk. She eyed a cold mug of coffee, not touched since she poured it that same morning. “So far only kirins and some earth ponies have had the power. When any object comes into contact with it, it transforms into something else.”
 
“So? Can Twilight fix it or not?” Rainbow Dash was near hysterical, still clad in her Wonderbolts uniform after rushing to her child’s aid. She paced in front of Cheerilee’s desk.
 
“It is reversible, but it may take a few days. Twilight can explain why.” Cheerilee said before turning to Fluttershy, who sat quietly refusing to make eye contact with Rainbow Dash.
 
Rainbow rubbed her forehead with a hoof, “I can’t believe this…”
 
“I’m so sorry Rainbow…I had no idea he would be able to do that…at least Connie turned into a cute rabbit, and not something else~~” Fluttershy began, but was quickly cut off by a look from Rainbow Dash.
 
“Are you joking? I really could care less about what Connie turned into! I’m much more scared of what Larkspur is capable of with this power, and that he used it on Conundrum!”
 
“Well maybe because Connie attacked him! He was just defending himself! All the other kids are so mean to him!”
 
“MEAN? For Celestia’s sake, I’m getting a hernia listening to all these stories my kids tell me! Trust me Fluttershy, nobody is being mean to your son.” Rainbow Dash scowled at her, and turned to Cheerilee, “I want him removed from this school. I don’t feel safe having my kids here if he’s here and I know for a fact that other parents feel the same way.”
 
Cheerilee sighed, “Rainbow Dash has a point. I think it’s best if Larkspur be homeschooled. I’m afraid I’ve given him enough chances…”
 
“That’s not fair! He’s trying his best! He just-hasn’t been the same since Discord left.”
 
“Oh? How long you gonna keep milking that excuse, Flutters? It’s been two years! He needs to start shaping up, or he needs to leave where he can’t be a danger to anypony else. With Discord, he would at least do what you say, but this kid ~~ he’s out of control.”
 
“He’s not some wild animal Rainbow Dash! He’s my son!” Fluttershy jumped out of her chair and stomped her hoof.
 
Rainbow Dash pressed her muzzle to Fluttershy’s threateningly, teeth gritted and eyes narrowed, “Exactly! That’s why it’s your responsibility to make sure he’s not out there turning ponies into fucking powdered donuts or worse!”
 
“He’s tried to make friends, Rainbow! But everyone is so scared of him!” Fluttershy persisted.
 
“Why do you think that is, huh? Because he brought a rattlesnake for show-and-tell? Because that same snake almost killed your nephew? Because he has powers that do Celestia-knows-what? Because he’s cruel to his classmates, insulting them, tripping them and generally making their lives miserable?”
 
Miss Cheerilee gently pushed herself between them, speaking softly. “Let’s not make this harder than it needs to be.” She looked to Fluttershy, placing a hoof on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, but my decision is final. It’s clear that we are not what Larkspur needs. He needs more time with his mother, away from other kids, where he can learn and grow without feeling out of place. We’ll be with you every step of the way, Fluttershy, so please don’t make the mistake of thinking we’re just trying to get rid of him or that we never want him to fit in. He’s got good in him, I know.” She then looked at Rainbow, “We’ll discuss this with Princess Twilight, finalize his expulsion, and fill out the necessary paperwork. We’ll figure this out, together. Right, Rainbow Dash?”
 
Rainbow Dash just snorted, “Fine. Can I go now? I have a terrified family to tend to.” With Cheerilee’s nod, Rainbow Dash stormed out of the schoolhouse, taking flight into the night sky.
 
The middle-aged school teacher smiled sweetly at Fluttershy, “Have hope. All it takes is the right pony to push him in the right direction. I hope it’s you.” Fluttershy just stared at her hooves, and Cheerilee’s smile faded. “Well…it’s late. I have my own family to tend to, and you do too.”
 
Fluttershy nodded. As they walked out of the schoolhouse, Larkspur looked up at her from his chair with a scowl, ice pack clutched to his eye. No words were exchanged. He just jumped down, and followed her home, ignoring the whispers and stares that pursued them with each step.