//------------------------------// // A Silver Lining // Story: To Be Magical // by Lux //------------------------------// Chapter 4 – A Silver Lining The doors to the school opened up as a herd of fillies and colts of different types, ages, and colors poured out of the class. All were excited to return home, or play with friends. All, that is, except for one pony. Sweetie Belle was the last pony to leave the school, her head down as she tried to hold back the tears. She didn’t want to look at any of her classmates as she left despite the fact that she knew that they were all thinking or maybe talking about what happened in class. Acknowledging them would mean acknowledging what happened and even the slightest note of concern or mentioning of what happened would add to her depressed state that she was in. “Hey Sweetie Belle,” the familiar voice of Scootaloo said near her. The unicorn turned to the source of the voice to see her friends Scootaloo and Apple Bloom standing there. “Oh hi you two,” she said happy that her friends were there but still depressed as even they brought up the memories of the horrific day. “Are you ok?” Apple Bloom asked knowing the answer akready. “Oh, yeah, I’m ok,” Sweetie Belle said although deep down she was not ok, nor did she think that her friends actually thought she was ok either. “That Diamond Tiara is such a jerk,” Scootaloo said with a growl, “She should be glad that I didn’t pound her.” “Yeah, and in front of Twilight and Cheerilee too,” Apple Bloom added, “That’s a new low for even her.” The more they talked about it, the more that Sweetie Belle felt the weight of her sadness add more to her already strained state. “So are you ready to go,” Scootaloo suddenly said which brought the white unicorn out of her depression. “Huh?” Sweetie Belle said. “I said are you ready to go to the clubhouse?” Scootaloo added clearly wanting to get to the task at hand in finding their cutie marks rather than staying around. “Yeah, we have to think about what else we can do to get our cutie marks,” Apple Bloom added. Sweetie Belle thought about it for a moment. Part of her wanted to be with her friends, those who were always there for her through good times and bad. But then she knew that if she went with the fellow Crusaders to the clubhouse, they would be talking about Diamond Tiara, and Sweetie Belle couldn’t bear any more hearing about that! “Actually I think I’m going to home,” Sweetie Belle said to her friends, turning towards her place. “What?” the two said in surprise at their friend’s decision. “Sweetie Belle you were all excited earlier on about Crusading afterwards,” Apple Bloom said looking at the unicorn. “Yeah, why the change?” Apple Bloom said. “I’m just not up to it right now,” Sweetie Belle responding flatly, "Maybe tomorrow." “It must have been Diamond Tiara,” Scootaloo said whispering to Apple Bloom. “Oh,” Apple Bloom said before turning to Sweetie Belle, “You sure you don’t want to come with us?” “Nah, you two go on without me. I’ll see you in school tomorrow.” The two Crusaders could only shrug as their friend preferred to be alone rather than in the company of the others. The Crusaders had always been an inseparable team, the three doing practically everything together. The only time when they weren’t a group was when they were at home at night or that they were with their friends. “Alright then,” Apple Bloom said, “Ah’ guess we’ll see you later.” “Yeah, see you in school tomorrow,” Scootaloo said as her ears drooped from the fact that she would be without one of her friends. Sweetie Belle watched as her two friends grew smaller as they walked down the road until they disappeared from view. As the white unicorn turned and made her slow journey home, the memories came back like a tidal wave. “Why did Diamond Tiara do that,” Sweetie Belle said as tears began to well up in her mind, “I can so do magic. It’s like Twilight said, everypony knows magic! Oh who am I kidding! I can’t do magic! I can’t even lift something with my magic. I’m just a blank flank with no magic and that’s all I’ll ever be!” With that the filly began to cry uncontrollably, not caring who saw. She then felt a caring hoof placed on her shoulder. She looked up to see Twilight Sparkle looking down on her. She was surprised to see the Princess standing there before her. It was as if she was waiting for the filly to get out of class to talk to her. “Sweetie Belle, please don’t cry,” Twilight said, “I know how bad you must feel being bullied like that.” “No, you don’t,” Sweetie Belle replied in a frustrated huff, “You were always good at magic and I can’t do anything with it! And you probably didn’t meet a bully like that when you were in school.” “Remember when I told you how I got my cutie mark,” Twilight said trying to calm the frustrated filly down. “Yeah?” “Well I may have wanted to study magic, but I sure wasn’t the best at it as a filly your age. There were many other ponies who could cast better spells. Even worse, growing up in Canterlot where there are many unicorns meant that fillies and colts would pick on me for not being good at magic. The point is though that even though you feel bad now, things change. They did for me, in a really big way, and they’ll change for you too.” “Yeah, but that doesn’t help me now with not being able to use magic.” “Well I was talking to your sister today about you and we have come to an agreement. How would you like to learn magic from me?” Sweetie Belle’s eyes immediately brightened up at the words of Twilight Sparkle’s request. It was like a dream, but the filly knew that this wasn’t something she would wake up from as if it never happened. This was really happening to her! “Y…you mean it? You want to be my magic teacher?” “Of course I do! Now of course your school work comes first as does anything with Rarity, but I think on the weekends you can come to the library and I will teach you a few things, just to get you started.” “Like teleporting ?” “Maybe not that advanced at the start, but so that you’ll be up to the same level of the other unicorns in class.” “Oh thank you,” Sweetie Belle said giving Twilight a hug, “You won’t regret this I promise.” “You’re welcome Sweetie Belle. Now I’m sure you want to tell the news to Rarity.” “Oh yeah,” Sweetie Belle said as she galloped towards the Carousel Boutique, excited to meet Rarity. Twilight merely smiled, wondering how she would teach this filly magic. It was a twist of fate that the lavender Princess, who was taught herself by Princess Celestia, to now teach another pony what she knew. Granted she didn’t see Sweetie Belle as her protégé, but it was nevertheless a great experience to be able to help the filly learn.