Making Hearts Melt

by Faith Everlasting

My Reflection

“Come on, Fluttershy! I’m gonna be late for school!” I quickly tied my saddlebag around my waist and threw my school books inside. It had been 7 years since I had been abandoned by my mother, but I tried not to think about that now. Fluttershy was my new mother, but I still felt awkward at actually calling her that. I wanted to fix up my mane in order to look better for my teacher, Ms. Cheerilee, but unfortunately Fluttershy didn’t own any mirrors. In fact, I’ve never seen what I look like all together. I know that I wear glasses, that my coat is the color periwinkle, that I am a Pegasus, and that my mane and tail are a mix of pink and green, but all in all I’ve never seen all of me. Strange, but I wasn’t concerned.

Then Fluttershy came trotting down the stairs.

“Now remember, you are no different than any other pony in that class,” she fixed up my mane and straightened up my glasses. “You are perfect,”

“Yes, Fluttershy,” I replied. I had heard this lecture so often that it was kind of getting old. Then she opened the door and we both trotted silently to the school house. As it came into view, I saw the school bell sound and a couple of fillies and colts trotted into the building. Outside of the door, Fluttershy blocked my path.

“Don’t let anypony pick on you, OK?”

“OK, Fluttershy,” I said, becoming annoyed at her hesitancy to let me go to school. Fluttershy then gave me a slight kiss on the head and flew off. I walked inside.

“Alright, settle down, my little ponies,” I heard Ms. Cheerliee announce as I silently trotted in. Then I heard somepony gasp.

“Who let the trash walk in?” I heard them ask. I turned my head to see a light pink earth pony wearing a tiara on her head staring at me and looking disgusted. I looked behind me to see what she was talking about, but I soon realized that it was me.

“Diamond Tiara!” another pony shouted. This time is was a yellow one with a red mane and a large pink bow in it. “That’s not very nice!”

“I’m just observing what I’m seeing,” the one called ‘Diamond Tiara’ responded. I was too confused to care, so I just walked over to my desk that happened to be behind an orange Pegasus with wings that were a little too small for her. She turned around and smiled at me.

“Don’t you listen to Diamond Tiara. She’s just a big bully!” I returned her smile and then Cheerilee continued.

“May I ask your name, young filly?” she asked me.

“Perfect, ma’am.” I responded. Diamond Tiara burst out laughing. I glanced over at her and happened to notice a white unicorn with a pink and purple mane rolling her green eyes in disgust.

“Perfect?” She asked. The orange Pegasus threw Diamond Tiara a dirty look as if she wanted her to shut up or something. I kept glancing nervously around the room, unsure of how to answer Diamond Tiara’s question.

“Y-yes…?” I could feel my face turning bright red as the eyes of everypony in the room were squarely on me. I felt a single drop of sweat slide down my face and I gritted my teeth in humiliation.

“You’re far from perfect, cripple!” She chuckled at her own insult. I gasped. Cripple? What did she mean by that? The orange Pegasus buried her face in her hooves and groaned at the cruelty of Diamond Tiara.

“What does she mean ‘cripple’?” I asked the orange pony, leaning forward in my seat so that I could whisper my question.

“Well… um…” I waited for her to answer my question, but she looked over to the yellow pony as if asking for help. I started to freak out. I raised my hoof in desperation.

“Yes, Perfect?”

“Do you have a mirror?” Ms. Cheerliee looked confused at my question and a couple of foals in the room murmured in confusion.

“If we did, then you would break it!” Diamond Tiara laughed again, but was then silenced by the hard stare from Cheerilee.

“It’s over there, sweetie,” I followed her pointing hoof until I saw the bathroom near the far back corner of the school house. I quickly cantered over there, much to Diamond Tiara’s pleasure. I gazed inside of the dark room and at first hesitated to turn the lights on, but I did. Then I gasped at what I saw before me. I. Was. Hideous.

“OH!” I exclaimed, stumbling backwards and tripping over my own hooves. I landed on my back and I could feel the vacant spot where my left wing should be. How could I not have noticed that before? My other wing was lying uselessly at my side, quivering every time I so much as took in a deep breath. My mane was a tattered mess even though Fluttershy had done her best to make it look better. Both of my cheeks were covered with three pale freckles and my glasses made my eyes bulge out of their sockets. I heard Diamond Tiara and another filly, who I learned later, was Silver Spoon, laughing and pointing their hooves at me. I stood up and turned around to see all of the foals staring in shock at my misshapen form.

“How could you not have known how hideous you look?” Silver Spoon ridiculed. “Any smart pony would have figured it out years ago!” My eyes were starting to become wet as I saw every other foal whispering into each-others ears while looking at me. Even the yellow earth pony and orange Pegasus were whispering! I felt my face get hot with humiliation and I looked towards Cheerilee for help, but all that she did was look at me in shock as well. So I ran. I ran out the door, down the street, past Fluttershy’s cottage, and into the Everfree forest.

“How could Fluttershy lie to me?!” I screamed into the woods. “How could she have kept this a secret from me?!” Then before I knew it, the ground opened up beneath me and I tumbled down the side of the cliff. I rolled over and over again, sharp sticks puncturing my skin. I tried to open my one wing to slow down my fall, but a sharp sting of pain jolted through my body as I tried to extend it. Then suddenly, my head hit a large boulder at the base of the hill and then I lost consciousness.