Chapter Two: Home Life
As Symphony entered her house, she listened for her parents. It sounded like they were in the kitchen, so she had to sneak past them to get to her room. When she got to the kitchen door, it flew open and she stood still, feeling paralyzed. Both parents stared, a seemingly never-ending silence filled the room. Symphony, more afraid of their silence than their anger, finally spoke.
"I'm sick," she said, backing up towards her room. She tip-toed as if they could not see her if she moved an inch at a time.
"Young filly," Cocoa Butter, her mother, said in a stern voice. "Why are you home in the middle of the day?" Her eyes were like stormy puddles, her cream mane a waterfall around her face. Her coat was a simple coffee brown, matching Symphony's, yet she was a beautiful specimen who could have been a model pony if she hadn't had children.
Dusty Coal was a black donkey with a white muzzle and underside. He was very boring-looking and Symphony had always wondered why her mother had chosen him when she could have had anypony she wanted. He was shorter than her and his long ears and odd-looking tail were found a dime a dozen in any donkey community. Symphony wrinkled her muzzle in puzzlement as she thought, She could've chosen at least a good-looking donkey. Maybe then my classmates wouldn't care that I was a mule.
"Dear, you're spacing out again," Dusty grunted and nodded back towards Cocoa. "Your mother is speaking to you. Don't be rude."
Symphony sighed, "I'm not sick."
Cocoa gasped in mock surprise, "Really? You could've fooled me."
Her gaze fell to the floor as she decided to tell the truth, "I'm a mule. Nobody loves me. The fillies and colts in class all make fun of my long ears and short mane. I'm the only mule in my class... the whole school even. There's a few donkeys and they're picked on, but I'm made fun of even MORE so than them. If a snail were to join our class, he'd have more friends than me."
Cocoa and Dusty stood in silence, trying to decide what to say to comfort their daughter. Dusty's big, brown eyes blinked a few times as he tried to process everything she said.
"Maybe they are just jealous of your good looks," Dusty offered. "You're gorgeous! The most beautiful girl on the campus."
Symphony scoffed, "Dad, no! Are you even listening? They all think I'm ugly."
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Sweetie," Cocoa nodded as if this were the most true thing anypony had ever said. She kissed her daughter on the head as if she had fixed all of her problems.
Symphony pulled away, "If that is true, all the 'beholders' at school find me ugly. I still lose! Why did you have to marry a donkey! Why couldn't it have been a nice Pegasus, or a Unicorn? I'd even love an Earth Pony for a father! Zebra? Sure! They've got cool markings and even though they have a short mane, they are still more accepted than I am."
Dusty Coal sighed and headed back into the kitchen. Cocoa Butter's gaze sharpened, "How could you say such awful words?! Your father is hurt now because you believe he isn't good enough to be your father. Just because of some silly bullying..."
"It isn't silly, Mom! It happens every day," Symphony could no longer hold back her tears as they began to streak her cheeks. "I can't stand it anymore!"
"Honey Dew doesn't complain about school. He doesn't complain about bullies. He is a mule as well," Cocoa tried to point out.
"Honey is 4 years old! He's in preschool! The biggest issue in preschool is who gets to play with the blocks first," Symphony sobbed. "It just isn't fair."
Coca shrugged, "Ignore them."
"Excuse me?" Symphony could feel the sass in her voice, but continued despite the possible future consequences. "I am bullied every day. Things are thrown at me, my hair pulled. They call me names, they say the worst things. You would not believe how bad my social life is. I feel like I am going to go crazy! I'm sorry you were Little Miss Popular--"
"Watch your mouth, filly," Cocoa warned.
"--and don't understand what it means to be tortured! Everyone was nice to you because you were Homecoming Queen. You were beautiful, perfect. I'm sorry I'm not like you, but that isn't my fault," Symphony did not give her mother a chance to say anything back. She ran into her room and slammed the door like any teenage pony would in a time like this.
Curling up on her bed, Symphony sobbed until she had no more tears left. She sniffed and wiped away the last of them, feeling the tiniest bit better. A little light bulb appeared above her head. What would make this better? A new message from her favorite web comic artist, Coral Moon, who just happened to be a mule as well. They had been communicating via Hoofbook for the past couple of weeks after Symphony had sent her a very flattering email. She perked up and grabbed her laptop.
Her heart sank into her stomach as she logged on and found the last thing she wanted to see. It was an invite to like a new page called "Mutant Mules." The picture for the page was Symphony's profile picture with some text over her face reading, "Hee Haw!" The page already had over a hundred likes and as she scrolled through the people who had liked and contributed to the page, she realized it was nearly everyone from her grade, plus a few from the older fillies and colts. She read some of the posts:
"Why do mules keep appearing? Doesn't everyone know they are infertile?"
"I saw The Mutant Mule at school today. She didn't even stay the whole class period. She ran out like a freak."
"Everyone liking this page and commenting things about Sweet Symphony should be reported and have their Hoofbooks removed."
Wait, that one was actually nice, Symphony re-read it and looked to see who in their right minds would stand up for her. She knew they would be bullied tomorrow, but maybe she could make a friend.
She read the name, read it again, and once more just to make sure. She clicked on his Hoofbook profile and her heart skipped a beat when she realized it really was Arctic Mist who was telling everybody to back off. His comment made the stinging hurt a little less, but her heart was already pulverized. She closed her laptop and wandered into Honey Dew's room.
He was home since his preschool was only three days a week: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. He was playing in the corner with some race cars, making some cute sound effects.
"Vroooooooooom!" he narrated as his car flew of the designated track.
"Hello, Honey," Symphony smiled at him. He turned around, his light green hair a mess. His eyes were a dark blue like their mother's. In fact, he would have looked just like her if his mane was cream-colored and his ears weren't so big. She envied her little brother, but felt glad that when he got into his teenage years, he may not be teased as much.
He grinned back, "Why are you home?"
Symphony hugged him, "Bad day at school. I didn't want to stay." She backed away from him and looked at her beautiful little brother. "Does anyone bully you?"
"Bully...?" he looked confused.
His sister smiled warmly as she realized that he had no idea what the word meant, "A bully is someone who is really mean to you and calls you mean names. Has anyone ever done that?"
He looked down at his race car for a moment before looking up with angry eyes, "I think Miss Valentine is a bully."
"Your teacher? Why?"
"She put me in the corner when Buggy took my toy," he frowned."I only hit him to get it back. I wasn't doing it because I liked it. He's a thief and Miss Valentine is a bully."
Symphony kissed her brother on the head and began walking out the door, "No hitting," she giggled as she left. She heard a mumbled form of agreement once she reached the hallway. Her smile did not last long. The memories from the day came flooding back. How was she going to go to school tomorrow and see everyone? It was going to be embarrassing and no matter what she did, she would only be giving everyone new material to post on "Mutant Mules."
She was faced with a choice: go to school and face ridicule, or find an alternative option. Without another thought, she bounced back into her room. She emptied her book bag and filled it with a toothbrush, a book, a bottle of shampoo, some energy bars, and her favorite stuffed animal: an owl named Chives. Symphony threw on her back pack and headed out the front door.
"Where are you going?" Cocoa yelled after her. "I certainly hope you are going back to school!"
Nope, Symphony thought to herself, not wanting anybody to know where she was headed. I am going to find Coral Moon and her mule community. I am going to find somewhere to belong.
Stats
Page generated in 0.017 seconds
Total duration
612 users online
857,068 hits today, 2,205,040 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Aw, Arctic Mist is nice.
Why are they calling her ugly? She's friggin adorable.
4196392
Kids in school are mean especially if someone is different; even in a cute way.
4197595
Thank youuu! I'll write up another chapter today.
I'm glad everybody likes it.
you inspired me for my one story!
i dind't use your sentences, if i did i didn't do it on purpase (i'm not english)
4202912
No problem!
And thank you so very much. (:
What is your native language?
4203542
)
my native language is dutch. I'm from Holland,Netherlands.
I hope i can submit my story soon
you will be the first who knows(if i remember to say
can you actually private chat on FIMfiction? (question to everypony :-P ) the answer is yes
4197123 Total truth. I get a hard time at school because I'm different from everyone else. A lot of the kids in my grade are totally d-bags and too concerned about their own petty lives to care about anyone else.
4218823
I wanted to write this so that people like you, like ME, could relate. (:
My time in school was the toughest. I was so glad to get out and go to college where simple things like looks didn't matter.
4223972 Yep, you did your job. She even LOOKS similar to me (dark coat, short hair).
4224185
I'm glad you like it!
I'm planning on finishing the next chapter either tonight or tomorrow. Be sure to look out for it!