//------------------------------// // Meeting Hester // Story: Abuse // by Hazel_Hester777 //------------------------------// Monday, the start of another week at school. Hazel woke up early and did her morning routine fast. She finished it by putting on her school uniform. It was a white blouse with a Scottish-like skirt that went down two inches below her knees. The blazer was dark blue and had the school’s logo on the left side. Her white socks went up to her knees and her black shoes were plain. Still, she had to wear a small ribbon-clip in her hair. She was now seven years old, currently in Grade 1. She boarded on the school bus and took her seat. She just watched from the window as the bus drove through the same streets. From her own seat, she was able to hear the different chatters going on in the bus. There were children who were her age just throwing things at each other and speaking non-stop. Some of the brainy ones were reading their books. Others sang nursery songs. The older ones were texting in their phones. The bus soon finally pulled up at the school. It was a school that had white and red as the main colors. The students got off the bus so as to head to their classrooms. The whole school had some sort of division once you reach Grade 3. By Grade 4, you have to choose a side: Anti or Fan. If one chose Anti, they would retain just their Human form. If they chose Fan, they would gain another form. The lessons were still the same, but there was always hate between the two sides. Why would the school have this division? Well, I’ll tell you. This whole place is merely a world that reflects our own world. It’s a place in dreamland that had been divided since the creation of a certain show. They call this realm Wonderland. The show was called My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It seemed that after a year since its debut, a new realm had emerged. Here, the ones who were there to first witness the show had all been gathered here to meet with one another. When they had kids, their children also gained a form here as well. The default forms here were human. But once you chose a side, you may gain another. The Bronies and Pegasisters of the Fandom side gained Equestria Girl and Pony Forms. Once you chose a side, you also have chosen who will lead you. The Haters only have one leader while the Fandom has many, but one of them was superior. If one chose to be a Brony or Pegasister, they would have another division that was meant to keep it all in balance. This one had two parts, Hider and Biter. Hiders are shy and on defense in terms of battle. Biters are confident and on offense. You could either be one or the other, but neither both. Once a child gets older, they take a test that will determine which one they are. They also had this part in their lives when they would have field trips that would take them to the building that highly resembled an orphanage. The only difference was that this didn’t have orphans; it had creatures called Familiars. Familiars were creatures that either were also people in real life or some manifestation of imaginative power. Familiars were the type that was able to change into different forms at will. They could float if they had no wings. But a Familiar’s main goal was to find and protect their Partner. When they are adopted by either a Fan or Hater, they call them Partner. Once connected, they will stay with their Partner for their whole time at Wonderland, and their real-life counterparts would be together as well. Partners and Familiars had a special connection: If they try to get separated, the process is painful and could lead to trauma. One could gain a Familiar if they wanted to once they’re of age. Hazel and kids with her in the same class were now of that age. Once it was already the Assembly Time, those young children lined up and boarded the bus that will take them to that building. Of course, only the ones who wanted a Familiar would go, the ones who didn’t stayed at school and had to do Library work. “Hazel!” a young voice rang out. Hazel turned around to see a friendly face coming to her. It was her best friend, Rosette Thorn. She had shiny black hair and equally bright black eyes. By height, she was slightly smaller than Hazel, by an inch. She gave a friendly smile. “Hello Rosette” Hazel gave a faint smile as well. “You excited to get one?” “I guess” Rosette noticed that the line had now shortened all the way up to the point where she and Hazel were next. Flashing her cheery grin, she asked her taller friend, “Wanna sit next to each other?” Hazel got shy again. “I guess?” That was all Rosette needed to hear before she grabbed her bestie’s hand and dragged her up to the bus. She spotted two seats near a window and dragged her and Hazel there. “I call the window seat!” she sat where she claimed. Hazel, still dazed from her friend’s hyperness, just sat beside her without any questions. She carefully moved a stray lock of her hair from her face and back behind her ear. “You gotta love it when you get shy!” another voice rang out behind them. Rosette looked up while Hazel cringed. It was Crystal Rose, Rosette’s cousin. She had brown hair and her eyes were cool blue. She wore a pair of eyeglasses. “Crystal, you’re coming to get one too?” the younger cousin asked the older. “Maybe, maybe not” she then noticed Hazel’s cringing. “Oh, sorry, Hazel. I forgot you’re sensitive to surprises” “Just sit down” Rosette spoke up. ________________________________________ “Alright, students, you are free to move about in the building, but make sure you stay within the premises so that we may be able to track you. And please keep your IDs on you at all times” the teacher called out to all the students. She had to remind them of the rules. For most of the students, they all just headed up to the Main Room where the Familiars mostly gathered. Most were excited to just catch a glimpse of one in person. As soon as they entered the room, they were greeted by an array of Familiars whose sizes ranged from big and small. They came in all shapes and sizes. Some were playing with one another. Some were watching videos or playing video games. Others were just doing art or reading. The students just went around to find an ideal Familiar to be theirs. Some immediately plunged for the water while others were just mild-mannered. “I’ll see you around, Haze” Rosette said before going off to check around. Hazel looked around uneasily. She was mostly afraid of a lot of things. Still, she wanted to blend in so she decided to go and start looking around. The Familiars with a spunk personality just wouldn’t do her any good. She went to look for one who was a little subtle and had a gentle personality. Probably one she could relate to. Let’s face it; she was picking someone she would be with forever. “You’re so weak!” a voice rang out. Hazel turned her head to see a group of older Familiars who were picking on a smaller one. This little one highly resembled a Katsuma, but her coloring was different. Her fur was mostly yellow and her stripes were orange. Her eyes were cerulean. She had a small blue hat perched on her head. “Please…stop…” the young creature choked out through the sobs. She was badly bruised on some of her legs. She was very scared. “Look at you! You really think someone would ever adopt you? You can’t even defend yourself!” the mean Familiars mocked her as they kicked her again. The young one screamed in pain. “Someone, help me!” “No one here even likes you! Why did you even want to be a Familiar anyway?” the ringleader kicked her again. “You can’t protect yourself! How will you protect a Partner if you got one?” “Just end it! No one would even miss you if you were gone!” One of them snatched her hat off. “No! Give it back!” the little one begged, trying to reach for her hat. “What’s a dusty old hat to you?” the ringleader said before he started to squeeze it. The young one was beginning to tear up. As much as she tried to hold them back to avoid more insults, but her eyes denied her wishes. “Oh look! Crybaby’s tears are finally falling!” “Crybaby! Crybaby!” all of the group chanted together, gesturing tears coming out of eyes and even laughing while pointing at the defenseless Familiar. She stayed there for a bit, trying to stop the tears, but they just kept coming out. Finally, she rose to her paws and limped her way out of the room. The whole group just laughed as she went. Hazel saw the whole spectacle from afar. She couldn’t just let those mean ones get away with it. She may be a shy kid, but she was never one who would let the cruel get away with their deeds. Taking a deep breath, she gathered up a few remnants of courage. ________________________________________ Hazel told on those Familiars at ease and had to run to find that little one they were picking on. Though she was weak in the body at times, when courage is gathered in her, she is determined to do her task. That task now was to find the young Familiar and help her. She checked around the place for a long time but she had to be fast. Still, she couldn’t find her. That was when she remembered a God-given gift to her. Her ears were sensitive at hearing and if she concentrated hard enough, she would be able to hear her targets for miles away. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she concentrated on the sounds. She knew the young one was crying so she searched for sobbing. Eventually, her ears locked on the sound. From the direction, it led up to the rooftop. Determined, Hazel ran up the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her. She finally reached the door that would lead to the rooftop. Still, she didn’t want to frighten an already-scared Familiar. Taking a deep breath to calm herself and catch her breath, she peeked through the door. Her ears locked on the words that the little one was saying. The young Familiar was crying on the edge of the rooftop. She had been sobbing uncontrollably. It just wasn’t fair to her. It wasn’t her fault she was this weak at the moment. She then pulled out a cracked mini-mirror and parted her lips to reveal small stubs where her fangs for defense should be. Her defenses hadn’t fully developed yet. “It’s not my fault…it’s theirs” she told herself through the sobs. The little one just sobbed her way through it as she cried over her day. Hazel looked long and hard at the Familiar and her situation. She and this little one, they were actually almost the same. Each one was fighting their own battle. Like the young one, she was also teased and bullied around most of her life. The bullies of her school would use her head as a bookrest at computer class and would even lift her skirt to show her panties. This young Familiar was being bullied and jeered at for being different and haven’t been able to develop her fangs for defense yet. She saw herself in that Familiar. She wanted to help her. She wanted to save her. She wanted to make sure that those bullies wouldn’t hurt her again. She wanted to get her out of this place. “No one cares about me…” the little one sniffled. “What if they’re right?” Hazel’s eyes filled with tears just listening to the Familiar. All this little one wanted was a chance, but no one ever gave her one. The yellow one felt at her head where her hat was. “It’s even harder if you’re not here anymore with me”. The next thing that happened was that she made her way to the edge of the roof. Her arms spread wide as she neared the edge. Hazel was young but she knew that position, she was gonna end her life. “Wait!” she called out as she ran out of the door and to the young one. That stopped the little one just in time. She turned around to see Hazel. “Who are you? What are you doing here?” “Can we talk?” Hazel shyly squeaked out. The little Familiar hesitated, but nonetheless, agreed. She moved a bit of a distance away from the edge, she could do that later. “What do you wish to talk about?” Hazel couldn’t hold herself back anymore before she pulled the Familiar in for a hug. The yellow one didn’t even know what just happened, but her eyes widened from shock. It was then that she felt shaking, and realized that she was crying. “Please…don’t do this” Hazel spoke through her crying. “They don’t care about me, no one does” the Familiar said. “You’re wrong” Hazel then made the Familiar face her. “There are those who care. There are those who want to help you” “I want to die. I want to leave this body. I want it to end” “I know that feeling, and you’re not alone in it” Hazel then set the Familiar down and looked her in the eyes before removing her blazer to reveal the bruises on her arms. The young Familiar stood back in awe. “Who did this?” Hazel sighed. “My mother” “I thought I was the only one” “You never were. So please, don’t jump off the roof” The young Familiar hesitated but eventually smiled and nodded. “Don’t worry about those mean Familiars; I told them off to the manager, he’s currently taking care of it” The Familiar smiled. “Thank you” “And about your hat?” Hazel then pulled a familiar blue hat out of the hidden pocket she made in her blazer’s sleeve before she put her cover back on. The owner’s eyes widened with happiness when she saw it. “I got it back from them” she smiled before she put the hat on the Familiar’s head. “What’s your name?” “I’m Hazel. What’s yours?” “Hester, Hester Hide” “That’s a nice name” “Thanks, yours is too” “Do you want to go around for a bit? The field trip here lasts until our dismissal period and it’s only been an hour since we got here” Hester smiled. “I’d love that!” ________________________________________ Throughout the entire time Hazel was there at building filled with Familiars and eager children of her age, she spent her time with Hester. She was enjoying her company. The young Familiar had a vast knowledge about things and very skilled in in her craft. Her only problem was that her fangs hadn’t fully developed yet, thus her defenses hadn’t been manifesting yet and the older Familiars would bully her about it. Hazel then shared that her family was practically weird. The two soon found out that they had so much in common. Finally, Hazel finally spoke up. “Hester, would you mind accompanying me to the Adopting Room?” “Why?” “You know how I wanted to find a Familiar as a friend?” “Yes?” “I found one, and she’s standing infront of me right now” Hester beamed. “You mean?” Hazel nodded before kneeling down and held Hester’s right paw like one who was asking for a proposal. This is a proposal that would connect them together as lifelong friends. “Hester Hide, will you be my Familiar?” Hester nodded. “Yes” “Really?” “Yes! Yes! All I’ve wanted so far in my life here was to find a perfect Partner!” Hazel nodded before she pulled Hester into a hug. The little Familiar just allowed it as she was carried to the Adopting Room. ________________________________________ Later… “Shame I couldn’t find the right Familiar for me” Rosette sighed. “Better luck next time, right?” Hazel nodded, trying to cheer her friend up. “What about you? Any luck with finding yours?” “Oh my dear Rosette” Radiance Delight appeared as she circled the two. Radiant red hair was what gave her name and her eyes were glowing yellow. She was one of the bullies who picked on Hazel, and sometimes even Rosette. “If she had one, wouldn’t it be with her right now? I mean, your little friend here could’ve just found a safe corner and waited this one out” Right then, a blur of yellow flew out of Hazel and grabbed Radiance by the hair and looked like she was about to bit when she was stopped. “Hester, no!” Hazel called to her Familiar, earning her attention. “Let her go” The yellow Familiar sighed. She had new rules now. She let go of Radiance, but erased the girl’s memory of that before having her leave to her seat in the bus. The young Familiar then floated in the air and landed on her Partner’s head. Hazel gave her the look, meaning that she wants her to go back in. Hester sighed, but knew it was for safety. She reluctantly went back into her Partner’s body. Rosette then snapped out of her daze. “What is that? That was cool” “Thanks. That was my Familiar, Hester Hide. Hester for short. She can sometimes be a little protective”