//------------------------------// // Wake Up Call // Story: You're All Alone, Sweetheart // by TheApexSovereign //------------------------------// Come on! Concentrate! I know I can do it! My horn began to glow a vibrant green, defying the foreboding darkness of the night. Across the room, my porcelain clock began to glow the same shade. Just a little more! I felt the muscles in my neck tighten, sweat poured down my face. The clock began to shake as it was slowly lifted in the air. Come on you stupid horn! Work! I screamed in frustration as the luminous mint green light filled my darkened bedroom. Cracks began to form at the base of the porcelain clock. Just one last push.... My knees locked, my good eye shot daggers at the target. A little more.... A crash rung my ears. Chunks of glass like material shot across the room. I did it! I managed to perform the demo-spell! Sure, it cost me this priceless family heirloom, but what the hay? It's just a clock. An awful smell filled my room. Ugh, my stupid hair. Rarity's gonna say- And as if on cue, she poked her into my room. "Sweetie Belle! It's time to for-" She wrinkled her nose, immediately placing a hoof over it. "Uhhh, Sweetie? Please take your bath now!" And she immediately vacated my doorway. I grunted in response, not that she could hear it. I don't bother cleaning my room. Rarity almost faints every time she sees it, I see it as a memento towards my growing success in the field of magic. My heavy gaze dragged across the broken mirror, a fracture sprawled across the surface like a spider web. Then my eyes fell upon the scorched carpet from when I tried to perform an incendiary charm. Beside it lied an opened copy of Spells and Charms for Beginners, Grade 2 that Twilight gave me for my birthday last year, celebrated at the Fashion Boutique. Such an awful day. She and Rarity were the only ones there, everyone else had 'special plans.' I was furious, bursting into angry tears. Twilight calmed me down while Rarity tried fixing her precious store. I screamed and swore, calling everypony a traitor, said many things I ended up regretting. It turned out that there was truth to Twilight's words. Rainbow Dash had a storm to organize, Pinkie had to babysit, Fluttershy put together an animal retreat, and Applejack was harvesting the season's apples, as usual. And let's not forget my 'friends.' They conveniently had family matters they had to attend to. I confronted them in class, called them out. "Why weren't you at my party!?" I glared at them with my milky eye. Scootaloo put a hoof on my shoulder, I swatted her away. "Sorry Sweetie, I had to visit Cloudsdale for the day." She seemed sympathetic. I didn't buy it. Applebloom added, "And I had to help Big Macintosh with the plowin'." I almost believed her. I really did. But then I saw the slightest smirk cross her lips. "What're you laughing at!?" I screamed, slowly approaching her. She slowly back away saying, "Nothing Sweetie! Honest! It was, uh, a funny joke I heard!" A nervous smile played her expression. I wasn't going to hurt her, not back then I wouldn't. I heard snickering behind my back. Diamond Tiara whispered to Silver Spoon, "The burnt marshmallow's having a meltdown." I whipped my head around, "You're DEAD!" and pounced on her. The tiara she so proudly boasted slid across the class upon impact. As I chewed her ear, the bitter taste of blood caked my taste buds. Ms. Cheerilee pried us apart as soon as the fight started. Tiara was sent to the hospital for minor stitching, I was suspended for three weeks. I haven't talked to Scoot or Apple since then. They think I'm a spaz, awkwardly glancing at me as I walk to my desk. You could say it's my fault for driving them away. Sometimes, I think I do. When I was younger, I thought friends stuck with eachother 'till the end, no matter what. That's what the old mare's tale always said. 'The magic of friendship' my flank. Just tell that to Scoot and Apple. Well nowadays I just spend most of my time studying magic in these books, trying to bring out my full potential. When I told Twilight this, she nearly flipped to the point to where she volunteered to be my teacher. I disregarded her offer, saying I'd rather learn alone, to which she genuinely understood. I feel myself getting a little more powerful everyday, but that's just it. A little's not enough. The only spell I managed to master is the fire charm. It took a year. Pathetic. Twilight mastered at least six spells her first year practicing magic. I trotted towards the bathroom, the stench of my slipshod hair not far behind. Rarity already filled the bathtub. I clambered in and vigorously scrubbed the flaky rough scalp beneath my mangy hair. Today was by far the worst day of my life since the accident. Class began the next morning, as always. I sat in the back of the room with my face buried in my folded front legs. Yeah, I slept most of the time in class. Already failing this term, Ms. Cheerilee said if I don't 'take it up a notch,' then I'll be held back. Rarity took away most of my privileges to motivate me, saying it's for my own good. Do I really care? No. Should I care? Well, considering how I'm eight and still a blank flank, no. I slept through the same old spiel about friendship, had same old dream of me telling my friends in the clubhouse, 'Nah, chemistry's boring. Let's try something else.' And waking up with wet tracks marked down my face. Then came snack time. I never have anything, don't eat much anymore to the point where you could almost see my ribcage through my fur. Somepony chucked a partially melted marshmallow at my face. Now, this is pretty much routine. It didn't bother me as much as it used too. A pony brings a jumbo marshmallow to class, places it near the heater, and throws it at me. Today's lucky pony was Silver Spoon, who was laughing it up with the rest of the class. But what got me was they started insulting me. "What's wrong marshmallow? You gonna home cry to your parents?" Tiara asked in a mocking tone. "Oh, I'm sorry! They don't want a hideous piece of blank flank trash like yourself!" The class's laughter turned hysterical. Oh, where's Ms. Cheerilee? Why did they have to be so mean? My eyes started to water as the warm gooey marshmallow slid down my scarred cheek. Facing the horde of cackling colts and fillies, I scraped off the sticky food, clumps of it remained matted into my fur. "Please leave me alone...." I muttered, inaudible to the students. Caught in a laughing fit, Silver Spoon managed to say, "What about Rarity? She seems to like you!" Obvious sarcasm dripped from her words. Tiara playfully slapped her. "Don't encourage the girl! Rarity would never love a filly with such an ugly mug!" As my cries grew louder, the laughter did as well. "Leave me alone!" I yelled. My eyes became to foggy to see if Applebloom or Scootaloo joined in. Silver Spoon pointed a hoof at me with a nasty smirk on her face. "Look! Look! The marshmallow's gonna have another meltdown!" Ms. Cheerilee finally walked back into class and saw what was happening. "Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon! See me after class!" Tiara trotted over to her and said with a deviant smirk, "Aw come on Ms. Cheerilee, were just having a good laugh with our favorite food!" My face grew blood red. "Leave me alone!" I screamed as tears flowed over my eyelids. The class's hurtful comments sunk deep, destroying the last shred of humility I had left. My horn began to crackled with green electricity. I rose from my seat with my hideous face twisted into an even more grotesque anger. Some students stopped laughing and looked up at me in awe and fear. I took a deep shaking breath, "I said: LEAVE ME ALONE!" And I vanished in a flash of green light. I apparated to the only place I could think of, Lake Alicorn. I come here often to collect my thoughts. It's away from Ponyville, along the outskirts of town. It's a calm, tranquil place uninhabited by any noisy seagulls. The first thing I did was bury my face in the sand and scream. Then I crawled to the shoreline and rubbed water into my reddened eye, the one that still had color. I peered into the shimmering lake surface. A stranger looked back up at me. "Look at you." I spat. "You're PATHETIC!" I slammed a hoof into the water. The splash disrupted the image but soon pieced itself back together. In reality, I haven't truly sobbed like this since I awakened from the accident. It felt great actually, three years of compressed insults and pranks being let out at once. I could never do this in Ponyville, they'd all hear how loud I was. A sudden pressure was felt on my shoulder. It was rough but gentle too. The hand was a large furry lion's paw. At first, I jumped, thinking it was an Manticore. He hasn't attacked yet, and I couldn't spare the mystery. My gaze traveled up the owner's arm to see his face. Though it was silhouetted against the afternoon sun, I could make out the two odd horns on the top of his head, one crooked and the other curved. He spoke in a smooth, attention-grasping voice, "Now now little one, what's the fun in crying if there's no one to hear it?" His mouth curved into a devious grin.