//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Starlight's Dawn // by The Lord Thunder //------------------------------// Starlight trotted up to her room and set the three books she’d checked out on her desk. She took a seat and opened the first page of “The Principles of Cutie Mark Magic.” Cutie marks… Sunburst… Starlight shut her eyes against the emotional pain. She remembered the day they first met two years ago. She’d needed to get out of the house, to hide somewhere and cry, so she’d ran off to the park and hid in the shadows underneath the playground where she hoped nopony would notice and bother her. But one colt did notice her... What’s the matter? Why are you crying? Dad… Dad left Mom and me for another mare, just because she had a pile of bits for a cutie mark! Gosh, I’m so sorry to hear that. Why do you care? I hate to see a filly cry. Or anypony for that matter. He never loved my mom! He cheated on her and left her for a rich mare so he could be lazy and have an easy life! Now mom’s different. She hardly talks to me anymore, and when she does it’s usually to yell at me when I’ve done something wrong. I have nopony to talk to. Nopony. I’ll be your friend. You will? Sure! My name’s Sunburst. What’s your name? They’d been inseparable ever since. They did everything together. He was the only one who cared about her, the only pony she could trust, and when his cutie mark showed up he was flung to the other end of Equestria with barely enough time to say goodbye. “Stupid cutie marks,” Starlight grumbled, wiping the tears away. “Without them, Dad would still be here and Mom would never have changed. And Sunburst...” Starlight shook her head to clear her thoughts. This wasn’t going to be a report on what makes cutie marks possible and how ponies get them. No, this report would showcase how evil cutie marks are, how they can hurt ponies, how they can tear relationships apart or make some ponies seem better than others. It was a small start, but she’d get her message out, and hopefully then other ponies would see things the way she saw them. Maybe somepony could finally understand her pain. Starlight sat at the desk and read until the darkness of the morning hours, several times shaking her head to clear out the groggy fog threatening to take her over until finally she slumped down and succumbed to sleep with her face resting against the pages. *** Starlight’s mother yawned, then set the book she’d been reading down on the night table next to the living room couch. She stood up, stretched her legs and started up the stairs to her room. A dim glow coming from Starlight’s room stopped her in midstep. What in Equestria is that filly still doing up at this hour? Mom pushed open the door to Starlight’s room and found her daughter asleep at her desk, emitting a rhythmic snore with her head in the pages of a book. Mom pursed her lips, stepping quietly into the room to blow out the candle. She gazed on Starlight for a while, feeling her heart being pulled in two. I’m sorry, Starlight. It’s just, after your father left… I don’t know. I don’t know what’s come over me, but every time I look at you, I think of him, what he did to both of us and I get so angry; I feel the pain of what he did again. I know it seems like I don’t care, but I just don’t know what else to do anymore. I just want you to make something of yourself, so you don’t wind up weak and worthless like me. Then maybe when you grow up, what happened me won’t happen to you, and you won’t have to watch the stallion you love leave you for somepony better. Starlight’s mom shook her head and sighed. She grabbed Starlight’s blanket with her telekinesis and draped it over her daughter’s slumped shoulders. Maybe one day Starlight would understand, and hopefully forgive her mom’s weakness. *** Starlight Glimmer sat down at her classroom desk the next morning just as the teacher, Crayola Wonder, a pretty earth pony mare in her mid-30s with a bright yellow mane, stepped up to the blackboard. “Good morning, class!” she greeted in her usual cheerful tone. “Good morning, Miss Crayola Wonder,” the children answered in unison. “First things first. By now, all of you should have chosen a subject for your big test next week. If you haven’t picked one, please come see me and I’ll help you chose a topic. As you all know, each of you will be giving a speech on your topic in the school auditorium, in front of the rest of your classmates and their parents. You’ll be graded on three areas: your research, the form of your report and the delivery of your speech.” The classroom filled with two dozen moans of dread. Crayola clicked her tongue, her face an apology. “I know speaking in public can be very scary, but it’s an important skill to learn.” Most of the foals fidgeted uncomfortably in their seats, each of them imagining making a fool of themselves in front of the whole town. One colt raised a hoof. “Yes, Orator Lecture?” Crayola asked. “How do we keep from getting nervous?” “That’s a very good question. You could try doing your speech in front of a mirror, or ask your family members if they will listen to it. It’s very good to practice your speeches, because the more you do them the easier they’ll be when you give them in front of all those ponies. If crowds make you nervous, you could pretend they’re invisible. Now, perhaps some of you would like to share what you’re going to do your speeches on. What’s yours, Orator?” “I’m going to give mine on the power of words,” Orator answered. “That’s an excellent topic! Maybe you can use what you study to help make it easier to give your speech.” Miss Crayola turned to Starlight. “How about you, Starlight Glimmer? What are you going to do your speech on?” “My speech is going to be about cutie marks.” She didn’t mention it was going to be on how evil they are. She’d let that part be a surprise. “What does a blank flank know about cutie marks?” Starlight heard one purple-maned filly whisper, earning her a few mocking snickers. Sighing, Starlight shook her head. Case in point; some ponies think they’re better just because they have their cutie mark. “I heard that, Grape Soda!” Crayola said, hardening her voice. “Another comment like that and I’m going to send you to the principal’s office. That is not how you talk about your fellow students. Am I understood?” Grape Soda sunk back in her seat, ears flattened in embarrassment. “Yes, ma’am.” "Good, and that goes for all of you. I will not tolerate any kind of bullying or name-calling in my classroom. Just remember how you’d feel if somepony said those things to you." Crayola turned back to Starlight, smiling. “That is a wonderful topic, Starlight. I know you’ll do great.” That makes one of us Starlight thought to herself. Going up on that stage in front of most of the town? I can’t mess it up, this is my chance to get my message out there. Hopefully somepony will understand. At least Miss Crayola will stand up for me and believe in me. Nopony else does. Crayola Wonder clapped her hooves together, glancing around at the students. “If nopony else has any questions about the speech, let’s move on and review this week’s spelling words.”