//------------------------------// // Lonely and alone // Story: A Talk With A Bully // by Artist //------------------------------// The next day at school, when the CMC sat down at their desks, Diamond Tiara began her usual teasing once again. “Hey, freaks, you will never be special, there’s nothing special about you, you don’t even have your cutie marks yet,” Diamond taunted as she sat down. “Oh yeah, just you wait until we get our cutie marks, we will show you,” Scootaloo responded, turning around in her wheelchair to face the bully. Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes as a smug smile spread across her face. Silver Spoon turned to Apple Bloom who sat beside Sweetie Belle and looked into her eyes and started laughing. “What’s so funny?” Sweetie asked when she noticed Silver laughing hysterically, and looking at Apple Bloom. “Her eyes, they look funny. What is wrong with her, I mean, she doesn’t talk, ha, that’s funny,” Silver laughed even harder, nearly falling out of her chair. Sweetie looked like she was ready to fight Silver at that very moment. “You don’t have the right to make fun of Apple Bloom like that, just wait until Miss Cheerilee comes back and I tell her what you and Diamond have been doing to us!” Sweetie yelled at Silver. “Or what?” Diamond asked, noticing the exchange between Sweetie and Silver. “That’s enough of that,” Sweetie growled, getting up from her seat and walking over to Silver and punching her in the face. Silver Spoon had a little time to react as she was marked off her hooves from the impact. “What did you do that for, can’t you ever take a joke?” Diamond yelled. Apple Bloom was unaware that Sweetie had stood up for her, and that now there was a fight going on. Sweetie was unaware that the teacher had come back into the room. “Hey, what is going on here?” Miss Cheerilee asked, looking around at all of her students. Silver Spoon, who now had a blackeye from where Sweetie had hit her, walked forward and hung her head. “I started it,” she admitted. Cheerilee let out a heavy sigh and shook her head. “Honestly, girls, how many times do I have to tell you, don’t start fights with your classmates, even when Silver or Diamond call you names,” Cheerilee scolded the cutie mark Crusaders. “But, Diamond was making fun of Apple Bloom’s eyes,” Sweetie complained. “Is that true, Diamond?” Cheerilee asked, coming over to the rich filly. "No way, Miss Cheerilee," Diamond Tiara quickly retorted, her tone dripping with falsity. “Ok, well, Sweetie Belle and Diamond Tiara you’re going to stay after school, the rest of you will get to go home,” Miss Cheerilee said, sitting down at her desk. Sweetie stuck her tongue out at Diamond, as Miss Cheerilee resumed the lesson on pre-equestrian history. When school had let out, Scootaloo guided Apple Bloom down the school’s ramp and into the schoolyard. Silver Spoon was walking beside them with her gray-maned head occasionally turning over to them. “Nice going, you got me suspended for a week, freak!” Silver accused Scootaloo as she walked past, refusing to acknowledge her fault in the matter, even if she had done so previously. The orange Pegasus opened her mouth to say something but then closed it again when she remembered the pink figure that exited the school building with a furious look. “Great job you retards, you weren't gonna be anything in your pathetic lives, so you decided to drag me and Silver down with you! I’m getting suspended too, you shitheads…” Diamond screamed, coming up behind Apple Bloom, who hadn't even noticed her presence. Silver seemed to flinch at the slur that Diamond had spotted, but she cracked a crooked smile and stood behind her, trying to make her seem more intimidating. Sweetie rolled her eyes, went up to Apple Bloom, and took her hoof, beginning to tap out in a rhythmic pattern. “You don’t need to worry about Diamond or Silver, they are getting suspended for a week.” Apple Bloom let out a beaming smile when Sweetie had finished her message, and gave her a small hug. Diamond and her affluent companion strutted by the Cutie Mark Crusaders, burning holes into their faces with how much they were staring. "This is so unfair! When my mother hears about this!" Diamond began to shout, her voice breaking mid-yell before being interrupted by Sweetie Belle. “She's going to do what? She can't do anything,” Sweetie said, with a nervous smile, that slowly gained confidence as she saw how Diamond's expression was turning sour. The thoughts of how her mother might react to the information about today's events. She hadn't even thought about it due to how much rage she had boiling inside herself, but now that she had let it out a bit. Scootaloo released a sigh as the CMCs walked (and rolled) off… she had almost felt bad for Diamond… that expression on her face was one of fear… she smacked herself lightly on the face for even conceiving the faintest idea of pity for her bully. “Oh yeah, just you wait and see!” Diamond called, but they were too far away to hear her broken voice. As they walked, the Cutie Mark Crusaders talked about various subjects, mostly just to get their minds off what had happened. The most common topic that they seemed to wander into was what they were gonna do when they got to the clubhouse. “I know, how about we have a treasure hunt?” Sweetie asked, walking to the left of Apple Bloom, kicking away rocks or tapping her shoulder when there was something in her way. “That is an awesome idea, but we should gather some supplies first,” Scootaloo spoke as she wheeled beside the redheaded filly, translating what they were saying to her in real-time. As they continued planning out what they were going to do for the treasure hunt. Apple Bloom nodded in agreement at their final plan, and both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle cheered at the idea. Arriving at the clubhouse, Sweetie guided Apple Bloom up the ramp and into the clubhouse with Scootaloo following them. As they settled into the cozy confines of the clubhouse, Sweetie Belle's mind buzzed with excitement, her thoughts darting like fireflies in the night. She clutched a notebook tightly, her special interest in organization kicking in. "Okay, okay, so for the treasure hunt," Sweetie began, her voice punctuated by bursts of enthusiasm, "we need a map, clues, and... um... a plan! Yes, a plan!" Apple Bloom leaned forward, her ears flicking as she listened intently. Despite her inability to hear or see, she was adept at picking up on the vibrations around her and the subtle shifts in her friends' demeanors. "Scootaloo, ya reckon we could make a map that's easy for Apple Bloom to understand?" Sweetie asked, her eyes bright with anticipation. Scootaloo nodded eagerly, wheeling herself closer to the makeshift table in the center of the clubhouse. "Absolutely! We can use different textures and shapes to represent different locations. That way, Apple Bloom can feel her way through the hunt." Apple Bloom nodded in agreement, her hooves tracing patterns on the tabletop as she envisioned the tactile map taking shape. "Then we need clues," Sweetie continued, flipping through her notebook with purpose. "Something that'll challenge us but also lead us to the treasure!" Scootaloo tapped her chin thoughtfully. "What if we incorporate some riddles? That way, we have to think and work together to solve them." "Good idea!" Sweetie exclaimed, jotting down notes furiously. "And we can assign each of us a role. Like, I'll be the navigator, Apple Bloom can decipher the clues with her... um, senses, and Scootaloo, you'll be the muscle, ready to wheel us to victory!" Scootaloo grinned, a surge of pride filling her chest. "You got it! We'll make an unbeatable team." With a plan in place, the Cutie Mark Crusaders set to work, their clubhouse buzzing with the excitement of adventure and friendship. Despite their individual challenges, they knew that together, they were unstoppable. When Diamond returned home, her mother was waiting for her, she looked extremely extremely angry. “What’s the meaning of this?” I heard from your teacher that you started bullying your classmates, why?” Spoiled screamed. “Mother, I..don’t know what you are talking about?” Diamond lied. “That’s it, no dinner for you tonight, go to your room and think about what you did!” Spoiled screamed. As Diamond made her way up the winding staircase, her mother's frail figure disappeared into the shadows above. Silver Spoon stood frozen at the bottom of the stairs, her heart heavy with concern. The shock etched on her face mirrored the turmoil within her. "Diamond..." Silver Spoon's voice trembled as she called out, her words barely a whisper in the vast emptiness of the foyer. But Diamond didn't turn back. Her footsteps echoed faintly against the walls, a haunting rhythm that seemed to underscore the gravity of the moment. Each step she took felt like a step away from everything Silver Spoon knew. Tears welled up in Silver Spoon's eyes as she watched her friend vanish into the darkness. She couldn't bear the thought of Diamond facing whatever awaited her alone. "Diamond, please..." Her plea hung in the air, heavy with unspoken fears and unanswered questions. With a heavy heart, Silver Spoon slowly backed away from the staircase, her gaze fixed on the spot where Diamond had disappeared. She couldn't bring herself to leave, couldn't abandon her friend in her time of need. But she also couldn't force Diamond to confront whatever demons haunted her. "I'm sorry, Diamond," Silver Spoon whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. "I wish... I wish I could do more." With one last lingering glance at the staircase, she turned away, her footsteps faltering as she stumbled out of the house. Outside, the world seemed to blur around her, the sounds of the night fading into a distant cacophony. Silver Spoon leaned against the cold stone wall, her breaths coming in ragged gasps as she tried to steady herself. But the weight of the moment pressed down on her, a suffocating reminder of her own helplessness. "I'll find a way to help you, Diamond," she vowed, her voice barely audible above the whisper of the wind. "No matter what it takes, I'll be there for you." And with that promise echoing in her heart, Silver Spoon turned and disappeared into the night, her determination burning bright against the darkness. Inside her room, Diamond buried her face in her hooves, her shoulders shaking with sobs. The weight of her mother's words hung heavy in the air, suffocating her with guilt and shame. How could she have been so blind to the pain she had caused others? How could she have let her anger and insecurity control her actions? "But... Mom... I didn't mean..." Diamond's voice cracked as she tried to defend herself, her words barely audible over her tears. Spoiled Rich's voice, cold and unforgiving, cut through the air like a blade. "You didn't mean? That's always your excuse, Diamond! You never think about the consequences of your actions! You never think about how your behavior affects others!" Diamond's heart sank with each accusatory word. She knew her mother was right, but it didn't make the pain any easier to bear. "I... I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Sorry isn't good enough!" Spoiled Rich's voice rose to a crescendo, her anger boiling over. "Do you have any idea what you've done? How could you be so cruel, so heartless?" Tears streamed down Diamond's cheeks as she struggled to find the right words, to somehow make amends for the pain she had caused. "I... I didn't think... I didn't mean to hurt anyone..." Spoiled Rich's expression softened slightly, but her eyes still burned with resentment. "You didn't think? That's the problem, Diamond. You never think before you act. You never consider the consequences." Diamond bowed her head, feeling the weight of her mother's disappointment bearing down on her like a heavy chain. "I'll... “I'll try to do better. I promise," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Spoiled Rich shook her head, her frustration evident in every line of her face. "Promises won't bring your father back!” Diamond. Promises won't undo the pain you've caused. You need to learn to take responsibility for your actions, to face the consequences head-on." Inside, Diamond's resolve hardened. She knew she had to make things right, not just for her own sake, but for the sake of those she had wronged. With a determined nod, she wiped away her tears and squared her shoulders, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.