Honor the Dead
by BinaryTroll
Pre-read/Edited by Honored Service
Chapter 33: “Bullying PSA”
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“Well shit.” I muttered, hearing the rapid clopping of tiny hooves slowly get louder. I looked towards the window and wondered whether I would make it in time.
The door opened and a large number of foals, most of them unicorns, filed in.
I guess not. I stood up from behind the teacher's desk and quietly shut it with my foot. Just act like you're supposed to be here. “Hello class!” I said, smiling.
The teachers eye's widened. “What are-”
I cut her off with a gesture and mouthed 'just roll with it'.
She bit her bottom lip but thankfully remained silent.
I turned back to the class. “Well then, hello again. Sorry about that, I just had to clear something up.”
The class remained wide eyed and silent.
“Anyway, my name is... Uh... Mr Bluemoon! I'm here to give a little surprise PSA, which is short for Public Service Announcement, on... well... Bullying and discrimination.”
One of the foals raised their hoof.
“Yes?”
“Um. Sorry if this sounds rude, but... What are you?”
I smiled. “I am a human, homo sapiens, although that is probably no longer entirely true thanks to events that probably aren't appropriate for your ears. Or anypony's ears. Or anybody's ears. In fact, it really shouldn't have happened period. Anyway, that is me digressing too much.”
Another hoof shot up.
“Shoot.”
“What does digressing mean?” The foal asked.
“Straying away from the topic you were originally on. I do it way too often. Like right now. How I'm talking about how I do it too often. I should just shut up about it now.”
I heard one of the foals near the back whisper “He's weird.”
I grinned, looking straight at her. “I am definitely weird. Thanks for noticing. I'm very different from all of you, and I'm proud to be me! Although I imagine some of you aren't so comfortable with who you are.” I shrugged. “That's fine. I used to hate myself when I was younger, depression and a bunch of other cra-” I caught the teacher scowling a bit. “Sorry, stuff. Anyway, I stopped dwelling on it, after certain events led to me being changed rather drastically. Basically, I fell awesome now. That might happen to those of you who feel horrible with who you are now, but it could not. I count myself both lucky and unlucky, because of the consequences of my own change. I hope none of you have to go through what I did to come to terms with yourself.” I sighed.
I spotted a hoof in the air somewhere near the middle of the class. I gestured for them to speak. “Mr bluemoon?”
“Yes?”
“What helped you change?”
I grimaced. “Well, my fifteenth birthday. I decided being me wasn't that bad. I was fairly intelligent, fit enough to get by, and had ideas for a career and everything. Then I got abducted. Not a story I want to tell, and one that I seriously doubt you want to hear.”
“Can we hear it?” Asked another student.
“Please note the words 'a story I don't want to tell'. Short answer: no.”
“Please?”
“No.”
“Pleeeeeeeeaase?”
Fuck me, I hate kids sometimes. “No. Not going to tell you. Any other questions?”
A rather awkward looking student raised a hoof.
“Go for it.”
“What's your special talent? And how did you get your cutiemark?”
“No idea what my special talent is. I don't have a cutiemark. But that does lead me into something I would like to discuss. How many of you haven't got a cutiemark yet?”
Only one student tentatively raised a hoof.
“Is that all? Don't be shy.”
Three more, including the one who had asked me about my talent, raised their hooves.
“That's more like it. Step right up you four.”
They reluctantly headed towards the front of the class.
I smiled down at them. Jesus, I forgot how cute these foals are. “You know what you four? You're special.”
One of the foals, the only stallion (or is that colt?) scowled.
“What is it?” I asked him. “Feel free to speak your mind. Unlike some adults, I am actually interested in your opinion.”
“I don't feel very special.” He muttered.
I grinned. “Well, guess what? You aren't just special. You're incredible! All four of you. You know why?”
“No.” He muttered again.
“Because you have all the potential in the world! Look at you!” I lifted him up into the air, noting he was a pegasus, not a unicorn like many of the students. “You're a blank-flank! A clean slate! Others talents are constrained, but you, you could be anything! A member of the Wonderbolts, a weatherpony, an elite member of the Royal Guard, maybe even the Equestrian Honor Guard! Those guys are awesome by the way.” I put him down. “That goes for all four of you. You have freedom.” I smiled. “Don't squander it. If somepony laughs at you and calls you blank-flank, laugh back at them. They don't have the freedom you do.”
I gestured for them all to sit back down. They filed back to their seats, looking considerably happier.
I returned my gaze to the rest of the class. “Remember that a lack of cutiemark doesn't mean a lack of talent, it means untapped potential. But having a cutiemark is not to be looked down upon either. It means you are unique, that you can do something others can't, and it shows it to the world. So either way, you both have something the others don't. Equal but different. But don't forget, just because you are different, doesn't mean you cannot be friends.” I laughed. “Bloody hell, I'm friends with a changeling!”
The teacher gasped. “I beg your pardon?”
“Yeah, a changeling. Scary bug things that suck out your emotions right?” I laughed again. “Fu- Um, Hell no! Changelings are awesome.”
“How can you say that? They have attacked us twice now!”
“You think they had a choice? Changelings are commanded by a queen. When said queen is stupid, the entire hive has little choice but to follow their queens decisions. They were starving to death! That brings me to something else. Class and race difference. It's pretty obvious that there are some pretty major differences in power between unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies. Unicorns can be incredibly powerful, and therefore are in general the strongest. They can create wings out of magic, and use telekinesis to give them strength. But a unicorn who has conjured wings will never be as good a flier as a pegasus, and there are obviously drawbacks to having merely magical wings. They also need to spend a rather large amount of time studying to reach this level. I'm also guessing, but I'm not entirely sure, that unicorns tend to die at a younger age as well. Is that correct?”
“Yes.” The teacher said, looking rather displeased but not interrupting me.
“So, pegasi have the advantage of flight and being able to walk on clouds. They are generally naturally lighter, but aren't very durable. They can't directly manipulate magical energy, but use it to walk on clouds and fly. A pegasus could get extremely strong, and durable, but it would take much more time than an earth pony, and would be much harder to achieve. Finally, earth ponies. The hardiest, and naturally strongest. They cannot fly without the help of a skilled unicorn or directly use magical energy. But, they still are charged with magic, and it can manifest in some unusual ways, such as in Pinkie Pie, one of the bearers of the elements of harmony. I also believe this can happen in pegasi as well, such as in Rainbow Dash's sonic rainboom. They also have naturally higher endurance and strength.” I sighed. “Obviously this has been the cause of many disputes in the past, but I will let your teacher handle that one at a later date. What I would like to address at the moment is changelings.”
“Again with the changelings?” I heard one of the foals mutter. “But they're so icky”
“Actually, changelings aren't really that icky at all. The one I know is probably cleaner than you lot, and she's been traveling for weeks. Anyway, changelings are an incredible species, very interesting and I imagine will be the object of some study in the future if all goes well.”
“What do you mean 'if all goes well'?” The teacher demanded.
“Well, I'm trying to get close minded ponies like you to open up, and possibly get some changelings living in Canterlot.”
“That's preposterous!”
“To you. You've been taught to hate them. That's why I'm talking to the children about them, since you're too old to change your mind. It's hard-wired into you now. No, I want the kids to learn that changelings are incredible!”
The young pegasus who I talked to earlier raised his hoof. Without waiting for my say so, he asked, “Why do you like changelings so much?”
I smiled. “I found out something amazing about them. You know how they apparently suck love out of ponies?”
“Yes...”
“They don't! True love is a boundless resource, and if powerful enough, a changeling can survive off radiating love alone. But getting it directly from the source is so much more effective, so they shape-shift and 'steal' it. Thing is, they can feed of any emotion, not just love. Like friendship, which is magic by the way. So I became friends with a changeling, and now she can live off my friendship with her, so long as I'm close by. It's incredible! It made me realize how important friendship can be. So if you meet a changeling, don't greet them with hostility. Talk to them, get to know them. They aren't mindless drones. Each one has a personality, like you. You might make a friend for life. And trust me, having a changeling for a friend has no shortage of perks.” I grinned. “Not to mention, it means they won't have to deceive others to get their lifeblood, you can give it to them freely.”
The young pegasus smiled tentatively. “That does sound kinda cool.”
I felt like sprouting a pair of wings myself, I was so happy. “Remember when I told you that you were incredible? I take that back. You are more than that. YOU ARE THE START OF A REVOLUTION! What's your name?”
“Um, Neon sir. Neon Scar.”
“Hmm, sounds familiar. But a nice name.” I smiled at him. “I like you kid. Remember what I said.”
He nodded. “I will.”
I rubbed my hands together. “Excellent. In that case, my work here is done.”
The teacher raised an eyebrow. “And what work would that be? Disrupting my class? Filling their heads with a bunch of lies?”
“Actually, more along the lines of distracting you from the fact that there is a rather suspicious human who was looking around your classroom for a bunch of rope so climbing up to Celestia's room would be less dangerous. Although education on the amazingness of changelings and discrimination was an added bonus.”
“Why would you want to get to the princess's room?” The teacher asked suspiciously.
“To get my knives back. Also my FAMAS. Also Joel's stuff. Not that you'd really understand what I'm talking about right now, but whatever. Point is, this basically all happened by accident.” I shrugged. “Or maybe it was always destined to be. I don't care. I don't really feel like discussing that particular topic, especially since there is little proof for either side and it cannot be scientifically tested. It also doesn't change anything either way, so it's not worth finding the answer to.”
“If this happened by accident, why did you stay?”
“Because I felt like doing a bit of teaching. Anyway, it gives you a break doesn't it?”
“I would prefer to teach my class properly than have some crazy human spout some drivel about how not having a cutiemark gives you freedom.”
“Believe what you want then, I have better things to do than argue with you.” I turned towards the class and grinned. “So until next time...” I dived out the window.
“I'll CYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”