//------------------------------//
// The Perks Of Being A Mindbender 
// Story: The Secret of Sheldon Clopper. 
// by theanonymousbrony 
//------------------------------//

Now my parents didn't really let themselves get too concerned over my apparent speaking problem until I was about five.  At that age, I should've been chatting away with my parents, but unfortunately every time I try to form a word, my mouth would only let out a void of silence.

At that point they decided that the best thing to do would be to take me to a therapist--who's been a friend to my family for quite a long time.  His name was Dr. Egghead, he was a gray earth pony who had white hair, a white moustache, big glasses, a green vest, and a Cutie Mark that resembles an egg with glasses on it.  As soon as the both of them had sat themselves down, Dr. Egghead wasted no time in telling them, "Jack, Diane, after going through numerous tests I've come to the conclusion that your son is a born mute."

My parents couldn't believe what they just heard: their son, Sheldon Clopper, was born mute!  My mom tried her best to hold back her tears as she said, "You mean to tell us that Sheldon can never speak?!"

"He can't speak, whistle, yawn, scream, or make any type of sound whatsoever." Dr. Egghead told her bluntly.

While my mom was falling into despair, my dad couldn't accept the fact that his son is voiceless.  "This can't be right, Egghead; I know that Sheldon never cried that much when he was still a baby, but he couldn't possibly have been born this way!"

"I know Jack, I didn't want to believe it either; that is until I received this from the hospital." Dr. Egghead placed a folder on his desk and as soon as my dad had opened it and took out what was inside, he was just as stunned as my mom was as he was gazing at an X-ray of my damaged vocal chords.  "I'm sorry Jack, but I'm afraid that Sheldon was brought into this world without a voice."

After allowing this fact to sink in, my mom finally said, "What's to be done with Sheldon? how is he going to be able to communicate with us, or anypony for that matter?"

"Not to worry, Diane," Dr. Egghead assured her.  "I have something that can help him.  Bring your son in."

The second I was brought in, my mom was the first to tell me, "Sheldon, sweetie, Dr. Egghead's told us why you can't say anything.  It's because you were born mute."  As if to rest her case, she even showed me the X-ray just so I wouldn't be able to doubt it.

But I immediately lost focus from it when Dr. Egghead said, "Come here Sheldon, I got a little present for you."  Being the excited little colt that I am, I dashed towards him to receive this "present."  As I stood before him, hopping with anticipation, he placed a little chalkboard around my neck, gave me a piece of chalk, and said, "I heard that you can already write; so I figured this board and chalk can prove useful for you.  Whenever you feel like telling anypony anything, you just write what you want to say on that board.  Do you have something you want to say?"

Seeing as how this might be a big moment for myself, I took the chalk in my mouth and had written down my first word.  "Thanks."


 ...


Anyway, a couple of years later, I'm now eight and I'm getting myself ready for another day at this snooty private school that my parents got me enrolled in--you know, since everypony in my family has attended private schools when they were my age.  After I had finished my breakfast, I figured that I deserve to have a cookie.  But my mom quickly snatched it from my hooves and said, "No Sheldon, cookies aren't for breakfast."

As she went to get my school uniform out of the dryer--that's right, it's that type of school--I just sat at the table and watch my dad reading the newspaper.  As I was focusing on this, I could hear my dad say, "Huh, who would've thought that Suri Polomare was just a copycat?" but then I immediately turned my focus towards the cookie jar.  Since that night at the hospital, I've been practicing these skills of mine from time to time.  From bouncing a ball, turning a page on a book, and making a paper airplane fly as long as I want it, these skills of mine keep getting stronger and stronger.  Anyway, as my focus was being completely intent on that jar, the lid had lifted itself and a cookie was floating towards me.

When I heard my mom saying, "I still can't believe they're still making us pay extra for this." I quickly chowed down on the cookie and placed the lid back on the jar.  My mom then came in and gave me the typical before school lecture while she was dressing me in my uniform, "Now remember Sheldon, don't get into any fights and never talk back to your teacher."

I took my chalk and written, "How can I talk back if I can't talk?"

When my dad saw what I've written, he said, "Son, nopony likes a smart aleck."

"Isn't that the point of me going to school though?"

My mom gave my dad a smirking look and said, "I wonder who he gets it from?" she then kissed me on the forehead and said to me, "You be good now."  And with that said I ran out the door and went straight to school.



Now it's important for anyone who's reading this to know more about the school that I'm having to attend; I mentioned that this is a rich private school that my parents have to pay for and that its the kind of school that has a dress code, but what I forgot to mention was that it's an all colt school (meaning that there's not a single filly or mare in the school).

And not only is it a colt only school, it is a school where the majority of ponies who attend it are all unicorns.  I mean, there might be a few pegasi who also attend this school, but when it comes to earth ponies, I'm literally the only one they have.  That of course has made me a target for these snooty, stuck-up, rich colts.  But the one who really enjoys taunting me is the tanned fur, yellow haired unicorn, simply known as Highbrow Canterster.

The second I'd walked in the classroom, Highbrow said to his cronies, "Well look fellas, if it ain't old Blankius Flankicus."  Yeah, another thing they like to tease me about is the fact that I still haven't gotten my Cutie Mark yet.  Because of this, most of my classmates like to call me "Blankius Flankicus"--or "Blank Flank" in layponies' terms.

Anyway, he then decides to get his flank off of his throne of a desk so he could say to my face, "You're ready to fail yet another test, Flopper?"

Yeah, another thing he likes to do is take the "C" out of my last name and replace it with an "F".  I took my chalk and I'd written down, "I don't know, are you ready to stop talking like a girl?"

To this he says, "Well at least I can talk!"

And to this I've written, "It's still better than having a girly voice."

"You can't even make a sound!" cried Highbrow, "you have to talk through a chalkboard for Celestia's sake!"

"Your point being...?"

"My point is that I'm always better than you.  I mean, just think about it: I get my Cutie Mark before you, I always get the highest grade in this class, and I'm Professor Bucksworth's favorite student.  And what have you accomplished?" he paused for awhile and said, "Exactly, nothing.  You'll never accomplish anything, Flopper."

Out of blind rage I've written, "Wanna bet?"

This caused Highbrow to literally raise up one of his brows and say, "A bet you say?"

"I bet that I can get a higher grade than you on this test."

This caused Highbrow to laugh and say to the others, "Did you hear that, everypony?  Blankius Flankicus here thinks he can get a higher grade than I!" and this resulted in everyone raising their heads up and letting out their uptight laughter.  Highbrow then turned back to me and said, "Don't be ridiculous, Flopper.  The day you get a higher grade than I will be the day I eat my school uniform."

"That's because it will be."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that whoever makes the lowest grade has to eat his school uniform."

"Is that so?"

"Yep, now do we have a bet or not?"

"You bet," after we shook hooves--making the bet official--he says, "of all the times you've lost to me at a bet, this'll be the most hilarious."

Yeah if you haven't seem to get the picture at this point, this isn't the first time I've made a bet with Highbrow.  I've made tons of bets with him before, and I've always end up losing.  He even kept track of how many times he's beaten me--I think it's 99-0.  So yeah, chances are this'll be the hundredth time he's beaten me.

But anyway, our teacher, Professor Bucksworth, had finally came into the classroom with every copy of the test being lifted with his magic.  And is he just as much of a snob as my classmates?  Do pegasus ponies have wings?

Anyway, as he passes out each copy of the test, he said, "OK pupils, today you'll be taking your algebraic/philosophy test.  And pray that you've studied well; for this one will go straight in your permanent record."  Yeah, we basically have to learn about things they don't teach in regular schools.  And as you can imagine, I'm not exactly the best when it comes to subjects like this--which probably explains why Highbrow likes to refer to me as "Flopper".

OK, after I moved Professor Bucksworth's chair away and watched as he fail flat on his flank (the upside of being mute is that no one can hear me laugh), I looked straight at the piece of paper and I immediately lost any hope of getting a high grade.  I never got any high grades in this class before, so how will I possibly get any high grades now?  

So as I was just letting my mind wander off, I'd suddenly stumbled upon something that I've never discovered before.  I looked at Professor Bucksworth and I could hear him saying the answers in his head.  As quick as you can say sonic rainboom, I took my pencil and I quickly copied down the answers on my paper.  After my pencil had burst into flames, I placed my paper on the desk, and Professor Bucksworth was like, "Well, Mr. Clopper, usually you're the last one to turn your test in."

As I sat back on my desk, I could hear Highbrow saying, "What do you know, he's so eager to lose this bet he's finishing the test early."


...


A few minutes later, it was now lunch time; and at this point, this is what we would consider our break period before we go back and get the test results.  Feeling so confident that I was going to ace this test, I sat my flank on my usual spot and I ate my lunch with pride that I've never felt before.

As I was eating, Highbrow and his cronies just happened to walk by, and he decided to do some more mud slinging at me, "Well, somepony seems to be having himself a good lunch.  I hope you can save room for your uniform, Flopper."

I took my chalk and written down, "I hope you like the taste of fabric, because that's what you're gonna be tasting for the rest of your life."

Highbrow lifted his head up in that snobbish manner and said, "Come along fellas, let's leave Blankius Flankicus to his last meal in peace."  And while they were walking in that uptight fashion, they didn't notice it when I moved the wet floor sign away and watched as they each slipped and let themselves get covered in their lunch.  Highbrow then cried out, "Who did that?!  Whoever did this will hear about this from my father!" what a baby.


...


After lunch, I came trotting into the classroom and just sat on my desk with a prideful smirk on my face.  Highbrow saw this and said, "I'd wipe that smirk off your face if I were you."

To this I've written, "If you were me you wouldn't sound like a girl."

As he was about to retort, Professor Bucksworth had came in with a very astonished look on his face.  He sat down, cleared his throat, and said, "Well pupils, I must admit I'm pretty surprised at the results.  Usually the highest grade this class ever gets is 91, but today the highest grade has now been raised up to 100." Highbrow started to form a cocky little smile, but that however went away the second Professor Bucksworth said, "But the most extraordinary thing about all of this is the fact that this feat has been accomplished by none other than Mr. Clopper."  And while everypony was gasping in shock, I was just basking in my glory (I especially loved the look on Highbrow's face when he realized that his record is now 99-1).

Anyway, I took my chalk and I've written a little something for Highbrow, "Looks like I've just broken your streak."  As he started to mutter some gibberish, I erased the statement and written, "Now how would you like your uniform?  With or without mustard?"

As he was trying to think of a comeback, he just sighed and said, "Well, a Canterster always pays his debts."  And then he took the hat part of his uniform and as he took the first bite, he was like, "Mmm, not bad."

As I was gazing at the sight of his defeat, some kind of light flashes from out of nowhere and then somepony cried, "Hey everypony, Sheldon's got his Cutie Mark!" I looked at my flank and saw that I did in fact have my Cutie Mark!

It was a brain with a lighting bolt over it--maybe my special talent is being a genius.  Professor Bucksworth gazed at it with his glasses and says, "Well I do say, Mr. Clopper, you seem to be on a roll today."

I then turned to Highbrow and I've written to him, "Looks like Blankius Flankicus is now extinct."  And I swear that he almost choked on the fabric of his hat after I showed him the statement.


...


After school, I came trotting back home with the kind of excitement that I haven't felt since the day my parents enrolled me to that school.  I told my parents everything that had happened today, and they were more than proud when they saw my Cutie Mark.  They were so excited over this that they decided to take me to Dr. Egghead so I could tell him about it.

While I was in the room where he and I usually discuss in, he came in and said, "Well Sheldon, your parents have told me that you seem to have had a very good day today."

I took my chalk and I started to go over the details, "Yep, first I get a good grade on my test, then I finally beat Highbrow at a bet, and to top it all off, I got my Cutie Mark!"

"Really," said Dr. Egghead, "can I see it?" when I did show it to him, the look on his face slowly went from happy to dread.  I took my chalk and written, "What's wrong?" and he says, "Oh, uh...nothing, Sheldon.  You just wait in here while I go talk to your parents."



When he walked back into his office, my dad said to him, "Well Egghead, did I say my son's going to accomplish anything or did I not?"

"Yes," said Dr. Egghead, "he's definitely made a huge accomplishment."

"So what about his Cutie Mark, Doctor," said mom, "what does it mean?"

"I know what it means, but I'm a little afraid to be honest."

"Why do you say that?" asked dad.

Dr. Egghead took a deep breath and said, "I'm afraid that your son...might be a Mindbender."