//------------------------------// // Head Up High // Story: Master of My Own Destiny // by 2006midnight //------------------------------// Sweetie Belle turned over in bed for what seemed like the hundredth time that night, for she had been trying to fall asleep for almost two hours. Angrily, she punched her pillow and gave a muffled groan into it. Ugh, why do those two have to be so mean all the time? And why do I have to let them get to me every time they say something nasty about us? It’s their fault that I can’t sleep while they’re probably sleeping soundly in their mansions. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon don’t deserve all the privileges that they have. It’s not like they’ve earned them; all they do is bully other ponies, and let everypony else do their work for them. Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and I never did anything to them, so why do they have to target us the most? We’ve always just kept to ourselves, and left them alone. They’re the ones who initiated this seemingly endless battle of insults that we’ve got going on between us. And it’s not like they’re even that good at it. They have one insult that actually works; everything else they’ve tried has failed in the end, even if it affected us initially. So, why do they continue to haunt me, each and every day, sometimes even leading into the night? It’s only words after all. They aren’t physically harming us, or anypony we care about. Every day of my life, I walk through Ponyville and I see them, hear them, and try to run from them. I hear all of the words they throw at us, trying to torment us. They do their best to make us feel useless, and they’ve been succeeding. But no longer. I’ve realized who they truly are on the inside. They can be as cruel as they like with their taunts. The only weapon they have is words, the same few words over and over again. Since I’ve heard that insult so many times, why should I continue to let the two words ‘blank flank’ keep messing with my head? One thing I’ve realized is that they don’t know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of such insults. They don’t know how much it hurts in the beginning, or how after a long period of time, the same insult ceases to have any true impact. All their lives, they’ve been given anything and everything they want by their rich families. Being spoiled like that has done more harm to them than anything that their words could do to us. They think that they can order anypony to do whatever they want whenever they want. Eventually they’ll realize that they aren’t worth more than the rest of the ponies in Equestria. What will they do then, I wonder? How will they learn to obey orders? Will they be able to learn that there are times when you must be a follower and not a leader? And most of all, why do I even care what happens to them? Should I? Sweetie Belle lifted her head off of her pillow and twisted around so that she was facing the windows. As she gazed at the stars twinkling against the blackness of the night, she smiled serenely. Who I am is up to me and only me. My actions make me the pony I am, not a mark on my flank. Not the words of Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon. I must rise above all those who seek to bring me down. Higher and higher I shall fly until I can touch the sky. Far above their frozen hearts I shall go, as I seek my true destiny. They can’t kill my dreams or my spirit with their insults. Those words of theirs won’t drag me down. Instead, I will let them inspire me to rise up, and be the best pony I can be. No longer can they hold me down in their shackles made of harsh words, for I was born to be free. Every day the power of resistance has been growing stronger within me, but I just haven’t realized it until now. I am my own pony, and I mustn’t let anypony try to make me feel otherwise. I will hold my head up high and be proud of myself no matter what words get thrown at me. My actions are my own; nopony else can change that. I will prove to everypony else that I can become independent and strong. For I am the master of my own destiny. As she continued to stare at the stars, Sweetie Belle’s smile grew. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon might think that they can control me and the choices that I make. From now on I will make my own choices and do my best to convince Scootaloo and Apple Bloom to do the same. They don’t deserve to be controlled by Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon either. Together, The Cutie Mark Crusaders will rise above the hate and the taunts. As one, we will continue to search for our destinies. But rather than limiting ourselves to cutie marks, we will search for our true purpose in life. We will discover who we are truly meant to be, with or without a cutie mark. No longer will Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon be able to destroy our confidence with their insults. We will take those insults and use them as a pedestal to stand upon. In doing so, we shall crush those words to dust. We will shrug off anything they say. They aren’t special; they’re just two rich bullies who think that they’re the queens of the world. As we move forward, towards our individual destinies, they shall be left behind. Stuck in the same place they’ve always been. For throughout their entire lives, they’ve been blind. Blind to what really matters in life. And that blindness will forever limit them, and what they can achieve. From now on, I am my own pony. Independent of their petty insults. Their words can’t kill my dreams or my spirit. For I will forever be the master of my own destiny.