//------------------------------// // 1. Hurt Yet Hopeful // Story: The Mute Unicorn // by Pureheart 352 //------------------------------// (CONTENT WARNING: In case you missed it in the description, this story contains graphic descriptions of severe physical and emotional abuse. If you are sensitive to that sort of thing, proceed with caution.) One day, on two completely opposite sides of Equestria, two little fillies took their first breaths. One was born to Earth pony parents who had eagerly prepared for her arrival. The whole neighborhood cooed over the new little one and threw a huge party for her parents. Meanwhile the second filly opened her eyes in a messy Canterlot hospital bed with her mother’s weak forelegs around her. The dying unicorn kissed her child farewell and laid the little one down beside her before breathing her last. The baby’s father wasn’t even present—he was downstairs flirting with a very curvaceous pony nurse who had caught his eye. Both fillies were destined to have very different childhoods. “No, Momma! Not again! Please!” The little unicorn filly huddled fearfully in the corner. She only reluctantly referred to her father’s girlfriend as “Momma” but figured it was better than yet another beating. But right now all that was forgotten as she stared fearfully at the baseball bat the unicorn mare was levitating. The mare laughed. “Half-Beat, you haven’t been a good girl. I saw you splashed from the bathtub again.” “I’m sorry! It was an accident! I slipped! I won’t do it again! I’m sorry!” The little one squeaked in terror and covered her eyes as the baseball bat swept dangerously close. “Do something for you and I won’t beat you,” the mare smirked. She let the bat fall to the floor. “Pick it up,” Half-Beat hesitantly reached her little hooves for it. “With your magic, stupid!” the mare snapped. Half-Beat cringed in anticipation of the beating that was coming. She knew as well as this disgraceful mare who called herself Half-Beat’s adopted mother that her magic was no good. Her parents never taught her, and most of the teachers in her school were Earth ponies who didn’t know the first thing about magic. But maybe, she reasoned, I can do it this time. She gritted her teeth in concentration and lit her horn. To her excitement, the broom lit up too—and promptly the glow vanished. Panicking, Half-Beat tried again and again but to no avail. The mare watched in evil triumph. “You can’t do it, huh? Well, time for the punishment!” She picked up the bat. At that moment the front door opened and Half-Beat’s father stumbled in. He obviously had visited yet another speakeasy—an action that could get him arrested but a habit in which he persisted. When he was this drunk, Half-Beat usually gave him plenty of room, but right now she was desperate. She ran to him frantically. “Daddy! Momma’s trying to beat me again!” “She splashed from the tub, sugar,” the mare said in a sugary tone. “Did she now?” drawled the stallion, looking down with bloodshot eyes at his daughter. Half-Beat began to shake with the realization. There was no escape for her here. Suddenly her father’s rough hooves grabbed her and flung her against the back of the couch. “Teach her a lesson then, dearie!” Half-Beat tried to scramble out of the way, but she was never fast enough. The baseball bat found its mark on her hind leg. She screamed in pain. The blows continued; the filly could do nothing but cry, screaming again each time the bat came down. When would it ever end? She barely dragged herself to school the next day. Her bruises from last night’s beating were at least mostly hidden by her pure white fur. Unfortunately, her black eye still hadn’t healed; she’d have to wear her sunglasses again, all day. And just so her parents wouldn’t get in trouble. Half-Beat was more scared of being on her own than staying with her abusive father and…step-mother. She didn’t even like to think that word about the mare who hit her and screamed at her and made her go to bed without eating. Sounds of a crowd down the street caught her attention. Ponies were gathering around a group of royal guards and what looked like a carriage that had lost a wheel going through a pothole. Curious, Half-Beat walked a little closer—and her jaw dropped. The newly crowned Princess Cadence herself was there, obviously waiting for the carriage to be fixed. Half-Beat stood there in awe, her painful bruises momentarily forgotten. Princess Cadence was rumored to be the sweetest and most compassionate of all three princesses. Half-Beat had heard about her. Even before she had been crowned by Princess Celestia, she had cared for fillies in her home village. Now that she was a princess, she planned to start an orphanage for little fillies and colts who had lost their parents. Suddenly an idea occurred to little Half-Beat. Surely a princess who loved fillies so much would help a little filly who was beaten every night. Right? “Princess!” The little unicorn dashed down the street. “Princess Cadence! Your Highness!” Pegasi guards immediately blocked the little filly’s way, but they halted at Cadence’s command. “It’s alright, guards! She’s just a little filly. No need for alarm.” The guards bowed reluctantly and stepped aside. Cadence looked down at Half-Beat with a gentle smile. “Hello, little one. What’s your name?” “Half-Beat, Your Highness.” The unicorn bowed as low as she could. “What can I do for you, Half-Beat?” The filly suddenly realized she had no idea how to make a petition of a princess. And this was definitely a serious request to be making. She could end up separated from her daddy and his current girlfriend—not that that was a bad thing. On the other hoof, if she said nothing and went home, Daddy would find out somehow. He always did. And Half-Beat knew that that would become the worst night of her life if he found out. “My daddy is mean to me,” she whispered. Cadence half frowned. “What do you mean?” “He keeps getting new girlfriends and he keeps drinking that illegal stuff.” Half-Beat cringed in expectation of a rebuke or an accusation of lying. To her surprise, neither came. Cadence simply looked more and more concerned. “Please, go on.” “If I’m bad he hits me and his girlfriend does too. I’m scared to get bad grades in school or splash from the bathtub or make too much noise when I play.” Cadence raised a hoof. “Sweetheart, can you take your glasses off for me?” she asked gently. Half-Beat panicked and took a step backwards. “N-no, please don’t make me.” “You heard the princess!” one of the guards ordered. He shut his mouth when Cadence shot him a look of disgust. “Listen, honey,” she coaxed. “I just want to make sure you’re okay. Just take your glasses off for a second.” Half-Beat reluctantly knocked off her glasses with her hoof, exposing her swollen black eyes. One was half-healed; the other had been created by the baseball bat the previous night. Cadence gasped in horror and a small tear formed in her eye. “I’m so sorry, dear,” she empathized. She lost herself in thought for a moment before an idea occurred to her. “Listen. Tonight I’ll have Auntie Celestia send some royal guards to your house to talk to your daddy. They’ll see if he can still take care of you if he hurts you like this.” “Will I have to leave?” Half-Beat asked anxiously. “I don’t know. We’ll know tonight.” Cadence tried to smile. “Don’t tell your daddy the guards are coming, okay?” “Yes, princess.” Without warning Cadence pulled the little filly into a tight hug. “It’ll be okay. I promise.” Half-Beat smiled for the first time in weeks as a tiny sliver of hope began to glow.