//------------------------------//
// Notice Me 
// Story: All That Glitters 
// by Crystal Wishes 
//------------------------------//

"Look at you," Lyrica cooed, running the brush through Golden's mane for the hundredth time.  "You are growing into such a beautiful young mare.  No stallion will be able to take his eyes off you once you're grown."

Golden smiled at her reflection: a beautiful golden coat, eyes like sapphires, and a long waterfall of curls for a mane.

"It's just such a shame that you didn't inherit my mane."  Lyrica set the brush down and touched a hoof to one of the cascading curls.  "But it has gorgeous volume.  Color is easier to change than quality."

Golden's smile faltered and she raised a hoof to caress the blue locks, almost protectively.  "But I like my mane.  It's pretty and it stands out!  Isn't that important?"

Lyrica clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth.  "Hmm... That is true."  She smiled.  "Well, sweetheart, it's time for you to head to school.  Make me proud."

"Yes, Mom!"  Golden hopped off the vanity stool and pranced her way across her bedroom.  The light glinted off one of the trophies resting on a shelf and she paused to admire her collection.

Seven trophies all sat in a row, standing tall and proud.  Every beauty pageant she entered, she won.  She didn't have to wait until she was grown to be beautiful like her mother—she already was!

Her gaze fell to her cutie mark while her magic retrieved her school satchel.  A silver globe with red gems looked back at her, reminding her of her dream to win the Miss Equestria pageant when she was old enough to enter.  Then she wouldn't just have a mark of the award, but she'd actually own one.  It was a symbol of perfection, and she wanted it.  She needed it.

Someday, it would be hers.  She would hold the little globe in her hoof, just like she would hold Equestria.  She would not just be somepony, but she'd be the somepony.

The somepony that everypony knew.

The somepony that everypony wanted to be.

She would never long for anything when everypony longed to be her.

Golden stepped out of the house and paused to admire the view.  Another beautiful day in Canterlot to start the morning off right.  The sun was shining, the breeze was cool, and her best friend was waiting for her.

"H-Hi, Golden!" High Horse said, straightening up from where she had been leaning against a lamppost.  "I'll carry your bag for you."

"I know."  Golden tossed her mane as she trotted past the filly and dropped her magic's hold on the satchel so it landed at High Horse's hooves.  "So, what do you have to report?"

After levitating the satchel and hurrying after her, High Horse was already panting.  She was dreadfully out of shape.  She really needed to work on that.  "Well, I followed them, like you asked.  Crystal was no good at ballet, like you predicted.  Except..."

Golden glanced at her with one brow raised.  Stalling was so unbecoming of a mare.  "Except?"

"Except she hurt herself.  I-I think she twisted her ankle."  Her ears wiggled and she dropped her gaze to the cobblestone street.  "Velvet seemed really worried and upset about it."

"She twisted her ankle?"  Golden could hardly contain her victorious laughter.  "How clumsy!  Velvet Step was probably just upset that her little friend could be so ungraceful.  It would be so embarrassing to invite somepony somewhere only to have them make a fool out of themselves!"

This was just what she needed.  Crystal was the example of everything Golden loathed.  A pony with no ambitions.  A pony who didn't appreciate the things she had.  A pony who could be somepony, but chose to be a regular anypony!

Well, Golden would show her the error of her ways.  She'd lower her to a nopony, and then she might be grateful for what she had been given: an easy life with parents who loved her and went out of their way for her.

There was a small falter in Golden's step, but she didn't stumble.  She refused to stumble.


♕


The lunch bell rang and Golden smirked.  It was time to put her plan into action.  She slid out of her seat, landing with practiced care, and looked over at High Horse.

High Horse nodded with understanding, then shifted her gaze to Velvet Step, the little filly from Manehattan who had moved to escape bullying.  What a sweet, simple little dear.  She had decided to become friends with Crystal Wishes, but Golden was going to fix that for both their sakes.

Gliding over to Velvet's desk, Golden cooed, "Since Crystal Wishes isn't here to steal your time, why don't you hang out with us for a change?"

Velvet's ears perked and she looked up at Golden, blinking in surprise.  Her head bobbed as she looked around the room before returning her attention to Golden and High Horse.  "Huh?  Is it lunch already?"

"It is!" High Horse exclaimed in such an unbecoming manner that Golden glared at her.  Hadn't her mother raised her better?  Honestly.  "I-I mean, yes.  It is."

"Ugh."  Golden rolled her eyes.  So embarrassing.  Quickly, she put a smile back on her face.  "Why don't you tell us what happened yesterday?  I heard Crystal hurt her ankle, the poor thing."

Velvet, for some reason, seemed to be immune to Golden's charms.  But that was impossible.  Nopony was immune to her charms!  "Why are you so mean, Golden?"

"What are you talking about?  I was just asking what happened!"  Golden put a hoof on her chest in feigned offense.  "There's no need for unjust accusation!  But if that's how you're going to be, then fine.  Come on, High Horse."

Golden turned and started to trot to the door, her nose in the air and tail perked in proper form.  Crystal was crafty.  She had Velvet completely wrapped around her little hoof.  Golden would need a better plan than this.  She...

... wasn't being followed?  Where were High Horse's hoofsteps?  She wasn't the brightest, but surely she was smart enough to know how to follow.  She'd been doing it well enough for years.  "High Horse, I said come on."

After a bit of silence that should have been filled with hooves chasing after her, a whisper responded instead.  "No."

"What?"  Golden looked over her shoulder to see High Horse's ears folded back and her head ducked.  Otherwise, she just stood there like a stubborn mule.

All of a sudden, High Horse raised her head and met Golden's gaze with an unfamiliar look of determination on her face where admiration normally was.  "I said no."

Had High Horse lost her mind?  She never said no!  How could she say no?!  Golden clenched her jaw as she stormed back the distance she had walked to shove her face in High Horse's.  "What do you mean, 'no'?!  We're going!  What part of that don't you get?"

At first, High Horse's ears started to fall back and she seemed to see reason.  Then, out of nowhere, they stood back up.  "I-I'm tired of having lunch with you."

What?

"All you do is complain or pick on me and my lunches, o-or both."

But that was what they always did!  High Horse's mother was always jumping on whatever the latest health craze was.  And High Horse never lost a pound because of it, so of course Golden had to make remarks on how useless the diets were!

High Horse said in a frighteningly stern voice, "I'm done being friends with you, Golden, if we were even friends to begin with!"

Golden gawked at her.  Where had this come from?  Her expression snapped to one of irritation as rage bloomed within her.  Crystal.  Crystal was to blame.  She must have said something to High Horse and filled her head with some stupid notion.  Strange sounds escaped her, ones she didn't recognize, and she turned on her heel to face away from High Horse.  "Fine!" she yelled, tears jumping to her eyes.  "I'll just find myself a new friend!  You're not irreplaceable!"

She walked out of the classroom.  Out of the school.  Her carefully practiced stride was lost as she began to run through the courtyard and out into the streets.

High Horse and her were supposed to be best friends forever.  Longer than forever!  How could she just turn on her all of a sudden?  Didn't forever mean anything to her?

Golden's breath was uneven and ragged as she simultaneously panted and sobbed.  Her chest hurt more than it ever had before.  Was that from running?  She never ran.  Or was that from the chaos of emotions inside her?

Home wasn't close, but it didn't matter.  School didn't matter—nothing mattered.  She needed her mother's advice and her father's smile.  She needed somepony to make sense of the mess she was suddenly in and fix it for her.

She flung the door open and skidded to a halt inside, her chest tight as tears fell down her cheeks.  She gasped for air and looked around.  “M-Mom?  Dad?” she managed between the hiccups and sobs.  “Anypony?”

Lyrica appeared on the landing at the top of the stairs and looked down at her with one brow raised.  “Yes, dear?”

Golden’s form trembled as she struggled against her tears.

Always keep your head high.

Never let anypony bring you down.

You are the star of your universe.

She tried to focus on the words that had been drilled into her, but all she could do was hear High Horse’s.

”I'm done being friends with you, Golden, if we even were friends to begin with!”

Lyrica started to descend the stairs.  “What happened?  Why are you crying?”

Golden dropped down to sit on the floor and rubbed at her face with one foreleg.  “Hi-High Horse, my fr-friend said she doesn’t wa-want to be my friend any-anymore!”

Lyrica stopped in front of her, clicking her tongue.  “Oh, sweetie.”  She gently stroked Golden’s blue locks.  “I’m so sorry she hurt you.”

“Wh-What do I do?  Should I apolo-apologize?”  Golden sniffled.  She lowered her foreleg to look up at her mother, eyes puffy and sore.

Lyrica mulled over a response for a moment before she cupped Golden’s cheek.  “Well, dear, you can either have friends or not.  It’s up to you.  You are in charge of your destiny.”

The words felt cold against Golden’s hot emotions.  Instead of cooling the turmoil within her, it only worsened the whole ordeal.  Then, slowly, she started to feel empty as she clung to the words that gave her hope.

It was up to her.  She was in control.

“You’ll figure it out, Golden.  You’re a smart filly.”  Lyrica turned and started up the stairs.  “If you need anything, I’ll be in my room.  I have a performance tonight and I can’t get my mane quite right.”

Golden just sat there, watching her mother’s hooves until they disappeared from sight.  She trembled until the tears started up again.

It was up to her.  And she never wanted to feel this way again.  She never wanted to feel so hurt, so upset, so… alone.  Never again.

... notice me...