The Whisper of Freedom

by Gapeagle

Contradiction (Part 3)

"Not again..."

I heard my father's whisper as I slowly walked into my parents' room, opening the large door with my weak hoof. Father was the first to notice me, as usual. He was sitting in his rocking chair, his burly hoofs had a small book. Mother only glanced my way before returning her distant stare out of the unclean window that let the evening sun into their room. Well, some of the sun, as the window was so filthy that it was no longer transparent.

"Star! Did they hurt you again?" he asked with absolute concern.

I pitifully nodded back at him. Every cut, bruise, and welt burned terribly. I was so used to the abuse by the other kids at the school that tears no longer flowed down my large and innocent eyes. Daddy bent over me, inspecting the small wounds with a fatherly concern that I was so grateful for.

"Yes, Daddy. They always do," I moaned. "They always do."

"Oh, Pumpkin, why would they?" he more asked the air than me.

"Cause I'm what they are not: a blank flank," I stated.

He paused at my words. His long and mangled ears went up and his thick blue eyes searched me curiously. He ruffled in itch on his dark brown fur absently. I stared back at him with a stoic, emotionless face.

"Star? What happened? You don't sound like you," he whispered.

His words haunted me. I did not know what he meant. I seemed me to myself. However, I made sure not to show any confusion in my face or movements. He would notice such things. He always did. Instead, I swallowed and gave him the first words that appeared in my head.

"I'm tired. I'm tired of being bullied. I'm tired of being treated like less. I'm tired of them not seeing me for who I am. All they care about is cutie marks! I don't have one! I will get one, I know it. Does it matter if I'm the last one? Of course not! It never did! It never will! Why can't they see that? Am I the only one that can see something that simple, logical, and by Celestia, reasonable?" I started to scream, my young and high-pitched voice echoed in the room.

"Star...You have never spoken that way before..." Daddy breathed.

I pushed myself away. "That's because I never understood the stupidity and selfishness of ponykind until now." I began to breath harder, my little lungs heaving in pure anger. Everyday, it was the same. Go to class, do well in every subject, get bullied after. Same everyday. Same everyday. Same everyday. They would insult me. "Blank Flank" was the just the most common. They had something else against me as well, I knew not what it was, but I understood it existed. I wanted to know exactly what that was.

"Star, I'm sure we can do something about it," Daddy reasoned.

"No, you can't," Mommy suddenly said coldly. "They aren't disciplined anymore. Kids these days, always showing off everything like they're special. No parents discipline their foals anymore. They need guidance, Starlight. Sometimes a stick is the best guide."

"Then I'll give them a stick that they'll remember," I growled.

=

I sighed as the pink mare and the white filly bounced around me. It seemed that Pinkie's energy was contagious to everypony but me. As the afternoon sun was being continually blocked by random clouds, we all walked to wherever Sweetie was leading us. Or maybe Pinkie was leading us now. I could not tell.

"So, how's life been since you lost everything?" Pinkie asked happily.

"Depressing I guess," I answered.

"Oh! That's terrible! Well, don't worry, we can turn your life completely around! Once you hang with us, you'll have so many smiles!"

"Brilliant. Like I lacked those before..."

"Well, those smiles were fake, soooo...."

"Mine were real. All of them. I may not be able to prove all of my followers' happiness, but I know I was happy. I was almost content in Our Village," I told her.

Pinkie made a face at me before skipping high the air without a care. We passed by a mint-colored unicorn that waved at us and was received by one of Pinkie's suffocating hugs. I rolled my eyes at the scene. It was not that I did not like the happiness that Pinkie's....everything emitted, but that it was coming from one who rejected my own happiness.

"So...." Sweetie began, "how's it like....taking a cutie mark?"

"You mean the ritual I do with followers of equality?" I inquired as I thought I misheard her.

"Mm hm," she nodded.

"Well, it is a solemn yet relieving experience," I began, "it starts-"

"It's reeeeaaaallly superduperly painful!" Pinkie exclaimed. "It's like burning your hoof on a really charred cupcake that you grabbed from a hot, I mean hot oven."

"What?" I raised a brow. "It's nothing like that!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!" She barked. "And I should be the one talking, because I was the one that had my cutie mark totally removed. Did you? Yeah, I didn't think so!"

Sweetie stopped were backwards pacing and gave me a inquisitive look. "Is it really like that?"

"Of course not," I smiled at her, "Pinkie here just has a sensitive flank, that's all."

The filly seemed strangely satisfied with this explanation. I was actually caught off guard by her sudden acceptance as she turned around and led us on. With her innocent eyes no longer inspecting me, my glare went back to the pink mare. Pinkie only grinned at me back with her disgusting false happiness.

"You're a good liar," she whispered to me, "it's almost saddening."

"Oh please, like you don't lie," I whispered back, "and who says I was lying a moment ago?"

"Starlight, you know you lied. Just admit it."

"Alright, the cutie-unmarking may be painful, but it's necessary. From what I've heard, it only lasts for a minute and then the pain leaves," I stated.

"Nuh uh. You actually have a sore flank the next day," Pinkie said in a matter-of-fact way.

"Irrelevant either way."

"There she is!"

I had almost walked right into the small filly as she halted right in front of me. After some sudden blinks, I composed myself and waited for her next move. I did not wish to appear too eager to meet this school bully. With Pinkie's seemingly eternal presence, I was a prisoner under watch and had to act like one. Precaution was my true ally.

"Ah, yes, I remember her face now," I stroked my chin.

Sweetie Belle pointed her dainty hoof at the pink filly that sat with another filly of a deep silver color. They both were enjoying a couple of milkshakes on the mushroom-shaped table they sat by. Though "enjoying" may not have been the best choice of words to describe the mood of the bully as she was clearly grumbling all the while. She was too far away to listen to, so whatever displeased her so was up to my imagination.

"There's Diamond. You should go speak with her," Sweetie uttered hastily.

"We'll go together, Sweetie," I placed a careful hoof on her shoulder. "Making me go alone won't help you in this. She'll only see me as some sort of threat you sent for instead of someone who truly cares about the ravine between you and her. I am here to settle disputes with negotiation, not scare her into submission."

"Yeah right!" Pinkie sung. "You totally want to take her cutie mark."

"I still don't have magic, Pinkie," I corrected her.

"And you still didn't deny the accusation! Just as I thought!" Pinkie grinned triumphantly.

I could only sigh and rub my face in my hoof. I could feel my heart jolt with aggravation. However, I couldn't let this mare get inside my head so easily. So I returned my attention to the task at hand, and with a deep breath, stepped up with Sweetie towards Diamond Tiara.

The silver one was the first to notice us. The bespectacled filly glanced at us in utter confusion before tapping the shoulder of her friend. Diamond reacted harshly with a severe removal of her body from the other's reach and demanding why the move was necessary. The other only pointed at us and that was enough for Diamond to see us coming.

"Oh look," she began rudely, "Sweetie's back. And with an adult..."

"That isn't part of her family," the other added with a whisper.

Sweetie and I stopped before them. I could tell the filly beside me was starting to have second thoughts about all this. The choice of reassuring her was mine, but instead I jumped right into the mission at hoof. I physically lowered my head to the bully's level, so that we may communicate as equals.

"Are you Miss Tiara?" I asked smoothly.

"Yes," she responded innocently. "May I help you?"

"Don't play coy with me, young one," I responded. "I am here on behalf of Sweetie Belle about how you and your supposed friend bully the Crusaders on their lack of a cutie mark."

Her face instantly became cold and her eyes shifted to me with annoyance. The other filly expressed deep concern and shuffled in her seat with anxiety. It was apparent who was the bolder of the two. Bolder, or more stupid, I usually get them confused.

"Why should we stop? We're only trying to encourage them to get their marks sooner," Diamond explained mockingly.

"Even if that was your true intent, it still would not be right," I said. "Your cutie marks are nothing to be proud of. In fact, you should be ashamed of them. You worked so hard to gain them and yet they have done nothing for you. A tiara cutie mark? What does that mean? Anyway, Sweetie here is blessed to not have a cutie mark ans you all should respect her for it. A cutie mark makes you no better than anypony else."

"It actually does," Diamond rolled her eyes, "because it means you've found your talent and place in society. These three losers have done nothing for Equestria and are just trash that live in it. A blank flank is no better than an asylum patient. They do nothing and we have to be taxed to support them!"

The response surprised me. I had to restrain myself from yelling at her for using that horrid phrase. What intrigued me was her use of "taxing" as a problem. A young school filly saying that? It was not her words, I concluded, but her father's. Even though my view of Equestria was a poor one at best, such radical thinking was preposterous, especially from an adult. This girl was probably taking her father's words out of context and using them as a reason to bully whispers of freedom.

"I can tell you don't know any better," I shook my head. "You see yourself and whatever believes you have of other ponies to be greater than anyone else's. That's your first problem. You are never better than anypony else. You got that? Every single pony you see is no better or worse than you."

"Yeah right!" she shot back. "We have education so that we can separate the stupid from the smart. My daddy will only hire the most competent of ponies for his jobs. And he won't hire some fool from the streets because "no one is better or worse than the other."" The last words were of an insulting imitation of me.

"Education is meant for learning!" I returned. "We as a whole must teach the younger generations the discoveries and mistakes of the past. It's a simple concept that lets fillies like you not falter like your ancestors but instead continually progress. It does not mark the dumb from the smart. You aren't smart! No smarter than anypony. And if your father wasn't so greedy, maybe he could see passed his bigotry and pride to see he is equal with those he hires."

"Starlight..." Pinkie warned me.

"Oh yeah? Well guess what? I think you're just dumb to think about whatever it is you are trying to preach to me. I mean seriously, what do you expect? Me to just throw away my views because you want me to? I don't know who you are, but I think you're wasting your time in all of this. This is between me and those three losers."

"Such arrogance!" I shouted. "How dare you speak to an adult like that!"

"Why should I care?" she shrugged. "You're my equal. I can talk to you how I want."

"That's not what I meant!"

"Starlight!"

Pinkie's squeal awoke me from my tunnel vision. I found my hooves pressed deep into the table, causing the whole thing to be lopsided in my direction. The silver one had to hold her milkshake tightly otherwise it would have slid down the table because of me. The pink bully grinned at me with the most disgusting smile I had ever witnessed.

I couldn't end the conversation like that. She would have won if I did. Now, this was no competition for me to triumph, but a chance to spread guidance to even the most messed-up of fillies. I took a deep breath, composed myself, and even got a smile in there.

"Now girls," I began softly, "What I preach is equality. A way of living in harmony with ponies to always help, maintain, and control friendships. No pony is better than the other. No pony is different from the other. No pony ever feels like less than they are worth. To achieve such a living, we all must be on the same level, no advantages or disadvantages should exist. So that's why the removal of cutie marks will solve many variables of equality. That's why I am here. Sweetie, who has no cutie mark, is a gentle reminder of what true freedom is. She has no special talent that keeps her doing the same job over and over again. Her mark does not put her in a certain social status either. She can be whoever she wants to be. Because of this, there is no reason to mock her. You and her are not on different levels because of your mark. In fact, she may be at an advantage because of lack of a mark and should looked up to as an example. Equality will only exist when ponies want equality and want to perfect it. When they see whispers of freedom like Sweetie going out with her life as if she had no care for a mark, only then will they see the beginnings of equality. So I ask you, nicely, gently, kindly, to treat her fairly, like how you would want to be treated if you had no mark."

Diamond only rolled her eyes at me this time. I could tell that my words had no impact on her. Not that I expected them to of course. Situations like these take time. Both parties have to make some compromises and some have to take risks. Now, this all could have been dealt with much easier if I had my magic. Showing the bully how life was without a cutie mark would change her fiendish behavior dramatically. But, it may have been for the better as doing so with Twilight watching over me could be the same as writing my death note.

"I hope you will see the happiness that is equality," I continued promptly. "It changes ponies. Always for the better of course. The more we understand that we are not so different from each other is a step towards harmony."

"Gah..." the filly let out her tongue. "Sounds like a whole sappiness to me. C'mon Spoon, let's leave this losers."

The bully and her friend stood up from their seats and trotted off. This made Sweetie Belle huff indignantly as if she was not pleased with the result of the talks. I for one saw some progress with the bully. Anything helps, I always say. Thinking that one talk or threat would end such bullying was foolish. If there was one thing I knew, it was bullying. So I simply rested a hoof on her shoulder again.

"This is just the beginning, Sweetie. You should have expected nothing more."

"She'll still bug us and hurt us..." Sweetie complained.

"And know that she can't do anything more than that," I told her.

"Woohoo! Now that that's over, let's party! I got soooo many plans already. But I just don't know which one to do first. How about a "get-bullied-again-soon" party or a "equalist" party.....naw, that sounds boring. Oh, oh! How abo-"

"None of them, thank you," I hissed.

The pink mare continued as if I said nothing. "I know! How about a "run-from-angry-Rarity-like-heck" party?"

It was at that moment I spied the pompous mare stomping over to us. Her eyes were sharper than daggers and her nostrils were flared hotter than a forge. The dark sapphire in her eyes twitched madly and her frown was deeper than the pits of Tartarus. At that moment everything became a blur and I....I kind of forgot what happened next. Such is the consequences of adrenaline when facing pure fear.

"RUN!! YEAH!!" was all I heard from Pinkie before losing all my senses.

=

Author's Note:

Wooh! Finally got this part done. No part 4. Will move on to next day.

-Cheers for That!

Comments

[Gapeagle]

6304964 I'd guess her response would be like:

"First off, that's offending to mules. Second, that may be the case in your world, but here you can be the smartest, most knowledge-bound pony alive, but still have a cutie mark that will not suffice. In an ever-changing economy, ponies and their marks may lead to wealth and some to poverty. You can be a very talented janitor and have a janitor cutie mark, but you will always be a janitor and will never rise above that, even if you're educated. Likewise, you can be stupid and rich because you have a rich cutie mark. Take Rarity for example."

Then followed by a whole lot of other things...

[Raistlin]

6305341

Starlight losed an argument against a ten years old filly. is that the "tongue" Rarity was afraid of?

[Alex Warlorn]

I wonder if it was just that way to unwilling ponies. Glimmer doesn't seem to be lying ABOUT THAT, she doesn't seem THAT deluded.

Never mind.

A tiara cutie mark? What does that mean?

You think she'd stab harder at that when Diamond doesn't answer.

This girl was probably taking her father's words out of context and using them as a reason to bully

A broken clock is right twice a day.

" but instead continually progress. "

And yet her world is devoid of it.

And if your father wasn't so greedy,

Ironically, Filthy Rich is anything but a 'capitalist pig' he's just good at business.

The irony is? Glimmer equalist speech is just a different spin on what Twilight said in 'Call of the Cutie.'

"She's not stuck being stuck-up like you." Scootaloo said. Doesn't that PROVE what Glimmer said?

GLimmer's kindness is of course, due to the fact she knows what it's like to be bullied.

And sigh, another 'Diamond Tiara is hopeless' cliche, this isn't the TV show, so she's not under contract for her character to remain frozen.