Words Can Be Weapons

by Ironfire Skies

I'm Torn!

Author's Note:

Words Can Be Weapons is inspired by an encounter with an unappreciative coworker at my occupation who said I wasn't doing my job. It was my first time experiencing this in the real world. But I had to realize that this was part of real life, and that there'll be people who will look down upon you. Some lessons are learned the hard way.

I intended to have this story only to have Soarin as the main character. I adore Spitfire and Fleetfoot, but sometimes you only gotta focus on writing about one wonderbolt. Right?

Lesson of the story: Never let negativity be your enemy every time.

FLASHBACK

Words can be weapons, unbelievable! It can spread like wildfire, that was in Soarin's case. One month ago, the Wonderbolts had a press conference for the Equestria Daily, the nation's local newspaper. They were discussing in detail about their most recent show in the Cloudsdale Colloseum such as the routines they incorporated, the arrangements for the show and their thoughts/feelings on each others' performances.

"How much did you guys enjoy putting on the show?", one reporter asked.

"We very much enjoyed ourselves.." Spitfire hesitantly mentioned. The others moved their eyes to the left without even saying a word.

Another reporter butts in. "Are you fellas sure about that? Your body language says it all."

'Maybe I should tell them that Soarin's performance during the show really did flop. Whatever Soar did during that routine, it basically ruined it entirely. I know it's wrong to hurt him this way, but I have to get this naggy feeling off my feathers'. Spitfire thought to herself.

'Fuck it! Gotta tell 'em.' She thought again.

Fleetfoot eyed Spitfire with anxiety. She whispered. "Tell the press now, who cares if it'll hurt his feelings." It seemed Soarin was still caught up juggling other questions journalist ponies threw at him. He made himself not well aware about what was gonna happen - Spitfire and Fleet were gonna spill the beans about his routine flop.

As the press went on and on with whatever question could be mustered at them, Fleet and Spitfire made eye contact with one another - as if they both communicated telepathically.

Before any additional questions were going to be asked, Spitfire was the first pony to speak up to the journalists. "It seems we left a detail out about how our routine went. Even though one of our awesome teammates always proved his dedication in all our rehearsals prior to any show, it seemed he flunked this one with a trick that wasn't incorporated".

Fleetfoot nodded in agreement as the journalists gasped, Soarin's expression was a mix of overwhelmed, shocked, mortified, and tear-jerking. "Why would they do this to me?!" he whispered loudly to himself. Luckily nor Spitfire and Fleetfoot heard him through his whisper.

'BITCHES. I can't believe Spit and Fleet, they used their words against me.' He angrily glanced at Spitfire and Fleetfoot, as the cameras flashed to take a picture of this awful moment.

---

Soarin was torn, as he read the headline and the extended text of the incident. He held the Equestria Daily paper in his two hooves, as the aroma of pie ingredients filled the air.

ED June 20th, 2023
Spitfire Becomes Spitty, Fleetfoot becomes a Screw-Up.

It seemed two members of the most important flight team had made a fool of themselves. They thought they had the appropriate mentality to embarrass Soarin Skies of such a thing - he flunked a choreographed move in their routine a month ago. But what was the move Mr. Skies flunked on? It seemed he was required to use the Trail Twirl in their performance. but he performed it incorrectly. So, instead of finding ways to improve on the Trail Twirl, both mares instead mocked their own best friend of his own flight skills.

How messed up is that? Since when do teammates bully other teammates?

Now that this incident occurred after their Cloudsdale press conference presence, it seemed to be time for Spitfire and Fleetfoot to take some R & R, and reflect on what they had inflicted upon their best friend. Words are weapons, every pony! It seems like Spitfire and Fleetfoot need friendship lessons from Princess Twilight Sparkle herself.

What do you readers think? Fill free to mail us your ideas and suggestions.

"Now this is fucking impressive, at least this headline describes Spitfire well. And damn right, Fleet screwed up big time. They deserved to be called spitty and screw-up", the pale blue stallion spoke to himself angrily. Soarin was seen sitting on the couch in his Aunt's house still reading the ED newspaper, which was printed the same month the press conference was held in Cloudsdale.

Thunder could hear her nephew from the kitchen. As she was gathering ingredients from the cupboards to make his favorite dessert, she heard Soarin speak to himself aloud. "Soar, you okay?! You sound upset."

"Yeah Aunt Thunder, I'm fine!" he lied. Still in the living room.

Thundershine trotted from the kitchen, only a few feet away from the living room. She sat down on the comfy sofa to consul her nephew. "I know that tone, dear nephew. You only say that when you're not fine".

"Alright, ya got me. I'm not fine!" Soar said, as he put down the newspaper. The article was now going to become known as the - two - wonderbolts- make - a - scene - incident all over Equestria. Hopefully the scene Spiffire and Fleet caused a month ago at the Cloudsdale Press Conference would force the two mares to learn, and reflect, on their mishaps.

'Eventually Spitfire and Fleetfoot will learn their fucking lesson'. He thought to himself, still upset over the event.

Thundershine put a hoof around Soarin's shoulder. "I know it's challenging to process the events of what happened at your guys' press conference, but it'll get better in the long run".

“Thanks for the reassurance, Auntie. Tell me, what was your press conference like in Cloudsdale?” Soarin asked his Aunt.

Thundershine took her hoof off of her nephew’s shoulder. “Well, the press conferences we attended were not the most pleasant ones. Each one that we went to always ended up to be disastrous. Paparazzi would continue to barge my teammates and I with questions. We would even be hounded by paparazzi after the conference was over. It is a price to pay when you're so well known, Soarin. I joined the Wonderbolts because I wanted to share my passion for flying with other pony folk, and inspire them to aim high. In the most challenging ways possible, I had to give up a normal life for the fame. But I'm glad I took risks to get to where I am now."

She resumed her statement. "The press conferences were a way for us not only to gain recognition for what we do, but to also spread the news of our endeavors. Isn't that what you guys are doing now? Now that Spitfire is your Captain."

"Well. Yeah." Soarin said hesitantly.

Thunder gave Soarin an encouraging look and a wink. "No matter what questions would eventually be thrown at your guys' next press conference, I have faith that you can overcome it. Despite being overwhelmed. Am I right, nephew?" This statement made the pale blue pegasus feel slightly better, but his ears were still drooped down. "Yeah, ya gotta point there", he responded to his Aunt sadly.

"Remember, do not care what the press says about you. Whether the articles are bogus or just downright lame, find ways to ignore those haters and trolls", Thundershine exclaimed.

"Haters and trolls, as in those insane journalists always after a story?" Soarin said to his Aunt. "They do whatever it takes to agitate us Wonderbolts to say something false about ourselves".

All Thunder could do was nod in agreement. "It happened to me at my second press conference in Cloudsdale twelve years ago. I recalled a reporter had asked me a difficult question about ranking up in the Wonderbolts. I answered that pony by saying it takes hard work, grit, and perseverance to rank up. That one reporter very much disliked my response and eventually released an article regarding how horrible of a pony I am, to talk to him that way. When in actuality, that statement is factual within the team. Any new rookie joining the team was told this on their first initiation".

Soar raised an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with the Wonderbolts? An initiation?"

"Soarin Skies! It's a term used to reference a newbie's first day. The former captain used it when you joined. Don't ya remember, or did your thoughts 'clipper' ?" Soarin decided to cringe at the self-made pun. He very much disliked that nickname given to him.

"I know I clipped my wing on my first day, you don't have to bring it up again Auntie Thunder", Soarin said. Then he finally cheered up.

"Didn't that pun even cheer you up a bit?" Thundershine questioned. Soarin gave his Aunt a cheeky look, before coming up with a response. "Well, it kinda did!" He finally responded enthusiastically.

"Excellent, now back to baking." His Aunt got up from the sofa."Now that you're cheered up, are you gonna stop fussing about that article now? I need help with the ingredients for the apple pie. It's not gonna bake itself ". She headed to the kitchen first.

"Oh alright, you know me way too well". Soarin also got up from the sofa and followed after his Aunt. They were in for a family baking session, filled with a messy kitchen and apple pie ingredients.

Comments

[Hoofprintz]

After reading this it seems like there's still some bitterness there. It's never fun to be looked down on, especially at a job.

Hope everything has gotten better in your relationship with the coworker... or you cut them off if they're that horrible.

[Ironfire Skies]

11545462
We just don’t talk as much at work now. After that experience, it made me doubt my abilities for awhile (I always did, always had). The only thing that kept me going after that encounter was music and talking to a coworker I trust.

I kinda got over it, but it emotionally haunts me occasionally.

In reality, I can hold bitterness towards an event - traumatizing or not - for long term. It depends on how much any incident affected me emotionally. I know holding in bitterness for years is unhealthy, but I need a lot of time to let it go.

When I wrote this one shot, I was so upset that this event happened. So as a result, I poured all my feelings into this one chapter. But thank you for reading, I appreciate it.

[Hoofprintz]

11545505
Trust me, I can definitely relate. I still remember things from twenty years ago that scarred me. Very small things that a well adjusted person would laugh at hearing.

I tend to over worry and overthink everything. It's one of if not my greatest flaws.

But I think it's really good to acknowledge ones flaws because at least it makes them not delusional and then one can deal with it in healthy ways.

[Ironfire Skies]

11545512
I agree. Thanks for sharing your feelings on this.

[Charlie_K]

11545505
I used to be in a similar situation at an earlier point in my life. But I got help from two particular youtubers. One is named Hero Hei, the other is Rev Says Desu. They cover a lot of twitter drama so other folks don't have to go wading in themselves. And from their videos I learned something very important.

In this world, there are people who're miserable assholes who're that way by choice. Folks who want to wallow in their own misery rather than try to be happy, because being happy takes effort on their part. Instead they would rather be miserable, and do everything they can to make other people as miserable as they are, because that makes them feel better about their own lives.

In fact these individuals are so opposed to the notion of trying to be happy, they'll instead devote hours to slogging through twitter feeds and looking for random accounts to find someone who seems happy, just so they can shit on their day and try to make them unhappy, because that's the only thing that gives their empty lives purpose. They don't care what it takes to make another person miserable, whether it's lies or abusive language or saying they deserve to be murdered for having a different opinion, or outright doxxing them, there's no level they won't stoop to, just to get what they want in order to feel a little bit better. They're like heroin addicts desperately chasing after a fix.

It took me a long time to understand that the best way to deal with these terminally online twitter trolls (totts) is to ignore their efforts at inducing bitterness, because it infuriates them to no end that others can be happy even if their circumstances and situations aren't perfect.

Sometimes all one can do when confronted by such toxic individuals is, grit your teeth hard enough to make an inferior dental plan weep, knuckle down to the point you're deforming a steel pipe from the crushing force, charge ahead like an angered bull elephant in mating season, and inform these losers that you don't need their words to feel validated in your efforts. Because they hate the idea of people who don't seek outside validation from others like they do.

I don't know how applicable that would be in your situation, because for better or worse we all seek outside validation from time to time; that's just basic human nature. But sometimes we just have to remind ourselves that the words of an outsider are just that; the unsolicited opinions of an individual of questionable integrity who's just seeking attention for themselves.

Does any of that make sense, or am I just rambling nonsense brought on by too few hours of sleep?

[Ironfire Skies]

11545667
Nah, you’re good. All you needed to do was just share what you went through. I wrote this one-shot when I was upset a week ago. A coworker told me on the spot that someone complained about me, I never knew it happened because it was behind closed doors.

[Yoshifan30]

[Ironfire Skies]

11554412
A song reference, okay. I haven't heard this song in years. It might be the chapter title, that's why it made you think of that song.