The Cutie Mark Crusaders help a colt named Thorn find his purpose in the world.
Thorn is a student in Cheerilee�s class along with all the other little ponies. He, like the Crusaders, is having a little trouble finding his cutie mark. Of course, that has nothing to do with the fact that no one can get close enough to him without being zapped with negative energy. This young unicorn has only known pain and is therefore only able to inflict pain himself. Can a little help from the residents of Ponyville warm his tattered heart? Will he ever be able to feel anything more than cold hard loneliness or will he be doomed to a special talent as a sadist?
NOTE: This is NOT a self-insert. This is a character I've had forever that I've ponified.
“Blank Flank. The new kid. The one devoid of color. That’s Thorn. He just sits there in the corner. No one knows what he’s thinking. Sometimes, when the silence is too much, his horn glows, but it’s not the healthy glow of a happy unicorn, it’s this uncontrollable static that reaches out to any unfortunate filly or colt in his immediate range. And it’s terrible. It doesn’t hurt, but the shock makes you think of every bad thing that’s ever happened to you.”
The young filly looks back up at the principle.
“Can I go back to class now?”
The principle, being a reasonable mare, nods. Gratefully, the filly trots out of her office. The principle shakes her head and goes back to her desk to write a letter. The reports about the strange student had been overflowing ever since his arrival. What could she possibly do? If she suggests he be home-schooled, he’d just degenerate into a psychopath. But if he stays, eventually all the foals in the school would be withdrawn out of fear. The principle is facing a very tough decision. Suddenly, she thinks of the perfect plan.
“I know! I’ll just let my good friend Cheerilee handle him! It’s brilliant!” In a feverish fury, the principle of a small school very far from Ponyville writes a very long-winded letter involving many useless adverbs and possibly some incorrect prepositional phrases to Cheerilee over in Ponyville.
“Now we’ll never have to hear of his terrible deeds again!” She cackles, taking a doll out of her drawer that she talked to when she had emotional breakdowns.
“You don’t think I’m being impulsive, do you Harpshnarp? I’m doing this for Thorn’s own good! Don’t look at me like that!” The doll says nothing, being made entirely of rainbows and fluff.
My name is Thorn, and I have heard every single thing they’ve said about me. When they thought I wasn’t watching, I was right there. Listening, because that’s all I can do.
Mother said we were moving to Ponyville a few days ago. We arrived today, and I already hate it. Everyone here is fake. Mother dragged me along to run errands because I’m small and draggable. Plus, I can use my unicorn magic to levitate objects off high shelves for her. Big sister refuses to be used in this way, but that might just be because she’s a little embarrassed that mother’s an earth pony and Honey and I are both unicorns. But anyways, we were getting groceries at the market and Mother was making me carry all her bags while she flirted with other earth ponies. No, Dad’s not dead. But he and Mother aren’t ‘together’ anymore. Whatever that means.
I already had a lot of bags to concentrate on for being as small and inexperienced as I am when Mother said she needed some apples. I groaned inwardly as we approached an apple stand. A sign on the counter said that all the apples were products of a place called Sweet Apple Acres. The pony running the stand was all smiley and happy.
She was a fake.
Mother was asking her about the apples, but she could have just been trying to make friends. The salespony didn’t seem against Mother’s quest, and the two eventually stopped talking about apples and started talking about other things. I lost interest and, suddenly wearing out, dropped all the bags. Mother stopped chatting immediately and gasped.
“Thorn! Just look at the mess you’ve made! Bad Thorn! Bad bad bad!” Then she smiled apologetically at the salespony before yelling at me again. “Can’t you do anything right?”
This is one of those times that I usually feel really mad and soon somepony gets hurt. I waited for it, even longed for it, when suddenly the mare behind the stand rushed over and started picking up the things I had dropped. Before I could even consider helping her clear up my mess, she was done; everything was returned to its proper bag in about ten seconds flat. I looked up at the pony in awe and wonder. I think Mother was impressed too.
“Thank you, Miss. I’m so sorry for my son’s clumsiness--” Mother would have gone on, but the salespony held up a hoof and said
“No need to apologize, M’am. ‘Ah just like helping the ponyfolk.”
At that moment, Mother nudged me roughly with her back leg and muttered “Say you’re sorry, Thorn.” under her breath.
“Thank you, Miss.” Was all I managed to say. If nopony else had been there, Mother would have kicked me again and made me apologize too.
“No problem! Hey, you look about school age. Your mother said y’all had just moved here. So that means you don’t know anypony yet, right? Mah sister Apple Bloom’ll be in your class. Let me introduce ‘ya.” Then the salespony turned around and called for somepony behind the counter. There was a sound of excited hoofbeats, then a little yellow filly about my age with a bow in her red mane appeared, looking as excited as she sounded.
“Apple Bloom, ‘Ah want you to meet Thorn. He’s new in town and doesn’t have any friends yet. Think you could help him out a bit?” The little filly nodded, then turned to me.
Here I meet the fakest of them all.
“Hi there! Mah name’s Apple Bloom! Nice to meet ‘ya!” Apple Bloom shook my hoof with such friendly ferocity I thought I would never be able to use it again when she let go.
Mother nudged me roughly again and muttered “Say hello!” through clenched teeth. My flank now twice bruised, I murmured ‘Hello’ as cheerfully as I could manage.
I don’t do cheerful.
“Aww, you must be lonely because you don’t know anypony yet. That’s so sad!” Apple Bloom, however genuine she thought she sounded, only sounded like a cruel joke to me. I sighed and looked down, hoping we would go home soon.
“Applejack, can ‘Ah take off and show Thorn around so he’ll get to know everypony? Please?” Apple Bloom pleaded. Applejack nodded.
“As long as it’s okay with his mother.” Applejack consented. Apple Bloom then proceeded to use an ultra cute face on Mother. Mental note: Mother is extremely susceptible to cuteness.
“Aww, aren’t you adorable? Of course you can show Thorn around!” Then Mother turned to me. Her tone completely changed. “You’re to be home by dinnertime, understand?”
“Yes Mother.” I said mechanically.
“Good. Now you two have a good time! Don’t forget to be home on time, Thorn!” Every time she was speaking to me her voice just crushed me. It was like she just couldn’t stand the sight of me…
---
Suddenly, Apple Bloom had a queer feeling in her head. It wasn’t pain; she wasn’t involved in anything that would hurt her. It wasn’t exactly sadness; nothing was wrong. But it was definitely a negative feeling…
---
“Alright Thorn, ’Ah’m going to show you all around Ponyville! Tell me what you’ve already seen!” Apple Bloom said. Once Mother is out of earshot, I don’t have to be so submissive.
I could do whatever I wanted…
“Take me to the most fun place in Ponyville!” I say urgently. Apple Bloom seems a little startled by my intensity, but she recovers fairly quickly, considering.
“Alright! Let’s see…the most funnest place in Ponyville…’Ah’ve got it! ‘Ah’ll take you to Sugarcube Corner! Maybe we’ll even meet up with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle!” With that, Apple Bloom begins our fast-paced trek towards the ‘most funnest place in Ponyville’.
“Hey! ‘Ah just noticed you’ve got a blank flank just like me!” Apple Bloom says, looking at my flank.
“What? Oh, yeah. I guess neither of us have found our special talents.”
“No, but ‘Ah’m tryin’ real hard every day! My friends and I are the Cutie Mark Crusaders and we’re on a quest for our cutie marks. In fact, today ‘Ah was busy tryin’ to take inventory of the apples and apple products at our stand in the market. That reminds me! ‘Ah never checked to see if ‘Ah got a cutie mark!” Suddenly Apple Bloom skids to a halt and stares hard at her flank. Then she sighs.
“Aww, no cutie mark again.” Apple Bloom right then looked really sad. And I mean unignorable sad. It’s like watching a little baby drop a huge stack of ice cream on a hot surface. Adorable, but depressing.
“Oh, it’s okay Apple Bloom. I’m sure you’ll get your cutie mark someday.” I say in a soft voice. Then I put my hoof on her shoulder, because it seems like something ponies do.
Apple Bloom cheers up really quick. “You really think so? Thanks, Thorn.” And suddenly it’s like she’s squeezing the life out of me.
“’Ah just know we’re gonna be the best of friends!” She’s saying. But it’s like I’m hearing her through a badly tuned radio or something. My ears are buzzing, and so is my horn. I can feel little pulses of energy shooting from it. Apple Bloom lets go of me and stops to look at my horn.
“Whoa…’Ah’ve never seen any unicorn’s horn do that before. Is that normal?” She asks. My horn still emitting faint static pulses, I nod.
“It does this a lot, actually. I don’t know why.” I admit. It barely registers to me that I had never really talked about the strange things my horn did before to anypony.
“’Ah wonder what it means.” Apple Bloom is still staring transfixed at my horn.
“Mother says it’s because I’m bad.” I murmur.
“What’d you say?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all!” Suddenly, I remember my limited time away from home. “Let’s go to Sugarcube Corner now, Apple Bloom!” I say suddenly.
“Okay!” And with that, we two dash away to a neat little sweet shop armed with massive sugar intake extremely potent to the young and impressionable mind.
“This is Sugarcube Corner!” Apple Bloom says as we enter the shop. The ponies already in the shop all look over when the little shop bell rang. They all stop what they are doing to smile and wave at Apple Bloom.
“Hi there, Apple Bloom!”
“Hey, Apple Bloom!”
“Who’s your friend?”
“Is he new?”
All the ponies are suddenly staring at me. All those eyes…all that attention. I can’t help it; I start shaking uncontrollably. I want to shut my eyes but I can’t. It’s horrible.
Suddenly, Apple Bloom recognizes somepony.
“Oh look! It’s Pinkie Pie! Hi, Pinkie! Hi! I brought a new friend with me this time!” Then Apple Bloom tugs me away from all the ponies and to another different pony. She’s a ridiculously curly-haired pink mare. Somehow, I can’t feel scared around this mare.
“Hi there! My name’s Pinkie Pie! I don’t know you and I know everypony in town so what’s your name?” Funnest place in Ponyville alright.
“My name’s Thorn.” I say in my still soft voice.
“Well nice to meet you, Thorn! I just love making new friends, don’t you?”
“I really wouldn’t know.” I mutter.
“What’d you say?” Pinkie asks.
"I said I hope it doesn’t snow.” I cover. Pinkie looks thoughtful for a second. A second.
“Why not? Snow is amazing! Once it snowed so much I made a snow pony of everypony in Ponyville and then we all had a snow party and then we all had so much fun and there were snow streamers and snow party hats and don’t even get me started on the snow food!...” Pinkie keeps talking as if she’d never run out of breath. I lose count and just focus on her voice. How is it possible to talk about so much for so long about something so seemingly small? Abruptly, Apple Bloom pokes me.
“We could be here all day if we don’t stop her, you know.” She says.
“How do we stop her?” I ask.
“Like this: Pinkie, Thorn’s looking for the funnest place in Ponyville. Do you have any suggestions?” Pinkie stops her snow story mid-sentence and answers Apple Bloom’s question without missing a beat.
“Funnest place in Ponyville? Well that’s a tuffie…let me think about that…” And with that, Pinkie Pie is silent. A few of the ponies in the shop look up in awe of a question that made Pinkie Pie silent for at least a few moments. Then she replies confidently in a learned-by-heart way
“‘The funnest place in Ponyville is the place where all your friends are.’ Does that help?” Pinkie asks. Apple Bloom considers that for a moment, then says
“Well, mah friends aren’t all here, so this must be the wrong place.” She turns back to me. “Thorn, let’s try the park. Maybe they’re there. Let’s go. Bye Pinkie, and thank you!” Apple Bloom says as we rush out of the shop.
“Bye Apple Bloom and Thorn!” Pinkie’s voice calls after us.
By about now, I’m starting to forget my misery a little bit. It’s very calming to think that a friend dragging me around town looking for her other friends can be so freeing. But what am I talking about? This filly is a straight up fake. I’ll probably wake up in the insane ward again with Screwball coming out my ear. No, I’ll have to take this adventure as a nightmare to stay sane this time.
“Thorn, we finally found them!” Apple Bloom squeals, letting go of me finally. Being able to finally see, I look at who Apple Bloom has found. It’s two other fillies our age. One is an orange pegasus with a pink mane and the other is a white unicorn with a pink and purple mane. They’re looking at me curiously in that way that made me uncomfortable again.
Obviously, they’re judging me. Judging me!
“This is Thorn, girls. Thorn, this is Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.” The two fillies, once they are introduced, smile in a friendly way at me. Maybe they‘re serious, maybe not. I’m shaking too much to care at the moment.
“Hey, are you okay, Thorn? Now that ‘Ah think about it, you were doing this earlier in Sugarcube Corner. Is it the ponies? Are you afraid of us?” Apple Bloom asks, looking concerned. I can’t help but nod ‘yes’ frenetically. Maybe that will make them stop staring at me…
“Hey, it’s okay Thorn. We won’t hurt you.” Scootaloo says. My ears droop. I can definitely feel Screwball laughing because that’s surely what’s happening when I shake like this. Right?
“Poor Thorn. Maybe he’s just had a bad experience with other ponies.” Sweetie Belle says.
Me, I’m paralyzed with fear.
---
Suddenly, Scootaloo has the strangest feeling. It’s not pain, but it’s the closest possible thing. She feels like there’s somewhere she has to flee to because here is dangerous. She feels like running, flying even, but she’s frozen. There’s danger all around her and she can’t move.
---
For some reason, Scootaloo moves away from me at that moment. Of course, it’s probably because my horn is crackling erratically again. That means somepony is getting hurt. I sigh. I never meant to hurt anypony. But somehow, I don’t want to lose what could be new friends.
“I’m really sorry Scootaloo! I didn’t mean to shock you!” I say quickly.
Scootaloo looks at me strangely.
“I’m going to go now.” I mumble.
“Wait!” All three of the fillies practically scream at me not to go.
What is wrong with them?
“My big sister Rarity says young unicorns sometimes get strange magic surges that come and go.” Sweetie Belle says. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
I hang my head. “But I’m hurting others. I don’t want to hurt anypony.”
“Well, then we’ll just have to help you control your magic!” Apple Bloom says cheerfully.
“Yeah, maybe you’ll even find your special talent!” Scootaloo says. At this, the fillies all gasp in excitement.
“Whatever happens, we’ll be here for you. That’s what friends are for!” Sweetie Belle says.
Suddenly I can’t stand it anymore. There were tragic fountains that didn’t explode as violently as me.
“You’re all being so nice to me! You don’t even know me! How can you be so nice?” I can feel my eyes getting all big. Maybe they’re a bit watery, too. But anyways, I inspire the cuteness reaction from the fillies or at least Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle; Scootaloo just looks at me encouragingly, but is obviously grossed out by the hugging.
“Twilight Sparkle has a lot of useful books, and she’s really smart. Plus she’s a unicorn too!” Apple Bloom is saying.
I don’t know why, but the Cutie Mark Crusaders are being really nice to me. I can’t understand it still, but I decide it’s better to accept it then to assume it’s all the workings of my inner insanity.
When we reach the home or library of the unicorn called Twilight Sparkle, I can tell it’s definitely a place where I’ll find answers. Maybe not the answers I want, but answers all the same.
“Well, here we are at Twilight’s house!” Apple Bloom announces. Scootaloo goes up to the door and rings the bell. There’s a shuffling inside and then somepony comes to the door.
It’s a purple unicorn mare, so I assume it’s Twilight Sparkle herself. She smiles at us.
“Hello girls, what can I do for you?” Then she notices me there too. “Oh, hello there. What’s your name?”
“I’m Thorn.” I say maybe a little bit softer, inexplicably making that same cute face the fillies made before.
“It’s nice to meet you, Thorn. My name is Twilight Sparkle.”
“Twilight, Thorn needs your help.” Sweetie Belle begins. Twilight looks over at me.
Somewhere in my paranoid mind I don’t want to tell any more ponies about my problem.
But then I see that unmistakable concern in the unicorn’s face. Who cares why she cares?
“I want you to help me control my magic!” I burst out. As if to emphasize my point, a few sparks fly out of my horn at that moment.
Twilight laughs endearingly. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’d love to help you, but you’re too young to do anything with your magic yet. You’ll have to come back when you’re at least a year older.”
“What? You mean I’m going to have to keep doing this for a year?” I mumble pathetically.
“I’m really sorry.” Twilight says more seriously. I sigh. More magic leaks out of my horn slowly.
The fillies instinctively back away, having all already felt whatever horrors they experienced from the exposure.
“Why are you all moving away?” Twilight asks almost to herself. She moves closer and inspects the phenomenon.
---
Suddenly, Twilight remembers the terror she’d felt when she was trying to hatch Spike’s egg so long ago. The desperation, the yearning, the frustration. It’s a more intense feeling than it had been back then, she is sure, because it’s concentrated.
---
“Now do you believe me?” I ask pitifully. Twilight had that familiar look of confusion and discomfort (to say the least) that I’ve grown to expect from anyone who comes near me.
Twilight doesn’t answer me for the longest time, but I’m content to wait, for once. I figure if anyone could help me, it would be her. She seems to be arguing with herself, then she finally nods shortly to no one.
Twilight turns back to me. “Go home and get a good night’s sleep. Then meet me here fresh and early tomorrow morning at 8:00. I’ll teach you everything you need to know.”
If anything has ever felt real, it’s this moment, right when Twilight has just said she’d fix me.
“Thank you! Thank you so much! Thank you!” Happier than I’ve ever been before, I run up and hug this unicorn I had just met.
When I get home, I have trouble trying to convince Mother of the importance of me leaving to train with a unicorn I’ve just met. Mother wants me to stay home and help her do things. I tell her to ask Honey to help her. She says Honey is busy. I excuse myself to find Honey. Honey, being the understanding big sister that she is, agrees to help Mother while I go to see Twilight. I only neglect to tell her that I will be needing her assistance indefinitely instead of occasionally.
But that can wait for another day. Tomorrow, I’ll be learning the thing I’ve longed for my whole life.
---
“Alright, Thorn, focus your attention on my voice. There is nothing but my voice. Now open your eyes.”
I open my eyes.
“Good,” Twilight smiles. “Your energy is less erratic. You’re improving very well. Maybe your special talent will even end up being magic, like me.” Twilight seems excited by the idea.
I’ve been coming to Twilight’s for a week already. Unfortunately, my big sister’s generosity doesn’t extend past one day. She’s been different since she got her cutie mark. Now all she wants to do is learn how to be the best doctor she can. She doesn’t have the patience for Mother’s ridiculous whims anymore. I can’t help hoping Mother will find another somepony special and I hope he’s a unicorn because I can’t stand carrying her stuff anymore now that I’ve got better things to do. This new arrangement means I’ve been having to go to Twilight’s at night now. Sure it’s cutting into our sleep, but it’s the only way.
Isn’t it ironic how the one day I stay extra late at Twilight’s happens to be the night before my first day of school in Ponyville? Ha, it’s so funny…so funny.
“Hi there, my name is Miss Cheerilee. Welcome to Ponyville! What’s your name?”
This is my teacher. She’s so freakishly nice. I can’t tell if she’s really happy I’m here or is just doing what she does every day, slowly sounding less sincere.
I kind of mumble “My name is Thorn,” and Miss Cheerilee says something to that I don’t listen to and I follow my teacher into the schoolhouse, yawning. Inside it looks like pretty much everypony is already there. I see my new friends, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, wave to me. I wave back.
“Class, we have a new student I’d like you all to meet.” Miss Cheerilee beckons me to the front of the class. Where all bad things happen.
“This is Thorn. He just moved here a couple of days ago. Please make him feel welcome. Thorn, would you like to tell the class anything about yourself?”
Why yes, yes I would. How about a warning to the poor foals who get in the wrong place at the wrong time? How about the quiet little ponies like me, unassuming until they come into my range of vision, try to befriend me, and just get burned? Oh, Celestia, please keep them away from me…
I mumble “No,” and Miss Cheerilee directs me to an empty desk. I go to it without looking at the ponies around me. I look up and thought I saw Scootaloo, except she’s a blue earth pony.
“Hi, my name’s Archer. Nice to meet you, Thorn!” She also has a cutie mark.
“Hi,” Being at a loss of other interesting things to say, I glance at the pony on my other side. I thought it was Sweetie Belle, but she has a golden mane and teal coat.
“Hi there! I’m Sun Glimmer! I’m so excited to meet you, Thorn.”
What is wrong with all these fillies?
From in front of me, a light pink filly with a purple and white mane turns around and looks at me. She considers me thoughtfully for a few seconds before giving me her evaluation.
“You’re a weird color.” Then she turns back around. I don’t know, just something about that moment, and my mood right now, I just…
There is a pause, and then I just laugh. I found the bully pony! I found her! Yay!
Archer leans over to me and whispers real secret “That’s Diamond Tiara. She’s just jealous because she knows you’re going to get more attention than her for the next few days. But if you become popular, she’ll totally try and be your best friend, pretending she was excited to see you from the start.”
“So…is her super special talent fortune telling?” I whisper back.
“I don’t think she has a talent. I mean, she’s got a cutie mark and all, but personally I think it’s a fake. I mean, what special talent could be a tiara? I mean, is she like really good at being a princess or something? She’s not even an alicorn!” Suddenly, Archer glances suspiciously over at Diamond Tiara to make sure she isn’t listening. Then she looks back at me.
“Hey, just between us, I’ve been trying to expose Diamond Tiara’s fake cutie mark for weeks now. I haven’t had much luck so far. Maybe, if we worked together—with my knowledge of Diamond Tiara and your unicorn magic—we could finally show all of Ponyville what a hypocrite she is!” Archer’s tone had crawled slightly above a whisper then, and she quickly looked around to make sure no one had heard her. No one seems to be paying attention to her. In fact, it almost seemed like they’re all avoiding looking at her. Suddenly, I realize this filly probably doesn’t have any friends.
Now, first thing you think about these kinds of things is how sad and pathetic it is. And more than anyone else, I should be very sympathetic towards this pony.
“I don’t have unicorn magic…” I mumble apologetically. Archer looks confused.
“But you’re a unicorn…”
At that moment, Miss Cheerilee calls class to order.
---
Later, at recess, I get to talk to my friends.
“Thorn, I hear your lessons with Twilight are going really well.” Sweetie Belle says. I hadn’t talked to my friends since I started training with Twilight.
“How did you know?” I ask.
“My big sister Rarity told me.” Sweetie Belle replies promptly.
“How many others know about my problem?”
“Oh, just Twilight and Rarity. Don’t worry, Thorn. I made sure they wouldn’t tell anypony.”
Suddenly Apple Bloom seems very concerned about something and pokes Sweetie Belle. She whispers something in her ear very urgently.
“Don’t worry, Apple Bloom. After last time, Rarity doesn’t gossip anymore.” Sweetie Belle says confidently.
“What?” I say, hoping Apple Bloom didn’t reveal a new problem.
“It wasn’t that long ago, so everypony who was there at the time should remember it.” Apple Bloom begins.
“We had this idea a while back to make a gossip column in the school paper. It started out harmless, but then we started hurting everypony’s feelings, so we had to stop.” Scootaloo explains.
“Where does Rarity come into this?” I ask.
“Oh, well before we insulted her, she loved the gossip column.” Sweetie Belle finishes.
“You don’t think she’d go back--” I begin.
“Stop worrying, Thorn. Your friends have you covered. Nopony’s going to find out.” Apple Bloom says rather loudly. Without warning, the fear that had built up finally breaks into jagged prongs of static. They fly in all directions. My friends duck and try to hide. Sweetie Belle didn’t get away fast enough and one catches her leg and she cries out. I wince when I hear that short, sharp cry and run over to her.
“I’m so sorry Sweetie Belle! I didn’t mean to hurt you! Are you okay? I’m so sorry!” I don’t even realize Sweetie Belle is trying to talk to me until I run out of air.
“Thorn, it’s okay. I’m not going to hate you because you accidently send out sparks from your horn.” She says.
I sigh and hang my head. “You’re very tolerant, Sweetie Belle. Much more tolerant than anypony else.”
---
Thorn’s words got Sweetie Belle really confused. Who could possibly mistake an accidental attack for an intentional one? Especially after countless apologies. What was wrong with the ponies at Thorn’s old school?
It was then that Sweetie Belle made an intriguing observation.
“Thorn, you’re right. We don’t know you at all.” In an instant, Thorn’s face drops as if all hope is gone. Quickly, Sweetie Belle finishes her thought. “But we want to learn. Then maybe we can understand you better.”
“Thorn!” I snap awake. I don't even realize I'm asleep until I feel that piercing shriek from the one who birthed me. She calls again a couple of times. I just can’t bring myself to walk out that door. How could I? I hadn’t slept at all last night.
But I’d done it.
I smile in insane approval. I have finally learned to control the magic I have inside. I really should be happier about my success, but I didn’t even get a cutie mark out of it, and that rather depresses me.
Abruptly there’s a hard knock at my door.
“Thorn! Get up or you’re going to be late for school!” Instantly upon rapping at my door, Mother comes into my room to yell at me some more.
Blinking in the light, I try to focus on Mother’s form. But she's blurry.
“Thorn, what are you doing? It’s almost time for school. Didn’t you hear me calling?” I try to lift my head but it is just too heavy. I try to speak but my mouth suddenly can't make words.
“Well? Talk to me, Thorn. Or get up.” Mother commands. It's amazing that I've gotten this far without serious detriment. I try to sit up, or stand, or anything at all, but moving is suddenly way too difficult.
Mother gets that thoughtful expression she sometimes gets and moves closer to me. She lifts a hoof to my forehead. Then she sighs.
“Aww, my little Thorny-Worny is a little sicky-wicky. Don’t worry about school, Dear. Just get some more sleep.” And with that, she tiptoes out of the room and shuts the door again.
I breathe a sigh of relief. Everything is going to be okay. This is one of my sick days.
Mother’s nice on sick days.
There’s something I’ve actually been waiting to do for a long time. I’ve been waiting for a sick day so Mother won’t yell at me when I get back.
I’m going to go visit Father.
He lives on the edge of the Everfree Forest, so it’s ridiculous to try and go out there. It’s not so much the fact that Mother hates me seeing Father, it’s just that she hates when I go near the Everfree Forest. It’s her own disaster, really. When she was a filly she got lost in the Forest for a long time and now she’s terrified of the place. I get that story every time I suggest going to visit Father. But now that I’m at a disadvantage, I can do whatever I want.
So, I pack a saddlebag with a lunch, a map, compass, and a coat. Mother would be pleased. Then I take time to write out a note telling Mother I’ve gone to visit Father. She’ll get it.
“Here I come, Dad.” I say softly.
I can’t wait to show him what I’ve learned.
I climb out the window, levitate it closed, and laugh to myself when I get the magic right. Twilight will be so proud of me. So proud, seeing I’m sneaking out late while I’m sick. I’m not worried, much. After all, I’m sure Twilight has a quick fever remedy.
It’s been a long time since I’ve gone to dear Everfree. I might not even know the way to go. But that doesn’t matter to me. The only thing I’m concerned with right now is getting to Father’s house.
I take a moment to look around once I get outside. Everything is happening in the middle of the morning. School should be starting about now. If I cared enough, I would attempt to teleport myself directly to the schoolhouse, despite what Twilight’s said about that being an advanced spell. I’ll learn it. I think I could think of a million ways to use it.
I look around, check my map, and look around again. With a shrug, I set off towards the marketplace, the first stop in my journey. Around, I see ponies of all types and colors. There’s something reassuring, somehow, about all of them. Wait, that’s weird. I used to be so skittish around others. What has happened to me?
Oh well. I won’t worry about that drastic personality change right now. Now is the time for adventures.
In the marketplace, all the ponies are selling their wares. I see Applejack at her apple stand, selling apples. I almost go up to say hello to Apple Bloom when I remember she should be in school.
As should I.
Great Princess Luna’s moon bib! I’m skipping school!
Suddenly I calm down. I’m sick, after all. The worst they can do to me is send me home. I laugh and delight in my strong excuse.
Then I look back at the map, because by now I’m distracted and I’ve forgotten what I’ve just read. Strangely, I see a familiar shape on the hill. Now that I think about it, it’s probably time for recess. So it’s not strange. In fact, it looks like Scootaloo. Forgetting that I’m technically skipping school, I call out to Scootaloo.
She jumps at my voice and looks in my direction. Naturally, she looks surprised to see me.
“What are you doing here, Thorn? Miss Cheerilee said your mother called you in sick.” I wave her question away as unimportant.
“Forget me, what happened to you?” I sit next to her on the hill. Scootaloo sighs in that way one sighs when a moment they’ve expected finally arrives.
“I was just thinking.” Scootaloo begins. She’s got this faraway look in her eyes, as if she’s not really talking to me, but to the sky where she longs to be. Then she blinks and turns back to me. “You’ve probably noticed that I don’t fly like any of the other pegasus ponies.”
“Well, you’re still young. You just haven’t learned yet.” I say. Scootaloo laughs sadly.
“I’ve heard most pegasus foals learn to fly soon after birth. Haven’t you seen Mr. and Mrs. Cake’s foal? He was practically born flying!” Scootaloo seems really upset about this.
I put my hoof on her shoulder. “Hey, don’t cry. You’ll get it someday. I know you can fly.”
Scootaloo looks back up at me. “Who said anything about crying?” Sure enough, there’s a tear running down her face; Scootaloo just doesn’t realize it yet. I levitate a handkerchief out of my saddlebag and wipe that stubborn tear. My friend looks surprised the tear had escaped her tough exterior.
“My parents are both earth ponies. At first I thought that explained why I had trouble learning how to fly. Then I saw the Cake’s son fly with his little baby pegasus wings and it just--” Here, Scootaloo cuts off with a frustrated growl. She stands up and faces me directly, her wings flapping madly. “I mean, that little colt so much as ‘waves’ his wings and he’s four feet in the air without even trying! I try every day to fly. And every day I fail and you know what? I’m tired of being a failure!” If we were any closer to the schoolhouse, other ponies would have heard Scootaloo’s outburst. But she was smart; she was sitting in a place no one could hear her. She has experience being alone…
“Oh, Scootaloo…I’m so sorry…does anyone else know about this?” Scootaloo sighs as the last of her fury dies down. She gives me a terribly adorable look of sadness.
“No. You’re the only one who’s bothered to listen.”
The school bell has finally rung and Scootaloo and I look over at it as if it doesn’t hold much importance. Then we look at each other. I cough conspicuously.
“Oh dear, Scootaloo. I believe it is time to go back to school.” I cough again. “Scootaloo, do you feel okay? I mean, I am sick, and I was sitting pretty close to you…”
Scootaloo gets it. “Oh, Thorn, you’re right. I guess I shouldn’t have been breathing so much of your air.” We both look up at the schoolhouse. Then back at each other.
“You want to go somewhere fun?” I ask. Scootaloo looks slowly away from the school bell as it stops clanging. Her confidence and determination are finally back.
“Yes.” She says deliberately. “Anywhere but here.” With all thoughts of my previous excursion gone, Scootaloo and I run like earth ponies back to the center of Ponyville. Everypony there is an adult. Of course it’s obvious that we’re skipping school now.
“Hey Scootaloo, why have I never seen your parents? I mean, I’ve seen Apple Bloom’s sister and Sweetie Belle’s at least talked about her family. But I’ve never seen anypony in Ponyville who looks remotely like you, pegasus or otherwise.”
“Oh, well that’s because my parents are back at home.”
“Home?”
“Baltimare. It’s really far from here, so my parents couldn’t come. There’s too much for them to take care of at home.” Scootaloo sounds so calm it’s unnerving.
“What brings you here to Ponyville, then?”
“I heard that one of the best flyers in all of Equestira was here in Ponyville. If anypony could teach me to fly, it was Rainbow Dash!” Suddenly Scootaloo is no longer talking to me at all. She’s seeing her idol, Rainbow Dash. Of course that makes sense. But if Rainbow Dash has already given Scootaloo lessons and if what Scootaloo has said about her flying ability is to be believed then…
She has absolutely no chance of ever flying.
“Then, where are you staying here in Ponyville?” I ask slowly.
“That’s a complicated question, actually.” Scootaloo comes back from her reverie. “I told my parents I’m staying with Rainbow Dash as an apprentice so I could learn to fly. That’s not exactly true. I mean, I asked Rainbow if she could be my mentor and teach me and she said that’d be great and I could live with her and we could do everything together just like sisters and everything would be super perfect and really really fun!”
Scootaloo takes a breath before continuing after her long run-on. “But when I showed her how I couldn’t fly at all she said it’d be dangerous for me to live on a cloud because if I fell off I couldn’t save myself. So she said she’d have to teach me to fly some other way. She hasn’t gotten back to me on it yet.” Scootaloo sighs again.
“I just want to be able to fly and then I’ll never ask for anything again.” Scootaloo looks up at the sky longingly where a few pegasi are hovering, chatting in a comfortable, everyday fashion.
For the first time that day, I look over at her wings. Then I look at the other pegasi. Even for a foal, her wings look really small. There’s no way they could lift her off the ground, pegasus magic or not. But Scootaloo hasn’t given up yet. She still dreams of flying despite all these factors against her.
How can anypony doubt her ability when she’s still standing here defying us all?
Even though I know that it’s logically impossible for her dream to come true, I find myself feeling hopeful with her. I know somewhere in my hopelessness that I truly believe Scootaloo is going to fly someday. And not just in a balloon, or with some pegasus who pities her. No. She’s going to fly with her own wings.
I just know it.
“Don’t give up, Scootaloo. Just like someday you’ll get your cutie mark, someday you’ll fly up there with all the other pegasus ponies. I believe in you!”
“Thanks Thorn. That means a lot.”
“Now come on. Let’s go to that café over there and I’ll treat you to lunch.”
“That sounds like fun.” Scootaloo says, cheering up again. “Race you!” She breaks into a run and I stumble a bit but manage to keep up.
“You’re pretty fast, Thorn.”
“Fast enough to beat you!” I put on a burst of speed.
And somehow, we both end up at the café at the same time.
“Who won?” I pant. Scootaloo shakes her head.
“I think we tied.” She looks over at the tables outside. “It’s a really nice day. Let’s sit outside.” I nod in agreement and we trot over to the tables. The chairs are comfortable piles of hay. Not the pointy kind, but the soft kind that you line foals' beds with.
Simultaneously, I hear our stomachs growl. We look at each other sheepishly and wait for our waiter to take our order. While we wait, we talk animatedly about all kinds of things. Those things that just pop up in conversations when you’re really comfortable with somepony.
“Hey Thorn, I’ve told you about me. How about you tell me about you?” Scootaloo says. At that moment my horn sparks again and Scootaloo, knowing me, dodges the energy as it crackles in her direction.
“I’m so sorry! Nice dodge, though.” I say. Scootaloo looks proud of herself.
“I’ve learned from watching Rainbow Dash dodge clouds.” She says. “Now go ahead with your story.”
I take a deep breath and tell myself firmly that this will ultimately be good for me, even though it hurts.
“It all started back in magic kindergarten--”
“Magic kindergarten? Isn’t that reserved for especially gifted foals? Wow, that’s so cool, Thorn!”
I laugh shakily. “Yeah, gifted. Dad noticed my talent as a small foal, he says. Apparently I passed their test with flying colors, whatever that meant, and I got into this special school or whatever. But it’s not wonderful unless you’re the best in the class. If you’re anything less than the best, the most talented unicorns use their wicked magic to boss you around.”
“Let me guess; you weren’t the best in the class?”
“How could I even try? I don’t remember anything before my first day of magic kindergarten, but that first day is one of those things I can never erase from my mind. As soon as I walked in the door this prissy little filly--no offense but it’s always a filly--came up to me and said “My name is Fancy Glimmer and I challenge you to a Magic Battle.” Here, Scootaloo interrupts me with a loud guffaw.
“I’m sorry, Thorn, but Fancy Glimmer? That’s priceless!” And then Scootaloo is overtaken by her laughter. Hearing her laugh at the unicorn that has haunted me all these years, I feel just a little better. A little.
“So anyways, I said something stupid and pathetic like ‘But my mommy doesn’t let me get into fights.” Mother never told me not to get in fights. Do I look like I’d ever get into a fight? I don’t know what made me say that, but I said a bunch of other pathetic things I’d rather forget too. Anyway, Fancy Glimmer--she called herself Fancy and she talked to herself in third person—started doing this amazing unicorn magic for her age and she was just clumsily controlling it and was about to hit me with it when the teacher put up a shield around me. Then she told off Fancy and she and her gang walked away, glaring at me the whole time. After that, Fancy started some rumor about me being the teacher’s pet and in those days that was detrimental to any social life because nopony wants to be the teacher’s pet. Needless to say, I didn’t make any friends at magic kindergarten and I never really learned how to use my magic or talk to others. I finally got withdrawn from the school one day when Dad picked me up from school after he saw me being bullied by Fancy for the last time. It was really cool what he did, actually. He’s a painter, and he does this cool thing where he can make a paint-like essence in the air and he covered Fancy in paint. He’s so immature. He cleaned her off again, though, and then we all left Canterlot that afternoon.” I sigh.
“So that’s why you were so afraid of all the ponies here.” Scootaloo says, understanding running through her face thankfully. I feel a little bit of pressure I hadn’t been aware of lift from me then.
“So you came here from Canterlot; was it a major change?” Scootaloo continued.
“Actually, we went to Trottingham after Canterlot, so it wasn’t that big of a change. There is, however, a completely different dialect here.”
“Yeah, I thought there was something foreign about you.”
“I’m told I use big words; do I?”
“Now that you mention it, I guess you do kinda. But I’m usually able to figure out what you’re saying. So, two high class places, huh? And then Ponyville. What brought along that change?”
“Well, it wasn’t my doing. It wasn’t anypony in my family’s doing at all. I’m not exactly sure, but I think my teacher in Trottingham sent some sort of letter to Miss Cheerilee requesting I be transferred here. I bet it was because of the things that were happening in school there.”
“Like what?”
At that moment, my horn sparked some more. “Do I really need to explain? The other ponies were all afraid of me. How could I possibly try to fit in?” I realize my tone has grown bitter. Just like the good old days…
Scootaloo notices it too. “Well I’m glad you came to Ponyville. It’s a lot friendlier here.”
“You mean it’s more phony.” I mutter. Then I realize what I’ve just said. “I’m sorry! I just got really depressed there for a second!” I want to just forget that. I want to forget it!
But Scootaloo looks more concerned than I want her to be.
“Thorn, when I first saw you, I knew you needed a friend. I just didn’t realize how badly.”
