Empathy

by Wise Cracker

Rating: everyone
Tags: Cutie Mark Crusaders, Rarity, Rumble, Diamond Tiara, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Silver Spoon
Length: 7433

Rarity hears Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon have been saying some mean things. She takes action, as only Rarity could.

There are things you just don't say. Some lines you just don't cross, ever. The reason you don't cross them is because of empathy: you know how bad it feels to hear certain things, and you know you wouldn't like it if you heard it yourself. This is a view not shared by everypony.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon crossed the line. Rarity learns of it. Rarity is not amused.

Everypony draws their line in the sand somewhere.

Disclaimer: contains Rarity in a state of barely lucid rage as well as the use of harsh words. Also Cheerilee being as effective as she is in the show, on average. If you do not enjoy episodes like Ponyville Confidential or any other episode where ponies talk harshly to each other, chances are this'll ruffle some feathers.

If this resembles real life situations or anyone you know, this is not the author's intent nor the author's problem.

Added notice 10/12/13: No, not based on any Season 4 storyline or spoilers, it's an old idea. The spoiler just prompted the publishing.

Added 2021 notice: please check the author's notes before commenting, chances are you'll find some answers there.

Published 2013-07-22 19:20:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-07-22 19:20:02 UTC

Enough

Enough

Rarity groaned in frustration. She’d been working in her atelier all afternoon, and while the result wasn’t a total fiasco, she couldn’t help but think her latest endeavour lacked her usual fabulousness. Then again, she wasn’t used to doing children’s fashion, and she’d never gotten around to acquiring foal-sized mannequins. She was beginning to think that she’d been asked to design new sports uniforms just as a revenge for one of her trips to Canterlot. She was sure she’d antagonised a principal of some school or another during Twilight’s birthday. Barring that, her friends might have, but that would have been grossly unfair: it’s not like it was her fault Rainbow Dash was too enthusiastic a croquet player.

She held up the three pieces in her magic and took a step back. On the left, the pegasus racing shirt hung; a single piece of dark blue fabric modelled after the uniforms of the Wonderbolt cadets. As requested, she’d made some adaptations to the design to make it look less like the originals she’d seen and more child-friendly. The jagged edges of yellow along the belly, shoulders and neck were replaced with a more neutral grey cloud pattern, and she’d added short sleeves for the front legs, to keep those sensitive areas warm. It was, as far as she could tell, a fine design for any pegasus racing team to adopt and replicate. But it still looked off.

In the middle, she had the purple wizard’s outfit. A simple cowl with some minor decorations on the neck, along with the logo of the school on the back, it’d look alright to any crowd witnessing a classic magic duel. Whether or not it looked alright to its creator was a different debate altogether.

And finally, the Earth pony outfit. As near as she could tell from the original designs she’d been sent, this was to be some sort of weightlifting or wrestling singlet. Again she’d gone for blue, again she’d used the form-fitting fabric of the racing uniform and tried to stitch some decorations to it, but the fact of the matter was she’d ended up discarding all the options. Nothing looked like it properly belonged in these uniforms. There was simply no way she could make these things without a model to present them, without some reference as to what it would look like in action.

The bell rang, and for a moment her prayers seemed answered. She rushed downstairs with a smile of relief and answered the door.

“Sweetie Belle, your timing is impeccable. I --” She fell silent when she opened the door. Staring up at her were three colts: a golden unicorn with an aquamarine mane and tail (she hated it when ponies called that ‘sea-green’), a greyish white pegasus with a dark grey mane and tail, and a small, white Earth pony with a brown mane and tail as well as brown patches on his left eye, chest, his bottom, and his right hind hoof.

“Umm, Miss Rarity?” Pipsqueak’s ears flattened, and he fidgeted ever so slightly. “We were wondering if you could help us. We’ve got a bit of a problem.”

“A problem? And you’d like me to help? Are you sure you’ve got the right mare, darling?” Rarity raised an eyebrow, surprised.

“We don’t really know who else to ask,” Snails admitted. “We didn’t think anypony else would understand, and if they did, they wouldn’t want to help anyway.”

“Come now, it can’t be that bad. What would you possibly need to ask me that you can’t ask Cheerilee?” Rarity was serious about the question: there weren’t a lot of problems she knew boys had that she could help with.

Snails and Pipsqueak both turned to Rumble. The pegasus colt sighed. “It’s a girl problem.”

Not quite the answer I had in mind. “Well... I could use your help too, actually. I’m trying to make these sports uniforms for a very prestigious school in Canterlot, but I’m in need of some models.” Rarity smiled as brightly and as innocently as she could while she tried to rope the colts into what she knew would go against every fibre of their being. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to model for me while I hear you out?”

The fact that they agreed didn’t alert Rarity’s suspicion. The fact that they agreed so quickly didn’t bother her, either. The fact that, even after what must have been an hour or two, none of them protested or even spoke while she went back and forth to her work table and kept on pulling them in and out of the things, that’s what started to worry her. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when she was finally finished, but the boys’ continued patience was starting to look more like desperation than chivalry.

Still, she had to admire the results for just a moment when she was done. The pegasus racing uniform was vastly improved by separating the cloud pattern into one on the lower belly and one around the neck, giving Rumble some more emphasis on his chest area. The wizard’s cloak on Snails had looked fine before, but the added reinforcements on the sides would give any competitor some more volume along the shoulders, not to mention keep the rest of the thing from tripping him up. And the wrestling singlet on Pipsqueak just needed a few accentuating lines along the length of his limbs, made him look a little bigger. All in all, each uniform would perform as it needed to, it was a simple enough design for each -- and she’d remembered to write them down, thankfully -- to fabricate more copies easily, and they could all be delivered with Rarity’s seal of approval.

“Thank you so much, boys.” Rarity got them out of the getups with a twinkle of her horn, then folded the uniforms neatly in her hooves. “Now, what did you want to talk to me about?”

“Um, you know everypony is doing this group work and they have to get a grownup to come to class?” Pipsqueak started.

Rarity tapped her chin.“Yes, Cheerilee was telling me about it the other day. It was something about explaining how cutie marks work with practical examples. Sweetie Belle and her friends brought Rainbow Dash, didn’t they?”

“Sort of, yeah,” Pip replied.

Rarity realised what they were getting at. “And you three want me to come to class and talk about my cutie mark? Because of girl troubles? I don’t think I follow, boys. Rumble, why not get your big brother instead? I’m sure he has good stories about the Wonderbolt Academy. What do you need me for?”

Rumble bit his lower lip before spilling the beans. “It’s Diamond Tiara. She’s been saying some mean things and, well... we’re not really sure what to do about it. Silver Spoon, too, but it’s Diamond who started it. She always starts it.”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Darling, that girl says mean things all the time. What has she been saying now?”

“We can’t say,” Snails piped in. “We don’t wanna be snitches, and it’s not a nice thing to repeat anyhow. It’s just wrong, and they shouldn’t be allowed to say that to a pony.”

Rarity considered it for a moment. “Alright, then, what was your first idea to fix it? Aside from telling a grownup?”

The three boys shared a look, then Rumble shrugged. “Pipsqueak said we should tell her to stop and make her apologise, Snails thought we should just let it go and try to wait until Diamond gets bored.”

The tone in his voice caused Rarity some concern. She knew Rumble to be a nice boy, but he sounded a touch resentful, angry, even. The fact that he didn’t look her in the eye when he said it wasn’t a good sign, either. “And what was your initial response, Rumble?”

Rumble clenched his jaw and snorted. “I wanted to hurt her. And I still do. I know that’s wrong, but she’s doing worse and she’s getting Silver Spoon into it, too. She can’t just go saying what she’s saying like it’s normal, it’s not right.”

Though taken aback by the admission, Rarity nodded. “Good. It’s very mature of you to know that violence isn’t the answer. And I understand that sometimes you want to hurt ponies because they hurt you, but...” She closed her eyes as, for the briefest moment, the image of Rainbow Dash flashed through her head. “No matter how badly you feel a pony is behaving, you shouldn’t go doing something that you know will hurt her.”

“So we can’t do anything, ever?” Snails protested.

“I didn’t say that, darling.” Rarity held up a hoof to stop him. “When someone is out to get you, when somepony really goes out of their way to hurt you or somepony you care about, and you have no other choice, it’s alright to fight back. You can defend yourself, within reason. But boys like you shouldn’t get into fights with a girl; you’re stronger than she is, and you’re still growing. You don’t know what kind of damage you might cause if you lose your temper.”

“But what are we supposed to do about Diamond Tiara if we can’t get her to stop? She’s not going to listen to us,” Rumble noted.

Rarity sighed. “Really, boys? You’re worried about what that girl is saying about you? Fine gentlecolts like you shouldn’t need to feel bothered by the likes of her.” She nodded towards Rumble. “Rumble, did I hear Rainbow Dash right when she said you trained with the adults for that waterspout up to Cloudsdale?”

The boy nodded slowly, looking away. “Uh huh. And I was there the day they did it. I kind of, sort of, helped, a little.”

“And did I hear Twilight right when she called your wingpower ‘exceptional’ and when she called you ‘a future Weather Patrol captain, at least’?” Rarity persisted.

Rumble smiled and blushed. “She did say something like that, once my wings recovered. Showed me a chart and everything.”

“Yes, she does that, sometimes.” Rarity let her gaze fall on the Earth pony. “Pipsqueak, I seem to recall Cheerilee telling me you’ve been taking drama lessons, and from what I hear you’re quite the actor. Did you not audition for a play in Canterlot and land a part on your first try?”

Pipsqueak shuffled nervously on the spot. “Umm, yes, ma’am, but it wasn’t a big part. All I had to do was stand around and say my lines.”

“That’s how many great artists start, darling, and the fact that you got into a professional stage performance proves that you have a real skill. There aren’t a lot of foals your age who can say they’ve been on a Canterlot stage.”

He kicked the ground shyly. “I guess that’s true.”

Rarity chuckled at the last boy. “And Snails, don’t think I haven’t heard your mother talking about you at the spa.”

Snails cowered before her.

Rarity just smiled coyly. “She told me about the test results, you know. Is it true your magical stamina is as high as Shining Armour’s was at your age? That you are, as they put it, as a powerful as a prince?”

Pip and Rumble both stared at their friend. Apparently he’d been omitting that particular detail from their conversations. He blushed. “Umm, yeah, it’s true. I’m a slow burner, the doctor said, but I can hold things for really long. Things just stick for me, I guess.”

“Well, then, that’s more than enough reason not to let some silly girl bother you. You’ve already proven you have admirable talent, even if you don’t all have your cutie marks yet. So if Diamond Tiara starts mocking you again, you just remind her of that.” Rarity turned and started packing up the uniforms in a box, along with the notes on the designs.

Pipsqueak nudged Snails. Snails nudged Rumble. “Tell her.”

“Tell me what, dears?”

Rumble sighed in defeat. “Thank you for saying that, Miss Rarity, really. It’s easy to forget that you’re good at something when somepony keeps saying how bad you are at other things. But... we didn’t come here for ourselves. It’s not us Diamond Tiara’s upset.”

Rarity turned to face them. “You’re here for my sister and her friends. Is this about that beauty pageant cutie mark they were trying to get? Did Diamond Tiara say something about it?”

They nodded, and she was overwhelmed with an urge to pick them up and hug them on the spot. Thankfully, she did manage to keep her composure. “Oh, boys, that’s really sweet of you, and chivalrous, but there’s no need to worry. I know Sweetie Belle’s been a little down in the dumps, and Scootaloo being sick doesn’t help matters, but I know my sister and she’s made of sturdier stuff than that. A simple beauty pageant won’t break her spirit, even if she doesn’t win. If things really get to her, she’ll let me or mother know. Trust me; it’s happened before, she’ll be fine.”

The boys fell silent. They looked at one another, unsure of who should be the one to speak.

It didn’t take Rarity long to realise why. “Wait a moment. Are you here because my little sister doesn’t want me to know about this?”

They gulped. Snails looked at the ceiling, Pipsqueak looked at the ground, Rumble took a deep breath and nodded. “It’s bad. It’s really bad, and we want to fix it. This can’t keep happening and we want it to stop. We just don’t know how.”

Rarity regarded the boy. Where the other two seemed to be irritated by the situation, Rumble looked downright outraged. His ears stood on end, along with the hairs on his neck. Rarity noticed the little twitch on the left of his jawline, something she’d seen on his big brother. It was never a good sign.

Something must have gone very wrong to upset him like that.

Behind her, with a bit of magic, Rarity’s package sealed itself and floated down on her desk, ready to be delivered first thing in the morning. She could feel her heart sinking and her jaw trying to clench. She closed her eyes, determined not to start shouting or make a scene that would terrify the boys. It took all her force of will to stay calm, but Rarity managed it, as a proper lady would. “Boys, I realise there’s a code to follow, but I need to know; just how bad are things?”

Snails and Pip took a step back, a shiver ran down their spine as Opalescence woke up from her nap on the bed and bolted down the stairs. Anger and hate began to fill the air, a definite wrongness in the room’s atmosphere that set off every self-preservation instinct they had.

Rumble, true to form, weathered the invisible storm of emotion. “Bad enough to really hurt, and bad enough to hurt forever if no one does anything about it.”

Rarity slowly closed in on the boys and leaned in to the only one who wasn’t terrified of a unicorn’s fury. “Then tell me, Rumble, and tell me exactly: what did those girls say?”

Rarity put up her best smile as she heard Cheerilee announce her arrival. She strode in with perfect grace and let her eyes wander over the classroom. Sure enough, Sweetie Belle winced when she saw her sister, and Apple Bloom followed suit. The lone empty seat in the classroom drew her eye, though.

“Alright then, boys and girls: I am Rarity, and I’m here to talk about my cutie mark and my talents. I make clothes for a living, usually fabulous dresses, but I’ve been known to branch out to other areas. You might know me from some of my ensembles for the Grand Galloping Gala, or some of the fashion shows my work has starred in. I suppose you’ll be most familiar with the gem-encrusted dresses Sapphire Shores wore for her latest tour; those were on the front page of every newspaper for a while.”

A few of the foals nodded, Sweetie Belle shot Diamond a confident look. The pink filly didn’t pay it any heed.

“However, you may note my cutie mark does not show any needle or thread.” Rarity turned to present her flank and the sapphires imprinted on them. “I have three sapphires for my cutie mark, which is also a design resembling the Element of Generosity. Yet my job only rarely entails working with gems, I use a needle and thread far more often, but still I don’t have that as a cutie mark and I have a great talent for it. Do you know how that is possible, class?”

All the foals in class remained silent, too scared to answer. It bothered her for a little bit, but Rarity then realised they were probably getting used to long-winded answers from boring grownups by now.

“Perhaps you’ll understand if you know how I got it. I suffered a magical surge when I was about your age. I’d been working on a set of costumes for a school play, and the frustration affected my magic, as it is wont to do for a young unicorn. I was dragged all the way out of town, until I reached a giant stone in the mountains.”

Sweetie Belle raised her hoof. “One thing I never understood: did mom and dad just let you get dragged off?”

“No, of course not. The pull of a unicorn’s horn really isn’t strong enough to put up a fight if you don’t want it to cart you off. But it can keep on pulling steadily for a very long time, so mother decided I should follow the pull, and she’d be at my side. She was standing right beside me when I reached the rock. When the pulling stopped, she thought it meant I’d be a world-class sculptor one day.” Rarity grimaced as she recalled it. “Can you imagine me being stuck using a crude hammer and chisel and being surrounded by dust all day?”

Rarity stopped herself from ranting when she noticed Rumble’s worried expression. “In any event, right after we reached it, the stone was torn asunder by a shockwave in the sky. Something tingled in my horn, mother held me close for protection, and when I looked up, I saw all these beautiful gems. The stone was a geode, you see: ugly on the outside, but beauty hidden within. Quite the eye opener, I assure you. Do you think I could have gotten this cutie mark from that experience?”

Again, no answer came. They all smiled, though, which she took as a positive.

“No, I did not. Nor did I get my cutie mark from fixing those gems to the costumes I’d been working on. I didn’t even get it when I showed them to my parents.”

The class became a mix of confusion and contemplation as they all tried to work it out.

“I got my cutie mark the moment my teacher told me I’d done a good job, when I was told I had made something fabulous. Right at that moment, I knew that I wanted to create beauty. And I cannot remember ever not having a knack for that, not before or after I got it. My talent is not gems or fashion, it is beauty. What I have for a cutie mark are sapphires, gemstones that are reputed to have healing powers, especially with regards to the eyes. It’s a symbol for how beauty can make the sight of a weary world easier to bear, if you believe in that sort of thing. Even though my cutie mark might suggest I’m merely a gem miner, you should never forget that a cutie mark’s true meaning is only ever known to the pony wearing it, and even then they can make mistakes.”

They were all smiles by now, including the blank flanks of the class and Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

Now for the grand finale.

“And speaking of beauty, I hear that some of you are going to be trying out for the Little Princess Beauty Pageant coming in a few weeks. I’m very curious to see how you’ll all fare. Raise your hooves if you are, please?”

Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle all raised a hoof.

Rarity cocked an eyebrow at Diamond and Silver. “Diamond Tiara? Silver Spoon? You are going to be competing too?”

“We sure are,” Diamond replied. “We still need to work out a routine, but we can do it.”

It took all of Rarity’s might to stop from blasting the girls into the back wall right then and there. Instead, she steeled herself and made a cold rock of her heart. She flashed the pair a kind-looking but hollow smile. “Well, I must say, I’m a bit surprised at that, dear.”

Silver Spoon frowned. “Why?”

Rarity waved the question away. “Oh, no particular reason. It’s very brave of you to want to compete with the normal fillies.”

Diamond’s eyes went wide. “Normal? We are normal, we’re better than normal!”

“Of course, darling, keep telling yourself that. Never lose hope, after all, always keep on trying,” Rarity insisted.

“What are you talking about?” Silver Spoon added.

“Oh, I’m sorry, did I hit a sore spot? I should think you’d have coped by now, seeing how I keep hearing about your confident attitude and leadership. Especially you, Diamond Tiara; it’s very noble of you to comfort your friend the way you do.”

“Comfort her about what? There’s nothing wrong with us.” Diamond met the mare’s piercing eyes, but wavered after a moment.

Rarity just kept on smiling. “Of course there isn’t, darling. Nothing is wrong with you, you’re just... differently abled, that’s all.”

Silence fell. Cheerilee started walking towards Rarity. “I don’t think I like where this is going, Rarity.”

Rarity kept up her bright smile, still hiding her outrage. “Come now, no need to be shy about it. We all accept you just the way you are. Like I said, it’s very brave of you to want to compete with normal ponies.”

Silver Spoon winced. Even Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were starting to look apprehensive at Rarity’s language.

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s obvious to me, darlings. I see you around, I know what you do. My little sister there tells me how you two never seem to play games with the other foals. You do not run, you do not bolt or jump. You don’t do acrobatics, neither of you has any affinity for working the land or handling animals. And correct me if I’m wrong, but... neither of you are particularly strong, are you?”

Diamond and Silver stared up at the mare as she came closer.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t know, you must have. Little Apple Bloom can already buck apples with her sister, and that’s without a cutie mark. I’ve seen Pipsqueak bolting around the marketplace, bobbing and weaving through the crowds like a professional showpony. Really, girls, at your age you should be a lot stronger and faster already. But you’re not, are you? And you know what that means.”

Cheerilee stepped in and put a hoof in front of Rarity’s neck. “That’s enough, Rarity. I can’t let you say this kind of thing to them. I’m their teacher, it’s my responsibility to punish them if they’ve done something wrong.”

Rarity forced the hoof and its owner away by merely glaring. “If memory serves, Cheerilee, when my little sister slipped you into my boutique and had you wreck my front door, it was you who meted out her punishment without consulting me. I believe you owe me one.”

The two girls cowered in their seats. Silver Spoon’s lips were quivering. “Y-you’re lying. Earth ponies aren’t all strong, or all farmers.”

“You’re right, not all of them are. Some of them are different, like you,” Rarity replied calmly. “You’re just weaker than normal Earth ponies, and slower. And you don’t have an Earth pony’s innate talents. But don’t worry, I’m sure you’re not completely useless. Bright girls like you, you’ll find something to compensate.”

“Stop saying that!” Diamond Tiara screamed. “We just haven’t grown into it yet, we’re not...”

Rarity clenched her jaws together. “Not... what, darling? Disabled? Handicapped for life?”

Diamond Tiara sobbed. “That. We’re not that.”

Rarity scowled. “And how would you know? You’re clearly not like the other Earth ponies in class. You’re the only Earth ponies who are behind on the others. That must mean something is wrong with you, no?”

Diamond shook her head. “It does not.”

“Really? Then why is it, I wonder, that none of the Earth ponies in your class are speaking up to prove me wrong?” Rarity looked around, getting no response. “They all know it, darling: you’ll never be a proper Earth pony. You’ll never have their strength, their skills... it’s just not in the cards, there’s nothing you can do about it, and you know it.”

“That’s not true,” Silver Spoon insisted. “We get, like, medical exams and everything. If there was something wrong with us, they’d have told us by now.”

“Oh?” Rarity backed away. “You can’t be that sure of it, if I can make you doubt it so easily.”

The girl wiped her glasses, any excuse to not have to look at the intimidating mare. “Well, it just --” She stopped when she realised what was happening.

Rarity softened her tone a notch. “It hurts, doesn’t it, when someone can make you doubt like that? Just a few simple words, and your whole life, your whole future, it can all come tumbling down. Just because someone who doesn’t know what they’re talking about decides to put those awful ideas into your head.”

The foals in class shuffled nervously in their seats. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom looked sympathetic with the bullies.

Diamond sighed. “Why would you say something like that?”

“I don’t know, darling. Why did you?”

“What?”

“Scootaloo is at home, right now, with the Feather Flu, and she has been for the past week or so. Have you seen her? I doubt you have. The girl’s become an absolute wreck. Her friends keep visiting her, Rainbow Dash checks up on her like clockwork, Pinkie Pie has been trying every party trick and joke she knows, yet nothing has lightened her mood. Can you image Scootaloo, of all ponies, getting depressed?”

Diamond Tiara scowled. “It can’t be that bad.”

“You don’t mean that, darling, not anymore: you know it can be that bad. Scootaloo is talking about giving up, did you know that? She doesn’t even want to eat anymore, she doesn’t like Rainbow’s stories, all the life’s just gone out of her. And why? Because you put it into her head that she’ll never fly. Because you made her doubt everypony around her who kept telling her she was fine. You said she was ‘so brave’ to want to keep going as a pegasus who can’t fly, and she believed you. Just like you believed me. The only reason you didn’t see the damage you caused is because she can’t come to class now.”

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon shrank before the verbal lashing.

Rarity wouldn’t let up. “I’ve known Scootaloo for some time now, and while I don’t appreciate her teaching my little sister bad habits, I am rather fond of the girl. She’s got a good heart and a lot of spirit, not unlike some ponies very near and dear to me. You two have gotten away with a lot of beastly things in your time, but when you crush a little filly’s spirit just for your own enjoyment, I draw my line in the sand. Now, you two are going to march up to Scootaloo’s place and apologise. And don’t even try asking me ‘Or else?’, darlings. I’m not offering this as an option. There is no ‘Or else’. Is that clear?”

They both nodded in abject terror. The bell sounded.

Rarity turned with a flourish. “Ah, right on time. A lady is always punctual, after all. Anypony have any more questions?”

Silence reigned over the classroom.

“Then I bid you adieu, my dears.”

Like the silence after the storm, she was gone. Just like that, the mood lifted. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon still sat transfixed, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had to catch their breath, and the three boys who’d invited Rarity were wide-eyed at the result of their little intervention.

Rainbow Dash was just leaving when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon arrived. “Oh. It’s you.”

The girls winced. A yellow pegasus mare with a light green mane bade Rainbow farewell, before turning to the pair. She had a sword with a red mark in the middle laying on an anvil for a cutie mark, but what that meant, they could only guess. “Can I help you two?”

“Umm, we’re here for Scootaloo,” Silver Spoon started. “We need to talk to her.”

“Alright, then. Just be careful; she’s still a little under the weather.” The mare led them into the house and up the stairs before stopping in front of Scootaloo’s room.

What they saw when they entered was something they’d sooner expected to see in a colt’s bedroom. There were no dolls, only action figures. There weren’t any pink princess toys lying about, just one or two Daring Do figurines on the desk. The light blue walls weren’t adorned with flower patterns, but with bolts, both of the lightning and Wonder variety. Even Scootaloo’s bedsheets were a dark blue instead of the lighter pinks that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon slept in.

Honestly, the only thing missing from this colt’s bedroom was the colt. Scootaloo looked at the girls as they entered. “Oh, it’s you.”

“Your friends here said they wanted to talk to you. Do you need anything?” The mare asked.

Scootaloo smiled weakly. “No, mom, it’s okay.”

Diamond Tiara kept glancing behind her after Scootaloo’s mom closed the door. Neither of them had ever seen that mare around town, not even to drop Scootaloo off for school.

“What do you want?” Scootaloo got out of bed, presumably after a long nap.

They gasped when they saw her body. Her legs looked gangly, her wings were all ruffled up and shedding feathers, and they could see her ribs poke out from under her musculature as she breathed.

Diamond Tiara winced. “What happened to you?”

Scootaloo coughed, then burped. “Feather Flu. It’s not so bad if you can just rest up, but if you don’t, it can mess you up. I didn’t rest when I started coughing, so here I am.”

The consequences dawned on the girls. Diamond Tiara couldn’t stand to look at her for a moment. “Oh.”

Scootaloo scowled. “Oh, don’t tell me you’re sorry just because I’m sick. The stuff you said to me made want to stop trying; I wouldn’t be in this mess if I’d listened to you from the start.”

“No, but... we’re here to, like, apologise for what we said,” Silver Spoon hastily added. “It was wrong and we didn’t mean it.”

Diamond Tiara nodded. “Yeah. We want to apologise.”

Bleary-eyed, Scootaloo sat down and crossed her forelegs in front of her chest. “Alright. Let’s hear it.”

Diamond looked to Silver. “What?”

“Say you’re sorry for what you said, then get out.” Scootaloo glared at the two.

“We’re sorry,” the two said in unison.

“Good. Now please leave, I don’t want to get my germs all over you.”

“Don’t worry; we can’t get sick,” Diamond offered.

“No, but you might rub it off on other pegasus ponies who can.” The answer cut through them like a knife. Even as they turned to leave, they couldn’t shake the feeling of uneasiness Rarity had left them with.

Diamond Tiara sighed, stopped and turned back. “Wait. What did the doctor say?”

Scootaloo groaned. “He told me to get lots of rest, stick to fluids, and keep a bucket near my bed just in case. I’m getting better, I’ll be back in school in a few days. You can get back to laughing at me then. Not like I’ll have anything better to do.”

Silver Spoon raised an eyebrow. “Wait, you’re not going to give up, are you?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “Why shouldn’t I? I’m a pegasus pony who can’t fly, just like you said. Nothing I do is going to change that. So why do anything?”

Diamond Tiara gulped at the girl’s rising anger. “I didn’t mean it like that. What did the doctor say about your wings? About you... you know... flying.”

Scootaloo gritted her teeth. “He didn’t say anything. He just said that it’s on my record and if it doesn’t change in three years, I’d get pills.”

“So...” Silver Spoon started, “you are going to fly eventually?”

“How should I know? Maybe I will, maybe I won't. There’s no way to tell right now,” Scootaloo panted and rubbed her eyes. “It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters.”

Diamond Tiara sighed. “I’m sorry.”

Scootaloo shot her an angry glare. “What?”

“I’m sorry, too,” Silver Spoon agreed.

Scootaloo snorted. “You already said that. Why are you still here?”

“So you’d know we mean it. Rarity came to class today and... we didn’t know what we were saying. We didn’t know how much it hurt. Me and Silver Spoon agree that we went out of line. We didn’t want you to... you know...” Diamond Tiara tried her best to keep looking her in the eyes, but she found it harder by the second. Scootaloo just looked so wasted, and she'd never seen the girl in a mood like that. It unnerved her.

Scootaloo burped again and rubbed her sore stomach. “Get upset? Yes, you did. That's the only reason you ever speak to me in the first place. You always do this, and you always get away with it. And you’re never sorry. Why is this time any different?”

“Because now we know how it feels,” Silver Spoon replied. “Rarity said some awful, awful things to us, and it wasn’t until she stopped that we realised it was the same things we’d been saying to you.”

Diamond Tiara nodded, her head lowered in guilt. “We made you think you were handicapped, even though Rainbow Dash never said you were and none of the medical checkups ever told you anything about it. And... we know pegasus ponies can’t fly when their spirits are down, we heard about Fluttershy a couple of days before we... you know... We knew saying that kind of thing would keep you on the ground even more.”

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. “So you just said that so I wouldn’t get my act together for the beauty pageant? You said... that, just so you’d have a better of chance of winning?”

The two looked at one another for a moment.

Silver Spoon smiled nervously and blushed. “Yeah, I guess that’s why.”

“We’d still like it if you joined the pageant,” Diamond offered. “You probably won’t win, or get your cutie mark, but...” Scootaloo’s glare cut her off. “At least you’d be doing something. We don’t want you to just give up on all the stuff you do, or your friends. You’re not totally lame all the time. Sometimes you do things that are fun to watch, and if you do something we like too, we might end up having fun together. For a little while.”

Scootaloo snorted, then smiled. “You know, for as long as I’ve known you, I think that’s the first genuinely nice thing you’ve ever said to me.”

They smiled.

“And I think you really should leave now before you wreck it.”

Diamond nodded. “O-okay. We’ll see you in school later, then.”

“See you in school. And err... hope you get well soon, and stuff,” Silver Spoon stammered, before quickly making good her escape along with her friend.

Scootaloo waited until she heard the front door close before exiting her room. Her mother was flying next to the top of the stairs to check up on her. “What was all that about?”

Scootaloo chuckled, then coughed. “You know those bullies I was telling you about? That was them.”

“Oh, and you couldn’t tell me? Sweetie, I had my knife collection all polished and ready to show off.”

Scootaloo shook her head as she walked down the stairs. “It’s okay, mom. Rarity talked to them, they came to apologise. I don’t think we’re friends now, but...” The tiniest of smiles crept up her lips. “I think I’m okay with it.”

Scootaloo’s mom set down as she reached the bottom of the stairs.“So no more talk about giving up? You’re not going to stop practising when you get better?”

She looked up and shrugged. “I’ve got no real reason to think it won’t work, right?”

The girl found herself pulled into a tight hug, one that made her sweat even more than the fever already did. The mare rubbed her daughter’s back lovingly. “That’s my girl.”

Scootaloo’s ears perked. “There’s just one thing I don’t understand.”

“What’s that?”

“Why would Rarity stick up for me like that?”

Rumble lay on his back, enjoying the sun. He ran over his mental checklist again.

Three laps of running around the sports field. Check.

Five laps of slow flying to warm up. Check.

Three at top speed to get sweaty. Check.

Four laps to cool down. Check.

Twenty wing pushups. Well, I can only do nine, but that’s still pretty good. Check.

Thirty ab crunches. My stomach still hurts. Check.

Stretching routine. Check.

Post-workout nap. Five more minutes won’t hurt.

A shadow appeared to block out his sunlight. He blinked and looked up at the filly who’d snuck up on him, but he was too tired to get up. “Hey, Scootaloo. All better now?”

She smiled broadly. “Yup; it took nine days, but I’m better. The doctor said I was clear to go, and I’m not contagious anymore, either.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it; I’ve had the Feather Flu already. So what are you doing here?”

Scootaloo’s smile turned coy and her hoof stroked over his mane as he lay there. “I just thought I’d drop by to thank you. Thank you.”

Rumble blushed at the affection. “Umm... if you mean the thing with Rarity, that was Pip and Snails, too.”

“I know. I noticed how angry you were when Diamond and Silver said all those things about me. Even if you didn’t speak up, at least you looked like you wouldn’t stand for it. I appreciate that.” She stopped messing his mane up. Rumble noticed that, even though she claimed to be feeling better, Scootaloo smelled incredibly sweaty and her breath sounded slightly ragged.

“Well, okay, then. You’re welcome.”

Scootaloo chuckled. “I wasn’t thanking you for the Rarity thing. I wanted to say thanks for caring.”

His blush intensified. “What do you mean?”

“I saw you when you came to my place. Apple Bloom told me how angry you got when you found out I was ready to give up. She said you wanted to beat Diamond up for it. Even if it is just a principle thing for you, I still appreciate it. A lot. So thanks for sticking up for me, I owe you one.”

“Don’t mention it. Are you still going to do that beauty pageant?”

She gagged. “My mom says I really should, now that I’ve lost some baby fat, whatever that means. I’m signed up, but I don’t think I’ll enjoy it that much. Except maybe the talent part: I’ve got this wicked new move I’m working on. All I need is my scooter, a tank of water and a killer whale.”

The boy’s ears folded back as the picture formed. “Sounds fun. Just, um, don’t let things get to you again, if you can?”

“I won’t. Thanks again.” She backed off, letting Rumble get up.

As his hooves pushed into the surface he was lying on, a thought occurred to him. “Wait a second, this is a cloud. How did you get up here?”

Scootaloo took a deep breath and looked over the edge. “With a lot more tries than I’ll get going down. Look out below!” She flapped her buzzing wings like a hummingbird’s and jumped.

In the time it took Rumble to get to the edge and look down, she was already on the ground, waving up.

“Don’t worry! I’m okay!”

Rumble flew down to walk beside her. “Not as easy as it looks, huh?”

Scootaloo shrugged. “No, but I’ll manage. All I really need is time.”

The End.

Author's Note

Well, this was just a random idea in between fic projects. It's not based on any spoilers, mind you: the original idea was Scootaloo being faced with the notion of being handicapped and offered a magic potion by Zecora. Eventually she'd just confront DT and SP and say she's not sick and doesn't need medicine. The 'brave' line was always going to be the thing that starts this story, basically. I don't remember when I had the idea first, but it was pretty early in my fimfiction run, so sometime around winter, last year.

While the original was not a bad idea, it didn't allow for any real character building. Scootaloo goes from being confident to being slightly shaken to being confident again. Here, she goes from being confident (in the show) to depressed.to confident and trying again. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had zero character development in the original idea, in this one they don't become friends but at least they acknowledge the CMC are worth something in their eyes. For all the bad things they do, they'd miss having them around if they finally cracked.

I'm not sure if this story is too telly, it feels a bit telly to me. But it's a good kind of telly, I think. The big picture forms in time, because that's how an adult tends to see a child's problem: they don't see what happens in the classroom, they don't hear the little stabs of the playground. The reader doesn't learn about the outrageous events until after the characters have responded. Kind of like a Ponyville resident would only hear of Scootaloo's depression after Rarity tells off the girls in front of class. That's the effect I'm going for, and being telly is part and parcel to that.

The views of the characters aren't the views of the author. Never thought I'd have to say that for a pony fic, but there you are. Won't be arguing in the comments anymore. I'm tired of arguing.

Edit of 2021: no, this was never meant as an anti-bullying pamphlet. No, Rarity was never a mouthpiece for me. No, the 'you owe me' line wasn't a veiled threat: it was meant to be a sequel hook wherein Cheerilee describes a similar situation in her childhood, which Rarity witnessed. No, I don't want people doing readings of it.

Once I got down to expanding the concept, this story was really written as an exercise, to try and do something fast in a flurry of creativity. It took, if I'm remembering correctly, two days to write and three to edit. Other times I've done this have been one-day or one-week affairs, but those never caught on. Regardless, its intent was to serve as an experiment in rewarding outrage generation, which become a hot topic at the time of the initial writing.

In retrospect, I hate how well it worked. This story should have been a wakeup call for me, but it wasn't. It laid bare some issues within the fandom I hoped to address one day, and hinted at problems that would grow far greater, and have. It opened up some of the latent toxicity with a person I once considered a friend.

So yes, I have grown to dislike this story over the years. As far as I'm concerned, it's inferior in every way to my more recent work, it's on par with my first few stories from when I was finding my feet and even worse than my pre-pony stories, which were never published. Yes, if I do start deleting things, this thing will be top of the list of things to scrub. And no, I don't intend on a sequel, nor will I sign off on others doing one.