The Rise of Starlight Glimmer

"Hey... Um, you okay?" asked Leafgray while they were walking to their next class.

"Oh yeah sure... I guess" said Starlight. "It's just that I'm kind of disappointed that I didn't get my cutie mark" she lied.

"A cutie mark in stealing other ponies ones? That would be what you want?"

"I don't... know. It didn't feel THAT bad. Plus she got what she deserved and..." Starlight stopped speaking and turned to him" I mean, It didn't disappear! You heard what Mrs.Trinity said! Just a hallucination".

Leafgray looked at her, hurt.

"Please don't lie to me. I saw what happened and it did disappear for a short period of time. It's okay to tell me I can keep a secret."

"Thanks and sorry. Did I look evil? I mean does that make me evil ?"

Leafgray was embarrassed. His new friend DID look evil now but he certainly didn't want to hurt her feelings or lie.

"Well... Yeah kind of but that doesn't mean you have to do evil stuff or that you are" he said gently.

"Okay um... Thanks Leafgray" Starlight whispered and turned away. But Leafgray had the time to see a tear in her eyes.

Three months later it had gotten worse, much much worse. Starlight had never gotten any magic surges again but Leafgray and her were bullied. Very, very bullied.

When Orangeleaf's sister had been feeling better, she started complaining about how much her flank still hurt while the other ponies exaggerated the story every time they had a chance to. Now, Starlight had yelled at Orangelime that she was the stupidest filly in all equestria, then she fired several blasts of black magic at her laughing to finally cower in front of the teacher when she realized that she had wanted to kill a sweet and innocent filly. At first Starlight and Leafgray fought against those lies but realized it was no use so they just let it happen. Perhaps Darklick was the "nicest" because he would never laugh as hard or invent stuff about her for some reason.

Life was a gray mess. The only things Starlight cared about were Leafgray and her studies. Even her family was never the answer. Her sister still hated her and for a few weeks now, her mother and father were fighting a lot.

Yep. That's me. Having to have to hide from bullies at school and living in a broken family. Ha! What a life, Starlight thought with anger while walking towards the exit of the building. She stopped to stare at her reflection in the windows. Tired eyes, ears down and a frown on her face she certainly was a sight. Starlight shook her head and trotted outside in the sun, feeling the fresh air against her.

After class was the best time of the day! She would teleport in a nearby tree where no pony ever found her and would wait for Leafgray to plan fun stuff to do. He was the best friend ever. Maybe one day they would be more than friends?

Starlight teleported onto one of the branches and a few seconds later, Leafgray appeared next to her. He always went back home before their secret meetings to put his saddle bag down, first of all because the less weight he was carrying, the better his magic was and also, his house was only a few minutes away.

"Hey!" Starlight said brightly,"I've got a great thing for us to do cause I saw a nest in the..."

She stopped and frowned at her friend. He wasn't jumping up and down or smiling excitedly. He was just... sitting there, his head down.

"Uh... You okay Leafgray?" she asked, concerned.

He looked up and she noticed a few tears in his eyes.

"Starlight I... I can't do this anymore. Every day I get bullied! Every single day is a new way to cower back in front of some stupid ponies. I can't take it. Please I need to get away from all of this."

Shocked, she looked at the pleading eyes in front of her. Never had she seen some pony so sad and... broken. Sure Leafgray was taunted a little more than her but there would be no reason for him to be this sad. Unless, something else had happened.

"What happened Leafgray?" Starlight asked feeling a shiver run up her back. "What happened at your house?"

"I was... I WAS ADOPTED" he screamed, tears in his eyes and rolling down his cheeks.

For a moment, Starlight just stared at him, processing what he had just said. Then she realized and took her friend in her arms without really thinking. He cried for a few minutes in her shoulder and then explained that his mother and father were divorcing (maybe that was going to happen to Starlight too!) and that they had just said that he was adopted when he got back home.

"But maybe they were angry and said it like that?" Starlight said, still hugging her friend.

"No because my mom was shocked that my dad said that and immediately stopped fighting. Then my dad said that I had to know one day and I ran strait to here. I think my mom was crying after" he sobbed.

"Don't you worry Leafgray! I promise that one day, no pony will be all sad and lonely! Every pony will be happy and have a good friend to rely on!" Starlight said"And, I won't ever leave you Leafgray, thats a promise. I mean it!".

"Yeah... Thanks Starlight, that's really nice of you" he answered.

But what if I leave you? thought Leafgray as he smiled at her.

The next day Leafgray didn't go to class. Nor the day after. Or the day after that.

At first Starlight thought that he would stay in his house for a couple of days to recover but started to get worried on the third day.

It was one o'clock, the time for the classes to start again. Starlight wasn't very happy.

At lunchtime, she had tried to approach the little purple unicorn that she had seen with the princess on her first day but she was reading and didn't seem to care about making a new friend.

So Starlight was in a bad mood as she sat down for her History of Equestria class. The chair next to her was empty...

"Oh! Careful guys! Heres the blank flank. Get away from her or she might blast your flank away!" said Clearwater hastily.

"What happened to your little friend there Starfright? What was his name again?" Orangeleaf asked her sister.

"Oh uh... Lamegray!" Orangelime said, pretending to think.

"Yeah Lamegray, thats it! So where is he? Did he get tired of you and move away?"

"I certainly would" whisperer-shouted Darklick, almost fearful.

"Ugh baby!" Clearwater said, nudging him.

Starlight didn't care about anything they said except for the "Leafgray moving away" part. He wouldn't have done that right?

Their teacher arrived and behind him stood... Princess Celestia! Every filly and colt gasped and they all bowed.

"Oh there's no need for that my little ponies" she said smiling. "I have just come here to deliver some news".

Her face darkened and she looked a little short of words.

"As most of you must have seen, your classmate Leafgray has not been here for the last few days. I am in the deep regret to tell you that he won't be at the school for... a very long time".

Starlight's eyes widened.

"B... But why?" she asked tears in her eyes.

Princess Celestia looked at her with some kind of loving and sad look.

"Your friend Leafgray has committed suicide. He was found yesterday night."