Drawn by Pain

Ever wonder why ponies pick on other ponies that don’t see eye to eye with each other? It’s weird because in Equestria every pony is different. So you would think that every pony would be respected. Well the exception lies with Sapphire Rose. Why? Well Sapphire Rose isn’t just a crystal pony she is also a unicorn. And with her skill level Princess Celestia always told her that she should be an alicorn by now. But Sapphire guessed that being an alicorn wasn’t within the cards she was dealt.

Being teased day in and day out by the colts and fillies at Princess Celestia’s School of Unicorn Magic was no easy thing to deal with. Also, every day Sapphire would beg her parents to home school her but they would hear nothing of it. They wanted her to go to school like a proper pony. So in obeying her parents she went to school like she was supposed to. But that didn’t make the bullying stop.

Jade Jester was certainly one of Sapphire’s bullies. Every day around the same time at school he would walk up to Sapphire and call her nasty and mean names. One the names that Jade Jester would call her was Dumbfire. Sapphire hated that name in particular and Jade Jester knew it. So he would use that name every chance he got.

Things weren’t much better even though Sapphire had someone stand up for her every time. It was like this stallion knew what was going to take place every day. Because he was there at the exact time every day. This stallion's name was Yellow Mask. And for some reason Yellow Mask had a pegasus that was hanging around him named Sunlight Swift. Not that Sapphire was jealous of Sunlight Swift, but she found herself more often wishing to herself that she was also a regular pointy like they were. But even though she wasn’t an alicorn she was still somewhat happy with who she was or at least she thought she was.

“Hi Dumbfire!” said a voice, just as Sapphire was walking down the hallway to her next class.

Sapphire turned around to see Jade Jester standing there with a big smirk on his face.

“What’s so funny?” Sapphire asked.

“You know for a crystal pony,” Jade Jester, “you look like you have disease with that horn.”

“That’s not funny Jade!” said another voice. It was the stallion who would stand up for her every day, Yellow Mask.

As usual Yellow Masks friend Sunlight Swift would be standing in the background just watching awkwardly not saying a thing.

“Who died and made you king?” Jade Jester asked.

“No one,” Yellow Mask said, “it’s not funny because it’s mean.”

“Oh really?” Jade Jester asked. “You want to be made fun of too? Because I need a new target.”

“Yup,” Yellow Mask said, “and you need to get some new content. No one likes to be the only laughing at their own jokes.”

“Grrr!” Jade Jester said as he shook his hoof at Yellow Mask. “Nevermind…”

With that Jade Jester turned around. Sapphire smiled and almost laughed herself. But when Sapphire went to thank Yellow Mask, he was gone.

“And the superhero leaves without a thank you again. Might just call him the Invisible Stallion instead.” Sapphire then shrugged and went off to her next class.

* * *

It was at the next class that Jade Jester got a chance to make fun of Sapphire again.

“Hey Sapphire,” Jade Jester said, “you grow another horn yet?”

Jade Jester then made the motions of banging on a drum as a signal that he just said it was a joke. Sapphire then rolled her eyes.

“Ha, Ha, Ha,” Sapphire said, “very funny...”

This is exactly why I want to be homeschooled… Sapphire thought.

Sapphire seemed to forget that Jade Jester's special talent was actually that he could read minds.

“Oops….” Sapphire said.

“Oops what?” Yellow asked.

“I’m sitting too close to him, that's what...” Sapphire said.

Then after that, class went by really fast. And Sapphire couldn’t have ran out the door any faster when the school bell rang.

* * *

The next day Yellow sat down to eat with his friend Sunlight Swift, who was a little more quieter than usual.

“What’s the matter Sunlight Swift?” Yellow asked.

“I told you over a million times Yellow Mask,” Sunlight Swift said, “you don’t have to call me by my full name. You can just call me Sunlight or Swift, or whichever one you prefer.”

“And just call me Yellow.” Yellow said.

“I did…” Sunlight said.

Yellow then rolled his eyes because he knew for a fact that Sunlight did call him Yellow Mask. He then went back to eating his daisy and hay fries sandwich that was smothered in his favorite salsa.

After Yellow had taken a bite of his sandwich, the beautiful tall crystal unicorn pony named Sapphire Rose came up to him. She didn’t do it every day but she did once and while if she could find them. Today she just happened to be lucky and found them.

Yellow smiled at Sapphire and as usual Sapphire gave a little squeak and hid behind her long mane. Yellow always hated it when Sapphire did that because he thought she was beautiful without her mane. Yellow Mask almost wanted Sapphire to cut her mane like Rarity, one of Princess Twilight’s friends did one time. But Sapphire had a beautiful mane, it was like a mix between Twilight Sparkle and Trixie’s mane. Sapphire definitely had a Fluttershy personality and that was what Yellow liked about her, but he would never tell Sunlight Swift that.

Sunlight smiled at Yellow as he looked at Sapphire with a bite of food in his mouth. It was like he knew Yellow was going to choke on his sandwich sometime soon.

“Yeah might want to swallow before you talk to her.” Sunlight laughed.
Apparently he found everything that was going to happen very amusing. Sunlight then patted Yellow on his flank just as Yellow was about to take another bite. Yellow then choked on his next bite when Sapphire came towards him.

“You okay?” Sapphire said clapping Yellow Mask on the back. “What’s your name again?”

“It’s Yellow Mask!” Yellow said after swallowing his sandwich finally.

At that comment Sunlight Swift couldn’t keep it in anymore. He was on his back howling with laughter.

“It’s not funny!" Sapphire stared intensely at Sunlight, "Um, whoever you are!”

Sunlight could tell by the tone of Sapphire’s voice that she was not kidding and then instead of staying around for the conflict he flew away.

* * *

Yellow Mask hung his head in embarrassment for his friend Sunlight Swift, watching as he flew away.

“Sorry about my friend Sunlight Swift…” Yellow Mask said.

“It’s okay,” Sapphire said, “I just wish he would’ve stayed to explain himself. And he would’ve gotten some yummy muffins too!”

“You mean, he also might’ve got a girlfriend?” Yellow Mask growled.

Sapphire then blushed and hid behind her mane again. Yellow then smiled at Sapphire and blushed too.

“What makes you think he’d want to be my colt friend anyway?” Sapphire asked.

“Oh,” Yellow said, “it’s just Sunlight finds you amusing or something.”

“I’d say or something…” Sapphire said.

“What do you mean?” Yellow asked.

“Well, you see this wedding band hanging around my neck?” Sapphire said.

“Yeah,” Yellow said, “what’s it mean?”

“Well,” Sapphire said, “it’s actually a love potion 🧪. It’s called Love Potion #36, created by Princess Celestia herself. The former ruler of Equestria. You know, I used to be her prodigy student after Princess Twilight left.”

“I didn’t know Love Potions could make wedding bands.” Yellow said.

“All of them do,” Sapphire said, “It depends on what kind of Love Potion you make. I just happen to be working alongside Princess Celestia to make this one. And trust me, I’ll find the right special somepony someday.”

“Wow,” Yellow whistled, “it’s nice that you put your faith in something that may or may not work.”

“What’s the word 'faith' mean?” Sapphire asked.

“I’m sworn to secrecy on that,” said Yellow, “Sunlight Swift doesn’t want me to tell you anything he knows.”

“And what does he know?” Sapphire asked.

“Long story…” Yellow said. “And I’m sworn to secrecy on a lot of stuff.”

“Oh okay…” Sapphire said.

Just then at that moment the bell rang to signal that lunch was over with. So Sapphire Rose and Yellow Mask agreed to talk another time. Secretly, Yellow Mask was starting to fall for Sapphire Rose.

* * *

Yellow Mask sat down with his study group that consisted of just him and Sunlight Swift and that’s the way they both preferred it. Sapphire Rose on the other hand preferred to sit alone, not a friend on site. Sunlight Swift knew why Sapphire was alone. Unlike Yellow Mask, Sunlight Swift had the ability to sense other ponies emotions. That would be considered his special talent, which to him was actually a curse and not a gift.

What Sunlight was most concerned about was the fact that Sapphire Rose, a very powerful unicorn crystal pony, didn’t have any friends at all, or at least it didn’t seem like she wanted any friends. She seemed to think that she was better off by herself or at least that’s what Sunlight Swift gathered from her. And that hurt him big time.

“What’s wrong?” Yellow Mask asked with a smile.

“Nothing...” Sunlight Swift sighed. “I just wonder why Sapphire feels that she needs to be alone. It hurts to know that," Sunlight looked at Yellow with a grin, "Wonder why she's not dating anypony?"

“Gag me…” Yellow said, pretending to choke.

“Shh,“ said Sunlight Swift, “Jade Jester is right over there!”

“Oh brother…” Yellow said.

So for the rest of the class Sunlight Swift remained quiet. He didn’t feel like talking anymore.

* * *

After school Sapphire's daily routine was also getting picked on by her sister Wildflower.

“Yeah know,” said Wildflower, “I think that Yellow Mask at school likes you!”

“No he doesn’t,” Sapphire said, “he was just curious about my necklace with my Love Potion hanging around my neck.”

“Oh please,” Wildflower said, “nobody’s curious about a love potion unless they’re interested and why he would be interested in you instead of a beautiful full unicorn like me. I don’t even know if we can classify you as a unicorn or a crystal pony! That nonsense shouldn’t even be allowed.”

“That’s enough!" said a voice.

Wildflower gasped and turned only to see their dad Texas Bluebell standing by the doorway listening to their conversation.

“Um…” said Wildflower, “Hi daddy…. How was work?”

“No time for that!” Texas Bluebell said. “Now what’s this I hear about some young Stallion liking you, Sapphire?”

“It’s nothing father…” Sapphire said.

“Yeah right,” said Wildflower, “this stallion stands up for her everyday because of Jade Jester.”

“Who’s Jade Jester?” Texas Bluebell asked.

“He’s a big bully and he only seems to pick on me and Sapphire,” Wildflower said.

“Well you I’m not worried about,” Texas Bluebell said, “you’ll find a stallion soon Wildflower, I know that." He pointed at Sapphire, "but it’s this one I’m concerned about.”

Sapphire sighed but deep down inside she smiled. She knew she would find someone, she just knew it. So she paid no attention to Wildflower.

“Let me see your necklace,” said Texas Bluebell, “I want to see if you’re making any progress with this.”

Sapphire then floated her love potion necklace over to her adoptive father. Texas Bluebell took the necklace and touched it with his hoof and smiled.

“What is it?” Sapphire asked..

“We’re making progress here!” Texas Bluebell said.

“Well that’s good," Sapphire said.

Wildflower then sighed while Texas Bluebell smiled and left. That was the end of that conversation. Sapphire sighed a happy sigh and went to bed.

* * *

Nestled on the Mountains of Canterlot was usually where Sapphire’s dreams took place. In these mountains Sapphire could be whatever she wanted. And what she really desired was to be either an earth pony or just a straight up unicorn. She did not like the fact that she was a crystal pony and a unicorn. It just didn’t make any sense.

“You know,” said a voice from behind Sapphire, “I never thought that being a dream keeper would be so difficult now that I've taken over Princess Luna’s job.”

Sapphire turned around only to see the ruler of Equestria herself, Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“Princess!” Sapphire gasped. Then she bowed as a sign of respect.

“No need for that My Little Pony,” said Princess Twilight, “this is a dream yeah know.”

“Yes Princess…” Sapphire said.

“So what are you going to do about Yellow Mask?” Princess Twilight asked.

“For now,” said Sapphire, “I’m not going to do anything about it. I’m not sure how to feel. My dad says we’re making progress on my love potion that Princess Celestia made. It’s funny how it’s been dormant until now.”

“Well I had the same problem,” said Princess Twilight, “Now I’m with Flash Century and he's the most beautiful stallion ever!”

“Ugh…” Sapphire said.

“What’s wrong?” Princess Twilight asked.

“A lot wrong,” Sapphire said. “I’m not in love with anyone and maybe I never will be.”

“Oh don’t worry,” said Princess Twilight, “you’ll find someone princess.”

“Princess?” Sapphire asked.

“It’s a long story,” said Princess Twilight, “I can sense when changes are coming. Trust me, I see good changes coming for you.”

With that remark Princess Twilight faded away from her dream and Sapphire woke up feeling very aggravated.