“Attention students! We have a new student today!” Screamed Ms. Clop Bottom as she smiles brightly at us in the small space we call a classroom. My classmates went into a small chorus of murmurs and whispers before Ms. Clop Bottom coughed loudly to grab our attention again. She looked at us with her yellow eyes and her spiky pink hair was fluttering slightly from the breeze coming from the window beside her desk. Everyone was in a massive uproar with talks about the new student. It was the common type of gossip we have at school besides trivial things school related or interpersonal. I didn’t very much care for the talk and just looked straight ahead to the Ms. Clop Bottom
“Yes yes. I know how exciting it must be to have a new student coming in, but you still must behave. Anyway. This young filly came all the way from Trottingham and she is very shy. I hope you all can give her a warm welcome...quietly.” Ms. Clopbottom said as she smiled a toothy grin that always made me cringe. I looked over to my classmates and then back to the door.
“Without further ado, come on in Different Beauty!” Ms. Clopbottom said as she moved to the side and pointed to the door. At first, there was nothing but the sound of wind blowing and creaky desks being shifted side by side. After a few minutes, a lone purple hoof came in through the door and then another one painstakingly slower than the first one. I looked at this whole scene of a body slowly coming in at a snail’s pace with mild irritation because this takes being shy to a whole new level.
Eventually the body of a filly came into full view and my eyes immediately went to the bag on her head.
I looked at her features a bit more, like her cutie mark is that of a magnifying glass. Nothing else was more presentable to me besides her head covered by a brown bag. I felt sweat drip down my forehead as I stared in confusion at the new student and I began to think of why she is covering her head.
“Dude what the hell is with the brownie on her head?” My friend Firebank whispered to me as he scooted his desk closer to mine.
“Don’t know bro. Maybe she is just super shy.” I said stretch my arms.
“Bet you she isn’t as shy as you when your mom comes by class.” Firebank giggled as I reeled back in embarrassment.
“It. was. One. time.” I said as the memory of my mom delivering my lunch to me resurfaced.
“Yeah, but it was all we needed.” Firebank said as he giggled at my demise.
He is my best friend. Have been since we met in Bruch as toddlers. He always had a fiery personality when it comes to jokes and wise cracks, but he is a colt of good manners overall.
“Yeah well, I don’t wanna hear that from the colt dating Cash Stacks! Mr. Trophy colt.” I said with some venom.
“She’s hot! In a...certain kind of way..” Firebanks says and fails at defending his girlfriend.
My head turned back to the front as the new girl started to introduce herself to the class.
“Hi...I’m””
“What is she saying?”
“Is she even breathing?”
“What is that?”
My classmates started to whisper again at the new girl’s behaviour and I sighed as these comments aren't helping the new girl at all. Even if she is speaking in a low volume.
“Sorry dearie, but can you please speak up a bit?” Ms. Clopbottom said with an encouraging smile.
“My name is..Different Beauty and-”
“GAHH! Can you please say it louder! This is embarrassing!” A shrill voice behind me shouted as my ears recoiled in pain.
“Ms. Stacks!” Ms. Clop Bottom shouted at the rude outburst.
“Honestly, are you a damn mouse? Are you having a bad day? Speak the hell up!” The snobby voice screeched again as I covered my ears. Totally ignoring the teacher.
“Ms. Stacks! Refrain from using those words! Just be freaking patient!” Ms. Clopbottom says as she glared at the filly behind me.
“Fine! I can’t wait to be a granny before we learn her name.” The loud girl yelled as I uncovered my ears and sighed in annoyance.
“And don’t THINK I didn’t see you cover your ears Arbiter!” A sharp kick hit the lower back of my body and sucked in air sharply as the pain subsided. I growled and looked behind myself at the peach colored filly.
“Screw you Cash Stacks. Stop being such a bitch for once.” I whispered to her as she smiled evilly at me.
“Only when you grow some balls, bitch.” She said once again and smiled triumphantly as she knew I wasn’t able to do anything but endure her nonsense. This nasty little hellion’s name is Cash Stacks. She is the daughter of a rich oil mogul in our small town. Her dad has a strong position in the railroad industry of Equestria and is responsible for the coal supply and oil for the trains moving parts. When Equestria started to urbanize a bit for the sake of business and transportation of materials, her dad stepped up to the cause and cut a deal with the government in the form of monarch bonds. All it gave us was a snobby filly whose father wanted to teach her humility before she can even lick a single bit. Her dad is super cool, but she? A hot burning coal.
I sighed and looked at the new girl still struggling to say her name over the volume of yelling fillies and colts at her taking too long. The annoyance in the room became increasingly apparent and the volume reached a strong apex. Finally Ms. Clopbottom lost her patience.
“EVERYPONY just quiet down! Ms. Beauty. It is ok if you don’t wish to introduce yourself to the class formally, but keep in mind that shyness has no place in the real social world. So for now, I will let you introduce yourself via interactions with the student body.” Ms. Clopbottom then turns to us as she fixes her blouse from her outburst. “And if I catch any mischief or bullying reported from Ms. Beauty because of her shyness, then this class won’t be allowed outside lunch time.” Ms. Clopbottom said this to everyone, but her eyes were directed to Cash Stacks, who responded with a huff and a pout.
“Now then. Ms. Beauty, if you would be so merciful as to take a seat next to Arbiter please. I promise he won’t bite.” Ms. Clopbottom said as I looked up at the mention of my name. Different Beauty made her way over to my row in the class with her bag covered head fluttering while she walked. All eyes were on her and the pressure was so intense that I felt it, even though it wasn’t directed at me. The seat was next to mine on the left and was at the window in the middle row. I looked to see Beauty walk through the clutter of students and chairs, and as she was nearing the desk next to mine she was tripped by the rich filly behind me.
“Ahh!” I heard her scream as I saw her topple besides me. So I tried to catch her and I did just in time as we fell to the ground together.
Are you ok?” I asked Beauty and her bag covered head lifted up, I am guessing she can see me through the crudely cut out eye holes in the front that I just now noticed on her facial area and said nothing.
“I-I’m fine. Thank you...Arbiter” Beauty mumbled the last part of her sentence and I just nodded dumbly.
As the moment passed, we looked down to see our position and it was-
“Damn Arbiter! You just met her and she is already in your lap?!?” The class erupted into laughter as we both looked down at our position. My face lit up like a furnace in a brick oven as I was sitting, but she was straddling my waist like we are a young honeymoon couple. I started saying apologies and she returned them as well. Ms. Clopbottom didn’t let this go unnoticed of course.
“Quiet down students. Quite! Down!!! Such inappropriate behavior and slander from an innocently good deed. Mr. Arbiter and Ms. Beauty. I will let this slide this once as it is an accident, but please be careful next time ok?” The teacher finished as she walked over to her desk and Different Beauty gave me one last look behind her bag covered face before getting off of my lap, issuing another apology, and sitting at her desk.
I got up as well and started to think about what just happened. It was no less a shitty prank from Cash Stacks, but it felt...almost natural that she was in my lap. Her body felt super soft and it was a bit squishy. Her smell was very sweet and-
I gotta stop thinking gross thoughts. I sat down at my desk and tried to cover my blush covered face as the class started to resume.
“Now without further delay. Today we are covering PEMDAS. Please open your books to pages 122 and…”
The rest of the school day goes without a hitch and everything was the usual. The same smell of school air: full of fresh paint and cheap student scents from students; buzzing lights above our heads because they haven’t been replaced for 20 or plus years; female students acting like grown ass mares when they are the same age as the rest of us highschoolers. Nepotism and intelligence can be unpleasant this age in school. My favorite time of school was lunch because it is the ground where we can be our true selves for all to see. You can put up fronts in classes, but any bullshit you really have on your person is normally brought out at lunch and recess. Where the world can see you for who and what you are.
So I sit at my normal table of which has me, Firebank, and another colt named Anchor. We are just sitting at the “Strange Table.”A nickname given as a gift from Cash Stacks because it's in the corner and opposite from the serving area. We like it that way.
Firebank and I were talking about games like Iron Souls, Call of Cathulu, and Tartarus. It was about the hardest difficulty, hidden bosses, and lore. We were having a blast until a loud “clunk” was heard in the middle of the lunch hall. We turned our heads to see that Different Beauty had food all over her bag and Cash Stacks was laughing as she was saying rude statements. Students all turned their heads to the epicenter of the event and some even started to form a circle.
“Watch where you are going next time, bitch.” Cash Stack said snobbishly as she looked at Beauty condescendingly.
“I am sorry” Beauty replied
“Sorry? You almost got that food on my coat! All you have to say is your sorry?!?” Cash Stack now fully turned to Beauty and is now glaring her with a full look of disdain. Me and my friends were watching the event unfold before us and we were frozen.
“I..I am-”
“‘I..I...I am’ a filly who requires special treatment! Who can’t even speak with confidence without stuttering. You think you can just waltz in and pity your way out of this situation? You think you can play meek and quiet as if you are gonna be forgiven? Huh?” Cash Stack said as she moved in closer to Beauty and applied pressure on her. I slowly started to move into the scene because I found this whole thing not fair. To bully someone who is down, to belittle them because they can’t fight back themselves, it disgusts me. As soon as I started to get up however, I saw a flash of red move faster than and grabbed Cash Stack by her forearm and yanked her away from Different Beauty.
“Dammit Cashie! Stop bullying her! She is new and she said it was an accident.” Firebank reprimanded Cash Stack.
“But babe! She is a klutz! The bitch should have watched where she was going! Maybe if she took off the bag she-” Firebank shakes her head as he turned to Cash and glared at her.
“Cash. Stop. You are making yourself into a bully and I know you aren’t cruel. So apologize to her now please.” Firebank said as Cash Stack looked at him as if he was crazy. Firebanks gave her a stare and she caved in eventually. The rest was said at an inaudible level for me to hear, but I am guessing the situation was resolved. I walked over to Different Beauty and I overheard Firebank saying thanks to Cash Stack for the apology. I looked at her and she was a mess: Her bag has grease stains and oil from the tomato sauce on it, her coat had the rest of the tomato soup on her and she had vegetables all over her. I felt empathy for her as It reminded me of my first day and I had the same situation with my bully.
So I did the one thing I never had when I was a freshman. I offered her my hoof.
“Beauty? Can you stand? Come on, I’ll take you to the girl’s bathroom.” I said as I extended my hoof and her bag covered head was looking at the ground. I repeated my offering again and she turned her head away from me.
“Beauty?” I asked before I heard her whisper something to me.
“Why are you being nice to me? Why are you...kind?” She asked me in a whisper and I smiled as I gave my answer.
“Well when I was in elementary school, I was bullied because my name was in common speech. It was stupid, but ponies always try to find something to make them feel superior and I was the fuel to their egos. I instead tried to find fun where I could when they tried to put me down. I was never offered kindness when I was there, but...I don’t wish that pain on anyone else. Call me a fictional character, but its my moral way!” I said with a proud smile as Different Beauty looked at me through the eye holes in her bag. She doesn’t move for a few seconds before taking my hoof and I getting up on her hooves.
“OK! Now let’s get you cleaned up.” I said as we walked hoof in hoof out of the cafeteria. We walked through the school, past the brussels of students hanging in the halls, and we made it to the bathrooms. I stopped outside of the ladies room and let go of her hoof.
“Ok Beauty. I’ll wait for you outside here.” I said as I let go of her hoof, but instead she grabbed it tightly and didn’t let go.
“Uh..Beauty?” I said as I tried to let go, but her grip wouldn’t let up.
“I..can’t go alone. Can you please...come in with me?” Beauty said as she turned her bag covered head away from me.
“Can I-You mean?” I said as I turned to the door with the clear sign of a mare on the door and turned back to Beauty as she said the one word I couldn’t believe I would hear.
“Yes please.” Different Beauty said with the characteristic soft voice as I swallowed a knot in my throat. I looked around and gave it a few thoughts.
‘Ok. A filly just asked you to go in the fillies room with her. She wants to bring you to the bathroom where the girls have...have privacy and girly talk. But she is shy and can’t go in on her own, but if I get caught...I would get beaten to a pulp, called a pervert, and much worse. Expelled!’ I thought as I turned to Beauty and bit my lip.
‘Ok.. Imma turn her down. That’s right! Turn her down...Turn her…’
Beauty grabs my arm and asks again nicely in a heavenly sweet voice that felt like a soft violin to your ears. I felt weightless as beauty dragged into the mares bathroom.
I look around for a moment and the bathroom is the same, just more stalls and the smells are different. I look at Different Beauty as she goes to the sinks and turns on a faucet. She actually starts to lift her bag before letting it fall down and she turns to me.
“I am sorry for this but...I hope you can go into the stall as I take off my mask?” Beauty said to me and I looked at her like she is a dumbass wondering why she would request that. Before I ask her, she goes on to say.
“I have to do something private and it is embarrassing. Please for 10 minutes?” Different asked me again and I just nodded my head and obliged her odd request and went to the stall and locked the door.
Little to say about being stuck in a stale, it was awkward. The tight space that the stale offered wasn’t too bad, but the other parts of the fillies room atmosphere made me uncomfortable. The slight smell of urine and funk from the uses of the bathroom by the female student body mixed with the strong perfumes was nauseating. The crude graffiti on the walls that called other fillies sluts by name, threats of stealing boyfriends, and even some silent love confessions gave the stale a worn look. My senses heightened every time I hear hoof steps near the door or Different Beauty pacing back and forth because of my presence here. That was probably the worst kind of tension I am forced to deal with in my opinion.
But through all of that, I endured for Different Beauty. It is her first day and if I was her and bullied by Cash Stacks, then i would be afraid to use the bathroom my damn self as well. I still don’t see what Firebanks sees in her as a girlfriend. Spoiled rotten and is mean to those inferior to her. Guess being born rich and nepotism can do that to a pony.
Minutes passed by and the bell rang which signaled the end of lunch. I was sweating gold bricks as the possibility of getting caught grew in volume and I whispered to Different Beauty.
“Beauty. Lunch is over and we need to go now!” I said in a scared voice.
“I’m not done yet. Just a little bit longer.” I heard her talk back as I started to shake and sweat more. Trapped in this stall. A few voices by my classmates can be heard outside of the door and more and more the chances of getting caught increased. My fears were finally answered as I heard that bathroom door open up and with it a similar loud voice shrieked in the bathroom.
“She’s here! She’s here!” A filly yelled out loud as I heard a shuffling noise in the bathroom. I instinctively climbed up on the toilet seat as quietly as possible and covered my mouth with my left hoof. The toilet seat is slightly loose and it moves around as I try to balance myself on it. I am praying to whatever natural force in the wild that the girls don’t find me there. Luckily, I found my equilibrium and the toilet didn’t squeak or shuffle as I stood on it awkwardly on my hind legs. The scene became more tense as the voices from the girl’s raised to a loud volume. Then I heard one voice that I didn’t hear. The voice of Cash Stacks.
“Well. If it isn’t the messy slob who can look where she is going.” Cash Stacks said as the door closed with a loud thud. I was breathing rapidly and my heart would not slow down. I look down to see that the shadows of the fillies and Different Beauty is directly in front of me.
“You know you should really be careful about where you are going. You almost ruined my nicely groomed coat. My mom spent her whole weekly paycheck on it for me to look nice for my Coltfriend and school. I was so scared of getting even a SPECK of dust on me because...She beats me you know?” Cash Stacks said as my eyes widened. I knew that Cash Stacks was spoiled rotten, but she has to endure that?
“I know, I know. Rich kid getting beaten by a rich parent. It isn’t something new in the world’s eyes. But it's something I have to live with day in and day out. You know what it is like? Some parents call it a right of passage because it prepares their kids for the harsh world. It toughens the skin and makes you heartless because you are the most valuable to get taken advantage of. Being the check to everyone who has less is what makes you such a viable target. Nepotism, relations, wealth? It's yours. You own it. It is something you gotta live with in life.”
I heard Cash Stacks explain her reasoning and life’s story to the occupants in the bathroom. While it is plausible a backstory and a good sob for those who are empathic, I know in my heart that this is a blatant lie. A cruel ruse to trick someone into feeling sorry for you. It is a common trick bullies like to use on their victims to justify their actions. My blood began to boil as Cash Stacks has shamefully made up this sick story to excuse herself from her consequences. Its-
“You are the worst filly to have ever walked the earth, Cash Stacks”
I heard Different Beauty said behind the door.
I heard a few gasps and retreating hooves as the shadows moved away from the door. I continued listening to the exchange as best I could.
“You truly are awful. You really expect me to believe in such a fake story? You think that gives you the right to be mean? To act cruel? To boast your superiority on everyone because you are a rich kid who has mommy issues? You are beyond awful, Cash Stacks. No wonder Firebank pities you.”
“Excuse me?!?!”
“I know when a pony has hidden feelings and objectives because it's my special talent. I analyze people based on their body language and tone of speech. I can tell you that Firebank is dating you because he believes that it will make you less awful of a pony. If kindness is shown to you, then maybe you would grow a soul. But no.. You are just naturally unsatisfied with the blessings the world has gifted you. You are angry that you don’t have control over other ponies' momentary bliss. You wish you can be carefree and just flow by life as you please; drinking a soda and being happy the whole day instead of planning moves that may get you to be happy. Well guess what: You won’t ever be happy because you aren’t happy with yourself. You feel so sorry that you lack what others have that you want to control the flow of their lives with your pathetic pranks and cheap abuses of power. You wanna talk about having bad parents? There are parents in this world that have birthed you just to abandon you. Leaving you with nothing. So your pathetic pranks have nothing on those who just have tougher skin than you, Cash Stacks”
“W-w-w-what..”
“‘What do I know? I am just a poor girl with a bag on her head?’” I heard Different Beauty replied
“What do-Shut up! Shut the fuck up! You don’t know me, so stop acting like you do bitch!” I heard Cash Stacks say as I heard her breathing hard.
“‘Bitch.’ What a weak word to comeback with. It is usual to hear you use it, you have no options of retaliation left and you want to belittle ponies because you are in the losing spot. How about these: Cock sucker, slut, whore, mouth-breather? You are just a riot. So imma do you a favor. How about I steal Firebank from you and treat him like a better colt? How about I treasure him like a filly would instead of using him as a leg up to the class. I bet you will lose your shit when it happens. In fact, I bet you are losing your shit now because you know it is true and will happen because of your negligence.” Different Beauty finished her statement and the bathroom laid silent.
“I bet...that if he saw my face, then he would leave your sorry butt for good.” I heard Different Beauty said before I heard a bag hit the floor.
No one was able to say a word or make any sound because of how tense that last statement was. It has completely shattered the pride inside of Cash Stacks that has been built up for years in this school. No comeback was needed. Different Beauty did not say another word, but the illusion of her character has been broken. She isn’t some sweet girl with a nice voice and a cute demeanor about life. No.. She has shown her true colors to me and all in the bathroom in just a few sentences spoken that was unexpected. The sweet demeanor of the newly added girl to the school was demolished in an instant and it was mind breaking for me. You can never assume somepony of their image because they fit a stereotype, but the stereotype is what normal ponies have to assume you fit by how you present yourself on the surface. The mask you use to hide your ugliness from the world that you wanna keep out. I still refuse to believe that Different Beauty is this kind of filly. I would say something smart as well if I had the guts to bullshit my bully. The genuine sound of her words however...makes it hard for me to fully accept this as a falsehood of courage to get Cash Stacks off of her back.
“You...slutty...dumb BITCH!!” I heard Cash Stacks yell before I hear a set of gasps and yells in the bathroom. I heard shuffling and sounds of fleshy thuds. The yells and screams in front of me came from both Cash Stacks and Different Beauty as the sound of hitting echoed in the bathroom.
Then I heard and saw the sound of blood splatter.
Sweat began to fall down my brow as the sound of blood splatter and hits increased. Girly yells increasing in volume until I heard a sound I didn’t wish to remember. I heard the sound of something glass shattering and then the thud of a body hitting the ground after that. A stampede of hooves left the bathroom as they ran out screaming from the grotesque fight. I can only see the shadows from behind the stall and then I heard more dialogue.
“You bitch.. You slut..” After that slight whisper, I heard the sound that reminded me of a meat being cut deep to the bone. The sound over and over again. Shink Shink Shink was all I heard for about a minute as I stood on top of the toilet frozen. I became anxious as the sound continued and then after about another minute, I busted out of the stall to see what had happened.
I saw blood. Blood all over the scene. The red and thick liquid decorated all over the bathroom and floor. The rich smell of iron filling my lungs as I started to regain my senses. The part that made me lose my breath was the purple limbs hanging outside of the blood. The body of the new filly that joined our school was in a horrific state. The bag that was on her head was soaked with her body’s life force and I gazed at the face of Different Beauty: It was covered in deep stabs and blood, making her face undetectable. No one has seen her face besides the jealous filly who had her pathetic pride broken by having her insecurities poked at is sitting on top of Different Beauty. Her wide smile was the most unsettling sight I had seen that beats all other minor uncomfortable ones. Her hoof gripped the shard of glass with pride and her eyes were bloodshot and hungry for more blood. She was a monster. A...monster who was enjoying her grave sin. I yelled out Different Beauty’s name as I vomited and cried at the atrocity. It was fair to her for her to go out this way because she never had a chance. It wasn’t right for her to be harmed for being innocent. After that, the teachers came with the two girls to see the scene. I remember the sick laughter and cheers Cash Stacks yelled when Different Beauty wasn’t moving and responding.
It has been two years since that incident in the bathroom and the mutilation of Different Beauty, however there was hope. After that incident in the bathroom, Different Beauty was rushed to the hospital and received medical care. I heard from students that she was gonna pull through and recover from the attacks made by Cash Stacks. Cash Stacks was sent to a juvenile detention center for bad kids. She was only there for about 27 days where she was killed. The news report says that she was stabbed to death by a blunt object the other imprisoned kid was hiding in his bed. She snapped as she was a paranoid sleeper known for clawing her own face to stay awake. The news of both of these incidents was too much for my mom and she transferred me to another school in Ponyville and am living with my aunt and uncle.
I was just done going to school one day when I walked home to the outskirts of Ponyville. I stayed away from my fellow students because I was the weird one out and they know me as “the colt from the stab school.” I wanted to be left alone as they were assuming untrue things about me that they didn’t know.
Like the secret that I must carry for the rest of my life.
When I went to the funeral...It was so surreal the body being buried in the earth and the sermons being said. I stood there for hours and visited the grave everyday because I thought about how she must have felt. The pain and the fear..not having a single pony to rely on. What I am about to say to you who are reading my diary now is the thing I never should have seen.
One day after I was visiting her grave when I was visiting home from Ponyville…
..her grave was moving. Rather...the earth was moving. I stood back shocked as I watched in sick awe and fear.. I pissed myself on the spot as the shifting of the ground continued and continued. The pale grass that grew over it turned black with the color of dirt and soil. The smell of fleshy iron is clear as day and when I saw the hoof come out of the ground, I rushed to pull her out.
But I made a grave mistake...As I pulled on the hoof of what I thought was my friend, I saw an abomination come out of the ground. A set of faces I cannot recognize was growing out of the cuts and bruises and mutilations that were once there. Turning the orifices into new flesh and faces which in turn grew into multiple bodies of a filly that I thought I saw die before me.
Inwardly, I was going insane at the looks on those growing faces. For you non-believers, she was growing new bodies from her wombs like how a Starfish grows a detached limb. The looks of multiple emotions on those faces drove me closer to impulsive insanity.
Looks of fear
Hate
Sadness
Sadistic happiness
Perverse joy
Depression
Disappointment.
All twisted in the flesh as the mound continues to climb out of its grave. As if my misfortune wasn’t enough, I heard her speak to me in that voice… That voice that draws me closer to her… the voice of someone different that I didn’t know I longed for..
“Hi Arbiter…”
The voice that broke me as the scene was too much.
I never wanted her dead.
But now I did.
How I wish..she was dead..
A filly named Different Beauty...
