Acceptance

        Celestia's sun was shining through the window, Cheerilee was giving a lecture on the history of Cloudsdale and famous pegasi. Half the class was listening to their teacher taking down notes while others paid little attention and a few were just sitting at their desks glancing at the clock every now and again waiting for class to end.

Among the young fillies and colts sitting in the very back of the class was a single foal staring into the distance. He wasn't a pony like the rest of his classmates. No. He was a young changeling and he was in his changeling form.

He never focused his gaze to his teacher, though he did listen to her lectures, taking mentle notes for tests later on. Jeter was a good student, he kept his manners while in class, trying his best to ignore the rest of the class whispering to one another, calling him names like 'monster' or 'freak'. Everytime he did hear these names his blood boild and he wanted nothing more then to just jump out of his seet and tackle who ever insulted him.

Cheerilee had just finished her llecture and asked the class if anypony had any questions before calling it a day and letting her students go home. To nopony's surprise, Jeter's hoof was raised and Cheerilee smiled as she called out "Yes, Jeter?"

He lowered his hoof and, while keeping his eyes staring off into the distance, stood beside his desk to be seen. He heard all the other ponies whispering to each other saying things like 'it shouldn't be here, it's like totally a monster'. He gritted his teeth and bit his lower lip fighting back the urge to tackle that filly, then took a deep breath.

"Miss Cheerilee?" He asked. "Has there ever been a blind pegasus working in Cloudsdale?" The room was filled with whispers of ridicule and scoffing at the stupid question. No blind pegasus could work in Cloudsdale, it was impossible.

"Well Jeter," she began with a gentle smile she knew he would never see, but he could hear her tone. "... there have been occasions where a pegasus was blind and able to work in some areas of Cloudsdale. Though, it is extremely rare for such a thing to happen." The class exchanged whispers again, obviously in unbelief that here were blind pegasi in the sky.

"how did they do it?" Jeter asked. The class went silent and turned their attention to their teacher eager to learn more about this.

"well," Cheerilee started as she trotted over to her desk and grabbed a book and flipped through the pages. "A good example would be Thunder Storm. Thunder Storm was born blind so he never knew what it was like to see. He was determined to be able to work with clouds and so he focused on his remaining senses to be able to recognize the different clouds. How they felt, if they gave off any electrical sounds and how full of water they were by smelling the water within."

Jeter took every word Cheerilee spoke into heart, especially after she said Thunder was born blind. He never knew what it was like to see either.

"Thunder became a master in weather control and became head of the storm factory in Cloudsdale because of his skill in clouds without the use of his sight." Cheerilee finished.

As long as Jeter could remember he was blind and was abamdoned because of it. Damosel Dandelion found him alone at the edge of the Everfree Forest five four years ago and immediately took him in as her son and raised him like any other normal colt with the exception that he was a changeling and nopony else approved of this. Some even called the Princess in on the matter to take the child away and lock he up, or even execute him because he was a changeling. But, Celestia saw nothing wrong with Jeter, apart from the fact he was blind, and agreed to let Damosel raise him.

The bell rang to let everypony know it was time to go home. Cheerilee happily dismissed her class and all but Jeter bolted out the door. He sat on his seat waiting for the rest to leave before he got up, grabbed his saddlebags and began walking off toward the direction of the door.

"Jeter?" Came Cheerilee's gentle voice. Jeter stopped keeping his eyes locked in front of him as he would never be able to see her.

"Yes miss Cheerilee." He replied without turning from the door. He felt a gentle hoof on his shoulder as well as the energy of slight love she shared for all her students, even him.

"Are you alright?" She asked. He didn't reply, he just let out a long sigh as he let his head drop. He had gotten into a fight over the weekend with Golden Nugget for teasing him and calling him names. He would have walked away with anger, but Golden crossed the line when he said that Damosel shouldn't be a pony for taking him as her son. Of course, Jeter's punishment was less severe then Golden's as several of the others had confessed that Golden was the sorce of the commotion, not to mention Jeter was blind.

"I'm fine..." he said finally keeping his blind gaze down.

"Are you sure sweety? Cause I'm here for you if y-"

"I said I'm find!" He snapped. "I don't need anypony's help. I can take care of myselfe." He couldn't see it, but he knew Cheerilee flinched at his tone. Letting out a sigh he looked back to her direction, his eyes never met her. "I'm sorry miss Cheerilee..."

" It's okay Jeter." She stopped him. "I may not know what it's like to be different, but I know somepony who does. He lost everything close to him because his..." she trailed off with a sniff.

"You're talking about that pegasus who couldn't fly?" He asked. She started to nod, but remembering he couldn't see her she replied with a hushed 'yes'. Jeter wanted to go, but he waited patiently for her to excuse him when she was done crying. After a few minutes she calmed down.

"I'm sorry Jeter," she said whiping a tear from her cheek, "you may go now. Be careful."

"I will. Bye Cheerilee." With that Jeter felt for the door and walked out of the schoolhouse. He followed the same path he had memorised since his first day, ignoring the sound of Golden's familiar voice calling to him until he felt an angry hoof on his shoulder.

"Not today Nugget." Jeter said as he tried to break away from the bully.

"You got me grounded freak!" Golden snapped as he forced the changeling to face him. "Nopony gets me grounded without paying for it!"

"Go pick on somepony who can actually see your blinding face." Jeter countered.

"How would you know what my face looks like freak? You've never seen it before!" Golden said.

"I gues your face is so blinding that I lost my sight before I even met you." Jeter replied.