No one on this Earth is really bad. We are never one thing. Remember to love your enemy, because in the end, we are all the same.
The olive pony walked along the edge of her property. Her pink bow swayed to and fro with the rhythm of her hooves. It had been three moons since the reunion, and Applebloom was bored out'a her mind. She missed Babs. It wasn't easy having a favorite cousin in a town as far away as Manehattan. They only saw eachother every now and again. She had Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, but it jus' wasn't the same. She needed her family like she needed a cutie mark. Babs said she would write, but her Applebloom sat waiting for a letter that hasn't come. It should be ridiculous... the thoughts goin' through her head right now. They had forgivin' eachother since the incident... but why was it so hard ta' let go? She joined Diamomd Tiara and Silver Spoon ta' avoid bein' picked on. But where were Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon when they were home?
These were those questions that she just couldn't get out'a her mind... those things that needed to be answered. So she got out a pen and wrote.
It wasn't but a week after when she received a message. She opened it, and gazed over it.
"Hey there Applebloom! Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo. It's Babs. Ah' decided that even though we've completely forgivin' each other, ya' needed to know the entire story. Why ah' did what ah' did. What I've gone t'rue. Some things ah'm ashamed to admit... Here is MAH' side of the story."
"I stepped off the train. As I exited the train car, it was like ah' had an all new slate. All the pain was washed off. Ah' was in a place where I could finally let go of what had happened.
You see... as you know... Ah' was bein' picked on back at school. But... it was more extreme than what I made it sound like. It... oh it's so hard for me to write! There are no words to describe how much it hurt to have the colts in my class use me for a punchin' bag. As ah' think 'bout it the pain from their hooves re-enters my spine... Ah' remember their excuse... A dark brown filly turned over to one just a grade younger than us. That filly wasn't so certain that what they were doin' was right. How I prayed he would be my salvation.
"Well she's a blank flank! She isn't the definition of anything but uselessness! That is as clear as the lack of a special talent. No cutie mark; no purpose. So we gave her one. All she does on her own is get in the way of others! A waste of space! The least she can do, is help us colts learn how to punch, because that's the only thing she's good at. Being a punching bag."
I was never so wrong. He was the worst of 'em all. He had hoofs like steel, and one of the sharpest tongues in all of equestria. The only ponies who ever beat them was the mean mares. The populars of mah' school.
"Worthless!"
"Waste of space!"
"Nobody!"
Of course, they didn't only tease me for mah' blank flank. Ah' was teased for being at the bottom if the social latter, I was teased for having a slightly thicker build. I was teased for mah' eye color. Mah' hair. Name anything and I'm sure at one point ah' was teased for that.
Ah'... Ah' would tell you more. Ah' really would... but... ah' hate remembering this. Their words still sting, even after switchin' schools. And ah'm actually tearin' up right now jus' thinkin' bout it...
So back to the train station. Ah' felt so... overwhelmed at the kindness that you three showed me. And ta' be honest, ah' was a little overwhelmed at your energy level. But that's somethin' ah' will always admire 'bout you three. Your excitement ta' help others.
Also if your gonna huddle and whisper something you don't want me to hear, you MIGHT wanna do it quieter. You were standing 3 feet away from me. Also, I may be from Manehatten, but I just want to let you know that I was VERY impressed with everythin'! I was just so overwhelmed I was speechless.
I only became more impressed when you showed me the float. Really, ah' would have said yes if THEY hadn't come into the picture. I remember the familiar chill that crept down mah' spine the second they walked in. Their cold, intimidating eyes threatening me to question their unwritten "authority".
Ah' don't really know wah' ah' did what ah' did next. Ah' was so TIRED of being picked on. The same old game if hunter and prey. For once... AH' wanted to be the one with the power. Ah' know that's no excuse for mah' behavior... but hear me out. The next few lines may shock you. I felt the strangest thing when you all gaped at me. Pride. I had the power in mah' hooves to make you do what I wanted.
You know, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are only brats on the outside. There actually plenty nice when ya' get to know em'. Bear with me here. Obviously, they are spoiled. But that's not just because they are rich. You see, their parents are almost never home. Their parents spoil them to try to show their love. They shower them with diamonds and every new pair of clothing in Equestria! But love isn't something thats bought.
"Sometimes... I look at all the diamonds that he buys me. They are shaped like little hearts. I know he loves me... But why when I have every rare mineral, every new pair of clothing, dozens of jealous fillies admiring me everyday... Why do I feel so empty?"
DON'T tell Diamond I told you that. She'll rip my hair out.
What I've learned from this experience is that,
1.) Bullies aren't really bad on the inside. It's something deeper driving them on.
2.) Bullying, or at least in mine, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon's case bullying is about control.
It brings a sickening pleasure to see ponies kneel before you in fear, knowing that you had the power to do that. Again, by know means is this any excuse for such it's what happened.
We stole everything from you all. Ice-Cream, tables, your happiness..."
"Our dignity," Applebloom muttered flatly, remembering the mustaches and mud.
"... And the weird thing was that I didn't feel any remorse. It surprised me really, how proud I was about this. I knew I should have felt bad, is power really SO wonderful that I should feel nothin' when I hurt the only ponies who truly were ever nice to me?
At the time, the answer was yes.
What I did next will stick with me forever. It was really the only remorse I felt through this entire ordeal.
I covered mah' blank flank with mah' tail. I looked down, after, through the window. Diamond and Spoon were of chatting. I saw Sweetie Belle cry her heart out... And... I was really stunned. For once I felt guilt. I felt terrible.
"Whatch'a looking at Babs?" Asked Silver Spoon as they walked over to me.
"Ah... Nothin'," Ah' said, "It's just... This doesn't feel right."
"Ugh!" Groaned Diamond Tiara rolling her eyes, "PLEASE tell me your not a blank flanked LOSER like them!"
Ah' covered mah flank with mah' tail, staring into her questioning eyes. Suddenly all remorse left.
"Nah, ah'm just kiddin'."
"Good. I was, like, getting worried for a second," sighed Silver Spoon.
That night I kicked you from your bed. It was like a throne, with me sleeping in comfort while my subjects below stared up at me with envious eyes! The table has turned, and for once IM king!
The next few days were a blur. All I know was that I couldn't get enough of it. The way you three listened to my every command, and all I had to do was call you a name. It almost made the pain of Manehatten disappear! It worked like magic. Whenever I felt sad, or concerned about what I would feel back at home, I simply knocked you upside the head to remind myself that I COULD be in power. I felt on top of the world.
But nothing would have prepped me for what happened next. The day of the parade, the day the table turned yet again. There stood Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara, watching me as I removed you from your float. I noticed your strange behavior, and I looked over at my "friends" to see in I should continue or not. Of course, I did. And I remember as the wheel got stuck. The float spiraled as out of control as my life. I saw my life flash before my eyes as I went down that hill. But suddenly I was on the ground. I watched in utter amazement as you three rollercoastered into the lake. You took that bullet.
For ME!
Not because I had bullied you into it, but because it came from the kindness of your heart. Yeah, you three were the reason it did that in the first place. But you still took your own bullet. And that is something that astounds me to this day.
So, thank you.
Thank you for showing me the true and only way to feel happy.
Through love.
Love is the only answer.
When I returned to that school, the first thing anypony said to me was,
"Hey there stupid!" And you know how I reacted? I gave that filly a hug. It caught him of guard, and he eventually hugged back. It wasn't friendship, but it was an alliance. The other fillies never stopped though. When we spoke to their parents they didn't even care. I now know why they bully me, and I wanted to go back and offer my friendship.
But my sister had other plans.
She moved me to another school, where I extended the Cutie Mark Crusaders! And anypony who tries to make fun of us just gets a hug. Sometimes that's all ponies need to reassure them that everything is going to be ok. That there is more than blind hatred on this earth. There is more than all this pressure we experience, there is more to life than attacking eachother. There is love. Love is alive, and it is the only true way to heal a wound. It took your happiness to realize that, but I thank you. I thank you all! I know that what I put you through was unacceptable on so many levels. But without this experience I would have never learned to love. And I hope you learned to as well.
Friendship is the only way. It's the only way to heal Diamond and Silver, or any bully for that matter.
Give a hug to someone.
It could make all the difference.
Till next time Applebloom,
I love you.
~Babs Seed
Applebloom smiled, her cheeks wet from tears. She placed the letter neatly in her saddlebag, and trotted to a place she'd never think to go.
Diamond Tiara's.
Outside her door was a neat little gift basket, filled with bracelets. She frowned at the sight, remembering Babs' words.
Knock, knock, knock,
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" Screamed a voice from inside. It was all to recognizable. The door opened and Diamond stood tall, mighty, proud. But her eyes told a different story. They looked sad and defeated, and her cheeks were red as if crying.
"Yer package is here..." She said, pointing her hoof.
"Oh. Another one. Lucky me," She said an a flat tone.
"Diamond, everything is gonna be jus' fine!"
The pink filly eyed her suspiciously, but shrugged it off.
"No. It never will," She murmured.
"I promise,"
"You don't know what it's like to never have your family around. Don't say things will be fine!"
"Fine, ah' wont. But know this. Her folks love ya' very much. And they do try there best to show ya'. Love can't be bought, though. Tell them how you feel. They love you and if they know how much it means to ya' then they'll sat aside some time,"
The filly pondered this for a second before looking up.
"I don't need to take advice from a blank flank." She said coldly. Her face showed no amusement like it normally did. It was just cold hard hatred. There was a loud BANG as the door shut.
Applebloom just looked to the ground and smiled.
"You'll be in mah' thoughts. May you find room in yer' heart for love."