Rhetoric Rash

By The Down Trotten

• July 24, 2015
, No, Not Cast Stallion

A rather simple looking earth pony, brown coat with a mostly tan mane and completely tan tail, but to make him stand out just a tad he has a brown streak in his mane. Most of the time laid back and unassuming, until of course he some how gets an audience's attention, then a fore springs into his eye and a grit nares at his teeth.

 

He is forced to have a simple saddle bag since he is constantly traveling, but rarely does it contain much and is never in good condition.

male Earth Pony A question mark over lapping a exclamation mark.
While simple in appearance it sums up who he is. Preferring to ask questions and even ponder deeper and more socially awkward things. Isn't afraid of voicing these things, sometimes loudly.
Also the two marks represent the duality of how he often handles things. On one hoof he can be passive and more suggestive (represented by the question mark) or he can active and more overt (represented by the exclamation mark)

As his name would imply he is rather rash. Not mean, not rude, just happens to speak his mind pretty much at all times. While this might not be a problem he has some rather interesting opinions on most things and isn't afraid to let other ponies know it. What are some of these opinions you might ask? That the monarchy is perhaps an outdated system. That perhaps unicorns are more privileged in life simply by birth. Among others.
Yes he is a radical, but he knows this and also knows that most of Equestria is simply not ready for such controversial ideas. Thus though he often spews his ideals, he does not force them upon others, wishing if his ideals are to be accepted they to be accepted by free will. There are even a few of his ideals that he refuses to mention, such as the idea that magic is perhaps more of a hindrance then a help over all. These idea's are so radical and at times even doubted by himself he would rather not talk about them.

 

If his ideals are to be accepted however, they must be made known. Hence he has become dedicated traveler and where ever he goes he tries to give public speeches. These are often met with either much discomfort or just plain confusion. This has given him the feeling that he is a pony born in the wrong time and almost gives him this other worldly type presence when he talks to others, not a supernatural, just it seems something is a bit off with him.

 

To say something is a bit off with Rhetoric would almost be a fair acquisition. He's not crazy but given his tendency to both question and challenge things leads his mind down interesting paths. Often times having no one to talk to, he will talk out-loud to himself having debates and conversations. Sometimes wondering if he really contributes to society or if he's is an uncomfortable blip. Thus he tries not to spend to much time alone with his thoughts. Much preferring to allow others to challenge him then allowing himself to challenge well, himself.

 

Speaking of challenging others. Rhetoric has a troublesome habit of challenging authority or even just someone's ideals. He does this not out of spite nor nastiness (though he does get perhaps too much fun out of it sometimes) but to help those around him improve. He see's Equestria as a place that is almost too happy with it self and needs someone to give it a little poke and a prod to keep it on its moral and social toes. He tries to be polite during this poking and prodding, but sometimes will push beyond being polite to make a point.

 

That's not to say he doesn't get out of hoof sometimes. Since he doesn't really have any close friends to keep him in check he must rely on self policing, and this of course doesn't always work. These moments when he become's overly radical are the one's he truly regrets as he feels he further isolates himself from the ponies he is trying to help.

 

His traveling life style, leads to one that is rather light in the pocket, that is to say low on bits. Never one to forget his roots, he is willing to work in nearly any odd jobs in whatever town he may be visiting. Unlike the typical earth pony motif, he is not hardworking by nature, rather he is more interested in the individual he is working for or how they have him work. But he does not like to cheat others of their bits so he'll get the job done, even if he asks a few questions or tries a few things in the process.

 

Upon reading most of this, one would assume he's a no nonsense , somewhat brooding, serious all the time stallion, which sadly is what he is most of the time and comes across as. But he likes to have a good laugh, isn't opposed to having fun for fun sakes, can be grandiose if he so choose (after all a good public speaker must have almost no stage freight, and what better way then to embrace the stag itself?), and could be sociable beyond asking questions and challenging others. And though he never actually realized it himself, he could really use a friend. But considering his life style and who he is, friendship hasn't been the most proliferate thing in his life. Not that ponies aren't friendly towards him, or him likewise but its hard to get attached to somepony who is not only called away by wanderlust but is, well a bit strange, (not to mention says out of this world things).

 

To sum him up in a few words... well thats not really fair, he's not a pony of few words himself.

Likes: Magic, doesn't talk about it to much but has a natural dislike of magic thinking its a great divider among ponies. <br />Being caught liking the above mentioned guilty pleasures the "finer" things in life.<br />Lack of local leadership<br />Being so over passionate that he offends more then he enlightens <br />Being alone for too long. <br />Royalty. This is not to say he dislikes the royal's themselves but rather the idea of royalty, it simply does not make sense to him. He knows he will never change any ponies mind about the subject but he can't help but wonder if the system is really fair. Why should Twilight get to be Princess and not some other pony? Why the need for Princesses in the first place? And other such questions he can not help but to ask himself and indeed sometimes others<br />Getting caught talking out loud to himself when he's going off on a really bizarre tangent <br />Worrying where to get his next bits<br />Being misunderstood

Born to a potato farmer's of lower standing, Rhetoric was talkative at a young age, always asking questions about the world around him. This was all well and good for his parents, as long as he helped them work in the fields which he did (I mean come on what young colt doesn't like digging in the dirt right?). But it was only a matter of time before the colts young mouth sprouted the question "Dad... why do we have to work in the dirt all the time?". This question struck his father dumb, he really hadn't thought about it really, it had been the family farm for decades and decades and well he had chosen his life style as a farmer. But the older stallion had never actually thought about doing anything different, could he if he wanted to?... He didn't know... So looking at his young son he rubbed his chin and mused "Well son... we don't have to if we don't want to I think... honestly my boy I don't know, what we were born to do I guess." the answer didn't bother Rhetoric's young mind much, it made enough sense to a young colt. But it was his father lack of confidence that made him think a bit. Never before had his father been so unsure of himself. It shook his young mind to see his father so unsure of himself. Weren't adults most of all his parents suppose to know and handle everything? But being young had it's perks, he did not linger long on it and resumed digging in the dirt. But this question and memory stayed with him through his life as an odd reminder of the power of questions.

 

Things might have stayed more or less that way for Rhetoric, might have even grown up to be another potato farmer. But he could never stop asking questions and in grade school became a little more indignant about how others were answered. The infamous day was when the class was learning how the sun and moon raised each night and day. Rhetoric didn't under stand this and asked how did the sun and moon move before Celestia and Luna, and what not? The teacher was a little dumbfounded, and struggled to answer the question. Rhetoric was not only confused by her lack of a good answer but angry. This question was important and the adults had the answers didn't they? He pressed her and pressed her for an answer and she could not give him one that satisfied him. In flustered fury the teacher kept him after school, talked to his parents and keep a cautionary eye on him. His parents didn't care all that much about the trouble he had gotten in though. Mostly because this little instant gave him his cutie mark, which surprised his parents and even his teacher.

 

Not all was sour though between Rhetoric and his teacher though. After the incident and after guidance from his grounded parents he calmed down a bit and put his natural tendency to question things to flourish as student. His teacher, seeing this and having a more tempered Rhetoric, in her class room she was more then happy to guide him on a more studious path. His teacher was convinced that he would become an embassy of Equestria and suggested to his parents they send he away to learn to become one when the time was right. His parents more the happy to give their son a chance at not only a better life but a life that he seemingly would succeed at saved up their bits to do so.

 

So Rhetoric went, and did well for a while under his mentors. But the age old problem showed its interesting head. Rhetoric was now even more open and fluid with his questions and was now outright challenging his mentors. He only thought it right that he gave them back a challenge once in a while. Or at least thats how it started. It was this time period that he really began to form many of his opinions. He studied and saw what he thought were injustices or simple outdated systems. And when he would not let go of these ideas and even acted on them, his mentors were forced to let him go.

 

This did not stop him however, he had learned form his mistakes and was now grateful for the chance to travel across Equestria, unhindered by what he was suppose to think and rather challenge himself and all those who dared listen to him with new ideas. This is where you'll find him today. Wandering the roads, not going to any where in particular, looking for an ear, an audience, a crowd. Looking to change Equestria, or perhaps wait till it's ready to be changed.