“Okay, kids, time for a little break!” said Cheerilee to her students.

The foals rushed out of the building and went to the yard to enjoy a few minutes of fun between classes. Apple Bloom opened her saddlebag and took out an apple her family had given her for lunch. She waved at her two friends, who came closer and left their own bags next to her. They sat down and started talking about the last class.

“Boy, those math exercises were really hard!” Scootaloo complained with a sigh. “Those substractions were just too long.”

“They didn't seem that hard to me,” said Sweetie Belle.

“Oh, we have a math genius here,” Scootaloo joked.

“No, no, it's really easy if you look at them as several smaller substractions.”

“Ah dunno,” said Apple Bloom after swallowing the last apple bite. “It was a bit boring, but Ah guess we had to learn that.”

“Well well, look what do we have here, a group of nerds,” said a filly coming towards them.

“Aw, shoot.” Apple Bloom sighed when she saw Diamond Tiara next to them, followed by Silver Spoon.

“Oh, what a coincidence, Apple Bloom, from Sweet Apple Acres eating an apple,” mocked Tiara. “Do you eat those everyday at all times?”

“Yeah, like, apples for breakfast, for lunch, for dinner… Even midnight apple snacks,” added Silver Spoon, giggling.

“You really should think about something better than that y'all,” said Apple Bloom with a smirk. “Yer running out of decent mocking there, fillies.”

“Oh, look, the farm filly here wants to pretend being smart and sophisticated,” Diamond Tiara said, standing on her hind legs and pointing at her. “What's next, some jokes only the smart foals would get? That's almost cute.”

“Yeah, whatever,” said Apple Bloom before she gave the last bite to her apple and threw it in a bin next to her. “C'mon, girls, let's go to the swings.”

“What do you know? Filly genius here enjoys the average foal's fun?”

“Hey, leave her alone already, Tiara,” warned Scootaloo.

“Oh, come on, Scoots, I'm not doing anything wrong, just praising her intelligence. It must be really tough being the family's smart mare, don't you think, Silver Spoon?”

“Uh, Tiara,“ her friend said while stepping back, “I think that's going, like, a bit too far.”

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo noticed Silver Spoon's reaction, something that Tiara didn't, and Apple Bloom couldn't care of, for she was trying to keep calm. She could tolerate Diamond's mocking about her, but not about her family.

“Well, anyway, Apple Bloom, that prestigious mind for math should be studying so you can help your family with all the numbers and such? I'm sure they need a head like yours.”

“Shut… up…” Apple Bloom grunted, giving her friends the feeling that she wouldn't contain herself any longer.

“Oh, what are you going to do? Go crying for your big sis? Smarty cryba-”

Apple Bloom's hind hooves bucked Diamond Tiara and threw her to the ground. She moved in pain trying to get up, just as Apple Bloom turned to her with a frown and showing her teeth.

“Ah've had enough of yer stupid insults!” she cried as she pounced towards Tiara.

Cheerilee galloped as fast as she could, trying to separate both fillies. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle pulled Apple Bloom away from Diamond, who hid behind her teacher. The two fillies were having problems, for her friend was very strong, something that Tiara had learned the hard way.

“No fighting at school!” Cheerilee ordered. Diamond Tiara hugged the teacher's leg, while Apple Bloom kept breathing heavily and her heart pumping fast, still grabbed by her friends, regaining control of herself little by little. “Apple Bloom, Tiara, I'm sending both of you home.”

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle noticed that her friend wasn't trying to keep up the fight. She was, in fact, crying with her head lowered.

“Can we accompany her home, Miss Cheerilee?” Sweetie Belle asked. The teacher, who had witnessed the entire conflicted, sighed and nodded slightly. She couldn't let her go on her own like that.

“Okay, but hurry up.”

“I'd like to go with them too,” said Silver Spoon. “I mean, If that's okay with Miss Cheerilee and you, girls.”

Scootaloo was going to object, but Sweetie Belle shook at her. The teacher had already nodded in approval before Apple Bloom's friends accepted her offering.

“Sure, I mean, if that's okay with Apple Bloom,” said Sweetie Belle. “What do you say, Apple Bloom?”

“Ah don't care,” she sobbed without looking at anypony.

The four fillies went her way to Sweet Apple Acres, leaving Tiara and Cheerilee alone with the rest of the foals murmuring.

“Alright, recess is over. Everypony back to class!” she said before turning to Diamond Tiara. “Go home now, young filly.”

---

The fillies walked through the road, getting close to Sweet Apple Acres. Apple Bloom had calmed down a bit and wasn't crying anymore, but she still kept her head lowered and refused to talk or reply to anypony. The silence became really uncomfortable for all of them.

“Why didn't you stay with Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“I… I didn't like how the situation turned out,” she replied timidly. “Yes, I use to mock ponies to, but I'd never mention a foal's family. That's where I draw the line.”

“So you like mocking other ponies,” Scootaloo grunted.

“You also mock us, girls,” Silver Spoon pointed. “And yes, I admit my defeat. Even more, I like how you make Diamond Tiara feel bad and defeated when you prove her wrong,” she said with a smirk.

“Huh?” both fillies lifted an eyebrow, surprised at the filly's comment.

“Well, I… I think sometimes she goes too far. But she's my only friend, I can't just ignore her, you know? But I know that she crosses the line many times, and I like it when she gets what she deserves.”

“Why don't you hang with us then?”

“Me? Oh, well…” She wondered for a moment, the fillies staring at her while walking. “I don't think I can for now. I… I fear that Diamond Tiara goes after me for that. And seeing Apple Bloom's temperance, I don't think I'll be able to stand as much as she did. But maybe she'll think twice about mocking Apple Bloom from now on.”

“Well, we stand together, the Cutie Mark Crusaders never leave a friend behind!” said Scootaloo, flapping her wings with pride.

“But, uhm… I already have a Cutie Mark.”

“Well, how does 'The Cutie Mark Crusaders plus one' sound like to you?”

Silver Spoon giggled. “I'll think about it, girls.”

Time went by faster with the conversation, so much that they didn't realize they had reached Sweet Apple Acres. Scootaloo knocked on the door and were received by Applejack.

“Huh? Hi y'all,” she greeted, lifting an eyebrow. “Classes sure were over soon today.”

“Uhmm, the truth is…” Sweetie Belle started.

“Miss Cheerilee sent Apple Bloom home,” Scootaloo finished. “There was a filly that was taunting her in the playground and-”

“I beat her,” Apple Bloom interrupted.

“You did what?!” Applejack yelled. “That's not what we taught you, young lady!”

“Please, lady…” Silver Spoon said as she stepped forward.

“Applejack,” she introduced. “Just Applejack.”

“Applejack, a girl called Diamond Tiara started mocking her and her family, and though she tried not to, she kept insulting until she couldn't take anymore. But she really tried to avoid the conflict. We tried to make Tiara stop, but she wouldn't.”

“Alright, young fillies,” said Applejack trying to calm the fillies down. “Apple Bloom, get inside. Thanks for bringing her, girls.” She nodded at them and saw them turn around and leave after waving at Apple Bloom, who was still with her head lowered and refusing to talk. Both Apple fillies got into the house, Applejack getting in front of her younger sister. “Wanna talk about it, lil' one?”

Apple Bloom shook her head, heading slowly towards the bedroom.

“Hey, ya know Ah ain't mad at you,” Applejack said, trying to cheer her up. “Truth is, Ahm proud of you for defending your family name back there.”

Apple Bloom stopped walking, slowly turning back to face her sister, who had a smile on her face.

“Yer…” the young filly started, “yer not mad at me?”

“'Course not. Okay, Ah ain't the most appropriate filly to give lessons about not beating, and you should've talked with your teacher instead of beating, but I trust those fillies and what they told me. Ah didn't know that gray filly there.”

“Silver Spoon? Well, she is… she was Tiara's friend, but after what happened, seems like she doesn't wanna know anything about her.”

“Ah can't blame her. Hey, ya hungry?”

“A bit.”

“Well, let's get something to eat. Ahm sure you'll feel better.”

The little filly smirked and nodded, following her sister to the kitchen to prepare a little and humble feast in honor of the brave Apple Bloom, defender of the Apple Family's name.

---

Applejack decided to go to school with Apple Bloom the next day. She wanted to know what had happened. If only Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had brought her sister home, she would've had reasons to doubt, but Silver Spoon was unexpected and, from her point of view, pleasant. When they got to school, Applejack walked inside and checked every room looking for Cheerilee. Apple Bloom didn't move away from her sister, afraid of whatever her teacher would do to her.

“There she is, there's the bully!” a voice screamed from the hall.

Diamond Tiara was pointing at Apple Bloom, and next to her was his father, Filthy Rich. The stallion frowned at them and approached at the newcomers.

“This little girl must be Apple Bloom,” he said, looking at the little filly. “Are you the one who beat my daughter?”

“Only because she started making fun of mah lil' sister!” Applejack said, stepping forward.

“That's not what my Tiara told me. Now, if you don't mind, young lady, I'm talking to you sister here. Now, Apple Bloom, did you beat my daughter?”

Apple Bloom lowered her head and nodded slightly.

“I see. In that case, I think you should apologize to her, in order to make it simple to all of us.”

“But she really made fun of me! She mocked me, and mah family too!” Apple Bloom cried, shaking her head.

“Ah told ya, mah sis ain't a problematic filly, gentlecolt,” Applejack said. “And she defended our name when she couldn't take any more of yer daughter's insults.”

“Is that true, Tiara? Did you make fun of this filly?” he asked, looking at her daughter.

“Of course not, she's just a bully who likes beating weaker ponies!” she cried hiding behind her father.

“That ain't true!” Apple Bloom yelled.

“Is that so? What makes you think they are going to believe your story? Right, Silver Spoon?”

Tiara's friend was getting close to them, with her head lowered.

“Come on, Silver Spoon, tell them what happened.”

She stood in the hall motionless, staring at the walls, the paintings, the ceiling, anywhere but the ponies standing there. Tiara's smile began to fade as her friend appeared to refuse to talk. She shook her head and stepped back.

“Silver Spoon?”

“Sorry, Diamond Tiara,” she ended up saying. “I just can't.”

“Interesting,” Filthy Rich said, looking at her daughter with a lifted eyebrow. If her daughter's best friend wouldn't help her, something strange was going on, and he didn't like where this was going. “I think there is an easier way to solve this, miss.”

“Just Applejack if ya don't mind,” she said raising a hoof. “Ah ain't much of a formal pony mahself.”

“Applejack, then. So, do you know about somepony who witnesses what happened?”

“Well,” Apple Bloom said, “Ah remember Miss Cheerilee reacting really fast. Ah think she saw everything.”

“Excellent then, I think we should talk to this Miss Cheerilee about this.”

“Talk to me about what?” a voice sounded behind them.

“Mornin', Cheerilee,” Applejack greeted tipping her hat.

“Ah, Miss Cheerilee. I'm Filthy Rich, Tiara's father,” Filthy Rich said.

“Oh, what an unexpected visit,” said Cheerilee. “Then again, I'm sure to know the reason of it. Shall we go to my office and talk there?”

Both ponies nodded and the fillies started walking with them. Apple Bloom smiled as she trotted joyfully next to her sister. Tiara, on the other hoof, walked slowly behind her father. Silver Spoon nodded with a smile at Apple Bloom, and tried to avoid looking at her friend Tiara. Cheerilee opened her office's door and stepped aside, allowing the others to get inside first, closing the door behind her after that. She sat on her chair and took a small folder full of papers out of a cupboard and let it on her table.

“I'm afraid I have bad news for you, Mister Rich,” Cheerilee said, shaking her head with a serious expression. “I was playing with some foals in the swings, when I overheard what was happening. Tiara was making fun of Apple Bloom. And even though I disapprove violence,” she said, staring at Apple Bloom, who lowered her head in shame, “she was taunted by your daughter.”

“Is your teacher telling the truth, Tiara?” he asked, getting no response from the filly.

“I would've punished Apple Bloom more severely if it was an isolated event, but I'm afraid that's not the case.” She opened the folder and pushed it towards Filthy Rich, showing a lot of papers with different ink colors and dates. “I note every single trouble my students get themselves in and, as you can see, Diamond Tiara is the class' bully. She's made fun, mocked or insulted most of my students in a certain way. And, as you can see, Applejack, yesterday's fight was the only problem your sister has caused.”

“I see,” Filthy Rich said, massaging his forehead with his hooves. “Well, I think I have a solution that will satisfy all of us. I was fearing that my dear daughter had got herself into trouble but, as I can see,” he said, looking at Tiara, “she seems to be the main problem. But fear not, for I'll solve everything.”
-o-

“A military academy!?” Diamond Tiara screamed.

“Yes, it's a really efficient academy in Canterlot where you'll learn some respect, young lady,” her father said, with a grim look. “I don't want my own flesh and blood to bring shame to the family, and there's no way you can make me reconsider it.”

“But dad, I -”

“No more talking. I trusted you, Tiara. If you lied to me for something like this, what amount of lies could you tell me?”

“But, but…”

“Enough. Get in the chariot.”

Diamond Tiara got into the vehicle, looking back to see if somepony was doing the same. Sadly for her, nopony was. Everypony was looking down, saddened for the departure of her schoolmate.

“Goodbye, Diamond Tiara,” said Silver Spoon, waving her hoof weakly. The filly inside the chariot refused to wave back at her, giving her back a furious glare.

“Once again, I apologize in the name of my daughter, Apple Bloom,” Filthy Rich said. “Though I hate violence myself, I can appreciate and respect you for defending the honor of your family. But then again, next time, if this happens again, tell it to Miss Cheerilee before doing something you might regret, understood?”

“Yes, Mister Rich,” said Apple Bloom, lowering her head. “Ahm sorry for beatin' your daughter. Ah know it wasn't right.”

“Apology accepted,” he replied raising a hoof. “She was asking for it, if I may say it even though it's my daughter. I hope she learns a lesson or two in Canterlot. Now, we must go. It's been a pleasure meeting you, Applejack, Miss Cheerilee, though I'd have preferred the meeting to happen in different circumstances.” He offered his hoof and shook both mares'. When the stallion got on the chariot, the driver snapped the reins and left the school.

Apple Bloom approached to Silver Spoon, who was alone next to where the chariot was standing a few seconds a go. She looked defeated and, when she felt the filly getting close to her, she pounced towards her to hug her. Apple Bloom could feel Silver Spoon's distraught as she remembered how Tiara refused to wave her back. That bully was her only friend, and she wasn't among them anymore. They didn't even know if they'd see her again. Silver Spoon's tears fell on Apple Bloom's shoulders.

“Don't worry,” Apple Bloom said, caressing the filly's head. “Yer not alone.”

“But, but…” Silver Spoon tried to say.

“Shh, it's okay. Remember, you can still join the “Cutie Mark Crusaders plus one, as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo told ya, right, girls?”

“Yeah!” both fillies cried as they ran towards them.

“Girls, after… after everything Tiara and I have done to you… You still want me to join you?”

“Why not?” said Scootaloo. “You may have been a meanie, but you stood, or at least didn't stand by Tiara's side when she lied saying that Apple Bloom beat her just because. You're a cool filly after all.”

“Thank you… really, thank you!”

“Come on, girls. Cutie Mark Crusaders group huggers!” cried Sweetie Belle and the three fillies hugged their new friend.