"Anything interesting happen today?" Twilight asked.
"Well, I met the school bullies... if that counts," Aurora said.
"I'd say that counts," Twilight said, trying to hide her worry, "They weren't too mean, were they?".
"They were pretty rotten," Aurora said.
"Well, they're only like that to get a reaction out of you," Twilight said, "So long as you ignore them, they'll stop eventually".
"They got a reaction alright," Aurora said, "A punch to the face, to be exact".
"You wanna run that by me one more time?" Twilight asked, quite alarmed.
"Not by me," Aurora said, "Scootaloo just didn't want them picking on me like that... so she stood up and punching one of them right in the face. Gave her a bloody muzzle".
"She is so much like Rainbow, it's scary at times," Twilight said, "Still, I'm pretty sure you won't see her except at school for a few days now".
"I know that, and it's not fair," Aurora, "She just wanted to help, and all it did was get her in trouble".
"Violence just isn't the answer," Twilight said, "Still, it's good to know you have good friends who are willing to help you out... even if it means getting in trouble for doing so".
"I wish it didn't have to be that way," Aurora said.
"Anyway... anything else interesting happen?" Twilight asked.
"Other than that, the day was boring," Aurora said, "Even crusading was boring today".
"Well, I do hope being bored gave you an appetite at least," Twilight said.
Over the past couple of days, Twilight had found out that Changelings can't actually survive on just love alone. While not as much a necessity for them as it is for real ponies, Changelings do actually need physical food to help keep their energy up. Spike believed it to just be part of a ruse, but didn't say anything, as doing so would only incur more of Twilights anger.
The next morning came a little too quickly. Another day, another eventual meet up with the school bullies. While she wasn't looking forward to meeting Diamond Tiara and her partner in crime, Silver Spoon, Aurora was at least glad that she could be around her friends. And today, she even had a little surprise that she wrapped up and stuck in her saddlebags before heading downstairs for breakfast.
Once downstairs, the overwhelming smell of Spikes pancakes filled Auroras muzzle. As she entered the kitchen, she saw Twilight and Spike already enjoying some of the delicious, fluffy disks. Not about to let Spike and Twilight enjoy every bite, Aurora quickly snatched up a few pancakes and set to drown them in syrup.
"You know they can't swim, right?" Twilight asked rhetorically.
"They can swim alright," Aurora said, taking her seat, "They'll be swimming right into my belly soon".
"You're crazy," Twilight said, chuckling at the remark.
"It adds personality," Aurora said, stuffing her mouth, "Donth thou aree?".
"Don't talk with your mouth full," Twilight said.
"Sorry," Aurora said, ears falling as she swallowed.
"Finish up and get ready for school, you crazy thing," Twilight said, trying not to laugh.
As soon as she finished off her last pancake, Aurora walked up to her room, grabbed her saddlebags, and walked right back down towards the main door. She wanted to walk to school on her own today, and, after enough whining, she got her way. As she walked, she met up with Scootaloo, who was also alone.
"Hey, Scoots," Aurora said, walking over.
"Oh, uh... hey, Aurora," Scootaloo said, obviously caught off guard.
"So... I uh... I wanted to say thanks," Aurora said.
"For what?" Scootaloo asked.
"Standing up for me yesterday," Aurora said.
"Like I said, she had it coming for a long time now," Scootaloo said, "Plus, you're still new here... you didn't need her picking on you like that".
"And that reminds, I got something for you," Aurora said, stopping and reaching into her saddlebags.
"You didn't have to get me anything," Scootaloo said, "A simple 'thank you' is really enough".
"Well... still, here," Aurora said, holding out a cookie, "Spike made them last night, but they're still good".
"Heh... thanks," Scootaloo said, taking the cookie.
The school day had been about as exciting as yesterday, only with some work thrown in today. Auroras first encounter with schoolwork, and she hated it. During recess, the crusaders, and Aurora, were able to play without interruption, and they enjoyed the nice little break. However, once class resumed, Diamond felt like tempting fate once more. She decided to take a seat right beside Aurora for what she had planned. Aurora didn't exactly want to be sitting beside the pink filly, but she figured if she just concentrated on her work, she should make it till school was over.
As soon as Cheerilee turned her back to the class, a spitball flew across the room. Before Cheerilee could turned around completely, Diamond set the straw, and a couple wads of paper she had used down right in front of Aurora. Aurora had no time at all to react and get rid of the evidence that was planted right there in plain sight.
"So... trying to be funny, Aurora?" Cheerilee asked.
"It wasn't me though," Aurora pleaded.
"Oh really?" Cheerilee asked, walking over, "And I guess those papers wads can grow wings and fly across the room, am I right?".
"Really, I swear I didn't do it," Aurora pleaded.
"Front of the class, now," Cheerilee said, swiping the straw and paper wads.
Defeated, Aurora slunk slowly to the front, away from the crusaders. As she swapped seats with a colt in the front row, she began to plan a little payback. She hoped Twilight would believe she didn't actually do it, and that she could avoid getting in trouble for something she honestly didn't do. As class went on, Aurora focused as much as she could while also planning more payback. She had to come up with something good. By the time class ended, she still had nothing good in mind. Before leaving, she was given a note to take home. She knew how easy it would be for Twilight to hear about the note should it go missing, so she kept it.
"Really? Interrupting class?" Twilight asked, annoyed.
"It really wasn't me, though," Aurora said, "Diamond Tiara sat beside me after recess. I thought I could ignore her and focus on class till school was over. Then she goes and shoots a spitball at Cheerilee, and I got blamed for it because she put the straw and a couple paper wads on my desk too fast".
"And nopony said anything to help you?" Twilight asked.
"I don't know if they were afraid of ratting out Diamond, or if they just didn't want to help, or whatever," Aurora said.
"Or maybe it's because you are possibly guilty," Twilight pointed out.
"I'm innocent though, I swear," Aurora pleaded.
"Unless you can give me anything that backs you up, then you're grounded for a couple days," Twilight said.
"Oh, come on," Aurora said, "Do you really think I'd do that? I mean really... spitballs? Not my thing".
"If that's the only argument you've got, it's not gonna help," Twilight said.
"But-" Aurora said before being cut off.
"No buts, you're grounded," Twilight said, "As soon as you finish up your homework, I want you to go right to your room. And if I catch you trying to sneak out, you're in even more trouble".
Defeated for the second time today, Aurora slunk over to a nearby table and sat down. She unloaded what little homework she had to work on. Now, she really had some motivation for payback. Not only did she get blamed in class, she was now grounded as well because of a certain pink filly.
"A little past midnight," Aurora said to herself as she looked at her clock, "Twilight should be asleep for sure by this point".
Aurora rolled out of bed and snuck out through her window into the moonlit roads. She looked behind herself to find she was truly alone at the moment. Now was the time. She walked through Ponyville, scanning each house for Diamond Tiara. She still didn't know what exactly she was going to do, but she didn't let that stop her.
Aurora was growing slightly tired by the time she managed to find Diamond Tiaras house. It didn't take much effort to find the right room to sneak into. As she silently walked over to the sleeping pink filly, she hatched a good plan at last. She wanted Diamond to know what it was like to be the victim for once. She couldn't do that right now, however, so she'd need a curse for the next day. She needed something that would humiliate the filly to no end, allowing her to get an indirect taste of her own medicine. As she lit up her horn, she concentrated on the curse, fixing it up, with such immense concentration that it almost hurt, so nopony could tell it was a curse if they ran any kind of scan. After she was done, she smiled.
"You were once the bully, now you'll be dropped a few pegs," Aurora whispered to herself before turning and heading home.