Shining Armor is summoned to his daughter's school after a major fight there. Flurry Heart started the fight with other students, but as Shining discovers, sometimes there are things worth fighting for.
Done for the Quills N' Sofa's panic speedwrite on the topic of "Princesses." Join us. Do it. You will have fuf fun.
Editing by the amazing LevelDasher. Cover art by windymils.
Good to be back writing, y'all!
Featured 07/26/2020 through 07/29/2020 (my first feature!). Thank you all! 
Now with an audio reading by Straight To The Point Studios. Thank you! 
Chapters (1)
I'm lost on what Cadance did there. She obviously did something while with the Dean, and the parents. But I don't get it. At all.
10353220
Simple never mess with a mama pony she will be very protective of her young
Glad to see you back, friend!
This is a nice little story with a good (and very timely!) message. Even more so now, I think.
A good moral and a cute characters, well written and well told.
I don't think she should've been punished. As Princess, her duty is to defend others. Best she learn her trade early. Sometimes, injustice must be met with force.
While I do understand why Flurry needed to be punished (I'm glad it wasn't severe), I can see why she did what she did, unsurprisingly. Flurry did mention that she asked the student bullying Yulia to stop, and that bully didn't listen to the first attempt. While she shouldn't have resorted to letting her hooves do the talking so quickly, Flurry did at least give some attempt to solve the issue diplomatically. Also, she's a princess, and she'll soon be an Empress. It's her duty to protect her subjects from any threat, especially in the long run. And this, while more or less unwarranted, is a good start for her. While I do agree with Shining Armor that throwing strikes shouldn't be resorted to so quickly, at the same time, it's also important for Flurry to learn that not all conflicts can be solved with mere words and done peacefully. To put it simply, don't always resort to blows, but also know when the time for talking is no longer working. Try to find a balance between both. Or else things will go bad for everyone. Not just for the leader of an entire empire either, but for the rest of his or her subjects as well. Those very same creatures who will become Flurry's subjets in the future
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Not every problem can be solved diplomatically, but at the same time, every problem can be solved with blows. The earlier that Flurry Heart learns this and finds a balance between them, the better off she'll be in the future when she takes her parents' positions as leader of the Crystal Empire
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All and all, nice little moralistic one-shot of not only standing up for those who can't do it themselves but also how to handle those situations in a proper manner: depending on the situationtwilightsmile:
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10353337
That is a horrible example, if Flurry is let off with no punishment because she's a princess. Yes, she was right in the end, but that doesn't mean she should get away with it.
Considering she was only grounded a week, when it could be much longer, or outright expelled from the school for fighting, then it fits what she got.
10353607
But she didn't do anything wrong. Those little shits were asking for it. The only language bullies speak is a punch to the face. If more little shits had gotten their asses kicked on the playground we wouldn't be in the current mess. Our culture REWARDS and ENABLES bullying. All this "turn the other cheek" bullshit. Bullies need their asses kicked.
Also, her being a Princess matters. Kicking the asses of shits like criminals and invaders is one of the few legitimate roles the state has.
Also, great story, I really did like it.
Nice. That was awesome! Such a good kid.
10353608
I look at it a little differently.
Was starting the fight wrong? Yes. Among youngsters - especially at school - fighting shouldn't be the answer.
Was Flurry wrong for taking the stand she did? No. It wasn't right of those other students to be picking on Yuria...independent of it possibly causing a diplomatic incident.
Does Flurry regret taking that stand? No, and she shouldn't.
Does she regret doing so by fighting? Yes, and she should.
Being punished here is her facing the consequences of her actions. She broke the rules, and faces the consequences...but that doesn't make her reasons wrong. It's a careful approach, to punish for action but not reason.
10353831
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I agree. That was what I had Shining and Cadance thinking about in the back story--and looking back on several conversations with my own parents, probably what a lot of parents think about. There is a time to fight and defend yourself and others, but one should always try to end a conflict peacefully first. My own version of Flurry is that she's a kid who wears her heart on her sleeve, and when she feels something, she feels it all the way. (Not that there's anything wrong with feelings! But part of growing up is learning how to master feelings rather than let them control you. Which explains, you know, teenagers.
You've got 2 "the"s in your preview description lad.
Dawww, that was a nice little story. Love me some Uber powerful flurry heart but seeing her young and still learning the ropes of her trade is nice to see.
Also for people arguing about the punishment, it’s a good idea for her to get punished because it teaches Flurry (and young people) that they’re actions, even good ones, have consequences that you’d have to deal with after.
But I think this punishment was suitable, a grounding from the parents was is enough for a child like Flurry who’s old and art enough to understand her situation. Don’t see the need for much more
10353337
Based on the ending and how Shining Armor is lenient on the idea of a grounding punishment, I think the grounding is more a show of disciplining the aggressor than actual punishment. He and Cadence are proud of their daughter, but they have to make a show of not being nepotists and respecting the rules and regulations of any facilities utilized.
10354115
Fixed. Thanks!
10354027
That's kinda what I thought was in mind. Being a princess does not put you above facing consequences. No matter how much it was the right thing to do.
I could be wrong, but I get the feeling that with how lenient Flurry's punishment was (and I would think fighting would get her expelled), Cadance took the school to task over its failure to prevent the bullying in the first place, and then not trying to stop it themselves.
The Dean seemed to care far more about Flurry getting all of the blame for everything, and not how it all started. Or he didn't care at all about the bullying.
That could just be me though.
A good lesson to learn at that age. A lot of people don't get to learn that lesson, so many are filled with doubt and a lack of will, saying "Maybe somebody else will help?" or "They really should learn to defend themself!" Or even, "I can't help them."
...Though I will say the obvious answer would have been grabbing a teacher...
10353242
That is how a Karen is born!
10354539
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I didn't have time to address what Cadance did in the original, and I wanted to keep the focus on Shining and Flurry while editing it. But yeah, it was something like that. The idea that "kids will be kids" and therefore bullying is a normal and expected part of school life which nothing can be done about is still all too prevalent IRL. (There may have been something of my old elementary school principal in Dean Emerald.
10354827
The difference between a good parent (like Cadance and Shining try to be here) and a Karen (or Todd) is that a good parent knows their children and will discipline them if they did something wrong. The Karens and Todds of the world, for whatever reason, think their kids are never wrong, and never really discipline them.
Too bad that wouldn't work in an American Public School™. There, EVERYONE would be punished, without the parents' consent, INCLUDING Yulia "for participating in a fight". Or worse, if any of the bullies had been a Sports Jock/Star™, they would have gotten away scot-free "so the school will not lose any trophies".
10353608
There's another thing to be considered here.
First, she escalated too quickly. Her use of force went 1, 2, 8 - a single "hey, leave her alone" and then escalating to physical violence is skipping several levels that still avoid a fight, but resolve the situation. Not the least of which is "get an adult involved who can prevent a diplomatic incident because of these numskulls."
Second - if Flurry hadn't been punished, on some level, it could make things much, much worse. Accusations that the school was favoring her because she was royalty. That her parents weren't taking what happened seriously. All sort of unfortunate political factors that undermine the good that her outburst caused. And, of course, it would also discourage the other parents from doing anything to their brats, since obviously they didn't deserve to be punished if their "attacker" wasn't.
And, worst of all, there's the chance that some observers might take Flurry's example and learn the wrong lesson from it, particularly if she wasn't punished at all.
So the reasonably minor punishment affirms that a physical assault isn't an appropriate response to a verbal one, while also giving a prod to the other parents in the form of "okay, we've dealt with our end - now you yutzes make sure we never have to have this discussion again, capisce?"
As a victim of the "it takes two to fight" mantra, I sympathize. But I always made sure the other guy threw the first punch.
Blocking aggressively, after that, is just proper self defense.
10355403
My experience might be colored by the fact that in school a quick smack (or worse) was essentially the only effective method I could find to stopping bullying. If you "tell" to a teacher the bully just comes back madder.
Awesome story, I really enjoyed it!
While yes, violence can get out of hand, I think people underestimate how awful words can be.
Nasty name-calling can be pretty psychologically destructive.
Man, this was adorable, funny, and wholesome all at the same time! Gosh this whole story is beautifully written and enjoyable all around! Hope ya didn't mind, but I just had to make a reading of this snazzy lil' story ya wrote! :D
Audio Linkie!: https://youtu.be/vQJ3dC7FgwM
(I don't mean to offend anyone with this comment in any way!)
10356140
I am honored! Can't wait to hear it.
Love this! I mean personally my moto's always been "If they don't listen warn em'." before violence but hey, sometimes, despite what we're told, violence is in fact the answer, some people just don't learn otherwise.
Of course Flurry jumped on the violence a little quickly but I can't judge.
This. This right here? Tells me the school couldn't have given any less fuck about who the other student was. They may even have been looking for any excuse to do something with Flurry.
You didn't exactly paint this Crystal Prep as any better than what it was in the Friendship Games.
If it got out who the other student really was, and that Flurry Heart defended her, then it would make the school look like the villain, and if this pathetic excuse for a dean is anything like Cinch, then the image is all they care about.
Probably why Cadance stepped in before it did. Something like "Let me put it this way. Either you do your job as a school and punish the bullies and Flurry Heart. Or I spill the full story to Yuria's father, and the Crystal Empire. I'm sure you know who he is. Whose story do you think he would like more? Whatever half assed one you have?
Or that my daughter stood up for and defended her? Not even caring who or what she is? I'll probably tell him anyway. But this way, you lot still look good. Capise?"
Or something like that. Otherwise, ponies will ask why only Flurry Heart got punished, and what she did to get it in the first place. And then if it got out she beat up bullies, who totally deserved it, the school is sunk.
I really wish shit turned out this well in real life. In reality though, the person acting in defense of others is always the one to be punished and the bullies always get off scott-free.
Nice
This was sweet.
10354768
Getting a teacher is the right answer, but it also assumes the teacher is willing to do something and has the power to. In our world at least, going to the teachers is, unfortunately, rarely effective.
You can has review!
An oddball ghost happened across your fic and read it. Have a review!