//------------------------------// // The affects of taking a stand. // Story: I am NOT a chicken. // by Darkened Lightning Storm //------------------------------// Scootaloo lay still in the pitch black darkness of the clubhouse unable to sleep. The memory of her socking Diamond Tiara kept playing back and back in her tiny head like a song stuck on replay. Even if Diamond was a mean, selfish, bully, she didn't deserve to get punched in the face. No filly should have to be beaten up, even if they were nasty. That's when something struck her, what would Rainbow Dash think? Would she be proud of Scootaloo for taking a stand for her friends and herself? Or would she scowl at Scootaloo for her act of violence? Scootaloo flipped over to her belly on the clubhouse rug and sighed. "Darn it Scootaloo... Way to mess up everything...." Scootaloo grumbled to herself and prodded slightly at the itchy and uncomfortable rug. Letting out another sigh, she got up slowly and trotted out of the clubhouse, only to be greeted by Princess Luna. "P-princess Luna?" Scootaloo gasped and backed up against the clubhouse door. "Do not worry, scootaloo. For tis just a dream." Luna nodded and looked down at the young filly, who sat there with her mouth gaping. "I.. What.. Again? I thought you were done coming into my dreams after the whole Rainbow Dash thing!" Scootaloo grumbled knowing this would probably mean she'd have to face Diamond Tiara again soon. Princess Luna looked down at the orange child with a smile and cantered down the stairs of the clubhouse and down a dirt path, Scootaloo following behind closely. "We thought we were as well, but we have noticed that thy hath been going many nights with no sleep. That isn'ith good for a filly of thine age, or anypony in a matter. Would thy care to tell what thy matter is?" Luna looked down at the filly as Scootaloo looked up at the princess. "Well... These bullies at school were picking on me and my friends... And I kind of blew up on them.. I punched one of the bullies in the face..." Scootaloo looked at her hooves and flattened her ears as Princess Luna smiled softly. "Dearest Scootaloo... We all make mistakes. We are sure that once everything hath been said and done, this will pass over like water over the stones in a river." Luna said as Scootaloo looked up at the princess. "But... What happens if she tries to beat me up? Then what am I going to do?" Scootaloo asked as Luna chuckled slightly. "Then get a teacher. We thought that answer was obvious. Goodnight, Scootaloo." Luna gave the filly at small pat on the back and then everything went white. When Scootaloo awoke, there was a loud banging at the door. "Hey squirt! Wake up! I know you're in there!" A voice came from behind the door. Scootaloo wearily got up and trotted towards the door. "Hey Rainbow Dash...!" Scootaloo said her sleepiness starting to wear off. Rainbow Dash looked down at the filly with a emotionless look and sighed. "So, you going to explain to me why Aj told me you punched a filly in the face?" Rainbow said as she sat down next to Scootaloo and the young filly looked to her hooves. "I... But... She... She wouldn't stop picking on me and my friends. she kept making fun of how I can't fly..." Scootaloo flattened her ears as she spoke and Rainbow Dash just looked down at her. "Look... I'm proud of you for standing up for your friends but... You can't just punch ponies squirt... Even if you think they really, really deserve it. I mean, most of the time they do deserve it, but how would you like it if somepony walked up to you and tried to knock the eyeballs out of your head?" "But I didn't just walk up! I yelled at them first!" Scootaloo protested and RD just chuckled. "Look, when I was your age, believe it or not, I was bullied too. But, instead of punching them in the face, I proved them wrong. I showed them that I'm twenty percent cooler than the both of them combined, and I loved every single moment of it." Rainbow smiled down at Scootaloo and wrapped her wing around the young filly, giving her a small smile. "Do you realize what you did was wrong?" "Yeah..." "Thank Celestia, now I can tell you how awesome you are! Standing up to bullies like it's no problem, that takes guts kid!" Scootaloo looked up to Rainbow with some confusion as Dash just blinked and cleared her throat. "But just... Stand up to them in a different way instead of punching them... I gatta' fly squirt... See ya around." RD smiled and messed up the orange fillies hair with her hoof before taking off out the door, leaving Scootaloo to stand there confused and dumbfounded. "I... What just happened...?" She thought aloud and slowly started to canter out the door into the woods, taking her scooter out the bush and clipping on her helmet. With a small sigh, she used her hoof to push off and her wings started up. As she slowly started to increase speed Scootaloo dodged a few branches or so in the pathway, grumbling to herself how this day was going to be the worst. ~~~ When Scootaloo arrived in the park she didn't know what to expect. At first, she thought maybe nopony would notice her arrival (like usual) and just continue one with there day. But sadly, her thoughts were crushed when all eyes went to her and every pony in the park when silent. Guess the word got out faster than I expected.... Scootaloo gulped and thought to herself as she placed her scooter on a rack and hung her helmet on it, starting to trot towards a bench where her friends and her were supposed to meet. It was really awkward having all these eyes staring at you, burning into you and crawling under your coat or creeping into your soul. It felt like they could read her thoughts, or sense she was nervous. Right as she was about to get up and wait somewhere else, she felt the presence of two other fillies behind her. "Look Silver Spoon, It's the chicken."