"Hey, blank flanks!" Diamond Tiara called.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders all sighed in unison. This was typical at school literally every day. Diamond Tiara, along with her PFF, Silver Spoon, saw no wrong in teasing the three fillies daily. It was very bad for Sweetie Belle, because she was more sensitive and got her feelings more easily. Applebloom and Scootaloo, on the other hoof, always tried to stand up to the rich brats.
"Blank flanks, don't ignore us when we're talking to you!" Silver Spoon demanded.
"Ah buckin' hate 'em," Applebloom growled.
"Applebloom! Language!" Sweetie Belle gasped.
"Who cares if it's directed to them?" Scootaloo asked.
Sweetie Belle's ears drooped. Never would she swear or get very angry. In fact, it was rare for Sweetie Belle to get really angry, so the only way she could really let out negative emotions is by crying, which made her feel like a foul.
"Why can't we just try to ignore them?" Sweetie Belle suggested.
"Those two aren't those kinds a' bullies," Applebloom said, "if we ignore 'em, they'll just keep on buggin' us 'til we crack."
"Yeah," Scootaloo agreed, "let's just get their teasing over with."
The trio went up to the Ponyville schoolhouse. Cheerilee was inside writing future assignments on the chalkboard. She turned and smiled big at her students' arrivals.
"Good morning, everypony!" Cheerilee greeted.
"Good morning, Ms. Cheerilee," the class murmured.
"We have a lot to learn today, but first, please pass up your homework," Cheerilee ordered.
Scootaloo's heart sank.
"Celestia dang it! I forgot about the homework! I was so busy with Rainbow Dash trying to learn how to fly!" she said.
"Scootaloo, there will be no talking in class. That's strike one," Cheerilee scolded.
"Yes, ma'am," Scootaloo groaned.
After every fillies' homework was turned in, Cheerilee began a lesson about fractions. Sweetie Belle paid close attention, just like a good filly would do. Suddenly, a spit ball hit the back of her head. Sweetie Belle shook it off at first, but then another spit ball hit her in the head. She heard giggling and turned around. Diamond Tiara had a straw and some ripped up paper.
"Quit it!" Sweetie Belle demanded.
"Sweetie Belle, now you're talking! This class is being so noisy today!" Cheerilee said getting angry.
"I'm sorry," Sweetie Belle said with shame.
With a slight scowl, Cheerilee turned back around and continued her lesson. Sweetie Belle was then lost in thought.
Why does Ms. Cheerilee always notice what my friends and I are up to, but she never sees what Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon do? They never get punished, and they do all the bad stuff! Sweetie Belle thought.
Sweetie Belle eyed her teacher, but she just could not be mad at her. Cheerilee was a wonderful, nice teacher. She always told her students that if they were being picked on, they should come to her. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, however, never told Cheerilee about Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.
I could easily tell Ms. Cheerilee, but then what if the two lied through their teeth? Ms. Cheerilee would believe them. Also, they would probably tease me and call me a 'snitch' or something, Sweetie Belle thought.
Still the lesson continued. Finally, Ms. Cheerilee was done. She erased the board for next time.
"Alright, my little ponies, you may go to lunch now," Cheerilee said.
Everypony hurried out the door onto the playground.
"What do you have, Applebloom?" Scootaloo asked.
"Oh, the usual, some apple pie and a daisy sandwich," Applebloom answered.
"I have a hay sandwich today. Wanna trade?" Scootaloo asked.
Applebloom tore a little piece off of her sandwich and give it to Scootaloo. Scootaloo gave a bit of her sandwich to Applebloom in return. Sweetie Belle stayed quiet. The other two had to notice.
"Sweetie Belle, yer bein' awfully quiet," Applebloom said, "usually, you've got everything to say."
"I'm just really thinking, girls," Sweetie Belle replied, "Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara always bully us, but Cheerilee never seems to notice."
This was really food for thought.
"I agree with Sweetie Belle. Sometimes, we get blamed for something we didn't do, but they do," Scootaloo agreed.
Sweetie Belle all of a sudden grunted.
"Speaking of those two, here they come," she said flatly.
"Really? Don't they have king sized feasts to gorge on?" Applebloom wondered.
"Excuse us blank flanks. You ignored us earlier. When we call you, you come over!" Tiara growled.
"You can't tell us what to do!" Scootaloo replied getting furious.
"Yeah, just 'cause you two think yer queens, it doesn't mean you get to boss us around," Applebloom added.
"You're right, because you three are completely useless and that would just waste our time. You can't do anything right, and your blank flanks prove that," Silver Spoon jeered.
This hurtful statement sunk into the Crusaders, who truly had their feelings hurt. Sweetie Belle was frightened; she sniffed and tears filled her eyes.
"Awww, what's the matter, Sweetie Blank? You gonna cry?" Diamond teased.
Sweetie's eyes filled up more.
"I think she is! What do you suppose we do now, get her a diaper?" Silver retorted.
This made several fillies laugh. Sweetie Belle buried her face in her arms and cried. Scootaloo and Applebloom were livid.
"You shut up right now! And promise to never say such a horrible thing again!" Scootaloo demanded with fire in her eyes.
"You can't tell us what to do!" Diamond Tiara exclaimed.
This was it. Scootaloo lost it and lunged at Diamond. She tackled her to the ground. Tiara yelped in shock.
"Scootaloo! Stop!" Applebloom yelled.
Silver Spoon hurried to get Cheerilee. Scootaloo was punching Diamond Tiara in the face, giving her a black eye. Diamond Tiara began to sob.
"Awww, what's the matter? You gonna cry?" Scootaloo asked rather loudly.
Sweetie Belle was bawling now. Applebloom tried to pull Scootaloo off of Diamond Tiara, but had no avail. Scootaloo was quite strong for a filly. Cheerilee and Silver Spoon raced outside to the viscous battle.
"Scootaloo! Stop that this instant!" Cheerilee scolded.
Scoot looked up and realized what she had done. With tears in her eyes she slowly backed up next to a shaken Applebloom and a completely horrified Sweetie Belle.
"Scootaloo, I must talk to your parents about this," Cheerilee said disappointed.
Silver Spoon got Diamond Tiara to her hooves
"You alright, Diamond?" Silver asked her beaten friend.
"*sniff* Not really, Spoony," Tiara answered.
The school nurse came outside and tended to Diamond Tiara's injuries. The worst she had was a black eye and bloody nose. Cheerilee ordered Scootaloo to go inside and sit down until her parents arrived. With her head hung in shame, Scoot did as she was told. Cheerilee noticed Sweetie Belle weeping.
"She'll be fine, Ms. Cheerilee. Ah'll take care a' her," Applebloom assured.
"I hope so, Applebloom. Now I must go," Cheerilee responded.
"There there, Belle. You are not a baby. All ponies, even grown stallions, will cry," Bloom told Sweetie.
Sweetie sniffled and grinned.
"You're a good friend, Applebloom," she said.
----------
"Scootaloo, why would do such a thing?" Scoot's mother, Roller Blade, asked Scootaloo.
"Well, Scootaloo. Tell them," Cheerilee ordered.
"Uh, two bullies came up to me and my friends and began calling us names and-" Scootaloo trailed off.
"Please go on," Scootaloo's father, Speed Skater, said.
"They were really hurting Sweetie Belle, one of my friend's, feelings. I guess I got really enraged, so I knocked one to the ground and beat them to hopefully scare them away from us," Scootaloo concluded.
Roller Blade looked at Cheerilee.
"Bullies? Ms. Cheerilee, do you know of any bullies in your class?" she asked the teacher.
"Bullies? But all of my students are kind to each other," Cheerilee said defensively.
"That's probably only the case when you're around," Speed Skater said.
"Ms. Cheerilee, it was Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon," Scootaloo said, "I was fighting with Diamond Tiara."
"I saw that, but never had I seen the two be mean to you," Cheerilee said sadly.
"Well, they've always been mean to us simply for not having our cutie marks. But today, they called Sweetie Belle a baby for crying from how scared or upset she was. Silver Spoon even called us useless," Scoot said solemnly.
"That can't be true," Cheerilee said to herself, "they're always are so polite in class."
"Diamond Tiara was throwing something small against my head, though," Sweetie Belle suddenly piped up, "they were probably spitballs, and I told her to stop, but then you told me to be quiet."
"Spitballs? Useless?" I think it's time to call Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's parents, too," Cheerilee said.
----------
"So that's what happened today. I believe all deserve punishment," Cheerilee concluded her talk.
Silver Shine was Silver Spoon's mother. She scowled at her daughter.
"Calling ponies 'useless' is very hurtful, Spoon," Shine said sternly.
Silver Spoon tried to drown out what the grown ups were saying. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were useless; always trying lame tactics to earn their cutie marks, it made them look so desperate.
Silver Spoon's father, Golden Spoon, nodded in agreement. Filthy Rich had just shown up. Diamond Tiara's bruises stressed him.
"I'm okay, Daddy, really," Tiara assured.
"Now that everything is settled, the punishments are confirmed. Scootaloo, you are suspended for two weeks, while Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, you two are suspended for the rest of this week. Have I made myself clear?" Cheerilee asked.
"Yes, Ms. Cheerilee," Scootaloo, Silver Spoon, and Diamond Tiara said in unison.
"Good. Now you parents have a nice afternoon," Cheerilee told the adults.
"Thank you, Ms. Cheerilee," Speed Skater thanked.
As Scootaloo headed home she looked at Sweetie and Bloom with a saddened expression. The other two looked back, then Applebloom turned back around.
"So, where were we?" she asked Belle.
"Eating lunch, but now I lost my appetite," Sweetie complained.
The rest of the school day was slow. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom said their goodbyes and hurried home.
----------
"Ah'm home!" Applebloom called.
"Howdy, Bloom!" Applejack greeted, "lemme help you with those saddlebags."
Applejack got off Bloom's bags and hung them up.
"There's a snack waitin' for you in the kitchen'" AJ told her little sister.
Applebloom went to the dinner table. A plate with some fresh apple fritters was still steaming. As Bloom ate she thought about how Sweetie Belle was doing. She hoped she wouldn't cry again for a while, because when Sweetie Belle cried, it severely upset the other Crusaders.
"Scootaloo is also suspended. That leaves me as the leader to poor Sweetie Belle," Bloom sighed.
"What was that? Scootaloo got suspended?" Applejack asked.
Applebloom nodded.
"Yeah, those two rich bullies struck again Ah've told you about them before. So, they called us 'useless' and Sweetie Belle a 'baby', which made Scootaloo lose it and beat up Diamond Tiara," Applebloom explained.
Applejack's ears fell. Never has this happened with Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara.
"Ah have to ask, but is Diamond Tiara alright?" AJ asked.
"Ah'm not exactly sure," Applebloom responded.
Applejack nodded.
"Somepony really needs to take care a' them," she said.
"Well, both are suspended as well, just not as long as Scootaloo," Applebloom said sadly.
"Did Diamond Tiara throw any punches?" Applejack asked.
"Ah didn't see for sure, but Scootaloo wasn't lettin' Diamond hit her. Ah didn't see any marks on her, though," Applebloom replied.
"How was Sweetie Belle doin'?" Applejack asked her sister.
"Not good at all. She was cryin' a lot. Actually, she must've teared up before the fight, because that's when she got called a baby," Applebloom answered.
"Okay then. Why don't you come outside? Maybe runnin' around will make you feel better," Applejack offered.
So Applebloom followed her older sister outside. She even attempted to buck some apple trees, but she still had to develop hind leg strength.
"You'll get there, Bloom. You ain't a mare yet," AJ said encouragingly.
Applebloom smiled big. She felt better after all.
----------
Sweetie Belle sulked on her bed. She was still defeated. She has never cried in front of Diamond and Silver. Her heart sank at the thought of the two snobs spreading around the fact that she cried. She did not want to be called a 'baby', a 'wimp', or 'useless' forever. She looked at her flank. It was still as barren as ever. Finally, she cried a good lot before Rarity knocked on her door.
"Sweetie Belle, is everything okay in there?" Rarity asked.
"Go away! You shooed me way just for a stupid dress! You don't care about me, you only care about dress making!" Sweetie Belle yelled.
"Sweetie Belle, you know that is not true! Look, so many celebrities send me orders at once and it can be overwhelming. You have to believe me," Rarity said.
Sweetie Belle cracked her bedroom door. Rarity gasped at the sight of Belle's eyes reddened.
"Please, Rarity. I just need some alone time," Sweetie told Rarity.
Sweetie Belle shut her door. Rarity felt so guilty.
"Uugghh...dumb Sapphire Shores! Always so greedy!" Rarity growled, "She sure cares only about dresses!"
Back in her room, Sweetie Belle was wallowing in a pool of challenging emotions; too many emotions for one filly to handle. She had an idea, though not a very good one. She planned this idea out thoroughly. It would be selfish, but it was she wanted to do.
"I hope the world will miss me. Then again, why would anypony miss a crybaby pony like me?" Sweetie asked herself, "that's right, I'm just a weak little crybaby, and my lack of a cutie mark proves that."
Sweetie Belle still had so many tears held back. She lost it and cried them all out. When she was done she passed out asleep.