I can’t really think of anything I can do to fix the problem, those kids are twisted. As much as I hate being a snitch, it’s the right thing to do here. Gonna have to round up the families.

The closest place was Scootaloo’s house, but I get no answer when I knock. Parents must be out or something. Oh well, next closest place is Carousel Boutique. I’ve never been of the idea that a sibling should take the role of parent, but since I don’t know where their parents are, Rarity is the best available option.

The next closest place is the mug, then the acres. Gonna have to be a bit more careful with Berry and AJ.

Leaving the Boutique, having explained simply that Rarity should meet me at the schoolhouse, I head for The Frothy Mug. Entering, I sit down in front of Berry. “There’s something I need to tell you. Noi’s in a bit of... trouble.”

“Really? She’s been so upbeat lately... she hasn’t been bullied again, has she? I thought she was getting over being shy.”

“Oh I’d say she’s over being bullied, considering she and the other Crusaders are at the schoolhouse beating up the other kids who do have their Cutie Marks. I tried talking to them about the power of deciding your own fate and they... took it in the worst direction possible.”

“Oh... oh no. Stoic! Mind the bar, I need to have a parent moment with Noi!” Berry shouts over her shoulder. “And you, Anthony, you’re going to be there. I’ll want to speak with you afterwards.” She rushes out the door, stopping only to grab a small saddlebag from a hook by the door.

Next stop, Sweet Apple Acres.

“She’s been what?! I’m gonna tan her hide! She’s gon’ be grounded to the basement for her life!” Applejack’s not taking well, to understate the matter. Big Mac, being the solid mass of muscle he is, is keeping the near-frothing middle Apple sibling from tearing off to beat the youngest. Across the room, Granny Smith just shakes her head sadly.

Big Mac, in a rare show of talkativeness, speaks up. “AJ, yer gonna stay here. Ah’ll talk to ‘er, and I’ll bring ‘er back here once you’ve had a few to calm down. And Ah’ll talk to her on the way. We got diffr’nt views on this, sis.” The big red earth pony keeps his voice level, but he bit clean through that straw he usually chews when he heard the news.

I back up Mac on this. “Yeah, if you just beat her and bully her, how’s that gonna teach her not to do the same? I already made that mistake by starting this whole ‘Blank Flank Superiority’ ideal.”

With that, Big Mac and I start on our way to the Schoolhouse. When we get there, Berry and Rarity are already there, defusing the scene in their own ways.

Rarity is speaking with a glare that could cut logs, and Sweetie looks so ashamed she could potentially curl up into a ball and fade away. Noi is outright crying, and I see that Berry is, at this point, holding her in her forelegs, simply glaring at the other crusaders.

Now is when Big Mac and I step in, he moving for ‘Bloom and Babs, while I’m having to play ‘dad’ with Scootaloo yet again. I pick her up in an arm and carry her away from the scene. “I’m just going to assume you know very well that I am not happy with you, and go on from there. Sound good?” I set her down and give her my best, untrained ‘dad look’.

“But-”

“Look, I’m not your parent, but I’m still supposedly a role model, so I’m going to give you some advice: Do as I say, not as I do.”

“But-!”

“Listen up kid, I know parents who would beat you across the face for something like this. I’m not gonna do that because that’s not how my mom raised me. I’m gonna tell you right now, that what I do is not the same as what you are doing. I fight monsters. I threatened Tiara because she bullied my friends, not because she had a Cutie Mark. If you keep acting like a total bitch I’m just gonna resign from the Crusaders. I don’t make friends with bullies.”

“But- but I-” her ears, wings, and expression droop, and she looks absolutely betrayed. But, given what she did, I don’t feel too sorry.

“I told you about the golden rule, at least I’m pretty sure I did. How does that fit in here? You want everyone to hate you, just so that the teasing stops? This right here is the kind of behavior I punch people for!”

“I- I was...” she sniffles, some tears falling from her eyes.

“But I’m not gonna. Because that doesn’t help. I know I seem like a great role model, but the things I do don’t apply to you, you’re just a kid, and so are your peers. I don’t know why you thought that freedom means superiority and that it’s a weapon to hit others with, but it doesn’t, and it isn’t.” I shake my head. “The reason I fight is because if I don’t I lose something, people get hurt, homes destroyed. You’re fighting to control others. Do you get the difference?”

She sniffles again, and nods, then buries her face in her hooves.

“There’s not much you can do to fix this, I know for a fact that simply being honestly sorry and apologizing doesn’t make anything better. I don’t know what you should do, but unless you want to become what you hated for most of your short life, a bully without a good reason, you need to change your attitude. I don’t hate you, but you need to also give me reasons to not hate you.”

“I’m sorry...” She sounds miserable. I guess she at least gets that I’m not happy with her.

“I’m sure you are... but here’s an example.” I draw my sword. “I want you to see exactly what I do, not what you think I do.” I walk up to a stand of trees and swing my sword, the wave of energy knocking them all down in clean slices. I point at the ‘murdered’ trees. “I destroy things. I’m not a hero, I’m not a savior, I’m just... an enforcer. Violence is an option, but it’s not a solution. Do you get it now? That right there, that was what you were doing?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah... I know. Now come on, let’s try a new start, shall we? Let’s take you back to school. Just know that not everyone is just going to forgive you.” I pick her up and take her back to the schoolhouse and hand her to Cheerilee. That done, I head for the Mug, recalling Berry wanted to talk with me. She leads me to the cellar/back room for our talk.

“I didn’t try to be a role model, and I certainly didn’t mean for them to take it this way. I just wanted them to stop worrying about not having Cutie Marks. I guess I wasn’t the right person to teach the lesson though.”

“I can understand that, Anthony, but it’s still partly your fault. You’re a good person, I think, but you’re reckless. You need to be more careful, and not just with what you’re doing.”

I nod. “There’s just... so much that can go wrong, I don’t know which way it will and that throws me for a loop. I can’t plan for everything, and I just wanted them to stop being bullied.”

Berry nods. “I know. I’m angry, and upset, and a whole slew of other emotions, but I know you didn’t do this maliciously. So, please, just promise to be more careful with your actions.”

“Yeah... I better go see Applejack. I’m worried she’s going to knock ‘Bloom into next week and concuss her.”

“I think Big Mac has things well in hoof, Anthony, you don’t need to oversee us all. We’re adults, you know?” Berry says, reassuringly.

“I just... feel responsible. I started all this, so I feel I should be the one to fix it.” For a moment, I imagine myself talking to Bombshell rather than Berry, but I’m snapped back when I get a response.

“Well, sometimes it needs to be family to fix a problem like this. Mac and AJ used to get picked on when they were younger. I think they need to do this themselves, without outside help.”

I leave the cellar and head back to the library. As useful as parents and family may be, I think Scoots needs a child psychologist or something. The others I understand, but this isn’t the first time Scoots has acted like this.  I’m sure there’s something wrong with her, but I don’t know what, and I doubt she would.

Oh well, time passes I guess. I head back to the library and opt to just laze around for the rest of the day, feeling drained of ambition for the time being.

Recalling that the library isn’t exactly the best place to be to get motivated, I just start wandering around Ponyville. It seems all the kids were sent home early. I hope this doesn’t scar their idea of what Cutie Marks mean. Guess I didn’t think about how important they really are.

Wandering around, I come upon the park and see Myrna. She doesn’t seem to notice me so I tap her. “Hey, what’s with the-”

I look at where she’s looking and see Clark and Fluttershy just snuggling. It takes a bit for it to register as actual cuddles given the size difference, but that’s what it is.

“So if your BFF is fine with ponies, what’s your problem?” Myrna asks. “He doesn’t have a problem.”

“Hey, we aren’t siamese twins. Ponies just don’t rub me the right way.”

“Let me guess, you don’t know why, you just don’t like them.”

“Just because I don’t have a clear reason now doesn’t mean I never will.”

Myrna shrugs. “You are just... difficult.”

“Maybe I am. Some girls like guys that take some figuring out.”

“Pfft... I meant difficult like mariokart.”

“Mariokart isn’t difficult, you probably just suck.”

“The point being that it isn’t difficult.”

“So I’m difficult but not difficult? And girls wonder why guys have trouble understanding women.”

“Actually, it’s just you.”

“Well, I don’t have to understand you to like you, do I?”

Myrna smiles and leans back. “Guess not.” Next Chapter: Chapter 162 Estimated time remaining: 9 Hours, 51 Minutes