What does it mean to be bullied? To know that every day when you go to school, you will face ponies that choose to torment you because you don't have your cutie mark yet. Worst of all is knowing that the ponies you turn to for help are powerless to stop the ponies who are bullying you. This is the dilemma that faced three little fillies: Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. Each are students at the Ponyville Elementary School.

They loved almost all of their classmates, with the two exceptions being Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Both of these fillies were what could be defined as snobbish elitist types. They thought just because they had their cutie marks they were better than other ponies in their class who had not yet discovered theirs. It was because of their belief that they were superior that made them both act like bullies, and ridicule and torment any pony who had not yet gotten their cutie mark.

Sadly for these three fillies, they were the only blank flanks remaining in their grade. Despite their many attempts to earn their cutie marks, none of them had theirs yet. Yet even being blank flanks had an upside as the three of them never would have become friends otherwise. They had even taken to calling themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders in an attempt to try everything they possibly could to find their place in life. The downside was that fact made them a target for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

It was only the beginning of the school year, but fillies and colts that started school together always stayed together in the same class throughout their entire education. Unfortunately that meant the Cutie Mark Crusaders would be stuck with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon until they graduated. And until they got their cutie marks, things would continue as they had all last year, and the year before, and the year prior to that. At recess on their first day back to school, Diamond Tiara kept up the routine she had for the past few years.

She ridiculed them for forming their group, and for spending every moment they were awake all summer long trying to earn their cutie marks, only to fail miserably in their quest. This act infuriated the three Crusaders. Determined not to have to tolerate her ridicule another year, they waited until class had let out for the day, and approached their teacher Miss Cheerilee.

"Excuse me, Miss Cheerilee. Can we talk?" Sweetie Belle asked as she, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom walked up to her desk after class.

"Why certainly, my little ponies. What can I do for you?" Miss Cheerilee asked, looking up from a stack of papers on her desk.

"We wanted to ask you for help," Scootaloo said.

"We're being bullied." Apple Bloom said.

"Bullied?" Miss Cheerilee said slowly, "By whom?"

"Diamond Tiara," Scootaloo said.

"She torments us relentlessly because we don't have our cutie marks," Apple Bloom said.

"I see. Thank you for coming to me with this. I will set aside time tomorrow and talk to the entire class about bullying," Miss Cheerilee said.

"With all due respect, isn't that what you did last year when we talked about this? She's making our lives miserable. We can't even walk down the street without having to be ridiculed by her," Sweetie Belle replied bitterly.

"I'm sorry, but there's only so much I can do. It's not that I doubt what you're telling me is true, it's just that my hooves are tied. The only other thing I can do is offer to speak to her parents about it. While I believe you, they'll ask me if I have witnessed Diamond Tiara bullying anypony, and I haven't. Until I see something personally there’s not enough evidence to do anything about it."

"In the meantime we have to suffer because nopony will stop her," Scootaloo said

"I will speak with her parents, and with her about bullying. That is as far as I can go," Miss Cheerilee said.

"Let's go," Apple Bloom said as she, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo turned and headed for the door to the classroom. "We're wasting our time here."

The trio went back to their lockers and grabbed their books and saddlebags.

"It's hopeless isn't it?" Scootaloo asked.

"We must have faith that our teacher can do something," Apple Bloom said.

"We all know she can't. As she said, there is only so much we can do," Sweetie Belle replied.

"What about going to the principal?" Apple Bloom suggested.

"We'll give it a week and see if anything changes," Scootaloo said. "It is unlikely Miss Cheerilee can stop Diamond Tiara, but we still have to give her a chance."

"If it doesn't work, then we'll go to the principal," Sweetie Belle said.

True to her word, Cheerilee did give a lecture the next day about bullying and the effects it can have on students in every aspect of life: morale, grades, attitudes, and even social interactions. The speech the pink earth pony gave was insightful and well thought out. The teacher was extremely careful in her wording, to avoid implying that anypony in her class was a bully or that any of the gathered ponies were being victimized.

Cheerilee knew all too well what bullying could do to a pony’s self esteem. She had seen many bullies over her career as a teacher, and she had even gone to school with many that would easily qualify as bullies. She could relate to what her students were going through, but the reality was that only Diamond Tiara’s parents could stop this.

She pulled Diamond Tiara’s file from a cabinet in the principal’s office, memorized her address, and walked slowly towards the filly’s home, thinking carefully about what to say. She needed to convince her parents to intervene, but she wouldn't lie. She could not say she had witnessed the bullying because she hadn't.

When she reached Diamond Tiara’s home, she knocked on the door. Filthy Rich, Diamond Tiara’s father, opened the door.

"Can I help you?" Filthy Rich asked.

"Hello. I'm Cheerilee, Diamond Tiara’s schoolteacher. May I come in? I have something I would like to discuss with you."

"Of course. Would you care for a drink?" Filthy Rich asked.

"No, thank you."

"So what is it you would like to discuss?"

"I wanted to ask you if there have ever been any issues with Diamond Tiara bullying other ponies."

"Not that I'm aware of," Filthy Rich asked. "Why do you ask?"

"Three of my students came to me and said she was bullying them."

"Have you witnessed Diamond Tiara bullying them?"

"No," Cheerilee replied.

"Then how do you know it's true? You must believe it or you wouldn't be here."

"I have never known any of them to lie. On the other hoof, I've never known Diamond Tiara to lie either. Since neither group involved has a reputation or history of lying, I wanted to ask you if there have ever been any problems of her bullying anypony previously."

"As far as I know there haven't been any. DIAMOND TIARA!!" Filthy Rich shouted at the top of his lungs. Diamond Tiara trotted into the room and looked surprised to see her teacher sitting beside her father.

"Yes father?"

"Do you know what a bully is?" Filthy Rich asked.

"Yes, father. I know," Diamond Tiara answered.

"Are you bullying students at your school?"

"What?! No! Never!" Diamond Tiara did her best to sound shocked by the accusation.

"Don't lie to me, Diamond Tiara. This is a serious matter," Filthy Rich said.

"I'm not lying, father. I don't bully anyone."

"That's good enough for me," Filthy Rich said. "But just so we have an understanding, Diamond Tiara, we are rich. Exceptionally rich. Richer by ourselves than every other pony in this town combined. But that doesn't make us better than them. I'm glad you're not bullying anyone. Make sure that never changes."

"I will," Diamond Tiara said, feeling extremely nervous. She didn't like lying to her father, and she certainly wouldn't like it if he ever found out about it.

"Well, that's all I wanted," Cheerilee said. "Thank you for your time. Diamond Tiara, I'll see you in class tomorrow."

"Our door is always open," Filthy Rich said. He stood up and escorted the pink pony to the door. He opened it and held it for her as she exited, then closed it behind her.

Cheerilee walked toward her own home, feeling pretty good about things. Diamond Tiara was many things. Conceited, arrogant, and cocky all came to mind, but she was not a liar. Although the teacher had her suspicions that the filly in question had just become one, she had faith that deep down everypony was a good pony. If Nightmare Moon could be reformed, there had to be hope for Diamond Tiara, too. Hopefully bringing this to her father’s attention would help persuade Diamond Tiara to stop pestering her fellow students.

Day in and day out, the Cutie Mark Crusaders went to school, doing their best to avoid contact with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. They trusted their teacher since she had kept her word, but they didn't want to have a confrontation with them regardless. This strategy proved effective to a point, but that Friday Diamond Tiara caught up with them at lunch.

"My, my look at that," Diamond Tiara said, looking at the three fillies. "They call themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Yet they have no cutie marks. Come up with another lame-brained scheme to try and earn one?"

"Why are you such a nasty little pony, Diamond Tiara?" Scootaloo asked.

"What have we ever done to you?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"You have your cutie mark. Why can't you leave us alone so we can find ours?" Apple Bloom asked.

"You don't seem to get it. You're never going to get cutie marks. Everything you've ever tried doing to get one you've all failed at. Face it; you're never going to never get one. Blank flanks!" Diamond Tiara said, laughing.

The trio of ponies stood there in the cafeteria, looking at their tormentor. It was Sweetie Belle who lost it first and burst into tears. Ignoring her food, her friends, and the sea of ponies between her and the exit, she ran. She ran as fast as she could toward the doors and plowed head first into them, sending them flying open. The last thing she heard as she exited the cafeteria was Diamond Tiara’s mocking laughter echoing in the cafeteria.

Seeing their friend in tears, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom ran after the white unicorn filly. They were feeling just as miserable as she was, and were moments away from bursting into tears themselves, but they knew they had to find her. They saw her run outside, and they followed her out of the building. They finally caught up with her when she sat down at the far end of the playground.

"She's wrong," Apple Bloom said.

She and Scootaloo sat down next to Sweetie Belle and gave her a hug. The little unicorn continued to cry uncontrollably, which caused her two best friends to cry as well.

"We'll get our cutie marks," Scootaloo said.

"I can't take this anymore. Nopony should have to go through this," Sweetie Belle replied, her voice cracking as she cried on her friends’ shoulders.

"We'll go talk to the principal after school," Apple Bloom said.

"No. Not after school. Right now," Scootaloo suggested.

"We can't go right now. It's almost time to go back to class. Miss Cheerilee won't like us being late," Apple Bloom said.

"I don't care," Sweetie Belle replied.

A few minutes passed before the unicorn could regain her composure. The Cutie Mark Crusaders continued to hug each other for a few more minutes before they stood up, and then walked back toward the school in unison as the bell rang. They saw the door to their classroom close as they entered the school. They walked down the hall and passed their classroom door, ignoring it. At the end of the hall they came to a door with the words "Mr. Icepick, School Principal". Scootaloo knocked on the door.

"Come in," a male voice called out, and the ponies opened the door slowly and walked inside.

They saw a well-lit, organized office with an oak wooden table in the middle of the room with chairs all around it. At the far side of the room was a pony with a blue coat, white mane, and white tail. His eyes were light green and he watched the three fillies enter.

"Please, close the door and take a seat. I'm Principal Icepick, but you can call me Icepick."

"I'm Scootaloo."

"I'm Apple Bloom."

"And I'm Sweetie Belle."

Icepick looked at the three fillies for a moment before it dawned on him.

"Apple Bloom, is your sister Applejack?" Icepick asked.

"Yeah."

"And you, Sweetie Belle... is your sister Rarity?"

"How did you know that?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"You'd be amazed at how closely you both resemble your sisters when they were your age. I remember when they were both students here," Icepick replied. He was interrupted by a knock on his door, which opened to reveal Cheerilee entering the room.

"Excuse me, principal, I hate to bother you but I've got three missing..." Cheerilee trailed off as she saw the trio of fillies she was looking for sitting across from Icepick. "Never mind. I just found my missing students. You should all be in class."

"It's ok, Miss Cheerilee. I have always had an open door policy. Anypony at any time is welcome to come into my office. When we're done I'll escort them back to class," Icepick said.

"Okay. Next time, though, please let me know where you're going. I wouldn't have stopped you, but I need to know where my students are at all times. I don't want to see anything happen to any of you," Miss Cheerilee said.

"We're sorry we didn't tell you," Sweetie Belle replied.

"Next time we will," Apple Bloom said.

"That's all I ask," Cheerilee said. She turned around, walked back out of the room, and closed the door behind her.

"Now then, my little ponies. What brought you here today?" Icepick asked.

"We've got a problem and we don't know where to turn," Apple Bloom said.

"We went to Miss Cheerilee, and she did try to stop it, but it didn't work," Scootaloo said.

"What was she trying to stop?" Icepick asked.

"We're being bullied," Sweetie Belle replied quietly, looking down at the table.

"Bullied?" Icepick said slowly. "By whom?"

"A filly named Diamond Tiara," Apple Bloom replied.

"Okay. This is one of those times you need to be very specific. Start at the beginning. Tell me everything that's happened."

The three Cutie Mark Crusaders took turns recounting specific incidents of being bullied, both on and off school grounds. They spoke until their voices became strained. Icepick stood up and got each of them a glass of water.

"That's wrong," Icepick said. "I won't allow bullying in my school."

"Miss Cheerilee gave a lesson to our whole class the other day on bullying, but it didn't do any good. She said she would speak to Diamond Tiara’s parents about it. That was a week ago. It still hasn't stopped," Apple Bloom said.

"I will do something I don't normally do," Icepick replied cooly. "I'm going to hold a general assembly. Every student, every teacher... everypony will be there. I will address this problem head on."

"I'm not sure talking will be enough. Many other ponies have talked about this... and it hasn't ended," Sweetie Belle said.

"I will take every step within my power to protect the fillies and colts in my school. Tomorrow morning we'll have an assembly in the playground. Thank you all for bringing this to my attention."

"Please, help us," Scootaloo said softly.

"I will. For now, though, you'll need to get back to class. I don't want you fillies falling behind in your studies."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders stood up. Icepick walked over to the door and opened it for them, and he led them back to their class. When they got to the door, Icepick knocked on it. When Cheerilee opened the door, the fillies walked into the classroom and took their seats.

"We're having a general assembly tomorrow morning. After you take attendance, take your students to the playground. This assembly will involve the whole school," Icepick informed her.

"Will do."

"I'm going to go pass the word to the other classes," Icepick said, and he turned and went to the next classroom.

"Okay class, the day is just about over. Your homework tonight is to read chapter three of ‘The Laws of Ponyville’. We will have a test tomorrow. Have a good night, and be careful going home."

The students of Cheerilee's class stood up and filed out of the room, with Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom leading the pack out of the room. They went straight to their lockers, grabbed their saddlebags and books, and walked out of the school.

"Well here come the crybabies. Are you going to cry again, blank flanks?" Diamond Tiara taunted.

"No, they won't. They'll just go running to the teacher again. Too bad you can't stand up for yourselves. You have to rely on others. That's pathetic," Silver Spoon added.

"Just keep walking, Crusaders," Apple Bloom said. "Ignore them."

"No, I think they're worth responding to," Sweetie Belle said.

"Arguing with them won't do any good. Sooner we get away from them the better we are," Apple Bloom replied.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders kept on walking, ignoring Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

"I don't feel much like meeting tonight at the clubhouse," Sweetie Belle said.

"I know how you feel. I think tonight we can take the evening off," Apple Bloom replied.

"What happens if the Principal can't get Diamond Tiara to back off?" Scootaloo asked.

"I intend to talk to my sister this evening when I get home, and ask her for advice," Apple Bloom said.

"I hope she has some ideas on what we can do, because I'm fresh out," Sweetie Belle said.

"Me too. We've talked to just about anypony that would listen and asked them to stop Diamond Tiara, but nopony is doing anything that will. Talking to her or her parents hasn't changed anything," Scootaloo said.

The trio walked through Ponyville side by side, waving at familiar ponies all along the way. They saw the Cakes walking along the path that led to their shop. They saw Twilight Sparkle and Spike out shopping. They walked all the way to the edge of town. There were two paths. One led to Sweet Apple Acres and to the Everfree Forest, while the other led to the western end of town.

"I'll catch up to you two in the morning," Apple Bloom said.

"Take care, Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle said.

Apple Bloom walked back toward Sweet Apple Acres while the other two Crusaders turned and walked down the other path, towards Sweetie Belle's home. Once the white unicorn was safely inside her house, the orange pegasus backtracked to Sweet Apple Acres where she took shelter in their clubhouse. Unbeknownst to the other fillies, Scootaloo was an orphan and had no place else to go.

When Apple Bloom entered her house, she tossed her saddlebag in her room and went looking for her big sister. It did not take her long to find Applejack out among the apple orchards, bucking her way through the back forty.

"Well howdy there, little sis. I didn't know you were home from school already."

"Have you got a minute? We need to talk," Apple Bloom asked.

"Why sure, sugarcube," Applejack replied, trotting over to her younger sister and sitting down on a log. Apple Bloom walked over and sat beside the orange mare.

"So what's on your mind?"

"When you were a filly did you ever have to deal with a bully?"

"Bully?" Applejack asked. "Is somepony bothering you?"

"Diamond Tiara. She's relentless in rubbing Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and my noses in the fact we don’t have our cutie marks yet."

"There was one bully who did pick on ponies in my class. She picked on me, but not about my cutie mark. One day I just got so sick of taking the insults I went to my teacher and my principal and asked them to intervene."

"And did they?" Apple Bloom asked.

"They did what they could and tried to help, but in the end it didn't work. The pony just kept right on teasing everypony else around her. Only thing I could do was take it because nopony would do anything to stop it," Applejack said. "I'm sure if I really wanted to I could have fought that pony and beat her senseless. In fact I know I could have. That might have ended it right then and there."

"If that could have stopped it, and saved you and others from having to deal with being insulted all the time by a pony nopony else would do anything about..." Apple Bloom started saying, but in typical sister fashion, Applejack finished her thought.

"Why didn't I?" Applejack asked. "Easy. That might have been the short-term solution. But it wasn't the right way. Just because you can beat up a pony doesn't give you the right to. I had a heart to heart with our parents about it, and with Big Macintosh too. That's what they told me. And they were right."

"I don't know how much more I can take. It's not easy to have to deal with constant ridicule by somepony you haven't ever done anything to."

"Have you spoken with your teacher and your principal about it?"

"I have. Miss Cheerilee talked to Diamond Tiara's parents and to Diamond Tiara about it. That didn't stop it. I talked to the principal today. He assured me he'd call an assembly tomorrow and address the whole school about it. But that's just more words. I'd bet you my entire allowance that won't stop it either."

"The only way you can deal with this is to deal with her directly," Applejack said. "Diamond Tiara is the type of pony who's stuck on herself. She's not going to take advice from anypony. Her parents might have influence with her, but from what you said your teacher tried that approach, and it didn't work. If her parents can't stop her, then nopony else will be able to reason with her either."

"It sounds hopeless," Apple Bloom said. "She actually made Sweetie Belle cry today." She neglected to inform her sister that she had broken down in tears as well.

"Confront her. Head on. Tell your friends to back off and talk to her one on one if you can. Let her know how her actions are affecting you and it has to stop. Deep down she's a good pony. Maybe one on one would be the way to handle it."

"What if that doesn't? I can't go on with going to school every day for the rest of my education like this. It's not fair!"

"The thing is there's always going to be bullies. I could have you transferred to another class in another school. The only thing that will do is get you away from Diamond Tiara. But it won't stop the next bully. I can't remove Diamond Tiara from your class. That's a decision that is up to her parents or the school. Unfortunately, you're going to have to come to terms with her.

The sooner you do, the happier you'll be. I wish I could help you more, but when it comes to facing a bully, you have to do this. I know how hard that step is going to be, because it was right hard when I did it too. But if you don't do it, you'll spend a lifetime cowering in the corner, afraid to talk to ponies because they might turn on you. That's not the recipe for a happy life."

"So I'm supposed to talk to her and hope she chooses to leave me alone? And if she doesn't leave me alone I'm supposed to take it 'til she gets tired of doing it?" Apple Bloom asked bitterly.

"I choose not to fight. I believe that fighting is something that is to be reserved only for those times when there is no other choice because all other possible options have been exhausted. I don't believe you've reached that point. Yet. But if that time comes you'll know it in your heart, because it will make you sad that you have to do it. Right now fighting her sounds like a good idea. Like the simplest way to handle it. But it's not the right way. You've gotta trust me on that."

"I won't fight her today. Or tomorrow. I don't know how long I can restrain myself to give other ways a chance to work, though," Apple Bloom admitted. "I can't stop the others from fighting her. If Sweetie Belle or Scootaloo choose to, I won't stop them, and I can't promise that if they choose to fight her I won't join in."

"That's a choice you'll have to make if that time comes. But remember for every action there is an equal reaction, and there are consequences to fighting. But if you absolutely have to do it, make sure you win. Because losing will make you even more of a target. I've seen it happen to others..." Applejack's voice trailed off.

"I'm gonna go back to the house and get some schoolwork done. Thanks for the talk," Apple Bloom said, giving Applejack a hug.

"Anytime, little sis," Applejack said hugging her back. She stood up and watched as Apple Bloom trotted back to the house, and found herself thinking back to her filly days.

She remembered being bullied and finally confronting the bully. The threat of physical retaliation had been enough to cause the bully to back down and leave her alone. Thankfully she had never had to go through with the threat, but when it finally came to dealing with the bully, Applejack had been prepared to do it and face whatever consequences came out of it.

Applejack knew how Big Macintosh would react if Apple Bloom got into a fight at school, and was trying to shield her younger sister from being punished. Applejack also knew that if Diamond Tiara didn't back down, it was going to come to that, and as hot-headed as Apple Bloom could be at times, it meant that any confrontation could get out of hoof quickly.