Just One Chance

“The Snip-let? That's so cute!” Sweetie Belle said to Applebloom. It was Monday and time for school again. Applebloom walked with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to school.

“I can’t wait to see him today! I couldn’t see him the rest of the weekend because I had to help buck some apples and give his uncle some zap apples for the flavored sparkling water. Hopefully it goes well,” Applebloom preached.

The three fillies walked into the schoolhouse to find every pony surrounding Diamond Tiara’s and Silver Spoon’s desks.

“Oh great,” said Scootaloo, “look who’s back from Manehatten!”

Applebloom had been so wrapped up in everything that she forgot about those two. Filthy Rich had to do business there and took them along. One week without those two was good enough, but everything with Snips and her was even better.

“And here we are on the tallest building,” Silver Spoon said showing every pony a picture of her and Diamond.

“We got to take the elevator, because my daddy’s rich. All of you would have to take the stairs.”

Applebloom toned out the two bullies bragging about their week away. It was no use though because a few moments later Diamond Tiara called her name.

“Oh Applebloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle,” Diamond shouted, “I left all of you something on your desks.”

The crusaders looked at each other confused and walked towards their desks. Lo and behold there were three pendants sitting on their desks. They were a B and two F’s pendants. The three fillies lifted the jewelry off their desks.

“I got them because I saw them and thought of you three,” Diamond said.

“How?” ask Sweetie Belle.

“Hello! Isn’t it obvious?” Silver Spoon asked.

“BFF. Blank Flanks Forever!” The bullies announced as they laughed.

Scootaloo threw hers on the ground and stomped on it. Sweetie Belle threw her’s in the trash. Applebloom did something different, she walked up to Diamond Tiara and laid the pendants on her desk.

“Sorry Diamond, I got enough jewelry,” she said showing off her Snip-let.

The class gathered around Applebloom to check out her bracelet. They were all mesmerized by the gold charm bracelet.

“Apple, bloom! Clever!” said one pony.

“What gem is the purple one?” another asked.

“Look how pretty the heart is!” one more announced.

Diamond Tiara stood up and grabbed Applebloom’s bracelet, “Oh wow! This thing couldn’t be cheaper than grass!” Diamond screamed grabbing the Snip-let off Applebloom’s leg, “Where’d you get it? You’re sister’s closet?” Diamond and Silver Spoon laughed and threw the bracelet. Applebloom tried to say something but failed.

“Not only are you a blank flank but you also have a bad choice in jewelry,” Silver Spoon teased.

“Actually I gave it to her,” Snips said standing in the doorway to the schoolhouse. He had caught the bracelet, thankfully. Applebloom ran over to Snips and hugged him. Snips helped Applebloom put the bracelet back on.

“Wow!” Diamond Tiara screamed, “Blank flank, wearer of bad jewelry, and crushing on a loser! You might as well go hide in a hole Applebloom, your life would be better that way.”

“Don’t talk to my filly friend like that!” Snips screamed as Applebloom was close to tears.

“You two are….” Diamond said processing what Snips just said, “Oh Celestia! You two losers are dating? Wow! Snips you’re a lost cause and I’m sure she’s just dating you to hide the pain of not having a cutie mark. Applebloom you really are stupid like your family! All your brother says is nope and yep, your older sister is so uncouth, and your grandmother-“

Scootaloo threw a book that missed Diamond Tiara’s head by a matter of inches. “Don’t you dare insult Granny Smith, you stuck up, rich, poor excuse for a filly!” Scootaloo screamed angrily.

“Oh, shut up you flightless filly. You’re lucky you’re not the most pathetic of the blank flanks,” Silver Spoon burned.

“Don’t talk about my friends like that!” Sweetie Belle screamed.

“Oh, Sweetie Belle,” Diamond snarled, “you’re no better! You used a princess to get popular and ended up being hated by her. You’re such a user, I’m surprised the other blank flanks like you.”

The crusaders stood in stunned and hurt silence as Ms. Cheerilee walked in.

“Good morning my little ponies, please take your seats and we will begin.”

Snips gave Applebloom a hug before sitting down. The crusaders sat down, all were hurt. Scootaloo was reminded, once again by those two that she couldn’t fly. Sweetie Belle began to feel guilty for how she used Twilight for attention. Applebloom had it the worst, not only was she hurt because she was Snips's filly friend, but she was also insulted because of her family. The term blank flank didn’t bother them anymore, but nothing could take away the hurt of the teasing they all had just received.

“I can’t believe she would go so far to hurt you guys,” Rumble said sitting with the crusaders, Snips and Snails on the schoolyard, “that wasn’t the least bit cool.”

“I’m just happy you didn’t have to hear it,” Scootaloo said, “for once I’m happy you were late.”

Scootaloo was beginning to like Rumble more and more. She had always had a tiny crush on him but nothing more. The two had become good friends but this was something different.

“Rumble just please take care of her,” said Sweetie Belle, “I know how much that hurt her and Rainbow Dash isn’t here to help.”

“It’s fine, as long as what she said to you wasn’t that bad,” Rumble replied.

“No, it was. I feel awful about using Princess Twilight. She reopened that old wound and it hurts.”

“Go see Button Mash after school,” Snips suggested.

“I will but I don’t know if I’ll last that long,” Sweetie Belle explained, “is she okay?”

Snips looked at Applebloom, she was in deep thought about what had been verbally thrown at her earlier today. Not only was she insulted because she did not have a cutie mark, but also for her family not being the smartest ponies around town and for dating Snips. Her worst fear come to life. Now the biggest bully is hitting her right in the most fragile spot of her dignity.

“Applebloom?” Snips called her out of her trance.

She immediately came back to reality and looked at her special some pony as he put a leg around her for comfort. She did not respond. She was still upset about this morning and didn’t want to talk about it.

“Applebloom must still be upset,” Snails said, “she’ll be okay. Snips will comfort her and she’ll be better in no time.”

“I hope you’re right Snails,” Sweetie Belle said worriedly.

The school bell rang and every pony went back into the school house. Applebloom hadn’t said a word since that morning. She remained quiet, reserved, and still. She sat at her desk waiting for whatever Ms. Cheerilee had to teach.

“Okay students, for our afternoon class we have two special guests. They will be teaching you about magic and love,” Cheerilee announced, “Please welcome Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, and Princess Twilight Sparkle!”

Twilight and Cadance walked into the schoolhouse with smiles on both their faces. Applebloom looked up confused. I don’t understand! she thought she’s here? Is that how she got in my dream?

“Hey, there my little ponies,” Twilight said, “I’m Princess Twilight.”

“And I’m Princess Cadance,” Cadance followed, “we are here to tell you about how we became princesses.”

Cadance and Twilight flipped back and forth about their journeys to evolving into princesses. They spoke about the alicorn transformations and their duties as princesses. They talked for about 30 minutes then took questions. Thankfully they were serious questions about their duties, friendships, and marriage. Then Applebloom spoke for the first time since that morning.

“Princess Cadance?” she asked, “How long have you been here in Ponyville?”

“Oh, I’ve been here since about Tuesday. I’ve been helping Twilight with her castle and Shining Armor and I are taking a little vacation,” Cadance answered.

Applebloom asked another question, “Do you have any special abilities, say like walking into other ponies dreams or something?”

Cadance began to see where she was going, “Well, Twilight and I can actually do it. If Princess Luna runs into a pony who is having constant nightmares due to either magic or friendship, she’ll come get Twilight. If it’s a marriage, relationships, or love problems, Princess Luna will come get me.”

Applebloom smiled at the Princess. Diamond Tiara raised her hoof to ask a question.

“Princess Twilight, have you ever been used because you’re a Princess before?”

“Well, only once,” Twilight said as she looked at Sweetie Belle, who’s head was tilted down in shame, “but they learned from it and so did I. She didn’t actually use me, she just wanted to show every pony what I teach her and her friends sometimes.” Sweetie Belle looked up at Twilight as she walked towards her desk, “it’s been a while since I had time with them but I hope they still remember what I taught them.”

Sweetie Belle then floated an apple off of Cheerilee’s desk and spun it in the air. She placed in gently on the desk again. Twilight then gave Sweetie Belle a hug, “I knew you could do it,” Twilight said to her.

Just then, Silver Spoon raised her hoof to ask a question.

“Princess Cadance, you were originally a pegasus correct?” she asked.

“Yes I was,” Cadance replied.

“How do you feel about a pegasus who can’t fly? It must be so shaming!”

“Actually I knew a few who couldn’t,” Cadance responded to the mean question, “however they were not meant to fly. One became a stunt pony for movies in Las Pegasus and she still can’t fly. It’s never stopped her though. I say to whoever can’t fly, it’s completely fine.”

She looked at Scootaloo who was half-way to tears, “Scootaloo sweetheart,” she said walking up to her, “so what if you can’t fly? You’ve done a lot of other amazing things. You were a flower pony in my wedding, a flag carrier at the Equestria games, and have one of the best fliers in Equestria as a mentor. You will learn some day my little pony.”

Scootaloo began to cry as she hugged her. Applebloom was starting to see that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were trying to bring her and her friends down. It wasn’t working because the Princesses saw things differently. She was next without a doubt.

“One more question Princess Cadance. Shining Armor was a nerd, why did you marry him? You could have married a better looking stallion who played polo!” Diamond Tiara said, “I mean look at the colt behind me,” she pointed at Snips, “he’s so pathetic I don’t understand why any pony would like him.”

Applebloom got angry and her boiling point was starting to come out. She couldn’t hold back anymore. She slammed her hooves on her desk and stood up.

“Princesses if I may,” she said.

“Of course,” Twilight said.

“Go ahead my little pony,” Cadance encouraged.

Applebloom prepared herself and opened her mouth to yell, “Diamond Tiara, what you said today about me, my friends, my colt friend, and my family was not cool! Do you even remember why your dad is rich? It’s because of my grandma’s jam! If it wasn’t for my ‘uncouth’ family you’d be just like the rest of us and not going to Manehatten to ride an elevator to the top of the tallest building. And my colt friend? You have no right to talk to him like that! This bracelet he gave me is 14k real gold! It is beautiful and I love it, just like I love him! Plus no pony would be caught dead dating you! No pony likes a bully and that's all you are! So go swim in your daddy’s money while my colt friend and I enjoy a date, something you will never go on!”

“Also Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon,” Twilight responded, “Remember what I said at your cuteceanera. Because they don’t have cutie marks they can be whatever they want.”

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon looked at each other as the school bell rang signaling the end of the school day.

“Whatever!” Diamond Tiara said as she and Silver Spoon rushed out off the schoolhouse.

Cheerilee dismissed class and all the ponies rallied around Applebloom as they moved outside. Snips ran to her and gave her a kiss for her bravery. The crusaders hugged as Rumble fought his way through the crowd to find Scootaloo. Applebloom felt empowered and strong.

“Well, something good must have happened today,” a voice said. The crusaders looked up to find Snips’s uncle Seltzer.

“Hey, Uncle Seltzer, this is Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Rumble, my friends,” Snips introduced.

“Nice to meet all of you,” Seltzer smiled, “Applebloom, I have the trials of the zap apple sparkling water back at Sweet Apple Acres. Would you all like to come and test them out?”

“Can my special friend come?” Sweetie Belle asked referring to Button Mash.

“Of course, we need all the help we can get,” Seltzer said.