The Amazing Superfilly

It had been a few weeks since the Paramaster had been arrested and Ponyville was back on track. Repairs had been made. Parasprites had been shooed out. Tranquility was returning. Life went on.

But not for Apple Bloom.

She had a problem. One that she could not fix with her powers.

Homework.

Make no mistake, Apple Bloom prided herself in being a good student. She payed attention in class, studied and behaved. She was a teacher's dream come true. No, her problem came in other sense. You see, earth ponies, having no magic, were forced to use their mouths for most daily activities, such as writing. Using your mouth for writing required practice and patience. Apple Bloom, being the good student she was, was used to having a pencil in her mouth. Taking notes, drawing and writing plans were easy as pie for her.

Snap.

"Dang it..."

At least, it used to be. Her powers allowed her to accomplish amazing feats, such as beating a giant timberwolf, nearly freezing a giant slug and save ponies from danger at a tremendous speed. Her life as Superfilly was possible thanks to this amazing skills.

Snap.

"Not another one..."

Her life as Apple Bloom however, had taken a turn for the worse. Not that much of course, but now that the excitement had gone away and Superfilly had established herself as the protector of Ponyville, Apple Bloom discovered that her powers, while awesome and incredible at first, were always there. The super strength was always there. So was the speed and hearing.

Snap.

"Alright, that's it, Ah' give up."

Apple Bloom spat the broken piece of pencil. The fifth one so far. The essay lay on her desk, untouched, pristine. A small study in history. She should have been done already, if she didn't keep snapping her pencils like twigs. Accidental of course, but, annoying nevertheless. She still hadn't managed to control her strength completely yet. The pencils were one thing. Tumbling down a tree she tried bucking was another. Even opening a door was a problem. She had ripped the door knob of the bathroom once. Boy, was Big Mac angry for that one.

"I wonder if Sweetie and Scoots are for up for some-" Ear twitch. "Here we go..."

Her super senses were perhaps the most troublesome. Sunny days were uncomfortable, too much noise would make her head hurt and she could smell a rotten egg in the kitchen all the way from her room. While Superfilly could pass this off without a bother, Apple Bloom had to hide it from public, lest they discover her identity. And it wasn't as easy as she thought.

"Thanks for saving us from Superfilly!"

"No need to thank me. Just be more careful from now."

Her super hearing, while useful in attending emergencies, was particularly problematic while not saving anypony. While she couldn't hear normal conversations, she could still hear things like shouts and loud speaking. Exclamations of pain, fear and danger were now a daily thing for her. Did they only pop out now that she was around to save them?

Or were they always there, and nopony came?

Apple Bloom didn't want to think of the answer.

She took of her suit, once more back in her room. To make things fair, Ponyville was a peaceful town, if a little accident prone. The criminal rate was pretty much non-existing, and any villain that actually appeared was and outlandish, yet actually dangerous creature, like the toothpick head. She would take care of them and the crisis would be solved.

"Glad Ah' don't have to see him again..."

Saving ponies, battling strange creatures, all this while managing her life as a normal filly. Tough.

"Apple Bloom! Your friends are here!"

"Coming!"

Maybe she should save those thoughts for later. Right now, Ponyville was safe, nopony was in danger and her friends were here. It was time for some crusading. And boy did she have some ideas.

"You be careful now, be back for lunch!" Applejack said from the door.

"Sure thing sis!" Apple Bloom put her helmet on. Soon enough, the three friends sped off on the scooter. Granny smiled from her rocking chair as she saw them pass the entrance to the orchid. Ah, to be young again.

"Those fillies are gonna go far with that attitude."

"Not if they break their necks in the process." Applejack hanged her stetson hat on the door knob. The gray sky allowed some sunshine in. Winter would be here soon.

"As Ah' recall, you were just as eager back when you were younger."

"Ah didn't go in suicidal missions when Ah' was five if thats what you're getting at."

"Nope, you didn't. You complained about your cutie mark though. Pretty often too."

Meanwhile, the crusaders rolled down the street, eager to get some work done. The sun shone brightly for one of the last times before winter. Scootaloo flapped her little wings, slowly gaining speed.

"Any ideas?" Sweetie Bell asked.

"I heard that the Sugarcube Corner is giving away the extra stock." Scootaloo turned. "Lets have a bite!"

It only took them a few minutes to arrive, but their stomachs were already grumbling with anticipation. A line was already formed at the counter. As soon as they entered however, Apple Bloom wrinkled her face. The smell! It was like if somepony was shoving a bowl of sugar up her nose! Sweetie and Scoots seemed fine though. She was just going to have to bear with it.

Soon enough, the three of them were happily eating a bag of cupcakes away. It was weekend, so no school, and they had no homework. Only cupcakes to eat and a lot of time to spare. Life was good for them today.

"Catch!"

Except for that.

Apple Bloom stopped the rock headed towards Sweetie Belle's cupcakes with a hoof, costing her the cupcake she was about to eat. She didn't even have to guess who threw it.

"What do you want Tiara?! You could've hit Sweetie Belle!"

"Could have? Guess I will have to try harder next time." Diamond Tiara laughed. Silver Spoon was right besides her, snickering cruelly.

"Why don't you leave us alone? Go suck up to your daddy or something." Scootaloo replied. Tiara flinched for a second before returning the remark.

"Oh please. I don't have to. My daddy will give me, like, anything I want." She glared at Apple Bloom. "Unlike you Apple Bloom."

"Leave her alone. What did she ever do to you!" Sweetie shouted. Tiara smirked.

"Just being a blank flank hick. Just like her parents. Too bad they died right? I mean, like, thats gotta suck!"

"DT..." Silver Spoon wasn't laughing anymore.

"I mean, at least mine loves me enough to stay, right Silver Spoon?"

Apple Bloom stood up and walked towards the bully. Diamond Tiara was unfazed.

"I bet your mom and dad didn't like you, thats why they died right? Because of little blank flank here!" Tiara said cruelly. Both Silver Spoon and the remaining crusaders were mortified. Diamond Tiara was taking things too far this time. But Apple Bloom hadn't said anything. Her eyes told everything they had to know.

"Then we're the same right?" Apple Bloom snarked.

"How could we possibly be same? You don't even have a cutie mark." Tiara replied. Apple Bloom didn't flinch.

"Oh yeah, right. Ah' forgot a cutie mark is everything right? But Ah'm not talking about that. Ah'm talking about your dad and your mom. You very special mom." she growled.

"Oh yeah? What about her blank flank?" Tiara challenged.

"Thats she's crazy. Oh so very crazy." Apple Bloom showed teeth, for whatever face she was making, it couldn't be called a smile.

"M-my mom is not crazy!" Diamond Tiara tried to talk back, but the stutter gave Apple Bloom all the signs of weakness.

"Of course she is. She's so crazy, they make her wear that stupid hat! Right girls?!" Apple Bloom called. Nopony nodded. She gave a step, making the pink bully back away.

"Maybe thats why your dad gives you all that stuff, so you believe he really likes you! After all, who could possibly love the daughter of a loony mare!" Apple Bloom near shouted, barely holding her lungs under control.

"My...my daddy-!"

"Poor, poor Diamond Tiara, living the life of a broken family. But wait, you got your cutie mark! Isn't it great?!"

Tiara was nearly sobbing now. Silver Spoon, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo could only watch in horror as the situation had reversed completely, and not in a good way.

"Ah' mean, that cutie mark is everything to you, right? You remind us everyday about it, right?! You show off that big, fat, stupid cutie mark, right?! A cutie mark that is completely useless, just like you! So go back to your house, say hi to your mommy and leave me the buck alone!" Apple Bloom roared.

       The shout was with enough force to send the Diamond Tiara's namesake flying of her head. Diamond Tiara tried to mumble something before bursting into tears. Faster than could be even thought, she ran away, not even picking up her tiara. Silver Spoon hesitated for a seconds before blasting after her friend, leaving the crusaders alone under the tree.

It grew had suddenly grown so quiet, at least until Sweetie Belle dare to break the ice.

"Eh, Apple Bloom...are you alright?" she asked. Apple Bloom didn't say anything. It was that they noticed that she was sniffing. Hard.

"No...Ah'm not." She turned to them, trying her best to hold her tears. Both the unicorn and the pegasus were at lost, not knowing how to console their friend. Apple Bloom's ear twitched twice.

"Hero time?" Scootaloo asked. If there was a worse time than this for heroics, the she didn't know it.

"No. Its not hero time...Its Tiara..." Apple Bloom brought her ears down, doing her best to block the sound. "She's crying. Not far from here"

"Well, duh! You gave her quite a whammy there. Never head you like that before." Scootaloo brought out a cupcake, already getting over the issue." So she's crying, not so different from what she does to us."

"You can't hear her." Apple Bloom glared at her. "Ah can. Every word." The implication of the statement made Scootaloo cringe a little. Maybe she should have kept her mouth shut. Apple Bloom turned to leave.

"Where are you going Apple Bloom?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Home."

"But what about crusading?"

"Lets leave for tomorrow girls..." Apple Bloom took a jumping position. "Ah'm not in the mood right now."

And with a single bound, she left her friends behind. Since most ponies were at the Sugarcube corner or on their homes, she wasn't really worried about being seen. Being airborne had another advantage. Apple Bloom could feel her mind relaxing a little. The tears went away and the sniffs stopped.

But she was still troubled.

"Hey there youngin'! Your home early." Granny smiled from her chair as Apple Bloom landed right in front of the house. Her sad face didn't go unnoticed.

"Aw, whats wrong dear? Some baddie got too tough?" Granny rocked a little on her chair. Apple Bloom sat besides her. She waited a minute before telling her what happened, doing her best to sound as neutral as possible. She hesitated a bit when she reached the part of her lashing out. Granny Smith listened carefully. Her face not showing anger at any point. By the end of tale, Apple Bloom was choking a little.

"And...and thats about it." Apple Bloom rubbed her eye. "Ah did something dumb granny."

"That you did little one." Granny rocked softly on her chair. "What you said was very mean, specially if its true. That Tiara girl must be feeling awful right now."

"But...but she's always doing the same thing to us granny!" Apple spat. "She always taking our stuff and making us miserable! We have to put with it, be she doesn't?"

"Thats not what Ah' meant Apple Bloom. What Tiara does is horrible. A bully is always a bad thing. They look for ways to make ponies suffer for the fun of it...and that just ain't nice." Granny Smith explained. "But sometimes, they bully for other reasons. Reasons that are probably sad, that they don't want others to see. And what better way to hide you being miserable than making somepony else even more miserable?"

"Ah don't feel good for making her miserable..." Apple Bloom muttered.

"And you shouldn't be. You returned the same coin that she gave you, and it hurt. You never really enjoy making bad things to somepony else. That Tiara girl must probably have a sad home. Ah don't like what she's doin', not one bit, but Ah think Ah can understand why she does it."

"But why should Ah' do now? Should Ah' apologize to her or just leave her alone?" Apple Bloom asked. She couldn't hear Diamond Tiara crying anymore.

"Ah think you should make things up with her." Granny rocked her chair once more. "You see, sometimes, when you find somepony who is a baddie and cruel to others, the best way to fix it, is being kind to them. Show them there's a better way. And to forgive is one of them. An enemy forgiven is a friend gained."

Apple Bloom was about to ask once more, but her ear twitched. A scream for help reached her ear. A very young scream for help. She pushed down her inner turmoil, instead reaching for the suit in her bag. She had a duty to fulfill. With a quick goodbye, Superfilly jumped away, leaving Granny Smith smiling o her chair.

"Go far...Far is too short for what she will do." she mumbled before falling asleep.

Meanwhile, Superfilly followed the sound of the scream. She was reaching the edge of town, near the road that led to the forest. She landed right at the exit. She could see prints on the road. Two of them were small set of hooves. The other three were large claws. Claws that she was very familiar with by now. Specially by the piece of dark wood that was on one of them. A piece she recognized very well.

"He just doesn't learn..." she growled.

The Everfree Forest was a scary place. Even with her powers, Superfilly kept her guard up at all times. The stories of what inhabited there were enough to convince her to be ready to face anything. She could hear soft sobs and crying. As much as she hated the fact that somepony was in pain, she hoped that they kept at it. It was her only way of founding them.

"Come on...come one...where are you..."

She heard twig break. That was it. She quickly followed the sound to a small clearing. Five timberwolfs were there. One of them held Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon down. Both of them were sniffing, doing their best to keep it down in fear of being torn apart by the wolfs.

Right at the middle was an enemy that Superfilly recognized all too well.

"Toothpick head...." she growled. She stared at the two frightened bullies. Granny's word echoed in her mind. She took a deep breath. This was not going to be easy.

The black twig that was the ear of the leader twitched, signaling the arrival of his enemy. The wooden wolf tightened his grip on the fillies while the pack took a fighting stance around him. Superfilly cursed inwardly. Since when did they have such a good hearing?! Surprise was out of the question now, and it was her fault. Toothpick Head looked around, his glowing eyes peering in search of the hero. There was no avoiding it. She walked out of the bushes hiding her, planting herself firmly in front of the pack.

"We meet again Toothpick Head!" Superfilly declared. The wolf snarled as she revealed herself. "Now, Ah' suggest you let those two go before Ah have to go medieval on you."

The Toothpick clicked his teeth, signaling the rest of the wolfs to attack. Superfilly easily dodged the first, who exploded at the impact of her hoof. Two timberwolfs tried charging at her, but she simply dodged to the side.

"You guys aren't as tough as you're made out to be." Superfilly teased as she bit the tail of one of them. With a hard pull, she pulled the hind quarters of the beast apart, using her momentum to slam the wooden behind against the other beast, smashing his head apart.

"Better start applying for paper lumber."

The last wolf charged. Superfilly rolled her eyes. The wolf bit hard on her body. Or tried to. His entire muzzled snapped in tiny pieces as he tried to pierce the skin.

"Haven't learned your lesson yet have you?" Superfilly uppercutted him, sending his head flying into the skies. The body fell before her, now nothing but a pile of leaves and twigs.

"Now its just you and me pal." Superfilly readied herself. "Let them go."

The Toothpick growled in anger. But he wasn't ready to surrender. Grabbing the fillies with his claws, he threw them to the woods, trapping them on a branch, high enough to kill any falling victim.

"If wanted some protection, you should have kept them." Superfilly smirked before blasting forward, hoof ready for punching. The woods echoed as she connected her fist with the jaw of the Toothpick. But no exploding sound came. No splinters fell from his face. Just a large crack hole. The wolf growled before clawing at Superfilly, sending her flying against a tree, taking the wind out of her.

"Wow...you've gotten tougher..." Superfilly stood back up. The Toothpick was visibly different now that she noticed. His limbs were visibly thicker, with less protruding twigs and leaves. His face was also sturdier looking.

"Been eating lately? Ah' hope you didn't get very fat." she joked. Her stomach still hurt a little from the blow. The wolf howled before charging. Superfilly dodged, bucking on the side. The beast recoiled for a second before returning the buck, missing her head by a hairs breath. Superfilly could feel the wind whistling as the wooden claw sailed over her head.

"Too slow!" she shouted as she grabbed the leg, ripping it apart with all her strength. Using as a hammer, Superfilly smashed on the back of the wolf. The beast bit her leg, hard, slamming her on the ground before launching her against a branch, cracking it the process. Superfilly groaned. She could feel the pain of the bite on her leg.

"Thats gonna leave a mark..." She stood again. The Toothpick stood there, waiting for the next round, doing his best to hide the shattered leg.

"Lets put and end to this."

Ignoring the pain on her leg, Superfilly blasted forward at full speed. The Toothpick barely had time to react before he was slammed with the force of a cyclone. The air around them quaked as he was launched in the air, smashing all the way through the tree that held Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. With a grunt, Superfilly jumped to the falling tree, grabbed both fillies and blasted away, jumping over the sea of trees.

"Hang on tight!" she ordered as she landed at the entrance of the forest. She dropped the girls on the ground with a sudden move.

"Ouch..." Diamond Tiara mumbled.

"Tha...thank you! You saved us!" Silver Spoon hugged Superfiily, who winced in pain. Damn leg. Too late to hide the slight limp.

"Your hurt." Diamond Tiara said, trying to inspect the leg. Luckily, the fabric of the suit didn't tear. That didn't mean it didn't hurt like hay.

"Ah'll be fine. Just doing my job." Superfilly panted.

"What can we do to repay you?" the Silver Spoon asked.

"No need. Ah' do this for free." the hero answered, wanting to leave as soon as possible.

"Please, we insist!" Diamond Tiara asked. Superfilly thought of many things she could tell her right now. Many things she could demand of her. But she noticed her eyes. They were red and puffy, and her voice was a bit raspy. Granny's words echoed in her head.

"An enemy forgive is a friend gained."

"There is one thing you can do for me." Superfilly stood. The two bullies stared closely.

"Ah'm a complete stranger. You don't know me, and yet, Ah saved your lives, not because Ah had to, or because Ah gained anything, but Ah wanted to." She put the best serious face she had. "You can repay me by kind to others in return. You wont gain anything you can touch, but it will be worth your while. Agreed?"

Both fillies looked at her, then at each other, and then at her again.

"Agreed." both answered.