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"Mrs. Cheerilee?" Sweetie Belle knocked on the door.

"Come in, please," the earth pony answered.

Sweetie reluctantly opened the door and slowly entered the room. Spike, who had grown into a huge wingless dragon, awkwardly followed his wife. Cheerilee was filing some papers at her desk. She was noticeably tense. Finally, the pony stopped, got up, and walked over to the couple.

"So, are you aware of the whole situation with your daughter?" she started calmly.

Spike and Sweetie exchanged concerned looks.

"Not exactly," the white unicorn said. "Emie doesn't want to tell us anything and we aren't sure we can trust other ponies on this subject."

Cheerilee sighed. If she didn't have to, she wouldn't have this talk at all, but it was her duty as a good teacher and as someone who really cared about all her pupils.

"Something unpleasant happened between her and some other foals today. I think that the foals started to bully her and in anger, she badly injured one of her classmates. She burnt her flank with her fire breath."

The couple stared at each other in shock. They didn't know what to say. How could their dear beloved daughter do such a thing? Sweetie shook her head, refusing to believe this.

"No, it just can't be. There must be something... I'm sure that..."

"I don't understand," Spike said quietly. "Our daughter has always had a fiery temper, but I never thought that something like that could ever happen. I... I didn't even know she was able to breathe fire like me..."

"I understand your feelings and I know how hard it is to hear something like that," Cheerilee sighed. "But we need to do something about it. Emerald was always... different. But I don't think she ever meant for that to happen. Sometimes Emerald isn't capable of holding her emotions back. She looses control of her actions sometimes, but there's no need to explain how bad it is for her and for the ponies around her. I hope you understand that."

She looked at them sincerely.

"I believe that my daughter would never do something like that on purpose," Sweetie Belle said confidently. "What if the other kids bullied her because she's a hybrid? My poor baby didn't deserve to be treated in such a way!"

"Dear, I understand that you want to protect Emie, and I would say a couple of words to her bullies myself," Spike said softly to his wife. "But we can't deny that she did something terrible and it might as well be our fault."

"Sweetie Belle," Cheerilee intervened. "Please, listen. I understand your feelings, but you need to understand me too. I'm not here to judge your daughter. I'm only trying to help you make the right decision. Emerald needs some professional help from a psychologist. But also, as headmaster, I can't let something like this happen again. I'm sorry to say, but I need to expel Emerald from our school."

"What?! You are not serious, are you?" Sweetie Belle said in disbelief.

"Dear, I can't say I'm happy about this either, but maybe that would be the best for our daughter." Spike placed his paw on Sweetie's back.

"But that means she will be isolated from other kids! How can this be good?" She didn't want to reconcile. "She needs to socialize with others! She needs friends!"

"You are right, but... I don't think that after what happened her classmates are willing to be friends with her. If anything, she will feel isolated with them treating her this way." Spike sighed. "I believe that our girl will find some new friends, even outside of school."

"Perhaps you are right... But I'm still worried. What are we gonna do about this? What are we going to say to that filly's parents? How will we look into their eyes?"

"It'll all be alright. We'll figure something out, you'll see," Spike said, placing his chin on his wife's head. "It'll be alright."

If only he wasn't so worried himself.

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< previous || next >

"Mrs. Cheerilee?" Sweetie Belle knocked on the door.

"Come in, please," the earth pony answered.

Sweetie reluctantly opened the door and slowly entered the room. Spike, who had grown into a huge wingless dragon, awkwardly followed his wife. Cheerilee was filing some papers at her desk. She was noticeably tense. Finally, the pony stopped, got up, and walked over to the couple.

"So, are you aware of the whole situation with your daughter?" she started calmly.

Spike and Sweetie exchanged concerned looks.

"Not exactly," the white unicorn said. "Emie doesn't want to tell us anything and we aren't sure we can trust other ponies on this subject."

Cheerilee sighed. If she didn't have to, she wouldn't have this talk at all, but it was her duty as a good teacher and as someone who really cared about all her pupils.

"Something unpleasant happened between her and some other foals today. I think that the foals started to bully her and in anger, she badly injured one of her classmates. She burnt her flank with her fire breath."

The couple stared at each other in shock. They didn't know what to say. How could their dear beloved daughter do such a thing? Sweetie shook her head, refusing to believe this.

"No, it just can't be. There must be something... I'm sure that..."

"I don't understand," Spike said quietly. "Our daughter has always had a fiery temper, but I never thought that something like that could ever happen. I... I didn't even know she was able to breathe fire like me..."

"I understand your feelings and I know how hard it is to hear something like that," Cheerilee sighed. "But we need to do something about it. Emerald was always... different. But I don't think she ever meant for that to happen. Sometimes Emerald isn't capable of holding her emotions back. She looses control of her actions sometimes, but there's no need to explain how bad it is for her and for the ponies around her. I hope you understand that."

She looked at them sincerely.

"I believe that my daughter would never do something like that on purpose," Sweetie Belle said confidently. "What if the other kids bullied her because she's a hybrid? My poor baby didn't deserve to be treated in such a way!"

"Dear, I understand that you want to protect Emie, and I would say a couple of words to her bullies myself," Spike said softly to his wife. "But we can't deny that she did something terrible and it might as well be our fault."

"Sweetie Belle," Cheerilee intervened. "Please, listen. I understand your feelings, but you need to understand me too. I'm not here to judge your daughter. I'm only trying to help you make the right decision. Emerald needs some professional help from a psychologist. But also, as headmaster, I can't let something like this happen again. I'm sorry to say, but I need to expel Emerald from our school."

"What?! You are not serious, are you?" Sweetie Belle said in disbelief.

"Dear, I can't say I'm happy about this either, but maybe that would be the best for our daughter." Spike placed his paw on Sweetie's back.

"But that means she will be isolated from other kids! How can this be good?" She didn't want to reconcile. "She needs to socialize with others! She needs friends!"

"You are right, but... I don't think that after what happened her classmates are willing to be friends with her. If anything, she will feel isolated with them treating her this way." Spike sighed. "I believe that our girl will find some new friends, even outside of school."

"Perhaps you are right... But I'm still worried. What are we gonna do about this? What are we going to say to that filly's parents? How will we look into their eyes?"

"It'll all be alright. We'll figure something out, you'll see," Spike said, placing his chin on his wife's head. "It'll be alright."

If only he wasn't so worried himself.