I can free the past
'Cause now the future's bright for me
My cutie mark has set me free
To do what's right and be the pony I want to be
And be the pony I want to be!
Diamond Tiara felt happy. Happy because she finally made somepony else happy. Happy for five minutes because of those stupid Cutie Mark Crusaders. Diamond had thought that they were her friends, because Silver Spoon obviously wasn't her friend anymore. But then that stupid SCOOTALOO had cordially informed her that no, they weren't friends and that yes, they still hated Diamond Tiara.
"So, Di, I was wondering if-"
"Haze, hush. You're getting on my nerves." Diamond muttered, glaring at the unicorn beside her.
Zero Haze was the most annoying colt Diamond had ever met. In her life. More annoying than Snips and Snails. The only reason they hung out was that Haze was staying at her house (well, more of a mansion, really, but whatever.) because of problems with his mother up in Manehattan. And, of course, her father had decided that he would seem like such a good pony if he took in his old marefriend's colt for a year or two. So, in a way, Haze was like her brother.
Haze rolled his yellow eyes, tapping his hoof. "I just had an idea. I've still got it if ya wanna hear."
Diamond just ignored him, blocking out his voice and continuing forward. "I don't. Leave me alone, Haze."
Zero Haze sighed and continued forward, his trot breaking into a gallop as he caught sight of Snips and Snails. It was like this every morning, every walk to school.
Diamond exhaled, slowly trotting forward when Zero left. Sure, he was annoying, but he was the only one Diamond had at school. At anywhere, really.
"Well, well, well." Diamond looked up in fear, shying away from the hulking grey form above her.
Finish Line grinned and glared down at Diamond with her dark grey eyes. The young grey mare slammed her hoof down next to Diamond's head, the black roller skate tangling in Diamond's purple mane.
"Look who the cat dragged in." Finish Line's city accent rang through Diamond's ears, reminding her of that one filly she had met from Manehattan...erm...Bad Seed? Back Seat? Didn't matter.
Diamond just whimpered, preparing to slam her hoof into Finish's face.
Without warning, Finish slammed her hoof down. Diamond rolled her head away, trying to avoid the blow. Although the skate didn't hit Diamond's face, she felt the piercing pain of Finish Line's hoof slammed into Diamond's cheek.
In retaliation, Diamond pulled her hoof back and pushed it forward with as much force as she could muster. Finish Line grunted and drew her head back.
Finish drew her hoof back once more, slamming it down onto Diamond's muzzle. Diamond cried out, holding her nose as she kicked at Finish and thrashed. Diamond cracked her eyes open, seeing Finish draw her hoof back once more.
Diamond shut her eyes, bracing herself for the blow. But it never came. Cracking her right eye open again, Diamond was met with a sight she never expected to see.
Applebloom held onto Finish Line's leg, frowning and keeping Finish's leg back with little effort. "Y'all need to calm down!" The yellow earth pony growled, grabbing Diamond's hoof and pulling her up gently.
Diamond made an attempt to open both eyes, flinching as the eye on her left sent a jolt of pain through her face.
Pushing her into a sitting position, Applebloom gently brushed Diamond's hair away from her face, examining the wounds and bruises. "Does it hurt when ah touch ya here?" The yellow earth pony asked, tapping Diamond's face carefully.
Diamond only shied away, pushing Applebloom off. "I don'th need you'we hewp." Diamond murmured, tenderly touching her own face at the sudden pain in her mouth.
Applebloom rolled her eyes, ignoring Diamond and continuing to examine the wounds.
"Di!" Diamond groaned inwardly as Haze embraced her, flinching when he bumped against her nose.
"Geth off," Diamond growled, "I'm hurth, you idioth."
Haze pulled back, looking at Diamond with concern. "Ugh, Diamond, you look horrible."
Diamond's eyes lowered, glaring at Haze. "Noth the momenth, Thzero."
"What's going on?" A honey sweet voice rang out across the schoolyard, a voice that could only belong to Miss Cheerilee. "What happened?"
Sweetie Belle stood behind the teacher, worry in her big green eyes. Dirty little tattle-tale. Diamond thought grumpily. Now I'm gonna get detention for sure.
Cheerilee frowned at the students, tapping her hoof. "What did you do, Diamond?" Behind Diamond, Finish Line looked quite pleased with herself.
"Finith Line punthed me." Diamond complained, cursing her broken speech. Celestia, she sounded like Twist.
Cheerilee looked from Finish Line to Diamond, the disappointment in her eyes geared at the both of them. "Girls, come with me."
As they stood, Finish stuck out her tongue at Diamond. In an attempt to do the same, Diamond released a pained gasp when her tongue pressed against her teeth. "Ah'll go with Diamond Tiara."
Diamond silently cursed Applebloom's kindness. "Ah could be of some help."
Cheerilee looked from a disgruntled Diamond Tiara to an earnest Applebloom, clearly too tired to deal with this today. "Fine, everyone else needs to be headed to class."
The teacher began trotting towards the schoolhouse, checking to be sure that Diamond, Applebloom, and Finish Line were following.
"Miss Cheerilee," Called Zero, scampering after them, "can I please come, too?" The unicorn looked hopefully at Cheerilee.
Cheerilee sighed and placed her hoof on her forehead. "Fine."
Diamond swore she could hear Cheerilee cursing under her breath. "The whole class can come if they want, not like I care. I'm only their teacher. What do I know?"
Entering the classroom, Cheerilee turned to her students. "Finish, Diamond, you need to get this behaviour in check. I can't have any more fights in the classroom!"
Diamond fiddled with her mane, glancing at Zero, who was trying to hold in his giggles. Applebloom glared at him, rolling her eyes.
"Ith won'th happen again, Mith Therilee." Diamond murmured, waiting for a similair response from Finish Line.
No such response came, and Finish just rolled her eyes out of boredom. Stupid Finish Line. Stupid Cheerilee. Stupid Zero. Stupid everyone. Diamond thought grumpily, watching Cheerilee sigh and wave her hoof, a signal for dismissal.
As she stood, Diamond was joined by a giggling Zero. "You sound like a mare, you know that?"