Quizzical

by JMac

The Big Finish

Quiz awoke blind and in pain.

She set her horn aglow, and that fixed the first but made the second worse.

“Oh, good,” groaned Indy, seeing the light.  “Quizzical is awake.”

“Indy, you are hurt!” cried Quiz, going to his side.

“Only a little bit.  Indy cannot stand, or move without pain, or breathe deeply; but other than that Indy feels fine.”

“You saved my life,” said Quiz.  “Why would you do such a thing?”

“Indy has already explained this,” said Indy.  “Quizzical should stop being stupid and pay attention.”

Quiz was without a reply, so she regarded the pile of rock in front of them.  “Most of the tunnel collapsed behind us; we seem to have fallen into the opening I predicted would be here.”

“There is much rubble to move,” said Indy.  “And Indy cannot help Quizzical dig us out.  Indy can only help Quizzical use up our air.”

“That does not concern me,” said Quiz.

“Indy tested with a torch, while Quizzical slept,” said the diamond dog.  “There was no air flow, so Indy put the torch out.”
                   
“Then I shall have to dig an airway,” said Quiz.  She picked up one rock with her magic and one rock with her hooves, and threw them aside.  She tried to ignore the pounding in her head.
                   
“Before Quizzical gets to work,” said Indy.  “She should raise the light level just a bit, and turn around.”
                   
“I do not know what… oh, my,” Quiz turned and saw gems.  Everywhere.  “Well… that is just extraordinary.”
                   
“Isn’t it just?” agreed Indy.
                   
“It is like standing inside a geode,” said Quiz.
                   
“Yes, except it is a geode 30 feet high, 20 feet wide, and 50 feet deep,” said Indy.  “Indy does not know how to convert that into units ponies use.  But, congratulations.  Quizzical has made the greatest find in the history of the Diamond Dogs.”
                   
“Then I really should get us out of here, so we may celebrate,” said Quiz, getting to work.
 

                   
“This is better, but it’s still not enough,” said Twilight, regarding the little white hair bow floating just off the tip of her nose.  “If this doesn’t work I don’t know what we can do to find Quiz.”  She felt like crying.
                   
“Can I try?” asked Sweetie Belle. “Please?”
                   
“Sweetie Belle, please, let the older ponies work,” said Rarity.
                   
“The fillies share a bond, and the bow was a gift from one to the other,” said Princess Celestia.  “Sometimes that makes a difference.  It will not hurt to let her try.  Go ahead, Sweetie Belle.”
                   
Sweetie Belle concentrated and her horn glowed.  She sang, “Ah, ah, Ah, AH!” and the glow increased.  The bow floated an inch into the air.
                   
“Sweetie Belle, how did you do that?” gasped Rarity.  She had never seen her sister perform any magic.
                   
“I feel something,” said Sweetie Belle, uncertainly.  She tried with all her might, but she couldn’t make the spell any stronger.
 

Sweetie Belle’s friends watched from the edge of the rocks.  Sweetie Belle had been allowed close to the action because she had information that had been helpful, but the rest of the fillies had been kept back with the other onlookers.

“She needs a focus,” said Twist.  “But none of us have any gemths.”

Apple Bloom thought about this.  “I have an idea,” she said, and she whispered her plan to the others.

“Ithn’t thith going break our Pinkie Promith?” asked Twist.

“Not so much break it, as bend it a bit,” said Apple Bloom.

“C’mon, Twist, this is going to be cool!” said Scootaloo.  “And you want Quiz back, don’t you?”

Twist nodded emphatically.  “I’m in.”
 

“Hi, Diamond Tiara,” said Twist.

“What?” said Diamond.  “Oh, Twist.  What do you want?”

“Oh, nothing,” said Twist.  “Justht look thith way for a moment.”

Diamond glared at her.  “What are you talking about, Twist?”

“Oh, nothing much,” said Twist.  “I’m justht trying to dithract you.”
                   
“Are you losing your… Hey!” Apple Bloom had snuck up from Diamond’s other side, and stolen her tiara.
                  
 “Stop!” shrieked Diamond Tiara.  “Stop, Thief!”
                   
Diamond was causing so much commotion that all eyes were on her.  They were looking the wrong way when Apple Bloom passed the tiara to Scootaloo.
                   
Scootaloo slid through the legs of the nearest guard, and was sprinting for boulder before anyone knew what had happened.
                   
“Sweetie Belle, use this!” called Scootaloo, tossing the tiara onto the boulder.
                   
Oh, good idea!, thought Sweetie Belle.  She already knew the exact harmonic note of these particular diamonds.  “Ah!” she sang, and the tiara’s stones glowed.  The hair bow flew above their heads.
                   
“Sweetie Belle, what are you doing?!” cried Twilight.  “And how did you know how to do that?!!!”
                  
 “Hush, Twilight,” whispered Princess Celestia.  “Watch.”
                   
It’s still not enough!, thought Sweetie Belle.  I can feel you, I…oh, Quiz, you’ve hurt your head!  And…what are you so determined about?  Then, in a moment of inspiration, Sweetie Belle sang again.  Only this time she tried to imitate her friend’s flat delivery.
                 
  “Da, da, Da, DA!   That’s it!  I’ve found her!  I’ve found her!”  And Sweetie Belle was bounding away, across the rock face.
                   
“Sweetie Bell, come back!” called Rarity.
                  
 “No!” yelled Princess Luna.  “WE FOLLOW!!!”
 

                  
“Rest, Quizzical,” said Indy.
                   
“There is much left to do…” began Quiz.
                  
 “The rocks will wait for you, Quizzical, they aren’t going anywhere,” said Indy.  “Rest.”
                   
Quiz had to admit, she needed to rest.  Quiz found a flat spot, and folded her legs under herself.  It felt good to lie down.  “I had an idea that if I could get closer to the gems it might be easier for my friends to find me.  Gems do not interfere with magic as ordinary rock does. They can act as amplifiers. Not all of my ideas are very good.”
                   
“Oh, well, nice try,” said Indy.  A moment later, he asked, “Will Quizzical sing for Indy?”
                   
“What?” asked Quiz.  “Indy, you have heard my voice.”
                   
“Quizzical has the best voice in this chamber,” said Indy.  “Please, Quizzical.”
                 
  Quiz had to agree, it couldn’t hurt.  She began to sing the only song she knew by heart.
                   
“The fire of friendship lives in our hearts, As long as it burns we cannot drift apart…”
 

                  
“Here!” declared Sweetie Belle, pawing the rock. “Straight down.  Right below us.”
                   
Almost everypony had followed Sweetie Belle, including the Greystones and their staff.  The mining engineers immediately began to examine the outcrop.   They soon had bad news.
                  
 “There’s definitely an opening below us,” said Greystone senior.  “But it’s deep, and it will take hours to dig out.  The digging will be noisy as well.  The diamond dogs will hear us coming.”

The younger Chisel approached, shaking his head.  “It’s bad, Dad.  It’s all full of cracks and fissures.  If we dig here we’ll collapse the ceiling.”

“Maybe we can find a diamond dog hole near by,” said Chisel senior.  “That’s just dirt and loose rubble; we can dig through that fast enough.”  The quarry ponies fanned out, searching.

“Everypony, search for a hole,” ordered Princess Celestia, and the ponies scattered.

“It’s not fair!” cried Sweetie Belle.  “I found her!  Quiz is right here!  Why can’t we get her back right now?!”

Luna went to Sweetie Belle, and said, softly, “Try reaching out to her, Sweetie Belle.”

The filly nodded, and her face scrunched up with concentration.  “I hear her… is that… is Quiz… singing?”

“Sing with her,” said Luna.

Sweetie Belle squeezed her eyes tightly shut, and tried to focus on the song in her head.  “Though quarrels arise, there numbers are few…”

All Equestrians upon hearing this song instinctively join in.  Usually, they just mumble along; Sweetie Belle’s voice was too beautiful and strong for just mouthing the words.  Soon, all the ponies; Princesses, soldiers, quarry workers, and citizens; had all joined in full voiced song.  The sound rose, and rose; reaching a peak with the final verse.

“A circle of friends we’ll be to the very end!”

When the last note faded, Sweetie Belle glowed like a star.  Then with a “pop” she disappeared.
 

“Quizzical, were the gems just glowing?”

Before Quiz could answer, there was a ‘pop’ and something fell on her.

“What… how… Sweetie Belle?”  gasped Quiz, trying to see around her friend’s hooves in her face.

“Wow!” said Sweetie Belle.  “That was just extraordinary!”

“Quizzical, will any more of your friends be dropping out of the air?” asked Indy.

“I would think, no…’” began Quiz.

With a ‘Boom!’ Princess Luna appeared in the chamber.  “SWEETIE BELLE!!!  IF YOU EVER TELEPORT THROUGH SOLID ROCK AGAIN YOU SHALL BE GROUNDED FOR LIFE!!!”

“Yes, Princess Luna,” said Sweetie Belle, meekly.  Then she brightened, “Look, I found Quiz!”

“Quizzical,” said Luna, and she went to Quiz and wrapped her wings around her.  “Are you well?”

“Mostly.  How did you get here?”

“Sweetie Belle seems to have had a lucky accident.  And a teleportation leaves a magic trail that can be tracked.  Once we could sense that Sweetie Belle was not encased in stone,” Luna paused to give Sweetie Belle a stern look, “we were able to follow.  Now, what of this one?” she pointed to Indy, “Is he one of your captors?  Does he need to be punished?”

“No!” cried Quiz.  “He is my friend!  He must be treated as an ally.”

“Well… in that case…” Luna touched Indy with her horn.  The horn glowed, and then all Indy glowed as well.

“Whoa!” gasped Indy.  “That feels Good!  Indy feels good in places Indy did not know were sore!   Thank you, Princess.”

“You are welcome… Indy.”

“If Indy were to throw himself against a wall would the Princess heal him again?”

“No,” said the Princess coldly.

“Oh, well,” muttered Indy, disappointed.  “We are still trapped by a cave in.”

All of the rocks in the rubble pile glowed, and Luna gestured.  The entire wall of fallen rock groaned and shifted.  Fresher air filled the chamber.  They could see torch light from the corridors outside.  Just down the tunnel dirt and dust was falling from a hole in the ceiling.

“That would be your father and his employees, Quizzical.  They will soon reach us,” said Luna.  “Until then, I need to speak with Chief Bowser.  Oh, and we claim this cavern in the name of Equestria.”
 

 
]“Chief Bowser,” said Luna.  “We thank you for your efforts to return our little pony to us.  However, we have found her ourselves.”
                   
Bowser crossed his arms and glared at Luna.  “Fine, you have rescued the worthless pony.  What do you want now, pretty little pony princess?”
                   
“We have a section of your tunnels currently under our control,” said Luna.  “We wish to negotiate its return to you.”
                   
“You hold the ragged end of a played out tunnel,” said Bowser.  “Keep it.”
                  
 “Really,” said Luna.  “Perhaps before you make a hasty decision, Chief Bowser, you should come and see just what it was that our little pony found for you.”
 

                  
 The next day Twilight Sparkle and the Princesses watched Quiz through the library window.  The Ponyville Hospital had kept her overnight; despite a healing spell from Princess Luna, Quiz still needed a hot meal, some hydration, and a good night’s sleep.  And now she needed to be with family, and her family needed her with them.
       
“We could have swept them all back to Canterlot in seconds,” said Princess Celestia.
                   
“The old fashioned way will do,” said Luna.
                   
“I’ll be riding home with them,” said Twilight.  “Suddenly, I find I’m missing my parents more than I ever have.”
       
“And while we kill time waiting for the train, Quiz gets to do something else she needs,” said Celestia.

In the street, outside the library, Quiz and her friends were playing.  It was a raucous game of tag, and Quiz was just watching.  She was probably feeling up to it; but no matter how far Quiz had come, she wasn’t quite ready for tag.  But while she was just watching, one thing would have been obvious to the most casual observer.
                   
Quiz was happy.
                   
“Sages, wizards, Equestria’s greatest thinkers, will all be arguing for years about just what Sweetie Belle did yesterday,” said Celestia.  “They will make up all sorts of jargon to describe it, even though they do not understand any of it.”
                   
“I prefer the simple explanation,” said Luna.
       
“And what is that, Sister?” asked Celestia.
                   
Luna shrugged, “Friendship is magic.”
                   
Outside, in an effort to draw Quiz into the game, Twist had tagged her.  Quiz had tagged Twist right back.  This precipitated a long argument over whether ‘touch backs’ were allowed.
                   
“I do wonder if the magic has anything to do with something the girls did out on the barrens,” said Twilight.  “And an emerald Rarity found put back on the wrong shelf.”
                   
“Enough, Twilight Sparkle,” said Celestia.  “Quiz will be with her real mother, my student; you are excused for an entire week from your guardianship duties.  Investigate the trouble the girls got into next Monday.”
                   
Outside, the argument had evolved into an impromptu sing-along.  The girls were coming to the final note.
                   
“…Friends!”