My Worst Enemy

by englishwitch


Chapter 4

My worst enemy...
Fanfic by Englishwitch

Chapter 4

Silver Spoon stared at the pink pony that came into the classroom. “Whoa, DT what happened?”

Diamond Tiara’s mane was limp and frizzy, her fur was damp, her tiara was missing, she had grey marks under her eyes, like she hadn’t slept well and, was that mud on her hooves? It was!

Tiara took her seat and crossed her hooves across her chest. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

Apple Bloom came in a few seconds later, as per Diamond Tiara’s nagging demands “I don’t want ponies thinking I’m friends with a loser like you!” She headed straight over to her seat beside Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. Her two crusader friends immediately leaned in for conversation.

“Are you okay? What’s it like with Diamond Tiara in your house?” Scootaloo whispered. She glanced to the other side of the classroom where the pink pony was fuming to herself. Scoots was very amused to see Tiara’s usually pristine appearance was anything but today.

“Annoyin’.” Apple Bloom admitted. “She don’t know how to do nothin’. She can’t even mop a floor. I went into the house to get my lunch and Granny Smith was cleanin’ up the mess Tiara had made. I had to make lunch for me and Diamond. Lucky we ran here or we’d both be late.”

She was about to say more but Miss Cheerilee entered the school house and called the rabble of little ponies to order.

With the lesson beginning the ponies fell into their usual routine of listening to Cheerilee and writing down notes.

Diamond Tiara tried to concentrate on what her teacher was saying. Something about the founding of Canterlot, or was it Fillydelphia? Her eyes felt heavy, her brain was sluggish. She had been woken too early and had been forced to do too much already. The classroom felt too warm, it was draining her.

“Diamond Tiara!”

Diamond’s head jerked up off her desk. Cheerilee was standing in front of her, looking very angry.

“Sleeping in my class. You can catch up on everything you missing during recess young lady.”

Diamond’s mouth was agape. “But...but I-”

Cheerilee shook her head. “No buts. Now, I know you had a trauma yesterday, discovering your house was on fire, but your father came by to my home this morning and assured me, most fervently, you have both found adequately comfortable accommodation and received a good night’s rest.”

Diamond stared, surely her dad hadn’t said that? He knew that horribly early hour she’d woken. “But Miss Cheerilee-”

Cheerilee turned away from her. “If you want to discuss the matter further you’ll have to wait until recess.”

Diamond Tiara looked over her shoulder and glared at Apple Bloom as if to silently tell the filly “this is your fault.”

...***...

Recess came and the three crusaders rushed clear of the classroom and hurried over to the swings before anypony else could grab them first.

Apple Bloom stood by and watched while Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo took turns first on the two swings of the set.

“Diamond Tiara looked mad when Cheerilee caught her napping.” Scootaloo laughed as she swung back and forth, trying her hardest to gain height and speed.

Sweetie Belle was happier at a much slower pace. “She really looked mad at you Apple Bloom.”

Apple Bloom sighed and nodded. “Yeah, knowin’ her she’ll try and blame me. Diamond Tiara don’t make mistakes, it’s just everpony else makin’ mistakes that make her look bad.”

Scootaloo was shooting back and forth on the swing so quick she was almost a blur. “C’mon!” She pushed the swing a little more and opened her wings. When the swing reached the height of its arc she leapt free from the seat and started to beet her wings furiously as she soared up into the air.

Sweetie pointed at her, “Look! She’s going up!”

Then gravity seemed to remember that it had to keep a hold on the pegasus filly.

Apple Bloom sighed. “She’s comin’ down.”

Scootaloo gritted her teeth and tried to make her wings flap harder. She started to slow but not by much. She fell hard to the ground in the middle of the school yard, her wings had barely slowed her down. She sat still for a time, rubbing the back of her head and trying to ignore the hot, pounding, pain in her wings, she’d strained them with that burst of frantic activity. She’d been so sure she was going to fly that time, she really had tried her hardest to stay in the air.

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom rushed up to her side. “You okay?” Bloom asked.

Scootaloo sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.” she stretched and her back cracked loudly. Scootaloo let out a long, satisfied groan.

Happy that her friend hadn’t been injured Apple Bloom raced back for the swing. “My turn.”

“Think again, blank flank.”

Apple Bloom skidded to a halt. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had taken the swings while the crusaders had been occupied.

Scootaloo rushed up to Apple Bloom’s side. “What are you doing here? You should be inside.”

Diamond Tiara laughed lightly. “Oh Miss Cheerilee was very sympathetic,” She closed her eyes for a few seconds, when she opened them tears were welling up and her voice was whiny, almost pathetic, “It wasn’t my fault Miss Cheerilee,” she sobbed, “I was just so tired, those rotten Apple’s forced me to wake up at dawn to do lots of work on the farm.” she sniffed and pretended to wipe away a tear. “They said I had to earn my keep.” she gave a dramatic sob, then she started to laugh. The tears were gone and her voice was back to normal. “She ate it up.” Diamond giggled. “She was practically in tears herself. Couldn’t push me out the door fast enough.”

“You rotten little-” Scootaloo tried to charge Diamond. Sweetie Belle grabbed the filly’s tail in her mouth to hold her back. Scootaloo’s wings fluttered furiously.

Apple Bloom couldn’t have looked more hurt if she’d been hit in the face. “But that’s a lie.”

“Is it?” Diamond Tiara snapped. “You woke me up at dawn, stuffed me full of your family’s rotten cooking then put me to work.”

Apple Bloom jumped closer to Diamond “If you call that work I can call myself Princess Celestia.” she yelled angrily. “All you did was complain and mess things up. Your daddy told you, you was supposed to help on the farm, all you did was make everthin’ worse.”

Diamond Tiara started to pump her legs to move the swing. “I am not some stupid farm pony who has to work pickin’ apples to stop my pig-sty of a house falling down around my flanks.”

Diamond Tiara was tackled by a yellow and red blur. The two fillies slammed into the ground, rolling through the dirt yelling and screaming at each other. Apple Bloom slapped and kicked out, aiming at anything that was pink. Diamond Tiara thrashed and fought back, screaming strings of insults that would have made the farm pony blush had she been listening and not trying to pound Tiara’s face into the ground.

Strong teeth bit into Apple Bloom’s neck and yanked her off Diamond Tiara. Apple Bloom fought back, until she caught sight of plum coloured fur. Cheerilee had pulled them apart, holding Apple Bloom by the scruff of the neck and holding down Diamond Tiara by putting a hoof on her chest.

The entire school population was staring at them, some looking excited, others looking shocked. The silence was so absolute you could have heard a pin drop.

With a complex move Cheerilee picked Diamond Tiara up, wrapping one leg around her. Carrying Tiara like this and Apple Bloom in her teeth the teacher walked on three legs back into the school building.

...***...

Applejack trotted up the lane toward the school. The fillies and colts were gathered together outside, sitting under a tree. What the hay?

Cheerilee, talented teacher as she was, had turned the unusual classroom situation into an impromptu nature lesson. She was discussing the different types of flowers which grew around Ponyville and how many interesting insects could be found just in the grass of the school yard. She paused her lesson as she saw Applejack approach.
“Okay class, I want you to pair up and search the grass and bushes and write down all the different insects you can find. Don’t leave the school grounds.”

While the pupils busy she greeted Applejack. “I’m sorry for calling you away from the farm, but this couldn’t wait until the end of the day.”

Applejack nodded as Cheerilee led her to the school house. “Is it that bad?”

Cheerilee sighed and nodded. “I’ve never seen them like this before. I know the two weren’t fond of each other but to be brawling like that in the school yard,” she trailed off as she opened the door and let Applejack inside.

Diamond Tiara was sitting in one corner of the room, holding a blooded tissue to her nose. Her coat was filthy and her mane was tangled and knotted.

Apple Bloom sat in the opposite corner, her coat and mane were equally dishevelled and her left eye was a sore looking red, which would undoubtedly become a black eye by tomorrow.

“I almost had to tie them to their chairs.” Cheerilee whispered into AJ’s ear.

“Alright.” AJ looked between the two of them. “I’m only gonna ask this once. I don’t want no arguin’ yellin’ insultin’ or nothin’. Now tell me, what happened?”

At once the two filled started to yell their stories at Applejack, their volume increased as they tried to yell over each other. They quickly stopped trying to yell at Applejack and started yelling at each other.

“ENOUGH!” Applejack slammed her hoof down so hard the whole schoolhouse shook. The two fillies fell silent, frightened by the rage and strength of the older mare. Applejack took a deep breath to calm herself and turned her attention to Cheerilee. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to take them home. I’ll see to it Apple Bloom is punished and I’ll let Filthy Rich know exactly what happened.”

“But Apple-”

Applejack stopped Apple Bloom by slamming her hoof on the floor again. “But nothin’ missy. You done bad here today, both of you.” she glanced at Diamond Tiara, “and when you done bad you have to pay for your mistakes.” She nudged her head toward the door, “now wait outside, stay apart and don’t say a word, or it’ll be worse for y’all. I wanna have a quick word with Miss Cheerilee.”

Glumly the two fillies shuffled outside, closing the door behind them.

AJ turned to Cheerilee. “Did you manage to get a clear story out of either of them?”

Cheerilee shook her head. “Both say the other started it. But, I suppose I’m a little more inclined to believe Apple Bloom, she has the better reputation for honesty.” she managed a weak smile. “a trait I suppose she got from you.”

Applejack returned the smile. Apple Bloom fighting was bad, but at least she had a reputation as an honest pony instead of a violent one. It was something good.

Cheerilee continued, “Apple Bloom says Diamond Tiara insulted her family and her home. Diamond Tiara says the opposite. Actually,” she hesitated for a second, “she has all but said that your entire family have been bullying her.”

Applejack turned to the door. “Why that no good-”

“Applejack!” Cheerilee rushed in front of the farm pony before AJ could reach the door. “You have to forgive the filly.” she saw the look on Applejack’s face and sighed. “I know, it won’t be easy. Like I tell my pupils, you have to try and see things from the other ponies point of view. Diamond Tiara has been, to put it politely, over indulged by her father. She’s used to getting her own way, having the best of everything, and not having to do anything for herself beyond homework. Now, because of this fire, she’s living on your farm and being asked to do chores. It’s the complete opposite of everything she’s ever known. It’s like, oh what’s a good example? Like asking you to sell your farm and take a job selling dresses in Canterlot.”

Applejack opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again. No sound came out as she tried to run the scenario through her mind. “Y’all might have a point there, but it don’t excuse her behaviour. I might have an idea to help improve their attitudes, it’s more than a mite silly though.”