//------------------------------// // Slavery // Story: The Diamond Exchange // by angelbunny //------------------------------// “Thanks fer walkin’ me ta mah house, guys,” said Apple Bloom. “Hey, no prob,” said Scootaloo. “Yeah, that’s what friends are for,” noted Sweetie Belle. The Cutie Mark Crusaders bowed out a bit earlier from the funeral than the other mourners. Apple Bloom wasn’t feeling well and so Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle volunteered to take her back home. They had just left the funeral home and were on their way to Sweet Apple Acres. “Yeah, that’s what friends are for... but some friend ah turned out to be,” moped Apple Bloom, referring to her guilt regarding Twist. “You’re a great friend, Apple Bloom,” said Sweetie Belle. “Yeah, ta you guys, maybe. But who knows; ah might just take a shine ta some cooler group of ponies that comes trotting along and ah’ll abandon y’all. That’s what ah did ta Twist. Lightning might strike twice.” “Pfft, as if there’s a cooler group of ponies than us,” scoffed Scootaloo. “But if you left, who would lead the Cutie Mark Crusaders in your absence?” asked Sweetie Belle. “Lead?” asked Apple Bloom. “Well, yeah, you are our leader, after all,” said Scootaloo. “Since when? Ah’m not the leader of The Cutie Mark Crusaders.” “All right,” said Scootaloo with a shrug. “You’re the boss.” “No. Ah’m not. That’s mah point. Ah’m not orderin’ y’all ta stop acknowledgin’ me as your leader. Ah’m just makin’ an observation. Ah was never your leader ta begin with.” “So you’re not our leader?” asked Sweetie Belle. “What’d ah just say? No, ah’m not... because we never had a leader.” “Then dibs on being leader!” said Sweetie Belle. “No fair!” cried Scootaloo. “I was just about to call dibs!” “Too late,” said Sweetie Belle, smiling proudly. “I called dibs. I’m the leader now.” “We all have an equal voice,” stated Apple Bloom. “We all vote on important Crusader business together. That’s how it works. That’s how it’s always worked. We do not... have... a leader!” “DIBS ON BEING LEADER!” said Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo simultaneously to capture the now vacant position. “I said it first!” stated Scootaloo. “No, I did!” refuted Sweetie Belle. “STOOOOOP!!” shouted Apple Bloom. She stopped walking and turned around to address her fellow Crusaders. “Are y’all even listening ta a word ah’m- uhh! Okay, look, ah was wrong an’ y’all were right. Ah am your leader.” “But you said we didn’t have one.” “I’m... president.” “You are?” asked Scootaloo. “Yes. Now let’s drop it, all right?” Apple Bloom turned back around and continued her journey home. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo followed her. “Huh,” mumbled Sweetie Belle. “What?” asked an irritated Apple Bloom. “How did you become president? I didn’t vote for you.” “Yeah, shouldn’t we put it to a vote or something?” Apple Bloom facehoofed. “All in favor of not gettin’ a hoof ta the eye, say ‘aye’.” “Aye,” said Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, unnerved by Apple Bloom's aggressive behavior. “And all opposed ta impeachin' me as president o’ the Cutie Mark Crusaders, say ‘nay’ and Scootaloo, don’t ya dare neigh or ah swear ah’ll knock ya into next week.” “Nay,” said both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. “Good, then it’s settled,” said Apple Bloom, eyeballing Scootaloo. “Ah swear ta Celestia ah hate that corny pun o’ yours almost as much as ah hate Diamond Tiara. If ya wanna make us laugh so danged much, you should show us another one o’ your attempts ta fly.” Scootaloo gasped. She cast her eyes downward and pouted. Apple Bloom also gasped, covering her mouth in shock at the pot shot she had taken at Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle marched up to Apple Bloom and spun around quickly, slapping her friend across the face with her tail. Sweetie Belle used volumizing conditioners and styling products on her tail so it was actually quite dense and it hurt Apple Bloom when she got clobbered by it. The earth pony filly sat down and held a hoof against the side of her face where she was dealt the well-deserved blow. “Did you hear what you just said to our friend?” asked Sweetie Belle. “We’re all blank flanks, Apple Bloom! Did you forget the glass house that you live in before throwing that stone?" “See what ah mean?" asked Apple Bloom. "Mah friendship ain’t worth-” “Stop!” “What? What did ah do now?” “You just spout off something that hurts your friend’s feelings and now you're playing the victim? You just lost your old friend Twist. Scootaloo and I are trying to help you through a tough time. We’ve never done this before so we don’t know how to act around you but I’m pretty sure that being your punching bags isn’t part of it. We get that you’re hurting because you're feeling guilty but please don’t make it harder for us to help you by taking your anger out on us – and for pony’s sake, do not feel sorry for yourself when we call you on the carpet for it. That just makes it seem worse somehow.” “Oh, mah gosh. You’re absolutely right. Sorry, Scootaloo. Ah can’t believe ah said somethin’ so stupid an’ insensitive ta you. Ah’m ashamed o’ mahself. Ah am so sorry, girls. Y’all deserve better than how ah’ve treated ya. Ah've got mah head on straight now. Ah promise ah’ll be more considerate.” Scootaloo blinked. “Wow, Sweetie Belle,” she said. “That was... pretty deep.” Sweetie Belle turned her attention to Scootaloo. “Rarity told me a real friend kicks your plot for you and tells you when they catch you doing something stupid.” Sweetie Belle closed her eyes, stood on her hind legs and spread her forelegs. “Now give me a hug so we can be best pals again and put this behind us.” Apple Bloom stood on her hind legs and both fillies wrapped their forelegs around one another. “You too, Scootaloo,” urged Sweetie Belle, beckoning her forward with a hoof. “No thanks... but we’re cool now, Apple Bloom. Honest.” The girls continued their trek to Sweet Apple Acres. “I overheard some of the other kids from class talking,” said Scootaloo, “and they said that they’re not too happy with Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon since neither of them went to jail.” “Well, ah sure don’t blame ‘em,” said Apple Bloom. “Those two got away with murder. Who knows who they’ll go after next now that they’ve had their first taste o’ innocent blood?” “We should do something about those two,” said Scootaloo. “Not just us but something that everypony else in class can do along with us to show how disgusted we all are.” “Hmm... Ah think ah might have an idea,” said Apple Bloom. “Does it involves power tools?” asked Sweetie Belle. “No.” “Can it?” “No. Well… no. Official visiting hours at the Ponyville funeral home were coming to a close but there was always an overlap for stragglers since having a margin for error was always appreciated by friends and family members who wanted to say goodbye to their loved ones but were held over by their responsibilities and whatnot. One such straggler, a pink mare with a straight deep pink mane, was on the guest list but was an absentee during the eulogy showed up to pay her respects. Pinkie Pie scratched the area of her neck behind her collar with her hoof for the umpteenth time since she put on the dress she wore. This outfit made her uncomfortable in more ways than one. She didn’t like wearing black, primarily because it was the least festive of colors. The closest thing to partying that black offered was that it was the color (or absence of color as Twilight was fond of pointing out) of a graduate’s cap and gown that might be seen at a graduation party but even then she preferred a dark blue or burgundy. However, life was never without its compromises and so she tolerated the discomfort of her clothing so that she might see her little friend off to Elysium. The only allies she had in her ensemble were her dark sunglasses and her black veiled pillbox style hat which obscured her face further. Her eyes hadn’t bled again since the day of the accident. She didn’t know her affliction’s parameters so if being near Twist meant that it could possibly be set off again, she wanted there to be nopony else around to see it. “Hey, Twist,” said Pinkie Pie softly as she approached the coffin and removed her sunglasses from underneath her veil. She did a double take when she spotted the photograph of Twist which sat on the casket and she grinned. “Is that you? Are you sure that there weren’t any colts chasing after you? Giiirl, you had it goin’ awn! In a few more years, Rarity would have been on you like frosting on a cupcake so that you could model clothing for her.” Pinkie’s grin disappeared as she placed her forehooves on the casket. “I’m sorry that I didn’t come sooner. I guess you know why I skipped out on the ceremony. I’m really scared right now about that whole blood thing. I put it off for a while but I’ve got a doctor’s appointment tomorrow... and do you remember my friend Petri Dish, the forensic scientist? Pete’s got Rarity’s hoofkerchief, the one I used on my face to keep from messing up the floor. He’s examining the dried up blood and he should have some results for me soon. Hopefully, Rarity’s wrong about it being a Pinkie sense and it’s actually just some kind of health issue. Heh, can you imagine? I’m actually hoping that I’m sick. Funny, huh? But if it’s my Pinkie sense telling me that somepony close to me has died... I don’t know what I’m gonna do. Please don’t think that I blame you, though. If it wasn’t you who set it off, it would’ve just been somepony else’s passing that did. I don’t want any of my friends to die but... gee whiz, I sure wish that it hadn’t been you.” Pinkie stopped speaking and closed her eyes tightly. When she reopened them, her vision was distorted due to the tears in her eyes. Her lower lip started to quiver. She sniffled back moisture which threatened to spill out of her nostrils and swallowed it down. “I... am gonna miss you... so... much, Twist,” said Pinkie softly, her voice wavering out of grief. “I love all of my friends and I know that all of my friends love me... but you were always the one who was the most enthusiastic to see me. It’s like I never got old to you; like the novelty of having me as your friend never wore off. That meant so much to me. Y’know, the hardest thing about having foal friends is that, when they get older, the friendships they made make way for new interests... new pursuits... and new relationships. All of my foal friends will eventually become less interested in my friendship and maybe even take it for granted. And it won’t be their fault. Not really. That’s just life. But when it came to you, I never had that fear. I had faith that I could count on you to match my enthusiasm for our friendship no matter how much older you got. Smile for smile, hop for hop... You...” Her lip quivered as she valiantly fought back the tears she didn’t want to shed until she had said what she came to say. She reared her head back and looked at the ceiling. “...You... were my Pinkie Pie.” She sniffled and bit her lip to keep it from trembling. “I will never... ever... forget you. I love you... and I’ll miss you.” She lowered her head and leaned in toward the photo frame, placing a soft kiss on the pane of glass. Pinkie took in a deep breath and prepared to sing a lullaby. A friend is still a friend even when they’ve gone away And my broken heart will mend when we meet again some day In a field of gold (or so I’m told) with happiness and laughter So just wait for me (please, patiently) and we’ll party ever after Her voice cracked repeatedly during her performance. She fought the good fight to keep it together at least until she got to the chorus but her grief got the better of her. Her little friend, her Twister sister, her handy dandy candy standy was really gone and Pinkie’s heart felt like it was being stabbed by a thousand needles. The pain of losing a friend that she loved was just as strong as the joy that came with making that friend. For Pinkie Pie, that was a lot. Her mouth dropped open and she sobbed out loud with as much intensity as when she first heard the news of Twist’s demise. She reached into her purse, removed a hoofkerchief from it and blew her nose into it with a resounding honk. “Huh?” When Pinkie removed her hoofkerchief, she saw a strange translucent shape hovering in front of her face and didn’t know what to make of it at first. A moment later, she was able to identify it as a patch of snot. She had neglected to lift her veil when she blew her runny nose and now there was an icky wet field of nasal goo saturating the fabric. Pinkie dropped the hoofkerchief, scrambled to remove her hat and tossed it onto the floor once it was off. The corners of her mouth started to curl upward in a familiar way and her lungs were seized by sustained spasms. She recognized this sensation. It was laughter. She quickly placed her hooves over her mouth in an attempt to stifle herself. A funeral home wasn’t the place for laughter. Then she asked herself why she shouldn’t laugh. Twist would have found this bonehead move hilarious. Convinced that Twist would have endorsed this course of action, Pinkie rolled onto her back, closed her eyes and let loose with enough laughter for both Twist and herself. She laughed so hard that it hurt and then she laughed some more. When Pinkie’s laughter subsided, she got to her hooves and began to catch her breath, she turned and saw her snot-soaked hat on the floor. She emitted a sustained snort of laughter that reminded her of how her father used to sound when he snored. Hearing that sound come out of her own body made her laugh so hard that she fell back on her plot, rested her back against the bier and started to convulse with as much vigor as when she first started laughing. She knew how ridiculous she must have looked and she tried to suppress her laughter but it was simply impossible. She couldn’t keep her mouth closed. Her laughter was so high pitched that it was barely making a sound. She could hardly see through her squinty tear-logged eyes and any air that she could get into her lungs was forced out as quickly as it arrived. She covered her mouth with her left hoof while her right hoof held her aching midsection. My stomach! Pinkie yowled internally. Sweet Celestia, my STOMAAAAAAAACH! Her laughter had reached its apex and began to subside as she caught her breath. She had never felt the healing power of laughter work its magic more than at this moment and she was grateful to Twist who surely had to be responsible for administering this healthy dose of the best medicine in the universe. She desperately needed this. With a gathering of mourners present, she would never have been able to send Twist off with laughter without it being taken out of context. Without realizing it, Pinkie found that her dress wasn’t nearly as uncomfortable as it was a while ago. “Goodbye, Twist,” she said softly as she rubbed her eyes with her hoof, looking up at the ceiling and picturing Twist smiling down at her. “Pinkie Pie?” said a voice that came from behind her. Pinkie’s poofy deep pink locks bobbed as she quickly sat up and turned her head to see who had called her name. It was her good friend Cheerilee, Ponyville’s favored schoolteacher. She was dressed in a simple black outfit that looked very elegant on her. She wore a tray harness which she was using to carry two coffee mugs. “Oh, hi, Cheerilee,” said Pinkie as she stood on all four hooves and smiled a nervous smile. “You’rrrrrre probably wondering why I’m laughing next to Twist’s casket. I can explain.” “There’s no need,” said Cheerilee with a grin, “If I had to guess, I’d say that you were probably reminiscing about a time that Twist made you laugh. She gave me many reasons to laugh, too. I’m glad that you could make it. It’s good to see you.” “Thanks, it’s good to see you, too.” Pinkie sniffed at the air, detecting something that smelled sweet nearby. She took a few steps toward Cheerilee and spied a mass of white objects atop her mug. “Is that what I think it is?” Cheerilee nodded and grinned. Pinkie returned the grin upon receiving confirmation that her guess was correct. “Hot marshmallows with mini-chocolate!” they said. “That’s right,” said Cheerilee, looking down at the mugs on her tray. “Twist’s own drink creation – that is, if something with so little liquid in it qualifies as a drink. It seemed appropriate to have one in celebration of her life. I was going to leave this second mug for Twist... but now that you’re here... I think she would have wanted you to have it instead.” “Don’t mind if I do.” Pinkie reached out and happily accepted the mug. She turned around, looked back at the casket and then returned her attention to Cheerilee. “Do you think it’s okay to... y’know, drink this here?” “It’s just a funeral home, Pinkie, not the Canterlot Castle throne room.” Pinkie gulped. Am I not supposed to eat in the castle throne room? she wondered. I have before and nopony ever said anything. “It’s not unheard of for guests to partake of refreshments,” continued Cheerilee. “Mourners do need to replenish their lost fluids, you know.” Cheerilee placed her hoof against her cheek and dragged it down her face to denote that she was referring to fluids lost from excessive tears. “That’s true.” “With the exception of the staff, everypony else has already left so you wouldn’t be offending anypony... but if you’d feel more comfortable drinking this elsewhere, we can step out back. There’s a small enclosed area with some chairs. Would you like to relocate there?” “I’d love to.” She took a few steps closer to Cheerilee. “Oh, Pinkie? Is that your hat on the floor?” Cheerilee pointed to the hat that Pinkie had. “Uhhhhhhhhhhhh... no.” Pinkie followed Cheerilee through the hallway and down a long gently lit corridor. Judging by the certainty of the pace at which she strode, Pinkie deduced that Cheerilee had familiarized herself with the layout of the funeral home throughout the day. As they walked down the corridor, Pinkie noticed several doors to other viewing rooms and she shivered, wondering how many of them had held services. It gave her the heebie jeebies. The two friends arrived at a door with an exit sign. Cheerilee pushed it open and led Pinkie through it. The door led to a peaceful and well-tended flower garden that had a four foot tall gray brick wall cordoning off the immediate seating area. There were a dozen chairs as well as a water cooler. With the sun setting and a cool breeze passing lazily through her mane, she found it very much to her liking. After taking her mug and removing her tray, Cheerilee stood on her hind legs and rested her elbows on the top of the wall to admire the sunset. Pinkie did the same, standing beside Cheerilee on her left side. “A toast,” said Cheerilee, holding her mug up. Pinkie grinned and held her mug at the ready as she waited for Cheerilee to come up with words to honor the passing of their mutual little friend. Pinkie’s grin slowly faded away as she looked into Cheerilee’s face. The purple mare appeared to be on the verge of tears and yet she was forcing herself to smile. “Cheeri-” “I’m fine, I’m fine. I was going to make a toast and that’s what I’m going to do. I just need a minute.” Cheerilee closed her eyes and took deep breaths as she regained her composure, focusing on the joy that Twist brought her rather than the sorrow that came from losing her. “To the best pupil a teacher could ask for,” toasted Cheerilee. “To a one-of-a-kind friend,” counter-toasted Pinkie. The two mares clinked their mugs together, lifted them to their lips and sipped from the drink containing dozens of hot chocolate-moistened mini-marshmallow globs. Pinkie was capable of chugging the whole drink in one swig – one might say she was overqualified to do so – but she opted to take a normal sip and match Cheerilee’s pace. “Do you work tomorrow?” asked Cheerilee. “No,” replied Pinkie. “The Cakes knew that Twist was a friend of mine and they’re giving me as much time off as I need to grieve.” Cheerilee grinned. “You have really good employers,” she said. “I know. I’m pretty lucky. What about you? Do you work tomorrow?” Cheerilee shook her head. “The schoolhouse will remain closed a bit longer. The school board is reviewing a few things with their lawyers to make sure they haven’t been sued by Twist’s parents over what happened, after which they’ll gladly send them a late condolence card. Once school’s back in session, I’ll have a talk with the children about train safety and a general discussion about how this tragedy has affected them. You and I should hang out at my house and hold a wake in honor of Twist. We can drink something a little stronger than hot chocolate behind closed doors, if you get my meaning.” Cheerilee gave Pinkie a wink and a nod. “A wake? With just the two of us?” “Fewer guests equals more cider for us, right?” Pinkie grinned. “Now that’s the kind of math I can get behind. Color me there.” She dropped her grin and partook in some sunset gazing. “How was the funeral?” “It was... special. I think you would have found it enlightening. You really should have come, Pinkie.” “Oh, but didn’t Twilight tell-” “She told everypony all about why you decided not to come. She didn’t buy it... and neither did I. Your presence would not have been viewed as inappropriate, Pinkie. I wouldn’t have seen it that way. Neither would Twist’s parents. If they thought for a second that you were going to break out your party cannon or perform a juggling act during the eulogy, they wouldn’t have sent you an invitation. I think you plain old chickened out.” Pinkie frowned. She had no-showed due to her blood tears but she chose not to share that with Cheerilee. Being insulted by her friend for not attending the services was a bit harsh but not totally undeserved. She looked into her mug as she swirled it, causing the marshmallow mass within to spin around. “Yeah, well, I’m sorry you feel that way,” said Pinkie, deciding that this was neither the time nor the place to . “Forgive me, Pinkie,” said Cheerilee. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m hardly one to talk when I’m a chicken myself.” Pinkie turned to look at Cheerilee and blinked. “What do you mean?” she asked. “Did you know that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were the ones responsible for bringing Twist out to the train tracks?” “That’s what the Ponyville Express said.” Cheerilee turned to face Pinkie. “What; you don’t believe that they did what the paper said?” “The paper just printed what the official police statement said but I haven’t spoken to either Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon since the accident. I’ve learned that it’s best to get both sides of a story before making a judgment call.” “Take it from me, Pinkie. I know how those two operate. They were capable of doing it. I don’t need to hear their side to believe it. To be perfectly frank, I don’t want to hear their side. I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve talked to the Ponyville school board about bullying. I hear the same thing from my fellow teachers every time I attend the annual teacher’s convention in Canterlot. We’ve all suggested to our employers that we start an aggressive anti-bullying program in the school and they turn around and tell us that the money isn’t in the budget, that we should stick to the curriculum, and that they have faith that we’ll use our best judgment to take disciplinary action against a student when necessary. The board also told me that I shouldn’t worry about what I can’t change. ‘Foals will be foals’, after all.” “They said it to you like that?” “Not in so many words but that was pretty much the gist of it. What they don’t seem to understand is that letting a problem like bullying go unchecked can have damaging long term effects. It’s not all spit wads and name calling. And not all bullies are as dumb as everypony thinks they are. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are whip smart. They know that I have the authority to punish them if I catch them abusing the other students. So they do their worst outside of school where I have no authority. They target the students they feel will be the most receptive to their cruel words. Twist was one of those students. Have I ever told you about the time I made Diamond Tiara the editor-in-chief of the Foal Free Press?” “Featherweight told me that he had been appointed editor-in-chief so I’m guessing that he replaced Diamond Tiara.” “That’s right. I had hoped that having some authority and responsibilities would allow her to mature and give up her bullying ways... but it didn’t turn out that way. I found out just in time that she was abusing the privileges I gave her. She was even blackmailing Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle to keep them from quitting their Gabby Gums gossip column.” “I never knew.” “As advisor, I had no choice but to strip her of her title as soon as I learned about the mischief she was up to and appointed Featherweight as the new editor-in-chief. I did what I felt was right but the school board felt differently. Not long afterward, I was summoned to the main office outside of town where I was required to brief them about the incident. They usually don’t summon me to appear before them unless something major happens. They said that while they supported my decision to strip Diamond Tiara of her title, they felt that my conduct was less than exemplary. They said that I should have relieved her of her title in private rather than humiliate her in front of her peers... and I hate to admit it but they were absolutely right. The protocol for this kind of thing is pretty clear. I guess the reason why I let my emotions get the better of me was because I gave Diamond Tiara a chance to reform and she abused her power to suit her own needs and fill her own purse with advertising revenue that the paper generated. Can you believe it? Her weekly allowance is probably more than I make in a month and she wants more money.” “What happened after the school board told you that you should have fired her in private?” “The board gave me four choices. One was resigning... but there was no way that I was about to forfeit my pension over this matter. The other three choices: I could apologize to Diamond Tiara, I could pay a five thousand bit fine – or I could take a leave of absence without pay to undergo a two-week long sensitivity training course in Seaddle.” “You? Insensitive? That’s crazy! And Seaddle? Why so far away? Were you even going to be reimbursed for your travel expenses?” “Not a single cent. I couldn’t afford to pay the fine. And lodging in Seaddle plus expenses coming out of my own pocket wouldn't have been much cheaper – all with no paycheck behind that one to last me until the next one. Teachers don’t pursue their chosen field for the pay. I try to manage my money the best I can but I simply can’t afford to throw it away on fines and have nothing to show for it.” “So you were railroaded into apologizing.” “Oh, big time. And I couldn’t figure out why, either. My efforts had always been appreciated by the board in the past. You’ve seen the plaques on my walls, all the awards that I’ve won. I’m darned good at what I do and I’m proud of my achievements. l decided that I would apologize to Diamond Tiara the very next day after class was dismissed. From the second she entered the schoolhouse that morning until the final bell rung, she had the biggest smile on her face. It wasn’t a heartwarming happy-to-see-you smile like yours.” Pinkie smiled in response to Cheerilee’s compliment. “Yes, nothing at all like that. Hers was a smug, condescending smile; the kind of smile that a rich spoiled brat wears when she knows that she’s getting revenge. ‘Diamond Tiara,” I said, “I sincerely apologize for the insensitive way I removed you as editor-in-chief. It was wrong of me to do that in front of your peers and you have my word that I will be more considerate of your feelings should it become necessary to discipline you again.’ She dropped her smile and said ‘Oh, no, Miss Cheerilee, you don’t have to apologize to me. I was way out of line and I deserved to be demoted to press operator. In a way, I’m sort of glad that things happened the way that they did because now we both have a better understanding of who’s really in charge around here.’ Then she gave me that smug smile again and she picked up an apple that one of my students had left on my desk. She said ‘The world is my apple, Miss Cheerilee... and the only thing that you and the other worms in it can do... is wait for the bite.’ Then she took a bite of my apple, put it back on the desk and left the schoolhouse.” “Oh, wow.” “It gets better. I found out later why I was being railroaded. The Ponyville school board had been flirting with the idea of bringing a new member into the fold. And I heard through the grapevine who was a week away from joining them: Filthy Rich.” “Are you serious? Isn’t that a... what do they call it... oh, it’s on the tip of my tongue... A conflict of interest?” Cheerilee nodded. “But what can I do when the system that gives me any power at all is the system I’m trying to fight? Mr. Rich probably isn’t even aware of how his daughter is using his position with the school board as leverage over me... but even if he was, she’d probably get off scot free the way she escaped justice in the courtroom. What do I matter, anyway? I’m just a teacher... and there are more ponies out there who want to be a teacher than there are teaching positions. I used to think I was lucky, once upon a time.” Cheerilee lifted the mug to her lips and gobbled down the rest of her marshmallows. Once it was empty, she placed the mug in her right hoof, reared back her foreleg and hurled it at a stone statue in the garden. The mug hit its target and shattered upon impact. Her lower lip began to quiver and her eyes began to tear up. “Oh, Pinkie, I have worked my tail off to be the best teacher I can be. I believed in the calling of education, the calling of nurturing children. I love my job and I love this town but now I’m forced to put up with the shenanigans of that... that demon seed in my class if I want to keep doing what I love. She wouldn’t try to use her leverage to get straight A’s. She’s literally too smart for that. Academically, she’s genius level. I gave her plenty of space after that little talk... but then she figured out how much I loved Twist and she’d bully her every now and then just to get a rise out of me. Twist would tell me about it. She didn’t understand why she was being picked on so regularly... but I did – and I couldn’t tell her. How could I? If Twist found out what was going on behind the scenes, I was afraid that my little angel would become my guardian angel and would have tried doing something extreme to Diamond Tiara in order to help me. I couldn’t let that happen... and so I allowed Diamond Tiara to pester Twist because it was the lesser of two evils. I didn’t put a stop to it because if I crossed Diamond Tiara, she could use her new influence to get me in trouble with the board and possibly even get me fired. So I asked Twist to ignore it... and now she’s gone. Sure, I may not have wanted to teach outside of Ponyville and leave Twist but if I had known what was about to happen, I swear that I would have! I should have! If I had, maybe Diamond Tiara would have left Twist alone and she’d still be alive! I betrayed my most beloved student, Pinkie! And it wound up costing Twist her life!” Pinkie hugged Cheerilee, gently stroking her mane to comfort her as she cried. “I loved Twist so much, Pinkie,” wept Cheerilee, “I loved that little filly more than anything but I did nothing to help her and I am going to burn forever in Tartaros for my cowardice.” “Hey, come on, she loved you, too. And I know that she would never have held anything against you. She loved you. And so do I.” Pinkie held Cheerilee for as long as she needed to be held. “Don’t worry, Cheerilee," said Pinkie, releasing Cheerilee. "You came to the right pony. Tell me how I can help and I’ll do my best.” “I appreciate the offer but there’s nothing you can do to help me, Pinkie. I’m afraid there’s nothing anypony can do. I can’t go to the teacher’s union about my situation. I know what they’d say. They’d say that until I have solid proof that Diamond Tiara is using her influence to manipulate me, it’s my word against hers. But how would I get proof? And as long as Filthy Rich is a member of the school board, the other board members would probably set me on fire if Diamond Tiara asked them to. I don’t want to quit the only job I’ve ever wanted. My only choice is to ride this out until she graduates... although who knows if she’ll simply get me fired after graduation when she no longer has to attend my class?”” “But I can talk to Diamond Ti-” “Absolutely not. You mustn’t tell her a word of what I’ve told you. Involving Twist was bad enough. I won't have her use anypony else I love against me.” “But Cheerilee, you’re being bullied... and by a foal, too! If you don’t do something, it’ll keep on happening.” “Don’t you think I know that? Do you think I want to be at the mercy of that monster? I’d give anything to be rid of her but teaching is my life! Without it, I – Oh, Pinkie, I am so sorry I yelled at you. I’m just so frustrated. If I catch Diamond Tiara breaking the rules or bullying somepony else, I’m well within my rights to punish her but until then, there’s nothing else that I can do. And there's no need to worry about me. I'll be okay. She ripped out my heart when she took Twist from me. There’s not much else that she can do to hurt me anymore, not that learning that would make her give up trying. I can grin and bear it for a few more years until she graduates... but if worse comes to worst... well, would you happen to know if Mr. and Mrs. Cake are hiring?” Pinkie hugged Cheerilee again. As much as Pinkie would have loved having Cheerilee as a co-worker, she did not want her friend to leave the job she loved, nor did she want her to suffer. Two questions burned in Pinkie Pie’s thoughts. First: How could she have a foal friend who was so downright evil? The quick solution to that was that she wouldn’t. To Tartaros with listening to both sides of a story, thought Pinkie. I trust Cheerilee... and I’m done with Diamond Tiara. That left the second question. What happened to Diamond Tiara that made her turn out to be so evil?