“Hey, Smelly Bell,” Diamond Tiara called as Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo walked by her on the way to the schoolhouse the morning after the mud incident.
Sweetie Bell froze. “W-what do you want now?”
“Oh, nothing.” Diamond Tiara said innocently. “We just heard you have a new friend.”
“The name’s Scootaloo.” Scootaloo turned her head casually, “And Sweetie Bell and I were just walking to school together.”
“Yeah!” Sweetie Bell agreed, a little more confidently.
Diamond Tiara smirked. “Oh, Sweetie Bell,” She murmured. “You are so cute.”
Sweetie Bell gulped, detecting a subtle barb under the sickeningly sweet honey in the tone.
“What does your friend say?” Diamond Tiara whispered.
“Tell her,” Scootaloo whispered darkly, “That she ought to leave us alone and go roll around in that mud puddle so she looks more like the pig she is.”
“A what?” Sweetie Bell asked. “Well, she is the right color.” She mused. “And she is greedy like that.”
“What?” Diamond Tiara asked, a bit curious.
“A pig!” Scootaloo shouted. “You’re a pig!”
“Yeah, a pig!” Sweetie Bell shouted.
“What?!” Diamond Tiara gasped. “Would you care to repeat that?” She asked Sweetie Bell softly.
“She said you’re a pig, and she’s right!” Sweetie Bell called.
“‘Cause you’re a mean, greedy, pig!” Scootaloo chimed in. “Oink, oink!”
“How. Dare. You.” Diamond Tiara growled.
“Uh-oh.” Sweetie Bell whispered.
Scootaloo spit on the ground. “Hayfeathers. I’m not scared of pigs.”
Diamond Tiara stalked up closer towards them, a look of tranquil fury on her face.
“Nobody calls me a pig and gets away with it.” She whispered, raising her hoof.
“Hayfeathers.” Scootalooo said again, sounding more frightened. “Run for it, Sweetie Bell!”
Sweetie Bell didn’t need to be told twice. She ran to the classroom at full gallop. Diamond Tiara was faster and stronger, despite her prissy demeanor, her furiosity left Sweetie Bell with no doubt that she could still cause physical pain with ease.
“Run, run!” Scootaloo shouted again. "She's gaining!"
“I’m trying!” Sweetie Bell shrieked.
“What is going on?” Asked another voice. Sweetie Bell looked up just in time to slam head on with her teacher.
“Oof! Sorry, Miss Cheerilee.” Sweetie Bell said meekly as her teacher looked down at her.
“Miss Cheerilee, Sweetie Bell called me a pig!” Diamond Tiara exclaimed dramatically.
Miss Cheerilee looked on Sweetie Bell disapprovingly. “Sweetie Bell. Is that true?”
Sweetie Bell hung her head.
Cheerilee seemed surprised and a bit disappointed. “Sweetie Bell, Why would you call Diamond Tiara a pig?”
“She doesn’t care about the rules.” Diamond Tiara sniffled for effect. “She’s a big meanie, that;s what she is.” From behind Cheerilee, Diamond
Tiara flashed Sweetie Bell a malicious look.
Cheerilee looked at Diamond Tiara, than Sweetie Bell.
“Sweetie Bell, I’d like you to stay in at recess.” Cheerilee admonished. “We can talk then.”
“OK.” Sweetie Bell sighed resignedly.
“What?! Not fair!” Scootaloo shouted indignantly, but to no avail.
“Sorry about that.” She said as Sweetie Bell was led inside. “I’ll come in with you. It’s my fault.”
“No, it isn’t.” Said Sweetie Bell wearily. “Diamond Tiara’s just really good at fooling adults. It was really brave of you to call her a pig.”
Scootaloo blushed. “You called her a pig too.”
“Well, yeah.” A small smile appeared on her face. “She did kinda deserve it.”
“Alright, my little ponies, recess!” Miss Cheerilee smiled, ringing the schoolbell.
Scootaloo, who’d been perched on the floor next to Sweetie Bell due to a shortage of seats, got up quickly. “Alright!”
“Don’t you remember?" Sweetie Bell whispered. "We have to-”
“Sssh!” Scootaloo told her. “Maybe she’ll-”
“Sweetie Bell.” Cheerilee was glaring at her. Sweetie Bell gulped. Most of the time Cheerilee was sweet and kind, so much you always forgot how
stern she could be.
Scootaloo sighed. “So much for recess.”
“It’s OK.” Sweetie Bell told her. “You can go if you want to. I’m the one who’s in trouble.”
“Sweetie Bell, who are you talking to?” Cheerilee asked, voice tinged with confusion.
“Scootaloo.”
“Sweetie Bell.” Cheerilee said, even more sternly than before. “Let’s focus on you.”
“O-OK.” Sweetie Bell replied, slightly confused.
“Now,” Cheerilee said more gently, “Can you tell me what happened?”
“Well, Scootaloo and I were walking to school together. She’s my new friend. We met yesterday after-a-a-after-”
“After what?” Cheerilee asked, confused.
“After-a-a-after-” Sweetie Bell floundered, “Never mind.” Even with Scootaloo to protect her, the wrath of Diamond Tiara was something that
Sweetie Bell did not wish to tempt.
“Well, we were walking, and then Diamond Tiara walks by and-and-” Sweetie Bell faltered.
“Tell her.” Scootaloo hissed.
“She-She-”
“Yes?” Cheerilee asked.
“Well, Scootaloo called her a pig, and then I called her a pig too, and then she-she got mad-”
“And why did this Scootaloo call her a pig?”
“‘Cause-cause-she was being mean!” Sweetie Bell burst out.
“There you go!” Scootaloo called encouragingly.
Cheerilee’s eyes softened. “I see. Tell me more.”
“She called me-smellybell."
“She called you what?”
“Smelly Bell..”
“Sweetie Bell, you are going to have to speak you louder then that.”
“Smelly Bell.”
“Ah. So let me get this straight. You were walking to school, Diamond Tiara called you Smelly Bell, and you retaliated by calling her a pig?”
“That’s about the size of it.” Sweetie Bell agreed.
Cheerilee sighed. “I see. Well, I’ll have a talk with Diamond Tiara-”
“Please don’t do that!” Sweetie Bell yelped.
“Why?” Cheerilee was curious.
“She-Nothing.” Sweetie Bell hung her head.
“As I was saying, I’ll have a talk with Diamond Tiara about name calling as well. You may leave, But Sweetie Bell, you shouldn’t let bullies provoke you. That’s what they want. Next time, don’t take the bait. Do you understand?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Don’t take the bait.” Scootaloo mimicked later as they left for the day. She growled and went back to her normal voice. “That’s the stupidest thing I ever heard!”
“Well, maybe she has a point. She is a teacher.”
“Diamond Tiara didn’t want you to fight back! We totally caught her off guard!” Scootaloo chuckled at the memory.
“Yeah, but maybe she secretly wanted to chase us.”
Scootaloo snorted. “Sure, she did. I bet she just loved being called-”
“SWEETIE BELL!”
Diamond Tiara was not in a good mood. She glowered and pawed the ground before leaping down the steps to the schoolhouse she'd just exited.
“Do you know what has just transpired between Cheerilee and I?” Diamond Tiara hissed.
“N-n-no.” Sweetie Bell backed away slowly from Diamond Tiara.
“Nope, and we don’t care.” Scootaloo began to head away and beckoned toward Sweetie Bell, who was frozen with fear.
“I have just received a detention.” Diamond Tiara whispered. “And it is all your fault!”
“I’m sorry.” Sweetie Bell muttered.
“Oh, it’s too late for I’m sorry’s.” Diamond Tiara breathed. “You’re gonna pay for this Sweetie Bell. And your new friend isn’t gonna be much help, I’m afraid.” Diamond Tiara laughed unpleasantly and flounced off.
“You take that back, nitwit!” Scootaloo cried, but it was no use. Diamond Tiara didn’t even turn around.
Sweetie Bell shuddered. “Now what?”
Scootaloo spread one small wing over her friend. “Your buddy Scootaloo is gonna watch your back, that’s what.”
Sweetie Bell gave her friend a small smile as they started walking. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” Scootaloo answered as she smiled back.