Chapter 4: An Unintended Target
Button's laugh echoed throughout the class room, causing a slithering shadow of dread to wash over Rumble. Normally when Button said he had a surprise, Rumble thought nothing of it, but the maniacal laugh was enough to put him on edge.
Unable to use his words, Rumble went to his desk, which was near the back of the room. What else was Rumble to do? Knowing Button, he wasn’t likely to listen to his pleas for any level of sanity. And knowing Button, this plan was so convoluted, so insane, so unstable, that it was likely going to work, simply do to the Fate itself to know how it would work. Rumble put his head down on the desk.
“Morning, Rumble” a voice greeted. Rumble peered upward to see Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.
“Hi,” Rumble grumbled, unwilling to lift his head from his desk. His eyes scanned the vicinity for a unicorn that he’d normally see along with the two fillies that stood before him. “Where’s Sweetie Belle?”
“She had to get a few things. Said she’d catch up later,” Apple Bloom said. “Speaking of Sweetie, did Button happen to let it go?” she asked, lowering her voice to whisper so that only that he and Apple Bloom could hear.
“No.”
“Do you know what he’s planning?”
“No. He’s just been sitting there laughing.”
“Wait, that’s what that laughin was?” Apple Bloom said with a twinge disbelief. “It’s been going on for five minutes straight! This is unbelievable!”
“Yeah, you’re telling me!”
“That boy has himself some lungs!”
“Apple Bloom, that is not the point!” Rumble groaned.
At that moment, other foals began to enter the classroom, forcing Rumble to fall silent. From Diamond Tiara to Pipsqueak, each took their seats. The only one they hadn’t seen was Sweetie Belle. It was probably better she wasn’t in class. The more time she took to get to school, the more time the foals, namely Rumble, had to think of a plan to—
“Hey guys!” Sweetie Belle shouted, almost skipping up to Rumble and her friends, smiling with pink cheeks that could melt even Discord’s or Tirek’s heart.
Rumble cursed the world like he had never done so before, using crass language that would have earned him a grounding if Thunderlane could read minds. “Good morning, Sweetie Belle,” Rumble greeted, forcing himself to smile.
“Did you take care of that thing you needed to do?” Scootaloo asked.
“Yeah! I just forgot my homework is all.”
“That’s right, we had homework last night! I totally forgot!”
“No, you just didn’t do it,” Apple Bloom mumbled.
Scootaloo glared at Apple Bloom, before turning her attention to Rujmble, who she knew for a fact never forgot to do his homework. Giving him a sheepish smile, she asked, “Rumble, do you think you could help me out? I’ll get grounded if I get another F.”
“It’s in my backpack, make it quick.”
“Thanks!” Scootaloo quickly zipped behind him and dung around in his saddle bag, pulling out their assignment from last night.
“Are you sure it’s okay to cheat in the open like this?” Apple Bloom asked, tugging on her friend’s tail.
“Oh, like Ms. Cheerilee’s paying attention!” It was Scootaloo’s attitude that made her blissfully unaware that Cheerilee was paying attention. “And it’s not cheating, it’s helping! Rumble is helping me with my homework by giving me the answers.” She quickly copied every answer, save for one, as she naively thought she could fool her teacher. The same teacher that sat at her desk, watching Scootaloo cheat.
While Scootaloo cheated, Rumble looked towards the unicorn. “Look, Sweetie Belle, about Button Mash-”
Sweetie Belle waved him off. “Oh, don’t worry about it, Rumble, I’m sure he was just venting when he said that stuff. I mean, this is Button we’re talking about! He’s too nice to do anything mean. I’m sure he played a game and let it go,” She said, before happily trotted to her desk.
“Right, he let it go.” Rumble slammed his head on his desk, lightly whimpering.
“So… are we just doing nothin’?” Apple Bloom asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Don’t really have much of a choice. I mean, Button didn’t even tell me what he was planning,” Rumble replied.
“We could just tell on him.”
“We can’t do that!” Scootaloo and Rumble said in unison.
“Why?” Apple Bloom asked, looking at the pegasi skeptically
“Because then we’d be tattletales in an elementary school environment!” Rumble explained. “That kind of thing follows you to middle and high school. I don’t know about you, but I want to survive those!”
“Exactly! So, all we can do is pray to Luna that he doesn’t do anything extreme,” Scootaloo said as she placed Rumble’s homework back into his saddlebags, having finished copying his answers.
Before Apple Bloom could argue, the school bell rang, signaling the start of class. The foals were forced to take their respective seats, with Apple Bloom sitting next to Scootaloo, who sat in front of Sweetie Belle.
“Ok Class, time to turn in your homework assignments, which I’m sure you all did on your own,” Cheerilee said as she walked around the class and collected the foals’ homework, giving Scootaloo a disappointed look.
Button Mash may not have played any video games last night, but he did do his homework. If he hadn’t then him mom would’ve grounded him from his games for a week.
“I look forward to seeing how well you all did,” Cheerilee smiled as she sat at her desk. From her top draw she took out a large stack of packets, about five pages each and began to hand them out. “Now, I’d like you to get into groups for this assignment,” she told the class. “And, to make sure that everyone participates in their groups, and at the very least attempts to work out the problems,” for some reason, she shot a glare towards Scootaloo, who in turn sunk in her seat, “I’ll have to ask a few of you to change seats. So Scootaloo, and whoever is working with her, front row please.”
“This is why you don’t openly cheat,” Apple Bloom murmured as she gathered her things and followed Scootaloo to the front of the class.
“New seats?” Button perked his head up as his head slowly swiveled towards Sweetie Belle, who was now leaving her seat to join her friends at the front of the class. The rest of the foals walked around the room, taking their new seats as they talked about subjects that had nothing to do with math while their packets were passed around.
There was an average of three foals per group, the only exception being Snips and Snails, and Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Silver Spoon had taken Sweetie Belle’s seat, which was situated right next to Diamond Tiara’s desk. There was a small twinge of worry deep in his gut, but so long as Silver Spoon had no reason to open the desk before Sweetie Belle returned, everything would turn out fine. What reason could Silver Spoon even have for rummaging through Sweetie Belle’s desk?
Button was then joined by both Rumble and Pip. The moment the packets were handed out, the class’syclamoring and loud discussions tapered out into a quiet whisper. As Button and his group worked through each problem with relative ease, Button himself seemed to forget about his prank, for the time being.There was a sudden sSnap, probably a pencil breaking, followed by an annoyed groan. Button ignored it until he heard an order.
“Just borrow one of Sweetie Belle’s!.”
The voice was only a fraction above a whisper, but to Button it was a full force yell. Trembling, he turned to the source only to find Silver Spoon with a broken pencil. She seemed to be arguing with Diamond Tiara about something
“I can’t just go into her desk-”
“Sweetie Belle, can Silver Spoon borrow a pencil?” Diamond asked, almost shouting across the classroom.
“Sure! Go ahead!” Sweetie Belle answered.
Button tried to move, as Rumble looked on confused, but his legs seemed frozen. Meanwhile, Rumble watched his friend focus solely on Silver Spoon.
Why is he looking at Silver-The prank! Rumble’s mouth became dry as It was only when Silver Spoon slowly opened the desk’s cover.
“No,” Rumble said whisper so low, that not even he himself heard it.
There was a sudden boom, as a girlish shriek ripped through the room. Silver Spoon’s yell was also very loud. The class turned their attention to Silver Spoon, who’s eyes were bloodshot and tearing up. A pale, sand colored powder had sprayed out and managed tto sneak itself past Silver Spoon’s glass, getting in her eyes.
“Silver Spoon, are you ok?” Cheerilee asked with concern as she quickly dashed to her student’s side.
With clenched eyes, the filly shook her head. Tears streamed down her face in an attempt to cleanse whatever the powder was lingering, but it didn’t seem to do much good. Silver tried to keep her eyes open for more than a few moments, only for the constant sting to force them closed.
“Oh, poor thingthis is bad. Everyone, continue working on your assignment, I’ll be right back! C’mon, let’s go wash your eyes out,” Cheerilee said as she led the little filly outside and to the restroom where there was a working sink.
Seeing that Pip had turned back to his work, Rumble looped his arm around Button his friend and pulled him close. “Wwhat was that?”
“Phase one.” Button responded in a squeak.
“Phase one? What’s phase two!?”
A second, piercing scream, once again from Silver Spoon, tore through the air. “That. That would be phase two.”
After a few minutes, Cheerilee came back into the School house with a now soaked Silver Spoon. Her eyes were clear of whatever powder Button had used and she took a seat next to Diamond Tiara. She was dripping wet however, and as such, unable to go near her packet without ruining it.
Their teacher went over to the desk and from the inside compartment, took out an odd little medal cylinder on a stand connected to a smaller, golden colored container of some sort. “Anypony want to tell me what this is?” She asked.
“I think that’s a CO2 canister on the end of it,” a foal said, raising his hoof. “My brother uses it in his dragster designs for his nerd club. You can get them at the store for, like, three bits a piece. You pop the cap and it releases a ton of pressurized gas. It would probably explain the burst of powder. And, though I do not know what it is specifically, it looks like it was connected to a cannon, a very small cannon.”
“Thank you, Home Run, for that very informative aside,” Cheerilee stood at the front of the class and shot each of her student’s a sharp glare. “I would like to also note thatIt would appear that ourt sinks have been tampered with in the bathroom. Considering that Silver Spoon happened to be sprayed in the eyes with powder, would someone like to admit to something?” There were a chorus of murmurs and whispers asides about what had just happened. Obviously, it was a prank, but the questions focused more on the who than the what. No one came forward, and after a while, Cheerilee let out a soft sigh. “Anyone at all? No? Well, if no one’s coming forward than I guess I’ll have to cancel recess for everyone.”
There was a sudden uproar of groans and complaints. As the disappointed chatter filled the air while a single hoof shot up. It belonged to Diamond Tiara, who watched her friend sniffle and grovel like she was an injured puppy. However, for some reason, she seemed utterly calm, as if nothing had happened.
“Yes, Diamond Tiara? Something you’d like to say?”
“I was just wondering is there a word that can be used to describe a rage so great that it loops back around and has a calming effect on you, because you know that the moment you find who you’re mad atind the perpetrator of a prank, you will introduce them to a new circle of Tartarus that not even Dante himself has been to?”
“Tranquil fury,” Button said with a whimper.
Had it been an average day, perhaps Diamond Tiara would have left school with a smile on her face, or at the very least been slightly less annoyed. However, even though the final bell rang, her blood was still boiling. Several hours later, the bell rang, Silver Spoon went immediately home. There was no long winded chats about the latest heart throb on TV, no talk about the latest episode of a teen soap opera, not even a peep about the latest Fleur De Lis photo shoot, Silver Spoon’s favorite model. Diamond Tiara felt a heated iron press against her back at the thought of her bestie becoming silent.While the other foals were packing up their stuff, Diamond Tiara was busy trying to figure out just who it was that pranked Silver Spoon. It could’ve been anypony, but who?
Diamond Tiara calmed herself. She would get angry once she had the prankster within her grasp. More specifically, when his throat was in her grasp. All she had to do was find the culprit. She recalled how the prank was planted in Sweetie Belle’s desk, so it was most likely meant for her. But she couldn’t just go rummaging around in the filly’s desk without her permission, that would be too suspicious. Diamond caught the sight of the end of Sweetie Belle’s tail. Diamond Tiara would have to check to make sure.
“Hey, Sweetie Belle!” the rich filly called out, chasing after to the unicorn. who was about to head out with her friends.
“Hm?” Sweetie Belle looked over her shoulder. “Diamond Tiara?”
“Come here for a second.”
Breaking away from her friends, and going against her better judgment, she proceeded towards the filly that waited next to her desk.
“Somepony pranked Silver Spoon and I want to find out who. Do Would you mind if I took a peek inside your desk real quickcheck your desk for clues?” Diamond asked.
“Why?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“I just need to see if that prankster from earlier today happened to leave anything behind, anything at all. I’m just asking because if anyone is prime suspect, it’s the filly that has an unfettered hatred for blank flanks.”
“Umm… when you put it that way, I don’t see why not.Sure, I guess” Sweetie Belle replied with a shrug.
“Thank you,” Diamond said with a smile.
With that, Sweetie Belle slowly backed away and made her way to her friends, the trio heading out to get milkshakes at Sugarcube Corner. As the rest of the foals exited the school, Diamond Tiara was left to search for clues. She automatically ruled out the CMC since the powder was planted in Sweetie Belle’s desk.
Most of everything was lightly covered in powder, but intact. There were a few books, several pictures, some of her family, one of a wedding dance with a dragon, a drawing of what she hoped her cutie mark looked like, and a cute pencil case. Then there were the little things she noticed, like strands of her long hair. That’s when she noticed something odd, a single hairthat was much shorter than the other few that lingering. Though covered in what smelled like onion powder, it’s hue also seemed to be different. She checked several desks until she found what she was looking for. Reaching Reaching into Pipsqueak’s desk, she pulled out his magnifying glass.
“Diamond!”
“I’m taking a magnifying glass! I’ll put it back!” Diamond rolled her eyes as Cheerilee shot her a foreboding glare. Getting a better look with her new tool, she closely examined the strand of hair. She noted that the color of the hair was orangish-brown. A very familiar orange brown.
“Button Mash,!” Diamond growled. The pampered filly then set the magnifying glass back in Pip’s desk before galloping out of the schoolhouse.
“That was your prank!?” Rumble shouted. It was fortunate that no other foal was in listening distance. After losing their recess, most of classmates were out for blood. Fortunately for Rumble, both he and Button had tight lips when they needed to, and while the thought of a vengeful Diamond Tiara plagued their minds, it was nothing compared to the vindictiveness of the entire class.
“It was only garlic powder and water. It’s not like she could’ve died.”
“Someone not dying is not the moral standard we should go by! All I’m saying is Sweetie Belle could’ve gotten seriously hurt, Silver Spoon did get hurt, and you could’ve gotten caught. Can’t you just let this go now?” Rumble asked as Button Mash made their way to the game colt’s house, the two having just finished playing at the local arcade.
“Not until that little witch pays for what she’s done, and I’ve received retribution,” Button replied.
“Little witch? Do you not hear yourself? Look, Sweetie Belle was mean, I’m sorry about that,” Rumble said, as they reached the door to Button’s house, “That doesn’t mean you-” as he reached the doorstep of his house.
Rumble stopped mid-sentence as Button opened the door to his house. As if fate had decided to be exceptionally cruel to them, the colts the sight of Diamond Tiara casually sipping tea with Button’s mother, Love Tap. “Oh, Button, you’re home early!” She beamed at him. “You never told me you were friends with such a sweet filly!”
Diamond Tiara slowly turned her head to them, her eyes narrow to focus the blazing heat of her glare.
“Button, I think I hear my brother calling me. Good luck!” Rumble’s wings flared out as he quickly took to the sky.
Button was left alone as a chill emanating from Diamond Tiara overtook him.His eyes met Diamond’s, her gaze gently telling him one thing; I know what you did.
“Oh, Button, look at you, you’re shaking like a leaf,” His mother softly chided. “He’s just like his father, Diamond. He acted like that all the time when he was Button’s age. I don’t know about you, but I think someone has a little crush~! Come have a seat, son! Diamond was just talking about that nice thing you did for- Diamond, what did my Button do again?”
“He lent my friend Silver Spoon some garlic powder for breakfast today,” She said before taking a sip tea. “I just wanted to pay him back is all.”She turned and gave Button a sincere smile. “Don’t just stand there, Button. Your mother has made us some lovely tea. Why don’t you have a seat. Right. Next. To. Me?”
Button let out a small whimper.
“Come on Button, you don’t want to be rude to our guest, do you?” His mother asked, unware that she was signing her son’s death warrant.
As Button proceeded to take a seat next to Diamond Tiara Rich, he couldn’t help but softly sob and wonder just what it was she would do to him.
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Finally updated! pretty good chapter! keep up the good work!
i find karma punishing button mash here to be just sad.
Can we expect consistent uploads from now on? (Enjoy an upvote)
Sounds good!
Which is probably bad...
Button: "Well, I had heard lying is bad, so..."
Button: "Is that an option?"
Well, it seems things are getting interesting now. Especially, since she already stated just how angry she currently is.
Good chapter!
I'm curious what might happen next.