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Diamond Tiara Strikes Back

Quizzical

Chapter 7 - Diamond Tiara Strikes Back

When the students took their seats after the morning bell they found not Cheerilee, but Quiz standing at the front of the room.

“Miss Cheerilee is unable to be here this morning,” said Quiz. “You are all to read chapter 8 in your history texts, and Miss Cheerilee will be here after recess to discuss the chapter with us.”

There was a soft groan from several ponies. In class reading was the worst; no matter what the lesson, Cheerilee was much more engaging than a textbook. But there seemed to be no escape.

Twist had her hoof in the air, waving frantically. “Quiz? Quiz? I already read ahead through chapter 8, and I have thome quethtions. Like, what waths the Free Sthalliongrad Movement? Were they theriouth?”

“No, Twist,” said Quiz, “The Secession Movement in Stalliongrad was never popular, they were little more than a footnote. They are only mentioned as a symptom of how unhappy the ponies of Stalliongrad were.”

Several more hooves shot into the air.

“Perhaps, you should all make a note of your questions and share them with Miss Cheerilee later…” began Quiz.

“Awe, come on, Quiz,” complained Scootaloo. “You know all this stuff. Can’t you go over it for us?”

Quiz began to tremble. “Scootaloo, all the information is there in your reading…

“I can’t learn anything from a book, Quiz,” groaned Scootaloo. “I need somepony to explain it to me. C’mon, Quiz!”

“Please, Quiz?”

“Just a few questions, Quiz?”

Faced with a room full of eager students, Quiz went with her strength. “I can demonstrate much of this graphically…” A series of glowing colored bars appeared floating at the front of the room. “This shows the many differences in the life of the average Stalliongrader compared to the average Equestrian citizen…” Quiz trailed off, blinking at her audience like a foal caught in a spotlight.

“Wow,” said Apple Bloom. “It cost more just to live in Stalliongrad, but they paid the same taxes. That don’t seem fair.” There was a murmur of agreement.

“Quiz, you gotta explain this a little more,” said Scootaloo.

Quiz looked ready to flee. “It might be better if I do not speak at length,” she muttered.

Then Sweetie Belle managed to catch Quiz’s eye. She mouthed the word ‘color’ and gave Quiz an encouraging smile.

Drawing a deep breath, Quiz began to lecture.

“You are sympathetic, with the situation simplified for you. But that was not the case then. Representatives of many cities were opposed to giving Stalliongrad special treatment. That is why we study this. Princess Celestia’s compromise is a masterwork of diplomacy, and shows how we can achieve harmony through understanding…”

Quiz and Sweetie Belle were the last to leave the classroom when the bell for recess rang.

“Quiz, you did it!” cried Sweetie Belle, clapping her hooves.

Quiz went limp against Cheerilee’s desk; had the desk not been there Quiz would have slid all the way to the floor. “That was terrifying. I do not wish to do that again."

“Quiz, you did everything right!” declared Sweetie Belle. “I hope Miss Cheerilee has something extra ready for the rest of the day, because you just taught her lesson. And you did just fine.”

“No one fell asleep,” admitted Quiz. “It seems I am more interesting than the history text.”

“You’re a lot better than that, Silly,” said Sweetie Belle. “Come on, I want to go play.”

They walked out to the playground. Sweetie Belle thought that, despite Quiz’s protests, she was standing just a little bit taller.

Almost immediately, Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara fell in behind them.

“Worst lesson, ev-ar!” stated Diamond Tiara, loudly enough for the whole playground to here. “And you know why, Silver?”

“Um… er… no, Diamond Tiara,” said Silver Spoon, who hadn’t been filled in, and was trying to catch up with Diamond’s plan.

“It’s because we had to listen to Stone the Drone try to teach, that’s why.”

Quiz froze.

“I thought someone had kicked over a bee hive,” continued Diamond. “But no, it was just Quiz-ik-al, droning away like some little machine."

"Quiz, don’t listen to her!” Sweetie Belle hissed in Quiz’s ear.

“Please, no…” whispered Quiz, so softly only Sweetie Belle could hear her. “Not now, not here…”

“I just wonder what made the Drone think she could teach,” continued Diamond Tiara. “Maybe she thought she could put us all to sleep. Or hypnotize us into thinking we could stand to listen to her!”

Quiz’s friends had rushed over to her. “You just hush up, right now, Diamond Tiara!” ordered Apple Bloom.

“I have a right to complain about the sorry state of my education!” squealed Diamond Tiara.

“If you have a complaint then you talk to Miss Cheerilee,” said Twist. “And you leave Quiz alone!”

“I should have known better… I should have never believed…” whispered Quiz. Tears welled in her eyes.

“Quiz, stop it!” hissed Sweetie Belle. “What Diamond says is not important!”

“Miss Cheerilee isn’t here,” said Diamond Tiara. “So, I’m taking my complaint right to the source.”

“That’s right, Diamond, Miss Cheerilee isn’t here,” said Scootaloo. “So there’s no one to make us stop if we decide to shut you up ourselves.”

Diamond Tiara backed away, “You wouldn’t dare!” she squealed. “That’s not fair! It’s all her fault, her and her droning little voice…”

Quiz bolted, escaping the playground at full gallop. Then she kept right on running.

This probably saved Diamond Tiara from a beating, as the other fillies ran after Quiz, calling for her to stop.

Silver Spoon shook her head. “Not cool, Diamond,” she said. “Quiz was really crying.”

Scootaloo was fast, probably the fastest filly in Ponyville, but Quiz still managed to lose her. “This is ridiculous,” said Scootaloo. “Quiz is like the All-Equestria hide and seek champ. She could be anywhere.”

“She just needs a big enough shadow and she can disappear,” agreed Sweetie Belle. “I think Quiz has been practicing that trick all her life.”

“We could split up, but we still won’t find her, until she wants to be found,” said Apple Bloom. “I think we need to tell some of the adults about this.”

Twist nodded. “I’ll go back to the thkool. Miss Cheerilee will want to know why we all ran off, anyway.”

“I’ll go tell Twilight,” said Apple Bloom.

“And we’ll keep looking,” said Scootaloo. “I’ll get my scooter so I can cover more ground.”

That left Sweetie Belle alone to think things through. Quiz is hiding. And she’ll want to hide someplace where not even the adult ponies will find her.

“I know where she is!” said Sweetie Belle, suddenly. And she ran for the edge of town.

Sweetie Belle found Quiz standing by the burnt boulder where they had conducted their “experiment.” It looked as if she had been just standing there, looking at nothing, for hours.

“You know it hurts my feelings when you listen to Diamond Tiara instead of me,” said Sweetie Belle.

Quiz jumped. “Oh, Sweetie Belle, you startled me,” said Quiz. “Very clever of you to find me. But please go. I want to be alone.”

“That may be what you want, but what you need is to come home with me and be with your friends,” said Sweetie Belle. She offered Quiz a handkerchief, which she took with her magic and began drying her eyes.

“I believe I may have over reacted,” admitted Quiz. “Do you think I have worried anypony?”

“Yeah, kinda,” said Sweetie Belle, rolling her eyes. “So, come on. The sooner everypony knows you’re okay, the better.”

Quiz shook her head. “I am not ready to face anypony. I feel very foalish. But I could not help myself.”

“Don’t worry, if anyone is angry they’re angry with Diamond Tiara,” said Sweetie Belle. “Seriously, why were you listening to her? I can’t even hear her anymore.”

“Yet she had a point,” said Quiz. “Diamond Tiara only pointed out faults I had allowed myself to forget. I should not have. There are things about myself I must accept.”

“What, you mean like your voice?” demanded Sweetie Belle. “Gee, thanks Quiz. And here I thought my voice lessons were helping, silly me.”

“I did not mean to offend…”

“Well, you did, you big dummy,” said Sweetie Belle.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Seriously, Quiz, you are the smartest pony I know, but you are such a dummy.” Sweetie Belle stamped her hoof, indignantly. “How do you keep believing the worst about yourself when so many ponies tell you it isn’t true?”

“I seem to have missed that…”

“No kidding,” said Sweetie Belle, stomping her hoof again. “Well, listen right now, Quiz. You’re okay. No, you’re more than just okay, you’re great. You really are. And I hate it that you don’t believe that.”

“I… I do not know what to say to that,” said Quiz, softly.

“Say we can go home now,” said Sweetie Belle.

“Alright,” said Quiz. “I am ready to go.”

Side by side they started back to Ponyville.

But when they stepped off the rock outcrop onto the ground the dirt erupted all around them. The two fillies were caught in a geyser of earth. And then they were in free fall.

They came to rest on a rock floor, in the dark. As their eyes adjusted, all they could make out were pairs of amber eyes surrounding them. Cruel laughter echoed all around them.

A gravelly voice addressed them. “Welcome, little ponies, to the warrens of the Diamond Dogs.”

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