Quiet Pony
Quizzical
Chapter 8 – Quiet Pony
Quiz’s horn glowed as she summoned a light spell. The light revealed hulking diamond dogs surrounding the two fillies.
The largest diamond dog approached them. “It is so nice of the little ponies to visit us,” he said, and the other dogs all laughed. It was an ugly noise. “And it is so kind of you to volunteer your services.” The noise grew uglier.
“W-what do you want from us?” stammered Sweetie Belle.
“What do diamond dogs always want? We want the magic little ponies to find gems for us, of course,” he said. “I am Chief Bowser. I am your new employer.”
This brought on more laughter.
“You stay away from us!” cried Sweetie Belle, with far more bravado than she felt. “When my sister Rarity finds out…”
“Rarity!” The diamond dogs recoiled at the name.
Even Bowser took a step back. “Is this true? It is the sister of the Rarity?”
Quiz swiftly step forward and answered. “Yes, she is Rarity’s sister! And she is even louder and more shrill than Rarity herself!”
“Wait… what?” said Sweetie Belle. “Quiz, no!”
“Aaaaargh!” shrieked Bowser. “Remove it, remove it! Get it out of Bowser’s caverns! Back to the surface with it! NOW!!!”
Sweetie Belle was seized and lifted into the air. “No!” she screamed. “No, Quiz, I don’t want to leave you here!”
“Belle, just shut up and run home!” shouted Quiz. It was the loudest she had ever spoken.
There was cloud of dirt, then Sweetie Belle disappeared.
“And what of you, little pony?” said Bowser, standing over Quiz. “Are you loud and shrill?”
Quiz did not think she could get away with answering yes. “Why, no,” she said. “I am actually a very quiet pony.”
“Good,” said Bowser. “Bowser will keep the quiet pony.”
#
Sweetie Belle found herself alone on the surface; the hole she’d emerged from was filled before her head even stopped spinning. She did the only thing she could think of.
Sweetie Belle ran home.
#
“What does the quiet pony mean, ‘she cannot find the gems’?!” demanded Bowser. “All magic ponies can find gems!”
“Not at all,” said Quiz. “It is a very rare talent. Few unicorns know the spell, and of them only the strongest magicians can cast it.”
“Hmmmph!” snorted Bowser. “If the quiet pony thinks she will be set free just because she is useless she is wrong.” He turned and began to walk away from Quiz. “Chain the useless pony to a cart,” he ordered.
“Of course, we could try to find the gems the old fashioned way,” offered Quiz.
“What is the useless pony whinnying about?” growled Bowser.
“It is a skill,” said Quiz. “The stone will show you if you know how to look and listen. It is in the grain of the stone, and the size of the crystals. You can hear it in the cracks, and where they are filled. It is not as reliable as magic, but I believe I can provide you with satisfactory results.”
“That would be good,” said Bowser. “Bowser believes that if he is satisfied he will feed the useless pony tonight.”
“I will need my magnifying glass and my hammer,” said Quiz.
#
Sweetie Belle staggered into Ponyville hysterical and exhausted near to collapse. She never saw the pony she stumbled into; and when this caused her to fall Sweetie Belle stayed down. She couldn’t take another step.
“Can you help me?” she moaned.
That, and “Get Twilight,” was all they could get out of Sweetie Belle, as they rushed her to Urgent Care.
#
“I don’t know how far she’s run, but she appears to have sprinted the whole way,” the doctor explained to Twilight Sparkle. “She’ll be fine once we get her calmed down enough to breath easily, and we get a little water into her. She’s been calling for you. Not her parents, not her friends. You.”
Twilight and Spike were led to Sweetie Belle’s bedside. As soon as Sweetie Belle saw her she jumped up. “Twilight, I am so sorry! It happened so fast… I didn’t want to leave her…!”
“Shhhh, take some deep breaths and explain slowly,” said Twilight, trying to sound calm. She didn’t feel calm at all, and her voice cracked with her next question. “Has something happened to Quiz?”
“Diamond dogs!” cried Sweetie Belle. “Diamond dogs have kidnapped Quiz!”
“Spike,” said Twilight. “Take a letter.”
#
A tremendous crack of thunder heralded the arrival of Princess Luna. The Princess then simply walked into the hospital, with no fanfare or ceremony, and asked to be taken to Sweetie Belle.
Everyone bowed when she entered the room, and Luna simply said, “Rise. Twilight Sparkle, we came as soon as we could.” In fact Luna had hardly let Celestia finish reading Spike’s letter aloud before departing. Luna had left all the details to Celestia; including the unpleasant task of notifying the Greystone family. She turned to Sweetie Belle. “You are the good friend Quizzical tells us of? You are Sweetie Belle?”
“Yes, Princess.”
“Please tell us what has happened to Quizzical,” said Luna.
It took a little time. They had to keep stopping Sweetie Belle, and reminding her to calm down and breath. Eventually they had all the important details, including Quiz’s last known location.
“What are you going to do?” Twilight asked.
“We suppose we should begin by opening negotiations with the diamond dogs,” said Luna. She then teleported away.
#
“DIAMOND DOGS!!! HEAR US!!!” yelled Princess Luna. The diamond dogs did not have an embassy, or a forwarding address, so contact had to be established by more direct means. “WE WOULD NEGOTIATE WITH YOU FOR THE RELEASE OF OUR LITTLE PONY!!! SEND US YOUR CHIEF, OR HIS APPOINTED REPRESENTATIVE!!! WE WILL NOT LEAVE YOU IN PEACE UNTIL YOU SPEAK WITH US!!!”
Luna was having difficulty containing her mood. Storm clouds gathered over her head, and until the crisis was over no one in Ponyville would enjoy sunshine within a mile of her.
Luna stood in the middle of a plain of bare rock and filled holes. She did not know if she was reaching her intended audience, but she could see that she was rattling the ponies gathered on the edge of the outcrop. Luna decided to take a break, and have a reassuring word with some of her worried subjects.
The Mayor of Ponyville had organized what she called a “local militia,” (a mob of ponies armed with gardening tools, really). There was no shortage of volunteers. Volunteers who had raised a hoof in anger at any time in their lives were in very short supply.
“Greetings,” said Luna. “We thank you all for turning out for our poor lost student.” Quiz had been in Ponyville less than 2 weeks, all these ponies could not possibly know her.
“Most of us have colts and fillies of our own, Princess. Or little brothers and sisters,” said an older stallion. “Those diamond dogs messed with the wrong ponies!” This inspired a cheer from the Ponyville ‘militia.’ It was a ragged and unconvincing cheer, but a cheer none the less.
Princess Luna noticed one mare nervously holding a hoe. “We know you. You are Miss Cheerilee.”
“Yes, Princess,” answered the teacher.
"Quizzical speaks well of you, in her letter,” said Luna. “We thank you for the kindness you have shown her."
“I… it has been a joy and an honor to work with Quiz, Princess,” said Cheerilee. She hung her head and murmured, sadly. “I look forward to having her back in my classroom soon.”
Luna wanted to say more, but she couldn’t think of anything. Finally, she indicated Cheerilee’s hoe. “Could you use that, Miss Cheerilee, if you had to?”
“Oh, oh, dear. I hope so. I mean, I showed up here, I really should be certain, shouldn’t I?” said Cheerilee. “Could I go upside the head of a diamond dog with this?” Then, after a moment’s reflection, she added, more firmly, “To defend Quiz, or one of my other students? You betcha!”
Luna had to smile at that. “We must continue our appeals to the diamond dogs. They have yet to answer us.”
Then there was the commotion of several creatures moving through the woods behind them. As one, the Ponyville militia jumped at the noise.
Four columns of ponies in golden armor marched out of the woods.
Oh, right, thought Luna, calling out the Guard. That’s one more job I stuck Celestia with when I hurried off. “These are the Royal Guard, they are here to take your places,” Luna announced.
The citizens of Ponyville were tremendously relieved to have the soldiers take over. But none of them actually went home.
The Captain of the Guard needed no interference from the Princess in deploying his troops, so Luna went back to her task. Finding a sufficiently remote spot, standing over a filled diamond dog hole, she went back to her appeals.
“DIAMOND DOGS!!!” bellowed the Luna. “WE RESPECTFULLY SUGEST THAT YOU CONSIDER OUR REQUESTS FOR PEACEFUL NEGOTIATIONS!!! WE KNOW YOU CAN HEAR US…!!!”
#
Quiz, of course, knew nothing of what was transpiring on the surface. She busied herself industriously, almost happily, with her task.
She carefully examined the rock wall through her hand glass, periodically cocking an ear and tapping the wall with her little hammer. The diamonds dogs watching her sniggered and guffawed at her every move. If Quiz noticed, she gave no indication.
Finally, Quiz announced, “There is an inclusion in the cracks here. Gems will have formed around it. Dig here and you will find the stones you seek.”
Chief Bowser said nothing. His response was to throw a pick at Quiz’s feet.
“Of course,” said Quiz, in resignation. Magically, she lifted the pick and began to chip away at the wall.
A team of diamond dogs could have done the excavation in five minutes. Slight little Quiz took two hours. But finally she dropped the pick and announced, “There. There are your gems.” And she slumped to the cavern floor. It didn’t matter that the task was done by magic, levitation takes a lot out of you, and if the spell is weak then it leaves the magician as exhausted as if they hefted the pick by hoof.
“Well, well, well,” said Chief Bowser. “A good find. A good find indeed. Many, many stones.”
Quiz, resting on the cave floor, had no comment
“It seems that the quiet pony is a clever pony, after all,” said Chief Bowser. “Now, get up. Find us some more.”
“Of course,” Quiz sighed, and slowly rose. She went back to work.
Quiz found 3 more caches of gems before she declared that the vein was played out. The now impatient diamond dogs dug these all themselves.
While they excavated the last find, Quiz had leaned against a wall and had fallen asleep. Even Chief Bowser agreed that it might be time to put their clever little pony away for the night.
#
“Rarity!” cried Sweetie Belle, throwing herself at her sister. Rarity had dropped everything and taken the first train to Ponyville.
“How did you get here so fast?” asked Princess Celestia. “The station master says you have just shattered the speed record for this route.”
“Yes, well, I simply asked the engineer if he would please hurry a bit,” said Rarity. She waved at the train’s engine; a stallion in the cab waved enthusiastically back.
A dignified older stallion approached the Princesses and bowed. “Princess, I thank you for your efforts on my daughter’s behalf,” he said, gravely. Though both of Equestria’s rulers were standing there, Chisel Greystone VII pointedly addressed only Celestia. Luna turned, unable the meet the stallion’s eyes.
“What’s the matter with them?” Twilight whispered to Rarity.
“The senior Greystone wanted Quizzical to take a post in Canterlot and stay close to the family,” Rarity whispered back. “He was fuming about this through the entire train ride. Sending her to Ponyville was Princess Luna’s idea, and he blames her for what has happened to poor Quizzical.”
Twilight shook her head, sadly. “I think Princess Luna agrees with him.”
“It will be good for Quizzical to have family waiting here when she is freed,” said Celestia. “Have you all come?”
“All but my youngest,” said Greystone. “It has all been too much for little Delight, and she is with her grandparents. I have also brought with me all of my employees. If any excavating needs to be done to rescue Quizzical we’re ready. Frankly, I’m prepared to remove all the rock over the Diamond Dog warrens, one block at a time, if necessary.”
“Would that work?” asked Luna, suddenly enthusiastic. “We like this plan. Spike, please draft a royal charter granting the Greystones unrestricted rights to excavate on the barrens…”
“No, Princess, it would not work,” said Greystone, coldly. “It is several hundred square miles of stone. If we are to dig Quizzical out, we must have her precise location first.”
“Oh,” said Luna, hanging her head.
“I must see to my family,” said Greystone, bowing and turning away. “It has been a very difficult day, particularly for my wife.
Princess Luna did nothing about the incredible rudeness, and Celestia knew better than to speak for her.
#
“I have been made the clever pony’s keeper,” said the diamond dog who led Quiz to her cell. “If the clever pony desires anything, besides her freedom, she may ask and perhaps I can get it for her.”
Quiz said nothing.
“There is fresh fodder, and some carrots,” the diamond dog went on. “We know that the clever pony is tired, but she must eat before she sleeps. It is important.”
The cell was actually twice the size of Quiz’s room at the Ponyville library. The bed was a pallet covered with straw, but the straw was fresh and clean. There was a blanket, and Quiz was surprised to find it was warm and soft, as was the tiny pillow.
“We will let the clever pony keep her things,” said the diamond dog. “She should just sleep, but if the clever pony becomes awake and bored in the night she will have her quill and notebook to entertain herself.”
“Thank you,” said Quiz.
“What is the clever pony’s name?” asked the diamond dog.
“My name is Quizzical,” answered Quiz.
“Quizzical,” the diamond dog repeated to himself. “We are called Indy, not that Quizzical asked.”
“Pardon me, Indy, I meant no offense” said Quiz. “I am feeling rather self-involved just now.”
“Is Quizzical being sarcastic with Indy?” demanded the diamond dog.
“I… might be,” said Quiz.
Indy sighed. “Quizzical is clever and magical, and she can probably find a way to let herself out of her cell. Indy asks that she not do this. Quizzical will not get past the guards at both ends of this corridor, and they will punish her.”
“I thank you for the advice, Indy,” said Quiz.
“Can Indy do anything else for Quizzical?” he asked. “Turn your cell pink? Ponies like pink, don’t they? I know where there is some fine pink ore Indy can add to some whitewash.”
“Thank you, no, Indy,” said Quiz. “I actually prefer grey to pink.”
“Quizzical is a very unusual pony,” said Indy.
“Yes,” said Quiz. “I know.”
“Quizzical is not going to let Indy do anything for her, is she?” asked Indy, plaintively.
“I only wish to be alone,” said Quiz.
At that Indy stalked off.
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Thank you. It was nice of you to welcome my first story here so warmly. Thank you for the kind words. I believe if anyone asks me to describe Quiz I may quote Georg ("dirt and counting dirt" is much better than "numbers and rocks"). The story should be complete tomorrow.
I dislike OC main characters. I almost immediately skip stories that have them because i know I have a 99% chance of it being pulled off poorly. I misclicked here and happened to glance at the comments. Since they are so adamantly for this story I will give it a shot and hope it is among that 1%.
I now believe that the author is tied to a computer with nothing but word processor software and behind him there is a domimatrix holding a whip, yelling "mush, mush, write!".
Or that he has a cache. But I like my theory better.
1759973 And now we know you are one of those rare, spiritual bronies who don't check "Show mature". If you check it, Quizzical is no longer in the featured box. That Quizzical has been in the "no mature stories" featured box for hours and only gotten 155 views--and a lot of those views came here from blog posts by me, GhostOfHeraclitus, and Georg--shows how few readers on this site don't check "Show mature". Maybe 1 in 10?
1761126
It's 64 thumbs up to 0 thumbs down. I think it counts as the 1%.
The rescue had better be epic.
This is very good.
"Indy was the dog's name."
"I loved that dog."
I think you meant past here.
Oh i want at be ALoNe!
Goes drmatic.
Heh now where is that dramatic reading of this. They better drone their voice for Quiz. I want to be hypnotized.
"past", not "passed".
See, when Luna was shouting at the Dogs, I was half-expecting Quiz to stick her head up and say something about "can we have a moment's quite, this is a delicate operation". Instead we get a half-hearted (well, three-quarters, but that doesn't exactly roll off the tongue) angry mob. Which is a good thing, Quiz solving the whole thing on her own would be Sue-ish besides hurrying the story even further along.
Indy's an interesting character. He just wants to do something to be useful, it seems. But Quiz is adamantly lonely. Really, that she made friends with the Crusaders says at least as much about the Crusaders as it does about Quiz.
1761265
I don't. But I haven't found stories from the featured box in ages. The the frontpage is not a good entry point for the way I tend to use the site.
Aaaaaaand cue the creepy rapist music.
Oh come on, I know 90% of you thought it.
I know this story is from 2012, is is most likely no longer on the editing block, but this one little thing bugs me:
> at any time in their lives were in very short supply.
Either my Dyslexia is acting up and is not letting my comprehend something here, or something is off from a past edit.