Ponywatching

by ThunderTempest

Prompt #535- Cruel and Unusual, But Necessary

Rarity paced around the main workroom of Carousel Boutique, occasionally glancing at her current guest. Everytime the unicorn glanced at the other pony, a young filly, she would shake her head, and resume her pacing.

“No you don’t,” called Rarity, as the filly began edging towards the door, “you are going to stay right here until my friend arrives.”
Diamond Tiara pouted, but moved away from the door. The first time she had not listened to Rarity, the unicorn had demonstrated that she could pick her up with her magic, and had then dropped the filly troublemaker right onto her rump. As Diamond took up her spot in the centre of the room once again, there was a knock at the door, and Rarity pranced over and pulled it open with a shimmering blue glow of her horn.

“Twilight! So good of you to come on such short notice.”

“It’s okay Rarity. Are you sure you want to do this?”

“I have never been more sure, dear. This filly,” Rarity spat, “is an abhorrent specimen of a pony. Of course, Blueblood was worse. But the difference between the two is that one of them can still be taught the error of her ways.” Rarity finished addressing Twilight, who seemed to be in agreement with the dressmaker to Diamond’s eyes, if a bit reluctant.

“Now, Miss Tiara,” said Rarity, looming over the filly, “Do you know why you are here?”

“No, I don’t. I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Not done anything,” sputtered Rarity, and all traces of hesitation vanished from Princess Twilight’s face.

“Well then,” said Rarity, once she regained her composure, “let me enlighten you. You have been an absolute horror to anypony who crosses your path. You are a self-entitled little brat, and your father, kind-hearted soul that he is, has not yet seen to get rid of this abhorrent behaviour. Tell me, Diamond, do you know where Scootaloo is right now?”

“That flightless blank flank? Why should I care about her?”

“Perhaps because she has been in the Golden Oak Library, in my bedroom, crying her eyes out for the last hour. Perhaps because we had to physically restrain Rainbow Dash from going and throwing you off a cliff,” said Twilight, magically opening her saddlebags, and beginning to extract something from them.

“I can tolerate calls of ‘blank flank’, Diamond Tiara,” said Rarity, “goodness knows I gave them out when I was younger. But this? This is going too far. You need to learn that your actions have consequences, and perhaps we shall teach you some common courtesy in the process.”

There was a loud, and heavy thud, and Diamond caught sight of a massive book set upon a table that had suddenly appeared. Or had it always been there? Diamond couldn’t remember. However, what was important was that the table was straining under the weight of the book, and Diamond had to wonder how the book had fit in Twilight’s bags in the first place.

“The Massively Massive Magical Manuscript: the Omnibus Edition. It is the biggest book in the Golden Oak library,” Twilight said, in the same way that a pony might say ‘You are now sentenced to an eternity of suffering and fire’. “You will read this, Diamond Tiara. There will be a quiz at the end of each chapter.”

[Time]

“Understand, Miss Tiara,” said Rarity, “That whining to your father about this will have no effect. We told him, in no uncertain terms, exactly what we were going to do you. You could be a great pony, but first? First, we need to break you of your attitude, and then we can build you back up.”

Rarity then moved back over to an unfinished dress, and Twilight teleported out of the Boutique, leaving Diamond Tiara staring at a book that was bigger than she was.

“The longer you put this off, Miss Tiara,” began Rarity, without even turning around, “The longer you are going to be here. Oh yes, I should have mentioned. You will be living here for as long as it takes you to complete that book. Oh, and one other thing,” Rarity’s horn lit up, and Diamond felt her tiara lift off her head, and float across the room to rest on a cabinet,” You do not get that back until you finish, and pass all of Twilight’s quizzes. I suggest you get reading.”

Author's Note:

Written for Prompt #535: “Fate Worse Than Death”
The Prompt: I’m not going to kill you. I’m going to break you.

Comments

[Themaskedferret]

Uh...that just feels kinda wrong to do to a kid. I mean taking her away from her family to force her to read an insanely huge magic book and be quizzed by an obviously biased teacher? As well as taking away what appears to be an extremely personal item?

Sorry but this one really doesn't sit well with me. It feels excessive and kinda cruel for no reason.

[Malandy]

Intriguing and peculiarly cruel punishment, as said by the Ferret above, but I think that's sort of the point with this prompt... I wonder if it's actually possible to spin "I’m not going to kill you. I’m going to break you." in a positive manner, especially when you are primed with the title "A Fate Worse than Death". Given that you had to write this in 3 hours or so, and the negativity due to the connotations in the prompt, this story is sort of expected.

However, back to positive spinning... Training. Training from Hell, like Boot Camp or something, is the only way to make this prompt positive... and even that can't be all that positive, as the prompt: "I’m not going to kill you. I’m going to break you.", sort of needs the character to be broken as a result, unless you don't, and just have the breaking be an 'expected' result, not a guaranteed one...

Well, notes on the punishment, well, the book is "The Massively Massive Magical Manuscript: the Omnibus Edition." Keyword: Magical", if this appeared in a story, that would stick out for me, I'd assume it's a magically enchanted manuscript that does... something, most likely related to education like to teach whatever the reader needed to know, in this case, to teach Diamond Tiara empathy or something... The tiara being taken away, may have some purpose as it may disrupt the spell, or just be a way to prevent her from relapsing or something.... And of course, break her, which are also the dual purposes of the confinement. I expect the quizzes to be magical and revise themselves if she fails... something