//------------------------------// // Verse 5 - A New Path // Story: Tales of Tiara: Scrooged // by Mudpony //------------------------------// "Iiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Diamond Tiara screamed, as her father slammed against the door one last time, shattering the door jamb as he burst into her bedroom. He scanned the room, looking for some threat to his daughter, some monster that might explain her screaming, but found nothing more than his daughter clenching the sheets. "There, there, princess. It is okay. It was only a bad dream," Filthy Rich said, embracing his daughter. He rocked her gently, holding her while she sobbed on his shoulder, until at last she calmed down. Softly, she brushed her hooves along her body. "I'm alive. Unchained. There's time," Diamond Tiara whispered. "Want to tell me what the nightmare was about, munchkin?" her father coaxed. "It wasn't a nightmare, daddy. Well, part of it was the Nightmare, but that doesn't matter," Diamond Tiara said to her father. "There's time, daddy. I can change. I can be better. I can make friends." She threw her forelegs around her father and gave him a quick squeeze. She rolled out of her bed and threw open the curtains by the window., letting the sunshine flood in. "Isn't it a wonderful day, daddy? Happy Hearth's Warming!" She rushed over to the cabinet and gave her mane a quick brushing, before dashing out of the room, almost forgetting her tiara. Behind her, she left her perplexed father. "Um, Tiara... when did you repaint your room?" he called after her. Diamond Tiara skidded to halt. "No time to explain, daddy. Will tell you later though you'll never believe it anyway. Right now, got things that need doing. See you at the play. I'll make sure they save you a very special spot." At the stairs, the stairs she had walked so many times that she barely even took notice of them anymore, she did not walk. Instead, she threw herself onto the railing and slid down, squealing with delight, much to the amazement of Praiseworthy. He too got an unexpected hug. At the door, she stopped just long enough to throw on a scarf, the most brightly colored one she could find, and she was off. Down the streets of Ponyville she wandered. To every passerby she offered a greeting of "Happy Hearth's Warming!" She complimented them on their dress. She gave hugs. She even stopped to help a couple of foals make a snowpony. Reaching her first destination, Diamond Tiara walked up the icy walkway and knocked on the door. The door creaked open, revealing Silver Spoon's mother, Silver Lining. "Diamond Tiara. We haven't seen you since..." Her voice trailed off. Diamond Tiara pulled Silver Lining close. "I miss her too. Everyday. I guess that's why I haven't been around here since then. I miss her too much. I'm sorry for that." Silver Lining wiped away a tear from her eye and hugged Tiara back. The pair stood entwined in silence for a minute, before Silver Lining pulled away. Stepping aside, she said, "I'm sorry, where are my manners? Won't you please come in?" Diamond Tiara entered, wiping her hooves on the mat. "Sterling," Silver Lining called out, "We have a guest." She turned to Diamond Tiara and said, "We might have had a break in last night." "Oh, was anything taken?" Diamond Tiara asked, trying to play innocent. "I don't think so, just some things moved. LIke this picture, I could have sworn it was over where that one was before we went to bed last night," Sterling Silver answered. "She probably just moved them last night before she went to bed and didn't remember," Sterling Silver said from the hall's doorway. "I don't think anyone was here, dear. Nothing seems to be missing at any rate. Why don't you invite our guest to the living room? I'll prepare some tea." "He's probably right, I guess," Silver Lining said as she led Diamond Tiara to the living room, only to stop and point with a hoof. "Sterling!" "What?" Sterling Silver said gruffly, sticking his head in from the kitchen. "The package... Sil's gift..." Diamond Tiara looked at the gift and stifled a gasp. The present Discord had been toying with was no longer cycling through patterns. It had settled on a single one. Quickly, she recovered her composure, hoping no one had noticed. "What about it?" Sterling Silver asked, intent on the package. "I always specify silver wrapping. That isn't silver wrapping," Silver Lining said. "Maybe there was a mix up at the store?" Diamond Tiara suggested helpfully. Gears turned in her head and she had an idea, if she could just make it work. "As a matter of fact, I bet that was it. I think I know just who that is meant for. There's a filly in the play that was telling a story yesterday about a mix up. She probably has your gift. You should come meet her before the play and exchange it with her." "We weren't planning on going. Don't have tickets or anything," Silver Lining said. "Don't worry about. I'll arrange it. Consider it a Hearth's Warming Eve present from me," Diamond Tiara said, giving them her cutest, most irresistible look. Silver Lining started to protest, but Diamond Tiara overrode her protestations. "No, it'll be no bother and I won't take no for an answer. As a matter of fact, I'm going to go take care of it right now." Diamond Tiara backed out of the room and to the door, all the while overriding any objection the Silvers attempted to make. Once at the door, she browbeat the Silvers into committing to showing up, made it clear how happy she was that they were coming, and then quickly turned and fled the house, before they could think of some new objection. Pleased with herself, Diamond Tiara found herself humming a Hearth's Eve carol as she pranced down the street, interrupting her humming only to wish ponies well. Those that didn't know her returned her greetings. Those that did were mostly too shocked to immediately reply, but this did not matter to Diamond Tiara. At the box office, she merrily greeted Time Turner, who was working the box office. His teeth chattered as he replied in kind. She slapped down some bits and paid for a pair of tickets for the Silvers, placing them on will call. Then she raced inside, only to return shortly with a cup of hot chocolate and a blanket. "Wouldn't want the windigoes to get you," she joked, as the thankful stallion sipped the hot drink. "Thanks!" Time Turner replied. "I'm feeling warmer already." Another good deed accomplished, Diamond Tiara headed inside, greeting everyone she saw with a merry "Happy Hearth's Warming!" and getting shocked holiday greetings in return. She scrounged up some cardboard and a marker and made a pair of reserved signs. Those she placed upon the seats in the middle of the fifth row, after getting permission from Miss Cheerilee. Then, she talked to the ushers about who the seats were to be saved for. With a satisfied nod, she returned backstage. She busied herself getting things ready, greeting her performers as they arrived, and always in good cheer. When the Silvers arrived, she asked them to wait off to the side, explaining that the pony in question had not arrived yet. She wound up returning a couple of more times, each time apologizing, saying that the filly should have arrived by now. Finally, Scootaloo entered, trying to sneak in, though without much luck thanks to the parent on either side of her. Quick as a wink, Diamond Tiara accosted Scootaloo, before she had taken more than couple of steps inside. "You're late," Diamond Tiara accused, beckoning the Silvers over. "I'm sorry," Scootaloo said from between her parents. "There was, um, things. And then we had to do stuff. And by then, it, well, we got here as fast as we could." Diamond Tiara glared at Scootaloo for a moment longer, before she could no longer contain herself. She broke into a grin and hugged a dumbstruck Scootaloo. "Quite all right, no harm done. Now, here's some ponies who have been waiting to meet you. Mr. and Mrs. Silver, this is Scootaloo, the pony I was telling you about. Scootaloo, Mr. and Mrs. Silver. Sil's parents. I think they've got a little something for you." "Ah, um, yes. I believe this is yours," Sterling Silver said, extending the present to Scootaloo. Scootaloo stood puzzled as to why a pair of strangers were offering her a present until Diamond Tiara nudged her. Taking the present, Scootaloo examined it, the white paper decorated with red wheels, wheels with wings. "See? It is meant for you, Scootaloo," Diamond Tiara coaxed. "Go ahead and open it." Scootaloo looked at Diamond Tiara curiously. If it came to Diamond Tiara, it was usually a good idea to look a gift horse in the mouth, as far as Scootaloo was concerned. Still, with four adults, including her parents right here, if it was one of Diamond Tiara's pranks, she'd have a hard time getting away with it. And if it was not, well, the present was bigger than any of the small presents awaiting her at home. Scootaloo looked at her parents. "Can I?" With her mom's nod of permission, she tore off the wrapping paper, revealing a cardboard box. Opening the lid, she gasped with joy, pulling out a helmet. Not the safety type of helm, but one in the style of the pegasi military of old, completely with a crest. The crest was not solid color, nor the color of Scootaloo's mane. Instead, it was all the colors of the rainbow. Scootaloo hastily tried on the helm, grinning happily. Diamond Tiara was taken aback for a second. She had figured that the gift was meant for Scootaloo, but had not imagined that it would be this. Still, the events of last night had been strange enough that she had gotten used to recovering from shocks, and as far as shocks went, this one was fairly minor compared to those. "That'll be perfect for tonight, don't you think? You'll be just like Rainbow Dash when she played Commander Hurricane. And speaking of that, you should go get on your costume. Plus there's a mirror in the dressing room..." Diamond Tiara said. Scootaloo ceased trying to see her reflection on the door knob. She took a step, before her father cleared his throat. Blushing, she stopped, grabbed first Sterling Silver's hoof and shook it rapidly, and then repeated the process with Silver Lining, all the while spouting a non-stop stream of thank yous. That done, she tackle hugged both of her parents and once and raced off. "Now then, Diamond, you said--" Silver Lining started, but Diamond Tiara cut her off. "She sure looks happy, doesn't she? A perfect fit too. I bet it has been a while since you've seen that much joy," Diamond Tiara said to the adults, as she pushed them out the door. "And speaking of her, I think the four of you should have a talk about your daughters." At the perplexed looks on the faces of the adults, she continued. "Trust me. Call it serendipity, call it luck, call it fate. Whatever. This is meant to be. Now, I've got to go, more things to take care of." With a solid click, the door shut. For good measure, Diamond Tiara locked it, leaving the adults no choice but start talking with each other about what just happened and what in the world she meant. The ball set in motion by the likes of Discord, of all beings, she had no doubt it would turn out fine. Looking around the backstage area, Diamond Tiara set her sights on her next goal. That goal stood by the edge of the curtain, peeking out at the crowd. She walked over and peeked out as well. "Sure are lots of them, huh, Sweetie Belle?" she asked. "Ye-yeah," Sweetie Belle stuttered nervously. "Relax, you'll do fine. You performed before a big crowd at the talent show, remember?" Diamond Tiara said. "But I was just a stagehand for that," Sweetie Belle protested. "Scootaloo did most of the singing. This time everyone will be looking at me." She subconsciously tried to make herself smaller. Diamond Tiara rubbed her chin with her hoof. She smiled and pulled Sweetie Belle close. "I got it. I read this in a magazine. What I want you to do, Sweetie, is imagine the audience clothed." "Clothed?" "Fully clothed. In your sister's silliest designs. Big feathers! Long scarves! Fancy hats!" Each item listed was embellished with an over the top gesture, the type Diamond Tiara knew Rarity was prone to making, drawing a giggle from Sweetie Belle. "Okay, I'll give it a try," Sweetie Belle said, still sounding unsure of herself. She turned to assume her place on stage, but Diamond Tiara stopped her. She reached up and removed the cardboard crown from Sweetie Belle's head, tossing it aside. "A princess needs a proper crown. I want you to wear this." Diamond Tiara said, as she took her tiara and placed it carefully on Sweetie Belle's head. "Your tiara?" Sweetie Belle squeaked. "Only the best for my Princess Platinum," Diamond Tiara said to the stunned Sweetie Belle. "Just for the show, of course. I'll be wanting it back afterwards. It was my grandmother's." "I'll take good care of it, I promise. Not a scratch." Sweetie Belle bounced happily off toward her position. "Not a scratch, right? You promise?" Tiara called after Sweetie Belle. "Uh-huh," Sweetie replied. Another item completed on her mental checklist, leaving just two things left to do. She reared her up on her rear legs and looked around the backstage area, but failed to find either of the two ponies she was looking for. She did draw the attention of Miss Cheerilee though, who walked over to her. "Almost ready?" Miss Cheerilee asked. "It is almost time." "Five more minutes. There's one more thing I need to take care of, then we'll be good to go," Diamond Tiara replied. She dropped back down to all fours and went to the dressing room, where Twist was helping Apple Bloom into her costume. "Oh no, this won't do. This won't do at all," Diamond Tiara said, shaking her head sadly. "Ah'm sorry," Apple Bloom said, "but the costume just don't fit me right." "Well then, we'll just have to, like, fix that won't we?" Diamond Tiara looked Apple Bloom over, then Twist. "I know, what if we have Twist play Smart Cookie and you be the announcer, Apple Bloom? Assuming you both still remember the lines?" Both ponies' faces lit up and they cheered, but the cheer had barely begun before they turned toward Diamond Tiara with a suspicious look on their face.. "Yah really mean it?" Apple Bloom asked. Diamond Tiara pretended to contemplate, before breaking into a smile. "Yes, I think I do. Swap costumes quickly now, before I change mind." Pieces of clothing started to fly through the air between the two fillies before she even finished the sentence as they rapidly changed. In no time at all, they were ready. Diamond Tiara adjusted a piece of Twist's costume, then sent her on her way, asking her to shut the door on the way behind her. Diamond Tiara looked at Apple Bloom, who wilted under her gaze. With a sigh, Diamond Tiara began, "There's no easy way to do this, so I'll just say it: I'm sorry." "Huh?" "I'm sorry. I've been mean to you ever since my mother died. I guess I was hurting so bad that I needed someone to blame, and I picked you. It wasn't right and it wasn't fair to you. And for that I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me." Diamond Tiara looked expectantly at Apple Bloom, who just stared back with a blank gaze. "It's okay. I understand. All those years... All those wasted years..." Diamond Tiara said sadly, as she turned toward the door. "Wait." Diamond Tiara turned to look hopefully at Apple Bloom. "You really mean it?" Apple Bloom asked. "For real-real. I want us to go back to how we were when we were young and my father would drop me off to play." "You mean like sisters?" "Well, maybe more like niece and really cool young aunt," Diamond Tiara replied mischievously. "Huh?" "Yes, like sisters." Apple Bloom looked at Diamond Tiara, head askew. "This isn't some trick now, is it?" "If it was a trick, would I do this?" Diamond Tiara reached up and undid the necklace that she had worn since the day of Silver Spoon's funeral. Then, she fastened it around Apple Bloom's neck. "I think Sil would like the idea of it around the neck of a friend of mine once more." Apple Bloom looked at Diamond Tiara, analyzing. Diamond Tiara squirmed a bit under the gaze, but waited as patiently as possible for Apple Bloom to make her decision. At last she did. "Okay. But I'm not making no promises. We take this thing a day at a time." "That's all I can ask." Diamond Tiara threw a hug around her new friend, who seemed unsure of what to do with Diamond Tiara's forelegs around her. Tentatively, Apple Bloom returned the hug, loosely at first, then more tightly. At last, Diamond Tiara broke off the hug and beckoned Apple Bloom toward the door. "I believe we have a show to put on, my friend." The performance that night was not perfect and the tiara did get a small scratch. The actors were enthusiastic, however, and that more than made up for any imperfections. From the sidelines, Diamond Tiara watched as her classmates performed and the audience enjoyed the show. Silver Spoon and Scootaloo's parents were sitting side by side. And her father? His hoof rested comfortably on top of Applejack's. There were many other things Diamond Tiara did from that fateful day on, many other lives she touched. She went out of her way to make friends and help others. She even went to Canterlot once a month to read to, of all things, a statue. The only pony who could be said to have more friends than Diamond Tiara was Pinkie Pie, and some would debate even that. No one could be said to be a better friend. When the day of Diamond Tiara's death finally came, after a long and happy life, the entire town of Ponyville attended the funeral, as well as ponies from all over Equestria, brought together one last time a pony who was a friend to all.