With the large, hot sun blazing away high in the middle of the clear blue sky, and a chorus of birds singing whatever melody suited their fancy at that particular moment. After a long, harsh winter and a mild spring, summer had at last returned to Ponyville once more.
It was a few years following the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle, and the six who were usually together were off in Canterlot to be present at the ribbon cutting of a new train station. This meant that Diamond Tiara, who had was by now a nearly full grown teenager, didn't have to deal with them. This pleased her.
The majority of Ponyville had turned out for a favored holiday, and mares, stallions and foals lined the streets, parade music and balloons filling the air. Today was the Running of the Minotaurs, a comical yet completely safe event in which several minotaurs from Fillydelphia agreed to travel to Ponyville and race each other through town through a series of obstacles as a public display. It was similar to the Running of the Leaves, except much more comical and family oriented.
With almost the entirety of Ponyville in the streets, nopony noticed the pink and grey mares slipping into an alley behind the bakery, seemingly completely unnoticed.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Silver Spoon asked. "I mean, this kind of thing was fun when we were kids, but we could really get in trouble for this." She said hesitantly. She wasn't as much fun as she used to be, and even less so now that she had a full time job at the Ponyville Pawn Shop. Silver Spoon had a brilliant eye for replications and artifacts.
Diamond Tiara, however, was in a stage of maturity not unlike the one she'd been in as a filly, and relied on her wealth and father to get her out of any predicament she might find herself in. A mentality that Silver Spoon was rapidly getting tired of.
"Of course it is," Diamond said with a slight whine to her voice. "Everypony is out at the race, we'll be done before anypony even knows we're here."
"I really don't know about this," Silver said. "I mean, bullying was fun before, but that was before. This just seems criminal."
"If you're going to be sour about it, then I'll do it by myself." Diamond snapped. "Go on, get outta here."
"I really wish you'd come around, Tiara." Silver said. "You're no fun anymore." Silver turned her back and left, presumably returning to the pawn shop.
"Yeah, whatever." Diamond muttered. She picked up a spray can in her hoof. "It's just a filthy alley, nopony's gonna see it except for the homeless anyway, and it's not like they matter." She began to spray various colors upon the wall, intent on leaving her mark, so to speak, where she could admire it later.
She was so into her work, however, that she never heard anyone approach behind her.
"Drop it. Now." A voice commanded. The authority and power of the voice was such that the can fell from her hoof immediately. She looked up, locking defiant eyes with her father, and giving a glare to Silver Spoon, who stood behind him.
"You told my father?!" She protested in disbelief. "That is so LAME, Silver."
"No, what you're doing is lame," Silver shot back. "It's time to grow up, Tiara. Something you're obviously choosing not to do."
"Thank you Silver, that's enough." Filthy Rich said. "I'll take it from here. Diamond Tiara, home, now."
The young mare rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine." She turned, and headed out.
***
At home, Filthy Rich paced back and forth. He was not usually the kind of pony to get upset, but he'd just about had it this time. "I don't know what to do with you, Tiara." He warned. "I can't keep pulling you out of trouble like this. When you were suspended for bullying at school, I dealt with it. When you were kicked out of the zoo for harassing the ursa minor, I dealt with it. But your behavior has gone on long enough."
"So? What's your point?" Diamond Tiara shrugged.
"My point is that you have an attitude, and I'm not going to pull you out of trouble any more. You need to learn responsibility, and you need to grow up, or you're going to end up somewhere very unpleasant. Maybe the moon, maybe Azkareign Prison. I don't know. But as your father, it's time to put my hoof down."
Diamond Tiara wasn't sure she liked the sound of this. "So... what's your point?"
"My point is that I'm sending you to military school. Maybe you'll learn some respect there.
Tiara's jaw dropped. "You can't do that!" Military school meant she had to, like, take orders from OTHER ponies, and wear tacky matching uniforms. Unacceptable
"I very much can do that, and it seems to be the only thing that's getting through to you."
"No!" She whined. "Look, I'll do better!" Her father had heard that one before. Several times. "I can prove it! I... um... I can..." Her mind was working overtime, how did mares show responsibility these days? She could get a job? Hah, yeah, as if. No, working was beneath her. She'd have to go another step backwards.
"I'll get a pet!" She announced. "I can take care of it!"
Filthy Rich considered the proposal. "Alright. But this is your last chance. I'll get you a pet, so you don't wind up just choosing whatever looks pretty. If you can't handle this, military school."
"I can, I can!" Tiara insisted. It couldn't be that hard, she could just hire someone to-
"And no hiring someone to do it for you," her father added. Crap!
"Ugh, fine." Tiara sighed.
***
Diamond Tiara had been waiting for hours. This was unacceptable. Just wait until her father heard about... oh, right. She waiting ON her father.
Filthy Rich returned after what seemed like an eternity, setting down a carrier. Tiara frowned. "What'd you get? Something awesome like me, I bet. A tiger? A lion? Oh! Oh! A dragon! Even TWILIGHT gets a dragon."
"PRINCESS Twilight has a dragon because she earned it," her father corrected. "You, on the other hoof, start smaller." He opened the carrier, and a small orange ball of spikes rolled out. "I'll leave you two to get adjusted." He said, and left the room.
"What in Canterlot..." Tiara poked at the ball with a hoof, and it sprang onto two legs.
"Agh!" Diamond Tiara yelped.
"Agh!" The ball of spikes yelped.
"Father got me a porcupine? SERIOUSLY?" She groaned loudly.
"Hedgehog, actually." The hedgehog said. "Common mistake. Porcupines are larger, and are able to release their quills as a means of defense. Hedgehogs are smaller and-"
"Alright, alright!" Diamond Tiara interrupted. "I didn't ask for a biology lesson."
The hedgehog shrugged. "If you say so. Anyway, I'm Russell."
Diamond Tiara sighed. This wasn't what she had in mind at all.