//------------------------------// // Comment #3: Tracers and Tiaras // Story: Tactical Shorts By Request // by TacticalRainboom //------------------------------// #3, Thoth I've always wanted to see someone tackle a Diamond Tiara shipfic. No, I don't mean something like Diamond TiaraXSilver Spoon, or any of those kinds of ships. I mean a STRAIGHT-UP ship fic (Not SERIOUS shipping, but the kind of puppy love-type filly ships you'll find) between Diamond Tiara and a school colt. I find that idea so unique, and it hasn't been done before. I'd honestly like to see if you could pull that off. =========================================================== Playground justice. The Princess handing down judgement on the lowly fillies and colts who had to learn to worship her better. Somepony else had done the work of spilling his bags; all Diamond Tiara needed to do was the fun (but equally important) part. "Hah! Maybe YOUR special talent is being pathetic! I think I'll call you Tiny..." Diamond Tiara's namesake headgear glittered harshly in the afternoon sun as she stalked towards her downed target. "... Because that's the size of your brain!" She turned her muzzle smugly upwards as she strutted away. Her denouncement was met by a chorus of mocking laughs--a chorus that was suddenly silenced, far sooner than it was supposed to end. Tiara hardened her gaze as she looked around for who could be responsible for cutting her fanfare short. The answer she found wiped both the triumph and the annoyance off her face. "Diamond Tiara!" Miss Cherrilee glared down from the school's front steps. "What have I told you about mean nicknames?" The congregation dispersed at once. Those who couldn't find something to pretend to be doing simply turned tail and trotted briskly away, afraid of getting in trouble themselves. Tiara didn't conceal her glare. Her head was lowered, but she stood her ground and didn't break her gaze. "I was just telling the truth," she spat back. Miss Cherrilee's expression hardened. "I suppose my lesson about mean nicknames and how they can have very real consequences sent completely to waste. Come inside, miss Tiara. We need to talk." The playground was silent for a a few spare moments. "Now, Tiara!" Tiara didn't just scowl; she practically snarled at her teacher as, in front of a silently staring assembly of foals, she marched up the stairs and back into the schoolhouse. Her glare was positively focused, as if she was putting great effort into looking as angry as she possibly could. "Sit in your chair, Miss Tiara." Diamond Tiara glared for just a single moment of defiance before obeying her teacher. "Do you remember what I said about calling other ponies names?" Diamond Tiara didn't answer. "Miss Tiara, I asked you a question." "Yes, Miss Cherrilee." "Well?" "You said..." Diamond Tiara was failing, badly, at containing her hate. What didn't show in her glare came through in her voice. "You said calling ponies names hurts their feelings and makes it harder for them to do the things they like, and if you call them names enough times it might even make it harder for them to find their special talent because then they might think about their mean name all the time and not realize their potential." "If you were listening so closely, why did you still call Trace that name?" "Because he's stupid!" Tiara shot back unflinchingly. Cherrilee frowned, looking genuinely upset for the first time. "Trace got a better score than you did on last week's geography quiz. What makes him stupid, exactly?" "He... he just IS!" Tiara scrunched backwards into her chair miserably. "He's little and stupid and I hate him!" "You hate him? You seemed to be playing nicely with him just the other day." Cherrilee trotted around her desk to face Tiara head-on. "Is this how you treat all your friends?" "He's not my friend! He's stupid!" "You really seemed to like each other--" "I don't LIKE him!" Cherrilee narrowed her eyes and walked closer. "Well, it doesn't matter whether you like him or not. We are not supposed to treat our classmates this way. Understand?" Tiara pouted. "Yes, miss Cherrilee." "What are you going to do about this?" Tiara didn't answer. "You really hurt Trace's feelings. You need to apologize." That took some of the pout out of Tiara, but only a little. "I'm sorry, miss Cherrilee." "You need to apologize to him." Amazingly, even to herself, Tiara didn't snap back. For a long few moments of silence, she just stared angrily at her desk. "Fine," she finally said. "Good." Miss Cherrilee trotted out the front door, and soon returned with a small white colt in tow. Trace was staring intently at the floor, the fur around his eyes dark with dried tears. He looked perhaps half as miserable as Tiara felt. "I'll come back to check on you in a few minutes," Cherrilee said, heading back outside and closing the door behind her. The muffled noise of their classmates playing outside was the only sound for what felt like an hour. Tiara, forelegs crossed across her chest, stared out a window while Trace simply stood, looking bored and vaguely uncomfortable. That was when Trace walked up to Tiara. "Hey, Diamond Tiara?" His voice was as tiny as his head. Tiara's nose wrinkled in disgust. "Um... I'm sorry." Tiara's nose un-wrinkled rapidly as she leaned back in surprise. "What?" "I said I'm sorry. I know you don't like me... I'll try to stay out of your way." "What are you TALKING about?" Tiara dropped out of her chair to stare Trace down. She was unable to stop herself from smirking at how he cringed under her deadly glare. "I was supposed to apologize to YOU, you stupid--!" She bit her tongue before saying "tiny." "I know, but I guess I kind of feel bad too. And um... you can call me Tiny if you want." Diamond Tiara's eyes widened and she leaned back again for an instant. No! Little Tiny wasn't going to unbalance her that easily! "Are you just trying to make it so I can't apologize to you? Just trying to get me in more trouble?" "No! I just want to get this over with so we can be friends again!" "What? After you got me in trouble like this?" "I didn't mean to!" Trace's eyes started to water as he looked back down to the floor. "I was trying to ask Silver Spoon to ask you to go to the slide with me!" "Well you did! You got me in trouble!" Tiara glared at Trace just a little longer. "I'm s-sorry!" Trace looked up as Tiara stalked towards him. Their faces almost touched. She could smell his tears. She liked that smell. "Good. I don't want you to get me in trouble any more, got it?" "Um... can we play together again once you're not being punished?" Tiara stood up straight, her full pride restored. "I'll think about it, but you have to sit and wait for me by the slide like before. If I want to, I'll come see you. Okaaaa-y?" "Oh, um... okay!" "And you have to tell Miss Cherrilee that I apologized to you really nice!" "I... of course!" Tiara strutted to the door, Trace close behind. Miss Cherrilee smiled as she saw how the two friends were getting along once more. The tiny little jerk was tiny, and stupid, but he was sort of cute, thought Tiara, especially during recess periods like that Tuesday, when he told her how much he liked playing with her and how pretty her tiara was. She planned to meet him at the slide, as promised, and she would be extra nice to him because of how he'd apologized to her for getting her in trouble with the teacher. Well, if she had time. The Princess led a busy life, after all.