Broken Diamond

by The Bricklayer

Part 14: The Problems with Popularity...

Script Residence, early Monday morning...

"Got your things, son?" Script asked. Nearby, Diamond was putting on her backpack and tiara.

"Yep, and ready to learn!" Potion replied, now that he'd stood up to Golden Coin he felt a lot more confidence in himself. Script smiled before he took out a letter he'd received from Rarity personally yesterday and looked inside it for the first time. He glanced at the picture it contained and quickly closed it up with a blush.

"Well, time to get a-moving." Potion said cheerfully but raised a eyebrow at his father's expression and wondered why his father was blushing before a thought hit Potion and he shuddered. Yeah, Brain Bleach should be kept around the house now.

Script frowned as Potion made his way out the front door of their home, he knew what happened last Friday after school let out between his son and Golden Coin. Script guessed Potion may not be able to deal with his newfound popularity, at least without a bit of help. But who to give it? Then, a idea struck Script like a thunderbolt. Of course, HIM, who else could it be?

---

A half hour later...

Potion was closing up his locker to get his things for his first class, and then he saw a whole group of students coming his way. Potion couldn't help himself as he swallowed nervously. He felt all of his new-found confidence leave him.

"And here we go..." Potion sighed trying to hide his fear as he began to get swarmed by his classmates and began getting patted on the back just like he had been a few days ago. It was exactly like it was after Potion punched out Golden Coin, but worse as there were more ponies in the crowd this time around as the news had evidently made it's way round town quite fast. Potion flashed back to last week...

---

Friday, last week...

"I'd say you're done at this school once I'm through ruining your rep even more then this little failure of yours has already!"

Then, Potion felt a boiling rage build up in him, he'd finally had enough of Golden and his torment. Diamond Tiara's words, words from his sister in all but blood came back to him.

"Just stand up to them. Just do that, and they'll back off. That's what happened to me and Silver with Apple Bloom and her friends from time to time, and it'll work with you. Trust me."

Then, Potion lashed out and with one single punch knocked Golden to the grass and making his nose bleed from the blow. Potion stood over him, glaring as other ponies cheered, with the local school bully finally being shown he wasn't invincible.

"No, you're done. I'm not afraid of you anymore, you're just a coward who picks on those weaker then you. I'd say the only one who's reputation is through is you Golden Coin." Potion snarled, no fear in him at all. Potion then walked off and actually smiled as his classmates patted him on the back and congratulated him on a job well done...

---

Potion definitely wasn't smiling now. In the midst of all this, trying actually not be part of the daily swarm was a dark brown furred colt with matching mane around Potion's age, with a leather jacket on and a red bass guitar slung on his back. Meanwhile Potion was frightened enough to be scared stiff, yet nopony seemed to notice nor care.

"Like I said before, great job taking down Golden Coin! What a jerk right?" A mare commented to Potion offhoofidly before she added in "Will you be my marefriend?"

Potion didn't know how to reply to that comment. He didn't have a answer for the next few others either.

"Guy threatened to rip off your wings and he then punched you in the nose so you deserved to punch him back!" A colt slightly younger then Potion himself shouted.

"You're our hero dude!" Another colt with a slicked back mane exclaimed.

"Uh, guys... Listen I-" Potion tried to say over the din but went unheard as usual. Finally, somepony tried to give Potion a helping hoof in escaping from his predicament.

"Hey, leave the poor guy alone! You're scaring him!" The brown furred colt shouted, as he tried shove everypony away while Potion took the time to leave.

"Well, at least things can't get any worse now can they?" Potion muttered to himself as he managed to escape the hoard.

Of course, then he learned the meaning of tempting fate as Potion then saw his father coming up the hallway with a cheerful smile on face, which simply looked just wrong on him. To add to the weirdness, he was humming "Walking on Sunshine" by Sapphire Shores and the Ocean to himself before Script ruffled Potion's mane and continued walking the down the hallway. Potion gaped, unable to form words for the next few moments and looked as if he were about to die of embarrassment.

When he finally spoke, Potion stammered out "I-I'm officially disturbed now by my father's behavior..." before his eyes rolled up into his head and he fainted dead away right then and there in the middle of the hallway, legs and wings pointed skyward.

---

Nurse's Office:

When Potion awoke, he found himself on a bed in the school's nurse's office, with that same brown furred colt looking at him in concern.

"Sorry, found you unconscious and brought you here as I thought it was the best thing." The colt told Potion, who gave him a small smile before turning to the nurse, one elder mare known as Kindly Heart and Potion was looking rather nervous all the while. Potion hated nurse's offices almost as much as hospitals. They were just far too clinical for his liking... Or maybe it was the big needles.

"C-Can I go?" Potion stammered out and Kindly Heart nodded.

"Yeah, you can go. You should be fine, though I would recommend thanking Choco-"

But Potion was already gone, he'd seen his chance and taken it. Kindly Heart huffed and muttered "Kids these days, always in a hurry."

Potion couldn't wait for the day to be over so he could head home, and it seemed at times like he couldn't get through the day fast enough. But at last, he was in his last class of the day, his dad's History course. Currently, his father was in the middle of a lecture on the infamous Gunpowder Plot of Canterlot a few centuries ago. Right now, as a calming tool Potion was repeating the famous nursery rhyme about the Plot and it's most infamous member.

"Remember, remember the Fifth of November... The Gunpowder Treason and Plot. I know of no reason, Why the Gunpowder Treason, should ever be forgot." Potion repeated as his father continued. The lesson ended eventually much to Potion's relief and he was taken aside by Script.

"What is it dad?" Potion asked nervously. The look his father was giving him was serious.

"Somepony wants to see you." Script replied, and Potion swallowed hard.

---

Music Classroom

Potion was taken to another class room by his father, and a sense of doom began to come over Potion and he began to break out in sweats. What did he do to deserve being personally called to a classroom by another teacher?

"He's in there, son." Script said before leaving. He didn't want to disturb this particular conversation. Potion watched as the door was shut and gulped and began to panic even more as he murmured "I'm dead, aren't I? D-Dear Luna, help me now..."

Then he saw who was in the room with him, and finally learned who had requested him. Potion supposed he should have figured it out as soon as he entered this particular classroom. He knew who he was looking at, what with the copper mane, pure white fur and music notes as a Cutie Mark. This was Mr. Coppermane, the school's music teacher.

"M-Mr. Coppermane? What... W-Why'd you want t-to see me?" Potion stuttered, nervous and wondering if he'd done something to anger the unicorn. Potion however, needn't have been so worried as he was about to find out.

"Just wanted to talk, about you actually. I see you've been elevated to the popular level of kids." Coppermane said before he gave Potion a inquiring look. "How are you taking that by the way?"

Potion gaped at the personal question, although he answered it anyway once he'd mustered up the courage which didn't take long. Mr. Coppermane was one of the school's most popular teachers, and for good reason as he was so incredibly kindhearted. Potion heard rumors Copper used to be like him, shy and scared although he wasn't sure if he believed them or not.

"I-I don't know how to take it!" Potion suddenly shouted laying his secrets bare. "E-Everypony now w-wants to be my friend and I don't know what to do!" Potion sobbed before he was brought into a hug by the older stallion.

On Copper's desk was a picture of him and the shy pegasus mare known as Fluttershy, both of them smiling as Fluttershy leaned her head on Copper's shoulder. Potion guessed she either had to be Copper's marefriend or his wife given how close they looked in the photo. Also around the room were various musical instruments like a trombone and a violin , and sheet music was in frames on the walls in some places.

"Take it from me, just treasure the friends you already got as the ones who'll stick by your side through thick and thin, those are the keepers." Coppermane told Potion, smiling as he did so. "You do have friends like that, right?"

Potion managed to stutter out a answer eventually.

"Y-yes, the CMC and S-Silver Spoon but I don't have any others b-besides them and-"

Another voice joined in the conversation, one Potion had heard twice before today.

"I'd suggest you listen to Mr. Copper, as he's kinda got a point don't ya think?" The voice asked dryly, and Potion turned to face it's owner. A gasp escaped him. Leaning up against the doorway was the dark brown furred colt Potion had been seeing all day, looking almost exactly the same as he had been the last two times Potion saw him. The only thing missing was his bass guitar.

"M-Maybe." Potion admitted. "W-Who are you anyways? I've been seeing you all day but..."

The colt laughed.

"Sorry, might have been my fault... Probably. I do guess should have spoke up sooner. Name's Chocolate Hearts, and yes... I know that sounds like a mare's name. Oh believe me, if you've heard the jokes..." The now named Chocolate muttered to himself bitterly under his breath. Potion said nothing, still quite confused. Chocolate must have mistaken it for him simply being polite as he then added this.

"And yes, you're free to laugh at my name. Believe me, everypony does." Chocolate grumbled. Potion winced, he could tell Chocolate wasn't faking him being sore over his own name.

"So why were you helping me?" Potion asked, loosing his stutter as he found himself trusting Chocolate, even if he didn't know why yet.

"Well, you and I are both mocked for various reasons." Chocolate admitted. "Me, my name and you for being... well, you. ...Sorry if that sounds harsh." Chocolate blushed.

"No, I know I'm not exactly what you'd call Iron Will level confident." Potion admitted in a sarcastic tone directed towards himself. Copper smiled as the two bonded, he could see these two turning out to be real friends if given the right push. Problem was, who'd make it? Himself, or the two teenage colts themselves?

Chocolate chuckled.

"Hey, believe it or not I used to be as bad as you or Mr. Coppermane... Sorry teach. Anyways, I started looking cool like you see me right now as I felt if I looked cool and confident, I'd eventually be that." Chocolate told Potion, who looked interested at this point.

"So, did it work?" Potion asked.

"Yeah, even got the confidence to join the school's music group, led by Mr. Coppermane here. I play bass... Although I guess you already figured that out." Chocolate chucked, blushing at his own hoof in mouth moment before adding "Bass. It's funky. I'm trying to get myself that as a epic motto."

Potion then finally got the courage to ask a question that was nagging at the back of his mind ever since he'd learned Chocolate's name and started talking with him.

"H-Hey, you want to be friends?" Potion asked nervously, with a hoof held out. Chocolate took it and said one simple thing in response.

"Totes."

Author's Note:

(Okay, so as I still haven't left yet for my vacation and you won't be able to see me on the site for a while I thought I'd give this as a early release to you guys as a apology.)

Anyways, poor Potion throughout this chapter huh? He's quickly found himself as one of the popular and cool kids, something he's never been before and he doesn't know how to deal with his problem and it's only after a bit of advice from a certain music teacher that he does finally figure it out. Also, he gains what is quite possibly a best friend in the bargain in the form of Chocolate Hearts. ...Okay, if there is a OC out there similar to him in personality and name and all that please let me know and I'll edit Chocolate a bit so I won't end up accidently stealing someone's charicter. And on the subject of other people's OCs...

Firstly, a huge thank you to Nordryd for letting me use his OC Coppermane in this chapter. Nor's a great and really friendly guy, give him a shout from me please!

Plus, here's the video to "Walking on Sunshine" as well, so you can see why Potion was so shocked at wht his father singing if you couldn't tell by the name alone:

(Credit to Katrina and the Waves for the song)

Next time around, as Diamond's birthday party arrives, the first one without her real mom or dad Twilight decodes the message she got from Bon-Bon and the true culprit behind everything and the killer of Diamond's parents is revealed in dramatic fashion in the final story arc... Stay tuned! You won't want to miss this!

Comments

[Texus]

On Copper's desk was a picture of him and the shy pegasus mare known as Fluttershy, both of them smiling as Fluttershy leaned her head on Copper's shoulder. Potion guessed she either had to be Copper's marefriend or his wife given how close they looked in the photo. Also around the room were various musical instruments like a trombone and a violin , and sheet music was in frames on the walls in some place

s. It's weird because normally I would prefer it to see the relationship starting than to suddenly have them.

However it seems easy for me to accept it the way you introduce it to the story, and I really enjoy the little things between Rarity and him till now, even if I probably won't have any kind of suprised which would be there if Raritys friends wouldn't knew about him.

[Magic Step]

I don't know why Written Script would assume that Potion would become wildly popular overnight, but I guess we're operating on the logic that school-running bullies can be defeated forever with a single punch.

Potion couldn't wait for the day to be over so he could head home, and it seemed at times like he couldn't get through the day fast enough. But at last, he was in his last class of the day, his dad's History course. Currently, his father was in the middle of a lecture on the infamous Gunpowder Plot of Canterlot a few centuries ago.

The timeline on this is odd. It almost makes it seem like he walked in on his dad's class halfway in...

Name's Chocolate Hearts, and yes... I know that sounds like a mare's name.

Oh, good, I'm not the only one who does this to my characters...

Copper smiled as the two bonded, he could see these two turning out to be real friends if given the right push. Problem was, who'd make it? Himself, or the two teenage colts themselves?

Coppermane's observation is pretty self-evident to the readers, and popping out of Potion's head and into his head for a few sentences is a bad idea.

"H-Hey, you want to be friends?"

Do high school age colts say things like this? I don't know because I've never been to high school (or made friends for that matter...) but it sounds weird.

Okay, if there is a OC out there similar to him in personality and name and all that please let me know and I'll edit Chocolate a bit so I won't end up accidently stealing someone's charicter.

Don't worry about it. As long as you weren't trying to steal anyone's idea, no one has the right to complain.

I didn't know you read Nordryd's stuff too; that's pretty cool.

Plus, here's the video to "Walking on Sunshine" as well, so you can see why Potion was so shocked at wht his father singing if you couldn't tell by the name alone:

I don't get it.