The next day, Diamond Tiara stopped by Sweetie Belle’s house – along with Rarity – to ask for her help. When they explained that the adults had a problem with them watching anime and that they were going to come round to ‘have a talk’ with them, Rarity was at first sceptical, and sure that there was some kind of misunderstanding. Nonetheless, seeing her sister and her new friend in trouble, Rarity agreed to do whatever she could to help them out.
Whilst they waited for Cheerilee and Filthy Rich to stop by, the two fillies tried on a few costumes that Rarity had made based off of the clothes worn by their favourite anime characters. ‘Cosplay’, as it was known within the ‘otaku’ community.
They also discussed the possibility of attending ManeCon together, but Rarity said that that decision would be up to their parents.
“What do you think, Diamond?” Rarity asked as Diamond looked herself over in the mirror. “It isn’t too loose, is it? I added a little to your measurements, to take into account your body growing in the coming years, but I fear I may have made it just a little too big.”
“It’s fine,” Diamond Tiara said, smiling as she spun around to get a good look at her costume. She was wearing the pink dress that was worn by Sakura in the Mahou Shoujo Sakura-chan opening song, complete with angel wings and a staff.
Sweetie Belle was stood next to her, trying on her own costume. She was wearing a tight-fitting black vest and black trousers, along with a white bandage on her left foreleg and a red bandage on her right foreleg. The purple wig was still a work in progress, but so far, her Dark from D.N.Alicorn cosplay was looking pretty good.
“I just hope Daddy doesn’t get too mad when he comes over,” Diamond said, frowning as she took a seat on Sweetie Belle’s bed.
“Don’t you worry about a thing,” Rarity said in a reassuring tone. “I’ll have a word with your parents and Miss Cheerilee, and we’ll have this whole thing sorted out by the end of the day.
A knock on the house’s front door brought the room to silence, and Rarity poked her head out the door to see who it was. Her father, Magnum Belle, opened the front door to find Cheerilee and Filthy Rich standing there, asking if they could come in to talk.
“They’re here,” Diamond said nervously.
“You two just wait up here. I’ll go and have a word with them.”
The two fillies nodded and watched Rarity leave the room. Once she was gone, Sweetie Belle, noticing Diamond Tiara’s lowered spirits, tried to lighten the mood by suggesting they watch some of her new DVDs.
In the living room, Filthy Rich, Cheerilee, Rarity, and Magnum Belle all sat down together. Rarity had made some tea for everypony and brought it in, but there was far too much tension in the air for anypony to have a drink.
“Mr. Belle, you’re aware of the situation, are you not?” Filthy Rich asked, to which he received a nod from the other pony.
“Miss Cheerilee and I spoke over the phone prior to your coming here today. I’m well aware of our daughters’ new interests.” He turned his gaze towards Rarity. “You already knew, didn’t you?”
Rarity nodded. “Well, yes, but I-”
“You knew and didn’t tell anypony?” Filthy Rich asked, a bit more spite in his voice than perhaps he intended.
Cheerilee tried to calm him down. “Now, now, Mr. Rich. I’m sure Miss Rarity had her reasons.”
“Just Rarity,” Rarity said, smiling at the teacher. “And if I may be honest, I never really saw how it was necessary to tell anypony…”
“How can you think it wasn’t necessary?” Filthy Rich asked, his volume rising. “Diamond Tiara aside, Sweetie Belle is your sister for pony’s sake! How could you be okay with this?”
Rarity looked at him with a mix of shock and disapproval. She looked over to her father, and was positively surprised to find him agreeing with Filthy Rich. She couldn’t believe it; her father, the kind, caring, understanding stallion who had raised her to be the fine lady she was today, was actually agreeing with this intolerant attitude towards a couple of fillies liking anime!
“What should it matter, though?” she asked. “After all, it makes them so happy, and they’ve been getting along so well ever since they discovered this common interest within each other.”
Cheerilee folded her forelegs and creased her brow. “It’s true that they’ve been getting along a lot better recently than they used to.” ‘Though the same can’t be said for Diamond and the other crusaders.’ “And Diamond does seem to be a lot happier now-a-days, but-”
“You see? There’s no need to get in the way of something that makes them so happy.”
“But it’s not right!” Filthy Rich shouted. “It’s just not right for fillies their age to be doing that kind of stuff!”
‘Honestly, what a closed-minded view! Who says anime can’t appeal to an older audience?’ Rarity thought to herself. “Their ages shouldn’t matter,” she argued. “All that matters is that they have fun together, that they’ve become such good friends, and they have found something they can enjoy so passionately!”
“Do you even hear yourself?!”
Cheerilee pleaded for Filthy Rich to calm down. The disgruntled stallion picked up his tea and took a long drink of it.
Magnum cleared his throat to gain the group’s attention. “Well, if it were just the videos, I wouldn’t be so passionately against it. After all, that’s something we could talk to them about in a calm, civil manner.” He took a drink from his own cup and then shifted his gaze towards Rarity. “But, I’m given to understand that they also do this ‘RP’ thing, where they act out the scenes they see, is that right?”
“Yes. They-”
“That’s where I have to draw the line,” Magnum interrupted. “It isn’t right, no matter how you look at it, for those two fillies to be doing stuff like that.”
Rarity was shocked to hear such things coming from her father’s mouth, and her rage was starting to build. ‘Deep breaths, Rarity. Deep, soothing breaths…’
Rarity regained her composure and focused her attention on her father. She would protect her sister and her sister’s friend, no matter what. “Father, if you’re talking about age being an issue, then what about me?”
Magnum gave her a questioning look. “What do you mean? You’re-”
Before her could finish, Rarity cut in. “I’ve also watched those videos you seem to have such a problem with. Sweetie Belle and I often watch them together.” A loud gasp came from the other three, surprising Rarity yet again. Were the ponies in her town really so intolerant? How could she not have noticed before?
“You… What about Diamond?” Filthy Rich asked. “Have you been watching them with my Diamond?!”
Rarity looked at him with a determined look on her face, and nodded. “Yes, I have. Though not as much. I usually watch them with Sweetie Belle because it brings us closer together as sisters.” She turned back to Magnum. “And, to that end, I’ve also joined my sister and her new friend in their ‘RP’ games.”
The three adults stared at her with their eyes and mouths wide open. They couldn’t believe what they were hearing at all. And worst of all, she didn’t even seem guilty about it. She was saying it with such pride in her voice…
“Rarity…” Magnum said, falling back into his seat in shock. “How could you?”
Rarity couldn’t believe how strong the reaction was that she got. So what if she liked to join her sister in a harmless game of pretend? Why should it matter that she joined her sister in watching a show about a cute little filly who uses magic to save the world – and that she even enjoyed it a little, too?
“Father, maybe you don’t approve of this because you don’t understand,” she suggested. “Maybe if you watched their videos yourselves, you would see that there’s nothing wrong with it.”
“You can’t be serious,” Cheerilee said, looking at the Unicorn with a mix of horror and disgust.
“I am,” she said. “And maybe, if you saw how happy it makes them, and how happy they are when they play together, you would see things differently.”
“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Filthy Rich shouted, rising to his hooves and glaring down at Rarity with a look of absolute rage. “You… I can’t believe I ever let such a horrible pony get near my little girl… How can you just sit there and admit everything that you just did, as if there’s nothing wrong with it?
“And how the hell can you suggest we watch our daughters do such immoral stuff together?! Especially when they’re underage?!”
Rarity was about to shout back, but something about his last sentence struck her. “… Beg pardon? What do you mean, ‘underage’?”
“What the hell do you think I mean?!”
“Please, calm down!” Cheerilee shouted, managing to convince Filthy Rich to sit back down calmly. She turned her attention to Rarity. “It doesn’t matter how happy it makes them. Ponies shouldn’t watch those videos, or perform such actions, until they’re much older.”
“…” Rarity stared at the three ponies in utter silence. They were all glaring at her, daring her to make her next argument. ‘Something’s definitely not right here,’ she thought to herself. She turned to Cheerilee and asked: “Just so we’re clear, we are talking about their love for anime, right?”
“Return to your true form: Clover Card!”
The adults watched as an intense light flashed on the screen, and before their eyes, the image of a beautiful mare dressed in feudal attire was transformed into a card. The filly and colt onscreen started to celebrate. The filly hugged the colt, and then they both backed away, blushing intensely.
Diamond Tiara and Sweetie Belle were completely absorbed in the scene on the monitor, whereas the adults were all staring in complete bewilderment.
“You mean… this is what they’ve been doing?” Filthy Rich asked, to which Rarity, who looked very un-amused, nodded her head.
“And we thought they were…” Cheerilee didn’t even finish her thought. She, along with the two parents, lowered her head in shame, her face turning as red as the anime filly’s was just moments ago.
“So… this was all just some big misunderstanding?” Magnum asked.
“It would seem so,” Rarity said, still glaring at the three adults.
Filthy Rich cleared his throat and rose to his hooves. “It… seems I owe you an apology, Miss Rarity.”
Filthy Rich extended his hoof, and Rarity stared at it for a moment before reaching forward and shaking it. “Apology accepted,” she said.
“Right, well,” Filthy Rich said, adjusting his necktie as he looked over at his daughter, who was too absorbed in her show to notice what was going on behind her. “I would appreciate it if we could never speak of this again. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” the other two adults said, also getting up and preparing to leave.
“So… Daddy really has no problem with me liking anime?” Diamond Tiara asked, a little sceptical of the news that Rarity had given her.
“Isn’t that great, Diamond Tiara?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Now you don’t have to hide it anymore!”
“… No, I…” Diamond’s mind conjured up images of her friend Silver Spoon, laughing at her and calling her names, like ‘pathetic’, or ‘dweeb’. She shook the thoughts away for the time being and turned her attention back to Rarity. “So, what did they think we were doing? You said it was a misunderstanding.”
Rarity mentally cursed herself for letting that slip, but luckily, her mind was working fast today. “W-Well, more importantly than that, your fathers have given the okay for you two to go to ManeCon. Provided I go with you, of course.”
The two fillies’ faces lit up, and they both let out ecstatic cheers as they bumped hooves together.
“Yes!” Sweetie Belle cheered. “This is going to be great! Our first con ever! We need to start getting ready!”
“This is awesome,” Diamond Tiara said. “And I wouldn’t be able to go if it wasn’t for you two… Thank you so much!”
Rarity and Sweetie Belle both smiled, and the two fillies spent the rest of the afternoon planning for their first ever convention next month.
Silver Princess: You’ll be away for the whole weekend?
What, is it a family outing?
Queen Tiara: Something like that. Daddy wants me to visit my relatives in Manehattan.
I’d invite you, but it’s family only, so…
Silver Princess: That’s cool. I think I’ll be able to manage one weekend without you.
Queen Tiara: I’d better sign off now. Daddy doesn’t like me staying up so late.
See you in school tomorrow.
Silver Princess: Yeah, see you.
Diamond Tiara shut off her computer and stretched her hooves. “… It would be nice if Silver Spoon could come, too. But if she found out I like anime…”
Diamond sighed and lazily walked over to her bed. She fell down on top of it and slowly crawled inside the covers, letting a loud yawn escape as she got comfortable. ‘It’ll be fine, just as long as she doesn’t find out.’
And so the first major hurdle has been jumped. This was a brilliant way of handling things and I laughed the whole time. Keep going you magnificent author. This pleases me greatly...
...And now the misinformed parents (and teacher) are now clued in on there mistake. Now I must wonder what kind of trouble will the duo get into...
Well, it seems to be only one anime added to the list, so lets take it further by guessing the character too! ...Dark the phantom thief of the anime/manga series D.N.Angel.
P.S. Please find a way to add The Big O somehow. It is one of the best giant robot anime ever.
So it looks like Shining Armor isn't going to jail.
Man that confrontation was hilarious!
OMG that was funny as hell, i want more to read i i lol so mech that it hurted.
My lungs hurt
1787110
Dark Mousey is his full name, but yeah. I was too tired to think of some more pony puns for Anime titles. It's harder than you'd think >.<
I anticipate a scene at ManeCon where Diamond Tiara sees something really cool that she can't afford, like everyone else has had in real life.
As Akagi Nobuo said in Akibaranger:
"12000 Yen! It's so cheap! So expensively cheap!"
the endless lies. If Shining likes anime, I wonder if Twilight does too. Spike is a likely candidate.
For writing this you get a complimentary Moe Beam. 3.bp.blogspot.com/_l83kILuSVOk/ShcHZi9vkwI/AAAAAAAAAXE/X-ENg0nMU1o/s400/1242929441113.jpg
Me during the whole chapter
play.esea.net/global/media_preview.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.business2community.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F07%2Fmichael-jordan-lol.gif
Very good job, sir. Rarity's obliviousness plus the other's rage formed an epic combo
Now moar, plox.
More Please! Oh, and the chapter was really good. I can't believe(though I can), that they went through all that just to find out that it was Anime that they were watching and nothing too terribly dangerous.
1787584
Nope, it was indeed Full Metal Panic. There's a subtle hint: Full and Metal as two seperate word. FMA is Fullmetal Alchemist (Fullmetal as one word)
I have a freaking idea for your fic man:
Make Scootaloo an Anime Star of the ponified version of Naruto! Well the video that inspired me the idea is this one:
The guy muted the sound due to copyright infrigment!
Why do I think Rarity's going to look at Yaoi doujinshi at the convention? Am I just so horrible that I would assume that?
1788453
With how few stallions seem to exist in Equestria, I wonder if they even have Yaoi?
1788462
As long as there are at least two, Rule 34 takes care of the rest.
What's Diamond Tiara's reaction to english dubs?
Next Chapter: Silver Spoon finds out. I just know it.
1788462
More so, I think. Supply and Demand in practice: Less guys around = greater need to have something to look at. Added to that the pure exoticism... Voilà.
Candidates for liking the stuff are definitely Rarity and Fluttershy. Twilight, maybe.
Zecora for sh*ts and giggles...
1789026
Rarity would be this girl:
Fluttershy would be this:
I can't find a suitable clip for Twilight. She'd just read it as if it was nothing special. As logn as it's a book, she'll read anything :3
1789063
Completely!
Can't you just picture Zecora, though? Trotting merrily along the convention; ponies everywhere gawking at her, wondering which series she's cosplaying; until she comes across a conveniently (and irresponsibly) placed book.
Zecora (leafing through the book):"Spirits! This stallion, and the other yelling 'itami!', they seem to be playing hide the s..."
/notices underage ponies all around looking at her
"... Socks. In the drawer."
If it turns out that Silver Spoon likes anime too and didn't want to tell Diamond Tiara for the same reason DT won't tell SS...
Oh, is that a plot point charging towards us like a runaway train?
1788462
i always thought there are many stallions in the mlp universe but since most of its viewers are girls and bronys that are more interested in female characters the focus is on the mares and not on the stallions, if stallions were really that rare the mares in the show would treat them differently because of their rarity but in the show every time a mare is with an stallion they act normally because they probably see as many stallions as they see mares while us viewers only see the mares(hell who knows, some of the mares themselves may be stallions and the show is just tricking us)
1787576
honestly i want to see an character that likes japanese series that are not anime but tokusatsu instead,in that case there would be jokes about Super Sentai,Kamen Rider,Ultraman and even more unknown series like Ryukendo and i can see Twilight get into those shows since friendship is an important theme for many toku shows and teamwork is very important for super sentai, hell i can see her starting through Magiranger and then Dekaranger because of the awesome Vs. movie and from there getting into Kamen Rider and Ultraman.
1789523 *Looks into distance* Hmmm, nope, looks more to me like wishful thinking. *Sniff* I smell heartbreak in the future, and its close...
I was laughing so hard but in it i actually screamed "FUCK...WHAT THE FUCK" i mean really who wouldn't be saying that while laughing (well i did because it was just plain awkward and wrong) keep up the good work
1787434I bet it is. Some things just aren't compatible with pony-puns...
And I have watched every one of the shows mentioned. I'll even throw you some more parodies.
Magic Knight Rayearthpony
Escapone
Utenacorn
Oh! Alicorn-sama
El Horszard
Uma-yasha (p.s. Uma is horse)
I'm gonna start missing the few times I went to anime conventions when the next chapter comes, wont I? Spending time with friends and gawking at all the weird little things you'd find.
R.I.P. social life... Hello... whatever the hell I got now.
On a more serious note... the idea that Konata may be at the convention keeps proding my mind. Please prove me wrong, before I suffer from a nerdgasm.
OMG i forgot to favorite this, ;-; +3 chapters w/o me realizing it
Initial D Plz?
http://th07.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2012/177/7/6/767dd5f686eff3a590b003fbb2186cd0-d54x132.png
th07.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2012/177/7/6/767dd5f686eff3a590b003fbb2186cd0-d54x132.png
Ah, I was laughing during the whole meeting with Rich there. And yay for character development on Tiara's part!
Sword Art Online, imagine it being shown at the con. The series is so good, I cried at the end of episode 14 for how good it was. And let me tell you, I am a man who doesn't cry for many things. Funeral? dry eyes. The notebook? Not one shed tear. Broken arm? A lot of yelling and cursing, but no crying. Snake Eater? Straight up man tears. Sword Art Online episode 14? straight up man tears. Now to be fair, the ending to a great arc or series can be pretty emotional. Take MGS3: Snake eater. I was openly crying after finishing that game from the ending. It was that good. Great story, keep goin and stay golden^^
Thank you for resolving that quickly. I could've seen that particular gag getting really old really fast.
1797519
I dont cry at alot but watch
"Here today" By BeatleBrony on youtube.
I didnt cry manly tears I broke down and bitch cried.
I cant handle my feels.
for some reason i get the feeling that Diamond and Sweetie are going to run into the other CMC and silver at Manecon
I normally hate stories built around a massive mistunderstanding; They're awkward and uncomfortable. However, this situation pulled off being funny (very fuuny, actually) without any of that awkwardness. Good job!
I just want you to know that since I read with my laptop balanced on my chest, the outstanding commitment to that comical misunderstanding made me clap with my feet. Bravo.
You wrote this just to make punny titles for anime didn't you?
2544862
(Shrugs) Good enough reason for me!
OM it JUST kept getting worse!
Every line Rarity said just got her one hoof closer to being arrested for fillyfooling!
I was SO LOL and LMAO the whole time!
I bet Silver Spoon is one of those self loathing nerds and secretly likes anime.
Ok I'm loving you even more
Detective Conan was the first anime I watched
DN Angel was the first Manga I finished reading
You made a reference to Ouran High School Host Club and that was like the first shoujo anime I watched haha.
Can I squish you?
Man, it's funny and at the same time infuriating to realize how bad the misunderstanding nearly blew out of proportion, but I suppose that's the price to pay for being so secretive and being prone to common misconceptions in wordings
3502847
I think you mean 'Foalphilia'. Last time I checked, lesbianism wasn't a crime in Equestria.
4409461
That's just what CRIMINAL SCUM would say. STOP RIGHT THERE.
I bet Silver Spoon is the biggest weeaboo of all.
1789178 it didn't rhyme
1830501 or maybe shining armor?
1925430 I find that extremely unsafe.
4409461 I personally think of them more as "guidelines". I mean, who cares if I am flying over the height limit? Or 10 mph faster than the speed limit?!
A classical Shakespearian Comedy Of Errors, yes.
Also, ladies, gentlemen, who wants to bet that Diamond and Silver will meet up at the anime convention? Taking all bets.