Diamond Tiara stared at Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo in confusion. She still wasn't totally sure what was going on between the two of them, with all the fuss about her sleeping with Scootaloo and all that hugging they were doing. She'd always thought hugging was a little undignified. She couldn't think of the last time she'd been hugged, before last night, that was.
Sweetie Belle seemed equally confused, looking back and forth between the two of them before finally speaking.
"Um, what were you doing in the clubhouse?" Not giving Diamond Tiara a chance to reply, Sweetie Belle turned back to Scootaloo. "Scoots, what's going on?"
Scootaloo looked at Diamond Tiara sheepishly. "Given I messed up my first try, maybe you should tell her?"
"But you said you should tell Sweetie Belle," Diamond replied.
"One of you should tell me," Sweetie Belle huffed. She pointed at Diamond Tiara. "You are the one who went from what you did yesterday to being in our clubhouse this morning. Why don't you explain what's going on? Starting with your breaking Apple Bloom's legs."
Here goes nothing. Diamond Tiara took a deep breath.
"Well, I didn't exactly mean to break her legs. There was a mud puddle nearby, and I totally thought you'd all end up in it. That would have been funny."
Scootaloo glared at her when she said that for some reason. But it would have been. They thought it was funny when me and Silver Spoon were the ones in the mud, didn't they?
"But then Apple Bloom ended up in the hospital, and that was even funnier, right?"
"No, that wasn't funny at all! I totally wouldn't have done it if I'd known what was going to happen." Which was quite true. If she'd had any idea it'd lead to Daddy kicking her out and her having nowhere to live, she certainly wouldn't have done it. "I'm sorry."
There. She'd said it.
"Uh huh." Sweetie Belle crossed her forelegs and frowned. "And the clubhouse?"
"Well, Daddy was really angry at me afterwards," she said, a lump forming in her throat as she went back over what had happened once again.
"So he made you come down to the clubhouse to apologise?" Sweetie Belle guessed. "I'm, um, kinda pretty upset with you still. I'm not ready to accept an apology yet."
Sweetie Belle wasn't going to accept her apology? Was that allowed?
"No, he was really really angry. Smashing my tiara to pieces and kicking me out of the house angry." She shuddered, and blinked. She wasn't going to start crying again. Not now.
Sweetie Belle blinked. "Your tiara isn't still upstairs?"
Scootaloo spoke up. "No, she didn't have it on her last night."
"Oh," Sweetie Belle said softly, and was quiet for a few minutes before picking back up where she left off.
"Ok, so if you needed someplace to stay last night, I can see how you ended up here, I guess. But I'm still not sure why Scoots let you stay." She turned to Scootaloo quizzically. "Weren't you talking about dunking her in boiling oil yesterday?"
She'd been talking about what?
"I wasn't talking about dunking Diamond Tiara in boiling oil yesterday," Scootaloo replied.
Oh. Good.
"I thought-" Sweetie Belle said, confused.
"No, that was Apple Bloom. I wanted to draw and quarter her!" she said enthusiastically.
Not helping, Scootaloo, not helping.
"Oh, that's right!" Sweetie Belle said.
"Wait, you were talking about killing me?" Diamond Tiara screeched.
"Well, yeah," Scootaloo said. "It's boring sitting around a hospital bed, and we needed something to do."
Hmm. If Scootaloo got bandaged up yesterday, and was sitting around with Apple Bloom, wouldn't they have tried to notify her parents?
"If you were in the hospital yesterday, did they, like, try to get in touch with your family or anything?"
"They did ask me about it a couple of times," Scootaloo admitted. "Good thing they got distracted, and I wasn't badly hurt."
"You told her about your family?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"No, but if you're sleeping in a treehouse, some things are sorta obvious, you know?"
Scootaloo flicked one ear, idly dislodging a fly that had been bothering her.
"Right. So what happened last night?"
"I wanted a fight last night. I tried to get in one," Scootaloo said. "But I'm not going to hit somepony when they're down. She needed my help."
Diamond Tiara's ears pinned to the side of her head, thinking about her collapse last night. That had been so totally embarrassing. It would have been bad enough for anypony to see it, but for Scootaloo to see it-
And the way Scootaloo had reacted had been unexpected. It wasn't how she would have acted. But Scootaloo wouldn't hit somepony where they were down, and helped them when they needed help. Diamond Tiara wasn't able to say the same, and somehow she felt a little smaller for it.
Then she realised that both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were looking at her. Had she missed something?
"Sorry, could you repeat that?" she said, hoping one of them had asked a question.
"So, were you going to go to Sugarcube Corner with us for breakfast?" Sweetie Belle asked.
Oh, right. She supposed she'd better, even if she wasn't sure her meager supply of bits was up to it.
"Sure, let me just get my things."
She ran up the ramp, grabbed hold of her saddlebags, and went back down. After the ransacking of her room last night, she wasn't sure of the contents, but her allowance would be there, at least.
She rejoined the others, and started rummaging through her bags.
"Looking for a comb or a hairbrush?" Sweetie Belle asked.
When she said this, Diamond Tiara came to a horrid realization. She started searching for either frantically. Her bedmane must be horrible.
"Oh Celestia, my beautiful mane..." she moaned, as she searched. An awful suspicion dawned on her. Her set of combs and brushes was still sitting on top of her dresser by the mirror, weren't they?
Panicstruck at the thought of going to school with her mane sticking in all directions, she went up to Scootaloo and grabbed her by the shoulders.
"Quick, I need to borrow your comb!" Diamond Tiara said, face to face with Scootaloo now. "It's an emergency!"
"You think I have a comb?" she replied, taken aback.
"Um," Sweetie Belle said hesitantly. "Diamond?"
"Oh, I'll be the laughingstock of the school!" Diamond Tiara groaned, continuing to paw through her bag.
Abruptly, a hairbrush and mirror passed right under her muzzle. Looking up, she realized Sweetie Belle was holding them out to her. She gratefully took both.
Checking out her reflection, she found she was right on the money about her appearance. She started detangling her mane and brushing it out. Her normal look wouldn't work, since she didn't have- there wasn't anything to hold it down. She just swept her mane back and let it fall loosely behind her for now.
It was different, but different might be good, and it wasn't like she had anything to tie it back with. She didn't even have a brush and mirror, since these weren't hers. She gave them back to Sweetie Belle after giving her mane one last stroke. She'd probably have to buy her own. No way were her bits going to last, at this rate.
"Thanks," she said sheepishly, now that she was no longer panicked. "At least I'll be, like, presentable today."
Sweetie Belle tilted her head one direction and peered at her. She put both forelegs in front of her, and looked between them, then dropped them to her sides, evidently satisfied with what she saw.
"That'll do," she said. "Um, I think this look might suit you better, actually."
Really? Sweetie Belle might be, well, Sweetie Belle, but she was Rarity's sister. This might not be all bad.
"So, Scoots, got everything ready for breakfast?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Oh, right, just a minute," she replied, and vanished up into the clubhouse.
Diamond Tiara turned to watch her, and was suddenly aware of the tip of a horn resting against her throat. She froze.
"You know, Scootaloo is my very best friend and for a long time was my only friend," Sweetie Belle said quietly. "And she's helping you now. Don't hurt her, alright?"
Diamond Tiara gulped, and would have nodded if she could have done so without injury.
"Right."
Sweetie Belle moved her horn away quickly enough that Diamond Tiara almost wondered if she'd imagined the whole thing. "Good."
Diamond Tiara just stood there in sheer shock for a minute afterwards. It was like having been threatened by a bunny rabbit. But one with very sharp teeth.
Scootaloo came cheerily down from the clubhouse, totally oblivious to the conversation that had just taken place. "Ready to go?"
"Ready!"
They started chattering along about their plans for the day far more cheerfully than Diamond Tiara ever thought the early morning would warrant. Well, they could be cheerful. Everything'd be alright for them. Except for Apple Bloom being missing, it was a normal day.
Well, maybe it would be for her, too. She would have a typical boring school day. She'd hang out with Silver Spoon, and when school was over, Daddy would pick her up. They'd go home, and everything would be the same as it ever was. She sighed, and was lost in blissful fantasy for a few minutes, then snapped out of it.
Things would never be the same. Silver Spoon couldn't hang out with her today. Her lovely tiara was broken. And even if Daddy picked her up, it wouldn't be the same. She wasn't sure she'd ever really trust him again, or that she'd feel secure about having someplace to live again.
Maybe it'd be a boring, non-eventful school day, at least. She wasn't really sure she had to go to school after what had happened, but it was the normal thing for somepony to do, and she needed normal right now.
Besides, Scootaloo went to school, and nopony was forcing her. There must be some reason to go.
Looking up, she noticed that they weren't that far from Sugarcube Corner. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were still chattering away. She paused, pulled out the bag all her bits were in, and started counting.
Noticing her falling behind, the other two stopped and walked over to her.
"What do you have that out for?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"I was just trying to figure out how much I can afford for breakfast," she said, frowning.
Numbers had never been her strong suit, and she wasn't sure of the prices at Sugarcube Corner.
"Oh, well, I was going to pay for all three of us," Sweetie Belle said, then glanced in Diamond Tiara's direction.
"Unless you were planning on a really big breakfast or something, that is."
She was giving her threats of bodily harm and breakfast? Or was that threats of breakfast?
"You don't like me, but you're buying me breakfast?"
"Well, I may not like you, and I haven't forgiven you yet," Sweetie Belle said, looking her in the eye, "but like Scoots said, you need help right now."
Diamond Tiara flushed. She really hated having to rely on others charity. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Daddy was supposed to take care of all that for her. He was supposed to take care of everything for her, not-
She cut off her train of thought. She was just going to get herself angry or upset, and she didn't need that right now.
"I don't-" she started to say, then it was Scootaloo's turn to grab her by the shoulders.
"Excuse us," Scootaloo told Sweetie Belle, and dragged Diamond aside with her.
"That bag's all the bits you have on you, right?" she asked.
Diamond Tiara nodded.
"Let me see it for a minute?" Scootaloo asked, extending a hoof.
Diamond Tiara gave her the bag, then immediately felt very dumb for doing so. What if she didn't give them back?
However, Scootaloo just poked around the bag for a moment, counting under her breath, then returned it.
"Well, you can last for a little bit on that, but you'll still really need to stretch it as far as it can go. Let Sweetie Belle buy you breakfast today."
"But I don't really want to be-"
"In her debt? I tried that. Not accepting anything unless I could pay them back somehow, running around doing a bunch of errands to earn money-"
"And?"
"I ended up starving and not getting any sleep 'till some friends knocked some sense into me. There are lots of friendly ponies around town that want to give you things. You accept them, they're happy, and you're happy. Don't try to drive yourself crazy doing everything yourself."
Diamond Tiara had to wonder, thinking like that, how Scootaloo hadn't ended up living with somepony else, but didn't feel it'd be a good idea to bring it up. What she was saying did make sense, even if she didn't like it.
"I guess I see what you mean."
Then something else struck her.
"Wait, why were you starving? Didn't you say we could just eat grass earlier?"
Scootaloo laughed. "Yeah, you can, but you have to eat a lot of it, and I was trying to do too many other things to get enough. Food or sleep isn't a great choice to have to make."
"Right, I suppose not."
"Anyways, make sure to keep that bag on you. Giving it to anypony else, even for a moment, is usually a bad idea."
She flushed even more, thinking about how stupid that had been. Though at least now she knew she could trust Scoots, er, Scootaloo with it.
"So let's get back to Sweetie Belle, and you can thank her for getting you breakfast."
The two of them walked back to where Sweetie Belle was waiting. Sweetie Belle looked up at them.
"Thanks," Diamond Tiara said reluctantly. "Breakfast would be great."
"Great!" she said. "Now let's get over there while we still have time!"
In a matter of a few minutes, they were at Sugarcube corner. Pinkie Pie came over as they sat down at a table together.
"Good morning, Scootaloo! Morning, Sweetie Belle!" Pinkie Pie's smile slipped a bit as she noticed her. "Diamond Tiara."
The three of them took a seat at one of the tables there, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle on one side, and Diamond Tiara on the other. Pinkie Pie turned to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo's side of the table, ignoring that Diamond was there.
"What can I get you girls today?" she asked.
Well, she'd wanted to wait to see what they got first, anyways, she supposed.
Sweetie Belle spoke up. "I'd like a vanilla hayshake and an apple turnover."
"A chocolate hayshake, and a cinnamon roll sounds good!" Scootaloo cut in.
As Pinkie looked about ready to leave, she hurried with her order, following their lead on what to get.
"A strawberry hayshake, and a blueberry muffin, please," she asked, hoping she'd take it.
"Okie-dokie-lokie!" Pinkie glanced at Diamond Tiara briefly, then vanished to get their orders.
Looking away, she realised that both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were staring at her.
"What!?" she said grumpily. "Do I have something on my face?"
"No." Scootaloo looked away hastily, followed by Sweetie Belle. "It's just... When we come here with Apple Bloom, she usually gets a strawberry hayshake."
"So I like the same flavor hayshakes as Apple Bloom," she grumbled. "Big deal."
"It just feels weird," Sweetie Belle said.
"What seemed weird to me was the way Pinkie seemed to be totally trying to ignore me," Diamond Tiara said. "I wouldn't think that'd be good business."
"Well, she is good friends with Applejack and Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle said. "Chances are that she already knows that Apple Bloom is in the hospital and that you were involved."
Pinkie Pie came back out and gave Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo their orders, and then begrudgingly put Diamond's order on the table, far enough away that she had to pull it over to where she was sitting.
"Yeah, I guess so." She sucked on the straw in her hayshake, depressed. At least it tasted like it should.
Conversation was pretty stilted, and was mostly between Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, leaving Diamond Tiara feeling like a third wheel. It didn't help that most of the comments that came to her mind were nasty, so she ended up not saying them.
It wasn't like she could talk to them like she did Silver Spoon, either. She had known Silver Spoon for years, and she was the closest friend Diamond Tiara had. Well, the only friend she had, actually. It hurt knowing Silvy was going to be avoiding her, but she understood why. Silvy's parents were everything to her. Just like hers had been.
She blinked angrily. She was not about to start crying in public. She tried to pay more attention to what Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were talking about, which was good, as Sweetie Belle's next question was addressed to her.
"So, about your staying at the clubhouse. Was that just for last night, or-"
"Sorry, Sweetie Belle, this wasn't a 'I don't want to see you again tonight' type thing," Diamond Tiara told her.
"Are you sure? Because I've, um," she looked down, "kinda had that happen before."
"Daddy smashed my tiara in front of me and said he was disowning me!" Diamond Tiara said angrily. "Then he told me I wasn't allowed back. I don't think that's changing. "
"He actually disowned you?"
Diamond Tiara thought she heard a gasp from elsewhere in the building, but didn't pay it much attention as she continued.
"Yeah. I'll try to find someplace other than your clubhouse if I can, but I doubt Daddy's just going to, like, pick me up from school and pretend nothing's happened."
But how I wish he would!
"Don't worry about it," Scootaloo said. "There's nowhere else that even compares to the clubhouse in Ponyville if you need someplace to sleep and have nowhere to go. You can stay there as long as you need to."
Why were these blank flanks being so nice to her when she'd done nothing but make their lives harder?
After they all finished their breakfasts, Diamond Tiara noticed a bill on the table. When had that gotten there? There was a paper bag by it, too, which she didn't remember any of them ordering. Wait, should they have been talking about all this in public?
"Um, do you think Pinkie heard what we were talking about earlier?" she asked, trying to make it sound like an innocent question and not a pending disaster.
"Oh, probably," Scootaloo said. "She hears most of what happens in here. She considers anything she overhears private, though, so she won't tell anypony. I'm pretty sure she knows where I'm living."
"Why is that?"
"Well, she's done things like given me extra things I didn't order, and not billing me for things. In fact-" She opened the bag, then, after taking a peek inside, slid it over. "Yep, blueberry muffin. I'd say that's yours. Lunch."
She'd forgotten about lunch, hadn't she? Diamond Tiara tucked it in a saddlebag, remembering Scootaloo's words from earlier.
"We'd better get going," Sweetie Belle said. She counted out some bits, lay them on the table, and the three of them continued on the way to school.
Well, at least I can forget about everything for a while and just concentrate on school, she thought, as they arrived. I hope Miss Cheerilee isn't still mad.
She slowly entered the schoolhouse, getting ready for a long day.
Good update! Really liking this story so far.
2809301
There have been so many fanfics with Scoots living in a treehouse that it's almost expected. The Scootaloo x Diamond Tiara interaction is always fun, though. They'll be good for each other.
2816096
No, the way Filthy Rich acted doesn't seem right, does it? (I was actually surprised by the people that thought he was acting right, actually.)
And thanks!
2847230
Glad you liked it!
The story's progressing nicely, but there are a few things that might need tweaking. I think the thoughts in italics need to be in present tense, for one thing.
As for the story, I like Pinkie Pie being the quiet protector type, it suits her and it lets you bypass any plotholes involving her Pinkie sense. I'm pretty sure I know by now which Scootaloo backstory you're using from your
impressive yet weird collectionevident writing skills. I also really liked the 'threat by bunny' thing. Monty Python references seem to be on your mind for the moment, no?Yay update! I really like
her mane!this story! Can't wait to see how her fellow students and Miss Cherilee react to her.2847295
Yeah, I suspected it could use some more tweaking, but I wanted to quit editing while I still liked the chapter, if you know what I mean. Many of these paragraphs have been looked at once too often. And, in fact, a lot of the sidelines were cut out, and rearranged to fit into better places, then reworded to fit properly. Surprising how many revisions parts got.
Pinkie watching out for them is something I do quite like. I'm tending to think a Pinkie Promise is involved somewhere there. And it's part of the 'how can Scootaloo live on her own in a treehouse' thing, since I really do want it to seem somewhat feasible.
And, yes, more Monty Python references. It seemed apt, though. And we all know who the real bunny of the characters present is, of course.
imageshack.us/a/img521/8573/bunnyscootsicon.png
Love the update, keep up the good work
2847308
I can't wait to see how I pull it off, either. ^_^
2847329
Yeah, looking forward to that.
2847380
Thanks!
Ten bits on Filthy Rich having gotten her tuition refunded and DT not being welcome in the schoolhouse after all.
Yes, I know that doesn't make any sense if Scootaloo is somehow attending, but it'd just be another gut punch.
2847417
I've always figured it was a public school, really, so no tuition needed. Besides, I can make things far worse for her on the schoolyard then if she's banned from it. :P
2847464 Yeah, I've always thought it would be public too. Just mentioning it because of the gut punch.
Well, now Pinkie knows what Filthy Rich did, it's only a matter of time until the Apple family knows, and then Filthy Rich is going to be very sorry.
Doing that to a child is basically giving them a death sentence. If you've been spoiled, you'll expect everyone else to do things for you, and won't know what to do in a disaster. Filthy Rich should be kicked out of the business as punishment.
SAY NO TO CHILD ABUSE. (Or pony abuse)
lol.
This story made me cry.
SO SAAAAAAAAAAAAD!!!
She's already learned her lesson, no need to overdo the punishment.
(But if that happened to me, I would be like 'weeee! I'm in the wild and i'm freee!' )
Feh. DT deserves to die.
And even if Cherilee doesn't kick her out of school, every foal there knows what happened now, so recess COULD be DT's death sentence.
In a rare turn of events, I don't actually have anything critical to say, when the author is fretting!
I liked the chapter. I continue to like that the CMC are clearly the better ponies. And I thought Pinkie looking out for children even when she had initial reservations is very quietly sweet. I guess she can relate to a bit of a lousy childhood. Plus, there's her smile addiction to feed.
DT continues to have plenty of lingering antagonsity moments, and that's a good thing. These fics often make the conversion way too easy, so kudos for not falling into that trap. ...Though I may already have mentioned that in previous comments. Been a while now.
Finally, Sweetie Belle.
She is totally Rarity's sister.
The silk glove around the hoof itching to fucking karate chop something. Glee! The hidden steel was nice.
...but where the heck did she pull that brush and mirror out of? Her plot? Hammerspace? Is she wearing saddlebags, and I've just forgotten?
2848056
...H'okay. Apparently somewhere along the way it stopped being an elementary school classroom of cute, colourful ponies, and instead became the Lord of the Flies.
2847533
Losing a friend's trust is the fastest way to lose a friend. Forever.
Pinkie's good with secrets, alas. Scoots hinted as much.
Lots of stories have Pinkie giving away free stuff. I wonder how the Cakes tolerate it. Not saying it's bad, just it would be more responsible for her to get Scoots into a house.
2848402
Don't worry, for some reason, the chapters I fret about tend to end up the best received, in recent experience. I have no idea why.
Pinkie can relate to a bad childhood, and you've got down exactly the episode why I think she'd keep it a secret. That and she probably gave the Cakes a Pinkie promise not to spread around town things she overhears in Sugarcube Corner, and she takes those seriously.
And, yeah, the CMC are the better ponies. Diamond Tiara is starting to recognise this, though, which is a good sign for her.
Would you believe that one of my priorities in the rewrite process was to pull angsty moments from previous drafts, and work them in where I could? I consider those important.
The horn moment was actually something I debated on, but I eventually decided it fit. And it was too good not to use. And she is Rarity's sister, and should take after her in some ways.
I probably forgot to mention them, but she's wearing saddlebags. She's headed to school, after all, so she needs her school supplies.
You know, I once suggested a mlp x lord of the flies crossover somewhere.
2847533>>2848402
I think Luminary's got it here.
2847806>>2847828>>2847881
Yes, doing that to a child is absolutely horrible. Especially one as spoiled as her. The fact that Scootaloo was in the clubhouse is actually probably one of the better things to happen to her in this whole mess. It could have gone a lot worse.
And she's terribly raw emotionally, right now. She's not really in a fit state to go to school, really.
2848056
Recess will be interesting...
2848598
Lots of canon has her giving away free stuff, too. She probably draws in enough extra business to compensate. And I tend to think the Cakes are also fairly generous. They gave Pinkie a job there, at least.
As far as getting Scoots to a house, well, she's also overheard some of the discussions Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom have had on the subject...
Chop her into chunks, boil her in oil, then sell her as a rare delicacy to some griffons. Sounds like a plan, girls. She might not taste so great, though.
Good ol' Pinkie Pie. I can definitely see her being grumpy with someone in a situation like this, but would probably never be outright mean to a foal, even if she thought they deserved it. And of course she'd put all that aside in an instant after hearing DT's story, and discreet benefactor suits her very well.
I think the encounter I'm most interested in seeing is when Diamond runs into Applejack. Apple Bloom will likely be tempered by Sweetie and Scoots being there, but AJ is going to be furious, and might catch her in a one-on-one situation.
I think the chapter ended up nice, so you needn't worry about whether it needed a bunch more revisions. And next to see how well she can last through a day at school. Cheerilee won't be overly cruel directly, but I wouldn't be surprised if she conveniently looks the other way a little more than usual.
Wait, starving? She just admitted last chapter that they can eat grass.
Honestly being a homeless Equestrian doesn't sound so bad, you got a coat of fur, you can eat the local flora and controlled weather means things like storms and blizzards won't catch you off-guard.
Also, I'm hoping that Diamond and her father don't ever end up reconciling, actually. Bastard's shown his true colors and it'd be a lot more satisfying to see Diamond grow up just fine without him. It'd be a hell of a lot more satisfying to see him regret it though, not because he actually cares for her (there is no way I can believe that at this point), but because the scandal of disowning his daughter ends up destroying his business or something should the news get out.
Oh yes, I wanna to see that horrible maggot of a (former) father squirm.
2852460
Hyperbole, to a certain extent, but what she specifically said was:
She could have survived on only grass if she wasn't doing anything else in the day. She was going to school, so was trying to figure out a way to balance school, her friends, earning money, grazing on grass in places where there weren't a bunch of other ponies, and sleep. Sleep was losing. This is probably also how she found out how much grass you have to eat to survive.
Good catch, though. If I'd noticed that, I'd have phrased it differently.
I'm not sure if you'll find Filthy's final fate satisfying or not, but it would totally undercut a lot of what I've written so far if he just picked her up from school, they hugged, and he took her back in.
And remember this?
The bond between them's been sliced in half. No easy fixes here.
2850013
I could totally see them having that discussion, too.
Hmmm, just realised that I never worked one of the bits I liked back into this chapter. Oh well, I'll find someplace for it. I've been trying to gradually work in how Scoots has been getting along, and Pinkie was one piece of it. And I think it fits her character.
I've personally been thinking about Diamond Tiara and Big Macintosh. ^_^
And, yes, I'll be interested to see how school goes. The name of the chapter will probably be "Twist and Shout". (I've got it mentally plotted out, but not written.)
2848402
2848691
Realistically, I've always figured that the ponies probably wear saddlebags a lot more often than the TV show would suggest. Since they don't habitually wear any other kinds of clothing, they would have to have someplace to carry money, purchases, books, lunch, etc.
2854715
Yeah, that and the fact that Sweetie Belle was headed to school is why I just assumed she had a saddlebag on, and didn't mention it. I actually tend to write characters putting on saddlebags when they leave home, and taking them off when they get back, but I didn't write her leaving, of course.
Oh! Will the princesses be involved with the situation? LOL! Busted!
I hope this will make Diamond T will turn a new leaf after this.
Hey there!
I'd just like to say Sweetie Belle is a bit OOC. She is the sweetest filly in the group, hence her name, and would not put her horn against someones throat. She most likely wouldn't be able to use magic, as in the show, she uses her teeth or hooves for everything. Not once has she used her magic, except for when she "sparked". But that was only because she was excited. But overrall, awesome story. I want to see more.
NOW.
MOOOOAAAAR!!!!
2951949
I don't think Sweetie Belle was threatening to use magic. It seemed more like a: "Hurt Scoots and I will straight up gore you!" kind of thing.
Anyway, Tiara did severly injure and possibly cripple Sweetie Belle's other friend, so it's not entirely implausible that Sweetie would feel a bit more hostile than usual. If anything, she and Scootaloo are being extremely forgiving, Tiara's situation notwithstanding.
2847533
2850013
Actually, this brings up an interesting point. On one hand, Applejack and Macintosh have every reason to be incredibly angry with Diamond Tiara. On the other hand, the Apples are pretty much all about family, which makes me wonder how they would react to Filthy Rich making his own daughter homeless. I can see Applejack being really conflicted about the whole thing.
3041426
True, but being conflicted depends on knowing both sides of the story. The Apple family will find out about Diamond's situation eventually, but right now if she runs into them, they'd be nothing but angry.
3041536
Sure, though that just means she'll be royally pissed at Filthy and feeling guilty about threatening to buck Tiara all the way to Tall Tale.
3041333
Yes, no magic was actually involved in the threat. Having the tip of a unicorn's horn at your throat will give you pause, even if the unicorn in question can't do any magic.
3041426>>3041536>>3041599
Ponies being conflicted seems to happen over and over again in this story. Though, yes, the Apple family won't particularly be conflicted until they know both sides of the story, and they may very well no longer be nearly as angry at Diamond Tiara by the time they know her situation.
And I really really need to get back into the zone for both this story and Just Winging It. Though I did actually edit the last chapter of this fanfic a few days ago. It was mainly wording adjustments to try to have who is talking less confusing in places, though a few extra lines of dialogue (about grass) worked their way in. I felt it was too minor to do an announcement about.
3041333
While I see and agree with your point, I'd say her horn isn't really sharp enough to do that.
Also, I was assuming it was like a harry potter thing when she put her horn against her throat. Like when they put their wands against eachothers throat.
Also, Sweetie Belle mostly is the one who cries whenever she gets bullied instead of hurting someone, but she did laugh when diamond fell in the mud and got ink sprayed all over her. I think she takes advantage of the oppurtunity when she has it, but doesn't exactly force it like she did.
And also, I agree. She is lucky to even have forgiveness. But, After hearing that whole story in a I'm sure "Dramatic Tiara" mode, I don't think I would be THAT skeptical that she would hurt scoots. But, I would be just a bit.
PS: are you arcum24 in a new account? If so, how'd you get to the story? Or are you just a helper or beta reader? Sorry, I havent been on in a while.
3047508
Well, not all horns are sharp, in fact a lot are fairly blunt, but they can still be surprisingly dangerous. Ram something hard into something soft with enough force and you're still going to do some damage.
That said, I'm guessing it was mostly symbolic on Sweetie's part. Kinda like a human underlining a threat by doing the old cut-your-throat gesture.
Actually I'm not associated with this story or Arcum in any way. I'm just a guy who reads a lot of pony fanfics and types too many comments.
Diamond Tiara made a mistake. She is a child, and this is to be expected. Mistakes are how we learn. Now she has learned why you should think before you act. For these reasons, I believe Filthy Rich was in the wrong to disown his daughter and kick her out of house and home. Isn't that technically child abandonment, anyways? While Diamond Tiara does deserve to be punished, there is a difference between constructive punishment, and downright cruelty. I would have some very harsh words with Filthy Rich, if I was to see him.
3049515
Yes, it is in fact, child abandonment. And I think you'd have to join the queue. Quite a lynch mob formed for Filthy Rich shortly after I published the first chapter. I still wonder how people will react when they see what I eventually have planned for him.
And, yes, Diamond's punishment is way out of proportion to what she did.
Now, if I can just get going on the next chapter...
3049575 By all means, continue. Your writing is very good. And as for a lynch mob forming, that just shows that your writing is effective enough in communicating the idea of the story that people are getting emotionally invested in it. Bravo, Mr. Arcum.
3047508>>3048753
Her horn may be blunt, but if she could put it there once, she could do it again with a lot more force. But it is mostly a symbolic gesture.
And, you know, people who are pushovers when they themselves are threatened can sometimes act completely different when people they really care for are threatened. Some people are a lot more willing to defend their friends than themselves.
But, no, Fervidor isn't me, or a beta or anything. He does seem to have a fair insight into my story, though.
3049607
Thanks. Unfortunately my writing has been at a crawl lately. I am very happy with the way the story's going, though. Trying to keep up with updates on this and my other main story, Just Winging It, gets tricky.
My big focus on this story, really, is keeping in Diamond's head, and trying to show what she's going through. Writing a character whose both flawed and sympathetic like this is fascinating, really...
3049619
Well, you know, great minds think alike.
3049619
ah, I see. It's just I've always seen horns more rubbery whenever Sweetie flung Rarity's horn to make her drop her backpack(I think it was a backpack? I havent seen that episode in a long time). But that's your opinion, I'm sure there are many people who think horns are stiff. So, I guess you got me there. I see your point completely and will no longer argue.
3052471
Amusingly, I just saw a thread Fervidor started up in the writers group mentioning Rarity talking about getting her horn filed when in the spa. I'd tend to think a horn that has to be filed would be stiff. I suspect the show's just being inconsistent on whether they are stiff or rubbery. Especially when you consider the poison joke incident, where Twilight's horn certainly wasn't stiff.
3066534
yeah, I think the show uses the texture of the horn as whats best for the moment. I thought of it being cartalidge- not moving unless you make it move, like your nose or ear.
Also, I wonder....what would happen if Rarity used her magic while they where filing her horn? Couldn't they/she get hurt? And what if she gets excited by something and sparks, even if it is unintentional? Wouldn't that make getting your horn filed dangerous?
3068046
That's why you only get it done by trained professionals.
Though, to be fair, when your horn sparks, having the spark hit someone might just give them a static shock or something similar. The idea that your horn can be filed certainly makes me think that it wouldn't be particularly sensitive to the touch, though, unlike a lot of clop writers assume.
Either that, or there's an entirely different reason why Rarity likes having her horn filed.
3068213
Also, the reason people get things filed is because they're rough around the edges....does that mean horns can get rough too? HMMMM! I WONDER HOW THAT HAPPENS? (Hint: Rarity is a phycotic killer.)
Also, I was thinking about that. When Trixie used her little magic on rainbow, it only tickled a bit. So a spark? You probably don't feel anything at all!
3071035
I wonder how an arguement about sweetie's horn not being very sharp ended up like this. < Wasn't this supposed to be about me?