It was no secret that the peace and tranquility that generally surrounded the small town of Ponyville was subject to…interruptions. Monster attacks, natural disasters, magical mishaps, among others ensured that despite the fact that Ponyville could, to the untrained eye, be considered Equestria’s most idyllic town, there was always something eager to breach the peace.
“DIAMOND TIARA!”
Said breach came in the form of a yell that only the most disappointed of fathers could muster, and it was a yell that the target of said yell, a certain pink-haired tiara-obsessed young lady knew all too well.
“Ugh, again?” Diamond Tiara groused, rolling her eyes.
“What do you think it is this time, DT?” Silver Spoon asked, known to nearly everyone as Diamond Tiara’s longtime partner-in-crime.
“Oh, probably just some junk about spending my allowance too fast or something equally stupid,” Diamond replied whilst nonchalantly inspecting her recently-painted nails, courtesy of her best friend. “Why can’t he understand that the measly 150 bits he gives me every week just doesn’t do it?”
“Tell me about it!” Silver agreed wholeheartedly. “This town is so, like, boring. There’s nothing to do but buy nice things enjoy them, am I right?”
“Totally!” Diamond concurred, blowing softly on her newly-painted nails. “Daddy just doesn’t understand that a girl, especially girls as important as we are, need to look our best all the time. Besides, I don’t know what he’s so uptight about; it’s not like he can’t afford it.”
“My dad’s the same way,” Silver added, putting the finishing touches on her own nails. “These days, it’s like all he can talk about is money and how much of it I’m spending. I’m getting really sick of hearing it. It’s like you said; he can afford it so why worry about it?”
“I don’t know,” Diamond replied with a sigh, falling back onto her luxurious four-poster bed. “All I know is that I’d better see what he wants so I can get it over with. I’ll be right back.”
“Good luck!” Silver called after her friend as she slipped out of her room.
Having been summoned in such a way before, Diamond knew exactly where her father would be: his office. Located on the main floor of the sizeable mansion, it housed his library, study, and for the next few minutes, interrogation room. Sure enough, seated in a large oak chair behind a matching desk, hands folded across his chest, was Mr. Rich. Entrepreneur, business whiz, retail tycoon…and extremely displeased father.
“You wanted to see me, daddy?” Diamond asked as innocently as she could upon entering the room. Having practically patented the ‘innocent teenage daughter routine’, it was a deadly weapon, and one that Diamond wasn’t afraid to unleash if necessary. This time, however, there was a certain chill in the air, a chill that Diamond could not describe, a chill that she was sure did not mean good things. Regardless, she knew she had to brave it and hopefully, she would emerge unscathed and her lifestyle of excess could continue unabated.
“Sit, Diamond.” Mr. Rich stated flatly, motioning to one of the chairs directly across from him. Although she tried not to show it, Diamond felt a bead of sweat run down her forehead.
“What’s going on, daddy?” Diamond asked, gingerly taking a seat but keeping the façade alive. “Is something wrong?” It was a dumb question and she knew it but her façade required all the implied innocence she could bring to bear.
“I think you know exactly what’s going on, Diamond Tiara,” Mr. Rich countered, resting his hands on the table before intertwining his fingers. Cocking her head to the side, Diamond gave her father the most innocent expression she could.
“I’m afraid I don’t, daddy.”
“These bills, Diamond!” Mr. Rich exclaimed, grabbing a nearby stack of papers before setting them none-too-gently on the desk in front of her. “You have got to be more sensitive about these bills! Do you have any idea of how much you’re spending every month?”
“I…um…kind of?” Diamond answered quietly, hoping to lure her father into a false sense of security before springing the façade on him full-force.
“‘Kind of’ is not good enough, Diamond,” Mr. Rich continued, shaking his head in disappointment. “The point is, you clearly don’t have any appreciation for money or any idea of how to manage it!” Diamond gulped; she was losing control of the situation, if in fact she had ever had any to begin with. This wasn’t just another lecture about spending her allowance too quickly; this sounded much more serious and much more encompassing.
“But Daddy, we’re rich!” she protested. “We have lots of money so who cares if I use a little teensy-weensy bit on myself!? Don’t you love me?” Despite her plea, Diamond cringed internally as he face-palmed. The facade was losing its potency with every word.
“Having money, whether it’s yours or mine, is not the point, Diamond,” he replied with an exasperated sigh. “The point is that it’s extremely important to develop a sense of responsibility, something you desperately need to do.” Hoping to stave off her father’s final judgment, Diamond let out a (somewhat) fake sigh and decided to try something drastic: appeasement. A technique, she knew all too well, she had learned from her father.
“You’re right, daddy. I’ll be more careful from now on, I promise.”
It should come as no surprise that Mr. Rich was well-aware of the dynamic, having resorted to such more times than he’d care to admit. Now that the tables were turning, he had a chance to redeem himself and undo at least some of the damage he’d done by raising his daughter as a spoiled brat.
Of course, he might not have worded it quite like that but it wasn’t far from the truth. It was time for a change and Mr. Rich was determined to see it through. It was the only way. He shook his head and looked upon her once more.
“Not this time, Diamond. You say that every time we have this talk and I’m starting to believe that you have no interest in making good on that promise.”
“But Daddy, I can totally be responsible!” Diamond insisted, the façade rapidly falling away as her plan collapsed upon itself. “I…I…” Mr. Rich could naught but sigh as his daughter stumbled over her words, trying to convince him (and indeed, herself) that what she was stammering was the truth. “I could…help Green Thumb water the plants!” Even as vehemently as she had stated it, Diamond had to hold back a shiver at the very thought of performing such a…common task.
“That’s not a bad suggestion but I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately and I’ve decided that you need something else to occupy your time, something to do besides spend money.” Mr. Rich replied, fixing Diamond with a serious expression.
What could he possibly mean by…oh no… Diamond’s eyes widened as she anticipated what he was about to tell her. Not that! Anything but that! Please, please, please not that!
“You’re eighteen now, Diamond. It’s time for you to take some responsibility and learn some life lessons. It’s time for you to get…”
***
“A job?” Silver Spoon exclaimed in surprise, complete with a slightly overstated jaw-drop. “What brought that on?”
“Apparently, I need to learn how to be responsible,” Diamond replied with a huff, rolling her eyes before falling back onto her bed with a mild shout of exasperation. “Ugh! I though all of that boring responsibility crap was for old fogeys and poor people!”
“What happens if you don’t get a job?” Silver asked, almost afraid of the answer.
“Then I’m completely cut off; no more allowance, no more going out, no more cell phone, no more fun!” Diamond replied with a groan. “He says that some time in the real world will be good for me. How will getting my hands dirty and nails broken be good for me?”
“He’s not changing his mind on this one, is he?” Silver asked. Diamond shook her head.
“Doesn’t look like it. I think he might actually be serious this time.” she replied with yet another sigh. Ever the observant BFF, Silver wasted no time taking her place at her despondent friend’s side, sitting beside her on the large bed.
“It’s okay, DT, you’ve gone through worse, right?” Silver reminded her, gently massaging her shoulders. “Remember when you had to help Apple Bloom and her family with Zap Apple…whatever jam, and they made you wear those ridiculous rabbit ears?”
“Ugh, how could I forget?” Diamond Tiara groused with another roll of her blue eyes. “I’m never gonna live that one down. Imagine what’ll happen if people see me…working? They’ll think I’m…” She shuddered before continuing. “…poor!”
“There, there,” Silver Spoon replied, gently massaging her friend’s shoulders. “I doubt many people will think that. I mean, you’ll still be rich but…well, not using your family’s money. You’ll have to use what you make at whatever job you get, I guess.”
“You’re not making this any easier…” Diamond grumbled.
“I know. I’m just trying to tell you that it might not be so bad. Sure, you’ll have to do things you’re not used to doing and the pay might not be very good and the hours might be terrible and the boss might be a complete jacka…” She cringed slightly at Diamond’s glare. “Okay, so it’s not gonna be much fun. Just…take a deep breath, do your best, and the time will pass quickly.”
“You sound just like my dad…” Diamond huffed, prompting Silver to sigh once more.
“I know. Don’t forget that you’re my best friend, Diamond. I just wanna see you happy and I think that the sooner your dad’s happy with you, the sooner you’ll be happy again.” It was Diamond’s turn to sigh as she rolled onto her side and enveloped her friend in a hug.
“I know, Silver. It’s just…this is totally outside of…anything I know. I don’t even know where to start.”
“Hey, it’s alright,” Silver replied, comforting her friend with a hug of her own. “You could start by making a resume and taking it to places around Ponyville. Y’know, to see if anyone’s hiring.” Having finally resigned herself to her fate, Diamond grudgingly sat up, rubbed her eyes, and blew a strand of hair out from in front of her eyes.
“I guess I don’t have a choice, do I?”
“Not if you wanna keep enjoying things like your phone and doing fun stuff. Look, I’ll even help you look around town for job openings tomorrow.” Sighing for what felt like the thousandth time, Diamond Tiara gently took her best friend’s hand in hers and squeezed it, nodding slowly.
“Thanks, Silvy.”
***
The next day…
“Order up, Featherweight!” a gruff voice laced with caring undertones called before slapping a nearby bell, prompting the young man to hurry over to the restaurant’s servery. “Here ya go; two ham ‘n’ cheese omelets on whole-wheat.”
“Thanks, Short Order,” Featherweight replied somewhat breathlessly, grabbing the plates and setting them onto an empty tray. It had been a busy day as usual at the Ponyville Patio, compounded by the fact that they were, at the moment, short-staffed. While Sweetie Belle and Twist were doing a terrific job in their busy sections, it was often up to Featherweight to pick up the slack, whether it was getting someone a refill or bringing out their food. That, combined with the responsibilities of overseeing his own section, ensured that the young waiter had his hands full, usually with trays of hot food or empty tubs of vacant dishes.
Jeeze, waiter, busboy, delivery boy, I’d better get a raise for this, Featherweight thought as he set yet another tub of dishes down beside the dishwasher, having successfully delivered another tray of food that wasn’t his. He took a few deeps breaths and wiped his brow. It wasn’t the extra work that was bothering him; rather, it was the consistency. Being short-staffed not only made more work for everyone else but cut into the level of service he could provide for his customers. And that, of course, cut into the only aspect of a waiter’s job that made it worthwhile: the tips. Precious, sacred tips. The lifeblood of the food-serving industry. Well, to him at least.
“Doin’ okay there, Featherweight?” The gruff yet kindly voice of Short Order asked from behind the adjacent kitchen.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” Featherweight answered, putting on a strained smile. “Just…really, really busy.”
“Listen, I know it’s been tough ‘round here the last few weeks and you’ve done a great job o’ pickin’ up the slack,” Short Order complimented, joining Featherweight to take a break of his own. “Trust me, as soon as someone comes along with a half-decent head on their shoulders an’ a resume, I’ll make sure everyone gets a breather.”
“Still no applications, huh?” Featherweight asked. Short Order shook his head.
“Afraid not, kid,” he half-muttered, clearly as frustrated as his employee. “Looks like we might be under siege for a while yet.”
“That’s okay, sir,” Featherweight assured him. “I’m just glad to actually have a job right now. I know times aren’t exactly easy. I mean, this place always does okay but that’s only ‘cause we’ve got the best breakfast within 200 miles and everyone knows it.”
“Ah, go on, ya little suck-up,” Short Order replied with a snort, slapping Featherweight on the back amicably. “Don’t you have somethin’ better t’ do than butter up your boss?”
“Probably,” Featherweight replied with a shrug.
“Well then, why doncha go help Twist with that tray o’ glasses? I don’t think she’s supposed t’ carry that many on one tray.” Featherweight’s eyes widened as he witnessed the small girl attempting to balance a tray of stacked glasses and coffee mugs on her way back to the servery.
“Oh man, I’d better get back out there!” Featherweight exclaimed, bolting out of the servery to assist his beleaguered colleague. Short Order couldn’t help but chuckle as Featherweight skidded to a halt in front of the dangerously unsteady stack and managed to keep it from toppling over and covering both Twist and himself in dishware and a cocktail of cold coffee and other assorted beverages.
Sure, things were a little chaotic but Short Order didn’t mind. He knew he could depend on his staff to do their best, even as swamped as they were. Sweetie Belle, Twist, and Featherweight had been working for him for three years, ever since the very start of tenth grade. Over time, he had watched them grow from clueless teenagers into intelligent and mature young adults. In fact, they were practically family.
He wiped a stray tear from one eye and suppressed a chuckle as Sweetie Belle, ever the sweetheart, effortlessly charmed yet another table, undoubtedly guaranteeing some excellent tips in the process. His eyes darted across the restaurant, eventually settling on Twist, once an awkward teenager who hated her bright-red hair more than anything, now an adorable young lady, if not a little vertically challenged. Noting the confidence in her posture, step, and voice, Short Order couldn’t help but be proud.
And then there was Featherweight. Short Order could remember the day the gangly young man took his first nervous steps into the restaurant as a potential employee as if it had been nary a fortnight ago. It had been clear that Featherweight once thought himself a head case; indeed, it had taken months of coaxing, prodding, and challenging to make the boy the waiter he was (or rather, the man he was). In the end, it had been a resounding success and the bright, somewhat unassuming young man had become like a son to Short Order.
“Hey Shorty, whatcha dreaming about?” the voice of Sweetie Belle asked, bring him back to earth.
“Right now, a hot shower ‘n’ a cold beer,” Short Order admitted as Sweetie Belle handed him an order slip.
“Hey, just a few more short hours, right?” Sweetie Belle replied in her signature chipper tone. “Nothing we can’t handle!”
“That’s f’ sure, Sweetie. How’s everything goin’ out there? I haven’t had much time t’ look.”
“Oh, it’s busy but not bad. Twist was getting a little overwhelmed so I took one of her tables to help her out.”
“Good job, Sweetie. That’s what I like t’ see,” Short replied with a smile, taking the order slip to the back and sticking it over the large griddle. “Now get back out there. I’ll have this done in a jiff.”
“Gotcha, boss,” Sweetie Belle exclaimed with a smile, bouncing back out into the fray.
Meanwhile…
"Ugh! We've been at this for an hour already!" Diamond Tiara exclaimed, thoroughly exasperated. "Let's face it, Silvy; there's nothing in this town suitable for me to waste my time doing! My dad's gonna yell at me and then my life is officially over."
"Hey, try to relax, Di," Silver replied, trying to calm her friend down. "Let's have some lunch and try again, okay?"
"Fine…" Diamond huffed, letting her shoulders fall. "Where do you wanna go?"
"Hmm…what's good around this time?" Silver mused.
"In this one-horse town? Nothing." Diamond remarked.
"Come on, Di, I know you're pissed but seriously, I'm getting hungry and I'm sure you are too. Now, let's find a place to relax at least, okay?"
"Fine." Diamond relented. "So what's edible around here this time of day?"
"Well…I know of a place. It's not exactly fancy but the food's really good," Silver offered. Diamond Tiara was on the verge of a complaint until her stomach stated its opinion. She sighed.
"Alright, let's see this 'not-fancy-yet-delicious' place of yours." Silver smiled.
***
"You've got to be kidding…" Diamond muttered as they approached the plain, slightly-yellowed sign of the Ponyville Patio. "This place?"
"I know it doesn't look like much but they have the best omelets in town."
"Silver, it's 11:30." Diamond reminded.
"I know but they serve breakfast all day," her friend replied. "What?" she asked as Diamond gave her an incredulous look. "You've never eaten breakfast for lunch?"
"That's absurd," Diamond remarked. "Breakfast is for breakfast, lunch is for lunch. Anything else is…is just weird!"
"Well, you don't have to have breakfast," Silver pointed out. "They also have really good soups and sandwiches." Diamond was about to protest about eating poor people food but some familiar sights silenced her immediately. Instead, she grabbed her friend and practically dragged her away from the doors and to the side. "What is it?" Silver asked in a harsh whisper.
"Didn't you see them?" Diamond asked in a panicked tone. Silver spared a moment to take a look around.
"See who?"
"Them! Sweetie Belle and Twist!" Diamond hissed.
"Yeah. So?"
"They were working there!"
"Again; so?"
"Ugh, don't you get it? If they see me eating there, what do you think they'll think?"
"That you're hungry?"
"Not helping, Silvy!" Diamond exclaimed. "If they see me there, they'll start talking about me and saying…things!"
"Probably your order, Di," Silver replied in an exasperated tone. "Now come on, I'm hungry and I promise you that you'll like the food and that Sweetie Belle and Twist won't say anything about you."
"But Silvy…" Diamond whined.
"Come on, Di!" Silver exclaimed impatiently, half-dragging her friend back to the doors before practically pushing her through them and into the restaurant.
A cacophony of foreign scents assaulted Diamond Tiara's olfactory senses. Surprisingly, she didn't find them unpleasant, a sentiment her stomach agreed with. A tentative sniff suggested pancakes, melting butter, eggs, toast, hints of some kind of soup, and especially the smell of piping-fresh coffee. While it wasn't the scent of the fancy lattes she favored, the smell of coffee was one that transcended social status, prompting Diamond to simply follow her friend to the counter in silence.
"Oh! Hey, you guys!" Sweetie Belle greeted warmly, grabbing some slightly-stained menus. "Table for two?"
"Hi Sweetie Belle and yes, for us please." Silver replied with a smile, prompting Diamond to give her friend a strange look. Noticing, Silver gave her a shrug just before Sweetie ushered them to a small window-side table.
"Is this okay?"
"Can we get something big…"
"It's fine Sweetie, thanks," Silver assured her.
"Perfect! Would you like to hear about our specials today?"
"Not real…"
"Yes, please."
"We have a soup and sandwich on special for lunch today for six bits. The sandwich is a BLT, and the soup is potato leek. Would you like something to drink to start you off?"
"Um, just water for me, please." Silver requested.
"Coffee." Diamond muttered.
"Okay! I'll be right back to take your orders!" Sweetie Belle chirped, skipping off to fetch their beverages.
"I can picture it now," Diamond muttered. "She's gonna go to the back, find Twist…and then, let the gossip begin!" Tempted as she was to remind Diamond not to call any kettles black, Silver simply resigned herself to sighing and rolling her eyes. She had the feeling that within the next few weeks, anything she could've told Diamond would've been redundant.
"You don't know that," Silver pointed out. "I'm sure she's just fetching our drinks."
"I hope so…" Diamond grumbled.
"Besides, Sweetie Belle's always been…well, sweet. Even when we…weren't." Silver pointed out.
"Maybe she just wants some payback," Diamond retorted. "I wouldn't be surprised if she was…" There was a pause as Diamond Tiara suddenly went silent.
"If she was…" Silver Spoon prompted. Upon receiving no response, Silver took a second look at her friend, who seemed to be staring out onto the restaurant floor. A third look confirmed the focus of her attention, causing the silver-haired girl to smirk knowingly. "So…Featherweight, huh?"
"W-what are you talking about?" Diamond asked, a little too loudly. "I don't like Featherweight!"
"You sure about that?" Silver asked, just as Sweetie set their drinks on the table.
"Have you too decided?" she asked brightly.
"Yes, we'll both have the soup and sandwich on whole-wheat, please." Silver requested, taking care of an embarrassed Diamond Tiara's order.
"Sounds good! Coming right up!" Sweetie replied before gathering their menus and skipping off. Silver waited until Sweetie was out of earshot before returning her attention to a rosy-cheeked Diamond Tiara.
"So…how long have you…" Silver asked, trying to nudge Diamond along. Knowing she'd been caught red-handed, Diamond Tiara sighed and resigned herself to the mercy of her friend.
"Since …I don't know, Silvy…a long time, okay?" Diamond confessed. "Ever since we were kids, I…even though he was such a dork, I kind of…liked him."
"Diamond…if you've liked him for so long, why didn't you ever make a move, or at least tell him how you felt?" Silver asked gently.
"I dunno, Silvy," Diamond murmured. "Maybe I felt like…I wasn't my type, maybe I felt guilty, maybe I felt like such an outsider when he and his dorky friends hung out school to play that…Wizards the Meeting game, or whatever."
"So what you're saying is…you, Diamond Tiara, didn't get to know someone because you were scared?"
"I wasn't scared!" Diamond retorted. "I was…I just didn't think he'd be interested and you know how much I hate being told 'no'."
"I might have an idea…" Silver teased. "Okay, so you've had a crush on Featherweight for years now. Why did you date those other guys?" There was a pause as Diamond Tiara looked down at the table in contemplation.
"Because I knew they wouldn't say 'no'." Silver cocked an eyebrow in surprise at her friend's confession.
"Was that…really the only reason, Di?"
"Pretty much," Diamond said softly. "Honestly…I thought that maybe if I dated them, my crush on Featherweight would go away and I wouldn't be afraid of rejection anymore. But then, the more I dated, the more I realized how much I really like him."
"Okay…" Silver mused, nodding slowly. "So…what is it about him that you like so much?"
"You're really gonna make me tell you, huh?"
"Yep. Isn't that what best friends do? Expose each other's deepest, darkest secrets?" Silver replied with a smirk.
"It would appear so," Diamond grumbled. "Fine, if you really need to know, I…I…I think he's cute, okay?" As embarrassed as her friend was, Silver couldn't help but giggle at it.
"Is that the only reason?"
"No…he's also really friendly and smart and…could you at least try not to enjoy my humiliation so much?"
"Sorry, Di, it's just that I've never seen you talk this way about a guy before," Silver exclaimed. "It's exciting!"
"To you maybe," Diamond groused. "Look…I can't even tell you exactly why I like him so much. I just do but I know that even if I were to tell him, he wouldn't feel the same way."
"How do you know that?"
"Because…I may have been just a little bit of a bitch to him in school…and I'm afraid he won't forgive me." Diamond confessed.
"Di…" Silver murmured, patting her friend's hand. "That was a long time ago. I'm sure he's over it by now."
"And what if he's not?" Diamond asked, a little urgency in her voice.
"Well, there's only one way to find out, right?"
"Yeah, right," Diamond huffed. "And how am I supposed to do that?"
"Well, you could talk to him, for one thing," Silver suggested as Sweetie walked up carrying a tray of food. "Or…"
"Here you go, two fresh sandwiches and two piping-hot bowls of soup!" Sweetie announced, placing them down on the table in front of the two girls. "Is there anything else I can get you?"
"I think we're good for now, Sweetie, thanks." Silver replied. "Actually…there is one other thing…"
"Yes?" Sweetie asked.
"You wouldn't happen to be hiring right now…would you?" Silver asked, making Diamond's eyes widen.
"What are you…?"
"Oh! Yes, we definitely are. Are you looking for a job, Silvy?"
"Uh no, I'm not but Diamond here is and she would really appreciate it if you would put in a good word with your boss." Silver replied, shooting a fuming Diamond Tiara a cheeky wink.
"Sure! You can either bring in a copy of your resume or you can talk to Short Order. I'm sure he'd be happy to give you a shot!" Sweetie explained to Diamond.
"Uh…"
"We'll let you know after we finish lunch, okay Sweetie?" Silver answered, letting Diamond off the hook for the time being.
"Sure! Enjoy your lunches!" With that, Sweetie flounced off once more.
"What the Hell are you doing?" Diamond whispered as Silver calmly took a bite of her sandwich.
"Well, look at it this way, Di. You have the chance to get a job like your father told you and finally win your crush over. It's a win-win."
"Yeah but…"
"I know I stepped on your toes, Di, but I honestly wouldn't have done it if I didn't think it was the right thing to do. You're my best friend, Di, and I just want you to be happy." Silver assured her. Diamond's expression softened as her friend's words began to sink in.
"Maybe…maybe you're right, Silvy," Diamond said with a sigh. "Maybe…it's time to…I dunno, take the next step or whatever."
"Now that's a mature decision that would make both your father and Featherweight proud." Silver agreed with a smile.
"I hope you're right…"
"I know I am. Now, enough serious stuff. Let's enjoy this lunch."
And enjoy it they did. As much as she hated to admit it, Silver Spoon had been right about the place. It might not have looked like much but the food more than made up for it. Not only did everything taste homemade (because, as Sweetie later informed them, everything was), there was something about the meal that made Diamond feel…lighter, as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. By the time they had finished, the prospect of working at the Ponyville Patio was a little less daunting.
Coming to terms with her feelings, however…was an entirely different matter.
***
"You're serious?" Featherweight exclaimed as he and his co workers went about their evening cleaning regiment. "Someone actually applied?"
"I know I should feel insulted but yeah, we've got an applicant and I'm puttin' you in charge o' bringin' her up t' speed." Short Order replied as he tallied up the day's totals.
"Ooh, Featherweight gets to train the new girl!" Twist teased, prompting Sweetie to giggle and the young man in question to merely roll his eyes.
"You're gonna have fun, Feathers. She's a real 'diamond in the rough'!" Sweetie added.
"I don't care if you've gotta sweep the girly off her feet or bring her flowers, if you can train 'er up good, I'll make it worth your while, got it?" Short added.
"I'll do my best, sir," Featherweight replied with a sigh before pausing. "Sweetie…what did you say earlier?"
"About what?" she asked with an innocent expression.
"About the applicant being 'a diamond in the rough'."
"Ooh…did I say that?"
"Sweetie…who applied for the job?" Featherweight coaxed, making Sweetie fidget.
"It was, um…Diamond Tiara."
It was no secret that the peace and tranquility that generally surrounded the small town of Ponyville was subject to…interruptions. Monster attacks, natural disasters, magical mishaps, among others ensured that despite the fact that Ponyville could, to the untrained eye, be considered Equestria’s most idyllic town, there was always something eager to breach the peace.
“DIAMOND TIARA?”
Said breach came in the form of a yell that only the most disappointed of friends, waiters, and upcoming trainers could muster.