Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful

by David Silver


19 - Wearing a Tiara

Prickle approached the duo that had formed so much of her school life up to that point. One of them, she had forgiven, the other...

She took a slow breath, trying to calm herself down. She wasn't just Prickle Berry, no! She was Tiny Titan! And was Tiny Titan scared of some little bully?

Maybe a little...

Prickle sagged in place a little before gathering herself back up and trotting forward, towards destiny. "H-hello, Diamond, Silver."

Silver looked up with a smile.

Diamond's expression was far less cordial. "Hello, Prickle... What do you want?"

Prickle felt dread run through her as if somepony had replaced her blood with icy water. "N-nothing. I just... came to say hello."

"Hello," she repeated. "Now?"

"Now... How's your day?"

Diamond rose from where she had been sitting. "I don't know what you're--"

Silver put a hoof on Diamond's shoulder. "Why don't you answer?"

Diamond blinked softly. "Did you ask her to be here?" She flashed a big smile. "Of course you did." She turned to Prickle. "I'm just fine, thanks for asking." She stepped towards the stunned Prickle. "She must really have you over a barrel. Oh, what I wouldn't give to know that secret."

Prickle thought she was already at maximum tension, but she was proven wrong as worry about Diamond learning her secret identity made her head throb a little with a forming headache. "I... just wanted to be friendly."

"Why?" Diamond looked back at Silver. "I don't get it. Why is she here?"

Silver flashed the most brilliant smile. "I know a secret."

Diamond threw up her forehooves, crashing down on her haunches. "I know that! You've been parading around the fact, and I'm happy for you, Silver, but you're not sharing so it's getting a little annoying."

Silver leaned forward. "Do you want me to share it?"

Prickle felt like she was sweating buckets. Was Silver about to give away her secret? Was their friendship really one big cruel joke?!

Diamond glanced at Prickle, but her attention was mostly on Silver. "Is that an offer? Go on, do share. You know I want to know."

Silver gave a firm nod. "Very well, since you ask... Prickle is--"

Prickle trembled from her ears to her tail. She had to stop Silver, but how?! Attacking her would be wrong, even for that. She screamed internally so loudly, she could barely hear what Silver said.

"--in love with you."

Wait what?

"What?" asked Diamond Tiara out loud.

"It's true. She confessed it all to me yesterday." Silver pointed at Prickle. "She admires your strength and determination, but you scare her. Like a moth attracted to a fire, she can't help herself but dancing closer, but she fears it all the same."

Prickle's mouth moved, but no words came out. She couldn't even parse what had just been said.

Diamond looked almost as shocked. "You... she..." She turned back to Prickle and stepped towards her. "You should hate me!"

That woke Prickle up, blinking. "I don't... hate you." She didn't. She was terrified of Diamond, but she didn't hate her. Hay, she didn't even want bad things to happen to her, just...

"You should!" Diamond thrust a hoof forward, thudding it painfully into Prickle's chest. "We've been enemies forever! Why don't you hate me?!"

Prickle staggered back a step before she inclined an ear towards Diamond. "Do you want me to hate you?"

"I..." That caught Diamond off guard a little. "I mean... no?" She sank back down to her haunches. "Why don't you hate me?" Her eyes looked a little misty. She really was confused.

Silver had the sense to be entirely quiet, watching the two but speaking not a word.

Prickle felt that was a vital moment, a pivotal one. One wrong move could undo whatever little progress had been made. "Diamond Tiara, I do not hate you." She spoke in slow and clear words, trying her best to get it right, "do you hate me?"

Diamond was quiet. Everything was quiet. Prickle could hear nothing but her own heart, thumping wildly in her chest as she waited for a reply. Then it came. "No." Diamond glared at her. "You're... still a freak... But... no... No I don't! Happy?"

Prickle felt some of that painful tension leave and she sagged in place a little. "A little," she said with a smile. "I'm not a freak."

Diamond blinked at that bit of defiance."You're the strongest pony I know."

"And that's a good thing," countered Prickle, sitting up tall. "A freak is a bad thing. Please stop calling me that. Please..." The last bit wavered. She was still a filly. She was still facing her tormentor. That last little word came out trembling and begging.

Diamond suddenly stood up. "I'll think about it. Silver, let's go." She marched off without looking back.

Silver made an apologetic shrug before she chased after her friend.

Prickle was left alone, sinking to her belly. Had that gone well? She honestly wasn't sure if it had or not.

"Why the long face?"

Prickle looked up. It was Lyra. She sat up to face the adult mare. "Nothing," she lied. "Nice to see you."

"Nice to see you too." She flipped over a candy with her magic. "You staying out of trouble?"

"I'm trying," Prickle said more honestly before she unwrapped the candy and popped it into her mouth. It was a little sour, but sweet too. She liked it. "How's Bon Bon?"

"You know her. She's all great and secretive." Lyra grinned at Prickle. "Like another mare I know, huh? Guess I'm lucky, being surrounded by amazing ponies. You know, I was friends with Twilight long before she became a princess."

Prickle did not know that and blinked with awe. "You knew her when she came to the town?"

"Before that!" declared Lyra with confidence. "When we both lived up in Canterlot. Oh boy was she a hot mess of a filly, but we loved her anyway. One day, pfft, off she goes, moving out of Canterlot without a word." She leaned in close. "Guess when you get the call to save the world, goodbyes aren't always #1 priority, ya know? I'm not even mad at her."

Prickle felt a smile coming on her. "You're a very special pony."

Lyra looked confused at that. "Who, me? I just play a lyre. That's not that special." She waved it off.

"It's true! You're right at the center of so many ponies. You're super special and you don't even know it."

Lyra crouched down a little and put a hoof on Prickle's head, mussing up her mane a little. "You're the sweetest thing outside of one of Bon Bon's candies. You just keep being you." With a magical pop, Lyra's lyre appeared beside her and began to play a jaunty little tune. "I'll be cheering you on from the background, alright?"

The pain and confusion she had felt before felt banished beside Lyra's friendly presence, and her music wasn't bad either. "I'm glad to have you, Lyra, as a friend."

"That's Miss Heartstrings," corrected Lyra before she burst into laughter, unable to hold up the ruse for longer than a moment. "The feeling goes both way, little porcupine."

Prickle felt her cheeks warm. "Only my mother calls me that."

Lyra blinked in surprise. "Oh! Well, it's a good name. Will she be mad if I borrow it?"

Prickle shook her head, and Lyra gave a happy nod before she trotted off, playing her joyful song as she went.

The school bell began to ring loudly, reminding Prickle that she was late. She scurried off with all due haste and slid onto her chair just before Cheerillee got to calling out pony's names. She didn't always do that. She knew all the filly and colts. It was a subtle lesson. If Prickle was any later, she would be in big trouble! She quietly let out a sigh of relief that she had avoided that fate.

In the middle of class, something lightly bounced off her head. Prickle jumped a little in surprise and looked over to spot a crumpled bit of paper. She reached down and plucked it up to find a letter written on the creased paper.

Hello, Muscle-Bound Filly,

Don't look, but I'm watching you. If this is some kind of crazy scheme to get me to lower my guard, I won't be.

Do you really love me? [ ] Yes [ ] No

Please check one and throw it back,
DT

Prickle felt a shiver run through her, not for the first time that day. Silver's lie was catching up with her. What was the right answer?

A sudden grin spread on her face. She had an out. A sneaky way out.

She checked yes, crumpled the paper up, then hurled it. She hurled it with all her might.

The paper did not survive. It caught on fire almost instantly. A second later a faint field of dust and ash blew past a surprised Diamond Tiara's face. She was left blinking in shock. She would not be getting that answer, at least that day.

"Prickle Berry!"

Prickle jumped and turned her head back to a very angry Cheerilee. "We have a very strict rule about fireworks in the schoolhouse." She thrust a hoof into the corner. "Half an hour. What has gotten into you..."

She hopped down from her chair, her ears sagging. She couldn't think of any good excuses that wouldn't ultimately make it worse. She had been a naughty filly, so she went to the time out stool, sat on it, and slumped when the cone of shame was placed on her head between her fuzzy ears.

She had avoided answering, but not trouble in general.

During lunch, she hurried to join the CMC, but another figure stepped in her way. It was Diamond, smiling. "Interesting trick, Prickle." She stepped towards Prickle on confident hooves. "If you didn't want to answer, you could have just, you know, not answered." She reached up and put a hoof on Prickle's shaking snout. "It's alright. I'm not even angry. You'll tell me when you want to." Then she just walked away.

Prickle almost fell forward. She was off the hook?! Diamond wasn't going to yell at her?

Then it hit her. Did Diamond think she was a lovesick little filly having a hard time admitting her feelings? With a muted little yelp, she hurried over to the crusaders and hopped up beside Sweetie Belle. "Help!"

Sweetie turned her head at Prickle. "What's wrong?"

Apple Bloom set her hooves down on the table. "We're here for ya, Prickle. Ya know that."

Scootaloo clopped her hooves together. "Is Diamond picking on you?!"

The truth was worse...