//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: The Rainbow Crusade 
// by TheRainbowDashShow 
//------------------------------//

"WHAT!" Rainbow Dash screamed.

The brown pony straightened his tie and adjusted the collar of his jacket, "Just sign the papers and I'll be on my way." He said.

"I'm not signing anything!" Rainbow Dash shouted as the farmhouse door creaked open, "Now get out!"

"This is your last chance; if you don't sign you'll only make things worse."

Rainbow Dash rose to her hooves, "GET OUT!"

With an exasperated sigh the pony gathered his papers, straightened them and dropped them into his briefcase. He stood up from his chair, trotted past Raven Flame and Scootaloo and through the open doorway. Rainbow Dash dropped her head to the wooden table and kicked at it angrily.

"Dashie, what's wrong?" Raven Flame asked, wrapping her forelegs around the Pegasus in a hug.

Rainbow Dash lifted her head and gave the filly a small smile, "It's nothing, don't worry about it."

"Sure didn't sound like nothing." Scootaloo said.

Raven Flame turned to Scootaloo, "Maybe it's best you come back later." She whispered.

Scootaloo nodded and waved her hoof, "I'll see you ponies later." She called out trotting back out the door.

Raven Flame took a seat next to Rainbow Dash, "So what did that pony want?"

"I said don't worry about it." Rainbow Dash repeated.

Raven Flame frowned, "What did he want you to sign?"

Rainbow Dash groaned, "You aren't going to let this go are you?"

"Nope!"

Rainbow Dash scooted herself off the seat and walked towards the living room. She collapsed herself onto the couch, a look of irritation and worry covering her face, "They wanted me to sign papers that claim I am quitting the weather clearing services."

Raven Flame sat down next to the blue Pegasus, "I don't understand…"

"Raven…" Rainbow Dash hesitated and glanced at the sweet innocent pony, she hoped Raven Flame would never have to deal with anything like this when she was older, "One way or another I'm not going to lose my job…"

Raven Flame was still confused, "Why?"

"Well now that Filthy pretty much owns Ponyville…" Rainbow Dash's eyes drooped lowly staring at the floor, "He doesn't want any filly foolers working for him. Since I work for the cloud clearers and he pays the cloud clearers..."

"But, he can't do that!" Raven Flame cried.

"He's the richest pony in Ponyville and now he owns it." Rainbow Dash picked up one of the couch pillows and tossed it angrily across the room, "He can do whatever he wants."

"Why doesn't he just have you fired then?" Raven Flame asked.

"Probably trying to defend his image." Rainbow Dash explained, "Looks better that I quit then firing me without a reason."

"So what's he going to do?"

"Make up a reason to fire me that doesn't make him look bad." Rainbow Dash sighed.

The front door creaked open again, "Rainbow wake up!" Applejack called out suspecting the Pegasus was napping as usual.

Rainbow Dash hopped to her hooves, sprinted to the door and tossed herself onto the orange pony. "Did I ever tell you how much I love you?" Rainbow Dash asked as she absorbed as much comfort from Applejack as she could.

"What's wrong RD?" Applejack asked suspiciously.

"I didn't do anything! Honest!" Rainbow Dash answered still squeezing her tightly, "I just missed you is all."

Applejack blinked, "Okay, spill the gravy, what's wrong?"

"I'm probably going to get fired in a few days…" Rainbow Dash said quietly.

Applejack pulled herself away from Rainbow Dash, "What in the hay did yah do this time?" she asked raising her voice.

"I didn't do anything!" Rainbow Dash cried out, "It's because I'm a filly fooler…"

"Oh hay sticks, yah aren't getting fired because of that!"

Rainbow Dash turned to Raven Flame, "Can we talk about this in our room?" she asked not wanting to give more details to the filly then what she already had.

Applejack, still believing that this was something Rainbow Dash had done, she marched loudly up the stairs dragging the Pegasus with her. Raven Flame noticed she was still clutching the photograph from her date. She sprinted up the stairs and placed the picture beneath the mattress of her bed and headed back downstairs to find Scootaloo.

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were leaning against the outside wall of the farmhouse, watching Scootaloo as she zoomed around the orchards on her scooter. "Oh hey Raven, what's up?" Applebloom called out, removing the piece of hay from her mouth.

Raven Flame walked over dejectedly as she decided whether or not to tell the others what was happening. She joined the other two by the wall and stared off in the distance, completely absorbed in her own thoughts. Finally she made her decision, "Scootaloo, come over here I need to tell you ponies something." She called out.

Scootaloo rushed towards the wall, slamming on the brakes at the last second forming a cloud of dust that blinded them. "What's up?"

Raven Flame looked around, for some reason she felt uncomfortable talking here, almost as if some pony were watching her, "Let's go to the clubhouse…" She said, "And lets hurry."

They started running in the direction of the clubhouse with the exception of Scootaloo whom matched their pace effortlessly on her scooter. Moving up the wooden ramp, Raven Flame shut the door behind them and sat herself down on one of the cushions she had moved inside a few days ago.

"Well what is it?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"I think Filthy Rich is trying to get rid of any filly foolers in town." Raven Flame said.

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle burst into laughter, "That's ridiculous." Applebloom said in between laughs.

Raven Flame glowered at them, "I'm serious. Some pony was trying to force Rainbow Dash to quit the weather clearing team."

The two stopped laughing, "What?" they shouted out together.

"Then as the pony was leaving he said things would only get worse."

"Well what do we do?" Applebloom cried out.

"I don't know!" Raven Flame started to trot in circles back in deep thought.

Scootaloo cleared her throat, she couldn't believe the words she was about to utter, "I think we need Diamond Tiara's help…"

Sweetie Belle gasped, "Are you crazy?"

"Yeah, that pony wouldn't help yah cross the street if yah had a raccoon eating yer hoof!" Applebloom joined in.

Raven Flame considered this option and realized at this point, it was their only option, "I think Scootaloo is right." She said finally.

"But Raven!" Applebloom cried.

"What choice do we have?" Raven Flame asked, "She is the only pony who could even possibly change Filthy's mind about what he is doing." She said, opening the clubhouse door and trotting back down the ramp, "We need her help."

"Fine!" Applebloom and Sweetie Belle said simultaneously and followed Raven Flame down the ramp.

"Let's go!" Scootaloo shouted enthusiastically though inside she was dying at the mere thought of asking Diamond Tiara for help. Leaving her scooter behind she and the other three started off towards the mansion near the edge of Ponyville.

The four trotted hesitantly up towards the open large iron gate. They stared at the building; a white polished marble staircase aligned with decorative pillars that led up to a single oversized mahogany door. They gulped and pushed themselves to enter the premises.

Again the four paused once they reached the door, "Are yah sure yah wanna do this?" Applebloom asked nervously.

Raven Flame answered the question by knocking loudly on the wooden door. Apart from the sound of the knocks echoing off of the marble floors they waited silently. After a minute had passed, she knocked a second time, and waited.

"Guess no pony is home!" Sweetie Belle said feeling a little relieved.

The door pulled open just as they were about to leave, "Can I help you?" asked a gray unicorn wearing a black bowtie.

"We're friends of Diamond Tiara. Could we talk to her?" Raven Flame asked with a sweet smile.

"I'll be but a moment." The unicorn answered in a forced posh tone. Once the door was closed, Raven Flame coughed, trying to rid herself of the wretched taste that appeared in her mouth from claiming she was a friend of the pony.

"Oh… It's you ponies." Diamond Tiara said bitterly, "What do you want?"

"We…" Raven Flame swallowed her growing disgust, "We need your help." She choked.

Diamond Tiara broke into laughter, "Why would I help you?"

"Please, Rainbow Dash is getting fired just because she is married to Applejack!" Raven Flame pleaded.

"Not my problem!" Diamond Tiara said smugly.

"Well we'll make it your problem!" Scootaloo said angrily, "If you don't, we'll tell every pony about you and Silver Spoon!"

Diamond Tiara began to giggle again, "And who is going to believe you, you don't have any proof."

Raven Flame blinked, they didn't have any proof. The closest thing they had to a shred of evidence was the tiara and she had returned it. They had absolutely nothing on her and now that Diamond Tiara knew that they knew she would never as careless again. "Come on every pony, let's go." Raven Flame said turning around.

"Bye!" Diamond Tiara waved a hoof gleefully, absorbing the joy she felt from defeating them.

"Great, what now?" Scootaloo asked while they were trotting down the dirt road back to the orchards.

"We have to think of something!" Sweetie Belle cried, "The whole town could end up in ruins!"

"Hey Scootaloo." Raven Flame said with a little smile as an idea popped into her head.

Scootaloo turned to her curiously, "Yeah?"

"I think it's time we get out the old binoculars again."


Raven Flame awoke early the next morning feeling revitalized and confident. She hopped off her mattress, lifted it and removed the photograph. She smiled at the picture, but quickly tossed it onto her bed when she heard the sound of the roosters crowing. Trotting down stairs she ran outside the farmhouse door and met with Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom.

"What took you so long?" Scootaloo asked prodding her stomach.

Raven Flame rolled her eyes and ignored the question, "Let's go!"

The four fillies trotted down the dirt road early the next morning and stopped at the hedges that surrounded the fence of Filthy Rich's mansion. As they waited, soon more ponies began to arrive. First Rainbow Dash and Applejack, then Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie showed shortly after. Another fifteen minutes passed and Rarity finally met up with the rest of them, trotting as carefully as she could in a silk gown.

"Alright, we're all here!" Raven Flame said as they grouped around in a circle.

"Oh, will this take long?" Fluttershy asked shyly, "It's just, I have to be back home soon to feed Angel or he'll get cranky."

"It all depends on how well this goes." Raven Flame answered, "Rainbow Dash, you're going to circle the building near the windows in case we need to make a quick getaway."

"Yes ma'am!" Rainbow Dash said with a salute.

"Pinkie Pie, I need you to distract Diamond Tiara if she comes home for any reason."

"Okey-Dokey-Lokey!" Pinkie Pie squeaked.

"Applejack, I uh, didn't really need you." Raven Flame said awkwardly, "I guess you can help Pinkie Pie."

"Alrighty then." Applejack said tipping her cowboy hat.

"Fluttershy, I want you to watch the school, if you see Diamond Tiara, you come back here and give us a signal."

"Oh, okay… I'll try…" Fluttershy said nervously.

"Twilight, with your magic you can help us find what we're looking for so you're going in with the four of us."

Twilight Sparkle nodded then shook her head, "Wait, what am I even looking for?"

"We're looking for anything that can prove that Diamond Tiara is a filly fooler, like a diary or photographs."

"What about me, what am I doing and why did you have me dress like this?" Rarity asked.

Raven Flame turned to her and examined the gown, "You're the key to this whole operation. You are going to distract Filthy Rich and his butler while the five of us sneak inside."

Rarity felt a little confused, "How am I going to do that?"

Raven Flame covered her hoof with her face, "Really, Rarity?"

Rarity chuckled when she figured it out, "Oh, right."

They heard the sound of hoofsteps on marble approaching them. Every pony dived into the hedges with the exception of Rarity who simply stood there pretending to admire herself. Diamond Tiara emerged from the opened gate and trotted past Rarity, rolling her eyes as she did so. Once the filly was out of sight everyone climbed from the hedges.

"Alright every pony!" Raven Flame said, "Let's get to work!"

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash both launched themselves into the air going in opposite directions. Pinkie Pie pulled an assortment of party items and placed on a goofy hat and entertained herself while she waited. Rarity elegantly trotted towards the door, Twilight and the four fillies following close behind.

Knocking as loudly as she could, the butler pony soon opened the door and greeted Rarity, "Can I help you madame?" he asked.

"Oh I'm just here to visit my good friend Rich." Rarity said in a charming voice, she gently rubbed the butler's cheek, "Be a dear and let me come in, I'd hate for my dress to get wrinkled with this weather."

"Yes, of course." The butler answered stepping aside quickly.

"Why thank you." Rarity trotted through the doorway, purposefully stumbling and falling into the butler's hooves. "Oh clumsy me, I'm always tripping over myself. I can't tell you how many dresses I've ruined because I can't keep a steady hoof."

While the butler was distracted with Rarity, Twilight and the four fillies ran in quickly and quietly, taking cover behind a nearby pillar. Rarity stood herself back up with the help of the butler pony, "Thank you again for catching me." She said sweetly, "If you could be so kind as to find Rich for me that would be most lovely."

The butler pony nodded and trotted off into another room. As soon as he was clear Twilight and the four fillies ran up the red velvet stairs in the center of the wall directly across from the front door.

"Where do we start?" Sweetie Belle asked once atop the staircase.

"Leave it to me girls!" Twilight said excitedly. Her horn began to glow and soon groups of lights illuminated through the walls of the upper floors.

"There!" Applebloom said pointing at a white painted door where a cluster of pale lights hovered together in the shape of a crown.

The five of them ran silently to the door and went inside. There was a pink curtained bed aligned with the far wall in the center of her room. On each side of the bed was a stand, a tiara resting on one of them, where the other was bare.

"Check everything." Raven Flame ordered, trotting towards the nearest dresser and opening its drawers. She rummaged through the scarves, jackets and dresses but found nothing.

Twilight Sparkle sifted through the closet and the bookshelves using her magic and after thorough searching, she too had no luck. "Nothing!" she called out.

Scootaloo checked beneath the pale pink pillows and beneath the mattress, but much to her dismay, she shared the same results, "Same here!"

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle peered around the room, looking for something, anything that they hadn't checked yet. Applebloom let out a hopeful gasp when she noticed the bare Tiara stands was slightly askew. She trotted over towards it and nudged the black felt and the top of it shifted. She pushed it open the rest of the way to find a small rectangular diary with floral patterns decorating its cover. "Ah found something!" she shouted.

The four of them trotted over and peered at its cover. Slowly and carefully Raven Flame tipped open the cover. The sound of Pinkie Pie's party cannon boomed across the room, startling Raven she pulled her hoof away before she had finished opening the cover. "Hurry up!" Scootaloo whispered, "Diamond Tiara is probably on her way back up here right now."

Applebloom rolled her eyes and flipped open the cover. The four of them gasped at the sight, they couldn't believe what they were seeing. Raven Flame snatched it from Applebloom's hoofs to get a better look. "It's blank!" she shouted as she flipped through the pages.

The sound of a pony chuckling from behind them, "You didn't think I'd be that careless, did you?" Diamond Tiara snickered, "By the way, your plan didn't work very well. Fluttershy lost my tracks when I snuck outside the other door of the school."

Scootaloo sputtered, "So all of this was just some sort of joke?"

"I knew you three were up to something when I followed you ponies all around town last night." Diamond Tiara laughed, "So I thought I'd play along with your little game."

Twilight Sparkle frowned, "Come on girls, I think we better go."

"Why don't I walk you ponies out." Diamond Tiara said snidely, "Knowing you ponies, you'd get lost in your own living room."

Raven Flame grumbled and followed the filly outside the room. Once outside the room Diamond Tiara shut the door behind them. Standing there, Raven Flame stared at the filly's smug face, that same anger she had felt the day in the schoolyard. Angrily, she kicked her hind legs at the white door, leaving a large dent in the wood.

"What they hay is wrong with you?" Diamond Tiara cried.

Raven Flame glared, "Relax; I'm sure your daddy can afford fixing a single door."

Diamond Tiara groaned in frustration, "Get out right now!"

"Sorry, I'm lost; you'll have to show me the way." Raven Flame replied instantly.

Diamond Tiara stopped herself from screaming with irritation and trotted down the stairs and towards the front door, closely watching the four ponies to make sure they didn't try to sneak away. She pulled open the large wooden door for them and with her free hoof gestured for them to leave, but halted Raven Flame who was still holding the floral book, "I believe that's mine." She said.

Raven Flame smirked, "You left it for us to find on purpose, so I guess that means you wanted us to have it." She let out a quiet laugh, "Besides, I'm sure your daddy can buy you a new one." She taunted.

"Fine, whatever!" Diamond Tiara said trying to contain her frustration, "Thanks for stopping by, feel free to come back never." She said slamming the door on the five ponies.

The three trotted down the steps and met with the others, "Well, that went better then it could have." Twilight said trying to keep the enthusiasm up.

"Yes, I guess so." Raven Flame replied, "I'm going back to bed." She said with a yawn.

"Me too." Sweetie Belle said.

"Same." Scootaloo joined in.

"Ah'd be fine with a cup of coffee." Applebloom said hopefully, nudging Applejack.

"Yer not having any coffee!" Applejack said firmly.

"Aww." Applebloom whined, "Fine I'm going back tah bed too." She said and started trotting down the dirt road, the other three fillies following her.

The four of them reached the farmhouse to find the front door was wide open, "Did one of y'all leave the door open?" Applebloom asked.

"I didn't." Sweetie Belle answered.

"Rainbow Dash and Applejack left after us, it must have been one of them." Scootaloo said.

Raven Flame however did not share the same optimism that the Pegasus was presenting. She ran inside quickly and up the stairs into her bedroom. She scanned beneath the sheets of her bed, underneath her mattress, on the desks and around the floor. Raven Flame knew instantly, Diamond Tiara had used the window of opportunity they had presented her with to take the photograph of her and Scootaloo.


Silver Spoon knocked on the polished wooden door and the butler pony soon answered, "Good afternoon, please come inside. Miss Tiara is upstairs in her room." He said politely as he held open the door for her.

Silver Spoon gave him a polite smile and trotted down the long carpet up the stairs. As she approached the white door she noticed a rather large hoof shaped dent in the wood. She knocked on the door, "Diamond Tiara, it's me." She called out.

Diamond Tiara opened the door, "Hey!" she said happy to see a friendly face.

"What happened to your door?" Silver Spoon asked as she trotted inside the bedroom.

Diamond Tiara grunted, "Raven Flame decided she wanted to kick it down."

Silver Spoon grinned and hopped on the bed, "I have something that will make you feel better then."

Diamond Tiara brightened up somewhat, "What's that?" she said hopefully, joining her companion on the bed.

Silver Spoon slid off her saddlebag and withdrew a photograph from within its depths, "I found this on Raven Flame's bed."

Diamond Tiara took the picture from Silver Spoon's hoof and examined it. She chuckled evilly then tossed her hooves around her friend and kissed her. "What would I do without you?" she asked caressing Silver Spoon's cheek.

Silver Spoon squeaked and gave her another kiss, "So what happened?"

Diamond Tiara grumbled, "She was trying to find something to use against me." She bounced up excitedly clutching the photograph, "But thanks to you we have something to use against her!"

Silver Spoon smiled, "What are we going to do with it?"

Diamond Tiara pondered the question momentarily, "First we need to make copies." She trotted to one of her desks and pulled out a silver key, "And I still have the keys to the school newspaper room." The two giggled, trotted out of the bedroom and back down the stairs. "Daddy, I'm going out for a bit." Diamond called out, "I'll be back soon."

"Have fun!" Filthy Rich called out disinterestedly from another room, not even pulling his eyes from the newspaper he was reading.

Diamond Tiara peered around her front door, making sure no pony was still around to follow her. Satisfied with the search she walked outside, locking the door behind her and Silver Spoon.

"Can we stop at Sugar Cube Corner after we're done, I missed breakfast." Silver Spoon asked.

"For you?" Diamond Tiara said sweetly, "Of course."

Silver Spoon blushed, "Thanks."

Diamond Tiara pushed in the key of the newspaper room and jingled it until the latch popped open. She stepped inside and flicked the light switch. Silver Spoon quietly rummaged through copies of the old news papers while the other filly worked. She found a copy of Gabby Gums and sat down to read it while she waited.

"Finished!" Diamond Tiara shouted from across the room a few minutes later. She picked up the ink stained towel nearby and cleaned herself off the best she could.

Silver Spoon dropped the newspaper and joined Diamond Tiara at the door, "Sugar Cube Corner?" she asked hopefully.

Diamond Tiara smiled and nodded as she relocked the newspaper room. A feeling of relief washed over her, "Now if Raven or those other three blank flanks try anything, I'll have these to use to make them back off."

"Welcome to Sugar Cube Corner!" Mrs. Cake called out as the two fillies walked through the door, "The usual?" she asked pulling out a small square box from beneath the counter.

Diamond Tiara nodded and dropped a few bits on the glass, "Thanks Mrs. Cake!" she said in a sweet and innocent voice as they walked away with the box.

Silver Spoon munched happily on the chocolate frosted cupcake as they trotted back down the dirt road towards the mansion, "Oh we have math homework." She said.

"Ugh…" Diamond Tiara frowned, "Did you pick me up a copy of the assignment?"

Silver Spoon nodded as she continued to eat her cupcake, "It's just review work to see what we remember from last year. It shouldn't take us to long."

"I suppose." Diamond Tiara said as she unlocked the large mahogany door of the mansion and pushed it open, "Daddy, I'm back." She called out.

"Welcome home." Filthy called back still paying almost no attention to the fillies.

"We're going upstairs to do our homework, okay?" Diamond Tiara shouted.

"That's nice dear." Filthy said, not even bothering to raise his voice so he was barely heard.

"I'll go get some quills and ink and meet you in my room." Diamond Tiara said trotting off in a separate direction.

Silver Spoon swallowed the rest of her cupcake and ventured up the staircase for the second time. She stared at the hoof shaped dent in the door. Now that she thought about it, it didn't seem like the best idea to upset a pony that wasn't afraid to clobber another pony. She pushed the thought out of her head, went inside and waited quietly on the bed.

A few minutes passed and Diamond Tiara came inside, "Sometimes that pony is so useless." She grumbled, "He couldn't even remember where he put the quills."

Silver Spoon pulled out two sheets of paper from her saddlebag and gave one of them to Diamond Tiara. Sliding the sheets in between a clamp on clipboards, the two lay on the bed and worked. They laughed and made jokes to keep themselves entertained or on occasion stopping for a break or just to stare at one another. The sun slowly sank away from the sky as the moon rose and took its place as they worked.

Silver Spoon looked outside the window, "It's getting late, guess I better go."

Diamond Tiara frowned, "You could always stay the night." She suggested with wide eyes, not wanting her to leave.

Silver Spoon blushed and giggled, "Okay, okay." She said. Diamond Tiara threw her hooves around her for a second time. "So what are we going to do with those copies?" Silver Spoon asked curiously.

Diamond Tiara glanced at the stack of pictures, "If they try anything, we'll post them all around town."

"I see." Silver Spoon said feeling a little queasy about the idea.

Diamond Tiara's eyes narrowed, "Does that bother you?" she asked in a much harsher tone.

Silver Spoon cleared her throat, "Oh no of course not! I'm just tired that's all."

"That's what I thought." Diamond Tiara said as she gathered the papers and placed them on her desk then flicked the bedroom light switch. She trotted quickly back to the bed and pulled the covers over her, "Good night."

Silver Spoon wrapped a hoof around Diamond Tiara and held her. Closing her eyes she whispered, "Good night."