//------------------------------// // S4 E15: Twilight Time (What If?) // Story: My Little Pony Friendship is Magic What If?: Volume 5 // by SuperPinkBrony12 //------------------------------// Inside the Golden Oak Library, Twilight was watching over the Cutie Mark Crusaders. This was another one of their frequent one on one sessions with Twilight, unofficially dubbed "Twilight Time". Sweetie Belle was the first one to volunteer for a lesson, even thought Twilight cautioned to the young unicorn. "Uh, Sweetie Belle, maybe we should run through the steps another few times before you try it on your own. Remember, magic is very powerful, but also very dangerous." Sweetie Belle only shook her head. "Nope. I'm ready to give it a shot, Twilight!" "Okay then!" Twilight reluctantly agreed. "Don't forget what I taught you, Sweetie Belle. Concentration is a must." Sweetie just nodded, and focused her horn on a broom that sat near the library door. She enveloped the broom in a pale, light grayish sap green aura, as her horn began to spark. Now, the broom wasn't that heavy, but Sweetie found herself straining just to maintain a grip on it, let alone try to move it under her own power. "Can't... seem... to...!" She groaned, before suddenly her neck clicked, her magic faded, and the broom fell over. "Ugh! I think I threw my neck out..." She remarked, as her neck felt rather stiff. "Aw, you're okay. You did pretty well for a first attempt." Scootaloo encouraged. "Yeah, ya just need a little more practice and then liftin' brooms'll be a cinch!" Apple Bloom chimed in. "I doubt it. That thing weighs a ton." Sweetie remarked. Just then, Spike came walking in through the door as he asked out loud. " Hey, has anypony seen my– " But then he quickly spotted the broom and changed his sentence. "Oh, there it is." And he cheerfully went about sweeping the floor, while whistling a cheerful tune to himself. "I swear, Rarity makes magic look so easy!" Sweetie complained with a noticeable hint of jealousy. "I'll never get my cutie mark for this, to say nothing of the possibility of playing musical instruments with it." Twilight only laughed. "I wouldn't say that, Sweetie Belle. Maybe you won't get a cutie mark in magic, but with practice I'm sure we can work up to levitating multiple objects, and getting you some music lessons. After all, that's part of the reason why I founded this special time just for us. To help you three explore things you're interested in, and give you something to do besides tear up town searching for your cutie marks." Meanwhile, Spike had stumbled across a bunch of random mechanical parts strewn about the library floor. With a frown, he complained. "Hey, who's gonna clean up this mess? I am NOT a janitor." "Sorry, Spike," Scootaloo apologized, rushing over. "But it's no mess! These are all the carefully arranged pieces of a unicycle that I took apart and will be putting back together... as soon as Twilight shows me how that is." The tomboyish filly proceeded to let out a high pitched squee, as her eyes grew wide and she gave off a massive smile. Twilight didn't fall for it. "Scootaloo, I already told you I won't show you how, but I'll help you find the instructions so you can figure it out yourself," She said with a laugh. "After all, if you want to learn how to repair your scooter, you can't depend on anypony else to do it for you, not even once. Besides, I'm not that skilled at hoof-eye coordination." Groaning, Scootaloo turned around and went towards the bookshelves as she complained. "Ugh, I hate research! It's so boring!" Twilight ignored Scootaloo's comment, and simply instructed. "To your left, third shelf from the bottom. You'll find it in no time." "Thanks again for helpin' us learn all these new skills, Twilight," Apple Bloom spoke up. "Sure beats workin' for the school paper." Twilight smiled at Apple Bloom. "Always glad to pass on my love of learning for learning's sake. You three make fine students." Apple Bloom nodded, before she added. "Maybe Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, seein' as they know what they wanna do with their skills and are makin' progress. As for me, I'm afraid I'll never get the hang of this potion-makin', and Zecora doesn't want me blowin' up her hut by accident. I think she's still mad about the whole 'Cutie Pox' incident." "Well, you did take some of her ingredients without permission," Twilight scolded. "But Zecora hasn't stopped inviting you over, so I'm sure she's not too mad. She's likely looking out for your safety, she's had years of potion making experience, so she knows what she's doing. You're a greenhorn." "Yeah, I know," Apple Bloom commented. "It sure would be nice if I could someday perfect my potion makin', not only would I impress Zecora, but I think I could help my family grow a lot of crops. I just wish I knew what I was doin' wrong." "Did you follow the magic plant-growing formula I gave you last time?" Twilight asked the farm filly. "Well... uh... more or less." Apple Bloom answered rather nervously. Twilight smiled. "Then let's try it out on this apple seedling and see how we do. Okay?" "Okay," Apple Bloom reluctantly replied and she nervously whispered to herself. "Oh... I hope this works." Apple Bloom flipped a switch, and a drop of the formula landed in her potted plant, kicking up a huge cloud of green colored dust. Twilight coughed, as she fanned the dust away with a hoof. As for the seedling, it seemed to briefly start sprouting, before it hunched over and starting coughing and sputtering line crazy. Both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle giggled, as Apple Bloom just commented to the plant. "Layin' it on a little bit thick there, aren't we, pal?" The next day, at school, all three crusaders were playing with Pipsqueak, while the rest of their classmates occupied themselves with whatever they wanted. But all of a sudden, there came a whistle, and a familiar obnoxious voice called out. "Yoo-hoo! Gather 'round! It's time!" Everyone rushed over to the source of the noise, which of course turned out to be Diamond Tiara. And she was accompanied by Silver Spoon. "You all know that I promised to show off an amazing, first-time-ever acrobatic display for you all today, right?!" The pink coated filly asked. All her classmates nodded, and cheered in delight. "I know, it's so exciting. But I'm tired." Diamond commented, as all the colts and fillies whined. "That's not fair, Di," Silver Spoon complained. "You promised them a show." "Patience, Silver Spoon, I was just getting to that," Diamond replied, and then she explained to her classmates. "I did not wish to disappoint you all, so I brought my butler Randolph. After all, I never said I would be the one doing those acrobatics," She then shouted. "Hey, Randolph, that's your cue!" Randolph just sighed. "Coming Mistress Diamond." He called, as the light grayish-purple earth pony stallion with a curly greenish grey mane and tail, and a cutie mark depicting a feather duster, limped out into the sunshine. His light cobalt blue eyes indicated just how tired he was, but he was never one to disobey an order from the family he'd sworn an oath to serve. "She really does take after her mother too much. The things I do for the sake of that paycheck and cute face." He thought to himself, as he proceeded to show off feats of acrobatics that shouldn't have been possible for a pony of his age and dexterity. Everypony was amazed, but the applause only grew once Diamond not so subtlely shoved the older butler aside to bask in the spotlight. "Sorry, Randolph." She quickly apologized, even as she continued to bask in the applause and praise. Silver Spoon felt sorry for Randolph, but not enough to credit him for his performance. She simply commented. "That was amazing, Diamond Tiara. You should take that on the road." "Don't give me any ideas, Silver Spoon," Tiara laughed. "I doubt Mother and Father would approve of me dropping out of school to become a performer, no matter how appealing that idea might be." "Can you believe her?" Apple Bloom groaned, watching the two fillies from a distance. "She's got some nerve treatin' her butler like that. I'd never do that to Granny Smith." "You think you know a pony, and then they go and do stuff like this," Scootaloo commented. "She's using somepony else to build herself up, and without even putting any effort into learn her own skills like we do! If I wasn't the filly I was, I'd probably punch her." "Now, now, let's not talk bad about her behind her back. We have a truce with her, remember?" Sweetie cautioned. "Besides, if we get really good at the stuff Twilight's teaching us, we could be the big shots around here for a change! Just picture it!" And indeed the fillies did, or at least Sweetie Belle did: She imagined that she and her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders, were showing off their Twilight Time skills for all to see. "Check this out!" Scootaloo exclaimed, as she easily put together a unicycle with minimal effort. "And check this out!" Apple Bloom shouted, as she poured a potion into the ground and caused a gigantic apple tree to sprout up from the ground. All of their classmates were amazed, if the oohs and aahs were anything to go by. "And now, check this out!" Sweetie Belle declared, as she used her magic to pick up Diamond Tiara and spin and toss her around as if she were nothing but a rag doll. "Hey, put me down! I don't like heights!" Diamond pleaded, to no avail. All the while, ponies were laughing and giggling at her humiliation. "Now for the grand finale!" Sweetie boasted, as she pulled Tiara close. "You'll make a fine drum stick, I just hope you provide a good beat." "Noooooooooo!" Tiara screamed, as Sweetie giggled in delight. "Hey, can you hear me? Equestria to Sweetie Belle, come in." Diamond called out, tapping on Sweetie Belle's head and snapping her out of her fantasy. Momentarily forgetting where she was, Sweetie shook her head. "Huh? Huh? What? What?" "Gosh, it's like talking to soap!" Tiara remarked. "I've been asking you for the past several minutes and you've said nothing." "Sorry, I zoned out there for a bit," Sweetie apologized. "What is it? You want something?" Diamond sighed, and put a hoof to her face. "Guess I'll have to repeat myself again. I was asking if your sister Rarity will be taking you to Manehattan anytime soon." "Because if she is, maybe you can meet up with us while we hang out with a bunch of famous celebrities. Maybe even Countess Coloratura, the greatest singing sensation since Sapphire Shores." Silver Spoon offered, as hints of glee could be detected in her tone of voice. Despite her lingering resentment for the two, Scootaloo still commented. "Cool!" Apple Bloom was also taken aback by the fillies' offer. "Ya know, that's... actually pretty nice of you girls." But Sweetie sighed as she confessed. "Actually, my sister hasn't offered to take me to Manehattan anytime soon. It totally stinks too, 'cause she's going there in a few weeks for 'Fashion Week' or something. It's just not fair, I'm old enough." "Yeah, we figured. Too bad, so sad," Diamond taunted, and then she and Silver Spoon did their signature secret hoofshake. "Bump, bump, sugar lump rump!" They laughed, delighting in rubbing their victory in the Crusaders' faces. Furious at the two, and her anger rising, Sweetie blurted out at the top of her lungs! "Oh, yeah?! Well, I don't have to go all the way to Manehattan just to hang out with the famous and super-cool ponies! Me and my friends hang out with Princess Twilight all the time! In fact, I'd say it's just about time for another one of our Twilight Time sessions!" And then she, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo all trotted off. Diamond and Silver's mouth both dropped open in shock, they could hardly believe their ears! "Wait, d-did you say Princess Twilight?! As in the Princess Twilight?! You hang out with her all the time? For real?" Diamond asked, rushing to catch up to the fillies, all the while hoping this wasn't some cruel prank. "Well, all the time might be exaggeratin' a bit, once a week or so is more like it." Apple Bloom explained. "Yeah, and she helps us learn cool new stuff to do! That we actually do ourselves!" Scootaloo added, making sure to emphasize the last part of her speech. "Why do you suddenly care so much? Hoping to gain favor with her or something like that?" "Is this about the flag carrying incident?" Tiara remarked. "I said I was sorry, and you said you forgave me." "I was there, I heard everything!" Silver insisted. "I know, but I never said I'd forget what you did," Scootaloo angrily replied. "Quite frankly, I don't think I ever will, and there's no way I'm just inviting you two to the special time my friends and I get with Princess Twilight. Besides, what does it matter? You can always see her when she's in town." "You don't understand!" Diamond pleaded. "I mean, sure, Silver Spoon and I see her around town a lot. In fact, we saw her a lot when she was just a regular old unicorn, but hardly anypony took notice of her." "Yeah," Silver Spoon agreed. "We just thought 'whatever'." "But now she's a princess, which makes her totally awesome!" Tiara fondly exclaimed! "She's got wings and everything! She's even an alicorn for crying out loud, do you know how many alicorns live here in Ponyville besides Princess Twilight?! None, zilch, nadda!" Adopting the best pleading tone she could muster up, the pink coated filly added. "So can I– " "We!" Silver Spoon chimed in. "-go?" Diamond asked the Crusaders. "Please?" Scootaloo and Apple Bloom shook their heads. After all the trouble the two rich fillies had given them over the years, they were hardly willing to go out of their way to be nice to them, truce or no truce. Even Sweetie Belle was skeptical of letting the two tag along, but for noticeably different reasons. "Twilight Time is just supposed to be between Princess Twilight and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, that's it. It just wouldn't be right if we brought you along," She told Diamond and Silver. "Whatever it is, why don't you just talk to Twilight about it next time she's in town? Or, is something the matter?" Tiara suddenly froze right on the spot and began to shiver, even though it was actually rather warm out. "Uh..." She stammered, unable to say or do anything else. Sensing the problem, Silver Spoon looked at her friend and lightly nudged her as she gave a wink that seemed encouraging. It was as if the grey coated filly was telling her pink coated friend: "Go on, you have to tell them. I've got your back." With a sigh, Diamond reluctantly spoke up and said to the Crusaders. "Look, there's.... something personal I want to try and talk to Princess Twilight about. Something I'd rather be kept private. And I'd like it very much if..." The pink coated filly stopped suddenly and groaned in frustration. "Ugh, this is so LAME! Can you at least try to put in a good word for me with Princess Twilight, please? I can promise to owe you one if you'd like, any kind of favor you want, it's yours." Apple Bloom looked at Diamond and Silver, as she nervously began to say. "Uh, I don't think we should–" But Sweetie Belle quickly spoke up and interrupted. "- Would you two excuse us for a moment? Crusaders talk and all that." "Fine, just don't keep me waiting. I haven't got all day you know." Diamond remarked, and reluctantly clammed up as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo joined Sweetie Belle in a huddle. "We should totally say yes! This is a golden opportunity!" Sweetie suggested in a whisper, once all three were huddled close together. "Are you kiddin'? I don't want them laughing at us while I'm mixin' potions and accidentally sendin' plants into chokin' fits! And I still ain't gotten over the fact that Diamond was partially responsible for what happened with Babs." Apple Bloom complained. "But don't you see? They need our help with something, and we are the only ones who can give them what they want," Sweetie explained with a smile. "Plus, if we take to see Twilight, then they'll have to start learning something too. That'll really turn the tables on them." "And they won't be able to laugh at us when they're so busy trying to learn stuff of their own. Which means I'll finally get some payback." Scootaloo realized. "Guess it wouldn't hurt to invite them over, I think I've got a pretty good idea of what Diamond wants to talk to Twilight 'bout anyway. And it's kinda fun to see them workin' hard to get on our good side for a change," Apple Bloom agreed, and broke off the huddle as she informed Diamond and Silver. "Ya can come along, just this once." Diamond and Silver were elated! "Oh thank you, Crusaders! You won't regret this, I promise!" Tiara insisted. Under her breath Scootaloo commented. "I sure hope not." But no one heard but her. Diamond and Silver followed the Cutie Mark Crusaders, as they were led through town and right up to the doorstep of the Golden Oak Library. Neither filly could contain their excitement! "Oh, my gosh! Princess Twilight lives in there! And I'm about to go inside and see her! I can't even tell you how excited I am!" Diamond exclaimed! "I can't either!" Silver exclaimed too, bouncing up and down repeatedly! As Apple Bloom and Scootaloo knocked on the front door, Sweetie Belle turned to the fillies with whom she currently shared an uneasy truce with, and cautioned. "Now remember, Twilight takes this time out with us so we can learn stuff. So please try to be respectful, and keep the comments to a minimum." But just as soon as Sweetie's words had left her lips, the library door swung open and out trotted Twilight. "Hey there, girls! Come on in!" She encouraged to the Crusaders. Forgetting all about what Sweetie had just told them, Diamond and Silver rushed up to Twilight and started shrieking like fanponies! "Princess Twilight!" They loudly squealed in unison! "Oh, it's really her! This is like a dream come true!" Tiara happily exclaimed! "Oh, my gosh, I don't believe it! Please tell me I'm not dreaming!" Silver added! Twilight was more than a bit unnerved by the overenthusiastic responses from Diamond and Silver, as she sheepishly said to the Crusaders. "Oh, and, uh, you brought guests. Great!" She said with a nervous chuckle. "Don't worry, it'll only be this once," Scootaloo cautioned. "Trust me, it's not a decision we came to lightly." Meanwhile, Diamond was practically gushing with excitement and enthusiasm! "Princess Twilight, it is such a thrill and honor to be here! You have no idea how long I've been waiting," Looking at the pink skunk stripe in the alicorn's tail, she then asked. "Oh my gosh, who dyes your tail?" "Actually, it's not dyed at all. I've always been this way," Twilight explained to the filly, and as she led all five of her young guests inside she asked Tiara. "Is there anything I can help you or your friend with?" "Huh? Oh, in a bit," Tiara said with a nod. "It's a little bit... complicated to put it mildly." "I see," Twilight commented, taking note of the nervous look the pink coated filly had just given her. Then to the Cutie Mark Crusaders she whispered. "Listen, I'm all for helping as many ponies as I can, but maybe we should keep these weekly visits just between us, hm? I've only got so much time on my hooves as it is. Now then, which one of you three wants to practice first?" But there were no replies. "Hey, are you going to help me or just make we watch these three numskulls mess everything up?" Diamond pouted impatiently. "Some of us have more important matters to worry about." "I'll get to you in a minute, Diamond Tiara. Hold your horses," Twilight scolded, and then suggested. "Why don't you and Silver Spoon go look for Spike and see if he needs help with anything? I'm sure he'd appreciate the company." But Sweetie Belle protested. "Shouldn't they be going first on the practice sessions? I mean, they probably could stand to learn some new skills." "No, silly!" Twilight giggled, and explained. "I'll need time to set up a lesson plan for those two, especially if they're not going to be coming back with you girls. Now then, since there are no volunteers, I'll pick for you," Randomly settling on Apple Bloom, she spoke up. "Apple Bloom, go ahead. Let's see how your plant potions are coming along." "Great, so much for our brilliant plan!" Apple Bloom thought to herself, as she reluctantly went to get her plant making stuff, including the formula. "No favor from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon could be worth this humiliation!" The three Crusaders were too busy focusing on their humiliation to pay much attention to anything else that happened at that fateful Twilight Time. They didn't seem to take notice of the few instances where Diamond would slip away to talk with Twilight, or where Silver or Diamond would spend time working with Spike to clean up the library. As the next day dawned, Apple Bloom was complaining loudly to Sweetie Belle. "I tell ya, you've had dumb ideas in the past, Sweetie Belle. But this one really takes the cake. I can't believe I let you talk us into bringin' guests yesterday, let alone the ponies that almost broke our friendship apart." "Well, I didn't actually hear them laugh at us even once, Apple Bloom," Scootaloo replied. "And trust me, I'd have known if they were. Whatever it is Diamond wanted to talk to Twilight about must've been really important." Apple Bloom only shook her head in protest. "It's 'cause they laughed on the inside. Next time we decide to bring guests to Twilight Time, knock some sense into me!" "Don't worry. We won't make that same mistake again, I swear it." Sweetie firmly vowed, before the Crusaders took notice of both Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon approaching. Though, was it just their imagination, or did they seem to have a huge crowd following them for whatever reason? "Aw, great!" Apple Bloom groaned upon taking notice of the gathering crowd. "Look who showed up to make fun of us. Probably went and blabbed to the whole schoolyard 'bout our humiliatin' failures. Nice goin', Sweetie Belle, we're the laughin' stocks of the playground." "So much for learning skills to be big shots," Scootaloo sighed. "Guess only our big sisters and families won't be laughing at us." But Diamond seemed to be smiling, not out of malice, but out of happiness. The same held true for Silver. "Hey, guess what, Crusaders!" She asked out loud, then before any of them could reply she quickly added. "You remember how I agreed to owe you a favor for yesterday? Well, I decided I'd repay you by going around and talking up your special Twilight Time." "And you're never gonna believe what everypony told her," Silver said with a grin. "Trust me, you can try to guess but you won't get it right!" "Oh no, here it comes..." Sweetie sighed, and she and her friends braced for the inevitable jeers, snickers, and teasing remarks. "They all want in!" Tiara proudly boasted. "Thanks to me, you three are now the hottest thing around. You're welcome." All the colts and fillies that had gathered behind Diamond and Silver started to chant over and over again. "Twilight Time! Twilight Time! Twilight Time! Twilight Time!" "You're lucky Di opted to leave out some of the 'unnecessary' details," Silver said with a wink. "She figured it was the least she could do for you three. Hope you enjoy your fame." "Uh-oh..." Sweetie Belle gulped, as she thought in her mind. "This could be a problem." For several minutes, the Crusaders just stood there, unable to think of what to say or do. All the while, the crowd of colts and fillies just kept chanting over and over again! "Twilight Time! Twilight Time! Twilight Time!" At last, Sweetie found the courage to speak. "Wow! All these ponies really wanna meet Twilight that badly?" She asked, even though she was pretty sure there was no point in asking that question. Indeed, everypony in the crowd nodded. "If you can get us to see the princess, we'll love you forever, Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Pipsqueak chanted. "I think Princess Twilight might just be more popular than Princess Luna!" Everypony in the crowd cheered loudly. But Diamond quickly shushed them. "Now, now, everypony! Settle down. Demanding time with the princess as an unruly mob simply won't do, not at all," She commented. "Might I suggest that you perhaps get organized through us, the Cutie Mark Crusaders' nearest and dearest acquaintances?" As she spoke this statement, she put her hoof around Scootaloo and whispered. "I hope you're satisfied, you three are the only ones who can get me to have time alone with the princess. And she's the only one I feel comfortable discussing my problem with. Let's just say it's family issues." "Okay?" Scootaloo whispered back, unsure what to make of this information. Meanwhile, Silver Spoon had rolled out a clipboard and was currently working on organizing the foals into an orderly line as she barked out orders. "Everypony get in line! Single file please! No pushing, no pushing!" "Goodness, what a mess." Apple Bloom remarked, watching all the cheering foals from afar. The line of them stretched on for miles with no end in sight. "Of awesome!" Sweetie Belle realized, and quickly explained. "They all think we're the greatest thing ever, because we're their one ticket to get time with Ponyville's newest and biggest celebrity, Princess Twilight! We're really and truly and certifiably the biggest of the big shots in school right now! Inviting Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon worked out better than we thought!" "So, what are we supposed to do now?" Scootaloo asked Sweetie. "There's absolutely no way we can just 'convince' Twilight to let us bring our whole class over, just so they can hang out with her. And no way are we bringing them to the clubhouse, that's for official Cutie Mark Crusaders only!" "What if we invited 'em somewhere else, and got Twilight to come and hang out with us there?" Apple Bloom suggested. "We've got her wrapped around our little hooves now, along with just 'bout everypony here except Miss. Cheerilee." "Maybe that could work, but where would we invite them?" Scootaloo wondered. "It's got to be somewhere where Twilight's not gonna suspect anything, but also somewhere that'll be able to fit an entire schoolhouse of ponies." Taking a deep breath, Sweetie looked at both Scootaloo and Apple Bloom said to them. "Relax. I got this. Just leave everything to me." Later that day, when school had let out, the Crusaders made arrangements to get Twilight to come down to the Hay Burger and hang out with them. Twilight, suspecting nothing, agreed. "It'll be nice to take a break from our lessons," Twilight told them. "The Hay Burger is my favorite eating spot! Save a table for me if you can!" And when those arrangements were set, the Crusaders made sure to let all their classmates know where Princess Twilight would be. Needless to say, all the colts and fillies were absolutely thrilled with the idea. Even so, the Crusaders knew a lot was riding on this. If it didn't pan out just right, they risked losing their credibility with Twilight, or even their fame they had worked to build up. "I don't know about this, Sweetie Belle," Apple Bloom nervously commented. "I'm not sure we can pull this off." Sweetie Belle simply answered. "Hey, you said not to invite them to Twilight Time and I didn't. So what's the problem, exactly?" "This feels like a trick, and not a very good either one," Scootaloo commented. "I can't help but feel guilty doing this. Maybe we should just stop now and confess to Twilight what we tried to do?" But Sweetie replied with a gasp! "Have you lost your mind, Scootaloo?! This is our big chance to cement ourselves as the most popular students in school, even Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are eager to kiss our hooves if it means they get a chance to see Princess Twilight. Besides, what's tricky about any of this? All we're doing is inviting Twilight out for a meal to thank her for all the nice things she's done for us, while leaving out the fact that she's gonna have some fans who want to meet her. As long as nopony mentions who told them about Twilight Time, we're safe. The princess will never know." "Did someone say 'princess'?" Pipsqueak shouted, popping up from behind a bush. "Where?! Where?! Where?!" "Hey, keep it down! For the record, Silver Spoon and I were here first!" Diamond shushed, pushing Pip down into the bush. "And we're the only ones besides the Crusaders who can talk to the princess without any trouble!" "All of you need to stay out of site until I give the signal," Sweetie advised. "Princess Twilight will be here any minute. And remember, not a word about where you learned of this." "As you wish, Sweetie Belle," Diamond reluctantly obeyed. "But you three owe me once again for keeping these fanponies under control for you. So I don't want hear any complaints when I call in the favor." "Hey, don't forget about me, Di!" Silver complained. "I was just about to mention you, Silver Spoon," Tiara replied, and made another shushing motion. "Now keep it down, or you're gonna give us away before I... I mean we have a chance to talk with the princess." As it turned out, Twilight was a very messy eater. She didn't seem to care about her lack of table manners, as she just munched on her hay burger, smearing her cheeks with stains of ketchup. "Wow! I didn't realize just how hungry I was!" She exclaimed, talking even though her mouth was full. "I'm so glad you girls asked me to join you here today," She swallowed her first burger, as she used a second one to wipe her face and then added. "I'm so honored!" And then she ate her second burger whole and licked her lips. "Really? You're honored to be here with us?" Sweetie asked, sounding rather surprised that Twilight would make such a statement. Twilight nodded, as she took a break from eating and explained to her young students. "I originally started Twilight Time to help you three with some of your homework, never did I anticipate that from those humble beginnings it would evolve into the special time we now have with each other. And I remember when you first approached me and asked if I would help you all develop new skills." "Oh, you do?" Sweetie asked again, while in the back of her mind she was wondering. "Why am I feeling so guilty about using this to make myself and my friends popular? Isn't this what anypony would do in our situation?" With a smile, and a look of fondness in her eyes, Twilight recalled. "That was one of the happiest moments of my entire life. I remember thinking 'Working with young students so devoted to the joy of learning purely for its own sake? What could be better?'" She paused for a moment to eat some of her horseshoe fries, before she added. "You all remind me so much of myself when I was your age. So eager to learn, and so selfless in your pursuit of knowledge." After sipping on her soda a bit, Twilight continued. "Now then, is there a reason why you three asked me to come and hang out with you here? And where are your friends Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon? I was hoping to have a talk with them so we could start working on a lesson plan, though I must say Diamond's family situation is... 'unique' to say the least. I still think she should try talking to her dad about it though, he really should know what's going on around the Rich family household. As an outsider with only Diamond's word to go on, there's not much I can do about it. All the same, I can tell it's troubling her greatly if she's coming to talk to me about it." "Um, what did you and Diamond talk about exactly?" Scootaloo inquired. "And, would it have anything to do with her mother by any chance?" Before Twilight could explain, Pinkie Pie suddenly called out. "Twilight!" And she appeared near the table, carrying an empty tray. "Haven't seen you here at the Hay Burger in, like, forever and a half!" "I know," Twilight smiled as she replied. "I've been so busy studying that chest, that I forgot how delicious everything is here! I need to see about ordering take out for Spike, I know he prefers gems but I think he's really missing out on a world of flavor." "Totally!" Pinkie exclaimed, tilting her head. As she did, she saw what seemed to be an armada of oogling colts and fillies pressed up against the window. "Hey, what's going on out there?" She asked, but when Twilight turned to look the school ponies had vanished. "Oh, never mind, they're gone," Pinkie commented, but as soon as Twilight turned her back the ponies returned. "They're back!" She shouted, but of course when Twilight turned to look, the ponies vanished again. "Never mind, they're gone again." And then Pinkie trotted off somewhere else. "That was too close!" Apple Bloom thought to herself, breathing a sigh of relief as Twilight sipped her drink. But unknown to Twilight, the ponies Pinkie had spotted earlier were back, and this time they had brought cameras. They all started clicking, snapping photos. And Scootaloo couldn't resist making poses, first on her own and then with Sweetie Belle. Gritting her teeth, Apple Bloom lightly nudged Scootaloo and told her. "Knock it off, will ya?!" Finally sensing that something was up, Twilight turned to the window as she asked. "What in the world is going on out–" But then she gasped upon spotting all the colts and fillies with cameras. She got up from her seat, as she said to the Crusaders. "Stay here. These little ponies are just looking for an autograph I'll bet, this won't take long." As Twilight headed outside to face the crowd of school ponies, Apple Bloom complained to Scootaloo about the incident that had ended up giving them away. "What was all this? And this?" She grumbled, mimicking the poses Scootaloo had made earlier. "What? I couldn't help it," Scootaloo confessed. "When I don't smile in a picture, I look sad." "Oh, we're gonna look sad all right... " Sweetie groaned, putting her head down on the table. "There goes our connection with Twilight, right out the window! Followed by our popularity." "M-maybe it won't be as bad as we think?" Scootaloo suggested in a hopeful tone. "Are you kidding?! Of course it's gonna be bad!" Sweetie complained. "I told ya this was a terrible idea! But did ya listen to me, no!" Apple Bloom snapped at Sweetie. Scootaloo just sighed. "Twilight's gonna be so ticked at us. We have to get out of here, now." Meanwhile, Twilight had gone outside and was currently confronting the massive crowd of ponies that were all staring at her with wide eyes. "Uh, can I... help you?" She asked. The colts and fillies responded, by rushing right up to Twilight, all of them yelling, shouting, and screaming like crazy! Some clamored to have their picture taken with her, others simply wanted her autograph, and a few (or rather just Diamond Tiara) hoped to get a chance to talk with her. "You seriously all want my autograph?" Twilight asked the crowd, before she said to them. "Okay, I guess I'll sign a couple for you, but then I really must get back to my little friends. They're the ones for whom Twilight Time was originally created," Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Twilight spotted Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, as they were trying to slip away unnoticed. "Oh, there you are!" She called out to them, pulling them close with her magic. "Was this the reason you were being secretive earlier? You didn't know how I'd react to knowing I had a fan club?" "Um... yes, that's exactly why we were dishonest with you earlier, Twilight," Sweetie lied. "I'm sorry, we should've just let you know without tricking you. We won't do it again." Diamond could hardly believe what she was hearing! "How dare they!" She thought to herself. "After all the work I put into building up their reputation, this is how they repay me?! Was it really so wrong of me to just want to have somepony to talk to about the problems I'm having with my mother?!" "Well, girls, this was a lot of fun!" Twilight said to the Crusaders, as she wrapped them in a wing hug. "I don't know how I can ever repay you for introducing me to so many young fans! I might have to see about setting up my own classroom somewhere, or talk to Cheerilee about being a substitute teacher for a day! See ya around, bye!" And then she flew off. Not long after Twilight was out of earshot, Pipsqueak said out loud. "To think I've been to the Hay Burger so many times, never knowing it's a regular hangout for a princess!" "Hey, are you deaf or something?!" Silver remarked. "Princess Twilight only came here because of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, they've got her under their control! Wherever they go, she goes!" "That's not-" Apple Bloom began, but Sweetie Belle quickly silenced her. "We've finally arrived, we're big shots now! Let them think whatever they want," The white coated filly suggested, and then to the crowd she said loudly. "Yes, that's right, we the Cutie Mark Crusaders, are officially the closest connection to Princess Twilight, the newest and most popularity celebrity in all of Equestria! If you want to see Princess Twilight or even talk to her, we're your ponies!" "I believe we have arrived, Cutie Mark Crusaders." Scootaloo said to herself, grinning from ear to ear. "I'll bet even Rainbow Dash could only dream of fame like this." She thought to herself. "Hey, Crusaders," Pipsqueak spoke up, attracting attention. "I'm opening up a new lemonade stand! Won't you come to the grand opening next week?" "I don't know, Pip." Apple Bloom skeptically answered. "I'll give you free lemonade for a week!" Pip offered. "And I know some of my friends would like to offer their services to you. Hoof massages, hoof polishes, bow bedazzling, you name it!" But Diamond spoke up and interrupted. "Oh please, don't waste your time on princess ooglers like Pipsqueak. If you three really wanna make the most of your reputation, then you must come to my pool party next week. It'll be much cooler. I'll even throw in a tour of the mansion for no extra cost." She then gave a glare at the Crusaders that seemed to indicate. "Don't forget who it was who told everypony about your connection to the princess, and who left out certain 'details'." "Sorry, Pip," Sweetie apologized. "We'll try to make the lemonade stand opening if we can, but a pool party at a mansion doesn't happen often." "Aw, that's not fair!" Pipsqueak whined, but the Crusaders took little notice. If the Crusaders at all suspected Diamond and Silver were up to something, they didn't show it and neither did they say anything as they came up to the gates of Rich Mansion. Randolph was there to greet them. "Ah, you must be the guests Mistress Diamond has been expecting, good. Please, right this way." He instructed, and lead them around back to where the pool was. "Thank you, Randolph," Diamond politely bowed. "You may go, we'll call if we need anything." "As you wish, Mistress Diamond." Randolph bowed in reply, and then departed without saying another word. Once alone with the Crusaders, Tiara instantly marched up to them and angrily demanded. "Just what do you think you're doing?! Taking all the credit for the hard work I put into making you all popular!" "You mean we!" Silver chimed in, raising an eyebrow. "I was there too, Di, don't forget that!" "And how did you repay us?! By turning our backs on us and and not letting me get a chance to talk to Princess Twilight!" Tiara complained, stomping her hooves down firmly. "I thought we had a deal, Crusaders! Silver and I would keep quiet about your 'humiliating failures', and in exchange you would let the both of us be the ones you'd reward with personal time with the princess! Do you even realize how hard it's been for me to put up with everything I go through at home?! I wasn't asking for much! I just wanted to have somepony to talk about my mother with, was that so wrong?!" Tears began to form in the pink coated filly's eyes. "Now look what you've done!" Silver Spoon lectured at the Crusaders! "You've gone and made Diamond cry! I hope you three are happy with yourselves!" Nervously backing away, Sweetie Belle commented. "Uh, gee girls, this has been great and all, but we really have to go. It's Twilight Time." "We're coming too, right?" Silver asked, looking the three squarely in the eyes. Gulping, Sweetie confessed. "Um... a-actually, no. We didn't have a chance to ask Twilight, so–" "Oh, I see how it is," Silver remarked. "We helped make you the biggest of big shots in school, and you couldn't even keep your end of the bargain. Well, if that's how you wanna play it, fine! Let's see how you answer to all the ponies you built your fame on, the ponies who didn't care about you until they learned you knew Princess Twilight. Your days of fame and fortune are over!" Sure enough, a massive mob of colts and fillies were waiting for the Crusaders as they approached the front gate. All of them chanting furiously. "Twilight Time! Twilight Time! Twilight Time! Twilight Time! Twilight Time! Twilight Time! Twilight Time!" "Okay, I know exactly how to handle this." Sweetie quickly suggested. "And that would be?" Apple Bloom inquired. "Run!" Sweetie shouted, and that's just what the Crusaders did! They took off running as fast as their legs could carry them, but the mob of colts and fillies were in hot pursuit, both on hoof, and on scooters! The chase seemed to stretch on for miles, with no end in sight. And despite the best efforts of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, they were unable to ditch the mob! At last, they neared the front door! All three fillies were out of breath, and their legs hurt like crazy. But the mob was right behind them! In between gasps for air, Sweetie Belle frantically instructed to Scootaloo and Apple Bloom! "We... made... it... Quick! Knock on–" But just then, the mob overtook and surrounded them, as the ponies on scooters skidded to a halt. The colts and fillies proceeded to part, as Diamond and Silver came trotting towards the CMC, and instructed the scooter ponies to knock on the door. The knock seemed to echo everywhere, and just a second later, Twilight opened the door, surprised to see just how many ponies had shown up at her doorstep. "What is the meaning of this?!" She demanded of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "I thought I said we should keep Twilight Time to just the four of us?!" "W-we didn't mean for so many ponies to be here! Honest!" Scootaloo pleaded. "Please, we can explain everything!" "And besides, wouldn't it be rude to turn away guests? Especially ones like these?" Apple Bloom added. With a sigh, Twilight reluctantly said to her students. "Oh, alright, just this once." "So you're not mad? Not even a little?" Scootaloo asked, even though she wasn't sure she should tempt fate like that. "Maybe, that all depends." Twilight explained seriously. "Depends on what?" Apple Bloom asked, as everypony made their way inside. "On whether or not you've been keeping up with your studies, and if you truly valued our time together." Twilight told them, casting a stern look. "Oh boy," Sweetie gulped, and nervously she said to Twilight. "We wanted our time together just as a way to be with you and learn new things. Really and truly! It was never our intention to use it to make ourselves famous." Looking at the Crusaders, Twilight gave one command. "Prove it." "Huh?!" Was all Sweetie could say in response. "If what you said is true, then I'm sure you've all been practicing your skills over the past week. Show me how much better you gotten," Twilight instructed. "That way I'll know for sure if you're being honest." But Apple Bloom protested. "Uh, well, uh... we... can't. At least, not right this moment." "We kinda rushed over and forgot to bring our stuff. Sorry." Scootaloo apologized, hoping she didn't look too guilty. "I see. That's unfortunate." Twilight remarked, her tone of voice indicating that she wasn't thrilled with what she'd just heard. But just then, Sweetie Belle had an idea! "No, wait!" She called out to Twilight, and then to all the ponies gathered she said. "Hey, everypony, you're in luck! You came to chat with a princess, but instead you're getting dinner and a show! Get ready, 'cause we, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, are about to lay on you the amazing skills that we've learned in Twilight Time!" Suddenly, the colts and fillies anger was replaced by a new emotion, intrigue. "Unfortunately, since we don't have Scootaloo's unicycle parts, she'll just take apart and put back together one of the scooters from outside," Sweetie went on. "Any volunteers?" Not surprisingly, none of the scooter ponies volunteered. That didn't stop Scootaloo, she just grabbed hold of the first scooter she could find and began to carefully disassemble it piece by piece. "Hey, what are you doing?! That's my scooter!" Pipsqueak complained. But Scootaloo only said in reply. "You got us into this mess, kid. Might wanna roll with us here." Unphased by this, Sweetie went on explaining. "Now, since Apple Bloom doesn't have her apple seed with her to try her plant growth formula on, she'll just grab a fresh apple from the kitchen," And as Apple Bloom went to do so, Sweetie grabbed a broom and tossed it down onto the floor as she declared. "And I will begin the show by using my magic to lift this here broom! Now watch and prepare to be amazed!" For a while, things seemed to go pretty well for the Crusaders. Scootaloo managed to put Pip's scooter back together in seemingly pristine condition, as if it had never been taken apart at all. And Sweetie was able to lift the broom fairly well with little signs of visible strain. Apple Bloom poured as much of her plant growth formula onto the apple as she could as she instructed. "Become a tree!" Suddenly, Sweetie found herself struggling to lift the broom. "Rise!" She shouted, to no avail, as her magic began to fail! To make matters worse, Pip's scooter began to creak and fall apart! And as for Apple Bloom's apple, it grew too well! It grew to massive size, and suddenly burst, showering everyone in the library with applesauce! "Okay... that didn't turn out quite how I had hoped," Sweetie reluctantly spoke. "Uh, ta-da?" Twilight only sighed and shook her head. "Looks like Twilight Time is over for now," All the colts and fillies whined, as Twilight ushered them out. "Sorry, but I'm gonna need time to clean this place up and sort things out with my students," She explained. "You'll just have to find something better to do with your time." "But what about me? What about my mother?!" Diamond pleaded. "I want to talk to you, Princess Twilight! Please, don't shut me out!" "I'm afraid I can only help you so much," Twilight replied to the pink coated filly. "I appreciate that you're coming to me with these concerns, and maybe we can work something out later. But in the meantime, I suggest you try talking to your father, or your butler. Heck, even try talking to Cheerilee, I'm sure any one of them would listen." Tiara sighed. "Thanks, Princess Twilight, I think. I suppose I can try those things." Twilight nodded and gave a smile of support, as she used her magic to close the library door. Still coated in applesauce, she turned to the Cutie Mark Crusaders and in a scolding tone of voice she said to them. "I gave you a chance to prove yourselves. But it seems like you cared more about utilizing your connections to me to make yourselves famous, rather than actually trying to learn stuff. I get that you wanted to be more popular, but I thought you of all ponies would understand that being famous isn't necessarily something to strive for in life." "But, aren't you famous and smart?" Apple Bloom inquired. "And ain't that kind of the same with our sisters and their friends?" "I only recently became famous, and that's not what I set out to be," Twilight explained. "I earned my wings through hard work and dedication, and the same goes for my title and crown. But I don't believe for one second that because of all that, I can just kick back, and smile and wave. When I took you three on as my students and started Twilight Time, it was my hope to leave a lasting contribution for the next generation. Yet, you three went and soiled my intentions, when you chose to place your own reputation above all else. And look where it got you, covered in applesauce and rejected by most of, if not all your peers," With a sigh, Twilight paused before she added. "Despite what you might think, I'm not mad with you three. But I am disappointed. It's going to take a while for me to again trust you. However, if you're still willing to learn new things, I'm willing to continue these Twilight Time sessions in secret." "We're sorry, Twilight, really," Scootaloo apologized, as all three Crusaders gave the young alicorn a great big hug. "We didn't mean for any of this to happen. It all just got so far out of hoof." "I'm sure you are," Twilight nodded. "But I'm not the only one you three need to apologize to." "You don't mean..." Scootaloo began. "Yes, I'm afraid so," Twilight said firmly. "Diamond Tiara may have been partially responsible for all of this, but she was also hoping to gain a trusted pony to talk to about some personal issues. Now, I know you've had a 'complicated' past with her, but she is a pony like you and I. And regardless of what she's said and done, you wronged her and for that you must apologize." Scootaloo sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that. But I guess it was inevitable. Come on, Crusaders! Hopefully, Diamond hasn't gone too far!" And indeed she hadn't, the pink coated filly was barely out of sight of the Golden Oak Library when the Crusaders caught up to her. It was easy to tell from her frown and low hanging head, that she was feeling pretty sorry for herself. "Hey, Diamond Tiara!" Sweetie shouted, attracting the filly's attention. Turning to face the trio, Diamond growled ever so slightly. "What do you want now? Haven't you got better things to do than to kick a filly while she's down?" "Look, we just wanted to say, we're sorry 'bout earlier," Apple Bloom apologized. "We didn't mean to rob ya of a chance to talk about somethin' that was really botherin' ya." "What?! You feel sorry for me?!" Tiara asked, and all three Crusaders nodded. "Well, don't! It's my own fault!" She loudly exclaimed, trying to hold back tears! "I didn't want it badly enough, otherwise I would've gotten a connection to the princess on my own, rather than count on you three to do it for me! Besides, Princess Twilight is right, I need to talk with more important ponies about this, ponies that can actually do something!" "But, you still forgive us, right? I mean, we're not gonna go back to being enemies, are we?" Scootaloo nervously asked. Diamond was silent for a moment, before she sighed and reluctantly replied. "Yeah, sure, whatever. But we're not really friends, more like friendly rivals. Same as it always was." "So, about your mom?" Sweetie asked. "Is there something you wanna tell us about her?" Tiara opened her mouth to speak, but then she suddenly shut it and shook her head. "You're better off not knowing," She said to the three fillies. "Trust me on this one. And for your sakes, you'd best not snoop around my house or anything. I don't need Mother getting the wrong idea." And with, that the pink coated filly turned and trotted off without another word. "O-kay, that was... weird," Scootaloo commented, as her fellow Crusaders nodded. "I suppose all that's left, is to see if Princess Twilight will ever let us come back to the library for Twilight Time sessions." And indeed she did. In fact, Twilight had a very special surprise for the Crusaders. "Spike, can you bring me that book from the third shelf from the top?" She instructed the next day, once the library had been cleaned up. "Got it!" Spike replied but a second later, and brought it over to Twilight. It had a dark blue cover with a purple spine, and a little seal that depicted a shield. "Here you go!" Spike said to Twilight, as he gave her the book. Twilight smiled, patting Spike on the head. "Thank you, my son. What would I do without you?" Spike blushed. "Mom, stop it! Seriously! You're gonna embarrass me." And then he walked off to grab a broom and start sweeping. "It is with great pleasure, that I officially give you girls your very own journal to write in," Twilight proudly explained, beaming with pride. "Now you can share your own friendship lessons with each other, and have a source by which you can remember the lessons you've learned." All three Crusaders were delighted, but it was Sweetie Belle who opted to write the first journal entry. And it read something like this: I guess Twilight must not be so super-upset anymore, 'cause she's letting us do a diary entry like our sisters do. Boy, did we ever get our priorities messed up. We started acting special just because we were friends with someone special. And we almost forgot the real reason she's special – because she's our friend. But she forgave us, and, like magic, things are good as new! Now that's the kind of magic I really want to get good at, now that I'm getting so good at the other kind. During the Twilight Time where Sweetie Belle wrote down that entry, Twilight was amazed at how far her three young students had come. Sweetie had little trouble levitating brooms, and on occasion she could levitate drum sticks or a smybol or two. Scootaloo could take a scooter apart and put it back together in about a minute. And although Apple Bloom couldn't yet grow a tree, she could at least produce small flowers with her plant growth formula. "Wow, all three of you have made so much progress! I'm really proud of you. See you next time!" Twilight beamed, before she sent the Crusaders on their way. But Sweetie had opted to write a little bit extra in her journal entry. More specifically a little something that read like this: We're just glad that Twilight Time is back to normal. Well... almost back to normal. Almost before they had left the library, the three fillies adopted thick sunglasses and very fancy dresses. "I just hope no one sees us like this." Sweetie whispered. "Why? Is it 'cause we're tryin' to keep Twilight Time a secret now?" Apple Bloom asked. "Or is it because we look completely ridiculous?" Scootaloo added. "Well, a little of both, actually." Sweetie replied. As for Twilight, she just laughed. "Some things never change." She thought to herself.