//------------------------------// // Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara go shopping for Miss Cheerilee, YAY! // Story: Scootalong to the Cheer // by Blackbelt //------------------------------// "I shall be accompanying you" The words kept echoing in Scootaloo's head as she waited outside of the Rich Estate, wondering what was keeping Diamond Tiara so long to to leave. "It'll take just a moment, she said. I just need to grab a few things, she said. hmph." Scootaloo spoke to no one in particular. "And why would she wanna come along anyway?" ____________________ Inside the house, things were going very differently. "What should I wear? What kind of outfit would Scootaloo wear for this kind of thing? Should it be fancy or simple? Red or blue? Skirt or skort? SOMEPONY TELL ME!!!" Diamond Tiara was rummaging through her closet, looking at every dress, outfit, and ensemble she owned, desperately seeking an appropriate look for the afternoon's venture. She scrambled her room, digging through her dresser, her inane ramblings continuing, until a voice rang out. "Um....might I make a suggestion Miss?" Diamond Tiara turned to the source of the voice. It was the maid from earlier. Thanks for not turning Scootaloo away... "Didn't I tell you that I would deal with you later!?" The maid flinched, every impulse telling her to run. But she kept talking. "Since you are accompanying a guest who is already prepped for the trip, would it not be best for you to dress similarly to your guest, so as not to make your guest feel over or under dressed for the occasion?" Diamond Tiara waked slowly and deliberately towards the maid, a blank look on her face. When she was face to face with the maid, Diamond Tiara spoke. "What is your name?" The question confused the maid. Why would she want my name? She usually just says 'Hey You' or calls me maid...... "What is your name?" Diamond Tiara repeated. "Dust Buster, Miss." Diamond Tiara hugged Dust Buster around the foreleg "Thankyouthankyouthankyou! You always give the best advice! And not to mention letting Scootaloo inside in the first place! You're so helpful! I'll be sure to tell my dad to give you a raise! You've earned it!" Who are you and what have you done with the little brat I constantly have to deal with every single day?.......actually, you know what? I'm just gonna go with this. "Thank you very much Miss. Is there anything else I can do to help?" "No thank you! I can finish getting ready on my own!" "In that case Miss, could I ask you to let go of my leg? I think you're cutting off the circulation....." "Oh, I'm sor-" What the hell am I doing? Diamond Tiara very quickly let go of Dust Buster's leg, and went back to rummaging through a random pile of clothes, pulling out a saddlebag which jangled with the sound of bits, which she quickly put on. She than proceeded to her particularly fancy mirror, looked herself over, made sure her trademark tiara was on straight, than walked past the maid, out the room. Before she got downstairs, she yelled "When my father gets home, tell him I will be out." "And what shall I tell him when he asks when you will be back?" Dust Buster yelled back. The question caused Diamond Tiara to stop before she began to descend the staircase and think. That is a good question. How long am I gonna be helping Scootaloo?.....I mean, if it was my choice, I'd be helping her all afternoon, and well into the evening...maybe so late that she would let me spend the night, or have dinner with her...Don't be stupid Tiara, you're just a means to an end to her......still, doesn't hurt to dream.... "I...I may end up spending the night at her house." She lied as she began her descent down the stairs. She managed to exit her house before Dust Buster belted out any more uncomfortable questions, and was immediately assaulted with questions from Scootaloo. "What kept you? You ready to leave?" "Yes, I'm ready! It is rude to make a lady rush!" "Yeah yeah. Just hop into the wagon and we'll get going." Diamond Tiara blinked. "We're not walking?" Scootaloo raised her eyebrow, and put on her best are you kidding me face. "Are you kidding me? The scooter and wagon will be faster, and we don't have all the time in the world. And besides, you just get to ride and not have to lift a hoof. Why would you wanna walk?" So I can walk next to you for a long time and enjoy every second of it "If you insist than." Diamond Tiara walked past Scootaloo and hopped into the wagon. "Well? Since you're in such a rush, let's go." Scootaloo smiled. "Oh, I PLAN to." Diamond Tiara barely had time to utter out a "what?" before Scootaloo flapped her wings as fast as she could and propelled the scooter and wagon forward at speeds far exceeding the factory recommended speeds for either of those things. Both fillies began to scream, one with a hot blooded scream of battle, the other scream dripping with fear. _______________________________________________ After a blisteringly fast few minutes, the scooter/wagon combo came to a stop in front of Ponyville's premier candy store, Bonbon's Bonbons. Diamond Tiara attempted to jump out of the wagon and get her hooves on blessedly solid unmoving ground, but her shaking legs refused to respond properly, resulting in her face planting onto the ground. "Are you ok?" Scootaloo asked, worry in her voice. No, absolutely not. You're a mad filly, and scooters and wagons should not be allowed to go that fast.....But why was it so fun then? Diamond Tiara thought to herself before slowly lifting herself off the ground and onto her hooves, their previous shakiness forgotten. "I'm fine. Now let's go inside and buy whatever it is you want to buy from this low rent excuse for a candy store and get going." "Low rent!? The candy here is delicious!" "Hmph. I doubt it stands up to the candy my daddy orders for me straight from Canterlot." "Wait, you've never bought candy here before?" "Why would I waste my time?" Scootaloo was stunned. Since when has candy ever been a waste of time!? she wanted to yell, but chose to instead just head inside the store of delectable delicacies, beckoning Diamond Tiara to follow her. Inside the store were two mares. One of them was was a cream colored pony with a with a pink and blue colored mane who was sitting behind the counter, reading her way through a stack of papers. The other mare was a mint green unicorn who was sitting on a stool in a fashion that made both Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara wonder how she sat without breaking something. She was strumming a lyre with her hoof as she stared at the other mare with a look Diamond Tiara has given to Scootaloo far too many times too count. Though unlike Scootaloo, the cream colored earth pony was perfectly aware of the fact she was getting that look. Scootaloo chose to break the silence of the scene in a very loud manner. "HI LYRA AND BONBON!!!" Both mares shook their heads, their concentrations broken by the yelling. Bonbon immediately shifted into sales mode, and Lyra began playing a different song, sounding alot more cheerful. "Hiya Scootaloo. Who's your friend?" "This is Diamond Tiara." Diamond Tiara waved her hoof at the candy salesmare, her thoughts once again going very fast. The candy salesmen thinks Scootaloo and I are friends! And Scootaloo didn't try to correct her! Does this mean she thinks of me as her friend now!? Scootaloo and Bonbon stared at Diamond Tiara as she stared into the distance, stuck in her own little world. "uh....she seems to do that every so often....don't mind her...." Scootaloo muttered. "Anyway, to business! You're friends with Miss Cheerilee, right?" Bonbon nodded in affirmation. Lyra's ears suddenly perked up, wondering why Cheerilee's name had come up out of nowhere. "Do you know what kind of candy she likes the best? We're here to get her a gift." Once again, Bonbon nodded. "Oh yeah, she really likes the Blackcherry drops. She gets a bag of them every time she visits. So that'll be one bag? "....better make it two." "Why two?" ".....this is an apology gift." Lyra's harp playing suddenly stopped. "Apology? What happened?" Lyra asked, worried. "well....I-" Scootaloo begain, before being interrupted by Diamond Tiara. "Don't worry, Miss Cheerilee is fine. Just an interesting day at school is all." Everyone else raised their eyebrows at that. "So how many bits do I owe you for what Scootaloo needs to buy?" Diamond Tiara continued, attempting to change the subject. Bonbon and Lyra looked in each others directions briefly. Lyra than continued playing her lyre, and Bonbon said "That will be 6 bits. Is there anything else you wish to purchase?" "um....do you sell any empty gift baskets?" Scootaloo asked sheepishly. Bonbon pointed a small display that sat opposite of Lyra. "We sell those baskets for 5 bits each, though they're a bit big for just two bags of blackcherry drops." "...I'm gonna be buying more than some candy, so yeah, I'll take a basket too....." Bonbon and Lyra once again shot each other a glance. "Than that will be 11 bits total." Diamond Tiara quickly dug around in her saddlebag and fished out the necessary bits as Scootaloo gathered the purchased items. "Thank you for your purchase. Please come again!" Scootaloo walked to the doors. Diamond Tiara, on the other hoof, stayed behind, briefly saying to Scootaloo "Prepare the wagon. I'll be out in a second." The moment Scootaloo was outside, out of hearing range, Diamond Tiara quickly began talking." "What kind of candy does Scootaloo usually buy from here?" "She usually buys the strawberry lollipops, but...." "But?" Please don't tell me they ran out! "Her favorite is the Rainbow Chocolate Bars" "I'll take two." Yes, perfect. A rare treat she can't get all the time..."How much?" "8 bits." Diamond Tiara very quickly grabbed the bits, grabbed the candy bars, stuck them into her saddlebag, and than ran outside. Bonbon and Lyra heard the sound of quickly flapping wings, followed by screaming, and than only the sound of Lyra's song could be heard. "We should probably visit Cheerilee tomorrow and make sure she's alright..." Bonbon said. "Yeah...By the way, did you notice how funny Diamond Tiara was acting? She's got it BAD!" Lyra said, laughing to herself. Bonbon chuckled as well "Yeah, she reminds of a certain green unicorn I knew as a kid." "So how long you think it'll be until she works up the nerve to confess her feelings?" "No clue. Should be adorable when it happens though." Lyra nodded,continuing to strum on her lyre. "Gotta give her credit, she hides it pretty well." _________________________________________________ Divine merciful ground, gifted to us by princess Luna, never before today did I know how valuable you were. Diamond Tiara thought to herself as the wagon came to a halt and she shuffled out of the wagon, this time managing to keep herself upright. Scootaloo was oblivious to Diamond Tiara's new found reverence to the ground and walked off, gift basket in tow, her next destination in sight, weaving her way through the mass of ponies that walked amongst the marketplace. Diamond Tiara quickly caught up and walked alongside her. "So what do you plan on getting Miss Cheerilee from the market?" Diamond Tiara asked. "I've seen Cheerilee drink the Carrot Juice from Carrot Top's farm a lot. She must really like it to drink it so much." "But Carrot Top's stall is clear on the other side of the market! Why did we stop the wagon all the way on the other side?" "Because riding the scooter through all of these ponies would be dangerous." Diamond Tiara gave a look of surprise at Scootaloo DANGEROUS!? With how fast you go, it's a wonder you haven't ended up in a full body cast! Honestly, if it was anypony besides you, I wouldn't be getting into that wagon... Diamond Tiara attempted to change the subject. "Wait, so you're just buying more food?" "Yeah." "You can't just stuff someone with food and expect forgiveness." "You can't? ....if it was anypony else... "It appears you're going to need my assistance for more than just bits. After we pick up the carrot juice, I'll pick the next place we go." "But-" "Be thankful for my help!"please, I wanna be helpful..... Scootaloo looked like she was ready to argue further, but held back when she saw Carrot Top's stall. As usual, she wasn't getting much business, and looked positively bored, but determined to not show how bored she was. Her look of determined boredom was replaced with surprise when she saw Diamond Tiara approaching her stall. That's the daughter of Filthy Rich...and she's headed this way....Ok, just make a good impression on her...right. "How can I help you today?" Carrot Top said as she put on a genuinely friendly smile. Off in the distance, Scootaloo thought she heard a sound that distinctly sounded like a "squee" Ignoring the odd sound, Scootaloo spoke. "2 Bottles of Carrot Juice please!" "4 bits please." Diamond Tiara fished out the bits and tossed them lightly onto the counter as Scootaloo grabbed the two bottles of carrot juice and placed them into the gift basket. Carrot Top recognized the basket as coming from Bonbon's store. "You putting together a gift basket for someone?" "Yep. It's for Miss Cheerilee!" Scootaloo answered happily. "Oh? What's the occasion?" "Oh, Miss Cheerilee is just spending some time talking with her dad is all." Diamond Tiara butted in, not wanting to needlessly worry somepony again. "Now come one Scootaloo, we got more places to stop by." Scootaloo nodded and they both walked off. Carrot Top, however, was stunned. "Wait.....Cheerilee and her dad......I didn't know she was dating! I'll have to get all the juicy details from her tomorrow!" ________________________________________________ Back at the wagon and scooter, Diamond Tiara detailed her plan to Scootaloo. "Alright Scootaloo, I know exactly where we should go next." Scootaloo nodded, hanging upon every word. "I can say, with absolute certainty, that older mares ALWAYS enjoy jewelry! So we should go to Amethyst Star's Fine Jeweler's!" "....seriously? Miss Cheerilee doesn't seem like the kind of pony to wear jewelry...." Diamond Tiara sighed "Just trust me, ok? I know all about this type of stuff. I can even pick out the PERFECT piece of jewelry for her. Accessorizing is my special talent after all." Diamond Tiara did a dramatic pose, showing off her Tiara and Cutie Mark. ".....huh, and I thought all that mark meant was that all you were good at was wearing jewelry...." ...that's what everyone thinks.....and I hate it..... Diamond Tiara thought bitterly. She choked down her sadness and spoke with an air of confidence. "HA! Let us head off then, and I will show you just how good I am!" .....I hope I can be good enough to impress you.... ____________________________________________________ "Hi Scootaloo, hi Diamond Tiara! Welcome to Amethyst Star's Fine Jewelry! Is there anything I can do to help you today?" Dinky asked as the pair entered the jewelry shop. "Dinky? You work at the jewelry shop now?" Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara asked at the same time. "I don't work here. I'm just helping Sparkler while my mom finishes her mail route!" Dinky replied, looking absolutely thrilled that she was helping. "...er....I wish to speak with Miss Star, if you would. I need to look for something very specific." Diamond Tiara said. It was at that point that Sparkler decided to make her presence known. "It would be my pleasure to help such a valuable customer look for something. Just tell me what you're looking for and I will do everything I can to find it." "Excellent. Scootaloo, you can wait her and talk to Dinky for a few minutes. I can handle everything here." Diamond Tiara said, walking towards the back of the store, where she began to converse with Sparkler, her voice too low for Scootaloo and Dinky to hear. "...so you're hanging out with Diamond Tiara?" Dinky asked, addressing the elephant in the room immediately. "She's helping me with something." Dinky's eyes widened. "Helping?! But she's a meanie!" "Yep." "And she's helping you?!" "Yep." "But...she's a meanie!" "Yeah, but......." Scootaloo really didn't wanna get into the deal she had made to get Diamond Tiara's help. "She's helping me, and I'm thankful she is." Dinky began to wonder whether or not there actually was something more to those comments Diamond Tiara made on that day when Dinky first met Sparkler....nah.and Dinky dismissed that line of thinking just as quickly as it had been considered. On the other side of the store, a different conversation was occurring. "Yes, these earring will be perfect for Miss Cheerilee! How much do they cost?" Diamond Tiara was referring to a pair of earrings made of a dull bronze material, molded into the shape of a flower, the center embedded with a rose colored quartz gem. "That particular pair of earrings cost 15 bits." Diamond Tiara was shocked. "That's all? I couldn't give something so cheap as a gift." "But you said it was perfect, right?" "Well, yes, but-" "Than don't worry. Your teacher will love it." "...hmph. fine. I guess Miss Cheerilee doesn't need to know how cheap I'm being right now." Sparkler chuckled. "Is there anything else you need?" Diamond Tiara looked at the earrings displayed once more, scanning them carefully. She than honed in on one earring in particular. Unlike the others in the case, it did not come in a pair. It was a a simple circular shape, made of what appeared to be a somewhat low quality silver, to the point that it was almost black. It was set with an orange topaz. Diamond Tiara thought it was hideous. But she knew that on Scootaloo, it would look lovely. "What about that cheap one there?" Diamond Tiara asked, pointing at the earring she found. "Ah, that one." Sparkler said. "You sure you want it? It's only the one. It's partner was damaged, and I was unable to repair it." "It's fine. How much?" Sparkler thought for a few moments. "I can let you have it for five bits." Diamond Tiara had to hold back another argument on how cheap it was, but decided against it. "Acceptable. 20 bits in total then?" Diamond Tiara asked as she dug through her bag once more. And discovered to her horror that she only had 17 bits left. "...I'll just take the bronze ones please..." it's not like I'd ever be able to give Scootaloo that lone earring anyway.... "Tell you what, Miss Tiara. I can let you have the black one for just two bits." "What!?" Across the store, Scootaloo and Dinky were jolted by the sudden noise. "Honestly, I was close to just tossing it out. And besides, it's not like I'm hurting for business or anything. Take it." Diamond Tiara looked at Sparkler suspiciously. "What's your angle? Sparkler raised her eyebrow, but said nothing. "Why would you do something that would directly damage your bottom line? It makes no sense. You wouldn't be getting anything out of it. So why?" "Because it looks like you really want it, and no one else has even given it a second look." "So? It still doesn't make sense for you to do it." Sparkler sighed. You get your dad to spend 700 bits on a necklace for you, and than you freak out over a 3 bit discount."Just take the deal, alright?" ".....I'll pay your back the 3 bits later. A proper business mare should never incur unnecessary debt." Sparkler suddenly had the urge to get a drink. "Alright. I'll just box these up for you." _________________________________________________________ Outside, Diamond Tiara broke the news. "I'm out of bits." I guess now you'll go off and finish things off on your own. It was nice while it lasted....even the dangerous parts.... "Ah well. So what do we do now?" Scootaloo asked. "...I just told you. I'm out of money. We can't buy anything else for Miss Cheerilee." "So we'll improvise. How are you at arts and crafts?" "I'm pretty good. After all, a proper filly must be skilled at art as well." Diamond Tiara replied smugly. "Awesome. I have some crayons and stuff at my house. We can make a card for Miss Cheerilee." "A card? But that's so-" SILENCE YOU FOOL! She just invited you over to her house! Just nod and go with it! "-that's a great idea! Let's go to your place." Diamond Tiara said, nodding. "Cool. Hop on in." Diamond Tiara was too giddy with excitement to scream this time as the scooter and wagon sped towards Scootaloo's house.