For the old times
Canterlot Castle:
The throne room was not a pleasant place. Ordinarily, Princess Celestia would have been flanked by the Royal Guard, and the informal audiences would be conducted. This evening, however, she was alone with her sister as the elder princess waited impatiently for one of her subjects. The princess wanted answers, and the filly who had the gall to ignore a royal summons was holding them back. The princess had sent the summons with Sweetie Bot as her intermediary. The reply from the absent filly had been a terse, ‘Can't’.
Celestia had followed up with a less than polite order. Now, the ruler waited for a response.
As Celestia shifted impatiently on her throne, her sister rose from her seat. Gently chiding the elder princess, Luna said, "I warned you that this was not the right time to summon my knight. Save for the poison, she is in the same condition as the Arrow."
Celestia replied, "I cannot simply sit idle. She will talk to me."
Luna nodded. "You have my word that she will come before you, but not on this day. Would you have Blue Blood dragged around Equestria in his condition?"
Celestia sighed. "I guess you are right."
The clock chimed ten times. Luna said, "I can delay my duties no longer. Please, sister, sleep on this before you do something you regret. I shall speak more with my knight on this matter."
Celestia yawned before giving a small nod. "You may be right, but I expect answers in the morning."
"It is time for the sun to go to bed, Tia. I will tell you what I discover."
Celestia stretched as she rose. She slowly walked to the door, pausing to put on her mask of imperturbability before stepping out into the hallway.
Luna sighed as her sister left the room. The lunar princess sealed the chamber before settling into a comfortable position on a cushion that that been concealed behind the thrones. She then closed her eyes and walked into the Dream Realm.
The dreamscape was a jumble of hopes and fears, possibilities and impossibilities. Through long practice, Luna had managed to arrange the dreams behind doors and windows, allowing her to walk into one dream while preventing it from bleeding into others.
As she scanned her domain, she breathed a sigh of relief. It would be a relatively slow night. A few ponies would need a nudge to push them to the correct sides of their dilemmas. A few foals needed their hooves held to work their way past their nightmares. Once she cleared these cases, she was ready to address a festering issue. There were two recurring nightmares that had manifested every night for months. She now had time to break the cycle.
Luna walked through a door of sorrows, where she found a gray-coated filly with a silver mane tied in a neat braid. The string of pearls that she wore and the expensive frame on her glasses showed that she saw herself as a pony of means. Her companion, a pink filly with a pale lavender mane with a white streak, showed off her wealth with a delicate tiara. The two were happily chatting with each other.
Silver Spoon, the gray filly, cringed as she found herself compelled to repeat the scenario she had suffered through for over a hundred nights. Try as she might, she could not break out of its grasp. To make matters worse, she remembered every detail even through her waking hours.
“So, Diamond Tiara,” said Silver Spoon to her friend, “are you coming to my birthday pool-party this weekend?”
Diamond Tiara smiled, and winked an eye at her friend.
“Of course, I will, Silver. I’ll ask daddy to get you the best present he can find. You’ll love it; I’m sure.”
Silver smiled, but her smile froze when she realized she was about to enter into the ugly part of the dream.
A thunderhead blotted out the sun. The rumble of thunder announced a powerful lightning bolt that struck the ground between the two fillies. A crack appeared in the ground between them. It slowly expanded, moving them apart.
Silver Spoon extended her hoof, offering it to her friend.
“Diamond Tiara, come on! Jump! We’re not that far! Jump!”
But, on the other side of the crack, Diamond Tiara turned her back on her.
“I’m sorry, Silver Spoon. You just aren't worth the effort.
The crack grew ever wider, sending the pink filly toward the horizon.
“NO, DIAMOND TIARA!” called Silver Spoon. “Don’t leave me, Diamond Tiara!! Jump! You still can!”
The rest of the world began to fall away as Diamond Tiara moved ever further. Soon, the only things left were Silver Spoon atop a narrow earthen spire, and Diamond Tiara on a similar structure, impossibly far away.
Princess Luna walked to the gray filly, who had curled into a ball, sobbing. She settled down next to the child and draped a wing over her.
“Princess Luna,” said Silver Spoon weakly. “Hello again. Sorry for keep bothering you with this dream.”
Luna replied, "It is no bother, little one. It is I who should apologize for not dealing with this sooner."
Silver Spoon leaned into Luna's coat. Between sobs, the said, "Why does Diamond Tiara reject me? After she faced her mother, I thought we were BFFs. When her parents passed, I made sure I was always there for her. Why does she push me away?"
The filly sobbed quietly as Luna held her closer with a wing. Silver Spoon continued, "Now, she only talks to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, and barely talks, at that. I thought . . ." The filly shook her head. "I'm sorry. I've told you this story a million time already."
"Do not be sorry. You cannot heal unless you open your heart."
"What do I do, Princess Luna?" asked Silver Spoon. "I just can't take this much longer."
Luna replied, "Do not give up hope. Diamond Tiara is hurting as much as you are. She is trying to protect you. She is afraid that anypony who gets too close to her will be hurt. I will do everything in my power to help you both."
Silver sobbed again and nodded weakly.
As the skies cleared, Princess Luna transformed the dream into a party at the vacation house of Granny Spoon. Smiling, Silver Spoon joined in the festivities.
The door had transformed to one of joy when Luna exited the dream. She closed that door and then entered through a door of vengeance.
This dream was set at night in a back alley of Manehattan. A pink filly with light lavender mane with a white streak happily trotted between her mother and father. As they passed a broken streetlamp, a grim expression came to her face. This was the same dream she had relived for over a hundred nights. She refused to allow any other to intrude on her subconscious.
"That was a deplorable demonstration of modern theatre killing the art," complained the filly's mother. "The production team could have, at least, spent a little more on props. If nothing else, it would have given this mess something worthwhile."
Her husband rolled his eyes as he nuzzled his daughter. “Say what you want, Spoiled. Personally, I enjoyed it.”
“Daddy is right! Their acting was not the best, but they did what they could with the script,” said the little filly.
The mother shook her head in disgust. “Humph, sometimes I forget where my little darling gets her deplorable taste.”
A disreputable unicorn stepped from the shadows. His face was a blur, just as the filly remembered. A long, ratty coat covered his cutie mark. In his magic, he held a duck's foot pistol, threatening all three at once.
“The bits. Now!”
Calmly, Filthy Rich used a forehoof to reach for his bit pouch. He slowly tried to move to shield his loved ones.
"Stop right there," snarled the robber.
Filthy sighed as he obeyed. He tossed the bag at the robber's hooves.
The robber said, "The jewelry, too."
Spoiled said, "Mother Milk gave this to me. I shall not cast my pearls before swine."
"You give, or I take."
“Spoiled . . .” Filthy warned desperately.
“No, no, no, and NO!” declared Spoiled Rich. “A pony of my station would never stoop to reward such a hooligan!"
Noticing that the robber got angrier at every word Spoiled Rich said, Diamond Tiara tugged at her mother's leg. “Mother, please shut up!”
“Quiet, Diamond Tiara. I rather be dead than allow this pony to touch my pearls.”
The robber grinned. “You asked for it.”
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the hammers came down. Spoiled stood with a look of shock while Filthy leapt at the assailant. The robber tipped up the barrels reflexively. Three heavy slugs cracked the sound barrier in their flight downrange. The one to the left tore its way through the stallion's chest. The one to the right struck the string of pearls on its way through the mare's neck. The one in the middle tore off the filly's tiara.
Time snapped back to normal as the dead weight of the stallion fell on top of the robber. With a hint of contempt, the robber rolled the body off and walked to what was left of the mare. He spat in her face before picking up the pearls in his magic. The daughter could do nothing but watch in horror.
The faceless robber gathered his spoils and walked away. As he approached a streetlamp, a small voice from behind cried, "Wait!" He turned. What was left of the parents was still there, but the filly was gone. When he turned back, a small figure dropped from the lamp's crossarm. As the figure fell, its cape spread like the wings of a giant bat.
“What?”
Batmare lunged, driving her forehooves into the robber's jugular groove, driving him back. Her forehooves dropped to the ground as she drew in her hind legs. She uncoiled like a spring, catching his chin in a handspring buck. Time again slowed to a crawl as she set up for the finishing blow. The mechanics played out in her mind. Leap to gain altitude. Draw in the legs to gather energy. Use momentum to add power as all four hooves strike out, going through the target.
At the apex of her leap, the dingy alleyway melted away, along with her costume. She landed on a picnic blanket in a peaceful meadow. She groaned in annoyance as she turned to face the architect of the change.
Gently, the Princess of the Night said, "You cannot live in the past, Dark Knight. You must leave this behind if you are to have any hope of moving forward."
"Why? Why can't you let me have my dream? That was not even a real pony!"
"It takes only a small step to start the slide into madness, Dark Knight. I cannot let you become what I once was. Do not cross the line between justice and vengeance. Do not become the very thing you are fighting."
Diamond Tiara stood defiantly. "I can't help it. This is my strength. This is why I fight. I cannot forget."
The air suddenly became frigid as the Princess of the Night grew in stature. Her coat faded to black as her pupils became slitted and sharp canines began to protrude from her mouth. In the Royal Canterlot Voice, she said, "Look at me! Do you think I have forgotten? Is this what you want to become?"
Downcast, the filly silently shook her head.
Luna said as her appearance morphed back to normal, "You are lying to yourself. That is not where your true strength lies. You must look beyond mere emotion."
“I know, I know! But it's not easy, especially after being beaten so easily.”
Princess Luna sighed. “I did not come here to bring up old arguments.”
Diamond Tiara frowned. “I know. I did not show up for the summons. I'm sorry, Princess Luna. I couldn't face your sister, not like this. I'm having enough trouble dealing with the beating that clown gave me. I'm afraid I would have said something stupid when Princess Celestia started blaming me for everything that went wrong."
Luna gave her protege a sad smile. "Don't worry about that, Dark Knight. You will have time to face her when you have recovered. I came here to apologize. I should have taken things more seriously when you told me about that clown."
“Did he appear again?” asked Diamond Tiara, curious.
“Yes. That is the reason Tia summoned you. Last night, he tried to lure you with an attack in Canterlot. Arrow and Canary confronted him, and he almost killed Arrow."
“What?!” exclaimed Diamond Tiara. “This is Arrow we’re talking about! He is one of the best fighters in Equestria, and he wasn’t alone! How could that clown defeat them?”
“Apparently, he set an ambush for you, and Arrow was already incapacitated before Canary showed up,” explained Luna.
“Impossible . . .”
Luna nodded. “No. The clown used poison gas. It took every resource Celestia could bring to bear to save Blue Blood. She does not appreciate such dastardly tactics used against any pony, let alone one who is practically her son."
“I see,” said Diamond. “So, the clown set that ambush for me, you say?”
“Indeed,” said Luna, thoughtful. “Tell me, Dark Knight, have you faced this clown before that night? Have you met before?”
“No. That was the first time. I swear!”
“Are you completely sure?” asked Luna.
Diamond Tiara was about to answer, then she stammered. “I . . . I can’t really tell. First time I saw him, I had a gut feeling that we had met before. I know I would have remembered that clown costume.”
"I need you to remember. We need all the information we can get on this menace."
"All right!" exclaimed Diamond Tiara. "Does this mean I'm not suspended anymore?"
Luna gave a small smile. "The Batmare still needs to heal. Until you have done that, work with your mind, not your body."
“Fair enough. What about the clown?” asked Diamond Tiara.
“We’ll let Dash to take care of him. This is clearly a job for a metapony. I would ask Spike, but he is off planet, according to Twilight Sparkle.”
“Well, at least everything is going to be fixed soon.” Diamond Tiara finally smiled. “You said this was a new age of heroes; we're sure to get more allies.”
“Maybe, but that means it is also a new age of villains. This is what Tia feared in the first place.”
Diamond Tiara frowned; she hadn’t considered that.
“It is almost daytime!” announced Luna. “Take care, Dark Knight. Consider this a vacation from the bat. Reconnect with your friends; that is the only way Diamond Tiara can find happiness again."
“I’ll try,” sighed Diamond Tiara.
“Also, go to Twilight Sparkle for help, please. That’s all I ask,” said Luna before disappearing.
The gold-trimmed alarm clock on her nightstand gave a melodic chime. With a yawn, Diamond Tiara opened her eyes. She silenced the alarm as she prepared for the day.
When she opened her bedroom door, Randolph greeted her with a small bow. "Good morning, Little Miss. Are you going to school today?"
"Yes, Randolph. Two days in bed are more than enough for me. Besides, Miss Cheerilee will be here with the princesses if I don't make an appearance soon"
"Very well, Little Miss. Your breakfast is waiting on the dining room table."
To everypony's relief, the long school day finally came to an end. Diamond Tiara was grateful for the buffer that Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had provided between her and her overly curious classmates. While the colts and fillies had become accustomed to the vigilante coming in with cuts and bruises, her mummy-like appearance piqued their curiosity. The three fillies stayed behind after the others had left the schoolhouse.
“Hey, how are you doing?” asked Sweetie Belle with concern as the three made their exit.
“I’m fine, I guess. How is your sister? Is she all right?”
“She’s going to be fine!” assured Sweetie. “Blood is still recovering, but they're both looking forward to helping you put away that clown for good.”
“Thank Celestia.” Diamond Tiara smiled. “Hey, where’s Apple Bloom?”
“At the hospital, apparently,” explained Scootaloo. “Remember her stomachache?”
“Yeah?”
“It turned out to be an appendicitis. They got it out in time. Nothing to worry about.”
A gray filly was waiting for them in the schoolyard. Silver Spoon called her friend. “Hey, Diamond Tiara!”
She turned. “Oh, Silver. What’s up?”
“My parents are out of town for business for a whole week. Do you know what it means?”
Diamond Tiara gulped. “You're taking a quick vacation?”
“No, silly! We're having a week-long slumber party!” said Silver Spoon. “Just the two of us, like the old times. Remember how much fun we had?”
The old times were only a year ago. It seemed like a lifetime.
“Silver, I . . .”
“You know the staff doesn't care about what we do. So, come on!” urged the gray filly. “We are still friends, after all.”
Diamond Tiara grinned. Perhaps it was time to take Luna's advice to heart.
“You know what? Let’s do it! I could use a change of pace!”
“I’m glad you agree,” said Silver, rushing home.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked at Diamond Tiara with concern. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes, I miss this. And, Dash will take care of the clown, so I’m free. Now, come on! I want to finish all my homework before I go party!”