Life is good when you’re the daughter of the richest family in Ponyville. You get all the toys you want, all the finest foods, tons of respect from all your classmates, and of course, special VIP access to your aunt Cash Flow’s newly-opened, second biggest water park in all of Equestria.
Whilst that blank flank and her friends are back home, surely bored out of their skulls and dying in the summer heat, Silver Spoon and I are living like Princesses by the poolside, with our own personal servants to bring us whatever we ask for.
“WHEEEEEEEEE!”
SPLASH!
And there’s even stuff here to keep Alula pleasantly distracted. Yep, life is good. Of course, I’d much rather be at the Grand Galloping Gala with daddy right now, meeting important ponies like Fancypants, Spitfire, and Princess Celestia. But because of that stupid age rule they have, I’ve got to stay behind.
“Sebastian!” I call to the stallion at the bar.
“My name is Charles, ma’am.”
“Whatever. Get me another iced tea, and some more snack, while you’re at it.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he says with a sigh. What’s his problem? He gets paid to serve the most amazing filly in all of Equestria, what’s so bad about that?
“Hello girls!” Oh no. That loud, cheery voice can only belong to two ponies. And since Pinkie Pie isn’t here… “How are the two of you doing? Having fun, I hope!”
“It’s great!” Silver Spoon says as she lifts up her shades and sits up. “Thank you for inviting us, Mrs. Flow.”
“Oh please, don’t mention it!” She walks up towards me, faster than I can run away. I still try, but only end up helping her by sitting up straight by the time she reaches me. “When I heard that my niece was upset about not being able to attend the Grand Galloping Gala, I just knew a visit to my new water park was the perfect way to cheer her up!”
She grabs my cheeks with her hooves and starts to pull them apart. “OWOWOWOW! STAH EE!” No matter how much I kick my hooves or order her to stop, she doesn’t. I don’t understand why aunt Flow has to act like this! I know I’m cute, but is there really a need to try to rip my skin off of my face?
“Your iced tea and snacks, Miss Tiara,” Sebastian says as he places a tray by my side, containing a nice cold glass of iced tea and a bowl of potato chips that. “Will that be all?”
Cash Flow releases my cheeks, and I nod as I rub them better. “Hah! Guess you really took the ‘make yourselves at home’ line to heart!” Cash Flow says as she steals one of my potato chips! How dare you?!
“How long did it take you to build this place?” Silver Spoon asks as she reaches over my body and also takes a potato chip! Stop it!
“Oh, I came up with the plans to this park a long, long time ago,” Cash Flow says as she takes yet another chip! “Finally got the money together to start construction three years ago, but we hit a rockslide when two of our investors, Flem and Flump or something like that, suddenly backed out. Said something about a revolutionary cider-making machine that would make them millionaires overnight…”
“What did you do then?” Silver Spoon takes two chips this time!
“It wasn’t easy, but I wasn’t about to let my little brother Filthy show me up! I searched high and low across Equestria, and finally found somepony who was interested in my idea.” Despite my best attempts to guard them, Cash Flow still manages to take three potato chips. “By the way, where’s your friend? The one who was bouncing around when you kids got here?”
Does she even need to ask? Alula’s making such a scene right now, running around everywhere and cheering like she had just got her Cutie Mark. I point past my aunt, and she turns around just in time to see Alula trip and land on face. “… This park has a medical facility, right?”
Alula gets up and stumbles around a bit, before shaking her head and looking over at us. Which makes everypony watching her look at us, too. She waves a hoof in the air and hovers for a few seconds. “I’m okay!” she shouts, before turning around and running again.
“Don’t-” … It’s not like she’ll hear me anyway. And it’s not like it really matters to me if she trips and hurts herself again.
“You’re friend certainly seems to be having fun,” Cash Flow says with a giggle. “Why don’t the two of you go and join her? Lounging around can be nice, but I really want to know what you girls think of my attractions.”
“Yeah!” WAH! W-Where’d Alula come from all of a sudden?! “C’mon, let’s go try out that big raft slide!” Stop pulling my leg, Alula!
“Alright, alright! I’m coming already!” Honestly. I just wanted a nice relaxing day by the pool with my best friend Silver Spoon. Now I’m being dragged around by this airhead and forced to get my mane wet. Oh, almost forgot. I take off my tiara and hand it over to my aunt. “Keep this safe for me.”
“Sure, sure,” she says as she and Alula both take the last of my chips. I didn’t even get to have one! “You three go and enjoy yourselves now!”
“We will!” Alula says for all three of us as she pulls me to my hooves. She then runs on ahead of us, and soon stops to wave over to us. “C’mon, slowpokes!”
“She’s got a lot of energy, that’s for sure,” Silver Spoon says as she walks past me. I start to follow her, soon walking alongside her.
“She’s just loud, and embarrassing.”
“Still, at least now we can properly try out our new swimsuits.” Well, I suppose that’s true. Daddy had these new swimsuits made for us when Cash Flow invited us to this park. They are one-piece swimsuits with frills, they match our coat colours, and they have our Cutie Marks on the front. He even went through the trouble of having one made for Alula.
“But I hate swimming in public pools. There are so many other ponies all over the place, splashing water and bumping into you…”
“I know,” Silver Spoon says in agreement. “But we might as well make the most of our day here.”
“C’mon, you two!” What is up with Alula, anyway? Why is she in such a hurry to do everything? We have the whole day here, after all. “C’mon, c’mon! You two are so slow!” Seriously, just calm down already! You’re just running so fast that you’ll probably hurt yourself!
Finally, it’s our turn to go next! We’ve been waiting in line for a while now, but I’m sure it’ll all be worth it. This park is awesome! Diamond’s aunt is awesome! And this ride, just like everything else, looks like it’ll be awe-some!
“It’s cold up here,” Diamond says in her whiney voice. “And why does the line move so slow?”
“Don’t worry,” I say as I give her a quick hug. “It’ll all be worth it, trust me!”
“I doubt that.”
THIS. IS. AWESOME!
Oh my gosh, we’re going so fast! We’re spinning all over the place in this raft! There’s water spraying everywhere and splashing us as we turn! Oh wow! There’s such a nice view from up here! What’s this tingly feeling down my back? Whatever, this slide is just so great, I don’t want it to end!
“See? It was fun, wasn’t it?” I ask Diamond as we swim out of the small pool at the bottom of the slide. Silver Spoon takes the raft to the belt thingy that takes them back up to the top.
“… It was okay, I guess,” Diamond says as she turns her head away. That’s strange… I’m sure I saw her smiling and heard her cheering as we went down that slide. I guess I could have just imagined it…
Nah. I’ve never been one to see things that aren’t there. I know what I saw, and I’m sure Diamond’s just trying to be cool as always. Right, of course. She can’t be seen enjoying something as childish as this. She has an image to maintain! Aaaah, Diamond Tiara is simply the best…
“Well, that was certainly more enjoyable than I would have thought.” Meanwhile, Silver Spoon tries to act cool but just fails. Wait a minute…
“Ah! Silver, where are your glasses?! You didn’t lose them on the slide, did you?!”
… T-They’re both giving me that same look they always give me whenever I can’t keep up with their conversations and have to ask them to explain things to me. I don’t like it…
“I gave them to Mrs. Flow when we got here, remember?” … She did? “Haven’t you noticed that I haven’t been wearing them this whole time?” I’ve actually been paying more attention to the park, and Diamond Tiara. Who looks amazing with a wet mane, by the way.
“So, they’re not lost then?” They both shake their heads. “And you can see just fine?”
“Yeah. Well, not long distance, but I’ll be okay as long as you two stay with me.” Huh… I guess she really trusts the both of us a lot. “So, like, what’s this ‘wave pool’ thing that stallion over there mentioned?”
“You’ve never been in a wave pool before?” Both Diamond and Silver Spoon shake their heads, and my ears perk up. “You’ve gotta try it! It’s so cool! Here, it’s this way!”
This is not as fun as the raft slide was! There are too many ponies here, splashing water and just getting in my way! The waves are too strong, and my legs are starting to feel heavy! Water keeps getting in my eyes, I keep losing track of Silver Spoon and Alula, and-
I-Is that a plaster in the water?! Ewww! That’s it, I’m out of here! I’ve just got to turn around and swim back… T-That looks like a long way to swim. Did I really swim that far into the pool? There’s no way my legs will get me all the way back there. They already feel like they’re gonna drop off at any moment!
“Silver Spoon! Where are you?!” Ugh, I can’t find her anywhere! “Silver Spoooooon!” … “A-Alula?!” She’s not here either. UGH! No choice then. I’m just going to have to… go back on my own… and hope that I don’t drown…
Something tells me that Diamond didn’t enjoy that as much as the slide. We got separated at some point, and when I looked around for her, I found her swimming back to shore on her own. When Silver Spoon said that she’d had enough, we both swam back (well, I practically had to carry her) to meet back up with Diamond.
She seemed to have gone back to lounging by the poolside and eating ice-cream. And she looked and sounded a little irritated.
“So, uh… wanna go do something else now?” I ask in the hopes that I’m just being paranoid.
Diamond Tiara looks at me with that ‘I’m annoyed, so don’t talk to me!’ look that she usually reserves for days that Miss Cheerilee makes her stay behind for make-up classes. “I almost drowned just now, and you want us to go back and do something else?”
“Well, I mean, sure the wave pool was probably a stupid idea…” I should have remembered these two were among the last to earn their swimming certificates at school. “But you like the raft slide, right?”
“… It was okay.” Diamond finishes off her ice-cream and then lies back down again. “Well, if you can find something that doesn’t require standing in line for, like, hours, or anything that will make me feel like I’m drowning, then I’ll think about it.”
… A-ha! That’s it! “I’ve got it! How about we try out the rapids?”
“The what now?” Silver Spoon asks.
“The rapids! It’s like this fast-current water that drifts you along, and it’s totally relaxing! No ponies splashing about, no struggling to stay floating, and no long queues!” She… doesn’t seem too enthusiastic about it. “Uh… No?”
Diamond sighs and sits up. “Fine. We’ll give that a try.” Yes! “But first…” She picks up a bottle of suntan lotion and passes it to me. “I have no intention of getting my lovely coat all sunburned. Put some lotion on my back, and then we’ll go.”
… D-Diamond Tiara… is asking me to…
“Alula?” She yelps and jumps off of her sun chair. “Your nose is bleeding! Are you okay?!”
“W-Wha?” I lift a hoof to check, and… Oh my gosh! “Ah! I-I’m sure it’s nothing! H-Have you got any tissues?!”
“Here,” Silver Spoon says as she hands me a packet of tissues. “You take care of that, and I’ll take care of this.” She takes the bottle from me and… laughs evilly as she leads Diamond back to her sun chair.
That little… How dare she take this away from me! Diamond asked me to help her, not you!
…
Well, at least she gave me this packet of tissues. She sure was quick on that, though. Almost like she knew this was going to happen… I wonder why it did, though? I don’t have any allergies, and I don’t recall landing on my face too hard earlier today.
Whatever the case, I should probably just get this cleaned up. Don’t wanna make Diamond worry over me too much, after all.
“What is up with that filly?!” Seriously, who just gets a random nosebleed like that out of nowhere. “This is why I said that she shouldn’t run around the pool, but did she listen? No!”
“You worried?” Silver asks in that sly tone of hers.
“Of course not.” That was a lot of blood, though. “I just think it’s inconsiderate of her, that’s all. And after I decided to indulge her and give these ‘rapids’ a chance.” Well, if I had said no she would probably be sulking the rest of the day… around us.
“Oh my. I think she just passed out.” SHE WHAT?! “… Oops, my mistake.” … “You sure looked pretty worried, though.”
… Silver Spoooooon! “Idiot!” I shout as push her away. She simply laughs and continues applying lotion onto my back. “That’s not funny, and you know it!”
“Just admit it. You care about her, don’t you?” Shut up! I don’t ‘care’! I just don’t want her causing any more trouble than she already has done! “That’s why you went to the trouble of making sure she could hear you when you started bragging about being invited here. You wanted Alula to come along, too.”
“… What are you, a detective?”
“It’s all elementary, my dear Diamond.” Yeah, very funny. “Look, she’s been hanging around us for nearly two years now. Don’t you think it’s time you just admit that she’s your fri-”
“Hey guys! Sorry about that!” Silver Spoon moves away, now that she’s finished, and I quickly move to get to my hooves. “Did I miss anything?”
“Nothing at all!” I push Alula aside as I begin to lead the way. Not that I know the way, but I’d rather end this ridiculous conversation with Silver Spoon before it can get any more ridiculous. “Well? Are you two coming?”
Alula gives me a dumb look, and then follows after me. Silver Spoon… still has that grin on her face as she follows. I swear, sometimes that filly is too smart for her own good…
It seems to have worked. Diamond and Silver Spoon both seem happy, and are having a good time once again. They’re both talking to each other about… something to do with businesses that I don’t quite understand, and they’re both laughing occasionally, too.
Although, I thought the current would be a bit faster than this. And the water a bit deeper. I mean, I know it’s supposed to be for ponies to take a load off, but still… This just isn’t my thing, laying back and letting the flow drag me along. I want something more fun and exciting.
“Hey Alula,” Silver Spoon calls out to me. “The end’s coming up, but you don’t mind one more lap, do you?”
“No, of course not,” I answer with a smile. Well, I guess if it makes them (or rather, Diamond) happy, then I can put up with a little boredom. And hey, if I try really hard, I might just be able to jump into their conversation somehow.
… Or, maybe the conversation will change course to something I can fit into.
Well, I have to hand it to her… Alula was right about the rapids. And some of the other attractions. As long as I don’t have to go in the big pools filled with other ponies, or that stupid wave pool, the water park is pretty fun.
… Meanwhile, this train ride home is boring. Both Alula and Silver Spoon are fast asleep, so I can’t talk to either of them to pass the time. And I don’t feel sleepy yet.
What was all that nonsense that Silver Spoon was babbling on about, anyway? Alula, my friend? Acquaintance, sure. Ally, maybe. But friend? I mean… I guess, she was there for me at my cute ceañera, but that was a long time ago. Since then, she’s done so many things that just drive me crazy, and really get on my nerves.
Okay, so she apologises for each of those incidents. And she’s done some pretty cool stuff, too. Like baking us some treats for school… and helping us get out of Gym class… and, I guess her table manners have slowly been improving…
But she’s a commoner! Her mother makes an average salary, and her family title holds no value! Why would I be friends with somepony like that? What is there for me to gain from that? That’s why I first became friends with Silver Spoon, after all. Uncle said that she would make a powerful ally in the future.
… Of course, that’s not all I see in her now-a-days. Silver is smart, even if sometimes a little too smart, and she’s kind, and pretty, and such fun to hang out with, and… and I don’t even care if she has money or not anymore. She’s my best friend…
But with Alula, it’s like, different. It’s… I don’t know, I just…
GAH! Great, now I’m wide awake, and thinking confusing stuff that make my head hurt! Darn it, Silver Spoon! This is all your fault! Well, if I’m not getting any sleep, neither are you!
I raise my hooves and reach forward, so that they’re both hovering in front of Silver Spoon’s face. And then, I slam them together, waking Silver Spoon up and making her yelp in surprise. HA!
“Oh, good! You’re awake!” I say in an innocent voice as I quickly pull my hooves back and smile.
“Whuh? What time is it?”
“I’ll tell you what time it is!” I reach into my saddlebag and pull out a deck of cards. “Time to settle that tie we got into on the way… here?” She fell asleep on me again! The nerve of her! “SILVER SPOON! WAKE UP RIGHT NOW!”
Hm? What’s that heavy feeling on my should- Alula?! That’s right, I forgot she was sitting next to me! Get off of me! … Darn it, she’s heavy! … Great. Just great. Wide awake, confusing thoughts, my cards scattered everywhere, and Alula is preventing me from moving. Can it get any worse?
I open my eyes and yawn as I wake from my dream. It was a good dream; I dreamt that Diamond and I were both resistance soldiers fighting against the evil tyrant Darth Silver. And then we kissed. A lot of my dreams end that way, that’s why I’m always so cheerful in the morning.
CLICK!
What’s that sound? Oh, it’s Silver Spoon taking a picture with her camera… A picture of what, exactly?
“Good morning,” she says. “I hope you had a good night’s sleep.”
“Good morning,” I say back. “And I sure did. Uh… why are you taking pictures?”
“Just thought you might want a souvenir.” She points her hoof to something beside me, and I turn my head to find… Diamond Tiara, lying on my shoulder, looking totally adorable with her peaceful look and her rough bed mane. “Pictures will be ready in a few days. Feel free to come by my house later if you want any.”
Silver Spoon, you beautiful filly you! If I didn’t want to avoid waking Diamond up, I would reach over and hug you!
“Five bits per picture.”
… Oh, right. I should have seen that coming. Still… this is a moment I’m going to cherish for my whole life.